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Air Cargo Control Unit launched at Tbilisi Airport

An inter-agency Air Cargo Control Unit was launched at Tbilisi International Airport to ensure the free flow of legitimate air cargo and avoid illegal and prohibited commodities.The Unit was launched yesterday within the Container Control Programme of air cargo of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO).The unit will be tasked to profile air cargo consignments to prevent the exploitation of air cargo for illicit drug trafficking and the smuggling of other illegal and prohibited commodities such as chemical precursors, arms and ammunition, endangered species, and items infringing intellectual property rights whilst ensuring the free flow of legitimate air cargo.Employees of the Customs Department of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance and Central Criminal Police and Patrol Police Departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will join forces to control air cargo activities at Tbilisi Airport.
UK oilfield service company to open purpose built facility in Baku

The EXPRO international oilfield service company, headquartered in the UK, plans to complete the construction of a new purpose-built facility within the Shah Deniz 2 project in Baku in October 2017, said the company's manager for Azerbaijan Andy Sadler.He made the remarks during the 4th Caspian forum "Offshore Integrated Project Management & Methods of Production Enhancement of Oil & Gas" in Baku June 23."The new facility will be capable to handle both existing and future projects and is designed to accommodate all EXPRO services lines," said Sadler.EXPRO has had a presence in the Caspian region since 2007, when it was awarded a contract to supply completion landing strings for Azerbaijan's Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli block of fields.In 2014, EXPRO was awarded the contract to build landing strings for Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2.
Police announces more smart cameras and contactless patrolling

By Messenger Staff

Georgias Deputy Interior Minister Shalva Khutsishvili says that about 3,000 smart cameras will be installed in cities and regions in order to reduce the number of traffic violations.He also states that the ministry will introduce contactless patrolling in the areas were more road accidents take place.Khutsishvili announced that the installation of the cameras, which can detect violations at a long distance and identify drivers, will start at the end of July.Step by step we will install the cameras in all regions of the country, Khutsishvili told IPN.Khutsishvili stressed that the cameras will not only make drivers slow down only at the areas where the cameras are placed, as the cameras can detect violations and speeding in a longer distance.The Deputy Minister also stated that contactless patrolling would be introduced in 10 locations at the first stage, from this year.The initial locations for contactless patrolling will be Tbilisi, Batumi and the Kutaisi bypass road, the Deputy Minister stated.Contactless patrolling refers to employees of the Interior Ministry who drive disguised as civilians.However, the vehicles have special equipment to detect violations.The initial locations for the contactless patrolling will be the places where most road accidents are recorded. The advantage of the contactless patrolling is that a driver never knows where a patrol officer can be and he/she is always cautious and refrains from violating traffic rules, Khutsishvili says.The Deputy Minister said that drivers would be informed about the locations of the cameras through a special Georgian-English information board.Khutsishvili also said that the fee for the driving license exam may be a bit increased either in this autumn or from the next year, as practical exams take place in the streets and carry certain risks.The country really needs tough regulations to prevent accidents.However, the Ministry will also need to increase its patrol fleet and re-train its employees for a better service.The patrol police still enjoys high popularity ratings in the country and this respect must be retained and taken to higher levels.
The News in Brief

Margvelashvili Meets Azerbaijani Journalists Wife



President Giorgi Margvelashvili met with the wife of Afgan Mukhtarli, Leyla Mustafayeva, to learn of the recent developments over the case of the jailed investigative journalist.



Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, who went missing on May 29 from Tbilisi and appeared in a detention facility in Baku a day later, remains in custody in Azerbaijan.



The President of Georgia will be constantly monitoring Afgan Mukhtarlis case - he will be ready and open to receive any information, the Presidents press office said on June 27.



The meeting, which was held at the presidential palace at Mustafayevas request, was also attended by the journalists Georgian lawyer, the Presidents Parliamentary Secretary and his Spokesperson.



It is important that the investigation is carried out efficiently with full observance of our state interests, and that the family is assured that its interests are also protected, Presidents Parliamentary Secretary Anna Dolidze said.



Earlier on June 27, Chief Prosecutor Irakli Shotadze and Deputy Interior Minister Shalva Khutsishvili also commented on the issue.



We request interrogation of Afgan Mukhtarli in the presence of our representative. We also request the files of his criminal case. As soon as Afgan Mukhtarli is interrogated and we receive the evidence based on which he is prosecuted in Azerbaijan, we will make a relevant legal decision, Irakli Shotadze said.



The Deputy Interior Minister spoke about the ongoing investigation in Georgia, saying that the video recordings from CCTV cameras would only be released after the results of interim investigation are made public.



I cannot say anything else at this stage. We have filed a request to Azerbaijans investigative agencies to interrogate Afgan Mukhtarli. Until we have a testimony and a whole picture, we will not be able to release interim results, Shalva Khutsishvili said. (Civil.ge)







Ambassador of Georgia to Congo holds meetings on the issue of Georgian citizen



Ambassador of Georgia to the Democratic Republic of Congo Beka Dvali (whose residency is in Pretoria) paid a visit to Kinshasa, the capital of the country on June 26-27.



As InterPressNews was informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the main purpose of the visit was to discuss the situation related to Georgian citizen Ioseb Osorauli.



Within the framework of the visit, the Ambassador of Georgia held meetings with representatives of the Foreign Ministry of the Congo, representatives of the Congolese Armed Forces, a delegation of the United Nations Stabilization Mission and the Red Cross International Committee in the Congo.



The partners once again confirmed that regular communication will continue with the Georgian side and any news will be immediately notified to the Embassy of Georgia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. (IPN)







Parents of Georgian sportsman detained in US hope their son will be released in a week



The parents of Georgian sportsman Avtandil Khurtsidze, who is detained in the United States, are hoping that the court will release their son in a week, Makvala Khurtsidze, the mother of the boxer, told InterPressNews.



According to Makvala Khurtsidze, Avtandil Khurtsidze has recently contacted her by a telephone and told her that a trial will be held in a week and he expects that he will be released.



According to Makvala Khurtsidze, she has no doubts about her son's innocence and hopes that the problem will be solved in a week. (IPN)




BUILDING THE LA RAZA 'The Race' WELFARE STATE ON MIDDLE AMERICAS' BACKS: Months ago, the Biden administration publicly defended their proposal to begin providing federal identification cards to border crossers and illegal aliens who they plan to release into American communities. The goal of the proposal is to make securing public benefits easier.
@amysherman1

A newly formed group of Miami-Dade Democratic lawyers plans to challenge President Donald Trump's voter fraud commission's request for Florida and other states to provide voter roll data.

The Presidential Advisory Commission for Voter Integrity sent a June 28 letter to the Florida Division of Elections asking officials to hand over voter data by July 14. The commission wants voters' names, registration status, political party affiliation, voting history, social security numbers and other information.

Ben Kuehne, a lawyer who formed the new Miami-Dade Democratic Lawyers Council, said the council is planning to file a court challenge against the commission and to stop Florida from turning over "private voter information."

"We are actively involved in analyzing the Presidential Commission to challenge its legality and oppose any attempt by Florida officials to comply with the collection efforts on constitutional and privacy grounds," Kuehne said.

In the majority of states, officials have said they won't comply with all or part of the request, CNN reported. But so far, Florida's Secretary of State Ken Detzner hasn't made it clear how he will respond.

Detzner's spokeswoman Sarah Revell said Detzner is reviewing the request by Kris Kobach, chair of the commission. It would be surprising if Detzner didn't comply at least partially with Kobach's request because Detzner is an appointee of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, a Trump ally.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, who is considering a bid for governor or attorney general in 2018, spoke at the first meeting of the lawyers Council June 26 at Seasons 52 restaurant in Coral Gables. Both offices are currently held by Republicans who are term limited.

In June, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party passed a resolution calling for Fernandez Rundle to resign related to how she handled the case of Darren Rainey, a mentally ill inmate who died five years ago at the Dade Correctional Institution. Rainey was locked in a prison shower for 90 minutes.Fernandez Rundle has defended her decision not to charge guards.

Kuehne said the council won't make endorsements in races.

"This is an active lawyers' group organized to protect voter eligibility and election compliance," he said.

However the council gave Fernandez Rundle a platform to talk about two hot topics for Democratic voters: restoration of civil rights for nonviolent felons and protecting Dreamers, illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children.

She told the group of 75 lawyers that "as officers of the Court you have a have a special obligation to protect people's Constitutional voting rights," according to a press release from the council.



She told Democrats that "you have an additional obligation to protect the rights of such groups as the 'Dreamers,' children brought to the United States by their parents who may not enjoy legal status, and who have been threatened by the Trump administration after being protected under the Obama administration."

Miami Herald file photo of voters at the Coral Gables library during March 2016 primary.
via @learyreports

Republicans are re-opening a familiar playbook against Sen. Bill Nelson and attempting to tie him to the liberal wing of the Democratic party.

A Facebook ad released today by the NRSC contends Nelson has voted with Sen. Elizabeth Warren "90% of the time" and implies he stands with her on single-payer health care. He hasn't been vocal on that issue, however, and drew complaints in 2009 for being cautious in general to Obamacare.

On Monday, Nelson was in Tampa for a meeting with constituents worried about the GOP replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act.. "The ACA is not perfect, and there are a bunch of things we ought to fix," Nelson said.

The broader goal is to show Nelson as a liberal, a label he's been able to shake off in past elections. This is the second known digital ad this year from Republicans linking Nelson and Warren. The first came in February, also on low-cost Facebook.

Warren does support Nelson; earlier this year, her PAC donated $10,000 to his re-election effort.

The NRSC said the ad "will run statewide while Nelson is home for the July 4th recess and throughout the month."

Read more here.
@alextdaugherty

Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Wednesday his plan to ban the State of Florida from doing business with any entity that supports embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

During the next meeting of the Florida Cabinet in August, I will bring forward a proposal that will prohibit the State of Florida from doing business with any organization that supports the oppressive Maduro dictatorship," Scott said in a statement. "Floridians stand with the people of Venezuela as they fight for their freedom, and as a state, we must not provide any support for Maduro and his thugs."

Scott's announcement comes hours after Democratic State Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez said he will file legislation seeking divestment by the State of Florida from businesses who work with the Maduro regime. He also encouraged state agencies not to wait for legislation to divest.

"Venezuelan Independence Day is a fitting time to propose a response by the State of Florida to Goldman Sachs' callous decision to turn a profit at the expense of the Venezuelan people -- I call on state agencies to immediately initiate divestment from Goldman Sachs and I call on my colleagues to support legislation I intend to introduce during the 2018 Legislative Session that would prevent future business ties between the State of Florida and the Maduro regime," Rodriguez said in a statement.

Rodriguez is vying for Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's open congressional seat in 2018 while Scott is likely to challenge Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in 2018.

July 5 marks Venezuelan Independence Day, and pro-government militias attacked Venezuelan lawmakers during a special session that coincided with the holiday.
A typical farmer must wait a year or two to see how a new crop variety works out. Imagine if the crop was trees.

An experiment with Ponderosa pine trees has run more than a generation and turned up some unplanned results. Saplings planted for their potential to grow the fastest, straightest timber turned out poorly prepared to survive a mountain pine beetle epidemic.

Few people have 40 years of data, or opportunity to have a strong event like the pine beetle outbreak show up in the middle, said University of Montana biology professor Anna Sala, lead author of a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. That gave us the opportunity to ask a general question. Do faster-growing families suffer more mortality from bark beetle? The answer is yes.

Sala specializes in physiological ecology, examining the features of plants and trees and evaluating the cost and benefit of each feature for survival. The idea that strength in one area may accompany weakness in another has been around biology ever since humans started selective breeding. With cash crops, bigger is better and time is money. But breeding trees presents the problem that those who start the study might be dead before it produces results.

Sala was fortunate to have access to a research plot in UMs Lubrecht Experimental Forest planted by the Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative in 1974. The group of industry foresters, academics and government scientists planted about 4,000 seedlings from 204 vigorous-growing Ponderosas and waited to see which produced the best wood.

What they didnt count on was the local mountain pine bark beetle shifting from endemic, or background levels, to a forest-wrecking outbreak. The BB-sized beetles attack pine trees in swarms. If the tree cant produce enough sap to pitch them out, the beetles lay millions of eggs under the bark. When they hatch, the larva consume much of the trees nutrients while introducing a fungus that also blocks its ability to defend itself. Deprived of food, the pines needles turn red and fall, resulting in stands of gray ghost dead trees.

All organisms have different growth rates  some people are taller and some are shorter, Sala said. And in biology theres a well-known pattern: Faster-growing organisms have shorter lives. Bacteria live and die very fast. Elephants are slow-growing. We were initially looking at trade-offs between growth and drought resistance. But with the outbreak, we changed the goal and shifted to bark beetle resistance.

And it turns out trees selected for their early fast-growing properties have poorer insect defenses as they near maturity. Sala still doesnt know the reason. It could be that the speedier trees cant alter their sap chemistry to repel the beetles as well as their slower-growing cousins. Additional research might get closer to the answer.

In nature, these fluctuations occur a lot, Sala said. That helps maintain genetic diversity. No trait is best all the time.

So if you are a tree breeder, what do you do? You want to maintain genetic diversity, particularly in long-lived organisms. The Irish potato famine was a case where lack of genetic diversity caused a catastrophe.
Their hats, they had three corners.

Missoulas annual Fourth at the Fort celebration has long been billed an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration, but not this old.

For the first time, a handful of men dressed in garb evoking Americas first Independence Day in 1776 set up camp and chased the shade around the front lawn of the Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History at Fort Missoula.

Fort Missoulas annual event dates back to 1976, and traditional activities such as face-painting, a tractor parade, scavenger hunts, living history demonstrations and horse-drawn wagon rides whirled to the east and south.

In the Grant Creek Schoolhouse, built in 1907 by John Rankin, a couple of elementary schoolers demonstrated how recalcitrant students back then might be dealt with.

Madi Brennan, a sixth-grader at Bonner School, and Dani Rhodes, a fifth-grader at Chief Charlo School, enrolled in the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula's new junior education docent program. They showed off a few of the things they'd learned at a recent 4 1/2-day camp. Rhodes drew a small circle on the blackboard and said teachers used to have students who acted up stand with their nose in the circle.

With the help of Kristjana Eyjolfsson, the historical museum's education director, Brennan narrated as a volunteer was asked to stand back against the wall on her tiptoes.

"We're going to pretend that Kate was playing the piano in the middle of class when she was supposed to be doing math," Eyjolfsson said.

A misbehaving student with long hair could have that hair nailed to the wall, "so if she went flatfooted it would pull her hair," Brennan said.

Even though the temperature climbed toward the 90s, a thin veil of clouds warded off the worst-case scenario of sunstroke. Organizers of Fourth at the Fort said they were pleasantly surprised by the throngs who remained in midafternoon.

The cloud cover wasnt the best-case scenario for Bryce Nordgren of the Hellgate Amateur Radio Club. He set up his solar telescope outside historic St. Michael Church, while the other ham radio operators were inside demonstrating their equipment.

The telescope reveals amazing detail from the suns surface when theres not clouds, of course, Nordgren said.

He bought it in February to prepare for the rare eclipse of the sun on Aug. 21. Nordgren has scoped out the path of the nearest viewing point of the total eclipse in Idaho but balked at revealing where hell set up that day.

Thats like asking for the secret fishing hole, he laughed. Im probably going to find just some lakeside camping spot off the interstate or something."

He'll have to be flexible, Nordgren pointed out. It could be smoky or cloudy the day of the eclipse.

"So basically I intend to do it like anything else, watch the weather a couple of days ahead of time and head wherever it looks like itll be clear  and Ill be wrong. Its like picking a line at the cash register.

A solar eclipse is part of Revolutionary War lore. On Oct. 27, 1780, Samuel Williams led an expedition from Harvard College to the British-held coast of Maine to observe an eclipse, after Massachusetts Speaker of the House John Hancock asked for and received grudging immunity from the enemy.

The Brits, however, restricted Williams and his team to an island off the coast. He triumphantly reported his findings to the American Academy of Arts and Science, according to a 2014 article in the Journal of the American Revolution.

However, even in the moment of observing this natural marvel, Williams excitement was tempered by the realization that their location, constrained as it had been by military considerations, had missed the area of actual totality by a mere handful of miles, the Journal reported.

***

The new Missoula-based Liberty Tree Chapter of the Montana Society Sons of the American Revolution formed the encampment by the military museum.

Weve got period equipment, artifacts and reproductions and weve got about six or seven us in uniform, with a couple of flags, said Larry Mylnechuk of the chapter.

Established barely a year ago, the Liberty Tree Chapter has 13 or 14 members, each able to trace his family tree back to the war that started all the Fourth of July celebrations.

Some, like Mylnechuk and chapter president Don Murphy of Stevensville, wore the traditional Continental Army uniforms, including red-trimmed jackets of deep blue. They offered stark contrast to the British uniforms, which were the other way around.

The military uniforms "meant they were actually supposed to be paid, which they were sooner or later, said T.C. Richardson of Polson.

He wore a replica muslin shirt and pants of the colonial militia, with a wide-brim pseudo leather hat. The three-cornered hats reflected the style of the era, but they werent always practical for soldiers.

You can imagine shouldering a weapon and marching with it, said Murphy, pantomiming holding an upright musket in one arm.

Richardson is SAR-eligible because of his great-grandfather times eight. Elijah Cleveland was a relative of John Adams, who assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence that was signed in Philadelphia and published on July 4, 1776.

Cleveland was a legal assessor in Boston, Richardson said.

He probably wouldnt have worn this (militia uniform). He probably would have been in a wig and working inside a building making sure that your land was really your land and that you were really a patriot.

Adams name came up again a few minutes later at the fort celebration's welcoming ceremony. Host Don Spritzer, who chairs the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula board, said he was breaking with tradition and not delivering a big, long, stem-winding speech.

Instead he read a short passage from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alan Taylors book American Revolutions. According to Taylor, the Declaration of Independence had a poetic quality that played to emotions as well as reason.

Adams, who would become our second president, delighted in the high tone and flights of oratory with which the Declaration abounded." He later added the Declaration of Independence I always considered as theatrical show.

State and local officials were sent copies of the declaration to proclaim and circulate, Taylor reported. It was short enough  1,337 words  to fit on one broadsheet to be posted on doors of public buildings and walls of taverns. Newspapers reprinted it, judges proclaimed it and clergymen announced it from the pulpit. George Washington had the declaration read to the troops.

Crowds celebrated by ringing church bells, firing volleys, illuminating homes with candles and lighting bonfires on the hills, all accompanied with lavish toasts of alcohol, Taylor wrote. The boisterous celebrations helped to draw many wavering people over to the patriot cause.

And that, in brief, is why we are celebrating today, Spritzer said.
TROY  John and Lori Lark-McBride had their patch of shade staked along the busy Old Fashioned Fourth of July parade route in Troy.

Waving their own small flags, the Libby natives relived their childhoods, watching their grandchildren do whatever they could to encourage candy to come flying their way.

The couple now live in Oregon, but the trip to Troy to celebrate the nations birthday has become a tradition that they rarely miss.

Its our old stomping grounds, said John McBride. We come home to see family. We make it a point to get here for this celebration.

And a celebration it is.

People started marking their spots along the parade route several hours before the first trailer load of veterans came by, waving to the crowd and throwing handfuls of candy to hordes of anxious children waiting with plastic bags in one hand and a flag in the other.

Its so beautiful here, McBride said. Were always glad to get home.

Before the parade got underway, Jeremiah Folker and his daughter, Claire, took a seat on the step on his logging truck and waved to friends as they drove by.

There was the time when the parade had a large contingent of logging and mining machinery. Those days are long gone.

This is still our way of the life, Folker said. We want it to be represented in the parade. Nobody really does it anymore.

With almost every part of her body covered in red, white and blue, including a pair of Elton John-like glasses and a pair of flags pointing skyward like elves' ears, Folkers daughter was anxious for him to fire up the truck and get moving.

I love to throw candy, she said. How much longer?

Just across the street, the Women of Troy drill team gathered with their old-style webbed beach chairs they chose as props this year.

Hildy Johnson was feeling a bit nervous when she woke up Tuesday morning, but everything was just fine once she was surrounded by the women who have marched up and down the dump road with her over the past couple of weeks while learning their routine.

The road is straight and nobody uses it after 6 p.m., Johnson said. Its the perfect place to practice.

This is the third year the 18 or so women offered their show to an appreciative crowd lining the streets. Last year, they chose umbrellas as their prop and the year before that, it was cordless drills.

We were kind of like Rosie the Riveter that year, Johnson said.

The crowd response has always been amazing. It is a little bit nerve-wracking. Were just a bunch of housewives or retirees, for heavens sake. This is probably pushing ourselves a little bit beyond our limits, but we certainly do have fun doing it.

Up in the very front of the very first trailer filled with veterans sat 101-year-old Homer Davis with a young neighbor boy named Davie Joe sitting on his knee.

Davis couldn't quite remember just how many of these parades that hes ridden in, but he knows it's been a lot.

Hes been part of the Troy community since the 1970s when he and his brother moved to town to open a bar. The town was different then and so was the parade.

For one thing, folks who got to know Davis also had the opportunity to sample some of his famous moonshine.

I used to make some good moonshine back in the day, he said, with a twinkle in his eye. It was a lot better than what they have to drink today.

Davis served in World War II and helped direct traffic at the famous Battle of the Bulge. He can still remember General Pattons booming voice when he wanted something to happen fast.

He was kind of an orangutan, but he was a good soldier, too, Davis said.

While Troy has its own set of orangutans, Davis said its also filled with a lot of good people.

There will always be orangutans no matter where you go, he said, as he pushed the flag hanging on the side of the trailer back behind his head. Its a good town. I have a tremendous number of friends here, but now I cant remember all their names.

Most of the men that he knew who fought in WWII are gone now.

Theres nobody left that I can sit and tell my stories to, he said. I can lie all I want and no one even knows.

Troys mayor for now  hes giving up the job after finding a new job in nearby Libby  raced around on a four-wheeler to make sure everyone in the parade found their place.

This is the one thing every year that Troy does really well, said Darren Coldwell. Weve been doing this pushing 100 years or more. Its a good hometown event that requires everyone to come together to make it happen.

It ends with a $10,000 fireworks display.

When you consider that theres only 900 people in town, thats $11 a person, he said. Its just a great day for Troy.
Last week, Interior Secretary Ryan 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.
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Last weekend I was thrilled to find an abundance of strawberries at local farmers markets. The berries, bright red through and through and oh so tender and sweet/tart, begged to have a special place in homemade strawberry shortcakes.

But how to choose which berries to buy? I decided on two vendors based on taste tests. Armed with enough berries to last a week, I headed to my kitchen. I have a favorite shortcake recipe and it is by James Beard. The cakes are super tender because he includes cooked mashed egg yolk in the dough. I pretty much follow the recipe outlined by Larry Forgione in his seminal cookbook, An American Place, (Morrow, 1996), but I add finely grated lemon zest and a tiny bit of freshly grated nutmeg.

I wrestled with the idea of including a modern cooking ingredient, such as lavender, in the shortcake dough, but after googling lavender strawberry shortcake and finding oodles of fairly ordinary recipes, I abandoned that idea and stuck to something more traditional.

Beards shortcakes, made with butter, heavy cream, sugar, cooked egg yolks, baking powder, and salt, is about as basic as it gets. My additions of lemon zest and nutmeg brighten the flavor considerably.

But local strawberries are the stars, and now is the time to make strawberry shortcake because their summer season is fleeting. Weve become blase about strawberries availability because the commercial ones are in supermarkets year round. These strawberries are a thing of their own: they have lovely aromas but strange crunchy textures and their centers are often white. They are not what strawberries should be: lusty, juicy, and full of flavor.

Many shortcake recipes say to handle the dough minimally because overworking it can make the shortcakes tough. Not this recipe. You can actually knead the dough thoroughly and youll still be rewarded with tender cakes for your strawberries.

Ready, set, bake!

Strawberry Shortcake

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

Shortcakes

2 cups (9 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

2 mashed hard-cooked large egg yolks

3/4 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Berries

2 pints fresh local strawberries, washed, patted dry, stems removed, berries sliced or quartered, plus 6 perfect whole berries

2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream

1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Either weigh the flour or spoon lightly into dry measuring cup, fill to overflowing, and sweep off excess with a straight edge. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt thoroughly. Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender (or use your fingertips) until its the consistency of fine meal. If you have a food processor, use the metal blade for this step. Add the lemon zest and mashed egg yolks and whisk them in vigorously. Or pulse them in with a food processor. If youve used a food processor, dump the ingredients into a medium bowl.

3. Add 3/4 cup of the cream and stir with a fork until the dough just holds together. Scrape the doughand any stray dry particlesonto an unfloured surface and knead the dough for a few seconds until it all comes together into a smooth mass. If the dough is at all sticky, dust lightly with flour.

4. Pat the dough into a roughly 7-inch square about 3/4-inch thick. With a plain floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out 4 dough rounds. Try not to twist the cutter, which will compress the dough and cause it to rise unevenly. Reshape dough scraps, pat out, and cut 2 more dough rounds.

5. Line a baking sheet with cooking parchment and place shortcakes 3 inches apart on the baking pan. Brush the dough with the remaining heavy cream and sprinkle on the remaining1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.

6. Bake about 15 minutes, until cakes have risen and are golden brown and feel firm to the touch.

7. While shortcakes bake, combine the prepared sliced strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl. Let stand about 30 minutes.

8. In a medium bowl, with chilled beaters, whip the cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla, until cream holds a shape. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

9. When shortcakes are done, transfer them to a wire cooling rack. When cool, split them horizontally with a serrated knife.

10. To assemble shortcakes, set bottoms of shortcakes onto dessert plates. Pile on the sugared berries and any juices, dividing them equally among the shortcakes. Spoon a liberal amount of whipped cream onto the berries, and set shortcake tops on the cream. Put a dollop of cream onto each shortcake top and set a whole berry on the cream. Serve immediately with knives and forks or just forks.
Service honors military personnel

DILLON -- A service honoring military personnel who have provided a peaceful nation for all of us starts at noon Wednesday, July 5, at the St. James Episcopal Church, 203 E. Glendale, Dillon. All are welcome; families, friends, military personnel and anyone who would like to thank and pray for all of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Historical haunted places are topic

A presentation about the states historical haunted places will be presented at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park on Friday, July 7, at 8 p.m.

Noted author and historian Ellen Baumler will present "Ghosts of the Last Best Place." This is a series of thought-provoking true tales of Montanas haunted places. Weaving the past with the present, Ellens well-researched history provides the backdrop for eerie events and ghostly encounters that will have you looking over your shoulder and craving more!

Ellen is an interpretive historian at the Montana Historical Society and host of the show "History on the Go" on Cherry Creek Radio. In her spare time, she has made a hobby out of investigating the history behind Montanas ghosts and haunted places. She has shared some stories with us in the past, so we are excited to hear some more this year!

Details: 406-287-3541.

Salvage sale slated July 12 in Uptown

Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization will host its next Salvage Sale from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, in the alley behind the Picadilly Museum, 20 W. Broadway.

Other sales are Aug. 10, Sept. 20 and Oct. 19. Proceeds support the Historic Improvement Program grants, and go directly back into the community.

Volunteers can just drop in at the sale site. Bring a tape measure and work gloves. Donations? Email us at info@buttecpr.org.

Butte Duplicate Bridge results listed

Thursday Afternoon Game, June 22nd

Section A: N-S: 1, Mary Pat Kasperick and Cookie Johnson; 2, Arlene Stepan and Danny Matteucci; 3, Alice Vicevich and Helen Dowdall

Section B: N-S: 1, Bev Hadley and Bill Kebe

Section A: E-W: 1, Ardy McLeod and Audrey Ochs; 2, Virginia Kebe and Sharon Smith; 3, Jacqui and Bill Wandersee

Section B: E-W: 1, Virginia Kebe and Sharon Smith; 2, Jacqui and Bill Wandersee

Monday Afternoon Game, June 26th

1, Linda Young and Susan Callaghan; 2, Cookie Johnson and Sharon Smith; 3, Janet Ralph and Dana Liebel

For information on game times and location or to inquire about bridge lessons, call Cookie Johnson at 494-5151.
Pets should remain at home

The Butte-Silver Bow Animal Services Department would like to remind Montana Folk Festival attendees to keep pets safe and leave them at home, the hotel, or a local pet boarding business during the festival.

The festival is one of Buttes showcase events  for people. A combination of hot weather and bustling crowds make the event stressful and unsafe for pets. It is best for your pet and for festival attendees to leave pets in a safe, cool location with food and water. Do not leave pets in vehicles, particularly in the July heat. It can be hazardous to their health.

For assistance in locating a place to house your pet during the festival, contact Animal Services at 406-497-6525 or the Chelsea Bailey Butte -Silver Bow Animal Shelter at 406-497-6528.

Strawberry trial results shared

Strawberries are a high value specialty crop with varieties hardy enough to grow in Montana. Weeding and pest management can make it hard to produce strawberries organically.

NCATs SIFT farm collaborated with Seth Swanson, Missoula County Horticulture Extension Agent, to determine whether using high tunnels to produce annual strawberry crops in Montana is a viable production strategy.

Three cold-hardy, June-bearing varieties were used in the research project trials: Cavendish, Honeoye, and Jewel.

There will be a discussion of how the different systems performed at NCATs SIFT farm from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July, 11, at 3040 Continental Drive. At NCAT, the strawberries were grown annually in a hoop house and outside as well as in a perennial matted row system.

The discussion will include the varieties yield, sugar content, and size. There also will be a taste test of the different varieties of strawberries that were used.

Details: Tammy Howard, 406-494-8683 or tammyh@ncat.org.

Volunteer campground hosts needed

The Butte Field Office needs volunteer campground hosts to serve at its Log Gulch Recreation Site on Holter Lake, 45 miles north of Helena.

Volunteers need to be able to answer general questions from the public, maintain and clean restrooms, clean fire pits, remove garbage and do twice-daily compliance checks at Log Gulch and the adjoining campground, Departure Point.

Volunteers are the backbone of our recreation program, said Butte Field Office Manager Scott Haight, adding, Its great for campground visitors who get to interact with locally knowledgeable volunteers, and its great for the volunteers who can spend time outdoors and meet people from all across the world.

The tour of duty for volunteers at Log Gulch lasts until Labor Day. The work schedule is three-days-on, three-days-off.

Volunteers must be self-contained and able to provide their own accommodations. Full hook-ups are available for volunteers recreational vehicles. A washer and dryer is also available on site.

One of the most popular sites in the Holter Lake area, Log Gulch has more than 70 campsites, boat docks, a small beach and swimming area, a fish-cleaning station, and several nearby hiking trails.

Details: Kelly Scarbrough, Supervisory Outdoor Recreation Planner, at 406-533-7637 or email at kscarbrough@blm.gov, or contact Jim Karamanos, volunteer coordinator, at 406-533-7678 or email at jkaraman@blm.gov.

Light and Color Festival discussed

The Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives will continue its Brown Bag Lunch series at noon Wednesday, July 12, with a presentation by Dolores Cooney and Jeanette Kopf on the upcoming Butte Light and Color Festival. The festival is a collaboration between science, art, and education, where artists and scientists will join for a day of playful investigations and hands-on learning.

The festival is presented in partnership with Josef Albers: Formulate-Articulate, an exhibition at the Foreground Gallery of the Imagine Butte Resource Center. The show features master prints by Josef Albers, an important 20th-century artist famed for his experiments with the interaction of color, perceptual illusion and rhythmic form.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5

WILDFLOWER TOUR

The Forest Service will sponsor its 20th annual wildflower tour of the Gravelly Range starting at 9 a.m. The free tour winds through the Gravelly Range, which is noted for a spectacular, high-elevation display of wildflowers. Details: Ennis at 406-682-4253 or the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Facebook page.

TECH BOOK SALE

Montana Tech Library will hold its annual book sale through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1300 W. Park St. Details: 406-496-4281.

CLUBS AND MEETINGS

BUTTE

Butte Sunrise Kiwanis Club meets Wednesday, July 5, at 7 a.m. at Perkins Restaurant. Guest speaker will be George Everett from Main Street Uptown Butte.

Warped Weavers meet 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays at the Butte-Silver Bow Public Library, third floor, 226 W. Broadway St. Curious about weaving? Come watch, ask questions; there may be a loom for you to try. Details: 406-782-5784.

Class of 1961 will have a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 5, at Christinas Cocina.
BILLINGS  The wildfire burning a mile southwest of the town of Zortman has grown to approximately 1,000 acres in size, according to a Bureau of Land Management spokesperson.

That number suggests the July Fire has grown by around 600 acres since it was estimated on Monday night to be zero percent contained and about 400 acres in size.

No mandatory evacuations had been ordered as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Phillips County Sheriff's Office dispatch.

Zortman has a population of about 70 and is near the southern border of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.

Connell's Western Montana Type 2 Incident Management Team has been ordered to manage the fire, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group website InciWeb.

Wildfire incident command teams come in five different levels, with Type 5 typically assigned to the least complex fires and Type 1 teams assigned to the most complex.

In a press release sent Tuesday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m, BLM spokesperson Jonathan Moor said that aircraft were dropping water on the fire and about 90 wildland firefighters were on scene.

Monday night, the fire was burning mixed timber along a ridge of BLM-managed lands in the Little Rocky Mountains.

Moor's update states that a heavy air tanker, multiple single air tankers, three helicopters, nine fire engines, two water tenders and three bulldozers are also involved in the effort to contain the July Fire.

Crews dispatched to the area include personnel from BLM, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Phillips County firefighters.
PHILADELPHIA -- Some American history museums belabor visitors with this message: You shall know the truth and it shall make you feel ashamed of, but oh-so-superior to, your wretched ancestors. The new Museum of the American Revolution is better than that. Located near Independence Hall, it celebrates the luminous ideas affirmed there 241 Julys ago, but it does not flinch from this fact: The war that began at Lexington and Concord 14 months before the Declaration of Independence was America's first civil war. And it had all the messiness and nastiness that always accompany protracted fratricide.

Among its many interesting artifacts -- weapons, uniforms, documents -- the museum's great possession is the tent George Washington used from 1778 to 1783, which on its long, winding path to the museum was owned by Robert E. Lee's wife and was later sold to raise money for Confederate widows. The museum makes rather more than is necessary of the Oneida Indian Nation's contributions to American independence but, then, the Oneidas are now in the casino business and contributed $10 million to the museum.

The museum has one of those "immersive" exhibits wherein visitors hear the cannon and feel the vibrations of battle. It would, however, be a more convincing experience of war if enemies were trying to impale the visitors with this war's most lethal device, the bayonet.

Never mind. There are limits to what realities a museum can, or should try to, convey. This probably bothers those who are properly intent on making us face the worst facts. Consider, for example, Holger Hoock's recently published "Scars of Independence: America's Violent Birth."

He writes in the manner of current academics, who are forever "unmasking" this and that. He offers "an unvarnished portrait" of revolutionary violence in order to purge the "popular memory" of "romanticized notions" and end the "whitewashing and selective remembering and forgetting" and -- herewith the inevitable academic trope -- the "privileging" of patriots' perspectives.

Hoock is, however, right to document the harrowing violence, often opportunistic and sadistic, that was "fundamental" to how both sides experienced "America's founding moment." The war caused "proportionately more" deaths -- from battle, captivity and disease -- than any war other than that of 1861-65. The perhaps 37,000 deaths were five times more per capita than America lost in World War II. Sixty-thousand loyalists became refugees. "The dislocated proportion of the American population exceeded that of the French in their revolution." The economic decline "lasted for 15 years in a crisis unmatched until the Great Depression."

After the second civil war, William Tecumseh Sherman declared that "war is hell." Hoock demonstrates that this was true even when battle casualties (only 23 patriots died at Yorktown) were small by modern standards. He is, however, mistaken in suggesting that he is uniquely sensitive to our founding mayhem. Consider two recent books that examine the anarchic violence on both sides.

Nathaniel Philbrick's "Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution" (2013) recounts a patriot mob's long torture, in January 1774, of loyalist John Malcom, a Boston customs officer, who was tarred and feathered: The crowd dislocated his arm while tearing off his clothes, then daubed his skin with steaming tar that parboiled his flesh. Paraded for many hours through Boston's two feet of snow, beaten, whipped, and finally dumped "like a log" at his home, where "his tarred flesh started to peel off in 'steaks.'"

Alan Taylor's "American Revolutions: A Continental History" (2016) hammers home the war's human costs. A Connecticut critic of the Continental Congress was tarred, carried to a sty and covered with hog's dung, some of which was forced down his throat. Connecticut loyalists were imprisoned in a copper mine, in darkness 120 feet underground. Georgia patriots knocked a loyalist unconscious, "tied him to a tree, tarred his legs, and set them on fire" and then partially scalped him. Some courts ordered loyalists "branded on the face or cut off their ears" to make them recognizable.

This small, efficient new museum will stimulate public understanding by quickening interest in books like these. Its bookstore includes "The Last Muster," a treasure of photographs displayed in the museum. They are of people who were born before the Revolution and lived to sit in front of cameras. An unquenchable dignity radiates from the visage of nattily dressed Caesar, who was born in 1737, and was owned as a slave by four generations of a New York family until his death in 1852, shortly before a new birth of freedom in our complicated country.

George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
Reading that western Montana's fire season is about to arrive, alerted me to an old 1967 ecology paper I read a few days ago. The paper's topic dealt with how climate change cycles in the western U.S. could be objectively assessed by checking spatial shifts in mountain timberline zones.

The authors of the ecology paper, written 50 years ago, indicated that shifts in the location of the upper limits of tree growth could be used to describe the history of climate change. The advance upward, and retreat downward of trees on mountain tops would be nearly similar to current melt patterns in mountain ice fields.

The trees at high elevations grow very slowly, and also, when they die, they decay away only slowly. The slow decay allows scientists to examine many centuries of tree ring growth patterns; counting the number and width of tree rings; such tree ring data allows construction of past centuries of climate change. When living timberline zone trees can no longer reproduce because of climate changes, this provides field evidence of a downward shift of the timberline and expansion of the alpine zone. Such shifts might be local or regional.

I'd like to request those hiking to the tops of western Montana's mountain peaks this summer to take special note of any physical evidence of current or past advance and/or retreat of the timberlines. Look for small conifers getting started in places where there's no evidence of a former forest, or take note of the presence of standing or downed dead large trees, but without evidence of new trees getting started. Such field evidence may provide clues to the dynamic shifting of our local timberlines, and a local gauge of climate change.

Reading the high country landscape can be a bit tricky because both fires and insects can and do damage or kill trees that compose the mountain timberline zone. Mountain glaciers advanced and retreated over relatively long timelines, over thousands of years, but evidence from Glacier National Park suggests a very rapid retreat just since the early 1900s.

Timberline shifts in western Montana also may be happening at a more rapid pace than at any time in the past. So be alert and read the landscape carefully when you've reached western Montana's timberlines and alpine zones, and report back what you've seen. We'll all appreciate your ecological insights.
The VA Montana health system had 40 vacancies for licensed practitioners at the end of June. The geographically largest VA service area outside of Alaska is short on doctors and other providers across our great, big state.

Seventeen vacancies are in Helena, the location of the only hospital and inpatient VA services in Montana.

Nine vacancies are specific to Billings in the home county of the states largest veteran population. According to information from VA Montana, the Billings veterans clinic vacancies include: regional deputy chief of staff, regional primary care chief, psychiatrist, two psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioner, ophthalmologist, orthopedic physician assistant and another nurse practitioner.

This staff shortage alone is a huge challenge to the VA, which also is recruiting nurses and other key health care staff in addition to the 40 practitioner vacancies.

But there continues to be disturbing news of problems with present staffing, and we wonder if that may be hurting recruiting and retention efforts.

The Billings VA clinic employs a dentist who hasnt seen patients since January, as the Gazettes Rob Rogers reported on June 28. VA spokesman Mike Garcia in Helena declined to comment on why the Billings dental clinic has been closed, and told Rogers he didnt know when it will reopen.

Meanwhile, Billings area patients needing routine care have been referred to VA dental clinics in Fort Harrison (Helena), Sheridan, Wyoming, and Spokane, Washington. Veterans with emergencies and those in need of extensive treatment have been referred to private dentists in Billings.

Its absolutely unacceptable to force our veterans to travel two hours to Sheridan  or farther  to receive dental care that is available to private patients in Billings. Its incomprehensible that the VA employs a dentist who hasnt seen patients or been replaced (at least temporarily) for nearly six months.

VA Montanas vacancy list includes openings in Helena for a dental chief and two more dentists. No dentist vacancy was listed for Billings as of June 26, yet there is no dentist providing care at the clinic.

VA Montana Director Dr. Kathy Berger needs to see that this dental care gap is resolved quickly. Berger, who previously served as director in Sheridan, Wyoming, and only received her permanent Montana appointment last fall, would help the VAs reputation by being more forthcoming about the reasons for obstacles to care access and the efforts to correct them.

A week before Gazette readers learned about the closed dental clinic, reporter Holly Michels told them about a list of possible service cuts that had been presented at a regional VA meeting in Helena.

Berger was adamant that there are no plans for cutting services or laying off employees when she spoke with The Gazette on June 22. In Billings for a town hall meeting at the VA clinic, Berger said: Were not closing anything and were not projecting any losses of jobs.

However, Berger said the VA has been directed to look for efficiencies by a presidential order that covers most all government agencies. Berger, who holds a doctorate in nursing, said the VA is continually evaluating its operations to be effective and responsive to changing demands.

In Montana, veterans generally say they are satisfied with VA care they receive, but many have trouble getting timely care at a convenient location.

Laws enacted this year aim to improve the Veterans Choice program and to allow the VA to fire bad employees more quickly while protecting whistleblowers who report problems. The accountability act, which Sen. Jon Tester helped draft and President Donald Trump signed just two weeks ago, also is supposed to expedite the process of hiring VA medical center directors. In Montana, Bergers appointment as director was finally approved in October, about four months after her predecessor left. She became the third VA Montana director in as many years.

We want to see the new accountability law working in Montana. Veterans and dedicated VA staff deserve to know whats going on at the agency and to have the assurance that they can complain without fear of retaliation.

We call on Berger to be transparent. Communicate regularly with veterans and their communities about VA plans  before decisions are final. And for goodness sake, get the Billings dental clinic open so veterans dont have to drive for hours to get their teeth fixed.

-- The Billings Gazette
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Fort Wayne, IN  A woman arrested on multiple charges after a mother and her infant son were stabbed in February has admitted to the allegations.

Taja McCarter, 28, pleaded guilty in Allen Superior Court to aggravated battery and battery, both felonies, related to an incident inside a home in the 2600 block of Oxford Street around 12:20 a.m. Feb. 10.

An affidavit filed in Allen Superior Court indicated that a fight between two women led to one woman locking herself inside a room of the home with her three children, including her nearly 1-year-old son.

The 24-year-old mother told police that her girlfriend, McCarter, kicked down the door of the room and began stabbing her infant son. During the stabbing, the mother suffered a cut on her left arm, the affidavit said.

When the mother put her infant son on the bed, she told police that McCarter struck her in the right temple. After McCarter threw a childs Pack n Play out on the front lawn and said she wanted the mother and her children to leave, the mother called police.

The affidavit revealed that the infant was stabbed twice in the back, and the knife was believed to have entered his lungs. He also suffered a stab wound on his lower left thigh. At the hospital, the child underwent surgery. FWPD Officer Chris Felton initially said at the scene that the child was expected to survive his injuries.

Felton told NewsChannel 15 that McCarter surrendered to police without incident.

At the police station, McCarter was said to have been lying on the floor. After some convincing, McCarter sat in a chair and police saw blood on her shirt. McCarter was very hostile and refused to comply with an interview, saying she was at a bowling alley during the incident and didnt know anything about a baby being stabbed, the affidavit said.

During an interview with one of the other two children, the child admitted to witnessing McCarter stabbing the infant.

The mother told police that McCarter had been her girlfriend since September 2015. She stated that this was her first night in McCarters home since a fight they had in January 2016.

According to the terms of McCarters plea deal, she cannot be sentenced to more than 10 years. Additional counts of battery, criminal recklessness twice over will be dropped as part of the deal.
The Pilot Club of Muscatine will host a Brain Injury Forum from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at the Muscatine School Administration Building, 2900 Mulberry Ave.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa is assisting this effort for support services to persons living with a brain injury and their family and friends. All interested persons are invited to attend. For more information call 563-272-1979.
Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
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 []
A class eight pupil is in police custody after he attacked and killed a schoolmate.

Sammy Sikinga, 14, was arrested in Kitale town on Monday. He reportedly hit Musa Achi on the head with a blunt object.

They were both learners at Kimeloi Primary & Secondary School in Kesogon.

According to Trans Nzoia West OCPD Jackson Mwenga, Sikanga was a KCPE candidate and Achi a form two student.

Sikanga is said to have clubbed 15-Year-Old Achi on the head following a quarrel, causing him to lose consciousness.

The police boss said they rushed him to a hospital but he succumbed to the severe injuries.

We traced the suspect who had escaped to another village and arrested him. He is helping us with investigations, Mwenga said.

The deceaseds father, James Ekoro, said the boys had fought before the tragic attack.

It seems my son hit him so hard that he retaliated using a club, said Ekoro.
A vehicle in Mombasa Governor Hassan Johos campaign convoy yesterday hit and injured a man in Jomvu, Changamwe.

The man who was clad in an ODM t-shirt was among Johos supporters who had come out for the Sultans door-to-door campaign.

The incident which occurred at the Bangladesh bridge prompted Joho to halt his vote hunt.

We cannot proceed. I am told one of our supporters has been hit by a car. Let us go and see if he is seriously injured and help him, Joho said.

The man was rushed to a nearby hospital by his fellow supporters.

The incident happened after Joho addressed residents of the Bangladesh slums, urging them to elect Raila Odinga in the upcoming polls.

Joho said he was confident he would be re-elected for a second term as he seeks to defend the seat against Wipers Omar Hassan and Hezron Awiti of Vibrant Democratic Party.

Also read: PHOTOS  Joho Takes Back Betty Kyallos Sh13 Million Porsche Brands it for Campaign
How did $12 million bridge collapse in Kenya? Just two weeks after an inspection by President Uhuru Kenyatta, a $12 million Chinese-built Sigiri bridge in Western Kenya collapsed before it was completed. Built by the Chinese Overseas Construction and Engineering Company in Busia County, the bridge connects a region that has historically lacked government investment and development.

North Korea fires missile into waters off Japan The projectile may have landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from its coastline, Takahiro Hirano, Public Affairs Officer from Japans Ministry of Defense told CNN. The launch comes just after US President Donald Trump spoke to the leaders of both China and Japan, two important regional actors in the ongoing standoff with Pyongyang over its nuclear ambitions.

Emmanuel Macron assassination plot foiled by police Spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre told CNN a 23-year-old suspect had been arrested. Investigators said the man planned to attack Macron on July 14, during an parade on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, where President Trump is set to be a guest of honor, according to public service radio broadcaster, France Info.

Refugee: I no longer feel secure in Germany I could not keep silent, he says. What really shocked me was that no one did anything. I simply felt I had to say something. Naem began filming the confrontation on his mobile phone  drawing the attention, and the anger, of the mans attackers. In retaliation, they turned on him.

China gives world rare look at aircraft carrier with Hong Kong port call The Liaoning will dock in Hong Kong on Saturday July 7, in one of the largest symbolic displays of Chinese military force in the former British territory since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Thousands of Hong Kong residents queued Monday for a chance to get one of 2,000 tickets being offered for tours on board the ship, which carries fighter jets and helicopters.

Qatar delivers response to demands from Saudi-led bloc This is the latest development in the rift between Qatar and four Arab states. Envoys worked steadily this weekend to tackle the crisis, a surprising rupture that began last month and spawned diplomatic tensions throughout the region.

Obama touts Paris accord despite temporary absence of US leadership The Paris agreement, even with the temporary absence of US leadership, will still be a critical factor in helping our children solve the enormous challenge in civilization, Obama said at a Seoul conference organized by South Koreas Chosun Ilbo media group.

China and India in war of words over Bhutan border dispute Described by the Indian government as a  significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India, the controversial road runs through the disputed Doklam Plateau, on the unmarked border between China and Bhutan. Though not a part of Indian territory, the plateau holds immense strategic importance for Delhi and is vital to its geopolitical interests.

Poll: Majority of US says civility declined More than eight in 10 Democrats say the civility of discourse has gotten worse since Trumps election, and 65% of Republicans say civility between their party and the Democrats has declined during the same time period. Seventy percent of independents share the same view.

Los Angeles skyline just got taller At 1,100 feet, the new structure stands slightly above the 1,018-foot US Bank Tower  previously the tallest skyscraper in the city. The Wilshire Grand Centers 73 stories will be split between a hotel and commercial space.

David Ndii Declares Kenya Will Burn if Uhuru Wins Another Sham Election The war drums have started, and as usual the culprits are people with the financial means to flee the country at the first sign of trouble. Self-proclaimed public intellectual and economist David Ndii has now announced a gloomy future for Kenya, if Uhuru Kenyatta is declared winner in another sham election.

Larry Madowo and Ekuru Aukot in War of Words Over Ekurus Mammoth Crowd in Naivasha In case he was wondering, Ekuru Aukot has now confirmed that Larry Madowo is not a fan. The presidential candidate, currently doing extremely badly in the polls, was involved in a war of words on Twitter with the NTV presenter. It started when Madowo tweeted pictures of Ekurus rally in Naivasha.

Watch: Anne Kiguta Snaps at David Ndii for Belittling Her Nasa chief economist and rumoured Treasury Cabinet Secretary under Raila Odinga, David Ndii, was on Citizen TV on Monday night. Anne Kiguta was initially supposed to host Musalia Mudavadi but he was a no-show. Dr. Ndii is believed to have been the main brain behind the Nasa manifesto, and he is therefore an obvious choice when it comes to explaining and defending it on TV.

Ex-British Soldier who Saved 200 in Westgate Terror Attack Shot Twice During Ambush in Nairobi A former Special Forces commando who was awarded the George Cross for saving 200 people in the Westgate Mall terror attack has been shot in a gun battle with two attackers. Dominic Troulan, 54, was accosted by the two gunmen on a motorbike while walking in a Nairobi suburb.

Nakumatt TRM in Trouble Over Sh51 Million Rent Arrears.. Full List of Items Collected by Landlord Things are thick in the Nakumatt empire. By now, everyone knows that the once giant supermarket is experiencing serious financial issues. This has even led to talk of an impending collapse. Over the weekend, it was announced that 3 branches in Uganda were shut down by their landlords.

KFCs mission to send a chicken sandwich to the edge of space comes to an early end The spicy chicken sandwich has landed. A mission in which KFC, along with private spaceflight company World View, launched a Zinger sandwich into the stratosphere lasted only 17 hours-far short of its four-day goal. World View landed its Stratollite early because of a small leak in its altitude control balloon system.

Stephen Hawking is wrong about runaway greenhouse on Earth and heres why Stephen Hawking is a world-renowned theoretical physicist whose landmark contributions to cosmology, general relativity and quantum gravity changed the way we see the universe. However, when it comes to climate change, the brilliant physicist is veering on the edge of total inaccuracy.

Whole Foods recalls chicken salad for not containing  chicken Looks like Whole Foods is back in the news-and this time, Amazon has nothing to do with it. The grocery giant sent shoppers a recall alert for approximately 404 pounds of buffalo style chicken salad for actually being  tuna salad. How do you know if your salad is included in the recall?

Lost dog happily reunited with family after being found 200 miles from home Being lost is a scary feeling, but imagine if you were a lost doggo away from your family. Though it must have been terrifying, one brave pet stayed strong while away from home for five months. A police officer from the Pembroke Pines Police Department in Florida found a lost little Pomeranian on the side of the road earlier this month.

8 Years, 2 Presidents, And A Whole Different World GIARDINI NAXOS, Italy  It was the cab drivers last trip of the evening, close to midnight, running me from the G-7 summit press filing center to my hotel a few miles away, and as he sped down the deserted streets we made small talk about that days meetings.

Theater Goes Nuts As Hillary Clinton Appears In The Audience If she was looking for a quiet night on the town, she must have been wildly disappointed. Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation as she and former President Bill Clinton made their way to their seats for a performance of the Tony Award-winning play Oslo in New York City on Sunday night.
Nasa has demanded an explanation from the government as to why eight military-trained police officers are trailing Raila Odinga.

Siaya senator James Orengo yesterday said that the eight were part of 60 AP officers who underwent training in Katulo, Wajir and Kahawa Barracks. They have not been officially seconded to Railas security detail.

These officers are using police vehicles with non-GK number plates that keep changing. They were relocated to Kiambu on an unspecified mission, Orengo told the media.

Prior to the release of the eight officers, a number of trainees had from time to time shadowed and trailed Raila and other co principals in their daily political activities, he said. We fear Jubilee is hatching a similar plan again with this suspicious training.

According to Orengo, a retired lieutenant by the name Kimunya deputized by an officer from the NIS whose name they have not yet established, conducted the training in Kahawa. He said that their instructions are to operate as ordinary civilians while still using police equipment, which according to him makes the mission more sinister.

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We are not going to wait to tell the tale after the crime is committed. We must raise the flag to protect our leaders, Orengo added.

We challenge Boinnet to account for officers under his charge. We are aware officers on this mission have been made to surrender their official status documents.

We are putting the President on notice that we will hold him responsible for security lapses and challenges that affect Raila.

Last month, it was reported that Raila Odinga had asked for more security personnel to bring the number of officers attached to him to 50. It was also said that he had asked for more vehicles to go along with the increased detail. However, Nasa dismissed those claims.

According to the constitution, if a presidential candidate or his/her running mate dies before the election, the election date should be postponed. However, the amount of security detail awarded to any one candidate is at the sole discretion of the Inspector General.
British actress Emma Catherine Rigby was in the country over a week ago.

She was on a visit to Northern Kenya to see how relief funds have been used to support the millions of residents adversely affected by severe drought.

The money was raised from the Disasters Emergency Committee and the Catholic International Development Charity (CAFOD) East Africa Crisis Appeal.

Travelling with CAFOD, the ex- Hollyoaks actress visited remote parts of northern Kenya on an emotional five-day trip.

Through no fault of their own, the drought has caused people to lose their entire livelihoods livestock, including cattle, goats, and camels  which they are utterly dependent on for their survival, said Emma.

The 27-Year-Old actress met with communities that are currently living in desperate conditions and are forced to live on aid.

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Speaking to MailOnline, she described her experience of meeting with the different communities and witnessing the conditions they live in as heartbreaking and devastating to see.

Its really making me realise how things need to change, Emma said.

How we live our lives and the things that we think are significant its almost like being on another planet.

Emma, who said she was inspired by Angelina Jolies work with the UN, visited the Daaba community in Isiolo and saw how a mobile nutrition clinic was a lifeline to mothers and their malnourished children.

Also Read: PHOTOS  Angelina Jolie is in Kenya

She also experienced how aid workers deliver emergency aid to vulnerable families.

What might seem a small detail to me or you, meant so much to the many women I met. They told me they felt in control, and their dignity had been restored. Three months may have passed by since this crisis hit the media headlines, but the needs are still great, the effect of this drought is not over. Cafod and its local aid workers are doing invaluable work, providing aid where its needed most. Ive learned that the aid I saw being delivered is more than just aid; it truly gives people a sense of hope and restores dignity, said Emma.

Here are some photos of her trip.
On Monday night, Nairobi gubernatorial hopefuls Miguna Miguna, Peter Kenneth, Mike Sonko and Evans Kidero clashed head-on in an entertaining debate at the Daystar University.

According to popular public opinion, Miguna Miguna come out on top followed closely by Peter Kenneth.

Sonko was the outright loser in the debate as he struggled to articulate his points compared to the other academic giants.

The Nairobi senator has since admitted that debating is not his strong suit and that he is good at development.

Mimi sio Mtu Wa Debate Im good at Development.Barabara hazijengwi kwa debate.Wakenya wanahitaji good roads and thats my ideology, wrote Sonko on Facebook.

Sonkos eldest daughter, Saumu Mbuvi, has jumped to her fathers defense, taking to social media to urge Kenyan youth not to be fooled by men with imported English.

To My fellow Youths , Lets not be blinded by men in suits with imported English .We are the future and we need a leader who stands with us by all times.We need a leader who fights for us ,understands us and Moreso walks with us.Mike Sonko has been the only leader providing employment for the youths wengine walikua wapi ??Sonko has been for us and forever with us, wrote Saumu Mbuvi.
Presidential candidate Peter Solomon Gichira is back in the news, 5 weeks after he was charged with attempted suicide.

In a letter to newsrooms yesterday, Gichira, who is running as an independent candidate, demanded the immediate cancellation of the August election and the formation of a caretaker government to prepare for another election within 2 years. He is also demanding that IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati is jailed in a civil court.

Gichira lists 5 reasons that have led him to come to the above conclusion. Among them are lack of an IEBC led voter education exercise, flawed voter registration exercise, improper procurement of ballot papers, flawed voter register audit process and poor judgement by the commissioners.

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We can only conclude that IEBC is not only incompetent and dishonest, she has been acting unconstitutionally and in disregard of the law. I have already filed a case in the High Court seeking to have the chairman of IEBC, Mr Wafula Chebukati, committed to civil jail for contempt of court. Simply, IEBC is wantonly shepherding Kenyans towards suicidal elections on 8th August 2017. The IEBC has completely lost its credibility, it urgently needs to be saved from itself. the statement reads in part.

Gichira is also demanding a referendum be conducted before the election, to separate two functions, namely: registration/management of voter register on one hand, and conducting/managing the election on the other hand.

Read his statement below.

The last time Gichira was in the news was after reportedly attempting suicide at KICC. He was charged with trying to jump from the 6th floor of Anniversary Towers in a bid to end his life. This was after IEBC refused to clear him for not meeting requirements. According to reports, Gichira turned dramatic after his demand to meet Wafula Chebukati was denied, and instead directed to junior officers.

Also on his charge sheet was creating disturbance and destroying IEBC property.

In the current constitution, if a presidential candidate or his/her deputy dies before the election, the entire exercise will have to be postponed. The law is silent on the realistic chances of the said candidate. For instance, Gichira did not even make an appearance in the latest Infotrak poll.
Israel and India launched a technology fund Wednesday aimed at growing the countries business relationship, and signed seven accords boosting cooperation in areas ranging from space research to water and agriculture.

The Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund, or I4F, was announced during an unprecedented visit to Israel by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is looking for military and other technologies as he seeks to move his country aggressively into the digital age. Israel, whose export-focused economy relies heavily on technology, is eager to penetrate Indias market of 1.3 billion citizens.

The two governments on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership for water that focuses on conservation, agricultural use of treated wastewater, and on cleaning the Ganges and other Indian rivers. The sides stressed the importance of defense collaboration and said future deals should include the transfer of Israeli technology, in line with Modis Make in India initiative. Three separate memorandums of understanding were signed for space research.

This is a great day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a working lunch in Jerusalem, according to comments relayed by his office. I have a feeling that today India and Israel are changing our world.

Netanyahu accepted Modis invitation to make a reciprocal visit to India, his office said.

The announcements follow a flurry of recent tie-ups. Indian Angel Network, the countrys largest angel investor group, said last week it was starting operations in Israel, and Indias biggest marketplace for startup funding, LetsVenture, agreed last week to work with Israeli equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd. Wipro Ltd. entered a partnership with Tel Aviv University to research emerging technologies, and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. on Wednesday announced one joint venture with Wipro Infrastructure Engineering and expanded another with the Kalyani Group.

Trade between the countries has grown from about $200 million in 1992, when they established diplomatic ties, to nearly $4.2 billion last year, according to figures from Israels Economy Ministry. Still, if defense items and diamonds are excluded, Israeli exports to India have fallen in recent years.

The I4F fund could help arrest that trend. Each government will put $4 million a year for five years into the fund, which aims to encourage Indians to invest in Israels technology ecosystem and spur large Indian companies to open development centers there.

The fund is important, said Avi Luvton, Israel Innovation Authoritys senior director for Asia Pacific. It creates a tool through which connections are made.

India is one of the worlds largest arms importers and is the biggest buyer of Israeli defense products, a relationship that Benjamin Grossman, partner and head of the Indian legal practice at Tel Aviv-based APM & Co. law firm, said can be expanded to the civilian sector. A recent report by Accenture and Nasscom said cross-border investments between Israel and India could produce as much as $25 billion in sales by 2025.

It isnt copy-paste, but it can be done, said Grossman, who previously worked in Israels defense sector. India is an almost infinite market for Israel.

Long a source of software programming talent, Indias technology industry is evolving beyond outsourcing as startups spring up to compete in ride-sharing, e-commerce, education and health. An alliance with Israel offers Indians the chance to learn from a country that has built a world-renowned innovation industry from the ground up.

Deepak Bagla, chief executive officer of Invest India, the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, was in Israel last month to see what lessons from Start-Up Nation could strengthen Indias innovation infrastructure.

We were impressed by how closely linked the entire ecosystem is, Bagla said, noting a network that enables ease of access across a startups entire lifecycle, and government support through various financing programs.

A 2016 report by Nasscom-Zinnov found India lags in the number of incubators and accelerators, the time it takes to set up a new business, and on corporate tax rates.

We can help one another, Luvton said. Its a giant step forward.

The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Fund, the model for I4F, has invested in almost 1,000 projects since 1977. Its products have generated $10 billion in indirect and direct revenue for the two countries.

Israel can help India write a playbook for innovation, said Shanti Mohan, LetsVentures chief executive officer. At the same time, India can serve as a beta site for Israeli technologies looking to scale up, especially in the agricultural and defense sectors, she said.

Indian investments in Israeli technologies are likely to grow. Amitra Farmahan, country business head for the Indian wealth management company Reliance Private Client, said she has seen extremely good response since they started working with OurCrowd last month.
Much has happened to challenge our sense for pursuit of happiness in the last year since the apt Guest Editorial "This July 4th, remembering what it means to pursue happiness" by Timothy J. Shannon seen in the Napa Valley Register (July 3, 2016).

To revisit a meaning in the phrase Thomas Jefferson wrote into the Declaration of Independence seems all the more cogent now. Internationally, entangled alliances in warfare and terrorism have become alarming. Nationally, angry distorted politics have trumped (pun intended) fair hoped-for changes. Locally, assaults on rural landscapes by outside urbanized profiting interests shake one's happiness.

I have become angry in such a short time, like many otherwise thoughtful persons. To understand deeper roots of anger therefore, my most recent reading was "Age of Anger; a History of the Present" by Pankaj Mishra. It is a full enough review of modern origins in such an "age," replete with current outcomes worldwide that seemingly pits warfare by everyone against everyone else.

One is left wanting a reasonable antidote to anger. Can a pursuit of happiness survive present rigors for some mending? Mishra presents a studied review of all the expected bogies of recent modern times that have contributed to our current angry malaise (even some thought dispelled). Industrial exploitation of workers; depletion of natural resources; excessive consumerism; 19th century anarchism; 20th-century fascism; racism; Marxism; manipulated mass media; alienation of youth; demagoguery; ongoing civil wars; and, attraction to ISIS- type rogue organizations are among these.

He finds them linked (there is, perhaps, a hit of what Sir Karl Popper would term "enemies of an open society") more through involvement by generations of restless angry young men than by reason. But, he also counts an unforeseen failure to deliver rights by enlightenment reasoning to a wider world. Voltaire, after all, was content to become senior enlightenment adviser to a monarch and her court.

Reason could just as well wait for deliverance to others at the point of the sword. Napoleon conquered to attempt this, as have others; most recent are our military interventions half a planet away to deliver "democracy."

It has been indigenous peoples and colonialists who bore their own brunt of grave depredations of the age. Sitting Bull observed during the 1877 Powder River Council "... now great and over bearing ... have a mind to till the soil and the love of possessions is a disease with them. These people have made many rules ... take their tithes from the poor and weak to support the rich and those who rule..." and, he led one push-back in uprising - one in hundreds fought throughout the age of anger worldwide.

Happiness was becoming just a memory of a more rural and productive way of life where possession was often shared in common hunting grounds, range-lands, pasture or balanced cultivation in the Great Plains, Horn of Africa, and many more locations that held cultural identities. Even wagon train emigrants ("gone to see the elephant," they said) traveling to California found respect for each others' and native tribal property by adaptive neighborly concurrent or "mess" partnerships (seldom resorting in Hollywood-style shootings).

Massive depredations did follow when "public domain" designated lands enjoyed by the "Indians" were seized for precious minerals, townships or railroad right-of-ways and enforced by the cavalry. Colonials also pushed back in rebellion from the Boars of South Africa to the patriots of 13 American colonies.

For the later, guidance was found in reasoning of the Enlightenment, in which Jefferson and his fellow revolutionaries were sufficiently read. But, they also had a keen sense for happy right to use of one's property (or that held in commons) dating to a more rural England which ought not to be infringed upon.

In 1051, for example, haughty Norman advisers of King Edward sought to seize property in Dover upon passage across the Channel. Thanes and townsmen turned on them and drove them away. The King asked Earl Godwin to punish the men of Dover. He refused, knowing better the depth of an old English right in property.

Perhaps reaching back into origins of rural based societies to rediscover a pursuit of happiness may offset the ravages come with an age of anger. Perhaps we may hope better if there are those elected to offices with the fortitude of Godwin to say "enough!"

Those who reside here need to be listened to, for they have a right.This right is literally grounded in a centuries felt sense of place and deserves our attention every day, plus July 4. We are all meant to enjoy our right to a pursuit of happiness in common.

Tony Norris

Napa
Napas former firefighter museum site has a new owner, again.

For the third time in 13 months, the 77-year old building has been sold, and this time to an entity called WCS Properties LLC.

The sale price was $3.5 million. Thats $1.4 million more than what previous owner Jim Keller paid for it when he bought the building three months ago.

For years, the property, located at 1201 Main St. was owned by Napas redevelopment agency. It was the longtime home of a museum dedicated to firefighting.

After the redevelopment agency was dissolved, the city sold the property in 2016 for $2 million to Napa developer Michael L. Holcomb.

In early 2017, Holcomb said he had had other projects he was working on and in March he sold it to Napan Jim Keller for $2.15 million.

Now, WCS Properties owns the land. According to Keller, Daniel Revers, co-founder of a company called ArcLight Capital Partners of Boston, is the new contact for the property.
13 Reasons Why is a recently produced Netflix series in which a young girl struggles with issues of bullying and repeated victimization. It is popular among teens and parents are urged to be watchful and aware. The series graphically portrays the story of a teenage girl who recounts despair and hopelessness and efforts to obtain help but is repeatedly failed by friends, family, and professionals. The film portrays her 13 reasons for suicide. The graphic nature of the film and its contents can leave viewers feeling unsafe emotionally and may trigger acts of self harm. I am moved to write to urge parents to be aware of this series and talk openly with their children if they have viewed the film.

The following is a summary of advice from the National Association of School Psychologists:

GUIDANCE FOR FAMILIES

1. Ask your child if they have heard or seen the series 13 Reasons Why. While we dont recommend that they be encouraged to view the series, do tell them you want to watch it, with them or to catch up, and discuss their thoughts.

2. If they exhibit any of the warning signs above, dont be afraid to ask if they have thought about suicide or if someone is hurting them. Raising the issue of suicide does not increase the risk or plant the idea. On the contrary, it creates the opportunity to offer help.

3. Ask your child if they think any of their friends or classmates exhibit warning signs. Talk with them about how to seek help for their friend or classmate. Guide them on how to respond when they see or hear any of the warning signs.

4. Listen to your childrens comments without judgment. Doing so requires that you fully concentrate, understand, respond, and then remember what is being said. Put your own agenda aside.

5. Get help from a school-employed or community-based mental health professional if you are concerned for your childs safety or the safety of one of their peers.

GUIDANCE FOR TEENS

1. Suicide is never a solution. It is an irreversible choice regarding a temporary problem. There is help. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or know someone who is, talk to a trusted adult, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text START to 741741.

2. Don't be afraid to talk to your friends about how they feel and let them know you care about them.

3. Be an upstander and take actions to reduce bullying and increase positive connections among others. Report concerns.

4. Never promise to keep secret behaviors that represent a danger toward another person.

5. Suicide is preventable. People considering suicide typically say something or do something that is a warning sign. Always take warning signs seriously and know the warning signs.

Emily Baker, Ed.S.

Licensed Educational Psychologist

St. Helena
(Natural News) At the dawn of the nuclear age, the United States government began developing plans that would ensure its survival should the unthinkable happen and a nuclear war with the Soviet Union became a reality.

At first, the governments planning included finding ways to save as much of the population as possible. But, according to a new book by Garrett Graff, Raven Rock: The U.S. Governments Secret Plan to Save Itself While the Rest of Us Die, over the years the governments strategy evolved into a plan that was designed to save only as many governing elites as possible, leaving the rest of the population to fend for itself.

In a recent interview with Inside Edition to discuss his new book (which this writer is reading, by the way), Graff detailed his findings about a series of secret bunkers and other getaways buried into mountains in rural parts of the country that are part of Washingtons COG  continuity of government  planning, and one of those facilities is called Raven Rock.

Raven Rock, also known as Site R, is located about an hour outside of Washington, D.C., near Blue Ridge Summit in Pennsylvania. There, youll find a massive, Pentagon-like underground emergency operations center; its sister facilities are the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center in Virginia and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado. Together these facilities form the governments core COG strategy.

The government built more than a hundred of these bunkers and relocation facilities around the country, Graff told Inside Edition, adding that there is no room for families because the plan is to get a small number of government officials into the bunkers.

Meanwhile, the fate of the rest of us is grim, to say the least. As noted by the UK Daily Mail, a late 1950s government report described how cities should attempt to manage civil defense operations after a nuclear attack:

It said that the area should be divided into mortuary zones with collection teams in charge of identifying bodies.

Post Office mail trucks would ferry the wounded to one of 900 improvised hospitals set up near attack sites in places like federal prisons.

So devastating would such an attack be, it lead President Dwight Eisenhower, who had witnessed the massive conventional destruction of Europe and Japan as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, to observe, The destruction might be such that we might ultimately have to go back to bows and arrows.

Nevertheless, the government has, for decades, spent untold sums of taxpayer money ensuring they will survive, while the rest of us die. (RELATED: Astrophysicist warns humanity will eventually be wiped out by an asteroid strike just a matter of time)

As noted by Inside Edition:

The title of Graffs book comes from Raven Rock Mountain, a secret bunker in Pennsylvania where Pentagon brass will re-locate in a nuclear war.

He said the guest list includes high-ranking government officials, cabinet leaders, congressional leaders, members of Supreme Court, top aides, White House staff, NSA staff and those who run the bunker.

Along with people, the government has plans in place to save the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Liberty Bell.

There are also some oddities and even some humorous elements of the governments planning. For example, the Cheyenne Mountain complex is complete with a Subway sandwich shop.

If you just happen at the time of the apocalypse to be manning the cash register at the Subway you are going to be the only fast food employee in America to survive the nuclear war, he told Inside Edition.

Raven Rock  as well as all the governments COG facilities  is staffed 24/7/365, but its only been utilized one time: During the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

So, how does the ordinary Dick and Jane American survive? Bugout.news has some tips for that.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

InsideEdition.com

DailyMail.co.uk

Bugout.news
(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
(Natural News) Its shocking  and depressing  that despite an estimated 842 million starving people in different parts of the world, we are wasting as much as 20 pounds of food each month. Thats according to Ruth Litchfield, professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University.

Its a huge problem. When you think that 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. goes to waste, that is just irresponsible, Litchfield said. Its very likely that the fresh produce you have inside your refrigerators are going to end up in the trash can instead of on your plate. The food science professor notes that even though people dont initially intend to throw food in the trash, they do it more often than they realize.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food produced each year gets lost or wasted. Thats almost a third of the all the food produced in the world. This wastage is not cheap. In fact, food losses amount to about $680 billion in developed countries and $310 billion in developing nations.

Incidentally, fruits and vegetables, as well as roots and tubers are the top food items to get thrown. Based on global data, quantitative food losses per year are almost 30 percent for cereals, 40 to 50 percent for root crops, fruits and vegetables, 20 percent for oil seeds, meat and dairy, and 35 percent for fish.

Litchfield blames the food wastage to the pervasive mentality about food: that more is better. She said people need to stop thinking that its better to stock up on more food when grocery shopping or ordering large portions at restaurants. Based on a 2012 study on food waste, the top contributor to food waste is the home (44 percent) right after the food service industry (33 percent).

There are several ways to avoid this. As long as consumers are aware of the impact of their habits and take the relatively small steps to limit food waste, they should be able to save money. Litchfield recommends doing the following:

Find an alternate use for produce  Granted that you might not be able to consume everything before they wilt, you can try making other dishes where you can still use the ingredient, like as an additive to soups, etc.

 Granted that you might not be able to consume everything before they wilt, you can try making other dishes where you can still use the ingredient, like as an additive to soups, etc. Weekly meal planning  Planning your meal will ensure you dont waste anything because everything is accounted for. You wont have to get more than you need because youve already set a plan. Its recommended to use frozen or canned items because they can last until the following week.

 Planning your meal will ensure you dont waste anything because everything is accounted for. You wont have to get more than you need because youve already set a plan. Its recommended to use frozen or canned items because they can last until the following week. Understand sell by dates  Those best before labels are actually contributing to food waste because people unknowingly throw food items thinking that theyre already unsafe for consumption. The truth of the matter is the date doesnt really have anything to do with the safety of the food, but the quality. The only product required by the government to have an expiration date is infant formula.

 Those best before labels are actually contributing to food waste because people unknowingly throw food items thinking that theyre already unsafe for consumption. The truth of the matter is the date doesnt really have anything to do with the safety of the food, but the quality. The only product required by the government to have an expiration date is infant formula. Try composting  By composting at home, youre basically reducing the quantity of waste thats thrown into landfills.

Know that throwing away food is synonymous to wasting natural resources. Youre also contributing to methane gas emission and climate change. Whats most heart-breaking is, youre taking away food from people who really need it the most.

There are simple ways to avoid food wastage, according to Susan Arendt, professor of hospitality management at Iowa State: donate foods to shelters or soup kitchens, use leftover foods to other menu items, or working with farmers to use leftovers as livestock feed. But the real solution should be simple enough: get only what you can eat.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

FAO.org

BorgenProject.org
(Natural News) A committee of the European Space Agency (ESA) has given the green light on its PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) mission, enabling the initiative to transition from blueprint to construction. The project was first introduced three years, with an estimated cost of about 600 million euros. PLATO serves as the agencys third medium-class celestial operation under its Cosmic Vision program.

PLATOs primary goal is to gain more knowledge about a large number of exo-planetary systems that are located within the habitable zone and may potentially accommodate life. The project also aims to determine the properties of terrestrial planets that orbit in the habitable zone around sun-like stars. This will help astronomers gain better understanding of how the universe works. Aside from this, the initiative was designed to examine the seismic movements of stars. This in turn will allow scientists to make precise classifications and determine the age of planets surrounding a host star.

PLATO will for the first time fully characterise these stars and their planets with regard to mass, radius, and age. This will revolutionise the study of the evolution of exoplanets and their host stars, said Professor Laurent Gizon, director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany.

The launch of PLATO will no doubt facilitate us with a golden opportunity to have a say in some of the most remarkable discoveries of the next decade. It will help us answer the primary questions about the existence of the world, its formation, and twin-stars, and will eventually lead us to the finding of extraterrestrial life, said Don Pollacco, a mission associate and professor of Physics at Warwick University.

PLATO will be launched 1.5 million kilometers into space and is slated to examine and monitor thousands of stars. The observatory of the PLATO initiative will make use of 26 telescopes that will work simultaneously. The telescopes will be housed on a single platform and will be used to cover a large portion of the sky. The telescopes will work by searching for slight dips in light when a planet passes between the star it orbits and the powerful telescopes monitoring it. As planets do not emit their own light, they would appear to be dark specs crossing their bright stars, the experts explained. The project will look for planets in the Goldilocks zone, an area that is neither too near nor too far from the stars that they orbit. This indicates that the planets conditions would be not too hot or too cold, and may potentially hold water to support life.

According to the ESA, the PLATO project is slated for launch in 2026.

Other projects that were instrumental in exoplanet search

PLATO was only the most recent space initiative slated to search for exoplanets. The project is set to follow the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Kepler observatory, which has found more than 3,400 confirmed exoplanets so far. Thirty of these exoplanets were less than twice the size of Earth and were located within the habitable zone.

NASAs Hubble Space Telescope and several dozen ground-based observatories have also made significant contributions in exoplanet search. Discover more news about space exploration at Space.news.

Sources include:

Express.co.uk

Phys.org

SciExaminer.com
Monday, July 03, 2017 by: Robert Jonathan Tags: Anti-terrorism , extremism , Google , terrorism This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Google is not exactly going out on limb with an announcement that it will block terrorist content on YouTube, but its new initiative certainly appears commendable from a national and international security perspective.

In a Google in Europe blog post authored by its general counsel, the search engine behemoth explained that it is adopting four new guidelines for tackling the issue of online extremism that will combine ramped-up technology with the human element.

In addition to boosting its screening software technology to better identify videos that need to be taken down, YouTube will get an assist from its so-called Trusted Flagger cohort of Google-funded independent experts who will help police the platform.

Google is already working with various government agencies to address violent extremism.

Google also says its getting tougher with inflammatory religious or supremacist content by including warning labels, demonetizing the videos, and otherwise minimizing the opportunity for user engagement. That sounds reasonable and appropriate on its face.

Some controversy over YouTube demonetizing certain political videos has already emerged, effectively implementing a form of revenue-loss censorship. With that said, it remains to be seen how broadly or arbitrarily the term inflammatory will be interpreted as a practical matter.

Perhaps most significantly, Google says it is partnering with its Jigsaw subsidiary across Europe for what might be called a form of counter-radicalization programming.

This promising approach harnesses the power of targeted online advertising to reach potential ISIS recruits, and redirects them towards anti-terrorist videos that can change their minds about joining. In previous deployments of this system, potential recruits have clicked through on the ads at an unusually high rate, and watched over half a million minutes of video content that debunks terrorist recruiting messages.

Google also explained that it will collaborate with other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as well as software giant Microsoft for additional ways stop the spread of terrorism-related content across the web.

U.K. lawmakers, in particular, have apparently been pressuring tech companies to do more about terrorist-related material online, particularly after terrorist attacks in London and Manchester. According to the Daily Mail, Technology firms, including Google and its video site YouTube, have been accused of dragging their feet and failing to remove extremist material quickly enough.

This raises questions as to why Google was so quick to blacklist Natural News for about six days on a flimsy pretext earlier this year. At the time, Naturals News founder Mike Adams expressed these thoughts.

I continue to believe that Natural News was targeted by Google due to the content of our speech which supports President Trump and that the sneaky mobile redirects issue was merely the justification used by Google to de-list the entire NaturalNews.com website. Google no doubt disagrees with this assessment and says it was just a technical issue, yet we are not aware of any other situation in which a minor technical issue on a subdomain resulted in Google blacklisting the entire ROOT domain of a major publisher, with 140,000+ pages of quality content.

Google has also been accused of down-rating other independent journalism and natural medicine sites that dont share its progressive worldview and destroy their web traffic in the process. Last year, The Intercept reported that Google execs and lobbyists were regular visitors at the Obama White House on a weekly basis and that at least 250 individuals participated in revolving door employment between Google and the Obama administration. (Related: Read more about search engine manipulation at Journalism.news.)

Accused last year of manipulating search results to help the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign, Google is now also deciding for its users what news is real or fake, with the help of leftist fact-checkers.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

Blog.google

DailyMail.co.uk

Inquisitr.com

TheIntercept.com
(Natural News) There is a reason that people have learned reading, writing and arithmetic in generally the same way over the years, and thats because the tried-and-true traditional methods work. Thats why many people wondered what the real agenda of the Common Core national standards were when the Obama administration started pushing for it so relentlessly. This ridiculous set of educational standards has left many students and parents baffled and frustrated, and its believed to be a key reason that American kids are lagging behind other nations in academic performance. What would happen if we got rid of it entirely? If the results gained by one Florida school are any indication, we would likely all be much better off.

Mason Classical Academy, a charter school in Naples, Florida, prides itself on providing a classical education, which it believes brings about superior educational results  and leading the county in English Language Arts is proof theyre on the right track.

They have rejected the backward approach of Common Core, which sees kids memorize entire words in kindergarten before later being introduced to phonics once they are in elementary school. By that point, their brains are already used to whole words, which makes grasping the concept of phonics and applying it far more difficult than it needs to be.

What does the classical approach embraced by the Academy entail? According to their website, language-focused learning based on written and spoken words makes the brain work harder to convert words into concepts, while image-based approaches encourage passivity. The time-tested approach of phonics is very likely the reason you are able to read this article in the first place, and its hard to imagine why anyone would consider it inadequate.

Thanks to the classical approach of phonics, an impressive 90 percent of the third-grade students at Mason Classical Academy were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to just 58 percent in the county overall, most of whom rely on Common Core. In fact, the MCA third-graders were in Floridas top two percent, while fifth graders from the academy ranked in the states top one percent.

These students look even better when you compare them to California, where the state average is just 43 percent proficiency among third graders. Even worse, six public schools in Baltimore do not have a single student who is proficient in either English Language Arts or math. Its almost like students are being set up to fail.

Of course, not everyone is happy about this schools success. Common Core proponents are panicking because these results expose the system for the fraud that it is. The school has been on the receiving end of criticism from everyone from the districts superintendent to the local news outlet Naples Daily News, according to The Freedom Project.

Why is Common Core setting students up to fail?

Among the many criticisms of Common Core is the fact that it is so strongly focused on test results and teachers are so worried about losing their jobs if their students dont perform that kids are forced into busywork, missing out on the valuable opportunity to develop social skills and boost their well-being through recess outdoors. It also stifles creativity and stresses children out, which can adversely affect their emotional and physical health.

One of its defining characteristics is the way it dumbs down many concepts and has students take too many steps to reach conclusions that are obvious to those of us who were schooled the traditional way.

For example, many people were outraged when a second-grade students homework went viral after a correct math answer was marked wrong by the teacher because it wasnt friendly. When asked to solve 530-270, the student arrives at the right answer by subtracting the way most of us were taught in school. Although the student got the right answer, his teacher wanted him to solve it by adding 30 to both numbers so the problem would then be 560-300. There are countless other examples of homework just like this one that illustrate how Common Core is unnecessarily confusing and focused on all the wrong things.

Sources:

FreedomProject.com

NaturalNews.com

MasonClassicalAcademy.org

DailyCaller.com
Tuesday, July 04, 2017 by: Bridgette Wilcox Tags: Colorado , smartphone , smartphone use This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) The country may see the first legal age limits on smartphone sales as Colorado officials approve the language of a ballot proposing to restrict the sale of smartphones to children below 13 years of age. The proposed measure will need 300,000 signatures to be certified for the November 2018 ballot, Coloradoan.com reported.

If the measure were to take effect, smartphone retailers will be banned from selling smartphones  defined in the proposal as any handheld device with internet, data or Wi-Fi connectivity  to children belonging to that age bracket. Businesses will also be required to check the valid ID of the intended primary user to ensure that he or she is of age, as well as submit reports to the Colorado Department of Revenue every month. Those found in violation of the law could be fined a minimum of $500.

The proposal, also known as Initiative 29, was spearheaded by a non-profit group called Parents Against Underage Smartphone Use (PAUS), and was led by Denver anesthesiologist Tim Farnum.

Eventually kids are going to get phones and join the world, and I think we all know that, but little children, theres just no good that comes from that, Farnum told Coloradoan.com, sharing that he experienced problems with his own children when they were given access to smartphones.

(With smartphones), the internet is always begging for your attention. The apps are all designed to addict youFor children, its not a good thing, he said.

The proposal comes as children continue to be introduced to and use mobile technology at an increasingly early age. One study, according to DailyMail.co.uk, has found that over half of all toddlers can use a tablet at the age of one, and 90 percent of them master the device by the time they turn two.

Studying hundreds of YouTube videos, researchers from the University of Iowa found that over 50 percent of toddlers between 12 to 17 months displayed a moderate ability to use a tablet. Researchers defined moderate as being able to use apps with help from an adult, but having some difficulty when it comes to basic day-to-day functions.

The researchers also found that by the time babies turned one, they interacted with the tablet in much the same way that adults do, using only their index finger as opposed to using both hands and fingers, as babies younger than one have been observed to do.

Experts have warned against introducing digital media to children at an early age. Children under two years of age learn best from real-world experiences and interactions, Carolyn James, a learning designer for Leapfrog Enterprises, told PBS Parents. Each minute spent in front of a screen-based device is a minute when your child is not exploring the world and using their senses, which is extremely important in their development process.

PBS Parents recommends that children be allowed to use smartphones to try educational programs and games under close supervision only after they enter preschool. At the same time, unsupervised use and ownership of smartphones should be held off until the child is between 11 to 13 years old, depending on when parents deem they are ready.

Ensuring good content and limiting screen time to no more than 30 minutes per sitting for younger kids, one hour per sitting for older kids, and two hours per sitting for teenagers was also suggested to ensure the healthy incorporation of video tech into kids daily activities.

Get more news like this on GreenLivingNews.com.

Sources include:

Coloradoan.com

DailyMail.co.uk

PBS.org




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Extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs cleared way for frogs

The mass extinction that obliterated three-fourths of life on Earth, including non-avian dinosaurs, set the stage for the swift rise of frogs, a new study shows.

In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an international team of researchers presented a new tree of life for frogs that helps solve longstanding riddles about relationships and sheds light on the history and pace of frog evolution.

Unexpectedly, their analyses showed three major lineages of modern frogs  about 88 percent of living species  appeared simultaneously, evolving on the heels of the extinction event that marked the end of the Cretaceous Period and the beginning of the Paleogene 66 million years ago. Previous research suggested a more ancient origin to many of these modern frogs.

Frogs have been around for well over 200 million years, but this study shows it wasnt until the extinction of the dinosaurs that we had this burst of frog diversity that resulted in the vast majority of frogs we see today, said study co-author David Blackburn, associate curator of amphibians and reptiles at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus. This finding was totally unexpected.

The speed at which frogs diversified after the asteroid or comet impact that triggered a massive die-off of most plant and animal life suggests that the survivors were probably filling up new niches on Earth, Blackburn said.

We think there were massive alterations of ecosystems at that time, including widespread destruction of forests, he said. But frogs are pretty good at eking out a living in microhabitats, and as forests and tropical ecosystems rebounded, they quickly took advantage of those new ecological opportunities.

Frogs rose to become one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates, with more than 6,700 described species. But sparse genetic data has hindered scientists from reliably tracing their evolutionary history and the links between frog families.

Blackburn joined researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Berkeley to tackle the mystery of frog evolution with a dataset seven times larger than that used in prior research. The team sampled a core set of 95 nuclear genes from 156 frog species, combining this with previously published genetic data on an additional 145 species to produce the strongest-supported evolutionary tree, or phylogeny, to date. The tree represents all 55 known families of frogs and generates a new timeline of frog evolution.

The researchers then used fossil records to translate genetic differences between frog lineages into dates at which they likely diverged from one another. When the analyses pointed to a simultaneous evolution of the three major frog clades  Hyloidea, Microhylidae and Natatanura  the researchers initially eyed the finding with skepticism, said Peng Zhang, a corresponding study author and professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at Sun Yat-Sen University in China.

Nobody had seen this result before, he said. We redid the analysis using different parameter settings, but the result remained the same. I realized the signal was very strong in our data. What I saw could not be a false thing.

When examined in the context of the evolution of other animals, however, the finding makes sense, Blackburn said.

Looking at bird or mammal phylogenies, we can see a reflection of Earths history  its climatic and geologic events, he said. Youd expect these major events  mass extinction and the breakup of continents  would have impact on frog evolution and that divergences between major lineages would relate to those in some respect. We see that in this phylogeny.

The close resemblance of distantly related frog species around the world, a factor of frog evolution and biology that has long confounded scientists, might be illuminated by the simultaneous evolution of major frog clades, Blackburn said. After the extinction event decimated ecosystems and stimulated a reset, modern frogs may have faced similar evolutionary paths.

You could easily go to Central Africa, the Philippines and Ecuador and find what look like the same frogs that might have last shared a common ancestor 120 million years ago, he said. These different lineages seem to have diversified in similar ways after the extinction.

While the extinction event opened new opportunities for frogs, notably leading to the evolution of tree frogs worldwide, it snuffed out many frog lineages, particularly in North America, Blackburn said.

Except for three species, all other North American frogs are post-dinosaur colonists, Blackburn said. If you could travel back to the time of T. rex in North America, there would be frogs, but the chorus you would hear at night would have been nothing like youd hear today. Theyre not even the same families.

The study also indicates that global frog distribution tracks the breakup of the supercontinents, beginning with Pangea about 200 million years ago and then, Gondwana, which split into South America and Africa. The data suggests frogs likely used Antarctica, not yet encased in ice sheets, as a stepping stone from South America to Australia.

Blackburn is eager to use the new phylogeny as a roadmap for the fossil record, particularly for frogs that occurred in the Cretaceous.

This sets up expectations of what we should or shouldnt find, he said. Its exciting to think about what discoveries could lay ahead in the frog fossil record.

While the survival and subsequent comeback of frogs testifies to their resilience, Zhang said, their current vulnerability to disease, habitat loss and degradation is cause for concern.

I think the most exciting thing about our study is that we show that frogs are such a strong animal group. They survived from the mass extinction that completely erased dinosaurs and boomed back quickly, he said. However, frog species are declining nowadays because humans are destroying their habitats. Does that mean humans are making a huge extinction event even stronger than this one? We need to think about it.

Other study co-authors are Yan-Jie Feng and Dan Liang of Sun Yat-Sen University, David Hillis and David Cannatella of the University of Texas at Austin and David Wake of the University of California, Berkeley.

The research was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Youth Talent Support Program and the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars of China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-04 21:54:44|Editor: Yang Yi

Photo taken on July 4, 2017 shows the Orange Isle Bridge over the Xiangjiang River in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. The water level at the Changsha monitoring station in the Xiangjiang River, a major Yangtze tributary, reached 38.95 meters at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, 2.95 meters higher than the warning line. (Xinhua/Long Hongtao)

CHANGSHA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Rain-triggered floods have killed 27 people with 8 missing in central China's Hunan Province, local authorities said Tuesday.

Heavy rain started on June 22. The ensuing floods have forced the evacuation of more than 1.2 million people.

More than 38,000 homes collapsed and nearly 880,000 hectares of crops were damaged.

The water levels in Dongting Lake and several major rivers all rose above warning levels.

About 15,000 people have been sent to the front line and over 160 million yuan (23.5 million U.S. dollars) has been allocated to aid disaster relief in Hunan.

Rain is expected to weaken in the region in the next few days, but heavy rain is expected in some areas, according to weather report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-04 22:40:47|Editor: MJ

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (3rd R) welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2nd L) at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 4, 2017. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel Tuesday for the first-ever visit of an Indian prime minister to the country, in bid to boost all-round ties. (Xinhua/JINI)

JERUSALEM, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel Tuesday for the first-ever visit of an Indian prime minister to the country, in bid to boost all-round ties.

His three-day visit marks 25 years of full diplomatic relations between the two nations.

He was accepted with an official welcome ceremony at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv, with the participation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and cabinet ministers.

In remarks at the airport, Netanyahu welcomed Modi, saying "It is truly a historic visit. It's the first time an Indian prime minister is visiting Israel. We receive you with open arms. We love India. We love your culture, your history, your democracy."

Netanyahu praised the ties between the two nations, noting that the Israeli and Indian governments are establishing a 40 million U.S. dollars innovation fund "as a seed for further innovation."

Modi said that it is his "singular honor to be the first-ever prime minister of India to undertake this groundbreaking visit to Israel."

He promised to forge "a strong and resilient partnership with Israel," praising Israel as a nation built "on democratic principles."

"They have nurtured it with hard work and the spirit of innovation. India applauds your achievements," he said.

Netanyahu will accompany Modi for most of his trip, which includes a visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, and working meetings with President Reuven Rivlin and opposition leader Isaac Herzog.

His itinerary includes also meetings with industry leaders in the fields of water, agriculture, and hi-tech, as well as with people from the Indian community and Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were killed in the 2008 attack on the Mumbai Jewish center of Chabad House.

On Wednesday, Modi and Netanyahu are expected to sign seven cooperation agreements in the areas of water, energy, and research and development.

In a tweet on his Twitter account ahead of his departure, Modi described Delhi's ties with Israel as "special," saying terrorism and trade will be on the table during talks with Netanyahu.

In an interview to the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom, Modi said that his visit is "based on the deep centuries-old connection between our two peoples."

Modi is not scheduled to travel to Ramallah city in the West Bank, the political center of the Palestinian National Authority and a usual stop for leaders seeking to maintain balanced ties with Israel and the Palestinians.

The visit comes 25 years after the two countries established full diplomatic ties and 14 years after the late Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, arrived in New Delhi.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-04 23:46:49|Editor: Song Lifang

Rwandan President Paul Kagame speaks during the celebration of Liberation Day in Nyabihu district, western Rwanda, on July 4, 2017. Rwanda on Tuesday marked the 23rd anniversary of the liberation struggle that saw the current government defeat the genocidal regime. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

NYABIHU, Rwanda, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Tuesday marked the 23rd anniversary of the liberation struggle that saw the current government defeat the genocidal regime.

July 4, 1994 marks the end of Rwandan genocide, which left about 1 million people dead.

The celebrations of Liberation Day of Rwanda were held in Shyira sector, Nyabihu district, Western Rwanda. As part of the celebrations, a newly built Shyira District Hospital that will serve over 200,000 people and a modern settlement built by Rwanda Defense Forces for 108 vulnerable families in Gakenke and Nyabihu districts were inaugurated.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the First Lady Jeannette Kagame and other senior government officials were welcomed by the thousands of residents of Nyabihu.

Speaking at the celebrations, Kagame called on Rwandans to build on what have been achieved in order to build an inclusive and prosperous country.

"The next stage is freedom from poverty and depending on others for our livelihood," he said.

Kagame said Rwandans are capable of transforming the economy and it is within their means to be as prosperous as any developed nation in the world.

The president reiterated his call for Rwandan youth to position themselves as future leaders by acquiring right education skills.

He said liberation history shows that in all parts of the country things have changed and citizens have access to education and healthcare.

"They can also work and feed themselves and sell to markets. That trend is growing every day and we hope that we will be where we want to be as soon as possible," he said.

This year's celebration activities started in May whereby various projects aimed at improving people's welfare were inaugurated by Rwanda Defence Force in collaboration with public institutions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 01:13:19|Editor: yan

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BERLIN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- A Muslim trainee lawyer has failed with an appeal against a ruling preventing her from wearing head scarves at court, the German Federal Constitutional Court said Tuesday.

The Karlsruhe-based court, the most authoritative within the German judiciary, ruled that the maxims of secularism and state objectivity in judicial procedures outweighed the plaintiff's right to religious freedom.

"Trainee lawyers who appear as representatives of state authority and are perceived as such must also respect the state's commitment to neutrality," the report read.

Under the existing educational framework in Germany, law students must complete a two-year traineeship which places them in varying stations of the judiciary system before being able to take their final exams.

The plaintiff is a young German nationality of Moroccan origin who has been working as a trainee lawyer in the state of Hesse since January. The justice ministry of the state had forbidden her to wear a headscarf during her training when being engaged in court hearings or representing the state attorney.

The administrative court of Frankfurt had initially ruled in favor of the woman, before the ruling was overturned in Hesse.

The Federal Constitutional Court has now sided with the Hesse judicial authorities by regarding the headscarf ban as an only temporary and location-specific infringement of religious freedom. The majority of the plaintiff's training was not affected by the ban.

The court further argued that the state could not take "any direct influence" in favor of a specific faith or worldview. All of those participating in court proceedings have the right to a neutral judge.

Whether headscarves are permissible in public spaces such as courts and schools is a long-standing subject of debate in Germany.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 01:38:39|Editor: ying

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by Fuad Rajeh

SANAA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from cholera in Yemen has risen to 1,560 and the suspected cases to 252,816 since April 27, as the doctors are warning the worst is yet to come.

Nashwan Aqlan, a doctor at Al-Jomhori Teaching Hospital in Sanaa said almost all interventions made by the authorities and international agencies are restricted to providing medicines and treatment for patients or documenting deaths and suspected cases, while the causes for this disease have not been addressed yet.

"We need more activities to raise awareness about cholera. Many people don't take precautions to prevent it, and many patients arrive at medical centers at the last moment before death. Most importantly, we need to address the collapse of the sanitation system," he said.

More than half of the population, 14.5 million, lack access to clean water and adequate sanitation services, the UN said, amid warnings the healthcare system is on the brink of total collapse.

Less than 45 percent of Yemen's hospitals are operational at the moment, but even those operational are facing huge challenges on top of which is the lack of medicines, medical equipment and staffs.

The public health and population ministry has allowed a specific number of hospitals and medical centers to treat people affected by cholera in a precaution to prevent further spread of the disease.

But the number of these hospitals and centers, 10 in the capital Sanaa and 18 in the governorate of Sanaa for example, is not enough, Aqlan said.

The numbers of infected people are large, let alone their lack of equipment such beds, he said. "Many patients are being treated on the floor or in the lobbies," he added.

In addition, there is a need to address shortages of medicines for patients with chronic diseases, heart and kidney for example, since these patients make up the majority of the deaths from cholera, doctors said.

Doctors expected the number of infected people could increase as the rains season is approaching. Some said the real cholera death toll is higher than the one published by the UN because deaths in remote areas are not reported.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 02:18:57|Editor: yan

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by Denis Elamu

JUBA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese army (SPLA) on Tuesday blamed rebels for causing insecurity across the border with Uganda, which houses more than 1 million South Sudanese refugees.

SPLA spokesman Santo Domic Chol said in Juba following reports of some armed South Sudanese kidnapping refugees and looting cattle in refugee camps in Uganda's Moyo district.

"These are South Sudanese rebels. They look like SPLA and they are still wearing SPLA uniform with coat of arms of South Sudan and anybody can just come up and say I am from SPLA," he said.

He added that the SPLA-IO rebels are now not under unified command and instead scattered all over the country.

"If they are left not attended to they become even security threat to neighboring countries," Chol said.

These developments have heightened fears among refugees and alerted Ugandan security of the possibility of the war-torn country's violence spilling over across the border.

"The best thing is that the UPDF and SPLA intelligence will get together and try to prove this whether these people are from the SPLA or rebels," Chol added.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to fighting that pitied mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of South Sudanese and displaced millions of others.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 02:59:20|Editor: yan

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Austrian government plans to deploy troops at the Brenner Pass, the Alpine border crossing betweenAustria and Italy.

VIENNA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Austria will implement border controls at the Brenner Pass on its shared border with Italy should the refugee influx increase, a senior official confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking to the APA in an interview, the comments from foreign affairs minister Sebastian Kurz follow a similar statement from defence minister Hans Peter Doskozil on Monday.

"We are preparing and will protect our Brenner border if necessary," Kurz said.

He said there is a need for action on the part of both the EU and Italy, and that the overall goal must be a closure of the Mediterranean Sea as a migration route from Africa.

Austria is sending both of these parties a very clear message with its border protection measures, including that a rescue in the Mediterranean does not mean a ticket to Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 03:04:24|Editor: yan

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By Robert Stanton

HOUSTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Texans are celebrating the Independence Day holiday Tuesday with family get-togethers, barbecues and cold beer -- and they are going to do it with a bang at night, thanks to high-quality Chinese fireworks.

At the night, tens of thousands of fireworks will be launched over skylines of various places, including Washington D.C. and New York city, marking the climax of the celebrations.

Firework season starts each year in the United States before the Independence Day, which commemorates America's independence from the British Empire in 1776.

Texas fireworks importers and the roadside stands are doing brisk business this holiday, and a big reason for that success is Chinese fireworks.

"We have about 500 fireworks stands between Laredo (Texas) and Houston," said Jeff Coffee, director of American Fireworks, one of the largest suppliers of fireworks in Texas. "With the good weather we're having, we're looking to increase sales by 10 percent this holiday."

American Fireworks imports most of its fireworks from China. Coffee declined to say how much fireworks the company buys each year, but he praised the quality of Chinese products.

"American Fireworks only uses the highest quality fireworks that come from China," he said. "It is a big value that we are able to pass on to our customers. We are pleased with the Chinese factories that we have chosen to make our products."

Fireworks sales in the United States have grown steadily over the last decade and a half, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA).

In 2000, Americans imported 152 million pounds (69 million kg) of fireworks, much of it from China. By 2016, total imports increased to 268.4 million pounds (122 million kg), according to APA.

Don Lantis, owner of Lantis Fireworks in North Sioux City, South Dakota, shares the view of Coffee. He attributed much of his company's success to the high quality of Chinese fireworks. Lantis supplies fireworks to roadside stands in 10 U.S. states, including Texas.

"We buy some fireworks from Mexico, but they're not as good as the Chinese," said Lantis, who is president of the National Fireworks Association. "They've (Chinese) been making them for so many thousands of years. China does such a fantastic job."

At Fisherman Fireworks in Bacliff, located 33 miles (53 kilometers) southeast of Houston, fireworks sales also witness a sound growth.

"Our sales have been steady," said Janet Johnson, owner of the roadside business in Bacliff that has an inventory of fireworks valued at 180,000 U.S. dollars. Many customers bought variety packs of fireworks that included shells, Roman candles, smoke bombs, fountains and firecrackers.

"The Chinese (fireworks manufacturers) do a good job," she said. "Our distributor makes sure there are no duds. It's bad for business when you're selling something and somebody walks in and says it (fireworks) didn't go off."

At Classic Fireworks in Bacliff, owner Michael Patterson said that sales were slow, but began to pick up as the holiday approaching. He urged holiday revelers to use caution when shooting off explosives.

"They're dangerous," he said of the fireworks. "They (celebrants) need to be safe while they're doing it. I want them to come back next year."

In Texas, fireworks may only be sold in December, May and late June through early July, and any device with a fuse is forbidden in Houston city limits. Anyone caught with an illegal explosive device faces a ticket and a fine of 500 up to 2,000 U.S. dollars.

In many suburban areas outside Houston, it's illegal to set off fireworks within 182 meters of a hospital, gas station, fireworks stand, school or church, and launching fireworks from a moving vehicle is also forbidden.

If the projected fireworks sales are any indication, this holiday will be bang-up celebration.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 03:19:37|Editor: yan

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PARIS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The multiform government of France headed by the centrist Edouard Philippe won with a large majority the confidence vote at the lower house of the parliament on Tuesday, after presenting the country's general policies over the coming five years.

After a long speech by the prime minister in front of lawmakers detailing the government political, economic and social plans, the National Assembly voted confidence in the new government by 370 ballots against 67 while 129 abstained.

In a lower house dominated by President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Republic on the Move party (LREM), the massive approval of the government's program is not a surprise.

LREM won 308 seats in the 577-member National Assembly earlier this month.

"The President of the Republic has shown us the course...This course is clear, it must be held," Philippe told lawmakers.

In details, he mentioned policies to cut public spending, trim deficit, bolster security and improve education and health systems.

"The French are hooked on public spending. Like all addictions it doesn't solve any of the problems it is meant to ease. And like all addictions, it requires willing and courage to detox," Philippe said.

"The financial and fiscal situation is bad...The government's choice is clear, we will not deal with deficits by raising taxes, but by lowering spending," he added.

The government had set deficit target below the safe line of 3 percent imposed by the European Union in 2017 mainly by cutting public spending by 3 percentage points of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2022.

Furthermore, it targets to cut the country's tax burden by 1 percentage point of the GDP over the period.

Macron's cabinet also said working to reduce corporate tax to 25 percent from the current 33.3 percent and transform by 2019 "CICE" company tax credit to a permanent cut in payroll charges in order to improve firms' competitiveness and incite recruitment.

Speaking about security, the prime minister warned that more terrorist attacks are expected at home, adding the state of emergency which has been declared in 2015 will end on Nov. 1.

He added that defense will make up 2 percent of GDP by 2025.

Presenting the government's five-year-roadmap, Philippe also shed lights on the cabinet's social reform which he said aimed to set more fair and transparent model, in addition to a review of education and health systems.

He will present to the Senate, the upper parliament, a similar speech on the same subject on Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 03:34:51|Editor: ying

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin meet with representatives from non-governmental organizations, media and enterprises in Moscow, Russia, July 4, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

MOSCOW, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, met with representatives from non-governmental organizations, media and enterprises here on Tuesday, encouraging them to further contribute to bilateral relations.

"China and Russia have upheld the spirit of good-neighborly friendship and cooperation for years and set up a model of relations between major countries as well as between neighboring countries," Xi said.

"We remain determined and confident, regardless of the changing external environment, in developing the China-Russia relations" Xi added, calling on the two countries to jointly add momentum to the development of China-Russia ties.

The Chinese president spoke highly of the Russian-Chinese Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development, for being the main channel of people-to-people exchanges since it was established 20 years ago, as well as the Russia-China Friendship Association, for playing an irreplaceable role in cementing friendship between the two societies.

Exchanges among Chinese and Russian media have become deeper and broader so that the two peoples now better understand each other, and pragmatic cooperation in the business sector has also been deepened to pursue mutual benefit and win-win results, Xi added.

Calling all these non-governmental actors as firm supporters for and participants in the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, Xi urged them to bring more wisdom and strength.

Putin, while echoing Xi's view, also expressed appreciation to all non-governmental contributors to bilateral ties.

He noted that all the cooperation agreements signed during Xi's visit must rely on both governments and non-government actors.

Xi left Russia on Tuesday afternoon for Germany, where he is scheduled to pay a state visit and also attend the summit of the Group of 20 major economies.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 04:00:05|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, July 4 (Xinhua)-- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tuesday condemned the terrorist attacks in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday, which killed dozens of people.

"We are appalled by the utter disregard for human life displayed by the perpetrators," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

"We express our condolences to the families of the victims of the incident and wish those injured a speedy recovery," it added, urging that "those responsible for the attacks must be held accountable."

At least 20 people were killed and 30 others were wounded when three suicide car bombing attacks hit Damascus on Sunday, a local TV reported.

The bombings happened at a time when intense fighting has been raging in eastern Damascus between Syrian government army and the rebel forces.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 04:45:27|Editor: yan

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TUNIS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Opposition parties, supported by civil societies and non-governmental organizations, held a protest rally on Tuesday in front of the People's Representative Assembly, the Tunisian Parliament, to call for the resumption of diplomatic relations with Syria suspended five years ago.

Among the slogans chanted during this movement are "the reopening of the Syrian embassy in Tunis," as well as "the resumption of diplomatic relations with Syria" broken since 2011, witnessed a reporter with Xinhua.

This gathering coincides with a debate, which began the same day, on a petition proposed by four parliamentary blocs on the resumption of diplomatic relations with Damascus.

The petition, which was signed last April, involved four opposition parties, including three liberal parties Tunisia Project, Perspectives of Tunisia and the Free Patriotic Union, and the Popular Front, main alliance of the left within the Tunisian parliament.

"This protest rally constitutes a strong message from a large part of Tunisians wanting to put diplomatic relations with Syria back on track after having been suspended because of a regional mobilization against the regime in place in Damascus," said Sahbi Ben Fraj, deputy of Tunisia Project Party.

According to Ben Fraj, three years after the last Tunisian elections and five years after the suspension of diplomatic relations between the two countries, "it will be important to reestablish new relations with the Syrian people, but above all to break with the etiquette that links extremism and jihadism in Syria with the Tunisians."
Paleontologists Cristiano Dal Sasso (right) and Simone Maganuco (left) exhibit some skull bones of Razanandrongobe sakalavae at the Natural History Museum of Milan. (Credit: Giovanni Bindellini)

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have discovered fossils belonging to an ancient, extinct crocodile relative that has deep and massive jaw bones armed with enormous serrated teeth like those of a T-rex, according to a new study published Tuesday.

The animal, found in Madagascar in Africa, was a top land predator of the Middle Jurassic period, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed journal PeerJ by Italian and French paleontologists.

Its jaw bones and serrated teeth strongly suggested that just like T-rex, it also fed on hard tissue such as bone and tendon.

These anatomical features led the researchers to believe that it is a Jurassic notosuchian, close to the South American baurusuchids and sebecids, that were highly specialized predators of terrestrial habits, but different from present-day crocodilians in having a deep skull and powerful erect limbs.

The full name of the predatory crocodyliform is called Razanandrongobe sakalavae, which means "giant lizard ancestor from Sakalava region."

Nicknamed Razana, the animal is believed to be the oldest and possibly the largest representative of a group of crocodile-like animals called Notosuchians.

"Like these and other gigantic crocs from the Cretaceous, 'Razana' could outcompete even theropod dinosaurs, at the top of the food chain", Cristiano Dal Sasso, of the Natural History Museum of Milan, said in a statement.

"In actual fact, it contributes to filling in a gap in the group's evolution, which contains a long ghost lineage in the Jurassic," the paper wrote. "It documents a dramatic, somewhat unexpected, size increase in the early history of the group."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 06:05:53|Editor: yan

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MADRID, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Some 49 African immigrants are feared to have drowned following the rescue of three men from a dinghy 28 nautical miles north of the Island of Alboran in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Morocco, Spanish coastguard said.

The Spanish media reported that Maritime Rescue services on Tuesday saved a 17-year-old and two 25-year-olds from the rubber dinghy, which was described as "half sunk."

The Rescue Services confirmed that the youngest of the three men rescued told them the dinghy had set sail from the north coast of Morocco with 52 people on board on Sunday and had been drifting for almost two days.

A charity based in Morocco had informed of the departure of the boat at around 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, provoking an intensive search in which five aircraft participated.

The dinghy was finally discovered at around 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday in a "semi-submerged" condition and the three survivors were taken to Almeria, where they arrived at around 14:30 and received treatment from medical services.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 06:05:55|Editor: yan

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ANKARA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish Foreign Ministry protested late Tuesday over an display with a banner in front of the German Chancellery in Berlin as targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On Monday, a car and a banner reading "Do you want to win this car? Kill the dictatorship" with images of several world leaders, including Erdogan, were displayed outside the German Chancellery, ahead of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

The Foreign Ministry condemned the incident in a written statement, describing the banner "a direct call for violence targeting the lives of the leaders."

"This demonstration held in front of the German Chancellor's Office is in no way acceptable," read the statement.

The ministry also slammed that German police had failed to intervene in the matter, urging Berlin to "take immediately all necessary measures against the incident."

Meanwhile, Turkey's Embassy in Berlin delivered a diplomatic note to the German Foreign Ministry expressing its concerns over the incident.

The move came days after the German government urged Erdogan to respect its request not to address Turks living in Germany when he attends G20 summit in Hamburg.

The ties between Ankara and Berlin have soured in the past year over disagreements on political and security issues.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 06:15:59|Editor: yan

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BERLIN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Germany is facing more threat from Islamist extremists and the chance of an Islamist attack remains high, according to a report published Tuesday by the country's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).

The report said there were 24,000 individuals potentially affiliated to Islamic fundamentalism in Germany. The number of ultra-conservative "Salafists" rose last year to 10,100 -- up from 8,350 the year before. Of these, some 680 have been classified as "endangerer."

The BfV considered it highly probable that there were further "active and former members, as well as those who sympathise with terrorist organizations," like the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) among those arriving in Germany.

"We have to assume that we can expect further attacks by individuals or terror commandos in Germany too," BfV chief Hans-Georg Maassen said while presenting the report in a press conference in Berlin alongside Interior Minister de Maiziere.

While receiving the most refugees and asylum-seekers from the war-torn Middle East countries, Germany in recent years has suffered several terrorist attacks.

One of the most deadly cases took place in December last year, as a truck was deliberately driven into the Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, leaving 12 people dead and 56 others injured.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 06:26:06|Editor: Song Lifang

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) shakes hands with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Dublin, Ireland, July 4, 2017. Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar met with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, with both reaffirming their commitment to the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada. (Xinhua)

DUBLIN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar met with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, with both reaffirming their commitment to the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada.

The two prime ministers discussed a broad range of topics, including free trade and Brexit at Farmleigh, the official Irish state guest house.

Trudeau arrived here on Monday evening for a three-day official visit. His visit came ahead of a G20 summit in Germany, where the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will be on the agenda.

Trudeau is Varadkar's first official foreign visitor since he was appointed as Irish taoiseach in mid-June.

At a joint press conference after their meeting, Trudeau said the proposed trade agreement between Canada and the EU will create stronger economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic, adding that Canada is looking forward to it coming into force.

The Canadian prime minister said he understood people had concerns but it was a "great model of a progressive trade deal."

"It is not just a great deal for each side but also a model to the world," he said, calling for people to take an optimistic outlook.

For his part, Varadkar said countries like Ireland had "much more to gain from free trade than we have to lose."

"It's not just a trade deal for big business. It's for small business and workers as well," the Irish taoiseach said.

CETA, If enacted, will eliminate 98 percent of the tariffs between Canada and the EU. The negotiations were concluded in August 2014 and all 28 EU member states approved the final text of CETA for signature. In October last year, Trudeau traveled to Brussels to sign on behalf of Canada.

In February this year, the European Parliament approved the deal. The remaining parts of the agreement are subject to ratification by national legislatures.

Critics oppose the treaty on the grounds that it will weaken European consumer rights, including those concerning food safety, and that tariffs are already very low. It has also been criticized as a boon only for big business and multinational corporations, while risking net-losses, unemployment, and environmental damage impacting individual citizens. The deal also includes a controversial investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.

In contrast to its popularity among Canadians, the agreement has prompted protests in a number of European countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 06:31:10|Editor: yan

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RAMALLAH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official on Tuesday welcomed UN support for a bid proposed by Palestine and Jordan on the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Palestinians and the Kingdom of Jordan presented a bid called "The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls" to the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that currently convenes in the Polish City of Krakow.

The bid was approved on the 41st session of the committee, with 10 UNESCO member states voting in favor, 3 opposed and 8 sustained.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) minister of Tourism and Antiquities Rula Ma'ay'aa told Xinhua that UNESCO's decision reiterates "Palestine's legitimate right in East Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state."

"UNESCO's decision is a clear message to the international community that it doesn't recognize the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem and its measures to Judaize the city," she said.

UNESCO has previously passed a total of 19 decisions regarding the issue of Jerusalem, all of which recognized the historic status in Jerusalem before it was occupied by Israel in 1967.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 06:31:12|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tuesday strongly condemned the launch of a ballistic missile of possible intercontinental range conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) earlier in the day.

"This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation," UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The UN chief called on the DPRK leadership to cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.

"The Secretary-General underlines the importance of maintaining the unity of the international community in addressing this serious challenge," added the statement.

The DPRK declared that it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Tuesday, hailing it as the "final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 06:41:17|Editor: yan

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by Alessandra Cardone

ROME, July 4 (Xinhua) -- As a portion of Italian companies increased their turnover in 2016, micro firms performed less well, and would remain a weak point of the country's productive system due to their less-competitive size, according to an expert.

A national survey published by Italy's Central Bank on Monday showed sales volume of firms with at least 20 employees grew last year, although at a lower rate compared to 2015. More specifically, the turnover increase was 0.3 percent in 2016 and 3.7 percent in 2015, respectively.

Although moderate, the growth particularly benefited the manufacturing and service sectors, while was much less pronounced in the energy, mining and quarrying industries.

It also equally involved firms oriented to the domestic market and exporting firms, according to the central bank.

"The research unveiled an improving picture of the Italian economy overall," Matteo Caroli, professor of Economics and International Business Management with LUISS University in Rome, told Xinhua in an interview.

However, the expert noted that the research did not involve companies with 0-19 employees, which "have weakened further, and remain the fragile part of our productive system."

"The survey's results confirmed once again that Italy's key challenge is the growth in size of many of its companies," Caroli stressed.

Indeed, micro enterprises (0-10 employees), and small enterprises (10 to 49 employees) have always constituted the backbone of the eurozone's third largest economy.

Micro firms would represent 95.3 percent of all Italian enterprises, employing 47.4 percent of the national workforce (or some 4.2 million people), according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) in 2015.

Not even the crisis that hit the country since 2008 -- from which Italy is still struggling to recover fully -- modified "the structural features of the production system," ISTAT noted at the time.

The divide between micro firms and the rest of the system would find a confirmation in the central bank's data on performance of the various sectors last year.

The production increase registered in 2016 boosted the total number of annual working hours, which "grew further in manufacturing and, at a pace similar to 2015, among private service companies," the central bank's survey reported.

"The good performance of manufacturing is proof that Italian companies are increasing their competitiveness," Caroli noted.

"Yet, once again, this would concern mostly medium-size and large-size companies, which have registered good results in terms of internationalization as well," he explained.

The survey also showed the firms' investment spending kept growing last year, but less intensely compared to 2015 (by 3.9 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively).

Furthermore -- despite the moderate upward trend in sales volume and prices -- the portion of firms claiming to have achieved profits rose to 73 percent, which the central bank considered a "historically high figure."

While such data confirmed the Italian economy keeps improving, however, a major variable would still weigh on the chances of full recovery, warned the LUISS economist.

"In terms of perspectives -- and especially concerning future investments -- we would need a more substantial growth of the domestic demand," Caroli said.

Final consumption expenditure grew by 1.2 percent in 2016, and household final consumption by 1.3 percent, both sustaining a moderate 0.9 percent growth of gross domestic product (GDP), according to ISTAT.

Yet, the resumption of the domestic demand would remain limited until "taxation is decreased", according to the economist.

"Italian cabinets in latest years have taken important steps in this direction, but more has to be done, and with renewed energies," Caroli said. "We need policies to benefit households -- and especially the low/medium income ones, whose spending might grow -- and to alleviate the burden on companies, at least in terms of less fiscal bureaucracy."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 07:01:23|Editor: Song Lifang

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LOS ANGELES, July 4 (Xinhua)-- A miserable murder stirring millions of residents of Los Angeles in west U.S. for the last two months looks mystical again before the Independence Day as the father who was accused of killing his son in the case pleaded not guilty.

Aramazd Andressian Sr., a 35-year-old father, who is accused of murdering his 5-year-old son, Aramazd Andressian Jr., pleaded not guilty Monday. He could face up to 25 years to life prison if convicted, and held a bail of 10 million U.S. dollars.

Andressian Sr. was arrested on June 23 and extradited to Southern California last Friday. Hours after his landing on LA's airport, policemen found Andressian Jr.'s body which had been searched for more than two months. However, the investigators refused to disclose if it was Andressian Sr. who told them where the body was.

This mystery started from April 23, when Ana Estevez, Andressian Jr's mother reported her son's missing. Estevez, who was going through a divorce with Andressian Sr. at the time, told police that she gave the custody of Andressian Jr. to his father on April 15 and appointed to take the custody back on April 22, when the couple was scheduled to meet in San Marino, an outskirt city of LA.

However, both Andressian Jr. and his father did not appear at the place on time. He was last seen with his father in the morning of April 21 in Disneyland Theme Park, 60 kilometers southeast to LA downtown.

According to the information from surveillance video and the witness, Andressian Sr. showed up at Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County on April 21, but Andressian Jr. was not with him. Lake Cachuma, where the body of the boy was finally found, locates 220 kilometers northwest to the LA downtown.

Moreover, Andressian Sr. was found unconscious by people passed by in Arroyo Park in South Pasadena, a spot closing to the place he appointed to meet his wife on April 22 and called police.

Andressian Sr. told the detectives that he was injected some medication which did not belong to him, and he did not remember how he got to the park. According to local KTLA5, he stated that he took his son to the Lake Cachuma after they left Disneyland, and he was attacked.

Andressian Sr. was arrested on the same day that the police got the notice of Andressian Jr.'s missing, but was later released for lack of evidence.

Over 200 law enforcement officers worked on this case and searched for Andressian Jr. since April 23. Both Arroyo Park and Lake Cachuma area were checked twice by the police and detectives. The last blanket search was on June 10, but nothing was found.

Two months after Andressian Jr.'s missing, the police and detectives locked the target on his father again, and arrested him in Las Vegas on June 23.

The investigators disclosed that as a father whose son was missing, one should do something to look for him, but Andressian Sr. was socializing in Las Vegas, and it seems nothing happened. He also attempted to flee with a flight but was stopped by the District of Attorney.

Andressian Jr.'s body was finally found at the area of Lake Cachuma, but so far the investigators did not disclose any details.

Sean Estevez, the uncle of Andressian Jr., told CBS news that his nephew never wanted to go with his father and cried all the time, he wanted the justice for his nephew. "This little boy paid the ultimate price with his life for no reason."

Andressian Sr. is being held a bail, and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Aug. 16.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 07:16:57|Editor: Song Lifang

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BUENOS AIRES, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Argentine exports reached 174 different international destinations in the first five months of the year, a trade organization said on Tuesday.

The Argentine International Trade and Investment Agency (AAICI) released its latest "Map of Exports in Argentina," showing exports amounted to 22.871 billion U.S. dollars from January to May, a 1.4-percent increase over the same period last year.

According to the report, export prices rose 9.3 percent, while volumes decreased 7.3 percent.

The 174 export destinations included two new markets, in keeping with the country's goal of diversifying its export markets.

A total of 7,157 Argentine companies exported products over the period.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 07:16:58|Editor: Song Lifang

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WASHINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed on Tuesday that the latest missile test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Calling the test of the ICBM "a new escalation of the threat" to the United States, its allies and the world, Tillerson said in a statement that the United States intends to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures against the DPRK.

While stressing that the United States will not accept a nuclear-armed DPRK, Tillerson said the United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

According to a statement by the U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. military on Monday detected and tracked what it assessed was a DPRK missile launch at 2:40 p.m. Hawaii time near the Panghyon Airfield.

At that time, the U.S. military called the DPRK test as a single launch of a land-based, intermediate range ballistic missile.
The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 is seen during its test launch in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang, July, 4 2017. (KCNA/via REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed on Tuesday that the latest missile test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

In response to the DPRK's latest missile test, the United States and South Korea conducted a missile drill by firing short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan, the U.S. Army said in a statement.

Calling the test of the ICBM "a new escalation of the threat" to the United States, its allies and the world, Tillerson said in a statement that the United States intends to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures against the DPRK.

While stressing that the United States will not accept a nuclear-armed DPRK, Tillerson said the United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

According to an earlier statement by the U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. military detected and tracked what it assessed was a DPRK missile launch at 2:40 p.m. Hawaii time Monday (0040 GMT Tuesday) near the Panghyon Airfield.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 08:02:41|Editor: Song Lifang

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Researchers with the University of California, San Francisco, have mapped in detail a protein complex called NOMPC, which acts as a "mechanoreceptor" in animals from fruit flies to fish and frogs, and is tasked to detect cells' motion to produce senses of touch and hearing.

The structure, reported in a recent issue of the journal Nature, reveals a machine that depends on a quartet of tiny springs that tether the complex to the cell's "skeleton" and react to its movement.

As senses go, each relies on "receptor" molecules that turn signals like light, sound, and movement into electrical impulses for nerves to carry to the brain. Researchers have a fairly complete understanding of how receptors in the eye translate light into sight, and they've mapped many of the proteins in the nose and mouth that translate chemical signals into smell and taste.

However, the mechanoreceptors are still mysterious.

The NOMPC receptor in the new study, which is not found in mammals, was mapped in such detail thanks to recent technological breakthroughs in a technique known as single particle electron cryo-microscopy. Using this technique, the NOMPC receptor was revealed as a bundle of four identical proteins that sits in a cell's membrane, each with a spring-like tether reaching into the cell.

Previous experiments in the lab of Yuh Nung Jan, a senior author on the study and professor of physiology at UCSF, have shown that the receptor does not respond to movements in the membrane alone, but that larger movements in the cytoskeleton, the network of structural fibers that allow the cell to hold its shape, cause bundle to open up, forming a hole in the cell's membrane. Charged ions rush through the hole into the cell, creating an electrical impulse that signals touch to the nervous system.

And previously mapped touch receptors float free in the cell membrane, responding only when their particular patch of the cell's surface changes shape.

The new structural data show how NOMPC's spring-like tethers might tie it to the cytoskeleton, potentially enabling the receptor to sense distant changes in the cell's shape. "This is the first tethered receptor to be modeled in such detail," Peng Jin, a postdoc in the Jan lab and one of the lead authors on the study, was quoted as saying in a news release. "We were surprised to see that nature has created its own tiny spring to tie the receptor to the cytoskeleton."

To fully understand how channels like NOMPC open and close, researchers must observe the structure of the channels in both open and closed states. And the proteins that coordinate the mechanical senses, like touch and hearing, must be directly pulled or twisted open by microscopic forces. "It's difficult to apply a directional force to all these individual molecules," said David Bulkley, the other lead author on the study. "And we don't know which direction will activate the channel -- do you pull it, do you push it, do you twist it?"

To work around this problem, the researchers are looking to find ways to force the channel open, perhaps by finding a molecule that binds to and locks open the protein, or by producing mutant versions of the protein which are stuck in the "open" position.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 08:02:42|Editor: Lu Hui

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UNITED NATIONS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an open meeting on the missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a diplomat said here Tuesday.

The meeting, at the request of the U.S. mission to the UN, will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, said the diplomat, on condition of anonymity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tuesday strongly condemned the latest launch of a ballistic missile of intercontinental range conducted by the DPRK earlier in the day.

The UN chief called on the DPRK leadership to cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.

The DPRK declared on Tuesday it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 08:42:54|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd L) and his wife Peng Liyuan (1st L) are greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2nd R) and her husband Joachim Sauer (1st R) at the Max Liebermann Haus (Max Liebermann House) nearby Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, July 4, 2017. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

BERLIN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping met here on Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying his country supports the European Union (EU) to be "united, stable, prosperous and open."

The Chinese president arrived in Berlin Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany. It is the second stop of Xi's ongoing European tour which also took him to Russia. During his stay in Germany, he will also travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 10:44:16|Editor: Song Lifang

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YANGON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- More conflicts took place in Sittway and Buthidaung in Myanmar's Rakhine state over the past two days, prompting the deployment of additional security forces to the areas, the State Counselor's Office said Wednesday.

A man was killed with six others injured when they were attacked by a mob at the Yaung Ni Oo jetty in Sittway on Tuesday where they were negotiating a deal to buy a boat from a businessman, the office said.

The seven people had traveled from a camp, Darpaing, on the outskirts of the town and they were hit with bricks by the mob. Several arrests were made in connection with the incident.

In two other incidents, 10 unidentified men stabbed two villagers to death at Yinmakyaung Taung village in Buthidaung township on Monday, while 15 masked men abducted a sleeping man in Maunghnama village. His whereabouts remained unknown.

The local police authorities are making investigation into all the incidents.

Myanmar security forces have been put on high alert in Maungtaw.

In the past two weeks alone, six civilians have been murdered and two others have gone missing or been abducted.

The incidents have prompted nearly 200 Rakhine 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 their security.

According to a statement of the National Security Advisor on the security situation in the state released at the weekend, 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 last week.

Tension has been going on in the state, especially after last year's Oct. 9 violent attacks by armed men on three border outposts in Maungtaw.

The statement disclosed 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.

The statement pledged to continue to assess the security situation and take appropriate actions to secure long-term stability and peace in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 10:59:20|Editor: Song Lifang

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CARACAS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's ruling socialist party and conservative opposition groups on Tuesday continued to spar over the control of the federal prosecutor's office.

In the latest move, the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) named a new deputy chief prosecutor, a day after the opposition-controlled National Assembly named its man to the job.

Lawmakers followed the recommendation of the country's chief prosecutor, Luisa Ortega Diaz, to appoint Rafael Gonzalez to the job.

However, the TSJ's Constitutional Court designated Katherine Harrington to serve as its deputy.

Ortega has become an outspoken critic of President Nicolas Maduro's administration, while the TSJ has been accused of sympathizing with the government.

Harrington was one of the six government officials sanctioned by the U.S. government for alleged human rights violations during anti-government protests in 2014.

Venezuela's leftist and right-wing camps are locked in a bitter power struggle that has engulfed government institutions, particularly the judicial and legislative branches.

In a bid to oust Maduro from power, legislators have resorted to a variety of strategies, but most were struck down by the judiciary as unconstitutional.

In an effort to wrest power away from an uncooperative and antagonistic parliament, the supreme court attempted to usurp the National Assembly's legislative duties, a move declared unconstitutional by opposition lawmakers and the chief prosecutor.

Also on Tuesday, the TSJ opened a hearing to determine whether Ortega should be tried for alleged "misconduct," after her office demanded the removal of 33 judicial magistrates.

Ortega boycotted the hearing, calling it "a circus."

Increasingly violent anti-government demonstrations have claimed at least 85 lives since early April, including bystanders shot by stray bullets and government supporters lynched by angry mobs of protesters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 12:04:52|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd L) and his wife Peng Liyuan (1st L) are greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2nd R) and her husband Joachim Sauer (1st R) at the Max Liebermann Haus (Max Liebermann House) nearby Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, July 4, 2017. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

BERLIN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping met here on Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying his country supports the European Union (EU) to be "united, stable, prosperous and open."



Stressing that China and the EU are two important world powers and enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said the more complicated the international situation is, the more significant the stable development of China-EU relations becomes.

Calling on China and the EU to build the partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization, Xi said he hopes China-Germany relations could play both leading and stabilizing roles, so as to maintain the high-level development of China-EU relations.

Noting that the China-Germany ties have been making delightful and positive progress since he and Merkel met on the sidelines of the G20 Hangzhou summit last year, Xi said he expects his visit to further promote the China-Germany comprehensive strategic partnership.

Welcoming German enterprises' vigorous participation in the Belt and Road construction, Xi reiterated that the China-proposed Initiative, with extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits as its core concepts, belongs to and will deliver benefits to countries along the route, and the world as a whole.

Pointing out that the economic globalization is currently at a historic crossroad, Xi urged China and Germany, both major trading countries benefiting from, supporting and safeguarding globalization, to make the process more vigorous, inclusive, sustainable and to better benefit every country.

Merkel extended warm welcome to Xi, saying her meeting with the Chinese president in Hangzhou last year, where the two leaders reached a series of consensus, remains fresh in her memory.

Noting that China has scored huge progress in economic development, Merkel said that the China-Germany relationship is maintaining good development momentum and the two countries' pragmatic cooperation in various fields are fruitful.

Expressing gratitude to China for its support to Germany in hosting the upcoming G20 Hamburg summit, Merkel said that Germany values China's pivotal role in international affairs, and appreciates China's support to multilateralism.

The two leaders also briefed each other on their respective domestic situation, and exchanged views on issues of common concern.

The meeting was held at the Max Liebermann Haus (Max Liebermann House) nearby Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

The Chinese president arrived in Berlin Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany. It is the second stop of Xi's ongoing European tour which also took him to Russia. During his stay in Germany, he will also travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 12:04:55|Editor: Lu Hui

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SUVA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II has been elected and confirmed as Samoa's new head of state, local newspaper the Samoa Observer reported Wednesday.

The Samoan parliament on Wednesday confirmed the new head of state, after he was elected at a ruling party caucus meeting Tuesday night, the report said.

His appointment was announced by Prime Minister Tuiaepa Sailele Malielegaoi at the parliament.

His term will be five years.

Tuimalealiifano, one of the three members of the Council of Deputies, replaces Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, who has been serving the Pacific Island country for 10 years and will not serve a third term.

In line with Samoa's Constitution, the head of state shall be appointed by the Legislative Assembly, the country's parliament, acting on the recommendation of the party or parties in government.
Greek resident denounces the spiralling death toll for migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean sea in Athens on April 22, 2015. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

MADRID, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Some 49 African immigrants are feared to have drowned following the rescue of three men from a dinghy 28 nautical miles north of the Island of Alboran in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Morocco, Spanish coastguard said.

The Spanish media reported that Maritime Rescue services on Tuesday saved a 17-year-old and two 25-year-olds from the rubber dinghy, which was described as "half sunk".

The Rescue Services confirmed that the youngest of the three men rescued told them the dinghy had set sail from the north coast of Morocco with 52 people on board on Sunday and had been drifting for almost two days.

A charity based in Morocco had informed of the departure of the boat at around 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, provoking an intensive search in which five aircraft participated.

The dinghy was finally discovered at around 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday in a "semi-submerged" condition and the three survivors were taken to Almeria, where they arrived at around 14:30 and received treatment from medical services.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 12:35:08|Editor: Lu Hui

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CARACAS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- A private plane with nine people on board crashed on Tuesday in the northeastern Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said.

The Gulfstream jet, registered with the presidential office, specifically the Coordinated Service of Air Transport (SATA), had a mechanical failure that caused it to plummet, he said.

"The national government activated search and rescue efforts to locate the aircraft and its crews," Reverol said.

A 100-member contingent of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) was mobilized to search for the crash site and victims, whose identities were not released.

The crash occurred around 1 p.m. local time (1730 GMT) along the state's coastline, Reverol said, adding that the plane was flying towards the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, in the northern state of Vargas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 12:35:10|Editor: Lu Hui

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BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday and Saturday.

The following is what Xi said about G20 at the group's previous summits:

September 2016, Hangzhou, China --

G20 members should strengthen their coordination on macroeconomic policies, jointly promote growth and safeguard financial stability.

G20 members should innovate their growth patterns and explore new growth engines.

G20 members should improve global economic governance and mechanism guarantee as well.

G20 members should build an open world economy and continue to promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment.

November 2015, Antalya, Turkey --

G20 should work to maintain a stable economic growth in the short term, while seeking to inject new impetus into the world economy in the long run.

G20 should strengthen communication and coordination on macro-economic policies; promote reform and innovation to enhance growth potential; build an open world economy to invigorate international trade and investment; implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to inject strong impetus into equitable and inclusive development.

November 2014, Brisbane, Australia --

G20 economies should innovate their economic development patterns. More vitality should be brought into the economy through structural reforms in finance, investment, trade and other fields.

G20 members should build an open global economy. All countries should make concerted efforts to resist trade and investment protectionism and safeguard multilateral trade systems.

G20 members should improve global economic governance to strive for a fair, just, inclusive and orderly international financial system.

September 2013, St. Petersburg, Russia --

G20 members have a minimum duty of keeping their own house in order and also need to build a closer partnership to shore up the world economy.

G20 members should jointly maintain and promote the openness of the world economy and oppose all forms of trade protectionism.

G20 members should bolster a free, open and non-discriminatory multilateral trade system and try to improve global investment rules.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 13:10:19|Editor: Song Lifang

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SEOUL, July 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's defense chief said Wednesday that there has been no specific sign of another nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Defense Minister Han Min-koo told lawmakers that though the DPRK can conduct another nuclear test at any time, no specific sign was detected for such test.

Speculation emerged that the DPRK may carry out its sixth nuclear detonation in the near future following its claim on Tuesday that it successfully tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), called Hwasong-14.

In the past, the DPRK tended to test-launch a long-range ballistic rocket in parallel with a nuclear detonation with a certain time gap.

Pyongyang carried out its fourth and fifth atomic bomb tests in January and September last year, escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK's capability of miniaturizing a nuclear warhead, the defense chief said, was estimated to have reached a significant level.

In response to the DPRK's test-launch of an ICBM, the missile units of South Korea and the United States conducted joint ballistic missile exercises along the east coast of South Korea.

The defense minister said it was the first time that the two allies carried out joint missile drills in response to the DPRK's provocation.

Touching on the Tuesday test, the minister said that whether the DPRK obtained a reentry technology of ICBM has not been confirmed though the missile was estimated to have a range of 7,000-8,000 km.

The DPRK missile flew about 930 km and was lofted as high as around 2,800 km. The Pentagon confirmed it was a new ICBM of the DPRK.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 13:15:26|Editor: ying

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LA PAZ, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's government on Tuesday awarded Chinese ambassador to Bolivia Wu Yuanshan with the Order of the Condor of the Andes, Grand Cross grade.

Bolivia's Foreign Minister Fernando Huanacuni presented the order of merit to Wu, who will return to China after his two-and-a-half-year term, during a ceremony at the ministry's headquarters in La Paz.

Wu thanked Bolivia for the honor and underscored the strong ties between the two countries, saying that bilateral relations have been bolstered under the leadership of Bolivian President Evo Morales.

"Bolivia is a country with a lot of potential, and it is the heart of South America," Wu said, calling for more cooperation between the two countries.

China and Bolivia have several joint projects underway in the fields of industry, scientific development, technology and tourism among others, Wu noted.

Former recipients of the order include French general Charles de Gaulle, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Yugoslavian statesman Josip Broz Tito.

Huanacuni thanked China for its support for various development projects, and highlighted the high-level, productive collaboration between the two countries.

"We have achieved a level of complementarity, dedicated in many cases of friendly bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our peoples. We value China's collaboration, which has allowed us to develop important projects, and to have a good development outlook," said the minister.

Chinese companies active in Bolivia cover various fields, such as steel, oil and electricity, among others, including Sinohydro, Sinosteel, Sinopec, China International Water and Electric Corp, CAMC Engineering, China Railway, Vicstar Shenzhen and China Harzone.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 14:00:46|Editor: Song Lifang

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CANBERRA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Wednesday announced plans for a 582.5- million-Australian dollar (443.5 million U.S. dollar) upgrade for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)'s fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.

In a media release, the nation's Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said the Wedgetail was one of the most advanced pieces of technology within the RAAF, and that the upgrades to the early warning and control capability would maintain Australia's dominance in the air.

"The Wedgetail is a modified Boeing 737-700, with the addition of advanced Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar and 10 mission crew consoles. It is one of the most advanced pieces of aerospace technology in the Australian Defence Force," Pyne said.

Defence Minister Marise Payne said RAAF Wedgetails had been involved in a number of important missions in recent years, including in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, as well as sortie missions in the Middle East.

"The upgrades are an important step in maintaining a potent Australia air combat force and will ensure continued interoperability with Australian allies including the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members," Payne said.

The upgrades are expected to be completed by 2022 and are expected to crease up to 165 "highly skilled jobs" across the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 14:20:56|Editor: Song Lifang

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CANBERRA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will use this weekend's G20 summit to lobby U.S. President Donald Trump to act against terrorists who use encrypted messaging platforms to share information.

Describing the increasing use of encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram by terrorists as a "massive issue," Turnbull said he would be asking world leaders, specifically Trump, to ensure messaging companies follow through on the "responsibility to public safety" by handing over critical information containing terrorist chatter.

"It is (an issue) that will be the subject of some very frank discussions," Turnbull told Fairfax Media on Wednesday.

"We are in a position now where increasingly police and security agencies can intercept telecommunications, but they cannot read them.

"We need to have much greater co-operation because the terrorist threat is absolutely global."

The prime minister said the president should be speaking to the founders of American encrypted messaging platforms to convince them to hand over terrorist information if required by law enforcement agencies.

Turnbull was ready for tough opposition, saying there were a "variety of views about this (issue)," particularly in the United States.

"You have the imperative of law enforcement and public safety ... But on the other hand, particularly in the U.S., you have a very strong libertarian tradition both on the left and the right," he told Fairfax.

Turnbull will attend the G20 meetings in Hamburg, Germany from July 7.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 14:36:01|Editor: Song Lifang

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SEOUL, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The delinquency ratio of bank loans to South Korean small companies hit a six-month high in May, raising worry about economic uncertainties, financial watchdog data showed Wednesday.

The ratio of bad debts owed by small firms to banks, which are at least a month overdue, stood at 0.85 percent as of end-May, up 0.06 percentage points from a month earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).

It marked the highest in six months, keeping an upward trend for the third consecutive month.

Rising bad loans to small firms, which are more vulnerable to higher borrowing costs than big corporations, boosted concerns about uncertainties of the economy.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) indicated a higher policy rate as the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate to a range of 1.00-1.25 percent. South Korea's policy rate was cut to an all-time low of 1.25 percent in June last year.

The delinquency ratio among big corporations inched down 0.01 percentage point over the month to 0.64 percent at the end of May.

The ratio for household loans extended by banks came in at 0.3 percent as of end-May, up 0.02 percentage points from a month earlier.

The figure for mortgage loans was unchanged at 0.21 percent, but those for credit loans gained 0.04 percentage points to 0.52 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 14:51:09|Editor: Song Lifang

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LAMU, Kenya, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Suspected Somali Al-Shabaab militants raided a Kenyan police post in northern coastal Lamu region and destroyed communication masts in the area early Wednesday.

Lamu County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri confirmed the incident, saying the militants raided a village in the region and destroyed telecommunication masts belonging to firm Safaricom, disrupting communication in the area.

Reports indicate that the militants attacked a Rapid Deployment Unit camp in the area. Coast regional police commander Philip Tuimur said security troops responded to the attackers and exchanged fire with them. "The engagement is ongoing and we are waiting for more response from the ground," he said.

Locals said the incident started late in the night. Security agents including those from Kenya Defence Forces rushed to the scene and it was not immediately clear if there were casualties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 15:06:21|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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by Levi J Parsons

SYDNEY, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Exposure to the world's most commonly used weed-killer is making Australia's most loathed pest even more deadly, a study from the Hungarian Academy of Science has found on Wednesday.

When cane toad larvae are in contact with glyphosate-based herbicides, they will produce more bufadienolides, a defensive chemical which is toxic to their predators.

"Although the study was conducted on European toads, it could definitely be the case here," University of Sydney, cane toad expert Rick Shine told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"The experiences that a tadpole has, end up changing the amount of poison they produce in later life."

"Any environment that is really challenging for a tadpole is likely to convince it, that it's a good idea to invest a bit more into its weapons, because it's a dangerous world out there."

Since 1935, the cane toad has been a diabolical invasive species, which costs Australian farmers hundreds of millions of dollars every year, according to national surveys.

Originally brought in from Hawaii by the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations in a an attempt to fight against native grey-backed cane beetles, that were damaging sugarcane crops, the creature is now Australia's largest pest.

In terms of population, there are approximately 24 million Aussie humans and two billion Aussie cane toads.

To combat these startling numbers, the Government has adopted a number of strategies over the years.

"People have tried all sorts of things to get rid of them, the most common approach of course has just been to kill toads," Shine said.

"Unfortunately a single female toad can have 40,000 eggs in one clutch, so simply killing adult toads is not effective."

At one point the CSIRO (the Australian Government's scientific research body) spent 12 million Australian dollars (9.15 million U.S. dollars) to develop a viral strategy as a way to eliminate cane toads, but the project was eventually abandoned.

Although Shine believes cane toads are a catastrophe for Australia's native wildlife, he acknowledges "they're extraordinary, flexible animals and they're specialists at thriving in disturbed environments."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 15:21:30|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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DUBAI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Wednesday the U.S. has lifted the ban of electronic devices on board of flights from the Gulf Arab emirate to the United States, Dubai daily Gulf News reported.

Dubai's government-controlled Emirates said the lifting of the ban which took place with immediate effect was made possible after the airline implemented new "security measures" to meet the U.S. requirements for security.

The UAE's national carrier Etihad Airways said additional passenger screening was implemented at Abu Dhabi international airport in line with the demands by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 15:56:48|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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NEW DELHI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A week after a 17-year-old Muslim youth was stabbed to death on a train from the northern Indian city of Mathura to the national capital, large number of Indians, mostly majority Hindus, came out in great numbers to protest against lynching murders by self-appointed cow vigilantes in the country.

Spontaneous rallies marked the week gone by, just a day after Junaid Khan's murder, calling on the Indian government to end violence that they perceived to be against the values that define the Indian society and people.

While many see the killings as an act of polarisation and attempt to divide the two religious communities, it is the Hindu community that is speaking out in strong voices against lynching by the cattle mob despite cow being considered a sacred animal by them.

The protest, referred to as "Not in My Name", brought citizens together who were indignant at the cold-blooded killings of men, mainly Muslims who have been attacked and murdered in full public view over rumors of either being beef-eaters or having stored the meat.

In most of these cases, rumors were made to incense a mob that carried out the killing in full public view.

"It is beyond understanding as to how a mob can attack an individual over his or her eating habits, which are mainly cultural. India is a land of several cultures and imposition of one homogenous cultural practice is not possible. Besides, a murderous assault on a young boy points to weaknesses in our state and civic system," said Prof M.K. Das of Delhi University.

Similar voices have been raised across the country by people who are holding the government responsible for shielding the cow slaughterers and not raising voice on the issue. This forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up on the matter, condemning cow vigilantism and making it clear that nobody had the right to take the law in his hands.

He invoked pre-independence icon Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the nation, to disapprove of the violence in the name of cow protection by self-appointed cow vigilantes. A short while after the statement was made, another man was killed in the eastern state of Jharkhand for allegedly carrying beef and his van was set on fire before the nature of the meat could be ascertained.

"These sort of killings points to two issues in the country. First, people are being easily swayed into believing that violence is alright and self-righteous. Secondly, violence against minorities is being dismissed as casual but it is increasing in manifold number especially since last few years and it is time we take action about it," said Purohit Pradhan, a political commentator based in Delhi.

The trend is definitely worrisome, if the numbers are anything to go by. As per data released by IndiaSpend, which carries out content analysis for English media, Muslims were the main target of violence centered around beef issues between 2010 and 2017, with 28 persons killed in 63 incidents. Twenty-four people killed out of the 28 were Muslims.

It further reported that 97 percent of beef-related violence was carried out after 2014 when Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power. Of the 63 cases reported, 32 were from the states where the BJP ruled.

In a grim information, IndiaSpend reported that 20 of these cow-terror attacks were reported in the first six months of 2017, a rise of 75 percent as compared to 2016 which was said to be the worst year for such a violence since 2010.

The assaults were grievous in nature and ranged from mob lynching, attacks by vigilantes, murder and attempt to murder, harassment, assault and gang rape. One of the worst cases of the attack has been the lynching of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq, who was killed by an enraged mob in a place called Dadri near the national capital on September 28, 2015, after being accused of slaughtering a cow and consuming its meat.

Similarly, in August 2016 in Mewat district of the northern state of Haryana, also close to the Indian capital, a woman and her 14-year-old cousin were allegedly gang raped after being accused of eating beef. Two other relatives were murdered by the mob. While the woman denied eating beef, four men were arrested and charged with rape and murder.

On May 30, 2017, a PhD scholar at the country's prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in the southern city of Chennai was allegedly attacked on the campus for eating beef.

"Despite the rising number of violence related to cow, the political class has never woken up to lynching which is becoming so common now. We did not learn from riots, so common in India, where victims are hurt or killed in mob violence. Since there is no codified law on lynching, it becomes difficult to book the accused and send out strong message to the perpetrators of such crime," said Savita Kumar, a lawyer practising in Delhi High Court.

Moreover, police have been found to be ignorant and even dismissive of the nature of the crime, with the cops registering cases against the victims only in a fifth of such cases.

"It appears that in the absense of tightened laws on cow slaughter, the cow protection vigilantes have developed a sense of confidence that the police will not take action against them. The state and its mechanisms thus become responsible for engraving that confidence in the mob. What is required therefore is political will to put in desired apparatuses in place which make its commitment to the people, especially the minorities, clear," she said.

With the growing voices against cow vigilantism and mob lynching among the majority community, especially its youth, the government cannot afford to abandon or turn a blind eye towards a clearly dwindling social order.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 16:02:02|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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WASHINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States and South Korea have staged a missile drill by firing missiles into the Sea of Japan, in response to the latest missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Eighth U.S. Army and South Korean servicemen conducted a combined event to counter the DPRK's missile test on Tuesday, utilizing the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and South Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Forces Korea on Wednesday.

Emphasizing the system can be rapidly deployed, the statement said the deep precision strike capability enables the U.S.-South Korea alliance to engage the critical targets under all weather conditions.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed on Tuesday that the DPRK's latest missile test was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Calling the test "a new escalation of the threat" to the United States, its allies and the world, Tillerson said in a statement that the United States intends to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures against the DPRK.

While stressing that the United States will not accept a nuclear-armed DPRK, Tillerson said the United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

According to an earlier statement by the U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. military detected and tracked what it assessed was a DPRK missile launch at 2:40 p.m. Hawaii time Monday (0040 GMT Tuesday) near the Panghyon Airfield.

The DPRK declared Tuesday that it successfully launched an ICBM on the day, hailing it as a "final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force."

It lauded the launch of the ICBM as a historic event in boosting its defense capabilities to counter U.S. threats.

The Korean Central Television reported in a special program that top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un signed the order to carry out the test-firing of the ICBM Hwasong-14 on Monday and personally conducted the launch, before "declaring before the world its shining success."

The DPRK Academy of Defense Science said the missile blasted off from the northwestern part of the DPRK at 09:00 a.m. (0030 GMT) Tuesday to make a 39-minute flight along its pre-set trajectory before accurately hitting the target waters in the open sea in the East Sea of Korea (Sea of Japan), according to the Korean Central News Agency.

South Korea on Tuesday strongly denounced the DPRK's firing of the ballistic missile.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that the DPRK fired off the ballistic missile into its eastern waters from an area near Banghyeon, North Pyongan province in the DPRK's northwest region at around 9:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT).

Meanwhile, China said it opposes the DPRK's missile launch, which is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

"China urges the DPRK to refrain from acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions so as to create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiation," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing.

Given the complex and sensitive situation on the Korean Peninsula, China hopes all sides can exercise calm and restraint to ease tensions there and return to the right path of peaceful dialogue, the spokesperson said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tuesday strongly condemned the launch of a ballistic missile by the DPRK.

"This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation," UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The UN chief called on the DPRK leadership to cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.

UN Security Council resolutions ban the DPRK from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an open meeting on Wednesday on the latest DPRK missile launch, at the request of the U.S. mission to the UN, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 16:17:14|Editor: Yang Yi

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JOHANNESBURG, July 4 (Xinhua) -- A South African expert said that China has handled the Hong Kong issue well and enabled stability and development over the past 20 years.

"Hong Kong enjoyed massive investment and the development in the small Island was incredible -- China managed Hong Kong well and there was peace and stability," Professor Rukudzo Murapa, Khulisa Management Services Africa director, said in an interview with Xinhua on Monday.

There were no major political upheavals and China has over the past 20 years respected the "one country, two systems" principle and avoided confrontation, said the professor.

In a speech delivered at a meeting in Hong Kong last Saturday celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Chinese President Xi Jinping reviewed the success of the "one country, two systems" principle and envisioned a brighter prospect for Hong Kong with proposals for further and fully applying the principle.

Xi said the principle "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."
The U.S. has lifted a ban on passengers taking laptops and tablet computers on Etihad Airways flights from its base in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, authorities said on July 2, 2017. (AFP Photo)

DUBAI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Wednesday that the U.S. has lifted the ban of electronic devices on board of flights from the Gulf Arab emirate to the United States, Dubai daily Gulf News reported.

Dubai's government-controlled Emirates said the lifting of the ban which took place with immediate effect was made possible after the airline implemented new "security measures" to meet the U.S. requirements for security.

On Sunday, the UAE's national carrier Etihad Airways said additional passenger screening was implemented at Abu Dhabi international airport in line with the demands by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The portable electronic device (PED) ban announced on March 21 by the U.S. included large-size electronic devices such as laptops and tablet computers. These electronic PEDs had been banned for six months from March 21 on direct flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in eight countries, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Morocco.

The laptop ban has initially triggered confusion and outrage among airline executives and passengers in the UAE, as UAE civil aviation authorities has long implemented "equal capabilities or better than the Europeans," said Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark in a televised interview with U.S. news channel CNN on March 22.

In reaction to the ban, Emirates has reduced the number of its flights to U.S. cities of Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Boston, Seattle, and Los Angeles since May 1, while introducing a tablet loan service for passengers who need a device to work aboard.

Earlier last month, the International Air Transport Association said passenger demand for flights by Middle East airlines to the United States fell by 2.8 percent in April due to the laptop ban.

There are no U.S. carriers flying from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to the United States. American airliners United Airlines and Delta Airlines stopped flying to Dubai in January 2016 and February 2016, respectively.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 16:32:20|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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MOSCOW, July 5(Xinhua) -- Russia has extended the ban on the imports of certain categories of food and agricultural products from the European Union (EU), the United States and Ukraine among others, said a statement published Wednesday on the Russian government website.

"The ban on the import of certain categories of agricultural products, raw materials and food from the U.S., EU member countries, Canada, Australia, Norway, Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and Liechtenstein has been extended from Jan. 1 until Dec. 31, 2018," said the statement.

The measures are aimed at implementing the Russian President's executive order on June 30, 2017 to "extend certain special economic measures to ensure the security of the Russian Federation," according to the statement.

"These restrictions are designed to expand the special economic countermeasures against certain states based on the extent of their involvement in the sanctions regime against Russia," the statement concluded.

In August 2014, Russia started to limit food imports, including meat, fish, seafood, fruits and dairy products, from the countries that imposed sanctions against it over the Ukrainian crisis.

On June 28 this year, the EU officially extended its sanctions against Russia for another six months over lack of progress on the implementation of the Minsk accords, designed to end the Ukrainian conflict. The sanctions are now set to expire on Jan. 31, 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 16:42:29|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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COLOMBO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan High Court imposed on Wednesday death sentence on the man convicted of murdering journalist Melicia Gunasekara in 2014.

Delivering the verdict of the case which has lasted over three years, Colombo High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasingha sentenced the suspect, Anthony Ramson George to death, after the state attorney also had sought maximum punishment as the suspect had two prior convictions.

Fourty-year-old Melicia, popularly known as Mel, was a graduate of the University of East London, and worked as an editor for the local newspaper, Sunday Times, and a correspondent for the Colombo bureau of Agency France Presse (AFP).

She was stabbed to death in her home in Colombo on Feb 2, 2014, while her parents and younger brother were at home. She was found lying lifeless on the kitchen floor.

The suspect, who had previously been hired to paint the victim's home, broke into the house with the intention of burglarizing it.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 16:47:31|Editor: Yang Yi

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NEW DELHI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui on Tuesday urged India to unconditionally withdraw its border troops to the Indian side of the boundary with China and seek a peaceful solution to the recent incident in the Doklam area.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, Ambassador Luo said he was deeply worried by the "grave" situation in Doklam.

"It is the first time that the Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognized boundary and trespassed into China's territory, triggering a close range face-off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased," he said.

"It is the first time that such a severe situation has occurred at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary. This section has already been delimited with clear alignment of the boundary, the two sides have consensus on it and there has been no incident over the past years," the ambassador added.

According to Ambassador Luo, the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890) explicitly stipulates that Doklam undoubtedly belongs to China's territory. After independence, India inherited this historical convention and successive Indian governments have repeatedly confirmed that in written forms, recognizing that it concurs with China on the boundary alignment at the Sikkim section.

The Chinese diplomat expounded on China's three-point position on the situation in Doklam.

"The first one is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," he said.

The second one is to seek a peaceful solution, according to the ambassador.

"China attaches great importance to the China-India relations and is ready to develop a long-term stable strategic partnership for cooperation with India. The current level of cooperation and friendship between China and India are hard earned and deserve to be cherished by the two sides," said Ambassador Luo.

He added that the third one is to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.

"China has always taken this seriously and done a lot to this end. It needs joint efforts of the two sides. We appreciate what Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said in St. Petersburg that over the past 50 years, not a single bullet has been fired at the India-China border areas."

The ambassador stressed that the three top priorities are connected with each other. "Only by fulfilling the unconditional withdrawal of India's military, can peaceful resolution of this issue be achieved. Only by approaching with peaceful resolution, can peace and tranquility of the border areas be maintained."

Stressing the fact that Doklam belongs to China and has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China, Ambassador Luo said "now the ball is in the court of the Indian side."

The Chinese envoy also dismissed the Indian side's views on the border incident as self-contradictory. "On the one hand, India claims that Doklam belongs to Bhutan. On the other hand, it denies the 1890 Convention and claims that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary is not delimited and uses it as a pretext for its trespassing into China's territory."

Despite the incident, the ambassador said he was always optimistic about the China-India relations.

Noting that the two countries are neighboring powers as well as members of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, he hoped both sides should focus on cooperation, well manage such existing problems as the boundary issue, uphold a positive attitude to address emerging issues of the bilateral ties and set a vision for the China-India relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 16:52:34|Editor: Yang Yi

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NANJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- After walking out of his spacious villa, Mei Zhenhua drives his Audi 6 to the rice farm in Huaxi village, known as China's wealthiest village.

The 34-year-old former metallurgy engineer has lived the agricultural life for a year and a half, as one of the seven "young smart intellectuals" selected by villagers to grow rice.

Huaxi in eastern China's Jiangsu Province, about 130 km away from Shanghai, has been urbanized. With skyscrapers and a village-run aviation firm, Huaxi has accumulated wealth through the development of industries ranging from steel and chemical fiber, to banking, new energy, logistics and marine transport.

However, villagers are no longer satisfied with the wealth generated from industrial development, even feeling embarrassed that agriculture has nearly died out. Nobody wants to eat produce from the village's 80 hectares of farmland, as it does not taste good.

In a decision agreed by 2,600 villagers in 2016, they gave 16 hectares of farmland to seven young people, college graduates aged 30 on average, to grow high-quality rice.

They were first sent to Asahi Noyu Farm in Japan to study how to grow high-quality rice, as none of them had farming experience.

"There is no secret in Japanese rice farming, only an artisan spirit in pursuit of perfection in each step of rice cultivation," said Mei, a graduate from China's prestigious Harbin Institute of Technology.

He said the problem of Chinese rice was a long-term focus on yield rather than taste and quality. Pollution in China due to years of industrial production has also damaged farmland.

Returning from Japan, the seven young farmers started growing rice in Huaxi in May 2016, starting by leveling soil, selecting seed and growing seedling.

Mei said they were strict in each process, using traditional manual selection for good seed.

To ensure the water was clean, they dug a small reservoir near the field, where water is treated through three filtration procedures before irrigating the farm.

The experimental field yielded only 60 tonnes of rice last year, with a per-unit output only half of a normal Chinese rice field. However, the rice won the gold award at Jiangsu provincial rice appraisal and was soon sold out.

The village committee decided this year to give all of the village's 80 hectares of farmland to the seven farmers.

"Huaxi is after all a village. We cannot give up our agricultural roots," said Wu Xie'en, Party chief of Huaxi.

Industrialization and urbanization had been seen as a measure of development for a rural town. But people are now worried that without agriculture, the village may lose its nature, according to Wu.

The village committee has spent 50 million yuan (7.3 million U.S. dollars) on the good rice cultivation program. In the next five years, it will continue to send young people to study rice farming in partnership with the Japanese farm.

Huaxi village has given Shimizu Toyoyuki, owner of the Asahi Noyu Farm, the right to choose young candidates from the village to study in his farm.

Toyoyuki said although he was initially surprised to see China's wealthiest village send people to study rice growing, he understood that China and Japan had the same problem in that most young workers were no longer interested in farming.

Cui Jingbin, one of the seven Huaxi farmers, studied in the Nishinippon Institute of Technology in Japan.

He said one thing he had learnt from the farming internship in Japan was that farming was intensive work, with every step interlinked.

"Food safety and health are new pursuits for Chinese people. With the rice program, we neither want to earn big money, nor make an attraction, but explore a modern agricultural production system to grow high-quality rice," Wu said.

The village's current annual per capita income is over 15,000 U.S dollars, with each household having a villa and private cars. Villagers also enjoy subsidized health care, and the village hosts over 2 million tourists every year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 17:02:44|Editor: Yang Yi

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ISTANBUL, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Following Turkey's deployment of troops around the Kurdish-held Afrin Canton in northwestern Syria, many feel a Turkish military operation is imminent, a sense augmented by reported withdrawal of most Russian troops from the canton.

Turkey has substantially increased the presence of its troops, tanks and artillery units around Afrin over the past two weeks, while most of the Russian troops retreated last week to areas controlled by the Syrian government, according to Turkish media reports.

The Russian withdrawal, though not officially confirmed yet, is widely seen as a tacit approval for a Turkish military move against the Kurdish militia controlling Afrin, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG).

"The discourse from Ankara and the substantial military buildup at the border point to an imminent operation targeting YPG-controlled Afrin," Faruk Logoglu, a retired diplomat who once held top posts at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua.

Erdogan Karakus, a former air force general in the Turkish military, takes the Russian retreat as a sign of an agreement between Ankara and Moscow.

"The Turkish military operation (against Afrin) is imminent," he said.

The operation is aimed at cleansing the area of the YPG, said Karakus, adding that YPG elements in Manbij should be targeted as well after Afrin.

Other than Afrin Canton, Manbij in northern Syria is the only YPG-held town situated on the west bank of the Euphrates River.

The Kurdish militia have carved out three autonomous cantons along the Turkish border during the Syrian civil war, a development that Ankara fears may lead to the emergence of an autonomous or independent Kurdish entity along its border and set a precedent for its own nearly 20 million Kurds.

Speaking on state-run TRT broadcaster on Tuesday, Turkey's Defense Minister Fikri Isik vowed not to "hesitate to stage an operation" to cope with security threats from both Afrin and Manbij.

A day earlier, government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus described the YPG in Afrin as a national security threat, implying that Ankara would not hesitate to counter any threats with a military offensive as it had done before.

Russia has understood well the threat against Turkey from Afrin as well as Ankara's sensitivity on the issue, the spokesman said, adding that Turkey and Russia have recently had positive talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the end of last month and met on Sunday with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu in Istanbul, with the presence of Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar and Hakan Fidan, head of the National Intelligence Organization.

Back in March when there was talk of a possible Turkish military intervention into Afrin, Russian troops appeared in the region all of a sudden in an apparent bid to deter any Turkish military action.

Russian flags were raised near the Turkish border at that time, while photos of Russian soldiers together with the YPG fighters appeared in the press.

Karakus believes that the change in the Russian attitude is mainly linked with two recent developments.

One is the blocking by the U.S. side of Syrian troops from gaining ground around Raqqa, a stronghold of the Islamic State that Washington and its allied YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces are fighting hard to take back.

The other is the need for Russia to have Turkish support to take the city of Idlib under control under a recently-concluded cease-fire agreement aiming to end the Syrian war.

Idlib is currently under the control of radical Islamist rebels who were allowed last December to move to the city from Aleppo as part of negotiations brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Turkey is known to hold sway over the rebel groups in Idlib which had fought to topple the Syrian government, as Ankara supported the rebels in the Syrian war until it mended ties last summer with Russia, a staunch supporter of Damascus.

Based on the ongoing Syrian peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, Russian and Turkish troops are expected to jointly maintain order in Idlib, one of the four de-escalation zones created in May in efforts to end the bloody conflict.

"For Ankara, the argument for such an operation is two-fold: one is to fight the YPG as a terrorist organization and the other is to prevent the emergence of an independent Kurdish entity in the north of Syria," Logoglu said of Turkey's possible military move against Afrin.

Ankara sees the YPG as the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) outlawed for its decades-old armed struggle for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast.

President Erdogan vowed on June 23, days after some reinforcements were sent to the border, that Turkey would not allow a terrorist state to emerge along its border with Syria.

According to reports in local media, the Afrin operation may be launched following the Astana talks and the G20 summit slated for July 7-8 in the German city of Hamburg.

Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Like many others, Yasar Yakis, a former Turkish foreign minister, feels Turkey has the right to block the establishment of an uninterrupted Kurdish corridor along its border.

Turkey should first, however, try to achieve this end through negotiations with both the YPG and the Syrian government to avoid casualties in a hostile environment, he argued.

"It will be up to the Syrians to decide the shape of post-crisis Syria, and Turkey's leverage at that stage is not unlimited," Yakis told Xinhua, noting that the area in question is Syrian territory.

The emergence of a Kurdish corridor along Turkey's southern border, which shall be de facto linked with the territory ruled by the Kurdistan Regional Government in neighboring Iraq, would physically cut off Turkey from the Arab world.

Turkish military units on the Syrian border fired late Monday rockets and artillery shots on YPG positions in Afrin in response to alleged firing from that region.

According to local media reports, fire went high up in the air and YPG vehicles, tanks and ammunitions were apparently hit.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels backed by Turkey will be part of the eventual Turkish operation, press reports said, as the group was when Ankara launched what it called Operation Euphrates Shield in August last year in northern Syria to push the Islamic State away from the Turkish border and prevent Afrin from uniting with two other Kurdish cantons on the eastern part of the Euphrates.

Once Turkey wades again militarily in Syria, it is also seeking to prevent PKK members on Turkey's Amanos Mountains in the Hatay province from using Afrin as a logistics center, as Hatay borders with the canton.

Since the collapse in 2015 of a peace process aimed at resolving Turkey's Kurdish issue, government and PKK forces have been engaged in fierce fighting.

The U.S. may be opposing any Turkish move against the YPG in Afrin, as it may well risk weakening the group's ongoing battle for Raqqa.

It is also widely argued that the Kurds may bear a resentment against Washington in the event of a Turkish intervention into Afrin.

Both the U.S. and Russia recognize the YPG as a legitimate actor in Syria. Despite repeated Turkish opposition, the U.S. opted to launch the offensive against Raqqa with the Kurdish fighters.

An operation against Afrin may aim to capture the whole canton or seize first only critical areas around the town of Afrin without targeting the town itself.

The Menagh air base and the village of Tal Rifaat are cited as among the strategic targets in Turkish media reports.

"My preference is for the Turkish army not to enter the Syrian territory at all," remarked Yakis. "If it enters, it should be limited as much as possible."

Logoglu feels that limiting the operation to driving away the YPG from near the Turkish border can be explained as combating a terrorist threat, while the other option may raise problems for Turkey.

He warned that a sustained military confrontation between Turkey and the YPG would not only widen the scope of Turkey's fight against the PKK at home, but may present Turkey with unwanted challenges, in particular from Washington.

According to media reports, the YPG is backing up its defense near the Turkish border with heavy weaponry.

The day President Erdogan talked on the phone with Putin, he also spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump. On the same day, Brett McGurk, U.S. special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter the Islamic State, was in Ankara for talks with Foreign Ministry officials.

Mehmet Acet, a columnist close to the Turkish government, claimed on Monday in the Yeni Safak daily that he has the impression that Trump's demand to talk with Erdogan over the phone was aimed at preventing a Turkish move against Afrin.

"McGurk's sudden arrival in Ankara also seemed to be part of this effort," he wrote.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 17:17:54|Editor: Yang Yi

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RIO DE JANEIRO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's state-run oil giant Petrobras announced on Tuesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to exploit energy resources in Brazil and abroad.

In the statement, Petrobras said that the deal will allow the two state oil companies to benefit from each other's capacity and experience in oil and gas production.

The MOU was signed by Petrobras President Pedro Parente and the vice president of CNPC and president of PetroChina, Wang Dongjin. PetroChina is a listed arm of CNPC.

Since 2013, Petrobras and CNPC have partnered to explore the Libra offshore oilfield in southeast Brazil, which is considered potentially the most valuable oilfield in Brazil by its government.

The agreement is key to establishing an arrangement in which both companies are expected to share risks and jointly contribute to investment.

Brazil and China bolstered ties this year with a joint launch of a 20-billion-U.S.-dollar fund on May 30 to finance development projects in the South American country, especially in infrastructure building.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 17:43:26|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Online services are now playing a bigger role in reducing poverty in China, a government official said Wednesday.

"We have completed the design of online services for poverty alleviation in conjunction with another 15 government agencies," said Qu Tianjun, an official with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

As Internet Plus becomes a national strategy, the government has targeted poverty alleviation as an important impetus for the development of the impoverished areas.

The office has established an account management system to track poverty reduction programs carried out by 26,500 private companies in 21,000 villages, Qu said.

It also has provided an network platform, using new technologies such as big data, to promote online philanthropy. So far, the platform has 100,000 registered donors connected to 40,000 needy families, the official said.

China plans to expand online services to rural areas, according to a plan released by the central government in October last year. The plan features how to increase the sale of agricultural products, provide high quality education services, and proposes that an information service system for the poor to be established by 2020.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (3rd R,front) hands over a cheque to African Union Commission (AU) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat (4th R,front) during the opening of the 29th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, July 3, 2017. African leaders attending the 29th AU summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa have taken steps further toward owning a financially independent African Union (AU).(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

by Habtamu Liben and Zhu Shaobin

ADDIS ABABA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- African leaders attending the 29th AU summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa have taken steps further toward owning a financially independent African Union (AU).

The latest call was made by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who urged other African leaders to take the momentum forward to make AU financially independent.

Mugabe, who previously pledged 300 cattle in supporting the newly established AU's foundation, affirmed in his remarks at the opening of the 29th AU summit on Monday that "finding alternative ways of funding the Union is the most urgent task."

Calling on heads of AU member states to take measures to finance AU, Mugabe stressed that "unless and until we can find our role, the African Union will not be truly our own."

The AU has frequently expressed its concerns that the financial shortfall has created a significant gap between its planned budget and actual funding, which hinders the effective delivery of its agenda.

According to figures by the pan-African block, only 67 percent of the AU's assessment for money contributions by member states are actually collected annually, and about 30 member states default either partially or completely on average annually.

At the 27th AU Summit held in Rwanda last year, a financing proposal was adopted to direct all AU member states to implement a 0.2-percent levy on eligible imports to finance the AU.

The initiative mainly aspires to create an equitable and predictable source of financing for AU and to reduce dependency on partner funds.

The African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat (2nd R) applauds during the closing session of the 29th African Union summit in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on July 4, 2017. The 29th African Union (AU) summit concluded on Tuesday amid call for strong collaboration among African countries to tackle key regional and global issues. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

The financing proposal, which targets to cover 100 percent of the Union's operational budget, 75 percent of its program budget and 25 percent of AU's peace fund.

Countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, Chad, Ethiopia, Republic of the Congo and Ghana are said to be at the forefront in implementing the 0.2-percent levy on imports of eligible goods to the continent from a non-AU member state.

According to Thomas Kwesi Quartey, AU Commission Deputy Chairperson, the financing proposal of the Union, as AU's major reform target, is designed to assist the block to effectively address challenges that continue to hamper AU from realizing its potential by avoiding the search for donor.

"To reaffirm Africa's renaissance and in appreciation of the difficulties we face in the over-reliance on development partners for funds, whose biases and priorities sometimes negate the spirit of Pan-Africans, the momentum in the implementation of the 0.2 percent levy continues to gain traction," the deputy chairperson said.

Quartey also expressed his hope that "all the 55 AU member states will manage the full, consistent and timely implementation of this decision by the year 2018."

The United Nation, AU's major partner in various activities concerning the continent, has also expressed its continued support as African leaders commit themselves towards AU's self-reliance in its quest "towards a prosperous Africa."

Speaking at the opening of the 29th AU summit on Monday, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed affirmed that the UN "commends African leaders for their commitment to self-reliance as reflected in their decision to fund 25 percent of the AU's peace and support operations by 2020."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 17:48:35|Editor: MJ

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NEW DELHI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A local level leader of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) was arrested on charges of rape after getting filmed forcing himself on a woman in a moving bus and kissing her, police said Wednesday.

The leader was identified as Ravindra Bawanthade from Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state.

The video was circulated widely, following which the woman complained to police about the incident.

"He has been arrested for raping and outraging the modesty of a woman," a police official said.

Reports said the BJP leader was returning from Nagpur to Gadchiroli last week when the incident was recorded on the CCTV camera of the bus.

The accused had reportedly lured the 19-year-old victim on promises of providing her a job.

Local media reports said two bus conductors and the driver found the objectionable video recorded with the CCTV camera of the bus. They allegedly recorded a video of the clip on their phones and circulated on social media.

Police have also arrested bus conductors and driver for sharing the video.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 17:48:38|Editor: An

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Photo taken on July 5, 2017 shows the confiscated illegal arms in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. More than 2,600 guns, 63,000 rounds of ammunition, and some explosives were destroyed. Chinese police destroyed more than 140,000 illegal guns and a large amount of explosives Wednesday in a nationwide campaign to enhance public security. (Xinhua/Long Lei)

SHENYANG, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police destroyed more than 140,000 illegal guns and a large amount of explosives Wednesday in a nationwide campaign to enhance public security.

The Ministry of Public Security launched the campaign in Shenyang, capital of the northeastern province of Liaoning, where more than 2,600 guns, 63,000 rounds of ammunition, and some explosives were destroyed.

The destruction of illegal guns and explosives seized by police or handed in by the public, was conducted in 202 counties and cities across the country on Wednesday.

Qian Xiongfei, deputy director of the security administration bureau under the ministry, said the campaign showed the determination of the police to crack down on gun-related crime and protect citizens.

Police strengthened the campaign in May and focused the crackdown on the online gun trade.

The ongoing campaign has resulted in a continuous decrease of gun-related crime.

Over the past five years, crime involving guns and explosives has fallen by 25.5 percent and 17.2 percent respectively annually on average, said the ministry.

Chinese law bans private ownership of guns. Violators face penalties of up to seven years in prison.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 17:53:42|Editor: MJ

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BRUSSELS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- With the 12th G20 summit on the horizon, it's the right time for China and the European Union (EU) to deepen ties, especially in promoting free trade and tackling climate change.

The G20 summit, scheduled in the German city of Hamburg on July 7-8, is in the public gaze against the backdrop of widening cracks between the United States and the EU, as well as rising uncertainties globally.

In the run up to the summit, the leaders of the EU and its member states met in Berlin on June 29 to coordinate their positions. At a press conference after the meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed Europe's backing of free trade and the Paris Accord, saying Germany was "more committed than ever" to making both a success.

Days later, obviously sneering at U.S. President Donald Trump's catchphrase "make America great again," the European Commission said "we will work with all partners who share our conviction that the (Paris) Agreement is necessary to make our planet great again."

"The Agreement is a key element for the modernization of the economy and industry worldwide. It is the cornerstone of global efforts to tackle climate change, and cannot be renegotiated," the commission stressed.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has been wrangling with the EU over such issues as free trade, burden-sharing among NATO allies and climate change.

Frustrated by Trump's first trip to Europe in late May, Merkel, addressing an election campaign in Germany's southern state of Bavaria, said the Europeans "really have to take destiny into their own hands."

In this context, it's right time for China and the EU, sharing similar positions on free trade and climate change, to deepen cooperation.

Trade is of great significance to the export-oriented EU. According to the European Commission, every one billion euros in exports support 14,000 jobs in the bloc. More than 30 million jobs depend on exports to the rest of the world -- around one in every seven jobs in the EU.

Trade has been the bedrock of China-EU relations, with the EU being China's largest trading partner, China, the EU's second largest trading partner and their average daily trade volume standing at more than 1.69 billion U.S. dollars.

"We must work to make trade and investment free, as well as fair. The EU will support a continued commitment of the G20 to fighting protectionism and strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system, anchored in the WTO," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk wrote in their letter about the G20 summit to leaders of member states.

The two presidents' views resonated, to a large extent, with those of the Chinese leaders championing free trade on a host of important international occasions.

China and the EU also have similar positions in dealing with climate change. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on June 1 that the country would continue its implementation of the Paris Agreement and positively participate in the multilateral process of global climate governance.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying added that China is willing to work with the EU to strengthen practical cooperation on climate change.

There's something else worth noting: it's in China's best interest to learn from the EU's experience in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The EU has successfully decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions. During the 1990-2015 period, the EU's combined GDP grew by 50 percent, while total emissions decreased by 22 percent.

Both China and the EU have set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emission by 2030. It is foreseeable that the prospects for cooperation in clean energy will be extremely broad.

It's no secret that China and the EU continue to bicker on issues like steel overcapacity, market economy status, and market openness. But these do not constitute the mainstream of China-EU relations. In the context of increasing global uncertainties, it's of greater significance than ever for China and the EU to cement their ties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 18:03:44|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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By Shristi Kafle

KATHMANDU, July 5 (Xinhua) -- When the devastating earthquake rocked Nepal on April 25, 2015, one of the greatest concerns of those living across the world who had visited Nepal at least once, was for Nepal's centuries-old and rich architectural monuments.

The quake shattered numerous, highly revered and marvelous art creations, which were the major attractions for foreign tourists visiting Kathmandu valley and one of the major sources of tourism revenue.

Two years have been passed since the disaster in the Himalayan country, which killed nearly 9,000 people and displaced more than half a million citizens, and the country's development has been pushed back by at least half a decade.

With the commitment of financial assistance of more than 4.4 billion U.S. dollars by the international community for country's reconstruction, many had expressed hope that those flattened architectural wonders would stand tall and intact again soon.

But on the contrary, the first monuments enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are likely to be recategorized on the the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Christian Manhart, the country director for UNESCO Nepal, told Xinhua recently that "the listing as World Heritage in Danger is no criticism of the government, but a useful tool to raise awareness of the specific problems of a site and to obtain more international funding."

There are seven monument zones in Kathmandu valley inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979, and all the heritage sites were extensively damaged by the earthquake.

The possibility of being placed on the danger list comes following the assessment of damage and the state of conservation of all seven monument zones by the World Heritage Center and its Advisory Bodies Reactive Monitoring mission in March.

The team had acknowledged that the government of Nepal has done a great deal to rescue important artifacts, to provide capacity building for site managers, artisans, local professionals and local community members, in an effort to improve the protection and repair of the monuments.

However, the mission concluded that although post-earthquake conservation guidelines have been prepared, no recovery plans have been developed, in consultation with local community stakeholders, to guide the work in each monument zone, as recommended by the previous Reactive Monitoring mission 2016.

"The work undertaken so far has not been based on a systematic approach to documenting, assessing and mapping the extent of damage, which varied greatly across the seven monument zones, nor has a centralized database of information been established," the report stated.

The mission has recommended the World Heritage Committee to put the Kathmandu Valley property on the List of World Heritage in Danger considering that there is an urgent need for the development of a coherent and coordinated Recovery Plan and improvements in planning and coordination.

The final decision will be made by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session being held in Poland from July 2.

A three-member delegation from the Department of Archaeology, the authoritative body which has undertaken the responsibility of reconstruction of the heritage sites, is also participating in the session.

"Reconstruction of the monuments is moving forward in all the 14 worst-hit districts including those of Kathmandu valley. Though the final decision of the World Heritage Committee will be out in few days, we are unwilling to see our heritage sites on the danger list," Ram Bahadur Kunwar, spokesperson for the Department of Archaeology, told Xinhua on Monday.

According to UNESCO, placing the World Heritage property of the Kathmandu Valley on the danger list will lead to the utilization of the resources available from the international community and will work as a mechanism to protect the invaluable heritage of the site before it is too late.

The UNESCO mission had recommended placing the heritages on the danger list in 2016 too, but it could not be materialized following intense lobbying from the government.

The heritage sites of Kathmandu valley were on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2003 as well, however, it was removed from the list in 2007 following the proper management of the properties as per the recommendations made by UNESCO.

These heritage sites have been attracting thousands of visitors from around the globe annually and helping generate a lucrative income for this least developed South Asian country.

According to Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), more than 76,000 tourists had visited the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square alone in the first six months of the current fiscal year, with the revenue generated totaling more than 71 million rupees (684,390 U.S. dollars).

"If the heritage sites are listed on the danger list, it will help to make the state and concerned agencies more responsible towards the preservation of monuments. I am confident that the step will not impede the regular flow of tourists," Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, told Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 18:13:51|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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ISTANBUL, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A three-month ban on electronics in cabins on U.S.-bound flights from Turkey's Istanbul was lifted on Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, the Turkish Airlines allowed its passengers to take their electronic devices into the cabin on the first flight from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport to New York.

Ilker Ayci, the airlines' chairman, told reporters that the Turkish national flag carrier had handled over 80,000 devices on 1,087 U.S.-bound flights during the ban.

"The devices were carried in specially-designed shipment containers to avoid any damage during the whole process," he said, noting laptops alone accounted for 75 percent of the devices.

Turkey started to use U.S.-manufactured tomography machines for luggage scan by the end of June, after the United States banned in March devices larger than a smart phone in cabins on U.S.-bound flights from 10 airports in eight countries including Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, citing the threat of bombs hidden in the electronics.

The U.S. first lifted the ban on flights from Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 18:18:54|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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JAKARTA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A small plane carrying five people went down in Papua province of eastern Indonesia on Wednesday, and rescue operation has been undertaken, spokesman of national search and rescue office Marsudi said.

The Pilatus Porter PC-6 aircraft made the last contact with the aviation authorities at 11:08 a.m. local time after departing from Wamena town, the spokesman said.

At 15:21 search for the missing plane was conducted for the second time after the failure in communication, said Marsudi.

"A plane searching for the missing aircraft received a signal, it continues until now. The wreckage of the plane was seen at 8,500 feet, and it was about 8 nautical miles from Wamena," he told Xinhua by phone.

The five people on board were a pilot, a co-pilot and three passengers, said Marsudi. The plane was on route of Wamena to Derakma in the province, he added.

The plane was operated by Associated Mission Aviation (AMA), a private firm operating flights in and around Papua province.

Papua has some poor geographical region which has often hampered flight in the area which heavily relies on air transport.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 18:23:58|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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SINGAPORE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Singapore shares closed 1.17 percent higher on Wednesday, as investors shrugged off concerns over Chinese economic data and tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The Caixin/Markit services purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China dropped to 51.6 in June, from 52.8 in May. Investors were waiting for the minutes of the Federal Reserve's last meeting due later in the day which could provide some impetus.

Maybank Kim Eng Research said "technically, the Straits Times Index is still range-bound but could test its immediate support at 3,190 points after breaching below its 50-day moving average. Its topside resistance remains at 3,275 points."

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index rose 37.54 points to 3,248.71 points. Trading volume was 2.62 billion shares worth 1.15 billion Singapore dollars. Advancers outnumbered decliners 301 to 150.

CapitaLand rose 0.5 percent to 3.82 Singapore dollars. Its wholly owned serviced residence business, The Ascott Limited, is acquiring an additional 60 percent in Quest Apartment Hotels for 180 million Australian dollars. This will increase its stake in Quest from the current 20 percent to 80 percent, making Ascott the largest serviced residence provider in Australasia. The acquisition will boost Ascott's portfolio by over 11,000 units to more than 67,000 units across 507 properties and 124 cities globally.

Sanli Environmental jumped 8.2 percent to 33 Singapore cents. It announced it has secured four new contracts worth a total of 26 million Singapore dollars. The contracts consisted of a series of engineering, procurement and construction as well as operations and maintenance projects in the public and private sectors. Its current order book now stands at 125.1 million Singapore dollars.

Among the top gainers, Great Eastern Holdings rose 0.9 percent to 24.50 Singapore dollars, whereas Venture Corporation became one of the top losers by falling 0.5 percent to 11.83 Singapore dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 1.32 Australian dollars and 1.38 Singapore dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 19:19:32|Editor: MJ

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BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Leading economies and advocates of free trade, China and Germany are seeking to forge closer ties in trade and investment to help global economic recovery and encourage globalization.

President Xi Jinping arrived in Berlin Tuesday for his second state visit to the country, and is scheduled to meet German leaders and sign a series of cooperation agreements.

Bilateral cooperation has delivered real benefits to the two peoples and played a leading and exemplary role in boosting Europe's cooperation with China and Asia, the Chinese leader said in a written speech.

In face of rising global uncertainties, China is teaming up with the EU to fend off external risks and weather hardships, with Germany as a major driving force for the collaboration.

"Germany has been playing an important and very positive role in promoting economic cooperation between China and the EU, while some countries in the region still hesitate due to concerns about their domestic industries," said Xu Hongcai, an economist with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

During Xi's first state visit to Germany more than three years ago, the two countries lifted bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

"Today and once again, the China-Germany relationship is standing at a new start point, and facing new opportunities for development," Xi said, adding that he would like to join German leaders to fix new targets and set new directions for bilateral cooperation.

Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde described the economic cooperation as the anchor in bilateral ties. "China became the largest trade partner of Germany last year, and the latter has been the largest investor in and technology exporter to China in Europe."

"The two sides are highly complementary to each other. While China can produce a wide range of products and boasts advantages in the light industry, Germany tops the world in high-end equipment manufacturing," said Liu Yingkui from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Germany is one of a handful of countries that have a trade surplus with China, with its transport equipment, chemicals, watches and machinery components popular on the Chinese market. Bilateral trade totaled 151.29 billion U.S. dollars last year, according to the the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

Two-way investment was also robust. China pumped over 2.95 billion U.S. dollars into Germany in 2016, a 258.6 percent increase from a year ago. In the same year, Germany launched 392 new projects in China with actual investment of 2.71 billion U.S. dollars.

"The two countries have broad prospects to expand cooperation," said Yao Ling, a research fellow with the research arm of the MOC, citing areas including manufacturing improvements and industrial digitalization.

The Chinese president has proposed to enhance the synergy between "Made in China 2025" and Germany's "Industry 4.0" concept.

Unveiled in 2015, the "Made in China 2025" plan aims to transform China into an innovative manufacturing country. The German "Industry 4.0" concept, coined in 2011, is designed to facilitate automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, including cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things and cloud computing.

German firms have shown great interest in the proposal. More than half of German companies that own factories in China regard the plan as positive for their operations over the next five years, according to a report by the German Chamber of Commerce in China.

The report said German firms in China are generally upbeat about the outlook for the Chinese market this year despite downward economic pressure, predicting stronger turnover and profits.

There has been successful corporate cooperation. China's Baosteel and Germany's Siemens have jointly participated in Industry 4.0 steel projects, while China's Haier and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute have set up a smart washing machine plant.

At the Hanover Fair, one of the world's largest trade fairs for industrial technology, in April, China was the second largest exhibiting nation after the host Germany, with around 1,200 participating businesses, including telecom giant Huawei.

"The two countries, although in different stages of development, can create mutual benefits via such innovation cooperation," Yao said.

Analysts also pointed out enormous potential for the two countries to cooperate on other areas, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, and expect a closer China-Germany partnership to improve inclusive growth and global economic governance.

It is the second stop of President Xi's ongoing European tour which first took him to Russia. During his stay in Germany, he will also travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 19:24:36|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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THE HAGUE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The team responsible for the ongoing criminal investigation of Malaysian airlines flight MH17 says the suspects who downed the flight will be tried by a court in the Netherlands, the Dutch government said Wednesday.

"The choice for the Dutch legal system is an important step towards the trial of the suspects in the downing of the MH17 flight," said the statement issued by the Dutch government.

The criminal investigation by the Joint Investigative Team (JIT), in which the Netherlands Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) and the Dutch National Police are working together with police and judicial authorities from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine, is still ongoing.

"The OM will take the appropriate decision regarding prosecution at the appropriate time," the statement said. "All JIT countries have indicated full confidence in the Dutch legal system," it added.

Flight MH17, a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777, crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014 while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board died, among them 196 Dutch citizens.

Last October, the JIT's preliminary investigations concluded that the flight was shot down by an anti-aircraft Buk missile launched from territory controlled by pro-Russian insurgents.

It added that the Buk was brought to Ukraine from Russia and transferred back after the missile launch.

Russia rejected the findings, calling the JIT report "biased and politically motivated." The Netherlands then summoned the Russian ambassador in The Hague and informed him that Kremlin's remarks on the JIT findings were unacceptable.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 19:34:43|Editor: Yamei

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang (Photo source: fmprc.gov.cn)

BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China Wednesday urged India to immediately withdraw its border troops that have crossed into Chinese territory and correct its mistakes with practical actions.

"The Indian troops are currently in Chinese territory, and the matter remains unsettled," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a routine press briefing.

He urged India to show sincerity in resolving border disputes and developing bilateral ties, and create conditions for the normal development of China-India relations.

Geng said the Sikkim section of the China-India border was defined in the Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet in 1890. Successive Indian governments have acknowledged the demarcation.

He also cited a note presented by the Indian embassy in China to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Feb. 12, 1960, to explain the Indian border incursion.

The Indian government welcomed China's note explaining the demarcation of the border, saying Sikkim and Bhutan belonged to one side of the border while Tibet stood at the other side, according to the Indian embassy note.

The Indian embassy note quoted a Chinese note as saying that the border between Sikkim and Tibet had been officially defined, and there was no divergence or disputes in the map drawing as well as in practice.

The Indian government was willing to add that the boundary had also been marked on the ground, the Indian note said.

Geng said India's recent move has violated the goals and principles of the UN Charter, and trampled on international laws and the basic norms of international relations.

In the early 1950s, China, India and Myanmar jointly initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, featuring mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and cooperation for mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.

"By illegally crossing into another country's territory, India has tread on the basic norms of international relations it had initiated itself," said the spokesperson.

"How can India win the trust of its neighboring countries and play a greater role in global affairs, if it does not correct its mistakes in a timely way?" Geng said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 19:44:49|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Devastating flooding in parts of Bangladesh has affected some 900,000 people and displaced thousands of families, the country's Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Secretary Shah Kamal told Xinhua Wednesday.

According to the senior government official, authorities have already rushed teams of disaster response force to carry out rescue work, distribute relief materials and supervise centers where nearly 2,000 families have taken shelter.

"Some 900,000 people are affected due to floods in three districts," Kamal said.

He said the affected districts include Sylhet and Moulvibazar in northeastern Bangladesh and Cox's Bazar in the country's southeast.

Floods triggered by heavy seasonal rains and onrush of water from hills across the Indian borders have also caused widespread damage to habitation, crops, roads and highways across vast areas of the country.

In many places, the floods eroded large portions of villages and agricultural land, washed away buildings.

The flood has forced hundreds of educational institutes to shut down.

Authorities have evacuated residents of hundreds of villages to higher ground in the districts that are prone to torrential rains between June and September.

Flood monitoring center in Dhaka said people in flood affected villages in the country's northeast and southeastern regions have been marooned as their homes have gone under up to waist high water.

Local TV footage Wednesday showed the residents left their houses wading through flooded roads or on boats in search of shelter or a dry ground to live temporarily.

Though many have been affected by monsoon floods across the country but officials said Wednesday that no disaster-related deaths from injuries or illness were listed so far.

Kamal said they have the information that water levels could subside in the next few days.

"The overall flood situation in northeastern part of the country may likely to improve in next 48 hours," said Sarder Udoy Raihan, duty officer at Flood Forecasting and Warning Center of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

But he said the entire flood situation in the northeastern part of the country would defend on overall rain fall activity in the river basin areas.

Among the 90 monitored water level stations, he said, water levels at seven monitored river stations are flowing above their respective danger marks while 65 river stations showed rising trend.

Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Secretary Shah Kamal said the government has stepped up its relief efforts for the people who have been displaced by the floods.

Apart from the government, local and foreign organizations have also been extending support to Bangladeshi flood victims.

The Red Cross Society of China has made a cash donation to help Bangladesh's communities affected by the flooding that has stranded hundreds of thousands of people.

The Chinese embassy in Bangladesh's capital on Tuesday handed over a cheque of 100,000 U.S. dollars on behalf of the Red Cross Society of China to the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

The Chinese embassy said the Chinese side is willing to provide assistance for relief work according to Bangladesh's needs.

Plight of millions of people in Bangladesh, criss-crossed by more than 230 rivers, mounts every year as the low-lying South Asian country experiences almost every year seasonal floods whether small or big.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 19:49:54|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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LUSAKA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Police in Zambia on Wednesday increased a reward for the arrest of those behind the destruction of key public properties.

Zambia has witnessed a spate of destructions to key public properties which include electricity infrastructures. On Tuesday, a fire swept through a popular flea market in Lusaka, the country's capital, destroying hundreds of shops owned by small traders.

Zambia Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata-Katongo said the reward, which was initially pegged at 300,000 Zambia Kwacha (about 32,500 U.S. dollars), has been increased to 500,000 Kwacha (about 55,000 U.S. dollars).

The police, she said, will also give a contact number which members of the public will be using to ensure that the criminals behind the heinous acts were arrested and brought to book.

Last week, Kakoma Kanganja, the Inspector-General of the Zambia Police said the police have received intelligence information that some criminal minded people were planning to deliberately cause havoc by destroying or vandalizing vital installations such as bridges, power stations and transmission lines among others.

On Tuesday, President Edgar Lungu warned that the government will consider taking unprecedented measures to safeguard peace and security.

Lungu said upon arrival from Ethiopia where he had gone to attend the Africa Union (AU) Summit that some of the measures might result in the restriction of some human rights.

There has been tension in the southern African nation since last year's disputed elections. The situation has worsened following the arrest of leading opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema who has been charged with treason.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 20:04:58|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong Wednesday called for BRICS countries to deepen pragmatic cooperation in education.

Liu made the remarks when meeting with heads of foreign delegations attending a meeting of BRICS ministers of education.

As an important part of people-to-people exchanges, education cooperation has achieved fruitful results in joint scientific research by colleges and universities, as well as personnel training in recent years, Liu said.

People-to-people exchanges are also very important to strengthen the partnership between BRICS countries, he said.
A girl fetches water at an Internal Displaced Person (IDP) camp in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, on March 22, 2017. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

MOGADISHU, July 5 (Xinhua) -- An estimated number of people who have been displaced by the severe drought ravaging several parts of Somalia has risen to over 761,000 since November 2016, says the UN.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Tuesday in its latest report that over 22,000 displacements were recorded between June 1 and 23.

The UN said out of 22,000, 13,500 individuals arrived in Baidoa town from remote villages in Berdaale, Dinsoor and Qansahdhere districts in Bay region and Rabdhuure district in Bakool.

The UN said the cities of Baidoa which had 174,280 of those displaced while Mogadishu (161,100) host 44 percent of these displaced people.

"As of June 23, 16,300 IDPs are reported to have returned to their places of origin in Bay and Bakool regions, with 60 percent of them returning in June. In 2017, 29,087 Somali refugees returned to Somalia," said the UN.

According to the UN humanitarian agency, some 3,769 Somali refugees returned - 3,158 from Kenya, 417 from Yemen, and 197 from Djibouti - in May alone.

A mother and her two children sit under blanket in the outskirt of Mogadishu, Somalia, March 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Faisal Isse)

Humanitarian agencies say the severe drought has made local communities more vulnerable. Most have been forced to sell their assets and borrow food and money to survive.

The Horn of Africa nation is in the midst of a drought after rains failed in November 2016, for a third year in the row.

Humanitarians in Somalia are seeking over 800 million U.S. dollars to reach the most vulnerable with life-saving assistance until June.

According to the UN, donors have been quick with their contributions for a scale-up of response and over 600 million dollars has been made available or pledged for humanitarian response since January.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 20:30:14|Editor: MJ

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Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong (C) meets with heads of foreign delegations attending a meeting of BRICS ministers of education, in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A declaration was signed Wednesday by ministers of education from BRICS countries to boost educational cooperation.

At their meeting on July 4 and 5, BRICS ministers of education discussed approaches on enhancing equity in education and fostering quality education, strengthening BRICS educational collaboration, and exchange of students, scholars and teaching faculties.

The document, titled "Beijing Declaration on Education," reiterated support for the BRICS Network University to collaborate in education, research and innovation, and encouraged universities to participate in the BRICS University League.

It encouraged the organization of "youth winter/summer camps" to reinforce communication and cultural exchanges among the young generation from BRICS member states.

Member states were also encouraged to expand scholarship opportunities to students across BRICS member states, according to the declaration.

China's Minister of Education Chen Baosheng said that the signing of the declaration made preparation ahead of the BRICS summit in the southeastern Chinese coastal city of Xiamen in September.

The meeting was the fifth of its kind, and the previous four were held in Paris, Brasilia, Moscow and New Delhi.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 20:35:19|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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by Joy Nabukewa and Chris Mgidu

LAMU, Kenya, July 5 (Xinhua) -- At least two police officers were killed in Kenya's coastal Lamu region by suspected Al-Shabaab militants who raided a police camp early Wednesday.

Acting Coast regional police commander Akello Odhiambo said the officers were killed when the militants raided and burnt the police camp at 5 a.m. local time.

Odhiambo said a number of militants were repulsed and killed in the fierce gun battle that lasted for hours. The militants had commandeered the officers' vehicle and destroyed a communication mast.

Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers were among the first security personnel who engaged the insurgents in aerial and ground attacks.

Unconfirmed reports indicate the militants made way with the police vehicle to Somalia through the vast Boni forest used by the militants to stage terrorist attacks.

"They razed down a police camp and destroyed Safaricom mast which disrupted communication among the security personnel but they managed to engage the suspects," Odhiambo said.

The militants had planted improvised explosive device (IED) to slow down the operation. Several security officers including soldiers have since been deployed to combat the situation.

A police source claimed security agents were warned of a possible attack by Al-Shabaab last week within Kiunga after about 100 militants were spotted by locals.

Local official Elijah Kipteroi said that the gunmen attacked the Pandanguo police camp in Lamu West and started spraying bullets at the officers.

"We have sent the police and currently a battle is ongoing between the militia and our police. Most of the residents have sought refuge in the forest and they are safe," said Kipteroi.

The Al-Shabaab have changed tactics and resorted to using IEDs to carry out attacks in parts of Coast region and North Eastern, according to police.

About 30 police officers and over 20 civilians have been were killed in terror attacks in the past one month in northeastern Kenya.

The latest attack comes after the police have announced that a single multi-agency command center has been established to respond to terrorist attacks and cases of violence during the elections period.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 20:40:21|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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VIENNA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said on Wednesday that Austria was not going to carry out any border controls at the Brenner Pass border with Italy.

Kern said there would be no immediate deployment of the armed forces to the Brenner Pass.

"There will be no tanks on the Brenner," he said.

The comments from Kern, however, seem to be at odds with comments made by other Austrian ministers earlier in the week. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil said Austria was preparing to protect the Brenner Pass border if necessary. The remarks about the proposed controls disappointed Italy.

At present, there are no troops and no military equipment at the Brenner Pass, despite the high number of refugees in Italy.

Kern praised the cooperation between Austria and Italy on the migration issue, however, he stressed that a situation like 2015, when thousands of refugees passed state boundaries uncontrolled, should not be repeated.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 20:40:22|Editor: Yang Yi

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BERLIN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on China and Germany to give full play to a newly-launched high-level cultural and people-to-people exchange and dialogue mechanism so as to deepen cooperation in related sectors.

Xi made the remarks during his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 20:50:28|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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NAIROBI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's manufacturers Wednesday launched the Policy Agenda for Industrialization on achieving the economic goals by focusing efforts on the manufacturing sector.

The 10-point manufacturing agenda aims to centralize the economic agenda of this country in current and future political narratives.

Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) CEO Phyllis Wakiaga said the agenda include the need to double jobs, double exports, increase foreign exchange earnings and raise manufacturing share of GDP to 15 percent by 2020.

"The policy agenda will enable Kenyan manufacturers reverse declines of products sales," Wakiaga said. The overall goal of the policy is to create an additional 300,000 jobs in the formal manufacturing sector.

The agenda focuses on sectoral priorities such as: creating a massive export push, raising productivity to world class standards, promoting and leveraging "Buy Kenya Build Kenya," tackling uncustomed goods and counterfeits, and developing a stable policy environment.

Additionally, it makes proposals on job creation through the revamping of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) curriculum in the country and offering apprenticeship.

The bulk of Kenya's manufactured exports are sold to the six member East African Community (EAC) bloc. Government data shows that total exports to the EAC registered a four percent decline in 2016 to 1.2 billion U.S. dollars.

However, manufactured exports to Uganda and Rwanda declined by 9.3 and 2.5 percent respectively. KAM said that export growth is fundamental to the growth and stability of the local manufacturing industry.

Wakiaga said that the share of manufacturing in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has stagnated from 1965 to 2015 but it has now declined to a low of 9.2 percent in 2016.

The sector is targeting to double its output so that manufacturing contributes 15 percent of GDP. The CEO said that for the industry to expand, it needs to access more funding at a lower cost.

Manufacturers have identified lack of access to long term finance as a problem. In order to expand access to long term finance for all types of manufacturing firms, the government should increase the availability of domestic public funds.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 21:46:04|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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KIGALI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday called on African economies to allocate more investments in quality education system in order to drive the continent's social and economic growth.

He made the call while speaking at the opening of the continental conference on enhancing quality tertiary education across Africa in the Rwandan Capital Kigali.

Rwanda hosted the forum from July 5 to July 6, dubbed: "Mobilizing African Intellectuals towards Quality Tertiary Education."

It is organized under the auspices of the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A) to deliberate practical actions, explore solutions and build consensual approaches relevant to SDG implementation in tertiary education and research in Africa.

"Education requires heavy investments and returns are long term and not immediate. Governments alone cannot sustain momentum needed. We have to find innovative ways to attract resources from private sector to invest in quality education system," said Kagame.

He challenged African economies to go beyond rhetoric and invest in youth development, inclusive and equitable education that is gender sensitive.

"Our responsibility is to create the right conditions for delivering the 21st century education that African youth deserve. More efforts are needed to give technical education its right value so that it contributes to Africa's transformation," the Rwandan leader said.

According to Jeffrey D. Sachs, director, Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the Earth Institute, for Africa to achieve sustainable economic and social growth, quality education system must be given a priority.

"In many African emerging economies, jobs go unfilled because the local labor force lacks the needed education and experience to perform them. The quality of education and skills graduates bring to the market matter a lot in the globalized economy," he said.

The meeting has attracted more than 300 intellectuals and scholars from all over Africa and beyond including heads of academic affairs, and other representatives of African academic networks, councils and research centers.

For Africa to compete on the global stage, as well as for its countries to meet the SDGs and African Union's Agenda 2063, the quality of higher education across the continent is in urgent need of improvement, according to Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa authority.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 21:51:16|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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PARIS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has voiced support for opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, vowing more efforts to press through a diplomatic end of years-long civil war in Syria, according to a press release issued by Macron's office on Wednesday.

Macron confirmed to Riad Hijab, Syria's opposition chief coordinator, "France's support for the Syrian opposition represented by the High Negotiation Committee (HNC) in the inter-Syrian talks held under the aegis of the United Nations."

"The president assured Mr. Hijab of his will to engage fully and personally to achieve an inclusive political solution in the Geneva framework," the Elysee said.

Macron and Hijab also reiterated the necessity "to preserve Syria's unity and the need to fight against ...terrorist groups," it added.

Talks with Saudi Arabia-based HNC chief is widely seen as a move to ease concerns of Syrian opposition following Macron's remarks saying that he saw no legitimate successor to al-Assad.

On June 21, French president told eight European newspapers in an interview "I have not stated that Bashar al-Assad's departure is a pre-condition for everything because nobody has shown me a legitimate successor."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 21:56:18|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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MOGADISHU, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government confirmed Wednesday that 10 Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in airstirkes conducted by Somali and partner forces on Sunday evening.

The ministry of information, culture and tourism said the airstrikes were conducted against a formation of Al-Shabaab terrorists operating north of Kismayo in southern Somalia.

"The terrorists attacked a Somali forces outpost and were repelled," the ministry said in a statement released in Mogadishu.

The statement comes after the U.S. military confirmed Monday it carried out an airstrike against Al-Shabab in Somalia as Washington quietly steps up efforts against the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa.

Pentagon spokeswoman Major Audricia Harris, a spokeswoman said they are currently assessing the results of the operation, and will provide additional information as appropriate.

Somali officials said Washington has carried out several drone strikes in recent years against the Al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab.

The ministry said Somali National Security Forces will continue to carry out attacks against the insurgents to keep innocent Somalis safe and disrupt Al-Shabaab's ability to operate in Somalia.

"The Federal Government of Somalia remains committed to defeating terrorism and ensuring the country continues on a path to stability and prosperity," it said.

The airstrike follows one in June that the U.S. said killed eight Islamic extremists at a rebel command and logistics camp in the country's south.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 22:08:38|Editor: MJ

A scientist displays collected samples of lithobius, in Nagqu of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 3, 2017. China began its second scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study changes in climate, biodiversity and environment over the past decades. (Xinhua/Liu Dongjun)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 22:11:28|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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JUBA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A South Sudanese expert on Wednesday called for efforts to end ideological differences and form a unified approach to solve the more than three years ongoing violence in the world's youngest nation.

Jacob Dut Chol, senior lecturer of political science at Juba University said differences in approach and interests could prolong violence in the oil-rich and yet impoverished country.

"There is no way you can solve (South Sudan) crises when you are divided whether you are on the UNSC or national level, obviously you will not see comprehensive approach to solve conflict," Chol told Xinhua in Juba.

This came on the heels of the June efforts by the internationally backed East African bloc Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) calling for peace deal revival to include all opposition groups and chart a new peace approach to the conflict.

IGAD mediated the now weakened August 2015 peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and his former First Vice President Riek Machar in the transitional unity government.

The political science don said the South Sudan conflict needs unified approach from the big powers which have neglected it behind the Syria crises and yet unabated violence has created huge refugee crises in the region putting increased pressure on meager resources in host countries like Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of South Sudanese and displaced millions of others.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 22:21:39|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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DAR ES SALAAM, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Wednesday appealed to authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to help release its 21 nationals abducted late last month by Mai Mai rebels in the jungles of the vast central African nation.

The Tanzanian truck drivers were kidnapped on June 29 along with three Kenyan drivers.

They were abducted at Lulimba area, 100 km away from Baraka town in South Kivu, while heading to Namoya Gold Mine in Mainiema Province. The rebels also took away their property.

Mindi Kasiga, Head of Communications Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, said despite the fact that the drivers had been set free yet they were still in difficult situation since they could not move unaccompanied from the area.

"The drivers have been set free by the rebels but they are in some way unsafe. They are unable to move from the area because they don't have logistics such as money and they are also worrying about their safety," said Kasiga.

She added: "The government is doing all it could to ensure all the Tanzanian drivers are rescued safely."

She said the rebels attacked the trucks which were under the escort of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), taking all property which was in the trucks after an intensive fire exchange with the FARDC officers.

Kasiga said the Tanzanian government through its embassy in the DRC was communicating with the DRC government to see how they could rescue the trapped drivers.

Kasiga urged Tanzanians specifically truck drivers and business people to suspend their travels or seek travel advice before embarking on such trips to known risky areas around the world, including the DRC.

In September last year DRC's Mai Mai rebels torched four Tanzanian trucks and abducted eight drivers at Namoyo, South Kivu.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 22:36:47|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Security agencies in Kenya have intensified surveillance across the country to prevent civil disruptions ahead of the August 8 polls, senior officials said on Wednesday.

Inspector General of Police, Joseph Boinnet told reporters in Nairobi that a multi-agency security force has been mobilized to maintain law and order as Kenya gear up for General Elections.

"We hereby reassure the country that our officers are ready to provide security during elections. It is our duty to ensure elections are held in a safe and secure environment," said Boinnet.

He made the remarks against a backdrop of an alarm raised by the European Union (EU), rights groups and independent institutions on growing tension in some regions during this campaign season.

The Head of European Union Election Observer Mission to Kenya's 2017 elections, Marietje Schaake on Monday warned that election related skirmishes could occur in the absence of solid deterrent measures.

At the same time, the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released early this week that tensions were building up in Naivasha area of Nakuru County ahead of August polls.

Boinnet said there was no reason for alarm since highly trained security officers were already on the ground monitoring campaigns to ensure that inflammatory actions by aspirants for various seats are nipped in the bud.

"We are satisfied with presentations delivered by a multi-agency security force today which indicated the level of preparedness to deal with any security threat during this election period is high," said Boinnet.

Kenya's Daily Nation on Wednesday reported that inter-communal tensions were building up in densely populated urban slums and pockets of rural villages ahead of August polls that are expected to be hotly contested.

Boinnet said police were on alert to contain threats of violence in new and traditional hotspots.

"The security personnel will arrest anyone acting in violation of the law irrespective of their political persuasion," Boinnet said.

"We shall be meeting regularly and communicate to the nation steps that will be taken to ensure there is adequate security during elections," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 23:32:23|Editor: yan

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ABUJA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian parliament on Wednesday said it would probe the involvement of former president Goodluck Jonathan in a scandalous oil deal.

In a statement, the House of Representatives' leadership said it was expecting Jonathan to testify in the ongoing investigation of the Malabu oil deal.

The controversial 1.3-billion-U.S.-dollar deal revolves around "OPL 245," one of Nigeria's richest oil fields. It is also believed to be the most valuable oil field in West Africa.

The oil block, estimated to have about 9 billion barrels of crude oil, was sold to Shell and ENI for 1.3 billion dollars in 2011, when Jonathan was the Nigerian president.

However, it was alleged that the money was then shared to various public officials in Nigeria as bribes, while the government got only 210 million dollars as the signature bonus on OPL 245.

Jonathan and other Nigerian officials, including a former attorney general of the country Mohammed Bello Adoke and a former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, were accused of receiving bribes in the deal.

The former president had since denied his involvement, saying it was a hatchet work by people threatened by his "rising international profile."

The scam is being investigated in Nigeria, Italy, and the Netherlands due to the alleged participation of oil multinationals Shell and ENI.

The Nigerian parliament disclosed its extensive investigation into the OPL 245 saga was drawing to a close, saying it will write to Jonathan asking for his response and submission.

"In the interest of thoroughness, natural justice, and fair play, it is imperative that evidence should be taken from the former president," the parliament's leadership said.

Former attorney general Adoke has recently instituted proceedings in court wherein he pleaded that all his actions were as instructed by Jonathan.

Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had filed a nine-count criminal charge against Adoke and eight others over the oil block scam.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-05 23:32:26|Editor: yan

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RABAT, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani hailed on Wednesday the calm situation in the northeastern region after nine months of protests, the Moroccan daily Al Massae reported.

He also promised weekly governmental visits to the region to ensure the implementation of scheduled development projects.

Since the weekend, the protests have been reduced significantly, and normal life is starting to prevail in the downtown of the city of Al Hociema, according to Al Massae.

"Apart from some protests in the town of Imzouren during the visit of the new governor of the province of Al Hoceima Fouad Chourak to the town, there has been no more protest in the region during the last few days," it said.

At a press conference last week, El Othmani called for calm and stability in the region to allow development projects to be implemented as quickly as possible.

In 2015, Morocco launched Lighthouse of the Mediterranean, a large-scale development program in the northeastern city of Al Hociema, but many of its projects have been marred by delays.

El Othmani said the investigation committee set up by king Mohammed VI has started its work to hold related officials responsible for the delays.

He also said the government has withdrawn police from the main sites of protests following directives from the king.

However, the protesters and rights groups call for the immediate release of the arrested, while the government insists on the independence of the justice.

Another issue at stake is saving the summer tourist season in the region, especially in the locally famous beaches of the Mediterranean city of Al Hoceima.

In order to boost tourism in the city, the national carrier Royal Air Maroc announced on Wednesday new competitive prices for flights to the city from Casablanca and Tangier.

But these efforts remain fragile unless a complete stability comes back to the city and its neighbouring towns.

The situation in Al Hoceima has been tense since October 2016, when fish vendor Mouhcine Fikri was crushed to death after climbing into a rubbish lorry to retrieve his swordfish confiscated by police.

The demand for justice for Fikri in the northeastern region has evolved into a major grassroots movement to request greater government investment to create more jobs.

Morocco has not witnessed any protests of this size since the pro-democracy demonstrations during the Arab spring in 2011.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 00:07:46|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MADRID, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid on Wednesday confirmed the loan of Portuguese left back Fabio Coentrao to Sporting Clube de Portugal for the 2017-18 season.

The club confirmed the move in a brief statement on their official website effectively concluding Coentrao's 6-year career with Real Madrid (one of which was spent on loan at Monaco).

"Real Madrid C. F. and Sporting Clube de Portugal have agreed the loan of the player Fabio Coentrao until 30 June 2018," reads the statement, while Sporting welcomed the 29-year-old, hoping he enjoys "the greatest professional and personal happiness" at his new club.

Coentrao cost Real Madrid over 30 million Euros from Sporting's local rivals, Benfica in 2011, but was never a first team regular, making just 55 league appearances, while last season he played just six times for the club in all competitions.

The club will officially present his replacement, Theo Hernandez at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Monday July 10th.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 00:33:03|Editor: yan

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AMMAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Jordan welcomed on Wednesday a resolution by UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) refuting Israeli claims in occupied East Jerusalem, state-run Petra news agency reported.

"The decision was the result of relentless diplomatic efforts by Jordan under the leadership of King Abdullah II of Jordan, which protects the holy Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem," said Mohammad Momani, Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs.

Jordan will continue to exert its utmost efforts to protect the holy sites including Al Aqsa Mosque, he added.

"The resolution stresses the need that Israeli halts all violations and practices in the old town of Jerusalem and in the surroundings of Al Aqsa Mosque," Momani noted.

Earlier on Tuesday, Palestine and Jordan presented a bid called "The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls" to the World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO that is meeting in the Polish city of Krakow.

The bid was approved at the 41st session of the committee, where 10 UNESCO member states voted in favor, three opposed and eight abstained.

UNESCO has so far passed 19 decisions regarding the issue of Jerusalem, all of which recognize the historical status of the holy city before it was occupied by Israel in 1967.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 00:38:09|Editor: yan

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by Hashi

MOGADISHU, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday donated 1 million U.S. dollars through the UN migration agency to aid the displaced and vulnerable communities and returnees in Somalia.

The money, which was channeled to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will help the agency fix migration crisis and shelter the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia.

"This assistance is for internally displaced people, vulnerable communities and returnees in Somalia," IOM Chief Mission in Somalia Gerard Waite told journalists in Mogadishu.

"The impact of drought in Somalia still remains. This is a life-saving support and we are working with the Somali government and international partners to find long-term solution to this crisis," he said.

The Somali government officials thanked the Chinese government for providing assistance which they said came at very critical condition.

"China is one of the leading countries that assist Somalia," Mohamed Moalim, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, said, adding that this assistance will target 2,500 families.

He added that half a million IDPs are in Mogadishu alone, mainly due to floods, droughts and conflicts.

Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Qin Jian said that the Chinese government is committed to supporting Somalia as the two nations enjoy long-term friendship.

He said that they are considering rebuilding the National Theater, the Benadir Hospital and the Mogadishu Stadium and promised to discuss these projects further with the Somali government.

"Chinese have carried out 89 projects before and would increase its support to Somalia," he added.

China offered 10 million dollars to Somalia through WFP in April.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 00:58:19|Editor: yan

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VILNIUS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction about partnership with the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS), amid growing tensions in the country's ruling coalition.

Gintautas Paluckas, the new leader of LSDP, said tensions within the ruling coalition have been growing, although the Social Democrats don't consider leaving the coalition yet. Though, he noted to local media, the prospects of the partnership with LVZS are to be seen later in the fall.

"We will weigh our cooperation in the fall, we will have the moment of maximum challenges," Paluckas told news agency Elta on Wednesday referring to the key decisions awaiting the country's parliament in the autumn session, such as approval of the State budget and tax reform.

According to Paluckas, the upcoming decisions will define the future cooperation between the parties. Paluckas's remarks followed criticism from the former prime minister of Lithuania and former leader of LSDP Algirdas Butkevicius. Butkevicius told local media on Wednesday he regretted joining the ruling coalition with LVZS following parliamentary elections last year.

"Yes, I've expressed this position. This is my personal view, I don't know what the party's leadership would do," Butkevicius told news website delfi.lt.

According to Butkevicius, previously, LVZS attracted LSDP for declaring "left-wing ideas, attention to ordinary people, job creation, region's development," but recent decisions have diverged significantly from the previous declarations and agreements.

LSDP is a minority partner at the LVZS-led ruling coalition. Last year's parliamentary elections left LSDP, the leader of the former government, with the third place and 17 seats at the 141-seat parliament, while LVZS came first with 56 seats taking the leading role in forming the ruling coalition.

Tensions between the coalition partners have emerged amid initiatives from LVZS to reform the country's forestry sector. The former prime minister complained LVZS had rejected all the amendments proposed by LSDP.

Saulius Skvernelis, Lithuania's prime minister and one of the leaders of LVZS, reacted, saying this was Butkevicius' personal opinion, though LSDP have an "opportunity to make a choice."

"If this view is shared widely in the party, including the party's leadership and LSDP members at the parliament, then the decision would be respected," Skvernelis told journalists later on Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 01:03:24|Editor: yan

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KIGALI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Higher quality education should be at the center of Africa's ambitions to rise, scholars said Wednesday at a regional conference in Rwandan capital Kigali.

Rwanda hosted the conference "Mobilizing African Intellectuals towards Quality Tertiary Education" from July 5 to 6. It is organized under the auspices of the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A) to deliberate practical actions, explore solutions and build consensual approaches relevant to SDG implementation in tertiary education and research in Africa.

"There is huge concern across the continent about quality of education. Education is the bedrock for economic and social development," said Fred Swaniker, chief executive officer and founder of African Leadership Academy and the African Leadership University.

The global university ratings in 2016 indicated that Africa had only one university out of the best 100 universities, and only 4 in the best 500.

Swaniker noted that quality education is in line with achieving sustainable development goals and holds the key to unlocking the potential in people.

The two-day meeting has attracted more than 300 intellectuals and scholars from all over Africa and beyond.

According to Abel Idowu Olayinka, vice chancellor of University of Ibadan of Nigeria, strong political will will solve the current education problems in Africa and allow struggling African countries to create policy frameworks to provide quality education to millions of young Africans.

"Education remains the key to sustainable development, and it is vital that the young African labor force is given right education and skills to sustain development and respond to global issues," he said.

Belay Begashaw, Director General of SDGC/A, said that higher education holds the key to sustainable development in Africa and there is a dire need to improve it further.

"Every African child must be given equal opportunity and access to quality education that would enable them to attain social and economic mobility," he added.

For Africa to compete on the global stage, as well as for its countries to meet the SDGs and African Union's Agenda 2063, the quality of higher education across the continent is in urgent need of improvement, according to Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa authority.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 01:23:42|Editor: Zhou Xin

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ROME, July 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. actress Annette Bening will chair the international jury of the competition at the 74th Venice International Film Festival, organizers announced Wednesday.

On the final night of the festival running from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9, the jury composed of nine international celebrities will assign the Golden Lion for best film and the top prizes for best director, actress, actor, and screenplay.

"It was time to break with a long list of male presidents and invite a brilliant, talented and inspiring woman to chair our international competition jury," said festival director Alberto Barbera.

He called Bening "a sophisticated and instinctive actress, able to portray complex shadings of character" whose "career is marked by always interesting, often daring choices."

"I look forward to seeing the movies and working with my fellow jury members to celebrate the best of this year's cinema from all over the world," said Bening, a four-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner.

She was last seen in 20th Century Women directed by Mike Mills, for which she received her eighth Golden Globe nomination, opposite Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup.

Upcoming for Bening is Michael Mayer's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull opposite Saoirse Ronan, Paul McGuigan's Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool with Jamie Bell, and Dan Fogelman's drama Life, Itself with Olivia Wilde, Oscar Isaac, Samuel L. Jackson and Antonio Banderas.

Bening received Oscar nominations for her roles in The Grifters, 1991; American Beauty, 1999; Being Julia, 2004; and The Kids Are All Right, 2010.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 01:33:52|Editor: yan

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By Burak Akinci

ANKARA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish government is planning a series of activities to mark the anniversary of the last year's coup attempt on July 15 including nationwide rallies dubbed "Democracy Watch."

Festivities planned between July 11 and 16 will include seminars and activities. "Democracy Watch", rallies that took place for nearly a month after the military coup attempt last summer across the nation to protest the coup plotters and reaffirm determination to protect democracy, will take place throughout the week.

"On the anniversary, we will hold a 'Democracy Watch' as a symbolic commemoration," announced ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Mahir Unal.

"We will hold events in (all) 81 provinces around Turkey. The people who went out in the streets on the night of the coup were defending democracy and the will of the people," said Unal.

One of the venues of the commemorations will be the Parliament in Ankara, bombarded by warplanes during the night of the coup.

AKP is also planning to celebrate the failure of the coup with various activities, inviting the families and friends of those who died during the fight against the rebels.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose remarks on television on the night on July 15 triggered a popular resistance, is expected to attend several activities.

He will attend either the ceremony in Parliament or the rally near the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, formerly known as Bosporus Bridge, where some of the bloodiest fighting took place.

According to reports, Erdogan is also planning to make a speech in Parliament at 2:37 a.m. local time, the exact time when the building was bombed by coup perpetrators.

The Ankara government blames the followers of the exiled muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the coup attempts that left 248 people dead and some 2,000 others wounded.

The attempt was thwarted by military and police troops loyal to the government, along with pro-Erdogan demonstrators.

A state of emergency is in effect since then and tens of thousands of suspected coup plotters have been arrested or incarcerated in a massive purge, denounced by the opposition and human right organizations.

"Our fundamental emphasis at the events will be to commemorate our martyrs, who took to the streets for their homeland, freedom, liberty and democracy ... to be remembered," presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Monday.

"There will be a special session in parliament, which will be attended by our president," said Kalin, adding that monuments erected especially for the occasion will be inaugurated in Ankara and Istanbul, the two major cities where the botched coup took place.

An AKP official also told Xinhua that events are also planned abroad, including the United States, where Gulen is on self- exiled since the late 1990s.

Turkey has officially and obsessively asked for Gulen's extradition from its NATO ally, but no avail.

"We still think that the leader of a terrorist organization should be extradited. It is hard to understand that an ally country harbors an individual who sought to overthrow the elected government of Turkey. This situation is very regrettable," said the AKP source on the condition of anonymity.

On the streets named after the martyrs of the day and two weeks after, one million people attended a major rally in Istanbul, celebrating the failure of the coup and the rise of the "New Turkey," the slogan used by Erdogan to define its dominant rule.

July 15 has been officially declared the Day for Democracy and Martyrs, a national day that commemorates the coup attempt, amid critics of the political opposition blaming the government to instrumentalize the event to implement an authoritarian rule.

The main opposition party, Republican People's Party (CHP), claims that the coup attempt was a "controlled coup" which was foreseen by secret services but not prevented and then benefited from. The claims sparked ire from Erdogan himself and his government.

"The government knew of the attempts and did nothing. It was used as a pretext to launch a civil coup later with the state of emergency and the massive crackdown that it followed," said recently the head of CHP, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

"Those are lies," lashed out President Erdogan. "We will never let July 15 to be forgotten, or this betrayal to be concealed."

On April 16, the country narrowly approved a crucial constitutional referendum to change Turkey's political system to an executive presidency granting Erdogan sweeping powers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 01:38:52|Editor: Song Lifang

Islamic Hamas movement leader Ismail Haniya gives a speech in Gaza City, on July 5, 2017. Islamic Hamas movement leader Ismail Haniya on Wednesday called for forming a Palestinian unity government and preparing for holding general elections in and beyond the Palestinian territories. Haniya made the remarks in an aired public speech he addressed to the Palestinians. It is his first speech since he was elected chief of the movement's politburo on May 6. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar)

GAZA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement leader Ismail Haniya on Wednesday called for forming a Palestinian unity government and preparing for holding general elections in and beyond the Palestinian territories.

Haniya made the remarks in an aired public speech he addressed to the Palestinians. It is his first speech since he was elected chief of the movement's politburo on May 6.

"I call on all Palestinian factions to start forming a clear and specific political program based on common interests and focuses on the goals of our people," said Haniya, adding "I call on the factions to form a national unity government that fulfills its commitment to our people in the West bank, Gaza and everywhere."

He also said that he was willing to end the ten years of internal division with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah Party, on the conditions of cutting down security coordination and cooperation with Israel in the West Bank.

Abbas took a series of unprecedented measures against Hamas, based on cutting salaries of employees and stopping paying for electricity and fuels, aiming at exerting pressure on the movement to accept his terms for ending division.

Haniya also said that he calls for the preparations for holding the Palestinian elections, presidential and legislative and set up a date for holding it, adding "Hamas doesn't fear from the elections to join it."

He went on saying that he has discussed with Egypt on the question of reconciliation during the visit of Hamas delegation to Cairo last month, declaring that Hamas "has opened a new page in the relationship with Egypt."

Ties between Hamas and Egypt deteriorated after the Islamic movement expressed support for the ousted former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood, a group blacklisted by the current Egyptian administration.

Egyptian courts outlawed Hamas and its armed wing al-Qassam Brigades. The Egyptian media accused Hamas of backing opposition military groups in Egypt that aimed at disturbing the Egyptian security.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 01:38:54|Editor: yan

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by Ronald Njoroge

NAIROBI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- African leaders should focus on developing intra-regional and continental tourism, said a UN report released on Wednesday.

According to the Economic Development in Africa Report 2017, intra-regional tourism in Africa is increasing and offers opportunities for economic and export diversification, if its potential is recognized at the regional and national levels.

"As the negotiations for the creation of a continental free trade area progresses, governments should ensure that specific attention is devoted to tourism, as it accounts for the major share of Africa's trade in services exports," said the report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The report argues that tourism can complement development strategies aimed at fostering economic diversification and structural transformation within the right policy context.

The United Nations has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

The report said four out of every ten international tourists in Africa come from the continent itself. In sub-Saharan Africa, this number increases to two out of every three tourists.

The UN says tourism in Africa is a flourishing industry supporting more than 21 million jobs, or 1 in 14 jobs on the continent.

Over the last two decades, Africa has recorded robust growth with international tourist arrivals growing at 6 percent per annum and tourism revenues growing at 9 percent per annum between 1995 and 2014.

This year's report encouraged African countries to harness the dynamism of the tourism sector.

The findings show that African countries would benefit if they made further progress on the free movement of persons and the liberalization of air transport services.

"This would facilitate greater access to tourism destinations and boost their destinations' competitiveness," said the report.

According to the UN report, if tourism is to help increase Africa's share of the global trade in goods and services, it will require the development of regional integrated tourism policies to be implemented in a concerted manner across regional economic communities.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 01:58:59|Editor: yan

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DAR ES SALAAM, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police chief said Wednesday that foreign hands were behind the spate of killings in the East African nation's Coast region.

At least 40 people, including local leaders and police officers, have been killed by assailants in Kibiti, Mkuranga and Rufiji districts in Coast region since about two years ago, sending shockwaves among residents in the area.

"The government will soon reveal the truth behind these grisly killings," Inspector General of Police (IGP) Simon Sirro told a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Sirro said preliminary investigations had revealed that the chief mission of the involved foreigners was to instigate civil strife in the country.

"We are aware of this and we will not allow it to continue happening," said Sirro who was appointed recently by President John Magufuli with the main task of ending the killings.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said recently that the government was closing in on perpetrators of the spate of killings of civilians and police officers.

Majaliwa said the state was currently filtering gathered intelligence to get the real suspects behind the killings.

Last week, Tanzanian police said they killed four of the assailants during a four-hour fire exchange.

The police officers also seized two sub-machine guns, two magazines and 17 rounds of ammunition from the killed assailants.

President Magufuli said recently that the ongoing insecurity in Coast region could erode investors' confidence and stall the industrialization drive.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 02:19:20|Editor: An

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Du Qinglin (R), a member of the secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), shakes hands with speaker of the Belgian Senate Christine Defraigne during their meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on July 4, 2017. A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by Du Qinglin, on Wednesday concluded a two-day visit to Belgium. (Xinhua/Gong Bing)

BRUSSELS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday concluded a two-day visit to Belgium.

Led by Du Qinglin, a member of the secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the delegation was in Belgium at the invitation of speaker of the Belgian Senate Christine Defraigne.

During the visit, Du held talks with Defraigne and Elio Di Rupo, former Belgian prime minister and president of the francophone Belgian Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste, PS).

The China-Belgium relations have entered the fast lane in recent years, said Du, highlighting successful state visits, concrete cooperation projects and flourishing cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Du stressed that China is willing to work with Belgium to push forward the all-round partnership of friendship and cooperation between both countries.

Moreover, the CPC is willing to continue the friendly interaction with Belgian political parties, which will give impetus to the development of bilateral ties, Du said.

Defraigne also commended the two countries' achievements in deepening ties, saying that the Belgian Senate will further enhance its communication and cooperation with the CPPCC to facilitate the development of bilateral relations.

Di Rupo said that the PS wishes to strengthen the exchange of governing experience with the CPC, and to boost mutual understanding and trust.
(FILE VO)A Shahab-3 long range missile (L) and Zolfaghar missiles (R) are displayed during a rally marking al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran on June 23, 2017. (AFP photo)

TEHRAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday urged the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) to boost missile program of the country.

"Work on missiles as much as you can," Khamenei said in a meeting with the IRGC commanders, according to the leader's official website.

"You can see how much the enemy is vigilant about (Iran's) missiles, therefore, you should know that your work (on missiles) is very important," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 02:29:24|Editor: yan

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MADRID, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Tourism can be a powerful tool to help sustainable development in Africa, according to a report published Wednesday by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

"To better harness the potential of the tourism sector, to contribute to inclusive growth, structural transformation and the achievement of the (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, Africa should adopt policies which strengthen inter-social linkages, boost international tourism and promote peace," the report said.

It explains that between 2011 and 2014, tourism contributed 166 billion U.S. dollars to gross domestic product (GDP), making up 8.5 percent of the continent's GDP, while at the same time creating 21 million jobs: 7.1 percent of all jobs in Africa.

UNWTO executive director for operational programs and institutional relations Marcio Favalla said 58 million international tourists visited Africa in 2016, 4 million more than in 2015 with tourism receipts growing by 8 percent, to 16 billion U.S. dollars.

"In the last 16 years it is good to remember Africa has been one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world. It is estimated it will receive 130 million arrivals by 2030," he said.

However, Favalla highlighted the need for better marketing "to improve perceptions of the continent and stronger focus on regional and domestic markets, along with investment on infrastructure" and the promotion of "safe, secure and seamless travel." He also said better air connectivity would help improve links.

Meanwhile Claudia Roethlisberger, economist in the United Nations Conference of Research and Development (UNCTAD), explained tourism in Africa was "important, but it could do more."

"It needs attention and investment," she said, highlighting tourism's contribution to the African economy and highlighting that in sub-Sahara Africa the majority of international tourists were Africans rather than from other continents.

"What we see is that especially the small island development states are dependent on tourism," she commented, saying around 25 percent of the GDP in Cape Verde and over 60 percent in the Seychelles comes from tourism.

Roethlisberger stressed the importance of tourism throughout Africa," given that it is labor intensive and that almost half of the jobs created were for women."

Tourism also had a role to play in the promotion of peace in Africa. "African governments and tourism authorities can play a role so that people from outside of the continent get a different picture to that presented in the international press," she highlighted.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir (L), UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan (C-L), Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (C-R), and Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa meet to discuss the diplomatic situation with Qatar, in Cairo, Egypt, July 5, 2017. (Reuters photo)

CAIRO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday that Qatar's response to the demands of Egypt and Gulf countries was "very negative."

Shoukry's comments came during a press conference after his meeting in Cairo with his counterparts of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain to discuss their blockade of Qatar.

"We have held talks to discuss the recent developments of the Qatari crisis and the ways to deal with it," he said.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed punitive measures, accusing the gas-rich country of "supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs."

The four Arab countries then issued a list of 13 demands to end rift with Doha including closing Al-Jazeera television and cutting diplomatic ties with Iran.

The four announced Wednesday morning that they received the Qatari response through Kuwait, who has played as a mediator to reach a solution for the crisis.

"There will be zero tolerance with the Qatari support for terrorism," Shoukry said, adding that there are evidences showing that Qatar supported terrorism and extremism.

Shoukry affirmed that another meeting will be held in Bahrain soon to further discuss the issue.

Egypt's administration, led by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, is at odds with Qatar for the latter has allegedly supported and hosted fleeing members of the Muslim Brotherhood group, an organization currently blacklisted by the Egyptian government.

The Brotherhood supports former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was toppled by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

Among the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, Kuwait and Oman did not join the anti-Qatar blockade.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 04:10:42|Editor: yan

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WINDHOEK, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict will hurt the country's image and its tourism sector, said Gitta Paetzold, chief executive officer of Hospitality Association of Namibia, on Wednesday.

Paetzold said the tourism sector highly relies on both the people living close to national parks and the wildlife.

"If more cases of brutal poaching and killing of wildlife are reported in the country which is a tourist destination, we lose the good image we worked hard to build and thus we may lose out," she said.

Statistics from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism shows that as at June, a total of 16 rhinos and 16 elephants had been killed for this year alone.

"The recent killings of lions and wildlife should be addressed as it diminishes the face value of the tourism sector," she said.

According to Paetzold, there is a great need to create awareness on the importance of wildlife conservancy in Namibia.

"We need to educate our Namibian people on what conservation of our natural environment is as well as the value of wildlife and environment, which is a challenge as people do not understand its value," she said.

Meanwhile, Romeo Muyunda, public relations officer in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, said that tackling poaching remains their priority.

Namibia aims to attract 1.8 million tourists to the country by 2022 by creating a competitive tourism sector, a target set in its fifth National Development Plan (NDP5) launched on May 31.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 04:15:44|Editor: yan

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WINDHOEK, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Association of Chinese Enterprises in Namibia (ACEN) on Wednesday donated stationery and goods worth about 1,400 U.S. dollars to the SOS Children's Village in Namibia's capital Windhoek.

The donation was handed at an event by Ren Panpan, secretary general of the association, in the presence of the SOS officials, children as well as other members of the Chinese community.

At the handover event, Ren said their association is willing to take social responsibility, especially in helping the poor children and orphans.

Finance Manager of SOS Village Namibia Eric Kaela thanked the assistance from the association and said they have opened up the doors for future cooperation.

The SOS Children's Villages began its work in Windhoek in 1985 to help vulnerable children and currently has three villages in Namibia, while ACEN is a non-profit social organization that was established in June 2015.

According to Ren ACEN was initiated by Chinese-funded enterprises registered in economic and commercial counsellor's office of the Chinese Embassy and currently has more than 50 members in Namibia.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 04:46:20|Editor: yan

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HELSINKI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish immigration authority, Migri has defended its decision to continue to deport denied asylum seekers back to Afghanistan in the wake of wide publicity of a controversial repatriation flight early Tuesday.

Hanna Helinko, head of the country data unit at Migri, told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday that Afghanistan is safe to return except some areas.

In May, parts of Uruzghan and the whole of Nangarhar were added as dangerous areas where Finland does not return people to. Helmand had been listed as no-go area already earlier.

The flight on Tuesday morning made news in Finland following a revelation that a 19-year old man on board was given a court suspension of deportation later on Tuesday, but after he had been flown out.

Three people including a government party Member of Parliament appealed on Sunday, but the court only reacted when a lawyer written document reached it on Monday.

Outi Popp, media representative of the action group Stop Deportations, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the impartiality of the police force has been questioned in Finland, particularly following the revelation of a police Facebook group where allegedly racist entries had been reported.

She said the police detained and locked up refugees awaiting transportation and thus hindered contact with lawyers.

She also said legal advice to asylum seekers deteriorated following a reduction of the rates lawyers got paid by the authorities. "Lawyers may not pay enough attention to the cases", Popp said.

The police said they couldn't comment on specific cases, but stated that they only return people that have been authorized to be repatriated.

The tightening of immigration is related to the cohesion of the current coalition government. The policy for immigration in the current government program largely reflects the demands of the populist Finns Party. In the political give-and-take during the formation of the government in 2015, the Finns Party, in return, accepted centrist and conservative policy lines on other issues in return.

Popp noted the other two ruling parties started facing voters' pressure following harsh actions by the authorities. The participation by a centrist MP in appealing in favor of an asylum seeker on Sunday was, to her knowledge the first from the government parties.

In 2017, Migri has given negative decisions concerning 502 asylum seekers from Afghanistan. Asylum or secondary protection was given to 302 persons from Afghanistan. Additionally, 126 were allowed to remain on other grounds, and they were mainly juniors.

Liisa Lintuluoto, a senior inspector at the Helsinki police, told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that 50 persons have been returned to Afganistan this year. Finland and Afganistan signed an agreement in October 2016 on the arrangements of enforced repatriations.

Approaches on repatriation differ in European countries. Helsingin Sanomat reporters asked Migri to comment on a recent decision by Germany to cease taking decisions on asylum seekers from Afghanistan until a fresh country assessment is completed. Hanna Helinko of Migri said European countries exchange information. "In principle Finland should have the same information for legal appraisals", she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 04:56:31|Editor: Song Lifang

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (2nd R) meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir (1st L), United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed (2nd L) and Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa (1st R) in Cairo, Egypt, on July 5, 2017. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday that Qatar's response to the demands of Egypt and Gulf countries was "very negative." (Xinhua/STR)

CAIRO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday that Qatar's response to the demands of Egypt and Gulf countries was "very negative."

Shoukry's comments came during a press conference after his meeting in Cairo with his counterparts of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain to discuss their blockade of Qatar.

"We have held talks to discuss the recent developments of the Qatari crisis and the ways to deal with it," he said.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed punitive measures, accusing the gas-rich country of "supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs."

The four Arab countries then issued a list of 13 demands to end rift with Doha including closing Al-Jazeera television and cutting diplomatic ties with Iran.

The four announced Wednesday morning that they received the Qatari response through Kuwait, who has played as a mediator to reach a solution for the crisis.

Among the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, Kuwait and Oman did not join the anti-Qatar blockade.

"There will be zero tolerance with the Qatari support for terrorism," Shoukry said, adding that there are evidences showing that Qatar supported terrorism and extremism.

Shoukry affirmed that another meeting will be held in Bahrain soon to further discuss the issue.

Egypt's administration, led by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, is at odds with Qatar for the latter has allegedly supported and hosted fleeing members of the Muslim Brotherhood group, an organization currently blacklisted by the Egyptian government.

The Brotherhood supports former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was toppled by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

In the latest development, U.S. President Donald Trump stressed on Wednesday the need for constructive negotiation between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, Egyptian state-run Ahram Online website reported.

Trump made the remarks in a phone discussion with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

Trump also called on all the countries to follow their commitments at the Riyadh summit in May to stopping financing terrorists and discrediting extremist ideology, according to Ahram.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 06:22:18|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Ministry of Transport signed on Wednesday a 79-million-euro ($89.6 million) contract with a consortium of Italian companies to rebuild Tripoli international airport.

Hisham Abu-Shkewat, deputy minister of Transport, confirmed in a press conference that "a consortium of Italian companies will start to rebuild the airport, and the work will be done in nine months."

"The project includes a national and an international passenger lounge, as well as an integrated airport service center," Abu-Shkewat added.

Giuseppe Perrone, Italian Ambassador to Libya, said that "rebuilding the airport will be a significant step for Libyans to travel to Europe through an integrated service airport."

"Italy is striving to resume flights as soon as possible and to grant entry visas to Libyans in the coming days, in order to break its isolation due to the political divide," he added.

Libyan Prime minister Fayez Serraj landed on Monday in Tripoli international airport, the first flight arriving in the air hub since the 2014 clashes.

Tripoli international airport was almost destroyed completely in 2014 when violent clashes broke out between rival militias, creating the current political division.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 06:27:20|Editor: yan

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LONDON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Many people from Asia find themselves a westernised forename to make it easier for their friends and colleagues in the west.

Especially as many westerners struggle to get their vocal chords to pronounce some names from China.

But will they swop popular choices such as David or Emily to follow in the footsteps of one of Britain's most quirky and eccentric members of parliament.

Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg and his wife Helena have named their newly arrived son Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher. As the name implied, it's Rees-Mogg's sixth child.

Picking name options from Sixtus' five siblings may not help. The other members of the Rees-Mogg clan are called Alfred Wulfric Leyson Pius, Thomas Wentworth Somerset Dunstan, Peter Theodore Alphege, Anselm Charles Fitzwilliam and Mary Anne Charlotte Emma.

Rees-Mogg's quirky style of addressing his fellow MPs in the House of Commons has proved so popular, he is fast emerging as a star on social media.

There are even tee-shirts on sale showing the bespectacled MP with the words:"The Mogg Father".

One comment appearing on a popular social media site Wednesday to celebrate the arrival of the MPs sixth child, said: "How wonderful, congratulations!!! Now let's get Sixtus and the others into number 10!"

One of the top selling national tabloids was even suggesting Wednesday that the "utterly British eccentric" politician is gaining cult-status on social media, adding "and with Theresa May on the skids, he's being tipped to run for the top job" as prime minister.

The son of the renowned and one-time long-serving editor of the London Times newspaper, William Rees-Mogg was educated at top school Eton before heading to Oxford.

One of Britain's best known political sketch writers, Quentin Letts, has even described Rees-Mogg as "the honourable member of parliament for the early 20th century".

Rees-Mogg earned a place in parliamentary record books five years ago when he used what would become the longest word ever printed in Hansard, the official record of debates in the Houses of Parliament.

Later, he said the 29-letter word, floccinaucinihilipilification meant the "act or habit of estimating as worthless" and that it "came to mind as it does from time to time".

The highly euro-sceptic Conservative explained in a media interview that the use of the word had helped in his criticism of judges in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 06:37:27|Editor: yan

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LJUBLJANA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Slovenian government has hailed successful its initiative for the UN to declare May 20 the World Honey Bee Day, the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reported Wednesday.

A conference of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Wednesday in Rome, Italy, unanimously backed the Slovenia's initiative for the UN to declare May 20 the World Honey Bee Day.

Slovenian Agriculture Minister Dejan Zidan, who tweeted of the success said that Slovenia now awaits the green light from the General Assembly of the UN in December.

The minister believed that the initiative, which got under way since 2014, has a 95 percent chance of success in a tweeter message after he addressed the Rome meeting on the occasion.

According to the minister, the day could be first celebrated next year, with Slovenia hosting the world conference on honeybees a day before on May 19, 2018.

Zidan also stressed that honeybees and beekeeping were a field Slovenia excels at. It is one of the few fields where Slovenia can label itself a superpower, he said.

"Interestingly, today's debate is held in a time when FAO deals with climate change and an increase in hunger around the world," Zidan was quoted by the STA, adding that countries saw Slovenia's bid as a step towards reducing hunger.

Slovenia will now prepare a declaration and strive to get the countries which have backed the initiative to sign it, so that the World Honey Bee Day could be celebrated as early as next year, said the STA report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 06:47:35|Editor: yan

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HOUSTON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's vision for the city as a high-tech innovation hub took several steps forward after a visit to Israel recently, local newspaper reported Wednesday.

According to the report, Turner had a private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, talking about healthcare data mining and personalized medicine.

He also had talks with Israeli minister of energy and infrastructure, as well as several mayors, focusing on Smart City management, energy connections, cyber security and tourism, the report said.

"As the energy capital of the world with the largest medical center in the world, Houston is in the enviable position of having vast resources at our fingertips," said Turner during the visit.

"Being able to create sustainable relationships in those industries with Israeli leaders in the 'Startup Nation' will have a major return on innovation. Our face to face meetings show that we are committed to our mission of expanding our tech industry and establishing an innovation district."

During the mission, Turner and the delegation also met with local Israeli entrepreneurs who are doing business in Houston.
Teen charged with rape of SEA student

The charge was read to the accused man who was not called upon to plead as he was charged indictably by PC Joseph. On Saturday morning at about 9 am the girl was on her way to a parlour near her home when she was approached by a man. Reports said the man snatched her and dragged her into some nearby bushes. He then raped her and left her there. The child sought help and a report was made at the Chaguanas Police Station after which the man was arrested and charged. The accused who was remanded into police custody is expected to reappear before a Chaguanas magistrate today.
Killer remains at large

Moonsammy, 25, of Petit Caf? Road was attempting to recover $140 owed by the man who, during an altercation, stabbed him at a car wash business place.

Police reports stated that around 5 pm, Moonsammy, a labourer, went to the business place located near his home where a heated argument ensued after he asked the man to repay the money he owed. The 20-year-old suspect stabbed Moonsammy who ran home and collapsed. He was taken to the Princes Town District Health Facility where he died. His sister Sarswatee Moonsammy told Newsday the funeral is scheduled for tomorrow at the home then to the Shore of Peace cremation site at La Romaine under Hindu rites. Police confirmed that an arrest is yet to be made.
Man runs amok, damages five vehicles

He is alleged to have smashed the windscreens a n d windows of the vehicles when he ran amok in the village. A police report stated that between 2.30 am and 4.40 am on Friday, the owners of the vehicles were awakened to loud noises and, upon checking, found their vehicles badly damaged. Total damage to the vehicles have been estimated to be $12,000. The suspect of Stanley Ville, Ste Madeleine was expected to appear before a magistrate in the San Fernando Magistrates Court on Monday.

He was arrested and charged by PC James of the Ste Madeleine Police Station.
Family lives in fear of large tree falling on house

The members believe constant rains will bring the tree, loosening soil and shrubs down on the house due to poor water run-off.

When Newsday visited the home yesterday, some of the family members said they had not slept since Monday because of the worrying situation. The home has eight people with three being children.

One family member, Jerome Neptune said, As the rain comes there could be further landslides. Dion Rogers, another family member, said he too did not sleep as he was worried of another possible landslide bringing the tree down on the house.

Althea Norman says the problem has been like this for the last five years with each year becoming progressively worse. She said the family has made numerous calls and visits to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) which, through the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, came to cut down one of the trees but was told by tenants residing on the adjacent property that they did not want them on their property. One tree was cut down but the others were not.

This is dangerous to life and property, Norman said.

The family has once again reported the matter to the ODPM which said the corporation was responsible for removing the tree.

However, when the corporation was contacted via telephone in Newsdays presence, an official said to Norman that he was unable to send a worker out as it would be a risk to the workers life. Norman was advised if she was willing to pay someone to do it, then the corporation could assist.

Norman said the familys next step is to apply for a grant to construct a retaining wall.

ODPMs relief officer Capt Neville Wint told Newsday the matter was a local government issue.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to call on world leaders to pressure North Korea at the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Germany, following the reclusive country's ballistic missile launch on Tuesday.

The government is assessing the possibility that the latest missile flew on a "lofted trajectory," meaning it would have been launched at a wider angle than usual. The government is raising its alert level, believing the trajectory indicates progress in North Korea's missile technology.

Abe plans to hold a trilateral meeting with leaders of the United States and South Korea on the sidelines of the G-20 summit to be held Friday and Saturday.

"I will work to strengthen the pressure of the international community [on North Korea] under the firm unity of Japan, the United States and South Korea," Abe told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.

"World leaders will gather at the G-20 [summit meeting]. I want to take the opportunity to strongly call for the unity of the international community over the North Korea issue," Abe added.

At the trilateral summit meeting of Japan, the United States and South Korea, the leaders of those nations will likely affirm the view that continuing to impose pressure is more important than dialogue under the current situation, in which North Korea is repeatedly taking provocative actions. Abe is expected to urge South Korean President Moon Jae In, who has taken a conciliatory approach toward North Korea, to refrain from easy compromises.

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A recently opened theater in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward featuring maiko young female entertainers is becoming a popular tourist attraction for visitors from abroad.

At the small theater, launched in late 2016, audiences can enjoy dance performances by maiko and eat and drink with the apprentice female entertainers gaining skills in traditional dance and music, the theater operator said.

Anybody may enter the theater for a fixed charge, according to the operator. It is generally thought to be difficult to see maiko performances in Kyoto as many places offering such shows in Japan's ancient capital refuse first-time customers.

With a seating capacity of 36, the theater, which holds performances almost every day, allows customers to sit at a table, not on the floor.

A reservation is required to enter the theater. Walk-up tickets are available if there are vacant seats.
Japan's blue chips managed to hold the line above 20,000 Tuesday despite North Korea's best efforts to rain on the parade. But the real test lies in whether the market value can last long beyond the 600 trillion yen ($5.29 trillion) barrier, which has proved the downfall of many a rally.

The Nikkei Stock Average opened higher Tuesday, rising to 20,197 on a softer yen. News of the latest North Korean missile launch eventually led the index to close down 23 points at 20,032, but Takashi Ito of Nomura Securities is still optimistic.

"Against the backdrop of improved global economic confidence and other factors, we have a good chance of testing the high soon," said Ito, referring to the 20,868 peak reached so far in the Abenomics era.

A weaker yen is feeding expectations for full-year profit upgrades during the upcoming April-June earnings season. The average earnings per share for Nikkei components is hovering around 1,400 yen. At the current forward price-earnings ratio of roughly 14.5, the Nikkei average will be in shooting range of 20,868 if earnings per share climb by just 50 more yen.

But the hard part comes next. The value of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section has only briefly topped the 600 trillion yen level before, most recently in 2015. Now the figure is approaching 605 trillion yen.

One basis for this phenomenon is the so-called Buffett indicator, named after famed American investor Warren Buffett, who once said that the ratio of a country's market cap to its gross domestic product is the best gauge of valuation. Japan's economy measures just over 500 trillion yen, suggesting that the stock market is 20% overvalued.
Major Japanese travel agency JTB estimates that more than 77 million people will take overnight or longer trips from July 15th through August 31st. That is up 0.8 percent from last year, and will mark the first uptick in 4 years.

JTB predicts that over 2.7 million travelers will head abroad, a 3.4 percent increase year-on-year. It will be the second highest number since the travel agency started tracking figures in 1969.

JTB says people are taking advantage of two 3-day weekends during the period. It also says government-led work reforms are making it easier for employees to take longer vacations.

JTB says per-person spending will likely rise this year for both domestic and overseas travel. The average spending for trips in Japan is estimated at about 300 dollars, and the cost for travel abroad at more than 2,100 dollars.

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Japan's transport ministry is set to help regional airports attract more international flights in an effort to boost the number of foreign tourists to the country.

Currently, most incoming travelers arrive at major hubs. Only 5 percent use local airports.

The ministry has selected 27 regional airports and will help them attract international flights operated by LCCs.

Lower landing fees and subsidies for personnel costs will be offered to airlines that launch or increase international flights at 19 of the designated airports. Those airports include Sendai and Shizuoka airports.

The ministry will also subsidize the expansion of departure and arrival lobbies at 6 airports, including Nagasaki and Fukushima airports.
Miki Sudo won women's title in the Nathan's Famous annual hot dog-eating contest in Coney Island in New York for the fourth straight year on Tuesday.

Sudo, 31, who lives in Las Vegas, ate 41 hot dogs in 10 minutes, exceeding last year's result of 38.5 hot dogs. The second finisher, Michelle Lesco, 33, ate 32.5 hot dogs.

Sudo's rival, Sonya Thomas, 49, who holds the female record of 45 hot dogs, ate 30 this time.

Sudo expressed her wish to win the fifth straight title, saying she wants to become able to eat more.
Record rainfall has hit parts of the Kyushu region in southwestern Japan.

Downpours of more than 550 millimeters have been registered in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, since Wednesday. That's about 50 percent more than usual for the month of July.

The Meteorological Agency says some areas in the city of Iki, Nagasaki Prefecture, have had "once-in-a-half century downpours" exceeding 300 millimeters over the past 24 hours.

On Thursday afternoon, the agency lifted its emergency rain warnings for the prefectures of Fukuoka and Oita. But it says rainfall of 50 millimeters per hour may hit some places in northern Kyushu through Friday.

Rainfall of 200 millimeters may be observed before around noon on Friday in the prefectures of Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki.

Weather officials are cautioning against mudslides, overflowing rivers and flooding.

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Japan and the European Union reached a broad accord in their four-year-old trade negotiations on Wednesday, set to create a free trade zone that covers 40 pct of trade around the globe.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstroem, meeting in Brussels, resolved differences over exports of European cheese to Japan.

"We confirmed the achievement of a broad accord," Kishida told reporters after the meeting.

"We've reached political agreement at Ministerial level," Malmstroem said on Twitter.

The broad accord will be announced in Brussels on Thursday when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe holds talks with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

EUEU
DHS working to mitigate devastating car bomb attacks in the United States that have killed scores of people in Iraq and Afghanistan

One of the most deadly strategies used by anti-U.S. and coalition forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan is the VBIED  Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device  or, as they are more commonly known, car bombs. One of the most deadly of these attacks in recent history occurred in July 2016, when a refrigerator truck filled with explosives was detonated near a crowded apartment block in Baghdads Karrada neighborhood, killing 323 people.

That attack was followed by one in Kabul, Afghanistan, in May of this year; a VBIED tanker truck blew through the embassy quarter of the city, killing more than 150 people. Despite blast protection, a number of embassies, including the French and German structures, were damaged.

And while these kinds of attacks seem to only occur in distant lands, U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that they could start happening in America.

In fact, it almost has. In May 2010, police discovered a crude car bomb consisting of propane tanks, gasoline and fireworks smoking in a Nissan Pathfinder parked in the heart of Times Square. The New York Times reported that the discovery prompted the evacuation of thousands of tourists and theatergoers on a warm and busy night.

The device was in the process of detonating when police found it. (RELATED: Former NYPD chief: New normal terror attacks in Europe are coming soon to a U.S. city near you  its time to arm yourself)

Today, the Department of Homeland Securitys Science and Technology Directorates Explosives Division has begun taking this threat seriously.

As reported on the Homeland Security website:

EXDs Homemade Explosives (HME) program conducts LargeScale VBIED testing to mitigate the threat posed by massive car bombs and to ensure such attacks do not occur in the U.S. This program is part of S&Ts Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Recently, S&T EXD conducted a series of explosives tests with varying charge sizes to learn more about mitigating these threats, based on the size and composition of the explosive device.

Testing has been carried out at the U.S. Armys Fort Polk, La., featuring experts from the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Centers Indian Head facility and the live-fire testing capability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering, Research, and Development Center in Vicksburg, Miss.

Due to the wide variety of types of and materials used to make improvised explosives, we often must use simulations to model the behavior of large scale events. When current methods are no longer effective, we have to conduct controlled real-life events to discover new ways of combatting emerging trends in explosives, program director Dave Hernandez said, the website reported.

Data from testing at Fort Polk provided researchers with the ability to understand the scope of damage different types of explosive materials can cause. Researchers noted that this kind of specific damage information was not available before the tests were staged.

The information generated from this testing will aid the Department of Defense and law enforcement communities by revealing data on the impact of a largescale VBIED, enabling better protection for vulnerable targets. As the HME threat is constantly changing, a continued effort in this area is required in order to provide timely information to those organizations conducting analysis and acquisitions, Program Manager Elizabeth Obregon noted.

Obviously, we expect appropriate federal agencies and the Pentagon to war game various terrorism scenarios, because that allows them to adopt the proper counter-strategies. But the fact that DHS and the Pentagon are researching this particular threat is telling in and of itself, for it means that someone, somewhere, believes this form of terrorism may be coming to American cities sooner rather than later.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

DHS.gov

Bugout.news

Submit a correction >>
Morocco has received approval for a $25 million loan from the Climate Investment Funds Clean Technology Fund (CIF CTF) for a project to generate solar power through an innovative hybrid Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Photovoltaic (PV) solution.

he Midelt Phase I Concentrated Solar Power Project is being supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank with the additional allocation of $25 million in CTF resources.

The project consists of two separate CSP plants, each with 150-190 MW CSP capacity and a minimum of 5 hours of thermal storage. The envisaged installed capacity of the PV component could reach approximately 150-210 MW, making the total capacity of each of the proposed plants 300-400 MW and the total capacity of this first phase 600-800 MW.

The projects innovative hybrid solar design is also built on a unique Public-Private Partnership between the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) and private sector sponsors  with a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer project structure and implementation approach.

Selected sponsors are expected to form a Special Purpose Company to build and operate the plants and sell the generated electricity to MASEN under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

The process will be designed to allow the award of the plants to different bidders. The support from the CTF and AfDB is critical in driving down the cost of the projects capital and lowering the Levelized Cost of Electricity.

In 2015, the world saw an important shift in CSP investment from the developed to the developing world, particularly in Morocco said Anthony Nyong, AfDBs Director, Climate Change and Green Growth.

Moroccos path-changing Noor CSP program under CTF, for which we serve as implementing agency, has been a critical element of that shift. This new project, which will be modelled on the Noor operational and financial structure, will increase the development of solar energy and further help diversify the countrys energy mix and enhance its energy security. We believe that the project can serve as a model for other countries in the region and beyond, he added.

The project will significantly contribute to the Government of Moroccos achievement of its Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, including its goal of achieving 52 pc of installed capacity from renewable energy (20 pc from solar) by 2030.

Moroccos Solar Plan will also contribute to industrial development, competitiveness and could create about 30,000 jobs.

Until now, CSP has been the dominant renewable energy technology assuring electricity during peak hours and by adding a PV component, we expect enhancing the reliability of the power plant said Leandro Azevedo, AfDBs CIF Program Coordinator and Senior Climate Finance Officer.

The combination of these two technologies will allow Morocco to optimize the dispatch of generated power during the daytime by ensuring that the utilization of the CSP component can be maximized during nighttime through the use of thermal storage, he added.

Estimated greenhouse gas savings for the Noor-Midelt Phase 1 project is about 1.2 million tCO2 equivalent per year and 36 million tCO2 equivalent over the projects 25 year-lifetime.

Established in 2008, as one of the largest fast-tracked climate financing instruments in the world, the $8.3-billion CIF provides developing countries with grants, concessional loans, risk mitigation instruments, and equity that leverage significant financing from the private sector, MDBs and other sources. Five MDBs  the African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and World Bank Group (WBG)  implement CIF-funded projects and programs.
Embarrassed by a growing surge of anti-migrant sentiment and in need of workers in farming and construction, Algeria is rushing to save its face with the launch of an operation to grant residency rights and job permits to illegal African migrants.

The migrant regularization plan was announced by Algerias Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune in response to the growing anti-migrant racism in the country, notably after the launch of an anonymous online campaign that blames African migrants  whose numbers are unofficially estimated at 100,000  for taking jobs and spreading the HIV virus that causes AIDS.

Although Algerias unemployment rate stands at 30%, one of the highest rates in Africa, the country faces a shortage in workers in construction and farming sectors. The migrant regularization plan aims to offer the Algerian economy new labor force.

African migrants in Algeria are mostly from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and have come to escape acute poverty and terrorism back home. Most of them use Algeria as a transit country en route to Europe via neighboring Libya.

Algerias social media networks woke up recently to a shameful and outrageous campaign targeting sub-Saharan migrants after the launch of a racist hashtag in Arabic saying No to Africans in Algeria.

The Algerian twitter was awash with racist calls for cleaning Africans off Algerian cities, and forcing them out of Algerian borders.

These heinous calls echo the scandalous statements uttered by an Advisor to President Bouteflika and head of Algerias human rights commission Farouk Ksentini who bluntly accused sub-Saharans of spreading HIV in Algeria.

We Algerians are exposed to the risk of HIV contamination and other sexually transmitted diseases because of these migrants, he shamefully said last December.

The presence of African migrants and refugees in Algeria will cause Algerians several problems, Ksentini, a henchman of the military regime, had told Algerian media, adding that these migrants bring diseases to Algeria.

It is no wonder then that a large segment of Algerian society is following suit, uttering statements on social media bearing the hallmarks of racism in its abhorrent forms.

Last December, Algerian authorities rounded up more than 1400 sub-Saharan migrants in Algiers and deported them 1900 km southwards to the desert city of Tamanrasset, from which they were deported to Niger.

Algerias ill treatment of refugees and asylum seekers continued with the expulsion of 41 Syrian refugees to the Moroccan borders near the town of Figuig last April 17.

Several international watchdogs have lashed out at Algeria calling it to decriminalize immigration. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the UNHCR have all called repeatedly on Algeria to guarantee protection to migrants on its soil and halt its discriminatory policies towards them.
Moroccos national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) is to launch as of July 10 two new flights to the port city of Al Hoceima, in the restive Rif region at the request of the tourism ministry.

The two new flight routes; Casablanca-Al Hoceima and Tangier-Al Hoceima will be operational next Monday, in a move to rekindle tourism activities in the city and in the region following months of unrest.

The decision to open these new routes is part of a series of urgent steps taken by the tourism ministry in collaboration with Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, to revive tourism in Al Hoceima.

This action aims at contributing to the opening up of the region and will be supplemented by other measures namely the reduction in airport taxes, the ministry said.

The Moroccan northern city has witnessed unrest, following the gruesome death of Mouhcine Fikri, a fishmonger who was crushed to death in October last year in a garbage compactor as he tried to retrieve fish that the police had confiscated and thrown away.

The government has struggled in its response. It sought to calm public anger by proceeding swiftly with investigations into the incident and tried to address the underlying causes of the anger, notably by proposing new economic and social development programs. But the process was slow.

King Mohammed VI, during a Ministers Council late last month, chided the government for negligence and delay in the completion of several development and social projects in Al Hoceima, planned under the program dubbed Al-Hoceima, Manarat Al Moutawassit.

Actually, long before the wave of popular protests outbroke in the Rif, King Mohammed VI launched in October 2015 the Al Hoceima Lighthouse of the Mediterranean program, worth $665-million.

The program is meant to promote the regions development through implementing a host of projects slated for completion in 2019. Unfortunately, many of the projects scheduled in the program never saw the light of the day due to the lack of follow-up by relevant ministries.

During the Ministers Council, the monarch expressed his disappointment, discontent and concern, over the slow pace in the carrying out of the development projects designed for the region since 2015.

He gave directives to cancel the annual leaves of the Ministers in charge of the projects follow-up and ordered relevant services within the Interior and Finance Ministries to conduct a probe to determine those responsible for stalling some projects.

The investigations have already started and several senior officials were questioned by the investigating committee.
The absence of Algeria from a meeting on Sahel security held on July 3 in Seville between the Interior Ministers of Spain, France and Morocco shows the low expectations of the international community of the Algerian regime when it comes to countering terrorism in the Sahel.

During the Seville meeting, the participating ministers agreed on an Action Plan to reinforce cooperation on migration, counterterrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking in the Sahel, which Algeria considers its backyard.

The meeting is the second significant meeting unattended by Algeria within a week on Sahel security after the Bamako event, also on July 3, during which French President and his Malian counterpart officially launched the G5 Sahel joint force against terrorists in the Sahel.

Despite having one of the largest armed forces in Africa with highest military spending on the continent, Algeria fell short of offering support to the endeavor of the G5 Sahel countries-Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania- in countering terrorism.

In fact, terrorism in the Sahel, notably in Mali, Mauritania and Niger is a spillover of Algerian terrorism. Algerias security services have combatted terrorism in the black 1990s decade but has also created terrorist groups and manipulated terrorist attacks. With the advent of Bouteflika, Algerias strategy has been to combat terrorism by pushing terrorists out or rather exporting terrorism outside its borders to its neighbors in the Sahel.

Furthermore, some terrorist groups have been used by Algerias intelligence agency as a tool to maintain an upper hand on Sahel states.

The connivance of Algerias intelligence services with Algerian national Moukhtar Belmoukhtar, AKA Mr Marlboro is no secret. International reports have also accused Algeria of cooperating with Ansar Eddine and its leader Ag Ghali to quell the separatist ambitions of the secular Azawad movement. Algerias support for Ag Ghali was intended to foster extremism in the region to avert a spillover of an independent Tuareg state on its own Tuareg population.

Algerias laxism with Ag Ghali facilitated the merger of four terrorist groups operating in the Sahel into one group pledging allegiance to Al Qaeda and its Jordanian leader Azarkawi. The four terrorist groups were brought together under the command of Ag Ghali. The new terrorist organization bears the name of Jamaat Nasr Al islam wa Al mouminin (Group for the Defense of Islam and the Muslims).

Prior to the launch of the G5 joint force, President Emmanuel Macron called Algerias dead-living President Bouteflika and urged concrete proposals from Algiers to back the Malian peace-process. The call entails Algerias intransigence to unlock peace efforts in the Sahel country, considered by Algiers as its backyard. It also shows France growing impatience with Algerias hidden hand in the proliferation of terrorism in the Sahel.

This is not the first time France calls on Algeria to take serious anti-terrorism actions in the Sahel. In July 2016, the French Senate issued a report, Rethinking Public Development Aid in The Sahel, accusing Algeria of complicity over a host of sorts of arms and goods trafficking in the Sahel and Sahara region. The report deplored that Algeria turns a blind eye to arms trafficking originating from Libya and transiting through its territories to reach other countries in the Sahel.

Last June, Algeria came under harsh criticism at the Tobruk-based Parliament for its role in spreading chaos in the country and its meddling in Libyas internal strife. In an address before MPs in Tobruk, Ahmed Al Mismari, Spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA) Commanded by renegade General Khalifa Haftar, blamed Algeria for contributing to the worsening security conditions in the country.

Morocco, for its part, has complained on multiple occasions about Algerias intransigence to cooperate in combating transnational terrorist organizations in the region. Recently, Head of Moroccos Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations- an offshoot of Moroccos domestic intelligence services- deplored that Algerian authorities remain reluctant to cooperate on security issues.

Algerias ambiguity and its suspicious role in the fight against terrorism were also raised during the meeting of Presidents and Speakers of Parliaments from the 47 Council of Europe member states, held on September 15-16, 2016 in Strasbourg. The remarks made at the Congress signal a growing confidence crisis between Algiers and the EU regarding the fight against terrorism.
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Chris Christie, not getting any sun during the shutdown. Photo: Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media/AP

New Jerseys three-day government shutdown came to an end early on Tuesday morning, allowing state beaches and parks to reopen for the last day of the Fourth of July weekend. After midnight, both houses of the legislature passed the state budget and a bill on the issue that sparked the shutdown: the finances of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the states largest health insurer. Governor Chris Christie signed the budget into law at 2:39 a.m.

Today I signed my final balanced budget, delivering 2 full terms of unprecedented pension stability, fiscal responsibility & tax relief. pic.twitter.com/3oUmzENLNR  Governor Christie (@GovChristie) July 4, 2017

Christie had called for Horizon to turn over $300 million from its reserves to fund an opioid-treatment program. In return, the governor promised not to use his line-item veto to cut Democratic priorities from the proposed $34.7 billion state budget. According to NJ.com, Democratic Senate president Stephen Sweeney wanted to go along with Christies demands to protect the budget, but Democratic Assembly speaker Vincent Prieto balked. Horizon said reducing its reserves could prevent it from meeting policyholders needs in the case of a catastrophic event and drive up premiums.

Christie claimed he got exactly what he wanted, but Horizon did not have to hand over any money. Instead, the deal struck on Monday night requires Horizon to submit to annual audits and puts a cap on its reserves. Now its reserves must be between 550 percent and 725 percent and, if it goes over, the excess money must be spent on policyholders, according to Politico. Last year, Horizons reserve ration was 618 percent.

As the New York Times noted, what will stick in peoples minds isnt the squabble over the health insurers finances, but the photos of Governor Christie sitting in the sun on Island Beach State Park while the shutdown barred others from state beaches and parks.

Even before the photos were published, Christie was defiant about his decision not to let the government shutdown disrupt his vacation. On Saturday, he said he had every right to stay in the state-owned governors retreat. Thats because the governor has a residence at Island Beach. Others dont, Christie said. Its just the way it goes. Run for governor and then you can have the residence.

There are actually five other families who were allowed to maintain summer residences on Island Beach when the state bought the land to make a park in 1953. But according to The Star-Ledger on Friday night, police told the families they had to vacate their homes by midnight or theyd be arrested. Were angry, said Howard Height, who obeyed the order to leave his Island Beach home over the weekend. Shouldnt we be?

At a press conference on Monday, after the Beachgate photos became a meme, Christie said he always puts his family before politics, and he wasnt going to cancel plans he made with his children and their friends.

No job is more important to me than my relationship with my wife and kids. https://t.co/ILfi3gpoFW  Governor Christie (@GovChristie) July 4, 2017

I dont apologize for it. I dont back away from it, Christie said in response to the beach pictures. I think my poll numbers show that I dont care about optics. What I care about is doing whats right and wrong.

Christie said that 119 miles of the states 130 miles of coastline were open during the shutdown, but many still blamed the governor for disrupting their holiday weekend.

Gail Swayze, a bartender at the Red Fox Beach Bar and Grill at Island Beach State Park, estimated that she had lost $1,000 in tips alone thanks to the shutdown. On Tuesday, she was celebrating the end of the shutdown with a $5 cocktail called the Christie Crush. Crush him, like get him out of office, John Zaccara, the bars bouncer, explained.

Meanwhile, in Seaside Heights, beachgoers snapped photos with a sand sculpture mocking Christies response to the shutdown, according to NBC New York.

Inspiration in SeasideHeights from @GovChristie stay at a closed state park beach house during budget crisis @NBCNewYork @JSHurricaneNews pic.twitter.com/MViaOTlDrh  Brian Thompson (@brian4NY) July 4, 2017

The photos are likely the nails in Christies political coffin that drive his approval ratings into the single digits, Montclair State University political-science professor Brigid Harrison said.
Trumps hoping Poland looks a bit more like Kentucky on Friday. Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

When President Trump arrives in Poland, in Warsaws Krasinski Square, to speak on Thursday, hell be greeted by an enthusiastic audience of supporters  the Polish government has made sure of it.

According to news reports out of the country, Polands conservative ruling party is busing supporters to the capital to boost Trumps ego. This is not just a courtesy to the U.S. president, whos been accused of traveling with his own gaggle of human applause machines, its the fulfillment of a promise made to the White House, the AP reports.

Newsweek says all members of the countrys ruling party have been told to bring 50 supporters to Warsaw for the event, described by one lawmaker as a great patriotic picnic. As the magazine notes, for old-timers in Poland, this will be a familiar scene:

The tactic is a mirror of that adopted when Poland was a member of the Soviet bloc, and the Communist Party would bus agreeable crowds to Warsaw to greet visiting dignitaries from Moscow.

Among those in the adoring crowd that greets Trump will be the countrys president, Andrzej Duda. Elected in the summer of 2015, Duda is a member of the right-wing Law and Justice Party, and, like Trump, hes an anti-immigration nationalist with an authoritarian streak.
Toxic masculinity. Photo: Adam Berry/Getty Images

On Friday in Hamburg, Germany, President Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin will sit down for an official bilateral meeting that will be highly scrutinized by citizens and leaders from around the world. Last week, when the meeting was first announced, it was reportedly going to occur on the sidelines of this weeks G20 Summit. But those plans have changed, in part, the New York Times reports, because the White House feared Trump would get steamrolled by Putin in the informal setting.

Mr. Trumps aides are seeking structure and predictability. They hope that a formal meeting, with aides present and an agenda, will leave less room for improvisation, the Times reports. For example, the paper notes, Putin once brought a black Lab to a meeting with Germanys chancellor Angela Merkel, whos afraid of dogs.

That time Putin brought his dog to a meeting with Merkel, because he knew she was afraid of dogs after being bitten by one. pic.twitter.com/xgTsu9hGHU  Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) December 15, 2016

As for what Trump will discuss with Putin, the issue of Russias 2016 election meddling will be relegated to the back burner, multiple outlets are reporting. CNN says, [M]ultiple senior administration officials and people close to the White House said they didnt expect Trump to raise the issue, at least in a significant way. Meanwhile, the Times heard that Trump might bring up Russias documented meddling in the 2016 election, but he is unlikely to dwell on it.

So what will they talk about? Fighting ISIS in Syria, Ukraine and Russias ongoing support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. In order to make sure Trump is prepared, his aides have added a personalized touch to the thick binder of information meant to ready him for the meeting. Aides have written a list of tweet-length sentences that summarize the main points Trump could bring up with Putin, the L.A. Times reports.

That stands in stark contrast to Putin himself, who is known to study hard for this type of meeting and arrive with a strategy to extract concessions, one official told the L.A. Times.

Putin was and is a KGB officer, and KGB officers are specialists at one thing: seduction, how to persuade others to do what you want, John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told the paper.

But its not so much the topics Trump will discuss Friday that hes preparing for, as much as it is the man hell be discussing them with. The president has been provided with a psychological profile of Putin, a wily KGB veteran with years of experience meeting foreign leaders.

One fear from within the White House, the Times says, is that Trump will cozy up to Putin while trying to forge a rapport. With ongoing congressional and special counsel investigations into Russias election meddling, images of the two men sharing a loving embrace would hardly be welcome by the White House.

But as former assistant secretary of Defense Derek Chollet told the Times, Trump will be at a disadvantage when he stands across from Putin. I expect an Olympian level of macho posturing between these two leaders, who both understand the power of symbolism, Chollet said. Putin will be very prepared for this meeting. Hes someone who is a master at manipulation.
Obamas third term? Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

In one of his first acts as commander-in-chief, Donald Trump ordered his top military advisers to conduct a 30-day review of Americas strategy for defeating ISIS.

Given that precise timeline  and Trumps past promises that he actually had a secret plan for defeating the terrorist group ready to go  one might have expected the White House to unveil its vision for combating ISIS in late February or early March.

But one would have been wrong. Five months passed before the president even indicated that a new strategy was imminent: On May 21, Trump announced that he would detail his administrations plan for defeating ISIS in about two weeks.

A little over two weeks later, the president revealed that his long-awaited plan was finally, truly almost ready  and he would outline it at a news conference in two weeks.

Nearly a month later, were still waiting for that news conference.

One can imagine a whole host of reasons for Trumps procrastination. Perhaps, the administration has been distracted by the alarming developments in North Korea (and/or the special prosecutors office). Or maybe gaming out a plan for defeating as singular an enemy as the Islamic State simply takes a lot of time. Or, perhaps, the president just has little interest in telling the public what his military plans are, and says thats coming in two weeks to literally any policy proposal hes ever asked about.

But the Daily Beast suggests an alternative answer. The outlet notes that U.S. forces have removed 50 top ISIS leaders from the battlefield since Trump took office  down from 80, in the last six months of Obamas tenure. Further, the militants killed on Trumps watch have generally been lower-ranking than those targeted by the previous administration.

These facts dont reflect the inferiority of the Trump administrations anti-ISIS strategy so much as the sufficiency of the strategy it inherited: The military is simply running out of high-value ISIS targets to kill. Under Obama, the U.S. military was effectively wiping out ISISs leadership.

Now, you cant kill a violent, anti-American ideology by dropping American bombs in the Middle East. And you cant prevent disaffected, psychologically damaged young men from seeking meaning in acts of spectacular violence. So lone-wolf terrorists provided Trump with plenty to demagogue about in 2016. But to the extent that sheer force can solve a problem like ISIS, the Obama administrations approach was working just fine:

Trumps changes to the campaign [against ISIS] so far have been tacticalnamely, giving the military more autonomy to strike, including special operators. But the effectiveness of the current Obama-era strategy of attacking ISIS via local forces together with allies calls into question whether theres a need for more dramatic revision.

Thats presented a dilemma for those working on the Trump anti-ISIS strategy and slowed its public unveiling, U.S. officials tell The Daily Beast. The White House has asked defense officials to come up with new ideas to help brand the Trump campaign as different from its predecessor, according to two U.S. officials and one senior administration official. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive debates.

To review, the Trump administrations vision for fighting ISIS differs from its predecessors in two key ways:

1) This White House believes in giving greater autonomy to its military commanders, thereby enabling them to make the best tactical decisions, unencumbered by petty political concerns.

2) It also believes in asking its generals to alter their strategic plans, not because the administration doubts their military efficacy, but solely because it finds them difficult to brand.

Cant you just feel America being made safe again?
Too polite for his own good. Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images

President Trump marked his first Independence Day at the White House by hosting a picnic for military families on the South Lawn. Trump was appropriate while addressing the crowd, pledging his unwavering support for military families and recognizing Vice-President Mike Pences son, who is in the Marines. But he tried to be a bit too inoffensive, noting as he read his prepared remarks that hed never heard the awkward term second lady.

There is one military family here I am especially excited to recognize. Our great Vice-President Mike Pence and our second lady  never heard that term before but thats what they say, and she is some lady, that I can tell you  of the United States, Karen Pence, are here along with their son Maine First Lieutenant Michael Pence.

The term first lady wasnt coined until 1849, and a few decades later, Jennie Tuttle Hobart, the wife of President William McKinleys vice-president, Garret Hobart, referred to herself as the second lady. Former Vice-President Joe Bidens wife was often called Dr. Jill Biden, but the term shouldnt be entirely unfamiliar to Trump. The White House website calls Karen Pence Second Lady of the United States, and its also her Twitter handle.
Photo: Photodisc/Getty Images

Curiously, and perhaps eagerly, I am looking at a bull terrier named Sputnik, searching for a resemblance.

Hes a stocky three-year-old, mostly slate gray, with a white stripe on his head and a pink splotch on his elongated, bull-terrier nose. So far, our only similarity is were both waiting in a trailer thats serving as his examination room at Tufts Universitys veterinary school in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

Sputnik has canine compulsive disorder (CCD) and is at Tufts for a checkup with Nicholas Dodman, a veterinarian who has been studying CCD for over two decades. Im shadowing this visit to learn about Dodmans work and, selfishly, to learn something about myself; I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) a few months ago.

When Dodman first started seeing these dogs, he realized he had been handed a potentially ideal animal model to study human OCD. But in 20 years of studying dogs, discovering genes that may be involved and new neural pathways, one problem has continually clouded his research: the debate over whether CCD can truly be compared to human OCD. When it comes to problems of the mind, people have a mental block, he says. The mind is thought of as uniquely human.

I try to see into Sputniks eyes. He stays close to his owner, Dan Schmuck, giving me an occasional glance. Sputnik was a tail chaser, and would spin for hours on end. At the moment, he is completely still. Like me, it seems he keeps that kind of behavior away from the public eye.

Two years ago, after rescuing Sputnik from a shelter, Schmuck went on a business trip. His mother called him to say that their new dog had started chasing his tail, and she couldnt get him to stop. At first, Schmuck and his wife thought it was funny. They took a video of their young puppy spinning, and you could hear them laughing in the background. But soon, the humor faded.

It was as if I didnt exist, Schmuck explains. His head will lurch all the way against his shoulder, and stare at his tail, as if his nemesis is staring right back at him. He will slowly start working up to chasing, and it will get faster and faster until his head is hitting whatever wall he bangs into. Even though hes getting hit so hard that you think hes getting a concussion, he will keep doing it until his teeth and his tail start hitting the wall and hes shooting blood all over the place.

Schmuck had to take time off work to stay home and physically restrain him. He held Sputniks head in one hand, and wrapped his arm around his rear until he calmed down or fell asleep. Then he would wake up and I could just feel him  you could feel his head start lurching like hes thinking about it. It was an unsustainable situation.

Schmuck drove from his home in Baltimore to see Dodman in Massachusetts. Dodman had seen this kind of spinning many times before. Tail chasing is a common compulsive behavior for dogs, and for bull terriers specifically. Particular breeds have particular behaviors they exhibit with CCD. Bull terriers spin, Dobermans lick their limbs and suck their flanks, Labradors hold objects or chew rocks, and King Charles spaniels snap at imaginary flies.

Like human OCD, which is commonly focused on washing, hoarding, counting, or checking, canine compulsions fit into neat categories. And while these behaviors may sound trivial, they are performed to the extreme. They take over eating, sleeping, and all basic functioning. In some cases, they can be fatal.

Sputnik steps out from the safety of Dodmans shadow, timidly eating treats. His tail hangs innocently between his legs, and Im having a hard time imagining him whirling, manic, out of control in a pool of his own blood. Over the last two years, he has gone from being a dog that was going to have to be put down, to being a normal dog, says Schmuck. He maybe looks at his tail once a day. Its a miracle.

Sputnik is on Prozac now, along with a few other medications to temper his behavior. Could Sputnik be like me, a person with OCD? Was he thinking about his tail right now, somewhere in the recesses of his doggy mind?

You cant access an animals thoughts, so the purists call it only canine compulsive disorder, not obsessive-compulsive disorder, Dodman says. But it looks for all the world, when Dan is holding Sputnik back, that hes constantly thinking about it. Thats an obsession.

* * *

I was 7, maybe 6, when I realized that my hands were dirty. I could wash them, and then they would be clean. But if I touched something  the banister, my clothes, the sofa, a door handle  they would be dirty again. That was easy enough to fix, just wash again. Until I touched something else, and the process would repeat.

At home, it wasnt an issue. I could wash my hands whenever I felt my hands werent clean. But at school, snack time, field trips  there wasnt always a place I could wash my hands. Or, the catch-22, the public bathroom at school or the movie theater wasnt clean enough. I couldnt really be sure that my hands were clean.

I devised a whole bunch of techniques to maintain my hands cleanliness. When I went out for lunch on the weekends with my parents, I would wash before we left, close my fists tightly, and hide them in my sleeves until we got to the restaurant. Or I wouldnt eat the parts of my food that I had held with my hands. I left the bottom halves of French fries and discarded the corners of sandwiches.

I invented a game that I played with my friends at the movies: bobbing for popcorn with our tongues. When the lights dimmed, they returned to eating their popcorn normally; I continued to bob.

This went on for a couple years, until the fourth grade. I still remember the first food I ate without washing my hands. They were fruit gummy snacks handed out at an after-school program I went to. I opened the plastic bag, reached in with my fingers and put them straight into my mouth. I may have even licked the tip of my index finger a bit. I didnt know why I was suddenly different, but I felt exhilarated. I was free, normal. I didnt know what had kept me chained those past few years, but I was glad it was over. I had seconds that day, in my favorite flavor, grape.

In 1989, a popular science book called The Boy Who Couldnt Stop Washing was published. Its author, Judith Rapoport, then chief of the Child Psychiatry Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health, had studied and treated all kinds of neuropsychiatric illness, but a fascination with OCD grabbed hold of her. People with OCD had to participate in detailed rituals and compulsions to assuage strange beliefs: that they had just killed someone, that everything was contaminated, that they had sinned in some way, that things had to be just right.

Before her book came out, OCD was thought to be rare. We now know it affects 1 to 3 percent of the population. Rapoports book was one of OCDs first steps into the spotlight  she went on Oprah and Larry King Live. Millions of people began to understand something about their own odd behaviors, or those of their friends and family members. Soon, Rapoport started to get letters and phone calls  including some with questions she hadnt expected.

A whole bunch of them talked about their dogs, she says.

People wrote that their dogs did these behaviors too, especially excessive washing. Did she think they had OCD? It was an interesting idea. If people ask one weird question, you shrug it off, she says. But if 20 of them ask it, you pay attention.

A dog owner herself, she went to her vet to ask about acral lick, a common CCD behavior when a dog licks or sucks at its paw or leg until the fur and flesh are worn through, leading to infection, amputation, and sometimes death. Her vet told her, yes, acral lick was a huge problem with no good treatment options, and his dog suffered from it. She asked if he would be willing to try medication  the same medication given to people with OCD, which increases levels of the brain chemical serotonin.

We put his dog on a dose that we guessed at, given the weight of dogs and the weight of people, and the dog had a remarkable response, she said. You could say this all started when I cured my vets dog.

Encouraged, Rapoport designed a double-blind controlled study. Dogs with acral lick received one of two drugs for OCD that targeted serotonin, or a placebo, or an antidepressant that worked for depression but not OCD and wouldnt alter serotonin levels. The results were dramatic: The only group that improved was the group that got the serotonin drugs.

Still, Rapoport took her findings with a grain of salt. As a psychiatrist, she says she usually needs to know what her patients think of their compulsions to give them a true OCD diagnosis: Patients with OCD have insight and they say, Look, this is very embarrassing, I think this is crazy what Im doing, but I cant stop, she explains. Well, you cant get that sort of information from animals, so animal models are often very limited for psychiatry.

After publishing her findings, she moved back to human patients. But her work caught the attention of a veterinary anesthesiologist with an interest in behavior: Nicholas Dodman.

* * *

After an injection of morphine, a small black horse named Knightly Night began to repetitively paw at the ground.

It was the 1980s, and Dodman had noticed that by using different drugs he could change the way animals behaved. In horses, he could turn on certain repetitive disorders that in the equestrian world were called stall walking or cribbing. Together with Louis Shuster, a professor of biochemistry and pharmacology at Tufts School of Medicine, he asked the question that would launch his career in animal behavior: If they could turn a behavior on, could they also turn it off?

Dodman and Shuster gathered horses with severe problems, who would pace and bite at guardrails, and gave them narcotic antagonists  the opposite of morphine. They all stopped.

This behavior has been going on for 2,000 years of horses in captivity and nobody knew why, says Dodman. We were able to show that somehow you can turn it on and turn it off; that it was caused by some neurotransmitter imbalance.

Dodman and Shusters initial hypothesis was that the drugs were blocking the brains natural opiates, stopping the behavior because the animal no longer felt good while doing it. In further experiments, that theory didnt hold up. So then they theorized that the onoff switch they had discovered actually lay in the drugs effects on NMDA receptors, which interact with a brain chemical called glutamate. Dodman and Shuster thought maybe cutting the line to glutamate was somehow stopping the behavior.

To test their theory, Shuster went to a local store and bought a bottle of Delsym, a cough suppressant containing dextromethorphan, which also blocks NMDA. They fed it to a pony named Cinnamon Bun, a severe crib biter.

He glugged it down and it stopped his cribbing behavior, Shuster says. The cough medicine made his lips all pink, he looked rather strange, but it worked.

Dodman opened an animal-behavior clinic at Tufts to expand his research to other kinds of animals, and the patients began to crawl in. He saw all kinds of pets  more horses, cats and birds  but he began to narrow his focus to dogs.

The reason canine genetics are so cool is one word, Elaine Ostrander tells me. Breeds.

Ostrander is the chief of the Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch at the National Human Genome Research Institute, and has been working in dog genetics for 25 years. Her lab develops dog genome databases to look for genes that could be important for animal health or translate to humans. She says theyve explored everything from infectious disease to cancer, including diabetes, kidney failure, retinitis pigmentosa, and gout.

If you want to understand the genetic underpinning of a complex disease, we know theres lots of genes involved, she says. In human populations, there are dozens of genes that contribute. Every family is a little bit different. Some genes seem hereditary, some seem not to be, its a very complex mosaic. In dogs, you simplify that mosaic.

Within breeds, dogs are genetically very similar. But also between breeds of related dogs, Ostrander can see commonalities. By looking for disease genes in sick dogs in closely related breeds, she can exclude false positives; if four similar breeds with a disease all carry the same gene, one that unaffected dogs dont have, she knows shes got a strong candidate.

In 1994, Dodman teamed up with Alice Moon-Fanelli, an animal-behavior geneticist, to help him begin to explore the genetics of his dog patients. Ostrander had the genetic data and Moon-Fanelli started to gather phenotypes, the expression of those genes: including the details of each dogs behavior, along with its breed, pedigree, age of onset, and anything else that might be useful.

Moon-Fanelli says when they started their project, the idea of CCD  not even as a model, just as a stand-alone disorder  wasnt widely accepted. Animal repetitive behaviors were considered stereotypies  mindless actions that were a result of poor environment or boredom, like tigers pacing in a cage at the zoo. I came into it asking, Why is this any different? she says. And looking at almost 400 bull terriers over the years, and all the Dobermans and cats, it became clear that it wasnt because of a suboptimal environment. These animals were pets, they had great lives in wonderful homes.

The dogs symptoms usually started around puberty, as is often the case in people. Compulsive behaviors ran in family lines, just like people. And just as human psychology had to realize that human OCD wasnt a result of upbringing, animal medicine was doing the same.

One living species to another, you know that they are obsessing and that they are possessed by demons that they cannot control, says Moon-Fanelli. And its the same thing with people. Its just that people speak the same language so they can tell us what theyre thinking. We have to develop our interpretation, and try to be objective, based on what we see in its behavior.

Pamela Perry, a behaviorist at Cornell Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine, isnt involved in Dodmans work. She treats animals that have a variety of behavior problems, and says that while stereotypies and compulsions can often overlap, she does recognize a distinction. She agrees that we dont know for sure if animals are obsessing. But she has seen dogs who dont just compulsively chase light and shadows: They even get up before dawn and wait for the sun to cast shadows that they can then chase. Another client had bought a new washing machine, and their dog would wait for it to turn on and spin along with the whole cycle. As soon as it stopped, he would stop.

If theyre waiting and anticipating, personally I think we can presume that theyre obsessing to some degree, Perry says.

Despite my having one of the classic presentations of OCD, handwashing, it never occurred to me or anyone who knew me that I had OCD. Ive always been anxious, enough so that I sought out talk therapy several years ago and considered myself a person with generalized anxiety disorder.

My anxieties were always around a common theme: cleanliness, disease, health, germs. I also have a phobia of vomiting, which I obsess about daily. I think about throwing up probably 1014 hours out of the day, and actively avoid situations that I think will cause me to feel sick or be sick. I thought this was what anxiety was  to be concerned about a specific set of things.

In psychotherapy, we discussed the reasons for my anxieties. My parents are scientists and I learned about germs at a very early age. My father was also concerned with germs and cleanliness, food poisoning and food safety. I liked to be in control, and throwing up was a total loss of control, a window into vulnerability. These sessions made me feel better, and I do think my obsessions diminished a little bit as a result. I felt that knowing their origins and roots would help me manage them, help me talk them down.

Looking back, I think my inability to recognize that I had OCD was rooted in the belief that, as a human, I had control over my behaviors and thoughts. Or that, if I didnt, it was because of deeper human thoughts  if I could just uncover them, I would regain control.

But in situations where I was challenged, I quickly saw how little control I had. When I accidentally ate something that had gone rotten, I descended into total and utter panic for days. When my boyfriend got the stomach flu, I fled our apartment, staying in a hotel for three nights. When I got home, I bought hospital-grade cleaner and bleached and cleaned our home. I didnt feel safe for weeks; every day I thought obsessively about the germs that were still present, waiting to infect me.

Some of this may sound understandable, albeit a little over the top. But like the dogs, or others with OCD, its the amount of disruption of daily life that determines a disorder. I was spending hours upon hours thinking, cleaning, worrying, obsessing.

Throughout all this, I still didnt think I had OCD, and it wasnt until my physical compulsions returned, at the end of last year, that I finally thought it might be more than anxiety. I traveled for work from May to December of last year, and dealt with some very minor health problems. Whether through those triggers, stress, isolation, or some combination, the compulsions began to creep back up on me.

Like my childhood handwashing, I dont know when exactly they began. Now that Im doing them, its as if theyre permanent fixtures, though I can look back six months ago and recognize that I was free of them. My current rituals mostly center on eating, swallowing, and food safety.

Right now, when I eat, I have to eat completely alone, and if someone else is in the room, I cannot eat. I just  cant. When I do eat, if the food needs to be heated in the microwave, I have to set it to an odd number, usually 4 minutes and 37 seconds. Then, I have to stop the microwave at 37 seconds, though 27 or 17 are acceptable also. (While doing this, I recall with an odd fondness that in my childhood the number on the microwave always had to be 29. Its like remembering an imaginary friend.) As Im eating, each time I swallow, I have to lightly touch or grasp the tip of my nose and look up to the far-left corner of my field of vision.

In addition to the eating rituals, my other obsessions got much worse. I started to throw away food compulsively, food I knew  logically  was okay to eat. But fears of contamination take hold: What if its gone bad? What if the refrigerator isnt cold enough? What if this bag of frozen berries was in a place in the freezer where the air didnt circulate properly?

The fear and obsession with vomiting became extreme. Anything that looked or reminded me of throw-up could cause panic. Spilled coffee, splatters of water, soup, anything creamy, the words chunk or throw. Even writing this single paragraph, using these words, has taken me hours. Each time I write throw-up or vomit, I have to take a break.

Last year, when I was traveling, I wasnt having any kind of treatment, not even talk therapy. When I got back to New York in January, I enrolled in a clinical trial for people with anxiety at Columbia University. While I was being evaluated, my interviewers casually asked, Do you have any phobias or anxieties that arent related to your OCD?

The question stopped me in my tracks. I have OCD?

We dont know exactly what goes wrong in the brain to cause OCD. We do know that a group of drugs known as SSRIs (like Prozac), which increase serotonin levels, seem to help  but only for some people. About half of people see a response to the SSRIs, and a successful response can mean as little as a 35 percent reduction of symptoms. As a recent review of OCD treatments said: This means that even treatment-responsive patients may continue to have levels of symptoms in the mild-to-moderate range and spend hours daily preoccupied with their obsessions and compulsions.

Whether you believe in a dog model or not, one thing is becoming clearer in human OCD research: serotonin is not the complete story.

As Dodman had noticed, glutamate seems to be important. Recent neuroimaging of people with OCD has shown higher blood flow and activation in the cortico-striato-thalamocortical circuits, a network that loops from the deep centers of the brain to the prefrontal cortex. This area is dominated by glutamate pathways that are believed to generate controlled movement and thought, and to modulate behavioral routines. Some OCD researchers now hypothesize that SSRIs work not because of serotonin, but because they stop the release of glutamate. Further work, testing the cerebral spinal fluid levels of people with OCD, found that they had significantly higher levels of glutamate.

Still, knowing that glutamate plays a role, in dogs or in people, doesnt help discover the genes that cause this disorder in humans, which is where an accurate animal model could be extremely helpful.

The problem with the large number of behavioral disorders is that we dont really have a good clue as to what the underlying molecular change is, says Ed Ginns, a neurologist and geneticist who works with Dodman. If we can at least get that, were confident that, with further molecular and clinical studies, pathways and even potential targets for treatment can be identified.

When he first met Dodman, Ginns had been studying diseases like bipolar disorder and depression in genetically closed populations like the Amish. For him, it was never an issue that Dodmans sample was built of Dobermans and terriers. He says it was compelling because, like the conditions of those Amish  and unlike other animal models  the dogs disorder had arisen naturally.

These are not artificial constructs, he says. These are patients walking into his office with a real behavioral issue. It doesnt rely on us guessing what we think might be the gene or the change in a mouse that might model a disease.

Ginns and Dodmans first collaboration was a genome-wide analysis, comparing 92 flank- and blanket-sucking Doberman pinschers with 68 control Dobermans. They got one strong statistical hit in what Dodman calls a genetic oasis  there was only one large gene there for them to look at, called neural cadherin or CDH2. In the brain, CDH2 is involved in the development of glutamate receptors.

It was a great gene, Dodman says. Everyone basically took a big breath and stepped back. This was the first behavioral gene that had ever had anything to do with OCD, and one of the few behavioral genes that have been discovered.

The next step was to look for CDH2 in people. Dodman and Ginns took their research to the National Institutes of Health, and a group there analyzed data they had from people with OCD. The results were inconclusive. They found a suggestion that some CDH2 variants might be associated with Tourette syndrome, but that picture was fuzzy as well.

We didnt find something earth-shattering, says Jens Wendland, a physician and psychiatrist who co-authored the study. But to be fair, we know now that the cohort would have needed to be much, much larger, at least an order of magnitude larger, to be properly powered to do that. And we tried the best we could with the means we had available at the time.

Wendland thinks that sequencing has advanced enough that its more beneficial to study humans than to redo any dog studies. He is skeptical whether we can ever really be sure that a dogs symptoms can correspond to humans. We will never really know that for sure, so you could argue why should we take this leap of faith in the first place? he says.

I would much rather start to work on the biology of genes identified from human studies, however challenging that may be. As opposed to starting with a gene mapped to a behavior in nonhumans where I can never be certain that this is really affective of the condition that I want to treat.

In 2008, Dodman decided to take the initiative and move his theories to a clinical setting. For many years, he had been discussing his work with Michael Jenike, founder of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Institute at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Jenike enjoyed his talks with Dodman but wasnt convinced. Like Judith Rapoport, he says that the trouble with dogs and birds and mice is that unless he can talk to them, he cant properly diagnose OCD. Still, he was willing to try giving some of his patients memantine, a glutamate-targeting drug normally used to treat Alzheimers, which Dodman had started giving to dogs with severe CCD.

In a group of 44 patients, everyone got a drug to increase serotonin levels, but half were given memantine as well  and it worked. For those who also got the glutamate drug, symptoms were reduced by 27 percent on average, compared to 16.5 percent for the others. It isnt perfect, but Jenike continues to use this combination of drugs with patients who arent responding well to SSRIs. Dodman and Shuster had already patented the combination of drugs as a treatment for OCD, but their tech-transfer office at Tufts couldnt get any pharmaceutical companies interested. However, subsequent research has supported the idea that both serotonin and glutamate pathways need to be addressed when treating OCD.

In brain imaging of his compulsive Dobermans, Dodman found that they had structural abnormalities associated with OCD in humans. In February 2016, a group led by Dan Stein, head of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town, published the results of a reexamination of the CDH2 gene in humans. Their sample was made of 234 people with OCD and 180 healthy controls, and their findings were more conclusive than the previous study: They found two differences in the CDH2 gene that seemed to be correlated with OCD, though Stein says more work is needed to fully understand the connection.

Dodmans latest work, published in 2016, compares dogs that have severe and mild cases of CCD. He found two areas of interest in the genome. The first has a human counterpart that is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, and the other harbors serotonin receptor genes.

From these most recent findings and their connection with serotonin, Dodman has a new theory. He thinks that the CDH2 gene, which involves glutamate, is required for a dog to be genetically predisposed to CCD in the first place. A human might have a different predisposition gene, but Dodman guesses it involves glutamate too. Serotonin genes, he thinks, are modifiers that control to what degree a dog has CCD (or a person has OCD). He now hopes that someone will look for similar modifier genes in humans, or expand standard OCD treatment to include both serotonin and glutamate pathways.

Dodman still thinks that any hesitation to accept research based on a dog model of human OCD doesnt lie in specific doubts about the validity of the model, but in a greater philosophical problem: the difficulty in accepting that our minds might be closer than we want to believe to the minds of dogs.

It really helps to be a veterinarian, he says. Because one of the things people say when youre a vet is, they say: It must be so difficult because you have to learn all these differences between the various species. The answer is, actually you dont. What you learn to do is appreciate the sameness.

As my evaluations at Columbia have continued, Ive come face-to-face with another kind of sameness. Its unsettling, almost spooky  as if someone has entered the most private, most anxious parts of my brain, written down my personal thoughts, and then put them on a questionnaire to be read out loud by a bored psychiatrist. Every worry, every obsession, the things I have to do in secret are standardized and stereotypical enough to be on these general evaluation forms.

Soon after I was officially enrolled in the clinical trial, I began cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is the exact opposite of my past therapy sessions. I loved my psychodynamic therapist. We would meet once a week in her pleasant office, with bookcases and Asian artwork hanging on the wall. She was achingly smart and well read, and as we talked about my feelings and childhood, we often discussed theories and psychoanalytic texts. It felt like an intellectual exchange, something human of the highest order. Deconstructing, understanding, breaking down symbols and metaphor into meaning.

At CBT, I am meeting twice a week on a hard plastic chair in a tiny office with no windows. But we are not here for my feelings; actually, the opposite. I am here to provoke my anxieties, confront them and, hopefully, neutralize them. Im beginning exposure therapy and response prevention. We will not be discussing my dreams. CBT feels as close to dog training as any human activity can get.

We meticulously go through all my phobias, obsessions, and rituals and rate them on a hierarchy. Now my job is to attempt to cease the rituals, and expose myself to increasingly upsetting stimuli for an hour a day, and 90 minutes twice a week in session.

After my first exposure session, I was stunned the whole subway ride home. It was upsetting, but more because it was the first time I realized how sick I was. I had looked at photos of spilled orange juice, something I havent been able to do because it reminds me of throw-up. First I looked at a cartoon, then more and more difficult photos (difficulty being based on how similar the color and texture were to actual vomit).

I was so distressed by these photos I could barely glance at them before breaking out into my touching-and-looking swallowing ritual. There was a part of me that thought: this is ridiculous. It felt as if I was being tortured, but I was simply seeing a cup of juice overturned. How could this be making me so upset? I knew it was a cup of juice, and yet when I looked at it, the obsessions flowed in, thinking about being sick, thinking about if the image would make me sick, imagery of me or others getting sick, on and on.

Alice Moon-Fanelli said that the spinning dogs seemed like they had been taken over by demons. These were my demons. I didnt expect them to look like spilled juice.

I picked up a copy of Rapoports book, now over 25 years old, and the same Twilight Zoneesque feelings from my evaluation interviews came back. The young boy who couldnt stop washing also hid his fists in his sleeves and had a complicated swallowing ritual that involved touching and blinking. If the name had been removed, I could have easily believed someone wrote it about me.

In her book, Rapoport wrote that she was amazed at the sameness of OCD behaviors. Though she remains unconvinced how much animal models will ultimately help, she did say that psychiatrists could learn from the work of ethologists, who study inborn behavior patterns in animals. Rapoports collie dog turned in circles  not compulsively, but before it lay down to sleep. In the dogs ancestors, that behavior was conserved to trample down grass or ward off hiding snakes or insects. But in her suburban home, it remained.

The highly selective nature of OCD behaviors is just as remarkable, she wrote. Washing, grooming, hoarding  any theory of this disease must account for the incredible selectivity of these behaviors, which could be action patterns from an ethologists field book. As psychiatrists, we need to be field observers much more often than we are.

Forcing myself to see myself as an animal, one that could be overtaken by innate behaviors, helps me make sense of what it means to have OCD. The endless thoughts of vomiting and cleanliness, and my eating rituals, are the same as a dog spinning round and round. The spinning even provided me an apt visual metaphor to latch on to. When the thoughts or fears begin, it is like a whirlpool: swirling, spinning, gaining momentum, and sucking all logic or reason into the bottom, out of sight. As a human, I am enraged when I cant stop my obsessive thoughts. As an animal, it makes sense that I cant talk my way out of compulsions or fears. It is easy to accept that a dogs broken neural circuitry was causing their tail chasing. Im working on lending myself that kind of compassion.

The day after Sputnik, I meet Bella, another bull terrier who used to spin but after treatment has stopped almost completely. Bellas owner, Linda Rowe-Varone, has a similar tale to Sputniks owners: one day her sweet puppy started to spin, and nothing she could do could stop her. Like Dan Schmuck, she tells me she almost reached breaking point.

There was a time I really thought she was spinning so much that I could not keep her in my home anymore, she says with tears in her eyes. And Dr. Dodman just kept telling me, Just wait it out, wait it out, youve got to give her a little more time. And Im really glad I did.

Bella is active, playing and running around the examination room. Rowe-Varone tells us that Bella is also obsessed with balls, and she has to limit what kinds of toys she is exposed to. I wonder where the vets draw the line? All dogs have a favorite toy, one they love to play with. When can they call it an obsession? (When did I go from being a person who liked to be clean, to becoming obsessed with cleanliness?) Rowe-Varone says that she has to keep balls hidden in the garage, and if Bella sees them, she will sit outside the garage door for hours.

The debate about whether dogs can truly obsess doesnt enter this room. The consensus here is that Bella knew her balls were in the garage and couldnt get them off her mind. Im struck by how accepting dogs as an animal model for human OCD required two shifts in thinking: not only did we have to become more animal, but we had to grant them a bit more humanity as well.

Dodman remembers a dog that was obsessed with water. It lived mostly in New York City but when it went to the owners Hamptons home it would jump into the pool and do laps for seven hours a day, whining in anxiety the whole time.

Stephanie Borns-Weil, who took over from Dodman as program director at the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts last year, has seen a golden retriever obsessed with water too: it would get into the bathtub with the kids, or stand in puddles on its walks and refuse to move. Another dog she saw a few months ago would go into a lake by its house, take out five rocks and put them by a tree. If the owner removed them, it would return to the lake and get the rocks back.

One Doberman needed to cover her food before she ate. When her owner fed her, she put some paper towels next to her food. The dog would take a paper towel very delicately in her mouth, cover the food, and then uncover the food to eat it. If she couldnt perform this ritual she wouldnt eat. Dodman remembers another odd eating ritual: a dog who would take individual pellets of food and place them in the button compressions in the couch cushion in the next room. Only when he had put seven pellets into seven buttonholes could he eat the rest of the food out of his bowl.

I look back at Bella, who has bored of our chatting and is resting underneath a desk. The eating rituals that Dodman and Borns-Weil are describing are hitting a bit close to home, and maybe thats why, for the first time, I do recognize a bit of myself in Bella. There is a big container of balls above her head, which we hurriedly covered when we came in. Is she thinking about them now, just like Im thinking about my own obsessions?

When I leave Tufts that day, my boyfriend, Zach, picks me up and we head back to our hotel, tired and hungry. I dont have a drivers license, and I needed Zach to drive me the three hours to rural Massachusetts. The drive up from Brooklyn was fraught with anxiety. Being in the car is one of my triggers. Obsessions about car sickness began weeks ago, when I first booked the rental. The whole drive I was tense and white-knuckled.

I know that I need to eat the moment we get back to our room. Zach jumps on the bed, settling in with a book. Nervously, I ask him: can you leave, so I can eat? The ritual needs to happen alone. Hes frustrated. Now? He will have to go sit in the lobby. Fine. Annoyed, he grabs his coat and heads toward the door.

Now Im upset. Upset I have to do the ritual, upset he cant be more understanding, mad at myself for having so little control. You think I want to do this? I yell defensively. I just need a little time.

Whatever, he says, slamming the door.

I realize Ive made the same plea Dodman made to Rowe-Varone when she was about to give up on Bella: Youve got to give her a little more time.

Im in tears as I set up for lunch. Three napkins, an odd number, and I warm up the soup stopping on 37. I eat, with the ritualized looking and touching, trying to not think about how my soup kind of looks like throw-up.

Its not that theyre dogs and its not that were humans, Ginns said to me. Its that both groups are suffering from this same clinical presentation that disrupts their development and lives. And its that description that for me defines compulsive behaviour.

I take a deep breath. Just wait it out, wait it out, youve got to give yourself a little more time.

This article was originally published in Mosaic.
Pyrrho, the first Greek skeptic philosopher, sees no need to pay $100 a year to Amazon when you can simply spend $25 or more and get free shipping on any order, regardless.

Amazons annual Prime Day sale falls on July 11, 2017, this year. (Technically, itll start at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Monday, July 10.) Like Christmas and Halloween, Prime Day just feels like it comes earlier and earlier every year.

Theres already solid deals for the attentive, including a deal for $1 for four months of Amazon Music and a Kindle Paperwhite for $90. But the big deals wont come until next week, and unlike Amazons barrage of holiday deals, all of these steep discounts will only be available to Amazon Prime members. The question, of course, is whether Prime is really worth $99 per year (or $8.25 per month). Well?

Why would I pay $100 for some free shipping?

Good question! My best answer is from my own experience in 2013. We had just moved into a fourth-floor walk-up in Queens. On May 27 of that year, the high was 71 degrees, but a glance at the forecast showed that temperatures would be in the mid-to-high 90s within three days. We Amazon Primed two window AC units with free two-day shipping. They showed up on May 29, and were even carried up to the fourth floor by a very nice UPS delivery guy. By the time the heat wave hit on May 30, we were hunkered down, dripping AC water down onto our neighbors fire escape. If we hadnt been Prime members, we could have waited five to eight sweaty days for free shipping, schlepped two heavy AC units from a nearby P.C. Richard & Son, or paid $137 in shipping fees for Amazon to ship them before the heat wave hit.

Using two-day shipping (and, increasingly, one-day or even same-day shipping) and having it feel free (even if, of course, its not) allows you to suddenly take care of a lot of what I consider Oh, yeah chores. This can be anything from buying a new trash can because your current one has a crack down the side or just buying an Ethernet cord  anything that would take you an extra hour to do on a weekday night suddenly becomes frictionless. This comes in handy whether you live in a dense urban area and dont want to haul an ironing board onto the C train, or if you live in a more suburban area with a car and just dont want to deal with the simmering madness of a Target at 7 p.m. on a weeknight.

And thats not getting into the other benefits.

What other benefits?

The biggest one, by far, is access to Prime Video, Amazons version of Netflix. Amazon has poured a fair amount of money into original programming, and some of it is pretty great: Goliath, The Man in the High Castle, Bosch, Sneaky Pete, and the Emmy-winning Transparent are all good for rainy-day binges. Primes back catalogue of non-original TV now arguably outpaces that of Netflix, from The Good Wife to The Americans to Catastrophe. And it seals the deal with the ability to rent movies for relatively cheap. Missed the beautiful Studio Ghibli film The Red Turtle while it was briefly in theaters? Rent it from Amazon Prime for $5.99.

There are also things like Prime Music, some cloud-storage options, limited access to Audible for audiobooks, and the occasional deep discount only available to Prime members (seen mainly, of course, on Prime Day).

This sounds an awful lot like Amazon is utilizing sunk-cost fallacy to make me buy more.

Youre not entirely wrong! The reason Amazon is willing to subsidize all that free two-day shipping on anything is that the company knows people with a Prime membership tend to use Amazon more. The upfront nature of paying for a full year of Prime can induce a certain feeling that you need to get your moneys worth  which can lead to impulse purchases of small items just because its easier than going to the store and its free to ship.

And it should be noted that Amazon isnt always the best deal  I highly recommend installing a plug-in like Wikibuy thatll automatically check for cheaper prices than what Amazon is offering (though those cheaper prices will almost always mean slower shipping).

It all comes down your shopping habits and how much you end up using it. Only order four things a year off Amazon? Prime is probably not gonna be a deal. Order dozens and dozens of things off Amazon every year? Prime will probably pay for itself.

What about the environmental impacts of ordering everything off Amazon?

Theres a couple of ways to think about this. One, even if you decided to shop entirely locally, very little outside of a few perishable items is actually produced locally. That birthday present for your dad that you drive around town looking for? It was likely already flown in from somewhere else, and then youre going to pay to fly it back across the country in order to make it in time for his birthday. Amazon, thanks to economies of scale, ships only the things that people want from one of its many central warehouses. And, unlike your typical big-box store, it doesnt need to worry as much about keeping enough stock on hand (which inevitably leads to overstocking, which means you either buy a TV on deep discount at Best Buy when its time is up, or it gets shipped back to the manufacturer).

That said, Amazon can feel wasteful, even if you recycle every bit of cardboard you get. Getting your stuff in a cardboard box filled with plastic air padding, and then stabbing your way through clamshell packaging on a pair of $12 earbuds, doesnt seem like the most ecoconscious way to do things. Amazon has made some strides in doing things like shipping products in their own containers, or using hassle-free (i.e., less plastic clamshells) packaging, but it could  and should  do more.

Eh, this still sounds like an expensive subscription scam  like that Columbia House 12 albums for a penny deal, except for toothpaste and TVs.

I get that. I was on the fence about Prime for a long time. For years, if I was shopping on Amazon, Id just add a few extra items to my cart to get free shipping, and call it a day. But Ive had Prime for nearly five years now, and Id now loathe to give it up. Even my wife, initially very skeptical about signing up for Prime, has come around. Weve been slowly renovating a house we bought last year  a project shes largely taken the lead on  and shes used Amazon to get a lot of the appliances for our upstairs kitchen. There was a better selection at better prices on Amazon than at our local big box, and she also got to avoid the hassle of being a woman in a hardware store and having salespeople assume she needed help understanding what a P-trap is. Amazon doesnt care if Im a man or a woman, as she put it. It just wants my money.

My advice is to try the 30-day free-trial offer and see if it works for you. Set a reminder on your calendar of choice to remind you to cancel if you find that its not for you. Students get an even better deal: a free six-month trial, and a 20 percent discount if they decide to take the leap. (Amazon Prime, for what its worth, makes a pretty decent high-school graduation gift.)

New York Times columnist Farhad Manjoo recently asked readers in what order theyd give up the services of the five big tech companies: Alphabet (i.e., Google), Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon. I like and use products from all five of these companies, and giving up Google products in particular would be difficult, but Amazon would be the last one to go for me. The appeal of looking at the forecast on Monday, realizing its going to rain for three days straight starting Thursday, and having an umbrella waiting for me on Wednesday has become too much a part of my daily life for me to go back.

Heads-up: If you buy stuff through Amazon, New York Magazine may get a cut of the proceeds. That said, we dont recommend things we wouldnt buy  or havent already bought  for ourselves.
CHRIS CHRISTIE CAN EAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DICKS

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Why do you think he got that way sis.

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No, that's 100,000 hot dogs. Easy mistake to make.

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ROFL

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omg i am imagining lucille screaming that.

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Why is he lucky???

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Only diseased dicks are good enough!

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This is exasperating

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thanks for the post, op

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This would give me so much joy. Take Manafort with him

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Can we talk about the Trumpets being mad that CNN found out who posted the wrestling gif that Donnie tweeted??



Like... it's not a witch hunt. Trump posted that gif. In the process of investigating the story CNN thought, 'who made the gif? let's reach out to them for comment.'



Then the shitlord that made the gif freaked the fuck out realizing that all the racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic he said could be exposed to his friends, family and co-workers/employer.

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But this comment probably explains it better/more accurately than I did: I don't think there's like a real news story about it. lol. It was mostly just drama on reddit.But this comment probably explains it better/more accurately than I did: https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/6lf1mn/donald_trump_jr_tweets_false_fact_about_cnn_meme/djtas1q/

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Here's one from Buzzfeed that I saw on my Twitter earlier: https://www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/davidmack/hanassholesolo

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"all the racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic he said could be exposed to his friends, family and co-workers/employer." good, hopefully he'll face some consequences.

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As I was saying in my own comment below, I find it so bizarre that CNN is essentially doling out some conditional punishment like "if you stop being a bigot we won't release your name." Like...that's not your job as a media outlet. Protect his name if you want but you're not here to act like you're this 45-year-old man's dad or some shit.

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LMAO I wish cnn had released his name. No sympathy for bigots who get doxed.

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i was reading the posts this morning going so this is a nonstory?

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In every situation, they are not upset because of how bad their misdeeds are. They're upset because people keep paying attention to it.



STOP LOOKING AT ME JUST LET ME DO SHITTY THINGS OKAY

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Apparently he's a 15 year old 4Chan and Reddit user. So, yeah, color me shocked.

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Trump has a very high favourability rating in Poland because of the white nationalism in certain areas.



I feel like he's gonna try and sneak attack here, meet Farage and May, then flee home, if he comes at all.



The Royal family more than hate him.



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> Trump has a very high favourability rating in Poland



Last time I checked, it was more like this:

http://www.newsweek.pl/polska/wybory-w-usa-jaki-bylby-wynik-gdyby-glosowali-polacy-sondaz,artykuly,400144,1.html

No need to translate, the graph is p self-explanatory.



> because of the white nationalism in certain areas.



Mate, we're +99% white as a society. And if by white nationalism you mean white supremacy, I'm just gonna remind you where the Holocaust happened and let it sink in.

Polish ONTDer here.> Trump has a very high favourability rating in PolandLast time I checked, it was more like this:No need to translate, the graph is p self-explanatory.> because of the white nationalism in certain areas.Mate, we're +99% white as a society. And if by white nationalism you mean white supremacy, I'm just gonna remind you where the Holocaust happened and let it sink in.

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http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/26/around-the-world-favorability-of-u-s-and-confidence-in-its-president-decline/



http://www.dw.com/en/poland-racism-on-the-rise/a-36812032



So your argument is 'A country that's '99% White' yet still has thousands of people attacking and ostracising the unlucky few minorities still there, is like, totally fine and normal because....the occupation brought those ideas in? 'In Europe, Poland is a bit of an outlier, since its confidence in the U.S. president changed less dramatically across the three administrations. Polish respondents had a Bush-era high of 47% confidence and an Obama-era high of 64%, yet just 23% of Poles have confidence in Trump in 2017.'So your argument is 'A country that's '99% White' yet still has thousands of people attacking and ostracising the unlucky few minorities still there, is like, totally fine and normal because....the occupation brought those ideas in?

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it's not really white nationalism, but specifically polish nationalism that's incredibly strong



edit: although non-white ppl in poland are worse off than white non-poles so there's definitely a broad racial issue, but the movement is specifically an ethnic one is what i'm saying



Edited at 2017-07-05 10:57 pm (UTC)

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Me @ my country everyday.

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lmao this admin is terrible at twitter but obsessed. From Spicey tweeting his password twice, to Trump's 3am tweets, to apparently planning election fraud via it.

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i see the right-wing polish government is ready to crawl up drumpys ass and set up shop there. quelle surprise!

lol hillarys clap back is great. fucking gop

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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world-0/us-politics/trump-poland-trip-abroad-law-and-justice-party-criticisms-attacks-democratic-institutions-a7825911.html



If he makes a unplanned visit here though;







https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/03/trump-sneak-visit-britain-unwelcome-presidency-tarnished



Edited at 2017-07-05 10:05 pm (UTC) Pretty much.If he makes a unplanned visit here though;

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" there are expectations he may use that time to visit Scotland" LOL yeah, have fun. if i know one thing about scottish people it's that they will come out and tell you how they feel about you. loudly.

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they really lick his asshole and say it tastes like candy

i was never more disgusted in my life

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How can they reconcile their love of Trump with their hatred of Russia, who Trump loves?





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Waiting for that approval rating among republicans to continue dropping



Edited at 2017-07-05 10:05 pm (UTC)

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dream on. the republicans/far right, etc will vote for and approve of anyone who pisses the left off. they know Trump is a shitty pres and don't give two fucks as long as the left continue to say "woe is me" about things and they continue to reap the privileges of the straight white rich and powerful (and racist, etc) (mostly) men they are. this is what we have to live with for the foreseeable future barring some apocalyptic event.

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a pic from fbi's family day

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Did you guys see that Republican fucker from Louisiana I think, who filmed in one of the gas chambers at Auschwitz being like "this is why America needs to secure its borders so we don't see a tragedy like this again"



Appalling

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Gross as fuck he would film in there anyway, and just to prove a racist point. Apparently, he forgets that plenty of Jews were denied entry to the US during WWII and went on to die in them chambers and camps, including Anne Frank and her family.

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my mum wrote her thesis about the resettlement plan proposed for thousands of jews to relocate to the states (esp alaska) and it was never approved. smdh. this wanker

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What the fuck does that even mean?

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lol how ironic

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Fuck goyim holy shit

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is he.... siding with the nazis?

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Not that the "never again" sentiment will ever be out of place when in reference to the Holocaust, but...I suppose he's just ignoring the fact that it was the government putting immigrants and other "undesirables" in the camps?



Either that, or giving off the supremely unfortunate implication that the only way to deal with immigrants is putting them in camps and if we'd only secure our borders better, then we won't have to do the other messy thing?



"If you'd have had dinner on the table on time, I wouldn't have had to hit you!"

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This country is a fucking mess

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It really is. I was depressed watching the fireworks last night. We don't deserve to celebrate shit.

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This country has always been messy but it's on a whole other level rn

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i got in a lowkey argument w/ my mom again bc she insists on being patriotic in 2017



(for context she hates dump but seems to think in spite of all this the US is still the greatest country in the world)

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In the county I live fireworks are banned. We are basically living in a tinder box and there were numerous postings to the community page reminding people not to light any fireworks not only because of the huge fire danger (we recently had a big fire) but there was also major mentioning of being respectful of Veterans with PTSD. Still there were a bunch of assholes who popped into the threads to say that we needed to stop being whiny little bitches and stop being the fun police. So many big rocket fireworks were blasted off. Meanwhile there were numerous big shows put on in the area by the city. Orange fuckface supporters all of them, I'm sure.

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Granting the man anonymity conditional upon future bigotry, especially in an online universe flush with such cowards, was a curious choice.  Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) July 5, 2017





There's lots of opinions about why he should or shouldn't be protected but CNN trying to dole out some punishment is weird to me. Also lbr the guy only apologized once CNN got a hold of him. Who is to say he just doesn't make another account eventually? The guy didn't wake up and start being a horrible racist. Also from my understanding the 45-year-old man left a paper trail and CNN found it which lead back to his FB. And again, whatever your thoughts on the anon is, a lot of these same people were just fine with that ugly Milo doxing and outing trans students. Also it's not like 4chan and redditors didn't just start doxing CNN either - I've followed so many people on twitter (especially WOC) who have been doxed :(



And then there's the fact that people working for Trump sought out this meme and this guy who has a history of being fucking vile.



So no I don't feel bad that an adult who commented on the internet about killing all Muslims is no longer anonymous. https://t.co/lYmJPKgzjY  wikipedia brown (@eveewing) July 5, 2017





Anyways now this is happening. Think I covered everything.



Awful: CNN edited in the line as a precaution,now Kacynski is getting threats,will have protesters outside his house https://t.co/ubuTDlowxz pic.twitter.com/lPyuMlktOd  Max Tani (@maxwelltani) July 5, 2017





Edited at 2017-07-05 10:05 pm (UTC) I've been trying to keep up with this whole CNN meme thing. I find the wording of CNN's statement about it so bizarre but especially this aspect...There's lots of opinions about why he should or shouldn't be protected but CNN trying to dole out some punishment is weird to me. Also lbr the guy only apologized once CNN got a hold of him. Who is to say he just doesn't make another account eventually? The guy didn't wake up and start being a horrible racist. Also from my understanding the 45-year-old man left a paper trail and CNN found it which lead back to his FB. And again, whatever your thoughts on the anon is, a lot of these same people were just fine with that ugly Milo doxing and outing trans students. Also it's not like 4chan and redditors didn't just start doxing CNN either - I've followed so many people on twitter (especially WOC) who have been doxed :(And then there's the fact that people working for Trump sought out this meme and this guy who has a history of being fucking vile.Anyways now this is happening. Think I covered everything.

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I'm sorry, but if you're brave enough to scream about Muslims and Jews online, and this is who you are and your "political" leanings, then own it in real life you piece of shit. Get outed.

This is like when that KKK membership list got leaked and they were like "this will ruin our lives!" No shit idiot don't join the KKK.

I've seen so many girls get doxxed online for simply existed, out ALL these sons of bitches.

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I don't always agree with Mikki but I thought this thread was good and gives another important perspective on who gets protected and who doesn't. It's long but interesting.



The willingness to not expose this guy's identity tells me he's most likely a white guy of a certain class with the language to match.  Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) July 5, 2017





This part also stuck out to me because there's no damn way he wrote that apology.



The fauxpology reads like he's in PR or knows someone in PR who has had to write that kind of thing for a client in the past.  Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) July 5, 2017

I've seen lots of opinions on it from journalists I follow and most of them lead back to protecting freedom of speech and ethics. The other side obviously saying he should not be able to hide behind anon. But idk. This guy is vile and his shit goes far beyond the CNN meme. He was only sorry when he got caught...which was his own fault because he left a paper trail. From my understanding Andrew at CNN easily found it.I don't always agree with Mikki but I thought this thread was good and gives another important perspective on who gets protected and who doesn't. It's long but interesting.This part also stuck out to me because there's no damn way he wrote that apology.

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He feels bad? So its fine? Okay.

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'No Harassment' was in his new non-compete clause. He'll see you at the news desk in September!



(Honestly I'm starting think he was some low level employee at CNN.)



Edited at 2017-07-05 10:57 pm (UTC)

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cnn shoulda just outed the dudes name. and that line was SO cnn, like so close to being ok article then they plop something there for people (trumpster fire cultist this time) to lash out about. its like when a panel is going well then they invite fucking jeffrey lord on

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andrew k and his family don't deserve death threats but it's sadly par for the course if you're in journalism lately.

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ExxonMobil, Chevron and other oil majors are lobbying the U.S. Congress not to move forward with legislation that would slap new sanctions on Russia over the latters interference in the U.S. presidential election last year.

The U.S. Senate passed the bill by an overwhelming 98-2 vote, a shocking display of unity for Republicans and Democrats given their inability to agree on much of anything. Because of that nearly unanimous vote, the bill was expected to sail through the House of Representatives and become law, but the House is more divided on the issue.



The issue is complex for the President, who would see his power curtailed by Congress. The bill would downgrade the Presidents authority to remove the Russian sanctions, putting greater power in the hands of the Congress. President Trump could try to veto the legislation if it is sent to his desk, and that is possible due to President Trumps softer stance towards Russia. But it would also be a politically fraught move in light of the ongoing investigation into Russias role in the election.

But it is not clear that the bill will even make it through the House. It has faced some resistance among lawmakers from Texas, who represent the energy industry. That is because the legislation tightens the limits on oil companies investing and working in Russia. A spokesman for ExxonMobil said that the bill could disadvantage U.S. companies compared to our non-U.S. counterparts. Exxon had a billion-dollar project on the line in the Russian Arctic, in which they partnered with Russian oil giant Rosneft, that they were forced to abandon in 2014 when the initial U.S. sanctions were imposed. Exxon is also working with Rosneft on a project in Russias Far East on the island of Sakhalin.

The proposed legislation would bar such joint ventures with Russian companies and it would go further than existing sanctions by prohibiting cooperation with Russian firms even outside of Russia. The intention with the bill is to tighten the screws on Russia  by prohibiting U.S. involvement with Russian companies outside of Russia, the legislation would seek to inhibit Rosnefts expansion around the world.

The tougher approach from the U.S. is indeed giving a leg up to their European counterparts in regard to investing in Russia. Companies like BP  which owns a sizable stake in Rosneft  Total SA, Statoil, Eni and Royal Dutch Shell are moving ahead with projects in Russia while U.S. companies are frozen out. Austrian oil company OMV told the FT a few weeks ago that they have not been held back by European sanctions on Russia. We have made millions of legal checks, and the message is clear we are in full compliance with the sanctions, OMV CEO Rainer Seele told the FT.

Related: Corpus Christi Set To Become The Next Oil Export Hotspot

One particular difference is that projects underway when sanctions were imposed were grandfathered in. Eni, for example, was allowed to proceed with a Black Sea oil project with Rosneft since it began years ago, the FT says. French oil giant Total has massive investments on the line in an LNG project on Russias Yamal Peninsula. And just this week Spanish oil company Repsol announced a joint venture with Gazprom for a project in West Siberia.

However, even European firms could be swept up in the proposed U.S. legislation. The bill would have an impact on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a major and controversial natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The U.S. legislation would sanction companies investing in Russian energy pipelines.

Germany supports Nord Stream 2, and German officials had some sharp words for American lawmakers last month when the Senate passed its version of the bill. Europes energy supply is a matter for Europe, not the United States of America, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said in a joint statement in mid-June.

Against this backdrop, U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Warsaw on Thursday for the Three Seas summit, a meeting of European countries that border the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Seas. Trump will promote U.S. LNG as a means to bolster European energy security. Whether or not he mentions the pipeline explicitly, the message for European policymakers is clear: ditch the Nord Stream 2 expansion and take imported American gas instead of Russian gas. That message will be welcomed by some in Eastern Europe, but it is not at all clear it will win over those already in favor of Nord Stream 2. And the legislation before the U.S. Congress, if it moves forward, will strain the already tense U.S.-German relationship.

By Nick Cunningham, Oilprice.com

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While many oil companies doubled down on debt to maintain or even increase dividends while profits were hard to come by in the lower-for-longer oil price world, Canadas biggest oil producerSuncor Energyis winning the hearts and minds of investors and stock analysts by not making capital investments in new projects in its core business: Canadas oil sands.



Weve decided to let the shareholders see the cash, Suncors chief executive officer Steve Williams told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. We can continue this model for a lot longer, the manager noted.

Suncor is currently finishing two major growth projects, Fort Hills and Hebron, slated for first oil at the end of 2017, but following years of investment in oil sands projects, Suncor is now pausing spend into new company-built projects, and is channeling more of its cash into shareholders pockets.

Let me be clear - for us, having cash available to invest doesn't mean we're going to run out and spend it. We remain steadfast in our commitment to exercise discipline in allocating that capital, CEO Williams said in the Q4 investor presentation in February this year.

At the conference call following the Q4 results release, Williams said: We have no plans to be going ahead with major capital investment in either mining or in situ in the foreseeable future.

Mining investments are coming to an end not just for Suncor but for the industry I believe for a considerable period probably in excess of 10 years, the manager noted.



Several oil majors have recently sold assets in Canadas oil sands, as they are prioritizing other less cash-consuming and quicker-to-return projects in the current oil price environment.

In March of this year, Shell said it was selling its oil sands interests to Canadian Natural Resources for around US$8.5 billion as part of its strategy to focus on free cash flow and higher returns on capital, and to prioritize businesses such as integrated gas and deep water.

At the end of March, ConocoPhillips announced the sale of oil sands assets in Canada to Cenovus Energy in a US$13.3 billion deal, while Norways Statoil has sold its entire oil sands operations in Alberta to Athabasca Oil Corporation.



Although Canadas oil sands were not the favorite investment of either major firms or the market, between June last year and May this year, Suncors shares outperformed every major North American oil company, according to The Journal. Related: The Downturn Is Over, But U.S. Oil Companies Face A Huge Problem

As of July 4, Suncors stock had gained 2.29 percent in the past year. This compares to a 47.49-percent slump in the stock price of Cenovus Energy, another Canadian company, whose shares took a hit following the deal with ConocoPhillips that turned out to be unpopular with Cenovus shareholders who feared the additional debt would sour the balance sheet.

Suncor, for its part, is a favorite with analysts. As of June 30 this year, the consensus forecast of 30 investment analysts covering the stock shows that the company will outperform the market. Analysts also see Suncor dividends for 2017 rising 11.38 percent over 2016.

In the past three quarters, Suncor has also beaten profit estimates, with actual earnings trumping analyst consensus and landing at the top end of the analyst range.



For Q1 2017, Suncor reported oil sands operations cash operating costs per barrel (bbl) down to US$17.44 (22.55 Canadian dollars), a 7-percent decline in costs over the prior year quarter and a 20-percent drop in costs over the first quarter of 2015. Cash flow from operating activities, which includes changes in non-cash working capital, was US$1.259 billion (1.628 billion Canadian dollars).



Suncor can further cut costs and reduce emissions in the oil sands, CEO Williams told The Journal. According to the manager, some of the firms oil sands operations would soon have carbon emissions comparable with other ways of extracting oil. Current regulation, even the strictest one, is equal to an additional cost of just US$1 a barrel, Williams said.

Costs down, cash up, and higher shareholder returns are now Suncors priorities, instead of investments in new projects in the expensive oil sands business at the current price of oil.

And so, youll see us sustainably increasing the dividend as we grow and youll see us opportunistically buying share buybacks and those two will be our priority through the next few years, Williams said at the February earnings call.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain released statements following a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday, after the latest deadline they had set to Qatar expired on Tuesday night.

The four Arab nations, locked in a diplomatic crisis with Qatar, dismissed Dohas response to their demands as not serious and pledged to continue to keep the Gulf state under political and economic sanctions until it changes its policies. They also expressed regret with regards to the negative response from Qatar, which showed complacency and non-seriousness to deal with the root of the problem and reconsider their policies and practices.

(Click to enlarge)

Arab Foreign Ministers meet to discuss the diplomatic situation with Qatar, in Cairo, Egypt.

Speaking to reporters, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said that Qatars response to the four Arab states list of demands, which was passed on via intermediary Kuwait on Monday, was generally negative and failed to lay the foundation for Qatar's reversal of the policies it pursues.

He added that Qatars reply "lacked content", and that it was no "longer possible to tolerate Qatari acts." Shukri also accused Qatar of failing to realize the gravity of the situation, according to AP.

Separately, the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al Jubeir says the alliance will weigh more measures against Qatar, and reserves the right to take action when appropriate. He also made it clear that this is not a response to the Kuwait letter so something more formal may follow as consultations are ongoing." He also said that the Boycott will continue until Qatar changes policy, adding that it was no surprise that Iran is trying to get closer to Qatar, while expressing hopes that Turkey will remain neutral. Related: Saudi Reshuffle Could Completely Shake Up Oil Markets

In other words, it appears that while nothing firm was decided, the boycott will continue until Qatar changes policy according to the Saudi.

The Saudi-led alliances will meet again in Manama, Bahrain to discuss next steps.

Earlier in the day, Qatar's Foreign Minister accused four Arab neighbors of "clear aggression" against his country. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said charges cited by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in cutting diplomatic and transport links a month ago "were clearly designed to create anti-Qatar sentiment in the west".

"Qatar continues to call for dialogue despite the violation of international laws and regulations, despite the separation of 12,000 families, despite the siege that is a clear aggression and an insult to all international treaties, bodies and jurisdictions," he told a meeting at London's Chatham House think-tank.

Qatar wasnt built on oppression, fear, censorship, has an independent view on global and regional events, the official added. Also, the country successfully mediated in 10 international portfolios in the course of the last 8 years, without interfering in the internal affairs of others.

Qatar remains open for dialogue, not an ultimatum, as the countrys authorities believe that citizens everywhere should have the right to a government that is responsive to their needs, and their country, despite not being a democracy, caters to these needs. Thats why Qatar wasnt alarmed and threatened by the Arab Spring movement [back in 2011], the Qatari Foreign Minister said.

By Zero Hedge

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Vietnam has allowed a drillship in a contested part of the South China Sea, according to an industry consultant who spoke to the BBC.

The drillship, Deepsea Metro I, on contract to Talisman-Vietnam, a unit of Talisman Energywhich Spanish Repsol bought back in 2015is drilling about 250 miles from the Vietnamese coast.

The move is a bold one, because the block where Deepsea Metro I is drillingcalled Block 136-03 by Vietnam and Wan-an Bei 21 by Chinahas already been leased to a company by Beijing  Hong Kong-based Brightoil, which has close ties to the Chinese government. Over the last three years, Hanoi denied Talisman-Vietnam a license to drill in the block in a bid to avoid antagonizing China, but it seems things have since changed.

The report about the start of drilling comes soon after last week, a senior Chinese military official cut short a visit to Vietnam. Fan Changlong, vice-chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission, was visiting Vietnam for a defense border meeting, as Chinas Xinhua agency reported at the time, but left early because of working arrangements.

The true reason for the departure, the BBC suggests, may have been news about what Deepsea Metro I is doing in the disputed area.

Last year, China lost an international arbitration case brought to the court by its neighbors, including Vietnam. Asias second-largest economy is claiming most of the South China Sea, building artificial islands and increasing its military presence there.

Earlier this year, China warned the U.S. to stay out of the disputed waters, although this tension has recently subsided as both countries continue to focus on the North Korea problem.

The South China Sea may hold 28 billion barrels of oil, according to an estimate from the U.S. Geological Survey from the mid-90s. With technology improvements, this figure could have since increased substantially. Vietnam has welcomed several foreign companies into its oil and gas industry, including Rosneft, and Gazprom, as well as Exxon.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Maryam Nawaz Sharif appeared before JIT 05 July, 2017



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Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter, appeared on Wednesday for the first time before the Supreme Court-sanctioned joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Sharif family's business dealings abroad.



Maryam was accompanied by husband Captain Safdar, brothers Hassan and Hussain, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, the PM's Special Assistant Asif Kirmani and female capital police officers, to the JIT secretariat. A number of PML-N workers, especially from the party's women wing, had also turned up near the FJA to show support for Maryam..



Later, while addressing a press conference outside the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) in Islamabad after recording her statement before the JIT, the first daughter appeared composed, but sternly dismissed reporters' questions multiple times during her speech.



"I answered whatever questions they [the JIT] asked me ... I tried to answer with honesty," she claimed.



"I asked the JIT what the accusation against us [the Sharif family] is. They had no answer to my question," she claimed.



She took particular issue with the JIT's probe into her family's private businesses, saying nobody had a right to look into the private accounts of the Sharif family's businesses.



"If public money was involved, then we are answerable, but that is not the case regarding private businesses," she said.



"Those who have cases of misuse of public funds open against them have petitioned for stay orders. We [however] can justify our properties and have been doing so," she claimed.



"Why are those who have no businesses and no source of income not being questioned," she asked, making a veiled reference to PTI chief Imran Khan, who was also accused by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar of owning wealth beyond his means.



"They thought my father would be pressured by using his daughter's name," she said. "Those who think Nawaz Sharif's daughter is his weakness will find she is his strength."



"Those who have no regard for daughters and family values will never understand these things," she added, in what appeared to be another attack aimed at Imran Khan. "If you are targeting me because I am Nawaz Sharif's daughter, I will fight back because I am his daughter."



"We could have taken immunity and hidden, we could have absconded from the courts and gone to Nathia Gali, but we presented ourselves for accountability."



The prime minister's daughter also warned her father's detractors that they should fear the day PM Sharif brings out the skeletons from their closets. "The secrets he carries and the conspiracies against him  don't push him to the point where he must reveal those," she said.



"If you conspire against Nawaz Sharif, he will return stronger than before... He will become PM for the fourth, fifth time. Stop him if you can," she challenged.



"Stop him or the power crisis will end. Stop him or the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will be completed. Stop him or he will win the 2018 election."



The PM's daughter is the eighth member of the Sharif family to be summoned by the JIT.



PM's Special Assistant Asif Kirmani, speaking to reporters while Maryam was inside the secretariat, questioned why the JIT had not yet visited Qatar to record Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani's statement.



"I want them to tell us why JIT members are not going to Qatar to take the ex PM's statement in the case," he said.



"The members of JIT have not gone to Qatar yet and that is equivalent to them trying to keep the truth from coming out," he claimed.



"In court proceedings, the rule is that the petitioner of the case provides the proof, and yet the petitioners are all hiding away while we are the ones trying to prove our innocence," he said.



"The JIT members went all the way to Dubai, and took help from London law firms in the case, but did not think it is important to go to Qatar and record the Qatari princes statement."



Turning his attention towards Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, Kirmani said, "I read today that, Imran Khan, the self proclaimed 'Mr Clean' has an apartment in Grand Hyatt. If this is true, Khan has not mentioned that apartment in his financial record."



"He is very loud when he is calling us out but he has still not handed in his reply to the Election Commission of Pakistan," he added.



"Imran Khan has not handed his reply to the court in the foreign funding case against PTI and he has not even told the court why his party has taken funding from countries that have an anti-Pakistan agenda," the PM's close aide alleged.



"You started this game Khan sahib but we are the ones that will end it," Kirmani warned.



Maryam's husband, Capt Safdar, also spoke in support of his wife and her family. "These JITs are not tiring of their questions. They will bring some new investigation team tomorrow in the hopes of probing this family even more," he claimed.



"Even her [Maryam's] late grandfather's affairs were discussed in court. She is not afraid of answering questions," he asserted.

The JIT summons



The JIT's summons to Maryam had earlier been made controversial by a back-and-forth between the ruling PML-N and the PTI.

Kulsoom Nawaz hugs her daughter Maryam Nawaz before she departs for the JIT secretariat.  DawnNews



The former are adamant that it is an "egoistic decision" to summon the PM's daughter for questioning, whereas the latter hold that it is the Sharif family itself which is responsible for the JIT's summons.



Maryam, however, expressed her resolve to face investigators in a series of timely messages sent from her Twitter account on Tuesday night.



"He has seen [and] been through the most testing times, in the 30-plus years of his political career yet as an affectionate [and] protective father, I saw his eyes filled with concern and apprehensions over his daughters appearance before JIT," she tweeted.



"I told him that I am your daughter, trained by you, [and] will neither cower down, nor yield to pressure [and] nothing will deter me from taking up the cudgels against transgression and injustice. Will appear before the JIT, follow the rule of law as you always have," Maryam tweeted, before concluding on a positive note: "See you tomorrow, InshaAllah."



Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, like other PML-N leaders, has strongly objected to his niece Maryam's summoning by the JIT.



"There is no moral justification for the JIT decision to summon the daughter of the prime minister," he said in a statement issued earlier on Tuesday.



"We accept the JITs privilege to summon any person as witness but our civilisation teaches us respect for women," he added.



PTI's Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking to reporters in Islamabad today, claimed that the party was not to be blamed for the summons to Maryam Nawaz.



"These people talk about how three generations of their family are being held accountable. However, we had only nominated Nawaz Sharif in our petition and everyone else has been dragged into the case by the family itself," he claimed.



"Nawaz Sharif had to provide details about two companies and the flats. He was the one who involved his son in the case, and the son then involved Maryam in the case."



"Maryam Nawaz needs to present herself to the JIT because of Nawaz Sharif and Hussain Nawaz's statements," he claimed, adding that "Hussain Nawaz placed all the blame on his grandfather Mian Sharif."



"So Hussain placed blame on his grandfather and a Qatari businessman, both of whom have passed away, and the information Hussain has given to the JIT can not be be verified," he continued, adding that "The truth is that Mian Sharif's passport does not have a visa stamped to Qatar."



The JIT has repeatedly questioned Maryam's brothers Hussain and Hassan, while it has also recorded the statements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the PMs son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, the PMs cousin Tariq Shafi, and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar  the father-in-law of the PMs younger daughter.



Although her name appeared in the Panama Papers as the beneficial owner of the offshore companies  Nielsen Enterprises and Nescoll Ltd  which owned the four Park Lane apartments at the heart of the Supreme Court case, Maryam was virtually cleared by the apex court in the Panama Papers controversy.



The court stated that the PMs daughter "has received cash gifts from her father in substantial amounts on various occasions  receipt of gifts from the father does not necessarily make respondent No.6 (Maryam) his (Nawaz Sharifs) dependent in the legal sense of the word".
By Paul Shalala Dr. Grace Mukupa She grew up in a poor family in Mwanamangala Village in what is now Shibuyunji District of Central Zambia...
I've had a few days off so I was able to get some hiking in over the holiday weekend, and I wasn't sure what I would find after all the rain we had. Heavy rain can wreak havoc on mountainous trails, and washouts aren't unusual.

I logged nearly 6 miles in Moreau State Park heading up the ridge and going to the lookout over the lake, and only saw a few problem spots on Monday, but no major issues.

The trails on Cat and Thomas mountains in Bolton had a few new ruts as of Sunday, but the waterbars seemed to work well. Trail designers do a good job in figuring out how to move water off and around the busier trails around here.

I was in and out of the Cat Mountain preserve by noon on Sunday, but still found cars lined up on Valley Woods Road by that point. That preserve has become one of the the most popular of the Lake George Land Conservancy hiking areas, and the parking area can't hold the cars on weekends and holidays. Get there early or risk not going up the mountain.

We are headed up Cook Mountain today as part of the LGLC annual "hike-a-thon" and hopefully that mountain got through the floods in the Ti area well.

This is a really busy time of year for our local state forest rangers and conservation officers, and below is a synopsis of some of the rangers local and regional activity in recent days.

Not sure whose idea it was to tube the Batten Kill after Saturday's torrential downpours, but there are a couple of Capital District guys who are lucky their situation was just becoming lost and not drowned.

-- Don Lehman

Town of Jackson

Washington County

Search: On July 2, Washington County 911 requested DEC Forest Rangers to help locate two men last seen tubing on the Battenkill River. The 33 and 44-year-old Troy men had attempted to float down the raging river on inner tubes but found the river too rough. As they attempted to walk back to their vehicle, they became lost in Eldridge Swamp State Forest. Forest Ranger Jamie Laczko assisted Washington County Sheriff's Deputies with locating the pair and eventually found the subjects walking along a road. Both men needed hydration but were in otherwise good health after a ride back to their car.

Town of North Hudson

Essex County

Call for Assistance: On June 27 at 11 a.m., the International Emergency Response Center (IERC) notified Ray Brook Dispatch of a personal locator beacon (PLB) activated by a U.S. Forest Service employee working in Essex County. PLBs use satellite communication to notify the IERC that the owner of the unit is in distress. Three Forest Rangers responded to the reported coordinates near Boreas Ponds, roughly 7.5 miles from a public highway. By 1:40 p.m., the Rangers found the Forest Service employee, who had gotten his vehicle stuck on a forest road but had no radio or cell phone service. Once the vehicle was freed, the employee was able to drive without further assistance.

Town of Webb

Herkimer County

Wildland Rescue: On June 28, Ray Brook Dispatch was notified by Herkimer County 911 that a hiker had suffered an ankle injury on Bald Mountain. A woman from South Carolina was near the summit and unable to proceed back to the trailhead. Rangers Bob Coscomb, Sarah Geesler, and Gary Miller assisted local fire and rescue to carry the woman off the mountain. Within two hours, she was transported to a waiting ambulance.

Town of Hunter

Greene County

Wildland Search: On June 29, Forest Ranger Christine Nelson was contacted by the mother of a 17-year-old Jericho man who was overdue from a hike on Indian Head Mountain. Through a cell phone discussion with the hiker, Nelson determined the subject was on Plateau Mountain, a considerable distance from his intended pick-up location. Nelson provided new directions to the hiker and met him as he was hiking out. Within five hours of the initial call, the teenager was safely out of the woods.

Town of Caroga

Fulton County

Rescue: On July 1, DEC Forest Rangers Michael Thompson and John Ploss responded to a 911 call reporting a man with a head injury on Ferris Lake Wild Forest near Nine Corners Lake. As both Rangers worked with local rescue personnel to hike in, they discovered that the 19-year-old Johnstown man had suffered a significant injury from a 10-foot fall. The teen was jumping from one boulder to the next when he lost his balance and fell. The seriousness of his injuries required a helicopter Med Flight to a local hospital for further care.

Town of Indian Lake

Hamilton County

Rescue: On July 2, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Hamilton County 911 requesting Rangers to rescue a 22-year-old Oswego woman with a lower leg injury at the popular OK Slip Falls. Three Forest Rangers worked with local firefighters and emergency medical services to evacuate the woman. Once out of the woods, she was able to seek further treatment.

Town of Keene

Essex County

Rescue: On July 2, eight DEC Forest Rangers were called to rescue a 33-year-old Fort Drum woman with a lower leg injury on Cascade Mountain Trail. A DEC Backcountry Steward had discovered the injured woman and determined that her extraction would require a significant number of rescuers due to steep, wet trail conditions. Once Rangers were on the scene, the complexities of the rescue required a helicopter extraction. Within two hours of the initial call, the subject was at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.

Town of Inlet

Hamilton County

Bear Feeding Violation: On July 2, workers at DEC's Limekiln Lake Campground asked Forest Rangers to evict campers that were allegedly feeding bears. Upon visiting the specific campsite, a Ranger discovered dog food dumped nearby. An Oswego husband and wife were evicted from the campsite and ticketed for incidental feeding of bear.
FORT ANN  A Fourth of July announcement by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke at the Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland contained good news for residents working to restore the Battle of Fort Anne site on Battle Hill.

Zinke announced $7.2 million in grants to help identify, preserve, and protect Americas battlefields, including $175,523 for Battle Hill, a project being done in partnership with the Civil War Trust and Agricultural Stewardship Association, Inc.

The funding will help complete the purchase of 165 acres to preserve the battle site.

Its been a long road, but it has come to a conclusion, Fort Ann Supervisor Richard Moore said. The people of the town are very appreciative of Gino Vona and his willingness to help bring this to its conclusion.

Vona was trying to build a mine on the site, but he faced opposition from those who wanted to preserve the battle site.

The grant was one of two announced Tuesday for New York battlefields. The state will receive $683,798 for Sackets Harbor battlefield, again in partnership with the Civil War Trust, which has expanded its work to include other, earlier, wars.

Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario, the site of two battles in the War of 1812, is a state historical site that includes exhibits, a restored 1850s Navy Yard and Commandants House, outdoor signs, and tours.

Some large grants

Antietam National Battlefield will receive funding for two projects. That funding comes from President Donald Trumps donation of $78,333, his first quarter salary, along with a private donation that pushed the total to $100,000.

The $7.2 million will preserve nearly 1,200 acres of battlefield land as part of the American Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants program. The grant projects are located at 19 battlefields threatened with damage or destruction by urban and suburban development in Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The largest grant, one of $1.7 million, will help preserve the Malvern Hill battlefield. A grant of $1.1 million is going to the Brandywine battlefield and $1 million is going to the Opequon battlefield. Malvern Hill and Opequon are in Virginia and Brandywine is in Pennsylvania.

The grants are funded from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to purchase land, water, and wetlands.

Fight for battlefield

The Civil War Trust, as part of its Campaign 1776, acquired the 165-acre site, partly through purchasing land and partly through a donation by owner Gino Vona.

Vona had been fighting for the better part of a decade to get state permission to build a mine on part of the site. But in March 2016, he contacted town officials and said he was interested in selling the site to the town if he could not open a mine there.

Last year, Moore said ownership of the land will go to the town, and while there are no immediate plans, the long-range goal is to develop it as a tourist site. That would fit with other historic sites in the area, including Fort Ticonderoga, Fort William Henry in Lake George and Rogers Island in Fort Edward.

Moore said the fair market value of the land was listed at $320,000 and the deal will include $210,000 from the trust. Vona is donating the rest of the land.

Vona bought the 165 acres on the hill from Marilyn Bray in 2007 for $55,000, according to county records.

Christine Milligan of Fort Ann American Legion Post 703 has been one of the loudest voices in the battle to save Battle Hill, and she said she was most appreciative of Moores role in the process.

The battle took place when advance units of the British forces began moving south toward New York City in 1777. The British encountered significant resistance from about 550 Americans at Fort Anne on July 8. Although no attempt was actually made to permanently hold the position, there was a two-hour skirmish fought until it was believed that the advance units were being reinforced.

At the time, the towns named was spelled Fort Anne, but it has been changed since.
The Boston Herald on President Donald Trumps upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin:

So, its finally going to happen. President Trump will come face to face with the world leader he insisted he was going to find so much common ground with  Russias Vladimir Putin.

Trump and Putin will meet this week on the sidelines of the G-20 economic summit in Hamburg, Germany.

And sure, under most circumstances, the list of possible topics would be a lengthy one  the war in Syria, Russian aggression in Ukraine, continuing cyberattacks traced back to Russia. But we all know this is no ordinary president and these are no ordinary times.

Theres no specific agenda  its really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about, said Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the presidents national security adviser.

(Well, lets just hope the topic of Mika Brzezinskis alleged facelift doesnt come up.)

Trump, youll recall, carried on quite the little long-distance bromance with Putin during the 2016 campaign. Time and time again, he insisted wouldnt it be a great thing if we could get along with Russia, even as Putin was ordering up cyberattacks aimed at skewing the American election.

Trump can deny the existence of those attacks all he wants  and well be the first to admit they had little or no impact on the election results  but to continue to deny the threat posed by the worlds most territorially ambitious leader would be hopelessly naive.

Then, of course, there was Trump being Trump in a September interview with NBCs Matt Lauer:

If he says great things about me, Im going to say great things about him. Ive already said, he is really very much of a leader. I mean, you can say, Oh, isnt that a terrible thing  the man has very strong control over a country. Now, its a very different system, and I dont happen to like the system. But certainly, in that system, hes been a leader, far more than our president has been a leader.

Yes, Trump has a certain fondness for despots. He proved during his meetings in Saudi Arabia and in a White House meeting with Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he gets along quite nicely with them.

Certainly Trumps own advisers harbor no illusions about the nature of the Putin threat. McMaster has insisted the president will aim to confront Russias destabilizing behavior, including cyberthreats or political subversion.

We remember the words of President George W. Bush  words he would regret the rest of his political life  who after meeting Putin said, I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. I was able to get a sense of his soul.

Sen. John McCain came much closer when he said, When I looked in Putins eyes I saw three letters  K-G-B.
Editor:

Friends and I met with Senator Betty Little to address a problem for citizens in our district with the imminent repeal of the ACA and with the hope that she would support the solution, which lies within the New York Health Bill. It passed the Assembly three times, but needs one more senator to bring it to a vote.

S4840 is the most important and consequential legislation ever set before Senator Little. Millions of New Yorkers, particularly the poorest in counties in our district, will benefit with its passing. In three counties poverty is near or above 20 percent (U.S. Census); people will lose Medicaid benefits with the ACA repeal.

We noted the comprehensive study of the New York Health Act by Prof. Gerald Friedman, chair of the Economics Department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. New York Health would save $71 billion a year; $26.5 billion by eliminating private health insurance administration and profit; $20.7 billion by reducing health care provider administration of insurance claims; $2 billion by eliminating employer administration of health benefits; $5.4 billion reducing fraudulent billing; $16.3 billion by capturing savings from overpriced drugs and medical devices.

The state funds 25 percent of Medicaid costs at the county level through property taxes. Albany City Treasurer Darius Shahinfars study found that local property taxes would go down by at least 30 percent. The new system would also save on health care for municipal employees. This benefits people on fixed incomes and farmers who may have large properties but not fluid cash income. Senator Little offered no monetary argument against the bill other than repeating, It will cost too much. The fiscal concerns have been abated. Morally, how can she not sponsor the bill? That one more sponsor could be Senator Little. Dare she place people over party?

Agata Stanford, Glens Falls
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Finding Peace of Mind: Discover These Five Places in Europe to Unwind
Significant school board experience  more than 50 years' worth  will go by the wayside in the next few months when the Bettendorf, Davenport, North Scott and Pleasant Valley school districts see board members retirement.

The "dean" of those who will not seek another term on their respective school boards in the Sept. 12 elections is Richard Clewell, first elected in 2001 to the Davenport board.

Also retiring are Betsy Justis and Scott Tinsman, who each served more than a decade in Bettendorf; Heather Witters, current president of the Pleasant Valley School Board and an 11-year veteran; and Reid Blanche, from the North Scott board.

"My first board meeting was September 11, 2001," Clewell said, noting the juxtaposition of the terrorist attacks of that day and the ground-floor democracy demonstrated by service on a school board.

The most difficult times in office, Clewell said, were when the board had to close schools. His first experience with that was in 2003, when Davenport closed Grant and Johnson elementary schools.

Declining enrollment has dogged the district for more than 25 years, and it is school board members who are tasked with the tough decisions stemming from that reality.

Still, Clewell believes that as the school district goes, so goes the city of Davenport. He chafes at the lack of financial support from the Iowa Legislature, and was the founder and current chair of the board's Legislative Advocacy Committee. Clewell started, among other initiatives, the "get on the bus" trips to Des Moines to lobby for support, now done every year in the district.

"But I've done what I think I could do as an elected official," he said. He will continue his interest in early childhood development as a member of the board of Scott County KIDS. Clewell also was selected in 2013 by Gov. Terry Branstad to sit on the state board for Early Childhood Education.

That's the board, Clewell said, that distributes money to the Iowa Department of Human Services and Iowa Department of Education.

Money to educate children, prenatal to 5 years old, is a most important investment, Clewell said. "That's where the rubber hits the road, and where the money makes the most difference," he said.

Clewell, 66, is a Des Moines native and retired as a wildlife biologist in 2008 from the Rock Island Arsenal. He has two adult children.

Tinsman and Justis will have served 11 years each in Bettendorf when their terms end. When both were first elected to the board, it was for a three-year term, and Tinsman said it was subsequently changed by the state to require four years of service.

"I think four years is cutting down on candidates and that's a significant problem, going forward," he said.

Tinsman is worried that not many board members actually have children in the school district. "When you don't, I'm not sure that's in the best interests of the district," he said.

For her part, Justis said she is not seeking re-election because she no longer has children in the district. Plus, she said, events of the past two years mean the district needs a fresh start, with new faces.

"I'm stepping aside to allow that to happen," she said.

Witters, in Pleasant Valley, said she believes change can be a good thing. That district has experienced "amazing growth" by different measures.

"I expect the fresh perspective of a new member will help keep the board energized for the challenges that lie ahead," she said.

Blanche, in Eldridge, has been on the North Scott board for four years and said the decision not to run again was hard to make. "Between the demands of my career and desire to spend time with my family, it would be difficult to give the school district the time and effort it deserves," he said.

Those who said they will run for their respective school boards again include Nick Hansel and Donn Wilmott, both North Scott, and Chris Cournoyer and Jean Dickson, both Pleasant Valley.

Not making a decision on the future public at this time are Pepper Trahan, Bettendorf, and Clyde Mayfield and Jamie Snyder, Davenport.
BELLE FOURCHE-It began as a renovation to the fountain donated by the Hespe family in 1984. The addition of a large black metal hat as a centerpiece brought disappointment and discussion between the family and the city of Belle Fourche.

The hat-shaped water fountain has been removed from the Tri-State Museum and Center of the Nation Visitor Center following the controversy that erupted on Facebook and consisted of more comments from observers.

Henry Hespe served on the Belle Fourche council for 10 years prior to becoming mayor from 1974 to 1977. One of his goals was to find a workable answer to the problem of water pollution to the citys water supply. He was determined that the city would fight the battle of pollution coming against the people of Belle Fourche from the possible contamination of a sprawling Spearfish as that city grew quickly.

According to an article from the Belle Fourche Post and Bee from that time, Hespe said that he believes it is important for the city to take care of those things which it has so the city is not jumping from one crisis to another. He saw that the presence of good, pure water as important to the future of Belle Fourche.

And that is the reason the family donated the circular fountain at the Tri State Museum, to memorialize the ideals of the former mayor. He was a man dedicated to working hard for the city of Belle Fourche.

But the addition of the hat doesnt represent the Henry Hespe or his way of life, according to family members. The family was disappointed with the process taken by the city and that they were not notified nor had any input into the fountains new look.

In early August 2016, during the citys budget discussions, the idea of refurbishing the fountain was brought up. In the minutes from the August 9, 2016 museum meeting, Kristi Thielen, museum director, noted that the 2017 CIP included $20,000 for fountain refurbishment. Thats the first mention of the refurbishment.

In April 2017, the museum minutes note that Thielen and Public Works Director Dirk Hoffman had met with Chad Carr who will create the fountain center structure. Further minutes indicate that the process was in the works and the deadline was hopefully set for July 4, 2017.

Carr, owner of Carr Coatings, indicated that he was approached by the city and that he donated approximately $2,800 toward the project. Although the cowboy hat was not built by his company, he did apply the lining and coated the hat with a sealant.

Public Works Director Dirk Hoffman and Mayor Gloria Landphere were not available for a comment at press time.

The family has since met with city officials and is not making any further comment on the project.

Much like Henry Hespe, the family has the same philosophy, once committed to a project they will go all out to fulfill the commitment.

Further discussion is set for the regular monthly city council meeting set for July 5 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
BELLE FOURCHE-Part of the queen contest is the see how well the contestants handle horsemanship skills. Early Monday morning the two MRSD contestants, Kay Marrs and Carietta Schalesky, demonstrated what they could do with an unknown horse as they saddled and rode for the judges. The four Jr. MRSD contestants watched and learned until it was their turn to show off what their horsemanship abilities.

The Jr. MRSD contestants began the official pageant Sunday morning with contestant orientation and interviews. These young ladies take part in a great training ground as they learn from the queen contestants.

During the Horsemanship contest, the riders must perform a specific pattern set by the judges. After riding the pattern, each contestant dismounts and is questioned by the judges. Usually, the questions are centered on horses and horsemanship.

The contest tests not only the riding ability of each young lady, but her adaptability to another horse and situations.

Later in the day, the contestants held a Horsemanship Style Show during which the contestant presented her unique outfit and then answered two prepared questions. The MRSD contestants had one question from the judges and one media question. Mona Heimbaugh, General Manager of the Butte County Post, quizzed the queen candidates on current events.

The Jr. MRSD also had questions from the judges following the presentation of their outfits. One question concerned social media. The young ladies answers varied from positive comments to the negative aspects of social media.

Jerry Westphah was presented a plaque for lining up fur coats for MRSD Queens. As part of the Trappers Association, he has been involved for 23 years.

Queens participate in style show

The annual Miss Rodeo South Dakota Style Show and Luncheon, hosted by the local Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, with a bevy of blazing beauties on stage, got underway on Sunday, July 2 at 11 a.m. This was part of a whole list of activities planned for the 98th Anniversary of the Black Hills Roundup (BHR) and the queen contest, which has been hosted in Belle Fourche for the past 54 years according to emcee Ted Thompson, who along with his wife Kathy.

Vying for the title of Miss Rodeo SD "Lady in Waiting" and ultimately Miss Rodeo South Dakota, are Kay Marrs of Whitewood, and Carrietta Schalesky, who was raised 45 miles NW of Faith. Both girls have graduated from South Dakota State University with degrees in Animal Science.

Running in the Junior Miss Rodeo South Dakota event are Carolyn Blatchford of Brookings, Kayla Engwicht of Ward, Kelly Jo Schopp of Meadow and Maria Roghair of Isabel.

The luncheon and style show event was preceded by registration of the young ladies at Dairy Queen on Thursday with other daily events as follows. On Friday the girls had orientation and open interview with judges followed by the first round of horsemanship at the roundup arena on Saturday, July 1.

On July 3 another round of horsemanship competition was held at Bessler arena and horsemanship style show and media questions at the Belle Fourche Red Center.

The big day for the girls is Tuesday, July 4 where they begin their day with the annual parade through Belle Fourche beginning at 10:30, with a B-1 Fly Over to begin that event. Finally at 2:30 the coronation for both MRSD and JRMRSD will be held at the roundup grounds.

The judges had their work cut out for them on Sunday as the girls did a line dance routine to start the show to the song "In Love with a Rodeo Queen." Listed in the program, available for purchase as an added fundraiser were judges for MRSD, Judy Gill of Louisiana and Debra Dilly of Colorado. For JRMRSD were Michelle Whitson of Nebraska, Luther Lange of Wall and Katie Thompson of Pierre.

The Queen contestants were asked a question to answer as a rating tool for the judges. Kay Marrs was first up with the question from outgoing Queen Sonyah Clifford.

"How do you feel, as a graduate in Animal Science, that the sport of rodeo and agriculture are intertwined?" asked Clifford.

Marrs shared that she feels agriculture has a big part in supporting rodeo through the very things that farmers and ranchers do each day working on their farms and ranches.

"It instills in those, like me, who were raised on a ranch, that we support those around us and in rodeo with everything we have," said Marrs.

Schalesky, who was asked what her platform would be should she be chosen to serve in the capacity of queen, said she felt it was important to never give up and shared how she suffered from low self-esteem as a child.

"I know what it's like to feel like I've failed," she said. "But it's important to remember that when you do succeed it makes it so much better."

Each of these girls was given three topics, choosing one to prepare a short speech from with only minutes to do it. Both girls chose the topic of "My heroes will always be cowboys."

Marrs began her speech by naming famous cowboys like Roy Rogers and John Wayne and how they had influenced our country. She finished by saying that cowboys and cowgirls can be everyday people who inspire others.

Schalesky said she hoped to obtain the status of being her own hero someday by striving to achieve and following her dreams by spreading the world of rodeo.

Outgoing JRMRSD Adrianne Schaunaman spoke briefly with Ted Thompson and then each of the Junior Rodeo contestants shared a brief speech that they had previously prepared. Both Roghair and Engwicht chose the topic of how our state was born on November 2, 1889 and the great place it is to live. Schopp gave a humorous presentation which included one-liners such as, "I've had some people tell me they thing our state tree is a telephone pole." But she was serious about the role the state's culture plays in her life. Blatchford said she bet no one lives in South Dakota for the 90 degree heat in November or the May snowstorms, but because the internal legacy of the state connects us all.

Following another brief fashion show for the girls to show off their very best outfits and their talents in modeling, they wrapped things up with another musical presentation. Then it was off to other pursuits for the holiday weekend.

Colleen Brunner

BCP Correspondent
Editor's note: Maj. Gregory Lewis is an individual mobilization augmentee assigned to the Defense Technology Security Administration.

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) | Regardless of your profession, many of us have been in positions defining the required leadership and management qualifications as an expectation of our ability to execute our office. But like many things, no two are alike and not one will prevail without the help of another.

Part of our charge in these roles is not only to lead, but to mentor, manage, challenge employees to be better and at times accept short-term failures to ensure long-term successes. As a military officer and business professional, I have had the opportunity to work with great leaders, great managers and a smaller percent of members that require some flexibility in developing their own abilities.

The latter is my focus. These are not individuals that require micromanagement. They are typically our junior leaders and managers who bear a moderate amount of responsibility, demonstrate an adequate amount of competencies, but require a higher level of mentorship.

Scenarios like these are playing out every day across all industries and represent the challenges we share to focus our energy on specific individuals and the organization as a whole. As leaders, we are inherently trustful, as we utilize a cadre of personnel to carryout out our orders. However, that trust does not negate our responsibility to ensure those orders are effectively and successfully carried out.

As a field grade officer, I had the opportunity to work alongside a commander who would daily reiterate the importance of the individuals within his unit under his command. But he would also reiterate his responsibility as a leader and a mentor to provide guidance, expectations and accountability to ensure he maintained legitimate authority and not just authority based in rank.

As we met daily to discuss current operations, we often discussed personnel issues and the status of ongoing projects. At one point, while discussing a project being led by one of our junior officers, we detailed schedule delays, communication errors and our general dissatisfaction with the way the project was being managed.

We were obviously annoyed at this individual's performance and while we took turns suggesting ideas around the room ranging from admonishment to replacement, our commander interjected and in no uncertain terms said he was willing to let this train wreck. (I should include specifically, that this was not a life and death situation.) He reiterated the need to let the situation play out and give the individual the opportunity to right the ship and complete the project. He was not afraid to let this individual fail and recognized it as a learning opportunity.

Nodding our heads in agreement in accordance with his guidance, he then said in a very casual tone, "but I think it's time to have a cup of coffee with him." We all understood what he meant and that one sentence told us everything we needed to hear.

He once told me that he was not concerned about my ability to make important decisions. He was not afraid of me being wrong or even failing, but if at some point my performance or judgment did not reflect the level of commitment and dedication to our service, unit or people then we will no doubt be drinking coffee together.

So tell me, who do you need to have a cup of coffee with?
200

June 6, 2017

The regular meeting of the Town of Oelrichs was called to order by Joseph Messinio at 7:00 pm.

Pledge of Allegiance

Members Present: Messinio, OConnell, Seger present. Staff present Hamilton, Hunt, Christman.

Guests present: Diane and Curtis Westby, Hana and Hunter Cutchin, Joanne and husband Cutchin, Rhonda Ortloff, Pat and Vince Logue, Larry Osmotherly, E.J. Wheeler and Katie and Roy Merdanian;

B. Seger moved to approve the agenda as is. J. Messinio 2nd motion. Agenda approved as presented.

Minutes of May 9, 2017 meeting were presented. A motion was made by J. Messinio to approve the minutes. B. Seger 2nd the motion.

COMMENTS AND CONCERNS: Frank Maynard, County Emergency Manager, was invited to the meeting, but did not attend.

The Cutchin couples in attendance are planning to purchase lots 1-5 and 8-12 of blocks 50 and 51. They inquired about water lines being laid and the street access being developed.

CLAIMS: Motion was made by J. Messinio to pay following claims. Motion was 2nd by B. Seger.

General fund: Susan Hunt $52.50 (cleaning); RC Journal $218.88 and 66.52; Mike Schommer $900.00 (mowing); BHEC 2 months auto pay $1587.65; J. Messinio $387.87; B. Seger $313.99; Rachelle Christman $1440.66; W. OConnell $332.46; Hills Materials $2892.33 (street work); Rosane Enterprises $677.00 (dumpster for clean up.)

Water fund; Keith Hunt $986.47 (wages& reimbursement); FRWUD $1270.18; Roy Merdanian $92.35 (wages); Susan Hamilton $1422.19; Stevens Plumbing $7.40.

Water Report: All except 4 accounts are current. Learned at the expo that Midco Lab reports can be submitted on line and paper reports can be eliminated.

Tower options; eliminate the tower and run water directly from FRWUD; standpipe tower would double the volume and increase psi at a cost of $175,000 to $180,000; bolted and welded would cost about $275,000; Maguire Iron lowered their price to refurbish the tower from $68,000 to $45,000.

Hunt spoke to Tim Potts at the expo regarding a USDA Rural Development loan at 2.75% interest for 4 new valves and 5 new hydrants at a cost of approximately $15,000. There is also a possibility of obtaining a grant split 85% /15%. There are pros and cons for all options. It would be Spring of 2018 before a grant would be available.

Hunt believes the best option would be to keep the existing tower and refurbish it in and out and have the ultrasound to check the thickness of the bowl. Also he would like to see the pressure valve to the tower put into the ground 5 feet inside of a frost proof pit instead of its existing 2 1/2 feet and the need for a heater in the winter to keep it from freezing.

He asked about re-paying the water account from the general account to allow bigger loan payments thereby costing less overall.

The hydrants have been flushed and the manual has been updated. He is 50% finished with pits, valves and pits.

As far as getting water lines to the new property owners, he would like the town to consult an engineer regarding where the best place to run them.

W. OConnell made the motion to approve the water report. B. Seger 2nd the motion.

Treasurers Report:

There was no water report. The bank statements had not been received.

Town Clerks Report: 2 letters of information were presented with no action required.

B. Seger moved to accept the clerks report; W. OConnell 2nd the motion.

OLD BUSINESS: Because Frank Maynard was not in attendance, nothing was discussed regarding the fund raising for the community center emergency needs.

NEW BUSINESS: Small Claims: past due water bills  B. Seger made the motion to file 2 of the3 small claims. W. OConnell 2nd the motion.

Meeting was adjourned by motion of President J. Messinio at 8:50 pm. W. OConnell 2nd the motion.

Rachelle Christman,

Town Clerk

Published once at the total approximate cost of $39.12.

Jul 4
WASHINGTON  On June 23 Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue authorized emergency grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres during the primary nesting season in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana in the counties meeting D2 or greater, as indicated by the US Drought Monitor.

Since that time, the drought has continued to deepen and the forecast is for hot, dry weather in the upcoming week in the northern plains. As such, the Secretary is authorizing emergency grazing of CRP for any county in which any part of its border lies within 150 miles of a county approved for emergency grazing of CRP.

In addition, for any county in which any part of its border lies within 150 miles of any county approved for emergency grazing of CRP, USDA will allow CRP contract holders who hay their acreage according to their mid-management conservation plan to donate their hay to livestock producers. CRP contract holders still have the ability to sell their hay with a 25-percent reduction in their annual rental payment as theyve been fully authorized to do in the past.

Emergency haying is not authorized at this time. The Secretary will continue to monitor conditions and will consider expanding emergency authority if conditions worsen.

Eligible CRP participants can use the acreage for grazing their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage. There will be no CRP annual rental payment reductions assessed for acres grazed.

A map displaying counties approved for CRP emergency grazing and the donation of hay under mid-contract management authority, will be available at:

To take advantage of the emergency grazing provisions, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. To find your local USDA Service Center visit http://offices.usda.gov.
Authorities are searching for a state prison inmate who was placed on escape status for leaving the Rapid City Community Work Center without authorization on Tuesday.

Christian Voldbaek, 21, is concurrently serving four sentences, according to a release from the South Dakota Department of Corrections. Three of those sentences are out of Lawrence County: a 10-year sentence with 4 years suspended for distribution of a controlled substance, five years for forgery and two years for eluding a police officer. The fourth, out of Butte County, is five years for unauthorized ingestion of a controlled substance.
Native American and First Nations tribal leaders from the Great Plains of the United States and across Canada gathered in Rapid City on Tuesday to seek solidarity on a host of issues of critical importance to tribal people everywhere.

Top tribal officials gathered in a daylong meeting at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn in Rapid City on Tuesday to find common ground and common cause on topics as diverse as the fate of grizzly bears to fears over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Protecting the heart and soul of Native American people, and looking forward to where the future might lead, were some of the major messages put forth at the event Tuesday.

Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Chairman Brandon Sazue said the American indigenous population faces a sustained attack on sacred lands and tribal cultures.

But standing together to protect their culture and lifestyle was a theme, such as in the protection of the grizzly bear, prominent in Native American culture.

More than 128 tribal nations have signed a Reclamation of Independence treaty of cooperation in the wake of last months removal of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear from the Endangered Species Act protection after more than 40 years.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced on June 22 that the Yellowstone population of the grizzly bear had recovered to the point where federal protections can be removed and overall management can be returned to the states and tribes, according to a Interior Department news release.

Zinke said the population has rebounded from as few as 136 bears in 1975 to an estimated 700 today and meets all the criteria for removal from the Endangered Species Act protection.

"This achievement stands as one of Americas great conservation successes, the culmination of decades of hard work and dedication on the part of the state, tribal, federal and private partners. As a Montanan, Im proud of what we achieved together, Zinke said in a release.

But tribal leaders fear removing the grizzly will not only lead to trophy hunting of an animal they consider sacred, but comes as President Trump has proposed the opening of more tribal lands for oil exploration and mining in the region of three critical river systems  the Missouri, Columbia and Colorado rivers, which all have their headwaters in the Greater Yellowstone Basin.

Sazue said the reclamation treaty, signed again on Tuesday by more than 20 representatives of Native American and Canadian First Nations tribes during a ceremony at the Holiday Inn, marks a new era of cooperation.

Its time to move forward, mend the Sacred Hoop, and and its time to unite, Sazue said Tuesday.

In words deep witih conviction, Sazue added that, Something greater than myself is to stand with my new friends here, and say that we will stand together. Forever we will fight, because were tired.

The unity document, starting as an accord between the Great Sioux Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy, initiated by Piikani Nation Chief Stan Grier in a meeting with Sazue in Calgary in May, opposes completion and use of the Keystone XL pipeline, the Dakota Access pipeline, and extraction of tar sands for oil production, as well as the removal of the grizzly from federal protection.

This is truly a struggle for the very soul of the Earth, of all we have ever been, or will ever become, to stand united against the axis of evil, Grier said, referring to the two pipelines and the delisting of the grizzly.

Oglala Sioux Tribal President Troy Scott Weston described the gathering of tribal representatives in Rapid City as powerful.

As long as we stand the way we are today, we will survive, Weston said.

Another ceremony of solidarity was planned for Tuesday evening at the Bear Butte monument, a sacred Native American site.
Senator Mike Rounds has finally stepped up to the plate and taken a decent swing. Our junior senator on Wednesday analyzed a proposed tax cut that's part of the Senate's health care bill and questioned its reason for being.

The tax is a 3.8 percent surcharge on investment income that is currently in the Affordable Care Act (ACA, what we commonly call Obamacare). Bloomberg analysts say that it applies to those earning over $200,000 a year. The Senate bill wants it removed. Mike Rounds is saying "not so fast."

This is so uncharacteristic of Rounds that New York Magazine took notice and commented that "Mike Rounds of South Dakota" is a "solid member of the GOP conference who has not been on anybody's list of troublemakers" with respect to the Senate bill. I'm impressed.

This is actually bracing on two levels. The first is that Rounds, who so far has been a reliable pitchman for the Trumphuggers in the GOP, has shown some independence. This is a rare moment among our trio of Republican congressional reps, who have a penchant for going along with their national party agenda without giving thought to consequences in South Dakota.

I recall when Congresswoman Noem voted to shut down the federal government, including our national parks (Badlands, Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave), wiping out the 2013 autumn tourist season just so she could make an absurdly irrelevant political point. Then there's Senator Thune with his commitment to de-neutralize the Internet, opening the door for our telecom providers to arbitrarily change costs and terms of service without federal oversight from the FCC. That would leave us smaller market customers at the mercy of a limited number of ISPs, who wouldn't have to respond to competitive demands like those in urban areas, where the competition is much more intense.

Rounds, relatively new as he is to Congress, has been mostly a "get-along and go-along" representative, his utterances generally limited to platitudinous recitations of Republican talking points. Last April I noted in my blog that he had so far mastered nothingness. Rounds just gave me hope that my judgement was premature.

That gets us to the second level of appreciation for Mike Rounds' sudden burst of independent thought. Our junior senator not only questioned the tax cut, but offered up a compellingly practical way of using that money should a Senate bill actually materialize for a vote.

He wants to convert the funds into a tax credit to Americans who don't get coverage if their spouses have employer-paid plans that don't cover dependents. So Rounds has not only shown a streak of independence, he's actually put a pretty good idea on the table. That he did so at the risk of isolating himself from his party's leaders shows some moxie that should cheer every South Dakotan who wants a representative who can think for himself.

It might also serve as a useful lesson to Noem and Thune, whose politically ingratiating styles could use a dose of intellectual self-reliance.
Patriotism and a spirit of community were celebrated July 4 at the Stevensville PIGnic.

Nearly 200 community members enjoyed Independence Day with barbecued pork roasts and mushrooms prepared by Stevensville firefighters, with fresh rolls and tables loaded with community potluck in Lewis and Clark Park.

Tonya Eckert, Stevensville Civic Club treasurer, said the club provided 230 pounds of pork and 30 pounds of mushrooms.

The mushrooms are really good grilled, she said. The picnic is a time to chat and enjoy each others company.

Robin Holcomb, Stevensville Civic Club president, said she loves seeing the community come together.

It is just such a heartwarming gathering, Holcomb said. It doesnt matter how hot it gets - they still come along. Everyone provides a side dish and the fire department has generously done the cooking every year. Lewis and Clark Park is a great place for the picnic because there is a playground, a skate park, swimming and plenty of shade.

Holcomb estimated a 150 people were at the park at noon and more would come to enjoy the day.

Sometimes we dont have leftovers; there have been years weve served over 200 people, she said. It is so nice for the community to come together, have lunch, and celebrate independence and freedom. Everyone is family.

Holcomb said she appreciated the flag ceremony provided by American Legion Post 94 and the trumpet version of the Star Spangled Banner.

It was great to hear the community start singing, Holcomb said.

Fire Chief Jeff Motley said the barbecue unit belongs to the Fire Fighters Association and would be transported to Florence for their fireworks event later.

Motley said he cooks every year to keep up the tradition.

Former assistant fire chief Dean Whitesitt, his wife Peg and Billy Swartz started the community barbecue PIGnic in 1990, right after the Montana Centennial Celebration.

We had a community picnic in 1989 and the whole community turned out and we had rows, and rows and rows of food, Peg Whitesitt said. We decided to continue.

She said the first two years firemen roasted two whole pigs for the PIGnic but it was too much work and too messy.

Two years later someone suggested roasts and we jumped at the change, she said. The PIGnic has continued for 27 years. It is a good project.
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Spooked by Malabar naval exercise by India-US-Japan, China sends surveillance ship to keep a watch

Representational image. Reuters

The 21st edition of the Malabar naval exercise will kick off in the Bay of Bengal from 10 July, and the navies of India, Japan and the US are deploying their largest warships, much to the chagrin of China. The exercise, which began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise involving the US and Indian navies, now also involves the Japanese. It alternates between the Pacific and the Indian oceans, and after it took place off the Philippine Sea last year, is back to the Bay of Bengal for 2017. Washington describes the exercise as a "series of complex, high-end war-fighting exercises conducted to advance multi-national maritime relationships and mutual security issues".However, having three major navies in its backyard has China worried. Beijing has sent a surveillance ship, the HaiwangXiang , to monitor the Malabar Exercise. India has also stepped up surveillance of the Doka La area via real-time satellite imagery to monitor any movement of Chinese troops and daily images from ISRO's CartoSat series are being shared with the government, defence sources were quoted as saying in the CNN-News18 report. Local troops are also videographing on-ground activities, they added.Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in a standoff at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction. Given the fraught situation at the border, and the sensitive nature of ties Beijing currently enjoys with all three nations  India, Japan and the US  it is approaching the joint military exercise with abundant caution. Around 15 warships, two submarines and scores of fighter jets, surveillance aircraft and helicopters are expected to take part in the exercise.A report on The Times of India wrote that the HaiwangXiang surveillance ship isn't the only one deployed by China to watch over the Malabar Exercise. The Indian Navy has also recorded an unusual surge in the number of Chinese warships and submarines entering the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) over the last two months, the report said, calling it "a clear indication of muscle-flexing by China after achieving what it believes is near-dominance in the contentious South China Sea".Moreover, a Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine, the seventh underwater boat to be deployed by China in the Indian Ocean region since December 2013 is also currently in the region, after an operational turnaround at Karachi, The Times of India report added.The Australian navy warship HMAS Newcastle is also currently in the waters off the Indian coast, weeks after India and Australia conducted a joint naval combat exercise. Washington has repeatedly urged India and Japan to let Australia become a permanent part of the Malabar exercise making it a quadrilateral security dialogue, but it's been a request India has turned down in the past as well. US and Japan have both been in favour of including Australia, seeing Canberra as a "natural partner" in the efforts to balance out China's growing might.New Delhi on its part is also worried that China will step up activities in the Indian Ocean in response to the Malabar exercise. China is already building infrastructure in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, feeding India's anxiety about being encircled, Indian military sources and diplomats said."India is being careful about China," said Abhijit Singh, a former Indian Navy officer who heads maritime studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. "India is aware they have upped their maritime engagement in this part of the world and they could just become more brazen with their submarine deployments. We don't want that to happen."With inputs from Reuters
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" " The Trump administration's 2018 budget proposal opens up the idea that wild horses could be sold to slaughterhouses. Inga Spence/Getty Images

The Trump administration's 2018 budget proposal includes big funding reductions for many federal programs, but one particular cut is drawing a lot of attention from animal welfare activists.

The U.S. Department of Interior's budget summary details how the administration wants to slice $10 million from the Wild Horse and Burro Management Program overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The program will spend $80.4 million in 2017 to feed roughly 45,000 of the creatures that have been rounded up and confined in corrals and pastures. The reason this takes place in 10 western states is to prevent them ravaging the range with overgrazing. These wild horses and burros are the descendants of animals that were released by or escaped from Spanish explorers, ranchers, miners, the U.S. cavalry, and Native Americans, and they've long been a colorful reminder of the history of the American West.

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A 1971 law put wild horses and burros under the care and protection of the federal government. To help keep the herds from growing too large for federal lands to support, the law also allows wild horses and burros to be adopted by private citizens. In the case of excess animals passed over repeatedly for adoption, the law also empowers federal officials to offer them for sale "without limitation, including through auction to the highest bidder, at local sale yards or other convenient livestock selling facilities."

" " A Bureau of Land Management helicopter rounds up wild horses in Nevada. Many of the horses that are gathered are put up for adoption while others are treated with birth control and released back to the wild. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

That last part of the law, technically speaking, would allow wild horses and burros to be sent to slaughterhouses and killed for their meat. For decades, though, horse-friendly legislators have taken care to slip a ban on such sales into the annual federal appropriations bill. (You'll find the current ban in Section 601 of the 2017 legislation.)

Last September, after touring Nevada grassland reportedly denuded by overgrazing, a BLM advisory board recommended lifting restrictions on sales and/or euthanization of those animals that had been passed over for adoption. The ensuing outcry led BLM to release a statement that it had no plans to kill any of the animals.

But now the Trump administration wants to revisit that solution. The Interior's budget document "proposes to give BLM the tools it needs to manage this program in a more cost-effective manner, including the ability to conduct sales without limitation. The budget proposes to eliminate appropriations language restricting BLM from using all of the management options authorized in the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act."

In an email, BLM public affairs specialist Jason Lutterman said that changes were necessary because the existing Wild Horse and Burro program is "unsustainable." Wild horses and burros face starvation and death from lack of water because of overpopulation, and habitat damage forces the animals to leave public lands and venture onto private property  "or even highways," he says  in search of something to eat and drink.

" " Wild burros also roam regions of Mexico and the American West. Mark Newman/Lonely Planet Images/Getty Images

Additionally, most of the corrals or pastures that BLM uses are on private land that the agency must lease. That expense alone  nearly $50 million  eats up most of the Wild Horse and Burro Program's budget.

Lutterman said that BLM hasn't yet developed a plan for selling horses and burros, so it's not possible to say how many would be sold, or how much revenue it might generate. "The BLM's first goal is to find good homes for the wild horses and burros that we gather from overpopulated herds," he says. "To that end, we are increasing our efforts to work with our partners to train and find homes for as many wild horses and burros as possible."

But the Trump administration's move to lift restrictions on sale of wild horses and burros is likely to run into determined opposition from animal welfare activists.

"This proposed budget language is unacceptable," said Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Campaign, via text message. "Americans love and value our wild horses. They are part of our history and the culture of the West. Americans won't stand for the brutal slaughter of tens of thousands of these American icons. There is a better way to manage wild horses; the federal government just has to use it."

"If Congress lifts the ban, wild horses and burros in holding facilities will be killed or sold for slaughter," she said.

In addition being able to sell horses and burros, the Trump administration wants Congress to eliminate any other language in the next appropriations bill that would prevent BLM "from using all of the management options" authorized in the original 1971 law. As Roy notes, that would enable officials to euthanize "excess" healthy mustangs and burros to control the population. She's concerned that might lead to mass killing of the remaining wild population  the tens of thousands of animals not yet captured by BLM.

Who would want to eat a horse, anyway? The last horse slaughterhouses in the U.S. closed in 2007, but each year, an average of 137,000 U.S. horses are shipped across the border to facilities in Mexico and Canada, according to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). While Americans might be repelled by the idea of eating equine flesh, it's sold for human consumption in France, Canada and numerous other countries around the world.

Now That's Interesting Animal welfare activists would prefer to see BLM give female horses contraceptives to limit their reproduction. Lutterman says the bureau is supporting a research effort by Colorado State University scientists to determine the most effective time for administering booster doses of GonaCon, a contraceptive vaccine; last year, BLM dropped another research effort to study methods of surgically sterilizing horses.
" " Sales of handguns and rifles for self-defense have surpassed sales of other guns for recreational purposes like hunting and target shooting. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Lynn K. of Franklin, Tennessee, had a pretty scary experience recently. "I was driving home at night from Lawrenceburg when there was a fake policeman attempting to pull cars over to rob and assault the drivers," she says. Inspired by this dangerous situation, she decided to take a concealed permit class to learn more about safely using a handgun, and now keeps one locked in her car's glove box at all times. "My two personal guns are a Ruger LC9 and a Smith & Wesson Shield. Both are compact 9-mm [pistols], so easier to carry."

According to data from a study published in the June 2017 issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Lynn is hardly alone in her decision to arm herself. Researchers from Boston University wanted to know why, and are among the first to look at scientific research behind gun and ammunition manufacturers, dealers and firearm trends.

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The study analyzes weapon type, caliber, and market share by firearm and company from data gathered between 1990 to 2015 via FBI National Instant Background Checks and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. What they found was production of pistols and rifles, typically associated with self-defense, went through the roof. "Our research suggests that guns are increasingly being viewed as having a primary role in self-defense, rather than in use for hunting or sport," the study's lead investigator Michael Siegel, MD, of Boston University School of Public Health, says in a statement.

"After declining from 1990 to 2005, annual pistol production increased by more than fourfold from 2005 to 2015 (from 0.8 million to 3.6 million), peaking in 2013 at 4.4 million," the study says. "Whereas the number of manufactured shotguns and revolvers remained stable throughout the study period, rifle production increased nearly threefold from 1.4 million in 2005 to a peak of 4 million in 2013." Overall, firearm manufacturing hit a high of 10.3 million in 2013, compared to a range of just 3 to 5 million during the period of 1990 to 2005.

The huge increase in production of large-caliber, deadly and compact handguns also is reflected by consumer demand. A 2013 Gallup poll found that 60 percent of people surveyed indicated personal safety/protection as their primary reason to own a gun. Gallup conducted comparable surveys in 2000 and 2005 with similar results.

Authors of the Boston study say their findings have important consequences to helping solve the problem of firearm violence that is plaguing the United States.

"Public health practitioners need to understand and accept the increasing view, among gun owners, of firearms as a means to security and freedom," Siegel says. "Only by acknowledging the value that firearms have in the lives of gun owners can public health practitioners develop programs and policies that respect the desire to own weapons for self-defense while at the same time mitigating the firearm violence that is ravishing our communities."

Now That's Scary Guns are the third leading cause of death among children (17 and younger) in the U.S., with 38 percent due to suicide.
A reunion is happening within the Canadian horror family this Fall. Canadian genre star Ry Barrett has gotten together with the director of Save Yourself and Sick Ryan M. Andrews for a new psychological thriller called Art of Obsession. Barrett also reunited with his co-star from The Demolisher, Jessica Vano.

is gearing up for a run at the festival circuit this Fall and Andrews wanted us to share the first trailer with you, hoping to whip up an appetite for some homegrown thrills. When festival dates are secured they will be announced over at the film's Facebook page

CANADIAN GENRE STAR RY BARRETT IS AT HIS MOST MISANTHROPIC IN ART

OF OBSESSION

After fame abandons him in an apathetic existence of misery and self-loathing, a writers infatuation with his muse becomes a dangerous obsession.

Genre filmmaker Ryan M. Andrews (Save Yourself, Sick, Survive The Night) teams up once again with actor Ry Barrett (The Heretics, The Drownsman) in a new psychological thriller/horror noir called Art Of Obsession. The film also stars Winny Clarke (Almost Adults), Raven Cousens (Late Night Double Feature) and Jessica Vano (The Demolisher).

Barrett stars as Kennedy Sait, a successful writer who despite, as well as because of,his success, is battling many demons. While the films core story focuses on a lonely mans infatuation with his neighbor, the films themes also explore addiction, depression and the darker side of fame. When talking about the character, Barrett says, The character is really dark and intense. Very scary for me to play. But we also have something to say with this story. Its not just about the obsession of woman, its also about the pain and suffering of pouring yourself into your art.

The film went to camera last summer but the filmmakers have kept the project quiet, until now, as they release the films teaser trailer. Writer/Director Ryan M. Andrews explains, Ive utilized social media for my previous films from the early stages, but this film just felt different from the start. Its not screaming Pay attention to me, its just this entity, waiting to be experienced. Its very dark and unsettling. And it definitely plays towards the more realistic and artful side of horror. Along with Producers Chris Cull, Eva Mancini and Bruno Marino, Andrews worked with his long time collaborator behind the lens, cinematographer Michael Jari Davidson to capture a gritty look for the film that compliments the somber tone of the story.
It was on Edinburghs Princes Street that most people got their first look at actor Ewen Bremner.

In the role of loveable addict Spud, he was sighted running down the famous shopping street with best pal Renton in tow, stolen gear falling by the wayside and security guards hot on their heels as Iggy Pops "Lust for Life" soundtracked the chase. That was over 20 years ago, and the film, Trainspotting, has since proven to be one of the most definitive British films of the past few decades.

Bremner is back on Princes Street today, making an appearance for the Edinburgh International Film Festival in whats shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in a long and colourful acting career. After the old gang got back together for T2 Trainspotting, providing a modern update on the themes tackled by the iconic original, Wonder Woman arrived to push the superhero genre in a positive new direction.

Sitting down with the actor in a hotel overlooking the scene of his iconic dash, we discuss the films that have made up an eventful year.

ScreenAnarchy: Its been a massive year for you with T2 and WONDER WOMAN

Ewen Bremner: Yeah, its been a really full on time, its great. I mean its the ideal situation you want to be in as an actor, you want to be occupied with work that you can enjoy and in both of those cases Ive certainly had that.

Alongside that Ive also been shooting this television series for TNT about the young William Shakespeare (Will) where I got to play this fantastic character that is basically the evilest man in England. This dangerously zealous protestant spymaster for Queen Elizabeth, whos a master of torture and does absolutely despicable things to anybody he comes across in every episode. So it's a wonderful variety of stuff that Ive got to do.

In terms of environment, youve worked on big Hollywood productions in the past like BLACK HAWK DOWN and PEARL HARBOR, but joining the DC Universe and becoming part of these new mega, multipart franchises, was it a different experience?

It was kind of a novelty to become part of a superhero movie because when my agent was talking about it I didnt really believe they would want me in a superhero film, and not on the good guy side. Typically those are for really well built, good teeth and hair types, turning up to save the world.

So I think its wonderful that Patty Jenkins made this band of compadres that are almost the least likely group of people you would pick to go on a mission to save the world. But they turned out to be just the right combination of people to give her the support she needs to get her where she needs to go.

So, for me it was kind of a novelty to start to work in that universe, but you know any film is this kind of marriage of chaos and order that is kind of dizzying and nauseating and you have to surf it like a choppy sea, youre just on a surfboard trying to stay upright.

As a native Scot did you have any kind of input on your character Charlies dialogue after receiving the script?

Totally, Patty was so open to all kinds of input on that. Her hands were a little bit tied with certain things that we did shoot that we had to re-voice afterwards that American audiences werent understanding. A few phrases that we used in there that were like, really proper Scottish phrases we had to make it acceptable and understandable for an American audience.

So you were actually dialing down the Scottish lingo?

Yeah, a little bit. She was really great and let me do what ever I wanted with the dialogue, she really trusted the team she had around her and the actors she recruited and gave us license with the text to adapt it as we felt suited it best.

And, you know she makes a film, they have their note sessions feedback from different testing groups and studio testers and they say, We love this, but we dont understand that, What the hell is a such-and-such, and then post production tidy up a few things, then you go in and rerecord certain bits of dialogue to make it more comprehensible.

There was an incredible amount of pressure on the film after the stuttering start of the DC universe and the pressure on the first female-led superhero film. How did you feel about that, and its reception after?

All I can say about making movies is that anybody whos ever made a movie is just trying to do their best, theyre trying to make a good film and when Im going to work on a film or television show I just want to do a good job, I just want to do my best, everybody wants to give it their best, the directors do the producers do, they want it to speak to people, they want it to communicate to people. Nobodys trying to disappoint anybody, everybodys putting in maximum effort and spending the maximum amount of dollars they can possibly afford to make the film reach as far as possible.

And so I always make that effort and the people Im working with are making that effort just as hard. But you never know if a films going to hit the sweet spot and communicate to people. You just have that ambition to make that effort and its all you can do. Whether people buy a ticket for it on opening night and opening weekend is completely out of your control.

You can have the best marketing campaign and a really good film but if it doesn't click with people who are like I want to see that this weekend the film is dead. But then theres films that come back because theres all kinds of distribution, digital and online so theres films that Ive done that have disappeared from the cinema or never appeared in the cinema, that years or decades later people will be like, "OH MY GOD THAT FILM IS JUST It blew my mind.

On that note, Ive just come from an OKJA screening. You were fantastic in SNOWPIERCER, it was a great role and a great film but then with the distribution problems it didn't get the release it deserved. OKJA seems like it could be the Bong Joon-ho film that could cross over internationally in a way that perhaps SNOWPIERCER should have.

Look, I feel like however a film can communicate with people, by whatever means necessary you know, the more outreach a film has the more access people have to cinema and the effort to communicate an idea the better. I dont feel theres any bad means of distribution.

Im not wild on people taking stuff for free, I know how much effort goes into making something, how painstaking it is, how many hundreds of man hours and people, and talent, and care, goes into making something whether its deemed good or bad, I don't like people just taking stuff off a site, I don't think that's cool but that's still how a lot of people end up seeing and enjoying stuff.

As long as cinema is something that's sustainable, and constantly evolving, people are always finding new ways to communicate the same idea, over and over. Theres great filmmakers basically making the same film over and over but theyre great because they find different ways to enjoy that story and to share that story.

I agree with you about Snowpiercer. I was so disappointed it didn't get a UK release, it was so celebrated everywhere else it came out. Its a great film and director Bong is really a master. I look forward to seeing Okja.

So T2 TRAINSPOTTING, when you made the original did you have an idea of where Spud would end up?

No, but kind of in the gutter, thats where Diane finds him in the original film. That's not the end of his story in that film, but hes somebody who doesn't really have a lot of options or horizons and I think its fairly realistic that if hes still hanging on there 20 years later, that its not been an easy 20 years.

Did anything surprise you when you read the script?

No, not really. In Porno, Irvine had Spud as occupying himself down the local library making a history of Leith, and I think John Hodge (the screenwriter) took that idea and ran with it. Danny found a way to make it cinematic and to feed into the original film. In a way hes the original author of all these stories in the first place.

None of us were expecting that we would be getting back together after 20 years to continue the same story, thats kind of a surreal dream.

Dannys quoted the cast as threatening, This better be good, Danny before the film's premiere. I think that shows how much you and the other guys were concerned about the legacy of the original, so did Danny do good?

Yeah, yeah, I think he really went beyond himself and delivered something more important than even the first film in terms of what hes saying. Hes got more to say and it says more about life in a way.

Obviously its not the same intense spirit of youth that the first one had, because theres no possible way there could be, but it captures the very intense spirit of adulthood and masculinity and the kind of tragedy of masculinity.

So, Renton updates his classic Choose Life speech in the film, I wondered if I could get get your views on these updates? Choose Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and hope that somebody somewhere cares

Personally I stay away from social media because I don't like that idea of a public conversation, I love talking about stuff but on a one-to-one. I don't like to broadcast, for one thing who cares what I think?

I think Facebook is todays 'Hello' magazine, or 'OK Weekly' its just a DIY, do-it-yourself version, and I thought those publications were tacky as shit anyway, so to me that sort of stuff just plays to your ego to your desire to be exposed, envied and adored. I don't have time for that, it would swallow up my life.

Choose old flames and wish you had done it all differently.

You do the best you can in the circumstances and try to learn form mistakes, all relationships... hopefully something can be salvaged and learned from them on some level.

Choose the ones you love. Choose the future. Choose life.

Good advice!
Louise (Rebecca Calder), decked out in a heavy fishermans sweater and yellow raincoat, is ready to escape from the stress of city life and the recent sting of a failed attempt at IVF for a boating break in the Scottish Highlands.

Her partner Claire (Deirdre Mullins), much less appropriately dressed and unable to tear herself away from her laptop and phone, seems less committed to the trip. Once on the water, the stunning scenery and palpable sense of isolation promises the women a chance for intimacy and the opportunity to rebuild their damaged relationship. Unfortunately, the local inhabitants of the isolated waterways might just have other plans for them

In The Dark Mile, director Gary Love focuses his attention on the complicated relationship between his leads, and the problems of work, fertility and infidelity that are driving a wedge between them, while slowly building upon the mounting external threats that they should be giving more attention.

A trip to the pub (The Slaughtered Lamb?) serves as an introduction to their boating neighbours, with the deathly silence and cold stares that result on their arrival broken only by the threatening swagger of a mouthy young man who appears to hold some sway over the odd collection of drinkers. The unsettling music, pagan statues and antlers encountered in the pub are symbols that will be witnessed time and again on this trip, hinting at a greater menace lurking beneath the areas already unsettling exterior as the tension mounts until the films final reveal.

Aided by the ancient and bleakly beautiful environment its set in, the film does a fine job in creating atmosphere. Cramped and claustrophobic interiors offer no room to hide, while external shots give a sense of dangerous isolation and all the while, the directors voyeuristic camera lurks in windows and woods. The occult symbols that crop up, repeated in disorientating, dream-like montage, are used to add a sinister undercurrent to the more pressing threat from a hulking black barge which appears to be stalking Louise and Claires dinky ship.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the central couple themselves. Their relationship might have been used to stir tension amongst the old-world locals yet, despite Claires best efforts; its nice to see that for the most part it doesnt elicit much of a response.

Far more jarring for Louise, the locals, and the audience is Claires obsession with finding wifi and an inability to leave work behind. This and Louises acceptance of the ancient world she now finds herself in results in more friction between the pair than anything the locals can provide.

Tense set pieces involving this sinister ship add momentum to the plot, as does the increasingly erratic behavior of Louise, in a fine performance from Rebecca Calder that lurches from fragile and hurting to strong and determined and back again.

With its Scottish setting and pagan symbolism, comparisons to The Wicker Man are inevitable, yet where that earlier film succeeds by ultimately bringing the full scope of its horrors into the light, The Dark Mile fails to deliver on its mysteries, resulting in an unsatisfying finale. After the slow-burn build-up, the ending feels rushed, giving way at the last minute to horror cliche and failing to give satisfying explanation to the ideas built up throughout.

The Dark Miles occult tinged psychological horror utilises strong performances and a stunning Highland setting to good effect, even if a lackluster finale means it doesnt quite deliver on its atmospheric build-up.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mario Bava's horror classic Kill, Baby...Kill! New York's newly renovated Quad Cinema has organized a near-complete retrospective of the highly influential Italian horror maestro's filmography.

But the main draw here is the world premiere and full theatrical run of the 2K restored (courtesy of Kino Lorber) Kill, Baby...Kill!, a gothic masterwork that influenced Fellini, Lynch, Argento, del Toro, J-horror and countless others.

A young woman in a medieval-looking Transylvanian village runs up to the ruins in fear. She, as if in a trance, throws herself onto the iron fence and impales herself to death. So begins this hallucinatory ghost story.

Eswai (Giacomo Rossi Stewart), a young, impossibly coiffed doctor is called in to perform the autopsy with the help of a fetching blonde, Monica (Erika Blanc). He discovers a coin shoved in the victim's heart. The superstitious townsfolk, it turns out, in order to ease the evil spirit, placed the coins themselves in all the dead who met their untimely demise.

Eswai soon finds that most of the townspeople are not only unwilling to cooperate, but afraid of a spirit of a dead child named Melissa, who was accidentally trampled to death by a horse carriage.

Preceded by an iconic red ball bouncing down the stairs and rolling down the corridors, Melissa, the blonde child ghost, marks you for death. Then you are gripped by an uncontrollable urge to kill yourself, usually with sharp, piercing objects.

As the dead bodies pile up, in order to fight the supernatural, Eswai, the man of science, must resort to the help of a beautiful sorceress named Ruth (Fabienne Dali).

Spiral staircases, cobwebs, a labyrinthine, Escherian mansion, and outdoor swing POV shots all mix in with a hint of Bava's psychosexual thrillers to come. Kill, Baby...Kill! is a true masterpiece from the father of both gialli and slasher films.

More than anything, the film is first and foremost an audacious technical marvel. Bava's ingenious, agressive camera work is fully on display, as well as his amazing mise-en-scene, both interior and exterior. His background as a special effects technician and cinematographer serves him well here with deep focus, crazy zoom-in crane shots and claustrophobic sets.

I remember seeing the film in a murky VHS version. The restored version is just beautiful to look at: colors pop, film grains are visible in the shadows and blemishes on the negatives are all but cleaned up. The restoration makes the film truly the most gorgeous and elegant among all of Bava's films.

Mondo Bava, Mario Bava's retrospective at Quad Cinema, will showcase 21 of his films, including Black Sunday, Bay of Blood, Lisa and the Devil, Planet of Vampires, Danger: Diabolik, Blood and Black Lace, along with his foray into Westerns, sword and sandal epics and sex comedies, many of them on 35mm prints imported from Italy for the occasion.

The 2K restored version of Kill, Baby...Kill has a world premiere on Friday, July 7 at Quad Cinema and Mondo Bava, a near complete retrospective, continues through July 23.

Dustin Chang is a freelance writer. His musings and opinions on everything cinema and beyond can be found at www.dustinchang.com
 Federal district judge explains his remarkable reasons for rejecting an unremarkable plea deal in heroin dealing prosecution | Main | "How smart was Obama's 'Smart on Crime' initiative? Not very" 

As reported in this Los Angeles Times article, headlined "California Supreme Court makes it harder for three-strike prisoners to get sentence reductions," earlier this week the top court in California divided over the resolution of an intricate and interesting retroactivity question. Here are the details:

Judges have broad authority in refusing to lighten the sentences of three-strike inmates, despite recent ballot measures aimed at reducing the states prison population, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday. In a 4-3 decision, the court said judges may freely decline to trim sentences for inmates who qualify for reductions under a 2012 ballot measure intended to reform the states tough three-strikes sentencing law.

Justice Leondra R. Kruger, an appointee of Gov. Jerry Brown, joined the more conservative justices to reach the result. The decision aimed to resolve questions posed by two ballot measures in recent years to reduce the population of the states overburdened prison system.

Proposition 36 allowed three-strike inmates to obtain sentence reductions if their third strike was neither serious nor violent. Judges were entitled to refuse a reduction if they believed the inmate posed an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety. They could consider the inmates history, disciplinary record in prison or other evidence.

Two years later, voters passed another ballot measure to reduce the prison population. That measure, Proposition 47, created a definition of a safety risk that judges were required to apply. Inmates could be denied a sentence reduction only if they were deemed to pose an unreasonable risk of committing certain crimes, including a killing, a sexually violent offense, child molestation or other serious or violent felony punishable by life in prison or the death penalty.

The court majority, led by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, said Monday that definition did not apply to three-strikers, who have been sentenced to 25 years to life for repeated crimes. If it had, Cantil-Sakauye wrote, it would result in the release of more recidivist serious and/or violent offenders than had been originally contemplated under Proposition 36.

Cantil-Sakauye noted that none of the ballot materials for Proposition 47 mentioned that it would affect three-strike prisoners. Proposition 47 allowed judges to reduce some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors. Based on the analysis and summary they prepared, there is no indication that the Legislative Analyst or the Attorney General were even aware that the measure might amend the resentencing criteria governing the Three Strikes Reform Act, the chief justice wrote.

The ruling came in appeals filed by David J. Valencia and Clifford Paul Chaney, who were both sentenced to 25 years to life under the three strikes law and both eligible for reduced terms under Proposition 36. Valencias criminal history included kidnapping, making criminal threats and striking his wife. Chaneys record included armed robbery and three convictions for driving under the influence....

Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar and Browns two other appointees  Justices Goodwin Liu and Mariano-Florentino Cuellar  noted in dissents that Proposition 47 clearly stated that the definition would apply throughout the criminal code. The more restrictive definition advanced the goal of concentrating state corrections spending on the most dangerous offenders, Cuellar wrote, and gave three-strike prisoners only a marginally stronger basis for winning sentence reductions.

Liu said the court majority had concluded that the drafters of Proposition 47 pulled a fast one on an uninformed public. But it is also possible that voters, unhappy about the huge amounts of money being spent on prisons, knew exactly what they were doing, Liu wrote. Mondays ruling disserves the initiative process, the inmates who are now its beneficiaries, and the judicial role itself, he said.
 "Everyone should go to jail, say, once every ten years" | Main | Divided California Supreme Court decides Prop 47 did not alter rules for retroactivity of Prop 36 three-strikes reform 

July 5, 2017

Federal district judge explains his remarkable reasons for rejecting an unremarkable plea deal in heroin dealing prosecution

A helpful reader alerted me to a fascinating opinion issued last week by US District Judge Joseph Goodwin of the Southern District of West Virginia in US v. Walker, No. 2:17-cr-00010 (SD W. Va. June 26, 2017) (available here). The full opinion is a must read, and here is its conclusion:

My twenty-two years of imposing long prison sentences for drug crimes persuades me that the effect of law enforcement on the supply side of the illegal drug market is insufficient to solve the heroin and opioid crisis at hand. I also see scant evidence that prohibition is preventing the growth of the demand side of the drug market. Nevertheless, policy reform, coordinated education efforts, and expansion of treatment programs are not within my bailiwick. I may only enforce the laws of illicit drug prohibition. The law is the law, and I am satisfied that enforcing the law through public adjudications focuses attention on the heroin and opioid crisis. The jury trial reveals the dark details of drug distribution and abuse to the community in a way that a plea bargained guilty plea cannot. A jury trial tells a story. The jury members listening to the evidence come away with personally impactful information about the deadly and desperate heroin and opioid crisis existing in their community. They are educated in the process of performing their civic duty and are likely to communicate their experience in the courtroom to family members and friends. Moreover, the attendant media attention that a jury trial occasions communicates to the community that such conduct is unlawful and that the law is upheld and enforced. The communication of a threat of severe punishment acts as an effective deterrent. As with other criminalized conduct, the shame of a public conviction and prison sentence specifically deters the sentenced convict from committing the crime again  at least for so long as he is imprisoned. Over time, jury verdicts involving the distribution of heroin and opioids reinforce condemnation of the conduct by the public at large. In turn, respect for the law propagates.117 This respect for the law may eventually reduce such criminal conduct. The secrecy surrounding plea bargains in heroin and opioid cases frequently undermines respect for the law and deterrence of crime. The bright light of the jury trial deters crime, enhances respect for the law, educates the public, and reinforces their sense of safety much more than a contract entered into in the shadows of a private meeting in the prosecutors office. For the reasons stated, I REJECT the plea agreement.

It will be quite interesting to see if the parties appeal this rejection of the plea agreement or if the defendant decides to plea without the benefit of any agreement (which I believe must be accepted if the judge finds it is voluntary).

July 5, 2017 at 09:04 AM | Permalink

Comments

I wonder if this will be a thing for this sort of crime or that the fact a grand jury indictment was obtained and/or the long term record of the defendant etc. made things different somehow.

Posted by: Joe | Jul 5, 2017 9:57:35 AM

The real down side I see to an open plea is that none of the charges go away if that route is taken, and given that most plea agreements call for a within-guidelines sentence for the charges that remain that seems like the major benefit to the defendant.

Would it be possible to plead guilty to the charges the government wants and reserve the rest or is that an all or nothing situation? If that is possible I suppose it could be done and then hope that the prosecutor gives over on the remainder.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Jul 5, 2017 11:43:01 AM

Prohibition works. It dropped the heroin addiction rate 95% in Vietnam veterans returning to the US. Alcohol prohibition dropped consumption only 50%, and that era was highly successful.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2010.00046.x/abstract

Posted by: David Behar | Jul 5, 2017 12:23:31 PM

I know in state court here, it is absolute discretion to reject a plea. Of course, the judge can't prevent the prosecution from dismissing and refiling with reduced charges (potentially allowing the parties to get a different judge on the new case).

I can understand the general philosophy that plea bargaining excludes the general public from participation in the judicial system and that, therefore, some cases need to go to trial. (Professor Akhil Amar has written at length on the "educational" and public participation roles of the jury at the time of the framing.) If choosing one case as a teaching moment for the public, I would hope that the judge will remember on the back end that this case went to trial because the court wanted a trial, not because the parties did.

Posted by: tmm | Jul 5, 2017 1:18:44 PM

What I see here is the possible birth of the new boogeyman. Now that the politicians and goodie goodie nuts have beat the SEX OFFENDER hysteria till it's a dead horse. They need a new one. At Least this one does have a high reoffense rate

Posted by: rodsmith3510 | Jul 5, 2017 6:34:26 PM

There are two key things the Court's decision hides via omission:

Was this a BINDING plea agreement under (c)?

Was the charge in the Information without a drug amount or limited to a non-mandatory minimum amount?

I assume both are true, and that the Judge may have seen a vast difference between the Indictment and the (in my assumption) sweet sweet deal that would tie the Court's hands.

Posted by: USPO-Retired | Jul 5, 2017 7:22:11 PM

Another point I thought of, I don't see how the putative jurors would learn much about the sentencing as that is information they are specifically not provided. And any sentence would come down long after the jurors are done.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Jul 5, 2017 8:40:21 PM

tmm, actually, a reading of Frye v. Missouri would likely give an argument that the Court was compelled to take the fact that the parties didn't want the trial.

Posted by: federalist | Jul 6, 2017 10:07:53 AM

Federalist, I am not seeing how Missouri v. Frye would support a constitutional right to plead guilty. Frye was an IAC case in which counsel failed to advise the client of the plea offer (and thereby was incompetent) with the likelihood that the court would accept the plea being part of the prejudice prong. While there is certainly language in Frye recognizing the significance of plea bargains in the system, neither Frye nor the companion decision in Lafler require the trial court to accept that plea bargain after setting aside the original sentence and judgment.

Posted by: tmm | Jul 6, 2017 10:31:15 AM

The opinion says nothing about the details of this particular plea agreement, especially the two critical facts identified by USPO-Retired (7:22). Without those facts, everything in the opinion appears to apply to plea agreements in general, not just this one. The opinion boils down to: this judge prefers trials to plea agreements (and by the way this particular defendant is a recidivist). Hard to see how that overbroad reasoning stands.

In all likelihood this gets overturned for abuse of discretion, or at the very least remanded for additional explanation of reasoning.

Posted by: Def. Atty. | Jul 6, 2017 10:59:42 AM

tmm--if the idea is that there is some sort of liberty interest in a plea deal (see Kagan at oral argument), then what difference should it make that it was taken away by an idiosyncratic decision of a judge? I wasn't saying that Frye dictated the result--but there is a logical argument here.

Posted by: federalist | Jul 7, 2017 12:34:08 PM

Post a comment
Tourists, East Bay families, and assorted San Franciscans flocked to the Embarcadero Tuesday night to see if this year might be the exception in which the fireworks aren't shot into a fog bank that half obscures the show. But no! That is exactly what happened again as you can see in the video below as the ever-reliable chill and Karl invasion arrived on schedule over the weekend, and made sure to dampen the festivities just a bit.

But the show must go on, and ABC 7 reports that "tens of thousands" of people showed up anyway, because hey, it's the Fourth of July! And unless you had an easy way to watch fireworks somewhere else  Sonoma always puts on a great show, for instance, and the Shoreline Amphitheater show in Mountain View is another big one  you couldn't miss out and completely, and a show's a show.

For the in-the-know and brave, you didn't have to leave the neighborhoods of the Mission or Lower Haight to see a great, grassroots show that lasted for hours, with car trunk-fuls of illegal fireworks being set off in the middle of the street, and from rooftops, sometimes under the watchful, beleaguered eye of SFPD officers  I at least witnessed about a dozen cops who made their presence known around Haight Street, and even helped close the street to car and bus traffic at one point, but mostly just let the whole thing happen.

Happy Independence Day, everyone! Hopefully nobody hurt themselves too badly.
 Expand Photo credit: Ben Colen

As Aesop Rock tours behind his latest album, The Impossible Kid, he realizes that as a rapper who is now 40 years old, he doesnt have much company in pursuing his goal to stay relevant, grow his audience and continue to progress musically.

I have very few role models in rap that are still not only going, but really trying to push what theyve done somewhere new, said Aseop (real name: Ian Bavitz) in a recent email interview.

Its actually pretty disheartening. Sure, you could name me a handful of older rappers that still do it. Fine. But theres no real precedent for continued progress to be the norm. People hang it up, or fall off or just get involved in other endeavors. Its also difficult to pop my head up and attempt to compete for promo space with the newest 20-year-old who is out there killing it. Its much harder to say, Hey, Im still here, no matter what the product sounds like.

What might work in Aesops favor is he is still a fairly fresh face, at least when it comes to the hip-hop mainstream. He didnt just burst onto the scene with a major label deal and an initial breakout hit or two. Instead, Aesop spent much of his career proving himself in indie-underground rap circles.

A graduate of Boston University, he self-released a full-length album and EP before getting signed by Mush Records and releasing his full-fledged debut, Float, in 2000. He then signed to El-Ps Def Jux label, releasing five full-length albums (the last of which, 2007s None Shall Pass, debuted at No. 50 on Billboards all-genre Top 200 album chart). By that time, Aesop had begun to emerge from the underground scene and was making his presence felt in the mainstream hip-hop/rap world. His deal with Def Jux ended when the label was put on hiatus in 2010.

Aesop then surfaced on the Rhymesayers label in 2011, collaborating with producer, rapper and former Def Jux label mate Rob Sonic in the group Hail Mary Mallon before his next solo album, Skelethon, arrived a year later. That album debuted and No. 21 on the Top 200 album chart and at number one on Billboards Independent Albums chart, and found Aesop gaining more of a mainstream music audience.

As an artist who says he didnt really seek the spotlight, Aesop said he was fine with the way his career has developed. The path I took is just me taking baby steps in an attempt to stay comfortable, Aseop said. Being underground, or less popular, etc., its just a side effect of what I did, anyway. I liked a scene that wasnt really that popular to begin with. This is all niche shit. As I got older, I attempted to twist it into a job, which so far has maintained. But this is the only path Ive really known. I always just do my thing and assume people will seek it out if theyre that interested.

Now with The Impossible Kid, Aesop appears poised to further expand his audience. The album has received strong reviews and opened at number two on the Independent Albums chart and at number three on Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. As on past albums, The Impossible Kid doesnt go for the kind of big, poppy hooks that are common on Top 40 hip-hop hits, but instead concentrates on a more angular, synthy sound that has melody but works more as a backdrop for Aesops rapping and the beats than as a focal point for the tracks.

The reality of reaching age 40 was a major source for inspiration for the record as Aesop examines his lifelooking back all the way to his childhoodas he attempts to figure out who he is as a person and how he got to where he is now. Some of the lyrics are fairly straight-forward, a surprise considering Aesop has had a long-running reputation for being cryptic in his lyrics. Thats pretty much what The Impossible Kid is largely about; just kinda staring at 40 and thinking, OK, what now? he said.

Its a lot of reflective songs, and some are even an attempt to regather and not let old baggage hold me back, he continues. I do have this desire as of late to diversify and really attempt to get involved in as much as possible. My skill set is so niche that it starts getting a little scary at my age. I dont know what I want it to be. I just want to learn to be happy.

Aesop Rock performs with Rob Sonic on Friday, July 7 at Summerfests Harley-Davidson Roadhouse as part of an evening of music that also includes Rhymesayers-affiliated acts Soul Position (Blueprint and RJD2), Grieves, Brother Ali and Atmosphere.
 Expand Photo credit: Stephen Melkisethian

Issue of the Week reflects the Shepherd Express opinions on important issues in the news. It is usually written by the Shepherds editor, but at times we invite individuals outside of the paper who are either working in the field or have some other level of expertise. Their names and affiliations will be listed at the end of the column.

If youre someone who is upset about what you have been hearing about the current debate on health care, youre not alone. According to a USA Today poll, only 12% of the American public currently supports Congress current health plan. So, you could be forgiven for celebrating last week when the Senate announced they did not have the votes and would delay a fast-tracked attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The problem is that the GOP health plan refuses to die.

The Congressional Budget Office, the very well-respected nonpartisan agency tasked with presenting the repeal bills impact, has received a lot of attention this week for the number of people they estimate will be forced off their coverage. But there are many more CBO revelations on this bill that bear consideration as we remember this Independence Day how our very health care freedom is being challenged.

Here are three parts of the Senate health bill you may not have heard about yet.

Tax credits84% of Wisconsinites who use healthcare.gov currently receive tax credits to reduce out-of-pocket costs and monthly premiums, often to purchase a mid-level Silver plan. The Senate repeal bill makes three big changes to them. First, it pushes people into riskier Bronze plans with thousands of dollars in higher deductibles, exposing us more in emergency situations. Second, it completely ends any out-of-pocket cost reductions for moderate-income consumers. Someone at the poverty line would have to pay half their annual income in deductibles before their insurance company would pay a dime for their care. And, lastly, it suddenly cuts off middle-income families and older Americans in a substantial way from any tax help. A family of four earning $88,000 a year with two kids in college would see their tax credits to reduce premiums drop from $7,500 a year to $0, leaving them to make up the difference.

Discriminationthe Senate health bill doesnt allow outright discrimination in the same way Paul Ryans House repeal did, where insurers could charge people with preexisting conditions like cancer more upfront. Instead, it allows for a back-door style of discrimination where insurers cant tell a cancer patient to pay more in premiums, but could decide not to cover their cancer drugs. The same is true for diabetes, childbirth, mental health, opioid treatment, basically anything insurers would consider preexisting. It was prevalent before the Affordable Care Act; many insurance companies would not cover vital health, services. Maternity, ambulance use, substance abuse treatment, prescription drugs and far more. In the world that the Senate health bill would create, youd have to either prepare for diseases you dont know if youd get, or weigh the potential damage of delaying certain treatment just to save a little money now.

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Medicaidbut the worst part is saved for the poor, which both Senate and House bills go out of the way to sabotage. Medicaid covers one out of every five Wisconsinites, from seniors in nursing homes to children in BadgerCare and people with disabilities. The differences between the two chambers bills are not huge, but they both represent a major restructuring that effectively ends Medicaid as we know it. The short explanation is that every year federal funds for Medicaid will be short of whats needed, leaving states to make up the difference or, more realistically, make drastic cuts. And there isnt a way to shield certain groups of consumers. Everyone, from children with disabilities to grandparents in long-term care, will be at risk.

22 million Americans are at risk of losing their coverage. Four million are people who have employer coverage and dont even use healthcare.gov. The rest of us get to look forward to higher deductibles, fewer consumer protections on annual out-of-pocket costs, and nothing done to rein in pharmaceutical costs or for-profit medicine. We cannot allow ourselves to develop a false sense of security about the fate of health care repeal just because the Senate delayed the vote; it isnt dead yet.

Lets be clear: This is the moment when the very American promise of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is put to the test. You cannot be free when for-profit insurance companies decide your fate. Lives truly hang in the balance. At this point, only by building on top of the Affordable Care Act can we provide freedom from preexisting condition discrimination, freedom from outrageous medical bills and freedom from those who want to decide whos worthy of health coverage. Essentially these changes will determine who can afford to live and who will die.

Kevin Kane is organizing director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
Bangkok is Leela Punyaratabandhus detailed portrait of the bustling metropolis she grew up in. Though she eventually moved to Chicago for college, the food of her youth always remained important. She started writing the wildly popular blog She Simmers (www.shesimmers.com

As its name suggests, Bangkok (10 Speed Press, $35) doesnt spend any time on other parts of Thailand. Its a snapshot of Bangkok, says Punyaratabandhu. There are dishes that are older than the city itself and dishes from my family. She also mostly avoids the cliched images of street food hawkers and characters milling about Khaosan Road. She focuses on the everyday experiences, from a turbulent boat ride on the Chao Phraya River to the many family meals at her grandparents house that is big enough for the entire clan should anyone need a place to stay in times of need.

Though this is her second book after 2014s Simple Thai Food, shes been thinking about writing it for five years. This is the book I wanted to write before my first book, she says. In the end, Punyaratabandhu and her publisher decided to release the relatively leaner Simple Thai Food first. The goal was to ease people into traditional Thai food, she says. The book ended up being just as authentic, but the mission of the book was to pare down the recipes to ones that were easier to make.

Bangkok makes no such concessions. The hefty book includes recipes with ingredients youd be hard pressed to track down at your local grocery store, unless you regularly can find fermented red tofu, pandan leaves or winged beans. Fortunately, you do have options. You can order most ingredients online now. If Golden Pacific Market doesnt have it, you dont need it, says Punyaratabandhu.

Even with the focus, Punyaratabandhu wasnt able to include everything she wanted. It was like trying to fit an ocean into a shot glass, she says. Paring down the list of foods was painful. I actually cried when making the final decision.

What finally made the cut differs from what most people might associate with Bangkok. Theres no basic red curry or tom kha gai soup, but you will find recipes for 24-hour chicken matsaman curry and braised chicken in coconut-galangal cream sauce. Pad Thai pops up, albeit wrapped in an omelet and requiring 24 ingredients, including fresh shrimp tomalley. No matter what your level of comprehension of Thai cuisine is, youll inevitably learn something new.

It also turns out that the city of Bangkok is much more diverse and varied than you might imagine. As Punyaratabandhu writes in the beginning of the book, Bangkok cuisine can be described as an indigenous Central cuisine of Thailand with Chinese, Mon (a state in Burma), Persian, Portuguese, modern European, North American, and more 

That means some dishes that made the cut look surprisingly inauthentic to outsiders. Every race and cuisine and ethnic culture that has come through Bangkok, we retain that and come up with something unique, says Punyaratabandhu. A lot of recipes you cant find anywhere else, even in Thailand. For example, a recipe for train fried rice includes ketchup, not exactly an ingredient one considers authentically Thai. As she explains in the book, in the early 20th century, rail dining was all about luxurious imported items that werent available to everyday people. At that time, butter, sausage, peas, and European seasoning sauces were as prized as foie gras, burrata, or lobster is today.

Bangkok presents a more complicated and intriguing portrait of the city, one that differs from the general stereotypes. Turns out, lard used to be used extensively, before vegetable oils were adopted because they were considered healthier. This trend is reversing, as more people embrace the classic ingredient.

Punyaratabandhu hopes the book corrects some misconceptions about the food in Bangkok, specifically the idea that people there only eat street food. When people think of Bangkok, they think of street food, but Bangkok is a lot more than that, says Punyaratabandhu. The best food is not found on the street at all. There is destination street food, but those are rare. We have more to offer. Look deeper into the parts of the city that (tourists) dont normally get to see. Especially the food cooked in homes.
SIOUX CITY | The Diocese of Sioux City has named Patty Lansink as the interim superintendent for Catholic schools.

She will be a placeholder while the diocese searches for a permanent replacement for Dr. Dan Ryan, who left to be president of Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines. His last day was June 30.

Lansink has been the assistant superintendent with the diocese since 2015, a press release said.

Lansink has been the principal at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Denison since 2011. She will continue that role on a part-time basis while serving as interim superintendent.

The release said Lansink, of Ida Grove, has a zoology degree from Iowa State University and has teaching endorsements. She earned a master's degree in education from Buena Vista University and went on to complete an administrative endorsement course and has an education specialist degree, the release said.

The Sioux City-based diocese covers 24 counties in Northwest Iowa, and the 16 schools give instruction to more than 6,000 students.
JEFFERSON, South Dakota | The city of Jefferson has released a part-time police officer charged earlier this year with simple assault and driving under the influence.

The City Council during a meeting Monday decided to release 38-year-old Melvin Daniel Engel Jr., who had been with the department in a part-time capacity since June 2016.

In a statement, the council cited not the incident that led to his two charges, but rather financial reasons, for the release. The statement said Engel failed to fulfill a state requirement that officers become certified within one year of being hired.

"The City Council feels it would not be financially prudent to pursue the wages, over minimum wage, paid to Mr. Engel during his 3 weeks of attendance at the S.D. Police Academy," the statement reads.

Engel served a two-day jail sentence last month after an April 1 incident at a party when, according to court documents, Engel was "waving his gun around" in the direction of another person at a party in a threatening way. He later drove away from the altercation while intoxicated.

A warrant was issued for Engel's arrest on June 5. He pleaded no contest on June 15 to simple assault and driving under the influence. A third charge of possession of a firearm while intoxicated was dismissed.

Engel was sentenced to 30 days for the simple assault charge and five days for the driving under the influence charge. All but two of the 35 days were suspended. Engel served the two days last month. He was also ordered to pay $1,518 in fines and fees and will be on probation for 11 months.

The city's investment, after minimum wage, was less than $800, the statement said. The city has since hired a certified officer to fill the part-time position, the statement said.
SAC CITY, Iowa | A Schaller, Iowa, man has pleaded guilty to growing marijuana with his mother.

Keegan Cross, 34, entered his plea Wednesday in Sac County District Court to one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Sentencing was set for Aug. 16.

Cross and his mother, Glenda Turnquist, were arrested March 30 after Sac County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of Perth Street and found 80 marijuana plants, growing lamps, watering pumps, potting soil and fertilizer. Cross was accused of using his grandfather's credit card to buy supplies needed to grow the marijuana.

Turnquist, 58, of Schaller, has pleaded not guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and dependent adult abuse. She is scheduled to stand trial July 18.
More than 80 years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an executive order called the Rural Electrification and Telephone Service Act of 1936. It provided federal loans to bring utilities to expensive-to-serve and hard-to-reach rural areas.

One of the acts chief proponents was a senator from Nebraska named George Norris, who recognized the importance of electricity and phone service to the economic and social well-being of rural communities. Without service, rural America couldnt compete in a changing world.

Well, the ensuing eight decades have brought more changes. Broadband internet and cell service are todays equivalent to electricity and phone. The hurdles to bringing faster internet to rural America are almost identical to the ones in the 1930s  expense and logistics. The solutions will require equal creativity and, most likely, a little federal oomph. And Nebraskans stand to benefit if this gets figured out sooner rather than later.

President Trumps recent pledge to ford the digital divide as part of an infrastructure plan is heartening, but its certainly not a straight line from a presidents lips to a Logan County farmers laptop. Ultimately it will require action on lots of governmental levels and partnerships with providers.

The need, however, is unquestionable. And its a need that should be felt by all Nebraskans, not just those who want to stream a two-hour movie in something close to two hours. All Nebraskans have a vested interest in a thriving rural lifestyle. Some want a place to go home to. Some want a place of peace. Some simply want affordable food, made possible by farmers and ranchers having access to better technology. And all will benefit by creating more places in the state where innovation and new business ideas can take root.

The Lincoln Journal Stars Nick Bergin talked with rural residents who need access to faster internet for work. And what parent hasnt wanted to simply download a movie and plop the kids in front of it for a break. Slow internet seeps into so many aspects of life that many of us take our relatively reliable and speedier service for granted. Solutions in rural areas, Bergin found, are expensive or nonexistent.

Right now it may not seem that access to faster internet is a matter of life and death like electricity is. But electricity may have seemed more luxury than necessity in the 1930s. If we want a thriving rural lifestyle in Nebraska, we need to take steps now, creative ones, to fix this digital divide.
Richard Millon "Grumpy" Gould, 79, of Lexington Park, MD passed away on June 30, 2017 at Chesapeake Shores Nursing Center, surrounded by his loving family. He was born July 10, 1937 in Minneapolis, MN to the late Orville Paul Gould and Madeline Shortridge Gould.



Richard proudly served in the United States Navy until his honorable discharge in (year). He was employed as a cable splicer with Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland (now Verizon) for over 28 years of dedicated service until his retirement in 1990. In retirement he worked as a Motorcycle Safety Instructor for the State of Maryland. On December 18, 1965, he married his beloved wife, Catherine Gould at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Lexington Park, MD. Together they celebrated over 51 wonderful years of marriage.



He was a train enthusiast and had an extensive train collection. He enjoyed building his own layouts. He was also a skilled wood worker and made many beautiful pieces of furniture. He and his wife enjoyed travelling to New York to watch Broadway plays. They especially enjoyed Fiddler on the Roof and Hair. They also saw many shows in Washington D.C. including CATS and God Spell. However, his greatest enjoyment was spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren whom he loved very much.



Grumpy was very active in the community and spent many years helping others. He volunteered at St. Clements Island Museum and the Calvert Marine Museum. He ran the train show at St. Clements every Christmas. He volunteered at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department carnival for many years running and working on the tilt-a-whirl and merry go round. His used his wood working skills to build the trophy case shelving and mailboxes for Station 3 Fire Department. He was part of the Southern Maryland REACT group that ran the CB radios for the boat races and the Blessing of the Fleet.



In addition to his beloved wife, Grumpy is also survived by his sons: Joe Gould (Melissa) of Lexington Park, MD, James Gould (Patty) of Midway Park NC, and John Gould of Fredericksburg, VA; his sister, Patricia Mayes; his grandchildren: Jacob Cohee, Dana Holt, Brandy Lesch, Kyle Gould, and Nick Gould; his great grandchildren Neil Holt,Hayley Holt and Hunter Lesch and many extended family and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents.



Family will receive friends for Grumpy's Life Celebration on Saturday, June 10, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to12:00 p.m., with a Funeral Service celebrated by Reverend Joe Orlando at 11:00 a.m., at Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Interment is private. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Maryland, 10665 Stanhaven Place, Suite 205D, White Plains, MD 20695. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
WASHINGTON

(July 5, 2017)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is being awardedfor modification P00019 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract (N00019-16-C-0004) for interim contractor support for the Navy and Marine Corps in support of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Support to be provided includes capabilities and services associated with Autonomic Logistics Information System maintenance, system administration, database administration, networks administration and operational mission software administration. Additional support includes the establishment or expansion of on-site support equipment operations. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station, Lemoore, California (55 percent); and Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan (45 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $22,806,587 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded a not-to-exceedundefinitized modification to a previously awarded low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 11 advance acquisition contract (N00019-17-C-0020). This modification provides for the procurement of propulsion system initial spares for Global Spares Pool in support of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. This includes initial spare engines, initial spare modules, and initial spare parts required to support the LRIP Lot 11 aircraft delivery schedule. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (93 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (6 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Fiscal 2015, 2017 aircraft procurement (Air Force and Navy) funds; fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy), and foreign military sales (FMS) funds in the amount of $248,472,749 are being obligated at time of award, $129,283,264 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($130,330,218; 38 percent); the Navy ($97,815,983; 29 percent); international partners ($91,172,593; 27 percent); and FMS customers ($20,326,548; 6 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded afixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to manufacture, test and deliver up to 69 (65 production units and four pre-production units) atomic emission rotrode spectrometers in support of the Navy and Marine Corps' oil analysis program. In addition, technical data and logistics support documents (technical manual and provisioning data), initial consumables and maintenance kits/parts will be acquired. Work will be performed at Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by August 2020. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $962,917 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The, is the contracting activity (N68335-17-D-0025)., is being awardedfor modification P00023 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-14-F-0060) to exercise an option for enterprise-wide information technology services in support of the Naval Air Systems Command. This modification provides for help desk services, desk-side services, and organizational messaging and communications. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (99.7 percent); and San Diego, California (0.3 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2018. Fiscal 2017 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $2,139,634 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded a not-to-exceedmodification P00001 to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-17-C-0001). This modification provides additional funding for long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for production of five additional low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35B Lightning II aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent); El Segundo, California (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Florida (10 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5 percent); Nagoya, Japan (5 percent); and Baltimore, Maryland (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $43,974,520 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded anot-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-16-C-0033) for additional engineering and hardware assembly services in support of the F-35 low-rate initial production Lot 11 aircraft for the government of Japan under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Nagoya, Japan (80 percent); and Baltimore, Maryland (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2018. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $30,000,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor firm-fixed-price order N0001917F0173 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order provides for non-recurring efforts for completion of engineering change proposal 6481, "Environmental Control System Controller Software Improvement" to retrofit F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G aircraft in support of the Navy and government of Australia. Work will be performed in Windsor Locks, Connecticut (45 percent); El Segundo, California (40 percent); and St. Louis, Missouri (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2020. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds; and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $7,952,558 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($7,568,826; 95.17 percent); and the government of Australia ($383,732; 4.83 percent), under the Foreign Military Sales program. The, is the contracting activity.
LA PLATA, Md. (July 5, 2017)Charles County Sheriff's detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division have arrested two additional suspects in connection with a homicide that occurred on January 12, 2016. On that date, two men entered a house in the 11500 block of Terrace Drive in Waldorf. They displayed guns, demanded money and then shot and killed a resident, Michael Keith Beers, 34; his acquaintance, a 32-year-old male, was able to escape by jumping out a window. A female, Rena Cassandra Crandell, who was inside the house during the home invasion, fled with the two gunmen to a waiting vehicle. Investigation revealed Crandell, who was dating both victim Michael Keith Beers and one of the gunmen, identified as Reigel Paul Wamack, set up the robbery that lead to the shooting homicide of Michael Beers. In April of 2016, accused Crandell and Wamack were arrested.



Further investigation revealed the identity of the driver as Christian Humberto Alvarez, 25, of Dale City, Va., as well as the identity of the second gunman as Bryan Javier Aquice, 24, of Arlington, Va. On June 26, 2017, members of the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, which includes members of the CCSO, arrested the driver/accused Alvarez in Montgomery County, Maryland. On June 27, 2017, the second shooter/accused Aquice was arrested in Arlington, Virginia. Aquice is currently incarcerated at the Arlington County Detention Center, pending extradition.



As of June 27, 2017, all four parties responsible for this crime are in custody. This case was closed successfully due to the hard work, dedication, and cooperation by the CCSO Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Narcotics Enforcement Section, Forensic Science Unit, Police Communications, Crime Analysts, Southern Maryland Information Center, Charles County Detention Center staff, Warrants Unit, U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and Investigators from Baltimore County Police, Anne Arundel County Police, Fairfax County Police, Prince William County Police, Arlington County Police Department, ATF, DEA, Laurel Police Department, and the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division.
Avant guard came to Fort Lauderdale Thursday night with the appearance of a living legend from the New York underground.

Susanne Bartsch held court for over an hour, offering advice for fashionistas, answering questions from an engaged audience and displaying big hair. Bartsch, advertised as NYCs patron saint of transformation and inclusion, advocated for free expression.

I give platforms for people to express themselves, said Bartch, dressed in white for the panel discussion. I love expressing myself, being myself, I want you to be yourself and lets party on!

Tyler Oakley, a video maker with a large social media following, moderated the panel featuring Bartsch and The Misshapes. The foursome chatted in front of a colorful, scrapbook-like designed set under the hashtag, #LoveTravels.

When Oakley asked if sexuality or gender should be an overriding factor when operating a nightclub, the answer was a resounding no.

You put out what you want to receive, said Geordon Nicol of The Misshapes, a DJ collective. As annoying as a bachelorette party can beat a gay club, you know what just be happy youre at a place where all these people want to be. Dont complain. Weve reached a great point. Dont fuck up a good thing.

Added Bartsch, I enjoy the mixing. Love unites.

SFGN interviewed three locals following the panel discussion. Michael Mendillo, the Director of Development for the Gay Mens Chorus of South Florida, said the dialogue was important.

It was such a great connection between art and LGBTQ identity, Mendillo said. Definitely working for the chorus were always trying to bridge that gap between the non-LGBT community about who we are and try to inspire hearts and change minds. All of these people are doing this in their own special way. I thought it was really cool to exchange ideas and talk about how we can best move forward and be ourselves.

Gregory OTimmer held a clipboard as he mingled with the crowd inside a local hotel. OTimmer attended the event with his fiance and colleagues from Latinos Salud, a South Florida HIV/AIDS service organization. OTimmer said he enjoyed the gathering of creative people.

It was a way for me to get into the mind of individuals that create one of the biggest and best parties on the earth, OTimmer said. Where people can come together, all inclusive, gay, straight, whoever you are you can come and express yourself and I got to see the insight of those who create those parties. I thought it was a really great way to see what theyve done for our community and how were able to come together in one place and discuss all of this.

For Casey Koslowski, a Fort Lauderdale realtor, the event was a big boost to the area.

I was impressed with the caliber of the panel, Koslowski said. To have that type of caliber people in South Florida during the off season and with standing room only, Im pleasantly surprised.
Come to Brunch and Bowl to Strike Out Bullying at the Sawgrass Lanes on Sunday, July 9. National Voices for Equality, Education, and Enlightenment (NVEEE) is organizing this second annual networking event to raise money to send 30 high school students to the Peace Ambassador Leadership Summit (PALS).

While the event at Tamaracs bowling alley is sure to be an afternoon full of fun and games, the non-profits mission is a matter of life and death.

NVEEE is a bullying and suicide prevention organization.

Their website includes some striking data: LGBT youth are two to three times likelier to attempt suicide than are their straight peers, and 80 percent of gay and lesbian students say they have no adult support at school.

Lauren Martinez, 19, was one such student, until she came under the mentorship of NVEEEs founder, Jowharah Sanders. Sanders is an LGBT community member and successful South Florida businesswoman.

Now a sophomore at the University of Central Florida, Martinez came out to her mother this June during Pride month. She recalled, Ive always known to an extent. Back in third grade, I thought it was just, you know, a little girl crush. But being exposed to all the terminologies of social justice and identity at PALS, I realized there was a term for me: bisexual. This was exactly how I felt. This made sense.

Martinez said she came out not just for herself, but also for her younger cousins and all the kids at PALS. I wanted to be a role model for everybody.

This year, the PALS summit will be held on the campus of Florida International University. Students aged 14-19 can work in a safe space to develop leadership skills to challenge bullying that they have seen or experienced themselves. Teenagers also benefit from forming meaningful friendships, Life Skills workshops, a Career Day, and assistance in the college scholarship application process.

In LGBT meccas like Wilton Manors and South Florida at large, LGBT adults can sometimes take their physical safety for granted. Meanwhile, Sanders is frequently reminded of the stark reality that most LGBT high school students don't enjoy such privilege.

NVEEE has had gay and trans students be beaten up while walking home from school. As mentors, LGBT adults can help their mentees understand, That is not always going to be your life. There are safe spaces. You will be okay. It gets better.

Mentorship undoubtedly changes lives.

Kevin Jaxon, a 56-year-old Wilton Manors resident, retired last week as Vice President of Information Technology with a Fortune 500 company. As a teenager in the late 1970s in Jacksonville, Florida, Jaxon learned to code under the tutelage of an older gay man. Not only did his mentor teach him computer programming, but he gave him self-esteem and helped him find his first job in the industry. They remained lifelong friends.

NVEEE is exactly the kind of organization that I am looking to support in my retirement, Jaxon said. It enables the next generation to feel proud of who they are, as well as who they will become. Our LGBT community has always depended upon intergenerational mentorship.

Strike Out Bullying will be held at Sawgrass Lanes on Sunday, July 9 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person, and lane sponsorship is $350 (which includes bowling for 5 friends and 10 free drink tickets). Each lane sponsored sends one student to the PALS summit.



For more information on the event, visit NVEEE.org/strike-out-bullying
A unanimous decision in the Texas Supreme Court on Friday decided that while same-sex marriage is legal, same-sex couples arent guaranteed the same rights and benefits as heterosexuals.

Dallas News reported that the nine-member court reversed a ruling that extended health and life benefits to spouses of city employees in Houston. The court ordered that the case be sent back to trial.

The Texas Supreme Courts decision this morning is a warning shot to all LGBTQ Americans that the war on marriage equality is ever-evolving, Sarah Kate Ellis, president of national LGBT rights group GLAAD, said. Anti-LGBTQ activists will do anything possible to discriminate against our families.

After Obergefell v Hodges was decided, the state of Texas and many government-funded institutions began extending spousal benefits to their LGBT employees. The then-mayor of Houston and first openly gay individual in the position, Annise Parker, extended similar benefits to city employees even though an amendment to the city charter banned the practice.

Pastor Jack Pidgeon and accountant Larry Hicks sued the mayor in response, saying that no city employee has a fundamental right to government-subsidized spousal benefits. Pidgeon and Hicks said that extending benefits to some married couples while denying them to others was perfectly constitutional.

Todays unanimous ruling from the state supreme court is a huge win for Houston taxpayers and for those who support the states marriage laws, Jonathan Saenz, President conservative blog Texas Values and attorney for Pidgeon and Hicks wrote. The Texas Supreme Court rejected the City of Houstons request to hold that the Obergefell same-sex marriage decision requires the payment of spousal benefits to homosexual spouses of city employees, and rightly so.

Its clear that the payment of same sex benefits by the City of Houston is still illegal under state law, Saenz continued. We look forward to continuing our litigation in the trial court, where we are confident that we will secure judicial relief against the city of Houstons unlawful actions.

The Texas Supreme Court had refused to take up the case until receiving pressure from top elected Republicans in the state including Attorney General Ken Paxton, Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, according to Dallas News.

This decision will not affect anyone as of yet  more trials are needed to determine which spousal benefits should be provided in city and state positions. However, this decision does open the possibility that same-sex couples will not receive equal spousal benefits to heterosexual couples.

Current Mayor Sylvester Turner responded to the decision to ensure that Houston will uphold inclusivity for all of its residents.

The City of Houston will continue to be an inclusive city that respects the legal marriages of all employees, Turner said, 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.
REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries) is an international mechanism that seeks to financially reward countries, programmes and projects that reduce deforestation-related CO2 emissions. Under this system, other countries or businesses can buy carbon credits to satisfy their emission reduction targets.

Other financial rewards come from the Green Climate Fund in the form of results-based payments. REDD+ has come under criticism from many stakeholders, who feel that the mechanism could lead to the monopolisation of woodland, tempting programme initiators to ride roughshod over the customary access and usage rights enjoyed by communities whose activities (slash-and-burn agriculture, charcoal production, small-scale timber farming, etc.) contribute to deforestation. Others, meanwhile, see REDD+ as an effective way to tackle poverty by paying local people to look after forests.

To get to the bottom of this debate, we need to look again at results-based payments  the principle that is supposed to make REDD+ an effective mechanism. In many cases, reducing deforestation is not about cutting tree-felling in absolute terms, but rather against a reference  i.e. against a what would happen if we did nothing? scenario. By definition, it is impossible to verify such scenarios (because they cannot be observed if the project is actually carried out), making them easy to manipulate. For example, if the scenario points to a 100% increase in deforestation in the coming years, and the actual figure is just 60% (i.e. with the project), then the project can claim to have prevented the remaining 40%. Moreover, both NGO-initiated REDD+ projects and World Bank-supported jurisdictional REDD+ programmes (which cover a larger area) have to abide by rules on the rights of communities and indigenous peoples. REDD+ projects are covered by private certification schemes, while others are bound by World Bank rules.

These projects capitalise on the REDD+ schemes key design weakness  predicting the worst and promising the best  and on the profusion of deforestation scenarios. And by doing so, they are often able to secure financial rewards even if deforestation actually rises, provided the increase is below the forecast. Another benefit of this virtual economy is that it avoids the risk of confrontation with local populations seeking land or timber  a situation that might make it impossible to secure certification or cause project initiators to fall foul of big international donors social rules. As it happens, these projects bear all the hallmarks of the conventional integrated conservation and development projects they were supposed to replace and make little difference to everyday rural practices. In terms of poverty reduction, our research in Madagascar has shown that while socio-economic benefits accrue to some community members, marginalised populations  i.e. those whose dependency on natural resources is greatest  are less able to access these benefits.

Moreover, the sheer complexity of REDD+ makes it a boon for consultants, many of whom are less readily available in the South. A significant portion of the payments is eaten up by consultancy fees, often leaving little remaining for local populations. And in that sense, REDD+ is certainly not the most effective way to transform agricultural practices and reduce poverty.

For more information visit:

Seyller C., Desbureaux S., Ongolo S., Karsenty A., Simonet G., Faure J. and Brimont L. 2016. The virtual economy of REDD+ projects: Does private certification of REDD+ projects ensure their environmental integrity? International Forestry Review 18(2):231-244

Brimont L. and Karsenty A. 2015. Between incentives and coercion: The thwarted implementation of PES schemes in Madagascar's dense forests. Ecosystem Services 14:113-121
Back for its third installment, Bloom is coming to San Francisco July 26th through 28th. Presented by the Barista Guild of America, the three-day event will feature a series of talks and panel discussions on the topics of Intersectionality, Coffee in Yemen, Natural Wine, and the emerging world of Specialty Convenience Coffee.

Bloom San Francisco kicks off Wednesday the 26th with an opening meet and greet at Intelligentsias newly-opened Bay Area roastery before transitioning over to The Pearl event space on Thursday for the talks and discussions. Day Two will revolved around Fast, Cheap, Good: Pic 2  Specialty Convenience Coffee, a panel moderated by Wrecking Ball Coffees Nicholas Cho discussing a growing trend in specialty coffee toward ease and convenience. Included on the panel will be Jen Apodaca of Royal Coffee, Kent Sheridan of instant coffee manufacturer Viola Coffee, and Tony Tonx Konecny of Yes Plz.

Talks for this edition of Bloom will include a BGA/Boss Barista collaboration led by Boss Baristi Jasper Wilde and Ashley Rodriguez, a look at natural wine from winemaker Martha Stoumen, and an examination of Yemeni coffee by Mokhtar Alkhanshali of Port of Mokha.

Tickets for Bloom San Francisco are now available. Single tickets cost $120. Group discounts ($95 per ticket) are available for parties of four or more. And if the Bay Area is a bit too far of a journey, as with previous iterations, Bloom satellite events will be happening all around the country where a video livestream of the San Francisco event can be watched. For more information on Bloom and the satellite events (or if you want to host one of the satellite events), visit their official website.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.

*top image via Bloom
I suppose Aussies are partly to thank/blame for opening the gates of hell of tourism here in Bali. Surfers have been coming here and enjoying the killer waves and friendly animist/Hindu smiles since the 1970s, and lately, you cant throw a coconut without hitting an Australian surf shop or fashion startup. Its a different world today from the horse-drawn carts and rice-field-serenity that those early surfers would have discoverednow its frenetic, jammed with scooter traffic, and development is rapid-fire. The island is a good spot for those seeking tasty food and drinks, and depending on your preference, you can pull up to a warung and eat street food and drink $2 beers, or you can eat at world-class restaurants followed by cocktails made by some of the best bartenders around. And whilst the kopi has been flowing since 1711 when the Dutch introduced Arabica plantsfinding a delicious, sweet brew with any form of acidity has been hard here, where the humidity is always 90 plus, but the coffee not so much, until recently.

So lets get into it. Next time youre on the island of the gods, youre getting out of the infinity pool in your villa, youve had your papaya, your hair is looking good in those braids you got down at Kuta beachwack on your Bintang singlet, hop in a Bluebird taxi and go drink coffee here!



Seniman Coffee

Owned by the Australian sculptor Rodney Glick, Seinman Coffee is the spot to drink coffee in the hills in Ubud, which has become a vegan/raw food/yoga mecca of late. Seniman has fast expanded from one shop on Jalan Sriwedari into a training and education studio downstairs and a roasting headquarters across the road. Seniman means artist in Bahasa, and the name isnt just an ego stroke from the ownerthey do artfully prepare their drinks amongst the colorful vibe and hubbub of the place. They are brewing espresso on a La Marzocco Linea PB and they offer a choice of mostly (though they do have one or two imports) Indonesian hand-brewed filter coffeeyou can choose or defer to them on what gadget you want your coffee brewed; I had a Hario V60. Cafes in Bali have lots of staff (wages are affordable, lets put it that way) so places like this have a hive of buzzing young workers all super keen. This is helping to foster and develop a new coffee culture very quickly and it also means that hand-brewed coffee is the norm which was a nice changethere is a romance to watching your coffee being prepared by a focused barista as opposed to being squeezed out of an airpot.

Hungry Bird Coffee Roaster

The area of Canggu on the west coast of the island is currently the hip spot. Youve got nice little bars and great restaurants nestled in between rice fields, the waves are less crowded and less pollutedthere are, however, a lot of cranes looming and developments are going up fastso dont sleep on visiting if youre in Bali. Hungry Bird Coffee Roaster was once the sole purview of owner Prawira Edo Adhiguna pulling shots on a single-group machine, but its now expanded into a light-filled new shop and roastery with full kitchen and a 15-kilogram Probat that just arrived a week before I visited. The barista manning the Synesso Hydra was intent and extremely focused and was busting out good-looking tulips. Yes, one of the signs of a developing coffee culture is the fact that they are still super psyched on latte artbut it is a gateway drug. The food is tasty and affordable and the coffee was excellent, I had a great filter prepared with a coffee from Toraja in Sulawesi, and a leathery but sweet espresso made with coffee from Kintamani in Bali. They were kind enough to bag a few things for retail for me that were just roasted and gave me some tips on other spots to hit as well, so definitely have a chat.

Expat Roasters

Expat Roasters is so new you can smell it. The tiny espresso bar is all concrete and glass, and you could be in a downtown cafe in San Francisco or Potts Point if it werent for the plethora of motorbikes outside and the nice Balinese staff. Expat is next door to Sisterfields and Bo$$manall three places are owned by Aussie Adam McAsey. McCasey set up Expat with Sydney barista Shae Macnamara, who won the Australian Coffee in Good Spirits contest in 2016 and works for Grinders Coffee. Its not exactly vibe central hereit kind of feels like a holding bay for their two eateriesbut they are making top notch coffees on a pimped out La Marzocco Linea PB (which has individual boilers and scales in the drip tray) and the location works well for a quick coffee before lunch or shopping for wooden penis bottle openers.

L/S Coffee Studio (Buro Concept Store)

OK, I was a little confused as to what this joint is called. Its officially L/S Coffee Studio, it is a part of the Buro Concept Store and its above Livingstone Bakery still with me? I think they may have taken the concept store idea a little far, but the Wi-Fi and air conditioning are good and they are smashing out tasty espresso. L/S was one of the only multi-roaster setups I found, running coffees from some of the best Indo roasters such as Common Grounds and Curious People as well as internationals like Melbournes Sensory Lab and Sydney roasters Artificer Coffee and Sample Coffee Roasters on occasion. The concept store extends nicely into hosting regular public cuppings and coffee classes (including regular workshops with St Alis Ben Morrow). L/S has a short menu of your usual cafe fare and a tight menu of other coffee drinks akin to the G&B Coffee stableI had a cashew milk and espresso shake which was equal parts punchy and provided me much needed refreshment.

Sensa Koffie

Sensa Koffies full name is Sensa Kueh Pia & Koffie Bali and its split into two shops. Downstairs it sells traditional Javanese snacks like kripukcrispy fried things (delicious, get some), and kueh, which are sweets. The coffee zone upstairs is really lovely: its an open and airy space with a big balcony, a perfect spot to ruminate over a hand-brewed V60 or an espresso. Vito Adi is the owner and head roaster, he has a pretty serious coffee pedigree and is very involved in the competition and training scene in Indonesiahe is a certified competition judge and was the 2014 Cup Tasters champion in Indonesia. They serve a bunch of single origins from all over the archipelago amongst a menu of other drinks and traditional Indo food.

As were all of the staff at the cafes I visited, the barista at Sensa was friendly as hell and asked for feedback on the pour-over he made me as well as chatting about all the places Id drunk coffee at. Its easy to see why the coffee scene is growing so fast as the baristas are all really engaged, humble, and thirsty for information, they were all happy to discuss the other cafes they like to visit and it seems theres a nice little community establishing itself. Im looking forward to the brews on my next visit. Enjoy your coffees, selamat jalan.

Jai Pyne is a coffee professional, recording artist, and journalist based in Sydney, who has written for The Thousands, Good Sport, and Lost at E Minor. Read more Jai Pyne on Sprudge.
Kinnder Dangerous was making his 2017 debut in the opening round of the $220,000 Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old trotting colts and fillies Tuesday evening at the Hippodrome 3R and the son of Northern Escort wowed the crowd with a 16-1 upset victory.

Driven by Justin Filion for owner, breeder and trainer, Denitza Petrova of Melbourne, Kinnder Dangerous was facing last years two-year-old champion, Capteur De Reve and that made no difference at all.

Starting from post position one, Filion sent Kinnder Dangerous right to the front as Capteur De Reve (Stephane Brosseau) left from post five as the 1-5 betting favourite and settled in second place, following Kinnder Dangerous to a speedy :28.2 opening quarter mile.

Filion was able to back down the pace to the half mile marker in 1:00 and that flushed the second choice in the race, Sometimes When and driver Guy Gagnon, to come first-over to challenge.

Entering the backstretch, it looked as if Sometimes When might be able to collar Kinnder Dangerous, but Filion would not allow it to happen, controlling the lead at the three-quarters in 1:29.3 as Capteur De Reve could not seem to stay close to the leaders as they rounded the final turn.

Then in the stretch drive, Filion and Kinnder Dangerous were much the best, holding off Sometimes When and winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:59.3. Capteur De Reve was third.

It was a lifetime mark for Kinnder Dangerous, who paid $34.90 to win and was winless in five starts last year at age two.

Yes, I knew he would be very good tonight, said trainer and owner Denitza Petrova. He had four months off and grew and filled out well and has been training very good. He is a very nice horse, goes very natural and has lots of heart! I think he will be strong in this series.

The trotting fillies in the series took center stage in the seventh race where the 1-9 wagering favourite, HP Run Like Mom, scored her third straight win.

It was Affirmee and driver Pierre-Luc Roy who shot to the early lead with Taurus P V (Jocelyn Gendron) grabbing the two-hole spot and going quickly to the opening quarter mile in :28.4. They raced Indian-style to the half mile in :59.2.

HP Run Like Mom and driver Stephane Brosseau were sitting in third place and they came out first-over in the backstretch and blew by Taurus P V and then collared Affirmee and past them by at the three-quarters in 1:30.4.

It was then all HP Run Like Mom, who took off and won by eight and one-half lengths in 2:01.1. Affirmee was second with Lindas Jewel, who was making her first pari-mutuel start, finishing third.

Trained by Jean Tourigny, HP Run Like Mom is sired by Kadabra and was bred by Claude Hamel of Ayers Cliff, who co-owns the filly with Michel Damphousse of Louisville.

In her last three starts, HP Run Like Mom has won by a total of 29-3/4 lengths.

There is a real dogfight for the leading driver and trainer standings at H3R. With his driving triple Tuesday, Stephane Brosseau has tied Stephane Gendron for the lead at 21 wins each. Both Francis Richard and Jean Tourigny had one training win Tuesday and Richard holds a slim lead over Tourigny 13 to 12.

Live racing resumes Sunday afternoon with first race post time at 12:30 p.m. Featured will be the second round of the $220,000 Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old pacing colts and fillies. For more information, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.

(Quebec Jockey Club)

To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results  Hippodrome 3R.
Play at the new site will be free and first come, first served through the...
Aditya Madanapalle

In June 2017, the hacking collective Anonymous claimed that NASA was on the verge of announcing the discovery of extraterrestrial life. A video was released as part of the announcement, and alleged that evidence of advanced spacefaring civilisations had been covered up, and the impeding announcement was not just about micro-organisms on a global subsurface ocean on another body in the Solar System. However, buried deep within the video, are some scientific half-truths.

One of the main pieces of evidence quoted by the video is a statement by Professor Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate during a Congressional hearing in April titled Advances in the Search for Life. NASAs recent advances, such as the discovery of hydrogen in Saturns moon Enceladus and the Hubble teams promising results from the oceans of Jupiters moon Europa, are promising signs that were closer than ever to discovering evidence of alien life, Professor Zurbuchen had said.

Are we alone in the universe? While we do not know yet, we have missions moving forward that may help answer that fundamental question.  Thomas Zurbuchen (@Dr_ThomasZ) June 26, 2017

NASA was quick to dismiss the video. However, in the past few months, there have seen a series of announcements related to finding the conditions that are favorable to life as we know it on Earth, on planets elsewhere in the universe. Science is a slow process, where evidence piles on top of more evidence, and there is an increasing understanding of the universe humans live in and our relation to it. Even though Europa was long suspected to have a global subsurface ocean, NASA confirmed it only after Hubble captured direct images of what are suspected to be plumes of water erupting from the Jovian moon.

Even during the announcement, NASA made it clear that the images only provided more evidence of plumes of water erupting from Europa, and that even the captured direct images were not absolute proof of water plumes on Europa. Although NASA has not yet confirmed that there is life on Europa, the space agency has taken steps acting on the assumption that there is. To avoid any potential contamination of the icy moon, the Juno spacecraft has an orbit around Jupiter that is specifically designed to avoid Europa.

The plumes of water on Europa, if they exist, are good news for the scientists searching for extraterrestrial life. This is because access to the subsurface ocean is made easier by the plumes, and it is possible to use new and more powerful telescopes to analyse the plumes of water for chemical signs of life. The alternative would be to send a submarine probe to Europa, which would have to drill beneath the ice cap to look for aliens. The current understanding of the Jovian system is based on evidence provided by a number of spacecraft, including Cassini, Galileo, Voyager and Juno. The James Webb Space Telescope, which is to be launched in 2018, can confirm the existence of plumes through infrared imaging.

NASA can also send a probe to directly sample the plumes for evidence of life. Another NASA spacecraft in orbit around a gas giant, Cassini has also been configured to avoid potential contamination of planetary bodies that could harbour life. The fuel is running out of the spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, and NASA intends to crash Cassini into the planet to avoid losing control of the spacecraft. After a loss of control, the spacecraft could drift into another moon with plumes of water - Enceladus.

In April 2017, NASA researchers published a paper that showed that Enceladus has all the ingredients necessary to support life as we know it on Earth. Evidence gathered by two long running missions, the Hubble Space Telescope and Cassini were used for the study. The Cassini spacecraft has detected oxygen, nitrogen and carbon on Enceladus. The only remaining ingredients necessary to support life are phosphorous and sulfur.

Unfortunately, Cassini is not equipped with the instruments needed to detect these elements, but has provided evidence of underwater geothermal activity. Hunter Waite, lead author of the Cassini study said, Although we cant detect life, weve found that theres a food source there for it. It would be like a candy store for microbes. Professor Zurbuchen, also commented on the discovery, This is the closest weve come, so far, to identifying a place with some of the ingredients needed for a habitable environment. These results demonstrate the interconnected nature of NASAs science missions that are getting us closer to answering whether we are indeed alone or not.

A recent study provided evidence that there was a large quantity of methanol around Enceladus. The finding has implications for the possibility of life on Enceladus, and demonstrates the carefulness with which scientists handle evidence that could be interpreted in one way or another. " Emily Drabek-Maunder of Cardiff University in Britain says, "Our findings suggest that methanol is being created by further chemical reactions once the plume is ejected into space, making it unlikely it is an indication for life on Enceladus." Dave Clements of Imperial College added, "To interpret our results, we needed the wealth of information Cassini gave us about Enceladuss environment. This study suggests a degree of caution needs to be taken when reporting on the presence of molecules that could be interpreted as evidence for life."

NASA has developed a simple technique that can look for life, particularly on ocean worlds, by identifying amino acids. The technique could one day be used to investigate Mars, Europa and Enceladus for signs of life. Peter Willis of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory says "One of NASAs highest-level objectives is the search for life in the universe. Our best chance of finding life is by using powerful liquid-based analyses like this one on ocean worlds."

Even the most sophisticated of our astronomical instruments struggle to find the necessary evidence to either prove or disprove the existence of life on worlds in our own Solar System. The difficulty is much more pronounced for worlds in orbit around other stars. Even so, the scientists are hard at work, scouring the skies for possible candidate planets that can host life. In June, NASAs Kepler space telescope released a survey catalog identifying over 200 candidate exoplanets. Ten of these are believed to be Earth sized worlds in the habitable zones of their host stars, where the temperatures are just warm enough for liquid water to exist on the surface.

In February, NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope team made one of the most exciting announcements. Seven earth sized rocky exoplanets had been identified in orbit around an ultracool dwarf star only forty light years away. Out of these seven planets, three were in the habitable zone of the host star, TRAPPIST-1. With the right atmospheric conditions though, all of these planets could have liquid water on the surface. Sean Carey, manager of NASAs Spitzer Science Center said, "This is the most exciting result I have seen in the 14 years of Spitzer operations. Spitzer will follow up in the fall to further refine our understanding of these planets so that the James Webb Space Telescope can follow up. More observations of the system are sure to reveal more secrets." The finding is an important step in the search for alien lifeforms.

A study conducted by NASA in April showed that planets in orbit around binary star systems can potentially support life under the right conditions. All the known exoplanets in orbit around two stars are gas giants, but a rocky planet like the Earth, could, in theory have liquid water on the surface. The study had to factor in the complicated and erratic orbit of the hypothetical planet, as well as the habitable zone of a binary star system. Siegfried Eggl, a Caltech postdoctoral scholar at Nasas Jet Propulsion Laboratory said "Our research is motivated by the fact that searching for potentially habitable planets requires a lot of effort, so it is good to know in advance where to look." Such a planet would be similar to Tatooine from the Star Wars series.

With the launch of newer, powerful and more sophisticated astronomical instruments such as the James Webb Space Telescope, which can capture direct images of exoplanets, the chances of finding more evidence in support of life elsewhere in the universe can only improve. Exciting developments related to aliens by other researchers include speculation by Harvard scientists that fast radio bursts may be alien civilisations propelling interstellar probes equipped with solar sails, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany confirming an atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet 39 light years away, and KIC 8462852, the star with the alleged alien mega-structure experiencing a mysterious dimming event.
tech2 News Staff

Asus is finally set to launch the much-anticipated Zenfone AR on 13 July in India. The Asus Zenfone AR, which released at Consumer Electronic Show (CES) earlier this year, is the first phone in the world to have Augmented Reality (AR) and Daydream support.

Asus had previously announced the arrival of the phone in India, having teased it through its official Twitter handle. The phone boasts of native support for both Google Tango, a 3D technology for enabling AR experiences, as well as support for Google Daydream, a VR content platform.

Going by Asus' website, the phone will pack 3,000 mAh battery. It will work on Android 7.0 along with Asus ZenUI 3.0 along with 8 GB of RAM. It is powered by Qualcomm's top of the line Snapdragon 821 platform. Other features include a Super AMOLED 5.7-inch display with Gorilla Glass 4 protection, which comes with added support for a Bluelight Filter for eye care.

With a TriCam System, this phone comes with a 23 MP rear camera with PixelMaster 3.0 technology (and an aperture of f/2.0) as well as a motion-tracking and depth-sensing camera enabling augmented reality. Meanwhile, it has an 8 MP front camera along with a screen flash. Internal storage is, however, limited to 64 GB and a microSD slot that supports up to 2 TB external storage. The slim slot is hybrid though, meaning one will have to sacrifice a SIM card for the functionality of a microSD card.

Asus also boasts of a 5-magnet speaker, which is essentially an inbuilt speaker on the top. It also has a dual internal mic which comes with support for an Asus Noise Reduction technology.
tech2 News Staff

Lenovo-owned Motorola has unveiled six new Moto Mods at an event in Ghana, including a 360-degree camera mod as well as a DSLR mod. Motorola had promised the launch of 12 Moto Mods each year back at Mobile World Congress 2017 and are looking towards its fulfilment, though none of the mods are ready for production yet.

Reported first by TechDroider the six new mods include  the new Moto 360 Camera Mod, a ROKR Mod, a Studio Mod, a DirecTV Mod, a DSLR Mod, and the Action Mod. The highlight amongst these mods is the Moto 360 mod which features two lenses to capture 360-degree video footage. This mod is also said to be the closest to hitting production.

The company has also revived the ROKR brand in partnership with guitar amp maker, Marshall. The ROKR Moto Mod is a speaker engineered by Marshall to provide a superior portable speaker experience. The company has also teamed with Marshall to create the Studio Moto Mod, which features a high-fidelity microphone for recording superior audio. This mod also bears the Marshall logo on the back.

Motorola has also partnered with DirecTV (a US-based AT&T service), and the DirecTV Mod essentially comes with an HDMI port that allows the user to stream on the phone using the DirecTV streaming stick. The new DSLR Mod acts as a mount for camera lenses along with a shutter button and a light for a DSLR-like experience. Lastly, the Action Mod which has a rotating camera, the functionality of which is not fully known.

Lenovo recently launched the Moto Z2 Play with support for Moto Mods and the company is also looking to launch the Moto Z2 soon.
tech2 News Staff

The Xiaomi Redmi Note series has long since established itself as the king of the sub-Rs 15,000 smartphone segment in India. The Note 3 and Note 4 both offered incredible value for the price, undercutting more expensive smartphones that sometimes sold at double the price.

The latest update to the lineup, which is likely called the Redmi Note 5, is expected soon, and now its specifications appear to have leaked, or so says a report on Android Headlines.

The source of the leaks isnt clear, but GSMArena also appears to have found leaked slides featuring the Redmi Note 5. The slides are in Chinese.

Judging by the slides, it looks like the device will come in two variants, one with powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 and the other by a Snapdragon 660. There are also expected to be three storage variants of the device offering a 3/32, 4/32 and 4/64 RAM/Storage (units in GB) combos. These variants are expected to retail at CNY 1,200 (around Rs 11,500), CNY 1,400 (around Rs 13,400) and CNY 1,500 (around Rs 14,300) respectively. Prices in India will vary.

The rest of the specifications suggest an f/2.0 16 MP rear camera with a Sony IMX 234 sensor and a 13 MP selfie camera. Strangely enough, the battery capacity actually comes down from the 4,000+ mAh that the Note series toted in the past to a 3,790 mAh unit. The leaked slides suggest that the device will support the Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 standard over USB-C. The screen seems to be a 5.5-inch, FHD display.

It must be noted that the support for QuickCharge 3.0 is rather odd given that the SD630 and SD660 both support the faster QuickCharge 4.0 standard. Of course, these are just leaks and may not represent the specifications of the final product.

The current version of the Redmi Note series, the Note 4, boasts of similar specifications, but is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and features a 4,100 mAh battery.

The software seems to be Android 7.1.1 Nougat with an MIUI 9 skin on top.

The SD630 platform is supposed to offer about 10 percent more CPU performance and 30 percent more GPU performance over the 625. It also gains support for a faster modem and the QuickCharge 4.0 standard. The Snapdragon 660 is even more powerful and is Qualcomms latest high-end mobile platform.

The Note 4 did receive some flack at launch for Xiaomis decision to go downgrade the performance slightly by going for a weaker 625 platform over the 650 platform used earlier. However, as Xiaomi pointed out, performance in real-world usage remains the same, and you get enhanced battery life. However, that flack might be the reason why Xiaomi is opting to offer two platform options this time around.

Again, this information comes to us via leaked slides. The final product may not even resemble the products described in these leaks in the slightest.
Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
US Secretary of State says 'Syria's fate is in Russian hands now'

The Independent :

The US Secretary of State has reportedly told the United Nations Secretary General that he thinks the fate of Syria and its leader is now up to Russia.

Rex Tillerson held a private meeting with Antonio Guterres at the State Department when he said the US was limiting its mission to defeating terror group Isis, according to Foreign Policy.

Citing three diplomatic sources with knowledge of the exchange, Mr Tillerson said that though the US is committed to the 2012 Geneva Process that stated it, Russia, and other western countries would put a transition government in place, the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be in Russia's purview.

The US has "limited tactical goals-deterring future chemical weapons attacks and protecting U.S. backed-forces fighting the Islamic State in Syria-not weakening the Assad government or strengthening the opposition's negotiating leverage".

One official told the news outlet that "the Syrian people should determine their country's political future through a political process" and that a ""credible political process" would answer the questions looming about the country's future.
Gazprom to start new gas deliveries to China by end-2019

AFP, Moscow :

Russia will start supplying gas to China through a new pipeline by the end of 2019, state gas giant Gazprom said Tuesday, as part of a mammoth $400-billion deal.

"Today a deal was signed...about the date of the start of gas deliveries through the 'Power of Siberia' pipeline. It is December 20, 2019," Gazprom boss Alexei Miller told journalists.

After a decade of negotiations, Russia inked a mammoth 30-year deal in May 2014 to supply its key eastern neighbour with natural gas through a pipeline for the first time.

Construction began in September 2014 on the (2,500-mile) "Power of Siberia" pipeline to connect Yakutia's gas fields with the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and also with the Chinese border.

Miller said that the project was now moving into a "key phase" and was being carried out "strictly on schedule", adding that he had "no doubts" the 2019 delivery deadline would be met.

The agreement Tuesday between Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation came as part of a visit to Moscow by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a photo session with the senior officials marking the 42nd founding anniversary of the PGR at its headquarters at Dhaka Cantonment yesterday afternoon. ISPR photo
Britain\'s Princess Anne (right) talks with Sui Wenjing, third from left, Han Cong, second left, and other figure skaters at the Capital Stadium in Beijing on Wednesday.
Bumper yield in mango capital

Chapainawabganj growers demand preservation facilities to ensure fair price, new export destinations

Buyers throng the prime wholesale mango market in Chapainawabganj, the mango capital in the country.

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

The demand for ensuring preservation facilities like cold storage by mango farmers in Chapainawabganj, known as the mango capital in the country, is now growing as lack of such facilities results in deprivation of fare price of the produces.

The farmers are also aggrieved that they could not avail themselves of the scope for export because of the absence of such preservation facilities.

Although they prefer mango farming to cultivating rice for gaining more profit, they are worried for the future of the mango farming.

They say adequate number of cold storages can help them sustain in the rising market.

They also allege that the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Regional Horticulture Research Station (RHRS) and non-government organizations (NGOs) are almost indifferent to develop mango farming.

According to DAE officials, around 1,24,000 households are cultivating mangoes on 26,150 hectors of land this year.

Mango production will exceed the target of 2,40,000 tonnes this year as the harvesting process is still continuing in fare weather.

However, some fruits have damaged in five unions in Shibganj upazila in the district.

Around 2,38,000 tonnes of mango was produced in the district last year, while about 1,24,500 tonnes of mango were produced in 2015.

Another DAE source said there are 28 lakh 87 thousand and 836 mango trees on 23,700 hectares of land in the district whereas Shibganj upazila alone has 13 lakh 12 thousand and 855 mango trees on 12,785 hectares of land.

The mango capital has a long tradition of producing at least 150 varieties of high quality tasty mangoes including fazli, langra, gopalbhog, khirshapat, khirshabhog, lakhna, bombai, mohananda, mohanbhog and ashwina.

Monzurul Huda, Deputy Director of Chapainawabganj DAE, told The New Nation, "Growers have been extremely leaning to mango farming for the last few years to get huge profit. As a result, the paddy filed is decreasing alarmingly."

The DAE official also pointed out that the surplus mango after meeting the domestic demand can be exported. "China, Japan and Malaysia might be our new export destinations. We are also exploring market for mangoes to earn foreign currencies."

The official also stressed the need for augmenting preservation facilities.

On a query, he said, "The government has no special budgetary allocation for the mango sector. Bangladesh Bank is keen to lend to mango farmers."

Dr Soraf Uddin, senior scientific office at the Regional Horticulture Research Station in Rajshahi, told The New Nation, "We are trying to increase mango production by developing dozens of new species and saving those from insects."

According to him, the region has a long history of mango production and grows at least 350 varieties of the fruit. Mango is now the most important cash crop in the region. The livelihoods of many people depend heavily on mangoes.

The district of Chapainawabganj produces mango worth Tk 2,500-3,000 crore every year, said Abdul Wahed, president of Chapainawabganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Abu Taleb, President of Cancert Mango Orchards Coordinattion Committee, told The New Nation: "Setting up of cold storages is the prime demand of the cultivators to sustain in the competitive market."

The proper development of transports and communication system will ensure fare price, as mangoes are perishable item, he said. The poor growers take advance money (Dadon) from some persons and companies after giving bondage to recover the loss, he also pointed out.

He suggested that the agriculture offices give proper guideline to the mango growers.

Mosiul Karim, owner of 50 bighas of land in Nachol, said he has a plan to turn his all paddy fields into mango orchards but he seeks government support and preservation facilities.

"It is time to search for export market as production of mangoes has already increased as per demand of the county, which will help farmers to earn fare price," he said.


Probe into Farhad Mazhar 'kidnapping' on: Asad

UNB, Gazipur :

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday said law enforcers are investigating how poet and columnist Farhad Mazhar set out from his home and what he took with him.

"A case has been filed over the incident (alleged kidnapping) and the probe report will be made public soon," he said while talking to reporters after inaugurating a new building of Tongi Model Police Station.

The minister said the law enforcers rescued the columnist after tracking his mobile phone. Farhad Mazhar was said to have been kidnapped by unknown miscreants from Adabar in the capital in the early hours on Monday.

Police found him in a 'Hanif Paribahan' bus in Abhaynagar upazila of Jessore on Monday night while he was returning to Dhaka from Khulna, said police.

Turning to the boiler blast at garment factory Multi-Fabs Ltd city, Asaduzzaman said legal action will be taken against those responsible for the incident.

"Police are investigating the incident and legal action will be taken against those to be found guilty after the probe," he said.

At least 13 people were killed and around 52 others injured as the boiler exploded at the factory in Nayapara area on Monday evening.
Cash incentive for tannery relocation suggested

Staff Reporter :

The government is set to extend support to three sectors -- active pharmaceuticals ingredients (API), renewable energy and leather -- by providing incentives aiming to help them flourish, sources said.

To this end the Ministry of Commerce has prepared a draft policy on three sectors in the light of the guidelines for evidence-based policy formulation (EBPF).

The draft policies suggested the continuation of 15 per cent cash incentives for the leather industry.

The policies also recommended providing financial support to the API and renewable energy sectors helping the two flourish.

A senior trade official said the draft polices of the ministry also suggested the government consider providing cash incentives to the tanners for proper relocation of their respective industries from Hazaribagh of the capital to Savar tannery estate.

"We've prepared the draft policies on three (API, renewable energy and leather) sectors and submitted those to the high-ups of the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) for the submission to the cabinet committee on economic affairs," joint secretary of the Commerce Ministry Md Obaidul Azam told the New Nation. Earlier, the cabinet division had asked the ministries of forest and environment and health and family welfare and commerce to prepare policies on three key vital sectors based on evidence-based formulation.

In 2016, the government took up a project titled 'BCURE' for formulating policies by the ministries through proper impact analysis.

Building Capacity to Use Research Evidence (BCURE) is an initiative to build capacity integrating data and research evidence into policy decision-making through research, evidence and data.

The strategic purpose of BCURE is aimed at greater use of data and research evidence by policymakers.

Besides, it has the potential to dramatically improve policy outcomes and contribute to poverty reduction and enhanced socioeconomic wellbeing.

The ministry of commerce, in its draft policies, also suggested spending funds from the corporate social responsibly (CSR) for ensuring the welfare of the workers.

Asked when the policies would be sent to the cabinet division, another high official of the Commerce Ministry said, "We will send the policies to the cabinet for its approval after completing all formalities."
DB to probe Farhad Mazhar`s `abduction` case

Staff Reporter :

A case which was filed in connection with the alleged abduction of columnist and writer Farhad Mazhar was handed over to Detective Branch (DB) of police on Tuesday night.

The DB will now investigate the case, said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Mazhar, who is known to be a staunch critic of the government and a rights activist, mysteriously disappeared from home at city's Shyamoli on Monday.

He was rescued from a Dhaka-bound bus in Jessore later at night of the day. Mazhar's wife Farida Akhter lodged a complaint with Adabar Police Station in the capital on Monday. Police documented the complaint as a case the next day.

His family claimed he was abducted. Following the allegation, police started a search and found him on a bus heading back to Dhaka from Jessore the same night.

The bus was stopped at Jessore's Nayapara when both RAB and police found the poet sitting in the bus.

In the case, the columnist's wife Farida Akhter said that Mazhar called her from his phone at 5:29am and quoted her husband as saying: "They are taking me away, they will kill me."

She received four more calls from Mazhar throughout the day when he told her to manage Tk 35 lakh as ransom. At the DB headquarters, Mazhar said when he went out early in the morning to buy medicines, a group of people forced him into a waiting microbus.

Police also claimed there was no sign of abduction.




4 chargesheeted for raping Garo girl

Court Correspondent :

The city's Badda Police Station yesterday submitted the chargesheet against four persons, including Rafsan Hossain Rubel, in the case filed in connection with the rape of a Garo girl in Badda area.

Badda Police Station Sub-Inspector and Investigation Officer of the case, Shahinur Rahman Khan, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka on Wednesday. The three other accused persons are Sanauddin Mina, Al Amin and Imran.

According to the brief prosecution report, Rubel took the girl to Hasan Uddin Road, Uttar Badda on October 25 last year. He threatened to kill the woman and raped her in an abandoned house. The victim filed the case accusing Rubel. Later, Rubel confessed the offence in Dhaka court.


Victims' families to get Tk 2.79 cr compensation

Staff Reporter :

The government has approved compensation packages worth around Tk 2.79 crore (300,000) for the families of 20 local and foreign victims who died in the terror attack on Holey Artisan Bakery last year.

The following the directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the authorities concerned has been instructed to distribute the compensation packages by July 30.

After receiving order, the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs has been working to take all necessary steps to distribute the compensate the families, Ministry of Home officials said.

The Finance Division issued a circular signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Md Rajibul Islam on Tuesday for the disbursement of the compensation packages from its risk management fund for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

According to the circular, each of the 20 families will receive around Tk13.95 lakh ( 15,000).

The victims are Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, Abinta Kabir, Ishrat Akhond, Tarishi Jain, Adele Puglisi, Claudia Maria D'Antona, Simona Monti, Marco Tondat, Nadia Benedetti, Vincenzo D'Allestro, Maria Rivoli, Cristian Rossi, Claudio Cappelli, Koyo Ogasawara, Makoto Okamura, Yuko Sakai, Rui Shimodaira, Hiroshi Tanaka, Nobuhiro Kurosaki and Hideki Hashimoto. Five terrorists stormed Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, Dhaka on July 1, 2016, and killed 20 hostages, 17 of whom were foreign nationals, including nine Italian, seven Japanese and one Indian. Two policemen and two employees of the bakery also died because of the attack. Initially, a decision had been made to send compensation to the Italian families, but it was vetoed by Finance Minister AMA Muhith. On May 14, Muhith and Hasina exchanged a series of notes where he argued that it would be discriminatory to provide compensation to the Italian families only, and it could potentially embarrass Bangladesh. He proposed that the families of all victims, both local and foreign, should be compensated, the sources added.

In May this year, the government decided to pay compensation to the families of all 20 hostages who was killed by the terrorists. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed an order asking the Finance Division to arrange for a total of 135,000, or about Tk1.23 crore for giving compensation.

"We will provide assistance to the families of the citizens of different countries who were killed in the terrorist attack in Gulshan," the prime minister said in the order. The amount was later raised to 300,000.

Finance Minister Muhith also suggested that the money be paid through the government exchequer as the Finance Division had said that it would not be possible to pay it from the Unexpected Expenditure Management Fund.


BTRC plans to reduce mobile tower cos

Anisul Islam Noor :

The government has planned to establish mobile tower companies for rendering better service, saving land space and electricity and reducing the existing number of towers from 35000 to 25000, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) sources said.

At present, there are 35,000 telecom towers in Bangladesh and all of them are run by mobile phone operators.

Mobile phone operators and other telecom operators are setting up their own towers to expand network. Under the current system, all the operators are building infrastructure at a single place, leading to huge investment on their part as well as squeeze of valuable land. Prime Minister's ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy recently shared his suggestions with the telecom regulator on the guideline.

The BTRC has prepared a guideline to award three licences only to manage mobile towers in Bangladesh and separate telecom business from operators' network infrastructure.

After full-fledged journey of tower management companies, the number of mobile towers will go down to 25,000, which, will save land and energy, and cut operational expenses, the regulator experts said.

As per the guideline, a foreign company can hold 60 percent share in a tower management company.Mobile phone operators are not eligible to apply for the licence.

If a company has shares in a mobile phone operator, it has to dispose of the share before obtaining the licence, according to new guideline.

The regulator has finalised the guideline in a commission meeting on June 29. The guideline will be sent to the government by this week for approval, an official told the reporter yesterday.

The tenure of the licence will be 15 years and licence fees will be Tk 50 crore. The BTRC has also proposed Tk 5 crore as annual fees, according to the guideline.

Initially, the BTRC had planned to recommend 49 percent shares for foreign companies and 51 percent for local entities in a single licence.

Edotco, a Malaysian tower management company, is already running tower business in Bangladesh with a no-objection certificate. It manages about 9,000 towers.

Edotco is a sister concern of Malaysian telecom giant Axiata Group. Robi, the second-largest mobile phone operator in Bangladesh, owns about 20 percent shares in Edotco.

According to the proposed guideline, Robi will have to shed its shares in Edotco if the latter wins a licence.

Mobile phone operators Banglalink and Grameenphone have showed interest to separate their network infrastructure from core telecom business. They have applied to the regulator seeking permission to set up subsidiaries to manage towers.
Major rivers swelling

Flood situation ravaging: Food, medicine, drinking water crisis acute, houses, croplands, trees destroyed

Boat has now become the only source of transport as the whole area of Fenchuganj was inundated by flood water. This photo was taken on Wednesday.

Staff Reporter :

With no improvement in weather condition, the flood situation in several districts of the country continued deteriorating, as fresh areas were inundated rendering more people homeless.

Vast areas in Kurigram, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Shariartpur, Bandarban, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts have been inundated due to floodwaters.

"The overall flood situation in the country's north, northeast and south is worsening as rivers in the region continue to swell due to heavy rainfall paired by water flowing down from the upstream hilly areas," an on duty official of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) told The New Nation on Wednesday.

The official said if the rising tendency of water level in the rivers continued, the rivers would cross its danger levels at their respective point soon, he said.

The Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Ganges-Padma and Surma rivers are in rising trend, while the Kushiyara river is in falling trend. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna rivers may likely to continue rising in the next 48 hours.

The Ganges-Padma rivers may likely to continue rising in the next 24 hours. The Surma river may likely to remain steady, while the Kushiyara river may likely to fall in the next 12hours.

The flood situation Kurigram deteriorated following further sharp rise in water levels of the major rivers inundating many low-lying char areas in the Brahmaputra basin Wednesday, official said.

Talking to journalists Aiyub Ali Sarker, Chairman, Jatrapur Union Parishad of sadar upazila said about 2000 people of ten chars were marooned.

Rafiqul Islam, an inhabitant of Porachar area, on Wednesday said some 35 families took shelter at a housing project.

Manik Miah, a member, said, some 50 families of Vogobotipur of Union Parishad have been marooned.

Abul Hossain, Chairman, Ulipur Hatia Union, said, at least 700 families of Chargujimari, Anontapur, Noydara, Gaburjan, Shaympur, Baburchar and chars areas have been marooned

Belal Hossain Master, Chairman, Begumganj Union Parishad, said over 97 families became homeless due to serious erosion by the Brahmaputra river.

Siddique Ali, a member of Moshalerchar area, said river erosion left 22 people homeless.

"We have nowhere to go. Our houses are gone," Siddique Ali told journalists,

Meanwhile the flood-hit people, who took shelter on the flood control embankment and in school and college buildings, are facing acute crisis of food and pure drinking water.

The river erosion and stagnant floodwater destroyed hectares of the farmers' croplands, engulfed innumerable houses of the people.

The affected people are passing their days in great misery with their belongings including domestic animals and poultry birds for want of shelter, food and drinking water.

Thousands of hectares of croplands have been transplanted and remained submerged, causing misfortune to innumerable farmers and commoners.

The flood situation has remained unchanged in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts as waters snapping communication.

Nearly three lakh people of the districts are now facing a crisis of food and drinking water.

In Fenchuganj Upazila, boats carrying people are now plying through the main thoroughfare as most of the areas went under knee to ankle deep water.

In a more recent development, rain-induced flashfloods have left as many as 2,000 families marooned at Lama upazila in Bandarban.

Low-lying areas of the port city have also been getting flooded during high tides causing sufferings to thousands of people.

In Cox's Bazar, a vast tract of lands in Chakoria, Ramu and Sadar upazilas have been flooded due to incessant rainfall for last five days, leaving over five lakh people marooned.

Local sources said all 17 unions in Chakoria upazila were submerged by floodwaters as Matamuhuri River has started swelling.

Twenty dwelling houses in ward-9 of the upazila were eroded by the Matamuhuri.

A vast land in Khutakhali went under 2/3 feet water after a portion of the cross dam adjacent to Purba Para and Hafezkhana area was washed away by onrush of hilly waters.

On the other hand, the River Bakkhali is swelling in Ramu, snapping Ramu-Naikhyangchhari road.

Water levels in 65 rivers stations monitored by FFWC have marked rise and 17 stations recorded fall on Wednesday.

Among the 90 monitored water level stations, seven are above danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said yesterday.

According FFWC, water level of three rivers Brahmaputra, Karotoa and Teesta has been continuing to rise alarmingly for few days last predicting flood like situation in the chars and main land of the district immediately.

"Water level of the Brahmaputra river rose by 18 cm, the Karotoa by 08 cm and the Ghagot by 15 cm on Wednesday due to on rush of hilly waters from the upstream and incessant rainfall in last few days," an official said.

On the other hand, water level of the Teesta, one of the major rivers in the district, decreased by 4 cm during the period, sources said.

The river Brahmaputra was flowing 55cm below its danger mark at Fulchharighat point, the Karota 279 cm at Katakhali Bridge point of Gobindaganj upazila, the Ghagot 71 cm at New Bridge Road point of Gaibandha town and the Teesta 111 cm at Sundarganj point of the district this morning, the sources said.
Farhad Mazhar`s abduction was not an ordinary case

This is not for the first time that an eminent citizen of the country was abducted but mastery lie in the fact that he has been released alive though shattered. The question is why should such cases of disappearance are occurring in our country when we have so many efficient security agencies. Mr. Farhad Mazhar an internationally known philosopher and poet. He is certainly not rich that anybody will kidnap him for money. For his free thinking views he was jailed before. But to kidnap him cannot be an ordinary event. It was a daring move to create insecurity of life in the midst of general fear for all sorts of uncertainties.



Mr Farhad has said his abduction was made to cause embarrassment to the government. It is good that the government involvement has been denied. But that does not mean such disappearances do not question the government's competence for arranging security of life.



It has to be found out who abducted the social activist; who is also a poet and prolific writer with anti-establishment political views. If demanding ransom was the only cause such case could follow a different course but releasing him without ransom raises serious question about the real motive of the abductors. Such cases of sudden disappearance - whoever has the hand behind it - are totally abhorrent and unacceptable since it clearly threatens public security.



It is the responsibility of the government now to unearth the mystery. Not that our intelligence agencies lack the capabilities, and in fact they have amply proved their capacity by rescuing him in shortest possible time. But why such things should happen time and again without fearing the law enforcement agencies is the big question.



Our detective and special branch police, RAB and other paramilitary forces have been created to ensure safety in public life before all else. As expected by the people - whether one is a VIP, politician or public office holder or not - safety to life and property is the constitutional right of all citizens.



We know people in our law enforcement agencies are dedicated public servants and they are risking their live for safety of our lives. They have no political axe to grind. To our law enforcing agencies nothing should be more sacred or challenging than to make Bangladesh a safe country for all and not just for the few. They are for the people and the country. The public money is spent but public safety will not be taken seriously - this is not the right thing.



Mr. Farhad Mazhar's abductors must be exposed to expose the criminal gang endangering public life. They are undermining the country's image internationally to tell Bangladesh is not a safe country to do business.


Qatar accuses Saudi Arabia of forcing it to surrender sovereignty

The Guardian :

Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia and its regional allies of attempting to force it to surrender its sovereignty as it gave the strongest signal yet that it has rejected the 13 demands to lift the blockade imposed last month.

The Qatari foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, on Tuesday described the blockade as unprovoked, unjustified and unwarranted as the deadline to comply passed. He said his country would not accept any proposals that breach international law or interfere with its sovereignty.

Thani said Saudi Arabia and its regional allies  Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates  were demanding that we must surrender our sovereignty as the price for ending the siege.

The demands include Doha ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood and closing broadcaster al-Jazeera.

The four states met in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss their next steps. The Saudi foreign ministry, which confirmed it had received Qatars response, said it would respond at the right time.

Thani, speaking at Chatham House in London, said his country had already made preparations for extensive sanctions.

He also said the other Gulf states had no powers to eject Qatar from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, arguing decisions can only be taken by consensus, implying Kuwait and Oman would not endorse the punishment.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain have tried to isolate Qatar politically, diplomatically and economically, claiming Qatar has been interfering in their internal affairs and funding terrorism.

Thani said that as soon as the demands were released a fortnight ago, it was apparent they were not reasonable or actionable, adding the blockade was extraordinary, unprovoked and hostile.

We believe that this entire campaign is merely driven by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and these are the countries that we need to engage to find out what are the real problems and what are the real grievances.




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SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Senate voted Tuesday to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes of a $36 billion budget package fueled by a $5 billion tax increase designed to start digging out of the nation's deepest budget crisis since at least the Great Depression.

The Democratic-controlled chamber completed its work within 30 minutes of the Republican governor's vetoes, sending the package back to the House for an override vote that would give Illinois its first annual budget since 2015.

The House adjourned late Tuesday without action. A quorum of members failed to show up, prohibiting work.

"The package of legislation fails to address Illinois' fiscal and economic crisis  and in fact, makes it worse in the long run," the first-term governor wrote in a veto message that claimed the Democrats' proposal remains $2 billion in the red. "It does not balance the budget. It does not make nearly sufficient spending reductions."

Rauner's role in stymieing a budget deal since taking office in 2015 has been to demand a freeze on local property taxes and "structural" changes to boost business. The governor acted about three hours after the Senate voted to hike the personal income tax rate by 32 percent. Individual rates would go from 3.75 percent to just less than 5 percent. Corporations would pay 7 percent instead of just over 5 percent.

Democrats say it provides the revenue bridge to fund a $36 billion blueprint, which also includes $2.5 billion in spending reductions.

"We are faced today with the fierce urgency of 'now,'" the tax increase legislation's sponsor, Sen. Toi Hutchinson of Olympia Fields, said Tuesday morning before the first vote. "We don't have any more time. And too late is not good enough."

Local Sens. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, and Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg, voted against the measure.

I have consistently stated that I will not support stand-alone tax increases that are not accompanied by reforms. Unfortunately, because the legislative majorities simply walked away from negotiations this past weekend, that is the choice before me, Schimpf said in an emailed news release. We cannot ask Illinois taxpayers for more revenues without equal or greater amounts of economic reforms and budget cuts. A tax increase, at this time without the prerequisite reforms, will not solve our problems. Voting against this budget was not a decision I made lightly, as there are thousands of constituents that for months have demanded a fiscal plan to end the impasse. I am more than willing to work with the legislative majorities to obtain a real solution to the states economic predicament.

Fowler echoed those sentiments.

Southern Illinois cant afford another tax increase, our region is already suffering from an exodus of residents to Indiana, Kentucky, or Missouri or other points across the nation. I made a promise to my constituents, that I would oppose tax increases if they were not coupled with reforms to make Illinois more competitive," Fowler said in an emailed news release. To lend my support for another tax increase without the assurances that it would be applied to the states $14.7 billion backlog, would be irresponsible. It is a shame that the legislative majorities backed away from any meaningful reforms and decided to instead proceed with a tax package which endangers our already fragile Illinois economy.

The House approved the tax increase with 72 votes on Sunday, one more than necessary, with the help of 15 Republicans. Whether they'll continue to defy Rauner remains to be seen.

House Speaker Michael Madigan announced shortly after the Senate action that there would be no House action to override Tuesday, but his spokesman said he couldn't answer why. Later, when only 54 members answered the House quorum call, Madigan and Republican leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, were among 64 absences.

Tuesday was the fourth day into the third consecutive fiscal year Illinois has opened without an approved budget plan. Without swift action, credit-rating houses have vowed to downgrade the state's creditworthiness to "junk," signaling to investors that buying state debt is a highly speculative venture. Government has limped along for two years on the strength of court-ordered spending, but the state comptroller says the treasury will be $185 million short of what's needed to cover basic services by August.

With a $6.2 billion annual deficit and $14.7 billion in overdue bills, the United Way predicts the demise of 36 percent of all human services agencies in Illinois by year's end. Billions of dollars in road construction work is shutting down. Public universities have been cut to the bone and face a loss of academic accreditation.

Sen. Dale Righter of Mattoon, who represents Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, was the lone Republican to support the tax increase. He said he'd like to have seen more spending reductions, "but in a Democrat-majority legislature, this is as good as we can get."

"The most important issue we face right now is the fiscal stability of our state," said Righter, a legislator since 1998. "We need to protect our critical state services and the citizens of Illinois who rely on them. This budget is balanced."

A third piece of legislation in the package, which authorizes implementing the budget, includes a provision allowing the state to borrow $6 billion to pay down the bill backlog  presumably at a lower interest rate than it pays in interest for past-due status.

If Rauner doesn't like the tax plan, the financial world does. On Monday, two of the nation's top credit-ratings agencies signaled it would be a good idea for Rauner to accept the results. Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings, having earlier threatened to move Illinois' creditworthiness into "junk" status without swift action to approve a budget, smiled favorably on the financial outlook.

Rauner promised to veto the tax measure because Democrats who control the General Assembly have not agreed to resolve his pet issues, including statewide property tax relief, cost reductions in workers' compensation and benefits for state employee pensions, and an easier process for dissolving or eliminating local governments.

"It's regrettable that I stand here today not capable of being able to support this package, not because what's in the package is bad, but because it's incomplete," said the Senate's newly minted minority leader, Bill Brady of Bloomington. "We need a comprehensive budget package with reforms."

Democrats and Republicans have negotiated the issues that Rauner considers outstanding in the two weeks since the special session began. But the GOP claims talks broke down over the weekend in advance of Madigan calling the budget votes. Madigan said Monday that those talks were ongoing and Cullerton paid tribute to the cooperative pledge before leaving town Tuesday.

"I can't tell you when we'll be coming back; a lot of things depend on what happens in the House," Cullerton said, "but we'll continue to try to enact, and put on the governor's desk, many of the reforms that he's asked for."

The budget bills are SB6 and SB9 .

The Southern contributed to this story.
MARION  Taxpayers in Williamson County this year received an unexpected windfall as a maturing bond resulted in a decrease in property tax because of the county government.

Taxpayers can see this reflected in the taxing body section of their property tax bill. The line item for county government will, in most cases, reflect a decrease in the amount due from the previous year.

Williamson County Commissioner Ron Ellis said the county board became involved in 1997 with the now-defunct Illinois Counties Insurance Trust company, which insured a self-funded pool for workers compensation claims.

The money for that pool was raised through a 20-year tax levy.

As this 20-year bond is beginning to be paid off, our premiums are beginning to decrease," Ellis said. "In 2016, the amount we owed dropped by $500,000, and so we passed that savings back to the taxpayers."

While the county could have used the money for other projects, Ellis said the boards implicit agreement with the taxpayers was that the bond in question was created for a purpose and for a specified period of time.

So if that money is no longer necessary to fund the project it was intended for, we shouldnt be levying for it and taking that money for real estate taxes," Ellis said. "Do we have the ability to do that? Yes. Do we have the authority to do that? Yes. But we dont have the right to do that.

Ellis said that the board expects to see this decrease to take place over a three-year period that began in 2016. The board expects taxpayers will see this decrease reflected again on the 2017 property tax bill.

Numbers for 2018 are too far in the future to predict given the current state of affairs in Illinois.

Additionally, Ellis said he and fellow board members Jim Marlo and Brent Gentry are all on the same page when it comes to keeping their word to the taxpayers.

The proof is in the pudding, Ellis said. To my knowledge, Williamson County is the only downstate county that is in the black and has a balanced budget.

Marlo said his experience in being able to issue a refund was akin what one might feel at a mortgage burning party.

Every once in a while, the county will see something really positive happen and in this case it is great to be able to share it directly with our taxpayers," Marlo said. "It was our intent to remove the levy when its time was up, and we have honored that intent.

Gentry said the county board practices a conservative approach to governing, but that approach is not dictated by party lines.

Since he and Marlo are both small business owners and Ellis background is in accounting, their approach to working with the taxpayers money comes from a practical, not a theoretical, standpoint.

Any time the board can pass savings on to the taxpayers we will do so, he said.

Ellis said this is not the first time the county has passed savings back to the community.

When the Williamson County Pavilion was constructed it was under the umbrella of Williamson County government," Ellis said. "At that time, there was bed tax levied on county hotels and motels designed specifically to fund the pavilion."

Ellis said that when the City of Marion took over the pavilion, the hotels and motels inside the city limits increased their levy to pay for that bond. When that happened, he said, Williamson County cut hotel and motel taxes for venues outside Marion by 4 percent.

And while that tax was being passed on to people from outside the area who stayed here, the idea behind the intent was to stimulate tourism," Ellis said. "That 4 percent decrease is not a lot of money, but its not all about the money. Its also about the principle.

Ellis said that the board is a team, and that they either sink or swim together.

Are we always on the same page? No. But when the day is done and weve aired our differences, we ask two questions of any proposal that comes before us," he said. "One, is it legal? If the answer is yes, then we ask if it will benefit the greater majority of the 67,500 people that live in Williamson County. It is only when both of those answers are yes that we move forward.
United States Army and South Korean military personnel conducted a joint exercise to counteract North Korea's "destabilizing and unlawful actions," a statement from the US Army said.

The exercise used the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast, according to the US Army statement.

The action comes after North Korea claimed to have conducted its first successful test of a long-range missile that it says can "reach anywhere in the world." The Tuesday morning missile test reached a height of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television, which would be the highest altitude a North Korean missile had ever reached.

The country claimed it was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, which would put the United States on notice that Pyongyang could potentially hit the US mainland.

US military analysts believe it probably was a two-stage ICBM, said a US official with knowledge of the Americans' analysis.

On Tuesday, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi, president of the UN Security Council, that she wants an emergency session on North Korea, according to a tweet from Haley spokesman Jonathan Wachtel.

The emergency session will convene Wednesday afternoon, Wachtel wrote.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the missile test.

"This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation," Guterres said through his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations."

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also issued a statement harshly criticizing the North Korea missile test.

"Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," Tillerson's statement said.
Reaction to the proposed termination of MOX has been as polarizing as the president seeking elimination of the under-construction facility at the Savannah River Site.

In his budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, President Donald Trump was unequivocal in his desire to terminate MOX, or the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility. The plant, if completed, would convert defense plutonium into fuel for commercial reactors.

But MOX has also been besieged by cost overruns, constant delays and minimal funding from Congress. Construction has limped along. Supporters fear without MOX, the state will become a nuclear dumping ground.

In his budget proposal, Trump adopts the philosophy of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Both men have said they prefer downblending as a less costly, faster alternative to MOX.

"Multiple independent analyses confirm that the MOX approach would be significantly more expensive than originally anticipated and would require approximately $800 million to $1 billion annually for decades," the budget states. "It would be irresponsible to pursue this approach when a more cost-effective alternative exists."

Trump's dismissal of MOX is perplexing. The commander in chief has gone to great lengths to separate himself politically from Obama only to follow in his predecessor's footsteps as it relates to MOX.

It's also baffling considering both South Carolina senators and at least one House member are ardent supporters of MOX.

Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Joe Wilson both issued statements criticizing the budget proposal's termination of MOX. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., didn't specifically address MOX in remarks to The Post and Courier.

"I'm not overly concerned with the president's budget at all," Scott told the newspaper.

Scott, though, has traditionally been a major supporter of MOX. He spoke highly in favor of the facility during an August 2016 visit to North Augusta.

"The opposition to MOX is, in my opinion, nonsense. There is no other way to dispose of this weapons-grade plutonium other than the MOX facility," Scott said.

Additionally, Trump has two South Carolinians in his administration  Mick Mulvaney and Nikki Haley, the later of whom vocally voiced her opposition to turning South Carolina into a dumping ground.

To his credit Trump did reiterate his support for pledging $120 million to reopen the Yucca Mountain repository. It's an important part of the disposal equation, but the equation doesn't add up without MOX.

As we've noted, the Russians suspended their participation in the Plutonium Management Disposition Agreement, or PMDA, citing delays in MOX as a main reason.

In a conference call with reporters, National Nuclear Security Administration, or NNSA, officials said restarting MOX isn't the only condition Russians have placed on returning to the PMDA.

NNSA Administrator Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz said the Russians also are demanding reparations for U.S. imposed sanctions relating to Russia's invasion of Crimea. Klotz also said the United States has concerns over Russia's human rights record.

In spite of the politics, the president's proposed budget is exactly that  proposed. Seldom do presidential budgets cruise through Congress without any scrutiny or debate. Already there's a counter budget proposal that appropriates $335 million to MOX.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has called the Trump budget "dead on arrival." Other more conservative lawmakers have been hesitant to unequivocally embrace it.

Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., one of the House's more conservative members, called Trump's 3 percent growth projections a "Goldilocks scenario."

Moving forward, there will be plenty of haggling over the budget. Remember in 2016  MOX funding wasn't locked in until December. Approval came despite Obama stating his desire to shut down MOX, and also in spite of a paltry $270 million being awarded. We suspect this is how things will play out this year.

This editorial is from The Aiken Standard via The Associated Press.
Buzzwords come and buzzwords go. Lately, a trending buzzword -- or, I guess, buzz phrase -- among the politically inclined is "Deep State." Google News returns 127,000 recent media uses of the phrase.

Every time President Donald Trump finds himself under attack or just stymied in one of his policy initiatives, his supporters blame the Deep State. The Deep State is behind the "Russiagate" probes. The Deep State doesn't like his Muslim travel ban or his Obamacare replacement bill. The Deep State keeps forcing him to break his campaign promises of a less misadventurous U.S. foreign policy. I'm expecting reports, any day now, that the Deep State stole his limo keys and left the toilet seats up in the residence area of the White House.

So what, precisely, is the Deep State? There's actually both more and less to it than you might think.

In a recent Bloomberg column, former Obama administration regulatory czar Cass Sunstein defines the Deep State as merely "the talented professionals who serve both Democratic and Republican administrations, and who are civil servants rather than political appointees." While not incorrect as such, that definition is superficial and not especially informative.

Others identify the Deep State as residing completely or nearly completely in the U.S. "intelligence community" specifically and the Military-Industrial Complex in general, or in Washington's sprawling regulatory apparatus.

It's in the intel/military definition that the idea tends to take on a more active, sinister connotations: Spies and generals conspiring to put over a coup of some sort, if necessary maybe even handing giving inconvenient political figures the JFK treatment. Without discounting that possibility, let me propose that while individuals acting in knowing concert might be a minor feature of the Deep State, they aren't its essence.

In high school civics class theory, elections are meaningful and political government is a highly developed, well-oiled, deliberative decision-making machine in which ideas matter and the best ones win out, to the benefit of all.

In fact, it is in the nature of political government to put its own needs first, and its corps of unelected workers (greatly outnumbering the politicians who have to explain themselves to voters) closely identify its needs with their needs and vice versa.

The aggregate actions of long-term state functionaries will always tend to maximize the state's growth and their own discretionary power. Not because they are venal or corrupt (although some certainly are), nor because they necessarily subscribe to some particular ideology (although some certainly do), but because like their actions, they themselves are an aggregate whose parts will overwhelmingly respond to the same incentives in the same ways.

You'll never walk into a hotel and see a sign in the lobby announcing "Welcome Deep State, Conference Room 3A." The Deep State isn't a conscious conspiracy, even if there are conscious conspirators within it. The Deep State is a large mass with no guiding intellect. Its inertia tends to hold it in one place and/or to carry most of its members in the same direction.
By Azernews





By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 5.

The memorandum was signed by head of AZPROMO Rufat Mammadov and Executive Director of the ITC Arancha Gonzalez.

Under the memorandum, ITC will contribute to increase of competitiveness and expansion of access of products produced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Azerbaijan to foreign markets. In addition, the Center will support the direct access of Azerbaijani products to international electronic commercial platforms.

Addressing the signing ceremony Deputy Economy Minister of Azerbaijan, Sahil Babayev noted that the main components of the project "Be ready for trade" is the integration of SMEs into global value chains, increasing the competitiveness of products produced by SMEs, strengthening the potential of exporters' associations and creating links between SMEs in Azerbaijan and EU importers.

A day before, Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev received Gonzalez, who expressed satisfaction with the cooperation with AZPROMO.

Established in 1964, the ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.

ITC is the only development agency that is fully dedicated to supporting the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Agency enables SMEs in developing and transition economies to become more competitive and connect to international markets for trade and investment, thus raising incomes and creating job opportunities, especially for women, young people, and poor communities.

AZPROMO was established by the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan in 2003 with the aim to contribute to the economic development through attracting foreign investments in the non-oil sectors of economy and stimulating expansion of country's exports of non-oil goods to the overseas markets.




By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Week of Azerbaijani Culture has officially opened in neighboring Iran.

The Week will see holding of a number of concerts, performances and photo exhibitions in various cities of Iran. The Culture Week aims to develop bilateral cultural cooperation between the two countries, as well as to promote Azerbaijan's culture, art and tourism potential in Iran.

The official opening ceremony held on July 3 brought together Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev, and Iran`s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi Amiri and head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization Abouzar Ebrahimi Torkaman.

Garayev, addressing the ceremony, said that bilateral cooperation has a positive impact on the number of tourists coming from Iran to Azerbaijan.

"More than 60,000 Iranian citizens visited Azerbaijan on Novruz holiday this year. It is a pleasure for us, Baku has its own beauty and attracts Iranian citizens", said the minister.

He stressed that Days of Azerbaijani Culture were held in Iran in 2010 and Days of Iranian Culture in Azerbaijan in 2011. Unlike previous years, Azerbaijan Culture Days will be held not only in Tehran but also in Isfahan. Week of Azerbaijani Cinema in Tehran, photo exhibition and theater performance will be also organized as part of the event.

Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi Amiri, for his part, said that Iran and Azerbaijan should further expand their relations in all spheres.

"Iran does not impose any restrictions on the development of relations with Azerbaijan, and Tehran considers Azerbaijan its best friend", he said.

Speaking about the development of cooperation in the field of tourism as well as in other spheres, the Iranian minister underlined the great interest of Iranian citizens to Azerbaijan.

The ceremony also featured a concert by Azerbaijani musicians.

On the same day, photo exhibition highlighting Azerbaijan`s history and modern period was launched within the Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Tehran.

The event brought together Abulfas Garayev, as well as employees of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran, as well as public figures.

Moreover, Minister Garayev held a number of meetings with Iranian official during his Tehran visit.

Azerbaijan is interested in the launch of regular flights to Baku, Ganja and Nakhchivan cities from various cities of Iran, and this will promote the development of tourism both in Iran and Azerbaijan, Garayev said at a meeting with Iranian vice president, Head of Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization Zahra Ahmadipour.

Garayev added that it is necessary to create joint travel companies that will operate in Azerbaijan and Iran.

The development of tourism is the best way to further strengthen friendship, Garayev said, inviting Iranian Vice President Zahra Ahmadipour to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan.

The minister mentioned that ASAN Visa also simplified the travel of Iranian tourists to the country. Now Iranian tourists wishing to come to Azerbaijan do not need to contact the Consulate in Tehran, as they can get a visa online.

The number of Iranian citizens, who visited Azerbaijan during Novruz holiday in 2017 increased by 35-40 percent, compared to last year. Alongside capital city Baku, Iranian tourists also took part in tours to tourist routes such as Lankarana, Lerik, Masalli, Gabala and Sheki.

In general, today citizens of 93 countries take advantage of Azerbaijans ASAN Visa system. Electronic visa is a document for one entry, which determines the period of stay in the country up to 30 days.

The sides further noted that the proximity of the Azerbaijani and Iranian peoples requires even greater strengthening of friendship and good-neighborliness.

They stressed that the peoples of the two countries historically had cultural ties, which at the present stage must be developed and passed on to future generations, so that the friendship of Iran and Azerbaijan would be eternal.

Garayev also met Head of National Library and Archives Organization of Iran (NLAO) Ashraf Boroujerdi.

They discussed a range of issues, including developing prospects of cooperation between the national libraries of the two countries, as well as holding the joint book fairs.

The minister highlighted the state program carrying out by the Azerbaijani Government for development of libraries in the country.

Garayev also talked about the Days of Azerbaijani Culture held in Tehran and various cities of Iran.

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By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the provocation staged by Armenia on July 4 on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in Fizuli region, which resulted in killing of two Azerbaijani citizens, including a 2-year-old girl.

This despicable atrocity clearly demonstrated that the provocations which Armenia follows at the border and front regions with heavy weaponry, while occupying one-fifth of Azerbaijan's territory, target Azerbaijani civilian population, particularly women and children in violation of international law and humanitarian values," read a statement issued by the Ministry on July 5.

On July 4 at 20:40, the Armenian armed forces located in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan subjected to fire the Alkhanli village of Fizuli region, using 82 and 120 millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers. As a result of this provocation, a resident of the village and her two-year-old granddaughter were killed. Another resident, who got fragment wounds as a result of the shelling, was taken to the military hospital and was operated on.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims and to the Azerbaijani nation, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.

"International community should acknowledge the fact that this deliberate and systematic policy pursued by Armenia towards fuelling violence is the main obstacle to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and put pressure on Armenia to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," said the statement.

The Turkish side also noted that Turkey, as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, established for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, will continue to support the efforts to reach a just and lasting solution within the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Ankara has repeatedly stated that the OSCE Minsk Group needs to intensify the search for solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and offered its assistance in this matter.
The refinancing risk for speculative-grade non-financial companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region has considerably fallen, with over half of the almost $1 trillion debt now due in 2022 and beyond as investors' continued strong appetite for higher yields pushes maturities further out, according to Moody's Investors Service.



The highest proportion of debt due in each year from 2018-21 is concentrated among Ba-rated companies, which account for more than half of total refinancing requirements in each of the years for both bonds and loans supporting upcoming refinancing needs, stated the top ratings agency.



The report "Speculative-grade non-financial corporates -- EMEA: Refinancing risk falls; lower-rated energy, telecoms companies are more exposed" is Moody's 12th annual study of the debt maturity profiles and refinancing needs for 547 publicly rated speculative-grade non-financial firms in EMEA.



Moody's pointed out that debt due within two years has decreased to around $220 billion or 22 per cent of total debt outstanding compared with $239 billion or 25 per cent of total debt in last year's study, further reducing upcoming refinancing risk.



The proportion of debt due within two years from lower-rated companies (i.e., Caa and Ca-rated) has not changed materially, having dropped slightly to $14.9 billion or 6.8 per cent of total outstanding debt in 2017 versus $18 billion or 8 per cent last year, it stated in the report.



"Refinancing has become less of a concern for EMEA's spec-grade companies, with $481 billion or 48 per cent of the $997 billion in total debt outstanding due to mature in the next four years, down from 53 per cent last year. Some 52 per cent of debt outstanding is due to mature in more than four years' time, the highest proportion recorded since 2013," remarked Martin Chamberlain, the vice president and senior analyst at Moody's.



The ratings agency said the ability of lower-rated companies to refinance and push out their debt maturities has been mixed.



Some companies have benefited from investor demand for lower-rated bonds and loans which offer higher yields. Others have entered into a combination of debt for equity swaps and debt write-offs, in some cases with the subsequent withdrawal of ratings, it stated.



Energy companies are most exposed to refinancing risk, while the telecoms sector has seen the fastest growth of Caa-Ca rated companies with debt due in the next two years.



The amount of debt at risk issued by telecoms companies rose to $2.9 billion, or 20 per cent of all Caa-Ca rated debt due in the next two years, from 6 per cent ($1 billion) last year, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Iraq has announced plans to construct a total of 3,812 homes in the southeastern Maysan governorate on a 1.6-million-sq-m area, according to Reuters.



The privately-funded project will also include schools, health centres and a civil defence centre, said the report citing the Iraqi news network Mawazine News.



The upcoming development will have houses of three different sizes - 212 sq m, 160 sq m and 127 sq m in area.

The government has already won approval for the project and is now set to invite developers and other investors for the mega development, stated the report.

It will be completed within three years, it added.
State oil giant Saudi Aramco has announced plans to set up a comprehensive engine and pump business co-operation framework in a joint collaboration with Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company (Dussur) and Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

As per the deal, the Saudi Aramco joint venture (JV) will set up a factory at Ras Al Khair Economic City in the Eastern Province which will manufacture two-stroke engines, four-stroke engines, and marine pumps for vessels and power plants.

The company will also provide sales and after-sales services to the customers across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

The new manufacturing facility will be co-located with the maritime yard at the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services, where it will develop synergies with several complementary ventures, stated Ziad Murshed, the vice-president for new business development at Saudi Aramco, after signing the agreement with Rasheed Al Shubaili, the chief executive of Dussur and Kidon Change, the chief executive of engine business at HHI.

The new joint ventre will manufacture four-stroke engines under HHIs HiMSEN brand licensing, serving as a regional production stronghold to support the growing demand for electricity in the Mena region as well as marine applications for very large and small vessels, he added.

According to him, the company will operate under a MAN-HHI sublicence for the manufacturing and servicing of two-stroke engines.

The trio has identified strong economic and strategic levers to the new joint venture such as the lower costs of production due to the advantaged supply of machine-finished steel and iron components for engines and pumps from the casting and forging facility JV in Ras Al Khair, fixed and variable costs synergies related to the integration of two- and four-stroke engines in one shop and competitive advantages related to the transportation of such engines from other international sources.

Also the increasing demand of four-stroke engines either as complementary or back-up power generation systems to support the growing demand for renewable power generation and remotely located new power plants, and the secured demand for engines and pumps in marine applications coming from the maritime yard JV will help in boosting the business, in addition to a number of other internal advantages related to the contribution of each partner to the deal.

Saudi Aramco said the engine and pump JV is expected to generate over 650 direct jobs, as well as indirect jobs through the development of the supply chain. The facility is likely to start commercial operation by the end of 2019, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
State oil giant Saudi Aramco has awarded Australia's WorleyParsons a contract to provide engineering and design services for offshore facilities and pipelines for the Marjan oilfield expansion, Reuters reported, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.

As per the deal, WorleyParsons will design and engineer new offshore facilities such as platforms and additional pipelines, under the contract.

The Saudi oil giant is expanding the Marjan oilfield to meet increased local demand for gas.
Saudi-based Noon Educational Platform has become the first in the Arab region to take part in the ASU+GSV Annual Conference on Investment in Education Technology Companies held recently in the US.



Noon Educational Platform is one of the most prominent projects of Badir Program for Technology Incubators and Accelerators at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, and one of the leading educational platforms in the field of training for the National Centre for Assessment tests skills.



A leader in social learning, artificial intelligence and knowledge revolution, Noon is characterised by combining pleasure with education through challenges, competitions and sense of accomplishment, said a statement from the organisation.



The conference saw participation of over 300 global companies where Noon was given the opportunity to showcase its work and business insights before a range of potential investors and technology enthusiasts from Silicon Valley, it stated.



Mohammed Al Dhelaan, the CEO of Noon Educational Platform, said it was the only Arab company invited to speak to investors from all over the world at the annual conference dedicated to discussing the investment in technology education companies.



He also praised the role of Badir Program in supporting and facilitating the participation of the Noon Educational Platform in this important conference.



Our participation in this conference comes after we recently concluded a successful investment tour at Noon Educational Platform in which participated several local and regional investors, led by Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder and CEO of Careem, the cab booking services via smart applications in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), remarked Al Dhelaan.



With more than 900,000 students enrolled in Noon Platform, it appears that the educational platform is on its way to rearrange the private tutoring market and improve the education of millions in the Arab world, for Noon aims to reformulate the concept of learning materials' private tutoring by combining learning with pleasure and artificial intelligence, said a statement.



According to the experience of students who have benefited from Noon, a high school student is only one button away from getting a private tutor on his phone, whenever needed, for as long as he wants and at a cost of about 70 per cent less, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
Senaat, one of the largest industrial investment holding companies in the UAE, has announced a solid revenue growth in 2016 which surged to Dh13.4 billion ($3.64 billion), thanks to its disciplined financial strategy and a diversified portfolio with investments in different sectors.



Announcing its group financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, Senaat said it remains self-sufficient and continues to reinvest profits for future growth.



In FY 2016, the group made new investments of nearly Dh1 billion in industrial assets, a reflection of its commitment to the future growth in the emirate. Total assets for the group reached Dh27.4 billion in FY 2016, an increase of Dh601 million from the previous year, representing a compounded annual growth rate of 18 per cent since Senaats inception in 2004.



The company said its operating companies delivered a solid performance in 2016, reflecting the resilience of its business model.



The revenues of Dh13.4 billion were marginally lower compared to the previous year's figure of Dh14 billion and total EBITDA also declined slightly to Dh1.8 billion. The groups performance reflects its disciplined financial strategy and is also testament to the diversified nature of its portfolio, it stated.



Senaat remains self-sufficient and continues to reinvest profits for future growth. In FY 2016, the group made new investments of nearly Dh1 billion in industrial assets, a reflection of its commitment to the future growth in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.



Total assets for the group reached Dh27.4 billion in FY 2016, an increase of Dh601 million from the previous year, representing a compounded annual growth rate of 18 per cent since Senaats inception in 2004.



On the solid 2016 performance, Senaat's chairman Hussain Jasim Al Nowais said: "When you have a long-term vision, you have to operate successfully in different market cycles and adapt to the changing environment. It was a year where we continued to show our resilience as a group and also contribute to the diversification of Abu Dhabis economy and the realisation of the 2030 Economic Vision for the emirate."



"We remained focused on delivering the best value to our shareholder by following a prudent financial strategy and investing selectively across the industrial sector," remarked Al Nowais.



"This contributed to a solid financial performance for FY 2016 in spite of global, macro-level challenges. Looking ahead, we will continue to follow a conservative, highly targeted financial approach and look for new ways to develop greater synergies throughout our portfolio. Senaat has laid a solid foundation for future growth and will continue to achieve its overall objective of developing the industrial sector in Abu Dhabi," he added.



CEO Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri pointed out that the past year was a proof of the importance of having a diversified portfolio with investments in different sectors.



"While some of our businesses faced challenges endemic to their global industries, others had a highly successful year, such as food and beverages manufacturing which witnessed strong revenue growth, and cables manufacturing which saw an increase in sales volumes. Indeed, the UAE food and beverage market is expected to continue to grow to more than $13.2 billion by 2018," he noted.



"Our portfolio companies in the metals, building materials and oil and gas services sectors are successfully combatting adverse market conditions through innovating new products and exploring new markets. Despite the market cycle we are in, our portfolio remains strong, and our financial position is solid as we progress into the new year," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
HotelsPro, a technology and reservation solutions provider for travel industry professionals and a brand of the world's leading travel and accommodation supplier MetGlobal Group of Companies, has appointed Robert Turner as managing director.



Turner joined HotelsPro in the UK during 2016, for the management of all HotelsPro operations in the European region including sales, customer support and contracting. Turner has operated in a number of executive and leadership roles across the UK, Europe and globally during his career. He has primarily operated in market facing roles which have previously included strategic client leadership, Travco Corporation head of Business Development and head of Sales in Asia, Americas, Australasia, South Asia, Israel & Egypt; CEO of Onhotels.com, which was an early pioneer in the UKs accommodation E-Commerce sector.



Within the rapidly changing wholesale accommodation sector, HotelsPro is fast becoming one of the world's leading solutions. As traditional industry practice gives way to dynamic and agile new approaches, there is a pressing need for a globally relevant B2B accommodation solution that embraces this challenge. HotelsPro, with it's relentless commitment to develop industry leading technical solutions and then combine that with exceptional localised service & knowledge, is an incredible environment to be involved in. As we continue our expansion, with 4 new strategically located offices opening in the coming weeks, I'm excited to help build our partnerships, accelerate our global presence and continue to improve our business practices. Listening carefully to our client's requirements and also our industry partners views, forms the cornerstone of our approach. said Turner.



MetGlobal CEO Metin Altun said: We believe that the job of the HotelsPro managing director now requires additional attributes to successfully execute on the companys strategy after our significant growth in recent years. Robert Turner has the right operational, managerial and communication skills and leadership abilities to deliver improved execution and growth performance to HotelsPro. - TradeArabia News Service
Portions of the Trump administrations EPA cuts would be problematic for Wyoming, the director of the states Department of Environmental Quality said in a recent meeting with lawmakers.

To run its programs, the state agency receives a sizable chunk of federal funds, much of that from the Environmental Protection Agency, which Administrator Scott Pruitt proposed cutting by nearly one-third in March.

In the presidents preliminary budget, grant programs  such as one that recently awarded Wyomings Department of Environmental Quality about $1 million to clean up streams and lakes  would be zeroed out.

We view that as problematic, DEQ Director Todd Parfitt said Friday.

However, Parfitt added that he did not believe the proposed cuts from the Trump administration were likely to survive the congressional budget process.

We are watching it very closely, he told Rep. Mike Greear, R-Worland, who asked what the proposed cuts would do to the state environmental regulatory agency. We are not too excited by it at this point. They are still at the beginning of the process.

Greear, joint chairman of the minerals committee, said the desire from states like Wyoming to control as much of the regulatory process as possible may have a flip side: financial dependency.

You see that funding go away, that would inhibit our ability to do that, he said.

Though states like Wyoming often take advantage of opportunities to gain control over regulations on industry, air and land quality, they often do so with partial or full federal backing. If the money goes away, some states may be forced to give up on programs, which the federal agency would have to take over.

Significant cuts, like those proposed, could put the federal agency in a corner, Parfitt said.

There is a cautionary message we are sending, he said. If you cut too deep and prevent the ability of states to implement these programs  then you might see some states turning these programs back.

Theres a tipping point in there somewhere. And they need to be very cognizant of that.

The DEQ budget for 2017 is about 27 percent federal dollars, Parfitt told lawmakers Friday. A little more than 50 percent of the DEQs budget comes from Wyomings general fund and about 17 percent from fee collections.

However, the agency also gets a sizable boost from Abandoned Mine Lands funds  federal payback to some industry-producing states. With those dollars included, the agency becomes more reliant on federal funds. For 2017 and 2018, federal money, including mine lands dollars, accounts for 68 percent of the DEQ budget.

Out of $23 million granted to Wyoming by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2016, $6.7 million went directly to the states environmental quality department to carry out programs.
Nebulous lines and shifting policies make it difficult to know where the culture wars start and end in America. Its no secret that chasms are growing wide, and walls are getting taller. In a new book, sociologist Philip Gorski elegantly traces two diverging lines of popular ideology, arguing convincingly that our current political gap isnt new. Rather, its a part of a deeply ingrained battle for control between two American religious traditions that date back to before our country was founded.

In American Covenant, Gorski portrays a political culture split between conservative, apocalyptic nativists  who believe themselves to be the inheritors of the fiery religious fundamentalism of the early Puritans  and atheist liberals, the cultural elitist heirs of the Enlightenments secular rationalism. While one side wants freedom of religion, the other side wants freedom from it. Yet Gorski puts forth that the unifying tissue between these two camps is the American civil religion, a concept pioneered by sociologist Robert Bellah in 1967 that seeks to describe the foundational shared ideals that both sides can agree upon.

Thats a promising thought.

But for all the discussion of so-called civil religion in Gorskis book, he manages to barely discuss what it looks like. Sure, there are quasi-religious rituals existing within our national life, such as the sacrosanct Fourth of July, and numerous depictions of Civil Religious art, like The Apotheosis of Washington painted on the dome of the U.S. Capitol. But at its heart, what are the core doctrinal creeds that Gorski argues have the power to unite America? Sadly, theyre not as easy to identify as one would hope. Of course, if they were, perhaps we wouldnt have such a fractured political landscape in the first place. And given that the two groups Gorski describes are so different, it is unsurprising that he struggles to describe the space where their views overlap, thus challenging the entire premise of so-called civil religion.

If Gorskis two camps sound a bit extreme, thats because they are. With its blustery descriptions of apocalyptic Hebrew prophets and enlightened freethinkers, the story of civil religion in American Covenant can come across like fantasy. Gorski describes the relationships between religious nationalism, radical secularism, and civil religion as akin to tribal warfare with ancient roots. Comparing the United States that Gorski depicts to stories like Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings might be unfair, but the author certainly manages to show how both sides of the religion and political divide in America see themselves as the heros of a polarized moral universe in which each sides noble prophets serve as leading actors in a showdown between good and evil.

Gorski highlights some of the radically different ideas that exist at the nexus of each sides prophetic thought, focusing on important thinkers across the spectrum from Martin Luther King himself to John Calhoun. Yet, while Gorski himself writes that his civil religion is a panoramic portrait of a diverse people marching together through time toward a promised land across landscapes both light and darkhopeful without being fantastical, and progressive without being naively optimistic, the traditions from which he draws on arent all that diverse.

Gorski offers civil religion as a framework for maintaining the political center in our country  the famed moderates that are much discussed by pollsters during election years yet who seem to be absent from Washington, D.C. But Gorski paints this type of religion as possessed of a single, Judeo-Christian and largely white lineage. While it is undeniable that there is an extreme emphasis on Judeo-Christian tradition within the United States, is there room in our unique civil religion for the traditions of other cultures? While there are some Jews and African Americans mentioned as prophets of the civil religion outlined by Gorski, what of the Asian, African, Mexican or Native American religious traditions that exist in the United States?

A more fruitful conversation about what it means to be moderate in America will likely require the inclusion of more cultural voices than appear in American Covenant. The civil religion of the nations founding was forged by European immigrants. If the movement is to survive our current, fractious politics, perhaps we should consider that its defining characteristics in the future may not come from within our tradition at all  just as none of its founders did.
Toastmasters every Monday

Toasmasters, Morning Tour, meets every Monday from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. at the Parkway Plaza. Polish your public speaking skills. Get the confidence needed for job interviews and more. Join Toastmasters and be part of a fun and supportive group. For more information, call Brenda at 251-4357 or email blingwy@gmail.com.

Corvette Cruise and Dine every Tuesday

Cruise and Dines sponsored by the Central Wyoming Corvettes (a nonprofit organization) are every Tuesday night through Nov. 7. Bring your Corvette and meet at Whites Chevrolet at 6 p.m. Take a short cruise with several other Vettes to a local restaurant for dinner. Guests or new members are always welcome. See us on Facebook or visit our website.

Barbershoppers welcome members

The Oil City Slickers barbershop a capella singing group holds weekly, year-round rehearsals Wednesdays 7 p.m. at St. Marks Church and does various performances upon request. The group sings for funerals as well as services at multiple churches in town and other venues.

The director is Roy Hayford, and phone contacts for people wishing to join or inquire are 472-4722 and 267-2673.

Womens networking meets

The Heart Link Network is a womens networking event held monthly, every second Tuesday (July 11) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ramada Plaza, 300 W. F St. Pre-registration is a must. The cost is $20 per person and the meal is included. For more information and to register, please call Amy Lund at 262-7475 or visit www.82601.theheartlinknetwork.com.

Beekeepers meet July 13

Join beekeeper hobbyists to learn about bees and equipment, plus meet area beekeepers. Natrona County Beekeepers Association meets at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, in the basement of College Heights Baptist Church, 600 W. 21st St.

Central Wyoming Corvettes meets monthly

Central Wyoming Corvettes (a nonprofit organization) meets the second Thursday of every month (July 13, Aug. 10) at the Holiday Inn East restaurant with dinner at 6 p.m. and the meeting at 7 p.m. This is a group of people who over the years have donated thousands back to the community by sponsoring fun car events. Guests or potential new members are always welcome. See us on Facebook or visit our website.

Republican women meet after parade

The Natrona County Republican Women will host their next meeting on July 11, after the parade, approximately 1:30 p.m. at The Church, 305 N. Grant. Cost is $20 for members and guest. RSVP is required to ensure adequate food. Menu will be Mediterranean barbecue, salad and patriotic desert. Business will be a quick review and approval of the by-laws. RSVP to ncrwmember@gmail.com, 307-215-9749, or prepay at mkt.com/ncrwgiftshop.

Studebaker owners take in polo

The Wyoming Chapter of Studebaker Owners Club will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, July 22. Jim and Leslea Rapp will host a potluck lunch beginning at 12:30 p.m., at their home in Sheridan. Then, after the business meeting, its off to the polo matches. Please RSVP to Jim at 307-752-1518 or 307-752-4791 by July 20.

Elks family picnic Aug. 12

Elks Family Picnic in the City Park across from the Elks Lodge is Saturday, Aug. 12. Meat and beverages will be provided by the lodge. Please bring a covered dish of your choice to share with everyone. Please bring your own plates, eating utensils and lawn chairs. Picnic is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Family games for the older kids and the younger ones as well. The lodge is also hosting a car show that is open to the public. If you have an old car and would like to show it off, bring it down and register your car beginning at 8 a.m. There is no fee and awards will be presented at 2 p.m. You may register that morning or before at the lodge. For more information, call 234-4839.

PEO awards scholarships

Chapter BD, P.E.O. is pleased to announce that scholarships have been awarded to two Wyoming women recommended by the chapter. Dana Theriot of Casper is the recipient of the Glen Ella Jones Scholarship for the academic year of 2017-2018. Dana is studying business at Casper College. Ramsey Sinn of Worland is the recipient of the Carol W. and William R. Daley Scholarship for the academic year of 2017-2018. Ramsey is studying pharmacy at the University of Wyoming. Both of these scholarships are Wyoming P.E.O. college scholarships. P.E.O. is an organization focused on womens education. Congratulations to both of these deserving Wyoming women.

Stammtisch plans for summer

The German-American heritage group Casper Stammtisch Sommer im Park mit Musik, informal potluck picnics, are planned at 6:30 p.m. at Washington Park near the lower playground on the following dates: July 13, 20, 27 (no meeting July 6).

This is an opportunity to share food, recipes and conversation, even if you dont bring a dish to share. The event will be canceled if it rains.

The group will again pause in the month of August.

What is PFLAG?

Founded in 1972 with the simple act of a mother publicly supporting her gay son, PFLAG is the nations largest family and ally organization. Uniting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) with families, friends and allies, PFLAG is committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education and advocacy.

The Casper PFLAG chapter has been helping families and providing a safe place for LGBTQ youth and adults for over 20 years. If you are a parent, youth or adult looking for information or support, please call Ruth Ann Leonard at 265-5449.

Civil Air Patrol meets

Civil Air Patrol meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at Casper National Guard Armory, 5905 CY Ave. For more information, call 259-0855.
Cuba

Mission finds healthy reefs, invasive lionfish

HAVANA  A joint U.S.-Cuban expedition to explore the islands coral reefs uncovered a surprisingly healthy ecosystem and large schools of mackerel, scientists said Tuesday.

The study also found alarmingly high numbers of invasive lionfish, which is not native to the Western Hemisphere and has become a growing marine menace in recent years.

Mexico

CT scans find possible tunnel in ruins

MEXICO CITY  Archaeologists at Mexicos Teotihuacan ruins have found evidence that the citys builders dug a tunnel beneath the Pyramid of the Moon, and researchers said one of its purposes may have been to emulate the underworld.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History said researchers used a kind of computerized tomography scan to discover the apparent tunnel about 30 feet below the surface of the plaza in front of the pyramid.

The CT scan suggests the tunnel may have been filled in antiquity.

Guatemala

Mexican ex-mayor ordered extradited

GUATEMALA CITY  A Guatemalan court ordered the extradition Tuesday of a Mexican ex-governor to face charges of embezzlement and ties to organized crime in his home country.

Former Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte, who was captured in Guatemala in April, agreed to accept extradition during the hearing.

The court ruled he should be extradited immediately, but it was not clear how soon that could happen. It would apparently take at least three days.

Duarte resigned as governor of the state of Veracruz in 2016, just before his term ended.

Brazil

Lawmaker will lead probe against president

SAO PAULO  Brazilian lawmakers have picked a colleague who distanced himself from embattled President Michel Temer to launch congressional proceedings that could lead to his suspension from office.

Deputy Sergio Zveiter was chosen Tuesday as rapporteur for the commission that will analyze the formal corruption accusation against Temer.

Zveiter will prepare a report for consideration by the 66-member commission in the next few weeks.

If two-thirds of the full lower house votes against Temer, he would be suspended pending a trial in the Supreme Court.

Wire reports
Evidence of bribery against a former elected Arizona utility regulator was discovered during a larger, unrelated federal investigation, a prosecutor said in an email filed in court.

The email confirmed speculation within Arizona political circles that the bribery allegations against former Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce had surfaced during a broader investigation, though prosecutor Fred Battista didnt reveal the focus of the larger probe.

Pierce, his wife Sherry, lobbyist Jim Norton and water company owner George Johnson were indicted in May in what prosecutors say was an influence-peddling scheme aimed at benefiting Johnson. The four have pleaded not guilty to fraud and bribery charges.

Battista said in a June 22 email to defense attorneys that Gary Pierce, Norton and other people were interviewed by FBI agents during the broader investigation.

Cosme Lopez, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office, which is prosecuting Pierce, couldnt immediately comment Wednesday on the broader investigation.

In the bribery case, Johnson is accused of funneling $31,000 through Norton to Pierce and his wife for favorable treatment in a rate case before the commission.

The indictment said Gary Pierce voted in 2011 to let Johnsons water company request that Johnsons personal income taxes be covered by the utilitys customers.

Prosecutors also said Pierce was the intended recipient of a $350,000 property that was supposed to be paid for by Johnson, though its unknown if the real estate deal was completed.

Pierce, who left the commission in early 2015 because of term limits, acknowledged last year that he was questioned by FBI agents investigating the 2014 commission election. The parent company of electric utility Arizona Public Service Co. was widely believed to have spent $3.2 million backing Republicans for the utility commission.

In that same election, Pierces son Justin was running for secretary of state.

The parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., disclosed in public filings in August 2016 that it had received federal grand jury subpoenas seeking information on the elections involving the commission and secretary of state.

The FBI said at the time that it was conducting a long-term investigation related to the financing of certain statewide elections in 2014, but it has not named Arizona Public Service.

Battistas email in the bribery case against Pierce was filed Monday as defense attorneys opposed a request by prosecutors to bar public release of FBI reports, interview and grand jury transcripts and audio recordings of witness interviews.

Battista said prosecutors will hand over records of interviews with Pierce, Norton and others, but want to avoid the release of information unrelated to the bribery case.

We do not want persons who are unrelated to this case getting their hands on evidence that the FBI has gathered in an ongoing investigation, Battista wrote, adding that releasing such information could have serious negative effects on the bribery case and the larger investigation.

Ashley Adams, an attorney for Sherry Pierce, wrote in a June 22 email that the proposed court order sought by prosecutors is overly broad.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some July 5 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.
More wildfires

Here is the latest information on two wildfires burning in Southeastern Arizona:

 Frye Fire: The lightning-caused wildfire started on June 7, and has burned more than 46,000 acres on steep, rugged terrain on the slopes of Mt. Graham in the Pinaleno Mountain Range.

 Swisshelms Fire: Reported June 27, the wildfire is burning in grass and brush on private and BLM land. It has burned more than 10,000 acres about 10 miles east of Elfrida. The cause of the wildfire has not been determined.
Pima Animal Care Center has hired a new director who will bring her expertise to the shelter starting July 10. Kristen Auerbach, former deputy chief animal services officer at the Austin (Texas) Animal Center, was part of a team that led the nation as the largest no-kill shelter.

The Star spoke to Auerbach about her experience working with other animal shelters, why she decided to come to PACC and what shes hoping to bring to her new position.

Q: How did your interest and care for animals begin?

A: I started working in animal welfare in a shelter in Ohio in the late 1990s. I began my career as a dispatcher and I worked there for about six months. And I got to work as a cruelty officer going out and rescuing animals from neglect situations. What I found was that every animal that I was rescuing and bringing back was being euthanized and these were treatable, healthy animals. But there were no resources to save them, it was a really different time in animal welfare and I ended up quitting. I didnt want to spend my life saving animals only to have them be euthanized.

In 2012, I was working for the Fairfax County Park Authority in Fairfax, Virginia. My boss approached me and said she was going to work at the animal shelter in Fairfax County and she let me know she was going to have a couple positions open, one being her assistant director and I said Id never want to do that work again; I dont what to spend my career having to kill healthy animals.

She said if you come and accept a position there you would get to save them, you wouldnt have to just euthanize them. And so that was sort of where the story began, I went to work for her as the assistant director, spent several years there and then went to Austin. Austin has the highest life-saving rate of any large city in the country and I wanted to learn how they were doing it.

Q: How have your previous jobs prepared you for your position with PACC?

A: Im really proud of the accomplishments we had in Fairfax County. We brought the animal center to a 90 percent save rate. We overturned pitbull adoption restrictions; when I got to Fairfax County there were still strict adoption restrictions. So we got that overturned so that all animals were treated equally and we started a vast array of programs for students, for community groups and we built our volunteer and foster program.

I wanted to come to Austin because its a very large city, the intake is about 18,000 and yet there saving more than 95 percent of the animals that come into the shelter. Thats a pretty big number and I went there and we not only brought that save rate even higher to what it is today which is about 98 percent of 18,000 animals but we really built up the community partnerships that helped us do that.

In Austin theres a variety of rescue groups and when we got there they were all working really hard but they werent necessarily working together. One of the things I did in my time in Austin was bring those community groups together, the rescue groups, the volunteers, the fosters, the other partners, bringing them together so that were all working to achieve the same goals.

Q: What accomplishments are you most proud?

A: I think what Im most proud of is that we turned both of those communities into national models, working with my director and my colleagues, both of those communities became national models in life saving.

Q: What ideas are you excited to try or implement here at PACC?

A: I was really drawn to Tucson because, like Austin, the people who live here have shown how much they value animals and how much they understand the health of a community can really be shown in the health of the pets and the people in the community. So it was a place I wanted to come and the lifesaving rates theyre already achieving is really extraordinary. PACC nearly takes in 20,000 animals a year and theyre saving almost every one of them, theyre saving a really high number of animals so I was exited to come here for that reason.

I think what I bring is a strong background in building programs to tackle groups of animals still at risk, so whether theyre neonatal kittens who arent thriving in the shelter environment or adult dogs who are declining over time in the shelter environment, I have a proven track record of building programs to save those groups of animals and get them out through live outcomes out of the shelter.

Q: What is your favorite success story from your career?

A: We always challenged this idea of what does adoptable mean, you hear a lot about adoptable animals and we were always pushing the boundaries of what that means. One of the things that happened in Austin is we had a group of roosters come in, 27 roosters from a cockfighting ring. Those animals have long been considered unadoptable because theyre considered not friendly, not able to live with other roosters and so we really decided to challenge that assumption.

One of things people dont really realize is that if roosters spurs are cut off they dont have the sharp nails that allow them to harm other animals. In place of where that spur is the people that fight them attach a little blade and once that blade is taken off, roosters are essentially harmless. We knew that they couldnt exactly hurt other birds in the way that people feared so we tried to adopt them out and we worked with a rescue group who had been placing fighting roosters. We decided to advertise them and we said if one person comes in thats one of the 26, at least we achieved an accomplishment. To our surprise within five hours of opening on the day they became available  all 27 of them were adopted.

We microchipped them all so we knew where they went and their adopters still send us pictures of them today, happily living in flocks, living outside as pets with families. So that was a really exciting moment for us to realize that theres so many ways to challenge this idea of adoptable and the vast majority of animals in our community can find homes.
When Pima County sheriffs deputies arrested Emily Joy Stephens on a warrant for child sex abuse charges, she was living here with her five children, all of whom are younger than 13, records show.

Stephens, 29, is being held in the Pima County jail without bond while awaiting extradition to Santa Cruz, California, where she is facing the charges.

Also accused in the case is California neurosurgeon James Kohut, 57, who is facing multiple counts of sexually abusing children younger than 14, according to an investigative report by the Pima County Sheriffs Department.

According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Stephens is facing six felony child-abuse charges involving three children under the age of 10 and three children under the age of 14.

On May 11, a Pima County deputy received a call from a Watsonville, California, police detective who had recovered a video camera that showed Stephens and another woman having sex with three minors under the age of 15, the report said.

The other woman, Rashel Brandon, is a 42-year-old nurse who worked with Kohut in a Santa Cruz hospital. Shes also facing multiple charges of child sexual abuse in connection with the case, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Police in Watsonville were unaware of Stephens whereabouts, but believing she was in Tucson, asked the local Sheriffs Department for help in locating her, the records show.

Detectives obtained a search warrant and arrested Stephens at her home the next day. Her children  ages 12, 10, 7, 5 and 2  were taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

In addition to her children, Stephens was living with her longtime friend and business partner, who told detectives that she and Stephens operated a hat company together. She and Stephens sold hats at stores, fairs and festivals in Tucson and Santa Cruz, where they would visit as often as one to two times a month, according to the records.

The business partner told detectives that when they visited Santa Cruz, Kohut would come to the hotel room to meet with Stephens and the children, who often accompanied her on their trips.

The woman said Kohut mentally tortured Emily by making promises to her about leaving his wife and being with her and having a family, the report says.

She told detectives that Stephens is pregnant with Kohuts baby.

The Santa Cruz District Attorneys Office has said Kohut talked about impregnating women to give birth to children he could sexually abuse in a so-called taboo family lifestyle, but no evidence has been found that he was able to create such a family, according to reports by The Associated Press.

The business partner told police Stephens children seemed to like Kohut, with one of the girls even calling him Dr. Daddy, the report shows.

In mid-March, Stephens and the business partner made a trip to Santa Cruz while the kids were on spring break, but Kohut never met the group as planned, the report says.

That appeared to be when the relationship between James and Emily went downhill, the woman told detectives. He would threaten to call the police and DCS if (Stephens) did not bring the kids out to visit again. He specifically wanted the 10-year-old to come out and visit him alone.

The woman told police Kohut had been threatening to take away the new baby as soon as it was born.

Police also interviewed the father of Stephens three oldest children, who said that in early May Stephens started receiving harassing text messages from Kohut and Brandon, the report said.

He told police he didnt know why they were harassing her.

Interviewers with the Southern Arizona Childrens Advocacy Center spoke to all five of Stephens children, but none of them made any disclosures of physical abuse by Stephens or Kohut.

When asked if shed ever seen an adult without clothes on, Stephens 5-year-old daughter told interviewers that she sees her mom naked, as the woman regularly took baths with her and two of the other children.

When asked about Dr. Daddy, the child said that at one time he used to live with the family, but not anymore.

During an interview with Stephens 10-year-old daughter, one detective noted she appeared to be guarded about the information provided and appeared to cry through most of the interview.

Police seized several items from the house, including video-game systems, iPads, two computers, a phone, handwritten letters to Stephens, a handwritten receipt from Kohut and a VHS tape labeled Emilys tape.
ABC/Lou RoccoItll be an early wake-up call for Lauren Alaina this Friday morning, as she starts her day with a mini-concert on Fox & Friends.

The Rossville, Georgia native will play the shows All-American Concert Series this week, and you can expect to hear tunes like her #1 Road Less Traveled, as well as her current single, Doin Fine. You can watch for Laurens set starting at 6 a.m. ET on Fox News.

Lauren next hits the road on July 13, as she joins Luke Bryans Huntin, Fishin, and Lovin Every Day Tour in Bethel, New York.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
New Foxtel special Maggie in Japan, produced by Lingo Pictures, screens on LifeStyle in August.

This sees much-loved cook Maggie Beer travel through Tokyo, Osaka and Noto -and back to the Barossa- as she explores Japanese cuisine and traditions.

With the help of both traditional and new wave chefs, Maggie immerses herself in the local food and lives of her culinary guides, experiencing the essence of Japanese cuisine and some of the unique cooking techniques found across the country.

In Tokyo, Maggie joins Koji Fukuda, a former head chef at Luke Mangans Salt and now owner of two restaurants in Tokyo. Koji invites Maggie in to his home during her Tokyo visit, preparing her an everyday family meal that provides inspiration for Maggies own Japanese feast.

She also meets Kanejiro Kanemoto of Nodaiwa, who is a revered shokunin. A shokunin is a craftsman who devotes his entire life to mastering one dish, and Kanejiro has been cooking eel for the past 60 years.

Finally, keen to get a feel for the younger and more modern chefs of Tokyo, Maggie visits Hideki Ii of Shirosaka, where she experiences food that is a creative interpretation of both Japanese and western cuisines  including a Japanese-influenced pate to rival her own.

Next, Maggie travels to rural Noto Peninsula where she meets Australian chef Ben Flatt and his wife Chikako who run a typical Japanese inn, upholding the ancient traditions of Chikakos family. Here, Maggie finds a land which has so many similarities to the Barossa, and yet the flavours are so different. Once again, in Bens cooking Maggie finds an amalgamation of cuisines, with Bens Italian background cleverly influencing the dishes he makes.

Finally, after crossing the country and going south, Maggie arrives in Osaka. Here, she enjoys a Kappo style meal at a Michelin-star restaurant, run by second generation chef Osamu Ueno.

After her whirlwind tour, Maggie heads back to the Barossa where she adapts her newfound knowledge to create her own Japanese feast.

The unique dishes Maggie creates clearly illustrates that her search to understand and perfect Japanese flavour techniques has paid off  and has made its way into her own stunning food creations.

Wednesday August 2 at 8.30pm on LifeStyle.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter

In what seems like a case of an attack on Dalit-Bahujan spaces in social media, Facebook has barred National Dastak from sharing any links from their website on their Facebook page.

Support TwoCircles



On Wednesday morning, the admins of National Dastak found out that while they could share photos and write on their Facebook page, they were barred from sharing any link until. The National Dastak team has written to Facebook and is waiting for an official reason.

National Dastak since its inception has found an extensive readership for its tough stance on caste issues, Brahminical setups in various institutions and Hindutva politics prevailing in India these days.

Following the Facebook decision, many of the supporters of National Dastak came forward with the hashtag #IAmWithNationalDastak.

People on social media have called this as an attack on the freedom of expression. Some claimed this decision of Facebook inspired by Manusmriti.

National Dastak has provided a lot of space to writers and journalists from the Dalit-Bahujan community to present news and views which show their side of the daily reports and without a Savarna perspective. Dilip C Mandal, Former Editor of India Today magazine, is mentoring the National Dastak team.

Interestingly, while the social media went into an outrage when NDTV was banned for a day, the response on social media for this ban on National Dastak has not been equally strong. This ban on their Facebook page has got little, if any, response from mainstream media and websites.

One of the reasons could be that a number of people have not come upfront because of faulty journalistic practices of National Dastak according to a few mainstream media outlets. In the past, Journalists from The Lallantop and The Wire have accused National Dastak and its mentor Dilip Mandal for copy lifting their original stories without giving the due credit to the outlets.

Nevertheless, the Dalit-Bahujan community continues to show its strong support on Facebook and Twitter. The Hashtag #iamwithnationaldastak is trending and its Facebook page, which has around 3.5 lakh page likes, is seeing a lot of traffic.
The future of British citizens residing in EU countries threatens to embroil Brexit discussions, as the trading bloc threatens to slash their rights.

The chair of the European Parliament's civil liberties committee, Claude Moraes MEP, says he cannot guarantee the 1.2 million UK citizens currently living in EU countries will be in a better position than the 3 million European citizens staying in Britain.

However, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was photographed holding a briefing note suggesting many of those 3 million EU citizens in the UK could flee this country if Theresa May follows through with a 'hard' Brexit, demonstrating how much this issue is prolonging negotiations between the British Government and the European Commission.

Mr. Hunt was walking to a Cabinet meeting when he was pictured with the note, written in large type, in preparation for health questions to the House of Commons.

'It cannot be one rule for British citizens in the EU.'

Mr. Moraes' intervention comes after the Prime Minister made the EU an offer which would see anyone who has already lived in Britain for five years secure a new 'settled status', guaranteeing their right to stay. This same rule would apply to any EU citizen who arrives in the UK in between the date Article 50, the mechanism under the 2007 Lisbon Treaty for a nation to exit the trading bloc, was triggered, and a cut-off date yet to be decided.

Mrs May's proposals would prohibit the right of EU citizens in the UK to bring over family members.

The plans would also result in them losing the protection of the European Court of Justice. Mr. Moraes said the European Commission will be drawing up similar plans, meaning it cannot be one rule for the 1.2 million British citizens living in EU countries and a different one for the 3 million EU citizens working in Britain.

Mr.

Moraes attacked the Prime Minister for leaving UK citizens worse off. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker joined the European civil liberties committee chair in criticising Mrs May for an insufficient set of proposals, whilst Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt said her offer would leave EU citizens in the UK worse off.

'The British Government is using EU citizens as bargaining chips.'

The shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, said the British Government was using EU citizens as bargaining chips, while Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the Tories' efforts to secure their rights is too little, too late.

Meanwhile, in response to an opening question from Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, Mr. Hunt said he commends the work 150,000 EU citizens employed by the NHS contributed to the institution. But he said he fears that a 'hard' Brexit would result in many of those European workers fleeing the UK. He attacked the Liberal Democrats for ignoring the 1.2 million UK citizens living in the EU.

His aide said his warning about a 'hard' Brexit was intended to trigger a supplementary question from Mr.

Carmichael. Despite this, he has become one of many Cabinet ministers who have become emboldened to scrutinise the Prime Minister's negotiating strategy since she lost her majority last month.

'Part of the health service's family.'

With recent figures showing a 96% fall in the number of European nurses applying to work for the NHS since last year's EU Referendum, there have been countless suggestions quitting the trading bloc could lead to significant staff shortages. The Health Secretary used his first speech since the general election to reassure European NHS staff that they are part of the health service's family. On Monday, he and Greg Clark issued a letter to the Financial Times saying they both want to cooperate with the EU on pharmaceutical regulation to reassure the medical industry.

Regardless of the Government's promise that they will do everything they can to secure the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, a source, who did not want to be named for privacy reasons, revealed exclusively to Blasting News that they fear a 'hard' Brexit could result in their company relocating to a European country. They also said they fear their family may have to move abroad to find work.
In the aftermath of the recent Islamic terrorist attacks in London, Donald Trump has continued to push for his travel ban to become law. After yet another social media tirade over the issue, critics decided to fire back in return.

Trump on Twitter

For the third time in 2017, and second time in two weeks, an Islamic terrorist attack took place in the United Kingdom. On Saturday night, three incidents occurred on and around the London Bridge, resulting in seven deaths and dozens of people left injured. The three suspects, whose identities have yet to be released, were killed after a confrontation with police, while eight others were arrested after law enforcement raided a flat in east London which was owned by one of the reported killers.

In response, Donald Trump was quick to respond, using the opportunity to call for his travel ban to be put into law, while taking time to mock the mayor or London and speak out against political correctness and gun control. As seen in a series of Twitter posts on June 5, the president was not done getting the issues off of his chest.

People, the lawyers and the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning was Donald Trump as the commander in chief had a lot on his mind when it came to the court system and his controversial executive order that critics label a "Muslim ban." "People, the lawyers and the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN!" Trump tweeted out.

The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017

"The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C." Donald Trump went on to write in a second tweet.

In his third message on the issue, the former host of "The Apprentice" continued his attack on the courts.

The Justice Dept. should ask for an expedited hearing of the watered down Travel Ban before the Supreme Court - & seek much tougher version!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017

Double down

"The Justice Dept.

should ask for an expedited hearing of the watered down Travel Ban before the Supreme Court - & seek much tougher version!" Donald Trump added in yet another Twitter post. In his fourth and final tweet as of press time, the billionaire real estate mogul piled on further. "In any event we are EXTREME VETTING people coming into the U.S. in order to help keep our country safe," Trump tweeted, before adding, "The courts are slow and political!"

In any event we are EXTREME VETTING people coming into the U.S. in order to help keep our country safe. The courts are slow and political!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017

Moving forward

Despite Donald Trump's demands, his executive order has failed when met with a legal challenge of multiple federal judges. The controversy surrounding the travel ban doesn't look to be ending anytime soon, with the president faced with the decision of whether or not to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In his first social outing as commander in chief, Donald Trump attended the Ford's Theatre gala along side his wife Melania Trump on Sunday night. After Melania tweeted about her experience at the event, social media users fired back.

Melania at Ford's Theatre

During the 2016 presidential election, it was made more than obvious that Donald Trump was a Washington outsider. Because the former host of "The Apprentice" never had a history as a politician, he was able to use that to his advantage and cater to those who were tired of business as usual in Washington.

Since pulling off the shocking upset win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton last November, Trump has had a rocky time serving as the 45th President of the United States. Over the last 5 months since he's been sworn into office, Trump has faced an onslaught of criticism over a variety of issues, controversy, and scandal that has plagued his administration. With the pressure mounting on his presidency, especially over the growing Russian scandal, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump made their way to Ford's Theatre on Sunday night to celebrate the annual Gala event in Washington, D.C. As seen on her Twitter account on June 4, Melania tweeted about the evening.

Thank you to everyone at @fordstheatre for tonight's performances! @POTUS and I enjoyed the evening very much.  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) June 5, 2017

Taking to her Twitter feed on Sunday night, Melania Trump expressed her joy over attending the aforementioned gala at Ford's Theatre with her husband Donald Trump.

"Thank you to everyone at @fordstheatre for tonight's performances!" Melania tweeted, before adding, "@POTUS and I enjoyed the evening very much."

Donald Trump makes Ford's Theatre gala his first Washington social outing: The president https://t.co/Y0n6Of3DgY  AMERICAN DAILY (@americandailys) June 4, 2017

Twitter reacts

Responding to Melania Trump and her tweet about the annual Ford's Theatre gala were a slew of social media users who took time to mock and troll the First Couple.

"Please take Trump back to NY with you because he isn't fit to be President. You said you would tackle bullying. Start with him," one tweet read.

So did you leave Barron at home? Do you miss your lover at Tiffany's?  Barb Carver (@Nortonvt) June 5, 2017

Next time you should take hubby to see Our American Cousin. I hear it's fabulous. #ImpeachTrump  Stephen Carvell (@carvell_stephen) June 5, 2017

Please take Trump back to NY with you because he isn't fit to be President. You said you would tackle bullying. Start with him  Vera Gen (@Strugachik) June 5, 2017

"Next time you should take hubby to see Our American Cousin.

I hear it's fabulous," another Twitter user wrote in reference to the play Abraham Lincoln saw at Ford's Theatre when he was assassinated. "So did you leave Barron at home? Do you miss your lover at Tiffany's?" an additional tweet added.

Honestly, how gross is it having sex with Don? It's gotta be nasty right?  Dustin J Dutter (@DustinJDutter) June 5, 2017

Are are you ever going to stop wasting taxpayers money? Oh wait. You don't care  Just keep selling your products! All about You  katherine hedden (@kathedden) June 5, 2017

"Are are you ever going to stop wasting taxpayers money? Oh wait. You don't care. Just keep selling your products! All about You," another post stated. "Honestly, how gross is it having sex with Don? It's gotta be nasty right?" a follow-up tweet asked. The negative reactions continued as the political divide in the United States was on display.
Jia Yueting, LeEco founder.

Cash-strapped Chinese internet company LeEco is facing another blow, with 1.24 billion yuan ($183 million) in assets belonging to its founder Jia Yueting and three affiliated companies being frozen by a court.

The incident highlights that LeEco's cash crunch is far worse than previously expected and is likely to further weigh on the business of its listed video-streaming unit Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp, analysts said on Tuesday.

Shanghai High People's Court made the ruling after a China Merchants Bank branch applied for a property preservation order in June to block the 1.24 billion yuan of assets owned by Jia, his wife and three affiliated companies.

The action came after LeEco failed to pay interest due on bank loans taken out to fund its smartphone business, China Merchants Bank said.

LeEco has been wrestling with a financial squeeze since last November, with Jia admitting publicly that its expansion into smartphone, automobile, cloud and internet finance business had been a step too far.

Shen Meng, director of boutique investment bank Chanson & Co, said the latest incident underlines that LeEco's cash flow problems are worsening, despite a 16.8 billion yuan investment from real estate developer Sunac China Holdings and other investors at the beginning of the year.

"The cash gap is far bigger than most people had expected," Shen said.

"Most of Sunac's money goes to LeEco's listed video-streaming and smart television businesses, which are considered by investors as its quality assets. But it turns out that even these businesses are now financially affected by LeEco's overexpansion into unlisted cash-burning units including automobile and smartphones," Shen said.

Meanwhile, Jia stepped down as the legal representative of Leshi Holding (Beijing) Co Ltd, the parent company of LeEco's sprawling business units, in June, data from National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System show.

Jia was replaced in June by Wu Meng, who has been working at LeEco for a long time and held a number of senior positions, though Jia remains as the executive director.

LeEco said the reshuffle is meant to free Jia from the burden of daily tasks and allow him to focus more on core businesses including electric cars.

Lu Zhenwang, CEO of Shanghai-based Wanqing Consultancy, said Jia's influence is fading, as Sunac plans to separate LeEco's listed video-streaming unit from its money-losing automobile and smartphone businesses.

"But these units are in fact highly linked. The video-streaming business will be weighed down further, as now it is next to impossible for Jia to find investors to back his electric car plan," Lu said.

In May, Jia stepped down as chief executive of Shenzhen-listed Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp, although he remains its chairman.
A leading Russian bank is looking to develop its business in China as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Otkritie FC Bank, which is the fourth largest lender in Russia, is planning to expand its wealth-management operation and financing products to cater for Chinese corporate clients.

"We are looking forward to cooperating with Chinese banks," said Evgeny Dankevich, chairman of the management board at Otkritie FC Bank.

"This especially applies to the precious metals sector, the wealth-management business and financing operations for Chinese customers," he added.

Founded in 1993, Otkritie is the largest private bank in Russia and ranks among the world's top 350 lenders.

It mainly caters for corporate clients and investment banking, retail businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises as well as private banking.

Otkritie is also the largest Russian financial group by assets, worth 3.3 trillion Russian roubles ($50.6 billion). The bank also employs 20,000 staff and has four million customers.

"I think the Belt and Road Initiative will promote the development of precious metals and provide us with more opportunities," Dankevich said.

"We have been involved in precious metals for more than 20 years," he added. "It is mainly gold and we are very experienced in the sector."

Last year, Otkritie became the first Russian member of the Shanghai Gold Exchange, China's only market for trading in the precious metal.

So far, it has sold 4.2 metric tons of gold, worth $170 million, on the SGE, according to figures released by the bank.

SGE provides trading, clearing, delivery and storing services of gold, silver and platinum.

"We hope to find some reliable banking partners to work together in the precious metals business, which is profitable and has promising prospects," Dankevich said. "Otkritie is the best Russian partner in the sector.

"Our bank is the largest in Russia when it comes to dealing with precious metals, and accounts for a third of mined gold in the country," he added.

Russia has the second largest gold reserves in world after South Africa, with 12,500 tons, or 400 million ounces, according to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources.

"As a matter of fact, we have been working together with some large banks in China, such as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Harbin Bank, in businesses such as interbank deposits and settlement," Dankevich said.

The Russian lender also has branches in Hong Kong, London, New York and Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, and has cooperated with global banks such as Citibank.

"We have investment projects in many countries, and we are willing to invest in China, if we can find an opportunity and reliable partners," Dankevich said.
The tale of how March of the Volunteers became China's national anthem is one for the Robin Hood's barn file. Writer David Bandurski has done a nice job of laying it out for Quartz recently. What's interesting is that embedded in the piece's odyssey is a strong connection with the US.

The music came first, in 1935. Chinese composer Nie Er writes "a lively march" (Marcia Vivace) in the key of G major and, like all marches, in 2/4 time. (The composer drowned to death in Japan's Sagami Bay the same year.)

The march became the soundtrack for a film titled Children of Troubled Times produced by Shanghai's Diantong Film Company, telling the story of young people leaving behind their lives of leisure and volunteering to fight the invading Japanese. They sing Nie Er's melody, with words supplied by Communist Party member, poet and screenwriter Tian Han:

Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!

With our fresh blood, let us build a new Great Wall

March on! March on!

In 1935, France's Pathe Records produced a record of the song for gramophone and it was sold in department stores. Within a year, it was being played all over China. A Shanghai activist named Liu Liangmo, who worked for the YMCA, promoted singing the song - and others - to stir up nationalistic sentiment.

In 1939, Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens gave the song a cameo in his gut-wrenching chronicle of China's suffering under Japanese aggression, The 400 Million (which is viewable on youtube, but be forewarned).

Liu Liangmo left China for the US in 1940 on a personal mission to raise America's awareness of what the Japanese were doing in his homeland and how they were trying to fight back.

Ten years later, he would write for New York's China Daily News, a Chinese-language publication, recalling how he arrived in the US having few connections but with many Chinese songs of resistance under his arm to introduce to the US, when he got a big break, in the person of singing and movie star Paul Robeson:

"whose fame had reached me even when I was in China, and whose sonorous voice I had already heard on the silver screen and on gramophone records," he wrote. "I thought if only I could get Robeson to sing the songs of resistance, there could be nothing better."

Liu had a friend who knew Robeson and a phone call led to a meeting.

"You just came from China?" Robeson said in his celebrated deep basso profondo voice. "Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Liu told the 6-foot-3 African-American avid civil rights activist about the songs of resistance. Robeson asked him to sing some of them, then asked him to repeat March of the Volunteers.

Weeks later giving a concert in an open air amphitheater in West Harlem, Robeson held up his hand asking for silence.

"Tonight, I want to sing a song for the heroic Chinese people in battle," he said. "The title of the song is Chee Lai." And he proceeded to sing March of the Volunteers in flawless Mandarin.

Robeson recorded the song with a youth chorus Liu had put together from New York's laundry workers, and revenue from sales of the gramophone recording went to the war effort in China.

The song gained star power and, as Bandurski reports, Robeson had become what one scholar called "an astonishingly powerful spokesman for the Chinese resistance against Japanese aggression".

Three years later, during World War II, a lieutenant colonel filmmaker in the US Army propaganda department named Frank Capra used the march for his film The Battle of China, the sixth in his Why We Fight series.

In September 1949, the Political Consultative Conference advisory body decided that until "the formal designation of a national anthem of the People's Republic of China, the national anthem will be March of the Volunteers".

Noting Paul Robeson's passing in 1976, the People's Daily ran a tribute, saying: "In the period of the Chinese people's war of resistance, he sang 'March of the Volunteers' in the Chinese tongue and supported the war of the Chinese people against the Japanese, becoming a true friend to the people of our nation."

In March 2004, the Chinese constitution was amended to include March of the Volunteers as its official anthem.

Contact the writer at chrisdavis@chinadailyusa.com.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on January 17, 2017 and US President Donald Trump seen at a reception ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 20, 2017, as seen in this combination photo. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump's first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday will be brimming with global intrigue, but the White House says there's "no specific agenda." So in the absence of a set list of topics, what are two of the world's most famously unpredictable leaders to discuss? Trump, who prefers to have neatly packaged achievements to pair with high-profile meetings, may be looking for some concessions from Russia to show he's delivering progress and helping restore a productive relationship between the two powers. Putin would almost surely want something in return, and there's a long list of "irritants" between the two countries that they could potentially resolve.

Ahead of the bilateral meeting, White House National Security Council and State Department officials have been reviewing possible gestures the US could offer Russia as part of the meeting, a current and a former administration official said. They weren't authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.

Yet any outward sign of bonhomie between Trump and Putin would be immediately seized upon by the president's critics and Russia hawks eager to show he's cozying up to the Russian leader. The ongoing investigations into Russia's interference in the US election and potential Trump campaign collusion won't be far from anyone's minds.

The two leaders will sit down in Hamburg, Germany, on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit of leading rich and developing nations. Ahead of the meeting, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak met Monday in Washington with the No 3 US diplomat, Thomas Shannon, to prepare.

A look at what Trump and Putin could address:

ELECTION HACKING

Trump has been reluctant to publicly and directly acknowledge Russia's role in meddling in the US election, out of apparent concern it undermines the legitimacy of his win. He's also insisted there was no collusion with him or his campaign, a conclusion that US investigators have not yet reached.

US officials says Russia tried to hack election systems in 21 states and to sway the election for Trump, a level of interference in the US political system that security experts say represents a top-level threat that should command a forceful response from the US Putin has denied all this.

There are no indications Trump plans to raise Russia's meddling at the meeting. Yet if he doesn't, it will give fuel to Trump's critics who say he's blatantly ignoring a major national security threat. It could also embolden those who say Trump is trying to cover for the Russians after benefiting from their interference.

IRRITANTSEach side has a long list of complaints about the other that do not rise to the geopolitical level but are nonetheless impeding broader attempts to coordinate or cooperate on larger concerns. After meeting in Moscow earlier this year, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to set up a mechanism to deal with these issues the Russians describe as "irritants" and the Americans call "the smalls."But even that effort has stalled. After the Treasury last month imposed new sanctions on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, Moscow called off a scheduled second meeting between Thomas Shannon, the US undersecretary of state for political affairs, and Sergey Ryabkov, a Russian deputy foreign minister. Shannon and Ryabkov's canceled June 23 meeting in St. Petersburg has yet to be rescheduled.

It was not clear if either Trump or Putin would seek to reopen the channel when they see each other in Hamburg, although Tillerson and other State Department officials have taken pains to stress that they remain open to a resumption of the talks.

RUSSIA'S WISH LISTRussia has been especially vocal about its chief demand: the return of two properties it owns in the US that were seized by the Obama administration as punishment for Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The recreational compounds are located in Oyster Bay, New York, on Long Island, and along the Corsica River in the Eastern Shore region of MarylandOn Monday, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Russia had been remarkably restrained by declining to retaliate but that its patience was running out. If the US doesn't soon give back the compounds, also known as dachas, Moscow will have no choice but to retaliate, Ushakov said.

Another Russian demand is to ease surveillance of its diplomats in the US
Martin Altenburg from Fargo, North Dakota, is ready for some new experiences in China, particularly when it comes to the food.

"As a picky eater it'll be fun opening up my palate to the cuisine in China," he said.

Altenburg and 11 other high-achieving Americans who graduated from high school this year will go to China on July 12 for two weeks to study Chinese culture, history and society in Beijing, Guizhou and Sichuan.

The 12 were chosen by the National Committee on US-China Relations for the US-China Student Leaders Exchange (SLE), an annual initiative that sends nationally recognized recent American high school graduates to China.

"I'm excited about how much we will be immersing ourselves in the culture while staying in China," said Altenburg, who will attend Stanford University this fall.

"I'm particularity interested in China's classical and pop music," he said. "As a violinist, I would love to have an opportunity to play in an orchestra or chamber ensemble with Chinese counterparts during this trip."

While Altenburg is expecting to play music in China, Beau Bingham from Tulsa, Oklahoma, hopes to explore the intricacies of Chinese culture.

"I'm interested in Chinese history and regional differences," said Bingham, who will attend Dartmouth College this fall. "It will be very different from my culture and very eye-opening."

"These high school students are the next-generation leaders of our nation," said Jessica Bissett, senior program officer of the committee. "We want them to have a deeper understanding of China, which could help build trust and improve US-China relations in the long run."

The rapid growth of China's economy and improvement in technology innovation have attracted more and more American students visiting and studying in China. In 2015, China ranked fifth in the number of American students studying there, with approximately 13,000, according to the Institute of International Education.

"This year, we received about 40 applications," Bissett said. "And we see more and more American students show their interest in the program in recent years."

She said that all applicants are either US Presidential Scholars - 161 students from the top 2 percent of high school graduates across the nation - or Regeneron Science Talent Search Finalists, winners of the nation's most prestigious pre-college science competition.

"All our candidates are very competitive and talented," Bissett said, "so it made our selecting process very difficult."

This year, the 12 students in the program will attend Harvard, Columbia, Brown, MIT, Stanford and other top universities after returning from China.

Yihai Education Group, a subset of Yihai Group in Beijing, which operates in real estate, education and investment, has sponsored the program for four years.

"We believe that the program will help the brightest American students have a better understanding of China," said Linda Wang, the founder of Yihai Group, "through their observations and experiences when they stay with Chinese students and their families, not through textbook and Western media coverage.

ruinanzhang@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 07/05/2017 page2)
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HA NOI  Nguyen Ba Duong will quit his position as CEO of the Cotec Construction Joint Stock Company (Coteccons) in the 2017-20 term.

However, he will continue to be the companys chairman.

According to an announcement by the companys executive board, Nguyen Sy Cong, general director of Unicons, a subsidiary of Coteccons, will replace Duong to lead the company.

The board also approved the establishment of four sub-departments in the fields of strategy, investment, risk management, and salary, bonus and human resource.

The company has a scale of more than US$1 billion in revenue and more than 2,000 employees and workers. Therefore, Coteccons need to restructure its management following international rules to meet the development demand, Duong said.

Over the past years, Duong was seen as the chief architect of Coteccons, listed as CTD on the stock market. He became the companys CEO when it was established in August 2004.

He was recently selected to be a member of giant dairy producer Vinamilk (code VNM) and the head of the companys salary and bonus sub-department.

Clarifying inquiries from Vinamilk shareholders about the new appointment, company CEO Mai Kieu Lien said the change was in accordance with international administration rules, according to which the company needed an independent member to be in charge of important sub-departments.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam imported goods worth US$22.5 billion from South Korea in the first half of this year, up 51 per cent year-on-year, the General Statistics Office reported.

With these figures, South Korea emerged as the second largest provider of goods for Viet Nam in the reviewed period. Viet Nams major imports from South Korea included machinery and equipment, up 120 per cent; electronics, computer and components, up 46 per cent; and telephones and parts, up 38 per cent.

China remained Viet Nams leading source of imported goods in the six-month period. Viet Nams imports from this neighbouring country saw a yearly import rise of 17 per cent to $27.1 billion, with key items including machines and equipment, and electronics and components.

From January to June, Viet Nams import turnovers from some other markets also recorded significant increases, such as ASEAN countries with $13.6 billion, up 18 per cent; Japan with $7.7 billion, up 11 per cent; the EU with $5.8 billion, up 16 per cent; and the US with $4.8 billion, up 27 per cent.  VNS
Budget airline AirAsia will begin operating daily direct flights between Nha Trang and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on September 14.  VNS Photo

HCM CITY  Budget airline AirAsia will begin operating daily direct flights between Nha Trang and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on September 14.

Promotional fares from VN790,000 (US$35) one-way are available from July 4 to 9 for travel until August 28 next year.

Spencer Lee, head of commercial for AirAsia Berhad, said: This year is all about driving the Asean vision forward with the year-long Visit Asean@50 initiative.

As the only airline flying directly into Nha Trang from Malaysia, this route introduction not only opens up air travel into the city but it also gives people from Khanh Hoa Province access to over 120 AirAsia destinations around Asia.

Fourteen connecting routes will be accessible with this launch, with baggage checked through to the final destination.

With this Fly-Thru service, people can now travel from Nha Trang to cities in Asia and Australia.

Since starting operations in 2001, AirAsia has carried more than 400 million guests and expanded its fleet from just two aircraft to over 200 now.  VNS
HA NOI  Authorities in the central province of Quang Nam have asked the Government to reduce the import tax on auto parts and components for locally-assembled vehicles at the earliest.

Speaking at an online conference of the Government and representatives of localities on Monday, chairman of Quang Nam Peoples Committee inh Van Thu said the provincial budget had declined in the first half of this year due to a decrease in the auto parts and components consumption of local auto businesses and automakers.

Quang Nam is home to the Chu Lai-Truong Hai Auto Manufacture and Assembly Complex, which opened on nearly 600ha in 2003 with 25 auto companies and factories inside.

The provincial budget is calculated to decrease by VN1.6 trillion due to a drop in tax collection from automakers this year. Meanwhile, its estimated that local automakers and assemblers consumption will reduce by 11 per cent in the second half of this year, Thu said.

Based on this fact, provincial authorities expected the Government to recalculate the import tax on parts and components for local automakers. The new tax should be applied before January 1, 2018, when the import tax of autos become zero per cent in the ASEAN to create favourable conditions for businesses to develop operations and compete with other regional rivals.

The new import tax on auto parts and components should be applicable from October this year, Thu said.

The decline has occurred not only in Quang Nam Province but also in other provinces, including Hai Duong and Vinh Phuc, where authorities said the local budget had significantly reduced in the first half of this year due to a drop in the automakers tax payments to the provincial budget.

Sharing the opinion with representatives of localities, Minister of Finance inh Tien Dung said there was a shift in the production structure of domestic automakers and assemblers, who were preparing to take advantage of the opportunities and face challenges due to tax cut from early next year. They had now changed their business policies to deal with the import of vehicles from Thailand and Indonesia to the Vietnamese market.

Instead of manufacturing and assembling, a number of auto businesses had moved to import, which led to a decrease in local budget, Dung said.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said close watch was needed on the import of cars with nine seats or less from Thailand and Indonesia to adopt controlling measures in time to protect domestic auto manufacturing and reduce trade imbalance with the ASEAN market.

According to the General Statistics Office, Viet Nam imported 24,613 cars from Thailand and Indonesia in the first five months of this year, greatly exceeding the figure of 16,622 units imported from the remaining 10 auto export countries to Viet Nam, including South Korea, Malaysia and China.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh inh Dung asked ministries and sectors to study policies to build the countrys automobile industry. We must have our own automobile industry.  VNS
Local firms need to pay due attention to their brand, including brand building, brand valuation and brand governance.  Photo baocongthuong.com.vn

HA NOI  Local firms need to pay due attention to their brand, including brand building, brand valuation and brand governance, said an official.

ang Quyet Tien, deputy head of the Ministry of Finance (MoF)s Enterprise Finance Department made the statement at a conference held in Ha Noi yesterday.

Internationally, brand is considered the core value of the business, with some brands value accounting for 70 per cent of the total value of business assets. But in Viet Nam, brand matters have not received the due consideration they deserve from local companies, Tien said.

In fact, some foreign organisations had recognised the value of several Vietnamese companies intangible assets, Tien said, adding that Viet Nam had quite a lot of brands appearing in various prestigious rankings in the world.

As announced by Brand Finance, an UK-based brand consultation and valuation company, Vietinbank was recognised as one of the Top 100 Largest Banks in ASEAN and the only Vietnamese bank included in the 2016 list of top 400 most valuable banking brands in the world, with the brand value amounting to US$249 million, Tien said.

Also according to Brand Finance, the Viettel brand last year was valued at US$2.6 billion. The Vinaphone brand was valued at $1.04 billion and Mobifone at $391 million.

Some enterprises even had spent a large amount of money to build their own brands, but were confused when determining the value of the brands, which are intangible but precious assets for businesses, Tien said.

Vietnamese enterprises brands were facing many challenges such as the infringement of intellectual property (IP), Le Ngoc Lam, Deputy Director of the National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam of the Ministry of Science and Technology said at the conference.

The Viet Nam National Tobacco Corporation (Vinataba), coffee producer Trung Nguyen Group, Phu Quoc fish sauce and Ben Tre coconut candy were particular examples of Vietnamese firms being victims of IP infringement when they were circulating their products in the global market, Lam said.

Also having hired professional consultants in value branding, Tien said, some State-owned enterprises when conducting equitisation processes had been provided with different values for their brands, causing big losses to the State budget.

Tien added that there were also still some limitations and overlaps in the content of legal documents stipulating the brand valuation methods.

Samir Dixit, Managing Director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific said brand equity was an intangible asset because the value of the brand was not a physical asset and was instead determined by consumer perception.

When building and developing a brand, firms needed to focus strongly on Brand Strength indices (BSI) and Governance Strength indices (GSI), which were the two essential indicators measuring the efficiency of brand valuation, Dixit said.

The workshop was co-organised by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  VNS
HA NOI  A delegation of Russias Rostec Corporation worked with authorities in the southern province of Binh Duong on Wednesday to prepare for the operations of the Viet Nam-Russia Rubber Joint Venture Company (Visorubtex).

The project is expected to be operational after 2020.

The project, which was signed between the Vietnamese Government and the Russian Government, will include rubber plantations, research and pilot production of Visorutex rubber in Binh Duong Province.

Speaking at the meeting, deputy chairman of provincial Peoples Committee Tran Thanh Liem said local authorities always supported the Rostec Corporations work on Visorutex in the province. Rostec needed to discuss the details with the Viet Nam Rubber Group to have a common agreement, he added.

Besides growing rubber, Liem said the province expected Rostec to invest in other areas, especially industrial development.

The province has since 2010 converted nearly 2,000ha of rubber growing land into industrial land. As planned, the province will increase the area of industrial land to more than 14,000ha by 2020 from its current 10,000ha.

Yuriy Makeev, Rostec deputy general directors adviser, appreciated the development potential of Binh Duong Province and thanked the provincial authority for their support of Rostec.

He said his corporation wanted to begin operations in the province by growing rubber and undertake activities related to Visorutex.  VNS
HA NOI  The Australia Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) concluded that it would stop investigations and not to impose countervailing duty on aluminium extrusions imported from Viet Nam, according to the Viet Nam Competition Authority (VCA) on Tuesday.

The ADC, which is under the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, completed the investigation into the alleged dumping of certain aluminium extrusions exported to Australia from Malaysia and Viet Nam.

Accordingly, ADC concludes that the dumping margin for Vietnamese cooperative exporters ranges from 7.7 per cent to 18 per cent while for non-cooperative exporters is 34.9 per cent.

The ADC initiated the investigation last August, following an application lodged by Capral Limited, a manufacturer of aluminium extrusions in Australia.

The application alleged that goods were exported to Australia at prices lower than their normal value, and these received subsidies from Vietnamese and Malaysian governments.

It said the dumping and subsidisation had caused material injury to the Australian aluminium extrusions industry.

The investigation examined exports during the period from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, to determine whether dumping or subsidisation had occurred. Details of the Australian market were examined from July 1, 2012, for injury analysis purposes.  VNS
THAI NGUYEN  The investor of Nui Coc Lake Dam in the northern province of Thai Nguyen was told yesterday to speed up work of repairing the facility.

In mid-June, the provincial Peoples Committee announced a state of emergency due to leaks in the 480 metre-long dam.

At a scientific workshop held yesterday to discuss solutions, oan Van Tuan, deputy chairman of Thai Nguyen Provinces Peoples Committee, urged Thai Nguyen Irrigation Exploitation One Member Co Ltd to conduct repair work economically, ensuring quality, progress and safety.

He also asked the investor to urgently create a water-proof membrane by jet grouting for the dams body while dealing with water drainage system and repairing a roof on the downstream side. These works must be accomplished no later than August 30.

The workshop gathered leading irrigation experts, and the dams consultant unit - Viet Nam Hydraulic Engineering Consultants Corporation - proposed two measures to repair the leakage.

The first is to create a water-proof membrane in the dams middle core by jet grouting.

The second solution is to make a water-proof membrane in the upstream side by creating a water-proof soil layer consolidated by reinforced concrete. At the heel of the dam the unit will create a water-proof membrane in its foundation by jet grouting or a blanket on the upstream side.

Most participants were in favour of the first solution, agreeing that it is cheaper and enables the repair work without having to let out water. Creating a water-proof membrane by jet grouting in the dams body is technically effective and economical. The participants agreed that the second solution is ineffective and impractical, requiring the release of water.

Tuan asked the consultant unit to obtain proposals, finish research and assessment document and submit a report to the local Peoples Committee by Thursday.

A report from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that the dam was leaking from its shoulder and from a downstream area. Large volumes of water were also leaking from parts of the dams left bank, with downstream drainage ditches suffering damage and the upper sloping roof sagging.

Nui Coc Lake is a man-made lake built in 1973 and has seven dams. It provides 30 million cu.m of water for irrigation per year, 30,000cu.m of water for residents per day and between 30,000 and 150,000cu.m of water for the Yen Binh Clean Water Plant per day.  VNS
A ministrial inspection team has asked the ak Nong Aluminum Company to immediately review its technology after its factory released aluminum powder into the air in the Central Highlands province of ak Nong.  Photo tuoitre.vn

AK NONG  A ministrial inspection team has asked the ak Nong Aluminum Company to immediately review its technology after its factory released aluminum powder into the air in the Central Highlands province of ak Nong.

The industry and trade ministry team, led by Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Director Tran Van Luong, surveyed the polluted area today and met with heads of the ak Nong Aluminum Company.

The company confirmed earlier complaints by residents in Village 11 of Nhan Co Commune that on June 28 white powder was seen dispersed from the factory, covering nearby leaves and roads.

The white powder was identified as residual aluminum that escaped from the Nhan Co factory when strong winds swept through an open container in which the aluminum was stored.

The inspection team ascertained that no white powder remained in the affected area, having been washed away by several days of rain.

Luong urged the ak Nong Company to urgently improve the protective wall around the factory and review its aluminum production technology to avoid similar incidents in the future.  VNS
HOI AN  Renowned French photographer Rehahn is displaying his collection, Precious Heritage, in a free outdoor exhibition in the ancient coastal city of Hoi An through this summer.

The photographer has been living in Hoi An over the past six years.

The exhibition began on July 1 and will run for two months at Nguyen Phuc Chu Street on An Hoi island.

Through a selection of 40 photographs, echoing his museum, Rehahn shows how rich and diverse Viet Nams ethnic culture is. His famous portraits of young children and old women from all provinces across the country represent from large ethnic communities with hundreds of thousands of members to small ones that have just a few hundreds, such as the O u group, which required him to wait for three years to get authorisation to visit them in their remote villages.

Old woman of Brau ethnic group. Photo by Rehahn

Posing in their traditional costumes, they symbolise ancestral customs that are passed on from one generation to another, the challenge of protecting them, and the hope of keeping these communities alive. The Precious Heritage collection promotes the beauty and pride of these communities that together form the great mosaic of Viet Nams nationalities.

Rehahn believes that the most efficient way to preserve the ethnic culture of the ethnic groups is to promote them outside their community, to create a sense of pride for their heritage and ancient customs. Sometimes, you need someone elses vision to make you realise what you have.

That, he says, is what motivated him to establish the Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum (located at 26 Phan Boi Chau Street in Hoi An) in January this year. By charging no entry fee and displaying everything with text in Vietnamese, English and French, the photographer hopes that the maximum number of people will use the opportunity to explore this side of Viet Nams identity, and see whats beyond the more obvious images.  VNS
French actress of Vietnamese origin, Audrey Giacomini, stars in the film Ciel Rouge (Red Sky), directed by Cesar winning Olivier Lorelle. In the film, which was introduced in Ha Noi and HCM City last week, she plays the role of Thi, a Vietnamese young and courageous woman who fights for national independence and freedom. This is the first ever French film about the first Indochina War in which the heroine is a Viet Minh resistance soldier.

The 31-year old actress, who rose to fame with the award-winning film Mr. Nobody, tells Vuong Bach Lien shes always wanted to play a real Vietnamese woman.

What motivated you to take this role?

I fought fiercely to get this role. Six years ago, Id played the role of a Vietnamese girl named Phuong in the film Sai Gon, lEte de Nos 20 ans (Sai Gon, Summer When We Were 20 Years Old) which was shown on French television. Phuong was a self-important and artificial girl, who only spent time making up.

But when I look at my Vietnamese grandmother and my mother, I know that Vietnamese women are not so simple. They taught me how to behave correctly, and about hierarchy in the family. They are severe and sweet at the same time. I have always wished to have the opportunity to play the role of such a Vietnamese woman.

So was playing Thi difficult?

Yes, it was difficult because it was the first time I could play such an important role. I had a lot of pressure. I didnt want to deceive the film director and the public. And more importantly, it is a film about a Vietnamese resistance fighter, and I have Vietnamese origin, so I wanted to do well.

How did you prepare to play the role in that film?

I read a book on the advice of director Olivier Lorelle: Ao Dai: My War, My Country, My Vietnam, written by Xuan Phuong.

It tells the story of a young Vietnamese woman who studied at the French secondary school in Hue City and who decided to take part in the war.

She left home at the age of 16 and joined the Viet Minh resistance force, to become a barefoot revolutionary in the jungle.

She travelled across the whole of Viet Nam, sometimes alone, to fight for her country. This woman is very strong and she inspired me a lot.

I also talked with my maternal grand-mother who is 100 per cent Vietnamese and who married my grandfather, who is half Vietnamese and half French.

Through her stories, I learnt more about the experiences of Vietnamese women during the war. Later, I also studied Vietnamese with a Vietnamese teacher in France. I understood that learning the language is very important to know about the culture of a country.

Can you tell us something about your more memorable moments when shooting in the northern mountainous region here?

I have very good memories of the magnificent landscapes that I have seen. Id visited Viet Nam three times before, but had only stayed in the South. This is my first stay in the North.

To shoot the film, we went to the jungle around the Ba Be Lake. And when we arrived, a flock of butterflies surrounded us. We were all moved by this beauty. And then it was wonderful to be on a raft on the lake.

And the mountains in Ha Giang took my breath away.

Did your grandparents tell you many stories about Viet Nam when you were younger?

No, when I was small, they didnt talk much. Only my mother told me a few stories about her early days in France. She was five years old when she first came to France. She told me that it was winter then, and she believed that all French people smoked as she saw smoke coming out from their mouth. She didnt know that it was their breath. When she saw snowmen, she thought that they were monsters.

But when I grew up, I was able to learn a lot about Viet Nam, its culture and traditions. My family has preserved some traditions like the Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations.

I take full advantage of eating Vietnamese food  I feel Vietnamese myself when I use chopsticks easily, not only to eat, but also to cook.  VNS
Pham Minh Tuan, the CEO of FPT Telecom.  Photo chungta.vn

Pham Minh Tuan, the CEO of FPT Telecom, speaks to the newspaper Kinh te & o thi (Economic and Urban Affairs) about the groups determination to solve the serious problem of traffic congestion in Ha Noi through its IT application.

Ha Noi is has the most dense urban transport in Viet Nam. To solve this problem, we need to understand the citys transport characteristics. In your opinion, what are they?

Motorcycles run on the same lane with cars. This is the most salient problem. I dont think we can initiate our own solution. We have to base ourselves on technology and then adjust it to our own circumstances. In addition, we have to conduct research on the behaviour of Vietnamese motorcycles drivers. After these steps, well develop proposals for Ha Noi transport.

As we all know, Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh are the two biggest cities of the country with millions of vehicles. Quite a few investors have come to the two cities, but after studying the traffic situation, they all said we need to conduct a special model for Viet Nam and we need much time and money for the project. After hearing their comments, we decided that we, Vietnamese will do it. Were confident that we can.

Would you elaborate on the idea of developing a smart transport system?

FPTs scheme will have three main concepts. First, it must be able to solve the problem of traffic congestion. Second, it must reduce traffic accidents. And third, when traffic congestion is reported, the system will immediately send a report to the rapid response management agency so that it can resolve the problem immediately.

Let me give you a specific example. After receiving a report on traffic congestion at a certain locality, the smart transport system will immediately give instructions to the nearest rapid response management unit on how to solve it. If there is a serious accident it will immediately dispatch an ambulance to the site. In the meantime, satellite images of the accident will be recorded. With such rapid response, Im confident that the road will be clear as soon as possible. At present, a serious accident often takes about 30-45 minutes to clear and resume traffic.

To introduce such a novel transport system, does FPT have to learn from other countries?

No doubt about that. We have to draw lessons learned from many cities in Europe, Australia or China and then try to select the most suitable to our own situation.

Once the co-operation agreement between the Ha Noi Peoples Committee and the FPT is signed, well establish a working team involving representatives from several agencies, including the Ha Noi Department of Transport, the Ha Noi Police Department, the Department of Information and Communication, the Department of Health and others. Well then send members of the working team on study tours abroad and they will be able to come up with the most suitable model for Viet Nam.

Does the FPT need further support from the Ha Noi Peoples Committee and relevant agencies?

The citys input data about its transport infrastructure is very valuable for us. Here I just want to say that were not building a new house or introducing a new solution. Well try to build on what is already available to make it work better. Thats why we need active support from the Department of Information and Communication, the Department of Transport, the Ha Nois Police Department and others.

The FPT promises that the work on the new system will start and be completed between 2017 and 2020. The project will be implemented in six-month stages. In other words, some project portions will be totally new, some will be repaired and some upgraded. Hopefully, by 2020, all FPT applications will work perfectly as they are designed to perform.

As an investor, do you think Ha Noi authorities have honoured their commitment to work side by side with their investors?

No doubt about that. Mayor Nguyen uc Chung is an active participant in all the meetings about IT applications for improving the citys transport.

As we all know, in any project, particularly the application of information technology (IT), active involvement of the city mayor is very important. Its a commitment from Ha Noi on administrative reform, change in the working procedures and the application of modern IT. Of course, at the end technology is only a supporting tool for government agencies to perform their assigned duties better.

Im confident that Ha Noi will have better traffic flow when this project is completed._VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will showcase Viet Nam as a dynamic country and a trusted and responsible member of the international community during his visit to Germany and attendance at the G20 Summit.  VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will showcase Viet Nam as a dynamic country and a trusted and responsible member of the international community during his visit to Germany and attendance at the G20 Summit.

He begins his four-day visit today.

Viet Nam and Germany established diplomatic ties on September 23, 1975. Since then, bilateral friendship and co-operation have developed extensively, through regular exchange of high-level delegations and co-operative mechanisms.

During the Viet Nam visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel in October 2011, the two Government leaders signed a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership which set in place targets and measures to intensify bilateral collaboration.

Germany is Viet Nams largest trade partner in Europe with two-way trade reaching US$8.78 billion last year and $3.8 billion in the first five months of 2017.

Viet Nam mainly ships mobile phones and computer components, garment and textile, footwear, coffee, agricultural and aquatic products to Germany. It imports machinery, spare parts, automobiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and milk products.

Germany sees Viet Nam a promising, rapidly developing Asian market. As of April 20, it had 285 projects worth $1.41 billion in Viet Nam, ranking fifth in the European Union and 20th among 116 nations and territories investing in Viet Nam. There are about 300 German enterprises operating in Viet Nam.

Meanwhile, Viet Nam has 30 investment projects in Germany with total capital of $124.8 million, mainly in finance-banking, automobiles, real estate, services and informatics.

Since 1990, Germany has provided some $2 billion for Official Development Assistance projects in Viet Nam. The German Government has pledged more than 600 million euro ($682.1 million) for projects in energy, vocational training and environment.

Germany is one of the most important markets for the Vietnamese tourism sector. In the first three months of this year, 61,923 Germans visited Viet Nam, up 13.2 per cent year-on-year. From July 1, Viet Nam piloted visa waivers for German citizens staying for 15 days or less.

German is being taught as the second foreign language in 13 schools nationwide thanks to a German Foreign Ministry initiative.

There are currently 176,000 Vietnamese people living in Germany. Several States have also piloted the teaching of the Vietnamese language in high schools, such as Brandenburg, Berlin, Sachsen and Sachsen Anhalt.

In addition, the two countries have signed agreements to create a legal foundation for economic co-operation, including an agreement on double taxation avoidance and another on investment protection and encouragement.

Themed Shaping an interconnected world, the G20 Summit will be held on Friday and Saturday in Hamburg. As the host of the APEC 2017, Viet Nam has been invited to conferences and meetings within the G20 framework this year.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised the need of quality over quantity in law-making as he continued to chair the monthly cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.

While acknowledging the importance of institution building, PM Phuc said institutions and laws should not hinder the development of the countrys socialist-oriented market economy. Regulations on land, construction, housing and investment must urgently "clear the way for trade", he added.

Phuc asked ministries and State agencies not to set additional conditions for business, apart from those required by the National Assembly and the Government, as these may obstruct trade and investment.

He urged thorough study to reduce the number of planning regulations, saying that having as many as 20,000 was both costly and ineffective.

The PM assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment and related ministries to review the Law on Public Investment and report remaining problems to the Government before July 30 so that the Government can submit it to the NA.

He also asked for a clearer division of authority and responsibility of ministries, sectors and localities in public investment disbursement to solve the delay in disbursement.

Administrative reform

On Monday, the Prime Minister told the meeting that administrative reform from the grassroots to central level should be improved.

Ministries and agencies were asked to increase dialogue with businesses and citizens, deal with their complaints and avoid red tape.

The PM stressed the need to speed up the progress of equitisation of State-owned enterprises and called for the involvement of resources, particularly public-private partnerships.

Regarding credit accession for businesses, PM Phuc proposed that the State Bank of Viet Nam create favourable conditions for enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, start-up enterprises and those investing in infrastructure construction. He said lending rates should be lowered to help enterprises reduce costs and enhance competitiveness.

To enhance the effectiveness of the State and private sector, the PM suggested that the Ministry of Planning and Investment coordinate with the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in initiating mechanisms to improve the efficiency of the private sector, which accounts for 40 per cent of the countrys GDP.

The total value of assets of Vietnamese private enterprises is about US$400 billion, of which fixed assets are over $180 billion. If the capital use of the private sector increases even 1 per cent, there will be $2 billion more in profit or 1 per cent of the countrys GDP growth, he said.  VNS
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu met yesterday with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Tadamori Oshima and held talks with the Vice President of Japans House of Councillors Akira Gunji on a visit to Japan.  VNA/VNS Photo Gia Quan

TOKYO  Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu met yesterday with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Tadamori Oshima and held talks with the Vice President of Japans House of Councillors Akira Gunji on a visit to Japan.

Meeting with Tadamori Oshima, NA Vice Chairman Luu spoke highly of the Japanese lower house leaders visit to Viet Nam last May, saying the trip significantly contributed to strengthening the extensive strategic relations between Viet Nam and Japan.

For his part, Oshima noted the fruitful development of the Viet Nam-Japan relationship, as reflected in the exchange of high-ranking visits since the beginning of this year.

The host said he hoped the friendship between the two countries, as well as the relationship between the Vietnamese NA and Japans House of Representatives, would advance further.

During talks with Akira Gunji, the Vietnamese legislator expressed his delight at the fine relationship between Viet Nam and Japan.

Echoing Luus views, Gunji said the bilateral co-operation was thriving in many aspects like the economy, politics and culture. He described the visit to Viet Nam by the Japanese Emperor and Empress in February 2017 as a symbol of the friendship.

Akira Gunji noted his hope that the Vietnamese legislature and Japans House of Councillors will increase their exchanges, especially ahead of the celebration of the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2018.

He praised the NAs role as the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the countrys hosting of the 26th APPF slated for January 2018.  VNS
NEW DELHI  Viet Nam and India are determined to expand bilateral relations to match the elevated status of comprehensive strategic partnership that both nations have agreed on.

The determination was voiced in talks held by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi yesterday.

Minh is on a three-day official visit to India.

In their talks, both officials shared their pleasure at the strong growth in ties since Viet Nam and India established diplomatic relations in 1972.

The establishment of a strategic partnership in 2007 and elevating it to comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016 showed the strong political trust between the two countries, creating an important framework for strengthening collaboration in all areas including politics and diplomacy, defence and security, economy and trade, science and technology, and culture and education, they said.

The two sides also agreed on various measures to bolster multifaceted bilateral co-operation.

In the economic sphere, Minh and Swaraj stressed the need for stronger and more effective measures to turn Viet Nam and India into important partners.

They concurred that the Viet Nam-India subcommittee for trade co-operation should convene a meeting soon to seek ways to increase two-way trade to US$15 billion by 2020, including providing information and support for businesses, creating favourable conditions for the entry of goods from either country, and strengthening connections in all fields.

They also agreed to beef up affiliation within the framework of the ASEAN-India free trade agreement, and foster collaboration with regional countries in speeding up and finalizing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Minh noted that Indian investment in Viet Nam had reached $722 million, ranking 26th of 119 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam. He expressed his hope that India would become one of the leading investors in Viet Nam soon.

Viet Nam wishes increased engagement of its businesses with Indias initiatives, including Make in India, Digital India and Skilled India, he said.

Both sides agreed to step up co-operation in promising areas like software development, IT, banking-finance, logistics, mechanic manufacturing, garment and textile, energy and renewable energy, and pharmaceuticals.

They also affirmed interest in expanding co-operation in training and scientific research, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The Indian side pledged to continue providing scholarships and helping Viet Nam implement projects to restore and preserve the Cham towers in My Son.

The two foreign ministers also highlighted the need to strengthen their defence-security partnership with India continuing its training and technical support programmes, provision of soft-loans and co-operation in coping with non-traditional security challenges.

Minh and Swaraj also exchanged views on international regional issues of shared concern. They vowed to work closely at international and regional forums.

As the coordinating country for the ASEAN-India relations in 2015-18, Viet Nam supports India in strengthening comprehensive co-operation and closer connectivity with the bloc and making positive contributions as a powerful country in Asia, Minh said.

Swaraj reaffirmed Indias commitment to strongly upholding the Act East policy, which places ASEAN in general and Viet Nam in particular as a major foreign policy focus.

The two leaders reiterated that their collaboration in maintaining peace, stability as well as over-flight and maritime safety and security in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

They emphasised the principle of respecting international law and settling disputes through peaceful measures in conformity with international law, the United Nations Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Following the talks, Minh and Swaraj signed an Action Programme for implementing the comprehensive strategic partnership for the 2017-2020 period.

Also yesterday, Minh paid a courtesy call on Vice President and Chairman of the Senate, Hamid Ansari; and received Minister of Defence as well as Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley.

Ansari spoke highly of the warm friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Viet Nam and expressed his belief that Minhs visit would help to deploy the partnership practically.

He affirmed that the parliament and people of India had always supported the strengthening of bilateral ties with Viet Nam in all fields.

He expressed his wish that the two countries ministries and sectors hold more discussions and work together towards stepping up co-operation in a comprehensive, intensive fashion that fully taps the potentials and advantages of both countries.

Minh asserted that Viet Nam had always treasured its time-honoured friendship with India as well as the countrys support for Viet Nams past struggles for national independence and its current nation-building efforts.

He hoped that the two countries would work to deepen the relations and pledged that the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs would work with the Indian ministries and sectors to boost co-operation in politics, economics, trade, defence-security, culture-education, science-technology, and other promising fields.

Ties with Nepal

Later, Minh received Viet Nams honorary consul in Nepal Rajesh Kazi Shrestha and several Nepalese businesspeople.

The honorary consul expressed his honour in undertaking the task of promoting people-to-people exchanges, connecting businesses and protecting Vietnamese citizens in Nepal when Viet Nam is yet to officially open a representative office in the country.

Minh said he is glad to see positive developments in ties between Viet Nam and Nepal. He said he valued the efforts and contributions of the honorary consul and requested him to continue the good work.  VNS
NEW DELHI  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh has led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the 9th Delhi Dialogue, which opened in the Indian capital on Tuesday.

The two-day event in New Delhi was attended by Indias external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and ministers, officials and leaders of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In her opening remarks, Swaraj spoke about Indias efforts to promote relations with the ASEAN, saying that the country has shifted from a Look East to Act East policy. India places the ASEAN at the heart of this policy and the centre of its dream of an Asian century, she said.

The Indian foreign minister laid emphasis on core co-operation areas between India and the ASEAN: trade, connectivity and culture. She invited ASEAN businesses to invest in India and take advantage of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST).

India and the ASEAN share the same geographical space, and face common traditional and non-traditional security challenges, Swaraj said, adding that both sides have already enhanced collaborations to ensure regional peace and security, through ASEAN-led forums such as the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) and Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.

Swaraj affirmed that freedom of navigation and respect for international law, notably the UNCLOS, is an urgent issue, and declared Indias commitment to boost maritime co-operation with the ASEAN so as to fully tap the potential of the ocean economy.

India will continue to work with the ASEAN in fighting terrorism, piracy and trans-boundary crimes, and in ensuring cyber space security, the minister said.

The 9th Delhi Dialogue, themed India-ASEAN Relations: Charting the Course for the Next 25 Years, is an annual dialogue that discusses politics, security, economy and culture-society issues between the ASEAN and India.  VNS
FRANKFURT  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived at Frankfurt International Airport in Germanys Hessen state on the morning of Wednesday (local time), beginning his trip to Germany for a working visit and attendance at the G20 Summit at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Vietnamese PM and his entourage were welcomed at the airport by Hessen State Minister for Science and Arts Boris Rhein and other officials of Hessen, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany oan Xuan Hung and Consul General in Frankfurt Nguyen Hong Linh, among others.

He is scheduled to meet Deputy Governor and Minister for Economic Affairs of Rheiland-Pfalz State, Volker Wissing; President of the Federal Council and Governor of Rheiland-Pfalz State, Malu Dreyer; Speaker of the Hessen State Parliament Nobert Kartmann; and Hessen Governor Volker Bouffler.

He will visit the Vietnamese Consulate General in Frankfurt.

The G20 Summit will take place on July 7-8 under the theme Shaping an Interconnected World. Its three focuses are ensuring stability, improving viability for the future and accepting responsibility.

As the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum in 2017, Viet Nam is invited to attend meetings within the G20 framework this year, participate in all debate sessions of the G20 Summit and give opinions on the draft joint statement of the event.

Viet Nam and Germany set up diplomatic ties on September 23, 1975. Since then, bilateral friendship and co-operation have been developing in an effective and comprehensive manner.

Germany has been one of the most important European partners of Viet Nam for many years. Mutual trust and understanding have been enhanced through the maintenance of high-level delegations and co-operation mechanisms.

In a trip to Viet Nam by Chancellor Angela Merkel in October 2011, the two countries signed the Ha Noi Joint Statement on setting up a strategic partnership. Germany is currently the biggest trade partner of Viet Nam in Europe, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of Viet Nams total exports to the EU. It is also an important gateway for Vietnamese goods to other markets in Europe.  VNS
HCM CITY  Fulbright Everest Launchpad, a free English teaching programme for 40 11th and 12th graders around the country started on Monday.

The programme included eight weeks of learning English in HCM City and online.

The cost of VN65 million (US$2,850) per student to travel, stay in the city and learn is provided by Fulbright University Viet Nam, thanks to a donation by Jack Tate, founder of the Baby Superstores chain in the US.

The programme is designed by Fulbright University Viet Nam in co-operation with a local social enterprise, Everest Education, to personalise learning.

The 40 students, chosen from among 1,215 candidates, have to use English for daily communication.

Chu Hoai Ngoc from the northern province of Thai Nguyen, one of the 40 students, said the programme would help her improve her English skills and communication.

Nguyen Minh Nguyet from another northern province, Bac Ninh, said soft skills would also be improved.

Moreover, they would be making friends from around the country, she said. VNS
AK NONG  ak Nong Province Peoples Committee will take back nearly 2,000ha of forestry land in Tuy uc District that was encroached upon by locals.

The land belonged to companies carrying out agricultural and forestry projects and forestry enterprises in the district.

The information was revealed on Tuesday by Ngo Xuan Loc, chief of the secretariat of the provincial Peoples Committee.

The land will then be assigned to local authorities to manage and use based on present law.

Four enterprises must give back land  Kien Truc Moi (New Architecture) Construction Joint Stock Company with 679.3ha, Long Son Trade and Investment Co Ltd with 751.6ha, No 59 SConstruction and Investment Joint Stock Company with 554ha, and Nam Tay Nguyen (South Central Highlands) Forestry Co Ltd with 130ha.

Earlier, ak Nong Peoples Committee let the companies lease the land to conduct agricultural and forestry projects. However, the land was subsequently encroached upon by locals. The companies were unable to resolve the case, so they volunteered to return the land to local authorities.

ak Nong Province currently has 43 agricultural and forestry projects with total area of some 33,000ha. But so far, the projects have not been very effective, with many areas destroyed and conflicts taking place causing public disorder.

Taking back the land and allocating it to local authorities is part of the efforts of the provincial Peoples Committee in forest and resident management.  VNS
HA NOI  My uc District Police in Ha Noi on Tuesday announced they were prosecuting 14 former officials of the district and of ong Tam Commune.

The officials were allegedly involved in land violations in the commune.

The accused will appear in court this month, facing charges of "abusing power while on duty" and "irresponsibility causing serious consequence.

The accused include a former commune Peoples Committee chairman, Peoples Council chairman, commune Party Committee secretary and head of the communes Police, as well as head of the districts Environment Division and officials of the districts Land Registration Office.

According to the indictment, between 2002 and 2013, the commune officials illegally allocated and granted land to some local households.

The district officials were allegedly irresponsible while verifying the origin of the land and granted land-use certificates unlawfully.

The violations of the officials were detected and investigated following complaints from residents.

ong Tam Commune made headlines in local media for a land scandal in late March and mid-April when 38 civil servants and some police personnel were held hostage by the communes residents.

The residents were protesting what they considered was unjustified revoking of 50 acres of land where theyd built homes and lived for many years.

As tensions escalated in March, police opened an investigation against the residents for "disturbing social order."

Matters came to a head on April 15, when police arrested four people. Local villagers retaliated by surrounding and seizing 38 officials, including police officers.  VNS
HCM CITY  The HCM City Peoples Committee has instructed government agencies and district administrations to closely monitor the quality and price of construction sand.

The Department of Trade and Industry has been told to recommend measures to prevent speculation and find out the market price of sand from shops in the city.

Based on the prices, the Department of Finance will decide how to control the factors that led to an abnormal rise in prices recently.

The rise has ceased, but prices remain high.

Best quality sand now costs VN630,000-650,000 (US$27.7-28.6) per cubic metre, while it is VN520,000-530,000 for lower quality sand.

The prices have gone up three-fold in the last few months in many places.

In some areas they were hiked on two or three occasions a month for the last three months, hitting many construction works.

Many construction materials shops took advantage of this to hoard other items too.

The administration has instructed the Department of Science and Technology to look for substitutes for sand in construction to limit the environmental impact caused by over-exploitation of natural sand.

Indiscriminate sand mining in rivers has caused landslides along their banks in many places including HCM City.  VNS
JERUSALEM  Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel Tuesday for what he called a "groundbreaking" first ever visit by an Indian premier, with growing ties between the two countries including billion of dollars in defence deals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials gave Modi a red carpet welcome at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv as he began his three-day visit.

The two leaders embraced heartily and gave brief speeches, pledging to work together on issues including security, agriculture and energy.

"It is my singular honour to be the first ever prime minister of India to undertake this groundbreaking visit to Israel," Modi said.

Netanyahu said "Weve been waiting for you a long time. Weve been waiting almost 70 years in fact, because yours is truly a historic visit".

Modi later visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and had dinner with Netanyahu at his official residence.

The Indian prime minister called for the two countries to work together to fight extremist violence in remarks after arriving for the dinner.

"We must resolutely oppose the evils of terrorism ... and violence that plague our times," Modi said.

The two leaders are to hold talks on Wednesday.

Israel, constantly searching for allies at the United Nations and for new business partners, has portrayed the visit as a major diplomatic victory.

Israeli analysts have noted that Modi is not scheduled to travel to Ramallah to meet Palestinian leaders during his three-day stay, as is common for visiting dignitaries.

Modi did however meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in New Delhi in May.

India is the worlds biggest importer of defence equipment, and Israel has become one of its major suppliers.

Israeli media have reported that the two countries sign defence deals averaging more than US$1 billion a year.

In April, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said India would buy nearly $2 billion worth of weapons technology, making it the military exporting giants largest ever defence contract.

The deal will see IAI provide India with an advanced defence system of medium-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and communications technology.

Make with India

Modi and Netanyahu also hope to build on co-operation in areas including water and agriculture technology, sectors where Israel has excelled.

India has traditionally voiced its support for Palestinian statehood, long shunning ties with Israel.

But the frost has thawed in recent years, with India seeking closer defence ties -- particularly as it moves away from relying on traditional ally Russia for its military hardware.

Modis visit marks 25 years since India and Israel established diplomatic relations.

The Hindu nationalist makes the trip after his visit last week to Washington, where he and US President Donald Trump embraced each other as friends, vowing to work more closely on combatting terrorism, the war in Afghanistan and defence co-operation.

While ties with some US allies have been strained by Trumps complaints that Washington has been the loser in trade agreements, Modi appeared sensitive to his hosts emphasis on transactional diplomacy.

Modi may find similar common ground with Netanyahu, Israels longtime right-wing prime minister who hosted Trump in May.

India is currently the worlds fastest growing major economy, a status that Modi is hoping to cement by drawing in more foreign investment.

He has sought to do that in part by encouraging manufacturers to do business in Asias third-largest economy.

Israels defence deals have included components that will be assembled in India.

"On this visit, your make in India initiative meets my make with India policy," Netanyahu said at the airport ceremony.  AFP
UNITED NATIONS, United States  The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday after North Korea said it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), diplomats said.

The United States -- which confirmed it was an ICBM launch -- backed by Japan and South Korea, requested the urgent meeting that is scheduled for 3pm local time.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.

North Koreas Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometres and flew 933 kilometres.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later confirmed the missile launched was an ICBM.

The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China to act to "end this nonsense once and for all."

US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday spoke by phone with Chinas Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting, diplomats said.

Guterres stressed the importance of having united approach to addressing the North Korean crisis.

China, Pyongyangs main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear programme.

The United States maintains the Pyongyang must first halt its missile launches and nuclear test.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from developing missile and nuclear technology.

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and last month added 14 North Korean officials and four entities to the sanctions blacklist.  AFP
WATERLOO  It was a down-to-earth election, without the mud.

And the end result is the largest union local of Waterloos largest manufacturing employer has a new president.

Tim Frickson, 46, previously second vice president of United Auto Workers Local 838, has been elected president of the local, unseating incumbent Tom Ralston in a three-way race involving them and candidate Chad Barnett. Frickson earned a simple majority by about a dozen votes. The term of office is for three years.

The two are working together to make sure theres a smooth transition between administrations. And Frickson said he has some ideas about additional activities to invite members to visit their union hall.

Frickson has worked at Deere for 13 years, initially at the Waterloo Foundry and then at the East Donald Street plant. The East High graduate also previously managed The Other Place restaurant in Evansdale, worked for the city of Cedar Falls and was a former Black Hawk County sheriffs deputy.

He had initially considered simply moving one rung up the chain of command and running for first vice president

Im the kind of guy who likes to do things in order, he said. My intention was to run for first (vice president) this time, but folks approached me and said Wed like you to step up and run for the main office. After enough people had asked about it, I decided to do it.

Tom and I sat down. We talked about it, Frickson said. I think something were both pretty proud of is that we ran a real clean campaign. We joked about it quite a bit. We still do.

Like Tim said, it was a very friendly campaign and itll be a very friendly transition, Ralston said. I have no hard feelings about Tim running or winning. He ran a good campaign and thats what caused him to come out on top.

Fricksons main objective is to stay the course.

My biggest thing going in is to protect and maintain what we have now, Frickson, and make sure individual members get benefits due them. One of my big things going in is ... to try to re-engage the membership  try to get people coming back out to meetings; getting some things happening out here at the union hall where people come out and want to take part. We have guys that have 18, 19 years and dont know where the union hall is at.

Ralston said he had the same experience with a recent retiree of more than 40 years. Hed been a UAW member his entire career and never been to the hall. Which, I suppose, means were doing our job because he never had any problems.

But he and Frickson said it would still be good to redouble efforts to involve the membership.

The locals community involvement will stay the same. We dont plan on going away from any of that. We still want to be the face of the community, Frickson said including involvement in the Cedar Valley United Way and involvement in local political matters.

Ralston presided over the local during a difficult period, when hundreds of Deere Waterloo UAW members were laid off due to a downturn in the farm economy. Amid that downturn, the international UAW also negotiated a new six-year labor contract with Deere. A majority of Local 838 workers voted against it but it carried by a wide enough margin among other locals in the Deere chain that it was ratified companywide.

The local has about 377 Deere-employed members still on layoff, Ralston said; there have been small numbers of callbacks, which helps out a lot. About 25 were recently recalled.

Total Local 838 membership is about 3,200, including bargaining units at all employers; Deere-employed members are about 2,600, Ralston said.

While some members are being recalled, others have lost their recall rights and drop off the layoff list. Initially about 1,000 were on layoff.

The companys recent earnings report indicated an improvement in business and production, and the local has seen some early, small signs of that locally.

The way Id describe it is, were running real steady, as far as work goes, Ralston said. Were not running like the way we were when I got hired, but its not bleak.

Its looking optimistic, Frickson said. Some workers are logging overtime but the company is being careful and deliberate about recalling workers. They dont want to call anybody back and in two months lay them off again.

They emphasized the wages and benefits UAW members negotiate for themselves generate revenue for the local economy and pull up wages and benefits throughout the Cedar Valley.

I have full confidence Tim will do a good job, Ralston said. Hes doing it for the right reason. He cares about this membership. Hes a good union man.

As far as Ralstons future, hell go on the layoff list with other members until hes recalled, but is optimistic that may happen before long. He plans to remain involved in the local, and whatever I can do to help out.

Frickson said the local leadership welcomes help from anyone in the membership.

If we get somebody thats willing to come out and put in their time, more power to you, Frickson said. Well accept them with open arms.

One other major seat turned over in recent Local 838 elections, with first vice president Mike Oberhauser replacing Tim Niedert as shop chairman or the Foundry, Westfield Avenue site, Product Engineering Center and Service Parts Operations.
WATERLOO  Two people injured in a Monday night shooting are expected to survive.

According to police, Rayshawn Decarlos Putman, 21, and Qunshaundes Davion McNealy, 22, arrived at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital with gunshot wounds around 10:45 p.m. Monday around the time gunfire was reported in the 500 block of Elm Street.
WATERLOO  It can be hard to understand how someone else feels, especially if youre 11.

But 24 children getting ready to start middle school recently spent some time empathizing. They were guided by staff of the University of Northern Iowa Center for Urban Education Leadership Academy, made up of UNI education majors and area high school teachers.

The students worked in groups with academy teachers, listening to their stories of being chosen last, left out, laughed at or picked on. Then they were asked to step onto a sheet of paper in the middle of the group with the outline of a pair of feet and tell how the situation would make them feel.

It was one of the leadership activities included in the four-week academy wrapping up this week. The students from Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence and Highland and Lincoln elementary schools were nominated by their fifth-grade teachers to participate in the program.

These are all students who have the potential to be leaders, but something is holding them back, said UNI student Bridget Tharp, a teacher in the program for four years. It is designed to prepare them for middle school, prepare them for being lifelong leaders. Students in the program are black, Hispanic and white.

Students commit to four full weeks of classes in writing, reading, math and Spanish. They also participate in leadership activities, like the empathy exercises, and field trips around the Cedar Valley. Each weeks activities followed a theme: health and well-being, personal responsibility, civic responsibility and mapping the future.

Tharp sees the program as transformative for students. I just really think it is an amazing program and it opens students eyes to their potential. My favorite thing about it is how involved they get to be with the community.

That includes visits to libraries, an art center, college campuses, a nature center, a fire station and the county jail. They go swimming, do a variety of other recreational activities, take a childrens cooking class and volunteer at the food bank.

The change between week one and week four is incredible, said Tharp, noting she watches shy students blossom. You see how much they develop over time.

Other staff include Rashadeem Gray and Hunter Flesch, both UNI seniors; Lauren Chiles, who will begin teaching at Cedar Falls High School this fall; and Maggie Mnayer, a longtime East High School teacher. Megan Holbach, UNI-CUE assistant director, leads the academy.

One thing Ive noticed is the kids, they have their favorite subjects, said Gray, a first-year teacher in the program. They arent always as attentive in the other classes, he noted. But when we do these (leadership) activities, theyre all engaged and ask really good questions.

Skiler Vaughan, a Lincoln student during the past school year, did gain some insight into how other people feel through the empathy exercises.

I didnt know what it was before, she said. Now that weve had all of these examples, I got an actual visualization of what it would feel like to be in someone elses shoes.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo family discovered their home was damaged by fire when they returned from a vacation on Tuesday.

It wasnt clear when the fire started at 443 Campbell Ave., but the residents discovered the aftermath when they arrived around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Battalion Chief Ben Petersen with Waterloo Fire Rescue.

He said the fire started in the utility room. Fire damage was confined to the utility room and put itself out before any one noticed, but the rest of the home had heavy smoke damage, and the basement had heat damage.

The door was shut. I think that what prevented it from taking off, Petersen said.

The cause of the fire hasnt been determined. Firefighters noticed a tree in the yard had been struck by lightning at some point, but it wasnt known if it was related to the fire.

The family had left for vacation on Friday and returned Tuesday, Petersen said.
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 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 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 the citizenship test would be too difficult.

In my moms case, neither of those was an issue. 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.

However, 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.

But people who tsk-tsk the fact more eligible immigrants dont naturalize rarely realize it takes money and time 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, travel to multiple appointments and so on 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.

There are nonprofit groups out there like The New Americans Campaign, a nonpartisan national network of organizations helping immigrants navigate and pay for the citizenship process. Since its inception in 2011, it 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.

Still, 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 last week in Chicago my mother and 114 other men and women 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.
From prohibitions on drivers texting to a tougher domestic violence law, Iowa had a host of new laws take effect July 1 with the new fiscal year.

Fireworks, of course, went off immediately when signed into law by then Gov. Terry Branstad as did a ban on abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, expanded gun rights, use of medical cannabis and stopping cities and counties from setting higher minimum wages.

Some laws were long overdue.

Following 401 deaths on Iowa highways in 2016  the most since 2007  the Legislature finally did something about distracted and drunken drivers.

During 2016, distracted drivers  using phones or other devices  were involved in 603 crashes causing 13 fatalities and 40 serious injuries. Iowa had been one the last five states to make texting while driving a primary offense. Previously, motorists had to commit another infraction to be pulled over (except for drivers 14-17).

Now, anyone writing, sending or viewing an electronic message can be stopped, although voice-operated and hands-free devices are acceptable. The penalty is $30 or up to $1,000 for causing a serious accident.

In cases of homicide-by-vehicle, cell-phone use while driving is considered a felony reckless-driving charge, which could result in 10 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Drunken drivers killed at least 84 in 2016 (pending all toxicology reports). Legislators have given local jurisdictions the option to require repeat offenders abstain from alcohol and controlled substances for a set duration and report twice daily for Breathalyzer tests administrated at a centralized location. Alternatives are available if the distances are too great. Failure to pass the test could mean 24 hours in jail.

Counties need to follow through.

School employees were put on notice about alcohol use. Teachers disciplined for being intoxicated at school must be reported to the states licensing agency. Districts must report any licensed employee disciplined for possessing or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at school or school events.

Meanwhile, private-sector drug testing now includes hair samples.

Legislators addressed the domestic-violence epidemic. The Des Moines Register reported an average of 8,400 domestic-abuse charges (6,430 in 2016) were filed annually over the last seven years  about 23 cases daily.

Under the new law, a third or subsequent domestic abuse assault means serving at least one-fifth of the maximum term, establishing a 20 percent mandatory minimum sentence.

Stalking now includes the unauthorized use of a global-positioning device and a new definition. Previously, an individual had to fear bodily harm or death. Now a reasonable person could feel terrorized, frightened or threatened, or fear bodily harm or death.

Success depends on enforcement. An average of 3,300 domestic abuse charges (nearly 40 percent) have been dismissed annually  often at the insistence of victims because of family or financial concerns.

Identities of juveniles arrested for a crime  other than a forcible felony  will no longer be a public record available to the media. Public hearings will remain open unless defense attorneys want it closed. Government agencies, parents and guardians of accused minors, school superintendents or designees and alleged victims will have access to records.

Among the more common-sense laws taking effect are:

A new office Department of Public Safety office overseeing efforts to combat human trafficking.

Extending the statutes of limitations for kidnapping and trafficking.

Allowing emergency medical professionals to obtain opioid antagonists (Narcan) to administer in cases of drug overdoses.

Banning local jurisdictions from penalizing a resident seeking emergency assistance if the caller reasonably believes its necessary.

Allowing greater patient access to telehealth medical services through computer or phone.

Establishing a harassment crime for so-called revenge porn.

After limiting many public employee rights (except for police and firefighters), Republicans also passed these business-friendly measures:

Medical malpractice cases will require a certificate of merit to proceed and cap non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, at $250,000. It wont apply to permanent impairment, disfigurement or death.

Reduced payments from the Workers Compensation Fund, including shoulder injuries by 86 percent, while providing community college training to return to the work force, as well as for those suffering permanent partial disability injuries to the body, 10 percent, or $1 million.

A deadline of 90 days after filing an asbestos claim to disclose certain information, including the disposition of each asbestos trust claim to avoid double dipping, or face dismissal for noncompliance.

Negligence suits against contractors involving an improvement must be filed within 10 years for residential property and eight years for commercial property. It had been 15 years.

Workplace legislation, abortion limitations and firearms laws will continue to be overriding, polarizing issues, but common ground exists with many laws that could make Iowa safer and life more sensible. Given the way the legislative pendulum swings, we just wish that had been sought across the board.
Trump and social media

PENELOPE POPP

CEDAR FALLS -- Again I am embarrassed by the outrageous behavior of Mr. Trump. Time and again, he has used social media to try and instigate more turmoil in the country.

I believe the press is trying to make sense of what is happening in the White House but, without clear answers, the press and therefore the public is left to extract the answers with little or no concrete information.

If the tweets "speak for themselves" then use the forum to talk to the public about substantive issues that concern us all, not just a chosen few. The press has a right to show the Office of the President in any light, good or bad. That is a freedom the U.S. enjoys. Please don't expect any special treatment Mr. Trump, even though you may be used to it. Respect is earned, not a right. It did not automatically come with the office.

It is unfortunate as a "modern day president" Mr. Trump can only execute the Office of the President in 140 characters or less.

Fireworks

NICK HALVORSON

WATERLOO -- Since the Iowa Legislature decided to legalize fireworks in Iowa, it has been an every-night occurrence to hear and see them being illegally shot off before the legal dates in Waterloo. What was the Iowa Legislature thinking would happen? Waterloo's police force has better things to do than try and keep this from happening. The Iowa Legislature made a mistake in legalizing fireworks. It was poor judgment on their part.

Freedom

HERMAN LENZ

SUMNER -- Machines and robots are replacing human labor everywhere possible; why not in traffic enforcement? Technology could and should take care of such high killers as speeding, texting and cellphone use, but we have too many blockheaded lawmakers and lobbyists from big money/big businses who believe their own time, schedule and profits are more important. They call such crash prevention an intrusion on their freedom. They believe freedom means the right to run over other lives.

Also, fireworks were outlawed many years ago because of blown off fingers, fires, excessive noise, pets terrorized, harassment to neighbors and loss of sleep. But our legislators think we're stupid enough to believe those same reasons do not exist today. They think freedom means the right to use the peace and happiness of other lives.

Sullivan center

BOBBY FERGUSON

U.S. Navy 1970-1973

BARRINGTON HILLS, Ill. -- I have heard news the city is planning to redevelop the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center and give it a different name. I must tell you how upsetting this is to me and more than 7 million men and women living in the United States who served in the U.S. Navy.

Sailors are acutely aware of the dangers of taking a warship to sea in defense of our country. We are reminded of these dangers by the recent incident with the USS Fitzgerald, in which seven sailors lost their lives. I don't have to explain the heavy sacrifice borne by the Sullivan family. This action sends a shudder through all sailors. The Sullivans are revered around the world for their service and enormous loss. A corollary to"leave no man behind" is "forget no family that suffered a loss."

We close ranks and support the Sullivan family, as well as supporting the Navy family. It would be sad for potential visitors and future residents to form an opinion of Waterloo that it is a city with short memory for those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we may continue to live in a free country.
Q: What was the object of printing the backwards flag in the paper?

A: The flag was correct. When displaying the flag vertically, as ours was meant to be, the flags stars should be at the top, to the observers left.

Q: Is there any person or company that gives drivers education training during the summer?

A: A number of drivers education companies can be found online or in the phone book. Look under driving instruction in the yellow pages of the phone book or go online and use a web browser to search drivers education and your location. Some companies offer drivers education through schools in the summer, including the public high schools in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls High School offers it through Goulden Rule Driving School. Find more information online at cfschools.org/schools/cedar-falls-high-school/driver_education. Waterloo Community Schools offers it through DriveTek. Go to drivetek.com/waterloo.html for more information.

Q: Will the school board agenda from Friday, June 9, ever be put on the schools website?

A: Yes, the agenda is now on the Waterloo Community Schools website. Click on the Board of Education tab and find it under the Archive of Board Agendas.

Q: Do Cedar Falls Schools require students to get all their immunizations shots? If not, is the student still allowed to go to school?

A: Cedar Falls Community Schools follow the immunization requirements as outlined by the Iowa Department of Public Health, said spokeswoman Janelle Darst. Students must have immunizations to attend unless the district receives a Provisional Certificate of Immunization or Certificate of Immunization Exemption. For more information, call the Department of Public Health at (800) 831-6293 or go online to idph.iowa.gov/immtb/immunization.

Q: What is the new building that is going in along Highway 20 at exit 225? Its dark gray with a red roof.

A: The DR. PowerSports watercraft, motorcycle and off-road motorsports business is locating there in Hudson.

Q: Why dont they change the speed limit back to 45 mph on West San Marnan since it appears there will never be houses built along that road?

A: This would require an ordinance change by the Waterloo City Council. You can contact your council representatives or the Traffic Operations Department to request or discuss speed limit changes in the city.

Q: Regarding the old Dress Barn building that stands between Waterloo and Hudson on Highway 63. Why do they allow this eyesore to continue to stand?

A: The property at 4775 Sergeant Road was just purchased in April by new owners who plan to remove the truck trailer and demolish the building. Bids are expected on the demolition soon.

Update

A question in the July 2 paper asked about drive-in theaters in Iowa. We missed one: the Blue Grass Drive-In in Blue Grass, near Davenport.
WATERLOO  Two people were injured in a shooting Monday night in Waterloo.

The identities of the injured and the extent of their injuries werent immediately available.

Waterloo police were called to a report of gunfire in the 500 block of Elm Street around 10:30 p.m. Monday, and they found a number of spent shell casings in the street.

About the same time, two people suffering from gunshot wounds arrived at UnityPoint-Allen Hospital by private vehicle.

Minn. man dies

in NE Iowa crash

HESPER  One man is dead and two others hurt in a single vehicle rollover crash in Winneshiek County Sunday.

According to the Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office, it happened about 4:20 p.m. on County Road A-14 between Hesper and Locust Road. All victims are from Spring Grove, Minn.

Deputies said Casey Buxengard, 24, was driving east on A-14 at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his SUV and entered the north ditch. The vehicle rolled several times across a field, coming to rest on its side.

Casey Buxengard and a passenger, Justin Vincek, 25, were ejected during the crash. Another passenger, Lindsey Buxengard, 26, was able to crawl out of the SUV after the crash.

Emergency crews drove Lindsey Buxengard to a hospital and flew Casey Buxengard to a hospital. Investigators said Justin Vincek died at the scene.

The Iowa State Patrol has taken over the investigation and will release a report after it is completed.

West Union man

arrested after chase

MOUNT VERNON  A West Union man was arrested in Clarence after allegedly ramming a squad car and leading Mount Vernon police officers on a chase in a pickup truck stolen from West Union.

Tyler John Kelly, 20, was arrested for assault on an officer with intent to inflict serious injury, felony eluding, vehicle theft, second-degree criminal mischief, driving while barred and speeding

At the time of the pursuit, Kelly was wanted for escape for leaving the West Union residential correctional facility where he was serving time from a prior case, according to the Mount Vernon Police Department.

According to Mount Vernon police, an officer spotted a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup that didnt match its registration information shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday. Kelly was the driver and, as he was speaking to the officer, he put the truck in reverse and rammed the squad car, according to police. He rammed the police vehicle three times while leaving the scene.

The chase that followed headed down Highway 30 into Lisbon before taking a gravel road and heading toward Mechanicsville, where authorities lost sight of him.

Mount Vernon police radioed Fayette County sheriffs deputies for more information about the truck, and deputies discovered it had been reported stolen from West Union on June 29.

The truck was discovered abandoned in Clarence around 3:15 a.m., and by 11:45 a.m. officers had found Kelly in a Clarence home, and he was detained.

Hazleton crash

leads to arrest

HAZLETON  On Saturday, Buchanan County sheriffs deputies arrested Patrick Shawn Postel, 50, of Hazleton for misdemeanor second-offense operating while intoxicated.

Postel also was cited for failure to maintain control and open container. The arrest was made after a report of a vehicle that had driven through a residential yard and became stuck in a roadside ditch in the 100 block of West Sufficool Street in Hazleton.

Charles City murder

suspect still at large

CHARLES CITY  A man wanted in the fatal shooting of another man in Charles City on Friday was still at large late Monday afternoon.

Antoine Williams, 36, has been charged with first-degree murder. Authorities say he is armed and dangerous.

The police are still not releasing the name of the victim. Police Chief Hugh Anderson said authorities are having difficulty notifying family members because they dont live in Charles City.

Anderson said he couldnt speculate on where Williams might be, but hopes he is in custody soon.

The shooting was reported just after 10 p.m. Friday at the Casa Apartments in the 2100 block of Clarkview Drive. Police say the victim was taken to a Charles City hospital and pronounced dead.

Williams is described as a black male, who is 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds.

He may be in a red 2006 Chevy Equinox with Iowa plate DOW568.

Police say anyone who spots Williams should call law enforcement rather than approaching him.
Warner Bros/Parlophone RecordsLiam Gallagher has premiered the video from his new track "Chinatown," which will appear on his forthcoming debut solo album As You Were. The clip is streaming now on YouTube.

In the video, the former Oasis vocalist strolls the streets of London, including a stop, naturally, in the city's Chinatown neighborhood. He also comes across an art mural paying tribute to the victims of the May bombing in Manchester, Gallagher's hometown.

As You Were will be released October 6. Gallagher will play Lollapalooza in August, and in November he'll embark on his first North American solo tour.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 04, 2017 | 12:53 PM | LYON COUNTY, KY

Kentucky State Police have arrested 68-year-old Willie G. Holsapple of Paducah on a warrant issued in McCracken County.

Holsapple was taken into custody in Lyon County on Tuesday just after 10:30 am. The warrant was signed on Monday, with a charge of contempt of court, stating defendant to show cause why his bond should not be revoked.

On Sunday, at approximately 10:00 am, Troopers stopped a truck being driven by Holsapple on Highway 93 in Lyon County because Holsapple was not wearing his seatbelt. During the course of the traffic stop, Troopers also discovered Holsapples drivers license was suspended.

At the time of the traffic violations, Holsapple was out on bond for the McCracken Circuit Court charges of second degree manslaughter and unsworn falsification to authorities. Holsapple was arrested in March on a Grand Jury Indictment for these charges following the McCracken County Sheriff Departments investigation into the death of former McCracken County Judge Executive Van Newberry in October of 2016.

Holsapple was lodged in the McCracken County Jail.
By Ro Morse, WestKyStar Staff Jul. 04, 2017 | 02:08 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Curtis said, "It's as if magic happens on holiday mornings. The flags just appear. We are very proud to display our American flags and support Troop 1. When these are removed tonight at sunset, we all have a smaller flag attached to our mailboxes. We love our country and are proud to show that throughout the year."







The 3 X 5 American flags are on a 10 pole. The flags are placed in yards by a Boy Scout for each of these holidays:

February  Presidents Day

May  Memorial Day

June  Flag Day

4th of July

September  Labor Day

September 11

November  Veterans Day



Enjoy flying the colors effortlessly. The flag is raised and retired by a Boy Scout in uniform and with a salute to old glory  all for just a year's subscription of $50 for a new participant or $40 for a renewal. Installation of a reusable sleeve to hold your flag pole is included.



Flag subscribers on the Dogwood Trail will receive a weeklong flag posting during the Dogwood Trail mid-April (if the subscriber can light the flag at night).



For questions or to order your flag as part of the Boy Scout Troop 1 Holiday Flag Fundraiser, email fowlplay12@yahoo.com

When the sun came up July 4th, Boy Scout Troop 1 was out placing flags in hundreds of lawns around Paducah, part of its Holiday Flag fundraising program.Last year Linda Curtis was asked by her youth pastor, Jamey Boone, to take part in his son Jeremiah's scout project. She wanted to support Jeremiah so she and her husband David agreed. A year later, with encouragement by her, their neighbors along Hill Terrace are all part of the program.Curtis was already placing small American flags on the mailbox poles to honor a neighbor who was a Veteran. She was inspired to display the small flags when she saw her neighbor who had a small American flag on her mailbox to honor her husband. Curtis loved the idea, and with her enthusiasm, neighbors agreed to display the small flags. The large flags flying on holidays were a welcome addition to show the neighborhood's patriotism and appreciation of our freedoms.

On the Net:
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.
Jul 5, 2017 | By Tess

Lockheed Martin, the American global aerospace and defense company, has announced it will be investing $1 million to establish an additive manufacturing facility at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. The lab, which will be dedicated to developing 3D printed aerospace parts, will be the first of its kind in the state of Colorado.

The $1 million in funding will reportedly be distributed over the course of four years to set up the Lockheed Martin Additive Manufacturing Laboratory and to fund an endowed director for the Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute. The 3D printing lab is aimed at shaping the workforce of the future in manufacturing affordable, capable, innovative spacecraft.

"This grant is an investment in the futures of the students at MSU Denver and the aerospace community," commented Brian O'Connor, vice president of Production Operations at Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "Emerging manufacturing technologies will create possibilities we can only dream of today, like printing an entire satellite from the ground up or printing complex parts that we cant machine using traditional methods.

We're helping students design with those new concepts in mind so the next space missions are innovative, affordable and faster to market. This lab will help students unleash their creativity in engineering tomorrow's great advancements, he added.

Lockheed Martin made the funding announcement last week at the inauguration of the Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building at MSU. The overall goal is to inspire and provide adequate technological training for the next generation of workers for the aerospace industry.

MSU Denver's new Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building

(Image: Alyson McClaran/MSU Denver)

In fact, Lockheed Martin and the Colorado Space Business Roundtable (CSBR) have collaborated in order to promote the aerospace sector to local high school and college students. The forthcoming 3D printing facility at MSU could be a big draw for prospective students.

As part of its collaboration with CSBR, Lockheed Martin offers Colorado students a two-week summer program in which they can participate in hands-on projects at Lockheed Martin facilities, getting a first taste of what working in the aerospace field might be like. You learn about all these different programs so if you decide you want to change your track you can do it now, said Aditya Gopalam, a student at Rock Canyon High School.

MSU also recently brought in investments for its Aerospace and Engineering Sciences program from Hartwig Inc. and York Space Systems. The former has signed a 10-year agreement with university to supply $2 million worth of CNC machining solutions. In return, Hartwig Inc. will have access to sections of the AES facility for demonstration purposes.

York Space Systems, a Denver-based aerospace company, will be moving its headquarters to the new AES facility as it prepares to manufacture 150 to 200 small satellites a year. Students at the university will have access to the companys communication room in the building and will be given a unique insight into the production of satellites for the U.S. Army.

Stephen M. Jordan, Ph.D., MSU Denver President, said: With support from key partners like Lockheed Martin, MSU Denver can offer students education opportunities that directly address workforce needs in Colorado's key industry clusters. Students now have the rare opportunity to work with technology and equipment used by some of the top advanced manufacturing companies in the world.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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Stephanie McCrummen in The Washington Post:

The doctor was getting ready. Must look respectable, he told himself. Must be calm. He changed into a dark suit, blue shirt and tie and came down the wooden staircase of the stately Victorian house at Seventh and Pine that had always been occupied by the towns most prominent citizens.

That was him: prominent citizen, town doctor, 42-year-old father of three, and as far as anyone knew, the first Muslim to ever live in Dawson, a farming town of 1,400 people in the rural western part of the state.

Does this look okay? Ayaz Virji asked his wife, Musarrat, 36.

In two hours, he was supposed to give his third lecture on Islam, and he was sure it would be his last. A local Lutheran pastor had talked him into giving the first one in Dawson three months before, when people had asked questions such as whether Muslims who kill in the name of the prophet Muhammad are rewarded in death with virgins, which had bothered him a bit. Two months later, he gave a second talk in a neighboring town, which had ended with several men calling him the antichrist.

Now a librarian had asked him to speak in Granite Falls, a town half an hour away, and he wasnt sure at all what might happen. So many of the comforting certainties of his life had fallen away since the presidential election, when the people who had welcomed his family to Dawson had voted for Donald Trump, who had proposed banning Muslims from entering the United States, toyed with the idea of a Muslim registry and said among other things, Islam hates us.

Trump had won Lac qui Parle County, where Dawson was the second-largest town, with nearly 60 percent of the vote. He had won neighboring Yellow Medicine County, where Granite Falls was the county seat, with 64 percent. Nearly all of Minnesota outside the Twin Cities had voted for Trump, a surprising turn in a state known for producing some of the Democratic Partys most progressive leaders, including the nations first Muslim congressman.

Now Trump was in the White House, and Dawsons first Muslim resident was sitting in his living room, strumming his fingers on the arm of a chair. The pastor had called to say two police officers would be there tonight, just in case.

More here.
'That's madam governor to you': Record 12 women elected to serve in 2023


WTC to Acquire Brazilian Customs Solution Provider, Bysoft

Sydney, July 5, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - WiseTech Global Limited ( ASX:WTC ) announced the acquisition of Bysoft Solucoes em Sistemas Para Comercio Exterior Ltda (Bysoft), the largest provider of customs and logistics compliance solutions to the logistics industry across Brazil.



Headquartered in Sao Paolo, Bysoft provides automated customs and freight forwarding software and solutions to ~750 corporations including DHL, FedEx, UPS, Schenker, Yusen, Expeditors and CH Robinson.



WiseTech CEO, Richard White, said "With Bysoft's leading position in customs solutions in Brazil, and with Brazil the largest logistics market in South America, we are pleased to welcome the Bysoft team to the WiseTech Global family. Acquiring the market leading customs and logistics compliance vendor gives us an incredibly strong foundation for our South American expansion."



"We value their leadership, cross-border compliance expertise and product development knowledge. We know Bysoft well through our long-standing Wise Business Partner relationship. Given the deep complexities of cross-border logistics in Brazil, we believe the powerhouse combination of WiseTech Global and Bysoft will provide significant benefit for Brazilian logistics providers and multi-nationals world-wide."



WiseTech will pay $11.8m (R$30m) on completion plus a potential earnout payment for future revenue growth. The total purchase cost will be 3.8x 2018 Bysoft revenue. With current annual revenue of approximately $3.4m (R$8.7m) and approximately breakeven NPAT, this transaction is not material to the WiseTech Global group. Bysoft is expected to be consolidated into WiseTech group accounts from August 2017.



This transaction is in line with the company's stated strategy of accelerating long-term organic growth through small, targeted, valuable acquisitions across new geographies and adjacencies. We are continuing to progress our pipeline of opportunities in key target regions of Europe, Asia and Latin America.



About Bysoft



Founded in 1991, Bysoft Solucoes em Sistemas Para Comercio Exterior Ltd a (Bysoft) is the largest software provider of customs solutions to the logistics industry across Brazil. Headquartered in Sao Paolo, with a team of over 50 people, Bysoft solutions cover customs brokerage, government compliance solutions and freight forwarding and their customers include DHL, FedEx, UPS, Schenker, Yusen, CH Robinson, Expeditors, Agility, Dascher, Pibernat, Affinity Logistica and Nippon Express.



Bysoft market leading solutions include l-Traffic, l-Broker, l-Import, l-Portal and BySisco. Since April 2015 Bysoft has been a Wise Business Partner providing access to CargoWise One for their customers. For more information on Bysoft please visit http://bysoft.com.br/



Image Caption: Bysoft Managing Director Edneia Chebabi and WiseTech Global Head of Corporate Development for EMEA, Vlad Bilanovsky.



About WiseTech Global Ltd





WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) is a leading developer and provider of software solutions to the logistics execution industry globally. Our customers include over 17,000 of the world's logistics companies across 160 countries, including 41 of the top 50 global thirdparty logistics providers and all of the 25 largest global freight forwarders worldwide2. Our flagship platform, CargoWise, forms an integral link in the global supply chain and executes over 50 billion data transactions annually.

At WiseTech, we are relentless about innovation, adding over 4,000 product enhancements to our global platform in the past five years while bringing meaningful continual improvement to the world's supply chains. Our breakthrough software solutions are renowned for their powerful productivity, extensive functionality, comprehensive integration, deep compliance capabilities, and truly global reach.

For more information about WiseTech Global or CargoWise, please visit wisetechglobal.com and cargowise.com
The detailed post-mortem report of Byculla jail inmate Manjula Shetye, who died after allegedly being assaulted by prison guards, has revealed that she suffered injuries on her head as well as body, dean of the state-run JJ Hospital, TP Lahane, said.

The detailed post-mortem report of Manjula Shetye shows that she had head injuries apart from injuries on her body, Lahane said.

Shetye (45) died at the JJ Hospital on June 23 after being allegedly beaten up by the Byculla jail officials and staff as she failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, police has said.

Police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials.

On Saturday, the crime branch of Mumbai Police arrested all the six accused  Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade.

After Shetye s death, around 200 prisoners had launched a protest on June 24 for their demands, including allowing the media inside the Byculla jail premises.

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the inmates who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shettes death.

Indrani had earlier lodged a complaint with Nagpada police alleging that she was beaten up by jail officials and threatened of sexual assault after the death of a convict sparked protest in the prison.

The complaint, which was accessed by the media today, also said that jail official Bindu Naikade, who was later arrested over the murder of Shette, was posted to guard her (Indrani) on June 24.

On the morning of June 24, Naikade was posted to guard me, Indrani said in the complaint.

The police had earlier said that Shette was allegedly tortured and a stick was inserted in her private parts.

However, Maharashtra State Womens Commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had last week said that a magisterial inquest ruled out any injury on Shettes private parts though her autopsy suggested multiple injuries on the body.

The Womens Commission has also said that it would form a three-member SIT in connection with Shettes death. It will be chaired by a retired high court judge and it would comprise a retired senior police officer and a woman NGO member.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the probe into Shettes death.
The Bombay High Court directed Maharashtra minister Ranjit Patil to file an affidavit in response to a public interest litigation alleging that he misused his powers to save an illegal eatery from demolition.

A division bench of Justices R M Savant and Sadhana Jadhav was hearing a PIL filed by activist Pravin Wategaonkar alleging that Patil had stayed the demolition of a illegal structure at Chinese restaurant Wok Express at Bandra-Kurla Complex even though there existed no provision in the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act for granting such a relief.

The High Court had last month directed Wategaonkar to implead Patil in the matter.

Wategaonkar informed the court that he has impleaded Patil as a respondent following which the court issued the order.

We direct the minister and other respondents  state Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (Anti-Corruption Bureau) to file their affidavit by August 7, the bench said.

The PIL alleges that the stay was granted because the eatery is managed by the kin of a principal secretary in the Maharashtra government.

As per the plea, MMRDA had leased the space in BKC to the company Spice and Grains, which runs the eatery, for a food court.

The development authority, however, found that the company had carried out unauthorised construction and in May last year it issued a demolition notice.

The company then approached Patil in August, requesting that the demolition order be stayed and Patil granted the stay immediately, the plea said.

The petitioner has sought the High Courts direction to the state government to disclose as to why the stay order was issued by the minister.
Kolkata: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the public spat between the two over communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district.

The home ministry, in a written communication, also sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the violence in the district following an objectionable Facebook post and the steps taken to restore normalcy.

In his separate telephone conversations with Tripathi and Banerjee, the home minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the riot-hit area.

The governor and chief minister are believed to have explained their respective positions to the home minister, who counselled them to resolve their differences amicably, sources said.

Making a dramatic allegation against the governor, the chief minister yesterday accused him of threatening and insulting her over the communal incident. Banerjee said she had even thought of quitting office over the humiliation.

While the chief minister yesterday alleged the governor was acting like a BJP block president, the governor said he was surprised at her attitude and language.

The talks between the Honble Chief Minister and the Honble Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it, a statement issued by Raj Bhavan here said.

Communal clashes broke out in North 24 Parganas district Monday night following an objectionable Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

In his conversations with the West Bengal chief minister and governor, the home minister also discussed the situation in Darjeeling, where the indefinite strike for a separate Gorkhaland state entered its 21st day today.

Source: PTI
Former state revenue minister Eknath Khadse who had resigned after facing a series of allegations including irregularities in a land deal in Pune and allegedly receiving calls from Dawood Ibrahims residence is likely to be reinstated in the cabinet. The Dinkar Zoting committee probing Khadses Bhosari land irregularities case have submitted its report. Even though the Khadse family had quoted the land price well below the market rates but they have paid stamp duty for it. The committee has not recommended for any action to be taken against Khadse which increases the possibility of his reinstatement. Khadse had submitted his resignation on 4th June 2016 after allegations of impropriety surfaced against him in a land deal in Pune. He was considered as the two number in BJP after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

After Khadses resignation Fadnavis had ordered for a probe against him by forming a committee under Dinkar Zoting. The committed submitted its report on June 30 after probing the case since last one year. Even though the commission was originally expected to submit its report within three months, it was given several extensions. Meanwhile, Pune builder Hemant Gawande, a whistleblower in the case, has written to the chief minister demanding that the report be made available to him.

According to sources from BJP, The party is keen to re-induct Khadse and Fadnavis too dont have any objection against his reinstatement. He will discuss this matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah and later they will take a decision about it. Since Khadse has strong foothold in north Maharashtra the party is looking ward to reinstate him. He can play a vital role in strengthening BJP in north Maharashtra.

Many leaders in BJP want all cases to be withdrawn against Khadse. According to them, injustice has been meted against Khadse who had actively worked for the party for many years. However, Khadse can be given a clean chit only after the FIR registered against him is withdrawn.

After his ouster, Khadse had expressed his displeasure against the party leadership for sidelining him. The cold war between him and Fadnavis has been widely been discussed in political circles. After the BJPs failure to handle farmers stir in the state many leaders have been demanding reinduction of Khadse into the government. BJP national president Amit Shah on his last visit to Mumbai had interacted with Khadse. Khadse had then briefed Shah about how Fadnavis had mismanaged the farm crisis that has dented BJPs image.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

A shower is possible early. Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Assyrian Fighters Join Kurdish-Arab Forces in Fight Against ISIS in Raqqa

A group of Assyrian Christian soldiers just outside their headquarters somewhere in Syria. With "JESUS" tattooed on their forearms, these fighters clearly identify themselves as Christians. And they are on a mission to right what is wrong. Dozens of Syriac-Assyrian Christians have joined Kurdish and Arab forces in a determined push to get rid of the barbaric Islamic State (ISIS) militants once and for all in Raqqa, Syria, their so-called caliphate's de facto capital. These Christian fighters are seeking payback for the three years of death and destruction that the ISIS has brought to their community. "I'm sacrificing for what they did to our people, our sects, for the churches they blew up. For all these things," Aleksan Chmou, a 28-year-old Syriac fighter, told Agence France Presse. Abboud Seryan, another Christian fighter, said all anti-ISIS people in the region regardless of their faith--Syriacs, Kurds, and Arabs--now regard each other as "brothers." Meanwhile, Johannes de Jong, one of the Syriac-Assyrian Christians involved in the offensive against ISIS, said the Christian fighters badly need the support and prayers of the international Christian community, according to Premier News Hour. He urged believers to pray for the Christian fighters to find the strength and resources to defeat the militants. "Pray that as many as possible will make it through and this fight will not be too long," he said. "Pray that there will be guns and ammunition for Syriac-Assyrian Christians while part of this fight to liberate Raqqa." De Jong said the road leading to Raqqa is teeming with danger. "The very clear picture they're giving me is that there's a wall around Raqqa, they put it full of mines," he said. "You have to imagine a situation where they have to fight for every street and every house. It will be bad." He said the problem is made worse by the presence of thousands of civilians being used as human shields by ISIS. Morever, the ISIS still possesses a vast cache of heavy weapons for use by its defenders in Raqqa, De Jong said. ISIS is fast losing its grip on Raqqa as the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed up by Kurdish and Christian fighters, are closing in on the city. Last week, coalition officials said they have isolated the ISIS militants in the city, having sealed off their last remaining escape route, according to The Independent. Raqqa used to be the home of thousands of Syriac Christians as well as Armenians, Kurds and Sunni Arabs. Many of them fled after ISIS captured the city and declared it their "Islamic caliphate." At least 50 percent of the Christian population in Syria have been displaced as a result of the Syrian civil war in 2011 and the ISIS occupation in 2014, The Christian Post reported last month.
May 12, 2017

On April 23, hours after the conservative daily Kayhan proclaimed that [Islamic] Azad University is awaiting major restructuring, four members of the institutions nine-member board of trustees called a special session. Later in the day, Hamid Mirzadeh, the president of Islamic Azad University (IAU), received a note telling him to either resign voluntarily or be discharged by the weekend.

Mirzadehs sudden replacement drew an outcry among Reformists, who fear that the countrys largest private university is slowly falling into the hands of rival conservative factions.

Parvaneh Mafi, a Reformist member of parliament, told the Azad news agency, Attacks and intrusions against IAU have a political and electoral undertone.  Questioning Dr. Mirzadehs management is one of the key strategies of a dishonest media. The ministers of science and health, both members of the IAUs board of trustees, also expressed opposition to the move.

Rumors first emerged that Mirzadeh would be replaced by Farhad Rahbar, a staunch conservative and former president of Tehran University. In the end, however, the board of trustees appointed Ali Mohammad Nuriyan, a less controversial figure, to temporarily oversee university affairs.

Since former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the founder and longtime leader of IAU, died in January, conflict over who gets to inherit his education legacy has heated up. Less than three weeks after his death, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed his foreign policy adviser Ali Akbar Velayati, a powerful conservative, to head the board of founders  the institutions highest decision-making panel. Soon afterward, Velayati asserted authority over the board of trustees, putting him in a position to control IAUs general direction.

The political struggle over IAU invokes parallels with other contested models of private education in the region, notably the school system run by Fethullah Gulen in Turkey.

In Iran, however, conflict over who gets to run the universities has been the order of the day since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, following revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's proclamation that the nations progress lies with the university.

Faced with an unruly student movement, the young Islamic Republic closed the entire university system for almost two years between 1980 and 1982. Dissidents were purged and curricula reformed according to Islamic criteria. In 1987, the Islamic Republic made it a legal requirement for universities to educate a virtuous believer, conscientious and engaged in the service of the Islamic society.

Despite being formally Islamic, the political importance of postsecondary education has only increased, particularly after students helped Mohammad Khatami, a Reformist advocate of cultural dialogue, get elected as president in 1997.

Private education has been one of the main channels through which competing factions have tried to mobilize students in their causes. Both Reformist and conservative figures have established their own private universities with curricula and teaching staff designed to follow the political leanings of their powerful founders.

The majority of these private universities are located in Tehran and Qom, and focus on teaching social sciences, humanities and religious studies. A notable example of a Reformist institution is Qom-based Mofid University, which enrolls over 2,500 students and was established by Ayatollah Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili, a former head of the judiciary. On the conservative side, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi founded the Imam Khomeini Institute in 1991  a university that now hosts around 2,000 seminary students. Both of these institutions benefit from high national prestige in their respective fields. Indeed, Imam Sadeq University, which is located in Tehran and was founded by the powerful Ayatollahs Hossein Ali Montazeri and Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, is one of the main educators of the state elite.

Yet IAU is by far the largest of these private universities. Founded in 1982 as a private technical and engineering university, the size and scope of IAU exploded after Rafsanjani became president in 1989 and limits on private education were lifted. For a short while during the early 2000s, IAU boasted a larger student cohort than the entire state university system combined, according to data from the Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education. In 2014, it had an enrollment of 1.7 million students  reportedly the third largest university in the world.

Unlike state education, IAU does not have an urban base. The university has branches across the country, including in even smaller rural towns. Its monopoly on education in the countryside endows it with particular political weight. Indeed, according to the 2016 census, up to a fourth of Irans population resides in rural areas.

While Rafsanjani was seen as a centrist during the 1990s, he moved closer to the Reformists after the election of conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential vote and the popular protests against his allegedly fraudulent re-election in 2009.

As a result, conservatives feared that IAU, too, would be turned into a bastion of Reformist power. Some hard-liner groups even accused IAU of contributing actively to the 2009 protest movement and of fostering a Reformist culture.

After 2009, the Ahmadinejad administration steadily upped pressure on IAU. In 2010, Rafsanjani was forced to replace Mir Hossein Mousavi, the defeated presidential candidate and Reformist leader of the protests  and a member of the IAU board of founders  with a less contentious figure.

Fearing a direct takeover by the government, Rafsanjani first tried turning the university into mortmain property. When that failed, he re-registered IAU as a private nonprofit organization.

While this change in status guaranteed a degree of university autonomy, it also removed the majority influence of the board of founders over the board of trustees  and thus Rafsanjanis direct control over the university. Henceforth, the government and the supreme leader would play a more decisive role in determining IAUs president.

Delays, opposition and bureaucratic obstacles prohibited Ahmadinejad from getting his own favored candidate elected as IAU president. When Hassan Rouhani, a Rafsanjani ally, was elected president in 2013, both agreed to appoint Mirzadeh.

The temporary appointment of Nuriyan  who is reported to be a cousin of Velayati  shows that any Reformist or conservative attempt to assert more definite control over IAU is likely to remain postponed until after the tightly watched presidential election on May 19, in which Rouhani will face off conservative rivals. Whether that means replacing Nuriyan, or putting him in a more definite political position, any incoming government is expected to take a front seat in shaping the future of Irans largest private university.
July 3, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  Six years after the outbreak of civil war in Syria, the eastern part of the country has become a critical hotspot that could determine the balance of power between the various domestic and international forces involved.

While the United States is becoming increasingly assertive in keeping the Syrian army and its allied forces away from the Iraqi border, Syrian President Bashar al-Assads main allies, namely Iran and Russia, have started to redefine their strategies to preserve their vital interests in the war-torn country.

The United States' shooting down of a Syrian fighter jet on June 18 was regarded as an indicator of elevated US military activism in Syria in support of its partners. In fact, it was a new peak of direct confrontation between the United States and the Syrian government that had started weeks earlier, when American forces declared it a "red line" if pro-Assad forces were to approach the southeastern al-Tanf region, which hosts a base of the US-led coalition.

Reacting to the shooting down of the Syrian aircraft, Russia drew its own red line, with the Defense Ministry declaring that any airborne objects found west of the Euphrates River would be considered targets.

However, this is not the whole picture, as eastern Syria has become the focal point for Iran, too. The very fact that Iran on June 18 chose Deir ez-Zor as the target of its first missile strike against Islamic State (IS) positions signaled the significance of the region in Irans strategic calculations.

Mindful of these developments, the question now is why the situation in eastern Syria has suddenly become so fragile, and what consequences this could have for the future of Syria.

It could be argued that the new phase of US military involvement in Syria has been triggered by growing concerns over the persistent military successes of the Syrian army and its allied forces during the past year, and particularly after their recapture of East Aleppo. It appears that the United States and its allies were hopeful that Aleppo would be the peak of Assads military achievements, after which he would enter talks with the rebels to jointly determine the status of other parts of the country.

Those hopes turned out to be false. Just in the past month, for example, the Syrian army not only advanced toward the areas held by US-backed rebels at the border with Jordan and Iraq, but also started to march toward Raqqa from the west. This potentially puts in danger the fate of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after the recapture of Raqqa from IS. Therefore, the United States has seemingly come to the conclusion that there wont be a military solution in line with its interests in Syria  as the rebels are losing more ground  and that its not even possible to freeze the situation as it was right after the Syrian governments recapture of East Aleppo.

In these circumstances, the only possible and logical option for the United States and its allies is to reinforce their current positions inside Syria and to concentrate on the areas that have the most potential to be successfully retaken by American-backed forces. In this vein, the United States is more vigorously trying to keep pro-Assad and pro-Iran forces away from al-Tanf and is also eager to accelerate SDF operations in Raqqa. Thus, the United States is now concentrating on its core interests in Syria: containing Irans influence; preserving a minimum level of balance of power between different forces; and, at the top of the list, safeguarding Israels security by preventing Syrian army advances further southward.

As such, the abovementioned developments mean that the United States has already started to delineate its zones of influence inside Syria. In turn, Assads allies, namely Iran and Russia, have reacted by concentrating more on their own core interests. For Iran, the most important aim is to preserve its access to Lebanon through Syria, which is why it has shifted its concentration to eastern Syria. Iran has already taken the first steps in this regard as the Popular Mobilization Units, a pro-Iranian Iraqi force, reached Iraqs border with Syria on May 30, and as Syrian forces seized control of an eastern area bordering Iraq on June 9.

However, Russia, as another main ally of the Syrian government, presents a rather different story. Moscows most vital interest in Syria  guaranteeing access to the Mediterranean Sea by safeguarding its military bases in western Syria  is already preserved. Nonetheless, as a world power, the broader situation in Syria is also important for the Russians in terms of preserving their international prestige. This means not abandoning an ally right after a geopolitical achievement.

For a long time, Russia tried to fulfill this part of its aims by militarily supporting Assads government and, at the same time, actively calling for a political solution to end the war. Moscow has not wanted its involvement in Syria to exceed a certain point. However, after the recent moves by the United States and its allies in directly clashing with Syrian forces, Moscow is in fact being pushed into more active involvement in the country.

Thus, with these converging courses of action, Russia and Iran are expected to increase their cooperation with Assad to help him retake the eastern parts of the country, thereby preventing a drastic shift in the balance of power in favor of the United States. Should they manage to retake more IS-held areas in eastern Syria, they may even extend the scope of the de-escalation zones to the east, so they can consolidate their gains in other areas. The latter is a plausible scenario, since Turkey, as the third pillar of the de-escalation zones agreement, is growing more and more outraged by the increased US support for Syrian Kurds.

Syria has effectively been divided into different zones of influence between the two main power constellations involved in the country. The outcome of this is clear: The process of reaching a political solution will become more complicated, at least when it comes to a solution that could preserve Syrias territorial integrity. At the same time, there is also a risk of direct clashes between the United States and its forces on the one side, and Iran and Russia on the other.
July 2, 2017

BEIRUT  In Hamra, the commercial and diplomatic center of Beirut, passersby could hear the singing of 20 Syrian and Lebanese children, who were practicing for their concert during the Global Week for Syria festival, which took place on June 28-July 5.

Each Saturday morning since January, these children have been practicing with Syrian oud player Mohanad Nasser to sing traditional songs, Mona Yaacouli, a local coordinator for the French association Yalla! pour les Enfants, told Al-Monitor. The choir, which is accompanied by Syrian and local musicians, is made up of Syrian refugee children and local youngsters living in the Lebanese village of Aley.

They are very excited as it is their first public performance. This new experience will give them confidence. The Syrian children in Aley hardly ever get to go anywhere new unless we take them out, Yaacouli said. After their performance at the festival, the children headed to famous restaurant T Marbouta for a meal.

The childrens concert organized by Yalla! was one of the many concerts, performances, panel discussions and workshops in Lebanon that took place as part of the Global Week for Syria. The festival marks a worldwide initiative by the Music and Beyond Foundation under the patronage and support of UNESCO. Twenty countries participated in the festival, including in Lebanon where events were held in Beirut, Aley, Tripoli, Minyara and the Bekaa Valley.

Global Week for Syria is a multidisciplinary call for peace, support and co-creation that is aimed at raising awareness, creating platforms and stimulating artistic co-creations between Syrian and local and international musicians, according to its organizers. The driving force of the festival is Hannibal Saad, the founder of the Music and Beyond Foundation, whose desire to unite Syrian musicians with their international counterparts started with a project called Syrian Music Lives in 2013.

I used to organize two festivals in Syria each year, but after 2011 I decided to do something to bring Syrian musicians together abroad, Saad, a rock musician in the 1980s, told Al-Monitor. I asked people to share information about concerts that involved Syrian musicians. I saw the need of a global festival and launched the first Global Syria Week in 2015.

He said, The main axis is between Lebanon and the Netherlands, but more and more cities join each year. We prefer to focus on Lebanon because it is close to Syria with many international organizations, Arabic and international media, as well as many Syrian artists based here."

For Saad, the Global Week for Syria is about Syrians keeping hope alive and encouraging Syrian artists to continue making music in their new lives in the various host countries.

I also wanted to show Westerners that Syrian musicians can share their culture and adapt to new ones, he noted. In Lebanon, it is important to work with the local community so thats why we chose to partner with UNESCO, which works hard to raise awareness and preserve the Syrian heritage.

He added that he started the Global Week for Syria with modest means, and that because people believed in the festival's mission it has grown bigger each year. That means there is good energy here. We believe in co-creation and what it does to bring musicians and people together  making you see life in a more positive way, he said.

The first festival took place at the American University of Beirut in collaboration with the Morgenland Festival Osnabruck with concerts by Lebanese, Dutch, Syrian and American-Syrian artists. In addition to the concerts, panel discussions and workshops are organized that focus on topics such as the regional traditions of music, Syrian artists and musical movements.

Fawaz Baker, a Syrian scholar, musician and composer currently living in France, traveled to Beirut to participate in the festival. I will be part of panel discussions  one about the life and work of Aleppine musician Nouri Iskandar, the other about my own work, Baker told Al-Monitor. But I already travel to Lebanon once a month because I started music schools in refugee camps four years ago."

Baker said he decided to participate in the festival not to help rebuild a fragmented Syria but to demonstrate his faith in the power of music. I only believe in things you choose freely  unlike one's nationality, identity or religion. Music is the only way to go beyond that, he said.
July 5, 2017

Following the re-election of Hassan Rouhani in the May 19 presidential elections, talk of establishing of a shadow government has been floating around Iranian political circles. Some Principlists have proposed the idea, although not everyone in their camp has welcomed it.

In a statement released on May 20, Saeed Jalili, a conservative politician who unsuccessfully ran in the 2013 presidential elections, unveiled the idea, which is perhaps most prominent in the British political system. In his statement, Jalili called for the formation of a shadow government in an effort to help the sitting government and make up for its shortcomings and inefficiencies.

However, the timing of his proposal  which coincided with the announcement of the election results  led to its not receiving much media attention. But in the ensuing days  given Jalilis further explanations and emphasis on the idea  the initiative gradually found its way into the headlines.

On May 21, the former head of the Iranian state broadcaster, Ezzatollah Zarghami  who was a potential Principlist candidate for the May 19 vote but failed to win the support of the camp  wrote on his Telegram channel, Having secured 16 million votes, [conservative candidate] Mr. [Ebrahim] Raisi can have a supervisory status and be a strong alternative for the government in pursuing the demands of the people and making sure that [its] promises are implemented, thus playing a historic role. On the same day, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, another Principlist candidate who withdrew in favor of Raisi, said, We pledge to follow up on the administrations promises until they are implemented and will take any measure needed in pursuing national goals as well as the rights of the poor and underprivileged.

Jalili, who acted as Raisis foreign policy adviser during the campaign, explained his proposal in more detail May 30. He said, A shadow government is a voice for the people to make demands from the sitting government in order to achieve a suitable situation and not to stand against the people.

But what precisely is a shadow government, and in what kind of political system is it effective? The concept is generally prevalent in parliamentary systems where the largest party that has lost an election acts to oversee the governments performance, and when necessary, opposes its decisions in an organized fashion. This usually applies to political systems that have two main parties. The Islamic Republic, however, is neither a parliamentary political system nor does it have formal political parties. Rather, there are political groups that operate within the framework of mainly Principlist and Reformist factions, with "moderate" groupings attracting support from the Principlists and Reformists.

Contrary to Jalili and Ghalibaf, Raisi himself did not seem to have much of a desire to enter the political stage after the May 19 vote. Indeed, the few comments he did make following the announcement of the election results only showed his objection to the electoral process and potential voting violations.

Nonetheless, part of the Principlist movement has welcomed the idea of a shadow government.

In a May 25 report, Jahannews, a website affiliated with hard-liners, noted the need to pay greater attention to Raisis 16 million votes. It said, Although Raisi was not able to win the presidency, he was able to win 40% of the votes, which should not be easily overlooked. The Principlist movement can continue its work as an alternative to the governing movement.

However, there has also been criticism of the proposal. Sadegh Zibakalam, a prominent professor of political science at Tehran University, told Al-Monitor, You cant just take and copy a name from somewhere else without planning or giving it thought or having an idea behind it. The main issue is that Irans Principlists have still not accepted the reason for their consecutive [electoral] defeats and seek to justify these problems through sectional and unplanned measures. A shadow government is formed in a situation where its prerequisites exist; otherwise, nothing will happen just because you use [such] wording.

Indeed, those close to the Rouhani administration have not viewed Jalilis suggestion very positively. Mohammad Shariatmadari, who acted as campaign chairman for Rouhani during the elections, sarcastically said May 24, All political movements should learn about sitting in the shadow for a while. The idea of forming a shadow government will not succeed, but at least they will learn how to sit in the shadow. On the same day, Hesam al-Din Ashna, Rouhanis cultural adviser, said, I suggest to Jalili that instead of forming a shadow government he create a powerful party so there will be no need to form a headquarters or a front or JAMNA [the Principlist coalition set up ahead of the May 19 vote and tasked with finding consensus candidate] every two years." He suggested that the idea of a shadow government be pursued with the funding "help of your own allies and supporters. Furthermore, in an interview with Khabaronline news website June 2, Masoumeh Ebtekar, vice president and head of the Environmental Protection Organization, said, It is good if rival parties want to oversee the governments performance," but for this to involve observation and not direct political action.

As criticisms of his initiative grew, Jalili  who is also a member of the Supreme National Security Council  announced June 23, We would have formed a shadow government even if Raisi had won in the elections, because this is a religious duty and legal right of our society to be able to oversee the affairs of the country.

Of note, the Kayhan daily, the main conservative media outlet, has not given much coverage to the idea of a shadow government. Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a theoretician of the conservative movement who played a key role in JAMNA and its selection of a consensus Principlist candidate, has also remained silent on the issue. This could be seen as a new attempt by a portion of the Principlist camp to appear as independent from the existing setup. It should be noted that Jalili was against the Principlist initiative to introduce a consensus candidate for the elections and did not accept the conditions set by JAMNA for nominees. Ultimately, he was removed from JAMNAs final list of candidates.

Thus, can the idea of a shadow government, proposed by only a part of the conservative camp, be taken seriously? Zibakalam told Al-Monitor, I think just like the Principlists other temporary plans, this will remain a hot topic for a while but then be forgotten.
July 5, 2017

Two years after it agreed to reduce its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions, Iran has signed its first energy deal. Frances Total SA and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) agreed to a $5 billion deal to develop Phase 11 of Irans South Pars offshore gas field, one of the largest in the world.

Irans Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh hailed the deal, attributing it to both the nuclear deal and the presidential election that gave President Hassan Rouhani a second term. Zanganeh also said July 3 that Iran would not be opposed to signing energy deals with the United States; however, it is the Americans themselves who do not want to.

Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, spokesperson for the Rouhani administration, also credited the nuclear deal and the election with the signing of the contract, noting that the deal was struck despite Americas attempts to create an anti-Iran environment.

Reformist media outlets that have supported the moderate Rouhani administration and its policies were jubilant over the news. Shargh Daily's front-page headline called the deal the breaking of the petroleum dam. Before Irans nuclear deal, even the countrys oil was hard to move. Iran had difficulty finding customers and was forced to barter due to banking sanctions.

Etemaad News also gave the deal front-page coverage. The spell on petroleum investment has been broken, read its headline. Vaghayeh Etefaghiyehs top story was headlined, A historic day for Irans petroleum. Its article argued that the venture would create jobs, which after the nuclear deal has become one of the top concerns for Iranians.

The deal was not without its critics. Jalil Salari, the former managing director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, criticized Frances record of petroleum investment in Iran. Salari said that unlike Japanese and Korean companies, French companies have previously resisted paying fines to Iran when due. Zanganeh addressed the potential conflict when he announced the deal, saying that if Total does give information to Qatar, with which Iran shares the gas field, Iran will file a complaint and seek compensation.

Salari also criticized the terms of the deal, calling it worrying to make a French company a decision-maker in such an important gas field. Totals stake will be 50.1%, CNPCs 30% and Irans Petropars 19.9%. Zanganeh estimated that the project will eventually produce $54 billion of gas. Salari criticized Zanganeh for relying on a foreign company to develop the gas field and accused him of neglecting domestic industries.

Javan, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the deal with Total for Phase 11 of South Pars has been held up by production issues since 2001. According to the report, Total was originally involved in Phase 11 of South Pars but left it in 2008 before approaching Zanganeh in 2014 to restart the project. The article rejected claims by Oil Ministry officials who claimed that Petropars would be deeply involved in the decision-making process. Javan reported that when it comes to the sharing of technology, which is a significant part of the project, Petropars would not play a major role.

Zanganeh rejected the criticism, saying that there are only a few who are opposed and that some opposition was natural. He added, This is a point of pride for the administration, that the opposition is so free to state its criticism.
July 5, 2017

The winds of change blowing through the Labor Party can be deceptive, even though Knesset members Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay just advanced to the second round in the party's leadership primaries. Regardless of whether the party members elect Gabbay, a political novice, who only joined the party eight months ago, or a more experienced politician such as Peretz, who once served as defense minister, neither of them will be the dark horse of the next election. Assuming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, once again, the Likud's candidate for prime minister in the next election, there is no reason for him to worry about the Labor's turnabout.

First of all, the party failed to recruit a new candidate with real public and security standing, such as former Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, to defeat the right and win power. Furthermore, there already is a large and powerful centrist party (Yesh Atid) headed by Yair Lapid, who has proved his mettle as a fairly talented survivor. Given these conditions, Peretz or Gabbay will have to transform the Labor Party into the largest platform in the center-left bloc, and this is no simple task.

In 2002, Amram Mitzna, a major general in the reserves, took the party by storm. Yet he walked away from the January 2003 election with just 19 seats. At the time, 15 seats in the center-left bloc preferred the centrist Shinui Party, headed by Tommy Lapid. In the ensuing elections, the Labor Party failed to take power again and again. It fell into a deep crisis of identity, set off in search of itself, and lost entire communities of voters along the way. When it brought back former Prime Minister Ehud Barak as leader in 2009, it actually reached the lowest point in its entire history, winning just 13 seats. In contrast, Tzipi Livni of the centrist Kadima Party (now defunct) overwhelmed the center-left bloc by winning 28 of its seats.

Shelly Yachimovich also failed to prove herself to be the party's savior in 2013, even though she offered a refreshing new brand. In that election, a new centrist party (Yesh Atid) headed by Tommy Lapid's son Yair swept up 19 seats. In the last election, in 2015, Isaac Herzog as the Labor Party leader and a strategic merger with Livni was not enough either. Even though Lapid's party showed some decline, it still managed to win 11 of the center-left bloc's seats.

In other words, as long as it is not clear who the leader of the camp opposing the right really is and the sum of its votes divided between two dominant parties, the chances for a center-left turnover are reduced considerably.

Peretz and Gabbay will face off in the next round of voting for the Labor's leadership July 10. This will be followed by the big battle that will take place within the center-left bloc. The one person who will apparently benefit from this will be the leader of the right, Netanyahu. He will stand off to the side to watch the squabbling in the opposing camp in a process, which long earned itself the moniker, "the cannibalism of the center-left." Several parties will be competing for the same restricted pool of voters, without being able to unite around a single candidate.

The Labor primaries created quite a few headlines and interesting political moments due to the large number of candidates and Erel Margalit's particularly aggressive campaign. In the end, the miracle that the current head of the party, Herzog, had been hoping for never happened. He was deposed as leader of the party and the opposition. But that should come as no surprise, considering the party's longstanding tradition of removing its chair after failing to win an election.

As far as party members were concerned, Herzog lost not only at the ballot box in the 2015 elections but also in his opposition gamesmanship against Lapid. His flirtation with Netanyahu over the possibility of joining the government was both long and damaging and ultimately proved lethal, with opinion polls indicating that Labor could shrink to as few as 11-13 seats. Meanwhile, Lapid's centrist platform steered clear of the left. It gained momentum as he crisscrossed the country and set off to distant continents as a stalwart opponent of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.

Polls showed the Labor Party's seats switching allegiance to Lapid like two connected containers of fluid. As one empties the other one fills up, but the volume remains the same. The climax came several months ago, when Lapid surpassed Netanyahu and the Likud in the polls and was named the head of country's largest party in terms of voter preferences at the moment. Lapid has declined in the polls since, but as an outstanding campaigner, who heads a well-organized party with a network that extends across the entire country, and as someone who can appeal to the soft right at a time when the country is trending right, Lapid remains the most relevant player facing Netanyahu.

Nevertheless, both Gabbay and Peretz claim that they know how to expand their base by winning the support of Likud voters. Peretz, who was born in Morocco and lives in the periphery southern town of Sderot, already proved he could do that as head of the Labor Party in the 2006 election, by bringing in new voters from the periphery. Meanwhile, Gabbay boasts that he is the "new thing." As the son of Moroccan immigrants and as a person who grew up in a periphery town and made good, he claims that he can win the support of the periphery even better than Peretz.

In the Labor's history, the fact that two Mizrahim (of Middle Eastern origin) are competing over the leadership position signifies that internal changes are taking place in a party that is still searching for its identity. But the fact that two Mizrahim now stand at the head of the predominantly Ashkenazi Mapai Party (mother party of Labor) is not the main point here. It is, of course, symbolic and indicative of a new spirit in the party. On the other hand, considering Mizrahi voters as monolithic is a mistake, and even rather patronizing.

In the next election, with the public asked to decide between alternatives to lead the country, the decisive factor will be security. The Mizrahi issue does not have what it takes to stand alone. Gabbay will have to prove that despite his very limited experience in politics and his lack of experience in dealing with national issues, he could still head a country such as Israel. But how, in fact, is he really better than Lapid or Netanyahu? Being Mizrahi is not a viable claim. Peretz, on the other hand, will have to convince the public that he deserves a second chance. His advantage is that he has proven experience at the national level. The fact that he is Mizrahi is not the main point for him either.

Regardless of which of these two men is elected, the winner will first have to compete against Lapid in a kind of undeclared primary, which will inevitably be expressed in their respective poll numbers. If he is elected, Gabbay will be unable to serve as leader of the opposition because he is not a member of Knesset. This presents a new political situation, which could hurt him.

The situation within the party will become much clearer by July 10. The various Knesset members, including those who competed for the leadership, will form their own alliances. If elected, Gabbay would have the role of opposition chairperson to trade, and he might even offer it to Herzog or Yachimovich. "Netanyahu has reason to be worried," Peretz said the day after he finished first in the vote, with 32.7% to Gabbay's 27.1%. However, it is actually Peretz who has cause for worry. As interesting as it may be, the fight over the Labor leadership did not shake up a thing, whether Netanyahu's grip on power or the political system at large.
July 5, 2017

Comments from senior Iraqi officials after the conquest of Mosul correspond with the current assessment by Western intelligence agencies that the collapse of the Islamic State's caliphate is inevitable. While those same intelligence sources claim that the fall of Raqqa will take time, it will happen in the end. What this means is that the surviving combatants in Islamic State (IS) territory will attempt to find refuge in more distant and remote regions so that they can continue to export their global jihad, mainly against Western targets in the United States and Europe.

Given the current situation, the various players in the Middle East are preparing for the "day after" IS, when it no longer has a physical presence in the region. That could happen at any time in the next year or two. In other words, it is right around the corner.

"The new Middle East is a strange place," a senior Israeli military official familiar with the northern front told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "The days of seeing things in black and white, of seeing groups painted as enemies versus those groups we consider allies, are over. Many of the players are now both. It all depends on the perspective, particular arena and interests of the moment.

That top official was referring, first and foremost, to Hezbollah, Iran, Russia and the Lebanese army. Israel is very worried about the attitude of the United States toward the Lebanese army and the fact that the Americans continue to arm it so vigorously. "The US sees how the Lebanese army is fighting [IS] in the northern part of the country and has marked it as a positive force  or, in other words, as part of the anti-[IS] alliance," says the official. "But that is an illusion, because the Lebanese army is becoming increasingly identified with Hezbollah, and arms that the Americans are providing to the Lebanese army in the north can later be found in the hands of the Lebanese army and Hezbollah in the south, where they can be used against us.

Israel points to recent remarks in March by Lebanese President Michel Aoun, who said that Hezbollah serves in a complementary role to the Lebanese army. One top Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer could not hide how pleased he was with this comment. He even sent Lebanon a message of his own through the commander of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, with a special thank you to the Lebanese leader. Another senior IDF officer explained to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity: "The president's comments were, in effect, an explicit admission that Hezbollah and the Lebanese army are one and the same. What this means is that in the next war, which we hope does not break out, we will no longer need to avoid attacking Lebanese infrastructures like we did last time. Michel Aoun made a strategic error."

Meanwhile, Israel is investing most of its efforts on keeping the United States on the right side  i.e., its side  of the conflict. Israel is very concerned about the possibility that US President Donald Trump will attempt to instill order in the Middle East on the day after IS by making a special deal with the Russians, which would allow the Shiite axis stretching from Tehran to Beirut to acquire a foothold in the Golan Heights.

Another issue at the top of Israel's agenda is the fact that Iran has begun building factories in Lebanon to manufacture relatively accurate rockets and missiles. According to foreign reports, the Israeli Air Force has so far been able to strike most of the convoys leaving Damascus for Beirut with their cargoes of "tie-breaking" weapons, which could harm Israel's unchallenged aerial superiority in the region or allow Hezbollah to launch attacks on strategic targets in Tel Aviv with pinpoint accuracy. In order to get around the aerial siege attributed to Israel, the Iranians are now planning to "reduce ranges" and provide Hezbollah with the option of manufacturing these missiles themselves.

The Israeli leadership is engaged in a bitter debate as to whether such factories in Lebanon are a casus belli. In other words, do they constitute the crossing of some red line, which is unacceptable to Israel? If this approach gains the upper hand, Israel will try to attack or otherwise torpedo the construction of these factories, no matter what the price may be. It would do this even if it would require an aerial strike to destroy them, just as foreign publications claim that Israel destroyed Syria's suspected nuclear reactor in Deir ez-Zor in 2007. Since such a move would set off a huge conflagration in the Middle East, the decision to launch the attack will not be an easy one.

So far, Israel and Hezbollah are locked in a state of mutual deterrence. It is not in the interest of either of them to launch a conflict that would result in unprecedented destruction in Lebanon but cause damage to Israel too. At the same time, it is obvious to Israeli decision-makers that Hezbollah is currently in a position of weakness, having lost some 1,500 fighters in Syria, with thousands more wounded. What this means is that Hezbollah would be unable to operate effectively on another front, this one with Israel. Nevertheless, there is no Israeli leader capable of making the intelligent decision and reacting to the construction of these missile factories in Lebanon. Instead, Israel's leaders are making do with a long series of speeches and declarations by top military and political officials over the past two weeks. One high point of this was the recommendation June 21 by the outgoing commander of the Israeli air force, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, to the people of southern Lebanon that they hurry and flee their homes if and when war breaks out.

There are now those in Israel who confess to the sin of committing a "substantial historic mistake" in its early days by choosing to engage the Shiites in conflict rather than accepting them and forming an alliance with them, just as Israel did with the Druze. "The Shiites are a minority and are considered heretics by the Sunnis, just like the Druze and the Yazidis," a senior Israeli military official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "They did not understand this yet in 1948 [Israels Independence War] and again in 1982 [First Lebanon War]. Instead of reaching out to the Shiite population in Lebanon and offering them some kind of arrangement, which would include mutual defense, we have turned them into our enemies. We will come to regret this for generations, because the way that the Shiites perceive the region and their status in Islam makes them much more disposed than the Sunnis to cooperate with us. We can only consider changing course once the Iranian Revolution is over." Then he added, "but no one knows when that will be."
July 5, 2017

If we want to rebuild the Libyan state, we need to start with protecting human dignity, said Badis Halab, a 23-year-old member of the At-Wellol Movement (People of Zuwara) in Zuwara, an Amazigh majority port city in northwestern Libya. So even when we have to struggle for our own life in the Libyan chaos, we cannot ignore refugees and migrants who continue to die at sea in front of our shores, added Badis.

At-Wellol and Azref (Rights), another civil society movement, are made up of around 30 members, both men and women aged between 20 and 30 years old. The organizations have played a major role in pushing the Zuwara municipality to arrest people who smuggle migrants, an initiative that prevents illegal departures from the 75-kilometer (47-mil) coast of Zuwara in northwest of Libya. The municipalitys official estimates of inhabitants in the Libyan Amazigh city stand at 60,000 people in the area between Ras Jdir on the Tunisian-Libyan border and the city of Sabratah, the first city east of Zuwara. Amazigh, which means free humans or free men, also known as Berbers, are the indigenous people of North Africa and comprise 5% of the Libyan population.

The first protest that Azref and At-Wellol organized against smuggling was in 2014, but this did not lead to any major change. In late August 2015, dozens of corpses of migrants washed ashore on the Zuwara coasts, and the activists reacted immediately by organizing a bigger and more visual protest. On the main road of the Zuwara city center, the two organizations displayed pictures of the corpses in order to speak directly to the people and raise awareness of the deaths at sea. But the demonstrators also had a direct demand aimed at the local municipality: Arrest the smugglers to prevent illegal migration and the consequent mass death.

As a result of their activism, the municipality involved the so-called Masked Men militia in seizure and arrest operations led by the police. Some of the arrested smugglers were sent to Tripolis jails; others are held at the small Zuwara prison. The municipality continues to monitor illegal departures and arrest smugglers, but thousands of people continue to leave for Europe from nearby Sabratah, Zawiyah and Tripoli, with corpses ending up on Zuwaras shores. The cities own coast guard and coast guard and fishermen are involved in some of the rescue operations.

There are many reasons why people are fleeing Libya, such as continued fighting against people associated with the former regime of Moammar Gadhafi   and the current instability in Libya, where the Amazigh are victims of discrimination and violence. During Gadhafis rule, the Amazigh were expressly forbidden from practicing their historical customs, celebrating cultural holidays or giving their children non-Arabic names.

Zuwara had been, especially in the last years of Gadhafis rule, the main departure point for illegal migrants. Refugees from the Horn of Africa and from West Africa were detained during Gadhafis time in detention centers at the deserts doors under horrible conditions. Detention centers for migrants and refugees in the country continue to be sites of extreme violence, an issue reported by refugees themselves who bear the signs of torture. The United Nations and other human rights organizations worldwide have reported such practices in detention centers. Following this widespread reporting on their area, civil society local activists said in conversations with Al-Monitor: We want to change the reputation of Zuwara from being a smugglers city into a legal and safe city for all.

Another important issue is law enforcement. The two local organizations believe that in order to rebuild a state, law enforcement and fighting corruption must be among the driving forces. Given that Gadhafis rule was based on a system of personal ties and nepotism, the mechanisms of law were subjected to the eccentric leaders decisions and interests.

In his recent autobiographical novel The Return, exiled Libyan writer Hisham Matar considers the conflicts that erupted after the 2011 revolution as a result of 40 years of oppression under Gadhafis regime and ideology. According to the novelist, Gadhafis contradictory and mystifying ways of interpreting democracy ultimately led him to create laws for an autocratic monitoring of the people and to enact brutal suppression of dissidents.

Thus, revitalizing the area does not only rely on directly confronting the problem of migrant smuggling, but also on rebuilding an entire culture that was suppressed for a long time. The two Amazigh civil society organizations are seeking to transform the previous system by involving young people in their cultural activities. This will help prevent young people from resorting to illegal smuggling activities as they reel under poor economic conditions.

"Azul" is the Amazigh word for hello, and for the people of Zuwara, it represents a welcoming greeting. The Libyan Amazigh population of this coastal city is revitalizing its written and spoken language, which was forbidden during Gadhafis reign. There are a large number of language-based initiatives organized by groups attempting to help the city in different social and cultural aspects.

While the At-Wellol Movement organizes an annual festival of cultural diversity and works on theatrical projects that tackle gender issues, Azref has focused more on the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

We are doing what the government should normally do but cannot do under these exceptional circumstances, said Anir, an activist with Azref. Azref has also tried to create a special passport for migrants staying in Zuwara in order to give them a certain legal status, but the news spread to other cities where illegal migrants live and the organization has had to repeal its decision in order to avoid the spread of fake papers across Libya.

The path to stability remains extremely long, and all these young activists continue to suffer from the psychological effects of the revolution and the civil war that ensued in 2014: We witnessed death and wounds of friends, and then corpses of migrants on the beaches, said Mohannad Dhan, a 27-year-old member of At-Wellol. Despite it all, At-Wellol and Azref in Zuwara want to send a message of peace to the world.
July 5, 2017

A beautiful summer day in Turkeys Black Sea town of Samsun turned ugly on July 2, when a mob tried to lynch two Syrian men for allegedly taking pictures of women swimming and sunbathing at a local beach. The police used batons to disperse the crowd and save the two injured men, who were hospitalized.

In a similar incident that same day in the capital, Ankara, residents of the working-class neighborhood of Demetevler brawled with Syrian and Iraqi refugees. The fight broke out over rumors that a Syrian man had raped a 5-year-old girl. Police used water cannons and tear gas to break up the fight. One Iraqi Turkmen man was stabbed during the scuffle and taken to a hospital for treatment.

The incidents quickly gave rise to racist posts on Turkish social media. On Twitter, choice hashtags such as Syrians should return home, Expel Syrians and I do not want Syrians in my country continue to trend. Others expressed dismay that Syrians in Turkey could return to visit their homes during the recent Islamic holiday and come back to Turkey. If its safe enough to go back to Syria during the holiday, why do those people return, critics asked.

For veteran Turkish journalist Rusen Cakir, these reactions point to an ugly spread of racism in Turkey. On his independent media platform Medyascope TV, Cakir pointed out how cases of sexual assault involving refugees or incidents in which Syrians themselves are the victims (such as one back in March when a 70-year-old man in Samsun sexually harassed a Syrian girl) are barely covered by the Turkish media. Cakir had to point out some of the obvious but often forgotten facts about why there are 3.5 million refugees in Turkey, most of them Syrian: Syria is a war-torn country and none of the Syrians in Turkey came there on their own volition.

The news may not be as bad as it sounds. According to Akin Unver, an assistant professor of international relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul and digital politics fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, anti-Syrian posts and hashtags on Twitter are likely the result of automated bot attacks.

To be sure, Turkey has done more for Syrian refugees than any other country affected by Syrias six years of civil war. According to one estimate, the cost to Turkey of hosting Syrian and Iraqi refugees reached $25 billion in September 2016.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry tried to dispel rumors of a rise in crime in Turkey because of Syrian refugees. According to the state-owned Anadolu Agency, the ministry argued that not only were crimes involving Syrian refugees in Turkey miniscule, much of the incidents were Syrian-on-Syrian. Most importantly, the agency reported, such crimes have actually decreased in 2017.

But the events in Samsun and Ankara and the subsequent outrage show how far Turkey has yet to go to integrate Syrian refugees. After all, given the chaos and destruction in Syria, even a negotiated peace and stabilization there will not mean the war-ravaged country could begin to settle the millions of its citizens who are both internally displaced and living abroad as refugees.

In addition, despite resentment among some Turks, Syrian refugees  even those competing for low-wage jobs in Turkey  are a boon to Turkeys troubled economy. But that trend may not be sustainable in the long term. Currently, about half of the Syrian refugee population in Turkey is under the age of 18, and educating young Syrians remains a major challenge. Tough times await Turkey, which is struggling to address the educational and vocational needs of its own youth as well as those of the refugee population.

Finally, the people of Turkey and their leaders need to start discussing some key questions about their country and Syrian refugees: What will happen to those Syrians who resist returning to their country once the war ends? Under what conditions could Syrians become Turkish citizens? Are there avenues by which Syrians who cannot fully integrate to Turkish society (especially linguistically) yet do not pose a public safety risk stay in Turkey?

The answers to these questions might well define whether Turkey will become a more prosperous, tolerant and democratic country in the decades ahead.
Dothan contractor Barlovento LLC is among a group invited to bid on $99 million in U.S. Department of Defense contracts.

The Dothan Eagle is reporting the contracts include new construction, renovation, demolition and other specifications.

Barlovento is a design and construction firm based in Dothan, founded in 1996. It has already been involved in several multi-million defense contracts in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

Earlier this year, Barlovento announced it was among 11 firms awarded three U.S. Air Force regional contracts totaling $930 million.

The work in this new set of contracts will support industrial, airfield, aircraft hangar, aircraft traffic control, infrastructure and other needs.
Shoppers in Enterprise and Auburn now have access to a new offering in the Walmart portfolio -- giant self-service kiosks.

The big-box retailer recently rolled out Pickup Towers at stores in Enterprise and Auburn, a spokesman told AL.com on Wednesday. The Enterprise store has been active since June 26 and the Auburn store has been active since June 12.

Pickup Towers are now available at Walmart stores in Auburn and Enterprise. (Courtesy)

The retailer only has 15 towers in stores across several key markets, including the two in Alabama. Business Insider reports the kiosks are also available in Arizona, Oklahoma, Georgia and Virginia.

"There are many considerations to market selection and we're excited to bring this new technology to these markets," said Justin Rushing, director of corporate communications for Walmart.

The kiosks are available in the following Alabama stores:

Enterprise

Auburn

Walmart first debuted the Pickup Tower at a store in Bentonville, Ark., where the company is headquartered.

On its blog in April, Walmart compares the 16-foot tall Pickup Towers to a "high-tech vending machine for your online orders."

"This feature in a few of our stores allows you to pick up items in less than a minute by scanning a bar code sent to your smartphone," said Mark Ibbotson, executive vice president central operations for Walmart U.S. "The pilot phase has been so successful we're expanding it to other locations across the country."

Read more about Walmart's order pickup initiatives here.

Walmart hasn't ruled out the possibility of bringing more Pickup Towers to stores across Alabama.

"We're listening to our customers and will use their feedback to determine the future expansion of the Pickup Tower," Rushing said.
The parents of former University of Alabama student Megan Rondini spoke publicly on camera Wednesday morning for the first time since they filed a lawsuit against university employees, investigators, and their daughter's alleged rapist.

Rondini, 20, hanged herself in February 2016 after having moved back to her home in Texas. The alleged rape occurred in 2015.

Micahael and Cindy Rondini told CBS News that they believe her alleged attacker, T.J. Bunn, escaped prosecution because of his prominent and wealthy family.

She thought that she was being treated like a suspect because when she fled, Rondini said she found and accidentally fired her alleged attacker's gun and also took three dollars from his wallet to pay for cab fare, according to the CBS report.

"I feel like I wanna like throw up," Megan Rondini told an investigator during a taped interview in which she was read her rights.

Rondini's mother, crying, recounted to CBS the call she got from her daughter after reporting the rape to investigators. "She's like, 'Mom, they think it's my fault.'"

"'It's not your fault baby, it's not.'" Cindy Rondini said she remembered telling her daughter.

Cindy Rondini told CBS that she then drove from Texas to Alabama to comfort her daughter. "It was the most heartbreaking moment of my life," she said.

Also during the CBS interview video interviews by investigators of both Rondini and Bunn were shown.

Bunn's interview had a different tone. "I appreciate y'all's professionalism. And I appreciate the way y'all have handled this," Bunn told investigators on that video.

An investigator then replied: "If it was me on the other side, I'd want to do the same thing for me."

The Rondinis filed a federal lawsuit Sunday against Bunn, two university employees, the Tuscaloosa County sheriff, a sheriff's deputy, and a sheriff's office investigator.

The lawsuit alleges that the school and law enforcement failed their daughter. It claims the sheriff's office inadequately pursued the investigation and did not take Megan's claims seriously, and the university did not give her adequate psychological treatment and support after the alleged rape.

Megan Rondini's parents told CBS that any money win from their lawsuit will go to groups that help rape victims.

Last week, before the lawsuit was filed, the university, DCH Regional Medical Center, victim advocates, the Tuscaloosa District Attorney's office and law enforcement announced they are establishing two sexual assault programs that care for sexual assault victims.

"While this long-term solution is being implemented, DCH is training its staff in the SANE [Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner] course curriculum," the groups said Friday in a joint press release.

W. Ivey Gillmore, an attorney for Terry Bunn Jr., said in a statement to AL.com that the lawsuit is "baseless and "simply false."

"Law enforcement investigated this matter; the district attorney's office reviewed the evidence; the evidence was even presented to a grand jury that found there was no justification for charges against my client. It is, perhaps, natural to want to find someone to blame when a young woman takes her life," Gillmore said. "But accusing law enforcement and those who counseled this young woman for her actions is misguided. Unfortunately, bringing this matter before the courts in this civil action will only prolong grief without changing the reality."

The University of Alabama also posted another statement on its website Wednesday regarding the lawsuit. It reads:

Although The University of Alabama is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by the Rondini family related to an alleged sexual assault that occurred off campus, Beth Howard, our Title IX coordinator, and Cara Blakes, a national certified counselor and former UA employee, are. Even though no University employee or student was involved in the alleged assault against Megan Rondini, from the moment The University became aware of Megan's needs, Ms. Howard and her team handled their responsibilities with care at all times keeping Megan's wellbeing as their absolute highest priority. Ms. Howard is widely respected as one of the best in her field. She has built a team of professionals who are well trained and highly regarded for the important work they do. We will vigorously defend them.

Megan's death is a tragedy. Our hearts go out to her loved ones who grieve her loss alongside our University family. Out of respect to Megan, the Rondini family, and the judicial process, The University does not intend to comment further on the substance of the lawsuit's allegations, but we reiterate that a variety of counseling and other services are available to our students regardless of any need they may have.

Updated at 4 p.m. July 6, 2017 to include statement from UA. Updated at 12:12 pm to correct that UA was not named as a defendant in lawsuit
A Shelby County couple charged with abusing their adoptive son, who authorities said was locked in the couple's basement for two years, had their bonds lowered Wednesday.

Shelby County Chief Assistant District Attorney Roger Hepburn said at a court hearing Wednesday morning he reached an agreement with lawyers for Richard and Cynthia Kelly, and agreed to drop their bond to $100,000 each. The two have been held in the Shelby County Jail on a $1 million bond each since their arrest in November 2016.

Shelby County Circuit Judge William Bostick granted the request, and officially lowered the bonds just after the hearing.

Richard Kelly, 57, and Cynthia Kelly, 47, are charged with aggravated child abuse.

In November, Helena police were notified by hospital staff of a 14-year-old boy who was in critical condition. Police said Richard Kelly took the young teen-- his adoptive son-- to Shelby Baptist Medical Center when the teen's condition worsened. The boy, whose name has not been released, weighed 47 pounds when he arrived.

He was then taken to at Children's Hospital where his body temperature was 86 degrees, which doctors said is insufficient to sustain life.

Police testimony from a preliminary hearing earlier this year showed the boy was kept in "forced isolation" by his adoptive parents and spent approximately 23 hours a day in a concrete basement with just box-springs, a strip of fly paper, and an Algebra book.

"Today's ruling concerns only the issue of bond. While both Richard Kelly and Cynthia Kelly remain innocent until proven guilty, the State of Alabama intends to prosecute this case vigorously and to the fullest extent that the law will allow," Hepburn said.

Records show the couple received $500 a month from the state through the Department of Health and Human Services and Alabama DHR to care for their son. According to arrest warrants, the couple is accused of denying food, nourishment, and medical care to their son. Authorities have said his isolation was disciplinary in nature.

Police said when the young teen arrived at the hospital, doctors said he was severely and chronically malnourished, dehydrated, suffering from acute respiratory distress, shock, hypothermia, hypothyroid, and was close to death. He had pressure sores on his legs, and was placed on a ventilator for about a week to help him breathe.

Police said at the preliminary hearing there were locks on the outside of the basement doors where the teen was kept. There was also a video surveillance camera that was used to keep an eye on the teen and his older brother who had previously been locked in the basement, police said. The camera didn't work anymore, but police said the Kellys made the teen believe it did and that they were watching him. The boy was fed once a day.

The teen's biological brother, 18-year-old Eddie Carter, said he suffered the same abuse from Richard and Cynthia Kelly. He now lives in Arizona, but said he was kept in the basement for weeks and months at a time. He spoke with AL.com after the Kellys were arrested- see more of his interview here.

When the Kellys were arrested, the couple's 19-year-old adopted daughter was also living at their Helena home. She was not harmed. Richard Kelly was unemployed at the time; Cynthia Kelly was a stay-at-home mother who home-schooled her adopted children.

As of February, the young teen had been released from the hospital into a therapeutic foster home where he is said to be doing well.

The Kellys are represented by Jarred Welborn, John Medaris, and Barry Alvis.
A technical glitch caused delays in the fireworks display during Thunder on the Mountain, said the general manager of Pyro Shows, which produced the fireworks display.

A computer issue is believed to have caused the fireworks show to be out of sync with the choreographed soundtrack for Birmingham's July 4 fireworks show at Vulcan Park, Danny Turner said.

All of the fireworks did go off, he said.

Many Birmingham area residents took to social media to complain about the fireworks show. Some even left Vulcan Park early, thinking there wasn't going to be a finale due to the delay.

Somebody's getting fired for this mess of a show. #thunderonthemountain  AJ Matta (@Smayjay1127) July 5, 2017

Not sure what happened, seemed that #thunderonthemountain was having issues. Not like years past.  Crystal Leight (@Crystal_Leight) July 5, 2017

The cause of the technical glitch is under investigation, Turner said.

"We are looking into what happened so we can resolve it for the city of Birmingham and for the folks at Vulcan Park," he said. "We will be meeting with them in the coming days to address it. That was not the quality show we pride ourselves on."

Vulcan Park apologized for the glitch.

"It is unfortunate," said Morgan Black, director of marketing and public relations at Vulcan Park & Museum. "We are sorry.

"We hate it for the Birmingham community, but we thought it was a beautiful show," she said.

"Thank you Birmingham for your support of #thunderonthemountain each and every year," Black added in a later email. "Corrections will be made in order to provide another wonderful show in 2018 for the whole community to enjoy."
A man who threatened to jump off a bridge on Interstate 65 Tuesday evening was talked down by law enforcement, but he later leapt from an ambulance.

Morgan County sheriff's deputies convinced 37-year-old Joseph Matthew Russell to surrender for medical treatment after a brief standoff on the bridge at Exit 322 in Falkville. The southbound lanes of I-65 briefly were shut down by state troopers but reopened before 8:30 p.m.

Falkville police Sgt. Aaron Burgess said Russell temporarily was on the loose after escaping an ambulance that was bound for Decatur Morgan Hospital's psychiatric unit. Decatur police apprehended Russell before 10 p.m. He has been charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.

Deputy Keith A. Sheppard was patrolling around the bridge before 8 p.m. when he saw a man's head appear. Once the deputy turned around and got back to the area, he saw the man standing on the edge of the bridge outside the concrete barrier, Burgess said.

"The deputy established contact with the man and just kept him talking," said Burgess. Another Morgan County Deputy, Danny Kelso, who is familiar with the man, arrived at the scene and helped convince him to surrender.

"He was threatening to jump off the bridge," Burgess said. "He wanted his kids brought over there."

Burgess said Russell has an extensive history of contact with local law enforcement, including arrests for theft and drugs. Just on Tuesday, at least three local police agencies came in contact with the man.

"It's been an ongoing issue with him," Burgess said. "We had an officer earlier today doing extra patrol on Mill Creek Road because he's been involved in a domestic dispute and been calling and threatening to cut their heads off at the house."

A Falkville officer who encountered Russell earlier in the day did not have probable cause for an arrest. Hartselle police also were involved with him today, Burgess said.

No one was injured during the incident on the bridge.

Updated at 10:06 p.m. to show the suspect was apprehended in Decatur and charged with a misdemeanor.
Huntsville terrorism suspect Aziz Sayyed pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to bomb a law enforcement building in Madison County, a prosecutor told a judge this afternoon.

Aziz Sayyed

Sayyed, 22, "wanted to participate in the beheading of infidels," Madison County Assistant District Attorney Jay Town told District Judge Schuyler Richardson. New details of the case were made public during a bond hearing this afternoon. Sayyed's lawyer Bruce Gardner argued why his client, who has been held in the Madison County Jail since his June 15 arrest, should have bail set in the case.

Town urged the judge to deny Sayyed bail, citing evidence that the suspect wanted to plant a TATP bomb at a law enforcement annex or precinct in Madison County. Town did not say which law enforcement agency Sayyed wanted to bomb.

The triacetone tri peroxide (TATP) bomb is the same kind that was used in the notorious shoe bomber case, as well as at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester and in Paris and London attacks.

In February, Sayyed had a conversation with two friends and uploaded videos from ISIS, according to Town. The prosecutor said Sayyed stated he "wanted to participate in the beheading of infidels."

About five weeks later, in April, Sayyed told his friends he had been delivered a sheet of plywood that he would use to practice his knife-handling skills to cut off the heads of infidels, Town told the judge. Later in April, Sayyed was involved with more ISIS videos, according to authorities.

"In June, Sayyed showed his friends how he was going to make the TATP bomb," Town told the judge. Sayyed said he planned to release the bomb at a law enforcement building in Madison County the week after he was arrested, according to the prosecution. The bombing would "bring the whole building down," Sayyed said according to Town.

Authorities have said they found the bomb-making materials during a search of Sayyed's home at Twickenham Village Apartments. Town said receipts and surveillance footage also have tied Sayyed to the materials.

Town said Sayyed's actions have shown "he is an absolute threat to the public." Town urged the judge to deny bond but said if bail is set, the state wants a cash bond of at least $100,000 and requests that Sayyed be detained to house arrest on electronic monitoring.

Gardner told the judge Sayyed has been "illegally" and "unconstitutionally" detained.

"What I just heard was somebody watched some videos, bought some stuff and said some things, but did nothing," Gardner told the judge.

Huntsville police charged Sayyed with second-degree soliciting or providing support for terrorism after receiving a citizen tip and investigating.

The sheriff's office assisted in the investigation but did not bring charges against Sayyed.

Gardner asked that Madison County District Judge Schuyler Richardson either release Sayyed or set a bail amount that is within the recommended range for a Class C felony. The recommended amount is $2,500-$15,000. But, judges have discretion in setting bond. They can consider things like criminal history, background, character, age and the nature of the alleged crime.

The judge is expected to issue a written order in the case.

Sayyed is an American citizen who was attending Calhoun Community College. If convicted, Sayyed faces up to 10 years in prison.

Town suggested authorities may have evidence of or pursue additional charges against Sayyed.
What to expect during the US presidents second foreign trip to Europe this week.

US President Donald Trump makes his second foreign trip to Europe on Wednesday.

He will first travel first to Warsaw, Poland, to meet Polish and Baltic leaders, before heading to Hamburg, Germany, to attend a G20 meeting.

Here are five things to know about the trip.

1. Trumps first meeting with Putin. It will be the most anticipated moment of the trip. For the first time, Trump will meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit.

US intelligence agencies have accused the Russians of interfering in the US presidential election that brought Trump to the White House, and the FBI is investigating possible collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

At a recent briefing with reporters, White House senior officials did their best to play down the meeting by claiming there is no agenda for it.

But it is already clear  based on the barrage of questions at the briefing  that unless there is a major breaking news story, the Trump-Putin meeting will dominate news coverage.

2. Big protests in Hamburg. During Trumps first European trip in late May to a NATO summit, about 9,000 protesters showed up in Brussels. In Hamburg, you should expect much, much bigger crowds.

Many Germans are not big fans of the new US president. A February poll showed far more people were concerned about Trumps policies than Putins.

OPINION: Its time for G20 leaders to embrace civil society

Police are preparing for upwards of 100,000 people, while German media reports say 14,000 police are being mobilised to handle the crowds.

Protests at the G20 are not new. And theres no doubt the demonstrators grievances will be directed not just at Trump but other G20 leaders as well. Yet, Trumps low approval ratings in Germany will no doubt encourage people to show up.

3. Trumps climate clash with Macron and Merkel. When Trump announced on June 1 that the United States was pulling out of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron condemned his decision immediately.





This will be their first meeting since that day and Merkel, in particular, already sent signals to Trump over the weekend that his America First agenda, which he cited in pulling out of the deal, will not be welcome.

Merkel is trying to keep her job in a contentious election season and it appears her lukewarm relationship with Trump is helping. Expect her to make climate change and the US decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement one of her main talking points at the G20.

4. The Gulf crisis looms. Saudi Arabia is the only Gulf country that is a member of the G20. The meeting in Hamburg comes amidst tensions in the Gulf following an economic and diplomatic blockade on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

Saudi Arabia has led assertions that the Qatari government backs terrorist organisations, an argument Trump himself made during remarks at the White House. Qatar denies the accusations. In recent weeks, the coalition submitted a list of demands for Qatar to adhere to before lifting the blockade  Doha has dismissed them as unrealistic and not actionable.

OPINION: Is Trump committing war crimes in Iraq and Syria?

Trump has now made several calls to all the leaders in the dispute in an attempt to calm the situation but the Saudis will undoubtedly use their exclusive access at the G20 to press their case even harder with White House officials.

5. Trumps big Poland speech. On Thursday, Trump will deliver what White House officials bill as a major speech in Warsaws symbolic Krasinski Square.

In August, 1944, poorly equipped Polish resistance fighters led an uprising against the occupying German forces. It was crushed but the square now represents the heroism of those who fought against the Nazis.

The theme of sacrifice and courage will go over well with his hosts. But its the next part that will be worth paying attention to.

Polish politics have shifted to the right in recent years. The government is one of three nations defying the European Union in denying access to refugees from North Africa, Syria and other nations. The ruling Law and Order Party has been a frequent critic of the EU and its policies. Trump has been, too.

Will he use this speech to stoke those common sentiments? According to a senior official, Trump will call on all nations to take inspiration from the spirit of the Poles as we confront todays challenges.
New institute in Germany aims to give artists a space to reinvent the image of the 12 million Roma people in Europe.

Berlin, Germany  On a cool morning in November 2014, Roma artist Sead Kazanxhiu walked to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Ramas office and placed 2,500 miniature pastel houses outside.

The small individually crafted plaster homes were part of a protest meant to express Kazanxhius frustration that 60 Roma families in the Albanian capital of Tirana had been displaced one year prior and still lacked durable, permanent housing.

Nearly three years later, the families remain in the temporary unsolicited caravan homes provided by an NGO. But some of Kazanxhius small protest plaster houses have found a permanent place with the recently-launched European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) in Berlin, Germany.

The Institute, the first of its kind for Europes 12 million Roma, was launched in June at the German foreign ministry and will have a permanent space in Berlin in the fall.

READ MORE: Roma in Kosovo  My children are poisoned by lead

The Roma, or Romani people, make up Europes largest minority group. They were once nomadic and are believed have arrived in Europe from northern India a thousand years ago. Today, many live in poverty and are often on the margins of society.

The Romani people never had an institution to cultivate and stimulate the Romani culture, Kazanxhiu tells Al Jazeera at ERIACs launch event.

The only institution that we had was our families. We couldnt read about ourselves in books; in literature, we would find only stereotypes. Finally, we will have an institution to stimulate Romani culture, art and language.

Kazanxhiu, 29, was born shortly after the death of Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha and grew up as capitalism was first introduced in Albania.

In primary school, he walked 10km from his small Roma village several times a week to attend art classes after one his teachers noticed his talent for drawing.

Today, Kazanxhiu is the youngest member of the coalition for ERIAC, which has worked for four years with the Council of Europe, billionaire philanthropist George Soros Open Society Foundations, and the German foreign ministry to open the centre.

We all believe ERIAC comes at a moment when Europe and her institutions are in crisis, Kazanxhiu told a crowd gathered to celebrate the launch of the centre.

The old monsters like xenophobia and extremism are unveiling at a strong scale, he said in his native language, Romanes.

Many of these monsters are trying to say that we have no place in Europe, but now we will show them how much we have given Europe. We have been living here on this continent for almost 700 years!

A cultural territory

Kazanxhius work often focuses on the theme that the Romani people are spread across Europe.

In a piece of performance art titled, A choice to be made, a price to be paid, Kazanxhiu mashes shishik, a type of clay that is indigenous to his hometown, into a pulp. He then mixes it with water and heats it over a gas flame. While the audience sits in suspense, he undresses, puts on a suit, and uses the clay mixture to write Romani phuv, or Romani land, on the wall before he walks off the stage without saying a word.

Kazanxhiu says that the piece was inspired by the late Romanian Roma activist Nicolae Gheorghe, who wrote that the concept of Romani land is a controversial issue that implies different prices to be paid when decisions have to be made.

For Kazanxhiu, the idea of Romani land does not represent a physical territory, but a cultural one.

For me, Romani land is Europe, he says, adding that he hopes ERIAC will become a kind of cultural territory for the Roma.

Institutionalising Romani culture will bring a different perception to discussions about territory. Europeans and the world have to learn from Roma how to focus more on culture, rather than borders or territories.

The refugee crisis and the new borders being raised in Europe have prompted Kazanxhiu to expand his oeuvre to include solidarity with refugees and displaced people.

The past four decades taught us that simply depending on the benevolence of majority museums for Roma representation is unreliable and inefficient. by Timea Junghaus, ERIAC executive director

In another recent piece titled, The floor is yours, he used a traditional Romani style of weaving to create a lectern made out of barbed wire.

The podium is a symbol of unassailable power that, as historian Shannon Woodcock writes, invokes the European borders fenced against Syrian and Hazara refugees, the camps of the Holocaust, and of fascist, socialist and capitalist dictators of the past and present.

A reinvention of the Roma image

Kazanxhius work exemplifies the type of art ERIAC will promote, and the spirit that Timea Junghaus, the centres new leader, seeks to support the next generation of Romani artists.

It is important that Sead uses these houses, because what I have is this very pretty little exhibition, that looks very elegant on these white pedestals, but the truth is that if you go close to these pedestals, I have quite subversive material, Junghaus, told Al Jazeera on the eve of the ERIAC launch event.

Junghaus, Hungarys first Roma art historian, began her work as a curator focusing on and promoting Roma-made art after studying art history and finding that the images of her community were created by the majority culture.

I was shocked to learn that while state archives own more than 10,000 works by Roma, only one is permanently exhibited, she said. That piece of art hangs in the Roma parliament in Budapest.

The past four decades taught us that simply depending on the benevolence of majority museums for Roma representation is unreliable and inefficient, she said. I hope I can participate in the reinvention of the Roma image.

Junghaus has spent much of her career working to promote and foster Roma art. She researched the decades-long process that eventually led to the construction of a memorial in Berlin to the 500,000 Roma killed in the Holocaust.

In 2007, she curated the first Roma Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which is known as the Olympics of the art world. The exhibit was an opportunity to promote work by Roma artists on an international stage.

The pavilion was a major step for Roma artists, she said, but ERIAC represents the realisation of a dream that was first articulated by Roma leaders in 1919, and then again on a global scale in the 1970s when a group of prominent intellectuals sought a permanent space that would showcase and promote Roma culture.

The first Roma Pavilion was an attempt to decolonise the Roma sphere and now we want to transgress even further, she said.

After the resistance that previous generations have done, we are making ourselves anew, she added, paraphrasing the feminist cultural critic and author Bell Hooks.

Junghaus believes artists like Kazanxhiu can help the image of Roma evolve.

Sead brings this trans-generational knowledge, she said. He is transgressing the past, getting out of the position of the victim and stepping into this new framework of consciousness, resistance and survival.

Jungahus said this is especially important as far-right anti-Roma groups increase their support base across Europe today.

Anti-gypsyism is rising, she said. We are really at the last second if we want to preserve our humanity and power of recognition of minority cultures in present-day Europe.

She added, however, that while far-right sentiments and neo-Nazism and anti-gypsyism are rising, some level-headed thinkers in Europe still know well that for the prosperity of and stability of Europe, the well-being and recognition of the largest minority is a basic condition.

This story was supported in part by the Open Society Foundations.
Mosul, Iraq  After eight months of a US-backed offensive to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, known as ISIS), Iraqi troops have finally captured the ruined Grand al-Nuri mosque and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has declared the groups caliphate at an end.

But Iraqi forces do not yet have full control of the city. ISIL fighters are surrounded in a 300-by-500 metre section of the Old City beside the Tigris river.

Civilians fleeing Iraqi advances are increasingly desperate. The elderly and weak are carried across mounds of rubble in blankets. Soldiers, increasingly fearful of the Old Citys inhabitants after a string of suicide bombings, hurry the groups along.

Largely cut off from food and water for months, humanitarian groups are reporting a spike in the number of displaced people suffering from malnutrition and dehydration.
If available at all, facts about many crucial issues in Eritrea fail to capture the reality in the country. Reading the news about Eritrea, an outsider would not understand the extent and complexity of its transformation: from a country with a promising future into the personal fiefdom of President Isaias Afwerki and his clique at the Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ).

A country preparing for dawn. We grow less intelligent. by Mahmoud Darwish, Under Siege

A pastiche of daily encounters does a better job of illuminating the disfigured Dadaist reality of present-day Eritrea.

Pasta and oil instead of lectures

The Eritrean government closed the only university in Eritrea, the University of Asmara, in 2006, after the last class finished their studies and no new students were admitted. I had been working in the university as teaching assistant at the Department of Eritrean Languages and Literature since October 2004. After the closure, the staff and faculty continued to report to work for a year. We were still receiving our salaries, but we didnt have any classes to teach. We had no obligation to show up to work. However, we continued to do so because our food rations were being distributed at the university campus. With the ruling party rationing the most basic food items, such as pasta, cooking oil and grain, and with no students to attend to, faculty found food rations the only worthwhile topic of conversation at the university. As shares were distributed, bits of pasta and leaks of cooking oil became common in faculty offices, along with professors hauling bags full of food items away from the campus.

When the military conquered education

After a year in limbo, the regime reassigned faculty and staff of the University of Asmara to under-equipped semi-military colleges that had been established about three years earlier. Students of these colleges were assigned into military divisions and they were forced to attend military training regularly, alongside their classes. Since then, the quality of education has been astutely deteriorating with the colleges in effect becoming refuges of indefinite limbo. My first responsibility as a faculty member in the new college was to supervise exams. While working as a proctor at the exams, I couldnt help noticing fresh faces wearing uniforms in the college lecture halls. When I asked a colleague about these people, he told me they were military police, assigned to supervise.

Four pieces of bread

In 2010, when I was taking the public bus home in Asmara, I noticed Sara sitting at a bus stop heading in the other direction, obviously waiting for the bus. A few days later when we met, I asked her what had brought her to our neighbourhood that day. You know, I lived in your neighbourhood before I moved to my current location, but our bread ration is still there, she explained. The shopkeeper is kind enough to reserve my ration, she said. So, I go to her shop and collect my ration every other day.

OPINION: Remembering the Eritrean dream on Independence Day

Normally bread rations are supposed to be collected daily from officially designated shops in the early hours of the morning. Sara had three children and she was entitled to receive a ration of four pieces of bread  three for her children and one for her  for each day. Knowing the hassles and delays of public transport in Eritrea, not to mention how overcrowded the buses are, I marvelled at her taking two buses to reach her destination.

How much time was she spending every other day to fetch these eight pieces of bread for a two-day ration? I asked her. She responded, Sometimes, if I get fuel [contrabanded], I use my car, other times a bicycle, but the buses take me about an hour to go and another hour to return. Sara was in her later forties and had been the country representative of a United Nations office at one time.

The making of truth





Sometime around 2010-11, the Ministry of Information came up with an unconventional but creative way of delivering news. They would write a strongly worded editorial  the usual screeds denouncing the international community or highlighting the achievements of the nation in the face of continued hostilities. Two or three days later, they would publish a news article on the editorial and credit the aforementioned editorial as the source. When they did this for the first time, I had a good laugh about it with my friend Yonatan, who also studied journalism. You know what? said Yonatan, They will continue to do this and soon we will normalise it. As he predicted, the practice of manufacturing news from editorials became an established and accepted tradition over the years, normalised by both journalists and the public.

Updating the list of the dead

Sometime in 2011, I stumbled onto Kibreab in Asmara, an amateur poet who also had written a film script. I knew him through a mutual friend, also a poet. Since 2001, we had met frequently at the offices of Zemen, one of the now-banned private newspapers to which I had contributed. Are our friends still in prison, or are they released? he asked me immediately after we greeted each other. Some of our mutual friends, including the poet who introduced us, had been taken into custody in 2009 when Radio Bana, the only educational radio station sponsored by Eritreas Ministry of Education, was raided and later banned by the military. Of course, they are still in prison; how would you miss it if they had been released? I answered. It is sad, he said, So Amanuel Asrat and his group are also still in custody, I assume? He was referring to journalists including Asrat who have been languishing incommunicado in detention since September 2001. I did not know how to respond and walked away thinking about the journalists who have never been heard of apart from sporadic news delivered by former prison guards who had fled the country. The news is scant, usually enough to update the list of the deceased detained journalists and other political prisoners.

The bus ride to Asmara

After University of Asmara was closed, my college, the College of Arts and Social Sciences was re-located to Adi-Kieh, about 110km south of the capital. As the town has barely any facilities, it became natural for all of the staff members and most students to come to Asmara for a weekend to relax. With extremely dilapidated roads, the handful of public buses operating (private cars are unimaginable), overcrowded with students and faculty, would take about half a day to reach Asmara (Google maps estimated the distance as 1:30 hours). The weekly scenes of chaos at the bus terminals started with long and disorderly queues at 4am. The bus conductors, in their teens, suddenly assumed the roles of the infamous military commanders in the country, insulting, pushing, and ruthlessly belittling the desperate passengers. Senior professors in their 60s were forced to stoop and beg for the compassion of the erratic teenage dictators.

IN PICTURES: The Eritreans fleeing to Ethiopia

Two years after leaving the college and coming to the US, unsoundly expecting some dramatic changes might have had happened after my departure, I asked my colleague Yonatan if anything had improved. Of course, there is major change, told me Yonatan as if he were waiting all the time to share his achievement, I mastered how to bribe the bus conductors. I pay them 250-300 Nakfa and secure my seat without a hassle. The normal fare was 60 Nakfa.

Ministry employee by day, civilian guard by night





When my friend Tesfai, who worked at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, travelled out of Eritrea for the first time on a work visit to China in 2014, I had a long phone conversation with him to catch up on what had been happening in the two years since I had left the country. One thing that had happened was that the government introduced a new law, requiring all citizens between the ages of 18 and 70 to carry arms and guard government buildings in the evenings. As it was nearly impossible to talk on the phone at ease with Tesfai while he was in Asmara, now free of the presumed tapping of every phone conversation adopted by the whole Eritrean populace, I asked Tesfai how he is coping with the new requirement. I have a gun at home, but I am not regularly doing the evening duties of guarding, he said. What would be the consequences? I asked him. They might imprison me for two or three months or even more, but I am ready for that, he replied.

Quitting can get you jailed

During a phone conversation, last week with a friend who works as a teacher in Asmara, he casually remarked that the currency note redemption of early 2016 had severely affected many people. According to the new policy, nationals cannot withdraw more than 5,000 nakfa at any given month from their own savings; the amount barely covers one months rent for a two-bedroom house in the capital. My friend told me that he and other colleagues had stopped being paid for their second job. He explained that the government introduced a new policy, prohibiting anyone from being on more than one payroll at a time.

I have not been paid in my second job since early 2016, he tells me. As there is no such private sector, the only employer in the country is also either the government or the ruling party.

READ MORE: Exiled Eritreans campaign for freedom of journalists

If you have not been paid for more than a year and now six months, why do you continue working there? Why not quit? I ask bewildered.

We continue working with the hope that they reconsider and collectively pay us all. But more than that many of us are afraid it will be considered public disobedience and seen as open confrontation to the government, he replied.

The generals new girlfriend

As a certain general became empowered by the president with indisputable authority, his girlfriend (he is married and has a family) also became very influential. The current girlfriend is humble and is mature in comparison to her age (she is in her early 20s). In fact, she has helped many prisoners of conscience be released, tells me Teclai who had a small business in Asmara and had a rough time with the previous girlfriend of the general. The other one was notorious. If you have any dispute or even slightly irritated her, she just calls the infamous military prison chiefs and they will come right away to round you up from the streets.

Such anecdotes have been the new normal in Eritrea for over a decade now. That is also one of the reasons why some of the international media outlets  if allowed access to the country after the routine rejections  cannot fully grasp the absurdity and steep descent into the abyss.

Abraham T Zere is a US-based Eritrean writer and journalist who is serving as the executive director of PEN Eritrea in exile. Among others, his articles  that mainly deal with Eritreas gross human rights abuses and lack of freedom of expression  have appeared in The Guardian, The Independent and the Index on Censorship Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: @abraham_zere

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Three men rescued but 49 missing after boat from Morocco sinks near Spains Alboran Island, coastguards say.

Almost 50 refugees are feared dead after their rubber boat sank in the Alboran Sea in the Mediterranean, Spanish coastguards said.





Three exhausted and disorientated people were rescued from the deflated rubber boat on Tuesday that is believed to have left Morocco with 52 people aboard.

The half-sunk boat was spotted around 50km southwest of Spains Alboran Island, which lies in the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean.

When asked if the 49 people left unaccounted drowned, a spokeswoman for the coastguards told AFP news agency: We suppose.

Rescue workers were searching for survivors in the water near the Spanish island.

The three rescued men, aged 17 to 25 from sub-Saharan Africa, explained that more than 50 people were on board the rubber boat which had been drifting for several days after leaving the northern coast of Morocco, the coastguards said in a statement.

READ MORE: Irish naval ship rescues 712 people off Libyan coast

The three people were taken to hospital in Almeria in southern Spain after suffering from dehydration.

If the missing 49 are confirmed dead, this will be the deadliest sea crossing in the western part of the Mediterranean this year.

So far, 60 refugees and migrants have died trying to cross the waters to Spain from North Africa since January, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The UNs migration agency said 6,464 people reached Spain after crossing the Mediterranean between January 1 and June 25 this year.

In total, at least 2,247 people have died or are missing after trying to cross the sea into Europe via Spain, Italy or Greece this year, the IOM said.
Saudi Arabia tops the list of countries promoting extremism in Britain, a UK-based think-tank says.

Saudi Arabia is for the most part guilty of advancing extremism in Britain, a think-tank report has said in claims that were denied by the Saudi government.

While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list, Tom Wilson, a fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, said in a report on Wednesday.

According to the London-based foreign policy think-tank, Saudi Arabia operates several large charities that fund education involved with their ideologies worldwide, including in Britain, spending at least 67 billion pounds ($87bn) on the programmes over the past 50 years.

READ MORE: Theresa May delaying report on funding of extremism

Funding from Saudi Arabia has primarily taken the form of endowments to mosques, the report said, which have in turn played host to extremist preachers and the distribution of extremist literature.

The report also flagged that some of Britains most serious hate preachers have studied in Saudi Arabia as part of scholarship programmes.

In a statement to the BBC, the Saudi embassy in London said the claims were categorically false.

We do not and will not condone the actions or ideology of violent extremism and we will not rest until these deviants and their organisations are destroyed, it added.

Call for new laws

The Henry Jackson Society called for the creation of new laws requiring mosques and other institutions to declare foreign funding.

It also demanded the launch of a public inquiry into foreign funding of hardline groups, putting pressure on the government.





The release of the think-tanks study comes amid pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to publish an apparently delayed government report examining the role of Saudi Arabia and other nations in encouraging extremism in Britain. The report reportedly criticises Saudi Arabia.

The UK is one of the top suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia with successive governments, both Labour and Conservative, signing major arms deals with the kingdom.

In the past three years, the UK has approved arms export licences to Saudi Arabia worth $4.7bn.
The airlines say travellers flying to the US from Istanbul and Dubai can now carry their electronic devices on board.

The United States has lifted the in-cabin ban on laptops and other large electronic devices on US-bound flights from Dubai and Istanbul, Emirates and Turkish Airlines said.

Wednesdays announcements come three days after restrictions were lifted on Etihad Airways hub Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE.

In March, the United States imposed the ban on flights originating at 10 airports in eight countries  Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey  to address fears that bombs could be concealed in electronic devices taken aboard aircraft.

The UK quickly followed suit with a similar set of restrictions.

The ban was lifted effective immediately on Dubai International, the worlds busiest airport for international travel, after new security measures announced by the US last week were implemented, an Emirates spokeswoman said in a statement.

Emirates blamed travel restrictions imposed by US President Donald Trumps administration for a drop in demand for US flights.

READ MORE: The Arab airlines using Trumps bans for marketing

The Dubai-based carrier cut flights to five US cities from May. It has since said demand was starting to return on some routes.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines said in a statement that passengers travelling to the US could now take their laptops and other electronic devices on board.

Dear Passengers, #WelcomeOnBoard to our US-bound flight. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices. pic.twitter.com/WbcZwNPhrf  Turkish Airlines (@TurkishAirlines) July 4, 2017

Chief Executive Bilal Eksi also tweeted that the airline expected a similar ban on flights to the UK would soon be lifted.

Turkeys Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said on Tuesday that US officials would examine explosives detection machines at airports across Turkey, according to Anadolu Agency.

There was no immediate comment available from US officials on the lifting of the ban in Dubai and Istanbul.

The UK ban does not apply to flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Police deploy 20,000 officers to secure German city as tens of thousands gather to protest meeting of world leaders.

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Hamburg in advance of the two-day G20 summit in the northern German city.

Officials said on Wednesday they were expecting tens of thousands to protest against the international forum for governments and central bank governors of the worlds 20 major economies.

Police said they have also been tracking down known activists coming in from Scandinavia, Switzerland, Italy and elsewhere.

READ MORE: Five things to know about Donald Trumps European tour

Hamburg police said it is boosting its units with reinforcements from around the country, and will have 20,000 officers on hand to patrol the citys streets, skies and waterways when world leaders and 6,500 other delegates start arriving on Thursday.

Germanys counterterrorist GSG9 force will be assisted by Austrias counterpart Cobra and specialists from the Netherlands and other countries, Hamburg police chief Ralf Martin Meyer told AP news agency.

They will be be stationed around the city in strategic locations to help protect the summit participants.

G20: Welcome to Hell is the slogan anti-globalisation activists have adopted for their protests.

We are calling on the world to make Hamburg a focal point of the resistance against the old and new capitalist authorities, according to a statement by one of the protest groups with links to the leftist demonstrators Rote Flora.

In a preview of whats likely to come, police clashed in Hamburg with hundreds of protesters on Tuesday night, using pepper spray and water cannon to against the crowd.

Planet Earth First

On Wednesday, Greenpeace activists flew a hot air balloon reading Planet Earth First to protest the United States climate policy.

Among those attending the G20 gathering is US President Donald Trump, who announced that he was withdrawing the US from the landmark Paris climate agreement, to the regret of a number of world leaders who had lobbied him to remain in the 2015 pact.





Were looking for the G20, and if thats not possible, then the G19, to go forward with implementing the Paris agreement and maybe doing even more, Greenpeace Internationals executive director Jennifer Morgan told The Associated Press.

Like many nonprofits, Greenpeace is fighting a security decision to block off a 38sq km no-protest zone encompassing the airport where leaders will arrive and the conference centre where they will meet.

The group is calling for residents who live within the security zone to hang flags and banners out of their windows so the world leaders will see them on the way in.

Greenpeace stands for nonviolent direct action  we have peace in our name  and it would be a shame if violence moved the message away from what the G20 should be doing on climate and other issues, Morgan said.

OPINION: Are protests enough to bring down the G20?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told community organisers in Hamburg that she understood the importance of demonstrations to express criticism and concerns, but urged them to remain non-violent.

It should be peaceful criticism, she said in June.

Still, German security officials are preparing for the worst, drawing upon decades of experience dealing with May Day demonstrations and other protests at major events, including the G7 in 2015 and G8 in 2007.

Germany has also denied Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan permission to hold a public rally on the sidelines of the summit, which could have drawn huge protests from Kurds living in Germany.
Citys emergency services rescue more than 50 people from the rooftop of Cape York building in downtown.

At least seven people have died after a fire broke out in a building in downtown Johannesburg, South African authorities said.

The citys emergency services department said a crane was used to rescue more than 50 people from the roof of the building that caught fire on Wednesday.

Five people were rushed to hospital.

One of the victims died when he jumped from the building, local media reported.

#JHBFire Preliminary investigation underway to find the cause of fire which started on the 2nd floor of the Cape York building pic.twitter.com/xGO5Sbr3xA  City of Joburg EMS (@CityofJoburgEMS) July 5, 2017

South African media reported some people were treated for smoke inhalation.

City Mayor Herman Mashaba appeared at the scene of the fire to assess the damage caused by the blaze.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

More soon..
Palestinian Authority forces thousands in Gaza into early retirement in latest move to apply pressure on Hamas.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has announced it will force more than 6,000 employees in the Gaza Strip into early retirement, in the latest attempt to pressure Hamas which controls the territory.

PA spokesman Yousif al-Mahmoud said on Tuesday that the decision, which would affect 6,145 public sector employees, was only a temporary measure aimed at applying pressure on Hamas to relinquish control of the besieged Gaza Strip and to reconcile with the PA.

In comments to Anadolu Agency, Mahmoud said the decision had technically come into force on July 1.

The PA, based in the occupied West Bank, is dominated by the Fatah faction of President Mahmoud Abbas, a fierce rival of Hamas.





There are concrete reconciliation plans, which include the dissolving of Hamas administrative committee controlling Gaza, implementing a national government with full sovereignty over the Strip and a plan for general elections across Palestine, Abbas told the Anadolu Agency.

Hamas has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007. Despite mediation efforts by several Arab states, Fatah and Hamas fail to reconcile since the near civil war a decade ago.

Analysts say moves like the PAs are designed to create animosity towards Hamas in Gaza while slightly easing the PAs financial woes.

Hamas spokesperson Fawzy Barhoum called the announcement immoral and inhumane, adding that it only serves to tighten the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip.

Hazem Qassem, another Hamas spokesman, called the decision a continuation of the policy of collective punishment imposed by the government of Rami Hamdallah [PA prime minister].

READ MORE: A guide to the Gaza Strip

The PA has continued to pay its former civil servants regular salaries since 2007 but reduced them earlier this year.

But the 70,000 PA employees, paid meagre and irregular wages, are now at risk of poverty.

Under the economic conditions in the besieged territory, about 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. More than 80 percent would starve without food from international aid agencies.

INTERACTIVE: Gazas electricity crisis

The latest attempt to pressure the Hamas movement follows last months move by Abbas to cut PA funding for Israeli-supplied electricity to Gaza by at least 40 percent, leaving the Strips two million people with just three hours of electricity a day.

Gaza has long struggled with electricity and water supply, relying on feeder lines from Israel and Egypt.

Gazas only power plant closed in April after running out of fuel. Since then all electricity in Gaza comes from Egypt and Israel.

Thousands of Palestinians have demonstrated in Gazas streets and along its borders with Israel since April in protest against the pay and electricity cuts.

The United Nations estimates that if current trends continue, the Gaza Strip will be uninhabitable by 2020.
Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister says Indian PM should have visited both states to spread the message of peace.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has expressed its concern over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision not to meet President Mahmoud Abbas during his historic three-day trip to Israel.

Modi was welcomed by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday as he became the first Indian leader to visit Israel.

In addition to Netanyahu, Modi also met Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday.

Modi met Abbas in New Delhi in May.





We expected him [Modi] to visit both Israel and Palestine, Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Tasir Jaradat told Al Jazeera.

To play an important role between the two sides and to be able to spread the message of peace, one should visit both.

India, which has a history of advocating the Palestinian cause, opened up formal diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992.

During the Cold War, India was a leading member of the Non-Aligned Movement of developing countries and sided staunchly with the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.

Before 1992, India would not even allow its citizens to enter Israel on an Indian passport.

But since then, the two countries have cultivated warm ties, particularly in the areas of technology and defence cooperation.

READ MORE: Narendra Modi in Israel to meet friend Netanyahu

It is common for world leaders to also travel to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank during official trips to Israel.

US President Donald Trump held talks with Netanyahu and Abbas on his visit in May.

The snub by Modi also attracted criticism from residents of the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.

Its very sad that Modi did not come to Palestine, Ali Mohammad Abushbak, a Palestinian student, told The Indian Express.

A lot of people believe the story of Israel, but what about the Palestine story? We are feeling discriminated [against] by this approach of the Indian government.

India is seeking closer defence ties with Israel, particularly as it moves away from relying on traditional ally Russia for its military hardware.

Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Jerusalem, said: The PA is talking in terms of surprise, rather than outright criticism, that Narendra Modi has decided not to make time for its president in the course of a three-day visit.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani vows that Qatar will do whatever it takes to protect its people.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said Qatar will do whatever it takes to protect our people, as he accused Gulf states that have imposed a blockade on Doha of trying to undermine his nations sovereignty.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman told the Chatham House think-tank in London on Wednesday that Qatar continues to call for dialogue, as Saudi Arabia and its allies hold talks in Egypt to discuss their next move.

We welcome any serious efforts to resolve our differences with our neighbours, he said, adding: We dont accept intervention in our own affairs.

READ MORE: Can Qatar-Gulf rift be repaired?

I think if we are not going to have a proper dialogue which will get us to a solutionwe are setting a precedent for the future which might be a challenge for other countries in different regions, he added.

He accused Saudi Arabia and its regional allies of demanding that we must surrender our sovereignty as the price for ending the siege.

A group of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, cutting off vital routes for imports including food.

They also ordered Qatari citizens to leave their territories and took various steps against Qatari firms and financial institutions.





Later, they put forward a list of 13 demands for Qatar to fulfill by the end of Monday. That period has been extended up to Wednesday.

Without divulging the details of Qatars response, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said Doha has done its part, and it is now the turn of Saudi Arabia and its allies to respond.

They are the aggressors, and they are the countries which launched an attack on Qatar by imposing all these measures, he said. So I should expect from them to take the first step in engagement.

Whatever measures they are going to take, there is an international law which everyone should respect. We took the first shock, and we are ready to move ahead with our people. We are going to do whatever it takes to protect our people, which is normal for any country.

The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region, home to some of the worlds largest energy exporters and key Western allies who host US military bases.

Energy-rich Qatar has been defiant throughout the crisis, insisting it can weather action taken against it.
Human rights group calls on Riyadh to exempt Syrians and Yemenis from new tax levied on dependents of expatriates.

Saudi Arabia has been criticised by a human rights monitoring group for not exempting Syrian and Yemeni refugees living in the kingdom from taxes it has imposed on expatriates.

Riyadh introduced the taxes on July 1 for dependents of expatriates in the country and they will gradually increase until 2020.

Expatriates have to pay 100 Saudi Riyal ($26) a month for each dependent on top of the existing fees and expenses. Some companies cover those costs.

Euro-Med said in a statement released on Wednesday that the decision not to exempt Syrians and Yemenis from the tax will have a negative impact on their living conditions.

People displaced by war who have no means of subsistance cannot be equal to others coming to the country for tourism, work or studies and who fall under the expats category, the statement said.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must take into account the humanitarian and living conditions of the newcomers to the kingdom, Syrians and Yemenis in particular, who entered the kingdom in search of safety for them and their children.

Their inclusion in such a decision constitutes an important obstacle for them to continue living in the kingdom.

The fees is expected to be paid annually when visa is renewed.

According to the United Nations, more than five million Syrians, including at least 2.4 million children, have fled their country since the civil war started five years ago.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that more than 2.4 million Yemenis have fled their homes to elsewhere in the country, and 120,000 have sought asylum in other countries.
Russia, Turkey and Iran fail to reach an agreement in Astana on how to run the de-escalation zones, Moscows envoy says.

Russia, Turkey and Iran have failed to hammer out details on an agreement over the war in Syria, including the boundaries and policing of four safe zones previously agreed, according to Moscows chief negotiator.

Russias Alexander Lavrentiev said on Wednesday that documents outlining how the four zones should work need finalising despite being essentially agreed between the three key powerbrokers, after two days of negotiations in Kazakhstan.

He added that there had been no definitive agreement over the contentious issue of which specific forces would police the zones.

However, the three sides have formed a working group to finalise an agreement on creating de-escalation zones in Syria, according to a joint statement.





The countries previously said they would hold the next round of talks in Astana in the final week of August.

Moscow and Tehran, which back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and rebel supporter Ankara agreed in May to establish four de-escalation zones in a potential breakthrough towards calming a war that has claimed an estimated 320,000 lives since March 2011.

While fighting dropped off in the weeks after the deal, it has ratcheted up in some areas since, and the international players have yet to finalise the boundaries of the zones or determine who will police them.

Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons, reporting from Astana, said Russia announced that it would call on the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to deploy protection forces in the de-escalation zones.

Now that is a development, but it is just a call and it doesnt prove that there is an agreement over the issue, he added.

The CIS was formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as an organisation that is a loosely arranged group of countries.

READ MORE: Syrian army declares temporary truce in southern areas

In an effort to thrash out the details of the plan on Syria, the three sides held a string of closed-door meetings for a second day in Astana on Wednesday, with the participation of representatives of Syrian government and opposition.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from the US state of Virginia Wael Alzayat, a former advisor to Samantha Power  the former US ambassador to the UN  said there was no new development coming out of the latest rounds of talks.

This is really more of the same of what has been tried under the previous administration in terms of dangling the prospect of further cooperation perhaps against ISIL or now to administer areas after ISIL has been defeated in exchange of the need of de-escalation and ultimately a sort of a political resolution. Alzayat said.

What is not there is the need to have a political transition in Sria preferably one that includes Asad leaving power. he said.

Syrias conflict evolved from a bloody crackdown on protests in 2011 to a devastating war that has drawn in world powers, including Russia and a US-led international coalition.

Russia has been pushing the talks in Astana since the start of the year as it seeks to pacify Syria after its game-changing intervention on the side of Assad.

The talks have largely seen the West sidelined, but they are intended to complement broader political negotiations the United Nations is backing in Geneva, which are due to restart next week.
Qatar will receive a reply in due time after the group of countries confirm receiving response to the list of demands.

Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies said Qatar will receive a reply in due time after the group of countries confirmed receiving a response to their list of demands.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced on June 5 they were severing ties with Qatar and later put forward a list of 13 demands.





On Monday, Qatars Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani handed over a letter from Qatars emir in response to the demands to Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, according to state-run Kuwait News Agency.

Minister Adel al-Jubeir received from the Kuwaiti state minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al Sabah the official Qatari response regarding the demands of the boycotting countries, Saudi Arabias foreign ministry said on Twitter early on Wednesday.

Qatar will receive a reply in due time, said a statement, according to the Saudi News Agency.

On Tuesday, Qatars foreign minister said the list of conditions for restoring relations is unrealistic and is not actionable.

Its not about terrorism, its talking about shutting down the freedom of speech, he said at a joint press conference after talks with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel.

The list of demands by the group included Doha ending its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, closing Al Jazeera Media Network, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and shutting down a Turkish military base in the country.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

Foreign ministers from the four countries that broke off diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar are due to meet in Cairo on Wednesday with Qatars response set to be the talking point of the meeting.

The Saudi-led group accuses Qatar of supporting extremism and of being too close to Saudi Arabias regional rival Iran. Doha has strongly denied the accusations.





Qatars foreign minister refused to give any details regarding the content of the reply but said Doha was looking for a solution to the month-long crisis based on dialogue.

The state of Qatar has adopted a very constructive attitude since the beginning of the crisis. We are trying to act mature and discuss the matter, he said.

Al Jazeeras Saad al-Saeedi, reporting from Kuwait City, said there was a sense of relief, tinged with caution in Kuwait.

Qatars response to the demands was handed to the emir, followed by an extensive meeting between the Qatari foreign minister and his Kuwaiti counterpart for more than one and half hours, he said.

The meetings reflect Kuwaits intense activity at the highest levels, from the emir down. Some sources suggest that the Kuwaiti foreign minister will join the four countries meeting in Cairo on Wednesday. It is clear that a breakthrough is being achieved; that some of the demands could be addressed.
North Koreas Kim Jong-un vows to never abandon nuclear weapons, saying Tuesdays test was a gift to the US.

South Korea and the United States have fired a barrage of missiles along the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, a day after North Korea said it conducted its first successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test.

North Korea said it carried out the ICBM tests on Tuesday under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un, and that it was capable of hitting anywhere in the world.

The Hwasong-14 missile reached an altitude of 2,802km and hit its target precisely after flying for 39 minutes, the Norths state television said.





In response, deep strike precision missiles were fired into the South Korean territorial waters on Wednesday to show North Korea a firm combined missile response posture, South Korean President Moon Jae-ins office said.

US General Vincent Brooks, the Combined Forces commander in South Korea, said: Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war.

As this alliance missile live fire shows, we are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance national leaders.

But the US-South Korean drills will probably not have an effect on North Korea, Robert Kelly, a professor of Pusan National University, told Al Jazeera.

The North Koreans have said for a long time that they want to develop a nuclear weapon and missile and marry the two. Theyve said for a long time that they want the ability to strike the continental United States, said Kelly.

[The drills are] probably more of just a show of force, a sort of tit-for-tat  but will probably not dissuade the North Koreans from continuing to push towards a longer range missile.

READ MORE: Trump warns US patience is over with North Korea

The North Korean leader also vowed to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more gift packages of missile and atomic tests, according to the Norths official Korean Central News Agency.

Following Tuesdays test, worry spread in Washington and at the United Nations, where the US, Japan and South Korea requested a UN Security Council emergency session, to be held later Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US response would include stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable, using an acronym for the nations formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

The test, North Koreas most successful yet, is a direct rebuke to President Donald Trumps earlier declaration that such a test wont happen.

Soon after Tuesdays launch, Trump responded on Twitter: North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all.

Unacceptable

Meanwhile, Russia and China called for a simultaneous freeze on North Korean nuclear and missile tests as well as military exercises by the US and South Korea.

The positions were announced in a joint document issued after a meeting between leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in the Russian capital of Moscow on Tuesday, in which they also condemned Pyongyangs latest missile test as unacceptable and urged against any statements or actions that could lead to an increase in tensions.

Russia and China have the closest diplomatic relations with the insular nation of North Korea.
WMO launches new videos aimed at showing what impact climate change will have on cities by the end of 21st century.

Last year was the warmest year since instrument records began in 1880, and this year is likely to be the second warmest.

Global temperatures are rising, and rising fast, well in excess of the rate required to limit temperatures to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

This level is considered a crucial tipping point, above which there will be serious consequences for global food production and more frequent and dangerous climate events such as flooding and drought.

The signatories of the 2016 Paris Agreement sought to limit those levels to around 1.5C.

But with the US backing out of its commitment to the agreement, many are concerned about what that means in the fight against climate change.

READ MORE: What you need to know about the Paris climate agreement

To help show the impact of climate change on everyday lives, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Climate Central, a US-based research and communications organisation, have launched a new video series that predicts what effect rising greenhouse gas emissions will have on individual cities by 2100.

The new Summer in the City series shows likely weather scenarios for some of the largest cities in the world.

For example, by the end of the century the citizens of Paris (where daily summer high temperatures now average 22.7C) may see summer high temperatures like those today in Fez, Morocco (29.2C), the WMO said in a statement about the new project.

No place on Earth is currently as hot as the summer highs that cities such as Doha and Baghdad could experience if global emissions remain high, it added.

READ MORE: A global disaster  Trump slammed over Paris pact exit

The city forecasts show that many major urban centres are likely to see temperatures during the summer months rise by between six and nine degrees Celsius.

While some may enjoy the hotter weather, the number of deaths owing to heatwaves are rising as more people live in major cities than ever before.

The weather videos will also feature likely associated weather problems such as severe summer storms, flash floods and water shortages as a result of changed precipitation patterns.

Different cities will be featured in the weather presentations each day.
What happens when you mix Trump, Putin, Merkel, Xi, and zombie protesters with trade, defence and climate change?

New York  Americans may still be divided on Donald Trump, their new president, but the rest of the world has seemingly made up its mind. A Pew Research Center survey across 37 countries found that respondents broadly view him as arrogant, intolerant and even dangerous.

The Republicans plans  which include walling off Mexico, scrapping the Paris climate change deal and imposing a Muslim Ban on travellers from six predominantly Muslim countries  left only 22 percent of Pews respondents with confidence that Trump would do the right thing on the world stage. His predecessor, Barack Obama, a Democrat, scored a median of 64 percent in his final years.

Not surprising, then, that Trumps second foreign trip will be eyed closely. He is set to speak in Warsaw, Poland, about Washingtons security policy along Russias western flank this week and then will convene with leaders of the worlds top G20 economies in Hamburg, Germany on Friday and Saturday.

There, he will rub shoulders with political heavyweights, from the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to Chinese President Xi Jinping and hold a much-anticipated maiden face-off with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

OPINION: When Trump makes us nostalgic for the Bush years

The agenda is packed with hot-button issues, from immigration to trade protectionism, the environment, North Korean nuclear arms, and Syrias civil war. Therein lies a problem, Matt Goodman, a former White House adviser, told Al Jazeera.

Theres always a possibility for breakthroughs, but Id say the greater likelihood is of some sort of dust-up, most likely over trade or climate change, said Goodman, who helped Obama prepare for summits during his presidency.

Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to rally in a city that is a hotbed of anti-capitalist feeling, including hundreds of people dressed as zombies. Here, Al Jazeera highlights the key issues for the coming days.

1. EUROPEAN DEFENCE

Six weeks ago, Trump scolded NATO leaders in Brussels for failing to spend enough on defence during a speech in which he pulled back from explicitly endorsing NATOs Article 5, the collective defence provision of the treaty that is the bedrock of the Western security framework.





Since then, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has sought to answer Trumps grievance by outlining a 4.3 percent significant increase in defence spending among allies of the 29-nation bloc this year.

Trump will meet leaders from central Europe, Baltic States and the Balkans in Warsaw on June 6 and deliver a speech which, according to National Security Adviser HR McMaster, will lay out a vision, not only for Americas future relationship with Europe, but the future of our transatlantic alliance.

Jeff Rathke, a former US State Department official, told Al Jazeera it is still not clear what Trump will say.

The question is: can Trump take yes for an answer? Will he welcome the spending increases or will he double down and call for more? Rathke said, adding that European leaders will be biting their nails in anticipation of an explicit recommitment to Article 5.

The location is key. Despite doubts elsewhere, the US remains relatively popular in Eastern Europe, where Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and muscle-flexing is viewed warily. Poland already meets its NATO spending goals, hosts some 1,000 US troops and is eager to buy liquefied natural gas from US firms to counterbalance Russian gas supplies in the region.

2. TRADE AND CLIMATE CHANGE

At the G20 summit on June 7-8, Trump will encounter leaders of long-standing US allies who question his stewardship of the world economy, including French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom the US leader had a strangely competitive public handshake in May.

Trumps low popularity among Europeans makes it difficult for some democratically elected leaders there to risk aligning with the US, said Rathke. This goes for Merkel, who must be defender of the global bodies that Trump bashes to boost her re-election chances this year.

The German has blasted Trumps team for its winners and losers approach to diplomacy. She has put climate change high on the G20 agenda, and derided Trumps withdrawal from the landmark Paris climate agreement in June.

OPINION: Trumps climate disaster

Well be watching to see whether a G19 of other leaders gets behind a statement that further isolates the US position, Sarah Ladislaw, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think-tank, told Al Jazeera.

Trumps trade protectionism is another issue. Following a national security review, he is expected to demand action by G20 leaders to reduce excess capacity and other distortions in the global steel market, and is mulling a 20 percent tariff on imports of the alloy to the US.

Thats going to hit not just China, which may have been the original impetus for the review, but also many allies who supply most of our steel, such as Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, and others around that table, Goodman told Al Jazeera.

3. NORTH KOREA

Trump seemingly struck up a bromance with his Chinese counterpart, Xi, during a two-day summit at the billionaires Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, in April. Trump made grand gestures for warm ties and later called Xi a good man.

He brushed aside earlier criticism of Beijing as a currency manipulator, angling for Chinese pressure to halt North Koreas race towards developing nuclear warheads and the missiles that can reach the US mainland.

That relationship has since soured, with Trump regarding Xi as dragging his feet on Pyongyang and the US selling weapons to Taiwan.

The two men will meet at the G20 in the wake of Tuesdays test by Pyongyang of a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile that analysts say may be capable of striking Alaska  raising the stakes once again.

4. US-RUSSIA TIES

It could be the most eagerly-anticipated political showdown of 2017.

The first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin on the sidelines of the G20 comes against a backdrop of competing US-Russia interests in Syrias civil war and allegations of Russian meddling in last years US election.

Trump is under domestic pressure to take a tough line with Putin. US legislators are pushing new sanctions against Moscow; while Trumps campaign team is being probed for colluding with Kremlin-backed hackers who allegedly tipped the vote in their favour.

Reporters will not likely learn much about a meeting that takes place behind closed doors, but will doubtless dissect any outward signs of chumminess or frostiness between the two alpha-males that the cameras capture.

From the outside, its a crazy spectacle, Nicolai Petro, a University of Rhode Island scholar, who is currently based in Ukraine, told Al Jazeera.

The world is hoping that whatever cleansing needs to happen in America happens fast so that the United States can get back to having businesslike relations with Russia, China and other countries.

5. GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

Underpinning all of this is a broader question over whether the US, under Trump, is abrogating its role as guarantor of global security and economic cooperation that it has built since the end of the second world war.

As Trump criticises US allies as freeloaders and tears up trade deals, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, analysts assess whether he marks an end to the post-war order, or just a temporary glitch until somebody else runs the West Wing.





Meanwhile, Xi has vaunted China as a leader on climate change and open markets. Merkel has been praised for welcoming refugees to Germany, though Berlin carries neither the military nor economic weight to supplant the US.

According to analysts, we will have a stronger idea of this trajectory after Trump speaks in Poland. As it stands, the administration hasnt articulated a positive vision of its foreign policy or the concrete achievements it seeks, said Rathke.

According to Petro, seven decades of US hegemony will not evaporate any time soon.

Some European leaders seem to have given up on Trump, but theres really no alternative to US leadership, Petro said.

Global institutions are structured in such a way that Europe has seldom acted decisively or independently. That is why Trump is being dragged, kicking and screaming, back to a position of leadership.

Follow James Reinl on Twitter: @jamesreinl
Luisa Ortega faces imminent suspension after her move cranked up the tension in a standoff with President Maduro.

A conflict between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros government and his increasingly defiant Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega came to a head on Tuesday as she refused to attend a Supreme Tribunal hearing on whether to lift her immunity from being tried for unspecified irregularities.

Ortega argued the outcome of Tuesdays hearing was a foregone conclusion decided by the government that violates her legal right to defence and due process.

Luisa Ortega faced imminent suspension after her move cranked up the tension in a standoff with President Nicolas Maduro, who is resisting fierce opposition calls to quit.

Ortega, 59, is the most senior figure to defy Maduro as he fends off efforts to remove him from power in the volatile oil-exporting nation.

READ MORE: Venezuela  A country divided

I am not going condone a circus that will stain our history with shame and pain and whose decision is foretold, Ortega told a news conference at the public prosecution department.

I have committed no crime nor errors and I am not going to submit to this unconstitutional and illegitimate court, she added. We already know that today I will be removed from my post.

Ortegas stand has raised the prospect of a split in the government camp that could tip the balance in a power struggle. Three months of unrest have left 90 people dead, prosecutors say.

Protesters blame Maduro, a socialist, for a desperate economic crisis. He says the chaos is the result of a US-backed conspiracy.

Insanity

Ortega launched a legal challenge against the government on human rights grounds and a case against supreme court judges.

She accuses Maduro of violating the constitution through his reform plans.





Pro-government legislator Pedro Carreno responded by filing charges against Ortega, alleging serious errors in the carrying out of her functions.

He also alleged she was suffering from insanity and should be fired.

Last week, the supreme court ordered Ortegas assets to be frozen and banned her from leaving the country.

The court held its hearing on Tuesday in her absence and said afterwards it would decide within five days whether to send her to trial and suspend her from office.

She sold her soul to the devil, Carreno said in the hearing. She had her price and became a traitor just like Judas.

The court earlier named a new deputy chief prosecutor to replace Ortega if she is fired: government ally Katherine Harrington.

Harrington was targeted by US sanctions in 2015 for alleged human rights breaches in jailing opposition leaders.

Veteran Chavista

Ortega backed the Chavista socialist movement launched by Maduros late predecessor Hugo Chavez.

But she broke ranks with the current president in March. As Venezuelas political crisis has deepened, Ortega has emerged as Maduros most-feared critic.

She accused the Supreme Tribunal of undermining democracy through a short-lived ruling that seized power from the opposition-led legislature. The opposition says the court is packed with Maduros allies.

TIMELINE: Key moments in Venezuelas crisis

That court ruling was one of the moves that sparked the current wave of protests.

As violence swelled, Ortega renewed her criticism of the authorities, accusing police of killing protesters. She enraged Maduro, who branded her a traitor.





The supreme court has also attacked Ortegas authority by throwing out her order for the former head of the National Guard to testify about alleged human rights abuses during the crackdown on the protests, which have left at least 80 dead.

It has also limited her powers to investigate abuses, which are shared with the nations ombudsman.

Maduro retains the public support of army chief Vladimir Padrino Lopez  a key factor for him to stay in power.

But the president last month said he was replacing four other senior commanders of the armed forces.

Maduro has infuriated his opponents by launching a plan to form an assembly to rewrite the constitution.

Opponents say he will pack the constituent assembly with allies to cling to power.

Voting for members of the assembly is scheduled for July 30. The opposition on Monday said it would hold a popular vote against that on July 16.
Report in the UK points to Saudi Arabia, and Theresa Mays government is under pressure to reveal inquiry findings.

The diplomatic crisis in the Gulf has seen Qatar living under a blockade for more than a month now.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt accused Qatar of, among other things, supporting extremists  claims Doha strongly denies.

Now, a report from a UK think-tank is pointing the finger at Saudi Arabia for being a key figure in financing such groups.

And it raises questions about Riyadhs role with armed groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant armed group (ISIL, known as ISIS).

There is also another report on the subject  from the British government, but its conclusions have not been made public.

So, why is Saudi Arabia accusing other countries of sponsoring extremism?

Presenter: Sohail Rahman

Guests:

Shafeeq Ghabra  Professor of political science at Kuwait University

Simon Mabon  Lecturer in international relations at the University of Lancaster

Marwan Kabalan  Associate analyst at the Doha Institute: Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies










English News China-Germany innovation cooperation benefits the world

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 5 Juillet 2017



With the development of the Belt and Road initiative and the establishment of mechanisms such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, more and more Chinese and German enterprises are exploring new opportunities in third-party markets based on pragmatic cooperation.

By Ma Xiaoning, Guan Kejiang, Feng Xuejun and Huang Fahong from Peoples Daily Chinese and German enterprises and institutions have expanded their cooperation in innovation and strengthened integration since bilateral ties were elevated to an all-round strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinpings first visit to Germany in early spring of 2014.



Their closer collaboration has not only injected new energy to their respective transformation and upgrade, but also benefited more countries.



Since its establishment in 2016, Huawei's Munich Openlab has held talks with 100 to 200 enterprises and launched cooperative projects with nearly 30 counterparts, including German software leader SAP, telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom AG, Intel and other German and transnational enterprises.



Chinese and German enterprises are highly complementary, with German enterprises having advantages in the manufacturing industry and Chinese communication companies having strengths in computer and information technology, said Tian Linyi, director of Huawei's Munich Openlab.



There are enormous small and medium-sized companies in Germany that are creating the largest number of jobs. With their markets largely limited within Europe, German enterprises are in need of such a company that has built partnerships around the world as Huawei, who is introducing its clients in the Arab world, Africa and other places to its German partners.



Since its establishment in June 2014 in Berlin, the European representative office of Chinas State Grid, for instance, has established cooperation with more than 50 European research institutions and universities.



Lei Xianzhang, director general of the office, said that German companies and European research organizations are very interested in developing cooperation in innovation with Chinese companies, thanks to the Belt and Road initiative that has provided new opportunities for global cooperation on green development.



The main task of the office is to develop new energy-related key and cutting-edge technologies, tackle key problems together with European partners as well as offer technological support to green, sustainable and low-carbon development of China, the director added.



Chinese and German companies are also working together to tap third-party markets.



Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, is extremely water-starved. Short of a sound water supply system, the citys pipelines urgently need repair. Renovating the KB feeder is the only way to relieve the shortage of drinking water, but the project had been postponed due to the lack of money.



Germanys Newtec and Shanghai Machinery Complete Equipment Group Engineering Co Ltd reached an agreement to offer a $400 million log-term loan to the Pakistani city. The deal not only helps solve livelihood issues of local people but also enjoys a short payoff period.



With the development of the Belt and Road initiative and the establishment of mechanisms such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, more and more Chinese and German enterprises are exploring new opportunities in third-party markets based on pragmatic cooperation.



Besides, both sides are also coordinating ideas to address regional hotspot issues in places such as Afghanistan and promote development in Africa.



Jointly developing Africa will not only drive China-Germany relations but also bring new opportunities for advancing China-Europe relations, said Michael Schaefer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BMW Foundation, who is also a former German ambassador to China.



Pic: Chinese and German scientists conduct tests at a lab of the European representative office of State Grid. (Photo by Guan Keqiang from Peoples Daily)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News China-Russia tourism market boosted by red tourism

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 5 Juillet 2017



"Russia is a fast-rising attraction for Chinese tourists in recent years. In the first four months of this year, the number of Chinese tourists who travelled to Russia through our platform has jumped by almost 200 percent year-on-year," a spokesperson from online travel platform lvmama, who prefers not to be identified, told the Global Times over the weekend.

By Li Xuanmin Source:Peoples Daily and Global Times The number of Chinese tourists who visit Russia has surged in recent years, thanks to the popularity of "red tourism" among China's older generations and closer ties between the two nations, industry insiders said over the weekend ahead of President Xi Jinping's scheduled state visit to the Russia.



"Russia is a fast-rising attraction for Chinese tourists in recent years. In the first four months of this year, the number of Chinese tourists who travelled to Russia through our platform has jumped by almost 200 percent year-on-year," a spokesperson from online travel platform lvmama, who prefers not to be identified, told the Global Times over the weekend.



She noted that Russia was one of the fastest-growing European destinations along the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative for Chinese tourists during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival.



The number of Chinese tourists who booked trips to Russia via the platform doubled last year, she added.



In 2016, the total number of Chinese tourists to Russia reached 1.2 million, up about 40 percent from 2015, China Radio International reported in May, citing industry data. Russia now ranks 16th on the list of Chinese tourists' favorite outbound travel destinations, data from consulting firm Euromonitor International showed.



"In addition to traditional tourists' packages, Chinese travelers are also looking to experience local cultures in a deeper and more interactive way," a spokesperson from travel agency Ctrip told the Global Times over the weekend.



"Red tourism" is gaining momentum among middle-aged and elderly Chinese people who are nostalgic about the Communist revolution and Soviet Union history, the spokesperson from lvmama said, noting that Chinese tourists over 40 years old account for more than 50 percent of the total domestic travelers to Russia.



Former Soviet Union era sites such as Red Square and Victory Square in Moscow as well as Lenin Memorial Museum in Ulyanovsk are growing hotspots for Chinese tourists, industry insiders said.



"China's older generations have special connections and feelings to Russia due to their time growing up. Many of them still remember the Russian rhythms they sang in childhood and regard Russia as the birthplace of Leninism," Song Ding, an industry analyst from the China Development Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.



In addition, the depreciation of the rouble as well as a stronger yuan also appeals to Chinese tourists who wish to take advantage of the fluctuations in exchange rates and buy cheaper commodities in Russia, the spokesperson from Ctrip noted.



Closer ties



The "red tourism" package, which has attracted a growing number of Chinese tourists, reflects a closer relationship between China and Russia under the B&R initiative, Song said, noting that the two countries have stepped up efforts to strengthen bilateral ties in various areas such as tourism and cultural exchange.



For example, Chinese and Russian tourism officials have signed agreements on promoting "red tourism" in 2015, and the two sides have successfully organized a China-Russia Red Tourism Cooperation and Exchange program for two consecutive years, the Xinhua News Agency reported over the weekend.



As this year marks the 100th anniversary of Russia's October Revolution in 1917, the two nations have signed an agreement opening up chartered flights for "red tourism" in March, the spokesperson from lvmama said.



The move is expected to lower travel costs significantly.



Last year, Russia also extended from two to three weeks the length of visas for Chinese on group tours, while reducing the minimum number for a group from five to three, the spokesperson added.



Song stressed that "President Xi's visit to Russia starting on Monday, coupled with favorable policies, will offer another boost to the rising Russian tourism market."



He also forecast that Chinese tourists' trips to Russia will "maintain explosive growth" in the next three to five years.



Pic:

People pass by the State Historical Museum of Russia, located in Red Square, a place most visited by tourists. Photo: CFP





Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
Jus sanguinis (Latin: right of blood) is a principle of nationality law by which citizenship is not determined by place of birth but by having one or both parents who are citizens of the state. Children at birth may automatically be citizens if their parents have state citizenship or national identities of ethnic, cultural, or other origins. Citizenship can also apply to children whose parents belong to a diaspora and were not themselves citizens of the state conferring citizenship. This principle contrasts with jus soli.

Jus soli (Latin: right of the soil), commonly referred to as birthright citizenship, is the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship. As an unconditional basis for citizenship, it is the predominant rule in the Americas, but is rare elsewhere. Since the Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland was enacted in 2004, no European country grants citizenship based on unconditional jus soli.

A person who becomes a U.S. citizen through naturalization is not considered a natural born citizen. Consequently, naturalized U.S. citizens are not eligible to become President of the United States or Vice President of the United States, which would ordinarily be the case as established by the Presidential Succession Act.

Some argue that the phrase natural born citizen describes a category of citizenship distinct from that described by the phrase U.S. Citizen in Article Two of the United States Constitution, and this was discussed during the constitutional convention of 1787. While it is true that natural born citizen is not defined anywhere within the text of the Constitution and that the Constitution makes use of the phrase citizen and natural born citizen, Supreme Court decisions from United States v. Wong Kim Ark to the present have considered the distinction to be between natural-born and naturalized citizenship.

An April 2000 report by the Congressional Research Service, asserts that most constitutional scholars interpret the phrase natural born citizen as including citizens born outside the United States to parents who are U.S. citizens under the natural born requirement.

In her 1988 article in the Yale Law Journal, Jill Pryor wrote, It is well settled that native-born citizens, those born in the United States, qualify as natural born. It is also clear that persons born abroad of alien parents, who later become citizens by naturalization, do not. But whether a person born abroad of American parents, or of one American and one alien parent, qualifies as natural born has never been resolved.

Judge Pryor (she was nominated to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals by President Obama safely in office in 2012, and confirmed by the Senate in 2014 )is correct in one regard, that a person bornof one American and one alien parent, qualifies as natural born has never been resolved, presumably in a court of law. That is because just as persons born abroad of alien parents, who later become citizens by naturalization do not qualify as natural born, neither should a person born of one American and one alien parent, qualifiy as natural born. This latter circumstance is the definition and the qualifications of a person having the rights of nationality in two countries, or dual citizenship.

On the issue of dual citizenship, based on the U.S. Department of State regulation on dual citizenship, the Supreme Court of the United States has stated that dual citizenship is a status long recognized in the law and that a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both. The mere fact he asserts the rights of one citizenship does not, without more, mean that he renounces the other, Kawakita v. U.S., 343 U.S. 717 (1952). In Schneider v. Rusk, 377 U.S. 163 (1964), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a naturalized U.S. citizen has the right to return to his native country and to resume his former citizenship, and also to remain a U.S. citizen even if he never returns to the United States.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) neither defines dual citizenship nor takes a position for it or against it. There has been no prohibition against dual citizenship, but some provisions of the INA and earlier U.S. nationality laws were designed to reduce situations in which dual citizenship exists.

Although the U.S. government does not endorse dual citizenship as a matter of policy, it recognizes the existence of dual citizenship and completely tolerates the maintenance of multiple citizenship by U.S. citizens. In the past, claims of other countries on dual-national U.S. citizens sometimes placed them in situations where their obligations to one country were in conflict with the laws of the other.

Barack Obama was born a dual national, with dual citizenship with rights of nationality in two countries. As such, he may well have been disqualified as a natural born citizen and ineligible for the Office of the President of the United States, per Article Two of the United States Constitution. Senator Ted Cruz, aware of the hazards of dual citizenship, renounced any claim to Canadian citizenship owing to his birth there in the 2008 election cycle. Barack Obamas failure to do so in 2008 could well have been because he knew that the issue would never be aggressively pursued.

The media and Washington Democrats extensively colluded to interfere in the 2008 Presidential Election by supporting a likely ineligible candidate, one with obvious dual citizenship rights of nationality in two countries. By ignoring his rights of dual citizenship, the media never fully vetted the U.S. constitutional qualifications of candidate Obama but rather redefined jus soli -- born in the United States -- as natural born. It was on all the networks, therefore, it must have been the truth.

The media and Washington Democrats knew this was the critical issue of the election, that it should have been adjudicated in the courts, not on the nine oclock news or the front page of the Times or the Post. Hundreds of Americans were maliciously branded as racist for questioning the obvious questionable credentials of the candidate and dual national Barack Obama.

No matter how vigorous or successful the media was, racism wasnt the problem in vetting candidate Obama. It was a brilliant disinformation campaign waged by the real manipulators of the truth -- the media and Washington Democrats -- who influenced our 2008 election. The media completely controlled the narrative and kept the issue out of the courts. Senator McCain, who had standing to challenge in court, should have taken Senator Obama to the Supreme Court.

I can understand the angst and hatred by the media and Washington Democrats toward President Trump. As the Russian collusion narrative disintegrates, Donald Trump is showing America just what liars the media are, that they are seasoned propagandists and masters of disinformation. They are not acting in the best interests of America or Americans but their own self interests.
As the Trump administration continues to overhaul and codify a comprehensive new Iran strategy, the opposition coalition to the mullahs in Tehran held a massive rally on Saturday in the French capital calling for regime change.

An enormous crowd of participants joined hundreds of prominent dignitaries from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. The entire convention voiced exuberant support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its President Maryam Rajavi as the sole viable alternative for the Iranian regime.

Rajavi emphasized how her movement welcomed statements made during a recent U.S.-Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh.

The ultimate solutions to the crisis in the region is the overthrow of the Iranian regime by the Iranian people, she explained. With [the recent presidential] election, the mullahs had intended to improve the regimes situation. But they divided and destabilized the regime. Now, they are planning and threatening to oust Rouhani, she added.

The NCRI President then emphasized on how her people continue to suffer from the mullahs regime, highlighting their main demand for an end to the mullahs rule. Regime change is possible and within reach, Rajavi said. The Iranian society is simmering.

The Iranian opposition leaders call for the international to once and for all designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity received echoes by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and even elevated by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

We have a different administration in Washington that has a different set of principles and a different way of looking at the world, Giuliani said, considered by many as a Trump envoy. And under the leadership of President Trump, I believe he can help us rid the Iranian people of the oppression that has subjected them for so long.

Mr. Gingrich further energized the crowd by highlighting, Iran must be free! and condemning the mullahs atrocious record of human rights violations.

And I believe that the commitment to take steps to help you help all free people everywhere will be clear in this administration, and the pressures will grow every single year in the direction of supporting 1,000 Ashraf so that we have a network of freedom prepared to take over from a dictatorship of death, Gingrich emphasized.

In a reference to the American Revolution and independence on July 4th, Gingrich said, In history, the name of your president elect, Maryam Rajavi, will go down in the same tradition of fighters for freedom as Washington, Lafayette and Garibaldi This movement is going to be a movement that goes down in history as one of the great examples of human spirit defeating the evils of dictatorship.

Former and current members of Congress from both sides of the aisle in the U.S., along with a very prominent Arab world figure, were among the many others also seeking regime change in Tehran.

The Iranian people are the first victims of Khomeinis dictatorship, said former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal Faisal, also a former Saudi ambassador in the United States and the United Kingdom. Your effort in challenging this regime is legitimate and your resistance for the liberation of the Iranian people of all ethnicities, including Arabs, Kurds, Baluchis, Turks and Fars of the mullahs evil, as Mrs. Rajavi said, is a legitimate struggle.

Senator Joseph Lieberman reiterated Dr. Martin Luther Kings I have a dream speech.

I want to share with you a dream I have for the Middle East, he said. I have a dream paraphrasing Dr. King that all the people of that region, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Shiite and Sunnis, Israelis and Palestinians, will sit down together at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood and peace and freedom, the senator said.

Those gathered in Paris shared that dream, Lieberman added, and regime change in Tehran is the sole method of realizing that dream.

All await the results of the Trump administrations review of its all-out Iran policy as more voices make a strong appeal for regime change in Tehran.

Iran continues its flagrant human rights violations at home, fuels sectarian wars and terrorism across the region, and pursues a highly dangerous nuclear weapons/ballistic missile program. Recent revelations of extensive collaboration between Tehran and Pyongyang are adding to the growing list of international community concerns.

As Maryam Rajavi has emphasized time and again through her ongoing struggle, this solution requires not a new war in the already flashpoint Middle East. The Iranian people and their organized opposition movement are more than capable of ridding the world of Tehrans criminal mullahs.

Such an objective would have been realized long ago if the West had not adopted a disastrous policy of appeasement vis-a-vis Iran. The end of the mullahs rule will be the prelude to a Middle East enjoying peace and security.

Shahriar Kia is a political analyst and member of the Iranian opposition, the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI, also known as the MEK). He graduated from North Texas University.
Many important questions are raised by the case of ten-month-old Briton Charlie Gard, sentenced to death against the wishes of his parents who had raised money for a desperate last hope of life-saving treatment in America. For months, those parents fought a losing battle, all the way to the European Court of Human Rights, to invoke the human tradition of parental authority against the impersonal death cult of progressive paternalism which had condemned their son.

One of the most subtle and telling questions, raised by many, is what would happen should Charlie's parents be granted permission to keep him alive with experimental treatments, only to find their son trapped permanently in a vegetative state. Should Britain's national health care system be on the hook to pay to keep a baby alive indefinitely in such a condition?

In short, no -- because the British government should not be providing health care. The question occurs to us, and seems complicated, only if we accept the key premises of the argument for socialized medicine, namely, (a) universal health care is a human right, and (b) government is the only proper guarantor, through confiscatory taxation and/or other coercive means, of this universal right to health care (i.e., medical services).

As for premise (a), health care that is not self-administered is a service that must be provided by other people, and as such cannot be a right, as this would mean other humans are morally and legally obliged to provide that service for us, in effect to become our indentured servants. (Consider: If no one chose to go to medical school, would this not constitute a violation of our "right" to health care? How can you have a right to the results of other people's career choices?)

Further, it would mean that other citizens in our community may have the fruits of their labor expropriated to pay for these services on our behalf, which makes them our slaves. A right that, in order to be asserted, requires the coercive use and disposal of the lives, time, and labor of other people is no right at all. It is oppression with a sweeter name.

As for premise (b), since government assuming the role of chief provider or overseeing guarantor of health care makes sense in practice, and is legitimized in theory, only by the presumption of premise (a); and since premise (a), implying indentured servitude and economic slavery, has no moral legitimacy at all within the limits of a society that purports to be free or republican -- that is, a society in which individual human beings are regarded as the basic political units -- premise (b) may be dismissed as inherently illegitimate.

Take away these false premises -- the logical ratchets of progressivism's advance, in health care as in all other arenas -- and the question of what would or should happen to a child like Charlie Gard if he were trapped in a vegetative state may now be dealt with in the proper light.

Here is a clear and forceful expression of the issues, as presented to me in an e-mail by a thoughtful reader, author Ben Marcus:

What if that child lived but was brain-dead for the rest of its life? Who would be responsible for the care of that child? The state? Would the parents be able to afford to take care of a catatonic child 24 hours a day, or would it fall on the state? And how much would that cost over the life of that child? Were the parents willing and able to accept that burden without help from the state? Of course I think the decision was cruel and unfair but those are the arguments. The long-term care of that child. As for who will be responsible for paying the bills if the baby should survive in a brain-dead state:

First, if he were really found to be brain-dead after all possible treatments, he wouldn't live long, and I'm sure his parents wouldn't fight to keep him alive with technology beyond that point -- a decision they, and not the State, should be allowed to make.

And second, if the boy survived in a "catatonic" state requiring ongoing and prohibitively expensive care, then, in a just and free world, the parents would be responsible for finding ways to raise the money they needed through work or charity, and, if they should truly be unable to do so, then they might be faced with the most inescapable reality of life in the nonutopian world, which is that we can't always have what we would like, and the world doesn't owe us everything we would like.

Through no one's fault, I am not a billionaire, and therefore can't have billionaire things. I have no right to billionaire things, however much I may want them. As an adult wishing to live responsibly in a society founded in freedom and equality, I have to accept that I have no right to other people's money or property, even when the consequences of not having them might be sad or tragic for me.

In any case, no reasonable person is asking for Charlie Gard to be kept alive in perpetuity in a vegetative state. The real issue is who should be making the final decisions about his fate, where there are decisions to be made. Apart from the self-refuting brutality of the government's bureaucratic calculations about the economic value of a life, the only half-sensible argument for the State to have the final authority is that "the government-employed doctors know best."

And so they might -- but that is of no consequence to the matter of moral and legal authority. I may think you read stupid books, but I have no authority to burn your books and force you at gun point to read mine. And were the State to appoint me to the position World Expert of Literature, I would not thereby acquire any greater authority to burn your books and force-feed you mine. Your mind is yours, whether I like how you use it or not, and whether or not I might have better ideas about how you ought to use it. You may be encouraged to listen to my recommendations, and strongly advised to take them more to heart than the recommendations of others. I can go no further without violating your essential liberty.

Likewise, with medical professionals, whether they have the stamp of State-approved expertise or not. All things being equal, an expert does not trump a parent, anymore than my superior taste in literature trumps another man's freedom of thought.

The central issue here is not whether the hopes of Charlie's parents are realistic, but whether a child ultimately belongs -- in the sense of primary moral and legal guardianship -- to his parents or to his government. The course of Charlie's story establishes progressivism's answer loud and clear. The number of people who are navely responding to this story all over the internet with, "If they want to try a treatment elsewhere, why don't they just do it?" is amazing to me, and indicates the degree to which the world's intelligent adults have buried their collective heads in the sand regarding the actual meaning and literal implications of socialism. Under socialism, you don't own yourself. Parents do not have final say in the fates of their children. The State owns all, and decides all, for everyone.

And please don't cite anecdotes of families that left this or that socialist system to pay for treatment elsewhere, as Charlie's parents have not been allowed to do. I know it may be allowed, and is often allowed. But that is the point: it is always done at the permission of the progressive State. If the State ever decides, as in this case, that they don't wish to grant that permission, then we all re-learn a harsh lesson that apparently still gets forgotten, generation after generation.

And lest anyone jump in with the usual objection to parental authority -- "What about parents who refuse to allow their children to receive certain available medical procedures, thereby condemning the children to premature death?" -- it is important to recall that such an instance is exactly the opposite of what is at issue here. In this case, the parents are willing to do much more for the child than the State's experts are willing to do, but the State has denied them their parental authority, and therefore denied Charlie Gard his last-ditch hope of survival.

So in this case, if anything, it is Britain's National Health Service that is open to the question, "What about a State that refuses to allow children to receive certain available medical procedures, thereby condemning the children to premature death?"

And for this question, unlike the complicated case of parents with religious objections to certain medical procedures, the answer is straightforward: the State has no moral authority to make any such refusal, because it has no moral authority to decide the terms or limits of the right of self-preservation for the innocent private citizen in the first place.

And without that moral authority, the argument for socialized or single-payer health care is dead in the water -- and deserves to be.

Daren Jonescu writes about politics, philosophy, education, and the decline of civilization at http://darenjonescu.com/.
Italy has issued a plea to the rest of the E.U. to assist in handling a surge in migrants from Africa and the Middle East, which has alarmed the Austrian government, precipitating a move to fortify its border with Italy in case the situation worsens.

Austria took in hundreds of thousands of refugees in 2015, placing a severe strain on the state's resources and causing a voter backlash that brought a conservative government to power. Now that government is warning that it will send 750 troops and four armored vehicles to the Brenner Pass.

Rome is none too happy about the prospect of more Austrian troops on its border and has summoned the Austrian ambassador for talks.

UPI:

Austria plans to use 750 soldiers and four armored vehicles in an effort to block migrants crossing its border from Italy, the government said Tuesday. Austria is increasing its military presence at Brenner Pass, a key trade and transport route through the Alps, officials said. Asylum seekers are crossing the Mediterranean from the coast of Libya into Italy -- a distance of 290 miles. So far this year, 101,000 migrants have entered Europe from the Mediterranean, and 2,247 people have died or are missing at sea, according to data from the Missing Migrants Project. Italy also has summoned Austria's ambassador Rene Pollitzer. The troops are on standby and will be sent to the border if there is an urgent need, officials said. "I expect border controls will be introduced very soon," Peter Doskozil, the defence minister, told the newspaper Kronen Zeitung. "But we see how the situation in Italy is becoming more acute and we have to be prepared to avoid a situation comparable to summer 2015."

Reuters is reporting that the Austrian interior minister is denying there is an emergency and criticized defense officials for their actions:

"I am frankly surprised by the comments" from Doskozil, Minniti said in a statement. "This is an unjustified and unprecedented initiative which, if not immediately corrected, will inevitably create repercussions on security cooperation." An Austrian defense ministry spokesman said controls would include Brenner and that four armored vehicles had already been deployed to the area to block roads, with 750 troops poised to be brought in within 72 hours to deal with emergencies. "These are not battle tanks. These are armored vehicles without weapons which could block roads. These were already used during the refugee crisis of 2015/16 at the Spielfeld border crossing (with Slovenia)," he said. Austria coordinated with nearby Balkan countries last year to effectively close what was then the main route into Europe for migrants. The move drew complaints at the time that it was undermining the EU's principle of free movement, though Vienna says it did what it had to do to safeguard its borders. Italy, alongside other states on the bloc's fringes, has complained it is now bearing the brunt and the cost of the migrant crisis. It said last year that any plans to introduce controls at the Brenner Pass, a major road and rail link between northern and southern Europe, would break EU law.

The internal divisions in Austria underscore the sensitivity of E.U. member nations to the idea that there should be border controls to prevent unwanted guests from arriving. Meanwhile, voters have an entirely different idea regarding what to do about the refugees. The conflict will only escalate, as it looks as if another surge in refugees into Italy is underway.

The E.U. is dealing with a problem of its own making. Instead of being sensible about refugees, E.U. partisans simply threw open the door and invited everyone in. It's a mystery why anyone is surprised at the voter backlash these policies have created. Nor should it surprise anyone that governments on the front lines of this surge in refugees should be having second thoughts.
A former inmate of the Guantanamo prison camp, returned to Canada in 2015 and then released, will get $10 million from the Canadian government and an apology.

Omar Khadr, the son of a known al-Qaeda terrorist leader, was captured after a firefight in Afghanistan where he threw a grenade, killing a U.S. medic and wounding others. These facts are not in dispute. Khadr pleaded guilty to the charges but claimed he was a "child soldier" forced to fight by his father.

Khadr's lawyer says his client was tortured by the U.S. while he was at Guantanamo, suffering from sleep deprivation and psychological stress. The lawyer also claims that his client was not given adequate medical care.

Globe and Mail:

Mr. Khadr was captured in Afghanistan at the age of 15 in 2002, following a shootout with U.S. troops where he was badly wounded  blinded by shrapnel in one eye and with fist-sized exit wounds in his shoulder and chest. He was accused of throwing a grenade that killed U.S. army medic Christopher Speer in the firefight and was sent to the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Khadr, now 30, spent more than 10 years in U.S. and Canadian custody, much of that time in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Once the youngest detainee in Guantanamo, he was transferred to Canada in 2012 after accepting a plea deal. Mr. Edney has said his client was treated abysmally even though he was a child soldier and his body shattered from wounds. U.S. interrogators subjected him to sleep deprivation and solitary confinement. Mr. Edney said Mr. Khadr was coerced into fighting by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr  a top al-Qaeda operative until he was killed in a gunfight with Pakistani troops in 2003. In March, Mr. Khadr underwent a 19-hour operation in an Edmonton hospital to repair his shoulder, which was severely damaged during the firefight with U.S soldiers. "Nobody advocated for his health whatsoever. Even when he came back to Canada, I raised all those issues with the Correctional Services and of course [former prime minister Stephen] Harper was not interested in hearing anything like that," Mr. Edney said in an interview last March. Mr. Khadr was freed on bail in May, 2015, and released under the supervision of Mr. Edney. He said he would "prove to [Canadians] that I'm a good person."

From the battlefield to the hospital at Guantanamo, the U.S. military saved this young man's life. The idea that "nobody advocated for his health" is beyond insult. It is an outright lie.

As for torture, sleep deprivation is defined as torture in the U.N. convention, but the idea that a 15-year-old son of a terrorist was a "child soldier" is ludicrous. The lawyers for Guantanamo inmates are notorious for lying and exaggerating about their clients' treatment. Everything he says should be checked and double-checked for accuracy.

Meanwhile, the widow of the U.S. medic murdered by Khadr as well as a wounded soldier are looking to block the $10-million payment to Khadr.

Daily Caller:

Tabitha Speer, widow of Sgt. Christopher Speer, and Layne Morris are expected to ask the Ontario Superior Court on Wednesday to honor a 2015 Utah civil court order that demanded Khadr pay them $134 million. "They are trying to get an emergency injunction in a Canadian court to have their award in the United States enforced in Canada," The Globe and Mail is reporting an unnamed source as saying. "Their desire is to have U.S. courts enforced in Canada, which would mean that any money that goes to Mr. Khadr would go to them." Because of the cross-border jurisdictions, it is unlikely that Khadr's victims will ever see any of the money. Khadr's lawyer, Dennis Edney, told the Globe and Mail that he could make no comment on the issue because "that is the arrangement with the government." The former Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a hard line on Khadr, refusing to recognize him as a "child soldier" as much of the Canadian media now describes the man who pled guilty to murder. Harper's successor, Conservative opposition leader Andrew Scheer, has condemned the potential pay-out to Khadr. He took to Twitter on Tuesday to say, "Canadians know this is wrong. If Omar Khadr is truly sorry for what he did, he'll give every cent to Tabitha Speer and her two children." Scheer did not respond to requests from The Daily Caller for further comment.

Rewarding a terrorist for killing Americans hardly sets a good precedent. But the liberal government wants to send a message about Guantanamo regardless of the feelings and sensibilities of a widow with two children and a blinded soldier.

Trudeau and his government should be ashamed of themselves  if they were even capable of such emotion.
Back in 1964, porn publisher Ralph Ginzburg published a bogus "survey" of American psychiatrists claiming that Barry Goldwater was "mentally unfit" to be president. It did not work out, and Mr. Goldwater eventually lost his election because voters, not "experts," decided.

Well, the idea is sort of back, although we are using not psychiatrists, but rather the 25th Amendment.

This is from the Daily Mail:

A Democratic congressman has proposed convening a special committee of psychiatrists and other doctors whose job would be to determine if President Donald Trump is fit to serve in the Oval Office. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who also teaches constitutional law at American University, has predictably failed to attract any Republicans to his banner. But the U.S. Constitution's 25th Amendment does allow for a majority of the president's cabinet, or 'such other body as Congress may by law provide,' to decide if an Oval Office occupant is unable to carry out his duties  and then to put it to a full congressional vote. Vice President Mike Pence would also have to agree, which could slow down the process  or speed it up if he wanted the levers of power for himself. The 25th Amendment has been around since shortly after the John F. Kennedy assassination, but Congress has never formed its own committee in case it's needed to judge a president's mental health.

I don't know these members of the U.S. House very well. However, I did see a photo, and there were many African-American Democrats. So I guess we can conclude that all of these Democrats represent districts with excellent public schools, zero crime, and neighborhoods everyone is dying to relocate to. In other words, these men and women have nothing to do because their districts are doing so well that they have time to engage in these stupid ideas intended for fundraising and nothing more.

Let me add this about Rep. Jamie Raskin: he once wrote a book called Overruling Democracy: The Supreme Court versus The American People.

Mr. Raskin's platform last November included fighting climate change and putting a price tag on carbon. He is also for challenging the NRA and a reduction in gun violence. Last but not least, he wants more economic opportunity, higher wages, and protecting women's health choices.

Based on his book, can we assume that he believes that these issues should be settled by judges rather than voters?

Once again, we bring the word "insanity" and how it has overwhelmed so much of the Democratic Party. They are so eager to replace President Trump that they've forgotten their primary mission: represent their districts, especially the minority children caught up in failing schools that liberals like Mr. Raskin do not send their children to!

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) (YouTube) and follow me on Twitter.
There is absolutely no shame left at the Washington Post. After eight years of the Obama administration standing by as North Korea developed its nuclear missile program, the Post headlines in its "Daily 202" briefing:

The Daily 202: Missile test underscores the failure of Trump's naive approach to North Korea

Wow!

Ed Lasky responds:

Yeah...because all the previous presidents weren't naive and pathetic. Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner? Carter, Clinton, two Bushes?

And how about the Iran deal that enriched Iran and thus North Korea, their outsourcer?

President Trump tried with China  more than any other president. He didn't wait long to recognize that did not work and is now imposing sanctions on China.

How is that naive?
The Nazca Lines in southern Peru are some of the best known geoglyphs on earth, but they arent the only ones in the Nazca desert. About 200 kilometers north west of Nazca is another isolated and somewhat less popular geoglyph called Paracas Candelabra. It is also known as the Candelabra of the Andes because of its resemblance to a three-branched candlestick.

The geoglyph is etched on the sloping face of a hill at Pisco Bay on the Peruvian coast. The design has been cut into the soil to a depth of two feet with stones, possibly from a later date, placed around it. The figure is 181 meters tall, large enough to be seen as far as twenty kilometers out at sea.

Photo credit: Unukorno/Wikimedia

The Paracas Candelabra is generally attributed to the Paracas Culture of the first millennium BCE, based on pottery discovered in the area that was radiocarbon dated to 200 BC. The pottery likely belonged to the Paracas people, although it has never been confirmed whether they were involved in the creation of the geoglyph.

The overall shape of the geoglyps is that of a tridentpossibly representing the lightning rod of the god Viracocha, a mythological figure in South America the branches split out further into more smaller branches. Some say it looks more like a cactus.

Frank Joseph, an author obsessed with alternative theories, have found likeness of a hallucinogenic plant called jimson (Datura stramomium) in Paracas Candelabra. His theory is that prehistoric inhabitants of the Paracas region travelled north to California to collect the plant, and the geoglyph was used to help navigate home. The idea that the geoglyph was used as a navigational aid is an old one though. Locals believe it was used by sailors to identify the peninsula.

Paracas Candelabra is certainly an enigma. Together with the Nazca lines it shows how little we currently understand about these sites and pre-Colombian cultures in general.

Photo credit: Dan Kit/Flickr

Photo credit: David Stanley/Wikimedia

Photo credit: Yoli Marcela Hernandez/Wikimedia

Sources: Wikipedia / www.hows.org.uk / Bad Archaeology
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Community, challenged by the constantly changing international situation, must redouble its efforts to ensure a more safe society for its citizens, more stable economies for its countries, deeper solidarity and a more secure hemisphere.

This impassioned plea for closer unity within CARICOM was issued by outgoing Chairman, His Excellency David Granger, President of Guyana in his address to the opening of the 38th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government.

His message Tuesday evening at the Grenada Trade Centre, in Grand Anse, paralleled a similar charge by Heads of Government 28 years ago to deepen the integration process in response to the emerging geo-political order of that time.

Within the current international environment, replete with uncertainty and complexity, President Granger warned that the efficacy of the Communitys international advocacy could be impaired if efforts at coordination among the four pillars of CARICOM were weak.

Underscoring the critical need for unwavering solidarity at this time, he said global and hemispheric uncertainties spawning changes in the policies of the United States, United Kingdom, the European Union and the African Union in relation to the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, necessitated a state of readiness for the Community to preserve and negotiate its interests.

In the poignant message to his colleagues, he stated: The Caribbean Community cannot cling to an obsolete model of insularity in light of these international changes.

The Community might be an association of small states but it is larger and stronger when it is united. It must not underestimate the value of its solidarity or its strength when it speaks with a single voice as a Community. Solidarity is a source of strength.

Foreign policy coordination is the sharp instrument, the cutting edge, of our diplomacy, to gain our great advantage. We should not damage it, President Granger said.
(ANSA) - Rome, July 5 - Ilaria Alpi's family said Wednesday they would fight Rome prosecutors' bid to have shelved an investigation into the murders of the RAI journalist and her cameraman Miran Hrovatin on March 20, 1994 in Mogadishu, Somalia. The family again vowed "to fight to get to the truth about Ilaria and Miran's murders".

The prosecutors said Tuesday it was impossible to track down the killers and establish their motive and said there was no evidence of attempts to throw investigations off track. A preliminary investigations judge will decide whether the case is dropped.

In February Rome prosecutors opened the new probe into the 1994 murders of Alpi and Hrovatin.

The probe concerned suspected anomalies linked to the handling of a witness who proved to be false, Ahmed Ali Rage, aka Gelle anomalies highlighted by a Perugia appeals court which in October acquitted the sole defendant, Somali Hasci Omar Hassan, after he spent 16 years in jail.

On October 19 the Perugia court quashed Hassan's conviction after prosecutor Dario Razzi told the court Hassan "did not commit" the crime.

He was the only person convicted of the murders.

Alpi, 32, and Hrovatin, 45, were ambushed and shot in their jeep in Mogadishu by a seven-man commando on March 20, 1994.

In 2015 Ahmed Ali Rage, who was also known as Gelle and who was a key witness for the prosecution in the trial that led to the conviction, said that Hassan was "innocent".

Last June Rage told a new trial that he "never told anyone" Hassan was part of the murder commando. Hassan was released into the custody of social services in 2015 with 10 years to go on his 26-year sentence.

"Thank God it's over," said Hassan at the time.

"Now I have to find my family because I have not seem them for 19 years and I need documents urgently to be able to do so.

"They ruined me. But thanks to God, to the help of journalists and to these judges today, I have been freed".

Alpi's mother Luciana, who backed Hassan's battle against the miscarriage of justice, said that she was "happy" Hassan had been cleared, but added that she was "bitter and depressed" that the real culprits had not been brought to justice.

"It's as if she and Miran Hrovatin died of the heat in Mogadishu," Luciana Alpi told ANSA. "We don't have the truth and I don't think we ever will".

Photos taken of the dead body of Alpi, who worked for public broadcaster RAI's third channel Rai3, and a medical report on the deaths, along with other key evidence including Alpi's notes, camera and video cassettes, mysteriously went missing on the journey back from Africa to Italy, fuelling suspicions of a cover-up.

Speaking to Rai3, Rage in February 2015 claimed that he was asked to testify against Hassan.

"I did not see who fired the shots," he reportedly said.

According to the Italian diplomat who investigated the case in Somalia, former ambassador Giuseppe Cassini, the driver who acted as a key witness for the prosecution was "an unreliable individual who would do anything to survive".

Initially, it was thought that the journalist was murdered in revenge for clashes which had broken out between the militias of Somalia's warlords and Italian peacekeepers.

But a 1999 book by Alpi's parents called The Execution alleged that Alpi and Hrovatin were killed to stop them revealing what they knew about an international arms and toxic-waste ring implicating high-level political, military and economic figures in both countries.

The book accuses the Italian secret services of playing a major role in this ring.

Hassan, who travelled to Italy in 1998 to give evidence in a probe into brutality by Italian soldiers, was acquitted of involvement in the two murders at the end of a first trial in July 1999.

But he was found guilty by an appeals court in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison.

Italy's supreme Cassation Court upheld the guilty verdict in October 2001 but reduced the sentence from life to 26 years because it said the crimes were not premeditated.

Hassan's lawyers said he was not in Mogadishu at the time of the killing and was tricked into coming to Italy.


(ANSA) - Rome, July 5 - Austria on Wednesday rethought its threat to deploy troops and armoured personnel carriers to guard against migrant crossings at its border with Italy.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said Vienna would not deploy anti-migrant troops at the Brenner Pass border with Italy. "Austria will not carry out any controls on the Brenner borders at the moment and it is not set to resort to using the army in the immediate future," he said.

Sources at the premier's office in Rome said they welcomed the Austrian government's rethink. The collaboration between the two police forces, the sources stressed, is producing excellent fruit and is based on both sides' respect for European rules, without any need for troops or military vehicles. Premier Paolo Gentiloni phoned Kern on the issue earlier Wednesday.

Austrian armored vehicles remained in their barracks Wednesday after Vienna threatened to deploy four of them and over 700 troops to the Brenner Pass border with Italy to guard against migrant crossings. "It's a matter of being ready" said Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said Austria had now made a "wise choice".

Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka is set to meet Italian counterpart Marco Minniti in Rome on Wednesday, when the case will be top of the agenda.

Minniti and Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Wednesday were set to brief parliament ahead of tomorrow's informal EU interior ministers' meeting in Tallinn.

That meeting will discuss Rome's calls for greater burden sharing and for a code of conduct for NGOs picking up migrants off Libya, and the possibility - already ruled out by France and Spain - of foreign rescue ships docking in ports outside Italy.

It will also discuss an EU proposal for a migrant coordination centre in Libya.

Austria's ambassador to Rome Rene Pollitzer said Wednesday the anti-migrant measures mooted at the Brenner Pass including the deployment of four armoured vehicles and 750 troops would only be taken "in the event of an emergency." Pollitzer was summoned to the Italian foreign ministry on Tuesday. An Austrian foreign ministry spokesman said Wednesday Rome had voiced "disappointment at Vienna's initiatives".

Meanwhile the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said in its annual report Wednesday that Italy received almost 123,000 asylum applications in 2016, a 47% gain on 2015.

The 122,960 applications make up 9.5% of the European Union total. Most, 22%, of asylum seekers in Italy are Nigerian, EASO said. Germany topped the rankings again with 745,155 applications, a 58% rise on the previous year and accounting for 58% of all European asylum requests. EASO also said 2016 was a record year for migrant crossings on the central Mediterranean route, up 18% to 181,459 migrants. It was the main access route to Europe and Italy was the "main point of entry", EASO said.


(ANSA) - Rome, July 5 - It is impossible to meet Rome's request to move 10-month-old terminally ill Charlie Gard to the Bambino Gesu Hospital, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano Wednesday. Over the phone, Alfano raised the case and reiterated the Vatican kids' hospital's offer, the foreign ministry said. Johnson expressed gratitude and appreciation for the Italian offer but explained that legal reasons prevent Britain from meeting it.

Rare-disease specialists at Vatican-owned Rome children's hospital Bambino Gesu are working with other international experts to map out an experimental treatment protocol for Charlie, hospital chief Mariella Enoc said. She said the team was also in touch with US experts. Charlie's mother Connie Yates spoke this morning with the Rome hospital doctors.

Enoc said London's Great Ormond Street Hospital would agree to a transfer if the Bambino Gesu agreed to implement a British supreme court ruling that Charlie should be taken off life support, but the Rome hospital was unwilling to do this. Yates on Tuesday phoned the Bambino Gesu' and was "very determined" to see if there was a chance of treating the boy, Enoc said - but Great Ormond Street said it could not move the boy from London to Rome for legal reasons. Enoc said this was "sad" but "our doctors and scientists are still looking into the possibility". Enoc said Yates "appears set to stop at nothing" after a British court ordered her son's treatment to be stopped. The Bambino Gesu' offered to help Yates and her husband Chris Gard after Pope Francis said treatment should be provided "until the end".

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Tuesday said the pope had "full confidence" in the Bambino Gesu' management.

Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said at the presentation of the hospital's annual report Tuesday that its "willingness to welcome Charlie is a mark of your vocation and what you are.

It's certainly good news for those parents".

US President Donald Trump has also offered to help and on Tuesday the Sun reported an unnamed US hospital was ready to treat him free of charge despite UK and European court's rulings against useless treatment.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said that Great Ormond Street will "always consider any offers on new information" about his welfare.

Charlie's parents want Charlie, who has a form of mitochondrial disease, a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage, to have treatment in the US. But the hospital's doctors said that, given Charlie's condition, the therapy was unlikely to have a beneficial outcome.


Fewer than one in five migrants head for Europe, UNICEF says Report says those who come to Italy make up 2.5% of migrant flow

(ANSAmed) - ROME, 5 LUG - Each year in central and western Africa, children and adolescents represent over half of the 12 million people who migrate, while about 75% of migrants remain in sub-Saharan Africa and fewer than one in five head for Europe, according to a report by UNICEF titled "In Search of Opportunities: Voices of children on the move in West and Central Africa". The report analyses the reasons behind child migration and displacement at a regional level and the possible long-term consequences for the region. Irregular migrants arriving in Europe through Italy (56,533 migrants in 2015) represent just 2.5% of the migrant flows towards Europe, according to UNICEF, which is asking world governments to adopt its six-point "Agenda for Action" to protect refugee and migrant children.



Africa has 11 of the 25 poorest countries in the world The UNICEF report provides a series of statistics that illustrate the migration situation: 11 of the 25 poorest countries in the world are in central and west Africa, and in the past 20 years there have been 25 large conflicts in the region. It is estimated that migrants have sent 33 billion dollars in remittances to their families in sub-Saharan Africa; the African population will double by 2050 and by 2100 it is estimated to reach four billion; 100 million people in the region live in cities of less than one metre above sea level and the predicted rising of sea levels could cause the forced displacement of millions of climate refugees. Children moving in record numbers Children in West and Central Africa are moving in greater numbers than ever before, many in search of safety or a better life, said UNICEF Regional Director Marie-Pierre Poirier. Yet the majority of these children are moving within Africa, not to Europe or elsewhere. We must broaden the discussion on migration to encompass the vulnerabilities of all children on the move and expand systems to protect them, in all their intended destinations," she said. The report suggests that migration that involves children and young people from central and west Africa will probably increase due to a combination of factors: rapid population growth and urbanization, unequitable economic development, persistent conflict, weak governance and climate change. The report calls on policy makers to "put children at the centre of any response to migration". The six action points that UNICEF is urging governments to adopt are: protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence; end the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating, by introducing a range of practical alternatives; keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status; keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services; press for action on the underlying causes of large scale movements of refugees and migrants; and promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalisation in countries of transit and destination.



In addition to this "Agenda for Action", UNICF has launched a campaign titled "#AChildIsAChild", to call for solidarity with refugee and migrant children. UNICEF Italy is promoting the petition "For Every Lost Child", addressed to the European Union, to call for the protection of rights and access to basic services for underage refugees and migrants.




Austria rethinks Brenner army migrant deployment Asylum requests to Italy surge in 2016

(ANSA) - Rome, July 5 - Austria on Wednesday rethought its threat to deploy troops and armoured personnel carriers to guard against migrant crossings at its border with Italy.



Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said Vienna would not deploy anti-migrant troops at the Brenner Pass border with Italy. "Austria will not carry out any controls on the Brenner borders at the moment and it is not set to resort to using the army in the immediate future," he said.



Sources at the premier's office in Rome said they welcomed the Austrian government's rethink. The collaboration between the two police forces, the sources stressed, is producing excellent fruit and is based on both sides' respect for European rules, without any need for troops or military vehicles. Premier Paolo Gentiloni phoned Kern on the issue earlier Wednesday.



Austrian armored vehicles remained in their barracks Wednesday after Vienna threatened to deploy four of them and over 700 troops to the Brenner Pass border with Italy to guard against migrant crossings. "It's a matter of being ready" said Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.



Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka is set to meet Italian counterpart Marco Minniti in Rome on Wednesday, when the case will be top of the agenda.



Minniti and Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Wednesday were set to brief parliament ahead of tomorrow's informal EU interior ministers' meeting in Tallinn.



That meeting will discuss Rome's calls for greater burden sharing and for a code of conduct for NGOs picking up migrants off Libya, and the possibility - already ruled out by France and Spain - of foreign rescue ships docking in ports outside Italy.



It will also discuss an EU proposal for a migrant coordination centre in Libya.



Austria's ambassador to Rome Rene Pollitzer said Wednesday the anti-migrant measures mooted at the Brenner Pass including the deployment of four armoured vehicles and 750 troops would only be taken "in the event of an emergency." Pollitzer was summoned to the Italian foreign ministry on Tuesday. An Austrian foreign ministry spokesman said Wednesday Rome had voiced "disappointment at Vienna's initiatives".



Meanwhile the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said in its annual report Wednesday that Italy received almost 123,000 asylum applications in 2016, a 47% gain on 2015.



The 122,960 applications make up 9.5% of the European Union total. Most, 22%, of asylum seekers in Italy are Nigerian, EASO said. Germany topped the rankings again with 745,155 applications, a 58% rise on the previous year and accounting for 58% of all European asylum requests. EASO also said 2016 was a record year for migrant crossings on the central Mediterranean route, up 18% to 181,459 migrants. It was the main access route to Europe and Italy was the "main point of entry", EASO said.




(ANSAmed) - CAIRO - The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain on Wednesday expressed "regret for Qatar's negative response" to their requests and "can no longer be tolerant" to Qatar's role as "saboteur" in the region, said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Wednesday.



Shoukry spoke at a joint press conference in Cairo together with his counterparts from the other three Arab countries boycotting Qatar and accusing the country of destabilising the Middle East and North Africa.



"Qatar's response to our serious requests is negative as a whole," Shoukry said in the televised press conference.



"It's no longer possible to be tolerant with the role of saboteur that Qatar is playing," he said.



Shoukry said the four nations' requests were made "to protect national security and fight against terrorism".



Without specifying a date, he said the next meeting of the four countries would be held in the capital of Bahrain, Manama.



"There are documented facts on Qatar and the question goes beyond accusations," Shoukry said.



"The economic and political boycott will continue until Qatar renounces its positions," said Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Abel Al Jubeir.(ANSAmed).


If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both




Passengers travelling to Hanoi will no longer stop in Yangon, saving approximately 2hrs30mins of travel time.



The new non-stop service is operated with a two-class configured Boeing 777-300ER.
Freight capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometers (AFTKs), grew by 5.2% year-on-year in May 2017.

The continued growth of air freight demand is consistent with an improvement in world trade. This, in turn, corresponds with new global export orders remaining close to a six-year high in May. There are, however, some signs that the cyclical growth period may have peaked. The global inventory-to-sales ratio, for example, has started rising. This indicates that the period when companies look to re-stock inventories quickly, which often gives air cargo a boost, has ended. Regardless of these developments, the outlook for air freight is optimistic with demand expected to grow at a robust rate of 8% during Q3 2017.

Middle Eastern carriers year-on-year freight volumes increased 10.2% in May 2017. This was a sharp jump from the 3.1% dip in April. The recent swings in the growth rate appear to be mainly a reflection of the more volatile monthly data last year. Capacity increased 1.7%. Seasonally-adjusted freight volumes maintained their upward trend. Demand between the Middle East and Europe remains strong, increasing 19% so far this year but traffic to Asia has weakened, growing by just over 1%.

"May was another good month for air cargo. Demand growth accelerated, bolstered by strong export orders. And that outpaced capacity growth which should be positive for yields. But the industry cant afford to rest on its laurels. With indications that the cyclical growth period may have peaked, the onus is on the industry to improve its value proposition by accelerating process modernization and enhancing customer-centricity," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.

Regional Performance

All regions, with the exception of Latin America, reported year-on-year double-digit increases in demand in May 2017.

Asia-Pacific airlines freight volumes expanded 11.3% in May 2017 compared to the same period a year earlier and capacity increased by 6.2%. Demand growth has been strongest, between 13-15%, on international routes within Asia as well as between Asia and Europe. Seasonally-adjusted volumes are now 3% above the volumes reached following the 2010 post-global financial crisis bounce-back.

North American carriers posted an increase in freight volumes of 13.9% in May 2017, and a capacity increase of 4.1%. Seasonally-adjusted volumes rose again in May, after a jump in April, indicating signs of a lasting pick up. The strength of the US dollar continues to boost the inbound freight market but is keeping the export market under pressure.

European airlines posted a 15.0% increase in freight volumes in May 2017 and a capacity increase of 5.7%. International freight volumes grew by 15.2% year-on-year in May with airlines benefiting from strong demand on the Europe-Asia market. The ongoing weakness of the Euro persists in boosting the performance of the European freight market which continues to benefit from strong export orders.

Latin American airlines experienced a growth in demand of 6.7% in May 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. Capacity increased by 7.1% over the same period. Seasonally-adjusted volumes grew slightly in May however they remained 12% lower than at the peak in 2014. The regions carriers have managed to adjust capacity, which has limited the negative impact on the load factor.

African carriers posted the largest year-on-year increase in demand of all regions in May 2017 with freight volumes growing 27.6%. Capacity increased by 14.7% over the same time period. Demand has been boosted by very strong growth on the trade lanes to and from Asia which have increased by nearly 57% so far this year. However seasonally adjusted growth has levelled off in recent months.
The minister reportedly sent a WhatsApp message to the channel on Tuesday morning listing the 'health benefits' of beer.

Excise department officials, however, pleaded ignorance about the move to promote beer as a health drink. (Photo: Representational/File)

Amravati: For Andhra Pradesh Excise Minister K S Jawahar, beer is a health drink and he is ready to prove it, a remark that would please guzzlers no end.

Amid protests by women over the state's new liquor policy, he purportedly told a TV news channel that the government would promote beer as a healthy drink.

"Who said beer is not a health drink? I am ready to prove it's a health drink," he told the channel late Monday night. A video clip of his remarks has gone viral on social media.

The minister was not available for comment or clarifications.

But, he reportedly sent a WhatsApp message to the channel on Tuesday morning listing the "health benefits" of beer.

"The health benefits of beer include anti-cancer properties, a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, increased bone density, prevention of dementia and coronary disease. It also aids the digestive system, treats diabetes and has anti-ageing properties," the note, titled '13 amazing benefits of beer', said.

Excise department officials, however, pleaded ignorance about the move to promote beer as a health drink.

"If it's a health drink, why do we need special licence for brewing? It could even be sold in any general store," a senior excise official remarked.
Another BJP leader Sudesh Verma warned Banerjee and averred that violence should not be used to settle political scores.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded an urgent solution to the problem, ensuring the safety of the people of the state.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday tore into the Trinamool Congress over the law and order situation in the state, accusing the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government of supporting the anti-social elements which are brewing unrest in the state.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded an urgent solution to the problem, ensuring the safety of the people of the state.

"The anti-social elements in West Bengal are running a parallel government in the state with support of the state government. And the way these questionable people in the state are brewing an atmosphere of fear with the support of the government is a grievous issue. A solution to this problem should be taken out for the safety and betterment of people of West Bengal," said Naqvi.

Echoing similar sentiments, another BJP leader Sudesh Verma warned Banerjee and averred that violence should not be used to settle political scores.

'We have come to know that TMC goons have attacked BJP offices in West Bengal. We would like to warn Mamata Banerjee that violence should not be used as a means to settle political scores. Violence ultimately doesn't pay and by using such tactics you cannot stop the rise of BJP in West Bengal," said Verma.

Angry crowd torched police vehicles, vandalised shops and blocked roads leading to the India-Bangladesh border after a derogatory post on social media triggered clashes in Baduria and Basirhat areas of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

Read: WB: Violence escalates after Facebook post, 400 BSF troops deployed

The violence between two in the district started day before yesterday over the post following which a young man was arrested.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report from the West Bengal government on the same.
The Act has been in effect in Assam since November 1990 while in 3 districts of Arunachal Pradesh it has been in force since January 2016.

In May, the Centre through a gazette notification, had declared the entire Assam as a 'disturbed' area under AFSPA for three more months. (Photo: Representational/PTI)

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry was ready for the "partial withdrawal" of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from BJP-ruled Assam and Arunachal Pradesh following an improvement in the "security situation" in these states, official sources said.

The sources said according to a home ministry assessment, security situation was "better" in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh than never before and the imposition of AFSPA could be further reduced.

They said views of the state governments had been sought on the partial withdrawal.

"In the recent past, we have reduced the time period of AFSPA in these states," a senior official said.

Read: A bigger role of Army under AFSPA?

In May, the Centre through a gazette notification, had declared the entire Assam as a "disturbed" area under AFSPA for three more months, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB and others.

In another notification, the ministry had also declared three districts of Arunachal Pradesh - Tirap, Changlang and Longding - besides areas falling under 16 police stations bordering Assam as "disturbed" under AFSPA for three more months.

The Act has been in effect in Assam since November 1990 while in the three districts of Arunachal Pradesh it has been in force since January 2016.
Internet services were also disrupted in Baduria following communal violence in North 24 Parganas.

Riot erupted in the area close to the Indo-Bangla border after a youth, Sourav Sarkar from Rudrapur, allegedly uploaded an inflammatory post on his Facebook account. (Photo: Facebook)

Kolkata: The Centre on Tuesday deployed about 400 troops of paramilitary Border Security Forces (BSF) in West Bengal to control communal violence following a request from the state government.

Internet services were also disrupted in Baduria following communal violence in North 24 Parganas.

Riot erupted in the area close to the Indo-Bangla border after a youth, Sourav Sarkar from Rudrapur, allegedly uploaded an inflammatory post on his Facebook account which went viral and hurt the sentiment of a minority community on Sunday leading to a clash.

Although Sourav fled at night, he was later arrested by the police from a paddy field. The accused has been remanded by the Basirhat Sub-Division Court in the police custody for four days.

On being questioned on the communal clashes in Basirhat, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee violently accused Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi of threatening and insulting her over phone during their conversation on the reports of violence.

Exploding in fury at the state secretariat, Nabanna, she told the media in the afternoon, "The Governor called up me on my phone and threatened me. He also insulted me. I never felt so humiliated in my life. I was so deeply hurt that I thought I would quit my post. The Governor was talking like a BJP Block president. He cannot threaten me."

Read: BJP seeks Centre's interference as communal clashes break out in WB

Banerjee said, "His post is constitutional. A Governor is appointed by the Centre while the CM is elected by the people of the state. I made it clear to him that he cannot talk to me in that tone. I have not become the chief minister with his blessings. We are neither thieves nor dacoits."

On Tuesday evening, the Raj Bhavan in a statement rubbished the CM's allegations.

The Raj Bhavan statement said, "The Honble Governor is surprised at the attitude and language used by the Honble Chief Minister during the Press conference. The talks between the Honble Chief Minister and the Honble Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it."

"However, there was nothing in the talks for which the Honble Chief Minister may have felt insulted, threatened or humiliated. The Honble Governor did say to the Honble Chief Minister to ensure peace and law and order by all means. The Honble Governor always holds the persons, who occupy the Constitutional positions, in high esteem," it added.
The Assam government would move the central government to take up the issue of illegal immigrants with Bangladesh.

Guwahati: Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Wednesday said that his government would approach Bangladesh through central government for a lasting solution to illegal immigration issue of the state, once the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was updated.

Pointing out that draft NRC will be published by the end of this year, Mr Sarma said, The Assam government would move the central government to take up the issue of illegal immigrants with Bangladesh.

Asserting that the issue of illegal immigration was an area of serious concern for the people of Assam, Mr Sarma said that this issue of identification of illegal immigrants would be laid to rest, once the NRC was updated and published. The publication of NRC will also let us know the magnitude of the problem, he said.

The relation between the Northeastern states of India and Bangladesh is friendly and based on shared values, but there are some challenges, one of which is the issue of influx from Bangladesh, said Mr Sarma.
The woman alleged that the BJP leader promised her a job and assured marriage before raping her in the back seat of the bus.

The woman in the video had accused the BJP leader of raping her in the bus. (Youtube: Screengrab)

Mumbai: BJP leader Ravindra Bawanthade was arrested on Wednesday, about a week after a video of him kissing a woman in a bus in Maharashtra went viral.

According to a report in NDTV, Bawanthade was arrested on charges of rape. The woman in the video had accused the BJP leader of raping her in the bus.

The leader, Ravindra Bavanthade from the Gadchiroli district was caught on the CCTV footage of a private bus while kissing a woman. Later, the woman had approached the Gadichiroli police accusing Bavanthade of raping her.

On June 27, the accused was travelling from Nagpur to Nagbhid in a private bus with the said woman where he was caught on the CCTV footage while kissing her. The video of the CCTV footage later went viral on the messaging application, WhatsApp, after which, the woman approached the police station and filed a complaint against Bavanthade.

The woman has alleged that Bavanthade had assured her that he would marry her and had also promised her of a job before establishing a relationship with her. The accused has been absconding since the complaint was filed against him and the Gidchiroli police officials are searching for him.

Bavanthade is BJPs senior leader and is also the chief of the Armori assembly and also works as a teacher in a school in Vasala village of Armori Tehsil.

BJP is the ruling party in the state. The police and other BJP leaders refused to release any statement on the matter.
The Nigerian nationals are identified as George Ike, Ugwuele Bright Onyeka alias De Man Cooler alias Mathew and Vishal Sharma alias Binni.

The Nigerian nationals were found to be living here without valid visas, the police said. (Photo:PTI)

New Delhi: The Delhi police arrested two Nigerian nationals and an Indian on June 28 from Mumbai for cheating people on the pretext of selling fake herbal root seeds for treatment of cancer after contacting them on facebook .

The Nigerian nationals are identified as George Ike, Ugwuele Bright Onyeka alias De Man Cooler alias Mathew and Vishal Sharma alias Binni.

The cheats were exposed when S. Rahul, a resident of Sarita Vihar, complained to the police that he was duped by a woman, Armand Linda, who claimed to be working in the UK in a firm named Health Pro Pharmaceutical Company, who he interacted with from the gang.

The woman asked him to purchase seeds from a trader named Anitha Sharma in Mumbai at lower rates and then sell it to her company at higher price and offered to share the profit. Rahul contacted Sharma and was cheated of Rs13 lakh.

The Nigerian nationals were found to be living here without valid visas, the police said. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC and a probe is underway.-
As well as leaning on China, Trump has also been seeing if he can work with South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-Ininviting him to the WH.

Washington: North Korea's test-firing of a missile apparently capable of reaching Alaska underlines the shrinking options for US President Donald Trump to halt Pyongyang's nuclear drive after losing faith in China's mediation efforts.

Shortly before his January inauguration as president, Trump said he would never let North Korea develop a nuclear weapon that would put parts of the United States in range, declaring on Twitter: "It won't happen!"

North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017

But after Washington confirmed that North Korea had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), experts say the US may have to accept that red line is close to being crossed if the missile system can be developed to carry a nuclear warhead. "The window for negotiating denuclearization is closed," Jeffrey Lewis, an expert in nuclear non-proliferation, said. "The big point is that we have to accept North Korea with a nuclear-armed ICBM."

In the immediate aftermath of the latest test, Trump again took to Twitter to berate the North's leader Kim Jong-Un and press China to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017

But there are growing signs that Trump has already effectively given up on China's capability of reining in Kim's regime, declaring last month that Beijing's efforts had not worked out.

The Trump administration's hardening stance was also illustrated last Thursday when it slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank linked to North Korea drawing an angry response from Beijing.

In a weekend phone call with China's president, Trump reportedly told Xi Jinping that Washington was prepared to act on its own in pressuring North Korea, according to the New York Times.

As well as leaning on China, Trump has also been seeing if he can work with South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In, inviting him to the White House last week.

He has even tried to flatter Kim himself, calling him a "smart cookie" whom he would be "honored" to meet if only he would halt his missile programs. Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress for Nuclear and Defense policy, said international pressure and diplomacy was of limited use now that Pyongyang was so far down the line.

"It is now illogical to apply pressure to prevent the threshold from being crossed. It has been crossed. Denuclearization is untenable," said Mount. "US policy failed. The best we can hope for now is to sustainably deter, contain, constrain, and reform the regime over the long term."

In the short term, the Pentagon is studying its options for military action, though the United States and South Korea quickly made a show of force following the ICBM test, firing missiles off the coast of the Korean peninsula in what Washington called a display of "precision fire capability." But US military chiefs have made clear they see enormous risks in a confrontation with the North.

Speaking in May, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said any war with North Korea would be on a scale similar to the devastating Korea conflict in the 1950s. "The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely populated cities on Earth, which is the capital of South Korea," he told CBS News.

"The bottom line is, it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat, if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means." Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in a speech last week that nothing had been ruled out but was blunt about the risks associated with any effort to impose a military solution.

"The president has directed us to prepare a range of options, including military options, that nobody wants to take," he said. Lewis, a researcher at the California-based Middlebury Institute for International Studies, said the Trump administration's focus should now be on dissuading North Korea from firing anything in earnest.

"We should consider ways to reduce tension while strengthening deterrence," said Lewis. "Ballistic missile defense might part of deterrence." The US has already installed parts of a missile defense system the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea to guard against threats from the North.

But Moon has suspended further deployment following a furious campaign of economic sanctions and diplomatic protests by Beijing against the US missile shield, dealing a blow to Washington's regional security policy.
Pentagon said that USs commitment to the defence of its allies in the region, South Korea and Japan, in the face of threats is 'ironclad'.

Washington: The US on Wednesday confirmed that North Korea test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time and warned of an escalated threat from Pyongyang, while carrying out a joint missile drill with South Korea in response.

In the show of strength that followed the ICBM launch by the hermit nation, US and South Korean soldiers fired missiles into the latters territorial waters on Tuesday to showcase their precision fire capability, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said.

Read: N Korea's missile test 'gift to American bastards', will break boredom: Kim Jong-Un

According to a statement by US forces in South Korea, the exercise utilised the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the South Koreas Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

The Pentagon said that Americas commitment to the defense of its allies in the region  South Korea and Japan  in the face of threats is ironclad.

The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies. Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability, Ms. White said.

Read: UN condemns N Korea's missile launch, calls it dangerous escalation of situation

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who confirmed the launch in a statement, said America would never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The United States strongly condemns North Koreas launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world, Tillerson said.

The US has also requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which is expected to take place on July 5.

We intend to bring North Koreas provocative action before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable, Tillerson said. He also called for global action to stop a global threat.

The US seeks only the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea, he added.

At a White House event, US President Donald Trump, without mentioning North Korea, said that the US will handle its challenges. We do have challenges, but we will handle those challenges. Believe me.
Entry of irrelevant people was prohibited within one kilometer radius of the FJA.

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs daughter Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday claimed that political opponents had failed to prove any allegation against the Sharif family.

Talking to reporters here outside the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) after her brief appearance before Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the Panama Papers case, Ms Nawaz said: All the questions prepared by the team have been answered. I asked the JIT what is our crime? Why we are being summoned for incessant hearings? But the team was unable to answer, she added. Ms Nawaz also accused the JIT of finding allegations against the Sharif family and asked to unveil the evidence as we have done nothing wrong. She said her name was not included in Supreme Courts verdict announced on April 20 but still she was called. Whatever the JIT members asked, I answered. , despite the fact that my name was not included in the Supreme Courts orders on Panama case, I answered to all questions and faced the JIT, she said.

She claimed that the JIT has nothing to accuse her. She said, All the questions posed by the interrogators pertained to the business of Sharif family. Criticizing the JIT, she said, This is the first JIT of the world that has been formed but still looking for the charges to be probed.

Ms Nawaz said that she was pressurized for being PMs daughter who always taught to stand for the right, adding We have presented ourselves over three generations for accountability. Today, I have paid the debt that was not due. This is fifth phase of our accountability we are facing.

She said, Those who think that daughter is a weakness of Prime Minister will find me as the power and strength of Nawaz Sharif.

Maryam Nawaz asked the opposition to stop PM Nawaz Sharif from making roads, from completing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and from winning 2018 elections, if they can.

On the occasion, stringent security measures were taken in the Federal Capital by deploying over 3,000 security officials to avert any untoward incident. Entry of irrelevant people was prohibited within one kilometer radius of the FJA.

A large number of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leaders especially women have also gathered outside the judicial academy to express solidarity with Maryam Nawaz. They also carried banners inscribed with slogans in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz said there was no contradiction in the statements of the prime ministers family about their properties and assets. The opponents are distorting the statements for their vested interests. The stance of Hassan Nawaz is the same as it was in 1999, he added.

Earlier, Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter and wrote: He has seen and been through the most testing times, in the 30 plus years of his political career, acting out his rivals, yet as an affectionate and protective father. I saw his eyes filled with concern and apprehensions over his daughters appearance before JIT.

I told him that I am your daughter, trained by you, will neither cower down, nor yield to pressure and nothing will deter me from taking up the cudgels against transgression and injustice. Will appear before the JIT, follow the rule of law as you always have, she continued.

On April 20, SC cleared Maryam Nawaz from the allegations leveled against her regarding Panama leaks case. Her name was appeared in the Panama Papers as the beneficial owner of the offshore companies, Neilsen Enterprises and Nescoll Ltd.

The court said that Maryam Nawaz took cash gifts from her father in large amounts on several occasions. Receipt of such gifts from the father does not necessarily make her PM Sharifs dependent in the legal sense.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.

United Nations: The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday after North Korea said it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, diplomats said.

The United States -- which confirmed it was an ICBM launch -- backed by Japan and South Korea, requested the urgent meeting that is scheduled for 3 pm (1900 GMT).

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.

Read: UN condemns N Korea's missile launch, calls it dangerous escalation of situation

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and flew 933 kilometers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later confirmed the missile launched was an ICBM.

The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China to act to "end this nonsense once and for all."

US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday spoke by phone with China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting, diplomats said.

Guterres stressed the importance of having united approach to addressing the North Korean crisis. China, Pyongyang's main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear program.

The United States maintains the Pyongyang must first halt its missile launches and nuclear test.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from developing missile and nuclear technology.

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and last month added 14 North Korean officials and four entities to the sanctions blacklist.
The G20, first met for a summit in 2008 in Washington to discuss ways to achieve balanced and sustainable world economic growth.

Berlin: The Group of 20 leading industrialised and emerging powers hold annual summits on economic governance, with wars and crises often overtaking the official agenda.

Grouping the United States and other G7 members with giants such as China, India and Russia, it represents two thirds of the world population, three quarters of world trade and about 80 percent of economic output.

The other members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the European Union. The G20, with its ministerial-level beginnings in 1999, first met for a summit in 2008 in Washington to discuss ways to achieve balanced and sustainable world economic growth.

Critics charge that the "self-appointed" club undermines the role of the international bodies, such the United Nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The grouping has often been a magnet for protesters, including at this year's meet in Hamburg, Germany.

At the 2010 summit in Toronto, thousands of anti-capitalist protesters clashed with Canadian police, leaving dozens injured on both sides and sparking mass arrests. The list of G20 members does not strictly reflect the world's 20 biggest economies. Some non-members such as Switzerland have bigger economies than, for example, member Argentina.

The leaders mostly meet behind closed doors and lack the power to enforce binding decisions or rules. The heads of global and regional bodies are invited to the summits among them the chiefs of the UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO, African Union, APEC and Southeast Asia's ASEAN.

Rotating G20 summits also invite guest nations, including "permanent guest" Spain and, this year, partner countries the Netherlands, Norway and Singapore. Next year's G20 host will be Argentina.
North Korea successfully test fired a intercontinental missile and termed it as an independance day 'gift' to Americans.

Kim Jong Un vowed to send more ballistic missiles to US and never abandon nuclear weapons. (Photo: AP)

Seoul: Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furore created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests.

US and South Korean forces, in response to Tuesday's launch, engineered a show of force for Pyongyang, with soldiers from the allies firing "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters. South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered the drills arranged with the United States to show "North Korea our firm combined missile response posture," his office said.

A North Korean test of an ICBM, confirmed later by US and South Korean officials, is a momentous step forward for Pyongyang as it works to build an arsenal of long-range nuclear-armed missiles that can hit anywhere in the United States. The North isn't there yet - some analysts suggest it will take several more years to perfect such an arsenal, and many more tests - but a successful launch of an ICBM has long been seen as a red line, after which it would only be a matter of time - if the country isn't stopped.

Read: N Korea's missile test 'gift to American bastards', will break boredom: Kim Jong-Un

Worry spread in Washington and at the United Nations, where the United States, Japan and South Korea requested a UN Security Council emergency session, to be held later Wednesday. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US response would include "stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable," using an acronym for the nation's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The uproar only seemed to inspire the North, whose propaganda machine rarely fails to aggrandise its leader and its military or to thumb its nose at rivals Seoul and Washington.

A report in its state media Wednesday described leader Kim as "feasting his eyes" on the ICBM, which was said to be capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead, before its launch. "With a broad smile on his face," Kim urged his scientists to "frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees," an apparent reference to continuing the stream of nuclear and missile tests Kim has ordered since taking power in late 2011.

The North was also pleased that its test came as Americans celebrated Independence Day. Kim, the state media report said, told "scientists and technicians that the US would be displeased to witness the DPRK's strategic option as it was given a 'package of gifts' incurring its disfavor by the DPRK on its 'Independence Day.'" The North has a history of conducting weapons test on or around July 4.

Kim reportedly "stressed that the protracted showdown with the US imperialists has reached its final phase and it is the time for the DPRK to demonstrate its mettle to the US, which is testing its will in defiance of its warning."

The test, North Korea's most successful yet, is a direct rebuke to President Donald Trump's earlier declaration that such a test "won't happen!"

A US scientist analyzing the height and distance of the launch said the missile could potentially reach Alaska.

North Korea's Academy of Defense Science, in a bit of hyperbole, said the test of what it called the Hwasong-14 marked the "final step" in creating a "confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth."

South Korea's Defense Ministry, in a report to lawmakers, tentatively concluded that North Korea test-fired a "new missile with an ICBM-class range" of more than 5,500 kilometers. But the ministry said it's not certain if the test was successful because Seoul couldn't verify if the North has mastered re-entry technology for an ICBM. The ministry said North Korea may now conduct a nuclear test with "boosted explosive power" to show off a warhead to be mounted on a missile.

The launch sends a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, while also allowing North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program. It came days after the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Moon and ahead of a summit of the world's richest economies.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commanding officer of the British Armed Forces Joint Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Regiment, said that "in capability of missile terms and delivery, it is a major step up and they seem to be making progress week-on-week." He added, however, that "actually marrying the warhead to the missile is probably the biggest challenge, which they appear not to have progressed on."

North Korea has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and is thought to have a small number of atomic bombs, but is still trying to perfect its longer-range missiles.

Some outside civilian experts believe the North has the technology to mount warheads on shorter-range Rodong and Scud missiles that can strike South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where about 80,000 American troops are stationed. But it's unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile.

Soon after the launch, Trump responded on Twitter: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

"This guy" presumably refers to Kim. China is North Korea's economic lifeline and only major ally, and the Trump administration is pushing Beijing to do more to push the North toward disarmament.

After North Korea claimed earlier this year it was close to an ICBM test launch, Trump took to Twitter and said, "It won't happen!"

North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons and powerful missiles to cope with what it calls rising U.S. military threats.

Regional disarmament talks on North Korea's nuclear program have been deadlocked since 2009, when the North pulled out of the negotiations to protest international condemnation over a long-range rocket launch.

The missile test could invite a new round of international sanctions, but North Korea is already one of the most sanctioned countries on Earth.

Last year, North Korea conducted its fourth and fifth atomic bomb tests and claimed a series of technical breakthroughs in its efforts to develop long-range nuclear missiles.

The fifth nuclear test in September was the North's most powerful atomic detonation to date.

The Korean Peninsula has been divided since the end of World War II. Almost 30,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea.
The Global Times known for its critical stand towards India said the face-off in Donglang area will end up with Indian troops in retreat.

The incident happened in the first week of June near the Lalten post in the Doka La general area in Sikkim after a face-off between the two forces (Photo: PTI) (Representational Image)

Beijing: As the Sikkim stalemate continues between the two neighbours, China on late Tuesday night warned that New Delhi will get a bitter lesson, worse than that of 1962 Sino-India war, if India doesnt back off.

Chinese state-run tabloid, Global Times, known for its critical stand towards India said that the face-off in Donglang area will end up in retreat as Indian military either can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers.

In an editorial, it also warned of severe consequences if India takes the military route, referring to Defence Minister Arun Jaitleys remark.

Read: Sikkim standoff continues, China's warship detected in Indian Ocean region

Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 -- India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts, it said.

Stating that the Chinese people are infuriated by India's provocation over Sikkim standoff, the editorial said, We believe the Chinese People's Liberation Army is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory.

The editorial also accused India of treating Bhutan as a vassal state and accused New Delhi of coercing Thimphu into supporting them. It said, The Indian media claimed in recent days that New Delhi shouldn't abandon Bhutan.

Read: Sikkim standoff: No compromise with India, situation grave, says China

China has incessantly asked India to withdraw its troops from the tri-junction disputed area between India-Bhutan-China, allegedly claimed by China as their territory.

The daily mentioned that Indias real purpose of standoff was aimed at blocking Chinas road construction project in the Sikkim area as Cold War-obsessed India is suspicious that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor.

Sikkim area held by India is strategically important for Indians to control its turbulent northeast area. India is taking the risk to betray the historical 1890 border agreement and wants to force China to swallow the result, the daily reported.

Read: Sikkim standoff: China map claims disputed area with India, Bhutan

The report also stated while China was ready for both options to resolve the Sikkim standoff -- talks and military action -- however, preferred dialogue. But it also warned that India shouldnt take China for granted and make concessions to its unruly demands.

It also noted that China attaches great importance to domestic stability and is not interested to get into a tussle with India.
by Mathias Hariyadi

The 55-year age gap did not prevent the love story from blossoming six months ago when the young man moved in with the woman after his parents divorce. The local village chief sanctioned the union. Indonesias child protection agency expressed some doubts.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  The love story of Selamet, 16, and Rohaya, 71, has, to say the least, broken some social conventions when the two, despite criticism, got married in Ogan Komering Ulu, a village in South Sumatera province.

The story has been on everyones lips, especially when the two threatened to kill themselves if they were not allowed to wed. After their neighbours expressed support, the two visited a local religious leader who agreed to officiate the nuptials.

Pressured by residents, the village chief on Sunday acknowledged the legality of the marriage despite the 55-year gap between bride and groom. Still, under Indonesian law, Selamet Riyadi is too young to marry. The legal age of marriage is 17 years.

Their love story began six months ago when Riyadi moved into the woman's house after his parents divorce.

Before getting married, the young man asked the womans only son for the hand of his beloved. The latter turned the question over to the village chief, who worked out a deal with Indonesias Child Protection Commission (KPAI).

The latter said that such an age gap is not a problem in itself, but it did express some doubts because the new couple would not be able to fulfill one of the purposes of marriage: making babies.
The statue of the goddess Mazu traveled along with those of Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er, her celestial guardians. They are on tour in Kuala Lumpur part of a cultural exchange to pay tribute to the goddess of the sea and festival in her name. The episode comes under China's newfound religious revival.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The image of the statue of the Chinese sea godess Mazu or Matsu, traveling in business class from the Chinese city of Xiamen to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur has gone viral online.

The goddess, who is part of the Buddhist and Taoist pantheon, is considered the patron saint of the sea and protector of fishermen and sailors and is widely venerated, as well as in China, in Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan. Mazu traveled along with the statues of Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er, her celestial guardians. Qianliyan is known for his powers of far-sightedness, while Shunfeng'er possesses the ability to listen to all the sounds brought by the wind, thus help sailors and ships to feel the storms arrival. All the statues come from Thean Hou Temple, which also published the photos.

The trip to Malaysia and Singapore is the inaugural tour of a cultural exchange to pay homage to the goddess of the sea and a festival in her name. It was organized by the Chinese Meizhou Mazu Ancestor Temple.

The statues paid a regular ticket of 2,091 yuan (270,95 euros) after checking in at the Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport and were placed in the front row on the plane, in an enlarged space and fixed to prevent damage from possible turbulence. They were also provided with special passports - Temple staff called this a "special courtesy" offered by the Xiamen Airlines airline - the goddess and her accompanying passengers traveled for more than 2,800 kilometers and escorted by a delegation of over 130 people, were welcomed to another temple, the Thean Hou Chinese Temple.

Beyond the curiosity of the news, the episode is a clear confirmation of what Richard Madsen, sociologist of the religions of the University of San Diego (California), argued in his speech at the AsiaNews Symposium on May 24. Madsen spoke of "China's impressive religious revival today," after 70 years of state atheism. According to the scholar, this return is not just a "revival" or re-invention of the traditional forms of Chinese religion, but it is also the creation and adaptation of new forms.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt due to meet today. Yesterday, Qatar responded to the list of requests from the Gulf allies. No news is leaked on the content of the letter. Qatar's foreign minister termed demands made of Doha "unrealistic and impracticable" and denounced an attack on "freedom of thought".

Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A month from the beginning of the crisis between Riyadh and Doha, senior officials of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt meet today in Cairo to discuss the issue. The summit at foreign ministers in the Egyptian capital comes a few hours after the expiration of the deadline given to Qatar, and extended 48 hours ton he 3rd July to accept the list of 13 demands - including the closure of the satellite channel Al Jazeera - advanced by the Gulf nations.

The Qatar Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, intervened yesterday, defining the dictates as " unrealistic and impracticable". The leader of Doha's diplomacy rejects all the allegations and adds that "this is not terrorism", because in this affair "freedom of thought" is at stake.

Behind the new clash in the Middle East region, Qatar is accused of supporting Islamist terrorist movements and, above all, maintaining diplomatic and commercial ties with Iran, the number one enemy of the Saudis in the Middle East. In fact, according to some analysts, the final battle between the Wahhabites and the Muslim Brotherhood for the Middle East dominance is underway, with heavy repercussions in the tourism and labor market for the emirate.

Yesterday, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Allies received Doha's official response to their demands. So far, nothing has leaked on the content of the missive, which is been kept strictly under wraps in anticipation of the next diplomatic and commercial moves. In recent days, the leaders of the emirate had strongly criticized the "list" of the Gulf allies, pointing out that such demands constitute a clear "violation of international law".

Meanwhile, Turkey and Iran continue to provide commercial, economic and military support to Doha isolated from the rest of the region. The small emirate, with a population of 2.7 million people, largely migrant workers from Asia and rich in oil and natural gas, is likely to face a serious crisis if the controversy continues. Interviewed by AsiaNews, the apostolic vicar of northern Arabian Peninsula (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain) Msgr. Camillo Ballin has confirmed the problems that have already pushed part of the local Catholic community to emigrate.

Yesterday, Qatar announced its intention to strengthen natural gas production (LNG) for the coming years, a sector in which the country is one of the world's leaders. At the same time, he reiterated the desire to resolve the crisis with Riyadh (and allies) through dialogue, excluding the use of force that would end worsening an already tense situation in the region. (DS)
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Believer can wait up 8-9 hours to kiss the relics of the saint of Bari. On 12 July, it will move to St Petersburg. Waiting and pilgrimage are in the soul of Russian culture.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  The long queue of pilgrims continues in the Russian capital forming an endless procession to honour the most beloved relics (left rib) of the saint: Nicholas of Bari, known in Russia as Nikolaos of Myra (Lycia).

On 12 July, the relics will move to the "northern capital" of St Petersburg. Until then, devotees from Moscow and all Russia will continue to line up in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, where the relics are presently on display.

Huge crowds are expected at the St Alexander Nevsky Lavra (monastery) who, before reaching the saints relics to kiss, will walk through the famous cemetery in front of the monastery, final resting place of people like Dostoyevsky and Mussorgsky.

All the trains in Moscows underground (about twenty lines, second after Paris) carry ads telling passengers to get off at Frunzenskaya station to go to the cathedral, several kilometres from the sacred place, to join the silent and impressive queue of devotees who walk for up to 8-9 hours to meet the saint.

In recent years, such crowds have formed on similar occasions, like the pilgrimage to Russia of the Belt of Our Lady in 2011 (from Greece) and the display of the relics of Saint Andrew Apostle (donated by Amalfi to Patras in Greece, and then brought to Russia in 2003).

To find a similar situation, we must go back to December 1989 when the body of the famous dissident Andrei Sakharov was laid in state in the Moscows Palace of Youth.

That funeral was the first public mass post-communist manifestation and the ten-hour wait in 20 below temperatures showed the great desire of the Russian people to turn a final page after a century of madness and oppression.

The long wait is part of the very nature of Russians: the huge distances of the land, often in a frozen and hostile weather, force people into show endless patience before reaching their desired destination, whether it is a geographical location, an historic achievement (Russia was one of the last countries to abolish serfdom in 1861 and admit religious tolerance in 1905), or a spiritual dimension.

The famous Starets (elder) Saint Seraphim of Sarov lived in the Diveevo forest, more than 600 kilometres from Moscow. All Russia came to him for spiritual counsel and guidance, and even today many pilgrims visit his restored monastery in his memory.

Many spiritual fathers, much sought after following the end of the atheist regime, retreat to far and inaccessible places (the Caucasus mountains, the Siberian steppes or the Central Asian tundra).

Since the Middle Ages, Russians have been among the most zealous pilgrims to the far-off Holy Land, and the mystical dream of every strannik, the "wandering" believer typical of Russian spirituality, is to reach the extreme of the Chalkidiki peninsula, the hermits of the Holy Mountain, on Mount Athos, which today again welcomes hundreds of novices from Russia. President Putin visited the place a dozen times, every time he could.

According to some Muscovite pilgrims, the queue is far from immovable and passive. It moves at a regular rhythm, accompanied by heartfelt prayers and by the solace of priests setting the tone of the litanies.

In the Byzantine world, particularly in Russia, there is no tradition of street orchestras (musical instruments are deemed the devils tool; hence they are banned), nor are songs improvised. The community prayer is always liturgical and litaneutical with choral invocations and responses to the priest and the deacon; otherwise, only silence and meditation are allowed.

The queue moves with sufficient promptness because the act of devotion lasts at best a second, the time to kiss the relic and make the sign of the cross (in Latin "adoration" means the lips coming into contact with the body of the venerated person).

The long wait ends in the "sudden joy", which is the name of one of the most beloved Marian icons, akin to the Latin Annunciation: Mary receives the illumination and proclamation of grace from the archangel, and expresses in an instant the sense of human happiness, which resides in contact with the divine.

At the special place where the pilgrims to Saint Nicholas write down their stories, one of the first posts is by Alena Romanenko, who expressed all her joy because "after making the sign of the cross and kissed the relic, the priest let me do it a second time, and no one pushed me away . . . I think everything depends on what everyone has in his or her heart, and the saint will bring it out of us!"

In Russia as elsewhere, naive and deep faith is the soul that makes the mass a people, and makes the individual a person.
by Weena Kowitwanij

By the end of June, some 60,000 migrants left Thailand for fear of sanctions. Undocumented foreign workers face fines that top US$ 2,000 and five years in prison with those from Myanmar the most affected. Some Thai officials extort money from those leaving. The exodus is having negative effects on Thailands economy.

Bangkok (AsiaNews)  Tens of thousands of migrant workers, most from Myanmar, have fled Thailand following the adoption of new labour regulations by the countrys military government on 23 June.

As the workers make their way home, some are being illegally asked to pay money at checkpoints, which has led the Myanmar government to make an official protest. The exodus is also having a negative impact on some sectors of Thailands economy.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers, mostly from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. Since it took over in a military coup in 2014, the ruling junta has tried to regulate the foreign workforce, moved in part by media reports of the exploitation of undocumented workers.

The new law imposes fines on undocumented workers ranging from US$ 1,000 to more than US$ 2,000 as well as up to five years in prison. The net effect has been that about 60,000 workers left between 23 and 28 June, a number that is rising.

Following reports about the exodus, Thailand issued a 120-day delay in enforcing parts of the decree. The latter includes fines of up to 800,000 baht (US$ 24,000) for employers who hire undocumented foreign workers.

Migrants from Myanmar are the most affected. Since 29 June, more re than 16,000 people, including both legal and undocumented migrants, have returned home.

Thai government trucks have been taking workers to the Myanmar town of Myawaddy, 246 km (153 miles) east of Yangon, and opposite the Thai town of Mae Sot, where they are met by Myanmar Labour Ministry officials who have heard scores of complaints about having to pay some money to Thai officers at checkpoints in Muang District, Tak province.

As migrants arrive home, their accounts of the situation have prompted Myanmar authorities to react. Myawaddy Governor Bunthun Lue wrote to Tak provincial authorities to look into the allegations.

On Sunday, Thai Interior Deputy Undersecretary Prayoon Rattanasaenee called on the governor to investigate the claims. He also told border officials not to ask money from workers but instead assist them with water and food at the local public health centre.

In parallel, Third Army Chief Lt Gen Vijak Siribansop announced an in-depth investigation is under way.

Meanwhile, as they are implemented, the new labour regulations are having a negative impact on Thailand's economy. Business groups say the exodus is already hitting some companies that depend on labour from the poorer neighbouring countries.

In Bangkok, an executive at a construction company said as many as 80 per cent of workers had left some of its building sites. Fishing groups also voiced concern, saying foreign workers were essential for nearly 30,000 boats.

"The private sector is in shock," said Tanit Sorat, vice chairman of Employers' Confederation of Thailand. "These are jobs that Thais will not do so if there is a labour shortage businesses cannot move forward."
Iranian exports to Europe jumped 127 per cent compared to last year. Imports also grew. Volkswagen announces its return to the Iranian market.

Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Iranian official sources have announced that Iranian exports of non-petroleum products to the European Union saw a huge increase compared to last year, a positive trend confirmed by Volkswagens return to the Iranian market.

The value of Iran's exports to the EU from January to April 2017 reached  3.4 (billion US$ 3.9 billion). This represents a five-fold jump compared to the same period last year when Iran's exports to the Union stood at around  0.7 billion.

Overall Iran's trade with the EU over the same period reached around  6.5 billion - an increase of about 127 per cent. EU exports to Iran also rose by 44 per cent from January to April to a total value of  3.1 billion. In 2016, the figure stood at  2.1 billion.

The bulk of the exports in industrial goods included hot-rolled non-alloy iron, steel, non-alloy iron and steel in forms other than ingots top the list of Iran's exports to the EU. Other popular products include condensate, light oils and methanol. Key consumers of Iranian goods are Spain, France, Greece, and Italy.

However, Germany is Iran's largest trade partner in Europe. Figures from last year show that the value of trade between the two countries stands at around  3 billion, but officials on both sides have already voiced optimism that this could increase in the near future.

Meanwhile, German carmaker Volkswagen announced on Tuesday that it will resume selling cars in Iran from next month after signing a contract with local importer Mammut Khodro.

By returning to Iran, the Volkswagen brand is filling another blank spot on the global automobile map, said in a statement Volkswagens project manager for Iran.

The German carmaker, the market leader in Europe, pulled out of the Iranian market in 2000 due to international sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Other carmakers plan to follow. Frances Renault and PSA Group have announced their own plans to return to Iran.
New round of government-opposition meetings in the Kazakhstan capital. The goal is to strengthen the safe areas. Archbishop Abou Khazen points out that every opportunity to meet is always "positive" even if the situation is "uncertain". Half a million displaced have returned to the lands of origin, 1300 towns pacified.

Aleppo (AsiaNews) - Every opportunity for "meeting, discussion, dialogue" is always a "positive" factor and must induce "optimism", even if the situation on the ground "is not easy" and there remains a widespread "feeling of uncertainty "over the future, the apostolic vicar of Aleppo dei Latini, Msgr. Georges Abou Khazen tells AsiaNews, commenting on the second day of bilateral peace talks in Astana (Kazakhstan) on Syria, sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran. "The hope - he adds - is always for an end to conflict and that the ceasefire will help the return of displaced persons and a resumption of economic and trade activities", key factors to resettle the country.

The fifth international meeting on Syria opened yesterday in Astana with the aim of strengthening the "fragile" national truce in force since last December. A two-day encounter involving Syrian government delegates and representatives of armed opposition. The mediation set up by Tehran, Moscow and Ankara (on opposite sides of the conflict) is in conjunction with the diplomatic efforts promoted by the United Nations in Geneva (Switzerland), but which have never had long lasting effects.

In the past, the meetings of Astana, which first saw Damascus and the rebels front sit down at the same table, has proven more decisive than the UN-sponsored talks. At the last event, in May, areas of "de-escalation" of the conflict were agreed upon as well as the ceasefire, safe corridors, the immediate supply of humanitarian aid and the return of refugees.

The goal set for the two-day talks, at which the United States participates as observers, is to define the exact boundaries of the four bearing areas and procedures to verify the respectability of the truce. Two months after signing, however, priority should be given to areas of de-escalation affecting some rebel territories in Idlib province, a sector of central Homs governorate, a rebel enclave in Ghouta and the southern part of the country, home to more than 2.5 million people.

Within the anti-Assad delegation, where the chief negotiator Mohammad Allouche is absent, there is a climate of widespread scepticism. The idea is that Russia wants to promote these discussions, to "distract" the general attention from the "bombing, displacement of civilians and repeated assaults" that is taking place in the country. For its part, the Syrian government has said it will not allow its enemies to "benefit" the formation of buffer zones in the west to achieve military progress.

A complex picture, in which regional and international diplomacy is moving very slowly without any visible effort. "From the security point of view," adds Msgr. Abou Khazen - the situation in several areas, including Aleppo, has improved. We have no electricity, but water has come back and life continues. Of course, the lack of young people and men because they emigrated or were called up is felt, especially in the reconstruction work. But we shepherds encourage people to stay and we try to help them by contributing to the needs of families and their children."

Interviewed on the Astana talks, the apostolic vicar wants to be "optimistic", although "we cannot be sure that there is really a solution to the horizon, let's see what will happen." "Every meeting, every opportunity for dialogue  he continues - is important and the hope is that it will lead to a ceasefire. These talks have favored internal reconciliation in many areas, just think that 500 to 1300 towns where the fighting fronts have laid down their weapons and refused war as a means to settle disputes. I hope they can be the viatic for a national reconciliation."

In these villages and towns, the prelate tells us, people "began to cultivate the earth, reopen the schools, and resume their activities. There are more than half a million displaced persons who fled in the past and now return to their lands of origin, in the border area near Lebanon and in the central areas of Homs and Hama and along some stretches of the Euphrates. They are a significant number that encourages and could encourage others to come back. " "This  he concludes - is the first tangible result of the talks and the implementation of the safe areas I hope will give a further acceleration to this process."

The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 as a popular revolt against President Bashar al Assad. Over time it has become a civil war, with jihadist infiltrations and increasing interference from foreign, regional and international powers. Over six years more than 300,000 people have died; Nearly 11 million citizens have had to abandon their homes, creating an unprecedented flow of migrants and internally displaced persons.
The curtain is falling on a generation of Asias tycoons who forged vast fortunes in the fires of the regions political and economic upheaval of the past half-century.

Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, for decades one of the worlds richest people, has told associates that he plans to step down as chairman of his flagship conglomerate, CK Hutchison Holdings by next year, when he turns 90, according to people briefed by Mr Li.

A Chinese-born, Hong Kong-made billionaire, Mr Li built a plastic-flower manufacturer into a global empire spanning property, energy, ports, telecoms and retail.

Passing the baton to his previously anointed successor, his eldest son, Victor Li, would represent the most significant corporate abdication yet among an elite of ageing billionaires in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

These tycoons combined business savvy and carefully cultivated political connections  often with authoritarian governments  to prosper in Asias postcolonial economies and, more recently, from Chinas economic opening, said a report in the Australian.

With an average age of 80, the current 10 wealthiest tycoons in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia are collectively the worlds oldest, according to an analysis of data from Forbes 2017 billionaires list, the paper said.

They include sugar-to-palm-oil and hotel baron Robert Kuok, 93, of Malaysia; Thailands chicken-and-pork king, Dhanin Chearavanont, 78; and Philippines shoe seller-turned mall developer Henry Sy, 92. All are from Chinese emigrant families and became the richest men in their countries.

The Li fortune is estimated at more than $30-billion, and the family has built a substantial portfolio in Canada that includes a 30-year investment in Husky Energy Inc. Other Canadian businesses in the portfolio include ParkN Fly, Canadian Power Holdings Ltd., Wex Pharmaceuticals and Sante Naturelle AG. Victor Li offered to refinance Air Canada, in 2003, but walked away from the transaction when the two sides could not agree on terms for the deal.

Robert Kuoks business holdings in Canada include the Shangri-la Hotel in Vancouver

Among other business interests, Sy is building a resort town Tagaytay Highlands using Canadian logs.

Mr Kuok hasnt announced succession plans, but his eldest son is now chairman of the familys main private company. Mr Chearavanont handed the reins earlier this year to his sons, appointing his eldest as chairman. Mr Sy has made his six children heirs to his company.

As these men face succession, some investors question whether their privileged, mostly Western-educated heirs can steer their corporate juggernauts as effectively as their self-made fathers did. Many lack the political ties and hardscrabble upbringing of the patriarchs. They also have less access to easy opportunities.

These 10 families remain a formidable force, with a combined wealth of almost $US160 billion, according to an analysis of Forbes data. They wield huge power at home and increasingly seek foreign acquisitions. Between them, they have spent almost $US200 billion on acquisitions over the past decade, according to Dealogic.

Mr Li, known for his horn-rimmed glasses and iron grip on his companies, rode Chinas economic boom, and extended his reach into UK mobile networks, Australian utilities and Canadian airconditioning firms. A spokesman for CK Hutchison said the chairman has from time to time talked about his retirement and his confidence in Victor to lead the company. Mr Li, through a company spokesman, declined to be interviewed.

Even so, the stepping back of Mr Li  who is worth $US33 billion, according to the latest data from Forbes  may create uncertainty among shareholders over CK Hutchisons direction. The company has recently failed with separate bids of more than $US10 billion for mobile phone and energy assets in the UK and Australia, while homegrown Chinese billionaires are challenging its real-estate and ports businesses.

While the elder Mr Li is known as a charismatic, politically savvy deal maker, his Stanford-educated son Victor is viewed as a more dour, details-oriented businessman who has spent more than three decades shadowing his father. Victor Li, through a company spokesman, declined to comment.

Companies the world over struggle with how best to preserve a founders legacy. In much of Asia, the issue is acute because tycoons have out-size influence on their domestic economies, and tend to be intensely insular decision makers.

When successions go poorly, the cost to stakeholders can be enormous. A study of around 200 family-run companies in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan by Joseph Fan, a finance professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, found that they lost 60 per cent of their value on average during the years around the transfer of power.

Meanwhile, Asias economic landscape is shifting rapidly. Families that built their fortunes on property, power and commodities have seen their status eroded as Chinese entrepreneurs and tech titans have supplanted them as the worlds wealthiest citizens.

As recently as 1996, tycoons from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia made up eight of the 25 richest people on Forbes global rich list. Mr Li is the only one who remains: He has lately been vying for the title of Asias richest man with internet titan Jack Ma of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and property magnate Wang Jianlin of Dalian Wanda Group.

Of all the scions, Victor Li, 52, appears among the best prepared. He joined his fathers company in 1985 after studying in the US.

Still, many parts of Mr Lis empire are run by lieutenants who hold considerable power. Victor Li, as well, doesnt have his fathers history of relations with Chinas leaders and experience navigating the factional and complex politics and bureaucracy of China.

Li Ka-shings key asset is his outstanding relationships and those relationships arent easily transferred, said Mr Fan, who has studied Mr Lis career. His son may not inherit this from his father and be able to make friends with Chinese politicians.

The elder Mr Lis ties to Beijing have waned under President Xi Jinping. Chinese ports are sucking up business from Mr Lis Hong Kong terminals, while homegrown property developers are increasingly moving in on his home turf. Victor is likely to inherit the business empire at a challenging time.

People familiar with the family say Mr Lis younger son, 50-year-old Richard, has more of Mr Lis deal-making skills and charismatic traits. However, Richard early on chose to branch out on his own, using family money to buy and run media and telecoms companies, with varying success.

Friends of the Li family say Victor leads an insular life in Hong Kong. He has resided for years in the same mansion with his father, and his wife and children, and limits his socialising mostly to when he goes to Canada, where he has citizenship. Part of Victors reticence stems from a traumatising ordeal in 1996, when he was kidnapped by an armed Chinese gang and held overnight. He was gagged and badly treated, people familiar with the matter say.

Mr Li paid 1 billion Hong Kong dollars ($US134 million) to secure Victors release. The gang leader was later convicted and executed in mainland China.
By Faisal Al-Alamy

Special to The Post

In todays digitally dependent society, patience seems like a lost art.

We are easily frustrated when a website takes longer than a minute to load, or when someone fails to return a text message in a split second.

But for those individuals hoping to immigrate to Canada, patience is a necessity, especially when faced with the routine, lengthy delays that accompany Canadas permanent residency application process.

Fortunately, the Ministry of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced programs in the last five years that aim to reduce these delays. One such program is Express Entry, the governments fast-track process to permanent residency to Canada.

Given Express Entrys aim to simplify and accelerate the permanent residency immigration process, one might assume that the program would be equally simple to navigate. However, a quick Google search of the Express Entry program may leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Acronyms such as CRS, CEC, ITA, PNP are littered throughout a seemingly unmanageable bureaucratic portal. But navigating the program doesnt have to be a Herculean task  a quick primer may be just enough to do the trick.

Express Entry was introduced on January 1, 2015, with the intention of accelerating the permanent residency application process for economic immigrants to a matter of months, as opposed to years under the previous system.

The Express Entry system contains four distinct immigration streams: (1) Federal Skilled Worker; (2) Federal Skilled Trades; (3) Canadian Experience Class; and (4) the Provincial Nominee Program. An applicant must satisfy the criteria for one of these programs to be eligible to apply under Express Entry.

There are two steps to the Express Entry application process. First, applicants fill out and complete an online profile. Submitting the profile requires applicants to describe their age, education, work experience and language proficiency. Those who meet the criteria of one of the four economic immigration streams will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

Those accepted into the Express Entry pool are then ranked based upon their profile information, via a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). CRS points are awarded for factors such as age, education, language proficiency in English and French and for foreign and Canadian work experience.

Those candidates with the highest CRS scores in the pool are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Candidates who receive an ITA have 90 days to submit an online application for permanent residency.

Of course, even the Express Entry program requires a degree of patience. Although the IRCC finalizes the majority of completed applications within six months, delays can still occur.

Candidates are able to remain in the Express Entry pool for up to 12 months while awaiting an ITA.

Candidates who do not receive an ITA within 12 months of submitting a profile may submit a new profile and re-enter the pool as long as they still meet the program criteria. In cases of similar or identical CRS scores, earlier applications are given priority over later ones, making it important to keep your Express Entry status current at all times.

Pro Tip: the Express Entry process is relatively fast and so it is essential to have all the proper documentation at hand before submitting your online profile for an ITA. Failing to do so may result in processing delays or your application being rejected.

Read more at www.canadian-visa-lawyer.com.
Australian Movenpick parlours acquired by Emerald Foods





New Zealand ice cream manufacturer, Emerald Foods, has acquired the Australian Movenpick ice cream parlour network from Peters Ice Cream.

The acquisition price has not been disclosed.

Emerald Foods already represents Movenpick in New Zealand a number of other ice cream brands including New Zealand Natural.

Damian Isbister, Executive Director of Emerald Foods Australia, said Emerald Foods has an established relationship with Movenpick.

Our company already enjoys a wonderful relationship with Movenpick as their representative in the New Zealand market, where we operate a number of very successful Movenpick parlours, he said.

There are 22 Movenpick parlours Australia-wide. Peters Ice Cream will still be responsible for all other Movenpick branded products within Australia.

Emerald Foods was established in 1985 and its ice cream is sold in over 30 different countries.

Outside of Movenpick and New Zealand Natural, Emerald Foods other ice cream brands include Killinchy Gold, Chateau, Zilch and Like Licks.

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Foodbank launches largest-ever Shop and Share campaign with Woolworths





Foodbank has launched its largest-ever Shop and Share campaign.

Fifteen food brands have committed to donating up to one million food items during July 2017, giving to Foodbank whenever a selected product is purchased from Woolworths.

Foodbank Chief Executive Officer, Brianna Casey, said if one million donations are made, it will equate to more than 10 million serves of food for those in need.

This campaign makes it easy for everyday Australians to support Foodbank, Casey said.

By purchasing a product from our supporting partners at Woolworths in July, consumers will trigger a food donation to Foodbank, enabling us to distribute more food to Australians struggling to make ends meet this winter, she said.

Food brands involved in the 2017 Shop and Share campaign include Ardmona, Chicken Tonight, Continental, Devondale, Helgas, John West, McCain, Mount Franklin, Old El Paso, Primo, Sanitarium, SPC, SunRice, Woolworths and Vetta.

Woolworths will promote Shop and Share this year through its in-store radio, Fresh Magazine, Woolworths Rewards and customer emails.

Foodbank collects food on behalf of 2, 600 Australian charities and 644, 000 people receive these donations every month. A third of those receiving the food donations are children.

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Grilld recruits award-winning chef to create new burger



Chef, Darren Robertson, is collaborating with Grill'd for Splendour in the Grass

Grilld Burgers has partnered with award-winning chef, Darren Robertson, to create a new burger.

The Splendour Burger is a limited-edition menu item created to celebrate the Splendour in the Grass music festival held in Byron Bay, New South Wales during July 2017.

The burger includes pork belly, fennel and cabbage slaw, smoked sea salt, cos lettuce and finger lime mayonnaise.

Chef Robertson said he hopes the burger will bring the Splendour in the Grass experience to Grilld restaurants across Australia.

Im stoked to bring the flavours and produce of Byron Bay to Grilld stores for everyone to enjoy, particularly if you cant make it to Splendour in the Grass this year, Robertson said.

With Grillds dedication to continually surprising their customers with new combinations and menu additions, as well as their heritage with Splendour in the Grass, it was the perfect opportunity to create a burger to transport people to another place, whether thats at the festival or during a lunchbreak, he said.

The burger will be available at selected Grilld restaurants from 6 July 2017. It will also be available at the Splendour in the Grass festival.

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Oporto now selling sweet potato burger buns





Oporto is now selling sweet premium sweet potato buns to accompany its burgers.

Responding to consumer demand, Oporto decided to launch the bun made using sweet potato. It can be ordered with any of its burgers for an extra $1.50.

Brioche buns are also now available to be added to any burger for an extra $1.50.

The last new edition to Oportos menu for July 2017 is Extremo Picante sauce, described as hotter than Oportos chilli sauce. The Extremo Picante sauce is available on flame grilled chicken wings with three for $4.50, five for $4.50 and eight for $9.50.

Oporto was first established in Sydney in 1985 and is part of the Craveable Brands network. It specialises in Portuguese style chicken and has over 100 stores in Australia and across the world.

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CEO says that Rolls-Royce will only introduce battery tech when it can be used in an all-electric vehicle

Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos has ruled out the possibility of hybrid powertrains from the brand in the future, saying that it will only introduce battery technology when its developed enough for an all-electric machine.

Muller-Otvos said he is convinced that electric powertrains are the future of motoring, but added that the luxury firms customers would not accept the compromise of hybrid technology.

Electrification is the way forward  and there will be no in between steps for us like hybridisation, said Muller-Otvos at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It is the propulsion system for the future, make no error. There is a time, nobody can predict when, when there will be no combustion engines. That will take a long, long time, but it will happen.

Explaining why the company would not invest in hybrid technology, Muller-Otvos added: The Rolls-Royce brand is not, in a way, a game changer when it comes to revolutionary technology. Our customers are doing so for reasons of utmost luxury, so there can be no imperfections.

Compromises when it comes to technology, or operating our products, are unacceptable. People are more interested in highly reliably substance than to be a test field for new technology.

Muller-Otvos also noted that access to technology developed by BMW, Rolls-Royce's parent company, would be a great asset when it does start work on an electric powertrain.

Last year Rolls-Royce unveiled a Vision 100 concept, as part of the BMW Groups 100th anniversary. That was an all-electric machine with autonomous technology. But Muller-Otvos said that, while autonomous tech will come to Rolls-Royce cars, it was not a priority.
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New-vehicle sales through the first six months of 2017 are expected to be down 2.3%, and high quality off-lease vehicles may be part of the reason why, according to Kelley Blue Book.

By the end of this year, 3.6 million off-lease vehicles will return to market, compared to 3 million in 2016, according to Cox Automotive data. By 2020, the number of off-lease vehicles returning to market is expected to rise to 4.6 million.

These off-lease vehicles are coming back to the used market as low-mileage, relatively new vehicles and are providing would-be new-vehicle buyers with an affordable and appealing used alternative, the company added.

We are moving into a post peak period for the U.S. auto industry, said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Cox Automotive. Many of the tailwinds that took the market to record sales in 2015 and 2016 are slowly becoming the headwinds that will keep new-vehicle sales in check through the end of the decade.

Looking at various manufacturers performance, Subaru has been among the best performing brands this year. Through the first five months, the brand has gained the most market share among all brands without relying on heavy incentives  which has been a trend among many manufacturers lately.

Nissan is also expected to gain market share, thanks in part to model refreshes, including an all-new Rogue Sport aimed to compete in the popular crossover segment. Fleet sales and higher incentive spending have also been part of the brands growth strategy.

Nissan is gaining market share by piling on incentives and eating up fleet demand others abandoned, said Rebecca Lindland, KBB executive analyst. As long as profitability holds up, theres no reason to believe the brand will change strategy in the second half of the year.

Brands that are expected to struggle this year are Chrysler, Ford, and Jeep.

KBBs forecast for full-year new-vehicle sales is 17.1 million, down 2.5% from the record 17.5 million sold last year. Although that marks a decline, Smoke still believes that the automotive market is healthy. A 17.1 million new-vehicle sale year would still be one of the best years recorded in the auto industry, he noted.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
Photo courtesy of Enterprise Holdings

Enterprise CarShare has pulled its service out of the Washington, D.C., market due to lower-than-expected demand, according to a report by the dcist.com.

Enterprise CarShare operated in D.C. for four years.

"After carefully monitoring and evaluating demand for local carsharing service for the past several years, Enterprise has decided to scale back its car-sharing operations in Washington D.C.," the company said in a statement. "The local program was not able to establish itself as a sustainable transportation alternative for the long term."

Enterprise CarShare is also leaving the Boston, Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco markets, according to the report. The company plans to continue its operations in Toronto, New York, Philadelphia, and London.

Existing reservation in D.C. will be honored through the end of July, says the report.

Click here for the full dcist.com report.
Photo courtesy of Zipcar

Zipcar has announced a new partnership with the city of Worcester, Mass., to bring its carsharing service to area residents, businesses, visitors, and students.

Six Zipcars are now available for reservation by the hour or by the day in Worcesters downtown.

The Zipcar Worcester fleet includes a Honda CR-V named Raclette, a Honda Civic dubbed Boopie, and a Ford Escape called Eldrick. Each reservation includes gas, insurance, and 180 miles of driving per day.

Were excited to bring Zipcar to Worcester as part of the citys growing transportation network, said Chris Moulding, Zipcars regional community marketing manager. Our service gives members on-demand access to wheels when they want them with the simple tap of a Zipcard, giving them freedom to get around without having to own a vehicle.

The launch in Worcester builds on Zipcars presence at several local universities, including Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State University.

The City of Worcester is constantly looking for ways to grow smartly, and this agreement with Zipcar helps us do that by reducing the need for parking spaces downtown and giving our residents a more sustainable alternative to owning a car, said City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. As our downtown continues to grow and increasingly becomes a neighborhood where people work, play, and live, it is important for us to provide robust transportation options and this helps us achieve that goal.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

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Barclays Bank Africa with its headquarters in South Africa has instructed the African banks to close the redundant branches in their respective countries. Seven branches in Kenya will be closed before the end of this month.Barclays Bank of Kenya BBK has announced plans to close seven of its branches in a review of its business operations. The affected branches include five in Nairobi and two in Meru and Wundanyi at the Coast respectively.Those branches to be shut are Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie, Waiyaki Way, Kawangware, Rahimtulla, Nakumatt Meru and Wundanyi branches. Colleagues working in these branches will be redeployed based on available opportunities and matching competency skills, said the lender in a memo to staff.We have briefed the impacted colleagues and HR will help them make a smooth transition as the changes take effect. Last month, the lender began implementing a voluntary early retirement scheme which it said would affect 130 of its staff.This comes after Family Bank retrenched its employs giving room for the bank to restructuring its business across the country. More than 50 Employees of the bank lost their jobs.The banking sector has had massive fallout after the closure of Dubai Bank, Imperial and later Chase bank. Chase bank was kept under receivership by the Central Bank.
To dress in a skirt or dress that is not above the knees, with a smart long or short sleeved blouse. Officers should avoid wearing sleeveless, transparent blouses and dresses at the work place. To ensure that the clothing covers up cleavage, navel, knees and back. Not allowed to have bright coloured hair in form of natural hair, braids and hair extensions. Maintain well-groomed, neutral polished nails. Long nails with more than 3cms (1.5in), with bright nail polish or with multi-coloured nail polish are not allowed in public offices. Shall keep the facial make-up simple and not exaggerated.

Male officers are required to dress in neat trousers, long-sleeved shirts, jacket and a tie. Officers will not be allowed to put on open shoes during working hours, except on health grounds/recommendation. Hair should be well-groomed and generally kept short. Tight-fitting trousers will not be permitted.

The Uganda Judiciary and the Parliament have enacted laws that will be followed by civil and public servants in the country. The dress code law will enhance restorations of loose moral in the country.The laws just come after a conservative society and women have previously complained of being harassed if they wear mini-skirts in public. The Dress by the public servants will also enhance delivery of services without mental affiliations in the public sector.Public servants in Uganda are facing a strict dress code after the government issued a circular warning them to "dress decently".Female staff have been told not to show any cleavage, wear brightly coloured nails, braids or hair extensions, sleeveless or transparent blouses.Men must wear long-sleeved shirts, jackets and ties, while trousers should not be tight-fitting.Staff failing to comply will be disciplined and face work dismissal if possible.The guidelines, issued by the Ministry of Public Service apply to all non-uniformed civil servants. But there is a feeling that female staff are the main focus on the new rules.While women will be allowed to wear pant-suits, they have been warned not to wear any tight-fitting clothing. Dresses and skirts must at least be knee-length.The Ministry of Public Service's Director of Human Resources, Adah Muwanga, said they had to act after receiving complaints:"We were approached with complaints that, specifically lady officers, were dressing in an unacceptable manner, with mini-skirts and showing body parts which otherwise generally should be covered in Ugandan society," she told the BBC.She said the ministry has overall responsibility to guide the administration and management of the public service and "this is how we want the public to view us".The circular further states that accessories should be modest, while long fingernails of more than 3cms (1.5in) with bright or multi-coloured nail polish are also not permitted.Flat, open shoes are ruled out, except in cases where one can prove that it is for medical reasons.Men have been told they should keep their hair short and neat, and not wear brightly coloured clothes.The laws do not have a room for amendment in the next parliament. The Ugandan public service has agreed to use the laws as it will be the only way to prevent public outcry of s*xually harassments.
A fire broke out at an apartment building in Tampa overnight.

Fire crews were called out to Park 46 Apartments around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday

Man sent to hospital after fire sparked at Tampa apartments

Fire sparked around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday at Park 46 Apartments

Cause of fire unknown

Crews said the fire was contained to one unit and the man who was living inside was rushed to Tampa General Hospital.

Officials said the man suffered significant injuries but has not released anymore details about the victim.

A neighbor said the smoke was so intense, she became frantic because her 2-year-old daughter was sleeping in a bedroom right across the hall from where the fire broke out.

I was kind of in shock at fire because really shes the most important, valuable thing to get out of the house. I wasnt even thinking about anything else really besides grabbing her and putting a blanket over her head, but when we went out it got to be too much so we came back in and tried to shut off all the rooms, Erin Costello said.

An arson task force was called out due to the serious injury, but officials said the fire does not appear suspicious. They said the cause appears to be either unattended cooking or electrical malfunction.
Low-income seniors in Orange will be able to access food boxes next week, the first event in a series of food distribution throughout the region.

The Southeast Texas Food Bank and the Houston Food Bank will be collaborating on July 11 to provide senior-friendly food boxes to low-income residents in Orange, they announced in a news release.
The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons' first Anesthesia Patient Safety Conference focused on increasing anesthesia patient safety efforts.

Around 100 physicians attended the conference, April 27 in Rosemont, Ill.

Physicians presented on topics including:

Anesthesia education

High-risk patient identification

Anesthesia administration and monitoring techniques

Emergency preparedness

AAOMS president Douglas Fain, DDS, MD, said in a release, "Our primary concern is the safety of the patient. AAOMS believes the ability to provide dental sedation in an ambulatory or office setting is both a privilege and a profound responsibility."

Several professional societies were represented including: AAOMS, the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, American Society of Anesthesiology and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.
Larry D. Taylor, president and CEO of Birmingham, Ala.-based Practice Partners in Healthcare, shares how his practice measures outcomes in a value-based arena and the importance of maintaining a strong patient base.

Question: As healthcare transitions toward the value-based payment model, how is your practice measuring outcomes and what are the remaining challenges for physicians?

Mr. Larry Taylor: One of the first items to prepare for value-based payments is the ability for ASCs to segregate cost and be able to cost each case. This is part of the value proposition to demonstrate cost effective care. To cost case the center, personnel must be recording inventory and item costs that are utilized in each case. Additionally, cost per minute and the deployment of a standard set of algorithms is necessary to apply costs to specialties. This data is developed by CPT and individual physician. This allows for the development of information that is used for negotiations with payer engagement. When reviewing the analysis of the data all outliers must be reviewed and determine the effect on the average case and if these conditions can be remediated. Standard outcome measures from the ASC must be combined with clinical outcomes from the physician practice outcome data to encompass the necessary data. The clinical data is then compiled with financial data to assist in the evaluation of rates.

Q: How do you maintain and grow a strong patient base?

LT: Physician relations and physician satisfaction are key for a strong patient base. The source for every non-physician encounter is the physician referral; in fact, the only source in the healthcare continuum for patient encounters is the physician. At Practice Partners we are a physician-centric company that focuses upon the physician needs to assure the patient is number one. Assuring that the surgical team is prepared, upbeat, responsive, proactive and efficient is an essential step. High levels of communication where issues or questions arise can also assure that the team is prepared. Physicians also respond well to information that relates to each procedure, case costing, alternative solutions and sense of urgency produces positive results. The best business or patient base is the business you already have. Take care of your physicians by improved process that eliminates redundancy that does not affect quality care or safety. Be there early and be there late, make the center work for the physicians creating value and accessibility rather than limiting access.

Q: What are key business trends in your orthopedic practice?

LT: We continue to see greater migration of orthopedics cases in our centers from all subspecialties. In the ASC environment with lower cost, greater efficiency and ease of access patients are seeking value. Industry wide we are experiencing increased procedures related to total joints and complex spine procedures. With the advancement of minimally invasive techniques, implants and equipment that assist the surgeon in efficient deployment as well as advanced pain management to allow for safe and highly effective same-day surgery. These procedures are saving the healthcare system great cost and patients experience lower co-pay exposure as well.

Learn more from Mr. Taylor at the 24th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs in October 2017. Click here for more information.
Surgeons across the country are beginning to perform outpatient total joint replacements and spine surgery in an ASC. Outpatient procedures are associated with lower infection rates and reduced costs, providing better value to the healthcare system.1

DePuy Synthes hosted a workshop on June 22, 2017 at the 15th Annual Becker's Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine about starting total joint and spine surgery programs at ASCs. Dan Hoeffel, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Woodbury, Minn.-based Summit Orthopaedics; Michael Kachmann, MD, a neurosurgeon at Cincinnati-based Mayfield Clinic; and Derek van Amerongen, MS, MD, vice president and medical director of Humana of Ohio, spoke on the panel.

Key factors for ASC programs

In 2008, over 41 percent of the total joint replacements were performed on patients younger than 65 years old; many of those patients could be eligible for outpatient total joints.2 Medicare doesn't currently reimburse for total joint replacements in the ASC setting, but private insurance companies are increasingly interested in contracting for the procedures in a safe, lower cost setting. Surgeons also see opportunity to control the patient's experience at the surgery center with a knowledgeable surgical staff, input on implants and control over postsurgical care.

Dr. Hoeffel works in a high volume total joint ASC and his new perspective is that "the value equation is quality over payment, and we can adjust the payment element here to create better value.

In some states, ASCs are able to keep patients for 23 hours, or construct a convalescence center to transfer patients postoperatively. Depending on state regulations, surgeons can bring joint replacement procedures into their centers and safely monitor their recovery.

According to the panelists, the key steps to starting a total joint replacement or spine program in an ASC include:

 Align surgeons with anesthesia, midlevel providers and the nursing staff

 Agree on patient selection criteria

 Develop a pre-surgical patient education plan

 Identify barriers to patients not progressing in rehabilitation

 Remove any roadblocks to recovering at home

 Employ a multimodal pain management protocol for outpatient surgery

 Design a postoperative mobility protocol and work with nurses to implement

 Create a follow-up plan to connect with patients after they return home

Dr. Hoeffel described Summit Orthopedics' first 400 outpatient total joint replacement patients, finding a 1.25% readmission rate for total knee arthroplasty and 1.79% for total hip arthroplasty. To prevent unnecessary readmissions, the surgeons asked patients to call them or their urgent care centers instead of going to the emergency room unless the patient had chest pain.

Surgery centers can go a step beyond delivering quality patient outcomes to improving the patient and family experience. Dr. Kachmann described how the Mayfield Clinic's outpatient spine surgery program took the next step in keeping patients and their families satisfied by installing snack and drink machines, wireless internet and private patient rooms. The patient has the same preop and postop room to eliminate confusion, and the same nurse follows the patient throughout their episode of care.

"We do a fair amount of Medicare patients, but they still have to be mobile and motivated patients," said Dr. Kachmann. "We set the expectation that they'll be ready to go home after surgery."

Mayfield Clinic receives word-of-mouth referrals from former patients to their family and friends because of the high patient satisfaction rates. "The highly experienced staff doing the same procedure over and over again makes the surgery center attractive not only for the patient but the surgeon as well," said Dr. Kachmann.

Insurance coverage

There is considerable momentum to develop value-based care and align across the care continuum. Millennials will be the next generation to impress; currently, around half of Humana beneficiaries will be millennials by 2020 and will require a different approach to care than older generations.

"Everything we've been taught, everything we teach, everything we like, isn't going to be what our customers are asking for in three to five years," said Derek van Amerongen. "They want everything in real time and on their phones. If you can't provide that experience and immediate results, they don't want to work with you. That is leading to a fundamental re-shifting in healthcare beyond what is involved in regulation or legislation."

From a payer perspective, Derek van Amerongen commented, "We are looking for an opportunity to begin that discussion around innovative contracting over the next three to five years," he said. He touched on linking reimbursement to outcomes in terms of functionality and value.

Bundled payments and episodes of care shift more risk onto the patient and healthcare provider, and linking reimbursement to outcomes will become more prevalent going forward. Traditionally, the opponents to linking reimbursement to outcomes argued there were too many elements of care surgeons couldn't control. That's no longer true.

"With the right environment, facilities and processes, we can have highly reproducible outcomes to pay for value," said Dr. Kachmann. "This is an enormous opportunity for each of us who wants to get involved. Go back and do the work to understand your internal culture, demonstrate improved outcomes and show you deserve more control because you can demonstrate improved, patient-centered outcomes."

He recommended taking data to insurance companies to prove each center provides the best value to their membership. "We are moving in the next three to seven years to a place where payers are going to be very anxious to pare down their narrow networks," said Derek van Amerongen. "Where we are going is to an environment where networks will be much more narrow and much more selectiveI want people in my network that are high powered, who are delivering high quality outcomes and willing to take risk and be part of that solution on how we get to ideally providing better healthcare instead of just better medical care."

References

1. Infection Control Today: "Study Finds Low Rate of Surgical Site Infections Following Ambulatory Surgery." Feb. 18, 2014.

2. Losina, E. et al. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery: "The dramatic increase in total knee replacement utilization rates in the United States cannot be fully explained by growth in population size and the obesity epidemic." Feb. 1, 2012.



DePuy Synthes 2017. All rights reserved.

DSUS/JRC/0717/2228
Forest Laboratories and Allergan filed a suit against Sun Pharma for patent infringement in the District of Delaware's U.S. District Court, Life Sciences Intellectual Property Review reports.

Here's what you should know:



1. Allergan and Forest Labs are suing Sun Pharma over the company's abbreviated new drug application for Linzess.



2. Linzess treats chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Allergan and Forest want a court order to prevent Sun Pharma from bringing Linzess to market.



3. The pharmaceutical companies are also suing Sun Pharma for monetary relief if the drug goes to market.



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Becker's 15th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine took place in Chicago June 22-24. During the meeting, Jeffrey Simmons, chief development officer of Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health, and Pierce Nunley, MD, director of the Spine Institute of Louisiana in Shreveport, discussed spine cases in the ASC setting during a panel moderated by Bart Walker, partner with McGuireWoods.

Here are three key takeaways from their discussion.

The biggest obstacles to spine cases in the ASC

Dr. Nunley said he finds the biggest barriers to performing spine procedures in the ambulatory setting are patient acuity or case complexity, patient preference or other factors that make certain cases more appropriate for the acute care setting. Not all cases are suited for the ASC, he said, and he advised surgeons to exercise great discretion when making those determinations.

Compared to a decade ago, Mr. Simmons said payers  not physicians  today represent the primary challenge.

"If you asked me 10 years ago, I'd say [the biggest obstacle is] finding enough surgeons who will come to do procedures in the surgery center," said Mr. Simmons. "Today the obstacle is getting paid and getting paid appropriately so the technology is advanced and the surgeon is highly skilled. That involves having payers recognize these cases can be done safely and inexpensively in the ASC."

Data and Medicare policies: Key pieces in payer-provider relationships

To follow up on Mr. Simmons' thought, Mr. Walker asked the panelists how ASCs can effectively deliver the message to payers that the ambulatory setting is cost-effective and safe for spine procedures.

Dr. Nunley shared a concise suggestion on how providers can endorse that: "Through evidence. In the end it's all about costs, yet that is the simplest evidence because it costs us a lot less to do a surgery in the ASC than a hospital," said Dr. Nunley. "A lot of medical directors for payers don't get it."

In addition to data illustrating the cost difference, Dr. Nunley said ASCs spend one to five years collecting data from clinicians to effectively communicate individual surgeon outcomes for the ASC in addition to broader facility outcomes. He also underscored the importance of infection rates, and how this information should be made public to payers as well as patients. "Our infection rate is less than 1 percent for major procedures, and the patient being aware of that is No. 1."

But commercial payers are the second wave of reimbursement ASCs are concerned about  Medicare is the first. Mr. Simmons noted that commercial payers go the way of Medicare, which is why he hopes the federal health insurance program reimburses more types of procedures in the near future. "We could triple spine cases in the ASC if Medicare would expand the list of cases they approve," said Mr. Simmons. "Even some of the payers will then allow this, since they follow Medicare."

Different levels of hospital partnerships

As the healthcare landscape grows more consolidated and system-centric, ASCs commonly face decisions about whether  or in what capacity  to partner with hospitals or health systems. Mr. Simmons and Dr. Nunley collaborate with hospitals in different capacities.

Dr. Nunley's ASC has an agreement with a nearby hospital, which accepts cases of high acuity or complexity and serves as a 24-hour safety-net to the ASC should any complications arise during a patient's procedure.

Regent Surgical Health manages and owns 23 ASCs, 17 of which are joint ventures with hospitals. "About four-fifths of our facilities now have hospital partners," said Mr. Simmons. "Ten years ago, we used to fight the hospitals all the time."

One factor that may influence an ASC's decision to partner with a hospital is whether its state requires a certificate of need to construct new facilities or expand services. Looking at the landscape market by market, Mr. Simmons noted a drastic difference in states with CON laws and those without. "In non-CON states, the number of surgeons for various specialties are slim. In CON states, it boggles my mind how many surgeons are available to join."
Hickory, N.C.-based Catawba Valley Medical Center CFO David Boone retired, ending a 33-year tenure.

Here are five notes:

1. Mr. Boone was named to the CFO position in 1984.

2. During his tenure, the hospital completed a number of major expansions including a $34 million patient pavilion project.

3. Mr. Boone helped grow Catawba Valley Medical Group from six family medicine practices to 15 practices.

4. In October 2016, the North Carolina governor conferred The Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Mr. Boone, which is considered the highest honor the governor can award.

5. Kimberly S. Crews will succeed Mr. Boone.
Henry Bello, MD, a former physician at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York City, opened fire at the facility June 30, killing Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, DO, and wounding six others before attempting to set himself on fire and shooting himself in the head, according to The New York Times.

Here are four things to know about Dr. Tam.

1. Dr. Tam, 32, a family medicine physician, was not scheduled to work on the hospital's 17th floor Friday afternoon. Instead, she had volunteered to cover another physician's shift, The New York Times reports. Dr. Tam usually worked the ground-level family medicine clinic, where she would treat patients from the South Bronx neighborhood.

2. Colleagues described Dr. Tam  who had been working at the hospital for just over a year  as an idealistic, caring and conscientious physician. Sridhar Chilimuri, MD, physician-in-chief and chairman of the department of medicine at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, said those qualities are difficult to come by and even harder to retain in young physicians.

"Training young physicians to be doctors is an extraordinarily difficult thing," Dr. Chilimuri told The NYT. "Making them idealistic, and also do exactly what we're doing, is just impossible  To lose somebody like [Dr. Tam] now is really a monumental loss for us."

3. Dr. Tam earned her medical degree at New York City-based Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013.

4. She completed her residency at North Bergen, N.J.-based Palisades Medical Center, which is affiliated with Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health.
The First Hospital of China Medical University in the Liaoning province invited cancer specialists from the U.S., Germany and elsewhere to join Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo's team of cancer physicians, according to The New York Times.

The country's justice department posted the invitation on its website July 5. It is unclear which foreign physicians were invited and if they had responded to the invitation, according to the report.

Mr. Liu, 61, was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer in May and granted parole from prison to a hospital late last month. He was sentenced to serve 11 years in prison in 2009 after calling for democratic reform in China.

Mr. Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his "long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights in China," The NYT reports.

Chinese officials reportedly denied Mr. Liu permission to seek treatment abroad last week.
The following were the most-read transactions and valuations stories during the month of June.

1. 13 recent hospital transactions and partnerships

A list of healthcare mergers, acquisitions and general partnerships that took place or were announced the week of June 12.

2. 18 recent hospital transactions and partnerships

A list of healthcare mergers, acquisitions and general partnerships that took place or were announced the week of June 5.

3. Quorum Health to divest 2 Pennsylvania hospitals

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health, the 35-hospital spinoff of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, signed a definitive agreement to sell two Pennsylvania hospitals to Williamsport, Pa.-based UPMC Susquehanna June 7.

4. 63 recent hospital transactions and partnerships in May

The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions and general partnerships took place or were announced during the month of May.

5. CHS to divest 5 hospitals to Reading Health System

West Reading, Pa.-based Reading Health System entered into an asset purchase agreement May 30 to acquire five hospitals owned and operated by Community Health Systems.
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems and a group of physicians from Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Health Network who attempted to acquire LHN from CHS have agreed to end their dispute and work together moving forward, according to WANE.

In May, the physicians asked CHS to sell LHN for $2.4 billion to a group of 300 physicians who would receive backing from a private equity firm and other investors for the deal. CHS rejected the offer. The for-profit hospital operator said the $2.4 billion offer was "at least $1 billion below the fair market value" of LHN and that it has no intention of selling the hospital network, according to WANE.

In a joint statement issued Thursday, CHS and the physicians said no further action will be taken to find a new owner for LHN. "The former members of Fort Wayne Physicians, LLC, and Community Health Systems have agreed to work together in support of the care and wellbeing of their patients and Lutheran Health Network's long-term success," the statement reads.

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A former patient stabbed a nurse Friday at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg in Bethlehem, Pa., according to The Morning Call.

Authorities say the former patient, 19-year-old Joshua Rafael Santos, entered the hospital's emergency department shortly after 9 p.m. He remained in the ED waiting area until he followed a housekeeping employee into a restricted area of the hospital, according to the report.

A nurse saw Mr. Santos walking through the halls of the ED and asked if he needed assistance. Mr. Santos responded "no" and continued to the end of the hall where police say he approached nurse Leo Bermudez from behind and stabbed him in the neck.

Mr. Santos fled the scene of the attack but was apprehended by police a short time later. Authorities say the weapon used in the attack  a 5  inch blade  was found when Mr. Santos was arrested. Mr. Santos is charged with attempted homicide and aggravated and simple assault. He is being help on $100,000 bail at the Lehigh County Jail, according to the report.

The nurse, who required emergency trauma surgery after the attack, treated Mr. Santos for an undisclosed condition in June.

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The opioid epidemic has contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of children in foster care over last two years, according to The Washington Post.

Here are five things to know.

1. Many of the children who end up in foster care are born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

2. In 2012, the number of U.S. children in foster care hit a modern low of 397,000. By 2015, that number increased to 428,000. While there is no hard data available at the national level, foster care experts cited by the Post say this figure continued to surge over the last two years as the opioid epidemic intensified.

3. In Maine, there were more than 1,800 children in foster care in 2016, which marks a 45 percent increase since 2011.

4. The foster care population in Ohio has increased nearly 10 percent in recent years, with more than 60 percent of children placed in the system due to parental drug abuse.

5. "It's pretty much every state  except maybe four or five  that have seen an increase in the number of children in foster care," John Sciamanna, vice president of public policy at the Child Welfare League of America, told the Post. "What you are seeing now is just a straining of the system."
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter on June 30 filed a lawsuit against drugmakers for allegedly engaging in a fraudulent opioid advertising campaign that contributed to the rising rates of opioid overdoses in the state, according to Reuters.

The suit, filed in Cleveland County District Court, names Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan and units of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries as defendants.

The lawsuit alleges the drugmakers conducted a "fraudulent, decades-long marketing campaign to profit from the suffering of thousands of Oklahomans," said Mr. Hunter, according to Reuters. "The companies knowingly marketed their drugs as safe for chronic pain management while downplaying the risk of opioid dependency."

With the suit, Oklahoma joins the ranks of states like Ohio and Missouri, where state AGs previously filed similar lawsuits.

In statements obtained by Reuters, Johnson & Johnson said its medications carry U.S. Food and Drug Administration-mandated warnings; Allergan said it supports the safe, responsible use of prescription medications; Teva said it is committed to the promotion of safe opioid use; and Purdue said it denies the lawsuit's allegations, but shares Mr. Hunter's concerns regarding the opioid epidemic.
David Myles, MD, a pediatrician with the Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, Md., shared his experience treating an 18-year-old opioid overdose patient for an op-ed in The Baltimore Sun.

Dr. Myles described witnessing a nurse administer the opioid overdose antidote naloxone to the overdosed patient in the hospital parking lot. When the patient awoke from his opioid-induced coma in the emergency department, he immediately ran out of the facility. While Dr. Myles said he can't be completely sure why the patient fled, he suspected it was because the patient did not have insurance.

"This unfortunate situation is a common occurrence where I work in rural Maryland, and it is a shameful reminder of the inadequacy of current efforts to reform our country's system of healthcare," wrote Dr. Myles.

Dr. Myles also argued clinicians and hospitals are, in part, responsible for facilitating America's opioid overdose crisis.

"Even as a pediatrician, I share some of the blame for the drug abuse epidemic that is now the leading cause of death for people under 50 years old. A significant percentage of those who are now addicted to opioids obtained their first dose from a physician," wrote Dr. Myles. "I and my physician colleagues should do a better job of managing expectations of the level of pain that a patient may have given their specific medical condition. We can also give patients and families a variety of options. This could include initially prescribing non-narcotic pain medications and, if pain is still not optimally managed, then consider prescribing a narcotic."

To read the complete article in The Baltimore Sun, click here.
Clinicians are struggling to treat patients with a serious lung disease amid a sterile talc powder shortage, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Talc powder serves as a treatment for malignant pleural effusion, a lung condition often caused by lung or breast cancer in which fluid builds up around the lungs, resulting in chest pain or shortness of breath. Clinicians inject patients with a talc solution to make the lungs stick to the chest wall and prevent fluid buildup for months. Hospitals pay about $120 for a 30-gram container of talc.

Lymol Medical Corp.  the only talc supplier in the U.S.  faces dwindling supplies after the company's contract manufacturer suspended production due to an issue with one of the product components, Areta Kupchyk, Lymol's attorney, told WSJ.

Lymol has talc powder on long-term back order and cannot provide a date for the drug's availability, according to a report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The shortage is forcing clinicians to rely on riskier, less effective  and sometimes more expensive  treatments. Keith Naunheim, MD, a thoracic surgeon and professor at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, told WSJ he had to implant a catheter into a patient's chest to continually drain fluid since talc was not available.

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Keith Brown said the reopening of Dalzell is just one of the actions the Scottish Government is taking to boost manufacturing

The Scottish economy grew in the first three months of the year, staving off fears of a recession.

Official statistics show gross domestic product (GDP) between January and March grew by 0.8% compared to the previous three months and was up 0.7% compared to the same period last year.

UK quarterly growth was 0.2% in the first three months of 2017 and 2% year-on-year.

Over the period, output in the Scottish services industry was up by 0.3% and production grew by 3.1%, but the construction sector contracted by 0.7%.

Economic experts had warned last week it was ''in the balance'' whether or not Scotland formally goes into recession.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown said the latest figures were "a welcome vote of confidence in our economy".

He said: "Since late 2014, our growth rate has been impacted significantly by the fortunes of the North Sea, with around two-thirds of the slowdown in 2016 attributed to the onshore impact of lower oil prices.

"Today's figures show a rise in output in industries linked to the North Sea for the first time since 2014.

"While there is no room for complacency, these figures - alongside a number of recent business surveys - indicate that there is growing confidence in the sector.

"Manufacturing output is also up, in part due to the resumption of steel production at the Dalzell plant after the Scottish Government intervened to save this key strategic asset.

"The reopening of Dalzell is just one of the actions the Scottish Government is taking to boost manufacturing - we are also supporting for expansion of the aluminium smelter at Lochaber and the development of a new manufacturing centre in Renfrewshire.

"While today's figures are positive, we will continue to do everything possible to support the performance of Scotland's economy, particularly as Brexit uncertainty continues to cast a shadow over the future economic outlook."

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said the figures were " very encouraging".

He said: "The Scottish economy is returning to growth and I am pleased to see that the manufacturing sector in particular is making the most of export opportunities.

"But, over the year, Scotland has continued to lag behind the UK as a whole - so there is still a lot of work to do.

"The Scottish Government has extensive powers at their disposal to grow and support the economy, and these figures underline the need for our two governments to work together as we prepare to leave the EU.

"Brexit will bring new opportunities. We need to ensure Scottish business can take full advantage."

Scottish Labour's economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "It is a huge relief that Scotland has avoided recession but this was a narrow escape for our fragile economy.

"Far from a vote of confidence in the economy, as Economy Secretary Keith Brown has claimed, Scotland is not out of the woods yet and SNP ministers need to redouble their efforts."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "Scotland has had a brush with recession.

"The big picture is of an erratic and patchy economy. One quarter down followed by one quarter up is clear evidence.

"The long-term route out of this is significant investment in education and skills."
A pension consultancy business is taking on two floors of the newly completed Linen Loft in Belfast city centre, it can be revealed. Spence & Partners, which has offices across the UK, will be one of the first major clients to move to the new offices on Adelaide Street. It's moving its 70 staff to the newly-renovated office.

The Linen Loft is a red brick former warehouse, dating back to 1905. It's been overhauled and redeveloped, so that each of its six storeys includes a terrace for use by future tenants. A Northern Ireland-owned financial services group, which includes pensions consulting firm Spence & Partners and professional pensions trustee Dalriada Trustees, are taking the fourth and fifth floors.

Neil Copeland, director at Spence & Partners, said: "We are delighted to be the first tenant to move into Linen Loft at such an important time of growth for our own group of businesses.

"We have been actively looking for a suitable property to expand into in Belfast, and believe we have found that in Linen Loft, with easily adaptable space that will accommodate our needs for both staff and clients.

"We look forward to moving into this pristine new space later this year."

David Wright, director of CBRE, which acted on behalf of the landlord, Redbay Developments, said the building is "an exciting and welcome addition to the grade A office stock in Belfast, and it is fantastic to see the refurbishment complete with tenants getting ready to move in".

"We worked hard to replicate a high-end loft-style office, similar to that often seen in locations in London. Innovative companies want more efficient work spaces to attract and retain stellar talent, which is exactly what this property offers," he said.

"Going forward, refurbishment programmes like Linen Loft will prove extremely important in delivering supply into the market quickly, as well as meeting the requirements of ambitious companies like Spence & Partners and Dalriada Trustees."

There are three remaining floors at Linen Loft, with space from 4,000sq ft and upwards.

Lambert Smith Hampton acted on behalf of Spence & Partners to secure the new office space.

"When Spence & Partners approached us to help find new office space, they had a specific requirement in terms of size to accommodate future growth," Greg Henry, associate director of agency at Lambert Smith Hampton, said.

"These redevelopment projects are becoming increasingly popular and there is good demand for this style of property."
Tesco Bank has begun hunting for a successor to outgoing chief executive Benny Higgins and says customer numbers have kept growing despite last year's cyber attack.

Mr Higgins said the search for his replacement would start immediately after announcing he would bring to an end a 10-year tenure by stepping down in February 2018.

However, he dismissed the idea that his decision was linked to the cyber-heist in November 2016, which forced the lender to pay out 2.5m to 9,000 customers who had money stolen from their accounts.

Speaking about his departure, he said: "One of the tough choices that not everybody can make is choosing the time that is right for them and right for the business. I think 10 years is, for me, a very obvious time to embark on something else, and is a good time for the business to bring in fresh leadership."

When asked who might lead the bank in the future, he said it was "very early days" and the decision would be made by the bank's board.
Leading venture capital firm IDG Capital said it is actively seeking out investments in new retail, brands and services companies which are benefiting from the transformation of the consumer market.

"The Chinese consumer market is having an unprecedented revolution," said Yan Yisheng, a partner of IDG Capital.

Yan said the growth of China's e-commerce market was slowing down and there were fewer opportunities online. Instead, she said, offline retail was recovering.

"We are looking closely at new retail, which combines the new technologies of e-commerce such as big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence with offline retail," Yan said.

She said people no longer bought products just because of price and now brand and quality had become the most important factors. Younger people liked to try out new brands, as the current brands failed to fully meet their expectations.

"In the next 20 years, more and more new Chinese brands will be coming out and there will be a number of international brands developed in China," she added.

Yan said IDG Capital also had great confidence in the services industry, as services would exceed products as the main driver of China's consumption growth.

"Chinese customers will go from purchasing products to enjoying services, so we believe China will see the appearance of a slew of new services companies, each with valuation of more than $10 billion," Yan said.

Xiong Xiaoge, chairman and founding partner of IDG Capital, said the firm had invested in more than 100 companies in the consumer sector. More than 10 of them had been listed and there were another 20 companies whose valuations have each exceeded $1 billion.

"China's consumer market is so huge that we hope there will be giants in the industry exceeding Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent," Xiong said.

In China consumption contributed 77.2 percent to GDP growth in the first quarter this year, compared with 64.6 percent in 2016, according to National Bureau of Statistics.

IDG Capital has invested in new retail companies such as online to offline retail platform Dmall.com and Chinese buyer-based social network site Mogujie.com, new brand companies including leading smartphone maker Xiaomi and tea chain Heytea, and new service companies like photo-editing app Meitu.

Zhang Bin, CEO of grocery operator Wumart Stores Inc, said his group was actively working with Dmall.com to better serve customers, which was also the core of new retail.

Zhang said Wumart has connected data with Dmall.com, so customers can order Wumart products on Dmall.com's platform and Dmall can deliver the goods to customers immediately.

"Through new retail, customers can obtain high-quality products from Wumart in a quick and convenient way," Zhang said.

Nie Yunchen, founder of tea drink chain Heytea, said Heytea is a tea brand for young people.

"We are not only selling tea drinks, but spreading tea culture," said Nie.

"Based on our culture, we can attract a number of young customers who like our brand."
The Government said the move would enable it to offer a more efficient service

A number of jobcentres are to merge or close, affecting up to 750 jobs.

The Department for Work and Pensions said some smaller jobcentres will merge with larger ones, and others will be co-located with local government premises.

The department said it will be able to offer a more efficient service, while delivering good value for the taxpayer and saving more than 140 million a year for the next 10 years.

The Public and Commercial Services union attacked the announcement, saying more than 70 jobcentres will close.

The DWP said its plans reflect the fact that eight out of 10 claims for Jobseeker's Allowance and 99% of applications for the Universal Credit full service are now made online.

DWP buildings are used much less, with 20% of the estate currently under-utilised.

Employment Minister Damian Hinds said: "We will always make sure that people have the support they need to get into and progress within work. These changes reflect the fact that more people access their benefits online, resulting in many of our buildings being under-used.

"We're merging some offices and locating other jobcentres with local authorities to make sure that the welfare state and our employment support works for those who need it and those who pay for it."

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "While we are pleased a handful of threatened sites will now stay open, thanks to the hard work of our members, community groups and local MPs, it is utterly disgraceful that DWP is pressing ahead with these closures.

"This Tory Government is abandoning unemployed, sick and disabled people, making it harder for them to access the services they need, and putting jobcentre jobs at risk.

"We will continue to oppose these plans in every way we can."

The DWP said 68 smaller jobcentres will be merged into larger or under-used ones nearby, four will move to new sites and 40 will co-locate with local authorities or other community services.

Four offices will close, leaving almost 800 across the country.

Most staff will remain in their current offices with others moving to another site nearby, the DWP added.

Redundancies are expected to be less than 1% of the DWP's overall staff total and the majority of these will be covered by a voluntary redundancy scheme.

The PCS announced that its members in the Eastern Avenue jobcentre in Sheffield, one of the threatened sites, will strike again from July 17 to 21 following a week-long walkout in June.

Debbie Abrahams, shadow work and pensions secretary, said: "The Government is planning to force a million more working people to attend a jobcentre under its plans for in-work sanctions, while simultaneously closing one in every 10 jobcentres across the country. A decision that affects up to 750 jobs.

"This shows the flawed logic of this Government's chaotic austerity agenda.

"Either the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing under this chaotic Government, or they are both acting together to make working people's lives harder.

"It is now absolutely clear that this Tory Government has no interest in helping people to find decent and secure work."
The Renault Captur gained another rival this week when Seat showed off its new Arona.

The compact crossover joins the mid-sized Ateca in the brand's SUV range. A larger SUV is expected to follow shortly.

The Arona was unveiled to journalists in Barcelona ahead of its first public appearance at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September.

It is expected to cost from around the 15,000 mark when UK sales begin in late autumn.

Seat says the car has better height and width than many rivals. It will also be the brand's most advanced in terms of technology and safety.

Manufactured exclusively in Martorell, Spain, the Arona is Seat's third big release so far this year, following on from the new Ibiza and Ateca.

The Arona comes with an array of driving assistance and infotainment systems, including Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Hold Control, Tiredness Recognition System and Multi-Collision Braking.

It also offers an optional Rear Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Detection and Park Assistance System.
The defendant said he carried a meat cleaver in a shopping bag 'for protection' the court was told.

An alleged burglar accused of attacking a man in his Belfast home with a meat cleaver carried such a blade for protection, the High Court heard on Wednesday.

Glenn Harwood faces charges linked to a break-in at Glenrosa Street in north Belfast where the victim sustained a broken elbow and other wounds.

The 39-year-old defendant, of Ballysillan Crescent in the city, was refused compassionate bail to attend his brother's wedding.

Prosecutors said the homeowner identified Harwood as having carried out the attack on May 2.

It was claimed that the intruder launched his assault with a meat cleaver produced from a shopping bag.

Police found a similar type of blade during searches of Harwood's address, the court was told.

Crown lawyer Natalie Pinkerton confirmed blood on it has been forensically linked to the victim.

"During interviews, the applicant indicated that he did carry a meat cleaver in a Lidl bag, and that people in the area knew this was for protection," she said.

Harwood is charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and aggravated burglary involving the use of a weapon.

Defence counsel Michael Boyd argued that the complainant described being hit with a blunt object inside a bag, without specifically referring to it as a meat cleaver.

His client strenuously denies any involvement, the barrister stressed.

Harwood was seeking temporary release from custody to attend the wedding this weekend.

But denying the application, Mr Justice Horner cited the risk of flight and interference with witnesses.

The judge added: "On the basis of what I have been told by the prosecution, there's a strong prima facie case against this man."
Derry was UK City of Culture in 2013

Councils in Belfast and Derry have launched a joint bid for the European Capital of Culture title in 2023.

They hope to impress judges with the diversity of their offering and experience in hosting similar major events.

Belfast previously failed in an attempt to host the 2008 event, while Derry was UK City of Culture in 2013.

Derry City and Strabane District Council Mayor Maoliosa McHugh said: "In Belfast and Derry we have a similar situation with a number of different cultural groupings and this will link those cultures together.

"This bid is a conduit for that co-operation. It helps to move things on in Belfast and Derry and is an example to the rest of Europe.

"Every country within Europe is made up of many different cultures and they cope well with that."

A special launch event was held in Derry's Guildhall on Wednesday.

Belfast Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister said: "Our shared culture is one of the key selling points, the other cities in the UK will be doing single bids."

Every year, two cities receive the title of Capital of Culture from the European Union.

The accolade entails organising a series of cultural events and can provide a fillip to the economy and boost investment and tourism.

In 2023 it will be hosted by a UK city alongside a representative of Hungary.

The UK was already nominated as a host before the country voted to leave the European Union.

Others in the running for the title include Leeds, Dundee and Milton Keynes.

The UK hosted the European Capital of Culture in Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008.

Derry's spell as UK City of Culture four years ago, a separate event, included highlights such as the Turner Prize for modern art and Lumiere, a dramatic and spectacular light show which attracted thousands of spectators.

Belfast and Derry councils are encouraging ideas from the public as they begin to frame their offering and are encouraging people to communicate via social media using the hashtag #backourbid2023.
DUP MEP Diane Dodds said a Brexit charm offensive by Sinn Fein had "failed miserably"

A bid to give Northern Ireland special designated status within the EU after Brexit has been defeated in the European Parliament.

A bloc of left-wing parliamentarians, of which Sinn Fein is a part, proposed the measure in Strasbourg.

It was defeated by MEPs by 374 votes to 66.

DUP MEP Diane Dodds said: "Ultimately, this week's vote by MEPs is further demonstration that Sinn Fein's Brexit charm offensive has failed miserably."

The republican party's demand for special designated EU status for Northern Ireland post-Brexit has raised unionist concerns that their real motive was to drive a wedge between the region and the rest of the UK.

The fact Brexit has now been caught up in a reignited debate about a united Ireland has also polarised the issue.

The amendment to legislation in the European Parliament said the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended the violence and subsequent agreements, should be fully upheld in the withdrawal agreement.

It said special EU status would also ensure membership of the Customs Union, Single Market and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

It also called for the freedom of movement of goods, people and services on the island of Ireland.

Mrs Dodds said the proposals would have prevented Northern Ireland from harnessing new opportunities which flow from Brexit as an integral part of the UK.

"Critically, it would also cut us off from the Great Britain market - by far the most importance marketplace for local goods and services from Northern Ireland."

Nationalists have argued retaining special designated status would ease all-Ireland trade.

Concerns over a hard border post-Brexit have exercised minds in Belfast, Dublin, London and Brussels, with a series of high-level promises to try and minimise its impact.

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson said the amendment was "roundly rejected" by the Parliament.
The naming of possible suspects at fresh inquests into the 1974 IRA Birmingham pub bombings has been ruled out by a coroner.

Senior coroner Peter Thornton QC said the issue of perpetrators should not be included as he published his written ruling on the scope of the hearings, due to begin later this year.

Bereaved relatives of some of the 21 victims had made strident calls for the widest possible scope in their bid for "truth and justice" ahead of Wednesday's ruling.

Julie Hambleton, whose older sister Maxine died in the double bombings, had said "we may as well not bother having an inquest" if the issue of suspects could not be examined.

In a 15-page ruling, Mr Thornton, the former chief coroner, said: "To permit the identity of perpetrators to be within scope would be seen to be taking on the role of a proxy criminal trial.

"If this were to result in a determination identifying those responsible for the attacks that would, in my judgment, be unlawful."

He added, given the "sheer size and complexity" of any investigation into who may have carried out the attacks, it was not the role of the inquest.

The judge added it would "be invidious for the inquests to attempt to do", what various criminal and case reviews investigations had tried and failed to do over the past 43 years.

He said: "The approach would inevitably be piecemeal and incomplete, mostly reliant upon persons named in books and the press, mostly by journalists."

Mr Thornton added any investigation into the perpetrators was "a task entirely unsuited to the inquest process", given its "limited resources".

He also ruled out the reactions of the emergency services on the night of the bombings, forming any part of the evidence, despite the relatives' asking it be included.

However, Mr Thornton said evidence could be heard on the issue that police may have been tipped off twice about the possibility of a bomb attack, in the run up to the blasts.

Inquiries are also continuing by the coroner's own legal investigation team into whether there is any evidence of a mole within the IRA unit which carried out the bombings.

Mrs Hambleton said: "There is nothing fair about this decision. Without the murderers, our loved ones would not be dead.

"Without the murderers, we would not need to continue to fight the way we have - the way we do - and be traumatised every single day of our lives.

"H aving to fight the very people we pay, and who are meant to represent us, to give us the most simple thing.

"What does that say about our Government?"

She added that the relatives of the dead would "continue to fight" for "truth, justice and accountability", saying "the coroner's decision is one decision".

Lawyers for 10 of the families, Northern Ireland-based KRW Law, said in a statement after the rulings that it was "a sad day" for the bereaved.

The solictors added that they would read the decision "very closely".

The statement continued: " Whether the inquest proposed by the coroner satisfies either the demands of the common law or human rights standards and can be read down in accordance with statutory provisions is a point that may require to be tested by way of litigation or by way another form of investigation, such as a statutory inquiry.

"It is clear that from the point of view of our clients in their quest for truth, justice and accountability, today is a sad day and will fuel the bitterness they already have."

The next pre-inquest review will be heard later this month with full hearings set to start in September.
The Executive Office has announced that it is offering support to property owners, landlords, and managers across Northern Ireland to test the cladding on their buildings.

This comes as part of a UK-wide response following the Grenfell Tower fire in North Kensington in which at least 80 people are confirmed or presumed dead.

These tests aim to determine the presence of aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding which has been linked to causing the London blaze to spread and which has since been withdrawn from sale worldwide.

The material itself is not dangerous but it is important that property owners use the correct type.

In a statement, the Executive Office has said that it is "making those responsible for high rise residential blocks in Northern Ireland aware of their responsibilities and the testing arrangements".

Any residential block higher than six storeys or 18 metres will be able to avail of the testing facilities.

Aluminium composite material is made up of two sheets bonded to a non-aluminium core, and generally has a copper or zinc finish.

Further details of the safety checks can be found on the NI Direct website.
All Northern Ireland's major parties bar Alliance told the Secretary of State their past political donations should be kept under wraps, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

James Brokenshire had been accused of relenting to pressure from the DUP not to reveal details of cash paid to parties in the past three years.

On Monday Mr Brokenshire said details of future donations are to be published starting from this month, but declined to make the measure retrospective to the start of 2014, as was expected.

It prompted accusations that the move had been part of the DUP deal with the Tories.

But a senior Government source last night told the Belfast Telegraph that three other main parties also opposed making donors' names from 2014 up until now public.

"The Secretary of State wrote to all the parties in January asking them for their views on backdating the publication of donors' names. Everyone but Alliance said no," the source said.

Unlike the rest of the UK, the identities of donors to Northern Ireland's parties have remained secret due to concerns over security.

Critics say such restrictions are now redundant and argue it harms accountability and democracy.

Seamus Magee, retired head of the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland - the independent body that oversees elections and regulates political finance - was among the critics of the Secretary of State for not backdating donations.

He said Mr Brokenshire must have been persuaded by the DUP not to introduce the measure as part of the pact by Arlene Foster's party to prop up Theresa May's Government.

Mr Magee tweeted on Monday: "The deal on party donations and loans must be part of the DUP/Conservative deal. No other explanation."

DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson denied there was any side deal.

He said: "Let me be absolutely clear. I was deeply disappointed to read Seamus Magee's tweet.

"Totally inaccurate. I hope that Seamus, a man of integrity whom I respect, will take my word for it. There is no side deal on party political donations."

Despite the revelations, some parties continued to hammer Mr Brokenshire over the issue. Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said the proposals did not "go far enough".

He added: "The fact that it is only backdated until July 1, 2017, means that it will not cover anything before that date, despite the fact he had the power to backdate it to July 2014.

"This is not good enough and allows the cover-up of the dark money given to the DUP to back Brexit to continue.

"It also raises questions about whether this was an electoral side deal which garnered the DUP's support in propping up a Tory Government."

The SDLP said in a statement: "We have nothing to hide. The SDLP wants to see radical reform in party funding where parties finally move away from any reliance on large scale corporate or individual donations."

UUP councillor Jim Rodgers said the party "supports the law in Northern Ireland operating in exactly the same way as it does in the rest of the United Kingdom".

He added: "Given the millions of dollars which Sinn Fein have raised in the USA for decades, they are in a particularly weak position when it comes to criticising the actions of others."

Alliance MLA David Ford said Mr Brokenshire had "bottled it" over transparency.

He added: "At the start of this round of political negotiations, the Alliance Party leader Naomi Long presented the Secretary of State with a letter calling for him to allow for the publication of political donations from January 1, 2014.

"Doing so would remove the cynicism and genuine concern around the source of donations to political parties.

"The Secretary of State bottled this important decision and let down the people of Northern Ireland, who have the right to know who funds each political party.

"Not backdating the publication of donations only feeds the cynicism felt by many people."
A DUP MP has issued a warning over abortion in Northern Ireland, saying the rights of an unborn child "trump any political agreement" the party has with the Government.

Ian Paisley was speaking as it was announced by the Welsh government that it has agreed to fund abortions in Wales for women and girls from Northern Ireland.

It means Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK not offering free abortions to women in Northern Ireland.

Mr Paisley's warning was in response to claims of a "backroom deal" between the DUP and the Government made by the SNP's Drew Hendry during a debate on EU legislation.

The DUP has agreed to prop up the Tory minority government on key votes - however, Mr Paisley made clear that it would not be swayed on social issues such as abortion, which the DUP opposes.

It comes after ministers announced funding for women in Northern Ireland to have abortions on the NHS in England in order to head off a rebellion on the Queen's Speech.

Mr Paisley, speaking as MPs debated the European Union (Approvals) Bill, said: "I'm going to make it absolutely clear that the rights of the unborn child, in my view and in the views of people in my party and on this bench, trump any political agreement that had been put in place.

"We're making that absolutely and abundantly clear, and if anyone thinks that we would take a view where we would trade that issue of life and the sanctity of life on a political deal, they don't understand me and they don't understand my party and they need to be aware of that."

Mr Hendry, intervening, said that he had been referring to LGBT rights in Northern Ireland rather than abortion, but Mr Paisley stood by his comments.

"I believe that my party will take a stand on that issue, irrespective of the political agreements that are reached," he said.

"I say that as a warning to others who wish to raise (this issue) in the House in the weeks and months and hopefully in the years ahead."

Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland except where the physical or mental wellbeing of the mother is at risk.

Yesterday, the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, was asked in the Welsh Assembly in by Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood: "First Minister, the governments in England and Scotland have announced that they will act to provide free access to abortion services for women from the north of Ireland. Will Wales follow suit?"

Mr Jones replied: "The answer to the question is 'yes'. That's what we want to do.

"We're looking at the detail of how that can be done, but we want to make sure that the same service is on offer in Wales as it is in England and Scotland.

"There are issues such as, for example, travel costs, and issues such as how you provide ongoing care for a procedure, rather than people just going home.

"These things are being considered at the moment, but I can assure the leader of Plaid Cymru that what we are looking to do is to make sure that Wales, England and Scotland offer the same service," he added.
The defendant had used some of the monies to fund holidays in Hawaii and Las Vegas, the court heard.

The former executive director of a company linked to the Law Society started a 12-month sentence on Wednesday after he admitted stealing over 50,000 from the accounts of two clients.

Sending Denis William Mackie to jail, Judge David McFarland said anyone who breached a position of trust could expect a prison sentence.

Belfast Crown Court heard that one client account Mackie stole from was an elderly couple, with the second account held by a client who at the time of the theft lived in New Zealand.

The court also heard that, while Mackie put most of the money he stole into his mortgage account, he also used money to assist his children's university education, as well as funding holidays to destinations including Honolulu and Las Vegas.

In addition, he gave 3,500 to Gilnahirk Parish Church at a time when he was treasurer.

Mackie, from Bristow Drive in Belfast, was told he will spend six months of his sentence in prison, followed by an additional six months on licence when he is released from custody.

The 55-year old pleaded guilty to a single count of fraud by abuse of position. He admitted defrauding the accounts of two clients of the Law Society (NI) Financial Advice Ltd over a period spanning from September 2012 to June 2014.

The company provides financial advice to people directed to it by the legal profession. In his position as the company's executive director, Mackie took a total of 53,500 from the accounts of two clients.

Crown barrister Robin Steer said Mackie's offending emerged after an internal investigation was launched by the company regarding the misuse of client funds. The matter was then reported to police, which ultimately led investigators to Mackie.

Mr Steer said Mackie resigned from his position in September 2014 - around the same time a client came forward expressing concern at low funds in his account. It transpired that four cheques totalling 50,000 had been taken from his account and lodged into accounts held by Mackie.

The defendant lodged 10,000 into his personal bank account with the Nationwide and 40,000 into his Santander mortgage account.

A fifth cheque for 3,500 was drawn from the account of an elderly couple and this money was then placed into Gilnahirk Parish Church's account.

The Law Society (NI) Financial Advice Ltd fully reimbursed the clients affected, while Mackie has since repaid all the money he defrauded.

Mr Steer said Mackie voluntarily attended for an interview with the PSNI last April, where he made full admissions. He also admitted during interview that he had used his senior position to implicate other members of staff, without their knowledge.

The court was told Mackie expressed remorse to police, and said the offending came at a time when he was experiencing financial difficulties, including his mortgage being in arrears.

Mr Steer said that, while the Crown accepted some of the money was used to financially support his children at university, he also had an "extravagant lifestyle" - as was evidenced by holidays to destinations such as Honolulu and Las Vegas.

However, this claim of extravagance was rejected by both Mackie's legal team and Judge McFarland.

Defence barrister Kelly Doherty said her client was a man who, at the age of almost 56, came before the court with a completely clear criminal record.

Saying her client was so ashamed at what he had done that he initially refused the services of a solicitor due to his company's links with the legal profession, Ms Doherty revealed the offending occurred at a time when Mackie was "under work stress and financial pressure."

Ms Doherty told Judge McFarland that Mackie's offending has had a "devastating impact on his life", including his future prospects for obtaining work and his mental wellbeing.

The barrister said her client's remorse was genuine, adding that since the offending Mackie has "completely socially isolated himself" from friends, family and his church group as he "feels so ashamed in terms of the way he has behaved".

Rejecting the Crown's claim that Mackie used the money to fund extravagance, Ms Doherty said it was more a case of Mackie "living beyond his means" rather than leading a "champagne lifestyle".

Judge McFarland told Mackie that using his senior position within the company to defraud the accounts amounted to a significant breach of trust - and that those in such positions who breached that trust should expect to go to jail.
Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire is in discussions with the Treasury to direct 120 million of a 10 billion block grant

The Northern Ireland Secretary is set to direct the allocation of some Stormont finances as the powersharing crisis drifts on.

Civil servants are currently in charge of departments, but a lack of an agreed budget act is restricting their ability to spend the region's allotted resources.

According to government sources, James Brokenshire is in discussions with the Treasury in regard to the redistribution of around 120 million of Northern Ireland's 10 billion block grant.

It is a step short of intervening to impose a formal budget.

If the Stormont crisis continues, Mr Brokenshire will face pressure to legislate for a Stormont budget at Westminster in the autumn.

The in-year reallocation of funds would usually fall to executive ministers.

But the bitter political rift between Stormont's two largest parties, the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein, has left the region without a first and deputy first minister since January and a functioning executive since March.

Civil servants currently only have access to 75% of the block grant. That will increase to 95% at the end of July. Only when a budget is passed will departments be able to spend the full Treasury allocation.

Health and education are expected to be among Mr Brokenshire's priorities when he distributes the money.

The Stormont deadlock is set to remain during the summer, as talks to restore the institutions have been scaled down amid widespread acknowledgement a deal before the autumn is unlikely.

While no formal suspension of the talks process has been called by the UK Government, and the main parties have signalled a willingness to continue some form of engagement over the coming weeks, substantive negotiations are not expected to resume in the short term.

Sinn Fein has blamed the failure to settle their differences on the DUP's parliamentary deal with the Prime Minister.

However, the DUP has claimed Sinn Fein's "excessive shopping list" of demands is preventing the formation of a new executive.

Sticking points include the shape of legislation to protect Irish language speakers, the DUP's opposition to lifting the region's ban on same-sex marriage, and mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

The devolved institutions imploded in January when Mrs 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 botched scheme that left the administration facing a 490 million overspend.

Mr McGuinness's move triggered March's snap Assembly poll and subsequent months of faltering negotiations to restore a devolved government.

The row over RHI exposed a series of other deep-seated divisions at the heart of the administration.
The accused was remanded into custody to appear again via videolink at Lisburn court on 10 July.

A man accused of robbing a pensioner in a church made a gun/shooting gesture at his alleged victim's daughter in court on Wednesday.

During a break in his application for bail at Craigavon Magistrates Court, 45-year-old Martin McGill was taken back to the cells and it was then the alleged robber made the gesture at the woman in the public gallery.

She had identified herself to the court a few moments earlier after District Judge Bernie Kelly asked her to be seated.

McGill, with an address at the Edward Street hostel in Portadown, is accused of robbing 100 from the woman's 74-year-old mother, attempted theft of a donation money box from St Patrick's church in Portadown, possessing a weapon, namely a crow bar with intent to commit robbery, and going equipped with a crow bar for burglary or theft, all alleged to have been committed on June 30 this year.

Speaking at the time of the incident, Detective Sergeant Stephen Wilson said: A lady in her 70s reported to us that she had entered the church and disturbed a man trying to prise open a donation box open with a crowbar.

When he saw her, the man left the building but then returned and demanded money from her. At first, the lady refused to hand over her purse but when this man hit her with the crowbar, she did give him a sum of money. The lady was left shaken and has some bruising to her left shoulder."

Unemployed McGill had been scheduled to appear at Lisburn Court last Monday but a warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to attend.

The court heard then that, despite police objections, a Forensic Medical Officer (FMO) had deemed McGill, who suffers from diabetes and epilepsy, "not fit to be detained" as he was refusing to eat to increase his blood sugar level or take his medication for epilepsy.

Issuing the bench warrant for his arrest, District Judge Rosie Watters said: "If the FMO couldn't deal with it he should have been taken, whilst in custody, to hospital and then he isn't here today - what a surprise that is," adding "I think that's incredible, I have never, ever, ever come across that before."

In court on Wednesday, a detective constable said she had executed and endorsed the warrant, adding that police were opposed to McGill being freed on bail.

She told District Judge Kelly that police objected because of the gravity of the offence which had "happened in a place of worship," the victim was an elderly lady, and, as McGill has what she described as a "significant criminal record, there's a propensity to commit further offences".

The detective told the court McGill's release licence for a previous robbery had been revoked on Wednesday morning.

Defence barrister Conor O'Kane said he had not been made aware of that but explained that, on Monday, McGill had borrowed money from hostel staff and had gotten on the train at 8.10am but had fallen asleep, waking when the train pulled into Great Victoria Street.

"He bumped into a friend who lent him 12 and he decided to visit his mother in the Bogside in Derry," the lawyer said, adding that police arrested the defendant there "within an hour or two".

As Judge Kelly pointed out however, with McGill's licence revoked, he "cannot consider a bail application."

Shaven headed McGill, who appeared in a grey track suit top and blue bottoms, was remanded into custody to appear again via videolink at Lisburn court on 10 July.
A Newry man has called for the public's assistance following a knife attack in which a number of sheep have been stabbed and had their ears cut off.

Ruairi McCartney posted the shocking images to Facebook and explained that the incident happened at his father's farm in Ballyholland on the Temple Hill Road in Newry.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, McCartney explained that they first learned of the attack after his father was contacted by a neighbour on Wednesday morning telling him that his sheep appeared to be injured or killed.

"There was only ten lambs [sic] in the field, three were dead this morning, three have been put down, and another two were injured," he said.

"Somebody left the house with a very sharp knife with the intention of hurting animals."

Mr McCartney explained that his father is "in shock" about the incident.

"I suppose if you could find a reason why this has happened, or if there was an argument. But when something happens like this out of the blue it is hard to comprehend."

His father will continue to tend to the remaining sheep in the herd, but there is a possibility that they will be moved to another location.

Mr McCarthy also said that this was not the first time this has happened, and that he was alerted to a similar incident in the Ballyholland area a few weeks ago.

"I remember that I saw that something had happened on the way up to the field. I looked online and it was sheep killed, sheep brutally killed, which is something similar to what has happened. The people involved in that have actually been in contact to say that four of their sheep had their ears cut off as well," he said.

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Whatsapp Three of the sheep were found dead this morning and another three had to be put down.

"They had been told that it was thought it might be a dog attack, but the farmer was pretty adamant that someone had sliced the ears off the sheep."

The PSNI for the Newry & Mourne district have appealed for anyone with information about the "brutal and cruel attack" to come forward.

They have said on their Facebook page that the incident took place sometime between 8pm on Tuesday night and 8am on Wednesday morning.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact police on the non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference number 188 of 05/07/2017.
Emily Hamiltons car after the front of it was stripped away by thieves

A Queen's University student has described her shock after waking up to find that thieves had stolen half her car, just yards from where she slept.

Emily Hamilton (21) was dumbfounded on Friday morning when she left her student house in the Stranmillis area of south Belfast to go to work - only to discover that the front of her Vauxhall Corsa was missing.

A window had been smashed and the bodywork removed from the entire front of the vehicle, along with the engine.

"I couldn't believe it, I just thought, 'Oh my goodness, someone has stolen half my car'," she said.

"It was really scary."

The English and Drama student, due to graduate today, later learned that the window had only been smashed to allow the perpetrators to open the bonnet before stealing a number of car parts in addition to the bonnet and bumper.

After taking to social media to warn other car owners of the risk, she was shocked to find out that it has happened to other people.

"I have never heard of anything like this happening, so I wanted to make people in the area aware of it. I didn't think it would get much of a response," she explained.

"Quite a lot of people commented saying that it has happened to them or they know someone it has happened to.

"A lot of people have been joking about it, and I understand why, but I'm really disappointed because I have lived here for a year and it's always been a lovely area." The Facebook appeal has since been shared by hundreds of social media users.

Ms Hamilton, who could see the vehicle from her bedroom window, believes her car was singled out by the culprits.

"They were really professional in how they did it and it seems they were looking for something very specific," she said.

"I've been told that the way it was taken off is exactly the way a mechanic would do it and it has probably been put directly onto another car."
An SDLP MLA has said he has "never experienced anything" like the abuse he has received after he took to Twitter claiming he was threatened and had his car attacked by a mob in Co Londonderry.

John Dallat said his car was attacked by a group of around a dozen people for around 20 minutes after he went to collect a takeaway in his hometown of Kilrea on Friday June 16.

The 70-year-old called the police, who responded quickly to the incident  which took place around 8.30am - before the crowd then dispersed.

The East Londonderry MLA said a loyalist parade was taking place in the area at the time.

Since his Twitter post - contradictory reports appeared which said that the incident did not happen as Mr Dallat described.

In a statement on Wednesday he said: "I wish to make it public that the police have investigated this incident and in an update have confirmed that the incident did take place. I have reason to believe those involved will be identified and interviewed.

"Those who branded me a liar and worse should now reflect on the damage they have attempted to do to my reputation and integrity as a public representative who serves all constituents in our community irrespective of who they are and has done so for over 40 years."

He added: "In all those years I have never experienced anything like the abuse I have been subjected to in the past two weeks for doing nothing more than thanking the PSNI for responding to my 999 call to get me out of a very dangerous situation."

In a statement the PSNI said: "Police are investigating this incident and as enquiries are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

He is set to make a report to the Parades Commission and claimed he was not the only one impacted by the parade.

He said: "Clearly I must reflect on what has happened to me when I make my report, as I am obliged to do, to the Parades Commission and other bodies. In doing so I must be aware that I was not alone in being seriously impacted by this Loyalist parade.

"I must take into account the horrifying experience of a mother and father forced to make a 20-mile detour due to this parade to take their blood covered child to the Accident and Emergency department of the Causeway Hospital, after their child was bitten on the face by a large dog and not knowing if their child would be scarred for life.

"And I must also take into account the behaviour of certain individuals who were the primary source of abuse on social media, boasted on radio that the above incident didnt take place and claimed to have instructed the police to prevent me leaving."

Mr Dallat said he will not allow "intimidation of any sort" deter him.

He said: "The 80% per cent of the people of Kilrea who are not followers of these parades have been very tolerant and I hope will continue to be so for parades that are prepared to show respect.

"But what happened on that Friday night was an extreme example of intolerance and an excuse for Loyalist paramilitary bands to demonstrate that nothing has changed from their perspective in Northern Ireland. And that behaviour is unacceptable and cannot be ignored.

He added: "I have over many years strived to achieve peace, progress and harmony in our community. I will not allow intimidation of any sort to stop me or like-minded people seeking and achieving a better future for all our people."
A scheme that supports parents and children under the age of four who live in disadvantaged areas across Northern Ireland has issued protective redundancy notices to its 50 employees.

The notice to staff at South Belfast Sure Start was given on Monday, its chairwoman Eleanor Jordan said, because the project is funded by the Department of Education and "there has been no further funding confirmed beyond July 31".

South Belfast Sure Start's 50 staff look after 1,600 infants and young children up to the age of four and support their families.

The programme was set up in 2001 and this is the first time that staff have been sent notice letters, Ms Jordan said.

The staff team of mainly family support and early years workers are worried, she added.

"Taking politics out of it, the reality is that they have only three weeks of secure employment left," Ms Jordan said. "Most of them have families and homes to support and are already struggling because the wages are generally low and they haven't had a pay rise in three years.

"They work extremely hard, often in the most difficult of circumstances, and I know they will be just as worried about what the loss of Sure Start services would mean to the families and children they work with."

The Sure Start programme works in the heart of the most disadvantaged communities of south Belfast, which, Ms Jordan said "have borne the brunt of the Troubles and already feel left behind in many ways.

"I cannot understand why a government would be so dismissive of its youngest citizens, especially those who are the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in society," she added.

"All the evidence is that investing in early years is the most successful way for a government to improve outcomes for the whole of society. How are we going to be able to progress in NI if these babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers get forgotten about amongst all the other things politicians are arguing about?

"We are calling on all politicians to come together and take whatever action is needed to ensure jobs and the essential services provided by this organisation are sustained."

There are 39 Sure Start programmes across Northern Ireland, mostly based in the 25% most deprived electoral wards.

Tina Gregory, manager of Clan Mor Sure Start on Albert Street in Belfast, said their future is equally unclear. "Nobody has been given notice here," she said of the 30 or so staff at the project, "but it's all very uncertain.

"We all got a letter with our interim four-month funding allocation, taking us from April 1 to July 31, stating that there was 'no guarantee' of funding after that because of the political situation.

"We're hoping and assuming that everything is going to be okay. It is very distressing but you just have to remain hopeful."

DUP MLA Christopher Stalford described the situation as "a disgrace" on his Facebook page.

He wrote: "I have just been contacted by a person who works for Sure Start. She, and every other person working for the organisation, has been put on pre-emptive notice that they will be out of a job by July 31 unless devolution is restored.

"Doing this to people over a language act is a disgrace. Selfish madness."

At the time of going to press the Department of Education had not responded to a request for a comment.
'Even though they have yet to sit for one day as an Assembly since being elected in March, MLAs are about to begin their summer holidays'

The sense of winding-down was hard to escape up at Stormont Castle yesterday.

And sure enough, by mid-afternoon the politicians had in effect wound up. Incessant rain had returned to the talks but it did not stop play. That's because there was no real play in the first place.

Some form of contact between the parties is to continue, apparently - though how and when was not spelt out - over the rest of the summer.

But there will be no deal. Not now, and maybe not even later. And so, even though they have yet to sit for one day as an Assembly since being elected in March, MLAs are about to begin their summer holidays.

Even if by some miracle a deal to restore devolution had been achieved over the last few days, the Assembly would have started its annual recess this Friday.

And the traditional route has been that August is usually the month when the Executive took a break. So don't expect a whole lot of activity. The five main parties were not slow to return to the negotiation coalface yesterday in the aftermath of Secretary of State James Brokenshire's 'do nothing' speech in the House of Commons on Monday.

Hot on the heels of his speech they were already ensconced in meetings by 10am. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was said to have left Dublin at 6am to drive up - but his team made clear he would be away again by early afternoon for a meeting with Scottish minister Fiona Hyslop.

Though still relatively new in his post - and under the DUP cosh for publicly backing Sinn Fein's demand for an Irish Language Act - Mr Coveney had travelled in hope.

He tweeted: "Back on road to Belfast early - parties really must make political breakthrough today if NI assembly is to be back before summer recess."

Midway through the morning came the news that Mr Coveney would be coming out to the gazebo to speak to the media, and a time was given. But then that was cancelled and party sources began to brief that there would just be a statement from Dublin and London instead. The Stormont gazebo, meanwhile, has set up its own Twitter account.

"Where there's a gazebo there's hope," it told us. Obviously, on the inside track, Gazebo also revealed: "Everyone is settled and having a game of beetle drive."

But even it was downbeat yesterday. "Looks like my extended booking at Stormont is coming to an end. The only que (sic) here is at the printer for easyJet boarding passes".

A Northern Ireland Office statement was put out just before 5pm - and then withdrawn. The only thing one official was sure of was that the parties will probably not be back today.

Yet it appears there will be some kind of meetings this month and next, but hard information may prove hard to come by. Already there has been an internet barrage of commentary, as journalists endured new thresholds of boredom.

A picture of Stormont, with 'RIP' across it. And Donald-Trump-style fake news with Mr Brokenshire on an apparent TV screen admitting "I'm weak as water".

It was, of course, the black humour of the trenches. There was disappointment that all the days of talks and deadlines bust - four at the last count - had come to naught. But the main emotion among the Press corp was relief.

"All parties have emphasised their determination to return," a Government official, accentuating the positive, said. But no one could be sure of when. So not only is there no new deadline, we don't have a start date either.
Sinn Fein has dismissed a claim by an Alliance MLA that it is seeking a clause in an Irish Language Act that 10% of new civil service staff should be Irish speakers.

Kellie Armstrong claimed the republican party wanted the "sun, the moon and the stars" from the failed talks process.

She clarified that her 10% claim came from a Conradh na Gaeilge discussion document which called for one in 10 new recruits to be fluent in Irish.

Responding, Mairtin O Muilleoir told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "That's what we call bunkum here. We don't want to see any more rights for Irish speakers than what there is in the south of Ireland.

"And of course in the St Andrews Agreement of 2006, the British Government committed to bringing forward an Irish language act."

In 2015 Irish language act proposals, set out by Sinn Fein minister Caral Ni Chuilin, it called for the "provision for affirmative action in favour of Irish speakers in recruitment to the civil service and other public bodies".

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UUP leader Robin Swann described a quota for Irish speakers for public jobs as "unacceptable" and said Sinn Fein should outline what figure that had originally intended.

"This is one example of why any reasonable person could not agree to the proposals for an Irish Language Act. Sinn Fein need to make clear what figure they had in mind in their 2015 proposals where they supported affirmative action.

Stormont has just spent many millions on a Voluntary Exit Scheme for civil servants as an outworking of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements. One can only imagine what kind of expensive scheme Sinn Fein have in mind in order to recruit enough Irish speakers to the civil service to suit them.

"Then no doubt in short order, attention will turn to the police and other public bodies. And let us never forget, the 2011 Census told us that some 4,045 people (0.2%) use Irish as their main home language.
Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has criticised Sinn Fein for again using European Parliament procedures to refer to Northern Ireland as the north of Ireland.

As MEPs voted on the 2018 work programme for the European Commission, Mr Nicholson took to the floor to point out that two amendments from Sinn Feins group referred to the north of Ireland. The amendments were rejected by a large majority.

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Speaking after the vote, Mr Nicholson also pointed out the irony of Sinn Fein seeking special status for a region they refuse to call by its proper, legal name.

He added: "Once again, Sinn Fein and their communist colleagues in the European Parliament have tried to use official procedures to promote a narrative suggesting Northern Ireland is not a legitimate jurisdiction.

There is no such legal or political entity called the north of Ireland. This is not an ambiguous or contentious issue - it is a simple matter of fact.

They say they want special status, but they cannot even say the name of the region they want this special status for. MEPs from across the house are now well aware of this, and the amendment was roundly rejected.

It is clear for all to see that Sinn Feins concern is not the economic wellbeing of the people of Northern Ireland, rather it is about trying to use the European Parliament as a platform for anti-UK posturing.

My intervention today was well received by colleagues across political groups and I will be pursuing this issue with the President of the Parliament.
Charlie has been at the centre of a lengthy legal battle involving his parents and doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Family handout/PA)

Boris Johnson has backed the hospital treating terminally ill Charlie Gard and stressed that any decisions made about his care should be in his best interests.

The Foreign Secretary told his Italian counterpart it is right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, after the Vaticans paediatric hospital offered to care for the young boy.

Charlies mother has spoken to doctors at the Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome and medics are in touch with international and US experts about the 11-month-olds treatment, a spokesman for the hospital said.

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Whatsapp Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard (Family handout/PA)

Charlie has been at the centre of a lengthy legal battle involving his parents, who want to take him to the US for experimental therapy, and doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

Theresa May has said she is confident that GOSH would consider any offers or new information relating to the child.

The Prime Minister told MPs: It is an unimaginable position for anybody to be in and I fully understand and appreciate that any parent in these circumstances will want to do everything possible and explore every option for their seriously ill child.

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Whatsapp Theresa May spoke about Charlie Gard during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons (PA)

But I also know that no doctor ever wants to be placed in the terrible position where they have to make such heartbreaking decisions.

Charlies plight has attracted international attention, with both US President Donald Trump and the Pope tweeting their support.

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More than 1.3 million has been raised in donations to help the family take Charlie to the US for therapy.

Mrs May said: I am confident that Great Ormond Street Hospital have and always will consider any offers or new information that has come forward with consideration of the wellbeing of a desperately ill child.

At Prime Ministers Questions, the familys MP Seema Malhotra said it was clear that if Charlie remains in the UK there is no further treatment available and that life support will be switched off.

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The Feltham and Heston Labour MP urged Mrs May to do all she can if there was the possibility of Charlie being flown to the US for treatment.

But renowned scientist and genetics expert Professor Robert Winston has criticised attempts to transfer Charlie from the central London specialist childrens hospital.

I think, first of all, one has to accept the loss of a child is about the worst injury that any person can have and, secondly, I think the autonomy of parents is probably sacrosanct because a child cant give approval, cant give consent, he told ITVs Good Morning Britain.

But having said that, these interferences from the Vatican and from Donald Trump seem to me to be extremely unhelpful and very cruel, actually, because this child has been dealt with at a hospital which has huge expertise in mitochondrial disease and is being offered a break in a hospital that has never published anything on this disease, as far as Im aware.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Scotland for being a strong partner as he received an honorary degree and met the Queen on a visit to Edinburgh.

Mr Trudeau was awarded the degree of Doctor honoris causa by the University of Edinburgh in recognition of his commitment to equality and diversity.

He later walked through the capital clutching his degree scroll before a private meeting with the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse set up to honour her importance to Canadas history and to thank her for her continued dedication to Canada, his office said.

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He is visiting Scotland on his way to the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7 and 8.

Mr Trudeau is the second Canadian Prime Minister to receive an honorary degree from the university after Sir Wilfrid Laurier in 1902, who he described as his second favourite Canadian Prime Minister.

Accepting the honour, he said: From the people of Canada to the people of Scotland, thank you for being a strong partner to us in this new global era of so many challenges.

He gave part of his speech in French and spoke of the links between the two countries.

He said: Fifteen per cent of Canadians have Scottish roots, so Canadians, including me, have a strong link and affinity with Scots.

He described the relationship between the two countries as a relationship based on a shared past and culture, all the more so as we share a certain number of priorities and values.

Mr Trudeau told graduates from the school of social and political science that things that are worth it are never easy as he urged them to be open to new challenges.

He said: If it excites you a lot and scares you a little, then you should probably do it. Be bold, be brave, be open to the incredible opportunities in front of you.

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Mr Trudeau previously met the Queen in London shortly after his election in 2015 and they also met when Mr Trudeau was a young boy and his father Pierre was Canadas PM.

On Tuesday, Mr Trudeau visited Ireland, accompanied by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their young son Hadrien, where he met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the first time.

His office said his visit to Ireland and the UK will serve to recognise the strong family ties, history and common purpose our countries share.
A Briton missing in Australia has been found and reunited with his family.

Benjamin Wyatt, 34, from Bath, Somerset, vanished after visiting a beach in the Melbourne area with his family on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, his mother, Diana Wyatt, was visibly distraught at a press conference as she urged her son to return, saying her life was empty without him.

Police had carried out extensive searches of the area by air, land and sea.

A Victoria Police spokesman said Mr Wyatt had returned to the address where his family had been staying on Wednesday after being missing for 24 hours.

Police would like to thank the public and media for their assistance in the search for Benjamin Wyatt, the spokesman said.

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He is safe and well and has been reunited with his family.
Donald Trump's return to Europe comes after a shaky first trip to the continent in May (AP)

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Poland ahead of an outdoor address in Warsaw and energy talks with European leaders.

Air Force One landed in Warsaw on Wednesday night to kick off Mr Trump's visit to Poland and Germany, where he will attend an international summit with world leaders.

He is expected to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite scepticism in Europe following his first visit to the continent.

He will address the Polish people on Thursday in a speech from Krasinski Square and have meetings with the presidents of Poland and Croatia. He is also expected to discuss energy with about a dozen European leaders.

The visit will come before Mr Trump's high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit on Friday.

AP
The decision not to backdate donor naming has led to criticism in light of Arlene Foster's deal with Theresa May's Tory party

So, the veil of secrecy over who funds political parties that organise in Northern Ireland has finally been lifted. James Brokenshire's decision on Monday to force all of the Stormont parties to reveal who helps finance them will be welcomed by all those who have campaigned for decades for political transparency.

Indeed, one of the organisations who deserves the plaudits for plugging away at this issue is Friends of the Earth in Northern Ireland. The environmental campaign group has been to the fore in fighting to shine a light on who stumps up cash for political parties.

In part, it did so over concerns environmental and planning decisions here could be influenced both at local government and devolved government levels by wealthy developers, who wielded political influence via their chequebooks and bulging bank accounts.

The end of the funding secrecy regime was coloured by the fact that it won't be retrospective, which means that disclosure only applies to donations after July 1 - despite this society having gone through two General Elections, an Assembly election and, of course, the EU referendum in recent years.

The latter campaign, of course, was marked by controversy over the Democratic Unionists' use of the mysterious donation of 425,000 in the Battle of Brexit.

The party spent 282,000 on a pro-Brexit advertisement on a wraparound cover of the Metro newspaper, which did not appear anywhere in Northern Ireland. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson later revealed that a little-known pro-Union group, the Constitutional Research Council (CRC), had donated the cash.

After the Tory minority Government (propped up, of course, by the DUP) announced that it was not going to ask parties to publish what they spent during the last election and Brexit campaigns, critics cried foul.

There have been allegations that the Government's decision not to backdate the donor revelations is one of the secret elements of that deal between the Tories and the DUP which put Theresa May back into Downing Street.

Even the former head of the Electoral Commission, Seamus Magee, tweeted: "The deal on party donations and loans must be part of the DUP/Conservative deal. No other explanation."

Sir Jeffrey himself retorted that he had "no particular difficulty" if the donor list was backdated all the way, say, to 2014.

In the interests of full disclosure and openness, that backdating should start today and let's see who helped the DUP financially in the last three years and, in particular, that Brexit referendum.

Interestingly, he also brought a new element into the whole debate over who funds the war-chests of our political parties. Donaldson said the DUP would be pressing for the money Sinn Fein brought up from the Irish Republic to fund the party to be made wholly transparent.

It seems that this demand could become a new addition to the DUP's own "shopping list" as it horse-trades with Sinn Fein at the Stormont Castle talks, which are now likely to be re-run in the autumn.

The media centre for the talks process at Stormont Castle is the Glass House, which is/was an appropriate place for politicians to step up to speak to journalists during the negotiations.

Because, in the case of complaining about who funds the DUP, some of these politicians are in danger of throwing stones in the glass house themselves.

A truly transparent, open and fair system of party political funding can only exist in Northern Ireland when there is a total ban on donations from foreign sources of income. And the political party that talks so much about integrity and openness is the one which benefits most from foreign donors filling its coffers - Sinn Fein.

It is a little-known fact in the media across the Irish Sea that Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where the ban on foreign donations to political parties does not pertain.

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act was introduced by the-then Labour government in 2008, and was aimed at outlawing political donations from foreigners.

This means that oil-rich Saudi princes and Russian oligarchs cannot exercise political influence over the parties they would like to fund.

However, when New Labour brought in this legislation it was careful to exclude Northern Ireland from this law - in large part because Blair, Brown and a succession of secretaries of state sought to placate Sinn Fein.

The sums Sinn Fein gains from foreign donations are staggering and puts it at a massive advantage not only over its rivals in the north, but also its competitors in the south.

Between 1994 and 2014, the party raised more than 10 million from its supporters in Friends of Sinn Fein - most notably in the United States.

US Department of Justice figures show that it was not just individual multi-millionaire donors like Chuck Feeney (giving around 700,000), but also American trade unions and extremely wealthy Irish-American New York construction companies.

Even Donald Trump turned up at a Sinn Fein fundraiser in 1995 with the future US president shaking hands with Gerry Adams at the $200-per-head event at a Manhattan hotel.

Although foreigners are claimed to have exercised influence over the election that elevated Trump to the White House (ie the Russians), there is an official ban even in the United States on foreign donors funding the Republicans, or the Democrats.

In fact, in 2012, the US Supreme Court upheld the constitutional ban on foreign companies making contributions to influence US elections.

If the Tories were truly serious about radically reforming the way political parties are funded then they would extend Labour's original legislation to Northern Ireland.

It would, of course, be hard to police while foreign donors have the right to send money across the Atlantic to any of the parties represented in the Dail.

Perhaps if Theresa May and Leo Varadkar wanted to demonstrate a progressive example of Anglo-Irish co-operation they could ban foreign donations on both sides of the border.

We read and hear a lot of donor secrecy in relation to local democracy, but next to nothing about the extent to which foreigners who don't live here, whether they be Holywood stars, or billionaire businessmen, can indirectly influence the shape of politics here.

Perhaps when the talks resume again in the autumn and we are all back stuck in the Glass House someone from one of the parties could ask for foreign donations to be put onto that part of the agenda concerned with reforming the entire architecture of the Executive and the Assembly.

If they succeed, then we will have less stone-throwing over democratic accountability and transparency anywhere near the Glass House.
Dee Stitt has ordered his men to collect wood to replace the pallets they stole.

A UDA gang led by notorious paramilitary Dee Stitt was behind the theft of 2,300 pallets that were being stored in secret by Belfast City Council.

The wood now adorns the publicly-paid Charter NI chief executives towering bonfire in Bangors Kilcooley estate, which is even bigger than usual.

But the flat-bed lorry burglary has backfired spectacularly as the east and south Belfast loyalists who initially collected the pallets are insisting on them being returned ahead of the Eleventh night.

Embarrassed Stitt, reluctant to dismantle his own bonfire and keen to avoid conflict, has ordered his men to go on a pallet hunting spree to satisfy the demand.

Already more than 300 pallets have been handed over by the Bangor UDA to loyalists from Chobham Street in east Belfast.

Belfast City Council had been secretly storing 2,000 of their pallets at a site on the Gransha Road ahead of next weeks bonfire.

A further 300 were being held there after being lifted from a UDA bonfire in Sandy Row. These also currently sit on Dee Stitts bonfire in the Kilcooley estate and have yet to be returned.

Expand Close Bragging rights: The Kilcooley bonfire is set to be area's biggest yet - built from wood meant for pyres in Belfast. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Bragging rights: The Kilcooley bonfire is set to be area's biggest yet - built from wood meant for pyres in Belfast.

A Bangor UDA source told us: When our men stole the pallets from the Gransha Road they didnt know that they were being stored there by the council for bonfires on Chobham Street and Sandy Row.

Dee thought we had touched lucky with the pallets and had his Kilcooley bonfire built early to show off. Its bigger than ever.

Its only later that he was told that the pallets belonged to other bonfire builders  he hit the roof when he found out.

Furious loyalists from Chobham Street and Sandy Row approached Stitt last weekend demanding the return of the pallets, which were stolen from the council site by the Bangor UDA on the back of a flat-bed lorry.

Dee went into panic mode, he didnt know what to do, added our UDA source.

At first he denied we stole the pallets from the council site, then he admitted it and said he would make sure they were returned. But Dee is too vain to pull down the Kilcooley bonfire and rebuild it with a smaller version, so hes ordered us to go out and get pallets and hand them over to Chobham Street and Sandy Row.

Expand Close The pallets stolen from the city council depot were destined for two Belfast bonfires including Chobham Street (above). / Facebook

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Whatsapp The pallets stolen from the city council depot were destined for two Belfast bonfires including Chobham Street (above).

Stitts UDA gang has already given the Chobham Street bonfire builders 300 pallets, with a promise of more to come. However, Sandy Row has yet to receive a single one.

The row has further weakened Stitts position as UDA commander in Bangor as it has drawn him into direct conflict with rival loyalist groupings.

Our Bangor UDA source said: The men arent happy, and neither is Jimmy Birch (east Belfast UDA leader), who Stitt has made a fool out of again.

Its 10 days until the bonfires are lit, where are we going to find another 2,000 pallets to give to Chobham Street and Sandy Row?

The only way we could do it is to rob someone elses bonfire. Weve better things to be doing than running around stealing pallets.

Stitt should just pull down the Kilcooley bonfire, hand the pallets back and rebuild it, but his ego is so big he wont do it.

Expand Close The controversial Sandy Row bonfire was one which was set to get pallets stored by the city council before they were nicked by dozy Dee's gang. / Facebook

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Whatsapp The controversial Sandy Row bonfire was one which was set to get pallets stored by the city council before they were nicked by dozy Dee's gang.

Stitts involvement in the pallet theft fiasco once again calls into question his role as chief executive of Charter NI, the ex-UDA prisoners charity that has been put in charge of a 1.7m government employment programme in east Belfast.

The loyalist was disciplined by the organisation last year after giving a toe-curling interview during which he described his North Down Defenders flute band as homeland security, warning that they would defend the area from anybody.

The UDA gang headed by Stitt, whose 35,000 per year salary is paid from the public purse, is heavily involved in drug dealing and racketeering.

It was also behind a vicious assault on respected Bangor community worker Aaron McMahon after he challenged paramilitary flags being put in the Clandeboye area.

Belfast City Council is carrying out an internal investigation into how the decision was reached to secretly store the pallets at its Gransha Road site.

A council spokesman said: The council cannot comment any further at this time, due to the investigation which the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on Friday past, agreed would be carried out into the issue of collection and storage of bonfire material, and the future approach of bonfires across the city.

The PSNI is also probing the theft of the pallets from the Gransha Road by Dee Stitts UDA gang, many of which were initially stolen from global supply-chain firm Chep.

However, it is not investigating whether the council inadvertently handled stolen goods by storing the wood for loyalist bonfire builders.

A PSNI spokesman said: Police do not have a complaint which requires an investigation into the handling of stolen goods.

The Chobham Street and Sandy Row bonfires that the pallets were initially collected for are among the most controversial in Northern Ireland.

In previous years residents had to be evacuated from their homes when the Chobham Street bonfire was lit just yards away on the Bloomfield Walkway.

Guests at the Holiday Inn next to the Sandy Row bonfire have also complained about the plumes of smoke blowing into their rooms and of feeling intimidated.
Bersih chairwoman Maria Chin Abdullah (center), is greeted by a supporter after giving statements to police following a huge good government rally in Kuala Lumpur, Sept. 2, 2015.

The Malaysian government has the right to bar any citizen from traveling abroad including government critics, the countrys second highest court ruled Wednesday in turning down an opposition members appeal.

The ruling by Malaysias Court of Appeal will affect government critics and human rights activists whose travels have been restricted by Malaysian authorities, including international award-winning satirical cartoonist and BenarNews contributor Zunar.

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel unanimously rejected an appeal by Democratic Action Party (DAP) publicity chief Tony Pua, a parliamentarian who was banned from leaving the country to travel to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in July 2015.

Judge Idrus Harun said the right to travel abroad and the issuance of passports was a privilege accorded by the government at its absolute discretion.

The provision on the right to travel overseas is not expressly embodied in Article 5 (of the Federal Constitution).

The appellant has failed to show any merit in his case and we have no reason to interfere in the findings of the High Court, Idrus said, affirming a lower courts decision that went against Pua over his travel ban.

Article 5 touches on the fundamental liberties of a Malaysian citizen.

Judges Mohd Zawawi Salleh and Kamardin Hashim joined Idrus in the ruling.

Under Article 5 and the Immigration Act, Pua had no right to be heard and the Immigration Department director general was not duty bound to explain the reason behind the ban, the court ruled.

Pua, who was allowed to travel in October 2016 after the ban was lifted, had named the director general and the government as respondents.

Gobind Singh Deo, an attorney representing Pua, said he would appeal to the Federal Court, the nations highest court. He said the travel ban contradicted his clients legitimate right to travel abroad with a valid passport.

Government lawyer Shamsul Bolhassan argued that passports were a privilege, not an absolute right of a Malaysian citizen.

Ruling affects critics

Apart from Zunar, the ruling is expected to impact Maria Chin Abdullah, the chairwoman of the Bersih grassroots movement, which has organized massive street demonstrations calling for transparent government in Malaysia.

Chin was barred from traveling to South Korea in May 2016 to receive a human rights award. She said authorities had assured her in December 2015 that a 2012 ban had been lifted, but she was blocked from leaving Malaysia five months later.

Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anuar Ulhaque, said freedom of movement was a fundamental right of all citizens as clearly stated under Articles 5, 8 and 9 of the Constitution.

Fundamental is a hard fact, it is not open to interpretation, he told BenarNews. It is also stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. I do not know why judges choose gray when black and white is right in front of them.

Zunar is expected to present his challenge to being banned from leaving the country since June 2016 before a lower court on Sept. 25.

It will be difficult for me because, in normal practice, the High Court will follow the decision of the Court of Appeal, the winner of the 2016 Cartooning for Peace Award said.

Nevertheless, I will keep fighting, fighting and fighting to get back my right to freedom of movement.

As of November 2016, more than 700,000 citizens were barred from leaving the country, the New Straits Times reported at the time. Many were detained because of outstanding debt.

Travel bans are politically motivated and the public expects the courts to defend the rights of the citizens or at least demand authorities explain their actions, said Eric Paulsen, executive director of Lawyers for Liberty, a local NGO.

We are shocked by the decision as it is giving the immigration authorities carte blanche powers to decide as they pleased to ban anyone from traveling without giving any reasons or justification.

That cannot be right if we are living in a parliamentary democracy with constitutional rights, he told BenarNews.

Another lawyer, Mohamad Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who has been speaking out against Prime Minister Najib Razaks government, urged Pua to appeal to the Federal Court to correct the decision.

There has been a recent decision of the Federal Court, which says no law can prevent the courts from doing justice and the courts must check and balance the executive arm of the government to ensure the preservation of the rule of law, he told BenarNews.

Malaysian authorities had introduced a policy that bans citizens who discredit or ridicule the government from traveling abroad, according to a local newspaper, drawing criticism from civil liberty advocates.

Anyone who runs down the government or memburukkan kerajaan [smears the government] in any manner will be barred from going abroad, a source in the Immigration Department told The Star in May 2016.

Then-Immigration Director General Sakib Kusmi confirmed the existence of the new policy, saying that owning a passport was a privilege and not a right.
Philippine soldiers display various types of seized improvised explosives and banners similar to those used by the Islamic State at a village in Basilan province in the southern Philippines, May 16, 2015.

Updated at 3:20 p.m. ET on 2017-07-05

Philippine troops have recovered two decapitated bodies believed to be those of Vietnamese hostages held captive by the Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern island of Basilan since November, military officials said Wednesday.

The severed heads were found next to the corpses, officials said. The grisly discovery came on the 44th day of a government offensive to dislodge members of the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group in the city of Marawi, some 300 km (187 miles) northeast of Basilan.

The bodies were found at 5:40 in the morning by a member of the local populace, said Col. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan.

The cadavers will be made to undergo forensic exams as coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy is also simultaneously done, he said.

Uy said the bodies were identified as Hoang Thong and Hoang Va Hai. The two were among six Vietnamese crew members of the MV Royal 16 cargo vessel who were abducted in November by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) gunmen off Basilan, a stronghold of the militants.

One of the six, 28-year-old Hoang Vo, was rescued by the Philippine Army after soldiers overran an Abu Sayyaf position last month. Three other Vietnamese are among 22 people, including citizens of The Netherlands, Indonesia and Japan, who are still being held captive by extremists in Basilan and in the jungles of nearby Jolo island, officials said.

Vietnam said it was trying to verify reports of the beheadings from Philippine officials.

Vietnam strongly condemns all acts of kidnapping and inhumane murder, Le Thi Thu Hang, Vietnams foreign ministry spokeswoman, said in a statement Wednesday. "Such actions must be punished appropriately.

Philippine regional military chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez also condemned the beheadings and vowed to step up offensives to recover the remaining hostages.

(The military) commiserates with the bereaved family and friends of the slain victims, he said. In no way does the Abu Sayyaf Group represent our Muslim brothers who are true followers of the Islam.

Operations were ongoing to recover three other hostages in Basilan, Galvez said, but did not elaborate.

Engaged in banditry, kidnappings

The Abu Sayyaf, or Bearers of the Sword, is the most brutal of militant groups operating in the southern Philippines. It was formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Ladens al-Qaeda network but has mostly been engaged in banditry and kidnappings, including of Indonesian and Malaysian crew members of commercial ships sailing in area waters.

In February, the gunmen beheaded German yachtsman Jurgen Kantner after his government failed to pay a ransom equivalent to U.S. $600,000 demanded by the gunmen. Two Canadian hostages suffered the same fate last year.

ASG gunmen have also carried out some of the Philippines biggest terrorist attacks, including the 2004 bombing of a passenger ferry that killed more than 100.

The group is believed to number in the few hundreds and is divided in several factions, one of which is led by Isnilon Hapilon, who has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS).

Hapilon managed to escape troops in Basilan early this year, and last month connected with militants led by members of the Maute family in Marawi.

Military officials said Hapilon, backed by several Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern fighters, plotted the takeover of Marawi, a Muslim trading hub of 200,000 people.

The takeover triggered vicious gun battles since May 23 and forced President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire southern region under martial law.

Duterte had also sought the assistance of the United States and Australia, who are providing intelligence assistance by flying spy planes over Marawi, which has been emptied by its residents with bombing runs and intense fighting reducing parts of the city to rubble.

The military said the gunmen were still in control of several villages, where the militants are holding dozens of people as hostages. Hundreds of other residents remain trapped in the war zone, officials said.

The fighting has killed 343 militants, 85 security forces and 39 civilians. A Singaporean IS fighter, whose body was recently recovered, was among the dead militants, officials said.

According to earlier reports, two Indonesians, a Malaysian, two Saudis and a Chechen were among other foreign militants killed in the action in Marawi.

The viciousness of the gun battles and the presence of the foreign fighters in the city have raised regional concerns that Southeast Asia may become a hub for IS as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. In recent weeks, officials in neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia have also warned that IS fighters fleeing from the battles in Marawi could try to infiltrate their nearby territories by sea.



In the Malaysian state of Sabah, which lies off the southern Philippines, an intelligence source with the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), told BenarNews that all movements of ships in the area were being watched for suspicious activity.



"All fishing and passenger boats plying the Sulu sea are being intercepted by Malaysian security forces in the hope of getting information about IS militants in the area," the source said on condition of anonymity.



"The particulars of all people found on the Sabah side of the the Sulu sea are being questioned thoroughly, and their particulars are being noted and compared with those on the ESSCOM wanted lists," the source said, adding, "There are fears that IS Militants trying to flee the southern Philippines may disguise themselves as fishermen, or Filipinos wanting to visit their friends or relatives already in Sabah."

Vantage point captured

On Wednesday, officials said troops had taken control of Dansalan College, a hilltop campus in Marawi that provides a vantage point for enemy snipers.

The challenges for the troops also remain continuously in their fight to retake many of the buildings in the remaining four villages and that is why our troops continually are engaged the whole day as they make their way inside the interior areas, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said.

We will continue to focus on this kind of operation as we enter into the inner areas of these villages that are held by the enemy, he said.

Padilla said the discovery of two cadavers in Basilan was also a confirmation that the gunmen have become desperate in the face of a military offensive.

Its a positive indication that their forces are almost spent, he said.

Colin Forsythe in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia contributed to this report.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

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Becoming partly cloudy after some evening rain. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Becoming partly cloudy after some evening rain. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
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For Immediate Release, July 5, 2017 Contact: Amey Owen, Animal Welfare Institute, (202) 446-2128, amey@awionline.org

Sarah Uhlemann, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 327-2344, suhlemann@biologicaldiversity.org

Alejandro Olivera, Center for Biological Diversity, +52-1-(612) 104-0604, aolivera@biologicaldiversity.org World Heritage Committee Gives Mexico One Year to Improve Protections for Critically Endangered Vaquita or Face 'In Danger' Designation KRAKOW, Poland The UNESCO World Heritage Committee today gave Mexico one year to improve protections for the only remaining home of the critically endangered vaquita or face an in danger designation for the Gulf of California site. The committee vowed to closely monitor Mexico's efforts to protect the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California World Heritage site and the nearly extinct vaquita, a tiny porpoise that can be found only there. The site was created, in part, to protect critically endangered vaquita and a fish called the totoaba. In 2015 the Animal Welfare Institute and Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the World Heritage Committee in 2015 to list the site as in danger due to the species' decline.



Vaquita are on the precipice of vanishing from the Earth forever, said Tanya Sanerib, senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, who attended the World Heritage meeting. The World Heritage Committee's decision adds yet another urgent call to the chorus, demanding Mexico drastically step up enforcement and save the vaquita, before it's too late. One of the main reasons fewer than 30 of the tiny vaquita porpoises remain is because they continue to become entangled in gillnets illegally set to capture totoaba. Totoaba swim bladders are in high demand in China and other Asian countries, where they are believed to have healing powers. Illegal fishing is rampant in the region. Since February 2016 wildlife protection organizations, the Mexican government and fishermen have collected 374 illegal nets including 220 active totoaba nets and 41 abandoned nets  in only 139 days of searching. Historically the shrimp industry in the Upper Gulf has been responsible for killing hundreds of vaquita that became entangled in gillnets used to catch shrimp. We are disappointed that the WHC chose to postpone its decision on the in danger listing for the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California World Heritage site. Given the dire situation facing the vaquita, such a delay could mean the loss of this unique species, said DJ Schubert, wildlife biologist at Animal Welfare Institute. It is absolutely critical that the WHC and the International Union for Conservation of Nature see to it that Mexico goes beyond empty rhetoric and takes all actions necessary to save the vaquita. The committee was scheduled to take a final vote on the site's status at the 41st World Heritage meeting ongoing in Krakow, Poland. But today the committee chose to delay its decision, acknowledging Mexico's June 30 proclamation of a rule permanently banning gillnet use in a large portion of the Upper Gulf of California. The rule, while a step forward, has been criticized for not banning the sale or manufacture of gillnets in the region, for exempting two fisheries from the gillnet ban, and for failing to address significant weaknesses in law enforcement. As part of the ongoing effort to urge the Mexican government to rigorously enforce laws to protect the rapidly disappearing species, AWI and Center members and others plan to rally tomorrow, July 6, outside the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. The rally  which will be held in conjunction with the July 8 International Save the Vaquita Day 2017  is one of several happening across the country and the world this week. To find out how to show support for the vaquita, please visit http://boycottmexicanshrimp.com/.
Starting your day with a cup of mushroom coffee can give a much-needed twist to your daily regimen. Many speak of its benefits, and some even prefer it to regular coffee. But given its unique
He asked the states for mounting aggressive IEC campaigns to enhance awareness on prevention and control of vectors in their surrounding areas and neighbourhoods

In order to review the preparedness of the Ministry for prevention and control of vector borne diseases (dengue, malaria, chikungunya) in the country, J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare recently held a high level meeting.

He asked the states for mounting aggressive IEC campaigns to enhance awareness on prevention and control of vectors in their surrounding areas and neighbourhoods.

C K Mishra, Secretary (Health), Dr Saumya Swaminathan, Secretary (DHR) and DG (ICMR), Dr. (Prof) Jagdish Prasad, DGHS and other senior officers of the Union Health Ministry, National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were also present in the meeting along with Directors/ MS from the Central Government hospitals.

Taking stock of the situation, health minister was briefed on the preparations of the health ministry and was informed that technical guidelines for prevention and control and clinical management were developed and shared with the states for implementation.

He was further informed that the ministry has requested the States/UTs to declare Dengue as notifiable disease for improving reporting and for taking preventive measures in the affected areas.

Nadda stated, The Union Health Ministry has already provided all logistical and technical support to the States including Delhi in terms of surveillance and diagnostic kits to strengthen their efforts in addressing Dengue and chikungunya.

Noting that community participation and empowerment are the most crucial areas in prevention, he urged all the stakeholders to start rigorous awareness campaigns regarding the preventive steps to be taken by the people in their communities.

He directed the officers to conduct regular supervisory visits to the states and various hospitals for assessing the situation, preparedness and to provide on the spot technical guidance to the health authorities.
Researchers from Empa teamed up with ETH Zurich, Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) and University Hospital Zurich to develop a high-tech system that is supposed to supply the nursing staff with relevant data about the condition of a wound.

A novel bandage alerts the nursing staff as soon as a wound starts healing badly. Sensors incorporated into the base material glow with a different intensity if the wound's pH level changes. This way even chronic wounds could be monitored at home.

The idea of being able to see through a wound dressing gave rise to the project Flusitex (Fluorescence sensing integrated into medical textiles), which is being funded by the Swiss initiative Nano-Tera. Researchers from Empa teamed up with ETH Zurich, Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) and University Hospital Zurich to develop a high-tech system that is supposed to supply the nursing staff with relevant data about the condition of a wound.

When wounds heal, the body produces specific substances in a complex sequence of biochemical processes, which leads to a significant variation in a number of metabolic parameters.

With this in mind, Empa teamed up with project partner CSEM to develop a portable, cheap and easy-to-use device for measuring fluorescence that is capable of monitoring several parameters at once. It should enable nursing staff to keep tabs on the pH as well as on glucose and oxygen levels while the wound heals. If these change, conclusions about other key biochemical processes involved in wound healing can be drawn.

If certain substances appear in the wound fluid, customized fluorescent sensor molecules respond with a physical signal. They start glowing and some even change color in the visible or ultra-violet (UV) range. Thanks to a color scale, weaker and stronger changes in color can be detected and the quantity of the emitted substance be deduced.
Sierra Leone's Insight magazine, with the payoff line The only magazine for those who do business in Sierra Leone', is relaunching with a new look this month.

Weve also been putting in place foundations which we can build on, so that Insight magazine can truly become a vital piece of the complicated jigsaw that makes up an enabling business environment for Sierra Leone, the publishers say.

Aimed at Sierra Leones existing and future business-minded individuals, Insight magazine translates the initiative, creativity, vibrancy, sheer doggedness and drive for change that is at the heart of Sierra Leones business sector, into words.

Our aim is to drive progress within Sierra Leones private sector by telling its story and creating a platform to share information.

Sierra Leone is a country of entrepreneurs, and developing the private sector is key to its sustainable economic growth. Within the country, there are some programmes, activities, initiatives, and organisations that focus on the business sector.

Despite this, there is no unified platform or forum that allows Sierra Leones business community to communicate regularly with each other. Insight intends to fill that gap. It aims to provide the tools to help existing businesses and start-ups, multinationals and MSMEs maintain a critical edge in a country which has a particularly challenging business environment.
FCB Cape Town, one of the most respected agencies in the Mother City, has praised its contemporaries in the coastal town for their impressive performance at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Cape Town agencies brought home 12 of the 27 Lions handed to South African agencies during the week-long awards festival; the other 15 are gracing trophy cabinets in Johannesburg.

FCB Cape Town itself, which won three Lions, was one of the agencies contributing to the Mother Citys haul.

Well done to all whose work was recognised in Cannes, especially those whose work translated from shortlist status to win metal. The standard this year was incredibly high, said FCB Cape Town Executive Creative Director, Mike Barnwell.

Id also like to give a huge shout out to the Mother City agencies which accounted for 45% of the Lions awarded to South Africa.

In addition to taking the number two spot on the Cape Town Cannes ranking, with its two Silver Lions and one Bronze Lion, FCB Cape Town is this years best performing radio agency in the FCB global network.

FCB and its network of affiliates around the world had a stellar week in Cannes bringing home 45 Lions at the 2017 Festival, four Gold, 19 Silver and 22 Bronze medals.

Were obviously exceptionally proud to contribute to that tally making us this years best performing FCB agency in the radio category. Two other agencies in the network also won in the category, both taking Bronze Lions, said Barnwell.

FCB Cape Town has won at Cannes in a variety of different categories over the past few years  print, radio, online, outdoor and promotion  which demonstrates our strength in various disciplines and talks to our ability to work through the line, added Managing Director, Eric DOliveira

We believe the FCB Cape Town story is one of consistency, and our outings at Cannes  where we regularly bring home metal  proves this.

Barnwell concluded: Most importantly though, our performance at Cannes has helped FCB Africa maintain a healthy national creative ranking, according to the Creative Circle.




The days of private medical aid schemes may be numbered as the government this week confirmed that it will become the single funder and buyer of medical services under a National Health Insurance (NHI) in the latest white paper approved by the Cabinet.

Photo: Health News NG

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi released the NHI white paper in Pretoria on Thursday. The document sketches out the details of the future NHI Fund through which it will pay for medical services  whether in public or private facilities  for all South Africans.

The fund, which will report to Parliament and be governed by an independent board, will be financed by mandatory contributions.

Whether NHI-specific taxes will be introduced will be decided by the treasury. Yet, Motsoaledi said he was confident that Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba would remain true to former minister Pravin Gordhans word when he committed to ending tax credits for private medical aid members and diverting that money to the NHI.

Medical aid members, including state employees, received R20-billion in tax credits in 2015 alone. Motsoaledi argues that high medical aid subsidies for state employees means that about 85% of healthcare costs for a member of the Government Employees Medical Scheme are paid for by the state.

Part of the source of that NHI Fund has to come from the tax credits, meaning what? You are taking money that is being sent to people who are already rich to help those who are poor, and that is called social solidarity, maintains Motsoaledi.

The Democratic Alliance has also supported the axing of tax benefits for medical aid members in its NHI alternative, called Our Health Plan.

Motsoaledi adds that the NHI or universal health coverage is the only way to redistribute the countrys heavily skewed resources.

One private clinic, [Johannes-burgs] Netcare Park Lane Hospital, has 64 gynaecologists  that is more than the total in [government hospitals in] the North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga added together, he said.

About 80% of doctors in this country serve only 16% of the population, [and] the remaining 20% of doctors must serve the rest  how can you expect not to have long queues [in the public sector]? The NHI must make [these doctors] available to the rest of the population and then there will no longer be long queues.

Under the NHI, the government will be able to buy services from accredited private health facilities for even the poorest South Africans, at set rates. These rates will be determined by the fund in consultation with the health minister.

So even though medical aid schemes are likely to remain until the NHI is more established, their fate may be set in stone.

He explains: Medical aids will have to give way because we want one similar system for everybody. We want one united pool of funds for everybody, and this will also make healthcare very cheap. If you have lots of health schemes all over the place, you are not able to control prices because you cant use economies of scale.

In the beginning, we will work with medical aids, but maybe 10 years from now, they will all have to be gone.

Health department director general Precious Matsoso says she is already working with some medical aids to streamline the products they offer to help them to move members slowly on to one standard package of services that will mirror NHI offerings.

Meanwhile, about 1,000 private health facilities are already working with Matsoso to prepare to begin taking public patients.

But the private health sector isnt the only one in for a shake-up. The NHI will take some power away from provinces, at least 10 Acts will have to amended to make way for the coming healthcare revolution. Legislative changes will, for instance, put control of the countrys large teaching hospitals back in the ministers hands.

The centralisation of some health functions may also translate into less money for provincial coffers as functions such as drug procurement are taken out of provinces hands  a move that some health activists may welcome, after years of protests over weak provincial health management.

Motsoaledi explains: How many South Africans are happy with their cover and how many are not happy with any cover because they have nothing? People must appreciate that we want to be a nation where equality, social justice and social solidarity are the order of the day.
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Search giant Google recently made a number of mapping product announcements. One of these was that users will soon see branded pins along their route on Google maps. These Promoted Pins' will initially be limited to brands using Google's AdWords location extension feature.

When explaining why mapping is such a focus area, Google released the following stats:

Around 90 percent of all global sales happen in store



Nearly a third of mobile searches are related to location



Location-related searches have been growing 50 percent faster than mobile searches overall in the past year



Over a billion people now use Maps



Google searches (on Google.com and Maps) guide consumers to 1.5 billion destinations every year



84% of consumers conduct Local Searches in the shopping process



Three out of every four people who search for something nearby using their smartphone end up visiting a store within a day, and 28 percent of those searches result in a purchase.

According to leading location management agency and Google Maps specialists Business Positioning Systems (BPS) this makes accurate online location data even more of a non-negotiable for brands with a multi location footprint.

BPS commercial director Gabby Eidelman explains, As we can see from the recently released stats, Google Maps/Google my Business is without doubt the platform that closes the loop for consumers. Our clients ensure these consumers always find their offline locations via accurate online locations because theyre managed through BPSs Location Bank platform. Location Bank is a location database that integrates with Google ensuring locations are always accurate.

Gabby continues, For brands wanting to make use of the new Promoted Pin feature, our Location Bank product is exactly what you need to ensure the very foundation of your marketing efforts  your physical locations - are always accurate. The release of Promoted Pins will help bridge the gap between online traffic and foot traffic, with BPS you can rest assured that your foot traffic ends up converting at the point of sale.




It's an incredibly proud moment for me to clackety clack away at the keyboard and complete the sentence (and realisation) that Retroviral is seven (VII) years old.

I recently gave a talk to a group that comprised mainly students. I provided an elevator pitch of my entrepreneurial Odyssey and a highlights' package of my key takeouts. There is so much talent in South Africa. When I'm big, I want to help more young people to start businesses and advise them on navigating the stormy, entrepreneurial seas.

Storytelling is humanity's greatest invention. These are seven stories that have helped shape our agency. This is why I get out of bed. Every. Damn. Day...

The first retrospective

At the end of 2011, I sat with an incredibly talented filmmaker friend of mine  Fausto Becatti  to make this in my dad's home office. I had scripted the first of what would later become known as the retrospective; an opportunity for me to creatively humblebrag about all the amazing shit we had achieved, over the previous 12 months. This film was PR gold for our challenger brand. It made potential clients, journalists, and agencies sit up and take notice of this new, hybrid kid on the block. IMHO.

Last Dictator Standing

I am eternally grateful to Gia Callinicos for introducing me to the Black River FC ad agency. Ahmed, Janine and the rest of the team I had the privilege of working with. It was right place, right time, universal alignment. On two previous occasions we had demonstrated scientific capabilities of 'viral' engineering but it was as if our agency was destined to work on this campaign. This Cannes bronze, Prism Gold, Loeries Grand Prix remarkable BRFC concept, certainly placed our seeding skills, firmly on the map. 1,000,000 views  organically  in six days.

Yawn for a coffee!

We set a precedent and became known as the 'make shit go viral' guys. We did it again. We made lightning strike twice, with Joe Public's Yawn-activated vending machine. 530K views, from pure, shit-hot, digital PR. No media spend, just DHs, hey Kirsty Sharman ;)

Experiences are tangible, brand currency

We've always spoken about the holy trinity of marketing  activation, digital and PR, but it was only when we worked with Cederdog, We Are Awesome, Seed and a host of other total badasses, that I realised the impact of the experience. The below video is more than eight minutes long so you may not get to watch it on the clock but this piece  to me  epitomises the rock 'n roll, entrepreneurial lifestyle:

Jozi Jockeys

Man, I love this one. It has a such a special place in my heart because it has so many parallels with the hustle. Convincing a conservative client to agree to this idea: 'What do you mean you want to compare a R2m blerrie horse to a taxi, soutie?' Guerilla shooting methods. Liesl, Mark Stry, and the Spitfire gang, you gave our idea such an incredible soul.

The Kreepy Krauly Wrangler

This became a local, internet cult classic. Because: Team Best.

Art of Savings

One of the most stressful jobs of our existence, but the juice was most definitely worth the squeeze. Brexit  'make London look less like London', outdoor activation  non-stop rain. A crew of eight Saffas  art department, production, and agency  battling the elements to achieve remarkable-content status. Massive shoutout to Tazzle on this one, and thanks to Darren and 10th Street Media, Keenan and Shaun for bringing this to life and earning us an Ad of the Week.

F*ck yeah!

A recent campaign of the year winner at the SA PR Awards (PRISMs) and a career highlight. Once again, we couldn't have done this without Tazzle and Jen.

To every single one of you who have walked through our doors over the past seven years to work, play, debate, donate  I value you and the lessons you have imparted on me. Thank you for your belief and your bravery.

Life is short. Play naked!

Thanks to Tazzle, Murray, Kirsty, Melissa, Wendy, Dan, Marco, Asta, Cherry, Bouch, Michaella, Renate, Lesha, Jason, Owethu, S-J, Leigh, Ladonna, Didi, Greg, Kath, Bin, Rachael, Daryn, Darren, Patson, Mike P, Bus, Grant, Zel, Duncan.
The reality is that we used to live in a world where clients just wanted digital, they were not sure what it was, but everyone had it, so they wanted it too. Today, we sit in a very different space, where our clients know the landscape of digital advertising and the benefits thereof, so we, as digital agencies, need to be able to constantly adapt the way in which we work.

Ashley Watts

This in turn affects the way we approach our clients, or maintain long standing relationships. No longer are we in the days of upskilling clients as to what digital is, and our client service teams are moving away from being the digital suppliers to becoming partners and collaborating with our clients in the digital space.

From a South African perspective, this is something that is great to see, as it is evident that skill-set and opportunities available in digital advertising are indeed growing, it does however come with its own set of challenges.

1. Shifting the client service mind-set

No longer are your client service teams seen as just the middle men, or project managers or the number people. Whilst this is extremely positive, traditional agencies are going to need to shift the mind-set of client service to not just sell, but to entrench themselves further into understanding digital. The Creative Director, Technical Director and Strategist cannot always save them, it is down to the client service team to become client strategists themselves, which requires them to know everything about their agencies capabilities and deliverables.

2. Everyone is a digital marketer

As more and more people create and manage their own Facebook pages, they think that this makes them specialists in the industry. This is definitely not the case, but it does make it exceptionally hard for digital agencies to compete against what we call small fries thanks to their extremely low rates. Inevitably we end up securing the business when the client realises their lack of experience and poor quality delivery. This is why client service teams need to be able to capture agency experience and core capabilities, not by what is on a piece of paper, but by actually having that specific skill-set themselves, in order to sell the agency against competitors.

3. Training is expensive

Digital agencies need to invest money and training into their client service teams. There is no point in them sitting in a new business meeting stating I will get back to you on that  they need to have confidence when walking into a meeting, knowing they already have all the answers. The only way to instil this confidence is by giving them the adequate training.

Robert Solomon once said, In new business pitches, clients often claim to seek a relationship with the agency, yet select the winner based on which shop presented the work they liked best. Conversely, with existing accounts, clients often say that it is the work that matters, yet fire the agency because of a breakdown in relationship. It is evident that the core of service delivery is work and relationships, but how can you create a relationship if your client service team do not understand the work?

There will never be an exact science or formula to client servicing, as every client has different needs and different temperaments, the one thing that will never change is that a client will not let go of an agency they trust! Who is at the forefront of your client relationship? Client service.

Something we like to take credit for at Isobar South Africa is giving our client service teams just that, and we follow a very simple process:

Teach

Train

Upskill

Give responsibility

Lend a hand

Push passion

Instil culture

Collaborate



No longer should you hear the words, Why is client service in this brainstorm? Actually, no longer should you hear the words, Why is this person in our meeting? Your studio should be able to client service and your client service team should be able to ideate, and that is just how the cookie crumbles.

I will end this off with another quote from Robert Solomon, We are smarter together than we are alone.




A recently released renewable energy (RE) report estimated that more than 26,000 people were employed in South Africa's RE industry over the past four years, despite the poor support it receives from the government.

According to the report, from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), jobs in RE could more than double from 9.8m in 2016 to 24m in 2030.

The governments significant support for developing nuclear energy, means that South Africa is missing the opportunity to create more jobs and even entrepreneurs through renewables, says Siphokazi Pangalele, Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institutes (Safcei) youth ambassador

Bias towards nuclear

The future looks bleak for young South Africans, with more than a third of us unable to find work. It is ironic that this years Youth Month theme was Advancing Youth Economic Empowerment, when governments bias toward nuclear (over renewables) is sabotaging our chances for more widespread economic empowerment, says Pangalele.

The Department of Energys bias was further reiterated when the minister only highlighted a few hundred jobs created from nuclear while completely omitting any mention of jobs created in the RE sector. Then theres also government and Eskoms reluctance to sign the outstanding power purchase agreements (PPA) for private renewable projects. Another indication of governments lack of support for RE, she says.

If SAs RE sector received more support from government, this industry could have had an even bigger impact on our society by now. Instead, we are working with outdated policies, an impractical bidding process and rely too heavily on private investors to drive development in RE. These are all obstacles to innovation and employment creation in this sector.

Decentralised RE is the future and our policies, and electricity infrastructure should be better equipped to support the RE market requirements. Government should invest in training and education, as well as upgrading to a smart energy grid for a greener, cheaper and more equitable energy future for all South Africans, adds Pangalele.

Mini grids and hybrid systems

The Department of Labour also recognises that a key benefit of RE is it can be deployed in rural communities far from the national grid. Decentralised mini grids and hybrid systems could promote the development of small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). Global trends further indicate a significant rise in employment opportunities created along the different segments of the RE value chain, with increasing requirements for individuals with diverse skill-sets and talents.

The Institute for Sustainable Futures also suggests that the RE industry could create approximately 180,000 new jobs in SA, by 2030. But this can only be achieved if government actively supports the development of the local renewable energy industry.

SAs youth needs government to be realistic and sensible in its energy choices, particularly as it relates to creating opportunties for the countrys youth, adds Pangalele.
UNESCO said on Tuesday, 4 July, that it had decided to remove Ivory Coast's Comoe National Park from its list of endangered world heritage sites after more than a decade of conservation efforts.

The World Heritage Committee of the UN's scientific and cultural agency made the announcement during its annual meeting, held this year in the southern Polish city of Krakow from 2-12 July.

"Populations of iconic species such as elephants and chimpanzees that were thought to have disappeared from the site are reproducing again and... the state of conservation of habitats is now very positive," UNESCO said in a statement.

"Targets for fauna conservation have in fact been met and even surpassed," it added, while also lauding the Ivory Coast for its work to fight poaching.

A world heritage site since 1983, the park is one of the largest protected areas in west Africa and is known for its diverse plant life.

UNESCO cited poaching, fires and overgrazing as causes for concern when it listed the park as endangered in 2003, adding that months of conflict in the Ivory Coast - the world's largest cocoa producer - had also threatened the site in the country's north.

Peace returned to the Ivory Coast in 2011 following a decade-long war that had split the country in two.

Of the 1,052 UNESCO heritage sites around the world, more than 50 are in danger, including several national parks, archeological remains in Afghanistan and ancient cities and villages in Syria.

Source: AFP
The South Africa 2017 Wealth Report indicates that the country is home to some 40,400 high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) with a combined wealth of $171bn. If many of these individuals are not meeting their tax obligations, as the South African Revenue Services (Sars) believes, a substantial amount of revenue is being lost per annum.

Jerry Botha, managing partner, Tax Consulting South Africa.

In reviewing the SARS Annual Performance Plan for 2017 to 2018, one will notice that they have highlighted low compliance of HNWIs as a strategic risk. says Jerry Botha, managing partner at Tax Consulting South Africa.

This is in addition to the 12% of taxpayers on the register which Sars will audit for the next year.

Sars upping its detection abilities

Sars response to this perceived threat to revenue collection will be to develop and acquire capability to effectively tackle HNWIs and their related trusts, and redefine taxpayers in this segment.

The document also states that one approach the tax authority will take to enforce compliance is increased and targeted audits. The text goes on to say that 130 HNWIs can expect to be audited in the 2017/2018 tax year.

Sars has also committed itself to complete its implementation of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments (OECD) Common Reporting Standard (CRS) by end of December 2017.

This means that there can effectively no longer be offshore hidden money, as the world has followed the United States lead in forcing disclosure by financial institutions of any account owned or otherwise connect to South African residents or citizens.

Legislation to tackle loopholes

Apart from Sars activities, new legislation is being developed to close loopholes that are often exploited to reduce ones tax obligation. A recent example is the Taxation Laws Amendment Act 15 of 2016 that redefines the forgone interest on low-interest or interest-free loans to a trust as a donation, thereby making the lender liable for donations tax.

My advice to every HNWI is to realise that their options for avoiding taxation, legal or otherwise, are shrinking, says Botha. Its important that they get their financial affairs in order and, if necessary, make use of the leniency Sars is offering in terms of voluntary disclosure. The most effective measure is for HNWIs should self-audit their structures and ask themselves the tough questions. Once Sars asks these questions and you are found wanting, the penalty regime means your penalties alone will mostly be more than the actual taxes.

As far as this self-disclosure is concerned, Botha is referring to Sars Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme by which taxpayers can reveal undeclared income at reduced penalties and without fear of prosecution. However, he warns that the final date for this allowance is 31 August 2017, so those wishing to take advantage of it should act promptly.
According to specialist drone firm Airborne Drones South Africa, we can expect to see drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), taking on an increasingly important role in firefighting and disaster management.

 Goce Risteski via 123RF

In the midst of the worst wildfire to strike the southern Cape coast, South Africa in over 150 years, drones slowly started coming into play as a local firefighting and disaster management tool.

Firefighters issued a call for drones equipped with heat mapping capabilities, which would allow them to identify hot spots at the greatest risk of flare-ups  a task virtually impossible for ground crews working in blinding smoke and dense undergrowth.

Drones were also harnessed by civilians who filmed the devastation in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, allowing homeowners around the country and the rest of the world to witness the destruction and confirm whether their own properties were damaged or not.

Reducing risk

JJ Rebello, foreign government relations manager at Airborne Drones South Africa, says drones will not only improve the effectiveness of firefighting efforts; they will also reduce the risk to human life during firefighting operations and stand to limit damage to assets by enabling firefighters to work proactively, rather than reactively.

Commercial drones can withstand temperature extremes from below 5 degrees Centigrade, up to 50 degrees Centigrade, and they can be flown to an altitude of 4,500 metres, making it possible for firefighters to deploy drones over areas where fires are active.

With the use of advanced thermal imaging cameras transmitting data to command centres, they can identify people or animals, even where visibility is limited by darkness, smoke or vegetation, so allowing emergency teams to pinpoint exactly where assistance is needed. Thermal imaging cameras also support proactive firefighting measures, by mapping hotspots where flare-ups could occur.

Rebello notes that in the security industry, it is estimated that a drone can take the place of 12-foot soldiers. The same might apply in disaster management, he says. Sending in technology reduces risk to human life and allows resources to be deployed only where assistance is needed.

Real-time maps of fire progress

Drones equipped with light detection and ranging (Lidar) technology support the three-dimensional modelling of forest structures and surface topography, which allows for the development of fire behaviour models, fuel maps and prescribed burn plans.

Drones are already being harnessed internationally to monitor and improve planned burns and provide real-time maps of fire progress.

For insurance purposes, drones also offer access to structures that are cut off from road traffic or too high to allow easy access, so supporting claims investigations and processing after disasters. Drone mapping allows insurance firms to rapidly document the scene without intruding on clean-up operations or exposing investigators to potentially hazardous materials; as well as providing data on risk factors associated with the damage.

Drone technology is proving increasingly important in supporting pre-emptive approaches to fire and natural disaster risk management, as well as for disaster relief support, says Rebello.
OXFORD, England - In northern rural areas of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, men own the cattle and women the goats and chickens. But men also control use of the water in local dams, so when drought hits it is the cattle that get the water - and the goats and chickens that die. "The men block access to the dam for the women, saying there's not enough water to ensure the survival of goats and cattle, so that means goats have to stay away," said Ronald Wesso, who leads research and policy for Oxfam South Africa.

But goats are hardier animals in times of drought, so protecting them makes more efficient use of limited resources, Wesso said.

And because a greater number of people own them - particularly women, who are often more financially vulnerable - giving goats priority in access to water and emergency fodder programmes during drought spread the benefits more widely.

So a push by Oxfam to have more government and other drought relief directed to goat owners make sense - except that, as it turns out, it could undermine a traditional system of cattle owners helping their neighbours and relatives in times of drought. "In times of stress, neighbours turn to cattle owners as a source of support. These male cattle owners are key to the resilience of the community in responding to drought," Wesso said.

"So what you're trying to do in essence is put in place a new system of resilience counter to an existing one that you might have problems with but that is there and that people depend on," he said.

Building better resilience to the greater shocks and stresses that climate change is bringing can be a complicated and confusing task, researchers said this week at an Oxford conference aimed at exploring resilient solutions to growing problems.

Winners and losers

Often efforts to build resilience can produce losers as well as winners, or are built assuming government will make choices for the good of greater numbers of people, when in fact political alliances, corruption, nepotism and other problems mean that is often not the case, they said. "Issues like corruption stand in the way of planning working as it should, and we have to acknowledge that," said Richard Friend, a human geographer who has worked extensively in Asia and now lectures at the University of York.

"Everybody knows it doesn't work the way it should on paper," he said.

In other cases, time frames are the problem: If sea level rise is slowly flooding fields, when is it right to switch to salt-resistant crops and when is it time to encourage farmers to move on to other jobs? Some efforts to build resilience - the "no regrets" options, such as giving people better education - work regardless of what is coming. In other cases delaying decisions or hedging them can be effective, said Lisa Horrocks, a climate change consultant with Mott MacDonald, a management consultancy group.

But when it comes to deciding where to put a new city, whether to build a large dam or what kind of energy system to invest in, decisions "need to last well into the future and we don't know what the future will be", she said. "For shorter-term decisions, incremental adaptation may be appropriate," she said. But for longer-term issues, really different ways of doing things may be needed, she said.

Bounce back better?

Nick Brooks, the director of Garama 3C, a climate change and development consultancy, said that working to understand where thresholds lie - the point at which an existing way of doing things ceases to work, for instance - is crucial to building resilience that lasts.

"Normally we talk about building resilience for existing systems, to allow them to be sustained in the face of shocks. That's appropriate in some cases," he said. "But there may be cases where trying to build the resilience of existing systems doesn't work," he said.

He also questioned the frequent aim of helping people "bounce back" after shocks, such as a drought or flooding. That may not always be the right approach for really poor people, who were struggling to survive even before the crisis hit and who need to become "more resilient than they were before the shock," he said.

Eva Ludi, a senior researcher at the Overseas Development Institute, a London-based think-tank, warned that projects to improve resilience often start with basic assumptions that can be wrong. One such assumption is that herders who see their animals die during droughts should diversify their sources of income into things like growing a few crops - something most don't want to do. Instead, it's best to look at what's already starting to happen on the ground - such as new ways of trading livestock or processing livestock products - for ideas, she said, and to remember that informal networks may have ideas as good or better than governments and more formal organisations.

Arabella Fraser, a specialist in urban climate adaptation and resilience at the Overseas Development Institute, said one way to try to make resilience building efforts work more effectively is to keep a few principles in mind. They include working hard to really understand who has power and how the economy works, taking the time to build long-term trust with partners, and acknowledging that there will be trade-offs and not everything will succeed as planned, she said.

Thomsan Reuters Foundation - Reporting by Laurie Goering @lauriegoering; editing by Alex Whiting
On 14 July 2017, the University of Cape Town will award Abdurrazak Zackie' Achmat an honorary doctorate (LLD honoris causa) in recognition of his contribution to activism for social-justice in South Africa.

Achmats life work exemplifies UCTs values, which seek the fostering of an institutional culture that protects and advances the transformative values of the Constitution and promotes a more equitable and just society, based on respect for human rights and human dignity, says Professor Hugh Corder, acting deputy vice-chancellor for Institutional Innovation.

Achmat, who is particularly well known for his work with the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), devoted his life to fighting injustice and oppression. In 1977, at the age of 15, the security police detained him for 14 days. He was a member of the ANC underground and UDF structures, taking a leading role for a period in the Marxist Workers Tendency of the ANC.

After the transition to democracy in 1994, Achmat took up a position at the AIDS Law Project. It was during this time that he devoted his efforts towards issues of gay and lesbian rights and then more broadly to the issue of antiretroviral provision and HIV/AIDS.

Achmat co-founded and later directed the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE). In his work with the AIDS Law Project and the NCGLE, he was involved in number of cases from the mid-1990s onwards that first established and then enforced, the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian people in South Africa. Establishing a pattern that continued into other work, litigation was accompanied by political organising, education and mass mobilisation.

In 1995, Achmat and his colleagues secured an interdict preventing police harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation. This interdict was later followed by the decriminalisation of gay sex; ensuring that same-sex couples were not discriminated against in their access to medical aid and pension benefits, or denied rights to permanent residence.

Formation of TAC

The formation of the TAC in 1998 signalled the next phase in Achmats social activism. Through a series of court cases, the TAC compelled the government to provide treatment to people infected with HIV/AIDS. As a result in part of this victory, South Africa now has the largest government antiretroviral treatment programme in the world.

In recent years, Achmat has been instrumental in the formation of social movements, Equal Education, the Social Justice Coalition, Ndifuna Ukwazi and Reclaim The City, focusing on schools, policing, sanitation infrastructure and access to urban land. Each of these campaigns, all of which are led principally by young black people, represent Achmats approach to overcoming racism, sexism and social inequality through active political campaigning.

His advocacy has included a wide range of international causes including opposition to US-led wars in contravention of international law, vocal opposition to dictatorship and homophobia on the African continent and elsewhere, and activism to end violation of international law and occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel.

Achmats contribution to public life has included regular writing, production of films and public speaking.

Zackie Achmats life has been devoted to the struggle for the building of a new social order based on dignity, equality and non-racism. He is indeed a worthy recipient of this honour, concludes Professor Corder.
People from around the world will celebrate the inaugural 7 Wonders Day on Friday, 7 July 2017. Table Mountain Cableway, as a custodian of Africa's only New7Wonder, is calling on South Africans to come together to celebrate iconic mountain and other attractions the country has to offer, by sharing their photographs and stories using the hashtag #7WondersDay.

7 Wonders Day is dedicated to the 21 iconic wonders that were chosen by hundreds of millions of voters during three historic global campaigns namely New7Wonders of Nature, the New7Wonders of the World and the New7Wonders Cities.

Through 7 Wonders Day we are able to celebrate Table Mountain as an officially elected New7Wonder of Nature, says Cableway MD Wahida Parker. There is so much beauty in this country, its hard to not want to share it with the world. It is also an opportunity to reflect on what we as South Africans, regardless of the province in which we reside, consider to be our places of wonder.

Parker encourages those in Cape Town to take a trip up the mountain on 7 Wonders Day to enjoy the view across our beautiful city. Alternatively grab a friend or family member and celebrate the mountain from a different perspective at one of the New7Wonder frame sites located at Signal Hill, the V&A Waterfront, the Silo District (V&A Waterfront), Eden on the Bay (Blouberg), Cape Town Station, Harrington Square or Lookout Hill (Khayelitsha), she said.

Coordinated by the New7Wonders Foundation, 7 Wonders Day has the slogan A day to wonder! which will recur every year on 7 July. 7 Wonders Day explores how everyone, as a group or as individuals, can play a part in celebrating our heritage and reflecting on what people can do to ensure that this remains a wonderful world, says Bernard Weber, founder of the New7Wonder Foundation.

For more information visit 7 Wonders Day or Table Mountain Cableway. Join the conversation and share your stories with #7WondersDay.
The electronic devices ban on flights between Abu Dhabi and the United States has been lifted following the successful validation of security measures at the US Preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi airport. 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."

Image Supplied

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 customs 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.
The two-day #CreativeUprising Conference will run from Thursday, 27 July 2017, to Friday, 28 July 2017, at the University of Johannesburg's Arts Centre situated on Kingsway Campus in Auckland Park.

Supported by the Arts & Culture Trust (Act) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Arts & Culture (a division of Fada), in partnership with The Samro Foundation, the conference will be a proactive, interactive and stimulating experience for all art education delegates.

We have been workshopping ideas around arts education and arts in education by consulting industry experts, as well as active practitioners in the arts and culture industry, for the past ten months to ensure that the conference speaks to all its delegates, says conference project manager, Anastasia Pather.

Since the fall of the Rhodes statue in April 2015 and the rise of #RhodesMustFall movements, a nationwide call for transformed and decolonised curricula has risen. In response to this, the conference programme has been designed to ensure that it is accessible, relevant and proactive in its approach towards arts education and arts in education.

In order to do this, we have also ensured that there is a space for the conversation to take place before the conference on our conference website, Facebook and Twitter pages as well as a space for post-conference engagement in the form of a publication, says Storm Jade Brown marketing and fundraising coordinator at Act.

Day 1 programme

This years two-day programme is a single stream experience. Delegates, attending the first day of the conference, will see presentations and performances by key experts, practitioners, educators and researchers in arts education. The lineup includes presentations by Donna Kukama, Dr Graham Dampier, Professor David Andrew, Professor Kennedy Chinyowa and Nandie Mnyani. Key issues such as the role of community arts centres, the importance of monitoring and evaluation, African insights and policy will be addressed.

Day 2 programme

The second day of the conference focuses on arts in education and has a strong focus on arts educators. Ashraf Jamal and Dr Alison Kearney critically examine colonial instruction. Puleng Plessie and Genevieve Louw reject Western educational terminology whilst siblings Thuli and Asher Gamdeze question the way we look at and talk about art. There will also be several conference recaps from organisations such as Assitej and Nepad.

The wide assortment of performative presentations over the two days will explore how culture must be considered in designing inclusive educational programmes. There will also be a selection of workshops curated to offer skills development for educators and emerging creatives.

Designed for school educators, students

We have also taken teachers and educators schedules into consideration and have therefore designed the conference programme in such a way that they will be able to attend after school and during breaks, says Pather. The recent nationwide protests that the education sector has experienced, have clearly demonstrated the power of the student voice. Therefore, we will be partnering with Drama For Life (DFL) to run The Student Experience.

This two-day experience will run concurrently with the conference programme and works directly with students to consider barriers of social change and education by investigating what education could look like if different arts and art-based teaching methods are considered. The Drama For Life Theatre Company will power The Student Experience with performances, workshops and dialogues. This experience has specifically been designed for Grade 9 learners and will run daily from 9am to 3pm. For more information, email or click here for the full programme.
Kahn Morbee's second studio album, A Noise In The Void' has already seen five of the singles from the album released (including the iTunes #1 collaboration with Karen Zoid; We Could Be Divine) receive a resounding response among fans and media alike. The current single on radio A Girl Named Paris is also charting across multiple radio stations and the album is without a doubt Kahn's top solo release to date.

Recorded and produced by Theo Crous at the now popular and renowned Belville Studios in Cape Town and with the assistance of Robert James Davidson (keyboard and synth for Zebra & Giraffe) Kahn has taken a slightly different direction for this album, which he describes, rather tongue in cheek, as a smorgasbord of gospel alternative 80s POP from the future. The bi-weekly release of singles and videos from A Noise In The Void has afforded fans the opportunity to experience a taste of what to expect from the album.

Writing process

Kahn explains the writing process behind the album, saying The writing process is a continuous process, on this album there's a few songs where I collaborated with other song writers; Karen Zoid, Nic Olsen and Tristan Prettyman. Both Tristan and Karen's songs also became duets. Musically both Theo Crous and Rob Davidson were integral contributors across the entire album and I featured one of my The Voice, season 1 team contestants, Eden Myrrh on many tracks, including a duet.

On recording the album, the process was a timeous one for Kahn who used various musicians to create his own sound. The songs were recorded with Theo Crous at Bellville studios over several sessions in between touring and life's commitments. I used several session musicians to ensure a significant departure from The Parlotones sound.

When asking Kahn what his favourite track on the album is, he responds Its difficult to choose a favourite, I love them all for different reasons. I'm chuffed with my guitar work on Vacancy and I love the musicality of Goodbye Annie. The message on Cupid and Fables is important but I'm proud of how the entire album turned out.

A special message from Kahn to all his fans as they listen to A Noise In The Void - I hope fans enjoy the journey of the album, and embrace some of the philosophy within the script and the lyrics. Musicians always hope for some semblance of success with their creations BUT mostly I hope to look back one day and be proud of this album and look forward to bringing it to fans on a soon to be announced series of dates.

Tour dates

Catch Kahn and Karen Zoid live at the following remaining dates of the We Could Be Divine tour:

Venue: Sand Du Plessis Theatre, Bloemfontein

Date: Tuesday, 18 July 2017

Booking: Computicket  Sold Out

Venue: Teatro Montecasino

Date: Friday, 21 July 2017 and Saturday, 22 July 2017

Booking: Computicket (Friday, 21 July Sold Out / 22 July  Tickets Available)

Kahns album A Noise In The Void is out now on digital release through Gallo Record Company. View by clicking here  and available on CD in all good music stores nationwide.

Follow Kahn online, on Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.
Headline earnings per share at Hudaco Industries lagged a jump in other metrics in its results for the half-year to May 2017. This related to acquisitions by the importer and distributor of branded automotive, industrial and electrical consumables into Southern Africa.

 Pop Nukoonrat via 123RF

While group turnover was up 7% to R2.7bn for the period, and operating profit rose 9% to R269m, basic and headline earnings per share crept up 2%. But net cash from operations came in at a healthy R247m.

"The results are okay in the current difficult economic environment," Ron Klipin, a Cratos Wealth portfolio manager, said on Friday. He said that the generation of strong cash flows, a healthy order book into the second half of the year and acquisitions were again helping to underpin sustainable growth.

Market categories

Hudaco's markets fall into two main categories. First, the automotive aftermarket and power tool, security and communication equipment businesses that support consumer spending. Second, mechanical and electrical power transmission markets - mainly in mining and manufacturing - including for diesel engines, hydraulics, steel, thermoplastic fittings and engineering consumables.

The group said on Friday it was concerned the revised Mining Charter had the potential to make the industry and much of its supply chain "uninvestable", resulting in further job losses. To this end, the group had over the past few years cut its mining exposure in favour of retail consumables. "The group has delivered pleasing first-half results under extremely difficult trading conditions in an economy that is under enormous pressure," CEO Graham Dunford said.

"With stagnant markets, rating downgrades, SA falling into recession and the rand being the most volatile currency in the world this year, we, fortunately, carried a healthy order book into the new year and this, together with improvement in certain sectors of the economy, gave us a strong start to the year."

Source: Business Day
The G20 task force has issued the new Climate-Related Financial Disclosure Framework, which will allow investors to identify and reward organisations with good climate change risk management strategies. The increased transparency requirement for reporting will benefit investors who have previously struggled to get consistent information before investing.

The global financial meltdown of 2008 has fuelled demand for transparent and meaningful financial information about climate-related risks and opportunities that companies face. The G20 Task Force has developed a new framework for companies to make these disclosures and the framework has received wide spread support from over 100 CEOs of global companies.

The World Economic Forum in a report published entitled Global Risk Landscape 2016 has identified failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation as the number one global risk in terms of impact. Allianz, Swiss Re Ltd, Aviva plc and AXA Group are some of the large insurers that have endorsed the framework.

David Cole, group chief executive of Swiss Re said in his statement of support: We are just at the beginning of the transition towards a low carbon economy. As a reinsurer that has been researching the effects of climate change for almost 30 years, as a large asset owner and as a long-term investor, we have the chance to step up to the next level and help shape tomorrows solutions. There are clear benefits of having more transparency about climate related risks and opportunities.

What is a stranded asset?

All companies have assets which they own and often the value of the asset is subjectively determined based on what the company believes the value of the asset to be. Mining companies as an example will place a value on their reserves, and this is reflected as an asset on their balance sheet.

Stranded assets are assets that are worth far less on market value than in book value as a result of them not performing or becoming obsolete. The resultant loss in value will have to be recorded on the balance sheet which results in a devastating loss for investors.

Companies are often slow to write down the value of assets despite having information of market changes. They hold on to inflated values, foolishly waiting for market conditions to change to the detriment of investors who do not have access to information which should have been publicly disclosed.

Three key climate risks for insurers and reinsurers

In the recent past, there has been growing calls for insurers to divest from underwriting fossil fuel projects and increase their investment in clean energy technologies. A global conference for insurers that took place in June in San Francisco was disrupted by climate activist calling for insurers to unfriend coal. The view is that if insurers can be pressured to divest, new fossil fuel projects would not be able to get off the ground without their risks being underwritten.

Insurers and reinsurers also have a self-interest in reducing the effects of climate change. In their White Paper Climate Change Risk And The Private Sector: Adaptation & Management, the authors have identified three key climate risks:

Physical risk

These are first-order risks that arise from weather-related events, such as floods and storms which result in damage to property, disruption of global supply chains or resource scarcity. Transition risk

This is the financial risk that arises as behaviour, consumption patterns and societal expectations change as society transitions to a lower carbon economy. This risk factor incorporates such things as potential re-pricing of carbon-intensive financial assets, consumer preference for climate friendly practice, governmental policies, binding and non-binding agreements and regulatory mechanisms (e.g. carbon-pricing). Legal risk This is a litigation risk that arises when parties use the courts to hold organisations liable for loss or damage that they have suffered because of climate change. The plaintiffs could sue the company and/ or the directors and officers of the company who are responsible for governance. Liability insurance especially directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance must be reviewed in line with the insured companys practices of climate change risk management.

G20 Task Force tackles the need for a single framework

There are several hundred climate-related disclosure frameworks which have been put in place by various companies, creating a minefield for investors to navigate and compare best practises effectively.

The Financial Stability Board identified the need for better information to support informed investment, lending, and insurance underwriting decisions and improve understanding and analysis of climate-related risks and opportunities. This information will help investors engage with companies on the resilience of their strategies and capital spending, which should help promote a smooth rather than an abrupt transition to a lower-carbon economy.

Many companies incorrectly perceive that the implications of climate change are long term and consequently not relevant to the decisions made today. At a cost of $1trn of investments per annum, most economic sectors and industries will be affected by climate-related risks and the transition to a lower-carbon economy. This transition to a lower-carbon economy present significant risk and opportunities for companies including those that provide services and products in climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions.

The task force members were drawn from various organisations, including large banks, insurance companies, asset managers, pension funds, large non-financial companies, accounting and consulting firms, and credit rating agencies. It was mandated to develop voluntary, consistent climate-related financial disclosures that would be useful to investors, lenders, and insurance underwriters in understanding material risks. And its recommendations apply to financial-sector organisations, including banks, insurance companies, asset managers, and asset owners and cover:

Organisations with public debt or equity: widespread disclosure by these organisations is necessary to promote more informed investing, lending, and insurance underwriting decisions.

Asset managers and asset owners (including public- and private-sector pension plans, endowments, and foundations): implementation by asset managers and asset owners would help support their clients and beneficiaries in better understanding the performance of their assets, considering the risks of their investments, and making more informed investment choices.

Disclosure in mainstream financial filings

The task force recommends that organisations provide climate-related financial disclosures in their mainstream (public) annual financial filings. It does not specify where in financial filings information should be disclosed as it will depend on the type of information being disclosed as well as national disclosure requirements or standards on how financial filings are structured. Asset managers and asset owners should use their existing means of financial reporting to their clients and beneficiaries where relevant and feasible.

Core elements of climate-related financial disclosures

The task force structured its recommendations around four thematic areas that represent core elements of how organisations operate: governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets. The four overarching recommendations are supported by recommended disclosures that build out the framework with information that will help investors and others understand how reporting organisations assess climate-related risks and opportunities.

One of the key recommended disclosures focuses on the resilience of an organisations strategy, taking into consideration different climate-related scenarios, including a 2C or lower scenario.

An organisations disclosure of how its strategies might change to address potential climate-related risks and opportunities is a key step to better understand the potential implications of climate change on the organisation.

The task force recognises the use of scenarios in assessing climate-related issues and their potential financial implications is relatively recent and practices will evolve over time, but believes such analysis is important for improving the disclosure of decision-useful, climate-related financial information.

In December 2015, nearly 200 governments agreed to work towards holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, referred to as the Paris Agreement. This target has been included in the framework.
Seasoned investigative journalist Bongani Bingwa has acknowledged the "high heels" he now has to fill as Redi Tlhabi's replacement at 702.

Bongani Bingwa's reaction to the #SASSA briefing.Image: Twitter.com

He told TshisaLIVE that he had been "shadowing" Tlhabi for a while and was excited but "nervous" about the opportunity.

"As it happens, this is not the first time I am taking over from Redi. In some ways, I have been chasing her shadow for a long time. She's a doyenne of the industry. Smart, sincere, tough as nails and highly principled. I will be learning from her for years to come," he said. Ten years ago Tim Modise left and Tlhabi took over the afternoon drive show. Bingwa then took over from Tlhabi to become the host of Talk at Nine.

Tlhabi announced in May that she would be leaving the station after 12 years. She is taking up a fellowship in the US.

Tlhabi highlighted the importance of journalism in her farewell note.

"Primedia and 702, in particular, have played a crucial role in the evolution of our democracy and consistently given a voice to the voiceless.

"The commitment to the country and exercise of independent, hardhitting but fair journalism make me very proud to have been part of this great institution," she said.

Social media was not ready to let go of the popular presenter and on her last day flooded Twitter with a series of memes and well-wishes.

Bingwa added that Tlhabi had indirectly prepared him for when he officially steps into the hot seat.

He said he had received tremendous support from a lot of people and was looking forward to bringing his uniqueness to the show.

"I think I have a sense of inquisitiveness and fun that will hopefully make the drive home an interesting and absorbing one for listeners.

"I want to host a show that unpacks the events of the day from every sphere. I hope the show will be the preferred choice for anyone keen to know what happened on any given day," he said.

He officially takes over the helm on Monday.
Bushra al-Fadil has won the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing, described as Africa's leading literary award, for his short story entitled The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away, translated by Max Shmookler, published in The Book of Khartoum - A City in Short Fiction.

Bushra al-Fadil

The chair of judges, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, announced Bushra al-Fadil as the winner of the 10,000 prize at an award dinner on Monday, held for the first time in Senate House, London, in partnership with SOAS as part of their centenary celebrations. As a translated story, the prize money will be split  with 7,000 going to Bushra and 3,000 to the translator, Max Shmookler.

The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away vividly describes life in a bustling market through the eyes of the narrator, who becomes entranced by a beautiful woman he sees there one day. After a series of brief encounters, tragedy unexpectedly befalls the woman and her young female companion.

Nii Ayikwei Parkes praised the story, saying, The winning story is one that explores through metaphor and an altered, inventive mode of perception - including, for the first time in the Caine Prize, illustration - the allure of, and relentless threats to freedom. Rooted in a mix of classical traditions as well as the vernacular contexts of its location, Bushra al-Fadil's The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away, is at once a very modern exploration of how assaulted from all sides and unsupported by those we would turn to for solace we can became mentally exiled in our own lands, edging in to a fantasy existence where we seek to cling to a sort of freedom until ultimately we slip into physical exile.

Bushra al-Fadil is a Sudanese writer living in Saudi Arabia. His most recent collection Above a City's Sky was published in 2012, the same year Bushra won the al-Tayeb Salih Short Story Award. Bushra holds a PhD in Russian language and literature.

Last year the Caine Prize was won by South African writer Lidudumalingani for his story Memories We Lost from Incredible Journey: Stories That Move You. Lidudumalingani has since gone on to win a Miles Morland Scholarship and is currently writing his debut novel, Let Your Children Name Themselves.

The Caine Prize, awarded annually for African creative writing, is named after the late Sir Michael Caine, former chairman of Booker and chairman of the Booker Prize management committee for nearly 25 years. The Prize is awarded for a short story by an African writer published in English (indicative length 3,000 to 10,000 words).
ABUJA, Nigeria - The partnership between the African Union and the United Nations, has centred on progress in key areas, including the adoption of a Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. But, while Africa has made significant progress, the great challenge that lies before us is how to deliver on the full promise of the global 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 for Africa and its people, says UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed, at the opening of the 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.

@ Matthias Ziegler via 123RF

She called on the two organisations to strengthen partnership, build new bridges and fortify bridges that already exist. The partnership between the African Union and the United Nations, she said, has centred on progress in key areas, including the adoption of a Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. In addition, the two organisations have agreed to prepare a joint framework on sustainable development, focusing on the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda.

On peace and security,Mohammed reiterated the UNs support to the AUs Silencing the Guns by 2020 initiative and stressed that the efforts of the two institutions should continue to be based on urgency, flexibility and innovation, to improve complementarity, cost-effectiveness and impact. She also commended the AU member States for the decision to fund 25% of the AUs peace and support operations by 2020.

In addition, the two organisations have agreed to prepare a joint framework on sustainable development, focusing on the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda.

The deputy secretary-general also welcomed the establishment of the AU Peace Fund, whose Board of Trustees the UN has been invited to serve and hailed it for going beyond peacekeeping to supporting preventive diplomacy and institution-building.

In addition to enhancing partnership with the Regional Economic Communities on peacekeeping efforts, elections and democratic transitions, she stressed the need for the AU and UN to work with the African Peer Review Mechanism as a vital partner and enhance the joint monitoring and reporting framework currently being established to ensure efficient and coherent implementation of the 2063 and 2030 agendas.

Mohammed also indicated that the UN has continued to support African integration, including efforts to establish the Continental Free Trade Area as well as technical support for mapping intra-African trade and analysing regulatory frameworks. She urged countries to take advantage of the Chinese Belt and Road infrastructure initiative in order to scale up investments in Africas infrastructure for regional economic integration.

Touching on President Paul Kagames initiative on reforms to strengthen the AU Commissions work, she noted that they will make the African Union an employer that is sought after by the many young people on this continent who are passionate about making a difference.

We must never stop building bridges towards one another, overcoming broken promises on both sides by fortifying them to bear the weight of the expectations we have for one another, and that the world has for us, she said.
AccorHotels group together with Tsemex Hotels and Business Plc are working at finalising the construction of a new 218 keys MGallery by Sofitel hotel near the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

African Union Headquarters Addis Ababa. Image Source: Addis Ababa Online

After the announcement of the signature of three other hotel management agreements (Mercure, ibis and ibis Styles) early this February, AccorHotels continues to reinforce its forthcoming position in Addis Ababa with this flagship hotel. In line with the MGallery by Sofitel brand standards, the hotel will benefit from a unique modern design coupled with a strong African identity. The interior design of the hotel will be performed by DIAD, a renowned designer having already completed projects in Africa and in the Middle East.

Ideal for business trips

The new MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa, which opening is estimated towards the second half of 2018, will feature 218 guestrooms and suites. It will also have some large meeting and event spaces, two restaurants (an all-day dining and a fine dining restaurant on the eight floor) as well as three bars. In addition, clients will be able to enjoy a swimming pool, a gym and a spectacular spa.

The MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa, will benefit from its close proximity to the Africa Unions headquarters, making it an ideal choice for business trips, conferences, and other institutional events, but will also attract the increasing flow of leisure travellers to Ethiopia.

Growing with Ethiopia

We are delighted to sign this new management agreement in Addis Ababa, which brings our pipe of confirmed projects to over 1,000 keys across all market segments (economy, midscale and upscale). This project reaffirms our ambitious development strategy for Africa, with Ethiopia as one of the key targeted markets. The new MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa will reinforce our role in the luxury segment by offering our clientele one of the best addresses in town, said Steven Daines, CEO of AccorHotels for Africa and Middle East.

Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, has become a fast growing regional economic center. It is home to the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, foreign missions, regional NGOs and the UN Conference Center.
Advertising Week, the world's largest annual gathering of marketing, media, and technology leaders, makes its long-anticipated debut in Africa on 14-19 February 2023, after the planned launch was delayed by the global pandemic.
Summer in Europe means music festivals, whether its Glastonbury in the U.K., Ultra Festival in Croatia, or the Ypsigrock Festival in Italy. And, according to new research in the U.K. released by Lastminute.com, more people are prepared to travel to attend festivals abroad.

Lastminutes research found that almost half (47%) of Brits would travel abroad to attend a festival  what Lastminute dubs festravel. Their booking data revealed that the number of Europeans flying out to the Ultra Festival in Croatia rose by 33% last year, compared to the previous year, as did the numbers attending the Ypsigrock Festival.

Furthermore, preparations for festravel are beginning earlier each year providing brands with a bigger window of opportunity to engage festival tourists. For example, those heading to Berlin to attend Lollapalooza in 2016 booked 47 days ahead of travel, compared to just 33 the year before, while those heading to Budapests Sziget Festival booked trips 45 days in advance last year compared to 32 the year before.

As festivals become a staple ingredient for the perfect summer break, festival-goers are looking to brands for inspiration for everything they need to make their trip special and successful  from tents to travel insurance, says Alessandra Di Lorenzo, Chief Commercial Officer, Media and Partnerships, at Lastminute.com. Brands that fail to factor this unique audience into their online campaigns risk missing out on a big category of summer spend.
Muhammad Shahbaz (2nd R) poses with the crew members during a flight from Beijing to Paris on July 2, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A PhD student studying at the Shangdong University School of Medicine saved the life of a Chinese passenger on a flight from Beijing to Paris on July 2.

Muhammad Shahbaz was resting with his eyes closed when he heard a crew member requesting the assistance of a medical professional.

Muhammad got up and went to a stewardess who took him to a Chinese woman who was shivering and in distress.

"I went over to a flight attendant, and as soon as I identified myself and showed my ID to Demon Virginie, the chief of staff, they told me about the woman's condition and requested me to help the woman in distress," he said.

"I told her I was a doctor. As I can speak Chinese, she trusted me a little bit, and I told her she was in good hands."

Muhammad said the woman was suffering from severe vomiting, stress and hypothermia, which was challenging as the resources aboard the plane were limited.

"I placed an oxygen mask on the woman to help her breathe and covered her with blankets," he said.

"I then monitored her temperature, blood pressure and pulse regularly."

While Muhammad attended to the woman, arrangements were made on the ground for an emergency landing in case complications arose  an ambulance and medical staff were in contact throughout the duration of the flight.

Muhammad said the woman began feeling better within three hours and was in a good state by the last two hours of the flight. Medical staff further examined the woman when the plane landed.

In order to thank Muhammad for his efforts, the cabin crew gave him a round of applause and the chief of staff awarded Muhammad 10,000 Air France mileage points.

"It was best day of my life," Muhammad said.

"I am used to seeing this in movies but it happened in real life, and being the only doctor on the flight, I felt proud of my profession for being able to save a person's life.

"The experience helped me realize being a doctor is a noble profession, and it is beyond the borders of race, color and religion.

"It is the best profession on planet earth, and I am proud to be a doctor and proud to be Pakistani."

The woman, 26, who identified herself as Li Xuan the following day, thanked Dr Muhammad for his efforts after she made a full recovery.

"There is a Chinese saying that 'saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda'. Thank you Dr Muhammad for helping me while I was in distress," she said.
At least two villagers were killed by shelling and another 300 fled their homes amid fighting between Burmese armed forces and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State.

According to TNLAs news and information department, two local people in Wan Penghoi Village, Kutkhai Township, were killed and another was seriously injured earlier this week when Burmese army battalion 45 launched artillery shells at TNLA positions near the village.

Tar Aik Tae, 44, died at the scene, the TNLA reported. His wife Yar Aye Am, 41, was taken to hospital and pronounced dead later. Tar Aik Sam, 53, was seriously injured.

A week of ongoing hostilities also forced villagers to flee their homes in Namhsan Townships Man Lan village.

In Lashio Township, there are currently 141 evacuees sheltering in Khur Nong Mon temple; 87 people at Shwe Kyethi Thatanar temple; and 79 in Aung Yartharnar temple, resident Sai Seng told Shan Herald. He said that the temples were helping gather support for the evacuees, but rainy season conditions were exacerbating the problems.

The TNLA news reported that some villagers had been captured and detained by the Burmese army, according to a joint statement on June 27 by the Taang Womens Organization and Taang Youth Organization. The statement urged both sides to cease hostilities and release all detainees immediately.

Fighting between Burmese units and the TNLA has broken out regularly in various areas in northern Shan State, including Namhsan, Kyaukme, Kutkhai, Muse and Namkham.

The TNLA was excluded from the first round of peace talks, unofficially dubbed the 21stCentury Panglong Conference, or 21CPC, in 2016. However, the group did attend the second round of political dialogue, represented as a member of the newly formed Federal Political Negotiation Consultative Committee (FPNCC), which is headed by the United Wa State Army (UWSA).
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No matter how deep our vocabulary, we will struggle to describe and define the life and character of this beautiful soul, this harbinger of peace, this oasis of wisdom, this heart of courage, this steely fortified spirit of endurance, this torch of foresight, this treasure of knowledge, this bottomless ocean of love, this humble and selfless servant of the people.

In life and in sleep, his life speaks to us. And it speaks to us most when it is silent. Its silence is loud and rich with words. Here is a life that has lit the lives of so many  across generations, and across so many man-made economic, social, religious, ethnic, gender, ideological and political barriers that divide us.

One of the first and most enduring memories I have of my late parents, Baledzi and Isabella Gaolathe, is that they possessed a heavenly ability that I could not put into words. Whenever I went to bed every night I would switch off the lights and wonder myself away to sleep. And if for any reason I had not seen them that night, and somehow they came to check on me, the minute anyone of them stepped into that dark room, my world would light up  even in that darkness, I would know its one of them. There was something in them that lit every room they walked into. This enduring personal experience has given me an inner peace, a magnificent contentment, a belief that everything under the sun is possible. It is a life experience that I want for every child in this country and for all of humanity.





Today we bid farewell to one who not only lit my lifes room, we bid farewell to a man whose mere existence lit the lives of so many. He lived for us, each pulse of his being, each heartbeat, was for his people. We will never know if he was designed that way or built himself to become that person.

The long sweep of his life alone is breathtaking  he was born not long after the first world war, and he was a baby when the pioneer, Charles Lindbergh, made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1927; he was already herding cattle when Hitler became chancellor in 1933; the prestigious Tigerkloof had already moulded him into a rare African intellectual not long after the second world-war ended; he was already a formidable farmer, teacher and leader by the time Martin Luther King led marches for equality in America or by the time President Mandela was sent to jail; he was already a Vice President and Minister of Finance when the first man landed on the moon in 1969; and in 1998 asked about what he most looks forward to, he said he looked forward to learning how to use a computer.

I mention this extraordinary span of life to dramatise the idea that he long started to meet with greats long before many of us were born, but he never advertised these facts. He was silent about the significant sweep of his life. It is this silence that pronounces with loud authority, his extraordinary humility.

Speaking at a funeral we both attended in 2010, Former President Mogae intimated that he knows of only two men that consistently exuded an extraordinary pulse of humility  the man we were burying that day, and Sir Ketumile. We were to reflect and converse, later, about this remark. He was deeply moved by this remark and gesture by Former President Mogae, and I cherish this was done while he lived. Like him I know of third humble man  it is Rre Mogae. It is tempting to remember him as a great statesman and politician with a knack for great exploits on the economy, justice, freedoms and pursuit of the happiness and the public good. It is tempting to place him on a pedestal as a great historical shaper and transformer of an agrarian society into a society with the foundations of a modern society. It is also tempting to point at his faults, or even the lapses over his extraordinarily long rule.

Yet his life was much more that this, much more than the portrait of a public figure implanted in our hearts. He was, above all else, an extraordinary soul, an extraordinary human being of the ages and a beacon of love that lit our lifetime.It was not the big things - It was actually the small things, the small gestures, the quips, the jokes, the words, the walk and the occasional tears that made him great. Through the small gestures, he emerged as the biblical Joseph, who unfailingly performed his missions, no matter how great or small, with diligence, faithfulness and sense of responsibility. Sir Ketumile, like Joseph, had a way of relating with those who despised him  with contentment, conviction, courage and a resolve.

He possessed boldness for the truth, a reverence for God and no fear of man. Like Joseph he was the perfect example of a mans skills will bring him before kings. He was a man of excellence.

Rra Gaone, like the Great African King, Mansa Musa I of the Mali Empire (Emir of Melle, Lord of the mines of Wangara and Conqueror of Ghanat) was an inspired teacher and groomer of talent. It was Mansa Musa I that built The University of Timbuktu, the worlds first university.

It was Sir Ketumile that envisioned a Botswana where every citizen could learn and acquire skills that would allow them to till the soil, feed their families and their country. This is a dream that now rests on us, the people of Botswana, to achieve.

And despite his advanced age, there was something permanently youthful about Rra Gaone  young at heart and in spirit  the kind of youthfulness best described by President Kennedy:

..youth, not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. The cruelties  of this swiftly changing planet will not yield to the obsolete dogmas and outworn slogans. They cannot be moved by those who cling to a present that is already dying, who prefer the illusion of security to the excitement and danger that come with even the most peaceful progress.

It is a revolutionary world we live in, and this generation at home and around the world has had thrust upon it a greater burden of responsibility than any generation that has ever lived. Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation; a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth; a young woman reclaimed the territory of France; and it was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and the 32 year-old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that "all men are created equal."

He was an African, the kind of man who never forgot his people or his roots  he embraced the finest of the African tradition  everything about him, his Ubuntu, his pristine usage of Setswana language, the foods he loved (and the mageu he always asked for at home), the consultative posture, the compassion, the self-belief and may I say he spoke his mind, not the words of one who begs, but the words of one who lights up his people. And in President Thabo Mbekis words, he was truly one who says I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land.I wish to say to his immediate children, Gaone, Mmasekgoa, Mpho, Mmetla, Moabi and Matshidiso  your spouses  and your children. The way of love is both beautiful and painful.In his letter to the church in Corinth, St Paul writes: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.

This is an apt description of the man your father was.

I wish I had something better to say than to say to you, that the pain does not go away  in fact, sometimes the pain will grow, but God will lend you an overwhelming strength and a joy, much greater that any pain. So many people will never know the full extent of your fathers personal sacrifice, your mothers and your own because many things rarely appear the way they really are. Your father was proud of you, each one of you, and this is not a guess- he loved you. My final conversation with him was a painful, taxing and even punishing, to both him and I. I felt he was negotiating a way out, an exit  and that is just how democratic he was  I tried everything I could to have this matter postponed. But you know there is this incredibly impeccable heavenly principle  that when a man or woman has lived out their purpose, done it well and finished it to perfection  there is no reason to keep him any longer. This is a painful truth. Painful. Painful, but it is true.

So thank you for the gift you were to him, and for sharing him with us, his people. Thank you to his wider family and friends for providing him with the support structure (he loved his brothers and their spouses, his relatives and his friends). Thank you to those who have worked with him and made him the success story that will light up our history. Thank you to those with whom he differed but learnt from - Dr Koma, Motsamai Mpho, K.T. Motsete, Phillip Matante and others. Thank you to the people of Botswana for the reverence and the love you showed and continue to show for him and your country. Thank you to friends who have crossed oceans and rivers to pay their respects - Your gesture is a source of both comfort and inspiration. Thank you to a man who throughout my entire life I have seen drive and protect Sir Ketumile, I am talking about Rre Malatsi, I wish to tell you this morning, that you are, in your own right, a great man.
Former Vice President Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe says it would be unfortunate if principles that the late former President Sir Ketumile Masire believed in to strengthen the ruling party were no longer a priority. According to Kedikilwe who also once served as Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) chairman, Sir Ketumile Masire believed in empowering the party from the grassroots and across all structures. He said under Masire who was the longest serving BDP Secretary General, the party had a Manifesto that was talking to the people.

It was the shortest Manifesto when compared with other political parties. The manifesto however spoke to the needs of Batswana. While other political parties focused on disparaging imperialism, the BDP Manifesto explained that a vote is a double-edged sword that could destroy or build the nation. The Manifesto was based on common touch message which is the reason why Batswana trusted the BDP and still have faith in the party.

The Manifesto predicted distribution of natural resources to Batswana equally. That was the mission and the message we had, said Kedikilwe this Wednesday at Masires Memorial Service held at the University of Botswana. Kedikilwe said as the president Masire ensured that party structures were active and ensured that they serve Batswanas interests and that of the party.





Kedikilwe explained that Masire would best be remembered for 1967 Legislation that entrusted all natural resources in the custody of the state. The legislation was a milestone, said Kedikilwe adding that this was achieved through consultation. He was a man of consultation. Tribal leaders, civil servants and the public were taken on board in everything that was done in this country. He believed and championed unity, self-reliance and Botho, which we find pride in today. He used these to guide this nation in order to build the country peacefully, stated Kedikilwe who was speaking on behalf of the BDP at the request of President Ian Khama.For his part former President Festus Mogae explained that Masire was a workaholic.

He said as a protege and disciple of the late former president, Masire represents all the descriptions previous speakers had said of him. He was amiable, humble and a man of laughter. He was a democratic to fault and was considerate. He would seek input from everyone else and would in most instances reserve his opinion, he said. Mogae revealed that Masire has done well for the country during the time when he served under him. He said he served under Masire for 20 years as a civil servant. Masire served 14 years as a vice president and 18 years as head of state.

Under all these portfolios, I served under him. I only did not serve under him when I was the President. He has for years been a consultant for free, he noted. Masire who died on the 22nd of June this year was buried in Kanye his home village on Thursday 29th June 2017.
Ketumile Masire was a cattle herder turned statesman who, as President of Botswana between 1980 and 1998, helped to solidify his countrys standing as one of the most thriving nations in Africa.

Masire was widely heralded as a model leader in a model nation on a continent where poverty, corruption and violence had crushed the hopes of many for stability and prosperity.

We have seen the promise of a new Africa whose roots are deep here in your soil, for you have been an inspiration to all who cherish freedom, Bill Clinton told Masire during a visit to Gaborone in 1998. The US President noted that in 1966 when Botswana  then known as Bechuanaland  became independent from Britain, it had two miles of paved roads and a single public secondary school. Its chief export was beef.





The discovery of diamond reserves transformed the countrys prospects, and under Masire and his predecessor, Seretse Khama, the nation used its revenue to build roads and schools, improve healthcare and expand access to clean water, advancing farming techniques and extending life spans. Masire, who described himself as a farmer who has been drawn into politics, was credited with leading his landlocked nation through a drought that dragged on for much of the 1980s. In 1989, he shared the Africa Prize for Leadership, awarded by the charitable organisation the Hunger Project in recognition of the food distribution efforts that helped the country avoid starvation during the crisis.

He navigated a delicate relationship with South Africa, Botswanas neighbour to the south. While South Africa was Botswanas major economic partner, Botswana opposed apartheid. He had to walk a line in a really rough neighbourhood, said Chester Crocker, a former US assistant secretary of state for African affairs.

He had to get along with everybody, without sacrificing his principles. While many other African nations suffered under dictatorship, Botswana featured a robust democracy with little, if any, noticeable corruption. The political inclusivity Masire fostered, Crocker said, is a magic formula, and its too rare in Africa and elsewhere.

The stability of Botswana allowed its tourism industry to flourish in times of economic prosperity, with many visitors coming to witness its wildlife. Masire  often known as Quett  was born in Kanye, in southern Botswana near the South African border, in 1925. He was a herder before enrolling in a primary school at 13. Crocker said Masire worked the land in a country that may go years without rain and learned a profound sense of self-reliance. He received a scholarship to attend a secondary school in South Africa that trained many leaders of the first government of independent Botswana.

After his parents died when he was in his early twenties, he suspended his education to become a teacher to support his siblings. He was a headmaster before saving enough money to buy a tractor and pursue farming, distinguishing himself with modern agricultural techniques.

He also worked as a journalist, which along with his community involvement helped draw him into politics. He served on tribal and regional councils and was a founder and secretary-general of the Botswana Democratic Party, now the countrys dominant political party. He once traversed 3,000 miles of the Kalahari desert to attend two dozen meetings over two weeks.

Before becoming President, Masire served in roles including minister of finance and development planning and Vice President. After leaving office, he advised other African leaders and chaired an international panel that investigated the Rwandan genocide of 1994. He made important contributions to peace efforts in Congo and, more recently, Mozambique.

In retirement, Masire established the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation, which seeks to improve agriculture, governance and childrens health in the region. He also tended the cattle on his ranch. Masire married Gladys Olebile Molefi in 1958; she died in 2013. They had six children.

We have a saying in Botswana: A man is never strong until he says what he believes and gives other men the chance to do the same, he once said. I am proud to say without a doubt  we are a strong democracy.

 Washington Post
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) awarded licences to new television broadcasting players last week, marking another milestone towards Botswanas vision of a connected and informed society.

BOCRA awarded a licence to a Subscription Management Service Provider and two licences to two Subscription Satellite Television Service Providers. This follows after the organisation last month awarded the first set of licences to Subscription Management Service Providers.

The new licencees were Ovy Network, Alfaview, Clouds TV and Econet Media Botswana. Handing over the licences, BOCRA acting chief executive, Tshoganetso Kepaletswe said the satellite Television Service providers will broadcast content as a single channel or aggregate several channels built into a bouquet.He said the content could be locally produced by the licensee or commissioned from third parties in the form of a full channel or specific programme. It is important to note that the licensee will carry all the broadcasting obligations especially of material that is suitable for Botswana broadcasting. Conscious of the broadcast market dynamics, we would like to urge new entrants to make a strategic shift towards creating your own content and even better quality local content, Kepaletswe said and adding that creation of local content is vital in a society as it provides material that is relevant to the audience.





The BOCRA official said value of local content cannot be overemphasised as it is through local content that local broadcasters can showcase abundant talent and creativity that exists in the country. He said on the other hand, local content presents an opportunity for the industry to showcase the countrys rich cultural diversity and through that, broadcasting will contribute directly to the economic empowerment of people.

Already, BOCRA has commenced initiatives to facilitate the development of local content and is currently working alongside other stakeholders in the local content committee to devise ways and means of facilitating production and consumption of local content. Kepaletswe urged producers to take keen interest and participate in the initiative. He said BOCRAs mandate is to foster the development of broadcasting service and increasing variety of choice for customers. Traditional broadcasting, in comparison to online broadcasting is capital intensive and requires a lot of investment and due to the small population in the country, there has been low interest in venturing into the broadcasting sector.

We all know that advertisers who are the primary financiers of broadcasting are driven by large audiences, for the simple reason that they want a wide reach for their products, fortunately, due to technological advances and different facility sharing models, the cost of running a broadcasting station is coming down, said Kepaletswe.

In light of these developments, the authority said it is giving opportunity for aspiring broadcasters to venture in this sector.

I believe you will not disappoint and our predecessors have previously issued licences under other licensing categories, but the licencees never progressed beyond holding a licence. Our reason for licensing more players is to see the industry grow and offer consumer variety of choice, said Kepaletswe.Econet Media Botswanas KWESE Executive Director, Kagiso Mmusi, expressed gratitude towards BOCRA for awarding the new licences and said this is a great opportunity for them to meet and satisfy the country as they are going to bring more TVs with different channels which can educate and entertain.

At KWESE, we have already launched in nine countries and we have about 61 channels and we will be launching here in Botswana in the next two months and we already have offices and a team of staff, he said. Mmusi said they will try to make sure that they fully utilise the licence and believed that other new players would do the same.
Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) Policy Director Dr Tlamelo Mmatli is confident he will accomplish his ceasefire mission before the do or die partys elective congress.

The elective congress billed for Bobonong in two-weeks time will be the biggest test for BMDs stability ever since it was established in 2010. Even though the party has had its internal fights, things have never been this ugly. In an interview with Botswana Guardian this week, Dr Mmatli who is also MP for Molepolole South could not hide his disappointment at the current state of the Orange Movement.

He said he would continue calling for reconciliation even though he has attracted criticism and insults from fellow Bakaulengwe. He has been called names before but Dr Mmatli said he would not be shaken from what he believes is for the benefit of the party and not individuals.





I am trying but people keep on saying I am not honest. They are just being dismissive and it is clear that they have already taken sides, which is not the right thing. We all can see that the party could split because of our differences but we have to save the party. We have to put the interest of the party ahead of our personal interests, he pointed out.

Mmatli believes that the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the suspended members among them party President Ndaba Gaolathe and his deputy Wynter Mmolotsi should meet halfway. He stated that since Gaolathe-Mmolotsi team and party Chairman Nehemiah Modubule and Secretary General Gilbert Mangole-led camp are not in good terms they should both find a common mediator to resolve their differences before the congress. I tried reaching out to the suspended members, but they have since shrugged off my plea to meet and discuss the matter.

The suspended members have also indicated that they would not listen to Dr Mmatli because he is aligned to the Modubule-Mangole faction. Mmolotsi has indicated that Dr Mmatli cannot be calling for reconciliation while he knows exactly where he stands. In most of the meetings that the suspended members have addressed, Dr Mmatlis efforts have been labelled as his own strategy to save face.

Mmolotsi said Dr Mmatli cannot divorce himself from Modubule and Mangole. These three men are the ones that are destroying our party. The three Ms who are being controlled by a certain man from the shadows behind. We want our members to punish these men when we get to Bobonong. These are the men who are frustrating our efforts to build a bigger Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), he told a recent meeting they addressed.

Dr Mmatli however explained that as the BMD leadership they want to see UDC flourish since BMD is a key component of the UDC. It takes two to tango. I am not surprised that the suspended members are dismissing my efforts. I would continue to talk to other members of the party who may one way or the other reach out to them and convince them to see the bigger picture. Even when the party was divided last year over whether a special congress should be held or not my attempts were dismissed by others, said Dr Mmatli adding that even though he has other engagements such as being part of the Congress Preparatory Committee.

He explained that people should not confuse the decision taken by NEC to suspend the members and his efforts for reconciliation. He said having been part of the NEC and National Working Committee that took a decision and endorsed the decision respectively, it does not mean that as a BMD member in good standing he could not call for cease fire.

Dr Mmatli pointed out that he is bound by the decision taken by the party leadership as the majority believed that suspensions should be enforced on the affected members. In one of the meetings held in Molepolole vice president Wynter Mmolotsi revealed that if the Modubule-led NEC does not come to them before the congress to apologise for humiliating the party president and other party leaders with suspension letters, when they get to Bobonong they would call for variation of agenda items.

Agenda item number one would be suspensions and we would call on the congress to set aside the suspensions then party president would chair the congress, said Mmolotsi. But Dr Mmatli believes that even during reconciliation suspension could be lifted. He explained that with the mediator involved it would not be about who won among the warring factions but the party is the one that emerges victorious. I will continue to talk to Bakaulengwe with mutual respect because we will not always agree on everything but it does not mean we have to disrespect or insult others, he stated. Gaolathe-Mmolotsi led faction has however maintained that Dr Mmatlis self-acclaimed efforts are long overdue.
President Ian Khama pulled a surprise again this week when he took a backseat and didnt bid former President Sir Ketumile Masire farewell during the Memorial Service at the University of Botswana.

This conduct fuelled suspicion that Khama has not got over what he considered criticism of his government by Masire when he gave a eulogy at the funeral of Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) President Gomolemo Motswaledi in Serowe in 2014.

Indicators that there was no love lost between the two men were clearly visible when as head of state Khama did not announce Masires passing last week but instead delegated the assignment to his Senior Private Secretary Brigadier George Tlhalerwa. The development was this week slammed by former Ambassador to USA, Tebelelo Seretse as un-cultural. It is said that at the time of the death announcement Khama was attending the ground breaking for the construction of Mohembo Bridge. His silence sparked debate among Batswana who began tracing the sour relationship back to the funeral of Motswaledi. During the memorial service at the University of Botswana this Wednesday, Khama who attended did not take to the podium to console the nation and the multitudes that thronged the memorial service.





Expectation was that Khama would either address the nation as head of state or leader of Botswana Democratic Party or both. On behalf of the party Khama delegated former BDP chairman Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe while Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi spoke on behalf of government. It was not stated as to why the president would not speak to the nation about the father of the nation. At press time it was not clear if Khama would speak at the funeral, which took place in Kanye village yesterday (Thursday). It was expected that Masire as one of the longest serving President and being one of the founding fathers of BDP, Khama would have taken the opportunity to speak about his illustrious work for both the party and the country.Early this week there were media reports that Khama cornered the Masire family to bury him on Thursday as opposed to the weekend. In fact Botswana Guardian sister publication The Midweek Sun reports that Masires blood brothers revealed that the Thursday burial was agreed at the request of President Khama.

A delegation led by Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Eric Molale and family spokesperson Tebogo Masire held a media briefing on Monday this week where they dismissed the claims saying the date was amicably agreed. Khama was reported to have indicated that he would not be able to make it to the funeral if it is on Saturday because he has other engagements.

Family spokesperson and former Commander of Botswana Defence Force Tebogo Masire said the dates were discussed among family members and they settled for Thursday. He stated that they did not want to disrupt other peoples programmes but was quick to dismiss that such programme is for a particular person and not Batswana at large who would have wanted to pay their last respect to the father of the nation.
The Ministerial Task Teams have been directed to prioritise industrial development and develop concrete cross-border projects in the five-member Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

According to a communique from the recent Summit held in Swaziland, this is a means to promote industrialisation and ultimately ensuring that the region is able to optimise economic benefits to withstand global economic shocks. For Botswana government, the development comes at a very crucial time as it relies mainly on two volatile revenue streams, mineral revenues (which account for almost 40 percent of total revenue) and South African Customs Union (SACU) customs revenues (27 percent of total revenue).

A report made by the World Bank highlights that the decline in SACU transfers will persist due to the weak economic outlook for South Africa. It says however that the substantial fiscal savings and international reserves will provide the country with ample space to gradually adjust expenditures to the SACU shock in the long run, and to provide counter-cyclical stimulus in the near term.





The meet also reaffirmed the importance of SACU as an organisation in deepening regional economic integration, industrialisation and economic diversification of SACU economies as a common goal as well as positioning SACU to take advantage of regional and global economic developments.

The summit, which was chaired by King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Swaziland, and was attended by Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, Vice President of Botswana and Carl Schlettwein Namibias Minister of Finance, noted and endorsed the Work Programme, based on the outcomes of the 3rd Ministerial Retreat which outlines detailed activities, key deliverables and the timelines within which the proposed activities will be undertaken.

The endorsed Work Programme is set to focus on the review and development of a suitable architecture for tariff-setting, rebates, duty drawbacks and trade remedies; a review of the Revenue Sharing Formula and the long-term management of the Common Revenue Pool; the establishment of a Stabilisation Fund and exploring the feasibility of a financing mechanism for regional industrialisation and identifying financing options for regional projects.It also adopted SACU5/S/DC and the development of public policy interventions to promote and align industrial development and value chains. At the event, delegates commended the Council of Ministers for establishing two Ministerial Task Teams on Trade and Industry, and on Finance, including the approval of their Terms of Reference, to facilitate the urgent implementation of the Work Programme.

SACU economies experience similar economic challenges, which can be better dealt with in an integrated manner within the region. In this regard, the Summit directed the Ministerial Task Teams to prioritise industrial development and develop concrete cross-border projects to promote industrialization to ensure that the region is able to optimise economic benefits to withstand global economic shocks, they emphasised.

Meanwhile, Botswana will be the Chair of SACU, effective 15 July 2017 to 14 July 2018, taking over from Swaziland.
The night is always darkest just before sunrise. Words that resound today, as the people of Botswana pay their last respects to Sir Ketumile Masire, the second president and one of the founding fathers of the republic of Botswana.

It could not be truer as we, in this article, reflect on the 18 years of public service by the late statesman and his contribution to the economic prosperity that we still relish in today.

The southern African development community, preceded by Southern African Development Co-ordinating Conference (SADCC) was a creation of the forefathers, leaders of the Frontline States was established on 1st April, 1980. The community was therefore formed before the presidency of Masire, but as vice president, he was part of the leadership that is responsible for the formation of what is now known by the acronym SADC.





According to the SADC website, the southern African region had a combined GDP of US$20 billion from 1980 to 1992. This grew from 1992 to 2012 to stand at a GDP of US$471 billion, a feat made possible by cooperation that induced the growth of the economies in the region.

Economic prosperity or growth is ordinarily measured by the growth in gross domestic product (GDP). According to Statistics Botswana, with data sourced from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) world economic outlook, the economy of Botswana during the 18 year rule under President Masire grew at an average of 4.5 percent. This was quite a remarkable feat as compared to neighbouring countries and regimes before and after Masire. South Africa, which had a GDP which was estimated to be 77 times larger than that of Botswana, had a GDP with an average growth rate of -7 percent. At this time, it was also estimated that 80 percent of all imports into Botswana were from South Africa. This is a commendable achievement and prudent fiscal management for the leadership under President Masire.

Under President Festus Mogae, the average growth rate of GDP was dampened to 3.8 percent whilst in the current regime, according to World Economic Outlook statistics, the growth rate of the economy as measured by GDP is at an average of 2.2 percent.

The government under Masire prioritised, just like the current government, employment creation and universal education. As noted by Grossman in 1972, education is the most important determinant of human capital. Therefore the goal of achieving universal primary education is also related to economic growth, health, gender equality and a whole host of other indicators.

The country has been a beacon of light in the region, the continent and the world as it provides free of charge education from primary level to tertiary level. This, most experts agree, was a step in the right direction for the development of the country and growth of the economy.

Botswana has always been known to have enormous foreign exchange reserves this is due to budget surpluses that were known at the time to easily run into billions of dollars. This feat was commendable as reserves set aside served as security for the rainy days.

Social and economic commentators though argued that for such a small country, it made no economic sense to have such huge reserves and it was a sign of a government that relied heavily on the private sector as they failed to invest into the country. That is, more could have been done in terms of investing in human capital as even today, the country is known to be lagging behind in terms of skilled labour and human capital productivity in the public sector.

Botswana had the second highest HIV prevalence rates in the world in 2011 at 23.4 percent just behind Swaziland at 26 percent (UNAIDS, 2012). This result can be attributed to ARVs which prolong life thus increasing prevalence rates. When the disease was first diagnosed the estimated median survival time was only 12 months, but after the introduction of ARVs, this estimate rose to five years as time went by and health care improved.

Therefore, the duration of a disease affects prevalence positively. Prevalence will most likely remain higher for longer periods if life years increase and this is bound to have an effect on health expenditure. An indicator that was effectively dealt with, by the leadership of President Mogae.

The national health policy of Botswana, first drafted in 1995, notes that the country has a sparsely distributed population with around 3 persons per square kilometre. With a GDP per capita of BWP 14,232, the country has an estimated life expectancy of 46.5 years. This was due to the damning effects of HIV at the time and hence, economic prosperity was achieved during Masires presidency but was rolled back by the lack of growth in human capital due to the disease. Provision of the public good was a priority for the government, according to International Energy statistics, an average of 0.185 million kilowatts was installed from 1980 to 1998. This has remained a priority in the budgets as the electrification projects are today a mainstay of the national development plans.

Sir Ketumile Masires presidency is characterised not only by economic growth, but by the two referendums that today are a variable, among others, that determine foreign direct investment flow into the country. The referendum that replaced the Supervisor of Elections with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), is an achievement that most today would agree that if not for it, democracy with which Botswana attracts foreigners, would be a far-fetched dream. It is therefore commendable that Sir Ketumile Masire played a role in the development of this country.
The Toyota Botswana 1000 kilometre desert race is renowned for boosting the local economy as well as attracting all kinds of people, but most importantly supporters of different types of expensively-assembled racing vehicles.

This year was no different as thousands of such patrons took on all sorts of transport, some not even suitable for the terrain but still could not resist to travel to the greater part of the worlds largest diamond producing mining town of Jwaneng - the starting and finishing point of the race.

However, what perhaps is worth noting is that unlike in the past, this year it was different terms of the organisation.





This year, instead of doing the usual thing of building a marquee at the starting point and feeding their invited guests and stakeholders which comes at a great cost, race organisers and license holders Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) saw the need to boost the economy by calling for tenders and, or empowering Batswana youth owned businesses to cater.

In the past, government through BT0 spent largely through inviting stakeholders and catering for them in terms of beverages , food, merchandising that ranged from windbreakers, scarves and head gear, but this year they outsourced the services to private companies owned by Batswana.

A local company Incite led by an ambitious Motswana youth Alimah Matsheka won the tender. Incite did not disappoint on their first assignment as service providers, from their choice of staff which included the elegantly dressed well built bouncers, quality of merchandise sold at reasonable prices, the size of the marquee and set up were extraordinary, decor, meals and beverages, the seating arrangement, choice of restaurant named DPN Duo Pennotti, and choice of the DJ and music provided inside the marquee- made the likes of BTO Spokesperson Keitumetse Setlang occasionally stand up and show her dancing skills.

All these enabled patrons to relax so much that they could easily simply forget that they are in the bush where the competitors were rumbling the dust scrambling for points and, or finishing in a respectable position. Good as it may, the Incite charge price for the platinum marquee ticket was not for mere mortals, and a day package cost P1750, while the two days had a tag price of P3000, per head.

But make no mistake it was worth the while as it was the best way to mix business and pleasure in a friendly mode as it provided sheer comfort. The meals provided were delicious and tasty. On Saturday the appetising meals for breakfast were mini blue berry pancakes, yoghurts with granola and honey, selection of muffins, Danishes and croissants, wraps with scrambled egg, pork sausage and bacon, smoothies, magwinya stuffed with spicy mince meat and sliced fruits. The egg station had different types prepared to ones taste such as scrambled, friend, egg Benedict with hollandaise sauce boiled and omelette as well as assorted juice.

For lunch Incite provided salads composed of beetroot and coriander , roasted pumpkin, Greek with dressing, with main course being vegetable rice, pap and gravy, grilled beef with peppercorn sauce and mushroom sauce, marinated chicken peri peri, beer battered fish and tartar sauce, fresh French fries and seasonal vegetables. While the desserts were bar one cake, warm apple crumble custard, fruit salad and ice cream.

There were also the afternoon snacks made of spicy hot wings, assorted samoosas with dips, peanuts and samba chips. The Sunday breakfast meal was the same save, for the fact that there were no mini blue berry pancakes, while lunch composed of Pork ribs, beef lasagne, chicken curry, grilled fish with tartar sauce, savoury rice, different types of salads. Dessert was made up of malva pudding, carrot cake and custard.

Prominent personalities in their own right who bought the ticket and enjoyed themselves included Attorney Patrick Matlho and his family, businessman Dr Thapelo Matsheka, Permanent Secretary Jimmy Opelo, Director of Civil Aviation Authority Botswana, Dennis Mushabesha, CEO of NDB Lorato Morapedi and husband Reuben, Gaborone Mayor Kagiso Thutlwe, Meshack Tamocha and wife, BTO executives, senior police officers amongst them, Deputy Commissioner Bruno Paledi, Kgosi Mosielele and McJohn Mosenene to mention, but a few.

Their choice of attire was great too as it suited the occasion except for one government official who was wearing a suit and tie on Saturday. Speaking to BG Travel, the impressed Lorato Morapedi described the set up as being sheer and premier comfort in the middle of the bush and indeed a good value for money.
Nestled in a cosy little corner at the Briscoe Attorneys building located on Plot 133, Independence Avenue (opposite BOCRA), one finds a unique treasure when it comes to the hospitality industry.

A unique treasure in the sense that the size and location of this find is something that can only be understood by those who value their time and everything that they do daily. The gem is none other than The Daily Grind Cafe & Kitchen. Officially opened a year ago, June 16 to be precise, everything about this Cafe beckons to those who are on the go and it also does not discriminate against those who might wish to sit here and listen to their thoughts or do a bit of business without any interruptions.

On a windy and unfriendly Tuesday morning, BG Style paid a brief visit to the Cafe and was captivated by its allure and ambience. Seated inside the Cafe, the clientele varies from company executives who need to catch up on a bit of work while out of the office, to friends and colleagues. This right here promises to be one of the fastest growing go to spots in town.





Coffee whiffing through the Cafe, the minute you set foot inside, for an introvert like this reporter, you walk into a space where you can play over and over again meaningful conversations in your own space and at your own pace. According to the brains behind The Daily Grind Cafe & Kitchen, James Briscoe when he studied in Cape Town, he was inspired by the rich and vibrant Cafe culture from the mother city.

Locally, he noticed that there was a niche in the market for a Cafe. And the rest as they say is history. The Cafe has a staff complement of 12, and they are all young and passionate individuals who take their job very seriously judging by the spring in their steps. We wanted something that was fresh, he says explaining the concept behind his brainchild.

The target market is the business community, corporate, but also taps into the schools in the surrounding areas. When it came to decor, they went for a minimalist look and it is working wonders for them when it comes to setting the tone for what one can expect. Briscoe explains that they have specials that change daily/weekly such as Cakes and soup of the day. For those who are hungry, they can look forward to an array of dishes ranging from locally inspired dishes that incorporate Diphaphatha, rape and other local ingredients and influences.

On the menu, one can find healthy varieties that range from the Salmon Benedict, Great Toast (which is an Avocado toast with tomato and onion salsa as well as Holiday potatoes comprising fried potatoes, chutney (coffee) and garlic aioli/garlic mayonnaise. For those who might wonder how this in-house made chutney tastes like and whether it will tickle their taste buds, he explains that they would love it to bits.

Lunch has three different salads with the chicken salad changing according to seasons, Quiches Burgers, as well as TDG chicken sandwiches. And for those who are rushing off to the office to meet deadlines like the BG Style team, they are also well catered for and can tuck on a savoury scone with a cappuccino that gives them energy to pull through the first part of the day.

It is own creation, and one of the popular dishes on the menu, he explains.

Briscoe points out that while the coffee industry in the country is still in its infancy their customers have an opportunity to choose various coffees on the menu, which also come with a brief description.

This means that coffee connoisseurs could soon be frequenting this place. On average, he notes that they sell close to 100 cups of coffee. It took a while for people to adapt to the different varieties of coffee. In total, we have 12 variations of coffee, and the majority are not served locally, explains Briscoe.

At the moment, they are busy expanding as they have taken into account the fact that one of their busiest times is lunch hour. Other items to look forward to are the After Grind Cocktails available on Thursday-Fridays.

With this, they are tapping into their customers and wish to give them a space where they can come and relax with a cocktail or two or a glass of wine. Besides the wine and cocktail offering, customers who are looking for something different can chill in the company of friends or colleagues with alcoholic beverages such as Whiskey (Johnny Walker, and Jameson), Brandy (Klipdrift), Rum (Havana 3 year old), vodka, Bourbon whiskey, as well as Gin (Botanical Gin served with rosemary and grape fruit).

The Daily Grind opens weekly (Monday-Wednesday) from 0700-1800HRS, Thursday-Friday (0700-2000HRS) and starting this past weekend; they are also open on Saturday (0830-1300HRS). Breakfast ranges from as little as P30-P95, and lunch ranges from P60-P110.
On Friday evening, wine connoisseur and lovers were treated to an evening of wine tasting, socialising and trying to figure which wine best suited their tastes buds. Local company, DWINE (short for Dine and Wine), hosted the event held at Travel Lodge. DWINE is the brainchild of a young Motswana entrepreneur, Tsholofelo Sehularo.

On the menu were ten wine variables from two wine estates namely Noble Hill and Weltevrede, and they ranged from dry red and dry white. Varieties for Noble Hill included Merlot, Carbenet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. And varieties for Weltevrede included Cherry Choc Merlot (a hit amongst some of the attendants), Choc Mint Carbenert Sauvignon, Cigarbox Shiraz, Tropico Sauvignon Blanc and Vanilla Chardonnay (one of the favourite amongst the attendants). As with all wine tasting events, the audience gravitated towards their favourite wines, going back for second and third servings.

Sehularo explains that she got the idea to go into this business after working for Walt Disney Co for a year. Upon her return back home, she decided to cut her teeth in this industry that is mostly tried by the elder generation. The company was established in 2013 and started with the distribution of two wines from two estates. Today, they continue to grow, and currently working on adding three more estates. We are suppliers of some of the finest wines from top estates in Cape Town, she says.





She also says that their latest additions are Noble Hill and Weltevrede.

Detailing some of the competitive edges that keep calling back her customers, she explains that since the company opened one of the services that they provide to their clientele was Customized wine branding for a range of events such as anniversaries, weddings and special occasions. The reception has been very good for this service, she says.

Sehularo also says that they also offer Wine Etiquette training, and that they are affiliated to the Cape Wine Academy who provide the training. The company is in partnership with Zebra Hub of Excellence (ZHE), who are responsible for inventory management, warehousing and distribution of the wines throughout the country. They also have a Wine Club for those who appreciate wine, as well as E-commerce.

One of the projects that they are busy working on right now is that they have embarked on increasing visibility online. We wish to create a strong online footprints so that we can reach everyone, she says.

She advises those who wish to embark on unchartered territories to keep in mind that everything is possible, and that they too can try their luck and compete with established companies.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/07/2017 (1957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two international pen pals who have been exchanging handwritten letters for more than four decades finally met in person.

Susan Johnson made the 1,500-kilometre trek from her home near Admire, Kan., to visit Cheryl Fairbairn in Brandon over the Canada Day long weekend.

Since we met, its been as if we were neighbours, Fairbairn said. We were just chatting away  Weve just been visiting, reminiscing, catching up.

Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun Cheryl Fairbairn of Brandon, left, and Susan Johnson from Admire, Kan., have been pen pals for more than four decades, and only met face to face for the first time this past weekend. The women started corresponding with each other when they were part of a fan club for Edward Bear, a Toronto-based rock band that formed in the late 1960s. They met at Fairbairns house in Brandon on Sunday.

The women, both 59, first became pen pals in the mid-1970s when they were 16 years old. It all began when they joined a fan club through a teen magazine for one of their favourite bands  the Canadian pop-rock group called Edward Bear, best known for its hit single, Last Song.

We got several pen pals, but (Cheryl) is the only one that lasted, Johnson said.

The friends sat together in Fairbairns backyard on Monday, where they laughed as they looked at old postcards, photos and even a letter from the Edward Bear band, dated 1973. Johnsons sister-in-law, Myrna Watson, joined her for their first road trip to Manitoba.

When asked why they made the decision to finally meet, Johnson joked that theyre not gettin no younger.

At first, the girls wrote about their common love of pop music, but as they grew older, their conversations turned to deeper topics, and updates on significant life events.

I know more about her than friends that are local, Johnson said. You tend to write stuff down, and dont think youre going to be judged.

Despite living thousands of kilometres apart, the two women would write once or twice a month  and kept it up to this day.

I cant explain it  anything, whatever cropped up that day  a medical problem  in a letter you can express yourself more, Fairbairn said.

The similarities continued for Johnson and Fairbairn as they got older  both women got married and each had one son, who are 35 and 28, respectively. They have exchanged stories and photos of their children over the years, including important days like graduations.

Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun Johnson holds up a letter sent to her from Edward Bear. Johnsons sister-in-law, Myrna Watson, who came along with her for the trip to Canada, has been videotaping the visit.

While Fairbairn was born in Halifax, she has been a Brandonite since she was three years old. Johnson, on the other hand, is originally from Topeka, Kan., and has moved extensively throughout the United States. Her husband joined the Coast Guard and they have lived in California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, before moving home to Kansas.

I moved all over and had to meet new people each time, Johnson said. But I always had somebody else I could write to.

Through all the different moves, Johnson made sure to update Fairbairn with her new address.

Wherever she moved, she got my letter, no matter where she was, Fairbairn said.

Fairbairn is a health-care aide in Brandon, while Johnson has had many different jobs during her many moves. She now does volunteer work and is a mission secretary for her church.

Over the past 43 years, means of communication have changed significantly, thanks to the Internet, smartphones and social media. But for Fairbairn and Johnson, they decided to stick with pen and paper.

Some people will laugh  but I dont like these new modern things, Fairbairn said. Im an old-school girl, and Ill stay old school till the day Im gone.

Johnson said she wishes more people would stay in contact the old-fashioned way. I just wish that everybody would learn how to write nowadays, just a little bit more.

Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun Fairbairn holds up images of herself as a teen that she sent to Johnson when the two girls began corresponding by mail more than 40 years ago.

Now that the pen pals have met face-to-face, they are talking about doing it all again, possibly when Fairbairn retires.

Meet halfway? Johnson said. Maybe Ill be living somewhere more exciting then.

Fairbairn said no matter what, it still will be exciting for me.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @jillianaustin
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man who took revenge by slashing the throat of a man whod punched him in the face has been convicted of attempted murder.

In convicting the accused, Justice Robert Cummings rejected the offenders claim that other men at the party had grabbed his arm and made him stab the victim whose throat was then sliced by accident.

I do not believe that any other person or persons assisted the accused or forced him to stab Mr. Xayavong, Cummings said in Brandon Court of Queens Bench on Tuesday.

Cummings convicted Jesus Arnoldo Sorto Granados, 46, of attempting to murder Somjeen Xayavong by cutting his throat with a knife during a house party on Aug. 16, 2014.

Sorto Granados was also convicted of two counts of assault with a weapon for arming himself with a broken beer bottle during a fight on the front lawn of the Brandon home shortly before the slashing.

The cut to Xayavongs throat extended from his left ear to just under his right cheek, and was deep enough to cut his trachea. He also suffered stab wounds to his torso.

The accuseds trial was held last month, and Cummings delivered his verdict on Tuesday.

In regard to the first fight on the lawn, witnesses testified that Sorto Granados had smashed a broken beer bottle and waved it at Xayavong and another man.

Cummings didnt accept Sorto Granados testimony that he wielded the bottle in self-defence after being knocked to the ground.

During his testimony, Xayavong said that other men disarmed and restrained Sorto Granados and admitted that he punched the accused a couple of times in the face.

It was those blows to the face that led to what happened next.

Sorto Granados testified that he then left the party, went home to retrieve his pickup truck, and drove back to the house in the 900 block of 11th Street. He admitted that, once back at the house, he took a knife out of his toolbox and headed into the home. But he said that he intended to fight his adversaries one at a time, and only planned to use the knife if they ganged up on him.

By his account, he didnt have time to make his challenge for one-on-one fights  one man pushed him, and he drew his knife after Xayavong put him in a headlock and he began to pass out.

Sorto Granados testified that one of the men at the party then took the sheath off his knife and he and another man forced Sorto Granados to stab Xayavong.

Xayavongs throat was cut by accident, Sorto Granados claimed. A third man took hold of his hand, which still clasped the knife, and they happened to pull it when Xayavong rushed toward him.

Crown attorney Jim Ross described Sorto Granadoss explanation as bizarre and incredible, questioning why people at the party would make the accused stab their own friend.

Sorto Granados story made no sense, Cummings agreed. For it to be true, somehow  in the instant after Sorto Granados pulled out the knife, and without a chance to discuss it  several people would have to conspire to make the accused stab the victim.

The accused was the only one whose clothes got blood on them, Cummings added, and the other partygoers wouldnt have had time to change before police arrived.

Rather, Cummings said he believed Xayavong when he testified that Sorto Granados entered the home, immediately approached him as he sat on a couch, and cut his throat.

The men then struggled and Sorto Granados stabbed Xayavong a number of times in the abdomen and back before the victim retreated to a bedroom and passed out.

Sorto Granados then left the home and was arrested two days later at work.

Cummings noted that Xayavongs account is corroborated by other witnesses who didnt have a strong connection to others at the party and had no reason to take sides.

One of those witnesses told police that he overheard Sorto Granados say, as he left the scene: He is dead already. Nobody touches my face. That statement proved the accuseds intent to kill, the Crown argued.

Sorto Granados sentencing is to be set for a later date. Hes originally from El Salvador and came to Brandon in 2005. Following court, defence lawyer Norm Sims said that its expected his client will be deported as a result of his conviction, although its not clear when.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com
The Living Wage has been increased by 20c to 11.70 an hour.

That is up from 11.50 last year and is almost 2.50 more than the minimum wage.
There are calls for Dublin City Council to explain why it rejected planning for a high-rise tower beside Tara Street Dart station.

Fianna Fail says it is causing confusion over what planners want for the city.
By Ann O'Loughlin

A High Court judge has refused a bank's bid to halt an action by a woman alleging a bank manager obtained false income details to support a property investment loan application.

Maureen Coyne, a mother of four, claims a National Irish Bank manager sought a letter from the financial director of her husband Raymond's employer in 2006 to support a 235,000 loan application by the couple.

The letter suggested her husband, a construction worker employed as a foreman in his brothers firm, had an annual pay package of 65,000 when his annual income was 26,000, she alleges.

She claims Declan Cox, then manager of NIBs Mullingar branch, and her husband both knew that was false but she knew nothing about the letter.

In her action, she wants damages against the bank, which previously got a judgment against the couple after they could not repay the loan due to the property collapse.

Today, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan ruled Ms Coyne is entitled to proceed with her action against Danske Bank - which took over NIB - and granted her application to join her husband as a co-defendant.

Ms Coyne claims she and her husband were customers of anther bank in 2006 when her husbands brother introduced them to Mr Cox to discuss finance for a property investment. They were interested in acquiring a house on a large site with planning permission for a second house and intended to get finance to buy the property, build the second house and sell both at a substantial profit.

She claims they got a loan of 235,000 and an outstanding mortgage of 50,000 on their home was also cleared as part of their arrangement with NIB.

They bought the property and built the second house but were unable, as a result of the collapse in the property market, to sell the properties and repay the debt to NIB. Danske later got summary judgment in 2015 against them for the 137,150 sum outstanding on the loan after the bank sold both houses.

The Court of Appeal dismissed their appeal against that judgment order in April 2016.

Some months earlier, they had initiated proceedings over the circumstances in which the 2006 loan was allegedly advanced but the bank sought to halt their case on grounds including it amounted to a claim of reckless lending, not an offence under Irish law, and was bound to fail.

Mr Coyne discontinued the action but Mrs Coyne opposed the banks bid to halt it.

In his judgment, Mr Justice Noonan said this claim went considerably further than a mere allegation of reckless lending.

The main claim is Mr Cox, the banks servant or agent, knew Mr Coynes financial profile would not have enabled him to qualify for the loan but, despite that knowledge, Mr Cox not only recommended to the bank the loan be advanced but put forward evidence in support of the loan application which he knew to be false, the judge said.

Mrs Coyne claimed Mr Cox contacted Manus Sweeney, the financial director of the firm employing her husband, to ask Mr Sweeney to forward him a letter showing Mr Coyne was getting bonus payments suggesting his actual income was about 65,000, the judge said. Mr Sweeney had sworn an affidavit stating he was contacted by Mr Cox asking him to provide a letter showing Mr Coynes income at that level.

Mrs Coyne says she knew nothing about this and the allegations have yet to be proved, the judge added.

The fact Mrs Coyne did not raise this issue in her defence to the banks judgment claim did not prevent her raising it now, he ruled. The claim was not a collateral attack on the earlier judgment, he also held.
Update 10am, July 6, 2017: Karina Gostomskq has been found safe and well.

Earlier: Gardai are asking for the public's help in finding a teenage girl who has been missing for over a week.

Seventeen-year-old Karina Gostomskq was last seen in Roxoboro Road in Limerick city on Tuesday, June 27.

She is described as being five foot six inches tall and has black hair.

Anyone who has seen Karina or who can help find her is asked to contact Bruff Garda Station on 061-382 940, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reacts to a question during a news conference in Trenton, New Jersey, US on March 28, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said late on Monday he will sign a budget bill to end a partial government shutdown that became a black eye for him after he was seen lounging on a beach that had been closed to the public over the holiday weekend.

State lawmakers were finalizing the bill and legislators and the governor said they would stay as long as it took on Monday night and into Tuesday morning to craft and sign it.

Christie said all state parks and beaches would be open on Tuesday for the Fourth of July holiday and state offices would be open as usual on Wednesday.

He said he was happy a resolution had been reached on the budget impasse, but saddened it came three days late.

New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney told a news conference: "None of this was easy."

"I think this is a good day because everything will be open," Sweeney said.

Christie became the subject of widespread mockery and derision after a New Jersey newspaper captured photos of the Republican governor and his family sunbathing on a beach that had been closed to the public over the holiday weekend due to the budget standoff.

The saga, dubbed "beachgate" by some media outlets, threw a spotlight on stalled budget negotiations that caused partial government shutdowns in New Jersey and in Maine, and led to the suspension of many non-essential services.

New Jersey's state parks closed on Saturday, forcing many to alter their holiday weekend plans. More than 30,000 state workers were on furlough on Monday.

In Maine, the state police, parks and offices responsible for collecting revenue all planned to work through the shutdown, the state's first since 1991. But the majority of its 12,000 state employees will be furloughed.

Members of Maine's State Employees Association rallied outside the State House to demand a budget deal from lawmakers and Republican Governor Paul LePage.

"Governor LePage won't answer his door - we want to work!" organizers posted on Twitter, with photos and videos of dozens of the association's members holding placards and chanting.

About 10 US states still do not have budgets for the fiscal year that began on July 1, including Illinois, which is in its third year without an enacted budget.

While states have mostly recovered since the 2007-2009 recession, their revenue growth has not always kept pace with the national economy. In some states without full budgets, including Connecticut and Pennsylvania, lower-than-anticipated income tax collections exacerbated budget gaps and led to disputes over how to close them.

'I'LL GO BACK TO BEACH'

On Monday, Christie noted that 119 miles (190 km) of the state's 130 miles (210 km) of beaches were open, and that it was "another beautiful day" at the Jersey shore. "Come and enjoy them - but use sunscreen and hydrate!" he wrote on Twitter.

A spokesman for Christie, a former Republican presidential candidate who is in the last year of his final term, said Christie had been on the beach in front of the governor's residence for only 45 minutes.

Christie had said he would not sign the state's budget unless it included a reshaping of the state's largest health insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, which covers 3.8 million people in the state.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said the agreement to end the partial government shutdown was reached after long talks in "crisis" mode on Monday with Horizon and state legislators.

Christie also promised not to remove from the budget any of the $150 million in school funding and other items from the budget that he threatened to veto last weekend if the legislature did not pass a bill to reform Horizon.

He seemed unfazed by the controversy over his time at the beach at the weekend.

"Whenever I get done tonight, I'll go back to the beach," Christie told reporters on Monday night. "That's where my family is."

Reuters
A bid to give Northern Ireland special designated status within the EU after Brexit has been defeated in the European Parliament.

A bloc of left-wing parliamentarians, of which Sinn Fein is a part, proposed the measure in Strasbourg.

It was defeated by MEPs by 374 votes to 66.

DUP MEP Diane Dodds said: "Ultimately, this week's vote by MEPs is further demonstration that Sinn Fein's Brexit charm offensive has failed miserably."

The republican party's demand for special designated EU status for Northern Ireland post-Brexit has raised unionist concerns that their real motive was to drive a wedge between the North and the rest of the UK.

The fact Brexit has now been caught up in a reignited debate about a united Ireland has also polarised the issue.

The amendment to legislation in the European Parliament said the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended the violence and subsequent agreements, should be fully upheld in the withdrawal agreement.

It said special EU status would also ensure membership of the Customs Union, Single Market and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

It also called for the freedom of movement of goods, people and services on the island of Ireland.

Mrs Dodds said the proposals would have prevented Northern Ireland from harnessing new opportunities which flow from Brexit as an integral part of the UK.

"Critically, it would also cut us off from the Great Britain market - by far the most importance marketplace for local goods and services from Northern Ireland."

Nationalists have argued retaining special designated status would ease all-Ireland trade.

Concerns over a hard border post-Brexit have exercised minds in Belfast, Dublin, London and Brussels, with a series of high-level promises to try and minimise its impact.

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson said the amendment was "roundly rejected" by the Parliament.
A Fair City star has been remanded on continuing bail pending sentencing for attacking his former partner, writes Tom Tuite.

Patrick Fitzpatrick, 33, who played Carrigstown bad boy Zumo Bishop for six years in the RTE prime-time soap, appeared at Dublin District Court today.

He was told by Judge Deirdre Gearty that sentencing would have to be adjourned. Fitzpatrick's case has to be dealt with by Judge John Lindsay who heard evidence on an earlier date. However, he was not presiding at the court today.

The actor was told his case will be listed again next week for mention only when it is expected that a date for sentencing can be set.

He did not address the court during the brief hearing today.

Fitzpatrick has entered a guilty plea to assault causing harm to Theresa Gannon at his home at Hollytree Terrace, Ballymun, on September 4, 2015. The charge is under Section Three of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. The offence, at district court level, can carry a sentence of up to one year.

A medical report on her injuries was furnished to the court at a previous stage.

Fitzpatrick played Fair City gangster Zumo Bishop for six years, from 2007-2013, and briefly reprised the role last year.

His fictional on-screen hard-man alter ego was at the centre of some of programme's biggest stories in recent years.

Fitzpatricks other acting credits includes a role in 2013 horror film City of Hate.

The court heard he was ordered earlier to pay 2,000 in compensation and so far he has paid 1,000.
Update 9.42am: Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney says he has total respect for all military personnel.

His comments come after it emerged he challenged an Air Corps pilot who refused to fly him to Cork for a meeting in 2015, because of fog, when he was Defence Minister.

Internal emails show the Air Corps being "very unhappy" with the minister's intervention.

On his way into this morning's Cabinet meeting Minister Coveney defended his record.

"I don't want to add to that story any further apart from to say that I have total respect for the judgement of military personnel whether they're in the Naval Service, the Air Corps, or in the Army.

"I think my record will show that when I was Minister for Defence," he said.

Update 9.05am: Fianna Fail has said it is extraordinary that the Foreign Affairs Minister would challenge a pilot who refused to fly him to Cork because of fog.

Fianna Fail's Michael McGrath has said Simon Coveney needs to outline what happened.

"There are documents and emails so clearly the issue escalated to quite a serious degree.

"I think that for his own sake he should come out and clarify whether or not he did indeed challenge the pilot because there's an issue raised about the tone of the exchange as well," he said.

Earlier: The Foreign Affairs Minister questioned the judgement of an Air Corps pilot who refused to fly him to Cork because of predicted fog.

The Irish Times reports Simon Coveney had tense exchanges with pilot in 2015 while Minister for Defence.

Internal emails show the Air Corps being very unhappy with the minister's intervention.

Department of Defence official Cathal Duffy wrote: The Minister phoned the pilot shortly after Vincent was informed at 7.05am that the mission had to be cancelled.

Minister Coveney was understood to be unhappy about missing a meeting in Cork because of the cancelled flight.
A leading housing charity has warned that re-introducing bedsits is not the solution to the housing crisis.

The organisation Threshold was responding to comments by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, who said he would consider bedsits as part of a review of the Rebuilding Ireland programme.
Update 12.45pm: Cork City Fire Brigade have released footage of the devastation caused during last nights fire at the historic St Kevins Asylum building on the Lee Road.

The footage released on social media shows the devastation caused by the fire which started around 8pm last night.

The morning after the night before....

Extensive damage done. pic.twitter.com/bYCN65Wajk  Cork City Fire Brigade (@CorkCityFire) July 5, 2017

Earlier: Firefighters are this morning still at the scene of a major blaze at one of Corks most historic buildings.

The alarm was raised at St Kevins Asylum on the Lee Road at 8.15pm last night.

Six units of Cork Fire Brigade and a water tanker from Mallow have been battling overnight to save a remaining portion of the roof.

The five-storey listed building was the former Our Ladys Psychiatric Hospital and was derelict for many years.

Gerry Myers, Chief Fire Officer, said that youths were seen running from the scene.

"On arrival there were a number of youths seen running away from the building so, theres a history of anti-social behaviour there.

"Now there is security but obviously they move onto another building, these guys keep moving around.

"Two-thirds of the roof is gone at this stage," he said.
At least 26 people have been killed in a clash of armed groups in northern Mexico, authorities said.

Chihuahua state prosecutors' spokesman Felix Gonzalez says members the La Linea gang and a faction of the Sinaloa cartel were involved in the incident.
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Poland ahead of an outdoor address in Warsaw and energy talks with European leaders.

Air Force One landed in Warsaw on Wednesday night to kick off Mr Trump's visit to Poland and Germany, where he will attend an international summit with world leaders.
Donald Trump has expressed frustration with China for failing to do more to cut off support to North Korea and exert pressure to curb its nuclear pursuits.

Pyongyangs intercontinental ballistic missile test this week demonstrated a dangerous new reach for weapons it hopes to top with nuclear warheads one day.

The launch is spurring US demands for global action to counter the threat.

Since he entered the White House, Mr Trump has talked about confronting Pyongyang and pushing China to increase pressure on the North, but neither strategy has produced fast results.

He had expressed optimism after his first meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping that the two would work together to curb North Koreas nuclear programme, but on Wednesday he condemned China on Twitter.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"

In his initial response to the launch on Monday evening, Mr Trump urged Beijing on Twitter to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

But he also said it was "hard to believe" that South Korea and Japan, the two US treaty allies most at risk from North Korea, would "put up with this much longer".

North Korea conducts about 90% of its trade through China. Beijing has long resisted intensifying economic pressure on neighbouring North Korea, in part out of fear of the instability that could result on its doorstep, and Mr Trump has not found a way to break through Beijings old habits.

Mr Trump spoke with Mr Xi and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, discussing North Korea and its nuclear programme. He will meet them both again this week at the G20 meeting in Germany, as well as have his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

US officials joined South Korea and Japan in requesting an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

- AP
Donald Trump is heading back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering scepticism across the continent over his presidency.

Doubts remain in Europe over his commitment to Nato, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the US out of a major climate agreement.

Mr Trump is arriving in Warsaw for a brief visit that will include a speech in Krasinski Square, near the site of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis.

He will meet the leaders of Poland and Croatia and hold a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Before moving on to an international summit in Germany, the president will also hold meetings with the leaders of a dozen countries located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas at a summit of the Three Seas Initiative, which aims to expand and modernise energy and trade.

One of the initiative's goals is to make the region less dependent on Russian energy.

"Even if he doesn't mention Putin or Russia outright, just stepping foot in Poland sends a powerful statement," said Jim Carafano, a foreign policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

"Europe is working for energy independence - looking for free market solutions - and Poland is in the middle of that energy corridor, so it makes so much sense that the president would go there and talk about energy policy."

Mr Trump will have to balance his visit to Europe with escalating tensions with North Korea, after the US concluded that Pyongyang had test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The US, South Korea and Japan responded to the provocation by requesting an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

Mr Trump returns to Europe after a shaky first trip in May and signs of unhappiness around the globe with the start of his presidency.

A recent Pew Research Centre survey of attitudes towards Mr Trump in more than three dozen countries found fewer than three in 10 respondents expressed confidence in his ability to do the right thing on international affairs.

His first trip to Europe as president saw a series of awkward encounters, including a tough speech to the leaders of Nato countries urging them to spend more on their armed forces, an uncomfortable handshake with France's new president, and a caught-on-camera moment when he pushed past the prime minister of Montenegro, Europe's newest country, while squeezing his way to the front of a crowd.

AP
Emirates and Turkish Airways say they have been exempted from a US ban on laptops in airline 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 Islamic State or other groups might smuggle explosives on board in electronic devices, but in Turkey, authorities now use CT scanners to take cross-section images of passengers' electronics just before they board planes heading to the US.

Both airlines alerted the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees plane safety in the US, that "they are ready to comply with the enhanced security measures", said David Lapan, a Homeland Security spokesman in Washington.

"Protecting the American people and raising the global baseline on aviation security remains the top priority," Mr 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, the airline said 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 US officials cleared on Sunday.

"We would like to express our gratitude to the US 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 Istanbul, Turkish Airlines tweeted that passengers aboard its US-bound flights should "fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices".

A statement from the airline said it had taken more than 81,000 electronic devices away from passengers to store them in specially protected baggage during the 102 days the ban was in place.

The US laptop ban, announced in March, now applies to non-stop US-bound flights from seven international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo, Egypt; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; and Doha, Qatar.

AP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stood by her suggestion that Europe can no longer rely entirely on the US and declared that Germany and China can work together to help calm the world's problems.

Mrs Merkel is hosting the G20 summit on Friday and Saturday in Hamburg.

The gathering should make for a challenging combination of world leaders, with US President Donald Trump, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attending, and major protests are expected.

Welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to Berlin, Mrs Merkel said their pre-summit meeting was "a good opportunity to expand and broaden our extensive strategic relations".

"It is a great pleasure for us to welcome you here today at a time of turmoil in the world, when China and Germany can make a contribution to calming down this turmoil somewhat," Mrs Merkel said.

The G20 summit comes amid unease in Europe about the Trump administration's "America First" approach to trade and other issues.

After her last encounter with Mr Trump in late May, Mrs Merkel said: "The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days."

Asked in an interview with weekly Die Zeit whether she would repeat that comment, she replied: "Yes, exactly that way.

"It is, for example, open whether we can and should in the future rely on the US investing so much as it has so far in the United Nations' work, in Middle East policy, in European security policy or in peace missions in Africa."

Mrs Merkel also held a pre-summit meeting last week with the event's European participants, who underscored their backing for the Paris accord to combat climate change.

She reiterated that the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement was "extraordinarily regrettable" and noted that many US states and cities want to continue participating.

Hamburg is a famous hotbed of left-wing protest in Germany and anti-globalisation activists have registered the slogan "G20: Welcome to Hell" for their protests on Thursday.

"We are calling on the world to make Hamburg a focal point of the resistance against the old and new capitalist authorities," said the organisers, who have ties to the Rote Flora squat, a centre for radical leftists where police have clashed frequently with protesters. The site is less than a mile from where the G20 leaders will be meeting.

Incidents in recent weeks believed to be linked to the summit have seen police cars burned and train lines sabotaged, and authorities in Hamburg and nearby Rostock have confiscated improvised weapons like fire extinguishers filled with flammable liquid, material to build petrol bombs, baseball bats and other items in several raids.

Police clashed with hundreds of protesters on Tuesday night, using pepper spray and water cannons to eventually bring the crowd under control.

The Welcome to Hell demonstration is one of dozens of protests registered under a variety of themes - including a far-right pro-Trump rally - with more than 100,000 demonstrators from across Europe and beyond due to take part.

Officials expect 8,000 from Europe's violent left-wing scene, and have been tracking known activists coming in from Scandinavia, Switzerland, Italy and elsewhere, said Hamburg police chief Ralf Martin Meyer.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people painted like clay figures moved slowly and silently through the streets of Hamburg to protest against the summit.

AP
Iraqi children who survived the brutal fight to retake Mosul from Islamic State have been left psychologically damaged by the extremist regime's rule and the battle to remove them, a charity has warned.

Save the Children said youngsters who have escaped alive from the northern Iraq city faced lifelong mental health damage unless there was an urgent increase in psychological support.

US-led Government forces are currently engaged in the final push of an offensive that started last October to remove the Islamic extremist insurgency from Mosul, a former stronghold.

Hundreds of civilians, mostly women and children, have fled the street-by-street fighting in the city in recent days.

Save the Children said all the youngsters it spoke to in a displacement camp showed signs of "toxic stress", where the mind is constantly in "fight or flight" mode, with some numbed and left "robotic".

Dr Marcia Brophy, Save the Children's senior mental health adviser for the Middle East, said: "What was striking was how introverted and withdrawn children have become.

"They rarely even smiled. It was as though they had lost the ability to be children.

"When we asked them what they liked about themselves, children often said things like 'I'm quiet', 'I stay in a safe place' or 'I obey orders'.

"Their time under ISIS, and making a life-or-death escape, has taken a truly terrible toll.

"These children are not going to heal in weeks, or even months. They'll need support for years to come."

Reports from Mosul have said that women and children fleeing the city have been wounded by shrapnel from artillery fire and air strikes.

StC said that 90% of youngsters it spoke to had lost at least one family member to death, separation or abduction.

Some said they saw relatives killed in front of them. Others spoke of losing family members to snipers, landmines or explosions as they fled.

The majority of the 65 children spoken to, including 78% of girls, said they had nightmares or were unable to sleep, with some night terrors so bad they were "haunted" by them during the day.

When they were asked to play a game where they placed things they did not want into a "magic bag", the most frequently chosen things were "war", weapons, "sadness" and ISIS.

A comparative study with British school children saw "creepy crawlies" and disliked foods chosen the most, the charity said.

Alahddin, 13, at Hamam Al Ali Camp in Ninewa Province, in Iraq. Picture: Ahmad Baroudi/Save the Children/PA Wire

One 11-year-old girl, using the name pseudonym Sara, told how her 14-year-old brother's body lay outside their home for a day after he was murdered by an IS sniper for helping the Iraqi army.

The sniper shot at them when they tried to retrieve the body and it was only when the area was liberated that they could move it.

The girl, now living in the Hamam al Alil camp for displaced people, said that "when someone scares me, I freeze".

She said: "When I get scared, my heart beats so strong, and feel like... I sweat like this, I just can't stand it.

"I can't even walk. When my brother died, I passed out. I felt my soul squeezed so hard.

"And I couldn't sleep the whole night.

"I would see him in front of me, my brother, killed."

Ana Locsin, the charity's Iraq country director, said: "Children escaping Mosul have gone through horror piled upon horror.

They have been starved and abused inside the city. Explosive weapons have been dropped in narrow streets by all sides with little regard to their impact.

"But the impact on children is clear: even if they made it out alive, they have been left scarred and broken. And right now, that's what Mosul's future looks like.

"Life-saving aid like shelter, food and water are crucial in this crisis - but to help children recover and rebuild after their ordeals, psychological support must be considered a priority.

"The world must do more to repair the damage."
A violent boyfriend has been found guilty of killing two ex-girlfriends five years apart following a long-running campaign by one of their families to get justice.

Robert Trigg, 52, murdered Susan Nicholson in 2011 as they slept on a sofa together, five years after he killed another partner, Caroline Devlin, 35, in her bed.

Both deaths in Worthing, West Sussex in the UK were not treated as suspicious at the time. But the family of Ms Nicholson refused to accept foul play did not play a part and launched a five-year campaign to get to the truth.

At Lewes Crown Court, unemployed Trigg, of Park Crescent, Worthing, UK was convicted of Ms Nicholson's murder and Ms Devlin's manslaughter following a 10-day trial.

Outside court, Ms Nicholson's father Peter Skelton told how his family had to hire their own experts to prove their belief she was murdered because police would not listen.

He criticised police, saying: "Their first investigation wasn't very good. That's why we had to get a barrister and a pathologist to back up our case because they wouldn't listen to us, even though we used to write them letters.

"We told them all the facts, even the facts that came out in court but the police still wouldn't listen, but in the end they had to listen."

The death of Ms Devlin, whose body was found by one of her four children on Mother's Day 2006, was originally recorded as being due to natural causes, an aneurysm.

And an inquest into Ms Nicholson's death ruled she died accidentally after Trigg claimed he inadvertently rolled onto her in his sleep while they were on a sofa.

But Mr Skelton refused to believe Trigg's account. He said: "The reason why we pursued it was because the sofa was too narrow for two people to sleep on, so how could he have suffocated someone in his sleep when he couldn't sleep on the sofa.

"He was such a big man that if he was on the sofa who could sleep on the outside? No-one. That's why we had to keep on pursuing it because we didn't believe the police's version."

Brandyn McKenna, the youngest son of Ms Devlin, said outside court: "We have always said that it was all down to the Skelton family that we finally got justice."

As Sussex Police apologised for not presenting all the facts to prosecutors following the original investigation, Mr Skelton refused to rule out taking civil action.

The trial heard both women's causes of death were re-examined years later by pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary who concluded Ms Nicholson was suffocated by having her head forced into the bed.

In Ms Devlin's case, Dr Cary found her death was caused by a blow to the back of her head.

Trigg, who declined to give evidence in his defence, denied both charges. He blew out his cheeks as the jury returned its verdicts following six-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

The trial heard both women suffered violence at the hands of Trigg during their relationships with him. After one outburst, Ms Devlin said: "I won't be here for my 40th."

Trigg was described as a "possessive, controlling and jealous" man and by one former girlfriend as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who drank heavily.

Ms Devlin's friend Bridget Benger told how her personality changed after she started a relationship with Trigg, describing her becoming "withdrawn" and having "lost her spark".

Three weeks before Ms Devlin's death, Ms Benger made a pact with her promising that if anything happened to them, they would support each other's children.

Ms Benger told how she found out about the discovery of her friend's body from Ms Devlin's eldest son who knocked on her door, telling her: "We can't wake mummy."

Similarities were highlighted about the two cases during the trial, including the revelation Trigg failed to dial 999 in either case after the women's bodies were found.

After Ms Nicholson died, Trigg instead went out to buy cigarettes, then called his brother Michael before phoning neighbour Hannah Cooper, telling her: "It's Sue, I think she's dead."

Ms Cooper said Ms Nicholson and Trigg had a "volatile and violent" relationship, with rows fuelled by alcohol, and police had been called at least six times following bust-ups between them.

The trial heard Trigg was treated at the time of Ms Nicholson's death as a bereaved partner rather than a suspect.

It was not until November last year that he was interviewed as a suspect.

On the night Ms Devlin died, one of her children heard the sounds of "rough and loud" sexual intercourse coming from their mother's loft bedroom, jurors were told.

The following morning, one of her other children went to ask Ms Devlin what she would like for her Mothering Sunday breakfast and saw her naked body on the bed, but thought she was asleep.

Trigg had left the house, but later returned and asked one of Ms Devlin's children to look at their mother as she laid upside down in the bed with her head deep into the duvet.

The alarm was then raised. No CPR was attempted as Ms Devlin was already dead when medics arrived.

The trial heard a number of police officers who attended believed her death was not suspicious.

Following the case, Detective Supt Tanya Jones, of Sussex Police, said "the forensic information available on each case at the times of the deaths did not provide any avenues for further investigation".

"However, we were presented with new evidence by the parents of Susan Nicholson, after they commissioned the assessment of a third pathologist who in 2015 examined the findings in the case of Susan Nicholson," she said.

"On this fresh information we carried out a new thorough investigation including both deaths. We then put the facts to the CPS who authorised prosecution."

She added: "Sussex Police are sorry that we had not presented all the facts before the CPS previously but we have now thoroughly investigated both cases."

Nigel Pilkington, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "This was an extremely unusual case and required us to put together a compelling case in the face of initial pathology results that suggested the victims had died of natural causes. With the benefit of knowing the wider picture, this allowed the pathologist to now consider what else could have happened on those fateful nights, with the results telling a very different story.

Sentencing was adjourned to 11am on Thursday by judge Mrs Justice Simler.
North Korea's latest missile test was with an intercontinental ballistic missile, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has confirmed.

He said the launch on Tuesday morning was a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea.
North Korea has test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, a potential game-changing development in what may be the world's most dangerous nuclear stand-off.

It is a direct rebuke to US President Donald Trump's earlier declaration that such a test "won't happen!" and appears to be North Korea's most successful missile launch yet.

A US scientist examining the height and distance said the missile could potentially be powerful enough to reach Alaska.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson later confirmed it was indeed an intercontinental ballistic missile, calling it a "new escalation of the threat" to the US.

He said: "Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

In a direct response to the missile launch, US and South Korean soldiers fired "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters.

The US Eighth Army said the missile firings were a show of force meant to demonstrate US-South Korean solidarity.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley asked for an emergency meeting of the Security Council, which will happen later on Wednesday.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said the test of an ICBM - the Hwasong-14 - marked the "final step" in creating a "confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth".

It will be difficult to confirm many details about what happened as North Korea's weapons programme is perhaps the most closely held state secret in one of the world's most suspicious nations.

North Korea has previously launched satellites in what critics said were disguised tests of its long-range missile technology.

A test-launch of an ICBM, however, would be a major step in developing nuclear-armed missiles that could reach anywhere in the United States.

The launch sends a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, while also allowing North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile programme.

It came on the eve of the US Independence Day holiday, days after the first face-to-face meeting of the leaders of South Korea and the United States, and before a global summit of the world's richest economies.

US, South Korean and Japanese officials say it flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,500 miles, which would be longer and higher than any similar North Korean test previously reported.

It also covered a distance of about 580 miles.

US missile scientist David Wright estimated the highly lofted missile, if the reported time and distance are correct, could have a possible maximum range of 4,160 miles, which could put Alaska in its range.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commanding officer of the British Armed Forces Joint Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Regiment, said: "In capability of missile terms and delivery, it is a major step up and they seem to be making progress week-on-week."

He added, however, that "actually marrying the warhead to the missile is probably the biggest challenge, which they appear not to have progressed on".

Soon after the morning launch, President Trump responded on Twitter: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?

"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

"This guy" presumably refers to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. China is North Korea's economic lifeline and only major ally, and the Trump administration is pushing Beijing to do more to push the North toward disarmament.

After North Korea claimed earlier this year it was close to an ICBM test launch, Mr Trump tweeted: "It won't happen!"

What is the reach of North Korea's missiles? https://t.co/ToyfZ4BYGd pic.twitter.com/GkF03HzLfJ  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 5, 2017

China and Russia proposed on Tuesday that North Korea declare a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests while the US and South Korea refrain from large-scale joint military exercises.

North Korea views the exercises as preparation for an invasion and has repeatedly demanded their cancellation.

It says it needs nuclear weapons and powerful missiles to cope with what it calls rising US military threats.

The Korean Peninsula has been divided since before the 1950-53 Korean War. Almost 30,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea.

Why North Korea could now threaten the U.S. https://t.co/w9BMbbdPaJ pic.twitter.com/ZLAICFhZOw  The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 5, 2017

AP
Qatar has said it wants to resolve the diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf through dialogue, despite the "aggression" of its Arab critics.

Speaking in London, Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said he believed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were the "main driver" behind the campaign to isolate his country.

His comments came as Saudi and UAE ministers, together with those from Egypt and Bahrain, were meeting in Cairo to consider Qatar's response to their demands to resolve the situation.

Last month, the four nations cut ties with Qatar over its alleged support for extremist and close relations with Iran, issuing it with a 13-point set of demands with 10 days to comply.

The deadline, which expired on Monday, was subsequently extended for a further 48 hours at the request of Kuwait, which has been acting as mediator in the dispute.

In a speech to the Chatham House international affairs think tank, Sheikh Al Thani dismissed claims Qatar was "soft" on terrorism and accused the quartet of imposing a "blockade" on his country.

"The allegation that Qatar supports terrorism was clearly designed to generate anti-Qatar sentiment in the West. We have been anything but soft on terrorism," he said.

"We work with the intelligence and security services of the UK, the US and all of the countries in our region to bring terrorists and their supporters to justice."

The demands of the four include shutting down Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite news network, expelling Turkish military forces based in the country and paying restitution.

Sheikh Al Thani said Saudi Arabia and the UAE appeared to be the main countries pushing the campaign against his country.

"I think those are the countries we have to engage in what are the real motives and the real grievances behind it," he said. "

The main driver is Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates."

Ultimately, he suggested the dispute came down to the differences over the more open approach Qatar took to dealing with its own population.

"What other countries fail to grasp is labelling political opponents as terrorists merely to silence them regardless about how we feel about their agendas is both unjustified and fails to solve any problem," he said.

"Demonising people who are presenting legitimate grievances peacefully and oppressing movements advocating political change only drives well-meaning people into the arms of extremists."
Update 3.05pm: Manchester airport has confirmed that the suspicious bag found in terminal 3 poses no threat.

In a statement, the airport said that their routine hold baggage screening process in terminal 3 identified a bag which apperared to contain a suspicous item.

The Greater Manchester Police was immediately informed and all passengers were evacuted from the terminal.

Officers determined that the bag was of no threat and the airport are beginning to allow collegues and passengers back into the terminal.

The airport has apologised to all passengers and have encouraged people travelling from this terminal to contact their airline for an update.

Earlier: Manchester Airport has been evacuated after a suspicous package was found.

The airport's terminal three has been shut down and is being searched.

The alarm was raised following alarm bells being raised about a bag in the terminal.

"Due to a potential issue with a bag in Terminal Three, a precautionary evacuation is taking place while further investigations take place," the airport announced through their Twitter account.

Police have confirmed that a bomb squad is attending the airport.

Bomb disposal squad just arrived at the airport  #manchesterairport pic.twitter.com/hiWx5XMrD8  Kipling  (@ThatKiplingGuy) July 5, 2017

The airport have made an announcement advising passengers that terminal three will remain closed at present while safety precautions continue.

Passengers travelling through terminal three will be brought in through terminal one and two at present.

Manchester airport suffered disruptions yesterday with terminal 1 being shut down due to a water leak.

More to follow
The boss of the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision and a former Saatchi & Saatchi advertising executive has been picked to lead Canberra's National Film and Sound Archive.

Jan Muller, chair of the Europeana Foundation and a former president of the International Federation of Television Archives, was appointed by Arts Minister Mitch Fifield to the four-year appointment on this week.

Incoming National Film and Sound Archive boss Jan Muller Credit:Babet Hogervorst

A former president of the International Federation of Television Archives, Mr Muller was appointed by Arts Minister Mitch Fifield to the four-year appointment on Tuesday night. He replaces former chief executive Michael Loebenstein and will lead the Canberra-based archive's ongoing investment in digitisation and modernisation.

The National Film and Sound Archive collects and preserves Australian film, video, television, photographs and recorded sound.
Jack Mitchell rests a hand on his father shoulder as he reads a statement to the media after the verdict. Credit:Alexandra Back The information was provided to the defence Monday last week, the day the trial was to start. The start was then pushed back to Tuesday for the defence to consider the new material. Mr Mitchell's father Russell continued with a statement on behalf of he and his wife Michelle, who both sat through the trial. He said they were "immensely proud of Jack". "There's something to be said for the jury system": Defence barrister Steven Whybrow leaves court after the verdict. Credit:Alexandra Back He said they intended to make a formal complaint to the ACT Attorney-General "about the conduct of the police and the prosecution" in handling his son's case.

The court heard the two 18-year-olds had been messaging for several weeks prior to the alleged incident, and had kissed one evening after a run to the top of Mt Pleasant. They returned to his room early one Saturday morning after a night at Civic bar Mooseheads. ADFA cadet Jack Toby Mitchell has been acquitted of rape. Credit:Alexandra Back It was alleged she was heavily intoxicated that morning and woke to Mr Mitchell having sex with her. It was further alleged when she tried to push him away he had continued. He told police when arrested a week later the sex was consensual, and that when he asked her if it was okay she said yes and kissed him. They were two different accounts of the night that the man's defence barrister Steven Whybrow described as "chalk and cheese". In closing arguments earlier on Wednesday, Mr Whybrow said the woman had lied about being attracted to Mr Mitchell when many of her friends told the court she liked him. She also lied to other cadets, he said, telling one who was making sure she was back on base by midnight curfew that she was in Mr Mitchell's room when she was still at Mooseheads on the night of May 27.

He cautioned the jury that he was not suggesting that, because she liked Mr Mitchell and had been flirting with him for weeks leading up to the incident, that meant she consented to sex that morning. "None of that implies consent in his room," he said. Instead, he said, her lies on oath would give the jury considerable pause on accepting what she said had happened in that room. "The difficulty is she's told so many fibs about so many things," he said, "that you could not believe that's what happened." Presiding judge John Burns reminded the jury it was the Crown's onus to prove the elements of the offence beyond a reasonable doubt.

He instructed that in reality they only had one issue to decide. "Are you satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the complainant did not consent to sexual intercourse with the accused?" he said. In acquitting the man the jury determined there was reasonable doubt. Outside court Mr Whybrow declined to comment, save for a short statement: "There's something to be said for the jury system." Mr Mitchell's first act after the verdict was delivered was to hug his defence solicitor Adrian McKenna of Ben Aulich and Associates and Mr Whybrow. Not present on Wednesday was barrister Prue Bindon, who completed the man's trial defence team. Justice Burns thanked the jury on behalf of the community for what is never an easy task, and discharged them from their duty.

He also sent Mr Mitchell home. "The accused is discharged." JACK MITCHELL'S FULL STATEMENT: The last twelve months has been the worst year of my life. I'm very relieved this ordeal is over, but I'm also angry that it had to come this far when the evidence clearly showed that the allegation made against me was totally false. Not only did the prosecution continue to run this case when it was clear the complainant was not telling the truth, but they only agreed to disclose crucial evidence to my lawyers after they threatened to have the trial stopped for unfairness.

My lawyers wrote to the DPP last October pointing out all the flaws in this case but they refused to stop the prosecution. It is difficult for me not to believe the police and prosecution deliberately tried to suppress evidence that helped to prove my innocence. I would like to thank my friends and colleagues who continued to support me throughout this difficult time and always believed me when I said I would never behave in the way alleged. I would like to thank my lawyers for their commitment and passion in defending me and for fighting the DPP to make them hand over the crucial evidence they refused to disclose. I would especially like to thank ADFA for the support it has given me in the last year. Although I was removed from ADFA the day I was arrested and prevented from continuing my military training in Canberra, I completely understand that in the circumstances I could not continue to stay at ADFA with the complainant until this case was over.

ADFA could have just assumed I was guilty, kicked me out and moved on. I'm grateful that the defence force allowed me the presumption of innocence and took steps to allow me to continue my studies remotely until this court process was concluded. I'm looking froward to resuming my ADFA training as soon as possible and trying to make up for the year of my life I have lost and can never get back. Finally, I would like to thank my parents and other family who have never doubted me and without whose love and support and financial assistance I would not have had the strength or means to properly defend myself from this false allegation. RUSSELL AND MICHELLE MITCHELL'S FULL STATEMENT: We'd like to say we are immensely proud of Jack and the way he has handled this terrible ordeal.
Two ACT universities have been named among the top 100 universities in the Asia-Pacific in new rankings released on Wednesday - one making the top 10.

The Times Higher Education inaugural Asia-Pacific University Rankings placed the Australian National University eighth in the region and the University of Canberra 81st.

University of Canberra vice chancellor Deep Saini said the results were promising. Credit:Karleen Minney

Times Higher Education ranked 243 universities on teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income. The top spot was claimed by the National University of Singapore.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said he was "delighted" the ANU was listed in the elite top 10 after being ranked among the top 20 in the world last month.
A far north Queensland farmer, who turns waste bananas into flour, skincare and cosmetics, has struck an international deal that will see his business expand globally.

Rob Watkins got into the banana industry more than 15 years ago, growing ladyfinger bananas, and soon realised the large amount of product not suitable for supermarkets.

Natural Evolution Foods founder Rob Watkins enjoying some down time on his banana farm. Credit:Natural Evolution Foods / Instagram

"If you are doing a high quality job, you might throw out 12 to 15 per cent of your crop because they are out of shape, marks on the skin, damaged on the skin but inside they are still perfect," he said.

"Sometimes in the year you might chuck out 40 per cent because the market is over-supplied.
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane has taken aim at activists and "gullible journalists", accusing the former of using the latter to spread misinformation.

"Green activists are determining public policy using nonsense arguments and with the assistance of gullible journalists and social media platforms," he told a Queensland Media Club lunch on Wednesday.

QRC chief Ian Macfarlane took aim at 'activists' and the media at a corporate lunch in Brisbane. Credit:Glenn Hunt

"It's time for a dose of reality from political leaders who've fallen for these arguments and stop development of resources in their states."

Mr Macfarlane called on "everyone to question and check everything they are told".
Casual workers have won the right to demand a permanent full-time or part-time job after 12 months under a landmark Fair Work Commission ruling.

But employers will still have the right to refuse the request if the change would substantially alter the worker's hours to accommodate them as a permanent staff member.

Unions had called for the right to be available after just six months and for the minimum number of daily hours worked to increase to four, but these requests were rejected.

In its decision on Wednesday, the Fair Work Commission said it was necessary for modern awards to contain a provision allowing casual employees to ask for conversion to permanent full-time or part-time work after 12 months.
Australia's biggest potato grower is leading a national push to pay employees like Kay Rault who work in packing and storage sheds located off farm sites the same rates as lower-paid farm workers.

In Sydney to give evidence to the Fair Work Commission hearing of Mitolo Group's application to have the Horticulture Award extended to store workers who handle fresh produce, Ms Rault who grades potatoes and onions at Mitolo's South Australian facility said it was hard to make ends meet on her wages.

"If this change gets through, things could get a lot harder for people like me and my workmates," she said.



"Why should big companies be able to change the law just because it suits them?"

Ms Rault's employer, Mitolo Group, a major supermarket supplier, is among companies backed by the Australian Industry Group which is putting their case to the Fair Work Commission.
The US and South Korea responded with a large-scale live-fire missile launch, after President Trump tweeted again. "Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all."

Far from being reined in, North Korea has defiantly and provocatively lobbed another missile into the Sea of Japan. This one, North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missile, is a dramatic escalation of the threat, with much longer range capabilities than the others putting parts of the US as well as the north of Australia within range.

Only two months ago US President Trump was confident he'd persuaded China's President Xi Jinping at their Mar-a-Lago summit retreat in Florida to put pressure on North Korea to rein in its nuclear activities.

"Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?", the US President wondered out loud.

We could hope this flippant response masks a deeper understanding on the part of the President that Kim Jong-un is doing exactly what he needs to do to achieve his life's purpose, which is regime survival. He has no intention of giving up his only bargaining tool, nuclear weapons, as he inches ever closer to being able to mount them on ICBMs, which will exponentially increase his havoc-making capability. It's expected to happen within Trump's four-year term.

While US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson vowed America "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea", Russia and China called on the US and South Korea to ease tensions by halting their joint military exercises. This suggests it could be hard for the US to get its way at the scheduled closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council.

China, North Korea's neighbour, closest ally and provider of economic assistance could have brought the isolated regime to heel years ago if it really wanted to. But it's useful for China to have an ally that irritates Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. Nor does China want responsibility for a failed state, millions of refugees flooding its borders or worse, a new regime with the US as sponsor at its border, all of which might happen if the regime collapses.

A military strike to wipe out or at least set back North Korea's nuclear capabilities risks retaliation, escalation and carnage on a scale unseen since the last Korean war. North Korea is ready to strike at the 25 million souls around Seoul from positions less than 50 kilometres away. No wonder the US has considered the "decapitation" option, according to documents leaked from the Trump administration. But taking out the Dear Leader carries the risk he would be replaced with something worse, such as a splintered state and war-lordism.
It was years ago now, but I once had a Give Way sign adorning my university college bedroom.

It was stolen as part of a prank challenge where, late at night and as a break from the monotony of study, we would remove a road sign and sneak it back into college, past security, and to our bedroom.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied was a panellist in a fiery Q&A, with her Anzac Day post bearing the brunt of much ire. Credit:ABC

Mine was confiscated shortly after a visit from my father.

This isn't a boast; I feel embarrassed now and have ever since. Years later, when I was on ABC 612 Brisbane readying to go on air, I heard the newsreader explain how the career of a young law student at a Queensland university could be in jeopardy after he stole a road sign.
The federal government was warned more than three years ago of security deficiencies surrounding personal Medicare data, with the Department of Human Services told it was not fully complying with spy agency rules.

The government auditor questioned the department's ability to keep the data safe from "external and internal" security threats in its April 2014 report but the department says it has made "significant improvements" since then.

A 2014 report found Medicare data security procedures did not fully comply with mandatory requirements. Credit:Stephen Kiprillis

The Australian National Audit Office concerns emerged as the Greens announced they would push for a Senate inquiry into revelations that Medicare numbers are available for sale on the "dark net", a shadowy corner of the internet where criminal activity flourishes. It remains unclear how the numbers are being accessed.
A report commissioned by the government to investigate exporting gas to Germany has kyboshed the idea, and declared it "impossible" for Australia to meet its Paris Agreement emissions targets under current policy settings.

As Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrives in Germany for a meeting of the G20, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute report damages hopes of Australia expanding its liquefied natural gas exports into Europe.

Mathias Cormann said the report made clear Australia would not export LNG to Germany in the near future. Credit:Andrew Meares

Following an energy security dialogue in Berlin in 2015, the ASPI was asked to study options for a "strategic relationship with Germany on energy security", with a view to becoming a strategic supplier of LNG in the region.
"Our first responsibility is to fight so that the existing government, the existing cabinet and the existing prime minister are as good as they possibly can be," he said. Branch meeting: Michael Sukkar. Credit:Andrew Meares "One of the reasons why I'm speaking out is not because I think we've got to change the personnel but because I think we've got to just move the direction a little bit. "And if we can't, because of the Senate, entirely change the direction at least don't lose the sense of what the bloody direction should be, for God's sake. Former PM Tony Abbott is opposed to the Finkel review. Credit:Daniel Pockett

"You can't always determine the speed of the advance, but by God we should be able to determine the direction of the advance. We shouldn't let the Senate go the wrong way, even if it is trying to stop us from going very far in the right direction." Mr Abbott was invited to address Monday night's branch meeting in the electorate of Mr Sukkar, who played a significant role in putting together the May budget. Tony Abbott's latest foray has been to call the May budget "second best" in a speech to a Liberal Party branch meeting in Melbourne earlier this week. Branch members were invited to "a rare opportunity to join former prime minister Tony Abbott to discuss how to navigate the political sphere as a Christian and ensure legislation supports family values". The event was organised in conjunction with Mr Sukkar and respected HIV specialist Dr Ivan Stratov, a recent defector from the Family First party and convert to Mormonism.

A Liberal Party source who attended Monday night's meeting said the audience of about 200 was "basically in raptures" at the end of Mr Abbott's presentation. "He is definitely on the war path," the source said. "I have never seen him speaking so well or looking so good." Mr Abbott began his address by imploring members to heed the "two fundamental precepts" of Western civilisation, "both of which stem originally from the Gospel". Those were equality in the eyes of God ("equal rights, equal dignity, equal responsibilities"), and treating others as you would have them treat you. He also warned that, "for too long, the good people of our country have been too tolerant of people who do not share some of the fundamental values that have made us who we are". "As Michael [Sukkar] said a few moments ago, a majority that stays silent does not stay a majority," Mr Abbott said.

Asked about the environment, he said "politics has got in the way of common sense" and that climate change should not take precedence over living standards, national security or matters of deprivation and justice. "Yes it's an issue, but if it comes to a choice between your job and reducing emissions, I choose your job every time," he said to applause. Mr Abbott was also asked about the United Nations' Agenda 21 sustainable development plan, derided by some nationalists and conspiracy theorists as a ploy for global government. While he defended the globalised economy, he said: "There are a lot of people out there who worry about countries like Australia surrendering their sovereignty and losing, effectively, some of our independence. And I think this a real worry." Mr Abbott has made a string of appearances at think tanks, in the media and at party functions in the past week, stirring internal ructions and condemnation from ministers and MPs. He reflected on the criticism in his speech.

"Just at the moment, I'm not always the person that every Liberal wants to associate with," Mr Abbott said, to laughter. "But Michael [Sukkar] is someone who knows what he believes, he knows who his friends are, and he sticks by them through thick and thin. That's someone you can rely on." Mr Sukkar on Tuesday defended Mr Abbott's attendance of the branch meeting, saying it was a long-standing commitment and one that had engaged his branch members. He told Sky News he was "very proud" of the budget handed down in May and said the Turnbull government had got the major policy settings right. Loading
And that is mainly down to those boxers. They make an outfit deliberate and bold; they both toughen and soften (because showing your knickers is both brave and vulnerable).

It's a look that has been gaining traction for some time.

Girl of the moment Bella Hadid has previously been snapped in the Dior branded smalls (which also include a branded bra-strap meant to be exposed - a genius move by relatively new Dior artistic director, Maria Grazia Chiuri). And she wore them again to the same event as J-Law, albeit in a more muted, monochrome look.

Indeed it's kind of been the look of the moment for the cool girl set, with Rihanna, Bella's sister Gigi and Kendall Jenner all buying into the boxers as a deliberate accessory aesthetic.

Which, when it boils down to it, is the essence of wearing your boxers as outerwear. There's a certain cool insouciance to it and, without that attitude, well, you may just end up looking like you've made an unfortunate fashion faux pas.
Outages hit the Tax Office's IT system on Wednesday, forcing the agency to take its tax return systems offline at its busiest season.

The tech failure forced the Australian Taxation Office to halt its online customer services from early afternoon until after 8pm, although its main webpage remained operational.

Outage notices from the ATO last week. Credit:Screenshot

Taxpayers trying to lodge their tax returns were met with a webpage saying the service was temporarily unavailable.

A memo to staff confirmed the services would be out for several hours, as tax time began following the end of the financial year last week.
The Prime Minister's pet Digital Transformation Agency has lost some more of its top talent, continuing the exodus of tech innovators from the agency. But the agency has appointed a new Chief Digital Officer, filling the role left empty by the stormy exit of founding chief Paul Shetler last year. At a Digitalising Government Services roundtable: Ian Grayson, Peter Alexander, Andrew Walduck, Angus Taylor, Damon Rees, Adrian Turner. Credit:Jeremy Piper The resignations of some of the agency's top women, first reported by online trade journal InnovationAus, has the sector talking, with the abrupt recent departures of Digital Marketplace chief Catherine Thompson and service design executive Leisa Reichelt. The resignations follow that of Rachel Dixon, who was leading the flag-ship digital identity program, six weeks ago.

Ms Thompson and Ms Reichelt were the last of the senior management team hired by Mr Shetler before the agency's restructure, new name and change of direction in 2016. It was reported elsewhere that the DTA has lost up to 35 of its the top performers in the wake of Mr Shetler's departure, amid acrimony and recrimination, in November 2016. Mr Shetler was forced out of his role at the top of the organisation after a series of turf wars with Canberra departments and their bosses, who resented the then-DTO's disruptive approach to public sector digital transformation. InovationAus reports that the future of the high-profile Digital Marketplace and the digital identity programs are now uncertain after the resignations of Ms Thompson and Ms Dixon. But the DTA says it remains committed to the Digital Marketplace, a program that aims to open up government contracts to smaller and medium-sized firms who currently struggle to compete with bigger players for federal government jobs.
Three people from the same family have been charged over the death of a young father on the NSW Central Coast.

The two men, aged 48 and 24, and a 17-year-old girl were questioned by police overnight after they were arrested during separate raids on Tuesday.

Jesse Thompson was shot in the chest as a silver Toyota 4WD he was travelling in was chased through the streets of Wyong by a white ute carrying at least two men on Monday.

Fairfax Media reported on Tuesday that Mr Thompson was a known ice dealer who clashed with rivals over supply in the Wyong area.
The buildings are being allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. Credit:Tammy Law "There are no lights." Mr Bligh, who has won engineering accolades for work with Brisbane's Northern Busway, the South East Busway and several buildings at the University of Queensland, said most commuters walked around to the "disappointing" Brunswick Street entrance. "It just looks like you are entering a second rate shopping area, rather than entering a major public transport hub," he said. "And when you think about all the other improvements that are going on in the Valley, this is the one piece of the puzzle that is holding the Valley back."

Mr Bligh said the state government should now acquire the privately-owned buildings next to the Fortitude Valley train station. "The state government runs the rail network, it is their public infrastructure," Mr Bligh said. "I am certainly no expert in this area, but I think that is something that the government should take on board as an option." Mr Forster, the LNP candidate for the newly renamed McConnel (formerly Brisbane Central), held by Labor's Grace Grace for three terms since 2007, said decisive action was needed. "This has been going on for decades," Mr Forster said.

"It is just dark and unpleasant and potentially dangerous, particularly when you think how many students from Gregory Terrace or All Hallows, or St James go through there. "I am calling on Grace Grace to make this a priority and to do something about this and not just blame other tiers of government." Ms Grace said Queensland Rail and other businesses had tried to negotiate a deal, "to no avail." "It's a bit rich for the LNP to now be pointing the finger at others, given their record of inaction and especially when this is a matter than can't be resolved by the state government alone," she said. "When the issue reached its height in 2012, the LNP then won office and sat on their hands and did absolutely nothing to resolve the matter."

Dr Chiu Fan Lee from Toowong owns the Waltons building, the walkway over Wickham Street and sections along Brunswick Street through his business, Mount Cathay Pty Ltd. Jack Moc owns the empty Chinese Club on Wickham Street, at the top of the inoperative escalators at at the station-side entrance to the walkway, through his company Happy Valley Pty Ltd. Comment was sought from both through real estate agent Glenn Gracie, who represents both businesses. He did not return calls from Fairfax Media. In February 2012, then-deputy premier Andrew Fraser suggested it was possible Transport and Main Roads could acquire a lease over the walkway between McWhirter's and Fortitude Valley train station. Days later, then-transport minister and current Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed she would offer to licence a pedestrian access to the walkway over Wickham Street to resolve the issue.

Five years on, businesses say the immediate area around the Valley train station  used by 15,000 commuters day - is the worst than they have seen for decades. The Valley was once Brisbane's retail hub and, despite some investment, fingers are now being pointed at the suburb's train station and threats to some of its Wickham Street heritage buildings, including the Waltons and McWhirter's buildings. Commuters walking through the 40-metre darkened walkway from the McWhirters Building into the train station told Fairfax Media on Tuesday night they were scared, with one woman saying: "Do something. It's terrible. It's just not safe." LaSalle Investment Management has made a development application to build three new entrances to Fortitude Valley train station as part of its $500 million redevelopment of the site. Fairfax Media understands recent talks between LaSalle and the private property owners were unable to resolve the access issues.
One of the more outlandish pledges made before the last state election  a plan to breath test MPs at work  is being snuffed out before it even began.

While in opposition, Premier Daniel Andrews floated the idea to ensure MPs were not drunk on the job.

Premier Daniel Andrews floated the breath-test idea when in opposition.

But upper house President Bruce Atkinson has poured cold water on the proposal, dismissing it as a "ridiculous suggestion".

He described the election pitch as a "thought bubble" that was near impossible to put into practice.
Actor Vince Colosimo could face jail time after being caught driving under the influence of drugs and while suspended from being behind the wheel.

Police confirmed that on March 5 this year a 50-year-old Carlton North man had been charged and his car impounded after officers intercepted a vehicle on Exhibition Street.

He returned a positive drug test and is expected to be charged on summons for driving while suspended and other traffic offences.

The Underbelly star was on a 12-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to possession of the drug ice in the Melbourne Magistrates Court in January.
Former WA Liberal MP Michael Sutherland doesn't believe inviting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's most outspoken enemy over to Perth for a fundraiser will dent his chances of entering federal politics.

Mr Sutherland, who lost the inner-city seat of Mt Lawley to Labor's Simon Millman at the March election, is planning to nominate for Federal Senator Chris Back's senate seat after he retired from politics last month, citing personal reasons.

Former WA Liberal MP Michael Sutherland. Credit:WA Liberal party

The former WA Legislative Assembly Speaker is bringing political commentator Peta Credlin - the former chief of staff for ousted leader Tony Abbott - to Perth in October for a fundraiser at his Mt Lawley branch.

Ms Credlin again attacked the Prime Minister on Tuesday, claiming cabinet ministers are losing faith in their leader.
A Hong Kong national jailed for his part in WA's biggest ice haul drug syndicate has lost his appeal to have his sentence reduced after arguing it was "manifestly excessive".

Chin Yeung Ng, 28, was imprisoned for 12 years for being used as a "pawn" by a drug dealing syndicate to act as the middle man between suppliers and wholesale purchasers in Perth in 2015.

A police officer with the cash and drug haul. Credit:WA Police

Ng had overstayed his three-month tourist visa and was living in a Perth backpacker's hostel making money by handing out pamphlets to a brothel when he turned to a life of crime.

He claims while he was handing out pamphlets he was approached by someone who asked him and a friend if they wanted to "store drugs" in return for free rent, living expenses and $10,000 (HK).
Foreign policy experts are worried that US President Donald Trump could be caught flat-footed at his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg on Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Even Trump's aides acknowledge the President's unwillingness to read the briefings they have compiled about his cunning Russian counterpart.

As a result, they have opted for their best chance of penetrating the President's consciousness: "a list of tweet-length sentences that summarise the main points Trump could bring up with Putin".

The "Twitter President", known for favouring the medium as the best way of reaching his base, taunting his adversaries and boosting his self-esteem, is apparently only able to conceptualise the world's most explosive geopolitical conflicts in 140 characters.
Beijing: China will agree to punitive sanctions against North Korea as the United Nations Security Council meets overnight, but is likely to stop short of the measures the United States is demanding, predicts a senior Chinese analyst.

China faces a "severe predicament" as the Security Council prepares to meet behind closed doors to thrash out a response to North Korea's game-changing Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test, said Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Renmin University.

The Trump administration on Wednesday demanded global action to stop a global threat, as North Korea's latest missile was confirmed to have the potential to reach Alaska and Darwin.

For much of the year the United States and its allies, including Australia, have insisted that China, as North Korea's largest trading partner, holds the key to bringing its rogue neighbour to heel.
New York: The United States said on Wednesday it was ready to use force to stop North Korea's nuclear missile program but said it preferred global diplomatic action against Pyongyang for defying world powers by test launching a ballistic missile that could hit Alaska.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's actions were "quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution" and the United States was prepared to defend itself and its allies.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction," Haley said.

Taking a major step in its missile program, North Korea on Tuesday test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that some experts believe has the range to reach the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
The South Australian State Liberals have promised to block Labors controversial state bank tax, which they call job destroying.Jay Weatherills toxic new tax is a desperate move from a tired and arrogant government, State Liberal leader Steven Marshall said.If it is introduced Jay Weatherills toxic new tax will be paid by South Australians who are already struggling with the highest unemployment in the nation, crushing electricity bills and Labors massive ESL tax.Slamming the proposal as a tax grab, Marshall said the move would put a wrecking ball through the struggling South Australian economy by killing off jobs and investment.The Liberal Team has listened to South Australians who cannot afford to pay more Labor taxes and are crying out for new investment and job creation, he said.We will take decisive action to protect South Australians from the Weatherill Labor wrecking ball by voting against this new tax.The Australian Bankers Association (ABA) welcomed the decision, saying it was sensible and in the interests of all South Australians.The growing outcry from South Australians about this tax shows they understand it would have a serious impact on ordinary households and the cost of doing business in their state, said ABA executive director Tony Pearson.The SA bank tax is bad policy. It is bad for bank customers, shareholders and employees. It is bad for business, investment, jobs and growth in South Australia. And it will impact on all Australians as it affects offshore investor confidence and appetite to invest in our nation.Pearson said the tax would also place the state at a competitive disadvantage to the rest of Australia at a time when new economic policies were needed to bring investment, growth and jobs to the state.The banking industry wants to work with South Australians to grow their business, which will deliver greatly needed new investment, create new business opportunities and deliver new jobs.
Providing ease of access on the status of their loans

Offering added convenience via a single number for all queries

Minimising disruption during the centralisation process

Allowing for a more consistent level of service

Heritage Bank has announced it is centralising its loan processing, closing down its New South Wales and Victoria offices and moving all activities into its Queensland office.Heritage Bank is continually reviewing all aspects of the way we do business, to ensure we deliver the best possible services and products to both our customers and our broker partners, Michael Trencher, head of broker distribution, said in a broker note released on Monday (3 July).The NSW and Victoria offices will be closed at the end of the month.Centralising our processing function into one office will enable us to deliver a more efficient, consistent and better overall service to mortgage brokers, Paul Francis, general manager retail services told Australian Broker.Running three processing units in three locations created some inefficiencies at times. We believe that centralising our processing function into one office will enable us to deliver a better overall service to our broker partners, wherever they are located.Despite the move, Francis said the bank is absolutely committed to its national broker network.We believe this will have no negative impacts and will actually be a positive, he said.Were not reducing the number of staff in our processing team, were just locating them together in a central location. That will give us efficiency and scalability improvements.The decision will put a dedicated team of processing staff under the one roof with the ability to scale up and handle workloads from brokers across Australia, Francis said.All state managers and business development managers will continue to operate in Sydney and Melbourne, he added.A new Heritage Bank Broker Service Line will be introduced as part of the transition to assist brokers in getting the information they need quickly and accurately.The Broker Service line is a specific telephone line dedicated to brokers only. It will be single point of contact into our broker processing office for brokers, who will then have their query redirected to the relevant person, Francis said.The line will assist brokers by:This feature will actually be ongoing, and will continue after the transition period, he said.
Tighter regulatory scrutiny means that broker clients who wish to sell their property or refinance are finding it harder to secure a loan from the banks.Victoria Senethep, mortgage broker at Queensland based Chase Finance Australia, said that banks are offering clients much lower property valuations than before.Because the banks only look at a few inferior or superior properties, this sort of range is really limited and clients arent getting what they expected they would get, she told Australian Broker.In general, the banks dont want to lend as much money because they have their own funding caps from the regulators as well as targets that they need to meet.While Chase Finance caters to residential and commercial lending, borrowers are mostly being hit in resi lending, Senethep said, including investors, first home buyers, upgraders, and refinancers.The major banks are more likely to choose vanilla applicants now, she added.Theyre approving more applicants who are not generally as risky as before. I find that the smaller lenders are a bit more flexible now. Theyre more open to looking at applicants with higher LVRs, lower deposits in the LMI space  theyre more likely to take those applicants on.This is a stark difference to previous lending standards where the majors would take on everyone, Senethep said.Because they have their contribution caps, theyre picking and choosing now.This was a consequence of APRAs regulatory moves as well as the RBA s decision to hold the cash rate for so long.The banks are trying to anticipate any extra costs which may occur. In turn, this is affecting the consumers who have fewer options. They have to go through brokers more now because we know about the different lenders policies better.With borrowers being knocked back more frequently, consumers could also find their credit rating affected  another reason why brokers were so useful, she added.In the current environment, brokers who are close with a handful of banks will find it difficult to service clients, Senethep said.Its about looking across the whole panel. Some of the applicants dont fit the lenders policies where they might have been able to before. Brokers have to adapt with the times and with the market to provide more than just a financial service.Instead, Senethep said she took a more holistic view to prepare clients for the future and develop a long-term relationship.I wouldnt say that its more difficult now but if youre not getting with the times, then it will be tougher. If youre in a rut, the market will show you that you cant continue like that anymore.Chase Finance was in a good position, she said, with a focus on educating clients and building up trust.Well call up our clients and send out emails about whats happening. When clients are informed, they have a lot more trust in what were doing. Even after settlement, you still want to keep in touch, make sure the client is ok and see whether they have any questions about the market or their loan.
Sydney (22.3 years)

Melbourne (17.8 years)

Brisbane (14.8 years)

Adelaide (13.4 years)

Perth (15.0 years)

Hobart (11.9 years)

Darwin (15.0 years)

Canberra (17.3 years)

A newly created property tool, the Smashed Avocado Index, shows that Millennial first home buyers would have to skip breakfasts out for decades in order to save for the typical 20% deposit.Analyst Scott Shuttleworth of consultancy Montgomery Investment Management took the average price of a smashed avocado breakfast (around $13) and calculated the length of time it would take for young first home buyers in each capital city to save for a deposit if they didnt go out for a smashed avo on toast.The index was created as a response to Bernard Salt and other mentions in the media as a literal extension of claims that Millennials were wasting money on avocado on toast instead of saving for a home, he told Australian Broker.Even if the $91 of savings (seven avo breakfasts per week) was dropped into a high interest account with 5% interest, Millennials would still have to save up for the following length of time to get the 20% deposit required for the median house price in their capital city:Furthermore, these figures dont take into account the rise of prices while the potential buyer is saving up and skipping the avocado, Shuttleworth said.Its all tongue in cheek because no ones going to save for 20 years for a deposit but it was interesting to look at.As consumers have a certain amount of income, Shuttleworth said it was not a case of money being wasted on items such as smashed avocados.You can choose what you would like to spend on from the different things out there. Naturally, youre going to try and get the biggest amount of utility for every dollar that you spend. One thing you could do is save up and buy a deposit and theres a certain utility profile that comes with that. It has nothing to do with purchasing food you like or some other items or experiences.In essence, consumers are simply trying to get the highest value out of their money for a given level of purchase, he said. In an environment of high house prices, people may see that and look to other items like smashed avocado to optimise their utility structure.If you want to see a higher uptake in Millennials buying houses, perhaps the prices need to ease up a bit or they need to actually be more affordable.On the topic of smashed avocado, Shuttleworth said he had his first last weekend.It wasnt as good as it was cracked up to be, I will say that.
Over 1,200 mail-in votes added to Montco totals; Bucks still in limbo

Two of Montgomery County's three commissioners said they did not support disenfranchising more than 1,200 voters because of a handful of rule breakers
State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) presented a check to Yardley Borough Police Chief Joseph Kelly for $68,600 for the purchase of a new police vehicle and motorcycle during a visit to the station. Our police put themselves on the line every day to keep our community safe, said Sen. Santarsiero. Dating back to when I was a Lower Makefield Township Supervisor more than...
UB pharmacy school to hold second annual Pre-Pharmacy Summer Camp for high school students

We are elated to bring talented high school students with an interest in health care to UB SPPS to interactively explore the many exciting opportunities available to pharmacists in our state-of-the-art facilities. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  For four days, high school students from across the nation will get a glimpse of the pharmacy profession through the second annual University at Buffalo Pre-Pharmacy Summer Camp.

The camp, hosted by the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS), will teach nearly 40 students the ins and outs of pharmacy practice through activities that simulate combining and dispensing medications, counseling patients and more.

The program will be held July 10-13. Activities will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We are elated to bring talented high school students with an interest in health care to UB SPPS to interactively explore the many exciting opportunities available to pharmacists in our state-of-the-art facilities, says Jennifer Rosenberg, SPPS associate dean of admissions and advisement.

Participants will experience a broad scope of learning experiences that include hands-on activities such as compounding, visits to local clinical practices and research labs, and lectures by UB faculty and Buffalo-area SPPS alumni on topics that range from vaccinations to the future of the profession.

The camp also highlights educational opportunities at SPPS and recommends high school courses students can take to prepare for undergraduate pharmacy course work.

For more information, visit https://pharmacy.buffalo.edu/news-events/events/annual-events/pre-pharmacy-summer-camp.html.
Teen visits South Jersey in 50-state Flowers and Flags tribute to vets

Preston Sharp of Calif. visits veterans graves in Cinnaminson cemetery in South Jersey on 50-state Flowers and Flags tribute to their sacrifices
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A clergyman has accused his own denomination of homophobia after a gay couple were denied the right to marry in several Uttoxeter churches.

Last week, the Advertiser revealed that Thomas Clark and Lee Tams were angry and upset at being denied a church wedding in town.

Subway supervisor Mr Clark said sexuality should not be an issue after five churches turned the couple down.

Two were Church of England  a denomination whose national policy does not allow its holy buildings to host same-sex weddings.

Now retired Church of England priest Robert Ellis has described that policy as homophobia wrapped up in bad theology.

He said: The Church of England is in a complete mess on this issue and there are priests up and down the country who are willing to operate creatively within the present ridiculous restrictions that the Church of England has imposed on itself.

In fact, I do not know why the gay community even bothers with us.

The present stance is basically homophobia wrapped up in bad theology, which in some areas has led to an intrinsically homophobic institution where a lot of people are hiding behind arcane ideas.

To my children it is a total nonsense and like many of their generation they see the church as toxic.

Getting a major historic institution to change is never easy but, for many of us, it is about putting our heads above the parapet and being counted so that change will come.

After all, rules are there to protect us  not inhibit us.

Change will come  but sadly not quickly enough to help Lee Tams and Thomas Clark.

Uttoxeter couple Mr Clark, 25, and Mr Tams, 28, have now decided to tie the knot at Burton Register Office in May and hold their reception at Bradley House Club, Uttoxeter.

But Rev Ellis, from Marchington, has offered to hold a religious ceremony after the couple make their legal vows.

He said: There are many clergy like myself who would feel excited and privileged to work with a couple on devising a religious wedding ceremony following the legal registration of their marriage in the local registry office.

I have done this on dozens of occasions in various locations such as hotels, restaurants, homes and other wedding venues.

Ive always found it very moving and significant and the ceremony usually includes the traditional elements of a welcome and introduction, consent, vows, blessing and exchange of rings, prayers, music and a request for Gods blessing on the couple.

God is not confined to a church building and there are many lovely venues available for such wedding ceremonies.

The former General Synod member also had a personal message for Mr Clark and 28-year-old Imperial Laundry worker Mr Tams, who live in New Road.

He said: Lee and Thomas, please forgive our stupidity and timidity.

Were getting there but in the meanwhile many of we clergy are more than happy to help on what has to be one of the most significant and important days of your lives.

Congratulations and hopefully without being patronising, God bless you both.

A spokesperson of the Church of Englands Lichfield Diocese said: The traditional teaching of the church is that marriage is a life-long union between and man and a woman and the diocese is committed to that teaching.

At the same time, following the Church of Englands General Synod in February, there was a call for a radical new Christian inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the church.

We are working with LGBT clergy and lay people to look at what that means for churches across our diocese and are committed to building an inclusive and faithful church that loves and serves all its communities.

Mr Clark said: We are so grateful for the ministers offer and his thoughts about all of this.

I hope we can have a blessing from him if the offer is still open.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Sahara chief Subrata Roy's plea to grant him more time to pay the dues to Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and warned that if Rs 552 crore was not paid by July 15, appropriate consequences would follow.
Suitors of Air India may not be able to bid for the vast plots of land and real estate the national carrier holds in prime locations. The government is likely to hive off the non-core assets of the airline, including real estate, land parcels and art treasures, into a separate company before calling a formal bid.

What will be up for sale as part of initial disinvestment are the aircraft, the airlines prized slots at airports across the world, the bilateral rights and its pool of human resource, a senior civil aviation ministry official who is involved with the disinvestment process said.

According to the official, such a process will help speed up the process of disinvestment, as locating and registering Air Indias vast land pool and real estate would have taken much longer. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, the administrative wing for any disinvestment, has suggested a time line of around 10 months for the process, it is learnt.

If everything goes as suggested and there is no glitch or court case, we expect the process to be over in 10 months, the official said.

But, the buyer of Air India will have to take over a certain portion of the working capital debt of the company, another source said. Its not possible for the new owner of Air India to generate working capital from Day One. Hence, a certain portion will be left behind, he said.

Of Air Indias total debt of Rs 46,500 crore, around Rs 30,500 crore is on account of working capital; the rest is aircraft loans.

It makes sense for Air India not to club real estate in the proposed deal because many of its land parcels are involved in litigation across various courts, mainly due to irregularity of title deeds, analysts said. In the most recent instance, the City Industrial Development Corporation has refused to hand over 9.50 hectares of land plot allotted to Indian Airlines in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, to Air India since it was left unused.

It may not be easy for Air India to sell its assets because they have a mixed bag, including apartments, and not all are clear land parcels. While there is demand for clean titled land parcels, there may not be many takers for other kinds of properties in a slow-down scenario, said a property consultant.

A practical option is to create an SPV (special purpose vehicle) to which aviation assets of Air India  aircraft, slots, brand, market share, staff  can be leased, said Amber Dubey, head of aerospace and defence, at global consultancy firm KPMG. Around 74-100 per cent of the equity in the SPV can be sold to a private bidder quoting the highest bid.

The lease rental paid by the SPV can be used to retire past debt and pay for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme of excess staff, added Dubey.

Air India disinvestment may well be modelled on privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports. The high-lease rentals paid by the SPVs - Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport and Mumbai International Airport are used to compensate the huge losses suffered by Airports Authority of India (AAI) at its smaller airports.

Everyones happy, especially AAI, with profits far larger than when they were operating Delhi and Mumbai airports, he said.

Responding to private airline IndiGos interest in acquiring Air India, market analysts have underscored the importance of a faster sale process. While there is a veritable chance of delay for any final decision to emerge, the value proposition of Air India will dilute with time, ICICI Securities noted in a research report.




Tata Sons today rejected the allegations that its ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry has made against managing trustee of Tata Trusts R Venkataramanan and linking him to some wrongdoings at Air Asia India.

"We strongly reject the statement from Mistry which seeks to insinuate wrongdoings in the affairs of Air Asia India by Venkataramanan," Tata Sons said in a statement.

It also said Air Asia India has taken definitive steps both in civil and criminal courts which have cleared the air in relation to the "mischievous allegations" made by the SP Group at the NCLT proceedings.

"Contrary to any allegations, Tata Sons denies any conduct which could be said to be oppressive or resulting in mismanagement. We are of the view that these frivolous allegations levelled by Mistry and the SP Group are value- destructive," the statement added.

Stating that Mistry's allegations and actions since his ouster has been hurting the group, the statement said, "it is ironical that Mistry continues to make statements that his actions are in the interest of the Tata Group. On the contrary, his actions thus far have consistently harmed the reputation of the Tata Group."



"Tata Sons continues to evaluate its legal options in this regard as we have the highest respect for the judiciary and has never resorted to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings as alleged by Mistry."



After being summoned by a local court to appear before it on August 24 in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Venkataramanan yesterday, Mistry had accused the Tatas of subverting the legal system and warned that they could not muzzle him in with defamation suits.

"The attempt to initiate criminal prosecution for alleged defamation is an ill-advised and immature proxy battle through Venkataraman whose role in Air Asia India is a subject matter of several investigations by law enforcement agencies.

"The move by the Tata trustees to attempt to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings will be effectively and appropriately dealt with. We believe in the legal system and know such subversion of justice systems will meet its fate," Mistry had said afer Venkataramanan's Rs 500 crore defamation complaint was accepted by a local court here yesterday.

The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate's Court yesterday took cognisance of the Rs 500-crore defamation complaint filed by Venkatramanan against Mistry and others, and had directed them to appear before it on August 24.

After he was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons on October 24, 2016, Mistry, in an e-mail, had alleged that fraudulent transactions worth Rs 22 crore had taken place at the group's aviation venture and accused Venkatramanan of having tried to cover it up. The issue, however, is now being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.

On April 17, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed a petition by two firms belonging to the Mistry family, seeking waiver of an eligibility condition for moving the forum against Tata Sons. Mistry later challenged this at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.

The two firms had sought to challenge Mistry's ouster from Tata Sons and alleged that there was mismanagement and oppression of minority shareholders. They urged NCLT to use its discretion and waive an eligibility condition for filing such a petition.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Gujarat High Court has stayed the insolvency proceedings filed against the by its lenders at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)'s Ahmedabad bench till the next hearing on July 7. The high court also directed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to explain what it meant by according priority to the 12 cases of insolvency by the NCLT.
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ICICI Bank Singapore, which is leading a consortium of Indian banks, has moved the London High Court against Essar Global Fund to recover a loan worth $600 million granted to its US subsidiary.
General Motors' Chinese joint venture partner SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd has firmed up plans for starting its India manufacturing plant at GM India's Halol unit, where operations were shut down in April this year. SAIC's Indian subsidiary MG Motor India on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government and GM India for the transfer of land leased out to the latter for the facility.



The Chinese auto major has committed to making investments worth at least Rs 2,000 crore for the new plant and its machinery at Halol. Around five global vendors of the company are likely to set up their manufacturing base at the same site, and this is likely to entail an investment of another Rs 1,000 crore or so. Moreover, employment for around 1,000 people is to be generated.
Hotel Centaur in Delhi now waiting to be demolished to make way for aircraft parking bays for an expanded international airport is in many ways a simulacrum of Air Indias own fortunes. The last time this iconic hotel, one of the two run by Air Indias subsidiary Hotel Corporation of India (HCI), ever made a profit was in 2006-07. This was the time when the infamous merger of Indian Airlines and Air India, now a matter of Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) inquisition was also executed. The hotel along with Centaur Lake View in Srinagar have been on the chopping block since 2002 but have yet to find any buyers.
The Birmingham City Council has been forced to withdraw permission granted to the organisers of a rally titled "Burhan Wani Day" to mark the first death anniversary of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant/terrorist Burhan Wani here after India lodged a strong protest over the same.

Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with Indian security forces in the Tral region of Jammu and Kashmir on July 8, 2016.

The United Kingdom has a long memory of terror attacks. For more than 30 years from the early 1970s, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), a paramilitary group, carried out multiple attacks across the UK.

The deadliest were the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974, when 21 were killed. In 1996, the IRA detonated a massive 1500-kilogram (3300-pound) bomb in a Manchester shopping center that injured more than 200 and was not far from this year's terror attack in the Manchester Arena that claimed the lives of 23 adults and children and left 250 injured, 59 of whom were taken to hospital. Twenty three of these 59 had to be classified as critically injured.

For more than a decade, Islamist terrorism has overtaken Irish Republicanism as the key threat for British security services. On July 7 2005, a cell of four British Muslim suicide bombers inspired by al Qaeda detonated devices on the London transit network, killing 52.

Since 2005, successive British governments have warned the public to be on alert for terror attacks, elevating the threat level to "severe", the second highest alert.

The UK's MI5 has thwarted dozens of terrorist plots, mainly involving British-born would-be attackers, the latest of which took place on March 22, 2017 in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster in London, seat of the British Parliament.

In that incident, the attacker, Khalid Masood, drove a car into pedestrians on the pavement along the south side of Westminster Bridge and Bridge Street, killing four and injuring more than 50 others. After his car crashed into the perimeter fence of the Palace grounds, Masood abandoned it and ran into New Palace Yard where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer. He was then shot dead by an armed police officer.

In the case of the "Burhan Wani Day", the Birmingham City Council had initially given permission for the memorial rally to be held on his first death anniversary at Victoria Square on Saturday.

Various posters were being circulated on social media advertising the event. One of them even carried a picture of the slain militant, and said: "We will take back what is ours forcefully. We will not rest until Kashmir is free from Kuffars and hoist the flag of Islamic Ummah."

The Indian Government flagged its concerns with the British Government, which led to the Birmingham City Council cancelling the event.

"We took a booking for a peaceful rally highlighting the human rights abuse in Kashmir. However, we are now aware of concerns raised about the promotional leaflet and, having assessed the material, have not given permission for the use of Victoria Square," a Birmingham Council spokesman was quoted, as saying by the Birmingham Mail.

It was reported that Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK Dinesh Patnaik lodged a formal complaint with the Foreign and commonwealth Office (FCO), wherein he said that "allowing anti-India elements to flourish here in the name of democracy will not do".

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Photo: Shutterstock

The unwitting patron, who was partying with his friends there, apparently did not wait for the white smoke created by the chemical to dissipate before consuming it, according to doctors.

This proved dire for the man who was taken to Columbia Asia hospital in the city, where tests revealed a hole in his stomach.

Dr Amit D Goswami, who attended to the victim, said his condition during treatment was so critical that his stomach looked like an "open book".

"During the the patient's surgery, his stomach appeared like an open book in the middle and lower portion, and lots of food and dirty fluids had dripped into the abdominal cavity," he said.

The doctors then successfully removed the lower portion of the stomach and artificially joined the remaining part with the small intestine.

The man was kept on a ventilator for three more days and later discharged.

"Now the patient is doing fine," Goswami said.

The police, meanwhile, said they were taking the February 13 incident seriously and waiting for the victim to register a case against the pub.

"We are trying to identify the pub involved in this incident and obtain the victim's details from the hospital administration," ACP-PRO, Gurugram Police, Manish Sehgal told PTI.

"It is a very serious issue if the pub's staff offered cocktail with soda mixed with liquid nitrogen," he said.

is used at bars to quickly chill glasses, freeze ingredients or provide a smoky effect to drinks.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tata Finance's dismissed managing director Dilip Pendse allegedly committed suicide at his office here today, police said.

The body of Pendse (61), who was fired by the Tatas in 2001 after his name cropped up in some illegal transactions, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his private office on the first floor of Royal Grace Building in Dadar East this afternoon.

The body was sent for autopsy at Sion Hospital, said DCP Rashmi Karandikar, Mumbai police spokesperson.

The Matunga police have registered an 'accidental death report' and a probe is on, she said.

Earlier, Tata Motors chief executive Karl Slym and an ex-spokesperson of Tata Steel Charu Deshpande had committed suicide in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

While Slym, a US citizen, was the MD and CEO of Tata Motors at the time of his death, Deshpande was no longer associated with Tata Steel when he ended his life.

Slym jumped out of a posh Bangkok hotel window in January 2014. Thai investigators blamed the suicide on domestic issues, saying he had had a fight with his wife.

The 58-year-old Deshpande, a former journalist who had worked with The Daily, Indian Express, Economic Times and Business & Political Observer before moving to corporate communications at ICICI Bank and Tata Steel, was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his Vasai home on June 28, 2013.

He had worked with Tata Steel till April 2013. The case related to his suicide is being probed by the CBI.

In February 2003, Pendse, who was with for long, was arrested by the Delhi Police for alleged involvement in misappropriation of Rs 2 crore.

A complaint had been filed on behalf of Inshaallah Investment, a subsidiary, alleging that Pendse issued cheques for Rs 2 crore to brokers for payment of personal transactions of a former company director.

In October 2014, the markets watchdog Sebi had found Pendse guilty of illegal trades and banned him from accessing capital markets for two years.

Pendse was dismissed from in 2001 after the company arm ran huge losses and the group filed criminal charges against him.
A gene linked to increased risk of osteoarthritis and reduced height may have helped early humans survive Ice Age, a study has found.

Researchers at the Stanford University and Harvard University in the US have shown that, despite its association with the painful joint disease, this genetic variant has been repeatedly favoured as early humans migrated out of Africa and into colder northern climates.

At least half of Europeans and Asians harbour the gene variant, which is relatively rare in African populations.

A more compact body structure due to shorter bones could have helped our ancestors better withstand frostbite and reduce the risk of bone fracture from falling, the researchers speculate.

These advantages in dealing with chilly temperatures and icy surfaces may have outweighed the threat of osteoarthritis, which usually occurs after prime reproductive age.

"The gene we are studying shows strong signatures of positive selection in many human populations," said David Kingsley, professor at Stanford.

"It is possible that climbing around in cold environments was enough of a risk factor to select for a protective variant even if it brought along an increase likelihood of an age- related disease like arthritis, which typically doesn't develop until late in life," he said.

The gene called GDF5 is involved in bone growth and joint formation, and mutations in the coding portion of the gene have been shown to cause malformations in leg-bone structure in mice.

In humans, GDF5 mutations are linked to shorter stature and joint problems; in particular, two nucleotide changes immediately upstream of the gene have been strongly associated with a 1.2 to 1.8-fold increase in the risk of osteoarthritis.

In the new study, researchers wanted to know more about how the DNA sequences surrounding GDF5 might affect the gene's expression.

Often, these noncoding sequences contain key regulatory regions known as promoters and enhancers.

Researchers were able to identify a previously unknown enhancer region they termed GROW1, which is several thousand nucleotides downstream of GDF5.

Further research showed that this nucleotide change has been repeatedly favoured during human evolution.

Modern humans migrated from Africa between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago. However, they were not the first to leave the continent.

Neanderthals and Denisovans moved north into Europe and Asia about 600,000 years ago. Researchers found that the same GROW1 variant was found in the DNA of both ancient and modern humans in Europe and Asia.

However, the GDF5 variant that reduces bone length comes hand-in-hand with the two upstream nucleotide changes known to confer an increased risk for osteoarthritis.

"We've shown that positive evolutionary selection has given rise to one of the most common height variants and arthritis risk factors known in human populations," said Kingsley.
India and on Wednesday elevated their ties to the strategic partnership level with a vow to do much more together to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism and pitched for strong measures against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups.
The Chinese official media on Wednesday stepped up its attack on India with editorials asking Indian troops to move out of Dokalam area in Sikkim sector "with dignity or be kicked out" and describing the situation as "worryingly tense".

While China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times said India should be taught a "bitter lesson", another official newspaper, China Daily, said India should look in the mirror.

The Global Times said in its editorial that India will suffer "greater losses" than in 1962 if it "incites" border clashes with China.

As the standoff in the Dokalam area continued for the third week, it said India should be taught a "bitter lesson".

It also claimed that the Chinese public was infuriated by India's "provocation".

"We believe the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers," it said.

"We need to give diplomatic and military authorities full power to handle the issue. We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson," it said.

The editorial said it "firmly" believes that the face-off in what it calls the Donglang area will end with the Indian troops in "retreat".

"If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area (referred to as Dokalam or Dok La), and it is ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power," it said.

The paper was referring Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat saying that India 'was ready for a two-and-a-half front war'.

"Jaitley (Defence Minister Arun Jaitley) is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts," it added.

Jaitley on June 30 said India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, hitting out at China for asking the Indian Army to learn from "historical lessons".

According to the editorial in China Daily, India's defeat in the 1962 war was perhaps too "humiliating" for some in the Indian military and that is why they are talking "belligerently" this time.

Since the standoff on June 6, when the PLA destroyed bunkers of the Indian Army, claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces warning India against escalating border tensions.

"India should look in the mirror. It was not able to refute the evidence of illegal border-trespassing and coerced its small neighbour Bhutan to shoulder the blame," the China Daily said.

The Global Times also asserted that China attaches great importance to domestic stability and doesn't want to be mired in a mess with India.

"But New Delhi would be too naive to think that Beijing would make concessions to its unruly demands," it said.

"New Delhi's real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block China's road construction there," the editorial said.

"Cold war-obsessed India is suspicious" that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area. India is taking the risk to betray the historical agreement and wants to force China to "swallow" the result, it said.

The China Daily added that India should respect border agreement and withdraw troops, linking India's move to stop the Chinese military from building a strategic road in Dokalam area on June 16 to its concern over China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes the $50 billion China-Pakistanonomic Corridor (CPEC).

"India may be trying to make a point. It is reportedly worried that the Chinese road construction may represent a significant change in the status quo with serious security implications for India, according to its foreign ministry."



Such worries, the paper added, could have been allayed through dialogue and consultation using the mechanisms that are already in place and "which have long helped the two sides maintain peace and tranquillity in the region since their short border war in 1962".

The editorial said the situation in Dokalam remains "worryingly tense, with a stand-off between soldiers of the two countries still ongoing".

"That the situation has not flared out of control is thanks to the great restraint exercised by the Chinese troops. But the tensions resulting from the intrusion will surely grow if there is not a total withdrawal of the Indian troops."



Unlike previous incidents that have occurred along other parts of the 3,500-kilometre border between China and India, the latest incident happened at a section that has long been demarcated by an 1890 historical convention and reaffirmed in documents exchanged between the successive Chinese and Indian governments since then.

Both dailies, however, referred to India's concerns over the road in Dokalam close to the narrow chicken neck area in the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan border as it could cut off a vital link with India's north-eastern region.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction since June 6 after a Chinese Army construction party came to build a road.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Launching a high-decibel attack on Governor K.N. Tripathi, West Bengal Chief Minister on Tuesday accused him of threatening and insulting her, prompting the Raj Bhavan to issue a denial and express surprise at her "attitude and language".

Backing Banerjee, senior state minister Subrata Mukherjee reprimanded Tripathi for "adopting a tone of hatred" during his telephonic talk with Banerjee, and virtually challenged the governor to "do what he can".

However, the state opposition parties contended that the Chief Minister should not have made public her private conversation with the Governor, and regretted that a clash between the state's constitutional head and the administrative head would only help those trying to engineer communal polarisation in the eastern state.

Using unusually strong language, Banerjee alleged at a media meet that the Governor spoke like a functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party instead of the state's constitutional head, and said that at one point she, unable to take the humiliation, felt like quitting.

"The Governor told me many things today. I have been deeply insulted and humiliated by the comments of the Governor... He has threatened me and talked to me like a block president of the BJP. I I have told him 'you cannot talk to me like this. I hold an elected constitutional post'," said an angry Banerjee.

Iterating that Tripathi called up her on her phone, she said: "The post of Governor is a constitutional post, he has to follow the constitutional norms. Mine is also a constitutional post.

"I have not come to power at his mercy. I have come to the power because of the mandate of the people, whereas the Governor has been nominated by the centre."

"We are not servants. He is a constitutional post holder, I respect him. He should reciprocate by showing respect to me also. I run a government. After today's insult, at one point I thought I would quit. I have not been insulted like this anytime in the past," said Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo.

Banerjee said Tripathi spoke to him regarding some trouble between two communities since Monday.

"He is showing me law and order. Why will he take sides? Can't he speak for both sides? When any small incident happens, BJP workers hand him a piece of paper and he speaks what not," she added.

A little later, Raj Bhavan came out with a press release, saying the Governor was "surprised" at the "attitude and language" used by the Chief Minister at the media meet, and reminded her that talks between a Chief Minister and a Governor "were confidential in nature and none are expected to disclose it".

"However, there was nothing in the talks for which the Hon'ble Chief Minister may have felt insulted, threatened or humiliated."

According to the Raj Bhavan, Tripathi told Banerjee to "ensure peace and law and order by all means" and stressed that the Governor, being the constitutional head of the state, cannot remain a "mute spectator to the affairs".

Participating in a television talk show, Rural Development and Public Health Engineering Minister Mukherjee deplored the "behaviour" of the Governor with another constitutional functionary and said "the way she has been insulted is a matter of regret".

But the state opposition parties thought otherwise.

"Governor is the constitutional head in the state. The way the Chief Minister has openly talked about her conversation with the Governor in a public forum, in spite of swearing in to follow the constitution, is untenable. This is an insult to constitutional norms," Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty told IANS.

State Bharatiya Janata Party chief Dilip Ghosh held Banerjee responsible for the recent lapse in law and order in the state and said people are being compelled to go to the Governor due to this.

"If the Governor asks her why the state administration is not able to maintain the law and order situation properly, what is there to feel insulted? Why is she terming this as an insult?" he asked.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a special gesture, Prime Minister today met Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Modi's decision to meet Moshe, now 11, along his grandparents was an emotional moment for the family.

Modi also met Moshe's 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.

Moshe was two when his parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others by terrorists at the Nariman House, also popularly known as Chabad House.

The Nariman House was one of the five places targeted by the terrorists, killing 166 people.

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents - Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends.

Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010.

She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family in the north during the weekends.

Before the meeting Modi, Moshe's grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandson's 'bar mitvah', a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upnayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite Modi.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Tuesday said there was no scope for a compromise in the military stand-off with India in the Sikkim section, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the grave situation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long argued that, far from being diplomatically isolated because of its policies toward the Palestinians, Israel is constantly being courted by countries seeking help in technology, intelligence and counterterrorism.
Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who as a toddler survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai, is "excited and emotional" ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister in on Wednesday, his grandfather says.

Shortly before Moshe's second birthday, the terrorists stormed the Chabad House in Mumbai, taking the toddler, his parents and several tourists hostage. Moshe's nanny, Sandra Samuels, was also in the building but managed to hide in a room downstairs.

She emerged when she heard Moshe's cries and found him standing between his parents' bodies. She grabbed him and fled the building, also known as the 'Nariman House', which reopened in 2014 after extensive renovations.

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents -- Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg.

"Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to and his deciding to meet us," Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI over the phone from .

Modi is making a special point by meeting 11-year-old Moshe, who survived the 2008 attack that claimed the lives of his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the directors of the Chabad House.

"We all are here at from Afula to meet the Indian prime minister. This meeting is very important to us as the prime minister, who represents 125 crore Indians, has shown a desire to meet Moshe and us," Rosenberg said.

"India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi," he said.

"It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain," he said.

Asked if Moshe recalls the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, Rosenberg said, "He doesn't speak much (on the terror attacks) but says Chabad House is his home."



Moshe will be visiting Chabad House after two years when he is 13, Rosenberg said.

"I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian ambassador saying that Prime Minister wants to meet us," Moshe's grandfather said.

Samuels, 53, was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in 2008. She frequently travels from her home in Jerusalem to visit Moshe and his grandparents. The Rosenbergs and Samuels have also been invited to meet the prime minister.

Rabbi Kozlovsky, the director of Chabad House in Mumbai, said he was looking forward to a new era of ever-more friendly relations between India and .

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress Vice President on Wednesday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "weak PM" for not raising the issue of H-1B visa in his talks with US President Donald Trump and for playing down the use of the term "Indian- administered Kashmir" by the US.

The Congress on its Twitter handle also criticised Modi's US visit, saying it was merely a photo opportunity and the main issues were bypassed.

Gandhi tweeted some links of media reports that said "H- 1B didn't figure in Modi-Trump talks" and "MEA accepts US use of 'administered Kashmir'".

"India has a weak PM," he tweeted.

India has a weak PM pic.twitter.com/NKbUO1iOHX  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 5, 2017

India had played down the usage of "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir" by the US in a statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country last month, saying similar terms have been used in the past too.

The Congress today tweeted, "While it was a great photo opportunity, the main issues were bypassed on Narendra Modi's trip to the United States. #Unfruitful #WeakModi."



It also posted a picture captioned 'no priority for Indian interests' along with the tweet.

"PM Modi should have made an effort to ensure that issues of visas and the tech industry were discussed," it tweeted.

The Congress had yesterday attacked Modi over his frequent foreign trips, saying they had not benefited India "even a bit" and that only time would tell about the gains from his current visit to Israel.

Senior AICC spokesperson Ajay Maken claimed Modi's last "64 visits in more than 3 years" have catered only to domestic Indian audience through "televised shows" instead of ensuring concrete gains for the country.

The Congress had earlier urged Modi to take up during his meeting with Trump, the issues of H-1B visa, racial attacks on Indians and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday promised to keep the office of the President above party politics as he campaigned in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking both in Hyderabad and Vijayawada, he said the office of the President should be kept above party politics and assured the parties supporting him that he will uphold the highest esteem of the prestigious office.

Stating that he is not associated with any political party, Kovind appealed to all members of the presidential election collegium to support his candidature.

Kovind addressed meetings of ruling parties in both the Telugu states, besides meeting MPs and MLAs of Andhra Pradesh's main opposition party YSR Congress and leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an opposition party in Telangana.

He spoke at the meeting of the leaders of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Hyderabad and a joint meeting of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its alliance partner BJP in Vijayawada.

"Ever since I became Governor of Bihar, I have been working throughout in a non-partisan manner, keeping every citizen of Bihar with equal status without any discrimination. I can assure you that I will continue to keep the position of the President above party," he told the meeting attended by TRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and some other BJP leaders in Hyderabad.

"As on today I am not associated with any political party. Of course my earlier background had been with the BJP. I had the privilege of working in the team of Venkaiah Naidu. Even after resigning the governorship, I did not join any party," Kovind said.

At Vijayawada, Kovind said that for President, the Constitution is the "Geeta", "Quran", "Ramayana" and the "Bible". "It is the only guide book by which the President is supposed to work," he said.

He said for President the well being of every citizen of the country, irrespective of caste, region, religion and geographic location was important.

Stating that the President is also the supreme commander of the armed forces, he said security of "our international borders should be our topmost priority".

"I can assure you I will always strive for all round development of the nation irrespective of caste, creed, language, region and geographical situations."

He said he would also do his best to fulfil the aspirations of youth and for development of modern education.

"We have to fulfil dream of new India which our honourable Prime Minister has been advocating till 2022 when we celebrate completion of 75 years of our independence."

He expressed his gratitude to NDA and non-NDA parties especially TRS and TDP and noted that TRS and TDP chiefs had extended him the support even before his candidature was announced.

During his speeches in both Hyderabad and Vijayawada, he pointed out that many luminaries adorned the post of the President and referred to Zakir Hussain, who was born in Hyderabad and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh.

In Vijayawada, he paid tributes to TDP founder, the late N.T. Rama Rao and recalled his contributions to both the cinema and politics.

In Hyderabad, Kovind thanked Rao for having installed many hoardings in the city in his honour and for delivering his speech in Hindi.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said Telangana would look towards Kovind for his blessings for development. Stating that TRS is extending full support to him, he said Kovind was sure to get elected with a huge majority.

TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, in his speech, said that he feels that it is a good fortune to vote for Kovind. Stating that Kovind joined BJP 26 years ago, he said he was never involved in any controversy.

Kovind, who arrived in Hyderabad in the morning, also addressed the MPs and state legislators of BJP and YSR Congress Party. YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy introduced his party leaders to the NDA nominee.

In Vijayawada, Kovind along with Venkaiah Naidu and Chandrababu Naidu attended 'Sri Venkateshwara vaibhotsavam' and performed 'puja' at the model TTD temple.

Addressing the meetings in both the states, Venkaiah Naidu said the presidential election was not an ideological fight as some opposition parties were trying to project it.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China on Wednesday accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

China also claimed that India was "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to its north-eastern states.

"I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters here.

"However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other country's territory," he said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.

Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was "very serious".

"China and India have been in contact through the special representatives mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries," he said.

China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said.

"Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory," he said.

The situation is yet to be resolved and "India should pull back the troops that is precondition to avoid worsening of the situation", Geng said.

"Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations," he said.

"If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs," he said.

"We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion," Geng said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri- junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," he said.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending China's road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.

Geng also said that besides former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it.

"The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and China's Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice," he said.

Quoting the note, Geng said, "The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground."



"The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India," Geng said.

Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, "there is no such consent as you mentioned".

The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutan's territory.

"It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion," Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou.

"In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet," Nehru had said.

Geng said, "Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the China India boundary has already been delineated."



Since India's independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said.

Geng's remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador had said ,"There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)."



Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, "I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides."



"It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question with in the Special Representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.

"What is shocking is that the India border troops entered into the Chinese side of the delineated border in the Sikkim section which is serious in nature," he sad.
A large section of retail shops are yet to implement Goods and Services Tax and are selling their wares with bills showing fictitious dates of the month of June.

"We are still in a lot of confusion. The simple way out is buying and selling with June bills," a sanitary shop owner in College Street in the city said.

"There are several tax slabs of GST and to get the old stock re-priced will take time. Till then should we keep our shop closed ?" he said.

Another shop owner said such billing will help to liquidate old stocks.

A decorative paints shop owner said he would continue selling with backdated bills till the matter is "settled".

However, government has said retailers with unsold pre-GST stock of products can stick the new prices on them taking into account the post-GST changes for selling.

Truck movement has also reduced in the wake of GST, a truckers body official said.

Chamber of Textile Trade and Industry said textile traders have been given extension for GST registration till July and so there was no compulsion for them.

Indo-Bangladesh trade was also affected due to some technical glitches in GST software, customs agents association officials claimed.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hit by the double whammy of demonetisation and RERA compliance, sales of new residential projects in the top eight cities  Ahmadabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, National Capital Region (NCR) and Pune  hit a seven-year low, suggests the latest Knight Frank report on the sector titled India Real Estate: Residential and Office.
The State Bank of India has finally declared the results of SBI Probationary Officer (PO) exam after a long unexpected delay. The exam was conducted on June 4, 2017 (Sunday). Students can check their results in the recruitment section of their official site. As all the students were keeping their finger crossed, the State Bank of India (SBI), in a surprising move, postponed the result in June. The results were expected to be out on June 19 (Monday). The official Notification on its website read: The result of Main Examination held on 4th June 2017 for recruitment of Probationary Officers in State Bank of India, which was tentatively scheduled to be declared on 19.06.2017, is under process and will be declared at a later date.



Last year the results for the Exam, which was held on July 31 were declared on August 19. There are 2403 vacancies for the post of Probationary Officers as announced by the Bank for which it conducted the Examination. Eligible candidates after clearing prelims exams appeared for the Main exam. The candidates seeking to join the prestigious SBI as Probationary Officers will have to register online for the recruitment process to be undertaken by the Bank after officially declaring the results.
Singapore's banking regulator has told lenders it will delay by a year the implementation of global rules designed to rein in trading risks - the latest sign that the post-crisis overhaul of the world's banking system may be stalling.

The move follows similar postponements by banking regulators in Hong Kong and Australia as concerns grow over the complexity of the rules and as it is also uncertain how they will fit with other capital reforms yet to be finalised.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) notified local of the delay to the so-called 'fundamental review of the trading book' (FRTB) in a letter last month that also flagged a number of other regulatory issues, two people briefed on the matter said.

The people declined to be identified as the letter was not made public.

The rules were finalised last year by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision as part of a decade-long international effort to prevent a repeat of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

The FRTB rules, which require to hold more capital against their trading books, were scheduled to become effective in January 2019.

A MAS spokeswoman said the regulator remains committed to a full implementation of Basel III reforms but was not rigidly adhering to a timeline.

"In determining the implementation timeline, MAS will consider factors such as the state of global implementation guidance, the industry's readiness and implementation progress in other jurisdictions," she said in a statement.

Basel has no powers of enforcement and relies on member countries to commit to the implementation of reforms agreed by the committee.

A person familiar with the committee's workings said there was no sign of the FRTB being ditched outright. In addition, capital for trading books is a small proportion of a bank's total buffer and therefore a delay in the FRTB does not materially affect the bigger capital picture for the banking sector, this person said.

Group of 20 (G20) countries meet in Germany this week to take stock of the implementation of global banking reforms.

Mark Carney, chairman of the Financial Stability Board, which coordinates financial rules for the G20, warned on Monday that global growth would suffer if regulators give in to "reform fatigue" and fail to complete the agreed changes.

But after an intensive decade of rule-making, some policymakers now want to prioritise growth over yet more complex banking regulation.

US President Donald Trump has said regulation is holding back lending and the U.S. Treasury has recommended delaying the FRTB, as well as another measure that strengthens bank funding. Regulators in Asia are worried their may be at a disadvantage if they push ahead with the rules while other countries hold back, the sources said.

The European Union's executive European Commission has proposed delaying its full application of FRTB, and officials are now waiting to see whether U.S. regulators follow the U.S. Treasury recommendation.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said last month the FRTB rules would be implemented no earlier than January 2020, while the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) announced a delay in March that would likely see the rules come into force in 2021.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
10th Session of the India- Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee (TEJC)

The 10TH India-Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee (TEJC) Meeting was held in New Delhi on 4th and 5th July, 2017 under the co-chairs of Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and H. E Eng.

Mr. Yarub Qudah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

On this occasion, the two countries emphasized the need for diversification of bilateral trade and deepening their engagements for greater cooperation in investment sector. During the TEJC meeting, the two sides also reaffirmed their mutual interest and discussed the roadmap for cooperation in various fields such as Fertilizer Sector, Customs, Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, Visa and Consular issues, Health and Pharmaceuticals, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Maritime Transport, Rail Transport, and Air Transport, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Smart Grid development, Information Technology, Higher Education and Vocational Training, Agriculture sector etc.

The two leaders also inked the revised Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India, and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, aiming at boosting and diversifying bilateral trade relations, in addition to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation based on the principle of equity, non-discrimination.

On the sidelines of the TEJC, business federations from both sides also met and discussed the roadmap for promotion of trade and investment through B2B mechanism.
Environment Ministry has Decided to take up work related to Environment Protection as a movement all over the Country : Dr. Harsh Vardhan

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that the Ministry has taken a decision that all the work related to environment protection must be taken up as a movement all over the country. Leading a plantation drive to mark Van Mahotsav celebrations here today, the Environment Minister told the gathering that the Ministry is preparing a databank of doables - that all the people, from children to senior citizens can take up on their own. He also said that the databank will be presented before the people to enhance awareness and also to educate people on environment-related issues and create an environmentally sensitive society. Unfortunately, we did not pay much attention to whatever our ancestors had told us. That is why today the threats of climate change and global warming have arisen", Dr.

Harsh Vardhan pointed out. Reiterating that environment protection is in our DNA, the Minister said that there is a tradition of feeding the ants and birds in our country and thus, protection of flora and fauna is inherent in our culture. The Environment Minister pointed out that our ancestors had handed over a pure environment as a heritage and had given some principles of living, with the help of which environment can be protected properly. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, I am glad that different organisations have participated in the plantation drive today and these organisations will develop environment protection as a new movement in their respective areas. The plantation drive is a token programme. In the days to come, we are drawing up several programmes that will make our environment pollution-free". Dr. Harsh Vardhan will lead a similar plantation drive tomorrow at District Park, Paschim Vihar. The plantation drives in Delhi will continue.
PMs gifts to PM Benjamin Netanyahu

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of 2 sets of relics from Kerala that are regarded as key artifacts in the long Jewish history in India.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th century C. E.

The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochini Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban. According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabban was later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore.

Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and other places in Malabar. Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earth from Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy place & a second Jerusalem. The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi.
President of India addresses the Annual Convocation of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

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The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee addressed the annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru today (July 5, 2017). .

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Speaking on the occasion, the President said that it was his privilege to preside over the annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, which is a premier institution for advanced scientific education and research in the country. He congratulated all the graduating students on their success and said that he considers convocation as a landmark day in the life of students, teachers and their parents. It was a culmination of their years of hard work and dedicated efforts. .

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The President said that the Indian Institute of Science, established in the year 1909, was the result of a visionary public-private partnership between Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Maharaja of Mysore and the Government of India. Over the last 108 years of its fruitful existence, the Institute has laid balanced emphasis on the pursuit of basic knowledge in science and engineering, as well as on the application of its research findings for industrial and social benefit. He stated that it was worth mentioning that Prof. J.C. Ghosh, the Director of IISc in the forties, who is credited with the setting up of several engineering departments in IISc, became the founding Director of the first IIT at Kharagpur. .

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The President said that many alumni and faculty of IISc have played and continue to play a strong role in leading national science and technology institutions and in various advisory or administrative roles in the government. He was happy that IISc has consistently maintained its reputation of being Indias premier institute of higher education and research. Its academic stature as Indias best university has been confirmed by the National Institutional Rankings Framework in both 2016 and 2017. It is also recognized globally, having been ranked amongst the top 200 universities in the QS International Rankings. He said that to his mind, a key ingredient that has contributed to its success is the quality and the number of its faculty members, one that has steadily been increasing in the last few years. He was informed that of the 4,000 students in its campus, over 2,500 are pursuing doctoral degrees. Of its 40 departments and centres, 18 are dedicated to science, 13 to engineering, and the remaining to inter-disciplinary research. .

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The President said that the higher education sector in India has seen massive expansion. The number of universities has increased to 760 and the number of colleges to 38,500. Such expansion has led to better access. However, it has thrown open some challenges like resource constraints and lack of availability of quality teachers. To his mind, an inspired teacher is one who ignites young minds and raises their latent curiosity. .

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The President said that if our institutions have to become world-class, they will have to adopt best practices in their academic management. They will have to move relentlessly in the direction of excellence in whatever they do. The spheres of intervention are many. For one, our institutions have to provide the best of amenities to their academic community. State-of-the-art laboratories will enable quality experiments. Good classrooms including well-stocked libraries will offer students an enriched learning environment. .

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The President said that our centres of higher learning have to develop their social connect. There is need to instill in the students a sensitivity that will inspire them to search for solutions to vexed socio-economic problems. He said that it was important to remember that by 2030 India will have a huge population comprising of youth. This would be an opportunity to capture the world market. However, this demographic dividend could convert into demographic liability if we do not provide necessary skills to our youth. He said that he wanted that bright minds in India should engage themselves in basic research. The onus is on the institutions to produce men and women of substance and character, not merely competent professionals. He expressed hope that the students of IISc who got their degrees today will contribute handsomely to our nation. .

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Details Emerge Of ISIS' Mass Abduction Of Assyrians In Syria

FSA leader inside a church in Maloula, Syria. ( Niclas Hammarstr?m/Kontinent/ZUMA) "They're coming! They're coming!" On that day, Feb. 23, 2015, a new page in the tragedy of the Middle East's Christians was written on the banks of the Khabur River, in northeastern Syria. Armed with heavy weaponry and armored vehicles, ISIS fighters swept down from the Mount Abdulaziz region and stormed local Assyrian Christian villages, sending panic-stricken residents fleeing for their lives. Thousands sought shelter in the area's major cities, Al-Hassakeh and Al-Qamishli.

The fighting lasted several hours. Two local militias, the Khabur Guards and the Syriac Military Council, fought to defend their countrymen. In Tel Hormuz, where the resistance was strong, 11 were killed and a good number went missing. Women distinguished themselves with their courage. Still, the Christian fighters were overwhelmed. The military superiority of ISIS was obvious and defeat was inevitable.

Everything began 10 days before the invasion, when ISIS ordered the villagers to remove crosses from their churches and pay a special poll tax. The villagers refused. The overall goal of ISIS was to expel these "infidels" from the country and extend its hegemony to the region. This was a repeat of the religious cleansing operation that took place in the summer 2014, on the other side of the border, in the Ninevah Plains region in Iraq.

"They had been training for a year to invade the villages," says Guiwargis (not his real name) a survivor who later fled to Lebanon. "ISIS had plans and maps. The jihadists implemented a concerted and deliberate strategy to empty the region of its Christians."

As ISIS advanced, the Syrian army  which had vowed to protect its minorities  seemed to disappear. Free Syrian Army rebels were nowhere to be seen either. Kurdish military forces, in contrast, confronted the jihadists at times but withdrew from certain villages, abandoning the Christians, according to former inhabitants.

Victorious, the jihadists assembled their "spoils of war": more than 220 people  including children and seniors  captured from Assyrian villages along the Khabur. Even the 80-year-old mayor of the village Tel Shamiran was arrested with his wife and family. Male and female prisoners were separated and forced to wait in a torrential rain before being deported to another village. Then, the hostages were piled on top of each other in vehicles like livestock to be transferred to a nearby city.

"On the sixth day of our captivity, Widad Yonan, a 48-year-old woman who had resisted ISIS troops during the invasion of her village, was taken to an unknown place to most likely be executed," Guiwargis recalls.

For seven months, they were kept in a large room that was formerly a Syrian police station. The premises were equipped with screens to teach prisoners about the Koran and Muslim jurisprudence. "We were taught the lessons of the Koran and urged to convert to Islam. The main instructor was Saudi ... We all refused," Guiwargis says.

In the courtyard there were also Uzbeks, Iraqis, Turks, Tunisians, Turkmens, Egyptians, Algerians and Syrians. The guards were Tunisians. Sometimes, coalition raids would target the area.

One day, the main local emir for ISIS, a one-eyed Iraqi rumored to be Saddam Hussein's former officer, ordered that the three most beautiful girls be brought to him so that he could choose one. Caroline Shlimoun, a 14-year-old girl from Tel Jazira village, was torn from her family. Since then, her parents have had no news of her. The emir most likely married her by force before bringing her to Raqqa, the Syrian capital of the jihadists, to mother a child.

"Her father and mother have not lost hope of finding her," says Auchana (not his real name), another survivor.

The religious pressure exerted on the prisoners was constant. They were accused of being infidels and threatened with death. "We were told that killing us is lawful," says Auchana. "One morning they came to select six of us under the false pretext of going to Al-Hassakeh to negotiate our release in exchange for ransom paid by the Assyrian Bishop Mar Aprim Athniel. I was part of the lot."

That was the day of Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice. The hostages were led into the desert for a show of Islamic justice. They wore orange outfits. A "judge" verified the "legality" of the sentence and ordered it to be carried out immediately: death! "Three of our companions were killed before our eyes on Sept. 23, 2015," Auchana recalls. "We had to carry their dead bodies to a truck. I don't know where they were buried."

These dour scenes, which ISIS filmed and broadcasted, marked a tipping point for the abducted Christians. The videos created an international shock wave and led to negotiations to pay a ransom for the hostages, who were transported to Raqqa.

"We were moved blindfolded all the way. In Raqqa, we no longer saw the sun," Auchana explains. "We were locked up in an underground prison. Three days later, the Russians started bombing the city. The guards asked us whether we had ties to the Russian Church. We replied that we were Assyrians and followers of the Eastern Church."

Discreetly, negotiations took place via smugglers who had settled on the Iraqi-Syrian border.

Around the world, the Assyrian diaspora mobilized to raise funds that were given to Mar Aprim Athniel, the tireless Assyrian bishop. Donations came from Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. Volunteers transported the money to Iraq and Syria. Solidarity demonstrations like the one that took place in Sarcelles, France, on March 1, 2015, were organized.

"Without this generous help, we would have experienced a fate similar to that of our three compatriots. Death, in other words. Except of course for the women and children, who are considered of value to ISIS because they can be sold as slaves," says Guiwargis.

In August 2015, ISIS began releasing children, women and men for ransoms of $30,000 per person. The six-stage process of release ended Feb. 22, 2016, exactly one year after the mass abduction. In total, the captors were paid more than $500,000.

The Assyrians of Khabur are descents of one of the world's oldest Christian communities. They belong to the Church of the East, also known as the Nestorian Church, and are the children of families deported from Iraq after the Simele massacre of 1933. Before that, in 1915, the Assyrians were the target of a genocide under the Ottoman Empire.

The Simele survivors were settled in Syria's Khabur region by French authorities, who controlled the country at that time. The northeast of Syria, with its rosary of villages on both banks of the Khabur, was their second country of refuge. ISIS has now abandoned the area. But it is still almost completely void of inhabitants. Houses are plundered, churches completely destroyed, public buildings burned.

Guiwargis returned to his village of Tel Shamiran only to find ruins. Broken hearted, he went back to Lebanon. He, like the other survivors, must look for a host country. Australia, perhaps. A number of survivors have already taken the road to exile, joining others in Europe, the United States and Canada. One Assyrian woman, currently a refugee in Germany but with plans of going to Australia, summarizes this new tragedy: "It is a wound that will never be healed," she says. "Now we're going to the land beyond the sun."

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Union Agriculture Minister reviews the progress of two flagship schemes - National Agricultural Markets (E-Names) and Soil Health Card 9 crore Soil Health Cards distributed to the farmers so far: Shri Singh Centre making efforts to make e-NAM scheme successful: Shri Singh Shri Radha Mohan Singh addresses a meeting of Agriculture Minister from States/UTs

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the idea of development of agriculture sector was being contemplated for a long time, but since independence, this is the first government that has been working at the ground level for the development of agriculture and the economic growth of the farmers. Shri Singh said this at a meeting of the State Ministers in-charge of Agricultural Marketing and Agriculture Ministers from different states in New Delhi. In this meeting, the progress of two flagship schemes - National Agricultural Markets (E-Names) and Soil Health Card was reviewed.Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that Prime Minister, Narendra Modis dream is to double farmers income by 2022 and that farmers should realise their contribution in the mainstream development. To achieve this, the Central Government and all the State Governments need to make multi-faceted joint efforts.Shri Singh informed that the first pillar is that the cost of production should be reduced and productivity should be increased. The second pillar is that farmers need to diversify and adopt other agricultural activities such as animal husbandry, poultry, goat rearing, bee keeping, and timber plantation. The third and the most important pillar is that farmers get regulated markets close to their farms to sell their produce and earn profitable returns.Union Agriculture Minister pointed out that Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme is a flagship scheme of the Government to promote the use of fertilisers based on analysis of Soil Health and enable farmers to get maximum yields at lower cost with minimum damage to the ecosystem. The central Government launched this scheme in February 2015 to provide SHC to more than 12 crore farmers once every 2 years. Comprehensive testing of soil samples on 12 parameters including the status of micro-nutrients is being carried out for each and every soil sample under the scheme. The first cycle (2015-17) of the scheme is expected to be completed by July 2017. Shri Singh said that States have reported 100% collection of soil sample i.e. 253 lakh soil samples and testing of 244 lakh soil samples. So far 9 crore soil health cards have been distributed to farmers.Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that after the formation of the government, they have taken several important decisions to accelerate the economic condition of the farmers.

In order to double the income of the farmers, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the National Agricultural Markets (e-NAM) scheme on July 1, 2015, with a budget allocation of Rs.200 crore. As part of the pilot project, 21 Mandis of 8 states were linked to e-National Agricultural Markets (e-NAM) Scheme on 14/04/2016 by the Prime Minister. This scheme provides an online portal to the farmers for electronic trading and provides a transparent market enabling price discovery and competition. Under the scheme, each Mandi is provided assistance of Rs. 30 lakh for the purpose of preparing necessary infrastructure in the integrated regulated markets. In this year's budget, this amount has been increased to Rs.75 lakh. The main objective of this scheme is to give farmers access to prices of different Mandis and facility to sell their products in a transparent manner to those who offer the best price. One important component of this scheme is that the farmer gets the value of his yield according to the quality as the quality is checked before the electronic bidding. For the success of this scheme, the State Governments need to make genuine efforts and the Ministers play a key role in this. e-NAM is an important milestone in promoting digital India and digitisation programs of the government. Shri Singh said that his ministry and the officers are making efforts to make e-NAM scheme successful. The Agriculture Minister himself visited the states and conducted meetings and reviewed various schemes related to the progress of farmers. Some State Governments like Chhattisgarh and Telangana are doing good work to ensure that farmers are benefitted by e-NAM. There is no lack of commitment by the State Governments, but the way Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh is taking an interest, all states should take inspiration from him. Union Agriculture Minister said in the changing scenario, the government has taken an active step in the interest of the farmers by devising a new model called Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and it was inaugurated on 24/04/2017. APMC Act 2017 provides the facility of creating private market yards and farmer-consumer markets. Now, if the states actively enforce the act, it will be easier for the farmers to have a liberal market available as this Act is based on the model of "ease of doing business" to encourage direct marketing.
Visit of Royal Australia Navy Ship to Kochi

Royal Australia Navy (RAN) ship, HMAS Newcastle commanded by Commander MD Sirois is visiting Kochi from 04 - 07 Jul 17. On 04 Jul 17, the Commanding Officer of the visiting RAN Ship accompanied by Ms. Harinder Sidhu, High Commissioner of Australia and Captain Sheldon Williams, Defence Attache called on Vice Admiral AR Karve AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding- in- Chief Southern Naval Command (SNC) for interactions on issues of common interest to both navies.

A friendly volleyball match between teams from SNC and the visiting ship was also played.

During the ships stay in harbour, various activities such as guided tour for Indian Naval personnel onboard HMAS Newcastle, conducted tour of some of the training units under SNC at Kochi like the Navigation & Direction, Anti- Submarine Warfare School, Damage Control Training Facility Avinash, for the visiting ships crew have been planned. The crew from the HMAS Newcastle would be also visiting places of interest at Fort Kochi, Marine Drive and various museums at Kochi. On their departure on 07 Jul 17, the RAN ship is planned to participate in a passage Exercise with IN Ships off Kochi.

Recently, IN Ships Jyoti, Shivalik and Kamorta from Eastern Fleet had also visited Freemantle, Australia from 1317 June and participated in the second edition of AUSINDEX- 17, a bilateral maritime exercise between the two navies. The naval cooperation between the two countries is in pursuance of Indias Act East policy to promote bilateral relations and enhance interoperability between both navies.

Koc/45/Jul 17
It was known to local missionaries as the Hill of Angels, but to the occupying Marines, Con Thien was a little piece of hell. Just two miles south of the Demilitarized Zone, it was a barren, bulldozed plateau of red dirt 525 feet high and ringed with barbed wire, studded with artillery revetments and crisscrossed with trenches and sand bag-covered bunkers. To the east stretched the McNamara Line, the 2,000-foot-wide barrier ordered by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, which the Marines had cleared and sowed with seismic and acoustic sensors and minefields.
Artificial intelligence is already being put to use in the NHS, with Googles AI firm DeepMind providing to help monitor patients. Now I have discovered that Google has met with Genomic England  a company set up by the Department of Health to deliver the 100,000 Genomes Project  to discuss whether DeepMind could get involved.
The common thinking is that North Koreas nuclear programme poses a threat to global peace and diverts economic resources from an impoverished population. North Korean leaders are depicted in the Western media as a cabal of madmen who wont be satisfied until Washington, Seoul, or some other enemy city is turned into a sea of fire.
The U.S. warned North Korea that it is ready to fight if provoked, as Pyongyang claimed another weapons-development breakthrough following its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile a day earlier.
A meeting between Russian President and US President Donald Trump will take place on the sidelines of a G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg on July 7, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday.

"(It's been) agreed for the seventh [of July]," Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov was quoted as saying by Sputnik news agency.

Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told Tass news agency that it has been planned as a "fully-fledged" bilateral meeting rather than a brief on-the-go contact.

This contact on the sidelines of the G20 summit will be the first personal meeting between the two Presidents, who have only spoken over the phone until now.

Ushakov said it would be a very important meeting "and everybody has been waiting for it". He added that the meeting "will be particularly important for ensuring global stability".

The White House assured that no formal agenda had been set out for the talks between the two heads of state, though Trump was said to want to promote cooperation in dealing with the North Korean threat, Syria or the campaign against the Islamic State terror organisation.

Trumps' advisers refused to comment on whether he and Putin were scheduled to discuss alleged Russian involvement in the last US elections and the suspected connections between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US military assured Americans on Wednesday that it was capable of defending the United States against any threat from North Korea's newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which Pyongyang says can carry a large nuclear warhead.
In a bid to raise imports of the premium Merino wool from Down Under, Australia's The Woolmark Company is planning to tap handloom weaving clusters in Gujarat and Manipur. The Woolmark Company, which represents 55,000 wool growers in Australia, hopes to raise imports of Merino wool in India on the back of varied textile products.
The Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) has put on hold its plan to extend trading hours, pending regulatory approval. However, the exchange, which has negligible volumes in the equities segment, hasnt given up the plan. Abhijit Chakraborty, chief operating officer, MSEI, told Bloomberg they would conduct a mock test with brokers first, before extending the timing to 5 pm, which could happen very soon.
hit a record low of Rs 149, down 6%, extending its 9% decline of the past three trading sessions, after the company reported weak results for the financial year 2016-17 (FY17).
Benchmark indices opened flat on Wednesday in absence of major cues as Wall Street remained shut on account of public holiday. Street was on edge as tensions after North Korea fired a missile into Japanese waters kept the global subdued.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "historic" Israel visit, saying that both the countries can work together in important sectors like defence and economic.

"Obviously it's a historic visit because after 25 years of diplomatic relations being established, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Israel to a very warm and historic welcome. The kind of personal warmth we have seen in terms of the expansion of the relationship and the scope that exist, the admiration for India's culture and the potential that India offers, a lot can be done whether it is in defence, water management, economic relationships," BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI.

He further said that this visit is an important one and it deserves to be seen as historic.

Meanwhile, another BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia said that due to the untiring efforts of Prime Minister Modi, India is becoming an International leader.

"Today it was clear that how world leaders respect our Prime Minister. It was clear that between the two Premiers there is a relationship of mutual respect and admiration. We are all hoping that this would be a historic visit of the Prime Minister which would bring not just technology transferred to India but it would also enhance the intelligence capabilities of the nation through which we will be able to combat and eradicate terrorism," he added.

Bhatia further said that there would be meaningful dialogues on agriculture as well as commerce.

"We are all optimistically waiting to welcome the honourable Prime Minister after the visit," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Israel's Tel Aviv on a three-day historic visit - the first ever trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish state.

Breaking all protocols, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received his Indian counterpart at Ben-Gurion Airport in the capital city.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will also accompany the Indian leader to all programmes throughout the visit.

In his 48-hour visit, Prime Minister Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, is attending 18 programmes in Israel.

These programmes include bilateral meetings, mega Community Programme, meeting top Israeli CEOs, NRIs, students.

Today, the Indian leader will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, hold talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu and then, attend an event organised by the Indian community in Israel in Tel Aviv.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi along with his Israeli counterpart, will visit Haifa cemetery, the cemetery of the fallen Indian soldiers in the first world war and place wreath on the grave areas.

From there, the duo will head for a field visit to see the Gal Mobile-integrated water purification vehicle designed to produce high quality drinking water. It can be used during times of disasters to provide drinking water.

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China has criticised North Korea for launching an Inter Continental Ballistic missile near Japan coast and called on the United Nations Security Council to ban Pyongyang from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation.

"China urges the DPRK to refrain from acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions so as to create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiation," Xinuhua quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang as saying on Tuesday.

Yesterday, An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile reached a height of 2,802 kilometres (1741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television (KCTV).

That's the highest ever altitude reached by a North Korean missile, and puts the U.S. on notice that Pyongyang could potentially hit the U.S. mainland.

In a rare announcement, state North Korean television announced that Kim Jong-un had personally overseen the "landmark" test of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental missile (KN-14).

Reacting to the missile test, President Donald Trump, earlier today, called on China to shun and rein in North Korea.

"North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South.

Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!," Trump tweeted.

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Along with the mini trails, the latest track 'Beech Beech mein' of the upcoming flick 'Jab Harry met Sejal' is also winning the hearts of people.

The latest song 'Beech Beech mein', which features the sizzling chemistry of superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, has become yet another chartbuster with its peppy beats and catchy lyrics.

If you don't know, here are five unknown facts about the song -

#1.SRK-Anushka's first ever clubbing:

The actor has never gone clubbing earlier and it was an amazing experience to not only shoot for the song but also to promote in amidst an actual club.

Anushka shared, "This is literally the first time I think I have gone pub crawling." Shah Rukh Khan has given a range of party numbers, however, the actor too has not experienced the clubbing scene before. It was all because of Imtiaz Ali that he went on a club-hopping spree. Shah Rukh Khan shared that he couldn't go clubbing in Delhi as he didn't have the money then and after coming to Mumbai he became a celebrity.

#2.Shah Rukh karaoked for the first time:

King Khan is seen karaoking for the first time on screen for the song 'Beech Beech mein'. The actor took to the mic for the first time in his career.

#3. Celebratory song:

The song is a celebratory number wherein Shah Rukh and Anushka are seen club hopping.

The 'Raees' star said, "In the movie, the song comes when Harry and Sejal start celebrating by going to different clubs, karaoke bars."

#4. Shot at multiple locations:

The song was shot in Budapest in Hungary and several exterior locations including two night clubs.

#5. Got the 'videshis' grooving:

While the audience is grooving to the tunes, the song had got the entire crew too tapping their feet to its music. The 'Sultan' female lead said, "I love the song, I love dancing to it, everybody even the foreign crew there, who don't even understand the language started tapping feet and singing 'beech beech mein'."

The Film, 'Jab Harry met Sejal' revolves around the story of a Punjabi guide and a Gujarati girl, who are on a journey to find Sejal's engagement ring in the backdrop of the picturesque locations of Europe. The movie is all set to hot the theatres on August 4.

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On the second day of his visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President of Israel Reuven Rivlin and said that there stands 'I is for I' India for Israel and 'I' with 'I' is India with Israel and on the other hand Indians feel that 'Israel' means 'Israel is a real friend of India' .

Expressing the unique kind of friendship and link between the two countries, Modi said "B2B phrases are being used when we talk of trade and commerce but when I see in reality today I say stands 'I is for I' India for Israel and 'I' with 'I' is India with Israel and on the other hand Indians feel that 'Israel' means 'Israel is a real friend of India".

Overwhelmed by the gesture of Israel's President who broke the protocol to welcome Modi, Prime Minister Modi said he "The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke the protocol to receive me and this is a mark of respect for the entire 1.25 billion population of Indian country .This is the love of you for my country, I specially thank and express my gratitude to that "

Responding to President Revlin's warm welcome note, Modi said that he was overwhelmed by the incredibly warm welcome and love that he received in Israel, adding "In Israel I feel at home and the warmth emanated by everyone whom I have met here".

"It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the President's residence.

Modi recalled that President Rivlin's pharse 'Make with India' is echoed in Israel and I have seen everywhere I went that it has percolated to all levels.

Rivlin said that India and Israel will turn out to be great allies and their cooperation will only deepen on various fronts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday broke protocol to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said 'he is welcome to the State of Israel in the capital city of Jerusalem".

Both Prime Minister Modi and President Rivlin held extensive talks on a wide range of issues pertaining to India-Israel friendship and other global issues.

Elaborating on strengthening the bilateral ties, Rivlin said, "We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We have understood very well and talked on the need to take forward the India-Israel friendship partnership. State of Israel is a new state established in 1940 and we thought we should produce everything in Israel and make great ideas."

Rivlin told PM Modi that "We are doing a lot to take up your ideas about Make in India"

The President said PM Modi has accepted that only in some projects Israel would be participating in 'Make With India'.

"The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India," PM Modi tweeted.

Recalling his visit to India, President Rivlin said ," I am glad to say it is only eight months since I visited India ,I will never forget I found real strong nation with strong ideas and India is one of the greatest democracies in the in this time."

Speaking on the level of cooperation, Israeli President said, "There is a lot of cooperation in universities , B2B cooperation between businessmen of India and Israel and there are many Israeli businessmen who intend to invest in India, make mutual projects together. I believe that both Israeli and Indian government will boost G2G cooperation.

Praising PM Modi, President said, "I have found you the greatest democratic leaders at present, who pays attention to the needs of his people."

PM Modi said that there stands 'I for I'- India for Israel- and 'I' with 'I'- India with Israel and on the other hand Indians feel that 'Israel' means 'Israel is a real friend of India' .

Expressing the unique kind of friendship and link between the two countries, PM Modi said, "B2B phrases are being used when we talk of trade and commerce but when I see in reality, today I say 'I' for I'-India for Israel and 'I' with 'I'- India with Israel and on the other hand Indians feel that 'Israel' means 'Israel is a real friend of India".

"It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the President's residence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
She won an IIFA award as soon as she waltzed into Bollywood two years back and now, Kriti Sanon is all "excited" about coming back to IIFA and performing for the first time.

While talking to the media at an official IIFA press conference here, the 26-year-old actress said, "It's my first performance at IIFA and I'm really thrilled. I am very very excited."

Sharing one of her fond memories of IIFA, she said, "Winning the debut award was a special moment because it was for the first time that my family was there at an award function."

"A funny thing which I will always remember is that my parents never used to attend any award function with me because my mom used to think that if she will come, then I will fall on stage. I would trip or something would happen, especially Punjabi moms are more worried about all these things," the 'Raabta' star revealed.

"But they still did come for IIFA and I told them that it's very special for me. And I wanted them to see me holding that trophy in my hand," she added.

The 'Heropanti' star continued that while she was walking up the stage wearing a long gown to receive the honour, her "mother's words were playing in my head that I would trip and I was almost about to trip, but I didn't."

The show is set to feature a never-seen-before medley of musicians that includes Benny Dayal, Javed Ali, Neeti Mohan, Jonita Gandhi, Haricharan Seshadri.

The Awards 2017, to be held at New York's iconic MetLife Stadium on July 15, will witness power-packed performances by Bollywood superstars - Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon, to name a few.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Wednesday said the allegations levelled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are humiliating and insulting to his office.

"The allegations of the Chief Minister amount to insulting and humiliating the Governor and his Office," a press release from the Raj Bhavan read.

Governor Tripathi reiterated that he did not utter a single word to insult or threaten Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Mamata Banerjee yesterday accused Governor Tripathi of making threats against her and abusing her. She also alleged that the Governor was behaving like a "BJP block president".

Following her remarks, Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee said the Governor was crossing the constitutional line, adding that the Governor's residence could not be Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office.

Tripathi dubbed Chatterjee's statements as an attempt to cover the lapses of the State Government and diverting the attention from the main issue of law and order.

Commenting on the Governor office becoming a BJP office, the statement said, "The Governor is of the view that Raj Bhavan is not a Department of the State Government and it is open to every citizen to approach him for redressal of his or her grievances. It is wrong to say that Raj Bhavan has become the office of the BJP or the RSS."

The release further stated that the Governor opined that instead of making accusations against him, it is better for the Chief Minister and her colleagues to direct their attention to maintain peace and law and order in the state without making any distinction on the basis of caste, creed or community.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday refrained from commenting on downgrading of security of separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

MHA spokesperson Ashok Prasad said that the security given to individuals is decided by the State Government and thus, their ministry has no say in it.

"As far as security of individuals is concerned, the Jammu and Kashmir Government takes care of it and reviews it. The threat assessment is done by their agencies only. After review, they recalibrate it. So, the MHA does not need to comment on it, because it does not come in our circumference," Prasad told ANI.

Earlier today, the Jammu and Kashmir Government decided to downgrade security of Farooq.

This comes in the backdrop of police probing Farooq's role in the killing of Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammad Ayub Pandith.

Pandith, a resident of Nowpora Khanyar, Srinagar, who was on access control duty at the Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of Jammu and Kashmir, was lynched to death by an unlawful assembly of people.

In this regard, a case under section 302 RPC was registered and investigation was taken up. To speed up the investigation process, a special investigating team was also constituted.

The police also arrested five persons in connection with the lynching of Pandith.

To nab all the criminals involved in the incident, the head of the special investigating team (SIT) has requested that if anyone having any knowledge or clue regarding the incident may please attend the office of SP, City North Srinagar or call on 0194-2453214, 9419140715 and 9596770664.

The name and particulars of the said person shall remain confidential.

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent visit to the United States.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi cited reports from newspapers where the Prime Minister did not raise the H1B issue with President and also how the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) appeared to downplay the issue of usage of "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir" by the US in a statement.

"India has a weak PM," Gandhi tweeted.

The MEA's response comes to a query regarding use of the term 'Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir' in the notification of the State Department designating Pakistan-based Syed Salahuddin as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

"The use of the term 'Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir' merely affirms our position that Syed Salahuddin has been involved in cross-border terrorism against India. Similar term has been used in the State Department's country reports on terrorism brought out every year, including in the period 2010 - 2013, in the context of cross-border terrorism perpetrated on India. India's consistent position that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India is well known," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a statement.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a framed photograph depicting Indian soldiers leading a British military column to liberate Jerusalem.

The gift was presented after the Israeli leader and his wife hosted a private dinner for the visiting dignitary at their residence Beit Aghion in Jerusalem on Tuesday night.

The photo depicts Indian soldiers leading a British military column to librate Jerusalem (December 11, 1917). pic.twitter.com/cgnZS590Iq  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi gifted his Israeli counterpart replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artifacts of the long Jewish history in India.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th Century.

Prime Minister Modi, who is on a Israel visit, on Wednesday met with 2008 Mumbai terror attack survivor Moshe, his nanny who rescued him and his other family members.

Prime Minister Modi also promised a long term visa for Moshe and his family whenever they wish to travel to India.

Netanyahu, who was present at the event, put forth the proposal of Moshe travelling with him to India whenever he goes there on an official visit.

Moshe's parents, father Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka, were killed in an attack on the Chabad centre, a Jewish community centre in Mumbai, but their infant son, Moshe escaped in the arms of his Indian nanny, Sandra Samuel. The two now live in Israel.

In his 48-hour visit, Prime Minister Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, is attending 18 programmes in Israel.

These programmes include bilateral meetings, mega Community Programme, meeting top Israeli CEOs, NRIs, students.

Today, the Indian leader met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who broke protocol to receive Prime Minister Modi and welcome him.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Wednesday, while guaranteeing of making Odisha the best state in the country, said the backwardness of the state is due to the inefficiency of the State Government.

"Odisha is a state of immense opportunities, but due to the inability of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), it is still a backward state," said Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in Jajpur's Panikoili village.

Shah claimed that the BJP would form its government in Odisha in 2019 with two-third majority.

"Our aim is not only to gain two-third majority, but also to make Odisha the number state in the country," Shah said.

Shah also drew comparison between the funds given to the state under the UPA Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government.

"Under the UPA Government, Odisha was granted Rs. 68,119 crore in the 13th Finance Commission, whereas under the Modi Government, Rs. 1,84,000 crore were granted in the 14th Finance Commission," he said.

Amit Shah is in Odisha on a three-day tour with the focus of expanding party base in the state ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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Pakistan and China often speak of their "all-weather friendship," but according to an expert on South Asian affairs, the truth is that the relationship has always been one of cynicism.

In article published on the web site foreignpolicy.com, C. Christine Fair, an associate professor at the Center for Peace and Security Studies within Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, referring to much promoted multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), argues that Pakistan should actually be worried about the way the project is shaping up.

"If it is even partially executed, Pakistan would be indebted to China as never before. And unlike Pakistan's other traditional allies, such as the United States, China will probably use its leverage to obtain greater compliance from its problematic client," Fair opines.

She further goes on to state that, "The project is more inclined to leave Pakistan burdened with unserviceable debt, while further exposing the fissures in its internal security."

Focusing on the terror threat angle, Professor Fair is of the view that China is particularly concerned about Islamist militant groups active among its Uighur Muslim population in Xinjiang Province.

"Uighur militant groups have long shared ties with groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan, some of which have been patronized by the Pakistani state, such as the Afghan Taliban. China has used religious and political oppression, along with crude violence, to eviscerate the Islamist revival among Xinjiang's Uighers and has counted on Pakistan to give China political cover while doing so," she says in her article.

In the article, Fair appears to caution Pakistan not to take on what she calls this "Chinese debt" in the shape of the CPEC, because Islamabad may also face the risk of "severely worsening its already critical relations with India, which has been watching the CPEC drama unfold with growing alarm".

Ostensibly, CPEC will connect Pakistan to China's western Xinjiang province through the development of vast new transportation and energy infrastructure. The project is part of China's much-hyped One Belt and One Road (OBOR) Initiative, a grand and increasingly vague geopolitical plan to bridge Eurasia.

Professor Fair is convinced that through the decades past "China has cultivated Pakistan through provision of military assistance; diplomatic and political cover in the U.N. Security Council; and generous loan aid in an effort to counter both American influence and the system of anti-Communist Western treaty alliances."

She adds that, "China (has) also sought to embolden Pakistan to harangue India, but not to the point of war because that would expose the hard limits of Chinese support", and cites the India-Pakistan Wars of 1965, 1971, 1999 as examples to back her claim.

"China did little or nothing to bail out its client (Pakistan) in distress," Professor Fair says.

Professor Fair says that the bold claims of Pakistan and China notwithstanding, "there are many reasons to be dubious about the purported promises of CPEC."

There's already violence all along the corridor; the region is in the throes of a slow-burning insurgency, be it the Muslim Uighur minority in China, or the majority Sunni Vs minority Shia clashes in Pakistan. There are environmental and demographic concerns, and costs, frequent resentful episodic protests that are ruthlessly put down and a prolonged drought in the Balochistan region to boot.

There is no guarantee of economic competitiveness in relation to the project, as the prime objective should be "to offer a safer and shorter route from the Arabian Sea to Central Asia."

She concludes by saying, "Pakistani citizens also have no way to know what CPEC will cost them. Neither government has been clear about what projects are part of the plan. Costing has been completely opaque. China sets the price, contracts the work out to Chinese companies, and saddles Pakistan with the loans.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Closely watching Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel and unprecedented warm welcome extended to him, Pakistani analysts fear that growing defence cooperation between India and Israel would disturb strategic balance in the South Asian region with direct bearing on Pakistan.

The tensions between India and Pakistan is an all time high and Israel assistance at this juncture can propel "India's missile programme, something that would undermine Pakistan's policy of maintaining credible deterrence," said a Pakistani defence expert.

Former diplomats and defence analysts are of the view that the visit of the Indian prime minister would further deepen defence and military ties between the two countries.

"India got access to some of the most modern defence technologies of America through Israel," Pakistan Tribune quoted Pakistan defence analyst Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib as saying.

Analysts have advocated maintaining working relationship with Israel, if not establishing full diplomatic ties, in order to further and protect Pakistan's interests.

Israel has long been a major supplier of arms and other defence equipment to India and those deals have deliberately been kept secret by the two sides. However, the two countries are now more open and publicly talk about their deepening defence cooperation.

In 2005, during former president Pervez Musharraf's tenure, Pakistan and Israel established contacts and even foreign ministers of the two countries met in Turkey. However, things could not make headway further after that.

For Gen Shoaib, there is a lesson for Pakistan in the ever-growing close relationship between Israel and India.

"If India can cement ties with Israel while at the same time maintaining diplomatic ties with its enemy Iran, why can't Pakistan also show flexibility in its foreign policy," defence analyst Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib argued

Modi, is first Indian Prime Minister visiting the country of Jews, which is being dubbed as 'historic' and 'landmark' by both the governments.

Israel is known for possessing class weapons. Israel receives a lot of assistance from the US and Germany to build up its arsenal. But they have a very strong local defence industry and improve their weapons continuously with new additions thus establishing a high-quality weaponry system and formidable military in the region.

Pakistan military, spy agency ISI and terror outfits are concerned about the kind of deals that India and Israel are signing and the talks PM Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is holding as Modi has made terrorism a focal subject in every foreign country tour and this time again both Modi and Netanyahu reiterated that "India and Israel has been a victim of terrorism and the epicenter of terrorism is Pakistan."

Aware of the wider strategic implications for the region arising out of a close partnership between India and Israel, and also understanding the meaning of both countries talking about joining hands against terrorism, Pakistan media says, "One of the subjects on which the Indian media has created a lot of hype is the threat emanating from terrorism. It has worked hard to relate terrorism with Pakistan and blame it for virtually any terror incident occurring anywhere in India.

One TV anchor opened a talk show on Modi's visit by claiming that: "India is a victim of terrorism. Israel is a victim of terrorism and the epicentre of terrorism is Pakistan."

Modi, before leaving for Tel Aviv, told an Israeli newspaper that terrorism was a common challenge and said New Delhi and Tel Aviv 'can cooperate even more closely' in battling it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz will appear for the first time before the Supreme Court-appointed Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which is probing the Panama Papers case, on Wednesday.

The JIT had asked Maryam to appear before it on July 5, the Dawn reported.

Maryam in a series of tweets on Tuesday night expressed her willingness to face the JIT.

"He (PM Sharif) has seen & been through the most testing times, in the 30+ years of his political career, acting out his rivals yet as an affectionate & protective father, I saw his eyes filled with concern & apprehensions over his daughter's appearance before JIT. I told him that I am your daughter, trained by you, [and] will neither cower down, nor yield to pressure and nothing will deter me from taking up the cudgels against transgression and injustice. Will appear before the JIT, follow the rule of law as you always have," Maryam said in a series of tweets.

He has seen & been through the most testing times, in the 30+ years of his political career, acing out his rivals, 1/4  Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 4, 2017

yet as an affectionate & protective father,I saw his eyes filled with concern & apprehensions over his daughter's appearance before JIT.2/4  Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 4, 2017

I told him that I am your daughter, trained by you, will neither cower down, nor yield to pressure & nothing will deter me 3/4  Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 4, 2017

from taking up the cudgels against transgression and injustice. Will appear before the JIT, follow the rule of law as you always have ...4/4  Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 4, 2017

See you tomorrow, Insha'Allah !  Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 4, 2017

On Tuesday, PM Sharif's elder son Hussain Nawaz appeared for a sixth time before Joint Investigation Team while his younger brother Hassan Nawaz faced the JIT on Monday.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who is also the father-in-law of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's younger daughter, also faced the JIT on Monday in connection with the probe, which has entered its final week.

Dar again disowned the confessional statement he signed in the year 2000, linking the Sharif family with money laundering in the Hudaibya Paper Mills case and termed the confession he signed 17 years ago as "a piece of trash".

A number of witnesses have appeared before the JIT for questioning so far including the PM Sharif who was questioned on June 15, becoming the first sitting prime minister to be directly questioned by investigators.

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The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday advised Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi to first mend India's relationships with the next-door neighbours and then fly-off to other countries.

"He is going to far off countries to improve the ties whereas there are threats at the doorstep. The Prime Minister must not forget that Pakistan is a mess and nuisance for a long time. We will have to first consider our priorities to try to normalize relations with the next-door neighbours. Work on that and then go to America and other countries," NCP leader Majeed Memon told ANI.

He added that even China has now sent threats and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin has now said that he can attack India anytime.

"But since the Prime Minister had a schedule to Israel, we respect that something good for the nation will be done and he would also tell Israel Prime Minister that Israel should also not sought violence and power on the weaker people of Palestine," he asserted.

He further said that India should not go close to Israel to invite anguish form Palestine because these are the two forces and India right from Indira Gandhi's time has been very close to Palestine.

"Palestine is a victim, Israel is trying to capture the territory in Palestine and there have been wars. This fact has to be remembered on the visit," Memon added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Israel's Tel Aviv on a three-day historic visit - the first ever trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish state.

Breaking all protocols, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received his Indian counterpart at Ben-Gurion Airport in the capital city.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will also accompany the Indian leader to all programmes throughout the visit.

In his 48-hour visit, the Prime Minister Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, is attending 18 programmes in Israel.

These programmes include bilateral meetings, mega Community Programme, meeting top Israeli CEOs, NRIs, students.

Today, the Indian leader will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, hold talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu and then, attend an event organised by the Indian community in Israel in Tel Aviv.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi along with his Israeli counterpart, will visit Haifa cemetery, the cemetery of the fallen Indian soldiers in the first world war and place wreath on the grave areas.

From there, the duo will head for a field visit to see the Gal Mobile-integrated water purification vehicle designed to produce high quality drinking water. It can be used during times of disasters to provide drinking water.

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Expressing his concern over the 'double taxation' on the Tamil Film Industry, thalaiva Rajinikanth requested the state government to consider the plea to abolish local body tax.

He took to Twitter to appeal, "Keeping in mind the livelihood of Lakhs of people in the tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea."

Keeping in mind the livelihood of Lakhs of people in the tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea  Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) July 4, 2017

For the unversed, over and above the recently hiked Goods and Service Tax (GST), the Tamil Nadu government has imposed a 30 percent local body tax on the Kollywood industry, which means, a Rs 100 ticket will have 18 percent GST; and for tickets above Rs 100, the GST will go up to 28 percent, plus 30 percent as local taxes.

As a result, nearly 1060 theatres across Tamil Nadu have shut down from July 3, to protest against the 'double taxation' imposed by the state government.

Kamal Haasan, who too is miffed with the same, released a statement comparing the current situation to other Southern states of India.

An extract from the statement read "Neighbouring states like Kerala have totally desisted from levying anymore state tax on Cinema over and above GST. The film industry requested the CM of Kerala Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan and he through his Finance minister quickly announced that Kerala will not be levying anymore taxes on the already beleaguered film business. Karnataka has gone even further to facilitate the well being of the film Industry. Telangana and Andhra are also doing their best for their film industries. It is only Tamil Nadu Govt. That has brought it to 30 percent. Film making in this State has been made difficult deliberately. There are further tortures and systemic corruption that the film Industry has to endure under this regime. All factions of the Industry are agitated. I am trying my best as any sensible individual of the industry to maintain solidarity and not play into the hands of any self serving and avaricious politician.

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The Supreme Court will today hear a case against social activist Teesta Setalvad, who is accused of corruption and misappropriation of funds which was meant for rehabilitation of Gujarat riot victims.

Teesta, her husband and the two NGOs - Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace - approached the apex court challenging the October 7, 2015, verdict of the Gujarat High Court, which had rejected their pleas for defreezing their personal bank accounts.

One of the residents of Gulberg Society had filed a complaint against Setalvad and others alleging that money was raised to make a museum at Gulberg Society in the memory of those killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, but it had not been utilised for the purpose.

The high court had upheld the verdict of a lower court in this regard observing that the probe was at a serious point.

In their plea before the apex court, the petitioners have alleged that their accounts were "illegally freezed" without following the due process of law.

The Gujarat Police filed an affidavit in the apex court alleging that the funds collected by them for setting up of museum in memory of the riots victims of Gulberg Society was spent on personal use.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave 15-days time to Sahara India's Chief Subrata Roy to deposit Rs. 552 crore in connection with a case, involving the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), over a dispute of returning money to its investors.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, today said that if Roy fails to pay the amount within 15 days, the court would direct the commencement of the auction process for Aamby valley property.

The next date of hearing in the case has been fixed for July 20. The parole of Subrata Roy has also been extended till then.

Earlier on June 19, Roy's parole was extended till July 5.

Roy on May 18 did not appear before the SEBI court after filing an exemption application on medical grounds.

However, the special SEBI court rejected Roy's plea.

The SEBI court was to frame charges in the case against Roy and his three group firms' directors - Ravishankar Dubey, Ashok Roy Choudhary and Vandana Bhargava.

On April 21, a SEBI court had cancelled the non-bailable arrest warrants against Roy and three of his group firms' directors after they appeared before it in a case filed by the SEBI against them.

The SEBI court cancelled the NBWs against them after they furnished fresh bail bonds of Rs. 2 lakh each and gave undertakings to the court that they would attend its trial proceeding against them regularly.

The SEBI had registered a case against Sahara India Real Estate Corporation, Sahara Housing Investment, their promoter Subrata Roy and the three directors in 2012, alleging that these companies had collected a huge sum of money from investors without listing the securities on the stock exchanges.

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Inspector General North Kashmir Nitish Kumar said that some disturbing elements in Jammu and Kashmir are manipulating youth's minds to turn them into terrorists.

"Some parents approached us saying that their children are going towards wrongful things. Through social media, some of the disturbing elements are manipulating the youth's minds in different parts of Valley and trying to turn them into terrorists. With the help of responsible parents and leaders, we brought youth back and have sent them for counseling," he said during a press conference.

On June 29, the state police thwarted a young Kashmiri boy's plan to become a militant.

A Police naka party in Baramulla district's Uri stopped 14-year-old Mohammad Qadeer Lone from crossing the Line of Control (LoC).

During the interrogation, Lone told the police that he wanted to cross the LoC to get arms training in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to become a militant.

He is a student of Eagle English Medium Public School Bomai Sopore and a resident of Naidkhai, Sumbal.

On April 23, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested a young man from Budgam in case of a 'rumour-mongering' using social networking websites.

Internet service suspension is normally the first step take by the state government during a situation of unrest, in order to contain rumours and messages of incitement.

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called for global action to counter the perceived global threat from North Korea, after Pyongyang claimed to have conducted its first successful test of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Tuesday.

"The United States strongly condemns North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile," Tillerson said in a statement, adding "Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

He said that testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, its allies and partners, the region, and the .

Tillerson urged all nations to publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons.

He further said that the U.S. intends to bring North Korea's provocative action before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures to hold the Pyongyang accountable.

"The United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea. As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea," he said.

Tillerson said that President Donald Trump and his national security team are continuing to assess the situation in close coordination with their allies and partners.

Meanwhile, in the wake of North Korea launching an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has decided to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday.

"U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and her counterparts from Japan and the Republic of Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to be held in the open chamber in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch," TASS news agency quoted the U.S. mission to the UN in a statement.

"The Security Council session will be held tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. EDT," the statement added.

China also criticised North Korea for launching an Inter Continental Ballistic missile and called on the United Nations Security Council to ban Pyongyang from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation.

"China urges the DPRK to refrain from acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions so as to create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiation," Xinuhua quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang as saying on Tuesday.

With the orders and supervision of Kim Jong-un, North Korea on Tuesday conducted its first successful test of a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14, that it claimed can reach anywhere in the .

An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile reached a height of 2,802 kilometres (1741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television (KCTV).

That's the highest ever altitude reached by a North Korean missile, and puts the U.S. on notice that Pyongyang could potentially hit the U.S. mainland.

This launch is the latest provocation when U.S. President Donald Trump is in talks with China, Japan and South Korea on finding ways to deal with North Korea nuclear and ballistic missile program and has said that U.S. is running out of patience.

In a rare announcement, state North Korean television announced that Kim Jong-un had personally overseen the "landmark" test of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental missile (KN-14 ).

The advancement in North Korea's missile technology further adds concerns that it may develop the technology to mount a miniature nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.

South Korea's military confirmed that North Korea had fired an "unidentified ballistic missile" into the Sea of Japan known in North Korea as the East Sea of Korea - from Banghyon in North Pyongan, a province near its border with China.

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In the wake of North Korea launching Inter Continental Ballistic Missile near a sea in Japan, United States President Donald Trump has attacked China over its increasing trade with Pyongyang.

Trump took to his Twitter handle to express his concerns over China, which he has been hoping that the country would help the US to rein in North Korea over Nuclear programme.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!," he tweeted.

Some US officials believe that the ICBM fired by North Korea could have the range to reach the US state of Alaska.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called for global action to counter the alleged global threat from North Korea after Pyongyang claimed to have conducted its first successful test of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on Tuesday.

"The United States strongly condemns North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile," Tillerson said in a statement, adding "Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

He said that testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, its allies and partners, the region and the .

A missile is classified as an ICBM if it can fly a minimum of 5,500 kilometers. North Korea's missile reached a height of 2,802 kilometres (1741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television (KCTV).

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A bipartisan group of U.S. senators said that the Trump administration still does not have a clear strategy for bringing in peace in Afghanistan. The congressional delegation visited Afghanistan and Pakistan before a U.S. review of its Afghan war strategy.

"The strongest nation on Earth should be able to win this conflict," Republican Senator John McCain said. "And we are frustrated that this strategy hadn't been articulated yet, to be honest with you.

McCain was in Kabul when he severaly criticized 15 years of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, which, he said, pursued a goal amounting to "don't lose", rather than winning, the Guardian reported.

McCain was accompanied by the Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse, and fellow Republicans Lindsey Graham and David Perdue.

Sharing concerns about the worsened security in Afghanistan since the drawdown of coalition troops in Warren added that without a clear plan, political patience in the U.S. could run out. "We need a strategy in the United States that defines our role in Afghanistan, defines our objective and explains how we're going to get from here to there," she said.

Senators were of the view that diplomacy is the best way in achieving peace in Afghanistan as Afghan conflict cannot be won by military means alone. Therefore, Trump planning to boost the 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan with about 4,000 more, U.S. President is gutting civilian bodies tasked with diplomacy.

"I see a lack of focus that's very unnerving," said Graham, calling the state department "woefully understaffed".

The U.S delegation visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan comes at a critical juncture as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is eagerly waiting for U.S. policy on Afghanistan. Moreover, President Donald Trump is also considering sanctions on Pakistan because of the increasing number of attacks on Afghan soil by the Pakistan-based militants. Washington's new war strategy in Afghanistan also includes the deployment of additional forces in the country which has been grappling with a rising Taliban insurgency.

In Islamabad, McCain has reiterated that Pakistan plays a prominent role in establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan.

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The United States and South Korea both held a joint missile drill after North Korea claimed to have conducted its first successful test of a long-range missile.

"Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement released Tuesday night.

A statement from the US Army said their own army and the South Korean military personnel conducted the exercise to counter North Korea's "destabilizing and unlawful actions,"

The statement also reads that the exercise used the Army Tactical Missile System and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

State news agency KCNA said on Wednesday in a report, after the most recent missile test that North Korea claimed to have developed, a new nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile with a stable re-entry system.

The US-South Korea drill comes after North Korea claimed to have tested a missile that it says can "reach anywhere in the ."

Yesterday morning missile test reached a height of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television, which would be the highest altitude a North Korean missile had ever reached.

US military analysts believed it probably was a two-stage ICBM, said a US official with knowledge of the Americans' analysis.

Yesterday, the US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi, president of the UN Security Council, that she wants an emergency session on North Korea, according to a tweet from Haley spokesman Jonathan Wachtel.

Wachtel wrote that the emergency session will convene Wednesday afternoon.

While condemning the missile test UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said through his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, "This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

"The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations," he added.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement and strictly criticized the North Korea missile test, reports CNN.

"Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," Tillerson's statement said.

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Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners and Distributors Association president Abhirami Ramanathan today said that this double taxation is making things hard for the Kollywood industry, adding, they expect a good decision by this evening.

"When PM Modi stated that it's one nation one tax we were happy. But local body tax has hit us severely. We have to pay 60 percent tax. How will production happen? We are unable to survive," he said, on the third day of the theatre owners' indefinite strike.

Adding, "We presented our demand before the Chief Minister and other ministers. They have considered all our requests. We are expecting a good decision by evening. We demand roll back of local body tax and increase in ticket price. We, as industry, are speaking in one voice."

For the unversed, over and above the recently hiked Goods and Service Tax (GST), the Tamil Nadu government has imposed a 30 percent local body tax on the Kollywood industry, which means, a Rs 100 ticket will have 18 percent GST; and for tickets above Rs 100, the GST will go up to 28 percent, plus 30 percent as local taxes.

As a result, nearly 1060 theatres across Tamil Nadu have shut down from July 3, to protest against the 'double taxation' imposed by the state government.

Expressing his concern over the same, thalaiva Rajinikanth requested the state government to consider the plea to abolish local body tax.

He took to Twitter to appeal, "Keeping in mind the livelihood of Lakhs of people in the tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea."

Kamal Haasan, who too is miffed with 'double taxation', released a statement comparing the current situation to other Southern states of India.

An extract from the statement read, "Neighbouring states like Kerala have totally desisted from levying anymore state tax on Cinema over and above GST. The film industry requested the CM of Kerala Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan and he through his Finance minister quickly announced that Kerala will not be levying anymore taxes on the already beleaguered film business. Karnataka has gone even further to facilitate the well being of the film Industry. Telangana and Andhra are also doing their best for their film industries. It is only Tamil Nadu Govt. That has brought it to 30 percent. Film making in this State has been made difficult deliberately. There are further tortures and systemic corruption that the film Industry has to endure under this regime. All factions of the Industry are agitated. I am trying my best as any sensible individual of the industry to maintain solidarity and not play into the hands of any self serving and avaricious politician.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched here today the 'MERIT app (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency)' and the e-bidding portal for providing e-Bidding solution to States to select Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for procurement of power by transferring their domestic coal under the scheme of flexibility in utilization of domestic coal.

Briefing the media on the occasion, Shri Goyal said that both the initiatives are taken in the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Minimum Government and Maximum Governance' through 'Speed, Skill and Scale'. The app and the web portal would result in optimum utilization of Coal which would save the consumer close to Rs. 20,000 crores five years down the line, the Minister added.

Shri Goyal said that use of technology to increase transparency and accountability and transfer maximum benefit to the consumer reflects a 360-degree approach of a 'Government in Action'. The Government is dedicated to ensure access to affordable, quality, 24x7 Power for All, in Prime Minister's vision of New India, the Minister added.

Over the last three years, India has rapidly achieved adequacy in terms of availability of power. Now the time has come to shift the focus to optimal utilization of the valuable and scarce energy resources for achieving economy and efficiency in operation. The merit order stack is a common approach to the problem of minimizing the sum of generators' operating costs while honoring the operational constraints of the available generation to supply the demand in a secure and reliable manner.

The Tariff Policy, 2016 provides that the States/DISCOMs shall follow merit order for procurement of power and there should be uniformity in merit order mechanism. During the Power Ministers' conference held at Vadodara in Oct, 2016, it was decided to constitute a Committee to examine the status of implementation of Merit Order Dispatch, issues involved therein and for ensuring proper dispatch of renewable energy sources while following the merit order principle. Accordingly, Merit Order Dispatch Committee was constituted in October 2016.

The recommendations of the Committee have been prepared with regard to Transparency in Merit Order operations and promotion of Renewables through effective implementation of Must-Run status of Renewables.

Most states follow merit order operation; however, details in this regard need to be made transparently available. Hence, there was a need to have a mechanism to quantify deviation from merit order and check its reasonableness. The adherence to merit order optimizes the power procurement cost and benefits both utility and ultimate consumer.

In this direction, a web portal and mobile apps for Merit Order Despatch of Electricity (MERIT) have been developed in association with POSOCO. The app displays extensive array of information regarding the merit order such as daily state-wise marginal variable costs of all generators, daily source-wise power purchases of respective states/UTs with source-wise fixed and variable costs, energy volumes and purchase prices. The app also gives information regarding reasons for deviation from merit order such as must run conditions, transmission constraints etc.

The advantages of MERIT app are as follows:

Empowerment of the Consumer and participative governance

Transparent information dissemination pertaining to marginal variable cost and source wise purchase of electricity

Promotes economy and efficiency in operations

Helps understand the utility portfolio and its complexity

Optimization of the power procurement costs

Facilitates renewable integration and handling of the variability and uncertainty of renewables

Indication of supply side reliability, adequacy, and co

The flexibility in utilization of domestic coal scheme envisages transferring coal to more efficient IPPs generating stations, leading to lower generation costs and ultimately lesser cost of electricity for the consumers.

The Minister also launched the e-Bidding portal, which has been designed to facilitate States in inviting bids for procurement of power from the prospective IPPs in transparent and fair manner. The successful bidder shall be selected through e-Reverse Bidding process.

The Cabinet, on 4th May 2016, approved the proposal for allowing flexibility in utilization of domestic coal amongst power generating stations. Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued the methodology for utilization of domestic coal within State/Central generating stations on 8th June 2016, followed by the issuance of a memorandum by the Ministry of Power on 10th June 2016. The methodology for use of transferred coal in Independent Power Producers (IPPs) generating stations was issued by Ministry of Power on 20th February, 2017.

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Tata Motors rose 1.08% to Rs 432.25 at 14:33 IST on BSE after the company said that it has slashed prices of its passenger vehicles to pass benefits of GST to its customers.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 5 July 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 21.76 points or 0.07% at 31,231.55

On the BSE, 2.82 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 18.86 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 434.25 and a low of Rs 427.55 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 598.60 on 7 September 2016 and a 52-week low of Rs 417.10 on 8 May 2017.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 4 July 2017, falling 10.53% compared with 0.32% decline in the Sensex. The scrip also underperformed the market in past one quarter, sliding 9.69% as against Sensex's 4.12% rise. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one year, declining 7.14% as against Sensex's 14.88% rise.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 577.47 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Tata Motors offered a price reduction of upto 12% ranging between Rs 3,300 and Rs 2.17 lakh depending on the model and variant. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented in the country with effect from 1 July 2017 to bring in one uniform tax across the country.

Commenting on the price reduction, Tata Motors - President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Mayank Pareek said the GST rollout will enhance the ease of doing business and usher in a new era for the economy in general and especially, for the automotive industry.

Tata Motors' passenger and commercial vehicles total sales fell 9% to 40,358 vehicles in June 2017 over June 2016. The announcement was made on 1 July 2017.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of Tata Motors declined 16.8% to Rs 4336.43 crore on 2.9% decline in net sales to Rs 77217.19 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

Tata Motors is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, buses, trucks and defence vehicles. The company's British luxury unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) sells premium luxury cars.

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Amid calls for war by the state-run media, China on Monday accused India of lying to the public on the border row and again warned New Delhi to withdraw troops to "avoid worsening of the situation."

As Beijing raised the decibel over the latest border stand-off in the Sikkim sector, it also hinted that the development could derail the boundary talks.

China also said India had "trampled upon" the Panchsheel pact by illegally entering into Chinese territory.

Not mincing his words, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said the nature of the stand-off in Doklam was "serious" and repeatedly asked New Delhi to withdraw troops from the area.

He also indicated that Beijing could issue a travel alert to its citizens visiting Indian depending on the security situation.

Adding to the heightened tensions and talk of war, in its sharpest comment since Indian and Chinese troops scuffled in Doklam, state-run Global Times said China must teach India "a bitter lesson".

In an editorial, the Chinese Communist Party-run newspaper said China will inflict greater losses on India than in the 1962 war if New Delhi incited military conflict.

It also said Indians will be "kicked out" of Doklam by the Chinese military.

"We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson," the editorial said.

In his briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that India had "misguided" its public about the proximity of Doklam to India.

Geng said Doklam, which the Chinese refer to as Donglong, is not at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan as claimed by New Delhi.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," Geng said.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point," he added.

India has opposed China's road construction in Doklam, which is a disputed territory between Thimphu and Beijing.

Beijing says the road building is on Chinese territory. Bhutan has opposed it, and says the ownership of Doklam is yet to be decided.

Geng said the present stand-off could hit border talks between India and China.

"Actually we have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary questions with the Special Representative mechanism."

"But this incident I believe violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representative Mechanism and also is in contrast to the efforts made by the two sides previously," he said.

There have been 19 rounds of talks under the Special Representatives mechanism since 2003.

Accusing India of dumping the Panchsheel, he said: "As we all know, China, India and Myanmar in the 1950s jointly proposed five principles of peaceful coexistence (Panchsheel).

"However, to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side has trampled on the basic norms of international relations that were proposed by itself by illegally crossing into others' territory," Geng added.

Geng reiterated that withdrawal of troops by India from the Doklam was a precondition for dialogue between both sides.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off in Doklam on the Sikkim sector since the middle of June.

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 two countries share a little over 200 km of border in the Sikkim sector.

Following the face-off, China last week suspended the pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet where Indians travel via the Nathu La Pass, which has been shut.

India 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".

(Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com and gauravians@yahoo.com)

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An umbrella organisation of activists fighting for farmers' rights on Wednesday flayed as undemocratic the arrest of former legislator Sunilam a day before the Kisan Mukti Yatra is scheduled to start from Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh.

It also termed as authoritarian the arrest of Sunilam, a leader of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, and said it showed the undemocratic attitude of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh as well as of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bhumi Adhikar Andolan, the umbrella organisatio0n of activists fighting for the rights of farmers, Dalit and tribals, said the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state was trying to "supress the voice of farmers by arresting our leaders".

It said the arrest would not deter the farmers from participating in the proposed march, which will pass through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Haryana before ending in Delhi on July 18.

Several social activists and politicians like Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan, and Lok Sabha member Raju Shetty of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana are expected to join the yatra.

Meanwhile, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India has written an open letter to Chouhan, condemning the local administration's decision to refuse permission for a 'mahapanchayat' (public meeting) in Pipaliya market in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, where at least five farmers were killed in police firing last month.

"We know the state government will be exposed in the mahapanchayat and so it is giving excuses to refuse permission. Your action is in violation of democratic rights of the public and social organisations," he wrote in the letter.

Yadav said the event will nevertheless be held even if police stop farmers heading for the market.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid reports of communal tension in some pockets of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas districts, state police chief Surajit Kar Purakayastha on Wednesday appealed to the people to refrain from liking or sharing communally provocative posts on social media.

"We would appeal to everyone not to share or like any provocative posts in the social media that might disrupt the communal harmony and create a divide among people," said Director General of Police Purakayastha.

"If anyone shares any such provocative posts the onus would be on them," he warned.

Stating that the situation in the violence-hit areas was largely under control, Purakayastha requested the people to help the administration in reinstating peace and harmony.

"At some places, an amount of tension and confusion were created due to these posts. The state administration is taking necessary actions in all these volatile areas. On behalf of the administration, I would request all of you to help us in reinstating the environment of peace and prosperity," he said.

He said adequate police has been deployed in the violence stricken areas to keep the tension in check and said the administration would do their part to provide security to the common people.

"Adequate police personnel have been deployed in all the sensitive areas. The administration is with you. We are obligated to keep you secured," he added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday accused the BJP of trying to destabilize governments in states ruled by other parties.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh told the media that Puducherry Lt Governor had inducted three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in the assembly through the backdoor and without the Chief Minister's approval.

Ashutosh also talked about how the Governor of West Bengal had "threatened" the Chief Minister over telephone.

"Governors have been given the licence to destabilize governments," he said. "The time has come for other parties to think how to face the dictatorial and fascist BJP."

Ashutosh said other state governments were now facing what the AAP had been facing for the past two-and-half-years.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Businesses remained shut here in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday as traders and civil society members called for an anti-GST shutdown.

The protest shutdown was called against the Goods and Services Tax implementation by the JKCC.

The Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee is a conglomerate of traders bodies and civil society members in the Valley.

Independent MLA, Engineer Rashid, who took out an anti-GST march here, was intercepted by the police in Jahangir Chowk area. They took Rashid and some of his supporters into preventive custody.

Authorities also imposed restrictions in five police station areas of Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, M.R.Gunj and Safa Kadal in the old city area to maintain law and order.

Shops and other businesses also remained closed in areas where restrictions were not imposed.

Public and private transport, however, moved almost normally in the uptown city areas.

The state legislature is presently holding a special session to pass a resolution seeking implementation of the GST like in the rest of the country.

State Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu moved the resolution in the lower House on Tuesday while state Roads and Buildings Minister Naeem Akhtar moved it in the upper House of the bicameral legislature.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A new road built for "good luck" by a Punjab minister outside his official bungalow in Chandigarh's high-security zone was uprooted by JCB machines of the Chandigarh Administration as it was constructed illegally on a green belt area.

The new road, which, according to reports was laid at the behest of Punjab Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi last week after he was told by an astrologer that he should have an east-facing entry to his house for good luck, was built without seeking any permission from the Chandigarh Administration and the city's municipal authorities.

The administration, on Wednesday, pressed two JCBs and got the new road removed. The inter-locking paver blocks put up by the minister on the new road were taken away in trucks. Several officials of the administration and local police were present when the removal exercise was carried out.

"We have orders (from above) to remove the new road which has been built without permission on the green belt," said a junior official at the site.

Channi, who attended a meeting of the Punjab cabinet on Wednesday, avoided media.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had on Tuesday virtually given a clean chit to Channi's 'good luck' road saying that "there is nothing wrong in it".

"I have been there and there is nothing. All he has done is that he is the last house and all he has done is that he has made a road around. Its for convenience. I can only tell you what I have seen," Amarinder Singh, who has been promising his government will end VIP culture in Punjab, had told media on Tuesday after inspecting the controversial road.

Incidentally, Channi's house is adjacent to the Chief Minister's official bungalow.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Wednesday again asked India to pull back troops from Doklam in the Sikkim sector to "avoid worsening of the situation".

Amid the continuing border stand-off, China also accused India of "misleading" the public by saying that Chinese had built a road near the Siliguri corridor in the Sikkim sector.

It also said that India had "trampled on" the Panchsheel pact by "illegally entering" Chinese territory.

China, which has so far has cited maps, official letters and released pictures to claim Doklam, which it calls Donglong, as its own territory, said the region was never at the tri-junction of India, China, and Bhutan.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters here.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from the East mountain and the incident (road construction) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point."

India has opposed China's road construction in Doklam, which is a disputed territory between Thimphu and Beijing.

Beijing says the road building is on Chinese territory. Bhutan has opposed it, and says the ownership of Doklam is yet to be decided.

"Although the boundary between the two countries (China and Bhutan) is yet to be settled, we have basic consensus on the boundary," the spokesperson said.

"And there is no dispute between the two countries that Doklam belongs to China," he stated.

Geng said the settlement of the boundary question was in the interest of the two sides.

"It is also the strategic target both sides have been working to achieve."

"China and India have been in contact with the special representative mechanism to solve the boundary question.

Citing the Panchsheel, he said: "And as we all know, China, India and Myanmar in the 1950s jointly proposed five principles of peaceful coexistence."

"However, to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side has trampled on the basic norms of international relations that were proposed by itself by illegally crossing into others' territory," Geng added.

"But this incident I believe violates the spirit upheld by the special representative mechanism and also is in contrast to the efforts made by the two sides previously," he said.

Geng reiterated that withdrawal of troops by India from the Doklam was a precondition for dialogue between both sides.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off in Doklam on the Sikkim sector.

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.

Beijing has asked New Delhi to withdraw troops, reiterating it as a precondition to settle the stand-off in India's Sikkim sector, where the two countries share a little over 200 km of border.

Following the face-off, China last week suspended the pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet where Indians travel via the Nathu La Pass, which has been shut.

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".

The comments by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson come as the state-run Global times in a strong editorial said that China must teach India "a bitter lesson" if it "incites" military conflict over the dispute in Donglong region. It also said that the Chinese "look down" on the Indian military, and India will "suffer greater losses than in 1962" in case of a conflict.

(Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com and gauravians@yahoo.com)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying his country supports the European Union (EU) to be "united, stable, prosperous and open", a media report said.

Xi on Tuesday stressed that China and the EU were two important world powers and enjoyed a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The Chinese leader said the more complicated the international situation was, the more significant the stable development of China-EU relations would become, Xinhua news agency reported.

Calling on the EU to build partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization with China, Xi said he hoped the China-Germany relations could play both leading and stabilizing roles.

The Chinese President arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany.

It is the second stop of Xi's ongoing European tour which also took him to Russia.

During his stay in Germany, he would also travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia directed officials to increase Anganwadi workers' honorarium, after meeting their representatives here on Wednesday.

After the meeting, the Dilli Anganwadi Workers-Helpers Association assured him that they will call off the ongoing agitation.

The workers' demands also included clubbing of Anganwadis so that they can be housed in more spacious locations, involving socially active citizens with Anganwadis, and improving menu and quality of food at Anganwadis.

They also requested the Deputy Chief Minister to allot additional work to them, like polio drops campaign, in a manner that does not create inconvenience to the workers.

"All demands have been considered and the Deputy Chief Minister has asked officials to prepare a plan to meet the demands," a Delhi government official told IANS.

The official added that the decision on the demands will soon be passed by the Cabinet.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facebook is challenging the US federal prosecutors over a court order that bars the social networking giant from notifying some users about investigation into their data.

According to Buzzfeed, Facebook received search warrants from the government for three account records over a three-month period.

"The warrants were accompanied by a nondisclosure order from a District of Columbia Superior Court judge barring Facebook from notifying users about the warrants before Facebook complied," said the report this week.

Facebook lost an initial challenge to the gag order, but has now taken the case to the DC Court of Appeals.

"A decision is still pending, but the court did rule that Facebook and the government could post an unsealed notice to any groups with an interest in the matter," Engadget reported.

In its fight against the government over user data requests, Facebook has received support from Microsoft, Google, Apple, Snap, Dropbox and Twitter, along with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

"The Constitution can offer adequate protection only if the targets of seemingly overbroad warrants, such as those at issue here, know their rights are under threat," wrote lawyers for ACLU and Public Citizen Litigation Group in one of the briefs.

"Facebook is challenging the government over data searches that are possibly related to protests that happened during US President Donald Trump's inauguration," Engadget reported.

A Facebook spokesperson told BuzzFeed that the company was "grateful to the companies and civil society organizations that are supporting us in arguing for people's constitutional rights to learn about and challenge these search warrants."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jharkhand government on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each of the farmers who committed suicide in the state.

Three farmers committed suicide due to debt burden in Ranchi during last month.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das had announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each of the farmers who recently committed suicide in the state due to financial crisis.

The compensation, announced in the 20-point programme execution committee meeting, would be paid from the Chief Minister's Discretionary Fund.

The Chief Minister said the state-level committee of the 20-point programme would be known as the committee of commitment.

He said during the meeting that the administration at the state, district and block levels should be answerable to people.

In Ranchi, two farmers committed suicide in Pithoria and Ormajhi villages.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said that the current form of Goods and Services Tax (GST) could give a rise to black market and "inspector raj" because of its higher tax slabs, which will trigger lower compliance.

Expressing concern on the higher tax rates decided for different commodities and services under the GST, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia said he had been pushing -- both within and outside the GST council -- to follow the formula of "lower the tax rates, more the compliance".

"I fear that the compliance will be lower in GST's higher tax slabs of 18 and 28 per cent. Anyone who is going to buy an item listed in the category of 28 per cent tax slab, could opt for purchasing goods without bill to evade tax and save money," Sisodia said, adding that "in this manner, GST could give a boost to black market and 'inspector raj'".

Speaking at an event 'Ease of doing business and GST', which was organised by the PHD Chamber, Sisodia said the GST in its current form should not be referred as big tax reform of independent India because for that you need a big decision=making power.

"You cannot call it a big reform only by saying that we replaced VAT with GST. It's a mathematical change only," the Minister said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said that GST was a good concept but large-hearted decisions which should have been taken to make it a big tax reform, were not taken.

"If we could not implement 'lowest the tax rates, more the compliance' formula, then what is big in it. We missed this big opportunity (to convert GST in a big tax reform)," Sisodia said.

"I have disagreement over several points in the current form of GST. I am not opposing it but flagging the points that India need to take care of while celebrating GST," the AAP leader added.

He said there should have been only two tax slabs -- zero tax and 12 per cent tax in GST.

Sisodia said the Delhi government never increased tax rates even on a single item. Instead, it reduced taxes on various items from 12.5 per cent to only five per cent.

"If you believe in the tax reform and in the theory of 'lower the tax rate, more the compliance', then you have to show it," he added.

PHD Chamber President Gopal Jiwarajka also expressed concern on higher tax slabs and said that "(tax) rate rationalisation" should be done as soon as possible.

"GST is a reality and now it is a need to make it good and simple tax regime," Jiwarajka said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Israel on Wednesday decided to scale up their relationship to that of a strategic partnership in the fight against terror, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the two countries have "agreed to do much more to protect our strategic interests" and to combat rising radicalization and terrorism including in the cyber-space.

On the second day of the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister, Modi, after discussions with host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sought to balance New Delhi's traditional ties with Israel's neighbours by saying India hoped that "peace, dialogue and restraint" will prevail in West Asia.

Modi is making a stand-alone visit to Israel and not combining it with a trip to Palestine. In his briefing, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said India favoured a negotiated, peaceful settlement of the Palestine issue.

Besides concurrence on strategic issues, India and Israel signed seven agreements and MoUs in space, water management and conservation and agriculture cooperation. One accord provides for setting up of $40 million fund to be spent over five years for technological innovation.

Netanyahu said the two leaders recognised that their countries faced forces of terror which seek to undermine peace and stability. "We have agreed to cooperate in this field as well," he said.

The two leaders addressed the media after one-on-one and delegation level talks, with Jaishankar describing it as an "upbeat conversation as between two peoples and two cultures who can work together".

A joint statement issued after the talks said "...strong measures should be taken against terrorists and terror organisations and all those who encourage, support and finance or provide sanctury to terrorists and terror groups".

This, Jaishankar said, was a fairly clear and expressive description on the issue of terror and it was possible to reduce it to three words -- cross border terrorism -- which a reporter said was missing in the joint statement.

It also said that "this historic first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel solidified the enduring friendship between their peoples and raised the bilateral relationship to that of a strategic partnership".

In his remarks, Modi said India and Israel live in complex geographies. "We are aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has suffered first hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel.

"Prime Minister and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interest and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyber space.

"We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail."

Netanyahu said "we also recognise that we are charged by forces of terror who seek to undermine our countries' peace and stability. We agreed to cooperate in this field as well".

Modi said he and Netanyahu had productive discussions covering an extensive menu of issues not just in areas of bilateral opportunities but also on how their cooperation can help global peace and stability. "Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples."

Observing that Israel was among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agriculture technology, which were also his priority areas, Modi said he and Netanyahu agreed that efficiency of water and resource used, water conservation and its purification and productivity in agriculture were key areas in deepening bilateral cooperation.

He said both regarded the thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong relationship and they agreed to do more in this direction.

"Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts. This would also be our message to CEO forum tomorrow," he said.

Modi said that people of the two countries have natural affinity and warmth for each other. "The Indian-origin Jewish community reminds us of these bonds. It also serves as a bridge to a shared future.

"I am confident the strength of these links, old and new, will hold us in good stead as we forge a partnership for the 21st century."

Netanyahu said he had a feeling that India and Israel were today changing "our world and may be changing parts of the world.

"Because this is the cooperation, it is a marriage really made in heaven but we are really implementing here on the earth."

The Israeli leader also talked about cooperation in fields of water, agriculture and health and said these affected the lives of people.

"Modi and I ... like to have our feet connected. We try to look to the distance but our feet firmly planted on the ground. We have empowered ourselves to bring concrete plans in diverse areas by January 1."

He said they also talked about cooperation in third countries including Africa.

Netanyahu thanked Modi for visiting young Moshe, the child survivor of the 26/11 terror attack on a Jewsih facility in Mumbai, saying the "important gesture... is a partnership to defend the good, to protect the good, to achieve the good".

In his briefing, Jaishankar said there had been a long standing defence cooperation between India and Israel, specially in joint development of products and transfer of technology.

He said terrorism and counter-terrorism in all its manifestations were discussed. Like India, Israel also holds that there was no justification for terror on any grounds. "All those who finance and provide sanctuary to terror should be acted against."

Jaishankar parried a question on Modi not visiting Palestine unlike other Indian leaders.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following bilateral discussions headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu here, India and Israel on Wednesday reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

"Recognising that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability, the two Prime Ministers reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations," a joint statement issued following the talks said.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever. The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups," it stated.

According to the statement, both Modi and Netanyahu underscored the need to ensure that terrorist organisations did not get access to any weapons of mass destruction or technologies.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption by the UN Security Council of the India-initiated Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

Both sides committed to promote security and stability in cyberspace on both the governmental and private levels.

"The Prime Ministers emphasised the importance of enhanced dialogue between their national cyber authorities and expressed their commitment to expand and accelerate their cooperation in this sphere including laying a mutual road map for its implementation," the statement said.

"Both sides also recognise the value of enhancing and further institutionalising their broad-based cooperation on cyber issues through a framework for cooperation in the area of cyber security."

Both Modi and Netanyahu reaffirmed their commitments as envisaged in the agreement on cooperation on homeland and public security and encouraged the various working groups to implement the agreement in an efficient and effective manner, the statement said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Wednesday called for realizing the full potential of bilateral trade and investment.

"The two Prime Ministers noted the importance of realizing the full potential of bilateral trade and investment," a joint statement issued following delegation-level talks led by Modi and Netanyahu said.

"They tasked the India-Israel CEO Forum to come up with early recommendations in this regard," it stated.

Trade between India and Israel stands at $4.16 billion, around $300 million in favour of Israel.

According to the Indian Embassy in Israel, major exports from India to Israel include pearls and precious stones, chemical and mineral products, machinery and electrical equipment, textile and textile articles, plastics, rubber, plants and vegetable products, mineral products, rubber and plastic products, base metals and transport equipment.

Major exports from Israel to India include defence equipment, pearls and precious stones, chemical and mineral products, machinery and electrical equipment, base metals, machinery, and transport equipment.

According to the statement, both Modi and Netanyahu underlined the need to boost bilateral cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship and called for greater collaboration in the field of start-ups.

"Recognizing the importance of facilitating movement of businessmen and women, India and Israel underlined their expectation that the grant of multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years will encourage greater economic and commercial exchanges," it stated.

"The two Prime Ministers agreed that negotiations would be conducted on an agreement for the protection of investments in order to encourage bilateral investments from both sides."

The Prime Ministers welcomed the signing on Wednesday of a MoU for establishing the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund (I4F) by the Department of Science and Technology, India, and the National Authority for Technological Innovation, Israel, with a contribution of $20 million from each side.

"This MoU will play a seminal role in enabling Indian and Israeli enterprises to undertake joint R&D projects leading to development of innovative technologies and products that have potential for commercial application," the statement said.

"Recognizing the importance of fostering wide ranging knowledge-business partnership for industries, R&D institutions and government agencies from both countries, Israel warmly welcomed India's offer to be the 'Partner Country' for the annual Technology Summit to be held in India in 2018," it added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stressing on the common challenge of terrorism and calling his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to stand with him on this battle, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that India and Israel are 'sister democracies'.

Calling Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, as "friend Narendra", Netanyahu said that Israel believed in the "partnership of intelligence".

"India and Israel are sister democracies. We are unequal in size but equal in spirits," said Netanyahu.

"We also face common challenges and first of it is to defeat the forces of terror that's on rampage through the world and threaten both our countries. We must stand together in this battle.

"We share a bond of democracy, creativity, a deep respect for the past and a boundless optimism for future and it's in this spirit my friend Narendra, I welcome you here. Welcome friend," the Israel added.

Speaking of his 'great admiration' for people of India for talent and Prime Minister Modi for yoga, Netanyahu also recalled Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

"We have great admiration for people of India, my late uncle who was a mathematician told me many times about his admiration for great Indian mathematician Ramanujan, who was perhaps the greatest mathematician in many centuries," said Netanyahu.

"This symbolises talents of people of India," he said.

He further added, "We believe in the partnership of talent. It won't happen over night, but we both want it to happen overnight."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stating that innovation and entrepreneurship were being encouraged in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday innovation and technology can boost the relationship between India and Israel.

Addressing a 4,000-strong gathering of the Indian diaspora at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre here, Modi said that Israel has progressed so much because of the country's penchant for innovation.

He said that India too is a young nation with 65 percent of its population below the age of 35 which which is why, he said, skill development is being given special emphasis.

"We have created a separate ministry only for skill development," Modi said.

"Around 600 skill development centres are being set up across the country and an Indian Institute of Skills is being established," he stated.

While job creators are being given tax relief, he said that innovators and entrepreneurs are being encouraged.

He said that Israel was known for innovation and the country today boasts of 12 Nobel laureates.

Whether it is solar panels or agribiotechnology, he said Israel has left the rest of the world far behind.

"Israel has progressed so much today because of its penchant for innovation," Modi said.

"India and Israel can walk together shoulder to shoulder in the field of technology," he stated.

He said that the around 600 Indian students undergoing higher studies in Israel were like a bridge between the two countries in innovation and technology.

He also spoke about the flagship initiatives of his government, saying that the Make in India campaign has taken everyone by surprise.

"India is today becoming the hub of the digital world," he said.

"We are making consistent efforts to double farmers' income by 2022 and policies are being being formulated for this," he said.

Talking about the reforms undertaken by his government, he said that 100 per cent is now allowed in the construction so that there is housing for all by 2022, the 75th anniversary of India's Independence.

In defence sector too, he said that though there were talks of reforms for long, nothing palpable was seen, but his government introduced reforms in the last three years and now 100 percent foreign direct investment is allowed in this sector.

Modi said that bankruptcy and insolvency laws have introduced to give confidence to foreign investors.

Modi, who has become the first ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, lamented the fact that it took 70 years after Israel's creation for such a visit to take place.

There are around 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel, the majority of them hailing from Maharashtra and known as Bene Israelis.

Modi praised the contribution of Jewish Indians for their role in the development of Israel and also recalled the contributions of Jews in India.

Of around 10,000 Indian nationals in Israel, around 9,000 work as care-givers while the rest are mostly diamond traders, IT professionals and students. The Prime Minister appreciated the work of the care-givers.

Modi also that from now on Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards will now be issued to those Jewish Indians who had undergone compulsory military training in Israel.

He also announced that flight services between New Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv would be launched soon.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted the crowd and told Modi: "These are Jews of India. They love India, they love Israel."

--IANS

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Attacking RJD chief Lalu Prasad over his alleged 'benami' (proxy) land deals, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday called him the "Robert Vadra of Bihar" and questioned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's silence over the issue.

"Lalu Prasad is the Robert Vadra of Bihar as he knows well how to use shell companies to buy 'benami' properties. Now he is the biggest landlord of Bihar," Sushil Kumar Modi told the media here.

Robert Vadra is the son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and had courted controversy in the past for his certain land deals in Haryana during the Congress rule in the state.

"Lalu Prasad and his family have acquired over 125 properties in 12 years," the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister said, adding that about 80 per cent of these were acquired between 2004-09 when Lalu Prasad was the Railway Minister and his wife Rabri Devi was the Chief Minister between 2000-2005.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said the land transactions allegedly involving Lalu Prasad revealed that the people who got contracts or works through him transferred their land to him in return.

He alleged it was Lalu Prasad's habit to give ministerial berths in lieu of land.

"How can a son of a poor farmer acquire 125 properties without having any industry, without any contract?" the BJP leader asked.

"Apart from 125 'benami' properties, there are seven shell companies through which they have made properties worth crores in Patna, Kolkata, Delhi, and Aurangabad," Sushil Modi claimed, adding that Lalu's family owned 18 flats in Bihar capital Patna itself.

Slamming Lalu's eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav, the BJP leader said: "The land bought for Rs 54 lakh in Aurangabad in Tej Pratap's name has not been declared in his election affidavit."

The BJP leader met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi here on Monday and submitted a memorandum on this issue.

Sushil Modi questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's silence on the issue and said no action against Lalu Prasad and his family has been taken despite the fact that two of the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief's sons were holding key positions in the state Cabinet.

Demanding the dismissal of Lalu's sons from the cabinet, Sushil Modi said: "We demand that Nitish Kumar act against both the sons of Lalu Prasad and dismiss them from his Council of Ministers."

"On one hand, Nitish says there is zero tolerance against corruption, but at the same time he is not acting against corruption cases taken up by the Income Tax officials," the BJP leader said, adding that Nitish Kumar has kept on saying that if the Centre has any proof, then it must act.

"And when the Centre acted, they alleged it was political vendetta," the BJP leader said.

Sushil Modi also dubbed the proposed 'Desh Bachao' rally (Save country rally) of Lalu Prasad in August as 'Benami Sampatti Bachao' rally (Save benami property rally).

"Lalu Prasad is holding the rally which we have dubbed as 'Benami Sampatti Bachao' rally. He is holding the rally to save his benami (held by proxy) properties. Through the rally, he is trying to give out the message that it is political vendetta on part of the central government," he added.

--IANS

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Compulsory marriage registration can help fight marriage frauds, lawyers said on Wednesday, after a Law Commission report recommended making registration compulsory and also linking it with Aadhaar.

A report from the Law Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B.S. Chauhan, released on Tuesday recommended compulsory registration of marriage for people of all religions.

The report also said if the registration of marriage was linked to the unique identification number (UID), it would be possible to achieve universal tracing of records.

Senior Advocate Rebecca John welcomed the recommendation and said it would help in fighting many social problems.

"It will help in fighting social problems like polygamy. Compulsory registration can serve as a means to ensure that conditions of a valid marriage have been performed," John told IANS.

Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra, however, said while the recommendation was good, it would depend on individuals whether they wanted their marriage registered or not.

"I don't know how helpful this will be, as people may still not register marriages. However, at least it will start at some level and there will be marginal benefit initially. With time, it will improve the situation and help in preventing false marriages, polygamy and other problems," Luthra said.

She, however, did not agree on linking it with Aadhaar.

"Instead of linking registration of marriage to the UID, it should be linked with any one proof of identity. We want to maintain our privacy and with Aadhaar, there is apprehension that our information can be leaked," Luthra told IANS.

Advocate M.S. Khan felt that recommendation would help prevent false marriages, polygamy and other problems, and added that it would not interfere with the individual civil laws on marriage for different religions.

"The recommendation is not going to interfere with Muslim or other marriage laws. Particularly, under the Muslim marriage law, marriage is anyhow registered by way of Nikahnama. But it will benefit people in identifying 'void' marriages," Khan told IANS.

"Some people try to conceal their marriages and dupe other women. This step may help in eradicating marriage frauds and it will provide women a societal recognition and legal security. It will also control fraudulent marriages which are on rise," he said.

Khan favoured linking marriage registration with Aadhaar and said it would curb false marriages.

"Linking it with Aadhaar may help prevent marriage fraud, but at the same time, in case the recommendation is accepted, the government must come clear if this law would be implemented with retrospective effect or prospectively," Khan added.

The Law Commission report proposes to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, to include compulsory registration of marriages within its purview.

It would apply to marriages, including re-marriages, solemnised between couples belonging to any caste or religion or tribe under any law or custom or usage in any form or manner recognised by law or marriage registered under any law.

The report also mentioned that in 2007, the Committee on Empowerment of Women had observed that irrespective of religion, registration of marriages should be made compulsory, and a Supreme Court judgment of 2006 had also directed that marriages of all persons who are citizens of India belonging to various religions, should be registered compulsorily.

--IANS

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Accusing the BJP of conspiring to instigate unrest in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced the formation of 'Shanti Vahini' (peace force) at booth-level to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state.

"We have taken an administrative decision to create 'Shanti Vahini' in the state by including area police and students and youths from each locality," she said here.

The Trinamool Congress supremo said the teams would get administrative backing and work in tandem with the police to maintain peace in their localities.

"They will monitor if anyone is conspiring to spread tension or start a riot in their area. The teams will also check if these people are misleading locals by spreading rumours about robbery or riot in order to polarise them for their own benefits," she said.

Banerjee said the situation was "normal" in North 24-Parganas district's Basirhat sub-division, where communal tension prevailed for three days.

Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party, Banerjee said a political party should not use its power and machinery to spread rumours and trigger a riot.

"A political party can be in power at the Centre or the state but they have no right to start a riot or spread rumours by misusing their power and the government machinery," the Chief Minister said.

"I have heard that provocative statements were made at a meeting near south Kolkata's Hazra More. If it was a mixed area inhabited by different communities, there could have been a riot. The BJP is holding such provocative meetings under their party's banner," she alleged.

--IANS

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Moshe Holtzberg, the boy whose Jewish parents were killed during the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said he would be granted a long-term visa to stay and visit in India as he liked.

Moshe's parents - Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg - were killed during the attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai in the 26/11 terror attacks. Moshe was two years old when the attack happened.

The boy, now about 11 years old, read out a written note as he met the visiting Indian Prime Minister, and conveyed his best wishes to Modi for remaining the Prime Minister of India for many years - in Hindi.

"I would like to wish you: Hamara aashirwad apke sath hai aap Pradhan Mantri rahenge salon tak (our blessings are with you, you will be the Prime Minister for many years)," Moshe said.

Moshe said he wanted to visit Mumbai.

"My parents lived in Mumbai, with Jewish and non-Jewish. Their house was open to everyone. I now live in Israel with my grandparents.

"I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai, and when I get older, I will live there. I will be the director of our Chabad House," he said.

Moshe was miraculously saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels during the attack on the Chabad House.

"I was saved by my very special nanny Sandra," Moshe said.

He also said he loves to play, and tries to be a good student.

"I will ask something from all my heart... Please continue to love me forever. Always remember my parents. I grew up in Mumbai, I will be happy to visit Mumbai. When I get older I will live there," he said as Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flanked him on either side.

Both leaders could be seen smiling as the boy read out his note, and Netanyahu said he can travel to India with him.

"Prime Minister Modi invited me to India, you will come with me," Netanyahu said.

Modi then asked the boy if he would like to come and stay in India, in Mumbai.

"Yes," replied Moshe.

"You are most welcome... You and your family members will get a long term visa from my government. Anytime you can come, anywhere you can go," Modi said, patting the boy's shoulders and touching his cheeks.

Moshe also gifted Modi a collage of photos of him with his parents, which had a message: "The Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi, souvenir from your visit to Jerusalem in 2017. With great appreciation and admiration."

--IANS

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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday asked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi about the investigation of the 2012 attack on the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi.

According to officials in the Prime Minister's Bureau, Netanyahu asked whether any progress was made in the probe, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

A joint statement released at the end of the meetings also referred to the issue, the newspaper added.

"The two prime ministers emphasised that there can't be any justification whatsoever to terrorist acts," the statement said.

"The leaders stressed that harsh measures must be taken against terrorists, terror organisations and whoever supports, encourages, finances or shelters them."

According to the statement, Netanyahu and Modi agreed that action must be taken to prevent terror groups from obtaining weapons of mass destruction.

India and Israel decided to scale up their relationship to that of a strategic partnership in the fight against terror, with Modi saying the two countries have "agreed to do much more to protect our strategic interests" and to combat rising radicalization and terrorism including in the cyber-space.

On the second day of the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister, Modi sought to balance New Delhi's traditional ties with Israel's neighbours by saying India hoped that "peace, dialogue and restraint" will prevail in West Asia.

A joint statement issued after the talks said "...strong measures should be taken against terrorists and terror organisations and all those who encourage, support and finance or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups".

--IANS

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Calling the youth as a binding factor between two nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday encouraged Indian youth to visit and explore Israel.

Netanyahu, at the event where his Indian counterpart addressed the diaspora here, introduced Prime Minister Modi to the jews of Indian origin, "Prime Minister, these are the jews of India. They love India, they love our nation".

"We've decided to cooperate in so many areas and the one area that unites us is Young people of India and Israel," Netanyahu said.

"Today, when Israeli go to India, they go backpacking. I want to see the young Indians to come here backpacking. It is the partnership made in heaven and its happening here today," he adds.

Adding that Prime Minster Modi and him had discussed over several aspects to bring the partnership between India and Israel to a new height, Netanyahu said, "Bridge among us is you, we admire you (youth)".

Stating the partnership of the two nations as "two ancient people casing the future", Netanyahu also pointed out the desire of Indian jews for India-Israel friendship.

Recalling a Cochin-based Jew women, who wrote essays on India and Israel partnership, Netanyahu said, "There was a time when this natural partnership was somehow broken. There was a young women, in Cochin, she wrote an essay 50 years ago and the essay was on the deep desire to see partnership between India and Israel."

"That day has come, that day is today," said Netanyahu, adding, "70 years ago our countries achieved independence, and our countries rise and now they meet today," he said.

--IANS

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President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday lauded the alumni and faculty of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for advancing research in science and technology.

"Alumni and faculty of IISc have played and continue to play a strong role in leading national science and technology institutions and in various advisory or administrative roles in the government," said Mukherjee, the IISc's Visitor, at its annual convocation here .

Noting that IISc maintained its reputation of being a premier institute of higher education and research, he said its academic stature as the country's best university was confirmed by the National Institutional Rankings Framework.

"Over the century-old institute has laid emphasis on the pursuit of basic knowledge in science and engineering, as well as on the application of its research findings for industrial and social benefit," said Mukherjee in his convocation address.

The institute was set up in 1909 through a private-partnership between Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Maharaja of Mysore and the government.

Deviating from the speech text, the President told the graduating students and the faculty that he was happy to be at the institute that made the country proud.

"One of my inspirations when I entered the teaching profession was the institute's Director J.C. Ghosh in the 1940s, who later became the first Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Khargapur in West Bengal," he recalled.

The institute is recogonised globally and ranked among the world's top 200 universities.

Observing that the country had 760 universities and 38,500 colleges across the country, the President said the massive expansion of the higher education sector had led resource constraints and dearth of quality teachers.

"If our institutions have to become world-class, they will have to adopt best practices in academic management and excel in whatever they do, as the spheres of intervention are many," he said.

Mukherjee also urged the institutions to provide best amenities to the academic community, as state-of-the-art laboratories would enable quality experiments.

He honoured 677 students, including post-doctoral research scholars, post-graduates and graduates passing out from the institute with awards and medals at the ceremony, held at the J.N. Tata Auditorium of its sprawling green campus.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R. Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were present on the occasion with other dignitaries and invitees.

--IANS

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In the face of the current crisis in the Gulf where four countries led by Saudi Arabia have snapped diplomatic ties with Qatar, Riyadh is of the view that Doha must immediately stop support for extremist organisations and interference in other countries internal affairs in the region's interest.

Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to India Saud bin Mohammad Al-Sati also stressed that there has been "no blockade of any sort" against Qatar.

"Unfortunately, Qatar did not honour the agreements it had signed in 2013 and 2014 and continued in its interventions in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia, in the internal affairs of Bahrain, UAE and Egypt, and continued their support for extremist organisations and hosting leaders of extremist organisations and terrorist organisations," Al-Sati told IANS in an interview.

He said that several years of negotiations ended with Qatar signing an agreement in 2013 followed by another agreement in 2014 in Riyadh in which Doha promised to "fulfill its obligations and end its policies and violations" about which the four countries had complained against.

Asked why the four countries cut off diplomatic ties soon after US President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in May, he said the problem with Qatar has been going on for a long time now.

"We have been for the last two decades addressing these complaints and grievances with the Qatari government," the Saudi Ambassador said.

"There was a lengthy dialogue and talks with the Qataris over what we consider interventions of our internal affairs, violations of their commitments as member of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, and spreading hate and incitements in the Saudi society and so on."

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

"I would like to say here that the interests of the region will be better served if Qatar ends the crisis (by) getting rid of the leaders of the terrorist and extremist organisations that they have hosted," the envoy said.

After Saudi Arabia, along with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut of diplomatic ties with gas-rich Qatar on June 5, the four countries sent a list of 13 demands to Doha to end the impasse.

The demands include Qatar ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, closing TV news channel Al-Jazeera, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and shutting down a Turkish military base it hosts.

Though Qatar initially said that the demands were meant to be rejected, it responded on Monday through Kuwait which has been acting as a mediator.

Al-Sati said that Kuwait has asked for a further 48 hours to give the details of the response, which the four countries have agreed to.

Asked whether the current impasse would affect expatriates, including 630,000 Indians in Qatar, he said that he did not see this directly affecting the general people in that country.

"A point I would like to highlight here is that there was no blockade of any sort. They have their airspace open. Their seaports and their access to seas is open," Al-Sati said.

Stating that Qatar's imports and exports were open, he, however, said that the only restriction has been put on Qatar Airways - using Saudi airspace - and banning Qatari ships "from using our seaports".

"This is very limited to the Qatar Airways and Qatari ships. Other airlines can fly as normal. Even if they land in Qatar they can fly over the Saudi (air) space. So, there was no embargo whatsoever."

Al-Sati also clarified that there were no restrictions whatsoever on Qatar's imports and exports, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

Asked whether the current impasse would affect Qatar's gas supplies to India, the Saudi Ambassador said: "I don't see any link here."

(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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Libyan military spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmary on Tuesday accused Qatar, Sudan and Turkey of supporting in the conflict-torn Arab country.

"By supporting terrorists, Qatar committed crimes against humanity in Libya," Xinhua quoted Mesmary as saying in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The Libyan spokesman said that he has documents proving involvement of the three countries of providing Libyan terror militia with logistic provisions, saying he will present the documents to the international community.

"All we need from the international community is to lift the arms embargo imposed on the Libyan army to fight terrorism," said the Libyan military spokesman.

He also said that his army achieved progress and controlled vast areas in Libya despite fighting four major categories: the Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood group and criminal gangs which possess weapons and ammunition.

"In one week, we controlled three large airbases in central Libya," Mesmary said, adding that his army managed to completely destroy the IS in Benghazi.

He clarified that the IS presence in Libya is declining while the criminal gangs control large parts in Tripoli.

--IANS

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday left for Germany to attend a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies (G20) later this week, a media report said.

Moon would push to have several bilateral summit meetings on the sidelines of the G20 meet, including those with the leaders of China, Russia, Japan, India, France and Australia.

Moon showed a stiff look before boarding a presidential plane as his overseas trip followed Pyongyang's claim on Tuesday of successfully testing a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Hwasong-14, Xinhua news agency reported.

This was Moon's second overseas trip since his inauguration on May 10.

On June 29 Moon met US President Donald Trump in Washington.

The new South Korean leader was scheduled to stay in Berlin for two days at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He would hold a summit meeting with Merkel during his stay in Berlin, according to the presidential Blue House. He would then move to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit meeting.

--IANS

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South Korea and the US on Wednesday conducted joint ballistic missile exercises a day after North Korea declared a successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a media report said.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that the missile units of South Korea and the US carried out the joint ballistic missile drills in the East Sea at 7 a.m. in response to Pyongyang's repeated provocations, Xinhua news agency reported.

The joint exercises mobilised the South Korean military's Hyunmoo-II ballistic missiles and the eighth US Army's ATACMS ground-to-ground missiles to show their combined capability in emergency situations, the statement said.

The joint missile drills followed Pyongyang's claim on Tuesday that it successfully test-fired a new type of ICBM, called Hwasong-14, which flew about 930 km and was lofted as high as some 2,800 km.

The joint drills were conducted as South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed it to US President Donald Trump, Yoon Young-chan, Moon's senior press secretary, told reporters.

Moon said it would be necessary to clearly show the South Korea-US combined missile preparedness to Pyongyang as just announcing a statement was not enough.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy's plea for more time to pay Rs 552.21 crore and warned of consequences if the cheque given by the firm to market regulator SEBI was not honoured.

Declining the plea for extension in the time for the cheque's encashment, a bench of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, and Justice A.K. Sikri directed Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to submit the same for encashment on July 15.

"If the cheque is dishonoured, appropriate consequences will be faced by the contemnor," the apex court observed.

Roy is facing contempt for not complying with the apex court's order.

Sahara had urged the court to give it time till August 15 for mobilising funds.

The court was informed on Wednesday that the Sahara Group had deposited Rs 710.22 crore -- the balance of Rs 1,500 crore that it was to pay by June 15. Earlier, Sahara had paid Rs 790.18 crore.

"The question is not how much you have paid; the question is how much you have to pay," the court said as senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi tried to impress upon the bench the difficulties post-demonetisation market conditions were posing in the sale of Sahara properties.

Sibal appeared for Roy while Rohatgi appeared for Sahara Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. and Aamby Valley.

"You pay Rs 400 crore or Rs 500 crore once in a while. This is going to take a lifetime to pay the entire amount... for how much time we have to assemble (for hearing your matter)... you want us to wait," the court said.

As both senior lawyers sought the court's indulgence, it said: "We are not going to grant any kind of indulgence. That stage is over."

Describing the prevailing situation as "unfair", Sibal said: "I can't allow my properties to go to vultures."

The court then asked the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court: "... are you planning to auction his properties to vultures?"

While not giving any extension in time to Sahara, the court approved the terms, conditions and proclamation vis-a-vis the auction of Aamby Valley project in Maharashtra.

However, it put on hold the next step till Sahara's cheque was encashed.

On April 16, the court had asked the High Court's official liquidator to evaluate and auction the Aamby Valley property of the Sahara Group to recover money owed to SEBI for returning to investors.

The apex court, by its order of August 31, 2012, asked Sahara Group's two companies --Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd. and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation Limited -- to return to the investors Rs 17,400 crore, along with 15 per cent interest, which the two companies collected from investors through Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures in 2007 and 2008.

--IANS

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Alleging that a conspiracy has being hatched against her government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced the formation of 'Shanti Vahini' (peace army) at every booth in the state to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Banerjee also claimed that the situation was now "normal" in North 24 Parganas district's Basirhat sub-division, where communal tension had erupted.

"We have taken an administrative decision to create 'Shanti Vahini' at all the booths in the state by including the local police stations and the students and youths of the locality.

"They would monitor if anyone is conspiring to spread tension or start a riot in the area. The teams would also check if these people are misleading the locals by spreading rumours about robbery, riot in order to polarise them for their own benefit," she said.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said the Shanti Vahini would get administrative backing and work together with police to maintain peace in their area.

Accusing the BJP of conspiring to instigate unrest in the state, she said a political party should not use its power and machinery to spread rumours and start a riot.

"A political party can be in power at the Centre or the state but they have no right to start a riot or spread rumours by misusing their power and the government machinery," said Banerjee.

"I have heard that provocative things were said at a meeting near south Kolkata's Hazra. If it was a mixed area inhabited by different communities. There could have been a riot due to this. BJP is holding such provocative meetings directly under their party's banner," she alleged.

Taking a swipe at BJP for the volatile situation in states like Uttar Pradesh where they are at the helm, Banerjee said she would call an all party meeting only if it was necessary.

However, she refused to pass any more comments about the statement issued by Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi saying she has already articulated her stand on Tuesday.

Stating that the communal tension took place at a very small pocket in the North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee claimed that the state government has brought the situation under control in spite of "a political party's attempt" to incite people.

"This issue has happened in a small area. There is no reason to fret over it so much. This was engineered on social media by a particular political party. Both groups were instigated. To us, all are same. The situation is under control now. Some wanted to stoke fire, but I have not let that happen," she added.

--IANS

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An elderly Sikh postmaster in the UK was stabbed in the neck and head and his turban was ripped off by a robber during a violent knife attack.

Tarsem Thethy, 67, was left with stab wounds after the attack at the Post Office in Erdington, Birmingham. The incident happened in March this year, but the CCTV footage of the attack has been issued by the police now, the Metro daily reported on Tuesday.

The footage shows the moment the robber lunged at Thethy with a six-inch blade in the post office. Thethy's wife Kulwant said he is "not the same person" since the attack.

Thethy, father of three said: "Normally when somebody comes in, I greet them... But before I could speak, he had got in my face and stabbed me in the neck."

"He was shouting 'give me the money, give me the keys'. The man was crazy, he was pushing me around and wielding the knife."

In the footage, the pair was seen grappling after the attacker ripped the turban off Thethy's head.

Thethy's wife managed to trigger the panic alarm from a separate room, leading to the man rushing out of the shop on March 17 morning.

"He kept telling me that he would kill me," Thethy was quoted as saying by the daily.

"Looking back, I'm not sure if he cared about the money. I think he just wanted to kill somebody. Ever since the incident, I have felt scared every day to work in the shop," the Sikh man said.

--IANS

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Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday informed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that traffic decongestion in Delhi has been a priority area ever since he assumed office.

His remarks came after the Chief Minister wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary on major traffic bottlenecks in the city.

The LG in a letter to the Chief Minister also said that six task forces were constituted in January to identify congested corridors and suggest solutions for smooth flow of traffic.

Baijal said that the task forces had conducted field visits and studies and have submitted a list of 77 corridors, of which 28 were identified as Category A priority.

He added that encroachments on each of these areas have also been identified.

Five major corridors -- Aurobindo Marg (Aurobindo Marg to Andheria More), Mathura Road (Neela Gumbad to Badarpur Flyover), Savitri Flyover (Chirag Delhi crossing to Savitri Flyover), Sardar Patel Marg, (11 Murti to Rajokari Border) and Dhaula Kuan (Dhaula Kuan Flyover to GGR Flyover, Sanjay T-Point) -- have also been identified for immediate action on pilot basis.

The LG said the Delhi High Court has also taken cognizance of the matter and given directions to take steps to ensure proper circulation and movement of traffic.

Kejriwal also met Baijal on Wednesday.

"Had good meeting with LG. Three decisions -- restart work of greening and landscaping PWD roads, paint all zebra and footpaths, redesign some roads," he tweeted later.

--IANS

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Further escalating the row with West Bengal Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Wednesday accused him of behaving like a "BJP cadre" and alleged that Raj Bhavan was "inciting and helping" those trying to engineer riots in various parts of the state for the sake of power.

Going hammer and tongs at Tripathi, Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee warned him that his party would not remain silent if Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was attacked.

Chatterjee said as leader of the opposition in the past and now as a state minister, he has seen three Governors from close range. "I never expected such behaviour from the Governor. The tone in which the Governor has spoken to the Chief Minister, it is as if she is her subordinate employee.

"Is the governor the spokesman of the BJP? He is a lawyer. Doesn't he know the Supreme Court mandates rules about his power?... We condemn strongly the tone and tenor of the words he used while speaking to the Chief Minister, and threatened her. He caused her immense pain."

Chatterjee, also the state Education Minister, said his party has written to President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue. A copy of the letter was also given to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

"The Trinamool and the Trinamool legislative party want to remind the Governor that Raj Bhavan cannot be a BJP den."

The minister also ridiculed the Raj Bhavan statement that the conversation between the Governor and the Chief Minister should not have been brought into the open.

"Instead of helping stop the clashes, he is saying publicly that the telephonic conversation should not have been made public. After speaking to BJP representatives, he called her up. We have also given lot of representations to him, on issues like financial grant from the centre, but he never opened his mouth," he said.

"Raj Bhavan is inciting and helping those people who are trying to engineer riots at various parts of the state for the sake of power. He is behaving like a BJP cadre. The BJP is trying to create lawlessness."

"If Mamata Banerjee is attacked, Trinamool Congress will not remain silent," he added.

The row started on Tuesday, when the Governor and the Chief Minister had heated exchanges during a telephonic conversaiton related to the communal violence in North 24 Parganas district's Baduria. Soon afte, Banerje launched a blistering attack on Tripathi, accusing him of threatening and insulting her. The Raj Bhavan responded by issuing a press release denying the charges and expressed surprise at Banerjee's "attitude and language".

--IANS

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US President Donald Trump will hold an official bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.

Citing remarks by US National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton, CNN reported that the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin and the first official US-Russian bilateral meeting in almost two years will occur on July 7.

However, the exact agenda for the bilateral meeting had yet to be set.

The first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders will come as the US and Russia hold differences on a slew of issues, including the Syrian conflict, the Ukrainian crisis and the alleged Russian meddling in the US presidential election.

In April, Trump said the US was "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low."

Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington in mid-May, Trump expressed his desire to build a better relationship between the two countries.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is working to stabilise its relationship with Russia, which is "at an all-time low."

--IANS

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The West Bengal Police on Wednesday cautioned against spreading rumours on social media that could "disturb" communal harmony.

The directive came a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that communal violence broke out in the state's North 24-Parganas district following a Facebook post.

"Responsible people must tweet responsibly, not with the aim of spreading rumours & disturbing communal harmony. Don't Spread any Rumour. Administration is taking full care to maintain Peace and Harmony," the West Bengal Police said on Twitter.

Referring to rumours being spread through social media posts about incidents at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division, Banerjee on Tuesday lashed out at the central government.

"We support social media but the central government has an agenda. Sometimes it is to create a hate group and cause riots via Facebook. Yesterday's incident is like that. There have been false posting of pictures which don't have any link to reality," she told the media here on Tuesday.

Banerjee said the person who posted the objectionable matter on Facebook was arrested immediately.

--IANS

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The US and South Korea on Wednesday staged joint ballistic missile exercises a day after North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that experts say may reach Alaska.

The Eighth US Army and South Korean servicemen conducted a combined event to counter North Korea's Tuesday missile test, utilising the Army Tactical Missile System and South Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II, the US Forces Korea said in a statement.

Emphasising that the system can be rapidly deployed, the statement said the deep precision strike capability enabled the US-South Korea alliance to engage the critical targets under all-weather conditions, Xinhua news agency reported.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed that North Korea's latest missile test was an ICBM.

Calling the test "a new escalation of the threat" to the US, its allies and the world, Tillerson said the US intends to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue before the UNSC and enact stronger measures against North Korea.

North Korea hailed its successful missile launch as a "final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force". It lauded the launch of the ICBM as a historic event in boosting its defence capabilities to counter US threats.

The Korean Central Television reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed the order to carry out the test-firing of the ICBM Hwasong-14 and personally conducted the launch.

Apart from the US, South Korea and China, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned Pyongyang's missile launch.

"This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation," UN chief's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The UN Security Council was scheduled to hold an open meeting on Wednesday on the issue at the request of the US mission to the UN, a diplomat said.

--IANS

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Keen observers of contemporary Indian literature would agree that most recent books have depended heavily on promotions and marketing. But if publicity rules the roost, does the manuscript get its due?

It is no surprise that a handful of successful authors have come to dominate the literary scene in India, but there has been no serious analysis of their dominant presence.

For instance: If one were to look at the overall sales of novels and non-fiction titles by Indian publishers in 2016 and so far this year, some 50 known faces account for about 80 per cent of output. All the self-published authors, along with many debutants and unsuccessful authors, share a meagre 20 per cent market share while their aggregate number may range in the tens of thousands.

The privileged class of writers include the likes of Amish Tripathi, Anuja Chauhan, Ashwin Sanghi, Shashi Tharoor, Ramachandra Guha, Arundhati Roy, Vikram Seth, Amitav Ghosh -- as also the popular fiction writers like Chetan Bhagat, Ravinder Singh and Durjoy Dutta. On the other hand, there are writers you have never heard of and are unlikely to hear about in the future.

The reason? The Indian publishing industry is a highly manipulated area of popular culture where social media trends and following have come to decide the number of copies a book sells.

This ultimate fate of the book -- it's market value -- is also the deciding factor for many publishers to select the subjects and authors of their non-fiction titles and their final verdict on a manuscript. What the publishers gleefully call "Selling Points" is responsible for the cauldron of mediocrity that contemporary Indian literature finds itself in.

And it is certainly not that there is a lack of quality writing. A significant number of good books are ignored by headline publishers and never see the light of day. Not to forget, it is these "homes of bestsellers" who had even rejected Amish Tripathi and Ashwin Sanghi, whose gross sales are now in crores of rupees.

They like to play safe, refrain from experimentation, count on authors with successful past records and many-a-times ignore potential creative talent due to what they call "market pressure". But is there actually a compelling market pressure? Or, are the readers being merely fed the books that, according to the publishers, have strong "Selling Points"?

While it may again be a case of "What came first: The chicken or the egg?", one thing that holds ground is the exorbitant marketing that headline authors use. With marketing budgets of these "privileged authors" running often into lakhs of rupees, the reach and visibility of first-time or less popular authors is consequently marginalised.

But what matters more: The author's profile or the manuscript?

Poulomi Chatterjee, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Hachette India, said that it largely depends on situations, adding that when it comes to non-fiction, the profile of the author is very important because you can't do an economics book by a politician if he or she is not really an expert at it.

"If I am doing a book on e-commerce, I would have to have someone who is able to study the business or is an insider. But he has to be an expert, I cannot have an historian do it. There, the better known the name, the better is our selling point. The author's profile is very important when it comes to non-fiction," Chatterjee told IANS.

In fiction, she said, the profile doesn't matter that much. It's not like men cannot write about women. What matters is the story, the style and the craft of the writer. Chatterjee also said that if there is a successful published author, it is always a plus point and that increases the prospective sales of the book.

"But if you are a true reader, you would also be experimental in your reading and look out for debut authors. You would be interested to know whether what is being said in the blurb is really true. I am a book buyer, I am a reader and I want to read a new voice. So I don't think it matters all that much," she maintained.

Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, former Director of the National Book Trust (NBT) and former editor of "Indian Literature", Sahitya Akademi's bi-monthly journal, shared a more honest view.

He said that the manuscript, for him, is paramount and no matter how popular the profile of the author is, an ideal publisher should never compromise with the quality of writing and the potential of the manuscript.

"But I am afraid that happens quite frequently these days. Sometimes we tend to have books by popular figures which could have actually been written much better by somebody else, who is not as popular but is an expert in the subject," Bhattacharjee, who is now spearheading the editorial operations of Niyogi Publications, told IANS.

He also maintained that there is a lot of ignored writing talent in the country. The only reason they are not being able to surface -- and readers are not getting an opportunity to read much finer writing -- is because there is an "over-emphasis" on the profile of the author.

(Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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The shoe is on the other foot for the Congress. On Wednesday, Congress Lok Sabha member Sushmita Dev alleged that Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi had transgressed her constitutional mandate by nominating three people to the Union territorys legislature without consulting the Congress government there. Two of the three were Bharatiya Janata Party members, while the third was a member of the Rashtra Swayamsevak Sangh, Dev said. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members didnt take long to point out what they considered were the Congress double standards on the issue. They said the Congress had supported the Delhi Lieutenant Governor when the AAP government in Delhi had a similar complaint against him.
During his recent visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the chief executives of several American corporations, presumably to market India as an investment opportunity. Press reports indicate that most of the CEOs present were from enterprises in the service sector (Amazon, Google, Cisco, Microsoft, Mastercard etc) and few from the manufacturing or industrial sectors, when there is a great need to increase the contribution of these segments to our gross domestic product (GDP), growth and job creation. In the last 70 years, no Asian economy has grown fast and consistently without rapid expansion of the manufacturing sector. And, the governments own objective for make in India is to increase the contribution of the manufacturing sector to 25 per cent of GDP by 2025, from the current level of around 16 per cent.
If getting rich is hard for individuals, it is harder still for nations. Of more than 190 countries tracked by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), fewer than 40 count as wealthy or advanced economies. The rest are known as emerging nations, and many of them have been emerging forever. The last large country to make it into the advanced class was South Korea, 20 years ago. The next major nation likely to join that club could be Poland, an under-the-radar economic star that US President Donald Trump will visit this week on his second overseas trip in office.

Mr Trump will meet with leaders of the ruling Law and Justice party, who are thrilled that he has chosen to visit Warsaw before Berlin, Paris or Brussels, and participate in a meeting to promote regional economic ties in eastern Europe. Other European leaders are unnerved by how Mr Trumps populism echoes the right-wing nationalism of his Polish hosts  both have been attacked as illiberal threats to the post-war western order. But so far, two years of populism has not derailed a quarter-century of steady economic progress in Poland.

The IMF has a complex definition of advanced, but a common thread is that all the nations have a per-capita income of at least around $15,000. Since Poland completed the transition from Communism to democracy in 1991, its economy has been growing at an average annual rate of 4 per cent and, remarkably, has not suffered a single year of negative growth. In those 25 years, Polands average income has risen to near $13,000, from $2,300, and it is now on pace to pass the $15,000 mark by the turn of this decade.

This is testimony to the long-term fiscal sobriety of Polands leaders, and its sharp break with Communism. After the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Poland set out to distance itself as far as possible from Russia, and adopted the financial discipline and institutional reforms required to join the European Union.

In the last decade, Warsaw emerged as the conservative opposite of decadent Moscow. Its staid tycoons are almost incapable of the flashy self-promotion common among the Russian oligarchs, and they have embraced American-style entrepreneurship with an enthusiasm rarely found elsewhere in Europe.

This pro-American, anti-Russian streak runs deeper than the current populist mood, making Poland a natural and increasingly potent American ally. In the past the relationship has focused on military ties and geopolitics, but Poland is already one of the few NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) members meeting its commitment to spend at least 2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. This meeting shifts the focus to the regional economy at its breakout moment.

Since World War II, the few poor nations that made it rich tended to do so in regional clusters, starting with Italy, Spain and other countries in southern Europe, and then East Asia. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan went unheralded for years before they were recognised as the Asian miracle economies.

Now eastern Europe is rising, just as quietly, with small nations like the Czech Republic leading the way. Poland is close on its heels. With a population of nearly 40 million and a half-trillion-dollar economy that is already the worlds 24th largest, it is now big enough to put all of eastern Europe on the global economic map.

Poland is working its way up just as the Asian miracles did, as a manufacturing power, even though this path is much harder now. Manufacturing is declining as a share of the global economy, and with China taking much of this shrinking pie, few other major manufacturing nations are still expanding their share of global exports. That select group of around half a dozen includes South Korea, the Czech Republic  and Poland.

No other sector has as much impact as manufacturing in generating the jobs and productivity gains that can make a nation rich. With its cheap currency and relatively low wages  still one-third of those in Germany  Poland is more than competitive with the Asian manufacturing powers. Exports from manufacturing account for 33 per cent of GDP in Poland, well above the average for emerging nations of 22 per cent.

Moreover, the secret to getting rich is less about speed than stability. Many emerging economies have managed to generate spurts of rapid growth, often well above Polands 4 per cent average, only to lose all their gains by running up debts and heading into a crisis  like Brazil and Mexico in the early 1980s, and Indonesia and Thailand in the late 1990s.

Other emerging economies remain unstable partly because they still rely on exporting raw materials like oil or soya beans, and thus tie their fate to volatile swings in the global commodities market. Among the leading oil exporters, 90 per cent are no richer today relative to the United States than they were the year they started producing oil. Most are poorer.

Today, of the 13 middle-income countries with average incomes of $10,000 to $15,000, nine are still dependent on commodity exports, including Brazil, Russia and Argentina. The other four are all in eastern Europe, led by Poland.

None of the commodity-dependent economies is likely to grow steadily enough to become the next rich country, certainly not for long. Countries such as Argentina and Venezuela have in the past century become almost as rich as the United States, only to tumble after serial crises.

Export manufacturing prowess can stabilise a rising economy by generating reliable foreign revenue, allowing countries to invest heavily without running up huge debts. This is what happened in Poland. An exception is the manufacturing giant of China. In a headlong effort to fuel growth after the 2007 financial crisis, the Chinese government has encouraged a domestic lending boom that has driven up debts to nearly 300 per cent of GDP, a risk that reduces Chinas chances of becoming the next rich country.

If there is a threat to steady growth in Poland, it is its recent autocratic turn. Polands government has drawn fire from top European Union officials for interfering with the courts, cracking down on the news media and dissent, and refusing to accept Muslim refugees.

When Law and Justice took office, however, the concern was that it would derail growth by meddling in the private sector and trying to fulfil costly populist promises. While it has fulfilled pledges to lower the retirement age and subsidise families with two or more children, so far these policies have not caused much harm.

The deficit and public debt remain manageable. The currency remains stable, exports continue to boom and the trade balance is in surplus. Since its winning streak began in 1991, around 80 per cent of Polands growth has been delivered by the private sector, and the momentum there remains strong.

So look beyond China and India, Russia and Brazil. Poland, rising the old-fashioned way, through manufacturing, is likely to be the next rich nation. And, as Mr Trump will see, Poland is a vital ally not only on the NATO front line, but also as a leader of the worlds most vibrant economic bloc.

The writer, author of The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World, is the chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and a contributing writer

 2017 The New York Times News Service
The result of the Vice-Presidential election, scheduled for August 5, is a forgone conclusion in favour of the Democratic Alliance (NDA), but the Opposition hopes to make it yet another display of its unity and mark it with the return of Janata Dal (United) to the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) camp.
Tahir Merchant, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case last month, did not attend any of the conspiracy meetings, his lawyer today argued before the TADA Court here and sought leniency for him.

The special court for Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) cases last month convicted Merchant, extradited gangster Abu Salem and four others in the case.

The defence lawyers today began their arguments on the quantum of sentence.

The TADA court judge G A Sanap, while convicting Merchant, had held that he was one of the conspirators. The CBI has sought death penalty for him.

Merchant's lawyer Sudeep Passbola said his client did not attend the conspiracy meetings which preceded the March 1993 blasts and there was no evidence to show that he was aware of RDX being smuggled into the city.

Passbola also said that people were sent to Pakistan for arms training to deal with a 1992-like situation (when riots erupted in Mumbai following the demolition of Babri Masjid), and it was only after their return that Tiger Memon, the absconding mastermind of the conspiracy, decided to use them for carrying out blasts.

Among other things, Merchant was accused of sending people to Pakistan for arms training.

Passbola also refuted the CBI's claim that Merchant had good relations with Pakistani Army and the country's intelligence agency, ISI.

He was acting at somebody else's instructions and was not "in commanding position", the lawyer said.

The arguments would continue tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the court issued a notice to Delhi police today, seeking their reply, as the case for which they are seeking the custody of Abu Salem is not covered by the extradition agreement between Portugal and India.

Delhi police have approached the court seeking Salem's custody for a case registered in the national capital.

However, as per the agreement with Portugal under which Salem was extradited in 2005, he can be tried in only nine cases (including the 1993 blasts case).

The Delhi case is not a part of the list.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three Egyptian soldiers were killed today in an attack that targeted a toll booth in Giza in the country, an official said.

A terrorist opened fire on the toll booth killing two retired army officers and a solider this morning on al-Ayyat highway, Army spokesperson Tamer el-Refae said in a statement.

The statement said that the forces are currently combing the area and searching for the attacker.

Egypt has witnessed several terror attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Hundreds of police and army personnel have been killed since then.

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Five persons have been killed and 89 others injured when a gas pipeline exploded near a hospital in China's northeastern Jilin province, officials said today.

The accident occurred in Songyuan city yesterday when the workers were repairing a section of pipeline where gas had leaked.

The explosion affected patients and staff in the nearby hospital, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

So far, five persons have been confirmed dead, including 14 who were seriously injured.

Rescue operation is under way and cause of the accident is being investigated, the report said.

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At least 77 people have died after a heavy goods lorry that was carrying passengers tipped over in the Central African Republic, officials said today.

The accident took place yesterday between Bambari and Ippy in the centre of the country.

"Fifty-nine bodies were taken to the morgue at the regional hospital in Bambari and 18 (were taken) by their relatives for burial," Bambari hospital official Michel Zahandji told AFP.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said around 60 injured people were being treated at the same hospital.

"It was a 10-wheel truck that was transporting tonnes of goods and people setting off for the weekly market in Maloum. It tipped over with all its cargo," said Bambari Mayor Abel Matchipata.

A Bambari police officer said: "We have counted in total 77 deaths, most of them men. But there are also many injured, including some in a serious condition."



The accident may have been linked to "technical failures and to (the lorry) being overloaded", the officer said, adding that an investigation had been opened to determine the cause of the accident.

Local resident Hubert Tchenebou told AFP it was not the first time an accident involving an overloaded truck had happened in the area.

"There are police and UN forces (in the area), but they let vehicles pass on which people are perched like birds," said Tchenebou, reached by telephone.

Due to lack of other transportation, people in the Central African Republic regularly resort to travelling in overloaded trucks, which are often in a poor condition.

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The Aam Aadmi Party today came out in support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying the governor's role was part of the BJP's larger design to "destabilise" governments in non-BJP states.

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh said West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi "deliberately insulting and threatening" Banerjee establishes that the Raj Bhavans were being remote- controlled by the Centre.

"Mamata Banerjee is no ordinary politician. The governor's words violated the constitutional decorum. He has threatened an elected chief minister. This is not a good sign for the country's democracy," he said in a press conference.

Referring to the crisis over three nominated MLAs in Puducherry and the arrest of a few Dalit activists in Lucknow recently, he stressed that opposition unity is the "need of the hour", to tide over the "crisis assailing the country".

AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal share a good rapport with his West Bengal counterpart. In the recent times, the two leaders have shared dais in protest against demonetisation.

In 2015, the AAP had organised a conclave on cooperative federalism in Delhi. But only Banerjee and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had attended it while Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Mizoram's Lal Thanhawlal and Puducherry's N Rangaswamy had sent letters of support.

Asked whether the AAP was planning to form a platform for opposition parties, Ashutosh said it is time that other parties realise what AAP has faced.

"Now, other parties are also facing the heat. This is also a lesson for the Congress. The issue is saving democracy in the country," he said.

Yesterday, against the backdrop of a violence in Basirhat in West Bengal, Banerjee accused Tripathi of "threatening" her over phone and talking "big on the law and order". She had said that he was acting like a "BJP block president".

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today announced to contest the next year's Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.

The campaign for the polls, due in November-December 2018, will be launched by AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal here in November this year.

"The AAP would contest next Assembly polls in MP. Arvind Kejriwalji would formally launch the poll campaign at a rally in Bhopal on November 5," AAP state convener Alok Agrawal told reporters at a press conference.

He said the decision to contest the polls was taken after national leaders of the party, including Kejriwal, held discussions in New Delhi for two days.

"Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai, AAP national spokespersons Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, besides the party national secretary Pankaj Gupta would visit Madhya Pradesh regularly in a bid to prepare the ground for the polls," the AAP leader said.

He also announced the launch of the party's 'Kisan Nyay Yatra' beginning tomorrow in support of the demands raised by the distressed farmers in the state.

"The AAP is launching 'Kisan Nyay Yatra' tomorrow to support the demands of the distressed farmers. We want the state government to waive loans of farmers, supply them 24-hour electricity and implement the report of Swaminathan Commission for welfare of peasants," Agrawal said.

He demanded that a case of murder be filed against the police officials involved in the firing in Mandsaur on June 6, in which five farmers were killed.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said investigation in the sensational actress abduction and assault case was going on in the "right direction" and culprit, however high or mighty, will not be spared.

"Howsoever big the fish is, it will fall in the police net," Vijayan said while addressing a meeting of women leaders of various organisations here.

The actress, who also worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on February 17.

The investigation team has been given "complete freedom" and they can move forward courageously, the chief minister said, adding the probe was going in the "right direction".

Vijayan said police has already arrested the key accused and assured that the wrong-doers would not be spared.

The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala was going ahead with plans to make the state women-friendly, he said.

Gender justice would be implemented in the state and the drawbacks in its implementation would be resolved, he said in a press release.

All efforts would be made by the government to ensure that women were able to move fearlessly at any place and time independently.

The assurance in this regard was made at a meeting of leaders of various women's organisation here.

The meeting was called in the backdrop of the government completing one year in office.

The functioning of orphanages, home for destitutes and the poor would be improved, Vijayan said, adding that the government would take stern steps to abolish practise of child labour, prevalent in some places.

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BJP President Amit Shah today stepped up attack on both Congress and BJD for "neglecting" Odisha and vowed to transform it into number one state in the country if his party is voted to power in 2019.

"The BJD dispensation in Odisha has failed miserably to ensure development during its 17-year rule and the previous UPA government at the Centre neglected the state," he told public meetings in various places, including Arei and Panikoili, on the second day of the BJP's grassroots connect drive.

Odisha, he said, is still in the grip of poverty and backwardness due to the "misrule and inefficiency" of the BJD and Congress governments. People now realise that BJP alone is capable of pulling the state out of the morass and ushering in rapid development, he said.

It is a paradox that the state, which is endowed with abundant mineral and natural resources, is left far behind in terms of development, he said, adding BJP's popularity in Odisha was growing fast as the state remained poor despite substantial assistance from the Centre.

The volume of assistance increased substantially only after NDA came to power, he claimed.

Slamming Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of the Narendra Modi Government, Shah said while scams involving crores of rupees took place under the UPA dispensation, not a single case of corruption has been reported during the last three years of NDA rule.

He claimed that states ruled by BJP have registered remarkable development and the party is determined to steer Odisha on the path of development.

The BJP supremo exhorted the party workers to work hard to ensure that the party wins 120 out of the 147 assembly seats in Odisha in the 2019 polls.

Attacking the Naveen Patnaik government, he rattled off details of funds given to the state by the Centre and claimed that the former failed to utilise them properly.

The BJP president, who is on a three-day visit to Odisha to bolster the saffron party's base in the eastern state, attended booth-level workers' programmes at Arei in Binjharpur. He also addressed members of party booth committees of several north Odisha districts at Panikoili.

Stressing that the NDA government is committed to Odisha's development, Shah said the benefits of assistance from the Centre were not percolating down due to the state government's failure to perform.

The people of Odisha are yet to get electricity and drinking water even after 17 years of BJD rule, he said, adding the number of jobless educated people is growing alarmingly. While only 22 per cent households in the state have toilets, 35 per cent families are yet to get electricity.

The youth of Odisha are forced to migrate for work and contribute to the progress of other states due to "lack of opportunities at home", Shah said.

He asserted if BJP was voted to power, unemployment and poverty would disappear.

Shah said development was taking place at full pace in BJP-ruled states which are properly implementing schemes funded by the Centre.

The BJP chief said he had been visiting Odisha at frequent intervals and could clearly see the love and affection of the people for his party was "growing consistently".

During his visit to Binjharpur in the district, Shah held talks with five villagers followed by lunch at a Dalit home. He was accompanied by BJP national general secretary and party's Odisha in-charge, Arun Singh, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and state party president Basant Panda among others.

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Senior Telangana BJP leader G Kishan Reddy today demanded a CBI probe into a "beef mafia" operating in Hyderabad through "illegal" slaughterhouses.

The BJP floor leader in the Telangana Assembly said the beef mafia had inter-state connections and the police could not probe all this.

"The CBI can reach all these places. So, I am demanding a CBI inquiry. Because of exports, the price (of meat) for the poor is rising," he told reporters here.

Reddy claimed that those who engaged in the illegal meat business in Uttar Pradesh had come to Hyderabad after the Yogi Adityanath government "curbed" their activities in the northern state.

A large number of workers from Bangladesh and children from states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are working in illegal slaughterhouses in Hyderabad, he alleged.

The BJP lawmaker said the population of cattle in Telangana stood at 56.76 lakh in 2013, but their number is dwindling fast due to the presence of illegal slaughterhouses.

He said the main reason for this decline (in livestock population) was large-scale illegal slaughtering.

"The meat is being exported illegally to foreign countries. Every year, approximately 50 lakh animals are being slaughtered in our state. If this continues, dairying, small and marginal farming and rural employment would be hurt," the BJP leader added.

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Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was given today a Rs 647.34 crore cheque by state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar as the first tranche of the GST compensation amid sloganeering by the feuding allies Shiv Sena and BJP workers.

The cheque was handed over in a function held at the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai and attended by several leaders of BJP and Shiv Sena, including its chief Uddhav Thackeray.

When Mungantiwar was presenting the cheque, BJP corporators and party workers started chanting "Modi-Modi," prompting the Sena camp, which is at the helm of affairs in the BMC, to raise counter-slogans.

With the GST roll-out, the BMC, said to be the Asia's richest civic body, will be losing out around Rs 7,000 crore revenue that it collected through Octroi annually.

Mungantiwar handed over the cheque to Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and civic chief Ajoy Mehta. Maharashtra ministers Subhash Desai, Ramdas Kadam and Diwakar Raote of Shiv Sena, Vidya Thakur of BJP were also present at the event.

"The state government will go beyond the rules and do every bit for the sake of Mumbai," Mungantiwar said.

"We are thankful to Shiv Sena, which set aside its political differences and supported us on the GST for the economic betterment of the state and the country. If need be, we would release more money going beyond rules," he added.

In his address, Thackeray suggested that the government must take a review and weed out the initial impediments in implementation of the new tax regime.

"The government must conduct periodic review of the newly-introduced GST and remove hurdles in its roll-out, so that common people don't face unnecessary problems," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP corporator and party spokesperson Atul Shah played down the sloganeering incident saying, "Both the parties are striving for the betterment of Mumbai, which is good for the city."



"BJP corporators are very happy that our government has come out with the new (tax) policy and a cheque was handed over to the civic body today. So our buoyant corporators celebrated the successful implementation, just when the Sena corporators also raised slogans. You can term it as a credit-war, but it is good for the people of Mumbai city."



From July 1, the Goods and Service Tax (GST) has replaced the octroi system, which was the biggest source of revenues for the country's biggest and richest municipality -- BMC. As per the rules prescribed in implementing the GST, the state government would compensate to the civic bodies for the loss of revenue.

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Details of the dossiers handed by India to Pakistan in 2010 cannot be disclosed as they may "prejudicially" affect relations between the two countries, the Central Information Commission has ruled on a plea by a 2006 Mumbai train bombings convict.

Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui had filed an RTI application with the Ministry of External Affairs on October 17, 2015, days after being awarded the death sentence by a special MCOCA court for his role in the serial blasts.

Siddiqui had sought a copy of all the documents in the files of the dossiers handed over by then Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao to her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.

India had reportedly handed over three dossiers to Pakistan during the foreign secretary level talks in February 2010.

"From the perusal of the records, it is observed from the reply given by CPIO that dissemination of the sought for information would prejudicially affect the relations of India with a foreign State (Pakistan)," Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur said.

He said MEA had "rightly denied the information" relying on the exemption available under section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act.

Siddiqui was awarded capital punishment by a special MCOCA court in Mumbai along with four other accused of carryng out the blasts.

The blasts had ripped through Mumbai's suburban trains within a span of 10 minutes -- between Khar Road-Santacruz, Bandra-Khar Road, Jogeshwari-Mahim Junction, Mira Road- Bhayander, Matunga-Mahim Junction and Borivali -- killing 188 people.

On September 30, 2015, Special Judge Yatin D Shinde had pronounced capital punishment for Siddiqui, Kamal Ahamed Ansari, Mohd Faisal Shaikh, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Khan, all of them bomb planters.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told chartered accountants that they have an important role to play in creating an India that is free from corruption and black money.

Days after sending out a strong message to chartered accountants at ICAI foundation day function here, Modi has also emphasised that they play a "big role in safeguarding the economic health of the country".

"CAs have a very important part to play in the creation of a New India, which is free from corruption and black money," he said in an email sent out to thousands of chartered accountants.

Stating that India's chartered accountants are well known across the world for their skills, Modi expressed happiness that the community was leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

In an hour-long speech at the foundation day function of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) here on July 1, Modi had send out a strong message against chartered accountants trying to help entities in black money dealings even as he underlined their powers and responsibility.

"Your signature is more powerful than that of the prime minister and the government also believes the accounts signed by you," he had said.

Besides, the Prime Minister had exhorted them to take charge of bringing their clients to path of honesty and said a wrong audit can impact lives of gullible investors as people take investment decisions on the basis of their audit reports.

In the email, Modi also said it was gladdening to see the enthusiasm, affection and warmth of chartered accountants at the gathering in the national capital, "despite the issues related to entry".

The reference was to chaos and confusion at the venue of the foundation day celebrations as many people were denied entry despite having invitation cards.

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Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley's father Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly passed away on Tuesday morning due to prolonged illness.

The 35-year-old actress confirmed the in an emotional Facebook post.

"Our beloved father Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly, left us yesterday at 5:23 AM... I thank the doctors who did everything to save him on behalf of my family," Celina told PTI.

The actress-model thanked the officers and jawans of the Kumaon battalion for giving her father a ceremonial send off with full military honours at MHOW (military HQ of war) crematorium.

In the Facebook post, the actress paid tribute to her father and described him as a popular leader among his colleagues, who called him 'Tiger'.

"Papa, wherever you are, do send us a sign that you are fine and in the soldiers' heavens where you have a very special place and always wanted to be. We hope to see you one day, when you come to hold our hands for our crossing over... Until then we will miss you dearly," she wrote.

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The Delhi High Court today came down heavily on the police for absolving PWD officials and prosecuting a government school teacher for the death of an 11-year-old student after falling in an open manhole in a city park.

Maintaining that it was "shocked", a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said it failed to understand how the police could prosecute the teacher, accompanying the children to a picnic, and how he or she was supposed to know about the existence of an uncovered manhole in the park.

The court was hearing a matter after taking suo motu cognisance of the incident in which the school boy had fallen into an open water harvesting pit at the Millennium Park in south Delhi and died on December 21, 2015 during a school picnic. He had drowned before help could reach.

The court pulled up the police when it was informed that a criminal case had been lodged against the teacher and a charge sheet has also been filed.

"It took three hours for the fire brigade to find the child. How can you prosecute the teachers as you (PWD) have left the pit open? This is blatant prosecution. There is complete lack of vision. Tell us how much compensation you are going to pay to the child's family," the bench asked.

Directing the counsel to inform it about the compensation amount tomorrow, it said a wrongful attempt has been made in the affidavit to change the course of justice.

The counsel for Delhi government's Public Works Department (PWD) and the police said the children were under the control of the teachers who had come with them to the park for a picnic and one of the teachers had asked the child to bring something from their school bus.

To this, the bench shot back, "you keep the manhole open, you knew about the unauthorised parking there and then you say it was the teacher's fault. We feel that the sanction to prosecute the teacher is malafide."



It noted that while the PWD has accepted that there was a fault at its end as the pit was left open, it has absolved itself from any responsibility.

"We also find that PWD admits in the affidavit that there is lack of vigilance and the tanks should be covered. The incident which has occurred is tragic, where a boy on a picnic lost his life due to the negligence of the PWD which failed to discharge its duties and left the tank uncovered," it said.

"It is the duty of the government to maintain the health and safety of the public, especially in public areas. It is its duty that regular maintenance of tanks are done to see nothing is left open so that no life is endangered."



PWD's submission that it was difficult to inspect every manhole also did not go down well with the bench, which said it was "astonishing" and remarked that if the department knew that some covers of the pits were missing, it should have taken immediate steps to restore them.

Regarding the case lodged against the teacher, the court said he or she can face disciplinary proceedings but not criminal action.

"How can you prosecute the school teacher for the uncovered hole? The criminal case against the teacher must have detained him from his job," it said.

"You have not prosecuted any of the PWD officials and launched prosecution against the teacher. We cannot allow you to prosecute the teacher in this case," it added.

The court had earlier directed the authorities to ensure that such incidents do not recur and asked them to file an affidavit regarding the preventive measures.

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The Congress today demanded the recall of Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi and West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, accusing them of compromising on constitutional propriety.

The party also accused the BJP of "denigrating, decimating and abusing" the institution of the governor.

Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said that ever since the BJP-led NDA government assumed office, the role of governors appointed by it had been questionable, be it in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal or Puducherry.

Governors are becoming political "puppets for the conspiratorial machinations" of the BJP-RSS, it alleged.

Dev said Bedi had "violated every established norm and tradition in swearing in three defeated BJP candidates as nominated MLAs in the state assembly".

Bedi and Tripathi had compromised the basic tenants of constitutional propriety, she said. "They must be recalled and sacked," she told reporters.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had yesterday accused Tripathi of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her. The Raj Bhavan has denied the charges against the governor.

The Congress leader alleged that Tripathi displayed a "disrespectful, distasteful and overbearing conduct" towards an "elected woman chief minister".

"Never in the history of India has the governor acted in such a partisan fashion, insulting and shouting at a chief minister to serve the interests of the ruling political party at the Centre. This is a clear disregard of the Constitution and disrespect of the people's mandate," she said.

Dev said in Puducherry one of those nominated as an MLA is V Saminathan, the BJP president of Puducherry. The other two are BJP treasurer K G Shankar and RSS member Selvaganapathy.

She said the move was in violation of rules and constitutional provisions.

"It once again establishes the manner in which the Lt. Governor of Puducherry is acting as a political puppet, sub- serving the interests of BJP rather than upholding the Constitution of India and well-established laws and procedures," she said.

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Opposition nominee Meira Kumar today said she is contesting the presidential poll to fight against an ideology that has endangered the secular fabric of the country.

Kumar, who was in the Congress-ruled state to campaign for the July-17 presidential elections, said her fight was against a thinking that "has challenged communal harmony, social justice, inclusiveness, transparency and all that we have been standing for and held dear."



Seeking support of legislators here, the former Lok Sabha speaker said, "This is the chance we have to make history and act in the best interest of our country for its progress and modernity and also for our next generation."



"The need (to contest the presidential poll) has arisen because the atmosphere in the country has begun to threaten the secular fabric of the country," Kumar said here while addressing the MLAs of the state.

Stating that India is a vast country with so many religions, ethnic groups, cultures and many ways of living in harmony, Kumar said, "Those in power should be able to always promote this harmony and not disrupt it."



She said she was grateful to the 17 opposition parties that, despite political differences, were backing her against ruling NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the election.

"There is a definite move in the country to communalise people in the name of what one should eat, what one should see, how one should live", Kumar said.

In an indirect attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar said she failed to understand why NDA leaders, despite their "tremendous majority in Parliament and given their hold in the government", were "only talking and trying to distance themselves (from this issue) and no action is seen on the ground."



Appealing to the MLAs to listen to their inner voice, she said, "The inner voice of conscience carries more weight than numbers when people decide on moral ground and on grounds of principles and ethics and philosophy."



Besides Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy was present at the meeting.

Kumar thanked Roy, president of the United Democratic Party with eight MLAs, for his support.

"It is encouraging to find the Leader of Opposition with us. I am grateful the House is with us. People are with us and with our ideology that we are following," she said.

NDA-ally National People's Party (having two MLAs) and Hills State People's Democratic Party (with four MLAs) did not attend Kumar's address.

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Emirates and Turkish Airways said today they have also been exempted from a US 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 US.

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.

Today, 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 Istanbul, Turkish Airlines tweeted that passengers aboard its US-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 US laptop ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop US-bound flights from seven international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; and Doha, Qatar.

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A former BJP leader from Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district has been arrested for allegedly raping a 19-year-old woman inside a moving bus, the police said today.

Ravindra Bawanthade, a private school teacher, was arrested by Nagbhid police of Gadchiroli yesterday following a complaint by the victim.

Three more people, including the bus driver, were arrested today from Gadchiroli in connection with the case, the police said.

The incident took place on June 27 but the woman approached the police on July 2 when a video clip purportedly showing the leader making sexual advances towards her went viral in the region, they said.

According to Nagbhid police station in-charge B D Madavi, the incident was captured by the CCTV camera inside the private luxury bus, when the two were returning to Gadchiroli from Nagpur.

In her complaint, the woman has alleged that Bawanthade took her to Nagpur after promising her a job and sexually assaulted her inside the bus on return.

The victim is a former student of the school where Bawanthade is a teacher.

Madavi said the former BJP leader was arrested on charges of rape and under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

The accused was produced before a local court yesterday which remanded him in two-day police custody, the police said.

According to the police, the video clip was circulated on social media after being played on a computer in the private travels office following which three more arrests were made in the case.

The arrested trio--bus driver Sharangdhar Ramteke, bus cleaner Rakesh Khobragade and helper Nitin Sahare--allegedly copied the clip from the original footage and circulated it, Madavi said, adding that further investigations are underway.

Meanwhile, BJP MP from the Chimur-Gadchiroli constituency Ashok Nete told PTI that Bawanthade was removed from the party 4-5 months ago as he was "inactive and not sincere in working for the party".

"Bawanthade is no more with the BJP," he said.

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Farmers' plan to launch a vehicle rally tomorrow from the site of last month's police firing here has hit a roadblock with the local administration vowing not to give permission for the stir.

The ryots want to start the nationwide-rally on tractors and four-wheelers from Pipalia Mandi -- the place where five farmers were killed in police firing during an agitation on June 6.

On the other hand, the district administration is not giving permission to the farmers' outfits to start the rally from the town, around 17 km from the district headquarters, saying tension still prevails in the area.

"We won't allow farmers to hold a condolence meeting at (nearby) Bahi-Phanta area (to mourn the death of the five farmers) and then take out the rally from Pipalia Mandi," collector O P Shrivastava told PTI over phone.

"Tension still prevails in Pipalia Mandi. Besides Bahi -Phanta is a place from where a four-lane road passes. Traffic on that road will come to a halt if farmers arrive for the condolence meeting on their tractors," he added.

The collector said the farmers are adamant on assembling at Bahi-Phanta and then coming to Pipalia Mandi for a public meeting to start the rally.

However, shops were burnt during the farmer stir at Pipalia Mandi and the area is "still tense", he said



"Farmers are free to start their rally from any other place in the district. We don't want to curtail the democratic rights of any person or group," Shrivastava contended.

"We have made some preventive arrests," he said, but did not elaborate.

Ujjain division range Inspector General of Police Madhu Kumar said adequate security arrangements are being made to maintain law and order.

"Nothing (untoward) will happen. We will handle the situation," he said.

Notwithstanding the administration's tough stance, a farmer leader said there will be no change in venue.

"We are going to take out the rally from Pipalia Mandi," Madhya Pradesh Kisan Sabha president Jaswinder Singh, who has already reached Mandsaur, said.

"Farmer leaders from different parts of the country are coming to Pipalia Mandi. They will demand that a memorial be built for the farmers killed in police firing," he added.

"More than 150 farmer organisations are going to take part in the rally," he said.

Police "excesses" on farmers have increased. Police are threatening cultivators and asking them not to take part in the agitation, Singh alleged.

The vehicle rally has been organised by farmer outfits to demand remunerative prices for agriculture produce and waiver of farm loans, among other things, he said.

Singh said the rally will pass through Maharashtra, Gujarat and reach New Delhi on July 18 where farmers are planning to hold a demonstration in front of Parliament.

The vehicle march will continue from the national capital and culminate at Champaran in Bihar on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Singh added.

"We want immediate implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report (on welfare of farmers)," he added.

"The implementation of the report was one of the promises made by the BJP in its manifesto. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had later announced the report will be implemented, but nothing has happened yet," he added.

Among other things, the commission had recommended fixing the minimum support prices (MSPs) for crops at levels at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production.

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Russia's emergency services ministry says a fire broke out on the floating nuclear power plant being built at a shipyard near the center of St Petersburg, but was extinguished before anyone was injured.

Construction of the floating plant, which is to be deployed in Russia's Far East, has caused concern among environmentalists.

Rashid Alimov of Greenpeace's Russian branch said today's fire showed that plans for loading nuclear fuel into the plant's reactors are "irresponsible."



The shipyard is about two kilometers (1.25 miles) downriver from some of St Petersburg's most renowned tourist sites, including the State Hermitage Museum.

The ministry statement says the fire was caused by a short circuit in a storage battery.

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A selection of works by Albuquerque sculptor and architect Bruce Warren Davis and multi-disciplinary artist and professor at the University of New Mexico, Mary Tsiongas. Runs through 6/30.

Repurpose/Revision/Reconstruction  Bruce Warren Davis and Mary Tsiongas

What The Color Blue Sounds Like  Mick Burson

May 30July 14

Gallery Reception: Saturday, May 27, 68 pm

Richard Levy Gallery is pleased to present Repurpose/Revision/Reconstruction, a selection of works by Albuquerque sculptor/architect Bruce Warren Davis and multi-disciplinary artist and professor at the University of New Mexico Mary Tsiongas. Davis constructs three-dimensional artifacts that explore space and material. Tsiongas projects landscape paintings onto found architectural models to create mesmerizing photographs.

As an architect, Davis has completed hundreds of projects throughout the Southwest and has recently turned his attention to sculpture. Davis focuses on objects like frames and boxes that normally serve to contain. He creates wooden assemblages and loosely painted colorful frames from raw and reclaimed construction materials. Born and educated in Illinois, Davis moved to New Mexico in 1972 and has maintained a private architecture practice since 1975. He has exhibited artwork in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

In her recent work entitled Aporia, Mary Tsiongas creates dimly lit sets by using small architectural models and old slides of landscape paintings. The projections are then photographed and printed digitally. Aporia comes from the Greek work  meaning an impasse, a puzzlement, a contradiction. Born in Greece and now based in Albuquerque, Mary Tsiongas has performed, exhibited, and lectured extensively for the past twenty years. Her work has been shown in over fifty solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. She is currently a Professor of Experimental Art and Technology in the Department of Art at the University of New Mexico.

In the Project Room the gallery presents What The Color Blue Sounds Like, a sculptural installation made from wood, metal, and paint by Mick Burson. He is also showing lithographs printed at the Tamarind Institute. The gallery commissioned Burson to paint a mural on the outside back wall of the building. It will be unveiled at this event. Originally from Waco, TX, Burson is currently in the masters degree program in studio art at the University of New Mexico.

Gallery Reception: Saturday, May 27, 68 pm
H-Bots Robotics Pvt Ltd, a city-based startup is in the process of making a "police robot" that may be deployed at Jubilee Hills check post once it is completed.

Kisshhan, founder of H-Bots Robotics, in a statement, said the design of the robot which will walk, recognise people, take complaints and diffuse bombs, was unveiled by Jayesh Ranjan, Telangana IT Secretary, in a programme.

"It will be the world's second humanoid robot after Dubai. The one in Dubai was made in France and deployed. But, in this case it (ours) will be totally an Indian made humanoid robot. The prototype will be ready by September this year. We will test it for two months to deploy on December 31st at Jubilee Hills check post. We will have to finalise those details with police and the government," Kisshhan said.

Providing details, he said, unlike the police robot in Dubai, which moves only on wheels, their robot can walk, recognise people, take complaints and diffuse bombs as well.

"We are building capacity to produce 10 such private police robots, which can be private security guards and can be deployed in hotels, hospitals and offices, he informed," he said adding that they will be able to produce 10 such robots in a year and the plan is to make them available at a price of Rs 3 lakh each," he said.

Meanwhile, Jayesh Ranjan said the state government will soon come out with IoT (Internet of things) Policy and robotics would be part of it.

"While we have already come out with policies on eight allied sectors, which include startups, animation industry, cyber security etc and others, we will announce IoT Policy of Telangana State in next three to four months. The policy draft is in final stages," the official said.

T-Works, on the lines of T-Hub, a prototyping centre for electronics, semiconductors and hardware start-ups will come up in Gachibowli, with an initial investment of Rs 50 crore in the next three-four months.

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Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said today recent talks in Egypt could lead to improving the humanitarian suffering in the impoverished Gaza Strip.

The head of the Palestinian Islamist movement said it found Egyptian officials "ready to work to address the crises in Gaza" during a recent trip in which Hamas leaders, led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar, met with Egyptian officials in Cairo.

"The Egyptian authorities issued a package of measures and policies and fuel began to enter to the power plant, and work continues at the Rafah crossing to reopen it in the near future."



"The result will have the effect of alleviating the burden of the siege against our people in the Gaza Strip," Haniya said.

He did not give further specific details.

Gaza has been blockaded by Israel for a decade while Egypt, the only other country the Palestinian enclave shares a border with, has also largely sealed off its crossing in recent years.

Hamas has had strained relations with Egypt since the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood president, in 2013.

The current Egyptian government led by former military leader Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has closed hundreds of smuggling tunnels along the border and accused Hamas of supporting Islamist radicals inside Egypt, including near the frontier.

In recent months though, relations between Gaza and Cairo have somewhat thawed.

Last month, Egypt began delivering a million litres of fuel to Gaza, temporarily easing a power crisis that had left the Palestinian enclave's two million residents with only a few hours of electricity per day.

Last week Hamas began building a security buffer zone along the Egyptian border to reduce smuggling.

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The Delhi High Court today asked Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to meet an NGO to examine and resolve education-related difficulties faced by children, including those with special needs and disabilities.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also issued notice to the Delhi government and its Directorate of Education (DoE) and sought their replies on the NGO's plea. Sisodia also holds the Education portfolio in the AAP government.

The court was of the view that the issue can be resolved by a meeting with the government as "government schools are doing better than private ones".

The court said a representative of the competent authority, DoE, be also part of the meeting with the NGO which has sought that free education provided under the Right to Education (RTE) Rules should include teaching aids used by private schools for care of children with special needs and disabilities.

The bench said that deliberations of the meeting, to be held on July 11, may be placed before the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) which may indicate its stand before the court on the next date of hearing on July 31.

The plea, filed by advocate Khagesh Jha, has also claimed that the rules have failed to take into consideration the rights of persons with disability.

The DoE, represented by advocate Gautam Narayan, told the bench that similar issues have been raised by the NGO, Justice for All, and these were pending before another bench.

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India today asserted that climate finance is necessary for sustainable agriculture and the UN body -- Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) -- should remove capacity constraints in accessing and effective use of the fund in developing countries.

Since climate change impact on agri sector is a 'certain', there is a need to diversify crops from rice, wheat and maize to millets, which is a climate smart nutri-cereal, Junior Agriculture Minister Parshottam Rupala said at the 40th session of FAO conference in Rome, Italy.

Rupala, who is attending a six-day conference to conclude on July 8, was speaking on 'Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security'.

"Climate finance is an important aspect of achieving increased investments in climate smart technology and "we recommend that FAO should work towards facilitating access to climate finance for sustainable agriculture," he said.

Rupala further noted that climate finance may prove to be a catalyst to leverage larger flow of public and private funding into sustainable agriculture.

"I invite attention of FAO to address capacity constraints in accessing and effective use of climate finance in developing countries," according to the speech copy issued by the agriculture ministry.

Asserting that India recognises the urgency of addressing climate change effects, the minister said that the country is committed to the global efforts of building food and nutrition security on a sustainable basis.

While highlighting recent farm initiatives, he also mentioned, "We are aware about our responsibility of sustaining and enhancing the production in view of increasing population, changing consumption pattern and in the wake of challenges posed by climate change".

Since climate action has inter-linkages in achieving sustainable development goals, he said: "I, therefore, would like to emphasise that FAO should identify and address implementation challenges, data quality issues and strengthen monitoring, evaluation and governance capacities, by working proactively with national governments."



Emphasising the need to diversify crop basket, the minister said that the focus should be on growing millets which is a hardy crop and well suited to regions that suffer from abiotic stress.

He proposed FAO to take up research activities and advocacy to popularise millets on a major scale, particularly in arid and semi-arid tropics.

Rupala also suggested the UN body to declare one of the years in future as an International year of Millets.

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India today declined to comment on China upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff and accused New Delhi of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and demanded withdrawal of Indian troops from the area.

"I am not taking any questions other than pertaining to this visit (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel)," Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said at a briefing here on Modi's bilateral talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The briefing is on this visit," Jaishankar said when asked to comment on China's recent aggressive comments amidst the standoff.

In Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry today accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

China also claimed that India was "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to its north-eastern states.

"I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang said.

"However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other country's territory," he said.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

China's state-run media yesterday had quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a "military way" to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it.

"China is trying its best to use historical lessons to reason with India and show sincerity in peacefully solving the problem, but if India refuses to listen, then China would have no other choice than to use a military way of solving the problem," Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the state-run Global Times.

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Voicing their common concern over the growing menace of terrorism and radicalism, India and Israel today agreed to cooperate to protect their strategic interests and called for strong measures against terror groups and their sponsors.

India has suffered first-hand violence and hatred spread by terror groups so as Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after holding wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit.

Modi said during their talks he and Netanyahu agreed to to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.

Later, a joint statement said the two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.

The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, it said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism (CCIT), the statement added.

"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," said Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a USD 40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing USD 20 million each.

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India and Israel today launched a five-year technology fund, reminiscent of a fund that boosted the Jewish state's ties with US over four decades, and agreed to holds talks for an investment protection treaty in a bid to boost trade and business ties.

A joint statement, issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unprecedented visit to Israel, identified start-ups as among areas for boosting bilateral ties.

The two nations agreed to put USD 4 million a year for five years into the Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund, or I4F, said the statement issued after Modi's talks with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The MoU, between the Indian Department of Science and Technology and the National Authority for Technological Innovation of Israel, "will play a seminal role in enabling Indian and Israeli enterprises to undertake joint R&D projects leading to development of innovative technologies and products that have potential for commercial application," it said.

Besides getting Israeli technology firms to invest in India, the fund aims to spur Indian firms to open development centres in the Jewish state and invest in their technology ecosystem.

Modi and Netanyahu "underlined the need to boost bilateral cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship and called for greater collaboration in the field of start-ups," it said.

The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Fund, the model for I4F, has invested in almost 1,000 projects since 1977, helping generate USD 10 billion in indirect and direct revenue.

"The two prime ministers agreed that negotiations would be conducted on an agreement for the protection of investments in order to encourage bilateral investments from both sides," the joint statement said.

Indo-Israel trade has grown from about USD 200 million in 1992, when they established diplomatic ties, to nearly USD 4.2 billion last year.

"The two prime ministers noted the importance of realising the full potential of bilateral trade and investment. They tasked the India-Israel CEO forum to come up with early recommendations in this regard," the statement said.

Recognising the importance of facilitating movement of business-person, India and Israel underlined their expectation that the granting of multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years will encourage greater economic and commercial exchanges.

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India and Israel today elevated their ties to the "strategic partnership" level with a vow to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism and pitched for "strong measures" against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups.

The issue of terror and "strategic threats" along with various other topics like cooperation in defence and security, water, agriculture, space and West Asia figured prominently in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu here today.

After the wide-ranging talks, the two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture and space.

"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, said in a joint media appearance with Netanyahu.

Modi, on the second day of his three-day visit, said India and Israel live in "complex geographies" and are aware of "strategic threats" to regional peace and stability.

"India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel," he said, adding the two leaders had "agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyber space."



Netanyahu said the two countries need to cooperate in the field of counter-terrorism as he described 26/11 as a "horrible terrorist attack".

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, while briefing the media on the talks later, said that the two countries had decided to elevate their relationship to the strategic partnership, which gives a special dimension to the ties.

A joint statement issued after the talks said "strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, , support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctury to terrorists and terror groups."



Though nobody was named in this context, the Indian side saw this as a reference to Pakistan.

The two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations, the joint statement said.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism (CCIT), the statement added.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a USD 40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing USD 20 million each.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced the setting up of an Indian Cultural Centre in Israel as part efforts to enhance people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

Prime Minister Modi, who became the first Indian premier to visit Israel when he landed in Tel Aviv yesterday, held wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu today.

Modi, while appreciating the contribution of the Jewish community in India and Jews of Indian origin in Israel in bringing the two societies closer, announced the opening of an Indian Cultural Centre in Israel, according to a joint statement issued after the talks between the two leaders.

"This was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Netanyahu who expressed his deep respect for Indian culture and recalled Israel's strong support and sponsorship of PM Modi's initiative to promote the practice of Yoga by designating June 21 as International Yoga Day," it said.

Just days before Modi's landmark visit, Noah Massil, the founder President of Central Organisation of Indian Jews in Israel, had said that such an announcement would "fulfill a long time dream of the Indian community here".

"We have been trying hard to establish an Indian cultural centre in Israel like the one in Cairo (Egypt)," he had said.

"There are about 47 synagogues of the Indian Jewish community and they all can also pitch in with financial support if such a proposal comes up and the government allocates land for an Indian cultural centre," Massil said.

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Leader of Opposition in Israel Isaac Herzog today called on Prime Minister Nerandra Modi here.

"Stressing consensus on strengthening relationship, Leader of Opposition Isaac Herzog calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a tweet.

Herzog, the chairman of the Labour Party, is the son of General Chaim Herzog, who served two terms as the sixth President of Israel from 1983 to 1993.

Prime Minister Modi held talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark Israel visit, the first by an Indian premier.

Earlier today, Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and how Israel's cutting-edge technology could help the 'Make in India' initiative.

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Director Ravi Udyawar, whose upcoming film "Mom" features Pakistani actors Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Ali, says it is not justified to stop artistes from across the border to work in India.

Karan Johar's film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", which featured Fawad Khan in a cameo, faced trouble in its release last year from right wing outfits. Johar had to issue a video apology to get his film released.

Udyawar says their team had almost finished the shoot before the clamour against Pakistani artistes began.

"I respect whatever is happening. It shouldn't be happening. But this is how it is, this is how things are. It is sad," Udyawar told PTI.

"We had already shot most of the scenes by then, only ten days of patchwork was left. Filmmaking itself is taxing. We tried our best to finish things. We had the permission and we had to go and shoot it."



Udyawar is all praise for Adnan and Sajal, who play prominent roles in "Mom". While Sajal takes on the role of Sridevi's stepdaughter, Adnan will portray the 53-year-old actress' husband in "Mom".

"I had a great time working with Adnan and Sajal. It was refreshing to see them. They brought something special on screen. Sajal plays the daughter's role and there were many silent scenes in the film and she delivered them brilliantly. Adnan is a great actor. They both did a good job."



The film also features Akshaye Khanna and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Udyawar says it was a dream come true for a director to have such a talented bunch of actors on board.

"Sridevi is a fine actor and she knows what new she can get to a film. She felt an emotional connect with the idea of the film."



"Mom" releases this Friday.

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Italian lawmakers have finally passed a bill making torture a crime under national law, after years of parliamentary back-and-forth.

Rome signed the UN Convention Against Torture in 1984 but had never transferred it into national legislation.

Lawmakers yesterday passed a bill that makes torture punishable by four to 10 years in prison -- 12 for members of the security forces -- with 198 backing the legislation, 35 opposing it and 104 abstaining.

Torture is defined under the law as "intense physical suffering or psychological trauma verifiably caused by violence, grave threats or cruel actions".

In 2015 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blasted Italy for police violence against anti-globalisation activists on the margins of a 2001 G8 summit in Genoa, judging that officers' actions against protesters sheltering in a school were akin to torture.

Several members of the Italian security forces were convicted after the violence, but this did not include any officers who had been at the scene.

The ECHR criticised this decision, saying it showed there was a "structural problem" with Italian legislation.

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Justice C S Karnan's case calls for revisiting the process of selection of judges to the constitutional courts, Justices J Chelameswar and Justice Ranjan Gogoi of the Supreme Court have said.

The two judges, who concurred with the main judgement passed by a seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, said this case highlighted the need to set up an appropriate legal regime to deal with situations where the conduct of a judge of a constitutional court requires to take corrective measures, other than impeachment.

"Surely there must be other ways of dealing with such cases. The text of the Constitution is silent in this regard. May be it is time for the nation to debate this issue," they said.

Justices Chelameswar and Gogoi said the conduct of Justice Karnan during pendency of the proceedings constitutes criminal contempt falling both under the heads of scandalising the court as well as interference with the proceedings of the apex court.

"In our view, the contemnor is therefore liable to be punished for the contempt of this court," the bench said.

"This case, in our opinion, has importance extending beyond the immediate problem. This case highlights two things, (1) the need to revisit the process of selection and appointment of judges to the constitutional courts, for that matter, any member of the judiciary at all levels;



"And (2) the need to set up appropriate legal regime to deal with situations where the conduct of a Judge of a constitutional court requires corrective measures - other than impeachment - to be taken," it said.

Ironically, Justice Chelameswar was a part of five-judge constitution bench in which he was the lone dissenting judge who has held as valid the appointment of judges through the National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC) Act. The Act was struck down by the apex court.

In the minority judgement delivered by him, he had found fault with the existing mode of appointment of judges for higher judiciary through collegium system.

In the recent past, when there was a tussle between the judiciary and the executive over the appointment of judges, he had reportedly skipped the meeting of the collegium and has been insisting that there should be reasoning given by the judges in the collegium on selection and rejection of judges.

While writing the judgement for himself and Justice Gogoi, Justice Chelameswar said there is no doubt that such conduct on the part of Justice Karnan has brought "disrepute to the judicial system and has the potential of shaking the confidence of the average citizen in the system".

The two judges said Justice Karnan has not shown the slightest remorse which could be a mitigating factor and such conduct and action, if tolerated, would certainly reflect an element of weakness in the system and no such weakness can be allowed to enter the system.

They said since his elevation to the bench, Justice Karnan's conduct has been "controversial" and "obviously, there is a failure to make an assessment of the personality of the contemnor at the time of recommending his name for elevation".

"Our purpose is not to point fingers at individuals who were responsible for recommendation but only to highlight the system's failure of not providing an appropriate procedure for making such an assessment.

"What appropriate mechanism would be suitable for assessing the personality of the candidate who is being considered for appointment to be a member of a constitutional court is a matter which is to be identified after an appropriate debate by all the concerned - the Bar, the Bench, the State and Civil Society. But the need appears to be unquestionable," the bench said.

It further said it was "only sad" to point out that apart from the embarrassment that this entire episode has caused to the Indian Judiciary, "there are various other instances (mercifully which are less known to the public) of conduct of some of the members of the judiciary which certainly would cause some embarrassment to the system".

It said the framers of the Constitution were people of a great sense of patriotism and maturity, men and women who maintained high standards of civic morality.

"Obviously, they expected those who are to be chosen for the higher constitutional offices or to be appointed to public service would be chosen by assessing their suitability (efficiency and integrity) by employing appropriate standards," it said.

The bench said that the makers of the Constitution were conscious of the fact that ascendance to higher offices need not necessarily always guarantee rectitude and the incumbent of any constitutional office could resort to behaviour inconsistent with the nature of the office and standards of conduct expected.

"Thereafter, provisions were made in the Constitution for impeachment of holders of various constitutional offices, starting from the President of India," it said, adding that when it came to the members of the constitutional courts, it was visualised that there can be such occasions.

But the standards and procedure for impeachment of judges are much more rigorous for reasons obvious, it said.

"There can be deviations in the conduct of the holders of the offices of constitutional courts which do not strictly call for impeachment of the individual or such impeachment is not feasible. Surely there must be other ways of dealing with such cases. The text of the Constitution is silent in this regard. May be it is time for the nation to debate this issue," the bench said.

Justice Karnan's name was recommended for elevation by the Collegium of the Madras High Court comprising the then Chief Justice and two senior most judges. He was appointed on March 30, 2009.

Referring to the laws in foreign lands, the court said that Great Britain, from where India has adopted the present legal system, abolished the offence of criminal contempt on the ground of scandalising the court pursuant to the recommendation of their Law Commission.

It said that in this regard, the American law appears to be more liberal with greater emphasis on freedom of speech but the apex court does not wish to undertake any elaborate analysis of it.

"However, in India scandalising the court is still recognised to be an act constituting contempt of court. Though what is the activity which constitutes scandalisation of the court is not defined or very precisely explained in the... cases, individuals were held guilty of contempt of court on the ground that their deeds scandalised the court," it said.

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Two Malaysian children have died after contracting rabies, the country's first such deaths in almost two decades, as authorities battle a rare outbreak of the disease, officials said today.

A six-year-old girl and her four-year-old brother died yesterday after becoming infected with the disease in a rural area on the Malaysian part of Borneo island.

They were among three people confirmed to have been infected with rabies, which in most cases is transmitted via dog bites, according to Sarawak's local government and housing minister Sim Kui Hian.

"Two of the three confirmed cases... Were pronounced dead," he said. "They were diagnosed to be brain dead and the parents have agreed for the life support to be withdrawn."



He said the other patient was still "critically ill".

Noor Hisham Abdullah, Malaysia's director general of health, told AFP that the cases were the first rabies-related deaths in the country in almost 20 years.

Five villages in the Serian district of Sarawak state, which borders the Indonesian part of Borneo, are confirmed as having been affected by the outbreak. Enormous, jungle-clad Borneo is shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

Sim said health teams in Serian had visited 19 villages as of yesterday and carried out checks on over 6,000 people. Only three cases of humans contracting rabies have so far been confirmed.

Officials have ordered all dogs in the area to be vaccinated against rabies, reported state agency Bernama.

Rabies causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and is almost always fatal once contracted, according to the World Health Organisation.

It mainly affects poor and vulnerable populations in rural areas, according to the WHO.

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Security forces today arrested a man in Rawla village, along the India-Pakistan international border, in Sriganganagar district and seized 134 kg of narcotics from him.

Acting on a tip-off, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Jodhpur intercepted a vehicle and seized 125 kg of 'doda post' (a drug) and nine kg of opium from Richhpal Singh Bishnoi, a senior BSF official said.

The vehicle, which was being used for transporting the consignment, and a mobile phone have also been confiscated, he added.

Bishnoi, who hails from Bikaner, has been arrested under the NDPS Act and will be handed over to NCB sleuths for further investigation into the matter, he said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu today discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region that has been marred by years of conflict.

"We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail," Prime Minister Modi said after holding wide- ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart on the second day of his landmark visit.

Later, a joint statement issued by the two sides said the two Prime Ministers discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

"They underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region," it said.

The two leaders "reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements," it added.

Ahead of his visit, Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish state, had said that India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully.

India supports all efforts to find an acceptable solution to all the pending issues, including Jerusalem, he had said.

"A final-status agreement should respect the sentiments and address demands of all affected parties," Modi had said.

The two-state solution envisions independent Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting side by side peacefully. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as their future capital.

During his historic three-day visit, Modi did not travel to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, to meet with Palestinian leaders, as is common for visiting foreign dignitaries.

The move is seen as a significant departure from the past when Indian leaders always visited Palestinian territories while visiting Israel.

Modi, however, had met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in New Delhi in May.

India for the first time has de-linked its relationship with Israel from its traditional support to Palestine. It hopes to leverage its relationship with Israel to attract more investment, and gain from Israeli cutting-edge technology and defence.

The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today dubbed Narendra Modi as a "weak PM" for not raising the issue of H-1B visa in his talks with US President Donald Trump and for playing down the use of the term "Indian-administered Kashmir" by the US.

The Congress on its Twitter handle also criticised Modi's recent US visit, saying it was merely a photo opportunity and the main issues were bypassed.

Gandhi tweeted some links of media reports that said "H- 1B didn't figure in Modi-Trump talks" and "MEA accepts US use of 'administered Kashmir'".

"India has a weak PM," he tweeted.

India had played down the usage of "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir" by the US in a statement issued during Modi's visit to the country last month, saying similar terms have been used in the past too.

The Congress today tweeted, "While it was a great photo opportunity, the main issues were bypassed on Narendra Modi's trip to the United States. #Unfruitful #WeakModi."



It also posted a picture captioned "no priority for Indian interests" along with the tweet.

"PM Modi should have made an effort to ensure that issues of visas and the tech industry were discussed," it tweeted.

Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said the prime minister's visit has purely been transactional as he has not been able to firmly articulate India's interests and also convey the country's concerns.

Sharma said the Congress had cautioned the prime minister before he went to America that he should secure credible assurances from President Trump on H-1B visa issue and also on unhindered movement of Indian professionals. "It was the duty of the prime minister to convey this," he said.

"But PM has singularly failed. The very fact that he did not muster the courage nor did he feel that it was his duty as India's prime minister to raise this issue with Donald Trump. He lacks the courage of conviction which is a matter of great sadness for the country," he said.

Sharma also accused the prime minister of "succumbing to pressures of US pharmaceutical companies" as it is his duty to ensure that Indians get affordable medicines.

The Congress had yesterday attacked Modi over his frequent foreign trips, saying they had not benefited India "even a bit" and that only time would tell about the gains from his current visit to Israel.

Senior AICC spokesperson Ajay Maken claimed Modi's last "64 visits in more than 3 years" have catered only to domestic Indian audience through "televised shows" instead of ensuring concrete gains for the country.

The Congress had earlier urged Modi to take up during his meeting with Trump, the issues of H-1B visa, racial attacks on Indians and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.

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Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu will tomorrow discuss ways to spread awareness on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) with lieutenant governors of seven union territories.

Apart from the issue of GST awareness, the information and broadcasting minister will also take stock of the functioning of public broadcasters Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) in the union territories, an official said.

"The minister will explore ways on spreading awareness on GST, particularly through the DD and the AIR network," he added.

Other issues that would come up for discussions include improving content of programmes, increasing transmission in local dialects, infrastructure requirement and electricity supply at non-commercial rates to DD and AIR.

Apart from lieutenant governors (LGs) of the seven union territories (UTs), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Puducherry counterpart V Narayanasamy have also been invited to the meeting here. Delhi and Puducherry are the two UTs with elected legislatures.

Naidu, who also holds the portfolio of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry will review the implementation of programmes related to these ministry, too, the official said.

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As part of its growth plans, multi-speciality hospital chain Narayana Health is now looking at expanding in Maharashtra after commencing operations of a children's hospital in Mumbai.

"We are looking at expanding in Maharashtra for setting up another multi-speciality hospital. We will soon finalise the location for the said hospital. We have already commenced operations of SRCC Children's Hospital in Mumbai, which is operated and managed by Narayana Health," SRCC Children's Hospital Facility Director Rupesh R Choubey told PTI here.

Founded by Dr Devi Shetty, Narayana Health group is the second largest health care provider in the country in terms of operational bed count. The company today operates a chain of multi-speciality tertiary and primary healthcare facilities across a network of 24 hospitals and seven heart centres in India and single hospital overseas at Cayman Islands with over 5,600 operational beds across all its centres and potential to reach a capacity of over 6,900 beds



Narayana Health has invested Rs 50 crore in SRCC Children's Hospital exclusively for children and may invest another Rs 8 crore in next five years period for adding instrumentation and special equipments.

Of the 207 beds currently operational, 87 have been allocated for multispecialty critical care covering new-borns to adolescents. It has qualified team of paediatric intensivists to provide Emergency Life Support (ELS) for children with failure of their vital organs including heart, lungs and kidneys. The team of specialists in cardiac sciences, neurosciences, hematology- oncology, infectious diseases, endocrinology, orthopaedics, ENT, gastroenterology, diagnostics services and nephrology are also available, Choubey said.

In the last two months, children's hospital have performed 200 surgeries and hopes to start bone marrow surgeries in 2018 and liver transplant in 2019, Choubey added.

Children's Hospital is organising a free super-specialty consultation camp for children and adolescents between the age group of 3-18 years between July 10-15 to create awareness and enable children requiring such special care in the fold of paediatric super specialists.

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NDA presidential nominee and BJP leader Ram Nath Kovind today told the MLAs and Lok Sabha members from Karnataka here that he would keep the top constitutional post above the party and sought their support for the July-17 poll.

Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar was also present at the meeting which took place at a private hotel here.

Among the leaders who attended the meeting were union ministers Thawar Chand Gehlot and Ananth Kumar. State BJP president B SYedyurappa was also present.

To a query, Shettar said he was expecting at least 70 per cent votes in favour of Kovind.

"The moment Kovindji's candidature was announced, a number of non-NDA political parties came out in support of him. Even Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supported him immediately after the announcement. I am confident he will garner 70 per cent vote in his favour," he said.

On Congress asking the Bihar CM to reconsider supporting Kovind, Shettar said, "I know Nitish very well. He is a very principled man and once he has committed, he stays put."



Three BSR Congress (Badavara Sharmikara Raitara Congress)MLAs, who are close to BJP Lok Sabha member and former minister B Sriramulu, attended the meeting and extended their support to Kovind.

"BSR Congress MLAs and others have expressed support to Kovindji," Sriramulu told reporters here.

Kovind would begin his two-day campaign in the north-east tomorrow.

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The SSB has arrested a Nepalese national with 8.4 kg charas in Raxaul town of Bihar's East Champaran district, an official said today.

During petrolling at Nehru Chowk near the porous Indo-Nepal border last night, SSB jawans intercepted a man, identified as Brajesh Rai and seized 8.4 kg charas from him, Sonam Tshering, Commandant of 47th Battalion of SSB, said.

The seized consignment of contraband substance is worth Rs 1.68 crore, he said.

Rai, a native of Nepal's Parsa district, has been handed over to Raxaul police for further action, Tshering added.

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Cambridge scientists have created a new 'scientific' quiz that sorts people into the four houses of Hogwarts - the magical school from J K Rowling's popular Harry Potter fantasy franchise.

In celebration of Harry Potter's 20th anniversary, researchers created a personality quiz that sorts participants into the four different houses of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

They used the results to determine the distribution of the houses across the 50 states of the US.

The quiz consisted of 21-questions from several well- established scientific personality surveys.

The 21 questions in the personality quiz measured traits that are commonly seen in the Harry Potter novels, like 'courage' and 'humility'.

The data was collected on the personalities of Harry Potter characters like Professor Severerus Snape, Luna Lovegood and others to denote the significant differences in the personality traits of characters from different Houses.

About 3,30,000 people participated in the quiz, the 'Time' reported.

To gather data on the personality traits of each House, researchers recruited hundreds of Harry Potter fans to answer the same 21 questions in this quiz on behalf of 20 different characters from the books - five from each House.

The responses showed clear differences between the personality traits our survey measures and the four Houses.

For example, Gryffindors showed an unsurprisingly high statistical correlation with courage, while Hufflepuffs tended to score very high on humility.

Researchers found that Hufflepuff is clearly associated with the Midwest, while there were more Slytherins in the South.

The highest chance of encountering a Gryffindor was in Hawaii, a Hufflepuff in North Dakota, a Ravenclaw in South Dakota and a Slytherin in West Virginia, researchers found.

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Nigerian authorities have launched an investigation into claims that a teenager survived 12 hours hidden in the wheel compartment of a plane between Lagos and London, an aviation official said today.

The boy, said to be aged 15 or under, was apparently discovered in the wheel compartment of a Med-View Airline Boeing 747 which made the round trip last Saturday.

"We are looking into the incident to find how it happened and to prevent a recurrence," Sam Adurogboye, of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), told AFP.

Adurogboye said the authorities were "disturbed by the incident because of its implications for air safety".

Nigerian media quoted Med-View's spokesman Oyibotha Obuke as saying the airline was cooperating with the relevant authorities.

How the teenager survived at an altitude of 32,000 feet (9,754 metre) was a mystery, said Adurogboye.

Hypoxia or oxygen deficiency normally sets in from about 10,000 feet and would quickly render a person unconscious.

Temperatures at that altitude plunge to -48 degrees Celsius (-55 degrees Fahrenheit), causing hypothermia.

But there have been previous examples of stowaways surviving in the wheel compartment of passenger jets.

An October 1996 report by the US Federal Aviation Administration, "Survival at High Altitudes: Wheel-Well Passengers", documents five survivors between 1947 and 1993.

Three of them were teenagers, one aged 13 and two aged 17.

In April 2014, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said a 16-year-old boy survived a five-and-a-half hour flight from California to Hawaii at altitudes of up to 38,000 feet.

In October 2007, a 27-year-old man was charged with entering Singapore without a valid pass or permit, after stowing away on a 35-minute flight from Kuala Lumpur.

Harsh social and economic conditions in Nigeria are forcing many people to undergo risky journeys searching for greener pastures in Europe and the United States.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had yesterday expressed surprise over the list of beneficiaries entitled for the farm loan waiver that included farmers from Mumbai city and suburbs, today said there was no mistake in the list.

He also said that the government would soon release details of the beneficiaries.

As many as 813 farmers from Mumbai city and its suburbs figure on the loan waiver list, which had left Fadnavis surprised, prompting him to order a scrutiny before sanctioning the waivers.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here today, Fadnavis said, "There is no mistake in the list of farmers, who are entitled for a loan waiver. We will soon release the names of all beneficiaries, including those in Mumbai. Accusations levelled by the opposition are false."



These farmers figure in the list of probable beneficiaries eligible for benefits under the Rs 34,000-crore loan waiver scheme announced by the state government last month.

Yesterday, the chief minister had said, "Even I was surprised to find these two cities (Mumbai and suburbs) in the list. The 'beneficiary' farmers from these two districts would be scrutinised thoroughly before sanctioning waiver of their loans."



He had said that he has directed officers concerned to look into the genuineness of these farmers from the two urban centres.

The Mumbai city and its suburbs are urbanised areas, leaving little scope for farming activity in the country's commercial nerve centre.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Ashok Chavan said there are many discrepancies in the list and demanded that Fadnavis should apologise to farmers.

"We never knew Mumbai has farm lands. This is a new revelation for us," Chavan taunted.

"The Fadnavis-led government has duped farmers, for which he should apologise. The opposition parties will hold a meeting next Monday to decide on our future course of action," he said.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant had yesterday said that besides the list of beneficiaries in Mumbai, the list includes 2.49 lakh farmers from Buldhana followed by 2.42 lakh farmers from Yavatmal, 2.08 lakh farmers from Beed - all of them being suicide-prone districts.

"The government is lying. This is condemnable. How can the beneficiaries be more than the total number of farmers, who have taken loans," he had asked.

According to the list of farm loan waiver beneficiaries released by the government, 694 farmers belong to Mumbai and 119 from its suburban districts.

Besides, the list includes 2,49,818 lakh farmers from Buldhana, followed by 2,42,471 lakh farmers from Yavatmal, 2,08,480 lakh farmers from Beed - all of them being suicide prone districts. It also includes 2,00,869 farmers from Ahmednagar, 1,94,320 from Jalgaon, 1,63,760 from Parbhani, 1,48,322 from Aurangabad.

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India has no plans to put any barrier on Chinese investment in the country by going slow on security clearance given to companies from that nation, notwithstanding the ongoing Sino-Indian border row.

A Home Ministry spokesperson said the issue of putting on hold security clearance given to Chinese investment was "not under any consideration".

"It is not under any consideration. Such issues are dealt with great deal of maturity by the concerned agencies at the appropriate level," he said.

The spokesperson was replying to a question on whether the government was mulling going slow in giving security clearance to Chinese companies intending to investment in India in the wake of border stand off near Sikkim.

The home ministry is the nodal authority to provide security clearance to foreign investment under the National Security Clearance Policy.

A total of 14-15 parameters are fixed in eight to nine sensitive areas like telecom, ports and civil aviation etc.

The home ministry has also spelt out locations where foreign investment is not welcome such as those close to the border and vital installations.

According to the data provided by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, China has invested USD 1.64 billion (Rs 10,094 crore) during April 2000 and March 2017.

Chinese companies have invested mostly in telecom, power, engineering and infrastructure sectors.

Several Chinese companies have also shown interests to set up industrial parks in the country.

The standoff between troops of India and China at Dokalam area started after Bhutan, which has close diplomatic and military ties with India, protested to Beijing about the People's Liberation Army troops building a road in the strategic location close to chicken neck tri-junction.

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

China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.

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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A couple was today killed after the motorcycle they were travelling in collided with a truck near Gokarnapur in Ganjam district, police said.

The accident took place when the duo were headed to Podamari from Berhampur. Their motorcycle collided with a truck, they said.

The deceased have been identified as 35-year-old Prasant Kumar Panda and his wife Rupa (30), both residents of Shakti Nagara in Berhampur, police said.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here, police said.

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Pakistan is closely watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic trip to Israel as it can have serious implications on strategic stability in the region, a media report said today.

The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan officially does not comment on bilateral visits of other heads of governments and states, but it is closely following Modi's trip since it can have serious implications on strategic stability in the region.

"Israel has long been a major supplier of arms and other defence equipment to India and those deals have deliberately been kept secret by the two sides. However, the two countries are now more open and publicly talk about their deepening defence cooperation," the daily said.

India got access to some of the most modern defence technologies of America through Israel, defence analyst Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib was quoted as saying by the daily.

Gen Shoaib said India had greatly benefited from the defence and military ties with Israel.

Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, an international affairs expert, said growing defence cooperation between India and Israel would disturb strategic balance in the South Asian region.

The Quaid-e-Azam University professor believes Israel assistance can propel India's missile programme, something that would undermine Pakistan's policy of maintaining credible deterrence, the daily reported.

"One of the subjects on which the Indian media has created a lot of hype is the threat emanating from terrorism. It has worked hard to relate terrorism with Pakistan and blame it for virtually any terror incident occurring anywhere in India," the daily said.

Modi's three-day visit to Israel is the first by an Indian prime minister to the Jewish nation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his entire cabinet went to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport to receive Modi in a rare gesture.

Modi, before leaving for Tel Aviv, told an Israeli newspaper that terrorism was a common challenge and said New Delhi and Tel Aviv "can cooperate even more closely" in battling it.

Former ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi believes that the Indian media is too much obsessed with Pakistan, saying: "No matter where Modi goes, India always tries to drag Pakistan along."



However, Naqvi was sceptical if Israel would go too far to appease India.

"Pakistan is not under the immediate radar of Israel. Their (Israel) priority at the moment is Middle East."



However, Naqvi said their defence and military cooperation was something that had direct bearing on Pakistan.

For Gen Shoaib, there is a lesson for Pakistan in the ever-growing close relationship between Israel and India.

"If India can cement ties with Israel while at the same time maintaining diplomatic ties with its enemy Iran, why can't Pakistan also show flexibility in its foreign policy," Gen argued.

"Our foreign policy should not be merely aimed at appeasing any particular country. Rather we need to follow our own national interests," he said.

Some analysts have advocated maintaining working relationship with Israel, if not establishing full diplomatic ties, in order to further and protect Pakistan's interests.

In 2005, during former president Pervez Musharraf's tenure, Pakistan and Israel established contacts and even foreign ministers of the two countries met in Turkey. However, things could not make headway further after that.

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Pakistan today condemned the questioning of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's aide by the NIA in connection with the funding of terror and separatist groups in Kashmir.

"Pakistan strongly condemns the coercive, pressure tactic by India as a concerted attempt to harass the Kashmiri leadership and subjugate the indigenous Kashmiri struggle to the oppressive Indian regime", Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Nafees Zakarai said in a statement.

The National Investigation Agency (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 on Tuesday.

Zakarai said that earlier NIA had arrested Shahid-ul- Islam on "trumped up charges" of terror financing.

India needs to realise that the "legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris for their right to self-determination cannot be wished away or subjugated through such oppressive measures", Zakarai added.

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A Parliamentary panel is understood to have sought details from the government on the Air India disinvestment decision.

Sources said the government's decision to divest stake in Air India was discussed today at the meeting of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.

After the discussion, it was decided to seek an explanation on the reasons behind the disinvestment decision from the civil aviation ministry. The aviation secretary is believed to have been asked to appear before the panel on July 12, sources said.

On June 28, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for the disinvestment of Air India, which has been in the red for long.

During the panel's meeting today, sources said the issue of Air India was raised by Congress member and former Minister of State for Civil Aviation K C Venugopal.

A group of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, would be looking into various aspects of Air India. It would look into the treatment of unsustainable debts of the national carrier, hiving off certain assets to a shell company and de-merger and strategic disinvestment of three profit- making subsidiaries.

Air India, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 52,000 crore, is staying afloat on taxpayers' money. The previous UPA government had extended bailout package worth little over Rs 30,000 crore to the national carrier for a ten-year period starting from 2012.

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The police today arrested a person from south Kolkata's Jadavpur area for allegedly impersonating as a doctor.

Subrata Majumdar was arrested from Jadavpur Central Park area on the basis of complaint of Srabanti Majumder of Bijoygarh alleging that Majumdar had no medical degree to be a doctor, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

Although Majumdar wrote his degree MBBS (Cal) MRCS (Edn) on his prescription but he failed to provide any certificate on demand, the officer said.

"Accordingly his registration number was verified from West Bengal medical council which shows that he is using false registration number. He has been arrested and booked under several relevant sections of the IPC," he said.

Majumdar was produced at a city court which remanded him to police custody till July 7.

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The Punjab cabinet today dissolved the Shivalik Dhauladhar Tourism Development Board, which was constituted and headed by former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The council of ministers, which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister captain Amarinder Singh, also decided to hand over the work of developing the area around Thein Dam at the Ranjit Sagar Lake as a tourism-theme destination to the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB).

"The move would help relieve the cash-strapped state government of an unnecessary financial burden", an official spokesperson said, giving details of the cabinet decision.

The cabinet noted that the Shivalik Dhauladhar Tourism Development Board had initiated the process of development of a tourist destination around the lake in PPP mode by taking funds from PIDB.

However, the PIDB itself has sufficient funds, experience and expertise, to execute a project of this scale and quality, the cabinet observed, adding that this made the role of the Shivalik Dhauladhar Board redundant and the entire exercise a wasteful expenditure, the spokesperson said.

In 2014, the Parkash Singh Badal government had constituted the Board to exploit the "huge potential" for tourism in sub-mountain regions along Shivalik hills.

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Renowned Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan symbolises the talent of people of India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, emphasising that the two countries believe in the partnership of talent.

Expressing his admiration for Ramanujan, Netanyahu said he was one of the greatest mathematicians of all times.

"We have a great admiration for people of India. I told you about my late uncle professor, who was a mathematician at the Israel Institute of Technology. He told me many times about his admiration for the great Indian mathematician Ramanujan," Netanyahu said in a statement along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"He was perhaps the greatest mathematician in many centuries. And this symbolises the talent of people of India, as we know we have talent in Israel. We believe in this partnership of talent," he added.

Ramanujan, who died at an early age of 32, has contributed to mathematical analysis, including infinite series and continued fractions.

The Israeli prime minister said he and Modi both seek a better future for the people of the two countries.

"It requires a lot of work, it won't happen overnight but prime minister Modi and I want this to happen," he said.

Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish nation, received a warm welcome in Israel yesterday. His three-day visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and will also see discussions between him and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu to explore ways to enhance cooperation in key strategic areas.

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A new road built at the behest of Punjab Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi outside his official bungalow here was demoloshed by civic authorities today as it was allegedly constructed illegally on a green belt.

Media reports claimed an astrologer had told Channi that an east-facing entry to his house would bring him good luck.

However, no permission was sought to build the road from the Chandigarh Administration.

The city's municipal corporation used heavy machines today to demolish the road.

The inter-locking paver blocks were also taken away during the drive which was carried out in the presence of several officials of the administration and local police.

Officials said the road was built on the green belt without permission.

Channi was not available for comments and sidestepped queries by the media when he was asked to respond to the issue on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting here.

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An RSS activist was stabbed by a group of unidentified assailants at Bantwal near here, leaving him seriously injured.

Police said today that Sarat, a resident of Kandur who runs a laundry serviceat BC Road, was attacked when he was leaving his shop last night.

The activist, who was seriously injured in the attack, has been admitted to a hospital in the city, they said.

Dakshina Kannada district superintendent of police Sudhir Kumar Reddy has rushed to the spot and the police is maintaining tight vigil at Bantwal.

Prohibitory orders under IPC section 144 have been clamped in four taluks of Dakshina Kannada district following alleged communal clashes in some areas. The orders will remain in force till July 11.

The ban orders have been in force in four taluks-- Bantwal, Puttur, Belthangady and Sullia -- since June 13 in view of the volatile situation in the region after the clashes.

The orders were initially enforced in Bantwal from May 27 following skirmishes between two groups. Later it was extended to the four taluks as violence spread.

The murder of a Social Democratic Party of India worker at Benjanapadavu in Bantwal on June 21 further escalated the tension forcing authorities to extend prohibitory orders.

With the fresh extension, Bantwal taluk will complete 46 continuous days of being covered under the ban order.

The Mangaluru police commissionerate area has been exempted from the order, police said.

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Russia, Turkey and Iran failed at peace talks today to hammer out details including the boundaries and policing of four safe zones in war-torn Syria, Moscow's chief negotiator said.

Russian delegation head Alexander Lavrentiev said after the end of the latest two-day negotiations in Kazakhstan that documents outlining how the four zones should work "need finalising" despite being "essentially agreed" between the three key powerbrokers.

Moscow and Tehran, which back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and rebel supporter Ankara agreed in May to establish four "de-escalation" zones in a potential breakthrough after more than six years of fighting that has claimed more than 320,000 lives.

While fighting dropped off in the weeks after the deal, it has ratcheted up in some areas since, and the international players have yet to finalise the boundaries of the zones or determine who will police them.

"We have not yet managed directly to establish the de- escalation zones," Lavrentiev said, insisting however that "de-facto" safe areas already existed on the ground.

He added that there had been no definitive agreement over the contentious issue of "which specific forces" would police the zones.

A working meeting of representatives from Russia, Iran and Ankara is set to take place in Tehran at the start of August to help thrash out the remaining disagreements, Russian agencies cited a joint statement as saying.

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South Korean President Moon Jae-In called today for toughened sanctions against the North after its first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, as he condemned Pyongyang for the "major provocation".

"That is a major threat and provocation. North Korea should stop immediately and that's why we will examine possibilities of ramping up sanctions," said Moon in Berlin before talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"At the G20 summit, we will discuss this with various government representatives," he said, two days before the gathering of world leaders in the port city of Hamburg.

Moon is due to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump tomorrow evening.

G20 host Merkel also spoke out in favour of punitive action against the North, saying that discussions between her and Moon later today "will focus on how best we can react, how we can keep up the pressure, how we can further ramp up sanctions".

"This is a concern that lies close to our hearts because we know from our own experience what a divided country means, and how happy we were when we were able to restore German unity in 1989," said Merkel.

The pro-Western and pro-Soviet states of West and East Germany reunified after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, becoming one of the most stable and prosperous democracies in the world.

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The sale of cigarettes and tobacco products inside the Delhi High Court complex has been banned since June 16 this year, the court was informed today.

This decision was today communicated to a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar during the hearing of a PIL by a lawyer who had sought removal of a single shop located inside the high court campus which sells cigarettes and other tobacco products. However, some lawyers were seen smoking inside the court complex.

The decision was enforced by a memorandum issued by the Registrar General on June 16 as recommended by the chamber allotment panel which was asked to look into the issue.

The PIL was dismissed in default as the petitioner advocate did not appear when the matter came up for hearing.

The high court on April 11 had ordered enforcement, within its premises, of the rule prohibiting smoking in public places. "Necessary steps are required to be taken to enforce the provisions of Rule 3 of the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules 2008 in the (Delhi) High Court premises," the court had said.

Under Rule 3 of the 2008 Rules, smoking in a public place is prohibited and the owner, proprietor, manager, supervisor or in-charge of the affairs of a public place has to ensure that such activity does not take place.

The high court had directed its Registrar General to apprise it on July 5 about the steps taken to comply with the rule. It had also asked the Registrar General to place a copy of the court's order before the Chamber Allotment Committee of Delhi High Court to enable the panel look into whether the shop selling cigarettes inside the court premises can be allowed to continue there.

Pursuant to the recommendation of the committee to enforce ban on sale of tobacco products inside the high court, it was communicated to the 'paan' shop on June 16 by a memorandum.

The shop was granted a licence in the year 2000 before the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act came into force in 2003. The licence was then renewed till December 31, 2018.

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Oil-rich Saudi Arabia is the chief foreign promoter of Islamist extremism in the UK, a new report has claimed, asserting that a "clear and growing link" can be drawn between overseas money and the recent wave of attacks in Britain and Europe.

The Henry Jackson Society, a foreign affairs think-tank, called for a public inquiry into the role of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, BBC reported.

The think-tank said there was a "clear and growing link" between Islamist organisations in receipt of overseas funds, hate preachers and Jihadist groups promoting violence.

However, the UK's Saudi Arabian embassy says the claims are "categorically false".

Ministers are under pressure to publish a report on UK- based Islamist groups.

The Home Office report into the existence and influence of Jihadist organisations, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015, has reportedly yet to be completed amid questions as to whether it will ever be published.

Critics have suggested it could make uncomfortable reading for the government, which has close and long-standing diplomatic, security and economic links with the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia.

Today's report says a number of Gulf nations, as well as Iran, are providing financial support to mosques and Islamic educational institutions which have played host to extremist preachers and been linked to the spread of extremist material.

At the top of the list, the report claims, is Saudi Arabia. It alleges individuals and foundations have been heavily involved in exporting what it calls "an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology", quoting a number of examples.

In a minority of cases, the report alleges institutions in the UK that receive Saudi funding are run directly from Saudi Arabia, although in most instances the money appears to "simply buy foreign donors' influence".

In a statement, the Saudi embassy here said any accusations that the Kingdom had radicalised "a small number of individuals are baseless and lack credible evidence".

And it pointed out that the country has itself been subject to numerous attacks by al-Qaeda and so-called Islamic State.

It added: "We do not and will not condone the actions or ideology of violent extremism and we will not rest until these deviants and their organisations are destroyed."



The report's release comes at a time when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt are all accusing Qatar of supporting extremism - a charge the report says is hypocritical.

Arab foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo to discuss possible further sanctions on Qatar, while the Qatari foreign minister will be making his own country's case at a press conference in London.

Endorsing the report, Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it shed light on "very worrying" links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism and he called for the government to release its report on foreign funding.

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A school teacher in Nepal was today sentenced to nine years in prison and fined Rs 75,000 for raping his minor student.

The Pokhara High Court overturned the Kaski District Court's verdict which had absolved Laxman Khawas of rape charges and given him a clean chit.

The victim's family had accused Khawas of raping the 14- year-old girl on the pretext of teaching her mathematics.

A division bench of justices Achyut Bista and Balachanda Sharma sentenced him to nine years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 75,000.

It is alleged that following the incident, Khawas coerced the girl's family to sign an agreement not to disclose the case in return of financial gains.

The District Court had last year given the clean chit to Khawas on the basis of the agreement.

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Singapore has repatriated two Indonesian maids it said were radicalised online, one of whom wanted to travel to Syria with her foreign boyfriend to join the Islamic State (IS) group.

Second Home Affairs Minister Desmond Lee told parliament the discovery of the two brought to nine the number of radicalised foreign domestic workers uncovered by the city- state since 2015. All have been repatriated.

The affluent island-republic's leaders have warned it is a prime target for a terror attack because of its strong stand against terrorism and reputation as a regional financial centre.

The city-state is also supporting the US-led international coalition against IS with non-combat assistance like air-to-air refuelling.

Lee said in response to a question in parliament that the two Indonesian maids were IS supporters who were "radicalised through social media".

"One of them intended to travel to Syria with her foreign boyfriend to join ISIS," he said yesterday, using another name for IS.

No details were given for the seven other maids repatriated earlier.

While none of the nine maids intended to carry out attacks in Singapore, "we cannot condone support for any radical ideologies... Whether by locals or foreigners," Lee said.

Hundreds of thousands of foreign maids and construction workers are based in Singapore, one of Asia's wealthiest economies.

Singapore in 2015 and 2016 arrested 40 "radicalised" Bangladeshi workers who it said were plotting violence in their homeland. All but six -- currently serving jail terms for terrorism and terrorist financing -- have been repatriated.

The convicted ringleader, Rahman Mizanur, was jailed for five years last year. He had tried several times to join IS in Syria but could not get visas to Turkey or Algeria, court documents showed.

He and a group of other Bangladeshis working in Singapore had planned to violently overthrow the Bangladeshi government and establish a caliphate there, according to the documents. They also collected funds to support their cause.

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The northern states reeled under sticky heat today, a day after an active monsoon swept across the region, even as one more death was reported from Assam, where over four lakh people have been hit floods.

The flood situation in Assam may take a turn for the worse as weathermen predicted "very heavy" rains in the northeast region tomorrow. The state had one of its worst floods in many years in 2016.

Over four lakh people have been hit by the deluge in Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Cachar, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Karimganj, Sonitpur, Hojai, Majuli, Barpeta, Chirang, Nagaon and Nalbari districts.

According to a report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person, identified as Suraj Chetri (22), drowned in the flood waters at Khumtai in Golaghat district.

With this, 18 flood-related deaths, including seven in Guwahati, have occurred in the state.

The worst hit district is Karimganj where over two lakh people have been affected by the swirling waters, followed by Lakhimpur with 80,000 sufferers, the report said.

The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in central Assam, the most dense habitat of one-horned rhinos in the world, has been inundated by the flood waters of the Brahmaputra river, a senior forest department official said.

Meanwhile, sharp showers pounded parts of Bihar. Patna guaged 28.1 mm of rainfall, Gaya 107.2 mm, Bhagalpur 14.6 mm and Purnea 37.1 mm of precipitation.

Apprehending floods in view of widespread rains, control rooms of the state disaster management department have been put on alert.

It drizzled intermittently in Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan over the last 24 hours. Dry weather conditions prevailed in rest of the state.

As rains eluded other parts, the mercury soared up to 40.3 degrees Celsius in Sri Ganganagar.

Though the maximum temperature was recorded within normal levels in the national capital, high humidity levels troubled the residents.

The city had a high of 35 degrees Celsius and a low of 29 degrees Celsius. The humidity levels oscillated between 78 and 57 per cent.

Residents of Punjab and Haryana also braved a two-pronged attack of high humidity and the heat.

The MeT office has predicted very heavy rains in Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and Bihar tomorrow. A downpour is "very likely" in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and northeast Madhya Pradesh.

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A sub inspector was killed and three people were injured when their car hit an electricity pole in a bid to avoid a collision with an SUV here, police said today.

SI Yadunath Shukla (43), posted at Bidhuna police outpost in Kanpur, was yesterday going to Chitrakoot with constable Parmanand and two people when the mishap took place in Attara area here, they said.

While Shukla died on the spot, the three injured were rushed to a hospital where their condition was stated to be stable.

Police is probing the matter.

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Tanzania's foreign ministry said today that 24 truckers driving in a convoy from the country had been kidnapped by the Mai-Mai militia in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mindi Kasiga told state television that the 21 Tanzanians and three Kenyans had been driving trucks belonging to two companies registered in Tanzania.

"They were kidnapped by Mai-Mai fighters on June 29 in Lulimba, in South Kivu province, while they were on their way to the Namoya gold mine in Maniema province," she said.

"According to information coming from the Tanzanian embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Mai-Mai rebels attacked the convoy which was being escorted by soldiers from the Congolese army."



She said the Mai-Mai, a "self-defence" militia comprising members of several ethnic groups in the region, robbed the truckers of their money and damaged some of the vehicles, smashing in their windows and slashing their tyres.

Tanzania has asked the DRC government "to take into account the presence of these truckers as they carry out their operation against the rebels."



The eastern DR Congo has been rocked by more than 20 years of armed conflict among both domestic and foreign armed groups, fuelled by struggle for control of lucrative mineral resources as well as ethnic and property disputes.

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Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong today praised Bollywood movie Dangal as an example of soft power.

The comment by Liu, also a State Councillor and Politburo Member of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), is significant as it comes amid a high-decibel rhetoric against India by the Chinese official media over the standoff at Doklam in the Sikkim sector.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who too had seen the movie referred to it during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Astana last month on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Dangal, which became only the 33rd movie in China's film history to rake up over 1,000 crore, has become a major diplomatic tool between the two countries in recent weeks.

"Success of Dangal in China an example of soft power & people-to-people exchanges," Chinese Vice Premier Liu said when Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar called on her along with other education ministers of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) here.

Officials said Javadekar too had a very cordial meeting with his Chinese counterpart Chen Baosheng and discussed cooperation in the field of education between the two countries.

Javadekar, who was also previously the environment minister, also met Chinese Special Envoy on climate change Xie Zhenhua, who worked close with the India on the Paris climate deal.

Earlier, speaking at the 5th BRICS Education Ministers meeting, Javadekar welcomed plans to create institutional mechanism for BRICS network university and think tanks to collaborate in the fields of education, research and innovation.

"BRICS Network University, where 12 universities from each of the 5 countries will engage with each other in education research and innovation, is another commendable initiative," an official statement said.

"Five areas of cooperation are prioritised which are Communication and IT, Economics, Climate Change, Water Resources and Pollution, and BRICS study. India will participate whole-heartedly in all these cooperative efforts," it said.

He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is reforming and reprioritising its education from school to higher education.

"In higher education the focus is on skilling, research and innovation," he said.

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The three-day stir called by theatre owners and distributors, who have demanded that the Tamil Nadu government withdraw the 30 per cent local body tax imposed on the film industry, would continue tomorrow, as top actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan lent their support to the cause.

Industry sources said a meeting which was expected today between the film fraternity and the government did not take place as planned.

"We were expecting that a meeting will happen today. But it did not (take place). So, as of now the strike continues tomorrow," an official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

He said since the Assembly session was underway, the chief minister could not allot time for the meeting.

"May be a meeting (between industry representatives and government authorities) can happen tomorrow afternoon or evening," he said.

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, who is currently in the US for his health checkup, requested the government to consider the plea by the film industry.

"Keeping in mind the livelihood of lakhs of people in the Tamil film industry, I sincerely request the Tamil Nadu government to seriously consider our plea," he said in a tweet, as the strike entered its third day.

Within hours, superstar Kamal Hassan expressed his gratitude to the "Kabali" star for his support.

"Thanks Rajini avargalay for voicing your concern. Lets request first as gentlemen should. Then we shall see. @superstarrajini & TN Govt," Hassan tweeted.

Rajinikanth, who was shooting for his upcoming film "Kaala Karikalan", left for the US on June 29.

Nearly 1,000 cinema halls in the state are shut since July 3 with exhibitors going ahead with their stir to protest imposition of 30 per cent local body tax in addition to 28 per cent GST.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over the issue, Lyca Productions, currently producing Rajinikanth's magnum opus "2.0" said it would not take up future projects in Tamil Nadu if there was no clarity on the tax structure.

"We will not go ahead with any future projects in Tamil Nadu till we have a clarity on the tax structure. Our existing projects will go on. I am talking about future projects," the company's creative head, Raju Mahalingam, told reporters in Chennai.

The members of Tamil film producers council, South Indian Artistes Association, along with the theatre owners and distributors, had met Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday.

But they decided to continue the protest as the meeting did not yield any positive result.

The issue also echoed in the ongoing Assembly session yesterday with Opposition parties DMK and Congress raising it.

Responding to it, Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani had told members that the government would give due consideration to the problems of all section of people.

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit Ukraine following the G20 Summit in Hamburg, sending a message that Washington remains committed to the country's sovereignty despite Moscow's takeover of the Crimea region.

The State Department said today that Tillerson will visit Kiev on July 9 to meet President Petro Poroshenko and reformers from government and non-governmental groups.

"The secretary will reaffirm America's commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while encouraging the government of Ukraine to continue implementing reforms that will strengthen Ukraine's economic, political, and military resilience," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Tillerson's trip to Kiev, his first as secretary of state, will follow an expected meeting this week between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit amid strained relations between the two superpowers.

Last month Moscow cancelled a planned meeting between diplomats of both sides that was supposed to try and smooth relations.

The meeting was called off after Washington widened sanctions on Russia over its interference in Ukraine and the 2014 occupation of Crimea.

Washington has insisted that the punitive sanctions will stay in place until Russia honors the Minsk agreement to disengage from eastern Ukraine and returns Crimea to Kiev.

Nauert said that after the Ukraine visit Tillerson will head to Turkey for two days of meetings with senior Turkish officials on bilateral and regional issues.

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The teenage son of a local trader here has allegedly been abducted and Rs 2 crore ransom demanded for his release, police said today.

Hardik Suri (18), the son of a local trader, did not return home till late last night. Later, the family members received a WhatsApp message demanding Rs 2 crore as ransom, they said.

The kidnappers have threatened to kill Hardik if their demand is not met.

After receiving the message, the harried family members went to Prem Nagar Police Station.

The police is probing the matter and trying to trace the youth.

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China today played down reports in the official media asking Chinese investors to be on alert in view of the standoff at the border with India in the Sikkim sector, saying travel alerts are issued for a particular country only according to security situation there.

"The Chinese government highly values the security and legal interests and rights of the overseas Chinese nationals. We will issue relevant security alert in accordance with the security situation in relevant country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said when asked whether China will issue a travel alert for India in view of the prevailing situation.

His response came as a write-ups in Chinese official media cautioned Chinese investors in India.

A leading official newspaper in Beijing yesterday warned Chinese companies operating in India to be be alert and take steps to avoid being hit by anti-China sentiment.

An article in the Global Times called on Chinese firms to reduce their investments in India in view of the tension.

Since the standoff on June 6, when the People's Liberation Army destroyed bunkers of the India Army claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces blaming India for escalating border tension and "reminding" the Indian Army about the 1962 war.

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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The Malabar naval exercise involving Indian, American and Japanese navies will kick start on July 10 in the Bay of Bengal, amid China's growing military assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.

A sizeable number of aircraft, naval ships and nuclear submarines of the navies of the three countries will be part of the annual exercise, considered a major war game in the region.

The exercise is taking place in the backdrop of a major military standoff between armies of India and China in the Sikkim section and Beijing ramping up its naval presence in the South China Sea.

The aim of the Malabar exercise is to achieve deeper military ties and greater interoperability among the three navies in the strategically-important Indo-Pacific region.

India and the US have regularly conducted the annual exercise since 1992.

Beijing has been suspicious about the purpose of Malabar exercises as it feels that the annual war game is an effort to contain its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The exercise will cover activities like combined carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare.

It will also include aspects like medical operations, damage control, special forces operation, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and helicopter operations.

"Indian, Japanese and US maritime forces look forward to working together again to build upon and advance their working relationship to collectively provide security and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.

"Each iteration of this exercise helps to increase the level of understanding between our Sailors and interoperability between our three navies," the US had said in a statement last month.

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Ahead of the G-20 Summit, US President Donald Trump today questioned the relevance of America's trade deals with countries in the past saying some of them are "worst deals" in world history.

"The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?" Trump tweeted before boarding a plane to Poland with first lady Melania Trump and embarking on his second international trip since taking office.

During his four-day trip, Trump would travel to Poland and then to Germany to attend the G-20 Summit which among others is being attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trump is scheduled to return to the US on Saturday.

"Getting ready to leave for Poland, after which I will travel to Germany for the G-20. Will be back on Saturday," he wrote.

Shortly before his departure, Trump also lashed out at China for failing to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump said in an early morning tweet.

On the sidelines of the G-20 Summit, Trump is scheduled to meet for the first time his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

He will also hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Trump who had a successful meeting with Prime Minister Modi at the White House last week, is likely to interact with the Indian leader on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit.

No bilateral meeting between the two leaders have been scheduled so far.

Modi would be arriving in Germany after his historic trip to Israel, the first by an Indian prime minister.

White House officials said the North Korean issue is expected to dominate during Trump-Xi meeting in Germany.

Trump is also expected to discuss the issue with other leaders of G-20 including those in his bilateral meetings with Russian and Japanese leaders.

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US President Donald Trump meets other world leaders at Germany's G20 summit from Friday, with North Korea's first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile casting a long shadow over the gathering at the heavily-fortified venue.

The rising global threat posed by Pyongyang is likely to see conflicts over climate and trade take a back seat as regional neighbours China, Japan and South Korea gather with Trump and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin in Hamburg.

"Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, confirming North Korea now possessed a weapon capable of reaching US territory.

Russia and China condemned Tuesday's test and the European Union may consider additional sanctions.

All eyes will be on Trump, who had vowed North Korea's goal of possessing an ICBM "won't happen" and has repeatedly pressed China to rein in its truculent neighbour.

In the most anticipated moment of the G20, Trump will meet Putin, the ex-KGB agent accused of having aided, with hackers and fake news, the surprise rise of the property tycoon into the White House.

The moment they shake hands is sure to see "an Olympian level of macho posturing between these two leaders, who both understand the importance of symbolism and the perception of being tough," said Derek Chollet of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Trump ruffled other leaders at a G7 meeting in Italy in May and has steered the economic and military superpower on an isolationist "America First" course.

His counterparts are bracing for fresh surprises after Trump stunned the world by pulling out of the 2015 Paris climate pact, questioned long-standing NATO allegiances and dismissed free trade principles.

Trouble is also brewing at the conference table at a time when the West and Europe are deeply divided, the post-Cold War order is fraying and China and Russia are asserting themselves on the global stage.

"There is a danger that the summit will lead to polarisation between the US and other countries" on climate change and other issues, warned Oxford Analytics economist Adam Slater.

Trade wars loom as Trump has demanded Germany and China reduce their huge surpluses and threatened other countries with punitive measures in battles over steel, natural gas and hormone-treated beef.

The year's gathering of the Group of 20 big industrialised and emerging economies, the biggest diplomatic event outside the UN, will also provide a stage for other world leaders muscling for power and regional influence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet regional rival Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a time when both are worried about North Korea.

Also looming over the summit will be the bloody conflict in Syria and the frozen one in Ukraine -- both involving Russia -- as well as the struggle for Mideast dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Then there is Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose crackdown on alleged coup plotters, civil society and Kurds after a 2016 putsch attempt has poisoned relations with Germany.

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Turkish police today detained six suspected members of the Islamic State extremist group planning a bomb attack on an opposition protest march, a provincial governor told Turkish media.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu is on the final stage of a 450-kilometre (280-mile) "justice march" from Ankara to Istanbul to protest at the legal system under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Every day, thousands of people have accompanied Kilicdaroglu, who plans to finish the march with a mass rally in Istanbul on Sunday.

Suleyman Kamci, who governs the central Anatolian province of Kayseri, said police detained six IS militants after "acting on a good tip-off", the Hurriyet daily's website reported.

"They were going to attack the march with a minibus," he said. "A big provocation has been thwarted." There was no immediate confirmation from national officials.

Two of the would-be bombers were detained in Kocaeli in northwestern Turkey -- 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Istanbul and four others in Kayseri, Hurriyet said.

The governor said the suspects had put flags from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the minibus to give the impression the government was somehow involved.

Police have heightened security around the march following the latest detentions, Hurriyet said.

CHP spokesman Bulent Tezcan played down the detentions, saying they were part of "routine work" by the security forces.

"We are working to let the march take place in a safe environment despite all kinds of attempted provocations," he said.

"Each passing day the participants are increasing. I believe it will get even bigger when we approach Istanbul.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will fly to Switzerland later today to push leaders closer to a historic deal on reunifying Cyprus.

Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders, whose latest round of talks opened in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana a week ago, have asked Guterres to return to the table, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Dujarric declined to say whether a deal was within reach, saying: "It would be dangerous of me to make any sort of predictions at this point."



"The secretary-general just felt that it was a good time for him to return to the talks and he will be there tomorrow," he added.

The UN-sponsored talks opened on June 28 amid some optimism over the prospects for reaching a final settlement to end the decades-old division of the Mediterranean island.

Negotiations have run into hurdles over the thorny issue of security guarantees and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the north of the island.

Guterres on Friday said negotiations had been "highly constructive" and that the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides had reached a "clear understanding" of the key elements of a final settlement.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and later occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired putsch seeking union with Greece.

Turkey maintains more than 35,000 troops there.

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Upset at being scolded by her maternal grandmother, a 13-year-old girl set off to Gwalior to meet her parents but was later found at the Agra railway station, the police said here today.

On June 30, an elderly woman approached police alleging that her granddaughter had not returned home from a birthday party she had gone to that evening.

After a case was registered, the police started tracking the location of her mobile phone and it was found that she had taken a train from Delhi.

They also contacted her friends and one of them told them that she had spoken about going to her parents' house in Gwalior, the police said.

The police asked her friend to call her up and ask her to deboard at Agra. Initially, she did not agree but later he somehow convinced her, they added.

Meanwhile, a police team was sent to Agra railway station to rescue the girl.

She told police that she got late while returning home from the party she had gone to attend.

Her grandmother had called her and scolded her for being late. The girl got annoyed and decided to go to her parents' in Gwalior instead of returning to her grandmother's home, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) A K Singla.

The girl's father works as a labourer and keeps moving to different cities for work. The girl has been brought up by her grandmother who lives here, he added.

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After the Union government's plans to start a spiritual circuit, Uttarakhand today said it was all set to promote "mystical and supernatural" tourism.

"Uttarakhand is not just about the five dhams. We are making a new tourism policy and I need to tell you that in our state there is an unusual (kind of) tourism - mystical and supernatural tourism," the state's senior-most cabinet minister, Satpal Maharaj, said at a FICCI tourism investors' function in Delhi.

Maharaj is in charge of nine departments, including tourism, pilgrimage and religious fairs and culture, besides Indo-Nepal and Uttarakhand river projects.

Explaining the concept, the minister narrated tales of myths and miracles inspired by local deities.

He said there were specific times when these gods appeared and bestowed their powers on humans.

These activities, he said, attract huge crowds in the state.

The minister appealed to investors to make the most of these "unusual" tourism opportunities in Uttarakhand.

He said he also wanted to explore circuits that were "off the beaten track". These two circuits would concentrate on myths and miracles surrounding deities in Jaghdhar in Rudraprayag and Joshimath.

Maharaj urged the financiers to look at investing in projects that went beyond the five dhams -- famous pilgrim spots -- in Uttarakhand.

Proposing several more tourist circuits for the state, he said the new policy would have a Devi Circuit, Shaiv Circuit, Vaishnav Circuit, Golu Devta Circuit, Nagraj Circuit and Mahabharata Circuit.

The minister also said he had devised a plan to involve former soldiers in a proposal for homestays in Uttarakhand. He has discussed this with the army chief, he said.

The Central government had earlier this year said it would start a Krishna circuit and a Ramayana circuit in the country.

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By Marc Jones

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe's markets watchdog ESMA has told credit rating agencies to publish their European sovereign ratings reports in a tighter window, between 9 pm and 11 pm on Friday London time, sources have told .

The idea, they said, is to create a "more level playing field".

Under European Union regulations, rating agencies including S&P Global, Fitch, Moody's and DBRS have to set out their planned review dates for any country rated by an analyst based in Europe.

ESMA, the European Securities and Markets Authority which regulates the agencies and brought in the rule, already requires the publication to be on a Friday evening after markets in the relevant region have closed.

It has created some disparities, however. S&P tends to publish most of its reviews between 5-6 pm London time (currently 1600-1700 GMT) whereas the other main agencies tend to publish theirs later.

For markets it has also created issues. U.S. trading is still in full flow when Europe's markets close, meaning futures and derivatives that can move on rating changes are still changing hands, potentially disadvantaging solely European-based investors.

"It is part of the role as a regulator to ensure there is level playing field," a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told .

The source said nothing formal has been written down but the agencies had been made aware of what ESMA wanted.

ESMA declined to comment on whether it had urged the changes. The rating agencies were first given the guidance in the middle of last week, a source at one of the firms told .

A spokesman for S&P would not comment on whether it had been told to push its publications to later on Friday evenings.

Fitch said it continued "to act in accordance with EU regulation around the publication of sovereign ratings."

Moody's said its "sovereign rating actions are published in accordance with our policy for sovereign ratings and our regulatory obligations."

DBRS said it was already following the guidance.

Despite ESMA pushing for the changes last week, some European reviews were still published just after Europe's main markets closed on Friday. But it expects the agencies to start falling in line, the first source said.

"We hope to see some convergence (in timing of publications)."

(Editing by Jeremy Gaunt and John Stonestreet)

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By Ron Bousso and Dmitry Zhdannikov

LONDON (Reuters) - The West's three biggest energy corporations are lobbying Qatar to take part in a huge expansion of its gas production, handing Doha an unintended but timely boost in its bitter dispute with Gulf Arab neighbours.

The chief executives of ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and France's Total all met the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in Qatar before it announced a plan on Tuesday to raise output of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 30 percent.

Company and industry sources told that the CEOs had expressed interest in helping Qatar with its ambition to produce 100 million tonnes of LNG annually - equivalent to a third of current global supplies - in the next five to seven years.

The companies already have large investments in countries on both sides of the dispute, and are keen to remain neutral after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Doha on June 5.

Spokespeople from all three firms declined comment. However, a top executive from one energy major looking into expanding in Qatar said the huge business opportunity was worth the considerable political risk.

"There is only one policy here - you have to behave like a commercial corporation," the executive told . "You have to make your choices purely economically and be Qatari in Qatar, Emirati in the Emirates."

Energy sales have powered Qatar's rapid rise as a regional player since the late 1990s, and the oil majors' interest in the LNG expansion underline its longer-term economic muscle during the political row with its neighbours.

Chief executives Darren Woods of Exxon and Ben van Beurden of Shell both met the emir after the four Arab countries imposed the sanctions. Total chief Patrick Pouyanne has also visited Doha in recent weeks.

Qatar, the world's largest LNG supplier and second biggest gas exporter after Russia, has some of the lowest production costs. The plan was seen as an opening shot in a price war as Doha tries to defend its market share, especially against supplies from U.S. shale deposits where costs are higher.

WILLINGNESS TO INVEST

The four Arab countries, which have demanded Qatar stop fostering terrorism and courting Iran, said after meeting on Wednesday that Doha's response to their grievances had been negative.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the political and economic boycott would remain until Qatar improved its policies. Further steps would be taken at the appropriate time, he said.

Doha denies aiding terrorism and its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, accused the four of "clear aggression" while adding that Qatar continued to call for dialogue to settle the dispute.

Exxon, Shell and Total have already invested extensively in Qatar, particularly in projects to liquefy gas, allowing it to be shipped by tanker to consumer markets where transport by pipeline is not feasible.

Woods met the emir on June 26, discussing "cooperation" with Qatar, where Exxon has been present since 1935, according to a statement carried by the state agency.

Industry sources close to the talks said that "the Exxon CEO was very keen to join the new gas capacity expansion and expressed willingness to invest".

Woods replaced Rex Tillerson, under whom Exxon helped to build Qatar's LNG industry until he left to become U.S. Secretary of State earlier this year.

Exxon will be the largest foreign investor in Qatar in 2017, with most money going into LNG facilities, representing around seven percent of its global portfolio, according to consultancy WoodMackenzie.

Shell's Van Beurden was among the first foreign company leaders to visit Qatar after the crisis broke out, meeting the emir on June 14. This was followed several days later by a new deal under which Qatar will supply Shell, the world's largest LNG trader, with 1.1 million tonnes annually for five years starting in 2019.

Shell's operations in Qatar include Pearl GTL, the world's largest gas liquefaction plant. Its overall investments in the state represent around six percent of its global portfolio.

The three firms had been expecting Qatar to expand its LNG exports since it lifted a self-imposed moratorium on development of the North Field, the world's biggest natural gas field it shares with Iran, the sources said.

Oil and gas companies generally are no strangers to operating in risky areas. This week Total became the first Western energy firm to invest in Iran since the lifting of sanctions against the country. The project, phase 11 of Iran's South Pars development, draws gas from the same reservoir as Qatar's North Field.

Total chief Pouyanne discussed new opportunities in the LNG sector as well as the company's plans to develop the Al-Shaheen oil field on his trip to Doha, according to a senior source.

Qatar's LNG capacity could be boosted by up to 10 million tonnes per year relatively quickly and cheaply by optimising existing facilities and upgrading a small number of units, a process known as "debottlenecking", according to a senior industry source.

Beyond that, the expansion would require building new liquefaction terminals involving significant investments, which the energy giants can offer.

"Qatar LNG is really an important part of their overall portfolio, especially for Exxon but Total and Shell are also material LNG players there," Tom Ellacott, analyst at WoodMackenzie said.

"Qatar LNG is very competitive. Debottlenecking will be a relatively cheap option to increase capacity, but with the industry at a low point in the cost cycle, it may also be a good time to install new terminals."

(Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston, Bate Felix in Paris; editing by David Stamp)

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By Tova Cohen and Ari Rabinovitch

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - In the months leading up to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Israel, India signed two arms deals, spending $2.6 billion on Israeli missile defense systems.

Yet since Modi arrived on Tuesday, military ties -- for decades the secretive bedrock of India-Israel relations -- have taken a back seat. The governments have instead spent time discussing companies that sell medical devices, hi-tech and water systems.

Rather than making the visit, the first by a sitting Indian prime minister, all about the value of deals signed, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Modi appear intent on playing up shared culture and values, in the hope this will give commercial ties deeper roots.

Under Arab pressure, India kept its distance from Israel for decades but is now seeing advantages in a complementary relationship with Israel. There is interest on both sides in building a broad economic base, rather than merely a contractual exchange based around defence.

The timing reflects a diplomatic shift towards Israel being more accepted in the region. Modi, who is acutely conscious of the need to adopt innovation and new technology to update India's infrastructure has always had a personal affinity for Israel and came to learn more about the country before he became premier.

"India and Israel are walking hand in hand into the future as partners," Modi and Netanyahu wrote in a joint editorial this week. "From start-ups to space, communications to cybernetics, Israel's technological capabilities are merging with India's."

The two men are spending 48 hours together with Modi, accompanied by Indian business leaders, getting a political and business tour that covers Israeli history, culture and innovation, as well as the signing of economic agreements.

HOPES FOR MORE DEALS

"What's it going to take to get Israeli money to take India seriously? Just open their eyes," Jon Medved, CEO of Israeli equity crowdfunding group OurCrowd said. "The problem is their eyes are ... blinded by the China opportunity," he added.

There have only been a handful of Indian investments in Israel over the past decade, as opposed to the $16.5 billion received from China in 2016 alone.

OurCrowd just closed three deals with India, joining with Reliance Industries for a hi-tech incubator that helps to grow young companies in Jerusalem, bringing Israeli technology to India with Reliance Capital, and collaborating with India's Lets Venture to invest in start-ups.

During Modi's visit, Zebra Medical Vision, a company from a kibbutz near Tel Aviv, and Bangalore-based Teleradiology Solutions will sign a partnership to use analytics in 150 health-care centres.

Looking to reorient Israel's economy toward Asia, Netanyahu hopes more deals will follow, setting a goal of increasing exports to India by 25 percent in the next four years. But it may take a while before the Modi-Netanyahu relationship sparks a serious expansion in investment and trade, both of which remain relatively negligible.

In many respects export-dependent Israel and India, which is focused on supplying its huge population, are complementary.

Israel is a global leader in water and food systems, two critical fields India needs to upgrade. India wants to strengthen its manufacturing base and is looking to do so with technologies coming from Israel. Both countries host major diamond trading and polishing hubs.

DIAMOND TRADE SPARKLES

Israeli exports to India last year totalled $1.15 billion, excluding diamonds, just 2.5 percent of total exports. Bilateral trade was less than $2 billion, which jumped to $4.13 billion including diamonds. Israel's foreign direct investment in India totals only $100 million.

"It's nothing, it's a blip. Why hasn't the relationship grown to the level it should have?" said A. Didar Singh, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce.

Singh said more needed to be done to ease regulations, lower non-tariff barriers and solve licensing problems.

Incentives and lifting of red tape could help overcome what diplomats, lobbyists and business owners say is a cultural divide between the breakneck pace of Israel's start-up scene and India's more gradual approach.

It can take time to cement negotiations in India, where building trust and a relationship is paramount, said Elias Ghosalkar, a former investment banker from Mumbai who is director of corporate development for OurCrowd after moving to Israel last year.

"Israelis on the other hand are quite direct and lack patience in their business approach," he told .

Israel's ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, said it is becoming easier to do business between the two countries, even if there may remain some differences in practice.

"It could be that the Israeli businessman arrives on a Monday flight and wants to return on Thursday with a deal in hand. I say to him 'forget it'. It's not going to happen. There are processes, the processes take time, not four days," he said.

(Editing by Luke Baker and Peter Millership)

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"We strongly reject the statement from Mistry which seeks to insinuate wrongdoings in the affairs of Air Asia India by Venkataramanan," Tata Sons said in a statement.

It also said Air Asia India has taken definitive steps both in civil and criminal courts which have cleared the air in relation to the "mischievous allegations" made by the SP Group companies at the NCLT proceedings.

"Contrary to any allegations, Tata Sons denies any conduct which could be said to be oppressive or resulting in mismanagement. We are of the view that these frivolous allegations levelled by Mistry and the SP Group are value- destructive," the statement added.

Stating that Mistry's allegations and actions since his ouster has been hurting the group, the statement said, "it is ironical that Mistry continues to make statements that his actions are in the interest of the Tata Group. On the contrary, his actions thus far have consistently harmed the reputation of the Tata Group."

"Tata Sons continues to evaluate its legal options in this regard as we have the highest respect for the judiciary and has never resorted to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings as alleged by Mistry."

After being summoned by a local court to appear before it on August 24 in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Venkataramanan yesterday, Mistry had accused the Tatas of subverting the legal system and warned that they could not muzzle him in with defamation suits.

"The attempt to initiate criminal prosecution for alleged defamation is an ill-advised and immature proxy battle through Venkataraman whose role in Air Asia India is a subject matter of several investigations by law enforcement agencies.

"The move by the Tata trustees to attempt to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings will be effectively and appropriately dealt with. We believe in the legal system and know such subversion of justice systems will meet its fate," Mistry had said afer Venkataramanan's Rs 500 crore defamation complaint was accepted by a local court here yesterday.

The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate's Court yesterday took cognisance of the Rs 500-crore defamation complaint filed by Venkatramanan against Mistry and others, and had directed them to appear before it on August 24.

After he was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons on October 24, 2016, Mistry, in an e-mail, had alleged that fraudulent transactions worth Rs 22 crore had taken place at the group's aviation venture and accused Venkatramanan of having tried to cover it up. The issue, however, is now being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.

On April 17, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed a petition by two firms belonging to the Mistry family, seeking waiver of an eligibility condition for moving the forum against Tata Sons. Mistry later challenged this at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.

The two firms had sought to challenge Mistry's ouster from Tata Sons and alleged that there was mismanagement and oppression of minority shareholders. They urged NCLT to use its discretion and waive an eligibility condition for filing such a petition.
Rajasthan will have to wait a little longer before Seventh Pay Commission becomes a reality in the state. The committee tasked with implementing the new pay structure is yet not prepared with its recommendations in the matter and has called for an extension.

More than seven lakh employees and three lakh pensioners are awaiting the recommendations to be proposed and approved in order to get the 7th Pay Commission awards. With the committee asking for an extension, the implementation is set to be delayed by at least three months, says a Times of India report.

The committee, which was supposed to submit its recommendations on 7th Pay Commission originally on June 7, has already got an extension of thirty days. The revised deadline expires today.

Headed by retired bureaucrat DC Samant, the committee was constituted in February and began working in March this year. Its purpose was to resolve anomalies in employees' salaries while recommending and implementing new pay scales for state government employees under 7th Pay Commission. The panel would also estimate additional burden the revised salaries and allowances will put on the state exchequer.

Quoting internal sources, the TOI report states that now the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees in Rajasthan will be tabled sometime around August 15. As per an estimate, the state government will take another three months to review the recommendations before approving them.

The Rajasthan government is expected to spend around Rs 10,000 crore over payment of pay, pension and allowances if all recommendations of 7th Pay Commission are to be implemented in the state.

Considering financial duress the government will face with implementing the 7th Pay Commission, arrears will be paid in the general provident fund (GPF) instead of paying it in cash.



However`, government employee associations in state have blamed the government of delaying the implementation of 7th Pay Commission, the report said.

Meanwhile, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Cabinet approved the recommendations of Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees on Tuesday. This move will lead to 14 per cent increase in the salaries of around 6.5 lakh government staff in Madhya Pradesh.

The bump of 14 per cent in paychecks of state government employees will create a burden of Rs 3,828 crore on the state government.

Payment of arrears for the duration till which the pay panel recommendations were delayed will put additional weight of Rs 5,742 crore on the state exchequer.

For the remaining part of the ongoing financial year, the state government will have to spend another Rs 2,552 crore for implementing the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission in Madhya Pradesh.

Last week, the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the reformed allowance structure recommended by the Seventh Central Pay Commission

The Union Cabinet approved the allowance structure with 34 modifications and all of them were hiked except House Rent Allowance. Central government employees had to wait for a year to see new allowance rates being implemented.

The amount paid under HRA went up still, even though the rates were slashed on recommendations from the pay panel. The new allowances will affect 48 lakh central government employees.

Also watch:




India and Israel signed seven crucial deals today pertaining to space technology, water conservation and agriculture.

The deals were signed in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his maiden visit to the Jewish nation, and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. Touted to be a landmark visit, this is the first instance that an Indian Prime Minisrter has visited Israel. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of India-Israel bilateral relationship.

Three of the seven agreements signed today are related to cooperation in the field of space technology. The first agreement signed was a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in electric propulsion for small satellites, and the second one was another MoU on cooperation in GEO-LEO Optical Link. Space agencies of the two countries, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Israel Space Agency (ISA), signed a Plan of Cooperation in atomic clocks.

Another MoU was signed between the Department of Science and Technology, India, and the National Technological Innovation Authority, Israel, for setting up an India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F). A similar fund as the latter with the United States had helped raise $40 billion in revenue, pointed out Bloomberg.

India's Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation signed a MoU with Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources to carry out a national campaign for water conservation in India.

The Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources of Israel also signed an MoU with Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam on state water utility reforms.

The two countries also agreed to make a stand together against terrorist outfits and those supporting them.

"India has suffered firsthand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization," Modi said

Earlier today, Modi met Israeli President Reuven Rivlin where the two leaders discussed a 'wide range of issues pertaining to India-Israel friendship and other global issues.'

Also watch:




Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been a thing of joy for automobile sector in India, but not for the entirety of it. While automakers and their customers are celebrating the decline in tax rates of luxury vehicles, the hybrid car segment is sweating bullets from steep rise in the same.

Hybrid cars have been slapped with 43 per cent tax rates under the new regime, where they were taxed below 31 per cent earlier. Reports suggest that, with GST in place, price tags on hybrid cars could go up by Rs 1.5 lakh to RS 45 lakh.

So while carmakers are offering heavy discounts and offer on their luxury line-up, passing on the benefit of lowered tax rates to their customers, hybrid car segment is threatened with decline in the already meagre sales figure.

Costs rise

The few hybrids available in India are posting low sales as it is. Sales figures for Toyota Camry Hybrid, one of the popular offerings in the segment, were supposedly in single digits during April and May, reports show. Honda, another Japanese auto company, sold one or none of its hybrid vehicle, Accord Hybrid, during the same period. Prices of both vehicles went up by RS 8-10 lakh. BMW i8 was hit the worst, registered the highest growth in prices at Rs 45 lakh.

Home-grown auto companies showed similar trends. The hybrid version of Ciaz and Ertiga by Maruti Suzuki increased by Rs 1.5 lakh. Mahindra and Mahindra also marginally increased the prices of its hybrid vehicles.

Carmakers frown

Maruti Chairman RC Bhargava criticised the increase in tax rates for hybrid cars under GST on grounds that it puts them in the same league as SUVs and bigger sedans. For the same price, buyers are likely to choose vehicles which run entirely on petrol and diesel, instead of opting for the greener alternative.

In a country aiming to promote means of transportation which pollutes less, hybrid cars could facilitate transition to electric vehicles, experts believe. Making them costlier will only interfere with the shift in an undesired way.

Industry experts cautioned that this increase in tax rates will make it difficult for them to introduce any four-wheeler, three-wheeler or two-wheeler hybrid vehicles even if the market demands it.

Overtaxing a noble cause, why?

Hybrid cars in India were earlier taxed at 30.3 per cent, with tax benefits extended under the FAME India Scheme rolled out in April 2015 to promote hybrid as well as electric vehicles. This was in line with strategy of Indian government to replace all vehicles powered by fossil fuels with environment-friendly ones till 2030.

Government believes that most of these tax benefits have been hogged by mild hybrids with diesel engines, which come with 'a larger battery' and a 'start-stop switch', read the TOI report. Thus, the hike in tax rates is meant to turn this trend around.

Electric cars, on the other hand, will attract only 12 per cent tax under GST, against 20.5 per cent that was levied on them before.

Hybrid cars are different from electric ones in the fact that they come with a petrol or diesel engine coupled with an electric motor that improves the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Variants range between full to mild hybrids, and even micro ones, depending on how the battery pack driving the vehicle is charged. Electric cars run solely on an electric motor powered by a battery pack.

Although Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had called for lowering tax rates on hybrid cars under GST, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had put it down. When it comes to green transportation, government has placed its bets on electric vehicles instead of relying on hybrid ones.

Road ahead

With benefits being meted out to electric cars in place of hybrid cars, government will have to put its back into promoting the former if it wants to achieve its clean transportation goals within the deadline it has set for itself.

The lower tax rates are likely to attract BMW to bring its 3-series electric to India which is to be launched in two months time. Tesla, the present industry benchmark when it comes to electric cars, may also head to India with its cars if conditions favour it.

However, things are not looking up for hybrid cars. It seems the segment will have to bear the brunt of schemes of the Indian government.

Also watch:




Douglas Birkinbine appears in 1st District Court for a pretrial conference, Tuesday in Logan, Utah. Birkinbine is being charged with aggravated robbery and burglary as well as other charges after he led police on a high speed chase.

LOGAN  The burglary trial for Douglas L. Birkinbine has been canceled in anticipation of a plea agreement that will likely send the 54-year-old man back to prison. The July 17 trial was struck from the courts calendar and a change of plea hearing was scheduled instead for July 18.

Birkinbine appeared in 1st District Court Wednesday morning, ahead of what would have been a five-day trial. Hes accused of breaking into several homes in Cache Valley during the fall of 2015, and charged with 39 felonies and 13 misdemeanors.

During the appearance, Birkinbine, who is representing himself as his own attorney, told Judge Brian Cannell that he wanted to waive his trial. He also waived his right to a speedy trial, after Judge Cannell expressed concern with the delay of the cases.

State attorney Barbara Lachmar told the court she and Birkinbine had agreed on a plea deal. As part of the deal, prosecutors plan to ask that his sentence be served consecutively. Lachmar asked for additional time while she determined what the possible length of time would be.

Judge Cannell said he would allow prosecutors two-more weeks. He scheduled a change of plea hearing for July 18 and said he would sentence Birkinbine at that time.

Prosecutors claim Birkinbine and 52-year-old Victoria Asta are suspected of robbing a home in Paradise at gun point and later leading deputies on a high speed chase that ended in Logan on November 17, 2015. The two are believed to have broken into more than eight residences.

Asta already pleaded guilty for her role in the robberies, and was sentenced to two concurrent terms of one-to-fifteen years in prison.

Salt Lake County court records show Birkinbine previously pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder in 1997. He was sentenced to serve one-to-fifteen years in prison and was out on parole when the alleged burglaries took place.

Birkinbine remains in the Cache County Jail without bail.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
| BY Ricki Green |

Two of Brisbanes former senior agency heads have teamed up to launch Type + Pixel, a startup dedicated to brand strategy, digital and content.

The firm is headed up by joint directors Darren Walls, previously head of digital at Brisbane creative agency JSA Creative, and his wife Laura Walls, founding member and former head of Haystac Brisbane.

Positioning itself as a branding agency for the digital world, Type + Pixel will focus on delivering audience-centric, multi-layered brand experiences across all screens and platforms. The brand strategy and digital offer is headed up by Darren, while Laura runs the content strategy and creation team.

Since launch, Type + Pixel has already clocked up a number of jobs including the design of a new ecommerce user experience for youth fashion retailer City Beach, and digital projects for wealth management firm Infocus, luxury housebuilder Kalka and retirement living operators Aura Holdings. In addition, it is one of just a handful of agencies nationally to be appointed to Tourism and Events Queenslands content creation panel.

Says Darren Walls: Our approach is based on the notion that all great digital experiences have to start with a really strong understanding of brand. Its an element thats often overlooked in the digital space  theres a tendency (often driven by the client) to jump straight in without looking at the bigger picture and thinking about the overarching strategy.

We want to change that and get clients thinking more strategically about what their brand really stands for, so that we can then apply that thinking across our digital and content strategy to create more meaningful experiences. Its a space were really passionate about and excited to be working in.

Darren led the digital team at JSA Creative for over five years, during which time he transformed the agencys reputation in the digital space. The last 18 months of his tenure saw him move into a client services director role, where he was instrumental in repositioning JSA into a strategic brand-led creative agency.

During her five years at public relations and influence agency Haystac, Laura firmly established Haystac in the Brisbane marketplace, building it into one of Queenslands most highly regarded consumer PR agencies and one of Haystacs most successful business units nationally.
| BY Ricki Green |

Fifteen leading food brands in Australia are on board to donate an extra one million food items to vulnerable Australians this July through Foodbanks Shop & Share campaign via Havas Sydney, GroupM and Whisk.

Says Brianna Casey, CEO, Foodbank: Our target of one million food products  more than 10 million serves  is ambitious, but we are confident that Australians will get behind this very important cause.

This campaign makes it easy for everyday Australians to support Foodbank. By purchasing a product from our supporting partners at Woolworths in July, consumers will trigger a food donation to Foodbank, enabling us to distribute more food to Australians struggling to make ends meet this winter.

Major food and marketing companies collaborate to end hunger

Shop & Share is an innovative and collaborative campaign, bringing together Foodbanks long-term food industry partners, as well as the countrys biggest names in marketing and media, to fight hunger in Australia. Campaign supporter donations for Shop & Share are in addition to their ongoing commitments to the countrys largest food relief organisation, which distributes more than 35 million kilograms of food and groceries to struggling Australians every year.

This years range of iconic brands donating food items as part of the campaign are Ardmona, Chicken Tonight, Continental, Devondale, Helgas, John West, McCain, Mount Franklin, Old El Paso, Primo, Sanitarium, SPC, SunRice, Woolworths and Vetta. Woolworths is also the exclusive retail partner for the campaign.

Since its first year, the campaign has been supported by Havas, one of Australias leading advertising agencies and a committed friend of Foodbank. Havas has developed all of the above-the-line television, print, radio and OOH creative. GroupM is also heavily involved, handling the media spend, securing television and radio spots and outdoor and print placements. Whisk Media Group has contributed by producing new recipes and cooking videos for each retail partner to share via social media, eDM, PR and other channels.

All of the activity is brought together in Woolworths stores nationally. The retailer supports the campaign via Shop & Share messaging on shelf and online. In-store radio, Fresh Magazine editorial, Woolworths Rewards support and eDMs are also part of Woolworths promotional activities.

Food insecurity: a growing problem in Australia

At some point each year, one in six Australians are in crisis dealing with the anguish of not knowing where the next meal is coming from for themselves and their families.

Foodbank restores hope to people who are struggling by distributing food to 2,600 front line charities around the country. Every month, 644,000 people receive hunger relief from Foodbank agencies, a third of whom are children.

Despite Foodbanks best efforts, more than 40,000 people are still being turned away from charities empty handed every month due to lack of available food.

Shop & Share makes it easy to make a difference

The donation process is simple. For every purchase of a nominated product from the campaign partners, a food donation will be made to Foodbank.

Customers can help boost donations to Foodbank during July simply by purchasing the participating brands in their weekly shop. Throughout the campaign, family-friendly recipes will be available, providing inspiration for easy to cook, delicious meals featuring the nominated products.

Says Casey: Without the support of our partners, more Australians would simply go without. The extra donations will make a huge difference to hundreds of thousands who are struggling, including children.

Agency: Havas Sydney

Anthony Gregorio  CEO

Nicole de Pear  Account Director

Henry Hellegas  Account Executive

Michael Macgregor  Designer

Jonathan Wilson  Studio Artist

Alex Hobson  Producer

Ming Bong  Producer

Stu Turner  ECD
| BY Ricki Green |

News Corp Australia has partnered with Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) Hoodie Day, being held on Friday, 7 July, with a creative editorial, advertising, PR and social media campaign across print, online and broadcast media, nationally.

The campaign, conceptualised, designed and created by News Corp Australias trade marketing and creative services team, asks Australians to buy a hoodie, to join the conversation and spread the AIME message of mentors for a fairer world. In doing so, the community will be supporting Indigenous kids to finish school at the same rate as their fellow Australians.

Hoodie Day is the main fundraising initiative of AIMEs dedicated Aboriginal youth mentoring program, launched in 2010 to spread the word that Indigenous equals success.

Says Jack Manning Bancroft, CEO and founder, AIME: In the seven years since we launched National Hoodie Day, the AIME hoodie has evolved as a powerful symbol. It is a symbol of black and white coming together and a symbol of belief. It is a symbol for change and for a generation of future leaders who strive to create a culture where for every step you take forward in life, you throw your hand back and bring someone with you.

The theme of this years Hoodie Day campaign, supported by News Corp Australia, is Making Mentoring famous. It features a new generation of heroes  mentors and kids asking Australia to walk with them while the younger generation brings about change.

Any person can mentor, so its about spreading the word and making it famous.

Says Penny Fowler, News Corp Australia community ambassador and chair of the Reconciliation Working Group at News: Our partnership with AIME and the important work they do in facilitating mentorships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, are stories we believe need to be told, to inform, advocate and inspire others to build a better Australia. We remain committed to our participation in the reconciliation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and all other Australians; to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and give back to the communities in which we live and work to secure a stronger future for us all.

News Corp Australias support of National Hoodie Day includes featuring print and digital advertisements across metropolitan and regional newspapers and websites and a social media and PR campaign, encouraging media personalities to wear a hoodie on air and spread the AIME message.

Peter Gleeson, editor of the Sunday Mail in Queensland will promote Hoodie Day during his live cross segment on the Today Show on Wednesday, 5 July; Joe Hildebrand will wear a hoodie on Studio 10 on Friday; Fox Sports AFL 360 and NRL game hosts will promote Hoodie Day and wear hoodies while on air and Paul Murray and Chris Kenny will support the campaign during their programs on Sky News.

This years limited edition hoodie design was created by Year 9 student, Ella Gillespie, a mentee in the AIME program at SCU Lismore. Speaking about the artwork, titled, Travelling Whales, Ella explains that Living on the coast has encouraged me to paint stories of my surroundings. This artwork is my interpretation of the East coast humpback whale migration, the white line.
In closing arguments earlier on Wednesday, Mr Whybrow said the woman had lied about being attracted to Mr Mitchell when many of her friends told the court she liked him. She also lied to other cadets, he said, telling one who was making sure she was back on base by midnight curfew that she was in Mr Mitchell's room when she was still at Mooseheads on the night of May 27.
Mr Min has defied the orders and instead continued to operate his business - including giving away hundreds of free coffees on Monday - claiming the university has not correctly terminated his lease and has no right to kick him out.
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!)
It was reported elsewhere that the DTA has lost up to 35 of its the top performers in the wake of Mr Shetler's departure, amid acrimony and recrimination, in November 2016.
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
The idea of Chinas traffic-straddling bus has come to an abrupt stop following the arrests of 32 people from a key investment company that backed the project.



The strange idea consisted of a bus that ran on specially-designed tracks with an elevated body that essentially allowed it to drive over traffic. However, many critics raised concerns with the project, particularly how expensive it could be to deploy and the fact that taller vehicles could become stuck under the bus.

In August 2016, the Transit Elevated Bus was tested in Qinhuangdao and while it worked, many were concerned about what the company was up to, including a New York Times reporter who saw investors leaving gifts and walking away with bags of money when visiting the companys office in Huaying Kailai.

Speaking to the reporter, the director of development and planning for TEB Tech, the company developing the bus, Zhang Wei, said We are just a private tech company. We are not a briefcase company for illegal fund-raising.

Everything we do is approved by related departments in the government, and if we are an illegal company with financial issues, why are the local governments still interested in us? he asked.

According to the writer of a Beijing News op-ed, the project was nothing more than a trick to attract investorsthe truth is the bus was a fake science investment scam, with no scientific innovation.

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The upcoming Nissan Leaf will also be the companys first model to feature the ProPilot Park technology.



The system is using sonars and cameras to guide the new Nissan Leaf into a parking spot, whether its parallel, front or straight back-in, controlling the accelerator, braking and steering.

The new park assist feature will be a part of Nissans ProPilot semi-autonomous technology, with the company saying that the new Leaf will become the most advanced autonomous model, once it hits the market.

The new Nissan Leaf is reportedly going to be offered with at least two different battery options, 40kWh and 60kWh. The latter version will be capable of driving 340 miles (547km) on a single charge.

As for the design, Nissan is going for a more dynamic character for the new Leaf, taking inspiration from the 2015 IDS concept and the latest Micra supermini.

Nissans all-new Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt rival will premiere at Tokyo on September 6, before heading to the Frankfurt Motor Show.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO
To someone with deep pockets who happened to walk by Rolls-Royces Abu Dhabi showroom recently, this Provenance Pre-Owned Ghost must have looked quite good.



That is of course if the buyer is a fan of the Madeira Red exterior with the Silver Satin Bonnet finish. Its not as dark as some other Ghost models, but it does have a rather distinguishing appearance, especially with those 21 five twin spoke alloys.

As for the interior, its a mixture of Creme Light and Consort Red, creating a nice contrast together with the black leather and all that wood found on the dashboard, center console and door panels.

What we dont know is how many miles the car has on the clock, but since its been given the Provenance title, it means Rolls-Royce have already inspected the paintwork and the interior and given the car a thorough check-up.

Assuming this thing drives as new, you can expect it to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, thanks to its 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12, which is good for 571 PS and 780 Nm (575 lb-ft) of torque.

PHOTO GALLERY
High-profile projects have been presented at 3D Wire throughout the years including the Danish crowdfunded series The Reward, the Franco-Belgian feature Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart, and the Goya-winning Spanish cg feature Capture the Flag.

Here are the general guidelines for each call:

CALL FOR PORTUGUESE-SPANISH ANIMATION AND VIDEO GAME PROJECTS

This call is open to projects from companies or production companies registered in Spain or Portugal. A maximum of three projects per company may be submitted. All animation techniques and formats are accepted in the following categories: short films, feature films, animation series, and video games, as well as apps and animation-driven vr projects.

A variety of awards will be presented. The public entity, RTVE, will give awards to the most innovative video game, vr video game, and app project, respectively. Mobile provider Movistar+ will award a prize for short film project, that includes paying the winning filmmaker 9,000 euros to acquire their short for a two-year distribution period. The winner of the award last year was Khris Cembes Mums the Word (pictured below).

In addition to awards, several projects will be selected to receive business and creative consultancy from international animation and video game experts.

For more information on submitting for this call, go here.

CALL FOR EUROPEAN TRANSMEDIA & NEW MEDIA PROJECTS

This call is open to projects that are being developed by European producers or in co-production with European countries. The projects also have to be designed to be distributed on at least two different platforms. The goal of the call is to encourage and facilitate transnational European co-productions, while helping to find new partners for financing, developing, and creating strong European-created transmedia projects.

The call stems from 3D Wires belief that animation, video games, and new media are converging into a single dynamic industry sector. Attention will be given to projects that are not only animation or videogame, but true transmedia experiences with interactive elements that can be consumed and shared across multiple platforms. Projects for a wide range of technologies and devices can be pitched, including those that incorporate augmented reality, 3D printing, gamification, connected toys, and wearable technology.

For more information on submitting for this call, go here.

CALL FOR ONLINE SERIES PROJECTS

This call is open to online animation series from anywhere in the world. Atomo Network will present two awards: Atomo Network Award, to the best web series in any language other than Spanish, and Premio Robot Atomico, to the best web series in Spanish language.

Submissions are accepted for series that target the following ranges: kids (6-11), teen (12+), or adult (18+). Preschool series are not eligible for this call. Five or more episodes of the series must have been produced to date.

The winner of the Atomo Network Award will have their project dubbed and published in Spanish on the Atomo Network Channel, with a possible option of co-production for future episodes.

The Premio Robot Atomico will receive an advance of $500 against a distribution agreement to publish it on Atomo Network Channel, and also includes the possible option of co-production for future episodes.

For more information on submitting for this call, go here.
Photo: feedingnunavut.com

In the past few years, we have heard a lot about food insecurity. Sadly, this is a growing problem for many people in the world and even here in Canada.

In 2012, roughly 12 per cent of Canadian households experienced some degree of food insecurity

In particular, communities in the North and indigenous communities have struggled, but there are likely families in every community who deal with food insecurity.

A University of Toronto study examined food insecurity as it relates to health status and found it is tightly linked to poorer health.

I have written many times about socio-economic impacts on mental and physical health.

Poverty and its attendant problems including lack of access to sufficient, nutritious and affordable food are some of the biggest determinants of health.

Food insecurity is intertwined with other poverty issues, but is also an independent predictor of health.

Food insecurity has been linked to poorer health in children including increased rates of asthma and depression. In adults, food insecurity is associated with higher rates of chronic illness and poor health.

For this study, researchers examined data from some 67,000 Ontario adults between the ages of 18 and 64 who had participated in a community health survey in 2005, 2007-08 or 2009-10.

They assessed food security in the year before the survey interview and linked information with health care data to determine direct health care costs during the same period.

Not surprisingly, total health care costs rose in step with the increasing severity of household food insecurity.

When compared against those in food secure households, those with marginal food insecurity had 16 per cent higher health costs.

When food insecurity was moderate, health care costs were 32 per cent higher than food secure households and when food insecurity was severe health care costs were 76 per cent higher.

This disparity was even greater when costs of prescription drugs covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program were included.

Household food insecurity predicted health care use independently of other social determinants of health.

If governments invest in reducing food insecurity, it could go a long way toward improving peoples health and reducing public expense on healthcare.

As with other poverty reducing initiatives, it costs less to deal with root problems than the consequences stemming from them.

In Canada, we have the resources to ensure all our citizens can access basic necessities of a healthy life including food, water, housing and healthcare.

It should be unacceptable to all of us to see families and communities going without.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: www.jillianharris.com Jillian Harris, Justin Pasutto and son Leo Pasutto at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver

Kelownas Jillian Harris is embarking on the biggest challenge of hers and longtime fiance Justin Pasutto's lives.

A new docu-series called Jillian and Justin premiered June 21 on W Network and shows the young family's most precious, heart-wrenching moments.

From camera crews being in our bedroom at 6 a.m. some mornings, to ultrasounds, my water breaking and adjusting to life as a new mom and dad, Harris said on her popular blog.

Were not holding anything back, and we really hope you enjoy this docu-series because we are scared sh**less to share it!

The first two episodes shows off many familiar Kelowna locations in all their glory and also give a glimpse into the couple's Okanagan lifestyle.

Harris was a former ABC Bachelorette, host of Love it or List it Vancouver and currently runs her own interior design brand.
Photo: Buy Local

Buy Local BC has released its 2017 Okanagan and Thomspon-Shuswap maps, with more than 100 participants providing fresh local produce.

The Thompson-Shuswap map features more than 50 participants, 28 farms and 20 other listings, and the Okanagan map has 75 participants, including 48 farms and 25 local businesses, providing everything from fruit and veggies to honey and cheese.

"Being a part of the Lake Country and Vernon markets for the Canada 150 weekend was a wonderful way to show off this years new maps on the national holiday, said Buy Local BC founder and co-ordinator Shayne Wright. We're also looking forward to our Thompson-Shuswap map launch this week in Kamloops.

Copies of the maps are available at most visitor centres and hotels or check out an interactive online map here.

Buy Local BC hopes to strengthen the link between local farmers and producers, restaurants, retailers and consumers.
Photo: Contributed Technology tracking temporary foreign workers has advocates concerned.

Advocates are concerned about technology that tracks the work of temporary foreign workers in B.C.

Farms in Canada bring in more than 20,000 temporary workers from Central America each year, and some use wearable GPS monitors that track their productivity.

Raul Gatica, with the Migrant Workers Dignity Association, says the monitors, which force workers to sign in and out and track how much is harvested in a given day, violate workers' right to privacy.

(The farms) have been pushing the workers to do more and more, faster and faster and faster, he told CTV.

Farms hire the workers directly, so if they object, they could be forced to leave the country.

A spokesperson for the growers says the technology is simply used to help farms' productivity.

Its all computer controlled and this is just another information gathering tool, said Linda Delli Santi of the BC Greenhouse Growers Association.

Through Canadas Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, most workers stay in Canada for about eight months at a time.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Madison Erhardt The July long weekend was strong for tourism in Kelowna.

It's been a slow start to the tourism season in the Okanagan, but Tourism Kelowna says things have started to get back to normal over the July long weekend.

Chris Shauf, director of marketing and communication for the local tourism promoter, says accommodations he spoke with reported they were at capacity, or nearly sold out for the entire weekend.

"I think some of those questions and apprehensions have passed," said Shauf.

"Our visitor centre was getting a few phone calls the week leading up to, and they did see an increase in the volume of calls right before the long weekend. I think that was people making a final check to make sure everything was OK."

With the sun out and temperatures in the 30s, Shauf says it was nice to see people out again experiencing the summer heat and cooling off in the lake.

"People were lining the beaches and getting out on the lake."

He says one wine tour company reported the busiest weekend they've ever had, and the wineries were busy as well.

The longer winter and cool, wet spring which led to flooding, hurt in the early season, but Shauf says the the rest of the summer season is looking positive.

"Certainly we have these wonderful forecasts, the water is receding and beaches and parks are opening up. We're going to see that positive trend continue."
Photo: Wildcat Helicopters File photo of Air Rescue chopper on mission.

Three mountain climbers had to be rescued from a cliff Friday night after they were chased by a bear in the Trophy Mountain area of Wells Grey Provincial Park.

They were chased off trail for some distance, I guess it was quite an aggressive bear, said Leigh Pearson of Vernon Search and Rescue.

The Vernon-based winch rescue team flew out of West Kelowna to a cliff face where the three were stuck.

They were off the trail and stranded, said pilot Dave Hauber of Wildcat Helicopters. They were unable to go up or down. Also one was diabetic and having some pains.

Hauber brought the chopper near the cliff face and hovered, landing one skid on a rock to enable the hikers to clamber aboard.

We were able to basically hover and have them enter into the aircraft ... they had some help from the rescue team.

The chopper flew to nearby Clearwater where an ambulance was waiting for the climbers.
Photo: Google Street View Gellatly Bay boat launch is one of two launches set to open next week in West Kelowna.

With lake levels dropping daily, some West Kelowna boat launches are expected to reopen next week.

The City of West Kelowna expects to open the boat launches at Gellatly Bay and Casa Loma on July 12, if the lake level continues to drop at its current rate.

Staff will work over the course of the next week to inspect the launches and make any necessary repairs and preparations, said Jason Luciw, communications co-ordinator with the city. Every effort will be made to open them earlier should conditions permit and it be safe to do so."

Despite the reopening, the city is reminding boaters to reduce speeds on the water and travel far from the shore to limit wake that could damage residents' flood protection measures.

On June 30, the City of Kelowna opened boat launches at Cook Road, Cedar Creek Park and Water Street.
No sign of 'robust' economy In Your Service - 11:00 am
Photo: RCMP Jeyo will be released into the wild once he is strong enough to survive on his own.

A moose calf abandoned by its mother in the Central Interior will be rehabilitated by a local wildlife society and released back into the wild.

The small community of Takla Landing was celebrating its annual Spring Cultural Days with a hunting camp for students, when the group came upon a mother moose with two young.

The mother fled with one of the calves in tow, but the weaker of the two was left behind.

After waiting to see if the mother would return, the group took the calf back to camp, where it was fed and given tons of attention, according to RCMP Cpl. Madonna Saunderson.

One of the elders in the community who helped look after the calf named it Jeyo, which means bull moose in the Carrier language.

Jeyo was returned to where he was found that night in the hopes that his mother would return, but he was still where the rescuers left him the next morning.

The moose was taken back to the RCMP compound, and then to the Northern Lights Wildlife Society the following day.

He will be rehabilitated and re-released into the wild when he is ready, said Saunderson.
Photo: Google Maps A Lower Mainland man has succumbed to his injuries in the Kamloops hospital.

A Lower Mainland man has succumbed to his injuries in hospital after crashing his semi truck on Highway 5, north of Clearwater, on June 24.

The 57-year-old man died Monday at the Royal Inland Hospital, after crashing near Gamble Creek, in the Blue River area.

The man's truck collided with a concrete barrier and a rock face, and he was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The RCMP is asking anyone who witnessed the collision to call the Central Interior Traffic Services at 250- 674-2237.
Photo: Skylar noe-vack Smoke from the fire burning in Kaleden can be seen Kelowna.

Smoke from the wildfire burning in Kaleden is making its way north, which may have some Kelowna residents concerned.

The rapidly-growing fire began at about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday with several people reporting a single tree had caught fire. As of 7 p.m., the fire had grown to 5.5 hectares.

Smoke from the blaze is visible from the Black Mountain area of Kelowna.

The fire dispatch centre says they've received reports of the smell of smoke in the hills behind Peachland and in the Glenrosa area of West Kelowna.

While these reports of smoke have not yet been confirmed to be from the Kaleden fire, the dispatch centre says the chances are pretty good the smell is coming from the south.

Kaleden Fire Chief Denis Gaudry says the blaze is absolutely not contained.
A rapidly-growing wildfire sparked in Kaleden Tuesday afternoon, damaging at least two buildings and forcing the evacuation of multiple residences.

The fire is believed to have started from a single burning tree and is now burning an area of 5.5 hectares.

Here is a gallery of photos taken by Castanet readers over the past several hours.

Share your news, images and video with us at [email protected]
Forty years ago, the Kelowna Regional Transit System was put in place, and today bus service connects Vernon to Peachland and the places in between.

The 40th birthday was celebrated with a small gathering of local politicians and city staff at the Queensway bus loop Tuesday.

The transit system operates in partnership with the City of Kelowna, City of West Kelowna, District of Lake Country, Westbank First Nation, District of Peachland and the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran said Tuesday that the system has come a long way in the past 40 years.

Each year, transit gets better and better and better, Basran said. We will continue to make the investments to do so.

He said five years after the system was started, regional service was offered, with one bus on a two-hour loop between Kelowna and West Kelowna.

We've come a long way since then, Basran said. Today, transit provides five million rides per year.

Looking towards the future, Basran says GPS bus tracking will be coming in 2018, which will allow riders to see where the buses are on their smartphones.
Photo: CTV

A woman may have spent up to five days at the bottom of a ravine in Surrey before being rescued Tuesday.

The woman was rushed to hospital after firefighters plucked her from the bottom of a 25-foot embankment off Scott Road and 96A Avenue about 2 p.m.

A passerby noticed her in distress and alerted first responders, who used ropes to lift her to safety.

Battalion Chief Gary McHarg told CTV she was conscious and had been in the ravine "possibly up to five days."

Clint Whitla was hiking when he heard the woman call for help.

He said she was "bruised and pretty beat up" and that she was "barely conscious."

She seemed unclear about how long she'd been stuck.

The woman was near a creek and had no food or cellphone and wasn't wearing shoes.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: BCLC

Brothers Daniel and Ken Boylan have scratched a record-breaking lottery ticket.

The Vancouver Island siblings won a $2.5-million jackpot on a Golden Treasures ticket purchased at a Cowichan Valley gas station.

Just stopped in to get some gas, and it was our lucky morning, obviously, said Ken.

The $30 tickets offer B.C.'s biggest scratch-and-win prize.

It was hard to believe, said Ken. I had to look at it about 10 times.

aThe brothers plan to buy their parents a new home and invest, "maybe start our own little developing company.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
UPDATE 12:55 p.m.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has lifted the mandatory evacuation order for all 18 properties impacted by the wildfire.

However, an evacuation alert remains in effect for 186 properties, comprising of the entire south half of Kaleden.

An estimated 100 homes were evacuated voluntarily as the fire was spreading, with a total of 234 individuals registered with Emergency Social Services.

The RDOS is asking non-residents to stay away from the south end of Kaleden, as parked vehicles can delay first responders fighting the fire.

UPDATE 10:30 a.m.

Kaleden Fire Chief Denis Gaudry says it will be days before they will confidently be able to say the fire is completely out.

We are doing mop up on it from the perimeter in, you wont see much smoke, but there is lots of sort of hidden spot fires, Gaudry said.

The Fire Department will be taking a look at the 18 homes under a mandatory evacuation order this afternoon and making a decision on if residents can return home.

In addition to the one home and one out-building, Gaudry said they may learn of additional losses of sheds and other outbuildings once residents return home.

The things is, we are in extreme fire danger, if we get wind on it this afternoon, we could get relights, he said.

UPDATE 9:05 a.m.

The Kaleden Fire Departments will continue to work the fire all day, cleaning up hot spots.

Last night, residents of the around 100 homes that were voluntarily evacuated were allowed back to their homes. Its not clear when the remaining 18 evacuation orders will be lifted.

The B.C. Wildfire Service remains engaged in a support role.

Castanet News has a reporter at the scene and will update throughout the day.

UPDATE: 8:15 a.m.

The BC Wildfire Service will have just seven personnel on the lines at the Kaleden wildfire Wednesday. Overnight, 38 provincial firefighters worked the fire, which is officially described as 'held.'

Fire information officer Max Birkner reminds people the fire is under the command of local fire departments. The BC Wildfire Service is there for support.

Air support is ready if needed, said Birkner.

ORIGINAL STORY: 6:15 a.m.

As of late Tuesday, the Kaleden wildfire was considered "held" at 6.5 hectares in size.

The blaze, which has destroyed at least two structures, was being monitored for hot spots and flare-ups overnight by 38 firefighters.

With current resources and conditions, the fire isn't expected to grow  but if the wind picks up, "all bets are off," officials told CTV.

The fire started along Oak Avenue in the South Okanagan community, and 18 homes were under an evacuation order overnight. A full list of the impacted addresses can be found here.

An additional 165 properties, comprising the entire southern half of Kaleden, are under an evacuation alert and should be prepared to leave on short notice.

The fire is being fought by the Kaleden Fire Department, with support from the BC Wildfire Service and Penticton Fire Department.

Evacuees are asked to register with Emergency Social Services at the Penticton Community Centre.
Photo: CTV

A man is in serious condition in hospital after a shooting at a Surrey sushi restaurant Tuesday night.

RCMP responded to the 14800 block of 108th Avenue about 8:30 p.m. and found a man in his thirties suffering from multiple gunshot injuries.

Police arrested a suspect a short distance from the scene. He remains in police custody.

Staff Sgt. Dale Carr said the incident appears to be targeted, and the victim is known to police for criminal behaviour. It is too early to say whether the shooting is drug or gang related, however.

The Lower Mainland Forensic Investigation Section and Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Section were gathering evidence at the scene late Tuesday.

If you saw the shooting or the suspects, or if you know the identity of any of suspects, police would like to speak to you, said Carr.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca.
Photo: Madison Erhardt Okanagan Lake has fallen another 1.2 centimetres.

The slow recession of both Okanagan and Kalamalka lakes toward normal levels continues.

The level of Okanagan Lake fell another 1.3 centimetres as of 5:25 Wednesday morning. It sits at 342.949 metres above sea level.

Kalamalka Lake dropped 2-1 centimetres to sit at 392.164 metres above sea level.

Despite the steady decline in levels in both lakes, Okanagan and Kalamalka remain well above full pool levels.

It could still be three, or more weeks, before both fall to those ideal levels.

While lake waters recede, numerous regional district, municipal and BC Wildfire Service crews continue to work on cleaning up waterfront beach and parks.

Boat launches at Gellatly Bay and Casa Loma are expected to reopen next Wednesday, if levels continue to fall as they have.

Kelowna opened three boat launches last week.

Residents along the waterfront still in danger of flooding are reminded to continually check flood mitigation measures.

Those out of danger can click here to find out more about sandbag and other mitigation removal.
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This microscopic image shows the lumpy calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) binder material that forms when volcanic ash, lime, and seawater mix. Platy crystals of Al-tobermorite have grown amongst the C-A-S-H cementing matrix.

Around A.D. 79, Roman author Pliny the Elder wrote in his Naturalis Historia that concrete structures in harbors, exposed to the constant assault of the saltwater waves, become "a single stone mass, impregnable to the waves and every day stronger."

He wasn't exaggerating. While modern marine concrete structures crumble within decades, 2,000-year-old Roman piers and breakwaters endure to this day, and are stronger now than when they were first constructed. University of Utah geologist Marie Jackson studies the minerals and microscale structures of Roman concrete as she would a volcanic rock. She and her colleagues have found that seawater filtering through the concrete leads to the growth of interlocking minerals that lend the concrete added cohesion.

Roman concrete vs. Portland cement

Romans made concrete by mixing volcanic ash with lime and seawater to make a mortar, and then incorporating into that mortar chunks of volcanic rock, the "aggregate" in the concrete. The combination of ash, water, and quicklime produces what is called a pozzolanic reaction, named after the city of Pozzuoli in the Bay of Naples. The Romans may have gotten the idea for this mixture from naturally cemented volcanic ash deposits called tuff that are common in the area, as Pliny described.

The conglomerate-like concrete was used in many architectural structures, including the Pantheon and Trajan's Markets in Rome. Massive marine structures protected harbors from the open sea and served as extensive anchorages for ships and warehouses.

Modern Portland cement concrete also uses rock aggregate, but with an important difference: the sand and gravel particles are intended to be inert. Any reaction with the cement paste could form gels that expand and crack the concrete.

"This alkali-silica reaction occurs throughout the world and it's one of the main causes of destruction of Portland cement concrete structures," Jackson says.

Rediscovering Roman concrete

Jackson's interest in Roman concrete began with a sabbatical year in Rome. She first studied tuffs and then investigated volcanic ash deposits, soon becoming fascinated with their roles in producing the remarkable durability of Roman concrete.

Along with colleagues, Jackson began studying the factors that made architectural concrete in Rome so resilient. One factor, she says, is that the mineral intergrowths between the aggregate and the mortar prevent cracks from lengthening, while the surfaces of nonreactive aggregates in Portland cement only help cracks propagate farther.

In another study of drill cores of Roman harbor concrete collected by the ROMACONS project in 2002-2009, Jackson and colleagues found an exceptionally rare mineral, aluminous tobermorite (Al-tobermorite) in the marine mortar. The mineral crystals formed in lime particles through pozzolanic reaction at somewhat elevated temperatures. The presence of Al-tobermorite surprised Jackson. "It's very difficult to make," she says of the mineral. Synthesizing it in the laboratory requires high temperatures and results in only small quantities.

Seawater corrosion

For the new study, Jackson and other researchers returned to the ROMACONS drill cores, examining them with a variety of methods, including microdiffraction and microfluorescence analyses at the Advanced Light Source beamline 12.3.2 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. They found that Al-tobermorite and a related zeolite mineral, phillipsite, formed in pumice particles and pores in the cementing matrix. From previous work, the team knew that the pozzolanic curing process of Roman concrete was short-lived. Something else must have caused the minerals to grow at low temperature long after the concrete had hardened. "No one has produced tobermorite at 20 degrees Celsius," she says. "Oh -- except the Romans!"

"As geologists, we know that rocks change," Jackson says. "Change is a constant for earth materials. So how does change influence the durability of Roman structures?"

The team concluded that when seawater percolated through the concrete in breakwaters and in piers, it dissolved components of the volcanic ash and allowed new minerals to grow from the highly alkaline leached fluids, particularly Al-tobermorite and phillipsite. This Al-tobermorite has silica-rich compositions, similar to crystals that form in volcanic rocks. The crystals have platy shapes that reinforce the cementing matrix. The interlocking plates increase the concrete's resistance to brittle fracture.

Jackson says that this corrosion-like process would normally be a bad thing for modern materials. "We're looking at a system that's contrary to everything one would not want in cement-based concrete," she says. "We're looking at a system that thrives in open chemical exchange with seawater."

Modern Roman concrete

Given the durability advantages of Roman concrete, why isn't it used more often, particularly since manufacturing of Portland cement produces substantial carbon dioxide emissions?

"The recipe was completely lost," Jackson says. She has extensively studied ancient Roman texts, but hasn't yet uncovered the precise methods for mixing the marine mortar, to fully recreate the concrete.

"Romans were fortunate in the type of rock they had to work with," she says. "They observed that volcanic ash grew cements to produce the tuff. We don't have those rocks in a lot of the world, so there would have to be substitutions made."

She is now working with geological engineer Tom Adams to develop a replacement recipe, however, using materials from the western U.S. The seawater in her experiments comes from the Berkeley, California, marina, collected by Jackson herself.

Roman concrete takes time to develop strength from seawater, and features less compressive strength than typical Portland cement. For those reasons, it's unlikely that Roman concrete could become widespread, but could be useful in particular contexts.

Jackson recently weighed in on a proposed tidal lagoon to be built in Swansea, United Kingdom, to harness tidal power. The lagoon, she says, would need to operate for 120 years to recoup the costs incurred to build it. "You can imagine that, with the way we build now, it would be a mass of corroding steel by that time." A Roman concrete prototype, on the other hand, could remain intact for centuries.

Jackson says that while researchers have answered many questions about the mortar of the concrete, the long-term chemical reactions in the aggregate materials remain unexplored. She intends to continue the work of Pliny and other Roman scholars who worked assiduously to discover the secrets of their concrete. "The Romans were concerned with this," Jackson says. "If we're going to build in the sea, we should be concerned with it too."
Five Minutes With Damien Geter Audio Article Vocalist, composer and Richmond Symphony artist in residence Damien Geters musical roots sprouted when he was a boy in the Matoaca District of Chesterfield County, where he was raised and...
Many of the state's poorest residents could soon pay extra when cashing a check at a local currency exchange. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)

Many of the state's poorest residents could soon pay more to cash a check at a local currency exchange, courtesy of a rate hike recommended by Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration.

The Illinois agency that regulates currency exchanges has approved double-digit percentage increases of the industry's state-sanctioned check-cashing fees. The hike covers all checks, including government-backed, payroll and personal.

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What we have here is a flawed rate increase plan that promises to have an oversized impact on lower-income households already scratching out a living. The burden will fall mostly on people who often must use currency exchanges because their neighborhoods lack affordable retail banking options.

However, there's a chance the increase could be stopped or altered since a bipartisan panel of lawmakers is responsible for "codifying," or legally approving, the agency's action.

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Instead of just nodding "yes," legislators should spike this hike and replace it with a more equitable fee schedule that doesn't make poor people a little poorer every time they cash a check at a currency exchange.

"There's still time," says Brent Adams, senior vice president of policy at the Woodstock Institute, an advocacy group that's taking the lead in opposing the scheme.

The basic issue isn't whether the state's estimated 400 currency exchanges, the majority of them in the Chicago area, should get a raise. It's been nearly a decade since the last increase and the cost of doing business has gone up, so some relief is understandable.

But there's also the issue of whether the state's rate hike is fair to those who regularly use these businesses for check-cashing.

On that score, state regulators have looked the other way.

In June the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation gave the industry exactly what it had requested.

That's worth repeating: The state gave the currency exchange owners everything they wanted.

Represented by law firm Jenner & Block, the Currency Exchange Association of Illinois and the Community Currency Exchange Licensees filed a petition outlining why they need more money. In its ruling, the state enthusiastically stated "there are ample grounds for increasing the maximum check-cashing rate."

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Under the plan, cashing a check of $100 or less will cost a dollar and 2.5 percent of the check's face value. That's a whopping 46 percent increase over the current rate.

Checks between $100 and $1,250 will cost 2.5 percent of the face value, an 11 percent jump; checks of $1,251 or more will be charged 3 percent of the draft's amount, a 33 percent hike.

In sanctioning the rate increase, the regulators dismissed a recommendation by Woodstock to temper the fee schedule  especially those rates that apply to government-backed and payroll checks.

Currency exchanges argue their fees are justified because they help insulate them from the inherent risk of cashing third-party checks or doing business with strangers. One bounced or forged check can devastate a store's profitability, they say.

That's true to a point.

While personal checks can present more hazards, government-backed payments are virtually risk-free and shouldn't be grouped into the higher-risk category.

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With an increased use of electronic payments, there's been a reduction in government and payroll check-cashing. Yet those who still use paper checks are typically among society's most "economically insecure" and can least afford the proposed rate hike, according to Woodstock.

Woodstock is pushing for a lowered rate system similar to one recently embraced in Pennsylvania. That state trimmed the check-cashing fee for government-issued checks to 1.5 percent of the check amount, from 2.5 percent. For public assistance checks the rate dropped to 0.5 percent, from 2.5 percent.

Besides Woodstock, there didn't seem to be anyone advocating for those who regularly depend on currency exchanges during the rate evaluation process, so more input is needed.

One of the roles of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is to help preserve the currency exchange industry, which in the past decade has felt a decline in the number of outlets. The agency also is mandated to ensure the industry makes what it calls a "reasonable profit."

Hey, who says business and government don't work together in Illinois?

Yes, state lawmakers could take the regulating agency's recommendation and move on. But here's hoping legislators won't amble down a path of least resistance.

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The Pennsylvania plan is a good place to begin the re-examination. Lawmakers should also connect with Woodstock, which has been tracking urban retail banking trends for decades. Woodstock's Adams oversaw the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation between 2009 and 2012.

There are other community activists waiting in the wings eager to discuss this matter too.

Before approving a maximum check-cashing increase, let's review it again.

But this time, do it with an eye toward giving the paying customers a break too.

roreed@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @reedtribbiz
What you need to know about HB1811. (July 6, 2017)

An AT&T-backed bill to end traditional landline phone service in Illinois is now the law of the land.

Overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto, the General Assembly approved the telecom modernization bill on Saturday, enabling AT&T to disconnect its remaining 1.2 million landline customers statewide, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission.

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But holdouts may have some time before AT&T pulls the plug for good on its legacy telephone service.

"It's important for our Illinois customers to know that traditional landline phone service from AT&T is not going away anytime soon," Paul La Schiazza, AT&T Illinois president, said in a statement Wednesday.

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With customers switching to internet-based and wireless phone services, AT&T has been pushing for legislation to allow it to unplug its aging landline network and focus on the modern alternatives. AT&T said it is losing about 5,000 landline customers statewide each week, with less than 10 percent of Illinois households in its territory still using the service.

While AT&T ultimately needs approval from the FCC to abandon a long-standing obligation to maintain its "plain old telephone service," it has already gotten similar legislation passed in 19 of the 20 other states where it is the legacy telephone carrier, with California as the only holdout.

"The new Illinois law helps plan for the eventual transition to only the technologies that customers overwhelmingly prefer today  modern landline service and wireless service," La Schiazza said. "While the timetable for that transition is undetermined at this time, it could take a number of years."

Critics say the new law will leave behind vulnerable Illinois residents, particularly the elderly, who disproportionately rely on traditional landline telephone service for everything from connecting with family to monitoring life-threatening medical conditions.

Representatives of AARP Illinois and the Citizens Utility Board, an Illinois nonprofit watchdog group, expressed disappointment over the legislation.

"If AT&T succeeds in ending traditional landline phone service, we think that will hurt people  particularly seniors and those with medical conditions  who depend on a landline as their most reliable link to vital services," CUB spokesman Jim Chilsen said.

Chilsen said his organization is "not done fighting" and will shift the battle to the national level in a bid to keep in place the FCC rulings requiring AT&T to provide traditional landline service.

"AT&T still must get final Federal Communications Commission approval to end traditional home phone service, so CUB will do everything it can to protect landline customers as this battle moves to Washington," Chilsen said.

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As part of the new state law, AT&T is required to notify Illinois customers of its plans to disconnect their landline service before petitioning the FCC. Customers who believe that landlines are their only viable phone option will be able to appeal to the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Julie Vahling, associate state director of AARP Illinois, said the organization will focus on working with consumers who plan to appeal their landline disconnection.

"We'll move on to the next fight for consumers, to try to make sure that they're educated and know how to go about appealing to keep their traditional landline service," Vahling said.

The legislation, House Bill 1811, also includes an increase in the fee all phone customers  mobile, online and traditional landline  pay for 911 emergency service. Outside of Chicago, the monthly rate next year would nearly double to $1.50 per line, up from 87 cents. Chicago is authorized to raise its 911 fee to $5 per month, up from the current $3.90, pending City Council approval.

The legislation went through several incarnations before landing on the governor's desk Saturday. Rauner issued an amendatory veto the same day, which was mostly focused on the 911 rate increases.

Both chambers voted to override the veto: by a 90-22 vote in the Illinois House and a 43-1 vote in the Senate.

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Meanwhile, AT&T's La Schiazza offered a measure of reassurance to the company's dwindling ranks of landline customers, especially those who would rather fight than switch.

"We value our customers, and we want to keep them," La Schiazza said. "While most customers are enjoying updated technologies today, including wireless service and modern landline service, AT&T currently continues to sell and provide traditional landline phone service to our customers."

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Charles and David Koch are best known for their controversial political empire, where they ply their combined personal fortunes of nearly $96 billion into conservative causes and candidates across the nation.

They're less known for the business empire that's enabled that wealth: Koch Industries. One of the United States' biggest companies - whose annual revenue of $100 billion is more than that of Goldman Sachs, Starbucks and Honeywell International combined - Koch owns brands that are fixtures of American households, such as Brawny paper towels and Lycra. But because it's privately held, how it has grown so big has remained something of a mystery.

A year-long look into Koch Industries' $21 billion purchase of wood and paper giant Georgia-Pacific, involving interviews with Georgia-Pacific employees from the factory floor to the executive suite, offers a rare view into how the brothers run their businesses. The company's approach, examined for a forthcoming book, at times aligns with the brothers' brand of economic conservativism, which stresses the power of the market and skepticism of government. At other times, its approach is at tension with their philosophy.

Charles Koch often frames his political giving in economic terms, saying that the free market is better able to solve society's problems than the state. As chief executive of Koch, one of his strategies has been to shield his companies from the market pressures that many public firms face.

That shield also makes it difficult for outsiders to judge whether Koch Industries is a good steward of its investments. Outsiders are left to wonder: What does it mean to become part of Koch? What can public companies learn from Koch's management techniques once it takes another company private? What can employees expect if Charles Koch becomes their boss?

Charles Koch, who declined to comment for this story, has implemented deep changes at Georgia-Pacific. Most of them exploit one of Koch's key advantages: The company is privately held, with essentially only two shareholders: the brothers. This gives the firm flexibility to operate in a way that makes it more nimble than many publicly traded firms.

After it took Georgia-Pacific private, Koch jettisoned annual budgets and quit focusing on quarterly earnings targets. Reinvestment has skyrocketed. Strategic thinking has shifted years, if not decades, out.

The strategy makes Koch Industries somewhat of an outlier among major American corporations, fighting the tide of shareholder-return management strategies that many critics say have led to an excessive focus on short-term returns. Charles Koch perpetually reminds his managers they want to achieve the highest return on investment, but he's willing to take 10 or 20 years to get it.

"If you need to wreck your budget to do what creates the most value, you should wreck the budget," said David Robertson, president and chief operating officer of Koch Industries, summarizing his boss's philosophy.

Yet to achieve success, Koch has at times had to compromise some of his principles. Koch has used his political power to crusade against what is sometimes called "crony capitalism" - the use of tax breaks and subsidies to benefit some companies over others. And yet Georgia-Pacific made use of one such tax break to ride out the recession.

Whatever the approach, it seems to be working for the company's bottom line. Georgia-Pacific's debt rating has climbed from junk status to high investment grade. Annual net income averages just slightly more than $1 billion a year, according to Koch Industries, compared with $623 million before the acquisition.

Like almost virtually everything with Koch Industries, the deal began in secret. Not even senior managers at Georgia- Pacific knew what was coming when a small delegation of Koch employees arrived in 2003 and started asking questions. Koch had amassed most of its influence in the energy business, owning oil refineries. But its sprawling business interests span agriculture, minerals, materials engineering and even cattle ranching.

One afternoon, Koch executives met with Georgia-Pacific executives on the 51st floor - reserved for Georgia-Pacific executives and their guests - of the company's headquarters. Over lunch served on fine china, Wesley Jones, who oversaw Georgia Pacific's wood-pulp mills, explained how they operated, where it bought timber and where it sold pulp, and the potential growth of Asian markets.

One of the visitors listening was James Hannan, who worked for Koch Industries and would be installed as Georgia- Pacific's CEO in 2007. He wasn't used to wearing a tie - Koch culture was much more informal.

Hannan and his team thought Georgia-Pacific's pulp mills could push Koch into a new industry while allowing the company to build on what it did best. Pulping wood turned out to be not all that different from refining oil. At Koch's oil refineries, crude oil was pumped in one end and then heated and processed in big towers, making gasoline and other products. At Georgia-Pacific's pulp mills, truckloads of pine trees were fed into one end of the mill and cooked down into a fibrous goo and sprayed into churning machines that make long rolls of dense pulp material.

The Georgia-Pacific mills were attractive for another reason. Koch executives believed they were undervalued in a way a privately held company could exploit. The company had been on a decades-long spree buying a lot of businesses that didn't fit neatly together - Georgia-Pacific made high-profit tissue paper and lower-profit wood pulp. The markets for tissue paper and plywood were so different that bank analysts had a hard time putting a single value on a company that was heavily involved in both. The pulp line was cyclical and dragged down the value of the consumer-products business.

Koch Industries wasn't bothered by the boom-and-bust cycles of the wood-pulp business. Volatility was Koch's bread and butter. Koch bought Georgia-Pacific's pulp division in 2004 and renamed it Koch Cellulose. Koch put Jones in charge.

After Koch took the pulp mills private, Jones noticed an immediate change. The biggest, most obvious change was Koch's willingness to reinvest its profits.

Georgia-Pacific had been skimping on capital spending at its pulp mills for years, Jones said. That was partly because the company had to pay off the roughly $3.5 billion in debt it took on to buy Fort James, a tissue maker. The firm had about $8.7 billion in total debt in early 2005. Georgia-Pacific also paid out generous dividends to shareholders, a common practice that public companies employ to make their shares more enticing.

The company's strategy was to run its mills as long as possible without shutting them down for repairs, Jones said. It delayed the purchase of new equipment that might have made the plants more profitable. The strategy worked for a while, Jones said, but by 2004 the equipment was starting to show serious wear and tear.

"We were trying to spend as little as possible," Jones recalled. He said he was frustrated with the lack of investment. "There's a lot of smaller stuff that we had to have fixed."

Under Georgia-Pacific, Jones undertook a laborious, bureaucratic process to get new investments approved. He was girding himself for the same under Koch. He badly wanted to install a new set of more-efficient processing towers at Koch's pulp mill in Brunswick, Ga. After the Koch purchase, he talked about it on the phone with a Koch executive in Wichita, saying they had cost $35 million to $40 million.

To Jones's surprise, the investment was approved. On the phone. That was a first.

"I remember putting the phone down and thinking, 'Damn,' " Jones said, shaking his head. "It was like a month or two after the acquisition. I was floored."

Executives at Koch's headquarters in Wichita were accustomed to such quick approvals. Charles Koch requires that 90 percent of the company's profits are reinvested. He fought a legal battle for roughly 20 years against his younger brother Bill Koch, who along with other shareholders wanted to pull more cash out of the firm. Charles Koch refused.

To be sure, the relentless drive for profits has led to criticism of Koch's business practices in the past. In 2000, the company paid what was then the largest civil fine ever - $30 million - for violating pollution laws after its pipelines sprung hundreds of leaks. Its oil refinery in Minnesota was fined for improperly dumping ammonia into local waterways. In such cases, Charles Koch has said, members of management had misinterpreted the company's philosophy.

As it spent money on Georgia-Pacific's pulp mills, Koch Industries liked the results.

"We were able to demonstrate relatively quickly that the improvement opportunities were there," Jones said.

In late 2005, Koch Industries announced that it was buying all of Georgia-Pacific for $21 billion.

The timing of the deal could not have been worse.

Koch took full custody of Georgia- Pacific just as the nation's housing bubble burst. Georgia-Pacific made plywood, lumber and gypsum building panels used in everything from apartment buildings to new restaurants. The market collapsed.

When Georgia-Pacific hit a rough patch in 2009, it made use of a highly controversial tax credit for a pulping byproduct known as "black liquor," the company acknowledged to The Washington Post. Critics said the creation of the tax credit in 2007 was a backdoor bailout for some wood companies in lean times.

"Of all the tax loopholes I've seen in the last three decades, none is more despicable than the totally unintended and unproductive black-liquor tax credit," Marty Sullivan, a tax consultant and former staff economist with the Treasury Department, said in an email.

Karen Cole, a Georgia-Pacific spokeswoman, said: "We did not advocate for this tax credit, but ultimately we did participate in it - not doing so would have put us at a competitive disadvantage. We have consistently opposed all subsidies, mandates and programs that distort the market and will continue to do so, even when they benefit us."

The market collapse was particularly bad news for Jose Casanova, a manager of Georgia-Pacific's gypsum mill outside Savannah, Ga. Casanova said the market for his products tanked just as the plant opened a newly expanded production line. Sales were low for years afterward. But Casanova, who had worked for Georgia-Pacific since 2000, noticed something surprising. Koch didn't pull back its capital spending.

Koch installed new safety fencing around the machines, hoping to cut down on lost-time accidents. The yellow metal barriers would discourage employees from manually dislodging jammed machines or trying to clean around conveyor belts while they were will running.

"We didn't think it was possible - until we implemented it," Casanova said. "Now we need to make sure the equipment is reliable. Then you don't need to access the equipment and risk getting hurt."

Koch's experience with volatility created another practice that soon swept through Georgia-Pacific.

In the 1980s, Koch stopped routinely using annual budgets - those financial documents that for many public companies are akin to divinely inscribed stone tablets, dictating which financial targets would be hit in a given quarter. The power of budgets was logical for public companies - if sales or profits are below expectations, even for one quarter, it can hurt the stock price.

During the oil shocks of the 1970s and '80s, Koch executives realized that budgets were all but worthless - it was all but impossible to predict how much Koch needed to pay for oil six months or a year down the road.

Instead, Koch uses "plans" for each year, sketching out revenue, costs and profits it anticipates, mainly used so executives can better plan acquisitions. Managers aren't judged on how closely they adhere to the budget - just on whether they expand their business.

"The difference is that many companies go to painstaking detail on every line item in their budget in an effort to, I'll say, predict the future," Robertson said. "What we determined is that we weren't very good at predicting the future. So why do we want to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to?"

Koch's other changes reshaped Georgia-Pacific's corporate culture. Koch started almost immediately by moving senior executives out of the lavish offices on the 51st floor, where Hannan had received his first presentation on Georgia-Pacific's pulp mills. Having a floor reserved for executives, where a necktie was required for admission, conveyed too much of a command-and- control mentality, Charles Koch later wrote.

Merging Koch Industries' culture with Georgia-Pacific's has not been without its challenges. The union was a complication for Koch, not known for any warmth toward organized labor. The company had unionized workers at some of its operations but nothing compared with the size and scope of Georgia-Pacific's collective-bargaining units.

The Nation magazine published an article about other cultural tensions in 2011 with the headline "Big Brothers: Thought Control at Koch." Employees were particularly troubled when Koch Industries shared literature that recommended voting for Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

One union filed a labor complaint over Koch's policy that restricted social-media posts for employees. Greg Pallesen, who represents Georgia-Pacific workers in the Association of Western Pulp and Papers Workers, told the news outlet In These Times that Koch's policy was hypocritical and unfair to workers.

"They don't allow their employees to have free speech," he said. The National Labor Relations Board and Georgia- Pacific reached a settlement in which the company backed off the policy.

Still, the number of union workers at Georgia-Pacific has declined precipitously. When Koch took over, roughly 22,000 of 55,000 Georgia-Pacific employees were unionized. Today, that number has dropped steeply, to 11,800, the company said. A Koch official said that selling off its tissue business in Europe and closing some "noncompetitive facilities in the U.S." contributed to that drop.

For its intense focus on company performance, Georgia-Pacific has not swept the paper market.

Its returns are probably average to above average when compared with competitors such as Kimberly-Clark or Procter & Gamble, said Chip Dillon, a stock analyst who has covered the forest-products industry for two decades. Both of those firms invest heavily in consumer products with higher profit margins and have strong market positions.

"I would say that Georgia-Pacific is respected. I wouldn't say they're feared. I think their competitors are equal to them in many senses," Dillon said. "They're not going to take over this business."

Hannan said the best way to stay competitive is to stay uncomfortable. Even if the financial indicators for Georgia- Pacific are positive - with higher earnings, a lower debt rating and more acquisitions on the horizon - Hannan said the one emotion he tries to avoid is that of self-satisfaction.

"The thing you worry most about is that we're going to feel that way," Hannan said, "and then just get dragged down from behind and get our throats slit."
Plastic foam cups are available July 5, 2017, at a McDonalds restaurant in Chicagos River North neighborhood. The burger chain says some Chicago-area restaurants are using foam cups, panned by some environmentalists, for large drinks. ( Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune )

Some local McDonald's restaurants are throwing it back to the old days  not with a new menu item, but with plastic foam cups.

McDonald's says some Chicago-area restaurants are using foam cups instead of more environmentally friendly options this summer for large drinks despite pressure from shareholders to phase foam out for good.

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The world's largest burger chain previously only used foam cups for iced tea year-round in the U.S., spokeswoman Becca Hary said. She declined to say why it brought the cups back to Chicago or if they were brought back in other cities too.

"This summer, Chicago-area restaurants may be using a large Styrofoam cup to serve their customers select cold beverages," Hary said in a statement. "We continue to work with our suppliers on sustainable packaging options that reduce our sourcing footprint and positively impact the communities we serve."

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Plastic foam, also known as polystyrene, doesn't biodegrade like paper and isn't as easily recyclable as other plastics, but it's still used widely in the food service industry because it's inexpensive and preferred by some customers because it keeps beverages cold longer and doesn't "sweat," or produce condensation on the outside of the cup.

McDonald's phased out the use of polystyrene in its hot beverage cups in 2013 and stopped using foam sandwich containers in 1990. Both moves were made amid significant public pressure. The material has been banned in some U.S. cities due to its environmental impact.

Oak Brook-based McDonald's has never made a promise to completely phase out the use of polystyrene, and the company has said polystyrene represents only a fraction of its packaging worldwide. It's also far from the only restaurant chain to keep the material around. Dunkin' Donuts still uses polystyrene cups despite years of promises to find a better alternative, and other fast-food chains, such as Chick-fil-A, use polystyrene cups for beverages of all sizes.

In May, McDonald's recommended its shareholders vote against a proposal that would have required the burger giant to assess the environmental impacts of its foam beverage cups. But that proposal won 32 percent of the shareholder vote, a rare level of support for a proposal brought by outsiders.

"It seems strange to bring something like this back," said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of As You Sow, a corporate responsibility group that has pushed for a phaseout of polystyrene at McDonald's and other restaurant chains and retailers. "It's kind of curious that they're doing this now."

MacKerron said that McDonald's has in the past shown resistance to shareholder efforts and then complied months later "when the noise dies down."

"My expectation is that it's still the same pattern they'll operate in here: wait a few months and make an announcement" phasing out polystyrene cold beverage cups, he said.

McDonald's long-term goal is to derive all of its packaging from certified or recycled sources by 2020.

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"For a company of McDonald's size and scope, that's a pretty tall order," Rolf Huwyler, McDonald's senior manager for global sustainability, said last year as the chain rolled out new bags, sandwich boxes and cups. "And to be sure, there have been  and will continue to be  challenges along the way."

sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SamWillTravel
When people think of Volvo, they tend to think of safety. For decades, that's how the once-Swedish company advertised its cars.

Now under Chinese ownership, Volvo Cars aims to set itself apart as an aggressive early mover in the electrification of the automobile.

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On Wednesday, the company said that all new models starting in 2019 will be equipped with an electric motor. Some will be hybrids. Some will be pure electrics. But as new models come on line, Volvo plans to phase out the conventional automobile powertrain that runs 100% on gasoline or diesel fuel.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion-engine-powered car," Volvo Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson said in a conference call with reporters. "People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs."

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Volvo is the first traditional automaker to take such a plunge, which comes despite few signs that the market is ready to bury the combustion engine.

Sales of SUVs and pickup trucks have actually surged recently in the United States, helped by cheap gasoline. And Volvo itself will keep using petroleum-powered engines for some time to come. Current models won't change their powertrains until they're upgraded, something that could take years.

The end of the combustion engine "is being overstated," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Autotrader.

"People always say they're interested in these cars," she said of electrics. "They'll consider them, but they don't buy them."

Hybrids and electrics are most popular in California, yet only about 3% of 2016 total car sales in the state were hybrids and about 2% pure electrics. Those numbers are picking up a bit this year.

Nationally, less than 1% of car sales are pure electrics. A report from Deutsche Bank last year predicted that by 2025, "increasingly efficient" combustion engines would still power about 95% of all vehicles.

But global concerns about climate change and air pollution have generated pressure to make the switch. Governments around the world  most notably the Chinese, with the largest car market in the world  are offering incentives and issuing mandates to push buyers into electric cars.

In the wake of emissions-cheating scandals, Europe is moving away from once-popular diesel engines. India is considering banning combustion engines by 2030. Norway, Germany and other countries have also considered bans.

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China's government policies strongly favor electric cars, and the country plans to become a major electric car exporter. China is Volvo's second-largest market, nearly as large as the United States.

At the same time, battery costs are dropping and maximum mileage range is expanding enough, Volvo believes, to lure more people away from traditional powertrains.

"Volvo has always been an innovator, and this is a massive change in terms of operating a business," said Akshay Anand, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

Volvo's goal is to sell 1 million electrified cars by 2025, Samuelsson said, including five new pure-electric models.

The first of the pure electrics will be manufactured in China, before assembly expands to Europe and a plant now under construction in South Carolina.

The Volvo brand, while well known, is a niche player in the United States with less than 1% of total passenger vehicle sales.

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Globally, Volvo sold 534,532 light vehicles last year, including 84,000 in the United States, nearly the same as in China.

China sold 28 million light vehicles in 2016 compared to 17.55 million in the United States. It also is the fastest growing market for electric cars, with sales of 352,000 cars in 2016, more than double the 160,000 new electric-car sales in the United States.

The Chinese government has poured subsidies into the electric-vehicle market, driven by fears over urban pollution and a desire to make its local industry leaders in green technology.

Earlier this year, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology set a target of 2 million electric car sales, or 20% of all auto sales, by 2020.

Chinese carmaker Geely, and Volvo, plan to be a big part of that.

Led by its charismatic chairman, Li Shufu, Geely purchased Volvo in 2010 to lift the Chinese brand, which had failed to even crack the top 10 in its own market.

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The ambitious parent company is determined to make China synonymous with cars the way Japanese and South Korean automakers did decades ago.

Li expanded the company's portfolio to buy a majority stake in Lotus Cars, the British luxury automaker. He announced plans to make Geely the first Chinese carmaker to market its own brand in Europe and North America with Lynk & Co., a joint initiative with Volvo.

Analysts say Geely shrewdly left Volvo alone, choosing instead to glean expertise from the automaker, particularly on safety. That's no small detail for a Chinese manufacturer that once unveiled a sedan at the Detroit Auto Show that failed to pass U.S. road standards.

"There seems to be more latitude than expected between Geely and Volvo, which I would say is a great thing," said Anand, the Kelley Blue Book analyst.

Chinese electric car and battery factories, analysts say, may gain the economies of scale needed to force down electric car costs worldwide.

Tesla is trying to do the same with its mid-market Model 3, which the company plans to begin assembling in large numbers sometime later this year. Next year, Tesla plans to build 500,000 cars in its Fremont plant  about the same number of cars that Volvo now sells worldwide.

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In the United States, federal and state subsidies for electric cars haven't moved the sales needle much. Chevy introduced its Bolt EV this year, a compact car with a range of about 240 miles. Neither Ford nor Fiat Chrysler have designed and built an electric car from the ground up.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is considering pulling back mileage and pollution requirements approved under former President Obama. President Trump has been silent on electric car policy, with no hint whether or not the federal government's $7,500 buyer subsidies will continue.

Even Volvo isn't ditching combustion entirely. Its new "mild hybrid" cars will have a small electric motor that gives an occasional boost to a conventional fuel engine.

That improves gas mileage, and allows the car to idle at stoplights, but launch as soon as the driver hits the gas pedal.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ethan Varian and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

ALSO:

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More factory problems as Elon Musk's Tesla starts producing the Model 3

Review: Volvo's V90 Cross Country  Wagon Ho!

Honda's all-new Accord will have no V-6 option  only 4-cylinder or hybrid

Will electric buses juice California's economy? Start-up Proterra hopes so

UPDATES:

4:15 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with Los Angeles Times staff reporting.

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11:30 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting and analyst comments.

8:35 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Volvo executive Hakan Samuelsson.

6:50 a.m.: This article was updated to remove a reference to the stock price of Volvo Group, which is a separate company.

This article was originally published at 5:30 a.m.
Otobots mechanic Peter Champlin works on a 2003 Jeep Liberty in the vehicle owners driveway on June 13, 2017, in Streamwood. Champlin is an independent contractor, not a salaried employee, and supplies his own tools and work vehicle. (Rick Popely/Chicago Tribune )

When Peter Champlin, an auto mechanic for nearly 15 years, popped the hood on a 2003 Jeep Liberty, he fixed a leak with a new clamp on the lower radiator hose and installed a new ignition coil. The bill was $189.33.

Routine stuff for an experienced mechanic like Champlin, who is certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence as a master technician, with one exception: The repairs were done in the owner's driveway in the Chicago suburb of Streamwood, not in a repair shop or dealership service department.

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At a time when few medical doctors still make house calls, a growing number of car doctors are driving to customers' houses or places of business to perform repairs and maintenance while the customers continue their usual daily routines.

For the customer, there's no waiting around at a repair shop or shuttling back and forth to drop off and pick up the car. They come to you.

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Independent mechanics began advertising mobile services several years ago on Craigslist and similar sites. Now, though, startup companies have set up shop online offering mobile repair services, rosters of experienced mechanics available seven days a week, instant online price quotes for a variety of repairs, and 12-month/12,000-mile guarantees on parts and labor.

Champlin, for instance, works for Otobots, a company based in Oak Brook that has mobile mechanics in Illinois, California and Texas and plans to expand into several more states in the next few years.

A more established and much larger competitor, YourMechanic, based in Mountain View, Calif., operates in most major metro areas and 33 states, with plans to add more areas in the near future.

Both claim to perform maintenance and repairs at lower cost than dealerships and repair shops.

Arun Simon, the CEO of Otobots and a co-founder of the company, said he came up with the idea three years ago after spending considerable time trying to find a mechanic on Craigslist. The solution, he thought, was to use technology to make it more convenient for consumers to find a mechanic and schedule service online and have the mechanic come to them.

"The biggest problem we're solving here is the actual inconvenience that is associated with the hours of waiting at a repair shop," Simon said in a telephone interview.

The online scheduling process works like this: The customer enters the year, make, model and engine of the vehicle, chooses what what's needed from lists of available services and repairs and receives a price quote. If the customer decides to go ahead with the repair, he or she can choose among available time slots for when the mechanic should come. Customers have to enter a credit card number to schedule an appointment.

If a customer's car won't start or the cause of a problem is unknown, Otobots charges a $64.99 diagnostic fee, and YourMechanic charges $70 to $80, depending on location.

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For John Scalet, the owner of the Jeep Liberty that Champlin repaired, Otobot's mobile service allowed him to keep working at home without taking time away from running his graphics and sign business.

"I wanted to try something a little different. I feel it's safer than Craigslist. When you go online you can read the credentials of the people who are going to be working on the car, so it's not like you're blind to the people that are working on it," Scalet said.

Anthony Rodio, CEO of YourMechanic, said in addition to the convenience factor, consumers like the instant online price quote with comparisons to what local dealers and repair shops would charge.

"That price transparency is a big part of our value proposition, because historically consumers have felt that (auto repair) is a very opaque experience. They didn't know what they were going to pay until after they dropped the car off and got a call a few hours later with an estimate that might not be the final bill," Rodio said in a telephone interview.

YourMechanic says they can perform most services a shop can complete. A referral process is in the works for customers whose cars can't be repaired after initial investigation.

Both companies screen mechanics by verifying their credentials and conducting background checks, and they say they match the skills and experience of the mechanic to specific jobs or types of vehicles, such as diesel engines. The mechanics supply their own tools and work vehicles, and they work as contractors who are paid by the job, not as salaried employees.

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Rodio said YourMechanic relies heavily on technology to schedule mechanics and order parts so that most jobs are completed within 48 hours of a customer placing an online order.

When a customer books an appointment online, parts are ordered for the job at the company's headquarters in California through parts stores such as Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone and O'Reilly Auto Parts. The assigned mechanic picks up the parts from a local store on the way to do the repairs.

"Our technology kicks out what the parts need to be, and then we have a parts department that actually reviews them and makes sure we have the right parts for the job," he said. "A large part of our value proposition is that we want to use technology to be able to do this at scale in a more efficient way than the traditional model."

Ordering parts in volume enables YourMechanic and Otobots to negotiate lower prices from suppliers. Rodio said YourMechanic also is working directly with parts manufacturers to make them exclusive suppliers. Castrol, for example, is their exclusive supplier of motor oil and lubricants.

Moreover, neither company bears the cost of maintaining a repair shop or dealership service department, which they say enables them to charge less. Instead, they perform repairs on private property such as driveways and office parking lots (not on public streets).

Both mobile mechanic services do dozens of maintenance and repair jobs, such as oil changes, batteries, timing belt replacement, brakes and air conditioning repairs, but they don't do internal engine or transmission repair or other jobs that require specialized equipment or a shop setting.

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Labor charges vary by location, and both companies use standard rates based on industry guides for specific tasks.

For example, based on online quotes, in the Chicago area Otobots charges $117.62 to install a serpentine drive belt on a 2010 Toyota Camry, with $80 for labor and the rest for parts and tax; YourMechanic charges $130.58, with $77 for labor.

To replace the front brake pads and rotors on a 2012 Honda CR-V, Otobots charges $384.78 (with $128 for labor) and YourMechanic charges $303.30 ($112 for labor).

Though mobile mechanics currently take only a small slice of the auto repair business, Rodio said they are part of a "massive disruption" of the auto industry. Part of the shift, he adds, is desire for alternatives to the traditional, bricks-and-mortar repair shops.

"People are much more open at this point to a better way or different way of doing things, instead of just the way it's always been done," he said.
Mr. Trump's heated emphasis on Cuban repression, and his linking any further rapproachment to political reform, replace Mr. Obama's cool assurances that constructive engagement will gradually, gradually breed more freedom and prosperity. In our view, a little more impatience about democracy isn't such a bad thing.

To be sure, Mr. Trump, with his own uncivil political habits and indulgent attitude toward the likes of Vladimir Putin, is far from the best messenger. Nevertheless, his message is not wrong  neither about the lack of political reform in Cuba since Mr. Obama's effort began, nor about the risk that Mr. Castro and his cronies will use greater economic flows as a de facto bailout. Totalitarian control being what it is, no U.S. administration would find it easy to engage Cuba's people without normalizing and enriching the regime that oppresses them. But that is the right objective.

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The Washington Post

The most compelling case for military intervention in Syria for many Americans, myself and the president included, comes via the images of the immense suffering of Syrian civilians. But the hard truth is there is no guarantee American military action will speed Syria's route to safety and peace. It is difficult to calculate this sort of thing with certainty, but credible evidence suggests U.S. intervention in Iraq and Libya unintentionally prolonged and exacerbated civilian misery. Should Syria become a theater of outright war between the United States and Russia, both nuclear powers with enormous (if enormously unequal) military might, the Syrian humanitarian crisis would grow exponentially. Given these grave risks, the same humanitarian impulse that spurs us to action must also scream a word of caution.

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Bonnie Kristian, The National Interest
The color and opacity of the hazy IPA style range across the spectrum, as seen in these beers, from left, Mikerphones Check 1, 2; Sketchbooks Insufficient Clearance; Hailstorms Cirrus; Lake Effects Band Wagon; Noon Whistles Gummypocalypse; Corridors Van Hazen; Tightheads Pitcher of Nectar; Illuminateds Bulgakhopf; Hubbards Caves Fresh IIPA Amarillo; Marz Communitys Double Splash Tropical; and Forbidden Roots Snoochie Boochies and Stay Lit, all photographed at Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery tap takeover in Chicago. ( Michelle Kanaar/Chicago Tribune )

Hazy IPAs are the best thing to ever happen to craft beer.

And they're the worst.

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I could come to no other conclusion after six weeks of drinking hazy IPAs, discussing hazy IPAs, arguing about hazy IPAs, rolling my eyes at hazy IPAs and, ultimately, quite enjoying hazy IPAs.

Quite enjoying some hazy IPAs.

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Plenty of trends have come and gone during craft beer's short and fascinating life, especially in the realm of India pale ales. It only makes sense. IPAs have been the engine driving craft beer for years; trying to find the next new thing is inevitable. But few of the experiments have touched the raw nerve  and then hammered on it like a pogo stick  as hazy IPAs, which originated on the East Coast and are now made everywhere.

First, what they are: They are hazy. (We'll get into why.) This is why people call it hazy IPA  though they also call it New England IPA, Vermont IPA, Northeast IPA, double dry hopped IPA or new era IPA.

READ MORE: Check out the full 2018 beer guide 

Above all, they are IPAs, which means they get immense amounts of hops. They are so remarkably fruit- and citrus-forward that people tend to describe them as "juicy." Unlike a classic IPA, they are remarkably lacking in bitterness and stunningly easy to drink. Even when up around 8 percent alcohol, hazy IPAs have virtually no boozy burn.

You can hand a hazy IPA to beer drinkers who profess to not like IPA, and their eyes will brighten, they'll cock their head in that, Oh, I like this! kind of way, and they will say, "Oh, I like this!" Hazy IPA is often so "juicy" that it's compared to orange juice, both in appearance and taste.

And that is the principle reason that the style has scores of detractors. I was among the detractors for a simple reason: Beer is not juice. Orange juice is the guts of an orange, one ingredient imparting one flavor. Beer, at its finest, is the equivalent of a seasoned dish from an expert chef: multiple ingredients working together to create a greater whole. That greater whole should not taste like just one thing.

In the rush to lower bitterness, many makers of hazy IPAs have betrayed the notion of balance. Balance doesn't just mean a prescribed degree of bitterness or malt character. It simply means a journey with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Or, as I said to Forbidden Root brewer BJ Pichman, as 13 five-ounce pours of hazy IPA sat before us, "It needs to close the loop."

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It was late May, the last night of Chicago Craft Beer Week, and Forbidden Root was hosting a hazy IPA tap takeover. It was probably the most comprehensive tasting of hazy IPAs the city had ever seen, due in part to the fact that the style didn't exist in Chicago 18 months ago.

During the next couple of hours, Pichman and I drank through all 13 hazy IPAs, discussing what worked, what didn't and why. I went in skeptical and left ready to stock my fridge with three of them: Forbidden Root's Snoochie Boochies, Noon Whistle's Gummypocalypse and Mikerphone Brewing's Check 1, 2. They all closed the loop. They all had a beginning, a middle and an end.

The rest ranged from good for a few sips  Stay Lit (a Forbidden Root collaboration with Three Floyds), Fresh IIPA (Hubbard's Cave) and the wonderfully named Van Hazen (Corridor Brewery & Provisions)  to a handful of messy duds.

The ones that worked were often quite similar to the ones that didn't, which made them just as fascinating as they were delicious. What made them work? They walked an impossibly fine line: sweet, lush, fruity, soft, gentle, approachable and, yes, balanced by just the faintest wisp of herbal bitterness. Pichman made an astute observation: They're so thick and devoid of bitterness that hazy IPAs can have more in common with fruited wheat beer than traditional IPA.

The best examples had low carbonation and creamy textures (or "mouthfeel," as the beer nerds say). Even though the alcohol itself is well hidden, the bigger versions  the hazy double IPAs at about 8 percent alcohol  held together best. They had more body, oomph and continuity to close the loop.

The ones that didn't work didn't close the loop. They were one-dimensional. As Pichman said, they would "disappear"  floating away on the palate. Even licking a cut orange would have offered more balance; at least there would be a degree of acidity.

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I told him I didn't love his Stay Lit, a 6.5 percent IPA that was bright luminous orange in the glass, for this reason. I'd tried it twice and came to the same conclusion both times: It tasted good but was so one-dimensionally fruity that drinking more than 4 ounces became a labor.

Pichman didn't flinch. He didn't even disagree that such an intensely sweet IPA would be tough to slug down.

"I think there's a place for that," he said.

It turned out he didn't particularly want 12 ounces of Stay Lit either.

"Maybe these are the bourbon barrel-aged stouts of the IPA world  meant for a small amount after dinner," he said.

I took another sip of Stay Lit thinking of it akin to orange liqueur, something intended to be had in a far smaller serving. Suddenly it made sense. I was quite happy with it in that context.

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But then the beer devil on my shoulder spoke up: "But this is beer! If you don't want 12 ounces, what's it worth?"

Well, Pichman had already answered that question, and the best comparison is indeed bourbon barrel-aged stout. It's now an industry staple, but when Goose Island pioneered the style in 1995, it faced the same consternation. This isn't a stout! It's too boozy! Too oaky! Now we laud stout aged in bourbon barrels as some of the finest beer in the world and accept that it is best enjoyed in smaller servings  usually no more than 8 ounces. If we can embrace an amped-up stout in modest pours, why not an IPA?

"The exciting thing is that we're taking the most exciting style in existence somewhere new, and no one knows where it's going," Pichman said. "We've been slingshotted off into a new direction."

Phill Hall, left, and Mike Malmsbury enjoy hazy IPAs at Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery. ( Michelle Kanaar/Chicago Tribune )

The beginnings

The earliest examples of hazy IPA were often dismissed as "lazy brewing." Why else would the beer look so murky? Beer is supposed to be clear! Or, at least most beer. But "lazy brewing" is the fastest route to raising the ire of a hazy IPA maker, and for good reason. It's a complicated process in which haze isn't the goal  it's a byproduct. And this, too, swung my opinion of the style.

Hazy IPA begins with tweaking water chemistry, which is not uncommon in American craft brewing, but an absolute must to increase calcium chloride, which both decreases bitterness and lays the foundation of that creamy juicelike texture. The malt bill gets heavy doses of adjuncts, especially oats and wheat, which soften the texture even more. Specialized yeast does much of the heavy lifting; it must be one that imparts maximum fruity characteristics.

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Most crucial are the immense amounts of hops employed and when they are added. Classic IPA recipes call for hops to be added throughout the boil, when they mostly contribute bitterness. Those IPAs then get more hops at the tail end of fermentation to punch up aromatics.

In a hazy IPA, hops are only added late in the boil and again unusually early during fermentation, when the beer is still churning in the tank and hops interact with yeast in a way that withdraws maximum fruity-citrus character. It also results in  you guessed it  haze. The beer is then dry hopped again at the end of fermentation.

The classic sharp and bitter hop flavors  think fresh pine  are traded for juicy sweetness and, when done well, nuances such as orange rind, honey, grass or even fresh marijuana.

It's basically throwing the rulebook out the window.

"It's the ultimate version of questioning your parents," Pichman said. "The people who wrote the home-brew books don't know what to do with it."

Pichman just so happens to work with one of those people. Randy Mosher, who has written five books about brewing and beer appreciation, is a partner at Forbidden Root and helps formulate many of its recipes. Mosher wasn't initially convinced there was much to hazy IPA. But he sipped through a few and decided, yes, when done well, something new and legitimate is happening that deserves to be explored.

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Forbidden Root has made about 15 hazy IPAs since last fall. Some have worked, and some haven't. Some have become mainstays (Snoochie Boochies), and some will never be made again (Nantucket Gold, a hazy pale ale that I seem to have liked more than Pichman). They've experimented with four different yeast strains and close to 10 different hops.

I asked Pichman to describe what the perfect hazy IPA will taste like when he figures it out.

"Balanced at the end," he said. "Not a lingering bitterness, but it closes the loop. It's slightly sweet and fruity, but there's no discernible malt sweetness."

I told him it was interesting that for a beer skewing so intentionally low on bitterness that the first word out of his mouth was "balanced."

"Why else would you want to drink it?" he said.

Squeezing it

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My initial hazy IPA conversion experience happened at Corridor Brewery and Provisions, in April, where a guy at the bar was drinking a glass of what looked like some turbid intersection between mushroom soup and orange juice. I asked if it was any good. He wouldn't stop talking about how good it was. I ordered one. It was called SqueezIt ("squeeze it"  as in an orange).

Sure enough, it was an epiphany: just enough citrus rind bitterness upfront, followed by an incredibly long juicy tropical fruit walk-off in a thick, savory body.

I went back a couple of weeks after my visit to Forbidden Root to recount the story for Corridor's head brewer Brant Dubovick. He nodded.

"That SqueezIt was perfect," Dubovick said. "It hit all the notes."

The credit goes to Corridor's lead brewer, Roger Cuzelis, a former home-brewing UPS dispatcher who became assistant brewer at Forbidden Root in May 2016  where he spent six months playing with hazy IPAs with Pichman  before being hired at Corridor.

Dubovick hired Cuzelis with the intention of turning Corridor into a place known for hazy IPAs. Since opening in 2015, Corridor's original mission of specializing in farmhouse ales had failed to elevate the brewpub much beyond a solid neighborhood joint. Dubovick wanted it to become a destination for beer drinkers. The answer: hazy IPA.

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It worked. Enthusiasts have stormed Corridor's hazy IPA releases, leaving with as many as a dozen 32-ounce sealed-to-order cans (called "crowlers"). Dubovick is seeing the cans pop up on social media in faraway places, presumably valuable chips on the robust beer trading market. Dubovick doesn't mind, which is why Corridor, for now, hasn't limited crowler sales (as some places do for highly sought-after beers).

"I love seeing people enjoying our beer outside of Chicago," he said.

The embrace of hazy IPA may smack of opportunism, but Dubovick doesn't care. He said he believes in the style. He and Cuzelis waited in line for 2 1/2 hours to get into a hazy IPA tap takeover at the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington D.C. this spring. Neither one is a fan of waiting in line for beer, so they made fun of themselves the entire time. But they said it was worth it.

Corridor has followed SqueezIt with close to 10 hazy  or, as they prefer to call them, double dry hopped  IPAs, pale ales and double IPAs. It plans to have at least one and hopefully two hazy beers among its six tap handles going forward. The biggest hit other than SqueezIt has been Van Hazen, which is tasty and easy drinking, but a bit too easy for my liking, and a touch too juicelike. Which I told Cuzelis.

"No, man, that's the style!" he said, adding that he literally models the beers on orange juice as reference to sweetness, bitterness and aroma.

I told him that blew my mind.

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"Craft beer is evolving," he said. "It's changing. It's art. When things get too comfortable, they need to change."

As I walked into Corridor, who did I see but two hazy IPA skeptics. Jason Klein and Brad Shaffer, co-founders of Spiteful Brewing, had stopped in for lunch. They wore matching black Spiteful T-shirts and were having a chummy conversation with Dubovick and Cuzelis.

Klein and Shaffer both shook their heads when I asked how they felt about the style.

"No balance, hazy, cloying  a mess," Klein said.

So Spiteful would never make one?

"Never say never," Klein said. "But no."

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I admired the answer almost as much as I admire Spiteful's clean, spry and fairly clear IPA. But I also could have really gone for a SqueezIt.

Drinking with a skeptic

I ended my tour of hazy IPAs by inviting Peter Anderson out for a beer.

Anderson is the assistant brewer at Metropolitan, which has largely brewed traditional German styles since opening in 2009. Why did I invite him out? Because of the bio on his Twitter profile: "I don't like new england IPA." Yes. He dislikes them so much that he doesn't bother to capitalize New England.

I wanted to drink with a skeptic.

"I understand why people like them," Anderson said as we each ordered the two hazy IPAs on Forbidden Root's menu. "They're super drinkable. But it feels like breweries are chasing what people want rather than making the beers that establish their own identity."

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He made a good point: You don't see the greatest established breweries making hazy IPAs. He named Half Acre, Firestone Walker and Founder's.

"They don't need to," he said.

We each took a sip of Forbidden Root's latest hazy hoppy creation, the turbid Radio Swan, which prominently features rye in the mash bill. Anderson inhaled deeply.

"To me, this smells like a bag of hops," he said. "Like chlorophyll. Plantlike smells."

I thought he was winding up to a criticism, but he wasn't.

"I really like that smell  for what it is," he said.

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Radio Swan was 6.4 percent alcohol, incredibly soft and sweet, bathed in a rye bitterness that provided flavor, but not the balance I sought. I thought it was just OK. Anderson said he was "fine with it."

The other hazy IPA on tap was good old honey-colored Snoochie Boochies, the 8 percent double IPA. It was the third or fourth time I had had it, and yet again, it worked for me. It closed the loop. The hazy IPAs succeed or fail, at least to my taste buds, by the narrowest margins. Within a matter of degrees.

Anderson predicted that the style was more than a passing fad, but would ultimately endure in some diminished format and with less heat around each new release. It would become "something reasonable."

"The craft beer industry has never been shy about pushing the boundaries," he said. "This is just another example."

Then we both ordered Pilsners.

jbnoel@chicagotribune.com

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Graffiti artist Miguel Kane One Aguilars A Little Corner in Heaven is among the works on display in Memoria Presente: An Artistic Journey at the National Museum of Mexican Art. (Michael Tropea photo)

It's tempting to begin this review of "Memoria Presente: An Artistic Journey," the National Museum of Mexican Art's 30th anniversary exhibition, with an update on the Trump administration's plans for building a border wall, decorating it with solar panels and sending a petroleum pipeline under it. Or with stats refuting the president's erroneous claim that Mexico is the second-deadliest country in the world. Or with stories about the families broken apart when immigrants in the country illegally have been deported to the south. But why ruin a good party?

NMMA first opened its doors in 1987, as the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, having been founded by a group of public school teachers and community activists to fill what they saw as a lack of Chicano representation in the city's educational institutions. Located in Pilsen, it remains the only accredited Latino museum in the country, even though people of Latin American descent constitute the second-largest ethnic group by population.

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With facts and figures and tweets like these, the party cannot be just a celebration. Instead "Memoria Presente" is a protest-as-party. (Great rallies usually have something jubilant to them, just as magnificent fetes ought to be at least partly subversive.) Thirty of the most exciting artists of Mexican descent working in the Chicago area today have been invited, and they're as diverse a cohort as is the population served by the museum, ranging in age from 26 to 76; in birthplace from the state of Jalisco, in western central Mexico, to Moline, in northwestern Illinois; in media from woodblock prints to store-bought wigs. Some names are familiar  Alberto Aguilar, Maria Gaspar and Juan Angel Chavez have all been in prominent local shows in the past year  and others less so.

Much of what fills the exhibition, whose title translates as "Present Memory," looks festive at first glance. There are towering cakes, swirling ribbons, paper chains, golden cactuses and the possibility of dancing under a rising moon, but nothing is quite what it seems.

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Yvette Mayorga's "Make America Sweet Again" uses piped frosting and construction materials to concoct an overwhelming diorama of border-related anxieties. Rodrigo Lara Zendejas's riff on the Voladores de Papantla, an ancient Mesoamerican ritual that involves four men flying downward on twisting ropes from a 90-foot-high pole, puts muted beribboned sculptures of immigrants into an endless, disorientating tailspin. Ivan Lozano strings up pretty translucent links of packing tape covered in transfer images sourced from internet coverage of brutal drug cartel executions. Salvador Jimenez-Flores molds a harsh futuristic landscape in which cactuses hybridize with humans to create a resilient mestizo race. Luis A. Sahagun's breathtaking "Lonely Moon Rides High" is really just a battered scrap of wood screwed into a silvery insulation panel.

The perils and aesthetics of urban life figure everywhere. The graffiti artist Miguel "Kane One" Aguilar sprays a drippy, hazy Xanadu on an indoor wall and also offers free running tours of public art in Pilsen, a neighborhood known for its murals (the next tour takes place at 10 a.m. July 29). Street artists need be fast on their feet, as must others: Errol Ortiz, a Chicago Imagist and one of the senior figures in the show, traces the deadly ubiquity of guns in "Serenely Absorbing Passionless Violence," a mesmerizing pattern painting in which weapons, skeleton parts and bullet-riddled bodies interweave. Nicole Marroquin prints hippie designs atop images of police confronting student protesters during the Harrison High School walkouts of 1968, when demands for bilingual and bicultural education met up with a zeitgeist of flower power and civil rights.

Lady Liberty, shorthand for all the freedoms and opportunities promised by the United States, may be the most recurrent motif in "Memoria Presente." I counted at least three appearances, six if each of the four composite statues of Eric Garcia's "Pillars of the Community" are added up individually. Though slip-cast from identical molds  the bottom third is the Aztec goddess Coatlicue, the middle is Venus de Milo, the top Liberty  each pillar is marked with slightly different percentages. To this brazen measuring of ethnic and cultural heritage, Sam Kirk adds a third element of identity: gender. Kirk's "Trans-ition" layers sheets of paper and glass one atop the other to draw a fluid portrait of a complex person who escapes simple classifications.

Harder to categorize are a scattering of elusive artworks that eschew overt interest in any of the above socio-political concerns. Dan Ramirez's "Altheia II-W," a meticulously painted diptych on birch panels, distills a search for truth in spare geometric forms. Georgina Valverde's towering "Temazcal," modeled on traditional sweat lodges, emerges not from adobe but the stuff of here and now: crochet panels, plastic bags, galvanized steel and lots of glue. Victoria Martinez's brown felt banner, screen-printed with brick and turquoise sketches, decorated with rhinestones and lime stitches and hung from a strawberry banner, could be the standard of a new generation, as hip as it is comfortable with itself.

Having the freedom to be mysterious and idiosyncratic  now there's something to celebrate.

"Memoria Presente: An Artistic Journey" runs through Aug. 13 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., 312-738-1503, www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org.

Lori Waxman is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

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Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Alexander Siarris, 20, and his African grey parrot named Poncho are reunited June 23, 2017, after the 7-year-old bird flew away from Siarris at North Avenue Beach. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Poncho, a 7-year-old African grey parrot, was used to spending his summer days lounging at North Avenue Beach. At least until a recent day in June.

That was when his owner, red and raw with sunburn, opted to put him in his carrying cage instead of giving him a shoulder ride back to their Near North Side apartment building.

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The second Poncho saw the cage, he started to shake and squawk. Then he took off and, carried by the wind, flew hundreds of yards out over Lake Michigan. He circled back with his owner, 20-year-old Alexander Siarris, running up the beach, waving his arms in the air and shouting: "Poncho! Right here!"

Poncho flew past the concrete chess pavilion and into a patch of trees. As Siarris ran after him, beachgoers who had seen the bird shouted directions: "He flew into that big tall one!"

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A group of policemen nearby told Siarris to call animal control.

An animal control worker told Siarris the case was labeled "high priority," but if nobody showed up by 10 p.m., it would have to wait until morning.

Hours later, Siarris finally went home and tried to fall asleep.

Last year in Chicago, Animal Care and Control reported that more than 7,000 pets went missing. Fewer than 20 percent of those were reunited with their owners. Some were adopted, but many were transferred to other facilities or euthanized or died on the streets.

As a rule, the nicer the weather, the more pets tend to go missing, said Susan Russell, executive director of animal control.

"We're in our busiest season right now," she said.

While most of the stray pets that animal control takes in are cats and dogs (during the summer, it can take in more than 50 dogs, and close to 100 cats, each week), some of the animals it shelters are, to some degree, uncommon.

In the past year, animal control has seen several species of pigs, a bald eagle, a large wading bird of some sort  which was like an egret but not  ferrets, guinea pigs, various lizards and an alligator.

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Russell said Chicago is a patchwork quilt when it comes to lost pets, and there are many shelters around the city that cater to specific animals.

The Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club operates a rescue and adoption center in Villa Park. Jennifer Merle, a shelter manager there, said the organization takes in around five parrots each week.

"It's a small percentage of owners, maybe less than 10, that ever find their birds again," Merle said. "It's rare."

The next day, Siarris took matters into his own hands, got up early, printed 75 flyers and headed back to the spot where Poncho was last seen.

All morning he wandered the beach and a dishearteningly tree-filled Lincoln Park. Up to Fullerton Avenue, across the bridge that divides Diversey Harbor and the South Lagoon and back down the Lakefront Trail to Castaways, the big boat-shaped bar and grill.

Tired and hot, he was about to give up and head home when he heard something call his name.

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"That sounded just like Poncho," he told a friend.

Then he heard another sound: a beeping, alarmlike warble.

"I looked up, and sure enough, there is Poncho," Siarris said. "Looking right at me from this tree off of the LaSalle bridge."

Siarris shook a bag of peanuts, one of Poncho's favorite snacks, trying to coax him out of the tree. Poncho inched toward the tip of the branch and jumped. He barreled past Siarris, flew above the traffic on Lake Shore Drive and landed in the trees near the Abraham Lincoln statue south of LaSalle Drive.

He was gone. Again.

It's not unusual for parrots to mimic language, and African greys are the best in the world at it. Siarris said Poncho can mimic words in English and Serbian, which his family regularly speaks at home. Some researchers have argued that parrots have the intellect of a 5-year-old child.

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"Those things are hard to quantify, and yet, at the same time, there is no doubt that these birds are capable of some level of cognition," said John Bates, an ornithologist and curator of birds at the Field Museum.

And like a 5-year-old, Bates said, parrots raised in captivity are dependent. Images of a tired and hungry Poncho moved through Siarris' mind as he walked back home after hours of searching the treetops.

Later that evening, Siarris felt his phone vibrate.

"We see your bird," a voice said. "He's near the corner of Dearborn and North. We want to know what the prize money is."

"Oh," Siarris said. "I don't know. $100, I guess?"

"No. We want the cost of the bird."

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"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, come to the park now or we're going to scare him off."

Siarris hung up and ran to the park. When he got there, no one was waiting for him, and there was no sign of Poncho. He decided to take a lap around the park anyway, and in the dark, he heard it again: Poncho's trademark beeping noise.

While he stood beneath a massive oak, craning his neck to get a better look, a group of teenage boys walked up and asked what he was doing.

"I explained to them that I was trying to get my bird out of a tree, and they were devastated," Siarris said. "I was shocked. These kids were just as disappointed as I was."

The boys called animal control, which didn't answer. They called the Fire Department, which said it couldn't help. Finally they got the idea to call a tree removal company.

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The next day company, which was too busy to help, gave Siarris numbers for two professional tree climbers they thought might be available. Professional tree climbers are most often arborists, entomologists or ecologists who make a living climbing or helping others climb trees.

"When they got there, they introduced themselves like, 'Hi, we're going to climb this tree and get your bird,'" Siarris said. "I told them good luck. But that's what they did."

Thirty minutes later, in an anticlimactic finale, the climbers threw a bag over Poncho, scooped him up and carried him back down the tree.

As the parrot flies, Poncho had traveled less than a quarter-mile, but the three-day excursion left him grounded. The day after he returned home, Siarris's grandmother took Poncho to the vet and had his wings clipped.

jsteinbauer@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @JamesSteinbauer
Hotels, they are a'changin', as hoteliers develop properties that cater to the younger, tech-savvy generations.

New and older brands are making moves to do away with the beige, interact via apps, double as co-working and social spaces, and score shareable selfie love along the way. But don't call them "millennial hotels." While many of the perks and amenities are inspired by research on the group, the properties included below - Hyatt Centric, Radisson RED, Hotel EMC2 and Residence Inn by Marriott - aim to appeal to guests of all ages.

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Scott Greenberg, president and chief executive of Smashotels, a hospitality management company near Chicago - and also the owner and founder of Hotel EMC2, a smart, new Chicago hotel with an art-and-science theme in Marriott's Autograph Collection - says he knows that if he develops a hotel that his three millennial-aged children will love, older generations will follow.

"If we attract young people, old people will show up. But if you build a hotel for old people, young people never show up," Greenberg says.

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Rose Anderson, vice president of global branding and innovation with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which owns Radisson Red, says she is less interested in resonating with a particular generation and more with a mentality.

"It's not so much about the age; it's more about the behaviors that have been kind of pegged to the millennials: very social, online, connected. We are very much targeting a millennial mind-set versus a generational audience," Anderson says.

Even long-standing brands such as Residence Inn are putting research into uncovering what millennials want.

"You don't want to be alienating some of your customers in order to appeal to some of your other customers," says Diane Mayer, vice president and global brand manager of Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Protea and Marriott Executive Apartments. "So, if you can find things that maybe are millennia- driven but that have universal appeal, that's the holy grail."

While amenities such as free WiFi and stellar bar programs are practically a given now in hotels looking to woo younger audiences, here are some other trends to look for on your next getaway (millennial-driven or not).

- Aspiring to be Instagram-worthy: There was a time when beige ruled the roost and hotel room design was rather #milquetoast. Many hotel developers now know that a piece of cool art doesn't just have the potential to appeal to a guest, it has the potential to appeal to everyone who follows that guest on social media.

"From a design and art standpoint, we've got a lot of very bold art that creates backdrops for people to take selfies and share online," says Anderson, of Radisson RED, which has locations in Minneapolis and Brussels, as well as Cape Town, South Africa, and Campinas, Brazil.

The colorful and creative design of Hotel EMC2 banishes bland and is irresistibly shareable. The hotel commits deeply to its art-and-science theme, and is punctuated with antique books, vintage microscopes and nods to great scientific and artistic minds, such as Albert Einstein (the restaurant is named the Albert) and Leonardo da Vinci ("one of the patron saints of the hotel," Greenberg says). In the rooms, dramatic and photogenic showers - which are inspired by laboratories of the 1920s - are a centerpiece, and are translucent on three sides (with an optional curtain), while mirrors have an infinity effect and beg for selfies.

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- Connecting guests with local favorites: At Hyatt Centric - which is targeting the millennial-minded traveler and has 15 locations, with plans to nearly double that number globally by 2019 - staffers are encouraged to share their favorite local spots with guests.

"It's no longer just the job of the concierge to give you recommendations," says Sandra Cordova Micek, Hyatt's senior vice president of global brands. "Our colleagues are constantly being asked what their hidden gems are and what they would recommend."

In addition, the hotel places original local guides in rooms (and publishes them on the hotel's website). It also highlights local art and food; some properties offer area tours. At Chicago's Magnificent Mile location, for example, guests are invited on neighborhood and brewery tours, and a hotel manager leads guests on morning runs.

Residence Inn partnered with Under Armour Connected Fitness to offer its extended-stay guests at more than 700 properties at least one running map, via the app MapMyFitness. "A lot of people like to run or walk because it helps them be in the place they are, even if they don't get to be a tourist," Mayer says.

The Albert, the restaurant at Chicago's Hotel EMC2 restaurant, is full of antique books, microscopes and art. (Hotel EMC2 )

On the social side, Residence Inn properties host events three nights a week, dubbed the Residence Inn Mix, which include visits from local food trucks; gatherings with appetizers, desserts and premium beer (Goose Island, Stella Artois, Leffe, Shock Top and some local offerings, depending on location); barbecues; and tasting and educational events that bring in chefs from local restaurants. Mayer says that those offerings were inspired by research Residence Inn conducted that found that millennials traveling for business were looking for fun, social events that connected them to the city where they were staying.

- Revamping room service - and menus: Some hotels are moving away from the stodgy, old room service trays with silver domes. Hyatt Centric tailors its room service to on-the-go guests looking to explore the city, Cordova Micek says.

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"We're sort of turning room service on its ear and thinking about it as restaurant-to-go delivery. So, it's not room service on the big silver tray rolling out. It's actually having your food delivered in environmentally friendly packaging that comes in a paper bag that you can take with you if you're going to run around and see the city," she says.

At Radisson RED, guests can order grab-and-go food (such as a Belgian waffle with mac and cheese, and fried chicken) from on-site restaurant OUIBar + KTCHN using the RED app, then take it back to their room or out on the town.

At Radisson RED, you won't find any paper in the rooms  except toilet paper. (Radisson RED)

At Hotel EMC2, multiple vegan options are available on the menu. Greenberg says those meat-free options were inspired by his millennial daughter.

"I think back to my daughter, who was raised on salami and eggs, hamburgers and T-bone steaks, and she comes home on vacation and marches off to the grocery store to get her vegan ingredients," he says.

- Changing the form and function of lobbies: In these days of laptops and mobile offices, people like to work alone - together. Hotel lobbies are accommodating that, offering lots of work spaces - as well as plugs and free WiFi - with easy access to snacks, caffeine and cocktails. At the Hyatt Centric on Magnificent Mile, for example, the lobby is the kind of place where you could spend days on end. It's filled with playful local art, and includes a library and dozens of comfortable chairs and tables, all of which spill into the bar, which spills into the restaurant, with no walls or barriers separating the spaces.

Gone is the traditional lobby at Radisson RED: The brand banished the front desk.

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"It's creating this immediate barrier between you and the guests, and I think the younger audiences are a lot more informal by nature," Anderson says. At the Minneapolis location, guests can check in using the app on their phone, then use the phone as the key to get into the room. Should someone need help with checking in, Anderson says, staffers are walking around with iPads in hand.

- Adopting a high-tech - or all-tech - approach: That Radisson RED app doesn't just give you access to your room - it's your key to communication at the hotel. It's possible to spend a night, or week, there and not physically talk to anyone but still manage to order food at the on-site restaurant, call a cab, check in, check out, request more towels and even chat with other guests. "You want things when you want it and how you want it. The app allows them to control this and do everything," Anderson says.

Across many brands, in-room technology is making stays more personalized and convenient. At Residence Inn, Radisson RED, Hyatt Centric and Hotel EMC2, guests can stream Netflix (and in some cases other accounts) onto the television. Hotel EMC2 guests can also control the lighting and thermostat using the TV remote control, and each room has an Amazon Echo unit that streams music, reads the weather report, looks up info on the web or does other tasks via voice command.

At Hotel EMC2, two robots, Leo and Cleo, bleep and bloop up the elevator and down the hallway to deliver bottles of water, toothbrushes and extra linens to rooms, upon request.

- Prioritizing social consciousness: At Radisson RED, you won't find any paper - except toilet paper - in the rooms.

"We have paperless rooms and we're very proud of that," says Anderson, adding that millennials are very eco-conscious as a generation, and the hotel embraces that.

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When Greenberg came up with the Hotel EMC2 theme, he wanted to inspire dialogue about art and science. (There's even a resident scientist at the hotel.) He also wanted to make a difference. The hotel provides financial support from direct bookings to Project Syncere (an acronym for supporting youth's needs with core engineering research experiments), which helps pave a path for students in underserved communities to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers.

"Millennials want to feel like there's something of value, that somebody cares about something and that their money is going to serve the greater good," Greenberg says.

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Novelist Brad Thor, shown in 2011, had some fun with an infamous photo of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sunning on a beach by digitally altering it to put one of Thor's novels in Christie's hands. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's infamous Independence Day weekend beach photos are the stuff meme-makers dream of.

Since he was captured Sunday by NJ Advance Media photographer Andrew Mills sunning himself on a state beach he had closed to the public, Christie and his folding chair have been cut and pasted by internet jokers into everything from the beach scene in "From Here To Eternity" to the deck of the Starship Enterprise.

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So hats off to best-selling Chicago born-and-raised author Brad Thor, who created the viral image of the news cycle by reversing the usual rules of meme-making.

Instead of chopping Christie out of the picture and reinserting him into an alpine scene from "The Sound of Music," or blowing him up to 100 times his normal size to rule, Godzilla-like, over the Jersey Shore, Thor had the original image subtly doctored to add a copy of his latest thriller, "Use of Force," into Christie's hands.

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I think I'm the only one in America not mad at #ChrisChristie pic.twitter.com/PXPvjPUepn  Brad Thor (@BradThor) July 3, 2017

"I think I'm the only one in America not mad at #ChrisChristie," he wrote in the tweet accompanying the photo, which had been liked more than 62,000 times as of Wednesday morning.

"My designer and I were chuckling about how the only thing missing from a perfect day at the beach was a Brad Thor book," Thor, 47, told Chicago Inc.

His designer quickly knocked out a digitally altered version of the picture, said Thor, who added that it was his designer's inspired decision to pixelate Christie's crotch.

While Thor has not met Christie, he is pals with a cop on Christie's security detail, who has shared his books with the governor, Thor said.

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Most people got the gag, he added, "but some people were so worked up about Christie shutting the beach that they were telling me 'You're right, you are the only one who isn't mad at him,'" he said. "They should get off Twitter and go to the beach!"

Alas, Chicago's beaches are a trek for Thor these days. He moved to Nashville, Tenn., three years ago, blaming rising downtown crime and high taxes imposed by Illinois politicians who "treated me like I was their personal ATM."

"At a certain point, Tina Turner looked at Ike and said, 'I'm getting out of here,'" he said, making an analogy between a battered wife and Illinois taxpayers who leave the state.

Among his grievances with the city he still loves, he said, were that Mayor Rahm Emanuel and then-police Superintendent Garry McCarthy closed North Avenue Beach on Memorial Day in 2011, citing high temperatures, though many Chicagoans believed that the violence plaguing the lakefront that holiday weekend was the real reason for the closures.

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"That was a bunch of malarkey!" Thor said.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
If you live in the city, you might have dragged yourself into work today exhausted.

I know I could barely get out of bed this morning. Fireworks kept me up three nights in a row.

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There's nothing wrong with having a little fun on the Fourth of July. Sparklers, smoke bombs, snakes and party poppers are a great way to celebrate what many consider the official start of summer. But those obviously aren't enough for some people. They've got to have a boom.

Though a legal permit is required for the booms, police, for the most part, seem to ignore folks gathered on the sidewalks setting off fireworks. Even those of us who find it a nuisance are willing to accept it as a holiday ritual as American as grilling hot dogs in the backyard.

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But not at 3 o'clock in the morning.

Each year, it seems as though the illegal fireworks in my neighborhood start earlier and go later.

Up until about midnight, I'm willing to stay up a little later than usual and endure the popping, sizzling and booming noise outside my bedroom window. But why does it have to start two days before the actual holiday?

I wasn't expecting the celebrations to start Sunday night, so I was surprised when I heard the first loud boom. It sounded like a gunshot. And honestly, I was quite happy when I realized it was just someone setting off a firecracker.

But the joy didn't last long. The booming noise went on into the wee hours of the morning.

I kept waking up, thinking, "When are they going to run out?" Obviously, they had enough left for at least two more nights.

Tuesday night, as I lay in my bed, I contemplated calling the police. Earplugs were useless, and it felt like an emergency. But I wasn't entirely sure a loud boom was appropriate for a call to 911.

But more than that, I was thinking about what it said about me. Would it be unpatriotic to call the cops on people celebrating America's birthday?

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It was too late to call my neighbors and ask their opinion. So I went to social media to see what people were saying.

There was a lot of discussion about illegal fireworks on holidays. Some people were actually bragging about how professional the amateur fireworks were in their neighborhood.

In poorer neighborhoods, some said, children wouldn't get to see any fireworks on the holidays if not for those in the vacant parking lots.

I get that. Everybody isn't fortunate enough to take a family outing to Navy Pier or gather in a neighborhood park in the suburbs to watch the spectacular display in the sky.

But again, must those sidewalk fireworks go on all night?

One friend suggested on Facebook that there would be no need for Chicago's plastic bag tax or a soda tax if police just rode around and fined everyone setting off illegal fireworks.

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That might not be a bad idea. But would the cops even show up?

The consensus on social media seemed to be that even if you did call the police, they wouldn't come.

I'm not mad at our cops about that. Clearly, they have many more serious problems to deal with on the Fourth of July than our inability to sleep.

Between Friday afternoon and early Wednesday, more than 100 people were shot in Chicago. Fifteen of them died.

When I think about that, I'm glad I decided to tough it out. The last thing our overworked police officers needed over the holiday was another person calling to complain about being unable to sleep.

In some neighborhoods where the holiday shootings occurred, people probably would have welcomed the boom of a firecracker at 3 a.m. They could just turn over in their beds, thankful to be alive.

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dglanton@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dahleeng
Chicago firefighters work to extinguish a 3-11 alarm fire July 5, 2017, in the 1800 block of North Kimball Avenue in Logan Square. The fire started in a three-flat and spread to adjacent buildings. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

Three firefighters and another person were injured in an extra-alarm fire at a home in the Logan Square neighborhood on the Northwest Side, officials said.

The firefighters suffered heat-related injuries and were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and the other person was taken in serious condition to St. Mary Hospital but was later taken to Stroger Hospital, officials said.

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The fire broke out shortly before 10 a.m. in the 1800 block of North Kimball Avenue and was quickly raised to a 3-11 alarm, sending extra crews and equipment to the scene.

An emergency medical service Plan One alert was also called, dispatching at least five ambulances.

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Firefighters battled flames throughout the house, officials said.

The fire was reported struck out shortly after 11:20 a.m.
The Chicago Police Department says it is conducting "a very comprehensive review" after the city experienced one of its most violent Fourth of July weekends in recent years, with at least 102 people shot between late Friday afternoon and early Wednesday.



"We're doing a debriefing," said chief police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. "The mood here is frustration."



The review will include an analysis of how "amateur fireworks" might have affected the ShotSpotter system, which captures audio of gunfire and attempts to pinpoint its location for quicker deployment of officers. The system is deployed in the Englewood and Harrison districts, traditionally among the city's most violent.



"It's perplexing," Guglielmi said. "We deployed some very successful tactics over the Memorial Day weekend." Yet those same tactics did not seem to work as well over the Fourth holiday.



Fifteen people were killed and 87 others were wounded. Nearly half the shootings occurred in the last 12 hours of the long holiday.



The last time the Fourth holiday spanned four full days was in 2013, when July 4 fell on a Thursday and many people had Friday off. At least 74 people were shot between Wednesday evening and early Monday that year, and 12 of them died, according to Tribune data.



The violence this year was largely confined to the South and West sides, where hundreds of officers on overtime were deployed. The youngest person shot was a 13-year-old boy seriously wounded in Gage Park on Friday night. The oldest was a 60-year-old man in the Lawndale neighborhood.



The weekend had been relatively calm when police Superintendent Eddie Johnson held a news conference early Tuesday afternoon and announced the arrests of 58 people on drug and gun charges "to keep residents and visitors safe in every neighborhood."



But within hours, violence erupted in nearly every police district south of North Avenue, according to data kept by the Tribune. At least 43 people were shot between 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. Only two of those 43 were shot north of Chicago Avenue.



As part of its review of what happened over the weekend, the department is looking at how fireworks may have interfered with the ShotSpotter system, a relatively new technology the department hopes to expand.



The spotters register a shooting and deploy cameras in the direction of the shots while officers are deployed. Analysts at the district station look at the data in real time to decide what steps to take next. Guglielmi called it "micro-deployment."



The department is also reviewing calls for service, particularly as the weekend ended. "A lot of incidents happened in a short amount of time. We're also looking at that. We did typically see it (violence) where we typically see it."



A lot of the shootings appeared to be over "petty disputes that escalated into somebody pulling out a gun." He mentioned some examples: A shooting in Smith Park that started as an argument over where people were sitting; a confrontation between a driver and bicyclists on State Street, with the driver getting a gun from his trunk and officers intervening.



He said a "handful" of shootings were "retaliatory .. People drinking all day and then things escalating ... It's just enormously frustrating."



A total of 1,300 extra officers were deployed over the long weekend through 6 a.m. Wednesday. The additional officers came from the summer mobile teams, organized crime units and area saturation teams. "I don't think lack of resources was an issue."



A total of 159 guns were seized by Chicago police since Friday. "We have to change the underlying culture," Guglielmi said.



The weekend began with 19 people shot on Friday night and 23 on Saturday. Sunday and Monday nights were both relatively quiet, by summer standards, with 17 people shot over the two days, according to Tribune data.



The Harrison District on the West Side, which had gone without any shootings over the Memorial Day weekend, recorded 14 people shot over the long Fourth weekend.



At one homicide scene in the district, onlookers peeked around the entrance to the Green Line station at Pulaski Road and Lake Street, trying to get a glimpse of the body of a man chased down and shot early Wednesday.



The shooting happened on two sides of a popular West Side liquor store. Officers found shell casings and one man shot behind the store, next to an alley. The other wounded man fell face-up on a sidewalk underneath the elevated train tracks.



A garbage can fire burned as officers counted shell casings and draped tape from support pillars holding up the "L" tracks. A fire engine backed down the alley, and firefighters dumped the trash and pumped water from a tin can onto the smoldering waste.



Other scenes from the weekend



 The only shooting north of North Avenue happened about 50 yards from the street that marks the West Side's northern edge.



A 56-year-old man died and a 19-year-old man was seriously wounded around 8:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 1600 block of North Major Avenue -- the same block where an 8-year-old girl was shot last August. The house where the two men were shot was home to a young man killed last year around the corner. The older man was pronounced dead overnight at Loyola University Medical Center.



Tuesday night, a man approached the crime scene with a toddler, who seemed to be just learning to walk as she ambled ahead of him. An officer walked up to the little girl and gently turned her around, while another yelled at her father for walking under yellow tape officers had stretched across Major Avenue.



 Seven miles to the south, shortly before midnight, a woman searched the 1900 block of South Spaulding for shell casings by the light of her cellphone before officers arrived. Two people walked into St. Anthony's Hospital, a block from Mount Sinai Hospital, saying they had been shot there.



 Earlier Tuesday, officers found a woman shot on Roosevelt Road. She was in a silver car just east of Independence Boulevard and had been shot around the corner, on Lawndale Avenue. Every few minutes, officers found a few more shell casings, each a little farther from the alley south of Roosevelt.



 Police found a 42-year-old man in "extremely critical" condition on Laflin Street just south of 62nd Street, and he was later pronounced dead from gunshot wounds. Neighbors gathered on a front porch nearby and in a smaller group across the street, on church steps, while paramedics worked on the man. The ambulance left after a few minutes with a squad car in tow.



 Just before 3 a.m. Wednesday, police taped off Roosevelt Road because they found a person shot where the road intersects with Loomis Avenue in the University Village/Little Italy neighborhood. He had been shot about a block south on the 1300 block of West 13th Street.



 A shooting in the 3400 block of West Grenshaw Street about 10:15 p.m. left two men wounded. People nearby said they hesitated when they heard the gunfire but weren't certain because of the frequency of the fireworks. A woman, who neighbors said was the young man's grandmother, stepped to the ambulance to find out what happened.



"Right now, ma'am, he's worried about you. He's going to be OK, but he's worried about you," a paramedic told the woman. She stepped away, and the ambulance pulled off toward Mount Sinai Hospital.



"I can't go with him?" she asked.



Mount Sinai Hospital treated at least 22 of the 102 people shot over the weekend. At one point early Wednesday morning, five ambulances crowded into the emergency room's small ambulance bay and a Chicago police squad SUV sat parked nearby.
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)

More than 40 people were shot across the city's South and West sides between Tuesday morning and early Wednesday in attacks that left eight men dead and a handful of others in serious or critical condition.

Two people were killed and two others injured in the 11000 block of South Eberhart Avenue in the Roseland neighborhood about 1:15 a.m. Two men died at the scene.

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One of the men was identified as Derwin Moore, 35, of the 10900 block of South Eberhart Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. The other man was identified as Maurice Anthony Willis, of the 400 block of West 118th Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Two others -- 29 and 37 -- were shot in their limbs. The younger was taken to Roseland Hospital and the older to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and both their conditions had been stabilized. Other details weren't immediately available.

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The shooting death of a 21-year-old man Tuesday afternoon was the long weekend's seventh homicide. Police said he was hit by a round meant for someone else. Aaron Gordon, 21, was shot to death while he was sitting in a car in the 200 block of East 132nd Street in the Eden Green neighborhood, near the Calumet River on the Far South Side, according to authorities.

A light-colored sedan pulled up and someone inside opened fire at another vehicle, witnesses said. The assailant kept firing, eventually hitting Gordon, who police said, "was parked in a vehicle (and) was not the intended target," according to police.

Gordon was shot in the head and he was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Gordon lived in Country Club Hills, a suburb in southwestern Cook County, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. No one was in custody in connection with his death as of Tuesday night.

A shooting in the Bronzeville neighborhood left a man dead and two others wounded. The three men were shot near the 300 block of East 47th Street about 12:01 a.m. A man was dropped off at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead at 12:21 a.m., having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was identified as Shedrick J. McPherson, of the 8400 block of South Bennett Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Police had identified him as being 29 years old, but the medical examiner's office identified him as being 31.

A man, 33, was taken to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center and later transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he's in critical condition. Another man, 45, was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

Another man was shot to death under the Green Line station at Lake Street and Pulaski Road about 12:25 a.m. The man, 30, was found on the ground next to a support pillar for the train station. He was later identified as Jerame Moore, of the 10500 block of South Oglesby Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Another man, 37, was found behind a liquor store at the same corner, shot in the abdomen. Police said Moore had been chased before being shot, and officers found two dozen casings in the alley behind the liquor store.

Police found a 42-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds in the 6200 block of South Laflin Street about 3:30 a.m. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition where he was pronounced dead at 4:12 a.m., police said. He was identified as Robert Hicks, of the first block of East 89th Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

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A man, 21, was shot in the 7900 block of South Paulina Street about 1:45 a.m. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition, and he was pronounced dead at 3:05 a.m. He was identified as Devonte M. Morgan, of the 700 block of East 73rd Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Police did not release additional details about the shooting.

Two people were shot about 8:45 p.m. in the 1600 block of North Major Avenue, according to officials. A 56-year-old man who was standing outside was shot in the head and was taken to Loyola Hospital, where authorities said he was listed in critical condition but was later pronounced dead. Authorities first said he was 52. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified him as Tyrone Burdine, of the same block where he was shot.

A teenager, 19, also was shot, suffering a gunshot wound to his back, officials said. The teen was shot by an assailant firing a weapon from the window of a passing vehicle, police said. The 56-year-old is not believed to have been an intended target, officials said.

No one had been arrested, and the case remained under investigation. Police taped off Major north of North Avenue and focused their attention on a front porch of a home, with a for sale sign in its front lawn, just north of the alley that parallels North Avenue.

In other shootings:

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A 54-year-old man who thought he had been injured by fireworks late Wednesday learned Thursday that he had been shot. About 10 p.m. Wednesday, the 54-year-old man was in a backyard in the 8300 block of South Kerfoot Avenue in Gresham when he thought he had been injured by fireworks in the area. On Thursday, he went to Little Company of Mary Hospital and discovered that he had actually been shot in the shoulder. His condition was stabilized at the hospital.

A man walked into Advocate Trinity Hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg from a shooting in the 8000 block of South Escanaba Avenue about 3:30 a.m. Police said he will be transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center. The 23-year-old told police he heard shots and felt pain.

Just before 3 a.m., a 33-year-old man was shot in the back and the neck while he was driving in the 1300 block of West 13th Street in the University Village/Little Italy neighborhood, police said. The shooter was on the sidewalk when he opened fire. The 33-year-old man was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital.

A 34-year-old man sitting in a car suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was left in critical condition early Wednesday morning in a shooting in the South Chicago neighborhood. He was in the 8100 block of South Coles Avenue, sitting in a car with a woman, when the woman pulled a gun and shot him multiple times. It's not clear why. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition.





Someone was dropped off at West Suburban Medical Center with gunshot wounds to the face and neck about 1:45 a.m., though police aren't sure where it happened. He was unable to give information about the shooting, though police believe it happened in the Austin neighborhood. He's in critical condition and was transferred to Stroger Hospital.





A man was shot in the University Village/Little Italy neighborhood just before 1 a.m. The 28-year-old was sitting on a porch when a light-colored sedan drove by and someone opened fire, police said. The 28-year-old drove himself to the University of Chicago Medical Center seeking treatment for an ankle wound, and he's in good condition, police said.





A 26-year-old man was shot in the 1500 block of North Spaulding Avenue about 1 a.m. and waited three hours to seek medical attention, mistakenly thinking he had been injured by a firework, according to police. He walked into Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center to get treated for a gunshot wound.

About 12:55 a.m., a 33-year-old woman was shot in the 3800 block of West Grenshaw Street. She was outside when someone fired shots from a passing black sedan, hitting her. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where her condition was stabilized, police said.





Two people were shot in the 200 block of West 95th Street about 12:55 a.m., in the Lowden Homes, according to authorities. A 41-year-old man was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital and a 22-year-old man was taken to the same hospital, both men with wounds to their limbs. Both of their conditions had been stabilized.





A 27-year-old woman was shot near 80th Street and Komensky Avenue about 12:50 a.m., according to police. She told police she heard shots and felt pain. She went to a hospital in Palos Heights and was treated for a gunshot wound to her leg.





A 21-year-old man walked into Rush University Medical Center after he had been shot in the 3900 block of West 13th Street in the Lawndale neighborhood about 12:15 a.m. He was transferred to Stroger Hospital with a leg wound.





A man arguing with a woman shot a 41-year-old man who tried to intervene about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 900 block of West 114th Street. He was shot in the left and right arm and right knee and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center.





A man, 22, was shot in the 10400 block of South Green Street about 12:10 a.m. He was standing on the sidewalk when shot and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.





Someone shot a 19-year-old man in the 2300 block of West Roosevelt Road about 11:55 p.m., police said. He told police he was standing on the sidewalk when he heard shots and felt pain. He walked into Holy Cross Hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his left thigh.

A man was shot in the first block of east of State Street and 43rd Street about 11:45 p.m., police said. The 27-year-old was standing outside and was wounded by someone who fired from a passing vehicle. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.





A 24-year-old woman was shot near the corner of 53rd Street and Blackstone Avenue about 11:40 p.m. She was the passenger in a moving car, and shots were fired toward the car from someone standing on the sidewalk. She was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with gunshot wounds to her legs, police said.





A 33-year-old man was shot in the Pilsen neighborhood about 11:25 p.m. He was in the 1600 block of South Loomis Avenue when he was shot and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition with a chest wound.





Two people were shot in the 1900 block of South Spaulding Avenue about 11:10 p.m. They were outside when shot and walked into St. Anthony's Hospital and Medical Center seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. A 25-year-old man was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition with arm and leg wounds, police said. A 24-year-old was transferred to the same hospital with a leg wound. His condition had stabilized.





A 22-year-old woman was shot in the 1200 block of South Lawndale Avenue about 10:45 p.m. Officers found her in a silver car, shot in the leg, around the corner on Roosevelt Road. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said.





Two people were shot in the 3400 block of West Grenshaw Street about 10:05 p.m. A 36-year-old man was grazed in the stomach and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and a 26-year-old man was shot in the right leg and taken to the same hospital. Both of their conditions had been stabilized.





A 31-year-old man was standing outside in the 10500 block of South Aberdeen Street when someone shot him about 10 p.m., police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center with leg wounds, police said. Police said his condition was stabilized.





Two men were shot near Smith Park in the 600 block of North Campbell Avenue in the West Town neighborhood about 7:20 p.m., police said. A 38-year-old man walked into Norwegian American Hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to the arm and a 26-year-old man walked into Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center after he was shot in the left ankle. Both of their conditions had been stabilized, police said. They were in a fight before they were shot.





At 7:38 p.m. a woman was shot in the scalp, and she took herself to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where her condition was stabilized, officials said. The woman, a 26-year-old, was shot in the 6400 block of South Ellis Avenue in the Oakland neighborhood on the South Side. The shooting remains under investigation and no arrests have been made, officials said.





About 3:45 p.m., two people were shot in the 11600 block of South State Street in the West Pullman neighborhood, also on the Far South Side. An 18-year-old was shot in the head and in the right arm. He was uncooperative with police. The other man, 20, was shot in the armpit, officials said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, authorities said.

Check back for more information.
The Willis Tower appears over the immense field of trees and grassland at Douglas Park on Chicago's South Side, July 4, 2017. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Ald. Michael Scott Jr. said he was impressed when a group of fifth-graders were agitating to rename one of the West Side's largest and oldest public parks.

Scott  himself a former parks supervisor  worked with the students at Village Leadership Academy in the South Loop and threw out a suggestion that's been bandied about for years: How about renaming the 138-year-old Douglas Park for former slave, abolitionist and activist Frederick Douglass?

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Last month, the students informally pitched the idea at a Park District board meeting. For some the name change would right a wrong: The park was named for the late U.S. Sen. Stephen A. Douglas  who wanted voters to decide the slavery issue rather than abolish it. While Douglas, a Democrat, bested a young Republican named Abraham Lincoln in the race for U.S. Senate, it was Lincoln who won the presidency when the two did political battle a few years later.

"My class of freedom fighters and I have come to make the world a better place by asking you to change Stephen Douglas Park to Frederick Douglass Park," VLA fifth-grader Kirk Kelly recently told the park board.

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But Scott knows renaming the 218-acre Douglas Park, near Roosevelt Road and California Avenue, after Frederick Douglass involves more than adding an 'S' to park signs and maps.

When the city creates a new park or play lot, it initially is assigned a number but may eventually get a proper name, according to the Park District. Right now, 125 such spaces bear only a numerical designation. That includes "Park No. 526" on the Far North Side, which is poised to be named for the late longtime Chicago Ald. Bernard Stone.

Ald. Debra Silverstein, 50th, followed the required process for anyone who wants to name a park: She submitted a formal request to the Park District board. The board moved on the suggestion, and the city is in an official 45-day period in which the public can weigh in on the suggested name or offer their own, a parks spokeswoman said.

Scott said the idea of swapping Douglas for Douglass had been bandied about at the Park District during at least the 1990s and early 2000s. Having a park named for someone who tolerated slavery in the mid-1800s is difficult, at best, for many of the residents in the diverse neighborhoods, which include North Lawndale and Little Village, around the park, officials say.

Students want to have Douglas Park renamed in honor of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. (Library of Congress)

At his first debate with Lincoln, Douglas declared that he was "opposed to negro citizenship in any and every form." In a speech in Chicago a month before the first debate, Douglas argued that states and territories should choose their own path for slavery, noting that he was satisfied with Illinois' policy on forbidding slavery but that also prevented blacks from voting or serving on juries.

"I am content with that system of policy which we have adopted for ourselves. I deny the right of any other State to complain of our policy in that respect, or to interfere with it, or to attempt to change it," Douglas said.

Scott, the 24th Ward alderman, told park board officials at their June meeting: "For me, to represent a predominantly African-American and Latino community  I think 98 percent of all of my residents are of color  and to have the namesake Stephen Douglas, who was on the wrong side of history, I think is an injustice to those people whom I serve."

Many ward residents, he added, already believe the park to be named after Frederick Douglass, who saw the Civil War as a moral crusade against the evils of slavery.

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Vermont-born Stephen Douglas, himself a brilliant orator, earned a number of local political posts, including state's attorney, congressman, Illinois Supreme Court justice and secretary of state. He is credited with helping bring the Illinois Central Railroad to Chicago and spurring the city's development. But Douglas is more famously remembered for the 1858 U.S. Senate debates with Lincoln. An incumbent, Douglas would retain the Senate seat.

Douglas Park in Chicago is named after the late U.S. Sen. Stephen A. Douglas. (Library of Congress)

So what are the connections between Chicago, Douglas and Douglass?

Douglas died here and his final resting place is a tomb beneath a 104-foot column in the 700 block of East 35th Street, which was designated a city landmark. At one time, he owned 53 acres of land on the South Side, including a stretch that is in today's Bronzeville neighborhood in the Douglas community area, also named after him.

Douglass' shining Chicago moment came during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, where thousands of people, black and white, packed into a pavilion to hear his lecture on Haiti, where he had been the United States' minister and consul-general.

The students at Village Leadership Academy pitched the idea to rename Douglas Park as part of a yearlong "grass-roots campaign" class aimed at getting students at the private grade school to understand the political process in the city and current events, according to their teacher, Bianca Jones.

Jones said her class didn't initially set out to rename a park. Instead, the students in her civics class began discussing and researching violence  particularly police shootings  and that led them to the case of off-duty Chicago police Officer Dante Servin shooting and killing an innocent bystander, Rekia Boyd. Servin, who later resigned from the Police Department, wounded the person he thought had a gun, which was never found. He was eventually charged and acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges.

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That research prompted the children to push to rename the park in her honor. The students reached out to Scott, other elected officials and Boyd's family about the idea.

But Scott was concerned that the parents and relatives of murdered children across the city could soon flood the Park District and there would be more requests than park space.

"If we were to grant that to everyone  there were 700 murders last year and only (about) 280 parks across the city  we'd have to rename each and every one of them," he said.

So Scott suggested, as some did at the Park District when he worked there, renaming the park after Frederick Douglass.

The proposal echoes what's happening around the country, including the recent removal of Confederate-related monuments in New Orleans.

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"The criticism of (Douglas) derives in part from the sensibility of our times," historian Martin H. Quitt wrote in his 2012 book, "Stephen A. Douglas and Antebellum Democracy."

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"Racism and slavery are so condemnable it is hard to approach Douglas without an edge, particularly after stitching together his steady involvement with the institution during the last quarter of his life," he wrote.

Park District officials said the students will have to send a formal letter requesting the name change with the park board and top district administrators for the request to move forward.

Scott said he's received support from community members and expects even more once they research the backgrounds of both orators.

"I know the more support we have for the idea, the better likelihood that we will have to change the park," Scott said. "I believe if more people really knew the history behind Stephen Douglas and his fight for slavery and how he was on the wrong side of history, I think more people would be supportive or champion this idea."

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, speaks during a rally at the Illinois Women March on Springfield event Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. Biss sponsored the legislation that requires physicians and nurses to notify pregnant patients of all their available options, including abortion. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Christian crisis pregnancy centers in the south and far western suburbs are challenging a change in the state's right-of-conscience law that since January requires physicians and nurses to notify pregnant patients of all their available options, including abortion.

The lawsuit, filed against state officials including Gov. Bruce Rauner, claims their constitutional free-speech rights are violated by the changes to the law because they have to offer advice they find morally wrong. The clinics also allege the new law violates federal laws banning discrimination against doctors and other health care workers who do not provide or refer patients for abortions.

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Supporters of the law say the changes only require health care providers to inform patients of all their options  a standard practice of care in the medical field.

The law was originally passed  after the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion  to shield physicians opposed to performing the procedure. Modifications to that law, designed to protect patients who didn't know all their options, were signed into law by Rauner last year after an emotional Illinois Senate subcommittee hearing that drew testimony from patients.

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Providers must offer a "standard of care" that includes informing patients of their medical options, such as abortion or contraception, even if the physician is opposed to it for religious or moral reasons, under the new law, which went into effect Jan. 1. If the patient is seeking a particular treatment, the physician or nurse must at least provide a list of providers.

"A pro-life physician cannot in good conscience do that," said Thomas Olp, an attorney for the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit religious liberty law firm. Olp said providing a referral to an abortion provider would be considered by pro-life physicians "material involvement in something that's inherently evil."

The two Christian clinics  1st Way Pregnancy Support Services in McHenry County and Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs  and Dr. Ronald Schroeder, who works at various crisis pregnancy centers, filed a lawsuit earlier this year in federal court in Springfield. The case recently was transferred to federal court in Chicago, and then to Rockford, where it will be consolidated with another Thomas More lawsuit over the law.

The two clinics are among a handful that have filed lawsuits in the state, some by the conservative legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, all of which are now being heard in Rockford state and federal courts. A circuit court judge in Winnebago County has barred the state from enforcing the law against three health care providers that operate pregnancy centers in Rockford, Chicago and the suburbs while the case is being heard, attorneys said.

The governor's office said in response to litigation filed in Rockford that it does not comment on pending litigation but that "Gov. Rauner has never pushed a social agenda and remains focused on passing a balanced budget with reforms to create jobs, lower property taxes, improve schools and enact term limits."

It's unclear exactly how the state's new law would be enforced. Patients who aren't told of all their options could sue their health care provider for malpractice, and Olp said the state's licensing board could discipline doctors or nurses directly.

The clinics in the lawsuit don't receive state or federal funding, according to Olp.

None of the state's large Catholic health care providers has joined in the legal challenge to the legislation sponsored by state Sen. Daniel Biss, an Evanston Democrat. The Catholic Conference of Illinois remained neutral on the legislation and said the dictates of the new law were already in place at Catholic health care facilities.

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"You can go ahead and object and not provide certain types of care, but the patient has to get standard of care information about medical circumstances and treatment options," said Lorie Chaiten, director of the women's and reproductive rights project at Illinois ACLU, which pushed for the amendments after hearing for years from patients affected by the law.

"People were being denied care who weren't told their options  they didn't find out until they were suffering," she said. "If you're an objecting provider, nobody is saying you have to provide any care you object to, no one is defining what that information is that you have to give."

"You can't mislead people with disinformation or withhold material information."

After her water broke prematurely, Mindy Swank was devastated to learn that not only would her baby not survive, but that she herself was at serious risk of infections that could prevent her from having another child or even threaten her life.

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Swank, who was living in western Illinois at the time, prayed with her husband, Adam, and, despite her religious upbringing, decided that ending the pregnancy was the right choice, the 32-year-old testified before a Senate panel last year.

But her Catholic hospital refused to treat her, saying its religious restrictions only permitted it to act if she was already infected or bleeding heavily, and told her of no other treatment options.

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She went to a regular hospital, but insurance would not cover her treatment in part, she said, because the Catholic hospital refused to say an abortion was medically necessary. Unable to pay for the procedure out of pocket, Swank instead went home to wait out the "nightmare."

"Desperate to prove I was sick enough for them to treat me, I brought to the hospital all the pads and clothing I had bled through," she testified. "The doctors decided that I was sick enough to induce delivery. I gave birth to a baby boy who never gained consciousness and he died within a few hours."

"No one should ever have to go through this."

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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)

Dozens of people were struck by gunfire in Chicago, some of them fatally, during the traditionally violent Fourth of July weekend, mostly in parts of the South and West sides that have long been plagued by gang crime and gun violence.

From Friday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon, about 60 people were shot with eight of them killed, according to data kept by the Tribune.

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The toll comes as the Chicago Police Department added roughly 1,300 police officers to work each day since Friday to patrol the violent neighborhoods, the parks, the CTA transit system and the lakefront, where large crowds formed to celebrate the holiday and watch fireworks.

This year's shooting toll was similar to recent Fourth of July weekends, though direct comparisons are difficult because the holiday fell on a Tuesday this year. The shootings this year occurred in communities long beset by violence such as Roseland, Greater Grand Crossing and Back of the Yards on the South Side and East Garfield Park, Austin and North Lawndale on the West Side.

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Shootings still persisted in two of the city's traditionally most violent police districts, Englewood and Harrison. This is despite a new crime-fighting initiative in those districts that includes technology designed to better detect where gunshots are coming from and enable officers to respond more quickly to gunfire.

While Harrison had no shootings during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, at least eight people were shot and wounded in the district this weekend, according to the Tribune's data. In Englewood, three men were fatally shot Friday night in the 5700 block of South Wells Street.

Elsewhere in the city, this weekend's toll included a Cook County judge's son, shot and wounded Friday night after attending the funeral for a friend who was fatally shot last month.

Other shootings included a 60-year-old man wounded Monday night near 15th Street and Hamlin Avenue in Lawndale and two men wounded by rifle rounds in Back of the Yards near 43rd Street and Ashland Avenue  the same area where two Chicago police officers were wounded by rifle fire in early May.

On Saturday night, police fatally shot a man in the North Lawndale community near Cermak Road and Kostner Avenue, one of at least eight people who were killed by gunfire over the long weekend. Officers at the crime scene confiscated an AK-47 assault rifle and a handgun, police officials said.

In addition to the gun violence, Chicago police on Tuesday announced the arrests of 58 people across the city on gun and drug charges.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said several guns were seized as well as 1,200 grams of cannabis and 500 grams of heroin and crack cocaine.

"CPD officers are working on the streets in force to keep residents and visitors safe in every neighborhood," he said.

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The city just finished its first half of 2017 with 323 homicides  one more than the same period in 2016  putting Chicago on pace to reach the 700-homicide mark for the second consecutive year, official Police Department statistics show.

Through June, the city recorded 11 percent fewer people shot overall than the year-earlier period. But the number of people shot in Chicago so far this year still far exceeds figures for the first halves of 2013, 2014 and 2015.

During a news conference Friday to discuss the department's Fourth of July weekend deployment plans, as well as its new task force with federal law enforcement, Chicago police officials still expressed optimism over the reduction in the number of shooting victims.

"The important thing to me is at this point we've had 230 (fewer) people shot this year," First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro said Friday. "I think that's a start, definitely. But every time we have one less person shot, that's a win for us."

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Chicago Tribune's Ariana Figueroa and Jeremy Gorner contributed.

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Raw video from a nearby surveillance camera shows an FBI agent's white 2014 Chevrolet Equinox as it is left in the 900 block of South Leavitt Street after it was stolen in the West Loop neighborhood eariler in the morning on July 3, 2017, in Chicago. The video shows the car pulling up, parking and a man exiting the vehicle. (Bill Garcia) (Bill Garcia)

A 17-year-old boy was arrested in the theft of an FBI-issued SUV that an FBI agent had left running at a Near West Side gas station early Monday, Chicago police said Tuesday evening.

The teen, whose name has not been released, was charged as a juvenile with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, aggravated battery to a government employee and vehicular hijacking, according to police.

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At 1 a.m. Monday, the FBI vehicle, a white 2014 Chevrolet Equinox containing several firearms and tactical gear such as a bulletproof vest, was stolen from a gas station in the 300 block of South Morgan Street, an FBI spokesman has said.

Later Monday, police were able to track down the SUV after a parking ticket was issued to it while it was parked in the 900 block of South Leavitt Street, about 2 miles from where it was stolen, police said.

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Monday night, uniformed and plainclothes investigators huddled on Leavitt Street, where the SUV sat with its gas cap undone and a parking ticket on the window  less than a half-mile away from the FBI Chicago Field Office, visible from the area where the car had been abandoned.

Authorities at that point hadn't searched inside the vehicle to see if any of the weapons were still inside. Instead, officers called for a tow truck to take it to be processed. Another vehicle was found earlier in the day with some of the gear inside, an official said.

The teen was arrested about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday in the 5000 block of West Washington Boulevard in the West Side's Austin community, police said.
Alexandra Nelson, sister of victim Grant Nelson, speaks to reporters May 31, 2017, after a hearing at the Skokie courthouse. Assistant States Attorney Michelle Cunningham gave a detailed account of the machete and knife attack. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

A teenage girl accused of fatally attacking an Uber driver with a machete has been hospitalized and missed a scheduled court appearance Wednesday.

Neither prosecutors nor Eliza Wasni's public defender elaborated on her medical condition or where she has been admitted for treatment.

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Another hearing in Cook County court was scheduled for Wasni for next week, at which point she is expected to enter a plea in the slaying of Grant Nelson, 34, of Wilmette.

Authorities allege that Wasni, 16,stabbed and hacked Nelson to death with a stolen knife and machete on May 30 in Lincolnwood, moments after he picked her up for an Uber ride in Skokie.

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Wasni, of Chicago, has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder. Prior to being hospitalized, she was being held in a juvenile detention facility while awaiting trial.

Nelson's family has filed suit against Walmart. Authorities said Wasni stole the knife and machete from a Walmart in Skokie about 3 a.m. May 30, just before requesting the Uber pickup and then getting into Nelson's car.

Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter.
A look at the numbers behind Cook County's new soda tax. How will the tax work and how much will it cost consumers? (Phil Geib / Chicago Tribune) (Phil Geib/Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's administration is warning of 10 percent budget reductions if a judge doesn't allow a countywide sweetened beverage tax to take effect by August.

In a letter dated Monday sent to all county elected officials, bureau chiefs and department heads, Preckwinkle budget director Tanya Anthony said analysts would be providing them "a recommended course of action" to meet spending cuts needed if Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak doesn't lift a temporary restraining order that's preventing the penny-per-ounce tax from being levied.

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Kubasiak stopped the tax, which was supposed to go into effect Saturday, after the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and several grocers sued the county to permanently block it on the grounds it is vague and unconstitutional.

The county was counting on $67.5 million to be collected through Nov. 30 via the tax on pop and other drinks.

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The recommended budget cuts "may include position reductions and non-personnel reductions," according to Anthony's letter, which was obtained by the Tribune. Department heads will have until Friday to respond with any changes to those recommendations. That deadline is meant to give the county time to get ready to start implementing the reductions Aug. 1, the letter states.

Asked about the letter, Preckwinkle spokesman Frank Shuftan on Wednesday said the temporary restraining order left the county in "a serious financial situation and we have to be prepared to take serious action."

"The steps outlined in the budget director's letter are meant to inform and provide guidance to separately elected officials, bureau chiefs and department heads of what we are collectively facing and how we all must prepare to confront this significant potential revenue shortfall," Shuftan said in a statement.

Kubasiak set a hearing on the preliminary injunction for July 12, so the temporary restraining order could get lifted then or at a subsequent hearing. But in enacting the order last week, the judge noted there would be no "reasonable procedure" for the county to refund the collected tax money to consumers in the event the retailers eventually win their suit and the beverage tax is permanently struck down.

Kubasiak also said the retailers "have persuaded the court that a fair question exists as to the constitutionality of the sweetened beverage tax."

Given the possibility the tax will get struck down, Anthony's letter says departments will also get new budget targets for 2018, when the county was counting on collecting $200.6 million from it. Preckwinkle could also opt to try to raise other taxes to make up the difference. She has said she plans to ask the state appellate court to vacate the temporary restraining order.

In a statement after the judge blocked the tax last week, Preckwinkle said she had asked the finance department to look at "all options to compensate for the revenue that would have been generated by the tax," including job cuts.

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Gov. Bruce Rauner on July 5, 2017, warned lawmakers not to override him and said he would do everything possible to try to make sure they dont. Rauner had invited news cameras to a tavern in Chicagos Hegewisch neighborhood, where he was joined by local businesspeople who complained about high property taxes. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)

Comparing the state income tax hike he'd vetoed a day earlier to a "two-by-four smacked across the forehead," Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday warned lawmakers not to override him and said he would do "everything possible" to try to make sure they don't.

That admonishment soon could be put to the test, as Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan announced plans to attempt the override Thursday afternoon. But it's an open question whether enough lawmakers will be on hand, given that only half the House showed up the last two days.

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The Republican governor's comments came after a flurry of activity at the Capitol over the long holiday weekend that saw 16 Republicans join Democrats to approve an income tax increase and a budget aimed at ending a stalemate now in its third year.

The rush was spurred in part by pressure from Wall Street agencies that warned Illinois could become the first state in the nation to see its credit rating dropped to junk status if a deal wasn't reached.

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Despite the movement toward a resolution in Springfield, Moody's Investors Service indicated Wednesday that even overriding Rauner's budget vetoes might not be enough to prevent a downgrade. The agency cited the state's "most pressing credit challenges": a $15 billion backlog of unpaid bills and a shortfall in government employee pensions systems that the state has pegged at $130 billion.

The governor showed little public concern about the threats from ratings agencies, telling reporters Wednesday, "Don't listen to Wall Street."

Rauner had invited news cameras to a tavern in Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood, where he was joined by local businesspeople who complained about high property taxes. Rauner took the opportunity to rail against Madigan "and his subordinates" for "using leverage of suffering" to raise taxes.

"If they were just going to do a tax hike with no reforms, they could have done that two years ago," the governor said. "Instead they caused a crisis and they hurt innocent people. This is wrong. This is broken politics."

Rauner himself, however, has talked before about using political leverage. During an April 2015 appearance before the Chicago Tribune editorial board, he was asked how he would be able to accomplish his agenda with Democrats controlling the General Assembly.

"Crisis creates opportunity," he said then. "Crisis creates leverage to change ... and we've got to use that leverage of the crisis to force structural change."

Now, state government is two years into a record budget impasse that has universities on the brink of losing their accreditation, many social service nonprofits too broke to serve the needy and roadwork at a standstill. Without a budget deal by mid-August, many elementary and high schools will have to scrape the barrel of their reserves in order to be able to open their doors for the new school year.

The budget plan that Rauner vetoed would have the state spend more than $36 billion on primary and secondary education, colleges and universities, social services, medical care for the poor and other government functions, with nearly $5 billion in new taxes to help pay for it. The personal income tax rate would rise from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent. The corporate tax rate would go from 5.25 percent to 7 percent. The plan also would have the state pay down about half of the nearly $15 billion pile of unpaid bills through a combination of borrowing and using cash from other state accounts.

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Rauner has said repeatedly in the past that he would support a tax hike as part of balancing the budget, but only if it came with other items on his legislative wish list. Democrats sent the governor multiple bills they contend address those items, but he says they're watered down and not enough to get him on board for the tax hike.

On Wednesday. Rauner blamed the situation on "a continuing failure by elected officials in Springfield on both sides of the aisle that has been led by Speaker Madigan for 35 years."

He said his team was "doing everything that we can do to push to ensure my veto is not overridden," though he didn't say what specifically he was doing in the day before a potential vote.

In the last election cycle, outside groups aligned with the governor helped finance a primary challenge to a state senator who had cast some votes in defiance of Rauner. The senator held onto his seat, but the expensive campaign was seen as a warning to other Republicans not to cross the governor, who has shown a willingness to dig deep into his pockets to fund political causes.

That loyalty has started to fray amid pressure caused by the budget stalemate. In the House, 15 Republicans joined Democrats to help get the budget legislation over the 71-vote threshold required to pass such legislation after May. That's the same threshold needed to override a veto. In the Senate, one Republican voted for the tax and spending bills, as well as the override, which was completed in that chamber on Tuesday.

Now the ball is in the House's court. In recent days, low attendance at the statehouse has made it impossible for lawmakers to complete any business at all, much less a veto override. On Wednesday, just 59 of the chamber's 118 lawmakers showed up to work.

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For Rauner, an override of his budget veto could be politically beneficial in two ways. It breaks the budget impasse, allowing state spending to return closer to normal and relieves some pressure, even if it wouldn't repair all the damage done during the stalemate. And as Rauner seeks re-election next year, he could campaign in the suburbs and Downstate saying that Madigan's power and that of the "Chicago Machine" thwarted the veto and that they increased taxes on the entire state to bail out the city. Rauner regularly plays geographic politics against Chicago.

Already, Rauner is showing signs of employing that strategy. On Wednesday, he cast himself as being outright opposed to raising taxes, despite having said in the past that fixing the state's financial problems will require a mix of spending cuts and new revenue.

"This tax hike is not right for the people of Illinois," the governor said. "More taxes will not solve our problems."

Still, if lawmakers override him, Rauner would not be able to say he actually blocked a tax hike, only that he strongly opposed it. That could be cold comfort to taxpayers forking over more of their paychecks to a deeply dysfunctional state government and looking for results instead of rhetoric.

If the override fails in the House, Rauner gets to say he blocked a tax increase, but Madigan is likely to blame Rauner for the budget deal falling apart and suggesting it is now the governor's turn to fix the problem. Democrats could point to Rauner and his veto as leading Illinois to junk-bond status and an inability to borrow, the failure of schools to open, the potential closing of public colleges and universities, the closing of more social service providers, the shutdown of economy-stimulating road construction projects and the continued exile of the state from Powerball and Mega Millions lottery games.

Under that scenario, Democrats would be waiting for Rauner to come to them.

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Madigan already has suggested Rauner will try to derail the override in the House.

"If you've followed the methods of the Rauner administration for two and a half years, I would expect that they'll be back at work, just as they have for two and a half years," Madigan said Monday, accusing the governor and his staff of intimidation tactics against Republicans. "I don't use pressure. We would work for the override. We would work for the override just as we worked for passage of the bill in the initial passage stage."

For many of the Republicans who joined with Democrats on Sunday, the backlash has been fierce as outside groups have blanketed social media with attacks. Some lawmakers have had their personal phone numbers posted online, resulting in hundreds of angry calls from those opposed to the tax increase, which have in some cases included threats of violence.

Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, a Republican whose district includes Springfield, said she has not heard from Rauner's office since voting in favor of the budget. She said that while much focus has been put on the tax portion of the package, the spending side included real cuts and across-the-board reductions that Republicans have long pushed for. She said she plans to vote for the override.

"I will never be able to convince anybody to say to me, 'Wow, Sara, you've really convinced me. I am happy to give the state more money,'" Wojcicki Jimenez said. "Happy will never be the emotion. I hope that the emotion becomes, the more you talk about it is understanding of what the math is and what the dynamics of the legislature is."

She added that just because some Republicans differed from Rauner on the budget plan isn't a sign of diminished support for the governor on other efforts, including pushing for further changes to workers' compensation laws. But she said she had to take immediate action to help her community that has been devastated as universities and hospitals aren't being paid and uncertainty has seen people pick up and leave.

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"I continue to say to some of my Republican friends that one of our primary principles is financial responsibility," she said. "Having a budget and paying your bills. Those are a couple things that haven't been occurring over the last couple years. So we have got to own up to that and try to move forward."

Rep. Steve Andersson, R-Geneva, said he plans to support the override effort, saying that "no facts have changed" when it comes to the dire circumstances facing Illinois if a budget isn't put in place. He was among those whose cellphone number was published online shortly before he cast his yes vote for the budget package.

Andersson said he felt the vote was the responsible thing to do, evidenced by the fact that ratings agencies haven't yet issued a downgrade.

"They have affirmed that this was the right vote to take," Andersson said. "So even though (people) are outraged now, the reality is if we had not done what we did, the end game would have been worse and it would have been decades  decades  of recovery."

Rauner offered a different take of the situation Wednesday, insisting that scoldings from New York should be ignored.

"We've got to have families, homeowners, small business owners, have got to be first," Rauner said. "Don't listen to Wall Street, don't listen to a bunch of politicians who want power and stay in power like they have been for 35 years. Listen to the people of Illinois. The people of Illinois don't want more taxes on their lives."

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Madigan, in a statement announcing his plans to attempt an override Thursday, said, "House Democrats look forward to working with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to begin healing the wounds of the last several years."

Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson contributed. Monique Garcia reported from Springfield.

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Cook County officials on Wednesday set out to create a county ID card for people living in the U.S. illegally and others, even as Mayor Rahm Emanuel presses ahead with his own plans to offer a city ID.

County Commissioners Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and John Fritchey contended a single county-level card for government services makes more sense than a city one because Chicago is in Cook County.

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Garcia, who lost to Emanuel in the 2015 mayoral runoff election, said the need for a county ID is obvious given the millions of people who live outside the city. "While we applaud the efforts of the city of Chicago in issuing a municipal ID, approximately 2.4 million residents of Cook County do not have access at this time to such a card," he said.

But Emanuel has staked his tough-guy stand against President Donald Trump in part on the success of the city ID, which City Clerk Anna Valencia hopes to begin issuing this year. It's been part of Emanuel's outreach to Chicago's sizable Latino community since the mayoral election.

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Garcia also took aim at Trump during a news conference to announce the ID proposal. "In the dark climate of xenophobia and divisiveness at the national level, here at Cook County we can choose to be inclusive and welcoming," he said.

Like the municipal ID, the county card would be a way for people living in the country illegally, homeless people and others who don't have state IDs to prove their identities in government agencies like public hospitals and police stations. Garcia and Fritchey said they will introduce an ordinance to the county board this month, and Fritchey said they hope to begin issuing the IDs early in 2018 if the plan is approved.

The overlapping local ID programs could spur a political turf war, however. Valencia spokeswoman Kate LeFurgy said the city is already working with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and other officials to integrate the city ID into county services. She called on Garcia and Fritchey to join in that collaboration rather than pressing ahead with creating another card.

"This is the first time we have heard about them going alone on a program that the city has been developing since 2015 with the help of community advocates, legal professionals and other intergovernmental agencies," LeFurgy said in an email. "Government works best when we aren't in silos."

Fritchey countered that the county should lead the way. "This is not a competition, this is not a matter of who can do this better or who can do this first," he said. "This is a matter of how we can do this best, how we can do this most efficiently."

Valencia has a budget of $1 million to launch the city ID card. Fritchey said he expects it would take $300,000 to $500,000 to get the county one up and running.

Valencia's office plans to not keep applicants' addresses on file in a bid to assuage the fears of people living in the country illegally that federal immigration officials could get their hands on the data and come after them, but Fritchey said the county is planning to hold onto that information.

It remains to be seen whether the rest of the County Board embraces the plan. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle hasn't seen the proposal, according to her spokesman, Frank Shuftan. "We have not reviewed it, determined who is impacted, how it might be funded and how it's operationalized," he said in an email.

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A letter from the panel President Donald Trump formed to look into alleged voting irregularities finally has arrived at the Illinois State Board of Elections after first being sent to the wrong office.

Last week, Trump's Election Integrity Commission sent a letter to election authorities across the nation seeking voter roll data that includes name, address, birth date, the last four digits of Social Security numbers and voting history going back to 2006.

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The letter arrived Wednesday at Secretary of State Jesse White's office. Many states' top election administrator is the secretary of state, but the State Board of Elections handles those duties in Illinois. White's office sent the letter to the the state elections board.

No formal action on the request is expected until the Aug. 22 regular meeting of the board, when it can be placed on the agenda, barring any directive from board members on how to proceed. But board officials have already said some personal data requested, like the last four digits of Social Security numbers, cannot be turned over under state law.

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Several election authorities around the country have expressed concern about the breadth of the request and notified the commission, headed by Vice President Mike Pence, they will not be complying. That includes Indiana, where Pence was governor. At least 44 states have said they will refuse to turn over at least some requested data to the panel.

Illinois election officials have said they received many phone inquiries from the public about the request for voter information. After getting calls, White's office took to Twitter last week to refer concerned voters to the Springfield and Chicago offices of the state elections board.

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For about 20 minutes Tuesday, NPR traveled back to 1776.

To echo its 29-year on-air tradition,the public radio network's main Twitter account tweeted out the Declaration of Independence, line by line.

There  in 113 consecutive posts, in 140-character increments  was the text of the treasured founding document of the United States, from its soaring opening to its searing indictments of King George III's "absolute tyranny" to its very last signature.

Who could have taken issue with such a patriotic exercise, done in honor of the nation's birthday?

Quite a few people, it turned out.

Perhaps it was the Founding Fathers' capitalization of random words or the sentence fragments into which some of the Declaration's most recognizable lines were broken. But plenty of Twitter users reacted angrily to the thread, accusing NPR of spamming them  or, worse, trying to push an agenda.

"Seriously, this is the dumbest idea I have ever seen on twitter," a Twitter user named Darren Mills said after NPR had only gotten as far as the Declaration's dateline. "Literally no one is going to read 5000 tweets about this trash."

One user wondered if NPR's social-media accounts had been hacked, and the network lost at least one follower who called the tweets "spam."

The blowback increased when the tweets reached the portion of the Declaration that outlined, in unsparing detail, all the ways Britain's King George III had wronged the then-colonies.

"He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers," read one line of the document.

"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," read another.

Some people  presumably still in the dark about NPR's July Fourth exercise  assumed those lines were references to President Trump and the current administration.

"Propaganda is that all you know how? Try supporting a man who wants to do something about the Injustice in this country #drainingtheswamp," tweeted one user whose account has since been deleted but whose messages were captured by Winnipeg Free Press reporter Melissa Martin.

Upworthy writer Parker Molloy took images of several more indignant replies to NPR, including one who told the media organization to "Please stop. This is not the right place."

By Wednesday morning, many of the replies above had been deleted. However, at least one Twitter user admitted he had "screwed up" and apologized to NPR.

The Declaration of Independence is, of course, one of the country's most important documents, adopted at the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The text and purpose of the Declaration would likely be recognizable to those who have applied for U.S. citizenship, since questions about the document appear on the naturalization test. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has an extensive list of study materials and other Declaration-related resources for prospective citizens.

NPR's "Morning Edition" has had a nearly three-decade-long tradition of broadcasting a reading of the Declaration of Independence on July Fourth each year. More than two dozen NPR journalists participated in this year's reading, including "Morning Edition" co-host Steve Inskeep, "All Things Considered" hosts Audie Cornish and NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

"[It is] a document from a deeply divided time," broadcaster Mary Louise Kelly noted in the reading. "It was a time when Americans turned against each other."

The Twitter exercise this year was a way to include additional people in that tradition, NPR spokeswoman Isabel Lara told The Washington Post in an email statement.

"This year we mirrored that tradition on Twitter as a way to extend to social media what we do on the air," Lara wrote. "The tweets were shared by thousands of people and generated a lively conversation."

Here is the full text of the Declaration of Independence:

In Congress, July 4, 1776.The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, 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 Nature's 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 Happiness.--That 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 shewn, 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.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.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 Brittish 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.
BELLEVILLE, Ill.  Authorities say police in southern Illinois have fatally shot a man who fired at them after he apparently became agitated.

The shooting happened Tuesday afternoon in Belleville. Police say 39-year-old Donald Martin fired at officers several times and made suicidal comments before a police shot him. The St. Clair County coroner's office says he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

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Belleville police Master Sgt. Todd Keilbach tells the Belleville News-Democrat that Martin first fired what appeared to be a shotgun in the direction of officers. Keilbach says patrol officers and tactical unit officers returned fire and he was found unresponsive.

State police are investigating.

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Neighbor Paula Daley said Martin started throwing bottle rockets into her yard shortly before the shooting. Daley says she was frightened by his behavior.
Supporters and protesters of President Donald Trump encounter each other during a Los Angeles march July 2, 2017, to call for Congress to start impeachment hearings against the president. (Ringo Chiu / AFP/Getty Images)

American politics is a bicycle with a rusty chain, flat tires and no brakes. It's broken, and it's not taking any of us where we want to go.

Congress is so bogged down in conflict it can barely function. Presidents have found it's easier to issue executive orders than win over legislators. Polarization has grown to the point that people in each party increasingly see the opposition as dangerous extremists.

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It's tempting to blame this entirely on voters. Donald Trump and supporters think the left is hellbent on destroying him because he represents real Americans and patriotic values. A lot of other people think the problem is all the Trump supporters who dislike minorities and believe things that aren't true. If only those other people would come to their senses, each side thinks, things would be fine.

Some of the fault is in ourselves. But some of it is the product of a political system that has changed in ways that magnify our worse qualities and suppress our better ones. Trump is mostly a symptom rather than a cause.

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The fundamental problem is the gap between what most Americans want and what our elected officials increasingly represent. The most sharp-edged figures set the agenda for both parties  Trump and Ted Cruz in the GOP, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren with Democrats.

Jeb Bush and John Kasich had no real chance in the 2016 Republican race because they didn't excite the hard right. Hillary Clinton evoked tepid enthusiasm among the Democratic rank and file because of her establishment credentials. Satisfying ideologues takes precedence over appealing to the broad mass of citizens.

The two parties in Congress have never been so dissimilar in their voting patterns or so reluctant to work together. The overlap that existed when there were liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats is gone, taking pragmatic bipartisan problem-solving with it.

This shift leaves a lot of citizens unrepresented. A majority of Americans regard themselves as moderate, slightly liberal or slightly conservative  more than in the 1970s  but these centrists have the least influence.

Just look at the debate over Obamacare. Republicans thrived politically by adamantly opposing it and promising to repeal it. But now they find that position unpopular with the electorate. Only 12 percent of Americans favor the Senate health care bill, with 53 percent in favor of keeping Obamacare. The amazing thing is not that the bill is so unpopular but that Republicans may enact some version of it regardless.

How could that happen in a democratic country? Today, all sorts of institutional factors promote and reward all-or-nothing militancy. If we want to encourage our leaders to find solutions they can agree on, we need to create conditions that foster compromise. Fortunately, there are reforms that could help. Here are a few:

End partisan redistricting. When seats are safe for one party, the incumbents don't fear a challenge from the other party; they fear a challenge from someone more ideologically pure. Republicans are reluctant to vote to keep Obamacare because they don't want to invite more conservative candidates to run against them. Incumbents naturally resist giving up gerrymandering, but in its next term, the Supreme Court will hear a constitutional challenge that could curtail it.

Revise campaign finance laws. "Increasing or entirely removing limits on how much money party organizations can raise and spend would be a step toward reducing polarization," argue political scientists Raymond La Raja and Brian Schaffner, because parties tend to have a moderating influence. Existing restrictions on parties induce candidates to "seek a greater share of donations directly from highly ideological individuals and group donors." Giving parties more latitude would nudge politicians toward the middle.

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Scrap party primaries. California has replaced them with "open" primaries, which pit all candidates against one another, with the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, proceeding to the general election. Research by political scientists Eric McGhee and Boris Shor indicates the change has had a moderating effect on outcomes. Another option comes from Louisiana, which forgoes primaries in favor of an open general election, with a runoff if no one gets a majority. It could help centrists because general elections involve more voters, diluting the influence of zealots.

The great majority of Americans have more in common with one another and more willingness to cooperate than they may realize. They need to repair a political system that seems rigged to keep them from getting their way.

Steve Chapman, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/chapman.

Download "Recalculating: Steve Chapman on a New Century" in the free Printers Row app at www.printersrowapp.com.

schapman@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SteveChapman13
Then-U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon of the Northern District of Illinois speaks as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division; Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch; Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel; and Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson of the Chicago Police Department hold a press conference Friday, January 13, 2017, on the Justice Department's findings from the investigation into the Chicago Police Department. (Jose Osorio, Chicago Tribune)

On Jan. 13, I joined then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and others to announce the findings of the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation of the Chicago Police Department. At that news conference, I spoke honestly about how and why I believe a federal consent decree is in the best interest of both the citizens of Chicago and the brave women and men of CPD who serve and protect those citizens.

On March 10, at the request of President Donald Trump, I resigned as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Upon resigning, I released an open letter listing five things that, in my view, should be done to help stem the decades-old violence epidemic plaguing our South and West sides. The first thing on my short list was "get that consent decree."

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Since then, Justice and the city have plodded a slow retreat. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has long expressed concern about the wisdom of federal bureaucrats micromanaging local police. And that tepidness has now enabled the city's pivot away from its commitment to federal oversight.

I understand and to a degree even share Sessions' concern. The federal consent decree process can be arduous, invasive, difficult and long. It should be used only judiciously and where absolutely necessary to fix systemic constitutional failings.

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Every city is different; every police department is different; every situation is different. CPD's problems are deep and entrenched, and they have to be viewed in context. In every decade since the 1960s, major controversies of excessive force and broken accountability have plagued Chicago police. And in decade after decade, local politicians and administrations have made reform commitments and launched reform initiatives, but those commitments and initiatives, despite often good intentions, have never stuck. Through no fault of the many wonderful women and men of CPD, vagaries and shifting winds of local politics, power and priorities have let them and the people of Chicago down.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called out Chicago crime, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a review of all federal reform agreements with troubled police departments. Where does that leave the city of Chicago when it comes to police reform and accountability? (Chicago Tribune)

The fundamental reason we have to have a consent decree is this: The breadth of changes necessary at CPD, coupled with the sheer size of CPD, mean that reform will take years. Even with a consent decree, a strong judge and great independent monitor, it will be years  five, seven, maybe more  before the ship has turned in a way that is meaningful and sure to stick.

To me, that means the oversight has to be taken out of the context of local politics, which change, and local priorities, which shift, and put into the context of a separate sovereign with a lifetime appointment in the form of a U.S. District Court judge.

That is not big government micromanaging; that is good government, local and federal, working together and manifesting the checks and balances at the heart of our Constitution. That is exactly what our Constitution was designed to allow us to accomplish, together, as a society. The Chicago Police Department situation is a textbook example of when a federal consent decree is the right thing for everyone.

What's at stake here is not just constitutional policing and community trust. Lives are at stake. People are dying every day from gun violence. Children are dying.

Law enforcement is not the entire solution, but it's a big part. We cannot abide more years of our police not having the training, supervision, infrastructure or support they need to thrive. Now is our chance to get this right.

Keep fighting. Get that consent decree.

Zach Fardon served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois from 2013 to 2017.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

How President Trump and Mayor Emanuel can help combat violence in Chicago

A police indictment's lesson for Emanuel: Get that consent decree

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
I practiced the words in my head one more time before I picked up the phone. When my patient's son answered, I froze for a moment, imagining the roles were reversed and I was about to receive the news that I had to give him. After collecting my thoughts, I introduced myself, reminding him that we had met the previous night.

I said: "I'm calling with bad news. Your father's illness worsened this morning. He is going to die. I encourage you and your family to come to the hospital as soon as possible to say goodbye."

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My patient's son will probably remember this phone call for years. I still remember everything about it six months later. It was only the third time I'd had to tell someone that their loved one was dying. Looking back on the conversation now, I'm glad that I prepared for it. But I am also concerned to realize that the practical steps I took  get the facts, write out the objective, address my own emotions, prepare for possible reactions, practice aloud  came not from my medical training but from a business-school course on hiring and firing employees.

Like most doctors, I spent four years in medical school learning to treat hundreds of illnesses and help patients manage their health. I spent very little of this time learning how to work with patients when modern medicine runs out of miracles  and only a few hours, spread over four years, learning to lead end-of-life conversations and deliver bad news.

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This breakdown is typical of medical education across the country. A recent study of medical curricula, published last year in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, found that the average time dedicated to end-of-life care is 13 hours spread across multiple courses over four years. In a recent survey of graduating medical students, 42 percent reported that they were never taught how to talk to patients about dying, and 48 percent that they never received feedback on how they deliver bad news.

No doubt this is one reason why so many people have personal stories of the "I can't believe my doctor said that to me" variety. Just the other day, I listened as one of my patients described the anger she felt when, days before her husband died of cancer, a doctor checked his phone while they were discussing her husband's treatment.

By contrast, many business leaders direct much of their energy toward mastering the art of difficult conversations. As one of my business school professors liked to say, leadership is all about getting the details right in critical conversations.

Why do medical schools devote so little time to cultivating these communication skills in their students? Few conversations are of greater consequence than those in which a doctor must tell someone their loved one is dying. Our conversational shortcomings in these moments prevent patients from understanding difficult diagnoses, leading some to pursue futile end-of-life treatments that do not increase the quality or duration of their lives.

There isn't one way to teach these skills, but a handful of medical schools are pointing the way forward. Weill Cornell Medical College requires all students to complete a two-week palliative care clerkship. During the course, students are relieved of clinical responsibility so they can focus on improving end-of-life care. At Stanford University School of Medicine, 20 students a year take "Managing Difficult Conversations," a class in which students role-play challenging scenarios.

Recently, I found myself on the other side of an end-of-life conversation. My grandmother was in an intensive care unit, and my grandfather called me in a frantic state because he couldn't figure out what was happening.

I called the hospital and got through to a nurse, who relayed every detail: the amount my grandmother's blood pressure had dropped, the number of times she was given epinephrine, the rounds of CPR. After what felt like an eternity, I finally asked: "She died, didn't she?" Her answer: "Yes." The nurse had spent so much time on the details, she had forgotten to tell me the only thing I needed to know.

After I got off the phone, I practiced what I needed to say to my family. Then I called them and said it: "Grandma died."

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One of my most respected business professors  someone with more than 60 years of experience in his profession  told me he still practices difficult conversations before he has them. It helps him clarify his goals and the means by which he can achieve them. Medical schools need to teach doctors to do the same.

Tribune Content Agency

Tom Roberts is an internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Paul Wright shows a picture of himself in the hospital after a near fatal overdose in 2015, Thursday, June 15, 2017, at the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic in Youngstown, Ohio. (David Dermer / AP)

HILLSBORO, Ohio  There is an ongoing terrorist attack happening in Ohio. It has nothing to do with the Islamic State or political anarchists. The weapons in this case come in the form of heroin and other opioids, and the terrorists are the pushers who spread the deadly poison.

From the Columbus Dispatch this spring: "At least 4,149 Ohioans died from unintentional drug overdoses in 2016, a 36 percent leap from just the previous year, when Ohio had by far the most overdose deaths in the nation. ... Many coroners said that 2017's overdose fatalities are outpacing 2016's."

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Consider that number  4,149 overdose deaths in Ohio in one year, more than the number who died in the 9/11 attacks.

The worst of the state's opioid problems are in southern Ohio. The Highland County coroner provided our newspaper, the (Hillsboro, Ohio) Times-Gazette, with a recap of cases from 2016 showing at least 16 overdose deaths in this small rural county. He also pointed to 50 deaths during the year from other causes where drug use or a history of drug use were present.

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Even nonfatal overdoses are taxing local resources. During the first three weeks of May, emergency responders answered calls to at least 18 overdoses around the county, almost three times as many as during the same period a year ago. The public information officer for the local fire and emergency medical services department called it "the new normal."

This is all happening around little Hillsboro, a town often compared with television's idyllic Mayberry. With the FBI reporting that most heroin enters the United States from Mexico, and local officials saying that it then makes its way here through metropolitan drug rings, it's no wonder that few people in Hillsboro think President Donald Trump's border security plans are extreme.

Like other forms of terrorism, the opioid attack will have a generational impact, in this case in a foster care crisis being left in its wake. In December 2015 our newspaper reported that "a focused crackdown on drug abuse by local law enforcement  a focus applauded by nearly everyone  has led to the unintended consequence of more children who are left homeless."

Our most recent article on the subject, in April, reported that there were more than 100 children in foster care, costing our county about $1.9 million annually. With just 15 foster parents in all of Highland County, "many children must be placed in other counties, incurring higher costs."

The drug crisis is leading to some controversial initiatives. Our local health commissioner recently unveiled a program to supply free naloxone, an opioid inhibitor, to people who attend training on how and when to administer it to overdose victims. Many residents oppose the idea, arguing that the same users are being revived time and again, but the commissioner responds that his agency is charged with saving lives.

Opioids come in legal form, too, and Ohio's attorney general, Mike DeWine, recently sued the pharmaceutical industry, accusing drugmakers of contributing to the problem through misleading marketing campaigns.

After I briefly mentioned the overdose epidemic in a recent op-ed for The Washington Post about our region's support for Trump, I heard from readers claiming that Trump's 2018 budget does little to fight the opioid problem.

Maybe, but the statistics show that what we have been doing is not working, which indicates we should not just keep doing more of it.

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Some local officials have begun tackling the heroin crisis more aggressively, especially since recent batches have been laced with fentanyl, an even deadlier drug. Fentanyl is largely a Chinese export, which presents Trump with an opportunity to insist on a crackdown as a bargaining chip in what appears to be his effort toward better trade relations with China.

Our local prosecutor has begun charging those accused of supplying fentanyl-laced heroin to overdose victims with involuntary manslaughter, rather than treating these simply as accidental deaths. If that approach is more widely adopted, drug pushers who are arrested but typically back on the streets in short order will instead find themselves behind bars under stiffer charges more representative of the death and carnage they are causing.

In southern Ohio, the opioid problem is beyond mere fodder for partisan budgetary debates. We're dealing with purveyors of poison carrying out a real-time assault on our communities. When it comes to the flow of deadly drugs into the United States and communities such as Hillsboro, we have to combat it outside the scope of typical drug-abuse prevention programs.

Our vaunted "war on drugs" has long represented little more than benign phraseology. But it has become a real war, and the drug cartels and pushers here and abroad are enemy combatants. Until we respond as we would to any terrorist attack, the casualties will continue to mount. That may sound extreme, but the rising death toll suggests otherwise.

The Washington Post

Gary Abernathy is publisher and editor of the (Hillsboro, Ohio) Times-Gazette.
When I worked in the White House at the National Security Council from 2009 to 2012, I wrote briefers for President Barack Obama for his "bilats" with then-President Dmitry Medvedev and then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. I have written an (unsolicited) backgrounder deliberately for President Donald Trump; short, simple and with his stated views on Russia in mind ahead of this week's meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents.

---

Backgrounder on U.S.-Russia relations

For three decades, American presidents sought to encourage democratic and market reforms inside Russia and integrate Russia into the West. This strategy was motivated by the belief  shared by Republicans and Democrats alike  that a more democratic Russia would serve U.S. security and economic interests. That project is now over. Putin does not want to build democracy and has even become suspicious of free enterprise. He no longer desires to join the West, but instead sees Russia as a bulwark against American hegemony and Western liberal values.

Putin recognizes the asymmetric balance of power between our two countries, but compensates for his weaker position by being willing to take greater risks, be it annexing territory in Ukraine, intervening in Syria, or violating our sovereignty during the 2016 presidential elections.

Putin is a very experienced, effective interlocutor. He will come prepared for this meeting, seeking first to convince you that you both can work together, against common foes such as the "deep state" and "American fake news." Putin wants the readout of this meeting to be "we had a very good meeting." Your objective is different. Your goal is not a friendly chat  diplomacy is not a popularity contest  but a clear statement of U.S. national security and economic objectives and an exploration of what issues the United States and Russia could pursue together. Don't expect any breakthroughs in this first meeting. Your task is to demonstrate to Putin that you are a tough negotiator committed to pursuing American interests, and one that is not willing to offer concessions simply to win Putin's praise.

Here are the issues that you must address in your talks with Putin.

Russian interference in our 2016 presidential election: You must signal clearly to the Russian president that you know exactly what he did. Leaving any doubt will communicate insecurity or ignorance. You must state bluntly to Putin that Russia can never again violate our sovereignty by stealing and publishing our data, and must stop cyber probes of our electoral machinery. You should hint at potential coercive responses, including sanctions and counter cyber actions, if we are attacked again. You could pledge to not interfere in Russian elections. If the meeting is going well, you might suggest that our two governments should begin negotiations regarding new norms about cyber activities in our two countries, possibly resulting in a treaty.

Ukraine: You should confirm that you want to lift sanctions, but only after Russia ends its support for separatists and implements the existing, but unfulfilled peace agreement, or a new and improved accord. You could tell Putin that you like big deals and want to do a big deal on Ukraine, but not done over the heads of the Ukrainians. Above all else, you cannot hint at a willingness to lift sanctions unilaterally without receiving anything in return. You can inform Putin of your decision to appoint a special envoy for ending the war in Ukraine who would negotiate with his government, the Ukrainian government and our European allies involved. The name of this special envoy could be announced at the press conference with Putin and serve as the one deliverable of this bilat.

Trade and investment: You should signal your desire to deepen our economic ties as a way to create new jobs in America. You even could say that you support Russian investment in the United States. But you cannot pursue this economic agenda until we come to terms on Ukraine.

Syria: You can repeat your desire to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State, but then ask Putin to task his minister of defense to engage directly with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on developing a comprehensive strategy for cooperation. On this issue, the devil is in the details and Putin knows these details much better than you do, so you want Mattis to take the lead. You should press Putin to make good on his commitment to remove chemical weapons from Syria, and communicate that you see no long-term peaceful outcome in Syria until Bashar Assad steps down. Probe to see if Putin shares your assessment. Tell Putin you want peace and stability in Syria, not regime change.

North Korea: You should warn Putin that you will not tolerate the deployment of the nuclear-armed ICBM (even if that may not be true), and so you need his help now to freeze North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Press Putin to lean on the Chinese.

The adoption ban: Explain to Putin that lifting the ban on Americans from adopting Russian orphans would be the boldest signal that he is serious about new cooperation with the United States. So that this move would not appear to be a concession, you could pledge to Putin your readiness to put in place new regulations for ensuring the safety and well-being of these adopted children.

Time permitting, the Middle East: If time permits, you could share your impressions of your trip to Saudi Arabia and in particular your worry about Iran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East. Tell Putin that you have no intention of withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, but in return want Russia to use its leverage to stop Iranian support for terrorist organizations. Make clear that despite whatever has been said in public, your administration wants to defuse tensions between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Issues to be avoided: NATO (because it's none of Putin's business), spheres of influence (because it's a bad idea), alleged American involvement in Russian elections (because it's not true) and human rights (because you have said little about these issues and therefore anything said now will be interpreted by Putin as insincere.)

This first meeting, therefore, is extremely important. It is up to you to set a tough but pragmatic tone for your interactions with the Russian president for the next four years.
Last week, at the Aspen Ideas Festival, I moderated a panel on U.S. national security in the Trump era. On the panel, former CIA director David Petraeus offered the most robust defense of President Donald Trump's foreign policy that I have heard. Central to his premise were two facts. First, he argued that Trump's national security team was the strongest he had ever seen. Next, he argued that whereas President Barack Obama was indecisive to the point of paralysis, such as in the case of Syria, Trump is decisive.

Toward the end of the conversation, we turned to Trump's erratic behavior and I noted that for the first time in three decades in the world of foreign policy, I was getting regular questions about the mental health of the president.

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I asked Petraeus, a man I respect, if he thought the president was fit to serve. His response was, "It's immaterial." He argued that because the team around Trump was so good, they could offset whatever deficits he might have. I was floored. It was a stunningly weak defense.

That is where we are now. The president's tweeting hysterically at the media is just an element of this. So too is his malignant and ever-visible narcissism. The president has demonstrated himself to have zero impulse control and a tendency to damage vital international relationships with ill-considered outbursts, to trust very few of the people in his own government, and to reportedly rant and shout at staff and even at the television sets he obsessively watches.

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Whether he is actually clinically ill is a matter for psychiatric professionals to consider. But when you take the above behaviors and combine them with his resistance to doing the work needed to be president, to sitting down for briefings, to reading background materials, to familiarizing himself with details enough to manage his staff, there is clearly a problem. Compound it with his deliberate reluctance to fill key positions in government and his wild flip-flopping on critical issues from relations with China to trade, and you come to a conclusion that it may be that Trump's fitness to serve as president is our nation's core national security issue.

Not only does the president diminish the office with his pettiness; he also shows disregard for constitutional principles including free speech, freedom of religion and separation of powers, and he operates as though he were above ethics laws. Daily he shows he lacks the character, discipline, intellect, judgment or respect for the office to be president of the United States. In normal times, this would be worrying. But look at the news. North Korea is moving closer to having the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon to the United States. A confrontation is coming that will be a test of character pitting North Korea's unhinged leader, Kim Jong Un, against our leader.

This week, he is to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, Germany, during the Group of 20 meeting. Quite apart from the political optics of rewarding a man who attacked the United States with to help get Trump elected with such a meeting, the summit reveals why it is so dangerous to have an erratic president. Much of U.S. foreign policy comes down to personal diplomacy conducted by the president and his actions in the wake of such meetings. If a dedicated enemy of the United States and opportunist such as Putin determines to take advantage of Trump's narcissism, ignorance, paranoia, business interests or brewing scandals, he will do just that. If he sees Trump's behavior as a tacit endorsement of his own thuggishness, he will seize the opportunity. Could Trump enter the meeting with good advice from the team that Petraeus and others admire so much? Yes. But they can't undo Trump's record, nor can they, we have learned, always shape the behavior of a man who has shown repeated propensity for ignoring the advice of his best allies. That is one reason, according to reports, that European officials are deeply concerned about the outcomes of the meeting that will take place in Hamburg this week.

The United States has had a wide variety of presidents; we have as often been victimized by their errors of judgment as we have benefited from their leadership. But the stark reality is that objective analysis reveals that we have never before seen a president so unfit for office. Even President Richard Nixon at his moments of darkest paranoia was a professional public servant who understood the office and the stakes associated with it. One might, on this Independence Day week, have to go back to King George III to find a head of state who so threatened America. But there is no precedent for one whose character is so obviously ill-suited to the presidency.

At the end of the Aspen session, a gentleman approached me and asked why I had made the conversation so ad hominem by questioning Trump's fitness. I explained that when we have a system in which the chief executive is endowed with so much power, we regularly find that our fate in crises turns on the character of the president. For that reason, it is not the incivility of modern politics that drives us to question Trump's fitness; it is a respect for the lessons of history and for the national interests his profound deficits put at risk.

Washington Post

David Rothkopf is the author of "The Great Questions of Tomorrow." He is a visiting professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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Eleven-month-old Charlie Gard is desperately ill with a rare genetic disorder. He can't breathe or move on his own. He's blind and deaf. He suffers from epileptic seizures. Doctors in London say his illness can't be treated effectively and that he likely will die soon after life-support is withdrawn.

Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, are fighting to bring their son to the U.S. for experimental treatment. They've raised $1.7 million on a crowdfunding website to do so.

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But Charlie's doctors, and the British courts, won't let him go. Medical authorities argue that prolonging his life by keeping him on a ventilator could cause him pain. British authorities won't even let the parents take him home to die.

The case has drawn global attention. President Donald Trump has tweeted his support for Charlie, saying "if we can help ... we would be delighted to do so." A Vatican spokesman says Pope Francis also has followed the case, praying that the parents' desire "to accompany and care for their own child to the end is not ignored."

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You may find the British authorities outrageously heartless or merely humane in gauging that Charlie's chances for survival, much less a productive life, are vanishingly slim.

Either way you may ask: Why does the British government have such wide authority over Charlie's treatment? One big reason: Because the government funds a single-payer health system, picking up medical costs for British citizens.

We imagine many Americans reassure themselves that this country's largely private system of health insurance would never be so dismissive of a parent's right to make decisions about a child's health care. Or deny a parent the right to take a child home to die.

But this medical drama, no matter anyone's opinion, foreshadows the difficult decisions to come if America converts its medical insurance system into a single-payer model. (Note that "single-payer" is a euphemism for government-controlled health spending and care.)

The prospect of single-payer here isn't far-fetched: Medicare and Medicaid already account for about 38 percent of U.S. health care spending. Democratic politicians have floated the notion of lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 55, or of a broader Medicare-for-all. Before Obamacare became law in 2010, there also was talk of a so-called public option  a government-run plan  to compete with private plans on market exchanges. That was widely seen as a Trojan horse for single-payer.

Now that Obamacare is faltering, talk of a single-payer national plan has surfaced anew in Democratic circles, notably California. In June, the Democrat-controlled state Senate passed a preliminary plan that would have covered all California residents, with no out-of-pocket costs, for an estimated $400 billion annually. That proposal evidently has died. For now.

On a national scale, single-payer would more than triple government health care spending, by $32 trillion over a decade, the Urban Institute estimates.

Single-payer advocates say such a system would be more cost-efficient. To the extent that's true, it's partly because single-payer systems often deny expensive, experimental treatments and drugs, forcing patients to pay out of pocket. Or patients endure long waits for common surgeries. Or patients can't get those pricey, modern treatments.

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Many citizens of Canada, the U.K. and some other single-payer countries reluctantly have grown accustomed to such limits. But imagine the political backlash if American lawmakers imposed them here. Bottom line: Single-payer is no panacea. Free treatment isn't free. Somebody  everybody  pays. To which proponents of single-payer would retort: Private insurers aren't models of generosity: Sometimes they pay for costly new treatments, sometimes they don't.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates probably never thought they'd be in this predicament, arguing with the British government about whether they could take a child home to die. Nor could anyone predict that a critically ill infant far from U.S. shores would provide one more reason for Americans to remain wary of a single-payer system.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

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Members of the Illinois House, the decision falls to you. Will you override Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of a permanent, 32-percent increase in the personal income tax? Or will you instead insist, first let's agree on the reforms that many of us promised voters would have to be part of any tax deal?

We ask because if you vote this tax increase into law and then have to admit to your constituents that accompanying "reform" bills are really just diluted eyewash, you'll look like chumps for Speaker Michael Madigan.

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At this writing, an override looks like a terrible risk for you. We say this not because we're reflexively opposed to tax increases  we aren't. We say it because Illinois citizens need offsetting fixes from Springfield. Otherwise you'll own the same old state government and weak Illinois economy, but at a price you've just raised by 32 percent.

For years we and other voices have backed a sensible trade-off that, we'd wager, millions of Illinoisans would accept: a tax increase, maybe, but only in return for major reforms that will streamline state government and grow more jobs  that is, more taxpayers  in this state's much-taxed, much-exploited private sector.

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Well, House members, you're at the precipice of approving a huge tax increase. The governor who said he wouldn't sign it without significant reforms has kept his word; he vetoed the budget package you and your Senate colleagues approved. The senators overrode his veto Tuesday. Those of you who've told voters "no tax hikes without reforms"  or promised that in candidate questionnaires you signed  will you keep your word as faithfully as this governor has? That is:

Can you assure your constituents you've delivered solutions to the problems that cripple Illinois and its economy, that alienate employers, and that drive our young people by the tens of thousands to other states?

Have you delivered a no-gimmicks property tax freeze to even slightly offset the extra $5 billion or so that you'll take out of taxpayers' pockets?

What about pension reforms? Have you tamed the beast that eats a quarter of the state's operating budget and crowds out so many priorities? Maybe you arranged for new hires to go into something other than a defined-benefit pension system?

Did you deliver consolidation of those 7,000 local governments? Surely you grabbed that low-hanging way to reduce citizens' tax burdens, right?

The workers' compensation system that herds employers and jobs out of Illinois  can you say you've solved that problem or just nibbled at it?

You passed term limits? Killed pensions for new lawmakers and other part-timers? Something? Anything?

We ask, House members, because there's a nasty trick we've seen before: Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton  with their combined 86 years in Springfield  like to address these kinds of issues with bills that do Not Much, and then declare themselves problem-solvers. Voters then look around and say, But we're still in a world of hurt.

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So don't fall for promises of great reforms tomorrow in return for your tax vote today. Yes, we know the potential perils of junk bond status. But we also know that without reforms, this increase will further damage Illinois and push even more people to other states.

Ask yourselves, House members: Would this tax increase create jobs here? Grow Illinois' economy? Stop our young people from taking their careers to Texas, Florida, Colorado, California ...

Some of you voted for another tax increase on the notorious night of 1/11/11. Remember all those promises from Democratic leaders? Remember how they designed it to be temporary? Remember how they later tried to blame Rauner for, um, letting their temporary tax hike expire? That increase took $31 billion from taxpayers and hurt Illinois' job climate. The legislators who supported the hike of 1/11/11 had to own that vote.

So, House members, if you've delivered solutions  on property taxes, on pensions, on work comp, on government bloat in Illinois  then maybe you should vote to override Rauner's veto.

Because if you can boast of real reforms, you'll have an answer when all those taxpaying constituents look you in the eye and ask: "A 32-percent price increase  for what?"

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

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In a recent column, Kristen McQueary listed a few instances where controversial decisions by Illinois' elected officials have directly shaped the fiscal despair of state and city governments.

However, she did not fully explain one example.

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Concerning public pensions for teachers and government employees, she noted that officials "watched as liabilities in their own employee pension funds rose, even as the statutorily required payments were made."

While this statement is factually correct, the public should not think that paying "the statutorily required payments" means that government officials pay 100 percent of what they should pay to fully fund their public pension systems.

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For decades, state and local governments have relied on "Illinois math," not "actuarial math," to calculate the amount of money they need each year for public employee pension funds. Illinois math is set in state statute and is designed purposely to shortchange the pension systems so money can be directed to other budget priorities.

As required, Teachers' Retirement System used Illinois math to calculate the state's contribution for fiscal year 2018 and came up with $4.56 billion. Using actuarial math, TRS also calculated that the state's "full funding" contribution should be $6.88 billion.

This legal sleight-of-hand has been going on for 78 years  and counting. The deliberate and chronic underfunding of TRS since 1939 is the major reason the system carries an unfunded liability of $71 billion  one of the largest debts of its kind in the country.

That consistent underfunding is also the reason that 80 percent of this year's $4.56 billion contribution to TRS, or $3.7 billion, constitutes a payment on the unfunded liability. That eclipses the actual cost of teacher pensions for the year: $923 million.

 Dick Ingram, executive director, Teachers' Retirement System

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You've seen them lining Michigan Avenue. Clipboards in hand, occasionally donning neon-colored vests, fanny packs across their waists: Greenpeace canvassers.

They might not be the people you most want to talk to as you're attempting to get to work on time or avoid the masses of tourists in your way, but if environmental concerns have you up at night, this might be the cause for you.

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Founded in 1971, Greenpeace started as an organization to protest against nuclear testing off of the coast of Alaska by placing themselves directly in harm's way. Don't worrythe Greenpeace of today won't ask you to go to blows with bombs.

"Our organization focuses mostly on the environment and justicewe want to ensure a green and peaceful world for everybody," said Greenpeace media officer Jason Schwartz.

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Though Greenpeace today is still known for its over-the-top efforts to draw attention to various causessuch as the "RESIST" banner behind the White House in the midst of President Donald Trump's inaugurationthere are opportunities for everybody. At its core, Greenpeace's mission is to lead organizing efforts and peaceful protests to garner attention for various global environmental issues.

These efforts take shape in Chicago in the form of weekly meetings, canvassing campaigns, staffing informational tables at community events and attending various marches across the country. Volunteers are also encouraged to organize phone banks to contact elected representatives or even coordinate trips to visit representatives at their offices.

"(Our volunteers) have the opportunity to organize their own political action and create their own campaigns," Schwartz said. "We let our volunteers do their own work and create their own actions, and we do our best to empower them."

This summer, Greenpeace is organizing a "Summer of Resistance" campaign, providing educational materials and training to help volunteers understand their rights, practice de-escalating conflict in tense situations and learning about creating peaceful campaigns for environmental protections and green solutions. If you're not feeling all that radical, don't fret. Chicago is also home to a Frontline chapterhence, the volunteers lining Michigan Avenue. These volunteers are the face of Greenpeace and work to engage the public and inspire others to join the organization.

"We have a core staff, but our large network of volunteers are critical to our work," Schwartz said. "We recognize that we're not going to transform these issues and the political context in this country through just our small staff."

For more information on how to get involved, visit greenpeace.org.

@shelbielbostedt | sbostedt@redeyechicago.com
First things first: Don't confuse Laura Harrier for Zendaya.

"We look nothing alike. People just can't wrap their heads around two young black women in a major production," Harrier said of their upcoming appearances in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

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The similarities in their characters start and stop at their identities as young women of color: Harrier plays academic decathlon captain Liz while Zendaya stars as sarcastic loner Michelle. Both are friends (and, in Harrier's case, more) to Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

Confusing the two, orworse yetpitting them against each other or former iterations of Peter's love interests, is a problem Harrier sees within the broader universe of superhero films.

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"I get asked how Liz is different from M.J. all the time," Harrier said. "It automatically assumes that women are just in these films to fill a certain role and to be the same person and have the same amount of power and agency, but they're completely different people."

The problem, in part, comes from this production coming so quickly on the heels of 2002's "Spider-Man" trilogy and 2012's short-lived "The Amazing Spider-Man" reboot. After a long-winded battle over the rights to the character, Disney's Marvel Studios brought the boy wonder home with an appearance in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War."

"This really is his homecoming," Harrier said. "This is different from anything fans have seen, and he's finally back where he belongs alongside Iron Man and these other incredible characters."

Harrier hasn't been lucky enough to work with IRL Iron Man, Robert Downey, Jr. yet, but "Homecoming" put her alongside big names like Michael Keaton and Marisa Tomei, a first for the 26-year-old.

"It was a little scary," Harrier said. "When you meet people on this level, they're obviously incredibly talented but also professional and nice. That's how they rise to that level."

Working on a super production like "Homecoming" was a new experience for Harrier, who began her career as a model by chance. After returning home from Evanston Township High School one day, a photographer working in her family's house suggested Harrier call an agent.

From there, Harrier worked on smaller productions like Steve McQueen's "Codes of Conduct," an unsuccessful reboot of "One Life to Live" and a small role in "The Last Five Years."

When she received an email about a possible "Spider-Man" audition, she initially dismissed it.

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"I thought like, 'Oh, cool, "Spider-Man." That's obviously not going to happen,'" Harrier said. Despite doubting her odds, Harrier went to the audition. And then another one. And then, finally, she met Holland for a screen test  before waiting six weeks to hear back.

"I had to put everything on hold," Harrier said. "I started ceramics. I was like, 'I need a hobby, I need to do something.'"

Long before Harrier and Zendaya were cast in the film, even before Tom Holland was announced in the titular role for his appearance in "Civil War," the internet ran amuck with whispers of finally seeing a Spider-Man of colorwith the introduction of Miles Morales as a Peter protege in the comicson screen. The casting of Holland dashed those dreams.

Tom Holland stars as Spider-Man in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." (Chuck Zlotnick)

It's easy to interpret the casting of Zendaya and Harrier as a placating measure on Marvel's part, but Harrier sees it differently.

"I think this is something that should've been happening for a long time," Harrier said. "(The studio) was finally smart enough to see beyond these traditional portrayals  and finding the real people in these characters as opposed to saying they need to look like this because, you know, Liz in the comics in 1962 was white and blond."

The color of her skin is not the only way in which Harrier's Liz differs from the old-school comic versions of the character. Liz in the comics is initially a stereotypical cheerleading "mean girl." Harrier's version is quite different: Liz leads Peter and his friends on the academic decathlon team, offering an older, wiser and, above all, much friendlier version of the character.

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"We definitely lifted some influences from the comics, but this was not at all a direct interpretation of the character," Harrier said. "It was a bit easier that she hasn't been portrayed much, or at all, in film because I could create her and make her my own instead of trying to look at something that's been done before."

Instead of looking to other superhero films under the Marvel umbrella, Harrier and director Jon Watts turned to the 1980s, namely "Pretty in Pink" and "The Breakfast Club," to create the "classic Americana high school feel."

The influence of these quintessential high school films is tangible in the film. "Homecoming" is removed from the ever-growing collection of Marvel filmsPeter deals with the trials and tribulations of high school with the added stakes of also trying to prove himself to Tony Stark by thwarting the efforts of Keaton's Vulture.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

"It really just felt like we were making the biggest indie movie ever," Harrier said. "We became this little family. I became really good friends with Tom and Jacob (Batalon, who plays Peter's best friend, Ned) and Zendaya."

Within her friendship with Zendaya is, of course, the running joke that they're consistently confused for one another.

"I think that really speaks more to the lack of substantive roles for women of color in film," Harrier said. "It's really the responsibility of filmmakers in the studios to have more women in movies like this and for there to be more than one of us and when there is more than one of us, making sure we're not just talking about a man or fighting over a man."

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The desire to refrain from pigeonholing the two female characters as simply eye candy or love interests for Peter is apparent in the filmcontinuing the trend of powerful representations of women in the superhero genre leading up to and in the wake of the success of DC's "Wonder Woman."

"I think ('Wonder Woman's') success has shown that not only women can like movies with 'strong female characters,'" Harrier said. "This doesn't need to be just a male-dominated genre. That's what made playing Liz really cool, I think. She isn't just a damsel in distress. She has her own storyline and goals and ambitions and so much more going on than just looking pretty."

You can see Harrier's Liz in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in theaters July 7.

@shelbielbostedt | sbostedt@redeyechicago.com
So tell me, did you really ever think it would get this bad?

I mean like ready-to-storm-Springfield-with-pitchforks bad?

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I'm not advocating violence, by any means. I just think the visual of an angry mob carrying a plebeian  albeit pointed  tool conjures up the medieval image that seems befitting the Grimms' fairy tale in which we here in Illinois are immersed.

Chapter 11: "The Clash of the Titans Continues"

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As other parts of the country move forward  think jobs, business, real estate and population, for starters  we in Illinois are stuck in what seems like an ancient tale of tragedy, where the commoner toils from sun up to sun down, eking out survival while the rulers sit in their warm castles and plot strategies on how to slay the enemy in order to hang on to their riches and power.

Let's face it, plenty have tried the modern approach to protest. Instead of wielding pitchforks, we carry signs and write op-eds and letters to the editor and email or Facebook our state leaders about the way they are pillaging the land and squandering our present and our future.

But those tactics seem to have made no impact on this sorry state of dysfunction also known as Illinois.

And now, entering our third year without a budget and at the doorstep of junk-bond status, this epic Battle of the Titans continues, with Mike Madigan and his Democratic-controlled Springfield passing an 11th-hour budget that will raise our already outrageous taxes even more and one that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed because it doesn't do enough to tackle the reform needed to get this place back on track.

So I ask again, did you really ever think it would get this bad? Did you really ever think you could be any more frustrated, embarrassed and downright angry?

Long before this latest round of headlines, out-of-state friends and family loved to gloat about the fact they lived anywhere but Illinois. They relished throwing their tax bills in our faces, not to mention their construction starts and new business stats  and their favorite bar graph, the one comparing the number of folks moving into this once proud Land of Lincoln to the ones U-hauling it out of here  to their state, of course.

In the past we could at least retort with the the Hawks and the Cubs. But even the sweet smell of a World Series title is not enough to disguise the political stench that has turned us into a state to be pitied rather than applauded.

And even with this long-awaited new budget lingering just over the holiday horizon, does that really mean things will get much better?

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One interview I'll never forget was when I visited Fox Valley Older Adult Services in Sandwich in August of 2015  that's almost two years ago  to talk about the impact the budget stalemate would have on its programs that help our most vulnerable seniors. And I'll never forget the comment from its board president at the time who, despite the doom and gloom that prevailed as Madigan and Rauner began their epic clash, predicted it would get a lot worse because of the two strong personalities involved that had both dug in their heels and did not like to back down.

I have little doubt that, when you gathered with friends and family over the Fourth of July, a huge chunk of conversation centered around Springfield and the proposed budget that will raise our taxes 32 percent but hardly guarantees a happy ending. Some of those discussions, I would venture to say, veered into rants from those who feel trapped in this dysfunction because their jobs, homes and/or family prevents them from leaving the mess behind.

It's feeling powerless at the feet of the powerful that turns our frustrations to downright anger.

I caught up with Cynthia Worsley, executive director of Fox Valley Older Adult Services, as the drama was unfolding in Springfield early in the week and was not surprised to hear both emotions in her voice. The only reason their doors are even still open, she said, was because half the clients are on Medicaid, which the state has been forced to pay through a court-ordered mandate.

Illinois still owes this Sandwich-based group over $600,000 from this year, she told me. Staff are not getting replaced and caregivers, who've not seen raises in years, are making only $8.75 an hour. Until something gets resolved, she even told her staff to watch their emails daily "to see if you still have a job."

Recently, with signs pointing to a budget getting passed once the House was back from the holidays to override the governor's veto, Worsley was not exactly breaking out the champagne.

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"I'm not quite even cautiously optimistic," Worsley said, noting that, even if a budget is passed, until real reform is made and the state can get back on even footing, organizations that care for our most vulnerable will continue to be at risk.

This spring, she said, when she had to write a letter to the comptroller's office begging for some of the money "that we had already earned," Worsley found in her files a letter written to the very same person asking for the very same thing.

"And that letter was sent in 2009," she said.

Which tells me as much as we'd like to take up pitchforks and march on Springfield, it would be best to carry shovels instead.

That's because it's going to take a lot more work and sacrifice on everyone's part before Illinois digs itself out of this hole.

DCrosby@tribpub.com

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The historic, one-lane covered bridge in Long Grove is one step closer to earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. (John Handley/Chicago Tribune )

The historic, one-lane covered bridge in Long Grove is one step closer to earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation that could preserve the bridge from demolition.

During a meeting June 30, an advisory council that is a part of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency voted 14-0 to recommend the bridge, which dates back to the early 1900s, be included on the national register and granted federal landmark status.

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The statewide historical agency now is expected to act on the recommendation within a "couple of weeks," said Andrew Heckenkamp, survey and national register coordinator for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Once the agency does, officials formally will nominate the bridge to the National Park Service, which will review the application and then decide whether it should be placed on the national register, Heckenkamp said. A decision from the National Park Service is expected later this summer, he said.

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Even if the National Park Service were to deny the nomination, the advisory council's unanimous vote still is significant since a lengthier permitting process now is required if anyone wanted to use state or federal funds to make changes to the bridge, Heckenkamp said.

"It is already treated as if it is a historic property," he said.

The council's recommendation comes after months of debate in Long Grove on whether the aging bridge, which some residents say symbolizes the quaint nature of Long Grove, should be demolished and replaced with a wider, two-lane span.

For nearly the past two years, village trustees have discussed, debated and studied whether they should use federal money to help tear down the old bridge and build the two-lane replacement, or use a larger amount of village funds to maintain the covered one.

The debate intensified earlier this year when members of the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association and local residents launched an online petition, called "Save the Bridge," to drum up support for the preservation of the covered bridge.

The association then followed up the petition by sending a preliminary application to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, putting into motion the process to include the bridge on the National Register of Historic Places and setting the stage for the advisory council's vote on June 30.

Even before the vote, Long Grove officials learned that they couldn't use federal money to demolish the covered bridge with an application to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency in circulation. During a board meeting in February, village officials said they received a memo from the Illinois Department of Transportation explaining the prohibition.

"We feel wonderful," Ryan Messner, executive director of the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association, said after the advisory council's vote. "We feel like we've preserved something for Long Grove that can be enjoyed into the future."

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In between the different developments related to the one-lane bridge, the statewide nonprofit Landmarks Illinois also included the bridge earlier this spring on its 2017 list of the "Most Endangered Historic Places" in Illinois.

After all the activity, Long Grove officials now are looking at ways to preserve the bridge, which carries Robert Parker Coffin Road over Buffalo Creek, said Village President Bill Jacob.

"It's not a bad thing," Jacob said of the effort to place the bridge on the national register. "It's a good thing."

Before the year started, some village officials were wanting to see the bridge be replaced, citing recent reports from inspectors with the Illinois Department of Transportation who have called the bridge design obsolete.

They have said the bridge needs significant work to be able to safely transport cars and trucks into the future. Firefighters with the Long Grove Fire Protection District also have noted how their trucks can no longer cross the bridge, leading to longer response times to incidents on the western side of Robert Parker Coffin Road.

But since then, Messner has told village officials that the business association is working to raise funds to help cover the work needed to restore the bridge.

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During a board meeting June 27, he told trustees his group plans to make $150,000 available for improvements, which so far have been estimated to cost around $850,000 total. Proceeds from the association's Strawberry Fest in June generated $15,000 in bridge donations, Messner noted.

Jacob also said during the meeting that board members seem to be "kind of headed down the path of supporting the bridge."

But trustee Chuck Nora cautioned that village officials will need more outside help to fund a restoration project.

"We can't spend like drunken sailors," he said.

Inspectors with the state transportation agency also are expected to examine the condition of the bridge in 2017, officials said. The analysis could help determine how much money the village and other interested parties will need to generate for a restoration project, officials said.

But if larger donations do start to come in, trustee Chris Borawski said he personally would make his approval known.

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"I'm going to reach across the table and kiss some of them," he said jokingly.

RWachter@PioneerLocal.com

Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer
So, liberals want to tell a person how they're lives should be run and conservatives are the opposite? What about those old and now young conservatives still thinking they can tell a women what she can and cannot do with her body. Conservatives do some of the most vulgar acts then beg forgiveness, all while preaching family values. Give me a break.

Calumet Park

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While Donna Vickroy's June 29 column regarding the beverage tax was entertaining and cute, it missed the whole point of the discussion. Toni Preckwinkle has lied from the beginning about the beverage tax. If it were a health issue, sugar free and low-calorie drinks would have been excluded from the tax. So, let's call it what it is, a revenue enhancement for the county. As Ms. Vickroy pointed out, she and many others live in close enough proximity to one of the collar counties to avoid paying the tax. But those people won't limit their shopping to just beverages. As long as they made the trip, they'll get their weekly groceries as well. Stores in Cook County, especially near the borders will lose revenue as will the municipalities that participate in the regular sales tax collected. Now who will be paying the tax? People who don't have access to transportation to the collar counties or for whom it would not be economically beneficial. Basically, anyone within the borders of Chicago would not benefit from the trip. It's another regressive tax on the people who can least afford it by the Cook County/Chicago Democratic Party. I'm headed over to Will County for my pop and groceries.

Al, Tinley Park

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All one needs to do is look at the direction the country, many states and cities have have gone. If you agree with this backward movement then by all means continue voting for politicians. If you don't like what you are seeing then maybe it's time to elect businessmen.

J.K.

Just got through watching the movie, "Independence Day." I was thinking if this really happened, CNN would have 12 analysts on stage discussing the pros and cons of an alien attack. And on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow would say if the aliens are hostile, they are Republican backed, if peaceful, they are backed by good liberal Democrats.

Oak Forest

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Pueblo police: Security footage helped ID attempted murder suspect

Police say they ID'd the suspect after he was spotted at a hospital wearing the same clothes as a shooting suspect caught on a security camera
Op-Ed by Chet Scheltema

In Part 1, we detailed lawful ground for termination, and pressures in the Chinese labor dispute system to settle disputes by compromise.

As China undergoes economic transformation and shifts from an investment and manufacturing-led economy to a more consumption-based economy, labor restructuring and displacement will be a habitual occurrence of the new normal.

Foreign employers now need to become ever more skilled in navigating the Chinese labor law landscape. It is critical to find, and retain, experienced Chinese labor law practitioners to help your business prepare, and then respond to disputes that will likely arise.

Aggressive, bad faith negotiating styles

Courts in the US or EU typically make their records and decisions publicly available. There are reasons for doing so: one is that it is believed that publicizing punishable behavior serves as a deterrent. In China, lawyers will find substantially fewer public cases available, and one reason is because mediated compromise is favored, and issuing formal decisions is less common in such cases.

Because each party, typically, does not expect that a case will be carried to a formal judgement, with a clear winner and loser, and does not expect a public record of the dispute, in such a private context there may be increased potential for aggressive or bad faith behavior in negotiations.

In this situation, parties may have less incentive to negotiate in good faith, and they may believe there is more to gain from aggressive negotiating. But what are examples of aggressive behavior to enhance ones negotiation position?

RELATED: Avoiding Labor Disputes in China: The Importance of the Staff Handbook

Threats to disclose alleged non-compliance

While all employers are familiar with cases where employees threaten legal action after termination, such threats in China may also be accompanied by a threat to disclose potentially illegal or incompliant activities of company. In other words, the disgruntled employee threatens direct legal action in arbitration, and threatens to report alleged non-compliance to authorities with the hope of instilling fear in its negotiating counterparts of a regulatory investigation.

Disgruntled employees may consider this tactic a good bet for shaking up the companys negotiating team. This can position the employee nicely for a quick and lucrative settlement, which, of course, buys the employees cooperation and silence.

How seriously to take such a threat is for each company to determine. Most employees would presumably only be using the threat as a negotiating chip, not because they want to ensnare the company in official trouble, which could become counterproductive.

Steal the chops

Foreign employers may be less familiar with another tactic peculiar to China (and some other Asian countries): stealing the companys chops as leverage in negotiations. It is a brazen and disruptive tactic typically available only to senior managers, who are normally the only staff who have access to the chops and the gumption to seize them for leverage, especially at a businesses with weak internal control systems.

Because the chops are needed for routine business on a daily basis, their loss can bring company operations to a halt and send the labor negotiators to their knees.

The resulting settlement normally entails the employee returning the chops in return for a severance from the employer. Businesspeople in China are unlikely not to have heard of unfortunate situations where money was handed across a table to a former employee in return for chops.

Along with the chops, key corporate documents, financial records, computers, passwords, or keys may also be vulnerable to seizure as leverage. And, yes, any such seizure of the corporate chops and records by a disgruntled employee is supposed to be illegal. For our purposes, the more salient concern is to note that there are few stories of employees being held accountable for this illegal brinkmanship. Instead, it can enhance their negotiating position and yield more substantial severance payments.

In some cases where law enforcement is consulted, the police may take a report, but may be reluctant to become involved, sometimes dismissing it as a commercial dispute. Consequently, the tactic of seizing the chops and/or other key assets as leverage seems to continue unabated.

Preparing for labor disputes

On a very practical note, employers should send all internal rules and regulations, such as the employee handbook, to the employees, including senior managers, during onboarding for his or her acknowledgement. Employers should document this process, obtain signed records from employees, and retain the records for later reference, according to evidentiary standards. Maintaining these records will allow a company to present a strong case to a mediator or arbitrator and improving their position in the dispute.

Likewise, firms should create systems of internal controls that clearly document the review and approval of decisions by relevant managers. Again, employers should draft these in accordance with evidentiary standards, as advised by labor dispute experts. Employers should apply this to senior management, in addition to less senior managers, often an all-too-overlooked gap in internal controls in China. Employers should not overlook the importance of such diligence.

Because senior managers present the greatest risk of substantial loss, employers should implement communication retention systems that extend from the least to the most senior managers. Such systems should allow for searching and documentation  including for information on sender, recipient(s), as well as any file transfers  according to evidentiary standards as advised by labor arbitration experts. There are often important records that document the misbehavior of senior managers; however, if these records cannot be accessed and presented to mediators or arbitrators, then the companys negotiating position is substantially weakened.

RELATED: Payroll and Human Resource Services

Pre-empt disputes when possible

This is often a sensitive matter and difficult to implement in practice. Many employers find it difficult to reproach senior Chinese managers for failing to abide by internal controls to-the-letter, particularly if the organization does not have a strong compliance culture. Highly experienced and skilled Chinese managers may take offense at the application of such standards to both senior and junior employees.

But once employers sense a dispute is brewing, they should take pre-emptive action to document activity in a way consistent with evidentiary standards. Again, this is often very sensitive: if managers realize their communications and actions are being documented, they can become defensive the situation may deteriorate.

As discussed above, it is not uncommon for employees to sense a dispute brewing and to take their own preemptive actions. If the employee has access, they may attempt to obtain sensitive corporate documents or company chops as leverage for labor dispute negotiations.

Employers that have strong internal controls and HR administration, however, can mitigate the potential for labor disputes, and the aggressive behavior that is sometimes associated with their settlement.



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An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2017

This Dezan Shira & Associates 2017 China guide provides a comprehensive background and details of all aspects of setting up and operating an American business in China, including due diligence and compliance issues, IP protection, corporate establishment options, calculating tax liabilities, as well as discussing on-going operational issues such as managing bookkeeping, accounts, banking, HR, Payroll, annual license renewals, audit, FCPA compliance and consolidation with US standards and Head Office reporting.

Payroll Processing in China: Challenges and Solutions

In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we lay out the challenges presented by Chinas payroll landscape, including its peculiar Dang An and Hu Kou systems. We then explore how companies of all sizes are leveraging IT-enabled solutions to meet their HR and payroll needs, and why outsourcing payroll is the answer for certain company structures. Finally, we consider the potential for China to emerge as Asias premier payroll processing center.

Dezan Shira & Associates
The seven rings that needed to be cut free by firefighters. [Photo/Shanghai Daily]

A woman in her 70s who wears nine rings found she couldn't remove them from her fingers and firefighters were needed to end the pain she was suffering.

One of the rings had cut into the flesh, Huangpu District's fire department said yesterday.

Last Friday, two fire brigades received reports from Shanghai General Hospital that the woman was in pain. The hospital had already managed to take off two of the rings, but couldn't remove the other seven.

Like many elderly people, the woman whose name wasn't disclosed, had worn ill-fitting rings for a long time, causing her fingers to become swollen. She ignored the problem until one of the rings tore into her finger, bringing with it "unbearable pain."

To avoid hurting her, the firefighters first removed the easiest-to-get-at rings, and then used a special set of tools to take off another three.

Removing the six rings took firefighters two hours.

But that still left one ring  the one that had bitten into the flesh.

The firefighters worked with doctors to finally finish the job.

The "lady of rings," as her helpers called her, is said to have called on Hongkou's fire brigade to help to remove rings on three other occasions, but every time she had later put the rings back on.
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The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an open meeting on the missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a diplomat said Tuesday.

The meeting, at the request of the U.S. mission to the UN, will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, said the diplomat, on condition of anonymity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tuesday strongly condemned the latest launch of a ballistic missile of intercontinental range conducted by the DPRK earlier in the day.

The UN chief called on the DPRK leadership to cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.

The DPRK declared on Tuesday it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.
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A girl stops in exhaustion while fleeing through an alley, as Iraqi Special Forces continue their advance against Islamic State militants, in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, Sunday, July 2, 2017. [Photo/China Plus]

An Iraqi army commander says the country will declare full liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) within two days.

Major General Najim al-Jubouri, commander of Nineveh province's Operations Command, said the maximum deadline will be on Thursday.

After that, the troops will head to Tal Afar, 70 kilometers west of Mosul.

On Tuesday, Iraqi lawmakers also expressed solidarity with security forces in their fight to drive IS out of Mosul.

Parliament speaker Saleem al-Jubouri expressed gratitude to those security forces.

"These days are great days for all Iraqis and the world at large because terrorism is defeated together with its state of falsehood. The Iraqis were united and determined in defeating terrorism and driving IS out of their land. I would like to thank all our security forces for their sacrifices, liberating the land and drawing Iraq's new future."

Large parts of Nineveh including its capital Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, have been under IS control since June 2014.

The operation to retake Mosul was launched last October.
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Brendt Christensen (middle) , the 28-year-old Illinois man charged with kidnapping Zhang Yingying, and the two images sketched by Lin Yuhui. [Photo/People's Daily Online]

FBI agents were amazed by a Chinese police officer who created the sketch of the man accused of kidnapping a Chinese scholar based on only grainy surveillance video clip, according to People's Daily Online.

Lin Yuhui, a police sketch artist from East China's Shandong province, said he was closely following the case of missing Zhang Yingying, a visiting scholar at the University of illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was recommended to the US police to help with the investigation.

On June 17, Lin and three top Chinese video analysts received the video clip from US police.

They spent two days analyzing the video frame by frame as it was of low definition and was shot far away from where Zhang got into the suspect's car.

"This was not merely sketching. First you need to extract useful information from the video," Lin said.

Judging from the grainy profile in the clip, Lin thought the suspect was sturdy and of medium shape. He also managed to create general outline of the suspect's face.

Lin drew two images based on the limited information, which were then handed to US police through China's consulate-general in Chicago. Lin was told that the FBI agents were amazed by how he was able to sketch from such a grainy footage.

Lin is famous in China for his ability to spot clues and produce accurate sketches of suspects either from blurred photos or surveillance footages. His skills have solved many major cases.

Lin has sketched about 70,000 faces in his career, mainly people he has observed in public places such as railway stations. He also uses facial features that remain relatively unchanged over time to create portraits of missing children.

The FBI arrested the suspect, Brendt Christensen, a 28-year-old Illinois man on June 30, 21 days after Zhang went missing. However, the victim has not been found and is believed by authorities to be dead.
China.org.cn Editor-in-chief Wang Xiaohui and TASS Director-general Sergey Mihaylov sign a cooperative agreement at the Third China-Russia Media Forum in Moscow on July 4, 2017. [Photo/China.org.cn]

China.org.cn, a news website offering news and information services in 10 languages, signed a cooperative deal with Russian news agency TASS in Moscow on Tuesday.

The agreement was signed by China.org.cn Editor-in-chief Wang Xiaohui and TASS Director-general Sergey Mihaylov at the Third China-Russia Media Forum held during Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to Russia.

The two sides have agreed to cooperate in the fields of reporting, new media convergence and staff exchange, in a bid to deepen mutual understanding and boost people-to-people exchange between the two nations.

The years 2016 and 2017 have been tapped as the China-Russia Media Exchange Year, designed to create new opportunities and impetus for media cooperation between the two countries. Much headway has been made since then regarding media cooperation and cultural exchange.
Silk Way West Airlines, a growing cargo operator based in Azerbaijan, and Alaska Airlines on Thursday signed contracts with Boeing for two freighters apiece  but that is where the similarities ended. Silk Way West said it will take two 777-8s, the largest plane available from Boeing (NYSE: BA) and one so modern it isnt []
President Xi Jinping's ongoing state visit to Germany, which coincides with the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Germany, is expected to not only lift bilateral ties to a new level, but also help revive the trend of globalization and trade liberalization.

With the world facing growing uncertainties, the cooperation between China and Germany has assumed global significance, as greater interaction between the two countries will give a shot in the arm not only to China's relationship with Europe as a whole, but also the global economy.

Over the years, China and Germany have set up more than 70 dialogue and cooperation mechanisms covering a wide range of fields, and, thanks to their joint efforts, their practical cooperation is now "robust", as Xi noted on his arrival, and it plays an exemplary role in boosting Europe's cooperation with China.

Prior to his arrival in Berlin, Xi paid a state visit to Russia, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. One eye-catching similarity in China's interaction with Russia and Germany in recent years has been the frequency of the high-level contacts and exchanges, which have helped boost trust and cooperation.

And thanks to this, China's relationships with Germany and Russia are in very good shape. Given that Xi is also scheduled to attend the upcoming G20 Summit in Hamburg on Friday and Saturday, his meetings with the leaders of Russia and Germany have provided a good opportunity for China to better coordinate its stance with the two important G20 members, paving the way for the summit to achieve people's hope for positive outcomes and the injection of fresh impetus into global growth.

As Xi rightfully pointed out at the 2017 World Economic Forum at Davos earlier this year, economic globalization is a double-edged sword. But despite globalization encountering difficulties, countries around the world should work together to counter protectionism and seize every opportunity to promote growth through innovation and structural reforms.

The G20, as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, can forge a shared will to achieve these aims by following through on the consensus achieved last September at the G20 Hangzhou Summit, when participants agreed to make significant contributions to promoting strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive global growth.

In this respect, China and Germany, as the previous and current G20 chair, shoulder the important responsibility of ensuring the Hamburg summit delivers on the vision and spirit of partnership it displayed then.
By Zhong Nan and Ren Xiaojin in Beijing and Liu Mingtai in Changchun | China Daily | Updated: 2017-07-05 07:15

Prototype can switch energy sources between grid and backup

A new energy train powered by both a battery pack and power grid is having its trial run in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, its manufacturer CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co announced on Tuesday.

The train is the first prototype that can switch its power source freely between the power grid and batteries and has a maximum speed of 160 km/h. It can run for 200 kilometers when the power grid is cut off, and it is able to operate under extreme weather and geographical conditions, including sandy and frozen environments.

Wang Chengtao, deputy chief engineer of CRRC Changchun, a subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock Corp, said the core technologies are in the train's battery system and it can be used on both high-speed train tracks and light railway tracks in future integrated railroads.

Eager to compete with its rivals in Japan, the company has gained the knowhow for modular system integration, power battery packs and simulation analysis systems.

"As the train can run solely powered by its battery packs, it will eliminate damage to the local environment caused by the construction of a power grid, leaving the environment and landscape largely intact," said Wang.

The new train, designed both for inter-city and inner-city use, can also travel through ecologically fragile areas, tourist spots and farmland, as well as developing countries that lack power infrastructure, in particular developing countries and regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Developing countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, as well as developed countries such as the United States and those in Europe all have similar demand to either enhance regional connectivity or further reduce carbon emissions," said Feng Hao, a railway development researcher at the National Development and Reform Commission.

The trial runs of the train will give China more credibility in setting the international standard for new energy high-speed trains, Feng said.

The train will also produce less noise than regular trains as new soundproof materials are used in the carriages. To provide a better travel experience, the train is also fully covered by Wi-Fi, according to CRRC Changchun.

"As China is proficient in manufacturing high-speed trains and providing maintenance services in a relatively low-price way in global markets, CRRC has been keen to make breakthroughs in its entire production line from 400 km/h bullet trains, magnetic trains and piggyback wagons to semiconductors, deep-sea equipment and renewable energy buses," said Feng.

CRRC signed a total of 25.79 billion yuan ($3.79 billion) in contracts between April and June this year, including high-speed train orders from China Railway Corp and passenger trains deals with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority. It also launched a sleeping berth bullet train service from Beijing to Shanghai on July 1.
A shopper pays her bill by scanning a QR code at BingoBox in Shanghai. [Photo by Ji Haixin/For China Daily]

BingoBox, Hema Xiansheng try new models to entice clients

Artificial intelligence is alive and well, and poised to move into your 24-hour convenience store.

New kid on the block BingoBox opened its first checkout-free outlet in Shanghai last month and now plans to launch thousands of stores in the next two years.

Although that might look rather ambitious, the Chinese startup has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Already it has received 100 million yuan ($14 million) in a series A investment round, spearheaded by venture capital firm GGV Capital, as well as signing a strategic partnership agreement with French retail giant Groupe Auchan SA to strengthen its supply chain.

But it's the technology that has made the difference.

"We have built a team of artificial intelligence experts to research and develop technologies including product recognition and sorting algorithms," Chen Zilin, founder and chief executive officer at Bingobox, told online business website China Money Network.

"This technology has successfully recognized more than 200 types of products," he added. "We are planning to launch AI solutions for retail enterprises starting in August."

Chen appears to be on a winner. He rolled out the company's first 24-hour unattended convenience store in northern Shanghai's Yangpu district last month.

Similar to the Amazon Go's experimental outlet, there is no checkout or cashier.

Instead, BingoBox provides more than 500 products, including snacks, drinks and even fruit.

For shoppers, the process is easy. First, they scan a QR code, via their smartphone, to open the store door.

After that, they pick up their snacks and drinks before scanning them in the "product identification area". Payment is then made through a QR code that pops up on the screen to complete the transaction.

At that point, the door opens to let the customer out. Simple, but very effective.

"We are optimistic about the retail industry's transformation, and especially in Bingobox's team," Eric Xu, a managing partner at GGV Capital, told China Money Network.

The concept was developed by Zhongshan Bingo Internet Technology in Guangdong province, using AI and face recognition technology.

To sort out its supply chain problems, the company put together a partnership deal with Auchan.

"It was a way of testing the waters," said Gu Xiaobei, who is in charge of investor relations at Sun Art Retail Group, which is the parent company of Auchan, in Shanghai.

But Bingobox's approach illustrates what Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, talked about at a conference in Hanghou last October.

He called for online and offline businesses to be combined with logistics in the next 20 years to nurture a new retail model.

Ma's vision is starting to take shape in Alibaba's $150 million investment in Hema Xiansheng, a platform which combines bricks-and-mortar stores with online services.

Known as online-to-offline, this fresh food startup is racing ahead and has steadily expanded its network of supermarkets since it opened its first outlet last year.

Now, it has nine stores in Shanghai, one in Ningbo and one in Beijing.

Most supermarkets have more than 3,000 kinds of products. In the seafood sector, customers select what they want to buy, pay for it online before having it cooked to order.

Or they can do the same online and have their orders delivered within 30 minutes as long as they are within three kilometers of the store.

"Up to 80 percent of the company's customers are born in the 1980s and 1990s (or Millennials)," said Hou Yi, founder and chief executive officer of Hema Xiansheng. "They are internet natives.

"This generation has grown up in an increasingly affluent China," he added. "Therefore, they care more about quality and are less sensitive to prices."

Still, what is important, is that the food is fresh and delivered on time.

As soon as you walk into a Hema Xiansheng supermarket, you hear a rattling sound above with shoppers and employees rushing around with mobile devices, picking up produce and other products from the shelves.

They then bundle them into shopping bags before some are clipped to hangers. At the touch of a button, they are lifted toward the ceiling on overhead conveyor belts.

By using this business plan, the offline stores double as the warehousing, sorting and delivery centers for its online supermarket.

Last year, shopping online was worth 4.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.7 percent compared to 2015, according to iResearch, a market consultancy based in Beijing.

"The keywords for retailers are equality and interaction," said Wu Zhige, associate research director at IDC China. "Retailers should create new shopping models and advance the digital transformation of their distribution channels.
European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said she is confident that a trade agreement between the EU and Japan will be reached at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.



The European Union appears to be closing in on a new free trade agreement with Japan.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom was in Tokyo this past Friday and Saturday with Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan, holding talks with Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Fumio Kishida and Agriculture Minister Yuji Yamamoto about concluding negotiations on a trade deal between the EU and Japan.

After the meeting, Malmstrom tweeted, Hard work in Tokyo, but a lot of progress, adding at a press meeting, We have sufficient convergence so that our officials can discuss in the coming days to iron out the remaining details. Im quite confident that our leaders can agree on a package at the EU-Japan summit (in Brussels) on July 6 and give their blessing.

Today, Malmstrom and Kishida met in Brussels to iron out the remaining details before tomorrows summit.

Malmstrom said on twitter today a political agreement has been reached at a ministerial level on the trade deal and the remaining differences were ironed out.

According to the European Commission, talks of a trade deal between the EU and Japan sparked in 2013 when EU governments instructed the European Commission to start negotiations with Japan.

The EU wants a trade agreement with Japan to remove trade barriers and send a message that both economies do not support protectionism, the commission said.

Each year, the value of tariffs paid by EU exporters to Japan stands at 1 billion euros. Japanese customs taxes on beef total close to 40 percent, up to 40 percent on cheese, up to 30 percent on chocolate and 15 percent on wine. Japan also has long and costly procedures to approve each variety of fruit, the European Commission explained.

Japan is the EUs sixth most important trading partner worldwide and second biggest trading partner in Asia after China.

Each year, EU firms export over 58 billion euros in goods and 28 billion euros in services to Japan. Nearly 74,000 EU companies export to Japan, 78 percent of which are smaller firms, according to data from the European Commission.

Considered an ambitious trade deal, the EU-Japan agreement would generate more jobs across the EU, and could provide opportunities for the EU in particular sectors like pharmaceuticals, medical devices, agri-food, motor vehicles and transport equipment, according to the commission.

Such a deal would also open up Japans services market to EU firms, allowing them to bid for more public contracts in Japan.

It is important for us to wave the flag of free trade in response to global moves toward protectionism by quickly concluding the free trade agreement with Europe, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told ministers at a meeting on Tuesday about the EU negotiations, according to a report from Reuters. We will negotiate with all our energy until the very end to achieve the best deal for Japan, he added.

The G20 Summit, where members will discuss financial and economic issues, will continue in Hamburg this Friday and Saturday. The G20 comprises 19 countries  including the United States  and the EU.
Consumers are attracted by the fresh seafood and cooking service at BravoYH in Fuzhou, Fujian province. [Photo by Zheng Shuai/For China Daily]

Yonghui Superstores has proved adept at rolling out new business models to retain market share and combat the challenges thrown up by online rivals.

The traditional retail chain has nearly 500 stores, with another 200 due to be opened later this year, and employs more than 70,000 staff.

Sales topped about $7.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine, while the company's market cap came in at $8 billion. It also made Forbes' Asia's Fab 50 List of Companies in 2015.

But even Yonghui Superstores has been forced to change its approach in the face of fierce online competition.

"Consumers now have higher expectations for online-to-offline business," said Bruno Lannes, a partner at Bain & Co, the global management consulting firm, in China. "Retailers must come up with new models."

Yonghui Superstores has done just that.

Known for its massive 5,000-square-meter hypermarkets, the company launched Super Species, a smaller-sized supermarket brand, in its home city of Fuzhou in Fujian province.

The 500-square-meter stores target middle class consumers that like to combine shopping with dining.

Customers choose their favorite foods, such as salmon or prime beef, which are cooked in store. Wine is also available at the store.

With a wide range of produce, the company's plan appears to be working.

"Up to 50 Super Species stores are scheduled to be opened this year," said Lin Chuangyan, a partner at Super Species. "The ultimate goal is to introduce the consumers, who come into the store, to our online platform."

Still, these niche outlets are just the latest attempt Yonghui Superstores has made in recent years.

Back in 2015, the retailer launched its first YH Member Experience brand outlet in Shanghai. So far, they have opened more than 30. But the aim was to roll out 800 outlets in the city by 2018.

Defined as a mid-to high-level community supermarket, the branded stores covered just 200 meters, and featured fresh products and imported goods.

Consumers living within a few kilometers of these outlets could shop online with the added attraction of a delivery service.

In May, another new brand was launched by the company. YH Life first popped up in the financial hub of Shanghai with the store covering the neighbouring one square kilometer.

Just like a small convenience shop, it sells mainly cigarettes, ice-creams, semi-finished food products and fresh food. Online services are also available, including delivery.

The move has proved a hit.

A woman uses the self-service machine to weigh the products in a Yonghui superstores in Fuzhou, Fujian. [Photo by Chen Hao/For China Daily]

Yonghui Superstores reported that operational income in the first quarter reached 15.3 billion yuan ($2.3 billion), a jump of 13.8 percent compared to the same period in 2016.

It also exceeded analysts' expectations. "When the entire retailing industry is shrouded in gloom, Yonghui Superstores has come up with a totally different story," said Wang Liting, a senior analyst at Haitong Securities, in Shanghai.

"Quite simply, it has integrated its supply chain and created new business models," he added. "We expect the company's annual income growth rate will remain at around 20 percent in the next five years."

Yonghui Superstores has certainly managed to buck the trend for "bricks-and-mortar" retailers.

Statistics released by the China Commerce Association for General Merchandise showed that 150 department stores have been closed between 2012 and 2016, with 100 going to the wall last year.

Soaring rents have been a huge problem as they have nearly doubled in the past five years in first-tier cities, according to WinShang Commercial Property Intelligence Center in Guangzhou.

Rising labor costs have been another huge burden.

Figures from the Pudong Innovation Research Institute in Shanghai showed that the average annual income in major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, increased by 10 percent in 2016.

Lannes of Bain & Co, agreed that traditional retailers have struggled in the past five years, with sales contracting 10.4 percent in some sectors as stores are forced to close down.

"Retailers have to bring together online and offline businesses, logistics and data to integrate them onto a single value chain and redesign the retail industry," he said.
NAIROBI  A Chinese firm has been awarded a contract to expand a 9.8-kilometer stretch of road in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenyan authorities said Tuesday.

The Kenyan Urban Roads Authority (KURA) signed the deal, worth about $20 million, with the China Qinjian International Group for the dualling of a stretch of the road from Dagoretti Corner to Karen Shopping Center.

"The project is fully funded by the government through the Development Vote and is expected to be complete within 24 months," KURA said in a statement.

The dualling project will cover three sections: Dagoretti Corner-Karen Roundabout (6.2km), Karen Road (1.9km) and a small section of Langata Road from Karen shopping center (1.7km).

KURA said the dualling is intended to ease movement of traffic, improve urbanization and bring economic growth especially to Karen and Ngong Town residents considering the unmatched development experienced in this part of Nairobi and Kajiado Counties.

This project came in as part of the construction and infrastructure upgrades meant to elevate Nairobi city's status and its environs and achieve the Vision 2030 objective of transforming the country to a middle-income economy.

China Qinjian International Group, established in 2008, has been involved in multi-billion construction works in Philippines, Botswana and Singapore. This is its first entry in construction in Kenya.
CHENGDU  Breathtaking scenery and breathtaking dangers - both will face Chinese engineers as they embark on building the world's most difficult railway.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will be the second railway into Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region after the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. The line will go through the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's most geologically active areas.

"The construction and operation of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway must overcome the biggest risks in the world," said You Yong, chief engineer of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who is leading a scientific and technological support team to avoid disasters in the mountains.

China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd, which is designing the line, said it will run from Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, through Ya'an and Kangding, and enter Tibet via Qamdo. It will then go through Nyingchi and Shannan prefectures before arriving at Lhasa, capital of Tibet. The total construction length will be about 1,700 kilometers and it will cost 250 billion yuan (about $36.88 billion).

Construction has begun on the two ends of the railway. The section between Chengdu and Ya'an is expected to open in June 2018. The feasibility study on the section between Ya'an and Kangding has been completed. The section between Lhasa and Nyingchi is under construction.

However, the section from Kangding to Nyingchi - the most difficult and the longest section - is still under design. Its construction is expected to begin in 2019 and could take about seven years, according to the China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will be a major line in the western China rail network, connecting Tibet and more developed central and eastern regions. The design speed is from 160 km per hour to 200 km per hour. On completion, the travel time by train from Chengdu to Lhasa will be cut from 48 hours to about 13 hours.

You Yong, who has spent almost 30 years studying mountain hazards, said the line will traverse the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has sharp changes in terrain.

The active geological structure of the region causes strong earthquakes. The railway will go through earthquake zones such as the Longmen Mountain and Yarlung Zangbo River seismic belts, You said.

You said the Sichuan-Tibet Railway has four major environmental characteristics: significant terrain elevation differences, strong plate activities, frequent mountain disasters, and a sensitive ecological environment.

Mountain hazards were a major challenge. "The regions along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway have the most developed, most active, most diverse and most serious mountain hazards in China," You said.

"Constructing a railway in such a complicated geological environment will face a lot of scientific and technological difficulties. And the prevention and control of mountain hazards will be key to its success," said You.

The CAS began in 2014 to analyze the mountain hazard distribution patterns and risks, and experiment on disaster prevention along the route.

To date, scientists have identified the basic distribution and activities of mountain hazards, and set up a data bank for the hazards along the route.

Based on analysis of the risks, researchers offered their advice on the route selection and technologies to prevent and control the landslides and debris flows.

The government is also planning to build an expressway connecting Sichuan and Tibet. The scientific findings will also be applied in that construction.

Experts say the railway and expressway will push forward the opening up and economic development of Tibet.
China Development Bank, one of the country's three policy banks, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on Tuesday plan to set up China-Russia RMB Investment Cooperation Fund.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by the two parties in Moscow on Tuesday.

China-Russia RMB Investment Cooperation Fund is expected to facilitate the establishment of a simplified framework for direct investments with settlements in national currencies.

The investments will total 68 billion yuan ($10 billion). The investment activities will focus on Russian and Chinese projects, including the Belt and Road Initiative.

RDIF will implement the project via the Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF) created jointly by RDIF and China Investment Corp, while China Development Bank will implement the project via its wholly owned subsidiary China Development Bank Capital.

"China-Russia RMB Investment Cooperation Fund is an important cooperation between China and Russia in the equity investment segment, which is acknowledged and supported by Chinese and Russian governments," said Hu Huaibang, chairman of CDB.

"It will promote the comprehensive and long lasting financial and economic partnership between two countries, and facilitate RMB internationalization," said Hu.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and co-CEO of the Russia-China Investment Fund, said: "This framework is a powerful driver of direct cross-border investments with a potential to increase the number of joint Russia-China projects significantly."

The Russian Direct Investment Fund and China Investment Corp also announced on Tuesday to have a capital increase of the Russia-China Investment Fund.

In accordance with the agreement, capital under the RCIF's management is to be increased by $1 billion through proportional contributions of RDIF and CIC. An additional amount of up to $2 billion can be provided by new investors.

RCIF's investment activities are aimed at developing the bilateral economic, trade and investment relations between Russia and China. Since its foundation in 2012, RCIF has committed 19 investments worth $1 billion in wood processing, transport infrastructure as well as the financial, technological and consumer sectors. Joint investments of RCIF and its partners amount to $5 billion.
China's proposed Belt and Road Initiative is expected to bring significant changes to countries along and beyond the ancient Silk Road. However, for each country involved, how to take advantage of the initiative to develop its own economy is a challenge. Understanding related policies, people and China's economy might be helpful. Twenty-four government officials and finance professionals from 24 countries in the south part of the globe or the south part of the North Hemisphere have finished a study tour of China-initiated international financial organizations and China's banking sector.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank officials Uwe Wixforth (center) and Fang Ke (lefttalk with 24 government officials and finance professionals from 24 South countries at the headquarters of AIIB in Beijing on June 27, 2017. Birhanu Tadesse Daba (right), who works with Ethiopia's Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation, is one of the visitors. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
NIO EP9 electric vehicles stand on display at the Auto Shanghai 2017 vehicle show in Shanghai on April 19. [Photo/VCG]

New energy vehicle markers are redefining the pattern of cooperation between Chinese and German carmakers, said China News Services on Tuesday citing an industry insider.

China's electric car startup NextEV set up its global design center in Munich, Germany, two years ago with 16 employees.

Now the center has more than 100 staff members who come from more than 20 countries including China, Germany and Britain, Zhang Hui, general manager of NextEV (Germany) told China News Services.

German employees account for a quarter of the total while Chinese employees take up only a tenth, and the working language is English, according to Zhang.

The company has launched three car models that made a splash in the industry: the pure electric supercar NIO EP9, the autonomous electric concept car NIO EVE, and the first volume model NIO ES8 SUV.

"We do not have the problem of 'Made in China' or 'Made in Germany'. We hope to utilize global resources to provide consumers with the best products," said Zhang.

German auto company Volkswagen AG rolled off its first car in China back in 1983. Now China has become German carmakers' largest market, overtaking the United States and the German home market itself. Of every two Volkswagen's new cars, one is shipped to China.

"The model of cooperation between Chinese and German new energy vehicle makers is different from what it was more than two decades ago," Wu Mei, general manager of Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp's subsidiary in Europe, said.

In the past, the German side contributed technologies, while the Chinese pooled funds and explored the market, he added.

For some Chinese car companies that conducted research and development, the main purpose is to localize international technologies, he noted.

"The pattern will be changed by new energy vehicle markers," he said.

Preh GmbH, a German auto component company under Wu's parent company Ningbo Joyson Electronic, has recently announced move to provide battery management system for Mercedes Benz's 48V micro hybrid electric vehicles. The battery management system is crucial for connecting vehicle power battery with electric cars.

Like NextEV, many Chinese companies went to Munich for R&D or design centers. In June, Chinese materials company KDX Group launched its Europe composite materials R&D center in Munich, to provide lightweight solutions for vehicles.

Also in June, Beijing Automotive Group Co Ltd signed a framework agreement with Daimler AG to strength strategic cooperation in new energy vehicles.

Chinese and German car makers should work together in R&D and by working together, they can stand out in the new round of challenges, said Wu.

"We need to work together to make the market bigger," said Zhang, calling for closer cooperation to complement each other's demand.

Cooperation between Chinese and German new energy vehicle makers should be established on mutual respects and benefits, said Wang Weidong, commercial counselor at the Chinese embassy in Germany.

He called on German companies to grasp the huge market opportunities and have pragmatic cooperation with Chinese carmakers.

China sold 507,000 NEVs last year, the most in the world for a second year and up 53 percent from 2015, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
People play on a toy claw machine in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. [Photo by Deng Yinming/For China Daily]

A new high-tech solution has turned an old style Arcade toy claw machine into a trendy investment opportunity.

By simply using their smartphones to scan a QR code on the windows of these gaming terminals, customers can pay to play through WeChat or Alipay.

In a flash, the days of inserting coins have been consigned to history.

The sector is so hot that Leyaoyao Information Technology Ltd Co, which makes mobile payment devices for claw machines in Shenzhen, has received three rounds of funding, totaling about 60 million yuan ($8.87 million).

"We sold about 80,000 QR code devices for toy claw machines in more than 300 cities by May," the company told Sohu.com, one of China's biggest media online outlets. "Monthly payments from these machines totaled 80 million yuan."

Leyaoyao also makes money by selling advertising on its WeChat account, which users are guided to before paying to play on claw machines.

These are Arcade games where you try to pick up gifts, such as cuddly toys and key rings, by moving a mechanical claw.

Before QR coding, you could only find them in Arcades as you had to employ staff to empty the coins from the machines. But now they are sprouting up in shopping malls, movie theaters and even metro stations because you need a minimal number of staff to service them.

"All of our company's 4,000 machines have been equipped with mobile payment devices," said Li Rongwang, operations and technology director at Guangzhou Star Nigel Trade Co Ltd.

He also pointed out that new technology has solved the problem of "fake coins" for one of the largest manufacturers and operators of doll claw machines in China.

"The price of one fake coin is about 0.35 yuan to 0.5 yuan, but the value of our coin is 1 yuan."

By switching over to QR coding, the company's profits have increased by between 2 percent to 3 percent. "Overall, the significance of the upgrade is about management," he said.

AllpayCloud Technology Co Ltd, a startup which is also based in Guangzhou, has also transformed the toy claw machine sector after rolling out its Saas (Software as a Service) platform.

This is a long-distance and real-time management system, which incorporates venue placements, machines and staff. It processes about 20,000 payments every day, while daily transactions exceed 1 million yuan.

"Our system can report malfunctions in machines and analyze big data collected to optimize the marketing plan," said Zhou Jiaxin, chief executive officer of AllPayCloud.

Li Yongji, director of the creative cultural gifts machines' branch at the China Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, confirmed there are about 1.5 million toy claw machines in the country with 150,000 units added each year.

"At least 10 percent of that total now have mobile payment systems," he said.

The Association is planning to further upgrade the toy machine industry by labeling gifts with price tag barcodes. "In future, customers will finally get the toy if they spend enough money," Li said. "If they spend the same amount that the toy is worth, they get free goes until they win it."

More importantly, Li stressed that regulations might have to change, such as tax issues and standardized practices, to help the sector develop.
Actor Song Joong-ki and actress Song Hye-kyo poses at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards in Seoul, South Korea on June 3, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

South Korean actor Song Joong-ki, 31, and actress Song Hye-kyo, 35, who co-starred in mega-hit television series Descendants of the Sun, announced on Wednesday that they will tie the knot. The wedding is scheduled to take place on Oct 31, according to South Korean news portal Naver.

"Marriage is not something just between two people. It involves family and meeting with family members, and is a step that's to be taken with care," the pair said through their management companies.

Descendants of the Sun centers on the relationship between a captain of South Korean Special Forces unit, played by Song Joong-ki, and a surgeon, played by Song Hye-kyo. The 16-episode series owes its success not just to the good looks of its cast, but to its fast-paced plot (something that's quite rare in a South Korean market full of sluggish melodramas) and its annotation of "heavier" topics, including war, peacekeeping and meaning of life.

The Song duo, as the leading actor and actress are known, created sparkling chemistry on-screen, a chemistry so intense and real that voices calling for the duo to be together in real life kept sprouting among fans of the series.

The Song duo denied all such rumors in the past even as tabloids speculated that their on-screen romance was truly carried on off-screen. They were photographed dinning together in the US in March last year, and visiting Bali in Indonesia last month, but representatives of both actors denied all romantic connections between the two prior to the official announcement of their marriage.

Descendants of the Sun, which aired from February 24 to April 14, 2016, was a major hit in South Korea where it drew a peak audience viewership of 38.8 percent. As the trend goes, Descendants of the Sun also rode the wind the waves of hallyu, a term that describes the spread of South Korean culture abroad, and made its way to China.

Descendants of the Sun has been viewed in China more than 4.61 billion times on IQiyi, one of China's major video streaming websites that bought the right to broadcast the show, so far. Consequently, popularity of the Song duo skyrocketed not just in China but throughout Asia, a first for actor Song Joong-ki, who was not so well-known abroad prior to Descendants, but not something new to actress Song Hye-kyo, who has previously rode the hallyu wave several times for starring in megahits Autumn in My Heart (2000) and Full House (2004).

Descendants of the Sun won Popularity and Global Star Awards and Grand Prize in Television at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards, a top recognition in South Korea for achievements film, television and theater.
An area in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, is flooded on Tuesday as a result of recent downpours. [Photo/China News Service]

More than 300,000 people have been working around the clock on levees covering 2,000 kilometers in Hunan province, as major waterways remain at dangerously high levels, despite heavy rainfall having subsided.

The provincial water resources authority said the level of the Xiangjiang River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River, has dropped to 39.07 meters in Changsha, down from a record-high 39.44 meters on Sunday.

According to forecasts, the water level will remain above the warning level for three more days in Changsha, the provincial capital, and the neighboring cities of Xiangtan and Zhuzhou.
The settlement agreement, which resolves all legal issues related to allegations the Kuwait-based 3PL overcharged the Department of Defense while supplying food to U.S. military troops, will allow Agility to again pursue new U.S. government contracts.



Agility Public Warehousing Co. K.S.C. (Agility) reached a final settlement in May with the United States government, resolving criminal, civil and administrative cases arising from allegations that it overcharged the U.S. when performing contracts with the Department of Defense (DOD) to supply food for U.S. military troops from 2003 to 2010.

The contracts involved nearly 200,000 invoices to the U.S. government, and were valued at over $8.6 billion, Agility said in a statement.

The Kuwait-based company agreed to pay $95 million to resolve civil fraud claims, to forgo administrative claims against the U.S., in which it was seeking $249 million in additional payments under its military food contracts, and to plead guilty to a criminal misdemeanor offense for theft of government funds, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The misdemeanor offense was in connection with a single invoice valued at $551, and was unrelated to any of the original criminal charges, Agility explained. The offense requires the company to pay a maximum of $551 in restitution, but carries with it no additional criminal fine.

The agreement to settle the criminal portion of the case was completed after Agility signed a separate agreement with the DOJ resolving a pending civil case (United States of America, ex rel, et al. v. the Public Warehousing Company, et al., Case No. 1:05-cv-02968-TWT).



The settlement will resolve all legal issues related to the contracts in question and allow Agility to resume the pursuit of new U.S. government contracts.



Under the settlement, Agility and the U.S. government agreed to the mutual release of all outstanding contract claims related to the food supply contracts. The DODs Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is releasing a claim of $27.9 million against Agility and is lifting its suspension of Agility, which has been suspended from federal government contracting for the last seven years since being indicted, the DOJ said. In return,Agility released all claims it had been filing since 2006 against the DLA in which it was seeking the $249 million in additional payments mentioned above, alleging that the DLA owed it for its performance under a series of military contracts, which the DLA contested in protracted litigation.

The settlement, which will allow Agility to resume the pursuit of new U.S. government contracts, will resolve all legal issues related to these contracts for its employees, directors, officers and affiliates, the company said. The settlements terms are subject to final court approval.

Agility has a healthy balance sheet and low net debt. The company can meet its obligations under the settlement without jeopardizing its current investments or its future growth, Agility CEO Tarek Sultan said of the agreement. By bringing the case to an end, we have the ability to unlock additional value for shareholders.

This settlement marks the conclusion of a lengthy investigation that demonstrates the Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS) commitment to ensuring that tax dollars spent to support Department of Defense programs and missions are protected from fraud and abuse throughout the procurement process, but especially during overseas combat operations which are the most vulnerable, said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the DCIS-Southeast Field Office. This extremely complex investigation required DCIS agents and our partners to tenaciously sort through and piece together an unprecedented volume of information and documents, and persevere through many years of exhaustive work, to bring this case to a resolution.

The now-resolved civil claims and criminal charges had arisen out of allegations originally raised in a whistleblower suit filed in 2005 against Agility and another Kuwaiti company, The Sultan Center Food Products Company K.S.C. (TSC).

The lawsuit was filed by Kamal Mustafa Al-Sultan under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA), which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery, the DOJ said. Al-Sultan is receiving $38.35 million as a result of the civil action he filed, U.S. ex rel. Kamal Mustafa Al-Sultan v. Agility Public Warehousing Co., K.S.C. et al., No 1:05-cv-2968-GET (N.D. Ga.).

In its civil complaint, the U.S. alleged that Agility and TSC knowingly overcharged the DOD for locally available produce that Agility bought through TSC, and falsely charged the full amount of TSCs invoices, despite agreeing that Agility would pay 10 percent less than the billed amount. In addition, the U.S. accused Agility of failing to disclose and pass through rebates and discounts it obtained from U.S.-based suppliers, as required by its contracts.

Following Agilitys criminal indictment by a grand jury on Nov. 16, 2009, the DLA suspended Agility from government contracting, which was subsequently extended to Agilitys more than 300 affiliated entities.

The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, except to the extent the conduct was admitted as part of the defendants guilty plea, and there has been no determination of liability, DOJ said.

Although Agilitys suspension will be lifted, the company will be required to use an independent corporate monitor and maintain an ethics and compliance program.

The criminal and civil cases were investigated by the DCIS, the U.S.Armys Criminal Investigative Commands Major Procurement Fraud Unit, the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Graduates of Peking University weep while watching videos reviewing their college days during a graduation ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Commencement speeches offer advice on overcoming life's obstacles

Every summer, as millions of university students graduate, the spotlight falls on commencement speeches delivered by college presidents.

Observers are often curious how the leaders of such institutions will seize the final opportunity to pass on their wisdom to the young minds they have helped nurture before they head into the world.

Peking University, one of China's best, held its graduation ceremony for the class of 2017 on Tuesday, with more than 3,000 students obtaining bachelor's degrees.

At the commencement, Lin Jianhua, the university's president, cited his own experience and told the graduates to accept the unchangeable, have the guts to change situations that can be altered, and have the wisdom to tell the difference between the two.

Lin had an opportunity to be recommended for a university when he was working at a farm in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region four decades ago during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

But for reasons unknown to him, he lost the opportunity and another person was recommended.

"It was hard to face the reality and it took a long time for me to get over it. But when I finally did, I got more than I expected," he recalled, adding that he took the national college entrance exam the following year and was admitted to Peking Universitya better college than the university he missed out on.

"Life is full of surprises," Lin told the graduates. "Everyone will encounter unbearable situations. I hope that you can have the courage and wisdom to face and deal with them."

Qiu Yong, president of Tsinghua University, another prestigious university, stressed the importance of independent thinking in his commencement speech on Sunday.

"I hope that the biggest success you achieved during the past four years at college is that you have gradually formed your own thinking," he told 3,000 graduates.

Graduates of Peking University take a selfie with Lin Jianhua, president of the university, after their graduation ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

"Being able to think independently cannot be fully achieved in your four years of college life; it should be a goal for your lifetime, and I hope that you read more and travel more to realize that goal," Qiu said.

He also recommended graduates read A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, a classic work by Feng Youlan, a late professor of philosophy at the university.

"I hope that by reading the book, you are able to see Chinese culture from a modern and a global perspective and appreciate the charm of thinking," he said.

China University Media Union, a joint organization for more than 60 Chinese universities, collected and analyzed 116 speeches delivered by university presidents in China at commencements in 2017, and found that words such as innovation, dream, responsibility and the Chinese nation were frequently mentioned in university leaders' speeches.

Dou Xiankang, president of Wuhan University in Hubei province, encouraged graduates to shoulder the responsibility of achieving the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the responsibilities of boosting technological innovation and making a global impact.

Gong Ke, president of Nankai University in Tianjin, said in his speech that the university had a responsibility to the Chinese nation and urged the graduates to combine their own dreams with the dream of the nation.

Wang Cheng, president of Lanzhou University in Gansu province, said in his speech that he hoped the graduates could help realize the Chinese dream and stay open-minded.
Su Shulin, the former governor of Fujian province, and Yang Chongyong, a former senior legislator in Hebei province, have been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office, the top anti-graft authority said on Tuesday.

Su, 55, was chairman of China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, between 2007 and 2011 before his promotion to governor of Fujian in East China.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced in October 2015 that it was putting Su under investigation for suspicion of serious disciplinary violation, making him the first incumbent governor to be probed for corruption since the top leadership launched an anti-graft campaign in 2012.

According to a statement released by the CCDI, Su had severely violated political disciplines and Party rules, organized cliques and interfered with an investigation into him.

He was found to have abused his power by accepting bribes and gifts to seek benefits for others and caused a huge loss of State assets by making decisions against regulations.

The investigation also found that Su had asked State-owned enterprises to pay for his personal spending and his relatives' trips using public funds.

"He was greedy and had a bad influence on society," the statement said.

Yang, 61, former deputy head of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee, the provincial legislature, was being investigated for a serious breach of Party disciplines, the CCDI announced in April.

Yang was found to have seriously violated political disciplines and Party rules, and traveled overseas without permission using fake ID documents.

He also obstructed an investigation. The probe found that Yang took advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others and accepted a huge amount of money in return.

Both Su and Yang's qualifications as delegates to the 18th CPC National Congress will be terminated and their ill-gotten gains will be confiscated, the anti-graft watchdog said.

Their cases have been transferred to the judicial authority for further investigation, it said.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn


The video shows Robin Li, CEO of Baidu Inc, introducing a driverless car running on the fifth ring road in Beijing.



Baidu Inc announced on Wednesday that more than 50 partners have joined its Apollo open autonomous driving project, forming one of the largest and most diverse autonomous driving ecosystems to accelerate the development and adoption of autonomous driving.

Members of the Apollo alliance are from a wide range of sectors, including leading vehicle manufacturer Chery Automobile Co Ltd, FAW Group Corporation, Changan Automobile Group, and Great Wall Motors.




SHANGHAI -- Facial recognition, new media and big data are among the latest technologies Shanghai authorities are using to help vagrants and beggars return home.

On June 22, a senior citizen surnamed Liang was reunited with his family after losing contact over 20 years ago.

The 70 years old, suffering mental disease, was sent to a homeless shelter operated by Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau on April 21.

After finding out his hometown was Luqiao district of Taizhou city in Zhejiang Province, the shelter published information on a popular news service app toutiao.com.

Based on big data and due to the wide popularity of smart phones in China, the app sent the information to users in Luqiao.

On the same day, the shelter received a phone call from a woman who claimed that she could be Liang's daughter but could not tell from the photo for sure. After doing DNA tests, they were confirmed as close relatives.

In February, the shelter received an elderly man who could not speak. However, by searching the records of his transport card they found the last subway station he had visited.

Through a people seeking website, the shelter sent the man's information to people within a 10 kilometers radius of the subway station.

In mere 40 minutes, the man's relatives contacted the shelter.

The shelter also uses facial recognition and finger print technologies to help identity vagrants and beggars. Facial recognition technology has been used since the beginning of this year.

In January, a senior who had been begging in Qingpu district was sent to the shelter. As his accent was very strong, employees found him difficult to understand and identify.

After several days, the shelter staff sent the man's photo to the local public security bureau for facial recognition checks.

The police quickly received his information and contacted his family.

According to the civil affairs bureau, the shelter receives nearly 1,000 unidentified people every year. Thanks to modern technology, it has been able to help over 95 percent of them return home.
NEW DELHI -- Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui on Tuesday urged India to unconditionally withdraw its border troops to the Indian side of the boundary with China and seek a peaceful solution to the recent incident in the Doklam area.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, Ambassador Luo said he was deeply worried by the "grave" situation in Doklam.

"It is the first time that the Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognized boundary and trespassed into China's territory, triggering a close range face-off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased," he said.

"It is the first time that such a severe situation has occurred at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary. This section has already been delimited with clear alignment of the boundary, the two sides have consensus on it and there has been no incident over the past years," the ambassador added.

According to Ambassador Luo, the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890) explicitly stipulates that Doklam undoubtedly belongs to China's territory. After independence, India inherited this historical convention and successive Indian governments have repeatedly confirmed that in written forms, recognizing that it concurs with China on the boundary alignment at the Sikkim section.

The Chinese diplomat expounded on China's three-point position on the situation in Doklam.

"The first one is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," he said.

The second one is to seek a peaceful solution, according to the ambassador.

"China attaches great importance to the China-India relations and is ready to develop a long-term stable strategic partnership for cooperation with India. The current level of cooperation and friendship between China and India are hard earned and deserve to be cherished by the two sides," said Ambassador Luo.

He added that the third one is to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.

"China has always taken this seriously and done a lot to this end. It needs joint efforts of the two sides. We appreciate what Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said in St. Petersburg that over the past 50 years, not a single bullet has been fired at the India-China border areas."

The ambassador stressed that the three top priorities are connected with each other. "Only by fulfilling the unconditional withdrawal of India's military, can peaceful resolution of this issue be achieved. Only by approaching with peaceful resolution, can peace and tranquility of the border areas be maintained."

Stressing the fact that Doklam belongs to China and has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China, Ambassador Luo said "now the ball is in the court of the Indian side."

The Chinese envoy also dismissed the Indian side's views on the border incident as self-contradictory. "On the one hand, India claims that Doklam belongs to Bhutan. On the other hand, it denies the 1890 Convention and claims that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary is not delimited and uses it as a pretext for its trespassing into China's territory."

Despite the incident, the ambassador said he was always optimistic about the China-India relations.

Noting that the two countries are neighboring powers as well as members of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, he hoped both sides should focus on cooperation, well manage such existing problems as the boundary issue, uphold a positive attitude to address emerging issues of the bilateral ties and set a vision for the China-India relations.
BEIJING -- China called for more cooperation with France under the Belt and Road Initiative as Vice President Li Yuanchao met here Wednesday with chief of the Constitutional Council of France Laurent Fabius.

Noting China-France relations are at a historical high, Li called on both sides to stick to the right direction guiding the development of bilateral ties.

Li hoped the two sides will accelerate alignment of development strategies and strengthen communication and coordination in major international issues such as climate change, so as to boost their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Stressing the French side places great importance on the Belt and Road Initiative, Fabius said his country is willing to jointly push for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and combat global challenges with China.
CHANGCHUN -- Chinese doctors are making efforts to save 89 people, 14 of whom are critically injured, after a gas pipeline explosion Tuesday.

The explosion in Songyuan city of Northeast China's Jilin province, left five people dead, the local government said Wednesday. Most of the injured suffered burns, bone fractures and bruises.

The accident occurred around 2:45 pm Tuesday when workers were repairing a section of leaking gas pipeline.

The provincial health commission has sent 11 experts to Songyuan to help with medical treatment.
The number of Chinese people travelling abroad will outnumber foreign tourists by 100 million per year within five years, according to a new report.

The report said Chinese travelers spend abroad about five times that of foreign visitors in China, leading to a disparity of earnings in foreign currencies between outbound and inbound trips.

The report by the Center for China and Globalization and the online tourism company Ctrip.com states that by 2015 Chinese visits abroad already outstripped foreign visits to China by 31 million.

Last year, China earned $120 billion from inbound travelers, an increase of 5.6 percent on the year before. However, Chinese spent $261.1 billion when they visited other countries, according to the 2016 Statistical Communique on National Economy and Social Development.

China remains a major destination for international tourism and business but its economic growth means that it has a rapidly increasing number of citizens who can afford to travel the world.
DHAKA - A boiler explosion at a Bangladeshi garment factory killed 10 people and injured dozens, fire officials said on Tuesday, the latest mishap to hit one of the world's biggest garment producers.

The accident happened late on Monday at a plant owned by Multifabs Limited, a Bangladeshi company on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, a fire official said.

The firm supplies knitted apparel to clients in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Russia, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, including to Littlewoods, one of Britain's oldest retail brands, according to its website.

"Nine people were killed in the blast and one died in hospital," fire service official Palash Chandra Modak said.

The company said the plant was functioning well and the boiler, procured from Germany, had just been serviced. The factory had been shut for 10 days for the Eid al-Fitr period at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and was being readied to resume operations from Tuesday.

"This was an accident. Everything was fine," said Mahiuddin Faruqui, company chairman and managing director.

"The boiler was running well. After servicing when workers were trying to restart it, it went off," he said.

Bangladesh's garment-making industry, the biggest in the world after China's, employs 4 million people and generates 80 percent of its export earnings.

Multifabs started operating in 1992, and earned $70 million in exports in last year.

Bangladesh's garment sector came under scrutiny after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex in 2013 that killed more than 1,100 people, and a fire at a garment factory in 2012 that killed 112 workers.

Activists had long criticized many retailers for failing to improve working conditions in their supply chains, with long hours, low pay, poor safety standards and workers not being allowed to form trade unions.

The Rana Plaza disaster sparked demands for greater safety and put the onus to act on foreign companies sourcing clothing from Bangladesh.

Two coalitions have been formed to help fund improvements to building and fire safety at garment factories.

One of those, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, said fire incidents in Bangladeshi factories fell to 30 in 2015 from 250 in 2012.

Reuters

(China Daily 07/05/2017 page11)
Books

Learning Chinese

Mastering Chinese is a dream of many foreigners who live and work in China, especially diplomats. Now a book, titled Stories of Diplomats' Chinese Class, about how they learn the language is out. It has been compiled by the Beijing Language and Cultural Center for Diplomatic Missions.

Founded in 1956, the center has so far received 20,000 students, mostly embassy staff members and their families, from more than 100 countries and regions. Some well-known students include former US president George H.W. Bush, the late Indian president Kocheril Raman Narayanan and the princess of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

The stories are told by teachers, recalling their students' hard work, cultural anecdotes and how the diplomats survived learning Chinese - one of the hardest languages in the world.
Li Yanhong calls on people to embrace the AI era.[Photo by Deng Gang/China Daily]

Tech executives release new books in China on the future of artificial intelligence. Xing Yi reports.

The next decade will belong to artificial intelligence. This is what Kai-fu Lee, a former executive with tech companies such as Google Inc and Microsoft Corp, said at his commencement speech to students at Columbia University on May 15.

Lee makes his point clearer in a new book, Artificial Intelligence, which he co-authored with Wang Yonggang, a former software engineer at Google.

The book was published in Chinese in May.

After getting his PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University in the 1980s, Lee devoted three decades in AI research.

"In the next 10 years, all financial companies will be turned upside down, with AI replacing traders, bankers, accountants ..." Lee said during his speech, joking that he would fire his private banker because his investment algorithm has proved to be more efficient than human bankers.
The archaeological site in Jinan, Shandong province, where the skeleton of an unusually tall man was found. Jiang Li / For China Daily

Archaeologists have found evidence of unusually tall and strong people who lived in East China 5,000 years ago.

Measurements of bones from graves in Shandong province show the height of at least one man to have reached 1.9 meters.

"This is just based on the bone structure. If he was a living person, his height would certainly exceed 1.9 meters," said Fang Hui, head of Shandong University's School of History and Culture.

Since last year, archaeologists have been excavating the ruins of 104 houses, 205 graves and 20 sacrificial pits at Jiaojia village in Jinan, Shandong.

The relics are from the Longshan culture, a late Neolithic civilization in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, named after Longshan mountain.

"Already agricultural at that time, people had diverse and rich food resources, and thus their physique changed," Fang said.

Millet was the major crop and people raised pigs, according to Fang. Pig bones and teeth were found in some graves.

According to the findings, taller men were found in larger tombs, possibly because such people had a high status and were able to acquire better food.

Shandong locals believe height to be one of their defining characteristics. Confucius (551-479 BC), a native of the region, was said to be about 1.9 meters tall.
Calligraphy and books on Su Xun, Su Shi and Su Zhe's poems and prose. [Photo/artron.net]

An exhibition featuring 40 calligraphic works from China, the US and Belgium was held in Taipei on Tuesday.

The exhibit was designed to honor Su Dongpo, also known as Su Shi, a Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet who was born in Sichuan province on 1037.

Su's poems were highly praised for their literary merit and influence on later poets. His father, Su Xun, and younger brother, Su Zhe, were also noted as litterateurs who were good at writing prose and poems. The trio was known as the "Three Su" and was listed in the "Eight Great Talents in Tang and Song Dynasties".

According to Chinese folk stories, a Chinese dish, braised Dongpo pork, was created by Su and named after him as well.

Another calligraphy and painting exhibition in honor of the poet was further held in Hainan province, where Su once stayed.
Xi, Putin reach consensus on Korean Peninsula, anti-missile system, Syria, Afghanistan 2017-07-05 12:54:16 Xinhua President Xi Jinping met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, here on Tuesday, and the two leaders reached consensus on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, the deployment of anti-missile system in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, Syria and Afghanistan.

MOSCOW - President Xi Jinping met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, here on Tuesday, and the two leaders reached consensus on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, the deployment of anti-missile system in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, Syria and Afghanistan.

In a joint statement, the two presidents called for uttermost restraint of all parties concerned on the Korean Peninsula issue so as to ease the current escalating tensions, adding that Pyongyang should abide by relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Xi and Putin vowed to work together and establish a comprehensive and effective security mechanism in Northeast Asia as early as possible, so as to secure lasting peace and stability in the region.

Dialogue and consultation are the only viable solution to the Peninsula crisis, said the two leaders, adding that all parties concerned should actively echo China's efforts to resume talks.

They also opposed the unilateral installation of anti-missile system in Europe and the Asia-Pacific by some specific countries at the expense of others' security interests.

Specifically, the development of anti-missile system is alarming, as some countries use the excuse of the so-called missile threat to unilaterally deploy anti-missile systems in the two aforementioned regions, said the two leaders.

China and Russia strongly oppose such moves, as they will erode the regional strategic balance and stability, and harm the efforts of all parties concerned to thwart the proliferation of missiles and other deadly technologies.

Regarding the Syria issue, the two countries called for the respect of Syria's sovereignty and independence, and urged wide dialogue inside the Middle Eastern nation to settle the current crisis through political and diplomatic means.

The United Nations should play a leading role in managing the peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition and combating international terrorism, according to the document.

China and Russia spoke highly of the latter's sending of its air force to Syria at the invitation of the Syrian government in a bid to conduct anti-terrorism targets and protect the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

As for the Syrian chemical weapon, Xi and Putin said all relative parties should respect the country's sovereignty, and support the independent and comprehensive investigation of this issue by reliable agencies based on solid evidences, so as to reach undisputed conclusions.

They also denounced any use of chemical weapons by anybody at any place.

Speaking of the situation in Afghanistan, Xi and Putin expressed worries over the expansion of extremist terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in the Asian country.
Draft gives anti-graft fight a shot in the arm 2017-07-05 07:31:52 China Daily Wu Jianxiong The draft of a national supervision law was submitted to the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, for review at its session late last month.

The draft of a national supervision law was submitted to the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, for review at its session late last month. The legislation is aimed at building a unified, authoritative and efficient supervision system.

A pilot program for the national institutional supervision system has been implemented in Beijing, and Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces, and supervisory commissions at three levels - provincial, municipal and county - are already in place to monitor all public office holders.

As an institutional innovation mechanism in the nationwide anti-corruption campaign, the pilot program makes clear these commissions' supervisory role and their obligation to combat corruption. The new commissions are expected to be independent of the government, the court and the procuratorate, and the job of its staff members, appointed and supervised by the top legislature and its local branches, will include that of the supervisory officials affiliated to the government, the procuratorate and administrative audit organs which scrutinize those assuming and leaving office.

These arrangements, in part, fulfill the need to employ Party discipline and national laws to combat corruption. Besides, the independent supervisory commissions under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the NPC are in line with the solemn promise to put power under the supervision of the people.

The establishment of the new supervision system is intended to consolidate the Party's absolute leadership in the anti-corruption campaign, which is not just about fulfilling its supervisory and disciplinary duties but also about ensuring the enforcement of Party discipline and laws is corruption-free.

The slew of corruption cases unearthed in recent years shows that an efficient, and unified supervision of public power could have curbed corruption. Previously, local "tigers" (senior corrupt officials) managed to find supervisory loopholes and pull some strings to evade local supervision and inspection. Not any more. The wrongdoers will face streamlined punishments from detention to "residential surveillance", instead of just having to explain themselves.

The national supervision system will also inject fresh impetus into the anti-corruption drive. The Party disciplines and relevant laws will be enforced in a more synergistic manner to add legal teeth to the NPC supervision. And governments at all levels have been urged to fulfill their obligations to supervise and be supervised, while the judicial and procuratorate organs will be subjected to checks and balances.

Ideally, the new supervision system could help improve national governance, by purging latent abuse of power from it, as the supervisory commissions are expected to have the right to investigate, audit, warn and suggest when it comes to preventing corruption. In particular, the introduction of preventive supervision could dissuade would-be corrupt officials from taking the wrong steps.

On the one hand, the system calls for procuratorates' intervention to hold defendants criminally accountable. On the other, it allows the defendants to appeal the non-criminal penalties handed down by the supervisory commissions to the court. Also, the commissions will have access to evidence of corruption that the customs, police, or auditing authorities have.

Under the new arrangements, the supervisory commissions will work closely with their counterparts under the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Party's top anti-corruption body, and their cooperation will add more flexibility and efficiency to the mission of eliminating corruption.

The author is director of the China Anti-Corruption Judicial Research Center.
IDG Capital hunts for new retail investment companies 2017-07-05 08:17:01 China Daily Cai Xiao Leading venture capital firm IDG Capital said it is actively seeking out investments in new retail, brands and services companies.

Leading venture capital firm IDG Capital said it is actively seeking out investments in new retail, brands and services companies which are benefiting from the transformation of the consumer market.

"The Chinese consumer market is having an unprecedented revolution," said Yan Yisheng, a partner of IDG Capital.

Yan said the growth of China's e-commerce market was slowing down and there were fewer opportunities online. Instead, she said, offline retail was recovering.

"We are looking closely at new retail, which combines the new technologies of e-commerce such as big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence with offline retail," Yan said.

She said people no longer bought products just because of price and now brand and quality had become the most important factors. Younger people liked to try out new brands, as the current brands failed to fully meet their expectations.

"In the next 20 years, more and more new Chinese brands will be coming out and there will be a number of international brands developed in China," she added.

Yan said IDG Capital also had great confidence in the services industry, as services would exceed products as the main driver of China's consumption growth.

"Chinese customers will go from purchasing products to enjoying services, so we believe China will see the appearance of a slew of new services companies, each with valuation of more than $10 billion," Yan said.

Xiong Xiaoge, chairman and founding partner of IDG Capital, said the firm had invested in more than 100 companies in the consumer sector. More than 10 of them had been listed and there were another 20 companies whose valuations have each exceeded $1 billion.

"China's consumer market is so huge that we hope there will be giants in the industry exceeding Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent," Xiong said.

In China consumption contributed 77.2 percent to GDP growth in the first quarter this year, compared with 64.6 percent in 2016, according to National Bureau of Statistics.

IDG Capital has invested in new retail companies such as online to offline retail platform Dmall.com and Chinese buyer-based social network site Mogujie.com, new brand companies including leading smartphone maker Xiaomi and tea chain Heytea, and new service companies like photo-editing app Meitu.

Zhang Bin, CEO of grocery operator Wumart Stores Inc, said his group was actively working with Dmall.com to better serve customers, which was also the core of new retail.

Zhang said Wumart has connected data with Dmall.com, so customers can order Wumart products on Dmall.com's platform and Dmall can deliver the goods to customers immediately.

"Through new retail, customers can obtain high-quality products from Wumart in a quick and convenient way," Zhang said.

Nie Yunchen, founder of tea drink chain Heytea, said Heytea is a tea brand for young people.

"We are not only selling tea drinks, but spreading tea culture," said Nie.

"Based on our culture, we can attract a number of young customers who like our brand."
Chinese firm wins tender to expand Kenya's key road 2017-07-05 10:32:06 Xinhua A Chinese firm has been awarded a contract to expand a 9.8-kilometer stretch of road in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenyan authorities said Tuesday.

NAIROBI  A Chinese firm has been awarded a contract to expand a 9.8-kilometer stretch of road in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenyan authorities said Tuesday.

The Kenyan Urban Roads Authority (KURA) signed the deal, worth about $20 million, with the China Qinjian International Group for the dualling of a stretch of the road from Dagoretti Corner to Karen Shopping Center.

"The project is fully funded by the government through the Development Vote and is expected to be complete within 24 months," KURA said in a statement.

The dualling project will cover three sections: Dagoretti Corner-Karen Roundabout (6.2km), Karen Road (1.9km) and a small section of Langata Road from Karen shopping center (1.7km).

KURA said the dualling is intended to ease movement of traffic, improve urbanization and bring economic growth especially to Karen and Ngong Town residents considering the unmatched development experienced in this part of Nairobi and Kajiado Counties.

This project came in as part of the construction and infrastructure upgrades meant to elevate Nairobi city's status and its environs and achieve the Vision 2030 objective of transforming the country to a middle-income economy.

China Qinjian International Group, established in 2008, has been involved in multi-billion construction works in Philippines, Botswana and Singapore. This is its first entry in construction in Kenya.
More than two weeks after India sent troops across the Sikkim border into China to obstruct construction of a road by the People's Liberation Army in the Donglong region, the situation there remains worryingly tense, with a stand-off between soldiers of the two countries still ongoing.

That the situation has not flared out of control is thanks to the great restraint exercised by the Chinese troops. But the tensions resulting from the intrusion will surely grow if there is not a total withdrawal of the Indian troops.

Unlike previous incidents that have occurred along other parts of the 3,500-kilometer border between China and India, the latest incident happened at a section that has long been demarcated by an 1890 historical convention and reaffirmed in documents exchanged between successive Chinese and Indian governments since then.

The transgression by Indian troops therefore violates that convention and the basic norms that guide international relations. China has made it explicitly clear that it is "unwavering" in its resolve to uphold its territorial integrity and will take whatever measures it deems necessary to do so.

India may be trying to make a point. It is reportedly worried that the Chinese road construction may represent a significant change in the status quo with serious security implications for India, according to its foreign ministry.

But such worries could have been allayed through dialogue and consultation using the mechanisms that are already in place and which have long helped the two sides maintain peace and tranquility in the region since their short border war in 1962.

Yet instead of calls for talks, what we hear is clamor for war by the Indian military, with its Army Chief General Bipin Rawat declaring recently that India "was ready for a two-and-a-half front war (China, Pakistan and internal security)", and its Defense Minister Arun Jaitley saying that the India of 2017 was not the India of 1962.

Perhaps its defeat in that war was too humiliating for some in the Indian military and that is why they are talking belligerently this time.

And doubtlessly such irresponsible acts and rhetoric reflect the "strategic anxiety" over China's rise harbored by some Indian politicians and their apprehensions about the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

Yet as Chinese officials have emphasized on many occasions, the initiative aims to promote economic cooperation and connectivity and has no bearing on sovereignty issues. There is no need for India to be sensitive about the initiative.

The trespassing by the Indian troops runs counter to the Indian government's longstanding and rightful position. It should respect China's territorial integrity and withdraw its troops back across the border.


A worker arranges flags at the EU headquarters as Britain and the EU launch Brexit talks in Brussels, June 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

AROUND 54 PERCENT OF OVER 1,000 INTERVIEWEES in the United Kingdom said they wanted to remain a member of the European Union, while just 46 percent were in favor of Brexit, according to the latest survey by the polling and market research agency Survation. Beijing News commented on Tuesday:

The Survation report, which concludes that UK voters might choose differently if another Brexit referendum was held, is a mirror of the changing public sentiment in the country. Prime Minister Theresa May's setback in last month's snap general election suggests that more UK citizens are feeling the pain following the decision to separate from the EU.

Their "nostalgia" for the good old days before the vote to leave is understandable. The UK's divorce from the world's largest single market means they may lose privileges such as visa-free travel within the bloc. The British currency faces further devaluation, and UK enterprises could be tempted to leave their country to maintain their EU operations, adding to the risk of job cuts in the UK.

At a European summit last month, May promised to make a "fair and serious" offer to guarantee the rights of 3 million EU citizens living in the UK. Her offer, of course, will hinge on a reciprocal deal covering 1 million UK citizens living in the remaining 27 EU countries.

That should add some certainty to the Brexit negotiations, highlighting the fact that London and Brussels still need each other as much as they did half a century ago.

The UK made strenuous efforts then to be included in the bloc, which was called the European Community, before it finally gained entry in 1973. It helped build the bloc's monetary system, contributed to the free flow of personnel, commodities, capital and services, and enhanced the EU's defense capabilities. On the other hand, it relies heavily on the EU market. A happy breakup is virtually impossible then.
Have you ever had an irresistible urge to have an ice cream on a scorching summer day? Many adults may claim to know better and refuse to indulge a craving for the frozen dessert, but not perhaps the kids.

No matter how much they like the differently flavored, sweet, frozen dairy products, some adults would still say no to an ice cream even on a hot and sultry day because of the sugar in it. And sugar, we know, helps us put on weight, which in turn could increase our chances of developing a heart disease.

I, too, would refuse an ice cream on a hot, humid day, but not because of its sugar content. Instead, I would refuse because of the traditional Chinese medicine philosophy, which says the inner human body is cool in the summer like an underground cell - several degrees cooler than the temperature outside. In fact, too much cold food such as ice cream could be detrimental to the functioning of the stomach and spleen.

Moreover, I believe in the paradox, the more delicious a food is, the more caution one needs to exercise before having it. Actually, it's better to avoid greasy and sugary food. When a kind of food appeals too much to your palate, you need to be careful or at least know the amount your stomach can easily digest, so that your overall health is not affected. Never get carried away.

This paradox is also true for other things in life. Many prefer taking a hot shower in the winter. But taking a shower with water at room temperature is healthier, although not comfortable. A friend once told me that even in the winter he takes a shower with water at room temperature, which has helped him avoid cough and cold and many chronic diseases.

Ice cream is not poisonous but not necessarily healthy. In the same way, not everything that tastes, feels, looks or sounds good is necessarily good for you, especially if it can lead to addiction. And ice cream, like many other things - alcohol and cigarettes, for instance - can be addictive.

On the other hand, foods that don't taste so good are usually better for your health. For example, bitter melon helps drive the excessive heat out of your body, even though it doesn't taste good. The added advantage with such foods is that there is little chance of becoming addicted to them.

We should always bear in mind a quote from Confucius "seeking pleasure (but) never with indulgence", which means always you should know how much of which type of food, irrespective of how delicious it is, you should eat.

Not just ice cream, all seemingly good foods and drinks or other seemingly good things - money and power, for example - are only good to the extent to which you can eat or use them without causing harm to yourself or others (think of the people who will have to rush you to the hospital in an emergency or take care of you when you fall ill and thus suffer the ugly consequences of your overindulgence.

This is not say you should never have an ice cream. Have, by all means. But always remember there is a limit to everything.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. zhuyuan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/05/2017 page9)
An Auburn man was arrested for giving officers a false name and possessing stolen property after a car accident last week, New York State Police said.

According to a press release, on Friday, June 30, troopers responded to a motor vehicle accident on Route 318 in the town of Junius. Upon arrival, officers discovered that 23-year-old Supreme R. Hines, of Auburn, had been in a minor accident that caused some property damage.

At first, troopers said Hines gave officers a false name. However, troopers later determined his true identity.

In addition, police said a search of Hines' vehicle revealed "booster" bags containing merchandise from various stores.

Hines was charged with criminal impersonation and criminal possession of stolen property. He was also charged with several traffic infractions and violations, including aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, following too closely and driving without a license or valid inspection certificate.

Hines was arraigned in the town of Tyre. He was remanded to Seneca County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail and is scheduled to return to court July 6.
The G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, takes place against the background of a rapidly changing global situation. For the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the three key questions are: How Germany can ensure the G20 partners continue to promote free trade and reject protectionism? How to save the Paris climate change agreement? And how to strengthen multilateral institutions against a broad anti-globalization trend?

These are Herculean tasks and may be beyond one G20 leader. Merkel surprised many by questioning whether Europe could still rely on the United States after US President Donald Trump's visits to the European Union and NATO headquarters in Brussels, and Sicily (to attend the G7 summit). She said Europe would have to do more for its own security given Trump's ambivalence on NATO, rejection of the Paris climate change agreement and "America First" trade policy. Other European leaders, with the exception of British Prime Minister Theresa May, supported Merkel. But most other G20 countries are seeking their own bilateral trade deals with the US and there is unlikely to be a 19-1 situation at the two-day Hamburg summit that begins on Friday.

Merkel will, however, seek to coax the US back into the Paris climate agreement, for which she should have the support of most of the other G20 members. Even though she may not succeed, she has to make the effort, not least because climate change is a top priority for German voters, and Germany is set to go to the polls in September. Merkel will also seek agreement to strengthen the multilateral institutions but again this may run into opposition from the Trump administration.

At the preparatory meetings for the summit, the US refused to agree any wording supporting free trade or combating protectionism, reflecting the internal disputes in the Trump administration over the future course of US trade policy. Trump has already pulled the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and announced that he wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. The prospects for a transatlantic trade agreement are unknown. And given the impasse on trade, it is unlikely that there will be any agreement on strengthening the World Trade Organization or any related bodies.

Regional security issues, migration and refugee flows, poverty, hunger and epidemics will be included on the G20 agenda. Berlin will also seek to reduce the likelihood and negative impact of possible future crises through forward-looking cooperation. In Merkel's view, supported by the EU, the need for international cooperation with a view to shaping growing global connectivity for the benefit of all has never been greater.

As the G20 chair, Germany will press other members to implement structural reforms and stability-oriented macroeconomic policies with focus on the resilience of individual economies. Germany has never been a fan of borrowing or allowing national debt to get out of hand. But here it may face opposition from Japan as well as some EU members, including France and Italy. In addition, Berlin will continue to promote cooperation on international financial and taxation issues, employment, and trade and investment. The Hamburg summit will review the numerous pledges agreed at last year's summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, including on corruption and money laundering.

Since Germany wants the G20 to accept that tackling migration and refugee flows is a shared responsibility, Merkel may emphasize the need for a stronger commitment to end the conflict in Syria and to further develop approaches in order to ensure Africa's sustainable economic progress. This will be linked to a discussion on agriculture, water supplies, energy, healthcare and food security.

Like China last year, Germany can be expected to organize an efficient summit. But even the best-prepared summits can be hijacked by sudden emergencies, so the arrangements, apart from being efficient, should also be flexible. And if Merkel can achieve even half of her ambitious agenda, then the summit can be described as a success.

The author is the director of the EU-Asia Centre in Brussels.
The G20 meeting 2017 is held in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7-8. [File photo]

At the risk of understatement, it is fair to say that the forthcoming G20 meeting in Hamburg is different from previous ones.

Right from the start it was a mismanaged mess. The German government wanted to show the world that in a democracy, protests are tolerated, and therefore it was decided to hold the summit in a port city. What has resulted, however, is extreme strain to the law enforcement services, and police, and increasing protests, risking derailing the entire summit.

German officials are privately worried that security will be a huge concern, and if protests erupt like the G8 meeting in Genoa in 2001 plagued by violent demonstrations by the anti-globalization movement that led to protesters being shot and killed, that would be a terrible blow to Western unity in these fraught times.

Perhaps because of that, Chancellor Merkel chose a safe bet of climate change as the focal point of the summit. Literally every other topic would have proved contentious, threatening a split. Everything, from Islamic terrorism, to uncontrolled migration, to wars in Middle East, to ISIS developing operations in Asia, to potential conflicts in hotspots across the globe, to trade imbalance, on which the leaders of the worlds strongest economies believe there is no guaranteed consensus and no easy response.

Also, the environment is the one topic that finds the United States completely opposed to the rest of the group, so Chancellor Merkel would try to use it as a rallying cry in her potential bid to become leader of the free world.

But there are three more things that are important and require our attention.

The first, and most important, is that there is a chance of America-Europe trade war. The EU has a potential to become a hegemon. Yes, of course, it doesnt have the military might to dictate geopolitics, but it definitely has the economic prowess.

It has already used that economic power in coercive trade against China, India, Australia and US Last year, the EU fined Ireland for making a separate deal with Apple. This year, it imposed one of its largest-ever fines on Google. Adding insult to injury, Germans switched off a recent speech by the US commerce secretary midway, as everyone in the audience laughed.

The Germans have also opposed American sanctions against Russia, which they say are hurting the EU economy. The newspaper Der Spiegel recently listed a whole range of issues where Europe and America are threatening each other, and that doesnt look nice. In fact, it definitely smacks of wartime protectionism.

The United States doesnt intend to take this kindly. If theres one global power, which is capable to standing up to EU trade policies, and slap punitive measures, it is America. After walking out of the Paris climate deal, the US is threatening to enact a border reinforcement bill, raising the price of German imports, to enforce a demand that Germany does something to cut the trade deficit.

The question is, which side China will stand on. Will it side with US in case of a trade war? Or with Europe?

Which brings to the second most important issue, the talk between President Trump and President Xi. It is almost inevitable the focus will be North Korea. While Trump has changed remarkably since his campaigning days of vitriol, he doesnt quite understand the North Korean situation well.

This is why he depends on China, and it is imperative the momentum that was there in the last meeting between the leaders is carried forward. Trump is volatile, and the recent understanding between China and US on the total denuclearization of the Korean peninsula was perhaps the most positive thing that has happened in the last two years. That is a must and needs to continue.

There is, however, talk of the Xi-Trump romance is souring in the American media, after the introduction of sanctions by the US against a Chinese bank over its alleged dealings with North Korea. However, for the greater good of the region, that uncertainty needs to be overcome.

Finally, there will be a Trump-Putin meeting. The entire world will be watching Trump, to see if theres any concession from American side. Theres a section of American media portraying Trump as being in collusion with Russia. That is of course untrue, but the pressure will be on Trump to prove that he is tough with Russia.

He, however, will be seeking detente with Russia, and Russians will be watching him as well, to see what concessions can be wrung out of him. Ultimately, it depends on Europe. If Europe acts too tough with the US, President Trump, whimsical as he is, will align with Russia against EU.

That would be an interesting scenario indeed. And possibly an unpleasant one for Eastern Europeans.
London-based ICBC Standard Bank launched on Tuesday what it calls the first comprehensive data set measuring the health and connectivity of the economies along the Belt and Road, President Xi Jinping's signature international development and infrastructure plan.

The ICBC Belt and Road Economic Indices, compiled in partnership with Oxford Economics, were created to address the lack of an existing standardized framework for comparing Belt and Road countries.

Liu Xiaoming, China's Ambassador to the UK, said the China-UK collaboration would help the Belt and Road Initiative continue to deliver economic benefits along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The two indices - the ICBC Belt and Road Economic Health Index and the ICBC Belt and Road China Connectivity Index - will be updated regularly, allowing stakeholders to assess the impact of Belt and Road projects in member nations over time.

The Belt and Road Initiative has led to a mobilization of resources to 65 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Updated monthly, the Economic Health Index provides individual country indicators, helping investors to make informed decisions.

Jinny Yan, chief China economist at ICBC Standard Bank, said: "We're learning as we go, but this promises to be, as far as we are aware, the first and only comprehensive data source on the Belt and Road economies."

The inaugural index found that, despite sovereign and external risk at multi-year highs, economic health is at a decade high driven by an improvement in market fundamentals.

The top macro-performers fall into two categories. The "big three" of China, India, and Vietnam  large emerging markets with strong growth prospects; and the "nimble four" of Qatar, Singapore, Estonia and the United Arab Emirates  smaller markets with good quality investment climates.

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) currently enjoys the highest average economic health score across the Belt and Road regions, with the Middle East and North Africa region lagging towards the bottom due to a prolonged period of low oil prices and recent geopolitical tension.

The China Connectivity Index will be updated twice a year and is designed to track economic connectivity between China and Belt and Road economies by monitoring activity across trade, capital, and the movement and employment of people.

Contact the writer at angus@mail.chindailyulk.com
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]

Ministry urges DPRK not to take any actions that violate UN resolutions

Beijing called for all related parties to exercise restraint and urged Pyongyang to stop actions that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea declared the success of an international ballistic missile launch on Tuesday.

The DPRK lauded the launch of the ICBM as a historic event in boosting its defense capabilities to counter the threats of the United States, Korean Central Television reported in a special program.

DPRK leader Kim Jong-un signed the order to carryout the test-firing of the ICBM Hwasong-14 on Monday and personally conducted the launch, "declaring before the world its shining success", it said.

"We've noticed related reports, and we are collecting information about the launch and closely following the developing situation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news conference in Beijing.

Under UN Security Council resolutions, Pyongyang is banned from testing any ballistic missile technology, Geng said, and China is opposed to any DPRK launch activity that is against the resolutions.

"We urge the DPRK not to take any more actions that violate UNSC resolutions and to create necessary conditions for the resumption of talks and negotiations," he said.

Geng also expressed hope that all related parties will keep calm and restrained, de-escalate the tension on the Korean Peninsula, and pull the issue back to the right track of peaceful talks as soon as possible.

In another development, China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi warned on Monday that further escalation of already high tensions with the DPRK risks getting out of control.

China took over the UN Security Council presidency in July.

Liu reiterated the Chinese "suspension for suspension" proposal packagesuspension of nuclear and ballistic testing on the part of the DPRK, and suspension of military exercises on the part of the US and the Republic of Korea.

"This is a feasible proposal because it accommodates all of the major parts that confront the region," Liu said. "We do hope that the other parties will be more forthcoming on accepting and supporting these proposals."

Xinhua contributed to this story.
In Russian, the word "Kremlin" means citadel, indicating state power. But it's more than that for Elena Gagarina, director of Moscow Kremlin Museums. For her, the complex is a unique historical and architectural ensemble, dating to the 16th century and comprising cathedrals, palaces of tsars and the residence of Russia's president.

At a museum summit in Hong Kong in late June, Gagarina, daughter of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, said cultural exchanges between museums are important for building up understanding between countries.

With that in mind, Kremlin Museums will host an exhibition dedicated to Chinese emperors in the spring of 2019. The following year, a reciprocal exhibition from Moscow is planned at the Palace Museum in Beijing.

"We have already identified exhibits that will travel to China," she said. "Among them are coronation robes, liturgical items, armor, coins, medals, etchings and watercolors related to coronation ceremonies held in the Assumption Cathedral," Gagarina said.

Collections are not the only things the two sides can share; they also have common experiences. The Palace Museum moved many key collections to West China in the 1930s to protect them from the imminent Japanese invasion. The Kremlin escorted its collections eastward in the 1940s to Yekaterinburg, as German troops approached Moscow.

Gagarina said her museums have learned from the Palace Museum's experience and will soon release a smartphone app. And a virtual exhibition hall will be opened in the near future, with an extension on Moscow's Red Square to provide display space for the large collection, she said.

Beijing's Palace Museum has a daily visitor quota of 80,000. Kremlin Museums intends to limit its own annual traffic to fewer than 1.8 million visitors. The complex received 2.5 million visitors in 2016.

While she knows that the function of virtual exhibitions is to relieve crowd pressure and show artifacts that are hard to reach or need protection, Gagarina said there is no substitute for actually visiting the museums.

In 2015, Kremlin Museums presented an exhibition titled Armory Treasure House of Russian Monarchs at the Shanghai Museum. More than 640,000 visitors came during the three-month run.

In recent years, the Russian museum has made efforts to expand its influence among Chinese. For example, Chinese-speaking tour guides have been hired, and a Chinese-language website was created last year.

About 100,000 visitors from China came to Kremlin Museums in 2013, but the number skyrocketed to more than 300,000 in 2016.

"We are working on making our Chinese visitors feel more comfortable at the Kremlin," Gagarina said.

Contact the writers at edward@chinadailyhk.com
Chinese, French and Iranian energy giants signed a $4.8 billion deal to develop the world's largest natural gas reserve in the Persian Gulf on Monday.

The parties-China National Petroleum Corp, France's Total and the National Iranian Oil Co through its Petropars subsidiary - will develop the South Pars gas field, the first major energy investment since sanctions against Iran were lifted early last year. Production is to begin within 40 months, according to the agreement.

The French company will have a 50.1 percent interest, with CNPC owning 30 percent and Petropars 19.9 percent.

As China's biggest oil and gas producer, CNPC "can provide experience in gas development, needed investment and access to the Chinese market for this project", said Wang Lu, an analyst from Bloomberg Intelligence.

The investment could further diversify China's import sources and secure the country's natural gas supply, he said.

China aims to raise the share of gas in primary energy consumption to a range of 8.3 to 10 percent in 2020, from 5.9 percent in 2015, Wang said. He added that China will rely more on gas imports to achieve the target.

CNPC said it was finalizing details with the Iranian side.

Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the country's oil industry needs some $200 billion in investment over the next five years. The country, with its 33.5 trillion cubic meters of proven reserves, ranks first in the world, according to BP.

According to the International Energy Agency, the South Pars field holds an estimated 51 trillion cubic meters of gas. It accounts for approximately 19 percent of the world's total gas reserve.

"Iran's crude oil supplies to China have remained consistent and fairly stable," said Oceana Zhou, an analyst at S&P Global Platts.

With the new deal, China and Iran are expected to further enhance cooperation in the energy sector, Zhou said. "This is a mutually beneficial relationship, as Iran needs international partners to develop both its upstream and refining sector."

Challenges also exist, including "geopolitical risks and currency instability", said Liang Jin, manager of natural gas department at Beijing-based JLC Network Technology Co.

"Offshore investments are often exposed to these challenges, especially in Iran. But the transcontinental collaboration will, to some extent, lower project risks and present an irresistible opportunity for all parties," she said.

Asked the reasons behind Chinese energy giants' overseas expansion, Zhou said: "They are investing in foreign upstream projects with the aim of establishing themselves as international companies and upgrading their profiles. Energy security concerns are weaker now with the ample availability of oil and access to resources."

Contact the writers at jingshuiyu@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 07/05/2017 page1)
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, stands with Princess Charlotte and Prince George, who were flower boys and girls at the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield, Britain May 20, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - Kensington Palace says the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will take their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, along with them when they tour Germany and Poland.

The palace says Monday that the five-day tour beginning July 17 in Warsaw will feature appearances by the royal children. The trip is being seen as an effort to bolster Britain's goodwill ties with Europe amid the country's negotiations to leave the 28-nation European Union.

The palace says the royals are looking "forward to a busy and impactful tour," and are happy as a family to meet "such important friends of the United Kingdom."

William and Kate Middleton also took George, 3, and Charlotte, 2, on an official tour to Canada last year.

AP
SEOUL -- The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States on Wednesday conducted joint ballistic missile exercises a day after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) declared a successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that the missile units of the ROK and the US carried out joint ballistic missile drills in the East Sea at 7 am local time (2200 GMT on Tuesday) in response to the DPRK's repeated ballistic missile provocations.

The joint exercises mobilized the South Korean military's Hyunmoo-II ballistic missiles and the eighth US Army's ATACMS ground-to-ground missiles to show their combined capability in emergency situations, the statement said.

The joint missile drills followed the DPRK's claim on Tuesday that it successfully test-fired a new type of ICBM, called Hwasong-14, which flew about 930 km and was lofted as high as some 2,800 km.

The joint drills were conducted as South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed it to US President Donald Trump, Yoon Young-chan, Moon's senior press secretary, told reporters.

President Moon said it would be necessary to clearly show the South Korea-US combined missile preparedness to the DPRK as just announcing a statement was not enough.
Brendt Christensen (middle) , the 28-year-old Illinois man charged with kidnapping Zhang Yingying, and the two images sketched by Lin Yuhui. [Photo/People's Daily Online]

FBI agents were amazed by a Chinese police officer who created the sketch of the man accused of kidnapping a Chinese scholar based on only grainy surveillance video clip, according to People's Daily Online.

Lin Yuhui, a police sketch artist from East China's Shandong province, said he was closely following the case of missing Zhang Yingying, a visiting scholar at the University of illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was recommended to the US police to help with the investigation.

On June 17, Lin and three top Chinese video analysts received the video clip from US police.

They spent two days analyzing the video frame by frame as it was of low definition and was shot far away from where Zhang got into the suspect's car.

"This was not merely sketching. First you need to extract useful information from the video," Lin said.

Judging from the grainy profile in the clip, Lin thought the suspect was sturdy and of medium shape. He also managed to create general outline of the suspect's face.

Lin drew two images based on the limited information, which were then handed to US police through China's consulate-general in Chicago. Lin was told that the FBI agents were amazed by how he was able to sketch from such a grainy footage.

Lin is famous in China for his ability to spot clues and produce accurate sketches of suspects either from blurred photos or surveillance footages. His skills have solved many major cases.

Lin has sketched about 70,000 faces in his career, mainly people he has observed in public places such as railway stations. He also uses facial features that remain relatively unchanged over time to create portraits of missing children.

The FBI arrested the suspect, Brendt Christensen, a 28-year-old Illinois man on June 30, 21 days after Zhang went missing. However, the victim has not been found and is believed by authorities to be dead.
An Auburn woman and a Moravia man were arrested Sunday following an incident in Cayuga County, New York State Police said.

In a press release Wednesday, police said troopers were dispatched to Moravia on July 2 following a complaint of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

While interviewing the victim, officers said 30-year-old Chelsea C. Albanese, of Auburn, returned the vehicle in question. Soon after, 27-year-old Derek A. Beckwith, of Moravia, allegedly arrived on scene with a black case that contained needles and empty bags of heroin. He also had a container filled with crack residue and a pipe, police said.

Beckwith was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and released on an appearance ticket. He is scheduled to appear in Moravia Town Court on July 13.

Meanwhile, Albanese was charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Albanese  who is on parole for third-degree welfare fraud, first-degree identity theft and misuse of food stamps  was remanded to Cayuga County Jail without bail.
5th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education

Beijing, July 5, 2017

BEIJING DECLARATION ON EDUCATION

We, the BRICS Ministers of Education and assigned representatives of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of South Africa,

Having met in Beijing, the People's Republic of China on July 4th and 5th, 2017 to discuss education reforms, approaches to promoting equity in education and fostering quality education, strengthening BRICS collaboration in the field of education, and exchange of students and scholars and teaching faculty among BRICS Member States;

Recalling Brasilia Declaration on March 2nd, 2015, Moscow Declaration on November 18th, 2015 and New Delhi Declaration on September 30th, 2016;

Committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)-Education 2030 which aims to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all" that was set within The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

Recognizing the significance of collaboration in the field of education for enhancing the overall partnership among BRICS Member States and enhancing people to people exchanges to a higher level;

Realizing that the scale of education development in BRICS Member States is expanding rapidly, and that all Member States face common challenges in promoting educational equity, accessibility and in improving the quality of education;

Considering that higher education contributes to the development of high-level human resources and intellectual support for the economic and social development, studies of BRICS Member States will enhance the mutual understanding between each Member State; and

Recognizing that the mobility of faculty and students, and sharing of information among the Member States is of great importance for the implementation of the consensus arrived at the Meetings of BRICS Ministers of Education;

For ensuring coordinated and deeper cooperation among the Member States, hereby declare to:

1. Reiterate support for the BRICS Network University (NU) to collaborate in the fields of education, research and innovation. Encourage universities to participate in the BRICS University League.

2. Increase cultural cooperation through language education and multilingualism to promote mutual understanding of the history and culture of BRICS Member States.

3. Undertake initiatives to promote professionalization of academics in higher education through the BRICS Network University as a focus of future education development.

4. Encourage more teachers and educational administrators to learn from experiences of other countries in improving teacher quality and performance, and promoting the development of education through international exchanges.

5. Strengthen cooperation in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), share ideas and experiences in the development of vocational educators, and develop projects that are of common interests to BRICS Member States.

6. Recognize the importance of BRICS Think Tanks Council (BTTC),BRICS Network University as well as other BRICS initiatives, and encourage the streamlining of mechanisms for their closer cooperation to ensure the alignment of their work.

7. Emphasize the importance of streamlining the cooperation among educational think tanks and education researchers, and welcome China's invitation to host a conference to explore possible cooperation among the various entities in BRICS Member States.

8. Encourage the organization of "youth winter/summer camps" to reinforce communication and cultural exchanges among the young generation from BRICS Member States.

9. Encourage Member States to expand the number of scholarship opportunities to students across BRICS Member States.

10. Share the experiences and practices in achieving the SDG4-Education 2030 targets in order to foster a more favorable policy environment, adopt effective practices, andadvocate for globaleducationalpolicies that take into account the common concerns and priorities of the BRICS Member States.

11. Encourage the participation in the 3rd BRICS NU Annual Conference to be held in 2018, in Cape Town, South Africa and in the BRICS Global Business and Innovation Conference to be held in September 2017, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, and the Republic of South Africa extend their appreciation to the government of the People's Republic of China for hosting the 5thMeeting of BRICS Ministers of Education.

The English version of this Declaration has been signed on July 5th, 2017 in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The Declaration has been executed in five (5) original copies, each copy being equally authentic and valid.

Federative Republic of Brazil

Russian Federation

Republic of India

People's Republic of China

Republic of South Africa




China's Global Newspaper





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President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrive for an official welcoming ceremony for a pair of pandas, one male and one female, at the Berlin Zoo on Wednesday. JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP

President, German leader find many points of consensus during visit

China and Germany signed a number of documents on Wednesday to boost cooperation in such areas as investment, trade, aerospace and panda protection during President Xi Jinping's second state visit to the European country.

Meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Xi said that as the world's second- and fourth-largest economies, China and Germany are two great forces with significant influence on the stability of Eurasia.

The conversation with Merkel was productive, Xi told reporters afterward, noting that he had reached many new points of agreement with the German leader on such issues as enhancing political trust, boosting pragmatic cooperation and strengthening collaboration on global affairs.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including Syria and the Korean Peninsula, Xi said.

Xi arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany. The first was in March 2014. It is the second stop of Xi's European tour, which also took him to Russia. While in Germany, he will travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit.

The president said that China and Germany will make joint efforts to push projects forward under the Belt and Road Initiative and explore third-party markets, since the interconnection of Eurasia will bring major opportunities.

In an early signal, major European aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced on Wednesday that it had signed a deal with China Aviation Supplies Holding Co to supply 100 A320 and 40 A350 aircraft. The deal was valued at about $22.8 billion.

Noting that the two countries had signed a document to cooperate on a hydropower project in Angola, Merkel said Germany is willing to participate in such projects under the Belt and Road framework.

She also said Germany supported pushing forward negotiations toward an EU-China investment treaty and will continue to contribute to deepening EU-China cooperative ties.

Merkel also expressed gratitude for China's support of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

Economic and trade relations between Germany and China have reached a high level, not only with respect to goods but in technology exchange, she added.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany diplomatic ties. During Xi's first state visit to Germany, the countries lifted bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Bilateral trade volume reached $151.3 billion in 2016, and China became Germany's largest trading partner for the first time last year.

Ulrich Blum, a German economist at Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, said the two countries are ideal partners that complement each other in various fields.

Germany has a stable industrial structure and high-end technology. What it lacks is markets of sufficient size in which it can roll out its competencies and scale up production. Those are available in China, Blum said.

China's intelligent workforce has generated growth rates in recent decades of about 10 percent annually, he said, adding that it is one of the key factors in Germany's global success.

Zhou Wa contributed to this story.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
President Xi Jinping receives the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle from Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Photo/Agencies

President receives high honor for friendship in meeting with Putin

Beijing's special relationship with Moscow will continue to develop no matter what happens in the rest of the world, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday during his sixth trip to Russia as China's top leader.

The two countries are dedicated to boosting mutual political trust, connecting the Belt and Road with the Eurasian Economic Union and coordinating closely in global affairs, Xi said, adding that the bilateral ties have added positive energy on the path to global peace and development.

He made a state visit to Russia on Monday and Tuesday before traveling to Germany for a state visit and to attend the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have maintained close contact this year. Xi highlighted their intensive talks on Monday, during which the two leaders "reached lots of new consensuses".

China and Russia have always backed each other on issues related to each other's core interests, Xi said, adding that the two countries have also maintained close and effective coordination on regional and global issues.

"No matter how the outside environment changes, the China-Russia relationship will not be affected," Xi said.

Noting that Xi selected Russia as the first country to visit after becoming Chinese president in 2013, Putin said Russia appreciated the gesture and cherished the friendship.

With joint efforts made by both sides, the two countries have made progress in the areas of economics, trade, military, technology and people-to-people communication, Putin said, adding that they have also had constructive interactions in international affairs.

Two joint statements were issued on Tuesday outlining the main political outcomes of the visit. One concerned bilateral ties focusing on the development of China-Russia cooperation in various fields. The other dealt with global issues, with Russia and China declaring a unified position on important regional and international matters.

The two presidents also witnessed the signing of a number of documents to boost cooperation in such areas as investment, energy, finance and agriculture and approved the 2017-20 implementation outline for the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between China and Russia.

The foreign ministries of both countries also issued a joint declaration on the Korean Peninsula issue.

Putin presented Xi with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of Russia's highest honors, for his prominent work in strengthening friendship between the peoples of Russia and China.

"This is not only an honor for me but also a symbol of the great importance that Russia attaches to relations with China, and the Russian people's friendly feelings toward the Chinese people," Xi said at the award ceremony.

Xi's meeting with Putin was the third so far this year. They have met a total of 22 times.

In early June, Xi and Putin met in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Before that, Xi hosted Putin in Beijing during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which brought together dozens of heads of state in May to discuss issues of common concern.

Zhang Jingquan, a professor of Northeast Asian studies at Jilin University, said that the steady development of China-Russia relations is good for the stability of the Eurasian continent.

Both countries, which have sought political solutions to the Syrian conflict and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, have played the role of a "ballast stone" in safeguarding regional and global peace and stability, Zhang said.

The closer relationship between Xi and Putin has become a "locomotive" for cementing the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, said Chen Yurong, a senior Eurasian studies researcher at the China Institute of International Studies.

China has been Russia's largest trading partner for years, and Russia is China's major source of cutting-edge machinery and other high-tech imports.

Last year, China and Russia managed to reverse the downtrend in bilateral trade, bringing up volume by 2.2 percent to $69.5 billion.
President Xi Jinping's visit to Germany, following Premier Li Keqiang's visit a month ago, shows China's strong commitment to deepening its partnership with the country and further developing Sino-EU relations, according to Shi Mingde, Chinese ambassador to Germany.

The two leaders also had visited in 2014, making for "a rarely seen diplomatic move in Sino-German relations and even in China's history of foreign relations," Shi told China Daily in an exclusive interview in Berlin. "So this has gained growing attention from the world."

Xi made his first state visit to Germany in early 2014, followed by an official visit by Li.

Shi said China's paying consistent attention to Germany will win "special hospitality and arrangements" from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has visited China more than 10 times as chancellor.

Shi considers Germany a "core power" in Europe, with powerful comprehensive strength, which exerts great influence on the global stage.

"China and Germany share growing common ground in developing bilateral relations, solving regional and global difficulties, and exploring development opportunities," Shi said.

Such overlapping interests have helped Germany become China's biggest trading partner in Europe for a consecutive 42 years, according to Shi.

Last year, China replaced the United States to become Germany's largest trading partner. Trade between China and Germany accounts for one-third of the trade between China and the 28 countries of the European Union, Shi said, citing German government figures.

"Germany has shown great confidence in China's market potential and economic prospects," Shi said. "China admires Germany's high-tech industry and management experience."

Shi said Germany, for years, has been the most generous country in Europe regarding technology transfers to China.

Shi said Xi will talk with German leaders about deepening cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, one of the most important topics on their agenda.

"Many cases have shown that China and Germany can work together to explore greater market potential in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world through the Belt and Road Initiative," Shi said.

China Daily
President Xi Jinping and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speak about the need to improve interconnectivity, including high-speed rail construction, during their meeting on Tuesday in Moscow. Xi also proposed working with Russia to develop the Arctic passage into a new Silk Road. Reuters

President Xi Jinping called on Tuesday for cooperation on the Arctic passage with Russia to help jointly build a Silk Road through the ice.

Xi made the remark during his meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin in Moscow on his two-day state visit to Russia.

Xi also called for the implementation of projects to boost interconnection.

Calling Russia an important partner in advancing the building of the Belt and Road, Xi said that the two countries have huge potential and a bright future in pragmatic cooperation.

Both should expand cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, investment and energy; implement major cooperation projects in manufacturing; and enhance high-speed rail cooperation, Xi said. He also called for more efforts to push forward the construction of the Moscow-Kazan high-speed rail project as soon as possible.

The two countries should deepen local-level cooperation, and give priority to working together in cross-border infrastructure construction, resource exploitation, modern agricultural methods and production capacity, he said.

The two countries should also expand people-to-people exchanges in education, culture, sports, tourism and media, Xi said.

He said China is confident of working with Russia to deal with global challenges.

They should stick to mutual support and mutual openness, expand cooperation to create a good environment for the development of their relations and use more power to maintain world peace and stability, Xi said.

Medvedev said that Moscow would like to expand cooperation with Beijing in such areas as trade, investment, finance, energy, agriculture, aircraft manufacturing, infrastructure and the Arctic passage.

The Russian prime minister extended a warm welcome to Xi, saying that the Russia-China relationship has reached a high point in its history.

Noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May, Medvedev said that Russia is willing to cooperate with China to implement relevant key projects.

The Russia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination is good for the interests of the people of both countries, and also good for global peace and development, he said.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
MOSCOW - Russia and the United States are still discussing the timing of the first face-to-face encounter between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, expected to take place at a G20 summit in Germany on Friday, a Kremlin aide said on Monday.

Since Trump was elected US president, Russia has been keenly anticipating his first meeting with Putin, hoping it would trigger a reset in US-Russia relations that plunged to post-Cold War lows under Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.

But with Trump embroiled in a row at home over his associates' alleged links to Moscow, the encounter with Putin has become a minefield.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters the Trump-Putin meeting would happen on the sidelines of the summit on Friday in Hamburg, RIA news agency reported. But it was not yet finalized how it would fit into the summit's schedule.

"We will be looking for certain breaks, windows to hold this, the most important, meeting," Ushakov said.

"We have a lot of issues, which should be discussed at the highest level. ... That's why this meeting, this first personal contact, is so important."

Asked about the agenda for the meeting, Ushakov said: "I've heard the Americans want to raise the issues of terrorism and Syria. It seems to me that would be pretty reasonable."

Ushakov said that ties between Russia and the US were at "zero level".

The Kremlin aide urged the US "to save us from the need to retaliate" against Washington for expelling Russian diplomats and seizing two Russian diplomatic compounds on US soil, one in Maryland and the other on Long Island. He said Moscow's patience "has its limits".

Obama ordered the expulsion of the 35 Russians in late December, seized the compounds, and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over what he said was their involvement in hacking political groups in the Nov 8 US presidential election.

Russia has denied interfering in the US election. Putin said at the time he would not retaliate immediately, in the expectation that relations would improve under Trump.

With no thaw materializing yet, Russian officials have said this month that they may now have to take "symmetrical" steps in retaliation.

Reuters - Ap
President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, July 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

MOSCOW - Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin pledged here Tuesday to build strong China-Russia ties into a ballast stone for world peace and stability as their two countries seek to coordinate even more closely for a better world.

The two heads of state also agreed to make the bilateral ties, described by Xi as currently "the best ever in history," to become a booster for the development of their each own country.

Noting that China and Russia are good neighbors, friends and partners, Xi told Putin during talks at the Kremlin that the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, which boasts a strong vitality and huge development potential and will be able to withstand the test of international vicissitudes.

"A continued, sound and steady development of China-Russia relations is conducive to maintaining the security and stability of the two countries, to their own development and revitalization, and to world peace, stability and prosperity as well," Xi said.

The Chinese leader highlighted his close exchanges with President Putin over the past several years, saying the frequent contacts have lent important impetus to the development of China-Russia relations.

This is Xi's sixth trip to Russia since taking office, and the third meeting between the two heads of state this year.

Xi lauded bilateral ties as "the best ever in history," citing that China and Russia have offered firm support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, well aligned the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, carried out flourishing cooperation in a wide range of areas, and maintained close, effective coordination on international and regional affairs.

"There is no end for our cooperation," Xi said. "The two countries should... deepen political and strategic mutual trust, increase mutual support, strengthen strategic coordination, boost practical cooperation, and forge closer people-to-people and cultural links."

Putin echoed Xi saying that the two countries have developed a high-standard relationship with a sound cooperation mechanism, and also, the two heads of state have developed a very good working relationship and a profound friendship.

He said that Xi's visit has achieved a complete success, and the Russian side is willing to work with the Chinese side to continue to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

During their talks, the two leaders vowed to abide by the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation no matter how the international landscape changes, bring into play the strategic guiding role of the two heads of state in bilateral relationship, maintain frequent high-level exchanges, and enhance both governmental and non-governmental cooperation.
President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, July 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

MOSCOW - President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, signed here Tuesday a joint statement on further deepening the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

Under new historical conditions, the two countries will devote to further consolidating their relations based on equality, trust, mutual support, common prosperity and enduring friendship, and promoting deeper political mutual trust, practical cooperation, security cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and international coordination, said the document.

Practices have proved that the China-Russia relations are mature and solid, unaffected by outside environments, and serve as an example for harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between global powers and neighbors, according to the statement.

The China-Russia relations have surpassed bilateral level, and become an important factor in safeguarding international strategic balance and world peace and stability, it said.

The two countries agreed that they will prioritize each other in diplomatic activities, support each other in safeguarding their core interests including sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, with the two heads of state continuing to play a strategic leading role in bilateral ties.

On practical cooperation, the two sides will carry on the synergy of their respective development strategies and the synergy between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Russia-led Eurasia Economic Union, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and consolidate the material basis for the development of China-Russia ties.

The two presidents spoke highly of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in May, and agreed on taking concrete measures to drive cooperation projects, including carrying out bilateral space cooperation in such fields as rocket engine, earth observation and moon exploration.

Cyber security, Arctic cooperation, trade, technology, connectivity, finance and the BRICS cooperation were also mentioned.

Xi and Putin also pledged to jointly push for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and expand the China-Russia people-to-people and cultural exchanges in the statement.
MOSCOW - President Xi Jinping met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, here on Tuesday, and the two leaders reached consensus on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, the deployment of anti-missile system in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, Syria and Afghanistan.

In a joint statement, the two presidents called for uttermost restraint of all parties concerned on the Korean Peninsula issue so as to ease the current escalating tensions, adding that Pyongyang should abide by relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Xi and Putin vowed to work together and establish a comprehensive and effective security mechanism in Northeast Asia as early as possible, so as to secure lasting peace and stability in the region.

Dialogue and consultation are the only viable solution to the Peninsula crisis, said the two leaders, adding that all parties concerned should actively echo China's efforts to resume talks.

They also opposed the unilateral installation of anti-missile system in Europe and the Asia-Pacific by some specific countries at the expense of others' security interests.

Specifically, the development of anti-missile system is alarming, as some countries use the excuse of the so-called missile threat to unilaterally deploy anti-missile systems in the two aforementioned regions, said the two leaders.

China and Russia strongly oppose such moves, as they will erode the regional strategic balance and stability, and harm the efforts of all parties concerned to thwart the proliferation of missiles and other deadly technologies.

Regarding the Syria issue, the two countries called for the respect of Syria's sovereignty and independence, and urged wide dialogue inside the Middle Eastern nation to settle the current crisis through political and diplomatic means.

The United Nations should play a leading role in managing the peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition and combating international terrorism, according to the document.

China and Russia spoke highly of the latter's sending of its air force to Syria at the invitation of the Syrian government in a bid to conduct anti-terrorism targets and protect the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

As for the Syrian chemical weapon, Xi and Putin said all relative parties should respect the country's sovereignty, and support the independent and comprehensive investigation of this issue by reliable agencies based on solid evidences, so as to reach undisputed conclusions.

They also denounced any use of chemical weapons by anybody at any place.

Speaking of the situation in Afghanistan, Xi and Putin expressed worries over the expansion of extremist terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in the Asian country.
In what is referred to as an "extraordinary session," the state Legislature last week returned to Albany after officially closing the 2017 session a handful of days earlier.

What those legislators did, however, hardly fits the diction definition of the word "extraordinary." In fact, the business that took place and the way it was conducted couldn't have been any more ordinary.

First and foremost, it was ordinary because the process played out like so many other matters of public importance do in Albany  behind closed doors with leaders hammering out deals with little to no input from the rank-and-file legislators or the public. Then legislation was rushed to the Assembly and Senate floor with no time for review, voted through and signed by the governor into law.

So what was in the "extraordinary" legislation? Just stuff that should have been taken care weeks ago: New York City mayoral control of schools, extension of sales tax provisions for most of the state's counties and the measure for Lake Ontario flooding relief that already had been unanimously approved once before.

And just to illustrate their priorities, they also decided it was important to fold in the naming of a downstate bridge after the late former Gov. Mario Cuomo, current Gov. Andrew Cuomo's father.

Aside from the bridge name, these were matters that needed to be taken care of, so New Yorkers should be happy that they were. But it should never have required additional taxpayer resources to be spent on bringing lawmakers back and conducting business outside the normal session.

This year's regular session was notable for its lack of substantive action after the budget was passed in early April. Essentially, lawmakers wasted two months of taxpayer-funded time, and then went into overtime in order to take care of some very basic business.

As the governor and Legislature that approves his agenda continue to shove unfunded mandates down onto municipalities and school districts  and lecture communities about the need to consolidation and work together  they should take a hard look at their own performance and resolve to fix their own flawed system of governing.

The Citizen Editorial Board includes publisher Rob Forcey, managing editor Mike Dowd and executive editor Jeremy Boyer.
The president of Oklahomas East Central University has issued a statement saying the university acted hastily in taking down Christian symbols in their chapel after receiving complaints from a secular group.

Heatstreet reports that Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent a letter to the university calling for them to remove the Christian symbols.

These displays include Latin crosses on the top of and inside the building, Bibles, and a Christian altar. While it is legal for a public university to have a space that can be used by students for religious worship so long as that space is not dedicated solely to that purpose, it is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to display religious iconography on government property. Please remove or cover the religious displays and items, read the letter.

The Christian items were subsequently removed from the chapel.

Now, however, President Katricia Pierson says university management regret their hasty decision.

We regret not taking time to pause and thoughtfully consider the request and the results of our actions on all of the students, faculty and community members who we serve, said a statement from Pierson.

ECU is committed to diversity and welcomes different perspectives. This is an opportunity to have a thoughtful dialogue, the statement continued.



The university is reportedly assembling a committee that will decide whether Christian symbols and items are allowed within the campus chapel.

Photo courtesy:Thinkstock/Ingram Publishing

Publication date: July 5, 2017
The Swedish government has told the Church of Sweden that ministers cannot refuse to marry same-sex couples.



The Christian Institute reports that Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced that ministers of the Church of Sweden should be required to marry same-sex couples, regardless of their opinions on homosexuality and gay marriage.



[N]o priest in the Swedish Church can refuse to marry same-sex couples, stated Lofven. If you work as a midwife you must be able to perform abortions, otherwise you have to do something else. It is the same for priests who do not want to perform same-sex marriages, he added.



Currently, ministers in the Swedish state church are allowed to opt out of performing weddings, baptisms, and funerals for any reason, so this would be a major change in policy.



Although requiring ministers to marry same-sex couples is not yet mandatory, Swedens national broadcaster SVT reported that the prime minister is in support of making it so.



Sweden legalized gay marriage in 2009, but the church has been much more cautious of fully embracing it.



Acceptance of gay marriage in churches around Europe is growing. At the end of May, as ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported, the Church of Scotland voted to ordain ministers who were in same-sex marriages. The Scottish Church does, however, allow individual congregations to opt out of this revised stance on marriage if they choose.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstock/dolgachov

Publication date: July 5, 2017
Religious and sexual freedoms have often been pitted against each other in various incidents throughout the past decades, and most recently, the issue was placed under the spotlight once again when the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of a Colorado Christian baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.

In such cases as this, though almost half (48 percent) of Americans believe that religious freedom is more important when it conflicts with sexual freedom, still, the other half either believe that sexual freedom should come first (24 percent) or are not sure (28 percent), according to a study by LifeWay Research published on June 27.

Its clear Americans value religious liberty, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. But when it comes to sex, they arent sure religion should have the final word. Thats especially true for younger Americans and those who arent religious.

Indeed, the study found that those in older age groups were more likely to say that religious freedom is more important. More than half of those in the 55 to 64 age group (55 percent) and those 65 or older (56 percent) said religious freedom is more important, while only 33 percent of those between 18 to 24 said the same.

Not surprisingly, those who identified themselves as being religious were also more likely to give more importance to religious freedom. More than half of Christians (59 percent) and those who affiliated themselves with other religious (53 percent) were more likely to say so than those who said they were not religious (15 percent).

The study also asked what people believe motivates those who oppose sexual freedoms. Almost half of respondents (49 percent) said they believe faith motivates those individuals, while 20 percent said hate, and 31 percent were unsure.

About one in five Americansoften those who arent religioussuspect these disputes are driven by hate, McConnell said. And a third arent sure. Thats concerning.
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.
Beginning as a despised, illicit religious sect, Christianity endured 300 years of hostility to emerge as the dominant force in the Roman Empire.

Early Christians expected suffering. Christ had died on the cross, so there was no higher honor than to imitate that death through accepting martyrdom (witness by ones blood). The Jewish legacy portrayed, in writings such as the Fourth Book of the Maccabees, the glorious nature of death rather than renunciation of Israel; even without this, Christianity would inevitably have held the martyrs death in high esteem. As the writer of 1 Peter expressed it, If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (4:16).

Why Were Christians Persecuted?

How was it that the church underwent such sacrifices? The Roman religion was not intolerant; Rome had accepted into its pantheon deities from the Italian tribes and from Asia Minor. In the provinces, the great territorial godssuch as Saturn in North Africa and Jehovah among the Jewswere accepted as legal religion on the grounds that their rites, even if barbarous, were sanctified by ancient tradition. Countless local gods and goddesses, worshiped by the ordinary inhabitants of the Greco-Roman world, were often provided with a classical equivalent name and worshiped as Roman deities.

Despite this toleration, by the early second century the Roman governor of Bithynia (on the Black Sea) had no hesitation in sending to immediate execution those who had been denounced as being Christians. The name alone was a sufficient death warrant.

Reasons for the persecution emerge from the record of Christianitys first three centuries.

Fratricidal Strife

Persecution did not begin with the Roman authorities. The New Testament writings tell of fratricidal strife between Jews and Christians, the latter ...
Step down from the stage and guide them in the learning experience.

Are folks in your congregation chomping at the bit to know Gods storythe Bible? I hope so, but thats often not the case. If you are a pastor or leader struggling to get people to engage in the text as I have, consider changing strategy. Try teaching Scripture as if you are wooing people to enter into the biblical story.

Ted Ward, one of my academic mentors, said, To know and not to do is not to know. I knew the Bible from my early years, winning Sword Drills and Bible memory contests. None of that was a waste, but my life was not changed by simply knowing Scripture. According to Ward, Its not that what we teach is worthless, but the way we teach it makes it useless. Most churches have teaching ministriesBible classes, Sunday school, childrens ministry, and even mens ministryso we are teaching our people. How well, though, does that teaching lead to life change?

A. W. Tozer, in Man: The Dwelling Place of God, made these radical statements:

In a very real sense no man can teach another; he can only aid him to teach himself. ... What the learner contributes to the learning process is fully as important as anything contributed by the teacher. If nothing is contributed by the learner the results are useless; at best there will be but the artificial creation of another teacher who can repeat the dreary work on someone else, ad infi nitum. ... Perception of ideas rather than the storing of them should be the aim of education. The mind should be an eye to see with rather than a bin to store facts in.

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, said in a December 2016 episode of The Phil Vischer Podcastthat evangelical pastors are skilled at developing ...
Google Censors Popular Abortion Information from Operation Rescue's Website

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue



WICHITA, Kan., July 5, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Operation Rescue has discovered that Google's search engine has manipulated search parameters to dramatically reduce exposure to a page containing important facts about abortion on the OperationRescue.org website.



The fact page Abortions in America, was - until six weeks ago - OperationRescue.org's most visited page. It previously appeared on Google in top five hits on the search "Abortions in US," and was a top referrer to OperationRescue.org. It has since been buried off the first results page and well down the list. The page was also dropped off the first page of results for the search "Abortion Statistics," which had been one of OperationRescue.org's top search referrals.



The Abortions in America page, which displays graphs and data about a wide variety of abortion facts, had been receiving an average of about 16,000 views per month - all with virtually no promotion.



Since the fact page was created in October 2012, web stats show the page steadily increased in popularity.



The page's views peaked in January 2017, at 37,111 views, and was well on the way to a record-breaking year. Within the month of May, views mysteriously decreased by more than half over the previous month. In June, it received only 1,512 views. During the last seven days of June, it only received 307 views.



It appears that OperationRescue.org has been singled out by Google for discrimination.



"Google's censorship of our popular 'Abortions in America' page has revealed Google's pro-abortion agenda that is determined to deprive the public from seeing the truth about abortion displayed in incontrovertible facts and statistics drawn from a number of sources, some of which are unique to Operation Rescue.org," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Why are they manipulating their powerful search engine to steer the public away from our popular website? We want people to know that targeted pro-life content is being buried by Google's search engine, which cannot be trusted."



Visit the abortion fact page Google censors don't want you to see.



View Documented Webstats for www.operationrescue.org/about-abortion/abortions-in-america



About Operation Rescue

Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Click here to support Operation Rescue.
Catholics Pray Public Act of Reparation in Cleveland Against Blasphemous Play 'The Testament of Mary' Contact: John Maymore, 570-861-4900



CLEVELAND, June 5, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- In downtown Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, July 8, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, The American TFP and its America Needs Fatima campaign will pray a public act of reparation in front of the Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre to protest the blasphemous play "The Testament of Mary." Event Details:



When: Saturday, July 8, 6:00 PM.



Where: Playhouse Square, 1407 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115



Why: To offer peaceful, prayerful, and public reparation to God and His holy mother Mary. It is scheduled to run for several weeks, and here are some of the aspects of the play for which Catholics will be making public, prayerful REPARATION!



Written by Colm Toibin, the 90-minute monologue-play was adapted from his 96 page novella of the same name and according to Media Research Center's press report, in the novella "The Testament of Mary" Mary proclaims of the death of Jesus only that "when you say that he redeemed the world, I will say that it was not worth it. It was not worth it."



an alienated Mary flees the scene of her Son's death in fear for her own life



Mary is filled with bitterness and rage: Mary's Son's preaching sounded to her "false, and his tone all stilted, and I could not bear to hear him, it was like something grinding and it set my teeth on edge."



Mary lives as a bandit, stealing to survive



Mary describes herself as "unhinged" and bubbling with contempt for her Son's demented followers, to the extreme that she threatens the Gospel writers with a knife



Mary's point of view is that her Son's followers must be stopped from making Jesus a god, "or else everything that happened will become a sweet story that will grow poisonous as bright berries that hang low on trees." In response, Catholics will offer a fervent, prayerful and public Rosary, hymns and chants of reparation to offset the sins of blasphemy in "The Testament of Mary."



God-fearing Americans are invited to come out in person for this prayerful event and show Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Sorrowful Mother how much we love and honor them.



Please call the Mamai Theatre Company to kindly yet firmly protest the offensive play. Mamai Theatre Company phone number: (440) 394 - 8353.



For more information or for interviews, please call John Marymore at (570) 861-4900.

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Carved for the tomb of a king, and shrouded in mystery for more than 200 years

The Beauneveu Lions were commissioned in the 14th century by Charles V of France for his tomb at the Basilica of St. Denis, Paris, where they remained until the French Revolution. Now they are to be offered in the The Exceptional Sale on 6 July in London

Europe in the 14th century had not yet undergone the territorial consolidations that would result in the modern notion of the nation state. Individual courts vied with each to assert their pre-eminence, with the wealthiest rulers attempting to attract the most important artists to convey their cultural sophistication. It was amid this political background that the 26-year-old Charles V of France came to the throne in 1364, and shortly after his accession he commissioned one of the most important sculptors in Europe to carve tombs for himself, his father and his paternal grandparents. Documents show that Andre Beauneveu executed these tombs between 1364 and 1366, and that they were set up in the royal necropolis of the Basilica of St. Denis on the outskirts of Paris. Considered to be one of the most important art-historical monuments of the period, Charles Vs own tomb remained at St. Denis for more than 400 years. The tombs were very elaborate and they had architectural elements surrounding them and around the base of the sarcophagus, explains Donald Johnston, Christies International Head of European Sculpture. These lions, which have now resurfaced, were originally at the feet of the effigy.

Open a larger version of this image Andre Beauneveu, carved marble group of two addorsed lions, dating from 1364-66. 17 in (45 cm) wide; 11 in (29.2 cm) high; 4 in (12 cm) deep. This lot is offered on 6 July in The Exceptional Sale at Christies London

Johnston describes the lions as a beautiful work of art which have a certain monumentality, and great character. They are also, the specialist adds, an important document for Beauneveu: For his style, and for the whole history of patronage of the royal courts in northern Europe in the 14th century. During the French Revolution, which erupted 409 years after the death of Charles V, the French royal family came to represent everything that people hated about the Ancien Regime. In 1793 the revolutionary government organised for the tombs at St. Denis to be dismantled. The archaeologist Alexandre Lenoir (1769-1839) recognised the significance of the sculptural heritage at St. Denis, and attempted to salvage what he could from destruction by the government and populace. The effigy itself was saved for a newly established museum of French monuments, but the lions that originally sat at the feet of the effigy were separated from it. In 1802 an English aristocrat, Thomas Neave (1761-1848), the son of a wealthy merchant and former governor of the Bank of England, acquired the lions, probably from Lenoir, while on the Grand Tour. Neave was known as a serious collector, and it would seem that he used his Grand Tour as an opportunity to acquire works of art that were coming onto the market as a result of the political instability of the period. Until their recent re-emergence, the survival of the lions in the collection of Neaves descendants had been unknown to scholars of Andre Beauneveu.

There is an existing drawing from the 18th century of how the effigies looked with the animals at their feet
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A New York-based developer plans to build a high-rise, mixed-use hotel in Houston's swanky River Oaks neighborhood.

EQX River Oaks LLC has filed an application with the city planning and development commission to develop a 214-room Equinox hotel with ground floor restaurant space on Westcreek Lane, near the corner of Westheimer and Loop 610.

VIDEO: Houston resident's security camera catches River Oaks condo demolition

The new project joins a long list of luxury high-rise developments in Houston's quickly densifying uptown area.

More Information b See More Collapse

Equinox is an operator of high-end gyms that last year announced plans to build its own line of luxury fitness-focused hotels, with its first projects slated to open in Manhattan and Los Angeles by early 2019.

In addition to hotel rooms, the building will sport about 70 apartments.

In its application to build the hotel entrance on a residential street, the developer framed the project as part of a regional evolution in one of Houston's swankiest neighborhoods.

LUXURY LIFE: Part-time residents flock to luxury condos amid urban renaissance

"In recent years, this area has been evolving into an area for high-density mixed-use development," the application said. "The area character has transitioned."

The tract slated for development currently hosts a parking lot.
Precinct 4 constable

A Houston man is accused of conducting more than 700 fake vehicle inspections at West Orem Inspection and Lube.

Damien Deon Oliver, 39, is now facing two second-degree felony charges for tampering with a governmental record, according to a press release.
Audry Releford, a retired middle school teacher, stood in the middle of Francis Street last year as a Houston Police Department cruiser rolled by. It was the exact spot where his only son, Kenny, fell after being fatally shot in front of his own home by another HPD officer in 2012.

The grieving father had taken a strong stand in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in 2014 on behalf of all Houstonians like Kenny, who were unarmed or mentally ill or both when killed by HPD police officers.

Last week, Houston City Council approved a $260,000 settlement following a series of federal court rulings that had sided with Releford over the city of Houston's attorneys. It's the largest settlement in at least seven years in a case involving an unarmed man shot or killed by HPD officers.

In more than 150 cases from 2010-2015, the department had found all of those shootings to be "justified"  and Releford's lawsuit alleged it thereby established a custom of condoning use of lethal force against civilians, unarmed or not. As part of the case, previously secret reports on controversial shootings were released, including documents that contradicted an officer's account of the death of wheelchair-bound double amputee Brian Claunch; a report on the shooting of Rufino Lara, killed after his friend called police for help and on the shooting of two brothers by an off-duty officer who was legally drunk.

Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle

The last settlements in unarmed shooting cases by council were in 2016 when council paid $100,000 to the family of a wrecker driver who was shot and killed in 2009 after being confronted by an off-duty officer in a parking lot. Back in 2013, council paid $90,000 to an unarmed man shot by an off-duty officer who survived. The man was a bystander who was shot at a gas station.

The officer who shot Releford had responded to a report of a "suspicious person" in October 2012. Releford responded to his call to come out in the street. But the officer claimed he was forced to fire at Releford, who was unarmed and mentally ill, because Releford walked toward him with one hand hidden; and fired again when Releford tried to get up. Neighbors who say they saw the shooting disputed the officer's account and claimed Releford presented no threat.

Council approved the settlement at a June 28th meeting without comment.
One military family is asking for your help in finding the owner of a lost teddy bear from a man deployed in Afghanistan.

Over the weekend, a 6-year-old from Indiana picked out three bears leftover from a garage sale and one of them had a voice-box, according to KTVU.
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A video intended to give people a laugh has instead resulted in death threats for a 21-year-old Central Texas woman.

While fishing with her boyfriend in the Bosque River near Waco, Ashley Hoehn asked her boyfriend to record her unique technique for baiting her hook with a small shad fish.

SURPRISE CATCH: Texas boy reels in catfish with snake latched onto its head

In the Facebook video, she is seen biting the head off of the shad fish before threading the animal onto the hook. "And that's how you do it," Hoehn says with a smile, fish guts clearly seen on her teeth.

The post has garnered more than 650 shares and 475 comments since being shared June 25.

WARNING: The video below may be disturbing for some.

"No one necessarily taught me to bait a hook like 'that' - just the silly side of me thought it was funny to bite the head of a shad to give some people a good laugh," Hoehn told Chron.com.

MONSTER CATCHES: Anglers snare sharks, other big catches at Galveston

While the video was intended to bring a laugh, Hoehn tells Chron.com that people were quick to get angry.

"Never did I think a video of me being me would go so crazy," the Central Texas resident told Chron.com. "Yes, I have received endless messages about how much people love my passion, outgoingness, and that women can be just as awesome as men in the outdoors, but it has really opened my eyes to how cruel this world is."

Hoehn continued to explain that she has received derogatory, brutal and hateful private messages since she posted the video on her fishing Facebook page "Outdoors Blondie." She even said that she received death threats from come people online.

Despite online critics, Hoehn has no intention of stopping her posts about her fishing and outdoor adventures.

NOODLING TECHNIQUE: Texas man catches 55.5-pound blue catfish by noodling
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Pricey college textbooks add hundreds of dollars to hefty higher education costs each semester.

But a Rice University initiative, now in its fifth year, is chipping away at those expenses  and its reach has extended far beyond Houston.

Eleven colleges and universities said their students would save more than $8 million in the coming academic year shortly after partnering with OpenStax, the Rice-based nonprofit that publishes reduced-price textbooks, according to a Rice news release.

STAGGERING: The cost of college today versus 18 years ago

OpenStax publishes textbooks for popular introductory college courses, including American government, biology, microeconomics and sociology. Nearly 2 million students at 3,800 colleges, universities and high schools use these books, Rice said.

The nonprofit joined with 11 institutions last summer  including the Alamo Colleges district based in San Antonio  and projected that the partnership would save students $4.2 million in the 2017-18 academic year. The campuses nearly doubled that estimate, reporting $8.2 million in savings for the coming year.

Nicole Finkbeiner, OpenStaxs associate director for institutional relations, said participating campuses regularly talked on conference calls, working through questions of implementation at their colleges or universities.

One question that several schools faced, she said, was how to encourage open educational resources like OpenStax, Creative Commons video and simulations among faculty while preserving academic freedom, the concept that faculty members can control what's in their classrooms.

PAY BACK: Colleges that give students the best return on their investment

"(Professors) are the experts on what is going to work best for their teaching style and what is going to work best for their students," Finkbeiner said. "We never mandate, we never say you have to, we ask them to consider it."

This past year was the first that OpenStax brought in a cohort of partner campuses at once. These institutions, she said, saw an uptick in use of open educational resources.

OpenStax was founded by a Rice professor who hoped that reducing the costs of textbooks would stop students from dropping out. The OpenStax textbooks, peer-reviewed by professors, are available in digital PDF versions and cheaper $30 print editions. Its supported by the Gates Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation.

Rice said last fall that more than 1.5 million college students had used an OpenStax textbook since 2012. Courses offered by the University System of Georgia, the California State University System, the Florida College System and the University of Texas System use OpenStax textbooks.
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A new amnesty law for Texas college students who report sexual assault, sexual harassment and dating violence is an example of a strong model of state legislation in a report released today from leading advocacy group Know Your IX.

New legislation signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June forbids Texas campuses from taking disciplinary action against students who report being the victim of or witness to sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking.

Administrators and advocates had worried that students may not report these crimes if they feared discipline for other infractions, like underage drinking. The law was introduced by Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin in February.

Know Your IX cited the law as one of two potential resources as states consider amnesty legislation in its 72-page report called a "state policy playbook," released today. New York's 2015 "Enough is Enough" law was the other cited example.

Although underage students are at the highest risk of sexual assault on campus, many do not report because they fear their school will punish them for drinking or using drugs at the time of the assault, Know Your IXs report reads. States should require all institutions to adopt an explicit amnesty policy as part of its code of conduct.

BAYLOR: Alumni claim financial toll of assault scandal could reach $223 million

The bill Abbott signed was one of several introduced this session by Texas lawmakers aiming to stop or reduce campus sexual assault, a problem spotlighted this year as Baylor University reckoned with mismanaged rape reports and the University of Texas System released a thorough survey that revealed that 6 percent of enrolled students across campuses had been raped.

The U.S. government is investigating 239 universities  including 10 in Texas  for alleged violations of Title IX, the statute that outlines steps universities must take to protect students against gender-based violence, harassment and discrimination.

Know Your IXs report covers prevention programs, how to encourage reporting and fair disciplinary procedures. Addressing campus rape and assault head-on is crucial, the group says, because victims often see lower grades and may be forced to drop out of classes or extracurricular activities.

The days when universities can ban women from science labs and require them to take secretarial courses are long gone. But gender equality on campus will never be possible until schools provide survivors with the protections they need to learn and thrive, the report reads.

ADJUDICATION: Law group says higher standards needed for campus assault cases

The group encouraged states to require campuses to survey their students every two years and publish those results. Surveys should include questions that track reports of sexual harassment and violence and how accused students who were found responsible were sanctioned.

Ideal prevention programs should include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and have programming that teaches students how to identify harassment, abuse and stalking, Know Your IX said.

Rice University will introduce a new required sexuality course this fall that will cover relationships and consent.
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Red, white and blue flooded Park Lakes Elementary school grounds as students prepared to march in their Fourth of July parade on Monday, July 3, as they chanted "U-S-A" and waved American flags to symbolize their patriotism.

The school's parade tradition started in 2015 and has taken place each year during the Humble ISD pre-k and kindergarten summer school programs.

Eduardo Bourde, ESL lead teacher, said this parade is held in an effort to teach the children about the patriotic symbols of America, and they spend time teaching the "Star Spangled Banner."

"The best part of the parade is the enthusiasm of the students, and the participation of the parents as well," Bourde said.

The students spend time before the parade preparing banners, patriotic hats and hand-made U.S. flags.

"This parade is to teach students patriotism, the freedom that we enjoy, and all the patriotic symbols, such as the American flag, the national anthem, statue of liberty and The White House," Bourde said.

Kindergarten summer school teacher Lorena Curiel said she's most proud of the effort students put into creating their decorations and flags in preparation for the parade.

"They love to go around and show their decorations and their flags. They feel as they own this parade and that it's for them," Curiel said. "To know that they belong to this country, it gives them pride."

The parade wrapped up in Park Lakes cafeteria with the children all lined up waving the American flag and singing the "Star Spangled Banner" followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to close out celebration.
Baker Hughes, the newly merged oil field services company, begins trading in New York today. And analysts see growth for the firm on the horizon  though perhaps not as much as Baker Hughes sees.

The Houston investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt likes the companys access to cash, thanks to its merger with the oil and gas division of industrial conglomerate General Electric. But with 70 percent of the new firm's business outside of the U.S., analysts at TPH worry it will grow slowly. And they imagine the two companies cant help but have some trouble integrating.
The dramatic rally in oil prices skidded to a halt on Wednesday as traders turned their attention back to the global oil glut and rising production in Libya and Nigeria.

U.S. oil prices settled down $1.94, or 4.1 percent, to $45.13 a barrel on Wednesday, snapping the longest streak of rising prices in half a decade. That run had boosted the price up from its annual low of $42.53 a barrel late last month to $47.07 a barrel this week.
The slaying of a 79-year-old woman inside her Hedwig Village home has shaken the well-to-do city that hasn't seen an active murder investigation in roughly two decades.

Reminders of the recent violence reverberated down the streets Tuesday morning as reporters swarmed the scene and police re-canvassed the area, looking for leads in the killing of Janeil Bernard.

"This is a very big hit to this community," Sgt. Marvin Collins of Hedwig Village Police Department told reporters.

But days later, it's not clear exactly what happened - or when. And the suspected killer is still at large.

It was Bernard's maid who first reported the slaying Monday afternoon, after she walked into the ranch home on the 11000 block of Capri and made a gruesome discovery.

The elderly woman appeared to have been beaten and stabbed, and parts of the house were ransacked.

"It was a very brutal scene," Collins said, adding that it appeared Bernard had fought back against her attacker.

Collins said it appears robbery may have been the motive.

After Monday's find, police realized the woman's car and wallet appeared stolen. The vehicle - a red Cadillac sedan with a Texas license plate - turned up in southwest Houston, near Genoa and State Highway 288. The keys were found about 200 feet away.

Houston police, who tipped off Hedwig Village about the recovered vehicle around 10:30 p.m. Monday, have offered to process the car for evidence.

Despite the chaos inside, some parts of the home were untouched, as if the robber had a specific goal in mind.

"Whoever did this didn't spend a lot of time in the house," Collins said. 'There's a lot of electronics that weren't taken. Whoever did this was looking for a particular - possibly cash or jewelry."

It's still not clear what all may have been taken at the time of the slaying.

"Because she's a very independent person, there's not a lot of information as to what all she actually had," Collins said.

There were no signs of forced entry at the home, and Bernard typically kept her doors locked, so police said it's possible the woman may have known her attacker.

Although Bernard's body was found around 1 p.m. Monday, it's not clear when she was killed.

Authorities have narrowed the timeline to sometime between 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday - but they're still asking the community to come forward with any additional information that could help reconstruct a chain of events. Bernard did not have a surveillance system, but police said neighbors have provided footage of the night.

"I'm told she's a real giving person, that she helps a lot of people that are in need," Collins said. "Now's the time to help her."

Bernard had a "very scheduled life," Collins said. She didn't work but was involved in a number of activities. Authorities are hoping for tips about her Sunday night routine.

Police said they have no record of any past calls for service at the home, though Bernard's son told officers the house had been burglarized some 20 years ago.

"I don't think we've had an active homicide in this city since the 90s," Collins said. "We have an older resident population in this area, and that has people worried, that has people concerned."

But he said the community should stay calm.

"I don't think this is a cause for alarm," he told reporters. "There's no panic in the area."

Mike Glenn contributed to this report.
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Houston foodies will have the opportunity for some different cuisine on Wednesday, July 19, when Izakaya Executive Chef Jean Philippe Gaston and James Beard Award nominee Chef Manabu Horiuchi of Kata Robata test adventure-loving palates with an "I Never Thought I'd Eat THAT" night of dining.

Beginning at 7 p.m. at Izakaya, 318 Gray, the chefs will jointly be creating a five-course dinner featuring ingredients that are, well, not in many shopping baskets for shoppers at Kroger.
June 17

An officer observed a vehicle traveling southbound in the 6300 block of Buffalo Speedway with expired registration and a defective brake light. A traffic stop was conducted and upon further investigation, the driver was arrested for Driving while License Invalid.

An officer was dispatched to a residence located in the 3800 block of Northwestern in regards to a threatening text message a person received at this location. The officer gathered the necessary information to generate a report.

June 18

At 3:25 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle traveling southbound in the 6600 block of Buffalo Speedway at a high rate of speed. A traffic stop was conducted in the 3100 block of W Holcombe. After further investigation, the driver was arrested for the offense of Driving While Intoxicated.

An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to theft that had already occurred.

An Officer was dispatched to a residential home located in the 2900 block of Plumb in reference to theft that had already occurred.

June 19

At 7:40 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 3400 block of Bissonnet, in regard to a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle was located and contact made with the occupants. While speaking with the driver, the officer observed a plastic baggie of marijuana. The driver was subsequently taken into custody for the offense of possession of marijuana. The driver was eligible for the Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program, and accepted it.

At 10:59 a.m., an Officer was dispatched to the 3500 block of Albans in regards to a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred.

An officer was dispatched to the 2700 block of Albans in reference to a minor accident where a vehicle struck two parked vehicles then fled the scene without providing proper information.

June 20

An Officer was dispatch to the 3700 block of Rice to meet with a resident concerning identity theft.

At 7:41 pm, a Police Officer was dispatched to the 4100 block of Judson, in reference to a Burglary of a Habitation call, which had already occurred. The victim stated an unknown person(s) entered his open car garage and stole several items.

June 21

At 11:07 a.m., West University Place PD Dispatch received a panic alarm from Verizon Wireless at 5310 Kirby Drive. On arrival, officers discovered that it was an aggravated robbery that occurred. No one inside the store was physically hurt. The sole suspect, described as a dark skinned male, was wearing a red ball cap, blue and white jacket with dark colored bandana over his face. The suspect was armed with a handgun and demanded cash from the register. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled on foot south bound on Kirby; unknown direction of travel thereafter.

The West University Place Police Department is asking for assistance in locating or identifying the suspect(s) in this case. Anyone with any information may contact the West University Place Police Department at 713-668-0330 or email us at crime@westutx.gov YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS.

June 23

At 12:59am, an officer observed a vehicle bearing temporary tag traveling southbound in the 6100 block of Buffalo Speedway without headlights. After further investigation, it was discovered that the original temporary tag issued for the vehicle expired. The passenger admitted to intentionally altering the registration and was subsequently arrested for displaying a wrong, fictitious, and altered registration.
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Private developers are building a retail center at the northeast corner of the Grand Parkway and Interstate 10 that is designed to primarily cater to the area's Asian population.

Named "Katy Asian Town," the 15.5-acre center is being anchored by an H Mart, a popular Asian grocery store chain. Stakeholders are hoping the property will attract the significant Asian population that has developed around Katy while also becoming a destination for students and staff of a University of Houston System campus that will be constructed nearby.

"We have an incredible Asian population (in Katy)," said RE/MAX United broker Josie Lin, the primary representative of the project. "If you are familiar with Chinatown in Bellaire, you can tell Chinatown is kind of crowded. That's one of the reasons for (Katy Asian Town). There's a high demand in Katy for Asian retail stores."

The roughly 50,000-square-foot H Mart will be surrounded by more than 100,000 square feet of stores and restaurants, according to Lin, who said about 60 percent of the available 51 units of space at the center have been leased. There will be several known Asian businesses such as Gong Cha tea, Atami Steak and Sushi and Soju 101, an Asian bar, Lin said.

The center has been quietly planned for more than a year. It's unclear which developers are involved in the project because they have not publicly disclosed their names and no immediate information was available on them. Developers want to maintain a low profile until the project is complete, Lin said.

The recent growth of the Katy area has brought an influx of Asians that retail developers can capitalize on, said Austin Zhao, chair at the Asian Chamber of Commerce - Houston.

In Fort Bend County, about 20 percent of the roughly 628,000 residents are Asian or "other," a 2015 census estimate shows. In the 181-square-mile Katy school district, Asians represent about 15 percent of the student population, according to the most recent data from Katy ISD. And in nearby Sugar Land, where 37 percent of the city's population is Asian, there are already multiple Asian stores such as the Welfresh Market.

"That area is a growing area. It's booming," Zhao said of Katy. "There are lots of Asian people in Sugar Land, but now, a lot of Asians are also moving to Katy because Asian families care about education and Katy has good schools and transportation. So, it's not surprising that the Katy Asian Town is being built."

Zhao said most of his more than 300 active chamber members live in west Houston-area towns such as Katy and Sugar Land.

Katy Asian Town is being constructed next to land where a University of Houston System campus will open in 2019, giving stakeholders further reason to develop the retail space.

The campus is expected to initially include an 80,000-square-foot building and serve about 2,000 students before expanding to more buildings that will hold roughly 8,000-10,000 students.

Plans for a 300-unit apartment complex just north of the campus also exist. In an information document presented by Lin, the UH System campus is highlighted as a nearby resource.

The first set of stores at Katy Asian Town are expected to open by the end of the year, Lin said. It's unclear when the H Mart will open.

"This will be not only a benefit for Katy, but for Cypress, and even north to The Woodlands," Lin said. "It will serve people who are coming from places like San Antonio, too."
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Two people have died following a shooting in Third Ward Tuesday evening.

Houston police responded to a call around 5:15 p.m. in the 2600 block of Winbern after reports of shots fired.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene and another was transported to the hospital also died, according to the Houston Police Department's homicide division.

There was no information immediately available about the identities of the two deceased persons.

This story will be updated when additional information becomes available.
A Harris County convicted murderer, who is one of Texas' 10 most wanted fugitives after he escaped from prison, is still being sought and police are offering more money for information on his whereabouts.

The reward has been increased to $10,000 this month for any information leading to the capture of Jose Fernando Bustos-Diaz, 28, who escaped from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Briscoe Unit in 2010 while serving a 35-year murder sentence.
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Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner and several other City Council members gathered at city hall for an informal swearing-in ceremony July 1.

Before the meeting, elected officials were confronted outside by a group of local pro-immigration activists holding signs that read "Ban SB 4."

During a press conference, members voiced their opposition to the so-called "sanctuary cities law" and urged Pasadena city officials to join lawsuits filed by other cities such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio that propose to block Senate Bill 4.

Set to go into effect Sept. 1, SB 4 will allow police officers to question residents about their immigration status during traffic stops and other encounters with law enforcement. Pasadena resident Jessica Rangel was among the organizers of the group.

"We had a lot of concerned citizens who came out and they're ready to hold their elected officials accountable.

"They are ready to see change. They are ready to be heard and with that attention comes change. We saw that many of our representatives are not connected to the real issues that are affecting us, things that are terrorizing our community and putting our community in fear.

"There is a real disconnect there and we are ready for that to change"' Rangel said.

Wagner, a former Houston police officer, has previously indicated that Pasadena will not join the lawsuit.

Also looming large is an ongoing appeal against a ruling last January in a federal voting rights lawsuit that found the city's election system intentionally discriminated again Hispanics.

The lawsuit, which lasted more than two years, reportedly cost Pasadena voters over $2.5 million.

Shortly after the trial, former Mayor Johnny Isbell, who stepped down because of term limits, filed an appeal to fight the ruling and during the election, Wagner said he would put the issue before the council for a vote to decide whether to continue to the appeal.

Councilman Cody Ray Wheeler remained optimistic following the ceremony.

"I think we're turning over a new leaf. I met with Mayor Wagner and we talked about our goals and ideas and I'm optimistic that he wants to move this city forward," Wheeler said.

"Obviously there's some baggage from the last administration from the voting rights lawsuit but I think we're going to look for a way to get past that."
Bunker Hill

06/29/17 at 1:11 a.m., an Officer stopped a vehicle in the 100 block of Gessner Rd., for the violation of speeding. After identifying the driver, it was found that she had several outstanding warrants out of the League City Police Department. The female driver was arrested and transported to the Memorial Villages Police Department where she was later released to the custody of a League City Police Officer.

06/29/17 at 9:17 a.m., a Detective took a report of found property in the lobby of the Memorial Villages Police Department. A person reported that he found a black backpack in the parking lot of 11621 Memorial Dr. After making several phone calls, the Detective was able to find the owner of the backpack and determine that it was stolen from his vehicle in the same parking lot on Monday, June 26, 2017. Detective's obtained surveillance video from the location identifying the suspect vehicle. Detectives are investigating and following up on leads.

Piney Point

06/29/2017 at 6:05 a.m., an Officer took a criminal mischief report in the 600 block of Piney Point Rd. It was reported that unknown persons damaged the US flags placed along Piney Point Rd. for the upcoming Village Independence parade. Detectives are following up. V-LINC sent out asking for residents to check their security cameras.

06/29/17 at 2:30 p.m., an Officer took a report of Fraud, in the lobby of the Memorial Villages Police Department. The victim reported that he received a telephone call from an unknown person claiming to be legal representation for one of the victim's family members, and requested an amount in excess of $2500 to post his bond. The victim stated he sent the requested money but has been unable to make contact with the caller or his family member. Detectives are investigating.

Hunters Creek

06/26/17 at 10:22 a.m., Officer's responded to a family disturbance, in the 10700 block of Marsha Ln. The caller reported that two family members inside the residence were arguing. Officer's made contact with both of the family members and determined that an assault had occurred. After consulting with the DA's Office, officers arrested one of the family members for the offense of Family Violence  Assault by Contact, and transported him to the Memorial Villages Police Department jail for booking.

06/27/17 at 2:25 p.m., an Officer took a report of Credit Card Abuse, in the 10900 block of Timberglen Dr. The victim reported her nanny had used her credit card without permission, to make several unauthorized purchases. The victim reported that she also suspects the nanny of using her identifying information in an attempt to open more several credit cards. Detectives are investigating.

6/27/17 at 2000 hours, officers were dispatched to the 10900 block of Walwick in reference to a delayed report of Domestic Violence. The victim stated that recently her husband has not been himself and has been acting differently. During a recent argument, pushing had occurred and she had been pinned against a wall. Officers contacted the DA's Office and charges were determined to not be appropriate at this time. A report was completed documenting the incident as per state statute requirements.

INVESTIGATIONS

MVPD Detectives, while investigating an Identity Theft case where someone used the victim's identifying information to open a joint account, have identified the suspect who resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Detectives obtained two Harris County Grand Jury subpoenas for further investigation. Investigation is on-going pending returns.

MVPD Detectives investigating a Credit Card abuse case have identified the suspect and requested a Harris County Grand Jury subpoena for records of the unauthorized purchases they made. A State Jail Felony warrant for the suspect is forthcoming.
After experiencing an audacious bout of California hatred in the form of spray painted missives, one couple is determined not to let it ruin their outlook on Portland.

Jessica Faraday and her fiance Preston Page awoke Sunday to find their car and home covered in graffiti, not-so-subtly telling the Southern California couple to leave town.

While it's easy to chalk up this story as a burning (or spray painted) example of Oregon's supposed longstanding dislike of California transplants, Faraday said that up until this incident, she has felt their adopted hometown was welcoming towards them.

"We have such a great community and such great neighbors," Faraday said in an interview with SFGATE. "This was one person who obviously is uneducated as to what is really happening in Portland. I can understand that there is some tension with people surrounding the housing market, the job market, things like that, but if you look at it, we have very large corporations that have multiple employees and they bring in employees from other places ... and that's what happened in our case."

Page, 32, and Faraday, 34, moved to Oregon back in February, when Page's job with Portland-based Adidas forced the couple to relocate. The tagging incident is, in the couple's opinion, more related to a road rage incident from Saturday, with the message fixating on one thing: the California license plates on Faraday's car.

"He made a statement," Faraday said of the vandal. "He really thought about the statements he was going to write on the car, you know what I mean? That's where it affects me. There's somebody in my neighborhood who doesn't want me here and ... I worry every time a car drives by and it resembles the [car from Saturday's altercation].

"Do I feel like a victim of a hate crime? Not at all," Faraday later added. "I feel like the victim of a really big  hole. I love all people and I just want everyone to be happy; I would hate for this to be scrawled across somebody else's home and car and for them to feel vulnerable in the community."

Still, the influx of non-natives has stretched the patience of those who have called Portland home for decades. A recent article noted that the population of Portland increased 148 percent since 1968 to its current total of approximately 630,000 residents  making it the 26th largest city in the United States.

Despite how locals may feel about it, there are indicators that the growth of transplants to Portland is slowing. Last year's figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that 9,249 people have moved to the City of Roses, which is lower when compared to 2014 and 2015 numbers, according to Willamette Week.

The story has certainly found traction outside of Oregon and California, with outsiders taking a look at what may have spurred such a public display of discrimination. Faraday attributed the story's popularity to the visualness and brazenness of the incident, acknowledging that there must certainly be some folks who feel that Californians are having a negative impact on Oregon.

"I think when people see it written on a car in gold spray paint, that's a big, big effect," Faraday said. "That's in your face. That could be your house, that could be your car  people would be horrified to wake up to that. You imagine people from California or other states are living in Portland thinking, 'Oh my goodness, that could have been my house this morning.'"

"We have an opportunity to squash this now, before things like this turn into an actual hate crime, to people with other religions or to people from other countries," Faraday continued. "I look at Portland as a place that is very very accepting of people of all ages, all race, all colors and that's something that I really love about the city."

Faraday said that since the discovery of the vandalism, Page has tackled the task of repainting the house and the couple installed security cameras to help prevent against future incidents. The car and its damage  which includes a broken side mirror and deep scratches to the paint, alongside the graffiti  will soon be repaired. Neighbors have also come by to help soothe some of the pain, Faraday noted, with a few bearing welcoming gifts, such as food and bottles of wine.

"We've had such a great experience moving here and buying our first home together, it's a wonderful community," Faraday said. "The fact that everybody has pulled together after this happened just proves that we're in the right place and ... I'm tempted to paint my car gold, just in protest."
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Harris County officials told the Chronicle on Monday about a delay for long-trumpeted changes to the system for setting bail for people awaiting trial - more than 83,000 people every year, the county's director of pretrial services said.

Lawyers for the county had told the federal judge who oversees a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the money-bail system that the county would roll out significant changes by July 1.

"It was delayed approximately two weeks," said Robert Soard, the first assistant county attorney who coordinates the county's defense in the case. "It's not a significant delay."

MONDAY'S STORY: Harris County's rollout of new bail system faces delay

The county's director of pretrial services, Kelvin L. Banks, explained in a phone interview Monday how the changes would be implemented over the course of July. Here is a more detailed explanation:

"We're already in implementation mode," Banks said. But for a massive jurisdiction like Harris County, which has more than 4 million residents, it takes some time. "By the close of the month, everything that we're implementing will be implemented."

Week One

This week Pretrial Services, or PTS, is introducing a shortened and streamlined interview process. Since the new process does not rely as much on the in-person interviews, Banks said the agency hopes to trim the average interview duration from 20 minutes to 10 or 15 minutes.

(Story continues below ...)

That will be possible partly because of a more standardized interview documentation form; previously, he said, employees had to manually write up reports in Microsoft Word.

Interviewers will also ask people accused of crimes whether they have the ability to put cash down for bail to get released pending trial. Indigent people - those too poor to afford the lowest bail amount, $500 - can indicate that by signing a sworn statement known as the financial affidavit.

'LIBERTY IS PRECIOUS': Read about the federal judge's April ruling

Banks said that question is added because of the federal judge's order in the lawsuit arguing it is unconstitutional to hold poor people accused of minor, nonviolent crimes in jail awaiting trial only because they cannot afford to post bail.

Week Two

Next week PTS plans to retrain all employees on the new risk assessment that will help guide recommendations about whether to allow people out on bail and, if so, how high the bail should be set.

"It's an opportunity for us to overhaul our entire department," Banks said. He said that includes six new staff members hired to bolster the pretrial screening division, bringing that unit to 73 employees.

The risk assessment was designed in partnership with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, a Houston nonprofit with a criminal justice focus, and partly funded by the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation.

READ MORE: New screening process tries to identify absconders, addresses legal concerns over rights

The so-called Arnold risk assessment - which the county first announced more than a year ago - weighs nine factors such as age, prior convictions - including misdemeanors, felonies and information about whether the offenses were violent - and whether they appeared for court in other cases. The assessment does not consider race, gender, past drug use, national origin or income.

Late July

Later this month the department will see implementation of what Banks called "differential levels of supervision" for people out on bail awaiting trial.

"This is the most comprehensive monitoring and supervision plan that has ever existed in Harris County, and one of the foremost plans in the country," he said, adding that he took the job here late last year to come set a nationwide "benchmark."

Based on the results of the risk assessment and interview, each defendant gets a score estimating the chance they would commit a new crime, commit a violent crime or fail to appear in court.

"As the risk goes up, the frequency of their required contacts and even their conditions go up," Banks said.

People facing low-level charges with little in the way of a criminal history may enjoy release with few or no conditions or required check-ins. Those deemed releasable but more risky may have to show up frequently in person, or a judge may impose conditions like a curfew or GPS bracelet monitoring.

Banks said the changes are scheduled to take full effect on July 29.

"The local reform effort is really moving forward," he added. "That's one of the reasons I came here: to be a part of something that was going to change out the pretrial release process was occurring. And because of the size, it's going to be echoed across the country."
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On the sixth anniversary of taking the airwaves in Houston, 740 KTRH-AMradio host Matt Patrick announced Wednesday that he would no longer seek treatment for the aggressive cancer he's been fighting since late 2015.

RELATED: Houston opens $67 million DeBakey High School for medical careers

Patrick's esophageal cancer has reduced his once-booming broadcasting voice to something just above a whisper at times. It's far-removed from the usual tone that listeners have grown used to since 2011. Even during sickness though Patrick's jovial attitude can be heard.

"On Houston's Morning News this morning, Matt revealed he has exhausted all options and has discontinued cancer treatments," read a status update on the AM station's Facebook page. "Matt and all of us at NewsRadio 740 KTRH, and the iHeartMedia family, thank you all for your constant love and support during this difficult time."

Patrick's morning message can be heard here...

His co-host Shara Fryer (a cancer survivor) helped Patrick get through the morning show as Patrick's wife also stayed in the studio with him and the rest of the show team.

Patrick was to appear on fellow radio host Michael Berry's own show on Wednesday morning but he was too tired to talk, according to Berry.

A complete statement from IHeartMedia is forthcoming, according to station managers.

Story continues below...

The intensity of his cancer treatments at M.D. Anderson did affect his physical time in the iHeartRadio studios in the Galleria area. When he couldn't make it in a studio at home was utilized.

PREVIOUS: Texas Medical Center grew from small hospital that rose up in swampland

Patrick replaced longtime morning hosts Lana Hughes and J.P. Pritchard, a duo for 27 years, six years ago this summer. He's hosted shows on stations in Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland and South Bend, Indiana since 1979.

He's spoken in the past on air about being a recovering alcoholic. and was apt to give his personal testimony to those who struggle with sobriety. His devoted fans have rallied behind Patrick and his family as the cancer fight has taken various turns.

Locally Patrick was also known for his sporadic, spirited debates on KRIV-TV with community activist Quanell X.
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United Airlines workers forced a woman flying from Houston to Boston to give up her son's seat, even though she paid nearly $1,000 for it.

Instead, the airline gave the seat to another passenger who paid $75 for that particular seat and forced the woman to hold her 2-year-old son in her lap for approximately three hours.

DRAGGING INCIDENT: Physician who was dragged off flight settles with United

"Not a single airline employee on that flight asked me why I had a large child on my lap," Shirley Yamauchi of Kapolei, Hawaii told Chron.com. "I didn't feel safe or comfortable, but I really didn't have a choice."

Yamauchi said she took a seven-hour flight from Hawaii to Bush Intercontinental Airport. She then had a five-hour layover before boarding the plane bound for Boston on June 29. Yamauchi said she and her son boarded the flight and that workers scanned both their tickets with no problems.

After Yamauchi and her son took their assigned seats, a flight attendant came over and asked if she was the boy's mother. After saying yes, Yamauchi said the flight attendant left. Later, a man came over with a ticket that said he was now sitting in her son's seat. The man paid $75 for the seat, according to news station KITV 4 in Hawaii.

UNITED CONTROVERSY: Lawsuit against United Airlines filed by passenger shoved at IAH in Houston



"I told the flight attendant about our situation, but she shrugged and told me the flight was full," Yamauchi said. "I paid $969 for my son's ticket."

The Federal Aviation Administration says parent's arms "aren't capable of holding your child securely, especially during unexpected turbulence." The FAA recommends havinga child strapped into a seat for the duration of a flight.

United Airlines acknowledged that workers shouldn't have given the seat away to another passenger.

"On a recent flight from Houston to Boston, we inaccurately scanned the boarding pass of Ms. Yamauchi's son," United Airlines representatives said in a press release.

"As a result, her son's seat appeared to not be checked in, and staff released his seat to another customer and Ms. Yamauchi held her son for the flight. We deeply apologize to Ms. Yamauchi and her son for this experience. We are providing compensation as a goodwill gesture. We are also working with our employees to prevent this from ever happening again."

MUSICIAN VS. UNITED: United Airlines looking into Houston employee who allegedly 'attacked' musician

Once she landed, Yamauchi said she spoke with United Airlines customer service, who she said were rude to her. She said United Airlines workers directed her to other employees whenever she asked why her son's seat had been given up. At one point, Yamauchi said she was even directed to the baggage area.

When she called customer service on the phone, Yamauchi claims a United Airlines representative told her to wait until Thursday to file a complaint with an airline, since that's the day she's flying back to Hawaii. She said once she spoke with media outlets about the incident, United Airlines reached out to her.

"They sent me a very lengthy email after it hit Hawaii news stations," Yamauchi said.

She didn't disclose exactly what United offered her for the incident but she did say it wasn't satisfactory.

Yamauchi said she still plans to fly back on United Airlines to Hawaii, but still feels unsafe, especially after how the airline has treated customers in the past.

IMPROVING: United hopes to improve flight connections at Bush airport

On April 9, Dr. David Dao was forcibly removed from a United Express flight in Chicago heading for Louisville, Kentucky.

On July 21, 2015, Ronald Tigner alleges he was pushed to the ground by a United employee. He was 71 years old at the time. In another incident, classical musician Yennifer Correia claims a United employee in Houston attempted to "wrestle" a violin from her.
The forecast focus is on maximum temperatures well above 100 degrees for some areas from today through Friday, according to the National Weather Service. A large high pressure system covers most of the intermountain west today and is forecast to strengthen through Friday.

The Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday through 8 p.m. Friday for the Grand Canyon, Page, and northern Gila and Yavapai county areas. High temperatures will range from 100 to 115 degrees in these areas, and a few daily maximum temperature records could be tied or broken.

In Flagstaff, highs will be in the low 90s  the all-time record is 97 degrees set on July 5, 1973.

A slight cooling trend should start Saturday. Chances for afternoon thunderstorms are limited to the White Mountains today, but gradually increase over northern Arizona through the weekend.

Following is the detailed Weather Service forecast for Flagstaff through the week.

Today

Sunny, with a high near 91. Light and variable wind.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 54. West wind 3 to 7 mph.

Thursday

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming north around 5 mph.

Thursday Night

A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Friday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind.

Friday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Saturday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.

Saturday Night

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Sunday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Sunday Night

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.
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A teenage girl was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon by a younger playmate in an apparent accident on the Southwest Side.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner on Wednesday identified the girl as 15-year-old Caroline Guzman.

At about 4 p.m. Tuesday, three children were outside a house in the 3100 block of Mission Gate when Guzman was shot in the chest at about 4 p.m., said San Antonio Police Lt. Brian Head.

There were no parents in the house at the time, Head said.

READ ALSO: Police: Man drowns on Fourth of July at Comal River

One of the children, a 12-year-old boy, told police that the three children were playing by a field next to the house when Guzman was shot in the chest. The third child was a 2-year-old.

"He is saying it was a stray bullet that came from that open field and struck the (15-year-old)," Head said.

However, Head said the preliminary search of the crime scene "doesn't seem to match" what the 12-year-old described.

Police confirmed that the boy "finally stated the location of a handgun after stating that he was playing with a bullet and it went off."

READ ALSO: SAPD officer in squad car runs over, kills 63-year-old woman after responding to fireworks call

The boy and his parent were transported to police headquarters for further questioning, police said.

Head said the mother told police there were no guns in the house. However, SAPD officials confirmed that a weapon was found in the house.

Guzman, who was previously reported as being 14 years old, was transported in serious condition to University Hospital via AirLife, where she died.

Smartinez-beltran@express-news.net

Twitter: @SergioMarBel
There are very few places in Houston that can claim to be a Republican stronghold and each year the number of those forts dwindles in the city limits, which turns more and more blue each election cycle.

Data obtained from the Secretary of State's Office and combined with Houston's super neighborhood boundaries, shows which Houston neighborhoods are red or blue, based on the 2016 election.
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.
Jagapathi Babu is back with high style quotient in action entertainer Patel SIR. Excitement of audience about this film was visible in the amazing response for Proof of Concept teaser released grabbing 2.7+ Million YouTube views. Later producer Sai Korrapati launched Jagapathi Babu's first look poster as PATEL SIR and this one went viral.



"Jagapathi Babu is presented in a new look as Patel SIR. He will be seen as a true action hero in this film. Applause from audience for Jagapathi Babus stylish look, Proof of Concept teaser and the song teaser released couple of days back is an example of hard work and dedication put in by the team. Patel is filmed on Hollywood standards with surprising action scenes performed by Jagapathi Babu defying the age bar.



Director Vasu Parimi's idea of showing Jagapathi Babu in this stylish look will impress our audience. We are announcing the release date for Patel SIR as July 14th. Post production works are also finished and we are looking for a grand release," producer Sai Korrapati said.
The sidewalks along Heritage Square in downtown Flagstaff filled with people Tuesday as Stars and Stripes Forever began to blare from an oncoming truck signaling the official beginning of the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Fourth of July Parade.

For some, however, the morning began much earlier than the 9 a.m. parade start time. Paul Rondeau and his family arrived at the parade route at about 5:15 Tuesday morning to set up the perfect viewing spot: a porch swing on a fully shaded patch of sidewalk.

Weve been doing this for five or six years, Rondeau, who splits his time between Flagstaff and Gilbert, said. This is one of the greatest parades Ive ever been to.

Rondeau said he and his family planned to round out the day with a barbeque, play horseshoes, foosball and maybe fly his drone.

We did the fireworks last night, he said.

This years parade was the first time the parade offered bleacher seating specifically for military veterans and their families, giving those who served their country a front row seat for the parade.

I think this is really cool, Richard Jones, a Marine Corps veteran said. When I was in, from 1967 to 1971, we were not looked upon as heroes, so it is kind of neat now.

Jones said he has been in Flagstaff since 1979, and he has been coming to the parade every year, this year with his grandchildren in tow.

The parade boasted 120 entries this year, including some newcomers and others who had marched for years.

Alex Koss, a member of the Sons of Norway, a Scandinavian organization that honors heritages from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, said the group has been marching in the parade for the last five or six years.

This year, Koss wife, Rebecca Nordstrom, designed the Viking ship float on which the group sailed in the parade.

The ship is a big hit with the parade audience, Koss said.

Everybody loves the Vikings, he said. We will pillage our way through the parade.

Chris Scully, the owner of the Orpheum Theater, said this was the first year the Orpheum had its own float in the parade. The float, which was pulled by a 1962 Volkswagen bus, featured the mockup of the buildings marquee.

We resurrected it as the centerpiece for the float, Scully said. The decision to enter a float this year was in part to celebrate the theaters centennial, which will be marked officially in August, but Scully said the entry could become an annual tradition.

Ive lived along the parade route for 27 years, he said.

Another new parade entry brought an even longer connection to history. The descendants of John and Susan Elden, some of the earliest settlers in Flagstaff, rode in the parade with John Westerlund, a historian who has been studying the Eldens history.

Beth Wilson, one of the Elden descendants, said genealogy is her hobby, and while she never lived in Flagstaff, she and her family felt a strong connection with the city.

Its really amazing, she said. The people have been really welcoming.

Wilson and her sisters said people in Flagstaff had been really excited to talk to them while they have been in town, and said they have noticed people in Flagstaff are very interested in the local lore.

Flagstaff is very proud of its history, said Melanie Heil, another Elden descendant.
New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Actress Manini Chadha, who featured in director Sujoy Ghoshs "Kahaani 2", says she has been in talks for a short film with him."I did meet Sujoy for a project, and I would obviously love to work with him again, but we're still in talks and nothing has been finalised yet," Manini, who played Arjun Rampal's wife in "Kahaani 2", said in a statement.



According to a source aware of the development, the short film is in the science fiction genre and will have a very different and fresh story to it.



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NCC educated me about life: Anupam Kher.Veteran actor Anupam Kher says the National Cadet Corps (NCC) disciplined him and educated him about life.He was in Delhi to attend the 50th Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting.On Tuesday, the actor posted photographs of himself with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa.



"Honoured to be with our heroes. The coolest and the best pic of my life. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Admiral Sunil Lanba and General Bipin Rawat. NCC disciplined me. Made me feel closer to my country and educated me about life. Thank you officers for inviting me to 50th CAC on NCC," Anupam tweeted.



"Paramvir Chakra heroes of India. Brave, dedicated and committed to country. Thank you for everything that you do and have done for us," he added.



Retweeting Anupam's photograph with the three chiefs, his wife and actress Kirron Kher posted: "What a proud moment for me as an Army child to see. Anupam Kher with the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force."



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Ajaz Khan out to do some good.Actor-producer Ajaz Khan is planning to start a Foundation through which he can help the unfortunate in getting them medication for illnesses."I am glad my God has chosen me for this. There are plenty of good people who are willing to help these needy but they don't know how and where. I will try reaching out to as many and help them," Ajaz, who has done Umrah -- Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca -- said in a statement.He has helped the wife of a rickshaw puller who suffered from cancer, and he is also helping a 12-year-old child named Tahir for his heart transplant.
Hyderabad July 05 : RaviTeja Fires on Social Media.For the first time ever since the death of his beloved brother Bharath, hero Raviteja has come in front of media cameras to clarify some stuff. But that too turned another irritating interaction for the happening hero with some media folks repeatedly irritating him."Some people have written and published that we're not interested in Bharat and got his final rites performed by a Jr artist. That's quite wrong. Please don't resort to such irresponsible and insensible reporting. My uncle (dad's brother) and younger brother took care of the cremation. Me, my dad and mom haven't turned up there because we don't want to see the blood-soaked face of Bharat. That's it", said Ravi Teja.

But media people went on asking him why he's posing in a smiling manner in a selfie clicked on the sets of "Raja The Great" shooting next day. "I've attended the shoot next day because it's tough for a producer to set combination dates, and huge money will be wasted if shoot didn't happen. It's not that I'm not feeling sad for the loss of my brother", he added. As some media folks repeatedly kept asking (and saying) what's wrong in reporting what they have seen clearly at the cremation site, Ravi Teja requested everyone with folded hands to not spread false words about their family. In a jiffy, he has left the place, as media's questions started turning more irritating.

Click Below Link To watch video
Months after hearing arguments, the Michigan Supreme Court has decided to stay out of a personal-injury case at a big-box store that could have consequences for retailers in the state.

The court said it will let an appeals court decision stand against Menards, the Wisconsin-based home improvement chain, which was sued after a shopper was struck by a pickup truck after leaving a Bay City store in 2011. Virginia Rawluszki died from her injuries two years later at age 72.

Her family said Menards should have installed stop signs to slow down traffic at a crosswalk. The retailer, however, said the risk of being hit in a parking lot is open and obvious  a key legal standard in Michigan that often protects property owners from liability.

Youve got a square building with a square, rectangular parking lot. Theres nothing else around, Menards attorney Alan Sullivan told the Supreme Court in January. Theres nothing else that is different, unusual  at all when youre out there.

But two courts declined to dismiss the lawsuit. The Supreme Court, in a unanimous order Friday, said it wont get involved, leaving an appeals court decision in favor of Rawluszkis family and sending the case back to a Bay County judge for trial or possible settlement.

It doesnt have the strongest precedent of a written opinion, but its the second-best thing the Supreme Court could have done: Let a jury decide, attorney Philip Ellison, who argued on behalf of the family, said Monday.

In a court filing, Sullivan said the presence of vehicles moving in a parking lot should be obvious to an average person with ordinary intelligence.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Hawaiis largest workers compensation insurer is canceling insurance policies for seven medical marijuana dispensaries preparing to open this summer.

Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance Co., citing concerns over criminal liability since the drug is considered illegal by the federal government, notified the affected dispensaries Wednesday its policies will be canceled in 30 days and that premiums would be refunded.

The company said its board of directors unanimously agreed to the decision after two independent legal opinions determined it would have potential exposure for criminal liability based on federal law.

HEMIC officials declined to identify the seven companies or how much they will be refunded. HEMIC does not cover Hawaiis eighth marijuana dispensary, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports.

The move could delay the opening of Hawaiis first dispensaries unless the companies can find an insurer willing to offer workers compensation policies. Hawaii law requires companies to provide workers compensation insurance that covers medical expenses and loss income for employees who are injured on the job. It also protects businesses from lawsuits by injured workers due to workplace conditions.

Were not providing an opinion or moral judgment on someones use of marijuana or not, and were certainly not taking a position opposed to the value of medicinal marijuana to treat certain medical conditions or chronic pain, HEMIC Chief Executive Officer Marty Welch told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Wednesday. This was really simply a legal decision.

The board had to ensure the company, its employees, its balance sheet and its 6,500 customers were protected, Welch added.

HEMIC accepted workers compensation insurance applications starting in 2016 after the states first medical marijuana licenses were issued to eight dispensaries, but said under state law, it can decline to insure businesses engaged in illegal activities.

HEMIC, a private mutual insurance company whose directors are elected by its policyholders, said it has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the company, its stakeholders and its 6,500-plus policyholders.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Michelle Gugick wanted to do something special for her milestone 50th birthday this year, so she "adopted" an Afghan refugee family trying to build a new life in Northeast Ohio.

Inspired by a Plain Dealer story earlier this year about Syrian refugees coming to Cleveland, the Highland Heights woman contacted the local US Together refugee resettlement agency and asked how she could help.

She then set up a gofundme site with the goal of raising enough money to cover six months' rent for a refugee family.

Gugick said that as she approached her birthday in May, "I knew a lot of people wanted to give me gifts, but I wanted to channel their energy and generosity into something meaningful to me, and the refugee crisis has been a big thing on my mind lately.

"I feel really strongly about trying to help refugees who are coming from war-torn countries," she added.

So far, more than 50 contributors - family, friends, co-workers and total strangers - have exceeded her goal of $3,500 by providing $3,942 to the campaign.

Part of that effort included a birthday party at the CLE Urban Winery in Cleveland Heights. Gugick said the owner, Destiny Burns, donated 10% of the sales that night to the fund-raising drive.

US Together linked Gugick with a woman and her son who spent seven years at shelters and refugee camps in Afghanistan and India before coming to Cleveland last December.

They arrived shortly before the first effort by President Donald Trump to ban immigration from six nations (not including Afghanistan) was blocked by court decisions.

A subsequent executive order in March that would re-institute the ban and also suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days and lower the maximum number of refugees who can enter the U.S. in 2017, was similarly blocked by court decisions.

The Trump administration has filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to reverse those rulings.

The Supreme Court announced recently that it will allow the Trump administration to mostly enforce its 90-day ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries -- Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The court, which will hear arguments on the case in October, said those foreign travelers "with a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States," will be allowed entry.

Since launching her campaign, Gugick has met with the family in their Cleveland apartment several times.

The mother, Shokriya, was a high school principal in Afghanistan, and lives with her son, Maiwand, 14.

Both say they are still on the run from the Taliban in Afghanistan for reasons they cannot publicly divulge for fear of revealing their location. The same reason applies to their preference not to have their last names used, or to be photographed for this story.

Maiwand, who is fluent in English after taking language classes at the refugee camp in India, translates for his mother.

Through him, she told how they had to leave their first shelter in Afghanistan after the Taliban threatened to blow up the shelter unless they left. Their escape led them to India.

"It was very dangerous for us to live in Afghanistan," Maiwand said. "We came here because we were in danger."

Like other refugees, they were not given the choice of a host country. That was handled by a United Nations refugee resettlement agency.

But they're glad they're here. Maiwand's mother said, "We are feeling happy, we are going to have a safe life here. It is very good to meet new people.

"I feel lucky to have met good people like you," she added with a nod to Gugick. "I don't know how to thank you. What you have given us is the greatest."

Her son told Gugick that his mother "always prays for you. You are very kind."

Shokriya is still suffering from injuries she received in Afghanistan and is receiving medical attention.

Her son has become her "right hand," she said, in helping with the family's resettlement.

Maiwand noted, "In Afghanistan she was responsible for me. Now I'm responsible for her."

He plans to start 9th grade in the Cleveland public schools this fall, but worries about leaving his mother at home, alone.

His mother's health problems have inspired Maiwand to set a goal of becoming a doctor someday. "When I see my mother and she is sick, I want to be a doctor and protect her," he said.

His mother hopes that once she overcomes her health problems and learns English, she could return to work, possibly in a school.

A loan of an I-Pad from Gugick's son enabled Maiwand to get a translation app for his mother so she can learn English.

Gugick's son also has taken Maiwand out on shopping and hiking trips in the area.

She has shared the family's re-adjustment difficulties, lending her support as they face what she described as "a mix of troubles, because they have so many barriers right now.

"But also I would say (there is) some optimism in there as well," she added. "They're really very kind people, enthusiastic about being here in the United States.

"Maiwand has great hope for the future. He wants to be a doctor, which I think is incredible. This kid has the makings of someone who would really be a good contributor to our society."

Megan Dalton, program coordinator at US Together, said Gugick's birthday project is a first in her time with the agency, but greatly appreciated.

"This has never happened. I've never seen someone just say, 'I'm turning 50 and I want to raise a whole bunch of money and give it to refugees,'" she said.

"We were ecstatic and honestly surprised, and very excited to work with her," she added.

Dalton said she chose the Afghan family to benefit from Gugick's fund-raising because financial resettlement support is usually smaller for small families, and they face such immediate expenses as food, rent, security deposit, utilities and other costs.

"As you can imagine that (financial support) runs out quickly and this family had a lot of needs," she said. "Mom has a lot of medical issues, she couldn't work, and he's very young. So I thought they'd be the perfect candidates (for Gugick).

"It's definitely an ongoing need, because we're always bringing in new refugees," she added. "There are families that flourish, and families that really struggle. When they first arrive, that's when they're really vulnerable. So as long as were bringing new people in, there will always be a need."

Gugick said she was "blown away" by the support of donors.

"It was very inspirational to see all the contributions come in. I was moved to tears," she added.

Her chosen Afghan family needs "some support to get them through this rocky time, and I'm really hoping to help see them through that."

She concluded, "I'm just really moved by the generosity of my network (of contributors), and it gives me a lot of hope, I think, for the future for other refugees as well."

And Gugick is already thinking about what she's going to do for her next milestone, her 60th, birthday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An off-duty Cuyahoga County corrections officer shot a pit bull after it attacked two people, including a 6-year-old girl, in Cleveland Tuesday night, police said.

The dog attacked a 32-year-old woman and the girl about 9 p.m. at a home in the 3900 block of West 22nd Street in the city's Brooklyn Centre neighborhood, Cleveland police said. The girl is in critical condition, police said.

The woman owned the pit bull, police said.

Police did not give the names of the woman or the child.

They were both taken to MetroHealth Hospital for treatment, police said.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.

Note: An earlier version of this story improperly identified the person who shot the dog as an off-duty Cuyahoga County Sheriff's deputy.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man was shot in the leg early Wednesday outside the Justice Center in downtown Cleveland.

The shooting happened about 2 a.m. outside the Lakeside Avenue building that houses Cleveland Police headquarters and both Cleveland Municipal and Cuyahoga County courts.

No arrests have been made.

Someone drove the man to MetroHealth after the shooting. He suffered a broken femur from the gunshot, police reports say.

Police have not released any other information regarding the shooting.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
Xi, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the trip, told Russian media that relations between the two countries were currently at their "best time in history." The Chinese president also said Russia and China were each other's "most trustworthy strategic partners," Xinhua reported.

Strategic ties between Russia and China were appraised in glowing terms as Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a two-day state visit to Russia, concluding with at least $10 billion in agreements.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony following the talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 4, 2017.

"China-Russia relations do appear to be smooth right now, but relations between those two major power neighbors have had a long history of ups and downs," said Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, adding that changes in the nature of that relationship can be sudden and dramatic.

One impetus for the ramp up in diplomatic cooperation could be developments in U.S. foreign policy.

"The fact that the U.S. seems far less systematic in its foreign policy than in the past creates space for China and Russia to make the best of the situation," Chong told CNBC.

Hugo Brennan, Asia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, added that President Donald Trump's approach to foreign policy was more likely to foster alignment between Beijing and Moscow than it was to thrust a wedge between the two.

Aside from the reiteration of closer strategic ties between the states, other issues discussed during Xi's visit included the deepening of economic linkages and security concerns.

Although details about the exact nature of the proposed enhancements in trade and investment remained unclear, an investment fund worth $10 billion was announced during the trip, the Financial Times reported.

Signed into agreement on Tuesday, funds from the Russia-China RMB Cooperation Fund are expected to be invested in infrastructure projects linked to China's "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union  a trading bloc championed by Putin. Russian state media said the investment fund was an agreement between the Russian Direct Investment Fund sovereign wealth fund and the China Development Bank.
The fate of a spending plan and tax hike aimed at ending Illinois ' unprecedented two-year budget impasse moved on Tuesday to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which will seek to enact the legislation by overriding the Republican governor's vetoes.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is locked in a tight battle to retain GOP control of the Illinois governorship after angering unions with his support of the Janus v. ASCFME case. The Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of the plaintiff, a huge blow to public-sector unions' ability to raise funds.

Within hours, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the trio of budget and revenue measures. The Senate then quickly overrode the vetoes, moving the final override to enact the bills over the governor's vetoes to the House.

In an action-packed Fourth of July holiday session, the Democratic-led Senate gave final legislative approval to a $36 billion fiscal 2018 budget and $5 billion tax increase package passed by the House Sunday and Monday.

"We're still assessing when the best day will be for the people who supported passage of the legislation to return and deal with the veto message," Brown said in an interview.

Steve Brown, a spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, gave no time frame on possible House votes, though some House Democrats posted on their social media accounts that voting would take place on Thursday.

A stalemate between Rauner and Democrats who control the legislature has left the nation's fifth-largest state without a complete budget for two fiscal years. While fiscal 2018 began on Saturday, lawmakers have been scrambling to piece together a spending and revenue plan to avoid Illinois becoming the first-ever U.S. state whose credit is rated junk.

Ted Hampton, an analyst at Moody's Investors Service, which rates Illinois at Baa3, one notch above junk, said on Tuesday a continuation of the state's budget impasse would not bode well from a credit standpoint.

"That's going to be a negative for the state's credit position not reflected in its (current) rating," he said.

In his veto message, the governor lashed out at lawmakers for passing budget measures that he said would make Illinois' fiscal woes worse.

"The package of legislation fails to address Illinois' fiscal and economic crisis - and in fact, makes it worse in the long run. It does not balance the budget. It does not make nearly sufficient spending reductions, does not pay down our debt, and holds schools hostage to force a Chicago bailout," Rauner said.

The House on Tuesday adjourned until Wednesday without taking action on the override resolutions, a result of diminished ranks on a national holiday. Only 54 of the chamber's 118 members were present on Tuesday afternoon - too few to conduct business under House rules.

Among the missing were five of 15 House Republicans who had been vital for the tax increase piece of the budget package to pass on Saturday with 73 votes.

Seventy-one votes are necessary to block Rauner's vetoes. The House speaker's spokesman, Brown, said he did not foresee any danger that previous votes in support of the budget - including from the 15 Republicans - would flip toward the governor, endangering the override push.
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North Korea's latest missile launch indicates the reclusive regime is trying to drive a wedge between the United States and South Korea, a former U.S. ambassador to that country said Wednesday. Christopher Hill, who was ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2004 to 2005, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that the North Korean regime believes that if it can get the U.S. out of the region, it can reunify the Korean peninsula. "I don't think this is about negotiations. I don't think this is about a belligerent little country that is afraid we're all going to attack it," said Hill. "I think this is nothing short of an effort to create the circumstances, where it can de-couple the United States from the Korean peninsula."' Hill previously led the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks in 2005 between North Korea, South Korea, U.S., China, Japan and Russia, and centered around North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Those talks were designed to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear program, but like virtually efforts initiated by the United States over recent decades, they failed.

I think what they think is that by getting the U.S. out, they have a chance of unifying the Korean peninsula on their terms. Christopher Hill former U.S. ambassador to South Korea

He explained: "I think what they're really striving for is circumstances where the U.S. president has to look at the possibility of massive U.S. civilian casualties, courtesy of an ICBM hitting US mainland  and looking at that, might think twice about coming to the assistance of the South Korean military." On Tuesday, North Korea, through its state news agency KCNA, said it had succeeded in launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)  something leader Kim Jong Un reportedly claimed to be close to accomplishing. ICBMs have a minimum range of around 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometers) and are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The U.S. subsequently confirmed that the missile was indeed an ICBM, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called it a "new escalation of the threat" to the U.S. In response to the provocation, U.S. and South Korean soldiers fired "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, citing U.S. military officials in Seoul. Hill added that he thought the South Korean military is strong enough on its own to handle any potential threats from the North.

I think the problem the Trump administration has had with China is that they look at China as a sort of outsourcing place, where they can kind of turn it over to China and tell the Chinese, you figure it out. Christopher Hill former U.S. ambassador to South Korea
The double bottom, or W breakout pattern, in the has developed successfully and the rally has paused just below the target level of 3,200. The upside target for the W pattern is near 3,200 and the index is consolidating near this level.

A commuter rides a. bicycle along a sidewalk in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, May 25, 2017. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The W pattern is a trend change pattern, so investors expect the index to move higher. The next upside target is calculated using trading band projection methods. The width of the trading band is measured and projected upwards. This sets an upside target near 3,265 which is also a previous resistance level. These pattern projection targets do not show how the new uptrend will develop. The key guide is the Guppy Multiple Moving Average relationships because this provides a guide to the strength of investor sentiment and the confidence of traders. The long-term GMMA reflects the thinking of long-term investors, and it has compressed and is turning upwards. This shows that investors are becoming more confident about the future direction of the Shanghai index, so when the index retreats, the investors enter the market to buy. In the future, investors watch for an expansion of the long term GMMA group of averages because this confirms strong investor confidence in the new uptrend.
In the years after college, graduates may forget the names of their professors or even some of the classes they took. One thing many won't forget, however, is how much they owe.

Nearly 70 percent of 2015 graduates from public and private nonprofit schools had student debt, according to a 2016 report from the Institute for College Access and Success. And it can take graduates years, or even decades, to pay it off.

At some schools  such as Louisiana's Grambling State University, where 99 percent of 2015 grads borrowed  the student debt load can be especially high. The average debt among student borrowers at Grambling was $51,887, the highest average debt load for the Class of 2015 among 1,020 ranked institutions that submitted these data to U.S. News.

More from U.S. News:

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Of the 10 schools where graduates who borrowed had the most debt, Wesleyan College in Georgia had the fewest students who borrowed  43 percent  and Dillard University in Louisiana had the most at 100 percent.

Only one National University made the list: Stevens Institute of Technology. At the New Jersey school, 75 percent of the Class of 2015 borrowed to pay for college, according to U.S. News data. The average need-based scholarship or grant for all Stevens undergrads was $12,723, and 63 percent of all full-time students received some form of need-based financial aid.

Among borrowers at all 1,020 ranked schools that submitted these data to U.S. News, those from Missouri's College of the Ozarks carried the least debt: $5,339. The college has a work-education program that allows students to reduce the cost of tuition and fees through on-campus jobs. Just 1 percent of graduates from Judson University, a Regional University in Illinois, carried debt  the lowest percentage of all schools.

Here are the 10 schools where 2015 graduates who borrowed for undergraduate programs had the highest average debt. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.

1. Grambling State University (LA)

2. Maine Maritime Academy

3. Wesleyan College (GA)

4. Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)

5. Post University (CT)

6. Quinnipiac University (CT)

7. Sacred Heart University (CT)

8. Mount Ida College (MA)

9. Dillard University (LA)

10. Tabor College (KS)
As China expands its influence into Southeast Asia, Malaysia has emerged as one of the biggest winners, with its port and railway projects expected to receive as much as 400 billion ringgit ($93 billion) from the world's second largest economy, Citi Research said in a Tuesday note.

But questions have persisted over the commercial viability and funding for those projects, which could have "significant implications" for Malaysia's economic growth and the ringgit, Citi said.

"Overall, FDI (foreign direct investments) from China may understate the extent of Chinese involvement in the Malaysian economy, but overstate the impact on gross domestic product (GDP) growth or Malaysian ringgit demand," the bank's analyst Wei Zheng Kit wrote.

Kit questioned overcapacity in Malaysia's ports, which may indicate China's interest in those projects was motivated more by geopolitical interests, than profit. For instance, the ports along the peninsula's West coast would allow China to secure access to the Straits of Malacca, Kit said.

In addition, funding the projects through loans from Chinese state-owned banks could increase the Malaysian government's liabilities, while construction contracts awarded to Chinese firms were in fact "services imports," which could subtract from headline GDP growth and ringgit demand, he added.

That comes as Malaysia's fiscal deficit grew to 30.5 billion ringgit in the first five months of 2017, an increase from 26 billion ringgit in the same period a year ago, Citi said.

Until there is more clarity on China's involvement in Malaysia's infrastructure expansion, immediate fears over the country's growing fiscal deficit will hinge on the timing of General Elections, which were due by mid-2018, the bank added.
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As options to subdue North Korea run scarce, pushing China to act as a mediator through diplomacy may be the only way the U.S. can emerge unscathed, political analysts said. "The words 'solution' and 'North Korea' have probably never been mentioned in the same sentence before," said Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haas on Wednesday. "The only approach in between, or alternative, is some kind of a diplomatic approach," Haas said in an interview on "Squawk on the Street." "Increase the sanctions against Chinese entities, and try to get some kind of a freeze with North Korea. It's not going to solve the problem, but may put a ceiling on it." China "remains the single most influential outside force on determining North Korean policy," he said.

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"I think it's worth making an appeal to them, putting pressure on them, also looking to reassure them," Haas said. "There are things we can say about our goals there that also send some messages of reassurance to China, mixed in with the pressure." Former Deputy Commerce Secretary Bruce Andrews suggested building an "international coalition" with trading partners such as Europe, Japan and South Korea to "push the Chinese not just on the North Korean issue, but some of their bad behavior in the trade space." This includes addressing concerns such as steel overcapacity and limitations imposed on American companies entering Chinese markets, Andrews said Wednesday on "Squawk on the Street." There aren't many good options left, according to Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and former governor of New Mexico. With military action having the potential to "start a huge American brush fire," diplomacy seems to be the only path at the moment with the least potential damage.

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France's new prime minister, Edouard Philippe, took a not-so-subtle slap at President Donald Trump, saying anybody who refused to sign the Paris climate agreement was "scared of the future."

In outlining his government's reform agenda Tuesday, the 46-year-old lawyer-turned-politician reiterated France's commitment to tackling climate change under the United Nations framework. He insisted that opponents of the deal were ignorant of the environmental challenges that lie ahead.

"Those who, through selfishness or a lack of conscience, turn their backs on the Paris climate change agreement, show more than just a simple misunderstanding of the world that is coming. It shows that at the heart of things, they are scared of the future," Philippe told the French National Assembly in Paris.

Trump withdrew from the Paris agreement in June, eliciting widespread consternation from signatories in Europe and Asia, as well as individual U.S. states.

"The ostrich is without doubt a nice animal, but putting your head in the sand has never prepared a person to face the future," Philippe continued, as he announced several measures to combat greenhouse gas emissions, including hiking diesel taxes in line with petrol.

The prime minister, however, did give an apparent nod to one of Trump's other reform policies by announcing new measures to retain French businesses in much the same way Trump pledged to revive the U.S. corporate sector.

"Companies must want to set themselves up and develop on our soil rather than elsewhere," Philippe said.

He added that his government would cut the corporate tax from 33.3 percent to 25 percent by 2022, while dramatically cutting unemployment.

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Recent election results suggest that right as well as left-wing populism may be more contained than feared and that the "reasonable middle" is reasserting itself in politics.

Political risks to financial markets may be receding, but hopes for a wave of liberalizing reforms are likely to be misplaced.

In 1989, as the Cold War was ending, Francis Fukuyama published his often-cited essay (and later book) proclaiming the "end of history" or, as he predicted more explicitly, the "unabashed victory of economic and political liberalism."

The following decade appeared to corroborate his thesis, as Eastern Europe and Russia transitioned peacefully toward Western democracy, China entered the system of free trade, financial liberalization deepened and unfettered globalization seemed to become an unstoppable force.

The excesses of the financial boom  arguably caused by too great a belief in the self-correcting mechanisms of free markets  ended in the deepest financial crisis and recession of the post-World War II period. In its wake, what had looked like a deeply unifying and growth-enhancing change in monetary regime in Europe came close to collapse and to tearing apart the European Union (EU).
Ahead of this week's G-20 Summit in Germany a group of political figureheads from around the world has urged the G-20 to reassert its support for the "implementation of the Paris Agreement and further action on climate change."

In a statement on Wednesday the governors, ministers and premiers of Baden-Wurttemberg, California, South Australia and Catalonia  members of the Under2 Coalition  called on world leaders to "recognize the role of sub-national governments, states, regions, cities, in leading and delivering on climate action."

The Under2 coalition is made up of 176 cities, states and countries all committed to limiting greenhouse gas emissions to two tons per capita or 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.

Edmund G. Brown Jr., the Governor of California, said that momentum was building all over the world "to deal seriously with climate change. Despite rejection in Washington, California is all in. We are fully committed to the Under2 Coalition and the Paris Agreement."

At the beginning of June, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, prompting a barrage of criticism from supporters of the accord.

"This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States," the president said at the time.

Last week, however, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "more determined than ever" to make a success of the Paris Agreement after Trump's decision to pull out, according to Reuters.
Martin Shkreli delayed and delayed and delayed for years redeeming an investor's $1.3 million stake in Shkreli's hedge fund, and then cooked up a purported "consulting agreement" from a new drug company to finally pay off that man, the investor testified Wednesday.

The investor, Dallas-based Darren Blanton, served as an advisor to the transition of President Donald Trump earlier this year.

On Wednesday, Blanton served as the fourth witness for prosecutors trying to convict Shkreli in Brooklyn, New York, federal court of defrauding investors in two hedge funds he ran, and of then looting Retrophin, the company he founded, to repay those investors.

Blanton, 52, was a catalyst for Retrophin's creation.

Shkreli set out on founding that company after hearing from Blanton about a boy, Joshua Frase, who had a rare muscular condition known as myotubular myopathy, which killed him at age 15 in 2010.

Blanton testified that, in addition to trying unsuccessfully for years to get Shkreli to grant him a promised 20 percent "founder's share" in Retrophin, Shkreli never fulfilled his promise to give either the Joshua Frase Foundation or Joshua's dad Paul each a 3.3 percent stake in Retrophin.

Prosecutors claim Blanton was one of several people to be granted sham consulting agreements from Retrophin to funnel them money and stock after they were defrauded at Shkreli's hedge funds.

"I was worried Martin might be lying to me and not credible," Blanton testified about one point in time during his long, extensive efforts to get Shkreli to redeem money he had put in Shkreli's MSMB Capital hedge fund.

He also testified that when Shkreli was in the process of creating Retrophin, and when some questions were raised about MSMB Capital's performance, Blanton's firm Colt Ventures contacted both the auditor and administrator which MSMB claimed were associated with that hedge fund.
Toxic assets are at the heart of the bank's demise and its plan includes the intention to sell down 28.6 billion euros of gross non-performing loans (NPLs), of which 26.1 billion euros will be securitized (converted into marketable securities).

BMPS revealed an outline of its new 2017  2021 plan on Wednesday morning which it says will deliver a net profit of over 1.2 billion euros and a return-on-equity of over 10 percent by 2021. Management has committed to implementing a headcount reduction of around 5,500 and to close around 600 of the bank's existing 2,000 branches as well as a pay cap for senior management. BMPS also said that its CET1 ratio (its common equity tier 1 ratio which is a key standardized measure of a bank's financial strength) should reach 14.7 percent by 2021.

Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan announced late Tuesday that the government had received approval from the European Commission to pump 5.4 billion euros into Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS) in exchange for the lender undertaking a major restructuring overhaul.

The Italian state has stepped in with funding to save yet another failing bank, meaning taxpayers now stand responsible for over 22 billion euros ($25.4 billion) of bailout money recently extended to the sector.

The move comes barely more than a week after Italy again received support from the European Commission for its pledge of a state guarantee of up to 17 billion euros as part of a plan to dismantle two troubled Venetian banks.

The use of taxpayer money to resolve problems within the banking system and therein protect retail bondholders in all three banks has been highly controversial given it flies in the face of the European Commission's commitment to avoid bailouts and all of the recent legislation that it has passed geared towards that purpose.

The banking sector has been struggling for years under the weight of a mountain of bad debt, and defenders of the state aid say the government's and the Commission's broader aim of lowering systemic risk validates the decision.

Additionally, the goal of shoring up the wider Italian financial system is now making progress, according to analysts at Citi.

"The stock of NPLs in Italian banks' balance sheets is significant but, given recent system developments, it is expected to show a large decrease before year-end," said Azzurra Guelfi, banking analyst at Citi in a note on Wednesday morning.

Furthermore, having bought into the new equity at a discount, the state could even stand to benefit from the BMPS transaction, says Gildas Surry, senior analyst at Axiom Alternative Investments.

"Over the next five years, definitely the state has a case where potentially it could get a good return on its investment," Surry told CNBC on Wednesday.

Indeed, there could also be an opportunity for brave investors, suggests Surry, if Italy follows the path trodden by Spain which has seen its banking sector shrink from around 70 lenders to closer to a dozen since the financial crisis.

"Potentially BMPS is a consolidation play because ultimately the bank will be clean and definitely there is consolidation to take place in Italy from the 400-plus institutions down to probably 150," he offered.
The J.M. Smucker Company is in a jam.

Shares of the jelly giant sank to $116 on Wednesday, a low not seen since January 2016 when they were trading around $117. The move reflects broader struggles in the packaged food industry.

Like so many other companies, Smucker is battling pricing pressure in the grocery industry. Its portfolio includes its namesake jelly brand, as well as coffee and food brands including Folgers and Pillsbury, along with pet food brands such as Milk Bone and Meow Mix.

Some shoppers are looking for low prices at discount stores like Aldi and Lidl, said Robert Moskow, an analyst at Credit Suisse, while other shoppers are looking for natural products at more expensive stores like Whole Foods Market . Brands like Smucker are caught in the middle.

"But meanwhile, companies like Smucker and others have, instead of lowering prices to grocers, have actually tried to increase price realization to get margins higher," Moskow said. "Investors are losing faith in the ability of these companies to revitalize their top line."
But, "He told me, 'I'm not pleading guilty to something did not do,'" Brafman said.

Brafman said that he was bound ethically to see if the case could be resolved before going to trial to protect the interests of his client.

Brafman said Shkreli told him, "I would never plead guilty to something I did not do. ... We're going to trial."

An angry Benjamin Brafman, Shkreli's lead lawyer, said Shkreli "categorically" refused to even consider a plea deal with the prosecution, although Brafman conceded he himself had reached out to prosecutors about a potential deal.

Prosecutors said that fact, disclosed for the first time in Brooklyn, New York, federal court, contradicted Shkreli's claim to journalists last week that he never considered a plea offer. The terms of that offer, which presumably would have reduced Shkreli's punishment at sentencing, were not revealed.

Also Wednesday, prosecutors who sought to have Shkreli gagged from talking about the case revealed that Shkreli's defense team several times had approached prosecutors about potentially resolving the case with a guilty plea to avoid going to trial.

"I was shocked that there were these comments, these statements," said Judge Kiyo Matsumoto, referring to Shkreli's outbursts. "There's a great risk jurors will be exposed."

A federal judge Wednesday ordered "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli to stop commenting on his ongoing securities fraud trial in and around the public areas of a New York courthouse after Shkreli went on a five-minute rant to reporters last week.

Prosecutors, when they filed their gag order motion Monday night, wrote that they strongly suspected that Shkreli had resumed posting on the social media service Twitter, which had banned him earlier this year after he harassed a female journalist in a series of tweets.

Prosecutors wrote they believed Shkreli was using the new Twitter handle @BLMBro. That account's tweets did contain comments on the ongoing trial and were written in Shkreli's often-acerbic style.

Twitter suspended that account after the prosecution's motion was reported.

In gagging Shkreli, at least in and around court, Matsumoto indicated she was deeply troubled by Shkreli having walked into a courtroom occupied by several reporters last week and making comments on the case.

During that short visit, Shkreli blasted prosecutors, witnesses and the press.

Jacquelyn Kasulis, an assistant United States attorney, told Matsumoto on Wednesday morning that, "It is of utmost importance to us that we avoid the circus-like atmosphere that we have discussed."

Kasulis noted that when a CNBC reporter asked Brafman last Friday whether he was concerned about Shkreli's loose lips to the press, Shkreli interjected, referring to himself, "He can do what he wants."

The prosecutor said, "That is of real concern with us."

Matsumoto also said she was afraid that jurors in the trial would end up hearing what Shkreli said if he continued talking; she was particularly concerned that he spoke to reporters while walking out of court last week after his rant.

"All your client has to do is stop talking in the courthouse and around the perimeter of the courthouse," Matsumoto said. "This isn't going to help Mr. Shkreli in the end."

"I would like to so order the agreement that he will not make comments in the courthouse about the evidence and the witnesses and this also includes the perimeter roads," Matsumoto said.

"I think it's inappropriate and that all the work we've done to select 18 men and women to sit on the jury would be jeopardized if he continued to do this."

Brafman told the judge, "There will be no more commenting by Mr. Shkreli." The attorney also said Shkreli agreed to willingly keep quiet in the future.

"I think this is an isolated incident."

Brafman claimed that his client suffers from anxiety and was being baited by reporters and their allegedly unfair coverage of the case.
Zuckerberg says the state's cash handout program "provides some good lessons for the rest of the country." The dividend averages $1000 (or more) per person. "That can be especially meaningful if your family has five or six people," says Zuckerberg in a post he wrote about the payment. "This is a novel approach to basic income in a few ways. First, it's funded by natural resources rather than raising taxes. Second, it comes from conservative principles of smaller government, rather than progressive principles of a larger safety net," says Zuckerberg. "This shows basic income is a bipartisan idea."

Source: Mark Zuckerberg | Facebook

Fundamentally, Zuckerberg says people think and work differently when they have their basic needs met. "Seeing how Alaska put this dividend in place reminded me of a lesson I learned early at Facebook: organizations think profoundly differently when they're profitable than when they're in debt. When you're losing money, your mentality is largely about survival," says Zuckerberg. "But when you're profitable, you're confident about your future and you look for opportunities to invest and grow further. Alaska's economy has historically created this winning mentality, which has led to this basic income. That may be a lesson for the rest of the country as well." This is the second time Zuckerberg, who at 33 years old is worth almost $62 billion according to Forbes, has publicly extolled the virtues of social safety net programs that give free money to citizens regardless of employment status.

"We should have a society that measures progress not just by economic metrics like GDP, but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful. We should explore ideas like universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try new things," says Zuckerberg, while speaking at Harvard, from which he famously dropped out. According to Zuckerberg's remarks at Harvard, having your basic needs met allows and encourages creativity and innovation. If he hadn't been comfortable financially as a kid (his dad was a dentist), he says, then he might not have created Facebook. "I know lots of people who haven't pursued dreams because they didn't have a cushion to fall back on if they failed," says Zuckerberg. "We all know we don't succeed just by having a good idea or working hard. We succeed by being lucky too. If I had to support my family growing up instead of having time to code, if I didn't know I'd be fine if Facebook didn't work out, I wouldn't be standing here today."

Zuckerberg isn't alone in promoting the idea of universal basic income. Tech titan Elon Musk has said it will be a virtual necessity as automation replaces lower skilled jobs. And Sam Altman, the president of Silicon Valley start-up shop Y Combinator, has also supported the idea of giving cash handouts to everyone. "We think everyone should have enough money to meet their basic needsno matter what, especially if there are enough resources to make it possible," he says. Despite Zuckerberg's thoughts, some have questioned whether Alaska's model is having a positive impact on its residents.
But she and Chinese president Xi Jinping , who was visiting Berlin in advance of the G20, took the opportunity to signal that international economic cooperation would continue  even if Mr Trump stood on the sidelines.

German chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that she was prepared for "difficult negotiations" at this week's G20 summit in Hamburg, where she is struggling to hold the group together in the face of conflicts between European states and US President Donald Trump over trade and climate change.

Under agreements approved by the two leaders, Germany and China will jointly build a hydropower station in Angola, and Siemens, the German electronics group, is to cooperate with Chinese counterparts in digitalisation and aerospace. Meanwhile, Berlin Zoo has taken custody of two Chinese pandas, which the two leaders were later due to visit in their new home.

Ms Merkel told journalists Berlin would push for the completion of talks on an EU-China investment treaty which would one day lead to a full free trade agreement. But she said it was important that there was equal treatment, a reference to the difficulties faced by EU companies accessing the Chinese market.

Mr Xi said: "Chinese-German relations are now about to have a new start where we need new breakthroughs."

In a sign of the nervousness surrounding the visit, neither leader mentioned Beijing's decision to allow liver cancer experts from Germany, the US and other countries to join a medical team treating Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo.

The two leaders' press statements together lasted less than five minutes and there was no opportunity ask questions.

Ms Merkel's officials are sweating to produce acceptable G20 agreements in the face of Mr Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord and his criticisms of free trade.

The chancellor has repeatedly said that the US remains an important partner but also criticised Mr Trump's isolationist approach. In an interview with Die Zeit newspaper, published on Wednesday, she said: "While we are looking at the possibilities of cooperation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers."

More from Financial Times:

Mexico urged to seek ambitious Nafta upgrade

G20 economies buck Trump's protectionist trade tone

An EU-Japan pact shows how free trade strides on
A Merrill Lynch salesman Wednesday described his shock at learning in February 2011 that Martin Shkreli's hedge fund was unable cover a short trade that left Merrill Lynch with a $7 million loss a day after assuring the firm the trade could be covered.

Steven Stich, the salesman, also testified he became "angry" and was upset after Shkreli threatened Merrill Lynch if it used the legal system to try to recoup its money from his hedge fund MSMB Capital on a short trade involving 11 million shares of Orexigen Therapeutics .

"Martin said he had some system issues on his side, that it was a mistake, he apologized for putting me in this position, that it would not be in our best interest to pursue this," Stich testified at Shkreli's securities fraud trial in Brooklyn, New York, federal court.

Shkreli also said, "That he knew people, that he would find ways to pay us back, [and that it would] not be wise to go to legal proceedings or make anybody aware of it," Stich testified.

And Shkreli suggested that Merrill Lynch, which was handling electronic trading for his hedge fund, was large enough that it could "absorb the loss," Stich said.

Darren Blanton, a Dallas-based investor who had invested with Shkreli's hedge fund, also testified Wednesday that he later learned that the administrator that MSMB Capital purported to employ never actually worked for that hedge fund. Blanton also said that MSMB Capital's purported outside auditor said "no comment" when asked if it actually did such work for the fund.

Stich's and Blanton's testimony helped prosecutors continue to paint a picture of Shkreli as someone who talked a big game about his trading prowess and assets under his control, only to be exposed as an alleged sham.

Prosecutors also used Stich's testimony to underscore the claim that Shkreli's hedge fund was essentially broke and unable to cover its short on Orexigen at the same time Shkreli was telling one investor that MSMB Capital had between $30 million and $40 million of assets under management.

Shkreli, 34, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he defrauded investors at MSMB Capital and another hedge fund he ran, and that he later looted the drug company he founded, Retrophin , to repay those investors.

Stich testified that he became aware on Feb. 1, 2011, that MSMB Capital had a short position in Orexigen. In a short sale, the investor is selling borrowed shares to try to make a profit if the share values go down, pocketing the price difference when he returns the shares he borrowed.

On that same day, Stich said, Shkreli asked for "a favor"  that Merrill Lynch lower what it was charging MSMB Capital in commissions for processing its trades on Orexigen.

Stich said Shkreli, in discussions with him that day, sounded normal and did not express any concern about the size of his fund's position in Orexigen.

When Stich asked Shkreli if he was able to "locate" shares in Orexigen to cover the amount of shares he had sold short, "He said, 'yes,'" Sitch testified. "I asked him if he was sure, and he said, 'Yes.'"

If Shkreli did not have the ability locate, or find, shares in Orexigen, he would be unable to deliver them to the buyer of those shares in the short-sell trade. That would, in turn, leave Shkreli, and by extension Merrill, in the position of having to cover any losses incurred from such a position.

On Feb. 2, 2011, the day after making those assurances, Stich said he and a Merrill Lynch manager called Shkreli to discuss getting data they needed to consider reducing the commissions for the trade.

"Martin's first comment ... was that the commission rate was the least of our problems," Stich said. "He could not pay for the trade."

"I took that to mean he didn't have enough assets to hold a position of that size, to pay for that trade," Stich said. "My reaction was shock and was trying to understand what was going on."

During a follow-up call, Shkreli claimed that he had a systems problem before the loss, and threatened Merrill Lynch if it sued or otherwise used legal means to recoup its money.

Stich said he was angry and upset "that he effectively threatened us, left us with an open 11 million-share short position on a stock with volume drying up."

Stich said Merrill Lynch then "had to go out and buy 11.3 million shares of [Orexigen] stock in the open market, which caused us to lose over $7 million to be able to deliver stock."'

Merrill Lynch later sought to recoup its loss through arbitration with Shkreli, and the firm obtained what Stich said was a $1.3 million settlement.

A prosecutor asked Stich if he had ever before dealt with a hedge fund that said it had a "locate" on a stock for a short sale when it actually did not have such a locate.

"Not specifically around having a locate," Stich said. "There was an example in my experience of a hedge fund that was fraudulent around the assets they had under management and not being able to pay for their trades."
U.S. stock index futures this morning as traders awaited the release of the Federal Reserve's minutes of the June 13-14 FOMC meeting, at which policymakers raised benchmark interest rates by  point. The release is set for around 2 p.m. ET. (CNBC)



The Dow is coming off a record high close, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq continues to sputter. The Nasdaq has fallen in five of the past six sessions, and although it is still this year's best performer of the major indexes, its lead over the Dow and S&P 500 is rapidly shrinking. (CNBC)

Three releases that would normally be seen today are postponed due to the holiday: the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly report on mortgage applications, the Energy Department's usual look at oil and gasoline inventories, and ADP's June report. All three of those reports will be out tomorrow morning. (CNBC)

The government's lone economic report of the day comes at 10 a.m. ET, with the release of May factory orders. Economists look for a 0.5 percent decline following a 0.2 percent fall in April. (CNBC)
Qatar is unlikely to agree to demands from a coalition led by Saudi Arabia that includes shutting down Al-Jazeera, former U.S. diplomat Theodore Kattouf told CNBC on Wednesday.

The seven-member coalition has also demanded that Qatar close a Turkish base and downgrade its relations with Iran. The deadline, which had been extended, expired Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

"You have to ask what the next step is" for Qatar's leader, said Kattouf, former U.S. ambassador to Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

"Asking him to close a base where Turkish troops are stationed, downgrade relations with Iran and close Al-Jazeera, the flagship satellite channel in the Middle East, would be humiliating," Kattouf said on "Squawk Box."



"So there's no way out of this immediately."

The coalition, which includes Egypt, Bahrain and the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar three weeks ago, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

"They're like kids in a tough neighborhood who have too much lunch change in their pocket," said Kattouf, president of Amideast, which works to foster Americans' understanding of the Middle East.
Finland's Nokia and Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi announced an agreement on Wednesday to cross-license patents from each other, which will help both companies develop new products.

The deal will see both companies license so-called standard essential patents  patents which are essential to allow products to comply with an industry standard  from each other.

Nokia will provide network infrastructure equipment to deliver high capacity, low power requirements that are needed by companies that are processing and delivering lots of data. The two firms will also work together on technologies focused on the data center.

Both companies have agreed to "explore opportunities for further cooperation" in areas such as the internet of things, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, according to a press release.

Nokia has been a key player in developing many of the standards used by the mobile industry even today and makes money from licensing the patents it has built up over the years. As such, its patents can be key for companies looking to expand globally in the mobile market without running into legal problems.
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The U.S. may need to rethink its current North Korea strategy of asking China to step up efforts to rein in an increasingly aggressive Pyongyang as it attempts to become a nuclear power, experts said Wednesday. That followed another missile launch by the North on Tuesday, which the U.S. confirmed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Since taking office, President Donald Trump has tried to get China, North Korea's only major ally, to apply more economic pressure on Pyongyang to help stop its nuclear and missile programs and other acts of defiance against the U.S. and its allies. Christopher Hill, who was a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea during the George W. Bush administration, and later was ambassador to Iraq under the Obama administration, said Americans will monitor the U.S. response after the latest round of provocations. "I think the Trump administration, frankly, is not known for long-term thinking, if I can put it kindly," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday. "In the short run, what they're very concerned about is the possibility that North Korea could have an ICBM that could hit the U.S. with a nuclear weapon. And they have to go and explain that to the American people in 2020 at the elections." Hill added, "If I were Donald Trump, I wouldn't want to do that. Obviously, he will blame Barack Obama  he does that on everything. But in this case, I think the American people will indeed ask the question you're asking, which is 'what is he going to do about it?'"

Beijing's fear of regional instability

Experts agreed that Beijing has been reluctant to apply harsh economic pressure on North Korea because they fear it could destabilize the region. If the current Pyongyang regime were to fall, it could have several effects that might unsettle China, the experts told CNBC on Wednesday. Josef Jelinek, senior China analyst at the Frontier Strategy Group, told "The Rundown" that "the last thing China wants is a unified Korean Peninsula friendly to the U.S." He added it could potentially mean U.S. troops at its borders with North Korea. At the same time, a regime collapse could lead to the "potential chaos of refugees destabilizing its own region." Jelinek said some parties may have 'miscalculated' what China was prepared to do to stop Pyongyang.

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Restarting talks with North Korea

At the G-20 meeting later this week, it's likely world leaders may decide to push for tougher economic sanctions against North Korea for its ICBM launch. But experts said that applying sanctions was unlikely to deter Pyongyang from pursuing its nuclear ambitions. Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp., told CNBC's "Street Signs" on Wednesday, that sanctions weren't likely to become more effective ahead. "The problem with sanctions is they do almost everything internally and therefore you can't cut off the supply of materials they need by and large, with some minor exceptions," he said. Restarting talks with Pyongyang is an option that needs to be considered, according to David Wright, co-director of the global security program at the nonprofit science advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists. Wright told CNBC's "The Rundown" on Wednesday that the window of opportunity for the U.S. to figure out how to cap North Korea's nuclear ambitions was closing, with Pyongyang continuing to make strides toward long-range missiles that can carry a nuclear warhead. He said that since sanctions have not worked in the past, that "leaves you with trying to sit down with the North Koreans, trying to talk to them, to lower the temperature around this and to see if there's a way to get them to stop their missile testing, stop their nuclear testing." Past negotiations had resulted in North Korea temporarily halting its nuclear missile program, Wright added.

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Bennett, however, noted that it is unlikely that North Korea will agree to any kind of talks that would include denuclearization as a precondition to opening negotiations. "North Korea has been absolutely clear about denuclearization. They have said over, and over, and over again that they have no intent to denuclearize. That they plan to maintain their nuclear weapons as essential to survival, regardless of what they're offered in negotiations," he said. "So getting them to give up their nuclear weapons before negotiations is not going to happen." Wright added that if the U.S. proceeds with talks, it will have to determine what would be the best way to approach the issue  either bilaterally or multilaterally  and determine what they are ready to put on the negotiating table. "We've heard from North Korean diplomats that North Korea has talked about the willingness to have talks with the United States. I think it's time to find out if they're really serious about that," he said.  CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.

WATCH: Former Defense Secretary warns U.S.-Russian relations could descend into nuclear war
North Korea's now-confirmed successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile Tuesday may seem like just another in a string of provocative moves by Kim Jung Un's regime. But because this latest test now brings the possibility that North Korea could reach Alaska or even some major cities on the U.S. West Coast, the chances for continued diplomatic patience are severely reduced.

In other words, the time for talk is over and now the "to do list" for three major players in this developing crisis has become clearer, if not easier, to execute. The clear goal now is regime change, and regime change by either peaceful or at least much less lethal means. The three players are the United States, China, and a group of prominent North Korean exiles. Here's how the actions of each group can bring about an acceptable outcome without excessive chaos.

The U.S. "hammer"

Contrary to the usual scenarios, the United States may have the easiest job to do in all of thisproviding the muscle. To keep the pressure on all the other players, the Trump administration needs to continue proving it's prepared for a military action to bring down the regime in Pyongyang. It did that Tuesday with joint military exercises with South Korea that were initiated just hours after the North Korean launch, but more needs to be done to convince the region of American resolve.

Experts at the military and geopolitical strategic publisher Stratfor have long analyzed what an attack by U.S.-led forces on North Korea would look like. In brief, a move to take out the regime's nuclear facilities would be likely be carried out by American B-2 stealth bombers and F-22 stealth tactical fighters with supporting firepower from cruise missiles fired from surface ships and submarines.

And while President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he doesn't like telegraphing U.S. attacks in advance, in this case a show of force in the form of deploying more of those B-2 bombers, F-22 fighters, and U.S. Navy ships in the region may get an important message across.

For more than 20 years, the one element that's been sorely missing from the diplomatic efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions has been the lack of any real military threat from the U.S. Now that we see that the conciliatory approach cultivated by the Clinton and Obama administrations and the relative indifference of the George W. Bush administration did not work, some American saber rattling is long overdue.

The Chinese purse

That brings us to China and its crucial role in this problem. President Trump has made it clear in recent months to anyone who didn't already know that Chinese economic pressure is the key to forcing North Korea to back off. But as long as the Chinese believe the U.S. will never launch a military strike that truly destabilizes the North Korean nation, Beijing sees sitting on its hands as a pretty good play.

China's main fear is that political chaos after an attack or coup attempt in North Korea will force hundreds of thousands of refugees to stream across the border into the country. Protecting the integrity of the Chinese border has been ingrained in the local culture for centuries as the Great Wall of China would indicate, so this concern is something that transcends the current government in Beijing and even the nation's relatively brief communist history.

So the Chinese need to weigh their pros and cons. It may cost billions to economically punish Pyongyang and supply the cash for a post-Kim Jong Un regime. But will that cost be more than dealing with the financial and social costs of a massive influx of desperate refugees if the U.S. carries out military action.

A new regime's task

And that leads us to what China would have to pay for exactly.

A number of "third way" thinkers on the North Korean threat have been promoting a more peaceful option of supporting a new regime. In the new book Stop North Korea!: A Radical New Approach to the North Korea Standoff, Shepherd Iverson of Inha University in South Korea calls for using a massive multi-billion dollar fund, perhaps as much as $175 billion, to create a carrot approach to helping regime change in North Korea become a reality.

Iverson believes that this so-called "reunifcation investment fund" could be used to pay current political and military elites in North Korea to step aside peacefully. Kim Jong Un and his family would not be paid but would be granted immunity in order to leave the country.

Others think that's a long shot, and insist that North Koreans currently living in exile are the best candidates to take over.

Their main focus is on Kim Han-sol, a surviving grandson of North Korea's previous leader King Jong Il, who is Kim Jong Un's nephew. For those of you having understandable trouble keeping score at home, Han-sol is the son of Kim Jong Un's half-brother Kim Jong Nam, who was assassinated with a nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February. South Korean officials say North Korea was behind the killing.

The reason Han-sol is considered a viable option by some is because the North Korean people have been brainwashed to believe the family of North Korean founder Kim Il-Sung are their almost divine rulers. Having someone from the family take over from Kim Jong Un is believed to be seen as more legitimate to North Koreans.

No matter who leads this group, the consensus is they're not only going to need money but they'll need to set up some kind of government in exile as soon as possible. A viable alternative like this needs visibility and at least the appearance of getting down to business. That business could include deciding how best to use some of the billions the Chinese and others might be willing to cough up.

And such a plan by some North Korean exiles certainly has a good chance to get bloody as well. China will not only have to pay to set up such a new government, but help it pay for the financial and military costs included with having to oust Kim Jong Un and possibly imprison or at least effectively exile him to another country.

But these remain the most realistic and relatively peaceful approaches left on the table for these three players. Pyongyang's current regime couldn't be clearer in showing that it is beyond reachable by reasonable negotiations. And nobody really wants a bloody attack that could lead to more death and destruction in the long run.

None of the above tasks can work in a vacuum. The U.S. must first prove to everyone that it's serious about taking military action. China must prove it's serious about paying to avoid that action. And North Korean exiles must prove they're worth that Chinese money.

The Trump administration is already well on its way to completing its part of the deal. It's time for the other players to get moving too.

Correction: An earlier version of this article erred when it said a new book, Stop North Korea!: A Radical New Approach to the North Korea Standoff, by Prof. Shepherd Iverson of Inha University, said China would need to supply $175 billion in funds that would go towards removing the current North Korean regime of Kim Jong Un. In fact, the prof. wrote that the fund would be raised from varied sources. The book also does not call for Kim Jong Un to be exiled or imprisoned, but that he and his family would be given immunity to step away from power. Lastly, Iverson does not propose that a "new regime should and could be led by current military leaders in North Korea" but argues for complete political reunification with the South.The article also misidentified the location of Inha University. It is in Incheon, South Korea, not Seoul.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
North Korea's claims that it successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Tuesday are the latest instance of political posturing to emerge from President Kim Jong-Un's totalitarian regime, but they also bring the likelihood of an attack on the U.S. squarely into focus.

Though most experts agree that the closed state does not yet have long-range nuclear weapon capabilities, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday that the launch indicated a "new escalation of the threat" and analysts see the country's military advancement gaining pace.

Tuesday's tactically timed Independence Day launch is in many ways a minor step forward from a similar test in May, the latest in a series of provocations. The new Hwasong-14 rocket added approximately eight minutes of flight time, or a further 90 miles in overall distance, to its predecessor.

However, the new model is now thought to bring Alaska into range.

This step could significantly increase North Korea's ability of targeting the U.S.'s 48 mainland states  and the timeframe in which it does  according to Jonathan Wood, director, global risk advisory at Control Risks.

"This launch brings forward, or accelerates the timeframe, in which North Korea was expected to develop a longer-range intercontinental capability from perhaps maybe 5-10 years to within 5 years," Wood told CNBC Wednesday.
North Korea just successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, one of its most audacious moves yet  and a vivid reminder that Pyongyang seems determined to test whether President Donald Trump is willing to turn his tough talk about the country's nuclear threat into action.

The Hwasong-14 flew for 37 minutes, according to U.S. Pacific Command, and traveled about 578 miles. It didn't go as far as it could because it was shot at a high trajectory, likely to ensure it didn't make another country believe it was being attacked. The projectile eventually landed in the sea between Japan and North Korea, but analysts believe it could have traveled as far as 4,200 miles if it had been fired with an actual intent to strike a target in case of conflict.

In response, the U.S. and South Korea held a military exercise within 10 miles of the demilitarized zone that separates North Korea from its neighbor. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for "global action" to counter North Korea, while China and Russia asked for a "double suspension" of the military exercise and North Korea's weapons program.

More from Vox:

5 ways the North Korea situation could spiral out of control

If Republicans reach a health care deal, it must survive this obscure Senate rule

If the Senate health-care bill passes, many will lose coverage. But these workers could lose their jobs.

Based on the global reaction, the missile test was clearly a big deal. That's because the caveats about North Korea  in this case, that it didn't have an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, that could hit the mainland United States  are steadily disappearing. "That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska," wrote David Wright, co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

And, down the line, this test could be seen as a steppingstone to an even more threatening development. "Even if this is a 7,000-km-range missile, a 10,000-km-range missile that can hit New York isn't far off," Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, told the New York Times.

What's still not clear is if North Korea has the ability to miniaturize a nuclear weapon so it could be placed on the tip of the missile, and, even if it can, if the missile could reach the U.S. and still detonate. However, Lewis told me in April that North Korea was only about five years away from being able to do that.

Back in January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that his country was close to testing an ICBM. President Donald Trump promised that it wouldn't happen, which could raise the pressure on the administration to do something beyond tweeting out words of disapproval.

And that's what's important to keep in mind: No matter what Trump has said, or the pressure the U.S., China and others try to place on North Korea, Kim continues to test missiles that could harm America and its allies.

This was not the kind of projectile Americans are used to hearing about on July Fourth.
Qatar faces a protracted period of isolation, and possibly expulsion, from the Gulf Co-operation Council if the Middle Eastern country's response to the demands is deemed unsatisfactory.

Foreign ministers representing Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain met in Cairo on Wednesday, a day after the deadline expired for Qatar to respond to the group's list of demands.

A coalition of Arab countries are poised to announce whether to escalate or abandon sanctions against Qatar on Wednesday, a month after they severed ties with the Gulf state.

Last month, on June 22, Gulf States issued a 13-point list of demands to resolve the ongoing dispute and gave Qatar 10 days to respond. On Sunday, the deadline was extended by 48 hours.

The standoff revolves around allegations that Doha supports Islamist militants, including the Muslim brotherhood. The latter is recognized as a terrorist group by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE. Qatar denies backing terrorist organizations and has accused neighboring Arab countries of attempting to seize control of its foreign policy.

While the clash between Qatar and a coalition of Arab states is still being negotiated, senior Gulf diplomats have reportedly suggested a settlement is unlikely. Ahead of the announcement, Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani told Reuters the actions taken to date by Saudi Arabia and its allies had been "clear aggression and insult."



Qatar had previously described the demands as "unrealistic and not actionable".

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE have enacted a series of unprecedented diplomatic and economic measures against Doha, such as severing political ties, closing land, sea and air links, and expelling Qatari nationals from their countries.

Qatar has reportedly responded to the demands, but no details have been released publically.



Earlier on Wednesday, Moody's rating agency slashed its outlook for the emirate's sovereign credit rating to "negative" from "stable", despite Qatar ramping up its lucrative LNG exports in the midst of a tense diplomatic crisis.
Despite Qatar aiming to ramp up its lucrative LNG (liquefied natural gas) exports in the midst of a tense diplomatic crisis, ratings agency Moody's has cut its outlook on the country's sovereign credit to "negative" from "stable".

The ratings agency said the change was due to the economic and financial risks arising from the ongoing dispute with Saudi Arabia and its allies, which accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, an allegation the country has denied.

"The likelihood of a prolonged period of uncertainty extending into 2018 has increased and a quick resolution of the dispute is unlikely over the next few months," Moody's said.

The ongoing clash between Qatar and a coalition of countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, was still being negotiated. Qatar has responded to a list of 13 demands put forward by Saudi Arabia and its allies, but no details of the response were made public.

"I'm a bit surprised Moody's has downgraded Qatar," AMP Chief Economist, Shane Oliver, told CNBC's "The Rundown" on Wednesday.

"As far as I know, their export links are still operational, given that most of it goes by sea, so I don't really see what the financial risk is there." He added.
Jefferies is optimistic toward companies such as Raytheon , Orbital ATK , and Aerojet Rocketdyne as tensions with North Korea escalate, leading to greater missile defense spending.

"The aggressive nature of the North Korean acts may cause Japan, South Korea, the U.S. Congress and the Administration to fund missile defense at an above average rate," wrote Jefferies equity analyst Howard Rubel in Wednesday's note.

The U.S. confirmed that a missile launched by the North Korean government on Tuesday was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, which has the potential to reach the United States. After numerous attempts to goad the Chinese government into applying more economic pressure against Pyongyang, President Donald Trump is running out of diplomatic options.

While the U.S. continues to build its immature Ground Based Missile Defense system, radar and rocket manufacturers such as Raytheon are poised for federal funding, with geospatial imagery companies like DigitalGlobe also positioned for bumps, according to the Jefferies report.

"The Japanese have considered another program which would help defend their territory. If we go forward with some form of defense of Hawaii, that's a multi-billion dollar program," added Rubel on CNBC's "Power Lunch" earlier today. "The answer is: it's undecided how large the opportunity is for these contractors."

"Language in the House Armed Services Report for the FY18 DoD budget calls out the need for a plan to enhance the sharing of commercial imagery and national technical means with South Korea and Japan," added Rubel. The increased expenditure on weapons and defense, as well as the potential for further international partnership would bode well for American arms manufacturers.

On Wednesday afternoon, Raytheon traded approximately 1.60 percent higher while Orbital ATK was up 2.14 percent.

Earlier today, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea Christopher Hill told CNBC that he believes Americans will pay close attention to the U.S. response following this latest North Korean missile launch.

"In the short run, what they're very concerned about is the possibility that North Korea could have an ICBM that could hit the U.S. with a nuclear weapon," Hill told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "I think the American people will indeed ask the question you're asking, which is what is [Trump] going to do about it?"

Thus far, China has regarded the uptick in U.S. missile defense activity with disdain.

Plans for new modern defense weapons sales to Taiwan angered China last week as the U.S. State Department announced the $1.42 billion agreement. Prior to the arms sale, the U.S. shocked both South Korea and China by secretly deploying four more THAAD rocket launchers in South Korea.
Saudi Arabia has been described as the "foremost" financier of Islamist extremism in the U.K. by a right-wing think tank.

The report, published by the Henry Jackson Society, citing multiple media outlets, right-wing U.S. think tanks and other websites, links several Saudi charities and organizations to a growth in the number of British citizens becoming radicalized and leaving the country to fight for the jihadist militant group Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. It said that the form of education advanced by such organizations promotes a "hardline Wahhabi interpretation of Islam endorsed by the Saudi state".

It has called for a public inquiry into the funding of extremism in the U.K. by Gulf states. It also claims Iran to be one of the Arab states involved in the financing of extremist groups.

"While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list," Tom Wilson, author of the report said on Wednesday. "Research indicates that some Saudi individuals and foundations have been apparently heavily involved in exporting an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology."

Two of the organizations it singled out as promoting "violent Islamist extremism" were the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and the Muslim World League (MWL) which, it said, have links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Saudi Arabia is the closest ally to the U.K. in the Middle East.
Sex robot Roxxxy, made by True Companion True Companion

Sex robots will be unlikely to prevent sex crimes like rape and pedophilia and could actually "reinforce illicit sexual practices," according to a wide-ranging report that tackles the future of machines in relationships. The paper, called "Our Sexual Future With Robots" by the nonprofit organization Responsible Robotics, highlights the impact these machines could have on society. One section focuses on the minority of voices that suggest sex robots could help prevent sex crimes. The report references Shin Takagi who founded Trottla, a company making child sex dolls. Takagi says this could help people prevent people abusing kids. "I am helping people express their desires, legally and ethically. It's not worth living if you have to live with repressed desire," Takagi said in a 2016 interview with The Atlantic. But the authors from Responsible Robotics cast doubt over whether such dolls could help stop pedophiles and rapists.

watch now

"When we look at the question of whether or not sex robots could help to prevent sex crimes, there is major disagreement. On one side there are those who believe that expressing disordered or criminal sexual desires with a sex robot would satiate them to the point where they would not have the desire to harm fellow humans," the report said. "Many others believe that this would be an indulgence that could encourage and reinforce illicit sexual practices. This may work for a few but it is a very dangerous path to tread. It may be that allowing people to live out their darkest fantasies with sex robots could have a pernicious effect on society and societal norms and create more danger for the vulnerable." One issue, of course, is finding a group to test this theory. Another unknown is how to make a robot simulate rape.

Robot sex brothels?

The paper also addressed the impact that sex robots could have on prostitution. Lumidolls recently opened Europe's first robotic sex brothel in Barcelona, Spain, but faced opposition from sex workers and in February was forced to move. While the theme of robots taking jobs appears to be hitting most industries, the researchers of the paper found no evidence that robot brothels would be widespread. "We have found no indications that robots will end prostitution or sex trafficking in our investigation or in the surveys. It seems unlikely given what sex workers say about the needs of their clients for human character and intimacy. Many clients still want the pretense of a relationship," the authors said.

Social isolation?

The entrance of sex robots into society as to how we interact with people and form relationships. Robots are only going to get more life-like with improved artificial intelligence, sensors and voice, which could mean humans begin forming relationships with them. The authors suggest that sex robots are too new to know how people will relate to them, but there have been instances of people forming relationships with non-moving sex dolls. "Although this means that some people would never be satisfied with a 'relationship' with a robot, it does not mean that other people would not," the paper said. At the same time, widespread use of sex robots could have a huge impact on the way people interact with each other and cause loneliness. "Sex with robots could or will lead to social isolation. The reasons given varied: spending time in a robot relationship could create an inability to form human friendships; robot don't meet the species specific needs of humans; sex robots could desensitize humans to intimacy and empathy, which can only be developed through experiencing human interaction and mutual consenting relationships; real sexual relationships could become overwhelming because relations with robots are easier," the authors wrote.

WATCH: Meet life-sized humanoid robot Mark 1
Oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell has delivered far more cash from its downstream business than its upstream recently, Downstream Director John Abbott told CNBC on Wednesday, with the firm positioned to use the extra funds to pay off debt and maintain its dividends.

"I have seen times in my 36 years in Shell where upstream has delivered far more cash than the downstream (but) we are seeing a reverse at the moment," Abbott said.

"What I've also talked about is resetting the business, high grading the portfolio and nowhere else have we done that more than the downstream business. Downstream is actually fundamental to paying off the debt (and) to maintaining the dividend payments," he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump will get a chance to patch up trans-Atlantic ties this week when he meets with NATO allies still rattled by his failure on an earlier trip to embrace the principle that an attack against one member is an attack against all.

Trump heads to Warsaw on Wednesday where the White House said he would showcase his commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a speech and in meetings with a group of nations closest to Russia on his way to the G-20 summit in Germany on Friday and Saturday.

"He will lay out a vision not only for America's future relationship with Europe, but the future of our trans-Atlantic alliance, and what that means for American security and American prosperity," Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, told reporters last week.

Aside from shoring up the U.S. relationship with NATO allies, the speech is symbolically significant given Poland's proximity to Russia and regional fears about Moscow's ambitions following its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

It was only six weeks ago when Trump, meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, scolded them for failing to spend enough on defense during a speech in which the Republican president was expected to explicitly endorse NATO's Article 5, the collective defense provision of the treaty.

He slammed Germany for its trade practices, and shortly after returning home, pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate deal, leaving his officials to try to smooth ruffled feelings.

"They have spent a lot of their time trying to undo or explain away some of the images and the mood that came out of the last trip to Europe," said Derek Chollet, a top defense official for former Democratic President Barack Obama.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the host of the Group of 20 meeting of leading economies, has signaled she will not back down on climate and trade.
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President Donald Trump's latest Twitter broadside accused Chinese officials of boosting trade with North Korea as global leaders seek to boost pressure on Pyongyang to curb its nuclear ambitions.



But the latest trade data suggest that Trump's tweet missed its mark. In fact, Chinese trade flows with North Korea have been shrinking for the last three years.



A day after North Korea apparently tested a long-range missile that could extend the range of its nuclear threat, Trump chided Chinese officials for failing to restrict cross-border trade.

It's true that trade flows perked up in the first quarter of the year, with imports up 18 percent and exports up 55 percent, when valued in Chinese yuan. But that uptick followed a steady decline that has continued in the second quarter of this year.

In April, Chinese imports from North Korea fell below $100 million, to the lowest level in nearly three years, Reuters reported.
Before the release of the minutes, the 2-year Treasury was trading at 1.414 percent and the 30-year Treasury was trading at 2.856 percent.

U.S. government debt prices were flat on Wednesday as investors poured over the Federal Reserve's June meeting minutes . The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury notes , which moves inversely to price, was down slightly at 2.332 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond yield was slightly lower at 2.858 percent. The yield on the 2-year Treasury bond was unchanged.

"Fed members went back and forth on the state of the economy with some agreeing that the drop in the unemployment rate is tinder for eventual inflation while others were less worried," wrote The Lindsey Group's Chief Market Analyst Peter Bookvar in an emailed statement.

On the data front, Wednesday saw factory orders for May fall by 0.8 percent, higher than expected 0.4 percent decline.

The much-anticipated release of last month's FOMC minutes is set for 2 p.m.

The minutes are from the June 14 meeting when the FOMC raised rates for a second time this year and revealed details on how it intends to gradually begin paring back its more than $4.5 trillion balance sheet. The markets have doubted the Fed will hike rates for a third time this year, giving just about 50 percent odds for a September rate rise.



Meantime, in oil markets, prices dropped on Wednesday, as another rise in OPEC supplies appeared to limit gains while geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula put a floor under prices.

Entering Wednesday's session, WTI prices had risen nearly 11 percent from a 10-month closing low over the course of eight sessions.

U.S. crude was around $45.05 a barrel, down 4.29 percent.

CNBC's Patti Domm contributed to this report.
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Can it be that Jeremy Corbyn has done Theresa May a good turn? For by revealing the existence of many millions of voters who imagine the Government can just spend, spend, spend, he has forced the Prime Minister to start delivering lessons in Economics for Beginners.

Margaret Thatcher never tired of giving such tutorials. She was so keen on telling people the economic facts of life, she would lecture on the subject even to colleagues who might have been thought in no need of instruction.

Corbyn invited the Prime Minister to confirm, after a week of flip-flopping and floundering, whether the pay cap for public servants will remain in place until 2020.

He added that the prime minister found one billion pounds to keep her own job, after which he dilated on hard-working nurses who have to access food banks to survive, insisted that the prime minister simply doesnt get it, and said low paid workers deserve to be given more optimism rather than greater inequality.

The Leader of the Opposition sounds better than he did. The general election has conferred on him a kind of legitimacy. He has shown that he speaks for a lot of people.

But May was not going to give him, or them, anything so facile as more optimism. She instead decided to dole out some realism. What happens when you dont deal with your deficit?

Could she be about to threaten us with Venezuelan conditions? Was she going to go Caracas?

No, they must have decided in Number Ten that a European example would carry greater weight. So she warned that if we dont deal with the deficit, we can expect a future like Greece, with spending on the health service cut by 36 per cent  that doesnt help nurses or patients.

How refreshing to get some straight talking on the need for Prudence, the austere and virtuous lady to whom Gordon Brown used to proclaim his admittedly rather self-interested attachment (Prudence with a purpose, as he called her in his 1998 Budget), only to jilt the poor maiden and set off the unsustainable boom from which we are still struggling to recover.

So we are indebted to Corbyn for forcing May to talk about economics. Long may she continue to do so, with Philip Hammond nodding sagely at her side. How reliable she sounds as she does it.

If she has put her gambling days behind her, the nation might eventually decide it prefers sticking with her to taking a punt on Corbyn the optimist.
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It has been so hot and is going to continue being hot there only one thing for it - hitting the beach.

There are multiple ways to take advantage of the weather especially when it is sunny. Enjoying a barbecue on the beach with some family and friend is one of them,

So where are the best beaches in Cornwall to tuck into some tasty barbeque food?

How about these for starters....

1. Porthmeor Beach, St Ives

Easily accessible from the St Ives branch line, Porthmeor Beach is known for its splendid sunsets and surfers swells. What better way to enjoy the weather than a barbecue on the beach with some friends and winding down while the sun sets? Porthmeor beach is one of only five in Cornwall to hold the acclaimed Blue Flag award, which is considered to be the gold standard award for beaches.

2. Treyarnon Bay Beach

Treyarnon Bay beach on the north coast of Cornwall with low cliffs and golden sand offers a view perfect for a barbecue setting while the sun sets.

3. Marazion

Located directly in sight of St Michael's Mount, the beach at Marazion could not have a better view for a barbecue. It also looks over to Penzance and surrounding areas without cliffs obstructing the view.

4. Perranporth Beach

Miles of soft, golden sand offer plenty of space to enjoy a barbecue if other beaches are a little crowded during the minor heatwave lasting a couple of days. Perranporth is also the only beach in the UK complete with its own bar in the middle of the beach. So, if you have run out of booze with your evening barbecue there is basically a ready supply only a few steps away.

5. Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth

This beach located only a 15-minute stroll from Falmouth town center also holds the prestigious Blue Flag award. The beach attracts families with children due to its generally calm conditions, therefore good for rock pooling, barbecues and paddleboarding.

6. Praa Sands Beach

Nestled between Perranuthnoe and Porthleven, Praa Sands beach is not subject to harsh winds that hit the coastal areas of Cornwall. This beach is easily accessed from surrounding campsites, so with little traveling involved, it is the perfect spot to nip down to the beach for a quick barbecue.

7. Harlyn Bay

This spacious beach on the north coast is another in Cornwall that does not exclude feline friends from some fun at the beach, so bring the dog and enjoy the evening. Harlyn Bay also has a large car park to cater for large amounts of people coming to the beach, so parking is not a concern.

Essentials for having the best barbecue on the beach is a cool box to keep the beer cold, bin bags to clean up afterwards and all the necessary foods to make the rare occasion of eating on the beach a special one.
The report comes amidst a sharp rise in protests across India against lynching incidents, leading to increasing concern of insecurity among minorities, especially Muslims.

Compared to Indias 137th ranking, among the neighbouring countries, Bhutan ranks 13th, Sril Lanka 80th, Bangladesh 84th, Nepal 93rd, Pakistan 152nd, and Afghanistan 162nd.

The report finds smaller countries far more peaceful than large nations. Iceland, it says, is the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008, adding, it is joined by New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark.

Syria, it says, remains the least peaceful country in the world, preceded by Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen.

Despite an improvement by four positions, the report raises the alarm that India is among the countries that displayed the most significant growth in heavy weapons capabilities over the last thirty years, bracketing it with Syria, Egypt, South Korea, Iran and Pakistan.

Pointing out that, region-wise, militaries in South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa increased their heavy weapons capabilities most significantly, the report says, India is one of the countries which showed a particularly sharp rise on this score.

Thus, it says, Military expenditure has increased by 193 per cent in India and 111 per cent in Pakistan, and the number of armed forces personnel have increased by 118 per cent in India and 93 per cent in Pakistan. The heavy weapons scores have increased by 35 per cent in India and 53 per cent in Pakistan.

It underlines, Over the past three decades, China and India have established themselves as major military powers thanks to exponential economic growth which has enabled high levels of investment in their respective militaries, adding, This military expansion comes amid rising global instability and regional tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan and in the South China Sea.

The report regrets, India and Pakistan have undergone significant militarisation in the past three decades, with growth in all indicators and the simultaneous acquisition of nuclear weapons in 1998 amid constantly high tensions between the two states.

The report regrets, The total number of nuclear weapons has fallen dramatically since the height of the cold war, yet Indian, Pakistani and North Korean defiance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) means that there are now more countries that possess nuclear weapon capability, adding, Over the past three decades, India, Pakistan and most recently North Korea have also obtained nuclear weapons.

To quote from the report, The South Korean heavy weapons score increased the most, by 20,746, from 23,520 to 44,266. This increase was motivated by continued rising tensions with North Korea. South Korea was closely followed by Egypt, whose score increased by 18,695, and India, which increased by 14,982.

In what may sound music to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Sydney-based non-profit organization, Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), has said that over the last one year India has moved up four positions in the overall ranking from 141st to 137th in Global Peace Index (GPI). Claiming that this has largely been due to a reduction in level of violent crime, driven by increased law enforcement within India, the EIP report , Global Peace Index: 2017, which has ranked 163 countries, however, believes that Indias continued poor ranking is on account of what it calls unrest in Indian-administered Kashmir in mid-2016, which raised tensions between India and its neighbour Pakistan.
Ediroial

The story so far

In 1990 the call went out from the then Prime Minister Paul Keating for reconciliation between the Indigenous and non-indigenous people of Australia. A Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was set up. It laboured long and hard. There is no doubt that a very large proportion of the non-Indigenous population not only want to see reconciliation achieved, but also want the connected questions of recognition of Indigenous land rights together with real attention to jobs, housing, health care, education.

For such change to take real effect, recognition and acknowledgement of history is required.

Basically a policy of genocide has been followed. There was the shooting and poisoning of the Aboriginal people, the forcing of the Indigenous people onto reserves when protection was the slogan of the times.

When the Aboriginal people did not surrender but instead fought and resisted, the policy of protection was replaced by assimilation, the idea being that 60,000 years of culture and connection to country could be absorbed into the white community and be eliminated.

Assimilation involved the attempted destruction of Indigenous culture and, of course, the abandonment by them of any claims to their traditional lands. This policy did not work either, although it was accompanied by the destruction of many Aboriginal families and communities by the deliberate and conscious seizure of their children.

These policies were based on the central idea that the Aboriginal people should be eliminated as a people. It was genocide. There is no other word for it.

Has this objective changed? No, it has not. That is why nothing effective is being done to recognise land rights or alter the basic health and housing conditions of, or to provide the conditions for the development of education and jobs.

What is needed is recognition in its full meaning  recognition of Aboriginal rights as a national minority in Australia, and above all their right to land so that there is work for young Aboriginal men and women and a real opportunity to preserve and practice their cultural ways: Treaty.

Class nature of ABCC

In the building industry, the Rudd/Gillard Labor government retained the industry police force  the Howard governments notorious Australian Building and Construction Commission  which spends millions of dollars a year hounding union officials attempting to enter workplaces over safety, underpayment, loss of entitlements, and other issues.

This Gestapo of construction has cost unions hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines with accusations of unions and their officials of breaking the law.

The law they are breaking is the right of entry law that prevents unions from legally carrying out their legitimate trade union business and in protecting their members from the criminal actions by employers.

For decades trade union officials freely entered workplaces, checked out working conditions of all employees, inspected wages and working hours books, attended to safety issues, assisted members with problems and ensured that employers were complying with their legal obligations.

They exercised one of the most fundamental basic trade union rights  right of entry. Up until the mid-1980s a system of centralised union-negotiated awards governed minimum wages and working conditions.

The Hawke-Keating Labor governments commenced the process of dismantling the comprehensive system of centralised awards in the 1980s, with a shift in focus to enterprise-based determination of wages and working conditions.

But it took the Howard government and its Workplace Ministers Peter Reith, Kevin Andrews and Tony Abbott to emasculate the centralised system of trade union-negotiated awards and gut awards to 20 allowable matters. Amongst the key provisions that were not just removed from awards but outlawed in enterprise agreements were basic trade union rights including the right of entry and free access to time and wage records of all employees.

When the Rudd Labor government was elected in 2007 there were expectations in trade union circles that the right of entry would be restored; it was not.
For capitalism, see slavery

The family of mining magnate Andrew Forrest recently donated $400 million for cancer research, early childhood development and social cohesion. Forrests own involvement in charity stems from a 2009 visit to an African orphanage where he met a girl who had been left terribly psychologically damaged after having been subjected to sex slavery. Shocked, he mounted a campaign against slavery and organised a joint pledge by leaders of the Muslim, Catholic and Anglican faiths against the practice.

Concerning religion, Forrest observed: Wherever weve gone around the world weve found quite significant gaps: the holy texts, no matter which one you turn to, has ambiguity around slavery. That, we knew, was being used as justification by slavers all over the world.

Getting religious leaders to jointly condemn slavery is an important contribution to the campaign against slavery, because of its potential to enlist public support. But suppressing slavery necessitates dealing with its root cause, which lies in the profit motive, not religion.

Rulers of all exploitative economies aim to extract from working people the maximum possible surplus value, i.e. the difference between the commodity value they create in their work, and the value of the commodities workers need to ensure theyre at their workplace each day.

Slaves dont have the right to sell their labour or own the means of producing goods or services. They cant freely move between places of employment, and must accept their given working and living conditions. They are, in effect, the property of others, and in many cases are traded as a commodity. Marriages and sexual activity that are enforced are now universally recognised as forms of slavery.

Slavery, which underpinned the economies of ancient Greece and Rome, was inherently unstable because of the continuing struggle of slaves to overcome their masters. It was eventually replaced by feudalism and later by capitalism.

Slavery is not suitable for permanent application in developed industries, which require relatively high levels of worker education and motivation. However, it can re-appear in basic agricultural production or as a separate industrial economy within a developed capitalist state.

In Nazi Germany, for example, those classified as sub-human or enemies of the state were forced to work in secondary industries or agriculture, often to death, with some women used as sex slaves. The least productive or useful were executed.

Charity didnt begin at home

Forrest gained public credit for extending financial help to Aboriginal people, but fought a bitter battle with the Yindjibarndi people over land rights in mining areas. In 2014 he wrote the Creating Parity report for the Abbott government. It reviewed Indigenous jobs and training, but also recommended changing the entire welfare system for the corporate benefit.

In essence, it assumed that welfare recipients were to blame for their own predicament because they did not want to work and were financially irresponsible. It proposed replacing income support for working age Australians with a welfare card which would enable them to purchase certain necessities of life, but would in effect strip them of the ability to make major financial decisions.

The review recommended replacement of the Technical and Further Education system, which equips students with the skills they need to move from one place of employment to another, with privately-run courses that would train students to work for particular employers.

It contained important recommendations regarding prenatal care and early child development, but advocated Aboriginal assimilation, declaring that Native Title land generates very little economic wealth or independence for traditional land owners.

It rejected job creation programs, and concluded that Aboriginal people should migrate to cities and towns, an initiative that would invalidate Native Title claims to the land. Those who relocated would receive help regarding health and education, and private rental relief  but not to the point where they could afford to live in the major cities. Public housing built for Aboriginal people in remote areas would be under freehold title, able to be sold or used for investment.

The Guardian commented: Native title is a barrier to ... mining expansion and maximising profits. ... [Creating Parity] is nothing more than a recipe to dispossess Indigenous Australians, an attempt to extinguish Native Title and wipe out their culture.

Forests anti-slavery campaign

In 2009, Forrest commented: You see the complete hopelessness in the eyes [of enslaved people]. ... Then you know that you cant rest until you free them. In 2014 he founded the Walk Free Foundation, which publishes the Global Slavery index, a list of countries most identified with slavery.

His approach was, however, contradictory. Regarding the Foundation and related institutions he declared: This is set up like a high-achieving, measurement-driven, totally target-oriented company. Its like a hard-edged business. We are out to defeat slavery, we are not out to feel good.

But why not? As a human being he undoubtedly experiences compassion and anger concerning the plight of slaves, yet he sees the characteristics of capitalism, an unfeeling, profit-oriented, hard-edged, measurement- driven economic system, as the only hope for freeing the enslaved.

And slavery simply carries to its logical extreme the profit motive that underlies capitalism, the very system under which Forrest himself has accumulated his great wealth. Forrests anti-slavery campaign will undoubtedly achieve far better outcomes than his Creating Parity recommendations, because he has no vested interest in the outcome, but his contribution will be determined by his social consciousness.

In mining negotiations, his profit-driven approach was incompatible with the culture of Aboriginal people, which derives from a non-exploitive form of economy.

That fundamental difference blocked a happy outcome for the Aboriginal people involved. Forrest could persuade some of them to accept his financial inducements, but no amount of money could compensate them for the loss of their culture, sovereignty over land which included their sacred sites, and autonomy over their communities.

Forrests campaign to eliminate slavery, the most brutally exploitive economic system, is highly commendable. But in order to achieve that objective, slavery must be replaced with a system that aims to eliminate exploitation itself. Frederich Engels, whose family derived vast profits from capital investments, came to that conclusion.

But its highly unlikely that Forest will follow in his footsteps.
Taking Issue  Rob Gowland

Trump versus the environment

Why are US media and politicians making such a song and dance about alleged Russian interference in the US election that saw Donald Trump elevated to the White House? No one has gone so far as to say that the Russians actually determined the outcome, that without their interference Trump would not now occupy the Oval Office. No, it is all suggested and implied, a classic smear in fact. But why?

In the US in recent decades it costs a lot of money to make a run for the Presidency. Only those with deep pockets or people who have the backing of those with deep pockets can hope to be successful. Donald Trump is a billionaire real estate developer, but more importantly, he has the support of one of the wealthiest (and hence most powerful) segments of US capitalism: the fossil fuel industry (coal and gas, but especially Big Oil).

Big Oil has called the shots in US foreign policy for decades now. Big Oil dictated the invasion (and destruction) of Iraq as well as NATOs destruction of Libya (preceded by a massively deadly air-war against the defenceless country), the pandering by the US to the monstrous regime in Saudi Arabia and the US-organised subversion against the popular government of South American oil producer Venezuela.

Towards the end of the 20th century, commentators openly spoke of the impending resource wars of the 21st century. The US oil industry was out to secure for itself the dominating position in the global economy by controlling global energy resources and US military might was going to help it to do so. However, big oil had a problem: the movement for the protection of the environment was gathering momentum and the burning of fossil fuels was identified as a major contributor to global warming. Not only the scientific community but many capitalist governments also adopted positions favouring clean, green energy sources over fossil fuels.

In fact, fossil fuels  particularly coal  were considered doomed, a dead man walking, while renewable energy sources began to boom. President Obama introduced a Clean Power Plan into the US to cut greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power stations and severely diminished the USAs use of coal. He signed the US up to the Paris climate agreement, an agreement that requires significant reductions in US emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, principally through curbs on the combustion of fossil fuels. He also mandated improvements in the efficiency of petroleum-fuelled vehicles so they consume less fuel.

However, Obama is no longer US President. He has been replaced by Donald Trump who has the wealthy entrepreneurs contempt for science when it conflicts with his self-interest and is unashamedly the point-man for Big Oil and the rest of the fossil fuel lobby. During his election campaign Trump shed copious crocodile tears about the plight of coal miners put out of work by the shift from fossil fuels to renewables and assured them he would revive the coal industry. Why do I say crocodile tears? Because Trump has absolutely no real interest in alleviating the problems of ordinary working people, whatever industry theyre in. His sole interest is in boosting profits, his own primarily but then those of the corporations that are backing him. And that means boosting coal company profits. Naturally, the cogent environmental reasons why coal is being phased out all over the world do not interest him. They certainly dont meet with his approval!

In fact, in Trump the fossil fuel industry has found a real champion. He has big  even grandiose  plans for the future of fossil fuels. For decades, the US has been engaged in the struggle to gain control over the worlds energy resources. It has waged wars (military, economic or diplomatic) against oil producers Libya, Iraq, Iran, Venezuela and Nigeria. Its client state Saudi Arabia is trying to dominate and in fact to subjugate tiny Qatar with its giant natural gas fields. Trump is now engaged in trying to form an actual cartel of oil producers. His predatory approach to international relations led him to present himself as (oil producer) Russias friend in the early part of his election campaign. His continued aggression against Russias ally Syria however has given the lie to that.

Obama had moved to mend diplomatic fences with Saudi Arabias sworn enemy Iran, but Trump flew to Riyadh to reaffirm the USAs alignment with the feudal Saudi royals. Trump told the Saudis: We are not here to lecture. We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership. Michael T Klare, professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College in the US, and author of The Race for Whats Left: The Global Scramble for the Worlds Last Resources, comments that As part of this partnership, he [Trump] signed a US$110 billion arms sales agreement with the Saudis. Expected additional sales over the coming decade could bring the total to $350 billion.

Klare has no doubt about Trumps policy goals: Domestically, hes pulled out all the stops in attempting to cripple the rise of alternative energy and ensure the perpetuation of a carbon-dominated economy. Abroad, he is seeking the formation of an alliance of fossil-fuel states led by the United States, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, while attempting to isolate emerging renewable-energy powers like Germany and China. ... His loyalty seems to be reserved solely for states that produce fossil fuels, while his disdain is largely directed at countries that favour green energy.

Or, to put it another way, if you share Trumps view of the world you will lend your support to nations that embrace fossil fuels and punish those that favour the alternatives.

Trump has withdrawn the US from the Paris climate agreement, to allow free rein to the greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuel industry. In announcing his decision, the president claimed, however inaccurately, that the Paris accord would allow other countries, including China and India, to continue building coal plants while preventing the US from exploiting its own fossil-fuel assets, and so would benefit their economies at Americas expense. We have among the most abundant energy reserves on the planet, sufficient to lift millions of Americas poorest workers out of poverty, he declared. Yet, under this agreement, we are effectively putting these reserves under lock and key, taking away the great wealth of our nation,Klare says.

When speaking of the abundant energy reserves he seeks to develop, Trump was not, of course, referring to the nations limitless wind and solar potential, but rather to its oil, coal, and natural gas supplies. He bragged about how coal mines were already starting to open up again and emphasised his plans to eliminate all restrictions on drilling for oil and natural gas on federal lands.

However, Trumps abandonment of the Paris climate accord has revealed significant divisions within the US ruling class, with a large number of city and state administrations as well as corporations (including Apple, Google, Tesla, Target, eBay, Adidas, Facebook, and Nike) banding together under the slogan We Are Still In, to implement Americas commitment to the climate accord independently of what Washington says or does.

Despite critics at home, Trump has been pressing on regardless. The vigour with which Trump is pursuing this grand scheme was on full display during his recent visit to the Middle East and Europe, says Klare, as well as in his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. In Saudi Arabia, he danced and dined with oil-drenched kings, emirs, and princes; in Europe, he dismissed and disrespected NATO and the green-leaning European Union; at home, he promised to eliminate any impediment to the expanded exploitation of fossil fuels, the planet be damned.

From Trumps perspective of establishing a global energy cartel, promoting some kind of alliance between the US and Russia must have seemed like a very good thing. From this perspective, an alliance of Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States makes perfect sense. ... As the worlds three leading producers of petroleum, they account for about 38% of total global oil output. The US and Russia are also the worlds top two producers of natural gas. Along with Saudi Arabia, they jointly account for 41% of global gas output, observes Klare.

However, in the long term, Russia has a lot more to gain from co-operating with China in developing not only alternative energy sources but alternative world transport systems (the so-called and very exciting New Silk Road). Trumps fossilised thinking has little to offer Moscow.

If push comes to shove, the environments global supporters will trump the advocates for fossil fuel use, the efforts of Donald Trump to hold back the tide notwithstanding.
China rising  Outlines for the 21st century

In his presidential campaign, Donald Trump adopted a very hostile anti-China tone. However, after assuming office, his actions toward China proved largely a continuation of established policy. Why? What are the prospects for the future of the US-China relationship?

In his campaign, Trump elevated the now standard anti-China rhetoric of both Democrats and Republicans to a new level. He blamed Chinas supposed cheating approach to trade for swindling the US, resulting in trade deficits and job loss. He said he would declare China a currency manipulator and spoke of applying a 45 percent tariff to Chinese goods.

Shockingly, he took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and referred to the One-China policy, the foundation of US-China relations for 40 years, as a bargaining chip. Rex Tillerson, the nominee for secretary of state, said China should be denied access to its new installations in the South China Sea. If implemented, this approach would have yielded a rapid deterioration in US-China relations.

After the new administration took office though, much of this rhetoric evaporated. The One-China policy was reaffirmed, and after a review, the US announced that China was actually not a currency manipulator. There was less chance of military confrontation in the South China Sea. US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership reduced economic pressure. Secretary of State Tillerson, during a visit to Beijing, dropped the anti-China talk and even repeated some of Chinese president Xi Jinpings favourite rhetoric, calling for cooperation, non-confrontation, and mutual respect.

Why did the new US administration moderate its position?

Splits in capital

US capitalism, since the 1980s, has been relatively ambivalent in its attitude towards China. While all sectors of capital would probably like to see regime change in Beijing leading to a more US-compliant government, there are a number of strategies at work.

With the expansion of Chinas private sector in the 1980s, US corporations have made big profits in China, and many companies like Boeing, Apple, GM, and Ford have major commitments there. Wall Street banks seek to penetrate Chinese markets, thus leading them to support normal relations; their strategy is one of soft power. They think that liberal values and practices like democracy, human rights, freedom of speech, direct elections, and consumerism will appeal to youth, grow a new middle class, and undermine communism. The US role, then, is to support Chinese elements who will oppose and eventually topple the Communist Party of China and institute Western-style political institutions.

Other sectors of US capital, however, see a rising China as the fundamental threat to US global hegemony. This group focuses on long-term strategic considerations, is more ideological, and is less concerned with immediate corporate profits. It backs the pivot to Asia, or the encirclement of China with bases and alliances. US support for reviving militarism in Japan and installation of an anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea are elements of this approach.

The Chinese government has adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards Trump, responding not to his talk but to his actions. President Xi is willing to negotiate trade but will not change his position on core issues bearing on national sovereignty. If Trump wants to more productively engage with China, he should study up on its history and recent development. Which segment of US capital will win out in shaping his policy is still an open question.

Roots of Chinas foreign policy

To understand Chinas foreign policy, it is necessary to know some basic history. China was for many centuries the dominant power in East Asia. This changed in 1839-42 as British naval power defeated China in the First Opium War, beginning the century of humiliation. China subsequently lost a series of wars to Britain, France, and Japan and lost control over its coastal seas, culminating in the US Seventh Fleet asserting dominance over the Taiwan Straits in 1949, thereby enabling Chiang Kai-shek to seize power in Taiwan.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai repeatedly expressed the desire to have friendly relations with the US. But with the Korean War in 1950, Chinese troops, in alliance with the Soviet Union, fought the US to a bitter stalemate.

Chinas foreign policy has long been based on what the government refers to as the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, jointly issued with India in 1954 and adopted by the Bandung Conference in 1955 by the non-aligned movement: 1) mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty; 2) non-aggression; 3) non-interference in internal affairs; 4) equality and cooperation for mutual benefit; and 5) peaceful coexistence.

Major ideological and policy disputes led to the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, but eventually China began to emerge from its Cultural Revolution isolation to advance its Three Worlds Theory in 1974. This targeted both US imperialism and Soviet social-imperialism and sought to position China as leader of the Third World. However, Chinas strong anti-Soviet stance often led to alignment with US strategy and produced confusion in national liberation and left-wing movements globally.

Deng Xiaoping, coming to power after Maos death, adopted the crouching tiger approach  lie low, build up strength, dont take leadership. This was during Chinas period of rapid industrialisation and trade expansion based on low wages, exports, and encouragement of foreign investment. Paramount, according to Dengs strategy, was the need to build a strong economy and advanced technology. Friendly relations with Japan and the West were the priority at the beginning, although eventually China became a huge trading partner with many countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The speed of Chinas expansion was facilitated by its no strings attached trade and investment policy, which makes no political demands on developing countries, in contrast to the IMF, World Bank, and Western countries which pressure for neo-liberal policies, structural adjustment, and austerity budgets.

Today, crouching tiger has been replaced by Chinas peaceful rise, introduced by President Hu Jintao in 2005. Beijing wants a peaceful global environment to enable its continued economic and social development. It thus opposes hegemony and supports the trend towards a multi-polar world. This means commitment to multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the G77 plus China, the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation organization, and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

President Xi Jinping has called for a new type of win/win diplomacy where cooperation is primary and relations based on mutual benefit. Increasing globalisation is the long-term trend but it must be inclusive and not controlled by corporate interests.

Chinas foreign policy is thus based on lofty ideals which overlap with peace movement sentiment. Like most developing countries and people of the world, China wants economic and social development, not war.

Belt and Road and other new international initiatives

The new Chinese-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) may have been boycotted by the US, but most Asian and European countries, including the UK, are participating.

The bank is helping finance a major new international economic effort: the ambitious Belt and Road initiative. Launched in 2013, this plan includes large-scale cooperative development and infrastructure projects involving dozens of countries in Southeast and South Asia, and west to Central Asia and Russia, to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the east coast of Africa.

Favourable financial terms are extended through the Silk Road Fund and the AIIB. At an international meeting in May, Xi announced US$100 billion worth of projects with eventual total investment projected at one trillion dollars. The Belt (overland through central Asia) and Road (new maritime silk road leading from Southeast Asia across the Indian Ocean), if successful, will considerably strengthen Chinas international economic influence as well as bolster development in its own poorer interior provinces. It is one part of Chinas huge program of investment in the developing world.

The Obama administration initiated the US pivot or rebalancing to Asia-Pacific, often seen as a strategy to thwart a rising China. China is modernising its military, however, with a new emphasis on coordinated air and sea operations and the ability to fight and win local high-tech wars. In part, this is a response to the US military build-up.

China is also reasserting what it sees as its traditional position in the South and East China Seas. Tensions have decreased in 2017 as Asian countries are moving towards negotiations and avoiding confrontation, but Chinas neighbours are very aware of the long history of Chinese regional domination.

China is modernising its arsenal of nuclear weapons, which consists of about 300 nuclear warheads and long-range ballistic missiles. The Chinese have a no-first-strike policy and advocate nuclear disarmament; however, they also feel that the largest and most aggressive nuclear superpower, the United States, should take the lead in the disarmament process.

China has just one overseas military base, a refuelling station in Djibouti to help with patrols against pirate ships off the coast of East Africa. The Chinese have no formal military alliances, although in recent years there have been large-scale joint military exercises with Russia.

China is a signatory and strong supporter of the Paris Climate agreement. While still the worlds number one emitter of greenhouse gases, and plagued with a bad smog problem in major cities, the Chinese have been gradually reducing their dependency on coal and have committed to generating 20 percent of their energy from renewable resources by 2030.

The government invests in renewables on a large scale and the country has the worlds biggest installation of solar and wind energy. Many feel that China will have an opportunity to be a world leader in fighting climate change, especially as the Trump administration has backed out of the Paris agreement.

Domestic shifts

Shifts in domestic policy also affect Chinas outlook on the world. Today, it has a mixed economy, with socialist and capitalistic sectors, but is moving in the direction of more socialism, according to the Communist Party. The move towards strengthening socialism has been pronounced since the 2008 global recession. While growth has slowed, this is in part deliberate, due to the shift to a different economic model, the new normal.

Moving away from an export-oriented, low-wage strategy, China is now developing a more mature, innovation-driven, service-oriented economy, with emphasis on building domestic consumption and government services, rather than export manufacturing, as drivers of growth. China still refers to itself as being in the first or primary stage of socialism, planning to achieve a moderately well-off society by 2021 and a developed socialist country by 2049.

The Communist Party will convene its 19th Congress this fall, which will be a time of political manoeuvring as a new leadership group is elected. Xi Jinping, recently named as a core leader, appears to be in a strong position. Under him, politics have shifted to the left, if viewed from a Western viewpoint; for example, there is more discussion of core socialist values, emphasis on Marxism-Leninism in education, and more critique of bourgeois Western influences. The leading role of the Communist Party has been affirmed. In foreign policy, Xis orientation has tilted toward the developing world and Russia, rather than accommodating the West and Japan for export markets.

Former Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao, at his 2012 speech summing up ten years in office, identified problems within the party itself as the biggest threat to its support among the people and thus its ability to continue in power. In addition to illegal activities such as bribery and nepotism, there are serious problems of bureaucratism, arrogance, and excessive perks among officials  all resented by the people. Soon after taking office in 2013, Xi Jinping launched a popular anti-corruption campaign which has seen the prosecution of many officials.

Xi often stresses the importance of core socialist values as the ideological and moral foundation for China, amid concerns the country has lost its way during the three-decade economic boom. Corruption, alienation, and other social problems have intensified, with increasing individualism and crass consumerism.

At a December 2016 conference, Xi strongly reaffirmed the supremacy of Marxism and socialism in Chinese institutions of higher learning. The greater emphasis of Marxist teachings has led to greater funding for research bodies such as the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Chinas rising: Unique in the world

China is a unique country: A 4,000-year-old civilisation that saw feudalism give way to both democratic and socialist revolutions in the 20th century, followed by a historic program of rapid industrialisation. Today, China still has the worlds largest population and industrial working class, as well as an 89-million-member Communist Party.

Its continuing rise will be one of the most important features of the 21st century going forward. As for Americans, they are impacted not only by Chinese-made products but also by growing Chinese job-producing investments in the United States. Chinese companies now own billion-dollar enterprises such as AMC theatres, GEs appliance division, Motorola mobile phones, Smithfield foods, as well as New Yorks Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Together, they account for around 100,000 US jobs.

China rose from the relative isolation of the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s to be the worlds largest trading country today, as measured in total value of imports and exports. One of the largest recipients of foreign direct investment starting in the 1980s, China is now the largest source of investment funds in the developing world, surpassing the World Bank and Western institutions. Its military modernisation is beginning to challenge US dominance in its coastal regions. Chinese influence in international relations is also increasing with an activist orientation in the United Nations, the Paris Climate Accord, and international bodies such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

China is also rebuilding a centre for the worlds working class parties. For example, the World Socialism Forum is held in Beijing in October. The World Association for Political Economy in Shanghai publishes the World Review of Political Economy and organises international conferences; the 2017 conference is in Moscow. Xi Jinpings The Governance of China was published in English and distributed in US bookstores, and exchange visits by Chinese Marxist scholars are becoming more frequent.

China is not well understood by the left, progressives, or the US general public. US mainstream media, quite positive in the 1980s when the government was expanding the private market, is now mostly one-sided and negative during a period when socialism is strengthening. A balanced perspective is needed, telling both sides of Chinas complex and often contradictory reality. Socialists and communists too need to study socialist construction from the Chinese perspective.

Conclusion

The pursuit of dominance by US imperialism in the context of declining capitalism will sharpen global class contradictions and tensions with the developing world. The capitalist United States could directly oppose the Peoples Republic of China, the product of a socialist revolution. The Pentagon a few years ago created a contingency plan for war with China, called air/sea battle. Such a war is considered quite possible by those who favour US hegemony and see China as the main obstacle. Such a war would be a disaster for the US, leading to economic dislocation and political repression.

The left and progressives should work for peace and friendship with China as a basic part of a democratic US foreign policy. Socialist and working-class organisations should actively pursue international contacts. We should oppose militarism at home and abroad, cut the military budget, and support international cooperation and the building of a multipolar world. There are vast possibilities for mutual exchange which would enrich Western, Chinese, and world civilisation.

Peoples World
Culture & Life

Mucking about in the (coal) dust

Australias capitalist governments have for years had the unflattering habit of tagging along behind whoevers in charge of the USA. Rather plaintively they hoped to pick up at least a few crumbs from the Yanks well-stocked table. Sometimes they did  and sometimes they didnt. This sad apology for a foreign policy has never served us well and is not standing us in good stead now either. Certainly as far as green energy and climate change are concerned.

All the experts agree, green energy is where the jobs are going to be in the future. Not only that, but green energy sources will employ more people proportionately than the fossil fuel industries they replace, and under environmentally better conditions: jobs will not only be greener, they will be cleaner (and so will the air). US President Donald Trump however is carrying the banner for coal and oil (see page 5). And our leaders are dutifully falling into line.

Australias political leaders, in fact, have been vocal in continuing to flog the fiction that our coal is much cleaner than coal from other countries, and hence does not contribute to global warming. This may be comforting to those who cannot face reality, but it is bogus. Coal is almost pure carbon, and burning it inevitably releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Most of the worlds scientists recognise this. As the Paris climate agreement showed, so do most of the worlds governments. Even our own PM Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop went to the Paris talks and (presumably hypocritically?) signed up Australia to the global agreement. Only after they returned did they begin to show signs of reneging on what they had agreed.

Australia is ideally suited to exploit solar and wind energy, so why are the likes of Turnbull and Bishop so leery of embracing them? The answer probably lies in their class attitude: they approach every issue from the standpoint of whether it has the potential for corporate profit. The first power stations here as elsewhere were coal powered. Engineers however soon devised alternative ways of generating electricity. Hydro electric power was seen as the way of the future in Australia with the post-war Snowy Mountains Scheme. It, like other power generation at the time, was substantially a government enterprise. However, as private enterprise has taken a bigger role in power generation and supply, water and wind have been shown to have less opportunity for the generation of profit.

Writing about the US situation, Jonathan Thompson noted in Mother Jones that coal could be commodified, unlike free-flowing water or wind, and it required labour to extract it, which made it a better fit for the capitalist system. Because it was a commodity, coal offered the opportunity for profit, and an industry grew up around its production. That, in turn, created the coal lobby (helped out by the railroads, which relied on hauling coal). Coals abundance and portability helped it ascend to dominance as a fuel for producing both electricity and heat, but it was the coal lobbys influence on federal and state policies that kept it there for so long.

Australias experience was somewhat different due to the involvement of state governments in the production and transporting of coal. That has now changed, however, with the mining and transport of coal now largely in private hands. Despite the adverse environmental effects of coal mining, its transport and use, vast amounts of coal are still exported annually from Australia. In fact, the port of Newcastle in NSW has become the largest coal-exporting port in the world. Which doubtless makes the coal companies happy, but does not bode well for Australias national health in the long term.

While Australia still mucks around with coal, and makes unconvincing claims that selling it to China and India will somehow be our economic salvation, China itself has been making enormous strides in the development and installation of wind and solar power, including the creation of large-scale floating solar panels.

Thomson notes that this is a technology likely to prove widely adaptable by other countries seeking to increase their reliance on renewable energy [so not Australia, then]. And Keith Bradsher commented in The New York Times that the [wind and solar] project reflects Chinas effort to reshape the world order in renewable energy as the United States retreats.

Such technological expertise will form the infrastructure backbone needed for countries to meet their climate goals, making China the energy partner of choice for many nations. Just not ours, apparently.

But what of India? Thomson further notes that India is also seeking to join the A-team of leading green powers. Once considered a stumbling block to any Paris agreement thanks to its partiality for coal-fired power plants, India is now making giant strides in the development of renewable energy.

According to the respected environmental website Carbon Tracker, India is now expected to obtain 40 percent of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2022, eight years ahead of schedule. In the process, it is already cancelling many of its plans for new coal-fired plants. And of course the coal for those plants was expected to come from Australia.

As Australias coal industry lurches towards its inevitable demise, the workers employed in it deserve a government that is concerned with making plans for their retraining and alternative employment, not artificially propping up the profits of coal companies.
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See, the wires on those stiff barbecue cleaning brushes frequently come loose and fall out. When they do, they might fall through the cracks and go away. Or they could stick to the next food item that you put on that grill, and then make their way into your body like Trojan warriors in a delicious meat horse. And once they're inside you, they cause immense damage to your digestive system. It doesn't take a genius to figure that extremely sharp metal bit in the guts isn't a good thing.

Complicating matters is that those wires are so fine that they're difficult to detect with x-rays, so doctors are often powerless to explain why you suddenly feel like you ate something with "cowboy" in the name at a Carl's Jr. instead of a healthy grilled chicken breast.

Center for Disease Control

"Well, I suppose we could throw you in an MRI and see what comes out."

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Between 2002 and 2014, those little wires sent nearly 1,700 people to the ER, but doctors were often able to remove them right there and then. The less fortunate required laparoscopic (or snakey-arm) surgery to remove the objects, and still-less-fortunate victims had to be hacked open the old-school way. One man nearly died after waiting two weeks to seek medical assistance. When doctors finally got at his insides, they found a penetrated intestine and a blood clot in a lung. So there you go: Never clean your barbecue. If something is dangerous, then the direct opposite of that thing must be safe. Like how bungee jumping is stupidly dangerous, but jetpacks are the statistically the safest method of travel. We assume.
Darkness will fall on Gage County this August as a rare total solar eclipse crosses the plains.

Areas in the eclipses path are preparing for crowds expected to gather to witness the event, and the U.S. Postal Service is also getting in on the action.

The Total Eclipse of the Sun forever stamp is currently available to purchase and it uses technology never before featured on a stamp.

According to the USPS website, this is the first U.S. stamp to use thermochromic ink, which reacts to the heat from skin.

Placing a finger on the black disc depicted on the stamp causes the ink to change from black to clear, revealing an underlying image of the moon.

The image reverts back to the black disc once it cools, and the back of the stamp pane shows a map of the eclipse path and gives the times that it will appear in some locations.

Rick Traylor, Beatrice Postmaster, said the stamp has been in high demand in Beatrice, where officials are preparing for thousands of spectators planning to come for the Aug. 21 eclipse, which the Postal Service will be participating in at the Homestead National Monument of America, west of town.

We ran out of our initial shipment we got and I did order more last week, he said. But already were unable to get any more at this point. Weve got our big deal out at the Homestead National Monument on the 21st and the district office is having a big unveiling of the stamp out there. Theyre going to try and get more stamps for us because were having a special cancellation that day, also.

Traylor added the event will feature a special stamp cancellation to mark the event.

We have a special ink cancellation where you can take and buy a stamp and put it on an envelope, or just about anything, he said. Well cancel it with that days post mark Aug. 21.

Traylor said the first order that ran out consisted of 400 sheets, each with 16 stamps.

The post office received a matching order, and he estimated there are 100-200 left.

Lora Young, Director of the Gage County Chamber of Commerce, said the stamps are a worthy keepsake to remember the event.

I think the stamps are totally awesome and I actually am planning on buying a few more sheets because friends wanting them and cant get them, she said. I think it does bring another bit of attention to the path of totality.

The stamp uses a photograph taken by astrophysicist Fred Espenak of a total solar eclipse seen over Jalu, Libya, on March 29, 2006. Espenak also took the photograph of the full moon that is revealed by pressing upon the stamp image.

The 49-cent forever stamps are in stock to purchase at the post office in Beatrice.
Cloud News

Velostrata Launches Formal Channel Program To Drive Partner Enablement

Joseph Tsidulko

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Velostrata, a startup that's creating new pathways to cloud adoption by decoupling storage from other computing resources, Wednesday formally launched its first channel program.

The program looks to formalize relationships with a base of more than 30 partners who are using the startup's tools to deliver cloud resources to customers looking to keep their data on-premise, Jan Poczobutt, vice president of sales and partnerships at Velostrata, told CRN.

"In the market, there's one bottleneck everything is converging around -- how to get workloads from on-prem to cloud. Once you can do that a lot of great things happen," Poczobutt said.

[Related: Partners Grapple With Conflicts Between Retail Customers And Amazon]

Velostrata has taken a unique approach to solving that problem, he said, one that enables customers to leverage public cloud in minutes.

"Everyone else tries to bring all the data over. We bring compute over," Poczobutt said.

Velostrata's WAN optimization technology streams data to Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure for processing, without requiring it ever to reside in cloud storage.

That changes the game for cloud migrations.

"We can accelerate that process by an order of magnitude. It's a brand-new way of looking at migration and speeding it up," Poczobutt said.

That's particularly valuable to partners because they start earning money selling added services once their customers are consuming cloud, he said.

At the start of 2016, the company, founded in Israel, named John Donnelly, a former executive at MobileIron and Symantec, as its first channel chief. Poczobutt, who previously led sales at Barracuda Networks, replaced Donnelly in April.

Velostrata's program is focusing on partner enablement and certification, Poczobutt said, helping partners add its tools into their business models and practices.

Partners can either be strictly services partners, or have a resale relationship with discounts depending on levels of deal registration, he said.

Jose Hernandez, managing partner at MyCloudDoor, a Microsoft Azure partner based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., told CRN that Velostrata's software helps his company assure clients their cloud migrations are as safe, free of risk, and easy as possible.

"Two years ago, when I first saw what Velostrata solutions could do, I first thought it was some kind of magic," he said. "It was the perfect match for our service portfolio."

Velostrata addresses some of the most common technical concerns of customers, he said, including having a safety net to reverse a migration.

"The partnership with Velostrata has given us a clear competitive edge when dealing with cloud transition projects," Hernandez told CRN.
Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.
The upper ranks of corporate security are seeing a high rate of change as companies try to adapt to the evolving threat landscape. Many companies are hiring a chief security officer (CSO) or chief information security officer (CISO) for the first time to support a deeper commitment to information security.

Follow this column to keep up with new appointments to senior-level security roles and perhaps gain a little insight into hiring trends. If you have an announcement of your own that you would like us to include here, contact Michael Nadeau, executive editor.

New CISO appointments, November 2022

Frank Kim is the new CISO-in-residence for YL Ventures

Mr. Kim will work with the venture capital firms portfolio companies and entrepreneurs to guide their ideation, value propositions, and customer relations. This includes working with entrepreneurs on the business impact of cybersecurity solutions. He has 15 years of experience as a CISO, and has served as chief information security and risk officer at the SANS Institute, where is is also a fellow.

New CISO appointments, October 2022

Todd Dekkinga joins Zluri as CISO

Mr Dekkinga will focus on establishing and implementing effective security practices for customers and partners of Zluri, which provides an SaaS management platform. He brings years of IT and security experience in areas such as cloud computing, AI, machine language, IoT, and blockchain. Most recently, Mr Dekkinga was CISO at Airgap Networks. He also serves on the advisory boards of several technology companies.

Andrew Smeaton appointed CISO at Afiniti

Mr Smeaton will be responsible for maintaining and maturing the infosecurity program at Afiniti, which provides an AI-based solution that matches customers with contact center agents. He has more than 20 years' experience in security and risk management and was most recently the CISO at DataRobot. Mr Smeaton has recently received the 2022 (ISC)2 Global Achievement Award for the (ISC)2 CEO Award for his contributions to the cybersecurity community.

New CISO appointments, September 2022

Max Shier joins Optiv as VP and CISO

Mr Shier will be responsible for leading a team to implement and monitor a strategic, comprehensive, enterprise information security and IT risk management program. He draws upon 27 years of security experience and previously held positions in the defense industry and the federal government. He is a 23-year Air Force veteran, serving overseas in several countries, including Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iraq.

Richard Bird appointed CISO at Traceable

Mr. Bird will lead API security vendor Traceable's internal security efforts and work with the product team to help secure customers' APIs through the company's API Security Platform. He has nearly 30 years' experience in cybersecurity and IT operations and has previously served as global head of identity at JPMorgan Chase and chief customer information officer at Ping Identity.

Maarten Van Horenbeeck and Nubiaa Shabaka named CSO and chief privacy officer, respectively, at Adobe

Mr. Horenbeeck will be responsible for cybersecurity-related decisions across the company, enabling Adobe to further secure its systems, solutions, and networks, and protect its customer and company data. Ms Shabaka, who also will serve as Adobe's chief cybersecurity legal officer, will be responsible for privacy-related decisions across the company, leading a team focused on delivering a world-class privacy experience to Adobes customers.

George Jones joins Critical Start as CISO

Mr. Jones will lead the all security and compliance initiatives within the company and keep Critical Start accountable for achieving all goals and milestones. He has more than 20 years of experience with technology, infrastructure, compliance, and assessment in multiple roles across different business verticals. Most recently, he was head of information security and infrastructure at Catalyst Health Group.

Jason Lee appointed CISO at Splunk

Mr. Lee will oversee all facets of global security to protect Splunk employees and customers, including cloud and application security, operations, threat management, penetration testing, risk, and customer trust. He most recently served as CISO at Zoom and has held security roles at Salesforce and Microsoft.

New CISO appointments, August 2022

Mike Gibson hired as Flexera's CISO

Mr. Gibson comes to Flexera from Pluralsight, where he built a security organization for the company's online learning platform. At Flexera, he will be responsible for both internal security and ensuring that Flexera's SaaS-based IT management products are secure.

Matt Mullenix joins Bowman Consulting as executive vice president and CISO

Mr. Mullenix will oversee the people, processes and technologies within Bowman's IT organization to ensure that technology initiatives support the companys business goals, and will be responsible for developing and implementing an information security program to protect the company's systems and assets from internal and external threats. He has more than 20 years in leadership roles within the IT industry.

Justin DePalmo named CISO at General Dynamics Information Technology

Mr. DePalmo will be responsible for all cybersecurity including stategy, operations, compliance, implementation, and management. A 15-year cybersecurity veteran, he moves from his earlier role as CISO of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. Mr. DePalmo is also a member of the General Dynamics cyber council. (H/t General Dynamics)

Christine Whichard promoted to CISO at SmartBear

Ms. Whichard adds the CISO title to her current role as senior vice president of IT services and infrastructure at SmartBear, a provider of software development and visibility tools. Prior to SmartBear, Ms. Whichard was the senior vice president, client engagement and operations, at Videology. Earlier, she had been the senior director of the Technology Solutions Group at Merkle. (H/t SmartBear)

Tomer Gershoni appointed as ZoomInfo's first CSO

Mr. Gershoni will be responsible for both ZoomInfo's physical and digital security as well as its privacy efforts. He holds patents related to privacy by design and information security risk management. Mr. Gershoni has published or contributed to several academic papers. Previously, he as the chief products security officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Software business unit, and most recently served as Imperva's senior director and head of its Security Engineering & Cyber Defense Center. (H/t ZoomInfo)

New CISO appointments, July 2022

Dr. Rebecca Wynn joins Spring Health as CISO

Prior to joining the mental health benefits platform provider Wynn was a global cybersecurity and strategy consultant at Click Solutions Group, and as held a number of lead security roles at companies such as [24]7.ai, Matrix Medical Network, LearnVest, and NCI, inc. Wynn has been named a Top 100 Women in Technology 2021  IBM; Top Inspirational Women in Technology 2021; Business Role Model of the Year 2018; Cybersecurity Professional of the Year 2017  Cybersecurity Excellence Awards; and is a podcast host and author. (H/t LinkedIn)

Alyssa Miller joins Epiq as CISO

Prior to joining Epiq, Miller directed the security strategy for S&P Global Ratings as Business Information Security Officer (BISO). She shares her message about evolving the way people think about and approach security, privacy and trust through speaking engagements at various conferences and other events. When not engaged in security research and advocacy, she is an accomplished soccer referee, guitarist and photographer. (H/t LinkedIn)

Anne Marie Zettlemoyer joins CyCognito as CSO

Ms. Zettlemoyer has over 20 years of experience in technical leadership and has served as a trusted advisor for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, law enforcement, security vendors, and think tanks. She was most recently the Business Security Officer and VP of Security Engineering at Mastercard. She is also a Fellow at the National Security Institute, and has held a number of strategic and technical security leadership roles, including the Head of Security Architecture, Engineering, and Solutions at Freddie Mac, Director of the Cyber Think Tank at Capital One, Director of Business Analytics at Mandiant, and Special Advisor for the Director of the US Secret Service. She has served on the board of directors and advisors for several security companies and nonprofits, is a founding board member of Security Tinkerers, and advocated for security policies on Capitol Hill. (H/t Security Magazine)

Andrew Hollister promoted to CISO at LogRhythm

As CISO, Mr. Hollister will expand his role to develop and maintain the companys security governance model and risk strategies, as well as lead the strategy for the protection, confidentiality, integrity and availability of information assets. Hollister will also lead LogRhythm Labs, directing the mission and strategic vision for the LogRhythm Labs threat research, compliance research, and strategic integrations teams. Hollister has held a number of technology and security roles at LogRhythm since he joined the company in 2012. (H/t PRweb.com)

Tony Faria joins Point32Health as CISO

Mr. Faria has been successful in creating and maturing information security functions at a number of Fortune 500 financial services organizations. He is the co-inventor of patented, award-winning cyber assessment methodology leveraged by FM Global, where he was global CISO. Prior to that he was CISO and Security Strategist at Consortium Networks. He is a recognized industry leader and volunteers his time, expertise and resources to help the security industry and his local community. (H/t LinkedIn)

New CISO appointments, June 2022

Nada Noaman joins The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. as CISO

Ms. Noaman brings over two decades of strategic cybersecurity and management consulting experience in the private and public sectors to her new role. She has led security programs for clients ranging from those in technology, entertainment, media, communications, hospitality, aerospace and defense, retail and consumer, and financial services industries. She brings much of her cybersecurity expertise from over a decade of experience in the Intelligence Community (IC), Department of Defense (DoD), and international NGOs. (H/t LinkedIn)

Kenneth Townsend joins Ingredion Incorporated as CISO

Mr. Townsend is a proven IT and cybersecurity leader with a successful track record spanning over 20 years. He has been successful in a variety of industries and is a highly respected specialist in financial services, retail and healthcare. As an IT and infosec leader, Townsend has led global teams with a focus on establishing infosec programs that align to the business strategy and collaboratively executing IT and security projects. (H/t LinkedIn)

Meredith R. Harper joins Synchrony as SVP, CISO

Prior to joining Synchrony, Ms. Harper held VP, CISO positions at Eli Lilly and Company and Henry Ford Health Systems. Her success has been attributed to her ability to manage large-scale complex programs while advancing the skill sets and careers of her most important assets, her team members. Harper is an active member of the Health Care Compliance Association and holds dual certifications in healthcare compliance and privacy. She is certified as a HealthCare Information Security & Privacy Practitioner through the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, Inc. and a Certified Information Security Manager through the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. Harper is passionate about empowering women and minorities to embark upon careers in technology. Shes committed to transforming the industry by driving engaging and provocative discussions around diversity, equity and inclusion and the value it brings. Harper is an alumna of the University of Detroit Mercy where she received her Masters in Health Services Administration and her Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems. (H/t LinkedIn)

New CISO appointments, May 2022

Eric Galis steps into CISO role at Cengage

Prior to being named CISO, Mr. Galis he had been VP of Compliance and Security for over 4 years. He has over 17 years of experience in information security and risk & compliance. Galis has spent time at two other education software and publishing companies, also within the security function. He got his start in InfoSec at PricewaterhouseCoopers, focusing on the financial services industry. Becoming CISO has been his career goal for some time, he credits the passion and work of his team with helping him rise to the level of this role at Cengage. (H/t LinkedIn)

Angela C. Williams joins UL as VP, Global CISO

Prior to joining UL, Ms. Williams held a number of lead security positions at Hillrom, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Wayne County Michigan, among others. She is a results-oriented CISO with extensive experience leveraging technology to integrate best practice cybersecurity solutions. Williams is a people-oriented leader with a focus to attract, develop and retain the right talent to support a culture of belonging where people thrive. In her spare time, she serves on the Board of the Girls Scouts of Southeast Michigan and as an Advisor for the Henry Ford Community College Computer Information Assurance [CIA] program and University of Detroit Mercy Center for Cyber Security and Intelligence Studies. (H/t LinkedIn)
Alexander Soule / Hearst Connecticut Media

Connecticut regulators issued a cease-and-desist order to a Norwalk financier and funds he runs, along with an intent to levy up to $600,000 in penalties for selling unregistered securities and misleading investors.

The Connecticut Department of Banking accuses Bart Stuck of failing to register securities he sold in affiliates of his Signal Lake, claiming Stuck convinced an unidentified Westchester County, N.Y. individual to invest $500,000 by indicating others had invested millions of dollars. Signal Lake lists as its Westport address a shopping plaza at 606 Post Rd. East whose tenants include a UPS Store.
ANSONIAPolice have charged the man suspected of shooting another man and then leading officers on a pursuit through three towns.

He wasnt charged right awaypolice held his name and gave him some time after they found him in a crashed car following a police chase.

Sheldon Haley, 37, of Beaver Street, was in the hospital Wednesday facing a long list of weapons charges.

Haley is currently being treated for injuries sustained (that) are not life threatening and he is in stable condition, said Ansonia Police spokesman Patrick Lynch.

Contributed Photo / Contributed Photo

The victim in the shooting, a 27-year-old man whose name was not released, was shot once in the torso, as Hearst Connecticut Media reported Tuesday.

He was also in stable condition Wednesday, police said.

Detectives are still investigating the incident to determine the cause of the shooting, Lynch said.

Derby Police chased Haley after they saw a dark-colored Honda similar to one seen leaving the scene of the shooting in Ansonia.

Haley, a convicted felon, evaded officers until he crashed near West Haven, according to police.

Haley is being held in the hospital on a $300,000 bond. He is charged with assault, criminal use and possession of a firearm, and reckless endangerment. Police did not announce a court date.
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You know the old sayings of the PR and media biz about just spell the name right, or the variation, bad publicity is better than no publicity.

Surely Vince and Linda McMahon (the latter is now head of the Small Business Administration in President Donald Trumps administration) are longtime practitioners of these black arts. They know how to let highbrow disdain roll off their thickened skin like a SmackDown beef hunk flung out of the ring.

So when Trump uses a doctored-up, 10-year-old WWE video  Battle of the Billionaires, no less  to express disdain for CNN, dont expect the McMahons to get all defensive and outraged.

Trumps Sunday retweet of a Reddit message-board video was the talk of the news and internet. It showed Trump simulating a take-down and punch-out of WWE CEO Vince McMahon, only in the altered version a box with CNN takes the place of McMahons head. At the end an imitation CNN logo appears  FNN, Fraud News Network.

The tweet, part of Trumps continuing war on the media over its coverage of his presidency, evoked outrage and worry that it would incite violence against journalists. But one Trump defender, homeland security adviser Tom Bossert, said: No one would perceive that as a threat; I hope they dont.

Neither of the McMahons had anything to say about it. An email and call to the Stamford headquarters of WWE went unanswered. An inquiry with the office of Linda McMahon at the SBA was met with a curt SBA declines to comment.

About the only WWE-related person who had anything to offer was former wrestler Jerry The King Lawler, one of the voices on the original video. In a tweet, he said it was pretty cool to be part of the presidents salvo at CNN.

Some WWE fans replied that while they admire The King, inciting violence on the media by a sitting United States president is not only deplorable  its just wrong, as one tweeter put it.

A call for oversight

If youre a Trump true-believer, you may not realize how many unbelievers think the president of the United States is, well, more than a bit psychologically challenged.

One of them, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., (full disclosure: Congressman representing the area where I live outside D.C.) came up with the idea to form an 11-member oversight commission, whose job it would be to determine if the president is physically and mentally capable of holding office under the Constitutions 25th Amendment.

As a legislative proposal, its not going anywhere. But although it has earned Raskin a spate of cable-news channel appearances, one wonders how much support it really has among Democrats on Capitol Hill.

One fellow Democratic rep who is definitely not enthusiastic is Rep. Jim Himes. Hes no wallflower when it comes to criticizing Trump, goodness knows.

But in the grand scheme of things, questioning the presidents sanity is pretty much a non-starter, he said.

Donald Trump is a symptom of a problem, Himes said. Donald Trump only gets elected because we Democrats have stopped speaking compellingly to broad swaths of the country.

Rightly or wrongly, the heartland voters who swung the election to Trump are worried about jobs and how theyre going to educate their kids, Himes said.

Theyre not super-focused on the 25th Amendment or the emoluments clause, which Sen. Richard Blumenthal has used as the basis for a lawsuit challenging Trumps business enterprises deriving income from foreign governments while he occupies the White House. Himes signed on to the lawsuit when Blumenthal filed it last month.

When you bring up Russia, the emoluments clause or impeachment, they roll their eyes, Himes said.

I think the president is in violation of the emoluments clause, he said, but me talking about that isnt going to help us win House seats in Ohio in 2018.

Tragedy inspires scholarship fund

The anniversaries of the stabbing death of Kevin Sutherland in the D.C. Metro system dont get any easier for his parents, Doug and Theresa Sutherland, of Trumbull

Kevin, 24, was killed on July 4, 2015, by a mentally unstable assailant trying to rob him of his cellphone. He had been on his way to Union Station to meet friends for a drive up to Philadelphia.

There are few positives that can offset such a horrendous loss. But the Sutherlands say they are gratified by the public response to the Kevin Joseph Sutherland Memorial Fund, which provides scholarships for students at American Universitys School of Public Affairs. (AU was Kevin Sutherlands alma mater.)

Now Kevin Sutherlands last employer, New Blue Interactive in D.C., has established a Kevin Sutherland Internship Fund. It aims to give financial assistance to AU students who mostly serve in unpaid internships on Capitol Hill and elsewhere in Washington.

Such internships can be difficult for students of limited family means  one of Kevins pet peeves, as his father, Doug Sutherland, put it.

The new fund is halfway to the $50,000 investment level, after which awards can be drawn from investment earnings.

Information on both funds can be found at bit.ly/HonoringKevin.

dan@hearstdc.com
BRIDGEPORT  This year marks the 24th anniversary of the Puerto Rican Parade of Fairfield County. The public is invited to attend all of the events. This years theme is the Power and Pride in Our Voices.

Join in on the festivities of a three-day celebration of the history, culture and heritage of Puerto Rico on Friday through Sunday.
BISMARCK, N.D.  The developer of the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline said Wednesday that it no longer has private security personnel in North Dakota, including a firm that state regulators say operated illegally without a license.

"We continue to have security measures in place in North Dakota, just no longer need boots on the ground," Energy Transfer Partners spokeswoman Vicki Granado said in an email to The Associated Press.

North Dakota's Private Investigative and Security Board last week asked a state judge to block North Carolina-based TigerSwan's armed workers from continuing to monitor the pipeline system. The board said TigerSwan had no license during the height of the protests and continued operating after being denied one.

Granado said in her email that TigerSwan stopped providing security services in the "last couple of weeks."

TigerSwan said it ended work with Dallas-based ETP near the end of June.

TigerSwan was founded by retired military special forces members. The regulatory board alleges in court documents that TigerSwan employees with semi-automatic rifles and handguns protected workers and equipment at construction sites, conducted intelligence on protesters including placing or trying to place undercover agents within the protest groups, and even monitored traffic on a state highway. The board also said TigerSwan continued to provide round-the-clock security along the pipeline in the state.

The board has requested administrative fines be levied against the company and its president, James Reese, for operating without a license, a misdemeanor carrying a potential sentence of 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.

According to the board, it notified TigerSwan in September that the company wasn't properly licensed, and the company denied conducting private security in the state but at the same time applied for a license. The board denied the request in December, citing in court documents Reese's alleged criminal history without specifying the offenses. The board said Reese told the group he had never been convicted of a crime. A month later, the board rejected the application again, saying it was incomplete.

Monte Rogneby, an attorney for the board, said a court hearing has yet to be scheduled in state district court in Bismarck.

"Right now, it's very much in the preliminary stages," he said. "We're still sorting out the facts."

North Dakota's governor, its military leader, and law enforcement said they didn't know TigerSwan been operating in the state without a license. Officials said the board did not have an obligation under state law to inform anyone about the issue.

The Morton County sheriff's department, which led the law enforcement response to the protests, was left out of the loop, spokeswoman Maxine Herr said.

"We did our job," Herr said. "It would have been nice to know if they weren't supposed to be there."
STORY LINK GBP NZD Exchange Rate Advances Slowed by Cooling UK Service Sector

Pound (GBP) Advance Slowed by Slide in Services Activity

New Zealand Dollars (NZD) Weakened by Decline in Dairy Prices

GBP NZD Forecast: Carney Speech Ahead



Looking ahead the GBP NZD exchange rate may continue to appreciate later this week following a speech by Bank of England (BoE) Governor Mark Carney, with investors hoping to hear more about the possibility of the bank accelerating the pace of rate hikes over the coming months.



Meanwhile the New Zealand Dollar may struggle on Thursday if Junes Business PMI declines as economists forecast.



Current Interbank Exchange Rates



At the time of writing the GBP NZD exchange rate was trending around 1.7756 and the NZD GBP exchange rate was trending around 0.5630.



Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues:

The Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP NZD) exchange rate found its gains trimmed this morning as the pairing was hampered by a slowdown in the UKs service sector.The Pound found its advance slowed this morning as Sterling came under pressure following the release of the UKs latest Services PMI.According to data compiled by IHS Markit growth in the UKs service sector slowed in the month of June, with the index falling from 53.8 to 53.4, striking a new four-month low as it slipped past expectations it would hit 53.5.The slowdown in the service sector appears to have been largely driven by political and economic uncertainty as the chaos caused by the recent general election and the start to formal Brexit negotiations prompted business optimism to fall as many firms seek to delay investment decisions.Duncan Brock, Director of Customer Relationships at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply said;A creeping doubt appears to be the cause of this months below par performance as the UKs departure from the EU and the unpredictable political climate continues to impact on consumers and businesses alike.Strong growth in new orders and overall activity was destabilised by a reduction in business optimism, which fell to one of the lowest levels since 2011.While the fall in activity was not at large as some investor had feared falling the significant drop in the Manufacturing PMI earlier in the week, the services report did round off a hat trick of poor data in June suggested that the UKs economic growth may not have rebounded as strong as investors hoped in the second quarter.Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at IHS Markit said;A slowing in services sector growth completes a triple-whammy of disappointing PMI survey readings. Although the three PMI surveys are running at levels that are historically consistent with GDP growing by around 0.4% in the second quarter, its clear that the economy heads into the third quarter losing momentum.The New Zealand Dollar was weakened on Tuesday as prices for New Zealands largest export fell again.Dairy prices slipped again yesterday following the most recent Global Dairy Auction, with the overall index of dairy products declining 0.4% and adding to a 0.8% fall in the previous auction.The fall in prices was largely driven by a decline in milkfat products as butter prices cooled off after considerable gains in recent months.AgriHQ dairy analyst Susan Kilsby said;There has been concern that buyers would no longer be able to absorb the record prices that [butter and anhydrous milkfat] have been hitting, though it is too early to tell whether this is the start of a longer term downward trend.Analysts had also hoped that continuing production problems in Germany and France would help to reduce surplus and increase demand.However with New Zealands output predicted to accelerate over the next 12 months as production rapidly recovers from recent flooding, buyers do not expect to see any net fall in stock levels.With the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) latest monetary policy meeting striking a more optimistic tone over the potential for sustained dairy prices to allow for the tightening of monetary policy, markets are likely to be dismayed should the recent downturn last much longer.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

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Robert Otto Miller, 75, of Billings, died July 2, 2017. Bob spent his final days surrounded by family and friends.

He was born Feb. 25, 1942, in Billings to Otto and Wilma (Harwood) and was the youngest of two children. Bob attended Billings Senior High, graduating in 1960. He attended the University of Montana and graduated from Eastern Montana College in 1968.

He married Diane Whitney on Thanksgiving of 1962, and she died on June 4, 1992. Over their nearly 30 years together they opened a gift store named the Squirrels Nest that they ran together for many years at Rimrock Mall. Bob built the Pioneer Village Apartments with his father, Otto George Miller, in his early adulthood, and he managed and owned them as his life-long career. This work suited him well because he loved being busy and working with his hands. When Bob wasnt working on the apartments, he would head out of town to explore the Montana outdoors.

Bob was a member of the Billings Gem and Mineral Club and found many dear friends with a similar passion for nature, arrowheads, fossils, and gems. It was through this club that he met Ellen Hilde who was a committed companion to Bob for the last twenty-four years of his life. Bob loved to hike and to travel, and he and his daughter, Christine, shared many wonderful experiences backpacking in Montana, exploring the rainforests of Panama, and walking beaches all across the United States.

Bob was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor in May, 2016, that finally took his life.

Bob is survived by his daughter Christine W. Miller, son-in-law Robert J. Fletcher Jr., and grandchildren Hayden (8) and Ava Fletcher (4) of Gainesville, FL; his son, Jason W. Miller, of Billings; his mother Wilma Miller of Billings; his sister Jeanne Anderson Kirk of Idaho Falls; his nephew Eric Anderson and family of Idaho Falls; and his companion Ellen Hilde of Billings.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Eagle Mount of Billings http://www.eaglemount.us/ or the Nature Conservancy of Montana (https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/montana/index.htm). Private services will be held.

Condolences may be shared with the family by visiting smithfuneralchapels.com.
Smoke wafted from the doorways of canvas wall tents as volunteer wait staff in western shirts bustled to place wine glasses on dinner tables. Flames licked mule deer haunches suspended from chains over an open pit.

Anchored around a rustic barn just steps away from the Clark Fork River near Clinton, the sprawling venue offered 360-degree views of the surrounding Sapphire Mountains.

Such was the scene in April at the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers' second annual Field to Table dinner -- a five-course soiree that's part conservation fundraiser, part showcase of wild fare during the group's yearly Rendezvous in Missoula.

It looks pretty western, laughed Ryan Busse as he pumped water into a bucket in preparation for the course hed volunteered to prepare: Partridge Apple Sage Fricassee. Its challenging and a ton of work. It looks disorganized and like an actual hunting camp, but its a five-star meal thats pulled off with rustic materials and supplies and open flames.

The mule deer haunches were a case in point. Earlier, the meat had been rendered in bear fat and rubbed with apple cider and homemade ramp vinegar, a concoction chef Lukas Leaf had brought with him from Minnesota.

The coolest thing, says Busse, Is when people hear wild game feed they expect potluck or somebody bringing in tough old antelope from the bottom of somebodys deep freezer. We give them a world-class meal that nobody sees coming.

BHA launched its Field to Table dinner in 2016 to more fully recognize the total connection between wild places and wild food. We wanted to celebrate wild food in a unique setting with great presentation, explains Busse, who is headed for his third year as chairman of BHAs Board of Directors.

An avid sportsman, Busses day job is running the sales department for Kimber Firearms in Kalispell, where he lives with his wife Sara and their two young sons. About nine years ago, Busse began feeding his family exclusively from items hed hunted, fished or foraged. The couple loves to entertain and regularly throws large dinner parties, so Busse is accustomed to cooking for big groups. Saras the meal planner, and Im the cook, he laughs. For his wifes recent 40th birthday, Ryan whipped up Elk Vindaloo for 40 guests.

Four other BHA members joined Busse in planning and preparing this years Field to Table feast: Cholly McGlynn (Executive Chef at Vista Verde Guest Ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado); Lukas Leaf of Minnesota (former Executive Chef at Al Vento restaurant in South Minneapolis and current Sporting Outreach Coordinator for Sportsmen for Boundary Waters); Idaho chef and food writer Randy King (author of Chef in the Wild: Recipes and Reflections of a True Wilderness Chef); and J.R. Young (Treasurer of BHAs California Board and avid forager, hunter, and canner).

Tickets were $500 per couple and $300 for individuals and included wine and beer pairings with each course as well as signature cocktails from Spotted Bear Spirits in Whitefish and Glacier Distilling in Coram. All seventy-two tickets went fast. Our guests pay a lot of money for these tickets. We take cooking for it very seriously, says Busse.

Courses included Moose Consomme with Wild Mushroom Flan and Braised Venison Osso Bucco with Bighorn Risotto and Gremolata, among others. Chef King also prepared two appetizers: Antelope Kafta and Elk Heart Carpaccio.

We settle on the dishes four to five months before the event, says Busse. The morels topping the Moose Consomme were picked by local BHA members in nearby burn areas; the venison used in the osso bucco was a conglomeration of moose, elk, mule deer, and white tail deer procured from various members. BHA President and CEO Land Tawney harvested the bighorn sheep Chef Leaf used in his Bighorn Risotto just south of the fire pit it was roasted on in the Rock Creek drainage.

We cook the dish over and over again in our heads before we actually prepare it on site, says Busse.

Unforeseen variables pop up, but thats part of the fun. I get pretty bored pretty fast when I have too much control, says Busse. He welcomes the challenge of not being able to fine-tune stove and water temperatures, or even consistent characteristics of meat. (He harvested all of the partridges for his entree himself; some birds were young, some were old; some were from dry areas, some came from grasslands with more moisture.) All these chefs thrive in the think-on-your-feet environment, where split-second problem solving is necessary, similar to the environment on shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef.

Busse and the other chefs agree that the best thing about hunting and fishing is sharing the bounty. It mattered five thousand years ago; it was required for the groups survival, and its just as important now.

Partridge in Apple Sage Fricassee

with Herbed Panisse

by Ryan Busse

A fricassee is a traditional French single-pot dish. Today we would call it "comfort food." A good fricassee should should hold all ingredients in a silky smooth white sauce that is not quite thick but not quite soup. Just thin enough to be mopped up by the panisse or other starch. It is equally as good over rice, mashed potatoes or pasta.

Ingredients:

Panisse:

2 cups chickpea flour

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

4 Tbs olive oil, plus more for frying.

Water

Instructions:

Mix dried ingredients and add oil and enough water to make a batter with the consistency of a thick paste a bit thicker than normal pancake batter.

Let set for 20 minutes

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Make small, 3 sized pancakes with the batter. Flip. When cooked, cover panisses and keep warm in foil.

Fricassee:

Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 lb. of partridge (or other wild game bird), cleaned and cut into bite-sized strips, approx. 2 long

3 cups heavy cream, divided

1 c flour

2 Tbs granulated garlic

2 Tbs salt

1 tsp pepper

1 Tbs sweet paprika

1/2 cup avocado oil or other high-heat frying oil

1 c each, finely diced onion, carrot and celery

1 cup brandy

1 cup stock, either homemade from game birds or chicken stock

2 Tbs butter

5 large egg yolks

2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 cup fresh sage coarsely diced

Directions:

Place partridge in large a plastic bag with 1/2 cup cream to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Place flour, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge each piece of partridge in flour mixture, shaking off excess.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat in a large deep skillet until shimmering. Fry partridge in batches until just done, 7-9 minutes, flipping once. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Over-cooking will lead to dry meat.

Reduce heat and add onion, carrot and celery. Cooking until just tender, 5-8 minutes. Add brandy, stock and butter and reduce for 10-15 minutes.

For the sauce:

Add remaining cream (approximates 2 1/2 cups) and egg yolks to large bowl and whisk gently to combine.

After the vegetable and brandy mixture has reduced by 1/4, begin ladling the hot contents of the skillet into the cream and eggs 1/2 cup at a time. Repeat this until the sauce is just warm. Once warmed, add all back into the skillet. Continue to cook over low-medium heat just until the sauce has thickened, 10-15 minutes. (This liaison method of warming the cream and eggs ensures that the sauce will not clump or break  if you skip and add cold to the hot pan, it will break)

Scatter apples and sage over top of the sauce in the skillet and return the partridge on top, pressing gently into the sauce. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until warm.

To serve, spoon the fricassee over the warm panisse.
Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean
A parent's love is a powerful thing. It nurtures, guides, protects, forgives. It is unconditional. And it can sometimes save your life.

Take a young boy by the name of Ashya King.

His parents sparked an international manhunt three years ago when they took their son, then five, from Southampton General Hospital without his doctors' consent in a final bid to give him the pioneering treatment they hoped would cure his cancer.

Where, I wonder, would he be today were it not for their courage, determination and unwavering love?

Their anguished faces may be the embodiment of a living hell, but Chris Gard and Connie Yates are not yet broken people

For they defied the authorities and smuggled their son out of the country to Prague, prompting an international hue and cry.

They were reviled as irrespon-sible and insane. But, as events proved, they were neither.

While in Prague, Ashya successfully underwent proton beam therapy. Three years on and now eight years old, he is well and happy and back at school.

Although Ashya is yet to be declared free of cancer (his next scan is during the summer holidays), he is a boy with a second chance at life. A chance that his desperate parents were prepared to break the law to give him.

But then, if the tragic story of Charlie Gard has shown us nothing else, it is that there is nothing deeper than the bond between parent and child. And when that child is not only utterly defenceless and terribly sick but also at the centre of a global furore over whether he should be given one last chance at life, those bonds become stronger still.

Who feels every pain he suffers more acutely than his own mother and father?

Their anguished faces may be the embodiment of a living hell, but Chris Gard and Connie Yates are not yet broken people. For while their little Charlie lives, so does the flicker of hope.

Last week the Gard family lost their final appeal at the European Court of Human Rights. Judges failed to come to their aid and give them a chance to take Charlie to the U.S. for the experimental treatment which Great Ormond Street Hospital says won't help him.

The European Court ruled to uphold Great Ormond Street's recommendations that Charlie's life support should be switched off, pronouncing his case 'inadmissible'  a dreadful and outrageous pronouncement on anyone's life.

Yet the groundswell of public opinion for the Gard family grows.

The Vatican 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.' And, as unlikely an alliance as it sounds, U.S. President Donald Trump has joined forces with Pope Francis to voice his support.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates are spending the last days of their 11-month-old son Charlie's life with him at hospital in London

But it's not all prayers, vigils and empty promises. Yesterday, the Pope's Hospital in Rome offered to take Charlie into its care.

And in another startling development, the American parent of a son with a similar rare genetic disorder to Charlie told how his son's health improved dramatically after undergoing the pioneering treatment that Charlie's parents want him to have.

Art Estopinan says his son's disabilities were so severe that had he been born in the UK, he would not be alive today.

Six years ago the American boy, who could only move his eyes, was given two months to live. Yet now his father says he can move his hands, fingers, feet and arms and is a 'strong and happy boy'.

Washington sources said yesterday that the American hospital and doctor who treated Art have agreed to waive their fees for Charlie.

So why, in the face of not only international goodwill but real and tangible alternatives, is Charlie still being denied this final shot at life?

Doctors and nurses are wonderful. Modern medicine is almost miraculous in what it can achieve. But it cannot achieve, or know, or do everything. Doctors see the big picture: the case histories, the statistics, the generalised likelihoods. But it's the parents who know their child better than anyone.

And it's the parents who, in the case of any severely disabled child, make enormous sacrifices to ensure that their offspring's needs are met.

And if a child dies for lack of treatment, it is parents, not doctors, who will cry through the night; tears which will go on falling, one way or another, for the rest of their lives.

Charlie's parents 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

It has been said that Charlie shouldn't be put through any more suffering.

Who knows that better than his parents?

Who feels every pain he suffers more acutely than his own mother and father?

Doctors can advise and inform. They can give us their expert opinion to help us make sometimes terrible choices on behalf of our children.

But neither their training nor their knowledge gives them the right to make the final pronouncement on a child's life.

Have we learnt nothing from Ashya King? Has no humility been learned on the part of doctors; that they might occasionally be wrong?

No recognition from other professionals, too, that just sometimes, dogged and devoted parental persistence might be right?

What is there to lose for little Charlie Gard by entrusting his life to his parents  even if his chances are minuscule?

Medicine has  so far  failed him. Why not give love a chance?
The morning after the General Election, Michael Heseltine told me: Whatever sanctimonious things ministers say about the national interest, from here on politics is going to be solely about hanging on to power.

Everything that has happened in the past month suggests that the former Tory deputy prime minister was right. For anybody who cares about the future of this country, the battle currently being waged within the Cabinet about lifting the cap on public sector pay is cringeworthy to behold.

Britain has a colossal budget deficit which, for all George Osbornes stern rhetoric, rose rather than fell on his watch as Chancellor.

We are told that voters are sick of austerity; yet there has never been any austerity.

Pictured: Michael Heseltine, who told Max Hastings after the election: 'Whatever sanctimonious things ministers say about the national interest, from here on politics is going to be solely about hanging on to power'

It is true that public sector workers real incomes have been falling  but from an unjustifiably high base.

Every analysis shows that the States 5.4 million employees earn more than their private sector counterparts who have comparable skills, especially when generous State pension rights are considered. Many people working in business today think themselves fortunate to have any company pension entitlement at all.

Panic

There are special problems about recruiting NHS staff, partly relating to a fall in overseas recruitment of nurses (blamed somewhat on English language tests designed to restrict immigration); partly to the fact that many young Britons recoil from jobs that involve intimate personal services such as emptying bed pans; and partly because the NHS needs radical reform, resisted by unions  including the doctors union.

The demand from some ministers to lift the 1 per cent public sector pay cap is rooted in panic  a belief that if the Tories do not give state workers cash, they will lose their precarious hold on power.

Such panting aspirants for the premiership as Boris Johnson, arrayed in the cap and bells that have become his Foreign Secretarys uniform of state, would give every voter free holidays on Mustique if they thought this would improve their chances of inheriting 10 Downing Street.

Such panting aspirants for the premiership as Boris Johnson, arrayed in the cap and bells that have become his Foreign Secretarys uniform of state, would give every voter free holidays on Mustique if they thought this would improve their chances of inheriting 10 Downing Street

Chancellor Philip Hammond, to his great credit, is so far keeping his nerve and insisting that there must be no giveaway.

Every 1 per cent increase in state workers pay adds 2 billion to the 179 billion annual public wage bill. Funding this requires an extra 2p on the basic rate of income tax, 5p on a litre of fuel  or more reckless borrowing.

Hammond recognises that the Tories claim to govern must rest upon a reputation for fiscal prudence.

Few state employees will ever vote for the Conservatives, regardless of how much largesse the Treasury distributes. In any case, if the Tories join Jeremy Corbyns auction of promises of dosh for all, the Labour leader will always outbid them.

Yet if I were working for modest rewards in Sunderland or Southampton, I would find it hard to believe the Governments claim that it has no money tree to shake on their behalf.

Prestige projects such as HS2 and the Hinkley Point nuclear plant continue, when common sense provides every justification for cancelling them.

Everywhere in Britain, consumers are granted credit facilities  especially to buy cars  far beyond their rational ability to pay for them.

Many people have lost all sense of a causal link between what they can afford and what they can have, because lending institutions and credit card companies allow them to do so. Why should government be any different?

The stench of the Governments electoral deal with the Democratic Unionist Party drifts down every street in the land. A province that already gets more state aid per head than any other in the UK has been given a billion-pound bung in exchange for ten Commons votes.

How can people in the rest of the country be blamed if they now clamour to be given their bungs, too?

No senior Government politician, with the exception of Hammond, is making a serious attempt to explain to the British people that, unless we can stabilise the public finances over the next decade or so, the pound will crash and we shall all be turning out empty pockets.

Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured), to his great credit, is so far keeping his nerve and insisting that there must be no giveaway

Anyway, the vast giveaway to Ulster makes a mockery of the pitch for responsible behaviour down the food chain.

After the General Election, the question was asked  and remains unanswered  whether any political party can again secure office by offering voters a responsible manifesto about the nations finances.

The Tories have bolted in terror from means-testing benefits for the elderly or making National Insurance contributions for the self-employed more equitable  both sensible and necessary policies.

The pension triple lock (which guarantees that state pensions rise in line with whichever is higher, average earnings, price rises or 2.5 per cent) remains, though there is no moral or economic case for it.

Deficit

Labours promise to abolish university tuition fees is one of the most shameful and irresponsible ever advanced by a political party, and that is not even the worst of Corbyns pledges. The notion that they can be funded by making companies and the rich pay more tax represents discredited Marxist economics.

But we are all going to have to pay somewhat more tax, if there is to be any hope of reducing the deficit before our children are dead, never mind ourselves.

The days, and indeed decades, are over in which living standards rise, come rain or shine.

That is a privilege which seems likely to belong only to Singaporeans, who run their small country better and work harder than we do, or the Chinese and Indians.

The only legitimate arguments for removing the cap on anybodys pay  in the public or private sector  are increased productivity or a booming economy.

Yet the political battle to hold the line when neither of these factors prevails is made much harder because those at the front of the trough  notably FTSE chief executives  continue to pour money down their own throats in a fashion that would choke a dinosaur.

Michael Bloomberg (pictured) said he career future of the average plumber looks brighter than that of the average college graduate

Examples matter: that being given by the top of British business is enough to make riots explicable, if not excusable, at the bottom. Perceived unfairness about the distribution of rewards is a problem for all Western political parties that will not go away.

Though the older generation hate hearing it said, most of us are today in a much better economic place than most of the young, if only because we have homes.

Stagnation

For the Tories to deserve to win another election, they need to offer the new generation some vision of the future that looks less bleak than they see today and still behave responsibly with the countrys money.

A few weeks ago in New York I met its brilliant ex-mayor, the billionaire Mike Bloomberg. He observed that the career future of the average plumber looks brighter than that of the average college graduate, as a result of the relentless erosion of jobs to technology, and the corresponding stagnation of wages.

This is obviously true. Yet how often do politicians articulate such issues, or indeed think about anything beyond next Tuesday?

If the Government abandons the public sector pay cap, the last shreds of its fiscal authority will be gone. No senior Tory who demands such action is fit to be prime minister. We face a real danger of waking up one morning to find Jeremy Corbyn and his gang of Stalinists installed in Downing Street.

Nobody is anyway likely to be impressed by the efforts of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt to rebrand themselves as caring politicians. Governing in accordance with the demands of the compassion industry is a formula for national ruin.

Most of us instead want competence, prudence and a vision for the future. Which often means saying no.
A former escort has claimed that the pool of 'decent men' in Australia is 'reducing significantly' - and that women are to blame.

Gwyneth Montenegro, a former escort who made headlines when she revealed she had slept with 10,000 men, told Daily Mail Australia that five years ago, the most prevalent type of man was 'admiring of women'.

But fast forward to this year, Ms Montenegro, from Melbourne, says the most prevalent type of man has 'a degree of dissatisfaction with their female counterpart'.

Ms Montenegro, 39, used an intimate profiling methodology to survey more than 60,000 women to come up with the results each time.

A former escort has claimed that the pool of 'decent men' in Australia is 'reducing significantly' - and that women are to blame

Gwyneth Montenegro, a former escort who made headlines when she revealed she had slept with 10,000 men, told Daily Mail Australia that five years ago, the most prevalent type of man was 'admiring of women'

Ms Montenegro, 39, used an intimate profiling methodology to survey more than 60,000 women to come up with the results each time

'In 2012, by far the most common profile types were "The Stroker" and "The Non-Conformist". Both of these profile types have a bias toward continually proving themselves to their partner,' she explained.

'In 2017, the most common profile types revealed were "The Wimpy Kid" and "The Conqueror". Both of these have primary motivations that reveal a degree of displeasure or resentment toward women.'

Ms Montenegro believes that if changes aren't made, these averages will become 'societal norms'.

'If you look into the data from just a handful of years ago it seems that the majority of men saw women as someone to impress. Someone to woo if you like,' she explained.

But fast forward to this year, Ms Montenegro, from Melbourne, says the most prevalent type of man has 'a degree of dissatisfaction with their female counterpart'

'Increased sexual harassment, exploitation and employment inequality will become more commonplace if we dont arrest the trend,' she said

'Nowadays the data reveals a shift toward motivations more like to "use and exploit" or to be "removed and disconnected".'

'Increased sexual harassment, exploitation and employment inequality will become more commonplace if we dont arrest the trend.'

Ms Montenegro believes that women have something to do with these results.

'I dont want to be so arrogant so as to blame feminism, I count myself as a feminist, but I do believe some of the responsibility does lie with us women,' she said.

'Weve become more militant in our approach against inter-sex grievances. Weve used female rights to ambush and complain instead of to negotiate and to talk.

'I dont want to be so arrogant so as to blame feminism, I count myself as a feminist, but I do believe some of the responsibility does lie with us women,' she said

'We loudly picket and demand if we dont get our way. We are quick to storm the streets and proclaim our displeasure.

'All of this is good in a balanced society but in our enthusiasm we are forgetting the unintended consequences. We are fostering a degree of disillusionment among the few good men left.

'They are left scratching their head saying wondering why so much hatred, when all they want to do is to provide for and care for their partner. If were are militant and dispassionate toward men, can we not expect them to be militant and dispassionate toward us?'

Ms Montenegro says that while 'feminism has its place' and cannot be 'blamed for everything', communication needs to improve.

'Its hard being a woman today and God knows we need representation, however I am a firm believer that communication, negotiation and a hand shake can be a more effective tool than never ending whining and foot stomping,' she said.

'Weve become more militant in our approach against inter-sex grievances. Weve used female rights to ambush and complain instead of to negotiate and to talk,' Ms Montenegro said

'In my experience the majority of men dont hate women, they just want a good one to hold and love. Do we really want to generate disillusionment among them?

'The influence of feminism in the current generation is undeniable. We live in a world in which many men are too scared to open a door for a woman for fear of verbal abuse.'

'We live in a world where its common place for women to cry rape in order to get back at a man... These instructions arent just coming out of the blue, they are coming from women of influence within female movements.'

'Any good relationship requires communication and in the wider community its no difference. If we want to advance the cause of women we need to communicate.'

Ms Montenegro, who says 'feminism is broken and needs to be fixed', is using the platform she gained from being open about her past to spread this message far and wide.

'As is well known nowadays, my not-so-perfect past sparked my curiosity in profiling in the first place. Those days have been both a blessing and a curse,' she explained.

'On the upside, the fascination with me having bedded 10,000 men has provided me with a platform with which to promote my methodologies,' she said

'On the upside, the fascination with me having bedded 10,000 men has provided me with a platform with which to promote my methodologies.

'On the downside, the publicity makes it hard for me to escape the emotional realities and to move forward with my life. Ultimately though, I count it as a blessing. Ive been able to positively affect so many more people than I could have dreamed of reaching minus my story.'

Ms Montenegro hopes to reverse this trend and improve communication between men and women.

'Just as people, events and other influences in our life can cause us to change, so too can the same apply to our male counterparts,' she said.

'Weve had at least some part to play in the process thus far, we can use that same influence in a more positive manner. Theres few things in this world more influential than a woman in her power. In this case, we can literally change the world.'

Ms Montenegro, who now teaches women how to understand the opposite sex, was first paid for sex at the age of 21

Ms Montenegro, who now teaches women how to understand the opposite sex, was first paid for sex at the age of 21.

Three years prior, a horrific gang rape had completely changed the course of her life.

Just 18 at the time, Ms Montenegro was out at a club when her drink was drugged. She believes anywhere from six to eight men raped her that night.

The experience turned upside down the world of the Christian teen who had been saving herself for marriage.

Ms Montenegro suddenly felt worthless. Her old dreams and aspirations were thrown out the window and she instead joined the table top industry a year later.

Although she felt she had already 'crossed a line' by becoming a stripper, Ms Montenegro still describes the first time she was paid for sex as being 'totally surreal'.

Ms Montenegro stayed in the industry for 12 years, unable to give up the thousands of dollars that kept pouring in and the perks of beautiful clothes and trips

It wasn't until the age of 33 that she finally retired once and for all and instead became trained in neuro-linguistic programming, a type of psychotherapy

Ms Montenegro stayed in the industry for 12 years, unable to give up the thousands of dollars that kept pouring in and the perks of beautiful clothes and trips.

It was a lifestyle that gave Ms Montenegro a deep insight into what men really want from women as they confided in her about their desires and relationships.

It wasn't until the age of 33 that she finally retired once and for all and instead became trained in neuro-linguistic programming, a type of psychotherapy.

Ms Montenegro then found fame when she wrote the story of her life in the book 10,000 Men and Counting, which was released in 2014.

Ms Montenegro has spent two years putting together her profiling system, creating an 80-question test to help women discover who they're really with.

It can be found on her website, The Intimacy Secret.
It's often lauded as the city of culture, but now it appears Melbourne may have more to offer when it comes to improving your sex life too.

A new poll has named the city Australia's 'horniest' - after researchers asked people how high they considered their sex drive to be.

The research, by adult app store Lazeeva, asked participants to rank their sex drive on a scale of one to five - with five being the maximum.

A new poll has named Melbourne (pictured) Australia's 'horniest' - after researchers asked people how high they considered their sex drive to be.

Those living in Melbourne averaged a score of 4.20 out of five, according to the report.

WHAT ARE AUSTRALIA'S HORNIEST CITIES? 1. Melbourne, Victoria - 4.20 2. Sydney New South Wales - 4.12 3. Gold Coast Queensland - 4.09 4. Cairns Queensland - 3.95 5. Darwin Northern Territory - 3.90 6. Brisbane Queensland - 3.76 7. Perth Western Australia - 3.55 8. Newcastle New South Wales - 3.41 9. Adelaide South Australia - 3.20 10. Canberra Australian Capital Territory - 3.17 Advertisement

Sydney-siders came in second - with a sex drive score of 4.12.

The city ranking showed that size is not everything, with several smaller cities finding themselves in the top five.

These included the Gold Coast, which came in third with a ranking of 4.09.

Cairns and Darwin followed, with scores of 3.95 and 3.90 respectively.

And as to the dubious honour of being ranked Australia's least 'horny' city?

Canberra took out the title with a dismal average sex drive score of 3.17.

'It is interesting to see how something as natural and essential as our libido can be affected by where we live, further studies should be made to better understand what are the common denominators that are affecting the sexual life of Australians - as it is crucial for a well balanced society,' Lazeeva CEO, Nico Hribernik, said.

The city ranking showed that size is not everything, with several smaller cities finding themselves in the top five

World cities with the top 'sexually satisfied' scores for women City 1. Antwerp, Belgium 2. Brussels, Belgium 3. Amsterdam, Netherlands 4. Rotterdam, Netherlands 5. Utretcht, Netherlands 6. Ghent, Belgium 7. Los Angeles, USA 8. Miami, USA 9. Las Vegas, USA 10. New York City, USA Score 10 9.80 9.70 9.60 9.50 9.40 9.10 9.00 8.90 8.60 Advertisement

Just last month, Melbourne was ranked 22 out of 50 in a list of the world's most 'sexual' cities.

Out of 10, Melbourne women scored an impressive 8.10 in the 'sexually satisfied' category and a high 9.40 for sex toy consumption.

The city lost marks in other areas however, with a score of just four when it came to contraception access and a mere three for gender equality.

Therefore despite ranking highly, the city scored just 24.50 out of 40 overall.

Melbourne had a far better result than other Australian cities however, with Brisbane (47) and Sydney (50) the only others making the list... just.

Sydney-siders came in second in the poll - with an average sex drive score of 4.12 out of 5

The sexual satisfaction scores for these two cities were far lower than those in Melbourne at 4.10 and 2.00 respectively.

They both did rate highly in the sex toy consumption arena however, with scores of 9.20 and 9.50.

New Zealand also made the list, with Auckland sitting at an impressive three in the world with high scores in gender equality (9.20) and sex toy consumption (8.00).

Their sexual satisfaction score was lower at just 5.50.

The city that came in at number one was London, with high scores in sex toy consumption (9.70) and access to contraception (9) helping them take out the top score of 31.30.

Just last month, Melbourne was ranked 22 out of 50 in a list of the world's most 'sexual' cities (stock image)

Their sexual satisfaction score was 6.60.

London was closely followed by Paris at number two while USA cities Los Angeles, Chicago and Austin completed the top six.

Top 11 most sexual cities for women 1. London, UK 2. Paris, France 3. Auckland, New Zealand 4. Los Angeles, USA 5. Chicago, USA 6. Austin, USA 7. Brussels, Belgium 8. Basel, Switzerland 9. Liverpool, UK 10. Geneva, Switzerland 11. Berlin, Germany Advertisement

Interestingly, Antwerp Belgium had the highest sexual satisfaction score (10) while Ibiza Town, Spain, ranked the highest for sex toy consumption.

UK cities rated the highest for access to contraception overall and Helsinki, Finland ranked the highest for gender equality at a perfect 10.

This research formed part of a larger study, the world's most sexual cities, in which ten factors in total were researched.

In order to find out how sexually active citizens of each city were, a survey involving more than 450,000 people was conducted.

Data on access to contraception and Gender Equality were sourced from the UN, along with other international organisations.
In April, Charlotte Halliday, 23, from Queensland, shared the story of her then newborn son Charlie who was born with a severe cleft palate and lip.

And now, almost three months on from his birth on April 18, Ms Halliday has shared adorable photos of Charlie's first smiles.

The heartwarming snaps were posted on Ms Halliday's Facebook group, Charlie's Journey, where she shares updates on her son's health and news from their hospital visits.

In April, Charlotte, 23, from Queensland, shared the story of then newborn son Charlie who was born with a severe cleft palate and lip - and she has now shared snaps of his first smiles

The heartwarming snaps were posted on Ms Halliday's Facebook group, Charlie's Journey , where she shares updates on her son's health and news from their hospital visits

'Just got my first smile off Charlie!!! 3 in a row!!!! Proud mummy moment,' Ms Halliday wrote after seeing his first ever smile on Thursday.

Over the past few weeks, Charlie has been in and out of hospital with a number of feeding issues and doctors will be unable to operate on him until his feeding tubes are out.

Charlie and his family will return to hospital in six weeks in the hope that the tubes can be removed and his first surgery date can be set.

Over the past few weeks, Charlie has been in and out of hospital with a number of feeding issues and doctors will be unable to operate on him until his feeding tubes are out

Charlie and his family will return to hospital in six weeks in the hope that the tubes can be removed and his first surgery date can be set

Charlie, who now has more than 1,300 people following his journey on Facebook, was born after a 'textbook perfect' pregnancy but was later diagnosed with a severe cleft lip and palate - both of which were not picked up in scans.

'At first I didn't know anything was wrong. He was placed on me but I couldn't see his face as he was facing the other way,' Ms Halliday told Daily Mail Australia in mid April.

'The look on everyone's faces told me something was wrong - I was so scared because I didn't know if it was to do with me or Charlie.

'At first I didn't know anything was wrong. He was placed on me but I couldn't see his face as he was facing the other way,' Ms Halliday told Daily Mail Australia in mid April

The little boy was born after a 'textbook perfect' pregnancy but shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with a severe cleft lip and palate (pictured with his mother and father)

'It was terrifying.'

Ms Halliday's mother told her that Charlie had a cleft palate and lip and two minutes later he was taken away to be checked on as his heart rate monitor was buzzing.

'I was devastated and terrified and just had so many mixed emotions - I was wondering how he was, whether he was going to be okay and whether he would be able to survive,' she said.

'The look on everyone's faces told me something was wrong - I was so scared because I didn't know if it was to do with me or Charlie,' she said

Ms Halliday's mother told her that Charlie had a cleft palate and lip and two minutes later he was taken away to be checked on as his heart rate monitor was buzzing

'I was experiencing every single emotion at once. The pediatricians took him away and although he was breathing they had to take him away to check him over and I didn't see him for hours.

It was so nerve-wracking because I was worried he wouldn't take a bottle.

'I had no idea if he was okay and doctors said we should expect to be in hospital for up to a month. Thankfully, except for the cleft lip and palate, he was perfectly healthy and happy and we were able to leave a few days later.'

Ms Halliday and her partner Darren were thrilled to go home with their baby boy and were able to feed him using a specially designed bottle.

'It was so nerve-wracking at first because I was worried he wouldn't take a bottle or that I would hurt his mouth somehow,' Ms Halliday said.

'I was devastated and terrified and just had so many mixed emotions - I was wondering how he was, whether he was going to be okay and whether he would be able to survive,' she said

Ms Halliday and her partner Darren were thrilled to go home with their baby boy and were able to feed him using a specially designed bottle

What is a cleft lip and palate? Cleft lip and cleft palate describe an abnormal gap in either the upper lip or the roof of the mouth. It occurs when some parts of the mouth fail to join together during early pregnancy. The lip and palate develop separately, which means it is possible for a baby to be born with only a cleft lip, only a cleft palate, or a combination of both. Source: Royal Children's Hospital of Melbourne Advertisement

'But he was feeding perfectly and was able to suck so we were very lucky.'

Ms Halliday posted about Charlie on Facebook to thank the hospital for all of their support.

And after receiving hundreds of supportive comments and requests to follow Charlie's updates, Ms Halliday decided to start her age.

'Despite the shock he's absolutely beautiful and perfect in our eyes and he's such a fighter already,' Ms Halliday said.

'I was worried at first about how people would respond to Charlie but people have been so amazing - we have had an overwhelming amount of support.

'I haven't had a single negative comment and everyone has been just amazing. I wouldn't have been able to get through all of this without them.'

'Despite the shock he's absolutely beautiful and perfect in our eyes and he's such a fighter already,' Ms Halliday said (Charlie pictured with his aunty)

'I was worried at first about how people would respond to Charlie but people have been so amazing - we have had an overwhelming amount of support,' she said

If everything goes well in coming weeks, Charlie will have his first lip surgery later this year.

He will then have another bigger surgery on his palate and multiple surgeries down the track to fix complications involving his teeth and hearing.

Ms Halliday, who has had the support of many parents in a similar situation, urges those who do have a child born with a cleft palate and/or lip to surround themselves with a support network.

'Expect the unexpected, thank God your baby is healthy and that nothing is seriously wrong,' she said.

Updates on little Charlie's surgeries and his progress can be found on his Facebook page, Charlie's Journey.
A photographer with vitiligo says she's finally made peace with her skin condition after taking to heart the dying words of her grandmother.

Jasmine Colgan, 27, from Denver in Colorado, USA, was devastated after first finding a white bean-sized spot on her inner thigh six years ago.

The photographer plunged into depression and shied away from showing off her skin. However, when she revealed her stress to her grandmother, who was close to dying, she was told: 'You gotta get tough skin'.

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Photographer Jasmine Colgan, from Denver, Colorado, was 21 when she first noticed a tiny white spot on the skin of her thigh. The vitiligo has since spread across her body

Get tough! Jasmine called her grandmother, Regina Longcors, when she was in her dying days and told her about her condition. Her grandmother told her: 'You gotta have tough skin'

Jasmine says she spent years hiding her skin away and faced cruel taunts from members of the public who didn't understand her condition

The words rallied her and she decided to become a role model for those suffering from the disease, which occurs when the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that determines the colour of skin, die or stop functioning.

Jasmine initially underwent 20 laser treatment sessions in an attempt to reduce the pigment-devoid areas but it continued to spread over most of her face, her hands and feet.

The then student hid the discoloured patches of her skin under clothing after being cruelly told: 'it must be hard to look in the mirror'.

Remembering her late-grandmother Regina Longcor's encouragement, she started to embrace her body by documenting her vitiligo in photographs.

Jasmine turned her skin into an art, snapping detailed shots of the chalk-like patches and spots on her body to start appreciating its unique beauty.

Now she's travelling around the US meeting others with vitiligo, which affects one per cent of the world's population, taking photographs of their skin to empower them too.

Jasmine explains: 'I was depressed for a really long time, I didn't know how to feel about my vitiligo and unknowingly I was covering my skin, keeping it hidden from the world.

After having nearly 20 courses of laser treatment, Jasmine decided to take her grandmother's words to heart and show off her body in spite of her condition

'When I realised I had been wearing long sleeves and had stopped wearing shorts, I didn't want to hide behind layers anymore and act like my skin was a burden.

'In the past, I had tried laser treatments and everything to cover-up, but my Grandma was right, I needed to have 'tough skin'.

'From then onwards, whenever I became really sad about being different I would photograph my vitiligo and kept a personal journal, it became a way to heal myself.

'It helped me to appreciate that this was just skin, it wasn't something that was going to kill me and I loved its beautiful unique characteristics.

The stress of her grandmother's death caused the vitiligo to spread further, says Jasmine but her words helped her through it

Photographer Jasmine now travels across the US meeting other sufferers and documenting their encounters in a series of photos under the heading Tough Skin

Role model: Jasmine (pictured before the condition developed in 2010) says she hopes her approach to her skin will help to inspire others who have the same condition. Right, an image of Jasmine in 2003

'Looking through the photographs made me feel more comfortable and accepting of myself, I felt empowered and like a role model, which I embraced.

'After accepting myself, I wanted to see other people patches and skin tones so I started reaching out to people within the vitiligo community.

'In the past 12-months, I have learned to accept my skin and help others feel the same through travelling to meet them and taking pictures of their skin too.

'Now I've made my way to seven states to meet over fifty spotted beauties, I believe my photographs are helping them to see their vitiligo like a beautiful artwork.'

Whenever I can I try to educate people by telling them it's not contagious, you cannot catch this and I give them a hug... Jasmine Colgan

Jasmine initially struggled to come to terms with the pigment-free patches expanding over her body, after being diagnosed in 2011.

Not knowing anyone else with vitiligo she felt alone, embarrassed and tried to hide the changes with long layers and unsuccessful treatment.

Jasmine said: 'When I was younger I used to have beautiful brown skin, I was doing modelling and all of this stuff but when I was diagnosed with vitiligo I hit the ground.

'I became depressed as the spots started to spread, I was upset and annoyed that my skin was altering, so I started having laser treatment and used topical steroid creams.'

Nothing worked to reduce it and the death of Jasmine's grandmother brought the vitiligo on even more as it spread to her face and other body parts.

Spread the love: Jasmine with some of the friends that she's met along the way

Tough skin project: Jasmine says her own condition spreads by a millimetre each year but she's made peace with the vitiligo

Over time, she started to accept that she had the skin disorder thanks to the empowering and strong words her late-grandmother told her.

Jasmine said: 'After researching how vitiligo would make me look I cried, but I called my grandmother who was on her deathbed and she told me 'You gotta [sic] to have tough skin'.

'It took a while to sink in, but ever since then her words have inspired and influenced every step I've taken in becoming who I am today.

'Despite her not being with us, her strength has carried on through me.'

In 2012, Jasmine started documenting her vitiligo for an art project, which helped her to see her skin as art and not something to be ashamed of.

As she learned to accept herself, she faced cruel comments from ignorant members of the public but eventually she started to speak out about the skin disorder.

Jasmine said: 'There have been countless times where I have felt bullied for the way my skin is different, but the more empowered I have become the more I would challenge it.

WHAT IS VITILIGO? Vitiligo occurs when the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that determines the color of skin, die or stop functioning. This causes slowly enlarging white patches of irregular shapes to appear on the skin over time. Vitiligo affects all races, but may be more noticeable in people with darker skin. The exact cause of the condition is unknown, although many experts believe that it is an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys certain cells. There is no cure and the goal of treatment, which can include ointments and skin grafts, is to stop or slow the progression of pigment loss. Advertisement

'Once after I explained my condition to one guy he said 'Wow, it must be really hard to look in the mirror.

'I was caught completely off guard, he was uneducated and rude but I told him, 'It depends how you look at it' and at that moment I realised I was comfortable in my own skin.'

Since then, she's become an ambassador for vitiligo by talking at conferences and informing people while out in public.

Jasmine added: 'I think after that guy made the 'hard to look in the mirror' comment I wanted to prove him wrong, so now if I catch anyone staring at me, I smile and wave back.

'Whenever I can I try to educate people by telling them it's not contagious, you cannot catch this and I give them a hug.

'I don't want people to look at me with fear or disgust, I want to be the person who speaks up for others with vitiligo.'

Jasmine started her project 'Tough Skin' based on her grandmother's inspiring words to change other people's perspectives too.

She said: 'The project shows a bare minimum of the person's identity and a lot of their spots, to replicate the way the public sees people with vitiligo.

'Documenting my skin started as a school project, but after I eventually had the courage to show family and friends their reactions made me feel even more empowered.

'My vitiligo now grows by a millimetre each year, but as it has progressed I've learned to love its unique characteristics of my skin and I hope my project helps others to do that too.'

To see Jasmine's work, visit: photographsbyjazz.com
Even at the grand old age of 90 it seems that Gina Lollobrigida has no intention of a low-key birthday celebrations.

The Hollywood icon celebrated her milestone birthday with a lavish party held for her by the city of Rome.

The actress who was made famous by her roles in iconic films such as Solomon and Sheba and Beat the Devil defied her years in a glittering evening gown on Tuesday.

Gina Lollobrigida celebrated her 90th birthday with an extravagant bash at Rome's Piazza di Spagna on Tuesday night

Dressed in a floor length embellished pink gown all eyes were on Gina as she arrived at the Piazza di Spagna, in central Rome last night.

The actress added further glamour to her aesthetic in the form of strings of pearl necklaces and matching earring sets as she posed before the cameras on the Via Condotti.

Gina waved to crowds as she arrived on the red carpet which had been rolled out in honour of the occasion.

The 60s and 70s screen siren defied her years in an elegant floor-length embellished gown as she arrived at the celebrations last night

Gina (pictured in her younger years) had a string of film hits with the likes of Errol Flynn, Frank Sinatra and Yul Brynner

In the ceremony to commemorate the actress's birthday the city also unveiled a new sculpture in honour of her work.

Politician and journalist Gianni Letta could be seen presenting Gina with a commemorative silver dish engraved with her name after she made her way into the building.

Plenty of well-wishers had turned out on the city streets to offer their best wishes and presented the actress with posies of red roses.

The city of Rome had rolled out a red carpet in the street if Via Condotti for the actress's arrival

Politician and journalist Gianni Letta could be seen presenting Gina with a commemorative silver dish engraved with her name

Inside the venue Gina was treated to extravagant bash with an A-list guest list dressed in their finest.

Taking centre stage was an enormous seven tier birthday cake which towered over the actress as she sliced into the bespoke dessert.

Gina turned 90 on July 4 and aside from the celebrations held last night marked her birthday with a rare interview in which she opened up about her past success.

The party was filled with high society guests including Marisela Federici (left) and fellow actress Mara Venier (right)

Gina was greeted by plenty of well-wishers who lined the streets of Rome to greet the actress on her special day

Taking centre stage was an enormous seven tier birthday cake which towered over the actress as she sliced into the bespoke dessert

Speaking to Corriere della Sera the actress said: 'I was not looking for any rivalry against anyone: I was the No. 1.

'I succeeded only thanks to myself, without any producer supporting me. I did everything alone.'

Discussing her milestone birthday Gina described turning 90 as '30 plus 30 plus 30. ... Getting older for a woman is a handicap, but the tough experiences I have had have given me the courage to face the difficulties.'

Gina had a string of film hits with the likes of Errol Flynn, Frank Sinatra and Yul Brynner.

Humphrey Bogart, who starred with Gina in her first Hollywood film 'Beat The Devil' in 1953, once said of her: 'She makes Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple.'
A mother has faced abuse, death threats and promises to report her to child services after posting an image of her baby's cheek with a piercing on Facebook.

Enedina Vance from Fostoria, Ohio posted the image, which has now been shared more than 12,000 times, saying: 'I'm the parent, she is MY CHILD, I will do whatever I want! I make all of her decisions until she's 18, I made her, I own her!'

As the post spread like wildfire, people were threatening to 'beat her to death, call child protective services and take away her children.'

However, the image was not all it seemed as the mother-of-six had in fact doctored the picture in order to make a point about the circumcision of baby boys.

'Its ironic that people were ready to beat me to death over my excuses for piercing my baby, but then they used the same EXACT excuse to justify cutting their baby,' she explained.

Enedina Vance from Fostoria, Ohio posted an image of her baby daughter with an apparent dimple piercing on Facebook, but the image was not all it seemed on first glance

Enedina argued that it was her right to do whatever she wanted to her child's body - as a way to highlight her opposition to circumcision and any form of genital cutting

Enedina is what's known as an 'intactivisit', meaning she is part of a group of people against circumcision and any form of genital cutting of children.

She posted the dimple piercing picture to highlight her belief that parents shouldn't have the right to modify their child's body in any way before they're old enough to consent.

'How is it so triggering, so enraging to see my baby with a pierced dimple, but actually knowing a baby is being strapped down and forcibly having his most sensitive portion of his penis amputated, seems perfectly OK?

'How can society threaten death over one, but encourage and support the other? Piercing is bad, but cutting is accepted as the norm?

Enedina received death threats from people who believed she had really pierced her daughter's dimple

Enedina received a deluge of horrified comments, including one from a woman who stated she was against giving babies piercings but sees nothing wrong with circumcision

'Hypocrisy, that's what that is. Sexism. Superstition. Fear. People would rather continue to inflict an unnecessary and irreversible ritual onto their defenseless infant, than to have to admit that they don't know.

Male circumcision Circumcision involves the removal of the foreskin is the retractable fold of skin that covers the end of the penis, using a surgical scalpel or scissors. It is carried out for medical reasons - for example, in the case of recurrent infections; cultural reasons in Jewish, African and Islamic communities, and some people believe it is more hygienic. In recent years, doctors groups in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Holland, Iceland and Australia have spoken out against circumcision. The Danish Medical Association has declared it shouldn't be carried out on boys under 18 who can't give informed consent. Advertisement

'They don't know why it's done, if it has to be done, what the functions of that body part are, or what happens if they were to just leave it alone.

'So the cycle continues, all because parents are too afraid or to proud to admit that they just don't know.

'Education is key and the truth is, genital cutting is completely unnecessary.

'It's NOT cleaner, not healthier, and definitely does not look better.

'But most importantly, it is NOT your body to alter or modify for aesthetic purposes.'

Despite the negative reactions, Enedina received an outpouring of support from people who had taken the time to read her post and understood her message.

And they added their own sarcastic posts to back her up, with Lisa Weinstein writing: 'I bet she "slept right through it", right? Just like with my daughter.

'I had both of her dimples pierced. Unpierced dimples are so ugly and they collect all kinds of bacteria.'

In a lengthy post, Enedina explained why she had shared the image as well as her opposition to circumcision

While some people completely missed Enedina's point, others were full of support

Vee Savage made a similar point, joking that it's much better to have a piercing as a baby because you won't remember the pain.

And Melissa Marie added that all body modifications should take place right after birth because babies won't even feel the pain, let alone recall it.

A delighted Enedina fired right back, saying she knows someone who 'hates' her parents because they didn't take her for any piercings as a baby.

The mother-of-six received an outpouring of support from people who supported her position and added their own sarcastic comments about babies not being able to feel pain
It seems that the warm weather has put Queen Letizia in an especially good mood as she was unable to take the smile off her face on Wednesday.

The Spanish royal beamed as she joined husband King Felipe VI to welcome a royal audience to their home of Zarzuela Palace in Madrid this morning.

Letizia, 44, looked her elegant best in a striped pencil skirt and a loose-fitting blouse as she greeted guests today.

Queen Letizia of Spain appeared to be in an especially good mood as she welcomed guests to Zarzuela Palace on Wednesday

The stylish royal added a pair of nude court shoes to her smart ensemble on Tuesday and added a touch of bling in the form of teardrop earrings.

The mother-of-two opted for a polished finish wearing her hair down in a glamorous blow dry for her engagement today.

Meanwhile King Felipe looked his usual smart self in a grey two-piece suit, paired with a baby blue shirt and a striped tie.

The Spanish royal was unable to take the smile off her face as she and husband King Felipe VI welcomed visitors to the palace in the Spanish capital

Letizia, 44, looked her elegant best in a striped pencil skirt and a loose-fitting blouse

The royal couple welcomed a royal audience to their home in the Spanish capital, shaking each of their guests hands before posing for a commemorative photo.

The pair seemed especially close this afternoon barely leaving one another's side throughout the afternoon.

Queen Letizia has had a whirlwind of a week having been spotted on her last engagement just yesterday.

The royal couple welcomed a royal audience to their home in the Spanish capital, shaking each of their guests hands before posing for a commemorative photo

The mother-of-two added a touch of bling to her outfit in the form of teardrop earrings and wore her hair in loose waves

On Tuesday the former journalist stepped out of the house chose a pair of billowing pale pink culottes and a co-ordinating top for a charity event in Madrid.

The Queen was attending an event hosted by the Foundation Against Drugs at Distrito Telefonica - the Spanish telecoms firm's HQ - in the capital.

She appeared unfazed by the blustery weather in Madrid, smiling serenely for photographers as her hair blew in the breeze.

On Tuesday Queen Letizia of Spain looked stylish in pale pink with snakeskin accents in Madrid

The Spanish Queen appeared unruffled by the blustery weather in the capital today
A Scottish woman who was 'stranded' in a Turkish hospital battling cancer and E. Coli is the subject of a huge crowdfunding campaign to get her home.

Caroline Hope, 37, from Glasgow, has been living in Turkey for four years and recently underwent life-saving surgery and chemotherapy for stage 4 colon cancer.

But now she is fighting for her life after contracting a deadly infection due to complications from the surgery.

A JustGiving page was set up by friend Bella Shek just two days ago and has raised nearly 30,000 in two days - smashing its 29,000 target - amid fears Caroline would die thousands of miles away from home.

Caroline Hope, 37, has been living in Turkey for four years but now she is fighting for her life after contracting a deadly infection due to complications from cancer surgery

In January this year, Caroline returned to Turkey from a holiday in South Africa when she began feeling unwell.

Short of breath, at first she was worried she may have developed Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) after her flight.

Unfortunately, the diagnosis was much worse. After tests, the doctor informed her she had suffered a pulmonary embolism caused by stage-four cancer in her colon which had spread throughout her body.

Caroline started chemotherapy immediately in the hope of fighting the aggressive cancer.

Initially she responded very well, and a few weeks ago after finishing her cycle of chemo, doctors in Turkey told her she was very close to being cured.

Caroline before falling ill. In January this year, the English teacher returned to Turkey from a holiday in South Africa when she began feeling unwell - leading to her devastating diagnosis

A JustGiving page was set up by friend Bella Shek (pictured) just two days ago and has raised nearly 30,000 in just two days - smashing its 29,000 target.

Things worsened, however, when Caroline picked up a dangerous e-coli infection from an operation to remove a tumour from her liver.

When surgeons operated to again to flush out the infection, Caroline says her bowel was perforated, again putting her life in danger.

Caroline remains at the Medical Park Hospital in Izmir, extremely weak from all the treatment and surgery. She is desperate to return home to receive care from the NHS in her hometown in Glasgow.

She previously worked as an English teacher at an international school, but their insurance is due to expire at the end of July - meaning it will no longer cover her medical costs.

To travel home in Caroline's current condition is extremely expensive; insurance, emergency flights and other costs are expected to add up to at least 29,000.

Caroline remains at the Medical Park Hospital in Izmir (pictured), extremely weak from all the treatment and surgery. She is desperate to return home to receive care from the NHS

Race against time: Caroline previously worked at an international school, but their insurance is due to expire at the end of July - meaning it will no longer cover her medical costs

To travel home in Caroline's current condition is extremely expensive; insurance, emergency flights and other costs are expected to add up to at least 29,000

But thanks to Bella's JustGiving page and the generosity of over 1,000 donors, the amount needed has been raised in just two days.

The page was shared thousands of times on Facebook and was one of Just Giving's highest traffic pages for the last month.

Bella, who has known Caroline for 25 years and set up the page, said: 'It's been an extremely tough time for Caroline.

'She's alone in a strange country, needing blood transfusions, stuck in hospital and prone to infection.

Friend for life: Bella (far left) who has known Caroline (centre) for 25 years and set up the page, said: 'It's been an extremely tough time for Caroline. She's alone in a strange country, needing blood transfusions, stuck in hospital and prone to infection'

'She's struggling to walk, eat or talk and has to communicate to the doctors through translators. She is confused and terribly homesick.'

Bella added: 'I'm amazed at the response received on the Just Giving page. Caroline and her family are so grateful for all the generous donations.

'We now have a good chance of getting Caroline home safely so she can get the care she needs.'

At the time of writing Caroline's JustGiving page has reached 29,282 of its original 29,000 target.

A FCO spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have offered advice to the family of a British woman who is in hospital in Turkey. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.'

To support the appeal, please visit: JustGiving.com
Plus-size model and body positivity advocate Tess Holliday surprised her 1.4 million Instagram followers on Wednesday by revealing she has been secretly married for two years.

The 32-year-old explained she and her partner, Australian artist and businessman Nick Holliday, were celebrating their two-year anniversary after getting hitched privately.

Tess even shared a black and white photo of the nuptials, which shows her and Nick holding hands in front of the officiant under the watchful eye of their loved ones.

Congrats! Plus-size model and body positivity advocate Tess Holliday surprised her 1.4 million Instagram followers on Wednesday by revealing she has been secretly married for two years

Romantic: Tess even shared a black and white photo of the nuptials, which shows her and Nick holding hands in front of the officiant under the watchful eye of their loved ones

Pair: Together, Tess and Nick are raising their one-year-old son Bowie (pictured in his father's arms) and her 10-year-old son Rylee, her child from a previous relationship

Perfect match: The pair (pictured with little Bowie) met in 2012 after Nick reached out to Tess on Tumblr to tell her he loved her body positive stance

Enjoy! The model (pictured in a recent shot with Nick) told her followers she and Nick were off to enjoy a celebratory vacation to mark their second wedding anniversary

The model seems to be wearing a white dress with short sleeves and a below-the-knee cut, which reveals some of her many tattoos on her arms and legs, her gorgeous hair falling freely on her shoulders.

As for Nick, he appears to have picked a light-colored shirt and pants paired with dark dress shoes and his trademark beard.

Together, Tess and Nick are raising their one-year-old son Bowie and her 10-year-old son Rylee, her child from a previous relationship. The pair met in 2012 after Nick reached out to Tess on Tumblr to tell her he loved her body positive stance.

Their marital status a secret until Tess decided to reveal the news just in time for their two-year anniversary. The milestone came just as she turned 32, as the pair tied the knot on her birthday, July 5.

'Happy Birthday to me, annnnd also... Happy Anniversary to my Husbear @nickhollidayco,' Tess wrote in the surprise announcement. 'Yes, we got hitched two years ago today... sneaky I know.'

Happy times: Tess (pictured at the Burger Boogaloo festival earlier this week in Oakland, California) often shares snaps of her happy times with Nick and their two boys

Touching: Last month, the model praised Nick for always being there for their sons (including Rylee, pictured), revealing in a powerful post that being a father 'isn't always easy for him'

Bliss: Tess recently enjoyed the Burger Boogaloo festival with her family and a few friends (pictured with her) and posted to rave about her experience

Father-son duo: Among Tess' snaps of the music festival in California was this sweet black and white shot of Nick and their one-year-old son Bowie

Playing: Bowie 'f*****g' loves balloons according to his mother, and was visibly excited to find some to distract him at the music festival in Oakland

The model then told her followers there would be wedding photos in her upcoming book, and told them she and Nick were off to enjoy a celebratory vacation.

Last month, the model praised Nick for always being there for their sons, revealing in a powerful post that being a father 'isn't always easy for him' because he struggles with mental illness.

The size 22 model took to Instagram to pay tribute to Nick on Father's Day, noting that even though their days aren't always perfect, he is a wonderful dad to their one-year-old son Bowie and her 10-year-old son Rylee, her eldest child from a previous relationship.

Tess said she was able to find the right partner and parent for her own children because of her difficult relationship with her own dad, explaining: 'Father's Day has always been hard for me.

'My dad didn't show up in the ways I needed him, he rarely made the effort & when he was around it was followed by emotional & physical abuse.'

Tess has said in the past that her father was abusive towards her because of her size. Noting that she talks about these experiences in greater detail in her upcoming book, she added: 'It taught me a lot, especially when it came to finding a partner for myself, & eventually a father to my children.'

Loving it: Bowie (pictured with his parents and their friend at the Burger Boogaloo music festival) apparently enjoyed the music and tapped his feel along with the tunes

Adorable: The one-year-old boy stole everyone's hearts during the musical event, his mom said

Patriotic: Bowie sat on a Stars And Stripes blanket in the grass while enjoying the festival

Making friends: At one point, Bowie apparently connected with another child his age while Nick transported him in a baby carrier

Baby steps: The little boy was pictured walking across the grass in direction of a balloon while his father remained not too far behind him

The mother-of-two went on to wish her 'partner in this life' a happy Father's Day.

'As someone who has mental illness, being a Dad isn't always easy for him,' she wrote. 'He isn't perfect, & we have good & bad days but he shows up when I need him, when our boys need him.

'Not a day goes by where he doesn't tell us he loves us (something I didn't get growing up from my Father), or go out of his way to make us smile. He has dance parties with Bowie, draws & plays uno with Rylee, makes us snack plates & rolls his eyes when we all annoy him. We all love you so much Nick.'

Tess previously revealed that Nick was once one of her many online fans, and first got in touch on Tumblr five years ago to tell her he loved the way she inspired other women.

'I just remember thinking how cute he was, so we started talking and it quickly turned into a relationship,' she told People.

Loving: The size 22 model took to Instagram to pay tribute to Nick on Father's Day, noting that he is a wonderful dad to their one-year-old son Bowie and her 10-year-old son Rylee

'Eff Your Beauty Standards': The body positivity advicate took to Instagram Stories last month to post a racy black and white photo of herself wearing nothing but fishnets and denim shorts

Stripping down! Tess previously shared a photo of herself naked in a bathtub. The playful picture sees Tess strategically covering her breasts with her tattooed arms

Nick, meanwhile, admitted he was first stricken by Tess' beauty before falling for her personal message too.

'She has an old Hollywood face, and I think thats something thats quite rare now, and something that I was taken by,' he said. 'But once I started following her Tumblr, I realized what she was doing. I messaged her with no subtext and no expectations of a reply.'

Tess, however, did reply, and the pair corresponded online for nine months until Nick, who lived in Melbourne, finally paid her an in-person visit in Los Angeles.

He eventually moved to the US permanently, and the pair announced their engagement in 2014. In January 2016, Tess revealed she was pregnant with her second child, her first with Nick.

Bowie was born in June last year, and the model has since shared many happy snaps of her entire family.

Marrying Nick has always been no-brainer for the model.

'I already knew I wanted to marry him before I met him,' she told People while explaining how they first connected.

'He appreciated me in a way that no one else had. I think being a feminist himself, he understood what it was like to really appreciate a womans body  not in a sexual way, but in that every person is beautiful the way that they are.'
A pregnant woman was horrified after she was jeered by three van men who shouted 'show us your t**s' while she was stuck in traffic.

Katie Root, from Sheffield, branded the men 'disgraceful' after they called out about her 'massive jugs' while staring at her breasts as she sat in her car yesterday. Some of the comments they made were 'too disgusting to repeat', she said.

The 23-year-old was so repulsed she took to Facebook to expose the behaviour, adding it was 'unacceptable' for women to be treated that way.

Harassed: Katie Root, from Sheffield, branded the men 'disgraceful' after they called out about her 'massive jugs' while staring at her breasts. Pictured, Katie with boyfriend Tom Wallis

'Disgrace': The 23-year-old, pictured, was so horrified by the encounter she took to Facebook to expose the behaviour, saying it was 'unacceptable' for women to be treated this way

Miss Root, a sales supervisor, said she doesn't expect to hear such remarks at any time, but least of all when she is sitting in her car.

'It was a really hot day and my air conditioning was not working so I had the window rolled down a bit,' Miss Root explained. 'Being six months pregnant I am always hot. I just heard some man shout 'oh my god, f*** me love, your jugs are massive.'

Determined not to appear intimidated, Miss Root quipped: 'So would you if you were six months pregnant.'

The men continued to harass her, saying: 'Come on love, you can still flirt with me even though your pregnant, show us your t**s.' At one point they defended their behaviour by saying they were 'complimenting' her.

Outraged: Miss Root posted this photo slamming the men on Facebook

Miss Root, who was on her way to collect her boyfriend Tom Wallis at the time, said the van deliberately slowed to keep in line with her car as she crawled through standstill traffic.

She continued: 'To just stare at someone's boobs and shout things out of a car in busy traffic is just not acceptable behaviour. Some of the stuff they said is too disgusting for me to repeat.

Miss Root with her boyfriend Tom Wallis

'I just kept thinking what kind people would ever say something like that to a young woman alone in a car. It could have been really frightening for someone and I bet they would never had done it if my boyfriend had been in the car.'

Taking to Facebook after the incident, Miss Root said she was wearing a vest top and that she is 'entitled to wear whatever she feels comfortable in'.

Miss Root is now trying to track down the company the men work for to complain.

The men's van had the company logo plastered on it and Miss Root is now trying to track the company down to make a complaint.

Miss Root was so outraged by their disgusting and continued behaviour that she posted about their shocking comments on Facebook.

She wrote:'I can't believe these men even thought this was acceptable, and to make it better they continued to drive along side me making the comments for about 10 minutes. Disgrace to humanity.'
From the flower wreaths at Rodarte's spring 2018 show to the foil lips at Maison Margiela, Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris has been serving up an abundance of eye candy.

While stunning to look at, we likely won't be trying those looks at home. We will be trying our hand at some of the hair and make-up spotted on celebs like Karlie Kloss, Lily Collins and Tracee Ellis Ross off the runways, though.

Below, we detail these stunning looks and more, and offer tips you can use to copy them at home.

KARLIE KLOSS

Light vs dark: Karlie Kloss, 24, contrasted her new platinum dye job with a black velvet gown and a deep plum lip color at the Vogue Foundation Dinner in Paris on Tuesday

Karlie went platinum ahead of the Dior show on Monday after what colorist Christina Cessna said required 'a couple hours, lots of #olaplex and great conversations'.

Since then, the model has been gallivanting around Paris in gorgeous beauty look after gorgeous beauty look, but this one - complete with a vampy lip and a luminous complexion - has to be our favorite.

Make-up artist Vincent Oquendo called her his 'goth bunny' in an Instagram post of the look.

TRACEE ELLIS ROSS

A woman of many talents: Tracee Ellis Ross, 44, did her own hair and make-up to take in the Schiaparelli show on Monday

Most celebrities that jetted into town for the couture shows brought a posse of hair pros, make-up artists and stylists with them. Not Tracee Ellis Ross.

'I started in fashion, so my love of doing my own hair and makeup and styling myself and dressing myself; if I can, I do it,' she told wmagazine.com earlier this week.

At the Schiaparelli Haute Couture show on Monday, the Black-ish actress let her bright pink dress from the brand take center stage, opting for a natural make-up look with glowing skin. But she still allowed her personality to shine through when it came to her hair, which she pulled back into three ballerina buns on the sides and in the back of her head.

KENDALL JENNER, JOAN SMALLS AND BELLA HADID

Twinning: Kendall Jenner, 21, Joan Smalls, 28, and Bella Hadid, 20, all wore the beauty look from the Miu Miu show straight off the runway

Backstage at Miu Miu Cruise Collection on Sunday, hairstylist Guido Palau gave the models tight curls that were pulled back into high ponytails with face-framing tendrils. On the lips, make-up artist Pat McGrath layered red glitter from her sold out Lust 004 collection over the matte shade Elson from her forthcoming MatteTrance lipstick line (available July 19).

While models are typically quick to wipe off their beauty looks when they walk off the runway, Kendall Jenner, Joan Smalls and Bella Hadid loved this one so much, they all kept it on for a cocktail party following the show.

CARA DELEVINGNE

Turning heads: Cara Delevingne, 24, dressed up her pixie cut with a sparkling hair accessory that wrapped from ear to ear

Cara Delevingne is proof that to achieve a head-turning look, long, flowing hair is not required.

At the Vogue Foundation Dinner last night, French hairstylist John Nollet accessorized the model-turned-actress' newly platinum pixie cut with a dazzling shooting star headpiece that wrapped across the back of her head from her right ear.

Cara kept the rest of her look simple, wearing a black blazer over an LBD and a neutral smoky eye.

LILY COLLINS

The blues: Lily Collins, 28, looked casual yet chic at the Chanel show on Tuesday, wearing a sequin blouse from the designer, Levi jeans and a smoky eye to match

Lily matched her eyeshadow to her Levi's at the Chanel show on Tuesday.

The wash of indigo, courtesy of make-up artist Vincent Oquendo, popped against her porcelain skin.

Hairstylist Jen Atkin rounded out the cool girl look with piece-y waves created with the help of Balmain Hair Texturizing Volume Spray and Ouai Matte Pomade.
Though Eric Trump had plenty of gratitude for the 20-year-old woman who cleaned up his father's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, not everyone on Twitter is impressed with the young lady.

Late last week, Makenna Greenwald of Wyoming was visiting Los Angeles when she stumbled across Donald Trump's vandalized star. She stopped to clean it off and then posted the evidence on Twitter, writing: 'Stopped to clean @realDonaldTrump Hollywood Star. Nothing but respect for MY President. #RaisedRight.'

While she has received plenty of support from like-minded Americans  including Eric, who tweeted at her to say 'thank you'  Makenna has also been on the receiving end of a whole lot of mockery.

Scrub scrub: 20-year-old Makenna Greenwald of Wyoming posted pictures to Twitter on June 28 of her cleaning Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star with a tissue

In the pictures, Makenna is seen stooped over the star, scrubbing at it with a tissue. Once it was clean, she squatted alongside it for a happy snap.

Her tweet quickly went viral, earning hundreds of thousands of likes, and words of support from Trump voters, and Trump's son Eric as well.

But those who disapprove of Trump  according to Gallup, that number is now at 57 per cent, compared to just 37 per cent who approve  were less congratulatory.

Quite a few even took the opportunity to mock Makenna, as well as the fact that Trump's name is nestled alongside the likes of Cate Blanchett, Daniel Radcliffe, and the fictional character Shrek.

New pictures pored in from other Twitter users' travels to Los Angeles, spotlighting other stars on the Walk of Fame.

Each person copied Makenna's caption, with some even pretending to clean the stars they picked.

Copycats: Since then, other Twitter users have been posting their own Walk of Fame pictures

Not fans: The Twitter users are all mocking Mackenna and quoting her in their captions

Salad: Some have offered twists, like this one with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' star

Not their President? The tweets also seem to mock Trump's celebrity status

Entertainer: The images seem to compare Trump to actors like Cate Blanchett and Viola Davis

DT and MJ: Some of the comparisons are more flattering than others

'Stopped to clean Michael Jackson's Hollywood star. Nothing by respect for MY President. #RaisedRight,' wrote one.

'Dropped off a big salad at Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Hollywood star,' wrote another, posting a picture of the star with a lunch salad perched on top. 'Nothing but respect for MY president.'

Pictures of other stars included Bette Midler, Rod Steward, Kevin Smith, Viola Davis, Harrison Ford, Ellen DeGeneres, Adam Sandler, Miley Cyrus, Nicholas Cage, Don Rickles, and both Shrek and Godzilla.

Another, who couldn't make it to the Walk of Fame, pictured himself with paper towel and cleaning solution at home, writing: 'Stopped to clean this spot on the carpet where my dog peed. Nothing by respect for MY president.'

Some simply edited Mackenna's original image, adding in the names of stars and characters like Nicki Minaj, Wonder Woman, Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Game of Thrones' Arya Stark, Hannah Montana, One Direction's Niall Horan, Chicken Little, and Jersey Shore's The Situation.

Ogre: Quite a few people thought it was funny to post similar tweets with Shrek's star

Running in 2020? Bette Midler, Cate Blanchett, and Kevin Smith have all gotten shout-outs

This man took a picture near Rod Stewart's star and joked that the singer was his President

Make beleive: Even Godzilla got the presidential treatment

Makenna has also been called out for supporting someone 'those that lie, cheat, bully, and sexually harass'

Ew: This man couldn't make it to the Walk of Fame so he pretended to clean his dog's pee instead

The mockery added another layer to criticism from Trump detractors who chimed in to say things like 'hi makenna i just want to let you know that YOUR president also instituted a ban that separates families away from each other.'

'My parents taught me to oppose bigotry, respect the Constitution, & stand up to sexual predators. I was #RaisedRight. That's why I #resist,' wrote another.

'Pray for those that lie, cheat, bully, and sexually harass. Don't kiss up to them, though. #RaisedRight,' added yet another.

The negativity certainly offset some of the encouraging words from supports, including Fox News personality Sean Hannity

'Wow. Great American. @CNN @NBCNews @JoeNBC (who calls the @POTUS a schmuck, liar, goon etc.). Watch and learn what respect for the office is,' he wrote.

Greenwald even got a shout-out from Trump's second-oldest son, Eric, who wrote: 'Thank you Makenna! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain.

Flip side: Greenwald's actions earned praised from several users, including Trump's second oldest son, Eric

Trump's star on the Walk of Fame has been repeatedly vandalized since he announced his candidacy in May 2015, including this month with #Resist stickers (pictured)

Trump's star on the Walk of Fame has been repeatedly vandalized since he announced his candidacy in May 2015.

Last July, California street artist placed a miniature wall around the star in a jab at Trump's vow to build a barrier between the US and Mexico.

Then, just a few weeks before the November election last year, a man dressed as a construction worker smashed the star using a sledgehammer and pickax. The man was sentenced for vandalism.

This month, the star was covered with #Resist stickers during a protest in California, calling out things like racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and corruption.
As always, my son was excited about the yearly school play. What would they put on and what role might he get, he wondered.

Aged 11, Hayden was a likeable, happy-go-lucky boy, a deep thinker who always tried his best.

Imagine our surprise when the title of the production was announced: Olivia Twist. Yes, Olivia, not Oliver. Charles Dickenss most famous male character would be played by a girl.

Was the teacher forced to alter the title because of a lack of boys wanting to take part? No. In fact, Haydens female teacher had decided the matter long before any pupil, male or female, was invited to volunteer.

An indignant mother has lashed out at British female teachers, accusing them of favouring girls over boys in schools, with 'lifelong' academic and social consequences for young men

And why? The answer was bias, pure and simple. She had decided a girl should take the role, and never mind any willing lad who might have been keen to try his hand.

Admittedly, the girl chosen to play Olivia was a talented performer. But to me this was just another example of how boys like my sons are consistently and insidiously put down by teachers and todays education system.

Again and again, I have witnessed my boys made to feel second best because schools are so keen to champion girls.

It is all too clear to me that the pursuit of equality in education has turned happy, hard-working boys like my sons into victims.

The education system, just like society at large, is loaded against boys and in favour of girls.

From teachers favouring girls when children raise their hands in class to suggesting that any boy who exhibits curiosity or sensitivity must have something wrong with him, boys are demeaned from the moment they put on their uniforms and enter the school gates.

Little wonder that the attainment gap between boys and girls has become a chasm. A girl born today is 75 per cent more likely than a boy to proceed to higher education, while young men enter the adult world more unsure of themselves than ever.

You might wonder who I am to make such a case. The answer is, Im just an ordinary mum.

Experts agree that problems for boys start early. Their fine-motor and cognitive skills develop later, so they lag behind girls throughout much of early school life

I have two sons  Hayden, now 15, who is set to do his GCSEs next year, and Daniel, who turns 17 this month and is studying creative media journalism at college and has eight GCSEs under his belt.

They are not in the A* pack, but both of them are solid students: Daniels chief interest is current affairs, while Hayden adores history and science. Im 51, married and live in a small village near Brentwood in Essex. I was a City trader for several years before I bought my own gift shop.

Today Im a housewife and care for my husband Peter, 59, who has ME (sometimes called chronic fatigue syndrome).

Im not an education specialist, but I am a devoted mum, keen for her children to progress in life and achieve all they want to.

I am so proud of my boys  but our education system hasnt always taken the same pride and joy in them. Schools have become so over feminised that they are knocking the natural spirit out of boys. They are failing our sons. My boys both attended the same primary and secondary schools: a Church of England village primary and then a mixed, state secondary rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

While girls are treated as young women, boys are treated only as boys  and the effects of such infantilisation last a lifetime

Of the two, the primary was definitely worst for demeaning male pupils  perhaps because every teacher there was female. It is a pattern repeated across the nation: just 15 per cent of primary school teachers are male. It is little wonder young boys can feel lost.

Experts agree that problems for boys start early. Their fine-motor and cognitive skills develop later, so they lag behind girls throughout much of early school life.

This is not helped by the over- feminised teaching ethos in our state primary schools, as I soon discovered. It became quickly apparent that the teachers viewed little boys as caricatures rather than individuals  it was almost as if they were written off before they had begun.

So when the female head teacher met Hayden  an inquisitive little chap who liked to take conversations to the next level  she was perplexed.

Surely, you could almost see her thinking, there must be something wrong with a boy who can think so deeply and respond so sensitively to situations.

Five-year-old Hayden, she quickly determined, must be autistic. She requested that he be statemented by the local authorities, meaning he should be officially recognised as having special needs  which would allow her to access more funding for her school.

Surely, you could almost see her thinking, there must be something wrong with a boy who can think so deeply and respond so sensitively to situations

Needless to say, I was devastated by the news. But I knew deep down that my son was not autistic, and when officials came to examine Hayden they agreed with me emphatically: he was just inquisitive, not autistic in the slightest.

Yet the school seemed to think that any boy who wasnt running around the playground like a headless chicken had to have something that needed fixing.

Attempts were made to wrongly diagnose another curious young lad as autistic, until his furious mother decided to pull her son out of the school.

Boys were just lumped together, whatever their quirks and talents, with predictably damaging consequences for their attainment and self-esteem.

One class teacher commented at a parents evening that my other son Daniel  then just five and a summer baby  was immature compared with the girls in his class. I was furious.

Again, he was being judged on the basis of his gender, not his individual characteristics.

As every mum knows, at that tender age a six-month age gap can make a world of difference between children  and every parent of boys knows that girls naturally mature faster. It is a biological reality, not cause for criticism from a teacher.

Meanwhile, the boisterous behaviour typical of many young boys quickly sees many of them condemned as naughty, a label that follows them for the rest of their school lives.

Every parent of boys knows that girls naturally mature faster. It is a biological reality, not cause for criticism from a teacher

There is also research that suggests boys in particular would benefit from increased break time during the school day. This extra chance to let off steam has been found to improve their focus, while girls can concentrate without extra play.

I never felt my boys were nurtured in primary school. Girls were treated as precious, dainty things to be cared for, while boys were left hanging.

The impact on my sons confidence was devastating. Daniel, the elder one, was so brainwashed by his early experiences that when he moved to secondary school, he couldnt imagine being put in the same set as a girl because he thought they were just naturally cleverer. In his mind, there was one level for the girls and another for boys like him.

A girl born today is 75 per cent more likely than a boy to proceed to higher education, while young men enter the adult world more unsure of themselves than ever

Secondary school has, thankfully, gone some way to helping my sons rebuild their confidence. It was there they finally encountered their first male teachers  albeit in the usual subjects: science, business and economics, PE. All other subjects are taught by women.

I cant help but wonder whether if English literature, for instance, was taught by a man, or if the curriculum was tailored more towards boys, with less emphasis on such classics as Jane Eyre and Romeo And Juliet, young males might embrace reading more. Research backs me up: in classes where boys were taught English from non-fiction texts rather than novels, they achieved better results.

Even in secondary school, my sons say there is a bias towards girls in the classroom, especially from female teachers. This is doubly damaging for boys: as Hayden tells me, there are only so many times you can know the answer, put your hand up and be ignored before you start to think, Why bother?

He couldnt imagine being put in the same set as a girl because he thought they were just naturally cleverer'

The favouritism of female teachers towards girls reinforces the message that, in boys eyes, women both old and young simply dont think much of them at all.

All too often, boys in school are treated as superfluous, a distraction from the main purpose, which is grooming girls for success. No wonder the girls seem to have that extra air of poise and confidence.

For decades, taxpayers money has been spent on encouraging girls to apply for jobs in fields such as science, technology and engineering that in previous eras were dominated by men. Yet, at the same time, there has been a falling-off in the encouragement given to young men to become doctors (two out of three new GPs are now female) or lawyers (more than three in five trainees are female).

Girls, it seems, are told they can do anything. Boys, meanwhile, are left to languish. It should come as little surprise, then, that plenty of girls feel they dont need boys or men in their lives at all.

The favouritism of female teachers towards girls reinforces the message that, in boys eyes, women both old and young simply dont think much of them at all

Yes, most girls want a boyfriend for the added status it gives them among their female friends. But as for wanting a young man of their own age to provide emotional support, companionship and love, forget it. The girls have absorbed the message that they can make it on their own.

In our over-sexualised online age, girls appear to be adapting to the challenges better than boys. At the school gates I see girls with their skirts rolled up so high you cant even see them under their blazers. These displays of sexual awareness dont help hormonal boys of their age, who cant handle such precociousness until later in life.

While girls are treated as young women, boys are treated only as boys  and the effects of such infantilisation last a lifetime.

It seems society systematically places men on the back foot, from the day schooling commences.

All that said, I would never have placed my sons in a single-sex school. I believe every child needs to grow in a diverse atmosphere to prepare them for adulthood. But surely there is a way to encourage both girls and boys to achieve?

The girls have absorbed the message that they can make it on their own

I have made sure my sons feel they are not a lesser breed just because they are boys. After all, they want to do just as well as girls in life, even if the education system is incapable of recognising this.

My Hayden is 6ft tall and has size 12 feet. He may look like a man in some ways, but he still needs just as much encouragement as the dainty girls in his class.

The quest for equality is all well and good  but not if it leaves our boys behind.

Do you think boys experience bias at school? Email femailreaders@dailymail.co.uk with your stories
The family-sized bag of crisps was for my lunch guests to share, but it barely made it back from the supermarket before I gave in to the urge to tuck in.

After grabbing a handful, I closed the packet, telling myself that would be it. Yet half an hour later Id scoffed the lot.

Id like to say this was a one-off, but my crisp habit frequently careers out of control. I could happily eat nothing but crisps for dinner, and at any other time.

Have you ever wondered why you couldn't stop at just one crisp? Femail can reveal the lengths cunning companies go to to achieve that moreish effect, from shape to satisfying crunch

Im not alone. We are a nation of crisp fanatics, each of us consuming about four and a half kilos of them a year.

I decided to take a look at what makes crisps so moreish  and the toll our habit is taking on the nations health.

TERRIBLE TRIO

In Salt, Sugar, Fat: How The Food Giants Hooked Us, author Michael Moss reveals how crisps are made irresistible.

Salt provides an arresting sensation on first contact with the tongue, called the flavour burst by the food industry.

Fat from the oil in which crisps are fried gives mouthfeel  experienced through the trigeminal nerve, which sends pleasure sensations to the brain.

Sugar, meanwhile isnt only present in the potato starch but is added to tomato based flavours such as BBQ or prawn cocktail by manufacturers to make crisps all the more enticing.

Our desire for foods containing fat, salt and sugar is thought to have come from our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who craved high-energy foods. Sensible then, perhaps, but a source of problems now cheap junk food is readily available.

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE

Worryingly experts have found similarities in the brains of crisp-lovers and drug addicts.

Dr Tony Goldstone, a neuroscientist at Imperial College London, found that when overweight people saw photos of junk food their brains responded like those of alcoholics and drug-addicts did when shown wine or cocaine.

A German study discovered the reward and addiction centres of rats brains were more active when fed crisps than a powdery mixture of fat and carbohydrates of the same calorific value.

Dr Tobias Hoch, of Frederich Alexander Erlangen-Nuremberg University, believes molecular triggers in crisps stimulate these reward centres.

So why is my husband content with a few crisps, whereas I have to scoff a packet (or two)?

Dr Hoch explains: Possibly, the extent to which the brains reward system is activated in different individuals can vary depending on individual taste preferences.

CRUNCH TIME

It is a crisps texture, as much as its taste, that keeps us reaching for more. Research has found that the more noise a crisp makes when you bite into it, the more you will like it, says Moss.

Makers have spent a small fortune to discover that the perfect break point occurs when crisps are put under four pounds of pressure per square inch.

Ever eaten three packets of Wotsits in a row without feeling full? Thats no accident either. Corn snacks that dissolve on the tongue, such as Wotsits, Monster Munch and Cheetos, are so easy to eat that our stomachs have no time to tell our brains theyre full before weve overindulged.

Food scientist Steven Witherly says this melt-in-the-mouth sensation is called vanishing caloric density. He explains: If something melts quickly, your brain thinks theres no calories in it so you can keep on eating it.

PACKETS OF HISTORY

The first recipe for crisps was printed in British chef William Kitchiners cookbook, The Cooks Oracle, in 1822.

Since then they have become a national institution.

The Walkers crisp factory in Leicester  the largest in Britain  has machines that get through 2,000 razor blades a day cutting each potato into 45 wafer-thin slices, before frying them in rapeseed or sunflower oil.

SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR

Until the mid 20th century crisps came only with salt, but as cellophane packaging replaced greased paper bags to extend shelf life, more flavours came in.

These have become wackier, from langoustine and lemon to chocolate and gin and tonic.

Because our taste buds can detect five tastes  bitter, sour, sweet, salt and meatiness  manufacturers often use flavours that use as many of these as possible.

Pringles Texas Barbecue flavour contains citric and malic acid and monosodium glutamate (MSG) as well as salt and sugar, stimulating four out of five of the tastes for maximum impact.

Reassuringly, good old-fashioned Cheese and Onion remains Brits favourite flavour.

CLEVER MARKETING

In a competitive market nothing is left to chance, not even the shape of the crisp  Pringles, a blend of potato and wheat are curved so they reach as many taste buds as possible. Gourmet crisps have been developed to convince health-conscious adults that some fried potatoes are less bad for us.

And celebrity endorsements prove persuasive among children. A Liverpool University study found that those aged between eight and 11 were much more likely to choose Walkers crisps over unbranded snacks, after watching Gary Lineker advertising them on TV.

WHATS THE DAMAGE?

Crisps are the largest single contributor to the U.S. obesity epidemic, a New England Journal of Medicine study of 120,877 women and men found.

Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, who did the research, said that the carbohydrates in a packet of crisps (typically more than 50 per cent) disturbs blood glucose and insulin levels, causing an imbalance which leads to less feeling of fullness, increasing hunger and larger amounts of food consumed over the course of the day.

The GI, or glycaemic index database maintained at the University of Sydney has better news, however. It suggests that potato crisp samples have shown a medium to low GI range, meaning that eating crisps may not result in higher blood sugar levels.

Nutritionist Dr Zoe Harcombe, author of Why Do You Overeat? adds: The body converts this excess glucose into glycogen by releasing insulin to the blood stream, which can cause a subsequent slump in energy levels and symptoms including headaches, irritability  and a craving for more crisps.

FAT LOT OF GOOD

In 2006 the British Heart foundation warned that eating a packet of crisps a day was the equivalent of drinking five litres of cooking oil a year.

Manufacturers cut saturated fat levels in response, but the frying process still gives cause for concern. Tests have shown that when starchy foods, like crisps, are fried at a high temperature toxic chemical acrylamide is produced. A Bradford Institute for Health Research study linked acrylamide intake in crisp-eating pregnant women to lower birth weight and head circumference in newborns. It has not been established whether the link between these is causal, however.

Both of these factors can lead to delayed development of the brain and nervous system, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

THIRSTY WORK

The average packet of crisps contains about 0.5g salt  nearly 10 per cent of the recommended daily intake. Although the link between too much salt and high blood pressure and heart disease is well known, the knock-on effect of salt in crisps arguably makes it more damaging.

The salt makes us thirsty as it knocks the sodium and potassium levels in our body off balance, says Dr Harcombe. What we should do is drink water, which contains potassium, to restore the balance, but what were more likely to do, in a social setting, is turn to alcohol.

TASTE TRICKERY

One of the most controversial additives in some crisps is MSG.

Clinical trials are inconclusive but research has suggested MSG  which Walkers dont use but is present in some Pringles and Monster Munch  can cause kidney damage in animals and lead to depressive behaviour in rats.

It also seems to make crisps even more enticing by tricking the brain into thinking the meaty flavour denotes protein.

Dr Harcombe says: The processed food industry is so cynical and ruthless it will stop at nothing to make sure as many people as possible are addicted.
As Cher sang in The Shoop Shoop Song, theres only one way to tell whether a man truly loves you. Its not the adoring look in his eyes, for youll be deceived.

And its not his warm embrace  thats just his arms. Oh no. If you really want to know if he loves you so, its in his kiss.

The lyrics pretty accurately sum up how much significance women invest in a kiss.

Kissing  and I mean like, yummy, smacky kissing  is the most delicious, most beautiful and passionate thing that two people can do, one Hollywood actress gushed, and most women, it seems, would agree.

A Relate study recently reveals one in five men do not believe kissing is cheating, but SALLY EMERSON insists a kiss is never just a kiss, and is always a betrayal in a relationship

In a recent survey, 91 per cent of women concurred that kissing someone else when you are in a relationship is as much a betrayal as cheating on your partner. But one in five of the men who took part in the study commissioned by Relate didnt see it as a problem.

A straw poll of some of my long-married girlfriends showed how much kissing someone else matters.

Of course kissing is cheating, insisted one of them.

If its any good, a kiss is definitely cheating, observed a second.

I asked another, older friend, an artist. I suppose it depends on the circles in which you move. If they are all swapping bed partners, a kiss is comparatively small fry, but in most circles it would be considered a threat to the status quo.

So why do women value kissing so much? Men do not have to be quite as picky about the genes of potential partners because they can be fertile all their lives. But women are very aware of the potential in a kiss.

Kissing can tell you more than a dozen conversations. Through a kiss we can establish whether hes healthy, or at least if his breath is. We can work out if hes strong, commanding, skilful.

As teenagers, we rated boys entirely on their ability to kiss. I remember particular kisses from when I was 15. A passionate kiss at a Cambridge ball when I was 16. Heaven. In my first novel Second Sight, its a kiss, rather than sex, which catapults my young heroine into adulthood.

'As teenagers, we rated boys entirely on their ability to kiss. I remember particular kisses from when I was 15. A passionate kiss at a Cambridge ball when I was 16. Heaven'

Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of The Science of Kissing, writes: Women use kissing and their sense of smell and their sense of taste to figure out who is the right partner for them when it comes to reproduction.

Were not consciously thinking about this when were kissing someone, of course, but kissing is a very reliable way to get a sense of whether someone is genetically a well-suited partner.

Clearly a woman doesnt want her beloved kissing another woman if by doing so she is checking out his genes. The kiss may not always lead to a full-blown affair but the thought is definitely there.

Mate choice and courtship in humans is complex. It involves a series of periods of assessments where people ask themselves, Shall I carry on deeper into this relationship?  explains Professor Robin Dunbar, of Oxfords Department of Experimental Psychology, who led another study into the importance of kissing in human relationships.

He also concluded that kissing is less about sex and more about auditioning a potential partner.

Women use kissing and their sense of smell and their sense of taste to figure out who is the right partner for them when it comes to reproduction - Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of The Science of Kissing

While were initially attracted to a face or a nicely proportioned body, he says as we progress deeper into the courtship stages, the assessments become more and more intimate and this is where kissing comes in. No wonder women realise the danger of a kiss.

Whats more, in the early skirmishes of romance, while the kissing is all thats going on, we still have the upper hand. There is something special still to give. This balance of power tends to shift once a couple make love. Suddenly its far more complicated.

In a recent survey, 91 per cent of women concurred that kissing someone else when you are in a relationship is as much a betrayal as cheating on your partner

Will he phone me up? How come I find myself strangely in love with that awful man I didnt mean to sleep with? Women often regret moving too fast sexually, while men regret not moving fast enough. But a kiss? Who regrets a kiss? For women, kisses are power and romance. As Jennifer Lopez remarked in an interview: I am a strong believer in kissing being very intimate. The minute you kiss, the floodgates open for everything else.

A kiss starts it all. Think of the intensity of Rodins The Kiss. Rhett Butler kissing Scarlett with a passion more appealing than any modern-day sex scene. Paul kissing Holly Golightly in the rain in Breakfast At Tiffanys. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on the prow of the Titanic. Into these kisses are poured the passion and excitement that mark the early days of a relationship.

I am a strong believer in kissing being very intimate. The minute you kiss, the floodgates open for everything else' - Jennifer Lopez

In films and on TV nowadays a couple kiss and within seconds they are against the wall, making love. Just think of Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Debicki in John le Carres The Night Manager last year.

Bring back those delicious, long kisses, I say. Bring back that shocked expression when the boy and girl who have just kissed stare into each others eyes, the world having shifted.

No worry about having fallen asleep and waking up with bad breath or snoring. Just a kiss. High romance.

Sadly when a couple has been together for some years passionate kissing all but stops.

One study from the British Heart Foundation revealed that 18 per cent of married people can go a week without kissing their partner, while 40 per cent smooch for just five seconds or less.

One study from the British Heart Foundation revealed that 18 per cent of married people can go a week without kissing their partner, while 40 per cent smooch for just five seconds or less

The pleasure of kissing is partly down to anatomy. Because our lips purse outwards  our nerve endings are particularly sensitive. Sheril Kirshenbaum explains: Even a slight brush of the lips stimulates physiological changes in our bodies.

One of them is the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that is stimulated when were doing something that feels very good.

New York comedian Mindy Kaling is unlike most women as she recommends guilt-free kissing, up to a point.

What she says is key is the length of the smooch. A quick snog is fine, but any sustained clinch should be forbidden.

Her joke solution is The Kiss Monitor, a device which, when worn, would let the wearer cheat with a 90 second kiss.

If the kiss carries on beyond that the couple are zapped with an electric shock. Well, maybe.

To misquote those famous lines which Sam croons to Ingrid Bergmans Ilsa in Casablanca  a kiss is never just a kiss.

Sally Emersons novels Second Sight and Separation are published by Quartet, 10.
Supposing there were ever any doubts that Esther Eketi-Mulo and her young son were loved, then the heart-rending scenes at their joint funeral banished them.

Hundreds of mourners stood inside the chapel at Manor Park Cemetery in East London to await the arrival of 24-year-old Esther and four-year-old Chadrack last November.

Their coffins, one white and heartbreakingly smaller than the other, were surrounded by a sea of flowers, including two giant floral displays fashioned into the words sister and nephew.

Old school friends wore T-shirts bearing photographs of Esthers face with her name printed beneath them. Chadracks headmistress placed a flower on to his coffin as it was lowered into the ground on top of his mothers. But amid all the grief there were haunting questions, too, about the horrific circumstances surrounding the pairs deaths.

Esther Eketi-Mulo, 24, and son Chadrack, four, were found dead last November in a flat on Trelawney Estate in Hackney, east London, after two weeks

For while Esther died suddenly after suffering an epileptic fit at her council flat in Hackney last October, young Chadrack, who had autism, was mute and therefore unable to raise the alarm, died of starvation two weeks later.

He was eventually found clinging to his mothers decomposing body after a family member raised the alarm.

This deeply disturbing case has raised serious questions about how on earth a child could have starved to death in Britain in 2017 without anyone noticing.

For in a society where there are more safeguards than ever regarding the protection of vulnerable children, how could a school-age boy with such disabilites have passed under the radar of so many institutions for quite so long  and with such devastating consequences?

For while staff at Chadracks school, Morningside Primary in Hackney, visited the tower block where he lived with his mother to find out the cause of his absence  Chadrack had been missing from school since the end of September  they were unable to get a response via the downstairs intercom and, after two visits, eventually gave up.

Coroner Mary Hassell, who investigated the case, has now demanded a nationwide schools alert system to ensure pupil absences are properly investigated in a bid to prevent anything like this happening again.

She has sent a Prevention of Future Deaths report to the Department for Education (DfE), which has responded to her findings.

But while various authorities discuss what lessons can be learnt from this tragic case, friends and family of Esther and Chadrack are racked by guilt and are still struggling to explain how on earth it could have happened.

Certainly, those who spoke to the Mail paint a very different picture to that of an isolated mother and son left to die alone in an East London tower block.

There were a lot of tears when they put Esther and her son together in the grave, says a family friend.

I remember one of Esthers friends saying: Esther, you loved your son too much and did not want to leave without him.

Esther died from an epileptic attack at Trelawney Estate in Hackney, east London

The close-knit Congolese community in this area of the capital, says the friend, is struggling to understand how mother and son could have lain undiscovered for so long. Some people were critical of the family, he said. Others had questions for the school and the authorities.

What is unquestionable is that Esther adored her only child.

His birth, at Queen Charlottes Hospital, Hammersmith, West London, in January 2012, was the culmination of all the hopes and dreams shed had when she first came to the UK from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the age of 16.

Her parents, who were already living in London, sent for Esther and her younger sister, believing that they would get a first-rate education and a safer life than would ever have been on offer to them in their native country, which has been torn apart by years of civil war.

Clearly Esther shared the same hopes for her son, who was the result of her relationship with a London-based Congolese chef from whom she later separated and was rarely in contact.

Those who knew her say she devoted most of her time to Chadrack, who was mute and had severe special needs.

Esther was also a keen member of an African Zion church, and a skilled hairdresser who often braided womens hair for a small charge. She loved cooking traditional Congolese dishes.

While Esthers early years in London were spent in her familys council flat in a tower block in Shoreditch, she moved to her own flat just two miles away on the Trelawney Estate in Hackney two years ago.

The tower-block flat is a two-minute walk away from Hackney Town Hall in an area which has become gentrified in recent years and has a state-of-the-art cinema, a bustling library, trendy theatres, restaurants and shops. One of Esthers friends, a Congolese shopkeeper, who used to see her almost every day, describes her as happy and humble and recalls how they often used to chat about life and politics back home in Kinshasa.

If Chadrack started thinking we were talking too long hed start pulling things off the shelves and fidgeting, he says.

Esther would offer him something to eat, like a waffle, but hed refuse and shed just tell him: Stay calm, stay calm.

Hed calm down. She could communicate well with him even though he didnt make a sound. He made no sound whatever, not even to cry.

Chadrack, says the shopkeeper, was Esthers pride and joy and was often dressed in his favourite tracksuit and Nike trainers.

Last September, to mark the occasion of his first day at Morningside Primary, Esther posted a photograph of her son on Facebook, with just one word next to it  Love.

Barely a month later, thanks to a devastating sequence of unforeseeable events, both she and Chadrack were dead.

But while Esthers sudden death from epilepsy was tragic enough, how was it possible that no one raised the alarm in time to save her helpless son?

When Chadrack failed to turn up for lessons, several calls were made to Esthers mobile phone, a standard practice in primary schools and some secondaries across the UK.

But the only number staff had on file belonged to Esther, meaning they were unable to call anyone else despite being concerned about Chadracks absence.

While staff did visit Trelawney House between three to five days after he failed to turn up to school, there was no reply at the intercom and they were unable to gain access to the building, despite visiting twice.

Esthers family also telephoned her, but despite being unable to get a response did not think it meant anything serious.

Not long before her death, Esther had also separated from a long-term boyfriend. Had they still been together, he might also have been in a position to raise the alarm.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the tower block, neighbours were unaware of the horror unfolding in Esthers flat.

Those who spoke to the Mail say that they saw and heard nothing to give them any cause for concern.

The tower-block flat is a two-minute walk away from Hackney Town Hall in an area which has become gentrified in recent years and has a state-of-the-art cinema, a bustling library, trendy theatres, restaurants and shops

Distressingly, they didnt recognise the smell of decomposition emanating from the flat after Esthers death and put it down to cooking smells.

Justin King, a 46-year-old Marie Curie nurse who lives next door to the flat, was away in Africa at the time she died and, when he returned, didnt notice that anything was wrong. It is so sad, he says.

It makes me so upset when I think I could have been his saviour, but I just didnt think anything was wrong.

The police explained that she had a fit, banged her head and bled to death. Esther seemed a lovely, kind woman and her son was very sweet, but they were withdrawn as a family and to not hear from them didnt seem strange.

I wish I had thought more of not seeing them and been able to save his life. I did not hear the cries of the child and he could not raise the alarm.

Another neighbour, aged 35, tells a similar story: It has haunted me for a long time that I could have helped and I didnt know. Chadrack needed feeding and watering. He passed away because he was hungry, not because something happened to him.

I keep thinking: Did I hear him? But he never spoke. He just hid behind his mum and held on to her clothes. He couldnt even call out or speak through the letterbox.

Looking around the Trelawney Estate today, it is hard to believe something so horrific could have gone undetected for so long.

The estate is a bustling hive of activity. Children have marked out hopscotch grids in colourful chalks on the pavement outside the door to Esthers block. The noise of children in the playground of the secondary school opposite drifts across the road.

But behind the closed door of their flat, Chadrack was tragically silent.

It haunts me that I could have helped and I didnt know. That little boy passed away because he was hungry. I keep thinking: Did I hear anything?  an anguished neighbour

In the end it was his uncle who came to find out why Esther wasnt answering the phone. As soon as he stepped out of the lift, says the friend who spoke to the Mail, he knew from the smell that something was wrong and called the police, who made a forced entry. According to the coroners findings, Chadrack had probably only been dead for a couple of days at most when he was found on October 20.

The likelihood is that Chadrack lived alone in the family home for over a fortnight after his mothers death, wrote Coroner Mary Hassell. He was found a couple of days after his own death, with his arms around her body. She was by then very decomposed.

Another friend believes that given Chadracks disability, social services should have been involved in his welfare. I blame the school and social services, says the friend. For nobody to go to the home for over two weeks, it doesnt make sense. Someone should have checked.

Ultimately, pointing the finger of blame will do nothing to bring Esther and Chadrack back.

Speaking at her daughters funeral, Esthers mother, Bebe, said: You know how we loved you too much. The door was always open to you in our home. I forgive the people who are trying to blame us without knowing the reality. We love you too much. Rest in peace.

Nor do the family blame Chadracks school. They invited the headmistress, and three members of staff, to his funeral.

Esthers stepfather Mabu Kossa told the Mail that the family had no questions for the authorities.

Esther is gone, he said. Shes gone. Its finished.

Morningside headteacher Janet Taylor says she has worked closely with the authorities to consider what more schools can do in situations like this. She has already implemented a new system at the school.

She now insists that for every pupil, the school has the telephone number of three different adults on file. If a child fails to attend school and none of these adults can be contacted then a member of staff is immediately sent to the family home. If they cannot get an answer, they will contact the police without delay.

Epilepsy affects more than half a million people in the UK . Around 600 people die a year due to unexpected death from the condition

In a statement, Ms Taylor said: Chadracks tragic death has devastated all those who knew him. We will remember him as a happy little boy.

Writing in her report, Coroner Mary Hassell said: This protocol seems very sensible but is clearly driven by the appalling tragedy of Chadracks death.

It seems unlikely that other schools in Hackney, elsewhere in London, or indeed in the rest of England and Wales, have such a system in place. In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths.

Her report was sent to Robert Goodwill MP, the Minister of State for Children and Families.

He says: This is a heart-breaking case and our thoughts are with all who knew Chadrack and his mother.

Any concerns about a childs welfare should be shared with social services or the police. We have written to the coroner and are immediately considering how to amend our guidance on school attendance and welfare to ensure it is as robust as possible.

Any decisions made by the DfE will, of course, come far too late for Chadrack. But if any good can emerge from this tragedy it must surely be that the correct safeguards are now put in place to prevent anything like it from happening ever again.
My talent for acting only showed itself in my 40s. Not, as you might think, through a sudden interest in a local am-dram society.

No, it was when my world crumbled around me, and I found myself caring for my young children and ageing parents  the lethal sandwich that increasingly afflicts my generation  that I realised I was an adept performer.

For many months, I pretended all was fine. That I was in control. That I could care for everyone  my newborn baby, my two toddlers, my seriously ill mother, my vulnerable father  with almost complete disregard for myself.

Then, eventually, perhaps inevitably, I suffered a complete breakdown, and was forced to seek medical help.

Mother-of-three Alana Kirk speaks out about the 'sandwich generation' stress leading women in their forties to break down from the stress of juggling children, elderly parents and a career

Im not alone. Research shows that, like me, many more women of the so-called sandwich generation are faltering, collapsing under intense strain, unable to cope with the demands on our time.

And often, these pressurised women refuse to show just how near breaking point they are  until its too late.

We are seeing an increase in the rates of common mental disorders in middle-aged women, especially in the 45 to 55 age bracket, explains Kathryn Abel, a professor of psychological medicine at the centre for womens mental health at the University of Manchester.

This is not the same for men, who seem to be keeping a steady rate. We are seeing the highest rates in decades and we need to understand what is happening.

She adds: The levels of common mental disorders, such as breakdowns, in middle-aged women are steadily increasing. In 1993 it was at 12 per cent, but has risen to 20 per cent and is still rising. We can put a lot of it down to lifestyle.

For lifestyle read the trend for giving birth later. This, combined with the growing life expectancy of older people, means more women are trapped in a tsunami of care giving, just as they enter middle age, with all the biological changes and stresses that accompany it. They find themselves right on the edge  as I can attest.

The circumstances that led to my breakdown were perhaps more dramatic than others.

I was already struggling when I went into hospital to have my third baby, Ruby, in 2010. But I consoled myself that my mum, Pat, who was then 76, would be there to help me after the agony of labour had concluded.

My husband worked long hours as a doctor, so I relied on help from Mum, who often stayed with me to help. Dynamic, vibrant and with an energy that belied her years, she was my rock

I had two beautiful daughters, Daisy and Poppy, then aged four and five. The road to conceiving my third child had been difficult.

After the two girls were born, Id experienced fertility problems, including three miscarriages.

I was 40, juggling my work as a freelance writer with childcare, although it always felt more struggle than juggle.

My husband worked long hours as a doctor, so I relied on help from Mum, who often stayed with me to help. Dynamic, vibrant and with an energy that belied her years, she was my rock.

So much so she was at Rubys birth, before heading back to my house in Dublin to help care for my two eldest daughters, while I recovered in hospital from a caesarean. I was there for four days.

The night before I was discharged, she called to tell me she was putting the girls to bed and couldnt wait for me to come home. She told me she loved me  words I would never hear from her again. By the time I walked past the pink bunting she had hung outside my door the next day, everything had changed.

Hours after our call, my glamorous mother, who loved aqua-aerobics and who always wore lipstick, had a catastrophic stroke that left her brain damaged, paralysed, doubly incontinent and needing 24-hour care.

I was already struggling when I went into hospital to have my third baby, Ruby, in 2010. But I consoled myself that my mum, Pat, who was then 76, would be there to help me after the agony of labour had concluded

Hours after our call, my glamorous mother, who loved aqua-aerobics and who always wore lipstick, had a catastrophic stroke that left her brain damaged, paralysed, doubly incontinent and needing 24-hour care

Overnight, I went from needing Mum to help care for me and my children, to being sandwiched between caring for them and her.

The next year I spent changing both her and my babys nappies, spoon-feeding each of them, only able to guess what they wanted from the expression in their eyes.

For five years, my brother, Simon, and I supported my dad, David, to care for Mum, until she died last year. Despite being 75, he was deemed fit enough to care for her at their home in Belfast, with carers who helped to wash and change her.

As Mum was bedbound, Dad effectively became housebound. My brother and I came every weekend to give him a break.

It often meant me spending time away from my children  or bringing them along and trying to care for them and Mum at the same time.

Those years were impossibly hard. The stress of trying to cope with grief, care for so many people, and keep up with work and my career took a grinding toll on me.

In the year after Mums stroke, it became so overwhelming I reached breaking point. I just wanted everything to stop.

In the year after Mums stroke, it became so overwhelming I reached breaking point. I just wanted everything to stop

But my girls still needed dressing, feeding, hugging and for their mum to take them to school. And my own mum needed practical and physical care and support.

Meanwhile, my dad needed emotional support and a kind ear. My husband needed his wife to at least be present. I tried to put on a professional face for my clients.

Everyone needed something from me  and I felt I couldnt say no to any of them.

And so I performed. I acted the role of strong, unflappable daughter, mother and wife, ignoring the panic rising in me.

We are seeing an increase in the rates of common mental disorders in middle-aged women, especially in the 45 to 55 age bracket - Kathryn Abel, a professor of psychological medicine at the centre for womens mental health at the University of Manchester

But I cried constantly, and found the simplest tasks impossible.

One day, I had an overwhelming urge to walk out into the road, in front of a stream of traffic. I didnt want to commit suicide, but I did want everything to stop. I held Ruby in my arms and stared at the road, feeling an almost magnetic pull. It was terrifying. Thankfully, something stopped me taking that dreadful step.

My GP explained I was suffering post-traumatic stress and exhaustion, with some post-natal depression thrown in. For a year, I was on mild anti-depressants and sought counselling, which helped enormously. Ill never forget the relief I felt when I finally admitted how I felt  and to hear my GP say: Youre going to be OK.

I was afraid the world would cave in if I admitted how incapable I felt. But my breakdown caught up with me, just like its catching up with so many other women of the sandwich generation.

Shelley Hunter is one. The 36-year-old teaching assistant was already struggling with a busy career and caring for her two daughters, Amelia, 12, and Isabelle, nine, when her mother Marian became seriously ill.

After being admitted to hospital with cellulitis (an infection of the deeper layers of skin), Marian, 64, fell and broke her arm on the ward. She then developed necrotising fasciitis  also known as the flesh-eating disease  and had to have a full mastectomy on her right side.

She was in intensive care, and spent seven months in hospital.

I was already working at full capacity, says Shelley from South Yorkshire. My husband works away most of the time as a commercial electrician, so most family responsibilities already fell on me. With Mum ill, I had to juggle seeing her, dealing with doctors, my job, my children.

Im an only child, so everything fell to me  my dad died a few years ago.

I tried to keep a brave, capable face, but I felt like I was failing. I couldnt concentrate at work and went from being a very hands-on mum to not being around to help with the childrens homework.

My breakdown caught up with me, just like its catching up with so many other women of the sandwich generation

I was overwhelmed, my mother needed more care than I could give. I knew I was doing all I could for everybody, but it wasnt enough. Despite my best efforts, it pushed me to the edge of a breakdown at the start of this year. I had nothing left to give.

I became very foggy and had a lot of trouble concentrating.

Great bouts of sadness washed over me. I cried all the time.

Shelleys GP offered antidepressants  which she refused  and sleeping tablets, which she accepted. Slowly, she improved. Meanwhile, her mother came out of hospital, with the support of carers.

But managing her care to ensure she gets the treatment she needs, plus giving her my own time, is still a struggle. At times, Im at the end of my tether. But I have to somehow keep going for the girls sake.

Regardless, Im struggling. Youre the glue holding everyone together  so what happens to my mum and my girls if that glue becomes unstuck?

While many women juggling children and elderly parents, as well as the everyday demands of a busy life, are often pushed over the edge by one cataclysmic event, sometimes a long slow build-up of pressure can be equally mentally damaging.

While many women juggling children and elderly parents, as well as the everyday demands of a busy life, are often pushed over the edge by one cataclysmic event, sometimes a long slow build-up of pressure can be equally mentally damaging

Nicola Sangwin paid a steep price for trying to hold everything together.

Im like a lot of other women, I suspect, she says. People dont realise quite whats going on because I put on a brave face.

Nicola, 59, a former senior PA from Hertfordshire, battled through one family crisis after another. Having supported her mum, Cynthia, through cancer in the Eighties, she lost her partner and the father of her son to cancer in 2004.

Years of struggling as a single parent followed, helped only by her parents. Then, in 2009, her mother, by then 79, had a crippling stroke. Thanks to Nicolas aptitude at juggling, she believes those close to her had no idea how desperate she felt. I never wanted to do a poor me act, so I put on a brave face. I had to look after my mummy, and my son, Alexander, who was 16.

But there was nobody to look after me. Mummy eventually recovered the powers of speech, though she lost all use of her left side and needed 24-hour care.

As I was already trying to manage my work  a 45-minute commute away  and my son, I had no choice but to have Mummy cared for in a home, where I visited four or five times a week after work.

At times, the pressure on me was so great, I just felt everything was falling in. It was relentless. The pressure just built up.

Her mother died in 2011, but she says today: Im not sure I ever really dealt with the stress of it all. So when I was badly let down in business recently by two business partners, the emotional dam burst. I couldnt take any more.

I wasnt able to sleep, and could barely eat. I lost two stone and knew I was having a breakdown. Id have days where I just lay on the sofa because I couldnt face the day.

Ive felt suicidal at times. I think I crumbled only now because my son wasnt here to see it all happen. For his sake I have pulled myself out of the darkest of places. I never wanted to admit how bad I was.

The feeling of failing is a very typical way women resolve their distress. They internalise it and take on the guilt - Professor Abel

Nicolas determination to conceal her breakdown is very common among the sandwich generation, says Professor Abel.

The feeling of failing is a very typical way women resolve their distress. They internalise it and take on the guilt.

But the causes dont matter  the solutions do. Women have to recognise when they need help, such as inability to sleep, a restless mind, lack of concentration and not enjoying things youd normally enjoy.

As I know only too well, admitting you need help can change a desperate situation.

While my medical treatment didnt take away the pain and the grief, or the pressure, it helped me learn to cope. Things became, somehow, bearable.

I still sometimes struggle to manage the everyday pressures of life  supporting my dad, who now lives alone; looking after my three children and sustaining a career. But if I fall apart, Im no use to anyone. Im still sandwiched between caring for elderly parents and young children, but I know my needs are equally important.

Professor Abel believes more should be done to support women like me. When you feel low, all anybody wants is someone to acknowledge it. You need an arm around you. Its important to be able to recognise that its hard, and to ask for help. You need to be told youll be OK.

Alana Kirk is the author of The Sandwich Years, published by Hachette and available on Amazon
Ivanka and Melania Trump put on an incredibly fashionable display as they touched down in Poland on Wednesday night alongside President Trump and Jared Kushner.

The First Daughter and First Lady were the epitome of chic in their respective ensembles, with Ivanka, 35, opting for a daring red suit, while Melania plumped for a $2,400 green Diane von Furstenberg trench coat and coordinating scarf.

As she made her way down the steps of Air Force Once, Melania smiled and happily waved at the waiting cameras, pausing to pose for pictures alongside her husband, who is in the country to attend several meetings and give a speech.

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There she goes! Ivanka Trump was the epitome of chic in her red Escada suit as she landed in Poland alongside her father and her husband on Wednesday evening

Stylish: Melania Trump, meanwhile, looked radiant in an emerald green Diane von Furstenberg trench coat - which retails for $2,400

Melania, who completed her emerald green outfit with a pair of high heels and a silk scarf tied around her neck, wore her brunette hair down around her shoulders for the occasion, and had her knee-length trench tightly fastened at the waist, no doubt to guard against Poland's slightly chilly weather.

Despite the lengthy flight, however, the First Lady couldn't have looked happier as she made her way down the steps of Air Force One and into the President's waiting Cadillac limousine, which is nicknamed 'The Beast'.

Following behind them were Ivanka and Jared, who managed to raise small smiles for the cameras, but neglected to wave at the waiting crowd.

But while Ivanka kept her brief appearance on the tarmac relatively low key, her bold red Escada ensemble made quite the style statement.

Clearly eager to keep all eyes on the unique burgundy number, which was complete with a matching camisole under the suit jacket, Ivanka kept the rest of her outfit very simple, adding a pair of simple navy heels, and keeping her hair in a straight style around her shoulders.

Happy as can be: Despite the late hour, both Ivanka, 35, and her husband Jared Kushner, 36, looked thrilled to be in Warsaw

Steady does it: Ivanka kept her eyes down as she made her way down the steps of Air Force One in her high heels

Parents on the road: Jared and Ivanka have left their three children at home while traveling to Europe to support President Trump

In love: Jared clasped his wife's hand as they made their way off the aircraft

Saying hello: The First Family were greeted by a crowd of people

Ready to sleep? At one point, Ivanka looked a bit tired, closing her eyes briefly as she made her way down the steps

The mom-of-three wore a pair of diamond earrings and clasped a bouquet after landing on the tarmac

The mother-of-three - who has left her children at home in Washington, D.C., finished off the look with a pair of diamond earrings.

The Trumps' trip to Poland ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg comes just after they celebrated Donald's first Independence Day as President, with the whole family joining him at the White House for the annual fireworks display.

And the people of Poland are certainly keen to make sure it is a trip that the First Family won't forget anytime soon, preparing a hero's welcome for Donald ahead of their arrival.

But despite the excitement among the people of Poland, the country's government executed a decidedly understated ceremony to greet Air Force One at Chopin Airport.

Lawmakers in the formerly communist nation see in Trump a mirror of their own brand of nationalism that has seen many Poles bristle against an iron-fisted European Union centered on Germany.

Among the European nations, Poland is one of the holdouts against the notion of resettling massive numbers of foreigners.

A warm welcome: The President and the First Lady looked delighted with the reception from the waiting crowd

Smile! The pair were both beaming as they made their way off the President's personal plane

Busy bee! Donald is set to attend several meetings in Poland, and will also make a speech to thousands of people who are being bused to Warsaw in order to attend

Greetings: Melania was given a bouquet of flowers by one of the waiting government officials

The Beast: Donald's personal Cadillac limousine was waiting to whisk the family away

'The Polish government has the same position as Americans  we want strict restrictions on refugees,' legislator Krzysztof Mroz told The Wall Street Journal.

For Trump's arrival, President Andrzej Duda sent his top aides to put on a far smaller affair than the all-out pomp and circumstance that awaited the US leader in Saudi Arabia when he deplaned on his first foreign presidential trip six weeks ago.

Instead of a lengthy rifle-bearing honor guard, the president saw only 10 Polish military members at attention.

A red carpet, his signature Cadillac limousine, and a smallish retinue of Polish officials  one bearing a bouquet of flowers for Melania  were waiting.

Foreign Affairs Minister Witold Waszczykowski, and Minister of State Krzysztof Szczerski led the delegation, with U.S. Ambassador Paul Jones in tow.

The understated ceremonial aspects of their arrival didn't seem to dampen the First Family's spirits however, with all four maintaining warm smiles on their faces as they greeted the waiting crowd before being ferried off in the President's waiting SUV.

Adorable: Ivanka celebrated Independence Day with her adorable three children at the White House on Tuesday by allowing the youngsters to enjoy ice cream before the fireworks show

Yum yum! The mom shared a delightful video of her kids - five year-old Arabella (left), three-year-old Joseph (center) and one-year-old Theodore (right) - enjoying the sweet treat

Ivanka and Jared's trip to Europe takes them away from their three children - Arabella, Joseph, and Theodore - and the couple were understandably eager to soak up as much time with their beloved kids as possible before departing.

On Tuesday, First Daughter Ivanka took to Instagram to offer her followers a sneak peek into their Fourth of July celebrations, posting a clip of the three children happily eating ice creams before the annual fireworks began.

Capturing the adorable trio sitting down with their faces covered in chocolate, the video sees all three looking delighted about the fun festivities.

Arabella took a moment to say 'Happy 4th of July' while her mother was filming the short clip, and her younger brother Joseph followed her lead by saying the same thing.

Baby Theodore, who just turned one in March, didn't have too much to say however as he was thoroughly enjoying the special treat.

Ivanka can be heard asking her children 'if they are having fun', to which Arabella proudly nods her head yes.

Celebrations: Earlier in the day, Donald and Melania hosted military families at the White House for their first July 4th as President and First Lady

For the video's caption, Ivanka wrote: 'A little ice cream before the fireworks! #fourthofjuly'.

This is the first time she is celebrating the holiday at the White House as the first daughter.

Ivanka spoke earlier during a Fox News interview about her pride in Americans and her appreciation for the country.

'I am proud on so many levels, and really traveling this country has made me even more of a proud American today than at any other point in my life,' she said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. 'You see the spirit, the tenacity. You see the sacrifice.'

'You meet with soldiers and sailors and their families, and you think about all the things that they're doing to ensure that the America we know remains true and can continue on,' she added.

The President, meanwhile, took to his Twitter account to share an image of the White House with red, white and blue colored lights beaming across the historic building in the evening.

He wrote: '#HappyIndependenceDay #USA'.
A Canadian company appears to have cornered the market on avocado socks.

No, not socks for humans with avocados printed on the fabric. Socks for avocados, made out of Scottish wool and finished off with drawstrings to keep the avocados snugly inside.

According to the company, which is called The Avocado Sock, the warmth of the sock (and the lanolin, a wax found in wool) can help avocados ripen more quickly, making them ready to eat in as little as 24 hours.

Can we hass one? A Canadian company is selling individual wool socks for avocados

We'll toast to that: The company claims wool socks help ripen avocados quickly

Made out of 100 per cent wool, the reusable sock promises to speed up ripening to one or two days and reduce bruising during avocado transport.

They come in four colors  olive, nutmeg, tusk, and pewter  and sell for $14.99 CAD ($11.55 USD) each.

The socks are the brainchild of Vancouver resident Dianne Sherwood. According to North Shore News, Diane used to own a catering business in Idaho, where she frequently did this with the unripe avocados she needed for recipes.

Dianne thought this was a trick everyone knew, but was surprised when a survey of friends found that this wasn't as well-known as she believed  so she decided to turn it into a business.

She got to work with a knitting mill, coming up with 20 prototypes before settling on the right one.

Pricey? They go for $14.99 CAD, or $11.55 USD, each, and are made with imported Scottish wool

Holy guacamole: The wool likely traps ripening ethylene gas, the same way a paper bag does

They import a special thin yarn from Scotland, add drawstrings and tags, and sell them online and at local stores in Canada.

According to Dianne, the wool sock trick  the origins of which are unknown  is a lot like putting an avocado in a paper bag to ripen it up.

The paper bag tactic, which is more widely known, works by trapping the ethylene gas that avocados produced. The gas is what makes avocados ripen.

Dianne says the extra warmth of the wool sock also promotes ripening.

'I always felt it was like incubating a baby bird,' she said.

Though there doesn't seem to be a lot of science out there to back this trick up  at least no more than sticking an avocado in a paper bag  the product has received some positive reviews.
Patients are having to plead with the NHS for hip replacements, cataract surgery and other routine treatments that were once provided without question, an investigation has found.

There has been a surge in the number of special requests made by doctors on patients behalf for procedures to be funded.

In total, some 73,900 requests were made in 2016/17. Out of these, half were rejected as they were not deemed cost effective or beneficial.

Treatments for hip replacements were once provided without questions by the NHS

The total number of requests has increased by 20 per cent in the past year and by almost 50 per cent compared to four years ago. Many were for treatments that were previously routinely available on the NHS, such as hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, and procedures to repair damaged nerves or varicose veins.

Those patients whose requests are turned down must decide whether to put up with their pain or pay up to 10,000 to go private.

The situation has come about as local health trusts, or clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), are having to ration procedures considered to be low priority to meet strict financial targets.

Managers are imposing increasingly strict eligibility guidelines to limit the number of patients referred for routine procedures.

The number of requests for cataracts surgery has increased 50 per cent from four years ago

In January, four CCGs in the West Midlands produced new rules stating that patients would be offered hip and knee surgery only if their pain was so severe they were kept awake at night. Many others will not fund cataract operations unless patients can prove they are almost blind in both eyes or their quality of life is severely affected.

Mr Stephen Cannon, vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: These CCGs are unfairly and unnecessarily prolonging the time patients will spend in pain, possibly immobile and unable to carry out daily tasks or work.

It is assumed these policies have been put in place to reduce the number of hip and knee replacements performed, and thereby save money for these CCGs. But patients needing surgery will cost the NHS more, in physiotherapy, pain medication and other support, while they wait to find out if they can be referred.

The investigation by the British Medical Journal used Freedom of Information laws to ask all 209 CCGs about special requests  known as individual funding requests. Responses from 169 CCGs showed that 73,927 requests were made in 2016/17, of which 48 per cent were refused.

Four CCGs in the Midlands said they'd only offer hip and knee surgery if the pain was so severe they were kept awake at night

The responses show that requests for hip and knee surgery had increased from 49 in 2013/14 to 899 in 2016/17. Cataract surgery requests had trebled in the same period from 359 to 1,034.

Aylesbury Vale CCG and the Chiltern CCG, both in Buckinghamshire, have recently issued guidelines that patients have to make a special request to have any hip or knee surgery.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: Individual funding requests were never designed to be used to obtain routine treatment in this way, and these figures clearly show that funding shortfalls are harming patient care.

Dr Richard Vautrey, acting chairman of the British Medical Associations GP committee, said: Its completely unacceptable that local health bodies are placed in the situation of having to ration care, leading to one patient being able to access a service in their area but another patient who lives in another health area, being unable to access the same service.

Local health trusts are having to ration procedures considered to be low priority to meet strict financial targets

Julie Wood, chief executive of NHS Clinical Commissioners, said: Unfortunately the NHS does not have unlimited resources, and ensuring patients get high-quality care against a backdrop of spiralling demand and increasing financial pressures is one of the biggest issues CCGs face.

On a daily basis, commissioners are forced to make difficult decisions that balance the needs of the individual against those of the wider population.

As a result there are some tough choices that have to be made, which we appreciate can be difficult for some patients.
Children who own smartphones or tablets are more likely to have head lice, new research reveals.

Some 62.5 per cent of youngsters with such devices will experience head lice within a five-year period compared to just 29.5 per cent of children who are less technologically savvy, a study found.

One explanation could be that the pests easily spread when children gather together to look at a screen, according to the researchers.

Yet, taking selfies is not associated with an increased risk of head lice, the research adds.

Matthew Gass, of the British Association of Dermatologists, who was not involved in the study, said: 'We're not saying that smartphones are causing children to get head lice, but that there is a link, so if there's an outbreak at home or at school, consider how electronic devices might cause children to congregate, allowing head lice to spread.'

Children who own smartphones or tablets are more likely to have head lice (stock)

POOR BEHAVIOUR IS LINKED TO HEAD LICE TREATMENTS Chemicals in head lice treatments and dog tick sprays could lead to behavioural problems in young children, research suggested in March this year. Pregnant women exposed to pyrethroids - a group of synthetic chemicals used in common pesticides - are more likely to have children who develop social behavioural problems by the age of six, a study found. Pyrethroids are commonly used in crop insecticides but are also used to treat humans with head lice and scabies, and are sometimes used in mosquito repellents. The chemicals were developed by British scientists in the 1960s as a safe alternative to organophosphates. Yet the research, by French academics at the University of Rennes, suggests they may not be as safe as previously thought. The scientists found that women who have been exposed to high levels of pyrethroids are more likely to have children with internalising behaviours, which include fearfulness and social withdrawal. Advertisement

How the study was carried out

Researchers from Oxford University analysed questionnaires given out to all patients attending the paediatric outpatient department at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford over the course of one month.

Some 92 questionnaires were completed, which included data on 202 children.

Of participants, 45 per cent had experienced head lice in the past five years. Girls with siblings aged six-to-nine years old were the most commonly affected.

Just over half of the children questioned owned a smartphone or tablet. Two in five used these to take selfies.

Key findings

Results revealed that 62.5 per cent of youngsters with a smartphone or tablet have head lice within a five year-period compared to 29.5 per cent of children without such devices.

Of those with smartphones or tablets, 55 per cent who take selfies experience head lice, however, this is not a significant finding.

One explanation for the link between smartphone use and head lice prevalence could be that the pests easily spread when children gather around to look at the screen, the researchers claim.

The findings were presented at the British Association of Dermatologists' annual conference in Liverpool.

Some 62.5 per cent of youngsters with such devices have head lice within a five-year period

What the experts say

Study author Dr Tess McPherson said: 'Children with smartphones or tablets [are] more likely to get head lice, which is interesting but we can only guess that this is due to the way that young people gather around them, though there could be other reasons.'

Mr Gass added: 'Head lice are a pain to deal with, both for children and their parents.

'That's why a better understanding of how these pests are transmitted is useful.

'Prevention is always better than a cure, particularly if the cure means wrenching your poor daughter's hair with a fine-toothed nit comb, or relying on over-the-counter remedies that head lice are increasingly resistant to.

'We're not saying that smartphones are causing children to get head lice, but that there is a link, so if there's an outbreak at home or at school, consider how electronic devices might cause children to congregate, allowing head lice to spread.'
Hundreds of sham medical centres stationed abroad are scamming patients looking for a last-ditch cure, experts have warned.

Clinics offering unsafe stem cell treatments have opened up across the world, targeting patients with diseases such multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's.

Countries should unite to tackle unscrupulous advertising of unproven therapies involving stem cells, experts said today.

An international group of leading experts has called for tighter regulation of so-called 'stem cell tourism'.

This involves patients travelling to other countries, where medical regulations are less strict, for treatment with potentially unsafe therapies.

Hundreds of sham medical centres stationed abroad are scamming patients looking for a last-ditch cure, experts have warned

STEM CELLS COULD REAWAKEN BRAIN DEAD PATIENTS The first attempts to bring people back from the dead are slated to start this year. Bioquark, a Philadelphia-based company, announced in late 2016 that they believe brain death is not 'irreversible'. And now, CEO Ira Pastor has revealed they will soon be testing an unprecedented stem cell method on patients in an unidentified country in Latin America, confirming the details in the next few months. To be declared officially dead in the majority of countries, you have to experience complete and irreversible loss of brain function, or 'brain death'. According to Pastor, Bioquark has developed a series of injections that can reboot the brain - and they plan to try it out on humans this year. They have no plans to test on animals first. Advertisement

Dangerous rise of 'stem cell tourism'

Hundreds of medical centres around the world are offering therapies that involve transplantation of so-called stem cells, which they claim have the ability to repair damaged tissues.

Clinics are marketing the treatment for a range of conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Often these therapies are advertised directly to patients with the promise of a cure.

But experts said there is often no evidence to show that the treatments will help, or will not cause harm.

Researchers said the practice risks undermining the development of rigorously tested, validated therapies and puts lives at risk.

Call for tighter regulations

Writing in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group has called for coordinated global action to tackle the problem.

Dr Sarah Chan, from the University of Edinburgh, said: 'Many patients feel that potential cures are being held back by red tape and lengthy approval processes.

'Although this can be frustrating, these procedures are there to protect patients from undergoing needless treatments that could put their lives at risk.

'Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments.'

Stem cell treatments are normally approved after rigorous clinical trials, which can take more than a a decade. Pictured is a 3D illustration of stem cell dividing into two

The researchers said tighter regulations on advertising stem cell therapies are needed.

This is so unsupported claims about potential clinical benefits do not go unchallenged.

Global regulatory authorities should agree international standards for the manufacture and testing of cell and tissue-based therapies, they added.

The group has also called for the World Health Organization to help guide responsible clinical use of cells and tissues, as it does for medicines.

Deadly reality of untested treatments

Their appeal follows the deaths of two children at a clinic in Germany in 2010, which exploited a legal loophole to offer untested treatments. The clinic has since been closed.

Some types of stem cell transplantation  mainly blood and skin stem cells  have been approved to treat certain types of cancer and to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns.

But these treatments have been rigorously tested in clinical trials, which can take more than a decade.
FARGO, N.D.  A Muslim civil rights group is asking state and federal authorities to investigate an alleged assault in Fargo as a hate crime.

The Minnesota chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations says two suspects were arrested after a Somali-American was beaten early Sunday.

CAIR says the victim was among three Muslim men who were approached by the suspects, who allegedly shouted racial slurs before assaulting the victim, whose injuries were not life threatening.
People who sleep badly could be at a greater risk of Alzheimer's later in life, new research has suggested.

Scientists found that those that often suffer from a bad night's sleep have more of the biological signs that indicate they are at risk of Alzheimer's.

Those who suffer from sleep problems have markers of the disease in their spinal fluid, which is present in the spine and brain, according to new research.

These markers include molecules that are known to 'clutter up' the brain, which increases the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia.

When we have a bad night's sleep, our brains do not have the chance to clear up this 'debris', according to the researchers.

People who sleep badly could be at a greater risk of Alzheimer's later in life, new research has suggested

ALZHEIMER'S TAKES HOLD YEARS BEFORE FIRST SYMPTOMS Alzheimer's disease ravages the brain of sufferers years before any devastating symptoms appear, researchers warn. Screening middle-aged adults for levels of amyloid protein in the organ could halt the irreversible damage, a study suggests. This build-up is known to cause toxic clumps in the brain, which are believed to be the signature hallmark of the disease. Participants who had higher levels of the protein lost their memory quicker than those who lost it through ageing, scientists found. Amyloid plaques develop in parts of the brain that play a role in visual recognition and memory, causing symptoms of the disorder. Advertisement

How sleep affects Alzheimer's risk

Professor Dr Barbara Bendlin, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: 'Previous evidence has shown that sleep may influence the development or progression of Alzheimer's disease in various ways.

'For example, disrupted sleep or lack of sleep may lead to amyloid plaque buildup because the brain's clearance system kicks into action during sleep.

'Our study looked not only for amyloid but for other biological markers in the spinal fluid as well.

'To delay or prevent dementia due to Alzheimer disease, it is critical to identify modifiable risk factors.'

Amyloid is a protein that can fold and form into plaques while tau is a protein that forms into tangles.

These plaques and tangles are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and play a role in memory impairment.

How was the study conducted?

The study recruited 101 people with an average age of 63 who had normal thinking and memory skills but who were considered at risk of developing Alzheimer's.

This is because they had either a parent with the disease or being a carrier of a gene that increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease called apolipoprotein E (APOE).

They were questioned about their sleep quality and provided spinal fluid samples that were tested for biological markers of Alzheimer's disease.

What did the researchers find?

Those who reported worse sleep quality, more sleep problems and daytime sleepiness had more biological markers for Alzheimer's disease in their spinal fluid.

Biological markers included signs of amyloid, tau and brain cell damage and inflammation.

Though there is a link between sleep problems and Alzheimer's, not all sleeping conditions equally affect the risk of disease.

Scientists found that those that often suffer from a bad night's sleep have more of the biological signs that indicate they are at risk of Alzheimer's.

For example, there was no link between biological markers in the spinal fluid and the disease sleep apnea, a disorder causing breathing problems during sleep.

But Professor Bendlin said: 'These results add to a growing body of evidence linking sleep quality with Alzheimer's disease neuropathology.

'Our findings demonstrate that the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer's disease is present in late midlife in the absence of cognitive impairment.

'Sleep may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's disease during the earliest stages of the disease, before dementia symptoms appear.'

Better sleep could 'delay or prevent' the disease

She added that doctors should encourage adults to improve the quality of their sleep to reduce the number of Alzheimer's sufferers in the future.

'It is estimated that delaying Alzheimer's disease onset by a mere five years would reduce Alzheimer's disease cases by 5.7 million and save $367 billion [284 billion] in healthcare spending in the United States,' she said.

'There are already many effective ways to improve sleep.

'It may be possible that early intervention for people at risk of Alzheimer's disease may prevent or delay the onset of the disease.'

One limitation of the study was that sleep problems were self-reported.

Future studies may require people to attend sleep laboratories so their bedtime habits can be monitored, according to the researchers.

The study was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Chemotherapy could cause cancer to spread and become more deadly, new research claims.

The treatment is often regarded as the first option for breast cancer patients to shrink tumors and even blitz the disease altogether.

However, scientists at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found evidence that this is only a short-term solution.

Their research suggests that, while shrinking the tumors, chemotherapy simultaneously opens a gateway for tumors to spread into the blood system, making it easier to grow back stronger.

Cancer becomes incredibly difficult to treat - often fatal - once it spreads to other organs; it is then classified as Stage 4.

Scientists at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that, while shrinking the tumors, chemotherapy opens a gateway for tumors to spread into the blood system

Lead author Dr George Karagiannis says the findings, published on Wednesday, should not deter patients from seeking treatment, but suggests we could create a way to better monitor tumor movement in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

'One approach would be to obtain a small amount of tumor tissue after a few doses of preoperative chemotherapy,' Dr Karagiannis told the Telegraph.

'If we observe that the markers scores are increased we would recommend discontinuing chemo and having surgery first, followed by post-operative chemo.'

Chemotherapy can be administered as a pill or through an intra-venous drip.

The drugs travel throughout the body in the bloodstream.

CHEMOTHERAPY'S PAINFUL SIDE EFFECTS Tamoxifen, the generic name of Nolvadex, is the oldest and most-prescribed pill for women in remission, according to BreastCancer.org. The biggest benefits of the medication are reducing the risk of breast cancer of returning by 50 percent and reducing the risk of new cancer developing. However, its side effects are notoriously taxing on patients - leading to what's known as 'chemo brain', a colloquial term for the mental fogginess and memory loss it triggers. Other side effects often associated with Tamoxifen and similar pills are abnormal vaginal bleeding, discharge pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty speaking or understanding, vision problems, increased tumor or bone pain, hot flashes and depression. Anxiety is another prominent side effect of the pills and even without the medication, women in remission often struggle with the mental health concern. A study found that anxiety in breast cancer patients is usually sparked by a fear of death as a result of their symptoms. Advertisement

It is tipped as an effective way to reach cancer cells that may have spread away from the tumor, as is common with breast cancer.

However, this is not the first study to demonstrate the ways in which chemotherapy can trigger secondary cancers. A 2012 study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found chemotherapy activates healthy cells to fuel tumor growth.

Senior author Peter Nelson, a human biology professor, said that in theory chemotherapy is perfect for killing cancer cells - mix a toxic dose of the drug with a tumor in a lab dish, and the tumor will not be able to survive or spread.

However, he said, the dose required to kill tumors is lethal for patients.

As such, doctors have to administer a lower dose, and it seems that has two key downsides. First, it facilitates dangerous spreading. Second, it allows some tumor cells to survive, become resistant to chemotherapy, and spread to other organs.

Secondary cancer is also referred to as metastatic cancer. It means the cancer has spread from the original site to another organ, via the lymph nodes.

This is also called Stage 4 cancer, the last stage. It can be incredibly difficult to treat as the tumors tend to be more aggressive and resistant to treatment. In many cases the tumors may have also lodged themselves in delicate areas that can be dangerous to operate on.

'We are currently planning more extensive trials to address the issue,' Dr Karagiannas said.

'In this study we only investigated chemotherapy-induced cancer cell dissemination in breast cancer. We are currently working on other types of cancer to see if similar effects are elicited.'
Dementia cases are set to soar by nearly two thirds within the next 25 years, a major new study predicts.

It forecasts that more than 1.2million people will be living with dementia in England and Wales by 2040.

The scale of the problem raises further concern over the ability of the NHS and social care system to cope.

Study forecasts that more than 1.2million people will be living with dementia in England and Wales by 2040

Charities said the research should be a wake-up call for ministers, warning social care in Britain is on its knees with no solution in sight.

Dementia is already costing the UK 23billion a year.

In the latest research, teams at University College London and the University of Liverpool calculated that if Britains life expectancy and population size remained stable, the number of dementia cases would actually fall by 2.7 per cent a year.

The authors, writing in the British Medical Journal, said because we are living healthier lives the number of people newly diagnosed with dementia is falling.

However, because people are living longer, the overall number of those living with the condition will continue to rise.

Study leader Dr Sara Ahmadi-Abhari, of University College London, said: The risk of developing dementia at any given age is going down over time, shifting dementia to later years in life.

This decline is mainly because of improvements in health care and adopting healthier lifestyles.

Our estimate of 1.2million people with dementia by 2040 is based on the assumption that the decline in risk of developing dementia continues to the future.

The scale of the problem raises further concern over the ability of the NHS and social care system to cope

'If public health efforts fail and the risk of developing dementia does not continue to decline, the growth in numbers of people living with dementia will be much larger, reaching 1.9million by 2040.

Her team used data from 18,000 men and women, tracking the health of those aged 50 and over. From 2002 to 2013, people were selected at random and tested for memory, verbal fluency and numeracy function, and ability to look after themselves.

POOR SLEEPERS 'AT RISK' Those who regularly struggle to sleep at night may be at greater risk of developing Alzheimers disease later in life, research suggests. The exact role sleep plays in keeping the body healthy is still largely a mystery, but many experts believe it gets rids of toxins accumulated by day. The new US research, published by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the journal Neurology, found those who slept poorly were more likely to have toxic proteins called amyloid and tau in their spinal fluid  both thought to be key markers of Alzheimers. Study leader Dr Barbara Bendlin stressed not all poor sleepers were at risk. Advertisement

Dementia was then identified by these assessments, together with interviews with carers, or through official NHS diagnosis.

The researchers used this data to estimate that there were about 767,000 people with dementia in England and Wales in 2016.

And they calculate this figure will rise to 872,000 in 2020, nearly 1.1million in 2030 and just over 1.2million by 2040.

Professor Eric Brunner of UCL, senior investigator of the project, said: Our results have significant policy implications in terms of care needs and public spending. They act as a benchmark to measure the impact of possible dementia prevention initiatives.

Dr James Pickett, head of research at Alzheimers Society, said: With an ageing population and no way to cure, prevent or slow down the condition, dementia is set to be the 21st centurys biggest killer.

'These latest estimates are yet another wake-up call that the current social care system, already on its knees from decades of under-funding, needs urgent attention from the Government.

Researchers must unite to achieve breakthroughs in prevention, treatment and care before dementia becomes an even larger health and social care crisis.
The controversial issue of so-called love jihad will finally have its legitimacy tested in India's top court.

A Muslim youth from Kerala on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court, challenging a high court order that quashed his marriage with a Hindu woman - who converted to Islam.

The question 27-year-old Shafin Jahan, who worked in the Gulf, raised is whether any court can cancel the marriage between two educated adults who are mentally fit.

A Muslim youth from Kerala on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court, challenging a high court order that quashed his marriage with a Hindu woman - who converted to Islam

Since the BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014, hardline groups linked to the party in particular have stepped up a campaign against 'love jihad'  a term for what they consider to be an Islamist strategy to convert Hindu women through seduction, marriage and money.

However, there is another dimension in this specific case.

The Kerala High Court surprisingly observed that 24-year-old medical student Akhila, who adopted the name Hadiya after conversion, needed her parents' involvement in order to make such an important decision.

But it also found merit in her father KM Ashokan's statement that his daughter had been recruited by Islamic State's mission in Syria and Shafin Jahan was 'only a stooge who had been assigned to play the role of going through a marriage ceremony'.

Most importantly, the high court bench of Justice K Surendra Mohan and Justice Abraham Mathew, noting that 'national interest is at stake', on May 25 ordered Kerala's director general of police (DGP) to conduct 'comprehensive' investigation into cases of 'love jihad' and have incidents of forced conversion probed thoroughly.

The judges emphasised 'the existence of an organisational setup functioning behind the scenes in such cases of 'love jihad' and conversions'.

'Are there any radical organisations involved, are questions that plague an inquisitive mind. But sadly, there are no answers available in this case,' said the court.

Previous police investigations have found no evidence of an organised 'love jihad'.

The judges' observations apparently stemmed from reports of a large number of radicalised youths going missing from several districts of Kerala and ending up in ISIS training camps in Afghanistan and Syria.

The woman's father told the high court that his daughter had been radicalised by some organisations and they also influenced her to marry a Muslim man so that she is out of the parents' custody forever.

He also told the judges that he suspected that there could be a scheme to send her to Syria to work with extremist organisations such as ISIS since the man she married had been working in the Gulf.

Noting that there could be an element of truth in the father's contention, the high court while ordering the custody of Akhila to her parents said, 'We further take note of the fact that Shafin Jahan's mother is already in the Gulf.

The woman's father told the high court that his daughter had been radicalised and they also influenced her to marry a Muslim man so that she is out of the parents' custody forever

'He was working in the Gulf and is desirous of going back.

'Therefore, left to him, he would have transported Ms Akhila out of the country.

'Then it would have become impossible to even trace her out had she been taken out of India.

'There are reports of girls taken out of the country after such conversions, having become untraceable.'

Denying the arguments of forcible conversion, the woman had told the HC that she came under the influence of Muslim religion, having heard about the teachings of the faith from her hostel roommates while she was studying homeopathy in Tamil Nadu.

She had, therefore, attended a course at Satyasarani and had become Muslim by conversion.

But the HC, disbelieving the woman's story said in the judgment: 'It is not normal for a young girl in her early 20s, pursuing a professional course, to abandon her studies and to set out in pursuit of learning an alien faith and religion.

'The normal youth is indifferent towards religion and religious studies.'

Shafin Jahan's petition in SC filed through his lawyer Haris Beeran says the high court erred in equating the marriage to a case of 'love jihad'.

'The woman had converted on her own will to the faith of Islam, not for marrying the petitioner. It was after she had met with Shafin Jahan online and then they both decided to marry,' it says.
Once hailed as a hero for protecting India's borders, BSF commando Anubhav Atrey is now in deep trouble over the death of a civilian.

The assistant commandant from the 113 Battalion of the Border Security Force, who featured in a documentary created by the National Geographic Channel, is set to face a military court martial.

Atrey's 'self-defence action' resulted in the death of a Bangladeshi teenager last year in a suspected case of cross-border gold smuggling.

Anubhav Atrey featured in a documentary created by the National Geographic Channel on India's first line of defence

The incident took place on May 14 last year when the officer was deployed at Banpur post of BSF in Krishnaganj village of West Bengal's Nadia district.

The killing sparked a furore in Bangladesh at a time when BSF chief KK Sharma was on a visit to Dhaka for talks with his counterpart, putting pressure on the force to act against one of its own.

Many officers have drawn comparisons between Atrey and Major Leetul Gogoi of the Army's 53 Rashtriya Rifles branch, who, in a controversial move, tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir's Budgam district and used him as a human shield against stone-pelters.

Indian Army Major Leetul Gogoi got the backing of the Army chief, even earning a commendation card from him

Gogoi got the backing of the Army chief, even earning a commendation card from him.

Sources say Atrey's case is a story of the right man at the wrong place at the wrong time.

According to sources close to the officer, on the night May 13, 2016, the intelligence branch of BSF passed on information to the troops of possible gold smuggling near the Indo-Bangla fence.

The officer gathered a team of 7, armed with one pump-action gun, a non-lethal weapon, and INSAS rifle, and waited in ambush for the smugglers.

In his statement to the court of inquiry, the officer said: 'There were 12-15 gold smugglers who came close to the fence with 2 carrying packets of gold articles to be thrown across to the huts in the Indian side, while 10 of them were carrying sharp-edged weapons (machetes or da).

'But at 10 am, as the smugglers came close to the fence, the BSF constable in the team rushed without any arms to apprehend the suspects.'

In the panic which followed, the officer said he sensed that the smugglers speaking in chaste Bengali told each other 'drag the constable into Bangladeshi territory'.

Another one said, 'maar', which the officer said meant that there was a life-threatening situation for his junior.

Atrey said he decided to use the non-lethal weapon, firing the first shot in the air. The second shot was taken following the standard operating procedure (SOP) at the waist from a distance of 40-50 metres as the miscreants did not honour his appeal and became more aggressive.

The shot hit a boy who later died in Bangladeshi territory. Based on an understanding between the BSF and BGB, the border guarding force of Bangladesh, patrol parties on both sides keep a mix of lethal and non-lethal weapons.

He is accused of action that resulted in the death of a Bangladeshi teenager

After this the smugglers ran to safety across the fence. Minutes later, the commandant informed the officer that the Bangladeshi force had informed them of a 'civilian death'.

The two forces held a flag meeting where the BGB was allegedly convinced by the officer's explanation.

But facing heat from Bangladeshi media and the incident looming large over successful talks between the Indian and Bangladeshi contingent, sources say, Atrey became a scapegoat.

The court of inquiry blamed the BSF troops for faulty planning but did not recommend any further action.

But before Atrey could heave a sigh of relief, he was called in for further recording of evidence.

The officer who left a teaching job in Kendriya Vidyalaya says he now regrets his decision.

Farooq Ahmad Dar tied to the front of a jeep as a human shield

Ranked 4th in the all-India ranking in the central armed police force examination in 2010, Atrey had the option of joining the CISF but chose BSF.

He went on to win accolades, becoming a gold medalist in 2015, beating commandos from 23 CAPF and state police in a countrywide competition.

Atrey even got a DG's commendation card. Sanjiv Sood, former ADG with BSF, said, 'Major Gogoi got an unfair backing, as he was in violation of law.

But in this case, Anubhav Atrey went according to the principle of law...The inquiry has let him down. He has to now face the harrowing process of court martial. I believe a wrong message has gone to jawans and officers.'

Mail Today spoke to another officer privy to the probe, who said, 'The court of inquiry has been fair.

The teenager killed was a boy who got a large wound on his back. The photos and postmortem was shared by the Bangladeshi authority.'

He said field visit by senior officers also punctured Atrey's theory that he shot below the waist. Another officer said, 'The gold smuggling angle is also not holding true.'

Atrey, who was shunted out to Samba following the incident, is back with his battalion in south Bengal where he says he has got a letter informing him of court martial proceedings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel has rung alarm bells in Pakistan for many top government officials, defence analysts and politicians fear that both Modi and Netanyahu are now conspiring against Islamabad.

'Israel and India has long been involved in causing unrest in Pakistan. Modi's visit to Israel and signing of defence deals is something Pakistan must be worry about,' said a senior official in Pakistan's foreign office.

On Tuesday, the power corridors of Islamabad were abuzz with speculations that the India-Israel nexus would turn out to be a major threat to Pakistan.

Bear hug: Modi has made the wholehearted embrace his signature greeting

Modi met young Moshe, a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack

'They (India and Israel) must be conspiring against Pakistan,' Asif Kirmani, special advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told reporters on Tuesday.

Aamir Ghauri, London-based analyst and founder of South Asia Future Forum, said Modi's visit to Israel after his bear hugs with US President Donald Trump in Washington define the contour of India's global, regional and local foreign policy.

'He seems to be playing his cards pretty deftly vis-a-vis the Middle East by being overtly pro-US as the cold war between Riyadh and Tehran heats up once again.

'It, however, remains to be seen if his slant towards the US delivers as the US and its allies have a history of ditching partners in need. India may be an exception,' Ghauri told Mail Today.

Ahead of Modi's visit to Israel, India and the Jewish state had signed USD 1.6 billion (Rs 10,400 crore) mega defence deals that raised several eyebrows in Pakistan.

Prime Ministers of India and Israel not only endorsed the deal during Modi's visit to Israel but also inked various other deals in the fields of agriculture and space technology that has irked several analysts in Pakistan.

However, the defence deal between India and Israel is the major issue that has rung alarms bells in Pakistan.

As per reports, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will supply advanced medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) systems to New Delhi, which are designed to destroy hostile aircraft, missiles and drones at a range of 70-km.

Israel has long been a major supplier of arms to India but those deals have deliberately been kept secret by both.

After Modi's customary bear hug, India and Israel get down to business

By Sweta Dutta

The second day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel was marked with new highs as his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu called the partnership 'a marriage made in heaven that we are implementing here on earth'.

In the backdrop of powerful statements and symbolisms by the two leaders, India and Israel engaged in seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) focusing largely on water, agriculture, science and technological innovation.

Modi's 'Make in India' caught on the imagination of the Israelis as they coined a 'Make with India' insinuating long-term cooperation in trade and industry.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, listens as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during their meeting at the King David hotel in Jerusalem

Overwhelmed with the reception by Netanyahu, Modi extended an invite to him and his family that the Israeli PM readily accepted.

'Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology.

These are also among my priority areas in India's development.

We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use, water conservation and its purification, productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation,' Modi said.

'We are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field.

'Our decision to establish a bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth US$ 40 million (Rs 26,000 lakh) for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal,' he added.

The two Prime Ministers discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process and underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

'They reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements,' a joint statement issued by the ministry of external affairs stated.

Pitching for relaxations in visa norms to aid easier movement of businessmen and women, the two countries underlined their expectation that 'granting multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years will encourage greater economic and commercial exchanges'.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to upgrade their scientific and technological collaboration by supporting 'joint research and development projects in the cutting edge areas, including Big Data Analytics in Health Care'.

'Recognising that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability, the two Prime Ministers reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations.

They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever,' the joint statement said.

'The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terrorist groups.

'They also underscored the need to ensure that terrorist organisations do not get access to any WMD or technologies,' it added.

'You and I will change the world. We are making history together This is a marriage made in heaven we are implementing it here on earth,' Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

'We are talking of cooperation in third world countries We can help the people of Africa as well. We want to fight the bad and work for the good. It is a partnership to seek and defend the good, achieve the good.'

Earlier in the day, Modi met President Reuven Rivlin before heading for a closed-door meeting and working lunch with Netanyahu.

A meeting with young Moshe, a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and a community event with the Indian diaspora saw several emotionally charged moments.

On Thursday Modi is set to visit Haifa, around 150 kilometres from Jerusalem. 'There is a slice of history in the city of Haifa that is very dear to my country.

This is the final resting place for 44 of our Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War I to liberate the city.

I will travel to Haifa to pay homage to our brave Indian soldiers,' Modi announced.
A bestseller that is currently making waves is Amish Tripathi's Sita: Warrior of Mithila

A bestseller that is currently making waves is Amish Tripathi's Sita: Warrior of Mithila.

To my mind it represents a new trend in an already popular genre. I am not sure what to call it, perhaps, mytho-fantasy rather than fantasy-thriller.

Essentially, it consists of a contemporary retelling of Indian myths for popular audiences.

At times, the story may be completely invented, not based on any known myth or legend, as in the case of Bahubali.

Incidentally, the fictional prequel of the latter by Anand Neelakantan was recently released.

This is one of the few instances in India of a book following a movie. Though its story isn't derived from mythology, Bahubali does have the feel and echoes of older Indian, mostly Hindu narratives.

Literature

Mytho-fantasy is thus our fastest-growing niche in the popular literature category, with an increasing audience, mostly drawn from among the young.

Though some critics have dismissed it as 'Indiana Jones meets Dan Brown', the genre has attracted real talent, including Ramesh Menon, Ashok Banker, Ashwin Sanghi, Vamsee Juluri, and a whole host of younger, lesser-known tenderfoots.

What makes Amish's new novel fascinating is that he may have transformed and popularised the genre in a radically new direction.

Amish is different from his fellow-practitioners of mytho-fantasy in that he is also unabashedly political, thus very easily read as part of the current wave of Hindu resurgence.

As Vishwamitra tells Sita after anointing her as the new 'Vishnu', 'This land of ours is sacred the soil in this great nation is hallowed This nation cannot be allowed to remain in this wretched state. It is an insult to our noble ancestors.'

Author Amish Tripathi promoting one of his bestselling titles

We must make India great again - that could well be Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself speaking.

The theme would be familiar to every contemporary Indian.

But apart from political, such a stance among our mytho-pop litterateurs has aesthetic implications too.

What distinguishes mytho-pop from other fantasy writing is that it is unabashedly Indian and almost totally indigenous. At least, as of now.

These writers are not pandering either to the tastes or demands of foreign publishers or audiences; there is an Indo-centric creativity at work here.

In Amish's case, his commercial success, with multi-crore advances and sales running into millions, has made him a phenomenon in the world of contemporary Indian bestsellers.

He is known to use innovative marketing techniques to publicise and sell his books, including serving faux 'somras' at launches, beating his own drum (instead of blowing his own trumpet), quite appropriate for a professed Shiva devotee, releasing movie trailer-like previews on social media, and concentrating on bookstore promos rather than vanilla launches.

With an MBA from IIM-C, Amish understands that for pop fiction, marketing is as important as, if not more than, the actual writing.

He publishes new books at steady intervals to ensure that he is always in the news and the demand for his creations does not diminish.

At the same time, he is also interested in serious, even critical responses to his work, not just adulation from fans.

Humble

I hadn't read any of Amish's earlier novels, but picked this one up because I found him refreshingly interesting, amazingly well-read, and genuinely humble.

His huge success, fan-following and literary pop-star status, to recall Shekhar Kapur's phrase to describe him, doesn't seem to have gone to his head.

When we met, he plunged into passionate discussion right away, moving easily and disarmingly from one topic to another.

Amish Tripathi Jaipur Literature Festival

As I listened, I found him intellectually ambitious and inordinately curious. Also, patient, focussed, attentive, when needed.

Coming to the actual contents of Sita, as the subtitle declares and the cover illustrates, she is a warrior-princess, rather than the demure, docile, and devoted victim-spouse of Ram as she has come to be depicted.

Amish brashly reengineers her character, personality, and physique to fulfil a totally different role.

He does so with considerable courage and panache, albeit with bold and bright strokes. She is tall, muscular, and battlescarred, but emerges as a sympathetic, convincing character.

What is more, she is the centre not just of attention and action, but it is her subjectivity that informs the worldview of the text.

Women

There are other strong women, Sunaina, her mother, Samichi, another warrior-antagonist, as also conventionally soft (Urmila), scheming (Shurpanakha), or wicked (Manthara) females.

It is the males who are simplistic, limited, or ineffectual; both Janak, Sita's father, and Ram, fail to impress.

The latter is rule-bound and idealistic, more a victim of circumstances, than hero.

Bahubali, directed by SS Rajmouli, is one of India's highest grossing movies

Ravan remains a caricature, as do a number of other important characters, one subset of whom are resembled mutants and are called 'Nagas'.

That is how Amish explains the vanaras, bears, vultures, and other characters traditionally thought to be non-human.

Great gurus like Vishwamitra and Vasishtha come across as all too faulty and rash, less rishis, more politicians.

The romance between Sita and Ram, manipulated by the former, is, likewise, rather unconvincing, lacking in psychological depth or emotional intensity.

But Amish daringly rewrites ancient myths in radically contemporary ways using alternate sources such as the Adbhuta Ramayana.

For instance, Sita is older by five years and is 'the Vishnu', not Ram.

Amish also completely reinvents back-stories to explain his characters' motivations and account for their actions.

Contemporising the conflicts and contributions ancient heroes, he at once retells familiar, timeless stories and intervenes in today's social and political realities.

Amish does so without destroying the sanctity and loftiness of the originals. Do we feel the tug of devotion or spiritual exaltation when we encounter Amish's Sita-Ram? No. But we do experience awe, majesty, grandeur, and heroism.

Perhaps, that is enough.

The writer is poet and professor, JNU
Cash and carry chain Booker, which is in the midst of a takeover by Tesco, said good weather and a late Easter boosted sales in its first quarter.

The owner of Londis and Budgens and supplier of thousands of convenience stores and restaurants such as Wagamama and Carluccio's posted a 9.6 per cent rise in like-for-like sales, excluding tobacco, in the three months to June 16.

Tobacco sales were affected by tighter regulation, falling by 7.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis and dragging overall sales growth lower to 4.2 per cent.

Booker, which owns convenience stores Budgens and Londis, saw sales rise in the last quarter

The results were announced at the groups annual general meeting, where Booker is expected to face questions about its tie-up with Tesco, after two of the supermarkets major investors called for the deal to be abandoned.

Shares in the group rose 3.6 per cent, or 6.65p, to 190.85p around noon. Tesco share price also got a boost from the news, rising 4 per cent, or 6.8p, to 173.88p.

Competition officials are investigating the 3.7billion merger due to concerns it could give Tesco greater influence in setting prices and pushing other suppliers out of the market, ultimately reducing competition and choice for customers.

Last week, Tesco and Booker asked the Competition Markets Authority to fast-track its investigation, with the deal expected to undergo an in-depth probe.

Booker chief executive Charles Wilson said had a good quarter and added: On 27 January we announced the planned merger with Tesco and we are going through the competition process.

Meanwhile business as usual is going well as we continue to improve choice, prices and service for our retail, catering and small business customers.

Booker is the supplier of thousands of convenience stores and restaurants such as Wagamama and Carluccio's

A takeover by Tesco could see the combined firm owning more than a quarter of the UK convenience store market.

Last month, Schroders and Artisan, the two biggest Tesco shareholders, called for the deal to be abandoned, warning that it could damage the retailer's turnaround since it posted a 6.4billion loss in 2015.

Booker is also seeking shareholder approval to pay a special dividend of 3.02p per share for a total cost of about 54million. This is in addition to the final dividend of 4.97p.

Retail analyst Clive Black at Shore Capital branded the sales performance outstanding.

He added that the group's management have been keeping focused on the day job despite the Tesco deal distraction.
Tending his motorboat in the Caribbean with an angry case of sunburn, all that is missing is a knotted hankie on his head.

Yet this caricature of an Englishman abroad is Chief Superintendent Martin Bridger, senior Scotland Yard officer in charge of a corruption investigation in the Cayman Islands.

Extraordinary images of him and his colleagues enjoying the delights of the tax haven 4,800 miles from London emerged this week as an independent auditor released a scathing report on the costs of the shambolic, 5.3million inquiry.

Sunshine Squad: Martin Bridger's motorboat in the Cayman Islands

There is no suggestion that the so-called Sunshine Squad should not have had any leisure time during their stay, financed by the Cayman government.

Yet the photos, which also show a barefoot colleague of 54-year-old Bridger snoozing in the police incident room, will hardly help their cause as the inquests into the fiasco continue.

The report by the Cayman auditor general revealed:

Bridger earned more than 400,000 in salary, overtime and expenses before being booted off the inquiry after 19 disastrous months. He has now left the Met.

Undercover officers flew business class between London and the islands (at a round-trip cost of 4,800) to 'maintain their cover as wealthy businessmen'.

More than 420,000 was handed to a firm of UK consultants, run by former Yard officers, who were brought in to give law-enforcement 'advice' to the Met inquiry team. Rival firms were not invited to bid for the contract.

Legal expenses amounted to 720,000 after the Met team unlawfully arrested a judge, who received a further 1million in compensation.

The scandal surrounding the Sunshine Squad was revealed by the Daily Mail in May.

But this week the controversy deepened following publication of auditor general Dan Duguay's report, which said there were 'significant deficiencies in the administrative management of the police investigation ... and the accounting for their related costs'.

Cayman politicians have demanded Scotland Yard pick up the bill for the investigation, which is expected to have cost 8million by the time it is wound down next year.

Asleep on the job: Bare feet on the desk, Det Sgt Tom Ali snatches 40 winks

As well as the bungled arrest of Grand Court Justice Alexander Henderson, the only two people to be prosecuted over the corruption allegations have both been acquitted.

The controversy is hugely embarrassing for the Met, as the Sunshine Squad was led by officers from its 'whiter than white' Directorate of Professional Standards (motto: 'integrity cannot be compromised').

It was in September 2007 that the Yard agreed to a request from Governor Stuart Jack to send anti-corruption officers to the Caymans, a British Crown dependency tax haven with a population of 54,000 and the wealthiest country in the Caribbean.

Under the agreement, the Caymans government said it would pick up the bill for the inquiry into its force, which has only 360 officers.

The inquiry was set up to look at allegations that Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis had leaked sensitive information about police operations to the editor-in-chief of a newspaper. Within months, both men were exonerated.

In conference: Bridger with fellow officer Simon Ashwin

But the Yard team led by Bridger, formerly in charge of policing in Brixton, uncovered 'new allegations' about other senior officers, including Scots-born Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan and another Briton, Detective Chief Superintendent John Jones, which prolonged the inquiry. The pair were suspended in March last year.

Then, that September, Bridger's team arrested Judge Henderson on charges of misconduct in public office.

It was alleged that the judge had induced a journalist friend to carry out an illegal search of his editor's office to identify the sender of highly-critical letters about the judiciary.

Judge Henderson - a Canadian - suffered the further indignity of having his robing room searched and computer confiscated by officers from the Yard.

Retired British High Court judge Mr Justice Cresswell, who conducted a judicial review of the arrest, found that Bridger's team had 'misled the courts', made 'deliberate misrepresentations', and that their behaviour was 'arbitrary and unfair' and 'reflected the gravest abuse of the process'.

The Met-led team - which consisted of eight officers at any time - suffered a further setback in May when it was announced there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Mr Kernohan and Mr Jones.

Mr Kernohan is seeking substantial damages - believed to be in the region of several hundred thousand pounds.

Paradise: Bridger's grace and favour apartment on the Cayman Islands

All payment approvals for the officers involved in the inquiry were based on recommendations from Bridger, who for the first seven months of the investigation was a salaried employee of the Met.

When he retired from the force last year, he remained in charge of the inquiry for a further 12 months as a Cayman Islands 'government consultant' on a hugely-inflated salary until he was kicked off the inquiry in April this year.

He reported to Met Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who has made five visits to the Caymans.

The auditor general said: 'We found that several decisions or lack of decisions affected the costs throughout the life of the investigation.

'For example, the need to fly police officers in more expensive airline seats and the frequency of their travel were not issues dealt with by any administrative officer in the government.'

He added that the full costs of the Yard investigation are unlikely to be known for at least another year, but informed sources believe the final bill will top 8million.

Scotland Yard said last night : 'We do not accept that the conclusions of the Cayman Islands' auditor general's report criticised the Met or the investigative team.

'The criticisms contained within the report were levelled at the Strategic Oversight Group, who were based locally in the Cayman Islands and are entirely separate from the Met.

'The Met was asked to provide a small team of detectives and police staff to assist the Cayman Islands Government anti-corruption investigation at various times since the investigation started in September 2007.

'As this inquiry was on behalf of the Cayman Islands Government it was agreed that they would meet operational costs.'

There was no answer at Bridger's 500,000 semi-detached home in Surrey. He denies being kicked off the inquiry.
A group of Conservative activists were punched and scratched by protesters from a rally attended by Jeremy Corbyn before fleeing after being told, they have a gun.

The students were at the Lord Moon of the Mall pub on Saturday when four men in their 'late 40s' shouted abuse after hearing them 'expressing centre-right views'.

When one woman, 20, asked why they 'hate the Tories' a thug threatened to punch her in the face and lashed out before being restrained.

The students were at the Lord Moon of the Mall pub on Saturday when four men in their 'late 40s' shouted abuse after hearing them 'expressing centre-right views'

The protesters, who had been at the Not One Day More march against Theresa May, returned 'looking for a fight' and squared up to another man, a recent graduate.

But one of the students, in his early 20s and wearing a suit, was told the attacker 'has a bottle behind his back and a gun' so rushed his three friends out the fire escape.

The police were later called and escorted one man out of the pub on Whitehall but made no arrests.

The student, who asked to be anonymous, told MailOnline: 'We had been at a conference of Bright Blue, a liberal Conservative think-tank, and went for a drink.

'I was wearing a suit and tie and someone asked me if I'm a Tory.

'I said yes, so he shouted to the pub "they are Tories!" and began arguing with us, which was heated but fine.

The protesters, who had been at the Not One Day More march against Theresa May, where Mr Corbyn spoke, came back 'looking for a fight' and squared up to another man

'He was getting increasingly angry - talking to a friend (also on the conference) who was a working class Tory from a similar place to the man shouting at us.

'A girl we were with asked why he hates the Tories, to which he said to her, "Im going to punch you in the face".

That prompted me to get in the way between them. He squared up, backed off, but then came back and threw some punches.

The student, who says he is also 'of a working-class background', said some other protesters tried to calm the thugs down but he was forced to leave for his safety.

He added: 'Someone at the bar told me he has a bottle behind his back and a gun.

After hearing that I grabbed the girl and told everyone to follow me out the fire exit.'

Another Tory activist involved in the encounter, who did not want to be named, said: 'Someone had their shirt ripped and their skin badly scratched by one Corbynite.

'Amazingly, his friends nearby did little to restrain him, and even allowed him to re-enter the pub and have another go.'

The Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called on Saturday, 1 July at 21:46hrs to the Lord Moon pub, Whitehall, SW1 to reports of two people fighting.

But one of the students was told the attacker 'has a bottle behind his back and a gun' so rushed his three friends out the fire escape. Pictured: The march on Parliament Square

'It was subsequently reported as two people having a heated argument. Two groups of people were requested to leave the pub.

'One person was escorted from the premises. No offences were disclosed.'

The Not One More Day protest saw more than 10,000 protesters march on Parliament Square demanding the Prime Minister's resignation.

People shouted 'oh, Jeremy Corbyn', and some held signs showing Conservative politicians, including Mrs May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, decapitated.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott also spoke at the event, during which protesters called on Theresa May to resign

In a speech, Mr Corbyn called for an end to the one percent cap on pay increases for public sector employees including nurses, doctors, policemen and firefighters.

He said: 'You can't keep our communities safe on the cheap when you cut over 20,000 police officers, 11,000 firefighters, and leave our hospitals in record deficit.

'We have to change our economic system so that it works for the many, not just a few.'

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Shadow Home Secretary Diana Abbott also spoke at the event.

He pledged to support the victims of the Grenfell Fire and invest in the emergency services.

The Peoples Assembly, which organised the event, said it wanted to make sure the opposition to Mrs Mays government was made clear.

A spokesman for Wetherspoons said: 'The Lord Moon of the Mall is a very busy pub in the heart of London, close to Downing Street.

'We condemn any violence that occurs in our pubs and it appears that on this occasion customers at the pub were disturbed by the actions of a handful of people.'

MailOnline contacted the Peoples Assembly for comment but received no reply.
The Montana Public Service Commission has cast dark shadows over Montanas solar energy businesses.

For the past year, PSC decisions have been so unfavorable to solar power that these rulings may effectively curtail growth in Montana while solar development soars nationwide.

A conversation inadvertently recorded during a June 22 PSC meeting break indicates that may have been the commissions intention: Commissioner Bob Lake is seen and heard telling a staff analyst that the price the PSC had just set for facilities that are 3 megawatts or smaller was so low it probably took care of the whole thing.

Asked to comment several days later after the video came to public attention, Lake told The Gazettes Tom Lutey: We dont have an obligation to assure they make money.

NWE gets its way

However, as Luteys reporting pointed out, the PSC does have an obligation, under longstanding federal law to promote renewable energy. What the commission did on June 22 was to halve the rate that NorthWestern Energy would pay for energy from small qualifying facilities. The commission also reduced the potential length of those contracts from 25 years to five with the option of a five-year extension. The PSC cut the incentive price as NWE had asked last summer.

The cost of energy supply is passed on to NWEs Montana customers, so its important that the costs be fair. However, the new price that would apply to small solar generators is about half of what Montanans already are paying for NWEs own hydropower.

Montanas largest utility succeeded several years ago in getting the PSC to put the costs of buying back Montana dams into its rate base. It will take longer than 10 years to pay off that dam purchase.

After voting to halve the solar rate, Commissioner Tony ODonnell, of Billings, said the lower rates would force solar companies to operate more like businesses in a free market.

Montanas power market isnt free; its regulated. NorthWestern is guaranteed monopoly rates that are supposed to delivery reliable, affordable power to customers.

The PSC acted to preserve that monopoly, even as solar power costs have plummeted. The PSC acted to limit choices for consumers who want to generate their own power for their homes and ranches. The PSC effectively stymied small businesses who sell, install and service solar energy systems.

Billings project at risk

In a separate case, the commission last week set rate and contract limits for a proposed 80-megawatt solar facility that may make it unfeasible. MTSUN, proposed along Alkali Creek Road north of Billings, would generate enough electricity to power about 14,400 homes. The plan is to build on 480 acres of leased state land near an existing high-voltage transmission line that served the Corrette coal-fired plant until it was demolished. The project would pay property taxes estimated to exceed $1.2 million annually.

The MTSUN decision hasnt yet been finalized. The small solar rule is likely to be challenged by solar energy advocates. NWE may object as well. The PSC voted to apply the same term limits to all long-term utility supply contracts, including NWE. Whats bad for small solar projects may be bad for the states largest electric utility, too.

The PSC should revisit the small solar rule and its decision on MTSUN.

Simply shutting out solar energy doesnt protect Montana consumers. Diverse sources can add stability and a measure of competition to the energy supply. Coal, solar, wind and hydropower all contribute taxes and jobs to local economies, but not all are feasible everywhere in Montana. Lets give solar an honest chance to work where the sun shines most in our great state.
Austria has moved four armoured vehicles to the Italian border and has 750 soldiers primed to stop migrants from crossing into the country.

With the border already beefed up, government officials have said it is likely to set up controls at the busy Alpine Brenner Pass in the south of the country 'very soon' to tackle the migrant influx.

The planned controls will not be exclusive to the key trade pass, a defence ministry spokesman said - a move that Italy warned last year would break EU rules on free movement.

'I expect border controls will be introduced very soon,' Defence Minister Peter Doskozil said on Tuesday.

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Italy has taken in more than 80,000 refugees and migrants so far this year, most of whom arrived by boat from Africa, making Italy the main point of entry to Europe. (File photo)

The Alpine Brenner Pass which shows the border between Italy and Austria in the country's south

Riot police clash with protesters during a rally against the Austrian government's planned re-introduction of border controls at the Brenner Pass border crossing to Italy on May 7, 2016 in Brenner, Austria

Both Italy and Austria are members of the European Union's Schengen open-border zone, but free movement has been jeopardised by the reimposition of controls at many crossings across the bloc since the surge in migrants seen in 2015 and 2016.

There was no immediate comment from Italy or EU officials, but Doskozil's spokesman said there was no concrete timetable for the new controls.

The spokesman added: 'We'll see how the situation in Italy is becoming more acute and we have to be prepared to avoid a situation comparable to summer 2015.'

Italy has taken in more than 80,000 refugees and migrants so far this year, most of whom arrived by boat from Africa, making Italy the main point of entry to Europe.

Back in April, Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil visited the production plants of the armoured vehicles - Pandur crew transport tanks - that were sent to the border.

The tanks, with a production cost of 105million, were built at General Dynamics Land Systems-Steyr GmbH in Vienna-Simmering for the Austrian Armed Forces.

Austria's bid to stem the flow of the 100,000 migrants who have already reached Europe this year A map showing the various routes that can be taken by migrants to reach Austria from Africa and the Middle East More than 100,000 migrants have made their way into Europe already this year, mainly from Africa and the Middle East. Of those, more than 82,000 travelled through Italy, which is why neighbour Austria is so concerned. There are seven main routes that migrants take to reach Europe and three of those can easily lead migrants to Austria's border. The busiest is the Central Mediterranean Route (shown above in red) which sees migrants (mainly from Northern Africa) board boats from Libya and arrive in southern Italy. From there, they can travel north to Austria's southern border. Of less concern, is the Apulia and Calabria route (shown in orange). Migrants detected in Calabria usually come from Turkey or Egypt. Similarly, they can then travel north through Italy to Austria's southern border. The third easiest option to reach Austria is the Western Balkans Route (shown in purple). This route sees migrants enter the EU in Greece and then try to make their way via the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia into Hungary and Croatia and then towards western Europe. The Western Balkans Route mainly feeds Europe from the Middle East with refugees looking to flee war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. However, with millions reaching Europe in the year 2015 and 2016, Austria already decided to act and introduced border checks on its western border with Hungary. Austrian officials are now focusing on beefing up border protection in the south to stem the flow of arrivals coming from Northern Africa into Italy. Advertisement

Austria has moved four armoured vehicles close to its border with Italy to guard against migrants and will likely set up controls on a key trade crossing 'very soon', defence ministry officials said on Tuesday. File photo

A sign at the border post between Tyrol, Austria, and South Tyrol, Italy, viewed from the Austria side on January 19, 2016

Austria has already moved heavy equipment to the province of Tyrol, which borders Italy, including four armoured vehicles to block roads, the spokesman said, adding: 'These are not battle tanks. These are armoured vehicles without weapons which could block roads.

'These were already used during the refugee crisis 2015/16 at the Spielfeld border crossing with Slovenia.'

The army would also be able to send in 750 soldiers within 72 hours to deal with emergencies, the spokesman added.

Controls at the Brenner pass would be particularly sensitive as the border there cuts across two communities that feel closely connected - Austria's Tyrol and Italy's South Tyrol.

South Tyrol was once part of the wider Austro-Hungarian empire but was annexed by Italy in 1918.

The scaling up of security at Brenner Pass has already been a point of contention in recent times when Austria was forced to send more than 300 police officers to the landmark as violent clashes erupted during pro-immigration demonstrations last year.

In May 2016, officers were injured as angry protesters hit out at similar plans to curb illegal entries to Austria.

Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said then: 'It appears that here and there migrants are getting through at the Brenner, sometimes none, other times five, seven or 10. There is a also small number of asylum requests that pop up.

'So we will step up appropriate measures in the overall Brenner area.'

No border activists clash with Italian police at the Brenner train station on May 7, 2016 during demonstrations against Austria's possible decision to close the border with Italy

A view of the picturesque Brenner Pass in Austria which links the country to Italy

Italian demonstrators protest against Austria government that want close the border between Italy and Austria to migrants and refugees at the Brenner, Austria, 24 April 2016

Protesters during a rally against the Austrian government's planned re-introduction of border controls at the Brenner Pass border crossing to Italy on May 7, 2016 in Brenner, Austria

Brenner Pass is one location where border patrols are likely to be introduced

The vehicles were sent on the weekend and paves the way for a similar system as is seen on its eastern border.

In 2015, Austria introduced checks on the border with Hungary and the new measures would affect the country's Brenner Pass.

UN admits seven out of ten migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya are NOT refugees The UN has admitted seven in 10 people crossing the Mediterranean from Libya are economic migrants and the rest are 'people in need of protection' like refugees and asylum-seekers. The UN refugee agency says people smuggling and migrant flows in Libya are on the rise, so Europe may face increased flows of migrants and refugees in the future. UNHCR says 84,830 migrants and refugees have reached Italy's shores so far this year from Libya, which is a 19-percent increase from last year. In a new report on migration trends in Libya issued today, UNHCR noted that largely lawless Libya has become a major thoroughfare for migrants, but patterns of movement are changing. Advertisement

This year alone, more than 100,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea, according to the UN refugee agency.

It prompted Italy to beg 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.

Vincent Cochetel, the UNHCR's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, told reporters in Geneva: 'This is not sustainable. We need to have other countries joining Italy and sharing that responsibility.'

The issue has reared its head ahead of elections in Austria set for October with the anti-immigration far-right party tipped to do well.

Riot police walk along the railway tracks during a rally against the Austrian government's planned introduction of border controls at Brenner Pass in May last year

Flares are set off during a protest against the introduction of border controls in Austria in 2016

The move to stiffen the border controls prompted Italy's foreign ministry to summon the Austrian ambassador on Tuesday.

The ministry said the move followed 'the declarations of the Austrian government concerning the deployment of troops to the Brenner Pass' on the border.

Minniti attempted to play down the crisis, saying there was no emergency at Brenner Pass.

He said: 'I am frankly surprised by Austrian Defence Minister (Hans Peter) Doskozil's comments.

'This is an unjustified and unprecedented initiative which, if not immediately corrected, will inevitably create repercussions on security cooperation between the neighbouring countries.'

Bill Gates warns that Germany's open door policy to migrants will overwhelm Europe Bill Gates has warned that European leaders risk deepening the migrant crisis by being too generous to those arriving on the continent. The Microsoft founder said countries such as Germany will not be able to handle the 'huge' numbers of migrants waiting to leave Africa and find a better life overseas. Instead, the 61-year-old suggested spending more on foreign aid to treat the root causes of migration, while making it more difficult for people to reach the continent. Bill Gates warned European leaders they will worsen the migrant crisis by being over-generous to those arriving on the continent, and suggested spending more on foreign aid instead Speaking in an interview with the German Welt am Sonntag newspaper, with a translation published by Breitbart, he said: 'On the one hand you want to demonstrate generosity and take in refugees. 'But the more generous you are, the more word gets around about this  which in turn motivates more people to leave Africa. 'Germany cannot possibly take in the huge number of people who are wanting to make their way to Europe.' Mr Gates praised Chancellor Merkel's commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of GDP on foreign aid as 'phenomenal', and asked other European leaders to follow suit. But he added: 'Europe must make it more difficult for Africans to reach the continent via the current transit routes.' His own foundation has spent years and invested hundreds of millions of dollars to fight poverty and disease in Africa. Mail Online contacted the foundation for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication. Mrs Merkel has been heavily criticised for her previous policy of open-door migration which saw a million people arrive in Germany in a single year. Advertisement

The wrangle comes as it emerged that 69 migrants 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.

Vincent Cochetel, the UNHCR's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, told reporters in Geneva: 'This is not sustainable. We need to have other countries joining Italy and sharing that responsibility.'

The issue has reared its head ahead of elections in Austria set for October with the anti-immigration far-right party tipped to do well.

A German government report which leaked to the Bild newspaper suggests there could be up to 6.6million people trying to get into Europe, including 2.5million waiting to cross from North Africa.

It is thought that 2,000 people have lost their lives making the crossing since the start of the year.

The EU executive offered Italy more funding on Tuesday to help deal with Mediterranean migrants and said private rescue boats working off Libya should review their operations to avoid encouraging people to take to sea.

The European Commission announced 35million ($40 million) in extra cash for Rome in response to Italian demands that its neighbours share more of the burden of handling thousands of people coming by boat every week.

It also set out a list of other measures for EU ministers to discuss on Thursday.

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

Among the proposals was that Italy draft a code of conduct for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) running rescue services off Libya.

Frans Timmermans, the Commission's deputy head, told reporters after the commissioners' weekly meeting, that this was in part because their activities might be a 'pull factor' - encouraging people to risk their lives in flimsy dinghies in the hope of being picked up and then ferried over to Italy.

The Commission plan calls for beefing up Libya's coastal rescue services, which is something Europeans hope may curb the number of people picked up close to shore by international charities.

Despite criticism of abuses by coastguards employed by Libya's shaky, UN-backed government, European officials argue that better local rescue services would mean more migrants being taken back to Libya or perhaps to neighbouring Tunisia or Egypt.

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

Human rights groups have been critical of EU governments, noting a jump in the death rate and more than 2,000 drownings so far this year off Libya - many want Europe to give safe passage to refugees, though some governments fear this would boost their anti-immigration opponents.

Human Rights Watch said a similar set of proposals agreed on Sunday by the Italian, French and German governments along with the Commission 'fall far short' and were 'awful for people fleeing Libya' and its 'abusive condition and conflicts'.

It said France and Spain could help by having rescue ships dock there, rather than in Italy, where more than 85,000 people have arrived so far this year. Paris and Madrid have responded cautiously to Italy's warning that it might close its own ports.

Timmermans and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called on other member states to make good on two-year-old pledges to take in more refugees from Italy and Greece.

An EU deal with Turkey last year has staunched flows that saw a million people reach Greece in 2015 but numbers reaching Italy from anarchic Libya are higher than last year.

'The focus of our efforts has to be on solidarity with those fleeing war and persecution and with our Member States under the most pressure,' Juncker said in a statement.

'At the same time, we need to act, in support of Libya, to fight smugglers and enhance border control to reduce the number of people taking hazardous journeys to Europe.'

The Commission reaffirmed its readiness to mobilise EU agencies and personnel to help the Italians.

It said a 46million project with Italy would bolster Libya's ability to make good on promises to help curb migrant traffic.

The EU also pledged to step up or otherwise enhance a range of other measures, including deportations of failed asylum-seekers, combat smuggling networks and fund African countries from which people are fleeing poverty hoping for work in Europe.

Italy, the Commission said, should speed up its processing of asylum claims and deportations of those rejected.
Florida cops discovered three live endangered deer tied up in the back of a car during a traffic stop.

Deputies had stopped Erik Acosta Damas, 18, and 23-year-old Tumani Anthony Younge in Little Torch Key, Florida, early Sunday morning after spotting one of their taillights were out.

But the officers were shocked to discover three Key deer in the Hyundai Sonata; two doe in the back seat and a buck in the trunk.

'It's very possible the [deer] in the trunk kicked out the taillight,' a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told the Sun Sentinel.

Florida cops discovered three live endangered deer tied up in the back of a car during a traffic stop

'Whether he did or not, I don't know. But that's what the deputy stopped [the driver] for.'

The arrest reports say that deputies found the deer in a poor condition.

They had wounds on their bodies where the terrified animals had been struggling to get free, and were making a lot of noise.

There was also blood smeared across the roof of the car, in the trunk and the seats.

Authorities untied the animals and released two of them. The third needed further evaluation.

Deputies had stopped Erik Acosta Damas and Tumani Anthony Younge in Little Torch Key, Florida, early Sunday morning after spotting one of their taillights were out but were shocked to find the endangered creatures inside the car

The arrest reports say that deputies found the deer in a poor condition. They had wounds on their bodies where the terrified animals had been struggling to get free

Authorities untied the animals and released two of them. The third needed further evaluation

National Key Deer Refuge Manager Dan Clark says the deer, which grow to the size of a large dog, had been captured on Big Pine Key.

The federally protected deer are found only in the Florida Keys, where their population is around 600-800.

Acosta claimed that he had been responsible for the deer, and had lured them with food and tied them up in the back of the car to take photos of them. He claimed Younge had been asleep.

But the Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman scoffed at the claims.

'There is no way the guy in the passenger seat didn't know there were three deer in that vehicle,' he said.

Erik Acosta Damas, 18, (left) and 23-year-old Tumani Anthony Younge (right) were charged with animal cruelty and each face up to five years behind bars and a fine of up to $5,000

Younge, 23, told investigators they wanted to take pictures with the deer, according to arrest reports.

The two were charged with animal cruelty and each face up to five years behind bars and a fine of up to $5,000, reports CBS Miami.

'There is no way the guy in the passenger seat didn't know there were three deer in that vehicle,' Dube said.

The pair were charged with animal cruelty and each face up to five years behind bars and a fine of up to $5,000.

Jail records didn't list attorneys.
The judge who presided over the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer acquitted in the fatal shooting of black motorist Philando Castile told the 10 white and two black jurors that they acted 'fairly' in their decision.

In an unusual step of writing to the jurors, Ramsey County District Judge William Leary III told them that he supports them despite widespread public criticism of their verdict.

'I write to re-assure you that you faithfully fulfilled the difficult task you were asked to undertake,' Ramsey County District Judge William Leary III said in his letter to the jury on Tuesday, according to the Star Tribune of Minneapolis.

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Ramsey County District Judge William Leary III (left) who presided over the manslaughter trial of Officer Jeronimo Yanez (right) acquitted in the fatal shooting of black motorist Philando Castile told the 10 white and two black jurors that they acted 'fairly' in their decision

Last year, the shooting gained widespread attention after Castile's girlfriend, who was in the car with her then-four-year-old daughter, livestreamed (pictured) its gruesome aftermath on Facebook

The verdict on June 16 sparked a rally at the State Capitol, which gave way to a march through St Paul that shut down light rail service and ended with a confrontation with authorities on Interstate 94

Leary told the jurors in a letter that, notwithstanding widespread criticism, they applied the law fairly when they acquitted officer Jeronimo Yanez last month for the killing of Castile during a traffic stop last July.

Leary sent his letter a few days after authorities released dashboard video showing Yanez firing seven shots at Castile (pictured) in a matter of seconds. The shots were fired just moments after Castile informed Yanez he was armed

Leary, in his letter dated June 23 and filed with the courts on June 28, told the jurors that criticism of their decision was based on 'a failure to understand what you were asked to do'.

The judge told jurors he was not providing his own opinion of Yanez's actions during the fatal traffic stop in the St Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, but he wanted to convey that their verdict 'was fully supported by a fair interpretation of the evidence and the law you were obligated to apply'.

On Monday, Leary issued a short statement to the newspaper that said: 'I appreciate your interest, but I don't believe any discussion would be of any additional value.'

The verdict on June 16 sparked a rally at the State Capitol, which gave way to a march through St Paul that shut down light rail service and ended with a confrontation with authorities on Interstate 94.

After the verdict was announced, the victim's mother, Valerie Castile (pictured on June 16), reportedly stormed out of the court saying 'f*** this s***'

Later, speaking with reporters, she said: 'I'm mad as hell right now. My son loved this city, and this city killed my son'

After the verdict was announced Yanez was relieved of his duties. The city of St Anthony says it concluded the public 'will be best served' if Yanez no longer works for the city

Protestors carried a portrait of Castile on June 16 after Yanez was acquitted on all counts in the shooting death

After the verdict was announced, the victim's mother, Valerie Castile, reportedly stormed out of the court saying 'f*** this s***'.

Later, speaking with reporters, she said: 'I'm mad as hell right now. My son loved this city, and this city killed my son.

'The system continues to fail black people, and it will continue to fail you all. Like I said, because this happened with Philando, and when they get done with us, they are coming for you and all your interracial children,' she said following the verdict.

Leary sent his letter a few days after authorities released dramatic dashboard camera video showing the Latino officer firing seven shots at the 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker in a matter of seconds.

The shots were fired just moments after Castile informed Yanez he was armed.

Last year, the shooting gained widespread attention after Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car with her then-four-year-old daughter, livestreamed its gruesome aftermath on Facebook.

During his trial, Yanez (left), 29, testified that Castile (right) ignored his commands not to pull out his gun. Yanez said he feared for his life

On June 26, Castile's family agreed to a $3 million settlement. The $2.995 million settlement will be paid by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, which holds the insurance policy for St Anthony. Pictured is Reynolds in court on June 6

During his trial, Yanez, 29, testified that Castile ignored his commands not to pull out his gun.

The officer said he feared for his life. According to squad car video that captured the shooting, Castile said 'I'm not pulling it out' before Yanez opened fire.

Castile's last words were: 'I wasn't reaching ...'

Reynolds later said Castile was reaching for his wallet.

Speaking directly about Yanez, Valerie said after the verdict: 'He shot into a car with no regard to human life. And that's OK. Thank you Minnesota.

'Yanez may have gotten away with justice on this planet of existence. He will not get away with divine justice. He has to answer to someone bigger than all of us. He's just here.

'We're just going through this human experience, and He will have to face his creator... I hope he dies tonight,' she said at the time.

According to squad car video (pictured) that captured the shooting, Castile said 'I'm not pulling it out' before Yanez opened fire. Leary wrote that the criticism has focused primarily on reaction to the squad car video and issues that the jury was never asked to address

In his letter, Leary broke down the multiple elements of the law that prosecutors were required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, including whether Yanez acted with gross negligence and recklessness.

'The state's failure to prove any of the required elements of the charge required that you, the jury, return a verdict of not guilty,' Leary wrote.

Leary wrote that the criticism has focused primarily on reaction to the squad car video and issues that the jury was never asked to address.

'You were never asked to decide whether racism continues to exist, whether certain members of our community are disproportionately affected by police tactics, or whether police training is ineffective,' he said.

'You were simply asked to determine, beyond a reasonable doubt, whether a crime had been committed.'

Yanez's attorney Earl Gray said he appreciated Leary's letter.

The Philando Castile Relief Foundation was established to help victims of gun violence and to provide relief for the grieving

'He told the jury they followed the law and did their duty,' Gray said. 'I'm sure the jurors felt better.'

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office said in an email on Tuesday that it had no comment.

'It's unusual to do a letter after the fact, but there's nothing inappropriate about this letter,' said local defense attorney Joe Tamburino, who was not involved in the case.

'I say hats off to him for doing this, because the jury received an inordinate amount of criticism. The issue was whether the state proved its case, not greater social issues.'

After the verdict was announced Yanez was relieved of his duties.

The city of St Anthony says it concluded the public 'will be best served' if Yanez no longer works for the city.

On June 26, Castile's family agreed to a $3 million settlement.

The $2.995 million settlement will be paid by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, which holds the insurance policy for St Anthony.

Attorneys for the Castile's, Robert Bennett and Glenda Hatchett, said the settlement came about in order to move expeditiously rather than have the case drawn out in federal court, a process that would 'exacerbate and reopen terrible wounds'.

The settlement will also allow the family, the city and community to work toward healing, Bennett said.

'No amount of money could ever replace Philando,' the joint statement said. 'With resolution of the claims the family will continue to deal with their loss through the important work of the Philando Castile Relief Foundation.'

A Facebook page for the nonprofit foundation says it was established to help victims of gun violence and to provide relief for the grieving.
This is the disturbing moment a vicious fight broke out between security staff and revelers at a noisy club on the Greek island of Zante.

The short clip shows a handful of men on a stairwell flinging punches in all directions as thumping music blares out.

One clubber in the middle of the stairs clings to the railing as a man in a black T-shirt, that seems to have the word 'Security' printed on the back, dishes out a barrage of jabs towards his head.

The short clip shows a handful of men on a stairwell flinging punches in all directions as thumping music blares out

As the security man pummels the other, a couple of clubbers throw punches in his direction, eventually causing him to stumble down a few steps.

However the man in black gets back onto his feet and flies a punch into the cowering man, making him fall to the floor.

The man who was on the receiving end of most of the blows was partially shielded by a man who appears to be another member of security staff.

The man who was on the receiving end of most of the punches was partially shielded by a man who appears to be another member of security staff

Although, after the victim falls to the floor he proceeds to smack him, in an apparent attempt to get him on his feet.

A man at the bar at the time of the scuffle told MailOnline fighting broke out at around 4:00AM on Saturday morning after tensions escalated between British holidaymakers and club staff.

Surprisingly, the man who bore the brunt of the hits walked away unscathed, according to the source.

British tourists have been involved in a number of scuffles while on holiday this summer.

A gang of Britons got into a huge brawl in a KFC restaurant in Benidorm at the end of June

While dozens of anti-riot police officers were called in as tourists at the 'Portugal Invasion' festival brawled on the Oura strip in Albufeira, Portugal on Sunday.
An elderly man attacked two 'dark-skinned' men with a curtain rod (pictured) on Monday night

A quick-thinking elderly man was involved in a nasty brawl with two 'dark-skinned' men after they broke into his home Monday night.

The 78-year-old Western Australian man defended himself and hit one of the intruding men with a curtain rod after he woke to a 'loud noise' at about 10pm according to WA Today.

The burglars took the elderly man's walking stick and assaulted him with it, before he fell to the ground.

The two men fled the scene.

The elderly man of Nulsen, north-west of Esperance Western Australia, was treated for minor injuries at Esperance Hospital.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The elderly man woke to a 'loud noise' and found two intruders in his Nulsen, WA, home
The BBC was last night branded a public scandal after figures revealed it will only spend half of this years budget on programmes for licence fee payers.

The broadcaster has set aside just 2.71billion, or 53 per cent, of its annual 5.14billion income for content to air across television, radio and online in Britain.

The remainder will be swallowed up by the BBCs commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, and 1.2billion of centralised costs such as the upkeep of the BBCs ostentatious property portfolio, beaming the programmes out, and collecting and modernising the licence fee.

The shocking figures were laid bare in the BBCs annual plan, which was published for the first time yesterday.

The broadcaster has set aside just 2.71billion, or 53 per cent, of its annual 5.14billion income for content to air across television, radio and online in Britain. Pictured: Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London

They will heap fresh pressure on the corporation to curb its spending.

Bill Cash, the Conservative MP, said: I think the BBC has become a public scandal.

They are doing anything they want. This needs to be examined and properly inquired into.

Yesterday, the BBC defended its spending record, claiming that it spends the vast majority of licence fee money on programmes, even if the same cannot be said of its overall income.

The BBC is on track to receive 3.83billion from the licence fee this year, and a further 1.32billion from other sources including a government grant for the BBC World Service and profits from its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

John OConnell, chief executive of the Tax Payers Alliance, said: Licence fee payers will want to know why so little of their cash actually goes on programming.

Conservative MP Bill Cash (pictured) said the BBC has become a 'public scandal'

Its important for the BBC to keep down its costs, reduce inefficiency and cut out waste where it can so that it can focus as much as possible into front-line programming.

The BBC has already pledged to reduce its costs by 800million a year, as part of the most recent licence fee settlement.

However, insiders fear that it is shying away from the big cuts it needs in order to meet that target.

The new annual plan will fuel those concerns. It also revealed that the BBC has effectively given up on balancing the books this year, by predicting it will finish with a 60million deficit.

Critics worry that it is spending the cash it does have on the wrong things.

In 2015, MPs accused the corporation of being profligate and inept with public money because it spent so much on things like fancy buildings.

And they have also claimed that losing a job at the BBC is like winning the lottery because of the enormous payouts some staff have received in the past.

The corporation has clamped down on these pay-offs, but some of the sums in its annual plan are likely to raise eyebrows.

The BBC will spend 407million on programmes for the BBC World Service, Welsh broadcaster S4C, developing new shows and paying for the BBC orchestras. Pictured: The BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Critics might question why it needs 181million to run its properties, 47million for marketing, 19million to modernise the licence fee and a further 59million to collect it.

It has also set aside 12million for an apprentice levy and 163million for miscellaneous expenses such as lawyers, auditors and insurance.

Other costs are more understandable. The BBC has ring-fenced 237million for distribution  the essential job of ensuring its programmes can be beamed into peoples homes.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of the 2.7billion that will go on programmes will be spent on the core licence-fee funded stations running the gamut from BBC1 to BBC Asian Network.

It will also plough 407million into programmes for the BBC World Service, Welsh broadcaster S4C, developing new shows and paying for the BBC orchestras.

A BBC spokesman said: This is a completely misleading comparison which ignores basic costs like getting TV or radio programmes into peoples homes, newsrooms and edit suites without which we wouldnt be able to broadcast and script and story development without which we wouldnt have any shows.

Licence fee payers rightly expect value for money and the reality is that more than 95 per cent of spending we control is on content-related costs.
The UK will be expected to hand asylum to potentially thousands of refugees to ease the 'unprecedented' migration crisis in Italy, Brussels chiefs said yesterday.

As a fierce diplomatic row broke out between European countries over how to deal with the situation, the EU said Britain was expected to open its doors to help the bloc.

The announcement came as Austria prepared to deploy troops in a bid to block migrants trying to cross its border with Italy and EU officials warned that the crisis could last for decades.

Yesterday it emerged that the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe this year has passed 100,000 and nearly 2,250 have died making the journey. Italy has taken in nearly 85 per cent of the arrivals.

The Prime Minister will be asked to give refuge to an unspecified number of refugees fleeing war-torn African countries such as Libya, Sudan, Niger and Ethiopia

Calls for the UK to accept refugees will raise questions about whether Theresa May is willing to depart from her hard-line approach on immigration amid pressure from fellow EU leaders.

Under the voluntary scheme, the Prime Minister will be asked to give refuge to an unspecified number of refugees fleeing war-torn African countries such as Libya, Sudan, Niger and Ethiopia.

Britain has previously distanced itself from immigration rules set by Brussels and instead focussed on its own schemes, such as David Cameron's 2015 pledge for Britain to take 20,000 Syrian refugees.

Frans Timmermans yesterday said that Theresa May would be pushed to take part in the new programme due to the strain on Italy

But the European Commission's deputy head Frans Timmermans yesterday said that Theresa May would be pushed to take part in the new programme due to the strain on Italy.

Pointing towards his hope of British support, the Brussels boss said the scheme would 'meet the requirements which the British government in the past have always set'.

'It's an exercise we need to do at the European level and we count on solidarity from all member states including the United Kingdom,' he added.

As Home Secretary Mrs May is understood to have resisted calls to widen her predecessor's offer of asylum to Syrians and has lobbied for toughening the definition of who is deemed a refugee.

Yesterday's EU proposal was amongst a range of measures announced.

As well as bolstering the ability of the Libyan coastguard to prevent packed dinghies from leaving, Mr Timmermans said the EU needed significantly stronger powers to deport those denied asylum.

He said: 'We know that many of the people arriving in Italy, when scrutinised, do not have the right to international protection because they don't flee from war of persecution.

Migrants stand on the deck of the Swedish Navy ship Bkv 002, as they wait to disembark in the Sicilian harbor of Catania, Italy at the weekend

Approximately 1,200 refugees landed in Salerno, aboard the Maritime Maritime Patrol Ship of the Spanish Civil Guard 'Rio Segura' last week

'They seek a better life, which is a noble pursuit, but it does not grant them the right to stay in the European Union.'

The Dutch official said deportation rules made the process 'excruciatingly difficult' and said people were abusing rights offered to refugees under the Geneva Convention for 'economic reasons'.

Pointing to further problems ahead, he said: 'I will tell you this this migration issue will not go away, not today, not tomorrow, not next year, not for a decade, not for two decades.

'This is a global phenomenon that will be with us for generations.'

The intervention, which also included more financial support to Italy, followed days of concern and threats from officials in Rome to block charity boats carrying rescued migrants.

Amid fears that requests for EU countries to provide more assistance to Italy could lead to clashes, a diplomatic row already broke out with Austria yesterday.

Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz said his country was ready to 'protect our border if necesssary' by sending up to 750 troops to the border with Italy.

Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti said there was 'no emergency' at the Brenner Pass

Officials said that four armoured vehicles had already been sent close to Brenner Pass, the Alps route that forms the border between the countries, should migrants try to flee from Italy.

Austria also promised to increase border controls to 'avoid a situation comparable to summer 2015' when Europe's migration crisis was at its most intense.

The move prompted a furious response from Italy who summoned Austria's ambassador to explain the developments in Rome.

Pope Francis also intervened by calling for a 'a renewed commitment for an authentic culture of welcome and solidarity'.

Critics however said that the aggressive move by Austria was an attempt to prevent an upsurge in support for the country's far-right Freedom Party ahead of an election in September.

Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti said there was 'no emergency' at the Brenner Pass, adding: 'I am frankly surprised by the comments [by Austrian officials].'

He added: 'This is an unjustified and unprecedented initiative which, if not immediately corrected, will inevitably create repercussions on security cooperation.'

Support for Austria's Freedom Party flared during the peak of the migration in 2015 and 2016 when the country took in more than 1 percent of its population in asylum seekers.
Three people charged over the shooting death of a young man on the NSW Central Coast are all from the same family.

Father-of-two Jesse Thompson, 19, was shot in the neck during a car chase through Wyong after an alleged drug dispute and died at the scene.

Two men, aged 48 and 24, and a 17-year-old girl were questioned overnight after police caught up with them on Tuesday after Monday's shooting.

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Jesse Thompson (pictured), a 19-year-old father-of-two, was shot and killed during a car chase

Three people, including a 24-year-old male (pictured) were dramatically arrested over the shooting death of a young man on the NSW Central Coast on Monday

The teenager and the younger man were charged with Mr Thompson's murder and the older man was charged as an accessory to murder after the fact.

The 24-year-old, who's also been charged with four other offences including firing a gun, was refused bail and will appear in Wyong Local Court on Wednesday.

The teenage girl was charged with two offences and refused bail to appear at a Children's Court, and the older man was also refused bail to appear in Toronto Local Court.

The 24-year-old was arrested when heavily armed officers rammed a small silver car on Forest Road in Wyee about 1.20pm on Tuesday after a short pursuit.

One of the arrested people (pictured centre) was led away by plain clothes police officers after police intercepted their vehicle in what witnesses described as a double collision

A 24-year-old male was arrested by police following the collision with his vehicle

Heavily armed officers rammed a small silver car on Forest Road in Wyee about 1.20pm on Tuesday after a short pursuit, which shattered the rear window (pictured)

There was blood on the floor following the incident, which witnesses claim came following police opening fire on the suspects, which has been denied by NSW Police

A police car overtook the suspect's car and swerved in front of it, forcing a collision, while a police 4WD rammed it from behind, witnesses told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Witnesses said police fired on the occupants of the car after it stopped and one even claimed to see a bloodied body on the ground afterwards.

However, NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia no bullets were fired but Tactical Operations Unit officers may have shot bean bag guns in the arrest.

'All of a sudden all these police in black suits and helmets and guns jumped out and one of them fired through the back of the car and we believe shot the driver but didn't kill him,' witness John Skewes told the newspaper.

One suspect was forced to the ground following the pursuit as armed police surround the area

Police said a 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene and his car seized, and a 17-year-old girl (pictured) was arrested soon after on nearby Wyee Street

Witnesses said police fired on the occupants of the car, something which NSW Police has denied to Daily Mail Australia

Police said a 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene and his car seized, and a 17-year-old girl was arrested soon after on nearby Wyee Street

Mr Skewes claimed a young woman in her late teens or early 20s got out of the car and tried to run but was tackled to the ground and cuffed by police.

The 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene and his car seized, and the 17-year-old girl was arrested soon after on nearby Wyee Street.

Properties on Gilby Street in Wyee were later raided by police.

Earlier about 10.50am police arrested the 48-year-old man during a car stop at George Booth Drive, Sea Hampton.

There was a large police presence involved in the arrests, including an aerial unit as witnesses claimed to have seen a bloodied man after the suspect's car was rammed by police

Officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command established two crime scenes, one at Warner Ave and one at Byron Rd

Police dramatically arrested three people the next day over Mr Thompson's death

Mr Thompson was allegedly shot dead by at least two men who fired on the silver Toyota 4WD he and a 28-year-old man were travelling in during Monday's car chase.

The 28-year-old was grazed in the hand and shoulder by the bullets that killed Mr Thompson and was treated by paramedics at the scene.

The gunmen then sped away in a white Mitsubishi Triton ute.

Mr Thompson was believed to be a known ice dealer frequently involved in disputes over supply of the deadly drug in the area.

Police reportedly believed he and his companion got into an argument over drugs before speeding off with the white ute in pursuit.

Heavily armed officers rammed a small silver car on Forest Road in Wyee about 1.20pm on Tuesday after a short pursuit in connection with Mr Thompson's death

NSW emergency services treated Thompson (pictured) for his wounds but he died at the scene

Lloyd Kelly said he witnessed the Toyota stop as Thompson's body was pulled out.

'They were trying to exit the car as it was still going,' he said.

'They were all out of their mind.'

Police officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command established two crime scenes

Police allege there was a confrontation between two vehicles that led to gunfire breaking out

Two crime scenes were set up by police, one on Warner Avenue, one on nearby Byron Road

Jesse Thompson's grieving friends and family have paid tribute to the alleged murder victim, saying that he was well-known and well-loved.

'He was so loved by many. He was always smiling. He has two beautiful children now that doesnt get to watch them grow,' said family friend Brittney Tate.

Officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command established two crime scenes, one at Warner Ave and one at Byron Rd.
Georgy Shuppe, arriving at Westminster Magistrates Court as he fights extradition, accused of ordering the death of Alexander Mineev

The former son-in-law of oligarch Boris Berezovsky faces extradition to Russia accused of ordering the murder of a business rival.

Georgy Shuppe, 46, is suspected of arranging the death of property magnate Alexander Mineev in a hail of bullets three years ago.

But the wealthy businessman branded the bid 'frankly Kafkaesque' and said it would represent a 'PR coup for Russia unlike any other'.

His high-flying legal team believe it is driven by the Kremlins ongoing purge of anyone linked to critics of President Putin.

Mr Shuppe lives in a 5million Chelsea townhouse and is among dozens of super-rich Russians who have made London their home.

He worked as a close aide to Mr Berezovsky and was married to his daughter Yekaterina until their recent divorce.

Mr Berezovsky helped President Putin to power in 2000 but turned on him, accusing him of running a gangster state after the murder of his friend Alexander Litvinenko.

The ruined billionaire was found hanged at his Berkshire mansion four years ago after losing a 3bn High Court showdown.

Mr Shuppe claims his connections to Mr Berezovsky are a kiss of death which have left him in the cross hairs of the Kremlin.

Alexander Mineev, who died in a hail of bullets three years ago, was a business rival of Mr Shuppe

Officials accuse him of overseeing the murder of Mr Mineev who was gunned down in his Range Rover by men armed with Kalashnikovs.

Just weeks earlier the victim had begun legal proceedings against him and another man, Mikhail Nekrich, accusing them of a huge fraud.

At Westminster Magistrates Court, Hugo Keith QC said the move is political and he has no chance of a fair trial in Russia.

'He is a target for his wealth, his assets and political significance,' he said.

Boris Berezovsky was found hanged at his Berkshire mansion four years ago after losing a 3bn High Court showdown

'The Russian judiciary has an extremely high conviction rate and the essential role of the prosecution is as an organ of the state.

'Evidence is formulated and adapted at will and the trial process is engineered. In such cases guilt is arranged and the outcome is certain.

'If the defendant is extradited this would represent a triumph for the Russian Federation and would be a PR coup unlike all others.

'Putin and Berezovksy fell out having secured Putin to the Kremlin. Mr Berezovsky challenged Putin over the direction of his leadership.

'There were repeated requests in this court by the Kremlin to extradite him. His extradition was repeatedly sought.

'Shuppe is a target in his own right and in essence his extradition would send a message that no-one is beyond their reach.

'Alexander Litvinkenko said no one leaves the KGB, and in Shuppe's case an association with Boris Berezovsky is a kiss of death.

Mr Keith added that his client was a close confidante of Mr Berezovsky, as well as his son-in-law and business associate.

'It's because of this the prosecution is politically motivated. The extradition is an abuse of process and the chances of a fair trial are slim to none-existent. It's frankly Kafkaesque.'

But Peter Caldwell, who represents the Russian authorities, said the case is simply a high value fraud and murder.

Mr Shuppe claims his connections to Mr Berezovsky are a kiss of death which have left him in the cross hairs of the Kremlin

'The Russian Federation refer to the role of Shuppe as the beneficiary of the fraudulent transfer of property, he said.

'In that context Mineev's murder appears to have been a murder in order to complete and put beyond question a takeover that appeared to be complete at least on paper.

Nekrich and Shuppe planned to murder Mineev to reassert and establish the ownership of their interests which had been established by the fraud.

The extradition hearing is expected to last all this week.
Chris Gard and Connie Yates are spending the last days of their 11-month-old son Charlie's life with him at hospital in London

The torment of Charlie Gard has brought promises of help from around the world.

In an extraordinary move, baby Charlie was offered treatment at the Pope's own hospital in Rome.

Pope Francis's spokesman vowed to 'overcome' British legal rulings which have condemned the baby to death.

It came hard on the heels of a pledge from President Donald Trump that the US would be 'delighted' to help the desperately ill 11-month-old boy.

Pop stars also lobbied Theresa May to take a stand.

As the fate of their child touched hearts across the globe, Charlie's parents Connie Yates, 31, and Chris Gard, 32, were thought to be discussing their options behind closed doors.

Charlie suffers from a rare mitochondrial condition, which is only known to have affected 16 people in the world. His parents want to take him to the US for experimental treatment, and have raised 1.3million from the public.

However his life support was due to be withdrawn last Friday after the family lost several court battles against doctors who insist his genetic condition is both painful and incurable. He has irreversible brain damage and his lungs cannot function without a ventilator.

His parents' wish to take him abroad has been blocked by the High Court, Appeal Court, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights, which backed doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital who say there is no hope and he should be allowed to die.

Charlie's parents 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 US President tweeted: 'If we can help little Charlie Gard, as per our friends in the UK and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so'

But after the boy's parents were given the weekend to say their goodbyes, 'Charlie's Army' of supporters exerted pressure on the hospital to change its stance.

In the Vatican's third intervention, its Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin yesterday declared that the Holy See will do everything possible to help. 'Overcome these problems? If we can do it, we will do it,' he said.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates released this new picture of their son Charlie and are 'overwhelmed' after Donald Trump and the Pope offered their support

CHARLIE'S CONDITION What is Charlie's condition? Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome stops the body's cells producing enough energy. There is no accepted cure. Charlie is the 16th known person in the world to have a strain called RRM2B. The other 15 have all died. What is the US therapy? It is a drug called nucleoside bypass therapy. It replaces deoxynucleosides, which are naturally produced in healthy people, to repair DNA. Is that what saved US boy? Yes. But six-year-old Art Estopinan has the TK2 strain, a variation of Charlie's condition, and is one of 83 recorded cases. While the therapy has kept him alive, he is still severely disabled. Would it work for Charlie? It has never been tried on anybody with RRM2B. The US doctor who has offered to treat Charlie said it would not repair brain damage, but might prolong his life. Why do UK doctors object? They don't think the therapy will work and they believe Charlie  who they say is brain damaged  is likely to be feeling pain. Do his parents agree? No. They say Charlie is not brain damaged and is growing stronger. Who decides his 'best interests'? Lawyers for Charlie's parents say it is no one's business but their own. But the guardian appointed by the High Court recommended death. The judges backed the doctors. Why can't they take him to the US alone? Charlie is in intensive care and cannot be moved without doctors' help. Advertisement

The Pope has himself tweeted: 'To defend human life, above all when it is wounded by illness, is a duty of love that God entrusts to all.'

And yesterday Mariella Enoc, the president of the Bambino Gesu  which is owned by the Vatican and known as the 'Pope's hospital'  tweeted that the pontiff's words backing Charlie 'sum up our mission'.

She said she had asked the facility's health director to check with Great Ormond Street Hospital about 'an eventual transfer of Charlie to our hospital'. She added: 'We know that the case is desperate.' But she said Great Ormond Street was currently blocking the move, citing 'legal reasons'.

She said: 'I was contacted by the mother, who is very determined and doesn't want to be stopped by anything.'

Doctors at Great Ormond Street have said everything is geared towards Charlie's 'best interests'.

Among those urging Great Ormond Street to drop their case and allow Charlie to fly to the US is pop star Cher, who tweeted the Prime Minister directly and said: 'If the US can save precious Charlie Gard then send him to us!'

Charlie's British doctors believe that any attempt to treat him is futile. They say he is in pain, and draw a distinction between the US approach  to allow experimental treatment if the parents wish it  and the UK approach to do what is in the patient's 'best interests'.

Mr Trump has tweeted: 'If we can help little #CharlieGard... we would be delighted to do so.' More than 111,000 people have 'liked' the President's tweet.

Critics have accused Mr Trump of offering 'false hope' to Charlie's family.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, Tory chairman of the Commons health committee, said the President was 'wrong' to offer assistance. She claimed it was a 'political decision' as Mr Trump tries to dismantle his predecessor's Obamacare.

Fighting on, brave US boy like Charlie whose parents wouldn't give up

An American boy with a similar genetic condition to Charlie Gard was giving hope to the British child's parents last night.

Six-year-old Arturito Estopinan is fighting his condition with the pioneering drugs therapy that is being denied to 11-month-old Charlie.

His father, Art Snr, said: 'We feel very fortunate to be American and not British  because if we lived in the UK, Arturito would surely be dead by now.

Mr Estopinan's son Art Jr was given two months to live in 2011 but says the US doctor offering to help Charlie saved him and he has a happy life

'We are beyond shocked that doctors in the UK are saying Charlie should 'die with dignity'. How insensitive, when there is a treatment which could save Charlie's life and eminent doctors in the US who are willing to help him.'

Art Jr has the TK2 strain of mitochondrial syndrome, which is similar to Charlie's. He was given two months to live in 2011 and could only move his eyes, but six years later he can move his hands, fingers, feet and arms and is a 'strong and happy boy'. Mr Estopinan, 51, a government consultant from Baltimore, said he and his wife Olga, 43, 'know first-hand the battles' that Charlie's parents  Connie Yates, 31, and Chris Gard, 32  were fighting. They had also been told there was no treatment or cure for Art.

Although Art still needs artificial ventilation and round-the-clock care from a team of nurses, his father added: 'He is truly a blessing in our lives and words cannot express what a tremendous joy it is to have him.'

Mr Estopinan appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain yesterday and was involved in a row with the show's GP Dr Hilary Jones, who said: 'Sometimes real parental love is letting go.' A furious Mr Estopinan replied: 'Charlie Gard is a human being who deserves the chance to live', adding: 'What right do you have to play God?'

Art has a similar but not identical mitochondrial depletion syndrome to Charlie and was the first person ever to receive the experimental and pioneering nucleoside therapy

The two families are in close contact and Miss Yates said: 'Art's extraordinary and inspirational story shows that there is hope for Charlie. The support his parents are giving us is helping us find the strength to carry on fighting for Charlie too.'

Both boys have mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a debilitating condition which saps energy from the muscles and organs. Arturito has a rare type called TK2, of which only 83 cases have been recorded worldwide. Charlie's type is even rarer and he is the 16th known sufferer. The other 15 have died.

Both boys need artificial ventilation because their lungs are too weak, and are fed through tubes, but Art is growing stronger with the treatment.

Family photos and video (pictured) show him moving in a special wheelchair, sitting around the dinner table and playing in the son

There is no accepted cure for mitochondrial disease, but doctors in the US are trialing a treatment called nucleoside therapy. In Art's case, it has given him a new lease of life, and his parents hope his growing strength will lead to him being able to survive unaided.

When Art was admitted to hospital and put on a life-saving artificial ventilator, his parents desperately scoured the internet and eventually stumbled across the nucleoside drug therapy.

Within days, Art became the first person in the US to have the therapy  and after a year he was well enough to return home.
A top military official has warned 'self-restraint' is all that is stopping the US from going to war with North Korea, after a defiant Kim Jong-Un seemingly taunted 'American ba****ds' in the wake of a successful intercontinental ballistic missile test.

The North Korean leader made the haughty statement, in which he said 'the American ba****ds would not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary', after the ICBM was launched Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Pyongyang claims its newly developed rocket can carry 'large-sized and heavy nuclear warheads'.

But the US quickly responded along with South Korea by conducting a joint ballistic missile drill.

Speaking out against Pyongyang on Wednesday, the top American general in South Korea issued an ominous warning of his own to Kim and company north of the border.

'Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war,' General Vincent Brooks said in a joint statement.

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The United States and South Korea conducted a joint ballistic missile drill in response to North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

South Korea says it was 'intended as a strong warning against North Korean provocation,' according to CNN. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

He continued: 'As this missile live-fire exercise shows, we are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance's national leaders.

General Vincent Brooks (pictured), the US' leading military official in South Korea, warned the North not to test America in a joint statement on Wednesday

'It would be a grave mistake for anyone to believe anything to the contrary.'

South Korea also spoke about the response, saying it was 'intended as a strong warning against North Korean provocation.'

'Eighth US Army and Republic of Korea (ROK) military personnel conducted a combined event exercising assets countering North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions on July 4,' a statement from US and South Koran officials reads.

'This exercise utilized the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

'The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-US Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions.'

'Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war,' General Vincent Brooks said. Brooks is pictured in March this year with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

A statement from US and South Koran officials states: 'The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-US Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions'

The statement adds that South Korea and the US are 'committed to peace and prosperity on the Koran Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific. Above South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System is pictured firing a tactical ballistic missile into the East Sea on July 5

'The US commitment to the defense of the ROK in the face of threats is ironclad,' the statement concludes. Above South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System is pictured firing a tactical ballistic missile into the East Sea on July 5

North Korea on Tuesday said it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting US experts to say the device could reach Alaska. Pictured above is the ICBM during a test launch

The statement adds that South Korea and the US are 'committed to peace and prosperity on the Koran Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific.

'The US commitment to the defense of the ROK in the face of threats is ironclad.'

How far would missile have to travel from Pyongyang to reach the US? US Naval Base in Guam: 2,114 miles Hawaii: 4,727 miles San Francisco: 5,588 miles Los Angeles: 5,935 miles New York: 6,783 miles Washington, DC: 6,857 miles Advertisement

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed that North Korea successfully tested an ICBM capable of hitting Alaska and that's a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea.

Tillerson said the US will bring North Korea's action before the United Nations Security Council.

'Global action is required to stop a global threat,' Tillerson said. 'Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.

He added: 'As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.'

His statement provided the first confirmation of the US conclusion that the missile was an ICBM.

Weapons experts in the United States said that the missile has the potential to reach areas of Alaska

The US military's initial assessment was that North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile.

The US has requested a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the latest launch, a spokesman for the US mission to the United Nations says.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the missile test.

'This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation,' Guterres said through his spokesman according to CNN.

'The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.'

The spokesman said the meeting of the 15-member council was likely to be scheduled for Wednesday.

NORTH KOREA CALLS ICBM TEST A 'GLISTENING MIRACLE' 'Our great leader Kim Jong Un sent a personally handwritten letter 2017, July 3rd, ordering the launch of an intercontinental ballistic rocket (Hwasong 14). 'The launch, that was personally supervised by the great leader KJU himself, will now be followed by the National Institute of Science's report. 'National Science Institute's Report: Intercontinental Ballistic Rocket Hwasong 14 was successful. 'Our dear leader KJU's strategic order was followed by a launch of an ICBM, and this was successfully processed. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un signs the order to carry out the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic rocket 'The newly developed ICBM Hwasong-14 was launched, and this took place on July 4, 2017 at 9am, and flew for 39 minutes. 'It flew from a northwestern city, and flew precisely following the predicted trajectory. It also reached precisely the targeted point in Chosun (Korean) air. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket did not at all bring negative impacts to any nearby country. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket reached a maximum altitude of 2,802 km, and flew for 933 kilometres. 'Our dear leader KJU was there to witness the glistening miracle.' 'The success of the last stage of becoming a nuclear power state is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. Hwason 14 shows the unwithering power of our state, our strong independence and defense in the world and will be marked as a significant mark in our history. 'North Korea, as a nuclear state capable of reaching any country in the world with our intercontinental ballistic rocket, will be able to root out the US's nuclear program once and for all, and bring peace and secure safety to the Chosun (Korean) peninsula.' Advertisement

The Japanese government estimates that the missile (pictured above) fired from the North's western region flew for about 40 minutes, which would be longer than any other such previous reported tests

The test still may be the North's most successful yet; a weapons analyst says the missile could be powerful enough to reach Alaska

The secretive state's Academy of Defense Science claimed the test marked the 'final step' in creating a 'confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth'.

The US 'attempts to test our determination and ignores our warnings', the state-run Korea Central News Agency cited Kim as saying.

Breaking into laughter, the news agency said, the leader 'added that we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom'.

Kim ordered them to 'frequently send big and small "gift packages" to the Yankees,' it added.

The North Korean leader also said the missile looked 'as handsome as a good-looking boy' and that the country would not negotiate with America to give up its weapons program until Washington abandoned its hostile policy against the North.

The launch in North Korea, which came as the United States prepared to mark its Independence Day, triggered a Twitter outburst from President Donald Trump who urged China to 'put a heavy move' on North Korea to 'end this nonsense once and for all'.

North Korea has long sought to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the continental United States - something that Trump has vowed 'won't happen', and launch marks a new phase in the country's decades-long weapons program.

Trump called an emergency meeting on the Fourth of July to formulate a 'measured response' to North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missile test, amid fears it could reach as far as Alaska.

Officials say Trump would potentially approve a 'measured response' to deal with North Korea.

Potential responses include sending additional troops to the region and possibly more sanctions.

On Tuesday, the US, Japan, and South Korea said intelligence suggested the missile flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,500 miles, which would be longer and higher than any similar North Korean test previously reported. It also covered a distance of about 580 miles.

In the wake of the test, David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote on the organisation's allthingsnuclear blog that the available figures implied the missile 'could reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km on a standard trajectory'.

The 'landmark' test, believed to be pictured above, of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (above) says the launch is a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea

'That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska.'

The missile launch prompted control specialist Jeffrey Lewis to respond on Twitter: 'That's it. It's an ICBM. An ICBM that can hit Anchorage not San Francisco, but still.'

The launch seems designed to send a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, even as it allows North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program.

When it announced the missile test earlier, North Korean officials called the launch, which leader Kim Jong-un supervised, a 'glistening miracle'.

The 'landmark' test of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by Kim, an emotional female announcer said on state Korean Central Television.

'The test-fire was conducted at the highest angle and did not have any negative impact on the safety of neighboring countries,' announcer Ri Chun-Hee, who previously told her loyal viewers of the deaths of the country's founder Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il, said.

'As the dignified nuclear power who possesses the strongest intercontinental ballistic rocket which is capable of hitting any part of the world along with the nuclear weapons, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will fundamentally terminate the US nuclear war threats and blackmail and credibly protect the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region,' she added.

'Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of our party, state and the army, personally observed the process of the test-launch in field and solemnly declared before the world its shining success,' the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an accompanying article.
Mark Zuckerberg is celebrating Independence Day in style - using Facebook's American flag filter.

The Facebook founder and CEO posted a video of himself and his wife Priscilla Chan with the words 'Happy July 4th from Alaska!' written across it.

An American flag filter waves behind the warmly dressed couple and on Zuckerberg's face are a pair of aviator sunglasses - also part of the filter.

Chan, wearing an orange hat on her head, appears to say something in the five-second video, and she and her husband smile together.

Several hours after Zuckerberg posted the July 4th video with his wife, he posted this picture of a bald eagle

Mark Zuckerberg posted a video of himself and his wife Priscilla Chan on Tuesday. An American flag filter waves behind the couple and on Zuckerberg's face are a pair of aviator sunglasses - also part of the filter

Zuckerberg posted the video on his profile on Tuesday without a caption, later commenting: 'Made with the Facebook camera with the American flag filter.'

Several hours later, Zuckerberg posted a picture of a bald eagle.

He wrote: 'This bald eagle just swooped in. A beautiful symbol of our freedom. Happy Independence Day from Alaska!'

The couple appears to be enjoying nature during their visit to Alaska.

The day before, Zuckerberg posted a picture of an adorable otter swimming in Kachemak Bay State Park.

In his post from Monday, which was located from Homer, Alaska, he wrote: 'We're in Alaska and just kayaked by this guy.'

Before his trip to Alaska, Zuckerberg posted a video of his Harvard Commencement speech from May, which he captioned with a post about scholarships he and his wife are providing to Dreamers.

The couple appears to be enjoying the animals and nature during their visit to Alaska. On Monday, Zuckerberg posted this picture of an otter swimming in Kachemak Bay State Park

On June 29, he wrote: 'At Harvard Commencement, I shared the story of a young man I mentor whose parents brought him to America at a young age. He wasn't sure he'd get to go to college because he's undocumented. He wasn't sure they'd let him in, or that he could afford to go.

'Priscilla and I are providing 400 college scholarships to Dreamers in partnership with TheDream.US. This fall, 139 new scholars will be heading to colleges across the Bay Area. And we'll keep working to improve education and build stronger communities for everyone.

The billionaire CEO, pictured, received an honorary degree in May - 13 years after he famously dropped out of the Ivy League school to focus on Facebook

'We need a government that protects Dreamers. But for now, Priscilla and I hope these scholarships will help more young people pursue their purpose, contribute to society, and make our country stronger for all of us.'

The billionaire CEO received an honorary degree in May - 13 years after he famously dropped out of the Ivy League school to focus on Facebook.

Zuckerberg has been traveling a lot this year after he announced in January that he would travel to 30 states he's never been to.

He wrote on his profile: 'My work is about connecting the world and giving everyone a voice,' he wrote. 'I want to personally hear more of those voices this year.'

Two weeks ago, he celebrated gay pride month by joining festivities in Nebraska and before that he stopped in Minnesota and Iowa.

Zuckerberg, pictured at Harvard in May, has been traveling a lot this year after he announced in January that he would travel to 30 states he's never been to, because 'my work is about connecting the world and giving everyone a voice,' he wrote. 'I want to personally hear more of those voices this year,' he wrote on his profile
The ACCC has confirmed that media moguls Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon are launching a takeover bid for the struggling Ten Network.

News of the takeover bid by Mr Murdoch, co-chairman of newspaper giant News Corp Australia and the eldest son of Rupert Murdoch, and Mr Gordon, owner of regional broadcaster WIN Television, was announced on Wednesday.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission confirmed the pair sought an informal review of a joint bid for Ten.

The takeover bid comes two days after Mr Murdoch joined with billionaire James Packer and a group of shareholders to stump up $30 million to keep the television network afloat while it found a buyer.

Lachlan Murdoch (pictured with his wife Sarah Murdoch) has agreed to help pay Ten's debt

The $30 million funding is hoped to keep Ten afloat for eight to ten weeks.

The pair's plans to refinance Ten's $250 million debts would require the Senate to pass new laws liberalising strict cross-media ownership laws, which were enacted by Labor in the 1980s.

Lachlan and Gordon own 7.7 per cent and 15 per cent of Ten respectively, worth about $58 million.

Senator Pauline Hanson told Fairfax the network's failure was due to 'bad management' and she is 'not going to change the laws for one company.'

Parliament resumes on August 8.

Bruce Gordon, the owner of regional TV station WIN, could help rescue the Ten Network

The Ten Network is in voluntary administration. It is home to television shows such as The Bachelorette, MasterChef and The Project (Waleed Aly and Carrie Bickmore pictured)

Ten's board put the company into administration on June 14, with corporate advisory group KordaMentha taking control of the station behind The Project

Shares in Ten, Australia's third biggest free-to-air TV network, fell to just 16 cents in June.

Ten's board put the company into administration on June 14, with corporate advisory group KordaMentha taking control of the station behind The Project, The Biggest Loser, The Bachelor and MasterChef.

Ten's chief executive Paul Anderson told a media conference 'this is extremely disappointing for all of us'.

The broadcaster produces popular show The Bachelor (pictured Richie Strahan and Alex Nation)
Labour education spokesman Angela Rayner is hardly subtle; not for this beefy-voiced daughter of Stockport the darting rapier of parliamentary dialectic. She is more one for a cave-womans bludgeon.

By jiminy, shed give Fred Flintstone the most terrible beating if he parked the dinosaur in the wrong place.

Mrs Rayner, a loss to the cast of TVs Little Britain, would be entrusted with our schools should Jeremy Corbyn form a Government. A terrifying thought.

Angela Rayner is the Shadow Secretary of State for Education

But the teaching unions would be happy because Catherine Tate-lookalike Mrs Rayner is keen on more public spending.

As with Chelsea buns, she finds spending pledges hard to resist. And like the rest of the Corbyn frontbench, she is gorging herself on public sector pay abandon. Get in the bevvies, team!

Have you noticed the encouragement they are receiving from the BBC? Its almost as if the Beeb is thinking: If this public pay cap goes, we might be able to extract more cash for ourselves.

Labours aim at present is to make every public service sound so dreadful, voters despair and think wed better spend more money on them.

On Monday it was the child sex abuse inquiry, the police, fire prevention, immigration rules. All (apparently) on the point of collapse. Yesterday it was the NHS and, with a booming tirade from Mrs Rayner, schools.

These were in a state of such peril, its a wonder Britons are not emigrating in droves to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Outer Mongolia  anywhere to escape this dreadful realm of Tory-run Britain.

You may have noticed that the opposite is happening and immigrants are still hastening here, in vast numbers.

We should send Mrs Rayner to Dover to warn the poor mites of the misery they will encounter in austerity-hit Britain. Or are Labour MPs possibly exaggerating?

Mrs Rayner had yesterday secured an Urgent Question on the public funding of education.

Corbyn first appointed Rayner as Shadow Women and Equalities Minister last June but after a string of resignations made her his Shadow Secretary of State for Education

She was enraged that Education Secretary Justine Greening was not in the Chamber.

And where was the Prime Minister? Mrs Rayner was indignant that Theresa May was not there (even though a PM hardly ever attends such debates).

She isnt running her party any more, Mr Speaker  shes running away from her party, bawled Mrs Rayner, who had stepped forward to the despatch box in what looked like a pair of bovver boots.

She is one of those orators who, when they crack a joke, fling their hair from side to side and do a self-appreciating, Roger Moore-ish sort of smile.

Complaining about the way DUP leader Arlene Foster secured a lucrative settlement for Northern Ireland in exchange for supporting the May Government, Mrs Rayner said: She must be the most expensive right-winger since Cristiano Ronaldo. Boom boom!

In the absence of Miss Greening and Mrs May, schools minister Nick Gibb was on parade.

One of lifes number twos (no, not in that sense), Mr Gibb is dutiful, on top of the detail, maybe a little gulpy and hesitant. But he stood his ground yesterday and said the Government would continue to keep a grip on budgets as the deficit had to be brought down.

The only reason money was tight at present was that we were still recovering from the economic disaster of the Blair and Brown Governments. That did not stop other Labour MPs such as Lucy Powell (Manchester C), Stephen Twigg (Liverpool, W Derby) and Wes Streeting (Ilford N) demanding more cash for schools.

All three are from what we might call the sensible end of the Labour party, but all were hurling themselves into this reckless abandonment of thrift. Why? To impress the Corbynistas?

It was left to a stooped Ancient Mariner at the far end of the Chamber  Tory old-timer Sir Edward Leigh  to point out that every five minutes, national debt, already 1.7trillion, increases by 400,000. People who argue for more funding are arguing for more debt being loaded on to children in our schools.
Chris Grayling announced that 1bn of a 5.8bn fund would be earmarked for local councils to tackle traffic jams

Local councils across England are set to benefit from a multi-billion pound fund to improve local roads, transport secretary Chris Grayling said last night.

In the budget two years ago, former chancellor George Osborne said every penny raised in Vehicle Excise Duty in England would be used to repair crumbling roads.

This resulted in the creation of the National Roads Fund, with 5.8billion was collected from VED in the 2016/17 financial year.

Prior to last night's announcement it was envisaged that the NRF would be ring-fenced for motorways and major A-roads.

But Mr Grayling said he plans to ensure part of the fund  believed to be around 1billion  is earmarked for local councils so they can improve or replace major strategic roads such as A-roads and by-passes.

The government said the aim was to tackle bottlenecks and traffic jams, providing better connections between towns and cities.

The major drawback is that councils will not get access to the fund until 2020, after a period of consultation.

But motoring groups welcomed the announcement, saying many communities are 'crying out' for urgent road investment.

The decision to give more priority to local councils comes after a study by the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund highlighted the 'great gulf' in funding and planning of national and local roads.

Mr Grayling said: 'Getting transport spending right is crucial for the country's future. The Transport Investment Strategy sets out a blueprint for how we can harness the power of transport investment to drive balanced economic growth, unlock new housing projects, and support the Government's modern industrial strategy.'

Under the strategy, road improvement programmes will be judged on how they contribute to creating a more geographically balanced economy, increase productivity or growth and tackle congestion.

The money will be used to help councils target bottlenecks of traffic and improve the road networks on smaller roads

The Department for Transport pledged to support every part of the country and in some cases give priority to smaller schemes that are 'proven solutions' so passengers and drivers get the benefits quicker.

It highlighted the Ely Southern Bypass and the Lincoln Eastern Bypass, which are both being built, as the types of projects that might be funded under the new arrangement.

AA president Edmund King said: 'Many communities are crying out for their local bypass to be built to enhance their local environment and quality of life. Local authority A-roads have become the poor relation or country cousins in comparison to the amounts spent on motorways and the strategic road network.It is imperative that the status and spending on the most important of these roads is elevated.'

The fund comes after then Chancellor George Osborne earmarked Vehicle Excise Duty to be spent on improving roads

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said the DfT's plan recognises that many of the most important roads connecting towns and cities are 'the responsibility of cash-strapped local councils'.

He went on: 'Drivers have long felt that too many of the billions they pay in motoring taxes each year get siphoned away to other deserving causes.Today's announcement is a big step on the way to winning back their trust.'

The plans were also welcomed by business leaders.

Dan Lewis, senior infrastructure policy adviser at the Institute of Directors, said: 'Journeys by car still make up the majority of all trips made in the UK, so a well-maintained road network is vital to business leaders and their staff alike. IoD members have long complained about the poor quality of too many of the UK's roads, so it's welcome that money is being directed to councils to spend in their area.'

The fund is part of the 23billion the government has pledged to spend on roads between 2015 and 2021.
A twelve-week-old puppy has died after he was bashed and dumped in a park.

The puppy, believed to be a Ridgeback, was found by a passer-by walking their dog at Strutt Way Reserve in Perth's north on Tuesday morning.

He was rushed to the RSPCA with a fractured skull but died shortly after.

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A twelve-week-old puppy (pictured) has died after he was bashed and dumped in a park

The puppy, believed to be a Ridgeback, was found by a passer-by walking their dog at Strutt Way Reserve in Perth's north on Tuesday morning

Dog bashed: The RSPCA have appealed to the public to help find the attacker

The RSPCA have appealed to the public to help find the attacker.

'The poor puppy was screaming in pain when it arrived at our Animal Care Centre,' RSPCA chief inspector Amanda Swift told PerthNow.

'To see an animal in so much pain, and hear it screaming because of the pain is extremely distressing.

'It disgusts me that someone could inflict such violence on an innocent animal and then leave it to suffer and just walk away.'

Ms Swift said she believed the puppy was dumped in the park on Tuesday morning.

She said he wasn't micro-chipped so the RSPCA haven't been able to track down his owner yet.

Anyone with information is urged to contact WA RSPCA.

RSPCA chief inspector Amanda Swift (pictured) said the puppy was screaming in pain when he was found

The pup wasn't micro-chipped so the RSPCA haven't been able to track down his owner yet
A teenage schoolgirl who pleaded with teachers for help after her parents forced her to marry wan older man, had her case ignored by Family and Community services.

When the young girl's parents reportedly agreed to receive a dowry from her soon to be husband, she bravely came forward and told the school of her desperate plight.

And in addition to her her having no say at all in the marriage, reports also stated the girl had faced regular 'physical and psychological' abuse at the hands of her parents.

But despite this, the NSW Department of Family and Community Services reportedly 'did not ever engage' or help the Sydney-based girl, the Daily Telegraph reports.

A teenage schoolgirl who pleaded with her teachers for help after her parents forced her into a marriage with an older man, had her case ignored by Family and Community services

The student's plight was revealed by Laura Vidal, a forced marriage specialist for the Salvation Army, in a submission to the NSW parliament.

In her submission, Ms Vidal revealed that after becoming aware of the girl's case she wrote a letter informing FACS - but their calls for help reportedly fell on deaf ears.

In response, the government department reportedly said the case failed to meet the level they required to intervene.

'The department did not ever engage with this young person,' Ms Vidal told the NSW parliamentary committee into human trafficking.

'When her circumstances changed and we assessed her risk to be increased, we... received a letter that stated that the report did not meet a risk of significant harm threshold.'

In addition to her her having no say at all in the marriage, reports also stated the girl had faced regular 'physical and psychological' abuse at the hands of her parents (Stock image)

Opposition spokeswoman Tania Mihailuk (above) said the case was 'beyond belief'

Ms Vidal said the girl's case proved there were 'critical gaps' in how forced marriage is dealt with and that a 'great deal of work' is needed to protect vulnerable children.

Opposition spokeswoman Tania Mihailuk said the case was 'beyond belief', slamming the lack of help available.

However a FACS spokesperson defended their action, saying the case was dealt with by police at a state and federal level.

'FACS responded to a report about concerns of an attempted forced marriage and was advised that the matter was being investigated by the Australian Federal Police with assistance from NSW Police,' told the Daily Telegraph.
A British man is missing in Melbourne after he disappeared from a beach car park while his family were collecting their car nearby.

Benjamin Wyatt, 34, who has autism, was visiting the beach at Half Moon Bay, Black Rock with family about 2.15pm on Tuesday.

He is on holiday from the UK from Bath in England's southwest, and does not know his way around Melbourne.

British man Benjamin Wyatt, 34, (pictured), who is in Australia on holiday with his family, is missing, after visiting Half Moon Bay, Black Rock on Tuesday

He is due to head back to the UK on Thursday with his family.

Police said his family left him in the car park for a short time while they went to collect their car, but when they came back to pick him up he had disappeared.

According to a report from 7 News, Mr Wyatt wandered off to take photos and his family lost sight of him.

His mother Diana Wyatt said the family was desperate for Bens return.

Police said Mr Wyatt, who has autism, was left by his family in the beach (pictured) car park for a short time while they collected there car. When they returned he had disappeared

'Ben has never had a night out on his own before, he knows I worry like anything  Im the worlds worst worrier.

'Ben if youre listening or youre watching, come back.

Ms Wyatt described her son as a very happy and friendly person.

'He is just a really nice guy to have around and I miss him. My life is empty,' she said.

His family said Mr Wyatt has a fascination with public transport and in particular, trams.

Mr Wyatt (pictured) is described as about 170cm tall, solid build, unshaven face, short light brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a navy blue hooded jumper and blue jeans

He has a Myki transport card on him and about $30 in cash but no phone and no identification.

The Victoria Police helicopter, Water Police, local police, SES and lifesavers conducted an extensive search of the area but were unable to locate him.

He is described as about 170cm tall, solid build, unshaven face, short light brown hair and brown eyes.

He was wearing a navy blue hooded jumper and blue jeans.

Police have released an image of Mr Wyatt in the hope someone may recognise him and be able to provide information on his whereabouts.

Anyone who sees him or has information about his whereabouts is urged to contact Caulfield Police Station on 03 9524 9500.
Students at a New Zealand high school were illegally drug tested and their samples improperly handled, two of their parents claim.

Parents said the tests at Feilding High School were carried out without their consent and they were 'shocked' at how the tests were conducted.

They claimed samples were left unattended in the toilet, swabs from different four or five students were put in the same bag, and the drug tester was not qualified.

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Two students at Feilding High School in New Zealand were illegally drug tested, their parents claim.

Parents said the tests were carried out without their consent and they were 'shocked' at how the tests were conducted

Feilding High School parent and qualified drug tester Scott Guthrie slammed the testing regime after speaking to one of the students.

'I've spoken to one of the students who was drug tested and the procedure leaves [the school] wide open for a lawsuit,' he told the NZ Herald.

Mr Guthrie said positive marijuana readings under 50 micrograms per litre of blood were legal and meant a student may just have been near someone who was smoking.

They claimed swabs from different four or five students were put in the same bag, and the drug tester was not qualified

They also alleged samples were left unattended in the toilet and could have been contaminated

He said eating a roll with poppy seeds in it could also give a positive opiates result.

The school said it drug tested students after disciplinary action, to 'ensure health, engagement and learning', and when students did work experience.

'In all situations, parents and caregivers are fully informed and must give consent for testing to occur,' it said.
A man died after he rammed his car, filled with four propane tanks, into his ex-girlfriend's apartment.

Carl Philbert, 31, was reportedly upset with his ex-girlfriend so he drove his car into her apartment building Tuesday afternoon.

His white four-door sedan smashed through the front windows of her ground-floor apartment in Fort Pierce, Florida.

The car then caught fire, which caused an explosion that was caught on video by a neighbor.

Philbert died at the scene, but no one else was injured. Five adults and one toddler escaped through a back door.

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Carl Philbert, 31, died after he rammed his car, filled with propane tanks, into his ex-girlfriend's apartment in Fort Pierce, Florida

His white four-door sedan smashed through the front windows of her ground-floor apartment. The apartment and car then caught fire, which caused an explosion

Eileen Cuevas, 26, said her mother, Philbert's ex-girlfriend, was in the front room when she saw him driving towards their apartment.

After he drove through their living room, Cuevas said she grabbed her three-year-old son, her mother and her grandmother and they left through the back door.

As they were leaving, the building and car had both caught fire.

'I just wanted people to help him because I saw his body burning,' Cuevas told TC Palm.

In a video taken by neighbor Kathy Toledo, sirens can be heard in the background as the flames engulf the car and the part of the building above it. As she explains the situation, one of the propane tanks explodes, frighting the people watching the scene

'You never want to see a thing like that. I saw his body, everything on fire.'

She told the outlet she still doesn't know why he did it.

'It's very personal. It's still weird talking about it. He was trying to get to my mom. It was meant for everybody that was in the house,' Cuevas said.

'I mean, the man had four or five propane tanks in the car. They were friends and it turned out really bad. This is very personal for our family, so it's kind of touchy.'

Rescue crews from the St. Lucie County Fire District responded to the scene at 12.48pm

Fort Pierce Police Department spokesman Ed Cunningham said they believe Philbert and his ex-girlfriend got into an argument when he showed up at her apartment on Tuesday morning because he didn't like something he saw inside, WPTV reported.

Several hours later he intentionally drove into the building with four propane tanks in his car, three in the back seat and one in the passenger seat.

'He intended to do damage,' Cunningham said.

'He raced his car into this apartment where five people were, intending to kill them, blow the place up, or create some kind of havoc.'

Philbert has a history of domestic trouble with the woman he targeted, according to police.

Rescue crews from the St. Lucie County Fire District responded to the scene at 12.48pm.

Kathy's husband Pablo Toledo later explained that a woman on the second floor balcony called for his help. He said: 'She was engulfed in smoke, so that's why I had to act'

In a video taken by neighbor Kathy Toledo, sirens can be heard in the background as the flames engulf the car and the part of the building above it.

Toledo explains that she lives in an apartment next door and that her husband helped bring an elderly woman down the stairs from the apartment directly above the fire.

As she explains the situation, one of the propane tanks explodes, frighting the people watching the scene.

Kathy's husband Pablo Toledo later told TC Palm that a woman on the second floor balcony called for his help.

'She was engulfed in smoke, so that's why I had to act,' he said.

'So I just ran up there. I really didn't think about the fire was going to get me. I just ran up there, grabbed her and came down. She continued thanking me.'

All eight units in the apartment complex were damaged in the fire.

The Fire District said that the American Red Cross was notified to help 13 adults and five children who had been living in the apartment building.

The Fire District, Fort Pierce police and the state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the incident.

Philbert died at the scene, but no one else was injured. Five adults and one toddler escaped through a back door

All eight units in the apartment complex were damaged in the fire and the American Red Cross was notified to help 13 adults and five children who had been living in the apartment building
Victims of harassment and stalking are being left in danger because of blunders by police and prosecutors, a damning report warns.

Vulnerable men and women who have been targeted are frequently being let down by the authorities  often with fatal consequences, a watchdog said Wednesday.

Major failures by both police forces and the Crime Prosecution Service were leaving terrified victims at risk of further serious harm, the study found.

A stock photo of a woman who suffers domestic abuse. Inspectors found cases where offenders were allowed to continue their persecution of victims, who were not protected with the powers in place

It said there was an unacceptably low number of recorded crimes and prosecutions for an offence that wrecks millions of lives and, in the most extreme instances, leads to victims being killed.

A joint inspection by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate found that offences were often missed or misunderstood by both the authorities.

Inspectors found cases where offenders were allowed to continue their persecution of victims, who were not protected with the powers in place.

In many cases, perpetrators are merely given police information notices (PINs), warnings about their future behaviour. But these meant no investigation took place or little action to protect the victim.

In one shocking instance, a violent domestic abuser with a knife threatened to cut the throat of the victim but was let off with a warning.

Police recorded 202,755 harassment crimes in 2016  an increase of 53 per cent on the same period in 2015.

However, there were only 4,613 stalking crimes, suggesting police were listing complaints against the less serious offence.

The report said that in a recent study of 358 homicides of women in the UK, stalking was involved in 94 per cent of cases.

Inspectors reviewed 112 cases of stalking and harassment as part of this inspection, examining both police and CPS actions. Not a single case was dealt with well overall.

A stock photo of a man calling authorities to report domestic abuse. Police recorded a total of 202,755 harassment crimes in 2016

Police officers failed to recognise the repeat and targeted actions as a pattern of behaviour, instead treating them as isolated incidents, meaning that offences were not treated with the seriousness they deserved.

Stalkers often delude themselves that they are in a relationship with their victim, causing distress and fear by persistently intruding on their lives.

Examples of stalking behaviour include making unwanted phone calls or sending texts, emails and letters, loitering, following and spying on their victim, ordering or cancelling goods and service, or threats and violence.

Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams, who led the inspection, said: Police forces must act quickly to protect victims, including survivors of domestic abuse leaving coercive or controlling relationships.

It is not acceptable that victims and their families are left to live in fear, or have to change their lives because of someone elses behaviour.

We found worrying failings at every stage, including reporting, investigation and prosecution. Changes need to be made immediately and the recommendations in the report should be acted upon without delay to protect victims from further harm.

The report added: Forces need to improve their understanding of harassment and stalking. Some of these victims are at considerable risk, and failing to identify and tackle this can have fatal consequences. Police leaders across the service need to grip this issue urgently.
The United States cautioned on Wednesday it was ready to use force if need be to stop North Korea's nuclear missile program but said it preferred global diplomatic action against Pyongyang for defying world powers by test launching a ballistic missile that could hit Alaska.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council that North Korea's actions were 'quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution' and the United States was prepared to defend itself and its allies.

'One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction,' Haley said. She urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein in Pyongyang.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks to the U.N. Security Council, where she warned that the U.S. 'possesses 'considerable military forces'

Taking a major step in its missile program, North Korea on Tuesday test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that some experts believe has the range to reach the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

North Korea says the missile could carry a large nuclear warhead.

The missile test is a direct challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to prevent North Korea from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile.

He has been urging China to press the isolated country's leadership to give up its nuclear program.

Haley said the United States would propose new U.N. sanctions on North Korea in coming days and warned that Washington was prepared to cut off trade with countries doing business with North Korea in violation of U.N. resolutions.

South Korea's U.N. Ambassador Cho Tae-yul, second from left, and United States U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, right, confer after a United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea's latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, at U.N. headquarters

South Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations Tae-yul Cho speaks during a Security Council meeting on North Korea at the UN headquarters in New York on July 5, 2017. The United States will present to the UN Security Council a new draft resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea after it launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said

'Much of the burden of enforcing U.N. sanctions rests with China,' Haley said. 'We will work with China, we will work with any and every country that believes in peace. But we will not repeat the inadequate approaches of the past that have brought us to this dark day.'

Diplomats say Beijing has not been fully enforcing existing international sanctions on its neighbor and has resisted tougher measures, such as an oil embargo, bans on the North Korean airline and guest workers, and measures against Chinese banks and other firms doing business with the North.

The United States might seek to take unilateral action and sanction more Chinese companies that do business with North Korea, especially banks, U.S. officials have said.

China's U.N. ambassador, Liu Jieyi, told the Security Council meeting that the missile launch was a 'flagrant violation' of U.N. resolutions and 'unacceptable.'

'We call on all the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and belligerent rhetoric, demonstrate the will for unconditional dialogue and work actively together to defuse the tension,' Liu said.

TENSIONS WITH U.S.

Before the missile test, the US had knowledge the KN-17 missile was being prepared for launch, but what they didn't realize was that the North added a second stage on top of the weapon. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

US officials said the first stage of the new two-stage missile is believed to be a KN-17 liquid fueled missile, which has been previously launched by North Korea. The US and South Korea conducted a joint ballistic missile drill (pictured) in response to North Korea's missile launch

The 'landmark' test of Hwasong-14 missile overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un (left and right on July 4) who seemed very pleased with his top-ranking officials as he gave them hugs and clapped following the successful test

The United States has remained technically at war with North Korea since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and the past six decades have been punctuated by periodic rises in antagonism and rhetoric that have always stopped short of a resumption of active hostilities.

Tensions have risen sharply in recent months after North Korea conducted two nuclear weapons tests last year and carried out a steady stream of ballistic missile tests

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the ICBM test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs, the state KCNA news agency said.

Pyongyang will not negotiate with the United States to give up those weapons until Washington abandons its hostile policy against the North, KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

'He, with a broad smile on his face, told officials, scientists and technicians that the U.S. would be displeased ... as it was given a 'package of gifts' on its 'Independence Day,'' KCNA said, referring to the missile launch on July 4.

The White House said on Wednesday it was exploring its options on North Korea.

'I think we've been pretty consistent that we're never going to broadcast any next steps. We're exploring those options,' White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters on Air Force One as Trump flew to Poland.

Trump and other leaders from the Group of 20 nations meeting in Germany this week are due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons program, which it has pursued in defiance of Security Council sanctions.

Russia's deputy U.N. envoy said on Wednesday that military force should not be considered against North Korea and called for a halt to the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.

He also said that attempts to strangle North Korea economically were 'unacceptable' and that sanctions would not resolve the issue.

The U.S. military assured Americans that it was capable of defending the United States against a North Korean ICBM.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis noted a successful test last month in which a U.S.-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM.

'So we do have confidence in our ability to defend against the limited threat, the nascent threat that is there,' he told reporters. He acknowledged though that previous U.S. missile defense tests had shown 'mixed results.'

The North Korean launch this week was both earlier and 'far more successful than expected,' said U.S.-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North.

It would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved 'minimal operational capability,' he added.

Schilling said the U.S. national missile defense system was 'only minimally operational' and would take more than two years to upgrade to provide more reliable defense.

(Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Phil Stewart and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney)
Nineteen years after teenager Rachel Antonio was murdered, Queensland Police will dig up the tip with hopes to find her body.

Young lifesaver Rachel, 16, vanished on Anzac Day 1998 and a coronial inquest last year found the teenager and her boyfriend at the time, Robert Hytch, 25, had met on the night she disappeared and 'shortly after that time Mr Hytch has caused a fatal injury to Rachel and thereby caused her death,' according to Courier Mail.

Mr Hytch is appealing the coroner's finding and has always denied any involvement in Rachel's disappearance.

Police believe the missing schoolgirl was buried at the Bowen refuse site which will be searched Wednesday and heavy machinery will be used to dig through 19 years worth of waste.

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School girl Rachel Antonio (pictured) went missing in 1998 and is believed to be buried in a Bowen tip

Police will dig up the Bowen refuse site (pictured) in hopes of finding Rachel's remains 19 years after her death

'We will endeavor to undertake a scientific evaluation of the refuse and the environmental conditions that were present in 1998,' Detective Inspector Nikki Colfs said in a statement.

Ten officers will be involved in the one day only investigation at the dump site, 190km north of Mackay, Queensland.

While Rachel's parents, Cheryl and Ian Antonio, always wanted the tip to be searched, new information about the tip layout meant Police could take action on investigating the area.

Former tip manager Hugh Smith kept a detailed diary and hand drawn map of the location of all the region's rubbish at the time of Rachel's disappearance which he gave to Police, sending them to the investigation site, according to The Courier Mail.

An inquest said Rachel, 16, (pictured left) was likely killed by Robert Hytch, 25, (pictured right) her boyfriend at the time

The lifesaver vanished (pictured) after her mother dropped her off at the cinema almost two decades ago

Mrs Antonio told The Courier Mail it was good news the Police were starting their search at the tip.

'It would be great if we could find her, give her a funeral, put her to rest,' she said.

'It would mean so much to us.'

The teenager was last seen walking along Queens Beach Esplanade, Bowen, wearing a short sleeved collarless T-shirt with horizontal blue and white stripes, a green skirt above the knee with large brass buttons down the front and black dress sandals.

Queensland Police are offering a $250,000 reward for any information that leads to the recovery of the remains of Rachel.

The teenager was last seen walking along Queens Beach Esplanade, Bowen, (pictured)

A coronial inquest last year found Rachel was likely killed by Robert Hytch (pictured left)
Two men have been charged with circulating counterfeit $50 bank notes that are slightly smaller and lighter than regular notes.

Police in Northern Tasmania said the counterfeit notes being circulated have the serial number HH 13863456 and a good likeness to the real note.

The counterfeit notes are a different weight and the white stars in the clear window are of poor quality and appear to have been hand painted.

Two men have been charged with circulating counterfeit $50 bank notes (pictured) in Tasmania that are slightly smaller and lighter than regular notes, and have stars hand drawn in the left hand corner

A 22-year-old George Town man has been charged with possessing and uttering counterfeit money and dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage from a number of businesses in the Launceston and George Town areas.

He has been bailed to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on 23 August.

A 43-year-old George Town man has been summonsed to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court for possession of counterfeit money.

Detective Senior Sergeant John Parker said: 'Although we have charged two people our investigation into counterfeit money continues.'

Police in Northern Tasmania said the counterfeit notes being circulated have the serial number HH 13863456 and a good likeness to the real note (pictured)

'Counterfeit notes continue to be circulated and the need for vigilance remains.'

Police in Northern Tasmania are asking members of the public to check their notes.

If you think you may have a counterfeit note handle it as little as possible and store it in an envelope.

A 22-year-old man has been charged with possessing and uttering counterfeit money and dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage. He was bailed to appear in Launceston Magistrates Court (pictured) on 23 August. A 43-year-old man has also been summonsed to appear on similar charges

If you have CCTV and you know who presented the notes and when, supply a copy of your CCTV to police when reporting the matter.

Any relevant information, such as how the note came into your possession, a description of the person who passed it, any companions and vehicles used is also useful for police.

Anyone with any extra information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
Sir Richard Branson launched Virgin Australia's inaugural flights to Hong Kong on Wednesday, marking the start of the airline's expansion into Greater China.

The airline's inaugural flight departed at 9.40am after much fanfare at Melbourne International Airport.

Sir Richard carried the head of Bendigo's 32-metre dragon Yar Loong in a traditional procession with lion dancers and drummers to celebrate the occasion.

The Virgin founder then travelled on the inaugural flight along with Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steve Ciobo, Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti and John O'Sullivan, the managing director of Tourism Australia.

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Sir Richard Branson launched Virgin Australia's inaugural flights to Hong Kong on Wednesday

Guests aboard the flight were treated to traditional egg tarts at the boarding gate as well as Cantonese lessons, fortune cookies and a Hong Kong-inspired menu.

Virgin Australia's resident chef Luke Mangan also travelled on the inaugural flight.

He took Business Class guests through the airline's new menu, designed to highlight Hong Kong's culinary delights with dishes including pork and shrimp wonton soup.

Sir Richard said he was 'so delighted' to see Virgin Australia fly to Hong Kong for the first time.

Sir Richard carried the head of Bendigo's 32-metre dragon Yar Loong in a traditional procession with lion dancers and drummers to celebrate the occasion

'Both Melbourne and Hong Kong are such vibrant, fantastic cities and to be able to connect them with the world's best Business Class and the best cabin crew is truly exciting.

'Until today, the route has been far too cosy with just two airlines flying it and it desperately needed Virgin competition, so we're here today to shake things up on this route.'

Mr Borghetti added: 'Hong Kong's diverse cultural fabric has long been a draw card for many Australians, as has its appeal as a stepping stone into Greater China.

The airline's inaugural flight departed after much fanfare at Melbourne International Airport

Virgin Australia will operate five services a week between Melbourne and Hong Kong

'Through Virgin Australia's direct services to Hong Kong and our partnership with Hong Kong Airlines, Australians can enjoy continental travel to Greater China.'

He added: 'Virgin Australia is renowned for bring choice and competition and since our flights went on sale, we have seen our competitors discount their Melbourne-Hong Kong fares by as much as 34 per cent compared to before our fares were launched.'

Virgin Australia will operate five services a week between Melbourne and Hong Kong.
The bizarre moment a woman pushing a pram helps herself to a pair of sneakers on a strangers doorstep has been captured on camera.

The robbery occurred in Lynbrook in Melbourne's south east in broad daylight, 7 News reported.

The furious home owner posted the footage online in an attempt to track down the brazen thief.

The bizarre moment a woman pushing (pink jumper) a pram helps herself to a pair of sneakers on a strangers doorstep has been captured on camera

The woman (pink jumper) jumps over their bushes, runs across the grass and helps herself to a pair of Nikes on the front doorstep

In the video a woman pushing a pram and her friend can be seen walking along a suburban street.

The woman pushing the pram stops and points at the front of the strangers house.

She then jumps over their bushes, runs across the grass and helps herself to a pair of Nikes on the front doorstep.

The woman runs back and places the stolen shoes in the bottom of her pram before walking off.

But only hours after the footage was posted on social media the shoes were returned to the owner and the thief apologised.

The robbery occurred in Lynbrook in Melbourne's south east in broad daylight
Darwin's Lord Mayor has expressed her concerns that the city could be in North Korea's firing line after the country announced it had successfully test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

Kim Jong-Un taunted the United States, calling his ICBM missile 'a gift' to 'American bastards' on the Independence Day holiday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Analysts said the missile could reach a maximum range of 6,700km on a standard trajectory - with Darwin well within that reach, as it's around 5,750km from Pyongyang.

Darwin Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim noted that the city was only one in Australia bombed by the Japanese during the Second World War.

'My immediate reaction is that we are concerned, of course,' she told nine.com.au.

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Darwin's Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim (pictured) has expressed her concerns that the city could be in North Korea's firing line after the country announced it had successfully test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile

Darwin is less than 5,750km away from Pyongyang, meaning Australia could be in the firing line of North Korea's new missile, which experts say can travel 6,700km

'Darwin has always been a strategic city in Australia's north and that is the reality of where we live. '

She added: 'Any normal person would, of course, be worried.'

Her comments come after Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said North Korea needs to be sent a message that its behaviour is not acceptable.

'This is a serious escalation of North Korea's ability to threaten nations even further afield than its immediate region,' Ms Bishop told Sky News.

'The concern is now that North Korea will master the technology to mount a nuclear warhead on such a weapon.

'The regime must get a global message that its behaviour is unacceptable.'

The United States confirmed Tuesday that North Korea had tested an ICBM as it warned of an escalating threat from Pyongyang.

But officials insisted America would never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

Their possession of a working ICBM - something President Donald Trump had insisted 'won't happen' - marks a milestone for the communist regime as it pushes ahead with a weapons program it says it needs to ward off invasion.

The 'landmark' test, believed to be pictured above, of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un

North Korea on Tuesday said it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting US experts to say the device could reach Alaska. Pictured above is the ICBM during a test launch

Some experts said such a missile could reach Alaska or go even further toward the US mainland.

But there was widespread skepticism of the North's claim of the missile being able to 'strike any place in the world.'

Pyongyang's having such a weapon could radically alter the calculus for countries seeking to thwart the military goals of the isolated state.

North Korea's official news agency announced that the ICBM is capable of carrying a 'large, heavy nuclear warhead' that can survive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

It quoted leader Kim, who personally oversaw the test, as having inspected the Hwasong-14 missile and 'expressed satisfaction, saying it looked as handsome as a good-looking boy and was well made.'

'American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary,' Kim reportedly said.

While laughing, he is said to have added that 'we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom.'

A statement from US and South Koran officials states: 'The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-U.S. Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions'

The United States and South Korea conducted a joint ballistic missile drill in response to North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

South Korea says it was 'intended as a strong warning against North Korean provocation,' according to CNN. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

The North's Academy of Defence Science, which developed the missile, said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometres and flew 933 kilometres, calling it the 'final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force.'

US confirmation of the launch came in a statement from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after the military's initial assessment was that an intermediate-range missile had been fired.

'The United States strongly condemns North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile,' he said.

'Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world.'

He added: 'As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.'

The United States requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which is expected to take place on Wednesday.

Officials said Trump would potentially approved a 'measured response' to deal with North Korea.

Weapons experts in the United States said that the missile has the potential to reach areas of Alaska

North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile flew more than 930km, according to South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff

Potential responses include sending additional troops to the region and possibly more sanctions.

Meanwhile, Russia and China issued a joint appeal to ease soaring tensions between the United States and North Korea.

But that call was shrugged off by Washington and Seoul, which fired ballistic missiles simultaneously in a drill on Wednesday simulating an attack on the North's leadership, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, 'as a strong message of warning.'

'This exercise utilized the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast,' a statement from US and South Korean officials said.

How far would missile have to travel from Pyongyang to reach the US? US Naval Base in Guam: 2,114 miles Hawaii: 4,727 miles San Francisco: 5,588 miles Los Angeles: 5,935 miles New York: 6,783 miles Washington, DC: 6,857 miles Advertisement

'The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-U.S. Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions.'

The statement adds that South Korea and the U.S. are 'committed to peace and prosperity on the Koran Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific.

'The U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK in the face of threats is ironclad.'

It came following a Twitter outburst from Trump, who urged China to 'put a heavy move' on North Korea to 'end this nonsense once and for all.'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the missile test.

'This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation,' Guterres said through his spokesman according to CNN.

'The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.'

The Japanese government estimates that the missile (pictured above) fired from the North's western region flew for about 40 minutes, which would be longer than any other such previous reported tests

NORTH KOREA CALLS ICBM TEST A 'GLISTENING MIRACLE' 'Our great leader Kim Jong Un sent a personally handwritten letter 2017, July 3rd, ordering the launch of an intercontinental ballistic rocket (Hwasong 14). 'The launch, that was personally supervised by the great leader KJU himself, will now be followed by the National Institute of Science's report. 'National Science Institute's Report: Intercontinental Ballistic Rocket Hwasong 14 was successful. 'Our dear leader KJU's strategic order was followed by a launch of an ICBM, and this was successfully processed. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un signs the order to carry out the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic rocket 'The newly developed ICBM Hwasong-14 was launched, and this took place on July 4, 2017 at 9am, and flew for 39 minutes. 'It flew from a northwestern city, and flew precisely following the predicted trajectory. It also reached precisely the targeted point in Chosun (Korean) air. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket did not at all bring negative impacts to any nearby country. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket reached a maximum altitude of 2,802 km, and flew for 933 kilometres. 'Our dear leader KJU was there to witness the glistening miracle.' 'The success of the last stage of becoming a nuclear power state is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. Hwason 14 shows the unwithering power of our state, our strong independence and defense in the world and will be marked as a significant mark in our history. 'North Korea, as a nuclear state capable of reaching any country in the world with our intercontinental ballistic rocket, will be able to root out the U.S's nuclear program once and for all, and bring peace and secure safety to the Chosun (Korean) peninsula.' Advertisement

North Korea has long sought to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the continental United States.

On Tuesday, the US, Japan, and South Korea said intelligence suggested the missile flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,500 miles (2,400km), which would be longer and higher than any similar North Korean test previously reported.

US Pacific Command said the test involved a land-based, intermediate range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan.

Moscow's defence ministry called it medium-range.

The test still may be the North's most successful yet; a weapons analyst says the missile could be powerful enough to reach Alaska

But Tokyo - in whose exclusive economic zone it came down -estimated the maximum altitude to have 'greatly exceeded' 2,500 kilometres, prompting arms control specialist Jeffrey Lewis to respond on Twitter: 'That's it. It's an ICBM. An ICBM that can hit Anchorage not San Francisco, but still.'

In the wake of the test, David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote on the organisation's allthingsnuclear blog that the available figures implied the missile 'could reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km on a standard trajectory'.

'That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska.'

The launch seems designed to send a political warning to Washington and its chief allies in Asia, Seoul and Tokyo, even as it allows North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program.

When announcing the missile test earlier, North Korean officials called the launch a 'glistening miracle'.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (above) says the launch is a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea

ICBM PRODUCTION IN NORTH KOREA An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a guided ballistic missile with a minimum range of 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometres), meaning it can go further than any other missile. North Korea has only tested medium-range or lower ballistic missiles before, meaning they were capable of reaching a maximum 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometres). The last rocket Kim tested before this latest development came in June, when a medium-range missile flew 435 miles (700 kilometres) before landing in the Sea of Japan. ICBM missiles were first developed during World War II, and countries around the world have now worked to create their own missiles and defence systems against them. ICBM launches have three distinct phases of flight. During the boost phase, a rocket launches the warhead at high speeds above the atmosphere, where it continues in free-fall through the vacuum of space. The midcourse phase begins with the rocket separating from the warhead, which continues unguided and unpowered, hundreds of miles above the Earth. The reentry, or terminal, phase sees the warhead descend at high speeds back through the Earth's atmosphere toward the ground. The missiles are primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery, though they can also be used to deliver conventional, chemical or biological weapons. Pyongyang is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its atomic and missile programs, which it says it needs to protect itself against a possible invasion. It regularly issues bloodcurdling threats against its 'imperialist enemy' Washington, and has long sought a rocket capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States. The progress has accelerated especially after young leader Kim Jong-Un took power following the death of his father, longtime ruler Kim Jong-Il, in 2011. Pyongyang has staged five atomic tests - including two last year - with the regime stepping up efforts to produce a nuclear warhead small enough to fit into a missile. The latest launch potentially forces a recalculation of the threat it poses. Just last week South Korean President Moon and Trump met for the first time and vowed to oppose North Korea's development of atomic weapons. In response to the latest launch but before the announcement, Trump asked on Twitter: 'Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?' He added: 'Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!.' Advertisement

The 'landmark' test of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by Kim, an emotional female announcer said on state Korean Central Television.

'The test-fire was conducted at the highest angle and did not have any negative impact on the safety of neighboring countries,' announcer Ri Chun-Hee, who previously told her loyal viewers of the deaths of the country's founder Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il, said.

'As the dignified nuclear power who possesses the strongest intercontinental ballistic rocket which is capable of hitting any part of the world along with the nuclear weapons, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will fundamentally terminate the US nuclear war threats and blackmail and credibly protect the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region,' she added.

'Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of our party, state and the army, personally observed the process of the test-launch in field and solemnly declared before the world its shining success,' the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an accompanying article.
Leaked audio has revealed former prime minister Tony Abbott slamming the Liberal Party and Malcolm Turnbull at a party branch meeting.

Mr Abbott used a guest appearance at Michael Sukkar's Liberal Party meeting in Melbourne, Victoria, to describe the government's May budget as 'second-best'.

Leaked audio of Mr Abbott's speech obtained by Fairfax Media revealed the former prime minister believed the government ministers did not have faith in the 'second-best, taxing and spending' budget they were forced to deliver earlier this year.

Leaked audio reveals former prime minister Tony Abbott (pictured) bashed the Liberal Party's leadership at Michael Sukkar's branch meeting.

Mr Abbott attacked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) because he believed the government ministers did not believe in the 'second-best, taxing and spending' budget

'Just at this moment, let me tell you, we're a bit of a low ebb,' Mr Abbott said at the meeting.

'... the unfortunate reality  of the Senate, we have had to bring forward a budget which is second-best. A taxing and spending budget.

'Not because we believe in these things ... a party that has to do what's second-best because the Senate made us do it is a party which needs some help.'

Michael Sukkar (pictured) said the guest appearance was a long-standing routine invitation that wasn't 'particularly exciting'

Treasurer Scott Morrison (pictured) said Mr Abbott's claims was simply background noise for the party

Mr Abbott said fighting to make the current government a good one was their first duty, calling on members to rise up against the Liberal Party's current direction.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said Mr Abbott's budget critiques was simply 'background noise' according to SkyNews.

Mr Sukkar said the guest appearance was a long-standing routine invitation that wasn't 'particularly exciting'.
A UK family on holiday in Australia is appealing for public help after their son went missing in Melbourne.

Benjamin Wyatt, 34, who has autism, was visiting the beach at Half Moon Bay, Black Rock with family about 2.15pm on Tuesday when he disappeared.

Mr Wyatt is on holiday from the UK from Bath in England's southwest and does not know his way around Melbourne.

His mother Diane Wyatt told 7 News the family was desperate for Ben's return.

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British man Benjamin Wyatt, 34, (pictured), who is in Australia on holiday with his family, is missing after visiting Half Moon Bay, Black Rock on Tuesday afternoon

His mother Diane Wyatt (centre) told 7 News the family was desperate for her son's return. She said: 'Ben has never had a night out on his own before, he knows I worry like anything  Im the worlds worst worrier'

'Ben has never had a night out on his own before, he knows I worry like anything  Im the worlds worst worrier,' Ms Wyatt said.

'Ben if youre listening or youre watching, come back.'

Ms Wyatt described her son as a very happy and friendly person.

'He is just a really nice guy to have around and I miss him. My life is empty,' she said.

The family only arrived in Melbourne four days ago, after travelling around Australia.

Ms Wyatt told the media her son was a happy and friendly person. 'He is just a really nice guy to have around and I miss him. My life is empty,' she said

Police said Mr Wyatt, who has autism, was left by his family in the beach (pictured) car park for a short time while they collected their car. When they returned he had disappeared

Mr Wyatt was reportedly taking photos when he wandered off from a car park while his family where collecting their car nearby.

He is due to head back to the UK on Thursday with his family.

Police said his family left him in the car park for a short time while they went to collect their car, but when they came back to pick him up he had disappeared.

The Wyatt family said Mr Wyatt has a fascination with public transport, and in particular trams.

The Victoria Police helicopter, Water Police, local police, SES and lifesavers have conducted an extensive search of the area but so far have been unable to locate him

Mr Wyatt (pictured) is described as about 170cm tall, solid build, unshaven face, short light brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a navy blue hooded jumper and blue jeans

He has a Myki transport card on him and about $30 in cash but no phone and no identification.

He is believed to have the intellect of a 10 to 12-year-old child.

The Victoria Police helicopter, Water Police, local police, SES and lifesavers have conducted an extensive search of the area but so far have been unable to locate him.

Mr Wyatt is described as about 170cm tall, solid build, unshaven face, short light brown hair and brown eyes.

He was wearing a navy blue hooded jumper and blue jeans.

Police have released an image of Mr Wyatt in the hope someone may recognise him and be able to provide information on his whereabouts.

Anyone who sees him or has information about his whereabouts is urged to contact Caulfield Police Station on 03 9524 9500.

Mr Wyatt has the intellect of a 10-12 year-old child. He has a Myki transport card on him and $30 in cash but no phone or identification. Pictured is the car park at Half Moon Bay
The controversial sheikh who angered hardline Muslims by denouncing Sharia law has asked his supporters for $30,000 to pay for security guards and steel-barred windows at his home because he fears for his life.

Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi, who has previously called for Islamic schools in Australia to be shut down and criticised extreme Islamic group Hizb-ut Tahrir, said abuse he received from radical Muslims grew so bad he was forced to abandon his home and seek refuge.

'I've been assaulted by Muslim leaders, ambushed and spat on in the streets,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday.

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Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi (pictured) said abuse he received from radical Muslims grew so bad he was forced to abandon his house and seek refuge

'The Islamic ruling for this infidel is beheading... I will pay $5,000 for anyone who gets me his address and whereabouts, I'll organise the rest,' one man sad

The Adelaide based Imam, who emigrated from Iraq when he was 12, also revealed people threatened to shoot him on the street if they saw him and even wanted him beheaded.

He said a $5,000 bounty was put on his head in April, with one man branding him an 'infidel' and publicly calling for his beheading.

Imam Tawhidi sparked controversy earlier this year when he said he only came to Australia 'because it was a non-Muslim country'.

'If we knew after 30 years we are going to have burqas running around and mosques being erected on every corner and people proposing sharia law against democracy in this country we wouldn't have come,' he said.

His outspoken opinion led to escalating threats from radical Muslims.

'Help Imam Tawhidi stay alive and safe': The Imam created the campaign page because he desperately needed security at his property

Tawhidi - seen during his 'crowning' ceremony - is the third generation of his line to be an imam

'Can someone take him out already, he's a waste of sperm,' one man wrote on Facebook

In response to the overwhelming abuse both online and offline, Imam Tawhidi created a GoFundMe charity page to raise money for extra security measures to help him 'stay alive and safe'.

'I need security iron grilles installed on my home windows which will cost around $10,000,' he said.

'I am looking to install a heavy duty fence around my property that will prevent any radicals from entering.'

He said he originally needed $50,000 to cover himself, but reduced it to $30,000 on Wednesday because he was offered a cheaper deal from a supporter.

Tawhidi - cutting a distinctive presence here at this rally - claims he has been subjected to a series of threats

'I have had radicals trespass my property before hoping to harm me.'

Imam Tawhidi said the campaign was a last ditch effort to ensure his safety while continuing to 'preach messages of peace and anti-radicalisation'.

'This is a campaign to keep me alive for as long as possible and to prevent any more attacks or threats directed at me,' he said.
On behalf of the 48 member hospitals in the North Dakota Hospital Association and the 1,600 physicians and medical students in the North Dakota Medical Association, we are writing to express our concerns about the Senates health care bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act.

NDHA and NDMA have long advocated for high quality, affordable health coverage for all North Dakotans. We know that without health insurance many people put off seeking medical treatment until their conditions are so severe they require care in a hospital's emergency department  the most expensive venue for that care.

Thousands of North Dakotans have obtained coverage through Medicaid Expansion and the health insurance exchange. We believe that as a result of this coverage expansion, North Dakota's residents will be healthier and more productive in the long run. In considering any changes to the current system, coverage is our top priority. The BCRA raises serious policy concerns in that regard. It is estimated that 22 million people will lose their insurance coverage by 2026, 15 million fewer people would have insurance in 2018 than today, and 49 million people would be uninsured by 2026.

We are especially concerned about the bill's Medicaid provisions, which would reduce vital federal support for this program. It would shift additional Medicaid costs onto the state, reducing federal Medicaid spending by $772 billion, or 26 percent, over 10 years. Had this system been in effect during the last session, our state Legislature would have had to appropriate $315 million in general funds rather than $45 million.

This is simply not sustainable.

The Senate bill would also lower the threshold for subsidies that help individuals with low income afford health coverage and lower the subsidies themselves. States could seek waivers from insurance regulations so that policies would no longer have to cover things such as maternity care, emergency services and mental health treatment. And the BCRA would repeal or delay the taxes  mainly on the wealthy  that offset the cost of the coverage expansion. It is fair to say that the price for these tax cuts for higher income Americans is deep Medicaid spending cuts for lower-income, disabled and elderly Americans.

NDHA and NDMA support maintaining key insurance market reforms, such as prohibiting pre-existing condition exclusions, maintaining adjusted community rating, and providing parental coverage for young adults up to age 26. In addition, Congress must make sure that Medicaid, CHIP and other safety net programs are adequately funded.

However, in our view, the BCRA does not achieve these goals. We urge our senators to vote against the BCRA. Instead, the Senate should go back to the drawing board and seek bipartisan solutions that truly reform health care. We stand ready to assist in achieving a better system.
Second rate breakfasts, early wake-up calls and a lack of good looking women are just some of the complaints dished out to Australian jails on Google reviews.

But others who claim to have spent time behind bars have praised the country's prisons for their high quality fish, convenient locations and scenic rural settings.

From the scathingly critical to the strangely complimentary, Daily Mail Australia can reveal some of the most bizarre appraisals of Australia's correctional centres.

Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre - Queensland

Queensland's Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre wasn't well received by two men claiming to be former inmates

One reviewer wrote: 'Wake-up call at 5am. Breakfast was second rate. No choice of activities and the staff were very rude, ordering me around'

The man wrote: 'The front desk refused to send up room service and no wine was served with dinner'

This high security remand centre for male prisoners in Brisbane's south-west wasn't well received by two men claiming to be former inmates.

One star: 'Wake up call at 5am. Breakfast was second rate. No choice of activities and the staff were very rude, ordering me around.

'The front desk refused to send up room service and no wine was served with dinner. I will not be recommending this hotel at all.'

One star: 'Lack of good looking woman.'

Silverwater Correctional Complex - New South Wales

A cell is pictured at the Silverwater Correctional Complex in Sydney's western suburbs

Silverwater was one jail to received raving reviews, with one praising its 'convenient location'

This man, claiming to be a former inmate at Silverwater, gave the jail a perfect five-star rating

Silverwater, a maximum and minimum security prison complex for males and females in Sydney's west, was one jail to receive raving reviews.

Four stars: 'Convenient location. Friendly inmates. Strict but fair guards. High quality fish and batter and also the steak.

'Would definitely recommend for family and friends visiting me here.'

Five stars: 'Pretty nice experience, it was very comfortable. The guards were very polite and the meals were very high quality.

'Other inmates were friendly as well. I'd visit this place again, might try go to maximum next time.'

St Heliers Correctional Centre - New South Wales

St Heliers prison (gates pictured), in Muswellbrook, was praised for its rural setting and floral surounds

'Great rural setting, cows everywhere, like a zoo,' read one Google review comment

'The basic free meals, milk and coffee included was a bonus,' this reviewer, who gave the jail three stars, wrote

St Heliers prison, in Muswellbrook, was praised for its rural setting and floral surrounds.

Three stars: 'Accommodation was OK for dorm style. I shared a room with four. The air raid siren was annoying.

'The basic free meals, milk and coffee included was a bonus. The tuckshop was only open one day a week so I ran out of ox most weeks.

'Great rural setting, cows everywhere, like a zoo. Except the animals were probably looking at at us. The endless supply of daytura (sic) was the highlight of my stay.'

Woodford Correctional Centre - Queensland

Woodford Correctional Centre was rated just 'OK', despite claims of cramped conditions

Woodford Correctional Centre (exterior pictured) is located about 30km north of Brisbane

'Pretty small jailcells, food was ok and lunch times need to be a bit longer but overall it's an ok jail (sic),' this post read

About 30km north of Brisbane, Woodford Correctional Centre was rated 'OK', despite claims of cramped conditions.

Two stars: 'Pretty small jailcells, food was ok and lunch times need to be a bit longer but overall it's an ok jail (sic).

Two stars: 'In my case, a bad thing can be a blessing in disguise, I would probably be dead by now if I never got locked up here a few years ago.

'I still don't know why they would ban there only vice, ciggerettes (sic).'

Marngoneet Correctional Centre - Victoria

This medium security prison in Lara, Victoria, divided opinion to say the least

'Yeah look food wasn't too bad and had some comfy beds,' said one, who gave the jail five stars

The food 'wasn't too bad' according to this reviewer, while praising the jails 'comfy' beds

This medium security prison in Lara, Victoria, divided opinion.

Five stars: 'Yeah look food wasn't too bad and had some comfy beds, made some good mates and had a great time while I was there. Looking forward to next time!'

One star: 'There was no anime to watch when I went.'

Wolston Correctional Centre - Queensland

Wolston Correctional Centre in Brisbane was one of the worst received jails on Google reviews

The prison (a cell inside is pictured) houses some of Australia's most high-profile inmates

'It is life on hell being locked up in there (sic)' The prison is one of the most notorious in the country

Queensland's Wolston Correctional Centre, which houses some of Australia's most high-profile prisoners, was one of the worst received jails on Google reviews.

One star: 'This is the worse place ever! They locked me up and refused to let me out! That my friends is total bull****!'

One star: 'It is life on hell being locked up in there (sic).'

Risdon Prison Complex - Tasmania

Risdon Prison Complex (exterior pictured) is a medium to maximum security near Hobart

One reviewer of the complex suggested the jail's bedding had 'minimal flees'. Another said the meals were substandard

Second rate breakfasts, early wake-up calls and a lack of activities are just some of the complaints dished out to Australian jails on Google reviews

One reviewer of Risdon Prison Complex, near Hobart, suggested the jail's bedding had 'minimal flees'.

Four stars: 'Value for money, reasonable shelter. Food abundant, however no chocolates left on the pillow. Decorated in art Deco style with minimalist undertones.

'Bedding had minimal fleas and I prefer to have a pillow menu, but overall not dissatisfied with my visit.'

One star: 'I find the meals to be disappointing here, prawns that are over-cooked, oysters poorly shucked with pieces of shell left behind - the list goes on.

'Their wine list is also quite poor featuring cheap imported wines rather than the local Tasmanian ones I was expecting.'

Lotus Glen Correctional Centre - Queensland

This far-north Queensland prison was given four out of five stars by one satisfied reviewer

'Fantastic accomodation, amazing scenery. To be honest the only let downs was the food as well as the lack of freedom and activities (sic),' the reviewer wrote

Some comments on Australian jails posted on Google reviews were strangely complimentary

This far-north Queensland prison was given four out of five stars by one satisfied reviewer.

Four stars: 'Fantastic accomodation, amazing scenery. To be honest the only let downs was the food as well as the lack of freedom and activities (sic).

'But otherwise I would highly recommend Lotus Glen Correctional Centre for your next stay on the tablelands.'
Kathy Griffin (seen above on June 2) was questioned by the Secret Service over the photo

Actress and comedian Kathy Griffin was questioned by the Secret Service over the photo of her holding the decapitated and bloodied head of 'President Donald Trump', it was reported on Tuesday.

Griffin was interviewed by the Secret Service for over an hour, according to journalist Yashar Ali.

The investigation is ongoing.

Last month, her Los Angeles-based lawyer, Dmitry Gorin, told reporters that his client intends to fully cooperate with the probe, which he feels is unnecessary.

'She basically exercised her First Amendment rights to tell a joke,' he told The New York Times.

'When you look at everything in the media, all the times entertainers make videos or express themselves in other ways, you've never seen an entertainer, let alone a comedian, be subject to a criminal investigation.'

Griffin tearfully apologized last month for posing with a fake bloodied and severed head depicting Trump, saying that she felt her career was now over and that Trump 'broke' her.

Griffin lost sponsorships and jobs, including her role as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with journalist Anderson Cooper, since the photograph and video from the shoot appeared on social media.

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Griffin tearfully apologized last month for posing with a fake bloodied and severed head depicting Trump, saying that she felt her career was now over and that Trump 'broke' her

President Trump said the image of Griffin with the gory mask resembling him was 'sick' and that it had traumatized his family, especially his youngest son, 11-year-old Barron.

Trump's oldest son, Donald Jr., called for employers to drop the comedian.

'I don't think I will have a career after this. I'm going to be honest, (Trump) broke me,' said Griffin, 56, a two-time Emmy-winning performer known for her deliberately provocative brand of humor.

She added that she had received death threats.

Griffin has lost sponsorships and jobs, including her role as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with journalist Anderson Cooper, since a photograph and video from the shoot appeared on social media

President Trump (left) said the image of Griffin with the gory mask resembling him was 'sick' and that it had traumatized his family, especially his youngest son, 11-year-old Barron (center). First Lady Melania Trump is seen on the right

Griffin reiterated the apology she posted on social media late on Tuesday, but remained defiant, saying, 'I'm not afraid of Donald Trump, he's a bully,' adding that she intended to continue making jokes about the president.

She also described herself as a provocative woman who has often had to deal with older white men in positions of power.

'What's happening to me has never happened ever, in the history of this great country, which is that a sitting president of the United States and his grown children and the first lady are personally, I feel, trying to ruin my life - forever,' she said.

Griffin said the photo was intended to mock Trump's comments during the presidential campaign, when he told CNN that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly had 'blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her - wherever' when she moderated a 2015 presidential debate.

Trump's remark was widely interpreted as referring to menstrual blood, implying that Kelly was in an unfriendly mood because she was menstruating.
A young man who molested his little stepsister in their cubby house threatened to harm their parents if she told anyone, a Melbourne court has heard.

The man, who was 17 at the time of offending, was charged with sexual penetration of a child under 16 over four instances in 2012.

In the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday, the now 22-year-old was sentenced to four years imprisonment with a non-parole period of two and a half years.

The court heard he sent off his stepbrother to fetch items from the house like a broom or some water.

A young man who molested his little stepsister in their cubby house threatened to harm their parents if she told anyone, a Melbourne court has heard. Stock photo

While his brother was away, the teen would pull down the girl's pants and molest her.

The judge said the teenager told the girl not to tell anyone otherwise her parents would get hurt.

Eventually the child told her friends and her mother about what her stepbrother had done.

The court heard the man had been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and a low IQ of 71.

A psychiatric assessment of the man found he had committed the crimes probably not from sexual deviance, but that his offending was "situational" or the result of sexual experimentation.

The man is said to have developed an adjustment and mood disorder since being charged with the crime and has been reluctant during proceedings because of his shame and embarrassment.

He is also reportedly fearful of other prisoners finding out about his crimes.

The judge, who took into account the man's guilty plea, said the offending had seriously affected the girl, who now had self-esteem issues, and self-harmed by cutting her upper legs and arms.

The judge said the man's father and stepmother had also been affected and their relationship strained, with the pair feeling betrayed and concerned for the girl's welfare.

The man was not placed on the sex offenders register, with the judge determining he did not pose a risk to the community.
An Australian pediatrician fighting for ISIS will likely soon be killed as coalition forces prepare to retake the Syrian city he is holed up in.

Perth-born Tareq Kamleh  dubbed 'Dr Jihad'  appeared in a propaganda video on Tuesday, urging Muslims in the West to join the terror group.

But it could be the last time he is seen alive as he and 4,000 other jihadists are surrounded by U.S-backed forces poised to take the once-feared stronghold.

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Perth-born Tareq Kamleh  dubbed 'Dr Jihad'  is seen for the first, and perhaps the last, time in more than two years in an official six-minute video released on Tuesday

Brett McGurk, U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, gave a grim warning that no quarter would be given in the coming bloody campaign.

'The mission is to make sure... that any foreign fighter who is here, who joined ISIS from a foreign country, who came into Syria, they will die here in Syria,' he told an Arabic TV station.

'If they are in Raqqa they are going to die in Raqqa.'

Most senior ISIS leaders have fled Raqqa but Kamleh appeared to have no intention of leaving the terrorist group and returning to Australia.

'Do as you please, I no longer consider myself an Australian,' he wrote on Facebook in 2015 after hearing the Australian Federal Police issued a warrant for his arrest.

He and 4,000 other jihadists are surrounded by U.S-backed forces poised to take the once-feared stronghold

I have no concern if you cancel my passport I knew where I was coming... I intend to stay here.'

Mr McGurk said the fight to retake the city in northern Syria would be hard fought as ISIS fortified Raqqa's old city and rigged it with booby traps.

'It is street by street, there are IEDs and landmines... and we are facing a suicidal enemy,' he said.

Raqqa was once a major hub for ISIS operations where leaders would train jihadists and plan terrorist attacks overseas.

In the latest propaganda video Kamleh, now going by Abu Yousef al-Australi, appeared pale, with dark circles under his eyes and sported a long, scraggly beard.

He was seen treating a child in a hospital before speaking to the camera while sat in a narrow tunnel under Raqqa, urging Muslims in the West to travel to join the so-called caliphate.

While sat in a narrow tunnel under the Syrian city of Raqqa, where he will likely die as U.S-backed forces prepare for a long bloody struggle promising to kill all ISIS members there

Before his spiel, Kamleh  dressed in scrubs - is seen appearing to treat a child in a hospital, who he says has been injured in a blast

Before his spiel, Kamleh  dressed in scrubs - is seen appearing to treat a child in a hospital, who he says has been injured in a blast.

'Is this one of the terrorists that America's wanting to hit?' he says, pointing to the little girl, who he later reveals has died.

'We are dealing with the countless numbers of burnt children that are coming in now from the continuous bombings that America is dropping on us.'

He adds: 'Is this really a war on terrorism?

'Is there no shame in those Muslims still in the West?'

Raqqa was once a major hub for ISIS operations where leaders would train jihadists and plan terrorist attacks overseas

Smoke rising from the old city of Raqqa where 4,000 jihadists are holed up preparing to fight to the death when coalition troops attack

Then, clad in combat gear and brandishing a rifle, Kamleh sits in a narrow tunnel and chides Muslims who haven't made 'hijrah' to join ISIS.

'It really surprises me how the Muslim nation is acting at the moment and how stagnant you have all become,' he says.

'We are under continuous bombing here and we are fighting hard to try and hold the lands of Islam.

'What more will it take for it to be a justified cause for you to come here and fight?

'And if you can't come here, jihad itself isn't only in the lands of Syria or only in the lands of Iraq.'

He adds: 'You are living in the countries that are sending us rockets. You are living in the countries that are killing Muslims in here and you are still paying taxes to them.

'You have no honour. You have no self-respect. You have no love for fellow Muslims.'

Kamleh then says he has a message for the 'kuffar' (non-believers) before he begins taunting US President Donald Trump.

'Now, a message to the Kuffar, to old Trump,' he says.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) run across a street in Raqqa

The ongoing march towards the old city where ISIS will make its last stand in Raqqa

'We were so happy because for a long time we have been waiting for your soldiers to meet us on the ground here.

'And your effeminate predecessor Obama danced around this subject for too long.

'He refused to send us your soldiers and now we know they are on the lands wanting to enter our lands.

'We are really eagerly awaiting your attempt to enter our cities.'

Chillingly, he concludes: 'We love death more than you love life.'

Kamleh's former colleagues, at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide and Mickey Base Hospital in Queensland, accused him of being lazy and leading a lavish playboy lifestyle while in Australia.
Police are offering a $100,000 reward for information that helps solve the suspected murder of Sydney woman Tracey Valesini more than 24 years ago.

Ms Valesini, then aged 20, was last seen at a custody hearing for her baby daughter at Campbelltown Courthouse in the city's southwest on January 8, 1993.

Tracey's terminally ill mother, Sandra McSavaney, made an impassioned plea on Wednesday - which would have been her daughter's 45th birthday.

Police are offering a $100,000 reward for information that helps solve the suspected murder of Sydney woman Tracey Valesini (pictured), who vanished more than 24 years ago

Ms Valesini (pictured as a schoolgirl), then aged 20, was last seen at a custody hearing for her baby daughter at Campbelltown Courthouse in 1993

'Someone knows what happened to my girl, and enough is enough - please tell the police what you know and help put my mind at ease,' she said.

'I've had enough, I've had a lot of birthdays and Christmas' without my child.

'It's like they put their hand in my chest and ripped my heart out. You should never have to bury your child, your child should have to bury you.'

Ms McSavaney said she had been given six months to live by doctors after being diagnosed with cancer, but had held on for close to five years.

'I'll be here until Tracey's found and then I might be happy and let go,' she said.

Detective Inspector Stewart Leggat, the Unsolved Homicide Team Coordinator, said Ms Valesini was a resilient, independent young woman.

'Unfortunately, these strengths have made investigating her disappearance difficult for police,' he said during the appeal.

'By all accounts, Tracey was very much in charge of her own life, even at a young age, and by her late teens, she would often go for long periods without visiting her family.'

Tracey's terminally ill mother, Sandra McSavaney, made an impassioned plea on Wednesday

Police believe the young mother (pictured as a young girl) died in a Wentworth Falls home she lived in with her boyfriend. The former partner said she had moved out well before she was announced missing after their relationship deteriorated

In 2001 they executed a search warrant and found blood in the Wentworth Falls home (pictured, where splatter was found), which they now believe belonged to Ms Valesin

But when the independent young mother missed a custody hearing, fighting for the right to look after her baby daughter, her family knew it was out of character.

'In addition to following up numerous reported sightings, police engaged with various agencies and financial institutions to gather information about her movements after December 1992,' Det Insp Leggat said.

'Through these inquiries, police were able to determine that Tracey moved to a home at Wentworth Falls with her new boyfriend and his sister and partner, where they lived until May 1993, but they have since told police Tracey moved out earlier in the year when their relationships deteriorated.

'She hadn't accessed her bank accounts or government benefits since December 1992, with the exception of a single deposit and withdrawal more than 12 months later.'

Mystery: 12 months after she went missing, someone deposited and then withdrew money from her bank account

Forensic testing on the blood splatter at the time, and again in 2004, were both inconclusive

Police are confident Ms Valesini died in that Wentworth Falls home, her last known place of residence.

In 2001 they executed a search warrant and found blood in the home's bathroom, which they now believe belonged to Ms Valesini.

Forensic testing on the blood splatter at the time, and again in 2004, were both inconclusive.

'As technology develops were hoping we may be able to link to the victim or an offender,' Det Insp Leggatt said.

'We're imploring anyone from the public that may have information to come forward and give us that information.

'There are a number of persons of interest.'
A P-plate driver has lived to tell the tale of how she drove head on into a one-tonne buffalo.

Kelsey Bissaker, 24, was driving on a remote Northern Territory road near the Adelaide River floodplains at about 1am on June 25 when she came across the huge buffalo in the middle of the road.

The young driver told NT News she had two choices - swerve and risk rolling her 1998 Mazda, or drive into the giant creature and hope for the best.

A P-plate driver has lived to tell the tale of how she drove head on into a one-tonne buffalo (beast pictured right, car wreckage left)

'There was no avoiding (the buffalo) at all,' she told the publication.

'We hit it on the back legs and it smashed into the windscreen. If it was a newer car it would probably have just crumbled the airbags saved us.'

Thankfully Ms Bissaker, and her two passengers were uninjured.

The car was a total write-off, and unfortunately the buffalo died at the scene.

After the crash Ms Bissaker called one of her friends who lived nearby to pick her up and take her back home to Darwin.

The wreckage and dead buffalo were spotted by Darwin man Steve Hawkett later the same day.

'I looked in the car and I could see the airbags had inflated, but I couldn't see any blood,' Mr Hawkett said.
A serial criminal who shot dead a female NYPD cop in a cold-blooded ambush early Wednesday morning had previously posted vulgar anti-police rants on Facebook Live.

Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, was sitting in her marked vehicle when 34-year-old Alexander Bonds shot at her through the passenger side window near the intersection of 183rd Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx.

Familia, a 12-year veteran of the force and mother of three, later died after being rushed to hospital for surgery.

Bonds was shot dead by other officers as he fled the scene.

Alexander Bonds, 34 (left), shot and killed NYPD officer Miosotis Familia, 48 (right), early Wednesday morning. He was later shot dead by other officers

A female NYPD officer was shot dead while sitting in a department vehicle (left) early Wednesday morning

Above, a close up view of the command trailer's shattered window after the early morning attack

He had a history of criminal convictions and made his hatred for police clear in anti-cop messages posted on social media.

In a Facebook Live video in September, Bonds ranted about law officers killing and abusing people and warned them to leave him alone or 'we gonna do something.'

'Police is f****ts, and this ain't no gimmick,' he said in the video.

'Don't think every brother, cousin or uncle you got that get (unintelligible) in jail is because of a Blood or Crip,' he said. 'Police be killing and saying an inmate killed them.'

N****s ain't taking it no more, Mr Officer. I'm here to tell you man. ... just keep your a** away from mine.'

The rant came months before Bonds ambushed officer Familia and killed her on Wednesday.

An innocent bystander was reportedly also shot in the stomach and is now in stable condition.

Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, has been identified as the victim. She died at the hospital. Above, emergency personnel stand near the scene of the shooting Wednesday morning

The suspect, 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, was shot dead by other officers after he was caught fleeing the scene. Above is the gun that was recovered at the scene after the deadly shooting

Officer Miosotis Familia was memorialized before the start of a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday

An officer helped escort a crying woman into Familia's apartment building in the Bronx on Wednesday

Bonds' criminal record included a 2001 arrest for beating up another NYPD officer with brass knuckles. Four others reportedly joined in assaulting the officer. The outcome of that case is not known.

Bonds was currently on parole for a 2014 robbery in Syracuse. He also had prior arrests for drug violations in 2000 and 2002. He is said to have had addresses all over the city, in the Bronx, Queens and several homeless shelters, and went by up to six different aliases.

New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill said Familia was 'assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops.'

The officer was in a command vehicle with her partner when the shooting occurred.

Familia's partner frantically radioed for help.

'Shots fired!' a panicked officer was heard shouting into his police radio just after shots rang out.

'I need a f*****g bus! 10-85 10-85! My partner's shot! My partner's shot! My partner's shot! Hurry up central!'

Police Commissioner James O'Neill (left) said that the attack was unprovoked. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (right) also spoke at the press conference early Wednesday morning

Bonds' (pictured) criminal record included a 2001 arrest for beating up another NYPD officer with brass knuckles. Four others reportedly joined in assaulting the office

Bonds (pictured left and right) was currently on parole for a 2014 robbery in Syracuse

Officers caught up with Bonds about a block away and killed him when he pulled a revolver. A silver revolver was recovered from the scene, police said.

The burst of gunfire as the Fourth of July wound down was initially mistaken by some for fireworks.

Familia was a 12-year veteran of the force who spent her entire career with the department in the high-crime Bronx precinct. The command post there had been set up and staffed around the clock since a triple shooting in March.

'She was on duty serving this city, protecting people, doing what she believed in and doing the job she loved,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

She had three children, including a set of twins, lived with her mother and worked the midnight shift.

Friends said she became an officer to help her community, and her family was heartbroken.

'Put it this way: She'd give you the shirt off her back. She was the sweetest person you ever want to meet,' downstairs neighbor Tom Ritter said. He said his son, now 22, played with Familia's children, and she practically 'adopted' him.

Even a woman who said her husband had been arrested by Familia had only kind words for the slain officer.

'She gave me good advice, like a mother to a daughter,' said Keisha Williams, 31, who said her husband was arrested on a marijuana charge. 'She's good, but she's a tough cookie. She's a good cop. I'm just sad it was her.'

The New York Fire Department received reports at about 12:30am of an officer who was shot near the intersection of 183rd Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx (seen above)

A police officer from the local 46th Precinct in the Bronx was shot sometime after midnight on Wednesday

Armed NYPD officers are seen above at the scene of the shooting

A large contingent of officers is seen at the intersection where the shooting took place early Wednesday morning

The NYPD also deployed an emergency service unit vehicle in the immediate aftermath of the shooting

Police said they were trying to establish the motive for the shooting.

While tensions have been running high in recent years between police and black people around the country, there was no immediate indication the killing had a racial or ethnic dimension.

Bonds was black; Familia was black and Hispanic, her family having come from the Dominican Republic. She apparently had no previous contact with him.

Bonds was caught on video leaving a convenience store, then moving tightly along the wall, pulling a hoodie over his head and walking purposefully toward the command post vehicle with gloved hands.

The video didn't capture the shooting itself but showed him running away with a gun in his hand, police said.

While all the department's new patrol cars are outfitted with bullet-resistant windows, the rolling command posts don't have them.

The attack recalled the 2014 ambush killings of two New York City officers who were gunned down in their marked car in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

They were killed by a man who had announced online moments before that he was planning to shoot two 'pigs' in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York. The gunman, 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, then killed himself.

Police at the scene put up yellow time demarcating the area where the shooting took place

The attack may have been an assassination and the gunman had posted anti-cop message sin social media, police sources told the New York Post

The shooting was remniscent of the December 2014 double shooting of two officers in Bedford-Steyvesant, Brooklyn. Above, a look at the Wednesday crime scene
An American Airlines flight attendant claims that her 'sexy' uniform is causing her to have serious health problems.

Heather Poole, a 20-year crew member for the popular airliner, has been blogging in recent months about the adverse effects she claims she has experienced while sporting the company-issued suiting.

'I get sick every time I go to work,' she wrote. 'Every time I go to work I feel terrible.

'Since the uniform debuted on September 20, I've seen more doctors than I've ever seen in my life and I've learned things about toxic chemicals I never knew before.

'Before the new uniform I didn't know what 'sensitizers' were or what 'synergy' meant, and I sure as heck would have never dreamed I'd develop 'MCS' (multiple chemical sensitivity). Now I'm practically an expert on the subject.'

Poole suffers from hypothyroidism and says the uniform has also negatively affected her condition.

Heather Poole, an American Airlines flight attendant, claims that her 'sexy' uniform is causing her to have serious health problems. She is pictured above shortly after sporting the new uniform in September

Poole, a 20-year crew member for the popular airliner, has been blogging in recent months about the adverse effects she claims she has experienced from the company-issued suiting. She is pictured above receiving treatment

She wrote: 'I get sick every time I go to work. Every time I go to work I feel terrible.' Poole suffers from hypothyroidism and says the uniform has negatively affected her condition

American gave out 1.5million new uniforms, which are slate gray as opposed to the old navy blue, to 70,000 employees in its first major uniform change in 30 years.

Since the company debuted the new uniforms in September, hundreds of other flight attendants have also claimed that it has caused them to become ill.

'It's kind of crazy to think your clothes could be poisoning you,' she wrote.

Flight attendants and customer service agents complained of 'eye swelling, rashes, skin blistering' plus wheezing, headaches, and vertigo, said the union that represents 25,000 of the flight attendants, according to NBC News.

They were given the option to wear their old uniforms, replace uniform pieces that were bothering them, and also use an alternate supplier, Aramark.

The older uniforms are made by Twin Hill, a unit of Tailored Brands in Houston, Texas.

Poole said that internet trolls have targeted her because some don't believe that her work uniform has led to making her sick. She is pictured above packing the uniforms up to be tested at a Harvard lab

However, flight attendants began complaining about rashes with those uniforms too.

In addition to flight attendants having issues with the clothing, American Airlines pilots have also complained about health issues they believe are being caused by the chemicals in the uniforms.

More than 3,000 members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants have also filed complaints about the new uniforms.

About 100 pilots said the new uniforms were giving them rashes, swollen eyes, and making them feel generally ill, reported Bloomberg News.

'They have to be fit for duty,' Dennis Tajer, an Allied Pilots Association spokesman, said. 'If the uniform is making them not fit for duty, then something has to change.'

Tajer said a couple of pilots became so sick they couldn't fly, and others only had symptoms when the uniforms were on.

In addition to flight attendants having issues with the clothing, American Airlines pilots have also complained about health issues they believe are being caused by the chemicals in the uniforms (file above)

Sadly, Poole said that internet trolls have targeted her because some don't believe that her work uniform has led to making her sick.

'Over the last nine months, I was called 'psycho' and 'crazy,' she wrote.

'Because the sexy stereotype won't die, nobody cares when we have something serious to discuss.

'Let the record state that I can't prove that any of my health problems are in fact caused by my wearing the uniform.

'I dread going to work. I love my job, but my job is making me sick.'

It has not yet been determined exactly what may be causing employees who wear the uniforms to become ill.

But American Airlines and the company that supplies the uniforms, Twin Hill, have both said multiple lab tests confirmed the clothes are completely safe.

In June it was announced that American Airlines and Twin Hill would part ways when their current contract expires in 2020.

The airliner insisted that the decision to sever business ties was 'mutual.'
The body of a homeless woman called Lucy, 50, (pictured) has been found buried on a popular tourist beach in Koh Samui, Thailand

Tourists have watched on in horror as police dug the body of a woman from a shallow grave on a popular beach in Thailand.

The woman, identified by the Bangkok Post as Lucy, 50, was found buried under about a metre of sand at Lamai Beach on Koh Samui on Monday.

Police told the Bangkok Post that Lucy, who was homeless and had been working as a masseuse, had a stab wound to her stomach and they suspected she had been murdered.

Shocked members of the public, including tourists and locals, were seen watching on as police dug in the sand.

Officers then lifted her body from the grave and moved her onto the sand, before placing her in a nearby vehicle.

Tourists had complained about a bad odour in the vicinity before someone saw clothing poking through the sand and called the police, reported Yahoo 7.

According to camera footage in the area, Lucy was last seen walking on the beach about 10pm on Saturday night.

Surat Thani police said they believed Lucy's body had been buried in the sand for up to three days.

They told the Bangkok Post they suspect Lucy had been robbed as a gold necklace that she was wearing earlier was not on her when she was found.

Tourists watched on as police uncovered the woman's body in the sand at Lamai Beach (pictured). Police said she had a stab wound to her stomach and they suspect she was murdered

Police have identified a suspect, a Burmese man called Ao who worked for a jet-ski renter on Lamai Beach.

The man in question had reportedly already left the island and fled to Myanmar.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Sirichai Kerdsri, a deputy police chief of Bo Phud station, told the Bangkok Post that Lucy had been living on the island for the past 15 years.
A terrified woman screamed for help and desperately struggled to break free from the grasp of two men who dragged her into a car in suburban Sydney, witnesses say.

Bystanders watched in horror as the incident unfolded in Burwood in the city's inner west just before 8.30pm on Tuesday.

Witnesses rushed to a nearby police station to report the incident, but by the time officers arrived, the car and the woman were gone.

A terrified woman screamed for help and desperately struggled to break free from the grasp of two men who dragged her into a car in suburban Sydney, witnesses say

There have been no recent missing person reports made in the area, but a desperate search is underway for the woman and their are grave concerns for her well-being.

She is thought to be between 30 and 35 years old, of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance and about 175cm tall.

She has a large build, brown hair tied in a bun, and was wearing black tracksuit pants, blue shoes, and a black zip-up leather jacket over a black jumper.

Police have released images of a man who can assist with the investigation.

He is believed to be about 25-30 years of age, of Indian or Sub-Continental appearance, 170-176cm tall, clean shaven, with a thin build.

At the time he was wearing a black jumper, khaki-coloured pants and a black beanie.

Police have released images of a man who they believe can assist with their investigations

Police have been told the vehicle was a dark silver or grey coloured four-door hatchback, with a rounded shape.

'Officers from Burwood Local Area Command have launched an investigation into the incident,' a police spokesperson said.

'Investigators believe there may be other witnesses to the incident who are yet to contact police and are appealing for those people, as well as anyone else who may have information, to come forward.'

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to the incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online.
Gov. Doug Burgum is accepting applications to the State Water Commission after asking all seven members to reapply for their jobs.

Burgum accepted resignations from the members, who combined have more than 100 years of service, and opened up applications that are due July 21.

Burgum, who became chairman of the nine-member State Water Commission after taking office as governor last December, also required members of his Cabinet to reapply for their jobs.

It is always a good board governance practice to thoroughly review a pool of leadership candidates at the beginning of a new term, Burgum said in a statement.

The seven members appointed by the governor serve six-year terms, with members from each of the major drainage basins in North Dakota.

Two of the members, Harley Swenson of Bismarck and Robert Thompson of Page, joined the commission in 1993 under appointments by then-Gov. Ed Schafer.

Commission member Larry Hanson of Bismarck has served on the panel since 1999, while Maurice Foley of Minot and Arne Berg of Devils Lake were both appointed in 2006.

Douglas Vosper of Neche has served on the commission since 2008 and George Nodland of Dickinson has served since 2013.

Burgum formally accepted resignations from all seven at the commission's June meeting. He reappointed three members, Berg, Foley and Hanson, so the board will have a quorum until appointments have been made.

The members of the commission are eligible to reapply for the positions.

The state of North Dakota is grateful for the leadership of these State Water Commission members, Burgum said. Their service in promoting water resource management and addressing flood protection, water supply and other water issues is greatly appreciated.

As of Wednesday, at least 15 had applied for the commission, including Berg and Foley, said Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki. Thompson has informed the governor's office he does not plan to reapply, Nowatzki said.

The application form can be found at https://www.governor.nd.gov/boards/.

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring also serves on the commission as an ex-officio member.

The state engineer serves as the commissions executive officer, overseeing the staff who carry out the commissions work.
A reporter was vomited on while covering a July 4th celebration on live television.

KTLA reporter Wendy Burch was on the scene for the annual Hermosa Beach Iron Man Tuesday morning.

The 'Iron Man' has competitors run one mile, paddle board one mile and must then chug a six-pack of beer - without vomiting - on July 4th.

After the competitors had already run and paddled their miles, Burch interviewed one competitor on the beach during the last part of the challenge on live television.

KTLA reporter Wendy Burch was on the scene for the annual Hermosa Beach Iron Man Tuesday morning, where competitors run one mile, paddle board one mile and then chug a six-pack of beer - without vomiting - on July 4th

While Burch interviews him, they hear something happening to their right.

As they look over, the camera pans to a woman in a bikini kneeling on the ground and vomiting.

After the competitors had already run and paddled their miles, Burch, pictured, interviewed one competitor on the beach during the last part of the challenge on live television

Smiling, Burch shouts, 'It's getting ugly, it's getting ugly,' before adding that the woman had been trying to finish her six-pack.

Burch then turns back to the man she had been interviewing before.

'It looks like you've been training for this for some time,' she laughs.

'I've been training for this for about 25 years,' he replies.

But in the middle of his response, someone from off-camera vomits all over the man, which hits Burch.

The moment the projectile hits the reporter, her face goes from smiling to horror and the live video cuts back to the studio where one anchor is covering her mouth and the other is grimacing.

When Burch came back on air later, she said: 'We want to hope it was people throwing beer, but who knows.'

Writing later on the Huffington Post, Burch said: 'I grabbed a guy who appeared to be a spirited competitor, and from the evidence of his beer belly, had been clearly training for this event for years.

'My hope was that his broad ah, erh shoulders, could shield our morning viewers from the upsand from what wasnt staying downin this competition. What I didnt notice until later, is that he had a bullseye drawn on his back with the words puke here written in magic marker.

'And wouldnt you know it? Someone took him up on the offer right during the middle of my live report, much to the chagrin, of me, our anchors and anyone in Southern California who may have been eating breakfast at that very moment.'

She also explained that while the anchors were trying to regain their composure, she assumed she was still live.

'So, for the better part of the next two minutes, i Just kept interviewing drunken people, while sudsy substances flew in the air and landed in my hair.

'Let's say, after that, it was a wrap.'

In the middle of one of the competitor's responses, someone off-camera vomits all over the man, which hits Burch
Two Australian citizens were wrongly sent to immigration detention after their visas were automatically cancelled for criminal convictions.

One of the men was sent to Christmas Island and the other detained onshore after their release from prison, and let go when the error was discovered.

Both men were dual-citizens, one originally from New Zealand, and Border Force's systems did not detect their immigration status.

Two Australian citizens were wrongly sent to immigration detention, including one on Christmas Island (pictured)

'Two individuals were detained after their visas were cancelled mandatorily under section 501 of the Migration Act 1958,' the Immigration Department said in a statement.

'After it was identified that each individual held dual Australian citizenship, arrangements were immediately made for their release from immigration detention.

'The circumstances surrounding their detention have been reviewed and appropriate safeguards have been implemented.'

The pair's cases were not related and the mistake was made by a departmental delegate of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, according to Fairfax.

Both men were dual-citizens, one originally from New Zealand, and Border Force's systems did not detect their immigration status

Section 501 states that a non-citizen's visa must be cancelled if they served a jail sentence of more than a year or were found guilty of child sex crimes.

The department would not detail the date, length or circumstances of their detention, or the second man's other nationality.

The error was reminiscent of two Australian women who were detained or deported more than a decade ago.

Vivian Solon was deported to the Philippines in 2001 when immigration agents wrongly assumed she was trafficked into Australia as a sex slave.

It took the department two years to realise she was an Australian citizen and did not tell her family, who filed a missing person's report, until 2005.

The cases are reminiscent of Vivian Solon, who was deported to the Philippines in 2001 when it was wrongly assumed she was trafficked into Australia as a sex slave

Similarly, mentally ill woman Cornelia Rau was in 2004-05 locked up for 10 months after the department didn't follow its own procedures for identifying her

Ms Solon was later handed more than $4.5 million in taxpayer money as compensation.

Mentally ill woman Cornelia Rau was in 2004-05 locked up for 10 months after the department didn't follow its own procedures for identifying her.

George Newhouse, who represented both Ms Solon and Ms Rau, said the bungling department acted like a 'bunch of cowboys' who didn't investigate properly.

Sweeping changes were imposed after the two disastrous cases but Mr Newhouse said they were gradually rolled back or eroded over the years, and the new cases meant it 'might be out of control again'.

The wrongful detention is yet more bad news for Border Force after its commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg became embroiled in a sex scandal with a junior staffer

'It doesn't surprise me in the slightest if the Turnbull government and Peter Dutton are going back to those bad old days,' he told The Guardian.

'While we don't know the details of these two new cases, whoever they are and whatever they are alleged to have done, they are Australian citizens.'

He said Mr Dutton was 'up to his neck' in the latest scandal and his desire to not be constrained by judicial oversight caused the error.
A Brazilian man caught drink driving with eight people in his car, which had a flat tyre, has been sentenced to six months in jail.

Arthur Rohsig, who previously described himself as a 'sick c*** living the dream' on social media, blew 0.172 after after being pulled over with a flat tyre at Phillip Bay in Sydney's southeast on April 30.

Police alleged seven people were found cramped on the back seat.

Rohsig, who is on a student visa, laughed when police explained the seriousness of the offence.

Arthur Rohsig (pictured) was sentenced to six months in jail after being caught drink driving
Police investigating the Grenfell Tower disaster say they have made '87 recoveries' but stressed that 'the catastrophic damage' inside means 'that is not 87 people'.

Commander Stuart Cundy, who is overseeing the Metropolitan Police response to the fire said that while they have now 'forensically recovered the last of the visible human remains' they still cannot say how many people have been recovered.

The news comes after it was revealed the devastated families of victims will be forced to wait a year until they can identify their loved ones' bodies.

Grieving relatives were given the heartbreaking news at a private meeting where they were told the 'recovery phase' inside the building would take months.

Police investigating the Grenfell Tower disaster say they have made '87 recoveries' but stressed that 'the catastrophic damage' inside means 'that is not 87 people'

Today Commander Cundy said: 'On Monday, we forensically recovered the last of the visible human remains from Grenfell Tower and transferred them to Westminster Mortuary.

'In total we have made 87 recoveries, but I must stress that the catastrophic damage inside Grenfell Tower means that is not 87 people.

'Until formal identification has been completed to the Coroner's satisfaction I cannot say how many people have now been recovered.'

Some 21 bodies have been formally identified by the coroner and their families informed, Mr Cundy said, adding he does not want there to be any 'hidden victims'.

He also said that his team has spoken to at least one person who lived in 106 of the 129 flats within Grenfell Tower, but added: 'Tragically, there are still 23 flats where despite our investigative efforts we have been unable to trace or speak to anyone who was in those properties on the night.

'We assume that sadly no-one from any of those flats survived.

Pictured: Heartbroken relatives attend the Q&A meeting - where they were told they would have to wait a year to identify their loved ones' bodies

'Until our search operation is complete, I cannot say with any certainty how many people may have been in those flats, as occupiers or visitors, that night.'

He added: 'Work continues using all available techniques, supported by experts and specialists, to identify all those whose remains we have recovered.'

A search by hand has started and will involve investigators 'meticulously' sifting through about 15.5 tonnes of debris on each floor, he said.

On Tuesday evening, families of those who died in the fire and those who are missing and presumed dead met Mr Cundy and the senior coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox.

Relatives heard at the private meeting that their loved ones may not be identified until the end of the year.

During a Q&A with victims' families Westminster coroner Fiona Wilcox described the horrific scenes inside the tower block inferno as 'apocalyptic.'

Pictured: Families console each other as they attend the meeting in west London last night

Loved ones of Jessica Urbano wear a t-shirt with her face on as they attend the meeting

At least 80 people are feared dead from the blaze, which ripped through the residential building on June 14.

Those who did manage to flee the fire are still waiting for new homes, with many forced to live in hotels and bed and breakfasts.

Furious families and friends were seen storming out of the meeting at the Olympia London, with Dr Wilcox and Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy in attendance.

Lotifa Begum, who was speaking on behalf of the Grenfell Muslim Response Unit and who left partway through the meeting, said some of the families inside the meeting were 'very upset and angry'.

According to an email invite seen by the Press Association, the summit was an opportunity for victims' families to 'have some questions answered'.

However, relatives were told before the Q&A that they would not be allowed to put questions directly to Dr Wilcox or Commander Cundy, and had to email their questions in by 11am the day before.

Ms Begum said: 'A lot of the families would have appreciated a lot more time and notice.'

Nabil Choucair, who still does not know what happened to six members of his family who were in the tower on the night of the fire, said the meeting had left him 'devastated' - although the police had divulged little new information.

Nabil Choucair still does not know what happened to six members of his family who were in the tower on the night of the fire

Chris Imafidon said he felt 'insulted' that victims' families were not allowed to directly ask questions inside

Police officers arrive at Kensington Olympia in west London to attend a meeting between families of victims of the Grenfell Tower fire

'There was a lot of information not being given out to the members of the families,' he said.

'Everybody wants to know the truth.'

He said police liaison officers allocated to families had not been able to answer their questions due to a lack of information from people higher up.

Chris Imafidon left about two and a half hours after the meeting began, and said he felt 'insulted' that victims' families were not allowed to directly ask questions inside.

He asked: 'Why would you not take questions if you don't have anything to hide?'

His close friend Mohamed Amied Neda had lived on the 23rd floor of the tower.

At least 80 people are feared dead from the blaze, which ripped through the residential building on June 14

The 57-year-old was found outside the building and died from multiple injuries consistent with a fall.

Mr Imafidon added that many people did not know about the meeting until lunchtime on Monday, just hours after it was called, and a day before it happened.

Emerging from the meeting, he said he had been told inside not to speak to members of the press afterwards.

Mr Imafidon also criticised the daily newsletter provided to update friends and family of victims.

'After reading this letter you know less' he said. 'There is nothing in this that is specific to any case, they just tell you generalities.'

Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the retired judge leading the Grenfell Tower probe, has promised to listen to a 'broad range of evidence, including on the role of the relevant public authorities and contractors', and said he wants to hear from people directly affected by the fire about the 'questions we should be seeking to answer'.

Just nine offers of accommodation have been accepted by Grenfell towers families who lost their homes as majority of survivors remain in hotels three weeks later

The majority of Grenfell Tower survivors remain in hotels three weeks after the deadly blaze as the Government attempts to find them suitable accommodation.

Just nine households hoping to be moved out of emergency accommodation have accepted offers for more permanent living arrangements, Grenfell Response Team (GRT) said.

Some 139 offers had been made following 158 housing needs assessments, on the eve of the three-week deadline the Government set itself for offering housing to all of those displaced by the blaze.

The majority of Grenfell Tower survivors remain in hotels three weeks after the deadly blaze as the Government attempts to find them suitable accommodation

GRT said every household that wanted to move from emergency accommodation had been made offers in Kensington and Chelsea or neighbouring boroughs, while 19 families were contacted and had either refused assistance or were abroad.

This was for a range of reasons, including some who were looking after relatives in hospital, and the response team was 'ready to provide them with accommodation when they were ready'.

Campaigners and residents claim little headway has been made, with some survivors reportedly being offered new accommodation with rent up to triple the amount they paid before.

SURVIVORS SLAM 'UNACCEPTABLE' APPOINTMENT OF LEADER The selection of a former council cabinet member to lead the local authority at the centre of the Grenfell Tower fire is 'completely unacceptable', a survivors' group campaigner has said. Kensington Conservatives have nominated Elizabeth Campbell to take over from Nicholas Paget-Brown, who resigned on Friday, and lead the embattled Kensington and Chelsea Council. Mr Paget-Brown stepped down amid fierce criticism of the council's response to the Grenfell tragedy, in which at least 80 people died nearly three weeks ago. In her first public statement, Mrs Campbell said she was 'truly sorry' and pledged to 'heal the wounds' in the community. But Sue Caro, a co-ordinator of the Justice 4 Grenfell group that represents survivors, said she had no confidence in the leadership of the council and called for it to be dissolved. She told the Press Association: 'I know that she has a track record that's not considered to be particularly good. 'I know that she was a cabinet member already - it's completely unacceptable. It's like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. 'They have shown they are not fit to run a council or deliver the services that are needed and I don't really think it matters who is the leader.' Advertisement

Many are said to have been offered properties that are either out of the borough, too expensive or on a one-year contract.

One resident reported being shown a two-bed property when they required a three-bed, others had been offered places in high-rises, and another survivor was said to have been offered permanent accommodation with the caveat that no guests could stay overnight.

GRT has said rent will be suspended for one year and thereafter will be of a 'similar scale to a council house social rent', while survivors should feel under no pressure to take up the first offers.

Pilgrim Tucker, a campaigner working with Grenfell Tower families, said: 'Their concern is they are not being talked to properly, just being presented with an offer.

'People are being texted saying 'here is your offer, it is rent free for a year and then it is 400 a week' - that is triple what they are paying before.'

She said the example of tripled rent had come from one specific survivor from the tower. It is not clear how many others had been offered similar deals.

A spokesman for the North Kensington Law Centre called on the Government to ensure messages were being communicated clearly on the ground to prevent survivors experiencing 'additional stress'.

He said: 'Three weeks on from the Grenfell Fire disaster, many of our clients are still staying in short-term, temporary accommodation such as hotels and B&Bs.

'The Government have made promises about putting the survivors in temporary and permanent housing, which is welcome.

'However, there are unanswered questions about whether those residents will have to pay more rent than they did previously, and whether their new tenancies, both temporary and permanent, will guarantee them the same rights and protections they had before.'

Most of the 160 households evacuated from the 'finger blocks' surrounding the tower - Testerton Walk, Hurstway Walk and Barandon Walk - are still in emergency accommodation, a Kensington and Chelsea council spokesman said.

A number of households had gone back to their homes, he said, while some families were returning in the day to cook meals and spending the nights in hotels.

Repair work on a broken boiler affecting the properties was due to be completed by Wednesday, he added.

The fire tore through Grenfell Tower within minutes setting it alight like a tinderbox

Eleanor Kelly, chief executive of Southwark Council and spokeswoman for the Grenfell Response Team, would not be drawn on whether displaced residents should be given a guarantee that their rents will not rise in their new accommodation.

She told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'I would recommend to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea that they recognise the commitment they have to these people and that is a very, very long term decision.'

Asked if it would be reasonable for the rents not to increase, she said: 'I think that it would be perfectly reasonable for these people to be financially, and emotionally and socially supported for the rest of their lives.'

Ms Kelly denied residents had been told that they would not pay rent for a year before paying a greater fee in the future.

Cabinet minister Chris Grayling would not put a deadline on finding permanent accommodation for the Grenfell survivors.

'It's going to depend on the individual families. They are taking decisions about their own circumstances and we want to work with them to make sure those decisions are the right ones for them,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The Transport Secretary added: 'No local authority in London simply has a big block of vacant permanent accommodation available, so what we are trying to do is make sure that people are properly housed in the meantime and those permanent solutions are available as quickly as possible.

'All of us feel desperately, desperately sorry and concerned for those who have been through such a traumatic event and everyone wants to get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible.'
ISIS hold just 600 square yards of territory in Mosul - an area holding 300 of its fighters an Iraqi commander has revealed.

The extremists have been surrounded in a small enclave in the Old City amid fears many of the buildings are still packed with civilians.

Up to 1,500 trapped residents flee with every 100 yard advance by government forces.

Iraqis walk by the destroyed Al-Nuri Mosque as they flee from the Old City of Mosul on Wednesday

A tank of the Emergency Response Division fires at Islamic State militants in the old city of Mosul

An Iraqi Special Forces soldier stands in position in an alley as Iraqi forces continue their advance against ISIS in the Old City of Mosul

ISIS forces hold just 600 square yards of territory in Mosul's Old City - an area holding 300 of its fighters - an Iraqi commander has claimed. The area is believed to be next to the Tigris River which runs through the centre of the town the jihadis once claimed as a strong-hold

Iraqis flee from the Old City of Mosul during the Iraqi government forces' offensive to retake the city from Islamic State

Iraqi displaced people flee their houses due to the fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic state group

A member of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) advances in the Old City of Mosul on Wednesday

Civilians flee as members of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) advance in Mosul, Iraq

Iraqi forces moved to besiege the Old City before launching their attack in order to prevent ISIS fighters from fleeing to neighbouring Syria.

But Lieutenant General Sami al-Aridi of Iraq's special forces said hundreds of militants still managed to escape from the Old City alone.

'They just shave their beards and walk out,' al-Aridi said. 'Just yesterday we captured two among a group of women and children.'

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi last night congratulated the armed forces on a 'big victory' in Mosul, despite ongoing clashes.

The prime minister declared an end to the extremist group's self-styled Islamic caliphate in June.

ISIS captured Mosul in a matter of days when it swept across northern and central Iraq in the summer of 2014.

Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition launched a major operation to retake the city in October.

Members of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) stand in a street in the Old City of Mosul on July 5, 2017, during the government forces' ongoing offensive to retake the city from IS

An Iraqi boy carries a girl on his back while fleeing from the Old City of Mosul on Wednesday

Smoke rises from an air strike during a fight between Iraqi forces and Islamic State in Mosul

The extremists have been surrounded in a small enclave in the Old City amid fears many of the buildings are still packed with civilians. Iraqi special forces Lt. Col. Salam Hussein, centre, and his team watch ISIS positions using a surveillance camera near the frontline

An Iraqi Special Forces soldier walks on clothes left behind by fleeing civilians in an alley as Iraqi forces continue their advance against ISIS in Mosul

Iraqi forces moved to besiege the Old City before launching their attack in order to prevent ISIS fighters from fleeing to neighbouring Syria

A member of the CTS made his way into a building during the offensive to retake the city from IS
The North Korean ambassador in London has been summoned to the Foreign Office for a dressing-down over his country's test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Britain has condemned the launch as a breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions which demonstrated the 'grave danger' which the secretive and oppressive Pyongyang regime poses to the region.

Foreign minister Mark Field said he urged the regime to 'change course' and end the illegal pursuit of its weapons programme.

North Korea on Tuesday said it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting US experts to say the device could reach Alaska

The 'landmark' test, believed to be pictured above, of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un

Weapons experts in the United States said that the missile has the potential to reach areas of Alaska

Following his meeting with ambassador Choe Il at the Foreign Office in London, foreign minister Mr Field said: 'I summoned North Korea's ambassador today to stress in the strongest terms the UK's condemnation of their latest missile launch.

'The actions of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) are a direct violation of multiple Security Council resolutions and are a threat to regional and international security.

'The UK will discuss the international community's response at today's emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

'I call on the North Korean regime to change course and focus on the welfare of its people, instead of the illegal pursuit of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the ICBM test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that also includes atomic and hydrogen bombs

On Tuesday the missile hit its target 580 miles away after a 39-minute flight.

Experts believe it had the range to reach the US state of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

US and South Korean soldiers responded by firing 'deep strike' precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters.

The Pentagon stated it was prepared to defend the US and its allies and use all capabilities necessary against the growing threat from the despotic state.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second from right, inspects the preparation of the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile

After personally overseeing the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile, leader Kim Jong Un taunted the US, saying it was a 'gift' to 'American b******s' on their Independence Day.

He said the test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that also includes atomic and hydrogen bombs, according to state Korea Central News Agency.

He said North Korea would not negotiate with the US over its weapons programme until Washington abandoned its hostile policy against the country.

'He, with a broad smile on his face, told officials, scientists and technicians that the US would be displeased ... as it was given a 'package of gifts' on its 'Independence Day',' KCNA said.

Kim ordered them to 'frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees,' it added.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said the test of the Hwasong-14 missile marked the 'final step' in creating a 'confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth'.

The secretive state also said its latest missile could carry a large nuclear warhead.

The test still may be the North's most successful yet; a weapons analyst says the missile could be powerful enough to reach Alaska

US President Donald Trump has voiced frustration with China for failing to do more to cut off support to the administration of Kim.

He tweeted yesterday: 'Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 pct in the first quarter. So much for China working with us  but we had to give it a try!'

Meanwhile US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the White House intends to 'enact stronger measures' to hold the country accountable and the US 'will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea'.

The test missile, believed to be pictured above, reached an altitude of 1741.082 miles (2,802 kilometres) and flew 580 miles (933 kilometres)

On Thursday South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged major powers to look into increased sanctions against North Korea.

In a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel he said: 'This is a great threat and provocation.'

Moon said he would use the G20 summit in Hamburg this week to drum up support for tougher sanctions against Pyongyang.

'North Korea should stop (their missile programme) immediately...We should work on more sanctions,' he said.

But he also stressed that problems with North Korea had to be resolved through peaceful diplomacy.

Mrs Merkel said North Korea continued to violate international law by pushing ahead with its nuclear and ballistic programmes.

She said: 'We will talk about how best to react, how we can keep up the pressure, how we can further increase sanctions.'
Theresa May and Boris Johnson have both declined the opportunity to step in to help terminally ill Charlie Gard, as his parents continue to push for his treatment abroad.

The Prime Minister said Great Ormond Street would make the 'best decisions' for the baby, while Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson said it was right that doctors made the choices and had them backed by the courts.

Mrs May said decisions should be left to doctors, though she added that she was confident ' that Great Ormond Street Hospital have and always will consider any offers or new information that has come forward with consideration of the wellbeing of a desperately ill child'.

In a phone call with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, Mr Johnson made clear the Government would not intervene as he told his counterpart 'this was a deeply tragic and complex case for all involved, and it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, in line with Charlie's best interests'.

The Prime Minister is under huge pressure to intervene in the ten-month-old's battle to survive but refused to say if she would help his parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard get him to America or Rome.

Charlie Gard's doctors has already rejected an offer of treatment from the Pope's own hospital claiming their 'hands are tied' - his parents Chris and Connie say they have new hope he will be saved

Theresa May says GOSH's doctors will make the right decisions for Charlie while Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano says he will now call his counterpart Boris Johnson (pictured together in April) to urge him to intervene and let the ten-month-old travel to Rome - or America - to prolong his life

Charlie has a passport and visa but his doctors say he cannot travel to America because it would cause him pain

Great Ormond Street is holding firm in its wish to end his life and has already rejected an offer of treatment from the Pontiff's own hospital claiming their 'hands are tied'.

But experts have told MailOnline today that Charlie's doctors do have the chance to change their decision and the ten-month-old could be released within 'a few hours' if they returned to court.

Mrs May today said the decision should be left to doctors and told MPs: 'It is an unimaginable position for anybody to be in and I fully understand and appreciate that any parent in these circumstances will want to do everything possible and explore every option for their seriously ill child.

'But I also know that no doctor ever wants to be placed in the terrible position where they have to make such heartbreaking decisions.'

Q&A: Can Charlie be saved at the 11th hour? Charlie's parents 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 How can doctors end Charlie's life against his parents' wishes? Great Ormond Street (GOSH) took Charlie's case to the High Court and a judge agreed to allow them to end Charlie's treatment because it was not in his 'best interests' after he agreed it will cause him pain and will not improve his condition. The Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights all rejected appeals by his parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates, who believe they should have the final say on their son's treatment. In Britain the rights of the patient override the wishes of the parents if doctors disagree. For example there are several cases where Jehovah's Witnesses are given a blood transfusion by doctors despite religious objections from parents. Can the doctors change their mind and not turn off his life support? Yes. Great Ormond Street could go back to the High Court to stop the order they fought for this year. The process of gaining a Consent Order could be done on an urgent basis and completed in less than two hours. Experts have told MailOnline this is the only way Charlie could travel to America or Rome for treatment because his parents' appeals appear to have been exhausted. Can the hospital stop his parents taking him to America without permission? Yes. If doctors believe that any parent will cause suffering to their child, police can be called in to arrest them using Powers of Protection legislation. In the case of young cancer sufferer Ashya King his parents faced a European Arrest Warrant after absconding with their son who was in hospital. Charlie is on a ventilator so would require a team of medical staff to move him and his equipment. Why won't the hospital let Charlie die at home? Connie Yates and Chris Gard say doctors have denied their 'final wish' to take Charlie home to die. Travelling to a hospice was also denied. While judges ruled that his treatment should end, there is nothing in the judgments that says the little boy cannot be outside the hospital. Great Ormond Street refused to tell MailOnline on what basis that decision was taken. If parents still refuse to accept treatment should be withdrawn, can the hospital end it anyway? Yes. Police could be called in to facilitate treatment being ended if parents were violently preventing it - although it is highly unlikely this would happen. Doctors are more likely to try to 'persuade' parents to let it happen. If the parties remain at loggerheads for a long period the hospital could go back to court for an injunction and ask a judge to set a deadline for treatment to be withdrawn. A less stringent deadline for Charlie's life support machine to be shut off was at Midnight last Wednesday, but this has lapsed to allow his parents and loved-ones to say goodbye. MailOnline understands GOSH has twice postponed ending his treatment - once last Friday and again on Monday. Advertisement

Referring to interventions by Donald Trump and Pope Francis Mrs May said: 'I am confident that Great Ormond Street Hospital have and always will consider any offers or new information that has come forward with consideration of the wellbeing of a desperately ill child'.

His parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates are at Charlie's bedside today and still believe they can win the battle with his doctors.

Great Ormond Street is under increasing pressure to change its mind about ending the ten-month-old's life and has already delayed his death twice, MailOnline understands.

Miss Yates said: 'The support from the Pope and the President has given us hope. They are traditional men who believe in the family. They believe in our case and understand why we believe it is right to continue fighting so hard to save Charlie.'

Experts have told MailOnline that their only hope is that doctors change their minds.

Solicitor Trevor Tayleur, Associate Professor of the University of Law, said: 'If the doctors decided to change their minds about stopping treatment they would have to ask the High Court to set aside their order'.

He added: 'This could be done in just a few hours'.

Dr Kim McGuire, a Senior Lecturer at Lancashire Law School, said: 'The hospital could perhaps seek further medical opinion on the likelihood of success of alternative treatment, for Charlie, and of travel to obtain this - bearing in mind the best interests of the child'.

She added: 'The hospital will argue that it has huge expertise in mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome'.

Family lawyer Zoe Fleetwood, from Dawson Cornwell, said: 'If doctors agree that Charlie Gard can go to America or Rome a consent order would be needed'.

But others are more pessimistic.

Sarah Jones, a human rights lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said: 'The legal question of what can be done has been taken away from the doctors, who referred the case to court for an independent decision on what is in his best interests.

'The doctors felt that continuing treatment  both conventional and experimental - was cruel. The court has made its decision by assessing all of the evidence, including the parents' wishes and independent medical evidence, and they agreed with the doctors. Every other court has agreed.

'It must be incredibly distressing for Charlie's family, but it would be unimaginable that the treating team would now change their minds'.

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano also called his counterpart Boris Johnson to urge him to intervene and let the ten-month-old travel to Rome - or America - to prolong his life.

But the UK Foreign Secretary told his Italian counterpart that it is 'right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts' in line with Charlie Gard's 'best interests'.

Pope Francis's spokesman has also vowed to 'overcome' British legal rulings, which have condemned the baby to death.

Donald Trump has said Charlie will be treated for free in the US and the Pope's own hospital in Rome says it will do the same.

Theresa May is also being urged to make a 'moral intervention' and allow Charlie's parents to make final decisions about his care.

But according to La Repubblica Great Ormond Street claims that its legal battles to have to right to end Charlie's life means they cannot change their minds.

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said: 'Our ambassador has already spoken to the management of the Great Ormond Street Hospital and their answer was that their hands are tied by two judgments to be respected.

'(Today) I will have a telephone conversation with my counterpart Boris Johnson and I'll talk with him'.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates are spending the last days of their 11-month-old son Charlie's life with him at hospital in London

The US President tweeted: 'If we can help little Charlie Gard, as per our friends in the UK and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so'

But Mr Johnson has told his Italian counterpart it is 'right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts'.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Italian Foreign Minister Alfano held a long-scheduled telephone call today to discuss a range of foreign policy issues.

Eminent doctor Lord Winston has criticised attempts to transfer the 10-month-old from the central London hospital to America or Rome

'They covered the UK proposal for EU citizens' rights post-Brexit, migration, Afghanistan, and the upcoming Western Balkans conference being chaired by Italy.

'Minister Alfano also raised the case of Charlie Gard and the Pope's recent offer of treatment in Italy.

'The Foreign Secretary said this was a deeply tragic and complex case for all involved, and said it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, in line with Charlie's best interests.'

Mariella Enoc, President of the Bambino Gesu  which is owned by the Vatican and known as the 'Pope's hospital'  said: 'I was contacted by Charlie's mother - a very determined lady who asked me to investigate the possibility of care is - our doctors are investigating this possibility.

'But the British hospital told us that for legal reasons they may not transfer the child to us'.

Pope Francis has sent a message of hope to Chris Gard and Connie Yates and tweeted about the sanctity of life - a plea for Charlie's life not to be cut short.

The Vatican is keen to intervene and its Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said yesterday: 'We will make every effort to overcome the legal obstacles that prevent the transfer of Charlie Gard'.

Interference from the Vatican and Donald Trump in the case of Charlie Gard is 'extremely unhelpful and very cruel', Professor Robert Winston has said.

The renowned scientist and genetics expert Lord Winston criticised attempts to transfer the 10-month-old from the central London hospital.

'I think, first of all, one has to accept the loss of a child is about the worst injury that any person can have and, secondly, I think the autonomy of parents is probably sacrosanct because a child can't give approval, can't give consent,' he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

'But having said that, these interferences from the Vatican and from Donald Trump seem to me to be extremely unhelpful and very cruel, actually, because this child has been dealt with at a hospital which has huge expertise in mitochondrial disease and is being offered a break in a hospital that has never published anything on this disease, as far as I'm aware.'

Lord Winston said the 'risk of prolonging life in very, very difficult circumstances is probably most cruel for the parents', who have previously fought to take Charlie to the US for experimental treatment.

He agreed with presenter Piers Morgan that courts and doctors should not be interfering with the parents' wishes.

But he added: 'I think the end result is still an unhelpful interference because the probability here is this will be even more tragic and even more disturbing for this child to be travelling to Italy, or wherever it goes.'

Chris Gard and Connie Yates released this new picture of their son Charlie and are 'overwhelmed' after Donald Trump and the Pope offered their support

The torment of Charlie Gard has brought promises of help from around the world.

President Donald Trump that the US would be 'delighted' to help the desperately ill 11-month-old boy. Pop stars also lobbied Theresa May to take a stand.

As the fate of their child touched hearts across the globe, Charlie's parents Connie Yates, 31, and Chris Gard, 32, were thought to be discussing their options behind closed doors.

CHARLIE'S CONDITION What is Charlie's condition? Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome stops the body's cells producing enough energy. There is no accepted cure. Charlie is the 16th known person in the world to have a strain called RRM2B. The other 15 have all died. What is the US therapy? It is a drug called nucleoside bypass therapy. It replaces deoxynucleosides, which are naturally produced in healthy people, to repair DNA. Is that what saved US boy? Yes. But six-year-old Art Estopinan has the TK2 strain, a variation of Charlie's condition, and is one of 83 recorded cases. While the therapy has kept him alive, he is still severely disabled. Would it work for Charlie? It has never been tried on anybody with RRM2B. The US doctor who has offered to treat Charlie said it would not repair brain damage, but might prolong his life. Why do UK doctors object? They don't think the therapy will work and they believe Charlie  who they say is brain damaged  is likely to be feeling pain. Do his parents agree? No. They say Charlie is not brain damaged and is growing stronger. Who decides his 'best interests'? Lawyers for Charlie's parents say it is no one's business but their own. But the guardian appointed by the High Court recommended death. The judges backed the doctors. Why can't they take him to the US alone? Charlie is in intensive care and cannot be moved without doctors' help. Advertisement

Charlie suffers from a rare mitochondrial condition, which is only known to have affected 16 people in the world. His parents want to take him to the US for experimental treatment, and have raised 1.3million from the public.

However his life support was due to be withdrawn last Friday after the family lost several court battles against doctors who insist his genetic condition is both painful and incurable. He has irreversible brain damage and his lungs cannot function without a ventilator.

His parents' wish to take him abroad has been blocked by the High Court, Appeal Court, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights, which backed doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital who say there is no hope and he should be allowed to die.

But after the boy's parents were given the weekend to say their goodbyes, 'Charlie's Army' of supporters exerted pressure on the hospital to change its stance.

In the Vatican's third intervention, its Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin yesterday declared that the Holy See will do everything possible to help. 'Overcome these problems? If we can do it, we will do it,' he said.

The Pope has himself tweeted: 'To defend human life, above all when it is wounded by illness, is a duty of love that God entrusts to all.'

And yesterday Mariella Enoc, the president of the Bambino Gesu  which is owned by the Vatican and known as the 'Pope's hospital'  tweeted that the pontiff's words backing Charlie 'sum up our mission'.

She said she had asked the facility's health director to check with Great Ormond Street Hospital about 'an eventual transfer of Charlie to our hospital'. She added: 'We know that the case is desperate.' But she said Great Ormond Street was currently blocking the move, citing 'legal reasons'.

She said: 'I was contacted by the mother, who is very determined and doesn't want to be stopped by anything.'

Chiara Paolini's son Emanuele is nine despite doctors telling her he would be dead by the age of one.

She told The Sun: 'I often speak to Charlie's aunt, his dad's sister.

'What I would say to Charlie's parents is keep fighting. I have said this to his aunt as well, I know it must be difficult for them but they have the support of so many people across the world.

'He should not be allowed to die simply because the doctors and judges say so, he should be allowed to live and have a chance of life.'

Doctors at Great Ormond Street have said everything is geared towards Charlie's 'best interests'.

Among those urging Great Ormond Street to drop their case and allow Charlie to fly to the US is pop star Cher, who tweeted the Prime Minister directly and said: 'If the US can save precious Charlie Gard then send him to us!'

Charlie's British doctors believe that any attempt to treat him is futile. They say he is in pain, and draw a distinction between the US approach  to allow experimental treatment if the parents wish it  and the UK approach to do what is in the patient's 'best interests'.

Mr Trump has tweeted: 'If we can help little #CharlieGard... we would be delighted to do so.' More than 111,000 people have 'liked' the President's tweet.

Critics have accused Mr Trump of offering 'false hope' to Charlie's family.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, Tory chairman of the Commons health committee, said the President was 'wrong' to offer assistance. She claimed it was a 'political decision' as Mr Trump tries to dismantle his predecessor's Obamacare.

CAN PRESIDENT TRUMP HELP CHARLIE GARD? As Donald Trump weighed in on the fight to save British baby Charlie Gard on Monday, Theresa May is facing pressure to intervene. Her spokesman said yesterday it would be 'inappropriate' to discuss the 'delicate case'. Without her support the US president would not have the authority to go over the European Court of Human Rights to try to keep the boy alive. Charlie's parents have been told by Europe's highest court that his life support must be switched off soon, a decision they have been desperately fighting to avoid. President Donald Trump has offered to help dying British baby Charlie Gard - but whether or not he can is under consideration Great Ormond Street doctors would have to change their minds about letting him travel to the US. On Monday, White House officials revealed that a doctor and hospital in the US has offered their services to the boy if his parents can get him here. While the president himself has not spoken to the family, members of the administration have and they have been aided by the UK government which has taken a hands-off public approach to the subject. DailyMail.com understands that if the boy is able to arrive in the US with his family, the treatment will be carried out free of charge. The answer to whether or not this is a reality lies in the UK. The first factor is that London's Great Ormond Street Hospital is allowed to withdraw his care (i.e. turn off the ventilator keeping him alive) when it sees fit. Following the European court's decision, the hospital's doctors said they were in no rush to do so and were giving the family more time together. If the US is to intervene, it will have to do so before those doctors turn off Charlie's ventilator. In 2014, Ashya King's parents were arrested for neglect after taking him out of hospital in the UK to seek alternative treatment abroad The second issue is that of the legal ramifications his family will face if they flout the European court's rulings. It is not abundantly clear where the jurisdiction lies with punishing Mr. and Mrs. Gard. Solicitors for the family were working with British officials and the White House on Tuesday to try to untangle find an answer to this question. The family's ordeal reignites the debate on who should have final say over a sick child's life. It was an issue which sparked global debate in 2014 when another the parents of five-year-old British boy Ashya King removed him from Southampton General Hospital against doctors' advice to seek alternative therapy to treat his brain cancer in Prague. Brett and Naghemeh King wanted Ashya to undergo proton beam therapy which was not available in the UK. The couple was arrested in Malaga, Spain, and were accused of neglect. They later had the charges dropped and were allowed to take their son the Czech Republic to receive the treatment. He is now cancer free and back at school. Three proton beam therapy centers, funded by Proton Partners International, are now under construction in the UK and will accept both private healthcare and NHS patients. Advertisement

Fighting on, brave US boy like Charlie whose parents wouldn't give up

An American boy with a similar genetic condition to Charlie Gard was giving hope to the British child's parents last night.

Six-year-old Arturito Estopinan is fighting his condition with the pioneering drugs therapy that is being denied to 11-month-old Charlie.

His father, Art Snr, said: 'We feel very fortunate to be American and not British  because if we lived in the UK, Arturito would surely be dead by now.

Mr Estopinan's son Art Jr was given two months to live in 2011 but says the US doctor offering to help Charlie saved him and he has a happy life

'We are beyond shocked that doctors in the UK are saying Charlie should 'die with dignity'. How insensitive, when there is a treatment which could save Charlie's life and eminent doctors in the US who are willing to help him.'

Art Jr has the TK2 strain of mitochondrial syndrome, which is similar to Charlie's. He was given two months to live in 2011 and could only move his eyes, but six years later he can move his hands, fingers, feet and arms and is a 'strong and happy boy'. Mr Estopinan, 51, a government consultant from Baltimore, said he and his wife Olga, 43, 'know first-hand the battles' that Charlie's parents  Connie Yates, 31, and Chris Gard, 32  were fighting. They had also been told there was no treatment or cure for Art.

Although Art still needs artificial ventilation and round-the-clock care from a team of nurses, his father added: 'He is truly a blessing in our lives and words cannot express what a tremendous joy it is to have him.'

Mr Estopinan appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain yesterday and was involved in a row with the show's GP Dr Hilary Jones, who said: 'Sometimes real parental love is letting go.' A furious Mr Estopinan replied: 'Charlie Gard is a human being who deserves the chance to live', adding: 'What right do you have to play God?'

Art has a similar but not identical mitochondrial depletion syndrome to Charlie and was the first person ever to receive the experimental and pioneering nucleoside therapy

The two families are in close contact and Miss Yates said: 'Art's extraordinary and inspirational story shows that there is hope for Charlie. The support his parents are giving us is helping us find the strength to carry on fighting for Charlie too.'

Both boys have mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a debilitating condition which saps energy from the muscles and organs. Arturito has a rare type called TK2, of which only 83 cases have been recorded worldwide. Charlie's type is even rarer and he is the 16th known sufferer. The other 15 have died.

Both boys need artificial ventilation because their lungs are too weak, and are fed through tubes, but Art is growing stronger with the treatment.

Family photos and video (pictured) show him moving in a special wheelchair, sitting around the dinner table and playing in the son

There is no accepted cure for mitochondrial disease, but doctors in the US are trialing a treatment called nucleoside therapy. In Art's case, it has given him a new lease of life, and his parents hope his growing strength will lead to him being able to survive unaided.

When Art was admitted to hospital and put on a life-saving artificial ventilator, his parents desperately scoured the internet and eventually stumbled across the nucleoside drug therapy.

Within days, Art became the first person in the US to have the therapy  and after a year he was well enough to return home.

Is it time to let Charlie go? Tragically, yes. Sometimes true love means saying goodbye, not holding on no matter what, says JAN MOIR

Should he live to see his birthday, Charlie Gard will be one year old in one month's time. And if he does make it that far, what does the future hold for him and for his parents?

Let us be frank. The outlook for all concerned is bleak. Charlie was born with a rare, inherited mitochondrial disease. One that leaches energy from his organs and muscles and has left him with little brain function. Unable to breathe without a ventilator, his tiny lungs will never work properly and his prognosis is not good.

Throughout most of his short life, Charlie's future has been the subject of a legal battle that has gone all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.

Charlie was born with a rare, inherited mitochondrial disease. One that leaches energy from his organs and muscles and has left him with little brain function

Last week, it rejected an appeal by his parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates that their critically-ill baby should be allowed to undergo experimental treatment in the U.S. Now there is little anyone can do, except let nature take its terrible course.

Yet, however distressing and deeply sad this might be, I can't be alone in thinking that it is the right thing to do.

When doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) first suggested back in the spring that further medical intervention would not be in Charlie's best interests and he should be moved to palliative care instead, his father and mother disagreed. Passionately. Many parents would have done exactly the same, and who could blame them?

They fought back, they refused consent to withdraw his life-support machine, they accused doctors of lying about his condition and not caring about their son. They were raw, desperate, wounded and grieving. They vowed to fight until the 'bitter end' to keep him alive, and the ensuing legal battle has made Charlie Gard a cause celebre.

Charlie was born in August last year, a summer baby, the very much wanted first-born of Chris and Connie from Bedfont, Middlesex

More than 1.8 million has been raised for his putative treatment in an online GoFundMe! campaign, including many generous contributions from Daily Mail readers. Protesters have marched in London, President Trump has made a vague offer of help, a children's hospital in Rome has offered to keep him alive, even Pope Francis has intervened, stating that the defence of vulnerable human life was the duty of everyone.

Indeed it is. And in this terrible situation, everyone involved deserves sympathy and understanding. However, with the best will in the world, isn't it time to let go of this tortured little soul and let him rest in peace?

Charlie was born in August last year, a summer baby, the very much wanted first-born of Chris and Connie from Bedfont, Middlesex. As the gravity of his medical condition became clear, they underwent the heartache of adjusting to a future that wasn't what they had planned and the limitations of a son who could never fulfil their dreams.

Charlie's parents 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

What a terrible blow, what a thunderbolt of dark sorrow for any young couple to face.

When the day came for doctors to tell them there was nothing more they could do, Chris and Connie refused to consent to switching off their son's life support. They found a U.S. doctor willing to treat Charlie, although there were no promises of a cure.

A three-month legal battle began, as doctors and parents argued in court over what was right for the baby. Judge after judge agreed that further medical intervention was not in Charlie's best interests, but the parents could not accept their verdicts.

Perhaps it hasn't helped that the father of a six-year-old boy treated by the same U.S. doctor offering to help Charlie has just come forward to insist: 'If my son was in the UK, he'd be dead.'

Art Estopinan from Baltimore claims that his son Art Jr has a similar condition to Charlie's and was given just two months to live in 2011. Back then, he could only move his eyes but has since improved. What right, says Mr Estopinan, do the judges and doctors have to play God?

However, it is important to remember that while Art Jr's illness may be similar to Charlie's, it is not the same  and it is those disparities which are always the key clinical issues.

Charlie's brain, muscle and ability to breathe are all severely affected, as are his heart, liver and kidneys. He has congenital deafness and an epilepsy disorder

From day one, it has seemed obvious that everyone at GOSH has done their absolute best for Charlie, right down to the thoughtful nurses arranging a rooftop picnic for the Gards hours before they were to learn whether the European Court would hear their appeal. A touching gesture to give this blighted family a chance to make some happy memories together.

All rallied round Chris and Connie, even when, capsized by grief, their actions sometimes seemed not to benefit their child.

That is not a criticism, for this situation is no one's fault. Yet now that we have reached that impasse where the latest developments in medicine meet the implacability of incurable disease, perhaps it is time to say the unsayable. There is no hope for this child. There is no evidence of hope for this child.

Charlie's brain, muscle and ability to breathe are all severely affected, as are his heart, liver and kidneys. He has congenital deafness and an epilepsy disorder. His eyelids cannot stay open, he will never develop the ability to see. He cannot move his arms or legs or breathe unaided. He is a catastrophically ill baby, and now his parents must prepare themselves for what lies ahead.

In a way, the legal machinations have not helped in an emotional sense, because they have given Chris and Connie the illusion of a battle they can fight, perhaps even win. It has pitted them against the hospital and provided them with an enemy in clear sight  an enemy that is easier to oppose than the unwinnable situation that is the reality of their position.

Their anger, frustration and desperation are focused on the system, yet they cannot escape the fact that Charlie is being artificially kept alive  at a basic cost of 1,200 a day, even though the money is irrelevant.

If by some miraculous fluke his physical condition could be improved upon, his dismal quality of life would not alter.

For Charlie to live would mean for him to be kept on a life-support machine for ever.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates released this new picture of their son Charlie and are 'overwhelmed' after Donald Trump and the Pope offered their support

Those who campaign for him to be kept alive no matter what, those who march on Downing Street with their Give Charlie A Chance posters, those who turn this tragedy into a political football should perhaps reconsider.

Their activism is noble, but are they going to be there in 30 years' time, when adult Charlie, still attached to his machine, needs to be turned every 20 minutes to prevent bedsores? Will they be on hand to help drain the secretions from his lungs and wipe away the tears from his sightless eyes?

If an elderly person had a catastrophic stroke or was in the last gasp of a degenerative disease, many would not wish to condemn them to a medical demi-life; hooked up, plugged in, barely sentient. Yet all the fashionable arguments for quality of life get turned upside-down when applied to a child.

The entire narrative transmutes into a cry for clemency and a life at all costs, no matter how awful that life might be.

Surely now everyone must think about poor Charlie Gard in a sensible, detached but wholly compassionate way. Exactly what his parents don't need at this moment are yet more hysterics and emotion.

At the centre of this furore is a baby in a crib, one who is so locked inside his own world that no one can know the depth of his suffering  only that he suffers and it is never ending.

The impulse for Chris and Connie to do something  anything  for their child is only human. However, now that there is limited time left, I hope they put their issues to one side and focus on their baby and the time they have left together. They did everything they could, but sometimes true love means letting go, not holding on no matter what.

Is it time to let Charlie go? Absolutely not. What is there to lose from trusting his mum and dad's instinct, says ANNE ATKINS

A parent's love is a powerful thing. It nurtures, guides, protects, forgives. It is unconditional. And it can sometimes save your life.

Take a young boy by the name of Ashya King.

His parents sparked an international manhunt three years ago when they took their son, then five, from Southampton General Hospital without his doctors' consent in a final bid to give him the pioneering treatment they hoped would cure his cancer.

Where, I wonder, would he be today were it not for their courage, determination and unwavering love?

Their anguished faces may be the embodiment of a living hell, but Chris Gard and Connie Yates are not yet broken people

For they defied the authorities and smuggled their son out of the country to Prague, prompting an international hue and cry.

They were reviled as irrespon-sible and insane. But, as events proved, they were neither.

While in Prague, Ashya successfully underwent proton beam therapy. Three years on and now eight years old, he is well and happy and back at school.

Although Ashya is yet to be declared free of cancer (his next scan is during the summer holidays), he is a boy with a second chance at life. A chance that his desperate parents were prepared to break the law to give him.

But then, if the tragic story of Charlie Gard has shown us nothing else, it is that there is nothing deeper than the bond between parent and child. And when that child is not only utterly defenceless and terribly sick but also at the centre of a global furore over whether he should be given one last chance at life, those bonds become stronger still.

Who feels every pain he suffers more acutely than his own mother and father?

Their anguished faces may be the embodiment of a living hell, but Chris Gard and Connie Yates are not yet broken people. For while their little Charlie lives, so does the flicker of hope.

Last week the Gard family lost their final appeal at the European Court of Human Rights. Judges failed to come to their aid and give them a chance to take Charlie to the U.S. for the experimental treatment which Great Ormond Street Hospital says won't help him.

The European Court ruled to uphold Great Ormond Street's recommendations that Charlie's life support should be switched off, pronouncing his case 'inadmissible'  a dreadful and outrageous pronouncement on anyone's life.

Yet the groundswell of public opinion for the Gard family grows.

The Vatican 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.' And, as unlikely an alliance as it sounds, U.S. President Donald Trump has joined forces with Pope Francis to voice his support.

But it's not all prayers, vigils and empty promises. Yesterday, the Pope's Hospital in Rome offered to take Charlie into its care.

And in another startling development, the American parent of a son with a similar rare genetic disorder to Charlie told how his son's health improved dramatically after undergoing the pioneering treatment that Charlie's parents want him to have.

Art Estopinan says his son's disabilities were so severe that had he been born in the UK, he would not be alive today.

Six years ago the American boy, who could only move his eyes, was given two months to live. Yet now his father says he can move his hands, fingers, feet and arms and is a 'strong and happy boy'.

Washington sources said yesterday that the American hospital and doctor who treated Art have agreed to waive their fees for Charlie.

So why, in the face of not only international goodwill but real and tangible alternatives, is Charlie still being denied this final shot at life?

Doctors and nurses are wonderful. Modern medicine is almost miraculous in what it can achieve. But it cannot achieve, or know, or do everything. Doctors see the big picture: the case histories, the statistics, the generalised likelihoods. But it's the parents who know their child better than anyone.

And it's the parents who, in the case of any severely disabled child, make enormous sacrifices to ensure that their offspring's needs are met.

And if a child dies for lack of treatment, it is parents, not doctors, who will cry through the night; tears which will go on falling, one way or another, for the rest of their lives.

It has been said that Charlie shouldn't be put through any more suffering.

Who knows that better than his parents?

Who feels every pain he suffers more acutely than his own mother and father?

Doctors can advise and inform. They can give us their expert opinion to help us make sometimes terrible choices on behalf of our children.

But neither their training nor their knowledge gives them the right to make the final pronouncement on a child's life.

Have we learnt nothing from Ashya King? Has no humility been learned on the part of doctors; that they might occasionally be wrong?

No recognition from other professionals, too, that just sometimes, dogged and devoted parental persistence might be right?

What is there to lose for little Charlie Gard by entrusting his life to his parents  even if his chances are minuscule?

Medicine has  so far  failed him. Why not give love a chance?
Saudi Arabia is 'at the top of the list' of countries exporting extremist Islam to the UK, a new report says.

The kingdom has engaged in a 60-year, multi-million dollar campaign to advance its extremist brand of Wahhabi Islam in British Muslim communities, according to a study by the Henry Jackson Society.

This has been achieved through endowment grants to mosques, the funding of Islamic education institutions and the training of imams, the report authors say.

Saudi Arabia is 'at the top of the list' of several Gulf states engaged in an 'intentional and systematic' policy of exporting extremist ideology to the West, a new report claims

The report calls on Theresa May's government to hold a public inquiry into the financing of extremist groups in the UK, after the Home Office said the results of a previous inquiry might never be made public (pictured, Mrs May in Saudi Arabia earlier this year)

'A clear and growing link' can be drawn between this overseas money, which originates in several Gulf states and Iran, and atrocities in the UK and throughout Europe, the society found.

The report identifies what it calls 'an intentional and systematic policy' by these states to 'advance an illiberal and at times anti-Western version of the Islamic religion' in Western countries.

How much money has been allocated to this effort is unknown because the majority of it remains secret, the report admits, but the amount is though to have increased in recent years.

'Indications of the kind of influence that such funding can have... can be seen through the prevalence of Islamist extremist preachers and literature, including the use of Saudi school textbooks,' the report reads.

'This combined with scholarship programmes that bring clerics to Saudi Arabia for training, has gradually contributed to changing the climate of religious belief and practice in many of the West's Muslim communities.

'As well as promoting hardline Wahhabi practices to Muslim communities that formerly identified with other Islamic traditions, this phenomenon has created a challenge for moderate voices and empowered extremists.'

The Henry Jackson Society is calling for a public inquiry into the issue and asks the government to introduce laws forcing Islamic organisations to declare certain types of finance received from overseas, and any conditions placed upon its use.

The Home Office already commissioned a closed-door inquiry into funding for Islamic extremist groups in the UK back in 2015 as part of a Coalition deal to expand airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.

Saudi Arabia has engaged in a 60-year, multi-million dollar effort to export Wahhabi Islam - which forms the basis of extremist ideologies exploited by the likes of ISIS - to the UK, the report says (file image)

It was understood that the report would largely focus on Saudi Arabia, but in May this year the Home Office announced the research has yet to be completed.

Even if the report is finished, the findings may never be made public because of the 'very sensitive' nature of the material, a spokesman said.

Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited Saudi Arabia earlier this year, has been accused of 'kowtowing' to the kingdom by 'suppressing' the report.

Tom Wilson, who wrote the report for the Henry Jackson Society, said: 'There is a clear and growing link between foreign funding of Islamist extremism and the violent terrorism we have witnessed across the UK and Europe.

'The key now is to get ahead of the issue and find out the full extent of what has been going on. A public inquiry would go some way to informing the debate.

'While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list.

'Research indicates that some Saudi individuals and foundations have been apparently heavily involved in exporting an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology.'

A Government spokesman said: 'Defeating the evil ideology of Islamist extremism is one of the greatest challenges of our time.

'The Commission for Counter-Extremism, which the PM announced earlier this year, will have a key role to play in this fight.

'We are determined to cut off the funding which fuels the evils of extremism and terrorism, and will work closely with international partners to tackle this shared global threat, including at the upcoming G20 summit.'

The UK's Saudi Arabian embassy says the claims are 'categorically false'.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis said: 'This report from the Henry Jackson Society sheds light on what are extremely worrying links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism here in the UK.

'In the wake of the terrible and tragic terrorist attacks we've seen this year, it is vital that we use every tool at our disposal to protect our communities.

'This includes identifying the networks that promote and support extremism and shutting down the financial networks that fund it.

'I'm calling on the Government to release its foreign funding report, and guarantee that the new counter extremism commission will make tackling the funding of extremism a priority.'
Nearly 100 firefighters were sent to a Jewish faith school in east London as a fire ripped through it.

Some 15 London Fire Brigade engines were deployed to the scene shortly before midnight on Tuesday, with crews facing dangerous conditions as the ground floor collapsed into the basement.

Images and video posted by shocked bystanders on social media show the inferno engulfing the Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass School, an Independent Orthodox Jewish school for boys.

Nearly 100 firefighters were sent to the scene in Hackney, east London, around midnight

Exhausted crews were still at the scene of the blaze this morning, after the fire raged throughout the night

There are some 564 pupils at the school which opens six days a week, and many of them speak Yiddish as their first language

The building on Craven Walk in Hackney, went up in flames just before midnight.

The fire service said the blaze severely damaged the basement and ground floor of the three and four-storey building - which has recently undergone a refurbishment.

The Belz Hasidic sect is a group in the Orthodox branch of Judaism, and has a large community in north London.

Belz sect members run at least two large schools in north London which educate hundreds of young Jewish students - one of which is the Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass, where the fire broke out.

There are some 564 pupils at the school which opens six days a week, and many of them speak Yiddish as their first language.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but a Metropolitan Police source said it was believed to have been started by an electrical fault.

Another source said the fire started in the boiler room.

Members of the public watch firefighters outside the school in Craven Walk, Hackney

The fire badly damaged parts of the school building, which had been refurbished within the past year

The cause of the fire is under investigation but a Metropolitan Police source said it was believed to have been started by an electrical fault

Crews wore breathing apparatus to gain better access to the fire in the basement

Station manager Nicola Lown said: 'The ground floor has partially collapsed into the basement leading to hazardous conditions.

'Two fire rescue units are also on the scene and their equipment is being used to shore up the ground floor.

'This will enable crews wearing breathing apparatus to gain better access to the fire in the basement.'

LFB said the cause of the fire was not known at this stage and there were no reports of injuries.

Firefighters remain at the scene this morning as they work to bring the fire under control.

The firefighters faced hazardous conditions as the blaze swept through the ground floor of the four-storey building and caused it to collapse into the basement

LFB said the cause of the fire was not known at this stage and crews remain on the scene today

Images posted by shocked bystanders on social media show the inferno engulfing the building as crews attempt to tackle the flames

Crews from Stoke Newington, Tottenham, Homerton, Hornsey, Holloway fire stations were in attendance

Crews from Stoke Newington, Tottenham, Homerton, Hornsey, Holloway fire stations were in attendance.

A police spokesman said: 'The school was empty at the time and evacuation was not required.

'At this stage it is believed to have started from an electrical fault.

'Cordons remain in place although they are likely to reduce over the day. Several residential houses have been effected by electrical failure however the engineers are working on restoring power.'
A British actor from Moss Side who ditched Hollywood to fight ISIS has vowed to avenge the Manchester Arena bombing victims as he joined the battle in Raqqa.

Michael Enright, who appeared in Pirates Of The Caribbean alongside Johnny Depp, said he would show no mercy as he fights the terrorists in Syria alongside coalition forces who are attempting to flush the poisonous group out of the country.

The bloody battle for ISIS' de facto capital in Syria reached a crescendo yesterday as the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) opened two small holes in the city's 1,200-year-old walls.

Among those to flood through was Mr Enright, whose heart has been hardened, he said, following the terror attacks that have rocked the UK in recent months.

Michael Enright, an actor who joined Kurdish forces fighting ISIS, said he would show no mercy after recent terror attacks in Britain

Mr Enright (pictured) recently flooded into Raqqa's Old City after coalition forces made two holes in the city's 1,200-year-old walls

Mr Enright with Tom Cruise. He didn't tell his friends he was going to Syria for fear they would try to stop him

Mr Enright poses for a picture holding up an ISIS flag as he fights to flush the terror group out of Syria

Talking to The Sun, he said he would draw on the dark memories of the blood spilled on British streets when he comes face-to-face with ISIS militants.

'I will remember Manchester Arena and the two attacks in London on Westminster Bridge and at Borough Market,' he said.

'I'll give ISIS no quarter. I won't expect much mercy from them and I will not give them much mercy, that I can promise you.'

Originally from Manchester, the terror attack that stands out in his mind most prominently is the suicide bombing which killed 23 Ariana Grande fans.

The fact Salman Abedi targeted children as thousands piled out of the UK's biggest indoor concert venue made his blood boil and his emotions were heightened due to his ties to the city in the north west.

The battle for Raqqa: Coalition forces breach the city's 1,200-year-old city walls to flush out ISIS The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said its fighters were waging fierce battles with Islamic State militants in the Old City of Raqqa on Tuesday after the U.S.-led coalition opened two small openings in its historic walls. The SDF's media office said four of its fighters were killed in fighting in the Old City. The coalition said on Monday the SDF fighters had breached the Old City after the coalition targeted two 25-meter sections of the 2,500-meter wall which was built more than 1,200 years ago. SDF fighters had seized an ancient palace, Qasr al-Banat, in the eastern part of the Old City, the SDF said in a statement. An official in the SDF media office said Islamic State had heavily mined the old quarters of Raqqa with devices set off by motion sensor. Islamic State fighters were doing most of their fighting at night and not moving much in the daytime. The coalition said Islamic State fighters were using the wall as a firing position and had planted "mines and improvised explosive devices at several of the breaks in the wall", forcing it to open the new breaches in the wall. "SDF fighters would have been channelled through these locations and were extremely vulnerable as they were targeted with vehicle-borne IEDs (car bombs) and indirect fire as well as direct fire from heavy machineguns, rocket-propelled grenades and snipers as they tried to breach the Old City," it said. The SDF launched its assault to capture Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria, last month after gradually closing in on the city. The official in the SDF media office, speaking to Reuters by phone, said the Raqqa assault was going to plan though Islamic State tactics including use of the new type of mine and drones that drop bombs had slowed down operations a little. Advertisement

While his reaction to the Manchester Arena attack was that of heartbreak, when Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba went on a rampage on London Bridge killing eight people in a van and knife attack, Mr Enright's emotion turned to anger.

'It might be a bit strange but when I heard about the attack on London Bridge I thought, "I wish I'd been there",' he admitted to The Sun.

'I'd have grabbed the nearest knife. I don't know which way it would have gone but at least I could have gone for them.

'It just absolutely hardened my heart.'

These two atrocities, along with the Westminster attack in which Khalid Masood killed five people in another van and knife attack in March, has now made the former actor volunteer for every operation that comes up to take on ISIS.

The most recent was this week's offensive in Raqqa.

The coalition said on Monday the SDF fighters had breached the Old City after the coalition targeted two 25-meter sections of the 2,500-meter wall.

SDF fighters had seized an ancient palace, Qasr al-Banat, in the eastern part of the Old City, the SDF said in a statement.

Mr Enright said he decided to join the fight against Isis after journalist James Foley was beheaded by Mohammed Emwazi known as Jihadi John.

'I was just appalled by the cowardice of that man to do that,' he said.

Despite having no military training, Mr Enright said he travelled to Syria in early 2015 without telling his mother and sister because he did not want them to talk him out of it.

He has vowed to stay in Syria and fight alongside Kurdish troops until ISIS are defeated at which point he will kiss goodbye to his comrades and return home to kiss his mother.

'This is the most important thing I've ever done with my life,' Mr Enright said.

'There's no acting job that can come close to this. I made a commitment to stay here until we've beaten ISIS and that's what I intend to do.

'I'm here fighting with these lads I have a bond with. These guys here would take a bullet for me. They're beautiful people. I love them.'

Since joining the fight against terror, the former actor has lost hearing in one of his ears, but he said it's nothing compared to what his fellow soldiers have suffered.

Sleeping on mats or on the ground and going days without food is tough, Mr Enright said, but with the ultimate goal in mind he and his comrades get their heads down and carry on with the task at hand.

He now looks forward to combative battles, because with cards banned in Syria amid fears it would encourage gambling, there is little else to do.

The former actor takes a break on a mat he calls his bed with an AK-47 rested up against the wall next to him

Michael Enright, seen playing a role in the TV series Agents of SHIELD, has been criticised by other fighters

When he first joined the fight against ISIS, Mr Enright said: 'We know for every one of us out here against Isis from England or America or the West, there's probably 10 to 20 who have joined Isis.

'I've come across dead Isis all the time. Nine times out of 10 we don't bury them. We don't cut their heads off like they do us.

'We just leave them where they fall most of the time. Sometimes they're beheaded because they get eaten by dogs.'

Mr Enright said it was now 'vital' for the British government to do more to support the fight against Islamic State.

Asked whether he would like to see British troops on the ground in Syria, he replied: 'Personally yes, because it would end this fight much quicker.

'But I'm also British and I understand the English and American reticence to get involved in another Middle Eastern war.

'We have almost no heavy weapons. If we could get any kind of heavy weapons, that would be amazing.'

Mr Enright appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Knight and Day (2010) and Old Dogs (2009).
MINOT - A 54-year-old Belcourt man is accused of sexually abusing a young girl eight years ago in Minot when she was about 8 years old.

Todd Trottier is charged with four counts of Class AA felony gross sexual imposition in district court in Minot. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Trottier would likely also be ordered to register as a sex offender for life upon conviction.

He made an initial appearance before Judge Doug Mattson on Monday. Mattson set a preliminary hearing date for Aug. 10 and set bond at $1 million cash or corporate surety. He ordered Trottier to have no contact with the girl or her mother. He is also not allowed to have contact with children under age 14 or to frequent places where children gather. Ward County Assistant States Attorney William ODriscoll said Trottier has a previous gross sexual imposition conviction from 1984. He was sentenced to six years in prison for that crime, with two years suspended. His probation was revoked in 1988. ODriscoll said he did not know the age of the victim in that crime or the circumstances of the case. Trottier would have been about 20 when he was convicted.

Trottier also pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and resisting arrest in 2002. He also has a simple assault conviction from 2002 and one for fleeing on foot.

Trottier has had a leg amputated below the knee and uses a prosthesis. He gave yes or no answers to the judges questions and appeared calm. Judge Mattson asked if he understands he could face life without parole. Trottier said he plans to ask for a court-appointed attorney.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the court, the case was reported law enforcement in July 2015. Trottier was dating the girls mother at the time of the incidents. The girl, who was born in 2000, was interviewed at the Northern Plains Child Advocacy Center in Minot in August 2015. She told an investigator that Trottier came into her bed when she was in the third grade and raped her. This happened four nights in a row. The child said Trottier fell asleep in her bed and wouldnt wake up. The girl said she told her mother what had happened. Trottier told the childs mother that he needed to be awakened when he (was) doing things in his sleep.

The girls mother was interviewed by a Minot police detective in September 2015. The mother acknowledged that her daughter told her in March 2009 that Trottier had touched her, but said Trottier made it seem like the girl was making up the abuse.

The girl has since had psychological problems and told her mother again about the abuse in the spring of 2015. The girl told her mother, I cant take it anymore. At that point, the girls mother told police she decided that they needed to do something.

The charge against Trottier was not filed until May 8, more than eight years after the alleged abuse and nearly two years after it was first reported to Minot police. ODriscoll said that Trottier has been aware that the formal charge was coming.
A woman has suffered multiple injuries after being attacked by a kangaroo outside her home.

The woman, aged in her 50s, was left with scratches to much of her body after the roo attacked her outside her Coombabah home on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

The woman was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition to treat her injuries.

A woman has suffered multiple injuries after being attacked by a kangaroo outside her home (stock)

'She received scratches on her upper body from what appears to be a cranky kangaroo,' a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'She suffered multiple lacerations which appeared to be minor and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.'

Details are scarce on the circumstances that led to the attack.

The best way to avoid being attacked by a kangaroo is to keep a safe distance, never give them food and to watch for signs of aggression, such as standing on their toes.
Andrea Leadsom is said to have threatened to quit during Theresa May's reshuffle

Andrea Leadsom threatened to quit the Cabinet unless she was promoted after the general election, it has been claimed.

Theresa May's former rival is said to have initially refused to accept being reshuffled from Environment Secretary to Commons Leader.

She reportedly only accepted the demotion after being assured she would have a high-profile role representing the government in the media.

The stand-off underlines the weakness of the Prime Minister's position in the wake of the bungled election.

Mrs May had been widely expected to sack Mrs Leadsom, whom she beat to secure the Tory leadership last July.

But she was not strong enough to do so after losing her overall majority in the national ballot.

She has since struck a deal with the DUP to prop her up in power.

Tory sources said that when Mrs May was informed she was moving from the Department for the Environment, she responded that she deserved a promotion to Home Secretary or Foreign Secretary.

She is said to have threatened to resign, but later climbed down.

Commons Leader is a more junior position than Secretary of State, and is often seen as a position handed to someone on their way out of the top team.

Sir Patrick McLoughlin was kept 'in reserve' as a potential Leader of the House in case Mrs Leadsom had made good on her threat, according to the Times.

Mrs Leadsom later visited residents near the Grenfell Tower site without telling Downing Street, which was unable to rebuke her.

Relations are thought to have improved since, although Mrs Leadsom did cause controversy with an interview last month in which she demanded broadcasters be more 'patriotic' about Brexit.
An Alabama roofing company giving away a free assault rifle to every customer is facing a backlash over its July 4 promotion.

Digital Roofing Innovations has promised a free AR-15 semi-automatic weapon to everyone who purchases a roof in the state.

'Donald Trump says make America great again. I say make America gun again,' its owner, US Navy veteran Zach Blenkinsopp, says in the promotional advert.

An Alabama roofing company is giving away a free assault rifle to every customer. Pictured: Owner Zach Blenkinsopp in the promotional ad

In the video, where he's seen posing with the gun and drinking from a beer can, Blenkinsopp claims the gun is 'to protect you and your family'.

But many Facebook users were not convinced, with one going as far as accusing him of endangering life.

'Help kill people for the price of a new roof, disgusting,' wrote Ray Shackleford. 'Everyone should boycott this company and put them out of business.'

Tim Efferson said: 'So we get a free, unregistered AR from a half-naked drunk dude if we buy a roof? No Thanks!'

While Alan Foster wrote: 'You'd be the last person I'd trust on my roof. You seem more like a liability that a professional.'

Blenkinsopp, who served in the Navy from 2004 until 2012, says customers have to go through checks before when they redeem the $500 voucher at Cypress Creek Indoor Range in Florence.

'Donald Trump says make America great again. I say make America gun again,' US Navy veteran Zach Blenkinsopp says in the promotional advert

'Any red-blooded, right wing American, when they see that, it's going to give them a little extra incentive,' he told AL.com.

In the promotional video, in which he wears nothing but short-shorts, boots and a cowboy hat, he goes on to say: 'I'm a gosh darn Navy veteran, active duty eight and a half years.

'My roofing company's not a gimmick and this baby's not either. It's here to protect you and your family.'
A British man whose wife went missing during their honeymoon in the Bahamas earlier this year has deleted a long Facebook post after it sparked a series of comments from social media users questioning his role in the disappearance.

Isabella Hellmann, 41, of Delray Beach, Florida, went missing from her husband Lewis Bennett's catamaran while he was asleep below deck on May 14.

After seven days, the Coast Guard gave up its extensive air and sea search for real estate broker Hellmann - but a joint investigation with the FBI into the incident is still ongoing.

In the now-deleted Facebook post written on June 28, 40-year-old Bennett said he had returned to the UK to be with his and Hellmann's 16-month-old daughter, Emelia, 'to seek the comfort of my friends and family'.

In the now-deleted Facebook post, Lewis Bennett said he returned to the UK to be with his and Isabella Hellmann's daughter, Emelia, 'to seek the comfort of my friends and family'. Hellmann, 41, of Delray Beach, Florida, went missing from Bennett's catamaran while he was asleep below deck on May 14

Bennett said he awoke at 1am to the sound of their boat hitting something. The catamaran (pictured) quickly took on water and was recovered, but had partially sunk

He added that the 'must take a step back from the world of social media'.

Within hours, several people had posted comments on the Facebook post, which was public on the social media site.

While some shared messages of support, others were quick to ask why Bennett was in a hurry to leave Florida.

Bennett said he had nothing to hide after the FBI began to probe the disappearance of Hellmann. The couple is pictured together above with their daughter, Emelia

Others posted unsubstantiated allegations and wrote 'justice will be served', the Palm Beach Post reported.

While the post does not mention the circumstances of Hellmann's disappearance, Bennett reflects on the relationship he had with his wife.

Bennett thanked people who had 'supported me through this most testing of times'.

In the same post he criticized what he called 'negative and derisory comments that have been said and insinuated by people that, surprisingly, are brought by people that I thought would be there to support myself and Emelia'.

He said that taking 'a time for reflection' might 'lessen the negativity that I have encountered in this emotionally charged situation and hope in the future a reconciliation will occur for all parties concerned, if not for my sake but for Emelia's'.

Bennett said he wanted to stress 'how much Isabella meant to me and to Emelia and it is now my responsibility to ensure her legacy is never forgotten'.

After seven days, the Coast Guard gave up its extensive air and sea search for real estate broker Hellmann - but a joint investigation with the FBI into the incident is still ongoing

He added: 'Contrary to statements given in the press and social media, Isabella and I loved each other very much, she was the soulmate I had always searched for, she made my life complete.

'To think I must move forward without her in my life is something I never wanted to contemplate.'

Bennett took the post down from Facebook some time before 5am on Tuesday.

When the Coast Guard found Bennett on a life raft between Florida and the Bahamas on May 14, he told rescuers that about three hours earlier he had been asleep inside the cabin of the catamaran he shared with Hellmann and was jolted awake when the craft hit something.

He said he went up top and found Hellmann gone. He told the guardsmen he looked for his 41-year-old wife but their 37-foot catamaran, Surf Into Summer, was sinking.

When he couldn't find her, he told them, he activated his emergency radio signal and abandoned ship.

When guardsmen found the catamaran, it was submerged and capsized. As they searched for Hellmann, the catamaran was lost and is believed to have sunk.

After seven days, the Coast Guard gave up its extensive air and sea search for Hellmann - but not its investigation.

Coast Guard Lt Cmdr Ryan Kelley and FBI Special Agent Michael Leverock say their agencies are still jointly investigating Hellmann's May 14 disappearance, with the FBI conducting a search of the couple's Delray Beach condominium on June 16.

Its front door, showing signs of being pried open, was still sealed by FBI crime scene tape two weeks later.

Neither would comment further, but Hellmann's family and friends believe there was foul play. Bennett, a 40-year-old mining engineer, denies any foul play.

In last week's posting, Bennett thanked people who had 'supported me through this most testing of times'. In the same post he criticized what he called 'negative and derisory comments

Coast Guard Lt Cmdr Ryan Kelley and FBI Special Agent Michael Leverock say their agencies are still jointly investigating Hellmann's May 14 disappearance, with the FBI conducting a search of the couple's Delray Beach condominium on June 16

Bennett, who is from Dorset, England, studied at Bangor University in Wales, and lived for several years in Queensland, Australia, met divorcee Hellmann through the internet.

Bennett and Hellmann, a real estate agent, had married in February and took the weeklong trip as a belated honeymoon, leaving their infant daughter, Emelia, with Hellmann's family. They had left Havana and were hours from returning to Florida when Hellmann disappeared.

Bennett previously told DailyMail.com: 'I had been with Isabella for four years. We were looking forward to our life together.

'We have got a daughter. We were planning a great life together and now I am alone without her. I loved her very much... we'll just have to see.'

According to a Boca Raton police report, Bennett asked for an officer to be present when he picked up Emelia from his sister-in-law's home 16 days after the disappearance.

Elizabeth Rodriguez, Hellmann's sister, repeatedly accused Bennett of killing Hellman and screamed at him, Officer JP Cohen wrote in a report.

Investigator Dennis Munchel of the US Marshals Service told Cohen that Bennett is being investigated for his wife's disappearance, according to the report.

About that time, Bennett, who holds dual British and Australian citizenship, told WPTV that he was headed to Cuba to do his own search of hospitals in hopes she might have been rescued.

Bennett previously told DailyMail.com that he was considering 'civil action' against some members of Isabella's family who he accused of entering his property while he was away in Cuba.

He added: 'I am surviving. But I don't know how. I feel very alone. I have got a baby with me and I don't know many people around here.'

A family friend told The Post that some of Hellmann's loved ones say Bennett and Hellmann, 41, often argued about his desire to return to Australia with his wife and their nine-month-old daughter.

Bennett's in-laws say they are suspicious of the way he reacted after his wife's disappearance.

Hellmann's sister Dayana told WPTV: 'He was calm, he wasn't crying or anything. When I saw him I ran to him and I hugged him and I said where is Isabella? And he said 'I don't know.''

Despite being asked several questions about the disappearance, which he said was the result of a collision, she said he revealed little about what happened.

Dayana stated she had pressed him on why he didn't stop the boat and drop the anchor, but was baffled by his answer.

She said: 'And he said he needed to keep the boat on track, so his priority was to keep the boat on track.

'I asked him, 'do you think she's alive? Do you think she's dead?' And he said 'I think she's asleep.' That was his answer.'

Dayana also claimed that Bennett had fled the country with nine-month-old daughter Emelia.

'He said: 'Move, move I'm leaving and you're not going to see the baby again', and my mom passed out on the floor,' she claimed.
Controversial Imam Mohammad Tawhidi was seen breaking down as he said only Islam could be to blame for the radicalisation of an Australian pediatrician.

Tawhidi was asked by Seven News what he would say to Tareq Kamleh, known as 'Dr Jihad', who fled to Syria in 2015 and was seen in an IS propaganda video on Tuesday.

He kept his eyes to the ground as he sadly told the camera 'my religion' was to blame for Kamleh's radicalisation.

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Controversial Imam Tawhidi says only 'my religion' is to blame for the radicalisation of Tareq Kamleh, who appeared in an IS propaganda video on Tuesday

'I can't blame him, it's my religion,' he said.

'I can't blame it on education, because he's a doctor, he's had the best education. So I have to blame it on the religion.

'You've shocked me with that question.'

The Imam went on to say there was no doubt the IS propaganda had an Australian audience, who were being influenced by its messaging.

Perth-born Tareq Kamleh  dubbed 'Dr Jihad'  was seen for the first time in more than two years in an official six-minute propaganda video for IS released on Tuesday.

He was seen holding back tears as he claimed because Kamleh was educated as a doctor, his decision to join IS could only have been a religious one

He fled to the Middle East in March 2015, and was last seen looking clean cut and holding a newborn baby in a recruitment video for the death cult that same year.

Now going by Abu Yousef al-Australi, he appears pale, with dark circles under his eyes and sporting a long, straggly beard.

In the clip, he is seen treating a child in a hospital before speaking to the camera while sat in a narrow tunnel under the Syrian city of Raqqa, urging Muslims in the West to travel to join the so-called caliphate.

Perth-born Tareq Kamleh  dubbed 'Dr Jihad'  was seen for the first time in more than two years in an official six-minute video released by IS on Tuesday

He chided those who have not migrated to Syria or Iraq to join ISIS, telling them they have 'no honour... no self-respect... no love for fellow Muslims'.

He encourages Muslims who cannot travel to the so-called Caliphate to carry out jihad in their own countries.

'And if you can't come here, jihad itself isn't only in the lands of Syria or only in the lands of Iraq,' he says in the video.

Chillingly, he concludes: 'We love death more than you love life.'
A specialist taskforce is to be sent in to take over parts of Kensington and Chelsea Council in the wake of their reaction to the Grenfell Tower fire.

The local authority has been repeatedly criticised for its handling of the disaster on June 14 which killed at least 80 people.

Both the council leader and chief executive resigned in the backlash.

A specialist taskforce is to be sent in to take over parts of Kensington and Chelsea Council in the wake of their reaction to the Grenfell Tower fire. The local authority has been repeatedly criticised for its handling of the disaster on June 14 which killed at least 80 people

The BBC reports that the government is expected to order a taskforce to take over the housing department, as well as other council operations.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced that outside experts will be brought in to manage the council's housing, regeneration, community engagement and governance services.

In a written statement to MPs, Mr Javid said the taskforce would be made up of 'experienced and senior people with a track record in delivery' - including from local government - and would report directly to him.

'It will work alongside the council to make sure that they have the manpower, expertise and resources necessary to take on the longer term recovery work beyond the immediate civil emergency response,' he said.

'It will also consider the governance of the council and the way that it operates to ensure it is able to provide effective leadership through trying and difficult circumstances.'

The move, which follows heavy criticism of the council's response to the disaster, is due to be confirmed in a written statement to MPs.

It stops short of demands from London mayor Sadiq Khan for ministers to appoint external commissioners to take over the running of the whole council.

The new team is expected to be phased in as the current Grenfell Tower response team is gradually wound down following the immediate aftermath of the fire.

The council had been warned over the weekend that the Government could intervene in the running of the authority.

It was told that MPs would be be keeping a 'close eye' on the council, Mr Javid said on Saturday.

Now the government appears to have made good on that promise, with today's announcement.

The move, which follows heavy criticism of the council's response to the disaster, is due to be confirmed in a written statement to MPs

The council has been repeatedly slammed for its 'chaotic' relief effort after the Grenfell Tower fire and a series of blunders that followed, including an attempt to ban journalists from a public meeting about the tragedy.

Eleanor Kelly, chief executive of Southwark Council and spokesman for the Grenfell Response Team, told BBC Radio London: 'This is a disaster on a national scale and there are responses that are necessary, particularly within the communities of North Kensington, that are well outside of business as usual.

'We can't stay in a crisis mode for an extended period of time because everybody needs to actually feel that things have gone back to a level of stability [and] a level of control.'

Elizabeth Campbell has taken over from Nicholas Paget-Brown, who resigned on Friday amid fierce criticism of the council's response to the Grenfell tragedy

Mr Javid's intervention came as a Tory Kensington and Chelsea councillor claimed protesters who stormed the town hall days after the Grenfell Tower fire 'weren't the local community' but 'people who like doing that sort of thing'.

Catherine Faulks was defending the council's attempts to hold a private cabinet meeting on the disaster, initially citing public order concerns, and described press attempts to report on it by obtaining a High Court order as 'a very clever stunt'.

Yesterday Kensington and Chelsea's newly appointed council leader apologised for the handling of the Grenfell Tower tragedy which claimed the lives of at least 80 people.

The council's Tory group nominated Elizabeth Campbell to take over from Nicholas Paget-Brown, who resigned on Friday amid fierce criticism of the council's response to the Grenfell tragedy.

In her first public statement, Mrs Campbell said she was 'truly sorry' and pledged to 'heal the wounds' in the community.

But survivors of the fatal fire have likened the change in leadership to 'rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic'.

Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the retired judge leading the Grenfell Tower probe, today promised to listen to a 'broad range of evidence, including on the role of the relevant public authorities and contractors', and said he wants to hear from people directly affected by the fire about the 'questions we should be seeking to answer'.
The bitter Instagram posts of alleged fraudster Adam Cranston's jilted lover have come to light as Australia's biggest tax scandal continues to unravel.

Toni Brady, 24, outed herself as the former girlfriend of alleged ATO tax fraud mastermind Adam Cranston in May to the Herald Sun.

She said the relationship ended long before Cranston married Elizabeth Rouhliadeff in October 2016, but bitter lyric posts and salty jibes posted to Ms Brady's Instagram account suggest perhaps it was not a pleasant break up.

The busty brunette had claimed she 'loved' the alleged fraudster and was heartbroken when they split.

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'Your wife has s*** t**s': Toni Brady (pictured), the jilted lover of alleged tax fraud Adam Cranston, posted a series of bitter Instagram posts after the 30-year-old left her, and around the time he married his now-wife, Elizabeth Rouhliadeff

About two weeks after Cranston tied the knot, Ms Brady shared dark lyrics from Radiohead hit Creep

The 24-year-old often shared provocative images, flaunting designer outfits and gifts

Weeks after Cranston tied the knot to Ms Rouhliadeff, Ms Brady used dark Radiohead lyrics to caption an image of herself.

'Whatever makes you happy, whatever you want - you're so very special, I wish I was special,' she wrote alongside a picture of herself in a tight white turtleneck.

Less than two weeks later came a jab about a 'wife's t***s', which could have been about Mrs Cranston's physique.

Next to a photograph of herself in a low-cut red top, posing in a way to emphasise her chest, Ms Brady wrote: 'your wife has s*** t**s'.

Two months later, the 24-year-old shared another pointed jibe about a wife - posting a photograph of herself inside a lavishly decorated house, posing in a black dress on an opulent marble staircase.

'This is what it will look like when my future husband comes home and opens the door... while you come home to ya lame wife and s***ty veal schnitzel,' she wrote in the caption.

Adam Cranston married Elizabeth Rouhliadeff in a lavish ceremony on October 15, 2016

'This is what it will look like when my future husband comes home and opens the door... while you come home to ya lame wife and s***ty veal schnitzel,' the caption of this image, posted November 15, read

Ms Brady became Adam Cranston's girlfriend in 2015 after she began working as his assistant following a chance meeting over drinks

Adam Michael Cranston is facing charges in relation to his alleged involvement in the Plutus Payroll tax fraud case and could spend up to ten years behind bars if he is found guilty

Ms Brady had become the secret lover of Adam Cranston after they met over drinks in 2015 and she became his assistant.

She told the Herald Sun Cranston had taken her on trips to Dubai and Paris and spoiled her with designer shopping sprees and plastic surgery.

The 30-year-old purchased his secret girlfriend shoes, jewellery, clothes, his and her Omega watches and a Jeep in her name.

He even paid for 'liposculpture' of her buttocks.

Ms Brady also claimed Mr Cranston had paid her rent and taken her and her family on trips overseas.

'It felt like a Pretty Woman situation,' she said.

'He bought me jewellery. Diamond earrings, Hermes bracelets, handbags. My favourite are Dolce and Gabbana.'

In May, she said she had been 'in love' with Cranston and was left 'heartbroken' when he left her

Pictures posted to Ms Brady's Instagram showed the 24-year-old jetting around the world. She often shared pictures of fancy meals for two, but with only herself, if anyone, in the shot

Adam Cranston was charged with conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth this week and has been accused by police of running a $165 million taxation fraud syndicate through company Plutus Payroll.

Cranston  the son of Australian Tax Office Deputy Commissioner Michael Cranston  was arrested at his Bondi apartment in May and granted bail the next day, after his wife and grandmother posted $300,000 for his release.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

After Cranston's arrest, Ms Brady said her bank accounts  which she said Cranston frequently wired money into even after their breakup  have been frozen and wiped out by the Australian Tax Office.
Jihadi punk rocker Sally Jones will find a way back into Britain if she manages to flee ISIS in Syria, a relative has said.

The 'cunning' terror recruiter is said to be desperate to return home from Raqqa, ISIS' de-facto capital, which is currently under siege by US-backed coalition forces.

Jones, 50, from Kent, is a high priority on the Pentagon's 'kill list' because she is believed to have masterminded dozens of terror plots.

Sally Jones 'will find a way to get back into Britain' if she is able to escape Raqqa, the ISIS city currently under siege by US-backed forces in Syria, a family source has said

Jones, who is high on a US 'kill list' of dangerous militants, is said to be desperate to return to Britain but is being prevented from leaving Raqqa by ISIS

Speaking about Jones' desire to return to the UK, a family source said: 'She would find a way to come over.

'She's very cunning and very clever - she would find a way. She's very talented.'

The Muslim convert fled Britain to join ISIS back in 2013 alongside toyboy lover Junaid Hussain, taking her then-nine-year-old son JoJo with her.

The 12-year-old boy - now named Hamza - is believed to have been forced to execute prisoners during his time there after being brainwashed.

Hussain was killed in 2015 aged 21 in a US drone strike.

It has been claimed Jones is using Hamza as human shield in an attempt to stop the US from carrying out a similar strike on her.

Jones' desire to return to the UK was revealed by Aisha, the wife of another ISIS fighter, in an interview with Sky News on Monday.

Aisha said she was friends with British woman called Umma Hussain al Britani - Jones' adopted name - and her friend wanted to return home but was being prevented from leaving by the terrorists.

Jones, a Muslim convert, fled to Syria with her toyboy husband Junaid Hussain in 2013, taking then-nine-year-old son JoJo with her. Hussain was killed by a US drone strike two years later

Friends believe the reality of Jones' position (pictured in her punk days) has only started dawning on her now that she realises she is on the losing side

Aisha said: 'She was crying and wants to get back to Britain but ISIS is preventing her because she is now a military wife. She told me she wished to go to her country.'

Responding to the reports, family insiders said Sally 'only does what she wants' and they could never forgive her for leaving.

'I don't think she quite understands the position she has put herself in,' the source added. 'Perhaps she does now she's on the losing side.

'We all have choices in life and she's made hers. She had no right to take her son with her. He was only nine when she went over there.

'She's unfathomable. She does what she wants to do and it doesn't matter about anyone else.

'I will never forgive her for what she has done. Not just her but what she did to her sons, both of them.'

Relatives fear it may be too late for Hamza to return to life in Britain after gruesome footage emerged purportedly showing the boy shooting prisoners in the head.

Jones has used several extremist Twitter accounts to pedal terror, including posts celebrating the killing of Lee Rigby, and is thought to be a key recruiter for ISIS

The source added: 'We just don't know. It's things we have never come across before. None of us know how its affected JoJo or how they have been living.'

They also condemned 'sick statements' posted on Twitter after the death of Fusilier Lee Rigby, in which she said she wanted to behead Christians with a blunt knife.

Loved ones have previously told of how 'beautiful and intelligent' Jones lost her way to drugs, before becoming warped by extremist ideologies.

She met Birmingham-based Hussain, who was once jailed for hacking Tony Blair's address book, online where she would reportedly discuss conspiracy theories and black magic in forums.

A prolific social media user, she has used various Twitter accounts to issue terror threats against Britain.

In May 2016 an account claiming to be Jones posted: 'To be honest I wouldn't go into Central London through June. Or even July. Well to be honest I wouldn't go there at all, especially by Tube.'

Further Tweets made statements such as 'England... Boom' and 'London-Glasgow-Wales Booooom!'

US-backed forced in Syria breached ISIS defenses surrounding the city's Old City this week as they move to take the terror group's de-facto capital.

The breakthrough was described as the most significant advance so-far in the weeks-old battle to drive ISIS out.

It came shortly before Iraq's prime minister Haider al-Abadi hailed a 'big victory' in Mosul, as troops pushed to wipe out 300 jihadis still holed up in the Old City there.

Iraqi government forces have been fighting for months to recapture the country's second-city from ISIS, with at least 2,000 ISIS fighters killed.
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Images of American GIs during the Korean War have been released to mark the 67th anniversary of US troops first engaging North Korean troops in combat.

Striking images show a US Marine tank follow a line of prisoners of war down a village street, soldiers engaging with the enemy and a grief stricken infantryman whose comrade had been killed in action being comforted.

Other photographs, released by the US Department of Defense, show the iconic Marilyn Monroe appearing at the USO Camp Show, troops being fed by Mickey Rooney, and General Douglas MacArthur embracing Dr Syngman Rhee, South Korea's first President.

The United States first engaged with North Korean forces during the Korean War's Battle of Osan on July 5, 1950.

The United States first engaged with North Korean forces during the Korean War's Battle of Osan on July 5, 1950. Images of the war have been released to mark the 67th anniversary. Photos show a US Marine tank follow a line of prisoners of war down a village street, soldiers engaging with the enemy and a grief stricken infantryman whose comrade had been killed in action being comforted (pictured above, in August 1950)

United Nations troops fighting in the streets of Seoul, Korea on September 20, 1950. The United States first engaged with North Korean forces during the Korean War's Battle of Osan on July 5, 1950. Task Force Smith, a US task force of 400 infantry supported by an artillery battery, was moved to Osan, south of the South Korean capital Seoul, and ordered to fight as a rearguard to delay advancing North Korean forces

During the Korean war, nearly five million people died, almost all of which were from Korea. More than 33,000 Americans were killed and more than 100,000 were wounded. Pictured above, the Puerto Rican National Guard, 60th Infantry Regiment. More than 60, 000 Puerto Ricans served in the military during the Korean War, which first started on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea

Army General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for Allied Powers, (left) and Dr Syngman Rhee, South Korea's first President, warmly greet one another upon the General's arrival at Kimpo Air Force Base, at the invitation of President Rhee in 1948. The General and Mrs MacArthur made the initial trip to Korea, to view an auspicious occasion which spelled freedom and independence for the first time in over forty years

Marilyn Monroe, appearing with the USO Camp Show, 'Anything Goes,' poses for the shutterbugs after a performance at the 3rd U.S. Inf. Div. area. February 17, 1954. Monroe and then husband Joe DiMaggio jetted off to Asia for their honeymoon after marrying in Janary 1954. Over the course of four days, Monroe did a tour of American military bases, where she put on ten shows for about 100,000 servicemen

As thousands of military members remained stationed in Asia, several celebrities made visits to support the troops. Mickey Rooney and fellow members of his show, Dick Winslow (right) and Deenah Prince (left) feed servicemen during the Korean War in October 1952. Rooney served in the military during World War II and was later honored for his work in the USO

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea. This prompted the United Nations, with the United States as the principal force, to come to South Korea's aid. North Korea were aided by China while the USSR gave some assistance. Pictured above, former American and Australian prisoners of war warm up before a stove in the 24th Division medical clearing station after being returned to US lines by Chinese Communists, on February 10, 1951

Task Force Smith, a US task force of 400 infantry supported by an artillery battery, was moved to Osan, south of the South Korean capital Seoul, and ordered to fight as a rearguard to delay advancing North Korean forces.

Meanwhile, additional US troops were arriving in the country to form a stronger defensive line to the south.

But the task force lacked both anti-tank guns and effective infantry anti-tank weapons, having been equipped with obsolescent 2.36-in rocket launchers and a few 57 mm recoilless rifles.

Aside from a limited number of HEAT shells for the unit's 105-mm howitzers, crew-served weapons capable of defeating the T-34 Soviet tank had not been distributed to U.S. Army forces in Korea.

A North Korean tank column equipped with ex-Soviet T-34/85 tanks overran the task force in the first encounter and continued its advance south.

After the North Korean tank column had breached US lines the Task Force opened fire on a force of some 5,000 North Korean infantry approaching its position, temporarily holding up the North Korean advance.

North Korean troops eventually flanked and overwhelmed American positions and the remnants of the Task Force retreated in disorder.

A US Marine tank follows a line of prisoners of war down a village street on September 26, 1950. The pictures of war-torn Korea act as a reminder and a warning as to what could happen should the current strike between North Korea and America escalate

US Marines move forward after effective close-air support flushes out the enemy from their hillside entrenchments. Billows of smoke rise skyward from the target area in Hagaru-ri on December 26, 1950. The US sent around 90 per cent of all troops that were sent to aid South Korea

Sixteen countries sent troops to South Korea, while 41 sent equipment or aid during the war. Pictured above, a wounded US Marine awaits transportation back to a field hospital after receiving first-aid at the battle zone (left). Pfc Clarence Whitmore (right), voice radio operator, 24th Infantry Regiment, reads the latest news during lull in battle, near Sangju, Korea, on August 9, 1950

Men of Battery A, 159th Field Arillery Battalion, fire a 105-mm howitzer in an indirect firing mission on the Korean battle line, near Uirson on August 24, 1950. Often, bridges were targeted and destroyed in order to delay the advancement of North Korean troops

Three Korean Communists in a fishing boat are captured by the USS MANCHESTER off the coast of Korea on May 10, 1951. More than 5.7million US troops were sent to war in Korea during the three year conflict, and 36,574 were killed, according to official figures. A further 103,000 were wounded during the brutal campaign, which followed the invasion by North Korea of its southern neighbor

The pictures of war-torn Korea act as a reminder and a warning as to what could happen should the current strike between North Korea and America escalate.

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea.

This prompted the United Nations, with the United States as the principal force, to come to South Korea's aid. North Korea were aided by China while the USSR gave some assistance.

Korea was split into two regions with separate governments in 1948 as a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, who operated in North Korea and South Korea respectively.

The war became one of attrition and the frontline was close to the 38th parallel, the dividing line between the two countries.

An armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, and fighting came to an end. The agreement created the Korea Demilitarised zone to separate the two countries and allowed the return of prisoners.

As no peace treaty has been signed North and South Korea are still technically at war.

Repatriated POW Capt. Frederick Smith is greeted by his father on his arrival at Fort Mason, California, on board the USNS Marine Phoenix on September 14, 1953, following the end of the Korean War. The war marked the first in which the United Nations, formed in 1945, had to play a role in an international battle

Dr. Syngman Rhee, President, ROK, and Mrs. Rhee (foreground) with Non-commissioned officers of the 62nd Engineets and train crew members in front of the first locomotive to cross the newly construdted railroad bridge spanning the Han River at Seoul, Korea, on October 19, 1950

ROK military police pose before the ruins of a devastated building in Pohang. Most buildings that housed red troops were destroyed. The picture was taken on October 17, 1950, in the first few months of a war which would last more than three years and claim tens of thousands of lives in one of the first major flashpoints of the Cold War

A .50 Cal. Machine gun squad of Co. E, 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, fires on North Korean patrols along the north bank of the Naktong River, Korea, on August 26, 1950. US Secretary of State Dean Acheson would observe of the war: 'If the best minds in the world had set out to find us the worst possible location in the world to fight this damnable war, the unanimous choice would have been Korea'

Members of the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion sweep the roads of Korea for anti-tank mines on March 16, 1951. The cost of the Korean War to the US was around $67 billion. On June 25, 1950, the UN Security Council denounced North Korean aggression and called for troops to retreat. President - The U.N. Security Council denounces North Korea's actions and calls for a cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of the NKPA to the 38th parallel. Five days later, President Harry S. Truman ordered troops into action

Korea was split into two regions with separate governments in 1948 as a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, who operated in North Korea and South Korea respectively. Pictured above, Pfc Roman Prauty, a gunner with 31st RCT (crouching foreground), with the assistance of his gun crew, fires a 75mm recoilless rifle, near Oetlook-tong, Korea, in support of infantry units directly across the valley on June 9, 1951

A 120th Engineer Battalion, 45th Infantry Division, soldier erects a comouflage net over a road exposed to the Communist Forces in Korea on June 7, 1952. It is estimated that 103,284 servicemen were wounded during the three-year conflict, and more than 7,800 US troops remain unaccounted for

Infantrymen of the 27th Infantry Regiment, near Heartbreak Ridge, take advantage of cover and concealment in tunnel positions, 40 yards from the Communists on August 10, 1952. Peace talks began as early as July 1951, but it would take another two years until an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953

The Korean War became one of attrition and the frontline was close to the 38th parallel, the dividing line between the two countries. Lt R. P. Yeatman, from the USS Bon Homme Richard, is shown rocketing and bombing Korean bridge in November 1952
Nearly a dozen Commonwealth Bank branches were forced to close on Wednesday after protesters gathered in their masses opposing the bank's willingness to finance a Queensland mine.

The demonstrators, who are angered by the bank's failure to refuse funding to the Adani Group planning to begin coal mining in Galilee Basin, gave a vibrant display that led to the closure of 11 banks in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

Following a tip off from the police on Tuesday, the bank made the decision to close several branches with 'potentially large and disruptive protests' predicted, the Newcastle Herald reports.

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Vibrant protests were staged at several Commonwealth Banks in the Newcastle area

The Hamilton branch protest saw demonstrators arrive with colourful paintings of marine life in reference to the damaging effects the mine could cause to the Great Barrier Reef

Protesters held signs that suggested the bank was 'killing the reef' by funding the Adani project, while passers-by were coaxed into conversations over the potential damaging effects

Police revealed protesters turned up at Hamilton, Belmont, Charlestown and The Junction branches yet Glendale, Warners Bay, Wallsend, Mayfield, Newcastle, Swansea and University of Newcastle branches were closed as a precaution.

The Hamilton branch protest saw demonstrators arrive with placards and colourful paintings of marine life in reference to the damaging effects the mine could cause to the Great Barrier Reef.

The gathering was a merge of several protester groups including Greenpeace and Knitting Nannas who vehemently reject the plans of what would be Australia's largest coal mine.

Group spokesperson Suse Smith revealed protesters had come from far and wide to take part in the stand against the bank.

'The Commonwealth Bank hasn't pulled out of supporting Adani and that's very problematic, there is a great risk to the Great Barrier Reef,' she said.

About 20 avid activists blocked the entrance to the Hamilton branch and despite their peaceful protest riot squads were called to watch over the groups.

Around 20 avid activists blocked the entrance to the Hamilton branch and despite their peaceful protest riot squads were called to watch over the groups

Protesters of all ages turned out to show their support for campaign groups fighting to stop coal mining in the Great Barrier Reef

There were anti-Adani chants while passers by were coaxed into discussions on the dangers the new mine would cause to the Great Barrier Reef.

There were anti-Adani chants while passers-by were coaxed into discussions on the dangers the new mine would cause to the Great Barrier Reef.

The bank had left notes on the doors of the closed banks informing customers they were temporarily closed 'due to concerns' regarding planned protests in the area.

The Commonwealth Bank said it made the decision to shut the branches for the protection of staff and customers.

'Commonwealth Bank believes people have the right to express their views as long as they do so in a peaceful manner in compliance with the law and common standards of courtesy,' the bank said in a statement.

Yet the bank denied any intent to loan from the Adani group.

There were no arrests during the protests on Wednesday.

The bank had left notes on the doors of the closed banks informing customers they were temporarily closed 'due to concerns' regarding planned protests in the area

Some protesters wore matching t-shirts that displayed the group's slogan 'Funding coal, killing the reef.'

Even pets turned out in their numbers with this particular dog sporting the yellow and black of the bank's logo to match a sea of fellow protesters' placards and signs
A wacky Tory politician who is an expert on ghosts, aliens and UFOs is heading for Brussels after being made an MEP by the party.

Rupert Matthews has written a string of books about ghostly goings-on and has taught a course in the paranormal at a university in the US.

But he is set to take a break from investigating the ghosts and aliens to concentrate on politics after being made the Tory MEP for the East Midlands.

He was given the Brussels post after his predecessor, Andrew Lewer, was elected to Parliament in last month's snap election.

Rupert Matthews is an expert on ghosts, UFOs and aliens and has just been made the Tory MEP for the East Midlands

His appointment was quietly signed off by Tory HQ and he is listed on the EU Parliament's website.

Mr Matthews is a long-time eurosceptic and campaigned for Brexit last year, and his promotion to the European Parliament is likely to raise eyebrows in Brussels.

One senior Tory told the Times: 'He does have some very strange views.'

While another added: 'He has very odd ideas to say the least.'

A prolific author, Mr Matthews has penned over half a dozen books on ghosts alone, while his other paperbacks include studies into aliens, UFOs and abductions.

Andrew Lewer was the Tory MEP for the East Midlands before being elected MP for Northampton South

He is listed as the director for a a course entitled 'Understanding Our Paranormal Universe' at the International Metaphysical University.

The $200 course is billed as an introduction into the world of the paranormal and looks at ghosts, poltergeists, UFOs and aliens.

It promises to give students an understanding of 'the paranormal experience and how it affects those individuals who encounter it' and to give them 'the tools to investigate and research paranormal events'.

Mr Matthews, a former Tory councillor in Surbiton in south west London, had been expected to take up a seat in the European Parliament in 2011 when the Tory incumbent Roger Helmer announced he was stepping down.

Under European Parliament rules the it is normally the next candidate down the party list who gets a seat if someone steps down.

But while Mr Matthews had his predecessor's backing the Tories said he would have to be interviewed.

This infuriated Mr Helmer who decided not to reign ad defected to Ukip instead.

He told newspaper that he backs Mr Mathews' elevation, saying: 'He makes a thing of being the great British eccentric.

'I go to the ballet, he dresses up in medieval armour. Good luck to him.'

Mr Matthews said he was 'delighted', telling the newspaper: 'The process of Brexit will be a demanding one and I look forward to playing a full role in gaining the best possible deal for the people of the East Midlands and of Britain.'
Robert Trigg was finally convicted of murder and manslaughter today after years pretending two of his ex-girlfriends died accidentally in their sleep

A 999 call reveals how double killer Robert Trigg lied from the first second about the murder he almost got away with.

Trigg was finally convicted of two killings today after a five-year campaign by his second victim's father, who refused to believe his daughter died by accident.

Trigg, 52, claimed girlfriend Susan Nicholson accidentally died after he rolled on top of her as they slept on the sofa in 2011.

A 999 call made by a neighbour the morning after her death records Trigg claiming Miss Nicholson was suffocated during the night.

Miss Nicholson - who had suffered months of violence at Trigg's hands - was officially found to have died accidentally as a result of asphyxiation.

But the case was dramatically reopened years later after Miss Nicholson's father, Peter Skelton, refused to believe the official explanation that her death was an accident.

A 999 recording released by police today records neighbour Hannah Cooper's frantic phone call, as Trigg calmly spins the lies of her 'accidental death' which he would stick to for years.

Trigg claimed he had rolled onto Susan Nicholson and suffocated her as they slept on a sofa. But he was convicted of her murder after her father mounted his own investigation

Caroline Devlin's children discovered her body after Trigg told them: 'Something's wrong with your mum' as he left her bedroom in 2006. Her death was put down to natural causes until the investigation was dramatically reopened nearly a decade later

In the 999 call, neighbour Miss Cooper tells the operator: 'I was in bed asleep and he phoned me just now saying he think's Sue's dead so I came down.'

Trigg is then heard in the background telling her the story he would stick to for six years.

Miss Cooper told the operator: 'He thinks it could be suffocation... they both crashed out on their sofa last night. Rob woke up with his head at one end but Sue's face was where the cushions joined'.

Five years before Miss Nicholson's murder, Trigg let the children of his first victim Caroline Devlin discover their 35-year-old mother's body at their home in Worthing in 2006.

Similarities were highlighted about the two cases during the trial, including the revelation Trigg failed to dial 999 in either case after the women's bodies were found.

Ms Devlin's death was put down to natural causes, but re-investigated after questions were raised by Miss Nicholson's family.

Dr Cary found her death was caused by a blow to the back of her head.

Following a 10-day trial at Lewes Crown Court, Trigg was today convicted of Ms Nicholson's murder and Ms Devlin's manslaughter.

Trigg, who declined to give evidence in his defence, denied both charges. He blew out his cheeks as the jury returned its verdicts following six-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

The trial heard Trigg was treated at the time of Ms Nicholson's death as a bereaved partner rather than a suspect.

Miss Nicholson's parents Peter and Elizabeth Skelton today slammed Sussex Police for failing to properly investigate their daughter's death.

Mr Skelton, who has refused to rule out civil action, said: 'They should have done more. It wasn't up to standard... my wife had a mild heart attack.

'Their first investigation wasn't very good, that's why we had to get a barrister and path to back up our case because they would not listen to us.

'We told them the facts, but the police still wouldn't listen. But in the end they had to listen.'

Miss Nicholson's father Peter (right) and his family fought for years to bring Trigg to justice. Today he slammed police for failing to properly investigate

Mr Skelton even brought in his own lawyer, investigator and pathologist who discovered disturbing similarities between the two deaths.

Murderer tried to link deaths to sex and drink Trigg tried to claim his victims' deaths could have been down to sex and drink. His defence team argued that intercourse may have caused a blood vessel in Caroline Devlin's brain to rupture because she had high blood pressure and had been drinking on the night of her death. Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl, who reviewed the evidence at the request of the defence, said of Ms Devlin's death: 'The absence of an aneurysm doesn't rule out natural causes as a plausible explanation. 'She suffered from high blood pressure, this can be a risk factor for a rupture. That risk is made more likely if the individual had sexual intercourse, which could again cause a predisposition to a weakness leading to a rupture.' The defence pathologist also said the compression of the chest and face of Miss Nicholson may also have been accidental. He told the trial: 'There's nothing to suggest a vigorous struggle or someone trying to get a weight off them. This lady had a degree of heart disease and emphysema in the lungs, possibly caused by smoking. 'This along with her heart disease and alcohol level could have impacted her reaction to the compression.' Advertisement

Trigg has a history of attacking girlfriends and was convicted of assaulting one ex-partner as long ago as 2003, before he met mother-of-four Ms Devlin.

The trial heard both women suffered violence at the hands of Trigg during their relationships with him. After one outburst, Ms Devlin said: 'I won't be here for my 40th.'

Trigg was described as a 'possessive, controlling and jealous' man and by one former girlfriend as a 'Jekyll and Hyde' character who drank heavily.

He allowed Ms Devlin's children to find her dead after telling them 'something's wrong with your mum' as he emerged from her bedroom in March 2006.

In harrowing evidence, Ms Devlin's children told the trial how they ran to her room and found her lying naked, blue and cold on her bed.

Ms Devlin's friend Bridget Benger told how her personality changed after she started a relationship with Trigg, describing her becoming 'withdrawn' and having 'lost her spark'.

Three weeks before Ms Devlin's death, Ms Benger made a pact with her promising that if anything happened to them, they would support each other's children.

Ms Benger told how she found out about the discovery of her friend's body from Ms Devlin's eldest son who knocked on her door, telling her: 'We can't wake mummy.'

Police interviewed Trigg at the time of Ms Devlin's death, but she was deemed to have died of natural causes, most probably a brain aneurysm, meaning no inquest was held and Trigg walked free.

A dispute over money between the coroner and Sussex police meant only a routine post-mortem was carried out, rather than a more thorough Home Office examination.

Four years later, Trigg began a relationship with Susan Nicholson which quickly turned violent.

Police were called to the couple's flat six times in four months and Trigg was given a caution for assaulting Miss Nicholson a month before she was found dead.

When her body was found at their home in April 2011, Trigg claimed he had fallen asleep on top of her on the couch after a night of drinking and believes he accidentally suffocated her.

He was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter at the time but released without charge. A subsequent inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Trigg spent years denying any wrongdoing, bringing up sex and drink in a distressing trial for his victims' families

Trigg went on to attack subsequent girlfriends and was convicted of harassing one and assaulting another, but he was dramatically arrested over Ms Devlin and Miss Nicholson's deaths in November 2016, more than 10 years after Ms Devlin's children discovered her body.

His arrest came after Miss Nicholson's father, Peter, fought for five-and-a-half years to have the case reopened, bringing in his own team of investigators, who put new evidence in front of the police.

Double killer Trigg smirked as he was led into court in handcuffs this morning

Miss Nicholson's father's campaign saw Dr Nathaniel Cary, a pathologist who reviewed the deaths of the Hillsborough disaster victims, re-examine the case and question how Ms Nicholson's death could have been an accident.

Dr Cary told the trial: 'It is very unlikely that someone asleep on a sofa with another could cause death in a manner proposed by simply rolling on to them'.

Speaking at the time of Trigg's arrest Mr Skelton said: 'We hired a barrister and a pathologist. Our investigators came up with evidence which they took to the police.

'It has taken all this time and a lot of hard work. We think about this all the time. It is mental torture we have been going through.'

Sussex Police Detective Supt Tanya Jones today defended the force's handling of the cases outside court.

She said: 'The forensic information available on each case at the times of the deaths did not provide any avenues for further investigation.

'However, we were presented with new evidence by the parents of Susan Nicholson, after they commissioned the assessment of a third pathologist who in 2015 examined the findings in the case of Susan Nicholson.

'On this fresh information we carried out a new thorough investigation including both deaths. We then put the facts to the CPS who authorised prosecution.'

An ex-girlfriend described him as a 'Jekyll and Hyde, who was completely different when he was drunk'

Det Supt Jones added: 'The court heard evidence from two original pathologists plus the third pathologist, as well as evidence on behalf of the defence from a fourth pathologist, before reaching a verdict in this complex case.

'I am confident that we have done everything we can to deliver justice for both women and their families.

'Sussex Police are sorry that we had not presented all the facts before the CPS previously but we have now thoroughly investigated both cases.'

Sentencing was adjourned to 11am tomorrow by judge Mrs Justice Simler.

Trigg's first victim: Caroline Devlin, 35 Trigg claims he woke to to find Caroline Devlin at the end of the bed lying face down in the pillows, with her arm twisted and purple, after they had fallen asleep after a night of drinking and sex on March 26, 2006. The jury heard that, rather than call the emergency services after finding the 35-year-old was unresponsive, Trigg instead got fully dressed, told her children he could not wake their mother and went out to buy milk for his coffee. Her death was put down to natural causes and no inquest was ordered, but police re-examined the case in the light of Miss Nicholson's family's campaign. Trigg's defence tried to claim drinking and sex could have caused a ruptured blood vessel, but the jury found him guilty of Ms Devlin's manslaughter today, more than 10 years after her death. Advertisement

Trigg's second victim: Susan Nicholson, 52 Susan Nicholson was found unresponsive after drinking spirits and passing out with partner Trigg on the sofa of their flat in April 2011. Trigg claimed he got up to go to the toilet at around 2am and noticed she was not moving or making a noise but he did not think there was anything wrong. He said he then went back to the sofa and got into the same position with her head on his chest. He claimed he must have accidentally rolled on top of and suffocated her in his sleep. But Dr Nathanial Cary, who reviewed the case, said the injuries suffered by Miss Nicholson were most likely to have been caused by her face being pressed into soft material against her will or having her nose and mouth held shut. A jury today found Trigg guilty of murder over her death. Advertisement

Cruel killer let his victim's children discover her body on Mother's Day as he calmly made himself a coffee

Caroline Devlin's children were making her a Mother's Day breakfast on the morning she was found dead.

Trigg had spent the night with her at the home she shared with her children before nonchalantly telling them 'something's wrong with your mum' as he appeared from her bedroom.

In heart-rending evidence, the children, who are now adults, told the jury at his trial how they found their mother's body.

Caroline Devlin was found dead by her children, who had been planning to make her a Mother's Day breakfast

Her son Jordan told the jury: 'The plan was to wake mum up on Mother's Day and cook her breakfast.

'I came out of my bedroom and Robert said 'there's something wrong with your mum'. He was at the top of the stairs leading up to the loft room.

'He was sat down, wearing a green jacket and new jeans, he said it very calmly and had a cup of tea or coffee with him.

Trigg was often seen laughing as he was taken into court by custody staff during his trial

'She was lying face down with her head to the bottom end of the bed. Her face was facing the back end of the wall.

'She was completely naked. I tried to wake her up. But she was cold, she was blue around the face. I panicked and ran to our next door neighbour.'

Ms Devlin's daughter Codie McKenna, who was then aged just 10, added: 'I went upstairs to mum to ask if she wanted scones or pancakes, toasted. She was lying on her stomach, her head resting on her left arm in a pillow and her curly hair over her face.

'On her neck, back and legs were stripes of blue. It was like she was in the recovery position, it's exactly how I sleep, I thought she was just asleep.

'I tried to shake her shoulder but thought she was just in a deep sleep. I went downstairs and saw Rob making coffee, but he didn't make one for mum which I thought was odd as he normally made one for her.'

Ms Devlin had moved to Mitcham, south London, from Scotland after breaking up with her children's father, before moving to Worthing six years before she died.

She used to work in the Worthing Town FC canteen serving food to supporters and was about to start a new job with the police probation service two days after she died.

Ms Devlin was found in the house she lived in with her children in this street in Worthing

Jordan said of Trigg: 'I first met Trigg around two months before she died, he would come round two or three times a week. He drank a lot when he was round.

'He never tried to make conversation with us. He just came round to our house and drank and the most I would say is 'hello'. It reminded me of my dad.'

Another of Ms Devlin's daughters, Gemma McKenna, who was 16 at the time, said she heard Trigg and her mother having 'rough and loud' sex on the night she died.

Gemma described Trigg 'sullen and depressing' in a statement read during the trial.

'Every time I saw him he would have a drink in his hand, he would drink wine, cider, spirits, anything that was available.

'Once he was left to look after us and he got drunk and fell down the stairs. I was disgusted with him.'
Vatican police have broken up a gay orgy at the home of the secretary to one of Pope Francis's key advisers, it has been reported.

The flat belonged to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is in charge of tackling clerical sexual abuse.

When police showed up, they found drugs and a group of men engaged in sexual activity, local reports state.

Reports in Italy claim the occupant of the apartment is allegedly the secretary to Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio - a key aide to the 80-year-old Pope.

Vatican police have broken up a gay orgy at the home of the secretary to one of Pope Francis's key advisers, it has been reported

Reports in Italy claim the occupant of the apartment is allegedly the secretary to Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio - a key aide to the 80-year-old Pope (pictured)

Coccopalmerio heads the Pontifical Council for Legislative texts and was said to have once recommended his secretary for a promotion to bishop.

The explosive claims were made in the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano.

It is the latest scandal to hit the Vatican and comes after its finance chief Cardinal George Pell was charged with historical sexual offences.

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'. Police have not revealed details of the charges against the 76-year-old, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the judicial process.

Reports stated the apartment is used by a secretary of Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio (pictured), a key aide to the Pope

It is the latest scandal to hit the Vatican and comes after its finance chief Cardinal George Pell was charged with historical sexual offences

In March the Vatican was hit with a wave of lurid accusations of misbehaving priests across Italy with scandals involving orgies, prostitution and porn videos.

The claims were embarrassing to the Vatican, which under Pope Francis has attempted to demand high standards of the clergy.

Francis has tried to clamp down on unethical behaviour ever since being made Pope in 2013 and has often spoken out against the pitfalls of 'temptation'.
The suspect package in Terminal Three at Manchester Airport blown up by bomb disposal experts was not a viable device, police have revealed.

Officers believe it was not terror-related and holidaymakers are now being allowed back into the building.

The terminal deals with internal flights and those to North America, with transatlantic flights now boarding following hours of delays.

Manchester Airport confirmed an evacuation had taken place, while Greater Manchester Police said a 'series of controlled explosions' was carried out.

It is understood that police were called after a member of staff raised the alarm as bags were being X-rayed.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed they have been called after reports of a suspicious package.

Holidaymakers wait on the tarmac outside Terminal Three shortly after they were taken off of airplanes waiting to leave

A statement said: 'Police were called at 8.50am to reports of a suspicious package at Manchester Airport.

'Officers responded and a precautionary evacuation of terminal three has taken place.

'Bomb disposal officers attended and a series of controlled explosions were carried out of the package.

'Following further inspections, the package is not believed to be a viable device and there is not believed to be any threat at this time.

'This is not believed to be terror related and cordons will be lifted in due course.'

Sean Finan, 29, was on his way to Krakow, Poland, for a three-day break with his girlfriend Natasha Doherty, 25, when they were evacuated.

Sales advisor Sean, from Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, said: 'We were outside on the runway for about an hour.

'Everyone was quite confused and just stood around chatting amongst themselves. There was massive confusion amongst all the passengers.

Manchester Airport's Terminal Three has been evacuated this morning due toa 'potential issue with a bag'

Travellers said airport staff appear to be taking passengers off planes and on buses at the terminal

'However we were only going to Krakow for a few days and we've already lost half a day. It wouldn't be so bad if we were going for two weeks but when it's just for a few days it's quite bad.

'But the staff were really calm and organised, which was good. There was no panic.'

Planes are still landing at the airport, and Terminals 1 and 2 remain open.

Kate Feld, a writer from Ramsbottom, was checking in for her flight to Philadelphia when the evacuation took place.

Romantic getaway under threat Darren Walmsley was planning to celebrate his 31st birthday on top of the Eiffel Tower with girlfriend Emily Gilmour, 24. But instead the couple found themselves stuck on the tarmac at Manchester Airport where Terminal 3 was evacuated because of a suspicious package. Darren, a dental technician from Bolton, Lancs., said: 'It's quite scary to be honest, especially with what horror Manchester has seen over the last few months. 'I really hope we do get to travel today, it's my birthday and we had booked extra treats.' Advertisement

She tweeted there was 'total confusion'.

She said: 'There was an announcement, everyone had to leave it was being evacuated.

'The man said it was just a drill, clearly this was not the case in retrospect. On the airfield they have taken all of the people of the planes and the buses.

'One flight just did take off. One friend is on a bus, she was waiting to fly out and is now on a bus. Nobody is telling us what is going on. There has been no announcement.

'A man has come out to tell us to get further back.'

A spokesman said: 'Police were called at 8.50am to reports of a suspicious package at Manchester Airport.

'Officers are responding and a precautionary evacuation of terminal three is taking place.

'Explosive Ordnance Disposal will be attending and enquiries are ongoing.'

A statement from the airport added: 'Only Terminal three is affected. Passengers using Terminal one and two should travel as normal.

'Passengers departing from Terminal three should go to terminal one for more information.

'Passengers arriving into terminal three will be brought in through Terminal 1 at present.'
A notorious tree killer who poisoned three trees because they blocked his sea view has struck again, this time wiping out six more of the Scots pines.

Locals are concerned the attacker will 'stop at nothing' to improve the view from their flat which looks over the cliff top in Bournemouth, Dorset.

In the first attack which killed the three 30 foot Scots pines, the assailant drilled holes into each trunk and injected herbicide, poisoning to trees over a two year period.

Yet the attackers methods have now diversified, as the newly planted immature trees were slashed with a knife and sections were carved out of the outer bark in an attempt to bleed the sap and kill them.

The scene of the tree killing is in front of several flats overlooking Poole Bay. Properties which enjoy the stunning views can fetch up to 500,000 each and it is thought the motive behind the attack is to increase the price of the flats on the market.

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Local residents associated are concerned the attacker will 'stop at nothing' to kill the trees

The newly planted trees were only put in place three months ago, and a fence was erected around the trees to protect them from any potential assault.

Signs were stuck on the four foot metal fencing explaining what happened to the old trees and why it has been erected.

After the new trees were planted, a portable CCTV camera was put in place in a bid to deter any attack, but only remained in place for a month before it had to be moved.

One resident went to the extreme lengths of placing his electric toothbrush charger on top of binoculars to trick the attacker into believing it was a security camera.

Dorset police investigated last year's attack and have now been informed of the fresh wave of killings.

A spokesman for Dorset police confirmed they have received a report of criminal damage to trees on West Cliff Green in Bournemouth and that investigations were ongoing.

Chris Colledge, chairman of the West Cliff Green Residents Association said: 'What has happened in the last few months is that six new Scots Pines have been put in around the existing trees that have already been poisoned and killed.

'The council's parks people who look after the green visited last week and they said they thought the new trees had been knifed, with bark being cut off the trunk.

'A tree specialist has inspected them and confirmed that is the case.

The Bournemouth tree attacker has cut the trees open in an attempt to kill the young Scots pines

'They have been cut so that the inner bark is exposed and sap drains from them. It can have the effect that it will kill them and I fear another toxicity report is needed.

'Words are insufficient to express the outrage and disappointment that all six new trees have been criminally damaged.

'It makes the whole thing a much more serious matter because clearly the intention of this individual is to stop at nothing to get rid of these trees.

'The police need to take this on because this is a much more sinister aspect to what has been happening here.'

Nick Colledge, arboricultural manager for Bournemouth Borough Council, said they were hopeful the damage was not fatal.

He said: 'It appears that our six new trees in a fenced off area on West Cliff Green have been deliberately damaged using a blade to slice away at the outer bark on one side of each of the tree trunks.

'We have reported this incident to the police and I would urge anyone who may have witnessed this act, that they report it immediately to the police.

The offender used the cover of darkness to take a knife to the young Scots Pines to carve away sections of the outer bark in an attempt to bleed the sap out and kill them

'We have inspected the trees and we are hoping it is just surface damage and that the trees will recover. However, we will continue to monitor them.'

The attempted tree killing comes four years after business Neil Davey was slapped with a record fine for cutting down a neighbour's tree so he could enjoy unobstructed views of the Poole Harbour from his sun terrace.

The value Mr Davey's property rocketed from 725,000 to 775,000, yet he was forced to pay back 50,000 to make up the difference and made to pay a 75,000 fine and 14,500 costs.

Mr Davey also incurred costs of 2,000 the next year after he lost his appeal against the conviction.
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This is the moment an orphaned baby elephant that was speared and stoned by angry villagers gave one of the people who rescued her a kiss of gratitude.

Mbegu was targeted by locals in Kimanjo, Kenya in a revenge attack after a woman was killed by another elephant.

The innocent calf was separated from the rest of the herd after she was set upon by angry villagers and was injured during the commotion.

Affectionate: Pictures capture the moment an orphaned baby elephant that was speared and stoned by angry villagers gave her rescuer a kiss of gratitude

Grateful: Mbegu was targeted by locals in Kimanjo, Kenya in a revenge attack after a woman was killed by another elephant

Cruel: The innocent calf was separated from the rest of the herd after she was set upon by angry villagers and was injured during the commotion. She was left injured in a classroom (pictured) after being stoned by school children

On the mend: Mbegu found a new home with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) Nursery in Nairobi National Park

A warden from the Naibunga Conservancy was forced to intervene and protect the young animal.

Eventually Mbegu found a new home with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) Nursery in Nairobi National Park.

There, the baby elephant fell in love with her keeper and to this day continues to show her gratitude by nuzzling her keepers.

Rescue mission: Wardens from the Naibunga Conservancy was forced to intervene and protect the young animal. The animal is pictured during a flight to her new home

Emergency care: The baby elephant was found with bad injuries before being transferred to her new home at a Kenyan reserve

Up and running: Mbegu, pictured just after arriving at her new home, quickly found her feet and has been a big hit at the sanctuary

Gratitude: Edwin, a David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust keeper, receives some affection from Mbegu, an orphaned baby elephant

Introduction: Mbegu (right) was timid at first but was introduced to other elephants and soon found her feet at the sanctuary

Thirsty work: Mbegu greatfully accepts a drink from one of her keepers as she continues to recover from her horrific ordeal

Amie Alden from DWST said: 'Mbegu has settled extremely well and loves the other orphans who love her too.

'But more than that she is hooked on her keepers, never forgetting the love and tenderness they have shown her.

'Her wounds took some time to heal but thanks to the power of the green clay all the sepsis disappeared and she has made a full recovery.

Her rescuers say Mbegu appears 'hooked on her keepers, never forgetting the love and tenderness they have shown her'

New outfit: Rescuers fitted the baby orphaned elephant with a blanket to keep her warm as she continued her recuperation

Bath time: Keepers say Mbegu likes nothing better than to plunge into mud and cool off in the water at the sanctuary

Mbegu gives her keeper a kiss and a cuddle. She narrowly escaped death when angry villagers attacked her with stones

Mbegu has proven to be very loving towards her keepers despite the trauma originally suffered at the hands of humans

Keepers have described as a 'perfect little treasure' who has 'bounced back from her emotional scarring very quickly'

'Mbegu is a perfect little treasure, incredibly playful and given her tender age has bounced back from her emotional scarring very quickly and is now totally at home in her new environment and is genuinely happy.

'She had experienced unimaginable trauma that day and is extremely lucky to still be alive.

'Mbegu is very friendly and loving towards her keepers despite the trauma originally suffered at the hands of humans.'
An ambulance on a blue-light call to a serious emergency got stuck for half an hour because of a controversial traffic experiment to divert lorries through a small village.

Paramedics were on their way to the category two incident when they got jammed against an oncoming HGV on the narrow road in Melbury Abbas, Dorset.

Villagers said they feared the hold-ups could 'cost someone's life someday' and that the country lane gets jammed up to 20 times a week.

The two vehicles attempted to pass each other but ended up getting wedged in the tight space on Monday afternoon.

After a few minutes it became clear the ambulance was unable to pull clear and the crew radioed for another one to be sent to the casualty.

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The ambulance was on a blue-light call to a serious emergency when it got stuck next to a HGV. Residents are concerned that the jams could 'cost someone their life'

It arrived about an hour after the initial 999 call which was a delay of about 30 minutes.

Melbury Abbas resident Roy Faulkner, 57, said: 'I heard the sirens going right outside my house so looked out and saw a big lorry squeezing past the ambulance.

'But right behind it was an even bigger one and the ambulance had to stop completely, the two vehicles were just wedged together as neither could get past.

'After sitting there for a while the paramedics called in to say that they'd been in an accident and they wouldn't be able to get where they were going.

'It's really worrying because these emergency vehicles obviously need to be wherever they're going in the quickest possible time.

'This has all come about because of the signs directing lorries this way, it's ridiculous.

'We get fire engines coming through here sometimes too so there's a danger that one of them will get itself into a position like this.

'Jams like this could actually cost someone's life one day.'

It is the latest jam to blight the village which is getting blocked up to 20 times a week with lorries following the 'ridiculous' decision to re-route them.

Villagers have started recording the number of jams caused by lorries and photographing the incidents

Highways chiefs at Dorset County Council put up signs directing southbound HGVs to use the C13 road instead of the main A350 which runs parallel to it.

The idea is to create an unofficial one-way system for lorries as part of a 2.5m strategy to improve the A350.

The ambulance became stuck at around 12.20pm on Monday while on its way to the patient at an address eight miles north in Gillingham.

After the paramedics told call handlers about the accident they were called off and a rapid response vehicle followed by a second ambulance were sent instead.

The ambulance didn't arrive at the address until 12.43pm, almost an hour after the initial call.

Residents are calling for the one way system to be scrapped and say the road is physically too small for lorries to pass through

South Western Ambulance Service classed the call as a category two, for serious but not life threatening conditions.

William Kenealy, chairman of Melbury Abbas and Cann Parish Council, said: 'The road is physically too small for so many vehicles of such great size to pass through.

'The structure of the road and the nature of traffic passing through it at the moment means jams are continually occurring.

The road gets jammed 'up to 20 times a week' with lorries following the diversion signs

'The issue is even more concerning when you see pictures like this, which show an emergency vehicle getting stuck.

'The one way system put in place by the council needs to be looked at again, it's obviously not working.'

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said: 'A call was received from the NHS 111 service relating to a patient at an address in Gillingham.

The idea is to create an unofficial one-way system for lorries as part of a 2.5m strategy to improve the A350, which runs parallel to the narrow lane

'An ambulance was on its way to the scene within a few minutes but was involved in an incident at Melbury Abbas.

'A paramedic in a rapid response vehicle was then dispatched and attended the patient's address.

'The patient was treated at the scene and a second ambulance took the patient to Salisbury District Hospital for further treatment.'

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said they are looking into Monday's incident.

Andrew Martin, service director for highways and emergency planning at the council, said: 'In 2016 we implemented an advisory one-way system for HGVs to reduce the chances of two HGVs passing on the narrow parts of both the C13 and A350 roads between Shaftesbury and Blandford.

'We were recently awarded 2.5million of government funding for a range of improvements on these two roads.

'We are currently consulting with local communities on a range of options and are listening to their feedback.

'This incident and others will be investigated to help us find the best solutions to keep traffic and freight moving safely and freely.'
Passengers on a flight from China to Kuala Lumpur were joined by peculiar seat mates last week.

Pictures show three Chinese relics travelling business class on a flight from Xiamen to Kuala Lumpur as part of a tour of several Asian countries.

The three deities included a statue of the Chinese god of the sea Mazu who was accompanied by her guardians.

Photos show the relics onboard the flight from Xiamen, China to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Devotees make an offering with joss sticks to the idol of Chinese sea goddess Mazu

Passengers: The relics even had their own boarding passes with their names on

According to The Straits Times, a the price of a plane ticket for the relics was 2,091 yuan (238) per seat.

It's thought that they travelled business class due to their size.

Images show the relics on board the flight surrounded by fellow passengers. They were flown from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

They were accompanied by a strong entourage of 130 people who are involved in the transfer of the relics.

The relics were statues of ancient Chinese gods - Chinese god of the sea Mazu who is believed to protect fishermen and sailors. She was accompanied by her guardians Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er.

Important relic: The Meizhou Mazu idol is currently on a tour of Malaysia and Singapore

Devotees make an offering with joss sticks to the idol of Chinese sea goddess Mazu

The relics included the Chinese god of the sea Mazu and her guardians Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er

Qianliyan is considered to have 'eyes that can see a thousand miles' while Shunfeng'er is believed to have 'ears that hear from far away.'

A procession was held in Kuala Lumpur before the statues were brought to the Thean Hou temple in Melacca on July 3.

The temple wrote on its website: 'Mazu will start off in Malacca for a short 3-day trip full of activities, part of the first leg of Mazu's cultural exchange trip.'

Mazu and her guardians are also expected to travel to Singapore however its unclear what mode of transport she will be taking.
Russia is seeking to 'isolate and liquidate' key witnesses to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines MH17 with the loss of 298 people, it has been claimed.

The key figure of Colonel Vasily Geranin was last month secretly taken into custody in an operation suspected of being run by Vladimir Putin's FSB security service, according to a voluntary Ukrainian group probing the crash.

Geranin is seen as a 'key witness' and 'possible accomplice' into the downing of the place flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, say open source intelligence investigation agency InformNapalm.

The allegation comes ahead of the third anniversary of the Boeing 777's destruction on 17 July 2014, and as a decision is being made on establishing a tribunal to formally investigate the horror and establish guilt for the deaths of passengers and crew.

One thing that has been settled is that the trials will be held in the Netherlands after all the countries involved agreed it would be the best way forward.

Colonel Vasily Geranin (on the right) next to Igor Girkin (on the left) in a 14-year-old picture

An investigation has uncovered photos of a Russian military engineer posing with the Buk missile launcher believed to have been used to shoot down MH17

The Malaysian Airlines passenger jet from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed down in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board in July 2014

Suspects arrested for shooting down MH17 will be tried within the Dutch legal system The trials of any suspects arrested in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine will be held in the Netherlands, Dutch officials announced Wednesday. A joint international investigation has determined that the Boeing 777 jet was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile fired from rebel-held territory, but a separate criminal probe has yet to arrest any suspects. Now the countries leading the joint investigation team (JIT) - Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine - have agreed that any trials will be carried out within the Dutch legal system. The countries 'decided that the suspects should be prosecuted in the Netherlands, a process that will be rooted in ongoing international cooperation and support,' Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a statement. 'This cooperation is vital, given the complexity of this case,' he added, noting that eastern Ukraine was a conflict zone, 'the scene of heavy fighting which is still difficult to access.' Advertisement

His voice is alleged to be heard on an 'incriminating' intercepted mobile call with rebel leader Igor Bezler in the immediate aftermath of the plane's downing by a Russian-supplied Buk missile complex in pro-Moscow rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

The call is seen as evidence that Russian-sponsored rebels were behind the deadly strike on MH17.

An investigation has uncovered photos of a Russian military engineer posing with the Buk missile launcher believed to have been used to shoot down plane from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur which crashed down in eastern Ukraine.

The SBU intelligence agency in Kiev alleges that Geranin - a high ranking Russian GRU military intelligence officer - 'personally supervised' Bezler.

Geranin has not given his version of events and is now in custody, so putting him out of reach of international efforts to probe the crash.

He was allegedly detained in Russia for possessing illegal munitions, including parts of a grenade launcher, and retrospectively fired from the GRU.

But the group allege this is part of an FSB 'special operation' related to the MH17 attack, reported Ukrainian news source Unian.

Reports in a Moscow news outlet about his detention have been removed, it is claimed.

'The efforts of the special services of the Russian Federation to isolate and liquidate witnesses of the terrorist act against the passengers of MH17 indicate (Moscow) is trying its best to obstruct the investigation process,' claimed the voluntary group.

Bellingcat says the photo of the Buk 332 can be linked to the vehicle yard of Russia's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade because it shows a pink coloured Krug missile container seen in a later 2014 photo (above) uploaded by a cadet. This photo, the group says, was geotagged at the yard in Marshala Zhukova, near Kursk in Russia

The mechanic was also pictured inside the cabin of an S-300 9A83 missile launcher

Geranin, believed to be 50, is seen in a 14-year-old picture in Chechnya obtained by InformNapalm with another suspected GRU figure Igor Girkin - aka Igor Strelkov - who is being sued by MH17 families for his role in commanding rebel forces in eastern Ukraine when the Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down.

Russia blocked a UN-backed tribunal into the downing of MH17.

Now the governments of Australia, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Belgium and Malaysia are deciding on establishing their own tribunal to formally probe the Boeing's loss.

Another key player Russian Major General Sergey Dubinsky - accused of relocating the Buk missile complex - is in hiding and has refused to give details of his knowledge of the incident.

Dutch journalists arriving at his home in Rsotov region were unable to meet and question him.

Separate pictures show the mechanic in 2013 posing in front of a special purpose vehicle

He was also pictured sitting on front of a Buk missile launcher. Moscow insists that no Russian missile systems crossed the Ukrainian border, contrary to the Dutch-led MH17 probe report

Prosecutors said they were investigating 100 people who may be linked to the missile attack on the plane two years ago.

They also insisted there was a 'realistic chance' of a prosecution - though suspects have not been formally identified yet.

At the time of the disaster, pro-Russian separatists were fighting Ukrainian government forces in the region.

The Boeing 777 broke apart in midair, flinging wreckage over several miles of fields in rebel-held territory killing all 298 on board.

A team of prosecutors from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine have been working on the case.
This is the horrific moment a water buffalo owner is gored to death after trying to make the animal fight during a festival in Vietnam.

Dinh Xuan Huong, 46, died during the annual water buffalo fighting festival in Hai Phong, northern Vietnam, on Saturday.

Relatives said that Dinh was an experienced buffalo handler and trained the animals for ten years - finally achieving his dream of owning his first bull just one year ago.

Dinh Xuan Huong, 46, was killed during the annual water buffalo fighting festival in northern Vietnam on Saturday after his own animal turned on him

But his animal 'number 18' became enraged and chased a rival owner before turning on Dinh and catching him next to the fence.

Graphic footage shows the water buffalo head butt Dinh in his backside which knocks him to the ground.

Dinh tries to get up and hold off the animal but it gores him before flinging him up in the air - piercing his leg with its horn - and tossing him around 14ft in a somersault.

Disorientated and dazed, Dinh clambers onto his knees but moments later the buffalo ploughs into his head knocking him out instantly.

Dinh was rushed to the Vietnam-Czech Friendship Hopsital but he later died, having suffered catastrophic injuries to his brain, spine and legs.

Vietnamese authorities later shot the buffalo and suspended the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival while drugs tests were carried out on all the creatures.

Mr Huong had been watching the water buffalo, which he purchased last year, fight when it suddenly began chasing the rival trainer before attacking him

Video shows Mr Huong being caught on the animal's horns and tossed through the air before being butted and trampled after landing

Hoang Xuan Minh, Chairman of the Do Son district of Hai Phong City, said the Ministry of Public Security has asked local authorities to take samples of buffalo 18 to check if stimulants intended to make it a more aggressive fighter were responsible for the attack.'

Traditional buffalo fighting was stopped in the country during the Vietnam War but started again in 1990.

The festival is said to honour sacrifice and bravery - and be a homage to the water goddesses.

A number of buffalo have died in the duels but Dinh's death was the first human fatality since the event resumed.

Officials said 32 buffaloes had been competing in the qualification rounds for the final 16 places.

Authorities are now considering whether the buffalo fighting festival should continue next year.

Mr Huong (pictured top, mid-somersault) was rushed to hospital after the incident but died from injuries to his brain, spine and legs
The suspected ringleader of the Costa timeshare scam has been named as Howard Manton.

The Brit expat has been offered the chance of bail after being told he would be set free from prison if he paid 17,550 (Eur20,000).

His bail was initially set at five times that - but lowered after he claimed he could not afford to pay.

Manton, who lives near Malaga, has been linked to bogus timeshare resale firms in the past by Spanish watchdog The Mindtimeshare Association.

It was not clear last night if Manton, whose wife, son and daughter-in-law were also arrested over the alleged scam, was out on bail or not.

He is part of British gang of 36 people arrested for their part in a 15million Costa del Sol timeshare scam that has affected hundreds of people across the UK.

Three officers work away at counting more than 100,000 of cash which was seized in raids along with 10 designer watches, gemstones, seven vehicles including a Ferrari and a yacht

A police officer puts down her belongings on a table overlooking a pool and the beach at the luxury headquarters of the suspected scammers in the coastal city of Velez-Malaga east of Malaga

Officers in high visibility jackets and medial gloves sift through paperwork at the suspected scammers' headquarters in Spain

The gang even employed fake lawyers who would contact those who were scammed to falsely offer their services to claim their money back.

More than 100,000 in cash, 10 designer watches, gemstones, seven vehicles including a Ferrari and a yacht were seized in the coastal city of Velez-Malaga east of Malaga in what is understood to be the scammers' headquarters.

An estimated 500 people - all Brits - have fallen victim to the scam.

Spanish police announced today most of those arrested are also believed to be British.

Police say they believe those affected were defrauded out of nearly 15million and the suspects made a whopping profit of nearly 11million.

Detectives and Malaga-based central government representatives revealed details of the timeshare fraud op at a press conference in the Costa del Sol capital this morning.

A police spokesman said: 'National Police officers have smashed a criminal organisation based in the province of Malaga specialising in timeshare fraud.

'Thirty-six people have been arrested, and another placed under formal investigation but not arrested, on suspicion of fraud, money laundering, forgery and membership of a criminal organisation.

'Among those detained are the alleged ringleader, a British man, and two lawyers believed to have been responsible for the money laundering.

An officer counts the Euros in front of a pile of envelopes

'The suspects offered their customers, all British and timeshare owners, a timeshare holiday product.'

The police operation was codenamed Manta - Spanish for Blanket - and the cash and luxury goods were seized during raids on a lawyer's office and the headquarters of the firm.

The raids came after police were asked to act on a formal complaint filed by a lawyer acting for 33 Brits who said they had fallen victim to a timeshare scam.

Spain's National Police said in a statement: 'Initial inquiries were made to determine the place the firm was operating from and resulted in the identification of three companies the fraudulent activity was being conducted from.

'Continuing with their inquiries, police discovered a criminal network composed mainly of six people, namely the main suspect and intellectual author, his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law, all people he trusted who were on the next level down to him, plus two lawyers suspected of being in charge of the money laundering part of the business, and an additional thirty accomplices needed to carry out the fraud.

'The suspects contacted potential victims, all timeshare owners and all British, and offered them the possibility of acquiring a holiday package as well as selling their timeshare to other possible buyers.

'To start the ball rolling, and buy or sell the holiday package, they would ask their victims for a sum of money they termed a deposit.

'After reaching agreement with the victims, they would dupe them into making bank transfers.

'They realised after the sale or purchase didn't go through that they had been duped.'

Two British passports and huge wads of 50 notes on a table after being confiscated by police

Police say the suspects used forged documents to pose as legitimate businessmen and also employed accomplices who would try to dupe victims who had already been left out of pocket by claiming they could help them get their money back.

All those arrested have appeared before an investigating judge in private court hearings and the suspected ringleader remanded in custody.

The rest continue to be probed as part of an ongoing judicial investigation.

No-one has been formally charged as is normal in Spain where charges are only laid shortly before trial.

Police did not name any of the suspects at yesterday's press conference.

It is understood each victim paid between around 550 and 2,700.

Miguel Briones, a Malaga-based central government spokesman, said police had 'flexed their muscles' and sent an important message to the British community and the tourist sector that the Spanish authorities were there to help protect them from criminals.
Theresa May backed Philip Hammond in the Cabinet row over public-sector pay yesterday.

The Prime Minister told MPs it was not fair to refuse to take tough decisions and to load debts on to our children and grandchildren.

She rounded on Jeremy Corbyn, warning that Labours profligate agenda risked turning Britain into an economic basket case like Greece. She said this nation had to live within its means.

The Prime Minister made clear that the government was ready to listen to recommendations for rises above the 1 per cent threshold.

Mrs May also mounted a spirited defence of the Tories' economic record - and highlighted the example of Greece where political mismanagement resulted in swingeing austerity measures.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused ministers of 'flip flopping' on the issue of public sector pay, and said workers needed a rise.

The Prime Minister made clear that the government was ready to listen to recommendations for rises above the 1 per cent threshold

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused ministers of 'flip flopping' on the issue, and said public sector workers needed a pay rise

But Mrs May pointed out that the government had to show 'restraint' because Labour left the country with the 'biggest deficit in our peacetime history'

Mrs May yesterday indicated she was not willing to abandon pay restraint in the face of pressure from Labour, the unions and even her own ministers.

Addressing Mr Corbyn directly, she said she valued public-sector workers as much as him, adding: The difference is that I know we have to pay for them.

The Prime Minister said it was time to remind Mr Corbyn what happens when you do not deal with the deficit.

She added: This is not a theoretical issue. Let us look at those countries that failed to deal with it. In Greece, where they have not dealt with the deficit, what did we see with that failure to deal with the deficit? Spending on the health service cut by 36 per cent. That does not help nurses or patients.

Labour described the comparison as preposterous.

The bad-tempered exchanges at PMQs in the Commons came after days in which the Government has been struggling to hammer out a clear line on the cap.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has been forced forced to slap down a string of Cabinet ministers who have called for it to be relaxed.

Michael Gove and Boris Johnson have seemed to suggest it could be done without increasing taxes.

The bad-tempered exchanges at PMQs in the Commons came after days in which the Government has been struggling to hammer out a clear line on the cap

But former PM David Cameron urged Mrs May to stay the course on austerity. The opponents of so-called austerity couch their arguments in a way that makes them sound generous and compassionate, he said on Tuesday.

They seek to paint the supporters of sound finances as selfish or uncaring. The exact reverse is true.

Giving up on sound finances isnt being generous, its being selfish  spending money today that you may need tomorrow.

Stick to energy cap pledge, Tories demand Tory MPs are demanding Theresa May honour a manifesto pledge to impose a price cap on energy costs. Campaign leader John Penrose wrote to Downing Street to insist she must stand by the election promise to stop 17million households being preyed on by the Big Six power providers. The appeal comes days after energy regulator Ofgem proposed a much more limited cap, which would only see 2.6million vulnerable households benefiting. The letter was also signed by Conservative MPs Sarah Wollaston and Robert Halfon. Mr Penrose, the MP for Weston-super-Mare, called the Ofgem deal a stitch-up by the Big Six firms. The letter said: It is clear we must do more to protect the further 15million households who continue to be preyed on by the Big Six energy firms. Advertisement

His remarks came during a speech to the Asia Leadership Conference in Seoul, for which he is thought to have received a five-figure fee.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said Mr Camerons comments just further show how out of touch he was then, and still remains today.

But former Tory chancellor Lord Lawson said that failure to control public spending would lead to economic disaster.

He warned Cabinet ministers they were undermining the Government by airing their differences so publicly, adding: We should stop having this debate in public, its ludicrous.

Lord Lawson said it was not impossible for the pay cap to be lifted but that restraint should be maintained.

Once you lose control, as the last Labour government did ... you have an economic disaster, he said.

Despite the seven-year pay cap, public sector pay has fallen more slowly than that in the private sector.

A report by the Office of Manpower Economics yesterday found that while real wages in the public sector were squeezed by 3.1 per cent from 2005 to 2015, those in the private sector fell by an average of 6.1 per cent.
A nine-month-old girl has been admitted to hospital with the B strain of the invasive meningococcal disease.

The young baby girl was taken to hospital in Adelaide and remains in a stable condition prompting the South Australian Government to release a statement.

Nine people who came in contact with the young girl are being advised to take antibiotics.

A nine-month-old girl was diagnosed with the B strain of the meningococcal disease and is in a stable condition in hospital (Stock Image)

The statement said while winter and spring are commonly a higher risk time for meningococcal disease, there was no increased risk to the public.

There have been 14 cases of meningococcal disease reported in South Australia so far this year.

There are five main strains of the disease, all of which have vaccinations available.

While the vast majority of victims who have the disease fully recover, 10 per cent will die and around 20 per cent will have permanent disabilities.

There was 137 cases of the disease across New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia in 2016, according to Meningococcal Australia.
A wildfire broke was sparked by an Independence Day fireworks display in Arizona.

No one was injured in the fire, which was captured live on Facebook and broke out at a show at BlueWater Resort & Casino in Parker, Arizona, on Monday night.

The casino was broadcasting live on Facebook from the 11-minute display when a firework landed in the desert brush and started a blaze.

No one was injured in the fire, which broke out at a show at BlueWater Resort & Casino in Parker, Arizona, on Monday night during an 11-minute Independence Day firework display

Spectators watched at flames spread underneath the fireworks display, which continued despite the blaze.

'Fireworks at BlueWater were great, then the desert started burning,' employee Gene Smith wrote on social media following the incident.

Parker Fire Department with help from CRIT and Buckskin Fire Department were able to get the fire under control about an hour and a half after the desert went up in flames.

Buckskin Fire Chief Chris Chambers told Fox News that the fire was started after a firework went off early and landed in the nearby brush.

Spectators watched at flames spread underneath the fireworks display, which continued despite the blaze

He said about half an acre of land was damaged in the blaze and that firefighters returned to the site on Tuesday for mop-op operations.

Spectator John Croteau watched the display from across a body of water and filmed the fire as it happened.

'Great fireworks at Blue Water Casino and our Fire Fighters were busy too,' he wrote in a Facebook post about the fire. 'Great job guys, thank you for your service.'

In video of the fireworks display, Bluewater thanked viewers for watching and wrote: 'Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July.'

The display was put on by Zambelli Fireworks, a company based in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Molly McLaren died after she was stabbed outside a shopping centre in Kent

A 'beautiful and lovely natured' young woman died in a shopping centre car park from multiple stab wounds to her chest, neck and throat, an inquest heard.

University of Kent student Molly McLaren was found last Thursday in the car park of the Dockside Shopping Outlet centre with slash and stab wounds to her upper torso.

The 23-year-old from Cobham in Surrey, died from her injuries despite desperate efforts to save her at the scene in Chatham, Kent.

The medical cause of death was given as sharp force wounds to the neck during an inquest opening held at Archbishops Palace in Maidstone today.

Molly's ex-boyfriend Joshua Stimpson, 25, is alleged to have attacked her in her Citroen C1.

The pair are said to have been in a relationship at the end of last year, but Molly's Facebook page stated she was single at the time of her death.

Stimpson appeared at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent yesterday via videolink from HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey.

Molly was found with wounds to her neck in a shopping centre car park in Chatham, Kent

Three people who are believed to have known the pair attended the hearing today

Wearing a grey sweatshirt and jogging bottoms, Stimpson spoke only to confirm his name during the brief hearing.

It was his first crown court appearance since he was charged with Molly's murder.

Three people who knew the former couple attended court, although her family is not believed to have been in the public gallery.

Molly was a student at the University of Kent in Medway where she was studying Exercise, Sport and Health Education.

She lived in the nearby village of Cobham and worked part-time at local pub, The Leather Bottle.

Paying tribute to her, the manager described her as 'beautiful, lovely natured, kind-hearted, just perfect'.

Her father Douglas said: 'It goes without saying she was a wonderful daughter.'

Stimpson, of Wouldham, near Rochester, is due to appear again on September 18. He was remanded in custody until that date.

The pair are believed to have been in a relationship at the end of last year but Molly's Facebook page suggests she was single at the time she died

Police at the scene last week. The victim's father said she was 'a wonderful daughter'

The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which will look into Molly's contact with officers before her death.

As well as studying at university, Molly was also a health and fitness blogger.

Her family and friends now hope to set up The Molly McLaren Foundation by raising 23,000 to help people with eating disorders.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel sharply criticized U.S. policy under President Donald Trump on Wednesday, two days before they are due to meet at the G20 summit, for being based on a 'winners and losers' view of the world rather than on cooperation.

Merkel will host the two-day meeting of G20 leaders that starts on Friday in Hamburg. Along with Trump, others attending include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan.

The talks are expected to be tricky as the agenda includes divisive issues such as free trade and climate change.

Off to a good start: Angela Merkel accused Donald Trump of not being interested in international cooperation and seeing the world as being about 'winners and losers'

Welcome party: Police in Hamburg used pepper spray as they cleared an anti-capitalist protest camp in Hamburg

Taking to the streets: Police used water cannon to clear an anti-G20 protest in Hamburg on Tuesday night. Security is tight as world leaders arrive for the summit

'As G20 president, it is my job to work on possibilities for agreement and not to contribute to a situation where a lack of communication prevails,' she told Die Zeit weekly.

However, she added that differences should not be pushed under the table.

'While we are looking at the possibilities of cooperation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers,' she said.

She said comments from a Trump security adviser that the world was an arena, not a global community, contradicted her views.

Germany wants everyone to benefit from economic progress rather than only a few, she said.

He's off: Trump is headed first to Poland and then to Hamburg where Angela Merkel is hosting the G20

On their way: The president and First Lady left the White House on Marine One on Wednesday morning before boarding Air Force One for the flight to Warsaw

Europe must pool its energy, she said, adding that ideas of an economic government for the euro zone and of a European finance minister, put forward by new French President Emmanuel Macron, were 'two important thoughts'.

Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to march in the city this week against globalization and what they say is corporate greed and a failure to tackle climate change.

Merkel said she respected peaceful demonstrators in Hamburg but 'anyone who gets violent spurns democracy'.

German police used water cannon to disperse around 500 anti-capitalist protesters overnight in Hamburg.
Australia's favourite racehorse Horsey McHorseface was sold for $17,325 in an online auction.

The bizarrely named gelding fetched the eye-watering sum after attracting a whopping 53 bids, despite winning just a single win from six races.

The three-year-old shot to fame via its name, a tribute to Boaty McBoatface, the moniker chosen after a poll asked the British public to name a research vessel.

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Horsey McHorseface (pictured) was was sold for $17,325 in an online auction

The New Zealand-born horse shot to social media stardorm with a Facebook dedication page.

The three-year-old horse was purchased by trainer Bjorn Baker at Sydney's Warwick farm for $65,000 in 2016.

Horsey McHorseface galloped to its first victory at Cessnock in Australia last month

Trainer Baker was able to turn the horse into a winner in just his fourth race.

'Best name in horse racing!' One social media user wrote after the victory.

Racing authorities usually weed out obscene or risque suggestions but there is a long history of mischievous names designed to give fast-talking racing commentators a hard time.

Horsey McHorseface broke through for his maiden victory in Cessnock last month

Horsey McHorseface (pictured) has been dubbed 'The People's Horse' because of his creative name
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Heiress Petra Ecclestone plans to celebrate the eviction of her estranged husband James Stunt by staging a 'street party', as event planners were seen delivering goods to her 100million mansion.

The 28-year-old daughter of billionaire Bernie was seen returning to the couple's property in west London, yesterday - just days after Mr Stunt left and moved into a hotel in London on Friday.

This morning, famed event planners Banana Split were seen dropping off party equipment, including candy floss makers and a bouncy castle, ahead of a gathering to celebrate after Mr Stunt was kicked out of the mansion.

Ms Ecclestone's model sister, Tamara, was also spotted leaving the property in a black Mercedes people carrier.

A pygmy goat and two alpacas are among the animals that have been ordered for Petra's party, according to a list that was taken into the home by an assistant.

Last week, a friend of Tamara's revealed how Petra's mother Slavica was so happy to see the back of Mr Stunt that she planned to throw a street party.

Ms Ecclestone is divorcing the father of her three children six years after their lavish 12million ceremony which took place in an Italian castle.

A pygmy goat and two alpacas are among the animals that have been ordered for Petra's party, according to a list that was taken into the home by an assistant

Heiress Petra Ecclestone plans to celebrate the eviction of her estranged husband James Stunt by staging a 'street party', as event planners were seen delivering goods to her 100million mansion

Pictured: Petra Ecclestone's sister Tamara leaving the house in a Mercedes people carrier

Last week, a friend of Petras 33-year-old sister Tamara revealed how Petra's mother Slavica was so happy to see the back of Mr Stunt that she planned to throw a street party

Two workers unload party goods, including a cotton candy machine (pictured), from the back of a van outside the home of Petra Ecclestone

Pictured: The sister of Petra Ecclestone, the model Tamara Ecclestone, 33, is seen leaving the house in a people carrier

Animals are delivered to the house of Bernie Ecclestone's daughter Petra as the family look set to celebrate the eviction of her estranged husband James Stunt

This morning, famed event planners Banana Split were seen dropping off party equipment, including candy floss makers and sweets, ahead of a big gathering to celebrate after Mr Stunt was kicked out of the sprawling home

Describing its event planning online, Banana Split (seen parked outside the 100million mansion today) says: 'No ask is too great, no act is out of reach and no venue unobtainable'

Stage lighting and a bouncy castle were also delivered to the home (pictured), from which Mr Stunt was evicted on Friday

As Mr Stunt was driven away from the property on Friday, he was seen clutching two china cats and smoking.

His possessions - including his Rolls Royce, a customised Range Rover, a 300,000 Lamborghini Aventador and an 180,000 Lamborghini Huracan - were all taken to the hotel.

It is thought his wife went to court before returning to the marital home in her black customised Range Rover. As the gate closed, plain-clothed security were seen gathering around her car.

Later on, a delivery of new clothes in her name were also taken to the gates.

Ms Ecclestone is embroiled in a bitter battle with her estranged husband over their 5.5billion fortune.

The pair have hired some of the countrys most high profile divorce lawyers to represent them in High Court hearings, which are expected to start next month.

Heiress Petra Ecclestone was seen in public for the first time yesterday after her estranged husband James Stunt left their home on Friday

Several bags of rubbish were left stacked outside of the property and were collected later by binmen

It is not known what is inside the bags which filled up three green bins and were also left on the pavement this morning

A friend of Ms Ecclestone and another woman, thought to be a helper, were also seen arriving at the property. One of the women carried in bags of shopping (right)

Their 158million mansion in Los Angeles and a Grade II-listed pile in the fashionable west London district  worth up to 100million  are expected to be just some of the assets fought over.

Bernie spoke last week for the first time about his daughter's divorce from her husband James Stunt, telling MailOnline: 'She has suffered an awful lot and I couldn't bear for her to suffer any more'.

He added: 'I don't like to see marriages broken up unnecessarily, she tolerated it for quite a long time. He has caused enough aggravation for Petra'.

Extraordinary details of their bitter marriage were laid bare during a highly charged court hearing on Thursday.

Ms Ecclestone and her husband James married the businessman in 2011 but they are heading for divorce

Mr Ecclestone said: 'It wasn't a divorce hearing, it was simply for Petra to be able to go back to her house.

'The case was for the judge to tell him to leave. It is a rather super house to live in which he would like people to believe he owns but he doesn't'.

A friend of Petras 33-year-old sister Tamara said: The marriage has been terrible for a year and tricky for two.

Slavica [Petras mum] is so delighted she has had the courage to split from him that I think she is going to throw a street party.

'She and Tamara have been worried sick for ages and the whole family has felt that he traded on the Ecclestone name.

The Central Family Court heard that Mr Stunt had signed a prenuptial agreement worth 16million. His assets were also said to include a wine collection worth up to 15million and two Chelsea properties worth up to 4million each.

The bad-tempered hearing boiled over when Mr Stunt slammed his hand onto a table and appeared to make a gun gesture with his hand.

He then pointed at Mr Ecclestone before calling him a c*** under his breath. Stunt then tapped him on the shoulder and stormed out of the court room.

Mr Ecclestone stood up as if to confront him and started to follow him before the judge intervened and denied he is the driving force behind the split.

The billionaire said: 'This is the kind of behaviour I expect of him. He is not a quiet-natured guy. He explodes for very little.

'It is erratic behaviour, even the judge commented on it.[In court] He punched me in the back. I got up to have a conversation with him and the judge told me to leave it.

'He thinks I was behind Petra leaving him and it's completely the opposite. I don't want to see a marriage broken up'.

After the incident in court Recorder Richard Anelay QC said: Please Mr Ecclestone, dont respond. I know its tempting. For the record I saw [Mr Stunt] clearly tap Mr Ecclestone on the shoulder.

'I think my intervention prevented rather actually prevented Mr Ecclestone from wanting to retaliate. Dont carry it on outside please, it will not help you in the long run.

Ms Ecclestone's luxury Range Rover arrived at the mansion last week after Mr Stunt was taken away by his entourage

The 28-year-old heiress is divorcing the father of her three children six years after they were married in an Italian castle during 12million nuptials in 2011 and were serenaded by an array of pop stars

Pictured: Billionaire James Stunt's entourage begin unpacking his possessions outside a London hotel after he left the family home on Friday

Billionaire Mr Ecclestone (pictured left) said his daughter (pictured centre) should not have needed to go to court to get her husband (pictured right) to leave the family home

James Stunt has left his marital mansion in a Rolls Royce after he was evicted by his estranged wife Petra while smoking a cigarette and clutching some china cats

Mr and Mrs Stunt are believed to have first met on a blind date in 2006. Pictured: One of Stunt's sports cars

Pictured: Suits, boxes and a car belonging to Stunt, who is being divorced by his wife Petra Ecclestone

Mr and Mrs Stunt are believed to have first met on a blind date in 2006.

They have three children together - daughter Lavinia, four, and twin sons James Jr and Andrew, who are two.

Mrs Stunts legal team includes Baroness Fiona Shackleton, who represented Sir Paul McCartney in his divorce battle with Heather Mills.

The 28-year-old heiress later walked out of the courtroom in tears. She was not wearing a wedding ring.

Her estranged husband, who was sporting a wedding band, smirked as he raised his middle finger towards photographers outside the court building.

During the hour-long hearing, Mr Stunt repeatedly laughed, scoffed, panted, sighed and raised his hands in the air as lawyers gave their submissions.

Mr Stunt has asked for 'time and space' to work through the issues with his wife.

He said: 'I ask that Petra and I are given time and space to work through our difficulties.

'If our marriage were to fail it would be a tragedy. The situation is deeply upsetting and very stressful for us and for our families.

'I would like to ask that the media respect our privacy and the privacy of our children.

'I hope that matters will be resolved in the near future and that this will avoid further proceedings - which would only lead to more intrusion and distress for all concerned.

'I will make a further statement if and when necessary.'

As her husband left the family home Ms Ecclestone was at the Dorchester Hotel on Friday with her daughter Lavinia, where she met her sister Tamara and daughter Sophia
Muhammed Azklany, 26, suffered in 'total agony' after he was attacked by German shepherd Karly in Plumstead, south east London, during July 2012

An autistic man was left covered in blood after he was mauled by an 'out-of-control' Met Police dog.

Muhammed Azklany, 26, suffered in 'total agony' after he was savagely attacked by German shepherd Karly in Plumstead, south east London, during July 2012.

The dog, referred to as a 'loaded weapon' by Mr Azklany's lawyers, leapt on its victim while officers dealt with a disturbance and caused a 'very severe bite'.

Last month, Mr Azklany took the case to court and has now been awarded 45,000 in compensation from the Metropolitan Police for his 'grievous injury'.

However, the force faces a much bigger bill - amounting to about 300,000 - because it will also have to foot most of the legal costs of the case.

Mr Azklany's lawyers said the dog should have been on its lead when its handler got out of her car.

Barrister James Lad-die QC told Central London County Court: 'It was foreseeable that the dog would take matters into its own hand.

'This was a loaded weapon which was a risk of going off.'

Mr Azklany and other family members had been rowing with his ex-girlfriend when the incident took place.

He was talking to the dog handler when Karly suddenly jumped on him without warning.

The Met claimed the dog was on its leash and that it was set on Mr Azklany when he ran towards a group of onlookers.

But in a 12-day county court hearing, a jury found that Karly was not on her lead and that Mr Azklany had not run off.

Ruling afterwards, Judge Charles Freeland QC said Mr Azklany had suffered a 'reckless assault' as officers knew an unleashed dog might bite.

The dog handler had taken an 'unwarranted risk' in getting out of the car into a 'volatile' situation with a potentially dangerous unleashed animal, he said.

It was found that Karly (pictured) was not on her lead when she set upon Mr Azklany - unleashing a 'severe' bite'

'In this type of situation, she herself said she wouldn't have deployed Police Dog Karly without a lead - yet, on the verdict of the jury, that is what she did,' he added.

'She accepts the dog was highly capable of deploying force if unrestrained and would therefore be likely to injure people. That's what Karly did.

'In my judgment, on the verdict of the jury, she has quite unnecessarily created the risk. There was no justification for the risk.

'Once the risk was created, the events were entirely foreseeable and it was entirely foreseeable that that would involve someone getting injured.

'Karly should not have been unleashed, but was unleashed.'

Following the incident, Mr Azklany, who has autism and ADHD, was arrested and charged with a public order offence, but the CPS dropped the case.

He claimed the arrest was unlawful because there was no reason for it and that the prosecution was 'malicious' in that it was concocted to cover up the dog bite.

But the false imprisonment and malicious prosecution claims were rejected after the jury found Mr Azklany had been abusive when spoken to by the dog handler.

The officers had not got their heads together to concoct a bogus prosecution, the jury also found.

The Met was ordered to pay the lion's share of Mr Azklany's lawyers' costs, estimated at over 200,000, but will also foot its own bill, which is itself almost 100,000.

Andrew Arthur, a partner at Fisher Meredith solicitors, said later: 'After five years of seeking accountability for a serious unjustified injury, my client is very happy to have been vindicated by a jury and relieved that he can now put this dreadful event behind him.

'He suffered a very serious and gruesome bite, in circumstances which were terrifying for him.

'The jury unanimously rejected the story put forward by two officers that my client was running away, and have thus rejected the Met's only justification for the injury.

'The jury also rejected unanimously the evidence given by officers that the dog was on a lead and un-der control.

'My view is that this type of case should raise serious concerns about the continuing use of dogs in policing.

'These animals are trained to bite, and when they do, the injuries sustained can range from small superficial injuries to something much more serious'.
US President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday, and he prepared to make his second foreign trip, this time to the G20 summit and Poland, that he is ready to take a harder line against China following neighbor state North Korea's most recent ballistic missile test.

Trump said a tweet, just before he departed the White House: 'Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!'

At a news conference last week, Trump declared that the 'era of strategic patience' in the North Korean conflict was over.

His tweet Wednesday morning served as a pubic warning to China's Xi Pinging that his faith in Beijing is dissipating, too, following his unrequited request late Monday evening that the country put a 'heavy move' on North Korea to 'end this nonsense.'

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US President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday, and he prepared to make his second foreign trip, this time to the G20 summit and Poland, that he ready to take a harder line against China, and its leader, Xi Jinping, following neighbor state North Korea's last ballistic missile test

Trump's tweet on Wednesday morning, as he was about to depart the White House, was a shot across the bow at Xi, whom he's scheduled to meet with in Germany at the G20

Trump had leaned heavily on Xi, after their April summit, to help with North Korea. The country has rapidly increased its provocations since Trump took office, repeatedly shooting off missiles that could soon be engineered to reach the West.

The US president acknowledged late last month, a day after the death of 22-year-old American student Otto Warmbier, that the strategy may not be working.

'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!' he said in a June 20 tweet.

Warmbier was held prisoner in North Korea for 17 months and released to his parents a week before his death in a coma.

Pyongyang has denied foul play in spite of the extensive brain injuries that Warmbier suffered. His doctors said the damage was 'consistent with oxygen deprivation for a prolonged period.'

The Ohio student's death hit Washington like a lightning bolt. Congress is in the process of reviewing legislation that would ban most Americans from traveling to the tightly-controlled Asian outpost.

'The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed,' Trump said in a joint statement from the White House Rose Garden with South Korea's Moon Jae-in on Friday.

Trump called on South Korea, Japan, and the United States' partners around the world to stand up as the 'menace known as North Korea' in remarks where he demanded that regional powers impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang and force Kim choose a 'better path' for his people.

'The United States will defend itself - always will defends itself, always,' Trump said, 'and we will always defend our allies.'

China accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's trade. In the first quarter of 2017, Beijing says trade with North Korea expanded by 37.4 percent from the same period in 2016, even though it has complied with United Nations sanctions and halted its imports of Kim's coal.

The US has made clear that it wants China to do more. Xi's government has cautioned that additional sanctions could destabilize North Korea and collapse its government. The country's nuclear weapons program could fall into even worse hands if that were to happen.

Walking out of the White House on Wednesday to board Marine One, Trump told reporters shouting questions at him about North Korea, 'We're going to do very well'

The White House said Trump called Xi on Sunday to reiterate his position.

'President Trump raised the growing threat posed by North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs,' a readout of the call said. 'Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.'

Trump also brought up the issue of trade on the call - a pressure point for Beijing.

'China has many predatory practices in the way they deal with us, with intellectual property and trade barriers for us,' his national economic adviser, Gary Cohn said during a meeting with the South Korean delegation on Friday.

The senior US official said America is 'forced to transfer technology into China, forced to have joint ventures in China. We have tariffs and nontariff barriers; unable to own companies in China, as well. And we're dealing with all of their policies.'

Trump chimed in to say the 'that United States has trade deficits with many, many countries, and we cannot allow that to continue.

'And well start with South Korea right now. But we cannot allow that to continue. This is really a statement that I make about all trade. For many, many years, the United States has suffered through massive trade deficits. That's why we have $20 trillion in debt. So well be changing that.'

At the G20 summit, Trump will have bilateral pullaside with both Moon and Xi, as well as Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe.

Walking out of the White House on Wednesday to board Marine One, Trump told reporters shouting questions at him about North Korea, 'We're going to do very well.'

He'd said in a tweet not an hour before: 'The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us? '

Yesterday, a defiant Kim Jong-Un had seemingly taunted the United States after a successful test of the intercontinental ballistic missile he said was 'a gift for American ba****ds on July 4.'

The North Korean leader made the haughty statement after the ICBM was launched Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Pyongyang claims its newly developed rocket can carry 'large-sized and heavy nuclear warheads'.

But the U.S. quickly responded along with South Korea by conducting a joint ballistic missile drill.

South Korea says the response was 'intended as a strong warning against North Korean provocation.'

'Eighth U.S. Army and Republic of Korea (ROK) military personnel conducted a combined event exercising assets countering North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions on July 4,' a statement from US and South Koran officials reads.

'This exercise utilized the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

The United States and South Korea conducted a joint ballistic missile drill in response to North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

South Korea says it was 'intended as a strong warning against North Korean provocation,' according to CNN. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

A statement from US and South Koran officials states: 'The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-U.S. Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions'

The statement adds that South Korea and the U.S. are 'committed to peace and prosperity on the Koran Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific. Above South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System is pictured firing a tactical ballistic missile into the East Sea on July 5

'The U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK in the face of threats is ironclad,' the statement concludes. Above South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System is pictured firing a tactical ballistic missile into the East Sea on July 5

North Korea on Tuesday said it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting US experts to say the device could reach Alaska. Pictured above is the ICBM during a test launch

'The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-U.S. Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions.'

The statement adds that South Korea and the U.S. are 'committed to peace and prosperity on the Koran Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific.

'The U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK in the face of threats is ironclad.'

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed that North Korea successfully tested an ICBM capable of hitting Alaska and that's a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea.

How far would missile have to travel from Pyongyang to reach the US? US Naval Base in Guam: 2,114 miles Hawaii: 4,727 miles San Francisco: 5,588 miles Los Angeles: 5,935 miles New York: 6,783 miles Washington, DC: 6,857 miles Advertisement

Tillerson said the U.S. will bring North Korea's action before the United Nations Security Council.

'Global action is required to stop a global threat,' Tillerson said. 'Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.

He added: 'As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.'

His statement provided the first confirmation of the U.S. conclusion that the missile was an ICBM.

The U.S. military's initial assessment was that North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile.

The U.S. has requested a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the latest launch, a spokesman for the US mission to the United Nations says.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the missile test.

'This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation,' Guterres said through his spokesman according to CNN.

'The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.'

The spokesman said the meeting of the 15-member council was likely to be scheduled for Wednesday.

The secretive state's Academy of Defense Science claimed the test marked the 'final step' in creating a 'confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth'.

The US 'attempts to test our determination and ignores our warnings', the state-run Korea Central News Agency cited Kim as saying.

Breaking into laughter, the news agency said, the leader 'added that we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom'.

Kim ordered them to 'frequently send big and small "gift packages" to the Yankees,' it added.

The North Korean leader also said the missile looked 'as handsome as a good-looking boy' and that the country would not negotiate with America to give up its weapons program until Washington abandoned its hostile policy against the North.

Weapons experts in the United States said that the missile has the potential to reach areas of Alaska

NORTH KOREA CALLS ICBM TEST A 'GLISTENING MIRACLE' 'Our great leader Kim Jong Un sent a personally handwritten letter 2017, July 3rd, ordering the launch of an intercontinental ballistic rocket (Hwasong 14). 'The launch, that was personally supervised by the great leader KJU himself, will now be followed by the National Institute of Science's report. 'National Science Institute's Report: Intercontinental Ballistic Rocket Hwasong 14 was successful. 'Our dear leader KJU's strategic order was followed by a launch of an ICBM, and this was successfully processed. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un signs the order to carry out the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic rocket 'The newly developed ICBM Hwasong-14 was launched, and this took place on July 4, 2017 at 9am, and flew for 39 minutes. 'It flew from a northwestern city, and flew precisely following the predicted trajectory. It also reached precisely the targeted point in Chosun (Korean) air. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket did not at all bring negative impacts to any nearby country. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket reached a maximum altitude of 2,802 km, and flew for 933 kilometres. 'Our dear leader KJU was there to witness the glistening miracle.' 'The success of the last stage of becoming a nuclear power state is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. Hwason 14 shows the unwithering power of our state, our strong independence and defense in the world and will be marked as a significant mark in our history. 'North Korea, as a nuclear state capable of reaching any country in the world with our intercontinental ballistic rocket, will be able to root out the U.S's nuclear program once and for all, and bring peace and secure safety to the Chosun (Korean) peninsula.' Advertisement

The launch in North Korea, which came as the United States prepared to mark its Independence Day, triggered a Twitter outburst from Trump who urged China to 'put a heavy move' on North Korea to 'end this nonsense once and for all'.

North Korea has long sought to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the continental United States - something that Trump has vowed 'won't happen', and launch marks a new phase in the country's decades-long weapons program.

Trump called an emergency meeting on the Fourth of July to formulate a 'measured response' to North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missile test, amid fears it could reach as far as Alaska.

Officials say Trump would potentially approve a 'measured response' to deal with North Korea.

Potential responses include sending additional troops to the region and possibly more sanctions.

On Tuesday, the US, Japan, and South Korea said intelligence suggested the missile flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,500 miles, which would be longer and higher than any similar North Korean test previously reported. It also covered a distance of about 580 miles.

In the wake of the test, David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote on the organisation's allthingsnuclear blog that the available figures implied the missile 'could reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km on a standard trajectory'.

The Japanese government estimates that the missile (pictured above) fired from the North's western region flew for about 40 minutes, which would be longer than any other such previous reported tests

The test still may be the North's most successful yet; a weapons analyst says the missile could be powerful enough to reach Alaska

The 'landmark' test, believed to be pictured above, of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (above) says the launch is a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea

'That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska.'

The missile launch prompted control specialist Jeffrey Lewis to respond on Twitter: 'That's it. It's an ICBM. An ICBM that can hit Anchorage not San Francisco, but still.'

The launch seems designed to send a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, even as it allows North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program.

When it announced the missile test earlier, North Korean officials called the launch, which leader Kim Jong-un supervised, a 'glistening miracle'.

The 'landmark' test of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by Kim, an emotional female announcer said on state Korean Central Television.

'The test-fire was conducted at the highest angle and did not have any negative impact on the safety of neighboring countries,' announcer Ri Chun-Hee, who previously told her loyal viewers of the deaths of the country's founder Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il, said.

'As the dignified nuclear power who possesses the strongest intercontinental ballistic rocket which is capable of hitting any part of the world along with the nuclear weapons, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will fundamentally terminate the US nuclear war threats and blackmail and credibly protect the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region,' she added.

'Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of our party, state and the army, personally observed the process of the test-launch in field and solemnly declared before the world its shining success,' the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an accompanying article.
Labour has urged Theresa May to drop her promise to free Britain from the interference of EU judges in the latest sign the party is going soft on Brexit.

The PM has insisted the UK will finally leave the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice when we quit Brussels in March 2019, and regain full control of our own laws.

But shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer branded her opposition to the body an 'ideological and deeply unhelpful red line'.

Instead, he wants Britain to stay wedded to the rulings of an EU-UK 'court like body' which will have powers over the UK.

Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said Theresa May's stringent opposition to the ECJ and the interference of European judges in UK affairs post Brexit is an 'unhelpful red line'

This would mean that meddling judges in the EU could still draw up rules and regulations which would bind people and businesses in Britain even after Brexit.

In today's intervention, Mr Starmer calls for the UK to stay a member of a string of EU bodies after Brexit, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Europol and Euratom, which develops and regulates nuclear power.

In a letter in the Financial Times, Mr Starmer said it was important for Britain to seek a 'co-operative future relationship' with the EU 'not as members but as partners'.

The letter, which was also signed by Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, said Britain's relationship with the ECJ needs to change.

But they called for another court-like body to have a role in governing Britain's affairs.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, pictured at Labour's party conference last year, also signed the letter calling for some kind of UK-EU court-like body

Theresa May, pictured at PMQs today, has promised to free Britain from the interference of the ECJ and after Brexit

They wrote: 'But we reject the ideological and deeply unhelpful red line the prime minister has drawn that would prevent any future involvement of an EU-UK court-like body (over regulation), even when such an arrangement is demonstrably in the national interest.

'We have called for a more flexible approach that would make it far easier for Britain to stay inside common EU arrangements that benefit the UK.

It is the latest in a string of interventions by Labour MPs desperate to try to push the government into taking a softer stance on Brexit.

Several prominent Labour MPs have said that Britain could keep EU rules on free movement and stay in the single market after Brexit - hampering our ability to negotiate free trade deals around the world.

Jeremy Corbyn suffered a humiliating rebellion when 49 of his MPs defied him to back a parliamentary vote to stay in the single market and customs union after Brexit.

He sacked three of his shadow ministers after they defied his three-line whip to troop through the division lobbies.

And Shami Chakrabarti, his close ally and shadow attorney general, has suggested Britain could keep the free movement of people after Brexit - despite the party manifesto promising it will end.
President Donald Trump is headed back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering skepticism across the continent over his commitment to NATO, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the U.S. out of a major climate agreement.

The US president and his wife, Melania Trump, took off for Warsaw on Wednesday morning for a brief visit before a gathering of the G20 in Germany.

President Trump made it clear that trade and North Korea would be at the top of his agenda in a series of tweets he sent out just before he left the White House that mentioned China and bad deals - but said nothing about Moscow or Putin.

'The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?' he said in one.

Several minutes later, Trump tweeted, 'Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!'

He told reporters soon after, as he was boarding Marine One, that the US would 'do very well' in the talks this week, in response to shouted questions about North Korea.

President Donald Trump is headed back to Europe. He told reporters, as he was boarding Marine One, that the US would 'do very well' in the talks this week, in response to shouted questions about North Korea

The Trumps took off for Warsaw on Wednesday morning for a brief visit before a gathering of the G20 in Germany

Trump is headed back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering skepticism across the continent over his commitment to NATO, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the U.S. out of a major climate agreement

He made it clear that trade and North Korea would be at the top of his agenda in a series of tweets he sent out just before he left the White House

Trump arrives in Poland, an ex-communist country that is now one of the United States' staunchest European allies, later on Wednesday for a short stay that includes a speech in Krasinski Square, near the site of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis.

He'll also meet with the leaders of Poland and Croatia and hold a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda. It will be the American media's first opportunity to question the US president at a news conference in almost a month.

Before moving on to an international summit in Germany, the president will also hold meetings with the leaders of a dozen countries located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas at a summit of the Three Seas Initiative, which aims to expand and modernize energy and trade.

One of the initiative's goals is to make the region less dependent on Russian energy.

The White House said last week that Trump would like to 'develop a common approach to Russia,' while he is abroad during a briefing where top US officials would not commit to a discussion with Putin about Moscow's election meddling.

'As the President has made clear, hed like the United States and the entire West to develop a more constructive relationship with Russia. But hes also made clear that we will do what is necessary to confront Russias destabilizing behavior,' Trump's chief national security aide, HR McMaster, said.

Trump's stop in Poland on the way to Germany is both functional and symbolic in nature.

The US ally will meet Trump's demand that NATO members meet or exceed their pledge to spend 2 percent of their GDP on the group's common defense.

'It is in many ways a front-line NATO nation in connection with threats on the Eastern flank,' McMaster said last week.

In his speech, Trump will thank the country for partnering with the US in combat missions in Afghanistan and in Iraq and express his desire to 'create robust, open and fair markets that drive economic growth and leave no countries hostage to energy-market manipulation,' McMaster said.

'Even if he doesn't mention Putin or Russia outright, just stepping foot in Poland sends a powerful statement,' said Jim Carafano, a foreign policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Carafano told the Associated Press, 'Europe is working for energy independence - looking for free market solutions - and Poland is in the middle of that energy corridor, so it makes so much sense that the president would go there and talk about energy policy.'

At the same time, Trump will have to balance his visit to Europe with escalating tensions with North Korea, after the U.S. concluded Tuesday that North Korea had test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The U.S., South Korea and Japan responded to the provocation by requesting an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Trump returns to Europe after a shaky first trip to the continent in May and signs of unhappiness around the globe with the start of his presidency.

A recent Pew Research Center survey of attitudes toward Trump in more than three dozen countries found fewer than 3 in 10 respondents expressing confidence in his ability to do the right thing on international affairs.

Most of those surveyed disapproved of Trump's major policies, including temporarily halting travel from six mostly Muslim countries.

Among the 37 countries Pew surveyed, Trump scored higher marks than his predecessor, President Barack Obama, in only two: Russia and Israel.

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump walks out of the White House in relaxed garb ahead of an eight-hour flight to Poland with her husband

Trump returns to Europe after a shaky first trip to the continent in May and signs of unhappiness around the globe with the start of his presidency

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday for Poland and Germany

LIFTOFF: Marine One carrying U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump departs from the South Lawn of the White House

Trump's first trip to Europe as president in May saw a series of awkward encounters, including a tough speech to the leaders of NATO countries urging them to spend more on their armed forces. He signaled Wednesday that he'd pressure them on trade, next

Trump's first trip to Europe as president in May saw a series of awkward encounters, including a tough speech to the leaders of NATO countries urging them to spend more on their armed forces, an uncomfortable handshake with France's new president, and a caught-on-camera moment when Trump pushed past the prime minister of Montenegro, Europe's newest country, while squeezing his way to the front of a crowd.

Poland may offer Trump a chance to shine.

According to Polish media reports, Poland's government promised the White House a reception of cheering crowds as part of its invitation.

To make good on that pledge, ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists plan to bus in groups from the provinces to hear Trump's speech.

The White House didn't respond to a request for comment on those reports.

With Trump's sights already set on the 2020 election, his visit to Poland could also be seen as a power play for battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which are home to hundreds of thousands of Polish-American voters.

Workers constructs a podium that President Donald Trump will speak from during a brief visit to Poland this week at the monument to the heroes of the 1944 Warsaw Rising against the occupying Nazi Germans in Krasinski Square

Trump will be in Warsaw before traveling to Germany for a G20 summit of top world leaders. He'll take questions from the press in Poland for the first time in almost a month a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda

A worker lifts foliage as he stands in front of a poster advertising U.S. President Donald Trump's speech at the Krasinski Square on July 6, in Warsaw, Poland, an ex-communist country in Central Europe, before visiting Britain, France or Germany

Trump will also seek to use Poland as an exemplar of partnership.

A U.S. ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, Poland is one of the five NATO members that spends at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on the military. That's something that Trump - and U.S. leaders before him - have demanded of NATO allies. Trump has scolded other NATO members for falling short on their commitments.

Poland is also host to about 1,000 U.S. troops, and is supporting U.S. and NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's also a regular customer for U.S. military equipment.

Before Trump's arrival, Poland's government emphasized that Russia's aggression in Ukraine poses a threat to the whole of Europe, something that will inevitably be raised in discussions with Trump as Europeans seek to gauge the president's willingness to confront Putin before their first face-to-face meeting later this week.

'Poland is, in some ways, a poster child for some of the issues that the Trump administration has been stressing,' said Jeffrey Rathke, deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'They're betting that this relationship with the United States on defense will balance their concerns about the possible directions of U.S.-Russia policy.'

Poland also hopes Trump's visit will reinforce its position with European partners as it faces allegations of backsliding on democracy.

The right-wing government is also one of only three European Union countries - along with Hungary and Austria - refusing to accept any relocated refugees, in legal violation of EU quotas.

Trump, too, has been working to curb refugee admissions to the U.S. as part of his travel ban, that went into effect last week after the nation's high court intervened.
A veteran police officer who was repeatedly stabbed in the neck in a suspected terrorist attack at Michigan airport has paid tribute to the 'hero' maintenance worker who jumped in to help him fight off his attacker.

Lt. Jeff Neville was left with a 12-inch long laceration across his neck in the stabbing attack at Bishop International Airport in Flint on June 21.

The suspect, Amor Ftouhi, was charged with committing an act of violence at an international airport and is due to face court on Wednesday.

Neville said during a Fourth of July parade in Fenton, Michigan on Tuesday that he would not be alive if the maintenance worker hadn't stepped in to help in.

Police Lt. Jeff Neville, pictured above on Tuesday, has paid tribute to the 'hero' maintenance worker who jumped in to help when he was being stabbed at Michigan Airport on June 21

'I'm getting a lot of attention because I was wounded, but this was a team effort,' Neville told WXYZ-TV.

'If the maintenance man hadn't been walking beside me, I wouldn't be here talking to you today. He is a hero, honest to god.

'He's a maintenance man, that's not his job. He told me that when it first happened, he just reacted, and the way that he reacted was spectacular, because the way that he grabbed the guy, he locked him up so he couldn't stab anybody else.'

Neville was stabbed repeatedly and was bleeding profusely when he wrestled the knifeman to the ground during the airport attack.

The maintenance man and other airport officials had also jumped in to help restrain the suspect until he could be placed in handcuffs.

'It was an attack from the rear, it was very sudden,' Neville said.

Neville was left with a 12-inch long laceration across his neck and his scars are clearly visible (above) as he continues to recover from the ordeal

The suspect, Amor Ftouhi (left and right), was charged with committing an act of violence at an international airport and is due to face court on Wednesda

'There was no warning. It was very intense. Just a lot of noise and sudden action, and I truly think it was over in 10 seconds... That's how fast it happened.'

The veteran police officer underwent emergency surgery to the laceration that stretched from his Adam's apple to the back of his neck. His scars are clearly visible as he continues to recover.

Ftouhi, who has dual citizenship in Canada and Tunisia, has been in custody since the attack.

FBI Special Agent in Charge David Gelios said at the time that the airport stabbing was being investigated as an act of terrorism.

Ftouhi was allegedly yelling 'Allahu Akbar' as he carried out the stabbing.

The FBI said Ftouhi had a hatred of the US and was also yelling about Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan while he carried out his attack.

The suspect, who is married and has children, was charged with violence at an international airport, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Neville said during a Fourth of July parade in Fenton, Michigan on Tuesday (above) that he would not be alive if the maintenance worker hadn't stepped in to help in
A failed Moroccan asylum seeker who committed three 'extraordinarily humiliating rapes' has been sentenced to 14 years in jail in the Netherlands.

The illegal migrant, identified only as 35-year-old Mustafa A. under strict privacy laws, carried out his attacks in Amsterdam in January 2016.

Prosecutors had been demanding 12 years, but the court decided to add two years on top of that because of the violent nature of the crimes.

Mustafa A., 35, has been jailed for 14 years in the Netherlands for three violent rapes. In at least two cases he held a knife to the victims as he raped them multiple times

The judge said Mustafa 'did not for a single moment think about the feelings of the victims.'

Mustafa A. carried out his knifepoint attacks on women walking home alone at night between January 19 and January 23, the court was told.

He raped at least two of his victims, aged between 20 and 26, multiple times while he had a knife to their throat, local newspaper Het Parool reported.

One of the women was even attacked inside the elevator at her apartment building after arriving home.

During at least two of the rapes, Mustafa did not use a condom, the court was told.

After committing the brutal attacks he then went on the run for three months before being caught in April.

This caused the victims and other women in the city additional distress, judges said.

Mustafa was caught after his DNA was found to match DNA on his victims' clothes, and after multiple people recognised him from CCTV footage inside a pawn shop where he sold a phone stolen from one of the women.

Mustafa targeted the women as they walked home alone at night in Amsterdam, with one victim attacked inside the elevator in her own apartment building

In passing sentence, judges noted that the victims feared for their lives and have been heavily traumatised, meaning he needs to be kept away from society for as long as possible.

Local media reported that Mustafa A. did not to speak any Dutch in court and looked around as if he had no idea what was going on.

Yet he did threaten his victims in Dutch during the rape saying 'you will die', 'screaming is pointless' and 'I will put this knife between your ribs'.

Judges were asked to consider confining him to a psychiatric facility, but he will be sent to a conventional jail after medics were unable to tell if he is genuinely mentally ill, or simply pretending.

During his confinement in investigative custody awaiting the trial Mustafa A. also started a fire in his cell, causing the entire evacuation of two departments of the detention centre.

It has not been reported if Mustafa A will be deported after his sentence ends.
A mom's SUV ignited when her son and his friends accidentally lit a firework into it in Washington.

After 14-year-old boy took his parent's car to buy fireworks with two of his friends Tuesday morning in Skyway, Washington, they had the misfortune of lighting the car on fire when someone fired a Roman Candle at it.

Leaving a window to the SUV open, the car went up in flames during a firework fight but none of the three boys were injured.

After 14-year-old boy took his parent's car to buy fireworks with two of his friends Tuesday morning in Skyway, Washington, they had the misfortune of lighting the car on fire when someone fired a Roman Candle at it

Leaving a window to the SUV open, the car went up in flames but none of the three boys were injured

'This morning, a 14-year-old boy took his mom's car without her knowing, picked up friends and bought fireworks,' King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West told Q13 Fox.

'They  came home, parked the car in the driveway. One of the windows was open and during a Roman candle fight, a firework went into the window and lit the car on fire.'

King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said that it was illegal to sell fireworks to minors under the age of 16 in King's County

West also said that the mom will not be pressing charges but the sheriff's office is still investigating

The truck is practically destroyed, charred almost beyond recognition.

West added that the mother will not be pressing charges, however, the sheriff's office is still conducting an investigation.

She also said that it is illegal to sell fireworks to minors under the age of 16 in King's County.
Jeremy Corbyn condemns the use of zero hour contracts at the Glastonbury but could still attend the next festival anyway, it emerged today.

The Labour leader is prepared to confront festival organiser Michael Eavis despite appearing on the main Glastonbury stage alongside him last month.

But senior sources close to Mr Corbyn stopped short of saying he would refuse to attend in future if the contracts were used again.

It emerged today Glastonbury used short term labour to clear the site in the aftermath of the huge festival and that workers were let go much sooner than expected because the good weather made it easier to finish.

The Labour leader is prepared to confront festival organiser Michael Eavis despite appearing on the main Glastonbury stage alongside him last month (pictured), sources said

Jeremy Corbyn condemns the use of zero hour contracts at the Glastonbury but could still attend the next festival anyway

Official Labour policy is to ban the use of zero hour contracts, amid fears the agreements are exploitative.

The senior source said: 'Who knows what's going to happen in Glastonbury in coming years?

'We are completely opposed to those forms of contract - everywhere.

'Those contracts should not be taking place, they should not be used. He's happy to raise it [as an issue] right now.

'This kind of employment contract and these kind of conditions are unacceptable.'

Mr Corbyn won the acclaim of thousands of festival goers when he made a speech from the main pyramid stage.

He was later seen posing for photographs with fans as he walked around Worthy Farm - and was even seen pouring a drink at the festival's Solstice bar.

Mr Corbyn won the acclaim of thousands of festival goers when he made a speech from the main pyramid stage

Mr Corbyn was later seen posing for photographs with fans as he walked around Worthy Farm

During the short speech, Corbyn said: 'If you can see that far look on that wall that surround this wonderful festival there's a message on that wall for President Trump. You know what it says? Build bridges not walls.'

He then spoke about the recent general election campaign, saying what was 'inspiring was the number of young people who got involved for the very first time'.

The Islington North MP said: 'What was fascinating about the last seven weeks of election campaigning around Britain was that the commentariat got it wrong. The elites got it wrong.

'But what was even more inspiring was the number of young people who got involved for the very first time.

'Because they were fed up with being denigrated, fed up with being told they dont matter, fed up with being told they never participate and utterly fed up with being told that their generation would pay more to get less in education and less in housing.'
A teenager found out she had been gang raped at a house party when police uncovered footage of the assaults on a GoPro camera six weeks later, a Sydney jury has been told.

The 17-minute long video allegedly shows a group of men having sex with the 16-year-old in a bedroom at a party in May 2015, prosecutor Sharon Harris said on Wednesday.

'One by one we'll all get a f***,' one man can allegedly be heard saying in the video, she said in the crown opening address at the Downing Centre District Court.

Tristan Carlyle-Watson, 26, is one of three men accused of the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl at a house party

The jury was told the girl was invited to the house party after befriending Carlyle-Watson on Facebook

The girl has no recollection of what unfolded other than waking up in bed with Carlyle-Watson allegedly forcing his penis into her mouth, according to Prosecutor Harris (stock image)

Kurt Stevenson, 26, Andrew Waters, 24, and Tristan Carlyle-Watson, 26, have each pleaded not guilty to multiple offences including aggravated sexual assault in company and inflicting actual bodily harm.

The jury was told the girl was invited to the house party after befriending Carlyle-Watson on Facebook.

She asked him 'to take care of her' because she did nor know anyone.

At the party she smoked cannabis and drank alcohol to the point where she wasn't able to consent to sexual intercourse, Ms Harris said.

The girl has no recollection of what unfolded other than waking up in bed with Carlyle-Watson allegedly forcing his penis into her mouth, she said.

She became 'upset' when police officers tracked her down and told her what had happened in the video, which shows a group of men having sex with her 'sometimes... simultaneously, sometimes taking turns,' Ms Harris said.

'One by one we'll all get a f***,' one man can allegedly be heard saying in the video, Prosecuter Sharon Harris said in the crown opening address at Downing Centre District Court (pictured)

A teenager found out she had been gang raped at a house party when police uncovered footage of the assaults on a GoPro six weeks later, a Sydney jury has been told (stock image)

The teen can be heard saying she's tired and wants to sleep before one man says: 'I'll get this f***ing party started c***.'

Weaving pig Latin into their conversations, one of the men says: 'Don't you ilmfay [film] me... I can't be going to ourtcay [court].'

In his opening address, Stevenson's lawyer Michael Smith said his client had consensual sex with the girl, had no idea it was being filmed and on numerous occasions told the others to get out.

'Do not watch a two-dimensional, poor quality video and make your minds up about this case,' he said.

Waters' lawyer Peter Little said there was an issue of consent and the complainant can be seen cooperating.

Carlyle-Watson's lawyer Paul Glissan also said she was 'actively participating in the sex.'

The trial continues.
A Florida man's family had to repay the government for eight years of back benefits that he illegally collected on behalf of his dead wife. He concealed her death by stuffing her body in a freezer.

Allan Dunn's wife Margaret Dunn died in their Sun City Center condo in 2002.

Allan 'concealed his wifes death by placing her body in a freezer in their home' the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District said on Friday.

Allan Dunn's family agreed to sell his retirement condo in Sun City Center to pay back the government

Money from the sale of Dunn's condo went to the government to pay back the benefits

In all, Allan collected her Social Security benefits to the tune of $92,000 over the eight years from her death in 2002 until his own death in 2010.

Allan's heirs said they didn't know he concealed her death, but they agreed to sell his only asset, his condo in the Sun City retirement community to pay back the government.

Sun City Center is a chain of retirement communities for adults 55-years-old and up. Allan and Margaret's condo was in the Hillsborough County, Florida location.

The unit has since been sold.

After paying the back taxes, sales costs, and amounts owed to the condominium association, the remaining sales proceeds of $15,743.14 were paid to the United States.
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Reality star Jeremy McConnell has broken his silence over a late night hotel room brawl with Stephanie Davis to reveal he never laid a finger on her - as she is pregnant with his second child.

In an exclusive interview the former Big Brother star also said his 'toxic relationship' with Davis was over for good with no chance of any reconciliation.

The 27-year-old, who suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket, poured his heart out to MailOnline as he recovered from his injuries at his family's home in Dublin.

He said the row with ex-Hollyoaks star Davis, arrested by police on suspicion of GBH, erupted soon after she broken the news to him that she was expecting. The couple already have a nine month old son Caben-Albi.

'Pregnant': Former Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis is pregnant with her second child, according to the baby's father Jeremy McConnell

Arrested: Davis, 24, a mother of one, was pictured after her arrest for assault holding her stomach prompting speculation that she is pregnant. Her on off boyfriend McConnell said that their hotel room fight came after he told her she was expecting

Row: The pair were seen arguing in the street after drinking in a Wetherspoon's pub in the hours before Davis was arrested

Speaking from his home in Dublin, he said: 'She just told me that she was pregnant. I was pretty shocked as it wasn't planned, but to be honest I was excited. She told me that she was going to have a scan at the hospital later that afternoon. The pregnancy was not planned and given our history together took me by surprise. I was pleased, but still in a bit of a shock.

'Steph then looked at my phone and saw that I was following some other woman. She just went mental at me and kicked off.

'She was going mental I had not even met this woman but was just following her. She would not listen and stormed off to go to the pub and refused to go to the scan'

McConnell said he followed Davis to a local pub near to the Royal Chase Hotel in Enfield where they were staying.

'We were in the pub and having a few drinks. I had two or three and so did Steph which I thought was off as she was pregnant. She was also smoking and I told her a pregnant woman should not drink and smoke.

'She told me 'it was her life and she could do as she wanted.' McConnell said he left the pub and returned to the hotel without Davis who he claims continued drinking.

'When she came back to the hotel room she just flew at me. She was screaming and shouting and being abusive. 'She would not listed and for five to ten minutes just kept screaming at me.'

McConnell believes other guests at the hotel called police because they were so concerned about the noise from the rowing couple.

The Reality Star said: ' She was jumping on the bed and the wooden post snapped off. She picked it up and hit me across the face. It knocked me down, and I think I passed out for a bit because when I came round the police were already in the room. 'I did not call them so other people in the hotel who had heard all the shouting must have called. Step was still being aggressive and went for the police. They had to restrain her. My face was bleeding quite badly and I was in a lot of pain.'

Former Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis was pictured leaving a police station with what appears to be a black eye and a scratched neck. She was spotted sporting the marks after being released on bail after allegedly assaulting her on/off boyfriend Jeremy McConnell following a row at the Royal Chace Hotel in Enfield, north London

Black eyes: Pictures also emerged of McConnell's injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by his girlfriend, former Hollyoaks actress Davis, who was arrested on Sunday

Witnesses said the reality TV went off in separate taxis after the drinking session in Enfield, north London on Sunday

The fight is said to have broken out at the Royal Chace Hotel in Enfield on Sunday after the pair were seen drinking in the town

Regulars at this pub said the pair were drinking together until around 9.30pm, when Jeremy left and Steph carried on with a group of women

He went on: 'But I swear I never laid a finger on her. I do not hit women and do not hit pregnant women. I did not touch her. 'Any marks that she has on her are self inflicted. I did not lay a finger on her.'

Other guests at the hotel have told MailOnline that so many police burst into the hotel they thought they were in the midst of a terror incident.

McConnell said police called an ambulance while other officers tried to restrain Davis. 'She went for them and was still kicking off. She was p++++d and out of control. I have never seen her like that before and she had completely lost it.'

Davis was arrested and taken to Enfield Police station. She was later rushed to hospital and released at 3am on Tuesday morning after being bailed until July.

Photos of Davis arriving at a friend's house showed her with scratch marks on her neck, face and nose and blood on the sleeve of her grey track suit top. In one photo she tenderly clutched her stomach.

Friends claimed she had been assaulted by McConnell and had suffered four of five broken ribs after the reality star went for her first.

They claimed the row began when McConnell smashed Davis's phone which contained treasured photos of their son.

McConnell insists he did not harm the former actress.

'There is not way I touched her. She was the one who attacked me. I did not punch her and touch her.'

McConnell, who flew back to Dublin soon after the incident, insists that his on-off relationship with Davis is beyond repair.

'There is no going back from this and we are finished,' he said. 'We are just not good for each other. The relationship is toxic and we can't be together anymore. I don't care what happens there will be no getting back together

McConnell confirmed that he has suffered a broken nose, fractured eye socket and concussion during the alleged assault.

He was pictured visiting a hospital in Dublin to be checked out. 'It still hurts a lot but I am ok,' he said. McConnell said he intends to press charges but was reluctant to talk about the future of his son and soon to be born child.

'Steph and I can never be a couple, but I will always be there for my son. I adore him and want to do all I can for him'

The former Hollyoaks actress was arrested on suspicion of attacking her on-off boyfriend

On Saturday, the day before the alleged attack, Steph had told her 400,000 followers she was planning to let her hair down when her aunt looked after her baby. She later deleted the tweet

Two months ago Davis had talked about having a second child with heavily tattooed McConnell and even talked about marriage. But since they began seeing each other having appeared on Big Brother they have been involved in a stormy relationship.

McConnell has spent time in rehab and Davis has previously spoken about how drink and drugs has affected their relationship

The couple had been staying at the Royal Chace Hotel while Davis filmed Big Brother's Bit On The Side - but has since been axed from the show as their resident relationship expert.

McConnell blamed his girlfriend's violent outburst on drink. Describing the scene inside the hotel room, he said; ' There was blood everywhere and lots of things had been thrown.

'The wooden bedpost had been broken off and that was what she used to hit me. She was drunk and I thought that was wrong as she had just told me she was pregnant.

'I kept asking her to go to the scan, but she wanted to go to the pub and drink. I had two or three drinks and before I left she had the same.'

Other drinkers at the Wetherspoons pub said the pair had spent most of the day boozing.

Black cab driver Roger Osborn, 68, had gone to the pub for a quiet drink with his friends after a long weekend of work.

He said: 'I got here at about 9pm and they were already here and they had had plenty of drink. It looked like he was bullying her and she was shouting at him as well.

'At one point he had a go at us and started swearing at some of the other customers. We didn't get involved. We just wanted to come down to our local and have a drink and we didn't want any trouble.

'He was being aggressive but she was giving it back as well. They were both pretty drunk and they were as bad as each other.'

Mr Osborn said McConnell left for 'about ten minutes' before returning and shouting at a man talking to Davis.

He added: 'Then he left and it wasn't much longer until closing time and she left. He was being a bully and it was getting nasty, but she was shouting back at him as well.

'You just don't want to see or hear that when you want a quiet drink, everyone in the pub was getting angry.' A guest at the hotel witnessed Davis being led away.

Davis has recently appeared on TV with the couple's son Caben-Albi, who was born in January this year

The actress is said to be being held at a London police station and questioned by officers

Steph, who was seen grabbing fast food last month, has had a rocky relationship with Jeremy

She told Mail Online: 'Steph was walking away with a woman police officer, being held up because she was stumbling, and he was in a room.

'Hotel staff were bringing ice to him. There was lots of bloody towels and things around. 'She was taken to an ambulance and I think later arrested. It was a terrible thing to see. They are just kids really and had too much alcohol, I think.'

A spokesman for Davis was unavailable for comment.
Shell is removing lifesize cardboard cutouts of a female member of staff from its garages in Malaysia after customers kept groping them.

Instances of men inappropriately fondling and kissing the advertisement were widely shared on social media leading the energy giant to brand the acts 'disrespectful'.

The member of staff who posed up for the picture to feature on the lifesize posters said she felt 'humiliated' when pictures of her chest and crotch being grabbed my motorists were seen by her friends and family.

A motorcyclist poses for a photograph with the cardboard cutout pretending to hold the woman's breast

Shell has 950 outlets in Malaysia and said it would not tolerate the 'distasteful and suggestive acts' and therefore ripped them down.

In a statement, the company criticised what it called the 'extreme behaviour' of the men.

The cutouts are of a 25-year-old female employee Nor Shafila in a company t-shirt, black trousers and black headscarf.

She told local paper The Star: 'They may just be joking, but I feel humiliated because that is still myself although it is just an image.'

A man kisses the poster which features a female member of staff at Shell who was left feeling 'humiliated'

Many of the pictures were plastered over Facebook, including one man who identified himself as Shahril Azmi Abdul Shukor or Abang Shahril seen 'molesting' the advert.

He told the Free Malaysia Today: 'I humbly apologise over my actions. I admit I crossed the line.'

The man said he only meant the picture of him kissing the picture of Ms Shafila as a joke he could send to his WhatsApp group.

As well as offering to meet her in person, he apologised to Shell and said: 'I am also a loyal customer. My purpose then was to pump petrol.

'I let the excitement get the better of me.'

Religious conservatism has been on the rise in recent years in the Muslim-majority Malaysia and Shell said the acts went against the local culture and values.
North Dakota tribes are asking state officials for more help and collaboration to address the opioid epidemic on reservations.

"This is something that's important," said Bruce Gillette, director of Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation's Circle of Life, a drug treatment center in New Town. "We're all doing something, and it's all good work, but we're doing it in separate places and different directions. How do we come together and do this effectively?"

Duane Silk, director of addiction services for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said, over the years, the tribes have lost touch with the state on drug issues. In the past, tribes used to be more involved with addiction treatment, including serving on the licensing board for addiction counselors and more regular interactions with local human service centers. With First Lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum making drug addiction treatment her platform, tribes are hoping those past relationships can resume.

Treatment providers and addiction program directors representing four of the five tribes, excluding Trenton Indian Service Area, met with North Dakota Department of Human Services leaders last week to discuss how they could improve communication between the state and tribes, as well as what state treatment and prevention funding programs are available to tribes.

"I would like to know and understand how the state can help us, as private providers, help our people," said Gillette.

Gillette says his tribe is seeing a rash of opioid use, including heroin, as well as methamphetamine use. He said they're seeing younger people using opioids, including some youth smoking a pain medication called Percocet.

"We're in an epidemic with our adolescents," Gillette said. "From seventh grade on up, it's a big problem."

MHA Nation started offering treatment in 1996, according to Gillette, who was hired as a licensed addiction counselor that same year. Circle of Life currently has outpatient services for adolescents and adults, and the tribe is building a new drug treatment program in north Bismarck set to open next year.

"(The meeting is) a good start," said Silk, who became involved in Standing Rock's outpatient program after recovering from an alcohol addiction himself in the late '70s. "I know there are some restrictions with certain things, but if we could at least communicate, I think it would be a good thing."

Pam Sagness, director of the Department of Human Services' behavioral health division, said the department currently holds quarterly prevention meetings with the tribes, but until last year, they never included substance abuse treatment or mental health.

"I think that there's always room for improvement with collaboration," she said.

Trying to further improve, the department is changing how it hands out a federal block grant for substance abuse prevention and treatment. Instead of the funding going to the regional human service centers for distribution to the tribes, starting this fall, the state will cut out the middle man to fund the tribe directly, allowing tribes to spend the money where it is most needed.

"We're really trying to build flexibility," Sagness said. "The tribes will be able to work directly with us to identify where their areas of high needs are."

At the meeting last week, Sagness spoke of a substance use disorder voucher that is available for the tribes. None of the tribal programs have applied to the program established during the 2015 legislative session. The Legislature allocated $2.7 million for the voucher program this biennium to reimburse medication-assisted treatment, such as methadone, and transportation, which is often a barrier to service on reservations.

The state is also planning to establish two residential women's drug treatment programs for women who are pregnant or have children, so their kids can reside with them while they receive services. In the next three months, the department will put out request for proposals for these women's programs.

"We are continuing to hear a need in the state for services for pregnant women (and) women with children," Sagness said.

Sagness said she'd like to continue to meet with the tribes and the next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 8-9 in New Town.
The parents of former university of Alabama student Megan Rondini who killed herself last year after accusing the scion of a prominent local family of rape are blaming law enforcement and school officials for bungling the investigation, with devastating consequences.

Michael and Cindy Rondini, of Texas, also believe that the man their deceased 20-year-old daughter had claimed to have sexually assaulted her in July 2015, Terry Bunn Jr, avoided being criminally charged because he was wealthy and well-connected.

On Monday, the Rondinis filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit, claiming that the alleged rape and Alabama officials' mishandling of the case drove their daughter to suicide in February of 2016.

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Megan Rondini, 20 (pictured), may have been driven to commit suicide after she accused TJ Bunn, 34, the son of a wealthy Tuscaloosa family, of rape in July 2015. She hanged herself on February 26, 2016

Parents speak out: Michael and Cindy Rondini told CBS News this week their daughter felt betrayed by University of Alabama officials and law enforcement investigators

Speaking to CBS News this week, Megan's parents said their late daughter felt betrayed by those who she believed were supposed to be on her side.

'She's like, "Mom, they think it's my fault,"' Cindy Rondini tearfully said. 'Like, "It's not your fault baby, it's not."'

After learning of the alleged rape, Cindy Rondini drove from the family's home in Austin to Alabama to support her daughter. 'It was the most heart-breaking moment of my life,' the mother recalled as she wept.

The Rondinis' federal complaint states that Megan, then a junior who planned to go to medical school, met 34-year-old Terry 'Sweet T' Bunn, whose family runs a large construction business in Tuscaloosa, at a popular local bar in July 2015.

She was later sexually assaulted at his home, possibly after being drugged, the suit contends.

Mother's worst nightmare: Mrs Rondini weeps recalling the moment Megan told her she was being treated as if she were at fault

Megan (pictured) told investigators that on July 1 she went to Innisfree Irish Pub for trivia night with a group of sorority sisters. She blacked out and woke up in Bunn's Mercedes. Megan said she was so intimidated by Bunn that she didn't try to stop him as he drove toward his house

Ultimately, Megan and her family decided it was no longer safe for her to stay in Tuscaloosa. She withdrew from the Univeristy of Alabama (pictured) before the end of fall semester. 'She did everything that she could to protect herself and to get help,' Megan's father, Mike Rondini, told Buzzfeed News

Megan ended up transferring to Southern Methodist University in Texas. While there, she filled out an intake form for SMU's mental health center and, for one question, which asked if there had been major losses, changes, or crises in her life, Megan wrote: 'Raped, bullied by police, changed university' (Pictured, the Bunn family home)

Police investigating the sexual assault were sympathetic toward Bunn and wrongly focused on Rondini's actions, which included taking a handgun and $3 in cash for cab fare from his home, the lawsuit claims.

'Megan ultimately was treated as a crime suspect and her status as a victim of a sex crime was completely disregarded,' the suit said.

In her initial interview with the police, which took place just hours after the alleged rape and was videotaped, the young woman told officers: I had already said like I needed to leave, and he just wasn't really responding to that.

I feel like I wanna like throw up, she also said.

After being asked about the $3 and the handgun, Megan says in the recording: 'I'm really sorry, like, I didn't, I just...'

To which one of the detectives responds: 'I told you we just gotta touch base on everything.'

Michael Rondini, the woman's father, told CBS News it was at that moment in Megan's interview that the family 'started to learn that this wasn't going like a normal investigation.

Bunn's interview with the local police was also recorded on video. In it, the 34-year-old suspect could be heard telling the cops: 'I appreciate y'all's professionalism. And I appreciate the way y'all have handled this.

An investigator replies: If it was me on the other side, I'd want to do the same thing for me.

When Megan sought counselling from the university, the first therapist who was assigned to treat her had to drop her case because she personally knew Terry Bunn Jr.

Mom Cindy said after the alleged rape, her daughter no longer felt safe on campus and would call her parents to tell them she was afraid.

Megan ultimately withdrew from Alabama and returned home to Texas, where her mental condition deteriorated, according to the complaint.

Megan's mother, Cynthia (right) and father, Michael, are suing the school and law enforcement over the tragic suicide of Megan (left)

Bunn wasn't charged, and the lawsuit claims investigators and university officials mishandled her allegations.

The suit contends Rondini afterward suffered depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which her parents say led to her suicide.

It also names Beth Howard, Title IX coordinator at University of Alabama; Cara Blake of the school's Women and Gender Resource Center; Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy; and two county officers, investigator Adam Jones and deputy Joshua Hastings.

In a statement, the university declined comment on specifics of the lawsuit but said school officials were 'deeply saddened' by Rondini's death and are trying to raise community awareness and support victims of sexual assault.

In a separate statement to CBS, college officials contended that its staff 'handled their responsibilities with care at all times keeping Megan's well-being as their absolute highest priority.'

A lawyer for Bunn denied that he had sexually assaulted her.

'The allegations against my client as set forth in this baseless lawsuit are simply false,' the statement said.

Abernathy said the case was referred to a grand jury, which declined to issue an indictment. Letting grand jurors consider evidence rather than filing immediate charges is standard practice in cases with 'very conflicting statements,' Abernathy said.

The lawsuit was assigned to a federal magistrate judge Monday, but no hearing date was set.

The complaint doesn't seek a specific amount of money. It asks for a court order requiring the sheriff's office to provide better training to officers and 'to provide safe conditions to citizens around criminal investigations.'

Megan told investigators that on July 1 she went to Innisfree Irish Pub for trivia night with a group of sorority sisters. She saw Bunn there and had seen him before but they only had spoken once.

She blacked out and came to in Bunn's Mercedes.

Megan said she was so intimidated by Bunn that she didn't try to stop him as he drove toward his house.

Megan said she took a gun out of Bunn's car for protection after she crawled out of his window - but police also threatened her with felony theft charges - which Bunn said he would drop if she would drop hers against him

She then said Bunn told her to go to his room and she complied, sitting on a couch near the door, as far as possible from his bed and - when he came in - he told her he wanted to have sex.

That's when Megan said she had to leave, while 'trying to be really nice to him' because 'I know he's an influential person in Tuscaloosa'.

'I said, I really need to go, I have friends that are waiting,' she told police when they first interviewed her at the hospital. 'He didn't really take that.'

Eventually, Megan said, she 'felt like just letting him have sex with me was the only way he would let me go'.

According to investigators, Megan was able to escape his mansion by climbing out of the second story window.

When she realized she couldn't find her keys, she checked Bunns Mercedes, where she found his wallet and a pistol, which she took for protection despite not knowing how to fire it.

Under Alabama's rape law, victims must prove they 'earnestly' resisted their attackers, and the investigator who interviewed Megan, Adam Jones, decided that she hadn't done so against Bunn.

According to him, she hadn't 'kicked him or hit him,' so the investigator would conclude that no rape occurred.

When she told him about going into Bunn's car, video shows Jones entering and exiting the room, asking Megan questions that were about her behavior the previous night instead of her rape allegations.

When Bunn was interviewed, he called Megan 'a very willing participant.'

When his interviewer left the room for a moment, Bunn told his lawyer in a whisper that he'd drop the charges against Megan if she dropped hers.

'I won't pursue her if she doesn't pursue me, but I will play hardball if she does,' he's seen saying on video.

The suit names Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy (above with his wife), saying law enforcement treated Megan like a criminal and TJ Bunn like a victim

Later, when Megan tried to file a civil suit, she learned the only way to escape possible prosecution for those crimes was to drop her case.

The district attorney's office eventually decided to present it to a grand jury - but the grand jury would also rule on felony charges against Megan for breaking into Bunn's car and stealing his gun.

When Megan went to the University of Alabama for counseling, a staff therapist told her that she had to recuse herself from the case because she knew the Bunn family.

Ultimately, Megan and her family decided it was no longer safe for her to stay in Tuscaloosa and she withdrew from the university before the end of fall semester.

The suit names Tuscaloosa County Deputy Ron Abernathy, above, and two county officers, investigator Adam Jones and deputy Joshua Hastings. Jones concluded that since Megan hadn't 'kicked him or hit him,' Bunn she hadn't fought hard enough

'She did everything that she could to protect herself and to get help,' Megan's father, Mike Rondini, told Buzzfeed News. 'She should have gotten that help, and she didn't. That is a failure on everybody's part.'

Megan left Tuscaloosa newly-diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and her depression seemed to only worsen.

On February 2016, Megan sent a text to a friend that read: 'When all is said and done, I wonder what I could've accomplished if one man didn't completely rip everything away from me.'

Megan ended up transferring to Southern Methodist University in Texas, a school she hated because she missed her old friends, her sorority, her old life.

She filled out an intake form for SMU's mental health center, in which she wrote that she thought she would be 'better off dead' more than half the time.

One question asked if there had been major losses, changes, or crises in her life. Megan wrote: 'Raped, bullied by police, changed university.'

She never turned it in and hanged herself on February 26, 2016.

Megan never wrote a suicide note, but the intake forms were found next to her bed.
A widow whose husband died doing a backflip in a freak accident has opened up on her struggle to come to terms with the tragedy.

Chris Leggett, 37, was showing a group of children how to do the stunt at Dunsborough park in Perth in April when he landed wrong and broke his neck.

His widow, Rachael, 35, has opened up on her struggle explaining to her kids the sudden loss of their father.

Rachael Leggett has opened up on her struggle explaining to her kids the sudden loss of their father

'People keep saying 'he's still there with you'. Try explaining that to a three-year-old when he asks 'When is Daddy coming back from the sky Mummy?',' Mrs Leggett told 7 News.

'It's just like having your heart ripped out,'

Mr Leggett had not been drinking and had pulled off the backslip countless times before it went horribly wrong during a family holiday.

The tragic accident happened on Good Friday in April, and Mr Leggett's life support was turned off days later.

'He's just left a hole that can't be filled in our lives.'

She urged parents to treasure as my memories as possible with children and never take them for granted.
A mocking sand sculpture of Governor Chris Christie appeared on the Jersey Shore, just days after he was caught lying about sunbathing on a closed state beach.

The massive sculpture was in response to Christie's controversial weekend visit to a shoreline that was closed to the public because of a budget standoff.

Two local sculptors, only known as Larry and Tom, made the piece on the beach at Seaside Heights on Tuesday morning, according to lifeguards.

The sculpture came after Christie signed a final budget on Monday night, following a three-day government shutdown that closed beaches ahead of the holiday weekend.

A mocking sand sculpture of New Jersey governor Chris Christie's Beachgate scandal appeared on the Jersey Shore on Tuesday

It was depicting Christie's outing to a closed beach at Island Beach State Park on Sunday (pictured). The governor closed down non-essential state functions during a budget standoff

The men who made the sculpture always commemorate Independence Day with a themed piece and last year made a sand sculpture honoring the 9/11 victims, according to NBC New York.

The sand art was depicting Christie lounging on a beach chair and a shark propped up next to him, with the words 'Beach Closed', 'I Love New Jersey and 'July 4th' on it.

Passersby took photos of the piece throughout the day until someone destroyed the sculpture later that evening.

Christie faced enormous backlash after the photo of him sitting on a beach with his family on Sunday went viral after state beaches were closed in a government shutdown.

Christie was snapped lounging in a beach chair at his governor's summer mansion in Island Beach State Park.

He had closed all of the state's parks due to the ongoing budget standoff, however his family was the only one on the ten-mile stretch of coastline.

The sand art had Christie lounging on a beach chair with the words 'Beach Closed', 'I Love New Jersey and 'July 4th' on it. Passersby took photos of the piece throughout the day until someone destroyed the sculpture later on Tuesday evening

Christie was photographed lounging with his family on the beach at Island Beach State Park, while 1.3 miles down the beach other people were packed into a small privately-run beach

Fireworks: The internet quickly responded with several memes about the Beachgate incident

Nightmare: As Christie found himself being mocked on all sides, this Twitter user reimagined him as a warrior reclaiming the beach - located at Island Beach State Park - for himself

Around 1.3 miles down the beach, on a stretch of sand run by local towns, residents and tourists were packed in tight for their Independence Day Weekend celebrations.

Later reports revealed that six families who owned cottages neighboring Christie's private beach were ordered out of their homes under the threat of being arrested, while Christie was sunbathing nearby.

To express their displeasure of the governor's three-day government shutdown, his constituents flew a banner plane flew over his summer residence in Seaside Park on Monday with the message: 'Tell Chris Christie: Get the hell off Island Beach State Park.'

Video of the plane flying by went viral on social media. In the video, people who witnessed the plane fly by can be heard cheering.

The phrase was borrowed from a famous quote by Christie from 2011, when the governor warned residents of potential damage from the oncoming Hurricane Irene.

'I saw some of these news feeds that I've been watching upstairs of people sitting on the beach in Asbury Park,' Christie said at the time. 'Get the hell off the beach!'

On Monday, a banner plane flew over Christie's summer residence in Seaside Park with the message: 'Tell Chris Christie: Get the hell off Island Beach State Park'

Governor at war: Christie found himself being photoshopped into Star Wars: Rogue One in this hilarious tweet

After the public backlash in response to the viral beach photo, Christie signed off on a new budget deal on Monday night

No show: This user invoked Donald Trump's exaggerations about how many people turned up to his inauguration. Christie had supported Trump on the stump after his own presidential campaign deflated

After the public outcry, Christie found an accord with Trenton lawmakers that allowed them to end the standoff over budgets and reopen state parks and beaches late on Monday night.

The Republican governor signed off his new plan by shamelessly bringing up his weekend visit to a closed state shoreline.

When asked what he planned to do now the deadlock was over, a visibly tanned Christie told NorthJersey.com and other press: 'When I get done tonight, I'll go back to the beach.'

The sticking point that triggered the shutdown was Christie's demand that nonprofit insurer Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield be overhauled so that the state can tap into its $300 million surplus to finance drug treatment.

The new plan does allow for the funds to be tapped, but only up to a 'hard cap' way under what he had hoped for.

The governor also managed to get the state lottery transferred into the public employee pension fund, but other than that his victories were limited.

Most of the $34.7billion bill is a shopping list of Democrat wants, none of which Christie vetoed, including including $100million for K-12 education, $25million to expand pre-kindergarten and $25million for extraordinary special education.

The bill also redistributes $31 million in aid from districts considered overfunded based on the school funding formula to those considered underfunded.
Two women claim they caught the ghostly hand of one of Britain's most notorious gangsters on camera while taking a selfie in the Kray's old prison.

Lisa White, 44, and her neighbour Cheryl Matthews, 52, were on a Haunted Happenings tour at Shepton Mallet prison last Saturday when they took a photo of themselves in one of the notorious twin's former cells.

When they looked back at the picture they saw a hand hovering above them- wearing a ring exactly like Ronnie Kray's.

The pair claim that no one else was standing near them when the photo was snapped and there is no explanation for the hand being in the frame.

Lisa White, 44, and Cheryl Matthews, 52, were on a Haunted Happenings tour at Shepton Mallet prison when they took a photo of themselves in Ronnie Kray's cell and saw a ghostly hand hovering over them

The pair claim that no one else was standing near them in the cell when the photo was snapped. The hand was wearing a ring exactly like Ronnie Kray's (right)

Ms White, a school worker from Bath, Somerset, said: 'We screamed when we saw the hand. We started as a group of 40 and were split in to groups of 10.

'They took us down to Wing C and I was stood with with Cheryl against the wall opposite the bed and there were two other people standing at the opposite side of the cell, nowhere near us.

'We took three pictures, split seconds apart, and looked back at them straight away.

'I have no explanation for the picture but it made the hairs stand up our neck.'

Ms White described how people came running towards them when they heard them shout out in shock and even checked their hands to confirm it was not theirs in the photo.

'We didn't sense a thing at the time but it set a shiver down our spines when we looked back at the picture,' said Ms White.

'We even went backed and checked the wall with out torches on and we found nothing that could explain the hand.

Groups were guided around the prison (pictured) by paranormal guides and used Ouija boards as well as taking part in seances

The pair made no link to the Kray Twins until Haunted Happenings Tours asked them if they could post the picture on to their Facebook page.

People commented and compared pictures of the hand, wearing a gold ring, to that of Ronnie Kray.

Ms White said: 'It is a very masculine looking hand and would appear that the ring shares a resemblance to one that he was pictured wearing, even the same finger.'

Groups were guided around the prison by paranormal guides and used Ouija boards as well as taking part in seances and table tipping, a Victorian method that involves placing your finger tips on the table and asking spirits to move it.

Hazel Ford, from Haunted Happenings, said: 'The ring in the picture does look very similar to that worn by Ronnie Kray.

'We were just as shocked when we saw the photos but we don't want to put ideas in peoples heads as we can never be sure it was the ghost of Ronnie Kray.'

Twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray served time in Shepton Mallet prison in the 1950s for absconding from national service.
The body of a 26-year-old man who went missing while out paddle boarding has been found in Florida.

Marc Nestenius, of Frisco, Texas, was found dead early Tuesday morning about 20 yards from the shore in Gulf Breeze, near Pensacola.

He had been reported missing two days earlier when a tourist found his life jacket and paddle board floating in the nearby area of Little Sabine.

Paddle boarder Marc Nestenius, 26, was found dead early Tuesday morning about 20 yards from the shore in Gulf Breeze near Pensacola in Florida

The tourist called the number listed on Nestenius' paddle board and was able to reach a family member who alerted authorities.

Nestenius' body was found after a large scale, two day search.

The 26-year-old lived in London where he worked for Societe Generale - a French banking and finance company. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

His mother, Rosalie Nestenius, told WKRG that he just accepted a job in Paris and was preparing to move.

She said Nestenius had come to Florida for a small family reunion.

Nestenius' body was found after a large scale, two day search. He had been reported missing late Sunday when a tourist found his life jacket and paddle board floating in the water

The 26-year-old was from Frisco, Texas but lived in London where he worked for Societe Generale - a French banking and finance company

'It was a very happy reunion for us, we see each other often, four to five times a year but he was so excited,' she said.

She said her son went surfing earlier on Sunday with his sister, before deciding to go paddle boarding in the afternoon.

'I paddle boarded in the morning so I knew the winds were rough and I told him about it and said 'okay mom' and he's a very responsible kid, I mean extremely responsible so I had no worries about that,' Mrs Nestenius said.

The devastated mother said her son was being highly educated and could speak four languages.

'He was good overall. He was excellent overall. This child never gave me problems, never ever gave me problems,' she said.
The December plane crash that killed a husband and wife in Alaska was ruled an 'act of suicide', authorities say.

Mark and Cecilia Matter, 62 and 63, took off from Aniak on December 15, with Mark piloting his 1949 Piper PA-11.

The couple was cruising at 2,000 feet in the air before crashing on Marvel Dome Mountain near the family's mine at Marvel Creek, according to an Alaska State Troopers report.

A report by Alaska State Troopers has ruled the December 2016 plane crash that killed husband and wife Mark and Cecilia Matter, 62 and 63 (right and left), was an 'act of suicide'

The couple was flying in Mark's 1949 Piper PA-11 when they crashed on Marvel Dome Mountain (crash pictured, above)

In the report, released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in June, the probable cause of the crash was described as the pilot's 'intentional flight of the airplane into terrain in an act of suicide'.

The plane was not found to have any mechanical problems, the report said,

'They were inseparable from the beginning,' Donna Slaugh, one of the Matters' three children, told KYUK at the time of the accident.

Mark and Cecilia were married for 41 years. And then Cecilia became very sick, which doctors determined to be cancer.

At the time of the accident, Cecilia didn't have very long to live.

'Dad couldn't function without Mom...He couldn't fix himself meals or anything,' Slough added.

'[She] was the lifeline of the family.'

The plane (crash pictured, above) was not found to have any mechanical problems. One of the couple's daughters revealed that Cecilia was sick with cancer and didn't have long to live at the time of the crash

'They were inseparable from the beginning. Dad couldn't function without Mom...He couldn't fix himself meals or anything,' said daughter Donna Slaugh (Mark Matter, pictured)

According to NTSB Alaska region chief Clint Johnson, the crash that killed the Matters was the only Alaska incident with a probable cause of suicide that also involved a passenger, reported Alaska Dispatch News.

There have been only three crashes, including the Matters', with a probable cause of suicide in the last two decades, says Johnson.

An Anchorage man committed suicide in December 2015 when he flew his Cessna 172 into a downtown Anchorage office building where his wife worked.
Police officers in Florida are warning residents about leaving dogs in the heat after they rescued a pit bull from a locked car earlier this week.

The Boynton Beach Police Department responded to a 911 call about the dog at about 10.30am on Monday, and found the pit bull trapped in a car with the windows rolled up.

Police said that it was at least 110 degrees inside the car when they rescued the pit bull. The temperature outside at the time was around 90 degrees.

Police in Boynton Beach, Florida, rescued a pit bull from a vehicle on Monday in 90-degree heat after the dog's owner went into a bank. Officers said it was at least 110 degrees inside the car at the time

The Boynton Beach Police Department responded to a 911 call about the dog at about 10.30am on Monday, and found the pit bull trapped in a car with the windows rolled up

They had searched for the dog's owner for several minutes before breaking the car's window, police said, adding that there was at least ten to 15 minutes between the 911 call and the woman arriving on scene

They had searched for the dog's owner for several minutes before breaking the car's window, police said.

There was at least a ten- to 15-minute time span between the 911 call and the woman arriving on scene, officials added.

'We learned that she had just left the dog park with her rescue dog and drove to the bank. She said the drive-thru was closed, so she ran inside, leaving her dog in the car,' police said in a Facebook post.

Police added: 'Animal Cruelty Investigator Liz Roehrich cited her for violation of Palm Beach County Ordinance 98-22,Section 24...dog left unattended in vehicle.

The dog's owner had gone into a nearby bank when a bystander saw the dog in the car and called 911. The woman now faces $500 fine for leaving the pit bull in the vehicle

Police warned other pet owners about leaving animals in hot cars saying that the pets will 'suffer' if left in a hot car. Police urged pet owners to take animals home before running errands

'The dog was returned to his owner after Roehrich educated her about the law,' police added.

The woman faces up to a $500 for the citation.

Police warned other pet owners about leaving animals in hot cars saying that the pets will 'suffer' if left in a hot car.

'Investigator Roehrich said most of the time she encounters dogs left in vehicles, the owners are otherwise responsible, loving and good caretakers,' police said.

'They just don't know the law or they think that it's OK if it's only for a minute. We are here to tell you that it is not.'

Police urged pet owners to take animals home before running errands.
Mohammed Hassan, 17, who was scared ISIS would kill his family, hid under a lorry between Dunkirk and Banbury

A teenage refugee who feared his family would be killed by ISIS was crushed to death by the lorry he was hiding beneath to enter the UK, an inquest heard today.

The coroner was told that the Mohammed Hassan, 17, hid underneath the lorry while in Dunkirk, France and clung to it 220 miles to Banbury, Oxfordshire.

The teenager illegally hitched a ride on an axle of the lorry's trailer in 'cramped' and 'uncomfortable' conditions, the inquest heard.

He did not tell his family his plans before he left his home in the Kurdish area of northern Iraq before he made his way to France via Turkey and Greece in early 2016.

His uncle Shamal Sali, a British citizen, told the inquest that ISIS were '200km away' from where the family lived when Mohammed fled.

The young refugee had papers on him showing he had previously been denied entry to the UK in March last year.

The coroner heard that he would have been hidden under the vehicle for hours in temperatures as low as three degrees Celsius.

Lorry driver Cristian Turda was trying to make a delivery at Magna Exteriors on the Beaumont Industrial Estate when he realised he had chosen the wrong entrance.

The Romanian trucker felt a bump as he reversed out and noticed a body in front of his cab at 4.30am on April 1, last year.

'When I reversed I felt something like a bump,' he told the inquest in Oxford.

'I saw the person lying on the ground in front of the lorry. There was another vehicle coming ahead. I didn't know what to do so I placed him on the pavement. I ran to the other driver and asked him to ring the police.

'The driver checked for his pulse and he said he was dead.'

Mr Turda checked his lorry before he left France but did not find anyone and was not stopped at the checkpoints on his way into the UK.

Police tried to perform CPR on Mr Hassan but he was pronounced dead at around 4.50am.

Professor Ian Roberts, a pathologist who examined the body, said the cause of death was multiple injuries consistent with crushing.

Mohammed travelled underneath a lorry for 220 miles from Dunkirk to Banbury before he died

Police collision investigator Gary Baldwin told the inquest he could not be sure if Mr Hassan had intentionally jumped down into the road.

'The deceased has been concealed above the rear axle, he said.

'He has been here at least since exiting the ferry, probably since the lorry was in France in temperatures of three degrees, it would feel colder considering the speed.

'He either deliberately or accidentally emerged onto the road surface. The Mercedes immediately reversed.

'The position of the marks of the road and the damage suggest Mr Hassan was underneath the vehicle as it was reversing.'

Describing the space where the teenager was hidden as he showed a photograph to the inquest Mr Baldwin said it would have been extremely uncomfortable.

He said: 'There was very little space there, it's very cramped and difficult to get there.

'It's a very uncomfortable place to be. You can lay across the top of the axles and it will be as uncomfortable as it looks, it's a terribly confined space.

'Given the temperatures on the night, I cannot say if he deliberately got off or if he could have had enough and fallen off.

'Having been in essentially minus temperatures for that time I don't think he would be able to move particularly quickly.'

Mr Hassan's uncle, Shamal Sali, a British citizen, explained how his nephew made his way to Europe.

'He was in the final year of school when he left Iraq', he told the inquest.

'He did not tell his parents he was coming to the UK and left without their consent. He told them he was going to Turkey but told his friends he would claim asylum in the UK.

He was crushed to death by the lorry as the driver reversed while trying to make a delivery at the Beaumont Industrial Estate

'He was worried about ISIS who were 200 km away. He thought they would kill his family because of problems his father had experienced.

'He left in January or February 2016, travelled to Istanbul and travelled by boat to Greece. His friend drowned on the way to Greece and he was very upset about this.

'I went to see him for one night in Munich, I told him not to leave and told him to wait for his Dad to get a missing document.

'Mohammed looked very tired and upset when I saw him. He looked like he had lost weight. I was worried about him being targeted by people traffickers and exploited.

'He did not want to apply for asylum in France, he wanted to go to the UK. I found out after he died that he had tried to come to the UK before he died and was arrested by police.

'I would have supported Mohammad if he had come to the UK. I visited his family every year, I felt a strong bond to him.

'The last time I spoke to Mohammed was two days before he died, I only found out (what happened) from his friends afterwards.'

Nicholas Drinkal, a Home Office representative, said that when Mr Hassan was detained on his first attempt to make entry to the UK, there would have been special provisions as he was a minor.

Mr Hassan was detained for around four hours before he was handed over to the French authorities. Anything after that, Mr Drinkal said, was 'a matter for France.'

The hearing continues.
A set of identical triplets who beat the incredible odds of 200 million to one to survive were discharged from the hospital yesterday after passing health checks.

The three girls were born at 34 weeks through a caesarean section on June 10 in Chengdu, China.

The sisters finally got to meet each other properly after being kept in separate incubators for 25 days.

Nice to meet you all! The sisters were conceived naturally and were born in China on June 10

Happy family: The triplets (left) are born to father Ma Chongxiang and mother Qu Lan (right)

Healthy and strong: The babies, their family and medical staff had a picture taken yesterday

The trio weighed 2.05kg (4.5lbs), 1.7kg (3.7lbs) and 2kg (4.4lbs) respectively when they left the hospital.

The babies's parents are 29-year-old Ma Chongxiang and 23-year-old Qu Lan, who is a first-time mother.

WHY ARE IDENTICAL TRIPLETS SO RARE? Identical triplets are conceived when the fertilised egg splits twice. The odds against them occurring without fertility treatment have been put at between one in 60,000 and one in 200 million. If twins or triplets shared one membrane in the womb, they must be identical (monozygotic). If not, the placentas are indistinguishable from those of non-identical (dizygotic) siblings, and only DNA testing can confirm for certain. Advertisement

Mr Ma said his eldest and the youngest daughters are healthy. His second eldest daughter and his wife suffer from anaemia, but their condition is stable.

Mr Ma added that the three babies look too similar to each other and he's having a hard time telling them apart.

In a previous interview, the father, who is a construction worker, said he felt like he had won the lottery of life with the arrival of the precious trio.

He was in disbelief when doctors told him that the chance of her daughters being conceived and born was one in every 200 million.

Mr Ma and Ms Qu have named their first two daughters Ma Kexin and Ma Kexuan, and their youngest daughter Qu Kehan - after her mother's surname.

The Chengdu's No. 5 People's Hospital arranged a special ceremony for the sisters when they left the hospital.

The tiny siblings had been kept in incubators since their birth.

Mr Ma said the doctors took a picture of the three right after they were born. But the three girls hadn't had a chance to meet each other since then. They hadn't got a chance to meet their parents all together either.

Loving parents: The father (right) said he felt like winning the lottery with the precious trio

I'm so tired: One of the triplets dozes off during the ceremony to discharge them from hospital

The more the merrier: The sisters (left) beat the incredible odds of 200 million to one to be conceived naturally. Their aunt (right) was invited to the ceremony and held the trio

Time to go home: The Chengdu's No. 5 People's Hospital arranged a ceremony for the sisters

During yesterday's ceremony, Mr Ma and Ms Qu had their first family portrait taken - together with the babies' aunt and the medical staff.

An excited Mr Ma told MailOnline that he was determined to be a good father.

He said his family's financial situation is not ideal because he works as a freelancer and his wife is unemployed.

His wife's caesarean section and the following medical bills of their daughters have cost him more than 90,000 yuan (10,240).

But the man has vowed to provide his daughters with all he has.

'We might need to replace disposable nappies with fabric ones, and get the babies off baby formula earlier than we wish, but I'm confident that I could raise them well.'

Identical triplets are conceived when the fertilised egg splits twice.

The odds against them occurring without fertility treatment have been put at between one in 60,000 and one in 200 million.
A man trying to destroy a wasps nest accidentally set off fireworks which set alight to his garage.

Dramatic footage showed firefighters trying to battle the roaring blaze which engulfed the stand-alone structure in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.

Fireworks could be seen going off in the fire, which reduced the garage to ash.

A man trying to destroy a wasps nest accidentally set off fireworks which set alight to his garage

The fire started on Grove Avenue near Hill Road at around 7pm on Monday, Fox 5 reported.

The fire started when the owner used a smoke bomb to clear the area of wasps, according to Grand Blanc Fire Chief Robert Burdette.

A neighbor noticed flames emerging from the building but by the time fire crews arrived, it was totally engulfed.

The garage was completely destroyed but no one was injured.
FARGO  Tim Schulte remembers his daughter styling her dolls hair and doing makeup for anyone who would let her as a little girl.

She always had a passion for it, Tim said.

That passion has taken 24-year-old makeup artist Taylor Schulte a long way  from her hometown of Wahpeton to makeup designory school in New York City, to a special-effects job in Los Angeles, and now, to Australia.

Taylor was selected as one of eight finalist for the 2017 Battle of the Brushes Character/Prosthetic Competition at the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show, the makeup worlds biggest gathering July 22 in Sydney, Australia.

I was in complete shock, Taylor said about being invited. I dont even remember the conversation I had with my parents when I called them as soon as I found out. [I thought] there are so many talented artists in the world, so many people entered. I honestly think this could change the course of my career in an incredible way.

Taylor graduated from Wahpeton High School in 2010 and attended Josefs School of Hair Design in Fargo for Cosmetology and Skin Esthetic. After graduation, Stephanie Briggs hired her as a hair stylist at a salon and tattoo shop in Wahpeton called The Bodyshop.

She was wonderful with her clients. She had such a passion for the industry, and that shined, Briggs said. She always wanted to learn.

When Briggs decided to close the salon in 2013, she recommended Taylor for a teaching position at Josefs in Grand Forks. There, Taylor became a licensed Cosmetology and Skin Esthetics Instructor and taught for two and a half years before continuing her education at Make-up Designory (MUD) in New York City.

It was kind of a leap for her to go to New York, her father said. You come from a town the size of Wahpeton, where you got 8,000 people, to a city where you have six lanes of traffic, bumper-to-bumper.

But heavy traffic didnt stop Taylor, who moved to Los Angeles following her 2016 graduation from the Master Artistry Program at MUD.

We drove her out there ... and my goal was, boy, I hope she has a job in a couple months, Tim said. She had a job interview and a job offer before we left.

Taylor took a position working in a special-effects lab at Fractured FX Inc., a business that designs special makeup effects and specialty costumes.

Ive always had a fascination with makeup, and Ive always been a movie-lover, Taylor said, adding that the two passions fit well together at Fractured FX, where she currently works in a foam room making appliances for a motion pictures superhero film.

Taylor had heard of Battle of the Brushes while attending MUD, and she was told hundreds of makeup artists compete each year. The competition, put on by Make-Up Artist Magazine, is for new makeup artists less than a year out of school.

Taylor said the process of entering was fairly simple. She sent in her biography and eight photographs of her work to Make-Up Artist Magazine, and waited.

A month and a half later, Taylor was informed that she was a finalist.

I knew that girl was destined for big things. Her scope of talent is amazing, Briggs said. Taylor had goals and she set out to achieve every one of them, and she has.

The theme of this years Australia competition is Guardians of the Galaxy. On competition day, finalists will be given three hours to create a character with their models inspired from a character in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Taylor plans to use a male model to create a character inspired by the Ravagers, a group of space pirates in the movie.

So, I basically have a month to create a character design, practice, fabricate a costume and figure out a way to get to Australia, Taylor said. Very short notice, but itll be so worth it.

Competing will allow Taylor to network with fellow artists and publicize her work, as the event is attended and followed on social media by thousands.

It has already given Taylor the opportunity to meet an inspiration of hers, Oscar-award-winning makeup artist Joel Harlow, who is Johnny Depps personal makeup artist and originally from Grand Forks.

Hopefully I can follow in his footsteps and bring it home for North Dakota, Taylor said.
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French President Emmanuel Macron has taken part in a nuclear missile launch simulation after being winched down to a navy submarine in the Atlantic.

The 39-year-old signalled his commitment to France's nuclear deterrent with a day-long visit to weapons facilities on the Ile Longue base off the Brittany coast.

During the visit France's youngest ever president spent four hours underwater aboard the nuclear submarine 'The Terrible' where he took part in a simulated rocket launch.

Pictures show Macron wearing a helmet and safety gear as he is lowered onto the sub from a helicopter in the Atlantic.

It came just after North Korea announced that it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.

France will be the only EU country with nuclear weapons after Britain's departure. According to the French constitution, it's the president who decides whether to fire nuclear missiles.

French President Emmanuel Macron was lowered onto a submarine from a helicopter in the Atlantic before taking part in a rocket launch simulation. The 39-year-old posted the picture on his Twitter account

French President Emmanuel Macron has taken part in an underwater missile launch simulation aboard a nuclear submarine in the Atlantic

Macron spent four hours underwater in the Atlantic aboard the nuclear submarine 'The Terrible' where Macron, France's youngest ever president, took part in a simulated rocket launch

The 39-year-old signalled his commitment to the France's nuclear deterrent during a day-long visit to weapons facilities on the Ile Longue base off the Brittany coast. He also spent time on the submarine 'Le Terrible' (pictured) in the Atlantic

The visit, yesterday, came a day after Macron convened a rare sitting of both houses of parliament in Versailles for a novel US-style 'state of the nation' address in which he pledged to restore France's 'conquering spirit'.

Macron pledged 'deep transformations' of France's entrenched political system and economy.

He said he would slash by a third the number of MPs, telling the around 900 Assembly and Senate members present he would call a referendum if they did not agree to the measure.

Since taking office Macron has held court twice at the former royal palace in Versailles - he hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin there for talks in May - and given only one media interview, drawing accusations of being aloof, monarchical or even 'pharaonic'.

He still enjoys positive ratings, however, with slightly more than half of respondents in recent polls expressing a positive view of him.

Yesterday, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe unveiled an ambitious programme of tax cuts and reduced public spending designed to boost investment and end the country's reliance on state borrowing.

Philippe put spurring entrepreneurship at the heart of his first policy speech to the National Assembly after presidential and parliamentary elections in May and June.

The government sailed through a vote of confidence held afterwards, with 370 MPs in the lower house backing it and 67 opposed. There were 129 abstentions.

'Businesses must want to set up and develop on our territory rather than elsewhere,' Philippe told the lawmakers, announcing that corporate tax would be cut from 33 percent to 25 percent in the next five years.

Taking charge: Macron's visit came just after North Korea announced that it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile

French president Emmanuel Macron speaks to the Captain and crew of the submarine 'Le Terrible' from the operations centre of the vessel yesterday

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) listens as Captain Jerome Halle, commanding officer of the submarine 'Le Terrible', speaks in the operations centre of the submarine

The 39-year-old, France's youngester ever president, speaks to officials in front of a nuclear submarine, during his visit to the Ile Longue Defence unit, a submarine navy base, in Crozon, near Brest, western France

Macron was taken to the French submarine Le Terrible for a four-hour visit in which he took part in a simulated rocket launch

The visit, yesterday, came a day after Macron convened a rare sitting of both houses of parliament in Versailles for a novel US-style 'state of the nation' address in which he pledged to restore France's 'conquering spirit'

The new head of state has broadly positive approval ratings with slightly more than half of respondents in recent polls expressing a positive view of him - around the same level as Hollande enjoyed at the start of his term

Tackling France's 'addiction to public spending' was a priority, he said, warning that the public debt now totalled 2.1 trillion euros ($2.3 trillion), nearly the equivalent of an entire year's economic output.

'We are dancing on a volcano that is rumbling ever louder,' Philippe told the newly elected lower house.

He announced plans to cut public spending - currently 56 percent of GDP, one of the EU's highest levels - by three points and bring the budget deficit in line with an EU limit of 3.0 of GDP this year for the first time in a decade.

He did not, however, detail the some 4 billion euros in cuts needed to meet the deficit target but said some planned tax cuts would be postponed.

The leader of the radical left France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Melenchon, accused Macron of pushing a liberal EU-backed line that 'is sinking France and strangling Greece.'

Macron, pictured at a navy base near Brest yesterday, pledged 'deep transformations' of France's entrenched political system and economy

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Fusiliers Marins (Naval Fusiliers) during a visit to the Ile Longue Defence unit

Emmanuel Macron stands to attention during a ceremony during a visit to the Ile Longue Defence unit, a submarine navy base, in Crozon, near Brest in France

Macron, 39, is pictured flanked by Chief of the Defence Staff French Army General Pierre de Villiers (centre) and Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic Amiral Bernard Rogel (left) during the visit

Macron (left) enjoys positive ratings, however, with slightly more than half of respondents in recent polls expressing a positive view of him

'We did not elect Mrs Merkel!' the firebrand Melenchon told the assembly, referring to austerity advocate Chancellor Angela Merkel of EU powerhouse Germany.

Almost all of the measures laid out on Tuesday confirmed election promises made by the 39-year-old centrist President Emmanuel Macron, who was elected France's youngest ever president in May after promising to modernise the country.

The government has already set out one of his boldest reforms: an overhaul of France's rigid labour laws which will give companies more powers to negotiate conditions directly with their employees, skirting industry-wide deals.

The reforms, which Macron wants to fast-track through parliament using decrees, face stiff resistance from leftist opponents.

Macron met military officials before being transported to a submarine in the Atlantic where he took part in a rocket launch simulation

The young president took time to speak to military staff as he toured the facility in Crozon, near Brest, western France

Macron, France's youngest president at just 39, gave a state of the union address to both houses of parliament on Monday, a novelty which he intends to turn into an annual event to present his vision for the country

The powerful CGT trade union, which spearheaded weeks of sometimes violent labour protests last year, has already called for protests and strikes in September.

The government will face little difficulty in passing legislation in the lower house of parliament where Macron's new Republic on the Move (REM) party won more than 300 out of 577 seats in last month's election.

The upper-house Senate, where rightwing Republicans hold a majority, will be trickier.

Philippe said Tuesday that the government would also honour other campaign pledges including introducing a new national service for young people, making dental and eye care free on the health system and creating 15,000 new spaces in France's overcrowded jails.

Other measures include raising the price of cigarettes progressively to 10 euros from their current level of 7 euros to fight smoking-related diseases, the leading cause of preventable deaths in France.
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One moment she was enjoying the warm night air in Manila, eating a late dinner with friends. The next she was dead, killed with a single bullet to the heart, unable to even climb out of the chair she was sitting in.

Sudden, brutal, and unexplained - for many in the Philippines the shooting of 29-year-old Kristita Padual by two masked gunmen in March summed up the the country's war on drugs in one moment.

To this day, more than four months on, her family have no idea why she was targeted. Police say they found a small amount of meth on her body, though this has never been proven. Others believe that she was shot after witnessing another killing further up the street. The grim reality is her parents will probably never know.

In the last year alone, more than 5,000 people have died in a bloody drugs crackdown that started with the election of Rodrigo Duterte, after he gave police officers licence to shoot drug pushers as they saw fit, and actively encouraged civilians to execute dealers and addicts living among them.

Kristita Padual, 29, died instantly after being shot in the heart by two masked gunmen as she ate dinner outside a nightclub near Manila, in the Philippines, on March 3

Nobody knows why Kristita was targeted, or who by. Police say she was found with a small amount of meth on her, meaning she could have been targeted in the country's drug war, but this has not been proven

Moment before Kristita died another man was shot ten times and killed further up the street, and some believe she witnessed this killing and was shot dead to keep her quiet. The reality is that her loved ones will probably never know why she died

More than 5,000 people have been killed in drug related hits, and another 8,000 have died in unexplained crimes, since President Rodrigo Duterte was elected and gave police and vigilantes licence to kill as they see fit (pictured, the murder scene of Marvin Ocampo, who relatives say was a drug user)

Duterte has told police to shoot drug dealers on sight, and encouraged members of the public to execute known drug users and pushers living among them. His critics accuse him of unleashing death squads in what may constitute a crime against humanity (pictured, the body of an unknown man in Quezon city, north of Manila)

Despite the killings and the international condemnation they have brought, Duterte has ended his first year as President with a 75 per cent approval rating as people praised his no-nonsense leadership style (pictured, the body of Alvin Prada, who according to relatives was a drug user)

'Hello Kitty' decorations adorn the coffin of sixteen year old Nercy Galicio, who according to police was killed by unknown men

A view of a slum area at night where many killings have taken place, in Manila, Philippines, as the war on drugs continues

Critics accuse him of unleashing vigilante death squads who are killing with impunity and without justification in what may constitute a crime against humanity.

But, despite being blasted by rights groups and leaders from around the world, 72-year-old Duterte has just ended his first 12 months in office with a 75 per cent satisfaction rating.

He has also won the admiration of US President Donald Trump, who called to congratulate him on his efforts to fix the drug problem, while pledging to help tame unruly neighbour North Korea.

'People like the man,' Ricardo Abad, head of sociology and anthropology at Ateneo University in Manila, said.

'People may disagree with his policies, or are maybe ambivalent towards them, but because they like him, people will tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.'

In his inauguration speech, Duterte typically sought not to sugarcoat his plans for the Philippines. 'The ride will be rough. But come join me just the same,' Duterte said.

The roughest part of the ride had for most of the past year been his crackdown on drugs. Police killed 3,116 drug suspects in that period, according to official figures.

Unknown assailants killed another 2,098 in drug-related crimes, while there were 8,200 more murders with no known motive, according to the police.

Rights groups and other critics warned Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity, alleging he has unleashed corrupt police and vigilante death squads on a campaign of mass murder.

Duterte had made the drug war the top focus of his presidency until May 23, when gunmen rampaged through the southern city of Marawi flying black flags of the Islamic State group.

While Duterte's approach has earned him condemnation from around the world, one supporter has been US President Donald Trump, who called to praise his efforts to tackle the Philippines' drug problem shortly after he was elected

Relatives break down as they bury Leah Espiritu, who is believed to have been a drug dealer in the Philippines. Espiritu was killed by unknown assailants in the town of Caloocan, north of Manila

The coffin of Leah Espiritu is carried out for her burial. While Duterte has claimed that almost 4million people in the Philippines are drug addicts, his own drug analysis unit says the real number could be half that - and would not be much higher than the global average

Children cover their noses as funeral workers remove the body of an unknown shooting victim, which had gone unclaimed for months, to be buried in a mass grave. Corpses often go unclaimed in the Philippines, party because relatives fear being targeted themselves if they retrieve the corpse, and partly because of extortionate costs

Funeral workers kick the remains of an unknown person who was killed because of suspected links to the drug trade, into a narrow grave. Duterte has never sugarcoated his plans for the country, telling his followers: 'The ride will be rough. But come join me just the same'

Funeral workers slot the coffin of 16-year-old Arjay Suldao into a small tomb in the town of Navotas after he went missing for days before being found dead. His dead is just one of 8,000 that remains unexplained in the last 12 months

Relatives weep near the scene where a man was shot dead by police following a police operation against illegal drugs in Caloocan, north of Manila

He immediately imposed martial law across the southern third of the Philippines, home to roughly 20 million people, to quell what he said was an IS bid to establish a local caliphate.

But despite a relentless bombing campaign backed by the United States, Duterte's military has been unable to dislodge the militants. The fighting has claimed more than 400 lives, according to the government, and it shows no signs of ending.

Another example of Duterte's popularity is his 'super majority' in the lower house of congress, where there are just seven opposition members in the 296-member chamber.

Even one of the opposition lawmakers, Edcel Lagman, offered grudging praise this week.

'Despite his unpresidential demeanour, profane language, abusive rhetoric and flawed policy statements, President Rodrigo Duterte, in his own inscrutable way, has held the nation together,' he said.

But Lagman said, with Duterte's promises of 'change' yet to become reality, his popularity had started to slide.

If that is happening, Duterte's 'super majority' could fall apart.

In the Philippines, lawmakers from parties across the political spectrum typically flock to a popular president in the early stages of his or her term.

But the politicians, driven by self-interest rather than ideology, have also in the past quickly jumped off the bandwagon when approval ratings dropped.
A crackdown to stop alcohol-fuelled parties held by underage drinkers turning Britain's surfing capital into a junior version of Magaluf is underway.

This week police in Newquay, Cornwall, seized seven bottles of vodka from a bedroom where teenagers were partying.

Hundreds of 16 and 17 year olds have descended on the seaside town for the start of the summer holidays.

The resort, famous for its surfing beaches, has always been a popular destination for teens wanting to let their hair down.

However, detectives have now started raiding hotel and B&B bedrooms and confiscating alcohol from underage guests.

Devon and Cornwall police have launched Operation Exodus to stop Newquay turning into 'Britain's Magaluf' and extra officers are being drafted in to help. Pictured: British teens on a bar crawl in Magalluf

Devon and Cornwall police have launched Operation Exodus to stop the town turning into 'Britain's Magaluf' and extra officers are being drafted in to help.

Some of the local nightclubs have agreed to run 'dry nights' for under-age party-goers to help keep them off the streets and away from off-licences and supermarkets where they can buy cheap alcohol.

Today Newquay's police chief, Inspector Dave Meredith, said a stash of seven bottles of vodka had been collected from just one room occupied by a group of teenagers on holiday.

Inspector Meredith said: 'Operation Exodus is the police and partnership operation to manage under-18 school leavers arriving in Newquay during the first two weeks of July.

'This group have traditionally stayed at Trevelgue Holiday Park (now Newquay View) and were effectively managed by staff at Trevelgue.

'A few years ago Tevelgue changed its business practices, and no longer accepts under 18s.

This week police in Newquay, Cornwall (pictured), seized seven bottles of vodka from a bedroom where teenagers were partying

'During Operation Exodus, under 18s arriving in Newquay now mostly stay at various surf bunk houses on the outskirts of the town centre.

'This change in accommodation location has caused us some challenges, however we are working closely with the various accommodation providers to help them effectively manage the under-18 influx.

'Extra officers will be deployed to Newquay during the next two weeks to robustly deal with anti-social behaviour linked to young persons in the town centre.'

The resort has been working hard to improve its image in recent years - in 2015 civic leaders said a decision to ban Borat-style mankinis had helped the town's reputation.

The revealing swimsuit, made famous by Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy character, was popular with the stag parties that descended on Newquay.

The resort has been working hard to improve its image in recent years - in 2015 civic leaders said a decision to ban Borat-style mankinis (pictured) had helped the town's reputation

But Cornwall police outlawed the outfits in a zero-tolerance drive against anti-social behaviour and it's paid off, according to local traders.

Townsfolk feared Newquay was earning a reputation for lawless antics, which would drive away families and hit the holiday trade.

In 2015 the mayor, Coun Dave Sleeman, said: 'I remember back in the 2000s you couldn't walk the streets on a Saturday without seeing someone wearing a 'mankini' or what have you.

'But now they're not allowed in Newquay - the police will tell them to go home and get changed if they see them wearing one, and the guest houses and camp sites are pretty good at warning their guests about what's acceptable.'

Newquay's police chief, Inspector Dave Meredith, said alcohol had been collected from a room occupied by a group of teenagers on holiday (stock photo)

Latest figures show anti-social behaviour and criminal activity has dropped since 2009, when fed-up residents marched through Newquay in protest at a perceived lack of action against troublemakers who were bringing the resort a bad name.

The demo followed the deaths of teenagers Paddy Higgins and Andrew Curwell, who plunged from cliffs in separate visits to the town.

Police said their new 'robust' attitude to inappropriate behaviour in public has helped Newquay get rid of its image as a haven for raucous and often intimidating stag and hen parties, and it's increasingly seen as a family-friendly destination.
Members of Charlie Gard's 'army' say that Facebook and Twitter have been deleting their posts urging people to contact Theresa May and Great Ormond Street.

Supporters have said 'we won't be silenced' after some accounts were even suspended for using the hashtag #SaveCharlieGard.

The campaign to save Charlie has been driven by social media posts linking to petitions and fundraising sites that raised 1.4million for the US treatment he is being denied.

But today some say their Facebook and Twitter accounts were frozen after their messages of support were classed as spam.

Supporters have said 'we won't be silenced' after some accounts were suspended for using the hashtag #SaveCharlieGard.

Others had the same treatment if they clicked a link to protests planned across the country this week, and were furious because violent and extremist posts slip through the net but their messages were banned.

Steve Green posted a screenshot of his message saying his message to friends to save Charlie 'doesn't follow community standards'.

He said Facebook was 'trying to silence us' - but added: 'We will not be silent, we are Charlie's Army'.

This screengrab shows the message sent to one Charlie Gard supporter whose account was disabled

Kayleigh Perry said: 'My profile was disabled by Facebook for hash tagging Charlie. This won't stop me'.

Daryl Wilson wrote: This is awful. How are we not entitled to use social media to express our views and beliefs. The same happened on Twitter'.

Facebook and Twitter both have systems in place that block messages and accounts that may be spreading spam.

With the Charlie Gard campaign spreading across the world on social media it appears these protections appear to have been triggered.

Some of Charlie's supporters have been in touch with Facebook and Twitter who have since unlocked their accounts.

The torment of Charlie Gard has brought promises of help from around the world.

In an extraordinary move, baby Charlie was offered treatment at the Pope's own hospital in Rome. Pope Francis's spokesman vowed to 'overcome' British legal rulings which have condemned the baby to death.

Some suggested that social media giants need to get their priorities state

Charlie's parents desperately wanted their son (pictured) to undergo treatment in America - Mr Trump says he can secure it of they can get to the US

It came hard on the heels of a pledge from President Donald Trump that the US would be 'delighted' to help the desperately ill 11-month-old boy.

Charlie's parents Connie Yates, 31, and Chris Gard, 32, are at Charlie's bedside as his future is discussed behind closed doors.

Pop stars also lobbied Theresa May to take a stand and the Italian Foreign Minister asked Boris Johnson to intervene but both refused.

At Prime Minister's Questions, the family's MP Seema Malhotra said it was 'clear that if Charlie remains in the UK there is no further treatment available and that life support will be switched off'.

The Feltham and Heston MP urged Mrs May to do 'all she can' if there was the possibility of Charlie being flown to the US for treatment.

Labour MP Ms Malhotra said: 'If there is any room for discretion within the court rulings for Great Ormond Street to allow Charlie to leave and to transfer his care to doctors at Columbia University, and he is sufficiently stable to receive treatment, will the Prime Minister do all she can to bring the appropriate people together to try to make this happen?'

Chris Gard and Connie Yates are spending the last days of their ten-month-old son Charlie's life with him at hospital in London

Mrs May said: 'I'm sure the thoughts of all Members of the House are with the family and Charlie at this exceptionally difficult time.'

Successive legal attempts by Charlie's parents failed as judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in London ruled in favour of GOSH doctors, while the European Court of Human Rights declined to hear the couple's appeal.

Charlie's parents, both aged in their 30s and from Bedfont, west London, have been given more time with their son before his life support is turned off.

The High Court considered evidence from a specialist who would oversee any treatment Charlie had at a hospital in the US.

The specialist, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said therapy would provide a 'small chance' of a meaningful improvement in Charlie's brain function.

Charlie's plight has touched people around the world and the family have received donations totalling more than 1.3 million to take him to the US for therapy.

Mr Trump said: 'If we can help little CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so.'.

Boris Johnson has told his Italian counterpart it is 'right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts' after the Vatican's paediatric hospital offered care to terminally-ill Charlie Gard.

Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano raised the offer made by the president of the Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome, after Pope Francis called for Charlie's parents to be allowed to 'accompany and treat their child until the end'.

The pair discussed the case of Charlie, who has been at the centre of a lengthy legal battle involving his parents and doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), during a phone call on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'The Foreign Secretary said this was a deeply tragic and complex case for all involved, and said it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, in line with Charlie's best interests.'
Lucas Mikoliunas at Hull Magistrates Court

A teacher was attacked with such force by a former pupil that a surgeon likened his facial injuries to 'crushed corn flakes'.

Christian Dawson, 40, was blinded for 24 hours after Lucas Mikoliunas savagely assaulted him as he walked home after an evening out with friends.

Hull Youth Court heard the teenager, now 18, rained blows upon Mr Dawson leaving him with a crushed nose and shattered cheekbones and eye sockets.

Mr Dawson also needed his jaw realigned after the attack, which left his brain 'marked'.

He needed complex surgery to repair his eye sockets and surgeons warned him there was a chance he could wake up blind.

Mr Dawson believes he was attacked simply because Mikoliunas recognised him as a teacher.

Mr Dawson, from Hull in East Yorkshire, said: 'My jaw had been sheared off, I can still remember my surgeon's exact words.

'He said my bones were like a packet of cornflakes that had been stamped on.'

The English teacher had spent the evening of March 17 this year drinking with a small group of friends and was walking through Hull City Centre alone shortly after 2am when he was set upon by Mikoliunas.

Mikoliunas rained blows upon Christian Dawson (pictured) leaving him with a crushed nose and shattered cheekbones and eye sockets. He needed complex surgery to repair his jaw and eye sockets

Mr Dawson taught Mikoliunas at Sirius Academy West, where he was employed for several years until 2015.

He said Mikoliunas 'squandered' his schooldays.

The trial heard Mr Dawson and his attacker had exchanged glances in Khan Pizza, a takeaway earlier in the night, but no words had been exchanged.

He was attacked a short while later as he made his way home.

He was been left with scarring, lasting nerve damage and metal plates and pins in his face.

Speaking about the attack, Mr Dawson told the court: 'I looked at him in the face and a hand came out and I was hit very hard in the face.

'It was like a bell was being clanged, then there was a second blow to the side of my face.

'From that point on I do not have much recollection of the next few minutes at all.'

Mr Dawson, pictured with his daughter, was walking alone through Hull City Centre shortly after 2am when he was savagely attacked

He needed complex surgery to repair his eye sockets and surgeons warned him there was a chance he could wake up blind

Mikoliunas denied any physical contact had taken place between him and Mr Dawson. But he was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following a one-day trial

Mr Dawson now works at the Sirius Academy North in Orchard Park, Hull, following a promotion.

During the attack he recognised Mikoliunas and contacted former colleagues with a description.

He later found Mikoliunas on Facebook and passed the information on to police, before attending an identity parade and identifying Mikoliunas as the person who attacked him.

Mikoliunas, also from Hull, denied any physical contact had taken place between him and Mr Dawson.

But he was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following a one-day trial.

Mr Dawson (pictured before the attack) taught Mikoliunas at Sirius Academy West, where he said Mikoliunas 'squandered' his schooldays

Mr Dawson, pictured with his daughter, said he now 'feels empty inside', adding: 'I just want to go to work and get on with my life'

Mr Dawson now works at the Sirius Academy North in Orchard Park, Hull, following a promotion

District Judge Fred Rutherford told him his defence amounted to a 'fanciful explanation designed to get yourself out of a set of circumstances you caused.'

Mikoliunas was granted bail and told he may be sentenced at crown court, but will attend Hull Youth Court on July 25 for a probation report to be produced.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Dawson said: 'This is a young man who has made some awful choices.

'He's pleaded not guilty which hasn't done him any favours and dragged me through the court proceedings.

'He [Mikoliunas] should get a custodial sentence, but I just feel empty inside.

'I just want to go to work and get on with my life.'
The head of Australia's Border Force, who is currently taking leave from his role as his relationship with a young staffer is investigated, has denied he acted inappropriately.

Roman Quaedvlieg, 52, had separated from his wife Christine when he began a relationship with a young woman, who had already landed a low-level job at Sydney airport, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Mr Quaedvlieg, a father of three, reportedly denied to superiors he did anything to help the woman secure the job, and said he took pointed steps to stay out of the recruitment process.

Roman Quaedvlieg (pictured), the head of Australia's Border Force, has denied allegations he's acted inappropriately, reportedly telling superiors he did not begin a relationship with a low-level staffer until she had landed a job scanning passports at Sydney Airport

The Border Force boss, who earns more than $700,000 a year, has been off work for five weeks waiting to be questioned by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, but has so far heard nothing.

Colleagues of the woman at the centre of the scandal speculated she had received a promotion after their relationship began, News Corp reported earlier.

Mr Quaedvlieg's leave of absence was confirmed on Monday, with the ABF issuing a brief statement noting that there was a matter under investigation.

But a former Border Force media manager took to Twitter to hint that the matter is a 'personal' one, and has little to do with his official duties.

Former spin doctor Sandi Logan claimed Quaedvlieg had been suspended, not put on leave, and that an 'external investigation' was taking place.

The last tweet to come from Quaedvlieg's official account was on May 25.

It has been suggested the complaint could have been politically motivated, as Quaedvlieg's strict work environment has previously been criticised.

It has now been claimed Mr Quaedvlieg, who has separated from his wife, was allegedly involved in a relationship with a fellow ABF employee aged in her early 20s. Some inside the ABF believe she may have been handed a promotion since her relationship with Mr Quaedvlieg began

The 52-year-old's name has also been thrown around for the position of Homeland Security Secretary, should the Government choose to reorder its approach to national security and develop a department specifically for keeping terrorists at bay.

No official information has been released as to why Quaedvlieg has taken leave, with authorities remaining tight lipped.

An inside source earlier told Fairfax Media the Commissioner's sudden departure is related to his personal behaviour as opposed to the carrying out of his official duties.

'The ABF Commissioner is on leave,' the statement from the office of Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said.

'A matter is under investigation by appropriate authorities.

'There will be no further comment until that process is complete.'

Mr Quaedvlieg was previously the chief police officer of ACT Policing, and has been the Commissioner of the Australian Border Force since its creation in 2015.

He made headlines in 2004 when he was caught up in a tsunami with his estranged wife Christine.
Migrant communities are partly to blame for the 'astonishing' rise in Christian exorcisms in Britain, a think tank has said.

A report published Theos, a religion and society think tank, said exorcism is a 'booming industry' in the UK which has been driven in part by immigrant communities and Pentecostal churches.

The research into Christianity and mental health described a 'burgeoning exorcism scene' and said interviewees showed an astonishing increase in demand.

Exorcisms have become a 'booming industry' in the UK according to a new report on Christianity and mental health

The report written by researcher Ben Ryan said: 'Part of this has been driven by immigrant communities and Pentecostal churches which are very open about their exorcism services.'

The danger of the increase in exorcisms was that many people who were given exorcisms were suffering from mental health issues that required medical help.

The report said the increase in demand for exorcisms could be partially blamed on immigrant communities and Pentecostal churches who are 'open' about offering the services

The report, which was published on Monday, continued: 'There are potential dangers to this, without discounting the possibility of demonic possession, the perspective of several Christians working in the mental health sphere said that, in the vast majority of cases, the person in question was suffering with mental health issues which required psychiatric assistance.'

A spokesman for the Church of England told the Daily Telegraph: 'The Church of England takes deliverance ministry very seriously and treats each case in a pastoral and private way. Any case would be dealt with locally through the diocese.

'Our guidelines state that particular caution needs to be exercised, especially when ministering to someone who is in a distressed or disturbed state.'
A mom and her two-year-old son were forced to endure a three and a half hour flight together in just one seat after United Airlines gave the toddler's seat to a standby passenger.

Shirley Yamauchi, a Hawaii teacher says she and her son, who weighs 25lbs were forced to share a seat after a United Airlines stewardess told her the seat she paid $1,000 and was purchased three months ago, was given to someone flying standby.

Yamauchi says she bought the airline tickets for a teachers conference in Boston. Because children over the age of two are required to have their own seat, she purchased a ticket for her son, Taizo - paying $1,000 for each ticket.

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Shirley Yamauchi had to fly with her son on her lap for over three hours on the last leg of an 18 hour trip from Hawaii to Boston

Shirley Yamauchis (left) son's (right) ticket was given away to a passenger flying standby despite buying their tickets three months in advance

More shocking yet, the standby passenger paid just $75 for his ticket.

The Kapolei Middle School teacher says they were sitting on the plane in Houston when a flight attendant came to check if Taizo was present.

'I told him that I bought both of these tickets and he tells me that he got the ticket on standby. Then he proceeds to sit in the center,' she said.

She says she told the flight attendant about the problem, but the woman just shrugged, said the flight was full, and walked away.

'I had to move my son onto my lap. He's 25 pounds. He's half my height. I was very uncomfortable. My hand, my left arm was smashed up against the wall. I lost feeling in my legs and left arm,' she said.

Shirley Yamauchi posted about the incident to her Facebook, calling out the United Airlines employee who shrugged off her complaints that she had paid for her son's ticket, yet they were forced to give up his seat to another passenger

Yamauchi's son was in various uncomfortable positions on the long flight

Yamauchi's son was scrunched up in her lap for over three hours during the flight from Houston to Boston

Yamauchi and her son were on the final leg of their 18-hour flight from Hawaii to Boston.

Yamauchi said she wanted to speak up, but was afraid of retaliation.

'I started remembering all those incidents with United on the news. The violence. Teeth getting knocked out. I'm Asian. I'm scared and I felt uncomfortable. I didn't want those things to happen to me,' she said.

'It was very shocking. I was confused. I told him, I bought both of these seats. The flight attendant came by, shrugs and says 'flights full',' Yamauchi said.

Yamauchi says she didn't want to cause a scene, remembering the recent United incidents like the Kentucky man who was violently dragged off his flight in April.

'I'm scared. I'm worried. I'm traveling with an infant. I didn't want to get hurt. I didn't want either of us to get hurt,' she said to KITV Island News.

United Airlines says I'm sorry a lot United issues an apology to a mother, Emily France, who claims her son passed out from dehydration on a plane that was grounded for almost two hours during a heat wave in Denver Honeymoon couple Mike and Rachel Brumfield were left stranded at airport after alerting crews of leak and being given only a food voucher, they end up taking a Delta flight to Venice instead, United apologizes generally to those on the flight United Airlines employees shoved an elderly man, Ronald Tigner, to the ground in 2015, United issues an apology when video of the incident was released this June as part of a lawsuit United Airlines issues an apology after an employee is accused of kicking a passenger Lindsey Urbani who was sleeping in a chapel United issues an apology to #1 tennis player in the world, Zhang Shuai after an argument with a United customer rep who refused to allow Shuai on with her tennis racket. The rep tore up her boarding pass in front of her United issues an apology to Henry Amador-Batten, a gay father, who was flying with his son to their North Carolina home when he was accused of inappropriately touching his son United issues an apology in April after passenger David Dao was forcibly removed from a plane when his paid seat was given to a United Airlines employee who needed to get somewhere Advertisement

'I had him in all these contorted sleeping positions. In the end, very sadly, he was standing up between my knees,' she said.

The FAA strongly advises against a child sitting on someone's lap, saying to passengers 'Your arms aren't capable of holding your child securely, especially during unexpected turbulence.'

'What happened to my son was unsafe, uncomfortable and unfair,' Yamauchi said.

With no help from staff aboard Flight 2047 - Yamauchi searched for help. She spoke to agents at the gate, who directed her to customer service. Who then directed her to a hotline number.

When she finally reached someone on the phone they told her she couldn't be refunded right away or it'd cancel the rest of her flight arrangements home.

Flights home for an adjusted ticket price would be additional expenses on top of the $1,000 ticket that her son did not use.

'It's worrisome. Everyone who has helped me so far has contradicted each other. With their suggestions, this needs to stop. United has made errors that make national headlines, yet, it continues,' Yamauchi said.

United Airlines has come under fire often this year, and has issued many apologies for a variety of issues customers have experienced with the airline

Five days after the flight, the airline is finally issuing an apology. A spokesman for United says because gate agents inaccurately scanned Taizo's boarding pass, their system showed him as not checked in, so his seat was released to another passenger.

The company said, 'We deeply apologize to Ms. Yamauchi and her son for this experience. We are refunding her son's ticket and providing a travel voucher. We are also working with our gate staff to prevent this from happening again.'

Yamauchi says the incident makes her nervous about flying United again.

'I had bought both of these tickets way in advance. We did the two hour check-in time before boarding. I had my receipts. I had my boarding pass. Yet this happened,' Yamauchi said.
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Topless campaigners wearing horns and covered in fake blood have taken to the streets of Pamplona to protest against the annual bull runs.

AnimaNaturalis and PETA campaigners stripped down to their black pants and daubed themselves in anti-cruelty slogans today in northern Spain.

Wearing fake horns, they also threw red powder into the air to symbolise what they regard as unnecessary and cruel bloodshed during the annual festival which attracts hundreds of thousands of people from around the world.

Preparations are underway in Pamplona for the San Fermin festival in which 'contestants' run through the streets whilst taunting the bulls.

Animal rights protesters demonstrate for the abolition of bull runs and bullfights, one day before the start of the famous running of the bulls San Fermin festival in Pamplona

Red dust fills the air to symbolise the bloodshed brought on by the annual event. Holding red, black and yellow batons with hooks on the end, the women and men displayed multi-lingual messages on their bodies. One woman, who can be seen in this picture in the background on the right hand side, has 'Stop bull flights' emblazoned across her front

The protesters solemnly stand with their hands at their sides and with their eyes to the ground having been covered in red blood dust to symbolise the cruelty to the animals who are forced to rung through the street. The woman in the foreground has 'Stop bull fights' on her front while her fellow demonstrators carry the same message in Spanish

AnimaNaturalis and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals stripped down to their black pants and daubed themselves in anti-cruelty slogans today - one day ahead of the annual bull-running festival

The protest rally called for 'a San Fermin without blood' and the abolition of bullfighting.

Director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain, Aida Gascon, read a statement in which she criticised the old tradition, saying: 'From tomorrow in this city, more than 50 bulls will be tortured to death.'

'They will be persecuted and led by a crowd to the bullring, the plaza of shame and the last minutes of their lives will be full of suffering and torture.'

'We know that we will not be able to stop these deaths but we will continue here so that those deaths do not go unnoticed,' she said, calling on political representatives to show 'courage, justice, solidarity and empathy.'

A woman holds out a baton with a hook on the end and adorned with yellow and red tassels with the word stier written on her chest in a Danish message against animal cruelty

A protester from the organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) wears plastic bulls horns as she stands with about 100 protestors in front of the Pamplona, Navarra, northern Spain town hall demonstrating against the treatment of fighting bulls in the Fiesta de San Fermin, 05 July 2017, demonstrating against the treatment of fighting bulls in the Fiesta de San Fermin

A tattooed animal rights campaigner shouts as she holds her arms aloft with fake horns on her head protesting against the renowned eight-day festival made famous by Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises which has running-with-the-bulls and a bullfight each day for the festival which starts at midday tomorrow

Wearing fake horns, the protestors broke open their batons to throw red powder into the air to symbolise what they regard as unnecessary and cruel bloodshed during the annual festival which attracts hundreds of thousands of people from around the world

Red powder fills the air outside the town hall in Pamplona. Preparations are currently underway for the San Fermin fiesta in which 'contestants' run through the streets whilst taunting the bulls

The streets are painted red as the protesters, wearing only their underwear, drop their batons which held the red blood dust

The blood dust settles over the demonstrators ahead of the San Fermin. The protest rally called for 'a San Fermin without blood' and the abolition of bullfighting

As part of the protest, director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain, Aida Gascon, read a statement in which she criticised the old tradition, saying: 'From tomorrow in this city, more than 50 bulls will be tortured to death.' 'They will be persecuted and led by a crowd to the bullring, the plaza of shame and the last minutes of their lives will be full of suffering and torture.' 'We know that we will not be able to stop these deaths but we will continue here so that those deaths do not go unnoticed,' she said, calling on political representatives to show 'courage, justice, solidarity and empathy'

The protesters hold out their batons which contain the blood dust before they filled the air outside the town hall in Pamplona in Spain with red blood dust.

A demonstrator stands in a sea of red with dozens of horns wrapped around her body. This summer, a petition has been launched under the banner of 'San Fermin without blood' on their websites and more than 150,000 signatures have already been gained

The animal campaigners say they cannot understand why bullfighting is still allowed given that the tide of opinion appears to be turning against it.

They have been carrying out the protests in Pamplona for the last 14 years.

This summer, a petition has also been launched under the banner of 'San Fermin without blood' on their websites and more than 150,000 signatures have already been gained.

It will eventually be presented to the city of Pamplona and the Government of Navarre.

The Mayor of Pamplona, Joseba Asiron has warned tourists and local people to abide by the regulations or face prosecution. This includes a zero approach to sexual aggression.

Revellers run with Torrestrella's fighting bulls along the Calle Estafeta during the second day of the San Fermin Running Of The Bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain (file photo)
The father of an 18-year-old girl shot dead in a shocking road rage attack in Pennsylvania claims her killing was racially motivated.

Bianca Roberson died instantly when she was shot in the head while driving down on Route 100 in Chester County last Wednesday.

Police charged David Desper, 28, on Sunday with the teenager's murder after he sparked a manhunt when he fled the scene of the shooting.

The girl's father, Rodney Roberson, told NBC10 his family were demanding answers.

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Bianca Roberson, 18, (left) died instantly when she was shot in the head while driving down a Pennsylvania on June 28. David Desper, 28, (right) has been charged with her murder

'To shoot her in the head. It wasn't road rage,' he said. 'To me it was a hate crime.'

'I want them to throw the book at this guy. Throw him under the jail. He took my daughter.

'We're still upset and angry.'

Desper surrendered himself to police at his home in Trainer, Pennsylvania in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to WFMZ.

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.

The girl's father, Rodney Roberson, told NBC10 that he believes his daughter's death was racially motivated and he is demanding answers

Police say that both motorists were trying to change lanes when the ordeal unfolded. Desper's red pick up truck can be seen above driving alongside Roberson's car on the highway

Roberson's car veered off the highway and crashed into a wooded area. She was pronounced dead at the scene

Police say that both motorists were trying to change lanes when the ordeal unfolded.

Desper allegedly became enraged and shot Bianca 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.

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.

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

'So he pulled out a gun and shot Bianca in the head, killing her instantly,' he said.

Desper was denied bail and is awaiting his first court appearance.

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 said. 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.
The mother of embattled actor Vince Colosimo desperately begged her son to seek help before he was slapped with fresh drug-related charges.

The 50-year-old Melbourne star of TV crime drama Underbelly is facing time behind bars after he was charged on Sunday with driving under the influence of drugs.

His elderly mother, Lina Colosimo, has opened up on her heartbreak at watching her son spiral out of control, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Underbelly star Vince Colosimo, 50, faces time behind bars after he was charged with drug driving

Vince Colosimo walks to the Magistrate's court to appear on driving charges in 2014

'We spoke to him in January when we heard he was caught with drugs and he said we have to trust him, he promised no more,' a teary Ms Colosimo said.

She said she discovered his brushes with the law on the news, despite the star visiting the family weekly.

'We don't know what to do any more. I can't sleep, I worry all the time, I can't talk about it any more, it's too painful what's happening No more, he needs help,' Ms Colosimo said.

Colosimo's father Santo, 80, previously told the court he believed his son's drug use was fuelled by unusual work hours.

The 50-year-old actor's case was mentioned in Melbourne Magistrates Court this week, but will not have to face a judge until August when his trial begins, the Herald Sun reported.

As it is his second charge of driving while suspended, Colosimo could be facing jail time for his actions.

Underbelly actor Vince Colosimo has been charged with drug driving and driving with a suspended licence

In December 2014, the actor was charged with two counts of driving with a suspended license.

Colosimo pleaded guilty, escaped conviction, and received a $1,000 fine and a 14-day driving ban.

In January this year, the actor pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine.

The actor had been caught with a small amount of the drug ice when he was pulled over by police in Melbourne's north in September 2016.

The actor's elderly mother, Lina Colosimo, has opened up on her heartbreak at watching her son spiral out of control

The father-of-two was given a 12-month good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $1,000 to the court.

Being caught driving with a suspended licence more than once can attract up to two years jail, meaning it is possible Colosimo will be sent away for his alleged misdeed.

But if he is allowed to walk free, it may not be without a hit to the wallet.

Those caught driving while suspended once face a fine of up to $4,760, but subsequent offences can cost the driver up to $38,060.
Sir Vince Cable today made an extraordinary Nazi jibe at Theresa May as he accused her of using language that could have featured in Hitler's Mein Kampf.

The likely next Lib Dem leader launched the furious tirade at the Prime Minister over her October conference speech.

In a section slamming wealthy tax dodgers, Mrs May attacked people who view themselves as 'citizens of nowhere' rather than British.

Sir Vince Cable (pictured after his re-election last month) today made an extraordinary Nazi jibe at Theresa May as he accused her of using language that could have featured in Mein Kampf

The remarks caused irritation in the City as it was seen as an attack on wealth creators valuable to the nation.

But in a new interview with the New Statesman magazine, Sir Vince dramatically escalated criticism of the PM.

He said: 'I thought that particular phrase was quite evil.

'It could've been taken out of Mein Kampf. I think that's where it came from, wasn't it? 'Rootless cosmopolitans'?'

Sir Vince added: 'It was out of character for her.'

Mein Kampf was Adolf Hitler's autobiography, written before he became the facist dictator of Germany.

Tory MP Mims Davies said: 'It is disappointing and surprising that such an experienced politician, who wants to lead the Liberal Democrats, chooses to throw around Nazi slurs like Ken Livingstone.

'Vince Cable should reconsider and retract this ill-judged comment.'

A spokesman for Sir Vince's leadership campaign said: 'Vince Cable was highlighting the unfortunate similarity in language of a small section of Theresa May's conference speech last year and language used throughout Mein Kampf.

'In the same interview he stressed how out of character it was for her to use such language.'

In a section of last year's conference speech (pictured) slamming wealthy tax dodgers, Theresa May attacked people who view themselves as 'citizens of nowhere' rather than British

The Liberal Democrat veteran is on track to be elected unopposed as party leader after all of his likely rivals declined to run.

Sir Vince, 74, has insisted his experience will allow him to break the 'cult of youth' in modern politics and has compared himself to William Gladstone, who became PM at 82.

He was re-elected as MP for Twickenham at the snap election last month, two years after being kicked out of Parliament as the Liberal Democrats were punished for joining a coalition with the Tories.

In her conference speech last year, Mrs May said: 'Today, too many people in positions of power behave as though they have more in common with international elites than with the people down the road, the people they employ, the people they pass on the street,' she told the party faithful.

'But, if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere. You don't understand what citizenship means.'
An autistic British man which had gone missing from his family during a holiday in Australia has been found.

Benjamin Wyatt's family had appealed for public help after their son disappeared in Melbourne about 2.15pm on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old had been visiting the beach at Half Moon Bay, Black Rock with family.

Mr Wyatt is on holiday from the UK from Bath in England's southwest and worried his family as he doesn't know his way around Melbourne.

He has since been returned to his family on Wednesday evening who are staying in Doncaster, Melbourne.

British man Benjamin Wyatt, 34, (pictured), who is in Australia on holiday with his family, is missing after visiting Half Moon Bay, Black Rock on Tuesday afternoon

His mother Diane Wyatt (centre) told 7 News the family was desperate for her son's return. She said: 'Ben has never had a night out on his own before, he knows I worry like anything  I'm the world's worst worrier'

'We would like to thank the public and media for their assistance in the search for Doncaster man Benjamin Wyatt,' Adam West, Senior Constable for Victoria Police said.

'Benjamin returned to his home address in Doncaster about 7.45pm this evening.

'He is safe and well and has been reunited with his family.'

His mother Diane Wyatt had told 7 News the family were desperate for Ben's return.

'Ben has never had a night out on his own before, he knows I worry like anything  I'm the world's worst worrier,' Ms Wyatt said.

'Ben if you're listening or you're watching, come back.'

Ms Wyatt described her son as a very happy and friendly person.

'He is just a really nice guy to have around and I miss him. My life is empty,' she said.

The family only arrived in Melbourne four days ago, after travelling around Australia.

Ms Wyatt told the media her son was a happy and friendly person. 'He is just a really nice guy to have around and I miss him. My life is empty,' she said

Police said Mr Wyatt, who has autism, was left by his family in the beach (pictured) car park for a short time while they collected their car. When they returned he had disappeared

Mr Wyatt was reportedly taking photos when he wandered off from a car park while his family where collecting their car nearby.

He is due to head back to the UK on Thursday with his family.

Police said his family left him in the car park for a short time while they went to collect their car, but when they came back to pick him up he had disappeared.

The Wyatt family said Mr Wyatt has a fascination with public transport, and in particular trams.

The Victoria Police helicopter, Water Police, local police, SES and lifesavers have conducted an extensive search of the area but so far have been unable to locate him

Mr Wyatt (pictured) is described as about 170cm tall, solid build, unshaven face, short light brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a navy blue hooded jumper and blue jeans

All he had on him at the time was a Myki transport card and about $30 in cash but no phone and no identification.

He is believed to have the intellect of a 10 to 12-year-old child.

The Victoria Police helicopter, Water Police, local police, SES and lifesavers have conducted an extensive search of the area but so far have been unable to locate him.

Police had released an image of Mr Wyatt in the hope someone may recognise him and be able to provide information on his whereabouts.

Mr Wyatt has the intellect of a 10-12 year-old child. He has a Myki transport card on him and $30 in cash but no phone or identification. Pictured is the car park at Half Moon Bay
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Tria Giovans upbringing in the US Virgin Islands evokes a certain idyll.

The photographers father, an ice cream manufacturer, owned a tugboat called Butterfat, which he used to distribute ice cream around the Virgin Islands. Her mother, whose family she visited in Rhode Island each summer, tried home-schooling a group of children one year and brought in a local photographer, who taught her how to use a camera. The family purchased a dilapidated villa used as the Russian and Austrian consulate called Villa Olga, which her sister now runs as a hotel.

Although Cuba was fewer than 900 miles away, Tria was only a toddler during the Cuban Missile Crisis  and during high school and college in New England, she heard only rumblings about the United States ostracized neighbor to the south.

But her upbringing in the Caribbean was marked in part by the regions creeping development, and the consequent uniformity washing over its islands. For Tria, eventually, Cuba seemed to offer something different  and piqued her interest.

I had this preconceived romantic notion that somehow Cuba would be immune to that kind of homogenization and development, says Giovan. I think just because of the nature that it was, you know, you werent supposed to go.

So it was looking for things that were a bit of an adventure, looking for things that were either off the beaten track or somewhat inaccessible.

The photographer, who moved to New York City in 1984 and has lived there ever since, first traveled to Cuba in 1990. She returned 11 times thereafter up until 1996. She released a book of her photographs that year called Cuba: The Elusive Island.

More than 20 years later, she has returned to the thousands of photographs she took of Cuba in the 90s to once again compile a book, The Cuba Archive, which will be released in Fall 2017 in the US and the UK and is published by Damiani Editore. The photos offer historical documentation of a specific moment in the island nations history. A period that no longer exists, says Giovan.

People are pictured lingering around the ferry area of La Boca, Cuba, a small beach town near Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tria Giovan, a New York City-based photographer, took the photo in 1993 on one of her 12 trips to the Caribbean island between 1990 and 1996

Women and a lone man congregate in a beauty salon in Vedado, a seaside neighborhood of Havana that lies a couple miles west of the city center, in 1993. Known for its opulent casinos in the 1950s, the neighborhood today is lined with posh homes and the United States embassy, which resumed its operations in 2015

A girl holds a dog in Caibarien, a seaside fishing town also known as 'La Villa Blanca' or the White Town. The photo was taken in 1992. Giovan traveled to Cuba during its 'Special Period.' The time was marked by economic strife in the face of the downfall of the USSR, on which Cuba relied for much of its import and export activity

A poster cutout of Fidel Castro's head hangs above a doorway in a children's clothing store in Remedios, a town near Caibarien that was founded in 1513 by Spanish colonists. The photo was taken in 1993. Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a dictatorship from 1959 to 2008. The country has since been governed by his brother, Raul. Fidel died in November 2016. He was 90 years old

Cuba in 1990 was on the verge of economic collapse. Its so-called Special Period was caused primarily by the downfall of the USSR as Cuba, which had been ruled as a dictatorship by Fidel Castro since 1959, was reliant on the USSR for much of its economic activity. The countrys mainland neighbor, the United States, had applied sanctions ever since Castros Cuban Revolution ousted the US-backed, capitalist dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and introduced communism.

In the face of the USSRs dissolution, the country lost about a third of its GDP and trade came to a standstill. Food dried up and societal infrastructure, heavily regulated by the government, gradually shut down. The United States government affirmed, in 1992, its commitment to a total trade embargo on Cuba  and even threatened to apply sanctions to multinational companies that did business in Cuba.

Tens of thousands of Cubans known as balseros fled the country in rafts in the hopes of ending up on the shores of Florida. The migrant crisis was only solved when US President Bill Clinton and Castro agreed on the wet foot, dry foot policy that allowed Cubans who had arrived by boat to apply for residency.

Amid this backdrop, Giovan came to Cuba armed with her camera and a curiosity about the place little known to United States citizens at the time.

I think that my romantic notions got dispelled quite quickly on some level. And maybe they werent romantic anyway, maybe they were a little naive, Giovan said. What I found was that it was a lot more layered and complicated and fascinating than any other place Id ever been.

People congregate outside an helado (ice cream) shop off a wide boulevard in Havana in 1994. The country's 'Special Period' was marked in part by widespread hunger. This was caused my multiple factors including the government's control of the food supply and the strict trade embargo the United States placed on its island neighbor. The Florida town of Key West lies only 100 miles from Havana

Girls relax on a beach called Santa Maria del Mar, a popular day trip from Havana for both visitors and Habaneros, or Havana residents. The photo was taken in 1990 on Giovan's first trip to the island. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and has more than 1,000 miles of coastline

People congregate outside a repair shop where two women work on people's shoes in 1993. The shop is in Cueto, a town that is closer to the United States naval base of Guantanamo than the Cuban capital. As a reward for helping Cuba in its war of independence from the Spanish in the 1890s, the United States brokered a formal lease of the Cuban land that it has held since 1903. The base is a controversial aspect of United States-Cuba relations

Giovan first went to Cuba through a photography tour offered by the Center for Cuban Studies, a New York-based non-profit that has offered trips to the country since 1973. While US travel to Cuba before the Obama-era Cuban Thaw was a bit difficult, it was legally allowed provided visitors fit certain guidelines. As a photo researcher, Giovan fit the bill.

Guidelines included paying for all travel expenses in advance, as US citizens were not allowed to spend money in Cuba at the time, as to do so was considered to be trading with the enemy. Large amounts of cash were essential as it was impossible to get money once in the country unless it was physically brought. On one occasion, that proved to be a bit of an issue.

One time I was travelling with a friend, and we ran out of money. And we were like, holy s***, we are really screwed right now. We have no money, and we have another few weeks to be here, recalled Giovan, laughing. Luckily, a friend of a friend was coming down and could bring them some cash.

In Cuba, Giovan found stunning architecture and interior design, subjects that comprise a substantial portion of her award-winning freelance photography work. But she also found open, curious and trusting people who were receptive to her photography.

Youd walk through the streets of Old Havana and all the doors were wide open, and youd walk in and youd say hello, you know, or buenas tardes, and theyd be like ah, entre, entre, you know. And everybody was like oh, come on in, have a seat, what are you, maybe you know my cousin in Miami?

She found people who loved the United States and its people while blaming its government for failed policies and the utter breakdown in relations between the two nations located only 90 miles apart. She found friends and photographic subjects everywhere she went. She heard more Russian than English and saw tourists from Europe and Latin America. And she saw some of the ways in which politics affected everyday life; for example, in the diplomercados of Havana which were markets for diplomats that accepted US dollars and were generally not open to Cubans themselves.

A desire to continue her photography project, which had become a quest to document people and places across the entire 42,000-square-mile country, kept bringing her back. All told, she took 12 month-long trips to the country between 1990 and 1996. On some trips, she brought with her hard-to-find items such as aspirin and Band-Aids.

A large print of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara playing chess hangs in a building in Matanzas, a seaside city near Havana. The photo was taken in 1993. Che (1928-1967) was an Argentine medical student who became a revolutionary after a motorcycle trip he took through South America. He wrote about the trip in his memoir, 'The Motorcycle Diaries'. He became enraged by the poverty and strife he saw and sought, along with Fidel Castro, to overthrow Fulgencio Batista's US-backed regime in Cuba. He traveled to the Congo and later Bolivia, where he was killed in 1967. The controversial figure's image lives on through an iconic 1960 photograph of him that today plasters 'Viva La Revolucion' t-shirts across the world

Movie posters hang in a building in Havana in 1995. The photo was taken one year after the 1994 release of the film 'Strawberry and Chocolate,' the first Cuban film to be nominated for an Academy Award. The film details a friendship between a gay student and a homophobic member of the Union de Jovenes Comunistas, or young communist union

A wall in Pinar del Rio, a city in the west of Cuba, is peppered with street art including a mural of a person's face and writing that says: for all times. The photo was taken in 1994

Records in Spanish and in Russian are pictured for sale in Havana in 1993. Giovan heard more Russian than English in her first visits to the country. Relations between Cuba and the USSR were warm if imperfect, as Fidel Castro resisted Russian attempts to make the Caribbean nation a satellite state. Their relationship remained steady as the USSR dissolved. A Russian Orthodox Church was consecrated in Havana in 2008 as a monument to friendship between the two countries

Giovan compiled a portfolio of around 25,000 images, of which 100 made it into her 1996 book. She returned to Cuba a few times for freelance assignments up until 2000. And she kept the negatives of her photos in boxes on her shelf. She finally felt compelled to give her photos a home, and undertook a scanning and re-editing project of her images. On a monitor, she could zoom into her photographs and find elements she had not noticed before.

The pictures were all in there I just didnt see them, she said. It opened up, like, another whole world.

And then also going like, wow, that was 20 years ago, I wonder where this person is? Or, you know, this child is an adult and probably has children of their own. Or maybe they left, or maybe they died, who knows, you know? Or that beautiful lovely little old lady that was sitting waiting for the bus, Im sure shes no longer with us and so, I think the time gives it another layer of sentiment.

From people hanging out at a Havana ice cream shop in 1994 to a 1993 street scene in La Boca, a beach town, the photos show Cubas art, architecture and people at a moment in time. Many photographs reflect Giovans visceral response to what she was seeing, off-hand moments that were done in an instant.

If you hesitate to think about why youre responding to something, you kind of lose it, you know, its gone, she said.

Giovans most recent trip to Cuba was in March 2017, a full 17 years after her last trip. On assignment for the Annenberg Foundation, she stayed in the capital for 10 days. Superficially, things were different. She could fly directly to the country with JetBlue, and she could book herself an Airbnb. But in other ways, old friends she saw told her, things were the same. Intertwined with more economic opportunity were the lingering effects of Cubas long and storied history.

Raul Castro succeeded his brother, Fidel, as Cubas president in 2008. Under Raul, Cuba began to become a freer society. A law passed in early 2013 allows Cubans to travel abroad with just an ID and Passport, which remains expensive, when formerly such travel required a government-issued permit. Under President Barack Obama, the United States began to ease the hard-line trade embargo on Cuba. The two countries exchanged political prisoners. In summer 2015, the countries officially resumed diplomatic relations and in winter 2016, regular flights were resumed.

A woman selling cigarettes and bric-a-brac is framed in a doorway in Havana in 1994. The photo is one of the 25,000 that Giovan took in her travels to Cuba. She released a book called Cuba: The Elusive Island in 1996 and is releasing a new book of photos, titled the Cuba Archive, in Fall 2017

A woman and a man wait by a bike in Boyeros, a less urban district of Havana, in 1993. Giovan said of her photos: 'Id like to think that they go beyond the sort of stereotypical, you know, imagery that people have of Cuba.' She added: '[Cuba's] a complex place. And Id like to think that some of the pictures deal with that complexity, even if its in a purely visual form'

Pictured from above is the tail end of an organized march near a bus stop in Havana in 1992. Two men are pictured at bottom right holding a Cuban flag. Cuba's 'Special Period' was marked by a gradual shutdown in societal infrastructure in the face of limited funding

A man walks along the Malecon, or seaside esplanade, in the town of Gibara. The photo was taken in 1993

Under Donald Trump, the United States governments policy about Cuba remains unclear. On June 20, 2017, he announced he would rollback certain elements of the Cuban Thaw so as to prevent US money from entering the coffers of the Cuban government. Raul Castro has publicly criticized Trumps plan to build a wall along the United States border with Mexico.

This is to say that the relationship between the United States and Cuba  from the US intervention in the Caribbean nations 1898 war with Spain to today  remains complex. This complexity occasionally hit Giovan, despite the non-political nature of her work.

Id come back and Id be like, Oh my god, I love Cuba, its so fantastic, the people are wonderful, the photography is this amazing project. And then there are people that would be like, Oh really? Well, thats nice, what about the fact that [Fidel Castro] imprisoned all the writers and gay people?

And Im like, Yeah, youre right.

But Giovans photographs serve as a reminder that beyond the complex politics lies, at heart, a distinct culture and warm people.

Id like to think that they go beyond the sort of stereotypical, you know, imagery that people have of Cuba. You know, I mean the cars, the cigars, all that stuff is like, that kind of imagery is pretty prolific. And you know, decay, and pictures of Che and all that kind of imagery.

I think its all very valid, I mean it exists, no ones making it up, you know, but I think that its a complex place. And Id like to think that some of the pictures deal with that complexity, even if its in a purely visual form.

Giovans photography work has appeared in various publications including Esquire and Vogue and is held in permanent collections including that of the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum. Photographs from The Cuba Archive will be featured in an upcoming exhibition on Cuba at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.

The Cuba Archive is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 24, 2017 and the United Kingdom on September 28, 2017.
Latonya Daugherty, 24 (pictured), from Vero Beach, Florida, was arrested and charged with battery on Saturday for pelting her brother with frosted cupcakes after they got into an argument over disciplining her child in the next room

A pregnant Florida woman was arrested and charged with battery for pelting her brother with frosted cupcakes - after which he kicked her in the stomach in 'self defense'.

Officers from the Indian River County Sheriff's Office arrived at the Vero Beach residence at 1.45am on Saturday following a reported disturbance.

Latonya Daugherty, 24, told police she was arguing with her 30-year-old brother, Eddie Yaddow, when the 'verbal argument' escalated.

According to a police report obtained by The Smoking Gun, the fight began over who should discipline Daugherty's child in the other room.

That is when Daugherty threw the frosted cupcakes at her brother, striking him in the arm and the chest.

Yaddow then slapped his sister, striking her in the head, before kicking her in the stomach. He admitted to officers that he knew she was pregnant.

Eddie Yaddow, 30 (pictured), then preceded to strike his sister in the head and kick her in the stomach, despite knowing she is pregnant. Officers concluded he 'exceeded a reasonable response in self defense' and was arrested for aggravated battery. Yaddow remains jailed in lieu of a $10,000 bond

The fight then escalated by items, such as cans of food, being thrown at each other.

The siblings' mother, Lisa Daugherty, was also interviewed by police, and named her daughter as the initial primary aggressor but described Yaddow's kick as a 'martial arts kick'.

Officers also concluded Daugherty to be the primary aggressor but that Yaddow 'exceeded a reasonable response in self defense'. He was arrested for aggravated battery.

Daugherty, who told police that she was four to six weeks pregnant, was released from Indian River County Jail Saturday evening after posting a $1,000 bond.

Yaddow remains jailed in lieu of a $10,000 bond on the felony battery charge.
Tourists soaking up the sun on one of Europe's best beaches are joined by locals of the four-legged kind in this hilarious holiday snap.

Visitors to picture-postcard Bolonia beach near the popular kite-surf and wind-surf resort of Tarifa are used to having their breath taken away by its beauty.

The beach, famous for its huge dune at its western end, was recently voted the fifth best in Europe.

But it is now making headlines over a brown cow and its calf, who turned heads after trying to shelter from the sun rather than top up their tans under a parasol they discovered as they strolled across the sand.

The beach, which attracts tourists from around the world including adventure-seeking Brits, is a world away from the packed beaches of the Costa del Sol and it is not unusual to see cows using the beach as a cut-through to nearby grazing fields or men or horseback by the water's edge.

But the owner of the parasol could have been forgiven for skipping a heartbeat after coming back from a quick dip in the sea to discover the four-legged pair taking over his space.

Visitors to picture-postcard Bolonia beach near the popular kite-surf and wind-surf resort of Tarifa are used to having their breath taken away by its beauty

The animals stayed put even when tourists gathered round to take snaps for their holiday album, looking like they had no intention of giving up their stretch of sand and the two empty deck-chairs beside it.

A witness said: 'They've seen the parasol, they saw it was free and they've headed for the shade underneath it.

The beach, famous for its huge dune at its western end, was recently voted the fifth best in Europe, but it is now making headlines over a brown cow and its calf sheltering under a parasol

'Every other deck-chair on the beach apart from the two next to the cow and her calf were taken.'

A local cattle farmer said: 'What you're seeing here is totally normal. They're looking for a bit of respite from the sun. All they're doing is exactly the same as us humans.'

TripAdvisors used recently voted Bolonia Europe's fifth best beach.

The animals stayed even when tourists gathered round to take snaps for their holiday album, looking like they had no intention of giving up their patch of shade

Bolonia and the nearby beaches of Tarifa and Zahara de los Atunes are favourites with discerning British tourists including travellers in their twenties and thirties who are looking for something a bit different to the more commercial Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca.

The beach is near to M25 road rage killer Kenny Noye's Spanish hideaway.

He still owns an ocean-view property in an area known as Playa de los Alemanes, literally Germans' Beach, just under half an hour's drive away from Bolonia.
Ivanka Trump is positioning her paid family leave policy as an important tool in the battle to reduce poverty and boost women in a response to her proposal's critics.

The senior White House adviser said in a Tuesday op-ed that the policy outlined in the administration's 2018 budgets is a 'critical part of solving the persistent gender and minority pay gap that exists in part because of prolonged periods away from the workforce and challenges with re-entry.'

A May 25 Wall Street Journal editorial board piece had dubbed the proposal 'The Ivanka Entitlement' and hit the plan as a 'disincentive for work' that' traps families in poverty.'

The president's daughter hit back on Tuesday in the same publication.

Ivanka Trump is positioning her paid family leave policy as an important tool in the battle to reduce poverty and boost women in a response to her proposal's critics

WSJ had critically reviewed Trump's plan to give new and adoptive parents six weeks off work through a measure that the administration wants to run through states' unemployment insurance programs.

'As usual the policy sounds unobjectionable but the details are messy,' the conservative-leaning editorial board wrote.

In a scathing editorial, the Wall Street Journal argued that 'once an entitlement is codified it expands' and a 'growing and dynamic economy will lead to more generous employee benefits than Mr. Trumps proposed political redistribution.'

'The idea that Republicans can propose a cost-effective entitlement is delusional, though many on the right accept income redistribution as long as the money flows to GOP constituencies,' WSJ's editorial board wrote.

Ivanka Trump said Tuesday that she agrees that a growing economy is the best way to reduce inequality and that government benefits cannot replace private investment.

'We see a national paid-leave benefit as the necessary floor from which private sector companies and state governments can build,' she said. 'Providing a national guaranteed paid-leave programwith a reasonable time limit and benefit capisnt an entitlement, its an investment in Americas working families.'

The mother of three who owns a business that is separate from her father's stressed in the op-ed that her proposal 'will have an especially positive effect for women, who are far more likely than men to leave the workforce to provide unpaid care for a child.'

Trump said her father's administration is teaming up with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to come up with a policy that benefits working-class Americans who are unlikely to get paid leave benefits from their employer.

A senior advisor to the president, Trump went to Capitol Hill last month to push for the paid leave program and a childcare tax credit she supports that was proposed by Senate Republicans.

Ivanka made a pitch for it at the June meeting that Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida set up.

Rubio is the co-sponsor of a bill in the Senate that would give families a tax credit of $2,500 per child. Ivanka Trump had previously proposed a childcare deduction, but the White House has decided to embrace the Rubio plan.

'Allies on and off the Hill have said that enhancing the child tax credit will best achieve President Trumps promise to increase working families flexibility,' an official said.

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, senior advisor of President Donald Trump, arrive aboard Air Force One at Warsaw military airport in Warsaw, Poland

The tax credit will be part of a proposal that the White House's National Economic Council will put forward, a statement indicated.

Rubio has also proposed a 25 percent nonrefundable tax credit to companies that voluntarily offer four to 12 weeks of paid leave to new parents.

Trump wants to mandate six weeks of paid leave and pay for it with unemployment taxes, but Republicans have not embraced the $25 billion proposal.

The administration proposes to pay for program over 10 years with unemployment taxes. The mandate would likely require a tax hike on businesses.

It gives the states broad latitude to implement the program, taking into account that states like California already have paid leave laws. California's routes its claims through its disability insurance program.

A third plan that's under discussion would reimburse employees for 70 percent of their lost wages over an eight-week period at a maximum rate of $600 a week.

The compromise plan seeks to marry liberal proposals that ask for 12 weeks of time off for parenting crises and a conservative philosophy that opposes any additional financial burdens on businesses.

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday for a summit that Ivanka and her husband are also attending

Put together by scholars at the free-market-based American Enterprise Institute and the liberal-leaning Brookings Institute, the plan relies on federal payroll taxes and gives states the freedom to provide more generous benefits if they choose to do so.

Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow at Brooking who helped author of the plan, met with Ivanka at the White House several weeks ago. Sawhill said Trump was receptive to adopting a plan other than her own.

'She said that was just a placeholder or a stake in the ground and theyre open to other ideas,' Sawhill told the AP.

A White House official told AP then that Ivanka was soliciting the opinions of various groups and individuals who have been working on this issue inside and outside of the government.

She is also building support for the Rubio tax credit that would help families pay for childcare expenses.

'This meeting, led by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, is the next step in building momentum and advancing the proposal to develop a robust child tax credit,' the White House said in a statement that was provided to DailyMail.com.

Rubio is working with the White House to get the tax credit in the tax reform package that the White House has insisted it will get across the finish line before the end of this year.

A senior advisor to the president, Trump went to Capitol Hill last month to push for the paid leave program and a childcare tax credit she supports that was proposed by Senate Republicans

The paid family leave plan faces stiffer opposition.

Aparna Mathur, the AEI scholar working on the paid leave program with Sawhill, told FiveThirtyEight in February that she was skeptical that companies would create paid leave programs just to get a tax benefit.

'As with all tax-credit programs, at the margin it probably wont get most employers to change,' the economist said.

If companies wanted to offer a program, 'most existing evidence indicates that companies would be doing it anyway,' she told the online news publication.

Democrats would prefer a plan that goes further than what Trump, Rubio or the experts at Brookings and AEI have presented. They want paid leave for dependents who take time off work to care for their sick parents, in addition to new parents.

The Wall Street Journal editorial board warned that any paid leave program could serve as a springboard.

'Proponents note that underwriting the benefit requires only a tiny increase in taxes, or some other levy on businesses. But wait until Democrats double or triple the duration of the leave, which they will do as soon as they are in power,' it said.

Democrats might be compelled to sign on to a conservative proposal that creates the building blocks for something more extensive down the line.

And the president's daughter, who is more liberal than her father, just might be the one to bring them along.

'This administration is committed to working with members of Congress to develop a plan that addresses the burden American families are facing,' the White House said.
The missile launched by North Korea on Tuesday has been classified by US officials as a new missile that has not been seen before.

US officials said the first stage of the new two-stage missile is believed to be a KN-17 liquid fueled missile, which has been previously launched by North Korea.

Before the missile test, the US had knowledge the KN-17 missile was being prepared for launch, but what they didn't realize was that the North added a second stage on top of the weapon.

At some point before the launch, the second stage was added with a separate 30-second burn cycle, allowing the missile to travel the extra distance needed to be classified as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to CNN.

US intelligence officials said the focus is now on the understanding the capability of that second stage.

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The missile (file image) launched by North Korea on Tuesday has been classified by US officials as a new missile that has not been seen before. The test may be the North's most successful yet; a weapons analyst says the missile could be powerful enough to reach Alaska

The 'landmark' test of Hwasong-14 missile overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un (left and right on July 4) who seemed very pleased with his top-ranking officials as he gave them hugs and clapped following the successful test

US officials said the first stage of the new two-stage missile is believed to be a KN-17 liquid fueled missile, which has been previously launched by North Korea. The US and South Korea conducted a joint ballistic missile drill (pictured) in response to North Korea's missile launch

Before the missile test, the US had knowledge the KN-17 missile was being prepared for launch, but what they didn't realize was that the North added a second stage on top of the weapon. Above an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired into the East Sea on July 5

Pyongyang claims its newly developed rocket can carry 'large-sized and heavy nuclear warheads'.

A top military official warned on Tuesday that 'self-restraint' is all that is stopping the US from going to war with North Korea, after a defiant Kim Jong-Un seemingly taunted 'American ba****ds' with the successful ICBM test.

The North Korean leader made the haughty statement, in which he said 'the American ba****ds would not be very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary', after the ICBM was launched, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

But the US quickly responded along with South Korea by conducting a joint ballistic missile drill.

General Vincent Brooks (pictured), the US' leading military official in South Korea, warned the North not to test America in a joint statement on Wednesday

Speaking out against Pyongyang on Wednesday, the top American general in South Korea issued an ominous warning of his own to Kim and company north of the border.

'Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war,' General Vincent Brooks said in a joint statement.

He continued: 'As this missile live-fire exercise shows, we are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance's national leaders.

'It would be a grave mistake for anyone to believe anything to the contrary.'

South Korea also spoke about the response, saying it was 'intended as a strong warning against North Korean provocation'.

'Eighth US Army and Republic of Korea (ROK) military personnel conducted a combined event exercising assets countering North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions on July 4,' a statement from US and South Koran officials reads.

'This exercise utilized the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

'The system can be rapidly deployed and engaged. The deep strike precision capability enables the ROK-US Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions.'

At some point before Tuesday's launch, the second stage was added with a separate 30-second burn cycle, allowing the missile to travel the extra distance needed to be classified as an ICBM

US intelligence officials said the focus is now on the understanding the capability of that second stage. Pictured is a US M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System firing an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile into the East Sea

Pyongyang claims its newly developed rocket can carry 'large-sized and heavy nuclear warheads'. Above South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System is pictured firing a tactical ballistic missile into the East Sea on July 5

A defiant Kim Jong-Un seemingly taunted 'American ba****ds' with the test on Tuesday. Above South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System is pictured firing a tactical ballistic missile into the East Sea on July 5

The statement adds that South Korea and the US are 'committed to peace and prosperity on the Koran Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific.

'The US commitment to the defense of the ROK in the face of threats is ironclad.'

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed that North Korea successfully tested an ICBM capable of hitting Alaska and that's a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea.

Tillerson said the US will bring North Korea's action before the United Nations Security Council.

How far would a missile have to travel from Pyongyang to reach the US? US Naval Base in Guam: 2,114 miles Hawaii: 4,727 miles San Francisco: 5,588 miles Los Angeles: 5,935 miles New York: 6,783 miles Washington, DC: 6,857 miles Advertisement

'Global action is required to stop a global threat,' Tillerson said. 'Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.

He added: 'As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.'

His statement provided the first confirmation of the US conclusion that the missile was an ICBM.

The US military's initial assessment was that North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile.

The US has requested a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the latest launch, a spokesman for the US mission to the United Nations says.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the missile test.

'This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation,' Guterres said through his spokesman according to CNN.

'The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.'

The spokesman said the meeting of the 15-member council was likely to be scheduled for Wednesday.

The US military's initial assessment was that North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile. Pictured above is the ICBM during a test launch (file image)

The secretive state's Academy of Defense Science claimed the test marked the 'final step' in creating a 'confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth'.

The US 'attempts to test our determination and ignores our warnings', the state-run Korea Central News Agency cited Kim as saying.

Breaking into laughter, the news agency said, the leader 'added that we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom'.

Kim ordered them to 'frequently send big and small "gift packages" to the Yankees,' it added.

The North Korean leader also said the missile looked 'as handsome as a good-looking boy' and that the country would not negotiate with America to give up its weapons program until Washington abandoned its hostile policy against the North.

NORTH KOREA CALLS ICBM TEST A 'GLISTENING MIRACLE' 'Our great leader Kim Jong Un sent a personally handwritten letter 2017, July 3rd, ordering the launch of an intercontinental ballistic rocket (Hwasong 14). 'The launch, that was personally supervised by the great leader KJU himself, will now be followed by the National Institute of Science's report. 'National Science Institute's Report: Intercontinental Ballistic Rocket Hwasong 14 was successful. 'Our dear leader KJU's strategic order was followed by a launch of an ICBM, and this was successfully processed. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un signs the order to carry out the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic rocket 'The newly developed ICBM Hwasong-14 was launched, and this took place on July 4, 2017 at 9am, and flew for 39 minutes. 'It flew from a northwestern city, and flew precisely following the predicted trajectory. It also reached precisely the targeted point in Chosun (Korean) air. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket did not at all bring negative impacts to any nearby country. 'Our intercontinental ballistic rocket reached a maximum altitude of 2,802 km, and flew for 933 kilometres. 'Our dear leader KJU was there to witness the glistening miracle.' 'The success of the last stage of becoming a nuclear power state is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. Hwason 14 shows the unwithering power of our state, our strong independence and defense in the world and will be marked as a significant mark in our history. 'North Korea, as a nuclear state capable of reaching any country in the world with our intercontinental ballistic rocket, will be able to root out the US's nuclear program once and for all, and bring peace and secure safety to the Chosun (Korean) peninsula.' Advertisement

The Japanese government estimates that the missile (pictured above) fired from the North's western region flew for about 40 minutes, which would be longer than any other such previous reported tests

The launch in North Korea, which came as the United States prepared to mark its Independence Day, triggered a Twitter outburst from President Donald Trump who urged China to 'put a heavy move' on North Korea to 'end this nonsense once and for all'.

North Korea has long sought to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the continental United States - something that Trump has vowed 'won't happen', and launch marks a new phase in the country's decades-long weapons program.

Trump called an emergency meeting on the Fourth of July to formulate a 'measured response' to North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missile test, amid fears it could reach as far as Alaska.

Officials say Trump would potentially approve a 'measured response' to deal with North Korea.

Potential responses include sending additional troops to the region and possibly more sanctions.

On Tuesday, the US, Japan, and South Korea said intelligence suggested the missile flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,500 miles, which would be longer and higher than any similar North Korean test previously reported. It also covered a distance of about 580 miles.

The 'landmark' test, believed to be pictured above, of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (above) says the launch is a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea

Weapons experts in the United States said that the missile has the potential to reach areas of Alaska

In the wake of the test, David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote on the organization's allthingsnuclear blog that the available figures implied the missile 'could reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km on a standard trajectory'.

'That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska.'

The missile launch prompted control specialist Jeffrey Lewis to respond on Twitter: 'That's it. It's an ICBM. An ICBM that can hit Anchorage not San Francisco, but still.'

The launch seems designed to send a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, even as it allows North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program.

When it announced the missile test earlier, North Korean officials called the launch, which leader Jong-un supervised, a 'glistening miracle'.

The 'landmark' test of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by Kim, an emotional female announcer said on state Korean Central Television.

'The test-fire was conducted at the highest angle and did not have any negative impact on the safety of neighboring countries,' announcer Ri Chun-Hee, who previously told her loyal viewers of the deaths of the country's founder Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il, said.

'As the dignified nuclear power who possesses the strongest intercontinental ballistic rocket which is capable of hitting any part of the world along with the nuclear weapons, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will fundamentally terminate the US nuclear war threats and blackmail and credibly protect the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region,' she added.

'Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of our party, state and the army, personally observed the process of the test-launch in field and solemnly declared before the world its shining success,' the Korean Central News Agency said in an accompanying article.
Simon Muller, 34, was told his 12-year-old son, Liam, could not wear shorts despite temperatures soaring to 30C

A father is furious with teachers after they refused to let his son wear shorts during the hottest summer in years - and threatened him with isolation if he did.

Simon Muller, 34, was told Liam, 12, could not wear shorts despite temperatures soaring to 30C.

Pupils at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) in East Sussex, had to wear trousers and a shirt instead.

Mr Muller said some boys at the secondary school have even opted for skirts in a bid to cool themselves down.

This was just weeks after dozens of schoolboys in Devon wore girls' uniform in a protest against their school.

Last month temperatures reached over 30 degrees Celsius in Brighton and this week they are expected to reach up to 26 degrees Celsius.

Mr Muller has criticised BACA for not allowing children to wear shorts even if they are PE shorts.

The father, from Brighton, told the school his son, who is in year seven, would be wearing shorts due to the heat but was told failure to comply would lead to isolation.

Mr Muller, from Brighton, told the school that Liam, who is in year seven, would be wearing shorts due to the heat but was told failure to comply would lead to isolation

Brighton Aldridge Community Academy insisted that pupils stick to its uniform policy

He said: 'I rung them to say he would be wearing shorts when the weather gets hotter as the forecast predicts.

'They told me if students wear shorts they will isolate him, which I think is out of order.

'They have a grey jumper they can wear if it's cold in the winter so they obviously make exceptions for the weather.

'I don't understand why they don't so the same in the heat. My son wants to wear shorts because he gets too hot.'

Mr Muller said PE shorts were one of the items parents were told to buy at the start of the year, so he did not see why they could not be worn.

He added: 'I get a list of items of clothing that I have to pay for out of my own money each year, and there are school PE shorts included in it.

Mr Muller said PE shorts were one of the items parents were told to buy at the start of the year, so he did not see why they could not be worn

'If it is part of the uniform, why can't he wear it to keep himself cool? I could understand if they had a Nike tick on or something, but they don't.

'I don't want to wake up to the news one morning that a child has died because of overheating due to a stupid uniform policy.'

Mr Muller says he told Ofsted, who have recorded his report, and noted his eldest son, Caine, who is in year 11 at the school, encountered similar problems last year.

He said Caine was made to wear his blazer last year during the peak of summer and it has been a regular issue throughout his time there.

His daughter, Grace, is due to start in September, but this incident has made him doubt whether he wants to send her there.

Mr Muller said: 'What's happened makes me feel like I don't want to send her to BACA.'

The school said it has made a 'temporary change' to their uniform policy allowing students to remove blazers and ties - but has not allowed them to wear shorts.

A spokeswoman did however say the school is looking at bringing in a summer uniform.

The spokeswoman said: 'Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) takes pride in our uniform and it's reflection of a professional and 'business like' environment.

The controversy comes just weeks after pupils at ISCA academy in Exeter, Devon, wore skirts to school in protest at the stringent uniform rules

Following their protest, headmistress Aimee Mitchell has confirmed that grey shorts will be part of the official school uniform next year

'However, due to the current hot weather temporary changes to the dress code have been put into effect allowing students and staff to remove blazers and ties.

'Teachers are also encouraging students to drink water and stay hydrated throughout the day.

'These changes to the uniform are based on outside temperatures and are being evaluated by senior leaders on a day-by-day basis.

'The Senior Leadership Team is also looking at bringing in a summer uniform should hot summers persist in the UK.

'Any changes to the uniform will need to be approved through the Local Governing Committee and would come into effect in the next academic year.'
A father has been killed after a firework exploded in his face in front of his young son.

David Griffin, 42, was in an alley near his home on Chicago's Southwest Side trying to set off fireworks on Tuesday's Independence Day holiday.

Chicago police the tragic accident happened at about 9.30pm.

Griffin had lit the tube to shoot the firework 40 to 50 feet in the air but it failed to ignite.

David Griffin, 42, died on Tuesday's Independence Day holiday after a firework (above) he was lighting in an alley near his home in Chicago's Southwest Side exploded in his face.

Police said the father was bending over to inspect it when it suddenly went off and struck him in the face.

Griffin was rushed to Holy Cross Hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 10pm.

Neighbors told CBS that one of his sons was standing next to Griffin when he was struck by the firework.

Police, pictured above inspecting the scene, said the father was bending over to inspect the firework when it suddenly went off and struck him in the face

His wife and family returned to the home Wednesday morning.

'From what I know, he was a good father. He would spend a lot of time with his kids,' neighbor Fernando Sotelo said.

He added that Griffin was 'pretty experienced' igniting fireworks.

'Last year, we had a cookout - our family with him - and he helped us set fireworks right there in the yard, and its tragic how in a year everything changed now,' Sotelo said.
On July 5, 1852, nearly a decade before the start of the Civil War, Frederick Douglass, a freed slave and statesman-abolitionist, offered a profound speech on seeing the Fourth of July through the eyes of a slave. The speech  commonly known as What to a slave is the 4th of July?  illuminates the drastic disconnect between our founding principles and the severe oppression of slavery that somehow managed to endure.

While the specific evils in question have thankfully been abolished, the speech serves as a healthy reminder not only of the darker places from which weve risen, but how we might take care to avoid similar abuses and self-deceptions in the years to come.

Douglass speech offers a terrible-but-true diagnosis for a young America (only 76 years old), but it is not without its appreciation for the founders and foundations from which it sprung. Indeed, it is precisely because the Fourth of July exists that those twisted ironies are ironies.

Thus, Douglass begins with extensive exultation about the principles of ordered liberty and the men of honesty and men of spirit who sought to defend them. I have said that the Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nations destiny, he says. So, indeed, I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost.

For Douglass, the founding generation offered a hearty model of wise and brave resistance to naked oppression. Your fathers staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, on the cause of their country, he says. In their admiration of liberty, they lost sight of all other interests. They were peace men; but they preferred revolution to peaceful submission to bondage. They were quiet men; but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression. They showed forbearance; but that they knew its limits. They believed in order; but not in the order of tyranny. With them, nothing was settled that was not right. With them, justice, liberty and humanity were final; not slavery and oppression. You may well cherish the memory of such men.

Alas, those who were left in the chains of slavery continued to suffer, facing severe tyranny, abuse, and violence, even as the banner of liberty and justice was wildly flown about them.

There are plenty of arguments for why such was the case, but Douglass quickly concludes that logic is not at the heart of the issue, nor should we waste our time trying to counter it in our search for solutions:

At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could I reach the nations ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.

That scorching irony is difficult to behold, not only because the stated principles are so glaringly at odds with the reality, but because the underlying darkness is so thoroughly abhorrent in and by itself.

For Douglass, who speaks with unparalleled love and affection for the founding principles and virtues of America, those enduring violations are all the more offensive and worthy of response. Now, take the Constitution according to its plain reading, and I defy the presentation of a single pro-slavery clause in it, Douglass concludes. On the other hand it will be found to contain principles and purposes, entirely hostile to the existence of slavery.

He does not mince his words:

The existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism as a sham, your humanity as a base pretence, and your Christianity as a lie. It destroys your moral power abroad; it corrupts your politicians at home. It saps the foundation of religion; it makes your name a hissing, and a bye-word to a mocking earth. It is the antagonistic force in your government, the only thing that seriously disturbs and endangers your Union. It fetters your progress; it is the enemy of improvement, the deadly foe of education; it fosters pride; it breeds insolence; it promotes vice; it shelters crime; it is a curse to the earth that supports it; and yet, you cling to it, as if it were the sheet anchor of all your hopes.

Though plenty of racial injustice continues to this day, the institution in question has thankfully been destroyed. We ought to celebrate that as a country, and the restoration it brings to the Declaration.

And while we should be careful not to equate or conflate or confuse the historical specifics of that atrocity with those of our own time and place, Douglass concludes with a remarkable hope and optimism that we all would do well to digest. Even at a time when slavery prevailed, Douglass found the gumption to say, I do not despair of this country.

In the end, Douglass found his ultimate hope not in the efforts of men, but in the power of Gods hand and the strength of the Spirit. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery, he says. The arm of the Lord is not shortened, and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope.

Even beneath and beyond that eternal light, Douglass saw a modernizing world filled with freedom and promise  one where new opportunities for human creativity and connection were bound to break age-old chains of oppression and self-protection.

In other words, the fruits of the Declaration were just beginning to bloom:

While drawing encouragement from the Declaration of Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age. No nation can now shut itself up from the surrounding world, and trot round in the same old path of its fathers without interference. The time was when such could be done. Long established customs of hurtful character could formerly fence themselves in, and do their evil work with social impunity. Knowledge was then confined and enjoyed by the privileged few, and the multitude walked on in mental darkness. But a change has now come over the affairs of mankind. Walled cities and empires have become unfashionable. The arm of commerce has borne away the gates of the strong city. Intelligence is penetrating the darkest corners of the globe. It makes its pathway over and under the sea, as well as on the earth. Wind, steam, and lightning are its chartered agents. Oceans no longer divide, but link nations together. From Boston to London is now a holiday excursion. Space is comparatively annihilated. Thoughts expressed on one side of the Atlantic, are distinctly heard on the other. The far off and almost fabulous Pacific rolls in grandeur at our feet. The Celestial Empire, the mystery of ages, is being solved. The fiat of the Almighty, Let there be Light, has not yet spent its force. No abuse, no outrage whether in taste, sport or avarice, can now hide itself from the all-pervading light.

Douglass was speaking to a young America that had plenty of remaining stains, but despite it all, he managed to see a promising foundation of liberty and virtue and start his search where ours ought to begin.

As we reflect on Fourth of July for ourselves, and respond to all that it implies, let us not just be content with the foundations from where we came, but also stay mindful of the work left before us.

Like the founding generation and the abolitionists thereafter, let us not grow passive to tyranny, even as we be sure that our resistance stays wise and prudent in the service of ordered liberty. Taking our cue from Douglass, the Declaration offers plenty of hope, and we have plenty to celebrate.

Image: Public Domain
Victor Ricondo, 48, was charged with murder after a fatal shooting on Monday night in San Antonio

A Texas man has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot dead a burglar who was trying to rob his van.

Victor Ricondo, 48, shot dead Anthony Rangel, 39, outside a Texas Land and Cattle Steakhouse in San Antonio on Monday night, Bexar County authorities said.

Ricondo, told officials that he fired on the suspected car thief after he had attempted to break into Ricondo's large white van.

However, police determined Ricondo was 'lying in wait' for Rangel and was in no danger when he fired his weapon, prompting the murder charge.

According to the police report, Ricondo told officers his car had been the victim of burglary before and was just trying to protect his property, reported KSAT 12.

After reviewing surveillance video and conducting an investigation, police said this was not the case and Ricondo was waiting for Rangel.

Ricondo shot dead Anthony Rangel, 39, who was allegedly trying to rob his white van (pictured). San Antonio police determined Ricondo was 'lying in wait' and was in no danger

Police said Rangel was fleeing in his car when he was shot in the neck. He later died at hospital

Police said Ricondo pulled into the restaurant's parking lot at around 10pm, after the restaurant was closed, reported News 4 San Antonio.

Then another car, with Rangel and an unidentified woman in the vehicle, pulled up next to Ricondo's white van.

Rangel then exited his vehicle and opened up Ricondo's rear van door, according to police.

Rangel quickly shut the door when he realized Ricondo was in the car's back seat, and ran back to his vehicle, the police report continued.

As Rangel was backing away in his car, Ricondo began to open fire at the suspected car thief, hitting him in the neck, the report stated.

Although the woman in the car with Ricondo was uninjured, the car crashed into two other vehicles in the parking lot.

Rangel was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died of his injuries.

Ricondo was charged with murder and his bail is set at $150,000.

Texas state law allows the use of deadly force to protect property in certain cases, but officials determined this law didn't apply here.
Six in ten American voters support the Trump administration's new ban on people from six predominantly Muslim terror-hotbed countries from entering the United States unless they can show they have a close relative who is already in the country.

But the broad backing for the final policy, which resulted from a Supreme Court ruling, may only have materialized because pollsters didn't mention Trump's name when they talked to people.

The Politico-Morning Consult poll, released Wednesday, found 37 percent of voters said they 'strongly supported' new guidelines issued by the U.S. State Department. Another 23 percent of voters said they 'somewhat support' the guidelines.

Last month an Associated Press-NORC poll found 57 per cent of Americans sided with federal courts that had blocked earlier versions of the travel ban. In that survey, pollsters specifically mentioned 'Trumps executive order.'

President Donald Trump's limited travel ban on people from six majority-Muslim (but terror-hotbed) nations has 60 per cent support  but that may be because pollsters didn't mention his name

The revised policy would deny visas to citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen who do not have close relatives in the United States.

The poll was conducted online on Thursday and Friday following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that partly upheld the ban, with 1,989 registered voters taking part. The poll result's margin of error was two percentage points.

The Supreme Court ruled on June 26 that the temporary travel ban could proceed so long as visa applicants with a 'bona fide relationship' with a person or entity in the United States were exempted.

A year before his election as president, Donald Trump promised voters he would seek a temporary 'total and complete shutdown' of Muslims entering the United States.

Trump said it was necessary to prevent attacks by Islamic terrorists, while critics said it was a needlessly discriminatory policy that could inflame prejudice against Muslims in the United States and abroad.

The ban with exemptions, which went into effect on Thursday, was most strongly supported by Trump's fellow Republicans, 83 percent of whom approved. Even among Democratic voters, only 46 percent said they were opposed.

The Supreme Court allowed the partial ban, which bars people from the designated six countries for 90 days and refugees from any country for 120 days, to go into effect until it can take up the case during its next term starting in October.

'Since we last asked about Trump's travel ban, we've seen a drop in those who oppose the executive order,' said Kyle Dropp, the chief research officer and co-founder of Morning Consult.

'Though, we've also seen an uptick in those who do not have any opinion on the matter or have yet to settle on one.'
Police in North Carolina have cracked a nearly 30-year cold case, charging a suspect in connection to a 1989 double homicide of an Ashville couple.

Eric Robert Begley, who goes by the nickname Deuce, 42. has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for his alleged role in the slayings of 75-year-old Allene McMahan, and her 79-year-old husband, Cleve McMahan.

The elderly couple were found murdered inside their home on Rockhill Place in Ashville after a break-in on December 11, 1989.

Case cracked: Police in Ashville, North Carolina, have charged Eric Begley, 42 (left), in connection to the 1989 murders of Cleve and Allene McMahan (pictured together, right)

Resting in peace: The photo above shows the headstone marking the joint gravesite of the McMahan couple, who were killed in December 1989

According to a statement from the Ashville Police Department, Begleys arrest resulted from information obtained during a recent interview conducted by cold-case investigators Kevin Taylor and Steve Coon.

Police have not released any additional details about the nature of the information leading to Begleys arrest, or the person whom the detectives questioned.

Begley, whose mugshots show his face, neck and throat covered in tattoos - including devil horns, spiderwebs and two teardrops - is currently in custody in Indiana and authorities are working to have him extradited to North Carolina to face the newly filed murder charges.

It is believed that Begley had one or more accomplices during the 1989 home invasion and the case remains under investigation.

According to a post on the Wabash County Crime Stoppers website, dated May 24, Begley was believed to have been staying in the Shelbrun, Indiana, area. At the time, the 42-year-old suspect was wanted on an active parole warrant.
Lindsay Lohan was feeling very patriotic over the Fourth of July while she defended President Donald Trump on Twitter.

Today, the 31-year-old actress responded to a series of tweet about the President of the United States, calling him and his family 'kind' and hoping that the country would start 'trusting him.'

One user tweeted a photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugging Trump, commenting about how glad he was that it wasn't the 'same clown we had last yr at this time' making reference to Barack Obama.

Lindsay Lohan responded to a series of tweet about the President of the United States, calling him and his family 'kind' and hoping that the country would start 'trusting him'

'@realDonaldTrump @IvankaTrump @FLOTUS @DonaldJTrumpJr are kind people. As An American, why speak poorly of anyone? #FAITH #July4th,' said the Mean Girls superstar in response to a tweet referencing former President Obama as a 'clown'

Another user posted a picture of Charlie Gard, the British infant suffering from a rare genetic order and commented how the President was a 'Real POTUS & Man' because he lended his voice to support the family. To that, Lohan added: '@LeahR77 @CNN THIS IS our president. Stop #bullying him & start trusting him. Thank you personally for supporting #THEUSA'

'@realDonaldTrump @IvankaTrump @FLOTUS @DonaldJTrumpJr are kind people. As An American, why speak poorly of anyone? #FAITH #July4th,' said the Mean Girls superstar in response.

Another user, @LeahR77, posted a picture of Charlie Gard, the British infant suffering from a rare genetic order and commented how the President was a 'Real POTUS & Man' because he lended his voice to support the family.

To that, Lohan added: '@LeahR77 @CNN THIS IS our president. Stop #bullying him & start trusting him. Thank you personally for supporting #THEUSA.'

Reactions to the Herbie Fully Loaded actress's tweets were mixed, with many posting their disbelief at how anyone could trust the President and others supporting Lohan for her support of Trump

Reactions to the Herbie Fully Loaded actress's tweets were mixed, with many posting their disbelief at how anyone could trust the President and others supporting Lohan for her support of Trump.

'I don't trust anyone who brags about sexually assaulting women. And when it comes to bullying, POTUS flings mud pretty well himself,' said M Distey pointing out that past sexual assault allegations against Trump make him hard to trust.

It was a sentiment shared by another user who said: 'Not to be rude, but why defend Trump after he publicly referred to u & said "troubled woman r the best to sleep with" that's not kind at all.'

ATTN's Omri shared a photo set of Jamie Lee Curtis yelling at someone while drinking a beer in reference to Lohan's tweet.

'I don't trust anyone who brags about sexually assaulting women. And when it comes to bullying, POTUS flings mud pretty well himself,' said M Distey

It was a sentiment shared by another user who said: 'Not to be rude, but why defend Trump after he publicly referred to u & said "troubled woman r the best to sleep with" that's not kind at all'

ATTN's Omri shared a photo set of Jamie Lee Curtis yelling at someone while drinking a beer in reference to Lohan's tweet

But those that supported both Trump and Lohan also commented in droves

'The hate under this tweet is despicable , all because you support our President. Thank you for being a patriot. #PatriotsUnited,' responded one of the original posters.

One user brought up how people used to treat the President and said: 'Because everyone was Trumps best friend before he ran for President. Oh how quickly people forget. Hollywood is so two faced.'

And a different user praised the actress's bravery and added: 'I'm so proud of you Lindsay. This takes a lot to tweet this in your industry.'

'The hate under this tweet is despicable , all because you support our President. Thank you for being a patriot. #PatriotsUnited,' responded one of the original posters.

One user brought up how people used to treat the President and said: 'Because everyone was Trumps best friend before he ran for President. Oh how quickly people forget. Hollywood is so two faced'

And a different user praised the actress's bravery and added: 'I'm so proud of you Lindsay. This takes a lot to tweet this in your industry'

The actress recently celebrated her 31st birthday in Mykonos, Greece.

Lohan, whose birthday fell on July 2, raised eyebrows last week when she extended a birthday invitation to Britney Spears, Beyonce and Paris Hilton via Twitter to join in on the festivities.

Speaking with the MailOnline, a source close to the beauty - who has spent her summers for the past six years in Mykonos - revealed she was wished a happy birthday by many A-list stars including Oprah while she enjoyed a 'low-key' bash with 15 of her close friends at the Santa Marina resort.

A source revealed: 'She actually did - Oprah sent a nice message as well - Kris Jenner facetime'd her right after the cake was brought out - and Tyra Banks also sent a very kind message.'
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The nation of Poland prepared a hero's welcome for U.S. President Donald Trump in advance of his Wednesday night arrival in Warsaw. But the Polish government executed a decidedly understated ceremony to greet Air Force One at Chopin Airport.

Lawmakers in the formerly communist nation see in Trump a mirror of their own brand of nationalism that has seen many Poles bristle against an iron-fisted European Union centered on Germany.

Among the European nations, Poland is one of the holdouts against the notion of resettling massive numbers of foreigners.

'The Polish government has the same position as Americans  we want strict restrictions on refugees, legislator Krzysztof Mroz told The Wall Street Journal.

For Trump's arrival, President Andrzej Duda sent his top aides to put on a far smaller affair than the all-out pomp and circumstance that awaited the U.S. leader in Saudi Arabia when he deplaned on his first foreign presidential trip six weeks ago.

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U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived Wednesday night at Warsaw military airport in Warsaw, Poland, today

For Trump's arrival, President Andrzej Duda sent his top aides to put on a far smaller affair than the all-out pomp and circumstance that awaited the U.S. leader in Saudi Arabia when he deplaned on his first foreign presidential trip six weeks ago

The Trump's disembark Air Force One on Wednesday as seen above. The President waves to the crowd

First Lady Melania Trump is handed a bouquet of flowers as she lands on the tarmac in Poland

Instead of a lengthy rifle-bearing honor guard, the president saw only 10 Polish military members at attention.

A red carpet, his signature Cadillac limousine nicknamed 'The Beast,' and a smallish retinue of Polish officials  one bearing a bouquet of flowers for first lady Melania Trump  were waiting.

Foreign Affairs Minister Witold Waszczykowski, and Minister of State Krzysztof Szczerski led the delegation, with U.S. Ambassador Paul Jones in tow.

While White House staff and reporters filed out through a rear door, the president and Mrs. Trump descended a staircase to greet the smallish welcoming party.

Melania was all smiles as she waved to those greeting her on the tarmac as she clasped a bouquet of flowers

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster also made the trip, the White House said

A smallish retinue of just 10 soldiers accompanied Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Witold Waszczykowski and Minister of State Krzysztof Szczerski, along with U.S. Ambassador Paul Jones, to greet the Trumps

A red carpet, his signature Cadillac limousine nicknamed 'The Beast,' and a smallish retinue of Polish officials  one bearing a bouquet of flowers for first lady Melania Trump  were waiting

Green lady: Melania wore a stylish green coat on arrival in Poland for the Three Seas Summit

Mrs Trump., wearing a green coat, waved to the media  who were present in greater numbers than the dignitaries.

Following the first couple were Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the president's daughter and son-in-law  holding hands and smiling  along with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and other officials.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster also made the trip, the White House said.

Melania was beaming as she waved to onlookers leaving the airport after touching down in Poland

U.S. President Donald Trump touched down in Poland just after 10pm local time on Wednesday, in Air Force One

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, both advisers to the president, deplaned behind the first couple on Wednesday, using the forward set of stairs reserved for VIPs

Ivanka Trump, right, and her husband Jared Kushner, senior advisor of President Donald Trump arrive to the military airport in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday

Less than four minutes after appearing at the forward door of Air Force One, the Trumps were being chauffeured by Secret Service drivers off the airport grounds.

Polish TV networks lined the motorcade route with cameras, careful to catch every bump and turn-signal on a live national broadcast.

TRUMP'S POLISH STOP The president is visiting Warsaw in advance of the G20 summit in Hamburg (all times are local, +6 hours from EDT): WEDNESDAY 10:45 p.m.  Air Force One arrival THURSDAY 9:30 a.m.  meetings with President Andrzej Duda 10:15 a.m.  'press event' with Duda 10:55 a.m.  Three Seas Initiative roundtable and remarks by Trump and Duda 12:15 p.m.  meeting with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic 1:15 p.m.  Speech in Krasinski Square 2:05 p.m.  Air Force One leaves for Hamburg, Germany Advertisement

On Thursday the nation of Frederick Chopin, Nicolaus Copernicus and Pope John Paul II hopes to make a bigger splash.

Mroz, the legislator, sent two busloads of Trump supporters on a 300 mile trek to Warsaw to see Trump speak in Krasinski Square, where a monument stands to a 1944 popular uprising against German occupation.

In every corner of Poland, in fact, citizens were offered free transportation to Warsaw if they wanted to be a part of the Trump show.

There have been lots of takers: In a nation where Nazis built the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps, resentment against Germany still runs blood-deep.

And as German Chancellor Angela Merkel leads the EU toward a more collectivist destiny, modern Poles are still in a resistance mode that Trump will tap in his speech Thursday.

Added to the Germanophobia is a renewed tension with Russia, whose small Kaliningrad Oblast region  on the border with Poland but disconnected from the rest of the sprawling country, has become ground zero for a Vladimir Putin military buildup.

NATO sent a massive troop deployment to the Polish side of that border in January, including more than 4,000 American soldiers.

President Trump's grand entrance in Warsaw will be seen worldwide before he sets foot in Germany, France or the United Kingdom, something that a White House official gamely said Wednesday was 'half because of the calendar, and half on purpose, but not meant to be a stick in anyone's eye.'

He will visit Hamburg on Friday and Saturday for a G20 summit, and Paris the following Friday for Bastille Day celebrations. No calendar has been set for a UK trip.

Former president Barack Obama strongly favored a Berlin-centric view of Europe, cultivating close ties with Merkel. But those days appear to be over.

'There is no love for Germany in Poland,' Aleksander Kowalczyk, an accountant, told DailyMail.com on a drizzly Warsaw Wednesday afternoon.

'I am hoping Trump will bring more love for Poland than Germany has ever shown us. That probably isn't hard,' he said. 'I'm hoping he understands us.'

The mood surrounding the U.S. president's visit is seen in some quarters as a repeat of last year's Brexit referendum in Great Britain, where Trump fanned the flames of anti-immigrant sentiments that contributed to a continent-shaking result.

'It's clear that what the Poles want is to turn their back on France and Germany, Trump is surely not helping,' a senior EU official told the Journal.

Tensions run high as Poles resent German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) over blood-deep remembrances of Nazi atrocities, and Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) over his nation's stranglehold on energy resources in the region

Trump is seen by many Poles as a politician whose nationalism closely mirrors their own

Poland is leading the charge for the Three Seas Initiative, a new trading bloc (in green) that is likely to dilute the power of Russia (in red). Russia's Kalinin Oblast (the small area in red) borders Poland, creating what could be a military tinder-box

Polish president Andrzej Duda, Trump's host on Thursday, has positioned his former communist nation as a foil to both German EU dominance and Russian hegemony

A White House official confirmed on Tuesday that part of Trump's globally televised speech will focus on energy issues, a reference to the Three SeAs Initiative meant to unite a dozen central European countries in a north-south economic alliance that will weaken Russia's regional power.

Trump will attend a Three Seas summit on Thursday, consulting with the Polish-Croatian project about trade, infrastructure, energy and political co-operation.

The three seas in question  the Adriatic, the Baltic and the Black Sea  are critical geographical landmarks to Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria, the nations that united last year to create their own bloc.

Most of those nations were under the Soviet Union's control until the end of the 1980s. They all rely heavily on Russian oil and gas to drive their economies.

But Poland has built its own natural gas export terminal on the Baltic coast, and Croatia will finish its own in 2019 on the Adriatic.

In addition to Duda, Trump will meet with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic  shown (right) looking at him during the May 25 NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium

The president will speak to Poles in Krasinsky Square, in the shadow of a monument to the heroes of the 1944 Warsaw Rising against the occupying Nazi Germans

Trading more with each other and less with Moscow would drive down Putin's influence in a part of the world where old wounds still fester.

And while much of the world sees Trump as engaged in a friendly dance with Putin, many Poles still view U.S.-Russia relations as Cold War-infused and frosty.

'Screw Russia. We don't need Russia,' cab driver Mateusz Nowak said Wednesday as his Mercedes idled near Krasinski Square.

'We don't need Germany. We don't need China. We don't need anybody but the Croats, the Czechs, the Ukrainans  and maybe the U.S.'

'Trump is welcome here,' said Nowak. 'Anyone who Merkel and Putin don't like is good news for us.'
A toddler has left doctors baffled in India with a mystery condition that causes her to cry tears of blood.

Ahana Afzal, three, started bleeding from her nose two years ago while suffering with pneumonia and doctors put it down to a high fever.

But now the toddler bleeds from her mouth, ears and eyes almost every day despite having no visible scratches, leaving her exhausted with crippling migraines.

Ahana Afzal bleeds from her mouth, ears and eyes almost every day despite having no visible marks or scratches

Medics suspect she might have an ultra-rare condition hematodrosis which makes sufferers sweat blood

Her desperate parents Nazima Begum, 28, and Mohammed Afzal, 33, have spent more than a thousand pounds on tests but still don't have an official diagnosis.

Medics suspect she might have an ultra-rare condition hematodrosis which makes sufferers sweat blood.

Ms Begum, from Hyderabad in south Indian state of Telangana, said: 'My baby asks me as to why she keeps bleeding from her ears.

'I don't know how to answer that question. I am clueless about her condition.

'All I know is every time she bleeds, her hemoglobin levels goes down drastically and we have to get blood transfused into her body.'

Despite earning just 70 a month, the family has spent 1,700 on medical tests in the hope of getting a diagnosis and treatment

Her father, Mohammed, a fitness trainer, said his daughter's problems started when she had a nose bleed, aged one, when she was suffering pneumonia.

The father, who also has a healthy four-year-old son, said: 'Doctors told us that there was nothing to worry as the bleeding might be happening because of high fever.

'But when the frequency of bleeding increased, we decided to take her to a better medical facility.

'Our world came crashing down when we learnt that our baby might be suffering from a rare disease.'

He said his toddler used to be bubbly and cheerful, but is now left exhausted due to her rare condition.

She used to go to play school but two months ago was forced to stay at home due to her illness.

Despite earning just 70 a month, the family has spent 1,700 on medical tests in the hope of getting a diagnosis and treatment.

'The doctors are saying that we need around Rs 150,000 (1,792) to do more tests,' he added.

'They said that only after analysing the report they will be able to officially confirm that this is a case of stigmata.

'I don't know where to organize the funds from.

'It was then I was told by a wellwisher about the possibility of raising the required some through crowdfunding.

'We have now created a crowdfunding page, hoping to get help - monetary or otherwise.'

The toddler used to be bubbly and cheerful, but is now left exhausted due to her rare condition

His desperate wife added: 'I want to appeal to the kind souls out their to help us save our life.

'This is a rare disease. If any of you know about a child suffering from a similar condition, please let get in touch with us.

'If you know a doctor who has been to cure such cases, please consider passing on the doctor's contact details.

'Last but not the least, please help save our baby.

'My husband is doing double shifts to organize money for her treatment, but we haven't been able to arrange the money as yet.

'You are our last hope or else we have to helplessly see our baby die in front of our eyes.'

Dr Sirisha Rani, a pediatrician at Rainbow Children Medicare hospital, where Ahana has been treated in the past, believes she has Hematodrosis.

He added: 'Ahana Required multiple transfusions and recurrent admissions.

'We got a few tests done, she would need further investigation if the problem persists.

'The estimated cost of which would be around Rs 150,000 more.'
An off-duty firefighter was cleared of any wrongdoing after a video showed he shot and injured his neighbor in self-defense.

An argument between Dean Keller, 49, and Jeffrey Weigle, 59, over property lines, fences and dogs erupted between the two men in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 27.

The heated exchange resulted in gunfire and with Keller, an 18-year veteran Indianapolis Fire Department firefighter, shooting Weigle four times.

Police determined on Wednesday that Keller was acting in self-defense as the video shows that Weigle was the aggressor in the situation, insulting Keller and his wife.

Dean Keller, 49, (left) was cleared in the shooting of neighbor Jeffrey Weigle, 59, on Wednesday. The Indianapolis, Indiana, firefighter shot Weigle four times on June 27

The video shows Weigle approaching Keller's property and jiggling what appears to be a latch on a gate, in the clip obtained by the Indy Star.

Weigle can be heard yelling expletives towards an off-camera Keller and his wife, before climbing onto a lawn mower and riding off.

However, he backs up into view as Keller approaches the fence, seemingly to check if the lock is still in place.

As Keller nears the property line, Weigle can be seen pulling a small gun from his pocket and raising it towards Keller, police said.

The video shows Keller immediately backing away and firing several shots at Weigle, who doubles over on the lawn mower.

Sounds of gunfire continues off-camera but it is unknown how many shots both men fired. At the end of the video, Weigle can be seen walking away.

The Indy Star reported he was hit four times and suffered a 'sucking chest wound' but Keller sustained no serious injuries apart from needing stitches.

Johnson County Prosecutor Brad Cooper said to the paper: 'The decision to not file charges on Keller was a simple application of Indiana law and should not be looked upon as condoning the behavior of either party.'

Police said Weigle was the aggressor in the situation after they said the video showed him pulling a gun out of his pocket (left) before Keller (right) open fired on him

The two men were in a long-standing feud over property, fences and dogs that escalated to a showdown. Pictured: The fence Weigle jiggled that started the fight

He added: 'Given the aggression shown by Weigle it was reasonable for Keller to believe deadly force was necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to himself (and) his wife.'

The men had been in ongoing feud involving arguments over property, fencing and dogs, with a dozen fights in disputes dating back to 2009.

A prior incident in 2011 led to both of the men being arrested on battery charges, with Keller being stabbed in the arm and Weigle with cuts, scratches and bite wounds.

This time the dispute escalated to firearms where both men drew weapons on the other.

Weigle rents a room neighboring Keller's home, owned by Nancy Phillips.

Weigle had taken her gun from underneath her pillow and used it in the altercation, police said.

Officials said they are determining if Weigler will face charges when he recovers from his injuries.
A British holidaymaker has been arrested after a 72-hour manhunt over a brutal pub attack which left a Spaniard in a coma.

The 34-year-old was pictured being led away by police in handcuffs after being held in the village of Formentera de Segura near the Costa Blanca resort of Torrevieja close to the scene of Saturday morning's crime.

The 28-year-old victim was left with 'serious injuries' after being punched in the back and hitting his head on the ground as he fell.

The 34-year-old was led away by police in handcuffs after being held in the village of Formentera de Segura

Guardia Civil officers said today he was 'very serious' in hospital after a life-saving op, and remains in an induced coma so medics can give his brain and body time to rest.

The next 48 hours have been described as 'vital.'

The assault happened in Rojales close to Torrevieja in the early hours of Saturday morning while the town was celebrating its annual week-long summer festival.

Witnesses described the attacker, who was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops when he was arrested, delivering what they called a 'karate-style' blow to his victim before fleeing the scene.

The unnamed suspect, described by police as a tourist, is thought to have been remanded in custody after appearing before an investigating judge at a closed court hearing this morning.

Formentera de Segura, near Costa Brava where the man was held by police. He is said to have assaulted a Spanish man, leaving him in a coma

A Guardia Civil spokesman confirmed today: 'The Guardia Civil in Alicante arrested a 34-year-old British man on Tuesday in Formentera de Segura.

'He was held on suspicion of an attack on a 28-year-old Spanish man in a pub in Rojales.

'The victim of the assault is in a very serious condition in hospital after being placed in an induced coma pending more information on the evolution of the head injury he suffered.

'Guardia Civil officers have managed to establish the whereabouts of this British man, who was on holiday in Spain, in just 72 hours.

Hospital IMED of Elche, where the Spaniard is being treated for serious injuries after the assault

'It appears the incident occurred during a row inside the pub, resulting in the British man punching the other man who hit his head on the floor and suffered serious injuries.

'The suspect was handed over to a judge this morning.'
Actor Donal Logue has launched a fresh appeal in the search of his missing 16-year-old transgender daughter who disappeared more than a week ago.

Logue clarified that his daughter Jade Logue was not a runaway but was still missing, as the teen was last seen in New York City on June 26.

The desperate father has posted multiple times on social media, enlisting the public's help in finding his child when she didn't come home after meeting a friend.

In an update Wednesday morning, the Gotham star posted a photo of Jade posing with actor Gilles Marini and said: 'She is not back- that's why we want her back.'

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Donal Logue is still searching for his missing transgender daughter Jade, 16, who disappeared in New York City on June 26. The Gotham actor posted a photo Wednesday of Jade with actor Gilles Marini and said: 'She is not back- that's why we want her back' (pictured)

Logue, 51, (left) clarified his daughter (right) is not a runaway but is missing. He earlier made an emotional plea to the public in the hopes of locating Jade

Logue, 51, said on Twitter that Jade didn't run away from home but was classified as a missing person.

He tweeted: 'Any info on JADE LOGUE, please call 1-800-THE-LOST. @john_walsh for LEOs, this child is MISSING-not a runaway- Special Category Missing.'

Logue went on to share a recent picture of him with Jade and French-American actor Gilles Marini.

He later clarified the photo was taken before Jade disappeared and said: 'This is an old picture (though recent) she is not back- thats why we want her back.'

Earlier in the search, Logue penned a note on Facebook to his fans asking for help in bringing Jade home.

'This is my daughter, Jade. It's one of my favorite photos of her taken from a happier time,' he wrote, along with a picture of his daughter with a frog on her nose.

'I love all people and have met tons, but honestly (I'm biased) there's never been a more loving, innocent, cuddly child than Jade.

Logue shared this picture of his daughter, which he said was one of his favorites of her 'taken from a happier time'

Donal wrote this emotional message on Facebook in the early hours of Sunday morning

'I love her and who she is and her tribe is strong (I've met many wonderful people through Jade), but there are some predators who swim among their ranks knowing they're dealing with sweet, trusting souls.

'We want you home Jade. Whoever knows where she is, whoever may be with her - clearly this thing has become big and crazy.

He continued: 'The net has been flung far and wide and luckily, I have dogged teams from the NYPD, FBI, and others involved.

'The point is, you may have had good intentions to help her, but I'm sure you realize that this situation is bigger than you could've anticipated.

'It's okay. Just drop her off. Let her get back in touch with her mother, Kasey, or me - we'll take her back, with hugs and no questions asked.'

Jade Logue was last seen wearing a green sweatshirt in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center on June 26. She is transgender and was previously known as Arlo Logue.

New York City police said there has been no updates in the case since Monday morning.

Several other celebrities, including Danny Trejo, stepped up to post notices on social media asking others to help find Jade.

The actor wrote a message to whoever may be with his daughter, reading: 'The point is, you may have had good intentions to help her, but I'm sure you realize that this situation is bigger than you could've anticipated'

Jade's mother, Kasey Smith, also posted a plea on social media, with the desperate mother sharing a video on Twitter.

'If you're watching, if you're able to be on social media - however wherever you're at -please know that we're looking for you, we want you home,' she said in the minute-long video.

'Jade's gender and her sexual orientation does not matter here. What matters here is there's a child out there, my baby and Donal's baby, out there missing.

'Jade's story is for Jade to tell, when and if she's ever ready to tell it.'

'And let that be hers. It's not yours, it's not anyone else's and it's not mine. I respect her but all I want right now is for her to be at home.'

Logue had his big breakthrough back in 2000 with his role in the Sundance hit 'The Tao of Steve,' and since that time has starred in a number of film and television roles.

The actor won a special jury price for his work in 'Tao of Steve' at Sundance that year.

He has been seen on the big screen in films including 'Just Like Heaven,' 'Ghost Rider,' and 'Zodiac,' while his television work includes five seasons of 'Grounded for Life' and two seasons on the long-running 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.'

Logue also appeared on the critically acclaimed 'Sons of Anarchy,' 'Terriers' and 'Vikings,' all for one season.

Donal Logue's daughter, Jade (pictured), remains missing after last being seen on Monday

Jade Logue was last seen in Brooklyn heading to meet a friend at the Barclays Center and a member of the NYPD confirmed she has still not been located
A couple who were caught on video viciously beating a restaurant owner and her teenage daughter because their chicken was cold have handed themselves into police.

Nathaniel and Latasha Smith have been evading authorities for two weeks after the savage attack at the Qwik Chick takeout stand in Baxley, Georgia.

Surveillance video captured them punching restaurant owner Jeanette Norris and her 15-year-old daughter on June 22 because they claimed their food was cold and they didn't have enough fries.

Nathaniel and Latasha Smith have been charged after they were caught on video viciously beating a restaurant owner and her teenage daughter in Baxley, Georgia on June 22

They handed themselves into police on Wednesday morning and have both been charged with aggravated battery and cruelty to children.

Norris told police she had refunded the couple's money after Latasha complained about their food order.

But Latasha remained agitated and started beating on the store's windows.

The owner said she went outside to tell them that she had called police and Latasha began hitting and slapping her.

Surveillance video then shows Nathaniel punching Norris' 15-year-old daughter after she came over to help.

Surveillance video captured them punching restaurant owner Jeanette Norris because they claimed their food was cold and they didn't have enough fries

Norris suffered a broken nose and black eyes as a result of the beating

Surveillance video then shows Nathaniel punching Norris' 15-year-old daughter after she came over to help

The teenage girl was sent flying backwards when Nathaniel punched her before the couple fled in their car

The girl was sent flying backwards before the couple fled.

Norris and her daughter were both left with black eyes. The mother suffered a broken nose and the girl had a concussion.

Chief James Godfrey of the Baxley Police Department said he hadn't seen anything like this in his 41 years on the force.

'That's just pure brutality,' he said.

Police released the surveillance video and were inundated with tips, which led to the department identifying the suspects.
Theresa May is braced for a grilling by Donald Trump on saving Charlie Gard tomorrow.

The White House has requested a one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister at the G20 gathering of world leaders in Hamburg.

The agenda for the hour-long meeting has not been released, but Downing Street is preparing for the Charlie case to come up.

President Trump has declared America's staunch support for saving the desperately ill 11-month-old boy. His family say Mr Trump has 'a very good understanding of the whole case'.

Charlie Gard's parents have been offered support in their case by President Trump but Theresa May and Boris Johnson have declined to get involved

President Trump and the White House has asked for a one-to-one with Theresa May and Downing St is preparing for it to include a chat about Charlie Gard

Yesterday it emerged the White House has been phoning the family and also the office of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

And the international tug-of-love over Charlie intensified as Italy also urged Britain to help save him.

The Italian Foreign Minister personally lobbied his counterpart Boris Johnson in a phone call between Rome and London.

It follows interventions by Pope Francis, who tweeted of the 'duty to defend human life', and the Vatican, which has offered the papal hospital in Rome to treat Charlie.

Mrs May's meeting with Mr Trump tomorrow is likely to be dominated by the North Korea missile crisis and the prospects for a post-Brexit trade deal.

But Number 10 is preparing a detailed briefing for the PM on Charlie's case in anticipation of likely questions from the President.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard. They have refused to give up hope through a high court battle to treat their son

Until now, Ministers have not been involved in briefing the White House on the little boy, and his rare genetic condition, leaving the task to his family, the hospital and Department of Health lawyers.

Last night a White House source said: 'The President is deeply moved by the heartbreaking situation facing Charlie Gard and his parents.

'Although the President himself has not spoken to the family, members of the administration, assisted by British officials, have done so.

'President Trump has no desire to pressure the family in any way. However, he does want them to know that he is willing to provide assistance should they need any.

'As a father and grandfather, President Trump understands the limitless love one has for a child and he wishes to be helpful to Charlie Gard and his family, as does Pope Francis and millions of families worldwide.'

Officials insist Mrs May cannot intervene in the case unless new evidence is produced to persuade Charlie's doctors and the courts that treatment abroad offers a realistic prospect of improvement in his condition.

But the baby boy's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, have steadfastly refused to give up hope.

Chris and Connie were 'overwhelmed' with emotion that US President Donald Trump and the Pope have spoken publicly of their support. A spokesman said their kind words 'have given them so much comfort'

The President waded in to offer his support too, but the words don't seem to be changing his future

Miss Yates said: 'The support from the Pope and the President has given us hope. They are traditional men who believe in the family.

'They believe in our case and understand why we believe it is right to continue fighting so hard to save Charlie.'

But despite Mr Trump's tweet on Monday that America would be 'delighted' to help Charlie, his future appeared bleak yesterday.

Mrs May told the Commons the matter was in the hands of Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Charlie is in intensive care.

And the hospital, which won legal battles all the way to the Supreme Court to be allowed to remove his life-support, claimed its hands were tied by the courts.

Senior legal sources said the various court rulings mean doctors are obliged to withdraw Charlie's artificial ventilator and prevent him from going to America to try experimental therapy.

They said even if the hospital changed its stance, it would take another court case to reverse the rulings, which effectively demand Charlie must die.

But friends of the boy's parents disputed this, saying there was no legal reason why Great Ormond Street could not back down.

The Italian Foreign Minister personally lobbied his counterpart Boris Johnson in a phone call between Rome and London

It is still possible the hospital will at least agree to allow Charlie to go home to die  which his parents said was their 'final wish' if all else failed.

But they are still desperate to take him to the United States, where a specialist doctor is ready to try an experimental therapy on Charlie for free.

After Mr Trump's tweet, the youngster became a global cause celebre, and US television shows have taken up the campaign to save him, with one denouncing British courts as a 'death panel'.

Yesterday Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano phoned Mr Johnson at the Foreign Office to discuss the Vatican's offer to treat Charlie at the 'Pope's hospital' in Rome.

Pope Francis's spokesman had already vowed to 'overcome' any legal obstacles to get Charlie there.

But Mr Johnson refused to step in, with a source close to the Foreign Secretary saying he told the Italian minister: 'This was a deeply tragic and complex case for all involved, and it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, in line with Charlie's best interests'.

The High Court, Appeal Court, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights have all ruled Charlie is brain-damaged, is suffering pain, has no hope of recovery and his 'best interests' are to die.

Charlie's type of mitochondrial depletion syndrome is so rare, he is only the 16th sufferer worldwide. The disease drains energy from his body's organs and muscles, and he can only breathe with the help of a mechanical ventilator.

It is unclear why the hospital has not yet removed Charlie's ventilator, a week after being given the green light to do so when the parents exhausted all their legal options.

The High Court, Appeal Court, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights have all ruled Charlie is brain-damaged, is suffering pain, has no hope of recovery and his 'best interests' are to die

Charlie is only the 16th sufferer of the incredibly rare disease worldwide, and cannot breathe without a ventilator

Miss Yates, 31, and Mr Gard, 32, of South West London, say their son is not brain damaged and showing signs of improvement.

They are mounting a round-the-clock vigil at his hospital bedside, after begging doctors for more time to say their goodbyes. It is understood the hospital has already delayed his death twice.

At Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, the family's MP, Seema Malhotra, asked Mrs May if she would 'do all she can' to help Charlie go to America and 'try to make this happen'.

Mr May replied: 'It's an unimaginable position for anybody to be in and I fully understand and appreciate any parent in these circumstances would want to do anything possible.'

It is understood the hospital has delayed turning off life support twice, as Chris and Connie say their son is not brain damaged

But she made clear it was a matter for the hospital doctors by saying she was 'confident Great Ormond Street will consider any information that comes forward'.

Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain yesterday, renowned scientist and genetics expert Lord Winston criticised Mr Trump and the Pope.

He said: 'One has to accept the loss of a child is about the worst injury that any person can have... but having said that, these interferences from the Vatican and from Donald Trump seem to me to be extremely unhelpful and very cruel, actually, because this child has been dealt with at a hospital which has huge expertise in mitochondrial disease and is being offered a break in an [Italian] hospital that has never published anything on this disease, as far as I'm aware.'

Great Ormond Street has not issued any statement so far this week.
Larry Russell Bates, 46 (pictured), from Auburn, Georgia, is facing charges of felony murder and animal cruelty for allegedly shooting and killing his neighbor, Paul Allen Wilson, 44, and his neighbor's dog early Sunday morning

A Georgia man allegedly killed his neighbor early Sunday morning after believing his dog was leaving feces in his yard.

Larry Russell Bates, 46, from Auburn, is facing charges of felony murder and animal cruelty for shooting and killing Paul Allen Wilson, 44, and one of Wilson's dogs.

Bates was arrested after the Auburn Police Department received a call about a neighborhood dispute on Crest Pointe Court in Auburn at about 1.16am, Lt Chris Hodge told the Gwinnett Daily Post.

He added that the officers were aware that one of the neighbors had a gun.

By the time they arrived, however, Wilson - shot in the head and torso - and one of the family dogs were lying dead near 149 Crest Pointe Court.

Wilson's wife, Beth, told WSB-TV that Bates was 'obsessed' because he was convinced their dogs were leaving feces in his yard.

Wilson's (pictured) wife, Beth, said Bates was 'obsessed' because he was convinced their dogs were leaving feces in his yard and would often watch for her husband going on nightly walks with the dog

She says their dogs weren't responsible but offered to clean the waste up anyway.

Beth added that Bates would often wait and watch for her husband going on nightly walks with the dogs.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with funeral expenses. So far, $1,220 has been raised out of a $10,00 goal.

Bates is being held in the Barrow County Detention Center, though Hodge said the investigation is ongoing.

According to records, obtained by DailyMail.com, this is not the first time Bates has been in trouble with the law.

In 2010, he pleaded no contest to four counts of simple battery and one count of family violence battery, serving probation for 12 months.

In 2012, he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal trespass, serving probation for 12 months and paying a $680 fine and serving 12 months' probation.
A gunman in Maine killed three people and wounded a fourth Wednesday morning before being fatally shot by deputies.

None of the victims have been officially identified by police in the shooting spree in the small town of Madison, but a mother to one of the victims is speaking out.

Skowhegan Selectwoman Darla Pickett said her daughter Lori was killed in the multiple victim shootings.

'I only know my child is gone,' Pickett, a former Morning Sentinel reporter, said in a brief phone call Wednesday afternoon. 'I'm just broken-hearted right now I can't  talk. I just can't talk. I'm sorry.'

The scene along Russell Road in Maine where the shootings occurred. The road will remain closed as there are several crime scenes along the road that are being investigated

The shootings happened at several locations along a country road that runs behind the Skowhegan Fairgrounds, and Somerset County deputies ended the rampage by killing the gunman, said Steve McCausland of the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The condition of the wounded person wasn't immediately clear. Police also didn't immediately release the identities of the gunman or victims and declined to further discuss the investigation.

The investigation was focusing on a home where a neighbor said there had been a party and fireworks the night before, on the Fourth of July. Police remained at the site Wednesday afternoon, said neighbor Wayne Parlin, whose driveway was blocked by investigators.

The shootings happened about 4 miles from the center of town in Madison, a town of about 4,800 residents in central Maine.

The attorney general's office sent investigators to the scene to review the use of deadly force by sheriff's deputies.

It is the deadliest shooting in Maine since November 2015, when a 3-year-old girl was the only survivor of a rampage in the town of Oakland in which a gunman killed his girlfriend and the youngster's parents before taking his own life.

A fifth person was taken to a hospital, McCausland said. 'He is still alive  I don't have any update on condition,' before adding 'the gunman was shot and killed  there is no danger to the public.'

No victims' names have officially been released yet by authorities, nor have they identified the alleged gunman. No police were injured, according to a news release from the state police.

Maine State Police say four people have been killed, including the gunman, and another person was wounded in shootings Wednesday morning at several locations along Russell Road in Madison

Maine State Police said that Somerset County Sheriff's Office deputies confronted a suspected gunman Wednesday morning near the scene of the shootings, where he was fatally shot.

'The state police, the Somerset Sheriff's Department and the Attorney General's office is investigating this multi-scene incident that we have in Madison,' McCausland told reporters in a briefing at the Skowhegan/Madison town line.

'There are a number of different scenes,' he said. 'Russell Road will be closed throughout the day as investigators start trying to find out essentially what sparked this violence. Our task now is to find out exactly what happened and why. There's a number of different scenes to content with.'

McCausland said it is rare and 'very, very serious incident'. Investigations will be on scene all day and into the night.'

Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said via email that his deputies responded to the reported shooting and there 'was a police-involved shooting, with one male individual deceased.'

In a statement later Wednesday morning, Lancaster said the deputies who arrived on scene 'discovered that three people had been shot to death at different locations along the Russell Road in Madison.'

'The alleged shooter returned and shot and wounded a fourth individual,' Lancaster said in the statement. 'Deputies confronted the gunman and the gunman was shot and killed.'

Lancaster said authorities would not yet release the names of the deputies involved in the shooting.

State police detectives are investigating the shootings with the sheriff's office. The Attorney General's Office has sent a group to investigate the scene and review the shots fired by the deputies, according to the release.

The 911 call was reported as a homicide in the Somerset County dispatch logs and was reported at 7:37 a.m. Wednesday.

The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit truck left the scene at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Kim Morse, of Embden, was stopped on Russell Road by state police as they blocked the road in both directions.

Morse said Wednesday morning that she travels that way all the time.

'I know people on this road. I don't want it to be anybody I know  I don't want it to be anyone but nobody I know,' Morse said. 'It's shocking. This is a small town.'

Near the Russell Road blockade, Reginal Woodman sat on the rear bumper of his Toyota pickup truck in the shade of a tree in his yard, watching all the traffic turning in his driveway.

'Ain't much I can do about it,' he said. 'Don't want any more excitement.'
Jean Gibbs, 58, (pictured) has been jailed for nine months by a High Court judge

The former wife of a church minister has been jailed for trying to smear him as a sex abuser.

Jean Gibbs, 58, was sentenced to nine months by a High Court judge after refusing to stop her 16-year campaign against him.

She had previously been ordered by courts to halt her bid to destroy the reputation of the Reverend Charlie Gibbs and force him out of his job.

Sentencing Mrs Gibbs for contempt, Mr Justice Hayden said there had never been any evidence to support her claim that he had physically, emotionally and sexually abused the couple's daughter.

He added that a series of judges has ruled over the years that the allegations are false.

But the judge added that Mr Gibbs, 67  who retired as Methodist minister in St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly last July  believed his ex-wife had succeeded in wrecking his career.

Mr Justice Hayden said mature adults should take allegations seriously but 'avoid rushing prematurely to judgement'.

He added: 'Mr Gibbs believes that, faced with the onslaught of his ex-wife's allegations, his church, his friends and his colleagues have done precisely that, moved ultimately to judgement against him.

'They have, he believes, succumbed to the openly malevolent objectives of his ex-wife to discredit him and to attack his position in the church.'

Mrs Gibbs, a cleaner, first levelled the accusations in 2001 as part of an attempt to prevent him from seeing their children, who are both now adults.

She continued to spread smears against him and to threaten to have him sacked as a minister despite repeated promises to courts to stop.

Mr Justice Hayden said: 'From early in 2017, the mother began to step up her campaign.

'She issued emails to thousands of individuals which accused the father of physical, sexual and emotional abuse or inferred in the most unsubtle of ways that he was an abuser.

'The father had undoubtedly become used to his character being traduced in this way but this bombardment against his reputation was beyond anything she had undertaken before.'

Reverend Charlie Gibbs (pictured) believed his ex-wife had succeeded in wrecking his career

The judge went on: 'It is difficult to think of any allegation which attracts greater public opprobrium than one of sexual abuse against a child.

'Where these allegations are proved that public censure is entirely understandable. Here allegations are not proved.

'Neither of the children has ever made a complaint to the police or been subject to investigative interview; neither has appeared before or presented written evidence to a court.

'There is no extraneous medical evidence pointing to abuse.

'At risk of repeating myself: there has been no finding of sexual abuse; no finding of perjury against the father; no evidence that would be likely to establish such findings.'

Mr Justice Hayden said Mrs Gibbs had been ordered last month by a judge to halt her campaign. 'Within 24 hours, Mrs Gibbs was barraging rafts of individuals with her unsubstantiated allegations,' he added.

Emails were sent to senior Methodists, including the Reverend Dr Roger Walton, then President of the Methodist Conference, to lawyers and to Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman.

She had previously been ordered by courts to halt her bid to destroy the reputation of the Charlie Gibbs (pictured) and force him out of his job

Mr Justice Hayden said in his ruling, given last week but published yesterday: 'Mrs Gibbs has flagrantly undermined or actively disobeyed court orders.

'She tells me she has come to court expecting to go to prison and is 'happy, proud and completely at peace to be in contempt of court'.'

The judge said Mrs Gibbs had sent a further email to the most senior High Court family judge, Sir James Munby, saying: 'Short of killing me or having me killed, you will not silence me.'

One neighbour near Mrs Gibbs's small terraced house on a smart estate in Attleborough, Norfolk, said: 'She's really lovely and gentle, religious and quiet. Now she's in prison.'

Mr Gibbs also lives in Norfolk after moving back with his second wife Mary.

His retirement came despite telling church-goers in newsletters that he would 'remain the Methodist minister on these fine islands for a while longer'.

Before he left the Isles of Scilly, he told a local newspaper: 'When it's good it's fantastic, and when things aren't so good, it can be more intense, shall we say, because of the closeness of the community.'

A spokesman for the Methodist Church said: 'When complaints and allegations are made, they are investigated sensitively in accordance with procedures. We cannot comment on individual cases.'
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Before Britain helped to overthrow Colonel Gaddafi, he said that without a prosperous Libya, the migration of Africans to Europe would be uncontrollable. Today, he seems to have been proved right.

After his killing in 2011, Libya's oil-rich economy collapsed, to be replaced by a lucrative people-smuggling trade which sends fleets of boats across the Mediterranean carrying illegal migrants who have paid sky-high fares for the 'privilege'.

So far this year, 85,000 have sailed from Libyan ports to Italy, with 12,000 arriving in the past week.

Many reach the island of Lampedusa, just 70 miles from the African coast, or find their way to Sicily. From there, they are processed and taken to holding camps across Italy from which many disappear and make their way north towards Western Europe.

Almost 1.5million migrants have arrived into Europe by sea since January 2015, while more than 100,000 have arrived this year

A group of migrants were rescued at a dock at Reggio Calabria in Italy after getting into trouble earlier this week on Monday

The group of men, women and children lined up after being rescued by the coastguard close to the island of Sicily near Italy's southern coast

So far this year, 85,000 have sailed from Libyan ports to Italy, with 12,000 arriving in the past week. Pictured here, migrants were rescued off the coast at Reggio Calabria just days ago

Two men were pictured standing up after a large group of migrants were rescued after getting into trouble off the coast of Italy

NEW WAY INTO SPAIN: FASTEST-GROWING SEA ROUTE TO ILLEGALLY CROSS TO EUROPE It is a short distance between Morocco and Spain  and this western Mediterranean sea route is now the fastest-growing means for migrants to cross illegally into Europe. Migrant arrivals on the Andalusian coast, where British tourists flock to resorts including Malaga and Almeria, have reached 6,500 so far this year. Some are Algerians in small private boats who want to escape the increasingly strict Islamic regime in their own country. Many others are from sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 are waiting in Morocco to buy a place from the people-smuggling gangs on a rickety craft heading for Spain. There are also fears that Islamic State has a hand in the trafficking and will seek to send terrorists across the sea hidden among the migrants. Amid growing controversy, many of the boats run into trouble and rely on being brought to Europe by the Spanish coastguard, which is obliged under controversial EU rules to answer SOS signals and rescue any craft more than 12 miles from the African coast. The opening of this new route has led to several deaths already, with body bags containing drowned migrants being brought ashore in front of groups of tourists. The Spanish police admit they are getting overwhelmed with the numbers arriving each week  and with months of warm weather ahead, the problem is likely to get worse. Advertisement

The Libyan connection is just one strand in the biggest migration crisis since World War II, which threatens to undermine if not destroy the social fabric of Europe.

Incredibly, almost 1.5 million migrants have reached Europe by sea from North Africa and Turkey since the beginning of 2015, the year Germany's Angela Merkel threw open her nation's doors to Syrian refugees and many others besides.

The EU is now panicking and divided over how to stop the never-ending flow, begging its 28 member countries to pull together to solve the problem. Yet its response so far has been little short of pitiful.

How telling that a debate in the European Parliament on Tuesday, in which the Prime Minister of Malta was giving an important overview of the crisis, was attended by just 30 MEPs. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was pictured in an almost empty chamber, derisively proclaiming that the Parliament was 'ridiculous'.

Italy has threatened to close its ports to some migrants' boats, while Hungary has put up a fiercely efficient perimeter fence to keep them out. This week, Austria sent troops in armoured vehicles to patrol its borders with Italy, while Poland and its fervently Christian Eastern European neighbours are refusing to accept any arrivals, with some leaders raising concerns that many are Muslims.

Even the liberal philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates is sounding the alarm, urging the European Union to 'make it more difficult for Africans to reach the Continent via current routes'.

Britain has come under EU orders to help in an 'unprecedented' crisis by taking in more 'refugees', even though the United Nations revealed this week that seven in ten of the incomers are not refugees but economic migrants.

One EU chief, Frans Timmermans, warned on Tuesday: 'This migration issue will not go away. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not next year, not for two decades. This phenomenon will be with us for generations.'

Ever since the start of 2015, I have watched the crisis grow, and I have talked with migrants arriving by three key sea routes: from Libya to Italy, Turkey to Greece  and a new destination I wrote about in the Mail last week, with thousands from Morocco and Algeria arriving on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

Some migrants I have met were deserving cases fleeing war-torn nations such as Syria. Others, the vast majority fit-looking men under 30, were merely seeking a better life. They told me they expected houses in Europe, education and benefits, too.

THE ITALY CONNECTION: ROUTE HAS BECOME THE MOST POPULAR WAY The central route across the Mediterranean to Italy has become by far the most popular as people-traffickers in lawless Libya take ruthless control of vulnerable migrants. It is feared as many as a million people are waiting in searing heat along the North African coast to find a passage to Europe. Originating from sub-Saharan Africa as well as Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, they have travelled along a network of smuggling routes once used to carry gold, spices and ivory by camel train and which are now utilised by Islamic gangs, who pass their human cargo on to other traders at stopping points in the Sahara. The gangs put migrants aboard old, unseaworthy boats and abandon them to make their own way towards Europe. The migrants then rely on search-and-rescue operations by the ships of EU nations navies  as well as fleets of boats run by international charities  to bring them safely into Italian ports. This has fuelled criticism that those ships are effectively operating a taxi service which plays into the hands of the traffickers, who make millions by charging fares of up to 3,000 a head. The trade in human misery has been allowed to flourish because of the collapse of a functioning government after the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 (brought about with the help of the RAF at the behest of David Cameron). Advertisement

The migrants, believed to be around 300 people, were seen queuing up at the Reggio Calabria harbour after being rescued

Approximately 1,200 refugees landed in Salerno, aboard the Maritime Maritime Patrol Ship of the Spanish Civil Guard 'Rio Segura' last week

Migrants stand on the deck of the Swedish Navy ship Bkv 002, as they wait to disembark in the Sicilian harbor of Catania, Italy at the weekend

THE BALKAN TRAIL: 885,000 MIGRANTS ARRIVED VIA THE AEGEAN SEA IN 2015 In 2015, an astonishing 885,000 migrants arrived via the eastern route across the Aegean Sea, landing mostly in small rubber boats on the Greek holiday islands  notably Lesbos, which is just three-and-a-half miles from Turkey. Many were escaping the brutal civil war raging in Syria. They had fled across the border into Turkey and were determined to make their way up through the Balkans towards Britain and Germany, where Angela Merkel's invitation to refugees did much to attract this mass movement of people. Alongside those from Syria, however  and often pretending to be Syrian  were Afghans and sub- Saharan Africans. The numbers arriving overwhelmed impoverished Greece, which sought to house the migrants in makeshift camps. Last year, the EU secured a deal with Turkey's President Erdogan, which effectively involved giving Turkey  6 billion (5.3 billion) and making various political concessions to stop the migrant flow across the Aegean. It required Greece to send back migrants who were not eligible for asylum to holding camps in Turkey. Simultaneously, Hungary  a main pathway from Greece into Western Europe  put up a border fence and introduced aggressive anti-migrant policies. All this together has meant numbers on the Balkan route falling to a trickle. Advertisement

Our map on this page shows the most common countries of origin of migrants who have reached Italy by sea this year.

They include Nigeria, described by the BBC as 'one of the world's largest oil producers', and Guinea, which the BBC has called 'potentially one of Africa's richest countries'.

In Spain, many arrivals are Algerians. In Almeria, a tourist port on the Andalusian coast where 6,500 migrants have arrived by sea this year, a coastguard told me: 'The Algerians come by private boat, land on our beaches and disappear. They sail in secretly with cash and jewels . . . if they speak French, they go to Marseilles. If they speak English, they head for the Algerian community in London.'

There are other worries. Islamic State is suspected of slipping in undercover operatives among the migrants.

Last year Rob Wainwright, chief of Europol, the EU law enforcement agency, sent 200 counter-terrorism officers to the Greek islands to spot potential terrorists. They found forged passports which they believe were intended for use by IS 'sleepers' planning attacks on cities in Europe.

Then there is the issue of the rescue vessels that ferry thousands of migrants across the Med, largely into Italian ports. Many of those ships are owned or leased by international charities.

According to confidential reports seen by the Financial Times, the EU's border agency, Frontex, suspects co-operation between charities and the people-smuggling gangs in North Africa.

The reports suggest migrants are given 'clear indications' from people-trafficking gangs before departure on the precise direction to follow to reach a charity vessel that will pick them up automatically and deliver them to the European mainland, instead of returning them to Libya.

Whatever the truth, the unity of the EU is facing intense strain because of the refusal of some member states to take 'quotas' of migrants, despite the threat of legal action from Brussels.

Ministers in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary have spoken out against the almost unfettered movement of peoples into Europe.

Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, said recently that mass migration and the resulting multiculturalism would change the essence of his country against the will of him and his people.

'We will not assist in this folly  following the notion that we will accept all regardless of whether they are economic migrants or not,' he declared. 'We must start telling the truth about migration.

'I do not want to see a Muslim community in Slovakia, several tens of thousands who gradually begin to promote their ideology. We do not want to change the traditions of this country, which are built on centuries of Christian tradition.'

With Italy's migrant camps nearly full, Austrian soldiers guarding its borders and several nations refusing to take in a soul, it seems the desperate pleas from Brussels for everyone to play their part are falling on deaf ears.
One of Britain's busiest motorways was closed yesterday after an articulated lorry was engulfed in huge flames.

Dramatic photographs showed firefighters battling the blaze on the southbound carriage of the M1 motorway near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

All lanes were closed and the fire caused 'severe' delays, with motorists being warned the road would not return to normal until midnight on Wednesday.

Firefighters were called to the M1 after a lorry was engulfed in flames near Barnsley, South Yorkshire

A HGV lorry was engulfed in flames on the M1 motorway on Wednesday, which resulted in the busy road being closed

Firefighters rushed to the scene on the M1 as dramatic photographs showed the lorry in flames

The motorways authority said: 'South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue are on scene putting the fire out with assistance from South Yorkshire Police and Highways England Traffic Officers.

'Motorists heading towards the area are advised to allow additional travelling time.'

Highways England added: 'The #M1 remains CLOSED southbound between J38-J37 due to a lorry fire. Recovery is now en-route. Please allow extra time for your journey.'

Firefighters rushed to the scene close to Barnsley, South Yorkshire, when the lorry caught fire
A widow whose husband died doing a backflip has opened up on her family's struggle to come to terms with the tragic loss.

Chris Leggett, 37, had been on an Easter holiday with his wife Rachael, 35, and their three kids  Addison, five, Xavier, three, and Hunter, two  and family friends in April when the accident occurred.

After a day of swimming and fun at the beach, the three families had enjoyed a BBQ before some of the adults took some of the children back to their holiday home, PerthNow reported.

It was then that Mr Leggett showed the remaining children  including his daughter and youngest son  how to do the stunt at the park in Dunsborough, Perth, when he landed wrong and broke his neck.

Now, his widow has paid tribute to the love of her life  as well as her struggle to explain the sudden loss of their father to her three children.

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Chris Leggett (pictured with his wife and kids) died after breaking his neck doing a back flip on holiday in Perth in April

'People keep saying 'he's still there with you'. Try explaining that to a three-year-old when he asks 'When is Daddy coming back from the sky, Mummy?',' Mrs Leggett told 7 News.

'It's just like having your heart ripped out,' she added.

'He's just left a hole that can't be filled in our lives.'

She recalled how she had rushed to the scene, arriving before paramedics, after hearing about the accident to find a friend performing CPR on her husband.

Mr Leggett had not been drinking and had pulled off the backslip countless times before it went horribly wrong during the family holiday.

Rachael Leggett (pictured) opened up on her struggle explaining to her kids the sudden loss of their father

The father-of-three (pictured) was showing a group of kids, including his daughter and youngest son how to do the stunt when he fell awkwardly and broke his c@ veterbrae

He was rushed to Busselton Hospital, where a scan revealed her husband had broken his C2 vertebrae.

He was then flown to Royal Perth Hospital, but further tests confirmed the worst  there was no blood flow to Mr Leggett's brain.

After allowing time for family and friends to say goodbye, the family made the decision to have his life support turned off on Easter Monday.

Mrs Leggett, who had been with him since she was 17, urged parents to treasure as my memories as possible with children and never take them for granted.

Mr Leggett was showing a group of children how to do a backflip at Dunsborough park when he landed awkwardly and broke his neck

'Chris' saying always was, 'babe, if I'm going to have regrets, they're going to be work regrets, they're not going to be family regrets,' she told PerthNow.

She also recalled one of her husband's proudest achievements, saying one of the few things he ever bragged about was delivering their youngest son on the side of the road while on the way to the hospital.

And although she feels devastated by the loss, she has taken some solace that Chris' death has saved lives as his heart, kidneys and liver were donated.
The widow of police shooting victim Alton Sterling condemned trouble on Wednesday that led to officers opening fire with stun guns as the CD seller's first death anniversary was marred by angry protests.

Police in Baton Rouge pepper-sprayed demonstrators and used tasers as they made seven arrests as anger erupted over Sterling's death while pinned to the ground by two officers a year ago today.

The arrests came after demonstrators attempted to break through barriers outside Baton Rouge police headquarters.

Baton Rouge police later issued a photograph which apparently showed a black panther holding a taser during the clashes.

But protesters said police fired tasers and stun guns unnecessarily as they tried to exercise their right to enter a police station.

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Arrests: Seven people were taken into custody by police as a protest outside Baton Rouge PD's headquarters in memory of Alton Sterling turned ugly

In action: An officer with a paintball gun was among those outside police headquarters during the protest by members of the New Black Panther Party

Taser: Police deployed stun guns as the protest mounted outside the Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters

Power salute: Members of the New Black Panther Party mounted a march on police headquarters in Baton Rouge, LA, to mark a year since the death of Alton Sterling

Baton Rouge police later issued a photograph which apparently showed a black panther holding a taser during the clashes

Members of the New Black Panther Party had arrived earlier in the day to lead the demonstrations.

Sterling, 37, was shot last July as he lay on the ground pinned down by two police officers and his dying moments was caught on cell phone video which led to the officers being suspended.

But the woman who had three children with Sterling, speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, said she did not condone the confrontations with police.

'This is a sad daya sad day. It is already difficult enough with Alton gone and our three children missing their daddy every day,' said Andrika Williams Sterling.

'I understand people are angry about the way Alton died and the police ain't never gonna come before the court for it. But I can't condone any violence or trouble. It should not happen.

'I have had to move out of Baton Rouge because of what happened to Alton. The grief was too much. But Alton was a peaceful man. He wouldn't want anybody getting hurt on his behalf.'

Arrested: A plain clothes cop handcuffed one of the protesters as what had started as a peaceful protest turned ugly

Non-lethal force: Officers used tasers, paintball guns and peppers spray as they tackled the protesters who tried to break through barricades outside police headqaurters

More arrested: On Wednesday night four men and three women were detained in Parish Prison accused of entering and remaining after being forbidden, and resisting an officer

March: Members for the New Black Panther Party chanted 'Black power!', 'No justice, no peace, no racist police! and 'Justice for Alton Sterling' before trying to break through the barriers and being tackled by police

Controversial: The shooting of Alton Sterling was caught on camera and showed police shooting him as he was pinned to the ground

Police are on alert for the next three days with consecutive days of protest planned, aware that three officers were shot dead in Baton Rouge in the aftermath of Sterling's death last year.

Denise Marcell, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives said of today's clashes: ' I think it was unnecessary but there's a lot of unrest and uncertainty here in Baton Rouge.

'I don't want to see any more trouble and just for things to calm down. No more officers need to die and no more citizens.

' I like to say I am optimistic but I am not sure what is going to happen.

'People want justice here and to be treated fairly as tax payers and citizens. But there are a lot of questions that need to be answered over Alton Sterling's death.'

Tax accountant Ron Ceaser, a supporter of the new Black Panther movement, said of the clashes: 'What we saw today was the white man once again treating the black man as his slave.

'It was totally unjustified and meant to put people in their place when all they were doing was protesting on a public street.

'I know for sure that the word is going round tonight about what happened and in the next few days there will be a few hundred more Black Panthers here.

'There's already a hundred in town. And people are getting angrier and angrier. We have to fight for people like Alton Sterling.'

The anger in Baton Rouge led to violent protests across the US and to a madman going berserk with a rifle in Dallas, shooting dead five officers and wounding nine in the days after Sterling's death.

Micah Xavier Johnson was later killed by police after a siege in Dallas city center.

On Wednesday night four men and three women were detained in Parish Prison accused of entering and remaining after being forbidden, and resisting an officer.

One officer was injured by a stun gun and left with a bleeding arm, but it was unclear whether he was hurt by police fire.

The resentment against police among protesters had deepened last month when the Department of Justice decided to not press charges against the officers involved in the struggle with Sterling.

Andricka Williams Sterling had told DailyMail.com earlier this year: 'Pray God they tell us the truth about how Alton died.

'I believe he was murdered and I want justice and nothing less than that. They shot him dead like he was some animal.'

Tax accountant Ron Ceaser, a supporter of the new Black Panther movement, said of the clashes: 'What we saw today was the white man once again treating the black man as his slave'

More to come? Caesar said: 'I know for sure that the word is going round tonight about what happened and in the next few days there will be a few hundred more Black Panthers here'

A prayer vigil is held in the parking lot of the Triple S Market on the one year anniversary of the slaying of Alton Sterling

Remembered: The spot where Sterling was killed has become a shrine to his memory. He was outside the Triple S Food Market when police were called to reports of a man threatening passers by with a gun.

Controversial shooting: The death of Sterling in this parking lot came in summer 2016 and seemed to spark a series of events which included the murder of five police officers in Dallas and three in Baton Rouge, each by cop-haters

Sterling's Aunt Sandra, 51, who brought him up from childhood when his mother died from cancer, said police had failed to release dash cam video or police vehicle audio.

Sterling's death was captured on cell phone by shop keeper Abdullah Muflahi who said police had seized his own CCTV film and equipment and he was involved in legal action to recover the equipment and video.

'Luckily I got the cellphone film and the whole world saw how Alton was killed. He was shot while he was on the ground and wasn't threatening anybody.'

Sandra Sterling added: 'In any case we are in an open carrying state if Alton had a gun, which I don't believe he did, why would he try and hide it from the police when they went to him.

Andrika Williams Sterling added: 'The children miss their daddy every day.

'Alton Jnr who is six asks all the time when his daddy coming home. I gave to distract him because he too young to understand he ain't never coming back.'

The two officers involved in Sterling's shooting Howie Lake II and Blane Salamoni remain on paid leave.
Mrs May, speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, said ministers will examine 'any new evidence that is brought forward' over the scandal

Theresa May is under growing pressure to order a public inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal following the revelation of damning new documents.

The Prime Minister was forced to address the issue in the House of Commons yesterday, after papers published in the Mail on Tuesday revealed officials continued to give patients tainted blood for at least five years after discovering the danger.

Mrs May, speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, said ministers will examine 'any new evidence that is brought forward' over the scandal - but did not respond to demands for an inquiry.

An estimated 2,000 people in Britain died with hepatitis and HIV after they received tainted blood clotting agents in the 1970s and 1980s.

Minutes of papers disclosed by the Daily Mail suggest health knew at least as early as 1981 that patients were falling sick.

Government scientists were so sure the blood was dangerous that they even planned to use victims as guinea pigs to develop a new test for hepatitis.

Yet it was not until 1986 that supply of the contaminated blood stopped.

Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Hull North, said the scandal involved 'a criminal cover up on an industrial scale' - and asked the Prime Minister to launch an inquiry.

She said: 'Mr Speaker, 2,400 people have died as a result of the NHS contaminated blood scandal, more than Hillsborough and all the other disasters over the previous few decades put together.

'Will the Prime Minister now do the right thing and order a public inquiry for the whole of the United Kingdom?'

Mrs May said: 'She raises an important issue and I know that the thoughts of members of the House will be with all of those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy, in relation to contaminated blood.

'Serious allegations have been made and I would say, obviously, information that has been brought forward to the House will be looked at by ministers in the Department of Health.

Scientists were so sure the blood was dangerous, they even planned to use victims as guinea pigs to develop a new test for hepatitis (stock photo)

'But if any member has any further information or evidence that they believe will be important, that should go to ministers so that they can properly investigate it.

Victims, patients, lawyers and politicians from both the Labour and Conservative parties last night joined growing calls for a 'Hillsborough-style' inquiry into the scandal.

Former health secretary Andy Burnham, who has in recent months has become one of the most vocal campaigners on the issue, called for an inquiry to be announced before the Parliamentary recess begins on July 21.

Mr Burnham, who is now mayor of Greater Manchester, said: 'This is one of the great injustices that has been allowed to stand in this country.

'Thousands of people died and the lives of many more families were destroyed through the wilful negligence of public bodies and a criminal cover up on an industrial scale.

Documents have found some patients were given deadly contaminated blood for at least five years (stock photo)

'These revelations only strengthen the need for a Hillsborough-style inquiry so we can give the victims of this scandal what they have never had  the truth.

'I have called on the Government to establish such an inquiry before the summer recess. If they do not I will demand a police investigation.'

Solicitors representing 300 families on Tuesday lodged legal papers at the High Court in London in a bid to sue the Government over the scandal.

But even those lawyers said a public inquiry would be preferable.

Danielle Holliday, a partner at Collins Solicitors, said: 'A public inquiry which has the power to compel witnesses to attend is the preferable route. But in the absence of that we are pursuing the legal option.

'It's about getting witnesses to appear so we can get to the truth.'
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A massive property that is believed to be the largest house in Texas was sold at auction for an undisclosed sum, it was reported on Wednesday.

Champ d'Or, which means 'field of gold' in French, is a 48,000-square-foot mansion located about 30 miles northwest of Dallas.

It was sold by a local developer, Zaf Tabani, which also bought it at auction in 2012, according to Dallas Morning News.

The home was sold in an online bidding process that was originally supposed to last just three days but ended up being prolonged.

The bidding ended this past Friday, though the auctioneer, Concierge Auctions, declined to specify the sale price.

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A massive property that is believed to be the largest house in Texas was sold at auction for an undisclosed sum

Champ d'Or, which means 'field of gold' in French, is a 48,000-square-foot mansion located about 30 miles northwest of Dallas

It was sold this past Friday by a local developer, Zaf Tabani, who also bought it at auction in 2012 for an undisclosed sum

The home was sold in an online bidding process that was originally supposed to last just three days but ended up being prolonged

In 2012, the Goldfields' tax appraisal was $21,752,560. Today, the home is appraised by Denton County at $6,566,342. Pictured above is the Chanel-inspired closet

It has six bedrooms and six full bathrooms in addition to eight half baths. The property includes luxury amenities like a bowling alley (above) and a home theater

The Goldfields initially put the house up for sale for $45million, but they could not find any buyers for 10 years

The home, which lies just north of Lake Lewisville in Hickory Creek, Texas, sits on more than 119 acres of land.

It was the dream home that was first built by Alan Goldfield and his wife, Shirley.

Goldfield, who made his fortune as the head of a cellular telephone distribution company, spent $52million on the house, whose four-year construction was completed in 2002.

It was built as a tribute to Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, a 17th century French chateau just outside of Paris.

Video courtesy Casey Dobbs

The bidding ended this past Friday, though the auctioneer, Concierge Auctions, declined to specify the sale price

The home, which lies just north of Lake Lewisville in Hickory Creek, Texas, sits on more than 119 acres of land

It was the dream home that was first built by Alan Goldfield and his wife, Shirley Goldfield. One of the interior staircases is seen above

Goldfield, who made his fortune as the head of a cellular telephone distribution company, spent $52million on the house and the four-year construction was completed in 2002

It was built as a tribute to Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, a 17th century French chateau just outside of Paris

The Champ d'Or is big enough to contain 20 median US homes,. Pictured above is a tennis court at the home

Shirley Goldfield said that the home represents her 'collection of dreams'  specifically features of historic properties that inspired her in designing the home

The Champ d'Or is big enough to contain 20 median homes, according to D Magazine.

It has six bedrooms and six full bathrooms in addition to eight half baths.

The property includes luxury amenities like a bowling alley and a home theater.

Shirley Goldfield said that the home represents her 'collection of dreams'  specifically features of historic properties that inspired her in designing the home.

They include the Chateau de Versailles, the Palace of Fontainebleau (where Napoleon lived), the Chanel store in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, and New York's Tavern on the Green.

The 'self-sufficient master suite' include a spa, a lap pool, and a Chanel-inspired closet and hair salon.

They include the Chateau de Versailles, the Palace of Fontainebleau (where Napoleon lived), the Chanel store in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, and New York's Tavern on the Green

Finally, in 2012, they asked Concierge to hold an auction. The home was bought by Tabani for an undisclosed sum

Champ dOr is 'very, very difficult to price' because 'theres a very narrow market for a home like this,' according to one real estate agent

The 'self-sufficient master suite' include a spa, a lap pool (seen above), and a Chanel-inspired closet and hair salon

'As we enter the next chapter of our lives, and choose to downsize and be closer to our grandchildren, we'll cherish the times here and know the next owner has many amazing adventures in store,' Tabani said in a statement

The Goldfields initially put the house up for sale for $45million, but they could not find any buyers for 10 years.

Finally, in 2012, they asked Concierge to hold an auction. The home was bought by Tabani for an undisclosed sum.

In 2012, the Goldfields' tax appraisal was $21,752,560.

Today, the home is appraised by Denton County at $6,566,342.

'As we enter the next chapter of our lives, and choose to downsize and be closer to our grandchildren, we'll cherish the times here and know the next owner has many amazing adventures in store,' Tabani said in a statement.
The CEO of a Chinese driverless car company is being investigated after live streaming himself riding in one of his cars despite police banning the vehicles from operating.

Robin Li live-streamed himself in the vehicle and even told the audience that he was driving on the fifth ring road in Beijing, reports the People's Daily Online.

Traffic authorities in the capital have confirmed they are aware of the case and are investigating further.

Robin Li (pictured) live-streamed himself in one of Baidu's driver-less cars

The CEO said that he could ride safely and comfortably in the driverless vehicle

Robin Li was taking part in a live demonstration which was screened at the company's AI conference yesterday.

The CEO told the conference as he sat in the car that he was on his way to the conference and could ride safely and comfortably in the driverless vehicle.

He also told the audience that he was on the city's fifth ring road.

People watching online criticised the CEO by spotting that the driverless car drove across a solid line when it tried to change lanes which is against China's traffic laws.

Look guys no hands! The CEO was speaking as part of Baidu's conference this week

Baidu have responded saying that there was actually someone in the driver's seat

Traffic authorities have confirmed they are aware of the incident and will look into the case.

The Beijing News also cited an anonymous source which told reporters that driverless cars are currently banned from roads in China.

Baidu have responded saying that there was actually someone in the driver's seat. That person in question was Gu Weihao, general manager of Baidu's intelligent vehicle division.

Baidu is China's leading internet search company and has a base in Silicon Valley. Baidu along with 30 other Chinese companies are busy developing and funding software and hardware to create self-driving vehicles.

Its goal is to create the vehicles for the Chinese auto market which is the biggest in the world. It then hopes to export the vehicles to the United States.
Scientists have discovered that the fastest stars in the Milky Way may come from other galaxies.

The speedy stars, known as hypervelocity stars, move at up to 630 miles per second (1,000km per second), and have only been spotted a handful of times.

The findings could pave the way for scientists to measure the mass of neighbouring galaxies within the next 20 years.

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A new study suggests that the fastest stars in the Milky Way, called 'hypervelocity stars' are actually runaways from other galaxies (artist's impression)

WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM? Using data from the latest surveys of the sky and computer simulations, the researchers came up with the 'very natural' explanation that the stars are runaways fired out from a smaller, faster dwarf galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The researchers demonstrated the stellar sprinters formed in pairs which reach huge speeds allowing them to escape the LMC's gravity when one of the two exploded. The LMC, which has about a tenth of the mass of our galaxy, is the largest and fastest of the dozens of dwarf galaxies believed to be either in orbit or flying past the Milky Way. Their computer simulations predicted about 10,000 'runaways' stars have become absorbed into our galaxy as the relatively short-lived blue stars 'die' through this process. Advertisement

Only two dozen of the 'ridiculously rare' blue stars have been sighted in our galaxy since their discovery in 2005.

Until now, scientists have thought that the very large and fast stars observed in the Milky Way were born in our galaxy.

But researchers from the University of Cambridge said current theories could not explain why the hypervelocity stars could only be seen in certain areas of the sky.

Using data from the latest surveys of the sky and computer simulations, they came up with the 'very natural' explanation that the stars are runaways fired out from a smaller, faster dwarf galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).

Their tests have also predicted that the LMC, which is thought to orbit the Milky Way, has fired as many as a million neutron stars and black holes into our galaxy over billions of years.

Douglas Boubert, who led the study, said: 'It's very shocking. We are starting to realise that it (the LMC) could be interacting with out galaxy and changing it.

'But it's not like this is a crazy theory, I've talked to other people in the field and convinced them.

'We've only searched half of the sky for these stars. It's just on the edge of the region we searched so what we are saying is that they are not just there, there's this massive arm of them that extends to the LMC.'

Mr Boubert said the results will become 'blindingly obvious' as bigger telescopic surveys map out more of the stars in the sky, and reveal trails of hypervelocity stars from neighbouring galaxies such as Andromeda within the next two decades.

Using data from the latest surveys of the sky and computer simulations, the researchers came up with the 'very natural' explanation that the stars are runaways fired out from a smaller, faster dwarf galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud (artist's impression pictured)

FOLLOW UP STUDIES Mr Boubert said the results will become 'blindingly obvious' as bigger telescopic surveys map out more of the stars in the sky, and reveal trails of hypervelocity stars from neighbouring galaxies such as Andromeda within the next two decades. The European Space Agency's Gaia satellite will report data on billions of stars next year. If the researchers predictions are right, there should be a trail of hypervelocity stars across the sky between the Leo and Sextans constellations in the North and the LMC in the South. Advertisement

He said: 'It's going to say a lot about how stars, when they are in pairs, evolve together but then another cool thing is that if you have a star which has travelled these great distances we can state the mass of both galaxies because we can see the shape of these trails of stars which tells you a lot about the gravity they are flying through so you can measure the masses of the galaxies.

'People have tried to do it with these stars assuming they have come from the centre of our galaxy but that would be wrong.

'There could be stars flying towards us from Andromeda and if we could see them we would be able to measure the mass of that galaxy.

'You can imagine in 15 to 20 years this being an easy thing to do. Every few years you get a new massive survey that pushes us further.'

The researchers demonstrated the stellar sprinters formed in pairs which reach huge speeds allowing them to escape the LMC's gravity when one of the two exploded.

The LMC, which has about a tenth of the mass of our galaxy, is the largest and fastest of the dozens of dwarf galaxies believed to be either in orbit or flying past the Milky Way.

This image shows a simulation of stars being ejected from the Large Magellanic Cloud as it flies past the Milky Way over the past two billion years. The stars have been ejected when their former companion star exploded in a supernova

'These stars have just jumped from an express train - no wonder they're fast,' said co-author Rob Izzard.

'This also explains their position in the sky, because the fastest runaways are ejected along the orbit of the LMC towards the constellations of Leo and Sextans.'

Their computer simulations predicted about 10,000 'runaways' stars have become absorbed into our galaxy as the relatively short-lived blue stars 'die' through this process.

'We'll know soon enough whether we're right,' said Mr Boubert.

'The European Space Agency's Gaia satellite will report data on billions of stars next year, and there should be a trail of hypervelocity stars across the sky between the Leo and Sextans constellations in the North and the LMC in the South.

'I would say that I'm pretty convinced, it's a very natural explanation and the only reason that scientists thought the stars came from the Milky Way is because having these binary stars being ripped by a black hole was the only way people could think we could produce stars this fast.'
Artificial intelligence is already being put to use in the NHS, with Google's AI firm DeepMind providing technology to help monitor patients.

And a new study suggests that Google could soon be meeting with Genomic England - a company set up by the Department of Health to sequence 100,000 genomes  to discuss whether DeepMind could get involved.

In an article for The Conversation, Edward Hockings a researcher at the University of the West of Scotland, explains the risks of letting a private company gain access to sensitive genetic data.

In Google's case, he says, it could allow them to target users with personalised advertising based on their preferences and health risks.

It could also create profiles of people based on their DNA data, which may provide details such as their risk of becoming a criminal.

He says genomic data is 'the oil of the digital era' and there is nothing stopping it from be captured, bought and sold in the future.

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Genomic sequencing has huge potential  it could hold the key to improving our understanding of a range of diseases, including cancer, and eventually help find treatments for them (stock image)

HOW COULD GENOMIC DATA BE USED? Privacy campaigners are concerned that governments and private organisations have too much access to our personal details. This could help them carry out mass surveillance. When it comes to genetics, the implications are particularly frightening, says Edward Hockings. For example, there is evidence of a link between genes and criminality. Scientists say 40 per cent of sexual offending risk is down to genetic factors. A 'single national knowledge base' as the one the UK government is aiming to create might therefore be used for broad genetic profiling. Advertisement

Genomic sequencing has huge potential  it could hold the key to improving our understanding of a range of diseases, including cancer, and eventually help find treatments for them.

The 100,000 Genomes Project was set up by the government to sequence genomes of 100,000 people.

And it won't stop there.

A new report from the UK's chief medical officer, Sally Davies, is calling for an expansion of the project.

However, a statement by the Department of Health in response to a freedom of information (FoI) request I made in February reveals this decision has already been made.

The department said in this response that the project will be integrated into a single national genomic database.

The purpose of this will be to support 'care and research, and the acceleration of industrial usage'.

Though it will 'inevitably exceed the original 100,000 genomes, we do not anticipate that there will be a set target for how many genomes it should contain,' the statement reads.

The costs of sequencing the genome on a national scale are prohibitive. The first human genome was sequenced at a cost of 2.3 billion ($3 billion).

However, almost two decades later, Illumina, who is responsible for the sequencing side of the 100,000 Genomes Project, produced the first '$1,000 (770) genome'  a staggering reduction in cost.

Applying machine learning to genomics  that is, general artificial intelligence  has the potential to significantly reduce the costs further.

By building a neural network, Google's algorithms can interpret huge amounts of genetic, health, and environmental data to predict a persons health status, such as their level of risk of heart attack (stock image)

WHAT IS GOOGLE DEEPMIND? Google DeepMind is an artificial intelligence lab within Google, It was created after Google bought University College London spinout, DeepMind, for 400 million in 2014. Its goal is to solve general intelligence and make machines capable of learning for themselves. It wants to do this by creating a set of powerful general-purpose learning algorithms that can be combined to make an AI system. Google wants its DeepMind algorithms to make many of its products and services smarter and more responsive. Advertisement

By building a neural network, these algorithms can interpret huge amounts of genetic, health, and environmental data to predict a persons health status, such as their level of risk of heart attack.

DeepMind is already working with the NHS.

As part of a partnership with several NHS trusts, the company has built various platforms, an app and a machine learning system to monitor patients in various ways, alerting clinical teams when they are at risk.

But it's been controversial.

The company announced the first of these collaborations in February 2016, saying it was building an app to help hospital staff monitor patients with kidney disease.

However, it later emerged that the agreement went far beyond this, giving DeepMind Health access to vast amounts of patient data  including, in one instance, 1.6m patient records.

The Information Commissioner's Office ruled recently that the way patient data was shared by the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust violated UK privacy law.

The company asserts that patient data 'will never be linked to Google products or services or commercialised'.

Google's ambitions to digitise healthcare continue.

I received a response to an FoI request in May which reveals that Google and Genomics England have met to discuss 'using Google's DeepMind among other subjects' to analyse genomic data.

Davies insists that data could be anonymised.

The Royal Free NHS Trust did not comply with the Data Protection Act when it passed on personal information of around 1.6 million patients to Google's DeepMind. Pictured is the Royal Free Hospital in London, one of several hospitals the Royal Free Trust is responsible for

The Department of Health always promise that medical data used in such initiatives will be anonymised, yet one of the reasons that Care.data (an initiative to store all patient data on a single database) was abandoned is that this was shown to be untrue.

I have also shown that the department has misinformed the public about the level of access granted to commercial actors in the 100,000 Genome Project.

In particular it said the data would be 'pseudonymised' rather than anonymised, meaning there would still be information available such as age or geographical location.

The danger of personalisation

What could genomic information add to Google's already far-reaching database of individual information?

NHS KIDNEY APP Google announced the first of its NHS collaborations in February 2016, saying it was building an app to help hospital staff monitor patients with kidney disease. The data was provided in a medical trial that began in 2015. The trial integrated information from existing systems used by the Royal Free. The systems used technology to track patients' symptoms and alerted clinicians when signs of deterioration in a patient with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) were found. AKI affects up to 18 per cent of those admitted to hospital. The investigation found that many patients did not know their data was being used as part of a test. As part of the deal between the Trust and Google, DeepMind gained access to sensitive patient information such as HIV status, mental health history and abortions. Advertisement

A hint lies in its self-confessed aspiration to organise our lives for us.

The algorithms 'will get better, and we will get better at personalisation', according to Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google's parent company Alphabet.

This will 'enable Google users to ask the question, 'what shall I do tomorrow?', or 'what job shall I take?'.

With personalisation as their ultimate 'goal', Google intend to use the machine learning algorithms which track our digital footprint and target users with personalised advertising based on their preferences.

They also want to analyse health and genomic data to make predictions such as when a person might develop bipolar disorder or tell us what we should do with our lives.

Let us not forget that data, genomic or otherwise, is the oil of the digital era.

What is stopping genomic information from being captured, bought and sold?

We cannot assume that people will make life choices based upon their 'genetic profile' without undue pressure  commercial or governmental.

When it comes to genetics, the implications are particularly frightening. For example, there is evidence of a link between genes and criminality (stock image)

As for how genomic data might be used and what decisions will be taken about us, the mass surveillance by government agencies of their own citizens is a chilling reminder of the way information technology can be used.

There is something unpalatable about everything being connected and everything being known.

When it comes to genetics, the implications are particularly frightening. For example, there is evidence of a link between genes and criminality.

We know that 40 per cent of sexual offending risk is down to genetic factors.

A 'single national knowledge base' as the one the UK government is aiming to create might therefore be used for broad genetic profiling.

Although early intervention programmes that buy into genetically deterministic notions of 'crime genes' are reductive, serious debate about policies involving genetic information will no doubt happen soon.

We can already see the beginnings of this in the United States.

The bill Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act  which has received strong backing from Republicans and business groups  would allow companies to require employees to undergo genetic testing.

The results would be seen by employers, and should employees refuse to participate they would face significantly higher insurance costs.

Too much personalisation is likely to be intrusive. The challenge, then, will be to harness the potential of genomics while introducing measures to keep government and big business in check.

The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's inquiry on genomics and genome editing was cut short (due to the recent snap general election).

Its recommendations for further lines of enquiry include creating a quasi-independent body, which could be more attuned to broader, social and ethical concerns.

This might introduce more balance at a pivotal time for the future of human genetic technologies.
Gun violence is on the rise in Rio de Janeiro, with the sound of firefights echoing daily across Brazil's seaside city as drug gangs battle each other and police officers patrolling slums.

Now a pair of apps track in real-time where gun battles occur as well as how many people have been killed based on eyewitnesses, media and police accounts.

The 'Fogo Cruzado', or Cross Fire, application created by Amnesty International and local researchers aims to let Rio's citizens know where gunfire is taking place in the hopes of keeping them out of danger.

A second application is called Onde Tem Tiroteio - 'Where are the Firefights' - with similar objectives.

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The 'Fogo Cruzado', or Cross Fire, application (pictured) created by Amnesty International and local researchers aims to let Rio's citizens know where gunfire is taking place in the hopes of keeping them out of danger

FAVELA FIREFIGHTS Rio state authorities do not keep track of the number of people hit by stray bullets in firefights between police and drug cartels. They say that, since no such category of crime exists in Brazil's legal system, authorities do not have an accurate way of measuring it. But the number stray bullet reports in Rio's local press has been rising along with the overall increase in violence. Last Friday, Claudineia dos Santos, who was nine months pregnant, was struck by a stray bullet that also hit the spine of her unborn boy, Arthur. Police and drug gangs had been in a firefight in the northern Rio slum where the woman lives. After an emergency cesarean, doctors said the boy was on life support and left a paraplegic. The mother is in stable condition. On the same day, a 76-year-old woman and her 42-year-old daughter were killed by stray bullets in northern Rio's Mangueira slum, as police and drug gang members exchanged fire. Advertisement

'Our job here is not to denounce anyone, we do not have a direct focus on the police or on the drug gangs,' Henrique Coelho Caamano, a volunteer who helps maintain the Onde Tem Tiroteio app, said this week.

'Our focus is really to get people out of the way of stray bullets.'

The apps both work using a live mapping system that notes down the locations of incidents as reports come in.

Users of the Fogo Cruzado map can zoom in and click on each shooting to read details, including the time, date and number of fatalities.

The map even reveals how many gang members, civilians and police officers died in each firefight, as well as whether anyone was injured in the crossfire.

The Onde Tem Tiroteio works in a similar way, providing the time and date of each shooting, whether or not the incident is ongoing, and a traffic light system to indicate how serious the shooting was.

While Rio is long used to random gunfire in or close to its nearly 1,000 favelas, the city has been stunned by a rash of stray bullets hitting innocent bystanders - including a baby boy struck last week while still in his mother's womb.

Users can zoom into the Fogo Cruzado map and click on shootings to read the details, including location (local do tiroteio), details of the victims (sobre vitimas), and any further information (mais informacues)

In the Fogo Cruzado app, users can track the severity of each shooting. An orange symbol (bottom left) indicates a fatal shooting, while a blue symbol (bottom right) means no victims. An orange and blue symbol (bottom centre) means someone was injured

Murders jumped 11 per cent to 2,329 in Rio de Janeiro state in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to the most recent data available from the state's security secretariat.

The number of people killed by police in shootouts during the first five months of this year jumped nearly 50 per cent compared to the same months the previous year, totalling 480 deaths.

But Rio state authorities do not keep track of the number of people hit by stray bullets, saying that since no such category of crime exists in Brazil's legal system, authorities would not be able to come up with an accurate way of measuring it.

But the number stray bullet reports in Rio's local press has been rising along with the overall increase in violence.

A second application is called Onde Tem Tiroteio - 'Where are the Firefights' - with similar objectives of keeping residents informed of where shootings have or are currently occurring

Users can zoom into the map and click on each shooting location for further information. This shooting occurred on July 4 at 4.26 PM. The shooting is indicated as a 'red alert', and users are warned that the incident is ongoing and to stay alert in the area

Last Friday, Claudineia dos Santos, who was nine months pregnant, was struck by a stray bullet that also hit the spine of her unborn boy, Arthur.

Police and drug gangs had been in a firefight in the northern Rio slum where the woman lives.

After an emergency cesarean, doctors said the boy was on life support and left a paraplegic. The mother is in stable condition.

On the same day, a 76-year-old woman and her 42-year-old daughter were killed by stray bullets in northern Rio's Mangueira slum, as police and drug gang members exchanged fire.
She died in her twenties some 1,700 years ago and ruled over a desert valley in ancient Peru, where her elaborately tattooed body was wrapped in 20 layers of fabric and buried with weapons and gold objects.

But a glimpse of the former priestess, the Lady of Cao, can now be seen in a replica of her face unveiled by culture officials and archaeologists on Monday.

Using 3D forensics technology, the replica was based on the Lady of Cao's skull structure and took 10 months to create.

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A glimpse of the former Peruvian priestess, the Lady of Cao, can now be seen in a replica of her face (pictured) unveiled by culture officials and archaeologists in Lima, Peru, on Monday

THE LADY OF THE CAO The Lady of Cao is a name given to a female Moche mummy discovered in El Brujo, Peru, in 2005. The richness of the burial site, as well as the presence of weapons, suggested she may been a high ranking priestess or even a Moche ruler. The discovery of the Lady of Cao's mummified remains shattered the belief that the ancient Moche society, which occupied the Chicama Valley from about 100 to 700 AD, was patriarchal. Several Moche female mummies have been found since in graves with objects denoting a high political and religious standing. Archaeologists believe the Lady of Cao died due to complications of childbirth but otherwise lived a healthy life. Her arms and legs were covered with tattoos of snakes, spiders and other supernatural motifs. Discovered near her funerary bundle was a strangled adolescent, who might have been a sacrifice to guide her into the afterlife. Advertisement

The international team of researchers behind the effort, led by experts at Peru's El Brujo museum where the mummy is currently on display, first took pictures of the Lady of Cao's remains with a state-of-the-art, handheld laser scanner.

The scanner was designed for industrial use and is now commonly used in forensic investigations.

The scanned data was then entered into a computer, which digitally stripped away her facial skin to reveal her skull bones.

Using different software, the team then placed 'tissue-depth markers' on the skull - another common forensics technique - and added tissues to the model based on average facial structures worked out from other Peruvian mummies.

'It's the exact same process you'd go through hands-on in the traditional method, adding clay to a model, but it's rolled into the digital environment now,' Joe Mullins, a consultant on the project, told National Geographic.

The discovery of the Lady of Cao's mummified remains in 2005 shattered the belief that the ancient Moche society, which occupied the Chicama Valley from about 100 to 700 AD, was patriarchal.

Several Moche female mummies have been found since in graves with objects denoting a high political and religious standing.

Archaeologists believe the Lady of Cao died due to complications of childbirth but otherwise lived a healthy life.

Her arms and legs were covered with tattoos of snakes, spiders and other supernatural motifs.

The Lady of Cao died in her twenties some 1,700 years ago and ruled over a desert valley in ancient Peru, where her elaborately tattooed body (pictured) was wrapped in 20 layers of fabric and buried with weapons and gold objects

HOW WAS IT DONE? The aristocrat first had her pictures taken with a state-of-the-art, handheld laser scanner used in forensic investigations. The scanned data was then entered into a computer, which digitally stripped away her facial skin to reveal her skull bones. Using different software, the team then placed 'tissue-depth markers' on the skull - another common forensics technique - and added tissues to the model based on average facial structures worked out from other Peruvian mummies. 'It's the exact same process you'd go through hands-on in the traditional method, adding clay to a model, but it's rolled into the digital environment now,' Joe Mullins, a consultant on the project, told National Geographic. Advertisement

Discovered near her funerary bundle was a strangled adolescent, who might have been a sacrifice to guide her into the afterlife, according to the museum at the El Brujo archaeological site where she was found.

The Lady of Cao is a reminder of the complex societies that thrived in what is now Peru long before the Inca empire dominated the Andes or Europeans arrived in the Americas.

The Moche built irrigation canals to grow crops in the desert and were known for their ceramics and goldwork that have been looted from their gravesites.

Little is known about the group because they left almost no written records and only mummified the highest ranking members of their society.

The group is known for their elaborate artworks, murals and metalwork as well as their complex monumental architecture.

Using 3D forensics technology, the replica was based on the Lady of Cao's skull structure and took 10 months to create

The aristocrat first had her pictures taken with a state-of-the-art, handheld laser scanner used in forensic investigations. The scanned data (pictured) was then entered into a computer, which digitally stripped away her facial skin to reveal her skull bones

WHO WERE THE MOCHE PEOPLE? The ancient Moche society occupied the Chicama Valley from about 100 to 700 AD. Little is known about the group because they left almost no written records and only mummified the highest ranking members of their society. Moche society was based around farming, with significant investment in the construction of a network of irrigation canals for the diversion of river water to supply their crops. The group is known for their elaborate artworks, murals and metalwork as well as their complex monumental architecture. Their culture was sophisticated, and their pottery and metalwork depicts scenes of hunting, fishing, fighting, sexual encounters and lavish ceremonies. Several Moche female mummies have been found in graves with objects denoting a high political and religious standing, suggesting the group may have had female rulers. Advertisement

Their culture was sophisticated, and their pottery and metalwork depicts scenes of hunting, fishing, fighting, sexual encounters and lavish ceremonies.

The replica of the Lady of Cao, a collaboration that included archaeologists, the Wiese Foundation and global imaging company FARO Technologies, will be displayed in Peru's culture ministry in the capital Lima through July 16.

The goal, said Culture Minister Salvador del Solar, was to bring the world closer to one of Peru's best archaeological finds and remind Peruvians of their rich cultural heritage.

'Its relevance is really incalculable,' Mr del Solar said of the oval-shaped face with high cheekbones on display under a golden crown.

'We can now show the world her face, a face that Peruvians see ourselves in.'

Using different software, the team then placed 'tissue-depth markers' on the skull - another common forensics technique - and added tissues to the model based on average facial structures worked out from other Peruvian mummies. Pictured is the final reconstructed head

The discovery of the Lady of Cao's mummified remains in 2005 shattered the belief that the ancient Moche society, which occupied the Chicama Valley from about 100 to 700 AD, was patriarchal

Archaeologists believe the Lady of Cao died due to complications of childbirth but otherwise lived a healthy life. Pictured is the ancient aristocrats remains (bottom) and her reconstructed head (top) on display in Lima, Peru

The Peruvian mummy's arms and legs were covered with tattoos of snakes, spiders and other supernatural motifs

Discovered near the priestess's funerary bundle was a strangled adolescent, who might have been a sacrifice to guide her into the afterlife, according to the museum at the El Brujo archaeological site where she was found

The Lady of Cao is a reminder of the complex societies that thrived in what is now Peru long before the Inca empire dominated the Andes or Europeans arrived in the Americas

The Moche - the ancient Peruvian society the Lady of Cao may have ruled - built irrigation canals to grow crops in the desert and were known for their ceramics and goldwork that have been looted from their gravesites
Love machine? Alicia Vikander as the robot Ava in Ex Machina

Realistic sex robots will bring about a social and technological revolution in Britain, experts predict.

While it might seem like science fiction, the machines are becoming increasingly sophisticated  and over the next ten years realistic sex androids will become more common, scientists say.

But politicians and the public need to understand and deal with the ethical issues that sex robots will pose to society and relationships.

This was the warning from Noel Sharkey, emeritus professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the University of Sheffield, and Dr Aimee van Wynsberghe, assistant professor in ethics and technology at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, as they launched a report on the issue yesterday.

Supporters of the use of sex robots say they could be useful for lonely people or those unable to form relationships.

But scientists yesterday sounded grim predictions about the 'dark side' of the advancing technology, that could mean grappling with issues such as rape and paedophilia.

There are around five makers of sex robots worldwide, with prices ranging from around 4,000 to more than 11,600 for a 'deluxe' model.

But while they are becoming ever more realistic, scientists say it could be 50 years before robots are able to move and talk spontaneously like a partner and have facial expressions that look truly human.

In Channel 4's Humans, Anita is a domestic nanny robot. But her male owner initiates her sex programme - much to the disgust of his wife when she finds out

In the TV series Westworld, Thandie Newton plays brothel madame Maeve Millay who is frequently killed by guests during sex only to be patched up and put back to work again

However, the market for them is there  the report said research shows that men are more willing to have sex with a robot than women are. One US survey of 100 people that found two-thirds of males aged 20-61 would have sex with a robot, compared with a third of women.

But the report also warns that many believe the use of such technology could lead to 'social isolation'.

Some psychologists suggest that sexual relations with robots will 'desensitise humans to intimacy and empathy'.

Some of the sex dolls already on sale come with 'compliant' personalities, that run the risk of encouraging rape. Disturbingly, child sex dolls can be bought in Japan.

Dr Sharkey, who is a co-director of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics with Dr van Wynsberghe, said: 'There's a robotics revolution in all fields  service, agriculture, flying and sex. They are all part and parcel of the same thing.'
Sightings of UFOs are being hushed up by the government using EU laws, a leading expert has claimed.

The public has previously been granted access to records held by the state, detailing reports of strange sights seen in the sky by civilian aircrews.

They are now finding that this access has been revoked, with the agency responsible for maintaining the files citing European legislation to block requests.

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Sightings of UFOs are being hushed up by the government using EU laws, a leading expert has claimed. The Civil Aviation Authority reportedly receives numerous reports of unexplained sightings above Britain each year (stock image)

UFO SIGHTINGS Sightings of UFOs are being hushed up by the government using EU laws, a leading expert has claimed. As a government agency, files collected by the Civil Aviation Authority CAA should be subject to Freedom of Information requests. These transparency laws can be used by any member of the public who wishes to view files held by public institutions. But the CAA has reportedly refused to release any information about UFO sightings, citing European legislation from 2014. Advertisement

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) receives numerous reports of unexplained sightings above Britain each year, according to The Sun.

It was previously the responsibility of the MOD's UFO desk to collect this information, but since its closure in 2009 it has fallen to the CAA.

As a government agency, the files collected by the CAA should be subject to Freedom of Information requests.

These transparency laws can be used by any member of the public who wishes to view files held by public institutions.

But the CAA has reportedly refused to release any information about UFO sightings, known as 'occurrences' in bureaucratic language, citing European legislation from 2014.

Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual, told MailOnline: 'This move falls into the hands of those of think there is an ongoing Government cover-up of UFO sightings and related evidence.

'"Occurrences" in this instance could relate to anything from meteor sightings, drones, foreign aircraft infringing our airspace or anything unusual that might fall into the UFO category.

'There is also the embarrassment factor where pilots are reluctant to report anything unusual, because if it is made public they might seem like cranks or unreliable.

'This very thing is highlighted in the teaser trailer for the re-release of Steven Spielberg's classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind film, in which aircraft controllers and aircrew see a UFO but mutually agree not to report it.

Dr David Clarke, principle research fellow at Sheffield Hallam University's department of journalism, has previously accessed the CAA's files by using FOI requests.

He was refused permission to do so again earlier this year.

Speaking to The Sun, Dr Clarke said: 'The only conceivable reason for this change of policy is embarrassment on the part of the aviation industry.

As a government agency, the files collected by the CAA should be subject to Freedom of Information requests. But the CAA has reportedly refused to release any information about UFO sightings, citing European legislation from 2014 (stock image)

'It does not want to admit that its pilots do occasionally report things in the sky that are difficult to explain.

'To improve public confidence in air safety, the authorities should be proactively promoting open access to records of this type.'

The EU legislation is designed to protect pilots and other airline staff who report seeing unexplained aerial phenomena.

But identifying information about private individuals is already routinely redacted from data supplied in response to FOI requests.

The European law states: 'Occurrence information can only be used for the purpose of maintaining or improving aviation safety, and the release of occurrence information to the general public or the media, including in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, is not permitted.

'However, if you require occurrence information for the purpose of maintaining or improving aviation safety you are able to make an application to the CAA.'
Volvos parent company Geely has acquired flying car startup Terrafugia, bringing vehicles that transition from the roads to the skies a step closer to reality.

Terrafugias street-legal airplane, Transition, was approved last year by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to be certified as a Light Sport Aircraft, paving the way for the development of hybrid vehicles weighing up to 1,800 pounds.

After plans for a possible acquisition kicked off last year, Geely has now agreed to purchase the US firm, according to the South China Morning Post.

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Volvos parent company Geely has acquired flying car startup Terrafugia, bringing vehicles that transition from the roads to the skies a step closer to reality. Terrafugia's concept car TF-X is pictured

THE TRANSITION Terrafugia's Transition was recently granted an exemption by the FAA, allowing it to be classified as a 'light-sport' craft, according to the Washington Post. The aircraft has fold-out wings, weigh roughly 1,300 pounds, and have fixed landing gear. They seat a maximum of two people, including the pilot. To operate them, one must have a sport pilot certificate, which requires just 20 hours of training. The craft reaches a cruise speed of 100 mph, and can achieve a range of 400 miles. And, it can fly to a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet. Advertisement

Just how much the Chinese automotive company paid for Terrafugia has yet to be revealed, but experts say the move could be a step toward the ultimate travel solution for commuters, according to SCMP.

Still, they estimate it will be another 10-20 years before the radical vehicles hit the streets.

In the past, Terrafugia has claimed its designs could be ready to fly within the next few years.

Last February, the firm said its concept vehicle TF-X could come to life as a prototype vehicle in just two years, and go on general sale within eight.

Just months later, in June, Terrafugia was given the go ahead to certify its vehicles.

Terrafugia had asked the FAA for a waiver of weight and stall-speed limits so it can self-certify its Transition flying car as a light sport aircraft (LSA).

Terrafugias street-legal airplane, Transition (pictured) was approved last year by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to be certified as a Light Sport Aircraft, paving the way for the development of hybrid vehicles weighing up to 1,800 pounds

The Massachusetts-based startup applied for the waiver in 2014 when it became clear that meeting highway-safety requirements would drive the gross weight of its roadable aircraft above the 1,320-lb. limit for LSAs, and push stall speed above the 45-kt. maximum, according to Aviation Week.

It applied for a waiver to allow an 1,800-lb. gross weight and 54-kt. stall speed on the basis that automotive occupant-protection features, including a safety cage and energy-absorbing crumple zones, would increase safety over that available in general-aviation aircraft.

THE TF-X: KEY SPECIFICATIONS The vehicle will have a cruising speed of 200 mph (322 km/h), along with a 500-mile (805 km) flight range. TF-X will have fold-out wings with twin electric motors attached to each end. These motors allow the TF-X to move from a vertical to a horizontal position, and will be powered by a 300 hp engine. The planned four-person TF-X will be semi-autonmous and use computer-controlled so that passengers can simply type in a destination before taking off. TF-X vehicles will be capable of automatically avoiding other air traffic, bad weather, and restricted and tower-controlled airspace. The vehicle will be able to recharge its batteries either from its engine or by plugging in to electric car charging stations. Advertisement

Terrafugia began development of the Transition in 2006, flying a proof-of-concept aircraft in 2009 and a second-generation prototype in 2012.

A third-generation conforming prototype is under construction for testing in 201617, with deliveries planned to begin following completion of this testing.

The firm's newer design, the concept TF-X, has fold-out wings with twin electric motors attached to each end.

After plans for a possible acquisition kicked off last year, Geely has now agreed to purchase the US firm, according to the South China Morning Post. A concept photo of the TF-X is pictured

These motors allow the TF-X to move from a vertical to a horizontal position, and will be powered by a 300 horsepower engine.

Thrust will be provided by a ducted fan, and the vehicle will have a cruising speed of 200 mph (322 km/h), along with a 500-mile (805 km) flight range.

Terrafugia said its aim is to provide 'true door-to-door transportation,' with the vehicle capable of being parked in a home garage like an ordinary car.

The planned four-person TF-X will be semi-autonmous and use computer-controls so that passengers can simply type in a destination before taking off.
It's bad news for anyone hoping to surf - but great news for astronomers.

Researchers have found the lakes of liquid methane on Saturn's moon, Titan, are incredibly calm - and that waves reach only 1 centimeter high and 20 centimeters long.

They say the serene conditions will made it far easier to design probes that can land on the lakes to search for life.

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Titans three largest lakes and their surrounding areas as seen by the Cassini RADAR instrument. The researchers used the instrument to study waves on the lake surfaces.

HOW THEY DID IT The research zeroes in on the three largest lakes in Titan's northern hemisphere: Kraken Mare, Ligeia Mare and Punga Mare. Kraken Mare, the largest of the three, is estimated to be larger than the Caspian Sea. By analyzing radar data collected by Cassini during Titan's early summer season, Grima and his team found that waves across these lakes are diminutive, reaching only about 1 centimeter high and 20 centimeters long. Advertisement

'There's a lot of interest in one day sending probes to the lakes, and when that's done, you want to have a safe landing, and you don't want a lot of wind,' said lead author Cyril Grima, a research associate at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG).

'Our study shows that because the waves aren't very high, the winds are likely low.'

The research was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters on June 29.

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and one of the locations in the solar system that is thought to possess the ingredients for life.

In photos taken previously by the Cassini orbiter, it appears as a smooth brown orb because of its thick atmosphere clouded with gaseous nitrogen and hydrocarbons.

However, radar images from the same probe show that it has a surface crust made of water ice and drenched in liquid hydrocarbons.

On Titan, methane and ethane fall from the sky as rain, fill deep lakes that dot the surface, and are possibly spewed into the air by icy volcanoes called cryovolcanoes.

'The atmosphere of Titan is very complex, and it does synthesize complex organic molecules--the bricks of life,' Grima said.

'It may act as a laboratory of sorts, where you can see how basic molecules can be transformed into more complex molecules that could eventually lead to life.'

On top of that, it's also thought to have an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust.

TITAN: EARTH'S TOXIC TWIN? Aside from Earth, Titan is the only place in the solar system known to have rivers, rainfall and seas - and possibly even waterfalls. Of course, in the case of Titan these are liquid methane rather than water on Earth. Regular Earth-water, H2O, would be frozen solid on Titan where the surface temperature is -180C (-292F). With its thick atmosphere and organic-rich chemistry, Titan resembles a frozen version of Earth several billion years ago, before life began pumping oxygen into our atmosphere. Because Titan is smaller than Earth, its gravity does not hold onto its gaseous envelope as tightly, so the atmosphere extends 370 miles (595km) into space. With Titan's low gravity and dense atmosphere, methane raindrops could grow twice as large as Earth's raindrops. Advertisement

As a graduate student at the Universite Grenoble Alpes in France, and then a postdoctoral fellow at UTIG, Grima developed a technique for measuring surface roughness in minute detail from radar data.

Called radar statistical reconnaissance, the technique has been used to measure the snow density and its surface roughness in Antarctica and the Arctic, and to assist the landing site selection of NASA's Mars lander InSight, which is scheduled to launch next year.

Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggested he apply the technique to measuring Titan's waves.

The research zeroes in on the three largest lakes in Titan's northern hemisphere: Kraken Mare, Ligeia Mare and Punga Mare.

Kraken Mare, the largest of the three, is estimated to be larger than the Caspian Sea.

By analyzing radar data collected by Cassini during Titan's early summer season, Grima and his team found that waves across these lakes are diminutive, reaching only about 1 centimeter high and 20 centimeters long.

'Cyril's work is an independent measure of sea roughness and helps to constrain the size and nature of any wind waves,' said co-author Alex Hayes, an assistant professor of astronomy at Cornell University.

'From the results, it looks like we are right near the threshold for wave generation, where patches of the sea are smooth and patches are rough.'

Researchers have previously found a mysterious network of mazes crisscross the landscape of Saturn's largest moon Titan.

But astronomers have long struggled to understand how they form.

Scientists have used images captured by the Cassini probe of the surface of Titan (pictured left) to reveal how chemical rains falling from the skies above Saturn's largest moon carved out a network of methane filled canyons over millions of years. Pictured right is a similar phenomenon on Earth

WEIRD WEATHER A team of French researchers has found that a process called dissolution carved out a network of methane filled canyons over millions of years on the surface of Titan. Michael Malaska, a planetary geologist from the Cassini mission, also agrees with this finding. He believes that the surface of Saturn's largest moon would have begun life with huge areas of flat open expanses, dotted with some minor pock marks. As liquid methane and ethane rain fell, these pools would have grown slowly over time. Eventually, these would have formed the structures first spotted by the Cassini probe in 2007. Similar labyrinth terrain exists on Earth. One of the most famous examples of is also home to the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico. Other examples can be found in Canada, New Guinea, Cuba, China and Australia. Advertisement

Now, research has found similar 'labyrinth terrain' on Earth - and scientists believe the landscape on both Saturn's moon and our planet may be formed by similar processes.

They suspect the maze structures on Titan were likely carved out by rains and shaped by strong winds, in the same way they were on Earth .

Understanding these structures could provide new insights into Titan's weather.

'When we first saw them, we knew the terrain was special,' Michael Malaska, a planetary geologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, told Space.com.

'Now we know pretty much where they all are.'

Scientists have analysed images from the Cassini probe to uncover how the maze like structures, first spotted in 2007, were formed.

Experts at the Saclay Nuclear Research Centre in France used computer modelling based on weather patterns on Earth to make a comparison with Titan, Saturn's largest moon.

When rain falls from our atmosphere, the chemicals it contains interact with and dissolve the planet's surface in a process called dissolution.

The modelling showed that this process can occur over a few million years on our planet and it has resulted in similar structures to Titan's here on Earth.

But the labyrinth network of valleys and ridges on Titan are believed to be billions of years old.

This raises the question of exactly how long it took for the process to occur and what caused it to stop.

Perhaps the most visually similar to the pattern seen on satellite images is the Shilin or Stone Forest in Yunnan Province, China (pictured). The limestone formations were created by the same process as those on Titan (stock image)

'We know that dissolution should play a role in the landscape evolution,' researcher Thomas Cornet, from the French team, told Space.com.

'After 13 years, we don't have a clue about the surface composition.'

The image which were used in the study were captured by the Cassini probe, which launched in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004.

It has since been touring the system with an up-close study of the planet, its rings and moons.

The web of dark canyons on Titan have been known about since Cassini first spotted them in December 2007.

The new research has only just uncovered how they may have been formed, and researchers say more work needs to be done.

The Marakoopa cave (pictured) in Mole Creek Karst, a national park situated in the North of Tasmania, Australia, is another famous example of the forces of dissolution at work on the planet's surface (stock image)

Dr Malaska, who worked on a separate study of the labyrinth features, told Space.com that a lot of places on Titan 'look almost exactly like some of the places we have here on Earth.'

Dr Malaska, a planetary geologist from the Cassini mission, said that one of the most famous examples of labyrinth terrain is also home to the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico.

The massive sinkhole that houses the instrument is part of the island's unusual geography.

Other examples can be found in Canada, New Guinea, Cuba, China and Australia.
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This new list of must-visit destinations may just hold the key to gaining more Instagram followers.

A travel website has assembled a comprehensive list of the top 50 landmarks around the world, narrowing down the most and least popular among Instagram users.

Topping the list? Snapping a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower, of course.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, as well as Beyonce and Jay Z, both posted photos alongside the Eiffel Tower to Instagram

From Hollywood's A-list to music royalty, even superstars like Beyonce and Jay Z and John Legend and Chrissy Teigen can't resist a photo op in front of the Parisian landmark.

Following close behind, the hashtag Big Ben has been used over 2.5 million times, by tourists and bloggers alike, the list by On The Go Tours reveals.

And in the United States, which boasts four of the top 10 all-time Instagrammed landmarks, it's Arizona's Grand Canyon that tops all others.

Among the celebrities documenting their visit to this American hotspot is Cindy Crawford, who shared this adorable family photo in front of the breathtaking vista.

Cindy Crawford shared this family snap, which also includes model daughter Kaia, while at the Grand Canyon in Arizona

Model and blogger Rowan Row is one of many to use the #BigBen hashtag alongside a photo of London's landmark

It probably comes as no surprise that Europe is home to six of the top spots.

Rounding out the top five are #LondonEye, with nearly two million uses and #EmpireStateBuilding, with over 1.6million photos hashtagged.

Meanwhile, in sixth place, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is a popular location for plenty of picturesque selfies (just ask Christy Turlington!).

New York's Statue of Liberty takes the eighth spot, with the hashtag having been used well over a million times.

New York City's Statue of Liberty was the eighth most Instagrammed spot, with the hashtag being used over one million times

Christy Turlington shared a selfie of herself running across San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge (right) on Instagram

THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD - ACCORDING TO INSTAGRAM 1. Eiffel Tower, Paris - #EiffelTower 2. Big Ben, London - #BigBen 3. Grand Canyon, USA - #GrandCanyon 4. London Eye, London - #LondonEye 5. Empire State Building, USA - #EmpireStateBuilding 6. Golden Gate Bridge, USA - #GoldenGateBridge 7. Tower Bridge, London - #TowerBridge 8. Statue of Liberty, USA - #StatueofLiberty 9. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona - #SagradaFamilia 10. Colosseum, Rome - #Colosseum 11. CN Tower, Toronto, Canada - #CNTower 12. Machu Picchu, Peru - #MachuPicchu 13. Burj Al Arab, Dubai - #BurjAlArab 14. Taj Mahal, Agra, India - #TajMahal 15. Buckingham Palace, London - #BuckinghamPalace 16. Arc de Triomphe, Paris - #ArcDeTriomphe 17. Sydney Opera House, Sydney - #SydneyOperaHouse 18. Sacre-Coeur, Paris - #SacreCoeur 19. Stonehenge, England - #Stonehenge 20. Chichen Itza, Mexico - #ChichenItza 21. Hollywood sign, Los Angeles - #HollywoodSign 22. Great Wall of China, Beijing - #GreatWall 23. Willis Tower, Chicago - #WillisTower 24. Trevi Fountain, Rome - #TreviFountain 25. Golden Temple, Punjab, India - #GoldenTemple 26. Uluru, Petermann - #Uluru 27. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul - #HagiaSophia 28. Mount Fuji, Fujinomiya - #MountFuji 29. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany - #Neuschwanstein 30. Loch Ness, Scotland - #LochNess 31. Mont Saint-Michel, France - #MontSaintMichel 32. Forbidden City, Beijing - #ForbiddenCity 33. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy - #LeaningTowerOfPisa 34. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City - #StPetersBasilica 35. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin - #BrandenburgGate 36. Manneken Pis, Brussels - #MannekenPis 37. Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri - #GatewayArch 38. Christ the Redeemer, Brazil - #ChristTheRedeemer 39. The Louvre, Paris - #TheLouvre 40. Palace of Versailles, Ile-de-France - #PalaceofVersailles 41. Saint Basil's Cathedral, Moscow - #StBasilsCathedral 42. Bran Castle, Romania - #BranCastle 43. White Cliffs of Dover, England - #WhiteCliffsOfDover 44. Angel Falls, Venezuela - #AngelFalls 45. Moscow Kremlin, Moscow - #MoscowKremlin 46. Potala Palace, Lhasa - #PotalaPalace 47. Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul - #SultanAhmedMosque 48. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt - #GreatPyramid 49. Park Guell, Barcelona - #ParkGuellBarcelona 50. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota - #MountRushmoreNationalMemorial Advertisement

The London Eye came in fourth on the list of 'Instagram World Wonders', with nearly two million photos utilising the hashtag

Number seven on the list of most-used Instagram hashtags is that of London's #TowerBridge, with celebrities like Ferne McCann (left) enjoying the picturesque landmark

Following Lady Liberty, it's Barcelona's Sagrada Familia that proves popular among aspiring Instagram photographers.

SagradaFamilia has been hashtagged just under one million times, including a sweet photo montage created by Grimm actress Elizabeth Tulloch.

And finally, it's Rome's Colosseum that rounds out the top 10, with the hashtag having been used over 924,000 times.

It's also a favourite among celebrities - and their pets!

Top model Coco Rocha recently shared a stylish self portrait outside of the amphitheatre, while Lewis Hamilton opted to post a precious snap of his pooch Roscoe touring the Roman ruins.

Top model Coco Rocha recently shared this snap outside the Roman Colosseum, while Lewis Hamilton opted instead to share a photo of his pet pooch in front of the amphitheatre

Reese Witherspoon is just one of many, many celebrities to share a photograph of the Empire State Building on the social platform. In this instance, the New York City landmark was lit up displaying her face!
Mel Greig has defended Home And Away star Dan Ewing after his ex-wife Marnie voiced her disappointment in her former husband on her blog on Monday

The soap star and his new girlfriend Kat Risteska's appeared to ridicule Marnie's Dry July attempt earlier in the week in an Instagram snap, which upset the mother-of-one.

Mel, who is close friends with the actor, took to the social media site to tell Marnie 'you've got this one wrong'.

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'You've got this one wrong': Mel Greig has defended Dan Ewing after the actor's ex-wife Marni Little slammed her former husband's apparent attempt to poke fun of her Dry July stint

The 34-year-old radio personality wrote: 'I can't sit back and watch two people I love get slagged off,' tagging Dan and Kat in the post.

'ESPECIALLY when I was on the phone to them when they posted the alleged photo and comment and they were laughing at how many travel bloggers were on the beach.

'And the fact that Kat was drinking bourbon (she doesn't drink so it was funny writing Dry July).

Speaking out: The personality approached Marni (pictured) in her post, writing: 'Dan is the furthest thing from a bully. Marns you've got this one wrong, I'm sorry but not ok to just jump to such a wrong conclusion'

'Dan is the furthest thing from a bully. Marns you've got this one wrong, I'm sorry but not ok to just jump to such a wrong conclusion.

'One day Arch (Dan and Marni's son) will read and understand what's going on and he'll see these things,' the blonde continued, alongside the hash-tags #lovenotwar and #nopublicstoushes.

Marni simply responded, by asking Mel to remove her son Archer's name from the caption: 'Please remove my son's name from your post x'.

Mel's vocal post was in relation to Dan's Instagram snap from Croatia, which saw him holding cans of alcohol with his new lover.

He wrote, in part: 'When in Croatia #dryjuly #maybenextyear'.

Dan also attempted some light comedy with his use of the double-negative hashtag: 'Kat Don't Drink None'.

The starting point: Mel's emotional post came shortly after former Home And Away star Dan shared a snap of himself and new girlfriend Kat Risteska (pictured) enjoying alcoholic beverages in Croatia, with Marni assuming it was a subtle diss at her Dry July attempt

Marni, who announced she was taking on the month without alcohol for charity via Instagram and her blog post days prior, assumed Dan's photo was a subtle diss.

The brunette, who shares a two-year-old son Archer with Dan, voiced her disappointment in her ex on her blog post on Monday, writing: 'Not only had my blog been ridiculed by my ex-husband, but also my attempt to give up alcohol for July to better myself.'

Marni started her blog by talking about being bullied online, singling out Dan, who played River Boy hunk Heath Braxton on Home And Away: 'Today it was BY the Riverboy, from Europe, for no reason at all.'

Ditching the booze: Marni announced she was taking on the month without alcohol for charity, via Instagram and her blog post days prior

'I was actually really surprised today to receive a message from a friend that not only had my blog been ridiculed by my ex-husband, but also my attempt to give up alcohol for July to better myself and raise money for charity WHHHAAATTTT?

'Who is this heinous beast?!! Charity? Gross. Better herself? How dare she,' she wrote in the lengthy post.

The mother-of-one ended the blog entry with a cutting remark: 'The best thing about Dry July, you guys? You don't get drunk and write stupid s**t on the internet.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Dan Ewing for comment.

History: The actor split with ex-wife Marni in December 2015 due to 'irreconcilable differences'

Meanwhile, Dan had previously admitted to blaming himself for his separation from Marni after four years of marriage.

Appearing on KIIS FM's Kyle & Jackie O Show, Dan said: 'I was a grumpy old fool and I was really hard to deal with.'

'I regret not appreciating what I had. I was so concentrated on what I was going to do next and my ego and just being a typical idiot.

'I well and truly didn't appreciate what I had,' Dan added while explaining the separation has been a 'positive' learning experience for him.

Loved up! In December 2016, Dan confirmed his romance with the Dance Academy actress Kat, via Instagram

In December 2016 Dan confirmed his romance with Dance Academy actress, Kat Risteska, via Instagram.

The couple are believed to be starring alongside each other in new sci-fi film Occupation, according to The Daily Telegraph.

This will be the pair's second time working together on the same project.

Earlier this year Kat, 25, got a role in Chasing Comets, which stars Dan and Isabel Lucas.

She also had minor guest roles on Home And Away in 2016 as Zoe Gardner and as Daniella Hay in 2008.
She is no stranger to sharing nude imagery on social media.

And Caitlin Stasey didn't disappoint on Wednesday, when she uploaded a shot of her naked bottom to her live Instagram stories.

The 27-year-old, who is based in Los Angeles, celebrated the American Fourth of July holiday by baring her behind for her 228,000 followers.

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Bottoms up! Former Neighbours star Caitlin Stasey bared her batre her derriere on Instagram on Tuesday

Wowser: She showed off the deep tan lines on her bottom, which had a love heart tattoo placed on the top of her left-side cheek

The former Neighbours star posed for a snap in a doorway where she stood naked and flaunted her lithe frame.

She showed off the deep tan lines on her bottom, which had a love heart tattoo placed on the top of her left-side cheek.

The actress then finished off the capture with a strategically-placed chilli emoji at the top of her thigh gap.

Exhibitionist: She previously flashed her derriere by bending over in a g-string and sheer dress overlay in her lounge room last month, with the caption 'Moons Over My Hammy'

Caitlin, a supporter of the Free The Nipple gender equality campaign, has never been shy of flaunting her figure on social media.

She previously flashed her derriere by bending over in a g-string and sheer dress overlay in her lounge room last month, with the caption 'Moons Over My Hammy'.

Her racy photos often feature her pets, including cats and dogs.

Free spirit: Caitlin, a supporter of the Free The Nipple gender equality campaign, has never been shy of flaunting her figure on social media

The brunette stunner, who shot to fame playing Rachel Kinski on long-running soap Neighbours, has had various issues with Instagram deleting her provocative shots.

Each time the social media app removes one of her pictures that doesn't meet their guidelines, she replaces it with another one.

'Shes p***ed Instagram keep deleting her shots every time they do it, she puts up a new one to replace it,' a friend told The Sun in July last year.
She's the Hollywood actress who recently celebrated the release of her very first Netflix series.

And Naomi Watts, 48, was a vision in white as she showed off her youthful glow while attending Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week in France on Monday.

The Gypsy star dazzled in a white floral-print Armani gown paired with a blazer and nude peep-toe heels as she sat front row at the Giorgio Armani Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show.

Ageless beauty! Naomi Watts, 48, was a vision in white as she showed off her youthful glow while attending Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week in France on Monday

She cut an elegant figure as she sat alongside the likes of Sofia Loren, Roberta Armani and Kate Winslet.

Naomi wore natural makeup consisting of dewy foundation, blush, mascara and peach-coloured matte lipstick.

Her luscious blonde locks were worn loosely and styled in loose waves, which neatly framed her flawless visage.

White hot! The Gypsy star dazzled in a white floral-print Armani gown paired with a blazer and nude peep-toe heels as she sat front row at the Giorgio Armani Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show

Flawless visage: Naomi wore natural makeup consisting of dewy foundation, blush, mascara and peach-coloured matte lipstick. Her luscious blonde locks were worn loosely and styled in loose waves, which neatly framed her flawless visage

Famous faces: She cut an elegant figure as she sat alongside the likes of Sofia Loren, Roberta Armani and Kate Winslet

Fashion royalty: Inside, Naomi mingled with fellow fashionistas including Georgio Armani himself and posed for snaps alongside the 82-year-old designer

The A-list beauty arrived wearing dark shades but did not go unnoticed, as she was seen waving to fans outside the VIP event.

Inside, Naomi mingled with fellow fashionistas including Georgio Armani himself and posed for snaps alongside the 82-year-old designer.

The beaming actress appeared in high spirits nine months after her shock split from actor Liev Schreiber, 49.

Beaming beauty: The starlet appeared to be in high spirits at the star-studded event

The pair announced their split last year, after 11 years together and Naomi recently told Red magazine that she's well and truly moving on.

'Right now Im at a point where Im healing and just wanting to protect the family unit, and were doing, so far, a pretty good job with that,' she said.

'We have huge love and respect for one another and high hopes for it to remain that way going forward.'

Mysterious: The A-list beauty arrived wearing dark shades but did not go unnoticed, as she was seen waving to fans outside the VIP event

The couple share two children Alexander 'Sasha', nine, and seven-year-old Samuel Kai.

After meeting at the Met Gala in New York in 2005, the couple had their first child, Alexander, in 2007 before welcoming Samuel a year later.
They found love shortly after he split with his wife of 12 years.

And Dennis Quaid and his much-younger girlfriend Santa Auzina celebrated their first anniversary together at the weekend, with a romantic break for two.

The three-times married actor whisked away the French-Canadian model to Whistler, Canada.

Rings hint? Dennis Quaid and his much-younger girlfriend Santa Auzina celebrated their first anniversary together at the weekend, with a romantic break for two

The beauty shared images of the trip to her Instagram page.

She documented their stay, with a shot of the couple standing next to the Olympic rings - perhaps dropping a hint about a sixth ring she would like to be forthcoming.

She captioned: 'We made it first year anniversary.'

Romantic break: The three-times married actor whisked away the French-Canadian model to Whistler, Canada

In another picture, she is seen holding a bouquet of wild flowers which the Parent Trap actor has picked for her.

She wrote: 'The most beautiful wild flower bouquet from my love  #whistler #beautifulviews #canadianrockies #naturelover #weekendwithmylove #canada #wildflowers #happygirl #beutifuldestinations #fourseasons' (sic).

The honey-haired stunner was clearly feeling the romance, as she referred to Quaid as her 'soulmate' in another heart-felt post.

Time for bubbles! She captioned: 'We made it first year anniversary'

Beautiful: The couple spent the weekend taking in the breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains

Blooming: In another picture, she is seen holding a bouquet of wild flowers which the Parent Trap actor has picked for her

Reach for the sky! The honey-haired stunner was clearly feeling the romance, as she referred to Quaid - who is over twice her age - as her 'soulmate' in another heart-felt post

Along with exploring local shops, the couple spent the weekend taking in the breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains.

She shared a snap of them mid-way up a mountain on a viewing platform, as she wrapped her arms around him.

Then it was clearly time to relax, as she posted a snap kicking back poolside with a Bloody Caesar in hand.

Father-of-three Quaid, who was married to Meg Ryan for ten years in the 1990s, makes regular appearances on Auzinas Instagram.

However, the actor has only posted three photos on his own account - two of which feature his girlfriend.

In April, Quaid posted a video in which he can be seen riding a roller coaster with Auzina apparently at Six Flags in California.
She's got one of the most individual and distinctive personal styles in showbusiness.

And Tilda Swinton was once again daring to be different when she attended the Vogue Party during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2017 on Tuesday, rocking an elegant silver frock.

The 56-year-old Hollywood heavyweight was looking lovely in the silk number, which boasted pretty beaded detailing at the neck and the sleeves.

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Stunning in silver: Tilda Swinton was once again daring to be different when she attended the Vogue Party during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2017 on Tuesday

Tilda's futuristic frock was cinched in at the waist with a matching sash, before falling to her ankles in soft pleats.

The Okja star completed her fashion forward look with a pair of metallic heels.

She sported barely-there make-up and a slicked back crop, adding to the overall ethereal effect.

Dazzling: The 56-year-old Hollywood heavyweight was looking lovely in the silk number, which boasted pretty beaded detailing at the neck and the sleeves

Elegant: Tilda's futuristic frock was cinched in at the waist with a matching sash, before falling to her ankles in soft pleats

The actress recently discussed her close friend George Clooney and his wife Amal's newborn twins.

Tilda is longtime friends with George after working together on 2007s Michael Clayton and went on to do 2008s Burn After Reading and 2016's Hail, Caesar!

'He's gonna need some sleeping pills!' she told People at the NYC premiere of her Netflix show Okja on Thursday.

Funky footwear: The Okja star completed her fashion forward look with a pair of metallic heels

Tilda has twins herself, who are now aged nine: Xavier and Honor.

And in the past George used to make fun of her for struggling with two kids who are at the same age.

'I have twins myself,' Swinton told UsWeekly.

'And he always used to laugh about me looking so tired when my twins were small. And now I have the last laugh.'
She never fails to look glamorous, whether on and off the red carpet.

And Sienna Miller certainly did not disappoint in the style stakes on Tuesday night, as she stunned in yet another chic ensemble at the Rockins Park Chinois bash in London.

The actress and model, 35, slipped her enviably slender frame into a slinky black silk midi dress as she lead the glamour at the star-studded party, to celebrate the brand's pop-up shop in Selfridges.

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Model material: Sienna Miller certainly did not disappoint in the style stakes on Tuesday night, as she stunned in yet another chic ensemble at the Rockins Park Chinois bash in London

The Foxcatcher star certainly set pulses racing in her sexy black slip dress as she posed at the bash, supported by Ciroc.

Pulling into delicate spaghetti straps, the midi frock then plunged into a perilously low-cut V neckline to give an ample glimpse of her delicate cleavage underneath.

Remaining straight and classic in style, the black silk number skimmed her tall and slender frame all the way to its sophisticated calf-hem.

Sexy: Pulling into delicate spaghetti straps, the midi frock plunged into a perilously low-cut V neckline to give an ample glimpse of her delicate cleavage underneath

Slinky: Remaining straight and classic in style, the black silk number then skimmed her tall and slender frame all the way to its sophisticated calf-hem

Keeping her look co-ordinated with barely-there black heels and a matching clutch bag, the blonde then jazzed up her toned down look with a colourful silk scarf, draped casually around her neck.

Proving her natural beauty to all, the Alfie star swept her blonde tresses into a loose ponytail - leaving her radiant complexion, accentuated by sweepings of bronzer and blusher, on full display.

Tying the outfit together with emerald drop earrings and a delicate gold watch, Sienna was effortlessly glamorous as she posed up a storm at the event.

Minimal: She kept her look co-ordinated with barely-there black heels and a matching clutch bag

Bright and beautiful: The blonde jazzed up her toned down look with a colourful silk scarf, draped casually around her neck

Twice as nice! Tying the outfit together with emerald drop earrings and a delicate gold watch, Sienna was effortlessly glamorous as she posed up a storm with Sienna Guillory (L)

Social butterfly: The beauty has been incredibly busy over the last few weeks, attending a number of fashionable events as well as the iconic Glastonbury festival last month

The blonde proved to be a social butterfly at the event, as she posed with a number of her fellow guests - including Sienna Guillory, Tori Cook and Rockins co-founder Jess Morris.

The beauty has been incredibly busy over the last few weeks, attending a number of fashionable events as well as the iconic Glastonbury festival last month.

It was at the famous music event that she was rumoured to have caught the eye of actor Brad Pitt - with sources claiming the pair were 'very intimate' and exploring the prospects of a summer romance.

However, insiders went on to confirm she is still dating Foxcatcher director Bennett Miller, and rubbished the claims to MailOnline by stating: 'Sienna's finding it all very funny with friends have been texting her about Brienna laughing'.

Bombshell: Proving her natural beauty to all, the Alfie star swept her blonde tresses into a loose ponytail - leaving her radiant complexion on full display

VIPs: Sienna looked to be having a ball as she posed beside Jess Morris, co-founder of Rockins - who were celebrating the launch of their pop-up shop during the evening

However, insiders went on to confirm she is still dating Foxcatcher director Bennett Miller, and rubbished the claims to MailOnline by stating: 'Sienna's finding it all very funny with friends have been texting her about Brienna laughing'.

Sienna joined a number of high-profile guests at the event - including typically quirky actress Sadie Frost.

The 52-year-old star stood out from the crowds in a vibrant trouser suit, of bright blue leopard print.

The outfit followed a pyjama style with a silk collared shirt and flared trousers, and left the top undone to reveal a thin black vest underneath - which gave a saucy flash of her bra and cleavage.

Wild thing: Sienna joined a number of high-profile guests at the event - including typically quirky actress Sadie Frost

Feeling blue? The 52-year-old star stood out from the crowds in a vibrant trouser suit, of bright blue leopard print

Natural beauty: Leaving her hair in its every day style and accessorising with dainty silver earrings, Sadie cut a casual but cool figure as she posed at the event

Leaving her hair in its every day style and accessorising with dainty silver earrings, Sadie cut a casual but cool figure as she posed with her suited and booted beau Darren Strowger.

The pair put on a united front at the bash, following recent rumours they had split after three years.

Back in May, the pair were seen enduring a tense and later emotional discussion at a cafe in Primrose Hill - but have attended multiple events together since.

Jamie Hince also attended the event with Lady Mary Charteris, alongside the likes of Karen Elson and Kara Rose Marshall.

Back on track: She also posed with her suited and booted beau Darren Strowger, following rumours they had split in May

Cool kids: Jamie Hince also attended the event with Lady Mary Charteris

Purple power: Karen Elson opted for a summery violet maxi dress (L) while Kara Rose Marshall opted for a navy and red striped suit with nothing but a bra underneath (R)
Her husband Dan Single returned to Sydney last month as he continues his recovery from a hotel balcony fall in Paris.

But Bambi Northwood Blyth remains on the other side of the world in Italy, with the 26-year-old putting on a sizzling display at the beach on Tuesday.

The brunette beauty showed off her very slender frame in a snap shared to Instagram, while rocking a matching bikini with fellow model Tahnee Atkinson, 25.

Twinning: Bambi Northwood Blyth (L) and Tahnee Atkinson (R) wore matching bikinis at the beach in Italy on Tuesday

One day after the stunning pals shared beaming snaps in revealing clothing, they continued frolicking at the beach - this time in skimpy maroon-coloured swimwear.

'On duty, on location,' Bambi wrote on Instagram with Tahnee captioning a similar snap: 'Rinse & Repeat.'

The IMG beauty and the former Australia's Next Top model winner both appeared to be makeup-free with wet locks as they soaked up sunrays.

BFFs: One day after the stunning pals shared beaming snaps in revealing clothing, they continued frolicking at the beach - this time in skimpy maroon-coloured swimwear

Bambi's beachside outing follows weeks of fun in the sun in various exotic locations, including Ibiza, amid speculation that her marriage to Dan, 39, is 'on the rocks.'

Bambi remains in Europe despite husband Dan recently returning to Sydney, three months after he fell from a hotel balcony in Paris.

Slender physique: Bambi's beachside outing follows weeks of fun in the sun in various exotic locations, including Ibiza, amid speculation that her marriage to Dan, 39, is 'on the rocks'

Trouble in paradise? A source close to Bambi revealed the model was left 'mortified' after her husband Dan's $250,000 Go Fund Me campaign

On Sunday, a source told The Daily Telegraph that the pair are currently living apart as the future of their marriage remains unknown.

'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.

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.
It was only two weeks ago that she was seen kissing her rumoured love interest Andrew Grey in a pub in London.

But Lara Stone appeared to have caught the affections of another handsome hunk on Tuesday night, as she was spotted looking cosy with Jon Kortajarena.

The Dutch beauty, 33, was seen clasping hands with the Spanish model, 32, as they made their way out of the Vogue bash during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, before he planted an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

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New romance: Lara Stone appeared to have caught the affections of another handsome hunk on Tuesday night, as model Jon Kortajarena was spotted planting a kiss on her cheek

Lara was seen leaning into the handsome hunk's arms outside the bash, as he gave her a heart-felt smooch.

Having risen to fame in the modelling world, Lara looked typically chic in a gold sequin dress, paired with racy thigh-high boots.

However despite her shimmering ensemble, it was her company that caught the most attention - as she headed out to party after the star-studded event with Spanish model Jon.

Clad in a trendy black suit jacket adorned with vintage gold buttons, the hunk cut a very handsome figure as he led the blonde out of the bash by the hand.

Public: The Dutch beauty, 33, was seen clasping hands with the Spanish model, 32, as they made their way out of the Vogue bash during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

Turning to smile at her on numerous occasions, the brunette was then seen fooling around for cameras as they posed outside - before escorting her out into the French capital.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of Lara for comment.

Jon, who is an actor as well as model, has bagged campaigns for the likes of Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani and Versace, and has 1.3 million followers on Instagram.

However, Lara's seemingly cosy display with the model comes just two weeks after she was seen kissing her rumoured boyfriend Andrew Grey in London.

Leading the way: The handsome hunk beamed as he led her out of the venue

All that glitters: Having risen to fame in the modelling world, Lara looked typically chic in a gold sequin dress, paired with racy thigh-high boots

What a pair: Despite her shimmering ensemble, it was her company that caught the most attention - as she headed out to party after the star-studded event with Spanish model Jon

Leading the way: Clad in a trendy black suit jacket adorned with vintage gold buttons, the hunk cut a very handsome figure as he led the blonde out of the bash by the hand

Sweet: The hunk was seen turning to smile at her on numerous occasions

Lara was seen locking lips with the handsome brunette during an al-fresco meal in the sunshine - before they headed off to continue their day together in the city.

The blonde and her mystery companion have been spotted together on multiple occasions, having first been romantically linked back in April.

The alleged romance comes after she was reportedly linked to fellow model Jordan Barrett, 20 - who were seen putting on an amorous display at the Cannes Film Festival.

She has been previously married to Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams, whom she shares three-year-old son Alfred with.

They had married back in 2010 at London's Claridge's, but confirmed their split five years later.

Say cheese: The pair then posed together outside the party, before he escorted her out into the French capital

Model material: Jon, who is an actor as well as model, has bagged campaigns for the likes of Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani and Versace

Popular: He also has 1.3 million followers on Instagram, where he often documents his glamorous days out

In demand: However, Lara's seemingly cosy display with the model comes just two weeks after she was seen kissing rumoured boyfriend Andrew Grey in London

The blonde shot to fame as a model at the age of 12 when she was scouted in Paris, and has gone on to score a number of contracts all over the globe.

Known for her seemingly stern expression, Lara recently admitted that the look was just her natural face - and causes many to think she is constantly angry.

She explained of her pout: 'That's just the way my face looks. I haven't got a naturally smiley face.

'But then there are some people who have really friendly faces, even when they're pissed off, and I imagine that would be more annoying.'

Model duo: The camera-loving pair certainly made an attractive couple

Smacker: It looked as though Jon couldn't get enough of his blonde beauty

Beaming: The duo smiled at the cameras before he led her away

Good spirits! Jon appeared thrilled at his catch
She's one of many celebrity Hillsong devotees, including Selena Gomez, Cody Simpson and Vanessa Hudgens.

But despite the church's legion of notable fans, Hailey Baldwin has insisted to Yahoo7 Be that being part of the church is not 'about making religion cool' but rather 'vocalising (that) spirituality is OK'.

The 20-year-old's comments come prior to ex Justin Bieber's return to Australia on Monday to attend the worship group's five-day conference.

'We're not trying to make religion cool': Justin Bieber's ex Hailey Baldwin says Hillsong's celebrity devotion simply vocalises that 'spirituality is OK'

'I don't think it's about making religion cool. I think it's about vocalising (that) spirituality is OK,' the model told the publication during a past Australian trip.

'I started going to that church on my own when I was 17 or 16,' she explained.

While in Sydney late last year, the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin revealed that she visited Hillsong HQ to meet the church's founder Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie.

Speaking out: 'I don't think it's about making religion cool. I think it's about vocalising (that) spirituality is OK,' the model told the publication during a past Australian trip

Devoted: 'I started going to that church on my own when I was 17 or 16,' Hailey explained

High-profile: Hailey and Justin, 23, appeared to confirm their romance with a series of flirty snaps shared to Instagram in January 2016. However by March that same year, their relationship looked to have cooled off

'I've known them for a while and I wanted to be able to go see Brian and Bobbie who started the church out here,' she said.

Hailey's comments come prior to ex Justin;'s return to Australia on Monday to attend Hillsong's five-day conference in Sydney.

The event commenced on Tuesday night at Qudos Bank Arena, and concludes on July 7.

According to the group's website, the conference 'is all about championing the cause of THE Church of Jesus Christ - across every nation, denomination, age and background.'

Case of the ex: Hailey's comments come prior to Justin's return to Australia on Monday to attend Hillsong's five-day conference in Sydney

Sighting: Prior to the conference's start, the 23-year-old hitmaker went shirtless as he strolled along Sydney's Bondi Beach

It inspires leaders and believers alike to 'make a difference in their sphere of influence for Kingdoms cause. It equips the church with God-breathed sessions, practical tools, and connection.'

This is not Justin's first trip to Australia to attend a major Hillsong church event.

In June 2015, the 23-year-old flew into Sydney to attend another five-day conference, along with ex-girlfriend Hailey.

After the event, he left Sydney with Hillsong pastor Joel Houston, whose father Brian founded the Australian movement.

Familiar face: Justin has been accompanied on the trip Down Under with well-known Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz (left)

Celebrity devotees: The worship group has a legion of notable followers, including Justin's ex Selena Gomez, 24

In March this year, Justin also attended Hillsong's Australia Colour Conference launch.

During that trip he was also joined by pastor Carl Lentz, who has been previously called a 'rock star preacher'.

Hailey and Justin appeared to confirm their romance with a series of flirty snaps shared to Instagram in January 2016.

However by March that same year, their relationship looked to have cooled off.

She's a fan: Actress Vanessa Hudgens, 28, is also a Hillsong worshipper
They fondly merged their monikers to dub themselves CaKe and even made merchandise emblazoned with their nickname.

And despite not being seen in each other's company for months, Cara Delevigne and Kendall Jenner revealed their friendship was still as strong as ever as they left the VOGUE party on Tuesday evening in Paris donning equally short dresses.

Showing off their long pins, Kendall and Cara - 21 and 24-years-old respectively - swiftly descended the steps from the event, heading off into the evening together.

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Pins out in Paris! Kendall Jenner leaves VOGUE Fashion Week event looking pally with Cara Delevingne as both ladies showcase leggy looks in tiny party dresses

Super chic: Kendall looked sensational in the figure-hugging navy number, featuring a pleated skirt, and accessorized with close to 1 million worth of Lorraine Schwartz jewelry

The pair kept close to one another as they made their way through those outside the party - which was being hosted in the Palais Galliera.

Each of the girls was clutching her phone in one hand; but both kept one arm free for support in case they needed to grab the other as they walked out of the prestigious event through the crowds outside.

Kendall looked sensational in the figure-hugging navy number which showcased a high-neck and square shoulders.

The outfit was a Mugler Fall 2017 dress, with a bottom half that featured a pleated skirt, half in midnight blue velvet and half in a shiny black fabric.

Into the night: The pair kept close to one another as they made their way through those outside the party - which was being hosted in the Palais Galliera

Leggy ladies: Cara went arm-in-arm with gal pal Kendall Jenner, who was rocking a Mugler Fall 2017 dress

Legs eleven: She wore strappy black heels and statement earrings, with a matching ring on one finger

Kendall accessorized her chic ensemble with a pair of black strappy sandals - and close to 1 million worth of jewelry from Lorraine Schwartz, donning a pair of statement earrings and a matching ring from the high-end brand.

She kept her raven locks swept up on top of her head, tied back into a tight bun.

Her make-up was bronzed, typically highlighting her sharp eyebrows and oval eyes.

Pals: Each of the girls was clutching her phone in one hand; but both kept one arm free for support in case they needed to grab the other as they walked out of the prestigious event through the crowds outside

New do: Cara sported her new cropped blonde hair do as she stepped alongside her friend

Cara sported her new cropped blonde hair do as she stepped alongside her friend.

She chose to highlight her slender legs in a tiny slip dress, wearing a blazer over her shoulders for added style points.

The black number was matched with simple black stilettos and the model/actress layered several silver necklaces around her neck.

She was also sure to add a touch of bling to her hairdo thanks to quirky silver head jewels that were lined along the back of her mane.

That takes the CaKe! Cara and Kendall fondly merged their monikers to dub themselves CaKe and even made merchandise emblazoned with their nickname

Flying solo: Cara had arrived at the fashion bash on her own, layering up in a tailored blazer

Legs eleven! Cara flaunted her enviably lean pins in a pair of towering stilettos

Dazzling: Cara ensured all eyes would be on her as she strutted through the streets

Superstar coming through: Cara was flanked by security as she headed into the bash

The outing proved the pair were still firm friends, despite rumours of a fall out.

It had been claimed the best friends concocted the plan to flog clothes last year baring their CaKe logo, but fell out after Kendall's momager Kris Jenner wanted to trademark CaKe by Kendall and Cara, putting her daughter's name first.

Kendall insisted the rumours were false, however, announcing: 'When we went to Glastonbury, we wore those CaKe'shirts, but we just got them made at a store down the street! It was never a real thing, just something between us.'
She's worked hard to get into shape with the help of her new fitness regime.

And Jessica Wright was looking the picture of health when she stepped out in London on Tuesday night, heading out for a light sushi dinner at Nobu.

The 31-year-old reality star, who quit The Only Way Is Essex in 2016 after five years on the show, sported a simple yet sophisticated blue dress.

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Out and about: Jessica Wright was looking the picture of health when she stepped out in London on Tuesday night, heading out for a light sushi dinner at Nobu

Jessica's demure number was fitted at the waist, emphasising her hourglass shape.

The knee-length navy number boasted double frill detailing on the sleeves, adding extra interest to the frock.

She kept her accessories coordinated, matching her patent nude clutch to her summery heels.

Curves: Jessica's demure number was fitted at the waist, emphasising her hourglass shape

Cute: The knee-length navy number boasted double frill detailing on the sleeves, adding extra interest to the frock

Stylish from head-to-toe: She kept her accessories coordinated, matching her patent nude clutch to her summery heels

Enjoying herself: Jess was in her element as she headed out with a male friend

The brunette beauty was fresh from her visit to Los Angeles, making a welcome return to the UK party scene over the weekend when she stepped out at the Aruna Seth Shoe Event.

The TV star looked ladylike in a ruffle embellished lace blouse and a green suede miniskirt.

Jessica upped the sex appeal by donning a white bandeau bralet underneath her sheer top.

Putting her best foot forward: Jessica Wright was making a welcome return to the UK party scene when she stepped out at the Aruna Seth Shoe Event in London on Friday night

The thigh-skimming mini highlighted her toned legs, making the most of her post-LA bronzed glow.

The fitness fan rounded off her look with a pair of strappy white heels and a bouncy blow dry.

Speaking to MailOnline recently Jessica discussed how she is finally happy in her own skin after sticking to a seven-week fitness regime - and how conquering self-doubt has made her determined to find love.

Cute look: The 31-year-old former TOWIE star looked ladylike in a ruffle embellished lace blouse and a green suede miniskirt

Just a hint of skin: Jessica upped the sex appeal by donning a white bandeau bralet underneath her sheer top

Describing her fitness journey as she launches her brand new Fi7ness by Jessica Wright regime, she explained: 'I needed to do it for my own self confidence and own self loving.

'How can you expect someone to love you when you don't love yourself? There was definitely a time in my life when I was lacking in that area.

'Whereas now I feel like I am completely in control of myself and where I am. I am in a happy place.

Toned and tanned: The thigh-skimming mini highlighted her toned legs, making the most of her post-LA bronzed glow

Looking good: The fitness fan rounded off her look with a pair of strappy white heels and a bouncy blow dry

'I'm dating a lot at the moment and while I'm not necessarily looking for love, if it comes around then great.'

Asked if she would like a romance like her brother, TV presenter Mark Wright, 30, and his actress wife Michelle Keegan, 29, - who recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary - she said: 'Yeah obviously of course.'

Jessica's most high-profile romance was her long-term relationship with former TOWIE co-star Ricky Rayment, 26.

Body confident: Jessica has confessed she is finally happy in her own skin after sticking to a seven-week fitness regime

New project: The star is focused on her new Fi7ness by Jessica Wright regime




Kim Kardashian really went to extremes for the July 4 holiday weekend.

Posting what appeared to have been a throwback photo from her 2015 interview and photo shoot with Rolling Stone magazine, the 36-year-old took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a photo of herself in a patriotic ensemble.

In the photo, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star appears to be wearing a bodysuit printed with the American flag.

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Holiday spirit: Kim Kardashian took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a photo of herself in a patriotic ensemble

She's also seen wearing a novelty necklace, which features three huge stars - one red, one white and one blue.

The sexy reality star can be seen playfully twirling her hair while sucking on a red and white popsicle and seductively staring at the camera.

But the patriotic picture appeared to be in stark contrast to how she actually spent her July 4 long weekend.

On Monday night, Kim took to Snapchat to share a series of photos from her plastic surgeon's office.

Getting work done... On Monday night, Kim took to Snapchat to share a series of photos from her plastic surgeon's office

Call the doctor... The social media star posted a photo of her doctor, Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon Dr Jason Diamond

The social media star posted a photo of her doctor, Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon Dr Jason Diamond.

The photo appeared to have been taken in his surgery, with Dr Diamond - who specializes in facial surgeries - seen dressed in dark blue scrubs.

Other photos show the brunette bombshell lying back in the surgeon's chair, while Dr Diamond performs some sort of a procedure on her face.

Nip-tuck: Other photos show the brunette bombshell lying back in the surgeon's chair, while Dr Diamond performs some sort of a procedure on her face

Something of a pro... 'I'm totally not against plastic surgery,' she revealed in a candid interview back in 2010

Snapping a series of selfies, Kim can be seen wearing a white robe, her long dark hair wrapped up in a white towel.

Applying a Snapchat filter to her photos, Kim gave herself an animated flower wreath around her head.

In an interview with ABC News' Nightline back in 2010, Kim admitted she doesn't shy away from plastic surgery procedures.

'I'm totally not against plastic surgery,' she revealed, as reported by New York Daily News.
He starred on Australian Survivor and recently debuted on Channel Ten soap Neighbours.

And Sam Webb made the most of his newfound fame, as he attended the launch of Enjoy Life Foods, in Sydney on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old cut a casual figure in a T-shirt, paired with cropped trousers, a bomber jacket and Adidas sneakers.

Reality star perks! Australian Survivor's Sam Webb, 29, made the most of his newfound fame, as he attended the launch of Enjoy Life Foods, in Sydney on Tuesday

Sam appeared carefree and relaxed as he posed for photos on a private Sydney rooftop.

The personality opted for a slim-fitting white T-shirt, teamed with cropped beige trousers and a black bomber jacket, left unzipped.

Sam finished off the look with a pair of squeaky clean Adidas sneakers and a statement silver watch.

While at the launch of the product line that caters to those with food allergies and intolerances, the muscled hunk posed for photos with socialites Jill Wright and Christopher Haggarty.

Cool and casual: The personality opted for a slim-fitting white T-shirt, cropped beige trousers, a black bomber jacket, white Adidas sneakers and a silver statement watch

Mingling: While at the event, Sam posed for photos with socialites Jill Wright and Christopher Haggarty

Specific: The product line caters to those with food allergies and intolerances

The sighting comes shortly after Sam debuted on long-running Channel Ten soap Neighbours, as Mannix Foster.

Sam took to Instagram one week ago, gushing over his most recent gig.

A snap of the bearded lad holding the iconic Ramsay Street sign, was captioned: 'Livin my Dream! Tomorrow night my first episode of @neighbours will be hitting the TV screens.

'Thank you to all the cast and crew for making my experience so memorable. Enjoy,' Sam continued, alongside the hash-tags #grateful and #actor.

Proud as punch: The sighting comes shortly after Sam debuted on long-running Channel Ten soap Neighbours, as Mannix Foster. The charity CEO took to Instagram one week ago, gushing over his most recent gig

Branching out: After filming reality TV program Australian Survivor in Samoa, Sam admitted to The Daily Telegraph that he was interested in an acting role

Fans reaped praise on Sam with one in particular, commenting: 'You've come a long way from the 18yr old I met at Escapes Club 10yrs ago!! Keep up the amazing work you're doing champion!!!!!'

While his Survivor co-star Lee Carseldine said: 'Yeh bro!!!! So happy for you mate'.

After filming for the reality game show wrapped up on the Samoan Island, the charity CEO admitted he was interested in an acting role.

'I've had a few auditions that I've had to turn away, but when I'm back on my feet, I'll give it my best crack,' Sam told The Daily Telegraph, having previously revealed that he turned down a role on Channel Seven's Home And Away.
Hailey Baldwin showed off her enviable figure as she posed in a plunging top and teeny denim mini skirt on Independence Day.

The 20-year-old blonde was among a group of top models gathered in The Hamptons for a Revolve event.

Hailey's long limbs were on full display thanks to her skimpy ensemble that she paired with stunning gold jewelry.

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Flawless: Hailey Baldwin showed off her enviable figure as she posed in a plunging top and teeny denim mini skirt on Independence Day at a Revolve party in The Hamptons

The daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin wore her highlighted tresses pulled back from her face.

She added large hoop earrings and several neck chains along with a statement wristwatch.

She encased her feet in chunky bright white sneakers with Velcro fasteners.

Hailey joined with Romee Strijd and Jasmine Tookes for the July 4 promotion.

Leggy look: The 20-year-old blonde's long limbs were on full display thanks to her skimpy ensemble that she paired with stunning gold jewelry and bright white sneakers

Cathartic: The daughter of Stephen Baldwin demonstrated her muscle in the carnival game, high striker

Model trio: Baldwin joined Victoria's Secret Angels Romee Strijd and Jasmine Tookes

The Victoria's Secret Angels also put their model bodies on show in summer-themed ensembles.

Dutch model Romee, 21, sported a monochrome check off-the-shoulder top knotted at the bust.

The long-sleeved blouse revealed plenty of skin as it showcased her cleavage and her midriff.

She added a pair of blue jeans ripped at the knees and some tan slides.

Had flare: Dutch model Romee, 21, bared plenty of skin in a monochrome check off-the-shoulder top knotted at the bust and paired with ripped jeans

Romee added a ja8unty peaked cap as she posed for photos with Jasmine, 26

Playful: The two beauties goofed around on the grass for the cameras

Revealing outfit: Justine Cuenco rocked a red bandeau bikini top with matching relaxed pants that showcased her lean looks; Fiji water was served

She rocked a large tan peaked cap over her long blonde hair.

The star later changed it up by replacing the denims with a white wraparound mini skirt.

Romee goofed around for the camera with Jasmine, 26.

The American model wore a pretty midnight blue mini dress decorated with white stars.

Stunning: The American model wore a pretty midnight blue mini dress decorated with white stars. The number was slit to the navel and cinched at the waist with a wide white leather belt

Social media savvy: Jasmine and Romee spent some time taking selfies

Cool for the summer: Christine Evangelista, 30, the actress cousin of model Linda, was also in attendance. She wore a white shirt dress with rolled-up sleeves

The number was slit to the navel, had three-quarter sleeves and was cinched at the waist with a wide white leather belt.

Justine Cuenco rocked a red bandeau bikini top with matching relaxed pants that showcased her lean looks.

Christine Evangelista, 30, the actress cousin of model Linda, was also in attendance.

She wore a white shirt dress with rolled-up sleeves. The thigh-skimming hem revealed her long legs and she sported large round sunglasses.

'Red, White And Rose!' Also enjoying the Moet-sponsored bash was Cara Santana

Long Island bash: The 33-year-old Santa Clarita Diet guest star sported a sheer top featuring well-placed stripes, matching stripe-sided blue jeans, and gleaming white sneakers

Solo mission? Not pictured with Santana was her fiance Jesse Metcalfe, who was also enjoying the Hamptons with his 'Ride or Die'

Also enjoying the Moet-sponsored bash was Cara Santana.

The 33-year-old Santa Clarita Diet guest star sported a sheer top featuring well-placed stripes, matching stripe-sided blue jeans, and gleaming white sneakers.

Not pictured with Santana was her fiance Jesse Metcalfe, who was also enjoying the Hamptons with his 'Ride or Die'
They are set to appear together on Channel Seven's Hell's Kitchen.

And Pettifleur Berenger revealed on Wednesday's The Morning Show that she gave her co-star Sam Frost, 28, advice on life while filming for the show.

'It's about switching your inner b**ch,' the 52-year-old told co-hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies, referencing her own literary work 'Switch The B**ch'.

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'I told her to switch your inner b**ch': Pettifleur Berenger,52, revealed on Wednesday's The Morning Show that she gave life advice to Hell's Kitchen co-star Sam Frost, 28

Recalling a time on the Hell's Kitchen set where Sam exclaimed 'Oh my life' in a negative tone, Pettifleur said: 'I told her, her life was fantastic.'

'I'm about inspiring other women and everyone, and whoever wants to listen to me, that is,' the author continued.

'I'm no Doctor Phil but I like to be able to say something that when they walk away it's stuck in the back of their mind.

'I wrote a book called 'Switch The B**ch'. It's about switching your inner b**ch. It's about not being a b**ch,' Pettifleur explained.

Her strategy: 'I wrote a book called 'Switch The Bitch'. It's about switching your inner bitch. It's about not being a bitch,' Pettifleur explained to co-hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies

Making headlines: Sam, who is set to debut alongside Pettifleur in Channel Seven's Hell's Kitchen, has had an eventful past year

Sam, who previously starred on The Bachelor and Bachelorette, has had an eventful past year.

Just last week, Southern Cross Austereo confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that Sam will no longer be a part of the network, while her nightly radio show with Rove McManus will also be axed.

'Rove and Sam's 7-8 pm show on the Hit Network will finish up today, June 30,' a spokeswoman told DMA last Friday.

Chopping block: Just last week, Southern Cross Austereo confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that Sam will no longer be a part of the network while her nightly radio show with Rove McManus will also be axed

Parting ways: 'Rove's remaining within the SCA family and working on a new project with another part of our business. Sam's contract has now ended and we wish her well with her coming up TV work,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia

'Rove's remaining within the SCA family and working on a new project with another part of our business. Sam's contract has now ended and we wish her well with her coming up TV work,' the source continued.

Previously on air during the prime time breakfast slot, the duo's show was pared back and pushed to a less popular time of 7pm - 8pm in January due to poor ratings.

Sam's career news came just weeks after she was pictured stumbling out of a Sydney bar during a day out with her girlfriends.

Calling time: And following months of breakup rumours, Sam finally announced her split from boyfriend Sasha Mielczarek, 32, in December last year: 'After 18 months together, Sam Frost and Sasha Mielczarek have come to a mutual decision to end their relationship,' a statement at the time read

The images showed the blonde appearing a little worse for wear as she made her way out of the Darlo Country Club in Darlinghurst on a Saturday afternoon.

Other images, as well as video footage from the day, also showed the former finance assistant performing a bizarre act in front of her pals.

And following months of breakup rumours, Sam finally announced her split from boyfriend Sasha Mielczarek, 32, in December last year.

'After 18 months together, Sam Frost and Sasha Mielczarek have come to a mutual decision to end their relationship,' a statement at the time read.

'It is important to stress that there is no bitterness or scandal, they have just come to the realisation that the best way forward is to separate,' part of it read, adding that they remain friends.

But it appears Sam's luck in love may be turning around once again, with sources close to the star confirming she's currently dating Dave Bashford.
She announced she was leaving The Real Housewives Of Melbourne earlier this year.

But it appears Pettifleur Berenger will soon join a line-up of international stars from the reality TV franchise in New York.

The 52-year-old told The Morning Show on Wednesday she's been asked to appear in an all-star 'mini-series' with a group of Housewives.

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Making moves: Pettifleur Berenger told The Morning Show on Wednesday she's been invited to join a line-up of international stars from the Real Housewives franchise for a spin-off set in NYC

Pettifleur explained how former Real Housewives Of New York star Jill Zarin invited her to a 'weekend in the Hamptons' for her 'fifth annual luxury luncheon'.

'It's for all the ladies of the Housewives franchise around the world and I'm one of the only lucky ones from Australia who has been invited,' she added.

Host Kylie Gillies asked her if the occasion was being filmed for a new program.

'It's for all the ladies of the Housewives franchise around the world and I'm one of the only lucky ones from Australia who has been invited,' Pettifleur revealed

'They are planning to do a little mini-series,' she revealed.

'There's talks about us going into a share house, with some of the Housewives from around the world,' she added. 'Can you imagine how much fun that would be?'

Co-host Larry Emdur asked why she was invited to participate in the experiment.

So much drama! 'There's talks about us going into a share house, with some of the Housewives from around the world' she added. 'Can you imagine how much fun that would be?'

'I have to be very humble here. I was told I was very loved in the States, I have a massive fan base,' she continued. 'I'm very fortunate.'

The property developer, who will appear on Hell's Kitchen Australia this year, also explained her reason for leaving Real Housewives Of Melbourne.

'As much as I have been so privileged and so honoured to be on a fabulous show like RHOM, it was time to venture into different things in my life,' she stated.
Laura Csortan has lashed out again over 'heartbreaking accusations' that she's 'dating' Anthony Bell after the pair were spotted on a Gold Coast getaway.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday, the 40-year-old stated: 'There is no truth to this vicious and hurtful rumour and I am not dating Anthony Bell. He is nothing more than a friend'.

The former Adelaide beauty queen made the denial after pictures surfaced in The Sunday Telegraph of Anthony, Laura and her seven-month-old daughter Layla holidaying together on Queensland's Gold Coast last week.

Denial: Laura Csortan has lashed out over 'heartbreaking accusations' that she's 'dating' Anthony Bell (L) after the pair were spotted on a Gold Coast getaway, stating, 'He is nothing more than a friend'

She fired back at the 'hurtful and cruel insinuation' she and the celebrity accountant were in a relationship.

Earlier on Tuesday, the beauty took to Instagram to slam the publication for its 'cruel insinuation' she was in a relationship with Anthony.

'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.

Laura emphatically denied the pair were romantically involved, after the publication claimed they once dated.

Friends: Anthony  who has a Bell Partners office in Brisbane - has visited Queensland several times in recent months and spent time with Laura

'Anthony is one of my closest friends and we are not (nor have we ever been) in a coupled relationship,' she said.

The former model 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.

Dad's the word: '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

Legal matters: It comes just weeks after a judge dismissed an apprehended violence order application against Kelly Landry's estranged husband

The accountant has denied he was the child's father, telling the Daily Telegraph, 'There is absolutely no truth to that rumour.'

Laura has refused to reveal the identity of her daughter's father, saying 'he doesn't want to be involved.'

Anthony married actress Kelly in 2011 and the pair have two daughters  Charlize, five, and Thea, three  together.

Clap back: The former model also fired back at the 'insinuation' Anthony Bell was the father of her child

In her heartfelt Instagram post, Laura went on to say that she and her family were helping Anthony through his relationship break down with former Getaway star Kelly Landry, which has featured heavily in the public eye in recent months.

'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 television presenter claimed she was unfairly treated by The Sunday Telegraph and its journalist Annette Sharp.

She claimed she was blindsided by the story and the 'heart breaking accusations'.

Not fair: The TV presenter said she and her family were helping Anthony through his relationship break down with former Getaway star Kelly Landry

Help from a mate: She said she and her family were helping Anthony (pictured arriving to court in May) through his relationship break down

'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.'

Split: Kelly Landry (pictured) and Mr Bell's marriage break down captivated much of Australia as it was publicly dragged through the courts

The actress 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,' he 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.'

Not impressed: '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,' he said

The Footy Show presenter Erin Molan also offered her support for her good friend Laura.

The TV host, who was unwillingly 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.

Erin was forced to defend herself against claims she was romantically involved with Anthony months earlier  claims she strenuously denied.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Laura Csortan for comment.
Teen Mom 2 star Briana DeJesus has shared the first picture of her baby daughter.

The reality star, 23, welcomed her second child on Sunday with MTV News reporting that she and little Stella Star were doing well.

On Tuesday, she posted a cute pic to Instagram showing the infant wrapped in a red, white and blue toweling blanket with the caption: 'My StellyBelly girl'

Welcome to the world: Briana DeJesus shared the first photo of newborn daughter Stella Star with her social media followers on Tuesday. The child was born on Sunday

The tot, who has her eyes closed, wears a knit cap with a white bow on the top.

On Sunday, Briana had shared the news of her baby's birth on social media, calling it 'a blessing.'

She posted an image of the child's footprints, showing that the baby measured at 19.5 inches and weighed 6 pounds and 11.6 ounces.

The Orlando, Florida native also has a five-year-old daughter named Nova.

New mother again: : The new mom-of-two, whose pregnancy will be detailed in the new season of Teen Mom 2 starting July 17 on MTV, is pictured at her baby shower-birthday party in May

DeJesus told her fans in January that she was becoming a parent twice over via her Snapchat account.

In a series of images she posted, she wrote, 'Looks like Nova wont be an only child anymore,' adding that she was super-excited for her July due date.

DeJesus, who in March inked on with Teen Mom 2, initially appeared on MTV's 16 and Pregnant in 2012 amid her pregnancy with Nova and travails with Nova's father, Devoin Austin.

She said she doesn't have a strong co-parenting relationship with Austin, who she said was 'not the best father he should be to Nova' on a Teen Mom OG after-show.

She's slated to share her second pregnancy journey when Teen Mom 2 returns to MTV on July 17.
An Australian disposable coffee pod entrepreneur has landed the biggest financial investment in Shark Tank history.

Kane Bodiam's business, named iCapsulate, sparked a heated bidding war between the Channel Ten show's panel, before he finally settled on $2.5 million for a 22.5% share.

He cut the deal with multi-millionaire Andrew Banks, but not before a fiery exchange with other potential investor Steve Baxter, who criticised Kane's practices.

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Overnight millionaire! Australian disposable coffee pod entrepreneur Kane Bodiam has landed the biggest financial investment in Shark Tank history, taking home $2.5m

After walking in with hopes of scoring $2.5 million in exchange for 15.5% of the company, Kane settled on the best deal.

Andrew came down from his initial 25% offer to beat Naomi Simon and Petbarn heavyweight Dr Glen Richards, who offered 33.33% and 40% respectively.

The panel were bowled over by the iCapsulate CEO's cool, calm and collected pitch and equally impressive resume.

Shark's taken the bait! He cut the deal with multi-millionaire Andrew Banks, but not before a fiery exchange with other potential investor Steve Baxter, who criticised Kane's practices

'We have contracts with Australia and NZ's largest coffee companies...' Kane announced in the pitch.

'We're the largest in southern hemisphere we produce 35 million capsules per annum,' he added, before claiming that total would rise to 55 million in 2018.

The ultimate sticking point for investing with the already-booming business was Kane's prior experience in a competitive industry.

Success: The ultimate sticking point for investing with the already-booming business was Kane's prior experience in a competitive industry

He recounted his rise from head of technical at Douwe Egberts, before being poached by Gloria Jeans worldwide.

'I launched CaffItaly for Gloria Jeans into Woolworths and seeing the success of that I decided to start my own company,' he confidently stated on the show.

Ironically, divisive shark Steve Baxter, who heavily criticised Kane's numbers, before launching personal attacks on fellow-investors, did not put forward an offer.

'I launched CaffItaly for Gloria Jeans': He recounted his rise from head of technical at Douwe Egberts, before being poached by Gloria Jeans worldwide

After slamming Kane's claim icapsulate could produce biodegradable coffee capsules of higher quality for a cheaper price, he turned his insults elsewhere.

He used a cruel analogy to argue against Kane going with Petbarn's Dr Glen.

'If you are after some cat food  you ask Glen,' he barked.

'So if you want to take a business that sells pigs ears and have it sell a lot more pigs ears, then Glens your bloke.'

It eventually led to an on-set squabble, in which Steve yells: 'I am speaking! I am speaking! For Christs sakes, its my money and Im here to talk to the bloke.'
She's the busy mum who welcomed her two boys within 11 months of each other.

And former Home and Away star Christie Hayes has revealed her youngest son Harley's first word was a rather naughty one.

The 30-year-old told The Morning Show on Wednesday: 'I can't repeat it!'

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'I can't repeat it, but it rhymes with pit!': Ex-Home and Away star Christie Hayes has revealed her youngest son Harley's first word was a rather naughty one

Christie then cheekily admitted the word 'rhymes with "pit".'

'Can I say that?' she laughed. 'My child speaks French!'

Christie, best known for playing Kristy Phillips on Home and Away has swapped TV acting for a job hosting Illawarra's i98FM breakfast show.

New direction: Christie, best known for playing Kristy Phillips on Home and Away has swapped TV acting for a job hosting Illawarra's i98FM breakfast show

It was just six weeks after she gave birth to her son Hendrix, in October 2014, that Christie discovered she was pregnant with her second child.

The former Summer Bay resident shares her boys with husband Daniel White, who she married last August.

Daniel gave up his job as a wine broker to be a stay-at-home father.

Busy mum! It was just six weeks after she gave birth to her son Hendrix, in October 2014, that Christie discovered she was pregnant with her second child

Christie admits this decision has earned the couple disapproving comments.

'There's this weird expectation it's not an ongoing thing,' she told The Morning Show.

'He likes being at home, it's where he thrives and I am grateful to him.'
More than 500 California high school students will have to retake Advanced Placement tests if they want a shot at college credit, because their school didnt abide by the required seating arrangement in the exam room.

The College Board and the Educational Testing Service, which administers AP exams, announced Friday that they will invalidate the scores of 847 tests taken in May by 540 students at Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego.

Students will have the chance to retake the tests in July or August. Some will have to cancel scheduled vacations and other planned activities to do so, according to local media reports.

Scripps Ranch High School leaders shared the news in a letter to parents Friday night, noting that they strongly disagreed with the companies decision to invalidate the scores.

No one is alleging that students cheated on the test. But students were sitting too close to one another when they took the exams, in violation of a two-year-old seating-arrangement policy that is meant to ensure test security, College Board officials said.

Students are supposed to sit at eight-foot-long tables without any partitions, but at Scripps Ranch, they were sitting at six-foot-long tables with partitions, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune .

Leaders in the San Diego Unified School District criticized the companies decision to invalidate the test scores. Board member Kevin Besier, who represents the neighborhood that includes Scripps Ranch, told the Union-Tribune that while hes disappointed seating rules werent followed, he thinks invalidating the scores is an overreaction.

The College Board defended the decision. Seating rules are in place to ensure that no students can gain an unfair advantage over other students, company spokeswoman Jaslee Carayol said in a statement.

This difficult decision is not an indication of wrongdoing on the part of Scripps Ranch students. The decision was made to ensure every AP student has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge.

Eight teachers have agreed to return to school to teach refresher courses for the students before they have to take the tests again. The school has also decided to open its library at set times over the summer to let students check out test-review books.

The College Board said it understands the difficulty of an unfortunate situation, and pledged to work with the school to make it as easy as possible for students.

Scripps Ranchs vice-principal told the Union-Tribune that 700 to 800 students took AP exams, but not all were in seating arrangements that violated testing protocols.

District officials said they regret the lapse in established procedure, and are conducting an internal review of AP testing procedures at its high schools. A new test proctor will be assigned to Scripps Ranch High, they said.

College Board officials said problems with seating arrangements have happened before, but occur very infrequently.

Photo: Getty Images
He's the Gold Logie-winning television presenter who co-hosts the Today show.

And Karl Stefanovic has been chosen to host Channel Nine's anticipated new series, This Time Next Year.

The 42-year-old will helm the reality-based show celebrating Australians who are tackling monumental personal goals during the most challenging year of their lives.

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New gig: Karl Stefanovic has been chosen to host Channel Nine's anticipated new series, This Time Next Year

Episodes see everyday people pledging to change their lives by 'this time next year' to overcome a setback, find love, reunite with a relative or achieve a world record.

The result of each year-long story will be revealed in an instant, which is a technique reportedly previously unseen on local television.

The varied stories take unexpected turns over the course of one year and the physical transformations are said to be particularly significant.

Significant: The 42-year-old will helm the reality-based show celebrating Australians who are tackling monumental personal goals during the most challenging year of their lives

As the show's host, Karl is unaware of the result until the contributors walk back in and enthused over the show's fresh concept in a statement released by the network.

'I met people aged from five through to their seventies, but all of them made pretty big pledges,' he described.

'Youll definitely be moved by their stories, and their battle to achieve their goals is awe-inspiring,' he continued.

'Youll definitely be moved by their stories, and their battle to achieve their goals is awe-inspiring,' he continued

The media personality explained how the subjects all 'have an amazing story to tell' in what is a 'hugely ambitious' project.

'Im really proud to be bringing these extraordinary stories to our audience,' he added.

This Time Next Year follows a television format developed in the United Kingdom and has no scheduled on-air date as yet.
Katy Perry flashed her black cone bra while escorting her Pentecostal pastor mother, Mary Hudson, to the Chanel Gabrielle launch party in Paris on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old pop diva's matriarch has penned two books, Joyful Parent (2015) and Smart Bombs (2013).

For the last 35 years, Mary has been ministering with her husband Maurice and the former Christian crooner sang in their church from ages 9-17.

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Family bonding: Katy Perry flashed her black cone bra while escorting her Pentecostal pastor mother, Mary Hudson, to the Chanel Gabrielle launch party in Paris on Tuesday

Proud: The 32-year-old pop diva's matriarch has penned two books, Joyful Parent (2015) and Smart Bombs (2013)

The Chained to the Rhythm hitmaker later tweeted of her darling daddy: 'Shout out to my father who now says "I'm not a republican, I'm not a democrat, I am an American."'

Katy dazzled Haute Couture Fashion Week in a sparkly sapphire Dundas tuxedo, Djula Jewelry, a glittery clutch, and Louboutin stilettos selected by stylist Jamie Mizrahi.

The 13-time Grammy nominee sported her new platinum blonde buzzcut with kohl-rummed eyes and fully contoured make-up for the fashionable function.

Perry's mother - wearing a beige patterned kimono over a black maxi-dress and peep-toe sandals - has been by her side during her fun-filled time in Paris.

Evangelical couple: For the last 35 years, Mary has been ministering with her husband Maurice and the former Christian crooner sang in their church from ages 9-17

The Chained to the Rhythm hitmaker later tweeted of her darling daddy: 'Shout out to my father who now says "I'm not a republican, I'm not a democrat, I am an American"'

Blue manicure to match! Katy donned a sparkly sapphire Dundas tuxedo, Djula Jewelry, a glittery clutch, and Louboutin stilettos selected by stylist Jamie Mizrahi

Heavy handed: The 13-time Grammy nominee sported her new platinum blonde buzzcut with kohl-rummed eyes and fully contoured make-up for the fashionable function

Family trip: Her mother - wearing a beige patterned kimono over a black maxi-dress and peep-toe sandals - has been by her side during her fun-filled time in Paris

Looking remarkably similar to the Swish Swish songstress at the French perfume launch was Kristen Stewart, rocking slightly darker hair with her long-sleeved black sparkly mini-dress.

The same trendy short hairstyle has also been seen on Michelle Williams, Cara Delevingne, Zoe Kravitz, and Halsey.

The Twilight alum ensured her legs were the centre of attention in the sophisticated look, set off with pointed heels.

Also in attendance at the Chanel bash were the likes of Pharrell Williams, with the musician displaying his funky fashion sense.

Twinning! Looking remarkably similar to the Swish Swish songstress was Kristen Stewart, rocking slightly darker hair with her long-sleeved black sparkly mini-dress

All the rage in Paris: The same trendy short hairstyle has also been seen on Michelle Williams, Cara Delevingne, Zoe Kravitz, and Halsey

Leggy: The Twilight alum ensured her legs were the centre of attention in the sophisticated look, set off with pointed heels

Joining forces: Kristen and Chanel perfumer Olivier Polge posed together

Katy's outing outing comes as the pop princess, who sings about being 'spread like a buffet' in her latest single Bon Appetit, opened up about how her parents handle the sexually suggestive lyrics.

The acclaimed pop star was asked how her devoutly Christian parents, Keith and Mary Hudson, reacted to the dance track during a candid chat on Nova's Smallzy's Surgery in June.

'... The thing about it is, which is such a weird thing, to really understand we agree to disagree but still with loving space,' she said.

Strike a pose: Pharrell Williams looked edgy as ever as he partied the night away

Bling: The Happy hitmaker layered up with plenty of necklaces and pearls

Smart: Celine Sallette (left) and Alessandra Mastronardi (right) opted for chic flares

'We all come from different places... you can have your belief system, nobody is telling you to not believe your beliefs but you can also come from a space of love.

She added: 'That's what my family and I exercise all the time.'

Bon Appetit isn't the only song that has raised eyebrows in the Perry family, with her 2008 hit I Kissed A Girl also being cause for concern.
She moved to Sydney as a teenager, after being raised in England.

And Naomi Watts, who calls herself British but remains 'connected' to Australia, has been tested about her knowledge of regional slang by Vanity Fair.

The 48-year-old expertly described the meaning several behind Australian and English colloquialisms, bursting into laughter at some curious local terms.

Strewth! Naomi Watts has been tested about her knowledge of English and Australia slang

The star of Netflix drama Gypsy was presented with the insult 'w***er' and stumbled when attempting to explain it without being too vulgar.

'You're a guy, um, you know, well, someone, you know, it's derived from masturbation and you can act like a w***er if you're behaving like a jerk,' she stammered.

For the Australian slang, she swiftly explained terms like 'brekkie' for breakfast, 'ta' for 'thank you' and also 'old bird', where she pointed to herself and joked: 'C'est moi'.

Crikey! The two-time Oscar nominated actress snickered at the expression 'buggered' and called it 'a dirty word'

The two-time Oscar nominated actress snickered at the expression 'buggered' and called it 'a dirty word'

'It also can mean, ugh, I'm exhausted,' she explained.

She also described 'naff' as something 'awful, without taste, declasse', and 'flat to the boards' as meaning 'out like a light'.

Chocolate biscuit, anyone? Naomi lit up when 'choccy biccy' came up on the iPad screen

She lit up when the phrase 'choccy biccy' came up on the iPad screen and put it in question form to decipher it, saying: 'Can I have a chocolate biscuit?'

Naomi explained a 'slag' was 'a woman who is promiscuous' and ended off the segment with the word 'strewth', which is used to express surprise or dismay.

'It's like, "Oh, you've got to be kidding", like for real!' she said.
They both dated Justin Bieber at some point in their young lives.

But Sofia Richie and Chantel Jeffries looked single and ready to mingle as they arrived at the Bootsy Bellows party in Malibu on Tuesday.

The young starlets dazzled in white ensembles that showcased their svelte figures as the made their way to the 4th of July celebration.

Daring duo: Sofia Richie, 18, and Chantel Jeffries, 23, looked single and ready to mingle as they arrived at the Bootsy Bellows July 4 vparty in Malibu on Tuesday

Sofia, 18, looked like a wonder in white as she rocked a skimpy tank top that showcased her ample bosom.

She dared to impress in loose pajama pants as she worked the sidewalk like a catwalk with her gorgeous gams.

Keeping her accessories to a minimum, the daughter of Lionel Richie wore a simple gold chain around her neck.

Strut: Sofia looked like a wonder in white as she rocked a skimpy tank top that showcased her ample bosom

Vision in white: She dared to impress in loose pajama pants as she worked the sidewalk like a catwalk with her gorgeous gams

The youthful beauty kept her trademark golden tresses long and loose as they barely skimmed her shoulders.

She stomped around the tony seaside town in tall black stiletto heels as she sported retro shades.

Not to be outdone, Chantel, 23, revealed her enviable abs in a daring white outfit that screamed attention needed immediately.

Rock hard: Chantel revealed her enviable abs in a daring white outfit

Model behavior: Her ample bosom took center stage as she rocked a knit halter top that left little to the imagination

Her ample bosom took center stage as she rocked a knit halter top that left little to the imagination.

Throwing caution to the wind, the young debutante poured her pretty pins into white denim as she carried a coat.

In an unlikely turn of events, the model/personality threw her raven locks back behind her shoulder allowing her youthful face to shine.

She, too, accessorized with nary a bauble as her feet were adorned in silver metallic sneakers and her face rocked retro shades.

The two fabulous ingenues entered the party solo as they were sure to find a good time inside the famed celebrity hot spot.
It's no secret that she's smitten with her new boyfriend, Neighbours star Harley Bonner.

And on Wednesday, bikini model Natalie Roser couldn't hide her joy as she reunited with him after spending some time apart.

In a sweet video uploaded to her Instagram story, Natalie couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she met up with her love in Melbourne as they prepared for a snow trip.

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'I missed him': Natalie Roser kisses Neighbours star boyfriend Harley Bonner as they reunite in Melbourne ahead of a romantic snow trip

'Made it to Melbourne and look who I found,' Natalie said as she kissed her man on the cheek.

In the clip, the pair pick up a Mazda for their adventures, saying they are 'off to the snow.'

'I missed him,' she captioned part of the clip.

Happy! They can also be seen driving, with Natalie holding onto his arm and nestling her head on his shoulder

The look of love: Natalie couldn't wipe the smile off her face

They can also be seen driving, with Natalie holding onto his arm and nestling her head on his shoulder.

'My spot while he drives. I'm not leaving,' Natalie said.

She also showed her fans their snow gear as they arrived at their destination, saying they had 'his and her snow gear.'

Natalie - who splits her time between Los Angeles and Australia - has been in Sydney recently and had a health scare late last month.

Ready to go! She also showed her fans their snow gear as they arrived at their destination, saying they had 'his and her snow gear'

Resting up: She revealed on Instagram last month, that she was in hospital and was battling an infection

Suns out, buns out! However shortly after, she said she was feeling better as she stripped down to a yellow bikini and said she was 'got a little bit of Vitamin D today'

She revealed on Instagram that she was in hospital and was battling an infection.

However shortly after, she said she was feeling better as she stripped down to a yellow bikini and said she was 'got a little bit of Vitamin D today.'

Natalie recently took to Instagram to say how much she was missing Harley, sharing a black and white shot of the pair, where she plants a kiss on his cheek.

'I squish him': Natalie recently took to Instagram to say how much she was missing Harley, sharing a black and white shot of the pair, where she plants a kiss on his cheek

Bikini babe! The blonde is known for her incredible figure

'He's on his way home! I squish him. @harleympbonner #PDA #SorryNotSorry,' Natalie wrote.

Natalie confirmed her new romance Harley earlier this year, shortly after ending her engagement to Sydney personal trainer Dan Adair.

Harley is the son of Neighbours actress Carla Bonner, 44, who is known for playing the character, Stephanie Scully.
It's the show that has got a nation lovestruck.

But there's at least one person who's failed to be drawn in by Love Island's charms, as Piers Morgan slammed the hugely popular ITV2 show on his show Good Morning Britain on Wednesday.

The outspoken presenter though met his match in co-host Susanna Reid, who passionately defended the raunchy show.

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Clash: Piers Morgan slammed the hugely popular ITV2 show Love Island on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, much to the fury of his co-host and superfan Susanna Reid

Piers told his Twitter followers on Tuesday night that he was tuning into the reality show for the first, and last, time, typing: 'Watching my 1st episode of Love Island. It will also be my last. My brain can't suffer this kind of damage.'

Super fan Susanna was quick to respond to her co-star, telling him 'Couldn't handle it? Never mind, I'll keep you up to date.'

The tweets sparked a debate about the show live on air the next morning, when Piers declared: 'I have never seen a more cretinous bunch of people behaving in a more cretinous manner in my entire life - and I work with Richard Arnold.'

First time viewer: Piers told his Twitter followers on Tueday night that he was tuning into the reality show for the first, and last, time

Not a fan! Piers declared: 'I have never seen a more cretinous bunch of people behaving in a more cretinous manner in my entire life'

Won't be tuning in again: 'I don't get it? What's going on? They are the most stupid collection of people,' Piers added

'I don't get it? What's going on? They are the most stupid collection of people.'

But Susanna dismissed his criticism as insecurity, saying: 'He (Morgan) was intimidated by the abs... You don't know what you're talking about.'

Claiming that she 'absolutely loved' the programme, the TV star added that she was 'learning a lot about relationships' from tuning in.

But Piers wasn't convinced, telling her: 'They've all been put into this hell-hole designed to basically scramble my brain and turn me into a complete lump of molten porridge.'.

Raunchy: Susanna dismissed his criticism as insecurity, saying: 'He (Morgan) was intimidated by the abs... You don't know what you're talking about.'

Pointing out that Love Island has generated at least two million viewers, Susanna told Piers he was simply 'wrong'.

Piers wasn't letting go easily though as he was soon retweeting criticism of Love Island after the show.

This week Piers jokingly slammed his relationship with his Good Morning Britain co-host, claiming it's like the 'worst kind of arranged marriage.'

The 52-year-old British broadcaster also revealed that all is not what it seems with his stunning colleague Susanna, 46, as she's much more 'opinionated off-screen.'

Still going at it: While Piers continued his tirade against the show on Twitter, a defiant Susanna posted her favourite things about Love Island

Flirty friendship: Piers, 52, cheekily slammed his relationship with Susanna, 46 - claiming it's 'like the worst kind of arranged marriage'

'Its like the worst kind of arranged marriage, where you dont get any of the good bits, just the bad stuff,' Piers cheekily revealed to Woman magazine.

The father-of-four, who seemed thrilled when the GMB voiceover announced Susanna as his 'wife' last month, also admitted that she has a different side away from the cameras.

'My argument with her is that shes far more opinionated in the early-morning briefings than she is on air.

'Lately shes taken it the other way around and I have to calm her down.'

On-screen chemistry: The pair have long shared flirtatious banter- most usually fuelled by Piers

The pair have long shared flirtatious banter- most usually fuelled by Piers.

Just last month he cheered in delight when as the clip to introduce them revealed: 'Welcome to Good Morgan Britain. With Piers Morgan and Susanna Morgan.'

The outspoken host looked absolutely pleased as Susanna was introduced as his spouse - leaving her awkwardly reluctant.

The Croydon born broadcaster looked absolutely mortified as a result, stating: 'And the takeover is complete.'

Secretly married? Just last month he cheered in delight when as the clip to introduce them revealed: 'Welcome to Good Morgan Britain. With Piers Morgan and Susanna Morgan'

'The takeover is complete': The Croydon born broadcaster looked absolutely mortified as a result

Clearly not getting the message, Piers was back on his flirty form as the show returned after a break and the voice over was back to usual.

'I much prefer the introduction as the start of the show,' he revealed much to the annoyance of Susanna.

This follows on from an episode earlier on in the week when Piers read out a message from a viewer named Susanna Morgan.

The outspoken host read out a supportive Twitter message from a viewer, ironically named Susanna Morgan - which Piers responded to: 'It's got a certain ring to it.'
She's a screen legend, and on the promo trail for her anticipated new movie Monica Bellucci has once again pulled out all the stops.

The Italian beauty, 52, appeared on the Spanish television programme El Hormiguero this week to talk about new new film On The Milky Road.

And the Bond actress made quite the impression on the Madrid audience, in a stunning figure-hugging dress.

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All dressed up: She's a screen legend and on the promo trail for her anticipated new movie Monica Bellucci has once again pulled out all the stops

Monica showed off her fabulous curves in the super chic dress.

With a low-cut neckline, the dress showcased her cleavage before flowing down into a semi-sheer pleated skirt.

Finishing at her ankles, the glam garment showed off Monica's choice of statement strappy heels, while she ditched the jewelry, aside from sparkling cocktail rings, to draw all the attention to her frock and figure.

Ready for her close up: The Italian beauty, 52, appeared on the Spanish television programme El Hormiguero this week to talk about new new film On The Milky Road

VIP is here: The Bond actress made quite the impression on the Madrid audience, in a stunning figure-hugging dress

With her chocolate coloured locks flowing about her shoulders and a glam full face of makeup, Monica was ready for her closeup.

Monica has had a jet-set few weeks promoting her new movie On The Milky Road.

As well as co-producing, the actress plays Nevesta alongside Serbian actor Emir Kusturica in the three part narrative which follows the life of a man and his country, from war, to when he falls in love and his eventual transition into hermit monk.

Strike a pose: Monica showed off her fabulous curves in the super chic dress

All about the dress: She ditched the jewelry, aside from sparkling cocktail rings, to draw all the attention to her frock and figure

Looking fabulous: With her chocolate coloured locks flowing about her shoulders and a glam full face of makeup, Monica was ready for her closeup

It is her first screen outing since her role as assassin's widow Lucia Sciarra in Spectre, where she enjoyed a steamy romp with Bond, played by Daniel Craig.

In the lead up to the film's release, Daniel Craig insisted that James would be kept on his toes by strong female leads, brought in to match 007 with their intelligence, style and sex appeal.

But critics were disappointed that beyond their on-screen romp, Monica's character only managed to make it into the storyline for a matter of minutes.

Check out the shoes! Finishing at her ankles, the dress showed off Monica's choice of statement strappy heels

Back on screen: Monica has had a jet-set few weeks promoting her new movie On The Milky Road

After a spot of promotion in Madrid, Monica hot-footed it over to Paris in time for Tuesday night's star-studded Vogue party, held during the city's Haute Couture fashion week.

Once again the actress wowed in black, this time opting for a sharp suit and statement jewelry.

Peep-toe heels and a metallic clutch completed her party look as she was seen leaving the bash chatting away on her phone.

Party time! After a spot of promotion in Madrid, Monica hot-footed it over to Paris in time for Tuesday night's star-studded Vogue party, held during the city's Haute Couture fashion week

Making a glam exit: Once again the actress wowed in black, this time opting for a sharp suit and statement jewelry
She became the envy of up and coming actresses everywhere when she bagged the role of Bolivian agent Camille in Bond film Quantum of Solace back in 2008.

And Olga Kurylenko reaped the benefits of her hard work in the industry as she sizzled in a number of saucy snaps during a sun-drenched getaway to St Tropez in the south of France.

The Ukranian actress, 37, flaunted her enviable curves and pert posterior in a barely-there red swimwear as she lapped up the sun.

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Bottoms up! Olga Kurylenko, 37, flaunted her enviable curves and pert posterior in a barely-there red swimwear as she lapped up the sun in Saint Tropez

Olga - who obtained French citizenship in 2001, oozed sex appeal in the bikini-clad snaps which served to accentuate her jaw-dropping statistics.

In one snap, Olda shot the camera sultry glare as she posed over her shoulder - making her bodacious bottom the main focus in a pair of lace red bikini bottoms.

The beauty - who was discovered as a model at the age of 13 in Moscow - relied on her striking features and forewent any make-up.

In another saucy snap, the movie star showcased the rest of her jaw-dropping physique as she posed against a wall.

Saucy siren: In another saucy snap, the Ukranian star showcased the rest of her jaw-dropping physique in the skimpy red bikini as she posed against a wall

Rise to fame: She became the envy of up and coming actresses everywhere when she bagged the role of Bolivian agent Camille, alongside Daniel Craig, in Bond film Quantum of Solace back in 2008

Olga -who started her acting career in 2005 - sexily raised her arms in the air, which allowed her impossibly flat stomach to take prominence.

The genetically gifted star perched one toned legs slightly in front of the other.

The brunette looked in high spirits as she enjoyed some relaxing time off work.

The actress is set to star in new film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, alongside Adam Driver and Stellan Skarsgard.

Busy lady: The actress is set to star in new film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, alongside Adam Driver and Stellan Skarsgard

Filming is already underway for the movie, which is directed by Terry Gillam and is due out next year.

Her other upcoming projects include sci-fi film Android, in which she stars alongside Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, as well as the thriller Mara.

The former model recently revealed she refuses to deny herself any food - something she puts down to growing up poor.

'I do not do any exercises, I eat everything. And I eat a lot. Some people ask me: "How is it possible for a woman to eat that much.

'(Growing up) There were days when we would not eat for the entire day because we had no money for it.'
She's among the most in-demand models in the industry.

And Doutzen Kroes proved her fashion credentials as she attended the glamorous Vogue dinner for Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture on Tuesday.

The stunning Dutch model, 32, turned heads in a glamorous ensemble, showcasing her clothes horse physique.

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Fashionista! Doutzen Kroes proved her fashion credentials as she attended the glamorous Vogue dinner for Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture on Tuesday

Flaunting her endless slender legs, she rocked a thigh-skimming LBD which made the most of her tiny midriff.

Featuring diamonte-encrusted straps, the pretty neckline flashed a hint of her tanned decolletage.

And coordinating her ensemble, she teamed the LBD with a pair of sequin-encrusted killer heels, and a coordinating pearl-embellished clutch.

Turning heads: The stunning Dutch model, 32, turned heads in a glamorous ensemble, showcasing her clothes horse physique

Making the most of her doll-like features, Doutzen went for minimal make-up, leaving her blonde hair in tousled waves around her shoulders.

The night was a rare night off from parenting duties for the busy mother-of-two.

Doutzen and her DJ husband of seven years, 38, Sunnery James share two young children Phyllon Joy, 6, and Mylenna Mae, 2, and Sunnery has been openly supportive of his wife's flourishing career.

Speaking as she returned to the catwalk following her maternity leave in 2015, Sunnery described the blonde bombshell as a 'power woman', telling Hello! Fashion: 'I'm really excited to see her. I can't really describe it, it's an amazing moment.

'I see her looking at me when she walks the catwalk and I just think, 'Wow, you're doing it again'. She's a power woman.'

Speaking as she returned to the catwalk following her maternity leave in 2015, Sunnery described the blonde bombshell as a 'power woman', telling Hello! Fashion: 'I'm really excited to see her. I can't really describe it, it's an amazing moment.

When in Paris! Coordinating her ensemble, she teamed the LBD with a pair of sequin-encrusted killer heels, and a coordinating pearl-embellished clutch

Au natural: Making the most of her doll-like features, Doutzen went for minimal make-up, leaving her blonde hair in tousled waves around her shoulders

'I see her looking at me when she walks the catwalk and I just think, 'Wow, you're doing it again'. She's a power woman.'

And speaking about her post-baby body, he added at the time: 'She has been eating healthily, 50 per cent working out and 50 per cent eating healthily, but it's the breastfeeding that's been shrinking her. My little daughter made it happen!'

The Victoria's Secret model- who became an 'Angel' for the brand in 2008.

Doutzen has previously spoken out about how she has kept her body in top shape after having two children, crediting her healthy lifestyle.

Posing up a storm! Doutzen showed off her jaw-dropping stilettos as she posed outside the venue

Still looking glam! Doutzen didn't have a hair out of place as she left the dinner

She said: 'It's a mix of genetics that I got from my mom and eating healthy and being active all my life. I've always worked out and I'm young...'

'It's the work you put in before that's more important.'

'Sometimes when I pose for pictures, people say it's impossible that I have a flat stomach without working out like crazy and having a personal trainer.

'And sometimes they get mad at me, and I find that hard because I think there's a lot of women who have the same thing happening to them because they lived a healthy, active lifestyle.

'You only hear the horror stories - that after a baby you never get your body back - but it's not true, it depends on your life beforehand.'
Enraged Love Island fans have been bombarding Tyla Carr with death threats, prompting concerns from friends over the model's safety.

Bullies branded the 24-year-old a 'homewrecking s**t' after she struck up a romance with 'secret millionaire' Jonny Mitchell - the ex of series favourite Camilla Thurlow.

Vile trolls threatened to 'punch' the Surrey beauty, while others begged to be let into the Mallorca villa so they could confront her.

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Oh dear: Enraged Love Island fans have been bombarding Tyla Carr with death threats, prompting concerns from friends over her safety

One viewer wrote on Twitter: 'Gonna punch Tyla's face in I hate her if Jonny picks her someone give me the address to the villa I just want to chat with Tyla.'

'Boycott love island am f**king enraged Tyla ya little homewrecking s**t f**king die,' another added.

'Well done Tyla ur still the most hated girl in the UK hope u die with Jonny bye,' a third said.

Fans recently saw Edinburgh beauty Camilla break down in tears - clearly still rocked from Jonny's jump to Tyla last week.

Camilla and Jonny were together for four weeks in the villa, but viewers saw Jonny admit that he felt like he was 'treading on eggshells' around her.

Despite moving onto Tyla several days ago, fans continued to blast both Tyla and Jonny on social media.

Something to tell us? It comes amid reports that Jonny is a 'millionaire' whose secret lavish lifestyle outside of the villa sees him enjoying first-class flights, trips around the globe and super cars

Getting cosy: The couple have shared several steamy kisses in bed and around the villa since Jonny dumped Camilla

Enraged: Vile trolls branded Tyla a 'cockroach' and called her the 'most hated girl in the UK'

In the Beach Hut afterwards, Camilla opened up about her hurt.

'I really need to,' she says telling herself she needs to move on from Jonny once and for all.

'Because I don't want it to affect anything that could happen between Craig and I and I don't want to affect my ability to have a good friendship with Tyla and Jonny.'

Other viewers addressed the brunette beauty's similarity in looks to Michelle Keegan, suggesting she was a 'Poundland' or 'Sainsbury's Basics' version of the actress.

'Poundland Michelle Keegan is the Perfect way to describe Tyla,' one penned.

Worried: Sources have expressed fears that Tyla will turn into a 'hate figure' as Camilla fans gang up on the model

Heartache: Camilla was seen breaking down in tears - clearly still rocked from Jonny's jump to Tyla

Feeling low: In the Beach Hut afterwards, Camilla opened up about her hurt and admitted she needs to move on

Backlash: Online bullies called Tyla a 'Poundland Michelle Keegan' as they piled the vitriolic abuse on the Surrey beauty

'How can Jonny drop camilla like that? Camilla is 1 in a million ,u can find Girls like Tyla in Asda buyin a pregnancy test (sic)' a second viewer wrote.

Another troll branded her an 'easy s**g' in comparison to Prince Harry's rumoured ex Camilla.

'Jonny kissing Tyla when Camilla's crying is a prime example of 99% of lads who would choose an easy s**g over a diamond,' they wrote.

'Camilla is so lovely and pretty, how could you throw that away for Tyla, thats like going from an iPhone 7 to a Nokia 3310,' another added on social media.

Sources have expressed fears that Tyla will turn into a 'hate figure' as Camilla fans gang up on the model.

Moving on: Camilla explained to Craig that seeing Jonny again brought all the hurt flooding back

Support: However some fans flocked to Tyla's defence, calling her 'one of the nicest girls' and adding that she is 'so lovely'

A Love Island source told the Daily Star: 'The public has loved Camilla from the start and they want her to find love on the show.

'Tyla hasn't gone down well with viewers. There are concerns she could become a hate figure.'

Tyla's friend Sophie Van-Der-Werf defended Tyla, saying the model approached Camilla to confess her feelings about Jonny and never 'snogged' him in front of her.

Sophie, who has known Tyla for eight years, added that her good looks made her an easy target, saying: 'She's a good looking girl and she's got personality and people don't like to see that. When she comes out it will be a bit of a shock.'

However some fans flocked to Tyla's defence, calling her 'one of the nicest girls' and adding that she is 'so lovely'.

High flyer: Jonny's Instagram feed is peppered with snaps of him enjoying champagne as he kicks back in first class

Living the dream: The 26-year-old, who is a business director at his dad's specialist care company, often stays at exclusive five-star resorts

jetsetter: He even lived in Bali for five weeks last summer and proposed to his last girlfriend there

'I really like tyla off love island. By far one of the nicest girls in there (minus camilla and gabby).... this show has taken over my life,' one wrote.

'The way Tyla handled her feelings for jonny by talking to camilla showa she is such a nice person,' another agreed.

'Tyla is so lovely! She didn't pick Jonny for Camilla's sake and even the way she told Dom about Jess was sweet,' a third wrote.

It comes amid reports that Jonny is a 'millionaire' whose secret lavish lifestyle outside of the villa sees him enjoying first-class flights, trips around the globe and super cars.

Life in the fast lane: He often shows off his 80,000 Mercedes Benz E63 on his social media

Time to get a woman! Clearly harbouring a penchant for luxurious accessories, Jonny also flaunted his 5,000 Cartier watch

Idyllic location: Jonny admitted that he travels a lot for his director job and is often pictured at stunning far-flung resorts like this Indonesian hotel

His Instagram feed is peppered with snaps of the traveller staying at exclusive five-star resorts and showing off his 80,000 Mercedes Benz E63 and 5,000 Cartier watch.

The 26-year-old, who is a business director at his dad's specialist care company, often stays at exclusibe five-star resorts in Russia, Dubai and Europe.

'I do a lot of travelling. I pretty much live abroad, so being away from home wouldn't be a big deal for me,' he told the Daily Mirror.

He even lived in Bali for five weeks last summer and proposed to his last girlfriend there.

The usual home comforts: The reality star enjoyed dinner with a view at this rooftop restaurant in Rome a few weeks ago

In demand: He said: 'I do a lot of travelling. I pretty much live abroad, so being away from home wouldn't be a big deal for me'
I heard Amanda Ripley speak a few years ago after she published her book The Smartest Kids in the World .

There is a lot of noise in the data about international educational rankings, so Im always wary about claims comparing one nations system to another. Im also not always certain that we can transplant the things that work to make rich educational cultures in other countries to our own, even when we have solid evidence to show they work.

However, I was compelled by a series of points Ripley made about the difference between schools in some countries that rank higher on international tests than the US (specifically Finland, South Korea, and Poland). She critiqued what she characteriezed as a lack of a serious intellectual culture in U.S. schools and made it clear that in higher performing countries there was no confusion about what school was foror what mattered to kids life chances.

A helpful illustration of this point was this anecdote about educational culture in South Korea: no airplane takes off or lands in the entire of nation while students are taking the national exam .

Can you imagine how disruptive this must be? Business travelers, tourists, military personnel, families, travelers of all types, everyone of them inconvenienced on the off chance that an airplane engine could distract a teenager taking a test.

This is, of course, what I find fascinating about this public policy and powerful about this illustration. South Koreans, like Americans, would prefer to have smooth travel experiences, but believe that there are things that are even more valuable than a particular business deal or military exercise. For one day, the need for teenagers to have quiet space for concentration supersedes all other national priorities. What an incredible message: You, young person, are more important than your mom and dad, more important than the CEO of Samsung, more important than any army general. Thats a serious commitment to young people and their education.

Im struck by the message the no-plane policy sends to test-takers, but even more interested in what must be the impact on younger students. What must it be like to grow up in an educational culture that is going to one day prioritize you in this way? Im sure it creates some pressure and anxiety. Im also sure that it helps clear up any confusion about how important learning is.

I happened upon a mini-version of this kind of tradition in my New Jersey township a few weeks ago. I went out, as I do every night, to walk my dog. But unlike most nights when the sidewalks are empty, there were crowds of people lining the streets. The Montclair High School graduates are about to come by, a neighbor explained when she saw my startled face. Theyll be here any minute, her elementary-school-aged daughter said, eyes filled with excitement, stay and cheer on our graduates.

A few minutes later, I saw police cars stopping traffic and leading school busses down the street. After the graduation ceremony (this was the schools 150th ), this years graduateslike those that came before themhad boarded these school busses to parade through our towns streets to the cheers of former graduates, future graduates, family members, neighbors andthis year for the first timeme and my dog.

A few days later, the New York City public high school where I teach, Harvest Collegiate High School, had a lovely graduation in Manhattan. In a beautiful auditorium, students expressed gratitude to their families, teachers, and classmates. They were honored with awards and diplomas. We all celebrated their accomplishments and sent them out into the world as high school graduates.

Yet the immediate surroundings of their send off were quite different from the experience for Montclair High School graduates. Our students walked onto a Manhattan sidewalk in their caps and gowns, taking pictures and signing yearbooks on a crowded sidewalk. Many continued celebrations with friends and families, but their accomplishments were not cheered by the larger New York City community. Neighbors who happened to be walking their dogs past the event werent encouraged to cheer them on or wish them well, they just kept walking. Elementary school students who happened to pass by didnt look on in awe and wonder, unless it was to wonder why they were wearing such funny hats.

Despite attacks and policies which try to undermine them, public schools remain one of the great unifying forces in American life. Montclair residents understand that we are all partially responsible for the accomplishments of graduates from our school system and partially dependent on their success moving forward. I actually dont know any members of the graduating class, but I got to celebrate them for a brief time and in that time was reminded of the network of mutuality that binds me to them and to the other citizens of my town, country, world. Our graduates made it to the end of 12th grade and are moving on to college, career, and life after high school. That is wonderful news, news worth interrupting my routine to celebrate.

We need these kinds of traditions. Ones that point younger students towards meaningful goals and reaffirm the work that we all do to raise the next generation of citizens. Learning and celebrating learning should be a priority. This means that it should take precedence over life-as-usual for ALL people in a community, not just those with direct connections. So, what do you do to mark big educational moments in your community? What disruptions could you cause to life as normal in order to show priority for these educational moments?

Photo by greymatters
She shocked fans of cosy British drama Doc Martin with a surprise cameo two years ago.

And it looks as though Hollywood star Sigouney Weaver, 67, had a whale of a time with Martin Clunes and co, as she's been spotted back on the Cornwall set of the popular ITV drama for the eighth series.

The Alien actress blended in, ditching the glam for a bucket hat and anorak, with a camera slung around her neck.

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Is there a doctor in the house? She shocked Doc Martin fans with a surprise cameo two years ago. And Sigouney Weaver has this week been spotted back on the Cornwall set

Sigourney first appeared in the Martin Clunes-led drama in a 2015 episode, playing belligerent American tourist Beth Traywick who pays a visit to the sleepy Cornish seaside village of Portwenn.

Spotted on set this week in Port Isaac, Cornwall Sigourney was almost unrecognisable in her low-key costume as she filmed a scene outside a local chemist.

Clutching a notebook and pen, the actress was dressed in a yellow coat, over a denim shirt and jeans.

Playing a tourist: The Alien actress blended in, ditching the glam for a bucket hat and anorak, with a camera slung around her neck

Back in town: Sigourney first appeared in the Martin Clunes-led drama in a 2015 episode, playing American tourist Beth Traywick who pays a visit to the Cornish seaside village

The Hollywood icon's appearance in the tiny Cornish fishing village attracted quite the crowd, with locals seen trying to get a glimpse of the on-set action.

Leading man Martin confirmed last year that the show was hoping to get Sigourney back after her cameo in the last series.

Speaking to What's on TV, he said: 'Sigourney Weaver wants to come back and physically fight me in a pub! She's doing three Avatar films at once, so it's if we can make it work with her schedule.'

Hollywood comes to town: Spotted on set this week in Port Isaac, Cornwall Sigourney was almost unrecognisable in her low-key costume as she filmed a scene outside a local chemist

Unrecoginsable: Clutching a notebook and pen, the actress was dressed in a yellow coat, over a denim shirt and jeans

Big fan: Sigourney peeked out of the window of the chemist as the cameras rolled on the eighth series

He added that Sigourney's cameo could lead the way for other Hollywood stars to appear, explaining: 'Harvey Keitel really wants to be in Doc Martin as well  for real! I don't know if we can find a space for him. We don't want to go down the novelty-casting route, but he heard Sigourney was in it and said he wanted to be in it, too.'

Sigourney's involvement in the popular British drama stems from her friendship with another one of its stars - Selina Cadell who plays pharmacist Mrs Tishell.

Sigourney and Selina met as drama students in 1973 and have stayed close friends ever since.

VIP int he village: The Hollywood icon's appearance in the tiny Cornish fishing village attracted quite the crowd, with locals seen trying to get a glimpse of Sigourney

With the doctor: Speaking to Good Morning Britain back in 2015 Martin Clunes (pictured with Sigourney on set in 2015) revealed that the actress approached him for a role

Old pals: Sigourney's involvement in the popular British drama stems from her friendship with another one of its stars - Selina Cadell (right) who plays pharmacist Mrs Tishell

Speaking to Good Morning Britain back in 2015 Martin revealed that Sigourney approached him for a role after watching her friend's TV drama from the beginning.

'I met her on the Jonathan Ross show and she said she was a big fan,' the Men Behaving Badly star explained.

He added that his wife and Doc Martin producer Philippa Braithwaite then wrote some scenes for the Alien star.

Sigourney has squeezed in filming in Cornwall before she gets to work on the anticipated new Avatar movies from James Cameron, which will start shooting in the Autumn.

Doc Martin will return for its eighth series later this year.

Action girl: Sigourney is better known for her high-adrenaline roles in movie blockbusters like the Alien franchise
He is known for his hard-partying lifestyle and reputation as 'the bad boy of fashion'.

And Jordan Barrett got in trouble with security at a Paris funfair on Wednesday, when he was kicked off a children's carousel.

The 20-year-old model couldn't stop laughing when a staff member confronted him about his outrageous behaviour.

Bad boy of fashion! Jordan Barrett got in trouble with security at a Paris funfair on Wednesday, when he was kicked off a children's carousel

Jordan was joined by Alana O'Herlihy, a New Yorker who has been accompanying him during his whirlwind trip to Paris.

The artist and photographer was pictured grabbing her chest as the friends enjoyed a wild ride on the merry-go-round.

At one point, Jordan was seen standing on his mechanical horse, a brazen act of rule-breaking which likely upset the locals.

Get a grip! Jordan was joined by Alana O'Herlihy, a New Yorker who has been accompanying him during his whirlwind trip to Paris

On Monday night, Jordan and Alana left Dior's 70th anniversary exhibition together looking a little worse for wear.

The wild-eyed socialites put on a very flirty display, and Alana even raised her leg seductively against Jordan's hips.

It is unclear if the pair are close friends or something more, but he certainly has a well-deserved reputation as a ladies' man.

Rebel without a cause! At one point, Jordan was seen standing on his mechanical horse, a brazen act of rule-breaking which likely upset the locals

Jordan has been romantically linked to a string of high-profile female celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Lara Stone.

Most recently, it was rumoured he was dating US model and socialite Bella Hadid.

However, she later clarified they were just good friends.
She set tongues wagging after sharing a very steamy kiss with her ex boyfriend last week.

And while dumped Love Island star Chloe Crowhurst has denied she is back together with her TOWIE beau Jon Clark, she admitted during a chat on Wednesday's This Morning that their flame could be rekindled.

Chloe and Jon were dating before the blonde jetted off to Mallorca for the ITV2 series, with the TOWIE star blasting her for supposedly ditching him for the dating show.

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On/off: While dumped Love Island star Chloe Crowhurst has denied she is back together with her TOWIE beau Jon Clarke, she admitted during a chat on Wednesday's This Morning that their flame could be rekindled

Chloe was quick to deny that she and Jon were still together when she headed to the Love Island villa, explaining her radio silence to Holly Willougby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning as:

'You cant tell anyone that you're going in.'

The former couple were reunited last week when Chloe was dumped from the villa, after failing to find love.

Having her say: Chloe was quick to deny that she and Jon were still together when she headed to the Love Island villa, explaining her radio silence to Holly Willougby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning as: 'You cant tell anyone that you're going in.'

Back on? The former couple were reunited last week when Chloe was dumped from the villa, after failing to find love, sharing a smooch outside a London club

Chloe had been spotted smooching Jon outside DSTRKT nightclub in London following a night out, which also saw them locked in a heated row.

Of the rumours they are a couple again, Chloe was adamant, explaining: 'Were not back together,' but added: 'We are speaking. There may be something to rekindle.'

Meanwhile the blonde also refused to go into detail about rumours she will join Jon on his reality series TOWIE, coyly telling Holly and Phil: 'Nothing is confirmed,' adding: Im busy and Im working on stuff which is bigger and better. Watch this space.'

Summer of love: Chloe and Jon were dating before the blonde jetted off to Mallorca for the ITV2 series, with the TOWIE star blasting her for supposedly ditching him for the dating show

Coy: Of the rumours they are a couple again, Chloe was adamant, explaining: 'Were not back together,' but added: 'We are speaking. There may be something to rekindle'

Girl talk: Chloe appeared on This Morning with 2016 Love Island star Olivia Buckland

Chloe and Jon are back on civil terms, after the TOWIE star branded her an 'evil b***h', alleging that Chloe had been living with him before making her debut on the dating show.

However, Chloe furiously denied these claims, telling The Sun: 'We broke up a number of months ago. Im single and have been for the past few months.'

Chloe appeared on Wednesday's This Morning alongside former Love Island star Olivia Buckland, who gave her views on this week's villa antics.

Speaking about love: Olivia gave her views on this week's villa antics

Reality bites: Gushing about how she found love on the show last year with her fiance Alex Bowen, Olivia pointed out that the 'programme is real. Thats why people are so invested'

Avid viewer: Olivia was also excited by last night's episode which saw two new hunks enter the villa, gushing that one would be perfect for unlucky in love Camilla

Gushing about how she found love on the show last year with her fiance Alex Bowen, Olivia pointed out that the 'programme is real. Thats why people are so invested.'

Olivia was also excited by last night's episode which saw two new hunks enter the villa, gushing that one would be perfect for unlucky in love Camilla.

'I know Jamie, I've met him before... I think he wants Camilla. I feel like I want to save her from everyone that goes in!' said Olivia. 'Hes looking for a confident, laid-back intellectual. Hes perfect for Love Island.'

Sitting pretty: The blondes looked gorgeous in their summery dresses as they chatted all things love

Casual: Chloe arrived at the ITV studios in London dressed for comfort in a white tracksuit

Doing the rounds: The blonde has been keeping busy with media appearances since being dumped from the villa last week
She first went under the knife at 23 years old, boosting her bust from it's initial A Cup before finding fame as a glamour model.

But Lauren Pope has revealed she's now removed her breast implants as she was sick of looking 'trashy' and is ready to begin the next phase of her life.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the 34-year-old businesswoman explained that she had her E Cup implants - the result of a second boob job - removed last week and has been recovering in secret.

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'It's time to grow up': Lauren Pope has revealed she's now removed her breast implants as she was sick of looking 'trashy' and is ready to begin the next phase of her life

'I'm back to small boobies!' she admitted. 'I've thought about it for a long time. It's really hard to explain but it's not a big dramatic decision. It's just I feel like I am taken seriously now in the world of business.'

Lauren - who is the founder of hair extension company Hair Rehab London - has enjoyed several career ventures in her time.

The blonde bombshell first burst onto the scene as a glamour model, before starring in TOWIE - which she left in 2015. She has since been working on her DJ career and continuing to grow her beauty business into an empire.

Chest a glimpse: first went under the knife at 23 years old, boosting her bust from it's initial A Cup before finding fame as a glamour model (pictured left in 2006 and right in 2003)

And it's this transition that inspired Lauren to go back under the knife. She revealed: 'It's taken a long time but I feel like my old big boobs are my old life.

'It's time to grow up. This is like a new realm and it's a nod to that. It's not like I'm anti-surgery at all, I was quite happy with them but i just decided to do it.

'The clothes I like will look chicer with smaller boobs. The past few years I'd go for outfits that made them look smaller and there were certain clothes I couldn't wear because it would look trashy.'

Talented: The blonde bombshell first burst onto the scene as a glamour model, before starring in TOWIE - which she left in 2015. She has since been working on her DJ career and continuing to grow her beauty business into an empire

Moving on: 'It's this transition that inspired Lauren to go back under the knife. She revealed: 'It's taken a long time but I feel like my old big boobs are my old life'

Whilst she explained she wasn't sure of the exact cup size she'll be now, she revealed: 'I'm excited to see how they look. I'm still sore and I'm still swollen but I think it'll probably be a big B or small C [cup].'

Lauren - who recently announced her plans to return to TOWIE- documented her second boob job in an episode of the ITVBe series in 2012.

She was one of 40,000 women affected by the faulty French Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) when she initially had her breast size boosted, and during the process of removing the implants, she replaced the items with larger ones.

Under the knife: Lauren - who recently announced her plans to return to TOWIE- documented her second boob job in an episode of the ITVBe series in 2012 after receiving PIP implants

Throwback: Lauren - founder of extension company Hair Rehab London - has enjoyed several career ventures in her time after beginning her career as a glamour model (pictured in 2005)

Lauren has always spoken candidly about her plastic surgery and explained to MailOnline that she didn't want her fans to have unrealistic expectations when it came to body image.

Explaining that she didn't agree with photoshopping her figure in selfies, she revealed: 'Instagram is a bit like your creative space - just know your angles.

'To get one decent selfie I've probably taken about 50 - I know I need to pop one hip out, pull my belly in! And I spend about 10 minutes putting filters on myself - I enjoy doing it! It's just a but of fun.'

Adding that she still gets trolled for some of her posts, the beauty guru added: 'If I do bikini stuff I'll do videos as well just to shut people up as you can't edit a video - it's just angles.'

Honest: Lauren also explained that she didn't agree with photoshopping her figure in selfies, she revealed: 'Instagram is a bit like your creative space - just know your angles'

The entrepreneur is no stranger to being slated online, explaining: 'I've heard everything about my looks - I look like a horse, like an alien.

'I've heard it all I don't give a s**t anymore but when someone annihilates you as a person I'm like hold on a minute... Especially if you've been edited in a way that wasn't how you were trying to be.

'The editing on TOWIE can sometimes show you in a great light or a terrible light so I find this really frustrating.'

Hurtful: The beauty guru is no stranger to being slated online, explaining: 'I've heard everything about my looks - I look like a horse, like an alien'

Whilst Lauren revealed she never responds to trolls, she admitted she had one truly harrowing experience.

'One troll was relentless for over a year', she revealed. 'I had to go to the police because they were posting pictures from outside my parents house, posting my parents address, putting all the name of my family. Just really weird creepy stuff.

'Maria Fowler and me thought we had the same troll because the grammar was the same, the wording, and she told me who she thought it was. So the only time I've ever replied was to say this guy's name... and I never heard from him again!'

Business savvy: Lauren is currently being kept busy with Hair Rehab London - and the launch of their new weft hair extensions to celebrate their 10th anniversary

Kept working at it: Now a recognised businesswoman, Lauren admitted that making the transition from a glamour model wasn't a simple one but she refused to give up

Lauren is currently being kept busy with her hair extension company Hair Rehab London - and the launch of their new weft hair extensions to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

Now a recognised businesswoman, Lauren admitted that making the transition from a glamour model wasn't a simple one.

'I think as long as you just keep doing what you're doing and making sure it's of the best quality, eventually people will take you seriously,' she reasoned. 'It's only the past couple of years things have clicked into place. Now amazingly people invite me to give business talks. It's taken a long time but I feel like finally it's happened.'
She has made headlines in recent months for her custody battle with former partner Jean David Blanc over their two sons.

But Melissa George put her troubles behind her on Tuesday, as she looked radiant while attending the Vogue Foundation Dinner in Paris.

The Grey's Anatomy actress, 40, put on a leggy display in an avant-garde mini dress with a pair of sheer white gloves.

She's had a good night! Melissa George put her custody battle troubles behind her on Tuesday, as she looked radiant while attending the Vogue Foundation Dinner in Paris

Melissa cut a striking figure at the swanky Parisian fashion event, wearing an eye-catching white mini dress.

The frock was emblazoned across the front with a black sun design and featured chain mail-style sleeves.

The The Amityville Horror star accessorised with quirky love-heart heels and a glittery clutch.

You beauty! Melissa cut a striking figure at the swanky Parisian fashion event, wearing an eye-catching white mini dress

That's different! The frock was emblazoned across the front with a black sun design, and featured chain mail-style sleeves

Radiant: Wearing her blonde locks out in natural waves, Melissa showed off her flawless complexion wearing little to no makeup

Wearing her blonde locks out in natural waves, Melissa showed off her flawless complexion wearing little to no makeup.

The actress appeared in high spirits as she left the event, which was also attended by Emily Ratajkowski, Lily James and Tilda Swinton.

Melissa smiled for cameras as she left the exclusive event, even stopping to sign several autographs for fans.

A-list guests: The actress appeared in high spirits as she left the event, which was also attended by Emily Ratajkowski, Lily James and Tilda Swinton

How obliging! Melissa also stopped to sign autographs for several fans

Custody battle: Melissa's night on the town comes after she spoke about her personal issues in a 'tell-all' interview with Channel Seven's Sunday Night

Melissa attended the event as part of Haute Couture Fashion Week, having attended the Schiaparelli show on Monday.

Her night on the town comes after she spoke about her personal issues in a 'tell-all' interview with Channel Seven's Sunday Night in March.

The actress claimed she felt 'trapped' in France due to the ugly split with Jean-David Blanc, the father of her sons Raphael and Solal.

Fashionista: Melissa attended the event as part of Haute Couture Fashion Week, having attended the Schiaparelli show on Monday
Brad Pitt's world was rocked in September 2016 when Angelina Jolie suddenly filed divorce papers.

But the actor has been making time for British actress Sienna Miller, a Wednesday report from UsWeekly is insisting. They two have already been linked several times, most recently in June at the Glastonbury festival.

But their alleged romance will likely take a backseat as the acting icon will soon be headed to Brazil to shoot the sci-fi film Ad Astra with Tommy Lee Jones, according to Deadline.

This story won't die: Brad Pitt has again been linked with Sienna Miller; the cover of UsWeekly this week maintains they are 'secretly dating'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Brad's rep about a possible Miller romance, but has not heard back.

The publication is adamant the 35-year-old blonde beauty and the 53-year-old Hollywood icon are 'secretly dating.'

'They've been spending some time together,' said the source.

The ex: Pitt's world was rocked in September 2016 when Angelina Jolie suddenly filed divorce papers

The brood: Brad has been spending time in LA in recent months and hanging out again with the six children he has with Jolie: Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne; seen in 2015

The source also said they have had a few 'late nights' together.

The insider added that the romance is not very serious, but if they do decide to get into a relationship, 'they would make a great couple.'

DailyMail.com reported in late June that Sienna is still seeing director Bennett Miller.

But UsWeekly is insisting she has made time for Brad too.

Too bad he will be leaving for Brazil in late August to start shooting his movie Ad Astra in September.

Still on? DailyMail.com reported in late June that Sienna is still seeing director Bennett Miller; seen in 2016 in London

The film is about a space engineer with slight autism, whose father had to leave Earth two decades before on a mission to Neptune with no return.

James Gray is the director and filming will also take place in LA. Brad's company Plan B is producing with Gray.

Brad and Sienna first met in 2015 when he cast her in his 2016 film The Lost City Of Z and there was a 'flirtation' a source said.

And they got even closer in April during a dinner for the movie, it was claimed by UsWeekly.

The Sun reported in June that Sienna and Brad then got very frisky in the VIP lounge at Glastonbury in June.

Her other A list beau: Miller dated Jude Law on and off for years; here they are seen in their 2004 film Alfie

'It's early days, but they are very into each other and enjoying a carefree, casual summer romance.

'They're both absolutely determined to keep everything under wraps. Their goal is to explore things without any massive publicity. It could all fizzle out, so they're waiting to see.'

Despite the reports, sources tell MailOnline: 'Sienna's finding it all very funny with friends texting her about being dubbed Brienna. She's happily with Bennett and has no idea where these rumours keep coming from.

'They're just not true. Brad's a great friend but nothing more. They were hanging out at the Rabbit Hole at Glastonbury but they were with a big group.'

Brad has been spending time in LA in recent months and hanging out again with the six children he has with Jolie: Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

He is also on track to star in the sequel for World War Z.
It's no secret the cast of Channel Seven's upcoming reality TV series Yummy Mummies are fierce women indeed.

And AFL WAG Lorinska Merrington stayed true to her reputation by taking a swipe at the cast of Foxtel's Real Housewives Of Sydney on Thursday.

She told The Daily Telegraph that her castmates behaved impeccably compared to the squabbling Sydney socialites.

'I don't think we got to their level': Yummy Mummies' Lorinska Merrington (pictured) has taken a swipe at the Real Housewives Of Sydney cast, saying her friends don't resort to violence

'I don't think we got to their level. The arguments (on Yummy Mummies) didn't get to the extent of throwing things,' she said.

Indeed, memorable moments from Real Housewives' first season include AthenaX Levendi throwing a glass of wine at Victoria Rees during their trip to Singapore.

But Lorinksa did confess that the pregnant friends experienced their fair share of arguments during filming.

'There was a moment when one of the girls gets called fat,' she explained. 'And I thought, "Oh that's probably not the best thing to say."

Oh no she didn't! Memorable moments from Real Housewives' first season include AthenaX Levendi throwing a glass of wine at Victoria Rees during their trip to Singapore

'There was a moment when one of the girls gets called fat': Lorinksa did confess that the pregnant foursome experienced their fair share of arguments during filming

'You've got four hormonal women so there is a bit of carnage now and then but nothing too crazy,' she added.

'There was no throwing or swearing or anything too bananas. I've had bigger blows with the hubby before.'

Lorinska stars alongside pregnant socialites Maria DiGeronimo, Jane Scandizzo and Rachel Watts in the highly-anticipated TV series.

Say what? It was recently revealed American television networks have snubbed The Real Housewives Of Sydney for being 'too extreme' to broadcast in the United States

Yummy Mummies, which premieres on Channel Seven on Sunday, has already outraged viewers with it's controversial concept.

'You've found a more vulnerable target now, emotional hormonal pregnant women who are likely already feeling pretty fragile about their appearance,' read a Facebook comment.

Another furious viewer added: 'I find this quite offensive to other women'.
They've enjoyed a number of sun-soaked getaways already this year, including an idyllic break to The Maldives with their younger sister Amelia in June.

Yet, Chloe and Lauryn Goodman continued their jet-setting ways as they enjoyed a dreamy trip to Los Angeles, lounging by the Hollywood Hotel's pool in an array of skimpy swimwear.

Ex On The Beach star Chloe, 24, managed to maintain her modesty in her plunging one-piece as she relaxed by the pool with her 26-year-old sibling.

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Flaunt it! Chloe and Lauryn Goodman continued their jet-setting ways as they enjoyed a dreamy trip to Los Angeles, lounging by the Hollywood Hotel's pool in an array of skimpy swimwear

Showcasing her golden tan by the pool's edge, the MTV star's high-thigh cut swimwear accentuated her perky derriere and honed pins while out in the sun.

While flaunting her impressive figure, Chloe's daring one-piece showcased plenty of sideboob as she chatted with her beauty blogger sister.

The reality star left her long brunette locks cascade down her back in a straight style which were kept in place by her chic sunnies.

Complementing her sibling's skimpy appearance, Lauryn amplified her honed curves in a petrol blue swimsuit that threaded dangerously around her buxom bust while she rested across a sunlounger together.

Relaxed: Complementing her sibling's skimpy appearance, Lauryn amplified her honed curves in a petrol blue swimsuit that threaded dangerously around her buxom bust while she rested across a sunlounger together

The online starlet worked her tresses into a messy ponytail while she accessorised her sunbathing attire with a pair of oversized hoop earrings.

Chloe and Lauryn appear to be making the most of the summer season showcasing a number of skin-flaunting displays on their social media, having already enjoyed holidays in Sardinia and the Maldives in recent weeks.

However, the bikini babe looked the picture of good health as she topped up her tan - following recent emergency surgery to have her appendix removed.

In an interview with The Sun, the brunette said she woke up in agony and knew something was badly wrong.

Water about that? Chloe has been flaunting her enviable figure in a range of perilously low swimsuits during their US break

'The pain was excruciating and I was vomiting, so I phoned my mum crying my eyes out,' she explained. 'While on the phone to her I passed out and she immediately called an ambulance.'

'By the time I got to A&E the pain was still so bad I wanted to die. The doctors were 100 percent certain that my appendix was about to burst and that I needed to go to theatre because it was life threatening.'

Chloe rose to prominence in 2014 when she starred on the inaugural series of MTV's Ex On The Beach before hitting screens once again on CBB a year later.

She made her TV comeback last year when she appeared on the All Stars edition of EOTB, but was left red faced after she was ejected following a series of aggressive arguments with CBB victor Stephen Bear.
Her daring approach to fashion as seen her top countless best dressed lists.

And Olivia Palermo reiterated her fashion prowess as she joined the fashion elite at the Elie Saab Fall/Winter 2017 show during Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris on Wednesday.

The American socialite lead the glamour in a glitzy statement jacket as she sat in the front row of the coveted show.

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Fashionista: Olivia Palermo reiterated her style prowess as she attended the Elie Saab Fall/Winter 2017 show during Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris on Wednesday

The fashion blogger looked chic as ever in a simple navy T-shirt, which she brought to life with a show-stopping jacket that was encrusted with an array of colourful sequins.

The unique piece also boasted elaborate feather detailing at the sleeves and along the hem, though Olivia dressed down the somewhat theatrical number with ripped jeans and clashing embellished stilettos.

In true superstar style, the beauty finished the look with cat-eye shades in a vibrant blue hue.

Style savvy: The blogger looked chic as ever in a simple navy T-shirt, which she brought to life with a show-stopping jacket that was encrusted with an array of colourful sequins

Breathtaking: Once inside the show, Olivia no doubt watched in awe as the models sashayed down the runway in looks inspired by the medieval era

Ethereal: Capturing the opulence and ornamental artistry that was popular of the period, garments made up of heavily-embellished, feminine silhouettes were aplenty

Her trademark blonde tresses were styled into delicate, wet look curls, while the wife of model Johannes Huebl finished her faultless style with a shimmering smokey eyeshadow.

Once inside the show, Olivia no doubt watched in awe as the models sashayed down the runway in looks inspired by the medieval era.

Capturing the opulence and ornamental artistry that was popular of the period, garments made up of heavily-embellished, feminine silhouettes were aplenty.

Chic: Olivia's blonde tresses were styled into delicate, wet look curls, while the wife of model Johannes Huebl finished her faultless style with a shimmering smokey eyeshadow

Looking good! French actress Roxane Mesquid dazzled in a blush pink shift dress with an artsy floral motif

Her stylish display comes just two days after Olivia stepped out for the Giambattista Valli show, which was also attended by singing royalty Celine Dion.

The former reality star, a regular on the FROW at fashion weeks all over the world, pulled off her couture look with aplomb as she stepped into a intricate ivory lace gown with frilled tulle sleeves and a edgy hem.

The bridal inspired gown featured a row of snowy white bows down the centre with a floral lace overlay over a cream bralette style top.

Keeping it mini: Russian socialite Ulyana Sergeenk flashed her slender pins in a thigh-grazing grey dress that boasted a unique puffball skirt
She's been enjoying a plethora of sun-filled holidays over the summer months.

And Frankie Gaff, 22, continued to make her social media followers envious as she showcased her svelte frame in a sizzling Instagram snap on Wednesday.

The Made In Chelsea beauty looked incredible while strewn across a luxurious yacht while clad in her colourful bikini.

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Bikini babe: Frankie Gaff, 22, continued to make her social media followers envious as she showcased her svelte frame in a sizzling Instagram snap on Wednesday

Blonde bombshell Frankie highlighted her golden glow in her barely-there two-piece which showcased her taut stomach and lean pins with aplomb.

Letting her golden locks fall in a tousled style, she simply accessorised her look with a pair of studded earrings and an eye-catching anklet.

Her latest bikini display comes after she enjoyed a holiday to glamorous break to Ibiza.

How'd you like that apple? In May, the E4 star shared a plethora of snaps during a romantic getaway in Dubai with Jamie Laing

In May, the E4 star shared a plethora of snaps during a romantic getaway in Dubai with Jamie Laing.

At the time, she treated her fans to stunning shots of her clad in a skimpy mismatched two-piece that offered a look at her enviable figure.

Showing off her cleavage, Frankie donned a canary yellow bikini top that also offered a look at her toned abs while she teamed the garment with a pair of scanty emerald briefs as she chowed down on an apple in front of the idyllic beach backdrop.

Sporting a bronzed glow, Frankie seemed to have done a better job adjusting to the sunny climes than her boyfriend Jamie, 27, who revealed he was completely sunburnt at the plush hotel The Palm Dubai.

What a tease! Frankie, 22, posed for her beau, smelling a rose as she enjoyed the sunny break

He proudly showed off his muscular frame - which was a blazing scarlet colour - as he sashayed across the sandy beachfront.

But things haven't been all that rosy for the couple - who have been seeing each other for more than a year - since Christmas.

Earlier this month, the Made In Chelsea crew were filming a 'rough and ready' summer special in the Balearic Islands. Frankie and Jamie have been together for well over a year, but have endured their fair share of drama over the last few months.

It was revealed earlier this year that Frankie had slept with someone else, while Jamie had been 'inappropriate' with another girl, putting a heavy strain on their relationship.

Happier days: The couple posed for a loved-up selfie as they saw in the New Year in Dubai together

Coming to blows on the fateful episode, Jamie was seen confessing to Frankie they hadn't kissed but only 'fondled' - with the blonde responding by telling him she 'cried so much at the moment' during their romance.

Detailing the event, Jamie admitted: 'We were flirting and it was inappropriate - that's all I can tell you', to which Frankie retorted angrily: 'I feel betrayed by you!'

In April, Frankie discussed the problems the couple were experiencing in an interview with Heat magazine.

'Things with Jamie aren't great,' she explained. 'Everything is up and down with us at the moment. But we're together for now.'

Can they make it work? The duo had enjoyed a night of partying on New Year's eve, sharing a snap as they blew on party horns, writing, 'Happy New Year from Dubai!'
Florida's New Stand Your Ground Courtroom Procedure Ruled Unconstitutional

A judge in Florida ruled that the state's updated self-defense law, still known as the stand your ground law, violates individuals' constitutional rights. Surprisingly, it's not due to the principles behind the law, but rather the judicial procedures required by the update.

However, unlike the powers vested with a federal district court judge to block laws from being enforced state- or nation-wide, as recently seen in the travel ban cases, the Florida state court judge's ruling is not binding on other courts. That means that in a courtroom right next door, another judge could continue to enforce the updated stand your ground law.

What Is Stand Your Ground?

Generally, self-defense laws only allow an individual to use enough force to repel, or subdue, an attacker. Many states require an individual to retreat to safety, if possible, rather than use force in self-defense. This even applies when a person is at home, though there are often exceptions. Stand your ground laws are used in many states and these may allow a person to use deadly force in self-defense, without having to retreat to safety if possible. Similarly, many states allow individuals to use deadly force when defending their home under, what is known as, the Castle Doctrine.

These laws were catapulted into the public eye when 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. Zimmerman was found not guilty on both murder and manslaughter charges due to the stand your ground law, despite the fact that he shot and killed an unarmed child who was just walking in public.

Stand Your Ground Still in Effect

Florida lawmakers recently updated the stand your ground law to require state prosecutors to disprove claims of self-defense in advance of trial, at a pretrial hearing, by showing clear and convincing evidence.

Unfortunately for the lawmakers, according to Judge Milton Hirsch, the state's constitution does not permit lawmakers to proscribe judicial procedure, but rather requires the state's Supreme Court to change courtroom procedures.

State prosecutors and critics of law are pleased with this ruling, as it provides the framework to invalidate the new update statewide, assuming the decision is appealed up to the state's supreme court.

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Daniel Dae Kim has broken his silence after walking away from Hawaii Five-0 over pay.

The 48-year-old quit the show along with co-star Grace Park after wage negotiations with CBS broke down.

On Wednesday the actor confirmed the news in a lengthy Facebook post addressed to fans, telling them of the 'sad and difficult' decision.

'The path to equality is rarely easy': Daniel Dae Kim has broken his silence after leaving Hawaii Five-0 over a pay gap

'I will not be returning to Hawaii Five-0 when production starts next week,' he wrote.

'Though I made myself available to come back, CBS and I werent able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue.'

He thanked the crew and writers of the show, and if he felt any bitterness he certainly didn't show it, also thanking exec producers Peter Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and everyone at CBS.

He went on to say how appreciative he was at getting cast as such a fully developed character like Chin Ho Kelly on the police procedural reboot.

Bye: On Wednesday the actor confirmed the news in a lengthy Facebook post addressed to fans, telling them of the 'sad and difficult' decision

Not bitter: He thanked the crew and writers of the show, and if he felt any bitterness he certainly didn't show it, also thanking as exec producers Peter Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and everyone at CBS

'As an Asian American actor, I know first-hand how difficult it is to find opportunities at all, let alone play a well developed, three dimensional character like Chin Ho. I will miss him sincerely. What made him even more special is that he was a representative of a place my family and I so dearly love,' he wrote.

According to Variety, both Kim and Park were looking to match the salaries of stars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan; who are believed to earn 10 to 15 per cent more.

Kim concluded his statement: 'The path to equality is rarely easy.'

In response, CBS released the following statement on Wednesday: 'Daniel and Grace have been important and valued members of Hawaii Five-0 for seven seasons. We did not want to lose them and tried very hard to keep them with offers for large and significant salary increases.

We're out: The 48-year-old quit the show along with co-star Grace Park after wage negotiations with CBS broke down

'While we could not reach an agreement, we part ways with tremendous respect for their talents on screen, as well as their roles as ambassadors for the show off screen, and with hopes to work with them again in the near future.'

When the shock news originally broke last week, Lenkov also released a statement praising both actors for their job on the long-running series.

'I will never forget meeting Daniel while still writing the pilot and being certain there was no other actor who I'd want to play Chin Ho Kelly. Needless to say, Daniel has been an instrumental part of the success of Hawaii Five-0 over the past 7 seasons and it has personally been a privilege to know him.

'We are so appreciative of Daniel and Graces enormous talents, professional excellence and the aloha spirit they brought to each and every one of our 168 episodes. Theyve helped us build an exciting new Hawaii Five-0, and we wish them all the best and much success in their next chapters. Mahalo and a hui hou'

Kim also called on fans to check out his production company's new show The Good Doctor, which debuts on ABC in the fall.
Their relationship has endured its fair share of ups and downs, after he cheated on her with two of her best friends.

But it seems Katie Price and Kieran Hayler's marriage has been rocked by more infidelity claims - after he accused the TV personality of telling Tom Zanetti she 'loved him', on their new reality show.

Speaking on the latest episode of My Crazy Life, the construction worker, 30, admitted his wife had told the DJ she wanted to marry and have kids with him over text - but Katie was quick to affirm she had not actually cheated, unlike her husband.

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On the rocks? Kieran Hayler claims Katie Price told DJ Tom Zanetti she 'loved him' and 'wanted to marry' him on their new reality show My Crazy Life

The nature of her texts to the DJ surfaced after she began working on her latest single, I Got U, with the You Want Me hitmaker.

Speaking on the episode after discovering the messages however, Kieran openly vented his disappointment, and admitted he felt 'betrayed' by his wife, 38.

He explained: 'She sent loads of text messages last year to Tom Zanetti describing how much she loved him.

Work hard play hard: The nature of her texts to Tom (pictured with Katie above) surfaced after she began working on her latest single, I Got U, with the You Want Me hitmaker

Flirty: He said of his wife (above): 'She sent loads of texts last year to Tom describing how much she loved him and how much she wanted to change her name to his when they married'

'How much she wanted to change her name to his name when they got married and had kids.'

Before he added in rage: 'She hasn't even changed her name to my name being married to me!'

Only going from bad to worse, the hunk went on to admit she had found messages to the DJ on multiple occasions - but under a false female name, in an effort to hide them.

He explained: 'I caught her out three times. The third time her phone was in the front of the car and on the front of the screen I saw a message from Rebecca Botox Manchester but the picture was of Tom Zanetti.'

Trying her luck: The hunk went on to admit she had found messages to the DJ (above, with Katie) on multiple occasions - but under a false female name, in an effort to hide them

Firing back: However, Katie was quick to affirm she had done nothing wrong and had not physically cheated, unlike Kieran in 2014

'She'd changed his name to a woman's name so I didn't notice,' he added sadly.

However, when the mother-of-five gave her own views on the situation, she was quick to affirm she had not done anything wrong, or physically cheated - unlike Kieran back in 2014.

She said of the situation, which she did not deny: 'Do I feel bad? No, I don't really.

'At the end of the day I didn't do anything with him unlike Kieran who cheated on me. It was just flirty texts.'

Following the revelation, Kieran then sought comfort from his friends - who were less than impressed with her antics.

Fighitng back: She said on the episode: 'Do I feel bad? No, I don't really. 'At the end of the day I didn't do anything with him unlike Kieran who cheated on me. It was just flirty texts'

Kieran lamented: 'What can I do? What do I believe? She doesn't give a s*** what I think. Katie has taken it on herself to completely disregard my feelings.

'How do you move forward from that? She's broken every single bit of trust we had again.'

To which his pals bluntly replied: 'You married Katie Price. What do you expect?'

However, the former I'm A Celebrity star appeared far from bothered about his upset, and simply continued to plan a lavish surprise 30th birthday for him - with plans to gift him an Audi R8 worth a whopping 150,000.

Speaking of the upcoming bash, which she hopes will ease the tension between them, she said: 'If hes still got the hump after that, itll be jog on dot com.'

The seemingly saucy messages come just two months after the pair spoke about Kieran's affairs with her friends Jane Pountney, 52, and Chrissy Thomas, 44, on Loose Women - and confirmed he was a sex addict.

Confused: Kieran then sought comfort from his friends, lamenting: 'She doesn't give a s*** what I think. Katie has taken it on herself to completely disregard my feelings'

Reflecting on the bad times, Kieran said on the show: 'I think it was a cry for help and being caught was my way out. It took Kate to save me. She's my guardian angel and the only person I am grateful for for the rest of my life.'

Katie met Kieran online in 2012, and the pair married just two months later in the Bahamas, before they welcomed son Jett, three and daughter Bunny, two.

However, the couple's seemingly sturdy marriage was rocked in 2014 when Katie discovered Kieran and Jane becoming intimate on a sun-lounger during a group holiday to Cape Verde - after which she knocked out her rival's tooth.

Katie and Jane had known each other for 20 years when the affair came to light, and the latter was even maid of honour at Katie's weddings to Alex Reid and Kieran.

After vowing to stay with 'sex addict' Kieran following his 10 month affair, she has always been candid about the dalliances, admitting she sends her husband pictures of Jane 'constantly'.
He celebrated the Fourth of July holiday across the pond in London.

But Jeremy Piven looked pleased to be home as he made a low-key return to New York on Tuesday.

Keeping it casual, the Mr Selfridge star, 51, caught the eye in a deep blue shirt worn unbuttoned to tease a glimpse of his muscular frame.

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Incognito: Jeremy Piven made a low-key return to his native city in a fedora hat and shades in New York on Tuesday

The Entourage actor slipped into dark navy chinos as he sashayed through the sidewalk in the Big Apple in grey shoes for the ultimate comfort.

Jeremy sheltered his face with a straw fedora hat while he kept the baking sun off his head on his sunny stroll.



The Golden Globe winner kept his look simple with minimal accessories, including a pair of sexy shades and a number of bracelets.

Casual outing: The Mr Selfridge star, 51, caught the eye in a deep blue shirt worn unbuttoned to tease a glimpse of his muscular frame

During his visit to the English capital, he was sure to mark the occasion with a special trip to Selfridges.

Jeremy won the hearts on the nation when he slipped into the leading role of television series Mr Selfridge in 2013.

The TV drama told the story of an American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge (Piven) who opened the flag ship store on Oxford Street, London in the 1900s.

In a recent interview with the Radio Times, he reflected on the similarities between his role and his own personal character.

He told the publication: 'There are so many parallels. I'm an American, also from Chicago, making my way in unchartered territory.

Keeping cool: The Entourage actor slipped into dark navy chinos as he sashayed through the sidewalk in the Big Apple in grey shoes for the ultimate comfort

'Harry Selfridge is a showman and likes to be the centre of attention, whereas I like to disappear in a room and watch everyone else.

'So in some ways I'm different and in others I can find parallels that I can use.'

Posing outside the shop, he wrote on Instagram: 'Back to check on my shop...things are going swimmingly #mrselfridge.' (sic)

Reflecting on his trip to the UK, he later added: 'Good to be back without a call time..long way away from home on July 4th!' (sic)

The New Yorker is returning to the screen in new crime drama Wisdom of the Crowd.

Pleased to be home: He looked utterly relaxed after he celebrated the Fourth of July across the pond in the UK

The 2017 series tells the story of a tech inventor who is on the hunt for his daughter's murderer in San Francisco.

In June, the star listed his Malibu beach home for an impressive $10.5 million according to realtor.com.

The silver fox recently made the move to the stunning Hollywood Hills after buying a new home in Los Angeles.

Recognition: Jeremy won the hearts on the nation when he slipped into the leading role of television series Mr Selfridge in 2013 (pictured in the show)
They've been under the radar as a couple since 2014.

But Brad Falchuk, 45, made their relationship more public on Tuesday by posting a rare photo of his love Gwyneth Paltrow getting ready.

The 44-year-old actress looked flawless as she smiled up at the camera while having her hair done by a stylist.

#Beauty: Brad Falchuk, 45, is taking their relationship more mainstream by posting a rare photo of his love Gwyneth Paltrow getting ready on Tuesday.

She appeared to wearing very little makeup on her naturally gorgeous complexion as she grinned at the camera.

The mom-of-two wore a black-and-white striped strapless dress and a simple gold necklace around her neck.

The Glee creator captioned the photo with two hashtags: #gettingready and #beauty.

Gwyneth and Brad, who was seemingly the photographer, have been together since 2014, but only became Instagram-official on Gwyneth's account in March, on Brad's 45th birthday.

Going public: Gwyneth posted a shot with her boyfriend in March, which was the first time she had posted anything with him since they started dating

She shared a cozy snap of the pair at the time, captioned: 'Happy birthday, handsome.'

The Seven beauty rarely comments on her relationship with Brad - who also created Scream Queens - but seems to be making it clear that they are consciously-coupled.

It's one of the very few times he's popped up on her social media - he made an appearance in a montage at Thanksgiving but is noticeably absent most of the time.

Cute couple: Brad has posted a few other photos of his girlfriend on his social media account, including one of the couple back in July 2016

Brad, on the other hand, has shared a few pictures of the Shallow Hal star - who shares her two children Apple, 12, and 10-year-old Moses with her Coldplay frontman ex Chris Martin, from whom she split in 2014.

He posted a picture of his girlfriend alone outside the White House, after they attended Barack Obama's farewell party in January, as well as a snap together on vacation in Iceland last year.

Brad shares his two children Brody and Isabella with his ex-wife Suzanne Bukinik.
She's been working hard to get into shape with the help of her new workout programme.

And Jessica Wright was looking her best when she shared a sizzling bikini snapshot from her recent Dubai break, marking national bikini day in style.

The TOWIE star flaunted her sculpted figure in the monochrome two-piece, featuring an-off-the-shoulder style with a glamorous ruffle.

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Bikini babe: Ex-TOWIE star Jessica Wright was looking her best when she shared a sizzling bikini snapshot from her recent Dubai break, marking national bikini day in style

Standing on an empty beach against the skyscraper backdrop, the 31-year-old brunette looked the picture of health.

Jessica posted: 'National bikini day and all that wishing I was back on this beach right now!!

'Bikini from @withlove_jess just having finished my @fi7nessbyjessicawright programme #fitness #nationalbikiniday www.fi7ness.com'.

Jessica was out and about in London on Tuesday night, heading out for a light sushi dinner at Nobu.

Out and about: Jessica was looking the picture of health when she stepped out in London on Tuesday night, heading out for a light sushi dinner at Nobu

The star, who quit The Only Way Is Essex in 2016 after five years on the show, sported a simple yet sophisticated blue dress.

Jessica's demure number was fitted at the waist, emphasising her hourglass shape.

The knee-length navy number boasted double frill detailing on the sleeves, adding extra interest to the frock.

She kept her accessories coordinated, matching her patent nude clutch to her summery heels.

Curves: Jessica's demure number was fitted at the waist, emphasising her hourglass shape

Cute: The knee-length navy number boasted double frill detailing on the sleeves, adding extra interest to the frock

Stylish from head-to-toe: She kept her accessories coordinated, matching her patent nude clutch to her summery heels

Enjoying herself: Jess was in her element as she headed out with a male friend

The brunette beauty was fresh from her visit to Los Angeles, making a welcome return to the UK party scene over the weekend when she stepped out at the Aruna Seth Shoe Event.

The TV star looked ladylike in a ruffle embellished lace blouse and a green suede miniskirt.

Jessica upped the sex appeal by donning a white bandeau bralet underneath her sheer top.

Putting her best foot forward: Jessica Wright was making a welcome return to the UK party scene when she stepped out at the Aruna Seth Shoe Event in London on Friday night

The thigh-skimming mini highlighted her toned legs, making the most of her post-LA bronzed glow.

The fitness fan rounded off her look with a pair of strappy white heels and a bouncy blow dry.

Speaking to MailOnline recently Jessica discussed how she is finally happy in her own skin after sticking to a seven-week fitness regime - and how conquering self-doubt has made her determined to find love.

Cute look: The 31-year-old former TOWIE star looked ladylike in a ruffle embellished lace blouse and a green suede miniskirt

Just a hint of skin: Jessica upped the sex appeal by donning a white bandeau bralet underneath her sheer top

Describing her fitness journey as she launches her brand new Fi7ness by Jessica Wright regime, she explained: 'I needed to do it for my own self confidence and own self loving.

'How can you expect someone to love you when you don't love yourself? There was definitely a time in my life when I was lacking in that area.

'Whereas now I feel like I am completely in control of myself and where I am. I am in a happy place.

Toned and tanned: The thigh-skimming mini highlighted her toned legs, making the most of her post-LA bronzed glow

Looking good: The fitness fan rounded off her look with a pair of strappy white heels and a bouncy blow dry

'I'm dating a lot at the moment and while I'm not necessarily looking for love, if it comes around then great.'

Asked if she would like a romance like her brother, TV presenter Mark Wright, 30, and his actress wife Michelle Keegan, 29, - who recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary - she said: 'Yeah obviously of course.'

Jessica's most high-profile romance was her long-term relationship with former TOWIE co-star Ricky Rayment, 26.

Body confident: Jessica has confessed she is finally happy in her own skin after sticking to a seven-week fitness regime

New project: The star is focused on her new Fi7ness by Jessica Wright regime




He may have struck out after ending his romance romance with The Bachelorette Sam Frost but Sasha Mielczarek hasn't lost his sense of humour.

The 32-year-old proved he certainly looks fetching in a bikini, wearing skimpy American flag themed swimwear for a comical photo posted to celebrate the Fourth of July.

The well wishes appeared to be a day late, with the image posted to Sasha's Instagram on Wednesday July 5.

Fetching! He may have struck out after ending his romance romance with The Bachelorette Sam Frost but Sasha Mielczarek hasn't lost his sense of humour

Clearly fond of the photo, Sasha has shared it in the past, shortly after his break-up with Sam.

Sasha captioned the image: 'I profusely apologise for this horrible image I'm leaving you all with (some of you may have already seen it)... but Happy Independence Day to all my American compadres! Have a few 'pigs ears' for me'.

The former reality star showed off his toned abs in the risque outfit, with the bikini bottoms sitting very low on his torso.

He completed the illusion with bright red lipstick, a blonde wig and a stuffed bikini top.

Sasha has just returned home from a male bonding experience with Kris Smith in New Zealand.

And it appears the pair are about to take their bromance to the next level.

Close: Sasha has just returned home from a male bonding experience with Kris Smith in New Zealand

New venture: The reality TV hunks are rumoured to be going into business together, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday

The reality TV hunks are rumoured to be going into business together, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

'Two good looking blokes like Kris and Sasha - who could say no to them?' a source told the publication.

After hitting it off in January, the friends have since appeared at several public events together.

The insider revealed Kris and Sasha have previously joked about working together, but it is unclear what they are planning.

Gossip: The insider revealed Kris and Sasha have previously joked about working together, but it is unclear what they are planning. Pictured at the Myer x Misha Fashion Week party in May

Kris and Sasha both share the same talent agent and have done promotional work together, which has likely encouraged their business plans.

While dressed in matching outfits last week, the pair made fun of their high-profile friendship.

'What bromance?' Kris captioned his Instagram post, adding the hashtag, 'Couple dressing'.

Seeing double! Kris and Sasha both share the same talent agent and have done promotional work together, which has likely encouraged their business plans

Last month, the unlucky-in-love pair went on a 'date' to Hungry Jacks together.

'I want a woman that looks at me the way I look at my burger on cheat day,' Kris wrote on Instagram.

Kris is understood to be single following a brief romance with Network Ten employee Hannah Scott.

Meanwhile, Sasha split with Sam Frost in December last year, 18 months after they fell in love on The Bachelorette.
Miss Frostrup, 54, suggested she had employed her human rights lawyer husband to fight a legal battle with Great Western Railway

Mariella Frostrup has threatened to take legal action after she says she was thrown off a train by police.

The television presenter claimed she was removed from the train, travelling from Paddington to Taunton, for asking an employee why it was not stopping at Castle Cary, Somerset.

Miss Frostrup, 54, suggested she had employed her human rights lawyer husband to fight a legal battle with Great Western Railway after the incident on Saturday, which caused her to miss her daughters 13th birthday.

The mother-of-two, who is thought to split her time between her homes in London and Batcombe, in Somerset, told her 56,000 Twitter followers that the train manager told her he did not like her attitude before getting a policeman to throw her off.

GWR said that the train was forced to take a different route because a person had been hit by a train earlier in the day.

Miss Frostrup was so upset by the incident that that she has threatened to involve her husband Jason McCue, who specialises in human rights law.

Mr McCue is known for his pursuit of terrorists and rogue regimes through civil and criminal courts and for tracing and recovering their assets.

One friend told the Daily Mail that the incident had been deeply upsetting and confirmed that Miss Frostrup, who has one daughter Molly, aged 13, and a son, Danny, 12, was considering taking legal action.

Miss Frostrup told her 56,000 followers she had approached a GWR employee to ask his advice about Castle Cary passengers trying to get home

Writing on Twitter after the incident on Saturday night, Miss Frostrup told her 56,000 followers she had approached a GWR employee to ask his advice about Castle Cary passengers trying to get home.

She wrote: Allen the train manager on the revised 20.06 to Taunton got a policeman to throw me off for asking why not stopping at Castle Cary!

Did I mention that I missed my daughters 13th birthday party as a result of my disciplinary banning from the train this afternoon, she added.

Another bystander said the police had been called, but British Transport Police said they had no record of the incident.

Miss Frostrup wrote: Youd think police would have better things to do then (sic) back up @GWRHelp bullies.

She then angrily tweeted GWR saying that the incident was in the hands of my lawyer, later adding my husbands my lawyer.

An eyewitness on the train told The Daily Mail: She was having a stand up row. We couldnt believe who it was at first. She caused a huge scene.

A representative for Miss Frostrup said: A complaint has been lodged with Great Western Rail.

A spokesperson for GWR said: There was fatality on Saturday evening which had a significant impact on our services.

As a result the 2006 Paddington to Taunton service was advertised as not stopping at Pewsey and Castle Cary, and departed seven minutes late. When station stops have to be omitted from a timetabled service, we will take passengers forward on the next available service or provide transport from the nearest station to make sure they reach their destination safely.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) officials have said tens of thousands of their activists and supporters have been arrested by the government since 2014, when the party boycotted a controversial general election over fears it would be rigged

One of Bangladesh's most prominent government critics went missing on Monday after calling his wife to tell her he feared he would be killed, police said.

The wife of Farhad Mazhar, a well-known poet, writer and dissident, told police he telephoned early on Monday to tell her he was being taken away by a man and feared he would be killed.

Shortly afterwards, she received a ransom demand for her husband.

"His wife sent a man to the (police) station who told us Mazhar called few hours later after he left and said that he was being taken away and would get killed," said duty officer Aleya Akhter.

"After a while someone called his wife from the same phone and asked a ransom of 3.5 million taka ($43,317)."

The writer's family has filed a complaint with the police.

The country's elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force were conducting a house-by-house search operation for Mazhar in the southwestern city of Khulna, 269 kilometres (167 miles) from the capital, after they claimed to have traced "signals" from the poet's mobile phone.

But hours later, there was no trace of Mazhar.

CCTV footage of Mazhar's neighbourhood in the capital Dhaka showed him walking away with a man early in the morning.

The 69-year-old is a supporter of the country's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

BNP officials have said tens of thousands of their activists and supporters have been arrested by the government since 2014, when the party boycotted a controversial general election over fears it would be rigged.

There have also been allegations of so-called enforced disappearances -- where authorities detain people unofficially and hold them in secret jails.

"Far too many people have gone missing in Bangladesh over recent years without any further news of their fate. The government must end impunity for these abuses," Biraj Patnaik, South Asia Director of Amnesty International, said.

The rights watchdog released a statement urging the authorities to "make every effort to locate" Mazhar, "bring him back to safety and hold the perpetrators accountable".

Kidnapping for ransom is relatively rare in Bangladesh, and rights activists urged the government to properly investigate Mazhar's disappearance to prove it was not involved.

"Such incidents happen repeatedly and the government's silence is deplorable," said Nur Khan Liton, a prominent rights activist.

Rights group Ain O Salish Kendra says 39 people have gone missing in Bangladesh so far this year including top political and business figures.

Mazhar had on Sunday taken part in a press conference to protest a spate of lynchings of Muslims in India, a key ally of the current regime in Bangladesh.
President Donald Trump is finally due to meet this week in Germany with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in an encounter fraught with risk for the struggling US leader

It was a constant refrain on the campaign trail for Donald Trump in his quest for the US presidency: "We're going to have a great relationship with Putin and Russia."

Now, weighed down by claims that Moscow helped put him in the White House, Trump is set to finally meet his Russian counterpart in an encounter fraught with potential danger for the struggling American leader.

The talks are due to take place late Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

There should be no shortage of subjects to discuss, including the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, North Korea's nuclear program and efforts to combat terrorism.

But for Trump, the main challenge will be how to improve ties with Putin without seemingly going soft on a man who American intelligence agencies say oversaw a massive effort to influence the outcome of last year's US elections.

"Trump needs to be polite but firm and not too friendly," said Michael O'Hanlon, a Russia expert at the Brookings Institution.

"If he wants to improve US-Russia relations down the road, he needs to convey the gravity of his concerns about recent Russian behavior first. Otherwise, Putin may think he's a pushover, and the Congress will rise in opposition to Trump's Russia policy."

Trump's surprise election in November was expected to have heralded an upturn in relations between Moscow and Washington.

But ties that had chilled under Barack Obama have become even frostier, with Russia's backing for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria a particular source of friction.

Moscow was furious when the Trump administration launched a cruise missile strike against Syrian forces in April, in retaliation for what Washington said was a chemical weapons attack by Assad's regime against civilians.

Talks between senior US and Russian diplomats that had been set for last month were cancelled by Moscow in the wake of Washington's decision to reinforce sanctions imposed over Russian interference in Ukraine and its occupation of Crimea.

And an FBI investigation into whether Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow during the election -- claims the president has dismissed as "fake news" -- have further complicated matters.

Trump has yet to hand back two Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were impounded on Obama's orders in December as evidence emerged of election meddling.

But while the portents may not be great, both sides do appear keen to make some headway.

- 'Constructive relationship' -

Senior Putin aide Yuri Ushakov has said the meeting should be crucial for international stability and it was in both sides' interests "to break the current impasse in bilateral relations."

HR McMaster, Trump's national security advisor, said there is no specific agenda for the talks and the main aim is to forge a "more constructive relationship" while also confronting Moscow over its "destabilizing behavior."

The pair could find common ground when discussing how to deal with the Islamic State group whose last strongholds -- Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria -- appear to be on the verge of collapse.

But for the 71-year-old Trump -- still an absolute novice when it comes to diplomacy -- the optics of the meeting with a leader who has been in power for nearly two decades will be sensitive.

Trump was embarrassed back in May when he was accused of revealing sensitive intelligence information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a White House meeting.

For O'Hanlon, the best that could be hoped from Friday's meeting is a slight thaw in relations and the two men possibly striking up some kind of chemistry despite the toxic background.

"I can't imagine any issues they can actually make major headway on, given the poison that surrounds the relationship," he said.

"And so I hope that they can at least begin to develop a personal rapport that allows maybe the next conversation to get into substance on Syria, because there really isn't that much time to waste."
There are growing signs that US President Donald Trump has already effectively given up on China's capability of reining in the North Korea regime

North Korea's test-firing of a missile apparently capable of reaching Alaska underlines the shrinking options for US President Donald Trump to halt Pyongyang's nuclear drive after losing faith in China's mediation efforts.

Shortly before his January inauguration as president, Trump said he would never let North Korea develop a nuclear weapon that would put parts of the United States in range, declaring on Twitter: "It won't happen!"

But after Washington confirmed that North Korea had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), experts say the US may have to accept that red line is close to being crossed if the missile system can be developed to carry a nuclear warhead.

"The window for negotiating denuclearization is closed," Jeffrey Lewis, an expert in nuclear non-proliferation, told AFP.

"The big point is that we have to accept North Korea with a nuclear-armed ICBM."

In the immediate aftermath of the latest test, Trump again took to Twitter to berate the North's leader Kim Jong-Un and press China to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

But there are growing signs that Trump has already effectively given up on China's capability of reining in Kim's regime, declaring last month that Beijing's efforts had not worked out.

The Trump administration's hardening stance was also illustrated last Thursday when it slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank linked to North Korea -- drawing an angry response from Beijing.

In a weekend phone call with China's president, Trump reportedly told Xi Jinping that Washington was prepared to act on its own in pressuring North Korea, according to the New York Times.

Factfile on North Korea's suspected missile arsenal. Pyongyang has claimed that Sunday's launch was of a "newly-developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket"

As well as leaning on China, Trump has also been seeing if he can work with South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In, inviting him to the White House last week.

He has even tried to flatter Kim himself, calling him a "smart cookie" whom he would be "honored" to meet -- if only he would halt his missile programs.

Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress for Nuclear and Defense policy, said international pressure and diplomacy was of limited use now that Pyongyang was so far down the line.

- 'Deter, contain, constrain' -

"It is now illogical to apply pressure to prevent the threshold from being crossed. It has been crossed. Denuclearization is untenable," said Mount.

"US policy failed. The best we can hope for now is to sustainably deter, contain, constrain, and reform the regime over the long term."

In the short term, the Pentagon is studying its options for military action, though the United States and South Korea quickly made a show of force following the ICBM test, firing missiles off the coast of the Korean peninsula in what Washington called a display of "precision fire capability."

But US military chiefs have made clear they see enormous risks in a confrontation with the North.

Speaking in May, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said any war with North Korea would be on a scale similar to the devastating Korea conflict in the 1950s.

"The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely populated cities on Earth, which is the capital of South Korea," he told CBS News.

"The bottom line is, it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat, if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means."

Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in a speech last week that nothing had been ruled out but was blunt about the risks associated with any effort to impose a military solution.

"The president has directed us to ... prepare a range of options, including military options, that nobody wants to take," he said.

Lewis, a researcher at the California-based Middlebury Institute for International Studies, said the Trump administration's focus should now be on dissuading North Korea from firing anything in earnest.

"We should consider ways to reduce tension while strengthening deterrence," said Lewis.

"Ballistic missile defense might part of deterrence."

The US has already installed parts of a missile defense system -- the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system -- in South Korea to guard against threats from the North.

But Moon has suspended further deployment following a furious campaign of economic sanctions and diplomatic protests by Beijing against the US missile shield, dealing a blow to Washington's regional security policy.
The five Chin youth  including representatives from the Chin National Democratic, the Chin Students Union, Myanmar and the Chinland Post  visited Paletwa township from June 17 to 26. While on the trip, residents from the townships ten villages told them about regular abuses they reportedly have suffered at the hands of soldiers.

Human rights violations such as physical assault, forceful recruitment of residents as porters or guides, robberies and the use of residents as human shields have been committed, the letter to Chief Minister Salai Lian Luai stated.

According to the letter, hundreds of residents from Pi Taung, Sat Ta Laing Wa, Kin Ta Lin, and Pyaing So villages have fled to nearby villages, while schools in Sat Laing Wa, Sat Ta Laing Wa, Pi Taung, and Kin Ta Lin villages have been closed due to the teachers safety concerns.

The Chin youth urged the government to assist in reopening the schools, collecting the list of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and providing necessary support to the IDPs. They also called on the Chin State government leaders to visit the conflict area in Paletwa township so that they can help establish a path for long-term regional stability.

Over 300 residents from Pyin So Village had to flee amid skirmishes between the AA and the Tatmadaw in 2015. They only returned to their village this April under arrangements made by the Chin State government.

Paletwa township, which sits on the remote border with Rakhine State, is one of the poorest areas of Chin State. Sporadic clashes between the AA and the Tatmadaw have occurred there for several years, including last December when 200 people were displaced.
A rocket hit a beach in Tripoli killing five people, including at least one child, and wounding 25 others

A rocket hit a beach in Tripoli killing five people, including at least one child, and wounding 25 others, the Libyan health ministry said.

The blast Tuesday hit the beach in front of Mitiga airport in the east of the Libyan capital, the ministry statement said.

An interior ministry source said there were clashes Tuesday inside the airport perimeter between security forces and an "outlawed" group. The airport was badly damaged during fighting between rival militias in mid-2014.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, however could not say whether the attack on the civilians was intentional.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival authorities and militias battling for control of the oil-rich country.

The North African country has rival administrations, with the authorities in the east not recognising the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital.
Guinean former fashion model Tiguidanke Camara left behind chic gowns and catwalks to turn herself into west Africa's first woman mine owner

Leaving behind chic gowns and catwalks to stomp in the mud in heavy work boots, Guinean former fashion model Tiguidanke Camara has made herself west Africa's first woman mine owner.

In the small forest village of Guingouine, in the west of Ivory Coast, Camara runs a team of 10 geologists and labourers who are probing the soil for gold deposits.

She readily wades into a mucky pond to help take laboratory samples.

"When I was a model, I showed off for the jewellers. They have licences in Africa to provide their precious stones," says Camara amid a swarm of gnats, still youthful and trim in her 40s.

She does not recall any macho male resistance to her rise in an industry almost devoid of women, though bemused men have been prompted on occasion to ask whose assistant she might be.

"When it got too much one day, I had to produce my CEO's ID badge!" she protests mildly.

Camara says that modelling for jewellery firms "roused my curiosity. I started to ask myself questions. What if African men or women took charge of business in the mining sector?"

"I'm the answer to that question," declares the entrepreneur, who has been ranked by France's weekly Jeune Afrique among the 50 most influential businesswomen of Francophone Africa.

Inspired to join forces, she and a number of other women last year created an association of Women in the Mining Network of Ivory Coast (Femici by its French acronym), while Camara is also seen as an example to village girls.

- 'We lack everything' -

Camara had to dig deep into savings -- earned on runways for big international fashion labels and jewellery brands and in promoting the wares of luxury design houses -- to launch her Tigui Mining Group in 2010 and acquire two licences to prospect for gold in her homeland.

Then last year she followed up with a mining concession to look for gold in Ivory Coast, which she has turned into "my base in west Africa".

Modelling for jewellery firms "roused my curiosity," Camara, the owner of TMG Tigui Mining Company, says. "I started to ask myself questions. What if African men or women took charge of business in the mining sector?"

"I'm the owner of a mining company that belongs to me 100 percent," says Tigui's founder, stressing that she is a continental rarity, "apart from South Africa, where there are other women bosses, but mostly in partnerships."

In Guingouine, inhabitants have started to dream of the big changes that could benefit the village if the site proves to be rich in gold and a mine is opened.

"Guingouine means happiness (in the local Yacouba language), but we lack everything," says village chief Alphonse Doh, clad in his traditional blue and white robe.

"The school of six classes is a shed without electricity. Women in labour have to be taken in wheelbarrows 10 kilometres (six miles) to the nearest health centre," Doh explains.

For the chief, opening a mine could transform the lives of thousands of people. Apart from the potential economic gains, he also hopes that Tiguidanke Camara may serve as a successful role model in a region where more than 80 percent of girls are illiterate.

In the meantime, the "mining lady" has encouraged the women of the village to form a cooperative, providing them with agricultural equipment and two solar panels.

"We are very pleased with this cooperation," says Elise Kpan, who runs the Women of Guingouine association. The cooperative has enabled villagers "to place their farming produce on the market easily and to make money".

- 'Future growth sector' -

The mining sector, dominated by the production of manganese (two mines) and gold (five mines) has been growing for a decade in Ivory Coast.

Current activity accounts for five percent of the gross domestic product of the country, which also has diamonds, iron, nickel, bauxite and copper.

Women are poorly represented in Ivorian mining, where they account for just 112 of some 6,000 jobs directly involved in the sector and about 400 of the 30,000 connected secondary jobs

Women are poorly represented in Ivorian mining, where they account for just 112 of some 6,000 jobs directly involved in the sector and about 400 of the 30,000 connected secondary jobs.

Concerned women have bonded to improve this state of affairs. The newly launched Femici association pools the resources of women professionals as diverse as geologists, drivers of heavy industrial vehicles, lawyers and environmental specialists.

"Mining activity is a future growth sector that will attract many women," says Christine Logbo-Kossi, director of the Professional Group of Mines in Ivory Coast, the only employers' organisation in the industry, founded in 2008.

"If I flourish in the mining sector, it's because I have benefitted from the welcome that men gave me," Camara says.

Asked what quality most helps women succeed in business, she is quick to say: "Passion."
Philippine troops ride on their truck on their way to the frontline in the outskirts of Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao

Islamist militants have beheaded two Vietnamese sailors held hostage for eight months in the southern Philippines, the military said on Wednesday.

Philippine troops found the remains of the two hostages early Wednesday morning on the island of Basilan, a stronghold of the notorious Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group, military spokeswoman Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay said.

"This is a desperate measure of the Abu Sayyaf Group because they see they have no gains from their kidnap-for-ransom activity," Petinglay told AFP.

Vietnam's foreign ministry said it was seeking confirmation from Philippine authorities, and called for heavy punishment for the killers.

"Vietnam strongly condemns all acts of kidnapping and barbarous and inhumane murder, and we are of the opinion that these acts must be heavily punished," spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told AFP.

Abu Sayyaf, originally a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, has splintered into factions, with some continuing to engage in banditry and kidnappings.

One faction has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, with members among those holding parts of Marawi, the largely Catholic nation's most important Islamic city.

Militants continue to occupy parts of Marawi despite a US-backed military offensive there that has claimed more than 460 lives and displaced nearly 400,000 people since it began in May.

The two Vietnamese were seized last November along with four other Vietnamese crew members of a vessel that was boarded by the militants off the southern region of Mindanao, the military said.

One of the six crewmen was rescued last month and three remain in captivity, Petinglay said.

Abu Sayyaf militants are holding a total of 22 hostages, including 16 foreigners, according to Petinglay.

The Abu Sayyaf is known to behead its hostages unless ransom payments are made.

German national Jurgen Kantner, 70, was beheaded in February after the kidnappers' demand for 30 million pesos ($600,000) was not met.

Last year, the group beheaded two Canadian hostages.
Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo (L) and his brother Liu Xiaoxuan in Guangzhou in southern China in 2005

The Chinese hospital caring for cancer-stricken Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo has decided to invite US, German and other foreign experts to treat him in China following international pressure to let him go abroad.

The legal bureau of Shenyang -- the northeastern city where Liu is being treated -- said in a statement Wednesday the invitation was made "at the request" of Liu's family.

China has faced global calls to give the democracy campaigner the option to get treatment abroad since it emerged last month that he was transferred from prison to a hospital after he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.

Beijing has come under fire from human rights groups over its treatment of Liu and for waiting until the Nobel Peace Prize winner became terminally sick to take him out of prison.

But authorities have insisted that the 61-year-old has been getting top-notch care from prominent Chinese cancer doctors at China Medical University No 1 Hospital in Shenyang.

AFP reporters saw several police officers stationed inside the hospital. Nurses at the oncology ward, however, said they could not find Liu's name in the computer system.

Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for "subversion" after calling for democratic reform. He was awarded the Nobel in 2010, with an empty chair representing him at the ceremony in Oslo.

- Xi in Germany -

The invitation of foreign experts came after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for a state visit and the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday.

"It seems that the Chinese authorities are responding to international pressure by making such arrangements," Amnesty International's China researcher Patrick Poon told AFP.

But, Poon added, Liu and his wife, the poet Liu Xia, have made it clear that they want him to be treated abroad.

"The Chinese government should respect their wish but not just make arrangements to respond to concerns and criticisms," he said.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that Berlin hopes Liu will get "all the medical support he needs" and that a "humanitarian solution for Liu Xiaobo should be the highest priority".

The new US ambassador to Beijing, Terry Branstad, said last week that he would like to see Liu have the chance to get treatment abroad.

- Friends fear the worst -

Friends of Liu and his wife fear that the dissident may only have months to live and say the couple has expressed its desire for him to go abroad.

First Hospital of China Medical University (top, C) in Shenyang where Liu Xiaobo is believed to be undergoing treatment

Hu Jia, a prominent activist under house arrest in Beijing, told AFP that Liu's treatment is aimed at reducing the pain and helping him live longer.

"Maybe he can still live for six months. But it is difficult to change the result that a Nobel Peace Prize winner dies due to the persecution of the CPC (Communist Party of China)," he said.

The Shenyang legal bureau said Monday that Liu, whose cancer had spread to other parts of his body, was receiving chemotherapy and the "most advanced" drug to treat liver cancer.

He has also received traditional Chinese medicine "as a supplementary treatment", the bureau said, adding that the family has been "satisfied" with the care he has received and "expressed their appreciation".

Friends of Liu have circulated a photo showing his wife feeding him as he sits next to a hospital bed.

More than a dozen supporters held a small protest in Hong Kong and mailed postcards for Liu.

Albert Ho, a former lawmaker in the semi-autonomous city, said the hospital's decision to invite experts "shows that the Chinese government is quite concerned about its image that they would be subject to accusations that they had maltreated Liu Xiaobo".

But Ho said that it was not enough and that Liu should be allowed to have access to friends and "make a choice of his own as to whether or not he would like to seek medical treatment outside China".
Privately-run ships have saved the lives of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean this year. Now they are being pressed to follow a 'code of conduct' that European ministers say will prevent them from being used as a tool for traffickers

Privately-run aid organisations rescuing migrants off Libya have slammed the idea of creating a "code of conduct" for them to follow, saying European ministers tackling the crisis are bungling their response.

Italy, France and Germany held a working dinner on Sunday to prepare the ground for a six-point plan to address the biggest migrant phenomenon since World War II, to be submitted to the bloc at a meeting on Thursday in Talinn.

Top of the list was a code to regulate operations in the sea off Libya where the Italian coast guard, European border patrol forces and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) save migrants attempting the perilous crossing.

Up to a dozen private aid boats have been patrolling off the coast of Libya since 2015.

They performed 26 percent of the rescues carried out in 2016, rising to 35 percent so far this year, according to the Italian coastguard.

They have been accused of acting as a magnet by sailing close to the Libyan coast.

In reply, they insist that not doing so would risk lives, as smugglers are putting migrants out to sea in increasingly unseaworthy vessels with little fuel or water.

The Maltese organisation MOAS told AFP Tuesday it was "very perplexed" by the code-of-conduct proposal as all rescues in the Mediterranean are already automatically coordinated by a command centre in Rome.

- 'Code exists already' -

Ruben Neugebauer, spokesman of the German NGO Sea-Watch, was equally as baffled, saying: "there is already a code of conduct in place -- it is called international maritime law".

SOS Mediterranee, which was recently awarded a UNESCO peace prize for its efforts to save lives, said it was "surprised that the first response by European leaders to a major humanitarian crisis is for a code of conduct for the NGOs".

Italian coast guard head Vincenzo Melone gave the aid groups his backing in May during an audition with a parliamentary committee in Rome looking into whether the NGOs were encouraging people trafficking from Libya.

"We are facing a tragedy of incredible dimensions... (but) the solution is not at sea," he said. Since 2014, the coast guard has coordinated the rescue of over 590,000 migrants, while over 14,000 have died or are feared drowned.

The coast guard holds meetings in Rome with NGOs to facilitate coordination. The next one is scheduled for July 13.

"There's no anarchy among the aid groups, the anarchy is in Libya, a country without any state structures worthy of the name, where large-scale human trafficking is proliferating," said vice president of SOS Mediterranee Sophie Beau.

- 'We need more boats' -

It is the "EU which really needs a code of conduct", Oscar Camps, head of Spain's Proactiva Open Arms, said on Twitter.

He pointed to a campaign against the NGOs which shifted attention from crisis-hit Libya or the reasons behind the mass migratory movement -- people fleeing war or hunger -- by slinging mud at the rescuers.

"'You're a pull factor, you are in cahoots with the traffickers, you are financed by the mafias, you are the taxis of the sea, we are going to close the port'," he said, quoting the critics.

"Are we really the problem?" he asked.

Italian media reports said the code of conduct would forbid NGOs from sailing near the Libyan waters or communicating with smugglers -- including using any form of lights that could attract traffickers.

The NGOs said a regulation to stop sailing near Libya would be difficult to enforce in international waters, and pointed out they use searchlights to look for men, women and children who risk drowning in the dark.

The code may also include an obligation to have a police officer on board the aid boats. The NGOs have said that would go against their humanitarian principles.

"But if the police want to come on their own boats, they are very welcome. We need more boats" saving lives, he said.
Unrest in Myanmar has forced thousands of Rohingya into squalid displacement camps where they have languished for years, many facing severe restrictions on their movements

A Rohingya Muslim was stoned to death and six others wounded by a mob of Buddhists in the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state, authorities said Wednesday, the latest flare-up in a region seething with religious tension.

The western state is a hotbed of sectarian unrest, with frequent bouts of communal violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, a persecuted minority.

The worst bloodshed in 2012 left hundreds dead and forced over 100,000 people -- largely Rohingya -- into squalid displacement camps where they have languished for years, many facing severe restrictions on their movements.

Little has been done to reconcile the two communities, with tensions skyrocketing since October in the wake of violence between Rohingya militants and the army.

On Tuesday a mob of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists hurled bricks at seven Rohingya men in the state capital Sittwe.

"One Muslim was killed and six others injured. Two are still hospitalised," a local officer told AFP, requesting anonymity.

The Rohingya men were granted permission to leave their displacement camp on the outskirts of the city to give statements at a criminal case in a Sittwe court, state media reported.

After attending court they requested a police escort to a nearby dock where they discussed purchasing a boat from a local businessman.

"At the boat jetty, an argument developed," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

"They were attacked by several people with bricks," it added, referring to the incident as a "fatal stone throwing".

Myanmar has long faced international condemnation for its treatment of the Rohingya, who are considered one of the world's most persecuted people.

The Rohingya trapped in displacement camps struggle to access food, education and healthcare, conditions many have likened to a form of apartheid.

The group is loathed by many in Myanmar's Buddhist majority, who view them as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh despite many tracing their lineage back generations. Hardline Buddhist nationalists aggressively protest any move to grant them citizenship.

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize winner, has faced global censure for not taking a stronger stance on the Rohingya's plight.

She has rejected a UN probe of the alleged atrocities carried out by soldiers against the Rohingya, insisting it will inflame tensions.

But her government has set up a commission led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan to investigate how the state's sectarian tensions can be solved.
Malaysia's Director General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah says the cases were the first rabies-related deaths in the country in almost 20 years

Two Malaysian children have died after contracting rabies, the country's first such deaths in almost two decades, as authorities battle a rare outbreak of the disease, officials said Wednesday.

A six-year-old girl and her four-year-old brother died Tuesday after becoming infected with the disease in a rural area on the Malaysian part of Borneo island.

They were among three people confirmed to have been infected with rabies, which in most cases is transmitted via dog bites, according to Sarawak's local government and housing minister Sim Kui Hian.

"Two of the three confirmed cases... were pronounced dead," he said. "They were diagnosed to be brain dead and the parents have agreed for the life support to be withdrawn."

He said the other patient was still "critically ill".

Noor Hisham Abdullah, Malaysia's director general of health, told AFP that the cases were the first rabies-related deaths in the country in almost 20 years.

Five villages in the Serian district of Sarawak state, which borders the Indonesian part of Borneo, are confirmed as having been affected by the outbreak. Enormous, jungle-clad Borneo is shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

Sim said health teams in Serian had visited 19 villages as of Tuesday and carried out checks on over 6,000 people. Only three cases of humans contracting rabies have so far been confirmed.

Officials have ordered all dogs in the area to be vaccinated against rabies, reported state news agency Bernama.

Rabies causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and is almost always fatal once contracted, according to the World Health Organization.

It mainly affects poor and vulnerable populations in rural areas, according to the WHO.
Friction between the US and China is likely to intensify after North Korea claimed to have successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that US experts said could reach Alaska

The US and Chinese presidents face an awkward encounter at the G20 summit this week as rising tensions over how to deal with North Korea threaten to shatter the already-crumbling facade of their friendly rhetoric.

North Korea's landmark test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching Alaska has intensified friction between the superpowers ahead of US President Donald Trump's meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the summit in Germany, which starts Friday.

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's missile test, Trump had used a series of Twitter outbursts to criticise China over its failure to rein in the nuclear-armed North, vexing Chinese leaders who prefer closed-door diplomacy to public tongue-lashings.

In a marked change of tune, Trump has gone from calling Xi a "good man" after their first face-to-face meeting at the US billionaire's Florida resort in April to accusing him last month of failing to resolve the North Korea issue.

In a salvo on Monday, Trump called on China to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

The tension was further ratcheted up Wednesday as the US leader lashed out at Beijing on Twitter, pointing to a surge in its trade with North Korea as evidence that US reliance on Beijing to rein in Pyongyang was misplaced.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump said.

China's foreign ministry has said that Beijing had made "relentless efforts" to resolve the issue.

For his part, Xi complained in a call with Trump on Monday about a "negative" patch in relations after the US administration slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank linked to North Korea and authorised a $1.3 billion arms sales to Taiwan.

While China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, could do much more to starve Pyongyang of the foreign currency it needs to fund its weapons programmes, analysts say the US actions make that less likely to happen.

- 'Delicate balance' -

China is also carefully calibrating its moves to avoid destabilising its unpredictable neighbour for fear of triggering the regime's collapse and a flood of refugees across its border -- or giving the US a reason to launch a strike in its backyard.

"They are trying to find the point to keep the Americans happy and keep Trump from veering off and looking at military options," said Andrew Gilholm, director of analysis of Greater China and North Asia at Control Risks.

A North Korean soldier gestures as she stands on the banks of the Yalu river near Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong

Gilholm added, however, that China's economic leverage over the North did not necessarily mean it could persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions.

But the North's possession of a working ICBM could signal time is running out for China to act.

Trump, who has made halting the nuclear threat his top foreign policy priority, has vowed to act unilaterally against Pyongyang if Beijing fails to rein in North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime.

"It's a delicate balance," said Willy Lam, a politics expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"If they (China) don't take action fast enough it's possible that the US might contemplate some action, either a surgical strike or other action."

China appeared to cave to US pressure in February when it announced the suspension of coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year.

The total value of all imports from North Korea fell to $721.5 million between January and May from $773.6 million over the same period last year, according to Chinese official figures.

- 'Impasse' -

While the US has traditionally favoured sanctions as a pressure tactic against the North, China has been pushing for the resumption of six-party negotiations that have been dormant since 2009.

Xi, on a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, got Russian President Vladimir Putin to back his "dual track" proposal for North Korea to freeze its nuclear activities in return for the US and South Korea to halt joint military drills.

But analysts said China could try to appease the United States by doing more to crack down on Chinese banks, companies and airports with ties to the North or even reducing food and fuel supplies to the hermit state.

South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System (L) and US M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System fire missiles into the East Sea from an undisclosed location on South Korea's east coast during a joint missile drill aimed to counter North Korea's ICBM test

"What makes the difference is not whether the UN takes any measures, it's how far China goes in implementing them," said Gilholm, referring to UN sanctions on North Korea.

Xi might be inclined to act if it means avoiding an embarrassing crisis ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this year, which is due to cement his position as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation.

But Lam said Xi would likely take covert action so he is not "seen as failing to stand up to the Americans" after the Trump administration took steps last week that angered China.
The US has lifted a ban on carrying large electronic devices in the cabin of US-bound flights from Turkey's main international airport

The United States lifted Wednesday a ban on carrying large electronic devices such as laptops in the cabin of US-bound flights from Turkey's main international airport, Turkish Airlines and local media reported.

"Dear Passengers, #WelcomeOnBoard to our US-bound flight. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices," Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier, said on Twitter late Tuesday.

The ban's lifting comes after Turkey began using sophisticated tomography imaging devices for X-ray and ultrasound screening at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport.

Ataturk is the only airport in Turkey with direct flights to the United States.

The first Turkish Airlines flight affected by the ban's removal was its 6.45am (0345 GMT) flight for New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, the Dogan news agency reported.

In March, Washington banned all electronic devices larger than a mobile phone on direct flights to the US from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, allowing them to be transported only in checked luggage.

The ban was imposed after intelligence officials learned of efforts by the Islamic State group to produce a bomb that could be hidden inside electronic devices.

Britain also introduced a ban on laptops, on direct flights originating from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey.

US and British officials inspected Ataturk airport Tuesday, Dogan reported, adding that Turkey expected Britain to lift its ban on Thursday.

But in a Twitter post, Turkish Airlines chief executive Bilal Eksi said only that he expected Britain to lift the ban "shortly", without giving further details.

The first airline to benefit from a removal of the ban was Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday.
China has warned that the withdrawal of Indian troops from disputed territory was a precondition for peace as tensions continue to rise over a border row between the two Asian powers.

Indian and Chinese troops are reportedly facing off on a section of land high in the Himalayas near what is known as the trijunction, where Tibet, India and Bhutan meet.

China has alleged that the Indian troops are on its soil, but both Bhutan and India say the area in question is Bhutanese territory.

India and China have vied for influence in South Asia, with Beijing ploughing large sums into infrastructure projects in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

India, which has a military presence in Bhutan, says its troops approached a Chinese army unit that entered the Doklam area of the Himalayan nation on June 16 and tried to build a road.

China's ambassador to New Delhi, Luo Zhaohui, said Indian troops should 'unconditionally pull back to the Indian side'.

'The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation, for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a pre-condition,' he told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency late Tuesday.

Members of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch during a protest against China near Chinese embassy in New Delhi

Chinese and Indian troops pictured at the Nathu La border crossing between the two countries

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing has 'repeatedly made such requests'.

'If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how is it supposed to win the trust of its neighbors?' Geng asked at a regular press briefing.

Bhutan, one of the world's smallest countries, has said the construction of a road on its territory is 'a direct violation' of agreements with China.

'Bhutan hopes that the status quo in the Doklam area will be maintained as before 16 June 2017,' its foreign ministry said in a statement last week.

Bhutan has no formal diplomatic relations with China and is closely allied with India.

The row comes as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to meet with China's President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Germany this week.

India and China's ties have been dogged by mistrust stemming from a brief but bloody war in 1962 over Arunachal Pradesh which has a large ethnic Tibetan population

A paper released by China shows just how close Indian and Chinese troops are positioned

Indian and Chinese troops meet at the border (file pic)

China and India have a number of border disputes, although the section of the frontier that runs along the northeastern state of Sikkim, near where the current stand-off is taking place, is generally regarded as stable.

In 2014, hundreds of Indian and Chinese troops faced off on the de facto border known as the Line of Actual Control that runs along the northwest Indian region of Ladakh, overshadowing a visit by China's President Xi Jinping.

India and China have vied for influence in South Asia, with Beijing ploughing large sums into infrastructure projects in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

But the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has remained firmly within New Delhi's sphere of influence.


A hacker who appears to have ongoing, continuous access to Australia's electronic health care records is selling access to any full record for 0.0089 bitcoin, or about USD22.



The records are for sale through a darknet auction site, and the seller promises that they will soon offer bulk access. All that's needed to retrieve a record is first and last name and date of birth. The Guardian confirmed the authenticity of the records by paying for a reporter's own e-health file.

Giant databases of sensitive information are very tempting targets. The Australian health record contains lots of potentially compromising and profitable information, including everything needed to commit several kinds of identity theft.

Donald Trump has proposed to aggregate a similar database through his voting suppression efforts (he describes this as an "election integrity commission"). 44 states have declined to deliver all the data Trump requested. Trump owe his own election to leaks and hacks, and this incident highlights the kinds of outcomes we can expect to see when enormous quantities of potentially explosive data is aggregated and stored  it's the equivalent of refining harmless uranium ore into immortal, lethal plutonium and then praying that none of that stuff leaks.



A spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services said the agency was working with other government security agencies to investigate the sale of Medicare records. "The department does not comment on cyber operations, however will confirm that investigations into activities on the dark web continually occur," she said. "The department takes the security of personal data extremely seriously. Thorough investigations are conducted whenever claims such as this are made." "The department takes every precaution to protect the sensitive information of Australians, and to safeguard the payments we make on behalf of the Australian government." A spokesman for the Australian federal police said the agency would not comment on whether it was investigating the matter.



The Medicare machine: patient details of 'any Australian' for sale on darknet

[Paul Farrell/The Guardian]
Singapore's leaders have warned it is a prime target for a terror attack because of its strong stand against terrorism and reputation as a regional financial centre

Singapore has repatriated two Indonesian maids it said were radicalised online, one of whom wanted to travel to Syria with her foreign boyfriend to join the Islamic State (IS) group.

Second Home Affairs Minister Desmond Lee told parliament the discovery of the two brought to nine the number of radicalised foreign domestic workers uncovered by the city-state since 2015. All have been repatriated.

The affluent island-republic's leaders have warned it is a prime target for a terror attack because of its strong stand against terrorism and reputation as a regional financial centre.

The city-state is also supporting the US-led international coalition against IS with non-combat assistance like air-to-air refuelling.

Lee said in response to a question in parliament that the two Indonesian maids were IS supporters who were "radicalised through social media".

"One of them intended to travel to Syria with her foreign boyfriend to join ISIS," he said Tuesday, using another name for IS.

No details were given for the seven other maids repatriated earlier.

While none of the nine maids intended to carry out attacks in Singapore, "we cannot condone support for any radical ideologies... whether by locals or foreigners," Lee said.

Hundreds of thousands of foreign maids and construction workers are based in Singapore, one of Asia's wealthiest economies.

Singapore in 2015 and 2016 arrested 40 "radicalised" Bangladeshi workers who it said were plotting violence in their homeland. All but six -- currently serving jail terms for terrorism and terrorist financing -- have been repatriated.

The convicted ringleader, Rahman Mizanur, was jailed for five years last year. He had tried several times to join IS in Syria but could not get visas to Turkey or Algeria, court documents showed.

He and a group of other Bangladeshis working in Singapore had planned to violently overthrow the Bangladeshi government and establish a caliphate there, according to the documents. They also collected funds to support their cause.
Key international players in the Syria conflict agreed in May to establish four "de-escalation" zones in a potential breakthrough towards calming a war that has claimed an estimated 320,000 lives

Powerbrokers Russia, Turkey and Iran failed Wednesday to iron out the details of four safe zones in war-torn Syria after two days of peace talks in Kazakhstan.

Moscow and Tehran, which back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and rebel supporter Ankara agreed in May to establish four "de-escalation" zones in a potential breakthrough after more than six years of fighting that has claimed more than 320,000 lives.

While fighting dropped off in the weeks after the deal, it has since returned in several areas, and the international players have yet to agree the exact boundaries of the zones or determine who will police them.

Chief Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentiev said seven documents outlining how the zones should work "need finalising" despite being "essentially agreed" between the three key powerbrokers in Astana.

"We have not yet managed directly to establish the de-escalation zones," Lavrentiev said, insisting however that "de-facto" safe zones already exist on the ground.

Lavrentiev said that the borders of two zones -- covering rebel-held parts of Homs province and Eastern Ghouta near Damascus -- have been agreed in principle.

One major stumbling block appears to be over who will ensure security in all four areas, with Turkey and Iran in particular reportedly wrangling to bolster their influence.

Lavrentiev said that it had been agreed that Russian military police carrying light weapons would be involved in patrolling buffer areas around some of the zones.

He also accepted that a zone meant to cover swathes of southern Syria would likely need to involve the United States and Jordan in some capacity.

A source close to the Syrian rebel delegation that attended the talks told AFP that they would refuse a proposal to have Iran monitor the safe zone in central Homs province.

Turkish and Russian forces are likely to be deployed in the northern de-escalation zone's "buffer territory, separating the opposition and regime" in parts of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo province, the source suggested.

Delegations from Turkey, Russia and Iran gathered again in Astana in an attempt to strike a deal on four "de-escalation zones" in Syria

The lack of progress shows how tough the going has been for Moscow as it pushes the Astana talks in a bid to turn its game-changing intervention on the side of Assad into a concerted push to pacify Syria.

- More meetings -

A working group of experts from Russia, Iran and Turkey is set to meet in Tehran on August 1-2 to try to thrash out the details, before another round of meetings in Astana later that month.

The talks in Astana have largely seen the West sidelined, but they are intended to complement broader political negotiations the United Nations is backing in Geneva, which are due to restart next week.

Talking in Astana, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said there had been "small progress" in the work on de-escalating the conflict and called for "progress on the political side".

Russia has argued the zones agreement will provide moderate rebels with security and help focus attacks against jihadist groups such as former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front and the Islamic State group.

Moscow on Wednesday flexed its muscles on the ground by firing a barrage of its latest X-101 cruise missiles at IS targets in Syria from strategic bombers.

Russia's defence ministry said the strikes had destroyed three jihadist arms depots and a command post on the border between Homs and Hama provinces.
All 298 people on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 were killed when the plane was downed over war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014 on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur

The trials of any suspects arrested in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine will be held in the Netherlands, Dutch officials announced Wednesday.

All 298 people on board were killed when the plane was downed on July 17, 2014 on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

A joint international investigation has determined that the Boeing 777 jet was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile fired from rebel-held territory, but a separate criminal probe has yet to arrest any suspects.

Now the countries leading the joint investigation team (JIT) -- Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine -- have agreed that any trials will be carried out within the Dutch legal system.

The countries "decided that the suspects should be prosecuted in the Netherlands, a process that will be rooted in ongoing international cooperation and support," Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a statement.

"This cooperation is vital, given the complexity of this case," he added, highlighting that eastern Ukraine was a conflict zone, "the scene of heavy fighting ... which is still difficult to access."

The investigation was also hampered by "a great deal of disinformation and attempts to discredit the investigation".

Most of the victims were Dutch, but Koenders said that in total they came from 17 countries spread across five continents.

Dutch prosecutors, who have been leading the criminal probe, had asked the government to clarify the legal framework for any prosecutions in order to proceed in the case.

Investigators concluded in September that a BUK missile, which had been transported over the border from Russia shortly before the incident, was fired from a field in eastern Ukraine then controlled by pro-Russian rebels, and hit the plane.

But it stopped short of saying who pulled the trigger, and Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement, putting the blame on Kiev.

Preliminary criminal findings have said around 100 people are under investigation for playing "an active role" in the disaster.

Investigators have also released the names of two wanted Russian-speaking men -- Andrey Ivanovich, also known as "Orion", and Nikolay Fiodorovich, who used the pseudonym "Delfin" -- appealing for information about their whereabouts.

Ukraine and the Netherlands will sign a treaty on Friday to allow criminal prosecutions to be transferred to Dutch courts, the justice ministry said in a statement.
Displaced Syrians who fled areas controlled by the Islamic State with their families gather at Aleppo's Ramussa bus station on July 4, 2017

Syrian escapees from the Islamic State group languished for hours on the sizzling concrete pavements at Aleppo's main bus station, their faces gaunt and eyes rimmed by dark circles.

Just six months ago, the Ramussa station was the main transit point for thousands of people bussed out of second city Aleppo as part of a landmark evacuation deal.

Now, buses are starting to trickle through again -- this time carrying traumatised families fleeing IS's dwindling territory to government-held zones in the rest of the country.

"It's a miracle that we're here," said Umm Hammoud, 45, who fled IS's bastion city Raqa with her 10 children aboard a pickup truck.

She spoke to AFP while waiting for a bus to take her to Syria's third city Homs, where she will be reunited with long-lost relatives.

Before Syria's civil war started in 2011, it took Umm Hammoud just two hours to make the 200-kilometre (120-mile) westward bus trip from her native Raqa to Aleppo.

This time, it took her and her family a month.

"We fled Raqa at the beginning of Ramadan (the Muslim holy month that began in late May) after each paying 150,000 Syrian pounds," or around $300, Umm Hammoud told AFP.

She recounted a terrifying journey delayed by heavy air strikes on jihadist-held villages and difficulty negotiating with smugglers.

"When we got here, we could barely believe that we survived," she said as she struggled to soothe her wailing six-month-old in the scorching heat.

- 24 hours waiting -

Umm Hammoud and her family skirted landmines, air strikes, and an IS patrol unit tracking down anyone trying to flee the city.

But when they reached Aleppo, they did not find the bustling commercial metropolis they had once known.

Previously Syria's industrial hub, Aleppo had been ravaged by four years of battles between rebel groups and the army before the December evacuation deal allowed the military to retake full control.

Displaced Syrians who fled areas controlled by the Islamic State with their families gather at Aleppo's Ramussa bus station on July 4, 2017

"I visited Aleppo as a child with my parents. We'd eat at restaurants, it was beautiful," Umm Hammoud recalled, her voice cracking.

Much of the city is now in ruins, a shadow of its former self -- like the Ramussa station.

For months, rebels and regime battled hard over the bus station to gain access to the route leading out of Aleppo to other government-controlled parts of Syria.

When the evacuation deal was reached, thousands of rebels and civilians were bussed out of the then-snowy streets of Aleppo via Ramussa.

The station reopened in July, but the main garage remains almost empty save for a few charred cars and mangled metal barricades.

Ticketing offices that were once teeming with customers are mostly abandoned.

"In the past, there was a bus leaving every 30 minutes. It used to be packed here," said Mohammad, a ticketing officer at the Al-Eman bus company, one of the few that returned to Ramussa when it reopened.

Now, officials estimate that no more than 15 buses pass through daily, their passengers in dire conditions.

"There are sick people that haven't taken any medicine in years. The children arriving are famished," Mohammad said.

"Sometimes they spend 24 hours just waiting" for the next bus, he said.

- 'From one wreckage to another' -

Elderly shepherd Abbud al-Sayah was waiting in Ramussa for a bus west to Latakia, a government bastion on Syria's Mediterranean coast.

He fled Raqa province three months ago as the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces battled across the arid farmland there to reach its provincial capital.

"I lived in the desert and took care of a flock of sheep with some relatives," Sayah, wearing thick glasses, told AFP.

Ruqaya, 66, had travelled the farthest to reach Aleppo.

She crossed nearly 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the IS-held town of Mayadeen near Syria's eastern border with Iraq.

Displaced Syrians who fled areas controlled by the Islamic State with their families gather at Aleppo's Ramussa bus station on July 4, 2017

Mayadeen has been battered by air strikes from the US-led coalition battling IS in Syria and Iraq, and Ruqaya said she was lucky to have survived.

It cost her family more than $3,700 to be smuggled out, and their four-day journey turned into a macabre tour of towns and cities devastated by Syria's six-year war.

"We went from one scene of wreckage to another. Tabqa (west of Raqa) was totally ravaged," the mother of five said.

"In Aleppo, which was once a paradise, I saw the hospital where one of my sons used to work. It was completely flattened," she said.

"Why all this destruction? Why are you chasing people from their homes?"
During a lengthy trial, the court heard that Anthony George murdered Mel Gunasekera after she recognised him as a labourer who had been hired over a month earlier to paint her parent's house

Sri Lanka's High Court handed the death sentence Wednesday to a labourer who was found guilty of murdering former Agence France-Presse journalist Mel Gunasekera in a break-in at her home.

Anthony George, who stabbed Gunasekara to death in February 2014, will have his sentence automatically commuted to life in prison as Sri Lanka has an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment.

High Court judge Piyasena Ranasinghe also found George guilty of breaking and entering and of stealing Gunasekera's mobile phone.

During a lengthy trial, the court heard that he had murdered Gunasekera after she recognised him as a labourer who had been hired over a month earlier to paint her parent's house.

Gunasekera, 40, was an assistant vice president at Fitch's Sri Lankan operation, a position she took up in 2012 after a five-year stint as Colombo correspondent for AFP.

She reported extensively on financial and political affairs in Sri Lanka, and also covered the Maldives.

She was the founding editor of Lanka Business Online, a pioneering financial news portal in the island.
Benin's President Patrice Talon had undergone two operations on his prostate and digestive system during an almost month-long stay in Paris

President Patrice Talon of Benin has returned from a medical checkup in Paris following two operations in France, according to a member of his entourage.

The 59-year-old head of state, who left for the French capital last week, returned to the country's economic hub of Cotonou on Tuesday evening.

The post-operative checkup was "reassuring", the source said on condition of anonymity, as an official announcement about the return had yet to be made.

Benin's presidency announced on June 19 that Talon had undergone two operations on his prostate and digestive system during an almost month-long stay in Paris.

His prolonged absence had caused controversy and forced the government to deny rumours about his health.

Talon's transparency about his health is rare among African presidents, who are often treated abroad and do not usually disclose details of their illnesses.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been receiving treatment in London for almost two months but his administration has refused to disclose any information about his illness.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump prepare to board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on July 5, 2017

US President Donald Trump lashed out at China Wednesday, pointing to a surge in its trade with North Korea as evidence that US reliance on Beijing to rein in Pyongyang was misplaced.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump said in an early morning tweet.

Trump posted the tweet as he was about to depart on a trip to Europe that will include a meeting with China's President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Germany.

It came a day after North Korea conducted an apparently successful test launch of an inter-continental ballistic missile capable of striking the United States.
A UN report earlier this year showed that Kabul province had the highest number of casualties in the first three months of 2017 thanks to multiple attacks in the capital

A woman and child were killed Wednesday when a rocket struck their house in Kabul, already traumatised by a series of deadly attacks, officials said, as civilians continue paying a high price in the Afghan conflict.

At least one more child was also injured in the blast, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said, adding that all victims were members of the same family.

He said two rockets had been launched from an unknown location in Kabul Wednesday morning. "One hit a residential house causing casualties, the second hit a cesspool, with no casualties," he said.

"Police teams have been deployed looking for possible location and perpetrators of the attack."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility from insurgents over the incident, but Kabul is regularly hit by rockets, often at night, adding to the disproportionate price civilians are paying in the drawn-out Taliban insurgency.

A UN report earlier this year showed that Kabul province had the highest number of casualties in the first three months of 2017 thanks to multiple attacks in the capital.

On May 31 a devastating truck bomb tore through Kabul's diplomatic zone at rush hour, killing more than 150 people and blowing out windows hundreds of metres away, adding to the already high toll in the city this year.

The UN report warned that civilians across the country, particularly women and children, are bearing the brunt of the insurgency.

Six civilians seeking work in Farah, capital of western Farah province, were killed Tuesday when their pickup truck hit a roadside bomb, provincial governor Nasir Mehri told AFP Wednesday. Authorities blamed the Taliban insurgency.
Priest Jean-Alain Zembi, seen overseeing the burial of six people, has given a vivid account on social media of violence in Zemio, southeast Central African Republic

"Heavy gunfire in Zemio. Impossible to go out. They have cut the phones and we can't go out -- it's just too dangerous. So I am posting on Facebook."

The sense of fear and urgency is palpable as Jean-Alain Zembi, a priest in Zemio, a southeastern parish in the Central African Republic (CAR), sends a stream of messages to his Facebook feed recounting the horror of ongoing violence.

"The information simply must get out as we are holed up here and the shooting is continuing", Father Zembi, 33, told AFP in Libreville via Whatsapp on Tuesday.

His account of the violence in his parish came just hours before Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report indicating armed groups had killed hundreds of civilians in a spree of bloodletting in CAR.

That report came just ahead of the impending opening of a Special Criminal Court, a new judicial body that will probe rights violations in the country since 2003.

According to HRW, investigators have found evidence of more than 560 civilian deaths and the destruction of more than 4,200 homes by militias since late 2014.

On Sunday, a humanitarian source said at least 15 people died in clashes between UN peacekeepers and former rebels in the central market town of Kaga-Bandoro.

Mainly Muslim Seleka rebels briefly seized power in March 2013 and deposed Christian President Francois Bozize only to be ousted itself amid reprisals by Christian anti-Balaka militia.

In Zemio's case, violence sparked on June 28 as phone links were cut and unidentified armed groups took over the town near the Congolese border some 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) from the capital Bangui.

Zembi has reposted on his feed a picture dated Sunday showing a group of people, including a priest, standing over a group of shrouded bodies in a ditch.

"There were six bodies on the ground in the streets around the presbytery. We had to risk going out and recovering them if we wanted to avoid sanitary contamination. Other bodies are still in the streets -- but nobody picks them up."

- Common grave -

"We've no coffins here so we've had to dig a common grave," Zembi told AFP.

With phone links cut, wifi is the only means of communication with the outside world for locals, aid workers and UN peacekeepers based in the region.

On June 28, a group of armed men entered Zemio to pillage and then burn down local businesses, forcing residents and more than 3,000 refugees from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo to flee.

Two days later Father Zembi began posting the scale of the town's suffering to his Facebook account.

Jean-Alain Zembi says his parish is now providing refuge to some 1,500 people displaced by a week of violence in Zemio, near the Congolese border and where telephone lines have been cut after the city came under the control of unidentified armed men

"Zemio has been ablaze since Wednesday June 28, 2017. Help us," read his initial post on unrest which has displaced some 20,000 people, according to the UN's humanitarian affairs office OCHA.

The Zemio death toll is not clear but is believed to be at least six.

- Diary -

"Humanitarian workers are compelled to limit temporarily their activities in Zemio," the UN's humanitarian coordinator for the country, Najat Rochdi, said Tuesday, prompting Father Zembi to lay bare the scale of the crisis.

"There is total insecurity. People have nothing to eat, no drinking water and lack necessary medical care. Houses have been torched."

"Almost all the displaced families are without shelter. How will they manage after the crisis?" asked the priest whose posts sparked indignation among those following his Facebook diary of distress.

"The gunfire means we can't venture out to pick up bodies" still lying in the streets.

Father Zembi says holding mass in adverse circumstances was a "beautiful celebration" -- but laments how local children have been caught up in the unrest

In a post taken two days after the violence flared and accompanied by pictures of local children caught up in the unrest, Father Zembi warned that urgent aid was needed.

"Look carefully at the faces of these child victims of the war in Zemio," he wrote.

"Perhaps they will die in a few days given the situation. These faces ask you a solitary question: If they were your children, what would you do?"

On Monday, he welcomed the arrival of a UN aid team bearing "some tarpaulins and some water bottles."

Another post shows him conducting an open-air mass -- "a beautiful celebration" -- in the grounds of his church which is now a refuge, he says, for "at least 1,500 people."
Across Mexico, more than 32,000 people have been reported missing and 200,000 have been killed in raging drug violence, involving rival cartels fighting with each other and with the security forces

Rights activists on Wednesday urged the International Criminal Court to probe years of killings and disappearances, as well as torture and detentions, in violence-plagued northern Mexico.

"From 2009... the whole chain of state security authorities colluded with the Zetas (drug cartel) to commit crimes against humanity," said Jimena Reyes, Americas director for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

With about 100 Mexican associations, the FIDH has published a 72-page report to be presented on Thursday to ICC prosecutors.

It requests the prosecutor's office open a preliminary probe so "the state of Mexico recognises that crimes against humanity are being committed," Reyes told a press conference in The Hague.

The violence "has to stop, as the situation has reached an incomprehensible level of cruelty," she told AFP.

Focusing on the northern state of Coahuila, which borders the US state of Texas, the report analyses some 500 cases including torture, deprivation of liberty and enforced disappearances.

Across Mexico, more than 32,000 people have been reported missing and 200,000 have been killed in raging drug violence, which has seen rival cartels wage war on each other and Mexican security forces.

The report alleges that from 2009 to 2012 state security forces with the Zetas -- an ultra-violent group founded by former special forces soldiers -- "committed crimes against humanity ... in a context of undeniable collusion".

"The collusion and corruption was such that high-ranking officials in the Coahuila government implemented a policy of support and commission of crimes with the Zetas, even while simultaneously communicating publicly about their supposed fight against those groups," the report said.

It further alleges that from 2012-2016 "state security authorities have directly committed crimes against humanity through the special forces."

President Enrique Pena Nieto took office in December 2012 on a pledge to reduce the violence.

But since then "the situation has not changed," the report says.

"High-level government officials profited millions of dollars in order to let the Zetas commit their crimes," said Reyes.

- 'Extreme sadism' -

Their actions are "characterised by extreme sadism, and they subject their enemies to brutal torture, including mutilation and decapitation, and then hang their bodies in bridges and streets," the report added.

FIDH has done in-depth investigations into 32 test cases involving 73 people who suffered rape, prolonged beatings with sticks or weapons, or repeated suffocation using plastic bags, to the point of losing consciousness.

Mexico is a signatory of the Rome Statute, which underpins the ICC. But of all the cases under way at the tribunal, only one is in South America.

Since 2004, the prosecutor's office has been examining allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since 2001 in the government's long-standing conflict against rebels.

Mexican lawyer Ariana Garcia, who works with victims and lives under protection, said her country's justice system "simply doesn't work."

"The state does not have the capacity or the will to deliver justice to the victims of enforced disappearances," she said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) shakes hands with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference in Jerusalem on July 5, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday on the first ever visit by an Indian premier to Israel as they sought to deepen ties beyond high-priced defence deals.

The two leaders presented a series of agreements between India and Israel for cooperation on satellite technology, water and agriculture, as well as the creation of a $40 million innovation fund.

The agreements are part of efforts to extend relations in civilian areas between both countries, with Israel already selling India an average of $1 billion per year in military equipment.

State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries announced Wednesday the signing of two contracts with Indian firms.

Netanyahu and Modi have greeted each other warmly from the onset Tuesday of the Indian prime minister's three-day visit, calling it "historic" and "groundbreaking".

"I have a feeling that today India and Israel are changing our world and maybe changing parts of the world," Netanyahu said after talks with Modi in Jerusalem.

He added that they had asked their staffs to put together concrete plans for further cooperation in a range of fields by the end of the year.

Modi said the discussions extended beyond bilateral projects to "how our cooperation can help the cause of global peace and stability."

The Indian premier also said they "agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism, including in cyberspace."

Modi's visit marks 25 years since India and Israel established diplomatic relations.

- Big-ticket defence deals -

Netanyahu and other officials gave him a red carpet welcome at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv as he began his visit on Tuesday.

Israel, constantly searching for allies at the United Nations and for new business partners, has portrayed the visit as a major diplomatic victory.

Israeli analysts have noted that Modi is not scheduled to travel to Ramallah to meet Palestinian leaders during his three-day stay, as is common for visiting dignitaries.

Modi did however meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in New Delhi in May.

India has traditionally voiced its support for Palestinian statehood, long shunning ties with Israel.

But the frost has thawed in recent years, with India seeking closer defence ties -- particularly as it moves away from relying on traditional ally Russia for its military hardware.

India is the world's biggest importer of defence equipment, and Israel has become one of its major suppliers.

Israel Aerospace Industries on Wednesday said it agreed with the Kalyani Group to build a "new maintenance centre in India for selected advanced air defence systems."

IAI said it also signed an agreement "for industrial cooperation in the production of composite aero-structures" with India's Wipro Enterprises.

In April IAI said India would buy nearly $2 billion worth of weapons technology from Israel, making it the military exporting giant's largest ever defence contract.

The deal will see IAI provide India with an advanced defence system of medium-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and communications technology, it had said.

The Hindu nationalist makes the trip after his visit last week to Washington, where he and US President Donald Trump embraced each other as friends, vowing to work more closely on combatting terrorism, the war in Afghanistan and defence cooperation.

While ties with some US allies have been strained by Trump's complaints that Washington has been the loser in trade agreements, Modi appeared sensitive to his host's emphasis on transactional diplomacy.

Modi has seemed to find similar common ground with Netanyahu, Israel's longtime right-wing prime minister who hosted Trump in May.
Prosecutors have asked for the seizure of a six-storey mansion on Avenue Foch, one of Paris's swankiest streets, which was bought by Equatorial Guinea's Vice President Teodorin Obiang and which is valued at more than 100 million euros

French prosecutors said Wednesday they were seeking a three-year jail term and a 30 million euro ($34 million) fine for Equatorial Guinea's Vice President Teodorin Obiang, on trial in absentia for embezzlement.

The 48-year-old son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema is charged with using money plundered from his country's state coffers to fund a jet-set lifestyle in France, where he bought a six-storey mansion in an ultra-posh part of Paris.

Prosecutors also asked a court in the capital to seize the mansion on Avenue Foch, in western Paris, which is valued at 107 million euros, and other assets worth 43 million euros.

The landmark trial of the notorious playboy fond of fast cars and Michael Jackson memorabilia began on June 19 in the defendant's absence. Besides embezzlement, he is being charged with corruption, misuse of public funds and breach of trust.

Financial prosecutor Jean-Yves Lourgouilloux said Obiang, who was agriculture and forestry minister before his father made him second vice president in 2012, spent more than 1,000 times his annual official salary of some $80,000.

Obiang was promoted to full vice president last year.

Many of Obiang's eye-popping purchases were allegedly made through Somagui Forestal, a forestry company that Lourgouilloux called "an empty shell used solely to channel public money."

Obiang denies the charges.

He has said the money came from legitimate sources and claimed the property purchase was not prohibited under French law in any case.

Late last month Obiang called the case a "farce without any legal basis" aimed at damaging the government of the impoverished but oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, in west Africa.

"It is a fabrication against the legal government of Equatorial Guinea and against Africa," he said at a Pan-African Youth Forum in the Chadian capital N'Djamena.

Lourgouilloux dismissed the charge, saying: "I'm not here to try Equatorial Guinea, I'm here to try the defendant."

Testifying on Obiang's behalf, former British mercenary Simon Mann, who led a failed 2004 coup in Equatorial Guinea, last week accused US billionaire George Soros of plotting to overthrow Obiang's father.

- UN court backs Obiang -

French judicial officials first launched raids in Paris in 2011, hiring trucks to haul away Obiang's Bugattis, Ferraris, Rolls-Royce Phantom and other cars which were memorably photographed leaving the scene.

They seized the Avenue Foch mansion in 2012.

But in December 2016, the International Court of Justice -- the UN's top court -- ordered France to "take all measures at its disposal" to ensure the property, which Equatorial Guinea calls a diplomatic mission, be treated the same as all other diplomatic locations under the Geneva Convention.

France disputes that claim, and Lourgouilloux called it a "manoeuvre to try to protect the property from French legal action."

The defence is to make closing arguments on Thursday.
The wreckage of an Indian Air Force chopper which went missing a day ago near the country's border with China has been found, police said

The wreckage of an Indian Air Force chopper which went missing a day ago near the country's border with China has been found, police said Wednesday.

There were three people on board the Advanced Light Helicopter when it lost contact Tuesday in India's remote northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh in bad weather.

"The wreckage has been seen in the jungle in a deep gorge," Sandeep Goel, the state police chief, told AFP.

"So far we have not been able to reach the wreckage spot so we cannot comment on the casualties."

The helicopter was on a mission to evacuate residents from flood-affected regions.

Arunachal Pradesh as well as some other neighbouring states have been reeling under heavy monsoon rains that have triggered landslides and floods.

Arunachal Pradesh is at the centre of a border dispute between India and China who regularly accuse each other of making illegal troop encroachments.

Their mistrust stems from a brief war in 1962 over the state which has a large ethnic Tibetan population.

The standoff has intensified in recent days with the two sides trading stern diplomatic warnings over a remote scrap of territory where the frontiers of China, India and Bhutan meet.
Kenyatta (pictured) complained that he was unfairly targeted by moderators when he and Odinga took part in Kenya's first ever televised presidential debate in 2013

Kenya's President Raila Kenyatta and his main rival Raila Odinga pulled out of two televised presidential debates ahead of August 8 elections, their parties said Wednesday.

Initially the two frontrunners were to go head to head while six smaller candidates would hold a separate match on Monday, with a second debate on July 24.

However officials in both parties said Kenyatta and Odinga decided to pull out after they got wind of plans to change the format, pitting all eight candidates against each other.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta will not participate in the presidential debates," David Murathe, vice chairman of the ruling Jubilee Party said Wednesday, citing insufficient consultation and format issues.

A party official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Jubilee had a problem with the president debating alongside "small" candidates.

"We cannot subject the president to such kind of debate, but if it is him and Raila it is fine but for now it is a no from us," the official said.

Odinga's team also said he would not take part due to the new format.

"How do you really get into the meat of things in just two minutes each," said Odinga's top advisor Salim Lone. "It would be impossible to have a substantive debate."

Kenya held its first ever televised presidential debate in 2013, including both Kenyatta and Odinga. Afterwards, Kenyatta complained that he had been unfairly targeted by moderators.

Kenyans go to the polls next month in national elections choosing from 14,500 candidates contesting in a series of races for president, governor, parliament and county assembly seats.

The vote comes a decade after the worst electoral clashes in Kenyan history when over 1,100 people were killed in politically motivated ethnic violence.

Odinga has joined Kenyatta in skipping two televised debates ahead of the August 8 elections

The presidential race is predicted to be close with Odinga heading an unprecedented opposition alliance in the hope of winning in his fourth run for the top job.

The election could swing either way, with five million new voters among the 19 million registered compared to the 2013 presidential polls.

On Monday, the European Union warned against possible violence in the upcoming elections, while advocacy group Human Rights Watch said it had documented cases of intimidation and threats.
A member of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service advances in the Old City of Mosul on July 5, 2017

Iraqi forces battled the last Islamic State group holdouts in Mosul on Wednesday, a day after the country's premier feted the "major victory" over the jihadists in the northern city.

In neighbouring Syria, US-backed forces gained ground after air strikes by the international anti-IS coalition punched holes in the wall of the Old City in Raqa, where they are waging a parallel offensive against the jihadists.

"Today, our advance was easier than yesterday," said Lieutenant Colonel Haider Hussein, a commander in Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service.

"We took control of more than 200 metres (yards) today and there are less than 200 metres remaining toward the Tigris River," Hussein said, referring to the waterway marking the eastern edge of remaining IS-held territory in the city.

More than eight months since the start of the operation, IS has gone from fully controlling Mosul to holding a limited area in the Old City on its western side.

But Iraqi troops in Mosul have faced tough fighting and a spike in suicide bombings in recent days, commanders have said.

The battle for Mosul

The jihadists "are using a new strategy in which they wait inside houses and when the soldiers enter the houses they fire bullets or blow themselves up," Hussein said.

The body of a woman said to have been suicide bomber shot before she could blow herself earlier in the day lay in the street near the house where the officer spoke.

Decaying corpses gave off a stench of death that permeated some streets, and a pool of half-dried blood spread out from the door of one house.

Streets were strewn with clothing and other objects left by civilians who were fleeing the fighting.

"The enemy is not a regular army," said Brigadier General Nabil al-Fatlawi, a CTS commander.

- 'Major victory' -

"It's a street to street battle," said Fatlawi, who expects the battle to be over in "a few days".

A member of the Iraqi forces evacuates a boy from Mosul's Old City on July 4, 2017

Despite the ongoing fighting, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraq's people, security forces and the Shiite religious leadership "on the achievement of this major victory in Mosul" in remarks broadcast Tuesday night.

But automatic weapons fire and explosions on Wednesday made clear that the final stage of the battle for the city was not yet over.

Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake Mosul on October 17, advancing to the city, recapturing its eastern side and then setting their sights on its smaller but more densely populated west.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces -- an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters -- have been battling IS in Syria, and made gains Wednesday in their drive to retake Raqa from the jihadists.

"The SDF advanced and captured the strategic Saif al-Dawlah road leading towards the Old Mosque," said Nuri Al-Mahmoud, a spokesman for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which makes up a bulk of the SDF.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the SDF had pushed forwards about 200 metres (yards) by midday (0900 GMT) on Wednesday.

A family emerges from a damaged building in the Old City of Mosul on July 5, 2017, as Iraqi forces advance on Islamic State group fighters

"They are now approximately 300 metres (yards) from the Old Mosque -- within firing range of it," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Syria's civil war provided fertile ground for IS, which seized territory in that country and also overran large areas north and west of Baghdad.

The jihadists have since lost significant ground, but the recapture of Mosul and Raqa will not mark the end of the war against IS.

IS holds other territory in both countries, and is expected to revert to its insurgent roots in Iraq, carrying out bombings and hit-and-run attacks that were its hallmark in past years.
Small-scale illegal gold mining is common in Ghana which is Africa's second-largest gold producer

Five bodies were spotted in an illegal goldmine that collapsed in Ghana, a government official said Wednesday, as the search for at least 17 miners entered its fourth day.

The abandoned mine in Prestea-Nsuta, in the country's Western Region, caved in on Sunday afternoon when the miners were resurfacing and just one body has been recovered so far.

Ghana's Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, visited the site of the disaster and said five bodies had been seen in the mine.

"The rescue team has informed us they have located so far a lot of bodies, they can easily make out five of them," he told local radio station Empire FM.

"They can see there are others behind them, but they are involved in a lot of stone debris. They are clearing the debris then after that they will bring them out."

An ambulance had been called in case any victims could be saved, Owusu-Bio added.

He said the rescue operation was taking time in order to avoid further collapses.

"We don't want to have on our hands any extra casualties," he said.

- Crowd waiting for news -

Despite the length of time since the collapse, local people said they believed there were survivors.

Local resident Francis Eshum said a large crowd had gathered around the mine waiting for news. One anxious man said five members of his family members were trapped underground.

"We are still hopeful they will be able to rescue people, whether dead or alive," Eshum told AFP.

"The atmosphere looks very sad. We are still relying on the people who have gone underground... we are almost helpless relying on them for any update."

Eshum said the rescuers -- made up of professional miners, police and soldiers -- were struggling to access those trapped in the mine, which is more than 80 metres (260 feet) deep.

"Everybody is worried by what is happening," he added.

The accident has been blamed on small-scale illegal gold mining, known in Ghana as "galamsey".

The government recently cracked down on the activity after a national campaign called for an end to the practice citing harmful effects on waterways and forests.

Ghana is Africa's second-largest gold producer and exports of the commodity, along with minerals and oil, drive the country's economic growth.
Under President John Magufuli, Tanzanian authorities have taken a tough line on the media, prosecuted individuals for posts on social networks and arrested several people for insulting the head of state

A female Tanzanian MP has been arrested for allegedly insulting President John Magufuli, who is seen as increasingly authoritarian and unwilling to brook any dissent.

The outspoken lawmaker, Halima Mdee, 39, from the main opposition Chadema party, was arrested on Tuesday, a day after she held a press conference slamming Magufuli for saying teen mothers should be barred from school.

"She is accused of insulting president Magufuli," fellow lawmaker Said Kubenea said Wednesday.

"This is all part of a campaign to crush any criticism (of the authorities)."

At her press conference, Mdee questioned the "competency" of the president, who swept to power in 2015 as a no-nonsense, corruption-busting man of the people but has drawn criticism for an authoritarian streak.

"We should denounce this tendency of President John Pombe Magufuli who thinks his declarations are law. If we continue to do nothing, one day he will order Tanzanians to walk barefoot or topless, because he knows he has the support of police," she said.

"We must absolutely put the breaks on this president," she said, describing him as "problematic".

Magufuli angered rights groups last month when he said girls who fell pregnant should be kicked out of school, promising to fire any school official who admitted teen mothers.

The African organisation for women's rights FEMNET said his comments were "unacceptable" and "disgusting".

Under Magufuli, authorities have taken a tough line on the media, prosecuted individuals for posts on social networks and arrested several people for insulting the president.

In March a popular rapper was briefly jailed over his song lyrics seen as targeting the president.

Before her arrest Mdee was already suspended from participating in the National Assembly for disrespect since June after a debate in which the speaker ordered several opposition members removed from the house.

Chadema is taking legal action against the six-month suspension which affects Mdee and another lawmaker.
The foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates meet in Cairo on July 5, 2017

Foreign ministers of the Saudi-led bloc that imposed an embargo on Qatar said Wednesday they regretted the emirate's "negative" response to a list of demands to end a diplomatic crisis.

The ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates "regret the negative response from Qatar," they said, in a statement read out by Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, after meeting in Cairo.

Speaking to reporters after reading the statement, Shoukry said Qatar's response to the bloc's conditions had "no substance".

But the ministers stopped short of announcing an escalation after the expiry of a deadline they had set for Qatar, with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir saying they would "take steps at the appropriate time".

Earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi foreign ministry said they had received Qatar's response to their demands -- which include Doha ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood and closing broadcaster Al-Jazeera.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have not said what steps they could take next, but there are fears of a wider embargo that would hurt the Qatari economy, with credit ratings agency Moody's announcing it was changing emirate's outlook to negative from stable over the crisis.

The countries issued the 13-point list of demands on June 22, giving Qatar 10 days to respond. The deadline was extended by 48 hours on Sunday at the request of Kuwait, which is mediating in the crisis, and Qatar handed in the response on Monday.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting Ukraine this week after a G20 summit in Germany

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit Ukraine following the G20 Summit in Hamburg, sending a message that Washington remains committed to the country's sovereignty despite Moscow's takeover of the Crimea region.

The State Department said Wednesday that Tillerson will visit Kiev on July 9 to meet President Petro Poroshenko and reformers from government and non-governmental groups.

"The secretary will reaffirm America's commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while encouraging the government of Ukraine to continue implementing reforms that will strengthen Ukraine's economic, political, and military resilience," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Tillerson's trip to Kiev, his first as secretary of state, will follow an expected meeting this week between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit amid strained relations between the two superpowers.

Last month Moscow cancelled a planned meeting between diplomats of both sides that was supposed to try and smooth relations.

The meeting was called off after Washington widened sanctions on Russia over its interference in Ukraine and the 2014 occupation of Crimea.

Washington has insisted that the punitive sanctions will stay in place until Russia honors the Minsk agreement to disengage from eastern Ukraine and returns Crimea to Kiev.

Nauert said that after the Ukraine visit Tillerson will head to Turkey for two days of meetings with senior Turkish officials on bilateral and regional issues.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniya gave a speech in Gaza City on July 5, 2017, saying that meetings between his movement and the Egyptian authorities would ease the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than a decade

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said Wednesday recent talks in Egypt could lead to improving the humanitarian suffering in the impoverished Gaza Strip.

The head of the Palestinian Islamist movement said it found Egyptian officials "ready to work to address the crises in Gaza" during a recent trip in which Hamas leaders, led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar, met with Egyptian officials in Cairo.

"The Egyptian authorities issued a package of measures and policies and fuel began to enter to the power plant, and work continues at the Rafah crossing to reopen it in the near future."

"The result will have the effect of alleviating the burden of the siege against our people in the Gaza Strip," Haniya said.

He did not give further specific details.

Gaza has been blockaded by Israel for a decade while Egypt, the only other country the Palestinian enclave shares a border with, has also largely sealed off its crossing in recent years.

Hamas has had strained relations with Egypt since the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood president, in 2013.

The current Egyptian government led by former military leader Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has closed hundreds of smuggling tunnels along the border and accused Hamas of supporting Islamist radicals inside Egypt, including near the frontier.

In recent months though, relations between Gaza and Cairo have somewhat thawed.

Last month, Egypt began delivering a million litres (264,200 gallons) of fuel to Gaza, temporarily easing a power crisis that had left the Palestinian enclave's two million residents with only a few hours of electricity per day.

Last week Hamas began building a security buffer zone along the Egyptian border to reduce smuggling.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman arrived in Kuwait from the United Arab Emirates and will travel to Doha later this week

The UN's political chief, Jeffrey Feltman, is in Kuwait for talks on ending the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The senior UN envoy stepped in as Arab states vowed to maintain their boycott of the emirate, jointly criticizing its "negative" response to their list of demands to end the crisis.

Saudi Arabia and its allies the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain were meeting Wednesday in Cairo one month after they severed ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting extremism.

Their list of 13 demands includes Doha ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood, closing Al-Jazeera, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and shutting down a Turkish military base in the emirate.

Feltman, who is UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, "is there currently to discuss with a broad range of interlocutors the ongoing crisis in the region and other conflicts," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dispatched Feltman to the Gulf after meeting with Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani last week.

Feltman arrived in Kuwait from the United Arab Emirates and will travel to Doha later this week.

The United Nations has backed efforts by Kuwait to mediate an end to the crisis and has also offered to help broker a solution.
A picture taken on June 9, 2017 shows workers building a wall in the countryside of Afrin, along Syria's northern border with Turkey

Tens of thousands of people protested on Wednesday in a town in northern Syria against Turkey, as speculation mounts it is planning to attack the Kurdish-held border region.

The demonstrators took to the streets of Afrin wrapped in flags of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and carrying portraits of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) jailed in Turkey.

"No to Turkish intervention," they chanted, according to images of the demonstration shared by activists and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

"All the people of Afrin, both Arabs and Kurds, have responded to the call of the Kurdish parties to protest... to express their opposition to the Turkish intervention," said Suleiman Jaafar, a Kurdish official in Aleppo province.

They wanted to show "their support for the border protection forces and our forces on the front lines to protect our lands," said Jaafar.

Turkish troops and YPG forces have repeatedly exchanged cross-border fire in recent days, leading to the deaths of three civilians on Tuesday, and there is speculation Ankara may be planning an assault on the group in Afrin.

"Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, not a shot has been fired at Turkey from Afrin," Jaafar said, accusing Ankara of "shooting at us".

The Turkish newspaper Sabah said on 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.

Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group and the Syrian branch of the PKK which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

But the United States is openly arming the YPG as it considers the Kurdish militia group the most effective fighting force against jihadists in Syria.

Turkey fears the creation of a continuous Kurdish entity in northern Syria stretching from the Iraqi border almost too the Mediterranean.

It fears this could encourage separatism amongst its own Kurds, especially as the Iraqi Kurdistan region is planning a referendum on independence.
Somali soldiers on guard at the aftermath of a suicide car bomb attack by Shabaab militants on a police station in Mogadishu, Somalia, on, June 22, 2017, which killed five people

The US military conducted an airstrike against a group of Shabaab militants in Somalia early Wednesday, officials said, the third such action in a month.

The military's Africa Command said the strike occurred at about 1:30 am local time (2230 GMT) some 300 miles (480 kilometers) southwest of Mogadishu.

"Working from actionable intelligence, the Department of Defense conducted a successful collective self-defense strike operation against an al-Shabaab troop concentration," Africom said in a statement.

It was the third US strike on Shabaab Islamist militants since President Donald Trump authorized the Pentagon in March to take counter-terrorism actions -- whether airstrikes or ground raids -- when it deems them necessary to support the Somali government.

Wednesday's strike follows a July 2 attack on Shabaab militants and a June 11 raid of a training center.

It was within the Pentagon's "parameters of authority to engage in collective self-defense of our Somali partners," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.

Before Trump broadened the Pentagon's authorities, US military actions in the eastern African country each required high-level review by different agencies.

US special forces have been deployed in Somalia for years. There are currently about 50 US troops there.

Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda linked group, has been fighting since 2007 to overthrow the internationally backed government in Somalia.
Fires, including one that burnt down the main market in the capital Lusaka on Tuesday, were described by Zambian President Edgar Lungu, seen in 2016, as "premeditated acts which if left unchecked could have serious socio-economic consequences"

Zambian President Edgar Lungu declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after a series of apparent arson attacks, in a move likely to trigger fresh accusations of government authoritarianism.

"My government has decided to invoke article 31 (leading) to a state of public emergency," Lungu said in a nationally televised address.

"Practical measures as outlined tonight have had to be invoked."

Several fires, including one that burnt down the main market in the capital Lusaka on Tuesday, were described by Lungu as "premeditated acts which if left unchecked could have serious socio-economic consequences".

Political tensions have been high in Zambia this year after the arrest and continued detention of opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, a wealthy businessman who has run for president five times.

Hichilema narrowly lost elections last year to Lungu, and has alleged that the result was rigged.

In April Hichilema was arrested on treason charges after his convoy allegedly refused to give way to the presidential motorcade.

He has since been moved to a maximum security prison and it is unclear when he will return to court.

Amnesty International has said Hichilema and five others arrested from his United Party for National Development (UPND) are victims of a "cynical ploy to silence all political opposition in Zambia".

Treason suspects are not eligible for bail in Zambia and could theoretically face the death penalty if found guilty.

The fire in Lusaka on Tuesday immediately led to accusations between Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party and Hichilema's UPND.

Lungu said in his speech that "there is no doubt in my mind that the intentions of the perpetrators of these irresponsible actions is to make the country ungovernable.

"As president of this nation, it is my responsibility to respond accordingly to forestall this planned chaos and I will therefore not tolerate this lawlessness."
Tripoli International Airport was badly damaged by fighting between rival militias in 2014, three years after the uprising that toppled and killed Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi

Libyan authorities on Wednesday signed a deal with a consortium of Italian companies to build two passenger terminals at Tripoli's international airport, which fighting forced the closure of in 2014.

The project would have an initial cost of 78 million euros ($88.5 million), Sami al-Aish of the transport ministry told AFP.

The consortium, whose members he did not identify, would build two terminals, for both international and domestic flights.

The international terminal was expected to be built within 10 months while the domestic one was likely to be in service in 18 months, said Aish.

The international airport in Tripoli was badly damaged during fierce fighting in mid-2014 between rival armed groups vying for control of the capital which eventually fell to a coalition of militias.

The fighting sparked an exodus of Westerners from Tripoli.

The embassy of Italy, a former colonial power, was one of the last western missions to close in February 2015 but it reopened in January.

Flights in and out of Tripoli have been operating through Mitiga airport, a former military base east of the capital that was the scene of deadly fighting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tripoli is now controlled by the UN-backed Government of National Accord but like the rest of the country, it is frequently the scene of fighting between rival armed groups.

On June 1 forces loyal to the GNA took control of Tripoli International Airport, which is located south of the capital.

The move came after forces loyal to a rival government began relinquishing positions in the south of Tripoli.

The presidential guard, which is under the control of the GNA, has been tasked with airport security.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival militias and administrations seeking to control the oil-rich country.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said she had spoken to President Donald Trump about using trade restrictions to target countries that continue to have dealings with North Korea

The United States will present to the UN Security Council a draft resolution imposing new sanctions on North Korea after it launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday.

"North Korea's launch of an ICBM is a clear and sharp military escalation," Haley told an emergency meeting of the council following the watershed missile test that Kim Jong-Un dubbed a gift to "American bastards."

"In the coming days, we will bring before the Security Council a resolution that raises the international response in a way that is proportionate to North Korea's new escalation," she said.

Haley said she had spoken to President Donald Trump earlier in the day about using trade restrictions to target countries that continue to have dealings with North Korea.

"The United States is prepared to use the full range of our capabilities to defend ourselves and our allies," she said.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must. But we prefer not to have to go in that direction," Haley said.

"We have other methods of addressing those who threaten us, and of addressing those who supply the threats. We have great capabilities in the area of trade."

The council was meeting in an emergency session called by the United States, Japan and South Korea to agree on a response to the ICBM test on Tuesday that experts said was capable of reaching Alaska.

France said it backed plans for a new resolution that Ambassador Francois Delattre said should "clearly support tightening and strengthening sanctions against the North Korea regime."

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and deny leader Kim Jong-Un the hard currency needed to fund his military programs.

Those resolutions provided for significant curbs on North Korea's coal exports, a major source of revenue, restrictions on banking and mandatory searches of all cargo to and from North Korea.

In all, six sets of sanctions have been imposed on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006.
Mali's constitutional court told President Ibrahima Boubacar Keita, pictured on July 2, 2017, that his controversial proposed referendum had gaps that needed filling, sending the referendum back to Parliament for a second reading

Mali's constitutional court Wednesday dealt another blow to embattled President Ibrahima Boubacar Keita over a controversial referendum, saying changes his government wants to make to the national charter require "corrections".

A referendum on Mali's national charter was due on July 9 but was postponed indefinitely in the face of internal opposition in government and following protests by thousands of Malians.

The project is controversial as it would establish a Senate with a third of the seats appointed by Keita himself, leading critics to accuse him of consolidating his own power.

In a decision issued Wednesday, the court noted that senators had a clear mandate of five years, except for those appointed by the president, whose terms were not specified. "There is room to correct this omission," it stated.

However the court sided with Keita over the most controversial aspect of the referendum -- that the vote cannot be held democratically given the state of security in the country's north.

The court stated that given there were no "foreign troops occupying Malian territory," this argument was void.

A separatist rebellion in Mali's north was hijacked by jihadists in 2012, throwing the nation into chaos as they took over key northern cities.

A peace deal signed in 2015 was aimed at curbing separatist uprisings but Mali's jihadists did not sign and have continued to wreak havoc despite an ongoing French-led military intervention to remove them.

Meanwhile former rebels still control the city of Kidal, and the state remains absent in large swathes of Mali's north.

Keita has attacked those who accuse him of seeking greater power by saying critics want to derail the nation's fragile peace process, given that the referendum would enshrine certain parts of the 2015 accord into the constitution.

The draft text will now be sent back to parliament for a second reading following the constitutional court's decision.

No new date has been set for the referendum.
A Nigerian soldier patrolling in the town of Banki in northeastern Nigeria, in April 2017

Boko Haram jihadists believed to be from the IS-supported faction loyal to Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi have attacked three military bases in northeast Nigeria, destroying one and killing a soldier, according to the military and vigilantes.

The attacks cast doubt on the Nigerian government's claim that the jihadist group is on the back foot and may mark an end to a lull since April of Al-Barnawi's deadly attacks on military targets.

In the latest attack late Tuesday, Islamist fighters in pickup trucks raided and razed a military base in Kamuya village in Nigeria's ravaged Borno state.

Boko Haram "attacked the (military) base around 5:30 pm (1630 GMT) and the troops engaged them in battle," a military source from the town of Biu told AFP.

"The base was burnt from RPG (rocket propelled grenade) shelling and two soldiers were injured," said the military officer, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak on the incident.

The jihadists were later pushed back after military reinforcements arrived 30 kilometres (18 miles) away from Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state, said the military source.

The officer's account was corroborated by Mustapha Karimbe, a member of a local militia in Biu assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram.

"Boko Haram gunmen attacked Kamuya military barracks yesterday evening and burnt it down. They injured two soldiers," said Karimbe.

In January jihadists from Al-Barnawi's faction riding on camels killed at least three soldiers in a midnight raid on the same military base.

Residents told AFP at the time that Boko Haram fighters were hiding in the nearby Ajigin forest.

- Power struggle -

Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, has been gripped by a power struggle over the future of the insurgency.

A Nigerian army vehicle patrolling a street in the town of Banki, northeastern Nigeria

One faction is led by Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, the son of Boko Haram's founder Mohammed Yusuf, who was named leader by the IS high command last year.

Although IS declared Al-Barnawi leader of the breakaway faction he is believed to be heavily influenced by Mamman Nur, a close ally of the late Yusuf, while longtime Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau controls the other faction.

Earlier on Monday fighters said to be loyal to Al-Barnawi separately attacked two military bases in which at least three fighters and a soldier were killed, the Nigerian military said in a statement.

"Boko Haram terrorists of Mamman Nur extraction" attacked 81 Division Task Force Battalion in Gulumba Gana village of Bama district in the country's northeast, said the military.

Troops repelled the attack and recovered arms and explosives from the fleeing jihadists, it said.

Later that day another group from the "Mamman Nur faction" launched an attack on troops at a base in Logomani village in Dikwa district.

Three Boko Haram jihadists and a soldier were killed while a militant was "captured alive".

Nigeria's government maintains that Boko Haram is a spent force in disarray, despite the attacks and an increase in suicide bombings targeting security checkpoints, mosques and camps for the displaced.

At least 20,000 people have been killed since the insurgency began in 2009.
Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly is scheduled to meet Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto

US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly met Wednesday with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to discuss the countries' joint fight against drug cartels, officials said.

Kelly arrived in Mexico Wednesday for three days of high-level talks on trade and security ahead of a meeting between the US and Mexican presidents.

He and Pena Nieto "emphasized the importance that both countries' authorities continue working jointly to fight transnational organized crime, based on the shared responsibility that both nations have recognized," said a statement from the Mexican president's office.

Supplying narcotics to the United States is a multi-billion-dollar business for Mexico's drug cartels, whose grisly violence and heavy artillery have turned into a security headache for both countries.

Kelly and Pena Nieto also discussed immigration and trade issues, the statement said.

The visit comes at a tense time in US-Mexican relations, which have been strained by President Donald Trump's planned border wall, his attacks on Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers and rapists," and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations.

This is Kelly's second official trip to Mexico. He first visited in February with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, just weeks after Trump's inauguration.

On that trip, Kelly promised there would be no mass deportation of undocumented Mexicans living in the United States as Trump had suggested.

Trump and Pena Nieto are scheduled to meet Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

The sit-down comes five months after the first official meeting between the two leaders was aborted in a diplomatic spat.

Mexico is not expecting much improvement in neighborly relations to emerge from the presidents' meeting, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said Wednesday.

"We're not expecting any major agreements, we're not expecting to settle substantive differences," he told Mexican TV network Televisa.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on Chris Christie's trip to a state beach shuttered because of the state government shutdown (all times local):

11:40 p.m.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he'll sign a budget deal and end a government shutdown that had closed state parks and beaches.

In this Sunday, July 2, 2017, photo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, right, uses the beach with his family and friends at the governor's summer house at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. Christie is defending his use of the beach, closed to the public during New Jersey's government shutdown, saying he had previously announced his vacation plans and the media had simply "caught a politician keeping his word." (Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media via AP)

State beaches had been off-limits to the public but not to Christie. He was photographed with his family lounging around on an otherwise deserted state beach over the weekend and was heavily criticized for it.

He has defended his use of the beach, saying he had previously announced his vacation plans and was merely "a politician keeping his word."

The Republican governor late Monday said he has ordered all closed state parks to reopen for the Fourth of July. He says state government will open Wednesday and state workers will get a paid holiday Tuesday at his request.

Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto announced the budget deal earlier Monday. The deal calls for a $34.7 billion budget that includes more than $300 million in Democratic spending priorities and is part of an agreement to overhaul the state's largest health insurer.

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4:40 p.m.

The backlash against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for using a beach that was closed to the public in a budget dispute now includes a banner plane.

A plane carrying the message that Christie should "get the hell off Island Beach State Park" is being flown up and down the New Jersey coast Monday.

The GOP governor was photographed Sunday by NJ.com at Island Beach State Park, where the state provides a summer home to the governor.

Christie ordered the shutdown of nonessential state government, including state beaches and parks, amid a budget impasse.

He defended his use of a beach, saying he had previously announced his vacation plans and the media had simply "caught a politician keeping his word."

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10:50 a.m.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's top deputy, who is running to succeed him as governor, says his use of a beach at a state park closed to the public because of the government shutdown is "beyond words."

Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno on Monday lashed out at Christie, saying she wouldn't be "sitting on the beach" if taxpayers also didn't have access to state beaches.

The GOP governor was photographed by NJ Advance Media on the beach at Island State Park, where the state provides a summer home to the governor.

Christie ordered the shutdown of nonessential state government, including state beaches and parks, amid a budget impasse.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy also weighed in Monday, calling on Christie to get off the beach and get back to work.

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9 a.m.

Gov. Chris Christie is defending his use of a beach closed to the public during New Jersey's government shutdown, saying he had previously announced his vacation plans and the media had simply "caught a politician keeping his word."

The Republican governor was photographed Sunday by NJ.com at Island Beach State Park sitting on a beach chair in sandals and a T-shirt before flying to talk to reporters in Trenton.

Christie tells WTXF-TV in Philadelphia on Monday he had earlier said he planned to be at the state-owned governor's beach house regardless of whether there was a shutdown. He says New Jersey "has beaches for 120 miles" so there are plenty of options for anyone wanting a beach day as the Fourth of July approaches.

When asked about the public outcry about his beach day, he responded, "I'm sorry they're not the governor."

In this Sunday, July 2, 2017, photo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie uses the beach with his family and friends at the governor's summer house at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. Christie is defending his use of the beach, closed to the public during New Jersey's government shutdown, saying he had previously announced his vacation plans and the media had simply "caught a politician keeping his word." (Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media via AP)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Latest on a legislative session on Illinois' budget as the state enters a third straight year without a spending plan (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

The Illinois Senate has adjourned without taking action on House-approved legislation to break the nation's longest budget standoff since the Great Depression.

Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, looks up towards the video boards during the overtime session at the state Capitol, Sunday, July 2, 2017, in Springfield, Ill. The Illinois House has approved an income tax increase as part of a plan to end the nation's longest budget standoff. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP)

The Legislature plans to return Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Chicago Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan has scheduled a meeting of the four legislative leaders for the same time. Republicans were no-shows at the one he had Monday afternoon with Democratic Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago.

The House voted overwhelmingly Sunday night for a $36 billion spending plan fueled by a $5 billion increase in income taxes. The plans are not dissimilar from ones the Senate OK'd in May. The Senate needs to concur in House changes.

Monday was the third day of the fiscal year. Illinois has been without a budget since 2015 because of disagreements with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

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3:50 p.m.

The speaker of the Illinois House expects the Senate to endorse a plan to end the nation's longest state-budget standoff and said he will work to override a promised veto from Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Michael Madigan is a Chicago Democrat. He expects the Republican governor to attempt to change the minds of 15 House Republicans who joined a 72-vote supermajority Sunday night to approve the income tax hike. It would increase the personal tax rate 32 percent and bump state revenue up $5 billion a year.

Rauner says he will veto it because it doesn't include "structural" changes he's demanded during a two-year impasse that he says would boost business and relieve property-taxpayers. Madigan says his Democrats continue to negotiate with GOP members on those matters.

Chicago Democratic Senate President John Cullerton said he was uncertain how soon the Senate would take up the budget plan.

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1:55 p.m.

Another bond house has chimed in with a positive note on Illinois' financial outlook.

S&P Global Ratings issued a notice Monday that a House vote to raise $5 billion through an income-tax increase "represents a meaningful step toward the enactment of a comprehensive budget."

Illinois has been without a budget for two years. It has a $6.2 billion deficit and backlogged bills total $14.7 billion. The major credit agencies had warned of a downgrade to "junk" status without swift action.

S&P cautioned that even with a budget "it's likely that Illinois' finances would remain strained and vulnerable to unanticipated economic stresses."

Fitch Ratings issued a similar notice Monday morning, a day after the House vote. But the measure's fate remains unclear in the Senate, which is poised to take up the measure Monday.

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12:15 p.m.

Despite warnings of another downgrade to Illinois' already worst-in-the-nation credit rating, one agency is citing "concrete progress" toward a budget impasse resolution after a flurry of weekend activity.

Fitch Ratings issued a statement Monday noting the steps legislators have taken, including a Sunday House vote to raise the income tax rate by 32 percent. It did not change the state's rating, saying it will continue to "monitor the developments." The Senate is poised to take up the measure Monday.

Illinois has entered a third straight fiscal year without a budget and its credit rating is one notch above "junk" status. The state is also carrying a $6.2 billion annual deficit and $14.7 billion in overdue bills.

Illinois lawmakers have been meeting at the Capitol for the last two weeks in an effort to end the gridlock between the Democrat-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

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6:30 a.m.

Illinois lawmakers are back to work after a dramatic vote in the House to increase income taxes by 32 percent.

Attention turns Monday to the Senate, where lawmakers will consider the budget measures approved by the House a day earlier. The tax legislation increases the personal income tax rate from 3.75 percent to just under 5 percent. Corporations would pay 7 percent instead of 5.25 percent.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner already promised to veto it.

Also moving to the Senate is a $36 billion spending plan the House OK'd Sunday. It's about $1 billion less than the spending outline the Senate passed in May.

The House turns its attention to other matters such as a Senate plan to borrow billions of dollars to pay down overdue bills.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Iowa State University officials worked with utilities lobbyists for weeks to draft a law uprooting the state's renewable energy research center, giving the industry cover to avoid allegations of a "power grab," newly released emails show.

Iowa State announced in March that it would support transferring the 27-year-old Iowa Energy Center to the executive branch, even though no legislation to accomplish the change had been introduced. The announcement stunned supporters of the university-based center, which was directed to cancel its search for a new director even though it had "excellent candidates" and pull back several loans, emails show.

Lawmakers in April approved a bill transferring the center to the Iowa Economic Development Authority, giving it a more industry-friendly mission and eliminating its funding source in 2022. The move was a victory for Iowa's gas and electric utilities, which fund the center through an assessment on their revenues and have questioned some of the center's research on solar energy.

The center has been a national leader in energy efficiency and alternative energy research, promoting biofuels, wind and solar and savings at government buildings. But powerful utilities had increasingly questioned the center's direction and management, making it a political headache for Iowa State administrators.

The university released emails about the plan in response to a request from Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Dubuque. They reveal that Iowa State lobbyist Kristin Failor discussed legislation that was being drafted in secret on Feb. 24 with lobbyists representing MidAmerican Energy and rural electric cooperatives.

"I got confirmation from both of them that we all want this to be amicable and supportive and they (in no way) want this to look like a power grab because we did something wrong," Failor wrote to Iowa State vice president for research Sarah Nusser.

In another, Failor wrote that utilities "are on board with the optics" of cooperation, adding: "It is to their benefit if the narrative stays that way."

Nusser told the center's interim director Mufit Akinc on Feb. 26 that the transfer was "highly likely" to happen even though details weren't available. She said the university was "starting to do some quiet planning" but not ready to notify the center's dozen employees, who would face layoffs.

On March 2, Failor told a university official that she and a MidAmerican lobbyist agreed that introducing a bill before that month's funnel deadline "would create more harm than good if we didn't have answers for the media and staff." They decided a better strategy would be to attach the plan to a spending bill, which could be made public and passed at session's end.

After The Associated Press started inquiring about the transfer, Failor wrote to university officials March 6 that utilities lobbyists contacted her to make sure Iowa State remained publicly supportive because "they will be the ones taking the heat on this if it goes astray." She added that she assured a "testy" Sen. Joe Bolkcom that the transfer wasn't an industry takeover but "best for the future of the program."

Iowa State later confirmed to AP that day it supported transferring the center to the economic development agency. The announcement outraged center advisory board member Gary Steinke, who complained to Nusser that he wasn't consulted and felt "used, hoodwinked, betrayed, and embarrassed, specifically by you."

Nusser wrote to Failor: "I'm guessing Gary sees a conspiracy with industry and is concerned about the educational and research programs, as are we. The cost-match programs are vital to our educational and research institutions."

Iowa State officials spent weeks discussing the plan's language. But the measure passed by lawmakers in April ultimately ended the center's $4.4 million annual funding source in 2022 - over the objection of the school's board.

The Board of Regents in May asked Gov. Terry Branstad to veto the funding cutoff, saying it would "unnecessarily interrupt" many research projects. But Branstad signed the measure, which sets the transfer for Oct. 1.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) - A defense lawyer says an Alabama man charged with terrorism-related activity is being held "illegally and unconstitutionally" without bond in a county jail.

Prosecutors dispute that, saying 22-year-old Aziz Sayyed is dangerous and must remain behind bars with no bond. They say he admitted planning and discussions about planting explosives in a public building, though they didn't say what building was targeted.

A judge is to consider the arguments at a hearing Wednesday.

Sayyed is charged under state law with providing support for an act of terrorism. He was arrested on June 15 in Huntsville.

Prosecutors say they searched his residence and found materials and chemicals that could be used to craft an explosive device.

Sayyed was born in North Carolina. He's been attending college in Huntsville.
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Lawyers for a man charged in a mass shooting plot in downtown Milwaukee say their client refused to participate when urged by FBI informants they say harassed him for months.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2tBoKp9 ) reports that lawyers for 25-year-old Samy Mohamed Hamzeh claim entrapment in the case and have asked Hamzeh be released from jail on bail pending his February trial.

The motion comes after the defense reviewed hours of recently translated Arabic conversations the informants recorded.

FILE - This file photo provided by the Waukesha County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department shows Samy Mohamed Hamzeh. Lawyers for Hamzeh, who is charged in a mass shooting plot in downtown Milwaukee in 2016, say their client refused to participate when urged by FBI informants they say harassed their client for months. His lawyers claim entrapment in the case and have asked Hamzeh be released from jail on bail pending his February 2018 trial. (Waukesha County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department via AP, File)

"There is also no evidence that Hamzeh ever made any plans or was doing anything other than making empty boasts to express his resentment about Israel or to gain attention," the brief in support of the bond motion said.

Hamzeh was arrested in 2016 on two counts of possessing a machine gun and one count of possessing a silencer, which he bought from undercover FBI agents. Federal prosecutors allege he was planning to kill at least 30 people at the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic to "defend Islam."

Much of the recorded conversations between Hamzeh and the informants are mere bravado by Hamzeh and obvious attempts by the informants to steer the discussion toward jihad and machine guns, said federal public defenders Craig Albee and Joseph Bugni.

They said their client repeatedly protested the informants' proposals and that he only wanted a legal handgun to protect himself. They said he ultimately "lectured his informant friends about why such a plan would be wrong."

By the time the trial begins in February, Hamzeh will have spent 25 months in jail. Even if convicted, the guideline range sentence for the crimes is between 24 and 30 months, his attorneys said.

The request said Hamzeh should be released on GPS monitoring after giving up his passport. A hearing is set for July 12.

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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah health authorities were investigating Monday what triggered an E.coli outbreak in a mostly-polygamous community on the Utah-Arizona border after the bacteria killed two children and sickened four others.

Early indications suggest the E.coli may be linked to contaminated food or exposure to animals - not the town of Hildale's water supply, said David Heaton, spokesman for the Southwest Utah Public Health Department. He said it appears isolated to one neighborhood.

Heaton said he can't releases the names or ages of the deceased children, or say if they are related, due to privacy concerns.

FILE - This Dec. 16, 2014, file photo, shows Hildale, Utah, sitting at the base of Red Rock Cliff mountains, with its sister city, Colorado City, Ariz., in the foreground. Utah health authorities were investigating Monday, July 3, 2017, what triggered a deadly E.coli outbreak in a mostly-polygamous community on the Utah-Arizona border. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

He said they died in the past two weeks after getting hemolytic uremic syndrome, also known as HUS, which causes kidney damage.

E.coli can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms.

Utah Department of Health spokeswoman Jenny Johnson said deaths from E.coli are pretty rare with an average of only one person a year dying from the illness in Utah, a state of about 3 million people.

There are 80 to 100 cases per year in Utah of a strain of E.coli that have a toxin called Shiga that makes people sick, Johnson said.

The four other people who came down with E.coli in Hildale are children and adults but Heaton didn't have the exact breakdown. He declined to release their conditions but said they've all received medical care.

The sister towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona, are home to a polygamous group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism, which disavowed polygamy more than 100 years ago.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed a French legal expert and former judge on Monday to head the U.N. investigative body that will help document and prosecute the most serious violations of international law in Syria, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced the appointment of Catherine Marchi-Uhel who has been serving as the ombudsperson for the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against the Islamic State extremist group and al-Qaida.

She was previously a judge in France and an international judge with the U.N. mission in Kosovo and at the Cambodia court prosecuting leaders of the Khmer Rouge. She also served as senior legal officer at the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and worked in legal positions at the French foreign ministry.

The 193-member General Assembly voted last December over strenuous objections from Syria and close ally Russia to establish a new body "to closely coordinate" with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which was established by the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council. The commission said last year that war crimes are "rampant" in Syria.

The "International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism," established under U.N. auspices, is mandated "to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyze evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses and prepare files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings" in the future.

The General Assembly asked the secretary-general to arrange for the speedy establishment of the independent body, but it took Guterres, who took office on Jan. 1, six months to announce an appointment.

The investigative body will initially be funded by voluntary contributions. The assembly has urged all U.N. member states, especially parties to the conflict, to cooperate with it.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A Bahraini human rights group says a female rights activist has been detained for the second time in two months amid a crackdown on dissent in the Gulf island kingdom.

The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said on Tuesday that Ebtisam al-Sayegh was taken into custody by masked, armed police shortly before midnight the previous day.

The group says authorities presented no arrest warrant and did not say where the 48-year-old was being taken.

Amnesty International has expressed concern that al-Sayegh alleged she was tortured and sexually assaulted during a previous detention in May.

Bahraini authorities did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The country, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, has previously said it is opposed to any kind of mistreatment.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has dismissed more than 6,000 of his employees in the Gaza Strip, in a new move aimed at pressuring the territory's Hamas rulers.

Government spokesman Yousif al-Mahmoud said on Tuesday that the employees - working in health, education and other public sectors - were being sent into early retirement.

He says the step could be reversed if Hamas hands over power to Abbas' government.

A family cools off on a sweltering hot day, by the Mediterranean Sea at sunset, in Jebaliya, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' forces a decade ago, and repeated attempts at reconciliation have failed.

A frustrated Abbas has recently tried to step up pressure on Hamas by cutting the salaries of idle former workers in Gaza, reducing payments to Israel for electricity delivered to the coastal strip and limiting some medical services.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A year ago, Abdullah Muflahi rushed outside his convenience store, whipped out his cellphone and began taping moments before a white police officer shot and killed a black man in the parking lot.

Muflahi's video fueled nightly protests that turned his friend, 37-year-old Alton Sterling, into another symbol of outrage over deadly police shootings. The July 5 shooting also transformed Muflahi's store into a hub for protesters and a canvas for their grief and anger.

Visitors routinely stop by the Triple S Food Mart to photograph an iconic mural of Sterling's smiling face on its aluminum siding. A makeshift memorial - now reduced to soggy stuffed animals and withered flowers - still stands on the table where Sterling once sold homemade CDs outside.

In this June 27, 2017 photo, Abdullah Muflahi walks outside his Triple S Food mart in front of a mural of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. Little has changed in this poverty-stricken neighborhood since Sterling was shot by police one year ago, a frustrating fact of life for residents and business owners who had hoped a national spotlight on their problems could erode racial tensions and improve police relations in Louisiana's capital. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Little has changed in this poverty-stricken neighborhood since the shooting - a frustrating fact of life for residents and business owners who had hoped a national spotlight on their problems could erode racial divisions and improve police relations in Louisiana's capital.

"It's overlooked. It's not much that the city does around here," Muflahi said. "There are things that the city could fix and help make it better, but nobody looks at it like that."

Muflahi, a 29-year-old native of Yemen, mourns Sterling as the friend who introduced himself as "Big Boy" and welcomed him after he moved here from Detroit and bought his store in 2010.

"He's the one who actually showed me around and looked out for me," Muflahi said.

The shooting strengthened Muflahi's bond with neighbors who protested outside the store after Sterling's death. But Muflahi said store revenue also plummeted and has been slow to rebound.

"A lot of people were scared to come up here," he said. "A lot of my regulars, the older people, I haven't seen them."

A federal investigation found the confrontation with the two white officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, lasted less than 90 seconds.

The officers approached Sterling about a call that a black man selling CDs had threatened someone with a gun. They struggled with Sterling after he didn't comply with commands to put his hands on the hood of a car, then wrestled him down after Lake shocked him with a Taser, federal authorities said.

Investigators found that Salamoni shot Sterling three times after saying Sterling was reaching for a gun in his pocket, and fired three more shots into Sterling's back when he began to sit up. A loaded revolver was recovered from Sterling's pocket.

In May, the Justice Department announced it will not file criminal charges against either officer. Louisiana's attorney general is reviewing whether any state charges are warranted. The officers remain on paid leave.

Donna Harris, a 41-year-old nurse, lives nearby and joined the protests. A year later, she's still waiting for some reason to be optimistic.

"Nothing got better. Nothing changed," she said. "They haven't even given us justice for Alton."

State Rep. Ted James, a Baton Rouge Democrat and native of the area, said he sees some progress. But he also sees enduring racial divisions and acknowledges that predominantly black north Baton Rouge - where Sterling lived and died - still suffers from a longstanding "lack of investment."

"That type of long-term change is going to take time," he said. "Things are happening. I recognize it's not happening as fast as folks would like to see it."

At a salon across the street from the Triple S Food Mart, hair stylist Ronnie Horton said he believes politicians have shortchanged the neighborhood for years.

"You go across on the other side of town, it's beautiful," he said. "It's not up here."

After Sterling's death, James and other black lawmakers secured legislation - since signed into law - to strengthen police training requirements and prevent disgraced officers from keeping their jobs or getting new ones elsewhere. "A lot of those ideas came from concerns from people in the community," James said.

Arthur "Silky Slim" Reed, an activist who orchestrated the release of the first cellphone video after Sterling's shooting, said he believes police officers will ignore policy changes unless they face consequences for violating them.

"There was a lot of talk about police reform, bringing the community together with the police. And I think the gap is widening," he said.

Muflahi sued the city, claiming investigators illegally detained him for hours in the back of a police car. That suit is still pending. He said many residents still distrust the police department - some now more than ever - and can't fathom why the shooting is still under investigation a year later.

"I thought we would have gotten somewhere," Muflahi said. "The whole city, the family, everybody is just waiting to see what's going on."

In this June 27, 2017 photo, Ronald Smith gets on his bicycle after stopping at the Triple S Food Mart, where Alton Sterling was shot by police one year ago, in Baton Rouge, La. A year later, visitors routinely stop by the Triple S Food Mart to photograph the iconic mural of Sterling's smiling face on its aluminum siding. A makeshift memorial - now reduced to soggy stuffed animals and withered flowers - still stands on the table where Sterling once sold homemade CDs outside. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this June 27, 2017 photo, Abdullah Muflahi, left, shake hands with anti-violence activist Arthur Reed, outside his Triple S Food mart, in Baton Rouge, La. Little has changed in this poverty-stricken neighborhood since Alton Sterling was shot by police one year ago, a frustrating fact of life for residents and business owners who had hoped a national spotlight on their problems could erode racial tensions and improve police relations in Louisiana's capital. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this June 27, 2017 photo, hair stylist Ronnie Horton works inside the Trejor Ure Hair Barber and Beauty Salon in Baton Rouge, La. Little has changed in this poverty-stricken neighborhood since Alton Sterling was shot by police one year ago, a frustrating fact of life for residents and business owners who had hoped a national spotlight on their problems could erode racial tensions and improve police relations in Louisiana's capital. Horton said he believes politicians have shortchanged the neighborhood for years. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this June 27, 2017 photo, a man sits outside the Triple S Food mart, with a mural of Alton Sterling in the background, in Baton Rouge, La. The July 5, 2016 shooting transformed the store into a hub for protesters and a canvas for their grief and anger. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this June 27, 2017 photo, Abdullah Muflahi works inside his Triple S Food mart, in Baton Rouge, La. A year ago, Muflahi rushed outside his convenience store, whipped out his cellphone and began taping moments before a white police officer shot and killed a black man in the parking lot. Muflahi's video fueled nightly protests that turned his friend, Alton Sterling, into another symbol of outrage over deadly police shootings. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this June 27, 2017 photo, Abdullah Muflahi stands outside his Triple S Food mart, in Baton Rouge, La. The July 5, 2016, shooting of Alton Sterling transformed Muflahi's store into a hub for protesters and a canvas for their grief and anger. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - One of Prince's drummers, 43-year-old John Blackwell Jr., has died in Florida.

Blackwell's wife, Yaritza Blackwell, said in a post Tuesday on his official Instagram account that he died "peacefully" in her company. She thanked God for his life and his fans for their support.

The Tampa-based Blackwell was Prince's drummer for more than a decade.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office did not respond to a message seeking confirmation of Blackwell's death.

A Go Fund Me account set up by his wife said Blackwell was in the process of getting tested for "what the doctors think may be tumors in his brain." The fund, set up about four months ago, had raised about $79,000.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday:

1. US SAYS NORTH KOREA TESTED INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE

In response, the U.S. has fired precision missiles into South Korean waters and has requested an emergency U.N. Security Council session.

Miki Sudo, center, celebrates after winning the women's division of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The Las Vegas woman ate 41 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win her fourth straight title. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

2. IRAQI PM CONGRATULATES TROOPS ON 'VICTORY' IN MOSUL AS BATTLE CONTINUES

Islamic State militants are trapped in a few hundred meters within the Old City, and the civilians fleeing the fighting are increasingly desperate.

3. WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA AT UPCOMING TRUMP-PUTIN MEETING AT G-20

The White House says there's no "specific agenda," but election hacking, Syria, and diplomatic irritants could come up when they meet in Germany on Friday.

4. HOW AMERICA CELEBRATED ITS BIRTHDAY

Several U.S. senators visited troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan, more than 15,000 new citizens were sworn in, and crowds packed traditional fireworks displays.

5. HOW MANY HOT DOGS IT TAKES TO BEAT THE COMPETITION AT CONEY ISLAND

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut won his 10th Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest with 72, and Miki Sudo won her fourth by downing 41.

6. MOUNTING CRITICISM OVER COMPENSATION PLAN FOR CANADIAN EX-GITMO INMATE

A man convicted of killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan when he was 15 could get $8 million from the Canadian government as compensation for wrongful imprisonment, but the soldier's widow is filing to get some of that money.

7. THE NEXT BIG QUESTION IN ILLINOIS' BUDGET DRAMA

The Illinois Senate voted to override the governor's veto of a $36 billion budget package fueled by a $5 billion tax increase, but it's unknown whether the House will do the same.

8. UKRAINIAN POLICE SEIZE SERVERS OF SOFTWARE COMPANY AT CENTER OF GLOBAL MALWARE OUTBREAK

Authorities said "new activity" was detected there, raising the possibility that hackers were seeking to use it to spread more chaos.

9. WHY AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU MEMORIAL IS CRITICIZING LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins filmed part of a political video from inside a former gas chamber at the site, and Auschwitz officials say it is not a stage, but a place for silence.

10. WHICH PLAYERS BENEFITTED FROM WIMBLEDON RETIREMENTS

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both advanced from the first round when their opponents stopped playing because of pre-existing injuries.

An inflatable eagle flies by the Provo City Center Temple during the annual Freedom Festival Grand Parade in downtown Provo, Utah, on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. (Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish media reports say a ban on carrying electronic devices on flights from Istanbul to the United States has been lifted.

The state-run Anadolu Agency reported Wednesday that passengers were allowed on board a New York-bound Turkish Airlines flight carrying their laptops and other devices.

Turkish officials had said Tuesday that the ban would be lifted after a delegation of U.S. security officials carried out inspections.

Last week, Turkey began using high-technology tomography devices to scan luggage at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport. It was not immediately clear what other security measures were taken.

The U.S. imposed the laptop ban in March on flights from Istanbul and nine other airports in the Middle East.

The ban has also been lifted at Abu Dhabi airport.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed Wednesday his nation will "demonstrate its mettle to the U.S." and never put its weapons programs up for negotiations, a day after successfully testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The hard line suggests that North Korea will conduct more weapons tests until it perfects nuclear-armed missiles capable of striking anywhere in the United States. Analysts say Kim's government believes nuclear weapons are key to its survival and could be used to wrest concessions from the United States.

Tuesday's ICBM launch, confirmed by U.S. and South Korean officials, was a milestone in North Korea's efforts to develop long-range nuclear-armed missiles. But the North isn't there yet, and many analysts say it needs more tests to perfect such an arsenal.

A man walks by a TV screen showing a local news program reporting about North Korea's missile firing at Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un vowed his nation would "demonstrate its mettle to the U.S." and never put its weapons programs up for negotiations a day after test-launching its first intercontinental ballistic missile. The hard line suggests more tests are being prepared as the country tries to perfect a nuclear missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States. The letters read "North Korea, release an ICBM launching video." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that the world should look at tougher sanctions against the North and insisted the problem must be solved peacefully.

Speaking through an interpreter in Berlin before the Group of 20 summit, Moon called the test "a big threat and provocation" and that there should be consideration of "more intensive possibilities of sanctions."

Worry also spread in Washington and at the United Nations, where the United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency U.N. Security Council session Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. response would include "stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable," using the acronym for the nation's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In a show of force, U.S. and South Korean troops fired "deep strike" precision missiles off South Korea's east coast Wednesday. South Korea's military later released previously shot video showing the test-firing of sophisticated South Korean missiles and a computer-generated image depicting a North Korean flag in flames with the backdrop of a major building in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital.

North Korean state media described leader Kim as "feasting his eyes" on the ICBM, which was said to be capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead, before its launch.

"With a broad smile on his face," Kim urged his scientists to "frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees," it said, an apparent reference to continuing the stream of nuclear and missile tests Kim has ordered since taking power in late 2011.

North Korea was also pleased that its test came as Americans celebrated Independence Day. State media said Kim told "scientists and technicians that the U.S. would be displeased to witness the DPRK's strategic option" on its Independence Day.

Kim also said North Korea "would neither put its nukes and ballistic rockets on the table of negotiations in any case nor flinch even an inch from the road of bolstering the nuclear force chosen by itself unless the U.S. hostile policy and nuclear threat to the DPRK are definitely terminated," the Korean Central News Agency reported.

The missile launch was a direct rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump's earlier declaration on Twitter that such a test "won't happen!" and to Moon, who was pushing to improve strained ties with the North.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said it was unable to verify whether North Korea has mastered re-entry technology for an ICBM. It said North Korea may now conduct a nuclear test with "boosted explosive power" to show off a warhead to be mounted on a missile.

The U.N. Security Council could impose additional sanctions on North Korea, but it's not clear they would stop it from pursuing its nuclear and missile programs since the country is already under multiple rounds of U.N. sanctions for its previous weapon tests.

"An attempt to curb Kim Jong Un's nuclear and missile ambitions has clearly failed. I think North Korea won't stop its nuclear drive until it feels that it has reached the level that it wants to reach," said Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University. "I don't know when North Korea can reach that level. But I would say it's imminent."

There is a consensus among many analysts that Kim's government won't give up its nuclear program because it believes it guarantee its survival from outside threats. But once it possesses functioning ICBMs, it would also have a stronger bargaining position and might propose talks with the United States on reducing those threats, possibly in exchange for freezing but not dismantling some of its nuclear or missile activities, the analysts say.

North Korea might seek a downsizing or suspension of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it views as rehearsals for an invasion, or the signing of a peace treaty officially ending the 1950-53 Korean War that could be used as pretext for demanding the withdrawal of the 28,500 American troops currently in South Korea. The war ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically still in a state of war.

"If the U.S. doesn't accept talks, North Korea might stage provocations or take other dangerous actions to draw the U.S. into negotiations," said analyst Park Hyeong-jung at South Korea's Korea Institute for National Unification.

If the United States were to hold talks with a North Korea capable of attacking the entire U.S. mainland with nuclear weapons, those negotiations would be like "arms reduction talks," Lim said.

North Korea already has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and is thought to have a small number of atomic bombs. Some outside civilian experts believe the North has the technology to mount warheads on shorter-range Rodong and Scud missiles that can strike South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where about 80,000 American troops are stationed. But it's unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile.

Regional disarmament talks on North Korea's nuclear program have been stalled since 2009.

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Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, a U.S. MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile is fired during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an undisclosed location in South Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

South Korea Army soldiers ride K-1 tanks during the annual exercise in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vows his nation would "demonstrate its mettle to the U.S." and never negotiate its weapons programs after watching the test-launch of its first intercontinental ballistic missile. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A South Korean army K-9 self-propelled howitzer fires during the annual exercise in Paju, South Korea near the border with North Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

In this Tuesday, July 4, 2017 photo, North Korean soldiers walk in border town of Simuiju, North Korea, as they are seen from Dandong, northeastern Liaoning province of China. Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP)

South Korean army soldiers ride a K-1 tank during the annual exercise in Paju, South Korea near the border with North Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean army K-1 tanks move during the annual exercise in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A North Korean female soldier guards the border near the Chinese border town of Dandong, northeastern Liaoning province of China Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP)

A North Korean soldier guards the border near the Chinese border town of Dandong, northeastern Liaoning province of China Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Kaisha Toledo was studying for a doctorate in psychology in Puerto Rico, but after four years in Florida, she still hasn't found a permanent job in her field.

Ricardo Negron passed the bar on the island, but still can't work as a lawyer in Florida. Carlos Martinez got his nursing license in Puerto Rico, but still serves up lattes as a Starbucks manager in Orlando.

Residents of the U.S. territory have been U.S. citizens for a century now, and should have a built-in advantage as Americans when they move to the mainland.

In this Saturday, June 24, 2017 photo, Sami Haiman-Marrero gives out information during a presentation at an orientation session for newly arrived Puerto Ricans to the mainland in Orlando, Fla. Puerto Ricans escaping an economic crisis on the island move to Florida and many are encountering difficulties finding jobs in their chosen fields. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

But as the island's best and brightest join an exodus of nearly half a million Puerto Ricans coming stateside to escape the territory's 10-year economic recession, they're hitting the same barriers most migrants face: language difficulties, costly certifications, confusing requirements and culture clashes.

"We don't know the system yet that well, so we're learning on a learning curve," Toledo told The Associated Press. "We just find that jobs are very specific and they say you need to have two or three years of experience, but it's like, 'OK, but if you don't open the door for me, how will I be able to get that experience?'"

Puerto Rico's Instituto de Estadisticas said managers and professional workers made up the largest category of people moving from the island in 2015. Since then, the island's 3.4 million people have endured multimillion-dollar debt defaults, soaring foreclosures, a crumbling pension system, states of emergency at government agencies, deep cuts in education and an unemployment rate of 12 percent, nearly triple the mainland rate.

"Everybody is leaving the island, from the neurosurgeon to the janitor," said Vicente Feliciano, an economist in Puerto Rico. "Young people are leaving, and thus, you have fewer taxpayers to support an increasingly elderly population."

New York was their top destination during the last major migration wave in the 1940s and 1950s, but now Central Florida is where they land, with more than 1 million Puerto Ricans living in the state.

"There's the weather, and you will find Puerto Ricans, you will find the food, everywhere. So it's the next best thing to being home without having the issues," said Negron.

Before leaving the island in 2015, Negron had lined up a legal assistant job at an Orlando law firm. But after arriving, his position was cut. Although he doesn't work as a lawyer, Negron has found job happiness running a nonprofit for the gay and lesbian Hispanic community in central Florida.

"I would have to shut myself in to study, and I'm like, 'How am I going to live? I'm not going to get more student loans to study,'" Negron said.

Martinez has worked at a theme park, a hotel and a store since he left the island three years ago, but he still hasn't found a nursing job because he hasn't found the time or money needed for the prep class needed to study for his license in Florida.

"At the moment, I can't do it," Martinez said. "I got to make money."

Many Puerto Ricans move from the island without the proper preparation, said Sami Haiman-Marrero, who runs a marketing and business development firm in Orlando. With her friend, Jackie Mendez, she now offers orientation sessions to new arrivals on how to adapt to life and workplace norms in central Florida.

"You can't kiss your co-workers on the cheek ... Don't start talking about personal things ... You are supposed to be there at five minutes to the hour and be ready to work ... You need to have command of English," Marrero said.

Janice Dones, who moved from Puerto Rico a year ago and attended a recent orientation said, "It sometimes doesn't feel like we are part of the country."

Her feelings reflect a common refrain among islanders - especially those who voted for statehood in a non-binding referendum this month - that Puerto Ricans are treated like second-class citizens. Gov. Ricardo Rossello now hopes to persuade Congress to make the U.S. territory the 51st state, which is unlikely under Republican control, since Puerto Ricans tend to favor Democrats.

"We have been a colony for 500 years, and we have had U.S. citizenship for 100 years, but it's been a second-class one," Rossello said after declaring victory.

Meanwhile, people like Toledo just want a chance to work as professionals again.

When she moved to Orlando four years ago, Toledo got a job as a mental health therapist and case manager at a private company, but soon the company ran out of money and stopped paying her. She found a job at another company, but that also didn't pay what she had been promised. She eventually found a job out of her field, as a community organizer. She loves it, but misses the fulfillment of working with autistic kids.

"Everybody is trying to make a better life," Toledo said. "I hope people will look at people like me, who have studied, and give them an opportunity."

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Associated Press Writer Danica Coto contributed to this story from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Follow Mike Schneider at http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap .

In this Tuesday, June 27, 2017 photo, Carlos Martinez works at a Starbucks store where he is a supervisor in Orlando, Fla. Even though he earned a nursing license in Puerto Rico, Martinez hasn't worked as a nurse since moving to Orlando more than three years ago as he and other professionals from the island are encountering difficulties finding jobs in their chosen fields. (AP Photo/Mike Schneider)

In this Saturday, June 24, 2017 photo, Maritza Rojas, right, gives out information for learning English during an orientation session for Puerto Ricans who have newly arrived to the mainland in Orlando, Fla. Puerto Ricans escaping an economic crisis on the island move to Florida and many are encountering difficulties finding jobs in their chosen fields. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

In this Saturday, June 24, 2017 photo, newly arrived Puerto Ricans to the mainland listen to Sami Haiman-Marrero, left, as she speaks during an orientation session in Orlando, Fla. Puerto Ricans escaping an economic crisis on the island move to Florida and many are encountering difficulties finding jobs in their chosen fields. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

In this Saturday, June 24, 2017 photo, Camelia Santiago, administrative assistant with the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration gives out information to a couple during an orientation session for newly arrived Puerto Ricans in Orlando, Fla. Puerto Ricans escaping an economic crisis on the island move to Florida and many are encountering difficulties finding jobs in their chosen fields. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

In this Saturday, June 24, 2017 photo, Jackie Mendez goes over educational opportunities in the central Florida area during an orientation session for Puerto Ricans who have newly arrived to the mainland in Orlando, Fla. Puerto Ricans escaping an economic crisis on the island move to Florida and many are encountering difficulties finding jobs in their chosen fields. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - President Donald Trump opens his two-nation European visit expecting a warm welcome in Poland before he encounters what could be a frostier reception and thornier issues at an international summit in Germany. Trump's sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile threaten to put Trump's skills as a negotiator to the test.

Trump arrived in Warsaw late Wednesday for a 16-hour visit that includes a keynote address to the Poles from Krasinski Square, site of a monument commemorating the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. Scores of people who lined darkened roads waved American and Polish flags and recorded video of Trump's motorcade as it sped him and his wife, Melania, to their hotel.

Trump has scheduled talks with the leaders of Poland and Croatia and may hold a joint news conference - his first one abroad - with Polish President Andrzej Duda. He also was meeting with the heads of a dozen countries bordered by the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas. Collectively known as the Three Seas Initiative, the group aims to expand and modernize energy and trade with a goal of reducing the region's dependence on Russian energy.

President Trump, right and the first lady Melania Trump walk past the honor guards as they arrive to Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. President Donald Trump is back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering skepticism across the continent over his commitment to NATO, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the U.S. out of a major climate agreement. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Duda told Polish broadcaster TVN24 on Wednesday that he wants to tackle concrete issues like energy security in the meeting with Trump, not engage in "some general talk about world security." Trump recently devoted a week to U.S. energy production.

At the same time, Trump will have to contend with escalating tensions with North Korea after it successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile this week. Asked, as he left the White House, what he would do about North Korea, Trump said only, "We're going to do very well."

Trump, who's been seeking China's help in containing Pyongyang's missile and nuclear weapons programs, also tweeted his frustration with China for continuing to trade with North Korea.

"So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump wrote.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is among at least nine leaders Trump is scheduled to meet with later in the week in Germany during the Group of 20 summit of the world's leading rich and developing countries.

Trump will meet one-on-one with German Chancellor Angela Merkel immediately after he arrives in Germany on Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson planned to join Trump later.

Trump will also walk a fine line when he meets Friday with Putin. The highly anticipated sit-down comes when relations between the two nations are at a low point, and with the president showing reluctance to adopt a harder line toward Russia amid conclusions by multiple U.S. intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the 2016 presidential election to benefit Trump, and continuing federal and congressional investigations into possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.

Trump's return to Europe follows a shaky inaugural visit in late May and signs of unhappiness around the globe with his presidency.

A recent Pew Research Center survey of attitudes toward Trump in more than three dozen countries found fewer than 3 in 10 respondents expressing confidence in his ability to do the right thing on international affairs.

Trump's earlier visit was marred by several awkward encounters, including a tough speech to NATO members urging them to spend more on their armed forces, an uncomfortable handshake with France's new president and a caught-on-camera moment when Trump pushed past the prime minister of Montenegro to get to the front of a group photo opportunity.

Poland may offer him a chance to shine.

Polish media reports say the government promised the White House cheering crowds as part of its invitation. Ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists plan to bus in groups of people for Trump's speech. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment on the reports.

With Trump's sights already set on getting re-elected in 2020, the visit to Poland could also be seen as a power play for battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, home to hundreds of thousands of Polish-American voters.

Trump may also seek to use Poland as an exemplar of partnership. A U.S. ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, Poland is among the five NATO members that spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on the military. That's something that Trump - and U.S. leaders before him - have demanded of NATO allies.

Poland also hosts a few thousand U.S. troops, in addition to supporting U.S. and NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's also a regular purchaser of U.S. military equipment.

The Polish government has emphasized that Russia's aggression in Ukraine poses a threat to the whole of Europe, something that will inevitably be raised in discussions with Trump as Europeans aim to gauge his willingness to confront Putin when they meet face to face on Friday.

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Associated Press writer Vivian Salama in Washington contributed to this report.

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On Twitter follow Superville at https://twitter.com/dsupervilleap and Thomas at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC

President Trump and the first lady Melania Trump wave from the Air Force One upon their arrival Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. President Donald Trump is back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering skepticism across the continent over his commitment to NATO, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the U.S. out of a major climate agreement. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, waves as they walk down the steps of Air Force One after arriving at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, in Warsaw. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One for a trip to Poland and Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli court has convicted an Israeli Jewish extremist for the 2015 arson on a famous Holy Land church.

The Nazareth District Court convicted 22-year-old Yinon Reuveni on Monday for the attack on the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish. The church, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel, marks the traditional site of Jesus' miracle. It is one of the most popular stops for Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.

The 2015 arson caused extensive damage to the building and burned prayer books. The building sits atop the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church.

Jewish extremists have targeted mosques, churches and dovish Israeli groups in recent years.

Sentencing has been set for September.
PARIS (AP) - Holocaust survivors joined France's president and European dignitaries Wednesday at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps to become president of the European Parliament and one of France's most revered politicians.

Best known in France for spearheading the legalization of abortion, Veil faced down sexist criticism and repeatedly broke barriers for women in politics. She died last week at age 89.

During a national ceremony with military honors Wednesday at the Invalides monument, home to Napoleon's tomb, President Emmanuel Macron announced Veil will be inducted into Paris' Pantheon mausoleum that is the final resting place of dozens of French greats.

French President Emmanuel Macron stands in front of the flag-draped coffin of Simone Veil during a solemn funeral ceremony, in the courtyard of the Invalides in Paris, France, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Holocaust survivors are joining France's president and European dignitaries at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps to become president of the European Parliament and one of France's most revered politicians. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

European flags around France were lowered to half-staff to honor a woman whose experience at Auschwitz-Birkenau made her a firm believer in European unification.

Macron praised her as inspiring "respect and fascination."

"She loved Europe, she always fought for it ... because she knew in the heart of this European dream there were above all dreams of peace and freedom," he said.

Veil lost her parents and brother in Nazi camps, and spoke frequently about the need to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive.

"She knew that memory is here so that the unthinkable does not happen again," Macron said.

"Just as you leave us, Madam, please receive an immense thank you from the French people", he concluded in front of the coffin covered with a French flag, in the presence of hundreds of ordinary citizens and high-profile guests including former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.

Veil will be the fourth woman to be honored at the Pantheon. She will join two women who fought with the French Resistance during World War II, Germaine Tillion and Genevieve de Gaulle-Anthonioz, and Nobel Prize-winning chemist Marie Curie.

French President Emmanuel Macron stands in front of the flag-draped coffin of Simone Veil during a solemn funeral ceremony, in the courtyard of the Invalides in Paris, France, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Holocaust survivors are joining France's president and European dignitaries at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps to become president of the European Parliament and one of France's most revered politicians. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron stands in front of the flag-draped coffin of Simone Veil during a solemn funeral ceremony, in the courtyard of the Invalides in Paris, France, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Holocaust survivors are joining France's president and European dignitaries at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps to become president of the European Parliament and one of France's most revered politicians. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

The sons of Simone Veil, Pierre-Francois, left, and Antoine Veil, attend a solemn funeral ceremony in tribute to their mother, in the courtyard of the Invalides in Paris, France, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Holocaust survivors are joining France's president and European dignitaries at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps to become president of the European Parliament and one of France's most revered politicians. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

Republican guards carry the flag-draped coffin of Simone Veil during a solemn funeral ceremony in the courtyard of the Invalides in Paris, France, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Holocaust survivors are joining France's president and European dignitaries at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps to become president of the European Parliament and one of France's most revered politicians. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)
BERLIN (AP) - Joachim Meisner, the former archbishop of Cologne and a prominent conservative voice in the German church, died Wednesday, his archdiocese said. He was 83.

Meisner died while on vacation in Bad Fuessing, in Bavaria, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Cologne said.

Born Christmas Day in 1933 in the eastern German city of Breslau, which is today the Polish city of Wroclaw, Meisner and his family fled westward ahead of the advancing Red Army at the end of World War II. He grew up in what became communist East Germany.

FilE - In this Feb. 10, 2008 file photo Cardinal Joachim Meisner celebrates a mass in the Cologne cathedral, western Germany. (AP Photo/ Roberto Pfeil, file)

Meisner studied theology in the city of Erfurt, and was ordained in 1962. He was made archbishop of Berlin in 1980 and became a cardinal three years later.

After advancing up the Catholic hierarchy, Meisner became the Archbishop of Cologne in 1989 and served in that role until 2014, staying five years past the retirement age of 75 at the request of Pope Benedict XVI.

Meisner was an outspoken and sometimes controversial conservative figure in liberally minded Germany.

He opposed plans to build a large mosque in Cologne and once urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to apologize for criticizing the Vatican's handling of the case of a Holocaust-denying bishop.
PARIS (AP) - Any suspects in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 over Ukraine in 2014 will be prosecuted in the Netherlands, the Dutch government announced Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a statement that the decision was made by the countries jointly investigating the crash - Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine and the Netherlands.

The statement says the countries will continue to cooperate on the prosecution and that it will cover all 298 victims, who came from 17 countries. Most were Dutch citizens.

FILE - In this Thursday, July 17, 2014 file photo, people inspect the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Grabovo, Ukraine. Any suspects in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 over Ukraine in 2014 will be prosecuted in the Netherlands, the Dutch government announced Wednesday July 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, File)

An international criminal probe concluded last year that the missile that destroyed the passenger jet was fired from rebel-controlled territory by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia. Russia has denied any involvement, and denounced the conclusions as politically biased.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry did not identify eventual suspects to prosecute. Investigators last year said they had pinpointed 100 people they want to speak to who are believed to have been involved in transporting the Buk missile launcher or its use.

Russia did not immediately respond to Wednesday's announcement. The Russian government could refuse to extradite any of its citizens for eventual questioning or prosecution.

Malaysia had proposed setting up an international court to try those responsible for the plane's destruction, but Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution in favor of a tribunal.

The Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was blown out of the sky on July 17, 2014, in eastern Ukraine amid fierce fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops.

The Joint Investigation Team, led by prosecutors and police from the Netherlands, made its preliminary findings public after interviewing more than 200 witnesses, listening to 150,000 intercepted phone calls, examining half a million photos and video recordings, consulting radar and satellite images, and sifting through dozens of containers filled with wreckage from the jet.

The Russian military has said data from radar in southern Russia showed that the missile that downed Flight 17 did not originate in rebel-controlled territory.

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 3, 2015 file photo, journalists take images of parts of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 displayed in a hangar at Gilze-Rijen airbase, Netherlands. Any suspects in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 over Ukraine in 2014 will be prosecuted in the Netherlands, the Dutch government announced Wednesday July 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
MARY ESTHER, Fla. (AP) - Florida authorities say an infant is dead after being left in a vehicle for about eight hours.

Northwest Florida Daily News reports the 7-week-old child was discovered Sunday night.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office says dispatchers received a 911 call around 9:30 p.m. The baby had been discovered dead inside a van at a family member's home in Mary Esther. A family member was not aware the child's mother had placed the baby in a rear-facing car seat inside the vehicle after church.

The National Weather Service says Sunday's maximum heat index was 104 degrees.

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Information from: Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.), http://www.nwfdailynews.com
J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.
BERLIN (AP) - Promoted Bundesliga team Freiburg secured Austria Under-21 captain Philipp Lienhart on loan from Real Madrid's second team on Wednesday.

Freiburg said it had the option to make the deal for the 20-year-old defender permanent at the end of next season.

"Philipp is a young and developing central defender whose focused and clear way of playing was known to us from the Austrian national youth sides," Freiburg sporting director Klemens Hartenbach said.

Lienhart came through the ranks at Rapid Vienna before joining Real Madrid's youth setup, initially on loan in 2014. The Spanish club made his move permanent a year later. Lienhart made his debut for the senior side as a 19-year-old in December 2015 but played primarily for the second team, Real Madrid Castilla.

Also Wednesday, Hertha Berlin midfielder Alexander Baumjohann joined Brazilian side Coritiba. The 30-year-old's wife is Brazilian.

Hoffenheim defender Benedikt Gimber joined second-division Jahn Regensburg on loan for the upcoming season. The Germany Under-20 defender has a contract to 2020 with Hoffenheim.

Augsburg signed Austrian midfielder Michael Gregoritsch and Venezuelan forward Sergio Cordova from Hamburger SV and Caracas FC, respectively, late on Tuesday.

Also, Eintracht Frankfurt gave 18-year-old Cameroon forward Nelson Mandela Mbouhom a two-year contract to reward his progression through the club's youth sides. Mbouhom joined Frankfurt's Under-15s from Barcelona in 2013.
BERLIN (AP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping officially presented two giant pandas to Berlin's zoo on Wednesday, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the bamboo-munching newcomers would be "special ambassadors" for the two countries.

The pandas, Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, landed in Berlin on June 24 and have been settling in at the zoo since, out of public view. Merkel and Xi, who was visiting the German capital ahead of the Group of 20 summit that starts Friday, inaugurated the bears' glass-fronted compound.

The pandas appeared unfazed by the celebrity welcome and placidly chewed bamboo as a red curtain was drawn back to reveal the zoo's newest residents.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, attend a welcome ceremony for Chinese panda bears Meng Meng and Jiao Qing at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (Axel Schmidt/pool photo via AP)

Meng Meng and Jiao Qing's arrival in Germany was preceded by lengthy bilateral negotiations, since giant pandas are unique to China and sent abroad as diplomatic envoys. The pandas will be on loan from China for 15 years.

"I hope that the two new arrivals can quickly settle down in their second home and, perhaps, one day will have offspring," Xi said.

He added, "I hope that the two pandas ... can further deepen the friendship between our two countries."

Jiao Qing, which means "darling," is a 7-year-old male and weighs 108 kilograms (238 pounds.) Female Meng Meng, which translates to "sweet dream" in English, is 3 years old and weighs 77 kilograms (169 pounds).

Their residency ends a five-year period in which the Berlin zoo had no pandas. The city's last panda, Bao Bao, died in 2012. Bao Bao was sent in 1980 as a gift from then-Chinese leader Hua Guofeng to West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

"Now we have two very likable diplomats here - the two pandas - and I think Jiao Qing and Meng Meng will be special ambassadors for our two countries," Merkel said.

One of the two Chinese panda bears Meng Meng and Jiao Qing eats after the official opening of their enclosure at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (Axel Schmidt/pool photo via AP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, attend a welcome ceremony for Chinese panda bears Meng Meng and Jiao Qing at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (Axel Schmidt/pool photo via AP)

One of the two Chinese panda bears Meng Meng and Jiao Qing eats after the official opening of their enclosure at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (Axel Schmidt/pool photo via AP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, attend a welcome ceremony for Chinese panda bears Meng Meng and Jiao Qing at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (Axel Schmidt/pool photo via AP)
BRUSSELS (AP) - Belgian authorities charged two men with terror-related offenses Wednesday following half a dozen raids that were part of an investigation prosecutors said was not linked to past extremist attacks in Paris and Brussels.

The federal prosecutor's office said in a statement that two Belgians were charged with "taking part in the activities of a terrorist group" after the raids in Brussels early Wednesday.

The statement says one of the raids centered on a garage where police found "three Kalashnikovs, about fifteen Kalashnikov magazines, a riot gun, three small firearms with ammunition," police uniforms and detonators.

Another major anti-terror operation was conducted on the outskirts of Lille in northern France, 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Brussels. One man was detained in the joint Belgian-French operation.

Belgium and France are both on high alert since extremist attacks have hit Paris and Brussels over the past few years.

Belgian media said the raids centered on a bikers group, the Kamikaze Riders. Two of the group's members were sentenced on anti-terror charges last year.
BEIRUT (AP) - A Syrian opposition group and an international watchdog on Wednesday called for an investigation into the deaths of at least four Syrians in Lebanese army custody.

The men were detained in a sweeping security raid last week that netted 355 Syrians in refugee settlements in and around the border town of Arsal, the scene of a major cross-border attack in 2014, when a number of Lebanese soldiers were abducted.

The army on Tuesday said four had died in custody from chronic health conditions exacerbated by the soaring summer heat.

This Tuesday, July 4, 2017 photo, shows Syrian refugees holding placards as they stand by the body of a deceased Syrian man, in the town of Arsal, near the Syrian border, in northeast Lebanon. Anger mounted among Syrians in Lebanon Wednesday with at least one Syrian opposition group and an international human rights organization calling for a quick investigation after the death of at least four Syrians in Lebanese army custody. The placard in Arabic, center, reads, "For what crime was he killed? ... In Arsal," and at right, "We haven't come to Lebanon for tourism," and left, "Take us to Jarablus [Syria]." (AP Photo)

On Wednesday, it said 85 had been charged with illegal entry into Lebanon, while 15 others have been released. At least four Syrians had detonated explosives vests during the raid, killing a Syrian girl and wounding seven Lebanese soldiers.

In Arsal, refugees blocked a road to prevent an ambulance from delivering four bodies for burial, demanding that autopsies take place first.

But the town mayor ordered they be taken to the local cemetery, a refugee from the Syrian town of Qusayr told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of his uncertain legal status in Lebanon.

Mayor Bassil Hujeiri said the ambulance was sent by the town at the request of the military police to pick up four bodies from the Dar al-Amal Hospital in nearby Baalbek.

He denied interfering with the movement of the ambulances, insisting the army controls traffic in and out of Arsal.

According to photos that were seen by the AP, two of the bodies showed heavy bruising on the face and abdomen - which human rights lawyer Nabil Halabi said was consistent with beatings. A third body was missing the head, another photo showed.

The circumstances in which the photos were taken were not known. The refugee in Arsal identified three of the bodies as belonging to men detained in the raid.

A Lebanese army official added further confusion to the situation by saying later Wednesday the bodies of the four who had died in custody have not yet been returned to their families but were held for autopsies.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, denied they died under torture.

A Syrian opposition, the Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition alleged that the army is trying covering up the number of fatalities and said at least 10 detainees had died in custody.

It did not offer evidence to back up its claim and called for an independent investigation.

Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said that "in light of the army's own admission that the health condition of the detainees deteriorated while in custody, a formal, transparent and independent investigation must be launched."

"In case of wrongdoing, those responsible for the deaths should be held accountable," she added.

The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a similarly worded statement on Wednesday evening.
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Croatia's state attorney has questioned Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric amid accusations that he falsely testified about his financial deals with a former Dinamo Zagreb director charged with embezzlement and tax fraud.

Modric said Wednesday his "conscience is clear" after questioning for suspected perjury in the eastern town of Osijek.

Prosecutors have said Modric gave a false statement to a court last month about his 2008 transfer from Dinamo to Tottenham. He moved to Real Madrid in 2012.

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric arrives to the courthouse in Osijek, eastern Croatia, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Croatia's state attorney has questioned Modric amid accusations that he falsely testified about his financial deals with a former Dinamo Zagreb director charged with embezzlement and tax fraud. (AP Photo)

Modric told the court he had a deal with former Dinamo director Zdravko Mamic to pay the club 50 percent of the 21 million euro ($23 million) contract. Mamic, who has denied any wrongoing, allegedly took an unspecified chunk.

If charged and found guilty, Modric could face up to five years in prison.
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Croatia on Wednesday rejected a European Commission call for the implementation of an international arbitration ruling in a longstanding border dispute with Slovenia that has caused tensions between the EU neighbors.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said the commission has no jurisdiction in border matters and insisted that territorial issues should be resolved between the two states.

"It would be good if the European Commission remained within its jurisdiction," Plenkovic said, according to the state HINA news agency. "The (Commission) statement has no political or legal strength."

The Netherlands-based panel granted Slovenia unhindered access to the high seas in the Adriatic last week and ruled on several other disputed issues stemming from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The two countries had agreed to arbitration in 2009, after which Slovenia dropped its opposition to Croatia's EU membership. Citing violations of the tribunal rules by Slovenia, Croatia walked out of the process in 2015 and does not recognize its findings.

The European Commission has said it has supported the arbitration process and called on both countries to implement the ruling.

In Slovenia, Prime Minister Miro Cerar said after a top-level meeting Wednesday that Slovenia considers the ruling final and will maintain dialogue with Croatia. Cerar and Plenkovic are set to meet next week following incidents along the sea border.

"Slovenia must be decisive and wise during the implementation (of the ruling)," said Cerar. "We have to maintain a dialogue with Croatia the whole time in the spirit of good neighborly relations."

The five-judge tribunal granted Slovenia much of the Bay of Piran, off the Adriatic coasts of the two countries, and gave Slovenia a corridor linking its territorial waters and international waters.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanian border police say they fired shots into the air to stop two suspected smugglers with an unusually large amount of cigarettes from Ukraine.

Border police from the town of Dorohoi in northeast Romania said the two men didn't respond to verbal warnings, so officers fired six warning shots. The suspects dropped their three bulky parcels and ran, but not fast enough to avoid arrest early Wednesday.

Police said the contraband cigarettes are worth 42,000 lei ($10,500). The two men, aged 22 and 39, are being investigated on charges of smuggling and illegal border crossing.

Cigarette smuggling is an almost daily occurrence from Ukraine and Moldova into European Union member Romania.
MOSCOW (AP) - Russian strategic bombers on Wednesday struck the Islamic State group in Syria with cruise missiles, the military said.

The Defense Ministry said that Tu-95 bombers launched Kh-101 cruise missiles on IS facilities in the area along the boundary between the Syrian provinces of Hama and Homs. The ministry said three ammunition depots and a command facility near the town of Aqirbat were destroyed.

It said the bombers flew from their base in southwestern Russia and launched the missiles at a distance of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the target.

Russia has waged an air campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad since September 2015. The Russian military has used the campaign to test its latest weapons, including long-range cruise missiles, in combat for the first time.

Meanwhile, a two-day round of Syria cease-fire talks in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, ended without conclusive results. The Syrian government and the opposition blamed each other for the failure to reach agreement.

The negotiations, brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran, were to finalize specifics related to so-called de-escalation zones, including their boundaries and monitoring mechanisms. But the talks failed to produce a deal, with the parties agreeing only to set up a working group to continue discussions.

"We so far have failed to agree on de-escalation zones, but we will continue efforts to achieve that goal," Russian envoy Alexander Lavrentyev said after the talks, according to Russian news reports.

Lavrentyev said that Russia plans to deploy its military police to help monitor de-escalation zones and called on Kazakhstan and other ex-Soviet nations to also send monitors. He said police will have light arms to protect themselves.

Lavrentyev also noted that the involvement of the United States and Jordan would be essential for setting up a de-escalation zone in southern Syria near the border with Jordan.

Syria's warring sides have held four previous rounds of talks in Kazakhstan since January, in parallel to the U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva. Neither process has made much progress. A cease-fire declared in May, has been repeatedly violated.

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This story has been corrected to show the style for cruise missile designation is Kh-101.
WASHINGTON (AP) - One U.S. Army soldier was killed and two others were injured in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

The U.S. said that Pfc. Hansen B. Kirkpatrick, 19, of Wasilla, Alaska, was killed Monday by indirect fire in Helmand Province. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Two soldiers were wounded in the attack. Their wounds aren't considered life-threatening and they're being treated at a coalition medical facility.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said the soldiers were outside the base in the Nawah district, working with their Afghan partners. They were hit in by a mortar.

There has been a recent increase in U.S. military deaths and injuries in Afghanistan as the fighting season with the Taliban becomes more intense and American forces work more closely with their Afghan partners in the battle.

Hundreds of U.S. forces, including Marines, are in the south.
PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) - Around one hundred semi-nude animal rights activists called Wednesday for an end to bullfights by wearing plastic horns and spreading blood-colored powder in Pamplona one day ahead the city's famed annual festival.

Bull runs throughout the narrow, cobbled streets of Pamplona, in northern Spain, are the main feature of the San Fermin festival, which runs July 6 to 14.

Some activists wrote "Stop bullfights" on their torsos in various languages in response to the "bloodless San Fermin" campaign led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and the Spanish NGO AnimalNaturalis.

Demonstrators stand in front of the City Hall during a protest against bullfighting a day before the San Fermin festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The festival will begin on July 6 with the ''txupinazo'' opening ceremony, with people participating in bull runs, music and dance, through the old city. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

Over 1 million visitors are expected for the festival, five times Pamplona's population, eager to experience or see the morning runs or the afternoon corridas, where six bulls are scheduled to be killed each day.

Demonstrators brake ''banderillas'' with red dust during a protest against bullfighting in front of the City Hall a day before of the San Fermin festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The festival will begin on July 6 with the ''txupinazo'' opening ceremony, with people participating in bull runs, music and dance, through the old city. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

Demonstrators protest against bullfighting cover their bodies with red dust in front of the City Hall a day before of the famous San Fermin festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The festival will begin on July 6 with the ''txupinazo'' opening ceremony, with people participating in bull runs, music and dance, through the old city. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
PARIS (AP) - The United States and European governments are urging tougher international pressure on Syria over a sarin gas attack and stepped-up efforts to find the perpetrators.

The international chemical weapons watchdog OPCW held a special meeting on Wednesday in The Hague, after confirming in a recent report that sarin was used in the April attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun. The report didn't say who was responsible for the attack, which killed more than 90 people.

U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Ward says "there should be no doubt" Syria's government was behind the attack. European delegates strongly condemned the attack, urging Syria to cooperate with the investigation.

Syrian President Bashar Assad denies using chemical weapons. Russia's Vladimir Putin said he believed the attack was staged by those seeking to blame Assad.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - True Religion Brand Jeans filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday, the latest retailer upended as Americans ramp up spending, but largely in places other than clothing stores. The jeans company is seeking Chapter 11 and operations will continue uninterrupted as it restructures.

Clothing stores that operate largely out of malls have been struck particularly hard. The owner of brands including Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant, Dress Barn and Justice has said it plans to close at least 250 stores. Earlier this year, Payless ShoeSource filed for bankruptcy protection and The Limited closed all 250 of its remaining stores.

The Los Angeles company, which is owned by TowerBrook Capital Partners, said Wednesday that its reorganization will trim its debt by more than $350 million. The company also said it secured up to $60 million in financing from Citizens Bank.

True Religion filed expects its request to be approved by the court in three to four months.

The company, founded in 2002, designs, markets, distributes and sells clothing and apparel.
SEATTLE (AP) - An Amtrak train that derailed Sunday in Washington state was traveling through a section of track that contains a switch that will move a train off-course if the drawspan on the approaching bridge is open.

It's unknown if that switch caused the derailment, and officials continue to investigate how the Amtrak Cascades 506 went off-track with 267 people aboard, leaving some with minor injuries, according to the Seattle Times (http://bit.ly/2tpw3h1 ). The locomotive, a baggage car and two passenger cars left the rails and tilted sideways.

BNSF Railway, which owns the tracks, said the train was traveling north from Oregon when it derailed 50 to 100 yards (45 to 90 meters) before the Chambers Bay drawbridge south of Tacoma, Washington.

Crews put a derailed Amtrak locomotive back on the tracks Monday, July 3, 2017, in Steilacoom next to the bridge over Chambers Creek, Wash. There were only minor injuries when the locomotive and baggage car of the Amtrak Cascades train carrying 267 passengers derailed on Sunday. (Peter Haley/The News Tribune via AP)

Built in 1914, the bridge has switch-like devices known as "derails" between the twin rails designed to prevent an accident if a train were speeding toward a partly or fully opened draw-span.

"They do exist in the vicinity. Whether that was a contributor to the incident, we don't know," said Jason Biggs, operations manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation rail division.

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham declined to comment about possible causes. The derailment is being probed by The Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak and BNSF.

Ron Pate, WSDOT rail director, said he recently rode through the Chambers Bay area and said BNSF pays close attention to it. He doesn't think Sunday's derailment is due to worn-out equipment.

Freight trains resumed service Sunday night, as did Amtrak service Monday.

Some passengers complained of a disorganized response from Amtrak.

"It was just a shambles, there was no communication whatsoever," said Daniel Crozier, who was on vacation with his family from Auckland, New Zealand. "It was all guesswork as to what we should do next."

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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com

Passengers board busses after a train derailment near Chambers Bay on Sunday, July 2, 2017, in Tacoma, Wash. There appear to be only minor injuries from the waterfront derailment of the Amtrak Cascades train near the town of Steilacoom, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter. The train runs between Vancouver, Canada, and Eugene-Springfield, Oregon. (Joshua Bessex/The News Tribune via AP)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Puerto Rico's governor has created the island's first government advisory board to champion LGBT issues and protect the rights of that community.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Wednesday that he's striving to make the U.S. territory more diverse and inclusive. He is leader of a party known for being socially conservative.

Currently transgender students and people who work in the island's Senate are not allowed to use the bathroom or clothing that corresponds to the gender with which they identify.

However same-sex marriage is legal in Puerto Rico and transgender people are allowed to change their gender on their driver's license, although not on their birth certificates.

Rossello said the board will submit a progress report every six months.
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (AP) - Authorities say five Pennsylvania men attacked lifeguards on a New Jersey shore beach on July Fourth.

Ocean City police went to the beach Tuesday afternoon following reports that several intoxicated people were causing a disturbance. Responding officers found the men assaulting lifeguards, and authorities say the men soon became aggressive with the officers.

Two of the men fled onto a nearby pier, but were soon captured by police and lifeguards. The other three men were arrested on the beach.

Police say four of the men - two from Philadelphia and two from Harrisburg - were charged with aggravated assault, while a Philadelphia man was charged with disorderly conduct. All were released pending court hearings.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota coal companies are looking into solving the nation's supply problem of rare earth elements.

Rare earth elements make up a $7 trillion market and support $500 to $600 billion in other industries globally, The Bismarck Tribune (http://bit.ly/2uJndKr ) reported.

Magnets, hard drives, alloys, batteries, lasers, wind turbines and solar panels depend on rare earth elements - and could, in turn, depend on lignite coal.

"They're used in pretty much all of our modern electronics," said Steve Benson, associate vice president for research at the Energy and Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks.

The elements are also needed to make night vision goggles and hard coatings.

"That turns it into a national security issue," said Benson. "That's one of reasons there's a lot of funding for this."

Now, the Lignite Research Council is funding research to find the value in lignite coal after 60-million-year-old volcanic eruptions and associated ash led to a concentration of elements in North Dakota.

"There's a lot of work going on to come up with environmentally benign ways to recover and purify rare earth elements," said Benson.

Mike Holmes is the vice president of research and development for the Lignite Energy Council. He said the concentration of elements leads people to think that coal is a precious resource rather than a dirty source of energy.

The council recently funded $280,000 for the next phase of a project at the research center in Grand Forks.

"The challenge that we have is we don't produce any in the U.S," Benson said.

The U.S. imports the elements mostly from China, which controls 85 to 90 percent of the world's supply. That supply is expected to run out in 15 years.

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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com
SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) - The Latest on Idaho bear attack (all times local):

12:20 p.m.

Officials late Wednesday morning reopened a popular hiking area in northern Idaho where a black bear with a cub attacked a 60-year-old woman and her two dogs.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Shoshana Cooper says experts determined the Tuesday morning attack to be defensive and not predatory.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Phil Cooper says the woman was visiting the Idaho Panhandle National Forests and was hiking a trail near a visitors' center when the large bear charged, biting her head, side and abdomen.

She was able to call relatives for help and they were forced to yell to scare off the animal.

She was flown to a hospital in Spokane, Washington, with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Officials intended to kill the bear but called off the search because it crossed a river and they could not be sure they would find the same animal in the area packed with bears.

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7:25 a.m.

Authorities in northern Idaho are hunting a black bear near Priest Lake that attacked and injured a 60-year-old woman and her two dogs.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Phil Cooper says the attack occurred at about 9 a.m. Tuesday on a trail near the Priest Lake Visitors Center on the southwest corner of the lake.

Cooper says the woman reported walking on a trail when a large black bear charged, biting her on her head, side and abdomen.

Cooper says the woman called relatives and they arrived 30 minutes later and had to yell to make the bear leave the area.

The woman was taken to a Spokane, Washington, hospital with injuries authorities say aren't life-threatening.

Cooper says a local veterinarian treated the dogs and they'll recover.
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

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July 5

The Boston Herald on President Donald Trump's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin:

So, it's finally going to happen. President Trump will come face to face with the world leader he insisted he was going to find so much common ground with - Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Trump and Putin will meet this week on the sidelines of the G-20 economic summit in Hamburg, Germany.

And sure, under most circumstances, the list of possible topics would be a lengthy one - the war in Syria, Russian aggression in Ukraine, continuing cyberattacks traced back to Russia. But we all know this is no ordinary president and these are no ordinary times.

"There's no specific agenda - it's really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about," said Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the president's national security adviser.

(Well, let's just hope the topic of Mika Brzezinski's alleged facelift doesn't come up.)

Trump, you'll recall, carried on quite the little long-distance bromance with Putin during the 2016 campaign. Time and time again he insisted "wouldn't it be a great thing if we could get along with Russia," even as Putin was ordering up cyberattacks aimed at skewing the American election.

Trump can deny the existence of those attacks all he wants - and we'll be the first to admit they had little or no impact on the election results - but to continue to deny the threat posed by the world's most territorially ambitious leader would be hopelessly naive.

Then, of course, there was Trump being Trump in a September interview with NBC's Matt Lauer:

"If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him. I've already said, he is really very much of a leader. I mean, you can say, 'Oh, isn't that a terrible thing' - the man has very strong control over a country. Now, it's a very different system, and I don't happen to like the system. But certainly, in that system, he's been a leader, far more than our president has been a leader."

Yes, Trump has a certain fondness for despots. He proved during his meetings in Saudi Arabia and in a White House meeting with Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he gets along quite nicely with them.

Certainly Trump's own advisers harbor no illusions about the nature of the Putin threat. McMaster has insisted the president will aim to confront "Russia's destabilizing behavior," including cyberthreats or political subversion.

We remember the words of President George W. Bush - words he would regret the rest of his political life - who after meeting Putin said, "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy?.?.?.?I was able to get a sense of his soul."

Sen. John McCain came much closer when he said, "When I looked in Putin's eyes I saw three letters - K-G-B."

Online: http://www.bostonherald.com/

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July 4

St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the President's Advisory Commission on Election Integrity:

Last week Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, managed the rare feat of bringing officials of both political parties together. In his capacity as vice chairman of President Donald Trump's Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, Kobach sent a letter to election officials in all 50 states asking for copies of their voter data. This has all the signs of a badly disguised, new effort to suppress votes of likely Democrats.

At last count, officials in 29 states had either rejected Kobach's request outright or promised not to send him all the information he requested. "They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from," said Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi's Republican secretary of state.

Among the states that won't be fully complying: Kansas. Kobach's own office said state law prevents him from releasing everything he asked for: "the full first and last names of all registrants, middle names or initials if available, addresses, dates of birth, political party (if recorded in your state), last four digits of Social Security number if available, voter history (elections voted in) from 2006 onward, active/inactive status, canceled status, information regarding any felony convictions, information regarding voter registration in another state, information regarding military status, and overseas citizen information."

On the other hand, there's Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican whose initial response to Kobach's letter was that he'd be happy to comply. Upon further review, Ashcroft's office said it would be supplying only data that's available to the general public through open records requests. That's basically just names, addresses, dates of birth and voting participation. Political candidates use such data to target frequent voters or those who vote in specific party primaries.

Kobach's voter integrity commission, co-chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, is based on Trump's absurd claim that rampant fraud by illegal immigrants cost him the popular vote on Nov. 8. Independent studies have shown that voter impersonation is so rare as to be nonexistent. Kobach himself has convicted only one non-citizen who voted in Kansas.

But Americans often move from state to state and may be registered in two states; it doesn't mean they vote in both. Millions of people with similar names risk being disqualified if Kobach, a leading proponent of the vote-fraud myth, succeeds.

In Kansas, Kobach's voter suppression effort led to 35,000 people - most of them young people who tend to vote Democratic - being denied registration because they didn't have a birth certificate or passport with them. A study found 1 percent of them were non-citizens. To think that he doesn't have bigger plans is to ignore his history of politically motivated voter suppression.

The Constitution gives states the right to manage elections. American democracy doesn't need Kris Kobach's help.

Online: http://www.stltoday.com/

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June 30

The Denver Post on the arrests of health care repeal protesters:

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner should have left protesters in his office Thursday until he got into town that night - regardless of the time his airplane's wheels touched down - and met with them to discuss their fears that Republican cuts to Medicaid would also cut off life-supporting services.

Instead, the first-term Republican's staff had the disabled protesters arrested and physically removed from his downtown Denver office Thursday night as he was headed into town for the congressional break.

The arrests were hard to watch.

We are ashamed. This is a man who we have stood up for when he didn't hold town hall meetings. We've given him the benefit of the doubt that he would fight for a better version of the Republican repeal of Obamacare, using his vote as leverage for a more moderate bill.

Our disappointment is tempered only by assurances that for two days Gardner's local staff members slept in the office with protesters - a move that allowed the protesters to stay and ensured they would have access to bathrooms and other care. Gardner's staffers were facing pressure from the building owners and other tenants. Gardner's downtown office lobby space is small, and nine overnight protesters inconvenienced others in the building. Gardner met with members of ADAPT - a Colorado-born group fighting for disability rights - once this year. His staff members have met or held phone calls with ADAPT members another 15 times in the last year.

We don't condone the behavior of the protesters. There's a more effective way to get things done, even in politics today, than breaking laws and getting arrested.

That said, we agree with the message of the protest.

The Republican bill has been silent - by design - on how $772 billion would impact Medicaid patients over the next 10 years. The disabled community has valid reason to fear. As Denver Post reporters Danika Worthington and Mark Matthews reported, the disabled make up 7 percent of Medicaid participants in Colorado but account for 27 percent of the program's costs. Republicans in Congress are trying to cut Medicaid funding without reform or specification of what should be cut. "Let states figure it out" has been the mantra.

No doubt, Gardner faced a tough situation, and its complications were multiplied, his spokesman, Alex Siciliano tells us, by the fact the senator's plane back to Denver International Airport was diverted and didn't land until around midnight.

But surely a senator facing such a scene back in Denver could have demanded that he be allowed to meet with the protesters and try to defuse the situation.

The GOP created the uncertainty for vulnerable populations that in part drove ADAPT protests across the country to step up their opposition. In Rochester, N.Y., 25 people were arrested. Gardner shares in that responsibility.

The senator should have been a leader and tried to use his skills as a politician to convince ADAPT that their concerns were valid and had been heard, but that now it was time to leave for health and safety reasons. After that, police intervention could have been warranted.

Online: http://www.denverpost.com/

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July 3

The New York Times on the Federal Reserve announcing that all of the nation's big banks are healthy:

In the first systemwide all-clear since the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve announced last week that all of the nation's big banks are healthy.

Hold the applause. The banks are certainly healthier now than they were in 2011, when the Fed began annual "stress tests" to assess their ability to withstand financial and economic downturns. But to the extent they are healthy, credit belongs in large part to banking reforms enacted after the crisis. And it is precisely those reforms that are now in the cross hairs of the Trump administration.

The reforms were aimed at improving lending standards, restricting trading practices and strengthening capital requirements. Better loan standards and less trading have kept banks away from the reckless practices that precipitated the crash, while more capital helps to ensure that the banks can absorb any losses that may occur.

A more stable financial system and greater protection against economically ruinous booms and busts have resulted.

But these vital measures are all under attack by the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. The stated rationale, expressed most recently in a report by the Treasury Department, is that regulation has impeded bank lending and, by extension, economic growth.

That's wrong. Bank lending has expanded at a decent pace in recent years; economic growth has suffered largely from Congress's failure to provide fiscal support. What the banks and their enablers in the administration and Congress want is a return to the days when excessive risk-taking led to outsize profits. They want to turn back the clock by rolling back the rules.

History tells us that things won't end well if that happens. Deregulation led to the financial crash in 2008. It's safe to assume that repeating the mistake will lead to the same result.

Knee-jerk deregulation is not the only threat to financial stability. It's entirely possible that the system is more fragile than the Fed's stress tests indicate. By the Fed's calculations, capital held by the nation's eight largest banks was nearly 14 percent of assets, weighted by risk, at the end of 2016.

Alternative calculations of capital, including those that use international accounting rules rather than American accounting principles, put the capital cushion much lower, at 6.3 percent. The difference is largely attributable to regulators' differing assessment of the risks posed by derivatives, the complex instruments that blew up in the financial crisis and that still are a major part of the holdings of big American banks.

The passing grades on the Fed's stress tests pave the way for banks to pay their largest dividends in almost a decade. The hands-down winners will be shareholders and bank executives, who could see their stock-based compensation packages expand further.

But without continued bank regulation, and heightened vigilance of derivatives in particular, the good fortune of bank investors and bank executives is all too likely to come at the expense of most Americans, who do not share in bank profits but suffer severe and often irreversible setbacks when deregulation leads to a bust.

It has happened before.

Online: https://www.nytimes.com/

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June 30

Los Angeles Times on President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement:

Increased immigration enforcement has been one of the hallmarks of the Trump administration, with federal agents directed to seek the deportation of just about anyone they find in the country illegally no matter how long the person might have lived here or how deep the ties to family and community. In the first 100 days after the president's inauguration, immigration arrests climbed nearly 40% over the previous year, a pace that will almost certainly increase if Congress accedes to President Trump's request to hire an additional 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be assigned to the nation's interior, and another 5,000 Border Patrol agents to work within 100 miles of the border.

Those buying into Trump's view of illegal immigrants as rapists, murderers and job stealers have no doubt been cheered by the enforcement effort, and they probably aren't bothered by the rush to expand detention space to house those facing deportation hearings. But even they should recognize that capturing and incarcerating people is only part of the equation.

While the government - under President Obama and now Trump - has been ramping up immigration enforcement and detention, it has not invested a parallel amount of money in expanding the immigration courts' capacity to handle the cases. Spending on immigration courts increased only 74% from 2003-2015 while enforcement spending went up 105%. Trump's 2018 budget would increase the total number of judicial positions, but it's not clear if that will become law and for the moment the backlog of cases is continuing to grow.

At the end of September, the number of pending immigration cases stood at 516,031, according to data collected by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. By the end of May, that backlog had jumped to 598,943 cases, which have been pending for an average of 670 days each. New York City has the biggest backlog (78,670 cases), followed by Los Angeles (57,090).

Making matters worse, the Trump administration has temporarily reassigned judges to detention centers in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to handle cases primarily involving recent border-crossers. The problem with that is that fewer people are getting caught at the border these days, so moving judges there makes little sense. Why then is it happening? The answer: Optics. Sending judges to the border looks like a commitment to stronger and more serious enforcement, when in reality it's a Potemkin effort that exacerbates backlogs in the courts from which the judges are transferred. At the same time, immigration lawyers say government attorneys have lately become tougher in their cases, taking harder lines with immigrants and reopening cases that had been suspended, adding more drag on the system.

This enormous backlog has real-life consequences. People in detention centers or jails are spending more time incarcerated as they await hearings on whether they will be allowed to remain in the country. For those with legitimate requests for asylum or other relief from deportation, the delays prolong uncertainty about whether they have found a sanctuary.

This should not make the anti-illegal immigration folks happy. If people aren't getting deported but are just stuck in limbo in the immigration system, then Trump's ramped-up enforcement program is a chimera. Those immigrants who should be found ineligible to remain in the country because of criminal pasts or other disqualifications wind up, in effect, with open-ended reprieves.

The system is not working well for anybody except, perhaps, the operators of private prisons and local jails with ICE contracts that handle most of the detained immigrants. For a president who prides himself on his business and managerial acumen, this is a grotesquely failed approach to management.

Instead of taking this piecemeal approach to immigration enforcement, the administration should work with Congress to develop comprehensive immigration reform legislation that would create a path to citizenship for those who have established roots in our communities while tightening up enforcement at the border and tackling visa overstays. The Republican Party controls the White House and Congress. It has no excuses for not getting this done.

Online: http://www.latimes.com/

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July 3

China Daily on how the United States' recent agreements with Taiwan affect U.S.-China relations:

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 People's 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.

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. It 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 China's sovereignty.

Washington is well aware that Beijing will not tolerate any external interference in its internal affairs, especially any challenge to the country's 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 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.

Online: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/
RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Tribal leaders from the Great Plains and across Canada have come together in opposition to removal of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear from the Endangered Species Act protection.

The animal was removed from protected status last month, the Rapid City Journal (http://bit.ly/2sLLzBV ) reported. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said the population has rebounded from as few as nearly 140 bears in 1975 to an estimated 700 today.

"This achievement stands as one of America's great conservation successes, the culmination of decades of hard work and dedication on the part of the state, tribal, federal and private partners," Zinke said in a statement. "As a Montanan, I'm proud of what we achieved together."

More than 128 tribal nations have signed a "Reclamation of Independence" treaty of cooperation in the wake of the removal. Top tribal officials gathered in a daylong meeting in Rapid City on Tuesday to find common ground on the issue.

Tribal leaders say they fear removing the grizzly not only will lead to trophy hunting of an animal they consider sacred, but also comes as President Donald Trump has proposed the opening of more tribal lands for oil exploration and mining.

"This is truly a struggle for the very soul of the Earth, of all we have ever been, or will ever become, to stand united against the axis of evil," Piikani Nation Chief Stan Grier said.

Grier initiated the unity document, which started as an accord between the Great Sioux Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy, in May. It also opposes extraction of tar sands for oil production as well as the completion and use of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

Oglala Sioux Tribal President Troy Scott Weston said the gathering of tribal representatives in Rapid City was "powerful."

"As long as we stand the way we are today, we will survive," Weston said.

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Information from: Rapid City Journal, http://www.rapidcityjournal.com
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a story July 3 about a deal to end a U.S.-Mexico dispute over sugar, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the countries signed the pact Friday. The agreement was signed Monday.

A corrected version of the story is below:

US, Mexico sign agreement ending trade dispute over sugar

The United States and Mexico signed an agreement Monday to resolve a trade dispute over sugar

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and Mexico signed an agreement Monday to resolve a trade dispute over sugar.

The deal, originally announced June 6, is intended to prevent Mexico from dumping cheap sugar into the U.S. market. Sugar producers and refiners welcomed the deal. But economists say it could raise prices for American sugar consumers.

American sugar refiners had complained that Mexico was exporting low-cost refined sugar to the United States and limiting exports of raw sugar to be refined in the United States. The agreement increases the price at which raw and refined sugar is sold to Mexican mills and reduces Mexico's refined sugar exports to the United States. The U.S. agreed to suspend duties on Mexican sugar imports.

President Donald Trump last week tweeted that the pact was "a very good one for both Mexico and the U.S."

The dispute might have broadened into a trade war with Mexico if it had not been resolved and if the U.S. had imposed duties on Mexican sugar imports. A nasty spat could have jeopardized plans to renegotiate NAFTA, the 23-year-old trade agreement involving the United States, Mexico and Canada.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) - The Latest on the indictment of a Canadian man charged in the stabbing of a police officer at a Flint airport (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

A Canadian man repeated the Arabic phrase "Allahu akbar" prior to being arraigned for a knife attack on a police officer at an international airport in Flint.

FILE - In this undated file photo released by the FBI, is Amor Ftouhi, of Canada. Ftouhi has been indicted in the stabbing of a police officer June 21, 2017, at an airport in Flint, Mich. The U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit says Ftouhi is expected to be arraigned Wednesday, July 5, in federal court in Flint on charges of committing an act of violence at an international airport and interfering with airport security. (FBI via AP, File)

The Flint Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2tRZmMu ) that Amor Ftouhi (ah-MOOR' fuh-TOO'-ee) repeated "God is great" in Arabic several times Wednesday in federal court in Flint.

"Allahu akbar" also was yelled when Lt. Jeff Neville was stabbed June 21 at the airport, northwest of Detroit.

Ftouhi was indicted Wednesday on charges of committing an act of violence at an international airport and interfering with airport security.

The native of Tunisia lived in Quebec. The stabbing occurred five days after Ftouhi legally entered the U.S.

Neville has been released from a hospital and on Tuesday took part in a Flint-area Independence Day parade.

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3:15 p.m.

A 49-year-old Canadian man has been indicted in the stabbing of a police officer at an airport in Flint.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit says Amor Ftouhi (ah-MOOR' fuh-TOO'-ee) was arraigned Wednesday in federal court in Flint on charges of committing an act of violence at an international airport and interfering with airport security.

Ftouhi, a native of Tunisia who lived in Quebec was arrested June 21 after Lt. Jeff Neville was attacked at the airport, northwest of Detroit.

Authorities say Ftouhi referenced killings in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and yelled "Allahu Akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great."

The stabbing occurred five days after Ftouhi legally entered the U.S. The FBI said he bought a knife in the U.S.

Neville has been released from a hospital.
WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea's newly demonstrated missile muscle puts Alaska within range of potential attack and stresses the Pentagon's missile defenses like never before. Even more worrisome, it may be only a matter of time before North Korea mates an even longer-range ICBM with a nuclear warhead, putting all of the United States at risk.

The Pentagon has spent tens of billions to develop what it calls a limited defense against missiles capable of reaching U.S. soil. The system has never faced combat or been fully tested. The system succeeded May 30 in its first attempted intercept of a mock ICBM, but it hasn't faced more realistic conditions.

Although Russia and China have long been capable of targeting the U.S. with a nuclear weapon, North Korea is seen as the bigger, more troubling threat. Its opaque, unpredictable government often confounds U.S. intelligence assessments. And North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, has openly threatened to strike the U.S., while showing no interest in nuclear or missile negotiations.

A man walks by a TV screen showing a local news program reporting about North Korea's missile firing at Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. North Korea's newly demonstrated missile muscle puts Alaska within range of potential attack and stresses the Pentagon's missile defenses like never before. Even more worrisome, it may be only a matter of time before North Korea mates an even longer-range ICBM with a nuclear warhead, putting all of the U.S. at risk. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

"We should be worried," said Philip E. Coyle III, a former head of the Pentagon's test and evaluation office. North Korea's latest success, he said, "shows that time is not on our side."

U.S. officials believe North Korea is still short of being able to miniaturize a nuclear warhead to fit atop an intercontinental missile. And it's unclear whether it has developed the technology and expertise to sufficiently shield such a warhead from the extreme heat experienced when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere enroute to a target.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said Wednesday, "We've still not seen a number of things that would indicate a full-up threat," including a demonstrated ability to mate a nuclear warhead to an ICBM. "But clearly they are working on it. Clearly they seek to do it. This is an aggressive research and development program on their part."

Davis said the U.S. defensive system is limited but effective.

"We do have confidence in it," he said. "That's why we've developed it."

The Trump administration, like its recent predecessors, has put its money on finding a diplomatic path to halting and reversing North Korea's nuclear program. While the Pentagon has highly developed plans if military force is ordered, the approach is seen as untenable because it would put millions of South Korean civilians at risk.

But diplomacy has failed so far. That's why U.S. missile defenses may soon come into play.

The Pentagon has a total of 36 missile interceptors in underground silos on military bases in Alaska and California, due to increase to 44 by year's end. These interceptors can be launched upon notice of a missile headed toward the United States. An interceptor soars toward its target based on tracking data from radars and other electronic sensors, and is supposed to destroy the target by sheer force of impact outside the Earth's atmosphere. Sometimes likened to hitting a bullet with a bullet, the collision is meant to incinerate the targeted warhead, neutralizing its nuclear explosive power.

This so-called hit-to-kill technology has been in development for decades. For all its advances, the Pentagon is not satisfied that the current defensive system is adequate for North Korea's accelerating missile advances.

"The pace of the threat is advancing faster than I think was considered when we did the first ballistic missile defense review back in 2010," Rob Soofer, who is helping review missile defenses, told a Senate Armed Service subcommittee last month. Beyond what U.S. officials have said publicly about the North Korean nuclear threat, he said the classified picture "is even more dire." Soofer didn't provide details.

The escalating danger has led the administration to consider alternative concepts for missile defense, including what is known as "boost phase" defense. This approach involves destroying a hostile missile shortly after its launch, before the warhead separates from the missile body and decoys can be deployed. One proposed tactic would be to develop a drone capable of long-endurance flight and armed with a solid-state laser to destroy or disable a missile in flight.

These and other possible new approaches would add to budget strains already felt in the missile defense program.

President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget would cut $340 million from missile defense programs intended to deter a potential strike by North Korea, Iran or other countries. The Republican-led Congress has taken the first steps in rejecting the reduction. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the House Armed Services Committee chairman, declared last month that he was "astonished" Trump would propose trimming missile defense.

Thornberry's committee voted last week to provide about $12.5 billion for missile defense in the 2018 fiscal year that begins in October, nearly $2.5 billion more than Trump's request. The Senate Armed Services Committee also called for millions more than Trump requested. The full House and Senate are expected to consider the committees' legislation, and the boost in missile defense money, later this month.

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Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Richard Lardner contributed to this report.
ROME (AP) - Joaquin Navarro-Valls, a suave, silver-haired Spaniard who was a close confidant of Pope John Paul II, serving for more than two decades as chief Vatican spokesman, has died at the age of 80.

Manuel Sanchez, spokesman for the Opus Dei movement in Rome of which Navarro-Valls was a member, said he died Wednesday after a long illness. Opus Dei said on its website that he had been suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Navarro-Valls was fiercely loyal to John Paul, accompanying the Polish pope on most of his 104 international trips. He also performed delicate diplomatic missions, such as helping to prepare the pope's historic pilgrimage to Cuba.

FILE -- In this photo taken on April 1, 2005, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro Valls delivers a statement on Pope John Paul II's condition at the Vatican. Joaquin Navarro-Valls, a suave, silver-haired Spaniard who was a close confidant of Pope John Paul II, serving for more than two decades as chief Vatican spokesman, has died at the age of 80, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Known for his coolness and restraint, Navarro-Valls nearly broke into tears when John Paul was dying in April 2005. He choked up and walked out of a conference room when a German reporter at a briefing on the pope's condition asked him how he personally felt.

"I was trying to keep my emotions in check, but then a reporter asked how I was experiencing the passing of the pope personally, and I couldn't control myself," he explained later.

Navarro-Valls, who spoke four languages, was a foreign correspondent for the Spanish newspaper ABC when John Paul offered him the job as director of the Vatican press office. He was the first journalist to hold the post.

He was a lay member of the conservative Catholic movement Opus Dei, an order much favored by the pope, but Navarro-Valls always insisted the fact he was president of Rome's Foreign Press Association at the time weighed heavily in his hiring at the Vatican.

Navarro-Valls was credited with bringing computer technology to the press office, promoting the use of multiple languages in the Italian-centric press operation and giving journalists better access - making him the perfect press aide for a pope known for his media savvy.

Navarro-Valls held degrees in both journalism and medicine, specializing in psychiatry.

Some saw the combination as perfect for his job as papal "spin doctor."

In 1997, just a few months before the papal pilgrimage to Cuba, he flew to Havana and was summoned for what turned out to be a six-hour-long encounter with Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Navarro-Valls said he told Castro that the pope had one particular request - that the regime restore the Christmas holiday that was abolished under communism. Castro kept his word to do so, and the holiday is still celebrated today.

With three successive non-Italian popes, Navarro-Valls helped lead a quiet revolution to internationalize the Vatican. The current spokesman is an American, Greg Burke, a former Fox correspondent.

Burke's assistant is the first woman to hold a ranking position in the press office. Paloma Garcia Ovejero worked as a Spanish TV journalist before accepting the Vatican post.

Burke said that Navarro-Valls "embodied what Ernest Hemingway defined as courage: grace under pressure.".

"I got to know Navarro when I was working for Time, and the magazine named John Paul II Man of the Year," Burke recalled in a note. "I expected to find a man of faith, but I found a man of faith who was also a first-class professional."

He recalled Navarro-Valls working at the U.N. Population Conference in Cairo in 1994, calling it "one of the best examples of what Pope Francis calls ideological colonization. It was fascinating to see someone who was defending the faith, but he wasn't on the defensive. He was leading the fight."

Burke continued, "I didn't always agree with Navarro, but he always behaved like a Christian gentlemen, and those can be hard to find these days."

As the Vatican spokesman, Navarro-Valls naturally sought to put the pope in the best light. He said he always regretted overreacting when he barred the Vatican correspondent of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica from the papal plane for criticizing the pope in a column.

He faced some ridicule when he described a meeting in Guatemala of the pope and Rigoberta Menchu, a Nobel peace prize winner known for her critical views of the Roman Catholic church.

Navarro-Valls told reporters Menchu seemed much more moderate and understanding than she had been depicted in the media.

A short while later, he sent an aide to tell reporters to forget the remarks because the meeting never took place. No explanation was ever given.

He found himself under fire from some in the Vatican when he became the first official to publicly hint that John Paul was suffering from Parkinson's disease. The pope's condition clearly was evident, but not something many wanted to disclose.

During a 1996 trip to Hungary, at a time when John Paul looked extremely frail, Navarro-Valls said the pope suffered from an "extra pyramidal syndrome." His comments referring to drug-induced side effects nearly cost the Spaniard his job.

After John Paul died, Navarro-Valls remained as spokesman for 15 months with the new pope, Benedict XVI.

"I am conscious of having received in these years so much more than I have been able to give," he said upon resigning in July 2006.

He was not married and lived in an Opus Dei residence in Rome.

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Simpson retired as the Rome bureau chief of The Associated Press in 2013 after four decades covering the Vatican, including the entirety of John Paul II's papacy.

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Colleen Barry contributed from Milan and Nicole Winfield from Rome.

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Replaces paragraph 14 to correct name to Ovejero.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States warned Wednesday that North Korea was "quickly closing off" the prospect of a diplomatic resolution to its provocations, as the Trump administration launched a government-wide effort to identify options for confronting Pyongyang following its unprecedented intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

President Donald Trump and other senior officials dangled the prospect of punishing countries that trade with North Korea - a threat aimed directly at China, Pyongyang's biggest benefactor. In a tweet Wednesday morning, Trump questioned why the U.S. should continue what he sees as bad trade deals "with countries that do not help us."

His message was bolstered at the United Nations, where U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the Trump administration was eyeing penalties against "any country that does business with this outlaw regime." She also raised the specter of military action, declaring that the U.S. was prepared to use force if necessary.

President Donald Trump stops briefly in front of reporters as he and first lady Melania Trump walk to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The Trumps are heading to Poland and then Germany for the G20. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"Their actions are quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution," she said of North Korea's leaders.

Some administration officials are still holding out hope of persuading China to ratchet up economic pressure on Pyongyang, despite Trump's increasingly pessimistic attitude toward Beijing. Trump, who departed for Europe early Wednesday, is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany.

Thus far, both China and North Korea have proven to be impervious to Trump's tough talk and threatening tweets. Pyongyang heightened tensions this week with the test of a missile capable of hitting the U.S., a step officials described as a worrisome escalation by an unpredictable regime and perhaps the most pressing threat facing a new U.S. president with little national security experience.

Following the launch, the White House, Treasury Department, State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies accelerated discussions on options for responding to Pyongyang's nuclear pursuits. The talks center in part on the same bucket of ideas prior administrations have considered, including direct diplomatic negotiations and pre-emptive military action.

Haley announced that the U.S. will put forward a new Security Council resolution in the coming days "that raises the international response in a way that is proportionate to North Korea's escalation."

She offered no details but said that if the council is united, the international community can cut off major sources of hard currency to North Korea, restrict oil to their military and weapons programs, increase air and maritime restrictions, and hold senior officials accountable.

South Korea's president said the world should look at tougher sanctions against North Korea and insisted the problems across his border should be addressed through diplomatic channels.

"I think that the North Korean question should be solved by peaceful means," said President Moon Jae-in, who will also meet Trump at the G-20 gathering.

The North Korean threat appears certain to hang over Trump's European trip, which opens in Poland. Trump is expected to use the trip to try to forge consensus with European Union partners, which could also put more financial pressure on North Korea.

As he flew to Warsaw on Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump also spoke by phone about North Korea with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, emphasizing the need for countries to implement Security Council resolutions. The White House said Trump also discussed the need for nations to "stop hosting North Korean guest workers" - an issue Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also mentioned in his response a night earlier to the missile launch.

Restricting guest workers is one way the U.S. and other countries could try to reduce North Korea's access to foreign currency. Some 50,000 to 60,000 North Koreans work abroad, mostly in Russia and China, South Korea's spy service has said, including at about 130 restaurants North Korea operates overseas. The workers' mission involves earning money to bring into North Korea.

North Korea conducts about 90 percent of its trade through China, giving Beijing enormous sway over the reclusive government. Despite forging a friendly relationship with Xi, Trump has become increasingly dismayed at China's reluctance to take tougher action against North Korea. He asserted Wednesday that "trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter."

In April, Chinese customs data said total two-way trade between China and North Korea increased 36.8 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year earlier. However, raw data from the first quarter showed that total two-way trade increased by only 7.4 percent. It was unclear why the customs agency reported a higher rate.

Anthony Ruggiero, a North Korea expert at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the U.S. could try to prod Beijing to take a tougher line on North Korea by exploiting Chinese banks and other companies' desire for access to the U.S. dollar.

"The administration can give them a choice: Do business with North Korea or have access to the U.S. financial system," Ruggiero said.

The Trump administration signaled its willingness to take that approach last week when it announced it was blacklisting a small Chinese bank over dealings with North Korea.

China has long resisted intensifying economic pressure on neighboring North Korea, in part out of fear of the instability that could mount on its doorstep, including the possibility of millions of North Koreans fleeing into China. China has also been concerned that a reunited, democratic Korea - dominated by South Korea - would put a U.S. ally, and possibly U.S. forces, on its border.

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Lederer reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writers Vivian Salama, Josh Lederman and Robert Burns contributed to this report.

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Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Edith M. Lederer at http://twitter.com/EdithLedererAP

United Kingdom U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, left, listens as United States U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, right, respond to Russia's statements, during United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea's latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, Wednesday July 5, 2017 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

A man walks by a TV screen showing a local news program reporting about North Korea's missile firing at Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. North Korea's newly demonstrated missile muscle puts Alaska within range of potential attack and stresses the Pentagon's missile defenses like never before. Even more worrisome, it may be only a matter of time before North Korea mates an even longer-range ICBM with a nuclear warhead, putting all of the U.S. at risk. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, board Air Force One for a trip to Poland and Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's trip to Europe (all times EDT):

9:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet immediately after he arrives in Germany to attend an international summit.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk down the steps of Air Force One after arriving at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, in Warsaw. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The White House says Trump and Merkel are to meet privately Thursday night at a hotel in Hamburg before members of their delegations join the talks.

Merkel remains disappointed in Trump's decision last month to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. She has called it "extraordinarily regrettable" and has noted that numerous U.S. states and cities want to continue participating.

Trump says he withdrew because the pact was unfair to the United States.

Merkel also said this week that she stands by her suggestion that Europe can no longer entirely rely on the U.S. She said Germany and China can work together to help calm world troubles.

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8:50 p.m.

The Trump administration is renewing an offer to cooperate with Russia in the Syrian conflict, including on military matters, ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the U.S. is open to establishing no-fly zones in Syria in coordination with Russia as well as jointly setting up a truce monitoring and humanitarian aid delivery mechanism.

His comments come as Trump prepares to meet with Putin on Friday in Germany.

Tillerson says the U.S.-Russia cooperation would create stability in Syria as U.S.-backed forces continue their assault on the Islamic State group.

Tillerson says the group has been "badly wounded" and may be on the "brink of complete defeat," but adds that Russia has to play a constructive role.

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4:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived in Poland ahead of an outdoor address in Warsaw on Thursday and energy talks with European leaders.

Air Force One landed in Warsaw on Wednesday night to kick off Trump's visit to Poland and Germany, where he will attend an international summit with world leaders.

Trump is expected to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite skepticism in Europe following his first visit to the continent.

Trump will address the Polish people on Thursday in a speech from Krasinski Square and have meetings with the presidents of Poland and Croatia. He's also expected to discuss energy with about a dozen European leaders.

The visit will come before Trump's high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit Friday.

President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One for a trip to Poland and Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish media reports say police have raided a hotel where a group of human rights activists were meeting and detained all 12 participants.

The Hurriyet newspaper says the raid occurred late Wednesday on Buyukada island, in the Sea of Marmara, off Istanbul.

Hurriyet reported that Amnesty International's Turkey director, Idil Eser, was among the people detained.

The newspaper says they are being questioned at a local police station. The reason they were detained was not immediately known.

Turkey has launched a massive crackdown since a failed coup a year ago, arresting some 50,000 people and dismissing more than 100,000 from government jobs. The crackdown initially focused on people with suspected ties to the coup attempt, but has been extended to include other government opponents, including activists and politicians.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The agency that regulates the U.S. nuclear industry will not fine a Canadian uranium mining company for twice spilling low-level radioactive sludge outside a Utah waste disposal facility, giving the company credit for efforts to prevent the problem from recurring.

Saskatoon, Canada-based Cameco faced a $35,000 fine from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Commission officials told Cameco they won't seek a fine in part because the company plans in the future to store the barium sulfate sludge in bags within the trucks.

"However, significant violations in the future could result in a civil penalty," NRC Deputy Regional Administrator Scott Morris wrote the company June 29.

Cameco is pleased to have resolved the problem to the NRC's satisfaction, company spokesman Gord Struthers said Wednesday.

Shipments of barium sulfate sludge from the Smith Ranch in-situ uranium mine and processing facility in northeast Wyoming will resume after the NRC has signed off on Cameco's corrective measures, Struthers added.

In a public conference before NRC officials in Arlington, Texas, in May, Cameco officials had asked the NRC not to fine the company, saying the spills didn't endanger anybody.

The leaks happened on two occasions, in 2015 and 2016. Both times, low-level radioactive waste leaked from trucks from a Wyoming uranium processing facility.

The first time, sludge sloshed over the back of the truck when the driver braked hard to avoid hitting a deer. The second time, sludge leaked from a faulty door in the truck container.

Workers noticed the leaks after the trucks arrived outside Energy Fuels Resources' White Mesa Mill waste disposal facility near Blanding, Utah. Subsequent testing found no elevated radiation along the roughly 600-mile shipment route through Wyoming, Colorado and Utah.

The NRC determined that Cameco committed nine rule violations. All were on the low end of the agency's severity scale but five were serious enough to warrant fines, according to the NRC.

The white, paste-like sludge that spilled is a normal byproduct of in-situ uranium mining, in which water mixed with oxygen and baking soda dissolves uranium out of underground sandstone deposits. The resulting uranium-laden solution is then processed into yellowcake and nuclear fuel.

Cameco Resources' Smith Ranch-Highland mine in eastern Wyoming is the biggest in-situ uranium mine by production volume in the U.S.

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Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) - A carpenter was convicted on Wednesday of murdering two prostitutes found beaten to death in the 1990s and faces 50 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors used DNA evidence found on both victims as the keystone of their case against 51-year-old John Bittrolff.

A Suffolk County jury reached its unanimous verdict after seven days of deliberations and after telling a judge three times that it was deadlocked.

FILE - In this July 31, 2014 file photo, John Bittrolff, right, listens to his attorney William Keahon during his arraignment on murder charges in Riverhead, N.Y. On Wednesday, July 5, 2017, a Long Island jury convicted Bittrolff of murder in the deaths of two prostitutes found slain in the 1990s. (James Carbone/Newsday via AP, Pool, File)

Bittrolff, a father from Manorville, will be sentenced on Sept. 12. He was arrested in 2014 after homicide detectives linked evidence found on the women's remains to his DNA. His attorney, William Keahon, said after the verdict that he will appeal.

"This is just the beginning of the fight," Keahon said. "The bottom line is that proof of sexual intercourse doesn't mean murder."

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Robert Biancavilla said that although there had been lengthy deliberations "the jury used logic and common sense."

"Despite the fact that it took 24 years," he said, "justice has been done."

The nude bodies of 31-year-old Rita Tangredi and 20-year-old Colleen McNamee were found 9 miles (14 kilometers) apart in late 1993 and early 1994. Both women had been strangled and suffered severe head injuries.

The trail that police said led to Bittrolff began with a DNA sample submitted by his brother Timothy Bittrolff following his misdemeanor conviction for violating an order of protection in 2013.

After the analysis of the sample indicated it was a partial match to DNA left on the two dead women, investigators looked at Timothy Bittrolff's brothers.

First, they retrieved a cigarette butt that one brother, Kevin Bittrolff, had tossed from his car. But his DNA wasn't a match.

Investigators then set up a camera outside John Bittrolff's home. When he left nine bags of trash outside, they swooped in.

DNA was retrieved from a plastic cup in the trash and was found to be a match with the material found on the slain women. Bittrolff was arrested, and when he sipped from a coffee cup during questioning authorities got another sample of his DNA. They said that sample also matched the crime scene evidence.

"This was inadvertent," Biancavilla said of the DNA match before the trial began. "The fish just happened to jump in the boat."

He said this is the first conviction in a homicide case in New York state involving "partial match" DNA.

Police on Long Island are still investigating the unsolved killings of 10 victims of an apparent serial killer, or killers, including several victims identified as prostitutes. But there has been no evidence revealed publicly that ties Bittrolff to any of those deaths. No suspects have been identified in those unsolved killings, some of which date to the 1990s.

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This story has been corrected to show Bittrolff is 51, not 50.
Jeremy Corbyn has announced 20 appointments to Labours frontbench in the House of Commons, including six who had previously resigned from positions in his shadow team.

Three MPs elected to the Commons for the first time in last months General Election were also among the appointments as well as four who returned to Westminster in June having departed at earlier elections.

Mr Corbyn said the appointment of a wealth of talent to roles outside the shadow cabinet was further evidence that Labour is not just the Opposition  we are the government in waiting.

Ashfield MP Gloria de Piero and Great Grimsbys Melanie Onn return to the front bench a year after joining the mass resignation of shadow ministers after the EU referendum in June 2016.

Ms de Piero, who last year told Mr Corbyn she was quitting because she did not believe he could deliver victory, takes a post in the justice team, while Ms Onn becomes a housing spokeswoman.

Holly Lynch (Halifax) takes an environment brief less than a year after resigning as an opposition whip in protest at the sacking of Rosie Winterton as chief whip, while Rachael Maskell (York Central) joins the transport team five months after quitting the front bench to defy a three-line whip and vote against the invocation of Article 50 to take Britain out of the EU.

Labour MP Holly Lynch (PA)

There were also jobs for Roberta Blackman-Woods and Karl Turner, who took part in the June 2016 mass resignation but returned to the front bench later that year after Mr Corbyns re-election as leader.

New MPs joining the front bench less than a month after their arrival in the Commons were Paul Sweeney (Glasgow North-East), Afzal Khan (Manchester Gorton) and Anneliese Dodds (Oxford East).

Left-wingers David Drew and Chris Williamson, who lost their seats at earlier elections before returning to the Commons last month, were fast-tracked back onto the front benches.

There were also slots in the shadow team for Chris Ruane, returning as Vale of Clwyd MP after two years away, and Tony Lloyd, who was a minister under Tony Blair and chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party before quitting Parliament in 2012 to run for Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner and is now MP for Rochdale.

Ex-Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin (Dave Higgens/PA)

Former Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin, who won Batley & Spen in the by-election forced by Jo Coxs murder last year and retained it in the 2017 election, takes up her first frontbench post in the education team.

Labour said further appointments would be made in due course.
The Lord Chancellor has stepped in to defend Grenfell Tower inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick amid political pressure for him to quit.

David Lidington said he had complete confidence in retired judge Sir Martin to lead the inquiry with impartiality and with a determination to get to the truth and see justice done.

Sir Martin has faced criticism after indicating his investigation would be limited to the causes of the deadly fire, why it spread so quickly and how it could be prevented in future.

Sir Martin Moore-Bick views floral tributes near Grenfell Tower (Philip Toscano/PA)

He is now understood to be prepared to consider the broad causes of the fire amid concern from survivors groups over its scope and leadership.

But shadow fire minister Chris Williamson and Labour MP Emma Dent Coad, who represents the west London seat where the disaster occurred, added their voices to calls for him to step down just days after being appointed to lead the sensitive inquiry.

Mr Lidington, who is also the Justice Secretary, has a responsibility to defend the judiciary as Lord Chancellor.

Justice Secretary David Lidington leaves 10 Downing Street (PA)

He said: The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster has understandably been the subject of much commentary. People have every right to feel passionate about this. The community - and the whole country - want answers following such a horrific tragedy.

That is why it is right that there should be a judge-led inquiry into the disaster, and that the residents are consulted before the terms of reference are decided.

I have complete confidence that Sir Martin Moore-Bick will lead the inquiry into this tragedy with impartiality and with a determination to get to the truth and see justice done.

PM has announced the appointment of Sir Martin Moore-Bick to head the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire: https://t.co/24w0pldNUh  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 29, 2017

Downing Street also backed Sir Martin, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman saying he was a highly respected, hugely experienced former Court of Appeal judge.

But Mr Williamson told the Press Association: There remain some serious question marks about Moore-Bicks ability to win trust among the community that have been directly affected by Grenfell and I understand that survivors of the fire are asking for him to stand down.

After years of systematic neglect its time to start listening to these residents concerns.

Grenfell Tower victims: where they were found.

The Labour frontbencher raised concerns about Sir Martins handling of a case which allowed a London council to rehouse a tenant 50 miles away, a ruling later overturned by the Supreme Court.

He added: But fundamentally Im deeply concerned that Moore-Bicks brief is very narrow. An inquiry that is limited to the immediate causes of the fire and doesnt consider why multiple warnings were ignored, especially in the wake of the deadly Lakanal fire, is frankly not going to be good enough.

This letter combined with the J4G generated media pressure, surely means she will have to press that reset button. https://t.co/d8amYNw2uG  Justice4Grenfell (@officialJ4G) July 3, 2017

Kensington MP Ms Dent Coad told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I have been talking to hundreds of people who have been affected.

They need somebody they can talk to, somebody with a bit of a human face. I dont think he should do it. I dont think there will be any credibility.
The Tories have cast doubt on whether they will continue with their manifesto pledge to scrap free school lunches and replace them with free breakfasts.

Education minister Robert Goodwill said the Government was reflecting on our programmes in relation to school meals after being asked about the estimated costs for the provision.

In its General Election manifesto, the Conservatives pledged to scrap universal free lunches for infant school children in England, but said they would instead offer a free breakfast for all primary school pupils.

The Department for #Education has confirmed today the portfolios of its new #ministerial team. Read more here https://t.co/9Fo77dJPBK pic.twitter.com/MUxqezCLWF  Department for Education (@educationgovuk) July 3, 2017

The ministers comments came in response to a written parliamentary question by Labours Wes Streeting (Ilford North), who said he was really disappointed that the Government appeared to be stalling on the promise for free breakfasts.

Mr Streeting, a former president of the National Union of Students, said he believed free school lunches were enormously beneficial in terms of tackling childhood obesity and promoting healthy eating amongst young people.

He said there was evidence that primary school breakfast provision had both health and educational benefits.

He told the Press Association: I think its genuinely disappointing that one of the few glimmers of light and hope in the Conservative manifesto is now up for reconsideration. It feels like the Conservatives are learning all the wrong lessons from this election.

Robert Goodwill said the Government was "reflecting on our programmes" (PA)

Sure theyve dropped some of their really unpopular policies around grammar schools  but whether its police funding, or education funding, or the scandal of rising child poverty in the UK, I dont think the Conservatives have really got the message about what life is like for too many people in our country.

He said introducing free primary school breakfasts would demonstrate the Government had heard the message from the public that Tory austerity has gone too far  that it is a scandal that children in Britain are growing up in poverty  and that they are prepared to do something about it.

Mr Streeting said: I think, particularly given that were in a hung Parliament, I think there is a genuine opportunity for the Conservatives to build cross-party support and consensus around free primary school breakfast provision.

And given that there is such a strong evidence base about both the educational and health benefits of free primary school breakfast provision I really hope that this is something that Justine Greening runs with because I think shell find cross party support for it.

Outraged by plans to take away school meals? These headteachers have started a petition! Sign and share it guys! https://t.co/51tnDAaqE3  Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) May 30, 2017

In the written question, he asked the Education Secretary: What estimate her department has made of the cost of free school breakfast provision in every primary school in England.

Mr Goodwill replied: We are reflecting on our programmes in relation to school meals and will come forward with proposals in due course.

During the campaign the Tories said evidence showed a free school breakfast is as effective at helping children learn as a hot meal at lunch and can be delivered at a 10th of the cost, at around 60 million a year.

The policy was criticised as misguided by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, while school leaders warned that hundreds of millions of pounds pumped into funding the free dinners would be wasted.
Lionel Messi has agreed a contract extension which will keep him at Barcelona until the summer of 2021.

The 30-year-old Argentina forward had been linked with Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester City among others but is now ready to commit his future to the club he joined at the age of 13.

A statement released on the clubs official website, www.fcbarcelona.com, said: FC Barcelona and Leo Messi have agreed on a contract renewal that will keep the Argentinian at the club until June 30th, 2021.

Lionel Messi has signed a new deal at Barcelona

The deal will be signed in the coming weeks when Messi returns to the team for pre-season training.

Messi, who made his senior debut as a 16-year-old in a friendly against Porto, has eight LaLiga titles, four Champions League wins and five Copa del Rey successes among his list of honours with the Catalan giants and club officials are delighted to have secured agreement on another four years.

The statement continued: The club is very happy with both the renewal and the commitment of Messi, the best player in history, who has played his full professional career at Barca and has led the team to an era of extraordinary success, the likes of which has never been seen in world football.

Messi  Barca

UCL 

Liga 

Copa Rey 

Spanish Super Cup 

European Super Cup 

Club World Cup #Messi2021  FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 5, 2017

Messi arrived at Barca from Newells Old Boys as a teenager in 2000 and made his first competitive appearance against Espanyol as a 17-year-old.

He scored the first of his club-record 507 goals - they have come in just 583 matches - against Albacete in May 2005 and has since claimed the Ballon dOr on five occasions, more than any other player.

However, the club which finished second to Spanish champions Real Madrid and bowed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage last season is expecting much, much more from its star man.

349 -Lionel Messi is the all-time La Liga top-scorer with 349 goals, at least 64 more than any other player (Cristiano Ronaldo, 285). Wizard pic.twitter.com/ubBY2rOqPV  OptaJose (@OptaJose) July 5, 2017

The statement added: Leo Messi has since gone on to break just about every record and has become the greatest player in the world.

Now, at 30 years of age, Messi has completed 13 seasons with the first team and, with his new deal, will remain for a further four.

But Leo Messi will not stop there  the Argentinian is in one of the best moments of his career and still has a lot more left to give, which is music to the ears of all Barca fans who will get to continue marvelling at his greatness for at least another four years.
British Airways mixed fleet cabin crew are to stage a fresh round of strikes in a long-running dispute over pay.

Members of Unite will walk out for 14 days from July 19, just three days after completing a 16-day stoppage.

The union said the new action underlined the determination of its members to continue campaigning for a better pay deal.

British Airways

UNITElive update: The world is watching https://t.co/lvt3k3CbLw pic.twitter.com/EZa5RFNZp7  Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) July 5, 2017

National officer Oliver Richardson said: Todays announcement of a further escalation, underlines the determination of our members in their fight for better pay and against British Airways bullying behaviour.

We are seeing strong support for the ongoing strike action.

The time and money British Airways is spending on wet leasing aircraft and bullying striking cabin crew are resources which could easily settle this dispute.

BREAKING: British Airways mixed fleet cabin crew announce 14 more days of strike action in long-running pay dispute https://t.co/z4lt9hRWjE pic.twitter.com/sv7MIITd40  Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) July 5, 2017

Its high time British Airways stopped spending millions defending low pay and its bullying approach by negotiating a settlement to this long running dispute.

Unite has launched legal action over BAs decision to lease aircraft from another airline during the strike.

The union said it was challenging the Governments go-ahead for the lease of nine aircraft from Qatar Airways during the current stoppage, which started last weekend.
Wayne Rooneys representative has reportedly held talks with Everton over a proposed return to Goodison Park from Manchester United on a free transfer.

The 31-year-old forward has not been included in Uniteds squad for their pre-season tour of the United States, according to reports, with the party due to leave on Sunday.

Both clubs were unavailable for comment when contacted by Press Association Sport on Wednesday.

The development comes after months of speculation over the former England captains future.

His 2016-17 campaign was largely a frustrating one, starting just 15 Premier League games under United boss Jose Mourinho and losing his place in the England side.

The notable bright spot came when he overtook Sir Bobby Charltons club goalscoring record in January, an achievement that came just over a year after he also claimed the England record.

However, he failed a hold down a role in Mourinhos team and was heavily linked with moves to China and the United States, as well as a return to Everton.

Rooney started just 15 Premier League games under United boss Jose Mourinho (Peter Byrne/PA)

It is the latter option that appears to have proved the most appealing, having never lost touch with his roots.

Rooney burst onto the scene as a precocious teenager with the Toffees. He made his debut at the age of 16 at the start of the 2002-03 season and was picked for England within months.

He went on to excel at Euro 2004 and was snapped up by United soon after, moving to Old Trafford as an 18-year-old in a 27million deal.

In the years since, he has been one of the clubs most influential players, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. If a transfer goes through, he will leave with 253 United goals to his name.

Rooney has won five Premier League trophies with Manchester United (Mike Egerton/Empics)

Rooney is contracted to the Red Devils until 2019 but it has been reported that he could be granted an early release, to return to his former club on a free transfer.

His departure would follow that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at United. It has been reported the club are pursuing Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata as a replacement.

Rooney would also be Evertons fifth major signing of what is shaping up to be a busy summer for the Merseysiders. Deals for Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen, Sandro Ramirez and Jordan Pickford have already been completed, with Olivier Giroud and Gylfi Sigurdsson also linked. His arrival might also allow Romelu Lukaku to move on.
DAR ES SALAAM, July 4 (Reuters) - Tanzania's parliament passed a new law on Thursday which raises royalties from gold, copper, silver and platinum exports to six percent from four percent.

The text of the new law, published by the state-run news agency, also includes increasing the royalty on uranium exports from five percent to six percent.

The law also allows the government to reject a company's valuation if it believed it was too low. It would be entitled to buy the consignment of minerals at the price quoted.

"For the purposes of calculating the amount of royalties payable, the government shall be entitled to reject the valuation," the text of the new law said.

"Where the government rejects the valuation, it shall have the option to buy the minerals at the low value." (Writing by Katharine Houreld; editing by Alexander Smith)
WELLINGTON, July 5 (Reuters) - Hundreds of fans swarmed to Auckland airport on Wednesday to welcome Team New Zealand home with the America's Cup after their 7-1 victory over Oracle Team USA on the Great Sound in Bermuda last week.

The arrival of sport's oldest trophy came two days after New Zealand's government promised NZ$5 million in funding to keep the team together in order to prepare for the title defence, likely to be in 2021.

A parade through central Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, is planned for Thursday. A similar parade in 1995, when the country won the America's Cup for the first time, drew an estimated 350,000 people.

The victory is expected to provide a boost to New Zealand, with early estimates putting the contribution at NZ$1 billion in economic growth.

"Thank you for all the support, it means the world to us and being a proud Kiwi, growing up here and watching teams race for the America's Cup and then to actually bring the Cup home is something that has blown us away," helmsman Peter Burling told the crowd at the airport.

The plane carrying the team and the trophy, which occupied two seats in first class, was drenched by fire rescue trucks as it taxied onto the runway apron.

The local Maori tribe Ngati Whatua also performed an official welcome for the team.

Skipper Glenn Ashby said the victory had buried some ghosts from 2013 when Team New Zealand held an 8-1 lead over Oracle, only for Jimmy Spithill to engineer one of the greatest comebacks in sport to win the next eight races and retain the trophy.

"It's largely redemption, for the whole team and the country, from San Francisco," said Ashby, the only remaining member of the 2013 sailing team on the boat in Bermuda.

"The group of guys we went through this journey with are an absolutely special set of people and to have them all standing here with me now is a wonderful feeling. I'm very, very proud."

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
By Ellen Wulfhorst

VENICE, Louisiana, July 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - S outhern Louisiana, under siege from rising sea levels, subsiding land and coastal erosion, is losing thousands of acres of wetlands to the encroaching Gulf of Mexico each year.

Here are some facts about the area and its residents, as well as shorelines under threat across the United States:

* In June, the state of Louisiana adopted the "2017 Coastal Master Plan" that will serve as a blueprint for more than 120 projects to fight coastal loss over the next 50 years.

* Fully funding all the projects would cost $50 billion. About $7 billion is due to come from fines levied after the explosion and oil spill at BP's Deepwater Horizon rig in 2010. The state has identified a further several billion dollars from a range of sources over the next 15 years.

* Many projects are aimed at building up to 800 square miles (2,072 square km) of new land, and lowering the likely cost of coastal damage by about $8 billion per year by the plan's 50th year.

* According to the U.S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), global sea level rise could range from 1 foot (0.3 meters) to 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) by 2100, depending on the pace of climate change and other factors.

* Two in five - or more than 123 million people - in the United States live on its shorelines, facing rising sea levels, flooding and erosion. That number is projected to grow by 10 million people by 2020, NOAA says.

* An Indian tribe of about 100 people living on Louisiana's Isle de Jean Charles has a $48-million federal government grant to relocate after rising seas and erosion gobbled their land.

* The plight of the tribe, which has lost 98 percent of its land since the 1950s, was depicted in an Oscar-nominated 2012 movie "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and a 2013 documentary "Can't Stop the Water".

* Relocation of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw members is the first time in the United States an entire community is being moved due to sea level, according to the government.

* Methods already underway or planned to protect, restore and adapt to changes on the Louisiana coast include rebuilding barrier islands, putting in place levees and flood-gates, elevating homes, diverting river water and sediment into wetlands, and constructing oyster barrier reefs.

* U.S. President Donald Trump recently said rising sea levels are not a big concern after seeing a story on CNN about a 1.3-square mile (3.4-square km) island in Virginia that is shrinking 15 feet (4.6 m) a year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Trump called Tangier Island Mayor James Eskridge, according to the Washington Post and other media, and told him residents shouldn't worry about rising seas, as their island had been there for hundreds of years, "and I believe your island will be there for hundreds more".

* A Shrimp & Petroleum Festival is held each year in Morgan City, Louisiana, featuring music, food and crafts to celebrate the region's giant industries. A recent festival drew some 140,000 people.

* Louisiana Highway 23, known as the Great River Road, follows the lower Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. It ends in the aptly named tiny town of Venice, where a sign reads "Southernmost Point in Louisiana - Gateway to the Gulf". SOURCES: Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, LA SAFE (Louisiana's Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments), Nola.com, Internet Movie Database, Reuters, CNN, Washington Post, KATC.com, RoadTripUSA.com (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst, editing by Megan Rowling; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
By Ellen Wulfhorst

THIBODAUX, Louisiana, July 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - L ouise St. Pierre paints pictures of shacks and swamps on the insides of oyster shells - tiny scenes of Cajun culture she sees washing away amid the rising saltwater and periodic floods inundating southern Louisiana.

"Our culture is dying," said St. Pierre, who lives in Lafourche Parish, where cypress trees are hung with lacy strands of Spanish moss and alligators lurk in bayous, the region's slow-moving swamp waterways. "It's not like it was."

People are moving away from the parish, or county, some 60 miles (97 km) southwest of New Orleans, faced with growing flood risks and unable to pay for insurance, which can reach thousands of dollars and is required by mortgage banks in high-risk areas.

Since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, nearly 10 percent of Lafourche's population has left its southernmost end that is flood-prone and vulnerable to storm surges.

Attrition due to soaring insurance premiums is visible from the proliferation of "For Sale" signs on houses and boats, said Gary LaFleur, a biologist and faculty member at the Center for Bayou Studies at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.

"No government is coming in and kicking people out, but all of a sudden the insurance rates are going up so high that it's like a slow economic way of leading to a ghost town," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Within 50 years the town is gone."

Lafourche has been home for centuries to Cajuns who are descended from French-speaking settlers expelled in the 18th century from what is now Canada. Cajun culture is renowned for its spicy cuisine and lively traditional music.

"It's a lifestyle, people, language - just the way you were brought up by your parents and grandparents," said St. Pierre.

Traditions such as the blessing of the fleets in the bayous - once an annual ceremony for shrimpers and others - are dimming as the ranks of family-owned fishing boats dwindle, he said.

"When you see one shrimp boat and it's followed by five party boats, you think, aww, this isn't as cool as it used to be," he said.

St. Pierre, known as Ms. Louise, sells her miniature Cajun paintings to customers at craft shows.

"They can send them to their nephew in New York and say, 'Hey, that is a part of our culture. Don't forget'," she said.

OIL MONEY

St. Pierre, 65, learned French from her grandparents and meets each Tuesday night with fellow francophones, whose numbers are falling. Fewer than 14,000 people in Lafourche are native French speakers, according to the latest census figures, down from some 16,000 a decade earlier.

And St. Pierre cooks a mean Cajun meal. "I can make you gumbo and jambalaya, and do your etouffees and of course boiled shrimp and crawfish, fried oysters," she said. "And I love alligator tails."

But oyster beds were hit hard by the massive BP oil spill in 2010, crabs are under pressure from wetland loss, and cheap foreign imports have depressed local seafood prices.

Added to that, saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico is killing vegetation where rabbit, deer and other Cajun delicacies used to thrive, she said.

Towns such as Leeville, once a vibrant fishing center, are under threat. The main artery was elevated to a causeway to avoid rising water, so the road that went through downtown now goes overhead, LaFleur said.

"Leeville didn't get washed away, but because they had to raise the road, now people just don't go to Leeville anymore," he said. "That's kind of killing that community right there."

Locals worry too about a loss of federal funding to protect the coast, advocated by the Trump administration.

Under the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), four states, including Louisiana, get nearly 40 percent of federal oil revenue from drilling off their coasts.

Louisiana officials have said the state could see as much as $140 million of GOMESA money for coastal restoration in a year.

But Trump's proposed budget would divert that cash to the federal treasury. The Obama administration also sought to divert GOMESA funding but was blocked by Congress.

"If we don't get that money this year, you can just kiss everything goodbye," St. Pierre said. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst, editing by Megan Rowling; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
By Michelle Price

HONG KONG, July 5 (Reuters) - Singapore's banking regulator has told lenders it will delay by a year the implementation of global rules designed to rein in trading risks - the latest sign that the post-crisis overhaul of the world's banking system may be stalling.

The move follows similar postponements by banking regulators in Hong Kong and Australia as concerns grow over the complexity of the rules and as it is also uncertain how they will fit with other capital reforms yet to be finalised.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) notified local banks of the delay to the so-called 'fundamental review of the trading book' (FRTB) in a letter last month that also flagged a number of other regulatory issues, two people briefed on the matter said.

The people declined to be identified as the letter was not made public.

The rules were finalised last year by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision as part of a decade-long international effort to prevent a repeat of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

The FRTB rules, which require banks to hold more capital against their trading books, were scheduled to become effective in January 2019.

A MAS spokeswoman said the regulator remains committed to a full implementation of Basel III reforms but was not rigidly adhering to a timeline.

"In determining the implementation timeline, MAS will consider factors such as the state of global implementation guidance, the industry's readiness and implementation progress in other jurisdictions," she said in a statement.

Basel has no powers of enforcement and relies on member countries to commit to the implementation of reforms agreed by the committee.

A person familiar with the committee's workings said there was no sign of the FRTB being ditched outright. In addition, capital for trading books is a small proportion of a bank's total buffer and therefore a delay in the FRTB does not materially affect the bigger capital picture for the banking sector, this person said.

Group of 20 (G20) countries meet in Germany this week to take stock of the implementation of global banking reforms.

Mark Carney, chairman of the Financial Stability Board, which coordinates financial rules for the G20, warned on Monday that global growth would suffer if regulators give in to "reform fatigue" and fail to complete the agreed changes.

But after an intensive decade of rule-making, some policymakers now want to prioritise growth over yet more complex banking regulation.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said regulation is holding back lending and the U.S. Treasury has recommended delaying the FRTB, as well as another measure that strengthens bank funding. Regulators in Asia are worried their banks may be at a disadvantage if they push ahead with the rules while other countries hold back, the sources said.

The European Unions executive European Commission has proposed delaying its full application of FRTB, and officials are now waiting to see whether U.S. regulators follow the U.S. Treasury recommendation.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said last month the FRTB rules would be implemented no earlier than January 2020, while the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) announced a delay in March that would likely see the rules come into force in 2021. (Reporting by Michelle Price; additional reporting by Anshuman Daga in SINGAPORE and Huw Jones in LONDON: Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Neil Fullick)
News / Africa

by APO

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

NEW YORK - African heads of state have endorsed two major new initiatives to help end AIDS by 2030. The community health workers initiative aims to recruit, train and deploy 2 million community health workers across Africa by 2020. The western and central Africa catch-up plan aims to rapidly accelerate access to HIV treatment in the region and close the gap in access between African regions. The initiatives were endorsed at the AIDS Watch Africa Heads of State and Government Meeting, held on 3 July during the 29th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Western and central Africa catch-up planUnder the leadership of countries and regional economic communities, and in collaboration with UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders and other partners, the catch-up plan in western and central Africa, which started implementation in late 2016, seeks to dramatically accelerate the scale-up of HIV testing, prevention and treatment programmes, with the goal of putting the region on the Fast-Track to meet the 909090 targets by December 2020.While the world witnesses significant progress in responding to HIV, with 57% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 46% of all people living with HIV accessing treatment and 38% of all people living with HIV virally suppressed in 2015, the western and central Africa region lags behind, achieving only 36%, 28% and 12%, respectively, in 2015. The gap is considerable: 4.7 million people living with HIV are not receiving treatment, and 330 000 adults and children died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2015."We cannot accept a two-speed approach to ending AIDS in Africa," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe. "To put western and central Africa on track to end AIDS, we must address stigma, discrimination and other challenges to an effective response, allocate funding to support the most effective strategies and implement delivery strategies that reach the communities most in need."The catch-up plan will aim to increase the number of people on treatment from 1.8 million to 2.9 million by mid-2018, giving an additional 1.2 million people, including 120 000 children, access to urgently needed treatment.The first call for a catch-up plan for the region was made at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS in June 2016. Since then, at least 10 countries (Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone) have developed country operational plans deriving from the western and central Africa catch-up plan with a focus on ensuring the needed policy and structural changes.Two million community health workersThe community health worker initiative aims to accelerate progress towards achieving the 909090 targets by 2020whereby 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status are accessing treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loadsand to lay the foundation for sustainable health systems. Championed by the President of Guinea and African Union Chair, Alpha Conde, the initiative seeks to confront the acute health workforce shortages across Africa and improve access to health services for the most marginalized populations, including people living in rural areas."Recruiting 2 million community health workers is a critical step towards achievement of the Africa-wide socioeconomic transformation envisioned in the African Union's Agenda 63", said Mr Conde. "Few tools have the ability of community health workers to drive progress across the entire breadth of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."Substantial evidence, from both Africa and elsewhere, demonstrates that well-trained, properly supervised community health workers provide an excellent quality of care and improve the efficiency and impact of health spending. Community health workers have helped devise some of the most effective service delivery strategies for HIV testing and treatment, and studies have also linked community-delivered services with increased rates of immunization, exclusive breastfeeding and malaria control coverage."Sustainable community health work is a matter of survival and development in Ethiopia, said Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn. "My community health workers have made better health happen. Achieving universal health coverage is not possible without building community health systems."UNAIDS estimates that there are more than 1 million community health workers in Africa today, but most focus on a single health problem and are under-trained, unpaid or under-paid, and not well integrated in health systems. The new initiative endorsed by AIDS Watch Africa seeks to retrain existing community health workers, where feasible, and to recruit new health workers to reach the 2 million target."Few investments generate such a remarkable social and economic return as community health workers," said Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University. "Community health worker programmes are essentially self-sustaining, in that they avert illness, keep workers healthy and productive and contribute to economic growth and opportunity."While community health workers may hold the key in many settings to achieving the 909090 targets, the benefits of this new initiative extend well beyond the AIDS response. The initiative will expedite gains across the health targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3, create new jobs that will strengthen local and national economies and offer new opportunities to young people. The new initiative is aligned with the World Health Organization's Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health.Start Free Stay Free AIDS FreeAt the AIDS Watch Africa meeting, the participants also called on member states and development partners to support the African Union campaign to eliminate new HIV infections among children and keep mothers alive as part of the Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free collaborative framework."Complacency gives birth to regression of the gains made in reducing HIV prevalence, said, Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda. "We in Uganda have rekindled the campaign to end AIDS; the science exists, as well as the medication. We can win this battle."AIDS Watch Africa is a statutory entity of the African Union with the specific mandate to lead advocacy, accountability and resource mobilization efforts to advance a robust African response to end AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030.
BRUSSELS, July 5 (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors said four people had been detained after automatic weapons were found in house searches in Brussels as part a counter-terrorism investigation overnight into Wednesday.

Police found Kalashnikovs, bullet-proof vests and ammunition in raids on two garages and four homes in the capital's Anderlecht district, Belgian media outlet RTBF reported.

"During one of the house searches, various weapons were found," federal prosecutors said in a statement.

Prosecutors said the overnight detentions were separate from investigations into Islamist attacks in Paris in November 2015, which killed 130 people, and in Brussels four months later in which 32 people were killed.

(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
By Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA, July 5 (Reuters) - Turkish police detained six suspected Islamic State militants for planning to attack a three-week-old protest march led by the head of the main opposition party, a provincial governor was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of people have joined the opposition CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on his 425-km (265-mile) march from the capital Ankara to Istanbul, a protest launched after a deputy from the secularist CHP was jailed on spying charges.

Kilicdaroglu, 68, said there had been rumours his "justice march", which has grown into a wider anti-government protest, could be targeted by "provocations" as it approached Istanbul, where it is set to end with a mass rally on Sunday.

"Following a nice tip-off, our police detained a group of six Islamic State militants. They were planning to attack the convoy with a minibus," Kayseri Governor Suleyman Kamci told the website of Hurriyet newspaper.

Kamci did not specify what sort of assault was allegedly planned. Islamic State (IS) has carried out both bomb and gun attacks in Turkey in the past.

Police and officials declined to comment but state-run Anadolu news agency carried a similar report.

Kamci said the suspects rented a black minibus in Kayseri on Tuesday, and that four of them were subsequently detained in Kayseri and two in Kocaeli province, through which the protesters were marching on Wednesday.

A video purporting to show part of the police operation and published on Turkish news websites showed officers, some with assault rifles, storming a black minibus waiting in traffic on a main highway and then leading away at least one man.

Flags of the ruling AK Party were found in the minibus, Kamci said.

"PROVOCATION ATTEMPTS"

Turkish media said earlier that police had detained 37 IS suspects in anti-terrorism operations in provinces across the country, while officials said another suspect was arrested at the border with Syria while carrying more than 5 kg (11 lb) of explosives.

CHP spokesman Bulent Tezcan said he had been told the police operation was routine and not related to the march itself.

"We want to complete the march and hold our rally against all provocation attempts in a safe manner," he told reporters.

President Tayyip Erdogan has accused the protesters of "acting together with terrorist groups", referring to Kurdish militants and followers of the U.S.-based Islamic cleric accused of orchestrating the attempted coup in July 2016.

The protesters deny the accusations, with Kilicdaroglu saying they are marching for "justice" and accusing the government of creating a one-party state in the wake of the failed military coup a year ago.

In a security crackdown since then, more than 50,000 people have been jailed pending trial, and 150,000 suspended or dismissed from their jobs. Ankara has also closed 130 media outlets and jailed around 160 journalists, union data show.

Stepping up his challenge to the government, Kilicdaroglu on Tuesday appealed to the European Court of Human Rights over the April referendum that granted Erdogan sweeping new powers. (Additional reporting by Gulsen Solaker; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Paola Totaro

LONDON, July 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The daughter of murdered Honduran environmental activist, Berta Caceres, has survived an attack by three men armed with machetes, campaigners said, sparking fresh fears for the safety of rights defenders in the central American country.

Bertha Zuniga Caceres, 26, who has taken on her mother's work, was travelling in a car on Friday with two other members of the campaign group, Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (COPINH), when they encountered a black pick-up truck blocking the road.

Three men carrying machetes approached their car, according to Front Line Defenders, a group which monitors rights activists at risk.

As Caceres and her colleagues sped off, the truck's driver gave chase trying several times to run their car off the road and over a cliff, the group said.

COPINH members said they believed the attack was related to their work campaigning against mega-projects such as dams and logging on ancestral land owned by the Lenca people who live in a large swathe of southwest Honduras.

It was not immediately clear where the attack took place.

Berta Caceres was gunned down at her home in La Esperanza, west of the capital Tegucigalpa, in March 2016 after years of threats. Her colleague, Mexican activist Gustavo Castro Soto, survived the shooting by pretending to be dead.

Honduras is considered one of the world's most dangerous countries for human rights defenders. At least 33 activists were killed in 2016, according to Front Line Defenders.

The country was criticised for failing to protect rights activists in several major reports last year by organisations including the U.N. human rights office and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

COPINH members reported the latest attack on Facebook on Saturday saying they believed it was related to a dispute over access to a water source that supplies several communities.

They said the attack may have been carried out by some members of the Lomas de San Antonio and Las Delicias communities who are in favour of a development project which would restrict access to the spring. COPINH opposes the project. (Reporting by Paola Totaro, Editing by Emma Batha.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
By Rodi Said and Dominic Evans

QAMISHLI, Syria/ANKARA, July 5 (Reuters) - The head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said on Wednesday that Turkish military deployments near Kurdish-held areas of northwestern Syria amounted to a "a declaration of war" which could trigger clashes within days.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus retorted that his country was not declaring war but that its forces would respond to any hostile move.

The mounting tensions between two U.S. allies in northwestern Syria risk opening yet another front in the multi-sided conflict, in which outside powers are playing ever greater roles.

They could also distract the YPG from the U.S.-backed campaign to capture Islamic State's stronghold of Raqqa, some 200 km (125 miles) away. The YPG is spearheading that campaign.

Asked by Reuters whether he expected a conflict with Turkey in northern Syria, where the two sides have exchanged artillery fire in recent days, YPG Commander Sipan Hemo accused Turkey of preparing for a major military campaign in the Aleppo and Afrin area.

"These (Turkish) preparations have reached level of a declaration of war and could lead to the outbreak of actual clashes in the coming days," he said in emailed comments. "We will not stand idly by against this potential aggression."

Turkey's policy in northern Syria has been focused on containing the growing sway of Kurdish groups that have established autonomous regions since Syria's war began in 2011.

Ankara says the YPG represents a security threat, seeing it as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades.

Turkish forces deployed in northern Syria last year in support of Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army rebel groups in an operation that forced Islamic State away from the border and at the same time drove a wedge between YPG-held areas.

In recent weeks, Turkey has sent reinforcements into the area north of Aleppo, according to Turkey-backed rebel groups who have established control over a section of the Turkish-Syrian frontier with Ankara's support.

"This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats," Kurtulmus told Reuters in an interview. "Their (YPG) primary goal is a threat to Turkey, and if Turkey sees a YPG movement in northern Syria that is a threat to it, it will retaliate in kind."

Hemo was last week cited as saying the YPG had a plan to capture that area between the towns of Azaz and Jarablus. Asked about that remark, he described the Turkish intervention as "occupation" of Syrian land, and said the YPG had never "threatened Turkey or its security".

LONG-TERM PLANS

Turkey, a NATO member, has been incensed by the U.S. decision to ally with the YPG. Washington took the decision to arm the group before the final assault on Raqqa began in June.

The YPG is fighting under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Arab fighters.

In separate comments to the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper published on Wednesday, Hemo said the United States had established seven military bases in areas of northern Syria controlled by the YPG or SDF, including a major airbase near Kobani, a town at the border with Turkey.

Citing operational security, the coalition said it did not confirm or deny information about "specific capabilities, force numbers, locations or movement of forces in Iraq and Syria".

Hemo indicated the YPG would keep fighting Islamic State even after its defeat in Raqqa, saying it was committed with "the international coalition to cleansing Syria of terrorism and establishing a political system capable of achieving real democratic transformation".

Turkish defence ministry sources said last month the United States had pledged that weapons provided to the YPG would be taken back once Islamic State was defeated. Turkey says that is not credible.

"There has never been an incident where a group in the Middle East has been armed, and they returned the weapons," Kurtulmus said. The United States "have formed more than a terrorist organisation there, they formed a small-scale army."

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has left open the possibility of longer-term assistance to the YPG, saying the U.S. may need to supply them with weapons and equipment even after the capture of Raqqa.

Hemo said U.S. officials had denied any intention to take away the YPG's weapons and that the YPG would in fact be needing more support due to its medium and long-term plans to tackle the remnants of Islamic State.

(Additional reporting by Orhan Coskun and Ercan Gurses; writing by Tom Perry; editing by; Philippa Fletcher)
WASHINGTON, July 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out a strike in Somalia against the al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group on July 4, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, the second attack on the group in the last few days.

The strike occurred about 300 miles (480 km) southwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu, the Pentagon said. It did not disclose additional information such as the number of fighters killed.

On Monday, the U.S. military said it carried out an air strike against al Shabaab on July 2.

"We will continue to assess the results of the operation and will provide additional information as appropriate," the U.S. military's Africa Command said in a statement.

"Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released in order to ensure operational security."

Since being pushed out of the capital Mogadishu in 2011, al Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia's cities and towns. But it retains a strong presence in swathes of the south and center and carries out major gun and bomb attacks.

The group aims to topple Somalia's government, drive out African Union peacekeeping troops and impose its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by James Dalgleish and Grant McCool)
WARSAW, July 5 (Reuters) - The United Nations' cultural body UNESCO has called on Poland to halt logging in its ancient Bialowieza Forest, saying it could otherwise decide to place it on its list of world heritage sites in danger.

Bialowieza Forest, which straddles Poland's border with Belarus, is one of the last and largest remaining tracts of primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain.

At a gathering in Krakow, southern Poland, UNESCO delegates called for a halt to logging in the oldest parts of the forest.

"Let's hope this fresh warning will stop the illegal logging before Europe's oldest forest is irreversibly damaged," Agata Szafranska, lawyer at ClientEarth non-government organisation was quoted as saying in a statement.

Poland's environment minister argues that beetles pose a threat to the forest and that logging will help protect the trees. The conservative government has tripled the quota of wood that can be harvested.

The decision has prompted protests from environmentalist groups and divided Polish society. It has also raised concerns in the European Commission, which stepped up legal action over the logging earlier this year. (Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko)
WASHINGTON, July 5 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday urged Northern Ireland's two major political parties to reach an agreement for a power-sharing government, after talks broke down on Tuesday between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement that the "United States regrets that the political parties in Northern Ireland have not yet reached an agreement to establish a power-sharing regional government following elections in March."

She urged the DUP and Sinn Fein "to continue their discussions with the aim of forming an effective, responsive, and representative government as soon as possible."

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Peter Cooney)
There are several candidates for the next Presidential poll already in the running and they are busy planning the campaign strategies behind the scene, they say.



Among the hopefuls are some party leaders and purohitas in yahapalanaya.



The JO too will field a candidate if the two factions fail to agree to a merger.



Meanwhile, there is widespread speculation in political and media circles that a dark horse is about to enter the fray. He is tipped to be a doctor of medicine now at the vanguard in the campaign against the SAITM. If he comes forward as a candidate, a number of radical political parties are expected to back him, they say.
DHAKA (Daily Mail), July 4, 2017- The death toll from a blast at a Bangladesh garment factory has risen to 10 after two victims died in hospital, authorities said Tuesday, warning there could be more casualties.



Dozens of workers were inside the factory on the outskirts of Dhaka when the boiler exploded on Monday evening, causing a section of the six-storey building to collapse.



The explosion, which occurred when most workers were off for the Eid holidays, is the latest disaster to hit the countrys $30-billion garment industry.



The plant in the Gazipur industrial district is owned by textiles manufacturer Multifabs, which makes clothing for brands including Littlewoods and Aldi, according to its website.



Factory authorities said the main site was closed on Monday, and the workers there were conducting boiler maintenance.



Relatives of missing workers gathered at the factory premises late Monday.



My father is a boiler operator at this factory. He was called yesterday on his day off to work on boiler maintenance, said Mehedi Hasan.



Ten minutes after my father left home, we heard the news of the blast. And now I came here as he doesnt pick up his phone, he said in tears.



Bangladesh has more than 4,500 garment factories employing four million mostly female workers at a minimum monthly wage of $68.
The poultry industry in Sri Lanka has shown a phenomenal growth over the recent past thereby making poultry products essential food items in local menus. The demand for chicken and eggs has therefore been met by local producers. This is a story about the local egg production. Sri Lanka has a daily consumption of approximately 65,000 eggs and this consumption will definitely increase in the coming years. While most local farmers follow the conventional method of producing eggs, few others follow more technologically advanced methods.

Recently a group of interested parties requested the implementation of the battery cage system to produce eggs. This request however raised concerns among the local farmer community, provoking them to take to the streets a few days back. In an attempt to shed light on this matter, the Daily Mirror outlines its advantages, animal welfare concerns and what experts in this business and other parties had to say.

Our main objective is to ensure food safety and quality

: Battery cage industry source

An industry source in the battery cage business who wished to remain anonymous told the Daily Mirror that egg production in Sri Lanka is currently done by the deep litter system. But the production and quality off eggs produced this way is low. The eggs are exposed to faecal matter and this would result in the spread of diseases as well. When consumption increases, there has to be a way to improve technology and increase the production of eggs. Through the battery cage system we can increase buyer sensitivity and have better quality products. If you go to a supermarket or a five star hotel you will see that the quality of eggs is different to what you would see at a grocery store. As demand for consumption increases, the production too has to increase. It takes five months for a laying hen to grow before laying eggs, the source said.

When asked about the complaints regarding lower prices, the source further said that during the years 2015/2016, egg prices went on a record high and all these farmers had enjoyed this increase in prices. So they could have protested then as well right? Then these farmers started oversupplying eggs and then there was an excess. When theres an excess you cant either stop the bird from producing eggs nor can you depopulate the farm. This is a normal cycle and by stopping one system you cannot put the other on hold. In terms of production, battery cage farmers do a lot to improve quality of the eggs. We engage in segregation of eggs, so that the weight would be equal. But small farmers include broken, dirty and smaller eggs in to the boxes.

This is a normal cycle and by stopping one system you cannot put the other on hold. In terms of production, battery cage farmers do a lot to improve quality of the eggs. We engage in segregation of eggs, so that the weight would be equal. But small farmers include broken, dirty and smaller eggs in to the boxes

Speaking in terms of animal welfare, the source added that in the battery cage system, cannibalism and overcrowding are common issues. Hence there are no standards in Sri Lanka governing production or the animal welfare system when it comes to animal husbandry. This applies to welfare practices in both floor-rearing and cage-rearing. If farmers oppose the animal welfare aspect, that would be for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka. Welfare standards should be established for both practices. In that case we would comply with them. But at the end of the day our main objective is to ensure food safety and to offer a quality product to the consumers.

Battery cage system will affect small and medium scale farmers

: AIEMA Chairman

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, All Island Egg Manufacturers Association (AIEMA) Chairman R. M Sarath Rathnayake said that there are close to 6000 small to medium scale egg farmers in the country. This industry is one of the main occupations in the Wayamba Province. The rest of the farmers are those who are involved in this battery cage business. But some time ago, this was banned all over the world mainly due to concerns regarding animal cruelty. Although it was banned, the cages were imported to Sri Lanka. The daily egg consumption in Sri Lanka is approximately 65,000 and production sums up to around 85,000 eggs. In the battery cage system, these people include close to five hens in a cage that is close to two square feet in area. So by the time they are close to their laying period, legs and wings are broken in 30% and 40% of the hens respectively. This was one of the reasons why it was banned as it was considered a sin. In a conventional cage we can house hens in the upper cage and the one below and continue this business.

Battery cage system would cost Rs. 8.50 as opposed to Rs. 11.50 when produced in the conventional method

Speaking further Ratnayake said that an egg produced using the battery cage system would cost Rs. 8.50 as opposed to Rs. 11.50 when produced in the conventional method. But in supermarket chains the price is different because they cater to a different consumer base. All these small and medium scale farmers are burdened with debts, but those in the battery cage business make huge profits. In the battery cage business you also dont need many people to work when compared to the conventional method. So if the Minister moves forward with this proposal there will be no job opportunities created for the local generations as well. Therefore the battery cage system will affect the entire population of small and medium scale farmers. If this proposal is approved we are ready to stage a huge protest in Colombo.

Its solitary confinement to an animal

: Jagath Gunawardena

Since many concerns were raised regarding the animal rights aspect of this issue, the Daily Mirror consulted the opinion of environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardena. He said that some people use this method as a means of conserving space. But it is a cruel practice and it basically is a solitary confinement to an animal. Hence there is no justification whatsoever.

It is a cruel practice. Hence there is no justification whatsoever

No laws to govern animal welfare in animal husbandry

: DAPH

The Daily Mirror also contacted the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) to inquire about the laws, rules and regulations governing animal welfare in animal husbandry. A source that wished to remain anonymous confirmed that as at present there are no rules nor regulations implemented with regard to animal welfare in animal husbandry.

Burning my effigies wont solve problem

: P. Harrison

Speaking to the media with regard to the recently held protest organised by the AIEMA and poultry farmers in the Wayamba Province, Rural Economic Affairs Minister P. Harrison said that the battery cage system was introduced during the Rajapakse regime. The solution to this issue is not burning my effigies. We are trying to take this forward and provide the necessary compensation.

Since many people are involved in this business in a mega-scale, the small and medium scale farmers will be affected. Battery cages have also been banned in other countries. So we will give some time for those who have already established this business to continue their production, but we wont allow anybody else to build them in future, thereby giving an opportunity to the local producers to continue their production as usual.

We will give some time for those who have already established this business to continue their production, but we wont allow anybody else to build them in future, thereby giving an opportunity to the local producers

Battery cage systems and their implications

In those parts of the world where the poultry industry is most developed, including Europe and the USA, over 90% of laying hens are housed in battery cages. Laying hens produce eggs which are sold for human consumption. Like with many other birds, eggs may be produced without any intervention by males. Hence, the eggs are infertile and therefore its necessary to keep breeding flocks to produce the fertile eggs from which the laying hens will hatch.

Cages were originally introduced for single laying hens to allow recording of individual egg production and culling of poor layers. Later several birds were placed in each cage and group sizes of three to six are most commonly seen now. Space allowances for laying hens in cages vary in different countries from about 300 square centimetres (sq. cm) per bird upward, but in the UK and other member of countries of the European Economic Community (EEC) there is a legal minimum of 450 sq. cm per bird. This is laid down by a Directive of the Commission of the European Communities (86/113/EEC).

While many would heavily condemn the battery cage system since many hens are included in a limited space, an animal husbandry system should follow certain guidelines. Hence, the Farm Animal Welfare Council in UK has proposed that an animal husbandry system should provide animals with :

Freedom from hunger and thirst

Freedom from thermal and physical discomfort

Freedom from pain, injury and disease

Freedom from fear and distress

Freedom to exercise most normal patterns of behaviour

Welfare problems for hens in all forms of housing should be considered in these five areas as they are common to all husbandry systems.
News / Africa

by APO

Zapu Spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa has said National People's Party Vice President Samuel Sipepa Nkomo's inferiority complex to a point where he says all men can not run the country is disturbing."We cannot be expected to take Sipepa Nkomo seriously on anything. His love for being deputy due to the inferiority complex in him is getting the better of his mind. He should be bragging about his own achievements, but for the lack of any he chooses to bootlick the likes of Mujuru, who herself wouldn't be leading the ever splitting NPP party had she not been expelled from Zanu PF," he said."Nkomo should know better that the situation Zimbabwe finds itself in is caused by the very people he today is flaunting as high achievers. It is the likes of Mujuru who presided over the demise of the Zimbabwean economy for over three decades. The lack of wisdom and stability in him makes Nkomo see such people as messiahs who could save us, this he does to gain appointments as deputy president in their parties."He said Nkomo forgets they are creators and sustainers of the rot we find ourselves in."There is nothing in Mujurus war credentials that will ever help this country, we need a serious paradigm shift and I advise Nkomo to wake up to that reality, and also that we are not in a war situation that ones credentials under reactionary Zanla can be a yardstick and qualification to leadership," he said."We are led as Zapu by the most decorated freedom fighter in Southern Africa but we do not go around bragging about Dr Dabengwa's liberation credentials because we are alive to the nature of the problems Zimbabwe faces. What we are seized with is finding the best suitable alternative, which is a Zapu led government."
From left: Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake and State Minister of Foreign Affairs Wasantha Senanayake

A special meeting was held between Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday afternoon. The Saudi prince was in Sri Lanka on an official visit. The delegation led by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal arrived in Sri Lanka on an official invitation extended to him by Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

The Saudi delegation that comprised of 11 members held half an hour discussion with the Foreign Minister and, attention was drawn to further strengthen the bilateral ties between Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

The Saudi Prince who praised the current economic development in Sri Lanka said that special attention will be paid to investment opportunities in trade and tourism sectors in support of strengthening the economic development in Sri Lanka.

The Prince also said he expects to brief the Saudi government, investors and entrepreneurs towards business opportunities in Sri Lanka.

Responding to the visiting Saudi prince, Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake said the support extended to Sri Lanka by the government of Saud Arabia is always appreciated.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Wasantha Senanayake and a group of ministry officials were also present.

Following the meeting with Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal met with President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat.

Later, the visiting Saudi Prince and his delegation held discussions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Parliament complex.
A yahapalanaya deputy from the Puttalam district planned to attend a wedding at the residence of a billionaire friend in the Batticaloa area along with a group of friends from a foreign country.



As they wanted to return to Colombo the same evening after attending the wedding, the deputy booked an air force plane for the round trip and made the advance payment as well.



He also submitted a list of passengers due to travel on his reservation to the air force authorities two days ahead of the date of travel as required. The name of the deputy headed this list.



Shortly after the submission of the list of passengers, an air force high-up rang up the deputy and told him to cancel the booking as the flight had been disallowed.



The deputy, flabbergasted on hearing about the cancellation of the flight, challenged their decision saying that he had already paid for the tickets. However, his protests were of no avail.



A highly disconcerted deputy who later made discreet inquiries learnt to his surprise that the air force authorities had received from above a list of persons who should not be allowed the facility of air travel by air force aircraft and his name too appeared on it. He also learnt that this list included the names of Betel leaf Diyawanna members including those at purohita level whose allegiance was under suspicion.



The deputy then realized that his name too had gone into this black list due to being in the company of the former boss during a recent visit to the country of the Rising Sun.



Of course, the flight was later restored when the deputy withdrew his name from the passenger list. So he finally made it to Batticaloa to attend the wedding by land while the group of friends got there by air.
A disappointed ambassador to Qatar A. S. P Liyanage today said he had requested President Maithripala Sirisena to relieve his position as he wanted to be of service in Sri Lanka and nowhere else in the world.

The well known businessman and Sri Lanka Labour Party Leader was appointed to his post this March.

Addressing a press briefing, Liyanage said the president had promised to appoint him as a provincial governor when a post fell vacant. As he was unable to fulfill this promise he was appointed as the Ambassador to Qatar.

Expressing his disappointment at not being appointed to the post of Eastern Province Governor which recently fell vacant, Liyanage said he expected the President to appoint him to the next post as governor when it fell vacant.

I dont blame the President but I am disappointed. My party is with the President always and will be a strong supporter of the government. I would like to state that this press conference is not to embarrass the government but to clarify the incident, he said.

The businessman also said he had been commended for his service as the ambassador to Qatar during the recent Gulf crisis. The President and the Foreign Minister appreciated my services and requested that I stay in my post for a while, he said.

Liyanage stated that he could not leave his post as and when he wished as they needed to find his replacement. He hoped the President will concede to his request to resign and appoint him to a post he initially requested and was promised to him.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama was appointed as the new governor to the Eastern Province on Tuesday after the post was left vacant when his predecessor Austin Fernando was appointed at the Permanent Secretary to the President.(Darshana Sanjeewa)
A certain person who once played the countrys envoy in a red country is said to be moving from one country to another without returning home as a court warrant is out for his arrest.



However, whenever the former strongman visits a foreign country, this fugitive would rush to his side and pictures showing him in the company of the distinguished visitor would soon appear on the newspapers as well as on the Facebook and other social media web sites.



This ex-envoys recent visit to the country of the Rising Sun had created a stir there when the security authorities discovered that the visitor was a man on the dodge. So about 20 sleuths deployed at the main airport in that country had detained the man when he called there for his departure. When told that he was to be detained as he was under a court warrant, our man had challenged them to produce the court warrant. And that had stumped the security personnel who found themselves sans any official document to justify the detention.



Thereafter, the security authorities in that country had not only released the man, but had also given him a lift to the airport and he had emplaned for his latest destination saying a cheerful ta-ta to them.
Nilruk Jeevaratne has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Centrepoint Homes, a fully owned subsidiary of Fairway Holdings.

Nilruk is a pioneer in the aluminum joinery system industry and has extensive experience of more than 30 years in the facade and glazing industry. He started his career at Gordon Frazer & Co Ltd., which is a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings (JKH) and then joined PD Keells, a Singapore based company that had entered in to a joint venture with JKH. He was subsequently appointed as the General Manager of the Aluminum Division of Kelsey Developments, which is one of the largest aluminum facade contractors in Sri Lanka. After relocating to Australia, he continued the work for which he had developed an expertise and was appointed as the National Sales & Technical Manager of SGI Architectural Pty Ltd, the distributors of Alpolic Aluminum composite panels manufactured by Mitsubishi, Japan. In this company, he was responsible for managing sales throughout Australia and coordinating the marketing team, which had purview over the distribution network for a range of facade related products.

Upon his return to Sri Lanka Nilruk joined Alumex (Pvt.) Ltd as DGM, Marketing and went on to become the Director of Alufab PLC, which is a subsidiary of the Hayleys Group. Nilruk joined Fairway Holdings in August 2016, and with the expansion of Fairway Groups business activities, Nilruk has assumed duties as CEO of Centrepoint Homes in order to spearhead the growth of the company.
Increasing awareness for energy efficiency, becoming less dependent on fossil fuels and reducing carbon dioxide emissions  these are main targets of Sri Lankas current energy policy.

The country has excellent conditions for using solar energy, biomass, hydropower and wind energy. The German Federal Foreign Office together with the Power and Renewable Energy Ministry of Sri Lanka and the project implementing partner Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority have been working closely together to make Sri Lankas energy transition

a success.

Recently, all involved partners launched the second round of the Green Energy Champion Sri Lanka initiative, a countrywide competition identifying and recognizing innovative ideas on improving energy efficiency and encouraging the use of renewable energy in the country.

The launch event was graced by Sri Lanka Power and Renewable Energy Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera and Sri Lanka and the Maldives German Ambassador Jorn Rohde.

The Green Energy Champion 2017 launch comes post a very successful first project phase last year in which 700,000 media users were reached with energy-saving tips and background information on renewable energy. Ananda College Colombo was declared as the winner of the first countrywide competition for their holistic approach to energy efficiency.

Their award-winning project, which was implemented in autumn 2016, included the installation of a solar PV system, which generates over 24,000 kilowatt hours annually, the upgrading of the schools composting system and the introduction of a solid waste management system. Further, several awareness trainings with more than 7,000 students and teachers were carried out.

Now the initiative is looking for another blueprint Green Energy Champion, who would become a showcase for sustainable and clean energy solutions. The winning entry would be awarded with technical equipment worth up to Rs.10 million (60,000 euros) and technical expertise for its implementation.

The competition intends to inspire Sri Lankans to submit tangible ideas how to use renewable energies in their environment. A questionnaire will guide them to compose an action plan together with an estimated budget.

After all applications have been screened, the representatives of the five most promising ideas will be invited to a workshop to practice their communication and management skills and receive further input on renewable energies, energy efficiency and technical feedback on the proposal presentations.

At the end of the workshop the participants will pitch their ideas. The winner will be determined by a jury comprising of representatives of the German Embassy, Power and Renewable Energy Ministry, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and GIZ.

During the launch event, Rohde said, Climate change is a major challenge of our time. We need to adjust the way we generate and consume electricity. I am sure that our Green Energy Champion campaign triggers many Sri Lankans to submit innovative renewable energy ideas, which help their country to make its energy transition a reality. Germany will continue to support Sri Lankas path to a sustainable green energy future.
A firebrand Green party deputy from the Colombo district who wanted to meet a same party purohita representing a district in the deep South called at the latters Ministry the other day.



By the way, this deputy waged a big battle within the party some time ago to promote the image of this purohita in a bid elevate him to a high rank in the party.



When this deputy called at the Ministry, an office aide told him to sit in the visitors lounge for a while as the purohita was busy. The deputy waited for about half an hour and finding no summons forthcoming, stormed into the purohitas office.



The deputy, now angry at being cold-shouldered, briefly stated his business and asked the purohita to do the needful given his personal interest in the matter. The purohita who quietly listened to the deputy told him that he had to call for a report before he could move in the matter.



The deputy, however, insisted that the purohita should act using his discretion and authority, given the urgency of the matter. But the purohita stood his ground saying that he had to follow the usual formalities before taking any concrete action. The deputy appealed again, but his onetime hero remained unmoved. An exasperated deputy walked out vowing never to see the purohita again, not before berating him in choice Sinhala and dashing the file he was carrying on the floor, they say.
A commemorative plaque being unveiled at the HSBC Head Office in Fort by Matthew Lobner, Head of International and Head of Strategy and Planning, HSBC Asia Pacific together with Mark Prothero, CEO HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives and Sriyan Cooray, Chief Operating Officer HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives.

HSBC Sri Lanka celebrated a milestone 125 years of banking in the country on July 1, having commenced its operations in the country in 1892, just 27 years after its first offices were established in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

A special ceremony to mark the 125th anniversary was held on July 3 with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at its heritage Head Office building in Fort by Matthew Lobner, Head of International and Head of Strategy and Planning, HSBC Asia Pacific and Mark Prothero, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives together with senior management and employees of the bank.

HSBCs main Head Office Building, built in 1922, remains a testament to HSBCs 125-year presence in the country and commitment to Sri Lanka. Following a complete renovation project that lasted over two years, the building is the first of its age in the country to achieve a LEED GOLD rating for energy efficiency.

Ninety eight percent of the structural elements of the building were retained, the carbon footprint was reduced by 20 percent, including a 40 percent water saving and 26 percent energy saving. Furthermore, clients were invited to share in the celebrations at a special event held at the Galle Face Hotel on July 3rd.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka commented, I wish to congratulate HSBC on the 125th anniversary of its contribution to Sri Lankas development.

It is the largest foreign bank in the Island. HSBC has played a key role in bridging financial intermediation requirements of the economy. More importantly its global and regional expertise has been useful in communicating Sri Lankas potential to the investor communities, searching new markets for exports and introducing modern banking products for the local customers. He further added, The financial sector of the country has a key role to play when the economy is moving to a higher growth trajectory.

I am confident that HSBCs global footprint makes it well-placed to promote the financial sector innovation which is imperative in meeting the demands of a rapidly modernizing economy. I wish HSBC continued success in all its future endeavours.

Mark Prothero, CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives stated, For 125 years, HSBC has grown together with Sri Lanka and as Sri Lankan companies become globally successful, HSBC will continue to be a committed banking partner in serving our customers in and out of the country. We thank all our customers and our alumni who have supported us through this long journey.

HSBC has been a true advocate of supporting the community through its corporate sustainability initiatives and programmes in the country. The bank has joined together with many partners to empower and uplift local communities in the spheres of education, environment and cultural heritage in the country, and on its 125th year the bank will further extend its support with its latest pillar- Health.

Prothero revealed that We are delighted to launch our latest pillar in corporate sustainability that places importance on Health and medical research mainly focusing on developing a safe drinking water supply system for disadvantaged communities in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affected areas in the Anuradhapura district.

He further commented, We believe that a healthy population is key to the economic success of the country and HSBC will continue to support communities in tackling these critical health issues in future and help Sri Lanka achieve its ambitions in our 125th year in Sri Lanka.
The Government decided to import sheep for the sheep farming in Sri Lanka, Cabinet Co-Spokesman Gayantha Karunathilaka said today.

Speaking to the media at the Government Information Centre, he said, sheep farming had been done at farms of National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) and private farms in the Northern and North-Western Provinces.

But no improved categories had been developed since 1980, he said.

Accordingly, the proposal was made by Rural Economic Affairs Minister P. Harrison, Minister Karunathilaka said.

He said Minister Harrison proposed to import 25 stud sheep and 100 females at Rs. 10 mn, allocated for 2017 following proper procurement procedure. (Chaturanga Pradeep)

Video by RM
IPM Sri Lanka, the Nations leader in HRM, was awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certificate covering all its operations including branch operations in Galle, Kurunegala and Kandy.

The certificate presented to IPM Sri Lanka President Ajantha Dharmasiri and IPM Sri Lanka Chief Operating Officer P. G. Tennakoon by Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) Director General Gamini Dharmawardena at the recently concluded IPM National HR Conference 2017 held at the BMICH in Colombo.

We are delighted with the ISO quality certification that we received. It symbolizes our continuing commitment to quality across all of our operations. We are thankful to the Sri Lanka Standards Institute for the guidance, help and support extended to IPM to achieve this landmark quality certification which is a first for our industry said Dharmasiri.

IPM Sri Lankas ISO 9001:2015 certification for the quality management system, which is the current version of ISO 9001 released in September 2015, follows the receipt of the ISO 9001:2008 certification in 2012.

IPM Sri Lanka recognized the need for providing consistently high quality services to our various stakeholders in order to be successful in our journey of developing globally competitive HR professionals. ISO 9001: 2015 provides us with the most current processes to provide high quality services to our students, professional members and partners, and to improve these processes on a dynamic basis according to market dynamics said Tennakoon.

Implementing an internationally recognized quality management system and maintaining it requires a high level of commitment, effort and dedication. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the crucial role that was played by my team at the IPM Sri Lanka head office as well as the IPM branches/regional offices in the implementation and certification process of the ISO 2009:2015 quality management system he added.

The ISO 9001:2015 implementation team at IPM Sri Lanka was led by IPM Sri Lanka Quality Assurance Manager Ruwani Senevirathne, who was supported by the IPM Sri Lanka family from all locations. Valuable advice and guidance for the implementation was provided by the Chief Operations Officer who is the Management Representative of ISO, Quality Management System.

We have achieved a great milestone in becoming the first HR educational institute and professional body to receive the ISO 9001:2015 certification, confirming our commitment to uphold the highest standards of governance and transparency. This new standard brings quality and continuous improvement into the heart of our organization and ensures that quality management is integrated and aligned with our business strategies said Senevirathne.
News / National

by Itai Mushekwe/Nancy Mabaya/Mary-Kate Kahari/ Malvin Motsi

Acting and soon to be President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is now preparing for State power and to immediately usher in a quasi transitional government, to replace long serving President Robert Mugabe, and allow him to position himself and the ruling Zanu-PF party a shot at winning the watershed 2018 presidential and parliamentary polls against a united grand opposition, Spotlight Zimbabwe reported.The shock news, which this publication has followed closely since March 2016, also comes amid reports that the International community is already warming up to a Mnangagwa presidency in 2017, with countries such as China, Britain, South Africa, Iran and recently Israel reportedly throwing their weight in support of the country's founding intelligence service minister.High ranking ruling party officials sympathetic to the vice president, have leaked details of how despite being endorsed as Zanu-PF presidential candidate for 2018 at its just ended Conference in Masvingo, Mugabe is all but going to step down for Mnangagwa to finish his term. It is also coming to light that Mugabe's endorsement by all structures of the party, was in fact allowed to happen to preserve cosmetic unity in the faltering liberation movement, while avoiding inevitable pandemonium likely to be caused by Mugabe's sudden exit."This is it," said a central committee member known for their vast business empire in the capital. "Honestly the party had to speak with one voice in Masvingo, but the truth of the matter is that Mnangagwa is now coming in. These are decisions made by this country's political elders and hardliners, and you know them. Their meetings and deliberations are not for public consumption."Another senior Politburo member said there is a feeling that Mnangagwa, if given a chance can prove himself and the reasoning is that he needs to rescue the party from electoral threats posed by former PM, Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T party together with ex-VP Joice Mujuru's Zim-PF, which are feared to be in an increasingly "dangerous position" to topple Zanu-PF from power in 2018."Spotlight Zimbabwe has been making a fair attempt to unravel the mystrey although you're not always getting the whole picture," he said. "Crocodile (Mnangagwa's nickname) is preparing for power as we speak. There is an urgent need for him to try and fill the first secretary's shoes, which are very big for anyone. Experience will be gained by finishing off his (Mugabe) term, because he is not in the best of health. Mnangagwa needs at least a year at the helm, to consolidate our election machinery to defeat Tsvangirai and Mujuru, who are being backed by the Pentagon with millions of dollars."The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.Disgruntled war veterans have openly supported Mnangagwa, whom they say is Zanu-PF's future, warning that blood could shed in the country, should anyone try to sabotage his elevation to succeed Mugabe.The stars also appear to be shinning on Mnangagwa at this very moment, as he can easily become the new president should anything happen to Mugabe while on his annual holiday in Singapore, according to the new Constitution's Sections 101(1) and 100(1), which read respectively as thus below:Section 101(1)"If the President dies, resigns or is removed from office  the first Vice-President assumes office as President until the expiry of the former Presidents term of office;"Section 100(1)"Whenever the President is absent from Zimbabwe or is unable to exercise his or her official functions through illness or any other cause, those functions must be assumed and exercised(a)by the first Vice-President;.."Mugabe might be forced to step down on health grounds and advanced aged upon his return to Zimbabwe at the end of January 2017, our informants said.Prominent opposition MDC-T legislator, Eddie Cross, has revealed in startling disclosure, that Mnangagwa is a step away from becoming president, adding that Zimbabwe has already gone through a bloodless coup since late 2014.Cross made the commensurate remarks, during a recent interview with the Kenya Citizen TV ( see video below starting from 17:08  19:47)."We've been through a political coup in the last six months," said Cross during the breakfast interview while in Kenya. "Mujuru was the vice president for 10 years, and was clearly the most popular politician in Zanu. In fact we in the opposition, in the MDC regarded Mujuru as our only real opposition in a democratic sense. We feared that she would become candidate for Zanu, because she held some popular sway in the country. We always wanted Mugabe to be the candidate against us because he's least popular, and has no pull anymore.""But a man called Mnangagwahas made a determined bid for power, and as part of that bid, the first thing he had to do was to destroy Mujuru, which he did. We call him the crocodile, and you know if a crocodile is threatened, he goes underwater you don't see him. The next time you see him it's too late. Well when Mujuru saw the crocodile coming it was too late, and she has been eliminated."..The reality is that Mnangagwa has become senior vice president, and therefore constitutionally, and politically he will assume the presidency, should the president die or be incapacitated. I think what's happening right now, is that Mugabe is handing authority to run the state, not to take over the presidency, but to run the state operationally to Mnangagwa."Insofar as the International community is concerned, China has promised to pump at least US$5billion, as support for a Mnangagwa administration economic rescue package. London is believed to be working on convincing International lenders, such as the IMF and World Bank, to open their doors to Harare, in order for the economy to begin recovery. Downing Street's diplomat in Harare, Ambassador Catriona Laing, has been accused by the opposition of supporting Mnangagwa's power agenda. Liang has however described Mnangagwa as a "slippery character".The ANC in South Africa, is also said to have come on board in solidarity with the VP. Their own vice president, Cyril Ramaphosa, was in the country last week attending the Zanu-PF Conference in Masvingo. Tehran is reportedly backing Mnangagwa, in order to perpetuate her anti-West foreign policy with Harare, while increasing military cooperation and eying Harare's virgin uranium reserves. Mnangagwa has travelled to Iran before, the latest being in 2012 when he was the country's defence minister.Israel on the other hand, according to government sources is being courted by the vice president, to help him with his command agriculture project, as he tries to turn the food security fortunes of the country around. Agriculture in Israel is a highly developed industry: Israel is a major exporter of fresh produce and a world-leader in agricultural technologies despite the fact that the geography of Israel is not naturally conducive to agriculture.Incoming PresidiumPresident: Emmerson Dambudzo MnangagwaFirst Vice President: General Constantino ChiwengaSecond Vice President: Kembo MohadiAND ORGrace Mugabe
JRs brother-led



How the Ministers of Dudley Senanayakes National Government handled the gentlemen Medical Officers in 1967 - exactly 50 years ago. There was no strike, only Work-to Rule campaign that paralysed the entire health services islandwide causing untold misery for two weeks from June 23 to July 8, 1967. However, the bitter lessons that the health authorities learnt was a blessing in disguise.

In March 1967, Dr. (Miss) S. I. Malalagama, a medical officer attached to the Lady Ridgeway (childrens hospital) in Borella treated a child for a throat ailment at the OPD. The medical officer was alleged to have advised against the parents wish to take the child back home with necessary instructions on medication. Earlier the health department administrators had made verbal request to OPD doctors that they must minimize admission of patients by persuading patients who sought admission in order to ease the congestion. The parents, as the story related, took the child to a private medical institution for consulting a specialist, where the child was diagnosed with diphtheria (a serious bacterial infection that affects the mucous membranes of throat nose). Someone had lodged a complaint with the health authorities, who after a preliminary inquiry, decided to interdict the medical officer concerned for negligence of duty, on the grounds that an error of diagnosis and inadequate treatment. Hospitals were without basic facilities and drugs. At the OPD, 19 doctors had to share a single thermometer!

Dr. R. P. Jayewardene, President of the GMOA who was also the brother of JR Jayewardene, the Minister of State, emphasized that the strike weapon should be the last resort after all other methods had failed to achieve their demands

The economy was in bad shape following nine years of mishandling by the two Bandaranaike governments of 1956-1964. A seven-party alliance headed by the UNP took over the reins in March 1965 promising sun and moon but failed to make available a few clinical thermometers to the leading childrens hospital in the city until March 1967, when the unfortunate episode occurred. Dr. R. P. Jayewardene, President of the GMOA who was also the brother of JR Jayewardene, the Minister of State, emphasized that the strike weapon should be the last resort after all other methods had failed to achieve their demands. He further stated that the time would not be far off when that strike weapon would have to be put into use; that would be when the govt would make an attempt to reduce the salaries/perks of medical officers. He continued, when our doctors try to do a job under trying conditions, it results in interdictions. The GMOA were determined to bring the administration of hospitals to confusion.

19 OPD Doctors shared a single thermometer!

The GMOA contested the findings of the Health Department. One of the charges listed in the show cause letter said, there was proof as per diagnostic papers that she had not checked and recorded the body temperature of the 6-year-old. However, the professionals of the GMOA did not act hastily, but made their own investigations into the matter and found the doctor was not guilty and that she had followed the procedures and taken all necessary precautions to treat the child as per the medical guidelines and good practices. The gentlemen of GMOA sought an appointment with the Health Department officials who reported the matter to higher authorities for disciplinary action against Dr. Malalagama, but washed their hands off like the present day bureaucrats; saying the matter was before the PSC and that it was beyond their purview. The Minister of Health M. D. H. Jayawardene was out of the country, hence the GMOA met the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister, (how the deputy minister was then known) Ms. Wimala Kannangara who did not like to interfere with the PSCs ruling knowing well that the senior public servants would not tolerate even an honest politician in the discharge of their sacred duty.

The first few patients received best attention and were extremely happy, while for the others it was a disappointment waiting for hours in long queues; and yet a large number had to return empty-handed

History of GMOA agitations

Inspired by the London-based Medico-Political Union established in 1914, which was later renamed the Medical Practitioners Union in 1922. Dr. Ludovyck of the Kandy Hospital formed the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), Kandy in 1926. It was initially restricted to the central region, and the purpose was for demanding salary revisions, travelling allowances or quarters for its members. The expanded provincial unit that covered the rest of the island too was re-named GMOA and it was registered in 1949 as a trade union. For the first time since GMOAs inauguration, the union launched their first strike at a time that doctors in any part of the world had ever dreamt of a such line of action. The outcome was triumphant and the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Govt granted an increase in salaries and a restricted form of private practice (channelling) too. All this before the consumerist oriented open economy and changes in the political culture that affected the value system. There was some level of corruption, but suppression of opposition, money laundering, the mafia etc never heard of.

Coming back to June 1967; the general membership of the union [not just the executive committee] met on June 21, and following a lengthy discussion agreed to launch a Work-to-Rule (W2R) campaign in all Government Hospitals, had the talks fail. Work to rule means doctors at the OPD would take their time to make full clinical examination of all patients who come before them and make a full record of those findings in their notes before taking up the next patient.

Work-to-rule campaign launched

On June 25, 1967, the work-to-rule campaign began as a sequel to the interdiction of Dr. Malalagama of LRH who along with her other 18 colleagues shared one thermometer in examining an average of 950 patients a day. The very first day of W2R recorded a drop of 60 % of examinations, causing disappointment to over 500 parents of sick children that included poorest of the poor. President of GMOA stated that, for any other grievances which they might have against the administration, they should find other avenues or methods by which they could express their disappointment and protest. The first few patients received best attention and were extremely happy, while for the others it was a disappointment waiting for hours in long queues; and yet a large number had to return empty-handed.

For the first time since GMOAs inauguration, the union launched their first strike at a time that doctors in any part of the world had ever dreamt of a such line of action!

In the absence of PM Dudley Senanayake, the GMOA met the acting Head of State, JR Jayewardene on June 26, who told the delegation led by his own brother that the case against Dr. Malalagama would be expedited and taken up on the next day, and warned that they should not take it too far. Union decided to continue with the TU action in spite of restlessness and misbehaviour by crowds at most of the city hospitals. By the 28th, overcrowding in wards became a severe problem for the authorities when the doctors admitted most patients quite unnecessarily. W2R continued for the sixth day without hope of an immediate settlement while congestion in all hospitals had reached unwieldy proportions. M. D. H. Jayeawardene, the Health Minister on his return summoned a delegation of the GMOA as the TU had rejected the Health Directors request for a second meeting, saying, we will in future talk only with the Minister. The GMOA in a statement to the media said that the child patient concerned was very much alive and that proved the diagnosis of the MO was correct.

DR. MALALAGAMAS AFFIDAVIT

Dr. Malagama, in March, handed over an affidavit to the ministry alleging unfair treatment and other irregularities and the manner in which the investigation was conducted by the Medical Superintendent and the Health Department officials, which the Director of Health Services wanted her to withdraw (following talks with GMOA) before considering her re-instatement to which the GMOA and the officer concerned agreed. She made a written withdrawal which was totally unacceptable to the Ministry Secretary C. Balasingham, as it included two conditions stating, subject to withdrawal of interdiction and no further action be taken against her on any other matter. The department described the conditions as vague and far too wide. The executive committee of GMOA met in an emergency session and appointed an action committee headed by Dr. R. P. Jayewardene who would meet daily and review the W2R situation in all hospitals and send out to the outstations its members to brief and step up the campaign. Intensified and extended to all specialized clinics in general hospitals, the W2R caused mayhem as the 7th day approached making the poor patient to suffer unthinkable misery. The adjourned inquiry on Dr. Malalagama was resumed on July 2. As the TU action reached its eighth day, the doctors at the OPD were faced with a stiff problem. Patients resisted refusing to use the conch for examination, as the linen on them were filthy and had not been replaced for weeks though 50 to 60 patients a day, and mostly barefooted had soiled them. Doctors lamented, but we have to W2R and examine them thoroughly otherwise we would get interdicted for negligence of duty. In the meantime, elementary hygiene was disregarded at LRH, an irate patient refused to place the child on a dirty couch, cursed the nations medical services and administration and took the child away. Patients crowded on hospital floors complained of being bitten by rats and were receiving treatment for rat bites. Frayed tempers and unending queues at OPDs, with mothers hugging sick children in the hot sun became a common sight.

On the 11th day, the Association of Medical Specialists intervened. Dr. P. R. Anthonysz, led a team of members who met the Minister and the President of GMOA and warned the warring parties on severe inconvenience caused in hospitals. Dr. R.P.Jayewardene assured them that they were keen to revert to normalcy, but the people would have to bear with them for a little longer and that all that GMOA asked was. the assurance that no action against Dr. Malalagama for the affidavit. Dr. Anthonysz said, In the struggle between the sick giant; the Health Dept. and another giant; the GMOA, it is the patient who would ultimately suffer. The lives of large mass of people were involved in the struggle.

In a another fanatical move, Dr. V. T. Herath Guneratne, Director of Health sent a circular to all MOs asking them to submit updates as per the format already distributed earlier or face salary suspension. The PSC inquiry lasted 12 hrs on its last sitting on July 4, where the father of the child patient involved in the controversy, named D. S. Anthonypillai giving evidence said that no doctor outside LRH wanted his child admitted to a hospital and that the private practitioner they consulted wanted them to go to LRH for a throat swab of the child. He was happy that Dr. Malalagama ordered a swab even before he mentioned this to her, which report indicated a negative result. On the 13th day of W2R, the General Nurses Union and Medical Specialists Association decided to give their wholehearted support to the GMOA and decried the action of administration for having interdicted the doctor.

On the 15th day of TU action; on July 8, the inquiring officer of Public Services Commission, Dr. J. V. Arulanandan reported that the charges against the MO has not being proved. The PSC recommended the immediate re-instatement of Dr. (Ms) S. I. Malalagama.

THE CURRENT SCENARIO

The current scenario involving the GMOA along with Health and Higher Education is much more complex an issue with utter selfishness, personal interests, jealousies, vituperative politics, conflict of interests, money, corruption, business, inter-party and intra-party conflicts with Ministers making divers comments with no direction or control; JVP, other Marxists, and the JO fishing in troubled waters, all combined to bring disaster to Free health services. Lets not talk, its a waste of time. When Parliament met on July 8, and during vote of thanks to Throne Speech, Pieter Keuneman, the Communist Party Chief and Opposition MP accused the GMOA of creating mayhem at hospitals where the poor had to suffer. He did not side with the doctors and blame the govt. He said, I understand that large numbers of patients at the OPD are not being treated. They are deliberately trying to create a situation to bring pressure on the govt for certain purposesthere is an open flouting of authority by the doctors - why is the government not taking any serious action on the matter (Hansard - 8/7/1967 - folio-68/69).

FIVE DECADES AGO-BOGUS PRESTIGE

JRs brothers involvement forced the government to stay out. What a sorry mess this whole affair was! The health ministry was trying to maintain a bogus prestige and the GMOA wielding the big stick. They brought credit neither to the Health Ministry nor to the GMOA, and in the ultimate analysis brought them both into disrepute. It was an administrative blunder of the highest magnitude. The interdiction was wrong, and should have been revoked immediately. That was the only matter that concerned the members of the GMOA. Dr. Malalagamas behaviour in submitting an affidavit is quite another topic, which was between her and the Department and was not relevant or connected to the issue and did not concern the GMOA. The situation that, you unconditionally withdraw your affidavit, and we will withdraw your interdiction was itself a condemnation of the interdiction and would be a comic interlude, where if not for the fact that thousands of poor and helpless patients had to bear endless suffering, if not death!
The internationally accredited, multi award-winning Lanka Hospitals Colombo awaits the imminent announcement of its millennial IVF(In Vitro Fertilization - commonly known as test-tube) baby delivery. Proven to be one of the most sophisticated facilities in South Asia, Lanka Hospitals Fertility Centres success is founded on its clinical and professional excellence as well as its success rate, which are on par with similar outfits in the developed world.

The celebrated Fertility Centre at Lanka Hospitals is operational throughout the year and is equipped with state- of- art facilities,with a higher rate of success in IVF without disrupting the female partners menstrual cycle. It has setseveral benchmarks in the sub-fertility field in Sri Lanka, including the first pregnancy throughVitrified embryo transfersgiving the couple several chances of conception with Frozen Embryo Replacement (FER).

Dr.Madara Ralapanawe Clinical Embryologist of Lanka Hospitals spoke of the high clinical standards of the processes involved in an IVF conception at the clinic.

Following the extraction of matureeggs from the ovariesin standard IVF, 2 to 3 eggs are inseminated with 80,000 to 100,000 sperms and will be kept in an incubator which mimics similar ambience of a fallopian tube - at 370 C  similar to body temperature, with 6% carbon dioxide and5% Oxygen. Even the culture media used is similar to content in the fallopian tube. Here, the sperm has to swim itself in the natural way. In ICSI, or (Intra Cyto-plasmicSperm Injection) where sperms are directly injected to mature eggs, the sperms entering of the egg can be confirmed in a lab setting. Similar to the natural process, the sperm will go-in and the egg will be fertilized becoming two pronucleai or a zygote andsubsequently at the cleavage stage further division of cells take place. The success rate of fertilization is higher in ICSI as the sperm is being directly injected to the egg and fertilization and cleavage are thesame as that occurs in the natural process. Explained Dr.Ralapanawe.

Lanka Hospitals not only ensures the privacy of the would- be parents but also renders vast convenience by ways of minimising hospital visits, treatment methods and hormonal injection administration, thus considerably reducing the disruption to their regular lifestyle during the IVF process.

The expectant couplesdo not have to transit in rented houses in Colombo just to visit the hospital throughout the cycle, which is the common practice here. As in any other developed part of the world we at Lanka Hospitals instruct the couplesto self-administer the hormone injections or to consult the doctor of their convenience.The female partner only has to make about 5 visits to the hospital for the whole treatment process including 3 visits for the scans, one for egg pick-up and one for embryo transfer. These are the new practices globally andLanka Hospitals has been practicing them for a significant period. Stated Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist of Lanka Hospitals, Dr. Nishendra Karunaratne.

Lanka Hospitals will be celebrating the birth of its millennial IVF baby, one of the most noteworthy accomplishments (since the clinics inception in 2008) in the Sri Lankan healthcare industry, in the near future.
Politicians and religious leaders today came together to protest against the War Crime Act which is to be presented to parliament today. A Pindapatha ceremony was held at the Sri Sambuddhaloka Vihara in Colombo to invoke blessings to military personnel who fought in the war. (Pix by Nisal Baduge)
The Mahanayake Theras of three Nikayas took the unanimous decision of discouraging the formulating of a new Constitution or bringing an amendment to the existing one without any knowledge of its contents, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake said today.

He said President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should have educated the Mahanayake Theras on this topic.

Responding to a question raised by a journalist at a recent press briefing, MP Ratnayake said the Mahanayake Theras were influenced by facts and figures presented by racist groups who assume the Cabinet would pass a Constitution harmful to the people of the country.

However, the MP said there was no evidence of a proposal to belittle the position accorded to Buddhism by the present Constitution.

He said the democratic process of the country should not be harmed by any religion, and that the countrys governance should not favour a particular religion. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have said the government should project a common stance on the SAITM issue instead of ministers making contradictory statements.

The Cabinet discussed this matter yesterday amid ministers expressing various views on it. Ministers like Rajitha Senaratne and S.B. Dissanayake are in favour of SAITM being operated as a non-state university while Ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka and Dayasiri Jayasekara asking that it be abolished.

However, against this background the President stressed the need for the government to take a common stance on this matter.

The government has proposed that SAITM be administered by a trustee and another proposal to reduce the fees charged from students. The President said all demands, other than the one for nationalising SAITM, had been met and pointed out that the final decision would be taken after the Supreme Court ruling on the matter. (Kelum Bandara)
From left: Lasitha Suraweera, Assistant Brand Manager, Sampath Bank and Tharaka Ranwala, Senior Deputy General Manager - Consumer Banking, Sampath Bank accepting the award from Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, Harin Fernando in the presence of Dileepa Wijesundara, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sri Lanka Telecom and Ajantha Seneviratne, Group Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Sri Lanka Telecom

Sampath Bank received double honours for its excellence in use of digital technologies at the inaugural SLT Zero One Awards held recently.

The bank was honoured with the Best Digital-Enabled Product / Service award in both the Overall and the Finance sector categories.

This recognition further underscores Sampath Banks expertise in leveraging emerging technologies to develop innovative financial solutions. Over the past 30 years, the bank has been the first to adopt several such technologies and introduce path breaking products to the Sri Lankan market that have revolutionised the countrys banking landscape. Sampath Bank was also adjudged the Most Innovative Bank in Sri Lanka at the recent LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2017.

The inaugural SLT Zero One Awards were organized by Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) with the objective of recognizing, honouring and encouraging excellence in digital initiatives in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is currently facing a shortage of sand and granite essential for the construction industry, spiralling the construction costs upwards, Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC (TKYO), the countrys largest cement manufacturer and supplier, said.

The shortages of key raw materials, such as sand and aggregates, put additional pressure on the overall industry prices, TKYO Managing Director S.R. Gnanam said.

He said restrictions on river sand mining and sand transport licences curtail the supply of the sand to the market and the Port City project is absorbing most of the immediately available granite rock in the country.

Overall, the construction industry saw the cost structures spiralling upwards during the year, Gnanam said, stressing that shortages of raw materials add to the pressures of uncertain local tax policies and developments in the external sector.

Sri Lankan construction costs are already considered one of the highest in the South and Southeast Asian regions.

In order to address the shortfalls in sand supply, TOKY last year set up a plant to manufacture sand, which the firm says it will expand, in order to address the rising demand for its ready-mix concrete products.

Despite the escalating construction costs, TOKY is expecting construction in the country to continue to expand in the future.

TOKY Chairman Dr. Harsha Cabral said that the government infrastructure projects such as the Megapolis Project, Central Expressway, Port City, expansion of the Southern Expressway and Phase III of the Outer Circular Highway, in addition to the development of apartments, housing, commercial spaces and hotels, would drive construction growth.

Construction made up 7.6 percent of Sri Lankas economic activity in 2016, up from 6.9 percent in 2016. The local arm of the real estate consultancy giant Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) recently said that Sri Lankas construction to gross domestic product is low compared to the countries at similar development levels. (CW)
Over the past 10 days, Beijing has released daily statements, either through its foreign ministry or state media, slamming Indias trespass over the on-going stand-off at the India-China-Bhutan trijunction near Sikkim.

In Beijing, it is unusual to see India dominating the daily foreign office press briefings. Usually, the first questions, often given to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) or the official Xinhua news agency, are on the United States relationship or the latest tensions with Japan.

Yet every day the past week, the pressure from China has been relentless, aiming strong statements at India not seen since perhaps the last major stand-off in the 1980s. China has even released photographs and maps. Why is China upping the ante?

There are several factors at play. The official explanation, from Chinese foreign ministrys spokesperson Geng Shuang, is that the trespass of Indian border troops took place at the defined Sikkim section of the China-India boundary, which is different in nature from the previous frictions and stand-offs between the two sides at the undefined sections of the China-India boundary.

Thus, he said, this incident is quite serious in nature. While China is correct in saying the border here is largely defined unlike the western sector, Beijings larger anger is at India interfering with what it says is a China-Bhutan issue.

Beijing has all but whitewashed Bhutans concerns which, in fact, sparked the stand-off on June 16 when the Royal Bhutan Army patrol confronted the PLA about a road it was building into an area disputed with Bhutan. China, however, sees it as Chinese territory. The Indian Army intervened two days later only when the PLA ignored Bhutans protests.

What explains the timing of the flare-up? Explanations have ranged from the Modi-Trump meeting on June 23 to Indias boycott of the May 14 One Belt, One Road forum. In my view, its a fools errand to come up with a conclusive answer.

Chinas motivations in sparking the 2013 stand-off in Depsang in the western sector are still being debated. Its perhaps more instructive to look at Chinas capabilities. It was only two years ago that Beijing opened an impressive newly-laid road network all the way to Yadong county, on the Chinese side of Nathu La.

I drove down the 700km distance from Lhasa in just around eight hours, to cover the arrival of the first batch of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims on the then newly opened route. As Chinas road networks and capabilities expanded towards Sikkim and the trijunction, it was perhaps a matter of time before Beijing began to eye the Doklam plateau that extends to the trijunction.

The hope now is for a de-escalation and return to the pre-June 16 status quo. Chinas public posturing, hopefully, hasnt narrowed the space for a face-saving exit for all parties. Whats also interesting in this instance is how China has invoked history, some would say very selectively, to justify its stand.

Beijing has repeatedly cited an 1890 Sikkim-Tibet treaty that fixes the trijunction at Mount Gipmochi, in line with Beijings claims, and far south of where India and Bhutan do, at Batang La.

On July 3, Beijing even cited a March 22, 1959, letter from Jawaharlal Nehru to Zhou Enlai, where he acknowledged that the boundary of Sikkim, a protectorate of India, with the Tibet Region of China was defined in the Anglo-Chinese Convention 1890 and jointly demarcated on ground in 1895.

Yet, not only in the same letter but in the very same paragraph, Nehru also writes that a treaty of 1842 between Kashmir on the one hand and the Emperor of China and Lama Guru of Lhasa on the other, mentions the India-China boundary in the Ladakh region and that in 1847 the Chinese government admitted that this boundary was sufficiently and distinctly fixed.

Nehru tells Zhou that as you are aware, the so-called McMahon Line runs eastwards from the eastern borders of Bhutan and defines the boundary of China on the one hand and on the India and Burma on the other.

Contrary to what has been reported to you, Nehru writes, this line was, in fact, drawn at a Tripartite Conference held at Simla in 1913-14 between the Plenipotentiaries of the governments of China, Tibet and India.

At the time of acceptance of the delineation of this frontier, Lonchen Shatra, the Tibetan Plenipotentiary, in letters exchanged, stated explicitly that he had received orders from Lhasa to agree to the boundary as marked on the map appended to the Convention. China doesnt recognise those two treaties.
It is no longer a secret that men in powerful positions often use their power to ensnare women which also involves some form of forced or coerced sexual exploitation. And Indian politicians have an extensive history of exploiting the vulnerable and marginalised.

In another such case of exploiting public position and the privileges attached to it, a BJP leader in Maharashtra, Ravindra Bawanthade, was caught in a CCTV camera forcing himself upon a 19-year-old student in a moving bus.

Bawanthade, 48, is a supervisor at a school at Nagbhid in Chandrapur district. The woman of his school filed a rape case against Bawanthade after CCTV footage of the crime inside the bus went viral. The accused was finally arrested on July 4.

According to this report, the video showed the BJP leader "kissing the woman" inside a Gadchiroli-bound bus and later forcing himself upon her. The incident took place on June 27.

The woman in her complaint had claimed it was the second time that Bawanthade "forced" himself upon her inside a vehicle. The BJP leader had lured her to come with him in the bus promising her a job.

She said Bawanthade had also promised to marry her.

Though there were passengers in the bus, surprisingly, no one seemed to be aware of what was happening around.

However, when the conductor spotted the two, Bawanthade initially claimed that he was trying to attend to the woman as she was not feeling well.

According to this report, the conductor found it hard to believe Bawanthade and alerted the bus driver. They later retrieved the CCTV footage and "recorded it on their mobile phones before sharing with each other".

While Bawanthade has been sent to police custody till July 6, the bus driver and conducter too were nabbed for making the footage viral on social media. They have been charged with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act for sharing the clip.

However, the entire episode is not as surprising as abominable because Bawanthade is not alone in his crime. He has an entire support system which is either complicit or incompetent of preventing sexual exploitation of women.

Crimes against women have reached epic proportions with each passing day despite the anti-rape rhetoric by politicians reaching a crescendo.

It cannot get more ironic since crimes against women have been a major poll issue of the BJP. Following the gruesome rape and murder of a para-medical student in Delhi in December 16, 2012, the BJP used the slogan "bahut hua naari par atyachaar, abki baar Modi sarkar" (promising zero tolerance against crime). However, despite having a BJP government at the Centre as well as most states, including Maharashtra, there has been little change in the scenario.

Even during the much-hyped Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP persistently targeted the Samajwadi Party for failing to protect the women population. However, despite the saffron party's landslide victory and measures like the introduction of anti-Romeo sqauds, promises on women's security and empowerment have meant nothing but lip service.

All this shows why women, one of the least-privileged sections, remain silent against sexual exploitation.
India is still lagging behind in scientific research by every metric of productivity and quality.

No doubt, investment and salaries have increased significantly in research in recent years, but still not sufficient to make an impact.

The prevalent dismissal working conditions, harassment and gross mismanagement that I experienced, could be the main reasons.

I would like share my experiences.

I returned to India in 2009 after working for eight years in the US, and three years in Europe at some of the best research institutions and universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, ICGEB (Trieste, Italy).

I published several papers in the best peer-reviewed journals. Though, my salary in India was meagre, I was happy to return and contribute.

I tried very hard to fit in at my institute and the organisation to deliver my best in research, teaching and training activities, but unfortunately, I did not get any support from anyone in my endeavours.

I was working in a national institute of occupational health but, ironically, the working conditions were dangerous and unhealthy. For instance, carcinogen-laden UV helmet was unmarked that I used unknowingly for months, open and unsecured blood contaminated and bio-hazardous waste.

The lab facilities such as culture lab was locked for weeks and the imaging microscope was locked for years. Even my office cabin was locked for years and I was forced to use a small instrument lab (for PCR and molecular biology) as my office. I did not get my requested instruments (basic and low cost) for four years. I was denied PhD guideship, though I had several peer-reviewed research publications, PhD from JNU, New Delhi (the premier university of India) and 10 years of research experience at the best institutions.

Many times, the scientific instruments are purchased, not based on utility, but their higher prices - because higher price gets more "commission".

I was denied an opportunity to present my research at the Gordon Conference even though my paper was accepted with financial assistance, and my applications for collaboration were delayed and denied.

I faced many hurdles from the administration such as no account of expenditure was provided after repeated requests. And when I tried to organise workshops or training seminars, I was forced to deal with petty issues.

I raised all these issues to the highest level (from the director of the institute to the director-general of my organisation) but no action followed. Only the harassment continued.

Still, I kept trying for almost five years, but only to get more stressed and frustrated.

At last, I resigned but my resignation was labelled as conditional and I was subjected to further harassment by sham investigations and inquiries and, at one point, I was intimated to surrender my passport.

My job applications to other government agencies were blocked to cause serious damage to my career and my research. I feel betrayed by the system back home.

Finally, I left the country and came back to the US.

I may not be the only one, there may be many more who returned to India and got their talent wasted and might be feeling the same way as I do.

Although, I worked in one of the most stressful and unhealthy work environments in my research career, but still I had some satisfaction of training and educating young minds and delivering lectures.

In hindsight, I think it was the students' affection and their keen desire to learn which kept me motivated during those five years. I witnessed the worst management with no accountability and pathetic apathy.

This might be the case in most of the institutions barring only few. Many times, the scientific instruments are purchased, not based on utility, but their higher prices - because higher price gets more "commission".

Less than 10 per cent of the instruments are ever utilised with less than 1 per cent instruments lifetime use time, especially for expensive equipment (Rs 5,000,000 (about US $80,000) or above).

The prevalent mismanagement, corruption and stressful and unhealthy work-environment are wasting the talent and scarce resources of a poor country and bleeding the science.

I believe whatever small percentage of the GDP India is spending on science, most of it is a waste.

Mismanagement and stressful work environment discourage any scientist or researcher to do any meaningful and quality research.

Most of the top leadership of research institutes /organisations such as directors, director-generals, vice-chancellors are appointed in their mid-50s (55+) who worked (tolerated) in the same system for 20-30 years.

This type of leadership is complacence and they are afraid to take any risk, which could jeopardise retirement or post-retirement career.

Institutions do not have any transparency, accountability and/or established grievance resolution process. Notoriously delayed justice (of 15-20 years) through judicial courts is only encouraging this practice.

Policies and regulations do not work in absence of good people to implement and enforce. It is high time for India, not just to make additional policies or regulations, but to disrupt the prevailing complacency and culture of mismanagement, harassment and corruption in institutions by recruiting the best scientists in their mid-40s from outside of institutions, as leaders with "animal spirit" (as Dr Manmohan Singh, former prime minister, used to refer to).
News / National

by Staff reporter

VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa - who has been under attack from Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo over the manner in which command agriculture is being handled - yesterday slammed the minister, describing him as a destructive element, during a fact-finding mission at the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Lions Den depot near Chinhoyi.Mnangagwa, without naming Moyo, said Zimbabweans should not lose sleep over comments by destructive elements, who sought to diminish government programmes.He said he was happy that his principal, President Robert Mugabe, was content with command agriculture and was not worried about sideshows."When you come to join the scheme, follow the rules. There are some who call it ugly culture, but thank God, our President called it beautiful culture," Mnangagwa said."Let them talk while we continue to do well on the farms. The maize will continue to grow and then we harvest and deliver it to the GMB, while the prophets of doom continue to criticise."He was apparently responding to Moyo, who is very vocal against command agriculture, which he has described as "command ugly culture", claiming it was being abused by Mnangagwa's supporters to create a platform for the Vice-President to succeed Mugabe.Moyo has also taken on Mnangagwa and command agriculture, saying the programme was being corruptly run.Mnangagwa said command agriculture had been a success and funding would be increased from $165 million to $487m next season.He said the government was in the process of buying driers to deal with the problem of high content moisture.Agriculture permanent secretary, Ringson Chitsiko said farmers should get 20% of their total money instantly for grain deliveries and the rest after two weeks.Mugabe at a rally in Masvingo last week praised the programme, calling it "beautiful culture", but did not censure Moyo for attacking the programme.Yesterday, Information minister Christopher Mushohwe, during a tour of a local company in Harare, also said Moyo's allegations were mere talk without substance and would not deter Cabinet from carrying out government programmes."He (Moyo) has a constitutional right to vent his anger and hate on Twitter and to say the things he wants to," Mushohwe said."But allegations of corruption have to be backed by evidence. Just saying there is corruption is not enough. The government is happy with the programme."
There has been a long-standing demand among Zionists, Jews dedicated to a homeland for the Jews scattered throughout the world. After World War I, the British government sent Lord Balfour in 1917 to grant the Zionists a part of Palestine as the holy land of the Jews.

Lord Balfour gave the Balfour declaration to the Jewish banker Lord Rothschild to pass it on to the Zionist leadership. However, this action had no ratification from the League of Nations.

Britain had no right to give the land to the Zionists who themselves had no right to it. Interestingly, the Balfour declaration stated that there should be no violation of the religious or civil rights of the non-Jewish peoples. The Zionists violated that condition, as they violated virtually all agreements they were party to.

In 1947, there was the UN Partition Plan dividing Palestine between Israel and Palestine. There were few decolonised countries who were members of the UN. India opposed the UN Partition Plan and did not accept the creation of Israel.

This was followed by the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948, where the Nakba or terrible disaster led to the expulsion of over 7,00,000 Palestinians from Palestine. They and their ancestors were never allowed to return to their homeland.

Also in 1948, the Zionist gangs including the Irgun and Stern gangs attacked friendly Palestinian villages like Deir Yassin in which hundreds were killed. The Zionist gangs and their underground army, Haganah, bombed the King David Hotel in Palestine, killing the UN envoy Count Bernadotte.

From 1948 to the attack on the Suez Canal in 1956, to the 1967 Palestine-Israel war, then the 1973 war, and finally the assault on Gaza by Israel some years ago, in which 2,200 Palestinians were killed including 550 children, the imperial wars have continued. More than $1 billion of damages including the destruction of Gaza resulted.

These wars are punctuated by a serious of assaults on Palestinian civilians as the Zionist machine occupies more and more Palestinian land.

Lately, an extreme right-wing Zionist Knesset (Parliament) member Yehuda Glick has warned the Palestinians that their actions could lead to the destruction of the holy Al-Aqsa mosque. This has led to a series of knife attacks by Palestinians incensed by the threat to the holy shrine. Many of the Palestinian revolting have been shot dead.

India opposed the UN Partition Plan and did not accept the creation of Israel. Photo: Reuters

The world has not stood still. As many as 78 resolutions have been passed by the UN on the Palestine-Israel question. They have been vetoed by the US and its allies. There are many more Jews in the US than in Israel. The occupation of Jerusalem continues. Palestinian civilians continue to die. There are few secrets the world over about this occupied land.

So why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi going to this brutal and criminal country? Why is he becoming the first Indian PM to visit this racist and imperial country?

There are many Jews like the linguist and scholar Noam Chomsky, the famous international jurist Richard Falk, and Israeli historian Ilan Pappe (who had to leave Israel in 2008 and is teaching in the US) - all of them reject the Zionist and racist creation of Israel.

Therefore, why is our Prime Minister so keen to go to Israel? In the last important Israeli visit to India by former president and veteran leader Shimon Peres, senior BJP leader LK Advani reportedly asked Peres for suggestions on how to deal with Kashmir. Peres, a very wily leader, suggested that India should populate the Kashmir valley with non-Kashmiris.

The increasing tempo of attacks and lynchings shows the Prime Ministers inadequate response to rising communalism. What better exposure than Israel for the BJP to show the way to suppress minorities and all those who do not accept the diktats of the NDA?
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

A Mutare Rural District Council's Chief Executive officer and director for Destiny for Africa Nework Obadiah Msindo is alleged to have forced the villagers to contribute $1 for the stone sculpture handed over to President Robert Mugabe on June 16.Heal Zimbabwe trust reported that residents of Destiny Park in Dangamvura ward 15 were forced to make $1 contributions per household on the 10th of June 2017 by Destiny for Africa Network officials acting on instructions from Obadiah Musindo the leader of Destiny for Africa Network."The money was meant to buy a stone sculpture of President Mugabe. The stone sculpture was handed over to the President on the 16th of June 2017 in Mutare during the Zanu PF youth interface rally. The residents were all ordered to attend the rally at Sakubva stadium as a way of showing their allegiance to the President," said the trust.The trust also said Zanu PF youths moved around schools ordering school authorities to release buses that were used to ferry Zanu PF supporters to the rally that was attended by the President at Sakubva Stadium in Mutare on the 16th of June 2017."Notable buses present at the rally include St Columbus Secondary School, Mutambara Secondary School, Marange Secondary School, Mweya Mutsvene and Gaza high school among many other buses," said the trust.In Nyanga South-Nyanga South Legislator and Minister for Information, Communication and Technology and Courier Services Hon Supa Mandiwanzira allegedly forced farmers to chant Zanu PF slogans during a community Horticulture field day in Mapagu Nyanga on 24 June 2017."This was regardless of the fact that the farmers were coming from different political persuasions," the trust claimed.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

A village head in Mashonaland Central, Mt Darwin ward 34 has reportedly been threatened with death by a Zanu PF official after he refused to chant Zanu PF slogan.This was revealed by Heal Zimbabwe Trust in its latest report."Zanu PF youth, John Karikoga and Fonas Mudzedzereki threatened village head Webster Kabongane with death after he refused to chant the Zanu PF slogan at a Zanu PF meeting at Pakamutsenzere Primary School on the 19th of June 2017, said the trust.The trust said in Muzarabani North the Zanu PF District Chairman Denshot Mazarura, Muzarabani South Legislator Alfred Mafunga and Zanu PF ward chairman Ringson Chinyere took over a staff recruitment exercise at COTTCO centre where they considered people with Zanu PF membership cards only and turned away known opposition supporters."They also ordered those who were recruited to first chant Zanu PF slogans before they were considered. This took place on the 22nd of June 2017," said the trust."In Muzarabani North ward 8 the Zanu PF District Chairman Denshot Mazarura confronted and intimidated Mr Drymond, a white farmer in Muzarabani ward 8. Mazarura confronted Drymond and threatened to chase him away from his farm after he purchased red work suits for his workers. Mazarura accused Drymond of being an MDC T supporter by virtue of purchasing red work suits for his workers. This took place on the 24th of June 2017 at ARDA farm."The trust said in Muzarabani North ward 22 on the 28th of June 2017 in village 1, Councillor Sarudzai Mutyavaviri and Tatenda Mudzavani (Zanu PF youth leader ) called for a public meeting where they addressed and threatened community members with violence if they do not vote for Zanu PF in the 2018 general elections.
News / National

by Simbarashe Sithole

Three Harare men have been jailed for five years after appearing in court before Masvingo magistrate for human trafficking on Tuesday.According to court documents, Howard Munyanyi (31) , Tatenda Mudangi (19) and Edlian Wyne (20) teamed up and carried four Mozambican nationals in a Honda fit who were seeking for employment in Zimbabwe.The documents further states that on 30 May Munyanyi was driving a Honda fit registration number ADX 8962 with six passengers on board.The car was stopped by Masvingo police at a roadblock where they discovered the four who were going to Gutu to seek employment.The suspects were arrested and remanded in custody to 4 July while the Mozambicans were deported.The suspects were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and 2 years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
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News / National

by Staff reporter

A SENIOR Zapu official has sensationally remarked that President Robert Mugabe does not deserve to be buried at the National Heroes Acre because of his role in activities that contributed to Zimbabwe's poor human rights record.John Dlamini, Zapu's deputy national organising secretary, said there was sufficient evidence to deny the Zanu-PF leader a place at the national shrine.He spoke as emotions are still high over Zanu-PF's refusal to grant renowned musician Dick Chingaira national hero status despite his immense contribution to the liberation struggle.Otherwise known as Cde Chinx, Chingaira was buried recently at the Glen Forest Memorial Park, on the outskirts of Harare, after succumbing to cancer.Zanu-PF had demeaned him to a lesser status of liberation war hero and was supposed to be buried at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre but his family opted to inter his remains at a private cemetery."Because of his record of human rights abuses, Mugabe does not even deserve to be buried at the National Heroes Acre should he die for he has insulted the very essence of humanity," said Dlamini."Places such as the Heroes Acre were originally created for well-meaning sons and daughtersa qualification Mugabe does not have".He was addressing a gathering at a public meeting at Mtshazo Business Centre in Gwanda North constituency last week.Dlamini narrated how Mugabe, using the North Korean trained Fifth Brigade, descended on civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.He also spoke about Operation Murambatsvina, which resulted in the demolition of illegal structures and the displacement of families.He also gave reference to a recent incident where Zanu-PF thugs went on a rampage and beat up a headman and his family in Insiza District over a land dispute."For these and many other violations against Zimbabweans, Mugabe does not deserve to be buried at the national shrine, let alone to even be considered for burial at all," he said.
RICHMOND  William C. Morva is set to be executed at 9 p.m. Thursday for shooting two men to death during an escape more than a decade ago, unless Gov. Terry McAuliffe intervenes.

The mother of deputy Eric Sutphin, who was shot and killed by Morva, said she hopes he is executed, while Sutphins daughter is among those asking the governor to spare his life.

Jeaneen Sutphin, the deputys mother, said she hopes the execution proceeds as scheduled, but feels empathy for Morvas family.

I have no hatred for this creature who shot him execution-style. I just want justice for my son, Sutphin, 85, told The Roanoke Times on Wednesday afternoon in her Montgomery County home. If this comes to pass  if I shed a tear tomorrow, it will be for William Morvas mother, for I know where she will be.

Sutphins daughter, Rachel Sutphin, said in an email to reporters that she sent McAuliffe a letter requesting clemency for the man who murdered her father.

I am against the death penalty for religious and moral reasons. I have fought and will continue to fight for clemency for all death row inmates until Virginia declares the death penalty unconstitutional, she said.

Lawyers for Morva, 35, have petitioned McAuliffe asking him to commute the sentence from death to life without parole. They contend Morva suffers from delusional disorder and, at the time of the slayings, believed his life was in danger at the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on attempted robbery charges.

They argue the jury was given incorrect information about the nature and severity of his illness, diagnosed by a forensic psychiatrist appointed by a federal judge years after his trial. United Nations experts on executions and mental health support clemency along with some Virginia legislators and others.

Morva was in custody in 2006 when he escaped from the hospital where hed been taken with concerns of a sprained leg and wrist after allegedly falling. At about 2:30 a.m., Morva overpowered the deputy who was guarding him, took his gun and beat him. He then shot to death Derrick McFarland, 32, an unarmed hospital security guard. The following day he shot and killed Eric Sutphin, 40, a sheriffs deputy who was searching for the escapee.

In a letter to McAuliffe last month, Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary K. Pettitt urged the governor to not interfere with the jury verdict and to let the sentence be carried out. She wrote that the fairness of Morvas trial has been reviewed repeatedly and upheld in the courts.

She wrote that experts found prior to his trial that Morva had several issues including schizotypal personality disorder with narcissistic features. That information was all available to Morva and his lawyers at the time of his trial and that it was absurd to contend 10 years after the trial that the original experts were wrong, wrote Pettitt.

Morva is set to die by injection in the death house at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt. If carried out, it will be the 113th execution in the state since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976, a toll second only to Texas, with 542, among states with the death penalty.

In a statement released by the U.N. on Wednesday, Agnes Callamard, the special rapporteur for arbitrary executions, and Dainius Puras, special rapporteur for mental health, said: We are deeply concerned about information we have received indicating that Mr. Morvas original trial did not meet fair trial safeguards, which include reasonable accommodation in all stages of the process, and may therefore have breached international standards.

The U.N. officials said Wednesday that Morvas condition has caused him to cease all communication with his legal team hampering their ability to defend him as his execution approaches.

We are concerned at Mr. Morvas deteriorating psychosocial condition. The denial of reasonable accommodation in detention can be considered a form of discrimination against him because of his mental health condition, they said.

Dawn Davison, one of Morvas lawyers, said that as of late Wednesday, 24 state delegates and senators have publicly supported the clemency request. More than 34,000 signatures have also been collected on petitions urging clemency, she said.

It is not known when McAuliffe, who had been on a trade mission in Europe until last Friday, will reach a decision Thursday. A spokesman said Wednesday that Morvas petition was under consideration.
As the population in and around Crozet continues to increase, the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority is beginning to consider ways to increase water capacity.

This summer, a contractor will begin analyzing the Crozet area in preparation for a Drinking Water Infrastructure Plan.

Aaron Duke with Hazen and Sawyer, the engineering firm that will be completing the DWIP, told the Crozet Community Advisory Committee at its most recent meeting that the firm will be looking at historical plant production and water usage data, Albemarle County planning forecasts, development patterns and other data to understand how much finished drinking water is going to be needed over the next 25 to 50 years for the Crozet service area.

Based on that information, we can start to assess  from a supply standpoint, from a treatment standpoint and from a distribution standpoint  how much do we need to do, Duke said. Are we adequate? Do we have enough water supply capacity already? How is our treatment plant?

Currently, the RWSA is permitted to withdraw and treat 1 million gallons per day at the Crozet Water Treatment Plant.

According to documents, average day usage of water has increased steadily over the past several years, which is in line with regional water demand forecasts, but maximum day demands in Crozet have consistently been 1.8 times the average. RWSA staff is anticipating the need for more than 1 million gallons per day of treatment plant capacity, which would need to be provided as soon as the summer of 2022.

The spread between our top 10 peak days used to be 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, so yeah, theres something going on on one day that caused something to happen, RWSA Chief Engineer Jennifer Whitaker said. Now were seeing two, three days over a hot summer week, and then two to three days the following week and then somebody needs to fill a pool, and then, and then and then. Were seeing a much more consistent rise in that maximum condition more often thats causing us to need to have the ability to treat and respond to it.

The RWSA already has some improvements in the pipeline to address immediate needs.

The Crozet finished water pumping facilities will be replaced starting this year, and a design engineer is currently working on a preliminary engineering report for an expansion of the Crozet water treatment plant. According to the RWSA Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Years 2017-2021, those have an estimated cost of $2.6 million and $250,000, respectively.

Doug March, RWSA senior civil engineer, said both projects are needed to be able to consistently deliver an increased system capacity to the Crozet drinking water system.

Were going to go ahead and expand the existing water treatment plant, March said. Were going to take it to 1.5, maybe even a little bit more, million gallons per day and update its capacity from 1.0 [million gallons per day], which is current.

The current safe yield of the Beaver Creek Reservoir, which supplies water to Crozet, is 1.8 million gallons per day, March said, which was established in 2002 during the drought of record.

Were getting close, so theres going to be some permitting issues weve got to look at, and thats where the state [Department of Environmental Quality] comes in, and that is also going to be evaluated in the DWIP, March said.

The RWSA is the water wholesaler to the Albemarle County Service Authority, which in turn sells water to residential customers.

ACSA Executive Director Gary OConnell said they are serving about 8,400 people in the Crozet jurisdictional area  which is larger than the development area  with about 3,200 accounts. About 95 percent of the water customers are residential. Since 2010, the ACSA has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of connections in Crozet.

Our staffs spent a lot of time the last couple months just trying to identify who the customers are, who are the big users, are there any big users we can work with to try to help reduce consumption, he said. The big users in Crozet are the residents that are here.

OConnell said that they have 59 irrigation customers in Crozet, and that in peak months, irrigation accounts for about 4 percent of the water use. The breweries in the area, he said, account for less than 3 percent of the monthly water use.

I actually spent a lot of time with the breweries trying to understand their use, and theyre pretty darn efficient with their use, he said.

There also will need to be upgrades made to the Beaver Creek dam to meet updated state regulations, and the preliminary engineering report for the dam, which is due to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation by June 2018, will be coordinated with the DWIP.

If we need more water and we have to modify the dam, which could lead to a conclusion we need to raise the dam and the water level, we want to do that collaboratively and collectively, not two separate projects, but one project, RWSA Executive Director Bill Mawyer said. Thats what the long range part of this project is, to study if we need more water supply for the Crozet service area.

If we find that the community doesnt need any additional water for 50 years, significantly, were at the end of the study because that is the answer, Mawyer said. If we find we need something in 25 years or 30 years, now weve got to start formulating some alternatives, working with DEQ with what theyre going to agree with, how much water theyre going to let us take out of the reservoir.

The DWIP is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is doing everything within the new constitution to ensure that the 2018 harmonised elections are credible and peaceful.This was said by ZEC Commissioner Qhubani Moyo at a workshop organised by the University of Zimbabwe Department of English and Media Studies in Harare this Wednesday.The workshop, which focused on the role of the media in elections in a democratic dispensation, brought together students, academics, representatives of diplomatic missions, government representatives and UZ Vice Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura.From the time of the last elections in 2013, a lot of changes have occurred in Zimbabwe's electoral laws and some of the reforms should help in reducing doubts and misgivings among stakeholders.Some of the changes include the way in which ZEC commissioners are appointed and the taking over of voter registration from the Registrar General's Office to ZEC and ward-based voting system.In his presentation at the occasion, ZEC Commissioner Qhubani Moyo explained that there should not be misgivings about dead people in the voters roll as the new biometric voter registration which records the voters biological features like finger prints, eye and facial features will be used in the coming election.He also highlighted that every voter will be registered at just one polling station of the district of his choice as opposed to the past when a voter's name would appear at every polling station in the whole ward, and such issues often gave rise to disputes.Mr Moyo also categorically stated that it is not possible to have a voters roll without dead people but it is not permissible to allow the dead to vote.Coming to the elections administration body itself, Mr Moyo explained that there is no room for inclusion of partisan members as parliament is also involved in the nomination of commissioners giving himself, a former MDC candidate, as an example of the transparency of the selection process.Other speakers at the occasion included Professor Nyagura who emphasized that journalists should execute their constitutional mandate in a responsible manner to ensure continued peace and harmony among the people.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A Mvuma-based Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa, Forward in Faith (ZAOGA) Pastor has been given marching orders after he was found sleeping in the bed of a church secretary Theresa Kundishora last week.Sources said Pastor Kudzai Makusha who then went for a hearing in Harare did not dispute that he spent a night in Kundishora's bed but insists that he was alone. He allegedly said Kundishora went and slept at another house after he asked for accommodation when he got stranded in Mvuma late on Tuesday night.However, the church superiors would not hear any of that and they fired Makusha after the hearing.Makusha was allegedly found in Kundishora's bed at 7am when women elders raided Kundishora's place after being told that their Pastor had slept there.Sources said members of the congregation did not believe that Pastor Makusha slept alone as there were rumours that he and the secretary were an item.The matter infuriarated Mvuma parishioners who complained to the hierachy.Tandros Makusha who is the overseer for Chivhu and Mvuma referred questions to Dr Washington Rupapa but Dr Rupapa said he was not aware of the matter.Pastor Makusha's mobile number was not reachable while Kundishora promised to call back after finishing an assignment she was doing.The Mirror understands that the incident happened after the Church's Prayer Convention held in Chivhu on June 11 2017.After the Convention, Makusha allegedly accompanied his wife to Harare where he left her at her parents' place.He is said to have returned to Mvuma on Tuesday evening and sought a place at Kundishora's place after failing to get transport to Musena, his workstation that is 6km outside Mvuma.In the morning, the owner of the house allegedly alerted women elders in the church that their pastor was with Kundishora at her place.Sources said elders, Christina Sithole and Maria Chiheya went to the house and knocked at the door and Kundishora opened the door and they saw Makusha sleeping in her bed.According to some whatsaap chats in the hands of The Mirror, Makusha is said to have insisted during the hearing that he had not slept with Kundishora.He allegedly said that Kundishora only came back in the morning just before the women elders arrived.He said he had to seek accommodation from Kundishora because she was the only person that he knew in Chivhu.
Opinion / Columnist

The study and understanding of Politics is like the study and understanding of history and archeology, book knowledge and descriptive lectures cannot give one a true sense of reality of what real politics is, if one needs to familiarise themselves with the actual truth then one needs to humble himself out of the comfort of the present time and go back into the yesteryears and dig for the political and ideological remains of comrades such as Magamba Tongogara, Chairman Chitepo, Leopold Takawira, Jason Ziyapapa Moyo and many more whose names are too important to be mentioned. The comrades mentioned above define politics in its linguistic and ideological meaning. It is sadistic however that our politics today is defined by tall people with a very short political history and fat people with very slim brains . These people are schooled but not educated, they went through a racial education system where someone who could speak the British accent better would be awarded a scholarship and a degree. Today These people move around with exaggerated titles, calling themselves professors of politics and masters of strategy. Such people are very dangerous to our society as they pose a danger not only to us but to four children and generations to come as well. One such person is professor Jonathan Nathaniel Moyo.For a long time I have preoccupied myself with trying to come to an understanding of the nature of a person Jonathan Moyo is and I have come to the conclusion that he leaves in his own world with his own gods; who I must say they are very crazy. His gods are very crazy because they have given him an artificial intelligence to think that he knows everything and everyone; his artificial intelligence has led him to doubt everything including his own sexuality as he is often accused of being an unrepentant homosexual who sleeps with anything that has a hole on it. This "hole" professor made headlines when he used to be a fierce critic of President Robert Mugabe in the 90s. I shall not narrate much about what happened after that but allow me to sum up his entire political life as that of a woman who has been married four times and divorced three times because of infidelity.The hole professor's gods must be crazy because he claims his father was killed during Gukurahundi by Zanu PF but today he is not only a member of Zanu PF, he is also politburo member and sits in the highest decision making body where he is secretary for Science and Technology, he is also a cabinet minister responsible for Higher and tertiary education. Whilst his crazy gods are smiling, his late father (MHSRIP) is spinning and turning in his shallow grave watching his son coming in and out of Zanu PF HQ and crafting manifestoes to keep Zanu PF in power. The hole professor's gods must be crazy because in 1995, the professor stated that , "before you laugh at kids who believe in father Christmas, think of adults who believe in Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF" I say his gods are crazy because fast forward to 2017, a hole adult, a hole father and a hole professor is now a self proclaimed defender of President Mugabe's throne. Its now more easy for adults to believe in father Christmas than for a kid to believe that Jonathan Moyo genuinely is in support of President Mugabe and is defending his throne. If truth be told Jonathan Moyo's defence for president Mugabe is a typical case of a crocodile helping the goats to cross the river.Jonathan Moyo' s gods must be crazy if they want us to think that the hole professor's hatred for Vice President Mnangagwa is inspired by the Tsholotsho fall out. Let it be said here now that Jonathan Moyo has rural hatred against the VP and that hatred started ever since he left his mother's womb. Am now beginning to think that Jonathan Moyo had a sinister agenda during Tsholotsho against the VP. Remember jonathan Moyo joined the Tsholotsho train in its late stages and whilst many might think that it was the ever obedient son who sold out during tsholotsho, I'm now forced to think thank it was Jonathan Moyo who wanted to eliminate Emmerson Mnangagwa from the equation. One would then argue that Jonathan was fired from the party after tsholotsho but one should also remember that Jonathan Moyo had the most funded campaign in the parliamentary elections and went on to win as an independent candidate, now the question is where did he get the funding? Let it be said here now that this agenda against VP Mnangagwa started way back and its only now that the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to show the correct image. If truth be told Jonathan Moyo is on someone's payroll to discredit VP Mnangagwa but its only a matter of time before the oil settles on top of the waterThe clock is ticking, the days are passing, The hole professor is laughing at the success of command agriculture an going to the extent of terming it "The Command Ugly Culture" whilst you wonder why a hole cabinet minister and a hole professor who benefited from the programme would criticise it and even call it Ugly culture; you can only understand the professor' reasoning after analysing the shape of his head.All being said and done, politics being politics, the gods who created Jonathan Moyo Must be crazy because they are showing the world how someone can live with a very big head and very little brainsIchooooooooo!
Mumbai: Tata Sons on Wednesday rejected the allegations that its ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry made against managing trustee of Tata Trusts R Venkataramanan and linking him to some wrongdoings at AirAsia India.

"We strongly reject the statement from Mistry which seeks to insinuate wrongdoings in the affairs of AirAsia India by Venkataramanan," Tata Sons said in a statement.

It also said AirAsia India has taken definitive steps both in civil and criminal courts which have cleared the air in relation to the "mischievous allegations" made by the SP Group companies at the NCLT proceedings.

"Contrary to any allegations, Tata Sons denies any conduct which could be said to be oppressive or resulting in mismanagement. We are of the view that these frivolous allegations levelled by Mistry and the SP Group are value- destructive," the statement added.

Stating that Mistry's allegations and actions since his ouster has been hurting the group, the statement said, "it is ironical that Mistry continues to make statements that his actions are in the interest of the Tata Group. On the contrary, his actions thus far have consistently harmed the reputation of the Tata Group."

"Tata Sons continues to evaluate its legal options in this regard as we have the highest respect for the judiciary and has never resorted to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings as alleged by Mistry."

After being summoned by a local court to appear before it on August 24 in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Venkataramanan on Tuesday, Mistry had accused the Tatas of subverting the legal system and warned that they could not muzzle him in with defamation suits.

"The attempt to initiate criminal prosecution for alleged defamation is an ill-advised and immature proxy battle through Venkataraman whose role in Air Asia India is a subject matter of several investigations by law enforcement agencies.

"The move by the Tata trustees to attempt to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings will be effectively and appropriately dealt with. We believe in the legal system and know such subversion of justice systems will meet its fate," Mistry had said after Venkataramanan's Rs 500 crore defamation complaint was accepted by a local court in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate's Court took cognisance of the Rs 500-crore defamation complaint filed by Venkatramanan against Mistry and others, and had directed them to appear before it on August 24.

After he was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons on October 24, 2016, Mistry, in an e-mail, had alleged that fraudulent transactions worth Rs 22 crore had taken place at the group's aviation venture and accused Venkatramanan of having tried to cover it up.

The issue, however, is now being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. On April 17, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed a petition by two firms belonging to the Mistry family, seeking waiver of an eligibility condition for moving the forum against Tata Sons. Mistry later challenged this at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.

The two firms had sought to challenge Mistry's ouster from Tata Sons and alleged that there was mismanagement and oppression of minority shareholders. They urged NCLT to use its discretion and waive an eligibility condition for filing such a petition.
Indians are aspirational of owning iconic brands like Harley Davidson and Triumph which made the bank launch the offer.

Mumbai: As the higher engine displacement 'super bikes' catch fancy of the Indian consumer, Axis Bank today introduced a special loan product, offering to fund up to 95 per cent of the costs.

The loans, which are for motorcycles with an engine displacement of over 500 cubic centimetres (cc), will come at a price tag of 10-11 per cent per annum. The third largest private sector lender's executive director Rajiv Anand said many Indians are aspirational of owning iconic brands like Harley Davidson and Triumph which made the bank launch the offer.

In a statement, the bank said the leisure biking segment is expected to grow at 30 per cent per annum over the next three years on high consumer spending and increasing population of high net worth individuals.

While calculating the loan to value ratio which has been capped at 95 per cent, the bank will consider accessory funding along with the cost of the bike, it said.

There are over a dozen brands which are offering bikes in the segment with almost all of them having entered the country in the last decade. These bikes come with a price tag between Rs 5 to Rs 50 lakh.

The segment had witnessed sale of over 3,000 units last year. Axis Bank said the average age of customers buying such bikes has declined to the 30s from the 40s two years ago, and the sales are helped by riding clubs and other adventure activities. Sales of these bikes are not limited to the metros alone, with tier-II and tier-III cities also witnessing some traction, the bank said.

It can be noted that the high percentage of stressed loans, coupled with waning demand, from the corporate side is making all the banks focus more on the resilient retail lending segment. Axis Bank is among the worst hit private sector lenders on NPAs.
Amaravati: Increasing national wealth by curbing black money and tax evasion, and distributing the economic benefits to all is the main objective of GST, says Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu.

"The main aim of GST, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed as Good and Simple Tax, is to simplify the taxation process, reduce the burden of taxes (which will eventually happen automatically) and ensure compliance of tax payment.

"This will curb black money and lead to increase in national income and reduce the tax burden on people as the number of tax-payers will go up," Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters at Atkuru village near Gannavaram this afternoon.

"Some people are deliberately trying to create apprehension among people over GST. Any reform will cause some trouble initially. "There was some trouble immediately after demonetisation. In a way, we get used to things but if we change a bit and go ahead, tax evasion will reduce. Also, the tax burden will reduce and the middlemen system will vanish," he pointed out.

"These are all the thoughts of the Prime Minister. The intention is to ensure all benefits provided by the government reach the targeted people properly. Hence, the Direct Benefits Transfer scheme. Ultimately, the aim is to increase national wealth so that it is properly distributed to the (deserved) people," Naidu said.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu decried criticism that Goods and Services Tax (GST) was enforced without a proper planning.

"GST was deliberated for more than 15 years and only then was it implemented. It became a law only by consensus. If there are any contentious issues, the GST Council will meet every month to sort them out," he said.
Additionally, the tax revenue is expected to go up in the mid-term to long term period.

Bengaluru: The new tax regime may lead to a 1 to 2 per cent dip in the GDP number in the next few quarters, owing to protests against GST and drop in overall business activities but will lead to a rise in tax compliance.

According to the lead economist at Dun & Bradstreet India, Arun Singh, once the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) begin move from the unorganised sector to an organised one, it will have a ripple effect on the GDP growth rate.

According to Mr Singh, a slight dip in the GDP number is expected in the next few quarters. In one quarter down the line, GST will create a short term disruption. This disturbance is caused due to protests against GST and drop in overall business activities, which will eventually add to lower GDP number, he added.

However, he feels that GST is a good move, which will bring unorganised sector to the framework of the organised sector, which will benefit more than 90 per cent of SMEs.

Additionally, the tax revenue is expected to go up in the mid-term to long term period. The new tax regime is not about giving a boost to the economy; its about bringing tax discipline and making everybody tax-compliant. If the companies become a part of the GST chain, it becomes difficult to be non-compliant with the new norms, which will result in increased tax revenues, said Mr Singh.

Despite some initial headwinds in the short-term period, the impact of GST will be positive in the mid-term to long-term period. Once the situation stables out and businesses comply with the new norms, the GDP number will go up in the mid-term period. When each and every entity of the entire cycle becomes a part of the GST network; everybody will get the benefits of the new tax reform, from a long-term perspective.
Mumbai: The much-talked about upcoming movie 'Indu Sarkar', based on the Emergency imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, has led the Congress party to ask the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a review before it comes under the scanner.

In this regard, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has written to CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani, expressing the grand old party's wish to watch the movie before it is 'censored'.

"The trailer of the film says it's a film on Emergency and hence, we can see the likes of our beloved leaders like Indira Gandhi ji, Sanjay Gandhi ji and other senior leaders of the India National Congress. We, therefore, want to be certain that our leaders are not shown in bad light and hence, would like to see the film before it's censored," Nirupam mentioned in a letter addressed to Nihalani.

The leader also expressed his hope for a positive response.

Watch: Madhur Bhandarkar's Indu Sarkar trailer is riveting and engaging

'Indu Sarkar' is based on a 21-month long period, from 1975 to 1977, when the then prime minister Indira Gandhi unilaterally had a state of emergency declared across the country.

The flick is slated to release mid 2017.
Instead of drinking milk or taking supplements to get adequate amounts of calcium, calcium-rich mineral water is an equally good source, researchers say. (Photo: Pixabay)

The special feature of mineral water as a source of calcium is as a calorie-free alternative to milk and dairy products, Theresa Greupner of Leibniz University Hannover in Germany said. In a world with a steadily growing number of overweight and obese people it is important to reduce the energy intake and to promote alternatives to satisfy the calcium demand apart from high caloric milk and dairy products.

Her team's study, funded by the Association of German Mineral Water Bottlers, looked at how well the body absorbed calcium in five different products, each containing 300 mg calcium: three types of calcium-rich mineral water, milk and a calcium supplement.

Twenty-one men and women participated in the study. There was no difference in how calcium from the five different sources was absorbed, the researchers report in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, online June 19.

Other minerals in the water did not affect calcium absorption.

Most mineral waters list mineralization on the label, and the higher the amount of calcium, the better the water is as a calcium source, Greupner said.

A person would need to drink two liters of 500 mg/L mineral water per day, or more than three eight-ounce cups of milk, to meet the German standard daily requirement of 1,000 mg calcium. In the U.S., 1,300 mg/day of calcium is recommended for adults.

Its well known in Italy that mineral water can be a good source of calcium, Dr. Maria Luisa Brandi of the University of Florence in Italy told Reuters Health in a phone interview.

Brandi, who wasnt involved in the current study, and her colleagues showed in a 2004 study that calcium in mineral water was as well absorbed as calcium in milk.

The concept is well established in medicine, Brandi said. We recommend water with high calcium content for osteoporotic patients.
Hyderabad: More than 50 per cent of the students in a classroom have, at some time or the other, used an addictive drug. This was stated by students who have been going through a rehabilitation programme to kick the habit for good.

LSD and MDMA can have a long-term effect on the health of the users of the drug, with the nervous system getting affected and disorientation, severe hallucinations and depression as the other fall-outs.

Dr P. K.N. Choudhary, senior psychiatrist, said, It depends on the dosage taken by students. There has been a rise in addiction and we are dealing with students who state that in their class of 50 at least 30 have used it once in a while. This high number shows the penetration of the drugs in the student community and its easy availability.

There are short- and long-term effects of drugs. Many students also use the drug for a temporary kick or high, while others use it regularly and are into severe addiction, says experts.

The cases of severe addiction are often handled at the clinical level where the patients come with severe delusions, visual hallucinations, artificial sense of euphoria, panic attacks, severe depression and psychosis. There is also impaired perception where size, shapes and objects are distorted often accompanied by severely terrifying thoughts and feelings.

Senior psychiatrist Dr Preeti Swaroop said, On the physical side, we find that there is loss of appetite, sleeplessness and also tremors. Rehabilitation is a long process and requires intense support from the family. Many of them get into stealing, robbery and also other criminal activities and they require a lot of support from the family.

Precautionary measures
Several unmarried couples in India might be able to understand the hassle of checking into hotel rooms or find a private space to share their intimate moments. From harassment by moral police or being apprehended by authorities at a hotel, there are several things that keep couples on their toes.

But in another part of the world the state itself is giving young people a reason to rejoice as aroused couples can now use government sponsored rooms to have sex or get intimate with privacy. The move comes as the Cuban government seeks to revive the tradition of love motels in the country.

The establishment known as Posadas were very popular for much of the 20th century, but the number of these motels declined due to economic concerns. The remaining Posadas were converted into shelters for hurricane victims later.

Currently a two story hotel with 16 rooms and bathrooms is set to be started by the state designated body to manage love motels, and there are already plans for further expansion. Privately owned Posadas charge high amounts and pricing will be a concern for the state run motels.

The first of such motels opened up in Cubas capital Havana in the 19th century, which was a bog step forward for couples in a predominantly Roman Catholic society.
People can have bizarre sexual fetishes from the likes of BDSM to even getting their genitals stung by bees for kicks. But some of these are more prevalent than other, and although sex is mostly a taboo in India, people in this country do have certain weird preferences in bed.

Google search has for long been used to gauge the sentiment prevalent country or society through behaviour on the digital space. Now it has revealed that adult breastfeeding seems to be one kink which might be widespread among men in this conservative society of ours.

Upon studying a large amount of data from Google, a data scientist found that my husband wants me to breastfeed him is how most searches beginning with my husband wants.. ended. Stephen Davidowitz also told Vox that porn showing adult breastfeeding was most searched in India, and women asking how to breastfeed an adult man were equal to the number of queries regarding how to breastfeed a baby.

(Photo: Google)

Earlier in 2013 it was revealed that drinking breast milk is a popular trend among people in China with hundreds of women providing the service through agencies. Many clients claimed that they wanted breast milk for the nutritional value.
Though there is no denying the fact that Chennai is a prominent cultural hub in the contry, one cant also deny that it is only limited to traditional and Indian forms of arts. The western dance scene in Chennai, although growing, still does not match up to the levels of metros yet.

Constantly trying to bridge the gap are Varsha Ramesh and Alisha Ajit of the Jellyfish dance company. The duo, which introduced one of the citys first aerial silk dance workshops earlier this year, is now bringing Svetana Kanwar, a jazz expert, for a dance workshop over the weekend!

Alisha, along with Varsha, started teaching dance part-time in college and that eventually grew into Jellyfish today.

Talking about the need for quality dance education in the city, Alisha says, Having had a solid technical training in dance, we know the value of having a structured training setup. We make sure that the classes arent just about getting the technique right, but also the experience you have in a dance class, because the art shapes the person you eventually become.

Alisha and Varsha visit Mumbai often to learn different types of dances. It was during one such class that they met Svetana Kanwar. We attended her jazz technique class, and she is an amazing teacher. We are very excited for the class as there are many dancers, who are waiting to learn from her, and that includes Varsha and I as well!

Sharing with us what she calls her first love, Svetana says, Jazz is was and will always be my first love. Its a form that comes naturally to me, I have practised it so much and for so long. I can do it in my sleep! Even though dancing as a whole was picking up big time, tjazz wasnt getting very popular. People want to learn hiphop, Bollywood, and even contemporary, but not many wanted or knew much about jazz. Its a naturally sensuous form, and based a lot on strong ballet training.

Google her name and you can find many of Svetanas dance covers of popular songs. She says that being active on social media is something that many artistes from the community debate about. I think social media is extremely important in our field. If you are a fabulous artiste, but outside your four walls nobody knows of you or your art, the very purpose is lost. Today, sitting in India, I update myself watching fabulous dancers from LA and New York. When we cant afford PR, we do it ourselves. We let the world know what we can do. Its like a resume and CV, she explains.

There will be two levels of workshops  beginners and advanced. This being Svetanas first visit to Chennai in ages, she is uite excited. Being in a room with people who share the same passion as you, is so overwhelming. And I have seen some kickass dancers from here, thanks to social media. So, I literally cannot wait, she says.

(The classes will be held at Madras Dance Arts, Nelson Manickam Road, and at the Academy of Modern Danse, Alwarpet on July 8 and 9)
The 23-year-old house maid approached a private hospital in Trivandrum for abortion on Saturday (Representational Image)

Trivandrum (Kerala): A Kerala business man, Pillai, 53, was arrested for allegedly raping an Odisha lady, who was his domestic help.

The 23-year-old house maid approached a private hospital in Trivandrum for abortion on Saturday.

The police were informed by the doctors and they started an investigation after her statement was registered. The domestic help is reportedly two months pregnant and alleged that the cashew business man sexually assaulted her several times.

The police have registered a case under IPC 376 against the businessman.
Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Leader of Opposition National Conference Omar Abdullah discussing with his party MLAs during the Special Session of Legislative Assembly called to pass the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, in Srinagar on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: Amid ruckus and intense protests by the opposition members, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature on Wednesday adopted a resolution for implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the state.

Later, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti convened an emergency meeting of the State Cabinet to discuss and give concurrence to the 101 Constitutional Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution under which the GST would be made applicable to J&K as well.

The GST rolled out in the country from July 1 midnight but J&K is the only state that failed to keep date with it.

In view of special status accorded to it under Article 370 of the Constitution, J&K has to pass special laws to make the umbrella tax that has subsumed a string of taxes into one consolidated tax applicable to the state.

The opposition and trade bodies had publicly vowed to fight any move that would weaken further J&Ks special status guaranteed under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

They also said that GST would also cause irreparable financial losses to the state. A general strike called by Kashmir Inc against the GST disrupted normal life across the Valley on Wednesday.

Ignoring stiff opposition from various political parties including National Conference (NC), Congress and the CPIM and outside the House by traders bodies, Finance Minister Haseeb A Drabu had on Tuesday moved a resolution on the floor of the Assembly.

It read, This House resolves that the government of J&K may give consent to the adoption of the GST regime by application of relevant amendments made to the Constitution of India in a modified manner to safeguard the existing special constitutional position of J&K in the Union of India and legislative powers under the constitution of J&K.

Works Minister Naeem Akhter placed a copy of the resolution before the Upper House of the State Legislature simultaneously.

Speaking in the Assembly on the second day of its special session, Drabu said the state government will use Article 370 to extend GST to Jammu and Kashmir. Section 5 of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and Article 370 of the Indian Constitution will remain unchanged, he assured. He also said that the State will retain unbridled powers to tax.

I assure you the state will enjoy overriding powers on issues. We shall have our own appellant authority. Also all exemptions, remissions and subsidies across sectors will remain intact, he said.

The resolution on GST was passed by both the Houses of Legislature amid assurance from the finance minister that it would be implemented under the ambit of Article 370.

He also said that adequate safeguards for the States Special Status and protecting Consolidated Fund and special taxation powers of the State Government are proposed to be incorporated into the Presidential Order for bringing Jammu and Kashmir under the ambit of the new tax regime.

Responding to the concerns of the legislators, he said that under no circumstances will the state government amend the Section 5 of Constitution of J&K that gives it special taxation powers. He said such a move will open a Pandora's Box, which will have implications on the special constitutional Position of J&K in future.

We are proposing that the Article 370 shall not be compromised in any way through the Presidential Order. The GST Council should not be a way to subvert the process and enough safeguards are built to empower the constituents of J&K in the Council. Besides, the exclusive powers of the State to tax and the Consolidated Fund of J&K shall not be impaired," he said.

Expressing concern over declining trade in J&K due to uncertainty over GST, Drabu said only 1,000 truckloads of goods crossed the Lakhanpur toll post on July 4, down by half when compared with the figures of the corresponding period of last year. "The exports have also halved with only 150 truckloads of goods moving from J&K to other states. This is adversely impacting our trade and economy," he said.

Responding to the oppositions charge that the GST was being made applicable to the State under pressure from the Centre, he said, We are not working under compulsion but for the restoration of certain processes and constitutional morality which lays foundation of a true democracy. It is the biggest tragedy of our time that we have lost our tradition of dialogue which is why we brought the resolution for GST to the House to revive that culture of consultation. We wanted a consensus on the issue.

Drabu said the Article 370 should be protected and used for development of the state and for the empowerment of people. "Instead, it is being used as a tool to whip up political passions and draw political mileage. It is being used for creating fake controversies, he alleged.

Seeking to allay the fears of business community, he said industry exemptions and tax remissions will continue both from the Centre and the state government under the new tax regime.

Reacting to the demand of the opposition to bring a separate GST law for J&K, Drabu said alternative law will require amending Constitution of J&K and of India. "Amending Section 5 of J&K Constitution will open Pandora's Box. Instead, what we are proposing is that the GST Council must come within the ambit of Article 370," he said. Later, the Finance Minister made similar assertions in the Upper House.
Bengaluru: Karnataka is the repository of chikungunya in the country, with the state reporting 23% of all cases in the country in 2016. Cases of the debilitating viral fever have been showing a worrying increase, even as other states which had big outbreaks over the last few years showing steep downward trend.

In 2012, Karnataka reported 2,382 cases, behind Tamil Nadu (5,018) and Andhra Pradesh (2,817).

But over the next three years, Karnataka took a quantum leap, and in 2013, it was at the top spot with 5,295 cases, which were nearly double the previous year's numbers. Andhra Pradesh recorded 4,827 cases and Gujarat 2890 cases, as against its 1,317 cases the previous year. While the other states showed static or low growth, Karnataka's neighbour Tamil Nadu showed remarkable progress. From 5,018 cases in 2012, it brought it down to 859 in 2013.

2014 was even worse for Karnataka. The reported figures went up to 6,962, while its neighbours did remarkably well. In Andhra Pradesh, cases came down almost 75 per cent, at 1,359, while Tamil Nadu's was even better at just 543 cases.

It went from bad to worse for Karnataka in 2015. The figure jumped almost three times to 20,763 from 6,962 the previous year. At the same time, Andhra Pradesh nearly halved its reported cases at 817, and Tamil Nadu's reported 329 cases.

In 2016, Andhra Pradesh's reported cases showed a very low rise at 934. Tamil Nadu's cases came down to an astounding 72! Karnataka managed to bring it down 13,570.





It has remained on top of the chikungunya chart in the country for the last four years. Even in 2016, when North India saw a major epidemic of the fever, Karnataka refused to yield its first place, according to the figures available from the National Health Profile 2017, produced by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), which functions under the Director General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

A doctor from NMPC Hospital told Deccan Chronicle, "Since 2014, we have noticed a steady rise in numbers of Chikungunya patients coming to our hospital."

Dr Manohar, consulting physician at Manipal Hospital, said that it was not just chikungunya, but also dengue that has been showing a steady rise. "In the recent past, we have seen an increase in chikungunya and dengue cases," he said.
The minister said the health benefits of beer include anti-cancer properties, a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, increased bone density, prevention of dementia and coronary disease. It also aids the digestive system, treats diabetes and has anti-ageing properties (Photo: File | Pixabay)

Amravati: For Andhra Pradesh Excise Minister K S Jawahar, beer is a health drink and he is ready to prove it, a remark that would please guzzlers no end.

Amid protests by women over the state's new liquor policy, he purportedly told a TV news channel that the government would promote beer as a healthy drink.

"Who said beer is not a health drink? I am ready to prove it's a health drink," he told the channel late Monday night. A video clip of his remarks has gone viral on social media.

The minister was not available for comment or clarifications.

But, he reportedly sent a WhatsApp message to the channel on Tuesday morning listing the "health benefits" of beer.

"The health benefits of beer include anti-cancer properties, a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, increased bone density, prevention of dementia and coronary disease. It also aids the digestive system, treats diabetes and has anti-ageing properties," the note, titled '13 amazing benefits of beer', said.

Excise department officials, however, pleaded ignorance about the move to promote beer as a health drink.

"If it's a health drink, why do we need special licence for brewing? It could even be sold in any general store," a senior excise official remarked.
A large number of workers from Bangladesh and children from states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are working in illegal slaughterhouses in Hyderabad, the BJP leader alleged. (Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: Senior Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a "beef mafia" operating in Hyderabad through "illegal" slaughterhouses.

The BJP floor leader in the Telangana Assembly said the beef mafia had inter-state connections and the police could not probe all this.

"The CBI can reach all these places. So, I am demanding a CBI inquiry. Because of exports, the price (of meat) for the poor is rising," said. Reddy claimed that those who engaged in the illegal meat business in Uttar Pradesh had come to Hyderabad after the Yogi Adityanath government "curbed" their activities in the northern state.

A large number of workers from Bangladesh and children from states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are working in illegal slaughterhouses in Hyderabad, he alleged.

The BJP lawmaker said the population of cattle in Telangana stood at 56.76 lakh in 2013, but their number is dwindling fast due to the presence of illegal slaughterhouses.

He said the main reason for this decline (in livestock population) was large-scale illegal slaughtering.

"The meat is being exported illegally to foreign countries. Every year, approximately 50 lakh animals are being slaughtered in our state. If this continues, dairying, small and marginal farming and rural employment would be hurt," the BJP leader added.
Tamil Nadu mentioned that Karnataka has not complied with earlier order in the issue (Photo: File | PTI)

Chennai: The prolonged water-tussle between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu renewed on Wednesday after the latter moved the Supreme Court, saying it is yet to receive 5.966 TMC of water.

Tamil Nadu, which is on the verge of the worst drought it has seen in the recent past, mentioned that Karnataka has not complied with earlier order in the issue.

On March 21, the court directed the Karnataka Government to supply 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu every day.

An apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had earlier directed Karnataka to provide 200 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till its further order.

The top court had earlier in January this year dismissed the plea seeking compensation from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for the loss of property during the Cauvery water related dispute between both states.

The Cauvery water dispute between the two states is at least four decades old. However, this time many factors including acute shortage of drinking water, a sixth consecutive year of deficient rainfall, drop in agricultural production and the possibility of a second successive drought year has fuelled emotions across the state.

Appeals were filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) on sharing of water for 15 consecutive workings days.
Tripathi also advised Banerjee and her cabinet ministers to focus on restoring peace in the state. (Photo: File)

Kolkata: Describing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's wild allegations against him as 'baseless', West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Wednesday stated that her claims were meant only to emotionally blackmail him."

According to Tripathi, the chief minister's unprecedented attack amounted to "insulting and humiliating" him and his office. Tripathi also advised Banerjee and her cabinet ministers to focus on restoring peace in the state.

The Raj Bhavan on Wednesday said, "The Governor further reiterates that he did not utter a single word to insult or threaten the chief minister. Her allegation is baseless and meant only to emotionally blackmail people of West Bengal.

Raj Bhavan is not expected to tear off or throw away representations received by the Governor or his office from any person.

The statement further added, "True that the Chief Minister has been democratically elected by the people but it should not be forgotten that the Governor is also appointed by the President on recommendation of a democratically elected Union Government. In fact, the allegations of the Chief Minister amount to insult and humiliate the Governor and his Office.

The Governor is of the view that Raj Bhavan is not a Department of the State Government and it is open to every citizen to approach him for redressal of his or her grievances."

It added, "Whenever any such representation is received from anyone the same is forwarded to the State Government for appropriate action. The Governor says that instead of making accusations against him, it is better for the Chief Minister and her colleagues to direct their attention to maintain peace, law and order in the State without making any distinction on the basis of caste, creed or community."

Tripathi also tore into senior Trinamool Congress minister, Partha Chatterjee, who compared his behaviour with a BJP cadre and wondered if he became a BJP spokesperson.

On Wednesday morning Chatterjee, who is the education minister as well as the parliamentary affairs minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general, also accused the Raj Bhavan of becoming "BJP's den."

Addressing a press meet he said, "The Governor asked the chief minister to control her party. Who is he? Is he the BJP spokesperson? Can such comments be passed? He is the constitutional head of the state. Can he make such comments by crossing his limits? He is a lawyer. Does not he know about the Supreme Court order about the areas where he can exercise his powers? The tone he used while speaking to the chief minister sounded that the chief minister serves under him."

Training guns on the Governor, Chatterjee accused him of not trying to stop the violence between two groups. He added, "We remind him that the Raj Bhavan can never be the BJP's den."

He informed that the Trinamool wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh complaining against Tripathi.

"At around 4.30 pm we wrote to the President and sent a copy of our letter to Mr Singh also," Chatterjee said.

Countering Chatterjee's charges, the Raj Bhavans statement mentioned, "The Governor has been apprised of the statement of Shri Partha Chatterjee, Honble

Education Minister and, regrets to say, that this is an attempt to cover the lapses of the State Government and divert the attention from the main issue of law and order. The Governor is fully aware of his constitutional obligations and limitations and needs no lesson from anyone on this count."

It affirmed, "It is wrong to say that Raj Bhavan has become the office of the BJP or the RSS."
The woman in the video had accused the BJP leader of raping her in the bus. (Youtube: Screengrab)

Mumbai: BJP leader Ravindra Bawanthade was arrested on Wednesday, about a week after a video of him kissing a woman in a bus in Maharashtra went viral.

According to a report in NDTV, Bawanthade was arrested on charges of rape. The woman in the video had accused the BJP leader of raping her in the bus.

The leader, Ravindra Bavanthade from the Gadchiroli district was caught on the CCTV footage of a private bus while kissing a woman. Later, the woman had approached the Gadichiroli police accusing Bavanthade of raping her.

On June 27, the accused was travelling from Nagpur to Nagbhid in a private bus with the said woman where he was caught on the CCTV footage while kissing her. The video of the CCTV footage later went viral on the messaging application, WhatsApp, after which, the woman approached the police station and filed a complaint against Bavanthade.

The woman has alleged that Bavanthade had assured her that he would marry her and had also promised her of a job before establishing a relationship with her. The accused has been absconding since the complaint was filed against him and the Gidchiroli police officials are searching for him.
Students of St Pauls High School wait for parents to pick them up at after school hours. The school is one of the many others which are located in building complexes and apartments

Hyderabad: A number of schools in the city have completely disregarded the basic requirements for students. The ills include crammed spaces, insufficient lighting, poor ventilation, narrow corridors and no open playing spaces.

The premises are so crammed that there is very little space to move in class, let alone playing in a ground.

Almost all smaller private schools are in poor condition. Though we are a metro, some schools do not even have proper sanitation facilities. They are cramming children inside the classrooms. Some of the play schools are functioning in dungeons. Take a look at Chaitanya School of Tarnaka, you will be horrified to see the pathetic condition in which they are running the school, said Mr Venkat Sainath, joint secretary of the Hyderabad Schools Parents Associations.

Chaitanya School of Tarnaka

Some of these private schools are worse than cattle sheds, said Mr Achyuta Rao, vice-president of an NGO for children. Providing proper ventilation should be the prime focus for educational institutions. The Ravindra Bharathi School, Gowtham School and Loyola Model School in Vanasthalipuram are the worst. The Loyola Model School has a single entrance which is right on the main road, he said.

Mr Rao said, The authorities mention the number of students permitted per class but often dont specify the dimensions of the classroom. The children are stuffed into these rooms, irrespective of the rooms dimensions. Just gauging the risk factor attached to these classrooms, is scary. In an emergency, it would be impossible for the schools management to evacuate the building.

The children just cannot be evacuated on time in case of an accident. The authorities should take proper action regarding this. The government should not approve such institutions until they show proper documentation of the schools infrastructure and student allocation per class, keeping in mind the dimensions of the class, Mr Rao said.

While giving permission, the government does not inspect the infrastructure. There are norms and rules to be followed by the authorities. There are designated officers to inspect food, but hardly anyone does it in case of educational institutions, said a member of the managing committee of Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet.

Hyderabad Schools Parents Association executive member Aravinda Jata said, When these schools apply for permission, there are several clauses that need to be looked into, like whether they have a proper play area and ventilation in classrooms. When you check out the schools, you realise only 30-40 per cent of the schools follow the norms. Parents keep in mind the childs safety and transportation facilities before considering a school.

No-objection certificates and permission from the government are given only when certain rules in terms of the size of the building and other aspects are adhered to. But some private schools appear to flout all such norms.

There is no control on private schools. When a school does not have a playground, they should hire one. Nobody is checking about their functioning and some even run without any infrastructure. It is the responsibility of the government to look after these issues. We see incidents of a child stuck in a lift and other incidents, but nothing is done to prevent it. It is lack of control of government officials, Mr Jata said.
The US State Department Is Keeping This All-Girl Robotics Team From Afghanistan Away From Their Competition

All all-girl robotics team from Afghanistan was denied the one-week travel visa necessary to attend the FIRST Global Challenge  an international robotics competition in Washington, DC scheduled for mid-July  leaving the girls feeling disappointed, excluded, and confused. The girls have experienced multiple obstacles while attempting to participate, including a late start constructing their ball-sorting machine due to their raw materials being held up in customs for months (resulting from concern over ISISs use of robots on the battlefield) and traveling 500 miles to the American Embassy in Kabul (a dangerous site of multiple recent terrorist attacks) to interview for the visas . . . twice (they were denied the first time as well).

Relations with Afghanistan are tense - in 2001, after 9/11, the United States invaded Afghanistan to dismount the extremist Taliban regime and have remained there since, struggling to support the elected government against growing Taliban insurgency. But despite Afghanistans tumultuous relationship with the United States, it is not one of the 6 Muslim-majority countries on Trumps travel ban, and robots teams from Iran, Sudan, and Syria are reported to have gained visas for the competition. These inconsistencies further contribute to confusion about the girls denial, which comes at a time when a heated debate about immigration policies exists within the United States and within our administration, with conflict escalating after Trumps executive orders that attempt to deny (certain) immigrants entrance to the United States.

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Although the teenage girls were denied entry, their robot has been cleared to enter and will still be competing in the contest. Reuters asked the US State Department to expand upon the decision Tuesday, but a spokesperson declined to give a reason, citing regulations that prohibit the agency from commenting on individual visa cases. Constestants from Gambia, the largely-Muslim West African country, were also denied travel visas for the contest without explanation. Joe Sestak, the president of FIRST Global, said in a Facebook post that he was "saddened" by the USs decision but that the contest will make sure to include the extraordinarily brave young women from Afghanistan and team members from Gambia via Skype. Anyone who has had to FaceTime a long-distance friend/boo or Skype into a work meeting knows that shit is just not the same as experiencing the real thing. So imagine being forced to watch one of your proudest moments, something you've been working on for months, from more than 7,000 miles away, which is what these girls will be doing from their hometown of Herat, Afghanistan on competition day. According to Forbes, 14-year-old Fatemah Qaderyan, a member of the Afghan all-girl robotics team, said of the decision, We want to show the world we can do it, we just need a chance.

Photo: Team Afghanistan, First Global

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An employee at Jayalalithaa's Kodanad estate allegedly committed suicide at his house on Monday. (Photo: File)

Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday accused the state police of not investigating the suicide case of an employee of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

DMK leader TKS Elangovan said there is 'someone powerful' in the state which had instructed the police to not probe the matter.

"The police say there is nothing fishy and that the man died due to some ailment. They did not even investigate it properly. No postmortem was done. I am sure that the police have been instructed to not investigate the matter by someone very powerful in the state government,' Elangovan told media.

An employee at Jayalalithaa's Kodanad estate allegedly committed suicide at his house on Monday.

24-year-old Dinesh kumar, who worked as an assistant in the computer section of the estate, was found hanging at his house in Kengarai Naduhatty village near Kilkotagiri in the Nilgiris.

Kumar's death came nearly two-and-a-half months after a security guard of the bungalow estate was found murdered on April 24 this year. One of the suspects in the case, Jayalalithaa's driver Kanakaraj, died in a road mishap on April 29 in Salem. Another suspect was injured seriously in a road accident that killed his wife and daughter.
According to a recent report released by FICCIs Health Services Committee and EY nurses are not given a chance to grow within an organisation and have a say in important administrative and policy decisions.

In a first of its kind initiative, Karnataka has invited specialists to quote their price online for moving to towns and cities where posts are vacant in public healthcare facilities. This can be called desperation but the present condition of state hospitals calls for such a step. As many as 1,221 specialist posts are unoccupied and there is a shortage of nurses. Joyeeta Chakravorty reports.

Starved of health specialists, the state appears to be willing to pay them their quoted price to fill the many vacancies in its hospitals across Karnataka. In a first of its kind initiative, it has called on specialists to quote their price online for moving to towns and cities where the posts are vacant in public healthcare facilities. The desperation seems to stem from the fact that as many as 1,221 specialists posts are vacant in various health centres, including district hospitals in the state, going by state Health Minister, K.R. Ramesh Kumar.

It is a new idea in which we have tried to let go of the traditional approach to fill vacancies. We want to capture the talent that is out there and so have given specialists the option to mention their monetary expectation from the government and the place they would be interested to serve in online," explains Health Commissioner, Subodh Yadav.

While acknowledging that not many states have adopted such an approach, he says the few that have, have received an enthusiastic response. This prompted us to adopt the same approach, he reveals.

Ironically, Karnataka has a massive shortage of specialists despite having the largest number of medical colleges and the third largest number of doctors trained in the country.

"There is a severe shortage of health workers (especially specialists) in the most vulnerable regions of the state, namely north Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka. With an irrationally large number of primary health centers in southern Karnataka, the actual shortage of human power in these regions is disproportionately high, observes Dr Giridhar R Babu, Additional Professor, Indian Institute of Public Health(IIPH), e Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).

"Contrary to the increase in the number of doctors trained in Karnataka, the shortage of specialists went up from 32 per cent to 39 per cent going by the Rural Health Statistics for 2015. The shortage of Junior Health Assistants (female) commonly called as ANMs at Health Sub-Centres increased from 13 per cent in 2005 to 28.5 per cent in 2015," he points out, regretting that despite the strong recommendations of the Karnataka Health Task Force, 2001 and the Halagi committee, 2012 for the establishment of a public health cadre, nothing has been done about this as yet in the state. Whether it is due to a lack of specialists or other factors, more people both in the rural and urban areas of the state appear to be relying more on private healthcare facilities rather than government. Going by the 71st round of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 81.7 per cent of the urban population received treatment in private healthcare facilities, as did 73.2 per cent of the rural population.

While only a meagre 18.3 per cent of the urban population relied on public healthcare facilities, the figure was a low 26.8 per cent in rural areas too.

Public sector needs to revamp package

The Lancet 2015 report on human resources for health in India says:

India has a severe shortage of human resources for health. It has a shortage of qualified health workers and the workforce is concentrated in urban areas.

Bringing qualified health workers to rural, remote, and under-served areas is very challenging. Many Indians, especially those living in rural areas, receive care from unqualified providers. The migration of qualified allopathic doctors and nurses is substantial and further strains the system. Nurses do not have much authority or say within the health system, and the resources to train them are still inadequate. Little attention is paid during medical education to the medical and public health needs of the population, and the rapid privatisation of medical and nursing education has implications for its quality and governance. Such issues are a result of under-investment in and poor governance of the health sectortwo issues that the government urgently needs to address.

A comprehensive national policy for human resources is needed to achieve universal healthcare in India. The public sector will need to redesign appropriate packages of monetary and non-monetary incentives to encourage qualified health workers to work in rural and remote areas. Such a policy might also encourage task-shifting and mainstreaming doctors and practitioners, who practice traditional Indian medicine (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, and siddha) and homoeopathy to work in these areas while adopting other innovative ways of augmenting human resources for health. At the same time, additional investments will be needed to improve the relevance, quantity, and quality of nursing, medical, and public health education in the country.

NSSO 71ST Round recommends

When looked at from a health system perspective, it is important to recognise the differences in performance of different states and the need for a differentiated healthcare strategy for different states. Since a greater number of poorer households tend to seek care from the government facility on account of financial constraints or access barriers, we need to pay much greater attention to enforcing accountability, improving their quality of service and seeking better value for the tax money spent on it.

The many reasons behind dearth of nurses

Besides being short of specialists, hospitals are finding it hard to find nurses as many are switching to different careers or leaving the country for lucrative jobs abroad.

Confirming this , Dr Girdhar Babu, Additional Professor at the Public Health Foundation of India(PHFI), Bengaluru branch, says a lot of nurses are either switching careers or leaving for better jobs abroad because of the poor pay they get in hospitals here.

The hospitals in this country are not willing to pay nurses well. The nursing profession is not given its due respect," he regrets.

According to a recent report released by FICCIs Health Services Committee and EY, nursing as a sector in India continues to experience challenges in terms of 'Availability, Distribution and Retention.'

As compared to other professions, compensation in the nursing sector has lagged behind, contributing to the decreased appeal of nursing as a career choice, it says.

The report explains that nurses are not given a chance to grow within an organisation and have a say in important administrative and policy decisions.

This gives them very limited opportunity to expand or challenge their boundaries, prompting many to give up nursing altogether. Going by the report, the monotony of their lives generates apathy among nurses and creates a vacuum of role models for those entering the profession. It observes that at present, they dont have a strong representation in hospital administration across the country, except in a few organisations.

One of them happens to be the Bangalore Baptist Hospital , which has started introducing nurses as administrative officers post 4.30 pm and coaxes them to take the lead in decision- making, and taking care of law and order, ambulance facility and security. "This helps them feel important and included in decision-making. It also helps change their mindset and makes them more assertive, which is reflected in their day to day job," says Dr Alexander Thomas of the hospital.

"If you look at the nursing community, we are two million short of the total requirement across the country which indicates that the profession is not given its due. I don't see why their income should not be equal to that of doctors," he adds.

Realising the need to make the profession more lucrative and attractive to the nursing community, the Association of Healthcare Providers (India) of which Dr Thomas is executive director, has been championing the introduction of nurse intensivists courses and has started a nursing leadership programme. "Hopefully, in a few years with the introduction of such courses and programmes mindsets will change and the job will become more lucrative just like in the West, he says.
Hyderabad: Four days after GST, many traders are still following VAT system, leading to complaints to the commercial taxes office. A commercial tax officers wife was one of the complainants. After shopping at Ratnadeep Supermarket at Banjara Hills on Sunday, she was presented a bill that had the old system of taxation. According to GST rules, every trader has to mention GST in the bills, breaking it up into SGST and CGST.

If the GST on any product was 18 per cent, the bill has to reflect 9 per cent SGST and 9 per cent CGST. Some traders, particularly supermarkets, are not doing this. A senior officer in the commercial taxes department said all traders have to install software for GST billing. He said, Supermarkets are facing an issue as they sell a variety of products and it will take them time to develop the software. In hotels and other establishments, the goods and services are fewer so it is easier to develop new software.

An employee at Dileep Supermarket in Manikonda said they would work under the old system till the old stocks last, and switch to GST after the arrival of new stock. Principal secretary, revenue, (commercial taxes and Excise) G. Somesh Kumar said all traders should have implemented GST from July 1, whether it was old stock or new. He said there were bound to be some problems in the beginning. If the old tax system is continued, some consumers would benefit while others would lose.

Mr Kumar said department officials would start checking for GST compliance from Wednesday. He said the department had given traders three days to adjust to the new system. If any trader was found not implementing GST, the case would be taken up seriously. He said that officers of the commercial taxes department would be touring the districts from Wednesday to create awareness among the public and business people. He himself would be touring Karimnagar district.
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, following the public spat between the two over communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district.

The Home ministry has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the violence in the district following an "objectionable" Facebook post and the steps taken to restore normalcy.

In his separate telephone conversations with Tripathi and Banerjee, the Home minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the riot-hit area.

The governor and chief minister are believed to have explained their respective positions to the home minister, who counselled them to resolve their differences amicably, sources said.

Making a dramatic allegation against the governor, the chief minister yesterday accused him of threatening and insulting her over the communal incident. Banerjee said she had even thought of quitting office over the "humiliation".

While the chief minister yesterday alleged the governor was acting like a "BJP block president", the governor said he was surprised at her attitude and language.

"The talks between the Hon'ble Chief Minister and the Hon'ble Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it," a statement issued by Raj Bhavan here said.

Communal clashes broke out in North 24 Parganas district Monday night following an "objectionable" Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

In his conversations with the West Bengal chief minister and governor, the home minister also discussed the situation in Darjeeling, where the indefinite strike for a separate Gorkhaland state entered its 21st day today.
Chennai: Water crisis in capital Chennai and northern Tamil Nadu is all set to continue for two more months, as the situation with major drinking water resources of Chennai looks negative.

Both Krishna in Andhra Pradesh and Veeranam in Cuddalore that supply water to Chennai await heavy rains which in turn will result in surplus inflow into reservoirs.

Only then water crisis can be addressed and the scenario has been studied in detail. In the event there are no rains in north Tamil Nadu, the possibility of providing adequate water to residents catering above 670 mld can be achieved only by October, admit water managers in Chennai.

There are no immediate signs of Andhra Pradesh releasing Krishna water as its reservoirs do not have adequate supply. The only hope is rains in Cuddalore to recharge Veeranam or release of water from Mettur to boost Veeranam from where water can be pumped for Chennai, the official said.

At present, a steady supply of 470 mld is maintained and this will not deteriorate further. The engineering teams are also planning to enhance the production capacity in Nemeli desalination plants and about 130 mld of water is tapped from agricultural wells, said a metro water official. By the mid of this month four MLD of water will be tapped from Porur for next 120 days and 30 MLD water which is daily pumped from Manngadu quarry sites and 70 MLD water from Neyveli mines will continue till the onset of monsoon, the official added.

It has been more than two months since the supply of drinking water into my house sump. The only respite is recent showers and we are hoping for borewell supply to improve, said Dhanendhar Kothari, a resident of Egmore.

Lorry contractors warned

Meanwhile, Chennai metro water managing director V Arun Roy on Tuesday directed the metro water squads to impose Rs 25,000 penalty and cancellation of the work order issued to hired contractors, if they were found diverting drinking water.

A press release from Chennai metro water said CMWSSB has constituted a squad to monitor the distribution of mobile water supply and prevent illegalities.

During the monitoring operations, the checking squad found that four tankers were involved in diverting the drinking water. Instead of supplying the water to residents, four hired contractors through their tankers diverted water to restaurants in Kanagam, Anna Nagar and Alandur. CMWSSB had also warned all the lorry owners in contract with Metrowater that the contract will be

cancelled with a fine if found involved in illegalities.

Water Levels in western, southern reservoirs up

Storage levels of reservoirs in western and southern districts show slight improvement after a period of seven months.

Good rains in Karnataka and western Tamil Nadu are helping Mettur, Bhavani Sagar, Mullaiperiyar, Papanasam, Manimuthar, Servalayar and Sholayar dams. These reservoirs have started receiving inflow confirming that the south west monsoon is gaining momentum. And if the rains continue water shortage for western Tamil Nadu can be addressed by next month, public works department sources said.

Karnataka catchment areas Kabini, Herangi, Hemavathy and Krishna Raja Sagar dam have received copious rains resulting in flow of Cauvery. Water is expected to arrive at Mettur by Friday.

KRS and Kabini are receiving close to 9,000 cusecs of water. Of this, 4,000 cusecs is released in to Cauvery for riparian states, PWD sources said.

The total storage capacity of all south Indian dams spread across Karnataka and Kerala have increased and TN dams are likely to witness significant increase by next week as rains have picked up in Valparai, Sathyamangalam, Krishnagiri and Nilgiris, sources added.

Meanwhile, Kadayanallur MLA Abubeckar blamed PWD engineers for not storing water in Servalar and Papanasam dams.

Due to delay in dam repair works PWD engineers are not able to store adequate water in Papanasam and Servalar dams built across Tamirabharani. In the past few days, water to about 14 feet has been drained into the river from both the dams, he alleged.
The plaintiffs claimed that Facebook violated federal and California privacy and wiretapping laws by storing cookies on their browsers.

A US judge has dismissed nationwide litigation accusing Facebook of tracking users' internet activity even after they logged out of the social media website.

In a decision late on Friday, US District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California said the plaintiffs failed to show they had a reasonable expectation of privacy, or that they suffered any "realistic" economic harm or loss.

The plaintiffs claimed that Facebook violated federal and California privacy and wiretapping laws by storing cookies on their browsers that tracked when they visited outside websites containing Facebook "like" buttons.

But the judge said the plaintiffs could have taken steps to keep their browsing histories private, and failed to show that Menlo Park, California-based Facebook illegally "intercepted" or eavesdropped on their communications.

"The fact that a user's web browser automatically sends the same information to both parties," meaning Facebook and an outside website, "does not establish that one party intercepted the user's communication with the other," Davila wrote.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment. Facebook did not immediately respond to a similar request.

Davila said the plaintiffs cannot bring their privacy and wiretapping claims again, but can try to pursue a breach of contract claim again. He had dismissed an earlier version of the 5-1/2-year-old case in October 2015.

The case is In re: Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 12-md-02314.

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Ukraine also took steps on Tuesday to extend its state tax deadline by one month to help businesses hit by the malware assault.

Ukrainian police on Tuesday seized the servers of an accounting software firm suspected of spreading a malware virus which crippled computer systems at major companies around the world last week, a senior police official said.

The head of Ukraine's Cyber Police, Serhiy Demedyuk, told Reuters the servers of M.E.Doc - Ukraine's most popular accounting software - had been seized as part of an investigation into the attack.

Though they are still trying to establish who was behind last week's attack, Ukrainian intelligence officials and security firms have said some of the initial infections were spread via a malicious update issued by M.E.Doc, charges the company's owners deny.

The owners were not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Premium Service, which says it is an official dealer of M.E.Doc's software, wrote a post on M.E.Doc's Facebook page saying masked men were searching M.E.Doc's offices and that the software firm's servers and services were down.

Premium Service could not be reached for further comment.

Cyber Police spokeswoman Yulia Kvitko said investigative actions were continuing at M.E.Doc's offices, adding that further comment would be made on Wednesday.

The police move came after cyber security investigators unearthed further evidence on Tuesday that the attack had been planned months in advance by highly-skilled hackers, who they said had inserted a vulnerability into the M.E.Doc progamme.

Ukraine also took steps on Tuesday to extend its state tax deadline by one month to help businesses hit by the malware assault.

Researchers at Slovakian security software firm ESET said they had found a "backdoor" written into some of M.E.Doc's software updates, likely with access to the company's source code, which allowed hackers to enter companies' systems undetected.

"Very Stealthy and Cunning"

"We identified a very stealthy and cunning backdoor that was injected by attackers into one of M.E.Doc's legitimate modules," ESET senior malware researcher Anton Cherepanov said in a technical note. "It seems very unlikely that attackers could do this without access to M.E.Doc's source code."

"This was a thoroughly well-planned and well-executed operation," he said.

ESET said at least three M.E.Doc updates had been issued with the "backdoor vulnerability", and the first one was sent to clients on April 14, more than two months before the attack.

ESET said the hackers likely had access to M.E.Doc's source code since the beginning of the year, and the detailed preparation before the attack was testament to the advanced nature of their operation.

Oleg Derevianko, board chairman at Ukrainian cyber security firm ISSP, said an update issued by M.E.Doc in April delivered a virus to the company's clients which instructed computers to download 350 megabytes of data from an unknown source on the internet.

The virus then exported 35 megabytes of company data to the hackers, he told Reuters in an interview at his office in Kiev.

"With this 35 megabytes you can exfiltrate anything - emails from all of the banks, user accounts, passwords, anything."Little known outside Ukrainian accounting circles, M.E.Doc is used by around 80 percent of companies in Ukraine. The software allows its 400,000 clients to send and collaborate on financial documents between internal departments, as well as file them with the Ukrainian state tax service.

Ukraine's government said on Tuesday it would submit a draft law to parliament for the country's tax deadline to be extended to July 15, and waive fines for companies who missed the previous June 13 cutoff because of the attack.

"We had program failures in connection to the cyber attack, which meant that businesses were unable to submit account reports on time," Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman told a cabinet meeting.

Separately, Ukraine's security service, the SBU, said it had discussed cyber defense with NATO officials and had received equipment from the alliance to better combat future cyber attacks. Ukraine is not in NATO but is seeking closer ties.

On Saturday Ukrainian intelligence officials accused Russian security services of being behind the attack, and cyber security researchers linked it to a suspected Russian group who attacked the Ukrainian power grid in December 2016.

A Kremlin spokesman dismissed charges of Russian involvement as "unfounded blanket accusations".

Derevianko said the hacker's activity in April and reported access to M.E.Doc's source code showed Ukraine's computer networks had already been compromised and that the intruders were still operating inside them.

"It definitely tells us about the advanced capabilities of the adversaries," he said. "I don't think any additional evidence is needed to attribute this to a nation-state attack."

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Washington: The US on Wednesday confirmed that North Korea test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time and warned of an escalated threat from Pyongyang, while carrying out a joint missile drill with South Korea in response.

In the show of strength that followed the ICBM launch by the hermit nation, US and South Korean soldiers fired missiles into the latters territorial waters on Tuesday to showcase their precision fire capability, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said.

According to a statement by US forces in South Korea, the exercise utilised the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the South Koreas Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

Read: N Korea successfully test-fires ballistic missile that 'could reach Alaska'

The Pentagon said that Americas commitment to the defence of its allies in the region  South Korea and Japan  in the face of threats is ironclad.

The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies. Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability, Ms. White said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who confirmed the launch in a statement, said America would never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The United States strongly condemns North Koreas launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world, Mr. Tillerson said.

The US has also requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which is expected to take place on July 5.

Read: N Korea missile test: Trump asks China to 'end this nonsense once and for all'

We intend to bring North Koreas provocative action before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable, Mr. Tillerson said. He also called for global action to stop a global threat.

The US seeks only the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea, he added.

At a White House event, US President Donald Trump, without mentioning North Korea, said that the US will handle its challenges. We do have challenges, but we will handle those challenges. Believe me.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said North Korea's leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations (Photo: File)

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang claimed was its first successful ICBM test.

"This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation," Guterres said in a statement.

He added that North Korea's "leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations."

The Security Council is expected to meet on Wednesday for an emergency closed-door meeting after Pyongyang declared that it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday spoke by phone with China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting.

Guterres stressed "the importance of maintaining the unity of the international community in addressing this serious challenge," in a reference to US-Sino differences.

China is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling its nuclear program but the United States maintains that Pyongyang must first halt its missile and nuclear tests.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers and flew 933 kilometers.

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China - North Korea's main diplomatic ally - to act to "end this nonsense once and for all.
Washington: North Korea's test-firing of a missile apparently capable of reaching Alaska underlines the shrinking options for US President Donald Trump to halt Pyongyang's nuclear drive after losing faith in China's mediation efforts.

Shortly before his January inauguration as president, Trump said he would never let North Korea develop a nuclear weapon that would put parts of the United States in range, declaring on Twitter: "It won't happen!"

North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017

But after Washington confirmed that North Korea had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), experts say the US may have to accept that red line is close to being crossed if the missile system can be developed to carry a nuclear warhead. "The window for negotiating denuclearization is closed," Jeffrey Lewis, an expert in nuclear non-proliferation, said. "The big point is that we have to accept North Korea with a nuclear-armed ICBM."

In the immediate aftermath of the latest test, Trump again took to Twitter to berate the North's leader Kim Jong-Un and press China to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

....and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017

But there are growing signs that Trump has already effectively given up on China's capability of reining in Kim's regime, declaring last month that Beijing's efforts had not worked out.

The Trump administration's hardening stance was also illustrated last Thursday when it slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank linked to North Korea -- drawing an angry response from Beijing.

In a weekend phone call with China's president, Trump reportedly told Xi Jinping that Washington was prepared to act on its own in pressuring North Korea, according to the New York Times.

As well as leaning on China, Trump has also been seeing if he can work with South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In, inviting him to the White House last week.

He has even tried to flatter Kim himself, calling him a "smart cookie" whom he would be "honored" to meet if only he would halt his missile programs. Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress for Nuclear and Defense policy, said international pressure and diplomacy was of limited use now that Pyongyang was so far down the line.

"It is now illogical to apply pressure to prevent the threshold from being crossed. It has been crossed. Denuclearization is untenable," said Mount. "US policy failed. The best we can hope for now is to sustainably deter, contain, constrain, and reform the regime over the long term."

In the short term, the Pentagon is studying its options for military action, though the United States and South Korea quickly made a show of force following the ICBM test, firing missiles off the coast of the Korean peninsula in what Washington called a display of "precision fire capability." But US military chiefs have made clear they see enormous risks in a confrontation with the North.

Speaking in May, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said any war with North Korea would be on a scale similar to the devastating Korea conflict in the 1950s. "The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely populated cities on Earth, which is the capital of South Korea," he told CBS News.

"The bottom line is, it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat, if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means." Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in a speech last week that nothing had been ruled out but was blunt about the risks associated with any effort to impose a military solution.

"The president has directed us to prepare a range of options, including military options, that nobody wants to take," he said. Lewis, a researcher at the California-based Middlebury Institute for International Studies, said the Trump administration's focus should now be on dissuading North Korea from firing anything in earnest.

"We should consider ways to reduce tension while strengthening deterrence," said Lewis. "Ballistic missile defense might part of deterrence." The US has already installed parts of a missile defense system the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea to guard against threats from the North.

But Moon has suspended further deployment following a furious campaign of economic sanctions and diplomatic protests by Beijing against the US missile shield, dealing a blow to Washington's regional security policy.
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: Chimp trafficking network busted in Douala

A chimpanzee trafficking network has been busted in Douala following the arrest of two people with two adult chimpanzees. The chimps were about to be illegally exported through the Douala international airport. The suspects aged 56 and 37 were arrested shortly after they arrived at the entrance to the cargo terminal of the airport with the animals loaded behind a pickup truck.

The arrest that took place at about 6 pm on June 30 was carried out by wildlife officials working in collaboration with the judicial police. They were technically assisted by The Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA). The chimps were locked inside cages which apparently were too small for their sizes - an expert later estimated the chimps were over 15 years old. They were then loaded into a truck that was driven to the entrance of the terminal. One of the traffickers followed closely on a bike while the other drove the truck carrying the chimps.

Preliminary investigations show they were to conduct an illegal transaction at the appointment site shortly before the chimps were to be taken into the freight terminal. Speaking to the press shortly after the arrest, the Littoral Regional Delegate of Forestry and Wildlife, Djogo Toumouksala said we arrested two traffickers at the Douala airport. These chimpanzees which are female were to be exported.

According to one of the arresting team members who requested for anonymity , the chimps had been staying with 56-year old suspect since 1990. They were bought and kept for business. The man is said to have sold several wildlife species in the past and had been keeping these waiting for an opportunity to sell. He had equally been looking for other mature male chimps to mate with the females for more chimps.

As they alighted at the airport terminal, they were rounded up by wildlife officials and policemen who diligently proceeded to identifying the contents found in the cages behind the vehicle. They were then asked to get back into the car and driven to the regional delegation where a crowd would soon gather to get a glimpse of the agitating and noise making apes inside their uncomfortable cages. They had been drenched by the rains.

The process to establish a case file against them is on and Toumouksala said according to the law anyone, found at any time and place with a protected wildlife species, in this case a chimpanzee, is considered to have killed or captured the animal. They two are expected to be presented to the state prosecutor on Monday July 3, 2017. Chimpanzees are listed in class A which gives total protection for species severely threatened with extinction in the country.

A team led by Dr. John Kiyang of the Limbe Wildlife Centre arrived the delegation later after the rescue operation to take the chimps back to Limbe. The animals had been severely soaked and looked vulnerable with the heavy downpour that occurred during their trip to the airport terminal. They are presently receiving care and comfort from the experienced caregivers at the centre that has decades of experience in handling apes.

The illegal trade in chimpanzee is a big business fetching huge profits for those who drive the trade and run networks. Although clearly illegal, chimp export remains a problem and the logistics involved in it is pretty complicated.
Berlin: US President Donald Trump meets other world leaders at Germany's G20 summit from Friday, with North Korea's first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile casting a long shadow over the gathering at the heavily-fortified venue.

The rising global threat posed by Pyongyang is likely to see conflicts over climate and trade take a back seat as regional neighbours China, Japan and South Korea gather with Trump and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin in Hamburg.

"Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, confirming North Korea now possessed a weapon capable of reaching US territory.

Russia and China condemned on Tuesday's test and the European Union may consider additional sanctions. All eyes will be on Trump, who had vowed North Korea's goal of possessing an ICBM "won't happen" and has repeatedly pressed China to rein in its truculent neighbour.

In the most anticipated moment of the G20, Trump will meet Putin, the ex-KGB agent accused of having aided, with hackers and fake news, the surprise rise of the property tycoon into the White House.

The moment they shake hands is sure to see "an Olympian level of macho posturing between these two leaders, who both understand the importance of symbolism and the perception of being tough," said Derek Chollet of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Trump ruffled other leaders at a G7 meeting in Italy in May and has steered the economic and military superpower on an isolationist "America First" course.

His counterparts are bracing for fresh surprises after Trump stunned the world by pulling out of the 2015 Paris climate pact, questioned long-standing NATO allegiances and dismissed free trade principles.

Trouble is also brewing at the conference table at a time when the West and Europe are deeply divided, the post-Cold War order is fraying and China and Russia are asserting themselves on the global stage.

"There is a danger that the summit will lead to polarisation between the US and other countries" on climate change and other issues, warned Oxford Analytics economist Adam Slater.

Trade wars loom as Trump has demanded Germany and China reduce their huge surpluses and threatened other countries with punitive measures in battles over steel, natural gas and hormone-treated beef.

The year's gathering of the Group of 20 big industrialised and emerging economies, the biggest diplomatic event outside the UN, will also provide a stage for other world leaders muscling for power and regional influence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet regional rival Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a time when both are worried about North Korea. Also looming over the summit will be the bloody conflict in Syria and the frozen one in Ukraine both involving Russia as well as the struggle for Mideast dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Then there is Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose crackdown on alleged coup plotters, civil society and Kurds after a 2016 putsch attempt has poisoned relations with Germany.

Trump, before the summit, will meet leaders from ex-communist eastern European nations, including Hungary's authoritarian Viktor Orban threatening to deepen a new east-west split in the EU, which is facing Brexit and still recovering from divisions over the debt crisis.

The US president will on Thursday meet the summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the longest-serving leader and, aside from Britain's Theresa May, the only woman in the club.

Merkel, hailed by some as the "new leader of the free world", advocates an internationalist approach to global issues but her G20 motto, "Shaping an Interconnected World", contrasts sharply with Trump's go-it-alone approach.

The chancellor a green energy champion who has allowed more than a million mostly Muslim refugees into Germany since 2015 said last week that "the differences are obvious and it would be dishonest to try to cover that up. That I won't do."

In Hamburg, she must walk a fine line between trying to build a 19-1 front against Trump on key issues and preventing even further damage to transatlantic ties, while seeking common ground for at least a watered-down G20 final communique.

Some 20,000 police will guard the leaders against anti-capitalist protesters who have greeted them with the combative slogan "G20 - Welcome to Hell". Up to 100,000 protesters are expected, a diverse group of environmentalists, peace and anti-poverty activists, united in the belief that the global elite is failing to solve the pressing global problems.

"We think that they all deserve our protest and our resistance from the streets," said one left-wing activist, Georg Ismael, 25. "We are demonstrating against the G20 because we don't think that they represent the interests of humanity."
Berlin: The Group of 20 leading industrialised and emerging powers hold annual summits on economic governance, with wars and crises often overtaking the official agenda.

Grouping the United States and other G7 members with giants such as China, India and Russia, it represents two thirds of the world population, three quarters of world trade and about 80 percent of economic output.

The other members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the European Union.

The G20, with its ministerial-level beginnings in 1999, first met for a summit in 2008 in Washington to discuss ways to achieve balanced and sustainable world economic growth.

Critics charge that the "self-appointed" club undermines the role of the international bodies, such the United Nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The grouping has often been a magnet for protesters, including at this year's meet in Hamburg, Germany.

At the 2010 summit in Toronto, thousands of anti-capitalist protesters clashed with Canadian police, leaving dozens injured on both sides and sparking mass arrests.

The list of G20 members does not strictly reflect the world's 20 biggest economies. Some non-members such as Switzerland have bigger economies than, for example, member Argentina.

The leaders mostly meet behind closed doors and lack the power to enforce binding decisions or rules. The heads of global and regional bodies are invited to the summits among them the chiefs of the UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO, African Union, APEC and Southeast Asia's ASEAN.

Rotating G20 summits also invite guest nations, including "permanent guest" Spain and, this year, partner countries the Netherlands, Norway and Singapore.

Next year's G20 host will be Argentina.
Dubai: A quartet of Arab nations said they have received Qatar's response to their demands for ending a diplomatic crisis gripping the Gulf.

A joint statement issued early Wednesday morning said Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would respond "in a timely manner." It did not elaborate. Foreign ministers from the four countries are due to meet later Wednesday in Cairo.

The four countries early last month cut diplomatic ties to Qatar in large part over their allegations that it supports extremist groups. Qatar denies backing extremists.

Read: Qatar should sort out its differences with Gulf neighbors: UN

They later issued a 13-point list of demands to Qatar to end the standoff. Qatar submitted a written response to mediator Kuwait on Monday.

Meanwhile, Qatar on Tuesday said the demands of Arab rivals in a Gulf diplomatic crisis were impossible to meet, ahead of talks in Egypt between Saudi Arabia and allies that have cut ties with Doha.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told a press conference in Doha that the list of conditions for restoring relations "is unrealistic and is not actionable".

Read: Qatar responds to Arab states demands after having deadline extended

"It's not about terrorism, it's talking about shutting down the freedom of speech," he said at a joint press conference after talks with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt -- who accuse Qatar of supporting extremism -- gave Doha an extra 48 hours to meet their demands after an initial 10-day deadline expired on Sunday.

The demands included Doha ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood, closing broadcaster Al-Jazeera, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and shutting down a Turkish military base in the emirate.

Sheikh Mohammed handed an official response on Monday to Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, but its contents have not been disclosed.

Read: Qatar defiant as Saudi extends deadline by 48 hours to resolve Gulf rift

He refused Tuesday to give any further details, but said Doha was looking for a solution to the month-long crisis based on dialogue.

"The state of Qatar has adopted a very constructive attitude since the beginning of the crisis. We are trying to act mature and discuss the matter," he said.

The four countries cut diplomatic and transport links with Qatar a month ago and have suggested further sanctions could be imposed if Doha does not comply.

Qatar, which denies any support for extremists, has said it will not bow to pressure and that the demands seem designed to be rejected.

The UAE has accused Doha of supporting Al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

On Tuesday a spokesman for the forces of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar, Ahmad al-Mesmari, speaking at a press conference in Cairo, accused Qatar along with Turkey and Sudan of supporting "terrorist groups" in Libya.

Qatar is the world's leading producer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and on Tuesday the head of state-owned Qatar Petroleum said it was planning a significant production increase over the coming years.
Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence. (Photo: Twitter/ MEA India)

Jerusalem: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Israel gained another feather to its cap after Modi was warmly welcomed by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at his residence in Jerusalem.

Affectionately welcoming Prime Minister with a hug, Rivlin termed Modi as "one of the greatest democratic leaders at present". He also recalled his earlier visit to India in November 2016, saying that he saw a nation with 'strong ideas, clear goals and tasks'.

Modi, on the other hand, said that the welcome he received mirrored the warmth of the country. Modi also added that he saw in Israel, a reflection of what Rivlin saw in India.

Talking about bilateral ties, Modi stated, I for I, India for Israel and Israel for India.

"'I' for 'I' is India for Israel, and 'I' with 'I' is India with Israel. Indians feel that 'Israel' is a real friend'," he said.

He also profusely thanked Rivlin for 'going out of the way' to receive him and termed it as an honour to all Indians.

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India: PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/r6eFdlrYwz  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

"It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again on Wednesday. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presdient's residence.

"President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality," wrote Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit, and was welcomed by Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu at the airport. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.

"We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We understood very well about your thought about the need to help partners who will 'Make in India'," Rivlin said.

"...we are doing a lot in order to fulfill your ideas about 'Make in India'," the Israeli President said.

"We only suggested some projects that may be we can do with India and I know that you have accepted that and appreciated that very much," he said.

Rivlin said there was a scope for cooperation between universities and industries of India and Israel.

"The....people in Israel are trying to find ways to invest in India and to make mutual projects together," he said.
Jerusalem: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artefacts of the long Jewish history in India.

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel on July 6 for a three-day visit, presented the relics to Netanyahu at his home.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th Century, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochin Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban.

According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabban was later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore.

Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and other places in Malabar.

Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earth from Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy place and a "second Jerusalem".

The replica of these plates was made with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi.

The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India.

These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church. And oversight of trade in Kollam to West Asian and Indian trading associations.

West Asian Association included Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, as also a group of Jews, who signed in Judeo- Persian and possibly also in Arabic and Pahlavi (Middle Persian).

The plates bear their signatures that appear to have been cut into the plates by a local workman unfamiliar with the script, the PMO tweeted.

The replica of these plates was made with the cooperation of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala.
Beijing: China on Wednesday accused India of "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to the north-eastern states.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang said.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

He claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point," Geng said defending China's road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its north-eastern states.
Foreign policy observers feel that China is accusing India of disturbing the peace at the Sikkim border to hide the Chinese unilateral aggression. (Representational image)

Beijing: As the Sikkim stalemate continues between the two neighbours, China on late Tuesday night warned that New Delhi would get a bitter lesson, worse than that of 1962 Sino-India war, if India did not back off.

Chinese state-run tabloid, Global Times, known for its critical stand towards India said the face-off in Donglang area will end in retreat as the Indian military either can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers.

In an ediotrial, it also warned of severe consequences if India takes the military route, referring to Defence Minister Arun Jaitleys remark.

Read: Sikkim standoff: China calls situation grave, tells India to withdraw troops

Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 -- India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts, it said.

Stating that the Chinese people are infuriated by India's provocation over Sikkim standoff, the editorial said, We believe the Chinese People's Liberation Army is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory.

The editorial also accused India of treating Bhutan as a vassal state and accused New Delhi of coercing Thimphu into supporting them. It said, The Indian media claimed in recent days that New Delhi shouldn't abandon Bhutan.

Read: Amid Sikkim standoff, Chinese warship spotted in Indian Ocean region

China has incessantly asked India to withdraw its troops from the tri-junction disputed area between India-Bhutan-China, allegedly claimed by China as their territory.

The daily mentioned that Indias real purpose of standoff was aimed at blocking Chinas road construction project in the Sikkim area as Cold War-obsessed India is suspicious that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor.

Sikkim area held by India is strategically important for Indians to control its turbulent northeast area. India is taking the risk to betray the historical 1890 border agreement and wants to force China to swallow the result, the daily reported.

Read: China dismisses Jaitley's war remarks, says India 'betrayed Sikkim treaty

The report also stated while China was ready for both options to resolve the Sikkim standoff -- talks and military action -- however, preferred dialogue. But it also warned that India shouldnt take China for granted and make concessions to its unruly demands.

It also noted that China attaches great importance to domestic stability and is not interested to get into a tussle with India.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday appeared for the first time before the Joint Investigation Team probing the high-profile Panamagate graft case against her family.

Maryam, 43, was accompanied by her husband Muhammad Safdar, brothers Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and prime minister's Special Assistant Asif Kirmani.

Maryam, who is carefully being groomed by her father as political heir, arrived at the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) in the capital for questioning by the six-member JIT set up in May by the Supreme Court. The JIT is expected to complete the report by July 10.

A large number of workers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were present outside the building who raised slogans in her favour. Maryam responded by waving to the supporters.

She is the eighth member of the Sharif family to be summoned by the JIT. The JIT has repeatedly questioned her brothers Hussain and Hassan, while it has also recorded the statements of Prime Minister Sharif, his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the prime minister's son-in-law (retd) Captain Mohammad Safdar, the prime minister's cousin Tariq Shafi, and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar ? the father-in-law of the prime minister's younger daughter.

PML-N top leadership has criticised the JIT's decision to summon the daughter of the prime minister. Sharif's brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif

strongly objected to Maryam's summoning. "There is no moral justification of the JIT decision to summon the daughter of the prime minister," he said on Tuesday.

"We accept the JIT's privilege to summon any person as witness but our civilisation teaches us to respect women," he added.

But Maryam, in a series of tweets, showed defiance and resolutely defended her father."He (Sharif) has seen and been through the most testing times, in the 30-plus years of his political career yet as an affectionate and protective father, I saw his eyes filled with concern and apprehension over his daughter's appearance before JIT," she tweeted.

"I told him that I am your daughter, trained by you, will neither cower down, nor yield to pressure and nothing will deter me from taking up the cudgels against transgression and injustice. Will appear before the JIT, follow the rule of law as you always have," she said in another tweet.

Maryam's name was in the Panama Papers with her brothers as the beneficial owner of the offshore companies. Neilsen Enterprises and Nescoll Ltd which owned the four Park Lane apartments. These properties are at the center of controversy.

Sharif's critics and opposition parties allege that the property was bought through ill-gotten money in 1990s when Sharif served twice as prime minister.

Sharif has rejected the allegations and said that the properties were bought with the money invested by his late father in the Gulf states. It has been testified by Qatari prince Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani, who in two letters written to Supreme Court revealed that late Muhammad Sharif, father of

Nawaz Sharif, had invested 12 million dirham in the real estate business of royal family.

He said the investment with profits was later handed over to Sharif's family. There are reports that two members of the JIT went to Qatar on Tuesday to record the statement of the Qatari royal.
China said today that it was weighing its options on issuing a travel alert for citizens visiting India depending on the security situation following the border standoff in the Sikkim section.



"The Chinese government attaches great importance to safety and lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens in accordance with the security condition of the relevant countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters here.



"We will decide whether or not to issue a travel alert," Geng said as he was responding to a question about write-ups in Chinese media cautioning Chinese investors in India.



Yesterday, a leading official newspaper in Beijing warned Chinese companies operating in India to be be alert and take steps to avoid being hit by anti-China sentiment.



An article in the Global Times called on Chinese firms to reduce their investments in India in view of the tension.



Since the standoff on June 6, when the People's Liberation Army destroyed bunkers of the India Army claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces blaming India for escalating border tension and "reminding" the Indian Army about the 1962 war.



Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
A directive by the state power department to the officials to treat BJP leaders and workers with ''respect'' has evoked sharp criticism from the opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh.



According to the sources, a senior official of the state owned 'Dakshinanchal' (southern) Power Distribution Corporation has written to the the employees to show respect to the BJP workers and leaders, whenever they visited their offices.



''It has come to notice that BJP workers and leaders are not being treated with respect....all of you are directed to treat them respectfully,'' the letter said.



It warned that non-compliance of the directive would invite stern punishment.



When queried, senior power department officials here sought to justify the directive saying that public representatives must always be shown due respect. They, however, were at a loss to explain as to why the directive only mentioned leaders and workers of BJP only and not other parties.



Sources said that the directive had been issued in the wake of reports that officials in the power department at the districts were assaulted by the saffron party workers at many places after their complaints were not allegedly attended to by them.



The opposition parties slammed the directive and said that it showed that the state government officials were forced to work as BJP workers.



''The government officials are being made to act like BJP workers....the directive should be withdrawn immediately,'' demanded Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Rajendra Chaudhary.



The workers of BJP and other saffron outfits have, on many occasions, assaulted the police and other officials in several parts of the state since the BJP formed government in the state after the assembly polls in March this year.
China today claimed that it has a "basic consensus" with Bhutan on the boundary and there is no dispute between two countries in the Doklam area, the centre of the current Sino-India military standoff.



The standoff between troops of India and China at Doklam area started after Bhutan, which has close diplomatic and military ties with India, protested to Beijing about the People's Liberation Army troops building a road in the strategic location close to the 'Chicken's Neck' tri-junction.



"I can say that we have been stressing that Doklam belongs to China since ancient times. It was under the effective jurisdiction of China without any dispute. China and Bhutan had about 24 rounds of boundary talks," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing answering a question about Bhutans protest.



"Although the boundary between the two countries is yet to be settled but we have basic consensus on the boundary and there is no dispute between both of us that Doklam belongs to China," he said.



Geng said China had been acting according to the agreements between the two countries and Doklam had been under the effective jurisdiction of China.



"Chinese activities (road building) in the relevant area does not violate relevant agreements and does not alter the status quo. The Bhutan side also knows it clearly. We will work together with Bhutan through friendly negotiations and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas," he said.
With less than a fortnight left for the Presidential poll, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday claimed that the NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind was actually not a Dalit.



Addressing his partymen at the 21th foundation day of the RJD here in the State Capital, Lalu said Kovind belonged to the Koli community, which had a minuscule presence in Uttar Pradesh. However, Kolis are OBCs (other backward castes) in Gujarat and comprise around five to six per cent of the population, argued Lalu.



Lalu, who has stood by the Congress-led Opposition candidate for Presidential election Meira Kumar said, All efforts should be made to ensure victory of Bihar ki Beti in the ensuing presidential polls.



In the meantime, while Lalu was addressing his partymen, a large number of NSUI (National Students Union of India) activists were arrested near JP roundabout. These leaders, from the student wing of the Congress party, under an agitation programme named Beti jitao (ensure victory of daughter, in reference to Meira) were on way to gherao CM Nitish Kumars residence and lodge a protest against JD (U)s support to NDA candidate Ramnath Kovind instead of Opposition nominee Meira Kumar.



Meanwhile, Lalu called upon all non-BJP parties to join hands so that a united Opposition could fight Narendra Modi Government tooth and nail. Today, there is an undeclared Emergency in the country where the Opposition leaders and media are threatened every now and then. I have convened a rally on August 27 here in Patna where the Congress, NCP, DMK, TMC, Left, BJD, SP and BSP leaders will be present.



I am trying to forge a unity between Akhilesh and Mayawati too. The day SP and BSP come under one roof, the match for 2019 (Lok Sabha polls) will be over, said Lalu, amid applause and cheers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, and his family to India and offered them long-term visas as he met them here.





Modi, in a special gesture, met Moshe, now 11, along his grandparents and Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who managed to escape with him from the Nariman House which came under attack by Pakistan-based LeT terrorists in 2008.



"Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome. You and your all family members will get long term visas. So you can come anytime and go anywhere," Modi told the boy during the meeting.



Moshe started his welcome speech for Modi in Hindi, saying "Aapka swagat hai humare desh mein".

"I want to ask you something from all of us: Please continue to love me forever. Thank you. And always remember my parents.



"I live in Afula, but I remember our connection to Nariman House...I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I live there...Dear Mr Modi I love you and the people in India," Moshe said.



The boy gifted a photo to Modi. "Thank you for your very very special gift," Modi said with affection.



Moshe was two when his parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others by terrorists at the Nariman House, also popularly known as Chabad House. The Nariman House was one of the five places targeted by the terrorists, killing 166 people.



Moshe now lives with his grandparents -- Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends.

Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010. She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family during the weekends.



Before the meeting Modi, Moshe's grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandson's 'bar mitvah', a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upnayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite Modi.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday cautioned Sahara chief Subrata Roy if its promise to pay Rs 552.21 crore by July 15 was not honoured, consequences like auction of Amby Valley properties would follow.



A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Dipak Misra declined to grant time till August 15 to the Sahara group even though its counsel senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi made a fervent plea for it, citing several reasons including slow down in properties market. They also wanted more time to submit fresh road map for making deposit.



Why should we keep on accommodating you...you are paying Rs 500 crore or something, if you continue like this, it would take life time to pay the full amount. We are absolutely categorical. We won't give you more time, the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri told the counsel.



The counsel initially wanted time till September, contending that they had already honoured the promise by depositing Rs 1500.40 crore since April to the Sahara-Sebi account.



Who can deposit Rs 23000 crore straightaway, asked Sibal. Sebi counsel senior advocate Arvind Datar, however, submitted that the total liability of Rs 9000 crore still remained over the group.



The court also reminded the Sahara cousel that it was they who had volunteered earlier to pay Rs 552.21 crore by July 15 after handing over a cheque to the Sebi.



Sibal contended that this was not fair on the part of the court. He also pleaded that the group had so far not been granted any hearing. Rohatgi also submitted that some sample verification of the depositors should be carried out before the group was saddled with further responsibility to pay back to the Sebi. The bench rejected the plea saying, Our judgement clearly postulates that verification will take place only after the deposit of the amount.



Before putting the matter for further consideration on July 20, the bench told the Sahara group that appropriate consequences like proclamation of the auction of Amby Valley will follow, if the amount of Rs 552.21 crore not deposited by July 15. The court also allowed Sebi to go ahead with auction of some unencumbered land of Sahara in Haridwar.


The Opposition Congress in Gujarat on Wednesday found itself in a peculiar spot during its party incharge for the state Ashok Gehlot's visit to South Gujarat.



Gehlot, who was accompanied by state party chief Bharatsinh Solanki, to South Gujarat for election related work, in Surat on Wednesday was welcomed by the chants in support of Prime Minister by the men they had gone to support!



The Congress leaders thought it apt to visit textile traders sitting on a dharna as part of their indefinite strike against levy of Goods and Services Tax , and extend support. Instead, their vehicles were gheraoed and chants of ModiModi welcomed them, forcing them to scoot the venue.



Media may see it that way but no traders opposed Congress. The traders were only raising slogans opposing GST, Solanki told mediapersons in an attempt to downplay the incident.



Local Congress leaders on their part claimed that it was BJP members who had merged with the crowd and may have raised the slogans. Interestingly, slogans against finance minister Arun Jaitley, against GST and local Parliamentarian C R Patil were also raised at the same venue.



Congress had earlier condemned lathicharge on traders in the city on Monday. However, before Gehlot visited textile traders, he was welcomed by another controversy. Some of the posters put up announcing his arrival in the city did not carry photograph of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela, leading to speculation of deep rift within the party in wake of outburst by former chief minister.



We are together and we will remain together. We will find out the people who failed to put Vaghelas picture on the poster and initiate disciplinary action, Solanki said.



Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress president said that party national vice-president Rahul Gandhi would visit the state in the month of August for campaign for forthcoming Assembly polls in the state. We have invited him to address rallies in Bhuj in Kutch, Rajkot in Saurashtra and Baroda in Central Gujarat, Bharatsinh Solanki said.



Rahul had last addressed a rally in tribal dominated Dediapada in April last. Before that he had held a rally in Patel-dominated Mehsana in December last. Congress hopes that Rahul Gandhis rallies would help mobilize the party cadre that is facing carpet bombing of public events by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah.



While Modi has visited Gujarat over a dozen times since 2014, Amit Shah is a regular visitor to the state. Both the top BJP leaders alternatively make their presence felt in the state at least once every month.
Miffed over the recent lynching of Dy SP level officer by a mob outside the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir government has curtailed the security allotted to moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.



Sources revealed to Deccan Herald that the government has transferred Deputy Superintendent Police (Dy SP) Faheem Ahmad, deployed with the security of the Mirwaiz for the last 15-years, to south Kashmir. Similarly, several policemen deployed with the Mirwaiz have also been shifted, they said.



Besides heading the moderate faction of the Hurriyat, the Mirwaiz is also the chief priest of Kashmir and enjoys Z-category security for the last more than two decades. His father Mirwaiz Farooq was killed by militants on 21 May 1990 and since then the Mirwaiz family was being provided with the security by the government.



Mirwaiz delivers Friday sermons at historic Jamia Masjid in old city area of Nowhatta. On June 24, Dy SP Ayoub Pandith, who was posted in the area for the security of the devotees, was lynched by a mob outside the Jamia Masjid.



After the incident, the state government had dropped enough hints that the time had come to review the security cover given to the sepratists. "If the separatists do not cooperate with the police to arrest the murderers (of Pandith), we will have to consider withdrawing their security cover. Some separatists are instigating the mob to attack the police," deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh had said after the incident.



Mirwaiz Umar confirmed that his security cover has been curtailed. "Neither had I sought security in the past nor does I want it today. The concerned authorities can call on it anytime and put an end to the politics being played over it (security), he told reporters.



However, a senior official in the security establishment said that the Z- category security of Mirwaiz was intact as per the entitlement. But some extra security personnel had been deployed with the Mirwaiz who have been withdrawn, he claimed.
The Tata Sons, the flagship company of the Tata Group, on Wednesday, vehemently refuted the charges of Shapoorji Pallonji Group as well as by ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry of mismanagement in Air Asia India by Tata Trusts' Managing Trustee R. Venkataramanan.



"Mistry's statement insinuate wrongdoing in the affairs of Air Asia India by Venkataramanan. On the contrary, Air Asia India with the support of Tata Sons, has taken definitive steps both in civil and criminal courts which have cleared the air in relation to the mischievous allegations made by SP Group companies in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) proceedings," Tata Sons said in a statement on Wedneday.



The allegations, the statement said, are value destructive and frivolous. Mistry on Tuesday night, in a statement, had said: "The attempt to initiate criminal prosecution for alleged defamation is an ill-advised and immature proxy battle through Venkataraman whose role in AirAsia is subject matter of several investigations by law enforcement agencies. The move by the Tata Trustees to attempt to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings faced by them, now before the National Company Law Appelate Tribunal (NCLAT) will be effectively and appropriately dealt with."



Just recently, Tata Trusts managing trustee R Venkatramanan had filed a Rs 500 crore criminal defamation case against Mistry, Shapoor Mistry and others. The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mumbai on 4 July, 2017 issued a summons to Cyrus Mistry and some others in the case and asked them to be present before the Court on August 24.



Tata Sons went on to add in the statement that it continues to evaluate legal options against Mistry. "It is ironical that Cyrus P. Mistry continues to make statements that his actions are in the interest of the Tata group. On the contrary, his actions thus far have consistently harmed the reputation of the Tata group. Tata Sons continues to evaluate its legal options in this regard," the group said.



Tata Sons has the highest respect for the judiciary and has never resorted to 'muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings', as alleged by Cyrus P Mistry, the group added.
The situation in West Bengal's communal strife-torn Baduria in North 24 Parganas district remained tense today even as the spat over the clashes continued between Governor K N Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.



With the clashes threatening to disrupt inter-faith harmony, Banerjee said her government has decided to form peace-keeping forces across the state involving local people and assisted by state administration and the police.



A police officer said no untoward incident was reported till this afternoon from Baduria though the situation is tense, adding forces have already been deployed across the entire area and they have cleared roads blocks put up by local residents and conducted route marches.



Announcements are being made via public address system asking people to maintain law and order, he said.



Schools, shops, markets and business establishments remained shut in and around Baduria, including Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia, where prohibitory orders are in force.



Four companies of BSF personnel (about 400 personnel) have been rushed to Baduria and adjoining areas of Basirhat, Swarupnagar and Deganga to assist the local administration.



Rail blockades at three places on the Barasat-Bongaon and Barasat-Basirhat sections in the morning inconvenienced daily commuters.



Violence had erupted between two communities at Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of the district since Monday night over a Facebook post, following which a young man was arrested.



Banerjee said the peace-keeping forces, called 'Shanti Bahini', will be stationed in 60,000-odd booths across the state to maintain communal harmony.



The clashes had triggered an unprecedented spat her and Governor Tripathi, whom she accused of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her.



The Raj Bhawan has voiced surprise over Banerjee's "attitude and language", and said "the governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state."



The governor dismissed her charges as baseless saying these were meant only to emotionally blackmail the people of the state.



"Instead of making accusations against him, it is better for the chief minister and her colleagues to direct their attention to maintain peace and law and order in the state without making any distinction on the basis of caste, creed or community," a Raj Bhawan release quoting the governor said.



"It is wrong to say that Raj Bhawan has become the office of the BJP or the RSS," it said.



Reacting sharply to TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee's statement that the governor is crossing his constitutional limits, Tripathi said it is an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue.



"The governor has been apprised of the statement of Partha Chatterjee, hon'ble education minister, and regrets to say that this is an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue of law and order," the statement said.



"The governor is fully aware of his constitutional obligations and limitations and needs no lesson from anyone on this count," it stated.



Tripathi said "true that the chief minister has been democratically elected by the people, but it should not be forgotten that the governor is also appointed by the President on the recommendation of a democratically elected Union Government. In fact, the allegations of the chief minister amount to insulting and humiliating the governor and his office."



Amid the continuing spat between Mamata and her party colleagues and the governor, the BJP today demanded that the Centre impose President's rule in West Bengal and send central observers to assess worsening law and order in the state.



"We demand that the Centre intervene and impose President's rule in the state. The Centre should send a team of observers to assess the worsening law and order situation in the state," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told reporters.



The CPI(M) has also accused the TMC government of failing to protect the people at Baduria and has demanded an all-party meeting to deal with the situation.
Putting behind the setback over Presidential elections, opposition parties were now working overtime to decide on a candidate for the election to the vice president's post.



Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel were busy getting various opposition leaders on board to achieve the elusive unity that fell apart after the Nitish Kumar's JD(U) decided to support Ram Nath Kovind, the BJP's candidate for the presidential election.



Opposition sources brushed aside the differences over the presidential elections as a one-off issue and appeared ready to put up a united front in the election to the vice president's post scheduled for August 5.



Vice President Hamid Ansari's term ends on August 10.



After facing flak for forcing its candidate  Meira Kumar as the joint opposition nominee for the presidential election, the Congress appeared ready to have other parties a greater say in the vice presidential election.



We are in no mood to give the BJP a walkover. A meeting of opposition leaders could take place later this week, an opposition leader said.



Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, form the electoral college for the Vice President's election.



In an electoral college of 790 members, the ruling NDA has a comfortable majority to have its candidate elected as vice president. In addition, the BJP can bank on support from AIADMK, BJD, TRS, YSRCP who have declared their support to the ruling party for the presidential election.



The Election Commission issued the notification for the vice presidential election on Tuesday.


President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday called upon young scientists to engage in research after graduation instead of concentrating on jobs.



Delivering his last convocation address as the 14th President at the Indian Institute of Science convocation-2017 at J N Tata Auditorium, he said: Profiles of graduates in their later career indicated that a majority of them ignored research. Indian bright minds should genuinely engage in fundamental research.



Mukherjee stressed on the importance of basic amenities and said: Better infrastructure and conducive atmosphere are needed to retain bright minds in India for research. No Indian scientist working in India has bagged a Nobel Prize in science in the last 80 years. Har Gobind Khorana and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar bagged Nobel Prizes while they were working abroad.



Citing the example of Germanys growth due to research in science despite suffering a catastrophe in two World Wars, Mukherjee said: Unless we make investments in basic research, we cant see the type of India which we would like to see.



The President said India was losing the monopoly in the IT job market. Indian professionals are facing threats of losing jobs not just from one country, but from many countries. We need excellent teachers who could enhance employability of youngsters so that Indias monopoly continues, he said.



India has over 760 universities and 38,600 degree colleges. Mere numbers are not enough, but imparting quality education is a must, he said.



Siddaramaiah said young scientists should address challenges of climate change, poverty and diseases.

Governor Vajubhai Vala said Indian scientists should be inspired by their counterparts in Israel, Russia, Japan, USA and Korea and governments should spend more on research.



As many as 625 candidates in ME, MTech, MMgt, PhD, MS, MSc, Engg and UG programmes received certificates, while the number of medal winners was 52.



Institute made India proud

There was an applause when Mukherjee said: This is my last visit to the central institute as the 14th President. I am concluding with the institute which has made India proud.



He recalled his conversation with a director of an IIT, who told Mukherjee that most of the students were well placed all over the world. I asked him if they were carrying out research. The answer was highly disappointing. I want youngsters to carry out research, he said.
The next time when you walk into the Office of City Police Commissioner on Infantry Road with a water bottle in your bag, be ready to take a gulp of it.



This is not because you should meet the senior officials after quenching your thirst, but for the security personnel who wants to know whether it is water or something else.



A DH reporter, on Wednesday, was made to take a gulp of water from her water bottle to prove that it was not kerosene by the security personnel deployed at the police commissioners office gates.



After a routine security check-up, the police asked her to drink the water and show it was part of security protocol. This new security measure has been put in place after a man recently entered the police commissioners office premises with a kerosene bottle and attempted to immolate himself.


Three days after a sudden spurt in ATM card skimming cases in the city, the police have issued an advisory to people to be careful while using cards at ATMs and Point of Sale (PoS) machines.



The advisory posted by the social media team of the city police on their Facebook page advised card users to check for and make sure that no extra device is attached to ATM machines. In such cases, people should file a complaint with the bank officials as well as the local police, a senior police officer said.



The police have advised people to make sure that the keypads of ATMs are not smeared with any glue, gum or adhesive substances. Such things are used mostly by hackers to copy the PIN of the debit cards. The users should also make sure that there is no gap in the keypad and it is moulded properly.



An extra safe practice would be ones other hand covering the hand keying in the PIN, if there were to be some sort of pin-hole cameras installed to record PIN typed, the officer added.



The police advised that people should always visit ATM centres that have security guards and ATMs situated within the bank premises. People should not share passwords with anyone while using the cards at PoS outlets. They should not hand over cards to strangers and, keep an eye on the card while it is being used at PoS machines. Many people have the habit of writing down the PIN on the back of their card which should be strictly avoided, the police said.


Zachary Rethorn, PT, DPT, of Chattanooga, was awarded the professional designation of board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties of the American Physical Therapy Association.Mr. Rethorn specializes in the identification and treatment of orthopaedic conditions across the lifespan from children to older adults. He works extensively with persistent pain conditions and focuses on lifestyle change to achieve the best results.Becoming a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy demonstrates my commitment to pursuing the highest level of skill with which to best serve my patients, Mr.Rethorn said.Mr. Rethorn graduated in 2015 from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a doctor of physical therapy degree. He is a physical therapist at BenchMark Physical Therapy in Chattanooga, an outpatient physical therapy provider. He is also a doctor of science student in health promotion at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Ut. He was voted as a best physical therapist finalist in the 2016 Times Free Press Best of the BestTo obtain board certification, candidates must submit evidence of required clinical practice in one of nine specialty areas: cardiovascular and pulmonary, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, sports, and womens health physical therapy.In addition, candidates must successfully complete a rigorous examination, demonstrating specialized knowledge and advanced clinical proficiency in a specialty area of physical therapist practice. Roughly 6.5 percent of the physical therapists in the United States are board certified in a specialty, and only 3.9 percent of therapists in the United States are orthopaedic clinical specialists, officials said.
It was a dream come true for a few while it was an occasion to celebrate for many others.



The convocation of the Indian Institute of Science at J N Tata Auditorium on Wednesday turned out to be a meet of brilliant minds across India. Some candidates had brought their parents while some were accompanied by their spouses.



The main attraction of the event was the presence of two Majors and a Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian army.



Major Saurabh Sharma, Major Shantanu Kaushik and Lieutenant N S Dhabi received the certificates for obtaining ME in Signal Processing.



Three challenges for them to get seats for the course were to clear written tests, interviews and excellent service records. They had to clear another round of interview by IISc authorities once the Army cleared their candidature for higher studies.



Sharma hails from Mathura, while Dabhi and Kaushik are from Delhi.



The officers said the postgraduation course has enhanced their employability skills and they are exposed to newer areas. They said they want to use it while serving in the Army.



They said they once again got into an educational institution for learning after a gap eight years.



Guhaprasad N, a scientist with Defence Aviation Research and Establishment, joined the PG programme 14 years after his graduation.



It was a proud day for Shilpa Dilip Kumar who got a certificate for completing PhD. I left Canada for Bengaluru only to realise my dream of studying at IISc, she said.



I feel honoured today. The dream came true with the help of support of family members and friends, she said.



Priyanka Gupta, a native of Kolkata, joined IISc to study masters and bagged a gold medal.



She said owes her success to hard work and parents support.



Only 1 medallist from last yr turns up

There were 52 medal winners in different subjects from the previous year.



However, only one man  Deepak  turned up. The institution said the remaining 51 medal winners could not make it as they were working abroad.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday called upon young scientists to engage in research after graduation instead of concentrating on jobs.



Delivering his last convocation address as the 14th President at the Indian Institute of Science convocation-2017 at J N Tata Auditorium, he said: Profiles of graduates in their later career indicated that a majority of them ignored research. Indian bright minds should genuinely engage in fundamental research.



Mukherjee stressed on the importance of basic amenities and said: Better infrastructure and conducive atmosphere are needed to retain bright minds in India for research. No Indian scientist working in India has bagged a Nobel Prize in science in the last 80 years. Har Gobind Khorana and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar bagged Nobel Prizes while they were working abroad.



Citing the example of Germanys growth due to research in science despite suffering a catastrophe in two World Wars, Mukherjee said: Unless we make investments in basic research, we cant see the type of India which we would like to see.



The President said India was losing the monopoly in the IT job market. Indian professionals are facing threats of losing jobs not just from one country, but from many countries. We need excellent teachers who could enhance employability of youngsters so that Indias monopoly continues, he said.



India has over 760 universities and 38,600 degree colleges. Mere numbers are not enough, but imparting quality education is a must, he said.



Siddaramaiah said young scientists should address challenges of climate change, poverty and diseases.



Governor Vajubhai Vala said Indian scientists should be inspired by their counterparts in Israel, Russia, Japan, USA and Korea and governments should spend more on research.



As many as 625 candidates in ME, MTech, MMgt, PhD, MS, MSc, Engg and UG programmes received certificates, while the number of medal winners was 52.



Institute made India proud

There was an applause when Mukherjee said: This is my last visit to the central institute as the 14th President. I am concluding with the institute which has made India proud.



He recalled his conversation with a director of an IIT, who told Mukherjee that most of the students were well placed all over the world.



I asked him if they were carrying out research. The answer was highly disappointing. I want youngsters to carry out research, he said.
On the pretext of a test ride, a stranger sped away on a high-end bike that was put up for sale on an online classified portal.



The incident occurred at Marathahalli on Monday. Naveen, a hotelier, had put up an ad on a portal. He had incurred huge losses and wanted to sell his bike to repay loans.



On Monday, a man approached Naveen stating that he was interested in buying the bike and sought a test-ride. Naveen handed over the bike along with photocopies of bike documents to the buyer. The man took the bike for a test ride. As he did not return even after an hour, Naveen grew suspicious. After a search for almost an hour and verifying CCTV footage from a shop, Naveen came to know that his bike was stolen. He lodged a complaint with the Marathahalli police.



Held for fraud



The Cyber Crime police on Wednesday arrested two persons who were cheating customers on an online portal posing themselves as car sellers.



The arrested have been identified has Augustine (42), a native of Nigeria and a resident of Bidarahalli here. An associate of Augustine, identified as Jagadish, has been arrested for facilitating sim cards for him, the police said.



Augustine used to post ads on a popular portal with a photo of a Maruti Swift car, quoting a low price. When customers approached him, Augustine asked them to transfer a partial amount to an account. After the client transfered the money, Augustine would go untraceable.



Jagadish, who works at a mobile phone shop, was helping Augustine in getting him sim cards without collecting necessary documents from him. Jagadish activated sim cards by forging documents, which helped Augustine in the fraud, police said.
JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday held Chief Minster Siddaramaiah responsible for the closure of bars along national highways within Bengaluru city.



The Supreme Court order on the closure of bars came in December last year. The chief minister, who also holds the Excise portfolio, was, however, in a deep slumber for six months. He held the first meeting with the owners of liquor shops and officials only on Tuesday. Revenue loss to the state exchequer due to the closure of bars is estimated at Rs 5,000 crore per annum, if the bars remain closed permanently, he told reporters. The JD(S) leader was speaking after meeting the party workers at JP Bhavan here.



The government has already announced farm loan waiver. How will it mobilise resources to implement the loan waiver if the bars are closed permanently? Is this the way to run the government? He (chief minister) is only issuing irresponsible statements against Opposition parties, the former chief minister said.



Kumaraswamy also accused the ruling party of mobilising funds for the next Assembly elections. We have come to know that the government is meddling with the preparation of 2031 master plan of Bengaluru.



Permission is being given recklessly for change of land use around Bengaluru. The chief minister is letting down the interest of the state, he charged.



Probe sought



Kumaraswamy demanded that the state government should order a probe into irregularities in the Energy department, especially in bidding for solar power generating units and power purchase. Though a legislature committee has been set up to look into irregularities in the department in the past 10 years, it is unlikely to bring out the truth, he added.



The total debt accumulated by the five electricity supply companies because of purchase of power is Rs 16,000 crore, he said.



CM under illusion

Kumaraswamy said performance of the JD(S) in the byelections to various wards of urban local bodies has proved that the party is a force to reckon with in the state. The ruling party has lost badly. The Congress candidate in a Mysuru City Corporation ward has lost his deposit in the bypoll. Still, chief minister thinks that the Congress will come back to power in the next Assembly elections. This clearly shows that the chief minister is under illusion, he added.
TWRA and Legacy Parks are joining together for the second sunflower festival at the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area in Knoxville this Saturday at 9 a.m.Recognizing the publics great interest in the sunflower fields a few years ago, WMA Manager Bill Smith decided it would benefit TWRA and the public to have an event. The sunflowers draw thousands of people to the area every year and we want them to understand their benefits to wildlife, to hunters, and help people enjoy their aesthetic value as well, said Mr.Smith.The WMA has about 70 acres planted in sunflowers this year and while their showy blooms are pleasing to the eye, they are also highly beneficial to pollinators and the seeds they produce provide an abundance of food for several species of birds and other wildlife. Mr. Smith also wants to remind the public that the large sunflower fields are only present every other year as crop rotation is important to maintain soil fertility and control pests. The large sunflower fields wont be planted again until 2019.The free event kicks off at 9 a.m. with a welcoming, followed by a guided hike courtesy of Legacy Parks. TWRA will also deliver an interpretive talk at 10:30 a.m. followed by another guided hike. The festival will also consist of a wildlife informational trailer, a booth featuring wildlife identification, as well as kids activities.The Legacy Parks Foundation has been in existence since 2007 and has raised over $3 million to preserve over 1,000 acres of land.Directions to the Forks of the River WMA:From I-40, take James White Pkwy exit (388A) and stay to the left to continue on James White Parkway. Cross over the TN River and take the Sevier Ave./Hillwood Dr. Exit. Turn Left onto Sevier Ave. (turns into Hillwood Dr.). Turn right onto Island Home Ave. (at bottom of hill). Take the first left onto McClure Ln. just passed Ijams Nature Center. Follow signs to the WMA. A TWRA gravel parking lot is to the right at the end of McClure Lane.For more information, contact Bill Smith at 865-856-9711.
Captain G. N. Todd: Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard appointed Rev. Jeff P. Crim to serve in the position of Auxiliary Clergy Support in a letter dated June 6. Pastor Crim, as a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, will volunteer in this position to serve members of the United States Coast Guard by augmenting the work of United States Coast Guard Chaplains.

In the letter, Captain Todd describes the ACS program as designed around a close relationship between military chaplains and Auxiliary Clergy. Rev. Crim is among the very first people appointed to this program which is new to the United States Coast Guard

Rev. Crim currently serves as pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church and staff chaplain at CHI Memorial Hospital. In addition to healthcare chaplaincy and congregational ministry, Rev. Crims career has frequently included ministry to the Sea Services. His first ministry placement was an internship with the Seamens Church Institute of NY & NJ as a port chaplain. He volunteered his time in a similar capacity while as pastor in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. He had been a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary in another capacity prior to this appointment.

Since 2011, Rev. Crim has served as pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church located at 720 S. Germantown Road in East Ridge. Founded in 1913, Ascension is one of Chattanoogas oldest faith communities. It is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. With over 4 million baptized members, the ELCA is one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States.




For 30 years, a heartfelt chorus has rung out every Thursday night from Fletcher Cove Community Center and down over the bluffs, to be washed out by the gently crashing Pacific.

That weekly singalong has two mainstays: the song Solana Beach, Our City Proud and Ed Siegel, the psychiatrist and self-taught musician determined not to waver from his three-decade mission of filling Solana Beach with joyous song.

Seated at an upright piano on June 29, he looked across the room to see faces familiar as well as new among the two dozen revelers who joined him in verse for the annual patriotic singalong. The chorus has swelled and ebbed over the years, but has always held true.

The people that come, its become like a little family of its own in a way, Siegel would say later.

Over the evenings 90 minutes, he led them through short renditions of ditties etched generations ago into the nations consciousness: My Country Tis of Thee, Battle Hymn of the Republic, the Marines Hymn and Wild Blue Yonder.

Spotted among the singing faithful: Dave Roberts, the former city councilman and county supervisor, who was making one of the many stops on his farewell tour before moving to Connecticut to take care of family.

After belting out a few tunes, he chimed in with a few departing words.

This is what makes community. Its just such a treasure, he said, before offering the group encouragement and assurance. Were going to come back here, so dont worry. Our roots are here in Solana Beach. Truly, continue this tradition. Every time that Im back visiting, Im going to pop back in on you all.

Its been nearly 20 years since Lynn Salsberg strolled past the singalong for the first time. She added her voice to the chorus that night in 1989, and another night, and so many others, before long becoming one of the groups regulars. A dozen years later, Siegel told her hed been asked to whip up a tune to capture Solana Beachs character. Her home town in Canada had a song, so why shouldnt Solana Beach? So she put to paper some words to invoke images essential to Solana Beach: the train station, the revitalization of Cedros Avenue, the 101.

She sang them to Siegel, who conjured up the music to go with it, and the duo tweaked their tune for several years until the time came to play it in the community. The fateful performance came when they played it for Skyline Elementary Schools music teacher, who loved it so much that they recorded a version sung by the students.

The city council adopted it as Solana Beachs official song in 2006, and the first verse can be heard on the citys website.

Siegel drummed up some national attention a dozen years ago for his quest to have the National Anthem changed from the hard-to-sing key of B flat to a more masses-friendly key of G.

That campaign landed flat. And when Our City Proud became the city song, his attention turned to expanding the song to broader audiences  even if it rubs people occasionally the wrong way.

Given his dithers, the song would be sung at Concerts at the Cove, during little league games anywhere and anytime civic pride is at the fore.

It could even play on the citys website before city council meetings, instead of that boring background music, he said. It would be so much fun.

Or even just more than the first verse on the citys website, Salsberg said.

Wed love for every kid to be able to grow up with the feeling of the city and whats here, she said.
When the party-loving masses return to the Del Mar Racetrack on Opening Day, one tradition will revive among the countless others: Bermuda shorts and flip flops a-plenty scattered throughout the sea of seersucker suits and Italian loafers.

Because for the Del Mar Yacht Club, the arrival of the racing season is as much Jimmy Buffett as it is Bing Crosby.

We are Hawaiian shirts and thongs, we are tuxedos, we love it all, says Greg McDonald, the clubs treasurer.

For 25 years, the loosely knit social club has held dearly to its claim on the Seabiscuit skybox, the only one that has escaped corporate clutches. And with yet another sell-out, the club will raise a ruckus 150 people strong  friends, friends of friends, and the occasional celebrity  a far cry from the higher-brow crowds in the corporate skyboxes.

Over that quarter century, the club has weathered the tempests of change. Theyve moved anchor (so to speak) from their initial gathering spots; nowadays their favorite haunts are En Fuego Cantina and Bullys North, where the clubs insignia hangs proudly on the wall. Theyve long since parted ways with the three boats their founding members hailed in their heyday. And the original 10 Commodores have winnowed down through death and departure to four devoted stalwarts manning the clubs figurative helm Charles Coune, his wife Nadine, McDonald and Nora Nido  self-described knuckleheads keeping the clubs spirit alive.

Some people thought we were done, but its been revived, McDonald said after the last of their 150 tickets sold out recently.

There wont be many better seats anywhere at the hallowed track on July 19 than the Seabiscuit skybox, poised above the horses turn for home as jockeys make their final, fateful moves and the crowd holds its collective breath. The sheer amount of track knowledge is daunting to consider, but theirs is a soiree keened more on good times than wild wagers.

Opening Day is always a tough card, trust me, Charles Coune said. We do not go big on the betting. A lot of the folks who dont come to the track much but come on opening day, they see all those strange distances and make all sorts of exotic bets. We like to say theyve got more money to spend than horse sense.

Irony is part of what drew McDonald to the club 18 years ago, a subtle sort of thumbing their nose at San Diegos elites.

Thats what I love about it, he said. It was all about the satire.

And when their party sparks up again to mark their 25th year, its only fitting that it coincides with a return to the traditional of opening on the third Wednesday of July.

Our huge day is back, McDonald said. Its the high holy days for San Diego. Everybody in the county, its the time to be someone.
Carmel Valley resident Mara Fortin recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her first Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery. Fortin opened her first bakery in Poway in 2007 as the companys first-ever franchisee. Ten years later she owns seven bakeries, including locations in Del Mars Flower Hill Promenade and The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch in Carmel Valley.

Fortin likes to say she is not in the business of selling cakes but in the business of relationships, of family and celebrations and of people coming together.

After 10 years, were a household name and the go-to place for desserts, Fortin said. Were embedded in peoples lives, were a part of peoples celebrations and remembrances. I love it so much.

Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz founded Nothing Bundt Cakes in 1998 in Las Vegas, where Fortin was living at the time and had a very busy life as a medical malpractice attorney. She walked away from the ridiculous hours and began crafting a recipe for a new life in her native San Diego, drawing on her undergraduate degree in business. She convinced the owners to let her be a franchisee.

Fortin vividly remembers being in the parking lot by her new Poway location in 2007 and listening as a couple of men walked by and seemed baffled by her bakery, wondering Only bundt cakes? Thats it? Whats a bundt cake? Many people told her she would be out of business in a year.

Everyone was very skeptical. But I knew how great the product was, Fortin said. The product is just amazing. Its so beautiful to walk into the bakeries, its so warm and inviting and I just knew in my heart I was going to be a game-changer for the dessert market in San Diego and now with seven bakeries, thats what weve done.

Dessert has taken on a whole new life and its exciting to me to have played an integral part of completing that vision.

Fortin went on to open bakeries in Chula Vista, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Santee and Mission Valley, the location that continues to be the top two bakery in California.

She opened the Flower Hill Promenade location in 2009 and the Pacific Highlands Ranch location last year, which she said has been a perfect fit.

Since opening the bakery she has become a Pacific Highlands Ranch resident and her daughters attend school locally with Kendall at Pacific Trails Middle School and Karyn at Ashley Falls Elementary School. Many a school event has been gifted with bundt cakes and Karyns fifth grade class came to visit the bakery and got a lesson on the business  and cream cheese frosting.

Fortin also makes efforts to give back to the community through partnerships with Rady Childrens Hospital and Susan B. Komen of San Diego, donating thousands of cakes a year.

To my customers, thank you for believing in us, Fortin said. Without my customers in San Diego, Im not at seven bakeries. Its really because of them that Ive been able to grow.

Visit nothingbundtcakes.com
Derbyshire whisky could start being produced by the end of the year after plans to create what is believed to be the first ever distillery in the county were given the green light.

White Peak Distillery has been given permission by Amber Valley Borough Council to create the venture inside disused industrial units at Derwent Works, in Matlock Road, Ambergate, which were formerly part of the Johnson & Nephew wire works.

However, people hoping to sample the firms whisky will have to wait at least three years to get their hands on the first bottle as the spirit needs time to age. In the meantime, White Peak Distillery will be making gin, which will be available later this year.

And as well as making spirits, the distillery will also have its own shop, tasting room and will offer visitors tours of the facility, which lies within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

White Peak Distillery is the brainchild of Max Vaughan, a whisky fan from Quarndon, who was inspired to set up his own distillery after visiting an urban whisky distillery in London.

It is estimated that the Derbyshire distillery will create at least 11 new jobs in its first three years of operation. Derwent Works had been a wire works since the late 19th century and at its height employed more than 500 people. The business closed in the mid-1990s and since then it has been used for fabrication and storage/distribution.

Mr Vaughan said: We love the premises and the heritage of the former wire works and its great that we are able to bring some life back to these industrial buildings.

The borough council was very supportive throughout the process and I was confident that wed get planning consent but theres always an element of risk.

Theres been some bumps in the road - and no doubt more to come - but were very excited at the prospect of handcrafting whisky and other spirits in Derbyshire.

Ecology has been one issue weve had to deal with but I take the view that you cant have the benefits of being by a river in a woodland location without respecting the wildlife that shares the surroundings.

White Peak Distillery aims to produce small batches of single malt English whisky, aged on-site in oak casks. However, the aging process of the whisky will mean that the distillery will also need to produce spirits that do not need to be aged and can be sold shortly after they are made.

Mr Vaughan said: The major next steps are for us to replace the roof in readiness for the main distillery installation to start in September. We hope to be distilling Derbyshire's first whisky by year end.

In the meantime, we have got our spirits research and development facility up-and-running and have been working on our whisky and on some gin styles.

Weve now got three different gins that were very happy with and we plan to launch one of these - called Shining Cliff - later this summer. We'll be using our small research stills until Christmas and so will have very limited release batches.

Those who do want to be among the first to try the whisky are invited to join a group that will soon be launched online by White Peak Distillery called the Temperance Club.

Mr Vaughan said: Its called the Temperance Club because whisky cant be rushed and its members will need patience - but it will give them an exclusive chance to be part of the distillery development and will allow them to build up a unique collection of our whisky over the first decade of releases.
When Rolls-Royce said in 2011 that it was considering non-UK locations for new aircraft engine test beds, the news hit Derby workers like a ton of bricks.

More fell as the company struggled to recover from a string of profit warnings between 2014 and 2016.

And every investment in manufacturing capacity abroad  in Indianapolis, Singapore, Germany and even India  was another crushing blow for workers at its civil aerospace division in Sinfin, where 9,000 people are currently employed.

Now, following the news that a 90 million extra-large test bed is to be built in Sinfin, thus committing Rolls-Royce to Derby for 30 years, the bulk of those bricks have been lifted. Its a phenomenal weight off many thousands of pairs of shoulders.

First, there are the 6,000 shop floor workers at Sinfin whose jobs are now safe for at least five years. Then theres the tens of thousands of jobs in the Midlands supply chain that rely on Rolls-Royce producing large civil engines in Derby. And then there are business leaders and politicians who steer the local economy. Rolls-Royce is essential to the life-blood of Derby and production at Sinfin would have shrivelled had the test bed gone elsewhere.

In all, a 150 million package for the East Midlands was announced by Rolls-Royce last week, with Hucknall and Annesley promised around a sixth of the investment. The rest of the cake is coming to Derby.

At a staff briefing, management announced that Rolls-Royce would invest in a new experimental test bed in Wilmore Road for the next generation of engines, as well as new manufacturing and overhaul facilities. It will also maintain basic manufacturing activities such as precision machining and castings in-house.

In an interview with Business Weekly, Eric Schulz, Rolls Royce president  civil aerospace, said it was quite simply the citys turn.

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He said: I know there have been a lot of questions in the past [about investment going overseas]. But Rolls-Royce is a global company, we have to invest a bit everywhere.

We invested heavily in Singapore, [where a 300 million aerospace campus has been built]. We have also installed a sister line for the Trent WXB in Dahlewitz, in Germany. And again, that has been needed because the level of volumes weve been getting out of Trent WXB, due to the success of the Airbus A350 XWB jet.

So when we look forward, the new test bed in Derby will come in addition to the two large test beds we already have here, which we call 57 and 58, and that will complete our ability to make Derby the centre of excellence for the large engine business.

The new test bed will be crucial to the development of UltraFan, which could be ready for service in 2025 and burn 25% less fuel than the Trent 700  another of the companys most successful jet engines. It will also be capable of testing a range of engines including the Trent XWB, which is the worlds fastest selling civil large engine.

Mr Schulz said the new test bed would be in operation through to the mid-2040s.

The life of a test bed is 20-25 years, he said. Its going to take two or three years to build it and then therell be 20-25 years, at least, of operations from that.

He added the 90 million building would have a very, very large capacity and will be the companys largest and most advanced test bed.

He said: It will be even bigger than what we have today. Our existing test beds are starting to become limited because of the size of the engines. This investment will position Derby so that it continues to be the lead centre of excellence for the large engine business of Rolls-Royce.

The new test bed is earmarked for land currently used as a staff car park, close to the 57 and 58 test beds.

This is the view today, Mr Schulz said. But well have a tender and work with a subcontractor. At the end of the day, there will be constraints that we will have to work through and the final place might change. Honestly, I dont know where the final place will be. Today, our intention, ideally, is to position the test bed not too far away from the two others, so that we benefit from being next door to each other, enabling people to go from one test bed to another.

Of course, well analyse it fully and we might have to do things slightly differently to what we expect but well adapt.

Rolls-Royce employees know all about adapting. The company has undergone two years of major restructuring after a string of profit warnings and January's corruption fine to settle a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office and authorities in the US and Brazil.

The group reported its largest ever loss and one of the biggest in UK corporate history earlier this year, slumping into the red with a pre-tax loss of 4.64 billion for 2016 after a 4.4 billion writedown caused by the collapse of the pound since the Brexit vote, as well as a 671 million penalty to settle bribery allegations.

But the company said earlier this month that 2017 had started well, with all businesses performing in line with expectations.

Indeed, Mr Schulz said he was confident better times lay ahead with the help of the civil aerospace business.

When you look at things in aggregate, by 2020-21 we will have 50% of the market in large engine business. That has been the dream since the 1980s. So the dream is coming through and Im delighted to say we will achieve it with the help of this new test bed in Derby.

This test bed will see UltraFan  thats why it has to be bigger. We are using engines which are even bigger than past ratios. This is clearly opening a new page in the history of Rolls-Royce. If you look at the history of the civil engine business, we had the RB211, then we started in the Trent family, and now were starting to invest with the view that we will continue to sustain our technology on gas turbines and, clearly, we will continue to invest in our product, and Ultrafan is now the next generation of product.

In announcing the 150 million investment for the East Midlands, Rolls-Royce said it was seeking to double the production of new engines, at the same time as introducing three new engines to the market: the Trent XWB-97, which will power the Airbus A350-1000; the Trent 1000 TEN, which will power all variants of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family; and the Trent 7000 which will power the Airbus A330neo.

Reports after the announcement suggested the new test bed at Sinfin will create a further 200 jobs on top of the 350 staff recruited over the past year to meet the steep increase in production of the XWB.

However, Mr Schulz said it was difficult to say how many new jobs would be forthcoming.

He said: The problem is we are rebalancing with some of the other divisions in Rolls-Royce. So there are plusses and minuses.

Were undergoing a big transition and this is where the maths is sometimes difficult to do. You reduce some areas, such as business functions, and rebalance with the load we have. But at the very, very least we can say we have sustained the jobs.

Asked whether new jobs for Derby might be announced over the coming months and years, Mr Schulz responded positively: Clearly, the civil aerospace business is continuing to grow. If you look at production, we are growing at a rate of 20-25% every year. Thats going to go on again for next year and the year after.

The growth has been supported by another extra-large test bed for big civil turbines that opened in Dahlewitz, Germany, in 2014. The test bed, which cost 90m euros, was partly funded by state authorities.

Previous reports suggested Rolls-Royces final decision on where to build its next test bed was likely to depend on where it wins public funding.

Mr Schulz confirmed the British government had not pledged any funding towards the new test bed but hinted it was willing to provide funding for research that will prove crucial to the UltraFans development.

We have support from the Government on all kinds of different proposes and I would say the relationship between Rolls-Royce and the Government has always been key and important, and will continue, he said.

The 150 million investment is part of an accord struck with the union Unite to introduce greater labour flexibility as the company faces its biggest production challenge since the Second World War. With a 71 billion order book after a near-decade of booming engine sales, it will have to double engine production to get the turbines delivered on time.

As part of the deal, there will be no compulsory redundancies for five years in Derby. In return, Business Weekly understands workers have agreed to provide direct support to step up production of the companys fastest selling engine  the XWB  in Germany. They will drop their two-year opposition to training employees from the companys Dahlewitz site in the art of engine assembly. Meanwhile, a joint management-employee committee will be set up to ensure that Derby retains sufficient workload to maintain a core workforce.

Mr Schulz said: Im really delighted to announce the 150 million investment. But Im also really delighted to see the level of communication and discussions we had with our union leaders. They are pretty much ready for the challenge. They understand that we are in a global business and the company has to make decisions that protects itself. I am really, really grateful that we have been able to align our objectives and Im grateful to all of the workforce and union leaders for showing they were ready to challenge themselves and move on to something that protects the business in the longer term, and protects jobs in the longer term.

I take great satisfaction, I have to say, to be able to reach a point where the confidence between the workforce and management is at a level that allows us to build for the future. Its great.
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A habitual drunk from Derby who waved a knife around in the street has been spared prison after trying to conquer his alcohol problems.

Ranjit Olk, who a court was told has 33 previous convictions for 48 offences, mainly committed while drunk, was strutting and shouting outside his Chaddesden home while clutching the 12ins blade.

One of his daughters took the knife - and a hammer he was holding - off him and handed them to a passing neighbour.

But police arrested the 54-year-old and charged him with possessing a bladed article, which he pleaded guilty to.

But Derby Crown Court heard how since that incident, in February last year, he has checked into a rehab clinic and is addressing his problem with alcohol.

(Image: Martin Naylor)

Handing Olk a seven-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, Judge Peter Cooke said: I feel sorry for your daughter who had to calm you down, take the weapons off you and hand them to a neighbour.

It was very responsible of that lady who has put up with this type of behaviour from you for long enough.

It has been a blight on you and your two daughters for a number of years.

I have heard you now have a young son-in-law who comes from a responsible family and who, I am sure, does not want a drunk for a father-in-law.

By handing you a suspended sentence the crucial thing here is that it seems to me you understand you have a Sword of Damocles hanging over your head.

You know that it means that if your neighbours have to report you being in the street, drunk, being belligerent and looking for a fight again, I will lock you up.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said Olk was picked up drunk in the street by police at around 4pm on the day of the offence and driven to his home in Birchover Rise.

But a short while later he was seen by a neighbour outside the house clutching the knife which had a blade of around 9ins to 12ins.

Miss Rose said: He is a habitual drunk and he was described as was strutting and shouting and the neighbour called the police immediately.

Another neighbour was walking home and heard a knock from one of the defendants windows.

It was one of his daughters who had got the knife and a hammer off him and she handed them to the passing neighbour.

The defendant was arrested and in interview said hed had three or four cans of beer and was not drunk.

However, he had no recollection of being outside his house holding a knife.

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Chudi Grant, for Olk, said since the incident his client had checked into rehab and was working to address his alcohol issues.

He said: He got up at 5am today to walk to court to ensure he was here in good time.

Custody will cause great shame on him and his family and will have a significant impact on him.
The Bradley County Historical and Genealogical Society will hold its regular quarterly meeting this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Community Room at the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library. Dr. Richard R. Jones, professor of anthropology at Lee University, will be the program. The program is free and the public is invited and encouraged to attend.



Bryan Reed, president of the Bradley County Historical and Genealogical Society, said, The mysterious tunnels under Cleveland were found about a year ago by workers working near Inman Street in the parking lot of the Bradley County Fire-Rescue building. Dr. Jones and Lee University students have spent the last year exploring and researching the tunnels. The speculations and theories around Cleveland have ranged from being part of the Underground Railroad to the long discussed tunnel from the Julius Raht house to the railroad depot.



During the meeting Dr. Jones will reveal the findings of the research and will provide answers about the mysterious tunnels.
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Tom Ince has completed a move to Huddersfield Town from Derby County, signing a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year made 105 league appearances for the Rams since joining the club back in 2015, scoring 37 goals in the process.

But now that Tom Ince has left Derby, who do Rams fans think should replace him?

We asked who YOU think should replace the 25-year-old and here are the most popular names that were suggested:

Jota

The 25-year-old currently plays for Brentford as an attacking midfield player, and joined the club in 2014.

Jota has had several loan spells in his career, including 12-month spell at Spanish club Eibar whilst at Brentford.

However, the Spaniard rejoined the Bees from his loan spell in January of this year and went on to score 12 goals in 23 appearances for the club.

It's with this form that the midfielder has proved a popular replacement for Tom Ince among Rams fans.

Jordon Ibe

A familiar face for Rams fans, Jordon Ibe had a spell on loan at Pride Park in the 2014/15 season, making 20 league appearances, scoring five goals.

Ibe was recalled in January of that season by then parent club Liverpool, and has since gone on to a permanent move at Premier League side Bournemouth in August last year.

Ibe has make 25 league appearances, but hasn't scored a single goal.

It's his pace that resonates most with supporters and it is that quality of his game that make Rams fans believe he would be an ideal replacement for Tom Ince.

Matt Richie

Not as popular a selection as the previous two, but Newcastle United midfielder Matt Ritchie was mentioned as an ideal replacement for Tom Ince.

The 27-year-old Scottish international moved to St James' Park last summer from Premier League side Bournemouth, and was a key figure in the Magpie's promotion success.

Ritchie made 42 league appearances last season, and scored 12 goals, an impressive tally for his debut season with the club.

It's with this impressive form that has made him a potential replacement for Tom Ince.

Can you think of anymore? Let us know who you think the Rams should sign.
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The new head of a Sikh temple has insisted he is a fit and proper person for the role, despite previously being involved in an illicit alcohol operation which is believed to have cost the taxpayer 1 million.

Tarsem Singh was jailed in 2013 after pleading guilty to running the scam.

The Derby Telegraph can reveal he is the new president of the Guru Arjan Dev Gurdwara in Stanhope Street, Normanton, where he insists he is the right man for the job.

But Mr Singh admits a number of worshippers are angry at the appointment. One has branded it a disgrace. And a charity watchdog said it was aware of concerns with his role.

In 2013, a court heard Mr Singh and a co-defendant took bottles of spirits that should have been exported to France and Belgium but diverted the goods to storage units in Derby.

The units were hired out using false names. The pair then sold the booze at a reduced price to retailers around the country. The operation is believed to have avoided around 1 million in unpaid duty and VAT. Thousands of litres of vodka, wine and beer were seized by officers.

At court, Mr Singh pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison in June 2013.

After contacting him about the new appointment at the temple, Mr Singh, of Chellaston, defended it and said he wanted to reach out to people who oppose him becoming president.

He said: I spent five weeks in prison and six weeks on a tag. It was really, really shameful. When I was in prison I became more spiritual. My wife attended the temple and when I was released from prison I attended more and more. The temple said they needed younger people involved. I started to help out and soon joined the management committee.

He was made president earlier this year which he said was something he found a big privilege. The role of president means he is the most important person on the temples committee and has the responsibility of running it and setting its agenda.

He added: I want to stop other people, especially young people, from making the same mistakes that I have made in my life. What I did was wrong.

When asked what his message to the community would be, he said: Theres no bigger privilege to being president. I want to remove the slurs that have been left on my character.

Mr Singhs appointment has angered one worshipper, who said it was a scandal.

The man, who did not want to be named, said: This brings the temple into disrepute. We cannot have someone leading us who is a criminal. It makes me very angry.

I have been here for decades and this is a scandal. Its totally unprecedented. I cannot imagine any other temple in the country being in the same situation as us. There is a lot of anger and upset because of this appointment.

The temple is a registered charity, and a spokesman for the Charity Commission said: We can confirm that we are aware of concerns regarding a trustee of the Guru Arjan Dev Gurdwara Sikh Temple in Derby in connection with historic criminal convictions.

The Commission will be assessing these concerns and contacting the charity to determine what, if any, wrongdoing may have occurred and what regulatory action is required. We expect trustees of any charity to consider their charitys reputation and to make decisions that are in the best interests of their charity, including when appointing trustees.
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A retired Derby solicitor says he has no regrets about breaking client confidentiality to put a killer behind bars despite him now being rapped by his professional body.

Stephen Chittenden handed over confidential papers that saw Michael Brookes convicted of the brutal killing of Lynn Siddons, who was murdered near Derby in 1978.

But he was professionally bound not to disclose the information and, after coming clean about what he had done to the Derby Telegraph 30 years later, he was reported to his professional body, the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Even though no-one involved in the case complained about what he had done, the SRA carried out an investigation which concluded the now 66-year-old's conduct was "completely unacceptable".

(Image: Derby Telegraph)

They have now rebuked him and ordered him to pay 650 which Mr Chittenden said was a small price to pay for clearing what I carried around with me for three decades.

Mr Chittenden, of Aston-on-Trent, said: I have nothing at all against the SRA for what they did to me because I admitted it and they are just doing their job.

They are right, what I did was professionally unforgiveable, but I did it because I would not have been able to live with myself knowing that Brookes was out there and could have killed again.

It would be interesting to know what the people of Derby think I should have done.

I was in my 20s, at the start of my career and I risked that because I knew who had killed Lynn.

Had he killed someone else, I would have been criticised as the lawyer who stuck to his guns and allowed someone else to die.

Mr Chittenden, a father-of-three, helped to clear 16-year-old Roy Brookes of the murder of Sinfin girl Lynn Siddons when he was acquitted of the killing in 1978.

But while speaking to his teenage client before and during the trial, it became clear to him that the real killer was the boy's stepfather, Michael Brookes.

He was professionally bound not to disclose this information.

However, after Roy Brookes was cleared, Mr Chittenden was approached by an MP and asked if he, in any way, could help the distraught family of Miss Siddons.

Mr Chittenden said he then made the decision to release the papers to solicitors acting for Miss Siddons's family.

They were bringing a civil case against Michael Brookes, who would eventually be jailed for life for the murder of Miss Siddons, 18 years after she was found stabbed to death in bushes.

Within the papers was, Mr Chittenden said, evidence from Roy Brookes that he had been put up by his stepfather to take part in killing Miss Siddons with him.

He said: "Among the information I handed over was evidence the boy told me and a psychiatrist of how he was scared of his stepfather, who would cut out pictures of women from the magazines and stab them with a knife.

In relation to the SRA investigation, had Mr Chittenden not admitted breaching confidentiality and stood down, he could have been struck off.

He said: In the papers the SRA says that by admitting these actions it constituted conduct that is completely unacceptable on the part of a solicitor and they are absolutely right.

But I carried what I did around with me for thirty years and I stand by what I did in speaking to the Telegraph in December 2015 and telling them what I did and why I did it.

(Image: Derby Telegraph)

I was retiring and me and my wife, Jo, had kept that secret for all of these years.

I am sure there will be people who will read this and say to themselves the law is the law and he needs to be punished for breaching that confidentiality.

I agree with them, I do and I have been and I voluntarily came off the register as I knew there was a risk I would be struck off for speaking out in the way that I did.

I could have said nothing but I chose not to and the support I got from people afterwards was overwhelming and still is.

Miss Siddons's late grandmother, Flo Siddons, campaigned hard to bring Brookes to justice and was handed a string of awards for her tireless work.

The case was greatly helped when, in a long and drawn-out civil trial in the High Court in 1991, Mr Justice Rougier ordered Brookes to pay her family damages, declaring that he had "no doubt" the man was responsible for the killing.

It was only then that Derbyshire police, who accepted criticism of the way they had handled the case, charged Brookes with the murder.

Mr Chittenden retired in December 2015, after 40 years as a specialist defence lawyer.

He was one of three men to set up Smith Partnership in the 1980s and 18-months ago said goodbye to the courtroom after a long and distinguished career.

Speaking at the time, he said: "Lynn Siddons's family had this incredible resolve and Flo was the driving force behind it all.

"I had the knowledge and the chance to stop it happening to some other poor girl.

"What I did was not professional and could have lost me my career, but I'm proud of doing what I did."
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Police have arrested three people in connection with the death of an Alfreton student who died after taking ecstasy on a night out.

Joana Burns, 22, took the drug while celebrating the end of her maths degree at Sheffield Hallam University with friends last month.

Officers have asked the public not to speculate on the cause of Joanas death but revealed they had arrested three people in connection with their inquiry.

Detective Sergeant Andy Shields from South Yorkshire Police said another female Sheffield Hallam student, 20, was still in hospital but was recovering and in a stable condition.

He said: I want to make it clear that while we believe these incidents may relate to the consumption of drugs, a post-mortem examination was unable to determine a cause of death.

Further tests, including toxicology, are being carried out.

This remains an active investigation and we will continue to pursue any and all lines of enquiry to ensure we understand the full circumstances surrounding one womans death and another womans illness.

A Sheffield Hallam spokesman said he was extremely saddened by the tragic events and described Joana as a very popular student with a bright future ahead of her.

A JustGiving page, which has so far raised 1,298, set up to create a memorial fund for Joana described her as a wonderful woman.
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Huddersfield Town have completed the signing of Steve Mounie from Montpellier for a club record fee, believed to be worth 11.4m.

Mounie joins the club on a four-year deal, and scored 14 goals in 32 starts for the Ligue 1 side last season.

The Terriers break their transfer record twice in two days, after the signing of Derby County midfielder Tom Ince.

Reading defender Chris Gunter has signed a new contract with the Royals, in a deal that keeps him at the club until 2020.

(Image: Getty Images)

The 27-year-old has been with the club since 2012, and started every league game for Reading last season.

Gunter has previously been linked with moves away from the Madejski, including the recently relegated Middlesbrough.

Hull City have reportedly made an improved bid for Cardiff City striker Kenneth Zohore.

According to Sky Sports, the Tigers have launched another bid for the Danish U21 international, who signed a contract extension with Cardiff in April that runs until 2020.

Zohore scored 12 goals last season for Cardiff, 11 of those coming in the last 17 games.
By Pallab Ghosh

2 July 2017

(BBC News)  Stephen Hawking says that US President Donald Trumps decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement could lead to irreversible climate change.

Prof Hawking said the action could put Earth onto a path that turns it into a hothouse planet like Venus.

He also feared aggression was inbuilt in humans and that our best hope of survival was to live on other planets.

The Cambridge professor spoke exclusively to BBC News to coincide with his 75th birthday celebrations.

Arguably the worlds most famous scientist, Prof Hawking has had motor neurone disease for most of his adult life. It has impaired his movement and ability to speak.

Yet through it all, he emerged as one of the greatest minds of our time. His theories on black holes and the origin of the Universe have transformed our understanding of the cosmos.

Prof Hawking has also inspired generations to study science. But through his media appearances what has been most impressive of all has been his humanity.

Great danger

His main concern during his latest interview was the future of our species. A particular worry was President Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement to reduce CO2 levels.We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible. Trumps action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees, and raining sulphuric acid, he told BBC News.Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and its one we can prevent if we act now. By denying the evidence for climate change, and pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet, endangering the natural world, for us and our children. [more]
The Cherokee Valley Region Antique Automobile Club of America is celebrating 40 years in Cleveland Bradley county area. It will celebrate with an Antique Car Show to be held at Bradley Square Mall, on Paul Huff Parkway.

This will be a judged antique car show for originals, modified, and street rods. There will also be family friendly activities.

The 40th Anniversary Celebration and Antique Car Show will be held Saturday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Judging begins at 11 a.m.

Pre-registration is $10 per vehicle or $15 the day of show. Admission for spectators is free.

There will be antique car rides, face painting, and door prizes. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Toys for Tots Christmas Fund.

For more information call 336-6855, email AACAFallMeet08@aol.com or visit http://cherokeevalleyregionaaca.weebly.com/
Waterhouse Public Relations has expanded its company with the addition of Amanda Plecas who will serve as the vice president and chief creative officer.As a globally recognized and accredited public relations professional, Amanda is a valuable asset to our team, said Albert Waterhouse, president and CEO of the agency. She has a diverse experience base and relationship-minded approach. Her track record of driving award-winning communications initiatives has shown her versatility, strategic thinking and public relations acumen.Ms.Plecas is responsible for setting the vision and overall focus of the agency's strategic and creative services. In this role, she will oversee the development of public relations and marketing communications strategies for a variety of clients.With more than a decade of professional experience in public relations, Ms. Plecas has earned several awards for clients in the areas of brand management, education partnerships, media relations, and strategic community relations. She was a top finalist for PR News international award for 2016 Corporate PR Professional of the Year.Ms. Plecas holds an accreditation in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America. She is a certified public information officer and is licensed in organizational compliance and ethics. She earned a masters degree in rhetoric and composition as well as an undergraduate degree in writing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Ms. Plecas is also a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga.Outside of the agency, Ms. Plecas is a part-time faculty member at Lee University in Cleveland, where she teaches public relations writing and crisis communication courses. She has served local nonprofits on a variety of boards and committees, and is a regular guest lecturer at local universities.
The Surge S1 is an Octa-core chipset with four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 2.2GHz, and four more Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.4Ghz

Earlier this year, Xiaomi became the fourth smartphone manufacturer to launch its own chipset. Called the Surge S1, the SoC was used in the companys Mi 5c smartphone. Fast forward a few months, and it seems like the company may have already found a customer for its chipset, that too a big one. According to a post on Weibo, HMD Global may have partnered with Xiaomi to use the chipset on Nokia smartphones. However, it is not known if the devices powered by these chipsets will be exclusive to the Chinese market, or if they would be available globally. It should be noted that the Mi 5c has not been released outside of China.

To recall, Xiaomis Surge S1 is an octa-core SoC with a big.LITTLE architecture. It comprises of four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 2.2Ghz, and four more Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.4Ghz. For graphics, it uses a Mali-T860 GPU, while for the camera there is a dual 14-bit Image Signal Processor (ISP).

Even though nothing has been confirmed officially, it is interesting to note that a major player like Nokia is looking beyond Qualcomm and MediaTek for its chipsets. Last month, HMD Global launched its Nokia 3, 5, and 6 smartphones in India. The cheapest device of the lot, the Nokia 3, sported a MediaTek MT6737 chipset, while the Nokia 5 and 6 are powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 430 platform. Nokia is also tipped to be working on a flagship grade device, which may be powered by Qualcomms flagship platform, the Snapdragon 835. It should be noted that Nokia and Xiaomi just announced a multi-year patent agreement. Besides cross licensing each others cellular standard essential patents, the companies have also agreed to cooperate in areas such as Internet of Things, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
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IFA 2017: Huawei Kirin 970

Huawei has launched the Kirin 970 at IFA 2017 in Berlin, a chip that combines the power of the cloud with the speed and responsiveness of native AI processing, according to the company. Cloud AI has seen broad application, but user experience still has room for improvement, including latency, stability, and privacy, according to the vendor. Cloud AI and on-device AI can complement each other. On-device AI offers strong sensing capabilities, which are the foundation of understanding and assisting people. Sensors produce a large amount of real-time, scenario-specific, and personalized data. Supported by strong chip processing capabilities, devices will become more cognitive of user needs, providing personalized and readily accessible services. Kirin 970 is powered by an 8-core CPU and a new generation 12-core GPU. Built using a 10nm advanced process, the chipset packs 5.5 billion transistors into an area of only one square centimeter. Huawei's new flagship Kirin 970 is its first mobile AI computing platform featuring a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU). Compared to a quad-core Cortex-A73 CPU cluster, the Kirin 970's new heterogeneous computing architecture delivers up to 25x the performance with 50x greater efficiency. The Kirin 970 can perform the same AI computing tasks faster and with far less power, Huawei claims. In a benchmark image recognition test, the Kirin 970 processed 2,000 images per minute, which was faster than other chips on the market. Huawei is positioning the Kirin 970 as an open platform for mobile AI, opening up the chipset to developers and partners.
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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP)  The U.N. deputy secretary-general on Monday urged African leaders to take advantage of a massive Chinese government infrastructure project that has made the United States and others uneasy that Beijing is using it to gain political influence.

In her speech to heads of state at an African Union summit, Amina Mohammed praised China's Belt and Road initiative, which aims to build a new Silk Road of ports, railways and roads to expand trade across Asia, Africa and Europe.





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SALEM, Ore. (AP)  The U.S. Forest Service is seeking to limit the number of hikers in Oregon's wilderness by requiring permits for popular areas.

The plan announced this month by Willamette and Deschutes national forests would require a permit to hike or backpack in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Three Sisters, Diamond Peak and Waldo Lake wilderness areas, The Statesman Journal reported.





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New York Times Editorial Tells Rahm: Chicago Needs Court Oversight Of Police Reform

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 5, 2017 8:50PM



Getty Images / Photo: Scott Olson

We've been seeing an awful lot of Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the Opinion Pages of the New York Times lately. Just a day after the Times published Rahm's Op-Ed that called for greater federal transit aid (and took a none-too-well-received potshot at the MTA), the paper published an editorial that Rahm himself is likely not too thrilled to see. The Editorial Board on Tuesday called on the mayor to embrace a court-enforced consent decree as the best possible path to reform the embattled Chicago Police Department.

As the editorial points out, Rahm had originally made overtures to pursuing a consent decreewhich would allow a federal judge to enforce recommended police reformsin the immediate wake of the stinging results of a yearlong probe into CPD by the Obama-era Department of Justice. But the mayor walked it back, as Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered a review of federal agreements back in Aprileven though the option still existed of Rahm partnering with community groups to pursue court oversight, DOJ skepticism or not.

A coalition of civil-rights groups, including Black Lives Matter, filed a federal lawsuit last month in hopes of securing a court monitoring. The New York Times editorial board concurs. It noted the lay of the land:



"Mr. Emanuel believes that a monitor would be fine  because, as he sees it, the city is already well on its way to reforms that it can institute itself. A whole phalanx of officials disagrees. The citys inspector general, for example, said that bypassing the courts would be a mistake and spawn further distrust in minority communities."

The board cites state AG Lisa Madigan's blasting of Rahm's decision to step away from the judiciary path in a Tribune commentary. "There has never been systemic and comprehensive police reform in Chicago because there has never been an enforceable court order requiring it," she wrote.

"Mayor Emanuel should take those words to heart and act," the Times pushed.

The editorial, titled Who Can Reform the Chicago Police?, was published one week after three Chicago cops were indicted on felony conspiracy charges in the alleged cover-up that followed the killing of Laquan McDonald. Now-fired cop Jason Van Dyke faces a murder charge in the teen's shooting death.
A scholarship that will help first-generation students from Coffee County has been established in memory of a 25-year-old Alabama graduate who recently passed away.

Taylor Creel Stinson died on June 1 after a severe reaction to antibiotics. Stinson, an Elba native, loved to help people and pursued a career in physical therapy after seeing how it helped a cousin overcome a disability.

Stinsons parents, Joe and Tonya Creel, chose to establish a scholarship fund in her name in lieu of flowers at her funeral. The fund will benefit students in Coffee County who are the first to attend college and will go to the University of Alabama.

The fund was a way to preserve the memory of her selfless acts for generations to come by helping incoming first-generation students, Stinsons widower, Garrett, said in a press release. The whole family has been extremely proactive in their efforts to get Taylors story out to inspire young people to take steps that no (one) else in their family has taken before.

Currently the family has set up two different ways to contribute to the scholarship fund. The preferred method is to contact the University of Alabamas Alumni office by going to http://alumni.ua.edu/scholarships and locating the Taylor Creel Stinson fund or by mailing donations to the University of Alabama Alumni Association Scholarship Department, P.O. Box 861928, Tuscaloosa, AL 35486.

The Alabama Alumni Office will furnish a tax receipt and charges no administrative fees for donations. Donations made through this manner are also eligible for a match at the end of the fiscal year though the states collegiate license tag program.

The family has also created a GoFundMe page in order to raise funds for the scholarship.
Local opposition to the deep injection well proposed by Waste Management at Springhill Landfill is gaining support from a number of organizations outside the county.

Physicians for Social Responsibility has passed a resolution opposing the well, which would be used to send underground the wastewater generated at the landfill as rain water leaches through the mounds of waste there and down to an underlying protective layer that keeps it from reaching the surface of the ground. Currently, Waste Management collects that water and takes it to facilities in Marianna and Sneads for treatment and subsequent release.

If construction and installation the well is ultimately approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, it would be first be used to explore whether the disposal method is appropriate, given the make-up of the underground layers that the well would be drilled through for final disposal of wastewater some 5,000 feet below surface.

The local chapter of the NAACP, headed by Jackson County NAACP President Ronstance Pittman, is leading a charge to prevent the wells placement. The local group has secured the support of the state NAACP in the fight.

The NAACP Jackson County Branch joins hundreds of citizens, community groups and elected officials in opposing a pending Waste Management permit by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Pittman wrote in a press release regarding the issue. Environmental injustice has a disproportionate impact on low income and rural communities in Florida and around the world. The ultimate goal for this well is to dispose leachate (garbage juice) into the ground. This technique will have a negative impact on the Florida Aquifer, thus resulting in irreversible damage to the communities' water and health. Our community has raised too many questions and we wont sit on the sidelines as we see environmental injustices in North Florida.. She also provided a quote from a statewide leader of the organization.

The NAACP Florida State Conference is outraged at the Scott Administrations pending decision after hearing from State Senator Gainer, the Jackson County Commission and local residents, wrote Adora Obi Nweze, President of the NAACP Florida State Conference. This is yet another example of the egregious pattern of unsafe dumping of waste in low income communities and African American communities. In Jackson County, once again, another African-American community sits in peril, due to the too-often reckless practices of the waste industry.

Pittman said opponents of the well also have support from the Sierra Club, the Center for Health Environment and Justice, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and other individuals and organizations. Shes hoping the collective response will made a difference.

I believe that if everybody, from the citizens to the commissioners to the state senator (George Gainer) and these various groups, all see it the same wayand we have evidence of that from the hundreds of letters from citizens, the senators letter opposing it, and the commissioners vote to oppose itthen it has to make the people who are supposed to be protecting the environment understand that this is the right way, and that it would be an injustice not to do right by the people, Pittman said.
The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission must apply to the High Court for transcripts relating to appearances before the Special Criminal Court of Adrian Crevan Mackin, who shot dead Garda Anthony Golden in 2015 before killing himself.

The Special Criminal Court was told on Monday that a public interest investigation has been launched by GSOC following complaints it received about the nature of some interactions it is alleged members of An Garda Siochana had with Mackin both prior and subsequent to his arrest in January 2015.

The court heard that the investigation is currently ongoing.

Counsel for GSOC, Mr Ronan Kennedy BL, applied on Monday for the court transcripts and said that Garda Golden was killed by Mackin on October 11th, 2015 in Omeath, Co Louth before he took his own life.

He said that Mackin was charged before the Special Criminal Court in January, 2015 with membership of the IRA and his case came before the court on a number of occasions.

Mr Kennedy applied for transcripts of the twelve occasions Mackins case was mentioned at the court and said that Mackin had been granted bail by the court. He said that Mr Jon Leeman, a Senior Investigations Officer with GSOC, had sworn an affidavit on June 20th seeking the transcripts.

In a ruling from the three-judge court today, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the non-jury court did not have jurisdiction, neither inherent nor express jurisdiction, to accede to the application.

She said the High Court had jurisdiction and it was a matter for GSOC if the Commission wished to make an application there.

Ms Justice Kennedy, presiding alongside Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Gerard Haughton, said it would be more appropriate for the application to be made before a different High Court judge, rather than her.

The parties thanked the court for its ruling.

Counsel for the DPP, Mr John Byrne BL, said on Monday that the DPP was not opposing the application. However, he said the DPP did not believe the Special Criminal Court had the jurisdiction to order the transcripts be handed over to GSOC and that the application instead should be made to the High Court.

In January 2015 Mackin was granted bail on his own bond of 100 Euro and an independent surety of 5,000 Euro and had been complying with his bail terms when he shot dead Garda Golden and seriously injured his partner Siobhan Phillips at the family home in Omeath, Co Louth before killing himself in October, 2015.

Adrian Crevan Mackin (25), of Mullach Alainn, Omeath was charged in January, 2015 with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on January 16th, 2015.
Sinn Fein TD for Louth and Meath East Imelda Munster has this week raised the matter of the HSE audit into St John of Gods services in the Dail with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

The audit has resulted in the HSE telling the order to pay back the value of the payments made to senior executives over several decades into its community services.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris has called on the St. John of God order to repay the money, however there has been no indication given as to how the order might be compelled to do so.

Deputy Munster raised the fact that in 2013 the government had asked the order to abide by public pay norms, a call which was ignored by St John of Gods.

Speaking today, Teachta Munster said:

We have been here before. Its not good enough for the Minister for Health to merely call on the order to repay the money.

"We need more than just lip service on this issue, we need concrete plans for a specific mechanism that will compel the order to recoup the millions of euro that has been misspent over several decades.

This money should be used for community services which provide assistance to those with intellectual disability, problems with mental health and housing issues.

Minister Harris has said himself that the practice was absolutely contrary to public policy. Paying lip service is not enough.

"If he is serious about resolving this issue he needs to outline his plans to ensure that this money is paid back to the community service fund where it can be put to good use helping those who require these services.
Well known ride-sharing app, Uber, has been headlining publications globally as its company policies, CEO and business model are being called into question. Ubers recent transgressions relating to sexual harassment, discrimination, unprofessionalism, bullying, employment structures and a toxic workplace culture in America challenge many Australian employment laws.

The issues at hand allow Australian businesses, small to large, to reflect on their own company policies and procedures ensuring they abide by the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and reduce their risk of litigation.

The repercussions of businesses who fail to act on complaints

Employers have a statutory obligation to provide a safe workplace. If an employer fails to act on complaints raised by their employees, they are in breach of their obligation. Employers need to treat sexual harassment and other misconduct very seriously, regardless of the position of the victim and perpetrator.

An article published by The New York Times titled Uber fires 20 Amid Investigation Into Workplace Culture exposes that 215 cases of workplace violations were investigated at Uber, of which 100 resulted in no action of investigation. Of these complaints 47 comprised sexual harassment, 54 complaints of discrimination and others included bullying, retaliation, physical security and nonsexual forms of harassment. The investigation was conducted by former U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder.

As a result, 20 employees have been terminated for harassment and discrimination, 31 are undergoing workplace education training and seven have been given final warnings.

In Australia, employers who are found to fail to act on the complaints of employees and provide a safe working environment are at risk of litigation and penalties via regulatory agencies such as WorkSafe. Additionally, an employee may argue that their employer has been negligent in providing a safe working environment and file a workers compensation claim or a common law negligence claim.

Punitive action for perpetrators



The Fair Work Regulations define serious misconduct as including willful or deliberate behaviour by an employee that is inconsistent with the continuation of the contract of employment or conduct that causes serious and imminent risk to the health or safety of a person or the reputation, viability or profitability of the employers business.

Where an employee is found to have engaged in fraud, theft, violent or threating behaviour, bullying or harassing others, the employer may immediately dismiss them.

Small businesses should make sure to properly investigate any allegations and be confident in the allegations of misconduct. If so, they are not required to provide a warning or notice period giving the perpetrator a chance to improve. They must however afford the employee procedural fairness.

Providing procedural fairness for the employee includes the right to fair notice of the allegations, the right to have a support person to attend and the right to have any response genuinely considered by the employer.

If the misconduct is found to be minor, than an employer can provide a written warning to the employee. If an employee is dismissed in the future and files an Unfair Dismissal claim, the Fair Work Commission can take the written warnings into consideration.

If you are looking for specific advice on dismissing and terminating staff, you should retain independent advice from an employer association or lawyer.

In 2014 a landmark decision by the Federal Court of Australia ordered Oracle Corporation Australia Pty Ltd to pay an employee $100,000 for pain and suffering after she was sexually harassed by a co-worker. Richardson v Oracle Corporation Australia Pty Ltd [2014] FCAFC 82 was a turning point for employers to recognise what the Court considers to be reasonable in an employers steps to find an outcome to sexual harassment and misconduct.

Employees may file a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission if they are being sexually harassed under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.

Common mistakes by employers shouldnt set the standard

In December 2016 the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal ordered a hotel chain to contribute $313,000 in damages to an employee who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a colleague when staying in accommodation provided by her employer.

This case highlights a common mistake that employers make when issues of sexual assault may occur at work functions, provided accommodation or afterhours. It is critical to be transparent with employees on the expected standards of behaviour beyond the usual place of work.

Employers should have clear policies that are freely available for their employees to access. These are inclusive of but not limited to:

Sexual harassment and workplace bullying policy;

Social media policy;

Discrimination policy;

Leave policy (annual and personal); and

Complaints procedure.

Ubers current situation is an example for business owners on why they should act on complaints and foster a safe working environment. Employers who dont set a standard by enforcing internal policies run the risk of litigation. If an employer is unsure of their obligations, seeking legal advice is recommended.

About the author

Trent Hancock is a Senior Associate with McDonald Murholme, an employment law firm based in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Yusho Restaurant In Hyde Park Is Now Closed

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jul 5, 2017 4:36PM



Noodles at the now-defunct Yusho Hyde Park. Photo via Facebook.

Three years after bringing a version of his acclaimed Yusho to Hyde Park, chef Matthias Merges has shut down the restaurant.

Eater Chicago reports that Yusho is closed, while the other Merges-helmed Hyde Park spot, A-10, will remain open. In addition, the Yusho outpost in Las Vegas has shut down.

Merges was one of the first big chefs to take a risk moving to Hyde Park as the University of Chicago worked to redevelop 53rd Street between 2011 and 2014. Results of restaurant openings in the neighborhood have been mixed; Yusho didn't make it, Packed lasted less than 4 months, and Clarke's Diner didn't survive. Our theory that Hyde Park might become a new restaurant hotspot did not come to pass (at least not yet). Keep an eye on the Promontory!
"The Village" returns to the mainland for eighth run. [Photo:cgtn.com]



"The Village", a play by famous Taiwan playwright and director Stan Lai and television producer Wang Wei-chung, has returned to the Chinese mainland for its eighth run. It's being staged at the Theatre Above in downtown Shanghai.

Based on a popular coming-of-age drama series by Wang, the play tells the story of the people who retreated from the Chinese mainland to the island region of Taiwan in 1949.

At that time, hundreds of so-called "dependent villages" were built in several locations on the island to temporarily house almost two million of them, who had expected to return to the mainland in a few years. But years passed, and they had ended up raising families within the confines of these villages.

"The Village" debuted in 2008 and has been staged 217 times around the world. It gives performance tours to the mainland every year.

"It's a very, very sad story and it's a very heroic story, but it happens on all these normal people every day," Lai explained.

The three-and-a-half hour play spans decades, following the characters from 1949 to 2006. Lead actor Qu Zhongheng said it was difficult doing the scenes because they didn't fully understand the message.

"Even on the day of the premiere we were still confused about the hidden meaning behind each scene. But after the debut, we suddenly understood everything," said Qu.

After Shanghai, the play will be staged in Shenzhen, Chongqing and Zhuhai.
PRESS RELEASE

Statement by European Commission and European Central Bank staff following the Sixth Post-Programme Surveillance mission to Portugal

Staff from the European Commission and from the European Central Bank visited Portugal from 26 June to 4 July to conduct the sixth post-programme surveillance mission. Staff from the European Stability Mechanism also participated in the mission on aspects related to its Early Warning System.

Compared to the last mission, the short-term economic and financial situation of Portugal has improved. The recovery has accelerated further and important progress has been made in addressing near-term risks. Overall, Portugals economic adjustment  building on the basis of the macroeconomic adjustment programme  has been commendable. Going forward, the challenge is to maintain the momentum. In this regard, further ambitious growth-enhancing reforms and sustained fiscal consolidation are essential to improve the economys resilience to shocks and the medium-term growth prospects.

Economic activity grew buoyantly at the beginning of 2017, continuing a trend which started in the second half of 2016. Real GDP growth in 2017 is now projected to strengthen further. It also became more broad-based. Soft indicators continue to strengthen and business investment has recently started to contribute to the recovery. Moreover, economic activity is supported by dynamic growth in the export sector, and in particular in tourism, but lately also in the construction sector. Looking further ahead, the growth momentum is expected to ease as some of the tailwinds gradually fade away. Sustaining the robust growth in the medium-term will depend on continued efforts to carry forward and build on past and present reform efforts.

Since the last mission, the Council of the European Union closed the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) on 16 June following a deficit outturn of 2.0% of GDP in 2016 and slightly lower deficit forecasts for 2017 and 2018. However, fiscal accounts may be negatively impacted by the statistical treatment of capital support to the financial sector. Moreover, the adjustment in the underlying structural deficit is at risk of a significant deviation from the requirements of the Stability and Growth Pact, reflecting an insufficient structural consolidation effort. It is therefore important to implement the necessary measures to guarantee the required fiscal adjustment in 2017 by containing expenditure growth while gains from the improved economic environment should be used to accelerate deficit and debt reduction. The very high level of public debt of 130% of GDP, which is expected to fall only gradually as of this year, also calls for a clear, expenditure-based medium term consolidation strategy. In particular, there is scope to enhance the efficiency of public spending in Portugal, for example by stepping up efforts to broaden the expenditure review to cover a significant share of general government spending across several policies.

The recovery of the Portuguese banking sector has made good progress, but is not yet complete. Portuguese banks have further deleveraged, reduced costs and strengthened their capital base. Nevertheless, the sector continues to be weighed down by low profitability, limited capital buffers as well as still high, although somewhat decreasing, ratios of non-performing loans. In this context, continued efforts by banks to improve their financial soundness as well as internal governance are essential. Corporate loan restructurings for viable firms need to be accelerated while loans for non-viable firms should be worked out. The platform to enhance coordination regarding non-performing loans management, which is being developed by banks with the support of the authorities, and the strengthened framework for corporate debt restructuring are important initiatives in this regard. The mission urges the authorities to decisively move forward with a comprehensive strategy on this matter by establishing an ambitious timeline with clear objectives. Particular attention should be devoted to strengthening the legal and judicial framework with the aim to facilitate the restructuring and stabilisation of viable firms and the speedy exit of non-viable firms.

Recent developments in the labour market continue to be positive. This is evidenced by a decline in the unemployment rate and increases in job creation and in the labour force. This is not least due to successful reforms implemented by Portuguese authorities a few years ago. Such measures should be continued to ensure an efficient working of the labour market, as suggested in earlier post-programme documents but also recently by the OECD. While lately more open-ended than temporary jobs have been created, main challenges remain to tackle labour market segmentation more effectively through increased incentives to offer open-ended jobs, including via changes in regulation, and to ensure that increases in the minimum wage take into account productivity growth and their impact on the overall wage structure.

Increasing potential growth and competitiveness remain of the essence. In addition to labour market policies, this calls for further measures to increase the skill levels in the economy and to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of product markets, namely in the energy sector, transport, business services and judiciary. This includes more forceful measures to reduce the elevated electricity tariff debt, improve the functioning of the transport sector, foster competition in business services and continue to increase the efficiency of the judiciary, in particular tax and insolvency courts.

Overall, the mission recalled the need to facilitate sustainable and balanced economic growth, also implying a medium-term consolidation strategy, a decisive approach to reduce corporate debt and address weaknesses in the financial sector as well as a clear plan to boost potential growth and competitiveness. To underpin recognisable positive trends, it remains important to tackle internal risks. This would also help to increase resilience and reduce vulnerabilities to adverse external developments.

The mission would like to thank the Portuguese authorities for their constructive and open discussions.
Chinese sculptor Li Fujun met Russian painter Singaevskaya Liudmila at the prestigious Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Russia in 2000 and the two fell in love with each other. [Photo: CGTN]

Chinese sculptor Li Fujun met Russian painter Singaevskaya Liudmila at the prestigious Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Russia in 2000 and the two fell in love with each other.

"I only knew that he is a handsome foreign artist and even had no idea of where he was from. I had no any plan for the future at that time," Liudmila said.

Settling down in Beijing in 2008, Liudmila has been working to promote the cultural exchanges between China and Russia. She has organized exhibitions of works by artists from the two countries and also designed and bound albums of paintings of such works. Now, Liudmila is working for the Russian Culture Center as a painting teacher, Liudmila said she has been greatly affected by Chinese culture and arts.

"Chinese traditional painting has a great impact on me. I love the artistic conception and techniques it demonstrates. Actually, not just me, I know that many Russian artists are impressed by such painting and affected more or less," she said, adding that she hopes such traditions can be well preserved.

Singaevskaya Liudmila, from Russia, marries Chinese sculptor Li Fujun in 2000. [Photo:CGTN]

Devoting himself to sculpture creation in China, Li is also teaching at his alma mater in St. Petersburg. He admitted that Russian culture has also had a profound impact on his artistic style.

"All art forms, including literature, drama, dancing, prioritize the human spiritual pursuits and endow the authors with strong personal ideas and features, this is how Russian art education and culture shock reshape me,"Li said.
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(Photo:  Anli Serfontein)The Vatican's Bishop Brian Farrell (L), Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the General-Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation Rev. Martin Junge seated sign the Association Agreement to the JDDJ, while (from left to right) Jerry Pillay, president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), World Methodist Church president Jong Chun Park and World Methodist Council General Secretary Ivan Abrahams look on.

Wittenberg, Germany - Pope Francis has hailed the signing of declarations by the World Council of Reformed Churches joining Lutherans, Methodists and the Catholic Church to affirm their basic understanding of the Gospel in the quest for greater church unity.

"Together with great joy, today's formal act bring new challenges and responsibilities in our pursuit of fidelity to the Gospel and unity in truth," the Pope said in message read out for him.

"May it mark a new stage of fellowship and cooperation in the service of justice and peace in our human family," said Francis.

The Pope's message was read to a congregation of about 800 Reformed clergy and lay people from all over the world and dignitaries representing the main Christian Churches, gathered in Wittenberg.

The town in the eastern part of Germany is where the 16th century Reformer Martin Luther lived and worked and set in motion the Reformation 500 years ago when he posted his 95 theses to a church door there protesting about corruption in the Catholic Church at the time.

Before reading the Pope's statement Cardinal Brian Farrell, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity told the congregation the signing of the agreement has opened "a new era of trust between the churches  a time for healing and reconciliation and rediscovering how much we share."

The World Council of Churches also welcomed the signing of the two ecumenical statements by the World Communion of Reformed Churches in which it seeks to overcome divisions of the past and to work with other Christian communions for unity and common witness.

The WCRC represents about eighty million Reformed tradition Christians and was gathered in the City Church, the Stadtkirche of Wittenberg where it signed an Association Agreement joining the Joint Declaration of Justification(JDDJ).

It was originally signed in 1999 between the Lutherans and the Catholics in the German city of Augsburg bringing to an end nearly five centuries of religious wars in the Western Church. The JDDJ was joined by the World Methodist Council in 2006.

The chairperson of the Protestant Churches in Germany, bishop Heinrich Bedford Strohm told the congregation that the JDDJ signed in 1999 was a strong witness for overcoming divisions in the Western Churches.

A second document called the Wittenberg Witness was signed between the WCRC and the Lutheran World Federation affirming closer cooperation and renewal between the two church bodies in the 500th Reformation Year and stating further "Together we commit ourselves more visible unity".

LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge signed for the global Lutheran communion of 145 churches and WCRC General Secretary Rev. Chris Ferguson signed for the Reformed Communion, which counts over 225 churches as members.

The ecumenical service in the church where Martin Luther once preached was led by Rev. Najla Kassab Abousawan from the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon.

"Here I stand, A Middle Eastern women on the Pulpit of Luther, if Just Luther imagined that, this could have been his 96th question to the church. Not why there is a women in this pulpit, but why did take this long?" she said to laughter and applause from the congregation.

The LWF's Junge said afterwards, "Today was a day when we didn't get stuck in the past but opened ourselves up to the future."

Jerry Pillay the president of the WCRC noted, "Today is a historic day...We can take our Reformed Lutheran dialogue and make it visible." He added "we no longer had to be divided we realized we have more in common than divide us."

CHURCH LEADERS FROM GLOBAL SOUTH

At a press conference one question centered on the fact that so many of the current church leadership comes from the Global South and if this accounts for the speed of the ecumenical movement and whether there is a change in the balance of power with churches from the Global South getting a greater voice.

Pillay who is South African said, "We are rapidly easing in our space and motion in terms of feeling the impact of the Global South particularly.

"If you look at our General Council taking place in Leipzig now and how our views are challenged... and we are pressed for renewal in terms of theology and mission and spirituality, justice and ecumenical engagement...

"We have a new set of impact on Christian beliefs and a center challenges Western theology and believes and practice. So we are seen a rapid change.

"People are looking for change and we are moving with a speed and it is the people who are bringing that to us. ....and it is fast having its impact in the way we understand things and perceive ourselves. It is also not incongruent with we are.

"For a long while we did not understood that but now that we are creating more space and creating more space for different voices we are starting to embrace that impact."

Pillay talked about the consensus model they are using at the General Council and says "This concept also emerges in an African form of Ubuntu  I am because you are." And we are trying to understand that and it impacts on all of us so that we understand what it means to be human beings together."

With Pope Francis hailing from Argentine, Pillay from South Africa, the general secretary of the LWF Martin Junge from Chile and the General Secretary of the World Methodist Council, Ivan Abrahams also from South Africa  church leaders from the Global South have gained more prominence in recent years.
Since learning Mandarin was formally introduced in Chile 12 years ago, more than 10,000 students have discovered the Chinese language, local daily El Mercurio reported on June 28.

Mandarin is taught at 16 city-run schools in five regions of the country these days, half of them in the southern region of Biobio, due to "a regional initiative to get closer to China", says Karina Pina from the Education Ministry.

Apart from learning a language that many believe will be in increasing demand as China becomes a leading global power, studying Chinese has the added benefit of increasing students' cognitive and artistic skills in other areas, says Pina.

"Constructing and understanding Chinese characters promotes a high degree of creativity in students, which expresses itself beyond the level of language," she says. What's more, students who study Chinese "achieve a degree of cultural openness", and acquire "a broader vision of the world".

In 2004, when Santiago hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, Chile and China signed an agreement to promote Chinese-language learning. The program kicked off in 2005 at three city schools, with the goal of having 100 Chileans speaking Chinese by 2010.

In 2016, 1,704 Chilean students enrolled in Mandarin classes. This year, China sent 18 professors to teach at schools around Chile. The professors are provided by Hanban, the department of China's Education Ministry in charge of promoting Chinese as a second language abroad, through its network of Confucius Institutes. Two operate in Chile.

Chile's education ministry has established a program to certify students who have achieved a certain level of linguistic skill, making them eligible for scholarships in China.

The ministry aims to have the country's secondary school students graduate with an intermediate level of Mandarin, "the level required to apply for the scholarships China's government offers to study there", says Pina.




VIV Russia 2017 show presents valuable opportunities for Aviagen LLC



Aviagen LLC has announced that VIV Russia 2017 presented an excellent opportunity to network and share important best practices and flock management advice with customers and key industry allies throughout Russia and neighboring countries.

Taking place on May 23-25 at the International Crocus Exhibition Center in Moscow, this year's VIV Russia trade show for animal husbandry and processing welcomed a high number of visitors.

Once every two years, VIV Russia showcases developments in a "feed-to-food" concept that focuses on every step of the meat production process.

Aviagen has experienced a steady climb in success throughout the region as a result of the growing success of its Ross breeding stock.

Aviagen LLC grows steadily along with Ross 308

During the two years since the previous VIV Russia in 2015, Aviagen LLC has experienced sustained growth in production volume as well as in Ross 308 customers. Ross 308 poultry breeding stock continues to gain in popularity throughout the region.

Aviagen's operation in Yasnogorsk (Tula Region), Russia, includes four grandparent poultry farms and an up-to-date hatchery, all built according to high quality standards and with the best bio-security system in Russia.

Tyark Osterndorff, Aviagen's Eastern Europe business development director, said that Aviagen continues to increase its investment to keep up with a growing demand for Ross products throughout the region.

"Our hatchery is increasing its volumes, while two more grandparent poultry farms are being built," he said. "We will soon have the capacity to supply up to 60% of Russian poultry operations with our hatching eggs. Our constant growth is closely related to an increasing number of orders for Ross 308 parent stock. This expansion is due to an acquisition of new customers, as well as an increase in orders from existing customers. We are very glad that our customers have been growing together with us."

Ross 140 and 400 Club winners awarded

Besides meetings and discussions on various business issues, Aviagen also awarded the new members of Ross 140 Club and Ross 400 Club at VIV Russia.

Marcel Janssen, regional technical manager (Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States), said: "I was happy to see most of our Russian customers at the exhibition. We welcome these informal meetings as an opportunity to listen to questions and suggestions on our technical training and support. We use this feedback to make strategic decisions to improve our service to customers. I would like to congratulate Miratorg and Krasnodonskoye on their achievements, which demonstrate the exceptional performance that can be reached with Ross broiler breeding stock when effective management practices are applied."

- Aviagen
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
A Tibetan antelope at the Kekexili Nature Reserve. [Photo/Xinhua]

China is hoping to see two more of its cultural landmarks recognized by UNESCO, with the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee being held from July 2 to 12 in Krakow, Poland.

East China's famous tourist spot Gulangyu Island is to compete for UNESCO cultural heritage status, while the Kekexili National Nature Reserve is striving for a place on the UNESCO natural heritage list.

With an area of about two square kilometers, Gulangyu is a pedestrian-only island off the coast of Xiamen, Fujian province in Southeast China. Due to its geographic location, the island has acted as a natural barrier to Xiamen, the important gateway city of China since ancient times.

Every year, millions of tourists flock to this small island for its subtropical scenery and historical architecture.

The Kekexili in Northwest China's Qinghai province is a nature reserve with an area of 45,000 square kilometers that encompasses the country's largest uninhabited area. With an average elevation of 4,600 meters above sea level on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it's home to more than 200 wildlife species including such endangered species as Tibetan antelope.

It was designated as a national nature reserve in 1995.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of China's first inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 1987, when six Chinese sites were recognized as world heritage sites, China has had 50 world heritage sites listed by UNESCO, only just second to Italy, which has 51 on the list.

During this year's session, 34 sites have been put forward for inscription on the World Heritage List, including seven natural sites, 26 cultural sites and one mixed site (both cultural and natural).

The UNESCO Committee will also review the conservation statuses of 99 World Heritage sites, as well as the statuses of 55 sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
A Stanley man was killed in a two vehicle crash at the intersection of County MM and 300th Street in the town of Edson at 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The Chippewa County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday said Stanton M.P. Bedell, 42, of rural Stanley died in the crash.

Bedell was a passenger in a black Chrysler 300 driven by Terrany J. Flick, 33, of Altoona. It collided with a white Toyota RAV4 driven by Nathan A. Briggs, 16, of Cadott. A passenger in the Toyota was Hunter G. Kann, 16, of Cadott.

According to Chippewa County Sheriff James Kowalczyk:

Preliminary information shows Briggs was driving northbound on 300th Street while Flick was driving eastbound on County MM, approaching the intersection.

Briggs failed to stop at a stop sign and t-boned Flicks vehicle. The speed the vehicles were going at the time of the crash is not known.

Flicks vehicle went into the northeast section of the intersection and appeared to have rolled several times. It came to rest in a field.

Stanton was dead at the scene.

Its unknown if drugs or alcohol had a role in the crash. The sheriffs office said as of now it does not appear that either Flick nor Bedell were wearing seatbelts.

Flick was taken to Mayo Clinic Health SystemEau Claire. Both Briggs and Kann have what appeared to be minor injuries and both were taken to HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire to be checked.

The Wisconsin State Patrol is assisting the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office in reconstructing the crash.

CORRECTION: The vehicles Nathan A. Briggs and Terrany J. Flick were driving were misidentified in an earlier version of this article. Briggs was driving a white Toyota RAV4. Flick was driving a black Chrysler 300.
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Sanjay Deshmukh

Vice-Chancellor,

University of Mumbai



Sir,

The University of Mumbai is an institution with a lot of potential. There is no dearth of talent or resources. But, there are pressing issues which have plagued us that have affected the students and the entire system tremendously. As a student who has studied here for a long period, it is my duty to point out the shortcomings and strive for the betterment of the institution as a whole. While certain issues were dealt with during the course, another set of grievances have arisen in the last few months, which have left me with no option, but to write to you again.

This is about the future of the lakhs of third year and masters students being affected by the online assessment system for evaluation of papers. It has been a subject of contention for months now. There are several layers of objection to this initiative. Firstly, the enormity of this exercise, which includes the tedious scanning process, training for professors, the security of the system and the data requirements in terms of details of professors involved, clearly implies that a lot of planning is necessary. If the intention was to implement this from the april semester itself, why was the process of tenders not commenced before April? If it was the case, the agency and the university could have had adequate time to put the system in place.

When one of the main reasons behind the entire exercise was timely declaration of results, starting so late was clearly off the mark. Also, it is a fact that professors were supposed to be on vacation in May. Why was proper scheduling for evaluation not communicated to them in the first place? There have been media reports about the total confusion in this process. Even their training has not sufficiently taken place. So, the entire narrative has conveniently been changed from timely declaration of results to priority given to students of certain streams over others. The worst part is that a lot of University officials speaking to the press, have been so casual about the delay (http://timesofindia.indiatime s.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-unive rsity-final-year-results-delay ed-students-plans-go-for-a-tos s/articleshow/59095799.cms). What kind of justice is this?

Another aspect of this has been the direction to the faculty to submit the model answer keys of all subjects, including humanities (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumba i/report-university-of-mumbai- teachers-asked-to-submit-answe r-keys-2411392)! It is plain logic that there cannot be standard answers when it comes to Political Science, History, Sociology, Literature etc. This has the ability to diminish the individual creativity and thought process of students and gives tremendous powers in the hands of professors. The most important thing to note is, that we were not even aware of being judged by an answer key when we gave our exams in April nor has there been any official communique from the University in this regard. How is it justifiable to implement this retrospectively? Wont the answers written in an unconventional manner suffer the most?

The fact that the evaluation of papers has not even begun or has barely started in some cases is a matter of great distress for students. There is no idea about the date of declaration of results. This brings us to the larger question about the University. In one of your communications, you had once espoused- Education should be imparted with a view to the type of society that we wish to build. We are working for a modern democracy built on the values of human dignity and equality. These are only ideals: we should make them living forces. Our vision of the future includes these great principles. In my humble opinion, we need to seriously introspect on this.

Why is it that students are not considered worthy enough to be stakeholders in the system? How can things be simply imposed upon them without seeking their opinion or suggestion of any sort? For the last two years, some of us have had to run from pillar to post for basic necessities like the need for a robust grievance redressal mechanism and regular student feedback. The critical challenge for any institution to is develop a very strong sense of transparency and accountability. One can understand that the specific bodies can approve an initiative. But, why isnt there an attempt to give the students an honest appraisal of the initiative? And, when things dont work according to the plan and risk the lives of so many students, who will be held accountable for it?

Now, that the process is in progress and the deadline has almost expired, it is time that the University acts on this grievance and takes the following measures:-

1. Immediately create a FAQ on the University website regarding this initiative which should clearly state the purpose- minutes of the meetings of the bodies that passed this, daily time frame, queries about the effectiveness of the scanning process, a dedicated helpline and email id for queries and so forth.

2. Majority of the students are not even aware that the evaluation through such a process is taking place. Either you or some senior University official should address the students in the form of a video which should make things absolutely clear.

3. While the model answer key might suit the undergraduate students in terms of standardization, it should not be applied to the post graduate students, especially the humanities. Serious rethinking on this aspect is essential.

4. In case any student loses out on a further year of education in India or abroad, or a job prospect just because of late declaration of results, the University should issue official letters bearing your seal, signature and stamp, apologizing for the delay and taking personal responsibility of the student till the result is declared. The University cannot wash its hands off the matter anymore.

5. A committee should be instituted to indict people responsible for this colossal failure and that report should be made public.

6. All efforts need to be taken to conduct the student elections immediately, in order to push for a culture of accountability and for upholding the rights of students.



If the University is of the students, for the students and by the students, then these measures should be implemented. Otherwise, it will set a very wrong precedent and cause a big dent to every student.



Yours Faithfully,

Akhil Oka,

Second Year MA Politics,

University of Mumbai
The perfect IT security solution is one that makes an enterprise completely secure and unhackable, where no unauthorized parties can get onto the network, access confidential data, deny service to legitimate users, or otherwise carry out any malicious or unwanted activities.

Anyone who reads the security news these days knows that perfect security is impossible. The challenge, then, for corporate IT security teams is to develop an optimal security posture, one that uses the current state of security technology to minimize the chances that a damaging security breach can occur  and to minimize the damage if a breach does occur. The precise makeup of an optimal IT security posture will vary from company to company, but here are some general guidelines.

Jump to:

The first step in building the best possible security solution is to understand exactly what IT infrastructure you have to defend, a process that begins with a security risk assessment. The smartest thing is to do a comprehensive asset inventory and network definition exercise so you know every device and technology you have and where your network extends to, said Chase Cunningham, a security and risk expert at Forrester Research.

Patch Management

Cunningham said that the best starting point is a vulnerability and patch management system. If you cant patch, then you cant defend and you can forget anything else, he said. If you suck at patch management, you suck at security.

Of course, it takes much more than a vulnerability and patch management system to secure networks, devices and applications  it requires more advanced technology to secure against threats like zero-day attacks using previously unknown vulnerabilities.

Identify and Access Management

The next step then is to defend the network perimeter, beginning with identity and access management systems (IAMs), which are intended to restrict network access to authorized users and to restrict those users to the resources that they are authorized to use. And for critical admin accounts, theres privileged access management.

Multi-Factor Authentication

IAMs are best used in conjunction with multi-factor authentication systems, which use a one-time password (generated by a portable hardware device or smartphone software, or sent to a cell phone by SMS), a biometric measurement such as a fingerprint or voice print, or some other second factor in addition to a standard password.

Network Access Control

These can be reinforced using a network access control system, which restricts network access to authorized endpoints with prescribed security configurations (such as running an up-to-date antivirus product).

Compliance

The next step, according to Cunningham, is to identify your organizations valuable or confidential data, or data that needs to be secured for regulatory compliance reasons, and take steps to defend it. It is very simple: find your data, value it, and keep it safe, he said. Governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions have long been an enterprise IT staple for navigating the maze of compliance regulations.

Social Engineering

Although it is tempting to start with technical solutions, it is important to remember that a high proportion of data breaches are the result of social engineering or phishing attacks. Verizons data breach investigation team reported recently that 90% of data breaches have a social engineering or phishing component to them. These allow hackers to bypass security systems by tricking employees into giving them passwords or other information that they need to breach the IT infrastructure.

That means that staff training to raise awareness in phishing and social engineering dangers and to reduce the risk of falling victim to such attacks is vital. These can be complemented by anti-phishing training tools, which are designed to keep employees awareness of the risks of phishing emails high. They work by sending out fake phishing emails to employees from time to time to see whether they can be enticed into clicking on malicious links. Employees that do so can then be given more training to help them avoid real phishing emails in the future.

Endpoint and Anti-Malware

But the basic technical solutions include a comprehensive, centrally managed endpoint security system that includes anti-malware software (and ideally specific measures to stop ransomware). These often also bundle other specific data protection solutions such as encryption and data loss prevention.

Data loss protection is often underestimated, but it can be very effective at countering insider threats. For example, a good data loss prevention system should be able to prevent an employee who is leaving the company from downloading confidential data, customer lists and other valuable data onto a USB stick and taking it with them to their next employer.

Mobile security

A relatively new area of concern for IT security professionals (thanks to the rise of Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD) is the use of employee-owned devices on the network, and some form of BYOD security system is vital.

Ideally, this would take the form of a comprehensive enterprise mobility management (EMM) system that can manage both corporate and employee-owned mobile devices (including laptops, tablets and smartphones). EMMs go beyond mobile device management (MDM) solutions by controlling access to corporate networks and applications, ensuring that devices are locked with strong passwords when not in use, encrypting any corporate data stored on them, and carrying out remote data wipes in case the devices are lost or stolen, among other control and visibility features.

Internet of Things (IoT) security

One more area that is worth mentioning because it is becoming increasingly important is IoT security. IoT endpoints (or things) are generally used as data collection points. This data is then sent over a network to an IoT platform ingestion point where the data is collected, processed and used in real time or stored.

IoT security systems carry out a range of functions, such as detecting when IoT devices are tampered with and encrypting collected data both in motion and at rest on a dedicated IoT platform.

Cloud security

Enterprises are increasingly making use of cloud services outside the corporate network, which need some way of ensuring that they can be used securely and that data stored in the cloud is safe. One way to reduce the risk introduced by cloud services is to use a cloud access security broker (CASB), which can set policy, monitor behavior, and manage risk across the entire set of enterprise cloud services being consumed.

Examples of cloud security policies enforced by a CASB include authentication, single sign on, authorization, credential mapping, device profiling, encryption, tokenization, logging, alerting, and malware detection and prevention.

A CASB vendor also gives enterprises visibility into authorized and non-authorized cloud usage. It can intercept and monitor data traffic between the corporate network and cloud platform, assist with compliance issues, offer data security policy enforcement, and prevent unauthorized devices, users, and apps from accessing cloud services.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks

About 80% of organizations faced DDoS attacks in 2016, according to Neustar, and successful attacks cost the victim an average of $2 million. 45% of attacks are now more than 10 Gbps and 15% are now more than 50Gbps, so it is now impossible for most organizations to cope with these attacks using their own network resources.

For that reason, it is important to have a DDoS mitigation plan and service in place with a clear process for contacting the service to start mitigation in case of an attack.

DDoS mitigation services are usually run from the cloud, and mitigation generally involves diverting all traffic (including malicious traffic) to the service, where it is scrubbed. Legitimate traffic can then be forwarded to the intended destination servers.

Firewalls

Network firewalls are a critical security technology and the biggest IT security market, and next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) go beyond blocking ports or protocols to perform stateful packet inspection right down to the application layer, allowing the device to block packets that are not matched to known active connections, to block unwanted application traffic (rather than traffic on specific ports) and to close network ports all the time unless they are actually in use, which provides some protection against port scanning.

Increasingly NGFWs include intrusion prevention and detection functionality, although these may also be purchased as standalone products.

In many cases, intrusion prevention and endpoint protection systems rely on the availability of threat intelligence feeds that provide information about emerging threats, such as signature activity that can indicate a particular threat is present.

Unified threat management (UTM) appliances can be an easier way for small and mid-sized companies to get firewall protections.

Application firewalls are also often necessary if your company operates internet-facing applications. An application firewall monitors incoming traffic to block certain types of content, including attempts to carry out SQL injection attacks using deliberately malformed queries.

SIEM

One final big ticket item that is becoming increasingly important is a security information and event management (SIEM) system, which can monitor logs from network hardware and software to spot security threats, detect and prevent breaches, and provide forensic analysis after a breach. A SIEM can also generate reports for compliance purposes. A SIEM is the technology that can tie all your security efforts together.

SIEM systems are also increasingly offering SOAR and UEBA technologies.

Testing

You should think like a hacker, and test your security posture. Once an overall security solution is in place, the best way to find out how effective it is at preventing a breach is to subject it to penetration testing. Also called vulnerability assessment and testing or pen testing for short, this involves a simulated attack on your organizations network to assess security and determine its vulnerabilities.

These white hat attacks carried out by security professionals are designed to identify network security issues and other vulnerabilities, identify policy compliance failures, and improve employee awareness of proper security practices.

A newer approach is breach and attack simulation technologies, which can provide the equivalent of continuous penetration testing.

Preparing for a Breach

There is always a risk of a security breach, and organizations should prepare for one to ensure that damage can be limited by planning an incident response process.

This should include preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery and learning from the incident, according to SANS Institute recommendations.

Cyber Insurance

One final measure that can be taken as part of a risk management process is the purchase of cyber insurance to mitigate the financial costs of a breach. These costs should not be underestimated: the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. is $221 per record, or $7 million per breach, according to the Ponemon Institutes Cost of Data Breach Study.

Organizations have many IT security solutions to choose from. An assessment of your most critical vulnerabilities is a very good place to start to determine which of your assets are the most valuable, and then begin to protect them. We offer comprehensive security product overviews in our security products section.

A Final Word

Unfortunately, theres no such thing as total or complete security. It is simply not possible to beat these hackers, said James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

There will always be a malicious actor such as a nation state with more resources to devote to hacking than an enterprise can devote to defending itself. Government-backed hackers simply wont give up. They will keep trying until they succeed, Lewis said.

And that means that IT security ultimately boils down to security risk management: using the available IT security budget to build not a total or complete security system, but an optimal one that defends your most critical assets. Some security technologies even count on bad guys getting in, like deception technology, which tries to distract hackers by leading them to worthless assets. And some companies turn some of their security defenses over to managed security service providers to help minimize cost. The average security budget is 5.6% of the total IT budget in most organizations, according to Gartner. Your responsibility as a security professional is to use the budget to minimize risk in the best way possible.

Organizations have many IT security solutions to choose from. An assessment of your most critical vulnerabilities is a very good place to start to determine which of your assets are the most valuable, and then begin to protect them. We offer comprehensive security product overviews in our security products section.

See anything we missed or wish to share your own views and experience? Let us know in the comment form below.
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Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter

The mother of a teenager girl who was murdered 16 years ago has vowed she will not give up until her daughter's body is found.

Danielle Jones was just 15 when she was kidnapped and killed by her evil uncle, Stuart Campbell, in June 2001.

Despite an extensive search at the time of her disappearance, Essex Police were unable to locate Danielle's remains.

In December 2002, Campbell was convicted and jailed for life but has never revealed what he did with his niece's body.

Earlier this year, The Jones family were given a glimmer of hope when investigating officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate began to re-examine the case.

An extensive search was carried out at a garage block in Thurrock, close to where Campbell lived at the time of Danielle's murder.

Danielle's parents, Linda and Tony Jones, even visited the search site in Goddard Road and Crammavill Street in Stifford Clays, as the police began to dig.

Despite days of searching, officers found nothing, even though the were following a line of inquiry that there had been "unusual activity" in the garage block at the time the schoolgirl vanished.

After being thrust back into the media spotlight, Mrs Jones made the decision to appear on popular daytime show Loose Women today (July 5).

The panel and audience were played the heart-wrenching 999 call Linda made to report her daughter had not come home from school.

Speaking about the harrowing ordeal, Mrs Jones said: "I got a phonecall from school anout 2 o'clock in the afternoon to say she hadn't been to school which obviously I was totally unaware of.

"In my head I just thought it was totally out of character but she's bunked off of school, she's gone shopping, and that's what I said to the school.

"They said wait until 3 o'clock she if she comes home on the school bus as normal and we'll take it from there - but she didn't."

The Jones' went out to search for their daughter, but as time passed they began to realise she would not be coming home.

When asked by show host Christine Lampard when the family realised Campbell was involved, Mrs Jones said: "It was probably two weeks in when we realised who was actually involved.

"We had suspicions I think from the first week but it was probably the second week when it was quite clear who was responsible."

Mrs Jones, who hasn't spoken to her daughter's killer since he was jailed, said she wouldn't speak to him as she think he feels "he's in control of the situation".

When asked by Stacey Solomon whether there was a chance Danielle may not be dead, Mrs Jones said: "No, we are quite certain that she is dead because the evidence was overwhelming.

"There is no closure."

Instead of visiting a grave, Mrs Jones told the panel how she and her husband visit the memorial at St Clere's, in Stanford le Hope, where Danielle was a pupil.

She also expressed a feeling of being in "limbo" at knowing her daughter was dead but not at rest.

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Mrs Jones also spoke of her desire to see a change in the parole system for those who have been convicted of murder but do not reveal where their victims' bodies are.

The movement, which is known as 'Helen's Law', launched in reaction to the murderer of Helen McCourt being up for parole from prison.

Helen was just 22 when she was killed by Ian Simms on February 9, 1988, but like Campbell he refused to say what he did with her remains.

The case made legal history as it was the third murder trial in the UK to see a defendant convicted without police being able to discover a corpse.

"We need a revision of the parole system," said Mrs Jones.

"It got brought up in Parliament in October.

"We went to the second hearing in February but it was adjourned and that seems to be the case at the moment.

"It's so important for people to get in touch with MPs to try and push this through."

Essex Police have reassured the Jones family that they will never stop searching for Danielle and will investigate why the garage site from May's search was not part of their original investigation.
MOSCOW, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, in the run up to the Moscow Urban Forum, PwC presents a special preliminary release of the survey, The Future is Coming: Cities Readiness Rating, which rates major global cities and urban agglomerations on their capacity to adopt new technologies.

(Photo: enlace )

PwC Russia has analysed the readiness of the world's largest cities to respond to disruptive innovations and to adopt technology-driven solutions across a variety of social sectors, including healthcare, education, security, tourism and culture, transportation, the economy, utilities, urban development and citizen engagement. City readiness was assessed across several parameters: technology readiness (presence of basic infrastructure) ; the strategies and regulations that support the adoption and use of new infrastructure; the availability of finished prototypes; and the social readiness of citizens to use new technologies.

The top five surveyed cities were ranked according to their overall social and technological readiness in the following order: Singapore (62%), London (59%), Shanghai (55%), New York (53%) and Moscow (53%).

Subhash Patil, Partner and the Head of the Government and Public Sector Consulting Services team in western India, PwC in India:

"Cities occupy only 2% of the landmass but house more than 55% of global population, and contribute to 60% of global energy consumption, 70% of waste and 70% emission of green house gases. Clearly, cities need to innovate solutions which will drive human civilisation to a sustainable future - one which meets and exceeds climate change goals established at Paris in 2016. PwC's 'Cities Readiness Index' tells us about what is done right in which global city and gives us benchmarks on core health parameters of a city. I am happy to mention that many countries in the world, including my own country India, are giving due attention to make cities Smarter, Livable, and this report will help us learn about global benchmarks which can be adopted by cities across the world."

Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies:

"We're entering an era where executives and creatives have an unprecedented opportunity to live in the best cities, and those urban centers planning for the future will benefit greatly. PwC's report, "The Future is Coming: Cities Readiness Rating," is comprehensive in scale and rich with insights. I recommend it for anyone interested in the urban landscape of the 21st century".

The survey showed that less than half the population in the surveyed cities, excluding Shanghai (76%) and Hong Kong (53%), are ready to embrace new technologies in their daily life. London (42%) and Toronto (41%) turned out to be the most conservative.

The leaders in culture and tourism digitalisation projects are Barcelona (78%), Shanghai (78%) and Singapore (72%), as these cities have demonstrated the largest number of relevant cases.

London (72%) is the top performer in autonomous transportation, as it has designed and launched an unmanned transportation strategy and built a regulatory framework for testing.

Singapore (75%) ranks first among for the digital economy, due to its well-balanced development of critical infrastructure. Moreover, Singapore is one the few cities that has not only supported the adoption of adaptive software in schools, but has also invested in the development of adaptive learning technologies.

Moscow (64%) is the leader in providing virtual services for citizen engagement - including those designed to crowdsource ideas and address problems for urban projects. Sydney (58%) follows, as it has offered online voting opportunities on general urban matters and in elections for the last six years.

London (63%) and Singapore (61%) are the most successful examples of virtual cities and outpace the others in terms of using new construction technologies. They have run numerous experiments on modular construction and 3D printing of houses. London (77%) is the leader among cities whose infrastructure is ready for the future followed by Barcelona (74%) and Moscow (76%) due to their data analytics projects. The majority of the surveyed cities have worked together with businesses and residents to design new infrastructure solutions. In New York (67%), a significant portion of the local solutions on predictive analytics has been developed by non-profit organisations and independent groups of researchers.

Notes to Editors:

- The online survey was carried out among the citizens of ten cities (Barcelona, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto) in June 2017 based on a random sample. The number of respondents was at least 100 people in each city. The sample size totalled 1,500 respondents. - The survey included 24 questions (2-3 questions per section). Respondents had to select one of two suggested responses, where one option implied the use of advanced/future technologies in various dimensions, while the second option involved traditional practices, approaches and solutions. The share of respondents selecting each option was calculated for each question, then the averages were derived by section and city. - The survey findings are available at: enlace

Photo: enlace

CONTACT: Ms. Valya Plotnikova, +7 926 167 3557, Plotnikova@m-p.ru;Ekaterina Nagibina, +7 916 447 08 33, Nagibina@m-p.ru


Expats looking for a peaceful new life abroad might want to head to Iceland, which has been named as the most peaceful country in the world, followed by new Zealand and Portugal.The annual Global Peace Index (GPI) ranks Syria as the least peaceful place to be, which it has now held for the last five years, followed by Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen.Overall some 93 countries recorded higher levels of peace while 68 deteriorated, resulting in an improvement in world peace, but there were some surprises as some European countries recorded a deterioration in positive peace levels and political turbulence in the United States meant North America deteriorated more than any other region in the world.The eleventh edition of the index report, published by international think tank the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), reveals that despite improvements in Canada, the growing intensity of internal conflict, increases in terrorism and higher perceptions of criminality saw the US fall 11 places to 114th.While the true extent of the significant political polarity in the US will take years to be fully realised, its disruptive influence is already evident. Underlying conditions of increasing inequality, rising perceptions of corruption, and declining falling press freedoms have all contributed to this deterioration in the US, leading to the overall decline in peace in the North America region, said Steve Killelea, IEP executive chairman.The report also analyses the rise of populism by measuring attitudes, structures and institutions that sustain peace. It says that a sharp increase in support for populist parties in the past decade closely corresponds with deteriorations in positive peace, with some of the largest falls recorded in Italy, France and Spain.The increasing role of populist parties in mainstream European politics is reflected against a backdrop of deteriorating positive peace, specifically in terms of persistent challenges to the free flow of information, levels of corruption and acceptance of the rights of others. Without addressing these underlying drivers of peace it will not be possible to build more peaceful societies, Killelea explainedDespite the global number of deaths from terrorism decreasing by 10% between 2014 and 2015, the number of countries witnessing historically high levels of terrorism hit an all-time high in this years report at 23, including Denmark, Sweden, France, and Turkey.Europe was significantly impacted, with major attacks in Nice seeing France fall five places in the overall ranking to 51. The impact of other attacks such as in Brussels and London were also evident, although the more recent attack in Manchester has yet to be reflected in the figures.But Europe is still the most peaceful region with countries in Europe making up eight out of the top 10 ranks, and the report says that in the UK, the political uncertainty generated by the Brexit vote had little impact following the appointment of the new prime minister, which acted as a stabilising counterbalance.The report says that Portugals climb to third in the overall rankings was driven by a steady recovery from its fiscal crisis, resulting in overall greater internal stability for the country that was ranked 16th less than five years ago.Although this years uptick is reassuring, the world is still mired with conflict in the Middle East, political turmoil in the US, refugee flows and terrorism in Europe. When combined with the increasing level of peace inequality, whereby the least peaceful countries are moving further apart from the most peaceful, the resulting scenario is one in which further improvements in peace are not guaranteed, Killelea concluded.
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Philip Fortenberry is a 6-foot 4-inch former Green Beret who was deployed to war zones in countries like the Philippines during the guerrilla insurgencies in the 1980s.

Even so, the survival expert who could spend days or weeks living off the land calls his childhood his toughest battle.

My home was a war zone in some regards, said Fortenberry, 56. It wasnt a physical war zone, but it was certainly an emotional one.

His struggles finally found meaning when Fortenberry received what he calls a vision of what to do with his life: Become a pastor and and begin a ministry for teens with troubled pasts.

Now at Cornerstone Church on the far North Side, he advises parents needing help and also mentors young men in their teens and early 20s, most of them without father figures.

These young men are taken on wilderness excursions throughout the year to learn skills he gained during his time in the Army, like survival techniques, roping, fishing, hiking  how to be self-sufficient.

Fortenberry grew up in a one-story brick house with his mother, Mary, and brother, David, in the small town of Decatur, northwest of Dallas.

His parents had a volatile relationship that saw his dad, Ansel, come and go from the house for years before the pair finally divorced when Fortenberry was 16.

Never being sure of when his father would be home, and the emotional distance his dad kept from him and his brother left Fortenberry with emotional scars that would take decades to heal: A sense of worthlessness, a lack of direction in life and the feeling he wasnt a mans man  all common consequences for boys who grow up without a father.

We take men on incredible adventures, Fortenberry said. They start learning what its like to be in charge, to lead, to keep a group together.

In mid-July, Fortenberry will embark on a monthlong trip to Alaska with teens who have lost their fathers in military service, also known as Gold Star children.

The problem of fatherlessness is big in the U.S., with more than a quarter of children, 27 percent, growing up without a dad, according to 2014 numbers from the National Fatherhood Initiative, a nonprofit that offers programs and resources to help kids build lasting relationships with father-like figures.

In San Antonio, almost a third of children, 32 percent, grow up fatherless.

Im equipping them with skills to make what I call a cool dad, he said. A dad that a kid wants to spend time with, to hang with.

For Fortenberry, the road to healing was much harder than the one he hopes lies ahead for the young men he mentors.

He felt driven to make something of his life, but without the right emotional tools, his efforts were often thwarted. In 1978 he enrolled in Texas A&M University to study animal science.

In his tumultuous childhood, animals were a constant presence and a source of emotional comfort  his dog Dutchess often would come cuddle him in times of distress  and he wanted to be able to work with them and help them.

But Fortenberry dropped out shortly after his freshman year. The Army always was something he wanted to do, an experience that could validate his manhood, so he joined in 1981.

The service provided a structure and the skills to be independent that he desired. There, he excelled.

He went to Jump School for the U.S. Airborne, HALO school for parachutists and Pathfinder school.

He spent time in the 9th Infantry Division Scouts from 1982 to 1983, where he was a part of the Long Range Surveillance Unit that gathered intelligence from foreign countries in case of a war threat. Most important to him, Fortenberry received his Green Beret special forces degree in 1984.

His entire career in the military was pushing and proving himself, brother David said.

While in the Army in 1982, Fortenberry met and later married Judy Cook, who was studying at a college in Tacoma Washington.

He was tall and handsome. He dressed like a cowboy and he was cordial, Judy said. He said yes maam and yes sir, and up in Washington you didnt get many guys like that.

Fortenberrys charm is natural. He is able to connect with anyone in a room not because he acts nice, but because he genuinely wants to get to know them.

People will just talk to him, Judy said. He can start a conversation and the people will just talk and talk. Theyll be like, Wow, I cant believe Im telling you this. Ive never told anyone this.

Fortenberry chose to leave the Army in 1985. The decision wasnt easy; it was a job he said he dearly loved. But a lifetime in the Army could mean not having quality time with his wife.

Fortenberry saw how his fathers distance from the family caused turmoil in the marrriage, and he never wanted to end up like his father. So, despite the fact Judy and him were in great terms at the time, Fortenberry decided to think family first. When the idea to be honorably discharged was brought up to Judy, she saw where he was coming from.

It made me very happy, Judy said, He didnt want the same thing that happend to his dad. It made me feel good that he kind of chose me over the job that he really loved.

He re-enrolled at Texas A&M and earned his bachelors degree in animal science and a masters in agriculture.

Fortenberry then went to work as a ranch manager in various locations across the South, with his wife and son Ryan, who was born in 1991, in tow. By 1998, Fortenberry was working as a division manager for the famed King Ranch in South Texas, buying and selling commercial cattle and working the feedyard, among other duties.

I had everything I would call the American dream. Money in the bank, wife and little child, Fortenberry said.

But still, he was not at peace. Even if it seemed like it to those around him.

A devout Christian, Fortenberry turned to prayer to answer what he needed to do. One night, with Judy and Ryan asleep, Fortenberry prayed endlessly. What seemed like 1,000 prayers later, he got his answer. He had to reconcile with his father.

Fortenberry reached out to him in 1997. After decades of a shell of a relationship, the two were able to reconcile.

Six months later, his father died.

I knew that God had done a lot for me with the reconciliation before my dad died, Fortenberry said. But I didnt really think God could use a man like me.

His guiding message came to him soon after, and he began taking boys on trips in January 1998.

His first trip was with about 10 boys he recruited from local church groups to a Oklahoma ranch he had managed called Valley Timbers. The survival trip included building debris huts for shelter with what was around them.

Im not one for parable, Fortenberry said, but everything you need is provided. Not only to build a debris hut, but everything you need in life.

Since then, hes taken more than 50 trips with some 200 to 300 young men. But as Fortenberry would tell you, Its not about the volume, its about the individual.

This is his passion, Judy said. He wants these boys to have what he didnt have.

Before Fortenberry arrived at Cornerstone in 2003, there was nothing quite like the mentorship he offers to young adults and teens. Barry Cessna, a video coordinator for the Sunday services and a member of Cornerstone for going on 38 years, has volunteered on nine trips with Fortenberry.

Like the teens Fortenberry works with now, Barry was touched by Fortenberrys story when they first spoke 13 years ago. With Fortenberrys guidance, Cessna worked through previous anger and family issues.

Its not what happening to you in life that defines you, Cessna said. Its what you do to overcome that. Gods change my life, but he used Philip as a tool.

Their most recent trip was to New Mexico on Fathers Day weekend. Fortenberrys son, Ryan, now 26, has in many ways followed in his dads footsteps. He helps his dad with the trips, and also graduated from Texas A&M. He received his degree in agribusiness in 2014.

Relationships are built on the time spent with one another, Ryan said, and his dad spent a lot of time with him, teaching him to shoot, teaching him to love animals and the outdoors, and teaching him how to be a good father, too, one day.

People are attracted to him like moths to a flame, Ryan said. There is no such thing as a perfect father. But I do half the job he did, I think I would have done good.

The same guidance Fortenberry had for Ryan is helping young men today.

Tony Reese, 18, has been mentored by Fortenberry for more than 10 years, since they met at Reeses middle school camp retreat.

Fortenberry was a guest speaker and was showing the kids how to build a fire and other basic survival skills. The first thing Reese noticed about Fortenberry was his authenticity. He was mentoring from a place of passion.

Hes genuine about everything he does. He just really cares. You can see that, Reese said.

Reese will be on the trip to Alaska with Fortenberry.

Its really invaluable what hes doing, Reese said.

Reeses father, a soldier in Iraq in 2003, died when he was 5 years old. In middle school, Reese began to act out. His mother, Emily, introduced Reese to Fortenberry, and the lessons Reese has learned like leadership and outdoor skills has helped lead him to the path he is now.

Just Fortenberrys being a fatherlike presense in his life, since many of his relatives dont live nearby, has helped him. Reese knows someone always will be around. In the fall, Reese will head to San Antonio College.

While Fortenberry doesnt claim to know what it feels to lose someone like in the case of Reese, he uses his military expertise and history with an absentee father to help teens build toward mental strength.

I am absolutely became convinced thats why Im here, he said. Everything in me drives toward that.

osanchez@express-news.net
For most of her life, Rosa Escobedo was a seamstress, work that she took up after arriving in the United States from Durango, Mexico at the age of 19.

But she had dreamed of owning her own hair salon ever since she was a little girl. Now, at 67, Escobedo is finally pursuing it, seeing clients at her home while she builds her business and English skills.

She is among nine students who have just completed the Alamo Colleges new continuing education entrepreneurship program, established this spring. Part of an inaugural cohort of 75 students, Escobedo and eight others studied at Catholic Charities Guadalupe Community Center, where they also had access to legal services to help them become U.S. citizens.

The goal of the program, said instructor Tony Talamantez, is to teach vocational skills while simultaneously building English proficiency. He gave lessons on income, budgeting, credit lines and formulating business plans.

Many of his students were eager to learn English quickly so that they could start their own businesses, Talamantez said, but he tried to remind them that it takes a lifetime to learn English.

My role is to help to increase their income so they can become first class citizens, he said. I truly believe every student can learn, no matter what level.

Escobedos classmates included people who came from Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia. In their home countries, they were dentists, dressmakers, mechanical engineers and salespeople. All are now trying to build new lives and careers in San Antonio.

Melissa Sadler-Nitu, director of I-BEST  the Integrated Basic Educational Skills Training program at the Alamo Colleges  said the entrepreneurship program aims to help students obtain job certificates and language skills more quickly than they would in other courses of study.

Its about giving them hope, she said.

At a ceremony last week, a half-dozen students happily posed for pictures with their certificates and munched on pizza at the Guadalupe center. On a room divider hung drawings and writing samples the students made, explaining who they were and their previous professional backgrounds.

In one, Eva De La Cruz had drawn a neat building adjacent to a sign identifying it as a dental office. In another, she drew a sewing shop. She had worked in both professions prior to coming to the United States in 2010. She said she would like to work in orthodontics here.

We wish you the best of luck, and hope that you continue your education here, or wherever it takes you, said Elizabeth Nemeth, executive director of the community center, to the group.

Escobedo said she would like to take more classes at the Alamo Colleges. The program has helped her improve her English, and she hopes to one day upscale her business.

We can do everything if we work hard and follow our dreams, Escobedo said. We can do a lot of good things for me, my family and the community.

lcaruba@express-news.net
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A roosters shrill cry echoed along 36th Street as Animal Care Services permit officers Aaron Cadena and Caroline Pelkey arrived in a West Side neighborhood to follow up on a nuisance call.

Several chickens and a rooster skittered across dry grass to seek shade from the afternoon sun beneath an old truck rusting in a nearby backyard.

Neighbors, sitting on their front porches, pointed the officers toward a home in the 2000 block of El Jardin, where a caller said chickens were jumping the fence into other yards. Cadena knocked on the door.

It was answered by Angelita Sanchez, 88, who listened as he explained the reason for their visit. The uniformed pair followed Sanchez, clad in an ankle-length housecoat, to her backyard, where they saw more than skittish fowl. They also found three dogs, a duck, a pigeon and a magnificent peacock, perched on a dusty, wooden bird coop like a statue.

Sanchez has lived on the street for more than 50 years, before the city annexed the area and set ordinances that restricts the number of animals a resident can have on their property. There was a time when she also had two horses and a baby bull. Like many of her neighbors, Sanchez grew up raising chickens that laid eggs she cooked for family meals.

I didnt know, Sanchez said, referring to the city ordinance setting limits of no more than three chickens. There have always been chickens in the neighborhood.

ACS field investigation supervisor Joel Skidmore joined the scene as Pelkey tipped over a plastic childs pool to spill out stagnant water.

This is an example of someone who has pets for enjoyment, Skidmore said. These are people who need to come in compliance and continue doing what theyre doing.

Cadena told Sanchez she needed to apply for an excessive animal permit that costs $25 annually, plus a $25 inspection fee.

ACS is in the final phase of developing possible revisions of the citys animal ordinance which, if enacted into law, will affect Sanchez and thousands of pet owners across the area. Recommended changes, which will be presented to the City Council again in August, are the result of residents answering online surveys, in Spanish and English, and providing feedback at nine public meetings ACS sponsored from February through May.

One of the proposals would limit roosters to one per residence. Skidmore said multiple roosters at a single home raises a red flag; that could indicate an involvement in cock fighting, which is illegal in the state of Texas.

City code limits residents to a maximum of three domestic fowl; current law allows them to be all roosters. There is no limit specified under the excessive animal permit, but there are restrictions regarding distance from human dwellings, sanitation and noise.

ACS assistant director Shannon Sims said there has been a small but vocal group at the planning meetings who want to lift all restrictions on chickens. He said ACS is concerned that could create uncontrolled proliferation of poultry, with potential health and safety issues. The agency also had been concerned about a bill in the Texas Senate that would have increased the limit of poultry to eight per residence, but it failed.

Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran said she grew up in a community where raising chickens was a way of life.

Its part of certain neighborhoods cultural identity, Viagran said. And getting this information (proposed changes) out is extremely important.

Later, near Holly and Barclay streets, Cadena, Pelkey and Skidmore followed up on an anonymous call about noisy roosters. No one was home, but when the officers turned the corner into the backyard, they saw a row of wooden and wire chicken coops containing 11 chickens, including four roosters, lining the fence. Cadena said the coops didnt meet the minimum distance of being 50 feet from the nearest dwelling.

These are the type of situations that we need to address and have stronger ordinances in place to prevent, Skidmore said, as the roosters crowed loudly. The noise alone can be a nuisance to a reasonable person and thats something were trying to rectify with the ordinance change.

Cadena scooped a rooster from a coop and noted the removal of the birds wattle under the neck and the comb from the top of birds head. The other roosters had the same alterations. There was also a homemade training pad and a container for transporting the poultry.

Well give them an order to remove the chickens from the property, Cadena said. Its the totality of everything that shows that these birds are being used for cock fighting, maybe not on a grand scale, but still being used to fight.

Their next stop was two houses away, where they found three dogs and 15 chickens, including two roosters, in the backyard and one parrot inside a tall cage draped with a yellow raincoat out front. They left the homeowner a notice that the number of animals was over the limit and gave the homeowner a deadline to increase the body weight of one of the dogs.

ACS field operations supervisor Aimee DeContreras said there are tens of thousands of roosters within the city limits and many are bred for cockfighting. With blood sports, she said, drugs and weapons often are involved.

We know already, its just a matter of time, DeContreras said. There are a lot of hooks in the water and its not going away.

vtdavis@express-news.net
San Antonio Officer Julio Cavazos, who was injured in a downtown shootout nearly a week ago, has been released from the hospital.

Cavazos, 36, was shot June 29 after he and his partner, Officer Miguel Moreno, approached two men near San Antonio College. As soon as they stepped out of their vehicle, one of the men opened fire.

A bullet struck Cavazos in the chin and moved into his chest cavity, officials said at the time. Moreno was shot in the head.

Despite being shot, Cavazos managed to pull Moreno, who had been fatally injured, behind the cover of their police vehicle before returning fire, hitting the gunman in the buttocks. The man, identified as Andrew C. Bice, then shot himself in the head, according to authorities.

Moreno died June 30.

We are happy to report that Officer Julio Cavazos has been released from the hospital, Sgt. Jesse Salame, a spokesman for the San Antonio Police Department, said Tuesday evening. He and his family want to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this difficult time.

Cavazos underwent at least one surgery before being released.

Since the shooting, the San Antonio community has rallied around its officers, leaving flowers and candles at police headquarters and dropping off gifts for Cavazos daughters sixth birthday.

On Wednesday, roughly 100 people plan to march from the Alamo to Public Safety Headquarters downtown to honor the officers, according to a Facebook event.

We will be marching in honor of the two officers shot here in San Antonio, especially Officer Miguel Moreno who has fallen due to this tragic accident, reads the event page.

Funeral arrangements for Moreno will take place Thursday and Friday, according to department officials.
Texas colleges and universities are bucking a national college admissions slump, enrolling 1.7 percent more students year over year as campuses nationwide saw a 1.5 percent decline in student enrollment, according to recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse.

The numbers reflect demographic shifts nationally and in the Southwest that also have been reported by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

RELATED: Texas colleges with the most liquor and drug arrests

Declining birth rates mean the number of high school graduates will be stagnant through the early 2020s, causing universities nationwide to feel an enrollment pinch, according to the commission. With fewer high school graduates, there is a smaller pool for universities to recruit. By 2020, about 3,000 fewer students are expected to graduate from high school nationally than in 2013. That one-tenth of a percent decrease also foresees greater numbers of graduates in Southern and Western states but fewer in the Northeast as the nations population shifts.

Institutions that cannot attract graduate students to compensate for declining numbers of undergraduates will continue to struggle in the coming years, Doug Shapiro, executive research director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, said in a statement. The spring 2017 numbers reinforce the trends that we saw in the fall term, and will likely continue: enrollments at community colleges and smaller nonprofits declining, while four-year public colleges and larger privates hold steady.

RELATED: How Texas universities stack up against the world's best colleges

But in Texas, the number of public high school graduates is projected to grow by 22.6 percent between the 2011-12 academic year and 2024-25, the education commission found.

The clearinghouse data show Texas institutions enrolled 1.39 million students last spring, up from 1.37 million in spring 2016. New Hampshire was the only other state with enrollment growth above 20,000 students.

Meanwhile, Michigan, New York and California campuses lost between 18,000 and 20,000 students each, seeing the largest drops in the country.

Texas growth in college-age candidates will stem largely from an increase in black and Hispanic high school graduates, according to the regional commissions report.
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The Bexar County Sheriffs Department was founded in 1731. Thats 45 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, 105 years before the Battle of the Alamo and 134 years before the first issue of the San Antonio Express was published..

That would make it one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in North America  its believed the shire of Northampton in the colony of Virginia appointed its first sheriff in 1634.

The department dates its founding to the appointment of Vincent Alvarez Travieso as the first alguacil mayor, or head sheriff, of the Villa de San Fernando, the civilian settlement that later became San Antonio. Travieso was one of the original Canary Islanders to arrive at the Presidio on March 9, 1731 and he was appointed to the post by the Spanish Governor, Capt. Juan Antonio de Almazan.

At one point, the Bexar County sheriff had had at least nominal control over an area larger than many countries, as the county once stretched from the Rio Grande and into parts of modern day New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Eventually, state borders were established and the land was subdivided into additional counties. But, for the record, 128 of the 254 current Texas counties were once part of Bexar County.

For the first 130 or so years, the Bexar County sheriff was an appointed position, as it was in much of North America, according to Robert Chase, assistant professor of history at Stony Brook University in New York, who is writing a book on the history of sheriffs in the south and southwest.

That follows the medieval tradition of sheriffs being appointed, he explained. It wasnt until after the American Revolution that sheriffs were almost all elected.

In San Antonio, it wasnt until 1836 when Texas became an independent republic that the Bexar County Sheriff became an elected position. Through the years, the office has been held by its share of adventurers and ground-breakers.

The first voter-selected law enforcement official was Joseph L. Hood, an early settler, businessman, and legislator born in North Carolina in 1803, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

Three years into his term, however, Hood was killed during the Council House Fight. That was a fierce street battle sparked by a fatal misunderstanding between soldiers of the Texas Army and a group of Comanche Indians whod come into town to negotiate about, among other things, the release of Anglo and Mexican hostages, many of them children, who had been spirited away in Indian raids.

Hoods replacement, George T. Howard, soon resigned his post to light out into the territories under Gen. Hugh McLeod and the Santa Fe Expedition, a failed attempt to establish Texas political, military and economic control over the Santa Fe area. After returning to San Antonio, Howard again became Sheriff and later served as a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War.

Howard Street, which runs north from San Antonio to Olmos Park, is named in his honor.

The first female Bexar County Sheriff was Matilda Stevens, who served from 1928 to 1929, finishing the unexpired term of her husband, James Stevens. Hed held office from 1923 until his unexpected death in 1928. Matilda Stevens was appointed to the position by Commissioners Court to show the countys appreciation of this veteran officer, according to a 2016 Express-News story by Paula Allen.

The first and, to date, only woman elected Bexar County Sheriff was Susan Pamerleau. The retired United States Air Force Major General served from 2013 to 2016.

Today the Bexar County Sheriffs Department is made up of more than 1,400 full and part-time sworn law enforcement and detention deputies and approximately 350 full and part time civilian employees, which includes cadets.

Despite its long history, the Sheriff Department has only recently begun a concerted effort to collect and interpret its stories, records, documents and artifacts.

Every day that goes buy, every retiree who unfortunately passes means another piece of our history has disappeared and is gone forever, said Sheriff Javier Salazar, who was a founding member of the San Antonio Police Departments historical society when he was on that force. I hope eventually well collect enough that we can establish some sort of museum where people can see and hear what the department is all about.

Spearheading the effort as the departments unofficial historian is Sgt. Johnny Cavazos, who works in the departments detention division.

History has always been intriguing to me, he explained while showing a visitor some of the memorabilia, including commemorative badges, wanted posters and uniform patches hes already uncovered. I feel very privileged and honored in trying to retrieve the rich history and milestones of the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. With help from fellow deputies and the community I hope to find as much of our departments history as I can.

If you own any historical records or artifacts n the meantime, Sgt. Cavazos continues to collect materials to add to what is known about the departments long history. To contact him with questions about possible donations, call him at 210-309-3380 or email Johnny.Cavazos@bexar.org.

NOTE: This story has been updated to state that Vicente Alvarez Travieso oversaw Villa de San Fernando. Also, the Council House Massacre of 1840 was fought between Comanche Indians and soldiers of the Texas Army.

rmarini@express-news.net

Twitter: @RichardMarini

COMING THURSDAY: San Antonio has 28 historic districts.
Mr Barden said the feedback had been very positive and they were now investigating opening on Saturdays from next year to cater for people who were still in the workforce, attending TAFE or university during the week  or even office workers who wanted to learn how to repair or make things.
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Warrenton, VA (20186)

Today

Rain likely. Low 58F. S winds shifting to W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

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The Boston engineering company that paid $4 million last week to settle FCPA offenses in India was also sanctioned by the World Bank Thursday for failing to disclose a subcontract on a project in Vietnam.

The World Bank conditionally non-debarred CDM Smith Inc. and its affiliates for one and a half years.

Conditional non-debarmentmeans CDM Smith is still eligible to participate in World Bank-financed projects as long as it meets the conditions of its negotiated resolution agreement.

The company was working on a consulting contract for the Da Nang Priority Infrastructure Investment Project in Vietnam financed by the World Bank.

During the project, CDM Smith failed to disclose a sub-consulting agreement with a local Vietnamese company, the World Bank said.

It also didnt seek a contractually-required written approval of the agreement.

The sanction started June 29 and runs until December 28, 2018. It can be shortened to 15 months if CDM Smith meets its conditions for release.

The resolution agreement requires CDM Smith to adopt a Corporate Compliance Program consistent with the World Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and fully cooperate with the Bank in advancing its anticorruption work.

In last weeks FCPA enforcement action, CDM Smith paid $4 million to resolve offenses in India.

The company entered into a a declination with disgorgement with the Justice Department on June 29, the same day it settled with the World Bank.

The DOJ said employees and agents of CDM Smith and a wholly owned subsidiary in India paid $1.18 million in bribes to government officials. In return, the company won highway construction supervision and design contracts and a water project contract.

The World Bank said Friday that CDM Smith fully and voluntarily disclosed the misconduct in Vietnam and cooperated with the Bank.

The World Banks full list of debarred and otherwise sanctioned firms and individuals is here.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Dave Franco enjoyed working alongside his wife Alison Brie on their new movie 'The Little Hours'.

Dave Franco

The 32-year-old actor liked starring in the same film as his spouse and Alison described it as a "blast".

Alison said: "We knew so many people doing the movie. And Dave [Franco], it was nice to have my person with me! ... It was a blast, it was all a blast for me."

Whilst Dave added in a Q&A about the movie in New York: "I enjoyed it."

Meanwhile, Dave previously revealed he has the "coolest wife on planet Earth" because she thought his sex scene in the movie was "really sexy".

He said: "I did the scene and it was fine. I went back to the hotel, and she asked how it was and I said it was totally cool. And we left it at that. It is what it is, we've both been doing this long enough to know that this is part of the job, it's a weird part of the job, but whatever ...

"Cut to a year later and we were watching the movie for the first time together and the threesome scene starts. The scene ended and there was silence, and she turned to me and said, 'That was really sexy.' And that's the moment I knew I had the coolest wife on planet Earth."

And Alison feels like she "can take on anything" after getting married to Dave earlier this year.

She shared: "Everything's great! I think it's a great time in my life. Not in, you know, our lives collectively, not necessarily globally, but being married.

"[Being married is] a similar to the experience of working on 'Glow', in that it's been a very empowering year. I don't know why those two things have kind of gone hand in hand for me, but they have. Wrestling and marriage, they're both just like, 'Yeah, I can take on anything!'"
Elle Fanning was desperate to work with Sofia Coppola again after they previously collaborated on 'Somewhere'.

Elle Fanning

The 19-year-old actress starred in the award-winning director's drama movie in 2010 and was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to reunite with her on 'The Beguiled', in which she plays a teenage student called Alicia.

Speaking to Collider, Elle explained: "Sofia emailed me. She said that Kirsten Dunst was going to play Edwina. She had Nicole Kidman for Miss Martha. She said, 'I want to make you Alicia, one of the students.'

"She said she was excited to make me the bad girl, she was really excited about this character that I was going to get to play. And basically, yes. Anything with Sofia ... I mean, since 'Somewhere' we became so close and we've been trying to find something else to do together.

"I think I would have probably said yes to anything."

Meanwhile, Sofia - who is the daughter of Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola - recently spoke of her ambitions for 'The Beguiled'.

The movie - which is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas P. Cullinan that was turned into a movie in in 1971 - tells the story of a soldier who finds himself on the run as a deserter during the American Civil War.

Sofia recently explained: "I really loved the whole premise. I just thought a story about this enemy soldier coming into this southern girls' environment was so interesting, and that I'd love to kind of flip it: to tell the same story but from the women's point of view, what it must have been like for them.

"Not a remake but a reinterpretation. 'Remake' is like a bad word in our family. I would never."
Prince Harry will take part in his first ever UK state visit when he hosts the King and Queen of Spain this month.

Prince Harry

The 32-year-old royal has been taking on more royal duties since his grandparents, - Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip - announced they would be attending less engagements, and it has now been revealed he will be one of the main points of contact for the Spanish royals during their three-day visit to the UK.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia will make their state visit to the UK from July 12 to July 14, where they will stay in Buckingham Palace as guests of the Queen and Prince Philip.

On July 13, Prince Harry will accompany the royal couple to Westminster Abbey where the king will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Prayers will be said by the Dean, followed by a short tour of the Abbey, including the Tomb of Eleanor of Castile.

Felipe and Letizia - who are travelling without their daughters Princess Leonor, 11, and Infanta Sofia, 10 - will arrive in London on July 11, and will receive a formal ceremonial welcome from the Queen, 91, and Prince Philip, 96, at Horse Guards Parade the following morning.

For Harry, the engagement comes just one week after he is due to appear in Leeds on Thursday (06.07.17), where he will appear as a guest at a special event which aims to acknowledge the city's efforts toward mental health projects.

The flame-haired royal will meet representatives of charities which have received grants from the Leeds Fund, and will then address an audience of senior business leaders when he attends the Leeds Leads: Encouraging Happy Young Minds event hosted by Leeds Community Foundation at Aspire.

Whilst at the event, Prince Harry will also help celebrate the work done by the city's mental health projects, which have helped a number of local young people.
Queen Elizabeth is set to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his first official visit to Scotland.

Queen Elizabeth

The 91-year-old royal is currently spending a week in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, and is set to host a meeting with Justin on Wednesday (05.07.17) in what will be the second time he has met the monarch since becoming Prime Minister in 2015.

Justin is visiting Europe as he is set to attend the G20 summit in Germany later this week, where trade issues are expected to dominate the agenda.

The 45-year-old politician's visit to meet the Queen comes as he met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins in Dublin on Tuesday (04.07.17).

It also comes as Queen Elizabeth's son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, recently wrapped a tour of Canada in honour of 150 years since the country was established.

During their visit, the 68-year-old Prince attended a star studded national extravaganza in the country's capital of Ottawa, where he praised the nation for its leading examples of "fairness and inclusion" that other countries should emulate.

Speaking at the televised event held at Parliament Hill, Prince Charles said: "We should be clear and proud that we are celebrating a country that others look to for example. An example of fairness and inclusion; of always striving to be better.

"Around the word Canada is recognised as a champion of human rights, as a peace-keeper, a responsible steward of the environment and natural resources, and as a powerful and consistent example of diversity and the power of inclusion."

It was a sentiment echoed by the Prime Minister, who said in his own speech: "We don't care where you're from or what religion you practice or whom you love. You are all welcome in Canada."
Roxy Shahidi has borrowed clothes from her 'Emmerdale' character's wardrobe.

Roxy Shahidi

The 34-year-old actress stars as the streetwise Leyla Harding in the ITV soap and has confessed to incorporating some of her on-screen character's style into her everyday attire.

Asked if she likes Leyla's wardrobe, Roxy explained: "It's good fun. I enjoy wearing clothes in combinations that I wouldn't go for in real life.

"But I like bright floral patterns, so I might steal the odd thing from Leyla's wardrobe - and I've given her things occasionally, too. There's been a bit of back and forth between us over the years!"

Despite her fashion-conscious outlook, Roxy insisted that she isn't one to spend lavishly on material items.

Asked to recall her last guilty purchase, the actress told Inside Soap magazine: "I don't know if I feel guilty about buying stuff, because I'm not really excessive.

"I recently spent 300 on juices but I didn't feel guilty about it because I know they are going to be really good for me."

Roxy said that because of her 'Emmerdale' commitments and her passion for yoga, she rarely finds the time to indulge herself.

She added: "I'm super busy so it's hard to find the time to juice. They're like an investment in my future."

Meanwhile, Roxy previously revealed she does yoga with her co-stars on set before she shoots her scenes for 'Emmerdale'.

The actress explained: "If there's no one around, I'll do it by myself.

"But if there are people around who are interested in staying fit, then great, because it means you have that little bit of momentum."
Taapsee Pannu

Taapsee Pannu holidays in Norway, Oslo all by herself.

Norwegian Holiday

The globetrotter Taapsee is having the time of her life!

Must Visit

Oslo is a beautiful city and is a must visit!

Happiness

Taapsee Pannu relaxes in the sun and is seen bustling with happiness.

So Cool

She roamed around the city all by herself. So cool right?

Taapsee Pannu

Life is one big party for Taapsee Pannu. Isn't it, folks?
Divyanka With Vivek & Her Award

Divyanka reposted Jaskar's post and wrote, "Ha ha ha ha Jassi.. Yes I do get confused now that the congrats is for my marriage, Nach, Gold, upcoming anniversary or something else! Thanks for so much love! Wish you too this #PleasantConfusion! Nazar na lagey!."

Karan Bags Award For The 4th Consecutive Year!

Sharing the picture, Karan wrote, "4th consecutive year the #BestActorInALeadingRole award chooses to come home with #Me, yet again ! Thankyou #GoldAwards and @vikaaskalantri for this #recognition and Thank You my #Friend my #Mentor @ektaravikapoor to give me the platform to make myself #Recognised ...! Love you Ektaaa ... ..!"

Karan With His Two Beautiful Ladies

Sharing the picture snapped with the award and his wife, Karan wrote, "Someone said, one in hand is better than two in a bush .... I say, one in hand and one in arm aur apun fatte khush ...! @ankzbhargava love you baby ...! #TwoBeautifulLadies #OneInHandOneByMySide ..!"

Karan-Ankita & Anita-Rohit

"#BestFriends with our #BetterHalves .. and ofcourse the two #beautiful #awards in our hands ... aur kya chahiye ... life is good ...! #FriendsWhoAreFamily ...! @rohitreddygoa@anitahassanandani love you two ...!"

Karan With Anita & Barkha

"Surrounded by #PrettyGorgeousWomen ... @barkhasengupta and @anitahassanandani by my side and the #GoldAwardTrophy in my hand ...! Guess i am one lucky guy ...! "

Karan With His Awards

He shared a video and wrote, "A #HeartfeltThankYou  for your #Unconditional #Love and #Support.... aap hai toh hum hai ...! #MyFansMakeMeWhatIAm n i'm not jus saying it, I MEAN IT. Keep loving me and i shall keep working harder to keep that love coming ...!"

Sargun Mehta

"Welll.. to start with thank you gold awards and @vikaaskalantri for #risingfilmstar award.i hope i live up to it. And thank you #punjab. Tussi saareyan ne taan meri life nu hi sirra laata.i love you all.  #chillinwithmybae #happychild #happy #moyo #awards #goldawards2017 #nomakeupselfies."

Gurmeet Chaudhary

"To start thank you for this award. #risingfilmstar Thanku @vikaaskalantri for this. It's like a responsibility along with an award. And yes I will keep up to the name of it. And will never let you all down. #goldawards2017."

Barkha Sengupta

"This is all you ... this award is all u ... u make me want to look good ... always ... @indraneilsengupta #fittest actor award #goldawards thank u @vikaaskalantri  #stayfit #lovemylife."

Karanvir Bohras Kids

Karanvir bagged Best Actor Award and his wife shared a picture of their little twins holding their papa's award. Well, we must say, this is the cutest picture ever!

Kamya Punjabi

"A big thank you to each one of you who voted for me n a very special thanks to very special someone @imanveergurjar love you guys... #preeto #gratitude #shakti #goldawards."

Rubina

"I want to represent an idea , a possibility for a healthy lifestyle (amidst stress n chaos) Wherein I inspire people to achieve their optimal wellbeing.... As they rightly say , "jaaan hai to Jahaan hai" I tweaked it " behtar jaaan hai to Behatareen Jahaan hai" ! I always listen to my body , from an early age only, my parents had taught us the importance of wellness!"

Rubina Bags Most Fit Actor Award

"It is the most important aspect of our lives, but we all take it for granted ! A healthy body has a healthy heart and a healthy mind which are the driving force for all the success and achievement in one's life!"

Rubina Further Wrote

"HOLD YOUR BREATHE FOR 1 min , you will understand what I Mean! Here I am holding the #goldawards for the Most Fit Actor! Thank you @vikaaskalantri@whiteleafent and @zeetv for such a motivation! I am humbled and Honoured!"

Rohit Reddy With Anita

Rohit shared this picture of his wife Anita with the award and wrote, "When she was getting all romantic with her prize... i was bringing on my diabolical side."

Priya Malik

Priya wrote, "Best moment from last night was presenting this award to #SaReGaMaPaLilChamps Such talented kids. Also, congrats to @rithvikd and my preeto @panjabikamya for winning awards in their respective categories And, lastly, @virafpp thank you for helping me walk in my sari without tripping  #GoldAwards2017."

Sharad Malhotra

"Thank u @ektaravikapoor for giving me this one hell'uva character called ..Rishi Singh Bedi ."

"@vikaaskalantri thank u once again for this beautiful golden lady and never the least a biiiiiiggggg thank u to all my lovely people out there who've always stuck by me through thick n thin..lotsa love to each one of u !!! God bless."

"#powerpackedperfomanceof2017 #Zee #goldawards17 #kasamterepyaarki @colorstv."

Vishal Singh

Vishal, who plays the role of Naitik on the show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, also bagged an award. Sharing the picture, Vishal wrote, "#goldawards #yehrishtakyakehlatahai #yrkkh #memorablemoment."

Nakuul Mehta Bagged Two Awards

"Noted French writer/director, Francois Ozon once said, 'Awards are like hemorrhoids. Sooner or later every asshole gets one.' I've already got 6 this year. Not sure what that makes me ;-) . Elated to receive the Best Actor - Critics & Best Onscreen Jodi (shared with the wonderful @officialsurbhic) last night at the Zee #GoldAwards2017 ."
Eying on the New Opportunities in Asian Financial Services Market



HONG KONG, July 5, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - China First Capital Group Limited ("CFCG" or the "Group"; stock code: 1269) has announced that, CFCG Investment Partners International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. ("CFCG Singapore"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CFCG, has acquired 100% of shares of Stirling Coleman Capital Limited ("Stirling Coleman") for cash consideration.



In recent years, CFCG has pursued a diversification direction, through the collaboration of its financial services business units, with the business focus on education and investment, to create a platform of operation, investment and financing in the education sector guided by its strategic "Education Investment plus Financial Services". Since the second half of 2016, the Group has more actively developed overseas markets. CFCG Singapore started operation on 1 August last year, marking an important step in the Group's international development. The acquisition of Stirling Coleman has represented a new chapter for the Group to commence financial business in Singapore.



Founded in 2001, Stirling Coleman is an independent corporate finance advisory firm. Headquartered in Singapore, the firm has representative offices in Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan; and Bangkok, Thailand, aiming to offer a broad range of corporate financing services to small- and medium-sized companies ("SME"). Licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to conduct regulated financial activities in dealing in securities and advising on corporate finance in Singapore, Stirling Coleman's service range includes initial public offerings ("IPO") and follow-on offerings on the Singapore Stock Exchange, independent financial advisory for Singapore-listed companies and advice on M&A of both listed and private companies in and outside Singapore. Stirling Coleman is a member of Globalscope Partners, which has 46 members on every continent in 39 countries as of November 2015. As one of the leading advisers to SME in Singapore's equity capital market, Stirling Coleman has successfully completed IPO of 28 companies, including 22 companies from Greater China, on the Stock Exchange of Singapore since November 2003, and it has completed more than 100 transactions to date.



Mr. Yan Haiting, President and Executive Director of the Group, said, "Since the concept of economic cooperation under the 'Belt And Road' national strategic directive and first introduced in September 2013, the development direction has become clearer and more sophisticated. With the full support and avocation of Chinese Government and many other countries in the world, business participation has been growing. In light of this, the Group has extended its financial services platform to Southeast Asia. We believe, Singapore, as a major international financial center, is the gateway to enter the strategic financial and capital market of Southeast Asia. The Group expects that the trading, financing and other activities of capital markets in China, Hong Kong and Singapore will become more frequent and create business opportunities for the market,thereby attract quality assets from Northern Asia to capital markets in Singapore and Southeast Asia and increasing cross-border mergers and acquisitions activities across Asia. Stirling Coleman has an excellent track record and has established a famous and respected brand in Singapore. Therefore, this acquisition provides a direct platform enabling the Group to rapidly and directly access the Singapore equity capital market and provide related financial services and offerings."



About China First Capital Group (stock code: 1269)

China First Capital Group focuses on education investment and a fully-licensed financial services business. Through the coordination of financial services businesses, the Group strives to establish an operation platform that is driven by "Education plus Financial Services," with the expectation of the education investment business to be the key driver of the Group's focus. Currently, the Group wholly owns First Capital Securities Limited (with a license for Type 1 SFC-regulated activities), First Capital Asset Management Limited (with licenses for Type 1, 4, and 9 SFC-regulated activities), First Capital International Finance Limited (with a license for Type 6 SFC-regulated activities), First Capital Finance Limited and First Capital International Holdings Limited. Thus the Group provides services such as dealing in securities, asset management, financial consultancy, merger and acquisition, credit financing and immigration financial services. First Capital Fund Management Company Limited, the subsidiary of the Group, focuses on exploring and investing in excellent educational projects in coordination of the financial services business, and is dedicated to advance the Company to become a well-known international education brand. For more information about CFCG, please visit the website: www.cfcg.com.hk









Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.





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HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/04/17 -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ)(HKSE: 1878) ("SouthGobi" or the "Company") announces the voting results of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (the "AGM") held in Vancouver, Canada on June 30, 2017.

The majority of shareholders voted in favour of all resolutions at the AGM as set out in the Company's Management Proxy Circular, dated May 19, 2017, namely:

-- Fixing the number of directors to be elected at the AGM at eight. -- Re-election of Messrs. Aminbuhe, Yulan Guo, Yingbin Ian He, Zhu Liu, Mao Sun, Wen Yao, Huiyi Wang and Ms. Jin Lan Quan as directors of the Company (the "Directors") for the ensuing year. -- Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Accountants, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year.

Mr. Aminbuhe was appointed as Chairman of the Board (the "Chairman") and Mr. Yingbin Ian He was appointed as Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Messrs. Ningqiao Li and Joseph Belan did not stand for re-election at the AGM. Following the conclusion of the AGM, Mr. Ningqiao Li ceased to be an executive director and the Executive Chairman. Mr. Belan ceased to be an independent non-executive director, Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and a member of each of the Compensation and Benefits Committee and the Audit Committee.

The Board takes this opportunity to express its sincere gratitude to Messrs. Li and Belan for their valuable contributions to the Company.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange has granted SouthGobi a waiver from Rule 13.39(4) of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (the "Listing Rules") which requires that any vote of shareholders at a general meeting must be taken by poll. Therefore, this announcement does not contain the specific information set out in Rule 13.39(5) of the Listing Rules.

UPDATE TO THE STRATEGIC ADVISORY BOARD

In light of the reconstitution of the Board and appointment of new Directors, the Company's Strategic Advisory Board (the "SAB") has been dissolved, and Mr. Abraham Jonker's appointment to the SAB has been concluded. The Company thanks Mr. Jonker for his service on the SAB.

About SouthGobi

SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. It also holds the mining licences of its other metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in South Gobi Region of Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China.

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Kino Fu

Office: +852 2156 7030

kino.fu@southgobi.com

www.southgobi.com




Summaries offer an inside perspective on Chinese business, economics, politics and society

China is on the verge of becoming the world's largest economy. Now, companies such as Huawei, DJI and Tencent have already proven that it's an innovation powerhouse. Businesspeople around the world know that China is a land of great opportunities, but the country's unique culture, politics and economy prevent many from finding success. Businesspeople looking to crack the Chinese market or increase their company's innovation power with Chinese know-how need insider knowledge. By summarizing relevant and authentic Chinese publications in English, getAbstract breaks down cultural and language barriers to offer readers a first-hand glimpse inside China.

Think like a successful Chinese entrepreneur

getAbstract's Inside China library offers authentic, local expertise. The Beijing-based editorial team monitors Chinese newspapers, magazines, journals and books for the latest business trends, and selects the most powerful, relevant pieces to summarize in English using getAbstract's classic, easy-to-digest format. New summaries are added on a weekly basis. Corporate customers can purchase access to the library individually or as part of their current getAbstract multi-license business solution. Users have access to the summaries through getAbstract's website and mobile app anywhere, anytime.

Pictures in high resolution:

https://www.getabstract.com/m-img/170704_getAbstract_LinkedIn%2C%20The%20Lonely%20Explorer.png

https://www.getabstract.com/m-img/170704_getAbstract_Apple%20Pay%20Reaches%20the%20One-Year%20Mark%20in%20China.png

Press release in pdf format:

https://www.getabstract.com/m-img/170705_getAbstract_Inside%20China.pdf

About getAbstract

getAbstract was founded in 1999 in Lucerne (CH) and is the world's #1 summary service for non-fiction books, articles, videos and reports. Delivering key insights in concise summaries, we are making millions of users the best-read experts on the business scene. Our library consists of 15,000+ titles across seven languages. With a large network of more than 600 publishing partners, we offer the latest trends in business, leadership, innovation, time management, health well-being, emotional intelligence, creativity and much more. Our overseas branch office is located in Miami.

More information about getAbstract:

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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170704005301/en/

Contacts:

getAbstract

Ramona Hiess

Phone: +41 41 367 51 68

Email: ramona.hiess@getAbstract.com
Syngenta recently reaffirmed its goal of strengthening its leading position in Crop Protection and becoming an ambitious number three in Seeds. In order to drive achievement of this goal, the company will bring together the leadership of the Research Development and Production Supply functions within the Crop Protection business, led by Jon Parr, and the Seeds business, led by Jeff Rowe.

As a consequence, two members of the Syngenta Executive Committee Trish Malarkey, Head of R&D and Mark Peacock, Head of Global Operations will leave Syngenta at the end of September 2017.

Trish joined Syngenta 19 years ago and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2014. Prior to her current role, Trish held a number of senior scientific roles in Crop Protection, Seeds and Biotechnology. Most recently, Trish has led the R&D organization through a significant transformation, resulting in an R&D function that is the most productive in the industry with a pipeline that will deliver value for the company for many years to come.

Mark has worked at Syngenta and its legacy companies for 34 years since joining as a graduate chemical engineer. Over the past ten years that Mark has been a member of the Executive Committee, he has led a number of functions globally, including Production Supply, Information Services and HSE. In these roles he has led the continuous delivery of significant improvements in productivity and has played a key role in shaping our company culture.

Erik Fyrwald, CEO, said: "I want to warmly thank Trish and Mark for their outstanding contributions to Syngenta during their distinguished careers here. I wish them both every success in the future."

About Syngenta

Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, which involves a number of risks and uncertainties discussed in Syngenta's public filings with the SEC, including the "risk factors" section of Syngenta's Form 20-F filed on February 16, 2017 as well as the U.S. Offer documents filed by ChemChina and CNAC Saturn (NL) B.V. ("Purchaser") and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement filed by Syngenta. These statements are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any forward-looking statements. These statements are generally identified by words or phrases such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "plan", "will", "may", "should", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue" or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results and/or timing discussed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. ChemChina, Purchaser and Syngenta disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the period covered by this press release or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170704005383/en/

Contacts:

Syngenta International AG

Media Office

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Fax: +41 61 323 2424

www.syngenta.com

or

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Switzerland +41 61 323 2323

or

Paul Minehart

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or

Analyst/Investor contacts:

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Switzerland +41 61 323 5059

USA +1 202 737 6521
HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- The popular Asia Contemporary Art Show returns this fall with its 11th successful edition from September 21st to 24th at the Conrad Hong Kong. Welcoming more than 80 galleries from Asia and the world, including up-and-coming and mid-career artists, the fall edition will be the largest contemporary art fair in the second half of the year. The show kicks off on Thursday, September 21st with the exclusive UnionPay Private View, followed by an invitation-only UnionPay VIP Collectors Preview. General admission opens on Friday, September 22nd with fun HK Liquor Store Art Night, and continues with regular show hours over the weekend.

The 11th edition presents works by artists from over 20 countries around the world and introduces a new sector series, Intersections. The series will focus on the conceptual crossing of artistic ideas between past and present, traditional and modern and East and West, with Japan the first country to be spotlighted. Making a return will be Artist Dialogues, a whole floor dedicated to solo and joint artist presentations. Both features offer a more thematically focused and hands-on viewing experience for visitors.

"As the longest-running hotel art fair in Asia," remarked Show Director Mark Saunderson, "our aim has always been to find creative ways to enhance the art viewing experience. With Intersections: Japan, visitors to the show will have the unique opportunity to view an array of artworks that range from paintings to woven bamboo works, while with Artist Dialogues visitors will have the chance to meet and speak with artists from across the world. No other art fair in Hong Kong gathers so many artists in one place!"

Saunderson continues, "And with the generous support of our new Lead Partner UnionPay International, as well as other show partners, the Asia Contemporary Art Show offers new and returning guests a range of complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks -- an unequalled hospitality experience among local art fairs."

INTERSECTIONS: JAPAN

Intersections: Japan is the first in a new series that will focus on the crossing of artistic ideas between past and present, traditional and modern and East and West. The sector will highlight the diversity and dynamism of contemporary Japanese art and feature works that challenge norms and break artistic rules. A wide range of works comprising original paintings, editions, photography, and sculpture as well as traditional crafts presented with a contemporary ethos like ceramics and woven bamboo works will be on exhibit.

Akira Okada

Wamono Art, Japan - Room 4224

Akira Okada's (b.1972, Chiba) work exemplifies a mastery of technical skill over the medium of bamboo and an engineer's application of innovation and understanding of design. An emerging artist in contemporary woven bamboo objects, Okada mentored under Bamboo Master Jin Morigami.

"Flower Bud" by Akira Okada, Japanese Madake Bamboo, Rattan, Wamono Art, Japan, Room 4224

Tomoo Seki

Gallery OUT of PLACE, Japan - Room 4325

Tomoo Seki (b.1965, Nara) investigates and interprets vegetation native to his home in Nagoya. From a distance his work is a dance of leaves and blossoms, but up close, leaves devolve into abstract dots and lines challenging our interpretations and notions of perspective. Seki also paints the sides of the canvas, adding further depth and complexity to his compositions.

"Real/Red no.69" by Tomoo Seki, Natural Pigment, Water Color on Canvas, Gallery OUT of PLACE, Japan, Room 4325

Takahiro Hirabayashi

Gallery Seek, Japan - Room 4324

One of the most promising painters emerging from Japan in recent years, Takahiro Hirabayashi (b.1984, Nagano) depicts themes with strong inner meaning and centres his work around concepts of Buddhist spirituality. Working in oil, Hirabayashi creates pieces that are both challenging yet serene, bringing to viewers across all nationalities a deep sense of inner peace.

"Funado" by Takahiro Hirabayashi, Oil on Panel, Gallery Seek, Japan, Room 4324

GALLERIES AND ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Lydia Moawad, Lebanon

Artist Dialogues - Room 4110

A distinguished designer, illustrator and art professor, Lydia Moawad (b.1965) is considered one of the most renowned Lebanese contemporary painters. Her works are the fruit of long years of research, a journey that has brought her to find her own aesthetic language. Moawad uses a variety of materials in her work, such as silk paper and oxidised sheets of copper, combining these with abstract symbols.

"Adventure" by Lydia Moawad, Mixed Media on Canvas, Lebanon, Room 4110

Jochen Cerny, Germany

Artist Dialogues - Room 4125

Jochen Cerny's photographic style is characterized by shooting objects from different angles without alienating their complexity. Most of his photographs are shot from either an elevated or low-level vantage point which enables the viewer to encounter scenes, encompassing both centre and periphery, which are normally beyond reach.

"Beach II" by Jochen Cerny, Photo Print under Acrylic Glass, Germany, Room 4125

Rafael Lanfranco, Peru

Artium Miami Art Gallery - Room 4025

Illustrator, painter and sculptor, Rafael Lanfranco (b.1976) combines his passion for history and his love of toys into a series of ceramic sculptures called "Wakos." With his whimsical sculptures, the artist combines aspects of pre-Columbian ceremonial pottery vessels known as "huacos" (in the Quechua language) with the aesthetics of Japanese "kawaii," pop culture and toy art.

"Irascible Storyteller" by Rafael Lanfranco, Resin Sculpture with Posca Painting, Artium Miami Art Gallery, USA, Room 4025

Fang Zhaoling, China

Macey & Sons Auctioneers and Valuers Limited - Room 4226

Fang Zhaoling was recognised as one of China's foremost artists, in addition to being the mother of Hong Kong politician Anson Chan. Her work is known for its rich substance and palette, with elegant yet simple figures and majestic landscapes. The artist combines calligraphic lines and forms to illustrate mountains instead of using the traditional "cun" method of stroke shading.

"Green Mountains" by Fang Zhaoling, Ink and Colour on Paper, Macey & Sons Auctioneers and Valuers Limited, Hong Kong, Room 4226

THE FOUNDERS OF THE ASIA CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW

The Founders and Directors of the Asia Contemporary Art Show are three art enthusiasts with more than 25 years' experience in the region, Mark Saunderson, Douwe Cramer and Sarah Benecke. Viewed as pioneers in the art space, they consider the interest of artists, galleries and buyers are best served by providing vibrant fairs and online content which stimulate discovery, exploration, and conversations about art. The Asia Contemporary Art Show is Hong Kong's only art fair that takes place twice a year.

Asia Contemporary Art Buyer

The Founders of the Asia Contemporary Art Show also produce Asia's leading art website, Asia Contemporary Art Buyer (http://www.asiacontemporaryart.com). The site features over 14,000 artworks from 2,000 artists. Asia Contemporary Art Buyer extends the value of the Asia Contemporary Art Show for both buyers and sellers of art, from an exciting four-day Show with face-to-face engagement with artists and galleries, to 365 days a year and 24/7 online for personal browsing and buying.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS

Lead Partner UnionPay International

UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay focused on the growth and support of UnionPay's global business. In partnership with more than 1500 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 162 countries and regions with issuance in 42 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost-effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world's largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.

Macey & Sons Auctioneers and Valuers Limited

Show sponsors, Macey & Sons, bring a wealth of experience specialising in valuations of fine art, classic watches and clocks, jewellery and fine porcelain. Founded by Jonathan Macey, an auctioneering and finance industry specialist with 25 years' experience, Macey and Sons provide a unique suite of services that include careful selection of artwork for investment and investment strategies, portfolio building, valuation and investment exit strategies. Macey & Sons also houses a private gallery to accommodate public auctions.

The Asia Contemporary Art Show would like to acknowledge and thank arts patrons UnionPay International, Macey & Sons Auctioneers and Valuers Limited, Langton's East Asia, HK Liquor Store, Fiji Water and Venture Studios; as well as hospitality partners Four Fox Sake, Samuel Adams, Leaf Tea Boutique and Tranquini for their support.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Asia Contemporary Art Show, 11th Edition

Conrad Hong Kong, 40 - 43 floors

September 21 - 24, 2017

Opening Hours:

Thursday, September 21

UnionPay Private View (Invitation only) 3pm - 5pm

UnionPay VIP Collectors Preview (Invitation only) 5pm - 9:30pm

General Admission:

Friday, September 22 1:30pm - 5:30pm

HK LIQUOR STORE ART NIGHT 5:30pm - 9:30pm

Saturday, September 23 1:30pm - 9:30pm

Sunday, September 24 11am - 6pm

Tickets:

Available from July 10 at

www.asiacontemporaryart.com/tickets

www.timable.com

www.putyourself.in

HK$240 (admits two if purchased online; admits one if purchased at the door)

Free admission for children under 16yrs accompanied by an adult.

Press Release are downloadable from:

http://www.asiacontemporaryart.com/media/product_attachments/000000086_0.pdf

High-res images and information are downloadable from:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vfxs8nd79vp1ock/AACaDUYMkD6wIQrCenfgztlaa?dl=0

Official Newswire Partner: Media OutReach

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For media enquiries, please contact:



Mak Tsz Kam

Email: Email Contact

Tel: +852 2811 9015 / +852 6093 5609




LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK-based home builder Persimmon Plc. (PSN.L) Wednesday reported that its first-half revenue grew 12% to 1.66 billion pounds from last year's 1.49 billion pounds. In its trading update, the company said its trading performance in the first half of the year has been excellent. The company increased legal completion volumes by 8% to 7,794 new homes from last year's 7,238 homes. The growth in new homes sold demonstrates its drive to meet market demand in all its regional markets across the UK, the company noted. Average selling price improved 3.5% to about 213,000 pounds from 205,762 pounds last year. Group sales through May and June were healthy, leaving weekly private sales rate per site for the first half about 7% ahead of last year at 0.80. The company said it continued to experience good levels of customer demand since April 27 update, with the market taking the snap UK General Election in its stride. Consumer confidence remains resilient and compelling mortgage rates continue to offer good support to new home buyers. The company said it expects operating margin in the first half will comfortably exceed the 25.7% delivered in the second half of the prior year. Total forward sales value as of June 30 was 1.60 billion pounds, 18% higher than last year. Looking ahead, the company said it is confident in its future prospects. The company will announce Half Year Results on August 22. 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.
BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust plc

LEI - 5493003YBY59H9EJLJ16

05 July 2017

Change of Co-Portfolio Manager

The Board of BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust plc (the "Company") has been informed that Mark Wharrier, co-portfolio manager of the Company, has resigned to pursue another role. The Board would like to express their thanks to Mark for his contribution to the Company since 2013.

Adam Avigdori, who has been co-portfolio manager of the Company since November 2011, continues as co- portfolio manager. Adam joined Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in 2001, which merged with BlackRock in 2006 and is currently a senior director and co-manager of the BlackRock UK Income fund.

David Goldman, a senior director within the BlackRock UK Equity Team has been appointed co-portfolio manager alongside Adam Avigdori with immediate effect.

David joined Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in 2004 which merged with BlackRock in 2006 and is currently co-manager of the BlackRock UK Income Fund.

Enquiries:

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 020 7743 3000

Simon White

Kevin Mayger

William Simmonds/Edward Gibson-Watt

J.P. Morgan Cazenove

Tel.: 020 7742 4000
Targeted Poverty Alleviation Model Spans Tourism, Education and Fund

DANZHAI, China, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dalian Wanda Group's RMB 1.5 billion poverty alleviation program started operating in Danzhai, Guizhou Province, today, in the company's biggest endeavor to lift a whole county out of poverty.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530455/Danzhai_Wanda_Village.jpg

The project, following a model of "one enterprise responsible for an entire county's poverty alleviation," is comprised of an RMB 300 million college, an RMB 700 million tourism village, and an RMB 500 million fund, designed to meet the long, medium, and short term poverty-alleviation demand in this southwestern Chinese county famous for its rich Miao ethnical culture heritages and stunning landscape.

Chen Min'er, Party Secretary of Guizhou Province, Hu Zejun, Auditor General of the National Audit Office of the People's Republic of China, Sun Zhigang, Governor of Guizhou Province, Ou Qingping, Deputy Director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, and Wang Jianlin, Chairman of Wanda Group, attended the opening ceremony.

The innovative poverty alleviation model, based on Wanda's many years of successful experience in reducing poverty and consultations with experts, will help lift Danzhai's income level through a market-orientated approach, leveraging Wanda's strength in the tourism industry and Danzhai's own rich tourism resources. Three years in the making, the project is aimed at leading Danzhai's economic transformation, creating employment, and eradicating poverty from the roots.

The long-term part of the project is the Guizhou Wanda Vocational College. With RMB 300 million donated by Wanda, the College is designed to improve Danzhai's quality of life through education, eliminating the possibility of poverty arising from the source. Covering an area of 300 mu (approx. 200,000 square meters) and occupying a total floor area of 50,000 square meters, the college will be able to accommodate 2,000 students. The College facilities have met national top-tier vocational college standards. It offers majors associated with Wanda's business fields and positions, with 50% of the graduates to be hired based on merit and work at Wanda each year. The College is expected to enroll 700 Danzhai students each year. Calculating from the standard of 3 people per family, the school will help lift around 2,000 Danzhai residents out of poverty annually.

The medium-term part of the project is the RMB 700 million Danzhai Wanda Village, designed to lead the county's tourism development and create many employment opportunities. The site covers an area of 400 mu (approx. 266,640 square meters) and a floor area of 50,000 square meters. Constructed and designed in the style of Miao architecture, the Village portrays Danzhai's unique national non-material cultural heritages, handicrafts with ethnic Miao characteristics, Miao delicacies, and Miao medical treatment and medicines. Accompanied by the 4-star Wanda Jin Hotel, Inns and a Wanda Cinema, Danzhai Wanda Village will become an exclusive tourism project in China. The successful operation of the Village will generate 2,000 direct employment opportunities annually, attract 1 million tourists to Danzhai annually, and increase local tourism revenue by more than RMB 500 million. It will foster the growth of more than 20 industries including food, accommodation, handicrafts and agriculture. According to China Tourism Academy's estimates, more than 10,000 indirect employment opportunities will be created.

The short-term part is the RMB 500 million Danzhai Special Poverty Alleviation Fund. Serving as a bottom line for the poorest, an RMB 50 million dividend fund will be granted each year to the county in the first five-year phase. The fund targets special poverty groups who are unable to benefit from the poverty-alleviating industries. The first installment of RMB 50 million has been distributed to 38,300 Danzhai residents struggling with poverty and low income. As a result, the average income of the poorest in Danzhai has already exceeded the national poverty line of that year.

After Wanda launched the "one enterprise responsible for an entire county's poverty alleviation" in Daizhai, according to performance review of Guizhou poverty alleviation and development, Danzhai's overall index rose from 23rd in 2014 to 2nd in 2016. The project also achieved the local people's highest satisfaction level in the whole of Guizhou Province.

QUOTES

Wang Jianlin, Chairman of Wanda Group, said: "Wanda's "one enterprise responsible for an entire county's poverty alleviation" model represents a significant innovation of China's poverty alleviation, and was therefore awarded the first National Poverty Alleviation Innovation Award in 2016, establishing Wanda's poverty alleviation brand. Nevertheless, the opening of Danzhai Wanda Village and Guizhou Wanda Vocational College does not mean the final poverty-alleviation goal has been reached. Wanda Group will take the responsibility of the project and see it through until the end. The company will ensure stable operation of the Village, building it into a famous tourist destination in Guizhou, and building the vocational college into an outstanding school in the province. Wanda will not only lift Danzhai from poverty but will also bring the county prosperity.
DOHA, Qatar, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Al Jazeera Media Network has come forth with its own list of demands as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt demand the closure of all its outlets including broadcast channels and websites. In response to the demands and reinforcing its independent voice, the network made a callfor solidarity in the pursuit of press freedom. This call reinforces the importance of preserving the rights of people to have a voice and be heard, wherever they are and whoever they might be.

The network, which through its twenty-year history has been one of the most-watched regionally and garnered hundreds of millions of viewers across 150 countries, has often been at the center of controversy. While the attack on the channel is not unprecedented, it is the first time the network has come forth with demands of its own, given that this attack does not only represent an attack on Al Jazeera but an attack on free press worldwide.

Acting Managing Director of Al Jazeera English, Giles Trendle, raised the looming concern, "The demand to close Al Jazeera is an attempt to suppress the basic human right to free speech. It is a blatant bid to muzzle the media and prevent access to unbiased news reporting and storytelling. Where would we be if governments, politicians and people in power around the world dictated the news we read, listened to or watched? After Al Jazeera, who might be next? We demand journalists be able to do their jobs free from intimidation and threat; that the public have access to unbiased information; and that the profession of journalism and those who serve it are not criminalised in the line of duty. Ultimately, our demand is about honouring the freedom of the press - in the first instance for Al Jazeera, but also for every news provider and journalist, wherever they may be."

Trendle added, "We remain committed to reporting freely, frankly and fairly. We refuse to be intimidated or bullied, censored or silenced."

Executive Director of Global Brand & Communications at Al Jazeera Media Network, Abdulla Al-Najjar affirmed, "Al Jazeera remains resolute in its commitment to storytelling, to balanced journalism, and to finding and covering stories. We have given a voice to the voiceless. We have shone a spotlight on the people and stories that would otherwise have remained in the dark and we've always done so with responsibility and integrity. This is what we live by at Al Jazeera and it is the reason why we demand lifting restrictions and government control of media worldwide."

Several international journalistic entities such as the National Union of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have shown their support for Al Jazeera and balked at demands of its shutdown. Many media peers also supported this regionally and internationally.

While Al Jazeera is at the center of a political discourse, it is also the recipient of many prestigious awards for its groundbreaking work in telling authentic stories. Its journalists have not only been attacked, imprisoned and killed; but also celebrated, respected and honoured. For their independent journalism, Al Jazeera has been awarded Peabody, Emmy, Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University, and Edward R. Murrow awards.

Defying the odds, Al Jazeera remains dedicated to its undertaking of journalistic excellence, affirming its steadfast dedication to act as a voice for the unrepresented while continuing to cover events with balance and objectivity. The current list of demands is a call to both the public and its peers - a call to continue this movement to ensure the world collectively supports freedom of the press.

To read the full open letter published by Al Jazeera click here. You can follow the conversation using the hashtag DemandPressFreedom.

About Al Jazeera Media Network:

Al Jazeera Media Network offers international news and current affairs that places people at the heart of the story, rooted in the belief that everyone has a story worth hearing. Through its fearless journalism and award-winning programming, it tells authentic stories about people everywhere, without geographical or cultural prejudice.

Media Contacts:

Amel Osman

a.osman@tripletwo.com

+974-5040-6774


PARIS, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --On July 3, HNA Technology ("HNA Tech"), a division of HNA Group, a global Fortune 500 company focused on tourism, logistics, and financial services, and Ingram Micro Inc.announced that they jointly held a Strategic Workshop on June 29 in Paris, France to deepen the scope of their development strategy, strengthen customer relationships, and identify further opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Attendees included leadership from HNA Group and Ingram Micro, as well as customer representatives from the world's leading technology, telecommunication, and commerce companies.

HNA Group acquired Ingram Micro in December 2016, creating a global, one-stop provider of logistics and supply chain solutions and services. The June 29 Strategic Workshop was held as part of HNA Paris International Week, a week-long series of events hosted by HNA Group to celebrate its global platform.

Eric Tong, Chairman of HNA Tech and a Member of the Board of Directors of HNA Group, said, "We were pleased to come together with Ingram Micro in Paris to share ideas and explore how we can leverage the combined power of our global platforms to help companies around the world build an innovation ecosystem without borders or limits. Yesterday's Workshop exemplifies the type of collaborative, productive, and mutually beneficial relationship between HNA and Ingram Micro, which will help enterprises both inside and outside of China realize the promise of technology and capitalize on global buying and selling opportunities in this new digital era."

Alain Monie, CEO of Ingram Micro, said, "Our partnership with HNA is allowing us to become an even more valuable provider of services and solutions to our customers around the world, and we remain energized and excited about the future as a member of the HNA family. The Workshop gave us the opportunity to showcase and discuss some of Ingram Micro's recent investments and growing capabilities across our portfolio and to explore new potential areas of innovation and collaboration with HNA."

Following HNA Group's acquisition of Ingram Micro in December 2016, HNA Tech and Ingram Micro continue to deepen their expertise and collaboration in providing a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. In collaboration with HNA Tech, Ingram Micro is building an open technology transformation platform to provide "end to end" IT services to meet customer needs, provide innovative technologies, and unlock new business value. The partnership creates an unparalleled global logistics infrastructure, enabling customers to tap into a world-class delivery platform, supply chain, lifecycle management services, and cloud services. As part of the HNA Group organization, Ingram Micro is continuing to expand its delivery platform and portfolio, and it is also strengthening its reach in China, providing the systems and solutions to help domestic Chinese enterprises innovate, develop, and go global.

About HNA Group

HNA Group is a global Fortune 500 company focused on tourism, logistics and financial services. Since its founding in 1993, HNA Group has evolved from a regional airline based on Hainan Island in southern China into a global company with approximately $145 billion of assets, over $90 billion in annual revenues, and an international workforce of 410,000 employees, primarily across America, Europe and Asia. Founded in December 2016, HNA Technology is the largest division of HNA Group and has assumed the group's mission of strategic transformation, with operations spanning more than 160 countries and regions on five continents. Its subsidiaries include the largest IT product distributor and supply chain service provider, Ingram Micro, and the leading IT services and solutions provider, Pactera.

About Ingram Micro

Ingram Micro helps businesses Realize the Promise of Technology'. It delivers a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Deep expertise in technology solutions, mobility, cloud, and supply chain solutions enables its business partners to operate efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve. Unrivaled agility, deep market insights and the trust and dependability that come from decades of proven relationships, set Ingram Micro apart and ahead. More at www.ingrammicro.com.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530464/HNA_Tech_Chairman.jpg
Expands Leading U.K. Presence to Northern England and Scotland

Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping, Inc. ("Brundage-Bone"), through its Oxford Pumping Holdings Ltd. ("Oxford") subsidiary, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Reilly Concrete Pumping Limited ("Reilly"). Headquartered near Manchester, England, Reilly is a United Kingdom-based concrete pumping business focusing on the northern England and Scotland markets. The Oxford businesses, which include Camfaud Concrete Pumps Limited ("Camfaud"), South Coast Concrete Pumping Limited ("South Coast") and Premier Concrete Pumping Limited ("Premier"), operate primarily in southern England and Wales, and are also well-positioned in the London metropolitan area.

The Reilly acquisition will provide Oxford with a more comprehensive footprint across the United Kingdom, allowing the company to provide its diverse customer base with a truly national service offering on major infrastructure and commercial projects. Additionally, the Reilly management team will join Oxford to ensure a seamless transition for Reilly's customers and employees. Terms of the Reilly transaction have not been disclosed.

"Brundage-Bone is pleased to welcome another premier business to the Oxford platform," stated Bruce Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brundage-Bone. "Similar to our other Oxford businesses, Reilly is a natural partner for Brundage-Bone in the United Kingdom given its outstanding fleet of mobile equipment, as well as proven reputation for excellent customer service and technical expertise."

Tony Faud, Managing Director of Oxford, continued: "We are very excited to be joining forces with Reilly. By adding the highly respected Reilly brand, we can now offer full national coverage to our customers. This investment will provide excellent opportunities for our United Kingdom management, staff and pump operators whose hard work, skill and commitment are vital to our business."

Brendan Reilly, Managing Director of Reilly, added: "We look forward to joining Oxford to create a company that can offer a first-class concrete pumping service across the United Kingdom. We believe this transaction will offer a fantastic fit for Reilly's employees and will be a smooth transition for our customers."

Matt Homme, Managing Director of Peninsula Pacific, the holder of the majority interest in Brundage-Bone, stated: "We are proud of the differentiated and attractive concrete pumping services platform that Bruce, Tony and their teams are building in the United Kingdom. Brundage-Bone will continue to strive to provide the best service levels, fleet and personnel resources to the markets in both the United States and United Kingdom."

The Reilly acquisition represents a continuation of Brundage-Bone's focused acquisition strategy in the United Kingdom. In November 2016, Brundage-Bone acquired Camfaud, South Coast and Premier in concurrent transactions.

About Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping

Brundage-Bone is a leading provider of concrete pumping services to an extensive network of commercial, residential and infrastructure construction customers in the United States and United Kingdom. In the United States, the Company and its affiliates employ approximately 725 people in nearly 80 locations in 20 states across the western, mountain, south-central, mid-western and southeast regions of the country. Furthermore, through its Oxford subsidiary in the United Kingdom, the company is a leading provider of concrete pumping services in London, southern England and Wales. For additional information on Brundage-Bone, please visit www.brundagebone.com.

About Peninsula Pacific

Peninsula Pacific is a private Los Angeles-based company specializing in customized capital solutions for both established and developing businesses in the consumer and industrial sectors. Peninsula Pacific seeks to capitalize, restructure and ultimately build meaningful businesses in partnership with strong management teams. For further information about Peninsula Pacific, please visit our website at www.peninsulapacific.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005169/en/

Contacts:

Abernathy MacGregor

Rivian Bell, rlb@abmac.com

Karen Dang, kqd@abmac.com

+1 213.630.6550
ZURICH, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters today announced the launch of Thomson Reuters Labs' - The Incubator. Located in Switzerland, the Incubator will host early-stage entrepreneurs building next-generation products in big data, advanced analytics, distributed ledgers, artificial intelligence, machine learning and other transformational technologies. As part of the official program, startups will receive access to Thomson Reuters world-class data and content sets, mentoring from experienced executives and networking opportunities for investment and commercialization.

The Incubator is the next horizon of the company's significant investment in the Thomson Reuters Labs network. With locations in innovation ecosystems around the globe, the Innovation Labs collaborate with customers, universities and startups to rapidly prototype and validate solutions using data science and lean experimentation to develop products and solutions to quickly meet evolving market demand.

Mona Vernon, Chief Technology Officer for Thomson Reuters Labs, commented, "Technology is evolving at an unprecedented rate and corporations need to keep pace. Partnering with startups and other market disruptors is essential for us to be agile and responsive to our customers. The Incubator will become an essential part of our corporate strategy to drive organic growth through innovation."

The Incubator has officially enrolled two startups focused on Fintech.

Open Mineral is an early stage Swiss start-up disrupting the commodities market. The team has developed a multi-sided platform which will directly connect the mines and smelters of physical commodities such as copper, zinc and lead, increasing transparency and lowering fees.

WealthArc is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform for the $120 trillion investment management industry offering digital client interaction and real-time new generation investment management for family offices, wealth managers and private banks. The platform handles the integration of data, consolidation of assets and digital reporting as well as a robo-advisor offering to clients.

Mans Olof-Ors, Head of Thomson Reuters Labs - Zurich Region and the Incubator added, "Our ultimate goal is to help our entrepreneurs realize their vision and get their solutions to market. In turn, we gain valuable insight, working with creative disruptors to identify new opportunities and ensure we are providing our clients with the most up to date trends impacting their professional markets.

The team is currently reviewing a pipeline of additional applicants for the six month program. Applications can be submitted direct through the online website here.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com.

Contacts

Noelle Campbell

Senior Director, Corporate Affairs

Thomson Reuters

Email: noelle.campbell@thomsonreuters.com

Phone: 646-223-4558

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/13199/THOMSON_REUTERS_LOGO.jpg
NUNEATON, England, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

New centre developed in response to increased vehicle tailpipe emissions scrutiny

Centre will provide emissions testing for global compliance

HORIBA MIRA - a world-leader in advanced engineering, research and product testing - has enhanced its test and engineering capabilities following the official launch of its dedicated Advanced Emissions Test Centre (AETC).

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529976/HORIBA_MIRA_AETC___Analyser_Room.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529977/HORIBA_MIRA_AETC___Climatic_Test_Cell.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529979/HORIBA_MIRA_AETC___Multiple_vehicle_soak_space.jpg )





Developed in response to increased scrutiny around tailpipe emissions, as well as new legislation requiring extensive and increasingly complex testing methodologies, the AETC represents a total of almost 8m investment into HORIBA MIRA's engineering facilities.

The AETC facilities will provide testing capabilities for global compliance, including Euro 6d Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), as well as incorporating Real World Driving Emissions (RDE) testing capabilities.

The 12,000 sq. ft facility will be officially opened today by HORIBA Chairman, CEO and President, Mr. Atsushi Horiba.

Located at HORIBA MIRA's headquarters in Nuneaton, UK, the facility is centred around a four-wheel drive (4WD) climatic chassis dynamometer and includes three individual climatic soak rooms and an ambient soak room. The combination of the 4WD dynamometer, range of climatic conditions and state-of-the-art HORIBA emissions systems will allow the determination of exhaust pollutants over a range of climatic conditions, from temperatures of -20C to 35C. Engineers at the facility will work closely with vehicle manufacturers, offering the full gamut of emissions testing which comply with current and foreseen future emissions regulations - including additional Type Approval for RDE.

The new facility has created a number of new high value engineering jobs at HORIBA MIRA and this will continue to expand into 2018, as capacity is increased.

George Gillespie OBE, CEO at HORIBA MIRA, commented: "We are incredibly proud to officially open our new Advanced Emissions Test Centre together with the HORIBA Group. Vehicle manufacturers will now have access to world-class facilities and engineers to ensure their vehicles meet new emissions regulations, housed in one location in our central England headquarters.

"The launch of the AETC represents our commitment to working alongside our customers to develop world leading products through our extensive expertise and cutting edge facilities, and reiterates our position as a global leader in advanced engineering."

The 8m strategic investment has been made by the HORIBA Group and brings the total committed investment to date to almost 25m since MIRA joined HORIBA in July 2015. The centre is the first to bring together six group companies of HORIBA, including HORIBA Japan and HORIBA MIRA who are collectively leading on project management, building and integration, as well as HORIBA Test Automation in UK, HORIBA UK, HORIBA France, and HORIBA Europe.

The AETC is the first newly-built testing facility to open at HORIBA MIRA since 2014. Its inauguration follows recent investment into MIRA Technology Park, which is now in Phase Two of its development. Set to be completed by 2025, MIRA Technology Park is rapidly gaining global recognition as a leading automotive technology cluster and is capturing broader interest as a strategic transport sector R&D location within Europe.

For more information on HORIBA MIRA, its facilities and capabilities, please visit http://www.horiba-mira.com or contact +44 2476 355 000.

For downloadable video content of HORIBA MIRA's new AETC, please visit: https://media.horiba-mira.com.
SUNNYVALE, California, October 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Anodot, the AI-powered analytics company, today announced that Ventana Research declared it the winner of the 2017 Digital Innovation Awards in the Analytics category. Anodot's technology was recognized as the best analytics innovation across business and IT.

"It's an honor to be recognized by Ventana Research for shaking up the business intelligence world with a completely new paradigm," said Anodot CEO and Co-founder David Drai. "Traditional BI and visualization are limited to answering the questions you think of asking, but there are infinite possibilities and knowing what to ask of big data is nearly impossible. Our patented machine learning algorithms solve this major business challenge and provide businesses with invaluable insights that would have otherwise remained hidden."

The Digital Innovation Awards recognize technology providers that have introduced noteworthy innovations in technology that advance business and IT. The award showcases advances in the productivity and potential of business applications as well as technology that contributes significantly to improved efficiency, productivity and the performance of an organization.

Companies can easily lose millions of dollars from preventable glitches. Anodot uses its patented artificial intelligence to uncover hidden insights in vast amounts of business data by identifying outliers in key performance indicators and correlating across multiple data sources. Anodot's practical and innovative AI analytics solution can track highly complex data patterns with its unsupervised machine learning algorithms.

"Our research shows that most organizations do not have the skills needed to create and manage machine learning algorithms," said David Menninger, SVP and Research Director of Data and Analytics Research at Ventana Research. "We selected Anodot for the Digital Innovation Awards because of their ability to make machine learning more accessible via automation and offering it as a service, allowing more businesses to identify issues and opportunities in real time that otherwise could have taken weeks to discover."

About Anodot

Anodot illuminates business blind spots with AI analytics, so you will never miss another revenue leak or brand-damaging incident. Its automated machine learning algorithms continuously analyze all your business data, detect the business incidents that matter, and identify why they are happening by correlating across multiple data sources. Anodot customers in fintech, ad-tech, web & mobile apps, and other data-heavy industries use Anodot to drive real business benefits like significant cost savings, increased revenue and upturn in customer satisfaction. The company was founded in 2014, is headquartered in Ra'anana, Israel, and has offices in Silicon Valley. Learn more at: https://www.anodot.com.
NAMTUMBO, Tanzania, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

This June as part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Uranium One (U1), Rosatom's international mining division and Mantra Tanzania in partnership with READ International, transformed unused rooms in Namtumbo district Korido Secondary School into well-stocked libraries. The libraries were provided with all the essentials: shelves, tables, seats and books. The library refurbishing initiative was started by READ International and aims to address the distinct lack of access to educational resources in Tanzanian secondary schools.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530311/Rosatom_Logo.jpg )

The renovated schools were inaugurated in presence of Namtumbo District Commissioner, Luckiness Amlima, Deputy Namtumbo District Education Officer Mr. Raphael Komba, and other officials as well as students and teachers.

"U1 has used thousands of US dollars to refurbish the library. It is important to use the library very well as an investment in your education to reach your objectives in life," said Namtumbo District Commissioner Luckiness Amlima.

In order to create a functional and inspirational learning environment schools are provided with the appropriate tools for effective learning and promoting a culture of reading. In gaining access to a library students read more, learn more and get further in their studies. The initiative has paved the way for students and teachers to have access to educational resources necessary for the development of a reading culture.

Uranium One (U1), a global uranium mining company, and its subsidiary Mantra Tanzania are active and responsible corporate citizens of Tanzania. The companies attach great importance to supporting local communities on a regular basis by refurbishing school classrooms and buying equipment for local schools and libraries. Mantra Tanzania has donated more than US$ 26,000 in the library refurbishment partnership programme with Read International since 2013. This program has benefited 1,800 secondary students in Namtumbo district.

Mantra Tanzania owns the Mkuju River Project in southern Tanzania. Mantra is a part of Uranium One, an international mining company of ROSATOM - the Russian State Corporation for Nuclear Energy. Uranium One is one of the world's largest uranium producers with a globally diversified portfolio of assets located in Kazakhstan, the United States, Tanzania. ROSATOM, a world leader in clean energy technologies, provides cutting-edge industry solutions and comprehensive nuclear services that range from uranium mining and fuel fabrication to power generation and healthcare.
SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- AltiGen Communications, Inc. (OTCQB: ATGN), a leading Microsoft Cloud Communications Solutions provider, today announced that Ken Epps and Simon Chouldjian joined AltiGen's Board of Directors. Mr. Epps and Mr. Chouldjian were elected to the Board at AltiGen's June 29, 2017 meeting of stockholders.

Jeremiah Fleming, AltiGen's President, CEO and Chairman of the Board said, "We are very pleased to have Ken and Simon join our Board. They each bring a wealth of industry experience which we can leverage to help us take the company to the next level."

Mr. Epps, who has extensive experience in telecom, healthcare, SaaS and Cloud technologies, is the co-founder, President & CEO of AGNITY HealthCare, a leading provider of patient centric secure mobile communications and collaboration solutions for healthcare providers. Prior to that Mr. Epps was CEO of U4EA Technologies, preceded by his position as CEO of BayPackets. Mr. Epps also held senior leadership positions at Williams Communications and AT&T. Mr. Epps holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from South Carolina State University, a Master of Science degree in Engineering Administration from the University of Tennessee, and Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Mr. Chouldjian, an independent investor, was the Vice President of Hardware Engineering at AltiGen prior to his retirement in April 2015. Prior to that Mr. Chouldjian was one of two co-founders and Vice President of Engineering at Luxcom, a manufacturer of communications equipment. Mr. Chouldjian previously held management and project leadership positions at Hewlett Packard Corporation and TRW. Mr. Chouldjian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California - Berkeley and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

According to Mr. Epps, "With their transition to the cloud going strong, AltiGen is poised for success in the cloud communications market. I look forward to helping guide management in taking the company to new heights."

Mr. Chouldjian said, "I've participated in and have continued to closely follow AltiGen's evolution from a hardware to a software to a cloud company. As a Director, I will diligently work to assist the company in successfully addressing the growing cloud communications market."

About AltiGen Communications

AltiGen Communications, Inc. (OTCQB: ATGN), a leading Microsoft Cloud Communications Solutions provider, delivers fully managed Unified Communications services, combining Hosted Skype for Business, Advanced Cloud PBX, and Innovative Cloud Contact Center applications with seamless integration to Office 365. With thousands of customers around the world, AltiGen solutions are designed for high reliability, ease of use, seamless integration to Microsoft infrastructure technologies, and are built on a scalable, open standards platform. AltiGen's worldwide headquarters is in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, call 1-888-ALTIGEN or visit the web site at www.altigen.com.


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The euro erased its early gains against its major rivals in early European deals on Wednesday, even as Eurozone business activity expanded more than initially estimated in June.



Final data from IHS Markit showed that the composite output index fell to a four-month low of 56.3 in June from 56.8 in May, but above the flash estimate of 55.7.



The services Purchasing Managers' Index dropped less-than-estimated to 55.4 in June from 56.3 in May. The flash reading was 54.7.



Germany's composite PMI came in at 56.4 versus 57.4 in May. The score was above the flash 56.1. Data signaled the weakest growth of private sector output since February.



Indicating the slowest expansion since January, the final services PMI slid to 54.0 from 55.4 in May. The initial estimate was 53.7.



Meanwhile, European shares are trading mixed amid lingering geopolitical tensions and investors looked ahead to the release of minutes of the Fed's June meeting later in the day and the outcome of G20 summit, beginning in Germany on Friday.



The euro was trading higher against its major counterparts in the Asian session.



The euro dropped to 1.1318 against the greenback, a weekly low. This may be compared to Tuesday's closing value of 1.1346. The next possible support for the euro-greenback pair is seen around the 1.12 region.



The euro, having advanced to a 5-day high of 0.8809 against the pound at 3:15 am ET, reversed direction and eased back to 0.8772. Continuation of the euro's downtrend may see it challenging support around the 0.87 mark.



Survey data from IHS Markit and Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply showed that the UK service sector expanded at a slower pace in June on the weakest upturn in new work since last September.



The services Purchasing Managers' Index dropped to 53.4 in June from 53.8 in May.



After touching nearly 2-month peak of 1.0965 against the Swiss franc at 4:20 am ET, the euro pulled back to 1.0951. If the euro-franc pair extends slide, 1.08 is possibly seen as its next support level.



Reversing from an early 1-1/2-year high of 129.08 versus the yen, the euro eased back to 128.54. The euro may possibly challenge support around the 127.00 level.



Survey from Nikkei showed that Japan's services sector activity continued to expand in June, and at a faster rate, with a PMI score of 53.3.



That's up from 53.0 in May, and it moves further above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.



Looking ahead, U.S. factory orders and durable goods orders for May are set for release in the New York session.



At 2:00 pm ET, the Federal Reserve releases minutes from the June 13-14 monetary policy meeting.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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The report provides an in-depth analysis of the market for Phenols in Norway. It presents the latest data of the market size and volume, domestic production, exports and imports, price dynamics and turnover in the industry. The report shows the sales data, allowing you to identify the key drivers and restraints. You can find here a strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market. Forecasts illustrate how the market will be transformed in the medium term. Profiles of the leading companies and brands are also included.

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BEIJING, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Belt and Road cooperation summit, namely the promotion meeting of "Green Dream Policy" Public-welfare Station was held on June 30th in Beijing, with the ambassadors, counsellors and relevant leaders, which amounted to nearly 400 people, from more than 50 countries and regions along the line of the Belt and Road,attended this meeting. "Green Dream Policy" is integrated with the green development of the Belt and Road for the first time, which brings new ideas to the promotion of the Belt and Road project cooperation in the form of a public-welfare station. "Green Dream Policy" is a conception of the global public-welfare development strategy of Beijing Green Dream Public-welfare Foundation by summarizing many years' experience in public welfare practice, and it inherits China 7000-year culture gene of green and kind. As one of the organizers of this meeting, Yan Tao, the president of Green Dream Public-welfare Foundation, delivered a keynote speech on the topic of Green Dream Public and the Belt and Road in which he talked about the relation between "Green Dream Policy" and the Belt and Road. He stated the key tolife is a green and kind heart. Global green and kind hearts are brought together through"Green Dream Policy", with the goal aiming to achieveinterconnections, mutual help and co-construction & sharing.

Meanwhile the meeting announced official start oftwo projects of "Green Dream Policy" Public-welfare Station Lecture and "Green Dream Aerospace Heart Planet" Tiantian Fair. The former shall be used to gather global top think tank resources and the latter shall be used to connect with project resources along the line of the Belt and Road, moving the Belt and Road Fair to China network planet.

This meeting also held the opening ceremony of Preparatory Committee of Hebei Office of China Aerospace Academy of Science and Engineering, Preparatory Committee of Green Dream Aerospace University and Network Professional Committee of Green Dream Aerospace Heart Planet. In the future, there will be a construction of a new city called Xiongan, which will be a new area in Hebei province.The aim of this construction will be to generate a world-class city displaying advanced technology, intergrated engineering systemsand communication networks.The overalleffect willhope to create a more dynamic and modern environment to the surrounding area.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530461/Guests_and_Yan_Tao___Green_Dream_Policy.jpg
ALBANY, New York, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global Single-use Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market has regional companies and just a couple of global players. While this serves to up competition in the market, the different kinds of products offered by various companies lowers the degree of competition. As a result, competition in the global single-use bioprocessing sensors and probes market will remain moderate.

Some of the key companies operating in the global Single-Use Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Sartorius AG, Parket Hannifin Corporation, and Hamilton Company. A popular strategy employed by them to grow their shares in the market is widening the product base through carefully-considered alliances and acquisitions. Thermo Fisher, for example, acquired Finesse Solutions to foray into single use bioprocessing instruments and devices market.

As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global Single-Use Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market will likely expand at a robust 13.4% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. Rising at this rate, the market which was worth US$418.3 mn in 2016, will grow to US$1281 mn by 2025.

North America, Powered by U.S., Slated to Grow Market Share Further

In terms of products, the global single-use bioprocessing sensors and probes market can be classified into pH sensor, valve, bench top control system, spectroscopy technology, optochemical DO (dissolved oxygen), temperature sensor, and pressure sensor. Of these, the bench top control system accounts for maximum share in the market in terms of revenue. In 2016, the bench top control system segment was valued at US$101.0 mn.

Geographically, the global single-use bioprocessing sensors and probes market can be divided into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. At present, North America is the dominant market and it held a 40.2% share in 2016. The market in the region is powered primarily by the U.S. which is a market leader in the region due to the developed research and development infrastructure and growing investment by the biotech and pharma industry.

Inquire for a sample copy of the report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=27011

Thrust on Better Monitoring of Bioprocess Leads to Market Growth

At the forefront of driving growth in the global single-use bioprocessing sensors market is the heightened thrust on improved, easier monitoring of bioprocess and the growing industrial demand for bioprocessing. "Globally, there is an increase in the growth of bioprocessing in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector. Global demand for biopharmaceuticals such as antibodies and vaccines to treat cancer, arthritis, and diabetes is increasing rapidly, driven by the increasing global aging population, rising obesity level, and the world wide effort to decrease the incidence of diseases preventable by vaccination. Hence, growth in industrial bioprocessing is anticipated to drive the single-use bioprocessing sensors and probes market in the next few years" explains the lead analyst of the TMR report.

Serving to hinder the market, on the flipside, is the limitations and technical challenges in the use of single-use sensors. Environmental concerns over the use of disposablesare also negatively impacting the market.

This review is based on the findings of a TMR report, titled, "Single-use Bioprocessing Sensors and Probes Market (Products - pH Sensor (Electrochemical, Optical, and Solid- State), Valve (Pneumatic Pinch Valve and Electrically Actuated Pinch Valves), Bench Top Control System (Decentralized Control System and Programmable Logic Controllers), Spectroscopy (Raman Spectroscopy, NIR, and Scattering Spectroscopy), Optochemical DO, Temperature, and Pressure; Application - Biotechnology Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, and Academic Research) Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trend, and Forecast 2017 - 2025."

Browse Related Research Report:

Single-use Bioprocessing Systems Market - (Product - Bioreactors & Fermenters, Mixers, Bags, Bioprocess Containers, Filtration Devices, Tubing, Sampling Systems, Connectors & Clamps, Probes & Sensors; End User - Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, CRO & CMO, and Academic & Research Institutes; Application - Monoclonal Antibody Production, Vaccine Production, Plant Cell Cultivation, and Patient Specific Cell Therapies) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/single-use-bio-processing-systems-market.html

Metabolomics Market (Gas Chromatography, Capillary Electrophoresis, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Drug Assessment, Biomarker Discovery, Nutrigenomics, Clinical Toxicology) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/metabolomics-market.html

About Us:

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S. based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMR's global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.

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HYDERABAD, India, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Cyient, a global provider of engineering, manufacturing, geospatial, network and operations management solutions, announced that it has signed a non-exclusive business alliance agreement withKii Corporation, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) solutions enablement platform provider, to explore, bid and address business opportunities around smart city deployments.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530495/Cyient_Masanari_Arai_Kii_Corporation_Paul_Barron_AVP.jpg

Through this agreement, Cyient and Kii have decided to jointly pursue business opportunities globally, by leveraging their complementing skills and strengths. The partnership will combine Cyient's domain expertise and geospatial capabilities with Kii's IoT platform to develop connected solutions through smart devices and applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Cyient will also provide Kii with project delivery and implementation services.

Expressing confidence in the partnership, Sanjay Sahay, Vice President, Cyient said, "I am delighted that we have partnered with Kii Corporation.Kii's IoT platform will enable Cyient to create innovative solutions and better address smart city requirements for our clients. I look forward to a long and mutually rewarding association with Kii."

Paul Barron, Associate Vice President-Partners & Alliances of Cyient said, "Together, Kii and Cyient will provide a unique offering to optimize smart city asset management systems. I am excited at the opportunities this brings to our customers."

On signing the agreement, Masanari Arai, CEO, Kii Corporation, said, "The combination of our IoT solutions enablement platform and solution accelerators with Cyient's mature engineering design and delivery process presents new opportunities for both companies globally, within smart cities and other IoT segments, such as manufacturing, utilities, healthcare, transportation, and beyond."

About Cyient

Cyient (Estd: 1991) (NSE: CYIENT) provides engineering, manufacturing, geospatial, network and operations management services to global industry leaders. Cyient leverages the power of digital technology and advanced analytics capabilities, along with domain knowledge and technical expertise, to solve complex business problems.As a Design, Build and Maintain partner, Cyient takes solution ownership across the value chain to help clients focus on their core, innovate, and stay ahead of the curve.

Relationships form the core of how Cyient works. With nearly 14,000 employees in 21 countries, Cyient partners with clients to operate as part of their extended team, in ways that best suit their organization's culture and requirements. Cyient's industry focus includes aerospace and defense, medical, telecommunications, rail transportation, semiconductor, utilities, industrial, energy and natural resources.

For more information, please visit www.cyient.com.

Follow news about the company at@Cyient

About Kii

Kii enables customers across the world to rapidly create compelling IoT solutions and manage their lifecycles with its scalable, easy-to-use, feature-rich IoT Solutions Enablement Platform. This global platform enables all three layers of a typical IoT solution (things, services, apps), thereby significantly reducing the time it takes to create solutions, freeing up the customer to focus on their solution differentiation. Kii provides a flexible deployment model (public cloud, dedicated cloud, private cloud) globally, thereby enabling seamless solution deployment for customers of all sizes. Kii customers include carriers, cities, manufacturers, enterprises and IoT solution development companies. The platform has more than 30,000 developers registered on it.

In addition, Kii delivers Solution Accelerators in select verticals, which provide customizable, rules-driven, multi-stakeholder reference solutions, complete with device adapters, data models, APIs, business rules driven orchestration and web/mobile apps to significantly reduce both the time to market and the cost of vertical IoT solutions.

For more information about Kii and their offerings, please visithttp://www.kii.com

Follow news about the company at @KiiCorp.

For media inquiries, write to press@cyient.com

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LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Central to Lepidico is its disruptive (patent-pending) L-Max (hereafter L-Max) metallurgical technology that recovers lithium from micas (eg lepidolite), and therefore holds out the prospect of creating a new source of lithium supply. Despite being an abundant lithium-bearing mineral, lepidolite has hitherto been overlooked as there has been no commercial process by which to process it economically. This report necessarily values Lepidico on the basis of the pre-feasibility study (PFS) performed on a proposed Phase 1 L-Max plant at Kenora, Canada. Beyond that however, there are a number of development options including 1) scaling up the process to full industrial scale (Phase 2); 2) securing lepidolite resources cheaply and developing them into multiple dedicated mines; and 3) developing relationships with third-party mining companies to provide further feed sources to its plant(s).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130417/608168 )



Edison estimates that execution of the PFS according to the operational parameters contained therein will result in free cash flow to Lepidico of A$28.4m per annum once steady-state production at the Phase 1 L-Max has been achieved. Assuming US$30m (A$39.8m) of equity financing at the prevailing share price, this implies a valuation for Lepidico of A$0.0202/sh currently, rising to A$0.0296 in FY22, based solely on discounting our estimate of (maximum potential) future dividends to shareholders derived from the Phase 1 plant at a rate of 10% per annum (fully diluted) - ie no value is ascribed to the development of the Phase 2 plant or other development options. As such, an investment in Lepidico may be considered to be an underwritten call on its L-Max technology.

Click here to view the full report.

All reports published by Edison are available to download free of charge from its website

http://www.edisoninvestmentresearch.com

About Edison: Edison is an investment research and advisory company, with offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and AsiaPac. The heart of Edison is our world-renowned equity research platform and deep multi-sector expertise.At Edison Investment Research, our research is widely read by international investors, advisers and stakeholders. Edison Advisors leverages our core research platform to provide differentiated services including investor relations and strategic consulting.

Edison is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Edison is not an adviser or broker-dealer and does not provide investment advice. Edison's reports are not solicitations to buy or sell any securities.

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TORONTO, ONTARIO and ZUG, SWITZERLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- (Unless otherwise provided herein, all dollar amounts in this announcement are expressed in U.S. dollars)

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited ("Fairfax") (TSX: FFH)(TSX: FFH.U) and Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG ("Allied World") (NYSE: AWH) would like to remind Allied World shareholders that Fairfax's offer to acquire all of the outstanding registered ordinary shares of Allied World (the "Shares") is set to expire today at 5 p.m. (New York City time). Shareholders who have not yet accepted the offer are urged to tender their Shares as soon as possible today. Shareholders who have already tendered their Shares do not have to re-tender their Shares or take any other action as a result of the extension of the expiration date of the offer.

As previously announced, Shares representing 88.1% of the issued and outstanding Shares had been received on June 30, 2017 by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the exchange agent of the offer, and all conditions to completion of the offer have been satisfied, other than the 90% minimum tender condition. Fairfax has also spoken with an Allied World shareholder group representing more than 3% of the outstanding Shares that has indicated it will now tender before today's deadline. As a result, we fully expect to have significantly more than 90% of the Shares tendered by the end of today and to accept the tendered Shares for payment on Thursday, July 6, 2017.

The consideration being offered for each Share tendered and not properly withdrawn in the Fairfax's offer has not changed since our previous announcement and remains (i) $23.00 cash and (ii) 0.057937 of a Fairfax subordinate voting share. In addition, Allied World will pay a special cash dividend of $5.00 per share, without interest, simultaneously with the payment of the offer consideration.

Allied World shareholders who have not yet accepted the offer are urged to do so as soon as possible and in any event no later than 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) today, which is when the offer and withdrawal rights will expire, unless the offer is extended. Financial intermediaries holding Allied World shares on your behalf may have set earlier deadlines for shareholders to notify them of their intention to accept the offer, and so, if you intend to accept the offer, you should contact your financial intermediary (if relevant) to ensure you are aware of any such deadline. Full details of how to accept the offer are set out in the registration statement on Form F-4, which includes a prospectus, and the Tender Offer statement on Schedule TO (including the related letter of transmittal and other offer documents) filed by Fairfax with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the SEC's website,

If you require further information on how to tender your Allied World shares, please contact Georgeson LLC, the information agent for the offer, toll-free at 1 (800) 248-7690.

About Fairfax

Fairfax is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and investment management.

About Allied World

Allied World, through its subsidiaries and brand known as Allied World, is a global provider of innovative property, casualty and specialty insurance and reinsurance solutions. Allied World offers superior client service through a global network of offices and branches. All of Allied World's rated insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries are rated A by A.M. Best Company, A by Standard & Poor's, and A2 by Moody's, and our Lloyd's Syndicate 2232 is rated A+ by Standard & Poor's and AA- by Fitch.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or form part of an offer to sell or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to buy, exchange or subscribe to any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This communication is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. No offering of securities shall be made in the United States except pursuant to registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, or an exemption therefrom. An offer will not be made in, nor will deposits be accepted in, any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the laws of such jurisdiction. However, Fairfax may, in its sole discretion, take such action as it may deem necessary to extend an offer in any such jurisdiction.

The release, publication or distribution of this communication in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this communication is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

In connection with the exchange offer for all of the outstanding registered ordinary shares of Allied World, Fairfax has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement on Form F-4, which includes a prospectus, and a Tender Offer statement on Schedule TO (including a related letter of transmittal and other offer documents), which has been previously amended and will be further amended. Allied World has filed with the SEC a Solicitation / Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the exchange offer, which has been previously amended and will be further amended. SHAREHOLDERS OF ALLIED WORLD ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY (INCLUDING THE EXHIBITS THERETO) AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXCHANGE OFFER. These materials and Fairfax's other public filings with the SEC may be obtained without charge at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. Any materials filed with the SEC may also be obtained without charge at Fairfax's website, www.fairfax.ca.

Any proxy statement and any other relevant documents filed by Allied World with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents and Allied World's other public filings with the SEC, may be obtained without charge at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, after they have been filed. Any materials filed with the SEC may also be obtained without charge at Allied World's website, www.awac.com.

Participants in the Solicitation

Fairfax and Allied World and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in any solicitation of proxies from Allied World's shareholders in favour of the merger. Information about Allied World's directors and executive officers is available in Allied World's amended Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 27, 2017. Information about Fairfax's directors and executive officers is available in Fairfax's management proxy circular dated March 10, 2017 for its 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, are contained in the definitive proxy statement, the prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC regarding the merger. Investors should read the definitive proxy statement and the prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws and are made pursuant to the "safe harbour" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "will," "may," "continue," "should," and other similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Fairfax, Allied World or the combined company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management of Fairfax and Allied World and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, corporate approvals, regulatory approvals, operational factors and other factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. All forward-looking statements attributable to Fairfax and Allied World, or persons acting on their behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth in this paragraph.

Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Such factors include, but are not limited to the risks and uncertainties described in: (i) Fairfax's most recently issued Annual Report which is available at www.fairfax.ca and in its Supplemental and Base Shelf Prospectus (under "Risk Factors") filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; and (ii) Allied World's most recently issued Annual Report filed on Form 10-K, which is available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Each of Fairfax and Allied World disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements and undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any future revisions to the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

There can be no assurance that the offer and/or the merger will occur or that the anticipated benefits of the offer and merger will be realized.

Contacts:

Fairfax

Paul Rivett

President

(416) 367-4941



Fairfax

John Varnell

Vice President, Corporate Development

(416) 367-4941



Allied World - Media:

Faye Cook

Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications

(441) 278-5406



Allied World - Investors:

Giuseppe Montefinese

Manager, Strategy & Investor Relations

(646) 794-0690




CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- Marina Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB: MRNA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics for disease intersections of arthritis, hypertension and cancer, announced today that Dr. Vuong Trieu, has been appointed to serve as Executive Chairman after having served as Chairman of the Board since November of 2016. As Executive Chairman, Dr. Trieu will take on a more active role in the day-to-day operations of the business and future developments of the Company.

Joseph Ramelli, CEO of Marina Biotech, stated, "We are pleased to announce that our Chairman of the Board, Dr. Vuong Trieu, has accepted his appointment as Executive Chairman. The guidance Dr. Trieu has provided in his previous role has been exponential in the development of our growth strategy and product initiatives. His new role will only further deepen his involvement with Marina Biotech."

Additionally, the company announced the closing of a $400,000 unsecured convertible note financing led by Executive Chairman, Dr. Vuong Trieu, and Dr. Larn Hwang, Chief Science Officer. The notes bear interest at a rate of 5%, are due on June 1, 2018 and are convertible into common stock at $0.35 per share. Proceeds from the financing will be used for day-to-day operations and to support the commercial launch of Prestalia, including the recent launch of sales in the state of New York.

Mr. Ramelli continued, "Dr. Trieu and Dr. Larn Hwang, CSO of Marina Biotech were lead investors in our convertible note financing demonstrating their belief in the innovation taking place at Marina Biotech, including the development of a next generation celecoxib for use as a substitute for opioids. We are grateful that in addition to all of their hard work and guidance, Vuong and Larn have chosen to give their financial support to the company as well."

About Marina Biotech

Marina Biotech's focus is to treat the intersection of arthritis, pain, hypertension, and oncology diseases using combination therapies of already approved drugs. The company is developing and commercializing late stage, non-addictive pain therapeutics. The company's 'next-generation of celecoxib,' including IT-102 and IT-103, are designed to control the dangerous side-effect of edema that prohibits the drug from being prescribed at higher doses. These have the potential of replacing opioids and combatting the opioid epidemic. Additionally we are developing therapeutic microbiome using the only orally bioavailable siRNAs platform against FAP and IBD. Additional information about Marina Biotech is available at http://www.marinabio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability of Marina Biotech to successfully integrate its business operations with those of IthenaPharma; (ii) the ability of Marina Biotech to obtain funding to support its clinical development; (iii) the ability of Marina Biotech to attract and/or maintain manufacturing, research, development and commercialization partners; (iv) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to successfully complete product research and development, including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (v) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to obtain required governmental approvals; and (vi) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to develop and commercialize products prior to, and that can compete favorably with those of, competitors. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in Marina Biotech's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Marina Biotech assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements because of subsequent events.

PR Contact

Falguni Trieu

Email: Email Contact




BERKELEY, CA and VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - July 05, 2017) - BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. ("BriaCell" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: BCT) (OTCQB: BCTXF), an immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company, announced today that it has successfully manufactured a new batch of its BriaVax' vaccine, and that this new batch has passed all release testing in compliance with recent guidelines from the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) division of the FDA. The new BriaVax' batch is similar to the previous one which was manufactured at the UC Davis GMP facility. This provides a sufficient quantity to support reporting on the safety and efficacy of BriaVax'. After dosing the first cohort of 10 patients, an interim safety assessment will be conducted to report on safety and efficacy of BriaVax'. BriaVax' is a genetically engineered whole-cell vaccine derived from a human breast tumor cell line.

"We are pleased that our newly manufactured batch of the vaccine has passed the stringent CBER testing requirements, and will be available for clinical use," stated Dr. Bill Williams, President & CEO of BriaCell. "This will provide us with an adequate supply of BriaVax' to dose several patients and facilitate rapid recruitment of our first cohort. We are grateful to our manufacturing partner at the UC Davis GMP facility, one of our vaccine manufacturing sites, for providing us with additional supply of the clinical grade vaccine in a timely manner. We are pleased with the level of interest from the patients from our current clinical site at Annadel Medical Group and St. Joseph Health-Sonoma County in California. Additionally, we are in discussion with new clinical sites to further facilitate patient recruitment, and are on track to obtain interim data on the first 10 patients in the first quarter of 2018."

About BriaCell

BriaCell is an immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company developing a more targeted, less toxic approach to cancer management. BriaCell's mission is to serve late-stage cancer patients with no available treatment options.

BriaVax', the Company's lead product candidate, is a genetically engineered whole-cell vaccine derived from a human breast tumor cell line. It is believed to activate the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancerous cells by inducing tumor-directed T cell and potentially antibody responses. The Company has already demonstrated encouraging clinical results, and is intent on building upon these results to further advance BriaVax' through additional FDA-approved clinical trials in order to help cancer patients with limited therapeutic options. The results of two previous Phase I clinical trials (one with the precursor cell line not genetically engineered to produce GM-CSF and one with BriaVax') have been encouraging in patients with advanced solid tumors. Most notably, one patient with metastatic breast cancer responded to BriaVax' with substantial reduction in tumor burden including lung and brain metastases.

The Phase I/IIa clinical trial is an open-label study enrolling up to 25-40 late-stage breast cancer patients with recurrent and/or metastatic disease. Patients will be administered BriaVax' every two weeks for the first month of treatment, then monthly up to one year. The primary objective of the clinical trial is to evaluate the safety of BriaVax' in study subjects, and the principal secondary objective is an evaluation of the tumor size reduction. Tumor response will be monitored every three months during the study. The trial will also evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

For additional details regarding the clinical trial, please visit: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03066947.

For additional information on BriaCell, please visit our website: http://briacell.com/

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation which involves known and unknown risks relevant to the Company in particular and to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in general, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. These risks are more fully described in the Company's public filings available at www.sedar.com. Other forward-looking information in this news release includes but is not limited to the intended use of proceeds of the Offering and other terms of the Offering, the expected timing of completion of the Offering, the Company's ability to satisfy the conditions to completion of the Offering and the need for additional financing.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/7/3/11G142194/5JulyG142194BriaCell-87c7b8c35374b216b9cbaaa17c42f70d.pdf

For further information, please contact:

BriaCell Therapeutics Corp.:

Farrah Dean

Manager, Corporate Development

Email: farrah@BriaCell.com

Phone: 1-888-485-6340
Westinghouse announced today it has successfully used its Zephyr Advanced Acquisition System to examine 100 percent of the tubes in a steam generator from a single plenum a first in the nuclear industry. The Zephyr system uses revolutionary probe delivery to more rapidly perform high-quality eddy current examinations as part of a plant's regular steam generator maintenance program.

This milestone was achieved at Arizona Public Service Company's Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Wintersburg, Arizona. It also marked the first time that an eddy current data acquisition speed of 120 inches per second was performed on essentially all of the steam generator's tubes. Zephyr also contributed to the plant by using the fewest number of probes ever.

Eddy current testing is a non-destructive evaluation technique used to meet industry inspection requirements.

Westinghouse's innovative Zephyr eddy current testing system is proven to reduce outage schedule, radioactive waste and outage costs. Zephyr is part of the company's Long-Term Operations campaign to provide solutions that help nuclear plant operators solve their most pressing operational challenges, saving time and costs.

"Westinghouse personnel utilizing the Zephyr system surpassed all expectations, including scheduling, ALARA and data quality," said Palo Verde Senior Consulting Engineer Doug Hansen. "Both primary and secondary analysis teams noted that they have never seen better and more consistent data quality. The schedule could not have been met without Zephyr."

"This achievement continues our ongoing partnership with Palo Verde to demonstrate industry leadership in steam generator inspections," said Steve Ira, senior vice president, Global Field Services Plant Modifications. "This mutual success also aligns to the industry's goal of 'Delivering the Nuclear Promise' by generating electricity more efficiently, economically and safely."

Palo Verde won the Nuclear Energy Institute's Top Industry Practice (TIP) Award in 2015 and 2016 for implementation of innovative Westinghouse steam generator primary acquisition and analysis technologies.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005133/en/

Contacts:

Westinghouse

Sarah Cassella, +1-412-374-4744

Manager, External Communications

cassels@westinghouse.com
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- Otis Gold Corp. (the "Company" or "Otis") (TSX VENTURE: OOO)(OTC PINK: OGLDF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Don Poirier to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Poirier was previously the Vice President of Corporate Development at Hecla Mining Company and was an integral part of the team responsible for Hecla's acquisition of Aurizon Mines Ltd. in 2013. Prior to that, he enjoyed a 20 year career as a sell-side mining analyst at several Canadian investment firms and also has experience as a field geologist. He recently completed the Directors Education Program offered by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Mr. Poirier has a geology degree from the University of Toronto.

Craig Lindsay, Otis President and CEO, states: "We are very pleased to welcome Don to our Board of Directors. His broad experience in the mining sector, which includes capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, coupled with his educational background, will add significant bench strength to Otis as we continue to develop the Kilgore Project."

"I'm delighted to join the leadership team at Otis Gold. With a healthy balance sheet, the Company is ideally positioned to continue with advanced work and development on several assets including the Kilgore Project where significant progress in the understanding of its geological potential has been made in the past two years," stated Mr. Poirier.

Otis has granted Mr. Poirier incentive stock options entitling him to purchase up to a total of 300,000 common shares at a price of $0.30. The options are valid for a period of five years and will vest immediately.

About the Company

Otis is a resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal deposits in Idaho, USA. Otis is currently developing its flagship property, the Kilgore Project, located in Clark County, Idaho.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Craig T. Lindsay, President & CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This News Release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act") or any State securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to US Persons unless registered under the US Securities Act and applicable State securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available.

Contacts:

Otis Gold Corp.

Mr. Tony Perri

Corporate Development

(604) 424-8100

tony@otisgold.com




BROSSARD, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- Diagnos Inc. ("DIAGNOS" or "the Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: ADK)(OTCQB: DGNOF), a leader in early detection of critical health issues through the use of Artificial Intelligence, announces today the signing of a three year agreement with Chaparral Medical Group ("Chaparral"). We are also happy to announce the opening of a second eye screening clinic in California.

'The United States is a key market for Diagnos. By working closely with Chaparral's 23 clinics, we have developed a new business model for the US market. Chaparral is a very high value referral account with the best practice in healthcare. We are very proud to be working and having them as our customer. We've learned a lot from the one year pilot program. Now is the time to build on it and increase our market share of diabetic retinopathy screening. Having a second clinic will have a significant contribution to the number of patients under the guard of CARA in the USA" said Yves-Stephane Couture, VP Sales of DIAGNOS.

Yearly eye exams for diabetic patients are a common requirement guideline of almost all endocrinology society and medical diabetic associations around the world. Our CARA (Computer Assisted Retinal Analysis) platform at Chaparral will help to meet this high value requirement. Higher compliancy with diabetes disease management means:

-- Reduction in blindness, amputations and stage renal disease propensity -- Increase in quality adjusted life years per patient -- Significant reduction on care cost with less Emergency Room visit, less days of hospitalization and fewer claims -- Better Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores and increase in Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) scores for Chaparral

"We are pleased to sign a three year contract with Diagnos, said Dr Prasad, diabetes specialist, President and Medical Director of Chaparral Medical Group. With a retinal scan, we can identify cases of diabetes by having an eye exam 10 years before the complications arise. And if detected early, we can treat it and reduce the incidence of blindness." With the Computer Assisted Retinal Analysis (CARA) Platform, Diagnos is also playing a key role in our Diabetic Champion Program. With it, we can quickly screen our large community of diabetic patients for any signs of diabetic retinopathy. Chaparral is a proud award recipient of "The American Diabetes Association and National Committee for Quality Assurance" Achievement of Recognition for delivery of Quality Diabetes Care.

About Chaparral

Chaparral Medical Group is a 60 physician multi-specialty group serving in 23 clinics in the communities of Claremont, La Verne, San Dimas, Fontana, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar in Southern California. Over 20 primary care physicians serve as the group's clinical core, and work together with their medical and surgical specialists to provide outstanding care to the patient population Southern California. They have been serving the community since 1978 and their unwavering commitment to patient care and physician work satisfaction are what have driven them to become the most trusted and relied-upon group of physicians in their area.

About DIAGNOS

Founded in 1998, DIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation with a mission to commercialize our Artificial Intelligence technology combining contextual imaging and traditional data mining thereby improving decision making processes. DIAGNOS offers products, services, and solutions to clients in healthcare.

About CARA-AI

CARA-AI is a tele-ophthalmology platform that integrates with existing equipment (hardware and software) and processes at the point of care (POC) and comprises: image upload, image enhancement automated pre- screening, grading by a specialist, and referral to a specialist. CARA's Artificial Intelligence image enhancement algorithms make standard retinal images sharper, clearer, and easier to read. CARA is accessible securely over the internet, and is compatible with all recognized image formats and brands of fundus cameras, and is EMR compatible. CARA is a cost-effective tool for screening large numbers of patients, in real-time and has been approved by regulatory authorities including Health Canada, US Food and Drug Administration, the European Union and others.

Additional information is available at www.diagnos.ca and www.sedar.com.

This news release contains forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. DIAGNOS disclaims any intention or obligation to publically update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Mr. Andre Larente

President

DIAGNOS Inc.

450-678-8882 ext. 224

alarente@diagnos.ca




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- The Sky Guys Ltd. ("The Sky Guys"), Canada's leader in drone technology, announced that it is teaming up with Cambridge House International to host the Second Annual Big Drone Show, which is set to take flight in Toronto on September 27 and 28, 2017. The two-day event will take place in downtown Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and will feature more than 40 speakers and more than 100 industry leaders. This year's Big Drone Show will also feature a two-day "hackathon" that is designed to showcase some of the amazingly talented people involved in the Canadian drone industry, encourage the sharing of new and exciting ideas in the community, and ultimately drive new innovation in our industry. The Big Drone Show is the premier drone event in Canada, providing an all-encompassing view of the industry and the immense value drones can bring to commercial businesses.

"Last year, we hosted the first-ever international UAV show in Canada," noted Adam Sax, Chief Executive Officer and founder of The Sky Guys. "We are thrilled to be doing it again this year, and this time in a great new venue that offers even more opportunities to showcase some of the incredible work going on here in Canada. Bringing leading industry experts, manufacturers and technology disruptors to Toronto is important not just for The Sky Guys as a local company, but for Toronto's growing tech scene generally."

The Big Drone Show will cap off an incredible year of growth and achievements for The Sky Guys. In December 2016, they launched Defiant Labs, a technology division dedicated to developing robust drone platforms and data analytics. In early 2017, The Sky Guys went to market to attract new investors, ultimately leading to a $2.3 million private placement led in part by FairVentures Inc.

"We are very excited to be working with FairVentures," said Sax. "Our plans for strategic growth naturally align with their mandate to invest in innovative solutions to support their broader group of affiliated companies. It has also been a tremendous year for The Sky Guys and we expect the Second Annual Big Drone Show to continue to keep us on pace as industry leaders."

About The Sky Guys

The Sky Guys are Canada's leading solutions providers and technology developers in the UAV / Drone industry. Their team of world class engineers, data scientists and advanced technologists continually break the mould by providing clients with new insights and innovative applications.

The Sky Guys offers specialized UAV services to over 600 clients, using a unique approach to capture data, aerial video and photography, infrastructure inspection and 3D mapping.

Through its wholly owned technology division, Defiant Labs, they instigate disruption at every corner. Developing proprietary drone technology and advanced data analytics for commercial and industrial use to give clients that needed edge. Defiant Labs, the future lives here.

About Cambridge House International

Cambridge House International has been building flagship, must-attend events for over 25 years, providing industries with the platform for networking, education and investment discovery.

Contacts:

Media Enquiries:

Michael Diamond

647 986 0477

michael@upstreamgroup.ca



International UAV Show Sales & Sponsorship Opportunities:

Cambridge House International

604 687 4151

info@cambridgehouse.com

www.uavshow.ca




MARKHAM, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- Sangoma Technologies Corporation (TSX VENTURE: STC), a trusted leader in delivering Unified Communications solutions for SMBs, Enterprises, OEMs, and Service Providers, both on-premises and in the cloud, today confirms the closing of its acquisition of VoIP Supply LLC, as originally announced on June 20, 2017 (http://www.sangoma.com/press-releases/).

"We are very pleased to have successfully closed this strategic acquisition as well as the financing that supports it," said David Moore, Chief Financial Officer at Sangoma. "And we are delighted to welcome the staff, customers, and suppliers to the growing Sangoma family."

VoIP Supply is one of the industry's most successful, well known, and respected channel partners. Sangoma's acquisition was performed via the purchase of all the membership interests in VoIP Supply LLC. VoIP Supply will remain under the leadership of its current President, Paula Griffo, providing stability and reassurance to its customers, employees, and suppliers. Ms. Griffo will report to Tony Lewis, COO at Sangoma. VoIP Supply will operate as a subsidiary of Sangoma with the appropriate autonomy, and will continue providing customers in North America with one-stop shopping for a complete range of telecom solutions from leading manufacturers, as it has for over 15 years.

About Sangoma Technologies Corporation

Sangoma Technologies is a trusted leader in delivering Unified Communications solutions for SMBs, Enterprises, OEMs, Carriers and service providers. Sangoma's globally, scalable offerings include both on-premises and cloud-based phone systems, telephony services and industry leading Voice-Over-IP solutions, which together provide seamless connectivity between traditional infrastructure and new technologies. Sangoma's products and services are used in leading PBX, IVR, contact center, carrier networks and data-communication applications worldwide. Businesses can achieve enhanced levels of collaboration, productivity and ROI with Sangoma. Everything Connects, Connect with Sangoma! Founded in 1984, Sangoma Technologies Corporation is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE: STC). Additional information on Sangoma can be found at: www.sangoma.com.

About VoIP Supply

VoIP Supply is one of North America's leading IP communications providers and has delivered solutions for many thousands of customers. At VoIP Supply we understand that communications products comprise a total solution that greatly impacts our customers' business. Because of this, we take great pride in delivering the best possible experience every time. Our team of talented, dedicated people are passionate about technology and networks, enabling us to deliver customized solutions with remarkable customer service and support. In addition to our online presence, we maintain a team of trained sales and engineering experts to assist with product selection and implementation, a fully stocked warehouse for just-in-time shipments, and a business infrastructure built to foster customer loyalty.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Sangoma Technologies Corporation

David Moore

Chief Financial Officer

(905) 474-1990 Ext. 4107

dsmoore@sangoma.com



Glen Akselrod

Bristol Capital

(905) 326-1888 Ext. 10

glen@bristolir.com




Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - July 05, 2017) - Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is pleased to report that the first phase of exploration on the Company's recently-acquired 1 Botoro Property ("Botoro" or the "Property") in south-west Burkina Faso has identified several gold-bearing quartz vein systems associated with regional shear zones and a preliminary soil geochemistry survey has returned gold-in-soil anomalism associated with structural features over a distance of approximately 10km.

The Botoro Property is part of the Company's 100%-owned, 660km ThreeBee Project 2 in the highly prospective southern Hounde Belt.

Highlights

Wide-spaced geochemical survey identified several km-scale anomalous zones coincident with regional scale structural features, including three 2-3km-long zones within a 10km-long structural corridor

Geochemical survey returned several single-point +250ppb Au gold-in-soil assay results outside these main trends, including a high-grade sample of 4,420ppb Au (4.4g/t Au) in an area not disturbed by artisanal mining

10 artisanal mining sites identified by surface prospecting, all of which are exploiting in-situ mineralisation, including a gold-quartz system in the north which extends for over 500m along strike

Several gold-bearing quartz vein systems identified and noted to be closely associated with regional shear zones

Geology noted to feature a diverse assembly of volcano-sedimentary and volcanic rocks, complemented by granitic intrusive units and structural features of multiple orientations to produce a fertile environment for gold mineralisation

20km-long north-trending regional shear noted to extend the length of the Property and link zones of artisanal mining activity

Follow-up work programs planned, including a targeted soil-infill program and mapping of artisanal workings

Targeting high-grade mineralisation to support either a stand-alone operation or as satellite feed to Sarama's other interests in the ThreeBee Project, which includes the Bondi Deposit 1

Sarama's President and CEO, Andrew Dinning, commented:

"We are encouraged by the initial stages of exploration at the newly-acquired Botoro Property that is part of Sarama's 100%-owned ThreeBee Project. The identification of several, regional-scale shear zones and associated gold mineralisation indicates that the Property has good exploration potential. The highest soil sample assay of 4.4g/t Au is unusually high for this area of the southern Hounde Belt and may indicate the potential for the presence of a high-grade mineralised system. We hope to advance the Property by conducting further exploration activities in the coming exploration season to delineate targets for prioritisation."

BOTORO PROPERTY EXPLORATION

Location and Work History

The 224km 2 Botoro Property is located on the eastern flank of the well-endowed southern Hounde Greenstone Belt and is part of the Company's 100%-owned, 660km ThreeBee Project (refer Figure 1). The Property is well positioned with respect to known gold occurrences, being approximately 20km from Sarama's Bondi Deposit 1 and adjacent to the South Hounde Project (2.1Moz inferred mineral resource) 4 .

A desktop review by Sarama on the Botoro Property concluded that historical work was very limited in scope and specifically targeted discrete areas hosting artisanal activity. Despite this narrow focus, the reconnaissance-type drilling programs yielded encouraging results with high-grade mineralisation intersected directly under the artisanal workings.

The high-grade nature of the known mineralised systems, presence of structural features, lithological diversity and the lack of systematic exploration over most of the Property augers well for future exploration success.

Mineralisation Occurrence Mapping and Soil Geochemical Survey by Sarama

Sarama undertook a soil geochemical survey over all the greenstone rocks within the permit area using an initial, wide-spaced grid of 800m x 200m to identify mechanical gold dispersion beneath the aeolian and thin colluvial horizons.

The first-pass survey was successful in identifying several areas of km-scale gold-in-soil anomalism that are proximal to contrasting lithological and structural features (refer Figure 2), illustrating the potential for the Property to host gold mineralisation.

Of principal interest are three zones of gold-in-soil anomalism, each extending over a distance of 2-3km and defined by +8ppb Au and +20ppb Au contours (90 th and 98 th population percentiles respectively), within a 10km-long corridor that is proximal to a north-trending regional-scale fault. Each of these three areas is proximal to cross-orientation trends of minor soil anomalism, potentially suggesting a favourable structural environment for gold deposition.

In addition to these main areas, several other anomalous zones, trending north-east and east-west, were delineated by +8ppb Au and +20ppb contours. These are also proximal to interpreted structural features, indicating potential for in-situ gold mineralisation.

Outside of these trends, several single-point anomalies (+250ppb Au) punctuated the survey area, with the highest result being 4,420ppb Au (4.4g/t Au) from an area far removed from artisanal activity. The results are significant in that several areas of gold anomalism are found in undisturbed areas and along interpreted shear projections. A number of areas have been prioritised for follow-up by infill soil sampling at a grid spacing of 100m x 100m.

Mapping and prospecting by Sarama has delineated 10 present and former artisanal working sites that range from large areas of surficial panning over a 1km 2 area in the south-east quadrant of the Property to scattered and smaller areas characterised by pitting at shallow to moderate depths. All the artisanal areas are noted to be focused on in-situ quartz-gold vein systems or surficial enrichment via erosional deflation, which reinforces the prospectivity of the Property.

The large artisanal working site in the north of the Property has some of the deepest artisanal shafts, some which are concrete lined and extending 40m deep, where a series of north-trending, gold-quartz veins have been exploited by artisanal miners over a strike length of 500m.

Faults, shear zones and lithologic contact areas are observed to be the main host environments with gold mineralisation being associated with quartz veins of various orientations.

Geological Mapping

Reconnaissance-level geological mapping by Sarama (refer Figure 2) concludes that the Property is underlain by abundant Birimian greenstone units (65%), with the rest of the area underlain by various granitoid bodies (35%).

The more prevalent volcano-sedimentary, andesitic-to-basaltic volcanic rocks and minor volcanic breccias or pyroclastic flows are similar rocks to those which host gold deposits of significance within the Hounde Greenstone Belt, such as the Mana, Yaramoko and Hounde mines.

A north-trending tonalite-granodiorite intrusion is mapped along the eastern side of the Property and is part of a large batholith that separates the Boromo and Hounde Greenstone Belts. The contact is marked by shearing and contact metamorphism. A syn-to-late granite intrusion, similar to the granite associated with Roxgold Inc's Yaramoko deposit, lies along the northern perimeter of the Property and is part of the larger Bondigui Stock that stretches further to the north. Small east-trending felsic dykes have also been noted in the mapping program.

Several orientations of permit- and regional-scale faults and shears have been interpreted throughout the Property including a significant east-trending fault recognised within a large artisanal mining site in the centre-east of the Property where intense foliation and aligned gold-quartz veins are found. A 20km-long north-tending fault is interpreted through the central part of the Property linking artisanal workings in the north to the high-grade, single-point gold-in-soil anomaly (4,420ppb Au, 4.4g/t Au) in the southern extremity of the Property. Adding to the structural setting is a north-north-east-trending, banded and silicified zone in the central basalt domain, interpreted as a mylonite and marking a possible, regional-scale shear zone.

The lithological diversity, presence of multiple regionally extensive structural features of varying orientations and presence intrusive units demonstrates an active geological environment with good potential to host gold mineralisation of significance.

ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD

Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer with substantial landholdings in Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on consolidating under-explored landholdings in Burkina Faso and other established mining jurisdictions.

Sarama's flagship properties are situated within the Company's South Hounde Project area in south-west Burkina Faso. Located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt, Sarama's exploration programs have built on significant early success to deliver an inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.1 Moz gold 4 . Acacia Mining plc is earning up to a 70% interest in the South Hounde Project by satisfying certain conditions, including funding earn-in expenditures of up to US$14 million, over a 4-year earn-in period and may acquire an additional 5% interest, for an aggregate 75% interest in the Project, upon declaration of a minimum mineral reserve of 1.6 million ounces of gold. Acacia has satisfied certain milestones and currently holds a 50% interest in the South Hounde Project and is continuing to sole fund exploration activities.

Sarama holds a 31% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Hounde Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"). Savary is the operator of the JV and in October 2015, declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 671,000 ounces of contained gold 5 at the Karankasso Project JV.

Sarama has also agreed to acquire 1 a 100% interest in the Bondi Deposit from Orezone Gold Corporation (refer news release May 24, 2016). Bondi has a historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au (measured and indicated) and 0.1Moz Au (inferred) 3 .

Together, the South Hounde Project, Bondi Deposit and the Karankasso Project form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a multi-source fed central processing facility in the southern Hounde Belt region of Burkina Faso.

Incorporated in 2010, the Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound exploration strategy across its property portfolio.

FOOTNOTES

1. Upon closing of the respective purchase agreements, Sarama will hold a 100% interest in the Botoro Property and the Djarkadougou Property, which hosts the Bondi Deposit. 2. The ThreeBee Project comprises the Djarkadougou, Botoro, Bamako and Bouni Properties. 3. Bondi Deposit - 4.1Mt @ 2.1g/t Au for 282,000 oz Au (measured and indicated) and 2.5Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 149,700 oz Au (inferred), reported at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off. i. The historical estimate of the Bondi Deposit reflects a mineral resource estimate compiled by Orezone Gold Corporation ("Orezone") which has an effective date of February 20, 2009. The historical estimate is contained in a technical report titled "Technical Report on the Mineral Resource of the Bondigui Gold Project", dated date of February 20, 2009 (the "Bondi Technical Report") and is available under the profile of Orezone on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ii. Sarama believes that the historical estimate is relevant to investors' understanding of the property, as it reflects the most recent technical work undertaken in respect of the Bondi Deposit. iii. The historical estimate was informed by 886 drillholes, assayed for gold by cyanidation methods, were used to interpret mineralised envelopes and geological zones over the area of the historical estimate. Gold grade interpolation was undertaken using ID methodology based on input parameters derived from geostatistical and geological analyses assessments. Field measurements and geological logging ofdrillholes were used to determine weathering boundaries and bulk densities for modelled blocks. iv. The historical estimate uses the mineral resource reporting categories required under National Instrument 43-101. v. No more recent estimates of the mineral resource or other data are available. vi. Sarama is currently undertaking the necessary verification work in the field and on the desktop that may support the future reclassification of the historical estimate to a mineral resource. vii. A qualified person engaged by Sarama has not undertaken sufficient work to verify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Sarama is therefore not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. 4. South Hounde Project - 43.0 Mt @ 1.5 g/t Au (reported above cut-off grades ranging 0.3-2.2 g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the inferred mineral resources having reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction). The effective date of the Company's inferred mineral resource estimate is February 4, 2016. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated March 31, 2016. The technical report is available under Sarama Resources Ltd.'s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. 5. Karankasso Project - 9.2 Mt @ 2.3 g/t Au (at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off). The effective date of the Karankasso Project JV mineral resource estimate is October 7, 2015. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Karankasso Project, Burkina Faso", dated October 7, 2015. The technical report is available under Savary Gold Corp's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Sarama has not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Savary is the operator of the Karankasso Project JV and Sarama is relying on their Qualified Persons' assurance of the validity of the mineral resource estimate. 6. For further information regarding the drilling on the Bamako and Bouni Properties, please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated October 28, 2013. The technical report is available under Sarama Resources Ltd.'s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the Company's plans for exploration at the ThreeBee Project and the potential for the Botoro Property to host gold mineralization of significance, drilling and geochemical and geophysical surveys at the South Hounde Project, the Earn-In Agreement with Acacia, including the amounts that may be spent on exploration and interests in the South Hounde Project that may be earned by Acacia upon making certain expenditures and estimating a minimum reserve, the potential to expand the present oxide component of the Company's existing estimated mineral resources, and future exploration plans.

Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to Mineral Reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, Acacia's continued funding of exploration activities, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

NOTES - EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES

The soil geochemistry survey at Botoro was conducted on 800m x 200m (E-W x N-S) grid over the greenstone portion of the Property, with hand-dug samples being taken in the appropriate level in the soil horizon. Termitaria sampling was conducted in conjunction with the soil geochemistry survey where termite mounds were present and warranted sampling. Termitatia sampling was conducted using sieved material from quarter cone sampling of each mound.

Analytical work for the Botoro soil geochemistry and termitaria survey was undertaken by the SGS A.A. laboratory in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Assays are determined by 'bulk leach extractable gold' method on approximately 2kg of sample material, with an atomic absorption spectroscopy ("AAS") finish. Lower and upper detection limits are 1ppb Au and 10,000ppb Au respectively.

The reported assay values are as received for the specific samples and no grade cutting has been applied.

Sarama undertakes geological sampling and assays in accordance with its quality assurance/quality control program which includes the use of reference materials prepared in-house for soil geochemistry surveys.

A total of 842 samples were taken for the survey, with 65% returning Au values over the lower analytical detection limit. The survey returned minimum and maximum Au values of 2ppb Au and 4,424 ppb Au respectively with the mean and median Au values of the data set being 11ppb Au and 2ppb Au respectively. The 25th and 75th percentiles for the survey were 0.5ppb Au (equivalent to half detection limit) and 4ppb Au respectively with standard deviation being 158ppb Au.

Gold anomalism trends were identified by visual examination of interpolated Au value maps produced using inverse distance weighting (squared) methodology over an equi-directional search distance of 800m and a cell size of 200m. Identified trends generally corresponded to the 90th and 98th percentiles of the Au value population (+8 ppb au and +20 ppb Au respectively). Identified trends were validated by assessment with sample logging and regolith data.

For further information regarding the Company's general sampling and QAQC protocols please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report, South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated March 31, 2016. The technical report is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT

Scientific or technical information in this news release that relates to the Company's exploration activities in Burkina Faso is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this report of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this news release that relates to the preparation of the South Hounde Project mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Adrian Shepherd is a Chartered Professional Member in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Adrian Shepherd consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this news release, in respect of the Bondi Deposit relating to mineral resource and exploration information drawn from the Technical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit has been approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this report of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this news release that relates to the preparation of the Karankasso Project's mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa are employees of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. and are considered to be independent of Savary Gold Corp. and Sarama Resources Ltd. Antoine Yassa is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and Eugene Puritch is a member in good standing of Professional Engineers Ontario. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa have sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa consent to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Sarama has not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/7/5/11G142239/Images/News_Release_20170705_Figure_1-eafd182f0cd9875098e7788013b4dda9.jpg

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/7/5/11G142239/Images/News_Release_20170705_Figure_2-36f3f7c0891992b19eddbe9179311b7d.jpg

For further information on the Company's activities, please contact:

Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede

e: info@saramaresources.com

t: +61 (0) 8 9363 7600
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - July 05, 2017) - Newrange Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: NRG) (OTC PINK: CMBPF) (FRANKFURT: X6C) ("Newrange" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the Phase I drilling continued to intersect multiple zones of high-grade, oxide gold mineralization, including 244.3 grams gold per metric tonne (g/T Au) over 0.8 meter, within 4.6 meters averaging 43.8 g/T Au, at its Pamlico gold project in Nevada. Importantly, this shallow intercept is within 13 meters of the surface.

These results are part of a fully funded program of Reverse Circulation (RC) and core drilling, trenching, mapping, geochemical sampling, geophysical surveys, and metallurgical work that will extend throughout 2017.

Key Highlights:

These latest drill results continue to define and expand the presence of high-grade gold mineralization in the vicinity of the Merritt Zone and Merritt Decline (see prior news releases on previous underground channel sampling and drill results by Newrange). Notably, this drilling intersected high-grade, oxide mineralization above the Merritt Zone, expanding the zone's shallow potential. This potential was previously overlooked because historic drilling was not assayed from the surface to a depth of 55 meters.

Hole P17-17 intersected 0.8 meter assaying 244.3 g/T Au from 10.6 to 11.4 meters. This is the Company's second highest grade drill intercept to date, and is included within a broader interval of 4.6 meters averaging 43.8 g/T Au from 8.4 to 13.0 meters. Hole 17 also intersected a second high-grade zone assaying 35.4 g/T Au over 0.8 meter from 22.8 to 23.6 meters.

Hole P17-12 intersected 4.6 meters averaging 14.5 g/T Au, within a broader interval of 13.7 meters averaging 6.0 g/T Au. This intercept is at an approximate vertical depth of 40 meters from the surface (58 meters down-hole), and extends the known limits of high-grade gold mineralization more than 35 meters to the west of previous drilling.

Hole P17-18 intersected 2.3 meters averaging 58.5 g/T Au from 56.4 to 58.7 meters, within 9.9 meters averaging 15.27 g/T Au from 54.1 to 64 meters.

Holes P17-13, 14 and 15 all contain significant intercepts of disseminated, lower grade mineralization, confirming and expanding the extent of "halo" gold mineralization more than 30 meters south of the decline.

Select High-Grade Drill Intercepts From Phase 1 Program (last 9 drill holes):

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole Az / Incl. TD (m) From (m) To (m) L (m) Au g/T ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P17-12 106 degrees / -56 degrees 106.7 25.91 27.44 1.52 6.95 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- And 56.40 70.10 13.70 5.99 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Including 57.93 62.50 4.57 14.52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P17-13 125 degrees /-45 degrees 61.0 50.30 60.98 10.67 0.81 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P17-14 125 degrees /-45 degrees 114.3 9.15 35.06 25.91 0.46 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P17-15 106 degrees /-45 degrees 91.5 51.83 73.17 21.34 0.88 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P17-17 0 degrees / -90 degrees 76.2 1.52 72.41 70.89 3.57 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Including 8.38 12.96 4.58 43.80 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Including 10.67 11.43 0.76 244.30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- And 22.87 23.63 0.76 35.40 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P17-18 18 degrees / -77 degrees 76.2 54.12 64.02 9.90 15.27 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Including 56.40 58.69 2.29 58.50 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

All results reported are length-weighted averages with no grade capping applied. Drill intercepts are for the actual drilled intercept length and may not represent true widths. Insufficient data currently exists to estimate true width. For brevity, all values in the text of this release are rounded to one significant decimal, while the table above reports all values to 2 significant decimal places.

The Company is currently in the process of completing detailed down hole surveys and structural analyses of its drill holes utilizing the OBI Down Hole Televiewer. This state of the art, high resolution, down hole imagery provides detailed, oriented structural data from RC holes that is equal to or better than that from oriented core. This additional data will improve the interpretation of the structurally controlled gold mineralization at Pamlico and will help to better define the geological model resulting from the Company's drilling to date which will be published as modeling allows.

A complete tabulation of all Phase I drill intercepts is available on the Company's website at http://www.newrangegold.com.

Robert Carrington, President and CEO, commented that: "These results, combined with those previously reported for holes 1-10, continue to demonstrate that Pamlico is an exceptional opportunity for Newrange Gold. The high-grade, near-surface, oxide gold mineralization drilled to date is located in Nevada, a premier mining jurisdiction, and allows the Company tremendous future flexibility."

Terms of Reference

In this news release, all references to grams per tonne (denoted g/T Au) are grams per metric ton of 1,000 kilograms (2,204.62 pounds). To convert grams per metric tonne to troy ounces per short ton of 2,000 pounds or oz/t Au, multiply g/T Au by 0.029167.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Mr. Robert G. Carrington, P. Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, the President and CEO of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved for disclosure the technical information contained in this news release. All drilling was by Reverse Circulation (RC) methods using a five inch diameter center recovery bit. All drilling was supervised by professional geologists. Drill samples were collected on 1.5 meter intervals for holes 11 through 16 and on 0.8 meter intervals for holes 17, 18 and 19. Drill cuttings were captured in a closed system cyclone, then riffle split in a three tiered Jones-type splitter, generating an average sample weight of 5.6 kilograms. Samples were then securely delivered to Inspectorate - Bureau Veritas in Sparks, Nevada for sample preparation and analysis. Samples were dried then stage crushed to 80% passing 10 mesh. A 1,000 gram sub-sample was then split out and pulverized to 140 mesh from which 50 gram samples were split for analysis by fire assay (FA) with a gravimetric finish. All samples assaying more than 10 g/T Au are checked and re-assayed. In addition to the QA - QC conducted by the laboratory, the Company inserts blanks, standards and certified reference material (CRM) at a rate of not less than 1 in 30.

About Pamlico

Located 12 miles southeast of Hawthorne, Nevada, along US Highway 95, the project has excellent access and infrastructure, a mild, year-round operating climate and strong political support from Mineral County, one of the most pro-mining counties in the pro-mining state of Nevada. The Pamlico project covers the historic Pamlico group of mines, as well as the nearby Good Hope, Central, Gold Bar and Sunset historic mines.

Discovered in 1884, Pamlico rapidly gained a reputation as being one of Nevada's highest grade gold districts. Held by private interests for most of its history, the property remains underexplored in terms of modern exploration.

About Newrange Gold Corp.

Newrange is an aggressive exploration and development company focused on near to intermediate term production opportunities in favorable jurisdictions, including Nevada, Colorado and Colombia. Focused on developing shareholder value through exploration and development of key projects, the Company is committed to building sustainable value for all stakeholders. Further information can be found on our website at www.newrangegold.com.

Signed: "Robert G. Carrington"

President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement:

Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Newrange Gold Corp. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:



Sharon Hebgin

Corporate Communications

Phone: 760-898-9129

Email: info@newrangegold.com



Dave Cross

Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary

Email: dcross@crossdavis.com



Website: www.newrangegold.com
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- The provincial government and the energy industry could create more than 24,000 new jobs for Albertans and grow the province's economy by nearly $5 billion over the next three years by working together to enhance the competitiveness of Canada's leading trade sector, according to report, A Competitive Policy and Regulatory Framework for Alberta's Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Industry, by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).

Industry continues to face mounting costs and barriers to growth due to changes in provincial and federal government policies and regulations such as methane emissions, carbon pricing, municipal and corporate tax increases, wetland policy, well liability and closure, and caribou management, among others. In addition, low global commodity prices, rapidly changing market dynamics, and new policy directions in the United States have led to negative impacts on oil and natural gas investment and competitiveness in Canada.

The report outlines how new competitiveness measures could be created to attract investment and create jobs in Alberta's oil and natural gas sector, while protecting the high standards already in place for health, safety and environmental regulation.

CAPP estimates the cumulative costs associated with the changes in provincial and federal government policies and regulations to conventional and unconventional development could range between $450 million and $760 million annually in the near term. Overall capital spending in Canada is forecast to be $44 billion in 2017, a 46-per-cent decrease from $81 billion in 2014. Meanwhile, spending in the U.S. is expected to rise 38 per cent to $120 billion this year.

Through collaboration with government on essential policy challenges the energy sector can attract new investment to Alberta and improve our competitiveness. It is critical Alberta and Canada compare their policies and regulatory regimes with the U.S., our only major market for oil and natural gas exports, and our biggest competitor for capital. We need a made-in-Alberta approach to competitiveness.

By working together, CAPP estimates unemployment in Alberta can be reduced nearly 25 per cent. As well, we can generate $4.5 billion in gross domestic product, $207 million in additional income tax, and $79 million in additional royalties in the near term on an average annual basis.

Canada's upstream oil and natural gas industry needs to rebalance the playing field and restore investment while maintaining Alberta's position as a leader in responsible development.

CAPP continues to review the competitiveness of Canadian jurisdictions.

CAPP quotes:

Tim McMillan, president and CEO

-- "The upstream oil and natural gas industry provides many benefits to Albertans but continues to face challenges and barriers to growth and success, including policy and regulatory challenges at both the provincial and federal levels." -- "The uncertainty surrounding changes to government policies and regulations have resulted in increased cost burdens to the industry, ultimately affecting the upstream oil and natural gas sector's ability to attract investment." -- "Opportunities exist for industry and government to work together to meet a common goal - responsibly grow oil and natural gas production to strengthen the economy and get Albertans back to work." -- "Our proposal to streamline provincial and federal policies and regulations has the potential to achieve regulatory efficiencies, eliminate duplication and create a framework for shared sustainable prosperity in Canada."

Rob Dutton, chair of Board of Governors

-- "The competition for capital in our business is fierce. It goes to the project and the basin with the highest rate of return. Alberta and Canada are becoming an increasingly more difficult place to attract capital." -- "Investment decisions in our industry often take place many years before a project comes on stream. In order to continue to attract those investments with a long-term horizon, we must have a degree of policy and regulatory stability. We need to collectively work together to get back to a place where Alberta can attract more of those long-term, job- creating investments." -- "Albertans and Canadians deserve a strong and future-focused economy where all partners work together. Industry is using many tools - efficiencies, innovations, and creativity - to try and remain competitive. However, we cannot do it alone. We must have all levels of government working with us - our future depends on it." -- "Albertans are smart and tough - we know how to come together to find solutions. The time for collaboration is now. Industry and government need to work together to ensure Alberta remains competitive."

Supporting information

-- CAPP's analysis is available here - http://www.capp.ca/publications-and- statistics/publications/304673 -- In 2015, Alberta's upstream oil and natural gas sector delivered: -- $2.9 billion in non-renewable resource revenues; -- $185 million in corporate income tax; -- $2.8 billion in provincial personal income tax from direct and indirect employment; -- $1.25 billion in municipal property tax on upstream assets alone; and, -- Support for more than 20,000 businesses in Alberta, including 327 aboriginal companies, representing about $4 billion in activity.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) represents companies, large and small, that explore for, develop and produce natural gas and crude oil throughout Canada. CAPP's member companies produce about 80 per cent of Canada's natural gas and crude oil. CAPP's associate members provide a wide range of services that support the upstream crude oil and natural gas industry. Together CAPP's members and associate members are an important part of a national industry with revenues from crude oil and natural gas production of about $120 billion a year. CAPP's mission, on behalf of the Canadian upstream crude oil and natural gas industry, is to advocate for and enable economic competitiveness and safe, environmentally and socially responsible performance.

Contacts:

Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers

Tonya Zelinsky

Advisor, media relations

(P): 403-267-1131

tonya.zelinsky@capp.ca




To stimulate aseptic packaging industry development and innovation

SHANGHAI, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The rapid development of the medical industry brings with it increasingly demanding requirements with regards to aseptic packaging performance in terms of themicrobial barrier, aseptic state maintenance durations, safe opening and general usage.

As China's leading exhibition, Medtec China focuses on the design and development of medical devices, raw materials, components, processing technologies and manufacturing services, and has been committed to building a medical equipment manufacturing platform and promoting optimization of the medical device industry chain to deliver high quality products to the market.

DuPont China, one of the leading brands in the aseptic packaging industry, will continue to participate in Medtec China 2017, and hold its 50th anniversary ceremony at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Hall in September. DuPont "Tyvek" has been used in the field of sterile medical packaging for over 40 years. The packaging product incorporates physical barriers to infection, tear resistance, durability and clean peeling properties, and is compatible with existing and emerging multi-sterile methods.

Click HERE to register as visitor at Medtec China 2017.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530471/Medtech_China_Logo.jpg

In addition to DuPont, industry leaders such as Cartolux, Amcor, Prent (Shanghai), Bemis, Billerud Trading (Shanghai) and others are all joining Medtec China 2017 and bringing with them a variety of high-quality options and innovative services in medical packaging and sterilization. Bemis, for example, is one of the world's largest producers of flexible packaging products with annual sales of over $5 billion. The business covers sterile medical packaging and pharmaceutical packaging, and through continuous innovation, improvement and refinement, the company is able to meet complex medical packaging needs.

Furthermore, Cartolux (Suzhou) Material Technology is a French company engaged in specialty plastic packaging that belongs to the French Top Clean Packaging Group. The company is primarily engaged in the research, development, and production of various types of ultra-clean, barrier medical packaging materials, high-precision eco-industrial trays, and high-performance protective packaging, as well as various types of sealing equipment.

Established in 1992, Huizhou Baobo Packing is a joint venture subsidiary of AMCOR in mainland China. The company manufactures medical plastic flexible packaging film materials, paper packaging materials and the corresponding supporting small-scale packaging machinery.

To find out more medical packaging exhibitor information, please visit our official website: www.medtecchina.com.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530468/2016_Medtech_China_Exhibition.jpg

With the huge expectation of medical equipment manufacturers, the concurrent Medtec China 2017 conference "MDiT Forum and Regulation Summit 2017" will also discuss medical device packaging, sterilization technology and practical case studies. The meeting topics include: regulatory standard systems and compliance for sterilized medical device packaging in China, requirements for packaging of medical devices to ensure product quality, process validation, confirmation and evaluation methods for sterilized packaging, and key techniques and process validation for EO sterilization.

We look forward to your attendance at the complimentary conferences. Click HERE to download the application form. Also, if you are interested in sharing your own insights and valuable experience with your peers, please call us to become a speaker at +86-10-57652823.

How to register:

1-Online Registration:

Click the link to register on the Medtec China official website www.medtecchina.com

2-Telephone Registration: +86-10-57652523

3-Group Registration:

If you are a group of more than five people, please call us to simplify the process: +86 10-57652523

Media\Exhibit\Visit\Conference Contact:

Carina Li

UBM China

T: +86 10 5765 2823

E: carina.li@ubm.com

Get more information: www.medtecchina.com
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2017 / The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP:

To: All persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired securities of Eco Science Solutions, Inc. ("Eco Science Solutions") (OTC PINK: ESSI) between May 1, 2017 and May 19, 2017 . You are hereby notified that a securities class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. To get more information, go to: http://www.zlk.com/pslra-sb/eco-science-solutions-inc?wire=1, or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972. There is no cost or obligation to you.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's plan for strategic acquisitions lacked veracity; and (ii) as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. On May 19, 2017, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued an order of suspension of trading, halting trading of the Company's securities.

If you suffered a loss in Eco Science Solutions, you have until July 24, 2017 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise and experience representing investors in securities litigation and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Levi & Korsinsky, LLP

Joseph E. Levi, Esq.

30 Broad Street - 24th Floor

New York, NY 10004

Tel: (212) 363-7500

Toll-Free: (877) 363-5972

Fax: (212) 363-7171

www.zlk.com

SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
Regulatory News:

Cellnovo Group ("Cellnovo" or the "Company" CLNV:EN Paris) (Paris:CLNV), a medical technology company marketing the first mobile, connected, all-in-one diabetes management system, announces that its 2016 reference document has today been registered by the Autorite des Marches Financiers (the "AMF") under number R.17-053.

The 2016 reference document is available free of charge on the Company's website (www.cellnovo.com) and the AMF website (www.amf-france.org).

The Company draws the public's attention to the risk factors relating to the Company and its business activities as set out in Section 4 of the 2016 reference document, in particular, a liquidity risk: the Company believes that its available liquidity as at June 30, 2017, will allow it to finance its business activities until November 2017, and that the additional liquidity required to allow it to continue with its activities over the next 12 months is EUR 5.9 million.

To meet this requirement, the Company states that since the start of 2017 it has been looking into a variety of sources of financing both capital and borrowing in order to improve its cash position and ensure the development of its business activities.

The Company has an Equity Line with Kepler Cheuvreux, a prospectus for which was approved by the AMF on March 17, 2017, under n17-098. Within this framework, Kepler Cheuvreux has made a firm and definitive undertaking to subscribe to a maximum of 1,500,000 shares, on its own initiative, on a regular basis and in a reasonable way, over a maximum of 24 months. As at June 30, 2017, remaining stock warrants under the Equity Line held by Kepler Cheuvreux allow it to acquire 1,050,000 shares, which would translate into net proceeds of EUR 5.7 million for the Company on the basis of a share price of EUR 5.45. The definitive amount of this financing will depend on Cellnovo's share price performance and liquidity, which themselves are dependent on the performance of the markets in general. To make up for this uncertainty and guarantee the continuity of its operations, the Company has decided to add to its financing by taking out a new loan.

The Company is in advanced discussions with the European Investment Bank ("EIB") and is preparing, subject to the outcome of current negotiations, to sign a financing agreement for a total of EUR 20,000,000 in three tranches: a EUR 8,000,000 tranche ("Tranche 1"), which must be drawn by the end of July 2017, subject to documentation requirements to be submitted to the EIB (in particular Kreos' agreement to the financing terms), and two tranches of EUR 6,000,000 each, which may be drawn within 30 months of the financing agreement being signed, subject to compliance with additional requirements in terms of equity, revenues and obtaining marketing authorisation.

This loan will be used to fund the Company's capital expenditure, operating expenses and working capital requirement.

The rate of interest paid to the EIB shall be less than 10% per year and payable twice yearly at the end of the period. Tranche 1 shall be allocated partly to repaying the loan taken out with Kreos in May 2017 at a rate of 11% per year.

Each tranche shall be repaid in full on maturity, i.e. five years after it is drawn.

The EIB loan will not be secured and will be guaranteed by collateral security provided by the Company's UK subsidiary, Cellnovo Ltd. Any group companies whose assets, revenues or EBITDA make up at least 10% of the group's consolidated assets, revenues or EBITDA shall also serve as a joint guarantee for the loan.

Within the framework of the agreement, the Company shall also agree to issue stock warrants for the benefit of the EIB, the main characteristics of which shall be as follows: subject to the signing of the aforementioned financing agreement, a maximum of 788,241 stock warrants shall be subscribed by the EIB under the agreement; each warrant shall entitle it to subscribe to one new ordinary share in the Company at a price per share equal to Cellnovo's weighted average share price during the last five trading sessions preceding the date the warrants are issued, less a discount of 10%; and the exercising of all warrants should represent maximum total dilution of around 5.9% (on a non-diluted basis) as at June 30, 2017. The stock warrants must be exercised by the EIB as follows: 315,297 warrants from repayment of Tranche 1, then around 236,472 warrants from repayment of each of the other two tranches, and whatever the case, no later than on the fifteenth anniversary of their issue.

About Cellnovo

An independent medical technology company specialising in diabetes, Cellnovo has developed and markets the first mobile, connected, all-in-one diabetes management system that helps make life easier for patients. Compact, intuitive and entirely connected, Cellnovo's insulin pump comprises a mobile touchscreen controller with an integrated blood-glucose meter. This unique device allows optimal management of insulin injections whilst ensuring extensive freedom of movement and peace of mind for patients. Thanks to the automatic transmission of data, it also allows the patient's condition to be continually monitored by family members and healthcare professionals in real time. Cellnovo is currently participating in several major Artificial Pancreas projects with Diabeloop, TypeZero and Horizon 2020 to develop automated insulin delivery systems.

For further information please visit www.cellnovo.com

Cellnovo is listed on Euronext, Compartment C

ISIN: FR0012633360 Ticker: CLNV

Disclaimer

This release implicitly or expressly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Cellnovo and its business activities. These statements involve certain known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may result in a material difference between Cellnovo's actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements and the results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Cellnovo issues this press release as of the present date and makes no undertaking to update the forward-looking statements it contains, whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors. For a non-exhaustive description of the risks and uncertainties that may result in a difference between Cellnovo's actual results, financial conditions, performance and achievements and those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to Section 4 "Risk Factors" of the 2016 reference document registered with the AMF on July 5, 2017, under number R.17-053, which is available on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org) and the Cellnovo website (www2.cellnovo.com/fr).

This release and the information it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to Cellnovo shares or financial securities in any country.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005882/en/

Contacts:

Cellnovo

Chief Executive Officer

Sophie Baratte

investors@cellnovo.com

or

NewCap

Investor Relations

Tristan Roquet Montegon, 33 1 44 71 00 16

or

Media Relations in France

Nicolas Merigeau, 33 1 44 71 94 98

cellnovo@newcap.eu

or

Consilium Strategic Communications

Media Relations in the United Kingdom

Amber Fennell, Chris Welsh, Laura Thornton, +44 20 3709 5700

cellnovo@consilium.com
TOP 8 VENDORS IN THE DATA CENTER MARKET IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FROM 2017-2021: TECHNAVIO

Technavio has announced the top eight leading vendors in their recentdata center market in Southeast Asiareport until 2021. This research report also lists 31 other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period.

The research study by Technavio on the data center market in Southeast Asia for 2017-2021 provides a detailed industry analysis based on the infrastructure (IT infrastructure, general construction, electrical construction, and mechanical construction) and countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia).

"The data center market in Southeast Asia is projected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 14% over the forecast period. The increase in the demand for cloud-based services is a key factor driving the market growthsays Rohan Joy Thomas, a lead analyst at Technavio for data center research.

Competitive vendor landscape

Various enterprises are either adopting cloud-based services or co-locating data center spaces, which is increasing the competition among vendors. To remain competitive and retain market shares, vendors are offering enterprises several options to choose the data center infrastructure that will power their business most efficiently. Additionally, many growing enterprises in Southeast Asia are considering the construction of data center facilities to gain competitiveness, which makes the entry of new players relatively easy.

Currently, vendors in the market are focusing on reducing the operating costs of a data center facility by product innovation. These innovative products are installed during the construction process to achieve better power usage effectiveness (PUE) while operating the facility.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing

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Top eight vendors in the data center market in Southeast Asia

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS operates as a subsidiary of Amazon.com, and it provides cloud-based services for enterprises worldwide. It is constantly adding features to its cloud offering, prompting many enterprises to adopt it for their business operations. It is also decreasing the cloud subscription price to stay competitive in the market, among its major rivals like Google and Microsoft.

Digital Realty Trust

Digital Realty Trust develops and manages technology-related real estate, i.e., data centers. To support its growing customer base, the company is acquiring buildings and converting them into data centers. The company offers data center services, interconnection, and cloud connectivity services.

Equinix

Equinix provides data center services to protect and connect the information assets for enterprises, financial services companies, and content and network providers internationally. Services offered by Equinix include interconnection and connectivity, colocation services, Equinix performance hub, Equinix data hub, IBX SmartView, Equinix Marketplace, Equinix professional services, and customer services.

Google

Google specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, and software. The company is also involved in the development of energy-efficient design models for data centers, encouraging other data center operators to reduce electricity consumption similarly.

Microsoft

Microsoft licenses, develops, manufactures, markets, and supports software products. To meet the growing customer needs for its cloud services portfolio, the company migrates critical workloads to different servers or data centers through its software-defined infrastructure model.

NTT Communications

NTT Communications provides consultancy, security, architecture, and cloud services to optimize information and communications technology environment of the enterprise. It provides ICT platform, with services such as colocation, hosting, network, and security throughout the world.

Singtel

Singtel offers a wide range of solutions related to mobile, fixed, data, TV, Internet, information and communications technology, and digital solutions. It offers a wide range of data center services through its own data centers and partner facilities located in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT)

PLDT offers telecommunications and digital services through its extensive fiber optic backbone, fixed line, and cellular networks. The company is involved in providing data center services through its ePLDT Vitro Data Center. Currently, the ePLDT Group operates data center facilities across the Philippines.

Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report

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Browse Related Reports:

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About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005923/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 -- IGM Financial Inc. (IGM) (TSX: IGM) today reported preliminary total investment fund net new money in June of $450.2 million as shown in Table 1. Total assets under management were $148.2 billion at June 30, 2017, compared with $149.8 billion at May 31, 2017 and $135.1 billion at June 30, 2016. Investment fund assets under management were $142.9 billion at June 30, 2017, compared with $144.3 billion at May 31, 2017 and $128.8 billion at June 30, 2016. Assets under management are shown in Table 2.

Table 1 - Net New Money Month ended June 30, 2017 Investors IGM ($ millions) (unaudited) Group Mackenzie Counsel Financial(1) --------------------------------------------------- Mutual Funds Gross Sales $804.7 $805.8 $63.7 $1,672.0 Net New Money $167.6 $185.9 $1.8 $355.6 ETFs Net New Money $119.4 $119.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consolidated Net New Money $167.6 $280.5(2) $1.8 $450.2 (1) Excludes $2.2 million and ($0.3) million respectively in Gross Sales and Net New Money of Mackenzie mutual funds by Investors Group mutual funds. (2) Excludes $24.8 million in net new money of exchange traded funds ("ETF") by Mackenzie mutual funds.

(i)Mutual Fund Net New Money is defined as Gross Sales less Gross Redemptions and is consistent with the terminology used by The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC). Total Net New Money includes ETF net creations.

Table 2 - Assets under Management June May June % Change % Change ($ billions) (unaudited) 2017 2017 2016 Last Month YOY ------------------------------------------------- Total Assets under Management(3) $148.20 $149.79 $135.12 (1.1) 9.7 Investment Funds(4) Assets under Management $142.85 $144.33 $128.77 (1.0) 10.9 Investors Group Mutual Funds $ 84.30 $85.09 $76.20 (0.9) 10.6 Sub-advisory, institutional and other $0.57 $0.58 $0.44 (1.7) 29.5 ------------------------------------------------- Total IG $84.87 $85.67 $76.64 (0.9) 10.7 Mackenzie Mutual Funds $53.62 $54.31 $48.21 (1.3) 11.2 ETFs $0.62 $0.51 $0.05 21.6 N/M ------------------------------------------------- Investment Funds(5) $53.96 $54.56 $48.26 (1.1) 11.8 Sub-advisory, institutional and other $14.59 $13.44 $13.41 8.6 8.8 ------------------------------------------------- Total Mackenzie $68.55 $68.00 $61.67 0.8 11.2 ------------------------------------------------- Counsel Mutual Funds $4.69 $4.78 $4.32 (1.9) 8.6 (3) Excludes assets managed by Mackenzie on behalf of Investors Group and Investment Planning Counsel. These assets had a value of $9.8 billion at June 30, 2017 ($8.6 billion at May 31, 2017 and $7.5 billion at June 30, 2016). (4) Excludes assets in accounts invested in Mackenzie Financial Corporation mutual funds held by Investors Group. These assets had a value of $105.0 million at June 30, 2017 ($106.5 million at May 31, 2017). (5) Mackenzie investment funds total assets under management exclude Mackenzie mutual fund investment in ETF's of $281.6 million as at June 30, 2017 and $261.2 million as at May 31, 2017.

Preliminary average investment fund assets under management and average total assets under management for the quarter to date are set out in Table 3.

Table 3 - Average Assets under Management(6) ($ billions) (unaudited) Quarter to Date --------------- Total Average Assets under Management(7) $149.27 Investment Funds Average Assets under Management(8) $143.87 Investors Group Mutual Funds $85.02 Sub-advisory, institutional and other $0.56 --------------- Total Investors Group $85.58 --------------- Mackenzie Mutual Funds $53.93 ETFs $0.44 --------------- Investment Funds(9) $54.16 Sub-advisory, institutional and other $13.60 --------------- Total Mackenzie $67.76 --------------- Counsel Mutual Funds $4.75 (6) Based on daily average investment fund assets and month-end average institutional, sub-advisory and other assets. (7) Excludes average assets of $8.8 billion managed by Mackenzie on behalf of Investors Group and Investment Planning Counsel. (8) Excludes average assets of $55.1 million in accounts invested in Mackenzie Financial Corporation mutual funds held by Investors Group. (9) Mackenzie investment funds total assets under management exclude Mackenzie mutual fund investment in ETFs of $209.8 million as at June 30, 2017.

IGM Financial Inc. is one of Canada's premier personal financial services companies, and one of the country's largest managers and distributors of mutual funds and other managed asset products, with over $148 billion in total assets under management. Its activities are carried out principally through Investors Group, Mackenzie Investments and Investment Planning Counsel.

A MEMBER OF THE POWER FINANCIAL CORPORATION GROUP OF COMPANIES.

Contacts:

Media Relations:

Allan Hiebert

204-956-8535

mediarel@investorsgroup.com



Investor Relations:

Paul Hancock

204-956-8103

investor.relations@igmfinancial.com




SANTIAGO, CHILE -- (Marketwired) -- 07/05/17 --ITAU CORPBANCA (NYSE: ITCB) (SSE: ITAUCORP) announced today that it will release its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017, after the market closes in New York on Monday, July 31, 2017.

On Tuesday, August 1, 2017, at 9:30 A.M. Santiago time (9:30 AM ET), the Company's management team will host a conference call to discuss the financial results. The call will be hosted by Gabriel Moura, Itau Corpbanca's Chief Financial Officer, and Claudia Labbe, Itau Corpbanca's Head of Investor Relations.

Conference Call Details:

Participants should dial into the call 10 minutes before the scheduled time using the following numbers: +1 (866) 819-7111 (US Toll Free Dial In), 0(800) 953-0329 (UK Toll Free Dial In) or +44 (0)1452-542-301 (Standard International Dial In). Please quote "Itau Corpbanca" to the operator.

A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until Tuesday, August 8, 2017, by dialing +1 (866) 247-4222 (US Toll Free Dial In), 0(800) 953-1533 (UK Toll Free Dial In) or +44 (0)1452 550-000 (Standard International Dial In). Access Code: 2339939#

Slides and Audio Webcast:

There will also be a live, and then archived, webcast of the conference call, available through the Company's website. Participants to the live webcast should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast. The webcast can be found at:

http://itaucorp.irwebpage.com/webcast_2017-2Q.html

About Itau Corpbanca

ITAU CORPBANCA (NYSE: ITCB) (SSE: ITAUCORP) is the entity resulting from the merger of Banco Itau Chile with and into Corpbanca on April 1, 2016. The current ownership structure is: 35.71% owned by Itau Unibanco, 31.00% owned by CorpGroup and 33.29% owned by minority shareholders. Itau Unibanco is the sole controlling shareholder of the merged bank. Within this context and without limiting the above, Itau Unibanco and CorpGroup have signed a shareholders' agreement relating to corporate governance, dividend policy (based on performance and capital metrics), transfer of shares, liquidity and other matters.

The merged bank has become the fourth largest private bank in Chile and will result in a banking platform for future expansion in Latin America, specifically in Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Central America. Itau Corpbanca is a commercial bank based in Chile with operations also in Colombia and Panama. In addition, Itau Corpbanca has a branch in New York and a representative office in Madrid. Focused on large and medium companies and individuals, Itau Corpbanca offers universal banking products. In 2012, the bank initiated a regionalization process and as of the date hereof has acquired two banks in Colombia -- Banco Corpbanca Colombia and Helm Bank -- becoming the first Chilean bank having banking subsidiaries abroad. The merger with Banco Itau Chile and the business combination of our two banks in Colombia, represent the continued success of our regionalization process.

As of May 31, 2017, according to the Chilean Superintendency of Banks, Itau Corpbanca was the fourth largest private bank in Chile in terms of the overall size of its customer loan portfolio, equivalent to 11.2% market share.

As of April 30, 2017, according to the Colombian Superintendency of Finance, Itau Corpbanca Colombia was the sixth largest bank in Colombia in terms of total loans and also the sixth largest bank in Colombia in terms of total deposits, as reported under local regulatory and accounting principles. As of the same date, its market share by loans reached 5.4%.

Investor Relations

Itau Corpbanca

+56 (2) 2660-1701

IR@corpbanca.cl




THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

Summary

The boards of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (" AXIS ") and Novae Group plc (" Novae ") are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended all cash acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Novae by AXIS (or, at AXIS's election, a whollyowned subsidiary of AXIS).

") and Novae Group plc (" ") are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended all cash acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Novae by AXIS (or, at AXIS's election, a whollyowned subsidiary of AXIS). Under the terms of the Acquisition, each Novae Shareholder will be entitled to receive:

for each Novae Share: 700 pence in cash

The consideration values the entire existing issued and to be issued share capital of Novae at approximately 467.6 million on the basis of a fully diluted share capital of 66,795,621 Novae Shares.

The price of 700 pence per Novae Share represents: a premium of approximately 20 per cent. to the closing mid-market price of 581 pence per Novae Share on 4 July 2017, being the last Business Day before the date of this Announcement; and a premium of approximately 29 per cent. to the volume weighted average closing price per Novae Share for the one month period up to and including 4 July 2017, being the last Business Day before the date of this Announcement.

The consideration also implies a multiple of 1.5x Novae's reported net tangible book value of 318.8 million as at 31 December 2016 (on a fully diluted basis).

The cash consideration payable under the Acquisition will be funded from AXIS's existing cash resources or, if market conditions are favourable, from new borrowings.

It is intended that the Acquisition will be implemented by way of a Courtsanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act, further details of which are contained in the full text of this Announcement.

If, after the date of this Announcement, any dividend and/or other distribution and/or other return of capital is announced, declared or paid in respect of the Novae Shares, AXIS reserves the right to reduce the offer consideration by an amount up to the amount of such dividend and/or distribution and/or return of capital so announced, declared or paid, in which case any reference in this Announcement or the Scheme Document to the offer consideration for the Novae Shares will be deemed to be a reference to the offer consideration as so reduced. For further details, please refer to paragraph 15 of Part B of Appendix 1.

The Board of Novae, which has been so advised by Evercore as to the financial terms of the Acquisition, considers the terms of the Acquisition to be fair and reasonable. In providing their advice to the Board of Novae, Evercore has taken into account the commercial assessments of the Board of Novae.

Accordingly, the Novae Directors confirm that they intend unanimously to recommend that Novae Shareholders vote to approve the Scheme at the Court Meeting and vote in favour of the resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting, as those of them who hold Novae Shares in their own name or through a nominee have irrevocably undertaken to do in respect of all of their own beneficial holdings of Novae Shares.

The terms of the Acquisition will be put to Novae Shareholders at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting (which is expected to immediately follow the Court Meeting). The Court Meeting and the General Meeting are required to enable Novae Shareholders to consider, and if thought fit, vote in favour of the resolution to approve the Scheme and its implementation. In order to become Effective, the Scheme must be approved by a majority in number of Scheme Shareholders, present and voting, whether in person or by proxy, representing 75 per cent. or more in nominal value of the Scheme Shares held by those Scheme Shareholders.

The Acquisition is subject to a number of conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory, merger control and other necessary approvals, which are set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement, certain other terms as are set out in this Announcement and to the full terms and conditions to be set out in the Scheme Document.

AXIS is a Bermuda-based provider of specialty lines insurance and reinsurance. AXIS is listed on the NYSE and has a market cap of c.$5.6 billion as at 3 July 2017 (being the last US business day prior to the date of this Announcement). AXIS operates through locations in the United States, Europe, Singapore, the Middle East, Canada and Latin America, with over 1,300 employees. As at 31 March 2017, AXIS had $6,230 million of total shareholders' equity and $21,247 million of total assets. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A+" ("Strong") by Standard Poor's and "A+" ("Superior") by A.M. Best.

Novae is headquartered in London and is listed in the London Stock Exchange. It is a diversified property and casualty (re)insurance business operating through Syndicate 2007 at Lloyd's. At 4 July 2017 (being the last Business Day prior to the date of this Announcement), Novae had a market capitalisation of 374 million. As of 31 December 2016, Novae had shareholders' equity of approximately 322 million and total assets of approximately 2,387 million.

Commenting on the Acquisition, Albert Benchimol, President and CEO of AXIS, said:



"We are very pleased to announce this proposed acquisition of Novae which will create a c.$2 billion player in the London specialty market, anchored as a top 10 insurer in the Lloyd's market. The acquisition is fully aligned with AXIS's international specialty insurance growth strategy and will combine two highly complementary businesses, substantially enhancing our depth and breadth of product, underwriting expertise, and leadership capabilities to better serve our clients and brokers.



We are excited about the opportunity to leverage the focused and profitable specialty insurance business Novae has created as part of a substantially larger group, with a larger capital base and a global platform.We expect the combined operations to benefit substantially from investments already made by AXIS to drive efficiencies across its international specialty insurance business and firmly believe this combination will create significant value for AXIS's shareholders with limited execution risk.This transaction is expected to deliver meaningful earnings and ROE accretion within the first year after close.



We very much look forward to welcoming Novae's employees to AXIS.Novae's business is underpinned by the high calibre of its team, including its market leading underwriting talent, who we expect to thrive at AXIS, benefitting from access to a global platform and expanded resources.Our organizations share likeminded corporate cultures and we are deeply committed to ensuring a smooth integration process and creating a positive, collaborative environment that will breed success."

Commenting on the Acquisition, John Hastings-Bass, Chairman of Novae, said:



"The Board of Novae is pleased to unanimously recommend the AXIS offer, which represents an attractive outcome for Novae and provides certainty to Novae Shareholders at an attractive premium to the share price and net tangible assets per share. Over recent years, Novae has made significant progress on a standalone basis in developing its underwriting franchise and growing premiums in its targeted lines of business. However, it remains a relatively small player in a global industry. AXIS is a substantial and successful business which represents an excellent partner for the Novae business, its customers and employees."

Commenting on the Acquisition, Matthew Fosh, Chief Executive Officer of Novae, said:



"The combination of Novae and AXIS brings together two complementary businesses.We have long held AXIS in high regard, a company with whom we share a strong cultural compatibility.The transaction will provide the Novae business with the increased scale and financial resources needed to succeed in the current market.We look forward to working closely with the AXIS team on this next part of our journey."

Credit Suisse International and Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP are acting as financial advisers to AXIS. Evercore is acting as financial adviser to Novae.

It is expected that the Scheme Document, containing further information about the Acquisition and notices of the Court Meeting and General Meeting, together with Forms of Proxy, will be posted to Novae Shareholders and (for information only) to participants of the Novae Share Schemes within 28 days of the date of this Announcement. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all relevant conditions, including the Conditions, and certain further terms set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement and to be set out in the Scheme Document, it is expected that the Scheme will become Effective in Q4 2017. An expected timetable of principal events will be included in the Scheme Document.

AXIS will host an investor teleconference, including a question and answer period, on 6 July 2017 at 8:30 a.m. EDT to discuss this Announcement. The teleconference can be accessed by dialling +1 888-317-6003 (U.S. callers) or +1 412-317-6061 (international callers) and entering the passcode 7582829 approximately 10 minutes in advance of the call. A live, listen-only webcast of the call will also be available via the Investor Information section of AXIS's website at www.axiscapital.com.

This summary should be read in conjunction with and is subject to the full text of this Announcement (including its Appendices). The Acquisition will be subject to the Conditions and the further terms set out in Appendix 1 and to the full terms and conditions to be set out in the Scheme Document. Appendix 2 contains the bases and sources of certain financial information contained in this Announcement. Appendix 3 contains details of the irrevocable undertakings received by AXIS. Appendix 4 contains the definitions of certain further terms used in this Announcement.

Enquiries

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited Joe Henry, Chief Financial Officer +1 212 500 7600 Linda Ventresca, Corporate Development +1 212 500 7600 Conrad Brooks, General Counsel +1 212 500 7600 Credit Suisse International Alejandro Przygoda +1 212 325 2000 Carlos Marque +1 212 325 2000 Joe Hannon +44 20 7888 8888 Hugh Man +44 20 7888 8888 Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP Malik Karim +44 20 7382 2222 Philippe Jacquemard +44 20 7382 2222 Richard Locke +44 20 7382 2222 Philip Evans +44 20 7382 2222 Novae Group plc Matthew Fosh, Chief Executive +44 20 7050 9000 Reeken Patel, Chief Financial Officer +44 20 7050 9000 Evercore Partners International LLP Matthew Lindsey-Clark +44 20 7653 6000 Stuart Britton +1 212 857 3100 Neil Bhadra +44 20 7653 6000 Canaccord Genuity Limited Bruce Garrow +44 20 7523 8000 Chris Connors +44 20 7523 8000

Simpson Thacher Bartlett LLP and Willkie Farr Gallagher LLP are retained as legal advisers to AXIS.

Slaughter and May is retained as legal adviser to Novae.

Further Information

This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute or form part of, any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities of Novae in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Acquisition will be implemented solely by means of the Scheme Document (or if the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer, the offer document), which will contain the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition including details of how to vote in respect of the Acquisition. Any vote in respect of the Scheme (or, if applicable, the Takeover Offer) or other response in relation to the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Scheme Document (or, if applicable, acceptance under the offer document). Each Novae Shareholder is urged to consult his independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him.

Credit Suisse International, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for AXIS and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be responsible to any person other than AXIS for providing the protections afforded to clients of Credit Suisse International, nor for providing advice in relation to the content of this Announcement or any matter referred to herein. Neither Credit Suisse International nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Credit Suisse International in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for AXIS and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be responsible to any person other than AXIS for providing the protections afforded to clients of Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP, nor for providing advice in relation to the content of this Announcement or any matter referred to herein. Neither Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Evercore, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for Novae and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Novae for providing the protections afforded to clients of Evercore, nor for providing advice in relation to the content of this Announcement or any matter referred to herein. Neither Evercore nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Evercore in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Canaccord Genuity Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting exclusively for Novae as corporate broker and no-one else in connection with the subject matter of this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Novae for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the subject matter of this Announcement.

Overseas Jurisdictions

The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into jurisdictions other than the UK may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the UK should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. In particular, the ability of persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom to vote their Novae Shares with respect to the Scheme at the Court Meeting, or to appoint another person as proxy to vote at the Court Meeting on their behalf, may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located. Any failure to comply with the applicable restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the companies and persons involved in the Acquisition disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with English law and the Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of England.

Copies of this Announcement and formal documentation relating to the Acquisition will not be, and must not be, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws of that jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render invalid any related purported vote in respect of the Acquisition. If the Acquisition is implemented by way of Takeover Offer (unless otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulation), the Takeover Offer may not be made, directly or indirectly, in or into or from within any Restricted Jurisdiction.

The Acquisition relates to the shares of an English company that is a "foreign private issuer" as defined in Rule 3b4 under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is proposed to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under English law. Neither the US proxy solicitation rules nor (unless implemented by means of an offer) the tender offer rules under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, will apply to the Acquisition. Accordingly, the Scheme will be subject to the disclosure requirements and practices applicable to the United Kingdom and under the Code to schemes of arrangement, which differ from the disclosure requirements of the US proxy solicitation rules and tender offer rules. Neither the SEC, nor any securities commission of any state of the United States, has approved the Acquisition, passed upon the fairness of the Acquisition or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this document. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. Financial information relating to Novae included in this Announcement and the Scheme Document has been or will have been prepared in accordance with accounting standards applicable in the United Kingdom that may not be comparable to financial information of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

The receipt of cash pursuant to the Acquisition by a US beneficial owner of Novae Shares as consideration for the transfer of its Scheme Shares pursuant to the Scheme will be a taxable transaction for United States federal income tax purposes and may also be a taxable transaction under other applicable tax laws, including any applicable United States state and local, as well as nonUS, tax laws. Each Novae Shareholder is urged to consult his independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him.

If the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer and AXIS determines to extend such offer into the United States, the offer will be made in compliance with applicable UK and US securities laws and regulations, including the US tender offer rules

In accordance with normal UK practice, AXIS or its nominees, or its brokers (acting as agents), may from time to time make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, Novae Shares outside of the US, other than pursuant to the Acquisition, until the date on which the Acquisition and/or Scheme becomes Effective, lapses or is otherwise withdrawn. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. Any information about such purchases will be disclosed as required in the UK, will be reported to a Regulatory Information Service and will be available on the London Stock Exchange website at www.londonstockexchange.com.

Further details in relation to Overseas Shareholders will be contained in the Scheme Document.

Forward-looking statements

This Announcement (including information incorporated by reference in this Announcement), oral statements made regarding the Acquisition, and other information published by AXIS and Novae contain statements which are, or may be deemed to be, "forward looking statements". Such forward looking statements are prospective in nature and are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and on numerous assumptions regarding the business strategies and the environment in which the AXIS Group or the Enlarged Group will operate in the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. The forward looking statements contained in this Announcement relate to the AXIS Group or the Enlarged Group's future prospects, developments and business strategies, the expected timing and scope of the Acquisition and other statements other than historical facts. In some cases, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the terms "can be", "target", "expect", "estimate", "aims", "opportunity", "create", "represents", "extends", "provides", "enables", "achieve", "intends", "will", "would", "could", "should", "proposed", "enhancing", "synergies" or "believe" or their negatives or other variations or comparable terminology. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. If any one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialises or if any one or more of the assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Such forward looking statements should therefore be construed in the light of such factors. Neither AXIS nor Novae, nor any of their respective associates or directors, officers or advisers, provides any representation, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any forward looking statements in this Announcement will actually occur. Given these risks and uncertainties, potential investors should not place any reliance on forward looking statements.

The forward looking statements speak only at the date of this Announcement. AXIS and Novae expressly disclaim any obligation to update such statements other than as required by law or by the rules of any competent regulatory authority, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No profit forecasts

No statement in this Announcement is intended as a profit forecast or profit estimate and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per Novae Share or AXIS Share for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the respective historical published earning per Novae Share or AXIS Share or to mean that the Enlarged Group's earnings in the first 12 months following the Acquisition, or in any subsequent period, would necessarily match or be greater than those of AXIS or Novae for the relevant preceding financial period or any other period.

Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the Business Day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Code.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4 of the Code).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.com, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

Electronic communications

Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and certain other information provided by Novae Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant persons for the receipt of communications from Novae may be provided to AXIS during the offer period as required under Section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Code to comply with Rule 2.11(c) of the Code.

The contents of the websites referred to in this Announcement are not incorporated into and do not form part of this Announcement.

Publication on website and hard copies

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this Announcement will be published and made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on AXIS's website at www.axiscapital.com and Novae's website at www.novae.com by no later than 12 noon on the Business Day following this Announcement. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of those websites are not incorporated by reference into, and do not form part of, this Announcement.

Novae Shareholders and AXIS shareholders may request a hard copy of this Announcement by contacting the registrar of Novae during business hours on +44 (0) 370 707 1327 or by submitting a request in writing to Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZZ. Your attention is drawn to the fact that a hard copy of this Announcement will not be sent to you unless so requested. You may also request that all future documents, announcements and information to be sent to you in relation to the Acquisition should be in hard copy form.

Rounding

Certain figures included in this Announcement have been subjected to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown for the same category presented in different tables may vary slightly and figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them.

Rule 2.9 requirement

In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, Novae confirms that at the date of this Announcement, it has in issue and admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange 64,425,640 ordinary shares of 1.125 each. The ISIN of the Novae Shares is GB00B40SF849.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

5 July 2017

RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER

FOR

NOVAE GROUP PLC

BY

AXIS CAPITAL HOLDINGS LIMITED

1. INTRODUCTION

The boards of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited ("AXIS") and Novae Group plc ("Novae") are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended all cash acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Novae by AXIS (or, at AXIS's election, a whollyowned subsidiary of AXIS). It is intended that the Acquisition will be implemented by way of a Courtsanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act.

2. SUMMARY OF THE ACQUISITION

Under the terms of the Acquisition, which will be subject to the Conditions and further terms set out in Appendix 1 of this Announcement (and the further terms and conditions to be set out in the Scheme Document), Scheme Shareholders will be entitled to receive:

for each Novae Share: 700 pence in cash

The consideration values the entire existing issued and to be issued share capital of Novae at approximately 467.6 million on the basis of a fully diluted share capital of 66,795,621 Novae Shares, calculated on the basis set out in paragraph 4 of Appendix 2.

The price of 700 pence per Novae Share represents:

a premium of approximately 20 per cent. to the closing mid-market price of 581 pence per Novae Share on 4 July 2017, being the last Business Day before the date of this Announcement; and

a premium of approximately 29 per cent. to the volume weighted average closing price per Novae Share for the one month period up to and including 4 July 2017, being the last Business Day before the date of this Announcement.

The consideration also implies a multiple of 1.5x Novae's reported net tangible book value of 318.8 million as at 31 December 2016 (on a fully diluted basis).

If, after the date of this Announcement, any dividend and/or other distribution and/or other return of capital is announced, declared or paid in respect of the Novae Shares, AXIS reserves the right to reduce the offer consideration by an amount up to the amount of such dividend and/or distribution and/or return of capital so announced, declared or paid, in which case any reference in this Announcement or the Scheme Document to the offer consideration for the Novae Shares will be deemed to be a reference to the offer consideration as so reduced. For further details, please refer to paragraph 15 of Part B of Appendix 1. For the avoidance of doubt, any payments made in cash or by way of the delivery of shares on the vesting of awards calculated by reference to dividends accrued in respect of those underlying vested shares are not to be construed as a dividend, distribution or return of capital for these purposes.

3. BACKGROUND TO AND REASONS FOR THE ACQUISITION

The Acquisition is a compelling opportunity to combine a leading specialty Lloyd's franchise with a world-class international specialty (re)insurer, strengthening a broad, balanced and efficient global underwriting platform. The international specialty insurance businesses of AXIS and Novae are highly complementary and the combination of expertise from both businesses can be leveraged through AXIS's scale and global platform. The Acquisition represents a new milestone in AXIS's journey as a leading specialty (re)insurance franchise and strongly aligns with its insurance growth strategy. The Acquisition:

provides further scale and relevance in international specialty insurance, with the combined business representing a top 10 player at Lloyd's, with c.$2 billion of gross premium written in the London specialty market;

represents the combination of two highly complementary international insurance businesses, providing AXIS with "lead" underwriting capability in a number of new classes of business, as well as broadened and deeper underwriting expertise in other specialty insurance classes; and

significantly diversifies and enhances AXIS's distribution platform, providing increased relevance with Lloyd's brokers and access to market-leading programs binding authority business (over 50 per cent. of Novae business is produced through specialist coverholder distribution which provides access to attractive SME and specialty personal lines business and makes it a leading underwriter of binder business at Lloyd's).

The Acquisition is also expected to result in enhanced top line growth through access to AXIS's broader global platform (including Singapore, Miami and Brussels), company paper and ability to increase writings and retentions of attractive business with AXIS's significantly larger capital base. The businesses are naturally suited for a combination and are also expected to accelerate AXIS Reinsurance plans at Lloyd's, increase options for third party capital utilisation and increase reinsurance purchasing power.

The Acquisition is expected to be a financially compelling transaction for AXIS shareholders with access to expense synergies as well as top line growth. AXIS has identified up to $50m of run-rate pre-tax cost synergies that are expected to be fully achieved within two years of completion of the Acquisition. The pre-tax cost of achieving these cost synergies is estimated at $40m. The transaction is expected to be:

operating EPS accretive in the first year with high single digit accretion expected by year 2;

immediately accretive to operating return on equity;

neutral to book value per share at close with accelerated growth post-close; and

minimal impact to tangible book value per share at close with accelerated growth post-close.

4. RECOMMENDATION

The Board of Novae, which has been so advised by Evercore as to the financial terms of the Acquisition, considers the terms of the Acquisition to be fair and reasonable. In providing their advice to the Board of Novae, Evercore has taken into account the commercial assessments of the Board of Novae.

Accordingly, the Novae Directors confirm that they intend unanimously to recommend that Novae Shareholders vote to approve the Scheme at the Court Meeting and vote in favour of the resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting as the Novae Directors who hold Novae Shares in their own name or through a nominee have irrevocably undertaken to do in respect of all of their own beneficial holdings of Novae Shares.

5. BACKGROUND TO AND REASONS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION

Novae is a diversified property and casualty (re)insurance business that has been operating in the Lloyd's market for over 30 years. It has made strong progress in terms of the scale of its franchise (with total gross written premium of 901 million for 2016), driving value for shareholders by focussing on underwriting excellence.

However, Novae remains a relatively small player within the global insurance industry, which itself has seen considerable consolidation over recent years. Furthermore, in response to challenging market conditions, the business has been proactively reducing its exposure to less profitable classes of business (as highlighted by Novae's trading update announced on 10 May 2017), exiting certain classes where premium rates are no longer generating adequate financial returns. Other factors, outside of the control of the business, notably, the Lord Chancellor's decision to materially cut the personal injury discount rate ("Ogden") earlier this year (adversely impacting Novae's reserves), have compounded the headwinds from a difficult trading environment.

The increased prevalence of large and catastrophic losses during 2016, together with the one-off impact of the Ogden provision and other accounting charges taken in the year, have resulted in a decline in Novae's net assets and capital. As a consequence, Novae's scope to take full advantage of the profitable growth opportunities within its core classes on a stand-alone basis will be constrained, with the resulting profit recovery likely more muted than if Novae had greater capital resources at its disposal.

The Board of Novae is aware that having increased scale, broader diversification and improved broker access will be key determinants of success in current market conditions. The Board of Novae has also evaluated the proposed offer by AXIS against the backdrop of challenging markets and the specific factors that have impacted Novae itself. Whilst the Board of Novae has confidence in Novae's management's ability to meet these challenges, it considers that the Acquisition provides Novae shareholders with a certain cash value which represents an attractive premium to Novae's share price and net tangible assets per share (in-line with levels achieved in other transactions in the Property and Casualty sector in recent years), and fairly reflects Novae's longer term prospects and potential. In assessing the terms of the Acquisition, the Board of Novae has also specifically considered the following:

the strategic benefits from scale that Novae will benefit from by combining with AXIS, in an industry that has undergone considerable consolidation in recent years;

the enhanced opportunities that Novae will have as part of a larger group, particularly in terms of the distribution of its specialty products, through access to the broader AXIS platform;

increased relevance to brokers and intermediaries on a combined basis; and

the cultural compatibility of the two organisations with significant and improved opportunities for Novae staff as part of the Enlarged Group.

6. MANAGEMENT, EMPLOYEES AND BUSINESS OF NOVAE

AXIS attaches great importance to the skills and experience of the existing management and employees of the Novae Group.

AXIS confirms that, following completion of the Acquisition, the existing contractual and statutory employment rights of, and pension obligations owed to, existing management and employees of the Novae Group will be fully safeguarded. It is AXIS's intention to consider employees of both AXIS and Novae to fill roles within the Enlarged Group, based on a meritocratic approach as the combined business transitions to a single managing agency and syndicate.

It is anticipated that Novae will be merged into the international division of AXIS's insurance segment and, as part of the process, that Novae will adopt the AXIS Insurance International brand. It is envisaged that the integration process will take approximately one year to complete and will eventually lead to the relocation of Novae personnel to shared office space in London alongside the current AXIS team.

It is expected that, following completion of the Acquisition, Matthew Fosh (Chief Executive Officer of Novae) will be appointed as AXIS's Executive Chair, Europe. Among his responsibilities in his new role, Matthew Fosh will help guide the integration of the two businesses and will report to Albert Benchimol (President and Chief Executive Officer of AXIS). Additionally, it is expected that Robert Forster (Chief Underwriting Officer of Novae) will be appointed to a senior underwriting management role on the leadership team of AXIS Insurance's International Division.

7. DIRECTORS' IRREVOCABLE UNDERTAKINGS

AXIS has received irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of the Scheme at the Court Meeting and the resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting from those of the Novae Directors who hold Novae Shares in their own name or through a nominee in respect of all their own beneficial holdings of Novae Shares. The undertakings from the Novae Directors will cease to be binding only if (among other things) the Scheme lapses or is withdrawn and remain binding in the event that a higher competing offer for Novae is made.

Copies of the irrevocable undertakings will be on display on AXIS's website at www.axiscapital.com and Novae's website at www.novae.com from 12 noon on 6 July 2017 until the end of the Acquisition.

Further details of these irrevocable undertakings are set out in Appendix 3 of this Announcement.

8. INFORMATION RELATING TO AXIS

Established in 2001, AXIS is a Bermuda-based global insurer and reinsurer, providing clients and distribution partners with a broad range of specialised risk transfer products and services.

AXIS listed on the NYSE in 2003 and has a market cap of c.$5.6 billion as at 3 July 2017 (being the last US business day prior to the date of this Announcement). Headquartered in Bermuda, AXIS operates through locations in the United States, Europe, Singapore, the Middle East, Canada and Latin America, with over 1,300 employees. AXIS has total managed capital of $7.9 billion as at 31 December 2016 and its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A+" ("Strong") by Standard & Poor's and "A+" ("Superior") by A.M. Best.

AXIS is segmented into two global underwriting platforms:

AXIS Insurance, provides a customised coverage for property, liability, marine, energy, aviation, terrorism, professional lines, political risk, accident and health, credit risk and other specialty risks on a worldwide basis; and

AXIS Reinsurance, provides non-life reinsurance to insurance companies on a worldwide basis.

For the year ending 31 December 2016, AXIS reported gross written premiums of $4,970 million and net income for the year of $513 million. As at 31 March 2017, AXIS had $6,230 million of total shareholders' equity and $21,247 million of total assets.

9. FINANCING

The consideration will be funded from AXIS's existing cash resources or, if market conditions are favourable, from new borrowings.

Each of Credit Suisse International and Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLC, joint financial advisers to AXIS, have confirmed that they are each satisfied that sufficient resources are available to AXIS to satisfy in full the payment of the cash consideration payable in respect of the Scheme. Based on a fully diluted share capital of 66,795,621 Novae Shares at the Effective Date, full implementation of the Scheme would result in cash consideration amounting to approximately 467.6 million being payable by AXIS to Novae Shareholders and participants in the Novae Share Schemes.

10. INFORMATION RELATING TO NOVAE

Novae is a diversified property and casualty (re)insurer headquartered in London and operates through Syndicate 2007 at Lloyd's. It was established in 1986 and has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1998. Novae writes both insurance and reinsurance for property, casualty and marine, aviation and political risk. The Novae Group employs approximately 350 people between its offices in London and Bermuda.

Novae is segmented into two main divisions:

Property, including US, UK and European Property Facilities, Medical Malpractice and Property Reinsurance; and

Marine, Aviation, Political Risk and Specialty, including Cyber, Marine Energy, Political Credit, US Excess Casualty and Aviation Reinsurance.

For the year ending 31 December 2016, Novae reported gross written premiums of approximately 901 million and profit before tax for the year of approximately 24 million. As at 31 December 2016, Novae had approximately 2,387 million of total assets and approximately 322 million of shareholders' equity.

The Novae Group's business has a proactive strategy focused on expert underwriting, consistent performance and dynamic capital management. As part of this, Novae has re-focused on a select number of core lines of business where it has underwriting expertise and can produce sustainable profits (core lines comprise Novae's "Invest" and "Maintain" classes which delivered an average combined ratio of 80 per cent. between 2013 and 2016). Since 2013, this has resulted in Novae exiting 15 classes of business in lines where it does not hold leading offerings or where rates are under persistent market pressure, and growing its attractive core classes by approximately 410 million.

11. NOVAE SHARE SCHEMES

Participants in any of the Novae Share Schemes will be contacted regarding the effect of the Acquisition on their rights under those plans and provided with further details concerning the proposals which will be made to them in due course.

Appropriate proposals will be made to the holders of vested and unvested awards under the Novae Share Schemes.

12. OFFER-RELATED ARRANGEMENTS

AXIS and Novae have entered into a confidentiality agreement dated 6 June 2017 pursuant to which AXIS has undertaken, amongst other things, to: (a) keep confidential information relating to the Acquisition and Novae and not to disclose such information to third parties (other than certain permitted parties) unless required by law or regulation; and (b) use the confidential information only in connection with the acquisition of the whole of the issued and to be issued share capital of Novae.

Novae and AXIS have also entered into the Share Scheme Letter containing certain provisions that will apply in respect of the Novae Share Schemes, directors' and officers' insurance and certain other arrangements relating to employees.

13. STRUCTURE OF THE ACQUISITION

It is intended that the Acquisition will be implemented by means of a Court sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act. The Scheme is an arrangement between Novae and the Scheme Shareholders and is subject to the approval of the Court. The procedure involves, among other things, an application by Novae to the Court to sanction the Scheme, in consideration for which Scheme Shareholders will receive cash on the basis described in paragraph 2 above. The purpose of the Scheme is to provide for AXIS to become the owner of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Novae.

The Acquisition is subject to a number of Conditions and certain further terms set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement and to the full terms and conditions to be set out in the Scheme Document, and will only become Effective if, among other things, the following events occur on or before the Longstop Date:

a resolution to approve the Scheme is passed by a majority in number of the Scheme Shareholders present and voting (and entitled to vote) at the Court Meeting, either in person or by proxy, representing 75 per cent. or more in value of the Scheme Shares held by those Scheme Shareholders;

the Special Resolution necessary to implement the Scheme is passed at the General Meeting (which will require the approval of Novae Shareholders representing at least 75 per cent. of the votes cast at the General Meeting), which is expected to be held immediately after the Court Meeting;

following the Novae Meetings, the Scheme is sanctioned by the Court (without modification or with modification on terms agreed by AXIS and Novae); and

following such sanction, an office copy of the Scheme Court Order is delivered to the Registrar of Companies of England and Wales.

Upon the Scheme becoming Effective: (i) it will be binding on all Novae Shareholders, irrespective of whether or not they attended or voted at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting (and if they attended and voted, whether or not they voted in favour); and (ii) share certificates in respect of Novae Shares will cease to be of value and should be destroyed and entitlements to Novae Shares held within the CREST system will be cancelled. The consideration payable under the Scheme will be despatched to Scheme Shareholders by AXIS no later than 14 days after the Effective Date.

Any Novae Shares issued before the Scheme Record Time will be subject to the terms of the Scheme. The Special Resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting will, amongst other matters, provide that the Articles be amended to incorporate provisions requiring any Novae shares issued after the Scheme Record Time (other than to AXIS and/or its nominees) to be automatically transferred to AXIS on the same terms as the Acquisition (other than terms as to timings and formalities). The provisions of the Articles (as amended) will avoid any person (other than AXIS and its nominees) holding shares in the capital of Novae after the Effective Date.

The Scheme will lapse and the Acquisition will not proceed if:

the Court Meeting and the General Meeting are not held by the 22 nd day after the expected date of such meetings to be set out in the Scheme Document in due course; or

day after the expected date of such meetings to be set out in the Scheme Document in due course; or the Scheme does not become Effective by the Longstop Date,

provided however that the deadlines for the timing of the Court Meeting and the General Meeting and the deadline for the Scheme to become Effective may be extended by agreement between AXIS and Novae, with the approval of the Court and/or the consent of the Panel, if required.

The Scheme will lapse and will not become Effective if:

(a) insofar as the Merger constitutes, or is deemed to constitute, a concentration with an EU dimension within the scope of the Regulation, the European Commission either initiates proceedings under Article 6(1)(c) of the Regulation or makes a referral to the CMA under Article 4(4) or Article 9(1) of the Regulation and there is then a reference of the Merger or matter arising from or relating to it to the chair of the CMA for the constitution of a group under schedule 4 to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013; or

(b) in so far as the Merger does not constitute, or is not deemed to constitute, a concentration with an EU dimension within the scope of the Regulation, the Merger or any matter arising from or relating to it becomes subject to a reference to the chair of the CMA for the constitution of a group under schedule 4 to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013,

in either case, before the date of the Court Meeting and the General Meeting.

The Acquisition is conditional, amongst others, on the PRA and the FCA having approved (or being treated as having approved) the acquisition of control over the relevant regulated entities within the Novae Group which would result from the Acquisition, as more particularly described in Conditions 3.1 and 3.2. The Acquisition is also conditional on Lloyd's giving its consent to each member of the AXIS Group becoming a controller of the relevant regulated entities within the Novae Group as a result of the Acquisition, as more particularly described in Condition 3.3.

It is expected that the Scheme Document, containing further information about the Acquisition and notices of the Court Meeting and General Meeting, together with Forms of Proxy, will be posted to Novae Shareholders and (for information only) to participants of the Novae Share Schemes within 28 days of the date of this Announcement. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all relevant conditions, including the Conditions, and certain further terms set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement and to be set out in the Scheme Document, it is expected that the Scheme will become Effective in Q4 2017. An expected timetable of principal events will be included in the Scheme Document.

14. DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS IN NOVAE

As at the close of business on 4 July 2017, being the last Business Day before the date of this Announcement, neither AXIS nor the directors of AXIS nor, so far as AXIS is aware, any person acting in concert with AXIS, had any interest in, right to subscribe for, or had borrowed or lent any Novae Shares or securities convertible or exchangeable into Novae Shares, nor did any such person have any short position (whether conditional or absolute and whether in the money or otherwise), including any short position under a derivative, any agreement to sell or any delivery obligation or right to require another person to take delivery, or any dealing arrangement of the kind referred to in Note 11 of the definition of acting in concert in the Code, in relation to Novae Shares or in relation to any securities convertible or exchangeable into Novae Shares.

In the interests of secrecy prior to releasing this Announcement, it has not been practicable for AXIS to have made any enquiries of certain parties who may be deemed by the Panel to be acting in concert with AXIS. Enquiries of such parties will be made as soon as practicable following the date of this Announcement and AXIS confirms that further disclosure in accordance with Rule 8.1(a) and Note 2(a)(i) on Rule 8 of the Code will be made as soon as possible, if required.

15. DELISTING AND RE-REGISTRATION

It is intended that dealings in Novae Shares should be suspended shortly prior to the Effective Date at a time to be set out in the Scheme Document. It is further intended that an application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the cancellation of the trading of Novae Shares on its main market for listed securities and the UK Listing Authority will be requested to cancel the listing of Novae Shares on the Official List to take effect on or shortly after the Effective Date.

Share certificates in respect of the Novae Shares will cease to be valid and should be destroyed on the first Business Day following the Effective Date.

In addition, entitlements held within the CREST system to the Novae Shares will be cancelled on the first Business Day following the Effective Date.

16. OVERSEAS SHAREHOLDERS

The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into jurisdictions other than the UK may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the UK should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. In particular, the ability of persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom to vote their Novae Shares with respect to the Scheme at the Court Meeting, or to appoint another person as proxy to vote at the Court Meeting on their behalf, may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located. Any failure to comply with the applicable restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the companies and persons involved in the Acquisition disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with English law and the Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of England.

This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute or form part of, any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities of Novae in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Acquisition will be implemented solely by means of the Scheme Document (or if the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer, the offer document), which will contain the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition including details of how to vote in respect of the Acquisition. Any vote in respect of the Scheme (or, if applicable, the Takeover Offer) or other response in relation to the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Scheme Document (or, if applicable, acceptance under the offer document). Each Novae Shareholder is urged to consult his independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him.

17. DOCUMENTS PUBLISHED ON A WEBSITE

Copies of the following documents will, no later than 12 noon on 6 July 2017, be available on AXIS's website at www.axiscapital.com and Novae's website at www.novae.com until the end of the Acquisition:

this Announcement;

the irrevocable undertakings referred to in paragraph 7 (further details of which are set out in Appendix 3 of this Announcement); and

the confidentiality agreement and the Share Scheme Letter referred to in paragraph 12.

The contents of Novae's website and AXIS's website are not incorporated into and do not form part of this Announcement.

18. GENERAL

The Acquisition will be subject to the Conditions and certain further terms set out in Appendix 1 and the further terms and conditions to be set out in the Scheme Document when issued.

AXIS shall be entitled to implement the Acquisition by way of a Takeover Offer rather than the Scheme with the consent of the Panel.

If the Acquisition is effected by way of a Takeover Offer and such Takeover Offer becomes or is declared unconditional in all respects and sufficient acceptances are received, AXIS intends to exercise its rights to apply the provisions of Chapter 3 of Part 28 of the Companies Act to acquire compulsorily the remaining Novae Shares in respect of which the Takeover Offer has not been accepted.

The Acquisition will be governed by English law and will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. The Acquisition will be subject to the applicable requirements of the Code, the Panel, the London Stock Exchange and the FCA.

The sources of certain financial information and bases of calculation contained in this Announcement are set out in Appendix 2. Certain terms used in this Announcement are defined in Appendix 4.

Enquiries

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited Joe Henry, Chief Financial Officer Linda Ventresca, Corporate Development Conrad Brooks, General Counsel +1 212 500 7600 +1 212 500 7600 +1 212 500 7600 Credit Suisse International Alejandro Przygoda Carlos Marque Joe Hannon Hugh Man +1 212 325 2000 +1 212 325 2000 +44 20 7888 8888 +44 20 7888 8888 Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP Malik Karim Philippe Jacquemard Richard Locke Philip Evans +44 20 7382 2222 +44 20 7382 2222 +44 20 7382 2222 +44 20 7382 2222 Novae Group plc Matthew Fosh, Chief Executive Reeken Patel, Chief Financial Officer +44 20 7050 9000 +44 20 7050 9000 Evercore Partners International LLP Matthew Lindsey-Clark Stuart Britton Neil Bhadra Canaccord Genuity Limited Bruce Garrow Chris Connors +44 20 7653 6000 +1 212 857 3100 +44 20 7653 6000 +44 20 7523 8000 +44 20 7523 8000

Simpson Thacher Bartlett LLP and Willkie Farr Gallagher LLP are retained as legal advisers to AXIS.

Slaughter and May is retained as legal adviser to Novae.

Further Information

This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute or form part of, any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities of Novae in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Acquisition will be implemented solely by means of the Scheme Document (or if the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer, the offer document), which will contain the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition including details of how to vote in respect of the Acquisition. Any vote in respect of the Scheme (or, if applicable, the Takeover Offer) or other response in relation to the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Scheme Document (or, if applicable, acceptance under the offer document). Each Novae Shareholder is urged to consult his independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him.

Credit Suisse International, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for AXIS and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be responsible to any person other than AXIS for providing the protections afforded to clients of Credit Suisse International, nor for providing advice in relation to the content of this Announcement or any matter referred to herein. Neither Credit Suisse International nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Credit Suisse International in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for AXIS and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be responsible to any person other than AXIS for providing the protections afforded to clients of Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP, nor for providing advice in relation to the content of this Announcement or any matter referred to herein. Neither Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Evercore, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for Novae and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Novae for providing the protections afforded to clients of Evercore, nor for providing advice in relation to the content of this Announcement or any matter referred to herein. Neither Evercore nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Evercore in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Canaccord Genuity Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting exclusively for Novae as corporate broker and no-one else in connection with the subject matter of this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Novae for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the subject matter of this Announcement.

Overseas Jurisdictions

The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into jurisdictions other than the UK may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the UK should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. In particular, the ability of persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom to vote their Novae Shares with respect to the Scheme at the Court Meeting, or to appoint another person as proxy to vote at the Court Meeting on their behalf, may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located. Any failure to comply with the applicable restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the companies and persons involved in the Acquisition disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with English law and the Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of England.

Copies of this Announcement and formal documentation relating to the Acquisition will not be, and must not be, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws of that jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render invalid any related purported vote in respect of the Acquisition. If the Acquisition is implemented by way of Takeover Offer (unless otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulation), the Takeover Offer may not be made, directly or indirectly, in or into or from within any Restricted Jurisdiction.

The Acquisition relates to the shares of an English company that is a "foreign private issuer" as defined in Rule 3b4 under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is proposed to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under English law. Neither the US proxy solicitation rules nor (unless implemented by means of an offer) the tender offer rules under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, will apply to the Acquisition. Accordingly, the Scheme will be subject to the disclosure requirements and practices applicable to the United Kingdom and under the Code to schemes of arrangement, which differ from the disclosure requirements of the US proxy solicitation rules and tender offer rules. Neither the SEC, nor any securities commission of any state of the United States, has approved the Acquisition, passed upon the fairness of the Acquisition or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this document. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. Financial information relating to Novae included in this Announcement and the Scheme Document has been or will have been prepared in accordance with accounting standards applicable in the United Kingdom that may not be comparable to financial information of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

The receipt of cash pursuant to the Acquisition by a US beneficial owner of Novae Shares as consideration for the transfer of its Scheme Shares pursuant to the Scheme will be a taxable transaction for United States federal income tax purposes and may also be a taxable transaction under other applicable tax laws, including any applicable United States state and local, as well as nonUS, tax laws. Each Novae Shareholder is urged to consult his independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him.

If the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer and AXIS determines to extend such offer into the United States, the offer will be made in compliance with applicable UK and US securities laws and regulations, including the US tender offer rules.

In accordance with normal UK practice, AXIS or its nominees, or its brokers (acting as agents), may from time to time make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, Novae Shares outside of the US, other than pursuant to the Acquisition, until the date on which the Acquisition and/or Scheme becomes Effective, lapses or is otherwise withdrawn. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. Any information about such purchases will be disclosed as required in the UK, will be reported to a Regulatory Information Service and will be available on the London Stock Exchange website at www.londonstockexchange.com .

Further details in relation to Overseas Shareholders will be contained in the Scheme Document.

Forward-looking statements

This Announcement (including information incorporated by reference in this Announcement), oral statements made regarding the Acquisition, and other information published by AXIS and Novae contain statements which are, or may be deemed to be, "forward looking statements". Such forward looking statements are prospective in nature and are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and on numerous assumptions regarding the business strategies and the environment in which the AXIS Group or the Enlarged Group will operate in the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. The forward looking statements contained in this Announcement relate to the AXIS Group or the Enlarged Group's future prospects, developments and business strategies, the expected timing and scope of the Acquisition and other statements other than historical facts. In some cases, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the terms "can be", "target", "expect", "estimate", "aims", "opportunity", "create", "represents", "extends", "provides", "enables", "achieve", "intends", "will", "would", "could", "should", "proposed", "enhancing", "synergies" or "believe" or their negatives or other variations or comparable terminology. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. If any one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialises or if any one or more of the assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Such forward looking statements should therefore be construed in the light of such factors. Neither AXIS nor Novae, nor any of their respective associates or directors, officers or advisers, provides any representation, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any forward looking statements in this Announcement will actually occur. Given these risks and uncertainties, potential investors should not place any reliance on forward looking statements.

The forward looking statements speak only at the date of this Announcement. AXIS and Novae expressly disclaim any obligation to update such statements other than as required by law or by the rules of any competent regulatory authority, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No profit forecasts

No statement in this Announcement is intended as a profit forecast or profit estimate and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per Novae Share or AXIS Share for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the respective historical published earning per Novae Share or AXIS Share or to mean that the Enlarged Group's earnings in the first 12 months following the Acquisition, or in any subsequent period, would necessarily match or be greater than those of AXIS or Novae for the relevant preceding financial period or any other period.

Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the Business Day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Code.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4 of the Code).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.com, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

Electronic communications

Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and certain other information provided by Novae Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant persons for the receipt of communications from Novae may be provided to AXIS during the offer period as required under Section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Code to comply with Rule 2.12(c).

The contents of the websites referred to in this Announcement are not incorporated into and do not form part of this Announcement.

Publication on website and hard copies

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this Announcement will be published and made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on AXIS's website at www.axiscapital.com and Novae's website at www.novae.com by no later than 12 noon on the Business Day following this Announcement. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of those websites are not incorporated by reference into, and do not form part of, this Announcement.

Novae Shareholders and AXIS shareholders may request a hard copy of this Announcement by contacting the registrar of Novae during business hours on +44 (0) 370 707 1327 or by submitting a request in writing to Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZZ. Your attention is drawn to the fact that a hard copy of this Announcement will not be sent to you unless so requested. You may also request that all future documents, announcements and information to be sent to you in relation to the Acquisition should be in hard copy form.

Rounding

Certain figures included in this Announcement have been subjected to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown for the same category presented in different tables may vary slightly and figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them.

Rule 2.9 requirement

In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, Novae confirms that at the date of this Announcement, it has in issue and admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange 64,425,640 ordinary shares of 1.125 each. The ISIN of the Novae Shares is GB00B40SF849.

APPENDIX 1

CONDITIONS AND CERTAIN FURTHER TERMS TO THE ACQUISITION AND THE SCHEME

PART A: CONDITIONS TO THE SCHEME AND THE ACQUISITION

SCHEME CONDITIONS

1. The Acquisition will be conditional upon the Scheme becoming unconditional and becoming Effective, subject to the provisions of the Code, by no later than the Longstop Date.

2. The Scheme will be subject to the following conditions:

2.1. its approval by a majority in number of Scheme Shareholders who are on the register of members of Novae at the Voting Record Time, present and voting, whether in person or by proxy, representing 75 per cent. or more in value of the Scheme Shares held by those Scheme Shareholders, at the Court Meeting (or any adjournment thereof, provided that the Court Meeting may not be adjourned beyond the 22nd day after the expected date of the Court Meeting to be set out in the Scheme Document in due course, or such later date (if any) as AXIS and Novae may agree and the Court may allow);

2.2. all resolutions required to approve and implement the Scheme (including, without limitation, the Special Resolution) being duly passed by the requisite majority at the General Meeting (or any adjournment thereof, provided that the General Meeting may not be adjourned beyond the 22nd day after the expected date of the General Meeting to be set out in the Scheme Document in due course, or such later date (if any) as AXIS and Novae may agree and the Court may allow); and

2.3. the sanction (without modification or with modification on terms acceptable to AXIS and Novae) of the Scheme by the Court, provided that the Scheme Court Hearing may not be adjourned beyond the 22nd day after the expected date of the Scheme Court Hearing to be set out in the Scheme Document in due course, or such later date (if any) as AXIS and Novae may agree and the Court may allow, and an office copy of the Scheme Court Order being delivered to the Registrar of Companies of England and Wales.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

3. AXIS and Novae have agreed that, subject as stated below and to the requirements of the Panel, the Acquisition will also be conditional upon, and accordingly the necessary actions to make the Acquisition Effective will only be taken on, the satisfaction or waiver of the following Conditions:

Regulatory and merger control clearances

Prudential Regulation Authority

3.1. the PRA:

(a) having given notice of its unconditional approval in writing under section 189(4)(a) of FSMA, or having given notice of its conditional approval by means of a decision notice under section 189(7) of FSMA on terms satisfactory to AXIS acting reasonably; or

(b) being treated as having given its approval by virtue of section 189(6) of FSMA,

in respect of any increase in or acquisition of control (as defined in sections 181 and 182 of FSMA) over Novae Syndicates Limited which would take place as a result of the Acquisition becoming Effective;

Financial Conduct Authority

3.2. the FCA:

(a) having given notice of its unconditional approval in writing under section 189(4)(a) of FSMA, or having given notice of its conditional approval by means of a decision notice under section 189(7) of FSMA on terms satisfactory to AXIS acting reasonably; or

(b) being treated as having given its approval by virtue of section 189(6) of FSMA,

in respect of any increase in control (as defined in sections 181 and 182 of FSMA) over Novae Underwriting Limited which would take place as a result of the Acquisition becoming Effective;

Lloyd's of London

3.3. Lloyd's (acting through the Council of Lloyd's or its Franchise Board, as the case may be) having given its consent in writing, pursuant to (i) paragraph 12 of the Lloyd's Membership Byelaw, in respect of each member of the AXIS Group that will become a controller of Novae Corporate Underwriting Limited and each Dormant Corporate Member; and (ii) paragraph 43 of the Lloyd's Underwriting Byelaw, in respect of each member of the AXIS Group that will become a controller of Novae Underwriting Limited, in each case in relation to such as would take place as a result of the Acquisition becoming Effective and where, in each case, the meaning of "controller" follows that of the relevant Byelaw;

Bermuda Monetary Authority

3.4. the BMA having given written notice that it has no objection to any change in the shareholder controller(s) of Novae Bermuda Limited notified by the relevant member(s) of the AXIS Group in accordance with Section 30D of the Bermuda Insurance Act 1978 which would take place as a result of the Acquisition becoming Effective;

Merger control

3.5. the European Commission indicating that it does not intend to initiate proceedings under Article 6(1)(c) of the Regulation (or being deemed to have done so under Article 10(6) of the Regulation); and

3.6. to the extent that the European Commission refers any aspect of the Merger to a competent authority of any Member State of the European Union or EFTA, under Article 9 of the Regulation, all relevant notifications or filings having been made, all appropriate waiting periods having expired, lapsed or been terminated and all such clearances or approvals having been granted (or being deemed to have been granted in accordance with the relevant law) provided that each such clearance or approval has an equivalent effect to the decision referred to in Condition 3.5 above.

General Third Party clearances

3.7. all notifications to, and filings with, Third Parties which are necessary in order to allow the Acquisition to close having been made, all necessary waiting and other time periods (including any extensions of such waiting and other time periods) under any applicable legislation or regulation of any relevant jurisdiction having expired, lapsed or been terminated (as appropriate) and all statutory or regulatory obligations in any relevant jurisdiction having been complied with in each case in connection with the Scheme or Acquisition or the acquisition of any shares or other securities in, or control of, Novae or any other member of the wider Novae Group by any member of the wider AXIS Group where the direct consequence of failure to make a notification or filing or to wait for the expiry, lapse or termination of any such waiting or time period is material in the context of the wider AXIS Group or the wider Novae Group, in each case, taken as a whole;

3.8. no Third Party whose consent or nonintervention is required in order to allow the Acquisition to close having intervened (as defined in paragraph 4.4 below) which would or might reasonably be expected to (in each case, which is material in the context of the wider AXIS Group or the wider Novae Group, in each case, taken as a whole):

(a) make the Scheme or the Acquisition or, in each case, its implementation or the acquisition or proposed acquisition by AXIS or any member of the wider AXIS Group of any shares or other securities in, or control of, Novae or any member of the wider Novae Group void, illegal or unenforceable in any relevant jurisdiction, or otherwise directly or indirectly materially restrain, prevent, prohibit, restrict or delay the same or impose additional material conditions or obligations with respect to the Scheme or the Acquisition or such acquisition, or otherwise materially impede, challenge or interfere with the Scheme or Acquisition or such acquisition, or require material amendment to the terms of the Scheme or Acquisition or the acquisition or proposed acquisition of any Novae Shares or the acquisition of control of Novae or the wider Novae Group by AXIS or any member of the AXIS Group;

(b) materially limit or delay, or impose any material limitations on, the ability of any member of the wider AXIS Group or any member of the wider Novae Group to acquire or to hold or to exercise effectively, directly or indirectly, all or any rights of ownership in respect of shares or other securities in, or to exercise voting or management control over, any member of the wider Novae Group or any member of the wider AXIS Group;

(c) require, prevent or materially delay the divestiture by any member of the wider AXIS Group of any shares or other securities in Novae;

(d) require, prevent or materially delay the divestiture by any member of the wider AXIS Group or by any member of the wider Novae Group of all or any portion of their respective businesses, assets or properties or materially limit the ability of any of them to conduct any of their respective businesses or to own or control any of their respective assets or properties or any part thereof;

(e) except pursuant to sections 974 to 991 of the Companies Act, require any member of the wider AXIS Group or of the wider Novae Group to acquire, or to offer to acquire, any shares or other securities (or the equivalent) in any member, or repay any indebtedness of any member of the wider AXIS Group or the wider Novae Group owned by or owed to any third party;

(f) materially limit the ability of any member of the wider AXIS Group or of the wider Novae Group to conduct or integrate or coordinate its business, or any part of it, with the businesses or any part of the businesses of any other member of the wider AXIS Group or of the wider Novae Group;

(g) result in any member of the wider Novae Group or the wider AXIS Group ceasing to be able to carry on business under any name under which it presently does so; or

(h) otherwise materially adversely affect any or all of the business, assets, value, profits, operational performance, financial or trading position or prospects of any member of the wider Novae Group or of the wider AXIS Group,

and all applicable waiting and other time periods (including extensions thereof) during which any Third Party whose consent is required in order to allow the Acquisition to close could intervene (as defined in 4.4 below) under the laws of any relevant jurisdiction having expired, lapsed or been terminated;

3.9. all material Authorisations which are necessary in order to allow the Acquisition to close in any relevant jurisdiction for or in respect of the Scheme or Acquisition or the acquisition or proposed acquisition of any shares or other securities in, or control of, Novae or any other member of the wider Novae Group by any member of the wider AXIS Group having been obtained, in terms and in a form reasonably satisfactory to AXIS, from all appropriate Third Parties or from any persons or bodies with whom any member of the wider Novae Group has entered into contractual arrangements, in each case where the absence of such Authorisation necessary to allow the Acquisition to close would have a material adverse effect on the wider Novae Group taken as a whole and all such Authorisations remaining in full force and effect and there being no notice or intimation of any intention to revoke, suspend, restrict, modify or not to renew any of the same;

Certain matters arising as a result of any arrangement, agreement etc.

3.10. except as Disclosed, there being no provision of any agreement, arrangement, licence, permit, franchise, lease or other instrument to which any member of the wider Novae Group is a party or by or to which any such member or any of its assets may be bound, entitled or subject or any circumstance, which, in each case as a consequence of the Scheme or Acquisition or the acquisition or proposed acquisition of any shares or other securities in, or control of, Novae or any other member of the wider Novae Group by any member of the wider AXIS Group or because of a change in the control of Novae or any other member of the wider Novae Group or otherwise, would or might reasonably be expected to result (in each case to an extent which is material in the context of the wider Novae Group as a whole) in:

(a) any monies borrowed by or any other indebtedness (actual or contingent) of, or grant available to any such member, being or becoming repayable or capable of being declared repayable immediately or earlier than their or its stated maturity date or repayment date or the ability of any such member to borrow monies or incur any indebtedness being withdrawn or inhibited or being capable of becoming or being withdrawn or inhibited;

(b) any such agreement, arrangement, licence, permit, franchise, lease or instrument or the rights, liabilities, obligations, interests or business of any such member thereunder being, or becoming capable of being, terminated or adversely modified or adversely affected or any obligation or liability arising thereunder or any adverse action being taken thereunder;

(c) any assets or interests of any such member being or falling to be disposed of or charged or ceasing to be available to any such member or any right arising under which any such asset or interest could be required to be disposed of or charged or could cease to be available to any such member otherwise than in the ordinary course of business;

(d) the creation or enforcement of any mortgage, charge or other security interest over the whole or any part of the business, property or assets of any such member or any such mortgage, charge or other security interest (wherever created, arising or having arisen) being enforced or becoming enforceable otherwise than in the ordinary course of business;

(e) the rights, liabilities, obligations or interests of any such member under any such agreement, arrangement, licence, permit, franchise, lease or other instrument, or the interests or business of any such member in or with, any person, firm, company or body (or any arrangement or arrangements relating to any such interests or business) being terminated, adversely modified or adversely affected or any onerous obligation or liability arising or any adverse action being taken or arising thereunder;

(f) the business, assets, value, profits or operational performance of any such member or its financial or trading position being prejudiced or adversely affected;

(g) any such member ceasing to be able to carry on business under any name under which it presently does so;

(h) the creation or acceleration of any liability, actual or contingent, by any such member or for which any such member may be responsible other than liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(i) the creation or acceleration of any liability to taxation of any such member other than liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business; or

(j) any liability of any such member to make any severance, termination, bonus or other payment to any of its directors or other officers other than where such liabilities are incurred in the ordinary course of business,

and no event having occurred which, under any provision of any agreement, arrangement, licence, permit, franchise, lease or other instrument to which any member of the wider Novae Group is a party or by or to which any such member or any of its assets may be bound, entitled or subject, would result in or would reasonably be expected to result in any of the events or circumstances as are referred to in subparagraphs (a) to (i) of this Condition 3.10 (in each case to an extent which is or would be material in the context of the wider Novae Group as a whole);

3.11. except as Disclosed, no member of the wider Novae Group having, since 31 December 2016:

(a) save as between Novae and whollyowned subsidiaries of Novae or for Novae Shares issued pursuant to the exercise of options, awards and other rights granted under the Novae Share Schemes, issued, agreed to issue, authorised the issue or proposed the issue of additional shares of any class;

(b) sold or transferred or agreed to sell or transfer any Novae Shares held by Novae as treasury shares except for the issue or transfer out of treasury of Novae Shares on the exercise of employee share options or vesting of employee share awards;

(c) save as between Novae and whollyowned subsidiaries of Novae or for the grant of options, awards and other rights under the Novae Share Schemes, issued or agreed to issue, authorised or proposed the issue of securities convertible or exchangeable into shares of any class or rights, warrants or options to subscribe for, or acquire, any such shares or convertible or exchangeable securities;

(d) except in relation to necessary changes made or agreed as a result of or arising from, changes to legislation, made or agreed or consented to any significant change to: (i) the terms of the trust deeds, rules, policy or other governing documents constituting any pension scheme or other retirement or death benefit arrangement established for the directors, former directors, employees or former employees of any entity in the wider Novae Group or their dependants (a "Relevant Pension Plan"); (ii) the basis on which benefits accrue, pensions which are payable or the persons entitled to accrue or be paid benefits, under any Relevant Pension Plan; (iii) the basis on which the liabilities of any Relevant Pension Plan are funded or valued; (iv) the manner in which the assets of any Relevant Pension Plan are invested; or (v) the basis or rate of employer contribution to a Relevant Pension Plan;

(e) carried out any act: (i) which would or could reasonably be expected to lead to the commencement of the winding up of any Relevant Pension Plan; (ii) which would or might create a material debt owed by an employer to any Relevant Pension Plan; or (iii) which would or might accelerate any material obligation on any employer to fund or pay additional contributions to any Relevant Pension Plan;

(f) other than to another member of the Novae Group, recommended, declared, paid or made or proposed to recommend, declare, pay or make any bonus, dividend or other distribution whether payable in cash or otherwise;

(g) other than pursuant to the Acquisition and save as between Novae and its whollyowned subsidiaries or between wholly-owned subsidiaries of Novae and save for any transaction in the ordinary course of business, merged or demerged with any body corporate, partnership or business or acquired or disposed of or transferred, mortgaged or charged or created any security interest over any assets or any right, title or interest in any asset (including shares and trade investments) or authorised or proposed or announced any intention to propose any merger, demerger, acquisition or disposal, transfer, mortgage, charge or security interest, in each case to an extent which is material in the context of the wider Novae Group as a whole;

(h) save as between Novae and its whollyowned subsidiaries or between wholly-owned subsidiaries of Novae, made or authorised or proposed or announced an intention to propose any change in its loan capital, in each case, (i) other than in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to an extent which is material in the context of the wider Novae Group as a whole;

(i) issued or authorised or proposed the issue of, or made any change in or to, any debentures or (except as between Novae and its whollyowned subsidiaries or between wholly-owned subsidiaries of Novae) incurred or increased any indebtedness or become subject to any guarantee or liability (actual or contingent), in each case (i) other than in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to an extent which is material in the context of the wider Novae Group as a whole;

(j) purchased, redeemed or repaid or announced any proposal to purchase, redeem or repay any of its own shares or other securities or reduced or made any other change to any part of its share capital, in each case, to an extent which is material in the context of the wider Novae Group as a whole;

(k) other than pursuant to the Acquisition (and except for transactions between Novae and its whollyowned subsidiaries or between wholly-owned subsidiaries of Novae or transactions in the ordinary course of business) implemented, or authorised, proposed or announced its intention to implement, any reconstruction, amalgamation, scheme, commitment or other transaction or arrangement, in each case, to an extent which is material in the context of the wider Novae Group as a whole;

(l) entered into or varied the terms of any contract, agreement or arrangement with any director or senior executive of any member of the wider Novae Group, save for salary increases, bonuses or variation of terms in the ordinary course of business which, in each case, is material in the context of the wider Novae Group;

(m) entered into or varied or authorised, proposed or announced its intention, other than in the ordinary course of business, to enter into or vary any contract, transaction, arrangement or commitment (whether in respect of capital expenditure or otherwise) which is of a long term, onerous or unusual nature or magnitude or which involves an obligation of such a nature or magnitude, and in each such case is or would be reasonably likely to be material in the context of the wider Novae Group or 
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2017 / Lundin Law PC, a shareholder rights firm, announces a class action lawsuit against Barrick Gold Corporation ('Barrick' or the 'Company') (NYSE: ABX) for possible violations of federal securities laws from February 16, 2017 through April 24, 2017 inclusive (the 'Class Period'). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Barrick shares during the Class Period should contact the firm prior to the July 10, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here.

You can also call Brian Lundin, Esq., of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or you can e-mail him at brian@lundinlawpc.com.

No class has been certified in the above action yet, and until a class is certified, you are not considered represented by an attorney. You may choose to do nothing and be an absent class member as well.

According to the Complaint, throughout the Class Period, Barrick made materially false and/or misleading statements, and failed to disclose: that the pipes and safety systems at its Veladero mine were not robust enough to prevent gold-bearing solution spills; that Argentinian authorities would restrict the addition of cyanide to the Veladero mine's heap leach facility and require remedial work; that these developments would impact the production capacity of the Veladero mine; that Barrick's Veladero mine production guidance and total gold production guidance were overstated; and that as a result, the Company's statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

On April 24, 2017, Barrick revised its full year guidance, stating that "[f]ull-year gold production is now expected to be 5.3-5.6 million ounces, down from our previous range of 5.6-5.9 million ounces." The Company attributed about two-thirds of the decrease to the planned sale of 50% percent of its Veladero mine. Barrick also revised Veladero-specific guidance, forecasting full-year production at Veladero of 630,000-730,000 ounces, compared to its previously-issued guidance of 770,000-830,000 ounces. When this news was announced, Barrick's stock price dropped materially, which harmed investors according to the Complaint.

Lundin Law PC was established by Brian Lundin, Esq., a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding the rights of shareholders.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethics rules.

Contact:

Lundin Law PC

Brian Lundin, Esq.

Telephone: 888-713-1033

Facsimile: 888-713-1125

brian@lundinlawpc.com

http://lundinlawpc.com/

SOURCE: Lundin Law PC
Mumbai: A special PMLA court on Wednesday issued a fresh non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) against fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya in connection with a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged bank loan fraud.

"The court has taken cognisance of the ED chargesheet filed on 14 June, 2017 and issued a NBW against Mallya," Special ED counsel Hiten Venegoankar said.

The ED had filed its charge sheet against Mallya and eight others in connection with its money laundering probe into the about Rs 900 crore IDBI-KFA bank loan case.

The court issued the fresh NBW at ED's request after the anti-money laundering agency submitted that Mallya is in the UK and has failed to appear before it on previous occasions too.

The 57-page charge sheet or prosecution complaint by the ED, with voluminous annexures, was filed under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

A total of nine accused have been named in the charge sheet including Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), United Breweries (Holding) Limited, senior employees and executives of the now defunct airline and the IDBI bank.

The agency, in the charge sheet, had called Mallya the "prime mover of the entire plot" and described how funds obtained from the bank as loan were allegedly diverted by the beleaguered businessman to the Formula-1 car racing event abroad. Mallya owns Formula 1 team named Force India.

It had also mentioned the role of other officials and executives of KFA and IDBI bank in this deal. The agency also had described how over Rs 400 crore was moved abroad in alleged violation of rules.

The investigations conducted by the ED, it said, had found that Mallya, KFA along with IDBI bank officials "criminally conspired to obtain funds to the tune of Rs 860.92 crore despite weak financials, negative net worth, non-compliance of corporate credit policy of new client, non-quality collateral security and low credit rating of the borrower."

It said Rs 807.82 crore of the principal amount remains unpaid. The Enforcement Directorate had registered a criminal case last year under the PMLA.

The ED had said its "money trail analysis revealed that out of the total loan of Rs 860.92 crore sanctioned and disbursed by IDBI, Rs 423 crore was remitted out of India. The said payments were shown to be made towards aircraft rental leasing and maintenance, servicing and spare parts."

The agency is expected to soon file a supplementary charge sheet in this case. Mallya (61) has been in the UK since March 2016 and was arrested by the Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant on 18 April . The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too is probing this case.
Mumbai: Advertising sector watchdog ASCI upheld complaints against 130 misleading advertisements in April, including those of Godrej Consumer Products, Hindustan Unilever, Reliance Communications and Vodafone.

The Customer Complaints Council (CCC) of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) upheld complaints against 130 out of 199 advertisements reported to it.

It upheld complaint against Reliance Communications for its fastest 4G network claim, saying it "was not substantiated and is misleading by exaggeration."

For Vodafone India's advertisement, it said, "in view of the limit of 300 minutes/day as mentioned in the advertisement, the claim, `Rs 328 + unlimited local / STD calls for 28 days, is misleading."

It found Godrej Consumer Products Cinthol advertisement "misleading by ambiguity and omission", since the free pack on offer was of a smaller size.

"`Buy 3 Get 1 Free is prominently displayed on the front of pack. However, this declaration is misleading by ambiguity and omission as the fourth pack is not of the same size. While the said claim was qualified by a disclaimer to declare the details of the free offer - `Buy 3 units of 125g soaps and get 1 unit of 75g free, the placement position of the disclaimer was not on the same panel of the packaging," said the ad regulator.

It also pulled up Hindustan Unilevers Pepsodent Germi Check advertisement and said it was misleading by omission of other measures required to be taken for protection from caries (dental cavities) after eating sugary food.
India's South Asian neighbours are looking for ways to absorb the impact of the goods and services tax (GST) the country adopted from 1 July. The new tax regime subsumes key taxes levied by the central and state governments, unifying the whole country as single common market.

The major impact for the neighbouring countries is the increase in trasportation cost. Third-country imports through India are going to get costlier as tax rate for transportation through railways, roads and waterways has been increased, though there can be exceptions in some cases.

The South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) of 2004 may come to the rescue of these countries. There will still be repercussions across the region as India is the largest trading partner of most countries in the region, including Pakistan.

Though SAFTA stipulates that "traffic in transit shall be exempt from customs duty and from all transit duties or other charges imposed in respect of transit", the clause that there shall be reasonable charges for transportation and other services rendered for the supervision of such transit" is likely to have an impact on these countries.

Bangladesh

"GST will definitely affect us," Bangladeshi commerce secretary Subhasis Bose told Firstpost in a telephonic interview. Bose sees new higher GST rates pushing up prices of certain items in his country.

Although, there are a few import items from Bangladesh that enjoy duty-free status, the introduction of GST may change it for some of them. Any such development is likely to force the manufacturers to pass on the cost increase to the consumers. This would mean tighter competition for the manufacturer with the Indian producers.

Nepal

Nepal is equally worried about transit of goods and has requested the Indian government not to increase railways, roads and waterways service charges on goods bound for Nepal. India has sought for a detailed report on the GSTs impact on Nepal.

GST should not undermine the spirit of the trade and transit treaty," said Hari Prasad Odari, Nepalese ambassador to India, adding if the issue is not discussed, it is likely to immensely affect traders in that country. Odari says they are looking at resolving the issue at the earliest.

Earlier, India had done away with a 4.5 percent service tax on imports from that country after the Nepalese government raised objections that it violates the provision of trade and transit treaty.

Bhutan

The Bhutanese economy is closely linked to Indias and the the Bhutans Chamber for Commerce and Industry is keeping a close watch on the developments here.

However, the country is likely to benefit more than any other in the region, as imports get cheaper and industries like ferro silicon can take advantage as raw materials are mostly procured from India.

Operational costs like warehouse and transportation are likely to come down owing to smooth flow of goods, easier compliance and taxes. The excise duty refunds received by the Bhutanese government is, however, likely to decrease as most of the goods will now be outside the purview of excise.

Bhutan can save more Indian currency should price of commodities fall after GST. When Indian traders sell at cheaper rates they avail less India rupees from the banks through real time gross settlement, says Naman Sidharth, senior consultant at ImsTaxoService. This will help Bhutan spend less the Indian rupee.

However, the Bhutanese cement industry, which source most of its raw materials from within that country and has its biggest export market in India, is anxious as now the cost of producing cement in India would go down post-GST, making the already tough competition even tougher.

Maldives

Maldives, however, told Firstpost that the implementation of GST in India is not going to effect the country.

It is not going to affect Maldives import or export but it will affect Maldivians who visit India as tourists, students and for medical treatments, says the director of Maldives inland revenue, Mohamed Shahid.

But we would still like to wait and watch, how will the impact be, he added.

Pakistan

Meanwhile, Pakistani traders are likely to benefit from the GST rollout in India, according to a report in The Indian Express. This is because as tax evasion in India comes down, they will get a level playing field here.

"Earlier, we would import goods from Pakistan, which are also available in India. Local traders would reduce their cost by not paying taxes according to rules," trader Rajdeep Uppal has been quoted as saying in the report.

According to the report, cement from Pakistan is likely to become cheaper here while dry fruits may become costlier.

However, these are only speculations. It would take weeks or even months for the neighbouring countries to fully comprehend the the real effects of India's GST.
With the implementation of goods and services tax (GST) from 1 July, the numerous sectors in the Indian market are to be affected. Real estate is one among them. GST has brought all indirect taxes (service tax, excise duty and value added tax which apply to the procurement of goods and services during construction) under one unified tax structure; leading to a scenario where there will only remain the direct taxes (capital gains tax and wealth tax), stamp duty and GST for all property-related transactions.

The Centre has eased off the biggest challenge under GST in real estate that was posing as a hurdle for developers. By allowing deduction of land value equivalent to one-third of total amount charged by the developer it is making sure that the developer passes on the input tax benefits to customers.

The Centre has also hiked GST rate for the sector to 18 percent from 12 percent decided upon earlier. And the new rate of 18 percent would now be charged on two-thirds of the under-construction property value, which will turn around to be the same as 12 percent on the entire value of the property that was announced earlier. The only catch is that states also come out with a similar notification.

With the 1/3rd deduction, effective rate will be 12 percent which is the right treatment, says Vinod Menon, director and CEO, Citrus Ventures. However, with pre-GST effective VAT+ service tax rate being 9 percent there is still a 3 percent incremental charge. Since no retrospective claim of credits is possible, this will be a bone of contention between customers and developers as to who will bear this.

Overall the impact of GST on real estate would be basically tax neutral but full of gains for the affordable housing sector. Sachin Sandhir, global managing director  emerging business, RICS, says it is expected to keep real estate costs low for the affordable housing segment, but increase costs for others. Considering that almost 70 percent of the real estate market caters to the middle to high income segment, GST could help shift focus, particularly of smaller developers, towards the high volume, low to medium income segment.

In fact, Menon, who caters to the mid-segment in Bangalore, is enthused by the tax breaks and sops given to developers for affordable housing. He thinks the subsidy provided under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and the Rs 2.5 lakh subsidy given to customers may help save many developers to coast through this difficult time and those stuck with transitionary projects. He is constructing affordable projects under PMAY scheme. Apart from this, he has plans of constructing a villa project under PMAY urban scheme of 110 sq m catering to customers falling in the 12-18 lakh segment. He strongly believes an affordable villa in the main suburb of Bangalore at near about Rs 55 lakh will have a good appetite and fulfil aspirations of this affordable segment.

But Home appliances which are a necessity for consumers, with 28 percent GST, the consumer price (market operating price- MOP) could marginally go up by 1-2 percent post implementation of GST. Kamal Nandi, Business Head and EVP, Godrej Appliances says this could have an impact on demand in the short run. However, he thinks normal monsoon, boosting agricultural economy and hike in allowances to government employees will propel demand during the forthcoming festive season.

The industrial property and warehousing segment will be the primary beneficiary of adoption of the GST system as operating efficiency is expected to increase, according to Colliers Research. Logistics companies will also look to establish large consolidated warehouses located on strategic transit corridors. Thereby, the market is likely to witness development of a hub and spoke system of warehousing, the hubs being on transit corridors and the spokes on feeder lines.

Earlier, routes and positions of warehousing facilities would be determined by the tax incident on the goods being transported to the warehouse, says Sandhir; so a facility located in a low tax incidence area would be more viable as compared to a high tax incidence area, moderated by the cost of transport along both routes.

However, during the early stages of implementation, costs are expected to increase due to the negative impact on the supply chain through-put due to teething issues, notes Joe Verghese, Managing Director, Colliers International India. Commercial leasing transactions, which constitute a major portion of overall commercial property business in India, will see an immediate increase of 3 percent in occupier commercial leasing costs. The biggest impact will be the double whammy of RERA and GST at the same time on the residential sector. Verghese adds that both of this would seriously affect supply and lead to further increase in prices.

Moreover, with regards to GST, there are a couple of aspects that need consideration, points out Sandhir, such as:

1) The incorporation of a tax credit system will require all parties within the value chain to be under the GST net. Several sources of material such as river sand etc. are not from organised sources.

2) The composition scheme could be retained as an option, but only to providers of materials; it will need being withdrawn from developers.

3) The tax audit and quality control protocols will also need considerable changes to ensure that advantages of low levies in certain segments and materials are not misused in an inappropriate segment, such as a developer claiming higher credit for a material not used in construction, but which is difficult to detect once the unit has been constructed.

Also, if the transition is to be effective, then the systems of GST Suvidha Providers (GSP) have to be validated thoroughly to ensure compliance and their confidence strengthened, so that they are clearly enabled to handle the transition related issues, says P Venkatesh, Director, Platforms and Solutions, Maveric Systems.

Thus GST alone cannot solve real estate market affliction  both for the buyer or the developer. Broader framework of policies and resources will be just as important to leverage the opportunity posed by GST.
New Delhi: The Goods and Services Tax regime is making life miserable for the transport and logistics sector, with country-wide cargo movement down to at least half the pre-GST volume and truckers idling at checkposts. The governments decision to defer the roll out of the national e-way bill requirement and allow states to develop a mechanism till the GST network is ready for this, has created problems for all stakeholders in the sector. Remember, a large amount of trade in this sector traditionally happened with little accountability and major tax avoidance. Now, consigners as well as consignees are stumped with the GST regime, which requires robust tax compliance at all levels. It could take at least a couple of quarters to bring the situation back to normal.

This piece says movement of goods in and from Nagpur has come to a virtual standstill under GST. It goes on to quote the President of the Nagpur Truckers Unity as saying that "As businesses come to a halt, it has hampered the entire chain dependent on transport. Drivers have been stranded at the centres where they had last unloaded the goods. Unless there is fresh load, they cannot take off. Workers engaged at the terminals are out of jobs. Even the business of highway food joints is down."

And this one quotes a toll plaza operator at the Delhi Noida Direct Flyway (DND) to says that the number of trucks entering Delhi has dropped about 40 percent, from 8-9 lakh a day to 5-6 lakh. Uncertain how GST works, many truckers have stopped ferrying goods for the time being.

There are some historical and some obvious reasons for this state of affairs. As S P Singh, Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) , explained, there are about 25 lakh transport intermediaries  people who ferry goods from one part of the country to another either directly or through freight forwarders  but only 10 percent of these have registered under the Carriage by Road Act which was a mandatory step till the GST regime came into place. As a majority of the stakeholders remain unregistered, they are unable to operate under the GST regime, scared of getting caught.

Besides, the governments unpreparedness and consequent deferment of the E-Way Bill facility has hampered the logistics sector further. With states dismantling border checkposts, the absence of mandatory E-waybill system on GSTN portal for random checking of EBN under GST rules for consignments above Rs 50,000 will encourage corruption by enforcement agencies and transporters on highways on behalf of unscrupulous goods suppliers, Singh said.

Brokerage Edelweiss has said in a note to clients that the GST Council decided to defer e-way bill requirements at all-India level and left it to the discretion of states. The GSTN network is also not ready and will take 4-5 months to implement the e-way bill provisions. Hence, we anticipate few quarters of delay in implementation of the e-way bill rules on pan-India basis. Once implemented across India, e-way bills will prove to be a game changer for the economy.

The draft e-way bill provisions mandate that:

1) Movement of goods worth more than Rs 50,000 by a registered entity will require prior online registration of the consignment on the GST portal and securing an e-way bill.

2) In case the e-way bill is not generated by the registered entity and the goods are still handed over to a transporter, the registered entity shall furnish the information relating to transporter on the common portal and the e-way bill shall be generated by the transporter.

3) The registered entity will also be required to furnish the information and generate the e-way bill for all inward supplies from an unregistered player.

4) The entity carrying the goods will be required to carry the e-way bill along with invoice/bill of supply/delivery challan. The facility of generation and cancellation of e-way bill may also be made available through SMS.

Naveen Gupta, General Secretary of the All India Motor Transport Corporation (AIMTC) said cargo movement across the country was down at least by 50 percent since neither traders nor transporters understand how to move forward. He said, How to deal with cargo sent by unregistered consigners, what to do in the absence of the e-way bill provision where every state continues to issue a transit pass and how to handle the steep demand decline across sectors post-GST? These are some of the issues which are affecting the transport sector at present. Gupta said once the e-way bill facility is implemented, things could move back to normal.

Analysts at ratings agency Fitch said in a note to clients that GST should offer significant opportunities for productivity. For example, it will become much quicker and less costly to move goods across the country now that trucks will not be held up at checkpoints at state borders. Smoother logistics should reduce retailers' need for working capital and allow them to operate centralised warehouses, rather than in every state. Supply chains could extend, encouraging specialisation, now that there is less incentive to source goods within state borders. Tax filing may also become less time-consuming as a result of the new electronic system.

In an interview this morning, Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said logistics costs should fall by 20 percent under GST. He said, Companies could do this with a hub-based warehouse system instead of having warehouses in all major consumer states. The checkposts at state borders have already been brought down. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, along with 20 more states, have dismantled border checkposts, reducing hassles for trucks. Several others are in the process (of doing so). The border checkposts have been removed even as states await electronic way bills, which will make truck movement easier. The e-way bill on GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network) is expected to be introduced soon and will aid movement of trucks.

Removing checkposts is a good step but now, truckers complain of frequent checks from flying squads across states, more frequent than in the past, which hold up cargo movement for days. Besides, as explained earlier, not only the fear of increased tax compliance affecting cargo movement severely, volume of goods being shipped across sectors has anyway dropped significantly as manufacturers and traders get acclimatised with the GST compliance requirements. IFTRTs Singh said the APMC was receiving 500 trucks of agri supplies daily but this is down to 300 now as monsoon related price increase has affected trade in agri commodities. Gupta of AIMTC said wholesale markets like the one in Delhi have been shut for the last two-three days as traders are not ready to comply with the new rules.

While all these bumps will probably smoothen out at some point, for now the logistics industry stakeholders continue to grapple with serious compliance issues under the GST regime as of now.
New Delhi: Essar Steel has moved the Gujarat High Court against insolvency proceedings initiated by the banks on the direction of the Reserve Bank (RBI). The high court issued notice to the RBI and leader of the banking consortium SBI and posted the matter for Friday, sources said.

When contacted, a company spokesperson said: "Essar Steel has moved the Gujarat High Court, which has posted the matter for hearing on 7 July, 2017."

Clamping down on bad loans, the RBI had last month identified 12 accounts for insolvency proceedings with each of them having over Rs 5,000 crore of outstanding loans, accounting for 25 percent of total NPAs of banks.

As per sources, some of the borrowers have raised issues that the RBI's direction makes an arbitrary distinction between the 12 identified cases and the rest.

While the RBI's directive was to refer the 12 cases directly to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), other stressed cases were given a six-month period to arrive at a resolution with their lenders.

Sources said that some borrowers have pointed out that the cut-off date of March 31, 2016 itself is arbitrary as it does not take into account subsequent developments in the companies' performance.

The banking sector is saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) of over Rs 8 lakh crore, of which Rs 6 lakh crore is with public sector banks (PSBs).

The 12 identified accounts would qualify for immediate reference under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the RBI had said.

The Reserve Bank, based on the recommendations of the IAC, will accordingly be issuing directions to banks to file for insolvency proceedings under the IBC in respect of the identified accounts.

"Such cases will be accorded priority by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)," it said.

As regards other non-performing accounts, the IAC had recommended that banks "should finalise" a resolution plan within six months.

In cases where a viable resolution plan is not agreed upon within six months, banks would be required to file for insolvency proceedings under the IBC.
The roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Indias biggest tax reform since independence, has begun in Asias third largest economy, giving hopes to 125 crore Indians that the country has taken another convincing step to move to higher growth orbit.

The GST was originally promised to replace a host of other taxes by the central and states governments and create a single tax economy. It attempted to replace a series of origin based taxes with a destination based tax. But, in reality, there are multiple rates even now (about eight) and some state governments like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have begun to impose additional levies on certain industries above the agreed GST rate. This has cast doubts on the ultimate fate of Indias GST journey. Not surprisingly, it has also broken the political consensus between the Modi government and major opposition parties about the grand tax reform.

The Congress party, a key member in the opposition side, has been attacking the Modi government for rushing with an imperfect GST and harming the small businesses in the process. The party refused to participate in the midnight launch of GST on Friday night, along with a few other opposition parties. Congress has termed the GST as a half-baked idea.

In a conversation with Firstpost, P Chidambaram, former Union Finance Minister, said the current GST structure is a mockery of the originally envisaged tax reform. Here is the edited excerpts of the short interview:

What was the Congress partys views on GST towards the end of roll out?

A 'single' GST rate means a Standard rate as well as a Standard plus (on demerit goods) and a Standard minus (on merit goods). Some goods and services will also be totally exempt. This is the GST that we had visualised. Yashwant Sinhaa, a key union minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, has also confirmed that this was the GST we should have designed and implemented.

You have already discarded the GST in its current form as an imperfect one.

The seven, or possibly more, rates are a mockery of the current GST regime. When we have rates like 0.25, 3, 5, 12, 18, 28 and 40 percent and possibly more because of the discretion vested with state governments, how can we call this 'One Nation, One Tax' regime? The central government should have engaged the leaders of the political parties to forge a consensus on three rates; it failed to do so.

But, even the Congress government would have found it difficult to implement a single-rate GST. Do you agree?

A Congress-led government would have certainly worked toward a single rate (with three variations). Further more, we would have capped GST at 18 percent. That was eminently feasible. The Chief Economic Adviser to this government had clearly recommended a GST of 15-15.5 percent and demonstrated that it was a revenue neutral rate. If that report is correct, why did the government go in for rates like 28 percent and 40 percent?

The midnight roll out of GST on Friday in Parliament has been compared with the historic 'tryst with destiny' moment.

The Tryst with Destiny was a defining moment in the history of this ancient country. Nothing can be compared with that midnight hour. GST is a partial reform of indirect taxes. It will undergo many radical changes. It is simply a stop on a long journey. There was no need for a midnight celebration.

How would you have done it as FM?

The date could have been marked as a business-like session during the day on 1 July. That is why I described the midnight event not as another tryst with destiny but as a Tryst with Destination Tax!

What will be the Congress partys approach going ahead on GST?

The Congress party will watch the roll out of GST closely. We will continue to articulate the fears and grievances of small and medium businesses, multi-state businesses and consumers. We will press for a reduction in rates. We will highlight the features of a true GST. We will demand a cap of 18 percent.

There is an anti-profiteering authority in place. Any concerns?

We will keep a vigil over the possible misuse of the draconian powers given to the Anti-profiteering Authority. We will hold meetings and conferences to emphasise that the Congress was the original proponent of GST, and we will support a true GST that was designed and advised by tax experts like Vijay Kelkar and Parthasarathi Shome.
Mumbai: The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrates Court here on Tuesday took cognisance of the defamation complaint filed by Tata Trusts' R Venkatramanan against the ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry and others, and directed them to appear before it on 24 August.

"The court has summoned Mistry and others in the criminal defamation case filed by us, wherein we have demanded a compensation of Rs 500 crore," Parvez Memon, who appeared for Venkatramanan, said.

Venkatramanan, the managing trustee of Tata Trusts, had filed a Rs 500 crore criminal defamation complaint against Mistry for making "false" statements against him.

According to Venkatramanan, Mistry's mail sent to the directors of Tata Sons and the trustees of Tata Trusts, contained "defamatory statements" against him.

After he was ousted as the chairman of Tata Sons on 24 October 2016, Mistry, in an e-mail, alleged that fraudulent transactions worth Rs 22 crore had taken place at the group's aviation venture AirAsia India and accused Venkatramanan of having tried to cover it up.

The issue, however, is now being probed by the Enforcement Directorate and the outcome of the investigation is pending.

Venkatramanan further said the mail, which was also leaked to the media, had caused irreparable damage to his reputation among his colleagues, family, friends and the society.

On 17 April, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed a petition by two firms belonging to Cyrus Mistry's family, seeking waiver of an eligibility condition for moving the forum against Tata Sons. Mistry later moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) challenging the same.

The two firms had sought to challenge Mistry's ouster from Tata Sons and alleged that there was mismanagement and oppression of minority shareholders.

They urged the NCLT to use its discretion and waive an eligibility condition for filing such a petition.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by Mistry's office said, "The attempt to initiate criminal prosecution for alleged defamation is an ill-advised and immature proxy battle through Mr Venkataramanan, whose role in Air Asia is subject matter of several investigations by law enforcement agencies."

"The move by the Tata Trustees to attempt to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings faced by them, now before the NCLAT, will be effectively and appropriately dealt with. The petitioners in the NCLAT proceedings and Mr Mistry will continue to do the right thing...and protect it from oppressive conduct and mismanagement," it said.
There were many speculations surrounding Katrina Kaif's character in the upcoming action adventure film Thugs of Hindostan. It was rumoured that her character would be a dancer or a British woman, but it now emerges that she will play a radically different role.

A unit hand speaking to Mid-Day said, "Kaif plays a desi warrior princess in the film. Her character is feisty. So far, she hasn't shot for her action sequences, but there will a bunch of sword fighting stunts. She will be sporting a nose ring, wild loose waves and smokey kohled eyes. Her Indo-western outfits will be in earthy colours like grey-ish brown, blue and black. Though they will be inspired by the ghagra-choli, they will be quirkier."

Thugs of Hindostan marks the first collaboration between Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, who will be seen on screen together. It is the second time that Khan will be working with Fatima Sana Shaikh after the 2016 film Dangal.

Thugs of Hindostan created buzz when a picture of Aamir Khan's look in the film went viral; in it, he can be seen sporting long hair and a nose ring. This look is very different from the ones he has sported in his previous films like Mangal Pandey: The Rising or Ghajini.

The shoot of the film, directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, has been going on in Malta, Southern Europe where two large ships have been built in the 18th century style. It is set to release on Diwali 2018; this date was postponed because Aamir Khan reportedly asked for additional time to hone his sword fighting skills.
1. Winsome boy meets winsome girl.

2. Winsome girl breaks winsome boy's heart.

3. Winsome boy transforms into bitter, arrogant man.

4. Bitter, arrogant man returns to possibly wreak vengeance on still winsome woman.

OR

Another winsome woman enters bitter man's life.

5. Power of winsome woman's love transforms bitter, arrogant man back into even more winsome man.

That's pretty much been the stock formula of about half of all the Mills and Boons novels ever written. And also the Star Plus TV series that goes under the title of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon. It was the basic plot of the original show  starring Barun Sobti and Sanaya Irani; it formed the storyline of the second season, featuring Avinash Sachdev and Shrenu Parikh.

And now, that same narrative is back for the much-anticipated Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3.

Barun Sobti, for whom a million (mostly female) fan hearts beat as one, makes his reappearance in this show  this time with Shivani Tomar as his co-star.

Along with his I'm-so-grumpy-it's-hot persona from the original IPKKND, he's also brought back his onscreen name (or nearly): From Arnav Singh Raizada, he's now Advay Singh Raizada.

While his battle-axe personality is more of the same, his outward styling is all new  not for Advay the dapper business-suits Arnav preferred. Instead, he gets to sport a more grungy look  vests and open shirts, sunglasses, and a guitar he wears slung across his back like some talisman.

He takes it off only for important occasions, such as saving a puppy from drowning in a pool (after which he says to the wet puppy, how he's immune to lovable, adorable beings such as itself  the canine we mean) and preventing a Shiva idol from tipping over.

Much of episode two of IPKKND3 was devoted to this idol being righted.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

First, episode one, which aired on 3 July 2017.

Advay Singh Raizada could well be a Mad Max-like post-Apocalyptic warrior, roaming the barren world and spouting out bitter one-liners. He's just far less grizzly, and a lot cleaner than Max and his ilk. Oh, and just so we get the point, there's repeated imagery of Advay juxtaposed against Lord Shiva, while he's surrounded by little children, also dressed as Shiva.

We see him making his way to some small town which we're informed is in the vicinity of Allahabad, but to us seems like some mythical place altogether where people wear super-colourful clothes, gossip, pray and wait around for a temple door to open once every 16 years.

What lies beyond the temple walls is a treasure  a treasure the highly respected head priest's family needs to save their sinking fortunes and prospects.

Not that you'd know their fortunes were sinking by just looking at them  the matriarch of the family at least, has a penchant for statement jewellery which would feel right at home on a character in a Baahubali-style epic. The father (the priest) seems to be suffering from memory loss, or at least some kind of catatonia, that isn't widely known to all. There also a couple of aunts, who spend their time plotting against the family, and the husband of one of them, who uses force to carry out his evil plans.

Then there's the leading lady (Shivani Tomar), the daughter of the head priest, who's called Chandni. Having stepped right out of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali dream, Chandni veers between wistful remembrances of a boy called Dev, shaking off nightmarish memories of being kidnapped by some unnamed man, and doing the best she can for her family. All this, while ensuing the ornate chandelier in her home is positioned exactly 12 feet above the floor. She also hasn't left her home in nearly a year because of the trauma in her past  though the once-in-16-years maha aarti is what will finally push her to venture beyond the doorstep.

That was it for episode one.

Episode two aired on the night of 4 July 2017.

Here's what transpired:

Advay Singh Raizada appears at the small town near Allahabad.

By the temple, he sees the massive Shiva statue toppling over. He grabs a rope and attempts to right it.

But what have we here? His foothold crumbles under the strain, when lo and behold, another young man  with long shiny hair  grips his Advay's shoe and holds it in place as the latter continues to pull at the rope.

Advay performs some quick calculations his head (we know this because equations written in chalk appear in the air by the Shiva statue) and figures out the trajectory of the rope, the forces that is required to be exerted and the angle at which pressure must be applied in order to get the Shiva statue back and upright on its pedestal.

All this while the unnamed man with shiny hair gazes in loving and bemused fashion at Advay's face. So much so that for a moment, you wonder if the real romance in this show is going to be betwixt these two.

Anyway, the evil uncle we met in episode one isn't happy about this outsider (Advay) taking centrestage at his family's big moment. he orders his goons to attack him but Advay (even as he does complex mathematical calculations in his head and strains at the rope with the other) delivers swift kicks and punches that have the bad men flying several feet back in the air.

The goons dealt with, the Shiva statue is righted, and on cue, Chandni makes an appearance.

We see Advay looking broodingly on at her and thinking unpleasant thoughts while she prays at the statue of Shiva.

While he makes his plans for vengeance, she also sends out a message of support for the transgender community.

Then she prepares for the maha aarti.

When episode three airs on the night of 5 July, we'll see: Advay setting Chandni's dupatta on fire, Advay dousing the fire he set on Chandni's dupatta, and more.

Stay tuned.

IPKKND 3 airs from Monday-Friday at 8 pm on Star Plus. You can also watch the episodes here on Hotstar.
Mandana Karimi, an ex-Bigg Boss contestant and model-actor, has filed a case of domestic violence against her husband of six months Gaurav Gupta. It was earlier reported that she had also filed for divorce, as well as asked for a compensation of Rs 2 crore and monthly maintenance of Rs 10 lakh.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Karimi has now clarified that she has not filed for divorce from Gupta. The couple got engaged in July 2016 and married in January 2017.

Speaking about how she was thrown out of the house, she mentioned that the couple had an argument, after which she went to a friend's house to cool down. When she returned, she was not allowed to enter and the family stopped communicating with her.

She has been living at hotels and her friends' houses for seven weeks now, and expressed concern about the lack of money to survive. She said that her family, which is based in Iran where she is originally from, is unable to fly down to India to help her. She added that she has no place to live, and that she is not in touch with any of her fellow contestants from reality show Bigg Boss, so they are probably unaware of her plight.

She alleged that she was forced to give up her career at the behest of her husband, who did not agree to let her work in television or films. Previously, Karimi has starred in films like Roy, Bhaag Johnny and Main Aur Charles, and played the lead role in Kya Kool Hai Hum 3. She added that this decision to stop working was "not the smartest option".

In previous reports, she has been quoted saying that she was forced to give her career up because it was "incompatible" with the Gupta family's status in the society.

Mandana Karimi also claimed that she was harassed by her mother-in-law and forced to covert to Hinduism  a precondition before the marriage which she had to follow despite her own wishes. Despite this, she asserts that she still loves him. "I didnt leave my house, I love it. I havent been allowed to enter the house or even my husbands office but that doesnt mean I should get divorced. I am still his wife, I love Gaurav. I havent filed for divorce, I have only filed a domestic violence case," she said.

She has also mentioned in the past that attempts at reconciliation with the Gupta family have failed. Her lawyer has reported the case in the court and the case will be heard at the Andheri metropolitan court on 15 July.

In her application for Bigg Boss, Karimi mentioned that she hails from Iran and that she had come to India in 2012 to pursue modelling, and that she had met Gupta through a common friend.
The line "You can love him, and you can hate him. But you can't ignore him" is perfectly suited for Shah Rukh Khan's personality and career. The actor, who just completed his silver jubilee in the Indian film industry, is a force to reckon with whether it comes to glamour, stardom, success or money.

While Shah Rukh is undoubtedly the romantic superstar of Bollywood, he is also an orator of superlative degree. Whether it is award ceremonies, public functions, press conclaves or the much recent TED talk, he understands the craft like a pro.

His unfathomable stardom and popularity aren't confined only to India; he commands just as much attention across the globe. In April 2012, Shah Rukh Khan was invited by Yale University, where he was awarded with the prestigious Chubb Fellow Award. Then in 2015, he was conferred with the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa at University of Edinburgh. In all these events, what stood out were his speeches when he interacted with students.

Now, the coveted Oxford University has welcomed Shah Rukh for a speech. The principal of Oxford University, Alan Rusbridger, tweeted to him with an informal invite.

can we tempt to to Oxford University to talk to our students at @lmhoxford? They love you (I'm the principal)  alan rusbridger (@arusbridger) November 28, 2016

According to a report by Mid-day, Khan has confirmed that he has accepted the invitation, and is now looking for possible dates to visit the university. Speaking to the newspaper, he said, "I love to talk. Whenever someone invites me to deliver a speech, I always consider it an opportunity. I have been to Yale earlier, and now, I have received an invitation from Oxford. I'll go if I have the time and if it fits into my scheme of things."

What he is going to speak about hasn't been planned yet. Khan says, "I don't like anyone writing for me. It takes time for me to sit down and write, given my schedule, but it has to be done by me. I am yet to zero in on a subject for this talk."

The superstar is busy with the promotions of his upcoming film Jab Harry Me Sejal, where he stars opposite Anushka Sharma. The film, directed by Imtiaz Ali, is slated to release on 4 August this year. He will then star in Aanand L Rai's venture, where he dons the role of a dwarf. In this film, he will share screen space with his Jab Tak Hai Jaan co-actors  Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.
Mumbai: Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who as a toddler survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai, is "excited and emotional" ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jerusalem on Wednesday, his grandfather says.

Shortly before Moshe's second birthday, the terrorists stormed the Chabad House in Mumbai, taking the toddler, his parents and several tourists hostage. Moshe's nanny, Sandra Samuels, was also in the building but managed to hide in a room downstairs.

She emerged when she heard Moshe's cries and found him standing between his parents' bodies. She grabbed him and fled the building, also known as the 'Nariman House', which reopened in 2014 after extensive renovations.

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents  Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg.

"Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us," Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI over phone from Jerusalem.

Modi is making a special point by meeting 11-year-old Moshe, who survived the 2008 attack that claimed the lives of his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the directors of the Chabad House.

"We all are here at Jerusalem from Afula to meet the Indian prime minister. This meeting is very important to us as the prime minister, who represents 125 crore Indians, has shown a desire to meet Moshe and us," Rosenberg said. "India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi," he said.

"It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain," he said.

Asked if Moshe recalls the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, Rosenberg said, "He doesn't speak much (on the terror attacks) but says Chabad House is his home." Moshe will be visiting Chabad House after two years when he is 13, Rosenberg said. "I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian ambassador saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to meet us," Moshe's grandfather said.

Samuels, 53, was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in 2008. She frequently travels from her home in Jerusalem to visit Moshe and his grandparents. The Rosenbergs and Samuels have also been invited to meet the Prime Minister.

Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky, the director of Chabad House in Mumbai, said he was looking forward to a new era of ever-more friendly relations between India and Israel.
New Delhi: Five newly-recruited IAS officers have joined the home ministry as assistant secretaries on deputation as part of an initiative to familiarise them with the functioning of the central government.

Vijay Dayaram K, Arvomd Kumar Chauhan, Pooja Kumari Parth, Akanksha Bhaskar and Raja P, all belonging to the 2015 batch of the Indian Administrative Service, have joined the home ministry and will work for three months before proceeding to their allotted cadre, an official said.

Dayaram has been allocated the Chhattisgarh cadre, Chauhan Uttar Pradesh, Pooja Kumari Parth Rajasthan, Akanksha Bhaskar West Bengal and Raja P the Karnataka cadre.

The initiative of appointing new IAS officers as assistant secretaries in various central government ministries and departments was started by the Narendra Modi government to familiarise them with the functioning of the Centre and enable them to get themselves introduced to various functionaries.

The young IAS officers joined the central government after completion of their training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.
Mumbai: The detailed post-mortem report of Byculla jail inmate Manju Shetye, who died after allegedly being assaulted by prison guards, has revealed that she suffered injuries on her head as well as body, dean of the state-run JJ Hospital, Dr TP Lahane, said on Tuesday.

"The detailed post-mortem report of Manju Shetye shows that she had head injuries apart from injuries on her body," Lahane said.

Shetye, 45, died at the JJ Hospital on 23 June after being allegedly beaten up by the Byculla jail officials and staff as she "failed" to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, police has said.

Police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials.

On Saturday, the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police arrested all the six accused  Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade.

After Shetye's death, around 200 prisoners had launched a protest on 24 June for their demands, including allowing the media inside the Byculla jail premises.

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the inmates who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shetye's death.

Indrani had earlier lodged a complaint with Nagpada police alleging that she was beaten up by jail officials and threatened of sexual assault after the death of a convict sparked protest in the prison.

The complaint, which was accessed by the media on Tuesday, also said that jail official Bindu Naikade, who was later arrested over the murder of Shetye, was posted to guard her (Indrani) on 24 June. "On the morning of 24 June, Naikade was posted to guard me," Indrani said in the complaint.

The police had earlier said that Shetye was allegedly tortured and a stick was inserted in her private parts. However, Maharashtra State Women's Commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had last week said that a magisterial inquest ruled out any injury on Shetye's private parts though her autopsy suggested multiple injuries on the body.

The Women's Commission has also said that it would form a three-member SIT in connection with Shetye's death. It will be chaired by a retired high court judge and it would comprise a retired senior police officer and a woman NGO member.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the probe into Shetye's death.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told chartered accountants that they have an important role to play in creating an India that is free from corruption and black money.

Days after sending out a strong message to chartered accountants at ICAI foundation day function in New Delhi, Modi has also emphasised that they play a "big role in safeguarding the economic health of the country".

"CAs have a very important part to play in the creation of a New India, which is free from corruption and black money," he said in an email sent out to thousands of chartered accountants.

Stating that India's chartered accountants are well known across the world for their skills, Modi expressed happiness that the community was leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

In an hour-long speech at the foundation day function of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in New Delhi on 1 July, Modi had send out a strong message against chartered accountants trying to help entities in black money dealings even as he underlined their powers and responsibility.

"Your signature is more powerful than that of the prime minister and the government also believes the accounts signed by you," he had said.

Besides, the prime minister had exhorted them to take charge of bringing their clients to path of honesty and said a wrong audit can impact lives of gullible investors as people take investment decisions on the basis of their audit reports.

In the email, Modi also said it was gladdening to see the enthusiasm, affection and warmth of chartered accountants at the gathering in the national capital, "despite the issues related to entry".

The reference was to chaos and confusion at the venue of the foundation day celebrations as many people were denied entry despite having invitation cards.
Kolkata: Communal clashes broke out in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday night following an "objectionable" Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

Though there was no official confirmation about any casualties during the clashes, the incident triggered an unprecedented spat between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, whom she accused of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her.

The Raj Bhawan voiced surprise over Mamata's "attitude and language", and said, "the Hon'ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state." Tripathi, a former BJP veteran and ex-speaker of Uttar Pradesh Assembly, was appointed West Bengal governor after the Narendra Modi government was formed in 2014.

The violence between two communities at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division in the district started on Monday night over the post following which a young man was arrested, the police said on Tuesday. A violent mob put up road blockades at several places and attacked members of other community, besides destroying many shops, they said.

Shops were shut down in Baduria as tension prevailed there and spread to adjacent areas like Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia, the police said.

A senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer said four companies comprising 400 troops of the force's South Bengal Frontier have been deployed in Bashirhat, Swarupnagar, Baduria and Devganga areas to assist the state police in containing the situation.

Several incidents of communal clashes have been reported in the state during recent times. Mamata, while strongly reacting to her conversation with Tripathi over the incident, said she felt so offended that "I once even thought of leaving (quitting as chief minister)".

A Raj Bhavan statement quoted Tripathi as having said nothing happened during the talks over which Mamata should feel "insulted, threatened or humiliated". "The talks between the Hon'ble chief minister and the Hon'ble governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it," a statement issued by Raj Bhavan in Kolkata said.

It said that the governor asked the chief minister to ensure peace and law and order by all means. Condemning the riots, Mamata said, "This is a serious issue, let me handle it seriously." She said after the arrest of one person, there should not have been any further trouble. "We were awake last night (to control it)."

Mamata said, "The ruling party at the Centre has an agenda. They have formed a 'Gau Raksha group' to kill people. A 'hate group' was formed to foment riots. Riots are taking place in the name of Hindu Samhati."

Accusing the state police of failure to control the situation, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is also in charge of the state, wrote a letter to Union home minister Rajnath Singh asking him intervene in the matter.

"More than 2,000 Muslims attacked Hindu families. Bombs went off at many places and information of Hindu sisters and daughters being raped has also been received. Local workers (of BJP) have said many facilities, including five BJP offices, were set on fire," Vijayvargiya, who is based in Delhi, said.

Mamata said, "Someone had posted something objectionable on Facebook. He was arrested. Where is the fault of my government." The West Bengal government has dispatched a special team of the state police and Kolkata Police to the riot-hit area to monitor the situation.

Official sources in Delhi said the clashes were triggered last evening over the Facebook post about a holy site. A demonstration was held in front of the Baduria police station by the people belonging to one community.

In an indirect reference to Modi's Israel visit, Mamata said, "He is going abroad to forge unity and the country is on fire. This must be stopped." She said, "I told police to stop it. They should have blocked the Facebook account. But, how many Facebook accounts can be blocked? If the police had opened fire, 200 people would have been killed."

The chief minister appealed to top leaders of both the communities that her government would not tolerate "this hooliganism".

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said if the governor asked her about the incident, where was the question of her being insulted.
New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has stepped up its examination of suspicious banking transactions by government employees to check corruption.

"The Commission is getting good inputs from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and necessary action is being taken on them," Vigilance Commissioner TM Bhasin told PTI on Wednesday. The CVC has been regularly getting suspicious transactions reports (STRs) from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) on dubious banking transactions involving public servants. FIU is tasked with collecting, analysing and disseminating information related to financial transactions suspected to be involving black money or proceeds of crime.

STR is a transaction of Rs 10 lakh and above believed to be proceeds of crimes including that from black money.

The main idea behind this exercise is to check the flow of proceeds through corrupt means and block all channels of routing black money through the banking system, officials said. The examination of STRs will help in checking cases of collusion between private persons and government employees in corrupt practises, they said.

Besides the CVC, the FIU shares information with several other agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, National Investigation Agency, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau and chief secretaries of state governments.

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team on black money is also one of the notified organisations which can seek information from FIU, an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council headed by the finance minister.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday refused to hear an appeal filed by Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) against a single judge's order staying insolvency proceedings against Essar Steel at the National Company Law Tribunal.

A bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice VM Pancholi said the bank should first approach Justice SG Shah, the single judge who passed the order yesterday.

SCB has filed insolvency petition against Essar Steel before the NCLT. Justice Shah stayed the proceedings before the NCLT in response to Essar's plea; the next hearing before him is on 7 July.

The bank today moved the division bench seeking lifting of the stay, as the NCLT hearing is on 6 July.

The division bench asked it to first approach Shah, and come to it on July 11 only if he doesn't take up the matter in the meantime.

The RBI had last month identified 12 accounts for insolvency proceedings with each of them having over Rs 5,000 crore of outstanding loans, accounting for 25 per cent of total NPAs of banks.

Shah on Tuesday also sought a reply from RBI on the company's contention that why only certain cases including that of Essar Steel should be accorded priority by the NCLT.
Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists on Wednesday clashed with police in Kalimpong district as the indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills entered the 21st day.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) secretary Binay Tamang claimed the police fired several rounds, leading to bullet injuries to three activists including an ex-Army official but police rubbished the charge.

On 17 June, GJM activists had clashed with police in Singhmari area here in which one of them was killed.

Wednesday's clash was triggered by pelting of stones and bottles at the police by GJM youth supporters who were participating in a rally in support of a Gorkhaland state, forcing the police to fire tear gas and use batons to disperse

the rallyists.

A ticket counter of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation was also set ablaze by GJM activists in Kalimpong.

Reacting to Tamang's claim, ADG (law and order) Anuj Sharma said, "The allegation of police firing is completely baseless. The police didn't fire a single shot. We have no reports of firing."

"The GJM took out a rally here and all of a sudden they started pelting us with stones and bottles. We had to use force to disperse the mob. The situation in the area is tense but is under control. The police and central forces are patrolling the streets," a senior police official of Kalimpong said.

Kalimpong, which was earlier a sub-division of Darjeeling, was declared a full-fledged district in February.

Kalimpong is about 55 km from Darjeeling.

Earlier in the morning, GJM supporters hurled petrol bombs at a Trinamool Congress party office in Kalimpong.

Firefighters were immediately called in, but by the time they arrived the ground floor of the party office had already been

gutted completely.

Meanwhile, all eyes are now focused on an all-party meeting slated for Thursday in Darjeeling to decide the next course of action, even as dwindling food supply has put Hill residents in a precarious situation with the prospect of a severe food shortage staring at them.

The GJM and other Hill parties remained tight-lipped about Thursday's meeting.

In Darjeeling, Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha supporters took out a rally at Chowkbazar with traditional 'khukri' shouting slogans in support of a separate state.

While Internet service remained suspended for the 18th consecutive day, the police and security forces patrolled the streets of the hills and kept a tight vigil at the entry and exit routes.

Except pharmacy, all other shops, restaurants, hotels, schools and colleges remained closed. Boarding schools also extended their vacation because of the unrest.

GJM supremo Bimal Gurung on Tuesday said that the indefinite shutdown was the final battle cry for Gorkhaland.

Ruling out any compromise formula, he said that talks could only be held if the agenda was Gorkhaland.
Jammu and Kashmir traders' groups held a protest outside the Assembly after the House moved resolution on 101st amendment to facilitate Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout in the state.

The protests, led by local MLA Engineer Rashid  also known as Sheikh Abdul Rashid  of the Awami Itihad Party, turned violent after the police tried to disrupt the march, according to CNN-News18. The MLA is against implementation of a standard Indian taxation law in the state which enjoys a special status under the Constitution. Rashid has been detained by the police to control the situation.

Rashid has been vociferously opposing the implementation of GST in Jammu and Kashmir. On Tuesday, the state government moved the resolution seeking suggestions from the lawmakers on how to implement GST to ensure that the special status under Article 370 of the Constitution is not affected.

However, Rashid said, The GST crisis has exposed Indian claims that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Jammu and Kashmir is not India and India is not Jammu and Kashmir. The state is neither an integral part nor Pakistans jugular vein, but the territory on both sides including Gilgit-Baltistan is a disputed territory and hollow claims cannot make it an integral part of anything.

Rashid also said that both Salahuddin and Musa were not terrorists and that India was illegally occupying Kashmir, which also drew support from the National Conference.

His comments triggered chaos in Assembly, with one member even demanding that Rashid should be hanged for his anti-India ideology.

Meanwhile, traders' protest held Tuesday were foiled by the police after the traders attempted to march into the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

The traders were detained near the gate of the Civil Secretariat complex, which also houses the Assembly.

The traders were scheduled to hold a sit-in near the Assembly to protest the implementation of the GST, claiming it would lead to the erosion of the state's special position and its fiscal autonomy.

With inputs from PTI
Doha: The four Arab countries in a diplomatic standoff with Qatar have said that they have received a response from Doha to their list of demands.

Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia suspended diplomatic relations and cut off land, sea and air travel to Qatar in June, accusing the country of funding terrorism and destabilising the Middle East. Doha denied the accusations.

The four-country bloc had issued a 12-day ultimatum to Qatar  that expires at midnight on Wednesday  to respond to their list of 13 demands as a precondition to restoring bilateral ties, CNN reported. Qatar's response was handed over to the Arab quartet by Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator in the dispute, the report said.

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abderrahman al Zani had refused to reveal the details of Doha's formal response, and reiterated that the list of demands were "unrealistic and not actionable".

The demands included the closure of the Al Jazeera media network, a reduction in diplomatic ties with Iran and the halting of a Turkish military base in Qatar.

The four countries also did not divulge details of the response but said they will respond in due time. Foreign Ministers of the four countries are set to meet in Cairo later in the day to discuss Qatar's response.
"...king of the hate left..."--

"As my friend Capper -- the best Wisconsin blogger ever -- says, there will be more. There's always more." - karoli

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"This is really great of you! I'm so proud to know someone like you"--

"Capper, a reasonable (and maybe even likeable) Lefty..."--

"capper, the Sidney Freedman of the hate left..."--

"I love capper because, well, what's not to love. But I also hate capper for alerting me to nonsense like this."---

"Capper, you really have a knack for this kind of writing. Really."--

"Crap. I agree with capper. Can Armageddon be far behind?"--

"capper is right. OMG, did I actually say that?"--
The #NammaMetroHindiBeda movement against the imposition of Hindi in Bengaluru Metro has gathered significant political support. It seems that decades of forced imposition of the language and marginalisation of Kannada in the Karnataka capital, under the hubris-laden smokescreen called 'cosmopolitanism', is coming home to roost.

The aggressive Hindi imposition initiatives by the present BJP-led Union government provided the spark to the powder keg of discontent that has been brewing for quite some time now.

Let us be clear about certain basic notions first. The Indian Union is not an entity formed on the basis of any language. In short, there is no language that 'binds' it. However, most non-Hindi states of the Indian Union were, in fact, formed explicitly on the basis of language. That is, in almost every state there is a binding language on whose basis the state was formed. Thus, states broadly correspond to the core homeland of certain ethnolinguistic nationalities.

Hindi is not the national language of the Indian Union  in fact, it does not have one. It is an unheard of concept in the Constitution of India. If this sounds new to you and if you have heard textbooks, media, Delhi-headquartered party politicians and others telling you that Hindi is the national language, it's because they are lying and want you to believe in that lie; so much so that it almost becomes a "natural truth" by shameless repetition.

Hindi is the mother tongue of about 26 percent of the citizens of the Indian Union and the language is not understood by a majority of people. Still, Hindi is one of the two official languages of the Union government  a restrictive system in a multi-lingual Union of linguistic states that casts a majority of the citizenry into second-class citizenship.

The ambit of usage of the official language is limited to official functions of the Union government. Announcements in train stations, trains, airports or planes are not official functions of the Union government. They are customer service and safety functions of the travel sector. The concept at the centre of all travel-related service is not "national unity", not Hindi promotion, or showing who paid for the infrastructure and other such unrelated things. At the centre is the welfare of the traveller.

The Bengaluru Metro, called Namma Metro (Namma meaning "our" in Kannada), is a joint venture between the Karnataka government and the Union government, implemented through an agency called the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). When it started in 2011, it had three languages for all signs and announcements  Kannada, English and Hindi. The inclusion of Hindi as a public service in a city of Karnataka, where Hindi does not even figure in the top five mother tongues of Karnataka or Bengaluru makes no sense in terms of giving a service to the public.

But wherever the Union government is involved, Hindi imposition in areas where it is irrelevant and unwanted has been a long pursued Delhi policy. Due to huge opposition to this initial inclusion of Hindi, two things happened. RTI activists made BMRCL admit that though there was no specific direction for inclusion of Hindi from the Union or Karnataka government, it had followed guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The ministry specifies a three-language formula of including Hindi in non-Hindi states for the convenience of Hindi-speaking people and a two-language formula of Hindi and English in Hindi states, again for the convenience of Hindi-speaking people only.

The metro falls under none of these categories of road transport or highways, neither is it obligated to follow such Union ministry guidelines. That was the fishy bit. On an RTI inquiry, the BMRCL stated that it was the decision of the BMRCL board.

It stated that, "As mentioned, BMRCL being a new mass rapid transit system for Bangalore and that Bangalore being a cosmopolitan city, BMRCL has thus adopted a language policy whereby the display boards should be understood by most of the commuters". Thats all good, except that census figures show that there are more Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Urdu mother tongue people in the area than Hindi. So to keep the international character and intelligibility, the use of English is understandable.

Also, many Dravidians are conversant in that language and dont share the "English is foreign" logic of Hindi people. In fact, the Gujarat High Court has clearly stated that for non-Hindi states, Hindi is also a foreign language. So, that takes care of English. If the BMRCL's idea was that "the display boards should be understood by most of the commuters", then Kannada and English should have been there, along with other languages in the order of the number of mother tongue people of a language in the area.

If a three-language formula was to be instituted, the candidate for the third language, based on the BMRCL principle of reach would have been either Telugu, Tamil or Urdu as each of them outstrip Hindi in the area. So, why a small minority language of Karnataka called Hindi is accorded this vaunted status using backdoor reasons?

Clearly, it is not understandability but the age-old Delhi disease of Hindi imposition. No wonder, the BMRCL management is packed with Hindi people, in the form of IAS cadres sent by New Delhi. This initial public opposition forced BMRCL to take a step back and remove Hindi announcements and Hindi direction boards inside the metro stations. Thus, the Hindi imposition plot sad been foiled due to citizens activism and awareness.

Now, the BMRCL has again started pushing Hindi widely inside the Namma Metro. What prompted this change even after a sane understanding had been reached? Here, it is relevant to mention that the Union ministry involved as a stakeholder in BMRCL is the urban development ministry. The minister in charge is one M Venkaiah Naidu, who regularly lies to the public stating that Hindi is the national language and who, in spite of winning multiple Rajya Sabha terms from Karnataka, never cared to pick up the language of the Kannadigas he supposedly represented.

These are the sort of people and mentalities one is dealing with here. In fact, when Naidu wanted yet another Rajya Sabha term, a justified uproar went up in Karnataka  so much so that Naidu was not given a nomination this time.

It seems that Naidu's power and stature depend completely on wishes of the Hindi-dominated Delhi headquarters of the BJP. Thus, after he took over, the BMRCL started getting Hindi imposition directives from the Union urban development ministry. Such things are always best done by non-Hindi politicians without a significant native base. Naidu fits the bill perfectly.

It is useful to remember that the urban development ministry has no such Constitutional mandate to impose Hindi on BMRCL. After the Delhi diktat led to the re-introduction of Hindi in Namma Metro, the font sizes of the language on the sign boards were also increased. Let me remind you once more that BMRCL is not a Union government

BMRCL is not a Union government organisation. And even if it were, the Hindi imposition ideology of the Union government is what is being protested. This whole notion that the Union government necessarily equals Hindi is imperialistic and chauvinistic and has no place in a federal democracy. Union government is the government of all linguistic nationalities of the Indian Union, not that of Hindi people alone.

This latest round of Hindi imposition in the Namma Metro evoked unprecedented resistance from Kannada activists. This has now spread to large sections of Karnataka's civil society as well as non-Kannada groups. It started out as a social media campaign with the hashtag #NammeMetroHindiBeda, that trended all over India with many non-Kannadiga people joining in, who are similar victims of Hindi imposition in various ways.

The protests took to the streets and demonstrations happened in front of the Town Hall on JC Road. The Delhi media sat up and took notice  albeit with its usual Hindi bias in the narrative. The intensity of this movement has now isolated BJP in Karnataka's political scene on this question. It is on the back foot on this issue and has not managed to fight off the charge that is levelled against the party in most non-Hindi states  that it is a Trojan horse for the expansion of the Hindu ideology.

HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) has come out strongly against the imposition Hindi in Namma Metro. Certain senior ministers of the Congressite state government of Karnataka have also opposed Hindi in Namma Metro. Even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had made a public statement about his resolve to oppose Hindi imposition by the Centre around the same time.

Thus, the protests are hardly 'fringe'. They represent the Kannadiga mainstream. In the wake of rising protests, Hindi signs in some metro stations have been covered. This method has been used by the wildly popular social media page Troll Haiku, to mark this as the reliving of the feeling of Independence for this present generation of Kannadigas.

Hindi will slowly replace English and then Kannada. If English is "foreign" y do Delhi metro & hindi belt uses English? #NammaMetroHindiBeda pic.twitter.com/wNCu16ThrJ  Navaneeth Gowda (@NavaneethGowda1) June 20, 2017

The rise of linguistic nationalism in non-Hindi states is not unrelated to the Hindi imposition drive by the Union government party, that is completely dominated by representatives of Hindi states. Just in the last three years, Kerala and West Bengal have made their state languages compulsory as a subject in schools; Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has protested the wanton imposition of Hindi by replacing Odia in Delhi-controlled NHAIs signposts in Odisha; Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has flagged the issue of differential fertility rates between the cow belt and the rest; and DMK leader MK Stalin called for a second independence struggle against Hindi imposition.

While Hindi chauvinists charge that insistence of non-Hindi languages divides people, the reality is the opposite. It has been uniting diverse peoples. Even the fractious Tamil-Kannadiga relationship has been put aside as the Karnataka unit of DMK has come out in open support of a Kannada-English two-language policy for Namma Metro.

As #NammaMetroHindiBeda trended, Marathis started their own social media campaign with the hashtag #AapliMetroHindiNako that trended in Mumbai, Pune and in Bengaluru  thus marking a great example of disregarding their border dispute disagreement for a bigger cause. Thus, for some years now, the Hindi imposition issue has become much more than a Tamil issue as Delhi likes to portray it  to minimise its relevance, reach and scope.

Enthused by their success and aware of the need for unity and solidarity, Kannada groups are planning a conclave on the Hindi imposition issue and plan to invite stakeholders from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. While Hindi is imposed everywhere for the benefit of Hindi-speaking people in the name of the three-language formula, Hindi states themselves provide no such benefit to non-Hindi people among their midst, who are expected to learn the local language, that is Hindi.

So, the Delhi Metro has Hindi but no Bangla for its Bengali commuters, while the Union government forces Kolkata Metro to have Hindi for the benefit of Hindi-speaking commuters. Even basic things like local train tickets, tourist helplines, air tickets, in-flight safety announcements are always made in Hindi and never in any non-Hindi state language, even when the train or plane plies between two non-Hindi places or even within a non-Hindi state.

Equality and dignity are a pre-condition for unity. This issue goes beyond just Hindi signboards. It is a tussle between the reality of a diverse, multi-lingual, multi-national Federal Democratic Union and the homogenising ideology of 'Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan'. It is not only an issue of language but also of state rights and federalism, of preserving identity in the face of obliteration and homogenisation.

That was the promise of decolonisation which has been delivered to the Hindi belt, ironically, using funding of revenue-rich non-Hindi states. While the Hindi establishment wants themselves represented everywhere, it denies reciprocal rights for non-Hindi people.

Such a unilateral approach is a model for division and not unity, as the ultimate result of Pakistans Urdu imposition made apparent in 1971. The powers that be should heed these signs and roll back all directives and initiatives making Hindi compulsory in non-Hindi states. That is the way to peace and unity.
The current India-China standoff over Doka La, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan, will hopefully not escalate further. But a similar border dispute between India and China over Sikkim in 1967 may have been triggered by something trivial.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, missing sheep and yaks may have been behind the conflict between India and China in 1967. The report says that besides allegations of territorial intrusions, a missing flock of 800 sheep and 59 yaks may have triggered the conflict.

Another India Today report says that after China complained of a herd of sheep being stolen in Sikkim, a group of Indian protesters  including then MP Atal Bihari Vajpayee  drove a herd of around 800 sheep to the Chinese Embassy on Shantipath in New Delhi.

Some of the protesters had even carried placards saying, "Eat me but save the world."

A complaint from the ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) in Beijing to the Embassy of India in China on 26 September, 1965 described the protesters as "a mob of Indian hooligans".

Even though the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India responded to the plaint saying that India knew nothing of the missing yaks and sheep, the dispute escalated and the military standoff took the lives of over 80 Indian soldiers and around 300 to 400 Chinese troops.

This is probably a good example of how a petty dispute can escalate into a deadly military conflict.

The worrying part is that China on Tuesday ruled out a compromise in the military standoff with India in Doka La, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the grave situation.

Chinese ambassador Luo Zhaohui said the ball is in Indias court and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think-tanks that the conflict can lead to a war if not handled properly, the ambassador told PTI: There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option).

The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution, he asserted, adding that the withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a pre-condition to peace.

With inputs from PTI
Jerusalem: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night said he has been inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's enthusiasm for yoga and cited yogic asanas to link the two flourishing democracies of the world.

"I have to confess that I have been inspired by Modi's enthusiasm for Yoga," Netanyahu said in a press statement along with Prime Minister Modi.

Underlining that he wants to start practising Yoga, he said, "Modi advised me to start at lower level. I am starting at a lower level. When I do a relaxing Tada-asana in the morning and I turn my head to right, India is the first democracy I see and when Modi does a relaxing Vasisthasana and he turns left, Israel is the first democracy he can see. So in fact, we have India and Israel, two sister democracies," Netanyahu said.

Modi was instrumental in getting the UN to declare 21 June as the International Yoga Day.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 21 June as the International Day of Yoga in December 2014. Over 190 countries, including 40 Islamic nations, supported the move to have a special day for yoga.
The separatist leadership in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has issued a week-long protest calendar from 7 to 13 July to commemorate the first death anniversary of former Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, media reports said on Wednesday.

In a joint statement, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said complete strike will be observed on Saturday and 13 July to pay tribute to Burhan Wani and other locals who have been killed by the Indian Army, according to Radio Pakistan.

The protests, Hindustan Times reported, will conclude on 13 July, the day on which 22 Kashmiris died during 1931 protests against Maharaja Hari Singh in Srinagar.

The leadership has also asked people to participate in an online 'Kashmir Awareness Campaign' on 11 July, Kashmiri Observer reported.

A rally will be held at Tral on 8 July to pay homage to Burhan Wani and all other Kashmiri men who were killed in encounters with the armed forces, reported Kashmir Media Service.

Burhan Wani along with two of his associates was shot dead by Indian troops in an encounter on 8 July, 2016.

Meanwhile, a rally planned by the United Kingdom-based Kashmiri groups to observe 'Burhan Wani Day' in London was cancelled by the Birmingham authorities.

After India lodges protest with UK, permission to observe Burhan Wani day in London cancelled by Birmingham City Council  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

India had raised concern over the rally as the Indian High Commission in London sent a "note verbale" on Monday to the United Kingdom to register its protest. India gave the authorities details of Wanis crimes and propagation of violence in the Valley.
In a major move, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to downgrade the security of Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The move will come as a major blow to Mirwaiz, especially with the police also probing his role in the killing of deputy superintendent Ayub Pandith, reported Republic.

#BREAKING Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's security reduced by Jammu and Kashmir Government after DySP Ayub Pandit's lynching  Republic (@republic) July 5, 2017

Pandith was lynched to death by a violent mob on 23 June, when people were observing Shab-e-Qadr  a night-long congregational prayers outside the Jamia Masjid in the old city of Srinagar, when a group of youths found a "few people moving suspiciously" outside the premises of the mosque in Nowhatta.

Police are probing the presence of separatist leaders in Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta, where Ayub Pandith was lynched. Jammu and Kashmir director general of police SP Vaid had said that the investigation was on, but definitely, his (Mirwaiz's) men are "involved in the murder".

"He was murdered by the same people whose protection he was ensuring. Those who were involved would face the law," Vaid had said.

Mirwaiz was earlier placed under house arrest as he was heading towards Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of Srinagar for the Friday prayers.
Mumbai: Within days of the Central Railway (CR) renaming the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Western Railway (WR) on Wednesday rechristened the Elphinstone Road station as Prabhadevi.

The WR issued a notification to this effect in Mumbai on Wednesday. The station, which was named after Lord Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay Presidency from 1853 to 1860, has now been renamed in honour of a local deity.

"The notification about the renaming of the station has been issued and steps are being taken to make necessary changes, including updating it in our system," said the chief public relations officer of the WR, Ravinder Bhakar.

"It will take almost a week to complete all the formalities of changing the name," he added. The WR said the code initials of the renamed station would be- PBHD.

It was Shiv Sena which had first made the demand to rename some suburban stations in Mumbai arguing they carried "colonial" names.

In December last year, the Maharashtra legislature had approved a Bill to rename the Elphinstone Road station, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and the Mumbai airport.

Welcoming the renaming of the station, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant told PTI, "It's good that our demands are being accepted. But we will still pursue this issue (of renaming more stations) with the state government and the Railway Ministry."

"I have demanded that several suburban stations need to be renamed as a mark of respect to the local luminaries. I have demanded that Currey Road station be named as Lalbaugh, Sandhurst Road station as Dongri, Reay Road as Ghodapdeo, Cotton Green as Kalachowki, Mumbai Central as Nana Chowk, Grant Road as Gaondevi, etc. I am confident that our demands will be met for the larger public interest," Sawant added.

Sena's demand had received the support of all the major parties of the state. The Maharashtra Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution to this effect last year.

The BJP-led government had sought insertion of the word "Maharaj" in both the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

In May this year, the Centre had given its nod to the recommendations of the state government.

Last week, Mumbai's iconic railway station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was rechristened with addition of an honorific 'Maharaj' after 'Shivaji' in its old name.

The British-era landmark, which was Victoria Terminus before it was named after the Maratha warrior king a couple of decades back, is now known as "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai."
Jerusalem: India and Israel on Wednesday elevated their ties to the strategic partnership level, vowing to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism while pitching for strong action against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups.

The issue of terror and "strategic threats" along with various other topics like cooperation in defence and security, water, agriculture, space and West Asia figured prominently in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.

After the wide-ranging talks, the two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture and space.

During the second of his three-day visit, Modi also met Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who narrowly escaped death in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

"This is a good day... You and I can change the world... Our relationship is made in heaven and we are doing the implementation part," Netanyahu said with Modi standing by his side during a joint media appearance.

The Israeli prime minister, who is devoting full time to Modi during his three-day visit and joining him at all his engagements, said the two countries together "can make a big difference" to the world.

Modi, while describing his stay in Israel so far as "productive" and "memorable", said, "Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples.

The first Indian prime minister to visit Israel said both the countries live in "complex geographies" and are aware of "strategic threats" to regional peace and stability.

"India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel," he said, adding the two leaders had "agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism, including in cyberspace."

Netanyahu said the two countries need to cooperate in the field of counter-terrorism as he described 26/11 as a "horrible terrorist attack".

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, while briefing the media on the talks later, said the two countries had decided to elevate their relationship to the strategic partnership, which gives a special dimension to the ties.

A joint statement issued after the talks said,"strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctity to terrorists and terror groups."

Though nobody was named in this context, the Indian side saw this as a reference to Pakistan.

"There are a lot of common challenges, including cyber security," the foreign secretary said, adding, "There is an ongoing dialogue on homeland security (between India and Israel). This is expected to be strengthened."

The joint statement said two prime ministers recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.

Modi and Netanyahu asserted that fight against terror won't succeed if it is segmented, Jaishankar said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), the statement added.

The foreign secretary was asked why there was no action like the one witnessed during Modi's recent visit to Washington when the US had declared Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a 'global terrorist' recently.

Responding, he said the American sanctioning system is unique and cannot be used as a "norm". "No other country has the policy or legal institution to do it (sanction)... The US is an exception," he added.

Referring to areas of defence and security, Jaishankar said India and Israel have been having "time-tested" and long-standing partnership on defence, joint development and transfer of technology.

The foreign secretary said Israel is excited about the 'Make-in-India' programme and wants to "Make-with-India'.

"There is an appetite for working with us. There is a lot of enthusiasm, there are a lot of possibilities," he said.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.

Jaishankar said the pact in the field of agriculture is crucial for India to meet its ambitious goal of doubling the farmers' income by 2022.

Modi and Netanyahu also discussed the situation in West Asia and the wider region. "It is India's hope that peace, dialogue, and restraint will prevail," Modi said.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a USD 40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing USD 20 million each.

Jaishankar said Modi and Netanyahu also discussed visa liberalisation.

India invited Israel to be a partner country in the annual Technology Summit.

Modi also invited Netanyahu and his family to pay a visit to India.
Apart from receiving a warm majestic welcome at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport from his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been kept at the most secured suite at the iconic Kind David Hotel in Jerusalem. The King David Hotel was partly damaged in a bombing in 1946 during a terrorist attack led by the Zionist paramilitary group Irgun. A total of 91 people were killed and 45 injured during the attack.

The security of Modi, who has become the first India prime minister to visit Israel, has obviously been a concern, but the suite, where he will be staying during his three-day visit, is the safest suite in Israel, and probably in the world.

"His suite is secured against bomb attacks, chemical attacks, everything," Sheldon Ritz, director of operations in King David Hotel told the Times of India. "If the entire hotel is bombed, PM's suite will be untouched, will come down in a pod," Ritz who has been made in charge of Modi's visit said.

But safety is not the only thing that would make Modi's stay at the luxury suite memorable. According to the report, Modi is also been treated with Gujarati food and vegan cookies.

According to the report, over 110 rooms in the hotel were cleared to house Modi and his delegation. The hotel, which is often used to house foreign dignitaries, is owned by Dan Hotels. A VOA News report quoted the Jerusalem Post saying that Donald Trump also stayed in the same luxury suite during his visit to Israel a few weeks ago.
India and Israel on Wednesday elevated their ties to the strategic partnership level, vowing to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism while pitching for strong action against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups.

The issue of terror and "strategic threats" along with various other topics like cooperation in defence and security, water, agriculture, space and West Asia figured prominently in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.

After the wide-ranging talks, the two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture and space. Here's the full text of the joint statement.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India visited Israel from 4-6 July 2017 at the invitation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. This historic first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel solidified the enduring friendship between their peoples and raised the bilateral relationship to that of a strategic partnership.

Noting that they represent two cradles of civilizations that have nurtured their respective heritages over the centuries, the two leaders affirmed their intention to build a broad-based relationship that will realise the full potential of their association. In doing so, they recognized that throughout history, the Jewish Communities have always had a home in India and have been treated with warmth and respect.

Reviewing the development of the relationship after a quarter century of diplomatic ties, the two leaders agreed on initiatives and policies that would reflect the goals and aspirations of both nations and widen their collaborative endeavours in a broad range of areas. They visualized that the two countries will become close partners in development, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, defence and security.

Recognizing its centrality for development, India and Israel agreed to establish a "Strategic Partnership in Water and Agriculture. This will focus on water conservation, waste-water treatment and its reuse for agriculture, desalination, water utility reforms, and the cleaning of the Ganges and other rivers using advanced water technologies. It will also include the reinforcement and expansion of the existing Centres of Excellence (COE) under the stewardship of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MASHAV) and the Ministry of Agriculture of India to promote commercially viable business models involving Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs); the provision of quality planting material; and the transfer of post-harvest technical know-how and market linkages involving the private sector through PPP, B2B & other models. The two leaders also agreed on the establishment of a Joint Working Group to steer this Partnership.

The two Prime Ministers noted the importance of realizing the full potential of bilateral trade and investment. They tasked the India-Israel CEO Forum to come up with early recommendations in this regard. Both leaders underlined the need to boost bilateral cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship and called for greater collaboration in the field of start-ups.

Recognizing the importance of facilitating movement of businessmen and women, India and Israel underlined their expectation that the granting of multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years will encourage greater economic and commercial exchanges.

The two Prime Ministers agreed that negotiations would be conducted on an agreement for the Protection of Investments in order to encourage bilateral investments from both sides.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding for establishing the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund (I4F) by the Department of Science and Technology, India and the National Authority for Technological Innovation, Israel with a contribution of US$ 20 million from each side. This MoU will play a seminal role in enabling Indian and Israeli enterprises to undertake joint R&D projects leading to development of innovative technologies and products that have potential for commercial application.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding for establishing the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund (I4F) by the Department of Science and Technology, India and the National Authority for Technological Innovation, Israel with a contribution of US$ 20 million from each side. This MoU will play a seminal role in enabling Indian and Israeli enterprises to undertake joint R&D projects leading to development of innovative technologies and products that have potential for commercial application.

Recognising the importance of fostering wide ranging knowledge-business partnership for industries, R&D institutions and government agencies from both countries, Israel warmly welcomed Indias offer to be the "Partner Country for the annual Technology Summit to be held in India in 2018.

Both leaders welcomed the ongoing cooperation between the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). They expressed satisfaction over the signing of three MoUs and Plan of Cooperation in the areas of Cooperation in Atomic Clocks; GEO-LEO Optical Link; Academic collaboration and Electric propulsion for small satellites which would further enhance cooperation between the two countries. They also encouraged the two Space Agencies to further enhance the growing relationship for mutual benefit. The two leaders acknowledged that the recent launching by ISRO of an Israeli nano satellite is an important milestone in this arena.

The Prime Ministers noted with satisfaction that both sides have agreed to upgrade their scientific and technological collaboration by supporting joint research and development projects in the cutting edge areas, including Big Data Analytics in Health Care. They directed the India-Israel Joint Committee on Science and Technology to explore the possibility of further advancement of scientific collaboration including setting up of Networked Centres of Research Excellence in the cutting edge areas of mutual strength and interest.

Reaffirming the importance of bilateral defence cooperation over the years, it was agreed that future developments in this sphere should focus on joint development of defence products, including transfer of technology from Israel, with a special emphasis on the 'Make in India' initiative.

India and Israel are committed to promote security and stability in cyberspace on both the governmental and private levels. The Prime Ministers emphasized the importance of enhanced dialogue between their national cyber authorities and expressed their commitment to expand and accelerate their cooperation in this sphere including laying a mutual roadmap for its implementation. Both sides also recognise the value of enhancing and further institutionalising their broad-based cooperation on cyber issues through a Framework for cooperation in the area of cyber security.

Recognizing that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability, the two Prime Ministers reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations. They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever. The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organizations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups. They also underscored the need to ensure that terrorist organizations do not get access to any WMD or technologies. Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitments as envisaged in the agreement on cooperation on Homeland and Public Security and encouraged the various Working Groups to implement the agreement in an efficient and effective manner.

The two Prime Ministers underlined the importance of enhanced collaboration in the field of Higher Education and Research and agreed to promote this through relevant agreements and the Joint Research Grant Programme.

Noting the importance of growing people to people contacts between India and Israel, the two leaders agreed to facilitate the promotion of travel & tourism in both directions, including through the further enhancement of air links between India and Israel.

Appreciating the contribution of the Jewish community in India and Jews of Indian origin in Israel in bringing the two societies closer, Prime Minister Modi announced the opening of an Indian Cultural Centre in Israel. This was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Netanyahu who expressed his deep respect for Indian culture and recalled Israel's strong support and sponsorship of PM Modi's initiative to promote the practice of Yoga by designating June 21 as International Yoga Day.

The two Prime Ministers recognized the contribution of Indian care-givers in Israel and expressed their intention to reach a mutually agreed-upon arrangement which will provide for their continued arrival in a regulated manner.

The two Prime Ministers discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process. They underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region. They reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements

During the visit, the following Agreements were signed:

i. MoU between the Department of Science & Technology, India and National Technological Innovation Authority, Israel for setting up of India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F).

ii. MoU between the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation of the Republic of India and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources of the State of Israel on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India

iii MoU between U.P. Jal Nigam, Government of Uttar Pradesh, of the Republic of India and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources of the State of Israel on State Water Utility Reform in India

iv India-Israel Development Cooperation - Three Year Work Program in Agriculture 2018-2020

v Plan of Cooperation Between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks

vi MoU between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA)regarding cooperation in GEO-LEO Optical Link

vii MoU between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in Electric Propulsion for Small Satellites

Prime Minister Modi thanked the people and Government of Israel for their gracious hospitality and extended a warm invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit India at a mutually convenient time. Prime Minister Netanyahu accepted the invitation.

The entire text has been taken exactly as posted by Ministry of External Affairs website and has not been edited by Firstpost.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark Israel visit, the first by an Indian premier.

Voicing their common concern over the growing menace of terrorism and radicalism, India and Israel on Wednesday agreed to cooperate to protect their strategic interests and called for strong measures against terror groups and their sponsors.

India has suffered first-hand violence and hatred spread by terror groups so as Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after holding wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit.

Here's the full text of Modi's statement on the second day of the visit.

Your Excellency Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Members of the media,

Thank you, Excellency, for your warm words of welcome. And, for the exceptional generosity with your time and friendship. I will truly cherish the most wonderful dinner that you and Mrs Netanyahu hosted for me yesterday. Our conversation last night, meeting Mrs Netanyahu, learning about your family especially what you told me about your father has taken my experience of your beautiful country to a whole new level. India admires the success of your people in overcoming adversity to advance, innovate and flourish against all odds. I am honoured to be in Israel on this extra-ordinary visit. In our modern journey, our paths have been different, but our belief in democratic values and economic progress has been a shared pursuit.

Friends,

This visit is an occasion:

-to rejuvenate the bonds of our friendship;

-to compose a new chapter in our ties; and

-to jointly venture towards new horizons of engagement.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have had productive discussions covering an extensive menu of issues. Not just on areas of bilateral opportunities. But, also how our cooperation can help the cause of global peace and stability. Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples.

Friends,

Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology. These are also among my priority areas in Indias development. We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation. We are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field. Our decision to establish a bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth US$ 40 million for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal. We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do more in this direction. Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts. This would also be our message to the CEO Forum tomorrow.

Friends,

India and Israel live in complex geographies. We are aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has suffered firsthand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyber space. We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is Indias hope that peace, dialogue, and restraint will prevail.

Friends,

Our people hold natural affinity and warmth for each other. The Indian-origin Jewish community reminds us of these bonds. It also serves as a bridge to a shared future. In recent years, we have been receiving a large number of Israeli tourists in India. At the same time, more and more Indian students are choosing to pursue advance academics and research in your best universities. I am confident that the strength of these links, old and new, will hold us in good stead as we forge a partnership for the 21st century.

Friends,

Around 150 kilometres from here, there is a slice of history in the city of Haifa in Israel that is very dear to my country. This is the final resting place for forty-four of the Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War 1 to liberate that city. Tomorrow, I will travel to Haifa to pay homage to our brave Indian soldiers.

Excellency Netanyahu,

It has been a productive and memorable twenty-four hours in Israel. I am sure that the rest of my stay would be equally exciting. Let me also take this chance to invite you and Mrs Netanyahu and your family to visit India. I again thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Shalom!

The entire text has been taken exactly as posted by the Ministry of External Affairs website and has not been edited by Firstpost.
If they do their homework over the next decade or so, some of todays David City elementary and middle school students may find themselves solving real-world problems and creating the materials and machines that improve our quality of life.

If that is the case, they might see this past weekend as a launch pad.

This past week 24 students got some hands-on exposure to circuitry, robotics and structural design. Students who had finished third through eighth grades had a chance to attend the six engineering, robotics and computer coding summer camps put on by the Nebraska Public Power District.

The focus of the camp was Engineering Pathways, which is an NPPD program. The camps are part of The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Lab developed by NPPD as an educational outreach program. The lab lays the building blocks for possible careers in public power while allowing students to get up close to technology.

Students got in groups and went to different stations. Their tasks ranged from testing wind turbine designs to building electrical towers. Other stations focused on circuitry and basic robotic programming.

Barb Hart, the elementary media specialist and elementary curriculum and assessment coordinator for David City Public Schools, went from group to group, lending a hand when it was needed.

Students were generally quite engaged with the various projects and some team members demonstrated leadership skills that really helped their groups make great progress, Hart said. I see that students clearly need opportunities to engage in direct experiences with design challenges and materials to develop the problem-solving skills and teamwork skills to be prepared for their work future, which will become increasingly more technical.

The open room allowed students to brainstorm and create ideas for the station instead of just learning what is already being done. Some seemed frustrated at the trial and error process, which sent them back to the drawing board. But it helped them understand why some materials and designs worked better than others.

Kids need chances to envision a product and use available materials to create it, test it and refine it, she said. In the process they develop skills, for example, perseverance and responding appropriately to failure, that generalize to many other areas of their lives.
In half a century of travelling, and visiting about 50 countries, one has rarely felt as good as it did to be an Indian while travelling through Israel and Palestine. I met Yasser Arafat and Ezer Weizman, the then presidents of the two countries, but it was when I roamed the streets and bazaars that my eyes were opened to just how popular my country was.

Shopkeepers (mainly Arab) would insist on giving a discount, even refuse to take payment, and would point one to the best wares. (A vender in Jerusalem's old town souk insisted I buy a t-shirt, calling it "best quality". Indeed, I still wear it, 17 years later. Not a thread is loose.)

Not only did Palestinians remember with great regard Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's backing for their struggle, many young Palestinians had also studied in India and carried with them warm memories of welcome. On the other hand, Israelis too cherished their country's relationship with India, not simply for trade or strategic reasons, but for the fact that Jews, their religion, culture and properties, had been safe in the subcontinent for more than a millennium.

And India must build on this great twin asset. It is good that prime minister Modi met Palestinian Authority Chairman Mehmoud Abbas in May, and had such a grand visit to Israel over the last two days. Perhaps he could have gone to Ramallah this time too.

The British, who created the world's only two countries based solely on religion within the space of one year in 1947-48, have been acutely conscious of what their official papers call "the Muslim world". Particularly in light of current Chinese belligerence towards India, the government must do its best to keep intact  if not further build  relations with various countries with a Muslim identity.

Iran and Turkey are among the most vital of these. We need to carefully examine how to undo the trends represented by recent statements from those two countries' top leaders. A few days ago, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatullah Khamenei, publicly called for aid to Kashmiris, virtually backing militancy in the Valley. Just a few weeks earlier, Turkish president Recep Erdogan had offered to mediate between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue.

This is a troubling trend. Of course, the best way to have countered it would have been to reach out to Kashmiri youth over the past decade, giving them a sense of security, hope and proud acceptance with regard to the status quo. Having failed abjectly on that challenge, the govenment must tread very carefully on the world stage.

Relations with Israel  or with the US  need not be at the expense of relations with other countries. The middle path is best for a country of India's size, complexity, and internal challenges.

Any analysis that presumes that India chose to build relations with Israel instead of with Palestine when diplomatic relations opened 25 years ago needs to review what happened then. It was not either-or. It was not even a choice upon which India deliberately embarked. In fact, one could even say that the choice was made by the Palestinian authority rather than by India. A few months after PV Narasimha Rao became prime minister in June 1991, India's external intelligence agency RAW got wind of secret talks between the Israeli and Palestian authorities  which came to be known as the 'Oslo peace process'. Until then, Rao had been content to continue relations with only the Palestinian Authority.

Here is the version Mani Dixit, the then foreign secretary, recounted to me some years later: When Dixit walked into the prime minister's office with the RAW report, Rao asked him to invite Arafat to India. As before, Arafat was given a red carpet welcome at Palam airport but when meetings began, he was confronted with RAW's information. Arafat quickly agreed when he was told that India would now open diplomatic relations with Israel.

India still has the understanding of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people. However, the country needs to be cautious about how its external relations are perceived in other countries, particularly at this very challenging point. Great power brings great responsibility  not only towards the world around us, but also towards potential inheritors of India's current power and status.
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The centres have demonstrated that Israeli agricultural techniques can be employed to improve Indian farming practices and Modi, to emphasise on the need for transfer of technology, will visit an agriculture farm soon after landing in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

Under the India-Israel action plan, Israel set up 15 centres of excellence in agriculture and horticulture in Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

India and Israel have shared significant cooperation in the field of agriculture

"Friends, India is a very old civilisation but a young nation. 800 million people in India are belor 35 years of age. They propel my vision to tranform India, its economy and its interface with the world. India counts Israel as an important partner," says Modi.

"In silicon valley in California, the two most common languages are Hindi and Hebrew. Sometimes, there is a bit of English too. Formula for success in relationship between India and Israel is I square and T square - Indian talent and Israels technology. This is India Israel ties for tomorrow," says Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to have a packed schedule on the second day of his visit to Israel. The prime minister will start his day at 10: 30 am (Israel Standard Time) when he will meet the Israeli president. He will then hold talks with Netanyahu and and address a press briefing afterwards. Modi will then meet Baby Moshe Holzberg, the child who survived the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, at around 2:30 pm.

PM Modi has a packed schedule on Day 2 of his Israel visit, will meet Baby Moshe Holzberg and family

"Despite the friendship and the hype around it, Modi will need to balance relations with Israel with that of other Gulf countries. The tight rope walk that India has always done since 1992, will continue... Modi stuck to Delhis line on the Palestinian issue: "India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully," he said on Monday."

"Israeli daily The Marker in an article titled Wake up: the most important PM of the world is coming, discussing ties between India and Israel. It added that in contrast to US President Donald Trump, who didnt say much, Modi, a leader of 1.25 billion people, deserves a lot of attention," the article read.

A report in The Indian Express curating from leading Israeli media outlets points out that Narendra Modi's visit  the first by an Indian prime minister  has buoyed much hope in the Israeli media, like India.

'Sky no more a limit': Israeli media heaps praise on Modi as both leaders vow to deepen ties

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

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. Modi's decision to meet Moshe, now 10, has been welcomed by the child's family which said that the gesture made them realise that Indians share their pain and they have not been forgotten.

Responding to President Revlin's warm welcome note, Modi said that he was overwhelmed by the incredibly warm welcome and love that he received in Israel.

Overwhelmed by the kinship and love I received here: Modi in Israel

"We all are here at Jerusalem from Afula to meet the Indian prime minister. This meeting is very important to us as the prime minister, who represents 125 crore Indians, has shown a desire to meet Moshe and us," he added.

"Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us," Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI.

Leading Israeli papers have extensively covered Modis trip. From going down memory lane to cautioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli newspapers have examined every aspect of Tel Avivs relations with New Delhi.

The suite where Modi will be staying during his three-day visit is the safest suite in Israel. It is secured against bomb attacks and even chemical attacks. "If the entire hotel is bombed, PM's suite will be untouched, will come down in a pod," Sheldon Ritz who has been made in charge of Modi's visit said.

Been there done that, tweets Congress on India-Israel ties

After Israel was established in 1948, Mumbai's Marathi-speaking Jews gradually migrated to the homeland. While the community lost much of its clout in the post-Independence era, modern Mumbai owes a lot to the small community.

Mumbai has always had a special connection with the Jewish people. Mumbai's textile industry was established by David Sassoon, a Baghdad-born Arab Jew. His son Abdullah, later built Sassoon Docks, Mumbai's oldest dockyard.

For Tel Aviv, the path to New Delhi runs straight through Maharashtra

For his US visit, Modi picked an array of gifts signifying close ties between the US and India. Modi presented US First Lady Melania Trump a traditional, handcrafted silver bracelet and hand-woven shawls from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Modi gifted Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artifacts of the long Jewish history in India. They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th century.

"I take this chance, Prime Minister Netanyahu, to invite you and your family to India," says Modi.

On people-to-people ties, Modi said that while there had been an increase in the number of Israeli tourists visiting India, more and more Indian students were coming to Israel for higher studies.

"We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership." He said he and Netanyahu had productive discussions not only on bilateral cooperation but also on issues of global peace and stability.

"The Prime Minister and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to fight growing radicalization," Modi said. He added that the goal of India and Israel was to build a relationship that reflected the shared priorities and drew on the enduring bonds between people of the two countries.

India-Israel relationship has remained largely restricted within the parameters of a strategic partnership in defence and counter-terrorism, it is due to India's myopic foreign policy which was driven by a moralistic tradition that frequently degenerated into rank hypocrisy and a lack of realpolitik vision.

PTI reported that Modi, in a special gesture, met Moshe, now 11, along his grandparents and Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who managed to escape with him from the Nariman House which came under attack by Pakistan-based LeT terrorists in 2008. "Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome. You and your all family members will get long term visas. So you can come anytime and go anywhere," Modi told the boy during the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday offered Moshe Holtzberg, a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, a long-term visa to India, reported CNN-News18. Moshe was just a two-year-old child when terrorists attacked Nariman House in Mumbai and killed his parents.

India and Israel on Wednesday elevated their ties to the strategic partnership level, vowing to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism while pitching for strong action against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups. The issue of terror and "strategic threats" along with various other topics like cooperation in defence and security, water, agriculture, space and West Asia figured prominently in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. After the wide-ranging talks, the two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture and space.

Besides concurrence on strategic issues, India and Israel signed seven agreements and MoUs in space, water management and conservation and agriculture cooperation. One accord provides for setting up of $40 million fund to be spent over five years for technological innovation.

On the second day of the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister, Modi, after discussions with host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sought to balance New Delhi's traditional ties with Israel's neighbours by saying India hoped that "peace, dialogue and restraint" will prevail in West Asia.

India and Israel on Wednesday decided to scale up their relationship in the fight against terror, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the two countries have "agreed to do much more to protect our strategic interests" and to combat rising radicalisation and terrorism including in the cyber-space.

The two leaders "reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements," as per the joint statement issued by the two sides.

"We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region that has been marred by years of conflict.

"During his meeting with Modi, Moshe told him that he wants to visit Mumbai and become the director of the Chabad House, where his parents were killed," Rosenberg claimed.

"Netanyahu, who met Moshe along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, offered to ferry him in his aircraft when he visits India," Moshe's grandfather Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI over phone from Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered to bring along Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, during his forthcoming visit to India, the boy's family claimed on Wednesday.

"These are the jews of India. They love India, They love Israel. They love our friendship," says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"It took 70 years for us to meet. After Indian independence, an Indian prime minister is taking your blessing. On this occasion, Benjamin Netanyahu is here. After coming to Israel, the way he has been with me, the kind of respect he has given me, is the respect of the billions of people in India," Modi says in Tel Aviv.

It took 70 years for us to meet: Modi

"Wherever Jews have lived in India, they have lived respectfully. The Jews have not only contributed in our armed forces, but also in other fields. The Jews have done everything on their own merit," says Modi in Tel Aviv.

"The Indian farmer has the power to turn soil into gold. This year, there has been a record harvest in India. With monsoon, and the efforts of the authorities, this has been possible. The government is working to double the income of farmers by 2022," says Modi in Tel Aviv.

Modi also mentioned that a Delhi-Mumbai-Tel Aviv air route will be started. "That's why I'm telling the youth to visit India more often," Modi adds.

"Both the countries know how to emerge from difficult situations. I have full faith that the country that treats guests like God will only inspire you to take great experience back home," says Modi.

"We have taken the decision to solve the issues with the law regarding OCI and PIO," says Modi in Tel Aviv.

India will soon open Indian Cultural Center in Israel, that will keep you connected: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/VwOG13R91B

Modi also mentioned that a Delhi-Mumbai-Tel Aviv air route will be started. "That's why I'm telling the youth to visit India more often," Modi adds.

"Both the countries know how to emerge from difficult situations. I have full faith that the country that treats guests like God will only inspire you to take great experience back home," says Modi.

Vibrant diaspora. With a sizeable number of Jews of Indian-origin in Israel, the community connect b/w #IndiaIsrael is deep and thriving pic.twitter.com/bnDJzbJnzU

The enduring bridge between India and Israel! PM @narendramodi addresses the Indian community in Israel #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/s4jnvDBSMJ

PM announces OCI card for those Indian origin persons who have done compulsory military service in Israel pic.twitter.com/0KBF5yOwqD

The community programme in Tel Aviv was a memorable one. Here is my speech during the programme. https://t.co/jZhSWRa2fP pic.twitter.com/az9QFTXMof

PM with Dr. Lael Anson Best, an accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon. He was conferred the Award for achievements in Medical Sciences. pic.twitter.com/IdYVTOmysV

PM was delighted to meet Mr. Eliyahu Bezalel. Hailing from Chennamangalam, Cochin he distinguished himself as an eminent agriculturalist. pic.twitter.com/oxrcBgD6tY

PM with Mr. Sheikh Ansari, who manages the Indian Hospice in Jerusalem. He was honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2011. pic.twitter.com/v972znswvn

PM @narendramodi a wonderful interaction with the Israelis who have been conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue his two-day trip to Israel on Wednesday, with a packed schedule lined up ahead of him.

Modi will call on the Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin first at around 10.30 am (Israeli Standard Time). He will then hold discussions with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also hosting an executive lunch to welcome Modi between 11.30 am and 02.30 pm (Israeli Standard Time). Both the prime ministers will then jointly address a press conference following the bilateral discussions.

The two leaders had briefly met on Tuesday, on Modi's arrival. Both, India and Israel, had jointly called for resolutely opposing the menace of terrorism and defeating this global scourge.

Modi referred to his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum shortly after his arrival in Israel earlier on Tuesday and said the museum was "a tribute to your unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation".

"Yad Vashem tells us that those who believe in humanity and civilised values must come together and defend it at all costs, Modi said.

"As such, we must resolutely oppose the evils of terrorism, radicalism and violence that plague our time."

Stating that India-Israel ties have seen rapid growth since the establishment of full diplomatic relations, Modi said: "Common objectives of economic prosperity, strong technology and innovation ties and the need to secure our societies define the space for convergent action between us. Over coming decades, we want to frame a relationship that transforms the landscape of our economic engagement."

He said that focus on using technology and innovation to meet development priorities "provides productive scope to expand our academic, scientific and research, and business links".

"We also want to put in place a robust security partnership to respond to shared threats to our peace, stability and prosperity," he stated.

"I will work with Prime Minister Netenyahu to craft and build a clear action agenda to realise these objectives."

Referring to people-to-people links between the two countries, Modi said that Jews have thrived in India for thousands of years after the first of these people landed on India's south-western coastline.

"We are proud of jewish sons and daughters of India like Lt Gen JFR Jacob, Vice Admiral Benjamin Samson, master architect Joshua Benjamin, and film actors Nadira, Sulochana, and Pramila whose diverse contributions have greatly enriched the fabric of Indian society," he said.

"Indian Jews are a living and vibrant connect to this shared history. My visit to Israel celebrates this ancient bond between communities across both our nations."

India and Israel are sister democracies, face common challenge: Israel

On his part, Netanyahu said that India and Israel were "sister democracies" and faced the common challenge of terrorism.

Calling Modi as "friend Narendra", Netanyahu said that Israel believed in the "partnership of intelligence".

"India and Israel are sister democracies. We are unequal in size but equal in spirits," said Netanyahu.

"We also face common challenges and first of it is to defeat the forces of terror that's on rampage through the world and threaten both our countries. We must stand together in this battle. We have to defeat terrorism."

Netanyahu said both India and Israel shared "a bond of democracy, creativity, a deep respect for the past and a boundless optimism for future and it's in this spirit my friend Narendra, I welcome you here"

Speaking of his "great admiration" for people of India for talent and Prime Minister Modi for yoga, the Israeli Prime Minister also recalled Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

"We have great admiration for people of India. My late uncle who was a mathematician told me many times about his admiration for great Indian mathematician Ramanujan, who was perhaps the greatest mathematician in many centuries," said Netanyahu.

"This symbolises talents of people of India," he said.

He further added, "We believe in the partnership of talent. It won't happen over night, but we both want it to happen overnight."

With inputs from PTI
Jerusalem: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night gifted his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artefacts of the long Jewish history in India.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th century, the PMO tweeted.

PM Modi presented PM Netanyahu replicas of 2 sets of relics from Kerala that, regarded as key artifacts in the long Jewish history in India. pic.twitter.com/OywLabMQoO  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2017

In addition, Prime Minister @narendramodi also presented PM @netanyahu a Torah scroll donated by the Paradesi Jewish community in Kerala. pic.twitter.com/xCDKBL2s3g  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2017

And a metal crown covered in gold sheets in floral ornament style, bearing motifs typical of lamps and decorations of south India. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/KWNXltBYBY  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2017

The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochin Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban.

According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabban was later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore.

Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and other places in Malabar.

Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earth from Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy place and a "second Jerusalem".

The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi.

The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India.

These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church. And oversight of trade in Kollam to West Asian and Indian trading associations.

West Asian association included Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, as also a group of Jews, who signed in Judeo-Persian and possibly also in Arabic and Pahlavi (Middle Persian).

The plates bear their signatures that appear to have been cut into the plates by a local workman unfamiliar with the script, the PMO tweeted.

The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala.
On 4 July, Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.

His trip marked 25 years of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and India, fostered by the visionary former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao. Modi's three-day trip is long overdue and historic.

For their part, Israeli presidents and prime ministers have visited India: Ezer Weizman set the precedent in 1997, followed by former prime minister Ariel Sharon in 2003 (the first Israeli PM to visit India) and in 2016, Israeli president Reuven Rivlin visited India.

Historically, Muslims all over the world have viewed Israel with suspicion. When Muhammad proclaimed his prophethood, he expected that the Jews would support him, but they did not.

Christians have also had an antagonistic relationship with the Jewish people. Their discrimination and hatred towards Jews in Russia and elsewhere in Europe forced them to migrate from 1880s through the Second World War. Most of them finally settled in the US and Israel.

When Islamic general Salahuddin Ayyubi conquered Jerusalem in 1187, he treated the Jews with respect. In modern times, Morocco treats its Jews well. But it's also true that anti-Jewish sentiment permeates with Muslim world, perhaps because Muslim clerics fail to distinguish between genuine criticism of Israel for occupying the Palestinian land and a hatred of the Jewish people.

In recent years, publishing houses based in New Delhi's Abul Fazl Enclave area have sought to promote anti-Jew hatred by publishing Urdu translations of books by anti-Jewish Western writers. For example, a book by Victor E Marsden on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, translated by Muhamad Yahya Khan into Urdu as Yehudi Protocols  Greater Israel Ke Aalami Saihooni Mansoobey Ki Khufiya Dastatwezaat Ka Pehla Angreezi, Urdu Tarjuma ("The Jewish Protocols  The First English-Urdu Translation of the Secret Documents of the International Zionist Plan for Greater Israel"), was published by the Abul Fazl Enclave-based Milli Publications. The entire book, an anti-Jewish forgery, is aimed sowing the hatred of Jews among Indian Muslims.

Milli Publications also published an Urdu translation of They Dare to Speak Out by Paul Findley. The Urdu version is titled Shikanja-e-Yehud - "The Sinews of the Jews." It brought out another book by Paul Findley into Urdu titled Israel ki Deeda Danista Farebkariyan  "Israel's Deliberate Deceptions."

Indian Muslim leaders must keep in mind that Israel has more Muslims, percentage wise, than India. According to the The World Factbook, Muslims comprise 17.6 percent of Israel's populations compared to India, where Muslims make up 14.2 percent of our population.

Most Muslims also think that Israel has occupied the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Although this mosque is in Jerusalem, its management is controlled by a WAQF trust and its imam is appointed by the Palestinian president. To guard against any damage to the mosque, Israeli police ensure that no extremists enter the mosque while posing as Muslims.

When I was working at the BBC in London, my colleague Shahzeb Jillani visited Jerusalem. Shahzeb was surprised that the Israeli soldier asked him to prove that he was a Muslim by reciting the second Kalima in Arabic, which read: "I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, the one alone, without partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and messenger." Only after Shahzeb recited the Kalima in Arabic did the Israeli soldier allow him to enter the mosque.

In recent times, the relationship between Muslims and Jews was further strained after Iran's leaders called for the annihilation of Israel. In many parts of the world, Muslims mark the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramzan as Al-Quds Day. However, not many Muslims know that Al-Quds Day was started by Ayatollah Khomeini after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to express support for the Palestinians and to liberate Jerusalem from Israel. We must keep in mind that much before the Islamic State, it was Khomeini who revived armed jihad in modern times after he issued a fatwa in 1989 calling for beheading Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses.

Supporting the Palestinians can be a moral act. But the Muslims who mark Al-Quds Day do not speak for the Muslims who are systematically being killed in Balochistan by the Pakistani Army. Muslims also do not raise voice against the killings of Shias in many parts of the world because most Sunni clerics think that Shias are not Muslims. Pakistani Muslims who mark Al-Quds Day do not even remember Brigadier Zia-ul-Haq, who later became Pakistan Army chief and dictator, for butchering thousands of Palestinians during Black September when he commanded a military division in Jordan in 1970. So, the reason why Muslims mark Al-Quds Day is due to hatred of Jews and Israel.

Indian Muslims must evolve their view of Israel. After all, it is West Asia's only democracy. In August 2007, a delegation of Indian Muslims led by Maulana Jameel Ahmed Ilyasi, leader of the All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques, visited Israel. Ilyasi, who died in 2009, represented a half million Indian imams. Ilyasi said that his visit aimed at "developing a dialogue between Judaism and Islam in the Indian subcontinent, where more than 40 percent of the world Muslim population lives." Such visits by Muslim leaders are relevant also because Muslims remain unaware of the ground realities involving the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Sometimes, trips by world leaders are hugely consequential. The visit of Pope John Paul II his native country of Poland in 1979 made such an impact in the minds of people that it hastened the demise of communism in Europe. Similarly, the visit of US president Richard Nixon to China in 1972 saw the dawn of a new era of prosperity for China.

In March 2006, US president George W Bush visited India to foster India-US relationship and stated that India was the only country where Muslims had experienced sustained democratic experience for more than half a century while also making note of Sania Mirza's achievement. Bush also reportedly introduced Manmohan Singh to his wife Laura as The Prime Minister of India, a democracy which does not have a single Al-Qaeda member in a population of 150 million Muslims.

Jewish organisations have also made special efforts to take Muslim journalists from India on study trips to Israel.

Muslims in India must keep in mind that their success lies in India's prosperity. As India makes rapid progress, the fruits of economic development and growing educational opportunities will inevitably reach Muslims as well. However, India's economic progress lies thanks in its strong security partners: Israel and the US.

The relationship India has with Israel and the US is not limited to just matters of security. Israel has made huge contributions to agricultural research in India, which adds to our food security.

Since Modi's trip is the first by an Indian prime minister to Israel, it is bound to strengthen the security and economic cooperation between the two countries and improve the prospects of their people.

The author, a former BBC journalist, is a contributing editor at Firstpost and executive director of the Open Source Institute, New Delhi. He tweets @tufailelif
Narendra Modi is a man of symbolism. As the Air India One arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday and landed on the tarmac, the prime minister would have been aware that the Ben Gurion airport is named after a man who symbolises Israel's unrequited love towards India and the shameful imbalance in bilateral ties.

David Ben Gurion, the founder of modern Israel, held a deep, resilient respect for India. He was fascinated by the ancient civilisation, its inclusive culture, sought its friendship, recognition and never failed to extend his hand when needed despite being repeatedly snubbed by its politicians. Modi would have been aware, for he is a man with a keen sense of history, that in becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel he was merely correcting a historical wrong.

The importance of Israel-India partnership cannot be overstated, more so in the post Cold War era. This bilateral tie is underwritten by an ancient civilisational connect, remarkable similarity in cultures, pregnant correlation between its dominant religions, shared democratic values and a close strategic partnership. The commonality and dovetailing of interests should have made Israel India's most natural ally. Both countries emerged within a few months of each other as modern nation-states, faced similar challenges in nation-building process (with varying degrees of success), coped with similar existential dilemmas on two-nation theory and has been confronted equally by the scourge of radical Islamist terrorism.

Given these factors, if their relationship has remained largely restricted within the parameters of a strategic partnership in defence and counter-terrorism, it is due to India's myopic foreign policy which was driven by a moralistic tradition that frequently degenerated into rank hypocrisy and a lack of realpolitik vision. Tied to Arab apron-strings owing to a perverted interpretation of secularism in domestic politics, India kept flaunting its Palestinian wedding ring while visiting Israel under the darkness of night. It was left to Modi to amend the moral perversion on 4 July, 2017.

It was difficult to miss the warmth and camaraderie between Modi and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Indian and Israeli officials have been working behind the scenes for months to make this tour a success but one cannot rehearse the spontaneity that the world was witness to. As soon as he emerged from the airplane, Netanyahu and Modi caught each other in a warm embrace  a gesture that would be repeated no less than three times within 15 minutes of his arrival.

Modi is known for embracing world leaders during bilateral tours and visits but accounting for the commonality of his gesture, a rare outpouring of affection was evident. It signified not only personal friendship between the two leaders but a shared understanding that they were mere pawns in a moment of history as representatives of two civilisations that have known and respected each other for a few millennia.

"My friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcome to Israel," said Netanyahu to Modi. "Aapka swagat hai mere dost," he said in Hindi, adding, "We love India, we admire your culture, your democracy.... We've been waiting for you for a long time.. almost 70 years."

My friend Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi, we have been waiting for you for a long time. Welcome to Israel! pic.twitter.com/crnpi33OMs  Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) July 4, 2017

Modi was accorded a guard of honour and Netanyahu, who had broken protocol in receiving Modi at the airport, introduced to each member of Netanyahu's cabinet who had assembled to greet him on the tarmac along with members of various religious orders.

The reception should shame us more into introspecting about the massive loss that we have suffered as a nation not willing to listen to pragmatism. Israel has so much to offer us in fields as diverse as water conservation, irrigation, innovations in agriculture, space technology, cyber-security, research and development in the fields of science, informational technology, startups, trade, commerce and obviously defence collaboration. And it is willing to walk the extra mile in order to make it possible. But the fact that Modi had to complete an extensive outreach programme to the Arab world before arriving in Israel points to the unfortunate slant Indian foreign policy had been subjected to.

And for what? Did India's long and unstinting backing of Palestine bring any strategic benefits? It is held that Jawaharlal Nehru's commitment to the cause of an undivided Palestine  even as Indian National Congress accepted the British decision to divide the nation on the basis of religion  forced him to reject Albert Einstein's four-page letter as India voted against the Mandate Partition plan at the UN in 1947. It eventually recognised Israel in 1950 but without diplomatic relations.

Ben Gurion, who convinced a reluctant Einstein to write the letter to Nehru, was forced to carry the burden of the unrequited relationship. He was a man, as Khinvraj Jangid writes in Israeli newspaper Haaretz, deeply fascinated by Indian civilisation. He was "enchanted by the Vedanta" and had studied "the schools of Sankhya and Yoga" and in his "bedroom in the Negev kibbutz of Sde Boker carried only only one leaders portrait: Gandhis."

In rejecting his hand of friendship and cooperation, Nehru felt he couldn't afford to antagonise the Arabs given India's large Muslim population who had chosen to remain instead of migrating to Pakistan. And yet for all of India's efforts the Arab nations did not come to India's aid even once during its wars and conflicts. Israel did.

As former Indian Army chief VP Malik writes in The Indian Express, "I wonder how many of them (political parties protesting against Modi's visit) are aware that in the wake of the India-China war in 1962, when Jawaharlal Nehru was prime minister, Israel had helped us with 81 mm and 120 mm mortars and pack howitzer artillery guns with ammunition desperately required by us."

Leave alone support, India has been betrayed by the Arab nations on Pakistan and Kashmir repeatedly. Whereas be it the 1962 conflict with China, wars against Pakistan in 1965, 1971 and 1999 as well as during sanctions against India after nuclear tests, Israel has been the only nation to stand by us.

As Jaideep A Prabhu writes in Swarajya magazine, "Israel provided artillery, ammunition, and instructors to India in 1965 during the Second India-Pakistan War, and during the War of Bangladeshi Liberation in 1971, Israel even helped India train the Mukti Bahini. Of course, Delhi did not acknowledge any of this, thanking Tel Aviv only for its medical aid. In 1968, when India established its intelligence service, Research & Analysis Wing, then prime minister Indira Gandhi reached out to Israel's HaMossad leModiin uleTafkidim Meyuhadim  Mossad  to help train the fledgling service."

Now contrast this with Saudi Arabia's move to join Pakistan in backing Kashmir's "movement for self-determination" during a meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) just days after Modi had returned from Riyadh in April last year.

The moral sanction of Israel, that still forms part of Leftist discourse, is equally hypocritical. If Israel is accused of oppressing Muslims, what explains India's bilateral ties with Saudis who are guilty of oppressing the Shias and Ahmadiyyas or the Chinese who have been accused of brutally suppressing the rights of Uighur Muslims?

India's Israel policy has so far been unfair, myopic, perverted and hypocritical. This was a much-needed course-correction.
Mumbai has always had a special connection with the Jewish people. Mumbai's textile industry was established by David Sassoon, a Baghdad-born Arab Jew. His son Abdullah, later built Sassoon Docks, Mumbai's oldest dockyard.

After Israel was established in 1948, Mumbai's Marathi-speaking Jews gradually migrated to the homeland. While the community lost much of its clout in the post-Independence era, modern Mumbai owes a lot to the small community.

Mumbai's Jewish connection was repeatedly stressed by Israeli consul-general David Akov, who mentioned an interesting tidbit during his meeting with the press on Tuesday: Outside of India, the largest Marathi speaking population lives in Israel. Akov also called Israel the land of innovation and technology for Maharashtra.

Akovs comments on Maharashtra perhaps reflects the importance Israel attaches to India s biggest economic powerhouse. We believe that the connection with Maharashtra will be immediate. We expect Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Israel will first bring benefits to Maharashtra which will then spread to other parts of India," the senior diplomat said.

Ever since Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis came to power in 2014, the western states economic ties with Israel have grown stronger. The 46-year-old chief minister also paid a visit to the Jewish state in April 2015, seeking Israeli expertise in agriculture, water management and urban development.

Collaboration on Smart Cities plan

During Fadnavis' Israel trip, the Maharashtra government and the Tel Aviv Municipal Corporation agreed to collaborate on the Smart City project. When Firstpost asked Akov to elaborate on the cooperation that had taken place, he said, Devendra Fadnavis first meeting in Tel Aviv was with the citys mayor. The earliest collaboration was in sharing a digital platform, with Thane and Tel Aviv coming together for the project. While it is called DigiTel in Tel Aviv, it is called DigiThane in Thane. It is also the first connection for Israel in the Smart City project. 

DigiTel is an e-government app which also works as a smart card to pay all utilities. The app helped Tel Aviv bag the World Smart Cities Award in 2014. Based on the app's success, the Thane Municipal Corporation decided to collaborate with Israel to launch its own version of the app.

Akov added that there was a lot of potential to tap Israeli technology for the Smart Cities plan. We are also trying to expose municipal commissioners in Maharashtra to Israeli technology by helping them visit Israel. By conducting programmes of ideas and technology, we expect the commissioners to bring the practice back to India. We hope this materialises soon.

Drip irrigation to Maharashtras rescue?

During his 2015 trip, Fadnavis praised Israels drip irrigation system, which could help farmers in the drought-prone areas of Marathwada. The consul-general claimed that efficient water management technology helped Israel become water autonomous. However, drip irrigation, which uses little water for more crop yield, still constitutes only a small percentage of Indian agriculture. Nevertheless, Akov was confident that the holistic approach provided by the method will encourage India to completely shift to drip irrigation in the future.

Israel being an arid and resource-scarce country, developed various efficient farming techniques as a counter-measure. While pitching Israeli agriculture technology as suitable for Maharashtra, Akov stressed on the Moshav model of farming  which emphasises cooperative farming, members belonging to the system train together, buy seeds together, market their produce collectively and share machines like tractors  claiming that aspects of it would work across the state.

Akov said that that Israel was running a Moshav-based project in the Yavatmal district, adding that there are also four Centres of Excellence for agriculture and innovation in Maharashtra, which were built under the India-Israel action plan. Each of the four Centres of Excellence is dedicated for a particular crop. Israeli agricultural experts train farmers to utilise Israeli farming methods at these centres in Aurangabad, Indapuri, Pune and Nagpur.

When questioned about the problems implementing the plan in Aurangabad, Akov said many farmers are already being trained in the Israeli methods of farming and that the training often depends upon the availability of Israeli farmers. He reiterated that farmers need better technology to overcome agricultural failures.

The diplomat said that as a remedial measure, the next phase of the plan will be to look beyond Centres of Excellence and train farmers to use technology on their land.

Maharashtra likely to benefit from new Israeli fund

Akov told the gathering that the Israeli Knesset authorised its biggest ever India-related fund for collaboration in research and development, agriculture, water resource management, health and innovation.

With just Rs 500 crores in the fund, the sum may look paltry. However, Akov said that even a country like China had been allotted a slightly lower budget. The senior diplomat argued that Israel focuses on jump-start collaborations  with Israeli companies being small and focusing on niche technology  so there was an emphasis on utilising funds wisely.

With Israel willing to collaborate on a Government to Government (G2G) as well as Business to Business (B2B) basis on agriculture and water resources technology, Maharashtra has much to gain.

And speaking on the potential of the Indian market, Akov said, "Israel has no market. Israeli entrepreneurs think of India as a huge market." He further added, "India, on the other hand, can utilise Israels technology and innovation. So it is a mutually beneficial relationship.
Shillong: Opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar on Wednesday said the country's secular fabric is in "danger", asserting that those in power should promote communal harmony and not "disrupt" it.

Kumar also said there is a definite move in the country to communalise people in the name of what one should eat, what one should see and how one should live.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker said she is contesting the presidential elections to fight against an ideology that has threatened and put the secular fabric of the country in danger.

"The need (to contest the presidential poll) has arisen because the atmosphere in the country has begun to threaten the secular fabric of the country," Kumar said while addressing the MLAs of the state.

Seeking the support of the legislators, she said her fight was against an ideology that "has challenged and is exceedingly putting in danger the communal harmony, social justice, inclusiveness, transparency and all that we have been standing for and held dear."

"This is the chance we have to make history and act in the best interest of our country for its progress and modernity and also for our next generation," she added.

Stating that India is a vast country with so many religions, ethnic groups, cultures and many ways of living in harmony, Kumar said, "Those in power should be able to always promote this harmony and not disrupt it."

Kumar expressed her gratitude to the 17 opposition parties for backing her against ruling NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind in the 17 July elections, saying they were doing so despite political differences.

In an indirect attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar said she failed to understand why, despite their "tremendous majority in Parliament and given their hold in the government," NDA leaders were "only talking and trying to distance themselves (from communal incidents) and no action is seen on the ground."

Appealing to the MLAs to listen to their inner voice, she said, "The inner voice of conscience carries more weight than numbers when people decide on moral ground and on grounds of principles and ethics and philosophy."

Besides Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy was present.

Kumar thanked Roy, president of the United Democratic Party that has eight MLAs, for his support.

"It is encouraging to find the Leader of Opposition with us. I am grateful the House is with us. People are with us and with our ideology that we are following, she said.

NDA-ally National People's Party (having two MLAs) and Hills State People's Democratic Party (with four MLAs) did not attend Kumar's address.
New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi dubbed Narendra Modi as a "weak PM" for not raising the issue of H1B visa in his talks with US president Donald Trump and for playing down the use of the term "Indian- administered Kashmir" by the US.

The Congress on its Twitter handle also criticised Modi's US visit, saying it was merely a photo opportunity and the main issues were bypassed.

Gandhi tweeted some links of media reports that said "H1B didn't figure in Modi-Trump talks" and "MEA accepts US use of 'administered Kashmir'". "India has a weak PM," he tweeted.

India had played down the usage of "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir" by the US in a statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country last month, saying similar terms have been used in the past too.

The Congress today tweeted, "While it was a great photo opportunity, the main issues were bypassed on Narendra Modi's trip to the United States. #Unfruitful #WeakModi."

It also posted a picture captioned 'no priority for Indian interests' along with the tweet.

"PM Modi should have made an effort to ensure that issues of visas and the tech industry were discussed," it tweeted.

The Congress on Tuesday attacked Modi over his frequent foreign trips, saying they had not benefited India "even a bit" and that only time would tell about the gains from his current visit to Israel.

Senior AICC spokesperson Ajay Maken claimed Modi's last "64 visits in more than 3 years" have catered only to domestic Indian audience through "televised shows" instead of ensuring

concrete gains for the country.

The Congress had earlier urged Modi to take up during his meeting with Trump, the issues of H1B visa, racial attacks on Indians and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.
In the fallout from the communal violence which gripped North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The Ministry of Home Affairs also sought a report from West Bengal government on the communal violence.

Communal clashes had broken out in North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday night following an "objectionable" Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

According to a report by The Indian Express, trouble started when a Class X student allegedly put up a derogatory post on Facebook on Monday. Even though the boy was nabbed on Monday evening, mobs vandalised shops and homes and blocked major roads in protest. The crowd also demonstrated in front of Baduria police station.

The vandalism continued throughout Monday and Tuesday as the administration did not inform people about the arrest, claimed Quazi Abdur Rahim, the MLA of Baduria, where the incident happened, according to Hindustan Times. Angry Muslim mobs took to the street and burnt houses and shops belonging to Hindus in Baduria, Swarupnagar and Taki blocks of the district bordering Bangladesh. The car of the additional police superintendent of the district was also attacked on Tuesday.

Shops were shut down in Baduria as tension prevailed there and spread to adjacent areas like Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia, the police said.

Governor and chief minister clash

While there was no official confirmation about any casualties during the clashes, the incident triggered an unprecedented spat between Banerjee and Tripathi.

Banerjee accused Tripathi of threatening her as she told the media that "He threatened me over phone. The way he spoke taking the side of BJP, I felt insulted. I have told him that he cannot talk like this." Banerjee also slammed Tripathi saying that he was behaving like a "block president of BJP".

The Raj Bhawan voiced surprise over Mamata's "attitude and language", and said, "the Hon'ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state." Tripathi, a former BJP veteran and former speaker of Uttar Pradesh Assembly, was appointed West Bengal governor after the Narendra Modi government was formed in 2014.

A Raj Bhavan statement quoted Tripathi as having said nothing happened during the talks over which Mamata should feel "insulted, threatened or humiliated". "The talks between the Hon'ble chief minister and the Hon'ble governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it," a statement issued by Raj Bhavan in Kolkata said.

It said that the governor asked the chief minister to ensure peace and law and order by all means. Condemning the riots, Mamata said, "This is a serious issue, let me handle it seriously." She said after the arrest of one person, there should not have been any further trouble. "We were awake last night (to control it)."

The chief minister appealed to top leaders of both the communities that her government would not tolerate "this hooliganism".

With inputs from agencies
The Supreme Court reserved its order on pleas by activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband in a case lodged against them for alleged misappropriation of funds received by her NGOs for Gujarat riots victims of 2002.

During arguments, the Gujarat government and Setalvad traded charges against each other with the state accusing her of "siphoning" the money collected in the name of victims for "personal use" like wining and dining and the activist claiming that the action against her was "completely malafide".

The hearing before a bench of justices Dipak Misra and AM Khanwilkar began with additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing Gujarat, alleging that as per the records, Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand had spent the money received in the name of victims in "liquor, movies, food, personal items, Blackberry phones".

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Setalvad and others, countered the charges and said the money which she had spent does not belong to the government and there was no complainant who had said he or she has been cheated. He said the donation was given by the Ford Foundation and others and when they had not come forward with any complaint, why did the police freeze the accounts of Setalvad, her husband and their NGOs  Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace.

"What is that offence that they (police) suspect I have committed and on what grounds have they frozen all these accounts for the past three-and-a-half years when no donor complained? They are doing it to malign me. This is completely malafide," he said.

Sibal said that as per records, only Rs 7,870 was spent on liquor in seven years and the police was projecting it as if a "gigantic amount" had been spent. "If they (Setalvad and Anand) had a meeting with some persons in a restaurant and somebody orders a drink for which they pay, is it an offence? These are very serious allegations," he said.

Mehta, however, said the money was collected in the name of the victims to convert the Gulbarg Society into a museum and the investigation in the case was going on. "I will not be able to share several things with the other side as we are in the midst of investigation. The complaint is categorical that these people created accounts and diverted funds," he alleged, adding that "no person who claims to be a social activist will spend money like this".

He also placed some vouchers before the court to buttress his claim that money meant for "secular education and legal aid" of victims was spent on personal items by her. Sibal told the bench that a total of Rs nine crore was received as donation by Setalvad and her NGOs in 11 years and they can explain each and every voucher which has been placed by the police in the court.

"We have supplied them (police) 20,000 documents. They are investigating it for three-and-a-half years. Where is the chargesheet? These are donations. How are they concerned with it? They are doing it to pressure me. They cannot paralyse a

person who is receiving genuine money," he argued.

The bench, which reserved its verdict, asked both the parties to file written submissions.

The apex court was hearing the pleas by Setalvad, Anand and their two NGOs challenging the 2015, verdict of the Gujarat High Court rejecting their pleas for defreezing of their personal bank accounts.

The apex court had in February questioned the source of money in the bank accounts of Setalvad and others which were frozen by the Ahmedabad Police in 2015 after the allegations of misappropriation had surfaced. One of the residents of Gulberg society, Firoz Khan Pathan, had filed a complaint against Setalvad and others alleging that money was raised to make a museum at Gulberg Society in the memory of 69 people killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots, but it had not been utilised for the purpose.

The freezing of the accounts by Ahmedabad Police had come soon after its crime branch had started probing a case in which Setalvad and others were accused of embezzling Rs 1.51 crore collected to convert Gulbarg Society into a museum.

The high court had upheld the verdict of a lower court in this regard observing that the probe was at a serious point in the alleged case of Gulbarg society fund embezzlement. In the embezzlement case lodged by the Gujarat Police, the couple had challenged the cancellation of bail in the apex court, while in the alleged FCRA violation case, CBI has challenged the anticipatory bail granted to them by the Bombay High Court. Both matters are pending before the apex court.
Water operators course offered

COLUMBUS -- A water operators training session, Chlorination and Disinfection," will be offered 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 13 in the North Education Center, Room 939, at Central Community College-Columbus.

Registration will be held from 8:30-9 a.m. The training is designed for water operators and other individuals in the water industry who want to learn about water system chlorination and related issues. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has approved the course for recertification continuing education units.

Class size is limited, so preregistration is required by Thursday to reserve a space. The cost is $55.

For more information or to preregister, contact Sue Baer at 402-562-1425; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1425 or email sbaer@cccneb.edu.

Crochet class at local library

COLUMBUS -- A free crochet class will be offered 2 p.m. Saturday at Columbus Public Library.

Teachers will be on hand to show students what can be made with crochet and demonstrate basic stitches. Bring your yarn and crochet hooks if you have them. If you do not have supplies, some will be available for use. Beginners are welcome.

Schuyler holding blood drive

SCHUYLER  A community blood drive will be held 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Oak Ballroom in Schuyler.

Donors must bring their donor card, driver's license or another form of identification. For appointments, call Catherine at 402-352-5231. Walk-ins are also welcome.

CASA holding baby contest

COLUMBUS -- CASA Connection will host the Im a Little Cutie baby contest for children ages 0-18 months during the Columbus Days celebration starting at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 19 in Frankfort Square.

Pre-registration is required. Registration forms can be picked up during regular business hours at the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, Shelley Stempek State Farm Insurance Office, Corner Stop or CASA Connection office located at 1465 27th Ave. You may also email casacon@megavision.com or call 402-563-4944 and leave your email address and a registration form can be emailed to you.

More details about the event are on the registration form or you can call the CASA office at 402-563-4944.

Hy-Vee offering diabetes class

COLUMBUS -- Hy-Vee now offers a diabetes lifestyle management program.

The 10-week program is customized to help attendees learn about making healthy choices when dining out, planning healthy meals, coping with stress, avoiding complications and portion control. Customers can schedule individual consultations or participate as part of a group for additional support.

For more information, visit www.hy-vee.com/health/begin-program/default.aspx or contact the local Hy-Vee dietitian.
China has pursued an aggressive policy in the region and beyond over the past few years especially since Xi Jinping took over as president. It has flexed its financial muscle and assumed assertive military postures. The continuing problems in Doka La are thus not only a part of the series of issues that come up between India and China along the border from time to time but are part of Chinas general power projection.

India has to show a quiet but firm resolve to stand its ground even though the Chinese are putting great pressure. This is obvious from the comments made by their spokespersons. On Tuesday the Chinese ambassador to India demonstrated this in an extraordinary way when he virtually rejected Indias sober statement in which it pointed out that the Chinese action in Doka La impaired Indias security interests.

The ambassador distinguished the current situation from those that had occurred earlier along the border. He also rejected that India had any role in the Bhutan-China boundary talks thereby signalling that India had no role in any area that is being contested between China and Bhutan. In saying so he forgot that Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir is under Pakistans illegal occupation and yet China leased territory from it in 1962. Today it is deeply involved in this area including through constructing the CPEC. Finally, he asked for the unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops before any talks can take place on this incident. All this is part of enhanced Chinese aggressiveness and underlines the need for greater national cohesion and commitment.

While ongoing Doka La incident calls into question the notion of Chinas peaceful rise, for India it once again opens up fundamental questions of how it should handle China and the challenge of the Sino-Pak nexus. It is obvious that China has deliberately augmented Pakistani capabilities against India for almost six decades as an integral part of its India policy. China's negativity towards India on the NSG and Masood Azhars designation as a terrorist by the UN is a manifestation of the nexus. Significantly Chinas assistance to Pakistan has extended to the strategic field of nuclear weapons technology and missile systems. As Indias strength grows this nexus has intensified and now with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a major positive pillar is being added to Sino-Pak bilateral ties. Hitherto their foundation was a shared negativity towards India.

The threat of the Sino-Pak nexus or its acknowledgment is not new. Writing to president Bill Clinton soon after the May 1998 nuclear tests prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee noted, We have an overt nuclear weapon state on our border, a state which committed armed aggression against us in 1962. Although our relations with that country have improved in the last decade or so an atmosphere of distrust persists mainly due to the unresolved border problem. To add to the distrust that country has materially helped another neighbour of ours to become a covert nuclear state." The Americans angered at the Indian tests broke diplomatic trust and released Vajpayees letter. Consequently, the Chinese were most upset and India was embarrassed and that took the focus away from the entirely valid argument advanced in the letter.

Almost 20 years have passed since the nuclear tests. Pakistans nuclear weapons are out in the open. China has become stronger and so is its all-weather friendship with Pakistan. Given the newer dimensions of the nexus and the continuing border problems, India must seriously consider if it needs to pay greater attention and spend greater resources to its strategic programme both in weapons as well as delivery systems. In particular, the sea leg of the triad needs special focus. At no stage should China feel that it can seek to coerce or pressure India. Strategic programmes are meant to deter threatening behaviour.

The basic tenets of Indias China policy were laid down during prime minister Rajiv Gandhis tenure. It was then decided that India would not wait for a solution of the border to begin a cooperative process with China in other areas. This approach and has led to a vast economic and commercial relationship. Trade with China stands at around $70 billion and Chinese investments in India are around $4 billion. Some Indian leaders have tended to emphasise the cooperative relationship and push back the competitive aspects of the ties. Prime minister Manmohan Singh said that there was enough space for both countries to grow. While this may be useful for tactical reasons it does not erode the validity what Vajpayee had conveyed to Clinton. In fact, while cooperating with China it would be prudent to never lose sight of the threats that emanate from it and its arrogant disregard for Indias interests.

Three specific points merit consideration in the context of the facing up to China and the Sino-Pak nexus.

India has to rapidly and comprehensively build its ties with East and South-East Asia and the Pacific countries. This will be part of Prime Minister Modis Act East policy. It will signal to China that as it seeks to ingress into South Asia India will sit idle.

In combating the Sino-Pak nexus Pakistan is clearly the weaker link. It is unrealistic to think that the Pakistan which has a deep hostility towards India will change its approach especially as Chinese investments are growing in Pakistan. It is essential to have a clear approach and not be swayed by hopes of normalising relations so that Pakistan looks less towards China. A consistency of policy should be a priority.

Personal relations between leaders sometimes play an important role in defusing crisis situations. However, their significance should never be exaggerated. Leaders have to manage domestic systems and look beyond personal ties with their peers to their countries interests. Thus even though Modi and Xi Jinping had a good meeting at Astana last month the Doka La situation has deteriorated afterward. There is a chance that both leaders may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Germany in another two days. Perhaps that meeting may help to reduce present tensions but the long term trends are clear: India will have to deal with a China determined to show that it is in a superior class.
China said on Wednesday that it was weighing its options on issuing a travel alert for citizens visiting India depending on the security situation following the border standoff in the Sikkim section.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to safety and lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens in accordance with the security condition of the relevant countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing, PTI said.

"We will decide whether or not to issue a travel alert," Geng said as he was responding to a question about write-ups in Chinese media cautioning Chinese investors in India.

On Tuesday, a leading official newspaper in Beijing warned Chinese companies operating in India to be be alert and take steps to avoid being hit by anti-China sentiment.

An article in the Global Times called on Chinese firms to reduce their investments in India in view of the tension.

Since the standoff on 6 June, when the People's Liberation Army destroyed bunkers of the India Army claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces blaming India for escalating border tension and "reminding" the Indian Army about the 1962 war.

India and China have been engaged in a standoff in the Doka La (known as Doklam in Bhutan and Donglang in China) area near the Bhutan trijunction for over a month. It has been the longest impasse between the Indian and Chinese armies since 1962, when the two countries fought a brief war.

The standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries was triggered when the Indian Army blocked the construction of a road by China in the Doka La area.

The standoff came to notice when China denied Indian pilgrims entry for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim. At first, Beijing said it stopped the Yatra due to damage to roads in Tibet after rains and landslides. Later, China signalled the matter was related to the standoff between the two armies near Sikkim.

India has pushed in more troops in a non-combative mode to strengthen its position in the area. 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.

At a time when New Delhi is vigilant of Beijing's slightest of moves amid the two neighbours' longest border standoff, China has again reacted aggressively, this time in the Indian Ocean.

According to a report in India Today, China has deployed an advanced Yuan class  conventional diesel electric  submarine in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The presence of the stealth submarine was detected recently by the Indian Navy.

In an interesting aside, Beijing also launched what it calls "the most advanced and largest warship in Asia," just days after the standoff was reported.

Although in an IANS report, sources have suggested that the moves have nothing to do with the standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops along the Sikkim border, Beijing's increased interference in the backyard of India is hardly news, yet a reason enough to be concerned about.

Beijing has increasingly been assertive in the Indian Ocean, docking its warships at the ports of other countries in the region, bypassing Indian influence on its neighbours.

Another Yuan class submarine was only recently "picked up" by Indian Navy's Poseidon-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft as soon as it crossed the Malacca Strait on 19-20 April. The India Today report too stated that this would be China's seventh submarine to be deployed in the area. Many more Chinese warships are prowling in the Indian waters.

According to latest reports, at least 13 Chinese naval units were detected in the Indian Ocean over the last two months, The Times of India said  ostensibly in the name of anti-piracy operations.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: 'Chinese efforts to push a road-building party near the China-India-Bhutan trijunction is an attempt to get in behind Indian and Bhutanese defences'. This is one of the assessments guiding New Delhi's approach to the heightened Chinese rhetoric since the armies of China, on the one hand, and Bhutan and India, on the other, began a stand-off that is now nearly 20-days old.

"The map shows what the Chinese are attempting to do. It is not only about the Siliguri Corridor (that connects India's North East to the rest of the country). They are trying to get behind us in a sensitive zone," Lt General Subrata Saha, who retired as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (DCOAS) earlier this year told Firstpost.

"Every year in this season (when it is relatively drier and the snows in the higher reaches have melted), they come, not just here but to other places also. We stop them. They are almost set piece manoeuvres and then they return and we return. But this time, Bhutan has taken a good stand. They (Bhutanese forces) are refusing to go back from land that they believe is theirs and they have been informing us (India) and we are cooperating with them," says Saha.

While the rhetoric from the Chinese defence and foreign affairs ministries in Beijing and from its ambassador in New Delhi has raised the idea of possible "military action", Saha says that the Chinese moves are of a pattern recognisable in history.

"They have a history of pressurising peripheral states. It is a sort of assertion. But this time, we have taken a more rigid stand. And they realise that they are at a disadvantage. Relenting is not an option," says Saha.

The heightened rhetoric from the Chinese side has not taken the Indian establishment by surprise, though it is pitched several notches higher than the stand-offs in Ladakh in 2013 and 2014. India and China have studiously abided by a series of confidence-building measures despite their border disputes.

For instance, Indian and Chinese patrols have not fired at each other in 40 years. The measures advise soldiers to avoid eyeball-to-eyeball contact. The soldiers in patrolling parties are trained to lock arms and turn their backs to approaching Chinese patrols and form a "human wall."

But the evidence of such measures holding true this time is being tested.

"The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is a pre-condition for any meaningful dialogue between India and China," China's Ambassador Luo Zhaohui told PTI in an interview on Tuesday. Asked if Beijing was seriously talking about a military conflict, Luo waffled but said "there has been talk about this option, that option. It is your government policy".

The current stand-off began around 16 June when a Chinese road building party entered Doka La. They were first spotted by the Royal Bhutan Army. Subsequently, the government of Bhutan briefed New Delhi on the development. Both India and China sent in reinforcements. Reports emerging from the area so far indicate to minor scuffles but no major flare-ups in violence have been seen.

China claims its boundary around the Chumbi Valley, a sliver of Tibetan plateau between India and Bhutan  that is often described as a 'dagger' aimed at the Siliguri Corridor  that extends south of Doka La, around a ridgeline called Gyemo Chen that is defined by Mount Gipmochi. Doka La is a pastureland in the western extremities of Bhutan that China claims as its own. India believes that the Chumbi Valley ends at the Batang La, north of Doka La.

In the year 2006, too, there was a stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops in East Sikkim facing Doka La. Through 2006 and 2007, the Indian Army relocated its 27 Mountain Division to the region from Jammu. The division was originally in the region but had been deployed to Jammu during Operation Parakram in 2001 and 2002  the full-scale mobilisation of forces following the attack on the Indian Parliament on 13 December, 2001.

Elements of the division were used to beef up the 164 Mountain Brigade headquartered in Kalimpong, in the Darjeeling hills of North Bengal under the 33 corps. The 33 corps, that reports to the Eastern Army Command in Fort William, Calcutta, is headquartered in Sukma, North Bengal. It is responsible for the front with China in Sikkim and Bhutan.

Besides, India shares a unique relationship with Bhutan. An Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) is more or less permanently stationed in the Kingdom. An Indian Brigade too has a presence in Bhutan, including in some of the border areas that are disputed by China.

This gives India a tactical advantage in terms of military operations despite the threat of the Chumbi 'dagger' pointed at the Chicken Neck that is the Siliguri Corridor.Theoretically, Indian troops can counter any aggressive military movement by Chinese forces through the Chumbi Valley by seeking to cut off their supply lines in attacks that may run from Sikkim, to the east of the Chumbi Valley, and from Bhutan, to the west of the Valley.

Despite the revival of memories of the 1962 war during which the Chinese overran Indian forces, there have been instances of strong Indian fightbacks. At Nathu La in Sikkim in 1967, for instance, and at the Sumdorong Chu in Arunachal Pradesh in 1987 when the then army chief had surprised the Chinese by airlifting an entire brigade of troops to the region.

Ultimately, the talk of a bloody war petered down to a "loudspeaker war" with each side rigging loudspeakers and broadcasting messages that the other backs off. Indians made their announcements in Chinese and the Chinese did theirs in Hindi.

But this year, with New Delhi declining to participate in the One Belt One Road (OBOR) summit in China and India protesting against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), tensions have risen. Add to the mix Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit last month to meet with United States president Donald Trump and the upcoming trilateral naval exercises (Malabar) between India, the United States and Japan next week.

"I think we are some distance away from seeing the face-off at Doka La fading, especially with the Bhutanese also taking a tough stand. And we cannot say that it will be the last face-off of this year with China," said one officer in the defence establishment.

But, the new elements that Doka La has added to the war of words in 2017 have certainly enriched the vocabulary of India-China relations.
New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday described as "worrying" the situation at the tri-junction with China and Bhutan and hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the issue with the Chinese President to de-escalate the tension.

Party's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the prime minister should also take the leaders of principal opposition parties into confidence on the issue soon.

"It is worrying. This has been a disturbing development. It is important that the past agreements on maintaining peace and tranquility are respected by China and both the countries work to de-escalate the tension on the borders," he said.

Sharma said the present stand-off is in the trilateral junction between India, Bhutan and China and the positions are well-known and it is thus important that the status quo ante is restored, where the position as it was before the 16th (from the Chinese side).

"The way forward would be to respect the status quo agreement which has been there," he said, adding "It is our wish and we urge restraint and de-escalation."

"We hope that when prime minister goes for the G-20 Summit, he takes this up with the Chinese President and utilises the forum and the opportunity of the meeting to meaningfully address this issue. We will wait to hear from the government," he said.

Sharma also said that "it is important given the nature of the escalation that the prime minister, whom we have been urging for sometime now, takes the national leadership of principal opposition parties into confidence about the situation on the borders and how the government proposes to deal with it."

Another party spokesperson Sushmita Dev also described the situation as alarming and hoped government would take urgent steps to resolve it.

"The situation on the India China border is alarming. I hope that the government is doing everything to contain it," she said, adding that the Congress stood by the Indian Army on the issue of national security.

"We have always stood by the army in matters of national security," she said.
Beijing: Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China on Wednesday accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

China also claimed that India was "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to its north-eastern states.

"I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters.

"However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other country's territory," he said.

The five principles of peaceful coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.

Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.

Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was "very serious".

"China and India have been in contact through the special representatives' mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the special representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries," he said.

China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said.

"Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory," he said.

The situation is yet to be resolved and "India should pull back the troops that is a precondition to avoid worsening of the situation", Geng said.

"Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations," he said.

"If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs," he said.

"We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion," Geng said.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," he said.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending China's road-building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.

Geng also said that besides former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it.

"The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and China's Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice," he said.

Quoting the note, Geng said, "The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground."

"The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India," Geng said.

Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, "there is no such consent as you mentioned".

The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutan's territory.

"It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion," Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou.

"In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet," Nehru had said.

Geng said, "Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the India-China boundary has already been delineated."

Since India's independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said.

Geng's remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, China's ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think-tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador had said,"There has been talking about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise the military option)."

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, "I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides."

"It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question within the special representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.

"What is shocking is that the India border troops entered into the Chinese side of the delineated border in the Sikkim section which is serious in nature," he said.
New Delhi: The Chinese embassy on Wednesday said China was willing to discuss the possibility of alternative arrangements through other routes for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims who had planned the journey via Nathula Pass, suggesting that the mountain pass in Sikkim was not open anymore for the pilgrimage.

In a statement, spokesperson of Chinese embassy in India Consular Xie Liyan said, "The official yatra through Lipuleku Pass and non-official yatra through Lhasa and Purang are still on the rails."

"Indian yatra to Kailash and Manasrovar is an important part of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges...The two sides agreed that a total of 350 yatris in seven batches would take part in yatras to Xizang through Nathula Pass this year," she said.

"However, days before the departure of the yatris the Indian border troops crossed into the Chinese territory and obstructed the Chinese border troops' normal activities in Doklam. To ensure the safe and smooth visit of Indian yatris, China has to halt their entry into Xizang through Nathula Pass," she said.

The spokesperson also said the Chinese side had notified the Indian side through diplomatic channel.

"China consistently respects the Indian people's religious sentiments and attaches importance to" the pilgrimage," she said.

While the statement alleged that the Indian border troops crossed into the Chinese territory, India has maintained that it was "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".

"According to statistics of Xizang authority, the Chinese side received about 1,000 official yatris and more than 10,000 non-official yatris every year. The Indian government and people from all walks of life have expressed appreciation and gratitude to the efforts by China," the Chinese embassy statement said.
The 21st edition of the Malabar naval exercise will kick off in the Bay of Bengal from 10 July, and the navies of India, Japan and the US are deploying their largest warships, much to the chagrin of China. The exercise, which began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise involving the US and Indian navies, now also involves the Japanese. It alternates between the Pacific and the Indian oceans, and after it took place off the Philippine Sea last year, is back to the Bay of Bengal for 2017. Washington describes the exercise as a "series of complex, high-end war-fighting exercises conducted to advance multi-national maritime relationships and mutual security issues".

However, having three major navies in its backyard has China worried. Beijing has sent a surveillance ship, the HaiwangXiang, to monitor the Malabar Exercise. India has also stepped up surveillance of the Doka La area via real-time satellite imagery to monitor any movement of Chinese troops and daily images from ISRO's CartoSat series are being shared with the government, defence sources were quoted as saying in the CNN-News18 report. Local troops are also videographing on-ground activities, they added.

Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in a standoff at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction. Given the fraught situation at the border, and the sensitive nature of ties Beijing currently enjoys with all three nations  India, Japan and the US  it is approaching the joint military exercise with abundant caution. Around 15 warships, two submarines and scores of fighter jets, surveillance aircraft and helicopters are expected to take part in the exercise.

A report on The Times of India wrote that the HaiwangXiang surveillance ship isn't the only one deployed by China to watch over the Malabar Exercise. The Indian Navy has also recorded an unusual surge in the number of Chinese warships and submarines entering the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) over the last two months, the report said, calling it "a clear indication of muscle-flexing by China after achieving what it believes is near-dominance in the contentious South China Sea".

Moreover, a Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine, the seventh underwater boat to be deployed by China in the Indian Ocean region since December 2013 is also currently in the region, after an operational turnaround at Karachi, The Times of India report added.

The Australian navy warship HMAS Newcastle is also currently in the waters off the Indian coast, weeks after India and Australia conducted a joint naval combat exercise. Washington has repeatedly urged India and Japan to let Australia become a permanent part of the Malabar exercise making it a quadrilateral security dialogue, but it's been a request India has turned down in the past as well. US and Japan have both been in favour of including Australia, seeing Canberra as a "natural partner" in the efforts to balance out China's growing might.

New Delhi on its part is also worried that China will step up activities in the Indian Ocean in response to the Malabar exercise. China is already building infrastructure in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, feeding India's anxiety about being encircled, Indian military sources and diplomats said.

"India is being careful about China," said Abhijit Singh, a former Indian Navy officer who heads maritime studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. "India is aware they have upped their maritime engagement in this part of the world and they could just become more brazen with their submarine deployments. We don't want that to happen."

With inputs from Reuters
If the Supreme Court passes a law and then the government agencies find a way to navigate it, isn't that a mockery of the judicial process? Does it also not so completely undermine the highest court in the land and place the judiciary and the executive in confrontation?

To that twist, we then have the Supreme Court itself agreeing that highways can be denotified and made into city roads so that this ban no longer applies to them.

The premise for this is that some of these roads ribbon right through the city and are scarcely major arteries. If that be so, shouldn't there have been a proper yardstick at the very beginning indicating which portions of which roads are exempt from the ban on sale of liquor in the 500 metre zone on highways. This assessment should have been based on the grounds that they shouldn't have been on the listed highways in the first place.

The Supreme Court, in its wisdom, says the idea behind the ban is to stop people speeding under the influence of alcohol and to save lives. The justification given for the denotification is that in bumper to bumper traffic where vehicles inch along on city roads, the question of speeding becomes ludicrous. Ergo, open up happy hour.

By that token, nearly as many lives are lost on the strips that run through the urban enclaves as on the highways. Most of our cities become open air bedrooms at night for thousands. Most inebriated drivers careen through these very streets at night, smug in their social and political connections to come out of a pub, get behind a wheel and scythe through human life or end up wrapped around an electric pole. More pedestrians are likely to stumble along in the late hours, smashed out of their minds and volunteer to become road kill.

Even if we go by the statistics of the rich and powerful high profile driving recklessly on what is soon going to be denotified roads this is where most of them are involved in gruesome accidents. You do not need a list of the famous who have used their cars as weapons of mass destruction smack, right dab in the city, not on the highway. Every one of them.

Delhi(City), Chennai, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Mumbai dubiously lead the fray. As high as 30 percent of motorbike riders involved in accidents have been found to be under the influence. Motorised rickshaws and two-wheelers used for delivery add to the hazard but now they can all freely drink and cry havoc or cause it.

The travesty gets worse. Some of these, now to be conveniently denotified roads, are close to schools, hospitals and clinics. With around 1,400 accidents occurring on our roads every day and 400 on average dying every 24 hours the general eagerness to denotify roads is unedifying and the reasons given spurious.

Although, the urban deaths are at least 5 percent less than rural, the label of rural has changed dramatically in recent years and vast stretches of highways are now urban in nature with schoolchildren and cyclists at the mercy of multiple vehicles. The traffic as one passes thousands of villages in dense and should, by the current logic be demarcated as rural 'cityroads' or whatever absurd nomenclature fits.

According to the Ministry of Rural Development tractors and other articulated vehicles account for the majority of accidents on the national highways usually near high density areas as opposed to relatively empty quarters. For all practical purposes what with the villages of the last century now becoming townships and the national highway construction way behind the curve, these are now automatically town streets. try speeding on them.

None of these legal and executive decisions have much to do with saving lives. It is more a saving of the bottom line and ensuring that the state coffers are kept filled. Why can't we be a little more honest about all this and accept that these escape routes are being sought purely to safeguard business interests and the liquor trade.

As for the absence of any parameters in downgrading the highways the delusion that our network, both urban and rural, will be somewhat safer is laughable. Truck and bus drivers and other long haul drivers will have no problem with a bottle in a brown paper bag and a little liquid courage in their bellies. Haven't you heard of 'pack to go" what is five hundred metres to pick up stock. A ten minute stop.
Editor's Note: Tamil Nadu's milk and dairy products minister Rajendra Balaji recently attacked private dairy firms in the state, accusing them of mixing harmful chemicals in the milk they sell. The state Milk Dealers' Association raised strong objections but the minister stuck fast to his claim. In this two-part series, Firstpost investigates the validity of Balaji's charge and the industry's contention.

Minister KT Rajendra Balaji, who holds the dairy development portfolio in Tamil Nadu, is facing flak for what appear to be unsubstantiated comments that 'privately produced milk in the state is adulterated'.

Critics are pointing to various flaws in his reasoning. One, that he has not revealed the results of the sample analyses done by the state government that show the presence of chemicals in private milk.

Secondly, the minister has been flip-flopping on his statements regarding milk adulteration (as explained in the first part of this series). In late May, he stated that there was adulteration and by the end of June, he decided that there was none.

Thirdly, the most recent statement by the minister on adulteration of dairy whiteners relies on analyses done at a private lab, which is not accredited by the state or central government.

Private milk producers are furious as they level counter allegations at the minister. "There is a system in place by which a certain amount of money does go to any minister and officials from our side," said the managing director of a popular private milk company, on condition of anonymity.

"But after J Jayalalithaa's death, the demands have increased. How much can we give? So we all decided that if we dont stop this practice now, it will only get worse. These allegations are a result of this issue," he said.

Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers' Association's president K Ponnusamy told Firstpost a similar tale. "The minister is doing all this with a personal agenda in mind. He is trying to threaten us by going to the press with such allegations," he said.

The minister reacts

When queried about the allegations of corruption levelled against him, Balaji told Firstpost, "I have not taken even five paise from anybody. Milk is an essential item in the lives of the common people and the poor. I am unable to accept adulteration in milk  something that is fed to babies. This is why I have taken up this issue strongly. I do not even bother if I am forced to resign," he said.

Another criticism levelled at the minister was that he had not taken any action against those private milk companies which were allegedly selling adulterated milk. The state government, in its 19 June affidavit before the Madras High Court, submitted that 143 cases had been filed regarding milk adulteration along with Rs 10.26 lakh in penalties. They also stated that 81 convictions had been obtained in these cases between August 2011 and May 2017.

When questioned as to why none of the companies were shut down, if they were indeed selling adulterated milk, as per his claim, Balaji told Firstpost that he did not have the powers to shut down any plants. "The chief minister has given me full freedom to act on this issue. But as dairy development minister, I do not have the powers to shut down operations of these companies. I have requested the state health department to take necessary action," he said. No action has been forthcoming from the health department so far either.

Political outcry continues

Since late May, Balaji has been the talk of the state, with his statements on milk adulteration even rocking the floor of the state Assembly almost every day since the session began on 14 June.

The leader of Opposition and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's working president MK Stalin has demanded a judicial probe into the allegations made by the minister. "It is clear that he (Balaji) would have known about it (milk adulteration) earlier. The question is why the government has not taken action," he told media persons.

BJP leader and MoS (Road Transport and Shipping) Pon Radhakrishnan demanded the minister's resignation. "The minister has been making false claims and creating panic among the public over milk adulteration. He must resign," he said.

Meanwhile, Aavin sales rise

In the midst of this slugfest, it is state-run milk producer Aavin that has benefited the most. From an average sales figure of 25 lakh litres per day, Aavin's sales have shot up by 5.5 lakh litres per day in the month of June.

But the private milk producers still hold the largest chunk of the milk market at around 1.2 crore litres of sales per day. Many private companies have also reduced their procurement price by Rs two per litre from dairy farmers in the state as a result of this controversy.

Balaji had reiterated to Firstpost on 28 June that people should beware of drinking milk sold by private companies. "You can trust Aavin 100 percent. We are capable of increasing our capacity, no matter how much the demand rises," he said.

At the end of the day though, Tamil Nadu's mothers and the aged are faced with a dilemma. Whether to believe the minister or to simply go ahead and have their glass of milk.

Read part one of the series: Veritable health crisis or is the dairy minister milking the controversy?
Protests over the use of Hindi language on signboards in Bengaluru metro stations escalated on Saturday evening when Hindi words were found masked from the signboards in Chickpete and Majestic metro stations, reports said.

Hindi nameplate of Bengaluru's Chickpet metro station plastered by unknown people; No one has yet taken responsibility pic.twitter.com/IWZNd9uSNF  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 3, 2017

While pro-Kannada groups had been making the demand since long, it is not clear who was responsible for this event. A report in The New Indian Express said that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) had succumbed to the pressure of the protests and decided to cover up the Hindi words.

Another report from The Indian Express said that the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) was responsible for it. To justify their action, the organisation quoted the example of the neighbouring states of Kerala and Maharashtra where Hindi is not used in the metro, the report said.

The organisation is also trying to get the support of pro-Telugu and pro-Malayam activists to protest against the "imposition" of Hindi, The Hindustan Times reported.

Some social media posts also said that the police had advised the BMRCL to take the step. However, in an interview with The Hindu, the deputy commissioner of police West MN Anucheth said,  I categorically state that we have not advised any such thing. Also, on our own we have deployed additional force in a few sensitive metro stations in light of the recent developments.

The #NammaMetroHindi Beda campaign which was started in June-end has been seeking the removal of Hindi signboards from all Namma Metro stations and also stopping of announcements in Hindi in the metro, the report said.

Amid this campaign, Union minister Ananth Kumar had told PTI,"The railways has been using three languages. In Namma Metro too, the first priority should be Kannada. There should not be any compromise on that. Next Hindi and English should be used."

However, BMRCL had defended the usage of Hindi and said that it was only implementing the Centre's orders. According to it, non-Hindi speaking states were directed to use three languages, state's official language, Hindi, and English, for signboards, announcements and public material for public information in all metro stations.
Students earn CAHRA scholarships

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Area Human Resources Association recently awarded scholarships to Gabrielle Paczosa of Bellwood and Perla Campuzano of Schuyler.

Paczosa is currently pursuing a degree in human resources from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Campuzano is working toward a business degree from Wayne State College.

Each year CAHRA selects students who are majoring in a human resource or business program of study based on academic history, leadership qualities, work experience and career goals.

Mount Marty honors students

YANKTON, S.D. -- Mount Marty College recently announced the spring dean's list, which is comprised of full-time undergraduate students with a minimum term GPA of 3.5.

Honorees include William Lawrence and Callie Sokol, both of Columbus.

Explore Center students recognized

LINCOLN -- The Explore Center at Nebraska has released its list of distinguished students for the spring semester.

The following area students were named to the list: Clarks - Chloe Engel, freshman, pre-health; David City - Conner Kranda, freshman, undeclared; Schuyler - Jessica Carrillo, freshman, undeclared.

The Explore Center advises undeclared, pre-engineering, pre-health and pre-law students. Students named to the distinguished list must have a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale and a minimum of 12 or more graded semester hours.

Students graduate from Rockhurst

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Rockhurst University awarded more than 750 degrees at its 97th annual commencement ceremony held in May.

Kacee Higgins and Shayla Wieser, both of Columbus, were among the graduates. Higgins earned a master's degree in science, communication science and disorders, and Wieser earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology and religious studies, philosophy, magna cum laude.

Students earn SkillsUSA awards

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The National SkillsUSA Competition was held in Louisville, Kentucky, the week of June 18-22.

Columbus High School Skills adviser Tracy Dodson took the mechatronics team of Jesse Osborn and Joseph Massman to the competition. Osborn and Massman earned the third-place bronze medal.

Postsecondary students also compete in SkillsUSA Nationals. Columbus High alumnus Matt Spawn earned the third-place bronze medal in the carpentry competition, representing Wayne State College.
Kolkata: The CPI(M) on Wednesday accused the TMC government in West Bengal of failing to give protection to the people at Baduria, where communal clashes broke out earlier this week and demanded that an all-party meeting is convened to deal with the situation.

"Where was the administration? The state government has failed to give protection to the people and save property (in Baduria). Strong action was needed there," CPI(M) leader and MP Mohammed Salim told reporters.

On the spat between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, Salim said, "Was it a personal matter? The people were not interested in the CM-governor spat when the state was burning".

Salim accused Banerjee of "helping communal politics" and demanded that an all-party meeting be convened by the state government to deal with the situation.

The Left party's workers would be on the streets to combat the communal forces, he added.

Communal clashes broke out in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Monday night following an "objectionable" Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

Though there was no official confirmation about any casualties during the clashes, the incident triggered an unprecedented spat between Banerjee and Tripathi, whom she accused of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her.

According to police, the situation in and around Baduria was on Wednesday "tense but under control".
Kolkata: Accusing the BJP of conspiring to instigate unrest in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced the formation of 'Shanti Vahini' (peace force) at booth-level to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state.

"We have taken an administrative decision to create 'Shanti Vahini' in the state by including area police and students and youths from each locality," she said here.

The Trinamool Congress supremo said the teams would get administrative backing and work in tandem with the police to maintain peace in their localities.

"They will monitor if anyone is conspiring to spread tension or start a riot in their area. The teams will also check if these people are misleading locals by spreading rumours about robbery or riot in order to polarise them for their own benefits," she said.

Banerjee said the situation was "normal" in North 24-Parganas district's Basirhat sub-division, where communal tension prevailed for three days.

Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party, Banerjee said a political party should not use its power and machinery to spread rumours and trigger a riot.

"A political party can be in power at the Centre or the state but they have no right to start a riot or spread rumours by misusing their power and the government machinery," the chief minister said.

"I have heard that provocative statements were made at a meeting near south Kolkata's Hazra More. If it was a mixed area inhabited by different communities, there could have been a riot. The BJP is holding such provocative meetings under their party's banner," she alleged.
Kolkata: The Trinamoool Congress on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on Governor of West Bengal K N Tripathi, accusing him of "crossing" all constitutional limits and reminding him that the Raj Bhavan "could not be the party office of the BJP".

The party's criticism of the governor comes a day after Mamata Banerjee accused Tripathi of threatening her and acting like a "BJP block president". The party supremo said she even thought of quitting office over this "humiliation".

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee charged, "The governor has crossed the constitutional line. The way he spoke to the chief minister on Tuesday, he has forgotten that it is not Uttar Pradesh".

Chatterjee also said that the official residence of the governor could not be the party office of the BJP.

"He is the ex-speaker of the Uttar Pradesh assembly. As a lawyer he must be aware of the observation of the Supreme Court (on the relation) between the chief minister and the governor. So whatever he has said is an insult to the people of West Bengal", he charged.

The unprecedented spat between the chief minister and the governor came as communal clashes broke out in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on the night of 4 July following an "objectionable" Facebook post. The government rushed in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

Chatterjee said that the party has already written to President Pranab Mukherjee stating that "this is unbecoming of a governor".

A copy of the letter to the president was forwarded to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, he said.

Referring to the governor's statement on Tuesday, asking how confidential talks came out in the open, Chatterjee said, "You (Tripathi) telephoned the chief minister only after a team of BJP leaders met you at Raj Bhavan".

A Raj Bhavan statement had said that the talks between the governor and chief minister "were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it".

To a question on whether the TMC was demanding the governor's removal, Chatterjee said, "If the governor does not express regret for the way he had spoken to the chief minister, we will have to take the tough stand".

Alleging that the governor had asked the chief minister to manage her party, he remarked, "This is unprecedented. How can he ask her to manage her party members. Has he become the BJP spokesperson? He is the constitutional head".
A section of beauty product aficionados have long laid stock in using all-natural products. But the fad for all-natural products also means bigger price tags.

For instance, there are internationally renowned brands like Lush, for all-natural products, that can cost you anywhere in the vicinity of a few thousands. Then there are brands like Kama Ayurveda and Forest Essentials, which use Ayurvedic formulations in their productions. More recently, of course, there has been the Patanjali range.

But you could also go in for a new 'all-natural' brand called 'Cowpathy'. The brainchild of Dr Umesh Soni, 'Cowpathy' has a range of skincare products made of cow dung and urine.

In this video shot by 101 India, we see Dr Soni telling the unconvinced host, Doctor VC, "The level of goodness in every cow is different. Desi cows are the best. The level of goodness in them is the most [sic]."

Other than cow dung and urine, Cowpathy products have one very important ingredient  'faith'. Soni says, "The products work, of course it's like medicine. Even if you take it with or without faith, the medicine will work. But to approach this product, faith is required."

Soni also made his views clear on people who eat beef. When Doctor VC asks him if he has a problem with people who eat beef, some of whom might be using his products, he says, "The regular use of this product will purify them until they come to the conclusion that they don't want to eat beef anymore."

Other than a skincare range, the Cowpathy company wants to work on a range of superfoods  all containing cow urine. So you can look forward to biscuits containing cow urine too.

Here's what Cowpathy has to offer.
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday came out in support of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, saying the governor's role was part of the BJP's larger design to "destabilise" governments in non-BJP states.

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh said West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi "deliberately insulting and threatening" Banerjee establishes that the Raj Bhavans were being remote-controlled by the Centre.

"Mamata Banerjee is no ordinary politician. The governor's words violated the constitutional decorum. He has threatened an elected chief minister. This is not a good sign for the country's democracy," he said in a press conference.

Referring to the crisis over three nominated MLAs in Puducherry and the arrest of a few Dalit activists in Lucknow recently, he stressed that Opposition unity is the "need of the hour", to tide over the "crisis assailing the country".

AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal share a good rapport with his West Bengal counterpart. In the recent times, the two leaders have shared dais in protest against demonetisation.

In 2015, the AAP had organised a conclave on cooperative federalism in Delhi. But only Banerjee and Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar had attended it while Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Mizoram's Lal Thanhawlal and Puducherry's N Rangaswamy had sent letters of support.

Asked whether the AAP was planning to form a platform for Opposition parties, Ashutosh said it is time that other parties realise what AAP has faced.

"Now, other parties are also facing the heat. This is also a lesson for the Congress. The issue is saving democracy in the country," he said.

On Tuesday, against the backdrop of a violence in Basirhat in West Bengal, Banerjee accused Tripathi of "threatening" her over the phone and talking "big on the law and order". She had said that he was acting like a "BJP block president".
New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday demanded the recall of Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi and West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, accusing them of compromising on constitutional propriety.

The party also accused the BJP of "denigrating, decimating and abusing" the institution of the governor.

Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said that ever since the BJP-led NDA government assumed office, the role of governors appointed by it had been questionable, be it in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal or Puducherry.

Governors are becoming political "puppets for the conspiratorial machinations" of the BJP-RSS, it alleged.

Dev said Bedi had "violated every established norm and tradition in swearing in three defeated BJP candidates as nominated MLAs in the state assembly".

Bedi and Tripathi had compromised the basic tenets of constitutional propriety, she said. "They must be recalled and sacked," she told reporters.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Tuesday accused Tripathi of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her. The Raj Bhavan has denied the charges against the governor.

The Congress leader alleged that Tripathi displayed a "disrespectful, distasteful and overbearing conduct" towards an "elected woman chief minister".

"Never in the history of India has the governor acted in such a partisan fashion, insulting and shouting at a chief minister to serve the interests of the ruling political party at the Centre. This is a clear disregard of the Constitution and disrespect of the people's mandate," she said.

Dev said in Puducherry one of those nominated as an MLA is V Saminathan, the BJP president of Puducherry. The other two are BJP treasurer K G Shankar and RSS member Selvaganapathy.

She said the move was in violation of rules and constitutional provisions.

"It once again establishes the manner in which the Lt.Governor of Puducherry is acting as a political puppet, sub-serving the interests of BJP rather than upholding the Constitution of India and well-established laws and procedures," she said.
Srinagar: Amid protests by the NC and the Congress, the Jammu and Kashmir assembly today adopted a resolution for implementing the GST in the state.

With this, all the states have implemented the Goods and Services Tax.

The resolution moved by state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, was adopted through a presidential order calling on the Centre to safeguard the special status and exclusive taxation powers of the state.

He said Article 370 of the constitution is not compromised in any way through this presidential order.

After two days of discussions, the resolution was adopted by a voice vote even as the National Conference, the Congress, the CPI(M) and an Independent MLA protested against implementing the new indirect tax regime in the state in its present form.

Earlier, replying to the debate, Drabu said the resolution calls upon the Centre to implement the GST in the state while incorporating safeguards for protecting its special status and exclusive taxation powers.

"We will appeal, argue, debate and discuss with the Government of India, as a matter of principle, section 5 of the J-K constitution, which gives us exclusive powers of taxation, shall be protected," he read from the draft of the resolution.

"The GSTN council will not be a way to subvert the process and enough safeguards will be built as regards the state of Jammu and Kashmir empowering the representatives of Jammu and Kashmir and bringing in under the ambit of Article 370," Drabu said.

He said the business activity in the state had dropped to almost 50 percent due to non-implementation of the GST after the new regime was rolled out in the rest of the country on 1 July, causing losses to the state exchequer.

Giving comparative data, the finance minister said while 2,000 truckloads of goods were imported on 4 July last year, only 1,000 truckloads were imported on the day this year.

He said export of goods from the state has also dropped from 300 on this day last year to 150 this year, a 50 percent decline in trade.

On the revenue earned by the state, Drabu said it had dropped from Rs 82 crore on 4 July last year to Rs 40 crore yesterday.

"This shows that business and trade in Jammu and Kashmir cannot function without the GST," he said.

Responding to the opposition charges, the finance minister said there was no compulsion on the government to bring a resolution in the Assembly on the GST but it was done as part of "restoration of a process".

"If the GST overwrites Article 370 (of the Indian constitution) or section 5 (of the J-K constitution) I will not come back to this House," Drabu said.
Just returning from his sojourn abroad, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a Twitter salvo against Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him a weak "prime minister".

India has a weak PM pic.twitter.com/NKbUO1iOHX  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 5, 2017

Duly scripted for consumption by the domestic and global audience, this five-word tweet was released at a time when Modi is on a "historic" three-day visit to Israel, the first ever by an Indian prime minister. The significance of this visit can be gauged from Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu's first words spoken to Modi "we have waited 70 years for you" which made it big in today's newspapers in both the countries.

The Congress second-in-command even picked up evidence in the form of two screenshots from The Hindu newspaper with one headline saying "H-1B didn't figure in Modi-Trump meet" to drive home his point claiming Modi as a "weak prime minister".

Before going into the merits of the tweet by the Congress vice-president it would be wise to go into the genesis of this whole thing. Modi and US president Donald Trump met on 26 June in The White House when Rahul was in Europe on a private visit. Notwithstanding the timing of his reaction which is for all practical purposes delayed, what the Congress vice-president attempted to convey was that Modi by not taking up the H-1B visa issue for Indians with Trump indicated that he is a "weak prime minister" intimidated by the presence of the US president. Rahul's reaction on the issue concerning Indians working in the US ties comes at a time when the prime minister is actually in Israel.

The Congress vice-president probably wanted to emulate the BJP strategy of targetting Manmohan Singh, when the senior Congress leader was in office as the prime minister. This new strategy of taking on the prime minister comes in because Gandhi might have realised his follies of drawing parallels of Modi with Shahrukh Khan and Gabbar Singh, which he kept on repeating in public rallies.

Now that Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal is relatively silent, perhaps Rahul sought to fill in the vacuum by taking an extreme pole position against Modi.

The Congress vice-president also could have been influenced by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's argument that the Congress as the biggest opposition party was only reacting and not setting agenda. Rahul would have hoped that his tweet would set a new agenda and the discussion would revolve around Modi's perceived 'weak' persona. Significantly, the Congress vice-president remains silent on his absence during the deliberations that took place between his party and its allies to select a presidential candidate or when Congress decided to boycott the special midnight session of Parliament to mark the launch of a transformative GST regime.

Rahul's charge on Twitter, however, was transitory with the Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav soon dumping him while listing names of leaders whose coming together for 2019 would spell doom for Modi and BJP. Lalu said if Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Robert Vadra, Priyanka Gandhi and Kejriwal come together in 2019 it would mean end game for Modi. Rahul didn't figure in that list.

It's interesting to note that Lalu finds greater vote catching potential in Robert Vadra than the Congress vice-president.

The Congress vice-president should care to read a piece published in British publication The Independent on Modi's Israel visit. The article headlined, Indian Prime Minister Modi's visit to Israel puts him firmly on the side of Trump and his international strongmen, makes an interesting argument: "This is more than a historic visit. Prime ministers from India always took a balanced and sensitive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the past. Not Modi. He wont even bother meeting with Palestinians during his visit.What we are watching, in slow motion, is the biggest realignment of the global order since the Second World War...Before Netanyahu, Modi was in the United States giving Donald Trump a hug. The Indian PM wasnt reticent or embarrassed in meeting Trump, unlike other world leaders, he relished it. And when Modi went to meet Putin last month, he called him a 'natural ally'...Thirty years ago the world was broadly split between liberal democracies and communist countries. Now the world is increasingly divided between liberal democracies and authoritarian strongmen."

The authoritarian strongman remark may not be charitable to Modi but it certainly negates Rahul's "India has a weak PM" conclusion.
Kolkata: The public spat between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor KN Tripathi on Wednesday degenerated into a bitter fight, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accusing the governor of crossing the constitutional line and reminding him that the "Raj Bhavan cannot be the BJP's office", drawing a sharp reaction from Tripathi.

The governor hit back saying it would be better if the chief minister and her colleagues worked for maintaining law and order instead of accusing him.

Tripathi also remarked, "It is wrong to say that the Raj Bhavan has become the office of the BJP or the RSS."

The unprecedented face-off between the chief minister and the governor came about as communal clashes broke out in West Bengal's North 24-Parganas district on the night of 4 July following an "objectionable" Facebook post.

Senior TMC leader and minister Subrata Mukherjee even described Tripathi as "BJP's parrot".

Speaking to reporters, TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee charged, "The governor has crossed the constitutional line. The way he spoke to the chief minister on Tuesday, he has forgotten that it is not Uttar Pradesh."

Chatterjee also said that the official residence of the governor cannot be the party office of the BJP.

"He is the ex-speaker of the (Uttar Pradesh) Assembly. As a lawyer, he must be aware of the observation of the Supreme Court (on the relation) between the chief minister and the governor...So whatever he has said is an insult to the people of West Bengal," he charged.

Chatterjee said that the party has written to President Pranab Mukherjee, stating that "this is unbecoming of a governor".

A copy of the letter to the president was forwarded to home minister Rajnath Singh, he said.

Referring to the governor's statement yesterday asking how confidential talks came out in the open, Chatterjee said, "You (Tripathi) telephoned the chief minister only after a team of BJP leaders met you at the Raj Bhavan."

To a question on whether the TMC was demanding the governor's removal, Chatterjee said, "If the governor does not express regret for the way he had spoken to the chief minister, we will have to take the tough stand."

Alleging that the governor had asked the chief minister to manage her party, he remarked, "This is unprecedented. How can he ask her to manage her party members? Has he become the BJP spokesperson? He is the constitutional head."

Dismissing Banerjee's allegations that he humiliated and insulted her, a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan quoting the governor said that the charges were "baseless and meant only to emotionally blackmail the people of the state".

It said that the allegations of the chief minister amounted to "insulting and humiliating the governor and his office".

Tripathi said that the Raj Bhavan was not a department of the state government and was open to every citizen for redressal of his or her grievances.

It said that the "Raj Bhavan is not expected to tear off or throw in the wastepaper basket the representations received by the governor or his office from any person".

"Whenever any such representation is received from anyone, the same is forwarded to the state government for appropriate action," it said.

Taking exception to the TMC secretary-general's statement that he was crossing his constitutional limits, Tripathi said it was an attempt to cover up the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue.

"The governor is fully aware of his constitutional obligations and limitations and needs no lesson from anyone on this count," it stated.

On Banerjee's statement that a governor is a nominated person, Tripathi said, "True that the chief minister has been democratically elected by the people, but it should not be forgotten that the governor is also appointed by the president on the recommendation of a democratically elected Union government.

Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused Tripathi of threatening her and acting like a "BJP block president". The TMC supremo also said she even thought of quitting office over this "humiliation".
In a possible trouble for the Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami, the Supreme Court will examine if the trust vote won by him on 18 February was valid on 11 July, reported Hindustan Times.

The apex court has sought the assistance of Attorney General KK Venugopal in the matter asking if there is any provision for conducting a secret ballot vote during the trust vote in an Assembly. The New Indian Express reported.

In his petition to the Supreme Court, former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam challenged the 18 February trust vote in the state Assembly and sought another trust vote via secret ballot.

The former Tamil Nadu chief minister alleged that he was made to resign under duress, and the MLAs were threatened to vote for Palaniswami. The petition was filed by Panneerselvam's aide K Pandiarajan, news18.com reported.

The plea questioned as to why the Speaker did not postpone the proceedings and did not carry the vote of confidence motion through a secret ballot, The New Indian Express reported.

Tamil Nadu plunged into political uncertainty after chief minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa died on 5 December.

A Jayalalithaa loyalist, O Panneerselvam, was appointed the caretaker chief minister but was allegedly forced to resign by VK Sasikala, a longtime confidante of the late chief minister.

Sasikalas march to the states top job was dealt a blow when she was found guilty in a corruption case and sent to jail, reported Hindustan Times.

On 16 February, Palaniswami, a loyalist of Sasikala, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and won the trust vote 122-11 in the 234-member Assembly. The floor test had witnessed chaotic scenes leading to the eviction of the main opposition DMK and a walkout by its allies in protest.
Police

May 31

6 p.m.  At 907 E. 17th St., Derrik Zollars, 25, 671 25th Ave., was cited for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of drug paraphernalia.

June 9

6:14 p.m.  In the 3100 block of 13th Street, Troy Beringer, 22, Octavia, was cited for willful reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

June 19

1:41 p.m.  At the intersection of 28th Avenue and 16th Street, Adam Wurdeman, 34, 1518 Fourth St., was cited for electronic child enticement.

June 25

9:55 p.m.  In the 1800 block of Eighth Street, Silvestre Espinoza Lopez, 27, 1521 Fifth St., was cited for destruction of property by an animal-medical.

June 30

8:27 a.m.  In a parking lot in the 3300 block of 23rd Street, a vehicle driven by Lisset Jaime, 25, 974 25th Ave., struck a parked vehicle owned by Jason Navrkal, Surprise.

9:09 a.m.  Theft at Caseys General Store, 1118 Eighth St., gas drive-off, no loss amount.

6:39 p.m.  Theft at Caseys General Store, 3821 Howard Blvd., gas drive-off, no loss amount.

6:39 p.m.  Theft at Caseys General Store, 2903 23rd St., gas drive-off, no loss amount.

July 2

10:17 p.m.  Criminal mischief at 2508 21st St., rear window of vehicle damaged, no loss amount.

Sheriff

June 30

12:51 a.m.  Traffic violation west of the intersection of U.S. Highways 30 and 81, Pilar Martinez Celcarmen of Vancouver, Washington, cited for speeding.

10:05 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 22 and 280th Avenue, Stephen Swenson of Colorado cited for speeding.

3:25 p.m.  Wanted person at the Platte County Detention Facility, 1125 E. 17th St., Matthew Rosa of Columbus jailed on a Platte County warrant.

6:21 p.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 30 and East 14th Avenue, Ethen Thege of Columbus cited for speeding.

10:38 p.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highways 81 and 91, Jordan Carol of Kansas City, Missouri, cited for speeding.

July 1

1:44 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 81 and 415th Street, Eusebio Flores-Gomez of Madison jailed for driving under suspension and on an outstanding Platte County warrant, and cited for a stop sign violation.

1:54 a.m.  Traffic violation west of the intersection of 235th Avenue and Highway 30, Enrique Larias-Ortiz of Fremont jailed for no operators license.

9:48 a.m.  Traffic violation westbound from Schuyler on Highway 30, Marilyn Jones of Columbus jailed for driving under suspension.

7:36 p.m.  Wanted person at 624 Fifth St. in Duncan, Christopher Hawkins of Duncan jailed on a South Dakota warrant.

8:32 p.m.  Traffic violation on Highway 30 east of the intersection with South 55th Avenue, Kyle Kraus of Columbus cited for speeding.

8:40 p.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 22 and 265th Avenue, William Schwalm of Monroe cited for speeding.

July 2

2:43 a.m.  Traffic violation in the 2000 block of 33rd Avenue, Janice Harrin of Columbus jailed for driving under suspension, driving left of center and driving on the shoulder.

2:58 p.m.  Traffic violation south of the intersection of Highway 81 and 265th Street, Jordan Carl Sis of Lincoln cited for speeding.

10:36 p.m.- Wanted person at 4022 E. 29th St., Edwaljer jailed on two Platte County warrants.

10:47 p.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 22 and 265th Avenue, Jasmine Foulk of Norfolk jailed for first-offense driving under the influence-drugs, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and cited for failure to signal.

July 3

8:13 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and 280th Avenue, Eric McCarville of Grand Island cited for operating an unlicensed motor vehicle.
Kolkata: Dismissing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations that he humiliated and insulted her, West Bengal governor KN Tripathi on Wednesday said the charges are baseless and meant only to emotionally blackmail people of the state.

Reacting strongly to Banerjee's allegations, Tripathi in a statement said, "Instead of making accusations against him, it is better for the chief minister and her colleagues to direct their attention to maintain peace and law and order in the state without making any distinction on the basis of caste, creed or community."

"The governor is of the view that Raj Bhawan is not a department of the state government and is open to every citizen to approach him for redressal of his or her grievances," he said in the statement released by the Raj Bhawan.

"It is wrong to say that Raj Bhawan has become the office of the BJP or the RSS," he said.

"Her (Banerjee's) allegation is baseless and is meant only to emotionally blackmail the people of West Bengal," he said.

The governor emphasised that "Raj Bhawan is not expected to tear off or throw in the wastepaper basket, the representations received by the governor or his office from any person. Whenever any such representation is received from anyone, the same is forwarded to the state government for appropriate action."

Reacting sharply to TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee's statement that the governor is crossing his constitutional limits, Tripathi said it is an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue.

"The governor has been apprised of the statement of Partha Chatterjee, the education minister, and regrets to say that this is an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue of law and order," the statement said.

"The governor is fully aware of his constitutional obligations and limitations and needs no lesson from anyone on this count," it stated.

Criticising Banerjee for raising questions on how being a governor, he interfered in the law and order of the state, Tripathi said, "True that the chief minister has been democratically elected by the people, but it should not be forgotten that the governor is also appointed by the president on the recommendation of a democratically elected Union government.

"In fact, the allegations of the chief minister amount to insulting and humiliating the governor and his office."
Lupin warns of more pricing pressure as fourth-quarter profit halves | Reuters By Zeba Siddiqui | MUMBAI MUMBAI Indian drugmaker Lupin Ltd expects to launch over 30 products in the United States this year, but warned revenue growth would remain muted due to growing pricing pressure and competition in the world's largest healthcare market."We've talked about medium single digits of price erosion in the past and I think we are now (seeing) high single digits," Managing Director Nilesh Gupta told Reuters after Lupin reported a quarterly profit that halved from a year earlier.The country's third-largest drugmaker has been working on building a pipeline of high-value complex generic drugs in the United States to offset growing competition in plain generics. But a consolidation among drug distributors has hit generic companies' ability to negotiate on prices, and price hikes have also become harder to justify amid regulatory scrutiny."Competition is increasing and (distributors) are getting more powerful than ever before," Gupta said. The company expects to launch more than 30 drugs this year, most of which would be small to medium-sized opportunities, with bigger, more lucrative launches planned for 2019, he added
Devastating flooding in parts of Bangladesh has affected some 900,000 people and displaced thousands of families, officials said on Wednesday.

According to Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Secretary Shah Kamal, authorities had already rushed disaster response teams to carry out rescue work, distribute relief materials and supervise centres where nearly 2,000 families took shelter.

"Some 900,000 people were affected due to floods in three districts," Kamal told Xinhua news agency.

He said the affected districts include Sylhet and Moulvibazar in northeastern Bangladesh and Cox's Bazar in the country's southeast.

Floods triggered by heavy seasonal rains and onrush of water had caused widespread damage to habitation, crops, roads and highways across vast areas of the country.

In many places, the floods eroded large portions of villages, agricultural land and washed away buildings. Hundreds of educational institutes were also shut down.

Authorities evacuated residents of hundreds of villages to higher ground in the districts that were prone to torrential rains between June and September.

A flood monitoring centre in Dhaka said people in flood-affected villages in the country's northeast and southeastern regions were marooned as their homes went under up to waist high water.

TV footage on Wednesday showed the residents wading through flooded roads or on boats in search of shelter or a dry ground to live temporarily. Officials said that no disaster-related deaths from injuries or illness were listed so far.

Among the 90 monitored water level stations, water levels at seven monitored river stations were flowing above their respective danger marks while 65 river stations showed rising trend.

Apart from the government, local and foreign organisations were also extending support to Bangladeshi flood victims.
Beijing: China accused India of "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to the northeastern states.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doka La is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

He claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point," Geng said defending China's road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.
The US and Chinese presidents face an awkward encounter at the G20 summit this week as rising tensions over how to deal with North Korea threaten to shatter the already-crumbling facade of their friendly rhetoric.

North Korea's landmark test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching Alaska has intensified friction between the superpowers ahead of US President Donald Trump's meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the summit in Germany, which starts Friday.

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's missile test, Trump had used a series of Twitter outbursts to criticise China over its failure to rein in the nuclear-armed North, vexing Chinese leaders who prefer closed-door diplomacy to public tongue-lashings.

In a marked change of tune, Trump has gone from calling Xi a "good man" after their first face-to-face meeting at the US billionaire's Florida resort in April to accusing him last month of failing to resolve the North Korea issue.

In a salvo on Monday, Trump called on China to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

The tension was further ratcheted up on Wednesday as the US leader lashed out at Beijing on Twitter, pointing to a surge in its trade with North Korea as evidence that US reliance on Beijing to rein in Pyongyang was misplaced.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump said.

China's foreign ministry has said that Beijing had made "relentless efforts" to resolve the issue.

For his part, Xi complained in a call with Trump on Monday about a "negative" patch in relations after the US administration slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank linked to North Korea and authorised a $1.3 billion arms sales to Taiwan.

While China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, could do much more to starve Pyongyang of the foreign currency it needs to fund its weapons programmes, analysts say the US actions make that less likely to happen.

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2017

Delicate balance

China is also carefully calibrating its moves to avoid destabilising its unpredictable neighbour for fear of triggering the regime's collapse and a flood of refugees across its border -- or giving the US a reason to launch a strike in its backyard.

"They are trying to find the point to keep the Americans happy and keep Trump from veering off and looking at military options," said Andrew Gilholm, director of analysis of Greater China and North Asia at Control Risks.

Gilholm added, however, that China's economic leverage over the North did not necessarily mean it could persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions.

But the North's possession of a working ICBM could signal time is running out for China to act.

Trump, who has made halting the nuclear threat his top foreign policy priority, has vowed to act unilaterally against Pyongyang if Beijing fails to rein in North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime.

"It's a delicate balance," said Willy Lam, a politics expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"If they (China) don't take action fast enough it's possible that the US might contemplate some action, either a surgical strike or other action."

China appeared to cave to US pressure in February when it announced the suspension of coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year.

The total value of all imports from North Korea fell to $721.5 million between January and May from $773.6 million over the same period last year, according to Chinese official figures.

Impasse

While the US has traditionally favoured sanctions as a pressure tactic against the North, China has been pushing for the resumption of six-party negotiations that have been dormant since 2009.

Xi, on a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, got Russian President Vladimir Putin to back his "dual track" proposal for North Korea to freeze its nuclear activities in return for the US and South Korea to halt joint military drills.

But analysts said China could try to appease the United States by doing more to crack down on Chinese banks, companies and airports with ties to the North or even reducing food and fuel supplies to the hermit state.

"What makes the difference is not whether the UN takes any measures, it's how far China goes in implementing them," said Gilholm, referring to UN sanctions on North Korea.

Xi might be inclined to act if it means avoiding an embarrassing crisis ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this year, which is due to cement his position as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation.

But Lam said Xi would likely take covert action so he is not "seen as failing to stand up to the Americans" after the Trump administration took steps last week that angered China.
United Nations: The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday after North Korea said it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, diplomats said.

The United States  which confirmed it was an ICBM launch  backed by Japan and South Korea, requested the urgent meeting that is scheduled for 3 pm (1900 GMT).

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska. North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and flew 933 kilometers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

But US secretary of state Rex Tillerson later confirmed the missile launched was an ICBM.

The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China to act to "end this nonsense once and for all." US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday spoke by phone with China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency in July, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting, diplomats said.

Guterres stressed the importance of having united approach to addressing the North Korean crisis. China, Pyongyang's main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear program.

The United States maintains the Pyongyang must first halt its missile launches and nuclear test. North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from developing missile and nuclear technology.

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions in 2016 to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and in June added 14 North Korean officials and four entities to the sanctions blacklist.
It was a constant refrain on the campaign trail for Donald Trump in his quest for the US presidency: "We're going to have a great relationship with Putin and Russia."

Now, weighed down by claims that Moscow helped put him in the White House, Trump is set to finally meet his Russian counterpart in an encounter fraught with danger for the struggling American leader.

Trump had constantly labeled an investigation of the alleged Russian meddling in the US elections a hoax and had even bragged to Russian officials about firing James Comey, the former FBI director who was leading the probe into the alleged interference, according to an article in The Washington Post.

The talks are due to take place late Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

If Trump tries to relax sanctions that the United States imposed on Russia for its involvement in the eastern Ukraine conflict or its alleged interference in the US polls, the Congress may defy him by pursuing even stronger penalties.

There should be no shortage of subjects to discuss, including the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, North Korea's nuclear program and efforts to combat terrorism.

But for Trump, the main challenge will be how to improve ties with Putin without seemingly going soft on a man who American intelligence agencies say oversaw a massive effort to influence the outcome of last year's US election.

"Trump needs to be polite but firm and not too friendly," said Michael O'Hanlon, a Russia expert at the Brookings Institution.

"If he wants to improve US-Russia relations down the road, he needs to convey the gravity of his concerns about recent Russian behaviour first. Otherwise, Putin may think he's a pushover, and the Congress will rise in opposition to Trump's Russia policy."

Trump's surprise election in November was expected to have heralded an upturn in relations between Moscow and Washington.

But ties that had chilled under Barack Obama have become even frostier, with Russia's backing for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria a particular source of friction.

Moscow was furious when the Trump administration launched a cruise missile strike against Syrian forces in April, in retaliation for what Washington said was a chemical weapons attack by Assad's regime against civilians.

Talks between senior US and Russian diplomats that had been set for last month were cancelled by Moscow in the wake of Washington's decision to reinforce sanctions imposed over Russian interference in Ukraine and its occupation of Crimea.

And an FBI investigation into whether Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow during the election  claims the president has dismissed as "fake news"  have further complicated matters.

Trump has yet to hand back two Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were impounded on Obama's orders in December as evidence emerged of election meddling.

But while the portents may not be great, both sides do appear keen to make some headway.

'Constructive relationship'

Senior Putin aide Yuri Ushakov has said the meeting should be crucial for international stability and it was in both sides' interests "to break the current impasse in bilateral relations."

"You can rest assured that the Kremlin has prepared well in advance for this meeting, both with a complete analysis and dossier of Mr Trump himself as well as the goals that the Kremlins wishes to advance," The Guardian quoted Heather Conley, director of the Europe programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, as saying.

HR McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, said there is no specific agenda for the talks and the main aim is to forge a "more constructive relationship" while also confronting Moscow over its "destabilising behaviour."

The pair could find common ground when discussing how to deal with the Islamic State group whose last strongholds  Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria  appear to be on the verge of collapse.

But for the 71-year-old Trump  still an absolute novice when it comes to diplomacy  the optics of the meeting with a leader who has been in power for nearly two decades will be sensitive.

Trump was embarrassed back in May when he was accused of revealing sensitive intelligence information to Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at a White House meeting.

For O'Hanlon, the best that could be hoped from Friday's meeting is a slight thaw in relations and the two men possibly striking up some kind of chemistry despite the toxic background.

"I can't imagine any issues they can actually make major headway on, given the poison that surrounds the relationship," he said.

"And so I hope that they can at least begin to develop a personal rapport that allows maybe the next conversation to get into substance on Syria, because there really isn't that much time to waste."

With inputs from AFP
Paris: Prime Minister of France Edouard Philippe overwhelmingly won a confidence vote in the National Assembly on Tuesday after vowing to bring the country's budget deficit under the European Union limit of 3 percent this year without raising taxes.

Philippe told lawmakers that France's debt had reached "an unbearable level", putting the country "at the mercy of financial markets".

He said there will be expenses cuts but pledged not to raise taxes.

Philippe won the vote in France's lower house of parliament by 370-67. Besides getting support from President Emmanuel Macron's party which has a wide majority after a landslide win last month he also got votes from centrist allies and even some conservative lawmakers.

"The truth is that while our German neighbors raise 100 euros in taxes and spend 98, we are raising 117 euros and are spending 125. Who can think this situation is sustainable?", he said.

Philippe pledged to stop increasing the number of state employees, to focus the government on its main priorities and to stop spending money on policies that don't deliver results.

Last week the country's national audit office said France's budget deficit could reach 3.2 percent above the EU limit for the 10th consecutive year in 2017 if no measures are taken.

Philippe said by choosing Macron, French voters showed they "are attached to the European Union and the euro. They want a more concrete, less fussy and more protective Europe".

He detailed the government's agenda in the next months and years, from health to education and job policies. He notably wants to raise the price of a cigarette pack to 10 euros ($11.35)  up from about 7 euros ($8) now.

Philippe pushed for the labor reform Macron has promised to pass by the end of the summer that aims to boost job creation, since French unemployment has been hovering around 10 percent for years. Unions, however, fear it strips hard-earned worker protections.

The government next week will outline new measures to handle Europe's migrant crisis, seeking a balance between helping refugees and controlling illegal immigration, Philippe said.

The French government wants to reduce the asylum application procedure from 14 months now to 6 months and be able to deport those who are not granted asylum.

In an effort to keep fighting terrorists, France's military budget next year will increase spending on defense to 2 percent of GDP by 2025.

Far-right lawmaker Marine Le Pen, who lost her presidential bid to Macron, said his economic plans would produce "very tough consequences to buying power" for French citizens. She also criticized the government for submitting to EU demands to lower public spending.

"We know what that means the progressive, continued disappearance of public services", she said.
Indians are now officially part of the Global Entry system offered by the US Customs and Border Protection at 53 US airports - a swifter path out of US port of entry for "low risk" travellers. India is the 11th country whose citizens are eligible to enroll in global entry. With Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarnas picture on its landing page, the US Customs and Border Protection has opened up the application process for Indians via the Global Online Enrollment System. Sarna became the first Indian to enroll.

Responding to a query from Firstpost, CBP laid out the initial steps : To apply you will need to register an account, complete and submit an on-line application through GOES and pay a non-refundable $100 application fee. Before the final enrollment, theres a thorough background check and an interview requirement to be completed.

Instructions on process are now online here.

This announcement comes exactly a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump met in Washington DC. The global entry program found mention in the last paragraph of the Indo-US joint statement on June 26 - Applauding the entrepreneurship and innovation of Indians and Indian-Americans that have directly benefited both nations, President Trump welcomed Indias formal entry into the International Expedited Traveler Initiative (Global Entry program) in order to facilitate closer business and educational ties between the citizens of India and the United States.

Useful links: Watch this video to understand which kiosk to use at US port of entry.

Link: Global Entry program of the USA

The current flock of about 4 million global entry members use an automated kiosks rather than traditional lines to legally enter the US.

By expanding Global Entry eligibility, CBP is transforming the international arrivals process, making it more secure, efficient and welcoming, for the millions of Indian citizens who visit the United States each year, a CBP statement said.

Whos eligible to apply?

U.S. citizens, U.S nationals and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents.

Other countries which have access to Global Entry

Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, The Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

The process:

The non-refundable application fee for a five-year Global Entry membership is $100 and applications must be submitted online. Once the applicant successfully passes a background check, a CBP officer will conduct an interview with the applicant at one of the more than 100 Global Entry Enrollment Centers located throughout the U.S., Canada, and Qatar and then make a final eligibility determination.

We'll keep updating this story as details come in. Do share it with your friends who may benefit.
Warsaw: Israel has protested a UNESCO vote that called it the "occupying power" in Jerusalem's Old City which includes sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Participants in a UNESCO World Heritage Committee's session in Krakow, Poland, called on "Israel, the occupying power" to stop "persistent excavations, tunneling, works, projects and other illegal practices" in East Jerusalem and especially in the Old City.

They also decided to keep Jerusalem's Old City and its historic walls on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Western Wall is a remnant of the biblical temple and the holiest site where Jews can pray.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon condemned the vote's wording as "disgraceful" and stressed that the Old City holds sites "the most sacred" for the Jews.

"No faux 'heritage committee' can sever the bonds between our people and Jerusalem," Danon said in a statement made available to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The wording proposed by Kuwait, Lebanon and Tunisia was the latest in a string of spats between Israel and the UN cultural agency.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, with sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war. Palestinians claim the territory as part of their future state, and its fate is one of the most contentious issues in the decades-old conflict.
Normally, the most notable part of a Supreme Court decision is not the dissent.

But last week, 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.
Jerusalem: Renowned Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan symbolises the talent of people of India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, emphasising that the two countries believe in the partnership of talent.

Expressing his admiration for Ramanujan, Netanyahu said he was one of the greatest mathematicians of all times.

"We have a great admiration for people of India. I told you about my late uncle professor, who was a mathematician at the Israel Institute of Technology. He told me many times about his admiration for the great Indian mathematician Ramanujan," Netanyahu said in a statement along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"He was perhaps the greatest mathematician in many centuries. And this symbolises the talent of people of India, as we know we have talent in Israel. We believe in this partnership of talent," he added.

Ramanujan, who died at an early age of 32, has contributed to mathematical analysis, including infinite series and continued fractions.

The Israeli prime minister said he and Modi both seek a better future for the people of the two countries.

"It requires a lot of work, it won't happen overnight but prime minister Modi and I want this to happen," he said.

Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish nation, received a warm welcome in Israel on Tuesday. His three-day visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and will also see discussions between him and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu to explore ways to enhance cooperation in key strategic areas.
Tripoli: A rocket hit a beach in Tripoli killing five people, including at least one child, and wounding 25 others, the Libyan health ministry said. The blast on Tuesday hit the beach in front of Mitiga airport in the east of the Libyan capital, the ministry statement said.

An interior ministry source said there were clashes inside the airport perimeter between security forces and an "outlawed" group. The airport was badly damaged during fighting between rival militias in mid-2014.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, however could not say whether the attack on the civilians was intentional. Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival authorities and militias battling for control of the oil-rich country.

The North African country has rival administrations, with the authorities in the east not recognising the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital. Heavy clashes erupted in the Tripoli on Friday, as armed groups aligned with the UN-backed government fought to fend off a major offensive by rival Islamist-leaning forces and militia fighters.

Loud explosions and heavy artillery fire could be heard across Tripoli from early Friday morning. At least 28 people were killed in the violence and more than 120 wounded, according to health officials.

The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) issued a statement blaming the attack on Khalifa Ghwell, the head of a self-declared, Islamist-leaning "national salvation government" that was set up in 2014, and Salah Badi, an allied militia leader.

It was unclear how much territory either side had gained. But late on Friday a spokesman for the judicial police said a GNA-aligned faction had gained control of the Al-Hadba prison, which holds several high profile inmates including one of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's sons and his military intelligence chief.

"Tomorrow we're going to move them to a safer place," said the spokesman, Ahmed Abu Kraa. Ghwell's government has been largely displaced by the GNA, which arrived in Tripoli last year, but it continues draw on armed support, especially from the western city of Misrata.
Israel and India signed several agreements on cooperation in the fields of technology, water and agriculture Wednesday, the second day of a landmark visit by the Indian prime minister to the Jewish state.

The cooperation marks a "marriage made in heaven," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking alongside his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

The agreements are the centerpiece of Modi's three-day visit, which began Tuesday, to celebrate the 25 years of diplomatic relations and bring them even closer. The two leaders also said they discussed counterterrorism and cybersecurity cooperation between the two states.

In the months leading up to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Israel, India signed two arms deals, spending $2.6 billion on Israeli missile defense systems.

Since Modi arrived on Tuesday, military ties -- for decades the secretive bedrock of India-Israel relations -- have taken a back seat. The governments have instead spent time discussing companies that sell medical devices, hi-tech and water systems.

Rather than making the visit, the first by a sitting Indian prime minister, all about the value of deals signed, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Modi appeared intent on playing up shared culture and values, in the hope this will give commercial ties deeper roots.

"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," Modi said at the joint press conference.

During the Cold War, India didn't have open relations with Israel, leaning heavily in favor of the Palestinians. But over the past quarter century, the countries have developed close ties in high-tech and defense.

Apart from meetings with Netanyahu, Modi will hold talks with tech companies and the local community of Indian Jews. He also said Wednesday he would pay respects to Indian soldiers buried in Haifa who died fighting in the British Army during World War I.

The packed schedule also included a visit Tuesday to Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, but no meetings with Palestinian officials have been planned.

Modi also met Wednesday with Moshe Holtzberg, a boy whose parents were killed in a 2008 massacre in Mumbai carried out by Muslim militants. Holtzberg's parents were emissaries of the Chabad movement living in Mumbai at the time.

Rabbi Yisroel Kozlovsky, co-director of the Mumbai Chabad, said he was glad Modi "recognized the sacrifice" of Holtzberg's parents, describing them as an "exceptional couple" that worked to establish Chabad-Lubavitch in Mumbai.

Under Arab pressure, India kept its distance from Israel for decades but is now seeing advantages in a complementary relationship with Israel. There is interest on both sides in building a broad economic base, rather than merely a contractual exchange based around defense.

The timing reflects a diplomatic shift toward Israel being more accepted in the region. Modi, who is acutely conscious of the need to adopt innovation and new technology to update India's infrastructure has always had a personal affinity for Israel and came to learn more about the country before he became premier.

"India and Israel are walking hand in hand into the future as partners," Modi and Netanyahu wrote in a joint editorial this week. "From start-ups to space, communications to cybernetics, Israel's technological capabilities are merging with India's."

The two men are spending 48 hours together with Modi, accompanied by Indian business leaders, getting a political and business tour that covers Israeli history, culture and innovation, as well as the signing of economic agreements.

Looking to reorient Israel's economy toward Asia, Netanyahu hopes more deals will follow, setting a goal of increasing exports to India by 25 percent in the next four years. But it may take a while before the Modi-Netanyahu relationship sparks a serious expansion in investment and trade, both of which remain relatively negligible.

In many respects export-dependent Israel and India, which is focused on supplying its huge population, are complementary.

Israel is a global leader in water and food systems, two critical fields India needs to upgrade. India wants to strengthen its manufacturing base and is looking to do so with technologies coming from Israel. Both countries host major diamond trading and polishing hubs.

Israeli exports to India last year totaled $1.15 billion, excluding diamonds, just 2.5 percent of total exports. Bilateral trade was less than $2 billion, which jumped to $4.13 billion including diamonds. Israel's foreign direct investment in India totals only $100 million.

"It's nothing, it's a blip. Why hasn't the relationship grown to the level it should have?" said A. Didar Singh, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce.

Singh said more needed to be done to ease regulations, lower non-tariff barriers and solve licensing problems.

Incentives and lifting of red tape could help overcome what diplomats, lobbyists and business owners say is a cultural divide between the breakneck pace of Israel's start-up scene and India's more gradual approach.

It can take time to cement negotiations in India, where building trust and a relationship is paramount, said Elias Ghosalkar, a former investment banker from Mumbai who is director of corporate development for OurCrowd after moving to Israel last year.

"Israelis on the other hand are quite direct and lack patience in their business approach," he told Reuters.

Israel's ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, said it is becoming easier to do business between the two countries, even if there may remain some differences in practice.

"It could be that the Israeli businessman arrives on a Monday flight and wants to return on Thursday with a deal in hand. I say to him 'forget it'. It's not going to happen. There are processes, the processes take time, not four days," he said.

(With Reuters)
It seems only fair that the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel is Narendra Modi of the BJP.

The party had, even when it was in the Opposition, advocated closer ties to Israel, a nation much admired by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar for its aggressive defence capabilities and disproportionate retaliation for every missile launched from Palestinian soil.

In the hubbub surrounding Modi's visit, former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao is almost forgotten. It was Rao, ever the pragmatist, who decided to improve relations with with Israel in 1992, at the end of the Cold War.

So he should be given some credit, especially as the Congress party since Independence had been a forceful advocate of Palestinian rights and Raos decision would have shocked several party stalwarts.

Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going all out to make Modis visit  to mark 25 years of diplomatic ties  a memorable one. He will receive Modi at the airport, which he has done only for US president Donald Trump. Remember, the US is Israel's closest ally. Netanyahu will also accompany Modi everywhere during the trip.

In fact, there has been so much focus on the Modi visit, that Israels well respected newspaper Haaretz, wondered if India was to replace the US as Tel Avivs major ally: "Judging by the multiple promo articles in the Indian and Israel press pre-announcing the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July 2017, India could be Israels greatest ally. Uncertain of President Trumps stand on several key issues, will 'redemption' come to Jerusalem via New Delhi?"

And the same piece goes on to say: "Indeed, the stakes are high. Israel has already signed on its largest deal in history: a $2 billion defense agreement (reportedly, $1.6 billion for Israel Aerospace Industries and $0.4 billion for Rafael, a a state-owned defense company) by which India will purchase anti-missile systems and

components made in Israel.

Yet despite the friendship and the hype around it, Modi will need to balance relations with Israel with that of other Gulf countries. The tight rope walk that India has always done since 1992, will continue to be Delhis focus. Modi knows that well and has drawn red lines.

In interviews ahead of the visit, the prime minister made it clear that on certain issues, he would not completely break from the past. When asked if India would shift its embassy to Jerusalem by an Israeli newspaper that was pro-government, unlike Trump, who promised he would do so during the election, Modi gave a categorical no.

Modi also stuck to Delhis line on the Palestinian issue: "India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully," he said on Monday.

He went on to say: "A final-status agreement should respect the sentiments and address demands of all affected parties," he added. So despite Indias close ties with Israel, it is not as if Delhi is going to ignore Palestine or the Gulf countries.

There has been much talk about breaking with convention and making the trip to Israel a stand-alone visit. It had been mandatory for all Indian leaders to visit both Israel and Palestine. President Pranab Mukherjee as well as Vice-President Hamid Ansari had done so.

While Modi is not visiting Palestine, India had invited President Mahmoud Abbas to Delhi in May and again reiterated Delhis support for a Palestinian state. Despite Modi's desire to expand ties with Israel and upgrade it to perhaps a strategic partnership, Modi has not neglected the Gulf nations. He has invested both time and effort and established a rapport with the ruling families of Saudi Arabi, Qatar, and UAE and has visited each of these countries.

Considering over seven million Indians live and work out of the region and send back remittances fluctuating between $35 and $4o billion annually, the Arab states cannot be ignored.

The bulk of Indias oil supplies and 80 percent of its natural gas is imported from the region. So Modi knows that he cannot tilt completely towards Israel without offending key Arab leaders. Though the Arab states have paid mere lip service to the Palestinian cause in the last two decades, a complete change of Indias policy towards Palestine will not go down well in the region. It will be interpreted as part of the the BJP governments anti-Muslim stand.

Leaders of the region are also aware that Kashmir, Indias only Muslim majority state, is on the boil as street protests take on the BJP-PDP government in Srinagar. Despite the violence and the crackdown by the authorities in Kashmir, the Gulf leaders, have not so far made many statements on the situation in Kashmir.

In the early days, there would have been an outpouring of concern from every Arab capital on the Valley. More significant has been the cooperation of both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in getting terror suspects back from these countries.
Jerusalem: Voicing their common concern over the growing menace of terrorism and radicalism, India and Israel on Wednesday agreed to cooperate to protect their strategic interests and called for strong measures against terror groups and their sponsors.

India has suffered first-hand violence and hatred spread by terror groups and so has Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after holding wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit.

Modi said during their talks that he and Netanyahu had agreed to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.

Later, a joint statement said the two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combating it in all its forms and manifestations.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.

"The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups," it said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), the statement added.

"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," said Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a $40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing $20 million each.
When leading Israeli daily The Marker ran an article covering Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Tel Aviv with the headline: Wake up: the most important PM of the world is coming, the importance and influence that India pulled over Israel becomes quite evident.

Leading Israeli papers have extensively covered Modis trip. From going down memory lane to cautioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli newspapers have examined every aspect of Tel Avivs relations with New Delhi.

When Modi landed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, he was warmly received by Netanyahu, who made a speech. While remembering Modis comments, Netanyahu said that when it comes to India-Israel relations, the sky is the limit. Netanyahus insistence on accompanying Modi almost everywhere throughout his tour and his unprecedented excitement to receive his friend is becoming a problem for Israel.

The Jerusalem Post

An article in The Jerusalem Post cautioned Netanyahu to not build up impossible expectations during Modis visit. It referred to Netanyahus speech where he said that Israel was courted by many other nations, including China. The opinion piece in The Jerusalem Post asked Netanyahu to take a reality check and instead focus on local issues. The ability and resources of a country of only 8.3 million people, with plenty of its own challenges to deal with, can only go so far, the article said.

In fact, The Jerusalem Post created a separate "Modi's Visit" space on their front page for comprehensive coverage. From basic reports to analysis and opinion, space held a wide variety of pieces.

Building up on India's ambassador to Israel Pavan Kumars statement that this is the first formal coming out party for India-Israel relations, Sandeep Unnithan wrote in The Jerusalem Post: Unlike past prime ministers, Modi has no inhibitions on openly expressing his admiration for Israel's achievements.

Israeli papers are celebrating the emergence of the close bilateral ties between the two countries under India's National Democratic Alliance-led (NDA) government. The relationship between the two was intense but stayed in the closet out of fear of upsetting Indias Arab allies, the article said.

Completely sidelining the Congress and its rule in India, Israeli papers were quick to point out that first ever visit by an Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, took place in 2003 when BJP-led NDA regime was in power with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as prime minister.

Israel media seems to believe that, unlike its predecessors, BJP is not held hostage to an Islamist or leftist agenda, and apart from communists and the Islamists, no one else had a problem with Modi skipping Palestine during the Israel trip.

An article in The Jerusalem Post castigated the Congress for equating Israel with Pakistan as a nation-state based on religion and opposing its very existence. Madhu Purnima Kishwar even equated Pakistan-backed terrorist organisations in Kashmir with Hamas in Israel.

Haaretz

The Haaretz also consolidated all pieces related to Modis visit to Israel in a single space on its front page. The top story is titled, A Hug And a Cover-up and the media house has also been running a live blog for the trip.

Ecstatic over Modi skipping Palestine during the trip, an opinion piece even justified why Modi could afford to do so. Although it pointed out that India hasnt abandoned the Palestinian cause, it claimed that India's has signalled a new strategy of de-hyphenating the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Listing the various ways Israel has and will continue to help India, the article said that New Delhi and Beijing have marginalised the Palestinians and that India had a lot to gain from its friendship with Israel. As Modi stated on Tuesday, India counts Tel Aviv in its most important development partners.

However, columnist David Rosenberg pointed out that India considers Israel as a valuable partner because of the technology and innovation that Israel can offer. Indias first problem is national security and its cold war with Pakistan, and for years Israel and India have had close defense ties. But these are based on technology, not raw power, i.e., Israel doesnt sell tanks and planes, but provides advice on counter-terrorism, he writes.

The Times of Israel

Unlike its rivals, The Times of Israel did not feature Modis visit as one of its top stories. The only mention of Modis unprecedented trip is an article titled Netanyahu turns to Yoga in illustrating warm ties with India. It is a basic report compiled by the staff on how their prime minister used some Yoga know-how during his meeting with Modi.

The only other slightly featured article is in fact a blog which traces the shared history of Hindu-Jewish ties. While the visit has many dimensions, the most important aspect is not the joint development of arms, not the prospect of free trade agreement but rather the shared values and historical ties, the blog reads.

The rest of the opinion and analysis pieces are quietly tucked away.

The strange thing about media coverage of Modis trip is the deafening silence from the Arab countries.

As this The Hindustan Times report points out, No Arab State has voiced any displeasure, not publicly, and not even through diplomatic back-channels.

West Asian diplomats have shrugged off the trip as a matter of realpolitik. One of the reasons for the silence is considered to be an acceptance that India and Israel have much in common, including their enemies, in the shape of Islamist terrorism.

Apart from basic reports, Al-Arabiya, Arab News and Khaleej Times have not covered Modis trip.
Seoul: North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" that can survive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, its official news agency said on Tuesday.

Washington described the device, launched on Monday in a watershed moment for Pyongyang's weapons ambitions, as an ICBM, and independent experts said it was capable of reaching Alaska.

The Korean Central News Agency said that after personally overseeing the test, leader Kim Jong-Un "said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary", the United States' independence day.

Breaking into peals of laughter, KCNA said, he "added that we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom".

Kim had inspected the Hwasong-14 missile and "expressed satisfaction, saying it looked as handsome as a good-looking boy and was well made".

North and South Korea have been divided since the war on the peninsula ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion.

The North's long confrontation with Washington had entered the "final stage", KCNA cited Kim as saying, and Pyongyang would not put its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles up for negotiation under any circumstances, "unless the US hostile policy and nuclear threats come to an end completely".

The North is subject to multiple rounds of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, and the launch triggered a new chorus of condemnation.

In response, US and South Korean soldiers fired ballistic missiles simultaneously in a drill today simulating an attack on the North's leadership, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "as a strong message of warning".

The live-fire training was held at the order of President Moon Jae-In, Yonhap news agency said, who backs engagement with Pyongyang to bring it to the negotiating table.

"President Moon said North Korea's serious provocation required us to react with more than just a statement and that we need to clearly show our missile defence readiness to North Korea," it cited Seoul's presidential Blue House as saying.

For decades Pyongyang has sought to develop a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States.

Questions remain about whether the North can miniaturise a nuclear weapon to fit a missile nosecone, or if it has mastered the technology needed for it to survive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

But KCNA said Monday's launch had verified "all the technological requirements including heat resistance and structural stability of the re-entry nosecone", which it said was made of carbon composite.

"Under harsh conditions involving thousands of degrees of heat, pressure and tremors, the temperature inside the nose cone was stable between 25-45 degrees Celsius," it said, adding the warhead "flew flawlessly and struck the target precisely".
Seoul: North Korea said on Wednesday its newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) can carry a large nuclear warhead, triggering a call by Washington for global action to hold it accountable for pursuing nuclear weapons.

A spokeswoman for the US Defense Department said it had concluded that North Korea test-launched an ICBM on Tuesday, which some experts now believe had the range to reach the US state of Alaska as well as parts of the mainland United States.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the test, on the eve of the US Independence Day holiday, represented "a new escalation of the threat" to the United States and its allies, and vowed to take stronger measures.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs and ICBMs, the state KCNA news agency said.

Pyongyang would not negotiate with the United States to give up those weapons until Washington abandons its hostile policy against the North, KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

"He, with a broad smile on his face, told officials, scientists and technicians that the U.S. would be displeased ... as it was given a 'package of gifts' on its 'Independence Day'," KCNA said.

Kim ordered them to "frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees," it added.

The launch came days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations are due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons programme, which it has pursued in defiance of United Nations Security Council sanctions.

The test successfully verified the technical requirements of the newly developed ICBM in stage separation, the atmospheric re-entry of the warhead and the late-stage control of the warhead, KCNA said.

Tillerson warned that any country that hosts North Korean workers, provides economic or military aid to Pyongyang, or fails to implement UN sanctions "is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime".

"All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons," Tillerson said in a statement.

Diplomatic pressure

US President Donald Trump has been urging China, North Korea's main trading partner and only big ally, to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program.

The UN Security Council, currently chaired by China, will hold an emergency meeting on the matter at 3 pm EDT (1900 GMT) on Wednesday, following a request by the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Diplomats say Beijing has not been fully enforcing existing international sanctions on its neighbour, and has resisted tougher measures, such as an oil embargo, bans on the North Korean airline and guest workers, and measures against Chinese banks and other firms doing business with the North.

A 2015 UN document estimated that more than 50,000 North Korean workers were overseas earning currencies for the regime, with the vast majority in China and Russia.

North Korea appeared to have used a Chinese truck, originally sold for hauling timber, but later converted for military use, to transport and erect the missile on Tuesday.

Trump has indicated he is running out of patience with Beijing's efforts to rein in North Korea. His administration has said all options are on the table, military included, but suggested those would be a last resort and that sanctions and diplomatic pressure were its preferred course.

Trump is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 meeting in Germany this week.

Russia and China joined diplomatic forces on Tuesday and called for North Korea to suspend its ballistic missile program in return for a moratorium on large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the joint statement showed the international community wanted dialogue and not antagonistic voices, as he also urged North Korea not to violate UN Security Council resolutions.

"We hope relevant counties can maintain calm and restraint, and not take steps that might worsen tensions on the peninsula," Geng told a daily briefing.

The US and South Korean militaries conducted a ballistic missile test early on Wednesday in a show of force on the east coast of the Korean peninsula. The South said the drill aimed to showcase the ability to strike at the North's leadership if necessary.

"It's discouraging that the Chinese (and Russians) are still calling for 'restraint by all sides', despite the fact that their client state, North Korea, has cast aside all restraint and is sprinting for the finish line in demonstrating a nuclear-armed ICBM capability," said Daniel Russel, formerly Washingtons top East Asia diplomat, now a diplomat in residence at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Long-range missile

The North's state media said the missile, Hwasong-14, flew 933 km (580 miles), reaching an altitude of 2,802 km (1,741 miles) in its 39 minutes of flight.

Some analysts said the flight details suggested the new missile had a range of more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles), which would put significant parts of the US mainland in range, a major advance in the North's programme.

The launch was both earlier and "far more successful than expected", said US-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North.

It would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved "minimal operational capability," he added.

Experts say a reliable nuclear-tipped ICBM would require a small warhead to fit a long-range missile, technology to protect against intense heat as it re-enters the atmosphere, separate the warhead and guide it to its target.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who ordered Wednesday's drill, said, "The situation was no longer sufficient to respond to the North's provocation by making statements," according to his office.

Tuesday's test poses fresh challenges for Moon, who took office in May with a pledge to engage the North in dialogue while keeping up pressure and sanctions to impede its weapons programmes.

His defence minister, Han Min-koo, told parliament on Wednesday there was a high possibility of a sixth nuclear test by the North, but there were no specific indications.
The world (and Donald Trump) was shocked on Tuesday with news of an inter-continental ballistic missile being launched by North Korea. The "landmark" test of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un, according to a special announcement made on the state-owned Korean Central News Agency.

The announcement further quoted the baby-faced dictator as saying that "American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the 4 July anniversary". Fourth of July is celebrated in the United States' as Independence Day.

The missile appears to be the country's longest-range ballistic missile yet, with experts suggesting it could reach Alaska. The exact range is unconfirmed while the country itself has claimed that the missile flew 933 kilometres, a Russian defence ministry statement pegged the distance travelled at 510 kilometres.

The distance travelled should not be confused with the actual range of the missile which varies with the angle of launch. The Hwasong was launched at a very steep angle which meant it didn't travel very far. If launched at the appropriate angle, its range is estimated to be as much as 6,700 km by some experts. Reuters quotes experts as giving the missile of range as much as 8,000 km. This would make it an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) as claimed by North Korea as it passes the 5,500 km threshold required for an ICBM.

The US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate range missile that flew for 37 minutes, adding the launch did not pose a threat to North America. This was backed up by South Korean President Moon Jae-in who said that they thought it more likely to be an intermediate-range version. An intermediate range missile (IRM) has a range between 3,000 to 5,500 km.

The difference between an ICBM and an IRM is important as the distance between North Korea and Alaska is just over 5,500 km. The distance to mainland US is much more.

It, thus, is a question of who you choose to believe. According to the numbers given by the North Korea media, the missile is capable of hitting mainland US. According to US-based missile expert John Schilling, the launch was both earlier and "far more successful than expected". Schilling is a contributor to the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North. He further said that it would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved "minimal operational capability".

This minimal operational capability requires a small warhead to fit a long-range missile, technology to protect against intense heat as it re-enters the atmosphere, separate the warhead and guide it to its target.

Believing North Korea is fraught with risk, as it actually went so far as to say its new missile could hit any location on the planet. But the fact that North Korea is able to launch a stable missile which could potentially hit the US is cause for concern. Its earlier efforts at launching missiles have not been very successful. However, a stable missile launch might force the US to act and with the current president in place, the decisions might not be the best ones.

On the other hand however, North Korea has always had the potential to harm US interests. The US maintains a strategic interest in the region as both South Korea and Japan are its allies. US-South Korea relations are governed by the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Korea and US-Japan relations are covered under the 1952 Mutual Security Assistance Pact. Moreover, US keeps its armed forces in the region with 28,000 US military personnel based in South Korea and another 40,000 in Japan. The US is also obliged to defend Japan if North Korea attacks it.

In such case, the bigger problem might be North Korea developing nuclear-capable missiles which it can reliably launch. The range might not matter if it decides to attack either South Korea or Japan as in that scenario, US gets dragged into the conflict. This will set off a domino effect as China will get involved too. Such a scenario will depressingly take the shades of a World War. This is why it becomes extremely important for the US to work with China to rein in North Korea and to curb its nuclear appetite. Otherwise the effects will be far-reaching and perilous to the extreme.

With inputs from agencies
Manila: Islamist militants have beheaded two Vietnamese sailors held hostage for eight months in the southern Philippines, the military said.

Philippine troops found the remains of the two hostages early Wednesday on the island of Basilan, a stronghold of the notorious Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group, military spokeswoman Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay said.

"This is a desperate measure of the Abu Sayyaf Group because they see they have no gains from their kidnap-for-ransom activity," Petinglay said.

Abu Sayyaf, originally a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, has splintered into factions, with some continuing to engage in banditry and kidnappings.

One faction has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, with members among those holding parts of Marawi, the largely Catholic nation's most important Islamic city.

Militants continue to occupy parts of Marawi despite a US-backed military offensive there that has claimed more than 460 lives and displaced nearly 400,000 people since it began in May.

The two Vietnamese were seized last November along with four other Vietnamese crew members of a vessel that was boarded by the militants off the southern region of Mindanao, the military said. One of the six crewmen was rescued last month and three remain in captivity, Petinglay said.

Abu Sayyaf militants are holding a total of 22 hostages, including 16 foreigners, according to Petinglay. The Abu Sayyaf is known to behead its hostages unless ransom payments are made.

German national Jurgen Kantner, 70, was beheaded in February after the kidnappers' demand for 30 million pesos (USD 600,000) was not met. Last year, the group beheaded two Canadian hostages.
Nebraska is the best place in the world because of our people. Over the years, smart, hardworking, loyal Nebraskans have transformed the prairie where buffalo roamed to a growing state that leads the world in ag biotechnology, medicine and manufacturing. Our people are second to none. I know from experience that when you hire a Nebraskan, you are getting someone with a great work ethic and strong character. While character is the foundation of our strong workforce, it is also important that we take the long view on developing skills to connect the next generation of Nebraskans to good-paying careers. By equipping the next generation with the tools they need to find a great opportunity and career here in the Good Life, we can ensure that our state remains the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.

As I travel the state, I hear from many job creators and business owners about skills gaps. The biggest gaps most communities are working to address are in the areas of manufacturing and information technology. Manufacturing is our states second biggest industry, and many firms have faced challenges hiring welders and electricians. Nebraska is also home to the Silicon Prairie, the startup community in the Midwest which has a big need for coders and designers. While many view a four-year degree as the path to a career, communities across Nebraska are working to put a focus on vocational education opportunities as another path to good-paying job opportunities. For example, Lincoln and Grand Island have established independent programs that are successfully graduating students to help fill these skills gaps and connect young Nebraskans to great careers.

I worked with the Legislature to launch the Developing Youth Talent Initiative (DYTI) in 2015 to inspire support for additional public-private partnerships to address the skills gap. DYTI is a program that connects young Nebraskans to careers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. This program helps to foster partnerships between private industries and public schools that promote engagement in hands-on career exploration and relevant workplace learning for seventh- and eighth-grade students. By focusing on middle school students, these schools are exposing students to these opportunities early on, and giving them the option to continue to pursue their interest into high school and beyond.

Over the past two years, we have already seen success stories in the programs supported by DYTI. Hastings High School increased enrollment 16 percent in skills and technical sciences classes for incoming freshmen who participated in a full year of DYTI programs in eighth grade. DYTI metrics from previous grant recipients, such as Flowserve in Hastings, have indicated a significant increase in student interest and participation in IT and manufacturing. Distefano Technology and Manufacturing in Omaha saw an increase in students who indicated an interest in manufacturing careers  53.8 percent of students indicated interest prior to exposure to the mobile manufacturing trailer compared to 100 percent of students after experiencing the trailer. We are continuing to track the success of these grants, and the continued interest of students as they move into high school and towards their career path.

This year, three companies received grants:

 Becton Dickinson of Broken Bow -- manufacturer of medical supplies

 Cyclonaire Corporation of York -- manufacturer of pneumatic conveying systems, components and accessories

 Aulick Industries of Scottsbluff -- manufacturer of transportation equipment for agricultural, landscaping and construction products

DYTI is helping young Nebraska students prepare for high-skill, high-wage jobs while also helping our job creators fill skills gaps and grow Nebraska. This is just a part of the story. My team continues to identify strategies to help connect young Nebraskans to good careers.

As we work to grow and develop our states workforce, I would like to hear from you. If you have ideas to share, please consider contacting my office by emailing pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or by calling 402-471-2244. We value your input.
Beijing: China on Wednesday claimed that it has a "basic consensus" with Bhutan on the boundary and there is no dispute between two countries in the Doklam area, the centre of the current China-India military standoff.

The standoff between troops of India and China at Doklam area started after Bhutan, which has close diplomatic and military ties with India, protested to Beijing about the People's Liberation Army troops building a road in the strategic location close to chicken neck tri-junction.

"I can say that we have been stressing that Doklam belongs to China since ancient times. It was under the effective jurisdiction of China without any dispute. China and Bhutan had about 24 rounds of boundary talks," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing answering a question about Bhutans protest.

"Although the boundary between the two countries is yet to be settled, but we have basic consensus on the boundary and there is no dispute between both of us that Doklam belongs to China," he said.

Geng said China had been acting according to the agreements between the two countries and Doklam had been under the effective jurisdiction of China.

"Chinese activities (road building) in the relevant area does not violate relevant agreements and does not alter the status quo. The Bhutan side also knows it clearly. We will work together with Bhutan through friendly negotiations and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas," he said.
Whenever a child or a beauty pageant contestant is asked what they'd wish for the answer remains the same: World peace. Sadly, it seems that world peace is still quite a ways off, especially when it comes to the weapons that can do the most damage.

According to a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), while the overall number of nuclear weapons in the world continues to decline, nuclear powers are modernising their arsenals and don't seem prepared to jettison them, at least not any time soon.

The total number of all nuclear warheads (operationally deployed as well as reserved and ready to dismantle) under possession of the US, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea was counted to be at 14,935 at the beginning of 2017 as compared to 15,395 nuclear weapons at the beginning of 2016, according to SIPRI. The SIPRI data also states that the nuclear-armed countries had approximately 4,150 operationally deployed nuclear weapons.

Former US president Barack Obama often talked of reducing the nuclear arsenal and leaving a better world for the children. Penning an op-ed in the The Washington Post in 2016, Obama wrote: The United States and Russia remain on track to meet our New Start Treaty obligations so that by 2018 the number of deployed American and Russian nuclear warheads will be at their lowest levels since the 1950s." While that's true, it doesn't paint the full picture.

The truth: While the number of nuclear weapons has been declining, albeit slowly, since the end of the Cold War, the United States and Russia still account for 93 percent of the world's nuclear arsenal. And the United States is expected to spend $1 trillion modernising its nuclear arsenal over the next couple of decades.

The idea: To build smaller, targeted nuclear weapons, a proposition that some find hopeful while others find fearful. According to a report in Forbes, some argue that this could lead to countries conducting "surgical" strikes that minimise civilian casualties and enhance detterance. Others say it might make countries shed their reticence to order nuclear strikes.

That's quite a bait-and-switch. Talking a good game of reducing the nuclear arsenal, all the while making it easier for some trigger-happy cowboy to push the red button.

Senior SIPRI researcher Shannon Kile doesn't strike a hopeful note either. She wrote in SIPRI: "Despite the recent progress in international talks on a treaty banning nuclear weapons, long-term modernisation programmes are under way in all nine states. This suggests that none of these states will be prepared to give up their nuclear arsenals for the foreseeable future."

It seems like John Lennon's cry has gone unheeded.
United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang claimed was its first successful ICBM test.

"This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation," Guterres said in a statement.

He added that North Korea's "leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations."

The Security Council is expected to meet today for an emergency closed-door meeting after Pyongyang declared that it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Monday spoke by phone with China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting.

Guterres stressed "the importance of maintaining the unity of the international community in addressing this serious challenge," in a reference to US-Sino differences.

China is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling its nuclear program but the United States maintains that Pyongyang must first halt its missile and nuclear tests.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers and flew 933 kilometers.

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China -- North Korea's main diplomatic ally -- to act to "end this nonsense once and for all."
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Nokia and Chinese handset maker Xiaomi Technology have signed a multi-year patent licensing agreement. Xiaomi also acquired patent assets from Nokia as part of the transaction. The deal also includes a cross license to each companys cellular standard essential patents.

Under the business cooperation agreement, Nokia will provide network infrastructure equipment aimed at datacenter operators. Nokia and Xiaomi will work together on optical transport solutions for datacenter interconnect, IP Routing based on Nokias newly announced FP4 network processor, and a data center fabric solution. In addition, the companies have agreed to explore opportunities for further cooperation, in areas such as Internet of Things, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.

In addition to smartphones, Xiaomi has also forayed into Internet of Things and the Mi Ecosystem IoT platform has crossed 60 million connected devices, and there are now over 8 million daily active connected devices on the Mi Ecosystem platform.

Rajeev Suri, President & CEO of Nokia said,

Xiaomi is one of the worlds leading smartphone manufacturers and we are delighted to have reached an agreement with them. In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects.

Lei Jun, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi said,

As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future. Xiaomi is committed to building sustainable, long-term partnerships with global technology leaders. Our collaboration with Nokia will enable us to tap on its leadership in building large, high performance networks and formidable strength in software and services, as we seek to create even more remarkable products and services that deliver the best user experience to our Mi fans worldwide.
The US has lifted the laptop ban for Emirates, Etihad and Turkish flights. Passengers were restricted to carry laptops and other electronics from the cabins of on U.S.-bound flights from the aforementioned companies and few others earlier in March. The U.S. government had restricted passengers from carrying electronics like tablets and laptops on inbound flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa.

Emirates said the ban on the use of laptops, tablets and other devices were lifted effective immediately. An Emirates spokeswoman said it had worked with US authorities to meet the requirements of the new security guidelines for all US bound flights. The US on Sunday lifted a ban on passengers taking such devices on Etihad Airways flights from its base in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, the first airliner to benefit from a lift of the ban. Chief executive of Turkish Airlines, Bilal Eksi tweeted on July 3 stating that The electronics ban that had been in place on US flights has been revoked as of 5th of July. Thank you.

[HTML1]

Following the US laptop ban, the UK had also announced a cabin baggage ban on laptops and tablets on direct flights to the UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

Source
The merger of Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas (NYSE:CAB) has received the go-ahead from antitrust regulators.

In a filing with the SEC, Cabelas said Wednesday the Federal Trade Commission informed the company earlier this week that it concluded its investigation of Bass Pros $4.2 billion buyout. Cabelas shareholders will vote on the deal July 11.

The transaction, which is expected to close during the third quarter, is also contingent on the successful sale of Cabelas financial unit to Synovus Financial (NYSE:SNV), a bank based in Georgia, and Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF).

Bass Pro and Cabelas initially agreed to a deal worth roughly $5.5 billion, but the outdoor retailers amended the merger after Capital One ran into regulatory hurdles over its plans to buy all of Worlds Foremost Bank, a Cabelas subsidiary.

Cabelas agreed in April to be bought for $61.50 a share, down from the original purchase price of $65.50 a share. Under the new plan, Capital One will buy Cabelas credit card business. Synovus will acquire the assets and deposits of Worlds Foremost Bank.

The privately owned Bass Pro Shops has approximately 99 stores and employs about 20,000 people. Cabelas has 19,000 employees and 85 stores in the U.S. and Canada. When the two rivals announced their plans to merge, Bass Pro founder and CEO Johnny Morris said the company would keep the Cabelas brand.

Cabelas shares climbed 0.8% to $59.90 in recent trading.
EU antitrust regulators are weighing another record fine against Google over its Android mobile operating system and have set up a panel of experts to give a second opinion on the case, two people familiar with the matter said.

Assuming the panel agrees with the initial case team's conclusions, it could pave the way for the European Commission to issue a decision against Alphabet's Google by the end of the year.

The Commission in April last year charged Google with using its dominant Android mobile operating system to shut out rivals following a complaint by lobby group FairSearch, U.S.-based ad-blocking and privacy firm Disconnect Inc, Portuguese apps store Aptoide and Russia's Yandex.

The move by the EU competition authority, which hit the company with a 2.4 billion euro ($2.7 billion) penalty for unfairly favoring its shopping service last month, could pose a bigger risk for the world's most popular internet search engine because of Android's huge growth potential.

The potential fine is expected to top that 2.4 billion euro penalty. The EU's charge sheet issued to Google in April last year said the anti-competitive practices started from January 2011 and the Commission is likely to tell the company to stop them. They are still ongoing, telecoms industry sources said.

Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso and Google both declined to comment.

The EU ruling has the scope to do the most damage compared with a third case against Google's AdSense, Richard Windsor, an independent financial analyst who tracks competition among the biggest U.S. and Asian internet and mobile companies, said in a recent note.

"If Google was forced to unbundle Google Play from its other Digital Life services, handset makers and operators would be free to set whatever they like by default potentially triggering a decline in the usage of Google's services," he said, referring to Google's apps store.

TAKING A TOLL

The long-running case is taking its toll on users and rivals, FairSearch lawyer Thomas Vinje said.

"A decision would come none too soon. Google is hurting Android users, including by surreptitiously commandeering ever-increasing amounts of personal data," Vinje said.

The EU competition enforcer said Google's tactics include requiring smartphone makers to pre-install Google Search and the Google Chrome browser in return for access to other Google apps, and barring the manufacturers from using rival versions of Android.

The company was also accused of paying smartphone makers and mobile network operators to only install Google Search on their devices.

Google said at the time that Android was a remarkable system based on open-source software and open innovation and was good for competition and for consumers.

The Commission had planned to establish a peer review panel, also known as a devil's advocate, in June, the people said.

Such panels are usually made up of three to four experienced officials who examine the case team's conclusions with a fresh pair of eyes to ensure that the case is robust. They usually take three to four weeks to complete their work although this could be extended. It was not clear if the panel has started work yet.
General Motors (NYSE:GM) said Wednesday three workers were injured in an incident at a factory in Detroit.

Three people involved in maintenance work at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant sustained injuries that are not believed to be life threatening, the company said in a statement to Fox News. The incident, which was under investigation, occurred before 10 a.m. ET.

Emergency crews received a report of a possible minor explosion Wednesday morning, according to Fox 2 Detroit. Authorities told Fox 2 that a filter pump on a rust inhibitor tank exploded.

GMs Detroit-Hamtramck plant builds multiple sedan models, including the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac CT6. The plant is also responsible for producing the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.
General Motors' (NYSE:GM) deal to sell its European division to French automaker PSA Group received approval from the European Union on Wednesday.

The EU's executive Commission said Wednesday that it has given unconditional approval to the deal. It said it "concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns in the relevant markets."

After losing money in Europe for years, GM announced in March that it would sell Germany-based Opel and sister brand Vauxhall to PSA in a deal worth 2.2 billion euros ($2.5 billion).

The acquisition will make PSA the No. 2 European automaker after Germany's Volkswagen.

GM has also made moves to exit other markets, saying it intends to focus on the most profitable regions. In May, the company announced plans to end sales in India and exit South Africa entirely.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Federal prosecutors on Monday asked a U.S. judge for a gag order muzzling former drug company executive Martin Shkreli, on trial for securities fraud charges, arguing that his statements to media could taint the jury and disrupt the case, court papers show.

Shkreli's attorney, Benjamin Brafman, asked the judge that day to reject the request on the grounds that his client had a First Amendment right to speak freely, according to the filings.

Shkreli last week told reporters outside the court that an alleged victim of his was not actually a victim because she made money from his investments, attorneys for the U.S. government told U.S. Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in a letter on Monday. He also directly spoke on camera to a journalist and appeared to be commenting on the case on social media platform Twitter under the handle @BLMBro, they added.

Brafman said Shkreli was in a delicate emotional state, and believed that the press focuses unfairly on some of his negative characteristics.

"His comments are the somewhat natural, though unfortunate consequence of a young man with a demonstrated history of significant anxiety being at the center of a supremely difficult time in his life," Brafman wrote in the filing.

Dubbed the "pharma bro," Shkreli, 34, gained notoriety for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent. The charges he faces stem from his management of pharmaceutical company Retrophin and the hedge fund MSMB Capital Management from 2009 to 2014.

Prosecutors have claimed that Shkreli engaged in a Ponzi-like scheme in which he defrauded investors in MSMB and took $11 million in assets from Retrophin to repay them. Shkreli has pleaded not guilty to charges that include securities fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Federal prosecutors have asked Judge Matsumoto sequester the jury in the event that the court does not issue the gag order.

In their letter, federal prosecutors said Shkreli visited reporters in a court breakroom last week and remarked on the credibility of witnesses who testified.

Prosecutors also wrote that Shkreli on YouTube had identified himself as BLMBro. The BLMBro Twitter account has posted stories critical of witnesses and evidence in the trial, they added.

Shkreli in January was suspended from Twitter for harassing a female journalist.

Brafman has argued that Shkreli is a misunderstood genius who earned his wealthy investors millions of dollars.

(Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Richard Chang)
Russia has delivered electricity turbines made by Germany's Siemens to Crimea, a region subject to European Union sanctions barring EU firms from supplying it with energy technology, three sources with knowledge of the delivery told Reuters.

Reuters was unable to determine if Siemens knew of or condoned the equipment transfer, but the move exposes the German company to potential accusations of indirect sanctions-busting and of not taking sufficient safeguards to ensure its equipment does not end up on territory most countries view as illegally annexed, say legal experts.

"Siemens has not delivered turbines to Crimea and complies with all export control restrictions," said Wolfram Trost, a spokesman for Siemens in Munich, when asked to confirm the turbine transfer to Crimea.

Citing client confidentiality, he did not answer written questions asking whether Siemens was aware that the turbines had been shipped to Crimea and whether it would now be activating or servicing them.

Russia needs the turbines for two Crimean power plants the Kremlin wants to get up and running to fulfill a promise, made by President Vladimir Putin, to ensure a stable power supply for the region's residents after it was annexed by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014.

Delivery of the turbines, intended for the two new power stations under construction, had been delayed for over a year because the firms involved feared violating EU sanctions, people involved in the project have told Reuters.

Russia's Energy Ministry, which oversees the Crimea power plants project, declined to comment. It referred questions to Technopromexport, the Russian state-owned firm which is building the plants. Technopromexport declined to comment.

One source close to the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, told Reuters that two of the turbines had been delivered from Russia by sea to Crimea.

He said they were destined for use in a power plant in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. He said the turbines were unloaded at Sevastopol port, and that preparatory work was underway at the power plant site to install and commission the turbines.

The turbines were SGT5-2000E gas turbines, he said, a type manufactured only by Siemens and its subsidiaries.

RUSSIA OR CRIMEA?

An official in Crimea's energy sector who is familiar with the power plants project, and an employee with a company involved in the project, also said the turbines were Siemens turbines, and that they had been delivered to Crimea.

EU sanctions bar European individuals and companies from providing energy technology to Crimea or from taking any actions designed to circumvent those rules due to the bloc's view that the peninsula was illegally stolen from Ukraine.

Legal experts say there are no court precedents to say whether Siemens could be held responsible if a third party brought the turbines to Crimea.

When asked about the matter, the European Commission has declined to comment on the Siemens case in the past, saying it is up to EU member states to enforce sanctions rules on their companies.

When asked about the issue on Wednesday, a spokesman for German's Ministry for Economic Affairs said he had no immediate comment.

The individual close to the project and the official in the Crimea energy sector told Reuters the turbines delivered to the port in Sevastopol had come from Taman, located in southern Russia, some 10 miles (16 km) from Crimea.

Siemens told reporters in March that a Russian joint venture in which it has a majority stake supplied turbines for use in a power plant that was planned for construction in Taman.

The joint venture, Gas Turbine Technologies LLC, made the turbines that were sent to Taman at its factory in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

Siemens has a 65 percent share in the joint venture, and Russian company Power Machines has a 35 percent stake.

The sanctions barring the supply of energy technology to Crimea do not apply to the Taman project because it is located on internationally recognized Russian territory.

The turbines for the Taman plant were bought by Technopromexport - the same company building the two Crimea plants - because, it previously said, it would be building the plant in Taman.

Sources close to the Crimean project have previously told Reuters that one of the options under consideration was to use the Taman turbines in Crimea.

Asked about that possibility last year, Siemens said it was supplying the turbines only for use in Taman, and not in Crimea.

It said at the time it had "no reason" to believe the turbines would be diverted to Crimea, and said it respected and would abide by the sanctions regime.
U.S. President Donald Trump will get a chance to patch up trans-Atlantic ties this week when he meets with NATO allies still rattled by his failure on an earlier trip to embrace the principle that an attack against one member is an attack against all.

Trump heads to Warsaw on Wednesday where the White House said he would showcase his commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a speech and in meetings with a group of nations closest to Russia on his way to the G20 summit in Germany on Friday and Saturday.

"He will lay out a vision not only for America's future relationship with Europe, but the future of our trans-Atlantic alliance, and what that means for American security and American prosperity," Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, told reporters last week.

Aside from shoring up the U.S. relationship with NATO allies, the speech is symbolically significant given Poland's proximity to Russia and regional fears about Moscow's ambitions following its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

It was only six weeks ago when Trump, meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, scolded them for failing to spend enough on defense during a speech in which the Republican president was expected to explicitly endorse NATO's Article 5, the collective defense provision of the treaty.

He slammed Germany for its trade practices, and shortly after returning home, pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate deal, leaving his officials to try to smooth ruffled feelings.

"They have spent a lot of their time trying to undo or explain away some of the images and the mood that came out of the last trip to Europe," said Derek Chollet, a top defense official for former Democratic President Barack Obama.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the host of the Group of 20 meeting of leading economies, has signaled she will not back down on climate and trade.

FIRST MEETING WITH PUTIN

That is not the only tough meeting for Trump during his trip. He will meet for the second time with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he has expressed some frustration for failing to use enough leverage to curb North Korea's nuclear program.

Pyongyang said on Tuesday it successfully test-launched a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts said could put all of the U.S. state of Alaska in range for the first time.

Trump is under pressure at home to take a tough line in his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on issues such as Moscow's support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war and allegations of Russian meddling in last year's U.S. election.

But first, there is Poland: a NATO member near Russia that meets its defense spending goals, hosts close to 1,000 U.S. troops and is eager to buy liquefied natural gas from U.S. companies to counterbalance Russian gas supplies in the region.

"The threat that Russia poses cannot be overstated," Poland's ambassador to the United States, Piotr Wilczek, told reporters last week.

"Now is the time for allied solidarity," Wilczek said.

(Additional reporting by Jan Pytalski; Editing by Chris Sanders and Peter Cooney)
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday called for the cessation of trade with any nation that continues to do business with North Korea in violation of U.N. resolutions.

There are countries that are allowing, even encouraging, trade [with North Korea], Haley said during a speech before the United Nations Security Council Wednesday. Such countries would also like to continue their trade relations with the United States. Thats not going to happen  We will not look exclusively at North Korea. We will look at any country that chooses to do business with this outlaw regime.

Haley said the numerous sanctions implemented by the U.N. against North Korea in response to its escalating armament program have been insufficient and the global alliance must do more in order to have an impact. She said in the coming days she would be proposing a fresh round of punitive financial measures before the international body.

The world is on notice. If we act together we can still prevent catastrophe, Haley said.

The U.S. ambassador also mentioned that 90% of North Koreas trade is sponsored by China, a country she said ultimately bears the most responsibility to enforce economic sanctions against Pyongyang.

Earlier in the day President Donald Trump sent out a tweet questioning the efficacy of Chinas efforts to derail North Koreas nuclear quest in light on its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch earlier this week.

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2017

China has increasingly become North Koreas economic lifeline. In the first quarter of 2017, Chinas economic data showed a more than 37% rise in trade with North Korea over the same period in 2016, according to reports from The New York Times, including a nearly 55% jump in Chinese exports to Pyongyang.

The Trump administration made clear their decision to ask China for economic help with North Korea, though now the White House appears to be expressing frustration at the perceived lack of effort and progress.

North Koreas state media claimed the missile, fired off Tuesday, reached an altitude of more than 1,740 miles and flew 580 miles. This has caused experts to speculate the missiles range could surpass 4,000 miles, putting many United States military bases, and even Alaska, within striking distance.

President Trump left Andrews Air Force Base on Wednesday morning, headed to meet with leaders from Poland ahead of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Hamburg, Germany. While European leaders are anxious to discuss U.S. trade and climate policies at the international meeting, North Korea will undoubtedly be a prominent topic on the agenda. President Trump is also expected to meet for the second time with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

On Wednesday, Haley also said the United States was prepared to defend itself with military force if necessary.
North Korea said on Tuesday it successfully test-launched a first intercontinental ballistic missile, (ICBM), which analysts said could put all of the U.S. state of Alaska in range for the first time.

U.S. networks Fox News and NBC said U.S. officials had told them they believed Tuesday's test was of an ICBM, marking a worrying milestone in Pyongyang's missile development. CNN quoted officials as saying it was probably a two-stage ICBM.

The United States requested a closed-door meeting of the 15-member U.N. Security Council on the launch, a session likely to be scheduled for Wednesday, a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The launch, on the eve of U.S. Independence Day, took place days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons program, which it has pursued in defiance of Security Council sanctions.

North Korea's state media said the launch was ordered and supervised by leader Kim Jong Un and sent the Hwasong-14 933 km (580 miles), reaching an altitude of 2,802 km (1,741 miles) over a flight time of 39 minutes.

North Korea has said it is working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland, something U.S. President Donald Trump vowed in January would never happen.

Some analysts said the flight details suggested the new missile had a range of more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles), which would put significant parts of the U.S. mainland in range, representing major advances in its program.

David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said the flight time and distance suggested the missile could travel about 6,700 km (4,163 miles), bringing all of Alaska into range.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the missile was believed to be an intermediate-range type, but the military was looking into the possibility it was an ICBM.

The Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the TV network reports but said the U.S. government was working on a more detailed assessment of the launch. On Monday night, the Pentagon described the missile as an intermediate-range type that traveled for 37 minutes.

U.S.-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, said the launch was both earlier and "far more successful than expected."

He said it would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved "minimal operational capability" and it was likely the initial test did not perform as well as an operational missile would.

"Still, this missile demonstrated a degree of performance that is beyond what is needed to reach Anchorage - or Pearl Harbor - but not quite sufficient to reliably reach targets on the U.S. West Coast," he said.

Schilling said the U.S. national missile defense system was "only minimally operational" and would take more than two years to upgrade to provide more reliable defense.

North Korea said its missiles were now capable of striking anywhere in the world.

Officials from South Korea, Japan and the United States said the missile landed in the sea in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone after being launched on a high trajectory.

Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Seoul's Kyungnam University, said that if launched on a standard angle, the missile could have a range of more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles).

TRUMP FRUSTRATION WITH CHINA

Trump has been urging China, North Korea's main trading partner and only big ally and the current chair of the U.N. Security Council, to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. In an apparent reference to Kim Jong Un, Trump tweeted: "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?"

"Hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," he added. "Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

Trump has indicated he is running out of patience with Beijing's efforts to rein in North Korea. His administration has said all options are on the table, military included, but suggested those would be a last resort and that sanctions and diplomatic pressure were its preferred course.

While China has responded to previous North Korean tests of suspected ICBM technology by agreeing to tougher U.N. sanctions, it emphasized on Tuesday its call for a return to talks with North Korea by signing a joint statement with Russia.

Under China's plan, North Korea would suspend its ballistic missile program in return for a moratorium on large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea, which Washington and Seoul say are essential to maintain defense readiness.

Trump is due to meet both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 in Germany this week.

Japan said on Monday it would have a trilateral summit with the United States and South Korea on North Korea at the G20. Its prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he would ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles.

North Korea was a major topic in phone calls between Trump and the leaders of China and Japan this week.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called on Tuesday for calm and restraint, and reiterated China's opposition to North Korea's violation of U.N. resolutions on missile tests.

Responding to Trump's tweet, Geng said China had been working hard to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

"China's role is indispensable," he told a daily news briefing. "We hope all sides can meet each other halfway."

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, two since the beginning of last year, and the pace of missile tests has risen significantly. It says it needs to defend itself against U.S. aggression.

Analysts say it often conducts tests to show its defiance and to raise the stakes when it sees regional powers getting ready for talks or sanctions.

(Additional reporting by Soyoung Kim in Seoul, Kiyoshi Takenaka and Elaine Lies in Tokyo, Ben Blanchard in Beijing, David Brunnstrom, Ayesha Rascoe and Lesley Wroughton in Washington and Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Howard Goller and Peter Cooney)
War Stories host Lt. Col. Oliver North (Ret.) explained how the Japanese can help the U.S. stabilize North Koreas nuclear program and why stricter sanctions need to be placed on companies doing business with the Hermit Kingdom.

On Tuesday, North Korea test-launched a new type of missile, which experts say has the capability of hitting many U.S. military bases, including Alaska.

When they [North Korea] tested that weapon, they did things that theyd never been able to do before and ought to put the fear of god into everybody in the neighborhood to include the Japanese, he told FOX Business Varney & Co.

The former U.S. Marine believes Japan should amend their constitution and start developing their own nuclear program.

The Trump administration recently severed financial ties American banks may have with Chinas Bank Of Dandong, due to the bank's alleged dealings with North Korea.

China is not going to help until Beijing feels the pain and before we actually do a conventional strike, we outta impose some real sanctions against any company doing any business whatsoever with both the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and Iran. If they cant do business anywhere in the world, they will stop doing what they are doing, he said.

Oliver added we do have the ability to turn North Korea into an overdone Pop-Tart if we really want to use conventional weapons to do that.
North Korea test-launched a brand new type of missile this week, posing a regional threat the U.S. has never experienced before, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said Wednesday the missile was fired from a mobile launcher at an aircraft plant about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. That is a location not previously used for missile launches.

The missile, which Davis declined to describe more precisely, was the first intercontinental-range weapon that North Korea has tested. A private analyst estimated that it had the potential to reach Alaska.

On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the U.S. is prepared to use military force to quell the threat from North Korea if necessary.

The United States is prepared to use the full range of our capabilities to defend ourselves and our allies. One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must but we prefer not to have to go in that direction, Haley said before the United Nations Security Council Wednesday.

However, in the near term, Haley is preparing to propose a fresh round of economic sanction before the U.N. She also threatened that the U.S. would sever trading ties with any country that continues to do business in North Korea in violation of U.N. resolutions.

The aministration has expressed frustration with China over a perceived lack of effort and progress to enforce economic penalties on Pyongyang throughout recent months. Trump had expressed optimism after his first meeting with China's president that the two would work together to curb North Korea's nuclear pursuits.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) founder Reid Hoffman and Zynga co-founder Mark Pincus have teamed up on a new effort to reinvent the Democratic Party, following Hillary Clintons devastating loss in the 2016 presidential election.

The initiative called Win The Future, abbreviated WTF, aims to revamp politics by modernizing candidates, fortifying voter engagement, and involving more Americans in political processes by crowdsourcing its political agenda on social media.

We need a modern peoples lobby that lets we the people choose our leaders and set our agenda. Imagine voting for a president we're truly excited about. Imagine a government that promotes capitalism and civil rights, Pincus said in a testimony on the groups website.

Members, in addition to providing funds, will vote on and tweet out policy ideas. The best ideas, determined by likes and retweets, will be turned into billboards and put up in Washington, D.C. for politicians to see. For every $5,000 the company receives, it will put up a new billboard in the nations capital.

Beyond bolstering the organizations platform, Pincus and Hoffman are looking to inspire a new group of leaders to run the Democratic Party, turning WTF into its own political party. Taking a cue from the Republicans, WTF has turned its focus outside the political establishment. Stephan Jenkins, a musician from the band Third Eye Blind, is rumored to be among the top candidates to run with the group, according to Recode.

WTF launched on July 4 and is already recruiting members to join. Pincus and Hoffman together have contributed $500,000 to the cause and have a couple of other well-known supporters, including internet entrepreneur Sunil Paul and Jeffrey Katzenberg, former Disney (NYSE:DIS) chair. Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayers husband, Zachary Bogue, is also counted among the seed founders.
President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One Wednesday, headed for Poland and his second international trip as leader of the United States ahead of the G20 summit later this week in Germany.

The visit is seen as an international show of support for a country that has sought protection from threats emanating from Russia, before Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time face-to-face at the G20 gathering.

"Even if he doesn't mention Putin or Russia outright, just stepping foot in Poland sends a powerful statement," said Jim Carafano, a foreign policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

At the same time, Trump will have to balance his visit to Europe with escalating tensions with North Korea, after the U.S. concluded Tuesday that North Korea had test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile. The U.S., South Korea and Japan responded to the provocation by requesting an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, scheduled Wednesday afternoon.

Asked what he would do about North Korea, Trump responded just before taking flight: "We're going to do very well."

Trump's first trip to Europe as president in May saw a series of awkward encounters, including a tough speech to the leaders of NATO countries urging them to spend more on their armed forces, an uncomfortable handshake with France's new president, and a caught-on-camera moment when Trump pushed past the prime minister of Montenegro, Europe's newest country, while squeezing his way to the front of a crowd.

But Poland may offer Trump a chance to shine.

According to Polish media reports, Poland's government promised the White House a reception of cheering crowds as part of its invitation. To make good on that pledge, ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists plan to bus in groups from the provinces to hear Trump's speech.

The White House didn't respond to a request for comment on those reports.

With Trump's sights already set on the 2020 election, his visit to Poland could also be seen as a power play for battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which are home to hundreds of thousands of Polish-American voters.

Trump may also seek to use Poland as an exemplar of partnership. A U.S. ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, Poland is one of the five NATO members that spends at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on the military. That's something that Trump a and U.S. leaders before him a have demanded of NATO allies. Trump has scolded other NATO members for falling short on their commitments.

Poland is also host to about 1,000 U.S. troops, and is supporting U.S. and NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's also a regular customer for U.S. military equipment.

Before Trump's arrival, Poland's government emphasized that Russia's aggression in Ukraine poses a threat to the whole of Europe, something that will inevitably be raised in discussions with Trump as Europeans seek to gauge the president's willingness to confront Putin before their first face-to-face meeting later this week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Never, not in roaring twenties or the free-loving sixties, have new cars been so powerful. When a Porsche 911 leaves the factory with no less than 700 horsepower and a full warranty, the worldat least for car enthusiastscould not be better.

Unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, the 2018 911 GT2 RS is the most extreme 911 in the models 54-year history. Since the twin-turbocharged flat-six in the 911 Turbo S is already pushing 580 horsepower, Porsche installed a water-injection system that sprays a fine mist into the hot exhaust stream entering the turbos. This allowed engineers to increase the turbo size and boost pressure without having the engine block explode into little pieces. Compared to the 700-hp mega-motors inside the Lamborghini Aventador and Dodge Challenger Hellcat, the engine in the GT2 RS is hardly larger than a Toyota Camrys  and just as unimpressive to look at.

But a GT2 RS driver isnt stopping by a local Cars and Coffee to show off. This is a car for running flat-out on closed race tracks. Carbon fiber body panels, carbon ceramic brakes, a titanium exhaust, and a magnesium roof to cut weight to only 3,241 pounds with a full tank of gas (even interior door handles are too heavy for this Porsche, so instead there are red pull straps). Massive 20-inch front and 21-inch rear tires appear to scrub into the bodywork, and there isnt a vent, crease, or curve without the express purpose of gluing this German missile to the ground. Porsche claims 0 to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and a 211-mph top speed. As if either claim is in doubt.

Unlike the last 500-car run of the 2011 GT2 RS, there is no production limit for the new car. That means no wealthy collector will be left wanting, though at $294,250, the priciest 911 of all time is not fully-loaded. A $31,000 Weissach package drops 40 pounds with magnesium wheels and even more carbon fiber. Then theres the 911 GT2 RS chronograph watch, tailor-matched with the supercars gauge cluster and wheels, at an unspecified extra. Is all this worth it? Considering the soaring resale value of all exclusive Porsches, the new owners watchand the rest of the carshould pay for itself in a matter of weeks.
Retiring crab fisherman Johnathan Hillstrand set off an explosion of fireworks as a 4th of July 75-year anniversary tribute to everyone who served during World War II in the Dutch Harbor area, including his grandfather.

In the patriotic Discovery Channel special, "Deadliest Catch: A Hillstrand 4th of July," viewers learned that Hillstrand's grandfather, Ernest Shupert, known as "Shup," was part of "Castner's Cutthroats," a group of rough and ready Alaskan scouts who helped defeat the Japanese during the Aleutian Islands campaign.

As "Deadliest Catch" fans know, Dutch Harbor in Alaska is America's top fishing port but it also has a place in military history as it was bombed by the Japanese during World War II. Later, the Japanese took over two of the Aleutian Islands and the Americans had to battle to get them back.

"It's called the forgotten war," Time Bandit captain Hillstrand told the cameras.

Historian Jeff Dickrell guided Hillstrand to some local historical sites as the skipper searched for a place to set off thousands of pounds of fireworks.

On June 3, 1942, the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor and 25 American men were killed, Dickrell told Hillstrand as they looked at a crater from the attack.

They also saw the mostly sunken hull of the Northwestern, a ship the Japanese bombed on June 4, 1942. Luckily, there were no Americans on the ship as they had gone into foxholes.

Fireworks fan Hillstrand vowed to do his best ever display to honor Americans who had fought.

As Hillstrand looked for the best launching pad, the historian told him how U.S. soil had been occupied when the Japanese took over the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska.

Hillstrand's grandpa Shupert was one of a small group of Alaskans hand-picked to be scouts; they island-hopped to perform reconnaissance on the Japanese.

In May 1943, the U.S. began the campaign to re-take the islands which the Japanese had occupied for almost a year.

Shupert and his group of elite scouts were launched in submarines and got out of rubber dinghies to create a diversion. They were out-manned 100 to one but tricked the enemy into thinking a division had landed. In reality, it was only about 100 Alaskan scouts.

Then 15,000 Americans came in to take back the islands and prevailed on July 28, 1943.

Hillstrand decided to set off the fireworks on the old coastal defense post of Fort Schwatka.

He got emotional when Dickrell showed him a list of all the scouts who had served, including his grandpa.

Although Shupert didn't die until long after the war, Hillstrand sobbed during the TV special, "We lost him when I was 13. I was too young to cry then."

He recalled, "Grandpa was great. He shot a bear out the window once.The neighbors came over andthey skinned it.It freaked me out."

All of Hillstrand's fellow "Deadliest Catch" captains wanted in on the fireworks fun and Keith Colburn smiled, "John Hillstrand is Peter Pan with a match."

Choked up Hillstrand said, "They're here to honor Shup," as the parade of boats steamed in.

"I want to do my grandpa Shup proud," he said.

A pyrotechnics expert showed Hillstrand how to hit the button to activate the fireworks.

"F--k yeah!" Hillstrand yelled as they went off with a bang.

"Im damn proud to be an American," he said.

Hillstrand decided to set off the fireworks on the old coastal defense post of Fort Schwatka.
Lindsay Lohan pledged her allegiance to President Donald Trump on Independence Day. The "Mean Girls" star urged social media users to stop being mean to POTUS.

The 31-year-old shared an image of President Trump offering to help a sick infant, Charlie Gard, in the UK. She responded to the picture with the caption, THIS IS our president. Stop #bullying him & start trusting him. Thank you personally for supporting #THEUSA.

Trump fans responded favorably to Lohans bid.

While others questioned the actress plea.

LINDSAY LOHAN COMMITTED TO HER WORK WITH REFUGEES FOR HOLIDAYS

Lohan has been all over map recently, uprooting her life in the United States for a home base in London. In 2016, the controversial star got some backlash for giving an interview in Greece in a bizarre accent she later called "Lilohan."

Fox News reached out to Lindsay Lohan but have not gotten comment.
Robert Downey Jr. may be hanging up his super suit and give up playing Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sometime soon.

The 52-year-old star recently addressed his future within the ever-growing world of Marvel heroes being brought to the big, and small, screen. Downey Jr. took on the role of Tony Stark in 2008, and his Iron Man installments have been a smash hit, but he said in a recent interview he is worried that remaining in the role for too long could tarnish Starks legacy.

Its this cyclical thing. I could have said when the first Avengers came out: Its never going to get any better than that. Everybody stop. But to me, its always about people and opportunities, like the (Avengers directors Anthony and Joe) Russos, who I adore, he told News Corp Australia Network.

Everyone says to me its like a glove that fits so well. I have to start over every time but I am starting over with a pretty solid base. I just never want to blow it for the last six or seven (Marvel movies) I have done by dropping the ball because I decided to go do it one more time. I just want to hang up my jersey before its embarrassing.

Downey Jr. has had the most screen time of any other actor in the Marvel universe. To date, hes been featured in six out of the 15 connected films -- not counting his brief cameo in The Incredible Hulk. However, its worth noting that Downey Jr. hasnt led one of these movies since Iron Man 3 in 2013.

In 2014, he disappointed some fans when he confessed to Variety that there were no plans for an Iron Man 4. Since that time, though, hes acted as part of the franchises ensemble with memorable supporting roles in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. Hes currently slated to do so again alongside Tom Holland in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming as well as Avengers: Infinity War, which will be a two-part story.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe films are the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, beating out heavy hitters like Stars Wars, Harry Potter and Fast and the Furious.

While the actor seems to be cooling off on the Tony Stark role, hes not outright refusing to return. According to CinemaBlend, he previously told reporters at a Spider-Man: Homecoming press junket that he simply wants to ensure hes attached to quality projects.

What happens to me is that things are presented to me that are really well thought out by folks that have been doing this correctly for a really long time, and I go like, Check.

Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters July 7, 2017.
Arthritis causes pain and suffering for millions of people around the world, but it's also the byproduct of an evolutionary mutation that allowed early humans to make the move from Africa to colder climates tens of thousands of years ago.

Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that a genetic variation made humans shorter and more compact as a means of protecting them against frostbite in the colder temperatures of northern climates, Newsweek reports.

In addition, their limbs got shorter, making them less vulnerable to breaking if people should, say, slip on ice. The downside of this evolutionary adaptation was an increase in the likelihood of osteoarthritis.

The Stanford study, published Monday in Nature Genetics, shows how a variation in the GDF5 gene became more prevalent in humans moving out of Africa into colder climates 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.

This variation doubles the chances of developing painful joint problems while also reducing height by about 0.4 inches on average, the Telegraph reports. And since arthritis generally doesn't develop until after the age of reproduction, the gene mutation was passed on from generation to generation.

The Stanford researchers discovered that the genetic variation causing this increase in arthritis is common among Europeans but rare in African populations. (A Canadian woman's arthritis may qualify her for euthanasia.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Humans Developed Arthritis as They Moved Out of Africa
Viewers of Discovery Channel's new "MOSQUITO" documentary will get an inside look at the fascinating and terrifying little bug that has the potential to create worldwide havoc.

Because of the way we live these days, we are all vulnerable, director Su Rynard told Fox News, noting that changes like increased urbanization and travel have contributed to the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

POWASSAN VIRUS: POTENTIALLY FATAL TICK DISEASE THAT CAN BE TRANSMITTED IN MINUTES REPORTED IN MAINE

In fact, according to the World Health Organization, of the all disease-transmitting insects, the mosquito is the greatest menace, spreading diseases including malaria, dengue, and yellow fever which cause several million deaths each year.

One of the most recent threats? Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that can cause birth defects in children and that has so far been spotted in 70 countries and territories around the world.

Are mosquitos a serious threat

While mosquitos are not necessarily more of a threat now than they have been in the past, John Beier, an entomologist at the University of Miami's Department of Public Health Sciences, told Fox News that they carry with them significant risks, including transmission of diseases.

And Beier agrees that increased travel is a concern.

Thats what we saw last year with Zika, Beier said. A lot of travelers were coming in and bringing it. And about 80 percent of the people infected with Zika dont show any symptomsthey dont necessarily know they are carrying the virus.

In Miami especially, Beier said, a large number of tourists and visitors come in from other countries, potentially bringing such diseases with them.

What you can do to protect yourself

When it comes to combatting mosquito-borne diseases, there are a few precautions you can take: pregnant women especially should avoid mosquitos by staying inside, using repellents, and wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, Beier said. He noted that people in areas that are most at riskincluding South Florida, Texas, and parts of the southeastern United Stateshave to be most careful.

TICK THAT CAUSES MEAT ALLERGY IN HUMANS HEADS NORTH

And, since mosquitos breed in tiny amounts of water, you can also protect yourself by making sure to remove any standing watersuch as in flower pots or kiddie poolsaround your home, Rynard said.

Ultimately, awareness is key, Rynard said. She added that it's important to understand that such diseases are not distant problems in faraway countries.

Disease dont stop at borders," she said. "We all have to be vigilant in a new way. We have to think globally about these problems and recognize that if we dont, well really be in trouble.

"MOSQUITO" airs July 6 at 9 p.m., ET.
Federal, state and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors have honored a longstanding practice to assure public safety and the rule of law by enforcing the laws that legislatures enact. In that spirit, Department of Justice policies since the 1980s directed federal prosecutors to charge the most serious readily provable offense, unless justice required otherwise. Its undisputed that this charging practice, applied over the course of several Republican and Democratic administrations in recent decades, contributed to the reduction of violent crime by half between 1991 and 2014.

The Obama administrations Smart on Crime initiative  touted by former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in a recent oped in the Washington Post titled Making America scared again wont make us safer  undermined those hard-fought gains in public safety, and ushered in significant increases in violent crime. In 2015, violent crime rose 5.6 percentthe greatest increase since 1991and included a shocking 10.8 percent increase in homicide rates. And, although the final numbers for 2016 have not been published, the preliminary data suggests another substantial increase in the violent crime rate.

Among the policies championed by then Attorney General Eric Holder and Deputy Attorney General Yates was one that reversed long-standing charging policies and directed federal prosecutors to avoid minimum sentences against drug traffickers, as mandated by Congress, and instead pursue lesser charges. Despite the well-known and deadly violence associated with drug cartels, gangs and their networks, the Holder-Yates policies directed federal prosecutors in certain cases to under-charge drug trafficking cases and avoid triggering statutory minimum penalties by not pressing charges on the actual amount of drugs that traffickers distributed, such as heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Despite the evocative second chance narrative that stirs support among sentencing reformers, law enforcement professionals also know that the people who end up in federal prison work hard to get there.

Changes in federal law enforcement policy can ripple through communities across the country and affect their safety. Smart on Crime was part of a larger policy shift within the Obama administration from drug abstinence and accountability to drug acceptance and victimization. Since its inception, correlative increases in drug abuse, overdose deaths and violent crime have had a devastating impact on every community, regardless of sex or demographics. The reduced charging and sentencing of thousands of drug traffickers and their early release from prison - all hallmarks of the Holder-Yates policies of the Obama years  have begun to leave their devastating mark downstream on the safety of communities across the nation. The surge in violent crime should not be surprising. Drug trafficking by its very nature, is a violent crime.

Take the recent account of Michael Bell, a former federally-convicted methamphetamine dealer who, when facing new state charges in Tennessee for kidnapping and domestic assault, shot two sheriffs deputies during a court proceeding. Bell would have still been in federal prison had he not been released in 2015, three years earlier than scheduled, because of the across-the-board sentencing reductions prior administration leaders pushed the U.S. Sentencing Commission to impose.

Not surprisingly, those former officials continue to use the term low level, non-violent offender to promote a sanitized narrative of drug trafficking for profit. Law enforcement professionals know that drug trafficking enterprises are comprised of integrated networks of street corner dealers, mid-level traffickers, distributors, producers and cartel leaders, whose collective efforts inherently rely on violence and have contributed to the deaths of over 50,000 Americans last year in drug overdoses alone.

Despite the evocative second chance narrative that stirs support among sentencing reformers, law enforcement professionals also know that the people who end up in federal prison work hard to get there. Few offenders go to prison for their first offense, or even the second or third. Many of the people who end up in federal prison have committed violent crimes, are members of drug trafficking and criminal organizations or simply have chosen to continue to disregard our laws. Because the majority of criminals admit their guilt, plea bargaining involves the dismissal or reduction of related charges, which greatly reduces the criminal histories and sentences of countless criminals. That means the numbers and types of crimes for which many of them are arrested, but never charged or convicted, are incalculable. Criminals are committing thousands of crimes and violent acts against our citizens for which they are never held accountable.

Seeking justice and keeping the peace, it is federal law enforcement agencies and their state and local partners who will strive to enforce the laws that Congress enacted to protect our country and its citizens. The surest way to preserve public safety is to honor the laws the people have passed and to enforce them to the fullest.

Lawrence J. Leiser is president of the National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys. Nathan Catura is president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Bob Bushman is president of the National Narcotics Officers Associations Coalition. Al Regnery is chairman of the Law Enforcement Action Network. Ron Hosko is president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. Harold Eavenson is President of the National Sheriffs Association. Larry Langberg is President of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.
North Korea raised the stakes in the effort to contain their nuclear weapons program by launching their first inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM). The inter-continental part of the name outlines the danger of their ability to send a nuclear weapon directly to the United States.

President Trump now brings a change to the decades of failed diplomacy that brought us to the current nightmare: the credible threat of violence that is necessary for diplomacy to work.

Appeasement coupled with diplomacy has done almost nothing to stop, or even slow, North Koreas relentless march to becoming a danger to everyone around the world. Every time one of the succession of dictators named Kim has rattled a saber by launching a missile or testing a nuclear device, the world has responded by sending them money and food. Well as Kipling noted once you have paid him the Dane-geld you never get rid of the Dane.

And now we face an emboldened and unhindered North Korea whose ability to threaten us has increased with every payment.

President Trump sent a tweet in April reminding the Chinese that relations with the US were dependent on their help with North Korea

That seems to have fallen by the wayside as his reaction to the latest provocation from Kim Jong Un yielded this from the president

Now the question is what comes next to stop the Hermit Kingdom from making good on its threats to frequently send big and small gift packages to the Yankees.

The United States conducted a ballistic missile drill off the coast of the Korean peninsula in response to the ICBM launch and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. would never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea. But talk alone seems to have done little to stop them so it may be time to show them there is an iron fist in that velvet glove of diplomacy.

Taking any kind of military action is a grave risk, but the status quo has led us closer and closer to the brink already, so it must be contemplated. The lack of any real repercussions for North Korea has led to the present danger and absent a change they will be a full global nuclear power shortly.

President Trump launched a major strike against Syria after a chemical weapons attack and then the next time it seemed one was imminent, a simple threat was able to stop another.

The United States has many options for hitting North Korea that could serve as a reminder and deterrent - not a first blow in a war that no one should want. A strike on one of the launch facilities is a perfect example. It would be an obvious message but stop short of looking like an attempt to destroy all their military capabilities. It could be paired with a message to China and Russia of our intentions and a call for them to rein in any retaliation from Kim.

This would show that failure to negotiate a solution has consequences and things could get worse. Diplomacy then becomes a much more palatable alternative and we can enlist the help of the United Nations and other powers to offer the carrot of much needed humanitarian assistance. It would certainly be preferable if this was not necessary, but can anyone say why we should believe more of the same would yield a different outcome?
Editors note: The following column originally appeared in the Washington Times.

There are many discussions about President Trump wrestling CNN tweet, but its time to get to the heart of the matter: that the tweet was brilliant, anticipating a ridiculously overwrought reaction by the legacy media, and boy, did they deliver.

Its one thing to say the media is fake and cant be trusted, and quite another to show it to the American people. So consumed with their loathing of the president, some in the legacy media cant see past themselves and did exactly what youd expect the pathologically obsessed to do: pathologically obsess.

There is another revelation brought to us by the absurd reaction by the mainstream media: their hypocrisy. Weve been told for weeks that a play in Central Park featuring the slaughter of Mr. Trump was just art.

While everyone else was laughing at the tweet of a staged pro-wrestling stunt from years ago, various CNN news actors insisted their lives were now at risk. This proved the presidents point that the network is not serious, on a singular mission to destroy the president, and ergo cant be trusted to report what really matters to the American people.

The president remains one step ahead of those who work to harm his ability to do his job, creating an environment where the American people can decide for themselves who they can trust. And its apparently not the media. A new NPR/PBS/Marist poll found just 30 percent of Americans have trust in the media, which is double-digits lower than the presidents latest Rasmussen approval rating.

There is another revelation brought to us by the absurd reaction by the mainstream media: their hypocrisy.

Weve been told for weeks that a play in Central Park featuring the slaughter of Mr. Trump was just art.

Just after Kathy Griffin, who worked for CNN at the time, distributed a picture of her holding up a bloody, decapitated head of Mr. Trump ISIS-style, CNNs Jake Tapper hosted a panel which insisted it was much ado about nothing.

Molly Ball of The Atlantic noted, I have a hard time bringing myself to care about something like this, after which she blamed the Trumps for objecting to the depiction by accusing them of needing to see themselves as victims. Mr. Tapper tried to stifle a laugh. The panel then declared they had much bigger things to focus on than the display of a CNN host holding up the bloody head of the American president.

Well, fast forward just a few weeks, and CNN suddenly does care, and did find time to accuse the president of inciting violence against them  because of a staged wrestling meme where their logo gets jumped. Got it.

The truth is this: Mr. Trump is simply the worlds greatest provocateur. As a businessman and entertainer, he understands the benefits of keeping your opponents on their heels. Ridicule and mockery of your opponents is one of mankinds oldest political tactics. The provoked can never win, because theyre allowing emotions to dictate their actions, revealing themselves as undisciplined, unserious fools.

Part of the problem for the journalists in legacy media is Groupthink. You may hear it referred to as a bubble, but its more complicated than simply being isolated from others. Its a concerted and dangerous state where a group of people believe they have sole possession of the truth and work to make sure alternative facts never infect the inner circle of decision-makers, or those theyre trying to influence.

It also makes it impossible for those afflicted in media to properly and fairly view Mr. Trump and his work. And that is exactly the presidents point.

Yet, there is some projecting here as well. There was a strangely coordinated new media narrative last week focusing on Mr. Trumps tweeting (of course), breathlessly announcing that his Twitter feed doesnt deal with any important policy issues. More than 10 percent of Trumps recent tweets have been attacks on the press, tweeted CNNs Jake Tapper, which linked to a whole segment of him dissecting the presidents tweets, replete with Mr. Tappers Im really concerned faux-furrowed brow.

Because Twitter is such a big part of the medias lives, they actually believe that if they dont see it on Twitter its not happening. Newsflash for so-called journalists: the president doesnt use Twitter to govern, he uses it to push back, interrupt the lefts narratives, and stay in touch with the American people.

CNN, in their official response to the wrestling tweet, actually complained that the wrestle tweet somehow proved the president wasnt doing his job.  Instead of preparing for his first overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill, he is instead involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.

It takes less than a second to push the tweet button, at which point one then goes about running the free world.

Whether its ObamaCare, North Korea, ISIS, tax cuts, the economy, the upcoming G-20 meetings, or even the poor little Charlie Gard fighting for his life in England, the president governs first and tweets when necessary. Part of his ability to do his job is to confront those who work 24/7 to impede his ability to do so. Mocking them takes a few seconds out of the day, but their reactions confirm his concern: many in the legacy media cant be trusted to do the most basic part of their job which is to simply bring you the news, not hate-fueled propaganda.
In what is being dubbed The Alicia Machado Effect, Google Trends indicated that the company has seen a surge in searches for voter registration over the last week, with a disproportionately large portion of those searches coming from largely Hispanic areas.

By Wednesday night  two days after Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton name-checked Machado during the first presidential debate  all the areas that topped the list of voter registration searches were in heavily Latino markets in Texas, California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida.

And the trend appeared to be holding into Thursday.

Its unclear whether the plight of Machado  who was criticized by GOP nominee Donald Trump for gaining weight following her 1996 Miss Universe win and again on morning talk shows following this weeks debate  is driving more Latinos to register to vote. But the trend reported by Google marks a large reversal from last month's registration searches, which were highest in predominantly white, Northern states  areas that typically have the highest voter turnout in presidential elections.

The Google search surge, however, does fit with anecdotal evidence that Trumps language  not just toward Machado, but on topics important to Latinos such as immigration  is driving more Hispanics to register to vote this election season.

Im confident Latino voter turnout will go up significantly, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro told Fox News Latino during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. We see it in the registrations that are happening in different states. I believe it can go into the 50s, and if that happens then particularly in swing states like Florida, Colorado Nevada and even Virginia, where there is a growing Latino population, Hillary Clinton will win those.

Latinos, however, have historically failed to show up in large numbers come Election Day.

In the 2012 presidential match-up between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, less than half (48 percent) of registered Latino voters cast a ballot  a figure that has remained relatively unchanged over the last four presidential elections.

Our weakness in this country is that in the past there have been Latinos who are eligible to vote who are not registered to vote, said Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez of California. The only way were going to get the problems in our community addressed is to increase our numbers.

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CNN was facing almost universal backlash on Wednesday after running an article on the Reddit user who made an anti-CNN, wrestling-themed GIF tweeted by President Trump over the weekend  and seeming to imply the network would reveal the persons identity if he reneged on an apology.

Andrew Kaczynski, the senior editor and founding member of the cable network's KFile investigative team, tweeted several defenses of the article, saying parts were being misinterpreted. But #CNNBlackmail was a top trend on Twitter Wednesday morning, as numerous media figures spoke out against the move.

Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz even suggested on Twitter that CNN could have a legal problem.

Troubling. I assume CNN's lawyers are examining GA  16-8-16 Theft by extortion. If CNN constructively obtained the gif-maker's IP...it's a GA crime if they threatened to Disseminate any information tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule.... he wrote.

The Reddit user was behind the controversial GIF that Trump tweeted out Sunday -- and that showed Trump wrestling an opponent (from his pre-politician days) with a CNN logo plastered over his face. The KFile group found the creator -- user name HanA**holeSolo -- by comparing information posted on Reddit to Facebook profiles. While CNN decided against publishing the user's real name, the network appeared to attach a caveat to that decision.

CNN is not publishing HanA**holeSolos name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again, the article stated. CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.

Further, CNNs initial Tuesday tweet about the article implied the Reddit user only apologized once he was contacted by the KFile.

Exclusive: CNN tracked down the Reddit user behind the Trump wrestling GIF. Now hes apologizing, the tweet said.

CNN has adamantly defended its handling of the story, issuing a statement Wednesday saying the network did not publish the users name out of concern for his safety  and calling any assertion that the network blackmailed him false.

In the reported statement, CNN said the team published the line in question to be transparent that there was no deal.

Kaczynski also defended his units work.

The line is being misinterpreted. It was intended only to mean we made no agreement w/the man about his identity, he wrote, adding at one point: CNN specifically chose not to reveal this guys identity and to say we threatened anyone is a total lie.

Kaczynski also said the Reddit user had been made aware of the ongoing Internet kerfuffle and had gotten in touch with him again.

FYI HanA**holeSolo just called me. I am in total agreement with your statement. I was not threatened in any way," Kaczynski wrote.

Kaczynski initially said the user posted his apology before we *ever* spoke to him, calling KFile afterwards to apologize again. But after further questions, Kaczynski said the initial apology didnt come until CNN had contacted the user and asked to talk to him.

He also justified his article by noting a previous instance of the Reddit users work, which was anti-Semitic: This was someone who shared an image of CNN reporters face with Stars of David next them.

But the article caveat nevertheless drew criticism.

Many were shocked by the perceived threat of doxing  publicly sharing private details about a person.

German Lopez, a reporter for left-leaning Vox, tweeted: I cant emphasize how bad this is on CNNs part. This is basically dont post stuff we dont like or well dox you. Extremely unethical.

WikiLeaks tweeted, "Trump was bad. CNN is worse: CNN threatens amateur satirist behind Trump video: make fun of us again and we dox you."

Nationally syndicated radio host Dana Loesch wrote: "The optics of going after people on Independence Day simply for making memes. And some wonder why people are frustrated with media."

Since the CNN article was published, many social media users also have created dozens of other GIFs of Trump bashing, brawling and scuffling with a humanoid CNN logo.

The original anti-CNN wrestling GIF was made infamous after Trump tweeted it -- an act which brought its own consequences, as Trump faced bipartisan political condemnation.

That video followed a rough week for CNN, which was recently forced to retract one of its Russia collusion stories -- a development that resulted in the resignation of three of the network's journalists.


A low-flying proposal from Sen. Ted Cruz to overhaul a major component of ObamaCare is attracting the kind of conservative enthusiasm that could prove critical in the broader GOP push to repeal and replace the 2010 law.

The Texas Republican senator has offered up his idea as an amendment that would allow insurers to offer bare-boned policies that don't meet Affordable Care Act standards -- provided they also offer plans in compliance.

Whether the Tea Party-backed senators gambit will help bring an overhaul bill to President Trumps desk remains uncertain, considering the proposed change could drive away GOP moderates. Leaders of the Republican-controlled Senate are trying to strike just the right balance between moderate and conservative interests after having adjourned for the July 4 recess with no deal in hand that could attract the minimum 50 senators needed.

The Cruz plan aims to roll back the requirements that boost coverage for individual plans but also increase cost.

The mandates the federal government puts on [Americans] are so ridiculous that men are forced to carry coverage for mammograms, women are forced to carry coverage for prostate issues. Its absurd, Marc Short, Trump's director of legislative affairs, told Fox News Sunday. Were going to get rid of many of those regulations and mandates to lower cost.

The Cruz amendment is intended to lower consumer costs and presumably help commercial insurance companies continue offering policies.

Several insurers have moved to pull out of various state-based ObamaCare exchanges in recent weeks, as lawmakers deliberate. Aetna recently announced it would leave the Virginia exchange after losing nearly $700 million over roughly the first three years.

We've got to do something to reinject free market forces into this environment, Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee, who joined Cruz in drafting the Consumer Freedom Act, told CBS on Sunday. If we can bring free market forces to bear, we can bring down cost for middle Americans."

The Cruz plan was submitted last week for analysis to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which is expected to complete its report when the Senate and House return next week from their July recess.

Cruz, Lee and Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul are among a handful of conservative GOP senators who did not support the original Senate health bill.

In May, the GOP-controlled House passed its ObamaCare overhaul -- but not without its own share of support-wrangling from the conferences conservative and moderate wings.

No House Democrat voted for the measure. And no Senate Democrat is supporting their chambers plan, which means Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will need support from 50 of his 52 senators.

If the Cruz consumer choice amendment gets there, yes I can support it, North Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Meadows, leader of his chambers ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, told reporters last week.

Prior to the Cruz plan, Meadows expressed doubt that the Senate overhaul bill -- criticized for having hundreds of millions in insurance bailouts -- could gain enough House support.

To bring House conservatives and moderates together to pass the chambers bill, Meadows and his caucus of about 30 members agreed to a compromise measure by New Jersey GOP Rep. Tom MacArthur that would give states the ability to opt out of some core ObamaCare insurance requirements.

The Cruz plan appears to have another hurdle -- whether it can yield enough cost savings to make it attractive to Republicans.

These are the types of reforms that would help roll back the damage inflicted by Obamacare, Michael Needham, leader of the conservative group Heritage Action for America, recently told The Hill newspaper. Simply throwing more money at the problem as some moderates are seeking to do is not an enduring solution.
Although specifics werent provided, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined his counterpart to the south in promising to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.

The vow to create a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearization came during the Koreas historic summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April, and just before a much-anticipated meeting between Kim and U.S. President Trump.

I feel like Im firing a flare at the starting line in the moment of (the two Koreas) writing a new history in North-South relations, peace and prosperity, Kim told Moon.

Kim is the first known member of his familys dynasty to set foot on South Korean soil since 1953. There, at least in front of cameras, his rhetoric drastically changed since he engaged in a war of words with Trump throughout the first year of the U.S. presidents time in the White House. (Kim called Trump a dotard; Trump called the North Korean leader short and fat.)

Since Kim took over North Korea in 2011, the regime rapidly expanded and tested its missile arsenal with weapons capable of striking the U.S. mainland. His end goal, he once said, was to "establish the equilibrium of real force with the U.S. and make the U.S. rulers dare not talk about military options for the North.

Read on for a brief look at how North Koreas nuclear weapons program has grown throughout the regimes in the past century.

Kim Il Sung, leader from 1948-1994

Kim Il Sung can be credited with founding North Korea and propelling the nations nuclear program forward  but he did not live to see his country conduct its first nuclear test.

It was under the first Kim that North Korea began to build up its nuclear reactors. And it was under his leadership that the nation began the Korean War  surely a catalyst that led the leader to believe his nation needed nuclear weapons, Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee, the Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, told Fox News in an interview.

TRUMPS COMMENTS ON NORTH KOREA, FROM FIRE AND FURY TO BLAMING CHINA

The seeds of nuclear aspirations were sown in the Korean War, Lee said.

The Korean War pitted North Korea and its ally China  two nations that did not have nuclear capabilities at the time  against a nuclear-armed U.S., making it clear to the first Kim that nuclear weapons are very powerful, a powerful deterrent, Lee said.

Kim Jong Il, leader from 1994-2011

When the second leader of the Kim dynasty died in 2011, Kim Jong Il was remembered as the dictator who turned North Korea into a nuclear state, in his New York Times obituary.

And its Kim Jong Il that really gets the credit of taking the country down the nuclear path," Lee said.

In the beginning of his reign  he was North Koreas supreme leader from 1994 to 2011  North Korea denied that it had a nuclear weapons program.

TIMELINE OF NORTH KOREAN MISSILE LAUNCHES IN 2017

However, in 2003, Pyongyang announced that North Korea was withdrawing from the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which barred the nation from making nuclear weapons.

By 2005, North Korea confirmed that it had its own nuclear weapons. It tested its first nuclear device in 2006.

Kim Jong Un, leader from 2011-present

Kim Jong Un is credited with accelerating North Koreas push for nuclear weapons, and under the Obama administration, many of the worlds attitudes toward the East Asian nations nuclear capabilities became less blase than in the past, Lee said.

Kim Jong Un also crossed a major threshold for his country in the summer of 2017  the ability to credibly threaten the U.S. with an intercontinental ballistic missile.

In 2017, North Korea successfully tested its longest-ever flight of a ballistic missile. The intermediate-range weapon traveled 3,700 miles and passed over Japan before it landed in the Pacific. The country also tested its most powerful nuclear test to date this year.

After the missile test, Kim Jong Un said North Korea is nearing equilibrium with the U.S. in terms of its military force.

The increasingly frequent and aggressive tests added to outside fears that North Korea is closer than ever to building a military arsenal that could viably target the mainland of the U.S. or its allies in Asia.

Calling Kim Jong Un Rocket Man, Trump said in 2017 the dictator is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.

The United States has great strength and patience, Trump said. But if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.

But 2018 brought a dramatic turn of events after he declared in a stark New Years address that a nuclear launch button is always on my table. Kim Jong Un offered to meet with Trump and became the first known member of his familys dynasty to set foot in South Korea since 1953. At the historic summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, both leaders pushed for peace and would work toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

However, neither leader provided any specific measures or seemed to forge a potential breakthrough on the issue that has captivated and terrified many, especially since last year.

Before Trump canceled a much-anticipated meeting with Kim Jong Un, North Korea said it demolished what it claimed to be its nuclear test site, setting off several explosions over the course of a few hours in the presence of foreign journalists.

The planned closing of the Punggye-ri site was previously announced, but it's unclear if another facility could be used to continue the country's nuclear weapons program. Yongbyon nuclear complex, located about 64 miles north of Pyongyang, has a new reactor that could produce weapons-grade plutonium. Pyongyang insists is being used to produce electricity for its citizens.

Trump ultimately rejected Kim Jong Un's invitation to a June meeting in Singapore, citing North Korea's "open hostility."

Fox News Edmund DeMarche, Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump landed here in the Polish capital Wednesday where he'll find an audience that's open to his brand of politics. But while the president will try to show he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with eastern European NATO allies, the visit comes just hours ahead of the biggest diplomatic test of his young presidency: his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Poland is a country with a government that's likeminded with Trump. They have a very conservative government that's also favored very restrictive immigration policies, said Jordan Tama, a professor at American Universitys School of International Service. I think Trump felt that this is a country where he would have a warm reception and he probably will have a warm reception there.

But Poland also exists in the shadow of Russian aggression and has been concerned the Trump administration isn't fully committed to helping NATO fight it.

Despite campaign rhetoric that questioned the U.S. financial commitment to the alliance, Trump shocked leaders during a May speech when he admonished many of them for not spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.

Though its a message thats been repeated for years by both Presidents Barack Obama and Trump, the way it was delivered surprised many of the leaders who stood alongside him during the speech at the grand opening of the new NATO headquarters in Brussels.

If NATO countries made their full and complete contributions, then NATO would be even stronger than it is today, the president said.

Poland barely meets the 2 percent minimum and is one of only five nations that cross that bar. While 24 others do not, NATO members have pledged an additional $12 billion this year after Trump challenged them.

But the U.S. is still heavily involved in the defense of NATOs eastern flank. There are at least 1,000 U.S. troops in Poland, a fourth of the total number dedicated to NATO's Operation Atlantic Resolve -- a show of force that ramped up after Russian-backed forces entered Ukraine in 2014. And a portion of a U.S.-backed missile defense system goes online here next year.

Still, the Polish government will want Trump to take a hard line with Putin when the two meet for the first time on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. The White House wont say what the two will talk about, but has confirmed the meeting is set for Friday afternoon.

Well theres no specific agenda, said White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster. Its really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about.

Analysts suggest the president will have a decision to make ahead of the bilateral meeting with Putin.

Trump has to choose really here to some extent, Tama said. He has to choose whether he is going to prioritize the NATO alliance, prioritize transatlantic security and standing with European countries to deter Russia or prioritize improved relations with Russia.

The president may look to improve relations with European allies too, specifically Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the G-20 summit. After Trump touted his America First agenda at NATO and the G-7 summit last month in Taormina, Italy, Merkel indicated Europe was on its own.

"The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days, Merkel said. And that is why I can only say: We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands."

The president and the German chancellor clashed during the meetings over trade deficits and the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Administration officials have signaled the president is open to renegotiating the climate agreement or starting work on a new one.

But it will be the meeting with Putin amid allegations Russia influenced the 2016 U.S. election that will put the president's diplomacy to the test.

To the extent that it looks like Trump is too eager to smooth things over with Putin and just cooperate with Russia despite Russian bad behavior, he'll be subject to domestic criticism here at home, Tama said.

Asked specifically whether Trump will bring up allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, White House officials again declined to share an agenda.

Its an agenda that will be watched closely at home and around the world.
Over the last four seasons of HGTVs Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines have transformed dozens of modest houses into luxurious dream-homes featuring everything from subway-tiled doggie showers to outdoor dining rooms. So it comes as no surprise that one of the homes featured on the series is now selling for nearly $1 million.

What is surprising is that the owners of that particular home bought it for only $28,000.

Cameron and Jessie Bell, the couple who purchased the 700-square-foot shotgun-style house that was featured in a March 2016 episode of Fixer Upper, are now listing the property for $950,000 with Briggs Freeman Sothebys, according to Realtor.com  but real estate agents are divided on whether or not its worth it.

CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES ANNOUNCE NAME, DETAILS OF WACO RESTAURANT

In fact, a real estate agent who spoke with the Waco Tribune-Herald initially thought the price was a mistake.

Thats probably a typo, said Julie Pendergraph, a residential sales specialist with Keller Williams Realty. There is no way on Gods green earth they are going to get that kind of money. Thats $905 a square foot.

Its a nice house, with one bedroom and one bath, and its over there by Magnolia Market, but still.

The houses actual listing agent, Jennifer Roberts, told KWTX she feels differently about the Waco, Texas, property.

I think there are a lot of reasons its worth it, Roberts told the station, citing its included furnishings and close proximity to shopping and dining options at Magnolia Market. She says the new owners could also use it as a rental property, like the Bells do now. (The couple currently lists the home for $324 per night on Airbnb).

'FIXER UPPER' STAR JOANNA GAINES SHOWS OFF NEW HOME LINE

When the Bells first approached Chip and Joanna about buying a house, the couple didnt have a lot to spend. But through careful budgeting, they was able to afford a run-down, soon-to-be-demolished home for just $28,000. They also put an additional $103,000 into renovations and moving costs (the house had to be physically moved to make way for a developer), according to HGTV.

By the time Chip and Joanna revealed the Bells finished home, the house had hardwood floors, an antique brick patio, a walk-in shower, and an additional 350 square feet of living space in the upstairs loft, which Chip was able to accommodate by raising the roofline of the original home.

"From the beginning, the tiny shotgun house had lot of big challenges, Joanna said of the renovation process. But in the end, the reward was huge.

The Bells, however, are apparently hoping to reap an even huger reward by listing their narrow home for just under $1 million.

And although the Gaines themselves have no say in how the home is handled by the new owners, they might not be thrilled with this latest development.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

According to a 2016 article in Country Living, a spokesman for the duo claimed that they werent necessarily against people renting out the homes featured on Fixer Upper, but they werent too happy about it, either.

"We have no problems with our clients' interest in using sites like VRBO and Airbnb to rent out their homes. In fact, we get it. But we are going to be more strict with our contracts involving Fixer Upper clients moving forward.

"We want to do remodels for clients' homes," he continued. "That's the true intent of our show, and we want to ensure that does not get lost in this new vacation rental trend. What started off with perfectly understandable intentions could cast a shadow of a doubt on the much bigger picture, and we are going to do our best to protect that moving forward."
Hurry up and read this, before its too late.

The Larsen C ice shelf is seconds/minutes/hours/days away from breaking off from Antarctica. When it does  if it hasnt by the time youve finished reading this  it will become one of the largest icebergs on record.

Scientists have been monitoring the crack in the ice shelf for two years, since they first observed that it was growing at a significant rate. As of January, it was 111 miles long and tearing away from the mainland at a rapidly growing rate.

GREAT BARRIER REEFS EYE-POPPING $42B VALUE MAKES IT CRITICAL, REPORT SAYS

The crack grew by 11 miles last month alone, leaving only eight miles remaining. On July 5, it had grown another five miles, according to the European Space Agency, whose CryoSat satellite has been monitoring the ice shelfs collapse.

Three more miles and the now-125-mile crack will reach the ocean. When it does, it will separate from the continent and become an iceberg of historic proportions.

Using information from CryoSat, we have mapped the elevation of the ice above the ocean and worked out that the eventual iceberg will be about 190 meters (623 feet) thick and contain about 1155 cubic kilometers (277 cubic miles) of ice, said Noel Gourmelen of the University of Edinburgh.

LIGHTNING IS MORE POWERFUL OVER OCEANS

We have also estimated that the depth below sea level could be as much as 210 meters (656 feet).

Scientists say the iceberg will be titanic  roughly the size of Delaware  and could melt at a rapid rate, causing sea levels to rise. Its location could also pose a hazard to maritime traffic.

[W]e are not sure what will happen, said Anna Hogg of the University of Leeds. It could, in fact, even calve in pieces or break up shortly after. Whole or in pieces, ocean currents could drag it north, even as far as the Falkland Islands. If so it could pose a hazard for ships in Drake Passage.
An American Airlines flight attendant says her uniform may look sexy but its making her sick.

Heather Poole, a crew member for the airline, has been blogging about the impact that the company-issued uniform policy has had on her health in recent months.

Poole  who has hypothyroidism  claims that the outfit has had adverse effects on her condition and has caused reactions from chemicals in the uniform.

I get sick every time I go to work, she wrote. Every time I go to work I feel terrible.

She said other employees have reported health issues, ranging from respiratory ailments to fertility problems, since American Airlines debuted the new uniforms in September. Poole also claimed flight attendants from other airlines have reported thyroid issues from uniforms made by the same manufacturer.

Many of my coworkers  dont believe its the uniform, she wrote. Its kind of crazy to think your clothes could be poisoning you.

American Airlines pilots have also complained about health issues believed to be from chemicals in their uniforms. According to The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, more than 3,000 members have filed complaints about the new uniforms.

But Poole said her health is not the only cause for concern regarding her uniform. In her most recent blog post, she said shes fallen victim to internet trolls who dont believe her uniform has led to health issues.

Over the last nine months, I was called psycho and crazy, she wrote. Because the sexy stereotype wont die, nobody cares when we have something serious to discuss.

Poole claims that even when she stopped wearing the uniform  opting for similar clothing instead  her issues have not subsided. She insisted that just being around her co-workers in uniform has also affected her health, even resulting in a trip to the emergency room.

Let the record state that I cant prove that any of my health problems are in fact caused by my wearing the uniform, she wrote. I dread going to work. I love my job, but my job is making me sick.

This article originally appeared in The New York Post.
United Airlines requires children over the age of 2 to have their own tickets and occupy their own seats, but that didnt stop the airline from allowing a 27-month-old child from sitting in his mothers lap after they accidentally oversold his spot.

Shirley Yamauchi says she and her son Taizo had boarded their flight from Houston to Boston on June 29  the final leg of an 18-hour flight from Hawaii  when a standy passenger approached and claimed Taizo was in his seat.

"I told him that I bought both of these tickets and he tells me that he got the ticket on standby. Then he proceeds to sit in the center, Yamauchi told Hawaii News Now.

Yamuachi says she tried to inform a flight attendant about Taizos seat, but the woman claimed she couldnt do anything about it, seeing as the flight was full.

UNITED FLIGHT FORCED TO RETURN TO CHICAGO AFTER BIRD STRIKE, ENGINE FIRE

Not wanting to cause a scene  or worse, instigate an incident like the one that befell the elderly United passenger who refused to give up his seat on in April  Yamuachi sat Taizo on her lap and kept her mouth shut until she reached Boston.

"I started remembering all those incidents with United on the news. The violence. Teeth getting knocked out. I'm Asian. I'm scared and I felt uncomfortable. I didn't want those things to happen to me," she told Hawaii News Now.

Upon reaching Boston, Yamauchi was told to call a United hotline to explain the situation. But when she finally got through and asked for a refund, she was told that United would need to cancel her return trip to Hawaii in order to do so, reports KITV.

In total, Yamauchi told Hawaii News Now she had paid nearly $2,000 for both tickets.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

A United spokesperson tells Fox News that the airline has already reached out to Yamauchi to apologize for the incident. The airline also pinpointed the cause of the seating snafu, explaining that Taizos ticket was incorrectly scanned at the gate.

On a recent flight from Houston to Boston, we inaccurately scanned the boarding pass of Ms. Yamauchis son, said United in a statement obtained by Fox News. As a result, her sons seat appeared to be not checked in, and we released his seat to another customer and Ms. Yamauchi held her son for the flight.

"We deeply apologize to Ms. Yamauchi and her son for this experience," the statement continued. "We are refunding their tickets and providing compensation as a goodwill gesture. We are also working with our employees to prevent this from happening again.

Yamuachi, however, doesnt sound too keen on flying with United anytime soon.

"It's worrisome, said Yamuachi, according to KITV Everyone who has helped me so far has contradicted each other. With their suggestions, this needs to stop. United has made errors that make national headlines  yet, it continues.
Mississippi authorities say a 5-year-old boy was killed when a gun went off while he and his 6-year-old brother played with it.

Winston County Coroner Scott Gregory tells The Clarion-Ledger the boys' father and grandfather were asleep after working night shifts when the gun went off Tuesday afternoon.

He says the gunshot woke them, and they thought someone had lit a firecracker indoors.

News media report the accident happened in a house about 26 miles southwest of Starkville.

Gregory says Jeremiah Brown was hit in the head and died instantly.

Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh says the incident is still under investigation but he does not expect charges to be filed.
A fire that ripped through a Bronx apartment building Tuesday injured 14 people, three of them seriously.

Those injured include eight firefighters and six civilians, WPIX-TV reported.

Fire Department officials said none of the injuries are life-threatening.

Two young girls were rescued from their third-floor apartment by a pair of Good Samaritan neighbors, WABC-TV reported. After Reyes Pacheco and Anthony Faison realized that they could not enter the apartment because of the smoke, the two men used the fire escape to rescue the girls.

Officials believe the fire started on the fourth floor of the five-story apartment building shortly after 1:10 p.m., according to the Associated Press. It took nearly two hours to control the blaze.

FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO BLAZE AT ARIZONA FIREWORKS SHOW

Approximately 168 firefighters and emergency personnel worked to extinguish the fire.

New York City Councilman Rafael Salamanca, Jr., who represents the South Bronx, tweeted that he was on the scene and assisting in anyway he could.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Three people were injured after an explosion leveled a Missouri house Tuesday morning  and authorities are investigating whether illegal fireworks were the cause.

Two adult men and one adult woman were taken to the hospital on the Fourth of July with injuries that are not life threatening, police said. Neighbors dragged the injured people from the rubble of the St. Joseph home and away from the flames, according to police.

The blast occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m., Tuesday  completely demolishing the house, authorities said.

St. Joseph Police, firefighters and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are combing through the debris to determine the exact cause of the explosion, St. Joseph Police Capt. Jeff Wilson told Fox News.

The debris field is very big and [investigators] are looking for any evidence of a crime, Wilson said. It will take a little while to work the crime scene.

While Wilson said he was unable to give a statement as to the cause of the explosion quite yet, he did confirm that investigators are looking into the possibility that fireworks caused the destruction.

FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO BLAZE AT ARIZONA JULY 4TH FIREWORKS SHOW

John Hamm, an ATF spokesman, said that neighbors have pointed to fireworks manufacturing as the cause of the explosion, but it is still too early for his agency to make that determination.

The house, at this time, is a complete loss, its completely destroyed, Hamm said during a press conference.

Paul Saunders told St. Joseph's News-Press Now that hes heard his neighbors blow things up before, adding that hes previously called the police due to how late in the night those at the house would set off explosions.

A police spokesperson could not confirm Saunders allegation as the criminal investigation into what caused the explosion is ongoing.

To be honest with you, theyve never told me that they make homemade bombs. Only thing I know is that they have some kind of a bomb, but I never see any packaging, Saunders said. I never see anything. I just always see, you know, them blowing stuff up.

1 DEAD AFTER SHOOTOUT AT TULSA FIREWORKS STAND

Neighbors told KSHB-TV that explosions could be heard at least 30 times a year at the house.

Earlier reports that a child was in the house at the time of the incident are not correct, Wilson clarified Tuesday.

We would just like to say were happy there was no loss of life and the injuries that were sustained seem to be moderate, he said at an earlier press conference.
San Antonio police that the funeral service for the 32-year-old officer who was killed in a shootout with a suspect will take place Friday.

Officer Miguel Moreno was shot in the head as he stepped out of his patrol car on Thursday to question a man about a vehicle break-in. Moreno died the next day. During the shootout, Moreno's partner was injured and the gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

On Friday, a funeral procession of emergency vehicles will go to Community Bible Church in San Antonio, where a service will be held. A private burial will follow. The night before, a viewing followed by a service will be held at a funeral home.

Moreno was a 9-year veteran of the department.
An Ohio state trooper shot and killed a knife-wielding man "covered in blood" who rammed his car into the trooper's patrol vehicle early Tuesday.

Authorities subsequently identified the man as a suspect in the stabbing death of a woman near Cincinnati who had been killed a little more than an hour earlier.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Robert Sellers said the shooting occurred a little after 1 a.m., Tuesday in Vandalia, just north of Dayton.

The trooper was writing a ticket for a driver who ran a red light when another car rammed into the back of the cruiser, Sellers told WRGT-TV.

Sellers said the driver of the ramming car got out, covered in blood and "brandishing a knife." He advanced toward the trooper, who told him to drop the knife, Sellers said.

"The man continued to disregard verbal commands and lunged at the trooper with the knife extended," Sellers said. He said the trooper fired one shot, hitting the man. Emergency vehicles were called, but the man died at the scene.

SEATTLE MAN SHOOTS, KILLS WIFE IN UBER CAR, POLICE SAY

The man was identified as Dana Dubose, 36, of Cincinnati. Police said he was suspected in the fatal stabbing of a 32-year-old woman just before midnight Monday.

Police are investigating whether this is a case of suicide by cop, WRGT reported.

"It felt like he was practically prompting the cop to kill me, kill me, is what it seems like," Cody Allwood, a witness, told WRGT.

State corrections records show Dubose had served prison time for domestic violence and related charges.

CHICAGO POLICE: HEAVILY ARMED MAN SHOT, KILLED BY OFFICER

The trooper's name wasn't immediately released. Police said he was recovering from injuries. He is also reportedly on administrative leave  as is protocol.

The investigation was continuing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As the U.S. debates the border wall proposed by President Trump, a new, illicit world is emerging underground.

And while Trump believes a wall will thwart illegal immigrants and drug dealers, it will do little to address the daunting labyrinth law enforcement authorities are confronting below the ground, a challenge that officials say they are ill-equipped to address.

There are at least 180 cross-border tunnels and intricate drainage systems between Mexico and California and Arizona, according to the Border Patrol, and drug dealers and human traffickers, known as coyotes, use these tunnels to move drugs and illegally smuggle people across the border largely undetected. As the number of tunnels grow and become more sophisticated, Border Patrol agents say they are falling behind in finding technology that will detect them.

MEXICO'S UNFILLED BORDER TUNNELS A SECURITY RISK, US OFFICIALS SAY

Lance Lenoir, a member of the Border Patrol elite tunnel team working out of the San Diego Sector, said his team of five agents patrol the daunting miles of storm drains that lead them to connecting tunnels along the border.

They are always digging tunnels somewhere," Lenoir said.

Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical analysis for Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence firm based out of Austin, Texas, said Mexican drug dealers are shelling out millions of dollars to build underground tunnels into the U.S. And very few people, he said, know about their existence. Some of these tunnels have rail systems, lighting, ventilation and hydraulic lifts.

UNEARTHED: 2 TUNNELS LEADING INTO CALIFORNIA FROM MEXICO FOUND

In order to ensure a good return on this huge investment, the cartel groups work to keep the tunnels existence and the locations of its exits a secret, Stewart said. In fact, we have seen cases in which cartels have brought laborers in to dig tunnels and then killed them after they were done to keep the tunnel secret.

He said those who do know about the tunnel are highly trusted employees and very few in numbers to ensure solid operational security.

The tunnels that are discovered are usually found by Border Patrol tunnel specialists or by accident during narcotics surveillance operations.

One recent tunnel discovered in October 2016 ran 330 yards from an ice store near the Tijuana airport to a store just across the border in the U.S. Officials said about 5 tons of marijuana was found in the tunnel and in the buildings on both sides of the border. The tunnels were found because of an anonymous tip  not because of detecting equipment, Lenoir said.

Lenoir said technology, such as ground-penetrating radar, does exist. But not only is it ineffective in many areas along the border, it is not available to enough agents to make a major impact.

And criminals are exploiting the weaknesses in detection technology.

Unfortunately, we are severely lacking in technology, he said, referring to the number of field agents available and the quality of the existing equipment to reliably detect a tunnel. Its difficult trying to find something in a specific geologic region that is in a confined space that can be 4 feet in diameter and 90 feet underground.

Limiting the available technology: Surface noise. The noise from nearby traffic and major freeways and unregulated radio traffic from Mexico impairs an agents ability to detect whats happening below ground.

Were aggressively pursuing better technology and interdiction strategies, Lenoir said, but it also has to come down to political will.
A newly uncovered Facebook video reveals that the man who shot and killed an NYPD officer in her vehicle was not going to back down from confrontations with police.

The September 2016 video, found by The New York Times, showed Alexander Bonds railing against officers, who he claimed were guilty of raping and killing inmates, and making prison conditions worse. Speaking to the camera, Bond said: Im not playing, mister officer. I dont care about 100 police watching this.

NEW YORK CITY COP 'ASSASSINATED' IN THE BRONX

Bond added, I got broken ribs for a reason, son, we gonna shake. We gonna do something. We cant be dying for free, getting raped for free, just for them to give you hush money. Is you stupid? I dont want the money. I want justice.

Bond seemed to suggest he wasn't afraid of confronting officers. Im not hesitating. It aint happening. I wasnt a bitch in jail and Im not going to be a bitch in these streets.

He did about seven years of prison time for a robbery in Syracuse before he was released on parole in 2013.

Bonds attack was reminiscent of a similar ambush-style killing in Brooklyn in December, 2014. In that attack, Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were shot by Ismaaiyl Brinsley while sitting in their marked police car.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN CASE OF NYPD OFFICERS WENJIAN LIU, RAFAEL RAMOS, SLAIN IN THEIR CRUISER

Three hours before the attack, Brinsley had posted anti-police threats on his Instagram. After he opened fire, Brinsley raced into a subway station where he shot himself on a platform before cops could get to him.
A Texas police chief who recently lashed out at police haters after one of his officers was shot and killed told Fox News on Wednesday the hostility seen against cops is all too common in todays world.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus comments on Fox & Friends came just hours after a New York City police officer was killed in an ambush while sitting in her vehicle early Wednesday morning following the Fourth of July fireworks.

Its unfortunately become all too common in todays world, McManus said, and its been that way for a few years now. There is so much anti-police sentiment circulating lately.

McManus made headlines earlier this week when he lashed out at the hostility directed at law enforcement.

Im angry at the police haters, Im sick of the police haters, he told the San Antonio Express-News. We protect them. We defend them. And they give us a big FU. And Im sick of it.

VIDEO: FORMER NYPD LIEUTENANT REACTS

His officer, Miguel Moreno, a 9-year veteran, was shot in the head nearly a week ago after he and another officer questioned two men near a vehicle that had been broken into. Moreno died a day later.

On Wednesday, Miosotis Familia, 48, died after she was assassinated while sitting in her marked vehicle. NYPD Commissioner James ONeil called it an unprovoked attack.

Officials said the attack happened in the Bronx just after 12:30 a.m. while Familia, a 12-year veteran, was sitting in her vehicle with her partner. Her partner radioed for help while other officers spotted the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, and began chasing him.

NEW YORK CITY COP SHOT DEAD IN THE BRONX

"She was on duty, serving this city protecting people, doing what she believed in and the job she loved," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "After this shocking and sudden attack, her fellow officers came to her aid immediately."

Of attacks on police, McManus said Wednesday: There are people out there who not only condone (the violence) but celebrate it. And I dont understand that.

Our goal has always been to work with the community, as partners, to help solve and deter crimes and there are folks out there  the police haters  that condone, advocate and celebrate violence against police, he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Tunisia native who lives in Canada repeated the Arabic phrase for "God is great" prior to his arraignment Wednesday in the stabbing of a police officer at an airport in Flint.

Amor Ftouhi (ah-MOOR' fuh-TOO'-ee) said "Allahu Akbar" before the proceeding started Wednesday in federal court in Flint, according to The Flint Journal .

He was indicted earlier Wednesday on charges of committing an act of violence at an international airport and interfering with airport security.

Ftouhi, 49, of Montreal, Quebec, is accused of stabbing Bishop International Airport police Lt. Jeff Neville in the neck June 21 with a large knife.

Authorities have said Ftouhi referenced killings in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and yelled "Allahu Akbar" at the time Neville was attacked. The attack was being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.

Bishop airport is about 50 miles (80.46 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

The FBI has said Ftouhi legally entered the U.S. at Champlain, New York, on June 16. The FBI said he bought a knife in the U.S.

Prior to the attack, Ftouhi spent some time in public, unsecured areas of the airport before going to a restroom where he dropped two bags before attacking Neville with a 12-inch knife that had an 8-inch serrated blade, according to the FBI.

Neville fought back and took Ftouhi to the ground as other officers arrived to help.

Neville, who has since been released from a hospital, attended an Independence Day parade Tuesday in Fenton, near Flint.

He described the stabbing as "a sneak attack ... from the back."

"Who's got eyes in the back of their head?" Neville told WNEM-TV. "There was absolutely no warning."

The time from the start of the attack to when Ftouhi was restrained probably took about 10 seconds, Neville said.
A man with loaded propane tanks in his car rammed into the apartment building where his former girlfriend lived, killing himself, Florida police said.

Carl Philbert, 31, had packed his car with four propane tanks into his car  one in the front seat and three in the back  before smashing into the building, Fort Piece police spokesman Ed Cunningham told reporters.

WOMAN'S BODY FOUND IN NY MAY BE SLAIN PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN

He said Philbert, an immigrant from Haiti, was targeting a woman inside one of the bottom-level apartments.

Police said Philbert apparently showed up Tuesday morning and did not like something he saw inside. He return a few hours later with the propane tanks.

He intended to do damage. He raced his car into this apartment where five people were, intending to kill them, blow the place up or create some kind of havoc, Cunningham said, according to WPTV.

All five people and a 3-year-old boy inside the apartment escaped out the back door unhurt.

Philbert had a history of domestic trouble with the woman he targeted, police said.

Eileen Cuevas, 26, told Treasure Coast Newspapers that her mother was in the front room of the familys apartment when Philbert, her mothers ex-boyfriend, drove the car into the building.

My mother was cooking. She saw him, like, coming full force at our living room, and she was trying to warn us as we were sitting on the couch, but it was too late and he had already come in and hit the window, she said. And he drove through our living room.

Cuevas added: As soon as he came in through the window, I jumped up and grabbed my son, ran out the back door with him. I got my mother and my grandmother and everyone out of the house.

U.S. SOLDIER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN IS IDENTIFIED

Soon after, the vehicle caught fire and exploded.

My wife grabbed our baby girl and went to the bedroom, and both of the kids were running to the back and I saw that and I was like oh heck no, neighbor Chris Garcia said. The building is bursting into flames. So I told them, no its on fire, weve got get out of here.

Thirteen adults and five children have been displaced. The American Red Cross is assisting.

Cuevas said she doesnt know what triggered the angry reaction from Philbert.

Its very personal, she said. Its still weird talking about it. He was trying to get to my mom. It was meant for everyone that was in the house. I mean, the man had four or five propane tanks in the car. They were friends and it turned out really bad. This is very personal to our family, so its kind of touchy.

The incident is being investigated by fire officials, police and the state fire marshal's office.
If cats truly have nine lives, it's hard to say just how many a cat in Minnesota has left.

Oronoco resident Desirae Pegrams cat, Two, was found late last week shot through the head.

Pegram and her family are amazed that he survived, but infuriated it happened at all.

GEORGIA MAN CREATES AMERICAN FLAG OUT OF PLASTIC ARMY MEN

The cat survived a shot to the head that narrowly missed an artery and his brain. The bullet lodged in a cheekbone instead of going all the way through. X-rays from an emergency veterinarian show the bullet still in the cats face.

The vet said he's never seen a cat escape death three times in one bullet, said Pegram.

The family's vet in Plainview checked out Two and determined the cat is in good condition and will have surgery after the holiday.

We're not sure what kind of bullet at this point until we can do the surgery and remove it, but I'd say it's a very lucky scenario based on where the wound is, said Dr. Nate Eversman of Plainview Vet Clinic.

A friend of the family found the cat shot near the main city park after it had gotten loose.

What's disturbing to Pegram is whoever took the shot, would have done so right in town and at a family pet.

She addressed a Facebook post to "The man who shot my cat," stressing it wasn't just a cat, but a member of their family.

He's my child and my kids best friend, so it's hard, she said.

Story first appeared in Fox 9.
The July 4th weekend left a bloody mark on Chicago with more than 60 shootings, eight of them deadly, according to police.

The holiday weekend has become the most violent period in the city for the last several years, despite the extra efforts to stop the shootings before they start. Police have increased street patrols and allocated resources though predictive policing, which uses data to identify hot spots for crime.

Still, the nations third-largest city has seen nearly 330 murders already this year, according to USA Today.

Those shot during the weekend included children. Among them: a 5-year-old girl and her 8-year-old cousin, both of whom were shot in the leg as they played with sparklers, USA Today reported.

Before the holiday weekend, the Chicago Police Department sent additional patrols to two of the most violent areas of the city, and arrested 88 gang members there.

In an email to Fox News, the police department said there were 64 shootings from Friday at 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. After midnight, the violence continued, with 21 more shootings, six of them deadly.

"[The] vast majority of violence was concentrated within a 6 hour period on Monday night predominantly on the south and west sides of the city," the statement read. "Detectives are still working this morning to establish motive but we suspect several incidents were retaliatory in nature and alcohol was a factor in others."

NYC COP-KILLER HAD RAILED AGAINST POLICE, PRISON ON FACEBOOK

The bloody weekend came just days after President Trumps administration sent in federal agents to help police fight the violence.

In late June, Trump tweeted: "Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year!"

Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a written statement afterward saying the administration created the Chicago Gun Strike Force and would send 20 more permanent ATF agents to Chicago, reallocating federal prosecutors and prioritizing prosecutions to reduce gun violence and working with law enforcement partners.

POLICE DEATHS ON DUTY HAVE JUMPED IN 2017

The Trump Administration will not let the bloodshed go on; we cannot accept these levels of violence, he said.

Shortly after his inauguration, Trump tweeted: "If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible "carnage" going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!"

The new set of agents will work with counterparts from the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police on a strike force to solve shootings and arrest gun traffickers, the Sun-Times reported.

On Tuesday, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters: Its another example of the fact that we have too many guns on the streets of Chicago and too many people willing to use them.
A New Jersey man was arrested after he allegedly called in threats to a Washington state university that closed the campus for two days.

Evergreen State College in Olympia was embroiled in controversy and racial tension when someone called a nonemergency phone line on June 2 and said he wanted to kill people.

EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE EXCUSES STUDENT PROTESTERS FROM HOMEWORK

Yes, I am on my way to Evergreen [College] now with a .44 Magnum. I am going to execute as many people on that campus as I can get a hold of, the caller said, according to the TV station KIRO 7. You have that, whats going on here, you communist scumbag town? Im going to murder as many people as possible.

The school was evacuated after the call and classes were canceled for two days.

Robert Kerekes, 53, of Morris Plains, N.J., is facing charges for making terroristic threats, criminal coercion and causing false public alarm.

EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE CLOSED DUE TO 'DIRECT THREAT TO CAMPUS SAFETY'

Tension had been brewing at the public liberal arts and sciences college after some students at the school called for a Day of Absence without white students and staff. The school for years had been doing a Day of Absence for minority students for decades  and some wanted to reverse that tradition.

But a professor complained, saying it went against the original intent of the Day of Absence, which is meant to oppose oppression. That sparked days of protest at the college.
A New York cop was "assassinated" while sitting in her marked NYPD vehicle early Wednesday in what Commissioner James O'Neill called an "unprovoked attack."



Miosotis Familia, 48, died at a hospital early Wednesday, and her suspected shooter died during a separate confrontation with police, who encountered the man running a few blocks away. An uninvolved bystander was shot in the stomach during that incident, but was in stable condition at a hospital, The New York Post reported.

"Let's be clear: This was nothing less than an assassination of a police officer," a source told The New York Daily News. "Our understanding is she was filling out her memo book and he walked out and fired one round."

Officials said the attack unfolded in the Bronx just after 12:30 a.m. while Familia was sitting in her vehicle with her partner. Her partner radioed for help while other officers spotted the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, and began chasing him.

Bonds drew his silver revolver on police before they began shooting, investigators said.

Bonds was on parole for a 2014 robbery in Syracuse. He had up to six different aliases and had recently posted content critical of law enforcement officers on social media, a source told The Daily News.

Officials were so far unaware of any connection between Bonds and Familia, a 12-year NYPD veteran and mother of three.

"Fully knowing the dangers that she faced, she suited up in uniform every day and stood tall against those who threaten and terrorize the good folks of the Bronx. As we mourn her death and support her family, friends and colleagues, we ask for your help," Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said. "When you see or hear someone making threats against NYC police officers you need to let us know, you need to be our eyes and ears."

Familia "was on duty, serving this city protecting people, doing what she believed in and the job she loved," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "After this shocking and sudden attack, her fellow officers came to her aid immediately."

"This horrific and senseless assassination is a devastating reminder of the risks these brave men and women face each day," Gov. Andrew Cuomo added.

O'Neill was unequivocal that Familia had been targeted for the uniform she wore.

"#NYPD PO Miosotis Familia has been assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops assigned to keep NYers safe. Keep her family in your prayers," O'Neill tweeted.

Fox News' Shira Bush, Kathleen Foster and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A mother and her newborn baby were seriously injured over the weekend after a faulty firework struck the two at a party in eastern Iowa.

Margaret Limkemann, 36, suffered severe trauma to both of her legs after a firework unexpectedly landed in her lap and exploded on Saturday at an annual family event, according to a GoFundMe page. Once the firework hit Limkemann, she tossed her 1-month-old infant onto a nearby blanket, the fundraising page states.

Aria, the daughter, suffered a broken femur, multiple fractures and burns, according to the GoFundMe page. Both mother and daughter will require surgeries.

Brittany Bornstein, who started the online fundraising page, told the Gazette that the incident occurred on her grandfathers property in Swisher, Iowa. She said the family was sitting approximately 50 yards away from the fireworks and alleged that the firework that landed on Limkemann was defective.

FIRE BREAKS OUT AT ARIZONA FIREWORKS SHOW

The owner of the property was cited for failure to have a firework permit. Failure to obtain proper permits could result in a simple misdemeanor with a penalty between $65 and $625 and a maximum of 30 days in jail, according to the Gazette.

Its both sad and frustrating that happened, Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek told the Press-Citizen. Thats why we cited the homeowner for failing to have a permit.

Pulkrabek predicted that the county is likely to have many more significant incidents like this with people not following local ordinances.

EXPLOSION LEVELS MISSOURI HOME ON JULY 4TH

Most cities in Johnson County prohibit the personal use of consumer fireworks even though the state legislature approved this year the sale of fireworks in Iowa, the Press-Citizen reported.

The GoFundMe page has raised more than $6,700.
Horse owners in Kentucky said some of their mares broke through stable fences after being scared by fireworks launched nearby on Saturday.

Aloha Team Farms in Shelby County owns 68 horses that are kept on their property, WDRB reported. On Saturday night, while a few colts were grazing on the land, fireworks were launched nearby, spooking the horses. The foals ran and crashed into the stables and fences.

They took off running, Wendy Winstead, owner of the farm, told the news station. I had mares and foals screaming like they were being terrorized.

FORMER JUDGE IN KENTUCKY FIGHTING SEX CHARGES

Two horses inside the barn also tried to break out due to the loud, unexpected noise.

None of the horses suffered any serious injuries during the incident.

Winstead said she is afraid that some of the horses may experience miscarriages because of the stress they endured.

We run fan, radios, TVs everything we can to muddle the sound, Winstead said.

INMATE LEFT OVERNIGHT IN KENTUCKY COURTHOUSE CELL

The Shelby County Sheriffs Office said there is not much police can do to stop the firecrackers from being set off since it is not illegal.

Our hands are tied with the situation, Deputy Gena Johnson said. I would hope that neighbors would be considerate of others.

A few horse trainers and owners are planning on beginning a petition to Kentucky Senate to stop large fireworks from being launched in Shelby County as well as near any horse farms.

Click for more from WDRB.
A gunman killed three people and wounded a fourth in a series of shootings early Wednesday along a country road in Maine before he was shot dead by responding deputies in what officials said was "an extreme case of domestic violence."

Maine State Police said the shootings took place around 7:30 a.m. on Russell Road in Madison, about 40 miles north of Augusta. Somerset County Deputies arriving at the scene confronted the gunman before he was shot and killed. No police officers were injured in the rampage, according to state police.

"This is an extreme case of domestic violence that has taken place here in Madison, and our role now is to investigate exactly what happened and what set this gunman off," Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland told reporters.

McCausland said 51-year-old gunman Carroll Tuttle killed his partner, 52-year-old Lori Hayden, and their son, 25-year-old Dustin Tuttle, at their home. The third victim was 57-year-old Michael Spaulding, who was killed at a nearby residence.

McCausland says Tuttle returned to the original location and wounded a fourth person before being shot and killed in a confrontation with deputies.

Deputies responding to an emergency call uncovered a grisly scene with three victims at different locations along the road, Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said.

The investigation was focusing on a home where a neighbor said there had been a party and fireworks the night before, on the Fourth of July. Police remained at the site neighbor Wayne Parlin told the Associated Press, whose driveway was blocked by investigators.

A selectwoman in neighboring Skowhegan, Darla Pickett, told the Morning Sentinel newspaper her daughter Lori was one of the three victims.

I only know my child is gone, she told the newspaper. Im just broken hearted right now I cant  talk. I just cant talk. Im sorry.

The shootings happened about 4 miles from the center of town in Madison, a town of about 4,800 residents in central Maine.

The attorney general's office sent investigators to the scene to review the use of deadly force by sheriff's deputies, FOX 23 reported.

The rampage was the deadliest shooting in Maine since November 2015, when a gunman killed his girlfriend and a 3-year-old girl's parents before taking his own life in Oakland. The 3-year-old girl was the only survivor of that rampage.

Read more from The Morning Sentinel.

Read more from FOX 23.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Firefighters in Roseville, Michigan recently rescued nine ducklings from a storm drain after they noticed their mother circling the drain in distress.

Roseville fire crews came across an irritable mother duck, alone and stressed without her ducklings, according to Macomb Daily.

NEARLY 1,000 ANIMALS RESCUED FROM HOT TRUCK IN CALIFORNIA

When the firefighters opened the drain grate where the ducklings were presumably trapped, they realized the ducks had traveled to an adjacent storm basin underneath the street.

The firefighters opened a different storm grate where seven of the nine ducklings were, and firefighter Michael Schwartz was lowered into the drain, where he handed each duckling to fellow firefighters, who passed the ducklings along to their mother.

After the mother was reunited with seven of her babies, she left the area  with two ducklings still stuck in a storm drain.

NEW YORK COP WHO SAVED GIRL'S LIFE ATTENDS HER GRADUATION SIX YEARS LATER

The final two ducklings  from a third basin down the street  were rescued using a YouTube video that featured sound clips of a mother duck calling a group of her ducklings, according to Macomb Daily.

Since the mother duck left, Schwartz took in the final two ducklings to take care of on his own.
President Donald Trump is headed back to Europe hoping to make a better impression as he lands in Poland Wednesday where he hopes to show his alliance with eastern European NATO allies. The visit comes just days ahead of his first ever meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House wont say what the two will talk about, but has confirmed the meeting is set for Friday afternoon.

Well theres no specific agenda, said White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster. Its really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about.

Poland wants Trump's vow of protection from Russian activity

Trump at G-20: What to know about the president's upcoming trip to Europe

FOOD STAMPS IN DECLINE

Officials are seeing fewer food stamp recipients under the new administration as some states have moved aggressively to push those who can work back into the job market and eventually off the program.

In Alabama, the number of those recipients declined from 5,538 to 831 between Jan. 1 and the beginning of May  an 85 percent drop.

Food stamp rolls swelled under the Obama administration as states were allowed to waive work requirements for able-bodied adults due to the 2009 economic stimulus.

NEVER ACCEPT A NUCLEAR N. KOREA

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson vowed Tuesday the U.S. would never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea. This comes as Pyongyang successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The U.S. military conducted their own precise firing demonstration in response just off the coast of the Korean Peninsula in response to what it called North Koreas destabilizing and unlawful actions.

U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials say the North Korean missile flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,500 miles, which would be longer and higher than any similar North Korean test previously reported. It also covered a distance of about 580 miles.

North Korea successfully test-launched ICBM, US officials confirm

COMING UP ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL

8:50 AM ET: Anita McBride, former assistant to President George W. Bush and former Chief of Staff will be on Fox and Friends

9:10 AM ET: Gov. Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, will appear on America's Newsroom
NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia was gunned down in her vehicle early Wednesday morning, becoming the first in the department to be shot and killed in the line of duty this year.

Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the officer, who was 48 years old, was assassinated in the unprovoked attack in the Bronx that occurred just after midnight. The suspected shooter, identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, was later killed during a confrontation with police.

Nine NYPD officers have been fatally shot while answering calls since 2007, a spokeswoman for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund told Fox News.

Familias death is part of a national phenomenon that is attacking law and order and the legitimacy of our criminal justice system, Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute, a domestic policy think tank told Fox News. Its definitely something that affects anyone who cares about law and order anywhere in this country.

Heres a look back at the other eight NYPD officers who've been fatally shot over the last decade.

Paul Tuozzolo, 2016

Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo was gunned down on Nov. 4, 2016, in the Bronx.

SAN ANTONIO POLICE CHIEF SAYS ATTACKS AGAINST COPS ALL TOO COMMON

Tuozzolo, 41, and other officers were responding to a report of an armed home invasion when police said Manuel Rosales, 35, opened fire. Another officer was wounded before police fatally shot Rosales.

Randolph Holder, 2015

A career criminal was convicted of fatally shooting Officer Randolph Holder in the head during a chase in East Harlem on Oct. 20, 2015.

Holder, 33, was shot in the forehead as he and fellow officers pursued Tyrone Howard, who police said was fleeing from an earlier drug-related shootout.

Brian Moore, 2015

Officer Brian Moore, 25, died after he was shot in the head.

Moore and his partner approached a man in Queens in their unmarked patrol car on May 2, 2015. After asking the man what he was carrying and exchanging words with him, the man in a vicious manner started to fire, according to police.

FORMER NYPD LIEUTENANT REACTS TO ASSASSINATION OF NYC COP

Moore underwent surgery but died from his injuries a few days later. His partner was not hurt.

Demetrius Blackwell, the accused killer, was arrested and will stand trial for Moore's murder. His lawyer is pursuing an insanity plea.

Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, 2014

Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were ambushed as they sat in their marked patrol car on Dec. 20, 2014.

Police said Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, bragged on social media that he would kill cops in revenge for Michael Brown and Eric Garner  two black men killed during altercations with police.

Brinsley walked up to the car on a Saturday afternoon and opened fire, shooting the officers in their heads, police said. Brinsley then bolted to a nearby subway station where he shot and killed himself.

Peter Figoski, 2011

A 22-year NYPD veteran, Officer Peter Figoski, 47, died after he was shot in the face while responding to reports of a break-in on Dec. 12, 2011, in Brooklyn.

Police arrested Lamont Pride, who was 27 at the time of the shooting. Pride was sentenced to 45 years to life in 2013.

Russel Timoshenko, 2007

Officer Russel Timoshenko died after being shot in the face during a traffic stop in Brooklyn.

CHICAGO POLICE SHOOTING: 2 OFFICERS TARGETED, OFFICIALS SAY

Timoshenko, 23, and his partner stopped a stolen car on June 9, 2007. As Timoshenko and his partner approached the vehicle, police said at least one person began to fire. Both Timoshenko and his partner, Officer Herman Yan, were struck  but only Timoshenkos injuries were fatal.

Timoshenko died a few days after the shooting. He was paralyzed, could not breathe on his own and suffered brain swelling.

Police eventually arrested three suspects  including two in Pennsylvania. One suspect, Robert Ellis, was acquitted of murder at his trial in 2008. Lee Woods and Dexter Bostic were both found guilty of murder in 2009 and 2008, respectively.

Nick Pekearo and Yevgeniy Marshalik, 2007

David Garvin, 42, walked into a Manhattan pizza shop on March 14, 2007, and asked the bartender for a menu. As the employee, Alfredo Morales, turned to grab the menu, Garvin fatally shot him 15 times, the New York Post reported.

After Garvin left the restaurant, he encountered Nick Pekearo, 28, and Yevgeniy Marshalik, 19, two unarmed auxiliary officers. After a confrontation, Garvin shot and killed them both.

Garvin was eventually killed later that day by police officers.
A predominantly black barbershop in Oklahoma City fulfilled a customers request by cutting the Confederate flag in a white mans hair -- sparking a heated debate on social media.

Demontre Heard, a barber at the Fade N Up shop, said at first he was confused by the request from the customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, KWTV reported.

He called on the phone knowing that it was a diverse shop, but mostly black barbers here, Heard told the news station. So I felt like he really didnt have a problem with coming here even though he seemed kind of scared when he first came in.

OKLAHOMA ARMY VETERAN LEAVES $2.25 MILLION ESTATE TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, 24 HOMES TO BE BUILT

The flag has come under increased scrutiny after the June 2015 massacre at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. The gunman, Dylann Roof, killed nine parishioners. After Roof was arrested, a website that was registered under his name showed him posing with the flag.

The customer explained that he wanted the flags design as a way to pay homage to Yelawolf, his favorite rapper. The logo for the artists record label, Slumerica, is a row of stars with four lightning bolts at the corners, but the customer explained to Heard that the Confederate Flag would be a fine substitute to the logos more elaborate design.

It was just going to be too much, so he asked if I could do the Confederate flag in his head, and in the back of my head Im like, what kind of stuff are you on?

Corey Scissorhands Sutter, the owner of the barbershop, said the cut was one of the most unusual requests the shop has received. Other customers have asked for Black Power, according to Sutter.

OKLAHOMA 18-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF PROSTITUTING TWO JUVENILES

After the cut, he decided to take a picture of the hairdo and post it on his Facebook page. The hairstyle went viral and many social media users either condemned or supported the decision.

The thing that's really bothering me is, no matter how it may look to someone and them getting upset about it, this is what we do for a living, Sutter told KFOR. We provide a service for this person, and that's what we're supposed to do. Yeah, we could have denied it. Yes, we could have acted a fool and talked bad to him, tried to fight him or anything like that. But, he came in, he came in respectful. He wanted it.

Heard said at the end of the day, the customer paid and was pleased with his haircut. You have the right to your opinion, Heard said. At the end of the day your opinion doesnt pay my bills, and I have kids to take care of.
A woman in Pennsylvania was killed Wednesday morning after she ran out of her burning house -- then ran back in to try saving her pets.

Two people and one dog in the Bensalem home made it to safety. It was unclear how many pets died in the home along with the woman, believed to be in her 40s. When crews went inside they found her body on the first floor.

The single-family home was fully engulfed in flames at 6:30 a.m. but was declared under control before 7 a.m., Battalion Chief Rob Sponheimer told Fox 29. The cause was unclear.

Firefighters say the fire spread quickly in the wood-framed house, and an oxygen tank may have exploded early on. As many as 60 firefighters drilled holes to ventilate the home but encountered trouble with the plywood above the ceiling and upstairs storage.

MAN BURNS DOWN GARAGE AFTER TRYING TO GET RID OF BEES' NEST WITH SMOKE BOMB

Sponheimer warned, Once youre out, stay out, and to let authorities know about the fire.

Paramedics rushed the survivors to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation and burns. A firefighter was also reported to have suffered minor injuries.

Cars in the driveway were destroyed along with the home. It is unclear whether or not there were smoke detectors in the house about 40 minutes northeast of Philadelphia.

Click for more from Fox 29.
A New York City police officer was killed in an ambush attack while sitting in a police RV early Wednesday. Police say Officer Miosotis Familia was killed by Alexander Bonds, an ex-convict who ranted online about police getting away with killing people. Authorities say officers fatally shot Bonds after he pulled a gun on them.

Here's a look at other cases of ambushed police officers:

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Nov. 2, 2016

A white man with a history of racial provocations and confrontations with police ambushed and fatally shot two white officers in separate attacks as they sat in their patrol cars in suburban Des Moines. Scott Michael Greene pleaded guilty last month in the deaths Urbandale Officer Justin Martin, 24, and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony Beminio, 38. He was sentenced to consecutive life prison terms.

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July 17, 2016

A military veteran ambushed and killed three officers and wounded three others in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before he was shot dead by a tactical officer. Gavin Long, a 29-year-old black man from Kansas City, Missouri, was armed with a semi-automatic rifle when he shot and killed Baton Rouge officers Montrell Jackson, 32, and Matthew Gerald, 41, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola, 45, outside a convenience store and car wash. Long had posted rambling internet videos calling for violence in response to police treatment of blacks, which he said constituted "oppression."

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July 7, 2016

A gunman in Dallas opened fire on police officers working at a protest of back-to-back killings of black men by police in Minnesota and Louisiana. The attacker, Micah Johnson, killed five officers and wounded nine others and two civilians before police killed him with a robot-delivered bomb when negotiations failed. Authorities say Johnson, who was black, told negotiators he wanted to kill as many white police officers as he could. It was the deadliest day for American law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001.

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Dec. 28, 2015

Officer Guarionex Candelario Rivera showed up unannounced at his police station in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and fatally shot three fellow officers. Candelario, a 19-year police veteran, killed Lt. Luz Soto Segarra, Cmdr. Frank Roman Rodriguez and policewoman Rosario Hernandez De Hoyos. Candelario was shot twice but survived.

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May 9, 2015

Two Hattiesburg, Mississippi, police officers, Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate, were shot to death during a traffic stop. Marvin Banks, the gunman, died of heart disease in 2015 while jailed. Joanie Calloway, who was driving, was sentenced to 25 years for accessory and hindering prosecution. Marvin Banks' brother, Curtis, pleaded guilty to accessory and received 20 years. Three others were also sentenced.

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Dec. 20, 2014

Two New York City police officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, were ambushed and shot to death in their vehicle without warning by a man who approached the passenger window of their marked police car. The suspect, 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, then fatally shot himself. Brinsley was black; the officers were Asian and Hispanic. In the moments leading up to the attack, Brinsley posted online he wanted to kill "pigs" in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man killed by police.

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Sept. 12, 2014

A survivalist ambushed two Pennsylvania state troopers outside a police barracks late at night, killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and wounding Trooper Alex Douglass. Suspect Eric Frein led authorities on a 48-day manhunt through the heavily wooded Pocono Mountains before U.S. marshals captured him at an abandoned airplane hangar. He has pleaded not guilty.

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June 8, 2014

A man and a woman ambushed two police officers eating lunch at a Las Vegas pizza restaurant, fatally shooting them before fleeing to a nearby Wal-Mart, where they killed a third person and then themselves in an apparent suicide pact. Officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo died.

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Aug. 28, 2010

Two police officers were ambushed in the tiny Alaskan village of Hoonah before a SWAT team and dozens of other officers surrounded a house where the gunman took refuge. Officers Tony Wallace and Matt Tokuoka died after the shooting. Hoonah resident John Marvin Jr. was captured and charged in the deaths.

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May 20, 2010

Two West Memphis, Arkansas, police officers doing anti-drug work were shot to death by two men wielding AK-47s along a busy Arkansas interstate. Sgt. Brandon Paudert and Officer Bill Evans died at a nearby hospital. The suspects were later killed in a shootout that injured the local sheriff and a deputy at a crowded Wal-Mart parking lot.

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Nov. 29, 2009

Four police officers were shot and killed in an ambush in a coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington, by ex-convict Maurice Clemmons. The killed officers were Mark Renninger, Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards. Clemmons was shot and killed by police after a two-day manhunt.

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Oct. 31, 2009

A man described by authorities as being intent on waging a "one-man war" against Seattle police ambushed two officers as they sat in their cruiser following a nighttime traffic stop. Officer Britt Sweeney ducked and was grazed by a bullet; officer Timothy Brenton was killed. A week later, as a public memorial service was being held for Brenton, police confronted the gunman, Christopher Monfort, at the suburban apartment complex where he lived. Officers shot him, paralyzing him from the waist down. He died in prison in January.

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Jan. 13, 1998

University of Nevada, Reno police Sgt. George Sullivan was ambushed and attacked with a hatchet while doing paperwork in his squad car. Siaosi Vanisi was later convicted and sentenced to death for Sullivan's slaying. Witnesses testified that Vanisi stalked Sullivan after repeatedly telling friends and relatives he wanted to kill a police officer.

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Dec. 31, 1972, and Jan. 7, 1973

Mark James Essex, a member of the Black Panthers who was discharged from the Navy for going AWOL, killed nine people in New Orleans, including five police officers, in two sniper attacks. Essex was shot more than 200 times by police sharpshooters Jan. 7. Authorities said the walls of his apartment were covered in anti-white graffiti.

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April 6, 1970

Career criminals Bobby Davis and Jack Twinning killed four California state troopers in a four-minute gunbattle in Los Angeles County. Twinning killed himself when authorities surrounded a house where he was holding a hostage; Davis was soon arrested and, almost three decades later, killed himself at Kern State Prison.

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Oct. 30, 1950

Members of a nationalist party seeking to overthrow the government of Puerto Rico shot and killed eight police officers in San Juan, including Chief Aurelio Miranda-Rivera. The revolt was put down by the U.S. military, the FBI and the CIA.

___

Jan. 2, 1932

Six officers from two Missouri agencies were killed as they surrounded a house where two suspects wanted in the murder of a Greene County marshal were holed up. The suspects fled to Texas and killed themselves when authorities tracked them down.
The ambush shooting that killed a New York City police officer in the Bronx marked the latest in a growing number of officer deaths in 2017, up 18 percent from this time last year.

A total of 67 officers have died so far this year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. It found there were 57 officer deaths between January 1 and July 5, 2016. In addition, gun-related deaths have risen by 9 percent, from 22 to 24 for 2017, the researchers say.

The figures suggest a grim trend; 2016 was the deadliest year for police in 5 years. A total of 135 officers died last year.

New York Police Department Officer Miosotis Familia was assassinated during an unprovoked attack, according to NYPD commissioner James ONeill. Familia was sitting in her marked vehicle early Wednesday when a man shot at her through the window.

Randy Sutton, national spokesman for Blue Lives Matter and a retired Las Vegas police lieutenant, said that Familias killing is a symptom of the growing violence against law enforcement.

NEW YORK CITY COP 'ASSASSINATED' IN THE BRONX

People now are more willing to engage the police in combat, Sutton told Fox News. Last year approximately 50,000 law enforcement officers were assaulted, that ran the gamut from pushing them to shooting them and causing disabling injuries.

"Part of the war on cops [is] the failure of police leadership to step up to the place and not acquiesce to political considerations when it comes to the safety of police officers, Sutton said. The other part of the war on cops is the failure of the media to post anything positive about police. All they do is put up damaging stories and spin much of that into a narrative that is false and perpetuates a distorted narrative.

Familia is the seventh New York Police Officer to die this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Its founder, Chris Cosgriff, said: When a police officer is killed, its not an agency that loses an officer, its an entire nation.

Both the ODMP and NLEOMF track officer deaths and report on trends and increases or decreases in types of officer fatalities over the years.

"It's really hard to put a finger on any specific cause," ODMP Research Director Steve Weiss told Fox News. Weiss said the numbers fluctuate, and "go up and down year to year."

However, "In 1997 at this time, 33 officers had been killed," Weiss said. "There's been a steady decrease over the years and I imagine a lot of that has to do with beter technology, better training."

Weiss added, "The goal is to get deaths per year under 100."

The ODMP also offers resources to help prevent officer fatalities. Weiss described the "No Parole for Cop Killers" program which notifies people when a cop killer is up for parol, their partnership with the Armor of God project, which "provides bullet resistant vests to members of all organizations who are not able to receive them" and a partnership that creates officer awareness posters, and reminds officers to wear their seatbelts and bulletproof vests.

BRONX SHOOTING: SAN ANTONIO POLICE CHIEF SAYS ATTACKS AGAINST COPS 'ALL TOO COMMON'

Also killed on July 4 this year was Police Officer Robert Johnson, of the Northville Police Department in New York. Johnson was struck by a vehicle and killed while driving home after he had gotten off duty. He noticed a crash between a deer and a vehicle and retrieved his service weapon and approached the scene. While walking down the shoulder to dispatch the deer he was struck by a second vehicle.

OFFICER FATALITIES GROW AS MONTANA DEPUTY IS KILLED ON DUTY

Johnson is one of hundreds of officers listed on the ODMP site. Weiss said, "The organization was started as a way to memoralize officers and raise public awareness of the number of officers that were killed each year."

He added, "People don't understand the sacrifices officers make. There are not too many professions where people are murdered while doing their job and this is one profession where people are killed somewhat routinely in performing their job."

Memorializing the fallen officers "gives family members a place to come to remember their loved ones," Weiss said.

Fox News' Elizabeth Llorente contributed to this report.
Kaisha Toledo was studying for a doctorate in psychology in Puerto Rico, but after four years in Florida, she still hasn't found a permanent job in her field.

Ricardo Negron passed the bar on the island, but still can't work as a lawyer in Florida. Carlos Martinez got his nursing license in Puerto Rico, but still serves up lattes as a Starbucks manager in Orlando.

Residents of the U.S. territory have been U.S. citizens for a century now, and should have a built-in advantage as Americans when they move to the mainland.

But as the island's best and brightest join an exodus of nearly half a million Puerto Ricans coming stateside to escape the territory's 10-year economic recession, they're hitting the same barriers most migrants face: language difficulties, costly certifications, confusing requirements and culture clashes.

"We don't know the system yet that well, so we're learning on a learning curve," Toledo told The Associated Press. "We just find that jobs are very specific and they say you need to have two or three years of experience, but it's like, 'OK, but if you don't open the door for me, how will I be able to get that experience?'"

Puerto Rico's Instituto de Estadisticas said managers and professional workers made up the largest category of people moving from the island in 2015. Since then, the island's 3.4 million people have endured multimillion-dollar debt defaults, soaring foreclosures, a crumbling pension system, states of emergency at government agencies, deep cuts in education and an unemployment rate of 12 percent, nearly triple the mainland rate.

"Everybody is leaving the island, from the neurosurgeon to the janitor," said Vicente Feliciano, an economist in Puerto Rico. "Young people are leaving, and thus, you have fewer taxpayers to support an increasingly elderly population."

New York was their top destination during the last major migration wave in the 1940s and 1950s, but now Central Florida is where they land, with more than 1 million Puerto Ricans living in the state.

"There's the weather, and you will find Puerto Ricans, you will find the food, everywhere. So it's the next best thing to being home without having the issues," said Negron.

Before leaving the island in 2015, Negron had lined up a legal assistant job at an Orlando law firm. But after arriving, his position was cut. Although he doesn't work as a lawyer, Negron has found job happiness running a nonprofit for the gay and lesbian Hispanic community in central Florida.

"I would have to shut myself in to study, and I'm like, 'How am I going to live? I'm not going to get more student loans to study,'" Negron said.

Martinez has worked at a theme park, a hotel and a store since he left the island three years ago, but he still hasn't found a nursing job because he hasn't found the time or money needed for the prep class needed to study for his license in Florida.

"At the moment, I can't do it," Martinez said. "I got to make money."

Many Puerto Ricans move from the island without the proper preparation, said Sami Haiman-Marrero, who runs a marketing and business development firm in Orlando. With her friend, Jackie Mendez, she now offers orientation sessions to new arrivals on how to adapt to life and workplace norms in central Florida.

"You can't kiss your co-workers on the cheek ... Don't start talking about personal things ... You are supposed to be there at five minutes to the hour and be ready to work ... You need to have command of English," Marrero said.

Janice Dones, who moved from Puerto Rico a year ago and attended a recent orientation said, "It sometimes doesn't feel like we are part of the country."

Her feelings reflect a common refrain among islanders  especially those who voted for statehood in a non-binding referendum this month  that Puerto Ricans are treated like second-class citizens. Gov. Ricardo Rossello now hopes to persuade Congress to make the U.S. territory the 51st state, which is unlikely under Republican control, since Puerto Ricans tend to favor Democrats.

"We have been a colony for 500 years, and we have had U.S. citizenship for 100 years, but it's been a second-class one," Rossello said after declaring victory.

Meanwhile, people like Toledo just want a chance to work as professionals again.

When she moved to Orlando four years ago, Toledo got a job as a mental health therapist and case manager at a private company, but soon the company ran out of money and stopped paying her. She found a job at another company, but that also didn't pay what she had been promised. She eventually found a job out of her field, as a community organizer. She loves it, but misses the fulfillment of working with autistic kids.

"Everybody is trying to make a better life," Toledo said. "I hope people will look at people like me, who have studied, and give them an opportunity."

___

Associated Press Writer Danica Coto contributed to this story from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Follow Mike Schneider at http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap .
President Donald Trump is making his second foreign trip as president this week, which will include a visit to Poland before attending the two-day G-20 Summit in Germany on July 7. The following week, he'll visit France for Bastille Day.

Here's what you should know about the president's planned events.

Poland

Trump will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster told reporters on Thursday.

Trump and Duda "will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, deepening an alliance based on shared values and common interests," the White House said in a statement earlier this month.

Trump will also attend a summit in Warsaw devoted to the Three Seas Initiative, which will be held July 6 to July 7. The initiative's focused on expanding and modernizing energy and infrastructure ties in a region of Central Europe from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Adriatic and Black seas in the south. The countries of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia are all part of the initiative. Trump will speak at the summit, and his "remarks will focus on infrastructure and energy security," McMaster said.

TRUMP TO SPEAK TO POLES AT SITE THAT HONORS NATION'S HEROISM

The president is also expected to meet with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, according to McMaster. The president will deliver a speech at a memorial to the 1944 Warsaw Uprising in Krasinski Square and "will praise Polish courage throughout history's darkest hour."

During the Warsaw Uprising -- the largest act of resistance in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II -- insurgents and civilians fought the Germans for more than two months. The revolt was brutally crushed and resulted in the death of more than 200,000 Poles and the city's destruction.

THE G-20: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT

Germany

Trump will attend the Group of 20 (G-20) Summit in Hamburg, Germany, which is set to take place July 7 to July 8. The G-20 is made up of 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States - plus the European Union.

Trump will hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Last week, McMaster and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn would not say whether the president intends to address accusations that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, just saying the agenda is "not finalized" for this or for any other meeting.

TRUMP, PUTIN TO MEET AT G20 SUMMIT IN GERMANY

Trump also plans to meet with the leaders of several other countries -- which include Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, McMaster said.

G-20 leaders will hear the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra perform the evening of July 7 at Elbphilharmonie, a Hamburg concert hall which opened earlier this year, according to the G-20's website.

France

Accepting an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump will visit France on July 14 to celebrate Bastille Day, the White House announced last week.

The French national holiday commemorates when the Bastille, a fortress and prison, was stormed on July 14, 1789. The event marked a turning point in the French Revolution.

The occasion will also be used to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I, Macron's office said. American soldiers will walk alongside French soldiers during the traditional Bastille Day military parade down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris.

During Trump's visit, the two presidents are also expected to "further build on the strong counter-terrorism cooperation and economic partnership between the two countries," along with discussing other issues, The White House said.

Macron invited Trump to visit when they met for the first time at a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, in late May and famously shared a white-knuckled handshake. Macron had extended the invitation again last week when he and Trump spoke via telephone.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iraq's prime minister on Tuesday congratulated his fighters on "the big victory in Mosul"  even as fighting with Islamic State (ISIS) militants continued in Mosul's Old City neighborhood where Iraqi forces are about 250 yards from the Tigris River and facing increasingly fierce resistance.

Haider al-Abadi spoke during a press conference in Baghdad, less than a week after he declared an end to ISIS' self-styled caliphate after Iraqi forces achieved an incremental win by retaking the landmark al-Nuri Mosque in the Old City.

"Praise be to God, we managed to liberate (Mosul) and proved the others were wrong, the people of Mosul supported and stood with our security forces against terrorism," al-Abadi said.

His remarks came on the third anniversary of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's sermon at the al-Nuri Mosque, from where he declared an Islamic caliphate on ISIS-held lands in Syria and Iraq.

Also during the press conference, al-Abadi added that he has given instructions to rebuild and stabilize areas of the city already freed from the militant group.

Inside Mosul's Old City, civilians fleeing Iraqi advance are increasingly desperate. The elderly and weak are carried across mounds of rubble in blankets. Soldiers  increasingly fearful of the Old City's inhabitants after a string of suicide bombings  hurry the groups along.

A middle-aged woman with a gaunt, pale face fainted as she fled past the destroyed al-Nuri Mosque. Two soldiers carried her to the roadside and tried to revive her with cold water.

Largely cut off from food and water for months, humanitarian groups are reporting a spike in the number of displaced people suffering from malnutrition and dehydration.

"None of the previous battles were like this," said Iraqi Maj. Faris Aboud, working at a small field hospital just outside the Old City.

"In a single day we received 300 wounded," Aboud, a father of three continued. "For me, seeing the wounded children is the hardest, we see children who have lost their entire families under the rubble, they have no one now."

Lt. Gen. Abdel Ghani al-Asadi, of Iraq's special forces, said earlier in the day that Iraqi forces are just 250 yards from the Tigris River, in the western half of Mosul. The Tigris divides the city roughly into its western and eastern half, which was liberated from ISIS militants back in January.

ISIS militants who remain trapped in just a few hundred meters of territory in the Old City are now in a "fight to the death," al-Asadi said, adding that ISIS fighters are increasingly resorting to suicide bombings and that he expects the fighting to get even heavier as they are pushed closer to the river.

Iraqi forces marked a significant victory this week when the Rapid Response Division retook Mosul's main hospital complex on the city's western side.

The building that once held the city's best medical facilities now sits devastated by the fight. For weeks, a handful of ISIS snipers perched in the main hospital's top floors held back hundreds of Iraqi forces.

Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city, in October. ISIS overran Mosul in a matter of days in 2014. At the height of the extremists' power, they held nearly a third of Iraq.

A man who asked to only be referred to as Abu Abid, for fear for his family's safety, was waiting to get a spot on a truck after fleeing the Old City.

"That place, it was absolute death," he said. "We will never be the same. Once the fear has been planted in your heart, you can't get rid of it."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has dismissed more than 6,000 of his employees in the Gaza Strip, in a new move aimed at pressuring the territory's Hamas rulers.

Government spokesman Yousif al-Mahmoud said on Tuesday that the employees  working in health, education and other public sectors  were being sent into early retirement.

He says the step could be reversed if Hamas hands over power to Abbas' government.

Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' forces a decade ago, and repeated attempts at reconciliation have failed.

A frustrated Abbas has recently tried to step up pressure on Hamas by cutting the salaries of idle former workers in Gaza, reducing payments to Israel for electricity delivered to the coastal strip and limiting some medical services.
A truck in Austria carrying an estimated 7,000 chickens crashed on a busy road in Vienna, Austria, giving the birds a taste of freedom Tuesday -- all because the driver claimed he fell asleep for just a moment.

Thousands of the chickens ran onto the road while boxes of dead and injured animals fell out of the truck during the morning rush, The Local reported.

AUSTRIA READY TO 'PROTECT' ITS BORDERS AGAINST MIGRANTS

The truck driver said he fell into a second-long sleep when he collided with a bridge pillar.

The chickens were set to be killed after they laid eggs. Some 120 firefighters carried the chickens back onto the truck, UPI reported.
A United Nations official who was kidnapped in May by dissident rebel fighters in Colombia has been released, officials with the country's government said Wednesday.

"We are very grateful for the decision to release him unharmed. He is in good health," the director of the UN Information Center in Bogota, Helene Papper, was quoted as telling Agence France-Presse.

The UN official was identified as Harley Lopez, who is from Colombia.

"We are currently making all the logistical arrangements to transfer him to Bogota, Papper said.

Lopez works for the UN Office on Crime and Drugs. In early May, he was visiting the southeast region of Colombia to promote the replacement of coca with legal crops when he was kidnapped.

GOV'T SUPPORTERS STORM VENEZUELA CONGRESS, INJURING LAWMAKERS

The rebel group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), completed a disarmament plan in late June that was part of an agreement with the government. But a faction of the leftist rebel group refused to abide by the accord.

High-ranking Colombian government officials strongly condemned the kidnapping shortly after it occurred.

Senior presidential adviser Rafael Pardo told reporters after the kidnapping: This action is absolutely unacceptable.

MEXICAN JOURNALISTS ACCUSE GOVERNMENT OF SPYING ON THEM

Pardo said that the kidnapping imperiled the efforts of the Colombian government to work with coca farmers to change over to legal crops, according to the wire service EFE.

Colombia leads all countries in cocaine production. FARC had relied on cocaine to fund its revolutionary activities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Croatia on Wednesday rejected a European Commission call for the implementation of an international arbitration ruling in a longstanding border dispute with Slovenia that has caused tensions between the EU neighbors.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said the commission has no jurisdiction in border matters and insisted that territorial issues should be resolved between the two states.

"It would be good if the European Commission remained within its jurisdiction," Plenkovic said, according to the state HINA news agency. "The (Commission) statement has no political or legal strength."

The Netherlands-based panel granted Slovenia unhindered access to the high seas in the Adriatic last week and ruled on several other disputed issues stemming from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The two countries had agreed to arbitration in 2009, after which Slovenia dropped its opposition to Croatia's EU membership. Citing violations of the tribunal rules by Slovenia, Croatia walked out of the process in 2015 and does not recognize its findings.

The European Commission has said it has supported the arbitration process and called on both countries to implement the ruling.

In Slovenia, Prime Minister Miro Cerar said after a top-level meeting Wednesday that Slovenia considers the ruling final and will maintain dialogue with Croatia. Cerar and Plenkovic are set to meet next week following incidents along the sea border.

"Slovenia must be decisive and wise during the implementation (of the ruling)," said Cerar. "We have to maintain a dialogue with Croatia the whole time in the spirit of good neighborly relations."

The five-judge tribunal granted Slovenia much of the Bay of Piran, off the Adriatic coasts of the two countries, and gave Slovenia a corridor linking its territorial waters and international waters.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the Group of 20 (G-20) summit this week.

Heads of state and government are expected to attend the event in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7 and July 8. Here's what you should know about the international forum.

Who's in the G-20?

Nineteen countries and the European Union. The United States is in the group, as are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Together, they "account for more than four-fifths of gross world product and three-quarters of global trade, and are home to almost two-thirds of the world's population," according to the G-20 website. Germany is currently in charge of the G-20 presidency, which changes each year. Whoever hosts the summit can establish its agenda and guide talks, according to The Telegraph.

WHAT IS NATO, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Who else is invited this year?

Norway, the Netherlands, Singapore, the African Union (AU), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) were invited by Germany. Spain is a permanent guest invitee.

What does the G-20 focus on?

World leaders "traditionally focus on issues concerning global economic growth, international trade and financial market regulation," according to the site. Summit outcomes are described in published declarations. As part of the declaration from the 2016 G-20 Summit, leaders said they would "pursue innovative growth concepts and policies" and would "work harder to build an open world economy."

How did the G-20 develop?

The initial G-20 meeting grew out of the G-7, which is a group of industrial democracies consisting of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The 1999 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors occurred as a reaction to a financial crisis in Asia.

TRUMP AT G-20: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S UPCOMING TRIP TO EUROPE

"In the dramatic early days of the financial crisis in 2008, it quickly became apparent that the necessary crisis coordination would only be possible at the highest political level," the G-20 website says, explaining that the finance ministers and central bank governors meetings "were raised to the level of heads of state and government."

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE G7 AND ITS ANNUAL SUMMIT

The G-20 Leaders Summit, however, occurred for the first time in Washington, D.C., in 2008, "amid serious challenges to the world economy and financial markets," a meeting declaration said. There were two G-20 Summits in 2009, two in 2010, and annual summits from 2011 to 2016.

G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors meetings have taken place during the years. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was among the attendees at one such meeting in Baden-Baden, Germany, in March.
A German court has ordered the release of a suspected accomplice of a soldier accused of plotting to assassinate prominent political figures and blame the attack on refugees.

The suspect, a soldier identified only as Maximilian T. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested in May on suspicion of preparing an act of violence.

Prosecutors have said that he sometimes covered for the primary suspect in the case, 1st Lt. Franco A., who allegedly posed as a Syrian refugee and sporadically lived at a refugee home while also stationed with the German military in France.

However, the Federal Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that there isn't sufficient evidence of Maximilian T.'s involvement in the plot to justify keeping him in custody.
Authorities say at least 26 people have been killed in a clash of armed groups in northern Mexico.

Chihuahua state prosecutors' spokesman Felix Gonzalez says members the La Linea gang and a faction of the Sinaloa cartel were involved in the incident.

Gonzalez tells Milenio television that the gunfight occurred early Wednesday morning in the town of Las Varas, about 185 miles northwest of the state capital. He says investigators were still at the remote scene.

Mexico is experiencing its highest murder total in at least 20 years as splintered drug cartels battle for territory.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Tuesdays launch of a long-range ballistic missile a brilliant victory and promised that more gift packages will be given to Americans.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim called the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) a gift for the American bastards as U.S. citizens celebrated the Fourth of July.

The countrys state media reportedly described Kim as feasting his eyes on the ICBM, which was said to be capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead, before its launch. With a broad smile on his face, Kim urged his scientists to continue to frequently send big and small gift packages to the Yankees as ever so that they would not feel weary.

AFTER NORTH KOREA MISSILE TEST, TRUMP TWEETS: SO MUCH FOR CHINA WORKING WITH US

Experts said that these so-called "gift packages" are a promise that the country is planning more missile and nuclear tests that are banned by the United Nations.

The missile launch was confirmed by U.S. and South Korean officials and also caused enough worry that officials called an emergency U.N. Security Council session on Wednesday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed the missile was an ICBM and said the U.S. response would include stronger measures to hold the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) accountable.

The ICBM launch is a milestone in North Koreas efforts to develop long-range missiles with nuclear warheads, although analysts suggested it will take several more years and many more tests to perfect an arsenal.

The missile test, North Koreas most successful yet, was a direct rebuke to President Donald Trumps earlier declaration on Twitter that such a test wont happen! The launch also came days after Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House and ahead of a summit of the worlds richest economies.

US VOWS IT WILL NEVER ACCEPT A NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA AFTER NEW MISSILE TEST

In response to the ICBM launch, U.S. and South Korean troops engineered a show of force for North Korea on Wednesday, with soldier from the allies firing deep strike precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters. Moon ordered the drills with the United States to show North Korea our firm combined missile response posture, his office said.

A U.S. scientist analyzing the height and distance of North Koreas launch said the missile could potentially reach Alaska. The state is a little more than 3,500 miles from North Korea.

North Korea has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and is thought to have a small number of atomic bombs, but is still trying to perfect its longer-range missiles. Some outside civilian experts believe the North has the technology to mount warheads on shorter-range Rodong and Scud missiles that can strike South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where about 80,000 American troops are stationed. But it is unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile.

North Korea said it needed nuclear weapons and powerful missiles to cope with what it calls rising U.S. military threats.

The country will likely receive more international sanctions as a response to the launch, but North Korea is already one of the most sanctioned countries on Earth.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ukraine's national cybercrime unit seized servers belonging to a small company at the center of a global outbreak of malicious software after "new activity" was detected there, the service said in a statement early Wednesday.

The announcement raised the possibility that the hackers behind last week's wide-ranging cyberattack were still seeking to sow chaos.

Tax software firm M.E. Doc was raided to "immediately stop the uncontrolled proliferation" of malware. In a series of messages, Cyberpolice spokeswoman Yulia Kvitko suggested that M.E. Doc had sent or was preparing to send a new update and added that swift action had prevented any further damage.

"Our experts stopped (it) on time," she said.

It wasn't immediately clear how or why hackers might still have access to M.E. Doc's servers. The company has been the focus of intense attention from authorities and cybersecurity researchers since it was identified as the patient zero of the outbreak, which crippled computers at several multinational firms and knocked out cash machines, gas stations and bank branches in Ukraine.

The company has not returned messages from The Associated Press, but in several statements posted to Facebook it disputed allegations that its poor security helped seed the malware epidemic.

Cyberpolice chief Col. Serhiy Demydiuk previously told AP that M.E. Doc's owners would be brought to justice, but Kvitko said there had been no arrests.

Adding to the intrigue, the bitcoin wallet linked to the hackers who masterminded the outbreak was emptied around the same time as the police announcement. Kaspersky Lab researcher Aleks Gostev said on Twitter that some of the digital currency had been sent to text storage sites, hinting at the prospect of some kind of a forthcoming statement.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials were just beginning to count the costs of the outbreak.

Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan told AP his department had incurred "millions" in costs, with hundreds of workstations and two of its six servers knocked out.

Ukrainian officials have yet to put a dollar amount on the total damage or even estimate its scope.
A Pennsylvania man ended his Fourth of July holiday in jail facing charges of armed robbery and high-speed eluding in a police chase that raced through the Fredericksburg area and came to an end, thanks in part to some help from a bystander out for some fast food.

The incident started shortly before noon at the Shell station convenience store at 545 Warrenton Road (U.S. 17) in southern Stafford, according to the Stafford Sheriffs Office.

The clerk later told deputies that a man came in and bought two packs of cigarettes, then went to the restroom until customers left. The man emerged with a gun and demanded money, which the clerk gave him. The man left in a gray sedan. The clerk gave police the suspects Pennsylvania license plate number.

The car was soon spotted on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 95 near the rest area, but merged back into traffic when a deputy arrived. The suspect exited onto westbound Route 3 with police in pursuit.

The suspects vehicle then went through the Harrison Crossing shopping center parking lot and access streets, with deputies using cruisers in attempts to stop the suspect vehicle. The suspects car then fish-tailed out of control into the Union Bank lot.

The suspects car then went into the Sonic parking lot, where the chase came to an end after a deputy blocked an exit and a Sonic drive-through customer backed into the path of the suspect, who ran his car into the good Samaritans car. No injuries were reported.

Deputies arrested Mark Francis Lahive Jr., a 25-year-old Bellwood, Pa., resident, who already was a fugitive wanted in a robbery in Altoona, Pa., according to the Stafford Sheriffs Office.

Lahive is incarcerated at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.
When Terri Rinko considers the benefits of the Navy base at Dahlgren, she goes beyond its economic impact to the Fredericksburg region and overall importance to national defense.

She thinks about the small-town values the base helps provide those who live around it.

Naval Support Facility Dahlgren offers such good pay that families can afford to have one parent stay at home, she said. Workers dont have to commute to Northern Virginia and beyond, which means more time spent with family and community activities.

Rinko embraced those factors when she and her husband, John, moved to King George County from the Washington area in 1990. Hes an aerospace engineer at the base, and shes been a sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics for 23 years. Shes also a member of the countys Chamber of Commerce and president of King Georges County Council PTA.

There is an increased quality of life living in a town with small-town values yet such fruitful base-related employment opportunities, said the mother of three.

An annual report that looks at the bases economic impact shows the facility pumped $1.074 billion into the local economy in fiscal year 2016.

Even though total contracts at the base decreased in 2016, the number of people employed went up, providing an overall increase to the local economy, said Andrew Revelos, spokesman with Naval Support Activity South Potomac.

The base employs 10,832 people, according to fiscal 2016 numbers. The biggest chunk8,355 workersare assigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, where complex weapon systems used on ships are researched, developed, tested and evaluated.

Of the total people employed at the base, 5,592 are civilians; 4,838 are contractors; and 393 are military personnel.

The payroll totaled $592 million in 2016 while money spent on local contracts amounted to $519.6 million.

The base at Dahlgren is a huge economic engine, said Susan Spears, president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Spears said the base also has the largest concentration of scientists and engineers in Virginia. Not only do the salaries flow through the local economy, the employees and their families have a huge social impact through work with local schools, churches and nonprofit organizations, she said.

One of the bases outreaches, the STEM Academy, was featured in a story in The Free LanceStar last week. It pairs base scientists and engineers with almost 100 middle-school students from across the region, to encourage them to pursue careers in defense fields.

Dahlgren has offered 12 such academies and reached 27,000 students, from elementary school age to high school seniors, between 2005 and 2016, according to the impact report. It has invested $1.15 million in STEM education funding, provided 36 educational partnerships, 42 CRADAS, or agreements between laboratories, and nine university grants and contracts.

Its financial and intellectual impact is nothing short of tremendous, said Todd Gillingham, vice president of the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance.

As expected, the majority of workersalmost a thirdlive nearby. The report says 1,860 live in King George, followed by 960 from Spotsylvania County, 493 from Stafford County and 404 from Fredericksburg.

Every workday, 524 Maryland residents cross the Harry Nice Bridge to come to work at Dahlgren.

Christopher Bryant, president of the King George Chamber of Commerce and an assistant principal at King George Middle School, said the base is vital to the regions economic growth.

As the base grows and changes, so does the area, he said.
IMAGINE THIS: A cop pulls you over and arrests you because you match the description of someone wanted for a heinous crime. You are innocent, but after being charged and brought to trial, you watch as experts testify with scientific certainty that hair and footprints at the scene match your own, and you are led from the courtroom in shackles.

This may seem like a scene straight out of a TV melodrama, but this scenario happens in real life far too often. A number of forensic techniquesincluding hair- and footprint-matching, mark analysis, bloodstain-pattern analysis and otherslack scientific validity and reliability yet are used frequently in our nations courtrooms.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, no fewer than 490 people have been exonerated since 1989 after being convicted on the basis of false or misleading forensic techniques. Just last month, a Michigan man was freed from jail 41 years after his conviction after prosecutors agreed that evidence against himbased on an analysis of a single hairdidnt meet FBI standards. Another Michigan man was released in May after 25 years in prison following a faulty conviction based on bullets matched to a gun.

During the past decade, thanks largely to a 2009 report from the National Academy of Sciences, we have made important progress in ridding our nations courtrooms of such scenarios. But the Justice Departments recent decision to not renew the National Commission on Forensic Sciencethe primary forum through which scientists, forensic lab technicians, lawyers and judges have worked together to guide the future of forensic sciencethreatens to stall and even reverse that progress.

The NAS report found that too few forensic disciplines, other than DNA analysis, have adequate scientific basis. The report also found that experts often overstate their claims in testimony, invoking unscientific terms such as scientific certainty and claiming 100 percent accuracy.

The Justice Department is the responsible agency for prosecuting federal crimes and, in this role, makes frequent use of forensic techniques. It is therefore not appropriate for the agency to be the evaluator of forensic practices. In the 2009 report, the NAS strongly recommended that to avoid a conflict of interests, an entity independent of the Justice Department should oversee forensic standards.

While Justice did not fully embrace this recommendation, it went ahead and, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, helped create the National Commission on Forensic Science. From 2013 until earlier this year, the commission provided a venue for all of the relevant stakeholders to discuss issues facing forensic labs and foundational science and to advance a path to strengthen forensic practices and research.

By building consensus among these diverse groups who all care deeply about the integrity of our justice system, the commission promoted important reforms, such as mandatory accreditation of crime labs used by the government and the immediate disclosure to defense counsels of a government forensic experts entire file relating to a defendant. Many of the commissions recommendations have been adopted not only by the Justice Department but also by state and local crime labs.

They have also resulted in changes both to prosecutorial practices and to codes of professional conduct for those working in forensic laboratories. With these improvements, it is not time to pull back from the forensic commission.

More than 250 individuals and groups, including leading legal scholars and scientific organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recently submitted public comments to the Justice Department on how to proceed on forensic science. The overwhelming majority of comments urged the department to ensure that there be an independent and transparent oversight body for forensic science like the now-suspended commission.

For now, the Justice Department has taken the opposite view, that there is no conflict with having internal department evaluators oversee forensic science research that their prosecutors hope to use in the courtroom. We urge the attorney general and the department to take a thorough look at the many thoughtful comments from concerned citizens and quickly reconsider this approach.

Forensic science requires conflict-free independent evaluation if it is to advance the truth. Peoples lives and our societys faith in the American justice system are at stake.

Rush D. Holt is chief executive officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Jed S. Rakoff is a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York, who served ex officio on the National Commission on Forensic Science.
If you like roaring, full-throttle hardcore punk, the new album by Columbias Longshot Odds has plenty of that. Stress Marks, is the album in question and the bands first in two years. Read moreColumbia's Longshot Odds offer roaring, full-throttle punk on latest album
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Story Highlights Economic Confidence Index registers +3 for second straight month

Economic attitudes stable across all political identifications

Current conditions component at +10; economic outlook at -4

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' confidence in the economy remained at a 2017 low in June, with Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index averaging +3 for the second month in a row. Despite confidence lagging below January's monthly record high of +11, June nonetheless marked the eighth consecutive month in which U.S. adults rated the economy positively.

Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index is the average of two components: how Americans rate current economic conditions and whether they believe the economy is improving or getting worse. The index has a theoretical maximum of +100 if all Americans were to say the economy is doing well and improving, and a theoretical minimum of -100 if all were to say the economy is doing poorly and getting worse.

Last week, Americans' confidence in the economy averaged a score of 0, the first time in the 33 full weeks since the presidential election that the index's weekly average was not positive. However, this may be more of a fluke than a harbinger -- lower scores in the middle of the week dragged down the weekly average. They returned to previous levels by the end of the week.

Gallup began tracking Americans' assessments of the economy in 2008, in the midst of the worst recession in decades. Unsurprisingly, economic attitudes were then decisively negative and only grew worse over the course of 2008, a year that saw several financial firms declare bankruptcy and Wall Street experience huge losses. Perceptions slowly began to improve in 2009 and throughout Barack Obama's presidency, although they remained in negative territory apart from a brief period in early 2015 when gasoline prices showed sustained decreases.

Only after Donald Trump's election in 2016 did economic attitudes fundamentally change, thanks largely to Republicans' newfound optimism. Economic confidence peaked in January 2017, remaining high through March. U.S. stock markets soared during this time, and many analysts believed that some elements of Trump's economic agenda -- such as cutting taxes and increasing spending on infrastructure -- would lead to an era of higher economic growth, although these projections have yet to materialize.

Since March, confidence has softened somewhat, as Democrats and independents have lost faith in the economy. Monthly confidence fell in May to its lowest point of the year, sliding to -26 among Democrats -- the lowest score for that group since November 2011 and a 32-point drop from January 2017. Confidence among independents, meanwhile, fell eight points between January and May.

In June, attitudes stabilized. Economic confidence among Democrats stood at -28, in line with where it was the month before. Likewise, independents' confidence in the economy was essentially unchanged last month (-4) compared with May (-3).

More Americans Still See Economy as Getting Worse Rather Than Better

Last month, Americans continued to view current economic conditions positively, with 33% describing the economy as "excellent" or "good" compared with 23% describing it as "poor." This leaves the current conditions component at +10 for June, identical to its performance in May.

For the third month in a row, however, a slightly larger share of Americans (49%) said the economy is "getting worse" than said it is "getting better" (45%). This puts the economic outlook component at -4 in June, in line with its May reading.

Bottom Line

While economic confidence in June remained at the yearly low first reached in May, the apparent stability may suggest that Americans have, after a postelection adjustment period, recalibrated their economic assessments. In particular, some Americans who believed the election results would augur an improving economy have since revised these beliefs, as is evident by the comparatively poor performance of the economic outlook component over the past few months.

All the same, this new level of confidence may offer a baseline for measuring the effects of the Trump administration's economic policies -- failed and successful -- on Americans' perceptions of the economy.

These data are available in Gallup Analytics.

Gallup.com reports results from these indexes in daily, weekly and monthly averages and in Gallup.com stories. Complete trend data are always available to view in the following charts:

Daily: Employment, Economic Confidence, Consumer Spending

Weekly: Employment, Economic Confidence, Job Creation, Consumer Spending

Read more about Gallup's economic measures.

View our economic release schedule.
The long-awaited return of The Playhouse at Allenberry is at hand.

Friday night, for the first time in two years, the curtain once again will rise at the historic theater in Boiling Springs for the opening of a new production, Shrek the Musical.

We are really excited to get this place going again, said Dustin LeBlanc, who heads Keystone Theatrics, the theater company hired to produce Allenberrys shows. We feel pressure, but its a good pressure. Its a wonderful feeling to bring this place back to life.

Patrons will see a familiar looking structure that has nonetheless been through significant changes. One big change is the creation of a full-service bar and concession area at the front of the house, where patrons can purchase alcoholic beverages.

And you can take those drinks with you into the show, said LeBlanc, who left his job as executive director at Carlisle Theatre Company to head up the new theatrical venture at Allenberry.

The 250-seat playhouse, which dates back 70 years, closed in 2015 when the Heinze family, long-time owners of the 57-acre Allenberry Resort where the theater is located, decided to close down the long-running business.

A group of investors agreed to purchase the property just before it was scheduled for public auction and immediately launched a substantial renovation of the property.

Shrek, which runs through July 22, is the first of six well-spaced Mainstage Shows planned at Allenberry Playhouse over the next year or so. Next up will be the Peter Pan adventure Peter and the Starcatcher (Sept. 8-16), with the final planned show in September 2018, the Tony Award-winning musical Gypsy.

Weve tried to pick crowd-pleasing shows that focus on story-telling, said LeBlanc, who will direct Shrek. Shrek is out of that fairy-tale tradition of bedtime stories we all grew up with.

For the time being, the playhouse will operate as a community theater, with unpaid actors and crew that hail from as far away as Duncannon and Gettysburg. Eventually, perhaps five years down the road if things go well, the theater may once again turn professional, as it was for nearly all of its existence.

Meanwhile, LeBlanc said, I couldnt ask for a better cast, staff and crew.

Break a leg, Allenberry.

Shows

While Allenberry shakes off its cobwebs, two other area theaters also are preparing to launch new productions.

At Oyster Mill Playhouse in East Pennsboro Township, a comedy co-written by the great Carol Burnett takes the stage on Friday and continues through July 23.

Hollywood Arms, by Burnett and Carrie Hamilton adapted from Burnetts memoir, One More Time, is set in Hollywood in 1941 and 1951. It centers not on stars and glamorous, but rather the lives of three generations of women living on welfare in a rundown apartment building.

The play did not have a long run on Broadway, clocking just 76 performances in 2002, but did receive a Tony Award in an acting category. Oyster Mills cast includes local actors Aliza Bardfield, Quinn Starrett, Kristie Starrett and Miranda Baldys. Carol McDonough directs.

At Totem Pole Playhouse, Franklin Countys long-running professional summer stock theater, will offer lower-cost previews of I Love a Piano on Friday (8 p.m.) and Saturday (2 and 8 p.m.). Preview tickets for the salute to the songs of Irving Berlin are $20.

The show, which officially opens Sunday and runs through July 23, features Broadway veterans Jonathan Rayson and Jane Labanz, with David Hemsley Caldwell directing.
There currently are 93 Fisher Houses in the United States and in Europe with plans for more.
FAIRVIEW TWP.  Officials say a 6-year-old Pennsylvania boy was struck and killed on Interstate 83 after the dirt bike he was riding traveled into traffic.

The York County Coroner identified the boy Wednesday as Bryce Treichler, of Fairview Township, according to ABC27. Police said Bryce was riding a 2015 Yamaha 50cc mini-bike with training wheels outside of a home in Fairview Township at 5:04 p.m. Sunday when he drove it down an embankment and onto the northbound travel lanes of I-83.

Police said the bike was then struck by a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck driven by a 72-year-old Grantville man.

Police say the impact knocked the boy off his bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The York County Coroner's Office is expected to release the name of the boy, whose next of kin was notified. An investigation is ongoing.

The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Start-ups and networking : 1st Summer Slam of the Digital Hub in Bonn

Bonn Around 1,100 visitors attended the first Summer Slam of the Digital Hub at Bonner Bogen. 50 start-ups presented their ideas at the event.

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Perfect weather conditions accompanied the first Summer Slam of the Digital Hub Bonn on Monday evening at the Bonner Bogen. Around 50 young business people presented their ideas at the start-up event, with around 1,100 visitors in attendance.

Ping pong, foosball, sofas and chairs - all open air, made for a cool start-up atmosphere. The Digital Hub was created not only to provide entrepreneurs with space for networking, but also to promote innovative business models by putting start-ups in touch with capital providers, and giving them expert advice. More than 40 businesses in the region support the project.

A new era

Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan spoke of the dawn of a new era being promoted by the Digital Hub. The digital center in Bonn receives 1.5 million euros in funding from the state of North Rhine Westphalia and is already attracting international attention.

Sridharan praised the chief executive of the Bonn Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), Hubertus Hille, who was the driver in getting the project started.

Old and new economy

Two prominent guests explained how traditional business and the new digital world can fit together. Christian Solmecke, a Cologne-based lawyer in media and IT, and who says he has the largest law-themed YouTube channel in Europe, described how a classic firm can make use of the digital world. I have already won 8,000 clients through my YouTube channel.

The video platform is one of his strongest tools to attract new business. In short films, he explains legal problems, especially from the internet world. Many people do not know what power YouTube has, he says.

Information flood of the digital world

An image video is not necessary but a Facebook page is an important marketing tool. Its positive because it allows a bond to form with customers; they can get in touch with an attorney and also use the German informal language - greeting with du instead of Sie.

Solmecke doesnt see actual advertising on Facebook as being crucial to success. Xochilt Balzola-Widmann, who is responsible at German-language Facebook for small and mid-sized businesses sees plenty of opportunities. And she also made clear just what kind of influence social media has in todays world: 90 percent of the customers are on Facebook, while 80 percent of the companies still use a fax machine. You cannot simply ignore so many customers, she said. But she emphasized that it was not enough to be present on social media, it is even more important to have a proper marketing strategy.

We compete with so much content every day, she explained. The message should be distinctive, otherwise it simply gets lost in the information flow of the digital world.

18 new start-ups in Digital Hub

Digital Hub managing director Markus Zink reported that 18 new start-ups have now been added to the hub. They include Gigwork, an internet platform for jobs and jobdating. Twelve start-ups presented their business models and entered the Telekom competition for the Tech-Boost program, which provides a credit of up to 100,000 euros for computing and storage capacity in the cloud.
Traffic and transportation : No-parking due to trees, A 565 congestion and train cancellation

Tree trimming in the Villenviertel. Foto: Archiv

Bonn/Region Trees are being trimmed, road construction seems to be everywhere, and train traffic is not immune from the building season. Heres a look at traffic and transportation updates affecting the Bonn area.

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Summer is construction season and also time to take care of the citys green areas. Visitors or residents of the Villenviertel need to be aware of temporary no-parking areas during tree-trimming. Meanwhile, traffic on the A 565 was backed up due to a mishap at a construction site, and there was an accident at the junction with Bonn-Zentrum which added to delays. Going forward, building work will affect train Line RB 48 overnight Thursday.

Remove cars: Tree trimming in the Villenviertel

The city parks department is currently removing dead wood and branches from trees alongside the road on Rheinallee. According to the press office, the work will be taking place in the entire Villenviertel. The old linden trees have needed more care in the past years, because they are producing more dead wood, more quickly, regardless of which variation of linden tree, said Marc Hoffman, deputy spokesperson for the City of Bonn.

Every year, the city has the trees evaluated in April/May. Its easier at that time to determine which branches are budding and which ones are not, and set a priority list of which trees need trimming.

Although there are signs posted on Rheinallee instructing cars not to park there because of the tree trimming, one can see that many are still parking under the trees. The city asks residents and visitors to please abide by the signs and refrain from parking in the areas during tree-trimming.

Dump truck causes back-up on A 565

On Tuesday, motorists had to be patient once again on the A 565 towards Meckenheim. Shortly after midday, a dump truck got into a bind at a construction site between the junctions of Poppelsdorf and Lengsdorf. According to autobahn police, the dump truck was delivering sand to the construction site and became stuck, threatening to tip over. In order for a power shovel to position itself properly so it could unload the sand, police had to stop traffic intermittently.

At around 2:30 pm, an accident complicated the problem. At the junction of Bonn-Zentrum, a small truck drove into the median barrier. Only one lane was open for a period of time. Traffic backed up to Beuel.

Train cancellations Thursday night

Construction work on Thursday overnight into Friday means disruption for train Line RB 48. Because of the work, trains will not be able to stop at stations between Bad Godesberg and Mehlem. They will begin and end at Bad Godesberg. Travelers who are Mehlem bound, should take the MRB 26 from Bad Godesberg.
Standstill at autobahn worksites : Shortage of road construction specialists in NRW

Dusseldorf The new state government has promised less congestion on roadways by better organizing the construction sites. But there is a shortage of specialized staff and this jeopardizes important projects. Help might come from abroad.

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Construction sites on North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) autobahns have been slowed down by a shortage of skilled workers, according to information received by the General Anzeiger. Some circles in the construction industry say its about hundreds of workers while other experts talk about a four-digit number.

Traffic researcher Michael Schreckenberg from the University of Duisburg-Essen, confirmed the information, saying that NRW was short of many road construction workers and that this is a very big problem. The lack of skilled labor means it is also not possible to carry on with the work in the evening hours, according to the traffic expert.

Large number of construction sites

Adding to the problem is the large number of construction sites on autobahns throughout the country. We currently have 120. Normal is to have around 100 at the same time, said Ingrid Scholtz from NRW Roadworks. Those with knowledge in the industry, say the large number of construction sites contributes to not having enough skilled workers.

Workers in the EU not available

The shortage of workers is a real problem for the new state government, which promised to reduce congestion through better organization when it came to road construction. Transportation Minister Hendrick Wust (CDU) did not want to comment on the situation at this time. However, our editorial staff has learned from government circles that they are considering taking in workers from non-EU countries as they cant get workers from the EU.

Demographic changes affect construction industry

It seems the main cause of the problem is a massive dismantling of jobs in construction companies in the past years. Add to that, the federal government has hugely increased its investment, but companies are not able to find enough new employees so quickly, said a spokesperson for the Bauindustrieverbands NRW (NRW Construction Industry Association).

"Demographic change also affects the construction industry. For us, it is more difficult than before to attract young people for jobs in the construction industry, said the spokesperson. "With the new state government, we have to find solutions."

Not enough engineers
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.
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Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
A 14-day joint military training exercise between India and Thailand started in Himachal Pradesh. The joint exercise of the Indian Army with the Royal Thailand Army commenced at Bakloh in Chamba district.

The aim of this exercise is to build and promote closer relations while exchanging skills and experiences between the two armies. Exercise Maitree 2017 is a continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and the Royal Thailand Army. The previous edition of the exercise was held at Krabi in Thailand in 2016.

Important Takeaways from Above-

A joint training exercise between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman named Al Nagah-II 2017 also held in Himachal Pradesh in March 2017.

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand.

Its currency is Thai baht.

Source- The Indian Express




Post GST Flipkart announces price cut on several Lenovo smartphones for a limited period News oi -Samden Sherpa Lenovo smartphones are getting up to Rs. 3,500 flat discounts on Flipkart.

Flipkart has just announced a special offer on several of the Lenovo branded smartphones on its e-commerce site. There are flat discounts starting from Rs. 500 and it goes up to a maximum of Rs. 3,500 on some smartphones.

What is the significance of this special one-day sale? Well, it marks the second anniversary of Lenovo's K-series smartphones which if you recall first went on sale via the online retailer in 2015. Flipkart has said that the sale has begun Monday midnight (12 am Tuesday) and it will go on until Tuesday midnight (11:59 pm Tuesday).

Commenting on the announcement, Ayyapan Rajagopal, Senior Director Smartphones at Flipkart said, "At Flipkart, it is our constant endeavor to partner with strong brands and bring the best products to our customers. Our partnership with Lenovo has been very successful since we first launched Lenovo K3 Note in 2015 followed by Lenovo K5 Plus, the Lenovo K5 Note, and Lenovo K6 Power - each of which has been blockbusters. We take pride to associate with a brand that is known for innovation and outstanding products and hope in the coming years we celebrate many such milestones".

In any case, this is a good news for consumers. Below are some of the smartphones under Flipkart's one day sale.

Lenovo K5 Note

The Lenovo K5 Note 32GB model is getting a flat discount of Rs. 3,000 and is now available at Rs. 9,499. The 64GB variant is getting a flat discount of Rs. 1,000 and is now available at Rs. 12,499.

Lenovo P2

The Lenovo P2 4GB RAM model is getting a flat discount of Rs. 3,500 and is now available at Rs. 13,499. The 3GB variant is also getting a flat discount of Rs. 3,500 and is now available at Rs. 13,499.

Lenovo K5 Plus

The Lenovo K5 Plus 3GB variant is getting a flat discount of Rs. 1,000 and is now available at Rs. 7,499.

Lenovo K6 Power

The Lenovo K6 Power is also getting a flat discount of Rs. 500 but for this smartphone, the offer is valid only on prepaid orders.

Best Mobiles in India

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Spice Mobility launches 8 new mobile phones News oi -Priyanka Spice's new portfolio of eight mobile devices include five feature phones and three smartphones.

Spice Mobility which has recently signed a joint venture with China-based Transsion Holdings today launched an all new portfolio of mobile devices in India. The portfolio further includes five feature phones and three smartphones.

Commenting on the occasion of the launch, Sudhir Kumar, CEO, Spice Mobile under Transsion Group, said, "We are extremely excited to announce the all new Spice product portfolio today. With the launch of the series, we have taken a step closer to creating an inclusive yet all-new powerful and rich digital experience for the young generation of India."

Kumar further added, "Aligned with the brand identity and philosophy, Spice brand wants to fuel the existing culture of sharing amongst the Indian youth. With easy to use features, these devices offer enhanced sharing capabilities to create new aspirations which will help in connecting the next billion. We are sure that we will create a new segment in the Indian market with the robust range of products and services."

The new product portfolio offers aesthetically and stylishly designed phones with features that would stand out and appeal to the youth and is priced between Rs 850 to Rs 9,500. In alignment with the fresh design created for the Indian youth, the products are segmented as F-Series (Music, fun, fashion), K series (Creative and fashion), V Series (Value premium, with focus on performance and camera), and Z series which are essentially the feature phones, offering best value and quality with great design.After establishing a strong presence through itel and TECNO, Transfusion Holdings aims to further strengthen its foothold in the world's fastest growing mobile market with the addition of its third brand in their multi-brand portfolio.

To recall, the Spice has also unveiled its new brand identity and philosophy - "Make Sharing Better" with Spice. In line with the new brand identity, Spice brand will enable the users' to create and nurture the social connections by sharing content that is enjoyable for them.

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North Korea claims successful test of its first intercontinental missile

Published: July 5, 2017

North Korea has claimed that it has successfully test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-14 into waters near Sea of Japan. The claim was confirmed by United States.

The launch appeared to be North Koreas most successful missile test since its ballistic missile programme gathered pace in the late 1990s. The successful test also marks North Koreas the final step in becoming confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth.

Key Facts

Based on missiles height and trajectory path, US scientists claim that missile could potentially be powerful enough to reach Alaska. The missile had reached an altitude higher and flew longer than any of the North Koreas previous similar tests. The missile had landed in Japans exclusive economic zone.

US has strongly condemned the launch and added that it will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea. The ICBM testing represents a new escalation of the threat to US and its allies and partners, the region and the world.

What is Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)?

An ICBM is a missile launched by a land-based system that is intended to carry nuclear payloads. To qualify as an ICBM, a missile must have a minimum range of 5,500km. The most significant difference between an ICBM and other ballistic missiles is its greater range and speed. It enables countries to strike exceptionally distant targets with minimum warning.

What are experts saying about the North Korean claim?

Analysis by South Korea and Japan has supported the account given by North Korea, which said the missile reached an altitude of 2,802km and flew 930km. The US initially had described it as an intermediate-range missile but later conceded it was an ICBM. North Korea will be 8th nation in the world to successfully test ICBM. Other countries that have ICBM technology are US, Russia, China, UK, France, Israel and India.



Month: Current Affairs - July, 2017

Topics: Current Affairs - 2017  Defence  Hwasong 14  ICBM  International  missile technology  North Korea

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Strikes Continue in Effort to Defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, July 4, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 25 strikes consisting of 85 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 17 strikes consisting of 31 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIS wellhead.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed an ISIS wellhead.

-- Near Raqqah, 15 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, three mortar systems, two sections of wall, two vehicles, an anti-air artillery system, a heavy machine gun, and an explosives cache; damaged five ISIS supply routes; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 54 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Al Huwayjah, a strike destroyed three car bomb storage facilities.

-- Near Al Qaim, two strikes destroyed two oil storage tanks and an ISIS command and control node.

-- Near Kirkuk, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, a staging area and a supply cache.

-- Near Mosul, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed 21 fighting positions, six medium machine guns, three rocket-propelled grenade systems, and an artillery system; and damaged five fighting positions.

-- Near Rawah, two strikes destroyed a mortar system.

Previously Unreported

Additionally, nine previously unreported strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on July 2.

-- Near Al Shadaddi, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed four ISIS-held buildings and a command and control node.

-- Near Raqqah, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two car bombs, an ISIS communications tower, and a fighting position; and damaged 32 fighting positions.

-- Near Kisik, Iraq, a strike destroyed a vehicle and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Mosul, Iraq, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven medium machine guns, five fighting positions, five roadside bombs, and a weapons cache; damaged two fighting positions; and suppressed a sniper team.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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Indian troops kill 3 militants in Kashmir; 35 protesters wounded

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 4, 2017 9:4AM

India's forces have killed three militants in a fierce firefight in the New Delhi-controlled part of Kashmir, and injured dozens of civilians during a crackdown on the ensuing protest rally there in solidarity with the pro-independence fighters.

Police Inspector-General Muneer Ahmed Khan said on Tuesday that the gun battle erupted on Monday when soldiers and counterinsurgency police raided the southern village of Bahmnoo village on a tip that militants were hiding there.

Witnesses said three residential homes were blown up and destroyed by the government forces during the fighting.

Khan said the army troops were searching for the body of a fourth militant in the debris.

The daylong fighting also wounded at least six police and soldiers.

Afterwards, hundreds of civilians staged a rally near the site to help the militants trapped in the operation area escape, chanting slogans such as "Go India, go back" and "We want freedom."

The protest turned violent as the government troops fired bullets, shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the march by rock-throwing demonstrators.

The clashes left at least 35 civilians injured, with five of them bearing bullet wounds.

The Muslim-majority region has witnessed an increase in mass protests and violent attacks since early July 2016, when Burhan Wani, a top figure in a pro-independence group, was killed in a shootout with Indian troops.

Thousands of government troops have been deployed to the region and nearly 90 people have lost their lives and more than 12,000 wounded in the ensuing crackdown.

The government crackdown has failed to halt the protests against the Indian rule in Kashmir.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory.

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UN agency condemns attack on staff in Central African Republic town

4 July 2017  Strongly condemning an attack against its staff and premises in a northern town of the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations refugee agency has underscored the importance of safety of aid workers for them to be able to help civilian populations in desperate need.

At about 5 PM on 1 July, unidentified armed men entered the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) premises in Kaga Bandoro town, threatened staff at gun point, and looted all goods and money on site, Andrej Mahecic, a spokesperson for the UN agency told the media at a regular news briefing in Geneva today.

There were six UN staff members (four from UNHCR and two from the UN Development Programme) at the premises and they were also robbed of their belongings, including personal items and passports.

"Since the attack, UNHCR has temporarily relocated staff to the MINUSCA (the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR) base in Kaga Bandoro, and we will be moving some to [the capital,] Bangui," added Mr. Mahecic.

Also in the town, on the night of 28 June, unidentified armed men tried to break into a UNHCR accommodation, with the intention of attacking staff and looting belongings. That attack was thwarted by MINUSCA forces.

Frequent violence in Kaga Bandoro  located about 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of Bangui  has had a significant impact on the local population, displacing many and leaving them in need of humanitarian assistance.

In CAR, UNHCR has been providing protection and relief support to more than 8,600 refugees and 503,000 internally displaced persons.

Clashes between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian, have plunged the country of about 4.5 million people into civil conflict since 2013. In addition to those displaced within the CAR, more than 484,000 people from the country have been forced to seek refuge in neighboring nations.

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U.S. Senators Call For New Strategy To Defeat Taliban In Afghanistan

RFE/RL July 05, 2017

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators visiting Afghanistan on July 4 called for a new strategy from the Trump administration to turn the tide against an increasingly strong Taliban insurgency and end the longest U.S. war.

The delegation, led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, was in Kabul on a regional trip that included two days in neighboring Pakistan.

"None of us would say that we are on a course to success here in Afghanistan," McCain said at a press briefing at NATO's headquarters in Kabul.

"That needs to change, and quickly," he said. "The strongest nation on Earth should be able to win this conflict."

The Pentagon is currently reviewing strategy in Afghanistan, where U.S. troops have been backing the fight against the Taliban for 16 years. It reportedly is considering recommending an increase in troops of 3,000 to 5,000.

But McCain (Republican-Arizona) and other senators suggested that an incremental increase in troops would not be enough. McCain was accompanied by Senators Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina), Elizabeth Warren (Democrat-Massachusetts), Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island), and David Perdue (Republican-Georgia).

The Taliban is "not going to negotiate unless they think they are losing," McCain said. "So we need to win and have the advantage on the battlefield and then enter into a serious negotiation to resolve the conflict."

McCain made a mark in the last decade by urging a "surge" in U.S. troops to win the war in Iraq before negotiating a peace accord there -- a strategy adopted by former President George W. Bush that was credited with success at putting down the insurgency in Iraq at the time.

Senator Lindsey Graham said he would tell U.S. President Donald Trump that 8,600 American troops currently in Afghanistan "will not get the job done" and that more American troops along with more NATO troops should be deployed to "turn stalemate into success."

Since the exit of most foreign troops in 2014, Afghanistan's U.S.-backed government has lost ground to the Taliban insurgency. A U.S. report found earlier this year that the Taliban controls or contests control of about 40 percent of the country.

Warren did not join with the others in pushing for more troops. She said she came to get "the view on the ground about what is happening" in Afghanistan.

"We need a strategy in the United States that defines our role in Afghanistan, defines our objective, and explains how we can get from here to there," Warren said.

Last month, Trump gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the authority to set American troop levels in Afghanistan, but as commander in chief Trump must sign off on an overall strategy for the war.

Mattis has said the strategy he will recommend, which will be presented to Trump by mid-July, will take a broader "regional" approach, with no set timetable.

U.S. security officials have privately said the most likely options will be to increase training and air support by 3,000 to 5,000 troops for still-inexperienced Afghan security forces, while also tracking down Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and other Islamist extremists based in Afghanistan.

The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has said "several thousand" more foreign troops -- mostly trainers -- are needed to break a military stalemate with the Taliban.

In 2001, a U.S.-backed military intervention in Afghanistan toppled the Taliban regime, whose ultra-hard-line interpretation of Islamic law banned most women from public life and executed people not seen as sufficiently pious, such as men who had beards not considered long enough.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senators-call-new -strategy-defeat-taliban-afghanistan- mccain-graham/28596749.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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None of Arab States Urged to Freeze Qatar's Arab League Membership Amid Row

Sputnik News

20:25 05.07.2017(updated 20:27 05.07.2017)

None of the Arab countries proposed an initiative to freeze the participation of Qatar in the League of Arab States, the organization's Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Sputnik on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  He added that such a procedure would require a full consensus in the Arab League, and the positions of the members on this issue differ at present.

"There was no initiative from any Arab country about the freezing of Qatar's membership or any moves in this direction, and this is not recommended," Aboul Gheit, who is currently on a visit to Moscow, 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. The Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania followed suit, while Jordan and Djibouti decided to reduce the level of their diplomatic contacts with Qatar.

Late in June, Kuwait handed over to Doha the ultimatum of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with 13 demands, including the requests to severe Qatar's relations with Iran, close Turkey's military base in Qatar and shut down Al Jazeera TV channel, as well as to end support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

On Tuesday, Doha said that the demands are unrealistic, but it is ready to continue dialogue to resolve the diplomatic crisis. In their turn, a joint statement issued by foreign ministers of the Saudi-led bloc said that the states are set to keep the boycott in place until Doha changes its policies "for the better."

 Sputnik

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Saudi Arabia Vows to Keep Boycott in Place 'Until Qatar Changes Policies'

Sputnik News

18:57 05.07.2017(updated 20:15 05.07.2017)

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced Wednesday that Saudi Arabia and other countries that have imposed sanctions on Qatar are set to keep the boycott in place until Doha changes its policies "for the better."

A joint statement issued by foreign ministers of the Saudi-led bloc revealed that Qatar had rejected the demands previously sent to Doha by Arab countries.

The ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates "regret the negative response from Qatar," the statement, read out by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry after meeting in Cairo, said.

"The response the four states got was overall negative and lacked any content. We find it did not provide a basis for Qatar to retreat from its policies," Shoukry said, adding that Doha's "position reflects a failure to realize the gravity of the situation."

Adel al-Jubeir said that political and economic boycott will remain in force until Qatar changes its policies "for the better."

"The political and economic boycott will continue until Qatar changes its policies for the better," al-Jubeir said at the news conference.

He asserted that further steps against Qatar will be taken "at the appropriate time," noting that those future steps would be in line with international law.

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. The Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania followed suit, while Jordan and Djibouti decided to reduce the level of their diplomatic contacts with Qatar.

Later in June, Kuwait handed over to Doha the ultimatum of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with 13 demands, including the requests to severe Qatar's relations with Iran, close Turkey's military base in Qatar and shut down Al Jazeera TV channel, as well as to end support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

On Tuesday, Doha said that the demands are unrealistic, but it is ready to continue the dialogue to resolve the diplomatic crisis.

 Sputnik

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China Blames India for Misleading Its Citizens Over Sikkim Standoff

Sputnik News

18:49 05.07.2017

China has accused India of misleading people by saying Chinese troops are building a road close to the strategically important area known as 'Chicken's Neck' in Sikkim sector.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The India-China stand-off is taking an ugly turn as both the countries are accusing each other of misleading the public.

In reply to India's allegations that China is illegally constructing a road in Doklam Plateau, China accused India of misleading the world by giving incorrect facts.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told media.

"The 1890 convention said the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East Mountain and the incident took place about 2000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Shuang said.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying the incident took place at the tri-junction point," the spokesperson said, defending the Chinese construction activity in the Doklam area.

Earlier, China's ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui told an Indian new agency that there was no scope for a compromise in the military stand-off with India in the Sikkim sector.

"The ball is in India's court and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the stand-off," the Chinese envoy said.

Luo Zhaohui also stressed Indian troops should unconditionally pull back to the Indian side.

Earlier, Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley warned China that India of today is different than that of 1962. The Indian external affairs ministry had alleged that Chinese forces entered Indian territory and destroyed two bunkers and asked China to withdraw its troops.

India and China have been engaged in a stand-off for the last few weeks over the construction of a road in the Doklam area which basically belongs to Bhutan but China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

The Doklam area, which is called 'Chicken's Neck' is a tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan, and, is of strategic significance for both India and China. It connects India's Siliguri corridor which connects the north-east with the rest of India.

China claims the Doklam area citing 1890 treaty between China and Britain while Bhutan claims the area as its own territory and India is supporting Bhutan's claim as per the agreement between India and Bhutan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet this week in Germany at the G 20 summit and all eyes on this meeting, whether it will break the stand-off between the two countries

 Sputnik

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Russia Could Sell Indonesia Su-35 Fighter Jets on Loan

Sputnik News

09:51 05.07.2017(updated 10:07 05.07.2017)

Russia and Indonesia are in discussions over loans for the delivery of Su-35 Flanker multirole fighters to Jakarta, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  He said the sides have agreed an offset obligation program, outlined the Su-35's concept, as well as arranged delivery times and training programs.

"The theoretical work is completed. We are discussing the possibility of granting a loan," Mikheev said.

The Su-35 fighter is a 4++ generation aircraft employing technologies of the fifth generation, designed by the Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company, which belongs to Russia's United Aircraft Corporation. The first experimental Su-35 was first presented at Russia's MAKS-2007 air show and was later introduced to a foreign audience at the 2013 Paris Air Show.

During operations against terrorists, Su-35S jets, as well as Su-30SM aircraft, provide air cover for Russian bombers.

 Sputnik

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Russia's Helicopter Supplies Deal for Egypt's Mistral Envisions 2 Contracts

Sputnik News

09:40 05.07.2017(updated 10:34 05.07.2017)

Russia will sign two contracts with Egypt on the Ka-52K helicopter, Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia will sign two contracts with Egypt on the Ka-52K helicopter and operating equipment supplies for its Mistral-class helicopter carriers, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev told Sputnik.

"We must understand that the ships need to be additionally equipped with systems to operate the Russian helicopters. This will be a separate contract," Mikheev said.

Noting that the date of signing the contract "depends on the source of funding," he stressed that Cairo itself is interested in concluding the contract as soon as possible.

Moreover, Russia and Egypt are not in discussions for Moscow to provide a loan to Cairo for the purchase of Ka-52K helicopters and equipment for the Mistral-class helicopter carriers, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev told Sputnik.

"A loan is not discussed in negotiations with Egypt. We held preliminary consultations, determined the helicopter's appearance, delivery times," Mikheev said.

On the delivery terms, he said Moscow is "not tied to the years but to the moment we receive an advance payment," followed by "small development works for the ship systems."

On June 19, head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugaev said Russia had won the tender for supplies of Ka-52K helicopters to Egypt for Mistral helicopter carriers. In 2016, Egypt bought two French-made Mistral warships from France.

The Ka-52K is a naval modification of the Ka-52 Alligator reconnaissance and combat helicopter designed to destroy armored vehicles, conduct patrol and escort missions and perform fire support operations.

Initially, France produced the helicopter carriers for Russia, however, Paris refused to deliver them to Russia in light of the increased tensions over the crisis in Ukraine.

 Sputnik

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Qatar Blames Saudi Arabia and UAE for Crisis While Rivals Meet in Cairo

By VOA News July 05, 2017

Qatar's foreign minister blamed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for leading the embargo against the Gulf state in a speech on Wednesday, the same day the group of nations that cut ties with Qatar met in Cairo to plot their next move.

"We believe that this entire campaign is merely driven by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and these are the countries that we need to engage to find out what are the real problems and what are the real grievances," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told an audience at London's Chatham House, according to Reuters.

Al-Thani's comments came a month after four countries severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar over concerns the oil-rich Gulf state is supporting extremism. Qatar denies the allegations.

Food, normally imported from Arab neighbors, has been airlifted into Qatar by allies like Turkey and Iran, while shipping costs into Qatar have increased by a factor of ten, according to Sheikh Mohammed. Moodys rating agency downgraded the state's outlook from stable to negative, citing "the likelihood of a prolonged period of uncertainty extending into 2018."

The Arab states also issued a 13-point list of demands on June 22, asking, among other things, for Qatar to abandon ties with Iran, shut down the Turkish military base it hosts, and shutter Al-Jazeera news bureaus.

Qatar gave its response to the demands on Monday. Although it has not formally disclosed the the contents of that response, Sheikh Mohammed called the demands "unrealistic" on Tuesday.

In London, he warned the group of Arab states against "demanding that we must surrender our sovereignty as the price for ending the siege," and argued the sanctions are really part of a long-running gambit for regime change in Qatar.

"Beginning in April, Qatar was subjected to a carefully orchestrated and unprecedented smear campaign designed to misrepresent our policies and our positions," Sheikh Mohammed said. "Furthermore, officials from the blockading countries were not merely criticizing Qatar, Qatar's policy, something we have always welcomed, but they were calling for regime change in Qatar, a coup and inciting hate and violence."

He also added, "We welcome any serious efforts to resolve our differences with our neighbors."

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Soukry hosted representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain in central Cairo to mull their next move in the crisis.

Earlier Wednesday, the Saudi foreign ministry said they would respond "at the right time" to the answer Qatar gave their demands.

United States President Donald Trump also stepped into the fray on Wednesday, speaking over the phone to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sissi about the crisis. According to the White House, Trump called on Egypt and the other Arab states to negotiate with Qatar in good faith to bring the deepening crisis to a swift and peaceful conclusion.

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US Defends Travel Ban Restrictions

By Ken Bredemeier July 04, 2017

The United States is defending its travel ban on six majority-Muslim countries, including restrictions that block grandparents and "extended" relatives of people already in the U.S. from joining them.

The U.S. said in a court filing late Monday that the limitations it imposed on travel from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were reasonable, based on long-set principles in U.S. immigration law.

The government was responding to a lawsuit brought by the Pacific island state of Hawaii contesting the rules the national government set for the travel ban it implemented last week. The government's imposition of the ban came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that President Donald Trump's travel edict could be partially implemented ahead of the court's full hearing on the order later in the year.

The ban prohibits the issuance of new visas from the six countries for 90 days and suspends the refugee resettlement program for 120 days. But the Supreme Court, in its ruling, said the U.S. had to refrain from blocking people from traveling to the U.S. who had a "bona fide relationship" to a person or entity already in the U.S.

That left it up to government immigration officials to decide who could enter the country. The U.S. decided to allow parents, spouses, fiances and children of someone in the U.S. to enter the country, but not grandparents, grandchildren, and a range of other "extended" family members, such as aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins.

Hawaii is arguing that the government's interpretation of the Supreme Court order is too narrow, while the government said it "hews closely" to legal immigration restrictions set by Congress.

Refugee groups are also contesting the U.S. rules, saying that their work resettling refugees in the country often takes years and qualifies as a "bona fide relationship" with those seeking to enter the country. The refugee groups say these refugees should be exempt from the travel ban.

Meantime, the government's refugee resettlement program is continuing as normal until Thursday, when the 50,000 cap for the year ending in September is expected to be reached.

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Xi, Putin oppose THAAD deployment in South Korea

People's Daily Online

By Liu Hui (CNTV) 08:09, July 04, 2017

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, met in Moscow on Monday and agreed to further cement bilateral ties and strengthen coordination on the Korean Peninsula and other major issues.

The two leaders both agreed the Korean Peninsula issue should be settled via dialogue, and oppose the deployment of THAAD in South Korea.

China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination, and it is quite important for the two to intensify communication and coordination in dealing with major affairs, said Xi, who had a tete-a-tete with Putin in the Kremlin shortly after his arrival in Moscow.

The two sides should strengthen cooperation, and steadfastly support each other in pursuing their own development paths and defending their respective sovereignty, national security and development interests, added the Chinese president.

They also need to step up policy communication and action coordination on major regional and global issues, so as to tackle risks and challenges and promote world peace, stability and prosperity, he added.

Putin said he agrees that the two sides should beef up mutual support and strengthen coordination on major regional and global issues.

It is important to boost head-of-state diplomacy, which leads and promotes the development of bilateral relations, said Putin, adding that Xi's ongoing state visit, the second of its kind since he took office in 2013, will further boost the two countries' partnership.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula and Syria issues. They agreed to jointly push for a proper settlement of the peninsula issue via dialogue and negotiation.

As for the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea, Xi and Putin said the move concerns the strategic balance in the region.

China and Russia, they stressed, are both opposed to installing THAAD in South Korea.

Russia is the first leg of Xi's ongoing overseas trip, which will also take him to Germany for a state visit and the upcoming summit of the Group of 20 major economies.

(Source: Xinhua)

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China Deploys Submarine, Spy Ship in Indian Ocean Ahead of Major Naval Exercise

Sputnik News

19:08 04.07.2017

A week before the trilateral naval exercise between India, the US and Japan begins in the Indian Ocean, China sent its Yuan class conventional diesel-electric submarine in the Indian Ocean with submarine support vessel Chongmingdao and intelligence-gathering ship Haiwingxing.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  Naval officials in Delhi downplay this deployment but 13 Chinese naval ships, tracked over the last two months by Indian naval satellite GSAT-7 and long-range maritime patrol aircraft like P-8I, must raise alarm bells for Indian authorities when both the nations have been engaged in a war of words and tensions on the eastern border. The India-US-Japan Malabar exercise in the Bay of Bengal is scheduled to begin next week.

"Usually, Chinese submarines have a three-month long deployment in the Indian Ocean. This is routine. The submarine's presence has nothing to do with the present situation and it has been present in the Indian Ocean for a while now," an Indian Navy official told IANS.

Earlier in April this year, India's permanently deployed P-8I maritime surveillance and attack aircraft in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands near the Strait of Malacca intercepted a Yuan class conventional submarine which was deployed to check piracy activities. Thereafter, the Indian Navy decided to send additional warship near Strait of Malacca as permanent deployment to keep tabs on ship movement between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean through world's busiest shipping route.

In the backdrop of enhanced joint maneuvering of China & Pakistan, the Indian Navy has started to renew its maritime policy to ensure that its dominance cannot be challenged in the Indian Ocean Region which includes repositioning of military assets to ensure its dominance in the Indian Ocean by 2020.

"The Chinese "facility" in Djibouti has already emerged as a full-fledged 'military base', notwithstanding what nomenclature Beijing accords it. Gwadar is sure to follow suit, particularly considering that Pakistan would be only too happy to oblige due to its strategic considerations, unlike the government in Djibouti that possibly buckled merely under Beijing's financial pressure," Captain Gurpreet S Khurana (Indian Navy), Executive Director, National Maritime Foundation, told Sputnik.

 Sputnik

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Pacom Detects, Tracks North Korean Missile Launch

U.S. Pacific Command

CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii, July 4, 2017  U.S. Pacific Command detected and tracked what they assessed was a North Korean missile launch at 2:40 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time yesterday, Pacom officials said in a statement.

The single launch of a land-based, intermediate-range ballistic missile occurred near Panghyon Airfield, North Korea, the statement said.

The missile was tracked for 37 minutes and landed in the Sea of Japan, the statement said.

"We are working with our interagency partners on a more detailed assessment. We continue to monitor North Korea's actions closely. U.S. Pacific Command stands behind our ironclad commitment to the security of our allies in the Republic of Korea and Japan," the officials said.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command assessed that the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, the statement said.

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DPRK declares success of ICBM launch as "final gate to state nuclear force"

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 17:01, July 04, 2017

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) declared Tuesday that it has successfully launched an international ballistic missile (ICBM) on the same day, hailing it as the "final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force."

The DPRK lauded the launch of the ICBM as a historic event in boosting its defense capabilities to counter the threats of the United States.

The Korean Central Television reported in a special program that top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un signed the order to carry out the test-fire of the ICBM Hwasong-14 on Monday and personally conducted the launch, before "declaring before the world its shining success."

The DPRK Academy of Defense Science said the missile blasted off from the northwestern part of the DPRK at 09:00 a.m. (0030 GMT) Tuesday to make a 39-minute flight along its pre-set trajectory before accurately hitting the target waters in the open sea in the East Sea of Korea (Sea of Japan), according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The test launch was carried out at the maximum angle launch system and had no adverse effect on the security of neighboring countries, it said, adding that it was boosted to the maximum height of 2,802 km and traveled 933 km distance.

"The success in the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-14 is a powerful manifestation of the invincible state might and the tremendous capability of the self-reliant national defense industry of the DPRK," said the news release.

"It is also a great auspicious event to be specially recorded in the history of the DPRK which has long craved for powerful defense capabilities," it said.

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Japan protests latest DPRK missile launch, analyzing ICBM claims

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 18:57, July 04, 2017

Japan has said it is currently analyzing claims by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier Tuesday.

Japan has condemned the launch as a provocative act and lodged a strong protest with Pyongyang through its diplomatic channels.

Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada told a press briefing on the matter that the missile, launched at around 9:39 a.m local time, achieved a higher altitude than any other missile test by the DPRK.

She also said the missile likely flew over a distance shorter than the range that it was capable of, on a steep trajectory.

Government sources said separately that the missile reached an altitude higher than 2,500 km and said that if it had been launched at a regular trajectory, it would have a range of more than 4,000 km.

Inada declined to state if the defense ministry had any more information on the exact type of missile launched. however, she said that it could be a new type of ballistic missile from the one that was fired on May 14, or an upgraded version of the same or similar type.

The defense minister's comments came after the DPRK made an unprecedented announcement after the launch that it had successfully launched an ICBM.

Prior to Inada's remarks, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the launch, stating in a press conference that the threat from the DPRK was increasing.

The prime minister's comments came after it was assessed that the ballistic missile likely landed in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surrounding Japanese waters.

Abe said he will continue to liaise closely with leaders from South Korea and the United States on the matter, with trilateral talks pegged for the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, which will be held from July 7-8.

Abe further said that he wants to make use of world leaders gathering at the G-20 summit to strongly appeal for coordination by the international community in responding to the DPRK.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, meanwhile, said that Japan had lodged a strong protest with the DPRK over its latest missile launch.

The top government spokesperson said that Japan can absolutely not tolerate these repeated provocative acts, and that a stern protest had been lodged with Pyongyang through its diplomatic channels in Beijing.

Suga said that the missile likely landed within Japan's EEZ but that so far no damage to vessels or planes in the area had been reported.

He said the ballistic missile was launched from the DPRK's western coast at around 9:39 a.m local time and flew for about 40 minutes before falling in Japan's EEZ in the Sea of Japan.

The prime minister has instructed all relevant government officials to do all they can to gather and analyze information and provide it to the public quickly and appropriately, Suga said, adding that Abe had said it was paramount to swiftly confirm the safety of aircraft and vessels, and be fully prepared for further unexpected events.

The DPRK is banned by the United Nations from testing nuclear and ballistic missile technologies and has been slapped with multiple international sanctions for persistently breaking U.N. resolutions.

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S.Korean president hopes DPRK would not cross bridge of no return

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 17:36, July 04, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday expressed his hope that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) would not cross a bridge that it cannot return following the DPRK's test of a new type of ballistic missile.

Moon made the remarks during his meeting with visiting former British Prime Minister David Cameron, according to the presidential Blue House.

The South Korean leader, who took office on May 10, said he will not be sure about how his country and the United States would react if the DPRK crosses the "red line" and does not positively respond to the proposal of the Korean Peninsula denuclearization in a peaceful manner agreed upon by Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Moon visited Washington to hold his first summit meeting with Trump for two days from last Thursday. According to the joint statement released after the meeting, President Trump supported South Korea's "leading role" in fostering an environment for peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

Moon told Cameron that the DPRK did not positively respond to the peace initiative of the peninsula based on the complete denuclearization, expressing his hope that Pyongyang should not cross a bridge of no return.

His comments followed the DPRK's test-launch of a ballistic missile early Tuesday.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the DPRK fired off a ballistic missile into its eastern waters from an area near Banghyeon, North Pyongan province in the DPRK's northwest region at around 9:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT).

The DPRK declared later in the day that it has successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The missile flew 933 km and was lofted as high as 2,802 km to travel for 39 minutes and strike the target in its eastern waters, according to the DPRK's media report.

Right after being briefed on the DPRK's missile firing, Moon convened the national security council meeting of the Blue House, saying it was in a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and defies repeated warnings from the international community.

The JCS said in a separate statement that whether the DPRK-fired missile had a capability of an ICBM was still being analyzed by the military authorities of South Korea and the United States.

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China opposes DPRK missile launch

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 17:53, July 04, 2017

China opposes the missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Tuesday.

The Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement Tuesday that the DPRK fired off a ballistic missile into its eastern waters from an area near Banghyeon, North Pyongan Province in the DPRK's northwest at around 9:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT).

The DPRK declared later in the day that it has successfully launched an international ballistic missile, calling it a milestone in its missile development program.

"China urges the DPRK to refrain from acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions so as to create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiation," Geng said at a regular news briefing.

Given the complex and sensitive situation on the Korean Peninsula, China hopes all sides can exercise calm and restraint to ease tensions there and return to the right path of peaceful dialogue, the spokesperson said.

UN Security Council resolutions ban the DPRK from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation.

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Russia, China call for freeze on North Korea missile tests, US military drills

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 4, 2017 3:7PM

Moscow and Beijing have called for a simultaneous freeze on North Korea's missile tests and large-scale military drills by the United States and South Korea.

Both countries made the demand in a statement released after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin.

"The two sides propose that the DPRK (North Korea) as a voluntary political decision declare a moratorium on testing nuclear explosive devices and ballistic rocket launches, and the US and South Korea refrain from carrying out large-scale joint exercises," foreign ministries of the two countries said in a joint statement.

"Parallel to this, the opposing sides should start negotiations and affirm general principles of their relations including the non-use of force, rejection of aggression and peaceful coexistence," the statement said.

It also demanded that the United States immediately halt its controversial deployment of an anti-missile system, known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to South Korea.

North Korea missile launch breach of UN resolution

Separately on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called North Korea's latest test launch of a ballistic missile a breach of a UN Security Council resolution.

Ryabkov said tensions with Pyongyang risked leading to catastrophic developments and that the missile launch showed that the only way forward was to organize multilateral talks with North Korea.

North Korea has successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it claims is capable of hitting anywhere in the world.

The Hwasong-14 ballistic missile reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and hit its target precisely after flying for 39 minutes, the report said.

The latest test comes just hours after US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to exert added pressure on North Korea over its missile and nuclear development programs.

On June 3, the United Nations Security Council imposed a fresh array of sanctions on North Korea in response to a number of missile tests carried out by Pyongyang this year.

Unsettled by North Korean missile and nuclear programs, the United States has adopted a war-like posture, sending a strike group and conducting joint military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries Japan and South Korea.

North Korea accuses the United States of plotting with regional allies to overthrow its government. Pyongyang says it will not relinquish its nuclear deterrence unless the United States ends its hostile policy toward North Korea and dissolves the US-led UN command in South Korea.

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Trump urges China to end North Korea 'nonsense', China urges calm

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 4, 2017 4:48AM

US President Donald Trump has warned the Chinese leader that the United States is prepared to act on its own in increasing pressure on North Korea, as Washington loses patience with Beijing's unwillingness to push Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and missile programs, US officials say.

Trump's warning was delivered in a blunt phone call on Monday to President Xi Jinping, according to senior White House officials.

Trump took to twitter on Tuesday to express his outrage over the North's test-firing of a ballistic missile that landed in the Sea of Japan earlier in the day.

"North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" Trump said of North Korean leader Kim Jung-un, who has pledged to continue the tests and defend his country against the US.

"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!" he wrote in another tweet.

Pyongyang has drawn warnings from the US and Japan for firing rockets near Japanese territorial waters in the past.

The latest launch came just hours after Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed over the phone to exert added pressure on North Korea over its missile and nuclear development programs.

They also agreed to hold trilateral talks on the "the growing threat" of Pyongyang's nuclear activities with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany, which begins on Friday.

On Tuesday, China urged for calm and restraint after the ballistic missile launch. Speaking at a daily news briefing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said UN Security Council resolutions had clear rules on North Korea's missile launches and Beijing opposed it going against those rules.

The Trump administration has been pressuring Chinathe North's main trade allyto use its influence over Pyongyang and stop the unruly neighbor's development of nuclear and ballistic deterrents.

In April, Trump hosted Xi in his private Florida estate of Mar-a-Lago, where he promised the Chinese leader to make his best effort to build strong relations between the two sides in exchange for a tough stance against North Korea.

However, things did not work out the way Trump wanted as he admitted last month that Xi and his government had tried but failed to curb Pyongyang's military programs.

Some experts say the United States has refused to deescalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula in order to maintain its military bases in East Asia and contain China.

Last week, American officials said the Pentagon had finished revising its military options against North Korea and will soon present them to Trump.

The Trump administration's focus on North Korea is nothing short of an obsession, a point that can be inferred from the words of CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

"I hardly ever escape a day at the White House without the President asking me about North Korea and how it is that the United States is responding to that threat," Pompeo told MSNBC in late June. "It's very much at the top of his mind."

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North Korea launches ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan: Seoul

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 4, 2017 1:51AM

North Korea says it has successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is capable of hitting anywhere in the world.

The North's state announced Tuesday that the "landmark" test was conducted under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un.

The Hwasong-14 ballistic missile reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and hit its target precisely after flying for 39 minutes, the report said.

The announcement seems to be in contradiction with earlier reports of the test by the US and South Korea, who said an intermediate-range missile had been launched.

Earlier, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said "North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea from the vicinity of Banghyon, North Pyongan province, at around 9:40 a.m.,"

The latest test comes just hours after US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to exert added pressure on North Korea over its missile and nuclear development programs.

Trump and Abe also agreed to hold trilateral talks on the subject of Pyongyang's nuclear activities with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, which begins Friday in Germany.

On June 3, the United Nations Security Council imposed a fresh array of sanctions on North Korea in response to a number of missile tests carried out by Pyongyang this year.

Unsettled by North Korean missile and nuclear programs, the US has adopted a war-like posture, sending a strike group and conducting joint military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries Japan and South Korea.

The US also recently deployed an advanced missile system on South Korean soil to counter potential threats from the North, angering Pyongyang.

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North Korea Claims Successful ICBM Test

RFE/RL July 04, 2017

North Korea claims it has successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that is capable reaching a target anywhere in the world.

North Korean state television reported that in a July 4 test-launch, the Hwasong-14 missile reached an altitude of 2,800 kilometers and hit its target after flying for 39 minutes.

Western weapons experts said the July 4 launch may be North Korea's most successful missile test. They described the weapon as an intermediate-range missile that may be powerful enough to reach Alaska.

The test is North Korea's latest step to develop a nuclear-weapons delivery system that is able to hit any part of the United States.

South Korea's military said the missile traveled 930 kilometers on July 4 before falling into the Sea of Japan near Japan's exclusive economic zone. That is just short of a medium-range ballistic missile.

Japan's government confirmed that the missile "greatly exceeded" the altitude of 2,500 kilometers, meaning the missile went into space before reentering Earth's atmosphere.

Japan said it believed the test involved an intermediate-range missile but was investigating whether it could have been an ICBM.

One U.S. missile scientist, David Wright, said that if the reported time and distance are correct, the missile would have had a very highly arched trajectory.

Based on the reported time and distance, Wright estimated that the missile could have a possible maximum range of 6,700 kilometers if it was fired at a normal trajectory.

That would put Alaska within in its range.

U.S. officials said the test appeared to involve an intermediate-range missile, but not an ICBM.

International Outcry

U.S. President Donald Trump reacted on Twitter, saying it's "hard to believe that South Korea...and Japan will put up with this much longer."

Trump urged North Korea's biggest ally, China, to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

In a joint statement, Russia and China said they agreed on the need for a simultaneous freezing of North Korea's missile and nuclear programs and large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea.

The statement was issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in the Kremlin.

It also said that Moscow and Beijing wanted Washington to immediately halt its deployment of the THAAD antimissile system to South Korea, a move the United States says is necessitated by the North Korean missile threat.

China earlier called for "restraint" by all parties following North Korea's latest test, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang saying Beijing firmly opposed any actions by North Korea that contravene UN Security Council resolutions on its missile launches.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry dismissed the analysis by scientists in the United States, Japan, and South Korea -- saying the missile reached an altitude of only 535 kilometers and traveled 510 kilometers from the launch site before it fell into the Sea of Japan.

Japan strongly protested what it said was a clear violation of United Nations resolutions.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned the test as a "reckless" provocation that violates UN Security Council resolution and the global demand for North Korea's denuclearization.

The missile was launched from an airfield northwest of North Korea's capital, Pyongyang.

It was the latest since Pyongyang fired several cruise missiles in early June and comes ahead of a Group of 20 economic powers meeting in Hamburg, Germany that will include South Korea, Japan, and their Western allies.

The launch came just days after South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump met in Washington and agreed that they should leave the door open to possible talks with North Korea on denuclearization.

The launch also occurred ahead of celebrations in the United States marking Independence Day on July 4. North Korea has previously test-fired missiles around the U.S. holiday.

Pyongyang has been working for years to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the continental United States.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and Yonhap

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/north-korea- test-launch-intermediate-range- ballistic-missile/28595030.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia, China Urge DPRK to Stop Nuke Tests, US and Seoul to Refrain From Drills

Sputnik News

17:15 04.07.2017(updated 18:33 04.07.2017)

The Russian and Chinese foreign ministries adopted a joint statement following the talks of the countries' leaders in Moscow on the issues of the Korean peninsula.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia and China called on North Korea to declare a moratorium on nuclear tests, while at the same time urging Washington and Seoul to refrain from holding joint drills.

"The sides suggest for North Korea, as a way of voluntary political settlement, to declare a moratorium on tests of nuclear explosive devices and test launches of ballistic missiles and for the United States and South Korea to refrain from carrying out large-scale joint exercises," the statement said.

Furthermore, the parties should "start negotiations and approve common principles of relations, including non-use of force, renunciation of violence, peaceful coexistence and intentions to make efforts for de-nuclearizing the Korean peninsula, aiming at a complex settlement of all issues, including the nuclear one," the statement said.

Russia and China are seriously concerned about the development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and are calling on all concerned sides to show restraint and refrain from provocative actions, according to the joint statement.

"The sides express serious concern over the development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and around it. The escalation of military and political tension in the region, which is fraught with an armed conflict, requires the international community to take collective measures to resolve the situation peacefully through dialogue and consultations," the statement said.

"The parties oppose any statements and actions leading to tension and aggravation of contradictions, call upon all the states involved to show restraint, to give up provocative actions and bellicose rhetoric, to demonstrate readiness for dialogue without preconditions, to jointly make active efforts to relieve tensions," it said.

Russia and China "are committed to the tasks of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and stress that dialogue and consultations are the only effective way to resolve the issues of the North Korean peninsula," the statement read.

Moscow and Beijng also called on the international community to support the initiative as one that could open "a real way toward settling the issues of the Korean peninsula," the statement added.

North Korea announced earlier in the day it had successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-14, at 00:30 GMT. It said the missile traveled 580 miles and reached an altitude of 1,740 miles during its 39-minute flight before "accurately hitting the target waters in the open sea" in the Sea of Japan.

Russia and China are against the military presence of outside forces in Northeast Asia under the pretext of countering North Korea's missile strikes, the statement said.

Russia and China oppose the deployment of US THAAD missile defense systems in Northeast Asia, the parties have agreed on measures to protect their security interests.

"The sides reaffirm that the deployment of THAAD missile defense systems in Northeast Asia seriously damages the interests of strategic security of regional states, including Russia and China, does not contribute to the goals of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, nor does it contribute to peace and stability in the region."

The document also notes that "Russia and China oppose the deployment of these systems, call upon the countries concerned to immediately stop and abolish this deployment, and agreed to take the necessary measures to protect the interests of the two countries in the security sphere, as well as to ensure strategic balance in the region."

 Sputnik

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China Counts on All Parties' Efforts to Solve N Korean Issue  Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

13:34 04.07.2017

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, China makes major efforts to help solve the North Korean nuclear and missile issues.

BEIJING (Sputnik)  China makes major efforts to help solve the North Korean nuclear and missile problems and hopes other relevant parties would act likewise to stabilize the situation in the region, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday.

"China will continue to make efforts to solve this problem. We hope that all the relevant sides will also make efforts. We hope that all parties will be able to work in the same direction to return the settlement of this problem on the path of dialogue and consultations," he said.

Around 00:40 GMT on Tuesday, North Korea test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14. It fell within Japan's 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

In response to North Koea's actions, US President Donald Trump suggested that China might help solve the issue "once and for all." Geng Shuang, commenting on Trump's words, stressed that Beijing's considerable efforts in North Korea settlement are acknowledged by everybody.

 Sputnik

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N Korea Launched Medium-Range Ballistic Missile - Russian MoD

Sputnik News

12:06 04.07.2017(updated 20:53 04.07.2017)

Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement Tuesday revealing that, according to their intelligence, North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile earlier in the day.

Earlier today, North Korean state broadcaster announced that the country had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. According to KCTV broadcaster, the Hwasong 14's 39-minute flight totaled 933 kilometers (580 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 2,802 kilometers.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference that Pyongyang launched the missile at 09:39 local time (00:39 GMT on Tuesday), which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan. According to Suga, the flight lasted for 40 minutes.

Russian early missile attack warning systems tracked North Korea's ballistic missile launch, Russian Ministry of Defense said, adding that the launch posed no threat to Russia.

"The launch was carried out in the direction away from the Russian borders and did not pose a danger to Russia," the ministry said in a statement. "The missile reached the altitude of 535 km [332 miles] and traveled 510 km [317 miles] before falling in the central Sea of Japan."

The intelligence revealed by Russia shows that Pyongyang launched a medium-range ballistic missile and not an ICBM.

"The parametric data of the ballistic target's trajectory matches the performance characteristics of a medium-range ballistic missile," the statement said.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has deteriorated in recent months due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The previous launch took place on June 8, when North Korea carried out a launch of short-range anti-ship missiles, reportedly flying some 124 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan.

 Sputnik

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China Monitoring Situation on Korean Peninsula After N Korea's Missile Launch

Sputnik News

12:03 04.07.2017

China is closely following the situation on the Korean peninsula following the recent ballistic missile launch by North Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Tuesday, stressing the need to avoid further escalation of the situation in the region.

BEIJING (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, North Korea launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The Hwasong-14's 39-minute flight totaled 933 kilometers (580 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 2,802 kilometers.

"At the moment, we are gathering information and closely monitoring the situation. We have repeatedly expressed our position on this issue. The UN Security Council resolutions have clear guidelines regarding North Korea's launches using missile and ballistic technologies. China is against any actions that violate these resolutions," Geng said.

The spokesperson called on Pyongyang to cease the activities violating the UN Security Council's resolutions and create necessary conditions for the resumption of talks.

Geng stressed that the situation on the Korean peninsula was very sensitive and complex, and expressed hope that the sides would be able to show restraint and avoid the increase of tensions in the region.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has been aggravated this year due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of the UNSC resolutions.

 Sputnik

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North Korean ICBM Could Travel Nearly 5,000 Miles

Sputnik News

11:44 04.07.2017(updated 11:50 04.07.2017)

North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile could reach a flight path of nearly 5,000 miles, South Korean media cited experts as saying Tuesday.

TOKYO (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, Pyongyang launched the missile at 09:39 local time (00:39 GMT on Tuesday), which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference. According to Suga, the flight lasted for 40 minutes.

"When launched at the right angle, the missile could reach up to 8,000 km [5,970 miles], experts have noted," the Yonhap news service said in a report on South Korean President Moon Jae-in's warning for Pyongyang not to cross a "point of no return."

According to the North Korean TV, the Hwasong-14's flight level reached 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and hit the target 930 kilometers (578 miles) apart after 39 minutes. According to the Japanese Kyodo news agency, the altitude was 2,500 kilometers.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has become aggravated in recent months due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The previous launch took place on June 8, when North Korea carried out a launch of short-range anti-ship missiles, reportedly flying some 124 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan.

 Sputnik

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China's Response to N Korea Missile Launch May End Crisis - Trump

Sputnik News

09:45 04.07.2017(updated 09:50 04.07.2017)

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that China's response to North Korean missile launch may end the crisis on the Korean peninsula right away, while Japan and South Korea will no longer tolerate Pyongyang's actions.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier on Tuesday, North Korea launched a ballistic missile at 09:39 (00:39 GMT), which fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan after 40 minutes of flight. Tokyo condemned actions and expressed a strong protest to Pyongyang over the incident, adding that the missile launch violates the UN Security Council's (UNSC) resolutions.

"North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un] have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said earlier in the day that he will have a trilateral meeting with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, where the leaders will discuss the crisis on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese official stressed that he also plans to urge Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to take a "more constructive" position on North Korea.

The situation on the Korean peninsula became aggravated this year due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of the UNSC resolutions.

 Sputnik

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North Korea Successfully Tests Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

Sputnik News

09:37 04.07.2017(updated 11:52 04.07.2017)

North Korean central television reported Pyongyang has successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Earlier in the day, Pyongyang launched the missile at 09:39 local time (00:39 GMT on Tuesday), which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference. According to Suga, the flight lasted for 40 minutes.

According to the North Korean TV, the Hwasong 14's flight level reached 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and hit the target 930 kilometers (578 miles) apart after 39 minutes. According to the Japanese Kyodo news agency, the altitude was 2,500 kilometers.

Suga called Pyongyang's missile launch a provocation and a blatant violation of the UN Security Council's resolutions.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has become aggravated in recent months due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The previous launch took place on June 8, when North Korea carried out a launch of short-range anti-ship missiles, reportedly flying some 124 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan.

 Sputnik

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N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Which Lands in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone

Sputnik News

04:03 04.07.2017(updated 08:24 04.07.2017)

North Korea has reportedly launched a ballistic missile Tuesday morning, just days after the South's new President Moon Jae-In and US President Donald Trump focused on de-escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula in their first summit.

The regime has test-fired another ballistic missile in violation of the international law, according to the South Korean military.

"North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea from the vicinity of Banghyon, North Pyongan Province, at around 9:40am," South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, as reported by RT.

According to Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, the missile fell into the country's exclusive economic zone.

"On Tuesday, at 09:39 [00:39 GMT on Tuesday] North Korea launched a ballistic missile. The flight has lasted for 40 minutes, the missile fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan. By this hour, there is no information on the damage inflicted to Japanese aircraft and ships," Suga said at the press conference.

On Monday, North Korea celebrated the day of strategic forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) with a statement in its state-run newspaper that the country's rockets may strike anywhere in the world.

The newspaper reminded about recent successful launches of ballistic missiles Hwasong-12, Pukguksong-2, as well as cruise missiles.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has become aggravated in recent months due to a series of missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang, all of which are claimed to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The previous launch took place on June 8, when North Korea carried out a launch of short-range anti-ship missiles, reportedly flying some 124 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan.

 Sputnik

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Putin, Xi Call For North Korean Freeze on Missile Tests

By VOA News July 04, 2017

Russia and China have agreed on a need for a freeze on North Korea's missile and nuclear programs as well as large-scale joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea.

Hours after Pyongyang announced a missile launch Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he would coordinate with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to promote their plan to combat North Korea's growing missile threat.

"We've agreed to robustly promote our joint initiative to find a solution to the Korean issue based on the Russian step-by-step program, and the Chinese ideas of concurrently freezing DPRK's nuclear activity, as well as United States' and South Korea's large joint military trainings," Putin told a news conference following a meeting between the two leaders in Moscow.

North Korea said it has successfully carried out the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, something that would be a crucial milestone in Pyongyang's effort to develop its nuclear weapons capability, despite repeated international warnings to the contrary.

The missile, which was launched from an airport near China's northeastern border with North Korea, landed in Japan's special economic zone, sending shockwaves through Tokyo's political establishment and confirming Beijing's inability to keep Pyongyang in check.

Later this week, the United States, South Korea and Japan will hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Nations summit in Hamburg, Germany, which the Russian and Chinese leaders are expected to attend.

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North Korea Missile Test Puts China on the Spot

By William Ide, Saibal Dasgupta July 04, 2017

North Korea said it has successfully carried out the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a crucial milestone in Pyongyang's efforts to develop its nuclear weapons capability, despite repeated international warnings to the contrary.

The missile, which was launched from an airport near China's northeastern border with North Korea, landed in Japan's special economic zone, sending shockwaves through Tokyo's political establishment and confirming Beijing's inability to keep Pyongyang in check.

NBC News cites two U.S. officials as saying the U.S. believes it was an intercontinental ballistic missile that North Korea tested Monday night.

The launch of the missile that North Korea claims can "hit anywhere in the world" will put additional pressure on Beijing to impose even tougher sanctions on Pyongyang. How it will ultimately respond is unclear.

The launch of the missile that North Korea claims can "hit anywhere in the world" will put additional pressure on Beijing to impose even tougher sanctions on Pyongyang. How it will ultimately respond is unclear.

At a regular news briefing Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing has made "relentless efforts" to resolve challenges on the Korean peninsula. He also said China's role is "indispensible" and called on all parties to exercise restraint to quickly ease tensions.

"[China] urges North Korea to refrain from acts that violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and instead create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations," Geng said.

Trump criticizes launch

Trump has been trying to get China to do more to put an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions, but late last month he said that while he "greatly appreciated" the efforts of President Xi Jinping and China to help, "It has not worked out. At least I know China tried!"

Even so, he renewed his call for more pressure from Beijing earlier on Tuesday in a Tweet shortly after the launch, but before North Korea said it was an ICBM. Trump said that "perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

Commenting on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un he also said, "Does this guy have anything better to with his life? Hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer."

And the U.S. Pacific Command said it is working with its interagency partners to assess and monitor North Korea's actions.

On Tuesday, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the latest missile test shows the North Korean threat has increased.

Later this week, the United States, South Korea and Japan will hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Nations summit in Hamburg, Germany.

"I will also ask (Chinese) President Xi Jinping and (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin to respond in a more constructive way," he added.

What will China do?

Cheng Xiaohe, a political science professor at Beijing's Renmin University, said that while it is still too early to tell what steps China might be willing to take or whether the United Nations will respond by only condemning the launch or enact a new round of sanctions.

"If new sanctions are enacted it should include new measures, such as a ban on North Korea-bound tourism, and bans on North Korean petrochemical products," Cheng said. "All of these are possible measures the Security Council could discuss."

Cheng said that more research of the launch is needed, but that appears to be a missile with the capability of traveling up to 10,000 kilometers. During the test, the missile climbed 2,800 kilometers before plunging in the sea.

David Wright, a physicist and co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a blog online that if reports are correct, the same missile could have a maximum range of roughly 6,700 km on a standard trajectory.

"That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska," Wright said.

Joyce Huang contributed to this story in Washington

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China, Russia urge calm, dialogue after North Korea missile test

Iran Press TV

Wed Jul 5, 2017 3:28PM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi have urged dialogue and restraint to cool down the current confrontations on the Korean Peninsula.

The two diplomats said in a recent joint statement that the international community should take collective measures to settle the current crisis peacefully instead of pushing it to an armed conflict.

The ministers said the countries concerned should exert restraint rather than make provocations. Military means should not become an option, said the two diplomats.

They also welcomed a Beijing-proposed dual-track approach of advancing denuclearization and establishing a peace mechanism in parallel. In this process, all parties concerned should be committed to establishing a regional security mechanism that is acceptable for all, the two ministers said.

Moscow and Beijing have encouraged simultaneous negotiations among rival parties to map out general principles of their relations, including the non-use of force, non-aggression, peaceful coexistence, and the willingness to solve the peninsula issues once and for all.

The UN Security Council resolutions should be fully implemented, said the statement, explaining that North Korea's reasonable concerns should be respected.

They also said the missile firing by North Korea was "unacceptable" and the move gravely violated relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

A proposal for de-escalation

Russia and China earlier called on North Korea, South Korea and the United States to sign up to a Chinese de-escalation plan designed to defuse tensions around Pyongyang's missile program.

The plan would see North Korea suspend its ballistic missile program and the United States and South Korea simultaneously call a moratorium on large-scale missile exercises.

The initiative was set out in a joint statement from the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries issued shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held wide-ranging talks in the Kremlin.

"The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries," the joint statement said, adding, "Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way."

It also demanded that the United States immediately halt its controversial deployment of an anti-missile system, known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to South Korea.

North Korea has successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it claims is capable of hitting anywhere in the world.

The Hwasong-14 ballistic missile reportedly reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and hit its target precisely after flying for 39 minutes.

The latest test came just hours after US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to exert added pressure on North Korea over its missile and nuclear development programs.

On June 3, the United Nations Security Council imposed a fresh array of sanctions on North Korea in response to a number of missile tests carried out by Pyongyang this year.

Unsettled by North Korean missile and nuclear programs, the United States has adopted a war-like posture, sending a strike group and conducting joint military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries Japan and South Korea.

North Korea accuses the United States of plotting with regional allies to overthrow its government. Pyongyang says it will not relinquish its nuclear deterrence unless the United States ends its hostile policy toward North Korea and dissolves the US-led UN command in South Korea.

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South Korea Skeptical of Pyongyang's Success in ICBM Development - Ministry

Sputnik News

05:33 05.07.2017(updated 08:46 05.07.2017)

The South Korean Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it is not sure whether Pyongyang has in fact achieved success in the development of the intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) as there is no proof that North Korea's missile returned to the atmosphere after the latest launch.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  North Korea announced on Tuesday that it had successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-14, at 00:30 GMT. It said the missile traveled 580 miles and reached an altitude of 1,740 miles during its 39-minute flight before "accurately hitting the target waters" in the Sea of Japan.

"Considering that the missile was launched from a fixed launch pad, and that we have yet to confirm whether [the missile] has re-entered [the atmosphere], there are still limits for us to conclude that the North has been successful in its ICBM development," the ministry said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

The ministry also pointed out that North Korea used the fixed land-based launch pad for the latest missile in order to avoid damage to its road-mobile pads as the launch appears to be of a research or development phase, according to the agency.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that North Korea's missile only reached a maximum altitude of 332 miles and flew only 316 miles. According to the ministry, "the parametric data of the ballistic target's flight correspond to tactical and technical characteristics of a medium-range ballistic missile."

 Sputnik

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Iran, Total sign a $5 billion energy deal

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Tue / 4 July 2017 / 12:07

Tehran (ISNA) - Iran signed a deal Monday with France's Total SA and China's state-run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to develop the South Pars offshore field, one of the world's largest natural-gas fields.

The $5 billion agreement is the first energy deal between foreign companies and Iran since the lifting of sanctions against Tehran.

The 20-year project involves 20 wells, two wellhead platforms, and to connect two existing facilities by underwater pipeline. A second phase includes constructing offshore compression facilities. The project's goals are to process 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day, the equivalent of about 400,000 barrels of oil. Total will have 50.1 percent stake in the deal, with CNPC taking 30 percent, and Petropars, a subsidiary of the state-run National Iranian Oil Company, 19.9 percent.

"This is a major agreement for Total, which officially marks our return to Iran to open a new page in the history of our partnership with the country," Total's CEO, Patrick Pouyanne said during the signing ceremony. "Total will develop the project in strict compliance with applicable national and international laws."

Hossein Amiri Khamkani, a member of Iran's parliamentary committee on energy, said the deal "breaks the taboo of American sanctions and opens the way for other companies."

"This contract will send a strong political message to the world especially at the time that the Americans have adopted a confrontational course (against Iran)," the head of the Iran's petroleum contracts committee, Mehdi Hosseini said.

"This shows that the world is not following their path," Hosseini added.

Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Iran's oil industry needs some $200 billion in investment over the next five years, and European firms have been hungrily eyeing opportunities in a country with the world's second-largest gas reserves and fourth-largest oil reserves.

Moreover, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with the Chairman and CEO of France's Total Company and described South Pars region as an important centre for developing international cooperation with Iran in the field of energy-technology.

End Item

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Canadian court upholds $1.7 billion ruling against Iran

Iran Press TV

Tue Jul 4, 2017 8:49AM

A Canadian court has accused Iran of supporting terrorism, upholding a previous ruling that requires the Islamic Republic to pay around $1.7 billion in damages to "American victims of terrorism."

Ontario's Court of Appeal rejected Iran's request to reconsider the ruling on Monday night, arguing that doing so would amount to a breach of Canada's Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act (JVTA).

The JVTA allows victims of terrorism to sue foreign states for damages.

The accusation came despite Iran's firm response to similar cases in the past, where various American and European courts had taken punitive measures against Tehran over unproven claims of complicity in terror.

The new case was brought by families of Americans citizens who had been killed in a series of attacks between 1980s and 2002, mostly blamed on Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements Hamas and Hezbollah.

The families claimed that the Iranian government supported the two organizations and was therefore responsible for their actions.

The complaints were first filed in the US but the claimants turned to Canada after finding out that the Iranian government had more properties and bank accounts there.

A one-story house in Toronto, an industrial building in Ottawa and two bank accounts were among the assets that were sought in the case.

Without offering further elaboration, the court also claimed in its ruling that Iran was seeking to "frustrate" the JVTA's implementation.

The Iranian government had reportedly told the court that it had immunity in the case. It had also argued that the judgment was against international law and exceeded the maximum damages allowable in Canadian law.

Tehran also argued that the victims had to prove Iran's role in each attack instead of just repeating the US government's baseless allegations.

The court said Iran was only immune in terrorism cases that had occurred before January 1985, when Canada's State Immunity Act was passed.

A recurring trend

Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled that around $2 billion had to be turned over to the American families of the people killed in a 1983 bombing in Beirut and other attacks blamed on Iran.

Likening the act to "highway robbery," Iran said back then that it would seek reparations.

The trend of the unfair rulings continued in March, when a New York court ordered Iran to pay $7.5 billion in damage to families of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and $3 billion to a group of insurers over related claims.

The ruling surprised many since Washington had clearly blamed the attacks on the al-Qaeda terror group and even investigated members of Saudi Arabia's royal family who had proven ties to the terrorist organization.

Various investigations have revealed that 15 of the 19 plane hijackers involved in the attacks were Saudi nationals and some of them had received big sums of money from Saudi royals.

The ruling lost even more weight in September, after the US Congress passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), clearing the path to sue Saudi Arabia for the tragic death of over 3,000 people.

It was reported in March, however, that a judge in Luxembourg had quietly put a freeze on $1.6 billion in assets belonging to the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) to compensate the 9/11 victims.

The Canadian court's ruling came days after yet another anti-Iran ruling by a US court, which allowed the American government to seize an Iranian charity's office tower in New York City over claims that it was used to breach Iran sanctions.

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UN chief appoints head of panel laying groundwork for possible war crimes probe in Syria

3 July 2017  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today announced the appointment of Catherine Marchi-Uhel of France as the head of the independent panel to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for most serious violations of international law in Syria.

The panel, formally known as the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Those Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011, was established by the UN General Assembly in December last year.

Ms. Marchi-Uhel is the first Head of the Mechanism.

Since 2015, she had been serving as the Ombudsperson for the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.

According to a statement issued today, she also has extensive experience in the judiciary and in public service, including in the fields of criminal law, transitional justice and human rights.

She was previously a judge in France and an international judge at the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, and at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Ms. Marchi-Uhel also served as the Senior Legal Officer and Head of Chambers at the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and worked in legal positions at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with UN peacekeeping missions.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka appointed head of UN Women for the second term

Also today, Mr. Guterres following consultations with UN Member States and the Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women), announced the appointment of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of South Africa as Executive Director of UN Women for a further term of four years.

She was initially appointed to the position in July 2013 and assumed office a month later.

Before joining UN Women, she worked with women and girls in different capacities in civil society and as a public representative, focusing on political and economic rights as well as girls' education.

Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka was the also first woman to hold the position of Deputy President of South Africa (2005-2008). She also held a number of senior positions at the South African Government as well as in the country's parliament.

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Fifth Round Of Syria Peace Talks Under Way In Astana

RFE/RL July 04, 2017

Diplomats from Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the United States have begun a fifth round of Syria peace talks in Astana with the Syrian government and representatives of some Syrian opposition groups.

Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations secretary-general's special envoy on Syria, is also attending the two-day meeting in Kazakhstan's capital.

The Astana talks -- sponsored by Russia, Iran, and Turkey -- are separate negotiations from UN-sponsored talks in Geneva.

The meetings were reportedly focusing on a December cease-fire under a de-escalation agreement that was brokered in Astana by Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

After a series of meetings in Astana, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for the Syrian settlement, Aleksandr Lavrentyev, said Russia might deploy its military to police the borders of de-escalation zones in Syria within two to three weeks after finalizing a deal with Turkey and Iran.

Moscow, Ankara, and Tehran are yet to agree the details of the plan, the Russian diplomat told reporters, saying, "Everything will be discussed today and tomorrow."

Meanwhile, a representative of Syria's opposition in Astana was quoted as saying that the rebels disagreed with Iran monitoring de-escalation areas.

"No, we don't agree," Interfax news agency quoted Yaher Abdrahim as saying. "The entire opposition does not agree to the Iranian forces' presence."

Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said there were nine representatives of Syria's armed opposition at the talks on July 4.

But he said the delegation did not include armed opposition leader Muhammad Alloush, who led opposition delegates at earlier rounds of the Astana talks in January, February, and May.

When asked who was in charge of the Syrian armed opposition's delegation, Abdrakhmanov told reporters, "That's their internal affair."

The armed opposition did not take part in the third round of negotiations hosted by Kazakhstan.

Besides Lavrentyev, the Astana talks were being attended by Syrian envoy Bashar al-Jaafari, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hoessein Jaberi Ansari, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, and the acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Near East affairs bureau, Stuart Jones.

Fighting In Raqqa

Shortly before the talks in Astana began, the U.S. military announced that U.S.-backed opposition forces in Syria had breached the wall surrounding the Old City of Raqqa in their battle to take the city from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

"Coalition forces supported the [Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF] advance into the most heavily fortified portion of Raqqa by opening two small gaps in the Rafiqah Wall that surrounds the Old City," U.S. Central Command said late on July 3.

Centcom said the SDF faced heavy resistance at the wall from IS fighters who used it as a combat position and planted mines and improvised explosive devices against advancing forces.

"Conducting targeted strikes on two small portions of the wall allowed coalition and partner forces to breach the Old City at locations of their choosing, denied ISIS the ability to use pre-positioned mines...protected SDF and civilian lives, and preserved the integrity of the greatest portion of the wall," the U.S. statement said.

"The portions targeted were 25-meter sections and will help preserve the remainder of the overall 2,500-meter wall," it added.

IS militants, who are not taking part in the Syrian peace talks in Astana or Geneva, have lost control of large swathes of territory they had seized in Syria in recent years.

The IS has said that Raqqa is its self-declared capital within Syria.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/syria-astana-talks-continue- sdf-breaches-raqqa-wall/28595257.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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US Strengthens Presence in Northern Syria

Sputnik News

21:05 04.07.2017(updated 22:07 04.07.2017)

A senior representative of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on condition of anonymity told Sputnik Turkey that the United States continues to actively strengthen its military presence in northern Syria.

"The US is setting up its military bases in the territories that were liberated from Daesh by our fighters during the fight against terrorism," the source said.

He further said that earlier the US set up their bases in Kobani, Manbij, Hasakah, al-Shadadi and al-Hawl.

"Now they have set up a base in the region of the recently liberated Tabqa near the reservoir of the same name. This base will be actively used in autumn in the framework of the Raqqa operation and also in the Deir ez-Zor operation," the source said.

As noted by the representative, the number of US military bases in Syria, taking into account the newly established base in Tabka, has increased to eight.

According to the source, in the future the US intends to continue increasing its number of bases in the country. Russia and Iran are the only foreign powers which have been authorized by the Syrian government to wage war against terrorist groups within the country.

Meanwhile, the US-led coalition's airstrikes continue to result in civilian deaths in Syria.

An airstrike carried out by the US-led coalition on a village in the northern part of Syria left nine civilians dead, SANA (Syrian Arab News Agency) reported on Tuesday.

"Under the pretext of fighting ISIS (the internationally-condemned terrorist group Daesh) US-led coalition warplanes launched an aggressive strike against the village of Kishik Zyyanat 15 km to the south of al-Shadadi City in the southeast of the province," SANA reported, citing local and media sources.

On June 28, a series of coalition strikes killed at least 40 civilians in a community in Deir ez-Zor province, SANA reported, citing local sources. The majority of the victims were women and children.

 Sputnik

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US-Backed Syrian Rebels Break Through Daesh's Defenses in Raqqa Old City

Sputnik News

13:14 04.07.2017(updated 14:56 04.07.2017)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by the US-led international coalition have reached the old city in Raqqa, advancing into its most heavily fortified enclave and overcoming the defenses of Daesh terrorist group, the coalition press service said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the statement, Daesh militants were using the historical wall as a fighting position, planting improvised explosive devices and mines between several of the gaps in the wall.

"Overcoming heavy ISIS [Daesh] resistance, the Syrian Democratic Forces breached the Old City of Raqqah, July 3. Coalition forces supported the SDF advance into the most heavily fortified portion of Raqqah [Raqqa] by opening two small gaps in the Rafiqah Wall that surrounds the Old City," the coalition said in a press release.

The operation to recapture Raqqa was launched by the SDF on June 6. The terrorist group took control of the city and declared it Daesh's capital in Syria on January 13, 2014.

The SDF was formed in 2015 as the defense force of northern Syria's de facto autonomous Rojava federation and is supported by the US-led coalition. The group is among the forces fighting Daesh and brings together Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and Turkmen fighters, among others.

 Sputnik

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Russia, Turkey, Iran Fail To Agree On Details Of Syria De-Escalation Zones

RFE/RL July 05, 2017

Diplomats from Russia, Iran, and Turkey have failed to reach agreement on final details regarding so-called "de-escalation zones" in parts of war-torn Syria.

However, Moscow's chief negotiator at a fifth round of Syria peace talks in Astana said on July 5 that the basic framework had been "essentially agreed."

"We have not yet managed directly to establish the de-escalation zones," Aleksandr Lavrentyev said after two days of meetings in the Kazakh capital.

Lavrentyev said that specifics of the zones, such as the territory they cover and what forces would participate, still "need finalizing."

He added that Turkish officials had requested additional time to coordinate their participation in the zones designed to separate rebel fighters and government troops of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Lavrentyev also said Russia has called on member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States to consider providing military observers for the potential de-escalation zones.

On July 4, a representative of Syria's opposition in Astana said the armed opposition disagrees with a proposal for Iran's military to monitor the areas because Iranian forces are armed combatants who fight on the side of the Syrian government's troops.

"No, we don't agree," Interfax news agency cited Yaher Abdrahim as saying. "The entire opposition does not agree to the Iranian forces' presence."

Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said Russia, Turkey, and Iran had agreed to meet in Tehran on August 1-2 in an effort to settle the outstanding disagreements on the zones. The co-sponsors scheduled the next round of Astana talks for the end of August.

Lavrentyev said ahead of the talks that he planned to meet with opposition delegates attending the session and hear "what they think about how to reach an agreement" with Assad and "how to reduce tensions."

Staffan de Mistura, the UN secretary-general's special envoy on Syria -- who attended the Astana meeting -- emphasized that the de-escalation zones are temporary measures and that a wider political solution is necessary to settle the conflict.

Besides Lavrentyev, the Astana talks were attended by Syrian envoy Bashar al-Jaafari, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hoessein Jaberi Ansari, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, and the acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Near East Affairs Bureau, Stuart Jones.

Negotiations over Syria's future are separated into two elements. One, in Astana, is co-sponsored by Russia, Turkey, and Iran and concerns immediate cease-fire conditions.

Talks in Geneva are sponsored by the UN and center on a longer-term political solution. The next session in Geneva will be held on July 10, officials said.

The Syrian war broke out in 2011 when Assad's government cracked down on antigovernment demonstrations.

Russia and Iran back Assad's government, while the United States and Turkey support different rebel groups.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/astana- talks-syria-russia-iran-peace-talks -assad/28597252.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Suspects In Downing Of MH17 To Be Prosecuted In Dutch Court

RFE/RL July 05, 2017

The Dutch Foreign Ministry says the suspects in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine will be prosecuted in a Dutch court.

The ministry's announcement on July 5 did not name the suspects in the July 17, 2014, tragedy, which killed 298 people from 17 different countries.

But an international criminal investigation determined in 2016 that the MH17 passenger jet was shot down by a Buk antiaircraft missile fired from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that conducted the international investigation also determined that the Buk missile system had been brought into Ukraine from Russia shortly before the MH17 was shot down and then smuggled back to Russia shortly afterward.

Russia has rejected the JIT's conclusions.

"We're still seeing a great deal of disinformation and attempts to discredit the investigation" by the JIT, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a July 5 statement.

"Nevertheless, major results have been achieved," Koenders said, including "the report of the investigation by the Dutch Safety Board and the JIT's presentation of findings in September 2016."

"What's more," he said, "the ongoing criminal investigation enjoys virtually unanimous support from the international community."

Koenders said the decision to conduct the trial in a Dutch court was made by the countries jointly investigating the crash -- Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine, and the Netherlands.

Koenders said those countries will continue to cooperate on the prosecution and that the trial will cover all of the victims.

"In this way, the JIT countries are jointly heeding the UN Security Council's call to hold those responsible for this incident to account," Koenders said. "We have every confidence that we can continue to count on broad international support. And I will continue to do my utmost to ensure that this remains the case."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/mh17-suspects-to-be-prosecuted- dutch-court-ukraine-russia/28597119.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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St. Francois County Coroner Jim Coplin was hospitalized Monday with what has been described by Sheriff Dan Bullock as "a light stroke."

With Coplin still hospitalized and undergoing tests as of Tuesday afternoon, Bullock explained that he will be handling the duties of coroner for the immediate future.

"The assistant coroner  Capt. Greg Armstrong  would normally have that responsibility, but he's in Green River, Wyoming, so it falls to me," he said. "We've also been in contact with Washington County Coroner Brian DeClue and he's going to help out if there's anything we need. In the meantime, I'm it."

Bullock expressed his best wishes and that of other county employees for Coplin's full and rapid recovery.

"We're hoping Jim is up and around again soon," he said. "They were planning to run tests on him around 4 p.m. Tuesday and see how things are going, so the family should know more after those results are in."
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.
North County Primary is one of several schools to be recognized once again this year for their achievement in Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support.

This year 165 Missouri public and charter schools will be recognized for exemplary implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS).

SW-PBS is a proactive approach to teaching behavioral expectations in order to improve student behavior and maximize instructional time and student engagement. North County Primary Assistant Principal Laura Momot said this will be their second year to receive a gold status.

They will have two teachers represent their school and receive the gold recognition.

North County Primary prides itself in being and providing a safe and nurturing environment where students can learn, said Momot. PBS is a means to carry out our school mission and vision as teachers, students, and community work together.

Momot said teachers, staff, and administrators provide the support so that students are safe, respectful and responsible.

We take a team approach to discipline. We set high behavioral expectations and teach and practice those expectations, said Momot. Our data demonstrates PBS is effective because our bus referrals and office referrals have declined.

This is an awesome accomplishment for our building and it shows that our PBS team works together, said Momot. We work every day to provide the students with the positive interaction to help each of them be successful.

We have been in PBS for over 10 years and each year we keep working harder to implement PBS, said Momot.

She said they work on it every year and they use their data in order to improve on their procedures.

North County was honored with the other schools during the opening ceremonies of an annual conference in mid-June at Tan-Tar-A at Lake of the Ozarks.
Ottawa, July 5, 2017 - Carube Copper Corp. (TSXV: CUC) is pleased to report the results from PVT-17-004, the initial hole drilled in a 2,000m program within the 100% owned Bellas Gate Project in Jamaica.

Results from PVT-17-004 include:

continuous copper mineralization over 340.1m from 45.3 to 385.4m, hole ending in mineralization; and

a 55.3m interval yielding 0.51% CuEq1 including a higher-grade section containing 14m of 1.04% CuEq1

Drill Hole

From (m) To (m) Length (m)2 Au ppm %Cu %CuEq1 PVT-17-004

45.30 385.40 340.10 0.09 0.20 0.25 Including

45.30 204.00 158.70 0.05 0.16 0.19 Including

204.00 240.13 36.13 0.12 0.23 0.30 Including

251.45 306.75 55.30 0.27 0.35 0.51 and Including 253.00 267.00 14.00 0.71 0.62 1.04 Including

306.75 385.40 78.65 0.05 0.17 0.19

Jeff Ackert, President and CEO of Carube Copper commented, "The wide intersection of continuous mineralization and alteration in this drill hole, along with the evidence from surface exploration, confirms that the Provost Prospect represents a genuine copper-gold porphyry. The higher-grade zone in PVT-17-004 seems to be similar to the zone intersected in Hole PVT-16-002 and could represent peripheral veining and overprinting in the upper portions of the copper porphyry system."

PVT-17-004 builds on similar mineralization that was intersected in hole PVT-16-002 which returned:

continuous copper mineralization over 339.15m from 29.0 to 368.2m, hole ends in mineralization; and

a 10m interval yielding 1.79% CuEq3

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m)2 Au ppm %Cu %CuEq1 PVT-16-002 29.00 368.15 339.15 0.12 0.28 0.34 including 80.00 93.00 13.00 0.16 0.41 0.50 including 138.00 148.00 10.00 0.90 1.28 1.79 including 189.00 204.00 15.00 0.24 0.38 0.52

1 CuEq (Copper equivalents) are calculated using a US $3.00/lb. copper and a US$1200 per ounce gold price assuming unlimited internal dilution and 100% recovery of both metals

2 The intervals do not necessarily indicate true width of mineralization, as its geometry is not known.

3 Previously announced in Press Release of July 22, 2016

Sample Preparation, Analysis and Quality Control: For a description of these items as pertaining to drill core and soil samples please see disclosure on Carube Copper's website at http://www.carubecopper.com/legal_notices.html Carube Copper and Activation Laboratories all have robust sample security and quality control programs in place for samples collected in Jamaica.

A second hole has been completed at Provost, which also intersected copper mineralization; assay results are pending. Further drilling is anticipated once the results from the second hole have been received. Drilling is presently on-going at the Provost SE Prospect, one of the five high priority targets scheduled for drilling in 2017.

Further Details: Geology, Alteration and Mineralization in Hole PVT-17-004

PVT-17-004 was drilled to expand a zone of newly discovered mineralization that was drilled in 2016. It targeted a zone beneath a significant copper-gold soil anomaly that is also coincident with a favourable porphyry "signature" combining geology, alteration, soil geochemistry, and geophysics.

The hole encountered mostly volcanic andesite along with several narrow monzonite to hornblende porphyritic dykes throughout, ranging in age from pre-mineral to post-mineral. Chlorite-sericite alteration was encountered briefly at the beginning of the hole but graded into potassic alteration comprised of k-feldspar, magnetite and biotite, which continued until the end of hole.

Veining and mineralization encountered in PVT-17-004 included quartz, quartz-carbonate, quartz-pyrite, quartz-magnetite, quartz-magnetite-chalcopyrite+/-bornite, chalcopyrite-pyrite+/-bornite sulfide veins, as well as disseminated, fracture filling and hairline copper sulfides. Veining intensity was variable throughout ranging from weak to intense. Copper mineralization as copper sulphides ranged anywhere from 0.1% up to 5.0%, being mostly coincident with veining intensity. Chalcopyrite+/-bornite was encountered at the bottom of the hole leaving potential for expansion horizontally and vertically within the 28 hectare Provost Prospect.

QP Statement: This press release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Shannon Baird, P.Geo., Carube Copper's Exploration Manager in his capacity as a qualified person as defined under NI 43-101

Additional Corporate Information

The company's outstanding share capital now stands at 107,752,208 common shares, following the June 22nd issuance of 379,000 common shares resulting from the maturity of 379,000 Restricted Share Units granted in 2016, together with the recently announced debt settlement issuances of 3,108,696 common shares.

Wholly Owned Projects

Carube is focused on the exploration and development of copper and gold projects in Jamaica and Canada. In Jamaica, Carube Copper holds a 100% interest in 11 licenses, totalling 535 square kilometres. In Canada, it holds a 100% interest in three porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum properties, totalling 492 square kilometres within the Tertiary-aged Cascade Magmatic Arc in southwestern British Columbia. Carube is currently drilling on its Bellas Gate Project in Jamaica where it has recently intersected over 340m of continuous copper and gold mineralization at the Provost Prospect.

Contacts

Jeff Ackert, President and CEO  1-613-839-3258  jackert@carubecopper.com

Vern Rampton, VP of Corporate Development  1-613-839-3258  vrampton@carubecopper.com

www.carubecopper.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Carube Copper Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Factors which cause results to differ materially are set out in the Company's documents filed on SEDAR. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward looking statements".

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Carube Copper hereby incorporates the entire disclaimer set forth on its website at http://www.carubecopper.com/uploads/1/6/5/2/16521880/disclaimers-and-forward-statements.pdf


Hope soared at the State House just after 10 p.m. Monday when Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon struck a deal for a bipartisan budget bill and an end to Maine's three-day government shutdown.The House of Representatives voted 147-2 in favor of the deal at nearly 1 a.m. Tuesday and the Senate followed suit 35-0. LePage signed the budget into law.At around 9:45 p.m., the House convened briefly send the budget back to the conference committee, said Gideon at the rostrum. The Senate quickly did so a few minutes later.Gideon, D-Freeport, then joined five other members of a special budget committee to vote on the compromise that aims to end the shutdown. At 10:30 p.m., that group met and sent the new budget agreement to the full Legislature."We have reached an agreement," Gideon said.Legislative staff then began preparing documents to send the roughly $7.1 billion two-year spending plan into law.According to Rep. Patricia Hymanson, D-York, House chairwoman of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, key elements of the deal include negating the proposed lodging tax increase, which LePage and Republicans have treated as a poison pill.In exchange, Hymanson said, Democrats were able to secure two items they have been fighting for this year: One is a two-year moratorium on changes to the funding structure for the state's behavioral health system, which the Department of Health and Human Services has been trying to implement since a 2016 Burns & Associates report. The other item is the allocation of more federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding for early childhood education programs."I am just delighted with these changes," said Hymanson. "They're thrilling."Rep. Deb Sanderson, R-Chelsea, the ranking Republican on the Health and Human Services Committee and who has voted against previous budget deal attempts, said she will support this one."I think these items are very modest, very reasonable requests that when you are in the negotiation process are certainly two options that we were happy to consider in order to not raise taxes and close the budget," said Sanderson.House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, said his caucus and the governor support the deal, though it will take time for the process to unfold to enactment."The challenge was to get to a budget that would bring the governor along," said Fredette. "To get him to sign this budget is amazing. This will be done tonight."Rod Hiltz, director of the Maine State Employees Association, which represents thousands of state employees, said the deal is welcome and that it means no state workers would lose pay as a result of the shutdown."We got what we needed for our workers and to us, that's a victory," he said.The developments capped a dramatic day at the State House.After an early afternoon House vote fell nine votes short of the two-thirds support needed to pass the budget as an emergency measure -- and possibly override a likely veto from LePage -- lawmakers again dragged the day's work into darkness with another game of who-will-blink-first with the governor.During the afternoon, LePage lobbied lawmakers and promised that he would either sign the bill immediately or sit on it for 10 days before vetoing it -- extending the shutdown -- depending on whether legislators meet his demands.Adding to the scenario was news that LePage reportedly is planning to leave Maine. Early Monday, a spokeswoman for Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau of Winterport said the governor informed GOP senators that he has a trip planned."He told the Senate president and another senator that he will be leaving town until [July 14]," wrote Krysta West, a spokeswoman for Senate Republicans. "He didn't mention a destination."Peter Steele, LePage's communications director, said social media posts and rumors that LePage is going on vacation were "100 percent fake news." When asked whether LePage plans to travel outside Maine in the next few days, Steele wouldn't answer."Instead of reporting fake news from Twitter, the Maine media should be asking [House] Speaker [Sara] Gideon when she is going to send a budget to the governor's desk that does not raise taxes on Maine families and businesses," was Steele's entire response.LePage and his staff later told WCSH and the Portland Press Herald that he does not have a trip planned.LePage proposed raising the lodging tax to 10.5 percent in his original budget plan back in January, but it was part of a tax change package that included a much larger income tax cut. Earlier on Monday, Gideon had said that eliminating the proposed increase was "off the table," but the late changes to human services program funding appeared to have altered that stance.Gideon said late Monday that funding for the direct care workers will be an issue that she hopes can be addressed next year in a supplemental budget bill."Getting government reopened was my priority but this process, I don't want anyone to forget, was upside-down," Gideon said. "We were all taken hostage in this process, every legislator in this building and every person in this state, by the governor forcing us into this shutdown. I'm glad we're on our way out but this never should have happened."
The government shutdown in New Jersey is over.Lawmakers in Trenton late Monday broke through the impasse that had kept them from adopting the state budget, triggered the shutdown over the weekend, and frayed tempers among the public."Everything will be open probably starting tomorrow," State Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) told a hastily called 10 p.m. news conference at the Statehouse.He said he and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, also a Democrat, had resolved their dispute over Gov. Christie's insistence on having legislation to restructure the state's largest health insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, approved prior to signing the budget. Without such a measure, Christie had threatened to veto Democratic priorities in the budget.Sweeney called the $34.7 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2018 "the best budget we've seen in 10 years."Christie had demanded that "excess" surplus at Horizon be used in part to provide health care to underserved residents. Prieto and others objected, with the speaker at one point likening the governor's demand to "extortion." Sweeney was inclined to go along with Christie's demand.At the news conference, Prieto said that any excess reserves now would be returned to policyholders and that the state would not be able to touch the company's money.Legislators were expected to vote on the Horizon measure and the budget later in the night.Speaking to reporters at 11 p.m. Christie declared he had reformed Horizon and said, "I'll sign the budget tonight."The developments came hours after legislative leaders met with Robert Marino, CEO of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the nonprofit at the center of the shutdown, which began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday after lawmakers failed to meet the constitutional deadline to pass the budget for the new fiscal year.Around 9:45 pm, Horizon executive Bill Castner told reporters that Marino had met again with legislative leaders. Castner said he believed a resolution to the shutdown was in sight.Lawmakers began trickling into the Statehouse for possible votes and legislative leaders scheduled their news conference.The issue: Christie pledged to line-item veto Democratic-backed spending if lawmakers did not also pass a bill to reshape Horizon. Christie, a Republican, wanted to require the company to dedicate "excess" surplus to policyholders and public health programs.But Prieto (D., Hudson) refused to hold a vote on the Horizon bill, calling the bill a "tax" on Horizon's policyholders. As a result, some Democrats did not vote on the budget, because they didn't want Christie to veto spending priorities such as school funding.Earlier in the day Monday, after the meeting with Marino and Sweeney, Prieto told reporters that he had instructed his staff to draft legislation on Horizon."We're making progress," he said. "We will hopefully be voting on a budget soon."Sweeney said he was hopeful of reaching a compromise on the Horizon legislation."It could move quickly if there's an agreement," he said.In a statement after the settlement, Prieto said he had stood up for "sound public policy.""Horizon ratepayers -- a significant part of our state's population -- will not be unfairly taxed, as previous plans allowed," he said.State Sen. Joseph F. Vitale (D., Middlesex), a Sweeney ally and chairman of the Health, Human Services and Senior Services Committee, said in a statement he was offering legislation that would "expand transparency and accountability" at Horizon by adding two public members to its board, requiring enhanced financial reporting, and setting a cap on its reserves.Between 30,000 and 35,000 state workers were estimated to be furloughed during the shutdown, according to Christie's spokesman. Christie has said they would not receive back pay.State parks, motor vehicle offices, and other services deemed nonessential were closed, while services including the state police, prisons, and the lottery continued to operate.Chief Justice Stuart Rabner ordered state courts closed for all except emergency or essential operations.State Superior Court Judge Ronald Bookbinder, the assignment judge for Burlington County, said that the shutdown Monday had little impact on scheduled court business. "A day like today is normally calm because many people, whether it's lawyers or litigants, did not plan to come to court on Monday, July 3," he said, while sitting in his office at the county courthouse in Mount Holly."Essential operations" -- arraignments and other emergent matters -- were conducted Monday in a few courtrooms as planned, but also were minimal, he said. "We anticipated the possibility of a shutdown last week and we had meetings and were prepared. Now we're executing those plans," he said, adding that there was no confusion.As the shutdown had unfolded Saturday, many visitors to local Motor Vehicle Commission agencies and campgoers denied access to state parks were among those taken by surprise."Everybody is very upset," said one camper from New York whose group was turned away at Wharton State Forest.Christie defended his family's stay over the weekend at Island Beach State Park, which was closed to the public, but where the governor has a residence. Although Christie told reporters Sunday that he "didn't get any sun," a Star-Ledger photographer took aerial photos of the governor and his family on the beach earlier that day.Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who is running to succeed Christie, said Monday that the photos were "beyond words."Sweeney declined to comment on the governor's time at the beach. Asked whether he had got any sun, Sweeney, while not particularly tanned, quipped, "This is [from] my blood pressure."
Illinois lawmakers are one crucial step away from ending the record state budget impasse following a flurry of activity on Independence Day that saw the Senate override Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes of a tax hike and spending plan.The measures now await action in the House, where 15 Republicans broke ranks with the governor over the weekend to approve the budget package and stave off further destruction to universities, social services and possibly the state's credit rating.Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, the Republican governor's chief nemesis in a budget battle that's consumed state government for more than two years, said he expected the package of bills to eventually become law.When and if that would happen is another question. Just 54 of 118 House members were in town Tuesday. That wasn't enough to do any official business, much less attempt an override, which would require 71 votes to be successful.While some House Democrats said they expected an override vote to be held Thursday, a Madigan spokesman said nothing is "firm."Rauner did not appear in public Tuesday and has not taken journalists' questions for weeks. He announced his veto via Facebook."I just vetoed Speaker Madigan's 32% permanent income tax (rate) increase,'" the governor said on his Facebook page, with an accompanying image showing him using his veto stamp on a large pile of paperwork.Last week, as a special session was underway before Saturday's start of a new budget year, Rauner took to Twitter to try to build pressure for a deal."At my desk preparing for a balanced budget to arrive," the governor's Twitter account said, alongside a picture of Rauner sitting at his desk. "Lawmakers need to come together & get this done for Illinois. Time is running out."The budget sent to Rauner got votes from both Democrats and Republicans, but he still vetoed it because it didn't include his economic agenda. The governor's contradictory social media statements illustrate the politics at play in the historic budget impasse.While both sides say publicly that they are eager to end the stalemate, neither wants to shoulder the blame for raising taxes to do so. And while each side has appeared content to let the budget impasse play out until the other side caves, neither wants to be known as the one responsible for tanking Illinois' credit score as New York ratings agencies have threatened to downgrade its debt to junk status.Rauner has long cast himself as reluctantly willing to approve tax hikes, but only alongside other items on his wish list, including a property tax freeze and changes to workers' compensation, which he says will spur job growth and change the state's economic trajectory.The Democrats who control the legislature have resisted Rauner's agenda, contending that it would hurt the middle class. In recent months, Democrats have approved legislation that speaks to Rauner's agenda items, but the governor contends they're watered down versions of what he's seeking.By vetoing the budget legislation, Rauner is able to say he acted to protect taxpayers from a tax hike. Lawmakers who vote to override him risk being blamed when voters feel the pinch to their wallets.That's why Madigan and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton had spent the first two years of the impasse insisting that any tax hike would have to include Republican votes. But mounting pressure for a deal, felt most intensely by Downstate lawmakers whose districts are home to universities that have been hit especially hard by the budget impasse, caused rank-and-file House Republicans to break from the governor on Sunday.The Senate did not see a similar revolt Tuesday. Just one Republican joined 35 Democrats in voting for the income tax increase and then to override Rauner's veto hours later. Thirty-six was the minimum number required for each.Two Senate Democrats voted no: Sen. Julie Morrison of Deerfield and Sen. Tom Cullerton of Villa Park. Both likely will face tough re-election challenges. Democratic Sen. Bill Haine of Alton, who has been undergoing treatment for blood cancer since February, traveled to the Capitol to vote for the plan.Sen. Dale Righter of Mattoon, the lone Senate Republican to vote yes, noted the damage done to Eastern Illinois University in his district."Every dollar that we throw onto the backlog of bills is a dollar the next generation has to pay for even though we got to spend it," Righter said. "That's simply wrong, and that is the basis for which I support this."Righter dismissed questions about whether he would face retribution from Rauner in the form of a primary challenger, saying he informed the governor's office and Republican leadership of his decision. Righter is not up for re-election in 2018."I enjoy as much as anyone the sometimes caricature the media likes to paint of the governor as this angry, vengeful guy," Righter said. "I've spoken with the governor's office, I spoke with my leader, Bill Brady, and both were very respectful, they understood very well that I had to represent my district."The Senate votes came after an earlier breakdown of talks between the two sides.For months, then-Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont had worked to cut a deal with John Cullerton, but their efforts proved unsuccessful after Rauner became involved and made a series of demands that Democrats rejected. Chief among those was a refusal to sign on to a permanent income tax increase unless lawmakers also put in place a permanent property tax freeze, which Democrats said was politically popular but could wreak havoc on the budgets of local schools and governments that rely on those dollars.Radogno stepped down with Saturday's start of the new budget year. Her leadership post now belongs to Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, who acted as a go-between for Rauner's office during those talks.Brady praised the "bipartisan participation that this chamber has shown over the last several months," but asked for voting to be delayed to try to reach a final agreement that incorporates changes sought by Rauner, including a property tax freeze and changes to the state's workers' compensation system."It's regrettable that I stand today not capable of supporting this package," Brady said. "Not necessarily because what's in the package is bad but because it is incomplete."Sen. Toi Hutchinson, a Democrat from Olympia Fields who carried the tax legislation, noted that the package before lawmakers was the product of several years of negotiations and incorporates ideas from both sides. The tax rate is lower than Democrats initially wanted due to pushback from Republicans, and the spending plan includes across-the-board cuts Democrats have historically opposed."We could not get as far as you wanted us to go, and I understand that," Hutchinson said in floor remarks directed at Brady. "In some areas, we did way more than we wanted to do. We'd like you to understand that."Under the tax portion of the budget, the personal income tax rate would increase from the current 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, which would generate roughly $4.3 billion. An increase in the corporate income tax rate from 5.25 percent to 7 percent would bring in an additional $460 million. Some of the money could be used to cover the cost of borrowing to pay down unpaid bills, Democrats said.The legislation also would reinstate the research and development tax credit, which would expire in 2022, and increase the earned income tax credit for low-income families. It also would end several corporate tax breaks, including those for companies that operate on the continental shelves or shift production out of state.An accompanying spending plan, which the Senate also quickly approved 39-14, would have the state spend a little more than $36 billion, about $4 billion more than it currently takes in from taxes. The plan includes across-the-board cuts of 5 percent to most government agencies, and a 10 percent cut for higher education.The spending plan also boosts funding for elementary and high schools by $350 million. But the entire K-12 portion of the budget is contingent upon a separate bill that changes the formula for doling out state dollars to schools. Democrats passed that legislation but have yet to send it to Rauner, who's called it a Chicago "bailout" and threatened to veto it.In his Tuesday veto message, Rauner asserted that the budget package was $2 billion out of balance. His office says the legislation counts $500 million in savings on pension costs that aren't guaranteed and fails to account for $1.5 billion in spending from the budget year that ended Saturday. That money would have to be paid out of the current budget year funds, Rauner's team contends."I think that it would be fair to say that since the governor has not had a budget for almost three years, there were a lot of things that we spent money on that we did not have an appropriation for," said Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago.Lawmakers also approved a third bill to implement the budget, and that includes a provision Mayor Rahm Emanuel sought to require new hires to pay more into the city municipal workers and laborers retirement funds and also increase the amount taxpayers contribute to those plans.Madigan recently had asked the governor to sign a separate bill on the city pension issue as part of budget negotiations, but now the concept will become law if the House overrides Rauner's veto on the budget measure.Emanuel, for his part, tweaked the governor as the budget bills were on the way to his desk."I applaud state lawmakers from both parties for doing what the governor has been unwilling to do throughout his tenure: doing their jobs and taking the difficult but necessary steps, in a bipartisan fashion, to put Illinois back on track," Emanuel said in a statement.The activity at the statehouse after years of dysfunction was enough to delay the state's credit rating from being cut to junk status by Wall Street ratings agencies Monday, though they warned that much rides on a final approval of the budget package. Even then, S&P Global Ratings warned that long-term damage has already been done."Even with a budget, however, it's likely that Illinois' finances would remain strained and vulnerable to unanticipated economic stress," the agency said. "In addition to having accumulated record amounts of payables, the state's university system has been deprived of state funding since January 2017. If a budget is enacted, the degree to which it closes the state's structural deficit, provides a pathway for addressing the backlog of unpaid bills, and its impact on cash flows, will be important factors in our review of its effect on Illinois' credit quality."Tim Killeen, president of the University of Illinois, thanked lawmakers for voting for the budget package. The plan restores much of the funding schools did not receive for the last six months, but includes a 10 percent cut moving forward."We hope the lessons learned during this long and difficult impasse will help restore long-term stability and provide predictable funding year after year so we can plan our future and expand our impact on the public good," Killeen said in a statement.The budget also includes roughly $365 million that will be used to refund universities and colleges that fronted scholarships for low-income students for the first half of this year. Another $400 million is set aside to pay for the scholarships, known as monetary award program grants, for the upcoming school year that begins this fall.While grateful for the funding, officials note that the uncertainty that plagued higher education in Illinois for the last several years led some students to put off their plans to attend school, or look at options out of state.Lynne Baker, spokeswoman for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, also noted that students attending schools that could not cover the cost of the scholarships during the impasse often had to take out additional loans or take fewer classes to save money."There's a loss that you can't really account for," Baker said.
Training Facility Dogs

Prejudicing the Jury?

Courtroom Dog Rules

Child abuse victims often are frightened and intimidated if they have to testify about their experience in a courtroom. So a growing number of courts across the country are allowing specially trained dogs to accompany them  and other vulnerable people  on the witness stand to help calm them and ease the process.Sometimes dubbed courthouse facility dogs, these canines lie quietly in the witness box, offering a supportive presence that helps victims and witnesses compose themselves and tell a jury what happened.Sometimes they need the leash in their hand. Sometimes they need the dog touching their feet. Sometimes they just need to see the dog, said Superior Court Judge Jeanette Dalton of Kitsap County, Washington. In her courtroom, a yellow Labrador named Kerris has been deployed numerous times to help witnesses, often children who have been sexually or physically abused and would have a tough time testifying.Supporters say the dogs, often Labradors, golden retrievers, or a mix of both, have made a huge difference in helping children and vulnerable adult victims and witnesses open up on the stand.But some defense attorneys say having a friendly, sweet-looking canine in the witness box can prejudice a jury against a defendant by making the witness appear more believable and sympathetic.Courthouse facility dogs are placed with handlers who are usually prosecutors, investigators or victim advocates. In some jurisdictions, the dogs arent used during trials but provide support when victims or witnesses are interviewed or deposed. Some also help out offenders in juvenile, drug and veterans courts.A courtroom dog was used to help Mississippi child abuse victims as far back as the mid-1990s, but in recent years the practice has taken off across the country. Today, at least 144 courthouse facility dogs work in about three dozen states, from Hawaii to Massachusetts. At least a third of the dogs have assisted in the courtroom, said Ellen ONeill-Stephens, founder of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes the use of professionally trained facility dogs during legal proceedings.In many states, judges decide on a case-by-case basis whether the dogs can be used in court. But at least seven states  Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois and Oklahoma  have some type of law allowing courtroom canines to help people on the witness stand, according to Deborah Smith, a senior analyst for the National Center for State Courts. (Maryland lawmakers have approved pilot programs in two counties, but they have not started yet.)State laws vary as to who can be helped by a canine in a courtroom and under what circumstances. Some laws apply only to children; others include crime victims or vulnerable adults such as those who are intellectually or developmentally disabled. Most specify that the dogs must be graduates of certified assistance dog organizations.In Idaho, Republican Gov. C.L. Butch Otter signed a bill into law in March that will allow facility dogs to remain with children on the witness stand in criminal matters and noncriminal cases involving child abuse or neglect, unless a judge finds it would prejudice a defendants constitutional rights.Its not an easy situation for a child to testify against someone that might be their parent or family member, said Idaho Republican state Sen. Shawn Keough, who sponsored the measure, which goes into effect in July. To allow a facility dog at the witness stand seemed like a humane thing to do.ONeill-Stephens, a former prosecutor in King County in Seattle, got the first trained facility dogs into courtrooms there almost by accident more than a decade ago.Her oldest child, who was born with cerebral palsy, had a service dog, Jeeter, who ONeill-Stephens started taking to juvenile drug court to help teens who came from dysfunctional families and had emotional problems. Then she began getting requests for the dog to help sexually abused children who had to testify in court.As the demand grew, she created a more formal program, and in 2004, Ellie, a Labrador mix, became the first professionally trained facility dog in the country to work in a prosecutors office. The idea was for the canines to be graduates of assistance dog programs and for the handlers to be prosecutors, victim advocates or police officers.Similar to police dogs, facility dogs live with their handlers, who undergo up to two weeks of training. While the canine has already been trained and is certified not to be disruptive in a public setting, the handler needs to learn how to get the dog to perform as needed.ONeill-Stephens said most of the nonprofit assistance dog organizations that train the dogs and their handlers do it for free. The others charge fees ranging from $3,000 to $10,000, she said.While the number of courtrooms that allow facility dogs in the witness box has grown, the practice is causing concern among some defense attorneys, said Smith, of the state courts center.The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers declined to comment about the use of dogs in the courtroom.But Smith said some defense attorneys worry that the dogs presence might make a victim or witness seem more credible to the jury, and hurt the defendants case. The dog gives a sense that the child is now comfortable enough to tell the truth, she said. It gives a leg up to the witness as far as veracity.But Smith said that defendants who have appealed a guilty conviction and argued that the dogs presence prejudiced the jury have not won any of those cases.John Ensminger, an attorney who has written about legal issues involving working dogs, said defense lawyers have reason to be worried about allowing facility dogs in witness boxes  and he doesnt think they object enough to the practice.Nobody knows how juries will be influenced by this, he said. It may be that if you get enough dog people on a jury, youre going to increase your chances of conviction.Ensminger said independent research is needed to determine whether having a canine in the witness box can alter a jurys perceptions.Dalton, the Washington state judge, said she doubts facility dogs have a prejudicial impact. Instead, she said, a dogs calming effect on child witnesses sometimes can end up helping a defendant.Ive seen jurors visibly impacted by kids so stressed on the witness stand that they start crying or shut down. Jurors look like they want to leap over the jury box and cuddle that kid, Dalton said. So having the dog there helps everybody on both sides.In the legal world of courts and dogs, the terms used to describe different categories of canines can be confusing.In general, facility dogs are working animals that help people in the legal system and other institutional settings. They often receive training similar to service dogs, which are trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability such as blindness. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disabled person has the right to be accompanied by a service dog in most public places, including courthouses.Therapy dogs, which have received less training and often are brought to hospitals and nursing homes, also have been used to provide support to victims and witnesses during interviews and testimony in some courtrooms. Occasionally, so have comfort animals, untrained companion dogs that provide emotional support to owners who may have anxiety or other mental disorders.Judges who agree to allow a dog in the witness box can place limitations on its use. Some dont want the jury to be able to see the dog, so they may send jurors out, have the dog enter the witness box and lie down, and then have the jury return. Some put up a shield so the jurors cant see the dog. Some announce the dogs presence; some dont.ONeill-Stephens said her group thinks its important for judges to let jurors know theres a dog present whether they can see it or not.The dogs often fall asleep and can start snoring. Some start dreaming and whimpering, she said. Jurors wont know where its coming from.While facility dogs often are used to help victims testify, sometimes they assist witnesses to crimes.Thats what happened in Anderson County, South Carolina, where a 38-year-old developmentally disabled woman saw a man breaking into a house across the street. Inside, he murdered his stepfather and stabbed his mother. He was sentenced last August to life in prison.The woman was called to testify but was uncomfortable speaking in public and terrified of the defendant, who was representing himself and would be personally cross-examining her, said Assistant Solicitor Chelsey Moore. So Roma, a facility dog assigned to the 10th Circuit Solicitors Office, accompanied her on the stand, relaxing her and allowing her to testify, Moore said.The dog helped this woman very much, said Moore, who is the canines handler. In fact, she still comes back to visit Roma.
Description

GIS - 05 July 2017: Mauritius and India will further collaborate in the promotion of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) through trainings provided by Indian craftsmen to local crafts people so as to ensure that locally made handicraft products are of high standard. Mauritius and India will further collaborate in the promotion of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) through trainings provided by Indian craftsmen to local crafts people so as to ensure that locally made handicraft products are of high standard.

This statement was made by the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, yesterday during a training by Indian craftsmen at the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority in Coromandel. Twenty artists from Bihar are currently in Mauritius to share their expertise and know-how in various handicrafts namely paintings, stone art, and wood craft amongst others.

The Minister pointed out that the provision of training by Indian craftsmen was at the fore of discussions at a meeting he had yesterday morning with the Minister of Arts, Culture and Youth, Shri Shiv Chandra Ram and the Minister of Industry, Shri Jai Kumar Singh at the seat of his Ministry in Port Louis. The training, he said will further build knowledge transfer partnerships between the two countries and facilitate expertise sharing to strengthen innovation capacity and competitiveness of our SMEs.

Moreover, he underpinned the importance of the SME sector as the future engine of economic growth. He added that this sector contributes significantly to GDP and employment and will play a greater role in the economy as a key driver of growth. After acquiring the necessary skills, our SME sector will better showcase locally made products of high quality to meet the demands of visitors hence reducing the import of these products, he added.

On this score, Minister Bholah underscored that training provided by Indian craftsmen will help to promote exchange of knowledge, skills, creativity and expertise. Thus, he made an appeal to local entrepreneurs to make the most from this transfer and technical know-how sharing activity to facilitate joint ventures and induce innovation for SMEs.
3+ Million People Are Actively Using Cryptocurrencies

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A report by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance gathered data from 144 companies and individuals in 38 countries, and determined that the cryptocurrency market has more than tripled since early 2016, reaching $25 billion in March. Bitcoin remains the most popular platform, but other large players are Ethereum, Dash, Monero, Ripple and Litecoin.Source: Phys.org A supermarket chain in Norway is hoping to increase the number of batteries recycled in the country by testing a reverse vending machine that gives customers coupons in exchange for their used batteries. The machine, made by Refind Technologies, identifies the size of the battery and how many have been deposited, and then prints a coupon crediting users 15 cents (or 1 krone) for each battery. After an initial test of the machine, Coop Norway may roll them out to all locations.Source: Treehugger.com The maximum speed a robotic falcon, aka Robird, can reach as it flies around Canadas Edmonton International Airport to keep birds out of the area  preventing them from getting sucked into aircraft engines. Daily use of Robird was planned to begin in June, meant to complement the airports other efforts like lasers and recordings of predator bird calls, all aimed at keeping the area safe for people and wildlife.Source: NewAtlas.com Essentially a traffic light for the workplace, FlowLight tracks keyboard and mouse activity to automatically switch between red and green, indicating to co-workers when youre available to chat or in the zone. Developed by a computer scientist at the University of British Columbia, the LED-touting device was tested by 449 employees at international engineering company ABB Inc.  where road safety cones have been used to indicate when someone should not be disturbed  with reports indicating fewer interruptions and even creating a more respectful workplace. The next version may use biometric sensors to detect users heart rate variation and pupil dilation as other indicators of when theyre hard at work.Source: University of British Columbia
(TNS) - With the Atlantic hurricane season well underway, Lowndes County, Ga., officials dont want folks to think It cant happen here.The county held its first public hurricane preparedness meeting last week at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center. On hand were county officials, representatives of volunteer organizations and experts on pet safety during evacuations, speaking in front of dozens of interested onlookers.Home Depot assisted the county with the meeting by providing free five-gallon buckets to all who showed up. The buckets can be used for fast and easy emergency evacuation kits, said Ashley Tye, Lowndes Countys Emergency Management Agency director.Using a tableful of $1 items purchased from a local discount store, Tye showed how the bucket can be filled with enough food, water, flashlights and other necessities to see someone through three to five days without power, access to stores or help from the authorities. He explained how, in a pinch, the bucket can even be easily outfitted as a makeshift camp toilet with the addition of a plastic bag and some kitty litter.During Hurricane Katrina (in 2005), there were parts of Jackson, Miss., that were out of power for two to four weeks, he said. It helps if you can take care of yourselves.The National Weather Service expects a slightly above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year, with 11-17 named storms, with five to nine of them becoming hurricanes, and two to four of them growing to major storms ranked Category 3 (wind speeds of 111-130 miles per hour) on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.Category 5 is saved for worst of the worst storms such as Katrina, packing winds speeds above 157 mph.The hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, usually peaking in August through October, Tye said.He urged people to remember that Valdosta lies less than 70 miles from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in a straight line. It may seem like it takes longer to drive to the coast, but hurricanes dont follow roads, he said.Just because a storm isnt a hurricane doesnt mean its not dangerous, he said.Officials mentioned Tropical Storm Alberto, which dumped torrential rains that deluged Albany with its worst flood in living memory in 1994, killing 14 people.And just because radar shows the eye going in on Louisiana or Texas doesnt mean were out of the woods, Tye said, because storm winds and feeder bands can extend hundreds of miles from the storms center.Preparation and situational awareness are the keys to survival, Tye said. Plans and disaster kits should be readied ahead of time and shared with family members so everyone knows what to do, he said.Getting reliable information is vital during an emergency, said Paige Dukes, county clerk and public information officer for the county,She urged use of the countys free CodeRED system, which sends weather alerts to phones, along with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios which receive around-the-clock weather updates, as well as monitoring local media for alerts.The special needs of pets during an evacuation were dealt with by two speakers. Lowndes County Deputy Justin Tucker  accompanied by his partner, canine deputy Lucius  urged people to bring enough water and supplies for their pets and not to leave animals outside during a storm.Linda Patelski, Lowndes Countys Animal Services director, said people should train pets to get into mobile carriers before the storm hits, and sought the services of two Boy Scouts in the audience to show how easy it is to microchip pets with vital info so they can be reunited with their owners if lost animals are picked up by authorities.Jamie Bone with Park Avenue United Methodist Church asked people to volunteer with churches and organizations which help evacuees fleeing storms.Last year, more than 10,000 Floridians fleeing Hurricane Matthew sought refuge in Lowndes County, with hundreds staying at a shelter set up at Park Avenue United Methodist.Dukes urged residents who want to volunteer time or materials to check with authorities first to see what is needed rather than burden officials with unnecessary goods.Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.2017 The Valdosta Daily Times (Valdosta, Ga.)Visit The Valdosta Daily Times (Valdosta, Ga.) at www.valdostadailytimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS)  Super Bowl visitors to Minneapolis in 2018 will be able to call, tweet and post with no problem, thanks to crews installing new cellphone equipment on streetlights near U.S. Bank Stadium.The same was done recently on streetlights near restaurants and shops at West End in St. Louis Park. It could happen next on a popular Wayzata street off Lake Minnetonka.It's part of a new wave of "small-cell" wireless technology, which uses nodes attached to streetlights and flagpoles in areas where there's a high demand for data.A bill approved by the Legislature this session regulates small-cell technology, one of about a dozen similar bills passed across the country. The bill caps the amount of rent a city can charge a company to install cells on any city-owned infrastructure in the public right of way and prohibits cities from an outright ban on it."Our customers are demanding this, whether they're in Hudson, Stillwater, Minneapolis or Eden Prairie," said Paul Weirtz, president of AT&T Minnesota, adding that the company spent $40 million in upgrades before this year's Super Bowl in Houston. " Many times, you don't even know they're there."Across the metro area, cities are anticipating more requests for the equipment, which is designed to be placed in clusters as opposed to the tall communication towers people most often notice. While less obtrusive, the equipment isn't a substitute for those towers.In Bloomington, the technology has been installed by Hyland Lake, and AT&T wants to install more by hotels and the Mall of America for the Super Bowl. In St. Paul, three dozen units have gone in near downtown and on Grand Avenue.Minneapolis has approved more than 200 of the small-cell units since 2015, mostly near downtown spots like City Hall. Both temporary and permanent units have been installed outside U.S. Bank Stadium and the convention center by companies such as T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T."The industry, our residents and our visitors want it," said Jon Wertjes, Minneapolis' director of traffic and parking services. "It's a good asset for cities to embrace."Thanks to a rising number of smartphones and tablets, cities face a growing number of requests for the so-called macrosites, or large communications towers. But experts say companies may rely less on towers as small-cell technology increases.That may be good news to residents who don't want to have the visual nuisance of a tangle of antennas and cell equipment overhead.A few years ago, Minnetonka denied a request to put up a 90-foot cellphone tower next to a synagogue after neighbors opposed it. In Apple Valley, the city approved a new communications tower earlier this year on a church despite some concerns about an 84-foot-tall eyesore.And in Wayzata this month, crews are installing a 195-foot-tall telecommunications monopole behind a middle school's ball fields despite residents' concern that it will lower property values. Officials said it is difficult to place a pole anywhere in a small suburb where it won't affect a neighborhood."Everybody wants that service," said Dave Dudinsky, the city's director of public service, adding that shrubs and a taller fence will be added to the school site. "We look at the aesthetic concerns."Other cities have gotten creative. In place of an unused water tower, Eagan unveiled last winter a "stealth" 198-foot-tall communications tower that cost $1.7 million. Its 5,400-plus colored bulbs light up at night, hiding cell technology and radio antennas; while it often takes on Eagan's green hue, it can also add visual effects like a popping champagne bottle on New Year's Eve or red, white and blue on July 4th.Near Afton State Park, a cell tower built a few years ago resembles a pine tree. In Burnsville and Eden Prairie, cell equipment is hidden at churches in crosses and a tower . In Lakeville, a bank has a cell pole that resembles an oversized flagpole.As more people rely on devices to access data, experts say the new small-cell technology will help offload data use from overloaded cell towers.The technology being installed now is for the 4G networks, but the legislation passed this year will also apply to the technology when companies unveil 5G, the next-generation wireless network."Minnesotans currently are seeing a benefit from this technology and will see that only get better," said Michael McDermott, vice president of state government affairs for Verizon, which lobbied for the legislation. "This is going to be transformative."The legislation includes an annual cap on rental fees of $150 a pole to keep costs down for cell companies; cities were charging thousands of dollars. Cities can still deny small-cell technology under certain conditions, but can't outright ban it.Cities initially opposed the bill because it would have stripped out local control."It's something wireless companies were pushing very hard for," said Laura Ziegler of the League of Minnesota Cities. "It's definitely a national trend."
(TNS) -- President Donald Trump has promised to expand broadband service to rural areas as part of his $1 trillion nationwide infrastructure plan. That may be easier said than done.It would take an estimated $80 billion to extend broadband to all U.S. areas that lack it, but the White House has initially proposed spending just $25 billion over 10 years on rural infrastructure needs. At the same time, policy experts disagree about how best to expand rural broadband  and what responsibility government has to subsidize it.Our suspicion is the presidents plan wont be sufficient, said Johnathan Hladik, policy director for the Center for Rural Affairs, a Nebraska-based nonprofit that advocates for small farms. Were happy hes saying it. You also have to do it, and thats where it gets tough.Only 55 percent of rural U.S. residents have access to download speeds faster than 25 megabits per second, the governments standard for adequate service. That compares with 94 percent in urban areas, according to a 2016 Congressional Research Service report. Advocates say high-speed internet is an increasing necessity for everyday residential and business activity, and for economic growth.For example, farm equipment now comes with the option of remotely troubleshooting a problem with a tractor or combine  but only if youve got the bandwidth. Farmers who lack broadband must haul their equipment to a repair shop and potentially lose days of planting or harvesting. They also cant get real-time data on soil or moisture conditions, which can lead to over-applying seeds and fertilizers, raising costs, creating environmental damage and making their farms less profitable and efficient.Without it, youre asking farmers and ranchers to operate a viable business without modern technology, said R.J. Karney, director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington.Trump pledged during a trip to Iowa in June that his infrastructure plan will include a provision to promote and foster, enhance broadband access for rural America. Overall, the administration will call for $200 billion in federal spending over 10 years on public works of all types  and seek to leverage at least $800 billion in spending by states, localities and the private sector.Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters the White House hasnt calculated how much it may invest in broadband. The administration will seek partnerships with state and local governments and the private sector, he said, but it wont be a one-size-fits-all plan.Its a big price tag, but who shares what part of that will probably differ from place to place, Perdue said. The goal is to make rural broadband as ubiquitous as we can.Approaches suggested by political officials and advocates include making grants and loans to towns or rural cooperatives, extending tax credits to lure for-profit companies into under-served areas, and holding reverse auctions in which providers bid on public money thats offered to bring service to specified areas for the lowest cost.The $80 billion price tag for reaching all residential and business locations that lack access to fiber or cable broadband can be slashed by being slightly less ambitious, according to a paper released in January by Paul de Sa, former chief of the Federal Communications Commissions Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis.Spending about $40 billion, for example, would extend broadband service to 98 percent of the places that lack it, while spending $10 billion would reach about 92 percent, the analysis showed. Investment in broadband is probably more beneficial than funding other areas of infrastructure because the U.S. is just beginning to realize the potential innovation and productivity gains it offers, de Sa said in the paper.Youre only getting left further and further behind as time goes on and internet-based stuff becomes even more important to every aspect of peoples lives, de Sa said in a telephone interview.Its not just farms that present challenges. In Niles, Mich., a city of 11,000 thats only nine miles from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., the Midwest Energy Cooperative is supplying the local industrial park with broadband after the local cable company declined to offer it, said Ric Huff, Niles city administrator.French Paper Co., a family-owned paper mill thats operated in Niles since 1871, was on the brink of moving the warehouse that supplied its online business until it got broadband in 2016, said sales manager Brian French. Customers were growing impatient with the companys inability to handle more complex orders at a time French Paper was still filling some orders by fax, he said.The city stepped in, allocating $110,000 from its $7 million annual budget to connect the rural cooperative to the office park early last year. Now, 25-megabit plans start at $49.95 a month, said Dave Allen, a vice president with the cooperative. And the warehouses 15 jobs stayed at the park, a win for the city, Huff said.Still, for costlier projects, theres no agreement on the role taxpayers should play. Brian Whitacre, an agricultural economist at Oklahoma State University who has studied the economic impact of rural broadband, equates it to the drive for rural electrification in the 1930s  a necessity for daily life.But Mark Jamison, director of the Public Utility Research Center at the University of Florida and a member of Trumps FCC transition team, said the benefit of direct funding hasnt been proven to outweigh spending for other purposes. He prefers a low-interest loan approach.Another skeptic is Ryan Bourne, an economist at the Cato Institute in Washington. Clearly, broadband access is very important for the economy and very important for individuals, he said. But we shouldnt entirely throw out economic considerations here.Previous spending has drawn criticism. Some of the $7.2 billion spent on rural broadband in President Barack Obamas 2009 stimulus bill was wasted, said Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. Aid went to more prosperous areas that may be more profitable for providers but did little to expand access, he said.If they keep doing things the way theyve been doing things, I wont support it, Peterson said of Trumps initiative.To maximize impact and minimize waste, direct funding for broadband infrastructure under Trumps plan should be administered through the FCCs Universal Service Fund and targeted to areas that lack access, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said during a March 15 speech in Pittsburgh.The fund, which is supported by provider assessments, allocated $20.6 billion from 2011 to 2015 for telephone and broadband networks in high-cost areas, as well as $20.8 billion for three other programs that help pay for services for low-income residents, rural hospitals, schools and libraries, according to FCC reports.Shirley Bloomfield, chief executive of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, which represents independent telecommunications companies in rural areas and small towns, said the timing to expand rural broadband is good, with advocates pushing for it and exit polls showing that 62 percent of voters in small cities or rural areas voted for Trump in 2016.Were in this really interesting sweet spot where people are focused on it, she said.
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(TNS) -- For more than a decade, U.S. airline passengers have been packing their liquids and gels into quart-sized bags and removing them from luggage at security checkpoints.But those days could be coming to an end sooner rather than later, as a new wave of screening technology is tested and eventually rolled out at airports around the country.The new devices currently being tested at Phoenixs Sky Harbor International Airport are based on a technology that has been around for decades  computed tomography, more commonly referred to as CT.The technology is a staple of the medical industry and is regularly used at airports to scan checked luggage. But until now, the devices have been too large, heavy and noisy to be used at terminal security checkpoints.Thats changing with a new generation of smaller CT devices, which the TSA is testing through its innovation task force.The effort received a major boost last week, with American Airlines announcing a $6 million deal with technology maker Analogic for eight machines that will be tested at airports around the country. The airports have not yet been publicly identified.The push comes at a time of new and complex threats to aviation security, with U.S. officials warning of terrorist efforts to smuggle hard-to-detect explosives aboard planes inside personal electronic devices.The threat prompted the U.S. to ban laptops in the cabins of inbound flights from several Middle Eastern countries in March. Last week, Department of Homeland Security officials called for increased security measures at overseas airports, including things like enhanced screening of personal electronics and wider use of bomb-sniffing dogs, in lieu of an extended laptop ban, which airlines worry could dampen demand and inconvenience passengers."We believe it enhances the passenger experience and at the same time enhances security for aviation officials. Those two are really important to us" American spokesman Ross Feinstein said of the CT technology.Rather than the two-dimensional scans provided by the current generation of technology, the CT checkpoints being tested use a series of X-rays to create a three-dimensional image for TSA officers to review.The effect has been compared to making the jump from standard-definition to high-definition televisions.The [two-dimensional] image cant handle complexity in the bag. If youve ever been in the line, people are pulling stuff out of their bags, their laptops, phones, bottles of water, said Jim Ryan, Analogics senior vice president and group general manager for security detection and power technologies. CT technology can handle that complexity because its viewing the bag in 360 degrees with a lot more fidelity.Agents can look through bags layer-by-layer and zoom in on individual items for a closer look.The payoff is quicker parsing of bags and, ultimately, a world where passengers wont have to take their liquids, gels and possibly even their electronics out of their carry-on bags at security.Ryan said that in limited trials conducted overseas with CT technology, security lines moved 50 percent faster.Liquids and gels were first banned from carry-on luggage in 2006 after British authorities foiled a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives aboard airliners traveling to the U.S. and Canada.The ban was relaxed later that year, but passengers have been limited to carrying their liquids in containers of 3.4 ounces or less ever since.Broader restrictions around personal electronic devices due to new threats could be even more disruptive for airlines and passengers, heightening the urgency around the testing currently underway.Theres no exact timeline for when CT scanners could be put into widespread use at airports across the U.S. and abroad. TSA will collect data from the field tests being conducted to help set operational and functional requirements and to inform whether the technology is right for a wider rollout.Even if the scanners are approved, the agency would still have to go through the usual process of government contracting, set a budget for the project and eventually deliver and install hundreds, if not thousands, of the devices.
Jacques Villeneuve has hit out at the private testing programme being enjoyed this year by controversial F1 rookie Lance Stroll.

After vicious early-season criticism of the 18-year-old Williams driver, Villeneuve acknowledged that fellow Canadian Stroll took a big step forward in Montreal and Baku.

But the 1997 world champion remains critical.

For instance, between his first points in Canada and his Baku podium, Stroll was testing at the wheel of a 2014 Williams at the US GP circuit in Austin.

"They are circumventing the rules," Villeneuve told Le Journal de Montreal newspaper.

"It's not fair to the other drivers because he is the only one to have this privilege thanks to his money. But there should be limits to what money can buy, and I'm not alone in thinking that," the Canadian added.

Villeneuve was also critical of Stroll's interaction with the press so far in 2017.

"You told me that Williams had refused to arrange a telephone interview after his (Stroll's) podium in Baku," he said.

"I find that inconceivable, as I never refused such requests, even when everything went wrong and I was being criticised from every side. Stroll's entourage should be aware of that," Villeneuve insisted.

(GMM)
Mercedes chiefs have called an end to the Sebastian Vettel 'crashgate' saga.

After the now apologetic Ferrari driver essentially escaped further sanction for having been found by the FIA to have steered deliberately into Lewis Hamilton in Baku, the controversy continued in the wake of the FIA ruling.

Hamilton reportedly 'liked' on Instagram a post on which a fan said he has "lost all respect for the FIA, Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel".

But Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: "We have moved past that moment now and it is a closed chapter."

He also said "great respect between Mercedes and Ferrari" is intact after the drama.

So while some fans and insiders reacted with dismay to the FIA's leniency, others welcomed the ruling.

"I am very happy that there is no further punishment," said Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko, who brought Vettel into F1.

"It was just an emotional reaction to Hamilton's strategic manouvre," he told Austrian broadcaster Servus TV.

And F1 chief executive Chase Carey was quoted as saying: "A little drama on the racetrack is not harmful."

Even Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda, who was earlier so critical of Vettel, vowed to move on in the wake of the FIA decision.

"I criticised Vettel because he did not see his mistake," he told Bild newspaper.

"Now that he has apologised, the incident for me is over."

(GMM)
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According to the lawsuit, RAM owners report that efforts to fix the faulty emissions system significantly affect engine performance and mileage, with miles per gallon dropping as much as 25%. When the SCR system breaks down, the filter gets clogged, requiring more fuel to be injected to burn it off, according to the complaint. This reduces the truck's fuel economy, according to the complaint.

Class-action law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro has filed a new class-action lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Cummins charging that the automaker knowingly sold more than 135,000 RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks over the past four model years equipped with a Cummins diesel engine with a defect in the selective catalytic converter (SCR) system used for NO x control. The defect leads to lower fuel economy, non EPA-compliant emissions levels, and costly and frequent vehicle repairs, the complaint charges.

Additionally, when FCA dealers attempt to fix the SCR system defect, they often simply flash the computer to prompt the truck to burn more fuel to clean the filter. When the computer in an affected Dodge RAM 2500 or 3500 is flashed, it causes the trucks MPG to decline significantly, the lawsuit says.

The affected vehicles are the 2013-2017 RAM 2500 with Cummins diesel (2WD, 4WD) and 2013-2017 RAM 3500 with Cummins diesel (2WD, 4WD).

The lawsuit, filed 3 July 2017, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, seeks damages and equitable relief for what it calls FCAs and Cummins misconduct related to the design, manufacture, marketing, sale and lease of affected Dodge trucks with unlawfully high emissions.

The complaint hits both defendants with charges of fraudulent concealment, breach of warranty, violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), and violations of several state consumer protection laws.

The lawsuit also charges that in addition to manufacturing and marketing vehicles with an emissions system that they knew would not work in the long term, FCA and Cummins also failed to fix another discrete issue related to the washcoat, or sealant applied to the SCR, which also contributed to illegally high emissions.

FCA and Cummins allegedly knew about the washcoat defect for yearsat least as early as 2014but failed to take action to mitigate the drop in the trucks performance or prevent the illegally high levels of pollution emitted by affected RAM trucks. FCA and Cummins were grappling over the issues of cost for the required recall, among other issues, according to the complaint.

Despite knowing that the vehicles failed to meet EPA requirements, the law firm charged, both defendants continued to advertise and represent that the trucks were EPA-compliant, even claiming that the Cummins engine was the lowest emitting diesel engine ever produced.

The complaint cites the experiences of named plaintiffs from Michigan, Alabama, Florida and Pennsylvania who had their vehicles flashed by dealership mechanics. One of the suits named plaintiffs, Forrest Poulson, had his truck flashed three times. On one occasion, he asked his dealership mechanic why they were doing it. The mechanic replied, I will deny this later, but I can tell you that the PCM updates are diverting fuel into the exhaust system to make it burn hotter so that it reduces the amount of emissions leaving the tailpipe. The mechanic also told him that upwards of 25% of the fuel is being diverted through the exhaust system to heat up the emissions, according to the filed complaint.

The lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler is the latest in a series of automotive and emissions cases brought by Hagens Bermans automotive legal team, which has tackled GM, Mercedes-Benz and VW as well. Hagens Berman also previously filed emissions suits against Fiat Chrysler regarding its 2007-2012 Dodge RAM 2500 and 3500, and its 2014-2016 Dodge RAM 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel, which led to a formal investigation by the EPA.

Hagens Berman is reaching out to owners or lessees of a 2013-2017 Dodge RAM 2500 or 3500 with a 6.7-L Cummins diesel engine to see if they might be entitled to compensation.
Groupe Renault and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (CBA) signed a binding framework cooperation agreement covering the main principles of the formation and operation of a joint venture (JV) in China focusing on the manufacturing and sale of light commercial vehicles (LCV).

To facilitate the formation of the JV, CBA will acquire a 100% holding in Shenyang Brilliance JinBei Automobile Co., Ltd. (SBJ), a leader in the Chinese LCV market with a strong network and market presence throughout China, after which Groupe Renault will purchase from CBA a 49% equity interest in SBJ resulting in a restructured joint venture company held by CBA (51%) and Groupe Renault (49%).

As a top global automotive company, Groupe Renault is entering into a promising and high potential Chinese LCV market which accounts for upwards of 3 million vehicles per year. By joining hands with CBA, Groupe Renault aims at becoming a major LCV player in China. We will bring our management expertise and know-how on the products and technology. Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault

Beyond the existing JinBei vehicles, the joint venture will also develop, manufacture and distribute new vehicles and services under both the JinBei and Renault brands.

The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals in the PRC and Hong Kong and is subject to CBA shareholders approval.
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Novant Health Inc. is being counter-sued by two insurers in a dispute over the insurers financial responsibility in the systems settlement of an employee class-action lawsuit.

Novant agreed in September to pay $32 million, including $10.7 million in attorney fees, to settle a March 2014 lawsuit filed by six current and former employees.

The employees include Karolyn Kruger, a retired doctor who served as chief of staff at Thomasville Medical Center. Each named plaintiff received $25,000.

According to the plaintiffs law firm of Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, there were about 25,000 affected Novant employees who had been enrolled automatically in the retirement plan since 2009. The lawsuit covered the period Oct. 1, 1998, to Sept. 30, 2015, and had 70,683 potential beneficiaries.

The complaint accuses Novant of breaching its fiduciary duties by causing plan participants to pay millions of dollars in fees for excessive record-keeping and administrative services to third-party service providers Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Co. and Winston-Salem brokerage firm D.L. Davis & Co.

In the settlement, Novant agreed to conduct a comprehensive request for proposal competitive bidding process led by an outside consultant; hire an independent consultant to assess its 401(k) plans on an annual basis for four years; revise investment options as needed; remove Davis from any involvement in the plans; not offer any Mass Mutual investments in the plans; not offer any brokerage services; and provide accurate communications to beneficiaries.

Although Novant did not admit or deny liability, it said the settlement is in the best long-term interests of our health system and our retirement plan participants.

The current litigation began April 25 when Novant sued Federal Insurance Co. Inc., known by the Chubb brand, and Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. of America in Forsyth Superior Court. The lawsuit was moved to federal court June 8.

Novant said its legal representation in the employee class-action lawsuit  Morgan Lewis, appointed by Chubb  estimated the total legal exposure could have ranged from $46 million to $86 million, and that a settlement of up to $35 million would be reasonable.

Novant claims its financial exposure was $7 million after insurance coverage.

Novant said it has paid $23.95 million toward the settlement and now seeks additional reimbursement beyond $4 million from each insurer. Novant said the requested amount includes damages related to the insurers breach of their obligations.

Federal said in its countersuit, filed June 23, it believes it fulfilled its financial obligation, and that it should be reimbursed the $4 million.

Travelers listed in a separate countersuit, also filed June 23, it is owed $4.05 million in reimbursement. Much of its filing was a response to the Novant accusations.

Federal accused Novant and certain unnamed system executives of benefiting from the Davis arrangement. Federal claimed Davis was paid fees in an amount far in excess of the value of its services.

Novant Health said in a statement Wednesday that it initiated this legal action because the insurers did not honor their obligations to pay under liability insurance purchased by Novant Health. The insurers claims are simply untrue.

The employees lawsuit claims Davis provided the plan with limited marketing and enrollment services, but was paid excessive fees up to $9.6 million from 2009 to 2012 in the form of commissions.

Federal said the Davis arrangement benefited both parties insofar as it incentivized Davis to engage in separate business dealings with, and contributions to them, to their financial advantage.

The employees complaint stated Davis received a second source of revenue in the form of kickbacks from the managers of the plan investment options. Novant denied the allegation of kickbacks.

Novant said Davis provided extensive services that go well beyond mere limited and enrollment services. Among the services that Novant cited are plan-design implementation, mutual-fund selection and fees, selection of the record keeper, and communication and educational efforts with employees.

Federal accused Novant of not merely extract(ing) from the plan an amount of money representative of services provided on behalf of Novant to plan participants; rather, Novant took excessive amount to which it had no legal entitlement.

Novant is accused of not informing Federal that Novants practice of paying itself from plan assets was the subject of a 2013 U.S. Labor Department investigation into Novants employee savings plan.

Federal said Novants agreeing to the employee settlement was motivated by the financial dealings involving Davis. Federal objected to being forced to pay the cost of remedying such concerns.

The plans assets more than doubled from $612 million in 2008 to $1.42 billion as of March 2014. Novant said the plan offered 23 investment options.

The employees complaint said Great West received excessive compensation of $8.6 million between 2009 and 2012.
The attempted kidnapping of two female joggers at gunpoint Tuesday morning sparked a 4th of July manhunt that disrupted activities at the U.S. National Whitewater Center on one of its busiest days of the year.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were looking for a man considered armed and dangerous after finding his abandoned car in northwest Charlotte not far from the Whitewater Center.

As holiday revelers flocked to the center late Tuesday morning, so did police. Multiple patrol cars roared down Interstate 85 and a police helicopter circled overhead.

Walking and biking trails were temporarily closed as police searched the densely-wooded area between I-85 and the recreation hub, along the Catawba River. Signs closing the trails went up as officers in patrol cars, on motorbikes and an off-road cart converged on the centers parking lot.

The center was holding a special 4th of July Festival, with music, yoga, water activities and fireworks planned. One employee said planned concerts and other activities would go ahead as scheduled. Despite the commotion, hundreds of people, including families and their pets, enjoyed a sunny day at the Whitewater Center.

Some people who talked to the Charlotte Observer said they heard of police activity on their way in to the Whitewater Center but decided to come anyway to enjoy their Fourth of July.

Trails re-opened in the early afternoon.

Later, police towed a burned-out 1999 Mercedes that theyd found not far from the Center on Performance Road. Police say the car, which had been stolen in west Charlotte, had been driven by a man who accosted two female joggers in separate incidents Tuesday.

Police said at 7:48 a.m. one woman told them she was running in the 15000 block of York Road when a car pulled alongside. She said the driver pointed a gun at her and demanded she get in. She was able to run away and call 911.

About an hour later, the same man approached another woman jogging in the 5900 block of Dixie River Road. He pointed a gun at her and told her to get inside. The woman flagged down a passerby who called 911.

Neither woman was injured.

Police said theyre looking for a light-skinned Hispanic male with straight black hair, about 20-30 years old, who was last seen wearing a black shirt. He was driving the Mercedes that had been reported stolen on July 1 in Charlotte.

An initial search for the suspect predominantly took place on the southeastern side of Whitewater Center property and then mainly focused around the interstate, not on Whitewater Center premises.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
North Carolina Republicans appeared to fall just short in Tuesdays General Assembly elections of gaining large enough majorities to override Gov. Roy Coopers vetoes on their own. But their seat gains eroded further the Democrats ability to block bills on abortion and other highly contested legislation. The Senate GOP increased their seats to the number needed to have a veto-proof majority. But Speaker Tim Moore said that House Republicans were one seat shy of a similar threshold. Moore said Wednesday he's confident House Republicans can get help from Democrats in an override. But that could be more difficult on abortion restrictions, which Cooper and other Democrats campaigned against.
Updated at 8:18 a.m.

SEOUL, South Korea  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed Wednesday his nation will "demonstrate its mettle to the U.S." and never put its weapons programs up for negotiations, a day after successfully testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The hard line suggests that North Korea will conduct more weapons tests until it perfects nuclear-armed missiles capable of striking anywhere in the United States. Analysts say Kim's government believes nuclear weapons are key to its own survival and could be used to wrest concessions from the United States.

Tuesday's ICBM launch, confirmed by U.S. and South Korean officials, was a milestone in North Korea's efforts to develop long-range nuclear-armed missiles. But the North isn't there yet, and many analysts say it needs more tests to perfect such an arsenal.

Worry spread in Washington and at the United Nations, where the United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency U.N. Security Council session on Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. response would include "stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable," using the acronym for the nation's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In a show of force, U.S. and South Korean troops fired "deep strike" precision missiles off South Korea's east coast on Wednesday. South Korea's military later released previously shot video showing the test-firing of sophisticated South Korean missiles and a computer-generated image depicting a North Korean flag in flames with the backdrop of a major building in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital.

North Korean state media on Wednesday described leader Kim as "feasting his eyes" on the ICBM, which was said to be capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead, before its launch. "With a broad smile on his face," Kim urged his scientists to "frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees," it said, an apparent reference to continuing the stream of nuclear and missile tests Kim has ordered since taking power in late 2011.

North Korea was also pleased that its test came as Americans celebrated Independence Day. State media said Kim told "scientists and technicians that the U.S. would be displeased to witness the DPRK's strategic option" on its Independence Day.

Kim also said North Korea "would neither put its nukes and ballistic rockets on the table of negotiations in any case nor flinch even an inch from the road of bolstering the nuclear force chosen by itself unless the U.S. hostile policy and nuclear threat to the DPRK are definitely terminated," the Korean Central News Agency reported.

The missile launch was a direct rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump's earlier declaration on Twitter that such a test "won't happen!" and to South Korea's new president, Moon Jae-in, who was pushing to improve strained ties with the North.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said it was unable to verify whether North Korea has mastered re-entry technology for an ICBM. It said North Korea may now conduct a nuclear test with "boosted explosive power" to show off a warhead to be mounted on a missile.

The U.N. Security Council could impose additional sanctions on North Korea, but it's not clear they would stop it from pursuing its nuclear and missile programs since the country is already under multiple rounds of U.N. sanctions for its previous weapon tests.

"An attempt to curb Kim Jong Un's nuclear and missile ambitions has clearly failed. I think North Korea won't stop its nuclear drive until it feels that it has reached the level that it wants to reach," said Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University. "I don't know when North Korea can reach that level. But I would say it's imminent."

There is a consensus among many analysts that Kim's government won't give up its nuclear program because it believes it guarantee its survival from outside threats. But once it possesses functioning ICBMs, it would also have a stronger bargaining position and might propose talks with the United States on reducing those threats, possibly in exchange for freezing but not dismantling some of its nuclear or missile activities, the analysts say.

North Korea might seek a downsizing or suspension of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it views as rehearsals for an invasion, or the signing of a peace treaty officially ending the 1950-53 Korean War that could be used as pretext for demanding the withdrawal of the 28,500 American troops currently in South Korea. The war ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically still in a state of war.

"If the U.S. doesn't accept talks, North Korea might stage provocations or take other dangerous actions to draw the U.S. into negotiations," said analyst Park Hyeong-jung at South Korea's Korea Institute for National Unification.

If the United States were to hold talks with a North Korea capable of attacking the entire U.S. mainland with nuclear weapons, those negotiations would be like "arms reduction talks," Lim said.

North Korea already has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and is thought to have a small number of atomic bombs. Some outside civilian experts believe the North has the technology to mount warheads on shorter-range Rodong and Scud missiles that can strike South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where about 80,000 American troops are stationed. But it's unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile.

Regional disarmament talks on North Korea's nuclear program have been stalled since 2009.

BEIJING  Tensions over North Korea's July 4 missile test mounted Wednesday, with the U.S. and South Korean forces conducting military exercises and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appearing to personally taunt the president of the United States.

The latest test launch was a display of the North's longest-range weapon yet - an intercontinental ballistic missile with the possibly of hitting Alaska.

Before his inauguration, President Donald Trump said North Korea's plan to develop an ICBM capable of hitting the United States "won't happen" and has since made tough talk on the issue a signature.

Now Trump could be forced into a difficult test amid deep international divisions over how to respond to an increasingly defiant North Korea.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called for "global action" to counter North Korea. But in a joint in a joint statement issued late Tuesday, Beijing and Moscow called for a "double suspension" that would see Pyongyang freeze its weapon program and the U.S. and South Korea stop joint military exercises.

Instead, the maneuvers went ahead in what U.S. Pacific Command called an "ironclad" show of resolve. In one exercis, the U.S. Army and the South Korea military fired missiles off the eastern coast of South Korea.

A U.S. commander warned that North Korea's action threatened the tense balance on the Korean Peninsula since the end of the Korean War.

"Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war," Gen. Vincent K Brooks, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, and Gen Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South's joint chiefs of staff, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, North Korea's leader Kim threatened more tests and taunted Trump, calling the ICBM test an Independence Day gift, according to North Korean state media.

South Korean authorities described the North's test as a two-stage missile with a range of about 4,300 to 5,000 miles. That is enough to reach Alaska and other parts of North America.

Daniel Pinkston, a lecturer in international relations at Troy University in Seoul, said he saw no chance the U.S. and South Korea would agree to halt joint exercises, especially after the North's latest missile test.

"It's a non-starter, it's just not going to happen," he said.

But there also appears to be very little international consensus on what to do next.

Deng Yuwen, a Beijing-based expert on North Korea, sees a growing divide between the positions of the U.S., South Korea and Japan, on one hand, and China and Russia on the other.

"Two opposing blocs have been formed," he said.

South Korea's defense minister, Han Min-koo, said there is high probability Pyongyang will stage another nuclear test. He also noted gains in their efforts to miniaturize a warhead - both steps toward developing nuclear-tipped weapon capable of hitting the mainland United States.

Since taking office, Trump has focused his foreign policy efforts on getting China to pressure North Korea to back down, in part by choking of the regime's access to resources.

This idea formed the basis of talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago in April, where Washington and Beijing appeared to put aside differences in the name of cooperation on North Korea and trade.

That arrangement seems to be failing fast. In recent weeks, there have been signs that Trump is frustrated with China's progress. On June 21, he tweeted: "It has not worked out."

On Tuesday, as news of the North Korean test broke, but before missile was confirmed to be an ICBM, the president vented again. "Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," he wrote.

"Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!" He did not say what type of move he hoped for.

The focus on Chinese efforts has exasperated Beijing, which insists it has done its part to pressure Pyongyang and resents being singled out.

"The international community has no solutions," said Song Xiaojun, who used to run a government linked-military magazine. "The U.S. wants to transfer the burdens to China."

Both foreign and Chinese analysts expressed frustration that the United States did not seem focused on getting North Korea to the table.

"The first obvious step is talking to them, that's just kind diplomacy 101," said John Delury, an assistant professor at Seoul's Yonsei University.

"Obama didn't do enough about that either," he added. "There has been a severe drought of talking at a high level with North Koreans."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing would push for dialogue at the United Nations. "We hope the relevant discussions of the North Korea nuclear issue focus on dialogue, negotiation, and peaceful settlement as soon as possible," he said.

---

The Washington Post's Dan Lamothe reported from Washington; Shirley Feng, Luna Lin and Yang Liu reported from Beijing.

nkorea-1stld-writethru

Washington Post News Service (DC)

7/5/2017 6:15:18 AM Central Daylight Time
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Haiti - Security : Assassination of a student in Bizoton





Former President of the Youth Government of Haiti (GJH) Amos Cincir, Special Representative in charge of the Office of Youth United Nations of Africa in Haiti, has learned with dismay the murder of David Douglas aka "Douglas Voice" student in management of tourism businesses at Quisqueya University (UNIQ).



David Douglas, 24, died in the evening of Monday, July 3, 2017, in Bizoton (commune of Carrefour) after receiving several mortal stab wounds from an unidentified individual in the public square of Fontamara.



Faced with this new tragedy, the Office of Youth United Nations of Africa in Haiti, urges the police and judicial authorities to carry out an investigation to identify and condemn the perpetrator and accomplices of this assassination, in accordance with the law.



The Office of Youth United Nations of Africa in Haiti presents his sympathies to the family of David Douglas, his relatives, friends and collaborators and to the Haitian society in general that this mourning afflicts.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Public health officials are warning area residents to take precautions after a Benton County woman was bitten by a rabid bat over the weekend.

The woman was bitten on Sunday after she saw the bat behaving strangely on the porch of her house in a rural neighborhood north of Corvallis, according to information provided Wednesday by the Benton County Health Department.

On Monday, the bat was taken to the Oregon State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Corvallis for tests, which confirmed the animal had rabies. It was the first verified case of a rabid bat in Benton County so far this year.

The injured woman has begun receiving rabies shots.

Bats are the primary reservoir of rabies in Oregon, said Robert Baker of the countys environmental health division.

In the event of bat contact such as a bite or scratch, an attempt should be made to safely capture the bat, without destroying the head, for testing for the rabies virus.

Charlie Fautin, deputy director of the Benton County Health Department, said bat bites sometimes occur when people try to help an animal they perceive to be injured or dispose of one they mistakenly think is dead.

People have a soft spot for animals in distress, he said. Sometimes people get bitten that way.

Public health officials advise taking extreme precautions before attempting to handle a bat, especially one that appears to be acting strangely. If it is necessary to pick up the animal, its best to wear heavy gloves, use a shovel or both, Fautin said.

Its also important for pet owners to make sure their dogs and cats are up to date on their rabies shots, which can help provide a buffer of immunity between wild animals and the human population.




Haiti - Politics : Moise speaks at the 38th Conference of Heads of State





On Tuesday, President Jovenel Moise left the country to lead a delegation to Grenada (Caribbean) to attend the 38th Ordinary Meeting of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of State and Government which is held from 4 to 6 July 2017.



Upon his arrival, President Moses declared, "My country wants to stop being perceived as a humanitarian destination, to take control of its destiny and to be worthy of the efforts of the founding fathers, forgers of civilization. Haiti wants to renew its status as a Caribbean country, country of the celebration of life, a country of hope on behalf of the Haitian people I would like to thank the government and the people of Grenada for their warm welcome to the Haitian delegation [...]"



Later in the evening at the 38th Ordinary Meeting, Jovenel Moise, in the presence of many Heads of State and Government of the Region, intervened, reiterating Haiti's commitment to contribute to the process of integration with this regional structure through ongoing economic and social reforms under its administration.



He recalled the steps he had already taken to continue negotiations aimed at revising the list of tariff concessions at the World Trade Organization (WTO). He also said that the negotiations are in the finalization phase and that Haiti is counting on the support and solidarity of the other CARICOM member states to bring this process to fruition.



Regarding the process of integrating Haiti into the CARICOM Market and Economy, President Moise promised to focus on harmonizing Haitian standards with those in force in the region, on the certification of products of Community origin and the accommodation of Haiti in the common external tariff of CARICOM.



With regard to regional and hemispheric security, he assured that Haiti would support all CARICOM initiatives, whether in the area of combating organized crime or combating illicit trafficking of narcotics.



Jovenel Moise also renewed Haiti's commitment to continue working with all countries and fraternities, all partners at the regional level, to take an active part in the economic growth and sustainable development of the large Caribbean community.



The Head of State will return to the country on Wednesday 5 July.



HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - DR : Nearly 5,000 Haitians expelled from Dominican territory in June





Tuesday, the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) of the Dominican Republic revealed that last June 4,943 foreigners in irregular migration had been deported to their country of origin. Most of the returnees were of Haitian origin even though the DGM indicated that these deportations included foreigners [note HL -- a very small number] from other countries such as China, India, Russia, the United States, Venezuela and the Netherlands.



Regarding migratory movements through the land border, DGM reported 16,778 admissions and 14,246 exit in June, mainly at the border crossing point of Jimani where the largest flow of foreigners is observed.



Moreover, the DGM indicates that the Dominican authorities had refused the entry in June to 3,616 foreigners without proper documents, trying to enter the Dominican territory by Jimani



The DGM reiterated "that it will remain firm in its commitment to control the entry and exit of [Haitian] foreigners in Dominican territory, considering that the migration movement must be harmonized with the needs of national development."



Recall that since the expiry of the National Plan for the Regularization of Foreigners (PNRE) in June 2015, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that more than 202,252 Haitian migrants returned spontaneously or were expelled to Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21364-haiti-dr-after-more-than-200-000-returns-first-reception-center-of-haitians.html to which are added the expellees of June 2017. It should be noted that this number is partial and inferior to the reality because they concern only the persons registered by the agents who monitor at the level of fifty border crossing points out of 141 unofficial crossings points.



SL/ HaitiLibre






















ette Hart, a Domino's delivery driver in Erina, NSW, claims she was 'psychologically injured' after losing the pizza-chains 2016 Delivery Driver of the Year competition.Hart claimed she should have won the competition for the second year in a row and took the matter to the Fair Work Commission In 2015, Hart was awarded the Delivery Driver of the Year prize, having achieved the highest overall performance score of the 15,000 other drivers throughout Australia and New Zealand. Her prize was a brand new car.She was determined to win the 2016 prize of $15,000 and believed she had a good chance of winning two years in a row.Throughout the year, drivers can follow their progressive performance and rankings against other drivers.However, in May 2016, Hart noticed her ranking on the leader board had slipped by around 100 places.Consequently, she made a number of complaints to Head Office about her concerns that the GPS system was inaccurately displaying efficiency scores.She claimed her complaints were ignored until it was too late to affect the 2016 results. As it turned out, the 2016 prize was awarded to another driver and he received the $15,000 cash prize.The FWC acknowledged Hart was bitterly disappointed, notwithstanding she came in second and received a $1000 fuel voucher.Hart believed not only that the GPS system inaccurately calculated efficiency scores, but also that the driver who won the award was not eligible to enter the competition because he was a cyclist and not a driver and he did not work the full year, but only commenced in May 2016.Domino's expressly rejected Harts assertion that the GPS calculations were inaccurate. It referred to the multiple exchanges between Hart and the respondent from May 2016 to February 2017, during which various documents she had requested were provided.Domino's conducted multiple internal reviews of the collected data, all of which confirmed that the data and calculations were accurate and consistently applied to all drivers.Domino's also put that even if the applicants claims about error were correct, it would have made no difference to the outcomes because the methodology was consistently applied to all drivers.In fact, the main reason why Hart did not win first prize, was not the GPS calculations, but the lower customer feedback scores she had achieved compared to the winner, claimed Domino's.Fair Work deputy president Peter Sams said he accepts that Hart is bitterly disappointed at not winning first prize, and that she deeply resents both the process and the outcome.Her numerous and repetitive communications with Domino's is indicative of the level of her disappointment and profound sense of grievance, which I accept has had an effect on her psychological wellbeing, he said.The FWC dismissed Hart's application, finding that it did not have the jurisdiction to deal with the matter because it did not fall under her terms of employment.Sams said to overturn the result of the competition and establish Hart as the winner of the 2016 driver of the year would have been a "bizarre and entirely inappropriate outcome".Moreover, Hart lodged a workers' compensation claim, alleging she suffered from a psychological injury in a direct response to the circumstances leading to her failure to win first prize in the 2016 bonus competition.The claim was rejected by the insurer on the basis the actions of her employer were reasonable, and the decision is under review.
The survey also found that almost half (43%) were asked about salary history in job interviews, but less than a quarter (23%) of candidates refused to their disclose it. Professionals in the finance and insurance industry were most likely to be asked, while HR professionals were most likely to provide the salary information if asked.

The findings are a setback to recent legislation in the US aimed at closing the gender pay gap. Last April, the New York City Council passed a local bill that prohibits employers from asking about job candidates salary history during all stages of the employment process.

The Councils summary of the bill said the gender pay gap is perpetuated when employers rely on salary histories to determine compensation. Adopting measures like this bill can reduce the likelihood that women will be prejudiced by prior salary levels and help break the cycle of gender pay inequity.

Starting July 2018, employers all over Massachusetts will be prohibited from requiring applicants to provide their salary history before receiving a formal job offer. Employees in the state will also be free to discuss their salaries with colleagues.

According to Frank studies on unconscious bias show that women pay a social cost when they advocate for themselves in negotiation situations, because it deviates from expected gender norms.
The findings are not surprising. The service sectors usually provide people of foreign background their first jobs in Finland, Niko Ohvo, a lawyer specialising in employee rights at SAK, says in a press release .

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) has revealed that a half of the people who have used its free employee rights consultation service for immigrants are employed in the service sector  most commonly as cleaners, waiters or assistants.

SAK launched the free consultation service in March, 2016.

Approximately 20 per cent of the enquiries dealt with the collective agreement for property management employees, 17 per cent with the collective agreement for staff in the hospitality industry and 14 per cent with the collective agreement for private social workers, according to SAK.

The majority contacted our service in English, tells Ohvo. For example, many had difficulty understanding the contents of a collective agreement and hoped that it could be translated into English.

Some of the enquiries are related to simple misunderstandings  especially in cases related to small businesses  and some to cases of employers taking advantage of uninformed employees, he added in an interview with STT.

SAK reveals that the majority of the enquiries were made by people who had moved to Finland from elsewhere in Europe. Employees from Africa, it adds, were the most likely and employees from Estonia the least likely to require consultation in comparison to their proportion of the immigrant population of Finland.

Estonians and immigrants from other nearby countries typically require less time than immigrants from other countries to integrate into the Finnish labour market. They are also more likely to be unionised. Most of our callers are not members of a trade union, comments Ohvo.

He also points out that the concerns of immigrant employees are largely comparable to those of native-born employees, with 14 per cent of them enquiring about employment contracts, 13 per cent about wages and 9 per cent about unemployment benefits. The nationality of callers, however, did correlate with the nature of their enquiries.

Europeans are mainly worried about wage entitlements, whereas Asian and African employees usually asked about matters related to residence permits, he explains.

Immigrant employees, for example, are often unaware that they are entitled to an annual leave and holiday pay, he added in an interview with Ajantasa, a current affairs programme broadcast on YLE Radio Suomi.

SAK reveals that it received a total of 217 enquiries during the first year after the launch of the consultation service. The number, it adds, increased especially during the first half of this year.

The service is part of At Work in Finland, a project subsidised by the European Social Fund (ESF) and administered by the City of Helsinki. Service Union United (PAM) and the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL) have similarly contributed towards the operation costs of the service.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi




Just judging my her voting record, Kyrsten Sinema is the very worst Democrat in Congress. When Ryan and McCarthy talk about how "bipartisan" some toxic piece of legislation that forwards Trump's agenda is, they're talking about Sinema's support. According the ProgressivePunch, Sinema's crucial vote score for the current session is the lowest of any Democrats in history-- 12.50... and in a strongly blue district. There are Republicans with more progressive voting records-- including Louie Gohmert! Obviously, they rate her an "F" but her lifetime crucial vote score is nearly as abysmal-- 35.34. Only 3 Democrats, all very right-wing freshmen, have worse records: Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ), Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ) and Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL)... and all 3 are in more swingy districts. So why bring up Sinema today? I want to use her as an example, not just as an example of a stinking pile of garbage, but as an example of someone with a perfect voting record on issues that impact her directly. She's, she's a rotgut conservative who deserves to be driven out of Congress-- also unbelievably corrupt on a Wasserman Schultz level f bribe-taking-- but when it comes to her own identity politics... she's as pure as the driven snow. Women's issues? Sinema is fabulous. She's a woman. LGBT issues? She's fierce (well... she votes right.) She (loudly) claims to be bisexual. Issues that don't impact her personally though-- pure Republican. There are others like that, of course, but she's the worst of the worst.





Today I was happy to hear from L.A. Congresswoman Nanette Barragan that she spent part of the 4th of July weekend down in Tijuana visiting the Deported Veterans Support House there and meeting with veterans who have been deported from the United States. Nanette, president of the freshman class, has an across the board 91.30 ProgressivePunch crucial vote score, the 6th best of any freshman, and regardless of issue, Nanette can be found fighting the good fight.

It was heartbreaking to see my constituent, Hector Barajas from Compton, still proudly wearing his U.S. military uniform, but unable to live with his family in the country for which he fought, said Rep. Barragan. I am grateful to Governor Jerry Brown for issuing Hector a pardon. I am working to do everything in my power to help Hector rightfully receive his U.S. citizenship."



Barajas served in the Army for 5 1/2 years. He had problems with substance abuse, served his time, but upon his release was deported to Mexico. He now runs The Bunker, or the Deported Veteran Support House, a shelter to help other veterans who have been deported.





It was shocking to learn that veterans receive citizenship after dying while in active duty and deported veterans are flown back to the United States to be buried with full military honors upon their death. Yet, the government will not allow them to live in the country for which they had fought, continued Barragan. These veterans have done their time. They deserve to return home on their own two feet, not to return home in a box.



Anyone who fights for the freedom of our country should be granted citizenship. Period. Along with my colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I will continue to fight for our veterans and to make sure they know they are just as American as their brothers and sisters in uniform.



Naturalization used to be part of basic training, but the laws changed. As of January 2017, there were 10,644 noncitizens currently serving in the U.S. military and an additional 11,524 noncitizens under reserve status. The greatest numbers of lawful permanent resident (LPR) service members come from the Philippines, Mexico, Jamaica, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic. Overall, there are about 608,000 living foreign-born veterans of the U.S. armed forces from nations around the world.



Many LPR service members are told by recruiters that they can quickly gain citizenship for themselves and their family after serving honorably. However, they are not advised that citizenship is not granted automatically and that they must actively seek citizenship through the standard (although expedited) application process. A 2016 report by the ACLU estimates that the United States has deported more than 230 veterans.

Raul Grijalva was with her for the trip to meet with the veterans and, like her, he has been an across-the-board champion for justice and equality and for progressive values. 5 other members of Congress went along for the ride-- all Hispanic-Americans and, generally speaking, a pretty conservative bunch. To be fair, Joaquin Castro (New Dem-TX) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM) are better described a centrist establishment types than as conservatives. The other 3, though, are are pretty bad, not as bad as Sinema... but close: Lou Correa (Blue Dog-CA), Vicente Gonzalez (Blue Dog-TX) and Juan Vargas (New Dem-CA). Grijalva and Barragan are the only ones with good ProgressivePunch scores. The others range from mediocre-- Castro with a "D"-- to Vargas, Lujan Grisham, Correa and Gonzalez all with ugly "F" scores. "F" except on the identity politics issue, where they find themselves an abused minority. Sinema stands up for gays because she's gay and is a vile conservative on other issues. Correa may be as bad as they come on bread-and-butter issues (especially when lobbyists are handing out the bribery checks) but on specifically Latino issues... well, he knows where his own bread is buttered. Principles and values have nothing to do with it, which is why members who are even doing a good thing (for a change) are still loathsome and unworthy of the kind of praise Grijalva and Barragan deserve.





San Francisco Chronicle By the way, Monday the reported that legislators in California are trying to help the deported vets.
Wellmont Hospice will receive $14,210 from a motorcycle ride recently held in memory of Jackie Stump  a former Virginia delegate and community servant.

The ride was named Riding the Storm Out after the hit song from rock band REO Speedwagon. The money will be distributed through the patient assistance fund for those who do not have insurance, or who need help paying for medications, hospital beds and other equipment, according to a news release from Wellmont Health System. Some funds will also help patients families pay rent, buy food and pay utility bills.

We called it Riding the Storm Out because thats what Jackie did when he received bad news from the doctor, said Linda Stump, Jackie Stumps widow. Hed get on his 1987 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic, play that REO Speedwagon song and just ride.

Stump died on June 2, 2016, after a nearly 11-year fight against cancer. He was known as a champion for those who were less fortunate and always considered them a priority, according to the news release.

Jackie was a fighter, and he fought cancer like no one Ive ever seen, said Linda Stump. He was never going to give up. He would go about every year and have radiation or chemo, but he always kept working to help people. Serving others kept Jackie alive. As long as he could, his mind was focused on doing what was right, and surviving.

Stump shared an example of her husbands commitment to helping others: helping fight a fire when he arrived as a legislator for the first time in Richmond, Virginia.

We were walking back from the Capitol that evening and a fire truck stopped at a hotel, she said. As the firefighters got out, Jackie just ran over, grabbed a hose and ran with them into the building without any protection. I was worried, but his aide told me to calm down  that Jackie was trained. He came out a few minutes later with ash and soot all over him and his suit.

Stump served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1989-2005. He served on state boards and commissions, including the Virginia Parole Board and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Stump was also a U.S. Air Force veteran who fought in the Vietnam War.

The event was organized by Linda Stump and Black Wolf Harley-Davidson. Black Wolf had Stumps Harley on display for several months, and held a raffle to sell it to help fund the ride.

Wellmont Hospice leaders said the money raised will have a profound effect on the patients they serve.

Even though Jackie Stump is no longer with us, his legacy and spirit of service to others continues to manifest itself through the generosity demonstrated in this event, said Jackie Everett, system director of hospice services.

Wellmont Hospice provides care for individuals at the hospice house, their homes, and in nursing homes, hospitals, or assisted-living facilities. Medical services, pain management, skilled nursing, emotional and spiritual support, medical supplies and equipment, social work, counseling and up to 13 months of free follow-up bereavement care for families is offered through hospice. Volunteer services include light housekeeping, grocery shopping, transportation, and sitting with patients so caregivers can take a break.
The Barbados rum brand Cockspur has been sold to Woodland Radicle, a company that specializes in brand creation and brand.

The company says Cockspurs future will include the upgrading of packaging and the introduction of new unique branded products to provide multinational consumers with greater choice.

For Woodland Radicle, CEO and co-founder Steve Wilson, the Cockspur brand, whose logo is a big rooster, has the quality necessary to take on the world. He declined to say how much Woodland Radicle paid for Cockspur,

Our strategy is to raise the profile of Cockspur, said Wilson, who is said to have spent 15 years as the global head of innovation at Diageo and was associated with a number of major brands including Baileys Irish Cream, Malibu, Ciroc Vodka, and Smirnoff Ice.

Our strategy is focused on growth. That is why we emphasise our intention will be to return Cockspur to greatness in Barbados as well as expand exports into more markets, Wilson added. He also assured that the great taste of the Cockspur brands will not change as they will continue to be produced and bottled in Barbados.

The major change as a result of the sale of the Cockspur brands will be in administration and marketing, says the company. Cockspurs headquarters will now be at Woodland Radicles corporate base in St George, Barbados. From there, a network of distributors will aggressively market the brand globally, while former producer, Hanschell Inniss will continue to distribute the brand locally.

Woodland Radicle chief, Wilson, predicts that rebuilding the Cockspur brand and taking it global would help them achieve his quest to become the number one brand building company in the beverage and alcohol industry within the next five years. The company created the spiced tequila brand, Xilli.
Nearly 80 PA people have been charged for Jan. 6 riot. Three are dead.

news
We can no longer rest assured that terror attacks only happen in far away places. We have terrorists sneaking in through Bangladesh on the east, through Nepal on the north and being pushed in by our friendly neighbour Pakistan on the west. There are ideologies that are uncomfortable with the idea of an India where people of such diversity of religion and cultural, can co-exist peacefully.



For terror to succeed there needs to be local support. Terrorists need to stay somewhere and be supported by similarly criminally minded locals for planning, logistics etc. Thankfully such elements are few, can be identified, and must be isolated and ostracised by society. They are anathema to peace.



Violence of many forms has been on the rise. Violence towards women has not reduced despite the huge uproar following the horrific Nirbhaya incident. Our laws have failed to make women safer, and particularly failed to deter the juvenile offender for crimes against women. Recently youngsters barely into their teens were reported to commit a Nirbhaya like assault. Our public debates on how to deal with a juvenile offender and failure to find a deterrent will see the inevitable rise in crime by this age group who feel they will getaway. We appear more concerned for the rights of the criminal than the victim.



Violence resulting from religious intolerance is another type which is making news more and more lately. Criminals in the garb of anti-Romeo squads (intended to make women safer) are seen to terrorise the innocent. Criminals pretending to protect the cow are finding every pretext to murder innocent Muslims. These actions and extra-legal entities are making our minorities from the economically poorer segment very uncomfortable. This should never happen in any civilised society, and cannot be acceptable in our secular democracy.



Our Constitution guarantees equal protection to all citizens irrespective of religion, caste and economic status. Every citizen has the right to exist in peace, anywhere in the country.



But Constitutional rights do not come without duties and responsibilities. It is the duty of every citizen to preserve the peace, observe the law of the land and respect the rights of fellow citizens.



Thus instead of blaming the state for having failed in its duty to provide safeguard against terror or criminals who indulge in violence against women or other fellow citizens, it is our duty to act as responsible citizens and do our bit to preserve the peace and integrity of the nation.



Criminal minds that support terror or do harm to a fellow citizen are few in number. They are easily identified by their behaviour and pursuit. We can no longer afford to look the other way and wait for some authority to deal with them. It may be too late. To make our neighbourhood safe, the principle of neighbourhood watch is that you together with your neighbours keep a watchful eye on suspicious behaviour, and do not give shelter to strangers whose antecedents are dubious. You should not be friends with anti-social elements who blatantly abuse law by manifestly behaving unlawfully in public  loud abusive language, drinking, smoking pot, carrying weapons etc. Either ask them to move elsewhere or ask the authorities to take action. It is such elements that are likely to commit crime or support a criminal.



By rejecting the criminal mind and being watchful, we will make an impact on a safer neighbourhood for all and in the process do our duty as a responsible citizen.



Symphony Of Harmony, or AikyaTaan being celebrated on Sunday 9th July at 10 am requires you to show your commitment to playing your part in making your neighbourhood and India safe and peaceful for all citizens, by giving just 2 minutes of your time at 10 am. Make a musical sound by any musical instrument from where ever you are at the time. This will affirm your commitment and your resolve towards a safer neighbourhood.



Hope you will not only participate but also spread this message to others.



Anant Trivedi
Indias coming out party in West Asia is perfectly playing out to the script.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has bitten the bullet in embracing Israel, and its leader Benjamin Netanyahu as well as the world have taken note.

Modis Israel visit, the first by an Indian prime minister, has got more media coverage in the United States and Europe than his June 26 bear-hugging of US President Donald Trump.

Modi has been unambiguous in showing the importance India accords to ties with Israel.

From the time he stepped out of Agra Air India-747 aircraft at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport, Modi seemed like a man who knew what he was doing.

The hug and the warm handshake with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who received the Indian leader at the airport in a rare gesture, set the tone for the visit.

Both Modi and Netanyahu know that the entire world, particularly the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran, are watching India take its relations with Israel, an international pariah not so long ago, to the next level.

The two countries have been security partners for more than a decade. India is Israels biggest arms buyer, purchasing weapons at an average of $1 billion each year.

Tel Aviv has exported radar killer missiles, synthetic aperture radar, ground sensors, assault rifles, laser-guided bombs, beyond visual range missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to India.

The two sides are expected to announce on Wednesday a deal for hand-held anti-tank guided missiles under Netanyahu coined Make with India initiative. Unarmed drones are also on the menu.

While many Israeli diplomats and media experts are confused over why Modi wont visit any defence company, it is evident he is more impressed with how a semi-arid nation has turned into agriculture- and water-surplus state through technology.

With 60% of Indias farmland dependent on rains, there is a lot to learn from Israel, which supports a third of its irrigation needs through desalination plants and reuses 80% of its water supply.

It is not just India that stands to gain from Modis visit.

Netanyahu, too, is playing the visit it to his advantage. Israel had the worlds oldest democracy, the US, on its side and on his watch, the worlds biggest democracy, India, has gone ahead an embraced the majority Jewish state.

This will help Israel in forging a working relationship with former adversaries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In Modis visit, Israeli leaders see the final recognition for the Jewish state. Netanyahu greeted Modi by saying we waited 70 years from you.

India recognised Israel in 1950 but the two countries established diplomatic ties only in 1992.

Right from meeting Modi at the airport, Netanyahu will be by the Indian PMs side during all his engagements and plans to see him off when the visit ends Thursday.

After becoming the first world leader to be hosted by President Donald Trump for a dinner at the White House and a rockstar welcome in Israel, Modi will host King Salman of Saudi Arabia and possibly Netanyahu later this year.

Modis ringing endorsement of ties with Israel has rewritten Indias West Asia policy.

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The ongoing standoff near Sikkim underlines the deterioration in India-China relations over the past few years. As ever, the Chinese have chosen the place and time carefully. India and China have a delimited and demarcated international border in Sikkim, going back to the Anglo-Chinese convention of 1890. But the boundary between Tibet and Bhutan is disputed and hence the location of the trijunction remains contested. Bhutan does not directly negotiate with China and its stance on the disputed boundary has developed in close consultation with India.

So, the Chinese can claim with a straight face that this is a bilateral problem between them and Bhutan. Similarly, when Indian troops support Bhutanese opposition to road construction in the disputed area, it is easy for Beijing to accuse New Delhi of violating an established international border. Never mind that the two sides have also agreed that the trijunctions with Bhutan and Myanmar will finally be decided in consultation with these countries. That said, we need to understand the Chinese action at three interconnected levels.

At the operational level, there are a couple of considerations in play. The Chinese have long sought to widen their room for manoeuver in this area. The construction of the road could enable them to outflank Indian military deployments in east Sikkim and make straight for the vital Siliguri corridor connecting West Bengal with the northeastern states. More broadly, such attempts at altering the status quo along the IB and the Line of Actual Control are aimed at compelling the Indian Army to stretch itself thin. The Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat, has rightly cautioned against succumbing to an LoC syndrome  of deployment in penny packets  along the China border.

At the strategic level, the current standoff serves Chinas wider objectives along the border. In recent years, Beijing has sought an agreement with India that would freeze the operational status quo on the border. Having built impressive military infrastructure and capability in Tibet, China seeks to prevent India from catching up. During the incursion in Depsang in 2013, for example, the Chinese wanted India to dismantle its bunkers in Chumar. In the current situation, the Chinese will likely adopt a similar stance. In agreeing to stop military construction in the Doklam area, China may insist that India should extend that principle to the entire border.

At the political level, the Chinese move signals an acceleration of Sino-Indian competition along the South Asian periphery. By picking on Bhutan, Beijing is testing New Delhis ties with its closest partner in the region and attempting to loosen them up a bit. The timing of the incident is important too. It comes on the heels of Indias unwillingness to participate in the Belt and Road jamboree in Beijing. We may debate the wisdom of staying out this initiative altogether, but in refusing to participate in the meeting New Delhi sent out a clear signal that it would not accept Chinas hierarchical notions of reordering Asian politics. It is no coincidence either that the standoff occurred just ahead of the Prime Ministers visit to the United States. Beijing has orchestrated several highly visible incursions along side diplomatic visits in order to assert its ability to embarrass India.

In attempting to wind down the standoff, India must take into account considerations at each of these levels. Operationally, we cannot afford to allow the Chinese to change the status quo near east Sikkim. Nor can we admit any suggestion that infrastructure development should be put on hold all along the border. Rather we must insist that this is a discrete event and that the Chinese attempt to change the status quo near the trijunction area is unacceptable.

At the same time, New Delhi must make a strong diplomatic effort to arrest the slide in ties with China. We need an agreement on mutual restraint that aims at addressing the core interests and concerns of both sides. The discussions between the Prime Minister and President Xi Jinping in May 2015 provide an ideal platform on which to mount such an effort. But this also requires a conceptual shift in our approach to China.

We must abandon the notion that our grand strategic choices boil down to either balancing against China in concert with the United States or bandwagoning with China. The history of international politics, including Indias own history, suggests that this is too simplistic a reading of the options open to usespecially in the current global conjuncture. It is time we demonstrated strategic creativity and diplomatic agility.

Srinath Raghavan is senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi

The views expressed are personal

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What are we willing to forsake in the name of development? Asks actor Dia Mirza, on felling of trees in the Aravalli region for a real estate project, allegedly involving a leading telecom company. After the Haryana government cleared the felling of more than 10,000 trees in the Aravallis for construction of a real estate project, last Sunday, the region saw chopping of trees in 52 acres of land in Sarai Khwaja village in Faridabad district. The move has evoke the wrath of citizens, including that of Mirza, who tweeted that she would stop using the services of the telecom company if they cause destruction of our forests and green zones. Her tweet was in response to the NGO, Save Aravali, accusing the telecom giant for destruction of trees in the region. Actor Randeep Hooda, too, tweeted that if there is any truth to the report, then he would also boycott the company.

I agree. I will stop using @Airtel_Presence @airtelindia if they cause destruction of our forests and green zones. https://t.co/qqzhWHSmgj  Dia Mirza (@deespeak) June 26, 2017

Is there any truth in this?  @cmohry @drharshvardhan I use @airtelindia @Airtel_Presence .. will boycott if they r nt nature friendly https://t.co/sty0iYjNSe  Randeep Hooda (@RandeepHooda) June 26, 2017

The 35-year-old actor feels that its important to acknowledge a problem, so as to find an appropriate solution. She says, Too many of us are unaware of the growing environment problem. What we unknowingly and unwittingly do is, when we invest in or subscribe to organisations and companies that are doing more damage than good, we are also supporting what is not right.

She explains, Lets take a case in point of the area that was cleared of trees and shrubbery in the Aravallis. Aravallis are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. And this particular mountain range is what recharges the ground water. This ground water replenishes water for Delhi, Gurgaon and Haryana.

Dia, who in the past has been vocal in the fight to save Aarey Colony, a lush green area in Mumbai that has come under threat by a Metro III project, says, There is a lot of work happening, all over the country, in the name of development and progress. But what does that work entail? It entails disconnecting forests, clearing up green cover. In Mumbai we are dealing with Metro rail yard. It has been approved to be built in one of our green zones, The Arrey Colony.

She adds, Are we for the idea of progress and growth, willing to give up the basics of what we need to survive, which is access to water, clean air and the basics that provide a healthy life? What we unknowingly and unwittingly do is, when we invest in or subscribe to organisations, groups or companies that are doing more damage than good, we are supporting what is not right.

And what is the way forward? We ask. There are laws in place that people need to start respecting. As citizens, whether we are industrialists, corporates, builders, we should stop undermining the law. We should start respecting the law. We also have to assume the position of development, which is one that includes absolute knowledge and awareness of how one is impacting all life at the ground level - not development that happens at any cost, she signs off.

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Ganesh Acharyas latest pictures are sure grabbing eyeballs. The National Award-winning choreographer, in his recent appearances, has looked about half his previous size  and thats because he has lost a whopping 85kg.

Talking about this drastic weight loss, Ganesh says, It was tough for me. I have been working on my body for the past one-and-a-half years. I had even put on 30-40kg for my film Hey Bro (2015), and my weight had then touched 200kg. Ab vahi weight utaar raha hoon (I am shedding that weight now).

Ganesh, who won the National Award for Best Choreography for the song Maston Ka Jhund in the film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), says that the motivation for his weight loss was to show people a different version of himself. Karna hi tha (I had to do this)! Ek soch thi ki (I had this determination that) I just have to do this. Logon ne Ganesh Acharya ko mota hi dekha hai (people have only seen the fat Ganesh Acharya), thats why I wanted to change the image. I have lost almost 85kg now, he says.

Glad to have accomplished this weight loss, Ganesh adds that he has already started to feel the difference. I danced even when I had so much weight, but the difference between then and now is that the energy in my dance has doubled, he says.

Turning director with a Marathi film, Ganesh also plans to release a video about his weight loss. Im soon going to launch a video on YouTube that will showcase the journey of how I transformed my body, he shares.
Arjun Kapoor and Ileana DCruzs next film, Mubarakan, hit top gear on pre-release buzz on Wednesday: Ahead of the release of a song from the film, Google Pake, on Thursday, weve got our hands on two exclusive stills from the song.

Voiced by Sonu Nigam, Armaan Malik, Tulsi Kumar, Neeti Mohan and Amaal Malik, the song features very high on the makers priority list, especially after the lukewarm response the first song from the film, Hawa Hawa remix received.

The film revolves around Kartar Singhs (Anil Kapoor) dysfunctional family consisting of two identical twins: An urban dude Karan, and the naive Charan, both played by Arjun Kapoor.

The twins, through a twist of fate, end up becoming cousins: One brought up in Chandigarh and the other in London. The fun starts when their families start searching for a bride for them, unknown to the fact that they already have girlfriends. Will their genius uncle, Kartar be able to get them out of this mess or create more confusion?

Directed by Anees Bazmee, Mubarakan will hit the screens on July 28, 2017.
Even after the debate that raged through the nation a few months ago on nepotism in Bollywood, Yash Raj Films decided it was a good idea to launch late actor Raj Kapoors grandson, Aadar Jain into movies.

However, Twitter was not kind to the aspiring actor and took his case, calling him and the banner out on giving unfair opportunities to sons and daughters of actors in the film industry.

Aadar is the younger son of Rima Jain, Raj Kapoors daughter. He is also the cousin of Ranbir, Karisma and Kareena Kapoor. He has previously worked as the assistant director to Farah Khan on Happy New Year and Karan Johar on Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

To introduce him to the world, YRF used special Twitter cards, most of which talked about his heritage. One even projected Raj Kapoors image on Aadars tshirt.

Twitter was not pleased that YRF has not learnt any lesson from the nepotism debate, sparked by actor Kangana Ranaut during an episode of Koffee With Karan. On the show, she accused director Karan Johar of being the flagbearer of nepotism. Following her comments, many big ticket actors like Varun Dhawan and Sonakshi Sinha tried to defend successful parents introducing their children to movies.

The infuriated commentators accused Aadar of using his Kapoor card to get into films:

Outsider story: Struggle, hard work, making it on their own



Nepotism story: Legend, bloodline, not Kapoor but still KAPOOR. @yrf #AadarJain pic.twitter.com/pfeFYGjzuB  Anuja G (@AnujazzZ) July 5, 2017

Family business bnalo and Hollywood will make ur industry extinct very soon  The Dude (@SinghArjking8) July 5, 2017

When you have a big photo of your grandfather in the CV and still get the job.#AadarJain https://t.co/66PHUiQ07c  Dj (@dasguptaji) July 5, 2017

What's the bet @yrf will defend their launch of @AadarJain by saying "he's not related to any of us, so it's not #nepotism"?

Any minute now.  Dimple M. (@chulbuli_pandey) July 5, 2017

Nepotism not in my name  Jai (@Jai74863750) July 5, 2017

Kapoor's son that's the reason ! nothing special in him. #FawadKhan & #AliZafar are millions times better then this young boy #aadarjain  Kamran Mustafa (@kamranmustafa) July 5, 2017

And then they say #Nepotism does not exist in the Hindi Movie industry. #AadarJain https://t.co/ZMOpM8aSIz  Vinamra Longani (@Vinamralongani) July 5, 2017

Many actors like Anushka Sharma, Athiya Shetty and even director Karan Johar welcomed Aadar in the industry.

A talented chip of the legendary block....welcome to the movies AADAR JAIN....shine on!!!!! @yrf @Shanoozeing pic.twitter.com/ez0J475gvv  Karan Johar (@karanjohar) July 5, 2017

Welcoming @AadarJain and @anyasinghoff to the @yrf family! All the best and God bless!   Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) July 5, 2017

Apart from Aadar, Anya Singh of Delhi was also launched by YRF.

She moved to Mumbai and had to undergo auditions before bagging the role in a film that will directed by Habib Faizal (Ishaqzaade) and co-star Aadar.

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Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications today blamed freebies offered by a new telecom operator -- an apparent reference to Mukesh Ambani-run group firm Reliance Jio -- for woes of the sector even as it denied having delayed any payment by more than three months.

Debt-ridden RCom said that for the first time in history, the debt of listed telecom operators has exceeded their market capitalisation.

As a result of increase in debt and decline in revenue, the debt servicing capabilities of telecom companies have been adversely impacted.

The telecom industrys current financial problem to some extent can be attributed to the entry of a new telecom operator and its strategy of freebies to gain customer and market share, RCom said in a regulatory filing.

The go-slow approach by domestic banks is not only adversely impacting the corporate in making investment decision but also important refinancing programmes, which is not only creating a mismatch in cash flows of corporate but also impacting the banks financials due to increased provisioning, RCom said.

The company has defaulted on some of the payments to lenders and it has received time till December for strategic restructuring plan under which it will get a 7-month standstill to service loans amounting to Rs 45,000 crore.

The company shared details of debt raised along with due dates adding that in no case, the delay has exceeded three months and hence it was not required to sent any intimation to stock exchanges for delay in payments.

RCom said that lenders have granted it standstill period of seven months from June 2017 to service obligations related to existing debts.

RCom said that it has already announced sale of mobile towers to Brookfield Infrastructure and combination of its wireless business with Aircel group which, on completion of the deal, will reduce existing debt by up to Rs 25,000 crore.

Shares of RCom today closed at Rs 20.9 a unit, down by 4.35 % compared to previous close, at BSE today.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary pads and disability aids has become a point of contention with political parties, activists and citizens accusing the government of neglecting the needs of women and the disabled.

However, it emerges that the government may have had reason to place the first in the 12% tax category and the second in the 5-18% tax slab.

Government officials, while appreciating the sentiment behind the calls for a lower tax rate on both, say their decision was driven by a desire to protect local manufacturers (especially given this governments focus on promoting local manufacturing), avoid an inverted tax structure (where there is a huge disparity between taxes on intermediate goods and those on the finished products), and keep the new tax rate at the same level or lower than the old one.

The case of sanitary napkins has become particularly contentious.

An official in the federal indirect tax body, the GST Council, said on condition of anonymity that the issue was discussed in detail before finalizing a tax of 12% on the product.

A 12% GST rate is at par with its earlier tax burden including central and state taxes (or a bit lower depending on the state where it is purchased), this person said. Secondly, some of the raw materials used such as polymers attract a higher 18% rate which makes it hard to reduce the tax rate on the finished item without adding to the cost of producers. While companies can claim credit for tax paid on intermediate goods, a huge differential between the tax rates on intermediate goods or inputs and that on the finished product would mean that they end up with tax credits that they cant use.

Under GST, a company can claim a refund on unused tax credits, but this could take time.

B. Pramod Nair, partner and director, Wager Hygiene, a maker of health and personal care products including sanitary napkins, confirmed that most of the companys raw materials are taxed at 18%.

The rural market for sanitary pads is largely served by low-cost products made by non-governmental organizations, self-help groups, or small start-ups. For instance, Saathi, one such start-up, makes sanitary pads from banana fibre. Goonj, a Delhi-based NGO, makes them from waste cloth. Many of these entities fall under the Rs 20 lakh threshold (in terms of revenue) over which GST is levied.

In the absence of GST, given the taxes on inputs and intermediate products, locally-made sanitary pads could lose the edge to Chinese imports, government officials said. Imports account for a fourth of the Indian sanitary market, according to Anil Talreja, a partner with Deloitte Haskins and Sells. Some of the better known imported Chinese brands are Stay Dry and Suki.

The case of disability aids is similar. The finance ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that many of the inputs used in the manufacture of these disability aids attract 18% tax. In addition, the ministry said, 22 assistive devices and rehabilitation aids for physically challenged persons would attract a concessional 5% GST rate. The list includes Braille typewriters, wheel chairs, walking frames, artificial limbs and hearing aids.

The statement rejected Congress vice president Rahul Gandhis accusation that the Narendra Modi administration is insensitive in imposing disability tax of 5-18% on wheelchairs and Braille typewriters.

It added that exempting the products from GST would provide an unfair advantage to imports because the locally made products would still bear the cost of input taxes, making them uncompetitive.
With a toy gun in hand, it was just a childs play. Even though this was their first attempt at dacoity.

Four amateur robbers have told police they looted gold and silvery jewellery, estimated to be worth more than Rs three crore, using a toy gun to scare a group of travellers in June.

The four people were arrested on Tuesday, police said .

There were ten members in the gang who looted the people Agra travelling from Rajkot in Gujarat with 470 kg of silver and 1.5 kg of gold jewellery in the wee hours of June 22.

Gangs active along highways are often armed with country-made firearms though violence is rare as the victims readily part with their belonging for fear of their lives. However, use of toy guns is unheard of.

Udaipur superintendent of police Rajendra Prasad Goyal said the four arrested people into jewellery business and have shops in Nathdwara, Kurabad and Udaipur.

They were in touch with people who knew about the victims movement to Rajkot with a large consignment of jewellery.

Goyal said the mastermind, Heera Lal Gurjar, planned the robbery with his three associates near Tidi village on the national highway No. 8.

A member of their gang from Rajkot informed them about the movement of the jewelers. These four intercepted their car and robbed them at gun-point, the police chief said.

Goyal said after police teams scanned CCTV footages of toll booths on the highway to pick clues on the gang.

They dont have any criminal antecedents, the SP said. This was their first crime. After committing the loot, they left Udaipur and stayed at different places.

Police are interrogating them for arresting other members of the gang, Goyal added.
He looks a bit like Derek Walcott. He has the same white hair, the same moustache, the same face cut as the Nobel-Prize winning Caribbean poet who died in March. But this man is holding a shovel instead of a pen. We meet him one afternoon in South Delhis Munirka. He is digging the pavement for underground cables to be installed.

Meer Chands blue check shirt and grey lungi are covered in brown mud. He is barefoot; his chappals are placed under a tree. His lunch bag is on top of a mound of earth. Im 60 or 62... Im not sure, he tells us, when we ask his age.

Many men of Mr Chands age prefer to enjoy retirement. He looks amused at the idea, saying he cant imagine himself sitting idle at home. He says he married late. His wife, Shanti Devi, is in her 60s too. She stays in their one-room home in a village near Bhatti Mines, on the southern edges of Delhi.

My workplace is the entire city, he says. Contractors land in his village every day to transport labourers to wherever work can be found in the city.

By now, Mr Chand is sweating profusely. He keeps down the shovel and opens his lunch box. Its aloo tamatar. His wife made it in the morning. Just then it starts to rain. He quickly packs up his things and takes shelter under a tree. As the downpour shows no sign of slowing, he takes out a beedi and starts to smoke. The home-cooked meal lies forgotten.
How many places do you know in Delhi where you can walk up a hill, sit at the top, and enjoy the monsoon?

The Shiv Mandir in Central Delhis Jorbagh Colony perhaps offers the only such escape.

Unlike the cold and formidable bungalows of the affluent neighbourhood, the temple, partially hidden by a lush foliage, makes you feel welcome. You reach it through a flight of picturesque stairs: almost every step has creepers and grass growing on it. The uneven brick courtyard has two giant peepal trees, around which small birds quarrel with squirrels all day long.

The priest told us that the Shiv Mandir dates back to 1942. The red gateway is suitably ancient, and a framed black-and-white portrait of a man dressed in a jacket and dhoti looks like a memory from princely India. We are told he was the temples first priest.

A part of the courtyard is covered with a tin roof. It goes pitter-patter in the rain. You could easily believe you are in a Himalayan cottage.
Now, Delhi residents are demanding boats for waterlogged areas of the city.

In a letter to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, a federation of east Delhi RWAs has asked the Delhi government to provide inflatable boats to people in low-lying areas which get flooded every year during monsoon.

The CM himself says that PWD has not cleaned the drains. So, the situation will be difficult this year. Boats should be provided to all RWAs in vulnerable areas, BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front, told HT. According to him, the RWAs want to send out a message in all seriousness as well as sarcasm. On one hand we want to give a message to the authorities, and on the other, it may be helpful for those in the low lying areas.

Even before the monsoon hit Delhi on July 2, the city had witnessed waterlogging at various spots over the last two weeks when it rained almost every day. Several areas of the city transformed into mini pools and vehicles were seen navigating potholed roads flooded with water.

Even as the blame game between municipal corporations and the PWD continues, the AAP government has said that PWD officials did not make adequate efforts to de-silt drains to prevent waterlogging. Aam Aadmi Party legislators, in a recent session of Delhi Assembly, demanded exemplary punishment for officials in charge saying they miserably failed in discharging their duties.

Terming the failure as criminal negligence and health terrorism, AAP legislators asked speaker Ram Niwas Goel to set an example as he did last week by serving a 30-day jail term to two visitors who tossed papers in the House from the visitors gallery.

Salary of these officers are paid from tax payers money but they are not accountable to people nor their elected representatives. What they have been doing is criminal negligence. You should use your powers to summon officers and set an example by sending one of two to jail, said Laxmi Nagar legislator Nitin Tyagi during the discussion on the petitions committee report on de-silting tabled in the House on June 30.

Alarmed over the pathetic condition of the drains and the blatant representation of the facts by the authorities before the committee, the House later adopted a resolution moved by Dwarka legislator Adarsh Shastri, directing the Delhi government that all the recommendations made in its report be implemented.

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Delhi government has fast-tracked the north-south elevated corridor, which will connect north Delhi with airport.

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has directed the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (planning & engineering) centre (UTTIPEC) to approve the project at the earliest. PWD minister Satyendar Jain said that once approved, the department will complete the project in three years.

We are in the final stage of approval and this project will prove to be a milestone, Jain said.

A PWD official said that as part of project, a 6.1 km-long tunnel will be constructed from Zakira to Pankha Road after which an elevated stretch will start and go up to Urban Extension area 2 (National Highway 8 Gurugram). A 9km-long elevated stretch will also be built along Najafgarh drain.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, in the 2016-17 budget speech, had proposed two elevated corridors  one along Anand Vihar Terminal to Peeragarhi (East-West Corridor - 29km) and the other from Wazirabad to Airport (North- South Corridor  28.6km).

The east-west corridor is however caught in bureaucratic hurdle. Since, a major part of its has to go parallel to the railway line between Anand Vihar and New Delhi Railway Station, the railway officials have expressed their reservations in giving land to the Delhi government.

The east-west corridor will run via Rohtak road till Tikri border and design has been submitted to UTTIPEC.

According to PWD officials, there is need to create additional infrastructure in order to accommodate increasing number of vehicles. The north-south corridor will run through west Delhi and bypass the ridge area also.

The alignment has been finalized and as per the suggestion received, the corridor will connect the Urban Extension Road II, proposed by DDA at the periphery of airport, said a PWD official.

Delhi Traffic Police had suggested that traffic of the corridor would clog the Thimayya Marg intersection and asked the PWD to explore the possibility of the proposed end of North-South corridor to be extended up to Delhi border towards Gurgaon side.

By the time, Signature Bridge will be completed and we will already have 22km elevated corridors operational from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad. So, the journey time from airport to Haryana border, which also connects Delhi with Chandigarh will be reduced by 90 minutes, the official added.

Once approved by UTTIPEC, the tendering process will start and government will also shift its focus on east-west corridor.

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A bad boy has got himself a big gun and the neighbours dont know what to do. That crudely sums up the predicament that the US and, to some degree, China find themselves with North Koreas first successful testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Whether the missile could make it all the way to North America is uncertain. But that is almost certainly just a matter of time. There will be a longer lag before Pyongyang can prove it has developed a miniaturised nuclear warhead for use on the missile. Again, this is also a matter of time.

What is clear is that North Korea has fast forwarded closer to the day it can credibly say it can strike continental US with a nuclear weapon. This, in turn, raises the question as to the nature of Washingtons response, especially if it concludes it cannot accept the threat of nuclear blackmail by the most renegade government on earth.

New Delhi will feel a sense of deja vu at Washingtons predicament. India, after all, has been under the nuclear shadow of another rogue state, Pakistan, for years. And Islamabads illicit nuclear weapons programme greatly benefited from North Koreas sister programme. Unlike India, however, the US does have the ability to militarily stop North Korea at any time, but only if it is prepared to absorb the collateral damage that this would have on South Korea, Japan and its relations with China.

US President Donald Trump has not helped matters by blowing hot and cold on North Korea. While his administration seems to accept that North Korea is their thorniest foreign policy issue, its messaging to Pyongyang has been all over the place. One of the reasons for North Koreas nuclear-cum-missile brinkmanship has been dictator Kim Jong-uns demand that the US agree to negotiate directly with him as an equal partner. The US has refused, saying this would be succumbing to blackmail while undermining the regional six-party structure. But Mr Trump initially declared he would be honoured to meet the North Korean dictator directly. This was eventually rolled back by his staff but not before encouraging Pyongyang to continue down a path of provocation.

Chinas unwillingness nor inability to control North Korea will at least allow US-Chinese relations to shift to a more natural and thus more belligerent status. Washington however needs to provide much more clarity on what exactly its red lines and responses will be to Pyongyangs actions. This is doubly important given the incoherence that has marked the Trump administration. More than anywhere else in the world, a diplomatic misstep in the Korean peninsula could result in the first use of nuclear weapons since World War II.
In 2010, Parliament enacted the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, which said that a judge of the Supreme Court or a chief justice of high court will be eligible to be chairperson or judicial member of the Tribunal. In six years since its formation in 2011, the NGT has emerged as an independent voice when it came to protecting the environment. It has pulled up the Centre for fast-tracking approvals and corporate groups for violating green approval conditions. But in the first week of June, the Centre modified the process of appointments to the NGT: Instead of a senior judge, its chairperson will now be recommended by a five-member panel, which will be led by the chief justice of India (CJI) or a nominee of the CJI, but a majority of the other members in the panel will be recommended by the environment ministry.

The NDA has been trying to curtail the NGTs powers for some time. It set up the TSR Subramanian committee to review the countrys environment laws in 2014, which recommended dilution of the tribunals powers. The NDA, however, could not act as it would have lead to a political backlash. But it later merged eight autonomous tribunals with other tribunals, and also gave itself the power to appoint and remove the members in another 17 such bodies. The new uniform appointment rules for 19 tribunals were notified on June 1. They have taken away powers of the CJI to appoint and remove chairperson and judicial members to the tribunal; now it will be the environment ministrys call.

Giving power to the executive to sack a retired judge is unprecedented. All this would ensure that judges may not join the tribunal and it could become a parking lot for retired bureaucrats, rendering the NGT ineffective for protecting the citizens rights to a clean, healthy and pollution-free environment.
To curb corruption and bring in greater transparency, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has asked all its employees to furnish details of their income and assets including property that will be put up on its website.

According to sources, the council has over a period of time received a number of complaints regarding corruption and the move is aimed at checking that.

All the employees have been asked to provide details of their incomes, vehicles, property and its present market price. Data for three years has been sought from them so that it can be compared with the previous years, said a senior NCTE official.

The council is responsible for providing recognition to B.Ed colleges and teacher training institutes. There are 11474 such institutes in the country. In the past, NCTE has been accused to processing applications for recognition out of turn. At the same time, a number of inspecting teams had members of questionable credibility and in some cases affiliation was granted even to non-existent colleges.

Once the data of assets is complete it will be put on the NCTEs website and the figures provided by the employees will also be monitored and compared to their income levels, sources further said.

Generally too they are supposed to furnish such data but many people dont do it despite reminders. But this time we have decided to put it on the website so that it is in public view, added the official.

In case there are cases that look suspicious they will be put on a watch list and will be monitored closely. Employees at all levels including deputy secretary, under secretary, section officers among others have been asked to provide information.

The issue of corruption in NCTE has been raised in the Parliament too, in the past. In 2015, the then HRD minister Smriti Irani had informed the Lok Sabha that after reconstitution of the NCTE in May 2013, a vigilance wing was established in NCTE headed by Chief Vigilance Officer to look after the vigilance cases against the officers/officials of NCTE and in its Regional Offices.

The Vigilance branch takes necessary measures in the cases of irregularities that come to their notice. In order to ensure transparency in the functioning of the NCTE, several steps have been initiated such as the online submission of applications for grant of recognition, on-line payment of fees and processing of applications in chronological order, etc.

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A cab driver once asked South Sudanese fashion model Nyakim Gatwech if she would change her skin colour for money. No! said Gatwech.

Gatwech, who has appeared on covers of international magazines, took Instagram by a storm after she started using her posts to challenge stereotypes about skin and beauty.

The 24-year-old model who lives in Minneapolis, US, uses her posts to tell her 180,000-plus followers that she takes pride in her chocolate black skin and her African heritage.

Another great shot???? ?? @darlingtonphotography #QUEENOFDARK????????#nuergirlbeauty???????? #southsudanesebeauty???????????????? #africanqueen???? #legsfordays A post shared by Nyakim Gatwech (@queenkim_nyakim) on Jun 1, 2017 at 10:45am PDT

My chocolate is elegant. So is what I represent A nation of warriors, she captioned one of her many Instagram photos, which routinely exceed 10k likes each.

In another post she wrote, Dear my moonshine dark skin, sun-kissed complexion, burn skin or whatever they might call you: You are beyond beautiful and the love I have for is unconditional because you are me. Her photographs exhibit the pride she takes in her African roots and Nuer heritage.

She uses her account as a platform to advocate diversity and represent those who do not have a voice. In one of her inspiring messages she says, You represent me and I represent you and let show the world how beautiful and intelligent we are apart from just being dark skin. Because we are more than what this society think of our dark skin let stand up for those who cant. Lets speak up those who cant. And stay beautiful while doing it.

In another post she wrote: Black is bold, black is beautiful, black is gold.

Dont let American standards damage your African soul. Love the skin you live in, no matter what color or shade it may be.

It is not just her captions but her photographs that speak volumes about her strength and beauty. From flaunting colorful bikinis in desert terrains, to beautiful floral print dresses and all-black outfits, she is a diva who makes a point with just her appearance.

However, before the South Sudanese model found success, her pigmented complexion wasnt a celebrated phenomenon; the beauty was publicly shamed for her dark skin. But she refused to take the hatred to her heart and decided to embrace her dark black skin.

Earlier this year she took to Instagram to share her experience as a victim of colourism. She talked about her conversation with an Uber driver who asked the model if she would ever consider bleaching her skin.

I was (asked by) my Uber driver the other dayDont take this offensive but if you were given 10 thousand dollars would you bleach your skin for that amount? I couldnt even respond I started laughing so hard. Then he said so that a no and I was like hell to the f****** yeah that a no, why on earth would I ever bleach this beautiful melanin, God bless me with, she wrote on Instagram.

According to an article on Yahoo Beauty, Gatwech explains how she had to build on the love for her dark complexion. Growing up, she was bullied in school for it, told things like, You black as hell, take a shower. There was a time in my life where I considered bleaching myself to avoid the dirty looks, the laughter, and for boys to find me attractive, she admits.

Even though she receives discouraging messages now and then regarding her coloring, she refuses to give up on her self confidence and radiant self love. Her refreshing attitude is reflected in a powerful message where she writes, My skin absorbs the suns rays and my hair defies gravity. Now you cant tell me Im not magical!

She has been showered with lots of love by her fans who have dubbed her as the Queen of the Dark, a title which she has accepted with immense pleasure.

Nyakim Gatwech has created a wave in the fashion industry and is now a very successful name in the modeling industry. She has broken standardized conventions of beauty and continues to encourage others to do the same as an advocate of diversity in the fashion world. She is also representing black women across various forums, globally.
In a city which is bereft of an efficient transportation system and has a city bus service whose conditions are beyond dilapidated, Haryana urban local bodies minister Kavita Jain, who is away in Poland to attend a conference, said on Tuesday that the state government is looking to introduce 75 to 100 electric buses in Gurgaon.

Barring transport corporations of Bengaluru and New Delhi which have operated an electric bus each on a trial basis, the concept is yet to take off in the country. Despite, its advantages, the electric buses have a high procurement cost that has led to the project being in limbo at Bengaluru and New Delhi.

However, in other countries such as United States of America, China, Japan and South Korea electric bus serve as an important public transport system owing to its advantages both environmentally and practically.

Its not restricted to a definite fuel source and is more environment-friendly owing to low carbon emission.

Transport experts said that in a city like Gurgaon, which has narrow and congested roads, the concept of electric bus is highly beneficial.

Electric buses have an in-built system that helps to generate electricity while its operating. Traffic in Gurgaon forces a driver to hit the brakes very often. However, the same would only enable an electric bus to regenerate electricity by tapping kinetic energy. Dr SewaRam, associate professor in transport planning at School of Planning and Architecture, said.

Sewa Ram added that electric buses can hit top speed faster than diesel buses as an electric motor is more effective than diesel engine in providing torque. Unlike diesel engines that are combustible, electric motors gives the driver of a vehicle an option to preserve energy and release it at once to give extra engine power.

The ULB minister had also highlighted the advantages of an electric bus in her announcement two days ago. She said that in comparison to a fossil fuel bus, an electric bus can save nearly 4.25 lakh litres diesel and also reduce carbon emissions by 1,150 tonnes after 10 years of functioning.

Read I Gurgaon: Intercity, interstate buses back on roads as roadways strike ends

In New Delhi, owing to manufacturing cost being three times more in comparison to a CNG low-floor bus, the project found no takers and remained in limbo.

Despite lower operational cost, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation could not afford to fund the project and has been looking towards the Karnataka Government for financial assistance.

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One person was killed and another injured when a bus collided with a tempo at the Hero Honda chowk on Wednesday. The accident happened on the newly opened flyover at the crossing, where traffic has been allowed to ply on both sides without the central driving, traffic police officials said.

According to the police, a double decker bus coming from Jaipur side hit a speeding Tata Ace tempo coming from the Delhi side around 6.30 am. The driver of the tempo was grievously injured and he died on the spot, a police official said. It is being suspected that the bus driver was coming at high speed and lost control causing the accident.

The deceased was identified as Santosh, resident of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The victim used to deliver milk in Manesar and was engaged in this business for a long while.

Assistant sub inspector Rajesh Kumar, who is investigating the matter said the accused driver fled from the spot leaving behind the damaged vehicle. The vehicles have been impounded and the accused will be identified and nabbed soon, said Kumar. A case has been registered at the Sadar police station.

Read I Gurgaon Harley Davidson accident raises concerns over licensing of high-end bikes

Traffic police officials said the accident at this stretch happened because traffic has been allowed on both sides without any divider. This is a high speed highway and allowing fast moving vehicles to move on a single road is fraught with danger. More such accidents can happen if this is not stopped, said a police official.

Meanwhile, in another incident two vehicles met with an accident near Rajiv Chowk on Wednesday. However, none was injured in the accident, police said.
Residents of Rajiv Nagar area here on Wednesday demanded action against an allegedly fictitious firm that they said was promising them of issuing ration cards.

On Tuesday, a group of residents of street no 8 caught hold of one of the employees of the firm and took him to the Sector 14 police station for verification. The residents alleged they were asked to fill forms, sign documents and give their Aadhaar numbers for getting ration cards made.

The police, however, said they have questioned the person and asked him to provide documents from the government on the basis of which he claimed to provide ration cards.

The locals demanded that action should be initiated against the firm as there was a possibility of misuse of their Aadhaar card numbers. The people are worried that their signatures and Aadhaar numbers could be misused by these people. They did not show us any valid document or permission from the government, said Chetan Sharma, a resident.

Nearly 500 people in Rajiv Nagars different parts have paid Rs 10, along with the form to the firms employees. These people have been operating since last two days. However, yesterday, when they were filling the forms, people got suspicious. We dialled the police control room and handed over one of the suspects to the police, said Naresh Yadav, another resident.

The residents the informed the Bhartender Singh, SHO, Sector 14 police station and apprised him about their apprehensions. The police reassured the residents that the matter is being investigated. We have asked the person to submit details of the permission obtained from food and supplies department for making ration cards. We are also independently verifying the details and if any falsification or discrepancy is found then a case would be registered against the firm, Singh said.

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed that the construction work of the C&D waste treatment plant be suspended till the next hearing on July 27.

The green court was hearing a petition filed by Delhi Bird Foundation, an NGO, stating the wetland that attracts large number of migratory birds every year, is under threat because of the plant.

Bird enthusiasts demanded to suspend the work of construction and demolition (C&D) plant which is supposed to come up in Basai and also requested be shifted it from the wetland.

This issue came as the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) gave nod to a multinational construction firm to build a debris processing plant over 3.5 acres in Basai and the project was inaugurated by the MCG commissioner V Umashankar on May 23.

The 20-acre wetland attracts a large number of migratory birds every year and setting up a C&D plant nearby will destroy the birds natural habitat, according to environmentalists. The wetland currently have yellow bittern, black bittern, painted snipe, water cock, jacana, and weaver birds.

We have submitted pictures of Basai wetland in the court. There are evidences that the wetland is a home for large number of species, said Pankaj Gupta, a birder.

According to the C&D Management Rules 2016, a plant cannot be near a forest, water body, wetland, sanctuary or human clusters. The NGO said the area has an active aquatic life and has all features of a wetland.

On June 17, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar laid the foundation stone of the C&D plant, even when, the birders had wrote to him raising concern regarding the fate of the 200 bird species that visit the wetland every year.

The bird experts had initiated an online campaign to raise awareness regarding wetland and the need to preserve it.

Meanwhile, the MCG officials said the land is not a notified wetland and they are setting up the plant under the direction of NGT which stated that the city requires a C&D waste treatment plant as the waste was dumped into Aravallis.

The boundary wall of the project is completed at the site. In master plan also the area is kept for public utility space and moreover the area has huge number of big housing project coming up and is close to Dwarka Expressway and railway track. All these elements will not attract birds and also the city needs a C&D plant to process the waste it generates, said Sudhir Chauhan, senior town planner (STP) of MCG.

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In a major boost to policing in Gurgaon, the Haryana government on Wednesday sanctioned new posts for the beleaguered traffic police department, apart from approving the post of a DCP in Manesar area.

The proposal to convert sanctioned police posts into regular posts, besides converting 1,200 posts of constables into those of sub-inspectors was also approved. The last measure would be effective in the entire state.

The decisions were taken in a statewide meeting chaired by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh and attended by top officials, including additional chief secretary, home, Ram Niwas and DGP BS Sandhu .

The chief minister also approved the proposal to set up a headquarters of a state-level task force to tackle organised and heinous crime in Gurgaon.

The force will be headed by an IGP level officer, who will be given wide powers to check the widening net of organised crime in the state.

It was also decided that a reward of Rs 1 lakh would be given to any one providing information leading to the arrest of purse and chain snatchers in the state.

The move comes in the wake of rising number of cases pertaining to chain snatching across the state, particularly Gurgaon.

He also approved the proposal to convert sanctioned police posts into regular posts, besides converting 1,200 posts of constables into those of sub-inspectors.

Khattar also gave the go-ahead for the creation of new posts of traffic police constables for Panchkula, Faridabad and Gurgaon.

In the meeting, the CM also directed the state police to ensure that CCTV cameras of the highest quality are installed across cities to boost surveillance. He said the police should ensure that third-party audits of the cameras and the security setup are conducted.

Giving special directions for maintaining social harmony in the state, Khattar said close vigil would be maintained on social and caste-based issues.

Police were also directed to make arrangements for a mobile petrol pump along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) and Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal (KGP) expressways to facilitate the commuters, on the pattern of the one that is operational in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

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To regulate the quality of diagnosis in labs, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued a directive that mandates all lab reports be signed by a qualified MBBS doctor registered with either the MCI or a state medical council.

The move is aimed at checking the quality of tests and ensuring accuracy of test reports .

"All lab reports to be signed/counter signed by person's registered with MCI/state medical council," was decided at a recent MCI executive council meeting.

Indias National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratory (NABL) had sought clarification from the country's top medical education regulator on whether an MSc or a PhD in a science discipline such as microbiology or biochemistry could sign diagnostic reports.

In its written response, the MCI reiterated that the person signing the report should be a registered medical practitioner.

Since there is always a possibility that a qualified doctor has not supervised tests at unregulated neighbourhood labs, many hospitals do not accept diagnostic reports from little-known labs.

"We prefer getting tests done at our diagnostic lab because of the assured quality. We cant judge the infrastructure or qualification of the staff in other labs, especially in those in hole-in-the-wall places," said a doctor from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

"We even get an ECG or an echo repeated at the hospital because very often, the person conducting the test or preparing the report is a lab technician who is not qualified to assess the results," he said.

Following the MCI directive, the Union health ministry will take a call on the law. "Since the MCI has no authority to punish people running labs without doctors, the ministry has to decide the quantum of punishment for people running labs staffed only with technicians," said a former member from one of the state councils.

"We are considering the matter and may come out with a notification in the matter soon," said a senior official.

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An Arunachal Pradesh police team on Wednesday afternoon located the wreckage of the Indian Air Force chopper that went off the radar while on flood rescue mission on Tuesday.

The team also found two mutilated but identifiable bodies beside the crash site.

The IAF, however, said it was not certain if the debris was of its missing Advanced Light helicopter.

A radio message from the districts extra assistant commissioner M Taipodia to the states chief secretary and other officials said the debris of the IAFs advanced light helicopter had been spotted in an inaccessible deep gorge at Sopo Yuha about 3pm.

The spot, near Hostalam village, is about 30 km north of state capital Itanagar.

Neither the district administration nor defence officials could provide an update on the three IAF crew members and a policeman who were on board the ill-fated chopper.

IAF officials in New Delhi said it was not certain if it was of the helicopter that went missing on Tuesday while engaged in flood evacuation.

The search is continuing. Certain leads that the ground parties obtained will be intensively searched once the weather clears tomorrow, an IAF official said.

Wing Commander M S Dhillon was the pilot of the helicopter.

Rescue Efforts to Resume

We have deployed five police teams to locate the chopper, and one of them spotted the wreckage in a deep gorge where a waterfall meets a stream. Efforts to reach the spot will resume tomorrow (Thursday), inspector-general of police (law and order) Nabin Payeng said.

The fate of the pilots will be known only after the search and rescue teams reach the spot, he added.

Officials said the rescue teams combed the areas along the route the chopper was to have used after taking off at 3:50pm from Pilputu helipad near Sagalee for the heliport at Naharlagun, about 13km from Itanagar.

The helicopter was evacuating people stranded due to massive landslides caused by heavy rainfall, Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Sombit Ghosh said.

The chopper, he said, had gone out for flood rescue operations from the IAF base in central Assams Jorhat Tuesday morning.

Naharlagun-based civil aviation official M Pertin said the IAF chopper had made five sorties during the day.

In the sixth sortie, the crew did not evacuate the last nine civilians at Sagalee but took off with a policeman for Naharlagun, he said.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju gestures after his chopper made an emergency landing in Itanagar on Tuesday due to bad weather. (PTI FILE PHOTO)

In a tweet, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said until it went missing the IAF chopper evacuated 169 people from Sagalee and Dambuk areas. Dambuk in Lower Dibang Valley district is 350km east of Itanagar.

Unpredictable weather often makes chopper travel risky in Arunachal Pradesh. Almost at the same time when the IAF chopper went missing, Union minister Kiren Rijiju had a close shave with death when the Mi-17 helicopter he was in had to land in a polytechnic college field in Itanagar due to poor visibility.

The state has had a history of chopper crashes. In March 2011, chief minister Dorjee Khandu and four others died after their Pawan Hans chopper crashed near Sela in Tawang district.

That year, another helicopter crashed while landing at Tawang, killing 16 people.

Four years later, a Pawan Hans helicopter crash killed Tirap districts deputy commissioner Kamlesh Joshi and two others.

In May, two IAF pilots died when their Sukhoi-30 fighter jet crashed near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

(with inputs from IANS)

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The government banned internet services in West Bengals Basirhat region as shops and schools remained shut and paramilitary forces patrolled the streets on Wednesday where communal clashes had erupted over an objectionable Facebook post.

Local train services were affected in the Sealdah-Bangaon section as people squatted on the tracks at Duttapukur and Ashokenagar stations and shouted slogans. A pair of trains plied from Basirhat station in the morning, hours after which services were disrupted due to demonstration there, GRP sources said.

Residents said the Basirhat subdivision --which includes violence-hit Baduria and Swarupnagar -- was almost cut off from the rest of the district. The region is less than 20 kilometres from the Bangladesh border.

Violence had erupted between two communities at Baduria on Monday night over an alleged blasphemous Facebook post, following which a student was arrested. Muslim mobs allegedly set shops and houses on fire and burnt police vehicles to protest against the post.

One of the vehicles that were torched during the violence in Baduria. (ANI Twitter)

A mob allegedly set shops and houses on fire and burnt police vehicles to protest against the post. (ANI Twitter)

Prohibitory orders were clamped but vandalism continued through Monday and Tuesday as the administration did not inform people about the arrest.

Most of the shops, markets were shut in and around Baduria, including Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia. Schools too remained off limits as security personnel are using the buildings, the police said.

The flare-up has snowballed into a major political storm between the chief minister and the governor with Mamata Banerjee accusing Keshari Nath Tripathi of acting like a BJP block president. Opposition parties have accused the government of losing its grip on law and order.

Paramilitary forces staged a flag march on Tuesday night at some of the affected areas. Forces and personnel from Kolkata Police were dispatched on Wednesday evening.

Watch | Communal violence in West Bengal: Is Mamata Banerjee losing grip?

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The father of the deceased Sukhoi pilot has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Air Force chief Birender Singh Dhanoa demanding a high-level probe into the death of his son Achu Dev.

Flight Lieutenant Achu Dev (26) and Squadron Leader D Pankaj were killed after their Sukhoi 30 fighter jet crashed along the India-China border on May 23. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered after three days and mortal remains of both were later flown to their respective destinations.

There was no body in the coffin. I was told my sons body was burnt beyond recognition. But the wallet recovered from the body was only slightly damaged. It is difficult to believe how the wallet was retrieved without any damage, father VP Sahadevan, a retired employee of the ISRO, told the Hindustan Times. He claimed that in the wallet currency notes and his banks cards were intact.

He said he was not interested in making wild allegations but there were no scientific and circumstantial evidences to corroborate his sons death. It seems there are some attempts to cover up something. As long as I get strong evidence it is difficult for me to believe my son is dead. For me hes still alive, the distraught father said. Though the IAF had ordered a court of inquiry he wanted an independent probe into the mishap.

Read | Pilots of missing Sukhoi jet failed to eject before crash, died of injuries: IAF

The SU 30 jet with two pilots took off from the Tezpur airbase around 9.30 am on a routine training and surveillance mission. It lost radar and radio contact around 11.10 am near Doulasang in Arunachal Pradesh, an area adjoining the China border. There are many unanswered questions. It seems there are some attempts to hide something. We would like to clear the air, the father said.

Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also sought the Defence Ministers intervention to dispel the apprehensions of the family. CPI(M) MP A Sampath said he would take up the issue with the PMs office.

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Chinas envoy says ball is in Indias court to resolve grave situation, Benjamin Netanyahu calls PM Modi a great world leader, mob violence in Bengal; Mamata Banerjee says West Bengal governor acting like a BJP block president, five cow vigilantes held in Assam.

Sikkim standoff: China says situation grave, no scope for compromise with India

China has ruled out a compromise in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim section, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the grave situation. In unusually blunt remarks, Chinas ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said on Tuesday, the ball is in Indias court and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff. Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a war if not handled properly, the ambassador said: There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option). Read the story here.

Chinese military website says India wont have upper hand if there is war

Indias armed forces will not have the upper hand if the military standoff in the Sikkim sector triggers an armed conflict with China, an article on the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) website warned on Tuesday. The article, written by strategic analyst Wang Dehua, recalled the 1967 conflict in the same region and said the Chinese army had launched two destructive counterattacks against Indian armed forces. The Indian side didnt get the upper hand in the past. And it wont get an advantage today when the Chinese military has made remarkable progress on modernisation over the past few decades, Wang wrote in an article. Read the story here.

PM Modi gets red carpet welcome on historic visit to Israel, friend Netanyahu says we love India

India and Israel on Tuesday took historic steps towards a new engagement, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcoming his visiting Indian counterpart Narendra Modi by saying the future of the bilateral relationship lay in Israeli technology being wedded with Indian talent. Netanyahu personally received Modi at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport, an honour previously accorded only to the Pope and the US President. He greeted Modi in Hindi, saying: Aapka swagat hai, mere dost (Welcome, my friend). Modi responded in Hebrew, Shalom, ani sameah lihyot kan (Hello, I am happy to be here). The two prime ministers hugged three times and referred to each other as my friend several times. Read the story here.

Kashmiri separatists plan week-long protests to mark Hizbul militant Burhan Wanis death

The separatist leadership in the Kashmir Valley has called a week-long protest to mark the first death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, whose death plunged the restive region into unprecedented public unrest. The programme includes a complete shutdown on July 8, the day the militant leader was killed last year, and July 13 when 22 Kashmiris died during protests against the regime of Maharaja Hari Singh in Srinagar in 1931. More than 100 people lost their lives in prolonged clashes with security forces after Wanis death. The protest call came from separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, moderates Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, JKLF leader Yasin Malik and others. Read the story here.

Violence in Bengal over Facebook post; Mamata alleges Governor threat

Dozens of shops and houses, and at least six police vehicles, were torched by a mob in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district over the past two days after a class 11 student posted a blasphemous message on Facebook. The Hindu student was arrested on Sunday night and prohibitory orders clamped, but vandalism continued throughout Monday and Tuesday as the administration did not inform people about the arrest, claimed Quazi Abdur Rahim, the MLA of Baduria, where the incident happened. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee blamed BJP for inciting the violence, and also alleged that the governor Keshari Nath Tripathi had threatened her and said he was acting like a BJP block president. Read the story here.

A brave, upright officer is coming: Cop who took on BJP leaders already a hero in Bahraich

Police officer Shreshtha Thakur is a hero in Bahraich even before starting her stint in the border district of Uttar Pradesh. And many feel the no-nonsense officer could bring a sense of security for women in the district. Thakur was transferred from Bulandshahr, seen as a punishment for taking on some leaders of the ruling BJP. She had fined a BJP leader for riding a motorcycle without a helmet and also arrested five other party workers for allegedly obstructing police. Saniya, a college student, said she was sure that Thakur will check crime against women. Others were hopeful too. I am happy to know that a brave and upright officer is coming to Bahraich, said Rashmi, a school teacher. Read the story here.

Five cow vigilantes held for assaulting cattle transporters in Assam

Police have arrested five members of a radical Hindu group for allegedly assaulting the drivers of three cattle-laden vehicles despite possessing valid papers in Sonapur near Guwahati on Sunday. The self-styled cow vigilantes, belonging to the Hindu Yuva Chhatra Parishad (HYCP), were arrested from villages located near Sonapur on Monday night. Police had initially denied the incident, stating that nobody filed a complaint in this regard. Though the vehicles possessed the documents required for carrying cattle, police found other irregularities in the circumstances surrounding their transportation. The truck and two tempos have been handed over to the transport department to ascertain if they were overloaded. Read the story here.

Cow protectors are victims, not tyrants: VHP

Speaking in supporting of cow protectors or gau rakshaks, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday said they are victims not tyrants and the strong meat lobby is trying to malign the holy vow of cow protection. Cow protectors are victims not tyrants as some people are trying to establish, Jain said. In last 10 years more than 50 policemen and gau rakshaks (cow protectors) were killed by the cow killers. These killers or jehadis have brutally murdered the innocent committed to the cause of cow protection, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) International joint secretary Surendra Jain said. Read the story here.

Andhra Pradesh excise minister calls beer a health drink, gets heckled

Tipplers troubled by the ongoing anti-liquor protests across the country have found a kindred soul in Andhra Pradesh prohibition and excise minister Kothapalli Samuel Jawahar, who recently termed beer as a health drink. The minister, who was discussing the new state excise policy on a popular Telugu television channel, said the government will take steps to promote beer because it is a healthy beverage on the lines of toddy. Jawahar, however, said consumption of hard liquor should be curbed. When the anchor asked how the government would showcase beer, the minister said: Come to me, and I will prove that beer is healthy. How can I prove it in a television debate? The ministers comment evoked strong reactions from Opposition parties. Read the story here.

Roger Federer into Wimbledon second round as Alexandr Dolgopolov quits

Roger Federer began his campaign for a record eighth Wimbledon title with ease on Tuesday when opponent Alexandr Dolgopolov quit with an injury in the second set. Federer said that winning an eighth title at Wimbledon and going past the mark he shares with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw would be a special moment. It would be beautiful. I would love it. Im not the youngest any more yet Im still putting myself out there with a chance, he added. Three-time champion Novak Djokovic also benefitted from an early retirement when Slovakias Martin Klizan quit at 6-3, 2-0 down after 40 minutes. Read the story here.
Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean has recorded a significant increase ahead of the Malabar naval exercise involving India, the United States and Japan. The Indian Navy has sighted more than a dozen Chinese warships, including submarines, destroyers and intelligence-gathering vessels, in the Indian Ocean during the last two months, government sources said.

The 10-day naval drills will begin in north Indian Ocean on July 10. More than 20 warships will take part in the exercise, including US Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Indian carrier INS Vikramaditya and Japanese Izumo-class helicopter carrier.

The naval drill will be bigger and more complex than all previous editions. China has been suspicious of the trilateral engagement and has even lodged protests over Japans participation in the past.

A Chinese intelligence gathering ship, Haiwingxing, is understood to have sailed into the ocean in June-end. Strategic experts linked the Haiwingxings deployment to the forthcoming naval exercise. The navys satellites, surveillance planes and surface warships have also sighted Luyang III class destroyers, hydrographic research vessels and tankers. The presence of a submarine in the region has been confirmed by the presence of Chongmingdao, a Chinese navy submarine support vessel, the sources said.

Anti-piracy patrols and freedom of navigation are the reasons cited by China for its increased presence in the Indian Ocean, forcing New Delhi to tighten surveillance of the strategic waters, government officials said.

The deployment of Chinese naval units in the Indian Ocean is being closely monitored by the Indian Navy amid Beijings increased forays into the region.

Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean has touched a new high in recent months. We are using our surveillance assets quite extensively to monitor their movement, a navy source told HT on Wednesday.

The sightings assume significance as the two militaries are in a three-week-long standoff at an India-China-Bhutan tri-junction close to the Sikkim border.

Beijing has raised the pitch and its media are warning of a war, demanding India withdraw its troops from the Doklam, a disputed region.

The Chinese deployment in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, one of the worlds most important shipping routes, accounts for four to five warships at any given time.

The periodic rotation of these units gave the Chinese navy the opportunity to deploy a variety of assets in the region, officials said. Chinese submarines have been spotted in the region. Such assets are not used for anti-piracy operations. They are clearly making their presence felt in the region, a naval officer said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to media.

The Indian Navy has been present in the Gulf of Aden since October 2008 and so far, 64 warships have been involved in anti-piracy operations.

India has one warship in the area at any given time. Navy data shows that Indian warships have so far made 41 interventions in the Gulf of Aden, a natural sea link between the Arabian peninsula and the Horn of Africa, and escorted 3,765 ships, including 394 Indian-flagged vessels. It has also apprehended 120 pirates and rescued 74 fishermen.

The officials said China has been deploying submarines in the Gulf of Aden regularly since 2014. The pattern is they deploy a submarine for three months followed by a three-month break, the officials said.

The imminent commissioning of a Chinese base and support facility at Djibouti in Horn of Africa will boost Beijings ability to sustain naval units in the Indian Ocean.

Sources said Chinese navy research vessels have been mapping the region for both military and economic purposes.

China has stepped up activities in the Indian Ocean where it is building ports and other infrastructure in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Indian Ocean figures prominently in President Xi Jinpings ambitious One Belt, One Road initiative to build a new Silk Route.

New Delhi is buying 22 Guardian unarmed drones from the US to keep a close watch on the Indian Ocean. The purchase cleared by the US during Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to the US has caused unease in China.
At least 23 people were wounded in continuing communal clashes in West Bengals Basirhat subdivision, where mobs were squaring up over a Hindu school students Facebook post that offended Muslims.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee warned the rioters of stern action after three days of violence left scores of people wounded. Mobs torched shops, houses and police vehicles in the communally sensitive area in North 24 Parganas district, about 65km from Kolkata.

Public gatherings were prohibited in the subdivision on Wednesday and internet services blocked to stop the spread of rumours through social media. For those with access to the internet, police said tweet responsibly, not with the aim of spreading rumours; disturbing communal harmony.

Paramilitary troopers and state policemen have taken position in village and town squares and roads. Barring the security forces, the streets were almost deserted, shops shut and schools closed.

But the violence is spreading and engulfing new areas with Hindu and Muslims groups reportedly moving around with sharp weapons out of the administrations sight. Reports said a UCO Bank office was vandalised in a fresh attack.

The unabated flare-up escalated a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress and Raj Bhavan after chief minister Banerjee accused the governor of threatening and insulting her when he called to enquire about the Basirhat situation.

Banerjee accused governor Keshari Nath Tripathi of behaving like a BJP block president, while education minister Partha Chatterjee said on Wednesday he has exceeded his constitutional limits. The party asked the Centre to recall Tripathi, a BJP leader appointed governor in 2014.

The governor denied the charges and said the allegations of the chief minister amount to insulting and humiliating the governor and his office.

But the chief minister continued her charges against him, and also accused the BJP of trying to destabilise an elected government.

The BJP has adopted a new tactic that consists of floating objectionable material on social media that will instigate tension between communities. We are determined to counter it by forming peace committees, she said.

The Trinamool and BJP have been at loggerheads over various issues, the latest being the goods and services tax that was launched on July 1. West Bengal is considered the BJPs weakest link but the party has made considerable inroads in the state, winning elections that were deemed impossible a few years ago.

The opposition parties, including the BJP, criticised the state government over the Basirhat clashes.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh blamed the chief minister, saying the situation is the outcome of her whimsical and narrow vision.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suggested calling the army, while CPM parliamentarian M Salim made a similar demand.

The chief minister knows the situation has gone out of control and, therefore, she is resorting to such drama to divert attention. She should immediately call an all-party meeting and seek help from the army, Salim said.

About a dozen police and paramilitary men were said to be wounded in the violence.

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The Congress on Wednesday demanded the recall of Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi and West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, accusing them of compromising on constitutional propriety.

The party also accused the BJP of denigrating, decimating and abusing the institution of the governor.

Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said that ever since the BJP-led NDA government assumed office, the role of governors appointed by it had been questionable, be it in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal or Puducherry.

Governors are becoming political puppets for the conspiratorial machinations of the BJP-RSS, it alleged.

Dev said Bedi had violated every established norm and tradition in swearing in three defeated BJP candidates as nominated MLAs in the state assembly.

Bedi and Tripathi had compromised the basic tenets of constitutional propriety, she said. They must be recalled and sacked, she told reporters.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Tuesday accused Tripathi of acting like a BJP block president and threatening her. The Raj Bhavan has denied the charges against the governor.

The Congress leader alleged that Tripathi displayed a disrespectful, distasteful and overbearing conduct towards an elected woman chief minister.

Never in the history of India has the governor acted in such a partisan fashion, insulting and shouting at a chief minister to serve the interests of the ruling political party at the Centre. This is a clear disregard of the Constitution and disrespect of the peoples mandate, she said.

Dev said in Puducherry one of those nominated as an MLA is V Saminathan, the BJP president of Puducherry. The other two are BJP treasurer KG Shankar and RSS member Selvaganapathy.

She said the move was in violation of rules and constitutional provisions.

It once again establishes the manner in which the Lt. Governor of Puducherry is acting as a political puppet, sub- serving the interests of BJP rather than upholding the Constitution of India and well-established laws and procedures, she said.

The swearing-in of the three members nominated to assembly also came under attack from Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who termed it as murder of democracy and accusing her of working like a BJP agent.

Narayanasamy hit out at Bedi for committing mayhem of democracy by secretly inducting last night three members as nominated legislators.

He told reporters that the induction of the three members with utmost speed and secrecy betrayed the intention of the BJP and the lieutenant governor to act in utter violation of the statutory procedures.

The lieutenant governor is also functioning like an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said.

Narayanasamy said there is a speaker and an elected assembly and the induction of the members should be done only by the speaker. But Bedi had administered the oath causing a murder of democracy. This act of the lieutenant governor deserves to be condemned in strongest terms, he said.
Patna French aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will independently probe the engine failure of IndiGo aircraft (6E-508) at the Jay Prakash Narayan international airport, Patna, on June 30.

The teams were expected to arrive in Patna by next week after the airline submitted its report to the DGCA.

The air regulator and the Airbus authorities have not intimated the Airports Authority of India (AAI) about their proposed visit. We are normally communicated at least a day prior to the teams visit. We have not received any communication as yet, said airport director Rajender Singh Lahauria.

The manufacturers and the DGCA will independently probe the reasons of engine failure. The manufacturer will also evolve ways to ensure such snags do not recur. While suggesting precautions, it will also issue airworthiness directive, said a DGCA official.

He said the engine would have to be replaced before the plane could resume operations.

Efforts to contact DGCA director (air safety), New Delhi, Maneesh Kumar, proved futile.

Airport sources said it was prima facie a mechanical failure, as the turbine blade of the jet cracked, stalling the aircrafts left engine.

As many as 174 passengers, bound for Delhi, had a miraculous escape after pilots detected that the left engine was spewing smoke, as the plane began its take-off run. The pilots applied emergency brakes and aborted take-off, having completed one-third of the 2072-metre runway. An emergency evacuation was completed within 60 seconds.

The aircraft, grounded since the incident, has been parked on bay number 3. This has led to occasional congestion, as the effective number of parking bays had reduced from five to three to cater to 66 commercial aircraft movement of 33 scheduled flights in a day. Given the space crunch at the airport, bay 2 is earmarked for smaller chartered aircraft like Dornier, while bays 1, 4 and 5 are for commercial aircraft like Boeing 737 or Airbus 320.

BLURB

Pilots had detected left engine spewing smoke as the plane, carrying 174 passengers, began its take-off run. They aborted take off and emergency evacuation was done within 60 seconds

QUOTE

The manufacturers and DGCA will independently probe reasons of engine failure. The manufacturer will also evolve ways to ensure such snags do not recur. Suggesting precautions, it will also issue airworthiness directive

A DGCA official

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A missing flock of 800 sheep and 59 yaks besides allegations of territorial intrusions and illegal constructions were part of the build-up that finally triggered the Sikkim border conflict between India and China in 1967.

Exchanges between the two governments dating back to 1965 reveal that China accused Indian troops of stealing the flock of animals from Tibetan herdsmen operating near the Sikkim border and demanded that animals be returned.

The 1967 conflict took place in the same area where border troops from both countries are currently locked in a standoff.

Read | Chinas PLA warns India: Learn lessons from 1962 defeat, stop clamouring for war

The accusation made by Beijing was reported in the Indian media and it triggered a rather dramatic protest in front of the Chinese embassy on Shantipath in New Delhi.

In the afternoon of September 24, 1965, a mob of Indian hooligans went to the gate of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi to make provocation led by Indian officials and Congress leaders and driving a flock of sheep before them. They made a huge din, yelling that China had invented absurd pretexts for threatening and intimidating India, that China wants to start a world war over some sheep and a few yaks, and so on and so forth, said a note of complaint from the ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) in Beijing to the Embassy of India in China on September 26 in 1965.

This ugly farce was wholly instigated and staged by the Indian Government. The Chinese Government hereby lodges a strong protest with the Indian Government, the Chinese note said.

The ministry of external affairs (MEA) responded to the Chinese note five days later on October 1.

Chinese soldiers guard the border on the Nathu La mountain pass connecting India and China's Tibet Autonomous Region during the Chola incident (or Sino-Indian skirmish), Himalayas, October 3, 1967. (Getty Images)

Referring to four missing Tibetan herdsmen with the animals, the MEA note said: Like other Tibetan refugees, these four people had come into India on their own volition and without our permission and taken refuge in India. They are free to go back to Tibet at any time if they desire to do so. Apropos the 800 sheep and 59 yaks, the Government of India has already given a reply in the clearest terms possible.

We know nothing of the yaks and as regards the sheep, it is up to the two herdsmen concerned to take them to Tibet if and when they choose to go back to their homeland, the note said.

In fact, Indian protesters in front of the Chinese embassy took around 800 sheep with them.

In its note of September 26, China has protested against the peaceful demonstration, which was held near the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi on September 24 when some citizens of Delhi took in procession about 800 sheep, the note said.

Dismissing the Chinese governments allegation that the Indian government had organised the protest, India said: It was a spontaneous, peaceful and good-humoured expression of the resentment of the citizens of Delhi against the Chinese ultimatum and the threat of war against India on trumped-up and trivial issues.

Some protesters carried placards, saying: Eat me but save the world.

Also read | China keeps up anti-India rhetoric, news agency calls face-off near Sikkim reckless
Anti-piracy patrols and freedom of navigation are the reasons cited by China for its increased presence in the Indian Ocean, forcing New Delhi to tighten surveillance of the strategic waters, government sources have said.

The deployment of Chinese naval units in the Indian Ocean is being closely monitored by the Indian Navy amid Beijings increased forays into the region.

Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean has touched a new high in recent months. We are using our surveillance assets quite extensively to monitor their movement, a navy source told HT on Wednesday.

The Indian Navy has sighted more than a dozen Chinese warships, including submarines, destroyers and intelligence-gathering vessels, in the Indian Ocean during the last two months.

The sightings assume significance as the two militaries are in a three-week-long standoff at an India-China-Bhutan trijunction close to the Sikkim border.

Beijing has raised the pitch and its media are warning of a war, demanding India withdraw its troops from the Doklam, a disputed region.

The increased presence of Chinese warships coincides with the Sikkim standoff but the trend had remained the same for several months, navy officials said.

The Chinese deployment in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, one of the worlds most important shipping routes, accounts for four to five warships at any given time.

The periodic rotation of these units gave the Chinese navy the opportunity to deploy a variety of assets in the region, officials said. Chinese submarines have been spotted in the region. Such assets are not used for anti-piracy operations. They are clearly making their presence felt in the region, a naval officer said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to media.

The Indian Navy has been present in the Gulf of Aden since October 2008 and so far, 64 warships have been involved in anti-piracy operations.

India has one warship in the area at any given time. Navy data shows that Indian warships have so far made 41 interventions in the Gulf of Aden, a natural sea link between the Arabian peninsula and the Horn of Africa, and escorted 3,765 ships, including 394 Indian-flagged vessels. It has also apprehended 120 pirates and rescued 74 fishermen.

The officials said China has been deploying submarines in the Gulf of Aden regularly since 2014. The pattern is they deploy a submarine for three months followed by a three-month break, the officials said.

The imminent commissioning of a Chinese base and support facility at Djibouti in Horn of Africa will boost Beijings ability to sustain naval units in the Indian Ocean.

Sources said Chinese navy research vessels have been mapping the region for both military and economic purposes. The presence of submarines has been confirmed through the sighting of Chinese navys submarine support vessels.

Sources said Chinese intelligence-gathering ships would be prowling the Indian Ocean to track Malabar, an international naval exercise involving the US, India and Japan. The week-long exercise begins July 10.

India is using its satellites, P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft and surface ships to keep a track of the unusual surge in Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean, the sources said.

China has stepped up activities in the Indian Ocean where it is building ports and other infrastructure in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Indian Ocean figures prominently in President Xi Jinpings ambitious One Belt, One Road initiative to build a new Silk Route.

New Delhi is buying 22 Guardian unarmed drones from the US to keep a close watch on the Indian Ocean. The purchase cleared by the US during Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to the US has caused unease in China.
A division bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday quashed the appointments of four Haryana chief parliamentary secretaries (CPSes).

The CPses include Shyam Singh, Bakhshish Singh Virk, Seema Trikha and Kamal Gupta. The appointments were challenged by a high court lawyer on the ground that Constitution does not permit them.

The appointments were made in July 2015. Earlier, two dozen appointments made by the previous Parkash Singh Badal-led government in Punjab were quashed by the high court in August 2016. The PIL challenging these appointments was filed days after the Manohar Lal Khattar government made them.

The judgment came four months after a high court division bench reserved the petition for final order on April 3. The detailed order is awaited. However, the high court gave a relief of three weeks for the operation of the order on the states request.
When Ajit Yadav, a farmer from Parbhani district in Marathwada region sold 170 quintals of soybean for Rs 4.60 lakh on November 7 last year, little did he know that his money would become worthless after demonetisation.

But Yadav heaved a sigh of relief on July 4 when the Supreme Court asked the Centre and Reserve Bank of India to allow people one last chance to deposit the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bills.

Yadav and his friend, also a farmer, Ganesh Nirvahe, filed a Public Interest Litigation in the apex court on how the common man was at the receiving end of the Modi governments demonetisation decision. Six other PILs were also filed, seeking extension to deposit old notes.

I got cash from the sale of soybean on November 7 (last year). On November 9, PM Modi scrapped old notes and two days later after having borrowed a car, I was heading to the bank to deposit these notes. A detour for my friend at Gangakhed taluka nearby, where campaigning for local council elections was underway, led to inspection of our car and seizure of the cash by the local election commission officials, said Yadav, who owns 6 hectares in Parbhani district.

The seized cash  including the money from selling soybean and Yadav friend Nirvahes cash (Rs 35,000)  was finally returned to them after an inquiry and a hearing by income tax officials in Aurangabad on January 9. The deadline for depositing old notes was December 30, 2016.

We went for a hearing where I showed the receipts of soybean sale at Prabhanis Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee on December 11. But by the time the order for releasing our money was issued and finally reached the local election commission office, it was too late. I was still not worried because I remembered PM saying there would be an opportunity until March 31, said Yadav.

For three days, Yadav and his friend camped at the RBI office in Mumbai in January to exchange the old currency but were turned away. They were told that only a court order could help them now. After this, they approached advocate Dilip Taur to file a PIL.

I think many citizens relied on Prime Minister Modis announcement on November 8 as well as the RBI notification issued later that day that an opportunity would be given until March 31 if for some reason citizens failed to deposit their notes until December 30. In the case of my petitioners, they are being penalised for not depositing money that was not with them but with government apparatus, said Taur.

He further said the RBI issued a notification again on December 30 stating that the opportunity would be only given to those who were outside the country during that time.

Since Tuesday, Taur has received several phone calls from Maharashtra farmers about their stashed old bank notes.

For Yadav, the loss has had a cascading effect on sowing this year. He managed to sow soybean crop on his 12 acres on June 7 after raising some credit but the entire crop failed due to less rain last month, wiping out Rs 45,000 of initial investment. But he said he is still hopeful of exchanging his old notes to sow cotton next.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties.

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India, Modi tweeted.

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India: PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/r6eFdlrYwz  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence in Jerusalem and thanked him for the warm hospitality and friendship.

Hailing the ties between the two nations, Modi said: I for I. Which means India for Israel and Israel for India.

It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India, Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presidents residence.

President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality, wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.
Reeling from three consecutive years of drought, anxious farmers in Karnataka increasingly called up the states weather helpline for information on monsoon and updates in 2017.

The Varuna Mitra helpline received a record 4.44 lakh calls in the first half of the year, as against 2.89 lakh received over the corresponding period last year.

The increase in calls is surprising considering that this is not a toll-free service, said GS Srinivas Reddy, director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, which runs the helpline.

Reddy attributed the surge in calls to the anxiety farmers faced over the performance of the southwest monsoon, which arrived in the state on June 8.

In June, the helpline received 1.51 lakh calls, the highest for a single month in its history.

There has been a steady increase in calls to the helpline annually. In 2016, Varuna Mitra received 9.92 lakh calls, which was the highest since it was set up in 2011. As of July 3 this year, the helpline received 4.6 lakh calls.

According to Reddy, the increase in calls could also be because the distribution of the monsoon has not been even so far. While the rains have been deficient by 9% in the state overall, this masks a wide variance in distribution.

The northern parts of the state have received 4% excess rainfall, when compared to normal, while the south interior parts of the state, where the Cauvery river flows, has seen a deficit of 39%.

The coastal districts in the state have seen a deficit of 3%, whereas districts located in the Western Ghats have a deficit of 21%.

According to Sunil Gavaskar, a researcher at the state natural disaster monitoring centre, the onset of the monsoon has been good. But the monsoon trough over the western coast has been weak. This has meant that the winds that the blow the monsoon clouds into the interior parts have not been strong, resulting in the deficit, he said.

Reddy said deficient rainfall in Keralas Wayanad district, from where water flows into Karnatakas Kabini reservoir, was a worry. The clouds have already moved towards Gujarat and Maharashtra, but things could still turn around.

Highest calls to helpline were from south Karnataka Tumkur - 39,218 Chickaballapur - 25,068 Chitradurga - 23,080 Chickamagaluru - 20,625 Hassan - 19,403

Farmers, though, seem to be undeterred and have taken to sowing with enthusiasm. According to state agriculture department data, sowing has been taken up in 23.75 lakh hectares (ha) which is 93% of normal.

Gokul Prasad, assistant statistical officer at the agriculture department, said the monsoons performance over the southern districts was worrying. Districts in south interior Karnataka account for 33% of the total sown area in the state.

Prasad said even last year the monsoon had weakened, but only after July. Last June, 164 taluks out of 176 had received normal or excess rain. This year only 76 taluks received this quantum of rain.

Reddy said it was still not time to ring the alarm bells. The majority of sowing happens towards the end of July. So, hopefully the rains can pick up by then, he said.

There is genuine concern, though, over the performance of monsoon, especially because of the deficient rains last year. The northwest monsoon was very deficient last year, and sowing was down by record levels in the rabi season.

According to the Karnataka Agricultural Prices Commission, sowing was down in the state by around 40%.

As a result of this, the Karnataka government recently announced a partial waiver of farmer loans. Chief minister Siddaramaiah said farmer loans of up to Rs 50,000 taken from cooperative banks would be written off.

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India and Israel cemented a new stone in their bilateral engagement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi becoming the first Indian premier to visit the Middle Eastern nation.

Modi received a red-carpet treatment with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu personally present to receive him at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport  a gesture previously accorded only to the US President and the Pope.

Both leaders were all praise for each other with Netanyahu greeting Modi in Hindi, saying Aapka swagat hai, mere dost (Welcome, my friend). Modi returned the gesture in Hebrew with, Shalom, ani sameah lihyot kan (Hello, I am happy to be here).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being received by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, on his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, in Tel Aviv, Israel (PTI)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L), and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stand during welcome ceremony at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. Netanyahu lauded Modi as a great world leader. (Ariel Schalit/AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the welcoming ceremony for his Indian counterpart Narendra Mod on July 4, 2017 (Jack Guez / AFP)

The issue of Indian and Israels focus on the IT industry was also raised by Netanyahu, remarking that Hindi and Hebrew are the two most spoken languages in Silicon Valley.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu,visiting the Danziger Flower Farm in Tel Aviv, where a special variety of chrysanthemum was named after Modi. (PTI)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rekindles the 'Eternal Flame' during a memorial ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem, Israel. (AP)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) look at pictures of Jewish Holocaust victims at the Hall of Names during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum commemorating the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. (Dan Balilty / AFP)

At a joint address later, Prime Minister Modi called for resolute oppositions to terrorism, radicalism and violence. After laying a wreath at the Yad Vashem Memorial museum to the victims of the Holocaust by Nazi Germany.

He praised the Israeli states unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi dubbed Narendra Modi as a weak PM on Wednesday for not raising the issue of H-1B visa in his talks with US President Donald Trump and for playing down the use of the term Indian- administered Kashmir by the US.

The Congress on its Twitter handle also criticised Modis US visit, saying it was merely a photo opportunity and the main issues were bypassed.

Gandhi tweeted some links of media reports that said H- 1B didnt figure in Modi-Trump talks and MEA accepts US use of administered Kashmir.

India has a weak PM, he tweeted.

India had played down the usage of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir by the US in a statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country last month, saying similar terms have been used in the past too.

The Congress tweeted, While it was a great photo opportunity, the main issues were bypassed on Narendra Modis trip to the United States. #Unfruitful #WeakModi.

It also posted a picture captioned no priority for Indian interests along with the tweet.

PM Modi should have made an effort to ensure that issues of visas and the tech industry were discussed, it tweeted.

The Congress had earlier attacked Modi over his frequent foreign trips, saying they had not benefited India even a bit and that only time would tell about the gains from his current visit to Israel.

Senior AICC spokesperson Ajay Maken claimed Modis last 64 visits in more than 3 years have catered only to domestic Indian audience through televised shows instead of ensuring concrete gains for the country.

The Congress had earlier urged Modi to take up during his meeting with Trump, the issues of H-1B visa, racial attacks on Indians and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.
Israel and India have signed a series of agreements to cooperate in the fields of technology, water and agriculture.

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday the cooperation marks a match made in heaven as he stood alongside the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The agreements are the centerpiece of Modis three-day visit to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations and strengthen the countrys already close ties with the Jewish state.

During the Cold War, India didnt have open relations with Israel, leaning heavily in favour of the Palestinians. But over the past quarter century, the countries have developed close ties in high-tech and defence.

Modi will hold talks with Netanyahu, tech companies and the local community of Indian Jews. His schedule doesnt include any meetings with Palestinian officials.
India and Israel elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership on Wednesday, pledging to work more closely to protect their key interests and combat radicalisation and terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu oversaw the signing of a series of bilateral pacts for cooperation on satellite technology, water and agriculture, as well as the creation of a $40 million innovation fund.

Netanyahu described the collaboration as a marriage made in heaven (he described Israeli-Chinese relations in exact same words to Xi Jinping in March), drawing a hearty laugh from Modi and the audience. The two leaders often smiled and exchanged bear hugs, continuing with a stunning display of warmth that has marked Modis three-day trip, the first by an Indian Prime Minister.

I have a feeling that today India and Israel are changing our world and maybe changing parts of the world, Netanyahu said.

To this, Modi said: Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples.

Modi also said his visit was an opportunity to compose a new chapter in our ties and jointly venture towards new horizons of engagement.

Israel has portrayed Modis visit as a major diplomatic feat, especially in view of the Indian leaders decision not to travel to Ramallah to meet Palestinian leaders -- as is common among many dignitaries seeking to balance ties with the Arab world.

Though defence and security ties have largely driven the relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992, a joint statement issued after talks between Modi and Netanyahu was largely devoted to collaboration in high technology, trade and investment and a strategic partnership in water and agriculture.

Wednesdays seven pacts were part of efforts to expand ties in civilian areas as Israel already sells India military gear worth about $1 billion per year.

Modis historic visit had solidified the enduring friendship between the two sides and raised the bilateral relationship to that of a strategic partnership, the joint statement said.

Modi noted that India and Israel live in complex geographies and were aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel, he said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism, including in cyberspace.

The situation in West Asia and the wider region had figured in the discussions, Modi said, adding, It is Indias hope that peace, dialogue, and restraint will prevail.

Netanyahu described 26/11 as a horrible terrorist attack and said the two side need to cooperate closely in counter-terrorism.

They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever. The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, the joint statement said.

The two sides are also committed to promote security and stability in cyberspace on both the governmental and private levels.

In the defence sector, the two sides agreed that future developments should focus on joint development of hardware, including transfer of Israeli technology with special emphasis on the Make in India initiative.

The strategic partnership in water and agriculture will focus on water conservation, waste-water treatment and reuse for agriculture, desalination, water utility reforms and the cleaning of the Ganges and other rivers.

Modi and Netanyahu also agreed to conduct negotiations on an agreement to protect investments to encourage bilateral investments.

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Reduction in violent crimes and increased law enforcement saw India improve its peace ranking by four positions from 2016, but it is less peaceful than it was a decade ago, according to the 2017 Global Peace Index (GPI), released by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a New York-based think tank that develops metrics to analyse peace.

Indias 2017 rank was 137 of 163 countries, moving up four positions from 141 in 2016. However, deaths due to external conflict have increased, the report said, specifically in relation to the conflict in Kashmir from mid-2016.

India is less peaceful than it was a decade ago, and it suffers from more violence than Brazil and South Africa, both countries wracked by violence.

A decade ago, India had a GPI score of 2.437. Lower the score, the more peaceful a country: Iceland, the most peaceful country, had a GPI of 1.111 in 2017. Indias GPI score in 2017 was 2.541 (out of 5), an improvement from 2.565 last year.

The peace index is based on 23 indicators related to level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic or international conflict, and the degree of militarisation.

The world has become slightly more peaceful in 2017, with an average 0.28% improvement in peacefulness since 2016.

Among BRICS countries, India is ranked below Brazil (116), China (123) and South Africa (123) but higher than Russia (151).

Among its South Asian neighbours, India is ranked below Bhutan (13), Sri Lanka (80) Bangladesh (84) and Nepal (93) but ahead of Pakistan (152) and Afghanistan (162).

The economic cost of violence

The economic cost of violence in India in 2016 was $742 billion (Rs 47.5 lakh crore) at 2016 purchase power parity (PPP) rate. This accounts for 8.6% of Indias gross domestic product (GDP) and $566 (Rs 36,500) per capita.

The per capita economic cost of violence in India is 8.7% higher than China ($517) which lost $712 billion or 3.5% of GDP due to violence in 2016.

The global economic impact of violence was $14.3 trillion in 2016, equivalent to 12.6% of GDP, or $1,953 (Rs 125,000) per person.

Every $1 invested in peace-building can lead to $16 decline in the cost of armed conflict, the GPI report said.

Among BRICS countries, Indias per capita economic cost of violence is about a fifth of South Africas ($2,582), a seventh of Russias ($3,608) and a fourth of Brazils ($1,952).

Among South Asian countries, Indias per capita economic cost of violence is 12% lower than Pakistan ($634), 45% lower than Sri Lanka ($823) and 68% lower than Afghanistan ($949).

Source: Global Peace Index 2017

India is 70th of 163 countries ranked on the basis of economic cost of violence as a percentage of GDP.

Civil war-hit Syria, which lost 67% of its GDP to violence, is ranked as the worlds most violent nation, followed by conflict-ridden Iraq (58%) and Afghanistan (52%). Switzerland is ranked 163.

Ten-year trend: Terrorism has worsened things in Pakistan and the world

Indias score in the terrorism impact index improved marginally by 0.006 points, from 4.013 in 2008 to 4.007 in 2017.

Source: Global Peace Index

The terrorism impact index calculation is based on a weighted average of the last five years of the number of fatalities, injuries and property damage caused by terrorism.

The impact of terrorism in Pakistan has worsened with the score increasing by 0.279 points from 4.089 in 2008 to 4.368 in 2017.

The impact of terrorism increased dramatically over the last decade with the scores of 60% countries deteriorating, the report said.

In over 22 countries, terrorism impact index scores have deteriorated by more than 100% while the score worsened by more than 50% in another 18 countries.

Deaths due to terrorism around the world have nearly tripled from just over 11,000 in 2007 to 29,000 in 2015.

Deaths from terrorism in OECD countries increased over 900% between 2007 and 2016, with the largest increases occurring in Turkey, France, the United States, and Belgium, the report said.

Europe, in particular, has seen a spate of deadly attacks in recent years.

(Sethi is a Mumbai-based freelance writer and defence analyst.)
The Indian government has submitted relevant papers in the extradition case against businessman Vijay Mallya before the Westminster Magistrates Court, which will hear the matter on Thursday, according to official sources.

The sources rejected the claim that India had not provided the necessary papers, and told Hindustan Times that the material related to the case was large and complex. It had been served in an organised and structured way, they added.

Unlike previous extradition cases that were unsuccessful due to the quality of paperwork or evidence that did not hold up in UK courts, the sources said all necessary steps were taken to ensure there were no gaps in the Mallya case.

Britains Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents India in court, again rejected on Wednesday the claim that the Indian government or its extradition request was criticised during the June hearing by the chief magistrate, Emma Arbuthnot.

The CPS acts on behalf of a country requesting extradition in proceedings in British courts. In Mallyas case (No. 1700934281), December 4 has been set as the date when the full extradition hearing will begin. However, the Indian side hopes that the date would be advanced.

CPS sources said the amount of material gathered by the Indian police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was substantial. Mallya is wanted in India in connection with a series of financial offences that he disputes.

During the June hearing, Mallyas team had served a Statement of Issues on the Court and CPS Extradition Team. The document contained the bars to extradition that Mallya would raise; for each bar, his legal is expected to provide supporting evidence by a date yet to be decided.

Mallyas lawyer, Ben Watson, had mentioned a second extradition request that India may submit. But CPS sources said whether or not a second extradition request was made, with any further charges, it would be a matter for the Indian government.

That is an issue we will deal with if it arises. At present, there is nothing concrete to consider, they added.

Mallya has been exempted by the chief magistrate from personal appearance on Thursday, after his legal team raised the issue of his facing a crowd of television cameras and media persons during the June hearing.

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Burglars stole an ATM machine from the outskirts to Jammu on Tuesday and later abandoned it after stealing Rs 1.5 lakh from it.

During the intervening night of June 3 and 4, thieves flee with a Punjab National Bank ATM located at Mishriwala, around 15 km from Jammu. Locals informed the police in the morning, which launched a manhunt to nab the thieves.

As per locals, there was neither a security guard, nor any closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in the booth.

However, police were able to located the stolen ATM from Khoga morh, Akhnoor town around 20 km from the site in the afternoon.

Superintendent of police Jammu (rural), Arun Kumar, said, It appears that the burglary was executed between 1.30 am to 2am when it was raining heavily in the area. We have managed to locate the ATM from Khoga morh with its broken chest and as per bank authorities, there were 1.53 lakh cash in it, which we did not find in the chest.

As per police, despite giving reminders to install CCTV camera, the bank authorities have been giving only assurances.

We are studying the CCTV footage from camera installed in the nearby shop. However the footage is not that clear, we have launched a manhunt to nab the culprits, Kumar added.
Two senior Supreme Court judges have called for a need to revisit the process of selection and appointment of judges to the higher judiciary.

Justice J Chelameswar and Justice Ranjan Gogoi also said there should be a law to deal with instances of misbehaviour of sitting judges or allegations against them.

Both feel that the impeachment process to remove judges is not sufficient to deal with situations where the conduct of a judge of a constitutional court requires correctives measures.

The judges view is part of the order by which a seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar had held the then sitting Calcutta High Court judge Justice CS Karnan guilty of contempt and on May 9 had sentenced him to six months jail.

The detailed judgement was released officially on Wednesday. The two judges authored a separate verdict where they expressed their concern over the present system of appointment, often criticised as opaque.

Justice Karnan had brought disrepute to the judiciary by levelling allegations against his colleagues and SC judges, SC held. After evading arrest for over a month, Justice Karnan was arrested on June 20, two days after he retired.

The conduct of the contemnor ever since his elevation to the bench has been controversial. Obviously, there is a failure to make an assessment of the personality of the contemnor at the time of recommending his name for elevation, the judge said, highlighting the systems failure. To evolve an appropriate mechanism there should be a debate with lawyer, judges and civil society members. The need appears to be unquestionable, they said.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president and Jammu and Kashmir in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj seeking pilgrimage of Kashmiri Pandits to Sharda Peeth in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

During his recent visit, Khanna met a deputation of Save Sharda Committee Kashmir that requested for allowing Hindu pilgrims of Jammu and Kashmir to visit Sharda Peeth in the PoK.

Sharda is about 150 km from Muzaffarabad at an altitude of 1,981 metres. Shardi and Nardi are the two mountain peaks overlooking the valley, named after legendary princesses Sharda and Narda.

In response to the demand of the deputation, Khanna has written letters to Modi and Swaraj, requesting them for an appropriate action for allowing the Hindus of the state, in particularly the Kashmiri Pandits, to visit Sharda Peeth in August, Ashtami of Shukla Paksha.

Khanna also asked for modification in the conditions laid down for issuance of LoC permit by regional passport offices in Jammu and Srinagar that the permit may also be issued for religious purposes.

He also wrote that the demand of visiting Sharda Peeth was raised many times earlier also by All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) in 2005 during Vajpayee-Musharaf meet.

Recently, Ambassador of Pakistan, Abdul Basit made an admission in a TV conclave that pilgrimage yatra to Sharda Peeth will be allowed. He said that it is a very genuine demand and the matter requires to be taken up with J&K government and Pakistan government to make the yatra feasible through LoC permit or Wagah Border.

LoC permit at present is being issued by regional passport offices at Jammu and Srinagar to the residents, who want to meet their relatives across LoC. Khanna said that LoC permit also need to be issued for religious purposes to address the demand of Kashmiri Pandits.

A representative body of displaced Kashmiri Pandits has also asked chief minister (CM) Mehbooba Mufti to push for reopening of Sharda Peeth, a revered place of Kashmiri Hindus in PoK.
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav hinted at a possible alliance between arch-rivals Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, making a case for opposition unity to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 general elections.

The powerful Bihar politician said a united opposition would spoil the BJPs chances, which is why the ruling party had launched a political witch-hunt to break rival leaders.

He accused the BJP of trying to put a scam taint on him and his family, Mayawati-ji, Akhilesh-ji, Robert Vadra-ji, Priyanka Gandhi-ji, Mamata Didi or Kejriwal  because it knows our power very well.

It is aware that if we all come together, its dream of again forming a government in 2019 will remain a dream, he said.

Prasad has been making efforts to form a national-level, Bihar-type grand alliance that defeated the BJP in state elections in 2015. He tried to broker unity among anti-BJP parties ahead of this years UP assembly polls, but his efforts didnt succeed.

The SP and Congress forged an alliance, the BSP fought alone, and all three lost badly to the BJP.

Prasad said Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati could join forces this time and defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

This combination will prove a winning bet for the anti-BJP forces in UP which sends the maximum number of MPs to the Lok Sabha. It will oust the saffron party from power at the Centre in 2019, he said speaking at the RJDs 21st Foundation Day celebration.

His comments came three months after the BJPs landslide win in UP polls, where the party and its allies got 325 of the 403 assembly seats. The ruling party won 71 of the states 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in 2014.

Prasad, however, did not put Bihar chief minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on his list of leaders targeted by the BJP. He is apparently upset with coalition partner Kumar over his support for BJPs presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind.

The RJD chief has shared a strained relationship with Gandhi since the Congress leader vetoed a UPA government ordinance in 2013 to protect convicted lawmakers that would have helped Prasad remain an MP till acquitted in the fodder scam case.

The BJP has accused Prasad and his family of benami property deals worth Rs 1,000 crore. Thereafter, taxmen raided various locations in New Delhi and nearby areas in May linked to him or his family members. The West Bengal and Delhi chief ministers, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, are also accused of corruption.

Congress president Sonia Gandhis daughter Priyanka Vadra is not facing any scam charges, though her husband Robert Vadra is being investigated for land deals in Haryana.

The RJD chief has invited top opposition leaders to his Patna rally on August 27 , named BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao.

The BJP wants to pack all of us in jail by discrediting us as promoters of scams. But I never fear incarceration. I want to throw out the BJP from power in the interest of the country and will never compromise on ideology, Prasad said.

Prasad said he feared he might land in jail before the August 27 rally as a result of the BJPs vendetta politics.

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Accusing RJD chief Lalu Prasad of acquiring over 125 properties through shell companies and other means, BJP leader Sushil Modi on Wednesday called him Bihars Robert Vadra and asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to break his silence and act against his ally.

Modi alleged the JD(U) chief was indirectly patronising corruption by protecting his ministers, a reference to Prasads two sons, and asked him to dismiss Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, whose three properties had been attached by enforcement agencies.

He also claimed that two senior RJD leaders had met two Union ministers to request them to save the political career of Prasads sons  Tejashwi and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav. The ministers, however, rejected the request.

The former Bihar deputy chief minister declined to comment on the speculation about Kumar coming closer to the BJP, and said it was for him to answer.

The BJP leader has been at the forefront of revealing details of assets allegedly acquired by Prasads family members, leading to action by central enforcement agencies, including attachment of some of those properties.

From being the son of poor parents, Modi said in a dig at Prasad who had cultivated an image around his humble background, he had become the biggest landlord in Bihar.

He was addressing a press conference where he targeted Prasad on the day the RJD was celebrating its Foundation Day.

I have been disclosing his familys property details for the last 90 days. They have acquired more than 125 properties in the last 12 years without any real business or industry. Lalu Prasad is Bihars Robert Vadra, Modi said.

Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, has been accused of acquiring properties in violation of rules and selling some of them at high prices soon after acquisition using his influence.

Prasad destroyed his political career due to his corruption and conviction in the fodder scam, and was now ruining future of his children, Modi said.

He said most of these properties were acquired between 2000 and 2009, when either Prasads wife Rabri Devi was the chief minister or he was the railway minister in the UPA government.

Targeting Kumar, he has said the Bihar chief minister harps on his zero tolerance toward corruption but has kept quiet about the corruption charges against Prasad and his family members.

He recalled that the then Bihar JD(U) chief Lalan Singh, now a minister in the Kumars government, and Shivanand Tiwari, who is no longer with the JD(U), had disclosed details of some such properties in 2008. At that time, the JD(U) was a BJP ally.

Several people, who were either MLAs and MPs from the RJD, gifted properties to Prasads family members, he said, suggesting that it was quid pro quo.

Many properties were bought in the name of lowly government employees who later gifted them to Prasads sons and daughters.
Surinder and Santosh Kachroo made a brave decision 25 years after they left their home in Srinagar in 1988. The Kashmiri Pandit couple, migrants in their own country, decided in 2013 to return to the only place theyve ever called home.

They bought a piece of land and built a house, but unknown to them that was the time militant commander Burhan Wani was scripting a new reality that would again alter the Valleys landscape and shatter its serenity.

The Kachroos did what only a few of the 150,000 Pandits who migrated in the early 1990s are willing to contemplate.

Like the rest, the Kachroo couple lived with the pain of getting a call from an old associate telling them that their previous home  the one in which they got married and where their two children were born  had been burnt down.

Read | Part 1 of Lets talk about Kashmir: Number of homegrown militants swells after Burhan Wanis death

They made several trips to Srinagar; even made their way to their original home with a paramilitary escort. But all they could pick up were a few books and some photographs. The house lay ransacked; it was burnt a few years later and they finally sold it after receiving pictures of the gutted property from an insurance company.

For years, the Kachroos waited. Successive governments promised to facilitate the return of the Pandits. For years, they watched to see if the land of their birth showed signs of a return to normality. Theyd waited decades for governments to come good on their promise of constructing enclaves where the displaced Pandits could return to.

Surinder says: I could never get Kashmir out of my mind. I use to dream about Kashmir almost every day. The dream became reality in 2013 and they set up preparatory schools and were just beginning to grow roots again when an unprecedented uprising swept the Valley after the youth took to the streets to protest Wanis death in a military operation.

Kashmir was on the edge again. The intensity of the unrest brought back memories of the 1990s when slogans of azaadi blared from every mosque and bodies of slain Pandits were displayed at main squares.

The Kachroos wondered if their return was right. Stones were hurled in the lanes around their house and slogans from the mosque peeked through shuttered doors and windows. The preparatory schools were shut  and they still are a year later  and the thought they drew solace from was that they were surrounded by friends and a well-meaning neighbourhood that had welcomed their return. The new house was not far from the airport too.

Read | Part 2 of Lets Talk About Kashmir: Valleys economy, tourism sector struggle to stay afloat

They took the flight out of Srinagar and stayed away for nearly two months. This time, the wait was not endless. The Kachroos decided to stick it out, but other Pandits arent willing to risk returning to a Valley seething in anger for the past year.

Protests since last July displaced mover than 600 displaced Kashmiri Pandit employees, who havent resumed work, especially in turbulent south Kashmir.

Nearly 1,600 Pandit youth got government jobs in Kashmir under the Prime Ministers employment package in 2010 and they were posted in Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian  the worst-affected in the post-Wani uprising.

Situation is very bad ... in fact it has turned to worse. Salaries are not released on time. Some of us havent got our pay since last October. The departments, despite clear instructions by chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, are adopting pressure tactics to make us resume our duties in Kashmir, said an education employee who didnt wish to be named.

He said the situation remains grim  very grim, though 1,000 Pandit employees resumed their duties, largely in north Kashmir.

A woman posted in Pulwama is reluctant to resume work after repeated attacks by stone-throwing mobs forced her to flee the Valley.

Ruins of Pandit houses in Hall village of Pulwama in South Kashmir. (Waseem Andrabi/Hindustan Times)

Vinod Pandit, the chairman of an organisation working for Kashmiri Hindu groups, said he met chief minister Mufti and chief secretary BB Vyas seeking a breathing period for these employees.

Over 1,600 employees were given jobs in Kashmir, but the government constructed only 500 quarters in transit camps for them. In the 2008 Amarnath land row, our children had to flee the Valley. Again during the 2010 summer unrest and now in the 2016 violence after Burhans death, he said.

The violence and disruption have forced even Muslim families to shift their children to Jammu and New Delhi for their education.

Read | Kashmirs disturbing new reality

The state assembly passed a resolution this January to create an environment for the Pandits to return. But the trust deficit between the government and migrants is at an all time low.

The Kashmiri Muslims have lost faith in this government. How can I trust Mehbooba Mufti? said Delhi-based designer Ashutosh Sapru.

The Pandits yearn for their homeland, but home is nowhere in sight. Pushkar Nath Dhar, the 85-year-old father-in-law of Kachroo, wants to be reborn in Kashmir. He knows he wont be able to return to his birthplace in this lifetime.

(With inputs from Ravi Khajuria in Jammu)

A special series by Hindustan Times takes a deep look at the ground reality in the Valley as it braces itself for the first death anniversary of militant commander Burhan Wani and increasing violence in J-K.

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In what seems to be a big relief for pubs shut down along Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg in Chandigarh, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said there was nothing wrong in denotifying state/local highways as district roads within the city.

Many states have passed denotification orders, apparently to circumvent an earlier court order that banned liquor sale within 500 meters of all highways.

All roads notified within the city are those where there is no fast-moving traffic. We could have appreciated if the road was in the nature of a highway, a bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar said while hearing a petition challenging the Chandigarh administrations notification to re-classify its local highways.

The court, however, did not give a final ruling in the case and asked the petitioner to rethink on it till July 11, the next date of hearing. But if the SC asserts its view on the next date, it could give a window to rename highways and avoid closure of bars/pubs and vends affected by the top courts verdict.

Bone of contention

Post the SCs December 2016 order, the UT denotified its 2005 notification and named some state highways as major district roads in March 2017. Before the denotification, the UT was staring at a total closure of vends as all major roads in the city are state highways and fall within the ambit of the judgment.

The road categorisation was done around 20 years ago so that the UT administration could maintain these roads, with the municipal corporation short of funds at the time. In Chandigarh, Sectors are 1.2 km long and 0.8 km wide. With all vertical roads being state highways, 500 metres on either side of the road covers the whole of the city. Thus, all sectors came within 500 metres of state highways.

However, it still had to close down 23 odd liquor vends and 50 bars  mainly on Madhya Marg and Sector 35/43. Also the liquor licences given to vends were reduced from 100 to 77 in the 2017-18 excise policy.

As per rough estimates, 2,000 persons were rendered jobless in Chandigarh alone after the decision. The decision on de-notification was challenged in the high court but later on March 29, a HC bench upheld the UTs decision on renaming highways.

The petitioner, ArriveSAFE, a Chandigarh-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on road safety, had moved the top court after the Punjab and Haryana high court on March 16 refused to quash the UT notification. It was contended that by de-notifying state highways and renaming them major district roads, the Chandigarh administration had made a mockery of the SC judgment.

Roads in city different from those outside

Referring to distance criteriom, CJI Khehar said the court gave the order to prevent people from driving fast under the influence of alcohol. Roads in the city are different from those outside the city, he told the advocate appearing for petitioner ArriveSAFE, a Chandigarh-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on road safety.

Also, the CJI said the classification was genuine. Our purpose was to ensure that people dont stop on the way. For example when they drive from Delhi to Agra, they should not stop midway and have a drink, he said, implying the distance criterion was meant for long-distance travelling.

According to the NGO, if the administration is allowed to denotify highways, liquor vends would be found in residential areas that will disrupt public peace and result in traffic chaos, including road accidents.

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India and Israel inked several agreements in the fields of technology, water and agriculture on Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cooperation marks a marriage made in heaven as he stood alongside PM Modi.

Earlier on Wednesday, Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin who broke protocol and welcomed the Indian leader with a hug as he alighted from the car ahead of the meeting.

Here are live updates from PM Modis three-day visit to Israel:

12:05pm: PM Modi concludes his address to the Indian community in Israel.

12:03pm: Flight services between Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv to be launched soon, says Modi

12:02pm: Indian government will soon set up Indian cultural centre in Israel: PM. It will keep you connected to the Indian culture at all times.

11:59pm: I came to know that Indians in Israel are facing many difficulties in getting OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) and PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) cards, PM says. The relations which are bound by heart are not dependent on papers or cards. It is not possible that India will say deny OCI cards. I assure that those Indians who did compulsory army service will also get OCI cards.

11:55pm: India and Israel can walk together in the field of technology, says PM Narendra Modi.

11:53pm: Making consistent efforts to double farmers income by 2022, policies being formulated: PM

11:50pm: PM says Make in India has become a brand now, taking everyone by surprise.

11:47pm: Women key to nations prosperity, says Modi.

11:45pm: More than 600 skill development institutes are being opened in India, says Modi.

11:40pm: With the aim of housing for all we have placed emphasis on the construction and the real estate sector: PM

11:36pm: We have to take India to new heights by 2022... for that we have decided to make sure that every poor person has a house, electricity and water by 2022. Modi says.

11:33pm: I call the GST a good and simple tax, Modi says. With GST we are aiming towards the economic integration of India. We have introduced 100% FDI in key sectors, which will help our economy.

11:32pm: The aim of my government is to reform, perform and transform: PM.

11:29pm: PM Modi pays homage to Israels former President and late politician Shimon Peres.

11:26pm: The Jews community from India has made valuable contributions in Israels progress, I am proud of them, PM says.

11:24pm: Mayors of various Israeli cities have also joined us today. Their love for India has drawn them here, I thank them, says Modi.

11:23pm: The signature tune of Air India Radio has been composed by a Jew - he was the director of AIR in 1935, Modi informs the Indians.

11:20pm: There are very few Jews in India. Nevertheless, the community has enriched India with their contribution in various fields, Modi adds.

11:18pm: Israel has shown that more than size, it is the spirit that matters: PM

11:15pm: Our ties with Israel are about mutual trust and friendship, says Modi.

11:14pm:

Bharat Israel ka saath parampara, sanskriti, ek doosre pe bharosa aur mitrata ka hai: PM Modi #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/DIL0VwhC1s  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

11:12pm: The one thing that touches the heart is Netanyahus love for Indian food, says Modi. I will always remember the hospitality shown by the Israeli PM yesterday when he hosted the dinner.

11:11pm: I want to confess that we are meeting after a long time. It has taken us 70 years to meet, Modi to Indian diaspora.

11:09pm: Modi greets Indians at the Tel Aviv Convention Center in Hindi.

11:07pm: We are building future between our two democracies, its a partnership made in heaven but happening right now here: Israeli PM

11:06pm: We always remember that there is a human bridge between us, we admire you, respect you, love you: Israeli PM to Indian diaspora.

11:05pm:PM Modi and I have decided on a vast programme to take our partnership to new heights.

11:02pm: Netanyahu greets the Indian community by saying Namaste. These are the Jews of India who love India and our friendship, Netanyahu tells Modi.

10:55pm: Crowd at Tel Aviv Convention Center chants Modis name as he takes the stage.

10:00pm: Indian singer Sukhwinder Singh performs at Tel Aviv Convention Center.

9:45pm:

Am confident that the strength of India-Israel links, old & new, will hold us in good stead as we forge a partnership for the 21st century.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 5, 2017

9:00pm: Cultural programmes held at Tel Aviv Convention Center ahead of Modis community event address.

8:59pm: PM Modi visits Israeli Museum for Exhibition on Indian Jewish Heritage (ANI Photo)

8:22pm

Jerusalem: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met three Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees from Israel #ModiInIsrael pic.twitter.com/TU2ASZPijg  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

7:50pm: Modi to soon address a community event with Indian diaspora in Israel.

7:12pm: Israeli Opposition leader Isaac Herzog meets PM Narendra Modi.

6:25pm: PM Netanyahu on Tuesday evening gifted Modi a photo depicting Indian soldiers leading a British military column to librate Jerusalem (December 11, 1917).

6:20pm:

#WATCH: Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India says Moshe Holtzberg the now 11-year-old survivor of the 26/11 attacks pic.twitter.com/QCebzkvL0T  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

6:18pm: Modi and Netanyahu asserted that fight against terror wont succeed if it is segmented, says foreign secretary.

6:15pm:

We have announced a strategic partnership in water and agriculture. It offers us a whole spectrum of possibilities: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pic.twitter.com/jkkJM8INii  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

6:12pm: You can visit India anytime,will give you and your family long term visa: PM Modi to Moshe.

6:08pm: A fair amount of discussion took place on science and technology and space innovation. Higher education and R&D also came up. There are almost a 1,000 students in Israel - the largest number of foreign students in the country, he adds.

6:07pm: Expansion of air linkages between the two countries and announcement of a cultural centre in Israel was made, the foreign secretary says.

6:06pm: We discussed terrorism, counterterrorism. Israeli position on this issue is similar to India. They too feel strong action should be taken against terror acts, Jaishankar says.

6:05pm: Modi meets 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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with the 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg. (PTI Photo)

6:02pm: Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India, says Moshe Holtzberg.

6:00pm: We have announced a strategic partnership in water and agriculture, says Indias foreign secretary S Jaishakar.

5:50pm: Modi meets Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who as a toddler survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai.

5:30pm: The two nations agree to put $4 million a year for five years into the Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund, or I4F.

5:27pm:

Our people hold natural affinity and warmth for each other: PM @narendramodi #IndiaIsraelFriendship  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

5:26pm: We also discussed the situation in West Asia and the wider region. It is Indias hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail, Modi says.

5:25pm: Modi invites Netanyahu and his wife to visit India.

5:24pm: India has suffered first-hand violence and threats from terror as has Israel. We have agreed to protect our strategic interests: Modi.

5:23pm: PM Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to fight growing radicalisation, says Modi.

5:21pm:

5:20pm: Have had productive discussions, not just on areas of bilateral opportunities but also how our cooperation can help the cause of global peace and stability, PM Modi says.

5:19pm: This visit is an occasion to regenerate the bonds of our friendship and to jointly venture towards new horizons, says Modi

5:18pm: Ours is a partnership to seek good, defend good and achieve good. This is indeed a good day, Netanyahu adds.

5:15pm: We are being challenged by forces of terror and we have agreed to cooperate in this area as well, Israel PM says.

5:10pm: We discussed about many fields where we think we can make a big difference like water and agriculture which will affect the lives of people, says Netanyahu.

5:10pm: The two countries sign seven agreements, including three on space cooperation.

5:05pm: India, Israel issue joint statement.

5:00pm: Demonstrators protest against Indias support for Israel outside the Indian consulate in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Demonstrators outside the Indian consulate in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. (AFP Photo)

4:45pm: Both Israel and India have talent and we can join hands to fulfill our own interests and we can also do things for the world. This is what the big message is, Israeli ambassador to India Daniel Carmon tells ANI.

4:30pm:

3:55pm: Prime Minister Netanyahu called Modis visit groundbreaking and emphasised that he sees history in making in his talks with the Indian premier, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweets.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and @PMOIndia @NarendraModi hold a working meeting in Jerusalem#IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/aTcc0Tj0Dj  PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 5, 2017

3:50pm: Modi holds talks with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

2:30pm: The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India, says Modi.

Held talks with @PresidentRuvi. We discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to #IndiaIsraelFriendship & other global issues. pic.twitter.com/4GEdikh9rG  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 5, 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modis path-breaking visit to Israel reflects Tel Avivs burgeoning status as a world power and could lead to a change in New Delhis stance on issues related to Israel at the United Nations, the Israeli media said on Wednesday.

Modi flew into Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport to a rousing welcome from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the Israeli people had waited for this visit for 70 years. Netanyahu also signalled his desire to build future relations by marrying Israeli technology with Indian talent.

The Haaretz daily referred to Netanyahus description of the visit as a historic day and said: Modi severed the permanent connection that India had made between promoting and openly displaying its ties with Israel and its position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He even elegantly skipped a visit to Ramallah. Netanyahu would want this trend to manifest itself in Indias voting in the United Nations  its too soon to tell whether it will, the report added.

Read | Why no one protests against Modis Israel visit

In an opinion piece in The Times of Israel, columnist Amnon Lord wrote that Israel under Netanyahu had shifted the center of gravity of its international relations at the perfect time by strengthening ties at a time when Western nations were talking of isolating Israel.

Despite the value placed by the Israeli elite on Merkelist Germany and a France that has become Macron-nesia, India constitutes a market of a billion and a half people, with a fast-growing economy and a great many strategic, military and technological needs, Lord wrote in the piece headlined What isolation?.

Israel, he said, had achieved the status of a rising power in the international arena by cultivating relations with China, Japan, South Korea, and particularly its good friend India.

For India, the Israel-India strategic axis is also important because of Americas unpredictable, hot-and-cold attitude toward it. Modis arrival in Israel represents a turning point, the piece added.

In a piece headlined Netanyahu should not build up impossible expectations during Modi visit, The Jerusalem Post noted Netanyahu liked to say that Israel is being courted by countries such as China and India for its technology and expertise in fighting terror.

Read | PM Modis Israel trip shows Indias mature approach with focus on economic, security gains | Opinion

However, the Post cautioned that Israel, with a population of 8.3 million, can only go so far in coming up to the expectations of other nations.

Modi has embarked on an ambitious plan to lift his nation to a new level, and he has identified Israel as a country that can help him do that. Which is flattering, the piece said.

But lets be realistic. The ability and resources of a country of only 8.3 million people, with plenty of its own challenges to deal with, can only go so far.

Netanyahu would be wise in not overstating what Israel has, or is able, to offer  either to the Indian leader or to the heads of African states he now meets on a regular basis. Otherwise, and despite his best intentions, he may end up with angry and disappointed customers.

Most of the reports in the Israeli media noted the warmth displayed by Modi and Netanyahu during their interaction at Ben Gurion airport, especially the Israeli premiers greeting in Hindi and his Indian counterparts response in Hebrew.

The reports also noted how Modi had referred to the death of Netanyahus brother in a daring mission to rescue the passengers of a hijacked airliner at Entebbe, Uganda, on July 4, 1976.

Read | Support India hook, line and sinker on terror, says Israeli official ahead of PM Modis visit

The two leaders, who met in 2014 and again in 2015 at international meetings abroad, are believed to have struck up a positive personal relationship that was on display at the airport, the Post reported.

The Haaretz also noted that while cooperation in the fight against terror was high on the agenda for Modis visit and the Indian side is glad to accept any Israeli assistance in this area, New Delhi was not anxious to discuss an attack by alleged Iranian agents on Israeli diplomats within spitting distance of Modis office in New Delhi in 2012.

When Modi talks about terror, he means Jihadist groups identified with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban which, encouraged and backed by Pakistani intelligence, commit terror attacks against India, the report said.

The wife of the then Israeli defence attache in India, Tali Yehoshua-Koren, was wounded in the 2012 attack. The Haaretz noted that Israels ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, told the Hindustan Times in February that Tel Aviv would not rest until the last of the assailants stood trial.

But the fact is that the Indians have not yet tried even the first of those involved, the report said.

Though a suspect was arrested by Indian security agencies after the attack, the Indians let the investigation disintegrate, the report added.

The suspect was released and no verdict has been issued to this day. Moreover, although the Indians know full well that Iran was behind the attack, they still refuse to admit it officially and point a finger at the regime in Tehran, the report further said.

The Haaretz reported that senior Israeli defence and foreign ministry officials had conceded off the record that the issue has been covered up and made to go away by the Indians, who acted anaemically toward the Iranians due to a long list of other interests that were more important.

The foreign ministry made every attempt before Modis visit to take the Iranian issue off the public and media agenda to avoid any dispute during the Indian leaders trip, the report added.

Read | Pak media on Modis Israel visit: Need to checkmate Indias aggressive moves

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Sikkim standoff: China media rhetoric turns shriller, says Indian troops will be kicked out of disputed area

India will be kicked out from the area of an ongoing military standoff with China and suffer greater losses than it did during the 1962 war, Chinese official media warned on Wednesday, adding that New Delhi needed to be taught a bitter lesson for trespassing across the border. The editorial in Global Times is the harshest yet by Chinas state-controlled media since the face-off erupted early June in an area along the Sikkim border which China calls Donglang and is also known as Doklam plateau. We firmly believe that the face-off in the Donglang area will end up with the Indian troops in retreat. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers, said Global Times, a tabloid affiliated to the Communist party mouthpiece Peoples Daily. Read the story here.

PM Modi calls for opposing evils of terrorism, radicalism during his 3-day visit to Israel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that those who believe in humanity and civilised values must come together and defend it at all costs as he called for resolutely opposing the evils of terrorism, radicalism and violence that has plagued the world. Yad Vashem is a reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago, Modi said in a press statement along with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. Modi, who laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Memorial museum where he paid tributes to over six million Jews killed by Nazi Germany, said the memorial is a tribute to your unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation. Read the story here.

Lets Talk About Kashmir: No place for Pandits in the land of their birth

Surinder and Santosh Kachroo made a brave decision 25 years after they left their home in Srinagar in 1988. The Kashmiri Pandit couple, migrants in their own country, decided in 2013 to return to the only place theyve ever called home. They took the flight out of Srinagar and stayed away for nearly two months. The Kachroos decided to stick it out, but other Pandits arent willing to risk returning to a Valley seething in anger for the past year. Protests since last July displaced mover than 600 displaced Kashmiri Pandit employees, who havent resumed work, especially in turbulent south Kashmir. Read the story here.

Opposition unity at stake, Rahul may speak to Nitish to iron out differences

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi may speak to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to mollify the Janata Dal (United) president and thrash out the differences between the two allies, sources said on Wednesday. Kumar and the Congress, who are part of the ruling coalition in Bihar, have been at loggerheads after the chief minister broke ranks with the opposition to support BJP-led National Democratic Alliances presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. Read the story here.

Always wanted to be revolutionary police officer, says cop who stood up to BJP leaders

Shreshtha Thakur (32), a 2012-batch provincial police services (PPS) officer who stood up against BJP leaders in Bulandshahr, always dreamt of becoming a revolutionary police officer. And when she finally donned the uniform, her acts of courage got her popularity right from her first posting in Bulandshahr. I always wanted to become a police officer since childhood and serve the nation, said Thakur while talking to HT over phone. Read the story here.

Catholic crosses desecrated in Goa: Attempts being made to create tension, says Parrikar

The desecration of religious symbols and a temple over the last few days indicates specific attempts to create tension in Goa, chief minister Manohar Parrikar said on Tuesday. There appears to be specific attempts to try and create some sort of tension in the state, he said. Parrikar was speaking to reporters after chairing a high-level meeting of police officials called to review the situation after a spate of desecration of religious sites in South Goa. Police have filed cases against unidentified persons in connection with these incidents and launched investigations but no breakthrough has been made so far. Read the story here.

After ICBM test, North Koreas Kim Jong Un vows more gift packages for US

Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furore created by his nations first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more gift packages of missile and atomic tests. US and South Korean forces, in response to Tuesdays launch, engineered a show of force for Pyongyang, with soldiers from the allies firing deep strike precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters. South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered the drills arranged with the United States to show North Korea our firm combined missile response posture, his office said. Read the story here.

All-girl Afghan team denied visa to US but will watch their robot compete via Skype

Two Afghan girls refused visas to the United States for a robot-building competition said on Tuesday they were mystified by the decision, as the contests organizers said teams from Iran and Sudan as well as a de facto Syrian team had gained visas. The unusual story of the Afghan all-girl team of robotics students emerged as the United States grapples with the legality of President Donald Trumps order to temporarily ban travel from six Muslim-majority countries. Afghanistan itself is not on the list and Team Afghanistans robot, unlike its creators, has been allowed entry to the United States. Read the story here.

Newborn girl named GST after tax reform

In an unusual and bizarre instance, parents from Chhattisgarhs Koriya district have named their daughter GST after the launch of Indias biggest tax reform as she was born on July 1. Speaking to ANI, father Jagdish Prasad, said, The day Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Goods and Service Tax (GST) reform as a tax revolution on July 1, my daughter was born. So I could not hold my excitement and named her GST to make this day a memorable one. Read the story here.
A new M3-type electronic voting machines (EVM) that is tamper-detect and will stop functioning if anyone tries to tinker with it, is under production and will be used in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi disclosed on Wednesday.

In common mans language, they are tamper-detect, that is, if you fiddle with any part of the machine or try to open any screw, any box, it will become dysfunctional, Zaidi said.

I must say that the Commission has always been welcoming suggestions and measures to further tighten the EVMs integrity. Our machines are evolving with new technologies, and currently we are producing M3 machines (third generation EVMs) which have many security features. In common mans language, they are tamper-detect, that is, if you fiddle with any part of the machine or try to open any screw, any box, it will become dysfunctional, Zaidi told IANS.

By 2019, we will have M3 machines in place, the CEC said.

The M3 EVM production is starting from August at the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) and Bharat Electronics Lt (BEL) plants. These machines will replace the existing machines in phases. By September next year, the required number of machines will have been produced.

Zaidi, who demits office on Wednesday, said that apart from this, by 2019 all the EVMs will be attached with a voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units as the EC has already got funds and placed order for them.

Another feature of these new machines, he said, is self-diagnosis. That is, it can automatically detect any fault with the software or system and will show it in the display.

The third part is digital certification. The Control Unit and Ballot Unit can communicate with each other. If someone plants a Ballot Unit or Control Unit from outside, the digital signature will not match and the system would stop functioning, Zaidi said.

Thirdly, the operation deadlines of EVMs in terms of their productions, transportation, storage, maintenance and security etc are being more tightened. The vehicles carrying the EVMs will be fitted with GPS to monitor their movement, Zaidi said.

He said that as part of a huge mass awareness programme the EC is launching about VVPATs, paper trail slips in every constituency will also be counted along with the votes upto a certain percentage.

The candidate has to tell us the name of the polling stations where he wants counting of paper slips and that will be done. I think with this, the issue of EVMs stands closed and its credibility restored, the CEC said.
Before taking a flight from Mumbai to Georgia, Khushbu Kaushal did not for one moment think she would have to face the most humiliating night of her life in the eastern European country.

Kaushal planned a solo vacation to Georgia for her annual break because it was rated the best country for solo women travellers. However, it turned out to be a nightmare when she landed in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

The Mumbai resident shared her story on Facebook addressing the post to Archil Dzuliashvili, the Georgian ambassador to India. Her July 3 post has been shared by 3,800 people and over 4,000 have reacted.

According to Kaushal, her ordeal began during immigration check after she landed in Tbilisi at 5pm Georgia time on June 29 and was asked to move to an unmarked counter so that the officers could take a look at her travel papers.

After waiting for half-and-hour, one of the officers took my interview asking me my purpose of the visit, he had a look at all my papers and cracked a joke as well. Since all of it was pleasant so far I was expecting quick approvals... Kaushal writes in her Facebook account.

She said she was carrying all necessary documents, as she was travelling alone and to a foreign land.

After three hours of my arrival to Tbilisi I was not yet given any information or attended to, so I went to ask for my status and was then told that I am being sent back. When I requested for a reason I was shouted at and told to sit in a corner...

Her nightmare just didnt end there. Kaushal said she was made to wait for six hours without being offered food or water and had to beg the immigration officers for something to eat and drink. Not a request sir, it was literal begging. I was dehydrated, hungry, with a terrible headache and body ache all thanks to no water, food or rest on account of travelling for about more than 12 hours, she wrote.

Kaushal said she was allowed to buy food and water seven hours after she reached the country.

Two and a half hours later one of your immigration officers came to the room that I was held up in and started shouting that I should go now as the flight they were sending me back on was ready. I was rushed to the flight and when I asked for my passport it was said that I will not be handed it to me till I reach Mumbai. The nine hours I spent in your country were the scariest and the worst of my travelling life.

As she came back to India, Indian immigration officers told Kaushal that she had provided false information about her reason to travel, which is why was sent back.

I would like to understand on what basis did the gentleman who interviewed me came to that decision? All my papers were legit and as per what was guided by your visa portal so where did I go wrong? she asked.

My friends who checked with Indian MEA found a contradictory issue that was reported to them but not filed, it was that my passport was damaged and potentially duplicated. I challenge you to take a look at my passport and tell me that if my passport is good enough for other countries that I have travelled to then what was the problem in yours.

Archil Dzuliashvili, the Georgian ambassador to India, in a written response, said, We have received message of Ms. Kaushal on the Embassy Facebook page and the issue immediately was transferred to the Georgian competent authorities for the examination of the mentioned matter,

For the time being we can tell you that she travelled to Georgia by e-visa. The Georgian entry visa was not issued by the Embassy of Georgia in New Delhi. I called her personally in order to find out the circumstances of the occurrence at the Airport. Communication with her was also reported back to Georgia, he added.

The Georgian ministry of internal affairs also commented on the matter by publishing a statement on their website, saying, We would like to clarify that during the crossing the state border of Georgia, the border guards have the right granted by the existing legislation to refuse a foreign citizen to enter the country when a citizen does not provide convincing answers during interviews or gives false information about the purpose of the visit.

Citizens are checked in border crossing points using the world-wide, universally recognized methods. The same procedures are carried out in relation to the Georgian citizens while crossing state borders of other countries, it added.

In June, 6517 citizens of India have crossed Georgian state border, according the ministry.

Apart from Kaushals friends, people from Georgia shared their regret on the way Kaushal was treated.

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India has no plans to put any barrier on Chinese investment in the country by going slow on security clearance given to companies from that nation, notwithstanding the ongoing Sino-Indian border row.

A Home Ministry spokesperson said the issue of putting on hold security clearance given to Chinese investment was not under any consideration.

It is not under any consideration. Such issues are dealt with great deal of maturity by the concerned agencies at the appropriate level, he said.

The spokesperson was replying to a question on whether the government was mulling going slow in giving security clearance to Chinese companies intending to investment in India in the wake of border stand off near Sikkim.

The home ministry is the nodal authority to provide security clearance to foreign investment under the National Security Clearance Policy. A total of 14-15 parameters are fixed in eight to nine sensitive areas like telecom, ports and civil aviation etc.

The home ministry has also spelt out locations where foreign investment is not welcome such as those close to the border and vital installations.

According to the data provided by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, China has invested $1.64 billion (Rs 10,094 crore) during April 2000 and March 2017.

Chinese companies have invested mostly in telecom, power, engineering and infrastructure sectors. Several Chinese companies have also shown interests to set up industrial parks in the country.

The standoff between troops of India and China at Dokalam area started after Bhutan, which has close diplomatic and military ties with India, protested to Beijing about the Peoples Liberation Army troops building a road in the strategic location close to chicken neck tri-junction.

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

China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was likely to speak to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to mollify the Janata Dal (United) president and thrash out the differences between the two allies, sources said on Wednesday.

Kumar and the Congress, who are part of the ruling coalition in Bihar, have been at loggerheads after the chief minister broke ranks with the opposition to support BJP-led National Democratic Alliances presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

The Congress-led opposition has fielded former speaker Meira Kumar to take on Kovind, who quit as the Bihar governor after being named the presidential candidate.

Kumars decision to support Kovind in the July 17 election underlines the challenge the opposition faces in uniting for the 2019 national election to take on the BJP.

Gandhi and Kumar shared a great personal rapport and would work together not only to strengthen the grand alliance in Bihar but also ensure unity among the opposition parties at the national level, Congress sources said.

A senior Congress leader said the choice of vice-presidential candidate would also be discussed by the two leaders.

Nitish Kumar will be taken on board as far as the vice-presidential candidate is concerned, he said. A meeting in the next few days may also be on the cards.

The election is to be held on August 5.

The JD(U) blamed the Congress for delay in announcing the oppositions presidential candidate that allowed the BJP enough time to decide on its nominee.

Party leaders said it was difficult for them to oppose Kovinds candidature despite the fact that Meira Kumar hailed from Bihar.

The JD(U) has also said as governor Kovind had an impeccable record and the party shared a good rapport with him.

The Congress reconciliatory moves in the past two days, especially after senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azads apparent jibe at Kumar for changing stands, indicate the party does not want to rock the opposition boat when the unity among non-NDA parties is essential to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

A section, however, is of the view that Kumar is unlikely to go with the BJP again given that his political aspirations  read prime ministerial ambitions -- will not be fulfilled there and for those he needs the Congress.

A Bihar Congress leader told HT on Tuesday despite repeated denials, Kumar wanted to be immediately declared the oppositions PM candidate for 2019 and the frustration over the delay was reflected in his latest moves, including support for Kovind.

Kumar snapped ties with the BJP and walked out of the NDA in 2013 after the alliance named Modi as its prime ministerial candidate.

Speaking to media two days ago, Kumar had ruled himself out as the PM candidate, saying he was not eligible to run for the countrys top job while calling on the Congress to set the oppositions agenda.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for greeting the world leaders he meets in a special way.

This time, the Prime Minister took to Hebrew to greet his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu apart from hugging him thrice on the first day of his three-day historic visit to Israel.

Modi was received at the Ben Gurion airport by Netanyahu, who said in Hindi, Aapka swagat hai, mere dost (Welcome, my friend).

Appreciating the special welcome accorded to him, Modi spoke a few words in Hebrew, starting with Shalom (hello), I am happy to be here.

Before that Modi tweeted in Hebrew before leaving for Israel. Hello Israel! Today I begin a special & historic visit with the aim of further strengthening the relations between India and Israel, the translated version of the tweet said.

  !             . pic.twitter.com/WpqmTtHscM  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 4, 2017

Modi again tweeted in Hebrew when he visited the Danziger Dan Flower Farm, Israels leading floriculture companies in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, about 56 km from Jerusalem.

               . pic.twitter.com/P0Ad7nji6e  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 4, 2017

Visited the Danziger Flower Farm, where I saw pioneering work done in floriculture, the translated tweet said.

In a special gesture to mark the first visit by an Indian premier to the Jewish nation since the two countries established diplomatic ties a quarter century ago, Israel named a new fast-growing Israeli chrysanthemum flower MODI.

Twitter users welcomed Modis tweets in Hebrew and the bonhomie between the two countries.

Here are some of the responses:

Hebrew, that's our language here in Israel :)  Omer Lahav (@OmerLahav) July 4, 2017

?????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????????????????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???  Samreen Khan ???? (@the_Samreen) July 4, 2017

????? ?? ????,???????? ? ????????? ?? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???????? ??? ????? ?? ,???? ???? ?? ?? ?? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ??  Sushil Pandey (@iSushilPandey) July 4, 2017

            125        Only Tushar (@onlytg_gt) July 4, 2017

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Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent choice of apparel that grabbed eyeballs was what he wore on the first day of his three-day visit in Israel.

The Prime Minister alighted from Air India One at Tel Aviv, in an immaculate white bandhgala. Also quite noticeable was the blue pocket square.

Significantly, blue and white are the colours of the Israeli flag; and white is PM Modis preferred colour for solemn occasions, such as the visit to Yad Vashem on Tuesday, where he added to his look a traditional Himachali cap.

He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Terming it to be a historic visit, PM Modi tweeted, Hello Israel! Today I begin a special & historic visit with the aim of further strengthening the relations between India and Israel.

His Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu donned a blue-and-white suit with a red tie, as he welcomed PM Modi at Tel Aviv airport.
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has again run into a collision course with the elected government of Congresss V Narayansamy by nominating three BJP-affiliated persons as MLAs and swearing them in on Tuesday.

While the ruling Congress moved the Madras high court accusing the L-G of bypassing the elected government, besides claiming illegality, Bedi said the nominations were valid as per the Union Territories Act. The court has sought a response from the government on its stance within a week.

Two of the nominated MLAs are BJPs Puducherry president and treasurer, V Swaminathan and K G Shankar, the third is S Selvaganapthy, an educationist considered close to the BJP.

Kiran Bedi defended her decision, stating that as per Union Territories Act notified by the Union home ministry, the oath is and can be administered by the administrator. Hence the nomination and oath are valid under the UT Act, she said.

Narayansamy alleged that there were criminal cases against two of the MLAs and also that governor cannot nominate MLAs without consulting the elected government.

The Lt Governor does not have the authority to swear in the MLAs and administer oath of office and secrecy to the nominated MLAs. This power is wrested with the assembly speaker, he said.

The chief minister is reportedly visiting Delhi to meet the President over the issue.

The Congress termed Bedi a habitual offender in undermining the institution of the Governor and using them as political tool to subvert and subjugate the will of people and every established tenet of democracy.

Truth is that BJP appointees to the office of Governor are becoming chief conspirators and propagandists to carry forward the agenda of destroying democracy instead of protecting the Constitution, party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said.

Minorities Ignored, Hindus Nominated

Nominations to the assembly are done to ensure minorities, who cannot find representation otherwise, can find a place in the assembly and raise the issues concerning them.

In Puducherry, Christians, constituting 6% of the population, claim this benefit.

However, the Lt Governors decision to swear in three MLAs from the majority Hindu community has drawn flak from the Congress.

One of its senior leaders said conventions have been given a go-by and also highlighted that the nominated MLAs have cases against them.

The new MLAs rubbished the allegations, saying false cases were foisted on them, which they will fight legally.

A Congress leader noted that the fishing community is not adequately represented in the assembly and mooted for nomination of members from the community.

DMK, CPM and VCK have given a call for Puducherry bandh on July 8 to register a protest, and are likely to be supported by the Congress.

Posters condemning Bedi have sprung up all over the Union territory.

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The former royal family of Travancore seems to be losing the battle for the custodianship of the worlds richest temple Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Tiruvanthapuram to the Kerala Government.

The Supreme Court of India, in a series of directions passed on Tuesday has asked the Kerala Government to appoint an executive officer to the temple, who will be responsible for the day to day running of the temple. The executive officer of the temple shall be accountable to the administrative committee of the temple headed by the District Judge of Tiruvanthapuram.

On the question of a providing a whole time security in-charge for the temple, a bench of justices J S Kehar and D Y Chandrachud said, in the light of recent incidents of theft and the fact that the temple houses immense wealth proper security arrangements have to be made. And Kerala government must suggest a panel of names from which an officer will be appointed to the post.

At the moment there is a SP level officer with 200 policemen who are responsible for the security of the temple. The name of former

Another direction which will have far reaching implications for the control of the temple was with regard to the appointment of a Financial Controller to the temple.

The court ordered Kerala government to constitute a panel of 3 officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts service officer who will be responsible for the audit of the temple and Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple trust.

The role of the 3 officer will be that of an external auditor. The court went on to say, the fear of an external auditor will put things in place.

So far the Temple and Trust has been beyond the purview of an external or an independent audit.

The deity of Padmanabha Swami temple is the family deity of the Travancore royal family. Members of the erstwhile royal family had dedicated their kingdom to the deity and pledged that they will live as servants of Padmanabha. The shrine is run by a trust floated by the Travnacore royal family.

However this arrangement ran into trouble after a petition was filed in the Kerala High court saying that the Temple was being mismanaged and the government should take it over. The Kerala High court in 2011 ruled that immediate steps be taken to constitute a body corporate or trust or other legal authority to take over control of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

The Supreme Court of india is presently hearing a bunch of appeals against this order of the Kerala High court.
India will be kicked out from the area of an ongoing military standoff with China and suffer greater losses than it did during the 1962 war, Chinese official media warned on Wednesday, adding that New Delhi needed to be taught a bitter lesson for trespassing across the border.

The editorial in Global Times is the harshest yet by Chinas state-controlled media since the face-off erupted early June in an area along the Sikkim border which China calls Donglang and is also known as Doklam plateau.

We firmly believe that the face-off in the Donglang area will end up with the Indian troops in retreat. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers, said Times, a tabloid affiliated to the Communist party mouthpiece Peoples Daily.

The Global Times is known for its nationalistic outlook and frequently publishes anti-India editorials and articles.

Read | Chinas PLA warns India: Learn lessons from 1962 defeat, stop clamouring for war

The Chinese public is infuriated by Indias provocation. We believe the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory, it said, adding, This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson.

It said Indias real purpose was aimed at blocking block Chinas road construction project in the area.

The Cold War-obsessed India is suspicious that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area, the Times said in reference to the chickens neck, a narrow strip of land that connects Indias mainland to seven border states.

India is taking the risk to betray the historical agreement and wants to force China to swallow the result, it added. Beijing accuses India of violating an 1890 border agreement between Britain and China.

Read | Is China punishing India for its Belt and Road stance while testing Modi and Trump?

The Times referred to defence minister Arun Jaitleys comments indicating that India was better prepared than in 1962, the editorial said: Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 -- India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts. The editorial also accused India of treating Bhutan as a vassal state and coercing Thimphu into supporting New Delhi.

...The Indian media claimed in recent days that New Delhi shouldnt abandon Bhutan. India is humiliating the civilisation of the 21st century, it said.

In a separate editorial, China Daily, the other state-controlled English newspaper, said by trespassing into Chinese-controlled territory, India may be trying to make a point. It is reportedly worried that the Chinese road construction may represent a significant change in the status quo with serious security implications for India, according to its foreign ministry.

Read | War is possible if conflict with India is not handled properly: Chinese observers

But such worries could have been allayed through dialogue and consultation using the mechanisms that are already in place and which have long helped the two sides maintain peace and tranquility in the region since their short border war in 1962, the China Daily said.

Perhaps its defeat in that war (1962) was too humiliating for some in the Indian military and that is why they are talking belligerently this time, it said.

The trespassing by the Indian troops runs counter to the Indian governments longstanding and rightful position. It should respect Chinas territorial integrity and withdraw its troops back across the border, the newspaper said.

Read | Did missing sheep and yaks cause the tension between India and China in 1967?
China on Wednesday said Indian troops were still standing in Chinese territory at Donglang, hinting that the standoff near the Sikkim border could affect the bilateral mechanism to address the long-standing boundary dispute.

The foreign ministry said the trespass by Indian troops violated the spirit of talks by the Special Representatives on the border issue. It also said the current face-off could be resolved only by Indian troops returning to their original positions.

The ministry added that India had trampled on the Panchsheel pact or the five principles of peaceful existence by allegedly entering Chinese territory. China also said India was misleading its citizens by saying Doklam or Donglang is located at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.

The Indian border troops are still standing in Chinese territory and the issue is not resolved, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.

India and China have held 19 rounds of talks under the Special Representatives mechanism since 2003.

But after days of shrill rhetoric since the standoff began three weeks ago, there was also a conciliatory move by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, which said Beijing is willing to discuss the possibility of alternative arrangements through other routes for Indian pilgrims who had planned to visit Kailash Manasrovar via Nathu La.

The yatra to Kailash Manasrovar is an important part of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges and Beijing respects the Indian peoples religious sentiments, embassy spokesperson Xie Liyan said.

Xie reiterated Chinas position that the yatra had been suspended days before the departure of the first batch of pilgrims because Indian border troops crossed into the Chinese territory and obstructed the Chinese border troops normal activities in Doklam.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng said the Indian side had trampled on the basic norms of international relations that were proposed by itself by illegally crossing into others territory. He noted that China, India and Myanmar had jointly proposed the five principles of peaceful coexistence in the 1950s.

Geng too reiterated the Chinese allegation that Indian troops had entered the Chinese side of the delimited boundary in the Sikkim sector and described it as a serious matter.

China and India have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question through the Special Representatives mechanism and have jointly taken measures to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas. This incident, we believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism, he said.

Geng also rhetorically asked how Indian is supposed to win the trust of its neighbours and play a bigger role in international affairs if it refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion

The Chinese government and state-controlled media have aggressively held India responsible for the impasse at Donglang, where China and Bhutan have a territorial dispute.

China has repeatedly cited the Convention between Great Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet, signed in 1890, to say it had demarcated the borders between Tibet, under Chinas Qing dynasty, and Sikkim.

The only official reaction from the Indian government was on June 30, when New Delhi said the construction of a road in Donglang amounted to changing the status quo. The external affairs ministry also said it was deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions at the strategic tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.

Referring to Bhutans position, Geng said Beijing has held 24 rounds of talks with Thimphu since the 1980s to resolve the bilateral boundary issue. Although the boundary is yet to be settled we have a basic consensus on the boundary. There is no dispute between our countries that Doklam belongs to China, he said.

Chinas actives in relevant areas do not violate agreements and do not alter the status quo. We will work together with Bhutan to properly resolve the boundary question through friendly negotiations, he said.

However, Bhutan last week issued a demarche to China to stop building a road in Donglang area and to maintain status quo.
Himachal Pradesh government appointed Somesh Goyal, a 1984-batch IPS officer, as the new director general of police (DGP), after Sanjay Kumar was relieved to take charge as Director General of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) .

The senior most police officer in Himachal Pradesh, Goyal was earlier posted as the director general of police, prisons and correctional services. He has initiated a number of welfare schemes for prisoners.

Goyal is a trained commandohe was adjudged the best trainee commandoand has worked with National Security Guard (the Black Cats). He has also trained the Special Protection Group responsible for the security of the Prime Minister. On deputation with Border Security Force, he served in Kashmir and West Bengal as DIG and Inspector General, respectively. He was also a member of the Service Selection Board in Kashmir and Naxal-hit areas such as Chhattisgarh and Bihar.

Goyal is a recipient of the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Services. Some of the other honors bestowed on him include Kathin Sewa Medal, High Altitude Medal, Internal Security Medal and Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

He has also served with Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation and General Industries Corporation.

Goyal has held many sensitive posts in departments like CID, Armed Police training and vigilance during his career. He was promoted as additional director general of police in 2009 and posted as ADG, Headquarters and Armed Police and Training and State Vigilance Bureau.

A postgraduate from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Goyal used to teach at Vaish College, Rohtak, before he joined the Indian Police Service.

The new DGP accentuated upon women safety, tackling traffic problems and growing drug menace in the state . My focus will be on containing cyber crime, crime against woman and traffic problem. Public delivery from Police side will be our main focus, he said.
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The Supreme Court will examine if the trust vote won by the Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami was valid, signalling fresh trouble for the state government hurtling from one crisis to another after the death of J Jayalalithaa.

The Supreme Court was on Wednesday hearing a petition by the rival camp calling for a fresh vote of confidence by a secret ballot in the presence of a court observer.

Tamil Nadu was plunged into political uncertainty after chief minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa died on December 5.

A Jayalalithaa loyalist, O Panneerselvam, was appointed the caretaker chief minister but was allegedly forced to resign by VK Sasikala , a long time confidante of the late chief minister.

Sasikalas march to the states top job was dealt a blow when she was found guilty in a corruption case and sent to jail. Saiskala propped up Palaniswami as the chief minister before going to the jail.

The camp led by Panneerselvam challenged the trust vote in the Supreme Court, which will now hear the case on July 11.

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The Uttar Pradesh government has incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore following the Supreme Court order banning all liquor shops along national as well as state highways.

Of the 8,591 highway liquor shops affected by the Supreme Court order, 2,000 are yet to be relocated while 3,000 shop owners have surrendered their liquor licences, said UP excise minister Jai Pratap Singh.

We have incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal ending March 31. Out of the target of realising Rs 19,000 crore, the excise department could generate Rs 14,000 crore following the apex court order order, the minister told PTI.

The Supreme Court had last year ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways across the country and prohibited all signages indicating presence of liquor vends.

The Supreme Court again on March 31 reiterated its December 15, 2016 order to shut down, by April 1, establishments selling and serving liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways, but relaxed the distance to 220 m for cities, towns and municipal areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

According to latest data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), accidents due to drunk driving have the highest fatality rate among all accidents.

NCRB data showed that some 42 per cent of drunk driving victims ended up dead in 2015  this was a far higher rate than that of accidents caused by over speeding and reckless driving.

Highlighting his departments initiatives for going cashless, Singh said, We are introducing a cashless system in liquor shops and asking them to install point-of-sale (POS) machines. Though it will difficult in rural areas, we are asking shops to switch over to cashless payments.

On media reports suggesting that the cashless system is being introduced to deter teenagers from purchasing liquor, the minister said there is already a law which does not allow sale of liquor to minors.

About sale of liquor near religious places and schools, he said, An SC order in 2008 says no to liquor vending with a radius of 75 metre of a school or religious place. But, with increase in population density, the number of schools and hospitals have increased leading to conflicts.

We have decided that no liquor shop will be relocated within 500 metre of religious places or hospitals. In case of objection, even residential colonies will come under the ambit. At the moment it is not in a very formal shape. But we are working on it, the minister said.

About excise revenue expectations for 2017-18, the minister said his department has fixed a target of Rs 20,000 crore.

The minister said that Yogi Adityanath government will introduce its new excise policy from April 2018 and the government plans to break the syndicate system in liquor trade.

We are working on the new excise policy before finalising it, he said.

The new excise policy may introduce a system of bar code on each bottle in a bid to check black marketing and pilferage in liquor sale, mostly in country-made alcohol products.

The bar code would be connected to computer data to ensure each batch is sold by the rightful dealer, an excise official said.

In case of foreign made liquor too, bar coding could help check exchange from special zone to normal excise zone.

The new policy will also seek to unearth all rackets involving liquor syndicates.
Three of the four nominations received so far for the August 5 vice-presidential election were rejected on Wednesday.

The filing of papers began on Tuesday with the Election Commission (EC) issuing the notification for the poll.

The nominations of PVSVG Kumar from Andhra Pradesh and of Tej Bahadur Singh and Sarasvati Sharma, both from Uttar Pradesh, were rejected as they did not have the requisite documents, according to the Rajya Sabha website.

The nomination of Vijay Narayan from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, which was filed on Tuesday, was kept aside for scrutiny, it added.

Neither the ruling NDA nor the opposition has announced their candidates for the vice presidential election.

The last date for filing nominations is July 18.

The scrutiny of the papers will be done on July 19 and the last date for withdrawing from the electoral fray is July 21.

Polling, if required, will take place on August 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up the same evening.

The term of incumbent Hamid Ansari, who has held the post for two consecutive terms, comes to end on August 10.
China on Wednesday said that it was forced to halt the entry of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass after Indian troops crossed into Chinese territory and that it is willing to discuss the possibility of alternative arrangements through other routes for Indian yatris.

In a statement, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Xie Liyan said the Indian yatra to Kailash and Mansarovar is an important part of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

China consistently respects the Indian peoples religious sentiments and attaches importance to Indian Yatra to Kailash and Mansarovar in Xizang.

Up to now, the official yatra through Lipuleku Pass and non-official yatra through Lhasa and Purang are still on the rails.

We are willing to discuss the possibility of alternative arrangements through other routes for Indian official yatris who had planned to visit Kailash and Mansarovar via Nathu La Pass, he said.

The statement said that since the 1980s, in accordance with arrangements agreed between the two countries, China has made great efforts to improve accommodation and logistical facilities and related plans for ensuring safe and smooth Indian yatras.

China announced the opening of a new yatra route for Indian yatris via Nathu La Pass in 2014 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India, and the route was opened in 2015.

According to statistics of Xizang authority, the Chinese side received about 1,000 official yatris and more than 10,000 non-official yatris every year. The Indian government and people from all walks of life have expressed appreciation and gratitude to the efforts by China, it said.

The two sides agreed that a total of 350 yatris in seven batches would take part in yatras to Xizang through Nathu La Pass this year. The first batch would have entered Xizang on June 20, with visas already issued by Chinese embassy and preparation ready in Xizang.

However, days before the departure of the yatris, the Indian border troops crossed into Chinese territory and obstructed the Chinese border troops normal activities in Doklam.

To ensure the safe and smooth visit of Indian yatris, China has to halt their entry into Xizang through Nathu La Pass. The Chinese side had notified the Indian side through diplomatic channel, said the statement.

Bilateral relations have soured over the stand-off between the armies of the two sides in Doklam area, known as Donglong in China, in the Sikkim sector.
The ongoing border stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops in an area near Sikkim will scare away visitors and hit revenues, tour operators and hotel owners have said.

Tour operators told the Hindustan Times though there is no immediate crisis on the ground, the daily dose of rhetoric traded by both the camps is adding to the fear in the mountainous state that borders China.

The ongoing standoff between the armies of two Asian giants is set to finish the tourism industry at least for the time being, Satish Bardewa, proprietor of Yak and Yeti Travels, said.

Read: Sikkim standoff: China says situation grave, no scope for compromise with India

Bardewa pointed that while the state capital Gangtok is located about 55 km from the border, popular tourist spots such as Nathu La and Tsomgo Lake are only about 15-20 km away from the trouble spot. Nathu La, on the frontier between Sikkim and Tibet, was the site of a fierce border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in 1967.

The tourism industry is bound to suffer a lot unless relations between the two countries improve, Jeetendra Lama, general secretary of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim, added.

The picturesque Tsomgo Lake at a height of 3,753 metres is a major tourist attraction in Sikkim. (HT Photo)

A big share of Sikkims revenue is generated by the tourism industry. In May, it witnessed a record number of 1.7 lakh tourists and almost all rooms in the hotels in the state were booked for June and till mid of July.

Tour operators also told the HT there have been anxious telephone calls from tourists, who have booked trips to Sikkim in advance.

At a time when we were not in a position to ensure full safety of tourists visiting Sikkim, the continued confrontation between the two armies has heightened fear among the tourists, Yak and Yetis Bardewa said.

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 pilgrims had also been cancelled.

Read: Sikkim standoff: India pushes troops in Doka La in longest impasse since 1962

Eight batches, each comprising around 50 pilgrims, were scheduled to have taken the arduous trek to Mansarovar in Tibet, which is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva.

The way the annual Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage was cancelled is enough to deepen apprehensions among tourists, Samrat Sanyal, president of Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators Association, said.

File picture of the airport under construction at Pakyong in Sikkim. When operational, this airport, about 35 km from capital Gangtok, will allow the only alternative to tourists to reach Sikkim avoiding the road that passes through the north Bengal hills. ((I&PR department, Sikkim))

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.

The standoff between Indian and Chinese solders at the tri-junction of India-China-Bhutan border has come at a time when the Himalayan state is already been hit by the ongoing indefinite shutdown in West Bengals Darjeeling hills. The shutdown began on June 15.

Sikkim is connected with the rest of the country through the hill station in the neighbouring state, that has been hit by violent agitations by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) over the demand for a separate Gorkhaland.

Sikkim has been facing hardships since all vehicles carrying passengers and goods pass through Darjeeling. The trouble increased after Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling expressed his support to the cause of Gorkhaland.

In Siliguri, Trinamool Congress supporters have even attacked Sikkim-bound vehicles.

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Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has rejected the proposal of the estate department to purchase two Mercedes Benz SUVs for him and his fleet.

He will continue to use the five-year old car that he has inherited from former CM Akhilesh Yadav.

The rejection of the proposal has saved at least Rs 5 crore which would have been incurred in buying the cars and then bullet-proofing them.

Yogi Adityanath is still the head priest of Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur and is known for leading an austere life.

He had earlier rejected the requisition for the purchase of Toyota-Fortuner for his ministers and cleared Toyota Innova. The top model of Fortuner costs Rs 31.86 lakh while Innova comes at less than half the price.

Two of his predecessors  SP president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati  had given the go ahead for new cars. The government had acquired Mayawati had a Land Cruiser for Rs 1 crore (the cost at that time) during her 2007-2012 tenure while Akhilesh had a Mercedes Benz.

The Samajwadi Party government had purchased two identical cars  one for the CM and the other for the then SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Though Akhilesh returned his car to the government but Mulayam continues to ride the SUV given to him.

The estate department had proposed that Mulayam should be asked to return the car but Yogi reportedly rejected the idea. He said Mulayam was a veteran and he should not be asked to return the car until he does so on his own.

Before making a formal proposal for cars, I thought it best to talk to the CM first. This was over a month ago when I joined my present posting, said UP estate officer Yogesh Shukla.

The CM said there was no need for a new car. Then I told him as the other car is with Mulayam Singh, we should ask for its return and keep it on standby. The CM said it will be inappropriate to seek the car back. He said that estate departments old bullet-proof Prado car could be used as backup when required, he said.

The car used by Akhilesh had undergone shudhikaran (purification), just as the CMs official residence, after Yogi took over.

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Angry villagers from south Bramhapuri in Chandrapur drove away a team of forest department officials and veterinarians who were trying to flesh out a man-eating tigress on Wednesday.

A tigress has killed five of Padmapurs villagers and injured several others over the past month. A team seeking to tranquilise the big cat was picketed by an angry mob, which demanded that the animal be shot as soon as possible. The mob shouted slogans against the team and demanded that they go back. Sensing trouble, the team returned.

The trouble broke out after the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court quashed the forest departments shoot-at-sight order against the tigress.

Man-animal conflict common Man-animal conflict is common in Chandrapur district, home of the famous Tadoba tiger reserve. So far, tigers have killed 11 villagers in the district this year. The villagers who were killed are Vithoba Upre, 68; Tarabai Tawde, 60; Pramila Borkar, 50; Sunanda Thakre, 52; Mangaldas Choudhury, 45; Meena Kolte, 28; Madhukar Tekram, 53; Shrisagari Thakre, 52; Devidas Bhoyar, 35; Vandana Ghadse, 46 and Maya P, 39. Three others have been killed inside the Tadoba tiger reserves so far this year, sai dadditional principal chief conservator of forest, wildlife, Vidarbha region.

Responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dr Jerryl Banait on Thursday, the high court said that though the life of person is more precious than that of animals, the department should try to tranquilise the beast before resorting to extreme steps.

The bench, comprising justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Rohit Deo, termed the shoot-at-sight order absolutely illegal and said it was passed without following the due process of law and in violation of the National Tiger Conservation Authoritys guidelines. The bench said it was concerned that such an order had been passed without the animal being identified first.

Fearful villagers, however, insisted that the tigress be killed to prevent further attacks. Villagers said they were scared owing to increasing cases of man-animal conflict. They added that as they could no longer live in fear, they were willing to kill the tigress themselves if the forest department permitted them.

Three weeks ago, the forest department had formed three teams to tranquilise the big cat. The department hired expert shooter Nawab Shafat Ali Khan from Hyderabad to deal with the animal. Khan was involved in culling around 500 wild boars in Chandrapurs forests last year. However, he has not yet been able to trace the animal yet.

More than 150 camera traps have been laid and more than 100 personnel from four neighbouring forest ranges have been deployed to hunt the tigress. She is reportedly aggressive and has charged at the hunting team thrice, said sources.

Earlier, the Chandrapur police shot a tiger that had killed seven villagers.
A BJP corporator in Mumbai wants pictures of martyred soldiers to be put up in government offices.

In a bid to infuse nationalism among citizens, corporator Ram Barot sought to move a motion in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which is likely to be discussed on Thursday.

In his proposal, Barot has stated the move will make citizens respect the soldiers sacrifice for the country. He has also said that in this way citizens can pay homage to them.

I got this idea when I was speaking to a retired amry person, Barot told HT.

A six-time corporator from Malad in western suburbs, Barot has said the state government should name a committee that decides on the pictures. Tomorrow, there should not be a fight on how only some soldiers pictures have been put up and not others. That is why, it is essential to form a committee that looks into it, he added.

This is not the first time Barot has put up a proposal to stir patriotism among fellow countrymen.

In 2016, he had demanded that all BMC employees and civic school students must wear khadi on Friday, as mark of respect towards Mahatma Gandhi who was assassinated on a Friday.

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Drugs worth Rs96 crore in the illicit market have been seized in the city this year by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The seizure of cocaine has been the highest with 18.15 kilograms, which has led to the arrest of several foreign nationals. The other drugs were amphetamine (10 kilograms), marijuana (47 kilograms) and hashish (55 kilograms), apart from other seizures of cough syrups and mephedrone.

Cocaine is a high-end party drug. It is a drug of affordability, Kumar Sanjay Jha, NCB zonal director, Mumbai and Goa region told HT.

The cases have also seen a rise compared to the corresponding years. There were a total 17 cases last year and 18 cases in 2015. This year, we already have 17 cases registered, in which 21 people have been arrested, said Jha.

A new challenge faced by the enforcement agencies is the involvement of international drug syndicates operating in the city. The NCB has arrested foreigners hailing from Kenya, Bolivia, Nigeria and South Africa.

The recent cases has brought to the fore the drug route largely adopted by the drug lords. The drugs are transported from several African countries to Mumbai through mules. During transit, the mule or the carrier is handed over at places such as the airport.

The carriers include women, youngsters and anyone who has joined the trade to make a quick buck or forced into it. Such is the secrecy maintained, that it is nearly impossible for the agencies to break the entire chain involved- ranging from the drug manufacturers, carriers, sellers and peddlers.

Drugs couriered out of the city are also difficult to be traced. Sources stated that the volume of couriers going out of the city is huge. Small packets are sent through couriers and it is difficult to keep a tab on every consignment.

The year also saw the death of Arjun Bhardwaj, a 23-year-old student in Mumbai, who jumped from the 19th floor in April and mentioned drug abuse as one of the reasons. The case has been a real eye opener and many youngsters have been counselled through campaigns such as plays, lectures, flash mobs amongst others. Not giving in to peer pressure makes a huge difference, said Jha.

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Dilip Pendse, 61, who was removed as Tata Finance chief in 2001 amid allegations of irregularities, committed suicide by hanging himself in his Dadar office on Wednesday.

The police said Pendse left a suicide note in which he apologised to his wife and asked for her forgiveness. The note expressed he was going through personal problems. The note also stated no one should be held responsible for his death, said a police officer.

Pendse was removed as Tata Finance chief in 2001 after a company subsidiary ran huge mark-to-market losses and the group filed a criminal case against him.

While Pendse refuted all charges, which included fraud, he also had to spend time in jail.

Market regulator SEBI had found Pendse had executed illegal transactions in the stocks of four firms, including Infosys Ltd and erstwhile Telco. It had prohibited Pendse from accessing capital markets for two years.

Pendse, who was working as a consultant, was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his office located on the ground floor of Royal Grace building at Dadar (East). He lived with his wife on the first floor of the same building. Pendses children are abroad and he was living with his wife, said the officer.

The Matunga police have ruled out any foul play and have registered a case of accidental death. The police said he went to office in the morning, but did not return home for lunch. Pendse went to his office alone at 9.30am. His body was found around 2.30pm, said the officer. The body was sent to Sion hospital for a post-mortem.

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India commemorates the 70th anniversary of her independence next month. Celebrations are easily turned into high-voltage spectacles these days, more political and partisan than festive or reflective.

Bombay was, by all historical accounts, the nerve centre of anti-British political activities. Its role in the freedom movement has been well documented in books but the citys symbiotic relationship with the movement, its socio-political climate which nurtured so many stalwarts of the movement across the political spectrum, and stories of the places which saw stirring speeches and action by citizens through the 19th and 20th centuries are, sadly, fading away from popular urban narratives.

Few Mumbaiites today know about the August Kranti Maidan or its significance; even fewer know where the Congress House, Sardar Grih and RajGruh are situated or why they should be revered. When Elphinstone Road station was renamed Prabhadevi this week, nativists believed the English influence had been obliterated; with it, the importance of two men and a mill named Elphinstone was also erased from public memory.

Chowpatty is today a place for fun-and-frolic, street food and Ganesh immersions but it was witness to political action during the freedom movement and after. A number of protest meetings and public rallies were held on the Chowpatty sands including the large mass protest against the Rowlatt Act in April 1919  Mahatma Gandhi used the occasion to popularise satyagraha and turned into a nation-wide action.

The Rowlatt Act, also called the Black Act, gave the imperial government sweeping powers to try political offenders, arrest people on mere suspicion of subversive activities, and control the press. The protest against it brought freedom fighters of different persuasions on a common platform. Handbills were printed and distributed, and notices published in newspapers for the protest at Chowpatty on April 6, called the Black Day.

That morning, before the sun had risen, hundreds of thousands poured into Chowpatty to bathe in the sea and begin their 24-hour fast to express national humiliation and sorrow (at the Act). Gandhi was one of the first to arrive with several volunteers at 6.30am, soon a hundred satyagrahis sat around him, observed the venerable newspaper Bombay Chronicle on April 7, As the day advanced people kept pouring in on the seashoreThe crowd kept swelling into a huge mass of peopleThe Sandhurst bridge swarmed with 0.15 million people of all communities.

From the seashore to Madhav Baug nearby was a solid mass of humanity, gathering strength on its way. The houses on both sides were crowded with women and childrenAt French Bridge, the crowd was so great that the speakers could not make themselves heard and two overflow meetings were held, the Bombay Chronicle reported. The following year saw another vast congregation at Chowpatty when Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak was cremated on the sands.

The Swadeshi sentiment and the boycott of British manufactured goods, especially cloth, was gaining currency. Average citizens took to it and organised bonfires of foreign cloth at many locations. The non-cooperation and hartaal (strike) action had spread in 1921 and the All India Congress Committee had decided to boycott the visit of the Prince of Wales in November that year.

On November 17, approximately 20,000 people swarmed the precincts on the Elphinstone Mill to participate in one of the largest bonfires of foreign goods in Bombay, smaller bonfires were held across the city. But empty streets greeted the Prince of Wales that week.

The Elphinstone Mill and Elphinstone Road station took their name from Lord John Elphinstone, who was governor of the island city from 1853 under the East India Company to nearly 1859-60 when the British government took over. The area was a marshland between Mahim and Parel; the East India Company had reclaimed the land and constructed on it. His uncle, Mountstuart Elphinstone, was governor-general from 1819 to 1827; the renowned Elphinstone College is named after him.

The Elphinstone Mill passed into history last decade; the name of the station this week. Only a handful of photographs of that politically significant bonfire remain. (To be continued)

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A BJP corporator was allegedly beaten up by Shiv Sena supporters at the BMC headquarters on Wednesday.

BJP Colaba corporator Makarand Narvekar was allegedly beaten up as the Sena and BJP got into a heated debate at the GST event held at the headquarters.

State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Wednesday presented a Rs647-crore cheque to Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar.

Warring allies Sena and BJP got into a slogan-protest, with Sena leaders abusing PM Narendra Modi.

Reacting to the alleged heckling of a BJP corporator, Sena corporators said it was a stunt by Narvekar to grab attention.

Sena corporator Kishori Pednekar said, He [Narvekar] is trying to grab attention. Even if what he is saying is true, the Sena takes pride in it.

Speaking to the media, Narvekar said the Senas mob mentality has come to light again. It is a historic day for the city.

Narvekar said he was heckled and not allowed to step inside the BMC by Sainiks.

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The competition among students seeking to get into a reputable first-year junior college (FYJC) is fierce. Thats what makes the state education departments report, which states that 299 of 39, 476 FYJC seats in 73 colleges were filled illegally last year, shocking.

Even more shocking? The audit covered only a few colleges in Mumbai and Pune, said activists monitoring the admission process. As the total intake for Mumbai itself was 2.6 lakh, they fear the actual number of seats that were illegally filled through online admissions is much larger.

Third parties were meant to audit colleges after the admission process last year, acting on the orders of the Bombay high court and the Maharashtra government. The objective was to ensure that all colleges admitted open-category students through the online admission process, and then followed the departments norms while admitting students to quota seats.

Pune-based non-government organisation (NGO), Syscom, however, challenged the audit and its findings. In the past, the organisation has filed public interest litigations (PIL), seeking to streamline the admission process and iron out discrepancies.

Activists questioned why the report did not cover all the colleges in Maharashtra. The audit was ordered for the entire state, but the department only conducted it in a few colleges in Mumbai and Pune, said Vaishali Bafna, NGO member and one of the petitioners. If they cover all colleges, more illegal admissions will come to light.

Another objection is that the department did not make the audit report public  it was recently acquired by the NGO after repeated Right to Information (RTI) queries. The report shows that in Pune, the audit was conducted by an expert committee consisting of former education officials, but in Mumbai officials visited colleges themselves, alleged the activists.

No specific parameters were fixed for the audit; there are also no records of audit committee holding any meetings or coming up with recommendations by the end, said Bafna.

She added that the audit did not check if admissions were merit-based. The audit was only an eye wash by the department, said Bafna. It did not investigate or question any of the information provided by the colleges.

The education department, however, said the audit was carried out as directed by the state. We appointed third parties, which carried out the exercise and submitted a report to us, said BB Chavan, deputy director of education, Mumbai region. Based on the report, we sent show-cause notices to a few of the colleges.

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Leaving behind his mobile phone at the scene of crime proved costly for a chain-snatcher after the Mumbai police used his Facebook account to trace him to Tamil Nadu and arrest him.

On June 29, the accused, Stalin Konar, 28, robbed 58-year-old film-writer, Jaspal Kishan Singh, of gold and valuables worth Rs7.6 lakh.

Singh, a Goregaon (West) resident, was walking near the Oshiwara bus depot when a Konar assaulted him and fled with his gold chains and lockets around 12.05 am.

Five minutes later, Singh approached officer Mahendra Dorkar, who was patrolling the area, and told him what had happened.

The accused attacked the man while trying to snatch his chain. During the attack, he dropped his phone, said Suresh Shinde, assistant commissioner of police, Goregaon division.

On finding the phone, Singh submitted it to the Bangur Nagar police, who used it to check the Konars Facebook account.

They learnt that the Bangur Nagar and Goregaon police had registered cases of assault and molestation against him in the past. Investigations led them to Tamil Nadu, where Konar had fled to his native place in Virudunagar.

Konar was remanded in police custody till July 6.

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A detailed post-mortem report of Byculla jail inmate Manjula Shetye, who died after allegedly being assaulted by prison guards, has revealed she suffered injuries to her head as well as body, dean of the state-run J J Hospital, Dr T P Lahane, said today.

The detailed post-mortem report of Manjula Shetye shows that she had head injuries apart from injuries on her body, Lahane said.

Shetye died at the J J Hospital on June 23 after being allegedly beaten up by the Byculla jail officials and staff as she failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, police has said.

Police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials.

On Saturday, the crime branch of Mumbai Police arrested all the six accused -- Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade.

After Shetyes death, around 200 prisoners had launched a protest on June 24 for their demands, including allowing the media inside the Byculla jail premises.

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the inmates who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shettes death.

Indrani had earlier lodged a complaint with Nagpada police alleging that she was beaten up by jail officials and threatened of sexual assault after the death of a convict sparked protest in the prison.

The complaint, which was accessed by the media today, also said that jail official Bindu Naikade, who was later arrested over the murder of Shette, was posted to guard her (Indrani) on June 24.

On the morning of June 24, Naikade was posted to guard me, Indrani said in the complaint.

The police had earlier said that Shetye was allegedly tortured and a stick was inserted in her private parts.

However, Maharashtra State Womens Commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had last week said that a magisterial inquest ruled out any injury on Shettes private parts though her autopsy suggested multiple injuries on the body.

The Womens Commission has also said that it would form a three-member SIT in connection with Shetyes death. It will be chaired by a retired high court judge and it would comprise a retired senior police officer and a woman NGO member.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the probe into Shetyes death.
A day after governor of Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who is the chancellor of the University of Mumbai (MU), met the vice-chancellor and asked MU to speed up its correction of last semesters answer papers, the pace of assessment has picked up.

On Wednesday, more teachers reported for assessment work and MU officials said the number of answer papers assessed had increased compared to last few days.

If all goes well, the results of some courses should be announced within 15 days, said an official.

Our monitoring office shows more teachers registered for assessment on Wednesday, which is a welcome move. We aim to stick to July 31 deadline and start announcing results as soon as possible, said M A Khan, MU registrar. He said that in accordance with the governors request, a war room had been set up at MUs examination house at the Kalina campus, which will issue daily updates.

The governor met Deshmukh, the controller of examination and other senior education officials from the state, seeking an update on the status of results. MU has passed the 45-day deadline by which results are to be announced. Those who appeared for exams held in March and April are yet to receive results.

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The recently implemented goods and services tax (GST) has been met with mixed reactions across the country and has even led to strikes in Prime Minister Narendra Modis state, Gujarat, said Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackerays remarks came at an event held at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters on Wednesday.

He addressed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena corporators as state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar handed over a Rs647.34-crore cheque  the first of many payments compensating the civic body for its post-GST octroi loss.

HT had reported on Monday that BMC officials had arranged for a grand event at which the cheque was to be handed over.

Some are happy, some are critical, some are protesting. There were protests at Modis home. Any new change has to be assessed by the government and improvised upon, said Thackeray, referencing protests by traders in Gujarat.

Since May, the Shiv Sena has been firm in its demand for compensation for the loss of octroi, fearful of losing its autonomy over the BMC  Asias richest civic body. Thackeray said the money belongs to Mumbaiites and no one can stake a claim to it.

He reiterated the partys concerns over Mumbais security. With the octroi gone, the nakas are vulnerable. Anybody can enter the city with an AK-47 or RDX, he said.

Thackeray also took jibes at Mungantiwar, who thanked him for supporting the state GST within 24 hours. He said he would support the government immediately if they continued to accept his partys suggestions. The Shiv Sena has threatened to withdraw support from the government multiple times.

After ties between the former allies broke at the civic level, the Shiv Sena is playing tough at the state level, while BJP has taken up the Oppositions role in the civic body. On Wednesday, BJP and Sena corporators shouted defamatory slogans against each other at the BMC headquarters, a form of petty politics both parties have engaged in since the March mayoral elections.

Under the state GST norms, all local bodies in Maharashtra will be compensated 8% compounded interest a year in perpetuity for losses incurred. The BMC is set to lose Rs7,200 crore a year owing to the loss of octroi. If GST improves the states financial position, then we can increase the amount given to the BMC, said Mungantiwar.

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An event organised at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters turned ugly after a clash between corporators from the ruling Shiv Sena and BJP on Wednesday in the presence of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. The elected representatives to the civic body disrupted the event with defamatory sloganeering and jibes. BJP corporator Makrand Narvekar alleged he was heckled by Sainiks and stopped from entering the BMC. The incident is an indication of just how bad relations between the two parties, which ruled the BMC together for two decades, have become.

On Wednesday, state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar presented a Rs647.34 crore cheque to Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and Thackeray as a first compensation for the BMCs loss of revenue from Octroi duty, scrapped under the GST regime.

As Thackeray stepped on to the dais, BJP corporators began shouting Modi Modi. Sena members passed a defamatory remark against Modi. Then began the sloganeering, which went on for some time, until BMC chief Ajoy Mehta had to request corporators to pipe down.

But it did not end there. BJP corporators left the hall in groups when Thackeray began addressing the corporators.

Thackeray also chose the occasion to take potshots at the BJP leadership. The GST implementation has invited mixed reactions in the country, also resulting in strikes in Modis home state of Gujarat, Thackeray said. Some are happy, some have criticised, some are protesting. There are protests at Modis home also. Any new change has to be assessed by the government and improvised upon, he said, in an apparent reference to PM Modis home state Gujarat.

Meanwhile, BJP corporator Narvekar alleged he was heckled at gate number 3 of the BMC headquarters and stopped from entering the premises. However, Narvekar spoke about the ruckus only after the event was over. It can be noted Narvekar served his last term as Senas nominated councillor before joining the BJP during the February 2017 municipal elections. He said, I was stopped from entering the BMC building by Sainiks. It is a historic day for the city when the government has provided compensation in advance. Still, the Sainiks resorted to violence, which shows their mob mentality and psyche, similar to hooligans.

When asked about the number of people and if there were any Sena corporators around, Narvekar said, The CCTV footage will reveal all details.

BJP group leader in the BMC Manoj Kotak said the party leadership will decide if a police complaint has to be filed. Sena corporators, however, termed it a stunt by Narvekar. Kishori Pednekar, a senior Sena corporator said, He just wants to grab attention in the party. And even if Sainiks did this, we take pride in it. Pednekar also said the BJP insulted Sena founder Bal Thackeray, which prompted the Sena members to react.

Read more:

PM Modis own state went on strike against GST, says Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray

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A 27-year-old software engineer from Chennai was on Wednesday arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 25-year-old woman in April. They were in a relationship, said the police.

The arrest came after a sessions court and the Bombay high court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The woman had earlier attempted to kill herself twice as the arrested man, Kartik Iyer, allegedly refused to marry her despite promises.

According to the Oshiwara police, the woman committed suicide in April at her Versova residence and blamed Iyer and his parents in her suicide note.

Based on her suicide note and her family members statements, the Oshiwara police booked Iyer and his parents under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The woman terminated her pregnancies more than once during her relationship with Iyer, said an officer. They were having an affair for around three years.

The Oshiwara police issued summons to Iyer but he didnt respond to them. Instead, he and his parents applied for anticipatory bail. Although his parents were granted bail, Iyers plea was rejected.

The woman was a designer. She and Iyer used to visit pubs and discos where she got addicted to alcohol, the officer added.

The woman had physical relations with him because he promised to marry her. However, when the victim asked the accused to marry him he kept delaying. She realised that he had cheated her and decided to end her life.

READ

Mumbai: Boyfriend arrested for impregnating woman twice, forcing abortion

Mumbai man jumps off Bandra-Worli sea link after ex-girlfriend gets engaged to another man

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When a city man realised that his bride was not going to show up, he registered a cheating case against her, asking for a refund of Rs2 lakh spend on the preparation. With the Mumbai universitys delay in declaring results, the directorate of higher education (DHE) has extended the deadline to register for the three-year law course to July 15. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Matheran on the central railway and Bandra on the western railway will be get cubicles to feed babies. While a BJP corporator in Mumbai wants pictures of martyred soldiers to be put up in government offices, the New York Times on Tuesday published a crossword in their US Independence Day edition which was made by an Indian.

Here are todays top five picks:

1. Mumbai mans message to runaway bride: Cant marry me? Refund 2 lakh spent on preparation

Shrikant Kamble was all dressed up and waiting for his bride at the wedding hall but his bride never turned up. When he realised that his bride, Pooja Bhandari, was not going to show up, Kamble approached the Kalachowky police station, and registered a complaint against Pooja. In his complaint, Kamble wrote that he had been preparing for the wedding since the past two months, and spent Rs2 lakhs for the ceremony, which never took place.

2. Mumbai university results delayed: Deadline for LLB admission registration pushed to July 15

With the Mumbai universitys delay in declaring results, the directorate of higher education (DHE) has extended the deadline to register for the three-year law course to July 15. Even as the decision comes as relief to law aspirants in the city, it will cause a delay in law admissions. Candidates from universities other than MU will bear the brunt of this delay.

3. CST, Bandra, Matheran to get cubicles to feed babies

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Matheran on the central railway and Bandra on the western railway will be get cubicles to feed babies. In the second stage, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Kalyan, Dadar, Thane, Panvel, Lonavala and Igatpuri stations on the CR will get the facility. On the Western Railway, the cubicles will be provided on stations where washrooms will undergo renovation under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

4. BJP corporator wants photos of martyrs in government offices so soldiers sacrifice gets respect

A BJP corporator in Mumbai wants pictures of martyred soldiers to be put up in government offices. In a bid to infuse nationalism among citizens, corporator Ram Barot sought to move a motion in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which is likely to be discussed on Thursday. In his proposal, Barot has stated the move will make citizens respect the soldiers sacrifice for the country. He has also said that in this way citizens can pay homage to them.

5. Mumbai bankers crossword makes it to New York Times

The New York Times, an American daily newspaper, on Tuesday published a crossword in their US Independence Day edition (July 4) with a unique theme which intends to bring the people of the US and India closer. The crossword was made by an Indian - Mangesh Ghogre, 37, a resident of Nerul, a Mumbai suburb. An investment banker by profession, Ghogre themed the crossword on Fourth of July.
Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

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A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant against Vijay Mallya and other accused, including IDBI officials, in the alleged loan default case.

The ED on June 14 filed a charge sheet in the money-laundering case naming nine accused, including Mallya, former chief financial officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunathan, along with former bank officials namely Agarwal, former deputy MD OV Bundellu, former ED SKV Srinivasan and former MD BK Batra.

The agency believes the Rs950-crore loan transaction between the now-defunct KFA and IDBI bank was in contravention of established industry practices.

The said corporate loan was sanctioned and disbursed despite weak financials, negative net-worth, negative debt to equity ratio, low credit rating of the borrower company, said ED officials.

It shows the connivance between Mallya and the bank officials. IDBI failed to conduct due diligence, said the official.

The charge sheet details the proceeds of crime and is seen as a move to make Indias case stronger for Mallyas extradition.

Read more: Vijay Mallya has properties, bank accounts, shell companies in six countries, ED seeks its details

The ED charge sheet notes the loan was sanctioned in three parts. The first short term loan was of Rs150 crore, the second of Rs200 crore and the last disbursement of Rs700 crore, of which Rs200 crore was subsumed, stated ED.

The first short-term loan was cleared in a day after a meet between Mallya and former IDBI Bank chairman Yogesh Agarwal, who is also an accused in the case.

The ED charge sheet revealed Rs417 crore was remitted outside the country under the pretext of lease rental payment and other miscellaneous payments. Moreover, ED has alleged that the brand valuation of KFA was wrong.

ED, in its charge sheet, stated some payments were made to sister concern companies such as Rs50 crore to Formula 1 and an additional Rs100 crore to other sister concern companies.

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Mumbais Colaba is well known for its art deco buildings, the Gateway of India, swish pubs and restaurants, and the pleasant promenade of Marine Drive. It houses the state assembly, Vidhan Bhavan, and the state secretariat, Mantralaya.

However, this high-profile ward recorded the third highest incidence of malnourishment (69%) among government school children in Mumbai in 2015-16, according to a report by the non-profit Praja Foundation, which IndiaSpend wrote about in this June 1, 2017, story.

Praja also found that malnutrition has increased four-fold among children in Mumbais municipal schools, from 8% in 2013-14 to 34% in 2015-16, even as a large portion of the budget for the mid-day meal programme has been left unutilized.

How can such a dire situation exist in the city that generates more money than any other in India, ranking 17th among the 20 richest cities of the world? In this two-part series, IndiaSpend seeks to answer this question. This story takes a deep dive into the data and also visits some of Mumbais poorest localities to explore the extent of the problem.

The next part will examine the unique challenges that the urban poor face, focusing on how children, in particular, suffer, and exploring the interventions that can help.

Highrises and slums

Slums are not easy to spot in Colaba, where real estate prices go up to Rs 1,00,000 per square foot. However, towards the tapering edge of the island city, bordering the defence forces area of Navy Nagar, lies Geeta Nagar. Between the ramshackle houses, one can glimpse the sea, and the high tide brings seawater into peoples homes.

The Geeta Nagar settlement came up in the 1960s when workers building the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research settled here. With a population of 6,000 today, it is not as populated and deficient in resources as other informal slum settlements in Mumbai.

Approximately 68 million Indians are living in slums, according to a government census. (Swagatha Yadavar/IndiaSpend)

Most of the community here is of migrants from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Most mothers work as domestic help in homes nearby and fathers work as security men or drivers, Velankani Joseph, a social worker who lives here and works for the Fourth Jesus and Mother Convent, a school, told IndiaSpend. Since mothers can cook only one meal [at home] in a day, the kids here eat biscuits, chips and fried snacks between meals.

As many as 49% boys and 59% girls were malnourished in Colaba Ward, in which Geeta Nagar lies, in 2015-16, according the Praja Foundation report cited above. The total number of malnourished children rose from 244 in 2014-15 to 2,768 in 2015-16, the report found.

Malnourishment in government-run schools has risen four-fold

The Mumbai civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), conducts a yearly health assessment of all children studying in its schools. Praja accessed this data through Right to Information filings, and concluded from analyzing this data that younger children were more likely to be malnourished73% of malnourished children in 2015-16 studied between grades I to V.

Source: National Family Health Survey-4

Source: National Family Health Survey-4

Mumbais high malnutrition figures are despite the fact that 83% of government and aided schools in Mumbai city and 95.1% in its suburbs, respectively, have a mid-day meal programme, according to the District Information System for Education (DISE).

The BMC, the richest municipal corporation in the country, denies Prajas contention that malnutrition has increased four-fold. There has been a misunderstanding by Praja Foundation. Before 2014, we only measured weight for age. Since 2014, we also measure height, weight for age and also waist circumference, Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer, BMC, told IndiaSpend. Also, underweight does not mean malnourished.

Praja Foundation terms these excuses, emphasizing that the BMC should be trying to find solutions instead. If the BMC had not been measuring height along with weight of the child before 2014, it is a gross negligence on their part because even a basic body mass index, requires height measurement said Milind Mhaske, Project coordinator, Praja Foundation.

Even accounting for the BMCs argument about change of methodology of assessment after 2014, the data shows that 36% of children studying in BMC schools are malnourished.

Mhaske says this points to failure of the integrated child development scheme, which seeks to provide nutrition and pre-school education to children under six; the public distribution system of the central government which aims to make available food and non-food items to the poor; and the mid-day meal programme run by respective state governments to provide free meals to primary and upper primary school children.

The World Health Organisation considers malnourishment to cover two kinds of conditions: under-nutrition which leads to stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), low weight (for age), and micronutrient deficiencies on the one hand, and obesity and related problems on the other.

Being underweight is a symptom of malnourishment, Dr Alka Jadhav, head of pediatrics at Lokmanya Tilak General Municipal Hospital, Mumbai, told IndiaSpend: It means the child is undernourished and not getting the nutrition he or she needs.

Government data has also shown up worrying statistics pertaining to childhood malnutrition.

Among children under the age of five, 21.3% are stunted, 20.3% wasted, and a total of 28.9% children are underweight, according to the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) for Mumbai Suburban, which has thrice the size and population of Mumbai city and extends up to Dahisar in the north and Mulund in the east.

NFHS-4 numbers are worse for Mumbai city (which consists of South Bombay from Colaba to Sion and is also known as the Island City), with one among four children under five years of age being stunted (25.5%), wasted (25.8%) and underweight (22.7%).

Further, the survey notes, between the age of six months and two years, the percentage of children getting adequate nutrition is 14.2 % in Mumbai suburban and 6.4% in Mumbai city.

Inequity of access and outcomes

Mumbais glittering skyline hides inequities that impact peoples access to healthcare, sanitation and government services. Nowhere is this more visible in Mumbais slums, where 41.3% of its population lives.

Nearly 60% of Mumbais slum population lives on 8% of land in the city, jostling not just for space but also basic facilitiesfewer slum households have access to a drinking water source within the premises than other urban areas (56.7%, as against 71.2%), a bathroom (66.6% as against 77.5%), covered drainage (36.9% as against 44.5%), clean cooking fuel such as LPG (51.3% as against 65%) or a latrine (66% as against 81.4%), according to the 2015 Save the Children report Forgotten Voices: The World of Urban Children in India.

Mumbais problem is emblematic of the challenge facing the entire country in the years to come  over the next five years, Indias urban population is projected to double to more than 800 million, of which about 200 million are likely to live in poverty, IndiaSpend reported in June 2015.

Yet, the Indian government allocates to its urban citizens only one-sixth the per capita spending allocated for rural citizens and one-tenth of what is allocated for the rural poor.

The urban health system is still evolving, there is an urgent need for decentralization of health services and in its current state perhaps it [urban health system] is not at par with this increasing demand of health care among the urban poor, Suvarna Ghosh Jerath, Additional Professor, Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi, told IndiaSpend. Perhaps due to their low visibility among general urban population, the magnitude of the problems of the urban poor isnt well known.

(In the next part of this series, we visit Govandi, the ward with worst malnutrition figures in Mumbai, to explore the unique problems facing the urban poor and the interventions that are likely to work.)

(Yadavar is principal correspondent with IndiaSpend.)
The special PMLA court allowed the plea of the enforcement directorate (ED) seeking details of UAE-based properties and companies owned by televangelist Dr Zakir Naik.

On Monday, the central agency moved an application seeking a letter rogatory (letter of request) to the authorities in the UAE, seeking details of Naiks properties there.

The ED filed enforcement case information reports against Naik in connection with a case of money laundering.

The court on Tuesday allowed the plea of the agency, after which an LR would be sent to the competent authority of the country seeking information about Naiks properties, companies, bank accounts and his business partners.

Read more: How many companies, properties does Zakir Naik own in UAE? ED wants to know

The agency is probing whether those inspired by his speeches sent him funds. The investigation will focus on whether Naik gained financially.

After Naiks Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) was banned, the National Investigation Agency registered a case against Naik and the IRF for inciting Muslim youth to indulge in violence and promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion and race.

The FIR accused him of giving speeches that spread communal unrest.

Naik left the country after reports emerged that his sermons influenced a few of the Bangladeshi attackers, who targeted an eatery in Dhaka on July 1.

Bangladesh banned Naiks Peace TV, saying it instigated the attack on a Dhaka cafe, in which 22 people were shot dead.

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Karnataka is inviting doctors to bid online how much they want to be paid to fill 1,035 vacancies for specialists in government hospitals in rural areas. Despite being offered salaries of Rs 1.25 lakh, specialist doctors are not willing to work in government hospitals, so we are asking them to suggest how much they want, and they will be appointed if their bids are approved, said state health minister Ramesh Kumar.

India doesnt have enough doctors to treat its sick and ailing, with the shortage of doctors being far worse in rural India, which is home to 60% of the countrys 1.3 billion population.

There is one allopathic doctor per 11,097 population, shows data from the National Health Profile 2017, when the World Health Organisations recommended ratio is 1/1,000 population. The ratio is far lower in rural areas that have just 11,054 hospitals for more than 700 million people.

While most states are struggling to retain doctors to work in rural areas, the Left-wing Extremism (LWE)-affected Chhattisgarh has shown how. It has managed to retain doctors by offering them high salaries, opportunity for career advancement, and facilities to work in districts where LWE has claimed 108 lives since January.

Under a project that started in two districts in partnership with the Public Health Foundation of India in 2015, the state has attracted specialists  gynaecologist-obstetricians, general surgeons, paedict surgeons among others  from Maharashtra, Andhra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh to live and work in these two districts where there are mine-clearing vehicles and CRPF camps every 5 km of NH-43, but no private hospitals or clinics.

This has been done by giving more autonomy to district collectors in the use of flexi-funds from the National Health Mission (NHM) and district mineral foundation (DMF) to offer specialists salaries that are two to three times higher than what they would earn in an urban hospital. Specialists earn between Rs 2 and Rs 2.5 lakh a month. A senior paediatric and general surgeon, for example, was offered Rs 2.6 lakh  Rs 1.59 lakh from NHM and Rs 1.1 lakh from DMF.

Money apart, doctors and their families are being given the same facilities as civil servants and army personnel, including homes and incentives for career advancement, such as three marks per year for PG and priority in training programmes overseas. Social support in the form of help with their childrens school admission and jobs for their spouses, depending on their qualifications, is also provided.

So successful has the experiment been that the Chhattisgarh government has branded the project as the Chief Ministers Fellowship Programme and expanded it from three to 10 districts this year.

The learning from this LWE-affected state is that with facilities and incentives, doctors can serve in the grimmest of conditions.

@sanchitasharma

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The Ganga Pump Nahar Yojana (GPNY), an irrigation project conceived at Kahalgaon 40 years ago, is now ready for inauguration.

The irrigation project was designed to boost agriculture in a vast area of Kahalgaon subdivision of this district, 235 km east of Patna, besides adjoining areas of Jharkhand, by utilising water from river Ganga.

The cost of the project, initiated in 1977, has escalated to Rs 828 crore upon conclusion from the estimated Rs 13.77 crore .

Once commissioned, it will cater to agricultural needs of 27,603 hectares spread over Pirpainty, Sanhoula and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district. The Jharkhand areas that will benefit from the new facility include Pathargama, Mahgama and Godda blocks of Godda district.

Lakshman Jha, superintending engineer (mechanical), water resource department (WRD), said nearly 1,000 cusec water would be drawn from the Ganga per minute to reach to different areas constituting the command area of GPYN. The water, released from a height of 44 feet by auto flow, would reach different areas through main and branch canals, Jha said.

READ| Decline in Ganga level, water crisis looms over Bhagalpur

Yogendra Malakar, executive engineer, WRD, said the main and branch canal water would reach Ishipur Barahait area in Pirpainty from Kahalgaon and further beyond to areas in Jharkhand before being discharged into river Geruwa that flows into river Ganga. However, a sizeable area was still to be connected through branch canals, he said.

Ram Lal Mandal, a farmer of Milki village of Kahalgaon subdivision, said the construction work of branch canals was in progress but water for irrigation would be available to farmers in select command area.

The area primarily relies on wheat, potato, chilli and vegetable crops. However, once the canal water flows as per potential, a whole culture of diversified agriculture will be encouraged.

The inauguration of GPYN by chief minister Nitish Kumar was tentatively planned this week, but has been deferred for now.

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The syndicate of Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University (BRABU) adopted nearly 10 resolutions, including cancelling promotions of 400 teachers and giving nod to new courses, during its stormy session on Tuesday evening.

The syndicate meeting at Muzafarpur, 70 km north of Patna, also approved a proposal to open a new department for running bachelor of education (B Ed) and master of education (M Ed) courses. The two courses are, at present, being run by the department of philosophy.

The four-hour meeting was halted for some time as syndics created ruckus, alleging that they had not been given prior information about the agenda.

BRABU vice chancellor (VC) Amrendra Narayan Yadav said the meeting was called in haste on the direction of the Patna high court.

We have decided to clear pending court cases to minimise the financial burden being incurred on legal battles. Most of the cases are related to regularisation of courses that were started during the previous VCs tenure without completing legal formalities. So, we are facing difficulties in conducting the examination due to lack of necessary orders from the office of the chancellor-cum-governor of the state, he said.

Yadav said the meeting witnessed pandemonium when the proposal to cancel promotion of teachers was tabled.

We have been getting complaints regarding irregularities in promotion of teachers. Even notification was not issued in this regard. So, we have decided to cancel the decision on promotion. The syndicate gave its nod to regulations of B Ed and M Phil courses, earlier passed by the Academic Council, Affiliation Committee and other statutory bodies, said the VC. All the proposals would now be tabled at the senate meeting, scheduled on July 6, before sending them to the chancellors office, he added.
The bodies of two men from Doaba, missing in Muscat, Oman  around 2,200 km away  since June 26 will arrive in their villages on Thursday. Tajinder Singh (30), of Masaniya village in Adampur, and of Sukhbir Singh (28), Rajowal village in Hoshiarpur district had gone to Oman in January 2016 to work, and will not never return.

According to their employer, they went for bath in a sea on vacation and were missing since. Officials from the company that employed them finally informed the families of their death due to drowning on Saturday (July 1).

Tajinders father Manjeet Singh retired from the army a few years ago, while Sukhbirs father Iqbal Singh is a priest (granthi) at a local gurdwara in the village.

Tajinder is survived by parents and an elder brother and sister, both married. Sukhbir is survived by parents and a married elder brother.

Family members co-ordinated with company officials in Oman to bring back the bodies.

Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu expressed his condolences. This is tragic news. I will visit the family and I share their pain.

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Punjab governor and UT administrator, VP Singh Badnore said, Media should not indulge in yellow journalism and should publish news based on facts and truth.

Badnore, was speaking during the seminar on role of press, police and politician to include values and ethics for maintaining universal brotherhood and peace in society organised by Press Club, Mohali, at the auditorium of Indian School of Business (ISB) campus in Sector 81.

Badnore said,Media is recognised as the fourth pillar of democracy and it plays a prominent role in strengthening it.

Governor said,Media has to remain vigilant for the rights of public and should bring truth before them. He said that paid news is a concern for all of us as it brings false twisted facts. He said that media should refrain themselves from paid news.

Local MLA, Balbir Singh Sidhu, said that the seminar will lead to a positive outcome.

Municipal corporation mayor, Kulwant Singh, said that politicians should perform their duties by differentiating the good and bad and by devoting selfless service to live upto the sentiments of the people.

The five speakers during the seminar were chairman, Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), Maninder Singh Bains, inspector general of police (anti-terror squad, Punjab), Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, professor Manjit Singh, Panjab University, Chandigarh, chairperson, Punjab state woman commission, Paramjit Kaur Landran, and senior journalist, Dinesh Sharma.

Earlier, president press club, Hillary Victor, welcomed the guests. During this conference, representatives and members of press club were also present.
Clinical photographers are needed in every hospital, medical college, scientific institute and investigative agency; yet there is not even a single institute to provide them a specialised course in their field.

Taking a lead in imparting skills in clinical photography, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has decided to introduce a three-year BSc course in Medical Animation and Audiovisual Creation.

PGIMER officials, who claim that the institute will become the first in the country to introduce a specialisation in the field, said that the course will be one-of-its-kind in entire Asia.

The course will start from September 2017 under the department of clinical photography.

During the course, students will be taught various photographic applications in medical science along with digital illustrations, medical animation and developing audiovisual content for patient care, medical education and research.

As the students will have to work closely with doctors and other healthcare professionals, they will also be taught basics of medical subjects like anatomy, physiology and pathology.

The three-year degree course will have 15 seats, for which 10 students will be selected from a national entrance exam and the rest five seats will be reserved for sponsored candidates and foreign nationals.

Who are clinical photographers?

The job of a clinical photographer is little-known yet challenging and needs a lot of expertise.

The role is varied as they get to photograph a wide range of subjects ranging from postmortems to rare surgeries and diseases.

A clinical photographer captures and records the medical conditions of patients. These pictures play a crucial role in supporting doctors to diagnose and treat patients. These are important medical records, and are also used as instructional tools to teach other students, said a clinical photographer at PGIMER.

He said that a clinical photographer cannot afford to commit mistake as it can prove fatal for patient because at times, doctors diagnose the disease after analysing the images.

Apart from this, they also play an important role in crime scenes. A clinical photographer must know which picture to click and from which angle. They should know how to capture initial appearance of the crime scene and evidence, as it will become a permanent record for the courts, said an official from the department of clinical photography.

Know more about the course

PGIMER officials claim the course will be on a par with international standards.

The syllabus is comprehensive enough in terms of global scenario, yet will also cater to the requirements in Indian perspective. The department is collaborating with some internationally renowned experts, who will visit PGI regularly to mentor students and will also conduct workshops, said a PGIMER official.

It will produce a different league of photographers for medical institutes, hospitals, corporate healthcare industry, scientific institutes, police, investigative agencies and other fields, the official added.

What the course offers

 Course: BSc degree in Medical Animation and Audiovisual Creation

 Number of seats: 15

 Course will start in: September 2017

 Fee structure: Around Rs 1,200 for 6 months

 Job prospects: Medical college, scientific institutions, photographer for police probes, forensic science laboratories and other areas.

 Who can apply: Class 12 pass from a recognised board or people with five years of experience in medical/scientific photography

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The Birmingham City Council on Wednesday withdrew permission to organisers of a rally to commemorate the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 following a strong protest by the Indian government.

India had issued a note verbale to the Foreign Office on Monday, asking the UK to stop the event outside the Council House that was billed as a Kashmir Rally. Its posters and announcements carried a photo of Wani, who was killed by security forces on July 8, 2016.

A Birmingham Council spokesperson told Hindustan Times: We took a booking for a peaceful rally highlighting the human rights abuse in Kashmir. However we are now aware of concerns raised about the promotional leaflet and, having assessed the material, have not given permission for the use of Victoria Square."

The withdrawal of permission is a significant development in India-UK relations, given the fact that on previous occasions, such events perceived as anti-India were allowed on the ground of freedom of expression and speech.

The note verbale was issued within days of high commissioner YK Sinha delivering an unusually strong speech at a book release event in London, when he said post-Brexit Britains eagerness to intensify trade with India cannot happen when New Delhis core concerns are ignored.

Sinha had said: The way the UK permits anti-India activity on its soil, in Delhi people are quite perturbed about that. We are also a democratic society but we do not discuss issues that affect our friends and allies.

Allowing anti-India elements to flourish here in the name of democracy will not do, he said in the speech that caused ripples and raised eyebrows in diplomatic and political circles but was welcomed in Indian quarters.

India conveyed to the UK in the note verbale that allowing an event to commemorate an individual considered a terrorist by India was not expected of the Theresa May government. Wani was photographed with an AK-47 rifle, seeking the dismemberment of India, it was pointed out.

The killing of Wani, an associate of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin (recently designated a global terrorist by the United States), triggered a prolonged phase of unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

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The Chinese hospital caring for cancer-stricken Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo has decided to invite US, German and other foreign experts to treat him in China following international pressure to let him go abroad.

The legal bureau of Shenyang  the northeastern city where Liu is being treated  said in a statement Wednesday the invitation was made at the request of Lius family.

China has faced global calls to give the democracy campaigner the option to get treatment abroad since it emerged last month that he was transferred from prison to a hospital after he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.

Beijing has come under fire from human rights groups over its treatment of Liu and for waiting until the Nobel Peace Prize winner became terminally sick to take him out of prison.

But authorities have insisted that the 61-year-old has been getting top-notch care from prominent Chinese cancer doctors at China Medical University No 1 Hospital in Shenyang.

AFP reporters saw several police officers stationed inside the hospital. Nurses at the oncology ward, however, said they could not find Lius name in the computer system.

Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for subversion after calling for democratic reform. He was awarded the Nobel in 2010, with an empty chair representing him at the ceremony in Oslo.

Xi in Germany

The invitation of foreign experts came after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for a state visit and the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday.

It seems that the Chinese authorities are responding to international pressure by making such arrangements, Amnesty Internationals China researcher Patrick Poon told AFP.

But, Poon added, Liu and his wife, the poet Liu Xia, have made it clear that they want him to be treated abroad.

The Chinese government should respect their wish but not just make arrangements to respond to concerns and criticisms, he said.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that Berlin hopes Liu will get all the medical support he needs and that a humanitarian solution for Liu Xiaobo should be the highest priority.

The new US ambassador to Beijing, Terry Branstad, said last week that he would like to see Liu have the chance to get treatment abroad.

Friends fear the worst

Friends of Liu and his wife fear that the dissident may only have months to live and say the couple has expressed its desire for him to go abroad.

Hu Jia, a prominent activist under house arrest in Beijing, told AFP that Lius treatment is aimed at reducing the pain and helping him live longer.

Maybe he can still live for six months. But it is difficult to change the result that a Nobel Peace Prize winner dies due to the persecution of the CPC (Communist Party of China), he said.

The Shenyang legal bureau said Monday that Liu, whose cancer had spread to other parts of his body, was receiving chemotherapy and the most advanced drug to treat liver cancer.

He has also received traditional Chinese medicine as a supplementary treatment, the bureau said, adding that the family has been satisfied with the care he has received and expressed their appreciation.

Friends of Liu have circulated a photo showing his wife feeding him as he sits next to a hospital bed.

More than a dozen supporters held a small protest in Hong Kong and mailed postcards for Liu.

Albert Ho, a former lawmaker in the semi-autonomous city, said the hospitals decision to invite experts shows that the Chinese government is quite concerned about its image that they would be subject to accusations that they had maltreated Liu Xiaobo.

But Ho said that it was not enough and that Liu should be allowed to have access to friends and make a choice of his own as to whether or not he would like to seek medical treatment outside China.
A three-month-old ban on taking electronic devices such as laptops into aircraft cabins on flights from Turkey to the United States was lifted on Wednesday, the private Dogan news agency reported.

It said flag carrier Turkish Airlines accepted passengers with electronic devices onto its 6:45 am (0345 GMT) flight from Istanbuls Ataturk Airport to New Yorks John F Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday morning.

The US department of homeland security announced passengers on flights from 10 airports in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates would be required to stow their laptops, tablets, Kindles, gaming devices, cameras and other large electronic devices in checked baggage.

Soon after, Britain followed suit. Both countries cited intelligence indicating passenger jets could be targeted via explosives planted in electronic devices.

Chief executive of the airlines, Bilal Eksi, on Twitter said he expects the ban on flights to Britain to also be lifted soon.

Caught in the middle of the ban, thousands of travellers grew increasingly frustrated with what they saw as an absurd measure.

The British ban sparked concern in tourism-dependant Tunisia, which is trying to recover from 2015 jihadist attacks that killed holidaymakers.

Also read | Airlines cheeky reply to Trump ban on laptops in flights: Analyse life, reclaim armrest, meditate
Emirates, the Middle Easts largest airline, said on Wednesday the in-cabin ban on laptops and other large electronic devices on its flights to the United States had been lifted effective immediately.

Emirates has been working hard in coordination with various aviation stakeholders and the local authorities to implement heightened security measures and protocols that meet the requirements of the US Department of Homeland Securitys new security guidelines for all US bound flights, an Emirates spokeswoman said in a statement.

This follows Abu Dhabi-based Etihad being exempted from the ban

It also comes on the same day Turkish Airlines allowed passengers travelling to New Yorks JFK International airport to carry their laptops on board. The airlines chief executive later took to Twitter to say flights to Britain would also likely lift the ban soon.

The US, followed by Britain, had imposed the ban three months ago citing intelligence inputs that indicated passenger flights could be targeted by terrorists using explosives.

Emirates Dubai hub has grown into the worlds busiest airport for international traffic, in large part thanks to Emirates expansion. It was one of 10 airports  it flies to 12 American cities  affected by the ban on cabin electronics put in place by the Trump administration in March.
Qatar faces further isolation and possible expulsion from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) if its response to a list of demands made nearly two weeks ago is not satisfactory, state-backed Gulf media said on Wednesday.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab emirates, Egypt and Bahrain are due to meet in Cairo to discuss Qatars reply to 13 demands they sent to Qatar in return for the lifting sanctions imposed last month.

The dispute revolves around allegations that Qatar supports Islamist militants, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. Qatar denies it supports terrorism and says Arab countries want to control its foreign policy.

Qatari foreign minister Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said at a joint news conference with his German counterpart on Tuesday that its response was given in goodwill and good initiative for a constructive solution, but insisted that Doha would not compromise on its sovereignty.

Gulf officials have said the demands are not negotiable, signalling more sanctions are possible, including parting ways with Doha - a suggestion it may be ejected from the GCC, a regional economic and security cooperation body founded in 1981.

Read | Arab nations say they have Qatars response to their demands

Qatar is walking alone in its dreams and illusions, far away from its Gulf Arab brothers, after it sold every brother and friend and bought the treacherous and the one far away at the highest price, the editor of the Abu Dhabi government linked al-Ittihad newspaper wrote in an editorial.

A Gulf national may be obliged to prepare psychologically for his Gulf to be without Qatar, he added.

Some newspapers said remarks by Sheikh Mohammed in which he stressed his country would not compromise on its sovereignty suggests that Doha would not change its policies.

We do not understand the Qatari intransigence which is built on the principle of sovereignty that had been repeated in every reaction issued by Doha, the Arabic-language al-Riyadh newspaper, which reflects Saudi government thinking, wrote in an editorial.

The Gulf requirements did not impact on the Qatari sovereignty at all, but only asked that Qatar stop interference in their internal affairs, it added.

Demands on Qatar include ending financial support to terrorist groups, closing Qatar-based al Jazeera TV, downgrading ties with Iran and shutting down a Turkish military base.

The Dubai-based al-Bayan said in an editorial that all indications suggested that Qatar had decided to chose the enmity of its surroundings, belittled joint Gulf action and the Arab block.

Real | Qatar responds to demands after deadline extended

Doha chose to enter into a dark tunnel and the four Arab countries that had extended the deadline acted positively, despite its prior knowledge that it faces a country that harbours evil to its neighbours.

We are today at a new situation after the Qatari rejection, and it is a rejection that will not pass without a price, and Qatar alone bears responsibility for this reaction.

Qatari officials have repeatedly said the demands are so draconian that they suspect the four countries never seriously intended to negotiate them, and were instead seeing to hobble Dohas sovereignty.

At the same time, they have said Qatar is interested in negotiating a fair and just solution to any legitimate issues of concern to fellow GCC member states.

Also read | The Qatar-Gulf Arab nations conflict is not good news for India
India and Israel have had a long and complicated defence relationship, characterised by New Delhi keeping Tel Aviv at arms length till the 1990s, when the two established full diplomatic ties. Since then, the two countries have warmed up to each other, though it took 25 years for an Indian prime minister to visit Israel. Heres a look at the timeline of India and Israels defence ties

1962 and 1965

Caught by surprise by Chinas attack in 1962, India asked almost everyone for weapons. Israel provided mortars and small arms. In 1965, faced with a US and Soviet arms boycott, India went to Israel again and received similar weaponry. Despite this, New Delhi refused to normalise ties with Israel.

1971

Indira Gandhi asked then Israeli prime minister, Golda Meir, for weapons to help fight Pakistan. Meir agreed, diverting weapons ordered by Iran to India. RAW had the arms shipped to Liechtenstein and then taken by air to India along with a team of Israeli instructors. The weapons were used by Indian soldiers and the Mukti Bahini to liberate Bangladesh. Later, Meir asked for full diplomatic ties, but Gandhi declined.

1983

Israel offered to carry out an aerial strike to destroy the Kahuta reactor and Pakistans embryonic nuclear weapons programme. India had only to allow its fighter-bombers to use the Jamnagar air base for refuelling, and Indira Gandhi reportedly agreed to the attack in March 1984. However, the CIA got wind of the attack and warned Pakistan, which in turn warned India that it would bomb the Trombay reactor in retaliation. India aborted the mission.

1991

Israel stepped in after the Soviet collapse to provide avionics to Indias MiG 21 bis fleet. Russia objected but lacked the technology and delivery skills of the Israelis. This began a continuing tradition of India mating Russian bodies to Israeli brains. Whether it is the Sukhois or the Brahmos cruise missile, the Russian airframes and engines are mated to Israeli radar and electronic systems. It helps that the Israelis are well versed with Russian weapons -- having captured so many when they defeated various Arab armies.

1992

Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao established full diplomatic ties with Israel, part of a larger Indian push to move closer to the Western camp after the Soviet Unions collapse. But Rao was later to tell Israeli diplomats that, for him, the main motive was to find an alternative source of arms for India at a time when its Soviet arsenal was immobilised by a lack of spares and the US continued to impose sanctions on India.

1996

Then Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres called in at the then Indian ambassador and outlined the nuclear doctrine of Israel. Both recognised remarkable similarities in their respective nuclear strategies. Israel provided its technology to stabilise its warheads, a problem that had afflicted small nuclear arsenals. Cooperation has expanded since then. Today such technical assistance is just the tip of the iceberg, a senior Israeli official said.

1999

Israel technicians were flown in during the Kargil War to install Litening targeting pods on the Indian Air Forces Mirage jets. The lack of targeting equipment made it difficult for India to hit Pakistani targets in the mountains and post-Pokhran II sanctions, made it impossible to get such equipment from elsewhere. The pods helped India convert its 1000 dumb bombs into laser-guided munitions.

2000

The US vetoed the Israeli sale of Phalcon early warning aircraft to China. Israel complained that without such big ticket exports, it could not sustain its domestic arms industry. Bruce Riedel and Ken Lieberthal of the Clinton administration recommended that Israel consider India as an alternative. A few years later, India agreed to a $1 billion plus deal for the Phalcon, the accompanying Green Pine radar and the rights to use the Israeli Ofek 6 military reconnaissance satellite when it passes over South Asia.

2007

Indian special forces inducted the Israeli Tavor assault rifle, now part of the standard arsenal of many Indian security forces. There were complaints about its reliability under certain Indian climatic conditions, but Tavors maker signed a joint venture with Punj Lloyd and the rifle may be made in India.

2009

The Barak 8 air defence system was sold to India for $1.1 billion. Israel agreed to make this an India-Israel co-production product and by 2010, the Barak ll was being produced with what the DRDO claimed were 70% Indian parts. It was tested on the INS Kolkata and will soon be fitted on all major ships of the Indian Navy, with the Israeli Navy planning to do the same. The Barak is now cited as a model for bilateral military cooperation.

2015

India proved to be among the best customers for Israels drone industry. In 2015, India had a fleet of 176 Israeli-made UAVs, and in 2017, India has the largest fleet of Israeli drones in the world  even larger than Israels. India is expected to purchase its first set of armed Heron drones from Israel this year  a UAV especially adapted to fight in Kashmirs climate and altitude.

2012-2016

Israeli arms exports to India grew steadily during this period. India, according to the SIPRI arms database, was the destination to 41% of these exports  by far the largest client for the Israeli defence industry. Israeli firms clocked up $1 billion a year in sales to India on average. In fiscal 2016-17, if India goes through with the Spike anti-tank missile deal, Israel will be for the first time the largest arms supplier to India.

2017

A few months after Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit, Indian Air Force fighters will join Israel and five Nato air forces in the so-called Blue Flag joint air force exercises. This will be the first time that the Indian military will be publicly holding such manoeuvres with their Israeli counterparts.
Pakistan on Wednesday kept a wary eye on Prime Minister Narendra Modis groundbreaking visit to Israel, with the Foreign Office saying the trip could have serious implications as analysts debated the growing defence ties between Tel Aviv and New Delhi.

Former diplomats and defence analysts were of the view the visit would deepen India-Israel defence and military ties, and that deals which were deliberately kept secret in the past would now be discussed more publicly, The Express Tribune reported.

A Foreign Office official told the media that while Pakistan does not formally comment on bilateral visits of others heads of governments and states, it was closely following Modis trip since it can have serious implications for strategic stability in the region.

Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, an international affairs expert, contended the growing defence cooperation between India and Israel would disturb the strategic balance in South Asia. Israeli assistance could propel Indias missile programme, undermining Pakistans policy of maintaining credible deterrence, he said.

Former diplomat Ali Sarwar Naqvi claimed the Indian media was obsessed with Pakistan and had even dragged the country into Modis visit to Israel. He said: No matter where Modi goes, India always tries to drag Pakistan along.

Naqvi expressed scepticism at Israel going too far to appease India. Pakistan is not under the immediate radar of Israel. Their (Israels) priority at the moment is the Middle East, he said.

However, defence analyst Lt Gen (retired) Amjad Shoaib said the ever-growing relationship between Israel and India was a lesson for Pakistan. India got access to some of the most modern defence technologies of America through Israel, he was quoted as saying by the media.

If India can cement ties with Israel while at the same time maintaining diplomatic ties with its enemy Iran, why cant Pakistan also show flexibility in its foreign policy, he said.

The theme of opening channels of communication with Israel has become a topic of discussion in Pakistan. Some analysts have advocated maintaining a working relationship with Israel  if not establishing full diplomatic ties  to further and protect Pakistans interests.

Pakistan does not recognise the state of Israel. In 2005, during former president Pervez Musharrafs tenure, the two countries established contacts and their foreign ministers met in Turkey. However, the countries have not made any headway since.
Pakistan on Tuesday successfully test fired short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Nasr, which army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said has put cold water on Indian militarys Cold Start doctrine.

Nasr is a high-precision weapon system with the ability to be deployed quickly, the army said.

Pakistan Army has conducted a series of training launches and tests during the current week for validation of new technical parameters of Nasr with enhanced range from 60-70 kilometres and flight maneuverability.

Nasr has put cold water on (the) Cold Start (doctrine), Gen Bajwa said taking a jibe at Indian Army after the training launch of the short-range missile Nasr at an undisclosed location,

Cold Start is a military doctrine developed by the Indian armed forces for use in a likely war with Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, he said war must be avoided at all costs and our strategic capability is a guarantee of peace against a highly militarised and increasingly belligerent neighbour.

He said Pakistan will go to any length to ensure regional peace and stability. He also supported governments efforts for peace through talks.

We whole-heartedly support all government efforts towards peace through dialogue. Our capability is only meant to ensure, (that) no one thinks that war remains an option, he said.

He appreciated the training and preparedness of Armed Strategic Force and role of engineers and scientists for the milestone towards Pakistans credible deterrence capability.

The army chief expressed complete satisfaction at the command and control system of the country and safety and security of all strategic assets.

President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and services chiefs congratulated the scientists and the nation over successful launch of the missile.
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia is the chief foreign promoter of Islamist extremism in the UK, a new report has claimed, asserting that a clear and growing link can be drawn between overseas money and the recent wave of attacks in Britain and Europe.

The Henry Jackson Society, a foreign affairs think-tank, called for a public inquiry into the role of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, BBC reported.

The think-tank said there was a clear and growing link between Islamist organisations in receipt of overseas funds, hate preachers and Jihadist groups promoting violence.

However, the UKs Saudi Arabian embassy says the claims are categorically false.

Ministers are under pressure to publish a report on UK- based Islamist groups.

The Home Office report into the existence and influence of Jihadist organisations, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015, has reportedly yet to be completed amid questions as to whether it will ever be published.

Critics have suggested it could make uncomfortable reading for the government, which has close and long-standing diplomatic, security and economic links with the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia.

Todays report says a number of Gulf nations, as well as Iran, are providing financial support to mosques and Islamic educational institutions which have played host to extremist preachers and been linked to the spread of extremist material.

At the top of the list, the report claims, is Saudi Arabia. It alleges individuals and foundations have been heavily involved in exporting what it calls an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology, quoting a number of examples.

In a minority of cases, the report alleges institutions in the UK that receive Saudi funding are run directly from Saudi Arabia, although in most instances the money appears to simply buy foreign donors influence.

In a statement, the Saudi embassy here said any accusations that the Kingdom had radicalised a small number of individuals are baseless and lack credible evidence.

And it pointed out that the country has itself been subject to numerous attacks by al-Qaeda and so-called Islamic State.

It added: We do not and will not condone the actions or ideology of violent extremism and we will not rest until these deviants and their organisations are destroyed.

The reports release comes at a time when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt are all accusing Qatar of supporting extremism - a charge the report says is hypocritical.

Arab foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo to discuss possible further sanctions on Qatar, while the Qatari foreign minister will be making his own countrys case at a press conference in London.

Endorsing the report, Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it shed light on very worrying links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism and he called for the government to release its report on foreign funding.
Government and government-linked organisations in Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Gulf countries are allegedly responsible for providing funding for Islamist extremism in the United Kingdom, according to the London-based think-tank, the Henry Jackson Society.

Its report released on Wednesday, titled Foreign Funded Islamist Extremism in the UK, mentions Indias intelligence agencies reported that between 2011 and 2013, Saudi Arabia sent $250 million, as well as thousands of clerics, to India for the purpose of establishing Wahhabi mosques and seminaries.

Calling for a public inquiry into such funding, the report said that since the 1960s, Saudi Arabia had allegedly sponsored a multi-million dollar effort to export Wahhabi Islam across the Islamic world, including to Muslim communities in the West.

The report said: Whereas South Asian graduates of Deobandi seminaries in the UK had previously gone on to continue their studies in India or Pakistan, in recent years there has been an increase in the numbers furthering their studies in Saudi Arabia.

In the UK, this funding has primarily taken the form of endowments to mosques and Islamic educational institutions, which have apparently, in turn, played host to Islamist extremist preachers and the distribution of extremist literature.

It added, Influence has also been exerted through the training of British Muslim religious leaders in Saudi Arabia, as well as the use of Saudi textbooks in a number of the UKs independent Islamic schools.

Noting that the Theresa May government had pledged in June to establish a commission for countering extremism, the report said the challenge of foreign-funded Islamist extremism was one area that could be prioritised by the new body.

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Randeep Tamne, a Coventry-based man who posed as someone else on an online dating website and met a woman and raped her after claiming to be a police officer, has been jailed for more than eight years with his name put on the UK sex offenders register for life.

Tamne pretended to be someone else on the website and arranged to meet the 27-year-old victim at his home on July 30, 2016. He went on rape her and also extorted money from her. He initially denied the charges but later pleaded guilty in court.

West Midlands Police said on Wednesday that when the woman arrived at Tamnes house, she believed she was at the wrong home as he did not look like the man she had been speaking to online.

She apologised and left but was then called by Tamne, who said he was a police officer.

"He later told her that she had committed offences and threatened to arrest her if she did not return to his home. She returned and was told she would need to pay a fine. She took money from the bank to pay him but was then told this was not enough," the police said.

Tamne then suggested sex as a payment. The woman said she did not want to have sex but was directed upstairs and raped. He then made her drive to a cashpoint and withdraw more money. It was agreed that further payments would be made to prevent her arrest.

She went home and returned to Tames address with a further payment the next day. The following day, she disclosed the attack to her mother and they reported the incident to police.

Detective constable John Cleverley said: The defendant was an online predator who sought out a vulnerable female on a dating site and took full advantage of her sexually, emotionally and financially after initially pretending to be a different identity.

He later convinced her that he was a serving police officer in order to commit these horrendous offences. The woman has been extremely brave in reporting her ordeal and hopefully this sentence will be of some comfort to her.

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The Group of 20 leading industrialised and emerging powers hold annual summits on economic governance, with wars and crises often overtaking the official agenda.

Grouping the United States and other G7 members with giants such as China, India and Russia, it represents two thirds of the world population, three quarters of world trade and about 80 per cent of economic output.

The other members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the European Union.

The G20, with its ministerial-level beginnings in 1999, first met for a summit in 2008 in Washington to discuss ways to achieve balanced and sustainable world economic growth.

Critics charge that the self-appointed club undermines the role of the international bodies, such the United Nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

The grouping has often been a magnet for protesters, including at this years meet in Hamburg, Germany.

At the 2010 summit in Toronto, thousands of anti-capitalist protesters clashed with Canadian police, leaving dozens injured on both sides and sparking mass arrests.

The list of G20 members does not strictly reflect the worlds 20 biggest economies. Some non-members such as Switzerland have bigger economies than, for example, member Argentina.

The leaders mostly meet behind closed doors and lack the power to enforce binding decisions or rules.

The heads of global and regional bodies are invited to the summits  among them the chiefs of the UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO, African Union, APEC and Southeast Asias ASEAN.

Rotating G20 summits also invite guest nations, including permanent guest Spain and, this year, partner countries the Netherlands, Norway and Singapore.

Next years G20 host will be Argentina.
President Donald Trump just nominated Dr. Jerome Adams, Indiana's health commissioner to be the next surgeon general. This was confirmed by the White House this Thursday and Adams will replace Dr. Vivek Murthy who was ousted by the current administration last April.

As confirmed by some reports, Vice President Mike Pence was the one who appointed Jerome Adams in his current position when the former was still governor. If Adams will be appointed from Trump's nomination, he will be at least the second top health official in the administration.

Indianapolis Star reported that Jerome Adams was trained as an anesthesiologist and since then was also an advocate for dealing with the opioid epidemic. It can be recalled that this was the same issue Murthy also took on when he was occupying the post of surgeon general. Also as health commissioner, Adams needed to deal with the consequences of opioid addiction most especially when there was an HIV outbreak in Scot County.

The said outbreak was a challenged to Jerome Adams who just one month after taking the post was met with the first cases way back in November 2014. In that same year, the health officials were able to determine at least 181 cases in Austin.

It was then reported that the said virus was transmitted through people sharing the needles which were used to inject painkiller. Because of the gravity the outbreak had caused, Pence ordered an emergency clean needle program who also overcame his opposition to needle exchanges.

However, despite the implementation of the emergency clean needle program, Pence was still met by criticisms as the program was deemed late already letting the virus to have spread to a greater number of people. But it was shown that needle exchanges can limit the spread of the said virus.

Just this month too, Jerome Adams emphasized the significance of needle exchanges and how this is beneficial to the people of Indiana. Even if the syringe programs are uncomfortable, Adams shared that they are still helpful in saving lives most especially in preventing the spread of diseases like HIV.

Apart from that, Jerome Adams also worked on naloxone, the so-called overdose antidote in Indiana. Lately, he took on social media how he was honored to be nominated by President Trump as the next surgeon general.

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Latest reports confirmed that a U.S. warship was just spotted near the South China which has been the disputed island claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, China, and even Philippines. According to the Defense Department, this was just meant to challenge the competing claims of these nations or countries.

The name of the U.S. warship is USS Stethem which is considered a guided-missile destroyer. It was made known that this warship sailed 12 nautical miles of Triton Island which is a part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

BBC reported that throughout the presidency of Donald Trump, this was considered as the second freedom of navigation already. It can be recalled that last May, a U.S. warship was also seen and sailed 12 nautical miles of China's artificial island in the South China Sea.

Because of this, China just condemned this telling that the entry was not right and further claimed that the U.S. ship just made an unauthorized entry into its territorial waters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the said country also shared that the operation was a total political and military provocation by the U.S.

Apart from those statements, China already sent fighter jets plus battle ships in order to give warning to USS Stethem and to the government of the U.S. With that, the country also asked U.S., to just stop meddling and doing this kind of provocative action which is putting the security of China in danger.

In response to the said operation, CNN claimed that China is making sure that it will take all important measures to defend the country. In this case, perhaps the U.S. was doing so since 12 nautical miles marks the territorial limits which is recognized by all countries across the globe. That's why sailing within those 12 nautical miles only showed that the U.S. did not recognize China's claims in the said territory.

Perhaps there is another reason for the U.S. why it did this kind of military operation in the South China Sea. It can be recalled that Donald Trump asked China through President Xi Jinping to pressure North Korea but it looks like China has not done more to do this.

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A guided missile destroyer has been sent by the Trump administration in the South China Sea, near Triton Island. This move has been made days before the United States President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet the Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

According to Bloomberg, the USS Stethem, a guided missile destroyer was sent by the United States Navy in the South China Sea, near the Triton Island on Sunday. Officials have also said that the destroyer is within 22 kilometers of the Triton Island.

It must be mentioned here that this operation is a second, under President Trump's administration. The first was conducted in May, when the USS Dewey, another missile destroyer, guided by the Navy got extremely close to another disputed archipelago, the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands. However, the U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson has denied commenting on the operation and stated that all the operations that the United States conducts are in accordance with international law.

The report further states that China has strongly criticized the move made by the United States. Lu Kang, a foreign ministry spokesperson has said in a statement that the United States' move is nothing less than "trespassing" and provocative as it kind of threatens China's security. And, China will take all the steps necessary to protect the sovereignty of the country.

Moreover, it must be added that the president of the United States and China are scheduled to attend the G-20 Summit, along with other world leaders. The event will be held in Hamburg, Germany, from July 7.

Notably, the Triton Island is one small island, which is also a part of the Paracel Islands and lies in the water between Philippines and Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnam, Taiwan as well as China lays claim on this small Island.

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The four Gulf countries that gave an ultimatum to Qatar previously extended this to two more days in order to meet their demands. It can be recalled that these nations presented a list of demands to Qatar following reports that the country was supporting terrorism.

The said ultimatum should be scheduled for July 4 but Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt issued a joint statement telling that they extended the ultimatum. The so-called extension of the ultimatum was regarded as the "grace period" offered by these countries to Qatar.

One more reason why these countries extended the deadline for their ultimatum was that Qatar's government asserted before that the ultimatum will send an official response to the demands presented by the countries. In hopes that their demands will be answered, Business Standard reported that the four Gulf nations extended the deadline.

It can be recalled that even before, the four Gulf countries maintained a good trade and diplomatic ties with Qatar but this changed when the latter was reported of supporting terrorism. They accused Qatar of supporting Iran and the threat of terrorism.

As included in previous reports, the list of demands which the four Gulf nations presented comprised of the closure of a Turkish military base in the emirate, end of diplomatic relations with Iran and the closure also of the Al-Jazeera TV channel. Apart from these mentioned, there were 10 more which Qatar needs to answer.

In earlier reports, Qatar already denied the said allegation but the country mentioned that they were open to negotiations when it comes to the demands. But just this week, the Foreign Minister of Qatar said that his country ill not like to negotiate since they believe that the sovereignty of their country must remain untouchable.

Further, reports were saying that Qatar's treatment of the list of demands was meant to be rejected. Instead, the government of Qatar offered a proper condition or a dialogue in order to resolve the crisis in the Gulf region. That will only take place if the four Gulf nations will accept the said dialogue offered by Qatar.

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The officials in Indonesia just made a confirmation that there were 8 people who were killed when a helicopter crashed while it was on its way to help residents near an erupting volcano in Java. It was reported that the Dieng volcano located in central Java, erupted last Sunday morning and so far, this led to 10 locals being injured.

The Dieng volcano has been popular to tourists and it also remains as one of Indonesia's main tourist attractions until now. But just last Sunday, it became a threat not only to the locals but also to the tourists since it erupted.

According to CNN, a rescue helicopter crashed into a cliff near the Butak Mountain located in Temanggung district. When it crashed, 8 people who were on board were killed right away. The report also added that the eight bodies comprised of four rescuers and four navy officers.

The deputy operations chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency, Major General Heronimus Guru said that the bodies of those who were killed in the crash were brought immediately to the nearby Nhayangkara Hospital located in the Central Java in the province of Semarang. Reports also claimed that the helicopter which is an Indonesian- made Dauphin AS365 was airworthy.

Last Sunday morning, Time claimed that the Sileri Crater at the Dieng Plateau emitted cold lava, ash, and mud which went as high as 50 meters into the sky. Moreover, the said eruption took place just when there were 17 tourists who were around the crater.

Some reports were also claiming that the Sileri in Indonesia is considered as the most active and dangerous among some other 10 craters around at the Dieng Plateau. Previous to this latest eruption, it also erupted last 2009. During the 2009 eruption, the volcanic materials went up to even as high as 200 meters into the sky and this resulted in the formation of three more craters.

Even if no one was killed in the eruption of the Sileri crater itself, tourists and visitors were ordered to leave the said area as soon as possible. Meanwhile, although 8 people were killed in the helicopter car crash, police and volunteers were still on location to give assistance and to ensure the affected area.

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Luiz Carlos da Rocha, the cocaine empire boss, has finally been captured by the Brazilian police. The drug kingpin was notorious as he evaded arrest by changing his face using plastic surgery, for the past 30 years.

The Brazilian drug lord and the "a legend of drug trafficking," Luiz Carlos da Rocha has been arrested by the Federal Police. According to New York Post, he was arrested from his Sorriso home, along with his wife and son.

Notably, Rocha evaded arrest for the past 30 years by changing his face with the help of plastic surgery. The surgery also helped him look 20 years younger than his original age of 60 years. However, it is the new photographic technology that helped the officials to track the Brazilian drug lord. His right hand and accomplice has also been arrested during the raids.

Additionally, reports from The Telegraph state that the officials seized $10 million worth of property that includes farms, and assets that include luxury cars and also planes during the raids. It must be mentioned that the drug kingpin has assets worth nearly $100 million, accumulated from his drug dealings.

Rocha and his organization is said to have produced the drug in Bolivia, Peru and Columbia and then supplied the cocaine to places like United States, Paraguay and Europe. And, he supplied more than 5 tons of cocaine per month in Brazil only.

Rocha has already been sentenced to more than 50 years in prison on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. The officials are now trying to seize the drug kingpin's $100 million assets that include money in overseas banks and also properties.

It must be mentioned that Operation Spectrum that the Federal officials started a year back and involved more than 150 agents carrying out raids and who finally nabbed the drug kingpin has successfully.

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A few of the main highlights of yet to be released, Moto X4 is the dual camera present at the back and the IP68 certification. Notably, it will be the first non-Google branded smartphone that will operate on Fi MVNO.

Lenovo-owned Motorola will release the new Moto X4 this year. According to reports from Ubergizmo, Moto X4, like many other present smartphones, will flaunt an aluminum body and will have a dual camera as one of the important features. Reports state that though the accurate information is still not available, it is speculated that Moto X4 will have a 5.2-inch Full HD display that will run on the latest Android 7.1 Nougat. The smartphone has received the IP68 certification which means that Moto X4 will be water and dust resistant. Apart from that, the smartphone will be supported by 8MP and 12 MP dual cameras present at the back while the front camera will have an impressive 16MP lens.

Moreover, the report further states that the fingerprint sensor present on the front side of the Moto X4 will deliver dual function. The first purpose that will be served by it is that it will help the users to control the accessibility of the smartphone and second, the function will allow the smartphone to recognize gestures.

In similar reports, VentureBeat has reported that Moto X4 will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630. The multitasking will be made easier with the 4GB RAM and an internal storage of 64GB will be available which can be further increased by an additional microSD card. The smartphone will be backed by a 3,000 mAh battery.

It must be mentioned that the Moto X4 will be the first non-Google branded smartphone that will have the capability of Fi MNVO. This will allow the smartphone to juggle smoothly between mobile networks and also, Wi-Fi hotspots.

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North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un supervises the test of the country's first intercontinental ballistic missile. As a strong response to the test, the United States and South Korea also conducted a joint ballistic missile drill.

On Tuesday, North Korea successfully tested its first ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that has been newly developed. According to reports from Reuters, the ballistic missile has the capacity to carry large nuclear weapons that are heavy. Notably, the test was conducted under the supervision of North Korea leader, Kim Jong Un and the ICBM can scale a distance of 6700 km, posing a threat to the security of the United States.

Moreover, a news agency of North Korea stated that Kim Jong Un has said that with the test being done successfully, the country will not participate in any talks with the United States, nor will it give up the weapons till hostile policy that the United States has towards North Korea is changed. Notably, the ICBM is a part of the country's strategic weapon capability that also includes hydrogen and atomic bombs.

In similar reports, it has been said that following North Korea's ICBM test, South Korea and the United States joined hands to respond to the test with a ballistic missile drill, Mail Online reported. An official statement from the South Korean and the US officials stated, "Eighth U.S. Army and Republic of Korea (ROK) military personnel conducted a combined event exercising assets countering North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions on July 4."

It must be mentioned that Rex Tillerson, the United States Secretary of States, has confirmed that the ICBM tested on Tuesday by North Korea poses a threat to the security of the United States as it can hit Alaska and also the world. Notably, previous assessments done by the United States and Russia had suggested that the missile would be an intermediate-range missile, however, post the test, it confirmed the missile to be ICBM.

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T he ink is just drying on planning permission for yet another new apartment scheme on the banks of the Thames.

With its steel and glass design, the crescent-shaped building will not look dramatically different when it is completed by 2020 to the dozens of gleaming new blocks that already line the river.

But this project by Singapore-based Frasers Property UK has one important difference. At a time when firms regularly slash the proportion of affordable homes in their schemes, saying they can no longer fund them, the developers of this new building will be offering 93 flats out of the total 172 at first-time buyer-friendly prices.

One-bedroom homes and some two-bedroom flats at 9 Riverside, at the junction of the Thames and the River Wandle, half a mile from Wandsworth Town station, will be aimed at buyers with household incomes of less than 46,000. Full prices for homes in the same building start at 720,000 for a two-bedroom flat.

The project was granted planning consent by Wandsworth council, which  to the fury of London Mayor Sadiq Khan  recently allowed Battersea Power Station developers to slash the number of affordable homes there by 250. Nine per cent of the homes on the Battersea site will now be affordable.

Prices have fallen and construction costs risen since Frasers first struck its deal on affordable housing but Simon Lear, chief executive of developments, says they will maintain the number of affordable homes on offer, honouring their responsibilities to the local community. The affordable flats will also be larger than originally agreed, to comply with latest space requirements.

Frasers has balanced the books by increasing the size of 9 Riverside. It will have the originally agreed 93 affordable homes, which will be allocated by a housing association in a deal which will not profit Frasers, alongside 79 private flats.

Just nine per cent of homes at Battersea Power Station will now be affordable / Getty Images

These two very different examples of how firms are handling their commitments illustrate the chaos which currently reigns in London when it comes to providing affordable homes on private developments.

HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS?

In 1995, with prices soaring and the capitals housing crisis deepening, the Government made the inclusion of affordable homes on private developments compulsory. Most London councils expect about a third of homes to be built for squeezed Londoners who already live or work in their area.

Unsurprisingly, developers did not immediately welcome the new rules.

Part of their discomfort was financial; as Dominic Grace, head of London residential development at Savills points out, developers are businesses not charities, and affordable homes eat into their profits. They also feared rich buyers in search of trophy homes would shy away from living cheek-by-jowl with this new form of social housing.

Historically, there has been a stigma about affordable housing, says Charles Holland, head of residential development and investment at estate agents Marsh & Parsons. There was concern on both sides about integration.

These concerns led to some creative moves. At One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, Londons most expensive block of flats, affordable homes were built at a separate block in Pimlico. Other developers started making cash payments to local councils to fund affordable homes elsewhere in the borough, while yet more introduced the hated system of poor doors  literally segregating private and affordable owners by giving them separate entrances to the same building.

Flats at 9 RIverside will be aimed at buyers with household incomes of less than 46,000

Ironically, this attitude persisted even as the profile of shared-ownership buyers began to change. A policy initially set up to assist low-earning key workers is now expensive enough to be the province of the young professional. As Holland says: Affordable is a young, middle-class market.

Then, in 2011, the Government threw a curve ball. With the recession in full swing and property prices tumbling, it ordered councils to allow developers to renegotiate their affordable housing commitments downwards if they felt their scheme had become financially unviable.

Holland says some firms did find themselves in genuine financial problems as construction costs rose and prices fell, particularly as the cost of building on contaminated land or renovating a tricky historic property can be far higher than on an uncomplicated site. However, he claims some firms have abused the system, apparently pleading poverty in order to up their profit.

The viability process is not a perfect one, there is ambiguity which can be subject to interpretation, he says. It has been up to local authorities to fight sometimes very difficult battles to keep affordable in a scheme.

WHERE TO FIND 'AFFORDABLE' HOUSING

The good news is that for every scheme with virtually no affordable housing there are plenty of genuinely mixed, genuinely sustainable developments.

About a third of the homes being built at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford will be affordable.

Some will be sold on a shared-ownership basis, with others rented at subsidised levels  a nod to the fact that it is not only first-time buyers who are being priced out of the city but renters, too.

Two-bedroom flats in Stratford's East Village are being rented for just under 1,500 per month

At East Village, the former athletes village, Triathlon Homes is renting two-bedroom flats for just under 1,500 a month to households with incomes of between 48,000 and 90,000 (triathlonhomes.com).

Housing associations, which are becoming increasingly important players in Londons property market, are also successfully merging private and affordable housebuilding, using the former to help fund the latter.

One of the largest of these schemes currently on the market is Excalibur in Catford (excaliburse6.co.uk), a regeneration of the former Excalibur Estate, where about six in 10 of 371 homes will be affordable. The next tranche of one- and two-bedroom flats goes on sale in September, with pricing yet to be confirmed.

Private developers are also taking up the affordable challenge. About a third of the homes in Berkeley Homes huge Chelsea Creek scheme will be affordable. Young buyers have part-owned small flats at the site alongside some of the wealthiest buyers in the capital, without any discernible problems, for several years  so any fears that might persist about social friction on mixed developments have proved groundless here.

Chelsea Creek: another phase of smaller flats is due to be launched this year

At present, the only homes for sale at the creek are three-bedroom apartments priced at 2.85 million (berkeleygroup.co.uk). But another phase of smaller flats is expected to be launched this year or next.

With developers finally getting on board with affordable housing, Savills Dominic Grace observes that including low-cost homes in a project can actually add to its appeal. People talk about place making all the time, he says. We all know that what makes a great place is a mix of people all living together.

Charles Holland of Marsh & Parsons agrees. Having a more diverse community makes a development a more vibrant, exciting place to live, he says.
E arlier this week it was announced that the London Overground will run through the night from December.

A 24-hour service will run between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction on Fridays and Saturdays, opening up the areas for Londoners who want to make the most of east London's unique bar, restaurant and night life.

For those looking for 24-hour weekend travel connections, Zone 2's New Cross Gate is the cheapest spot to live, according to the latest figures from Rightmove.

Rock band Klaxons formed in New Cross in 2006, when it was genuinely edgy with a thriving music and arts scene.

However, thanks to a series of improved transport connections, the area has seen some of the biggest house price rises in the capital over the last decade, increasing by an average of 134 per cent.

A two-bedroom property in the south-east London postcode now has an average asking price of 436,530.

While those looking to rent will be looking to spend about 1,460 per month for a similar property.

The next best value can be found in hipster hotspot Dalston and the up-and-coming Docklands hotspot, Surrey Quays.

Average house prices in both areas are below the 600,000 for a two-bedroom property and rents remain below the 2,000 mark.

Fastest-rising areas on the Overground Network

Wapping and Whitechapel have also seen the some of the most dramatic rises in asking prices in the capital in the past 10 years.

As a result of its promixity to the City and Overground connections, City workers and overseas owners have flocked to the East End hotspot, leading to 155 per cent house price rises.

The area is undergoing significant regeneration, including the transformation of the 15-acre former News International HQ into a 1,800 new homes development.

As such, a two-bedroom home now sells for more than 900,000 in the area and you'll pushed to find a decent two-bedroom flat for much less than 2,200.

With an average asking price of 753,630, similar flats are significantly cheaper to buy in Whitechapel and renters may be able to save around 100 a month.

Scroll through the gallery above for a full list of rental and property prices along the soon-to-be 24-hour "ginger line"...
L ondon is classed the number one 'city of opportunity' in the world, but falls to 22nd position once rental affordability is taken into account.

A new report, which aims to find the best cities in the world for renters, examines the average wages and rents of households in the world's 30 best cities of opportunity.

In the PwC analysis  which looks at such indicators as infrastructure, intellectual capital, sustainability and ease of doing business  London takes prime position.

Singapore, Toronto, Paris and Amsterdam complete the top five. New York ranks in sixth place, and Sydney tenth.

However, once the team at Rentcafe applies their income-to-rent ratio to the data, London drops 21 places.

According to the site, London has a 40 per cent rent-to-income ratio, based on a household of two people earning 44,500 and paying an average of 1,500 in rent.

This is a story Generation Rent is only too familiar with, with a recent report revealing that single Londoners are paying 50 per cent or more of their wages on rent.

World's best  and cheapest  cities for renters

One of the major benefits of renting is the freedom to move home frequently, so where should renters look to for the best combination of both opportunity and affordability?

When both factors are considered, Kuala Lumpar, the capital of Malaysia, shoots from 20th position in the PwC rating, to first, making it the most affordable rental city of opportunity, with a 20 per cent rent-to-income ratio. It also has the strongest job growth of emerging (as oppose to established) cities and some of the lowest tax rates.

Russia's Moscow and Johannesburg in South Africa take second and third position respectively, with similar affordability ratings for renters.

Sydney makes the top 10 in both ranking systems, climbing one spot to ninth position when the 29 per cent rent-to income ratio is applied to its opportunity ranking.

The Australian city is classed as one of the more "mellow" cities of the top 30 and scores one of the highest for sustainability and the natural environment.

Although globally New York "remains the symbol of the gateway city" it has been on a downward trend in the PwC report over the past few years and this year takes sixth place.

However, Manhattan drops to second-to last place  behind only Mexico City  as one of least affordable cities of opportunity in the world, with rents commanding 60 per cent of average household incomes.

"In other words, in an average family with two earners, one of them works only to pay the rent, and its still not enough," says author Balazs Szekely.

Nevertheless, as renters in London and New York know, rental costs are only one factor when weighing up the benefits of living in the employment and cultural hubs that make up the best cities in the world.

Scroll through the gallery above to find the top 10 cities of opportunity, ranked in order of rent from cheapest to most expensive.
The Chicago hip-hop artist wrote the poem on the way from his hotel to the Desk

Acclaimed artist Chance the Rapper broke the mould during his appearance in an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

He appeared relaxed and humble, expressing his love for the concert series and for artists who have appeared on it such as Gregory Porter.

The poem, entitled "The Other Side", was read out in a conversational style, and was interrupted by an office pager announcement which he made humorous with an exclamation "no more poetry!"

The piece dealt with the gulf between ambition and reality, and between his origins and where he now finds himself.

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He then performed a cover of the 1974 Stevie Wonder song "They Won't Go When I Go", which resounded with calming Rhodes piano sounds and emotionally raw vocals.

Watch the concert here:
The Foo Fighters performed a new song from their upcoming Concrete and Gold at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris on July 3.

The track 'Dirty Water' starts out subdued, with David Grohl singing over soft guitar, but later picks up into a head-banging series of chords that drive the song to its end.

'Dirty Water' is another of a slow release of songs from the new record. The band performed a new tune 'The Sky Is A Neighbourhood' in front of a San Francisco audience in May. They also played 'Lah Dee Da' at Iceland Secret Solstice Festival and released a music video for 'Run' in June.

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Concrete and Gold is set to be the band's first release since their 2015 EP Saint Cecilia. It comes out on September 15.

The Foo Fighters are currently touring Europe and Asia, and they head back to the US in October.
The UK producer says that he's "been making loads of music"

Electronic musician Four Tet announced that he will release a new album later this year in a tweet posted less than an hour ago.

He thanked his fans for appreciating his new song "Two Thousand And Seventeen", which premiered yesterday on BBC Radio 1.

The tweet can be seen below:

Wow thanks for all the love on the new tune. Have been making loads of music. New album almost ready and coming this year.  Four Tet (@FourTet) July 5, 2017

In another tweet he affirmed his indie credentials, saying "I do this on my own. No PR pluggers marketing label etc. Shouts to everyone supporting my music and showing love for it."

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Four Tet, also known as Kieran Hebden, made the news in February when he created a public Spotify playlist (which can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/ycjkgzbv) highlighting musicians from countries covered by US President Donald Trump's 'Muslim ban'.

The playlist has since been added to and used to host Hebden's new song.

"Two Thousand And Seventeen" can be heard below:
The former Cold Chisel frontman will play Whelans, Dublin on 20 December

'Working Class Man' and Australian rock royalty Jimmy Barnes is set to return to Ireland for the first time since 2011 with a show in support of his memoir Working Class Boy.

The show features his children Mahalia and Jackie along with his son-in-law Ben Rodgers, and comprises a mix of heartfelt, stark monologues and stories with a lively serving of Chisel classics, solo songs and covers.

Barnes made his name with the pioneering Australian band Cold Chisel, whose energetic and surprisingly nuanced brand of "pub rock" dominated the tough, beer-soaked '70s and '80s Australian rock landscape.

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Tickets for his "Stories and Songs" tour date go on sale on July 5 at 9:00 AM from Ticketmaster.
Having performed in the Prince's band for 15 years, the talented drummer John Blackwell Jr passed away at the age of 43.

Barely five days since John Blackwell Jr's wife, Yaritza took to his Instagram account to reveal her husband's year-long battle with brain tumor, she announced the saddening news of the passing of the talented percussionist yesterday.

She wrote: My husband incredible drummer John Blackwell Jr. passed the way peacefully in my company today (July 4). Thanks God for his life and thanks everyone for their support.

My husband incredible drummer John Blackwell Jr. passed the way peacefully in my company today. https://t.co/b773h5aqCk  John Blackwell Jr. (@JohnBlackwellJr) July 4, 2017

My husband incredible drummer John Blackwell Jr. passed the way peacefully in my company today. Thanks God for his life and thanks everyone for their support. Yaritza A post shared by John Blackwell (@johnblackwelljr) on Jul 4, 2017 at 10:28am PDT

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Growing up with a passion for music, John Blackwell Jr started playing in high school marching and jazz bands in jazz clubs since he was thirteen. Following the footsteps of his father, John Blackwell Sr, has played with Mary Wells, King Curtis, Joe Simon, J.J. Jackson, The Drifters and more.

Before he started playing for Prince in 2000, he played for the legendary Patti Labelle and more.

In 2009, he debuted his own project - The John Blackwell Project, alongside two educational drum DVDs, "John Blackwell-Technique, Grooving and Showmanship" and "John Blackwell".

His family set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses which, as of today, has reached $79,810 of a $100K goal.

The friends of the late drummer remember the late talented drummer on social media.

#Prince just got his favorite drummer back and I know John is killing that groove up there. ???#RipJohnBlackwell A post shared by Nik West (@nikwestbass) on Jul 4, 2017 at 11:31am PDT

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#Prince and #Johnblackwell today you are playing together again. Prince told me that John is the "baddest" and that his foot was dangerous... Love you both #restinheaven A post shared by Nik West (@nikwestbass) on Jul 4, 2017 at 11:27am PDT
The Neil Jordan and Paul McGuinness production has been downloaded 10 million times

Despite mixed reviews and criticism from one of the show's creators Neil Jordan, crime drama Riviera has proved successful for Sky Atlantic, becoming the most-downloaded box-set in the channel's history.

This was celebrated in a tweet which can be viewed below:

10 Million Thank Yous, this is incredible. And if you're still waiting to dip your toe in the water... https://t.co/2wx1omRneg ?? #Riviera https://t.co/GEKtKWFfAg  Sky Atlantic (@skyatlantic) July 5, 2017

An appreciative fan's comment was followed by the company account replying that the show fostered "a lot of debate in the office":

Ooh, let us know what you think about the ending when you get there. Lots of debate in the office. #Riviera  Sky Atlantic (@skyatlantic) July 5, 2017

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Could this be an inadvertent reference to the controversies surrounding the production?

Neil Jordan has spoken about how his original draft which he called "complex" and "dark" was changed and rewritten. Jordan claimed to be "surprised" by Paul McGuinness due to this, and that if Jordan had been in control "it would have been quite different."

McGuinness' representatives issued a statement in response calling Riviera "the most successful premiere on Sky Atlantic this year. I couldnt be more proud of what we have achieved."
Consumers who are dogged by poor credit scores - and have trouble getting credit cards or loans as a result - will soon get some relief.

On Saturday, the three credit reporting companies stopped using some records that are especially damaging to credit scores: tax liens and civil judgments.

So if someone has gone after you in court for failing to pay what you owe, or a government has placed a lien on your assets, those records will likely disappear from your credit report.

Of course, most Americans don't have such a troubling past dragging down their credit history. But the new rules could also offer some benefit to people with unblemished pasts. According to the Federal Trade Commission, 21 percent of consumers have damaging mistakes in their credit reports. So you could be meticulous about paying back every cent you owe on time and still have false information placed on your credit history by the computers that generate the information.

The new rules should cut down on those mistakes, at least when it comes to liens and civil judgments. The three reporting companies - TransUnion, Equifax and Experian - will no longer use those records when evaluating your credit unless they can match your name, address, and either your Social Security or birth date to the records.

Fair Isaac Corp., which blends credit histories into a FICO score for each individual, estimated in a recent report that about half of tax lien public record data will not be usable under the new rules. On the other hand, FICO said the new rules probably will not make a major difference in credit scores anyway. Typically, 92 percent of people with liens and judgments have other derogatory information in records that raise red flags, according to FICO. Bankruptcy records will continue to be used.

Consumer advocates have long complained that many Americans are unfairly tarnished by credit reports that are wrong. The July changes are an outgrowth of a settlement involving 31 states attorneys general challenging errors in credit reports.

Errors are frequent because computers often match the wrong information to the wrong name; especially when two people have the same or similar names.

Bruce McClary, a spokesman for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, said that as a credit counselor he observed two women struggle for almost a year to get one item on a credit report changed. One digit in a Social Security number had been used incorrectly, so that an account that belonged to one woman was recorded instead as an account held by the other woman.

Payments on the account were up to date, and even though the two women worked together to get the mistake fixed and credit histories corrected, the process was grueling, he said. The two women were strangers at first and found each other in the process of cleaning up the error. If one of the women had been behind on bills and had not wanted to cooperate, the outcome could have been very different, McClary said.

The credit reporting system is supposed to be an early warning system for banks and other entities who are considering doing business with an individual and want to know if that person can be counted on to pay their debts. Sometimes potential employers request credit reports, although some states have stopped that practice. Landlords often request credit reports before renting to a tenant. Banks rely on credit reports while also doing additional research before granting a mortgage or other loan.

But while credit reports are designed to use a person's past to predict the future, critics have said the system is flawed. For example, people often wait to pay medical bills while trying to resolve questions over payments and insurance coverage, which in the past has dinged individuals' credit reports.

Under a change that's to be adopted soon by the three credit reporting agencies, unpaid medical bills won't be reported until they are 180 days past due.

Because mistakes are so frequent, and the ramifications so serious for people who need or want to borrow money, McClary suggests people review their credit reports at least once a year and demand changes if errors appear. He suggests that consumers ask for a free credit report every three months from one of the three credit reporting bureaus, so that by year-end all three have been reviewed.

This should be done through www.annualcreditreport.com, he said, which should not be mistaken for the multitude of sites that charge for credit scores or reports.

Chicago Tribune
El Paso Electric, the investor-owned utility that serves the far West Texas city and parts of New Mexico, is again at the center of a debate over how to value power from rooftop solar panels.

The regulated utility has proposed a new rate structure that would separate thousands of rooftop solar panel owners into their own rate class and put additional charges on their bills to help recoup losses resulting from less electricity moving through the company's power lines. El Paso has around 1,800 customers with rooftop solar, a small portion of its more than 276,000 residential customers.

El Paso proposed a similar rate structure in 2015, but it was hotly contested by clean energy advocates, who argued it would discourage the adoption of solar power, and the utility ultimately dropped it. The current rate case is proving to be no less controversial, as consultants, environmental advocacy groups and El Paso residents have objected to proposed rate increases, especially increases for rooftop solar owners.

This time, however, if the utility and its critics fail to reach an agreement, it could be taken up by the Public Utility Commission in a move that could shape policy on rooftop solar systems. Other states, like Nevada, have considered separating solar panel users into a group that pays higher rates, a move that opponents say offsets the savings from solar power.

The issue, utilities argue, is they have fixed costs to provide transmission, and power generated by rooftop solar systems cuts into the revenues they need to keep their systems reliable. If solar users want to be able to tap that transmission system when the sun is not out, they need to pay rates that allow utilities to maintain their lines, the companies argue.

In Houston, the issue has yet to gain much attention. But more rooftop solar companies are coming into the market, and offering customers lower costs and subsidies for the excess power they generate and feed into the grid.

Valuing solar power, and compensating utilities for the loss of customers who use it, has become a hot-button topic as rooftop solar panels have become cheaper and more people install them. Utilities like El Paso have found that they are competing with their own customers for power generation, said Jim Schichtl, vice president of regulatory affairs for El Paso Electric.

"I don't think we should say anymore that El Paso is not a competitive company. That's not true anymore," Schichtl told an audience at a solar panel conference recently in Austin. "We are competing with our own customers."
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trumps encounter with Russian leader Vladimir Putin is raising concern among veteran American diplomats and analysts about a mismatch between a U.S. president new to global affairs and a wily former Soviet spymaster experienced in the long game of strategy and statecraft.



Their highly anticipated meeting this week at the Group of 20 summit promises to set the tone for the next four years of U.S.-Russia relations. Putin -- who has been president or prime minister of Russia since 1999 -- has used his first face-to-face meetings with prior presidents to try to gain the upper hand.

A range of global issues hang in the balance, including continuing sanctions against Russia, checking Putins expansionist policies in the Ukraine, halting North Koreas nuclear weapons programs, managing frictions over Syria and Iran, and preventing Russian interference in U.S. and European elections.

Any meeting between the two will highlight their very different approaches to personal diplomacy. Putin has shown himself to be a skillful, focused tactician who carefully prepares and is not easily distracted from his goals. Trump is known to shun preparation and instead go with his gut, placing great faith in what he believes to be an ability to read the person sitting across from him. In the case of Putin, who is trained in deception, this could be difficult to do -- especially if the Russian leader tries to disarm Trump with praise.

Putin is professionally prepared to try to manipulate people, said William Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia under Republican President George W. Bush and now president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He will come well-equipped, and its important that we do that, too.

DON EMMERT/Staff

Normal Meeting

The White House confirmed Tuesday the meeting is set for Friday afternoon and will be a normal bilateral meeting, without commenting further. The two leaders are expected to cover a range of issues in the meeting, which is expected to last about 30 minutes. Trump departed Washington on Wednesday for Warsaw, where he will meet with eastern European nations that seek to thwart Russias use of its energy exports as leverage against them.

Trump hasnt ruled out raising concerns about cybersecurity and Russian election meddling, which have increased tension in the relationship, according to a U.S. official familiar with the preparations.

The U.S. views hacking and meddling both defensively in terms of what the U.S. is doing to protect itself, and offensively in terms of whether and how the U.S. should retaliate to prevent future interference, the official said. Trump wouldnt detail those considerations in the bilateral meeting, the official added.

Fiona Hill, the senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council, will join him in Hamburg, according to a second White House official. Hill has written a book about Putin and is considered one of the Wests foremost experts on the Russian leader.

No Specific Agenda

Both sides played down expectations of concrete achievements, portraying the meeting mostly as a chance for the two leaders to take the measure of each other. Trumps national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said in a June 29 briefing the U.S. was approaching the meeting with no specific agenda while a Russian official said the leaders will focus on the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, the fight against terrorism and Russian requests that the U.S. return diplomatic property President Barack Obama seized in retaliation for election meddling.

For Putin, the meeting represents an effort to get relations with the U.S. back on track after fallout from the 2016 U.S. presidential election stymied progress with Trumps team and fueled anti-Russia sentiment among Americans and members of Congress.

Im counting on Putins enormous experience in international contacts and building personal relationships with world leaders, which is something that he has always been successful in, said Frants Klintsevich, deputy head of the defense committee in Russias upper house of parliament.

Putins Counsel

Trump may also get some advice from Putin about how to stand up to officials and bureaucrats who try to rein in his impulses and ideas, a theme that the Russian president has warmed to in recent weeks. Speaking to a small group of reporters in St. Petersburg last month, Putin said that specialists and analysts will always tell leaders that difficult things cant be done.

But to say, No, I dont agree, thats wrong, I will do it differently -- you need to have great internal courage, Putin said.

From Russians perspective, expectations are low but the meeting must go forward, said Andrey Kortunov, director general of the Russian International Affairs Council, a research group set up by the Kremlin.



Anything short of a complete failure would be regarded as success because for the Russian side its important to show to the domestic constituency, but also to the outside world, that weve hit a tipping point, weve reached the bottom and can begin moving back toward a more stable relationship, Kortunov said.

Russian Baggage

Trump has been hobbled at home by investigations into Russian election interference, ties between Russia and Trump campaign associates and his firing of FBI Director James Comey. The U.S. has yet to hand back over to Russia the two diplomatic compounds taken by the Obama administration after the election. Congress also is pushing legislation to bolster sanctions against Russia despite Trumps opposition.

On paper, an American president holds more cards heading into a meeting with Russia. The U.S. has the larger economy and military and more allies. But Putin is a veteran of geopolitics with a wealth of experience handling his global counterparts. Bush looked in Putins eyes and thought he saw a sense of his soul. Obama dismissed Putin as a bored, slouching kid in the back of the classroom. Both were wrong.

Im very worried that the United States could be out-gamed, said Evelyn Farkas, a former deputy assistant defense secretary for Russia and Ukraine during the Obama administration and now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Trump seems susceptible to praise and flattery, and Putin seems to very much understand our presidents psychology.

Resetting Relations

Meanwhile, Trumps early optimism about resetting relations with other world leaders has run up against Realpolitik. After holding back on trade tariffs against China in the belief that President Xi Jinping would crack down on North Korea in a way he hadnt for Obama, Trump has in recent weeks publicly expressed disappointment in Xi and concluded it was time to threaten more financial pressure. Trump was charmed by King Salman of Saudi Arabia only to find their bond used as Saudi leverage against Qatar.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a California Republican, dismissed the risk of Trump getting played, saying, Obama, Bush, Clinton all got it wrong. So you cant possibly do any worse. Putins a bad guy. We know Putins game now. We know exactly what hes up to.

Kortunov said Putin probably cant offer much to Trump in terms of concessions, but there could be some opportunities as long as the U.S. has flexibility and understands that talks are a two-way street. Regarding Syria, he said Assad is not a sacred cow for Russia but Putin wants the U.S. to take a more balanced approach to Iran. On North Korea, Russia wants the U.S. to avoid unilateral actions, particularly military ones, that could lead to a conflict.

Toxic Reputation

Putins government understands that Russia remains toxic and definitely it will be used against President Trump by his political opponents back at home, Kortunov said. Any progress is likely to be very slow and very selective.

Yet how Trump handles Russias meddling in the 2016 U.S. election will shape perceptions of the two leaders relationship in the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. president has yet to campaign publicly for an aggressive federal response to Russian election interference, sensitive to any notion it could undercut the perceived legitimacy of his win.

Representative Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, cast Trumps handling of the issue in the meeting as a test of his mettle.

The president needs to confront Putin on the Russian intervention in our elections, and we will not accept it in any way if he just sweeps it under the rug, Schiff said. Im afraid the message Putin will take away is that he doesnt have the courage to stand up to him.

Russian efforts to manipulate elections are also a major concern throughout Europe, and governments there want Trump to make clear to Putin that interference anywhere is unacceptable, said one Western European official.

But the most Putin and Trump may be able to agree on is an agenda for the two countries to pursue in coming months and a follow-up meeting, perhaps on the margins of a summit of Asian and Pacific leaders in November, said Thomas Graham, a former senior White House aide under Bush.

This first meeting should be short with a plan for future meetings, Nunes said.

Youd be wasting your time to sit there and have Putin lecture you for four hours, he said. I dont think Trumps going to sit there and drink vodka with him. The president needs to put our most important issues on the table.

--With assistance from Gregory L. White Toluse Olorunnipa John Fraher and Justin Sink

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
BISMARCK, N.D. - A dispute over whether the Texas-based developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline improperly reported the discovery of American Indian artifacts in North Dakota will linger into the fall, as the company continues to fight a relatively minor violation and small fine.

Energy Transfer Partners has been battling since November when state regulators filed a complaint and proposed a $15,000 fine, which pales in comparison to the $3.8 billion cost of the pipeline that began moving oil last month.

The complaint came after the Public Service Commission, which oversees pipelines, was notified by a third-party inspector that pipeline crews last October had diverted construction of the pipeline around Native American artifacts. The company had obtained the approval of the State Historic Preservation Office but not of the commission.

The artifacts weren't disturbed, and ETP maintains it didn't intentionally do anything wrong. A public hearing on the issue was scheduled for Aug. 16, but the company requested that written arguments be made first. The PSC has agreed to a briefing schedule with a final deadline of Sept. 22. The hearing will be rescheduled after that, Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said.

ETP didn't comment on the reason for its request.

The pipeline began moving North Dakota oil to a distribution point in Illinois on June 1, after approval by the Trump administration ended months of delays caused in part by protests in North Dakota that resulted in 761 arrests between August and February.

American Indian tribes and supporters fear environmental harm; ETP says the pipeline is safe.

The commission also is looking into whether the company removed too many trees while laying pipe in the state. An Aug. 17 public hearing is still scheduled. There is not yet a formal complaint in that matter, and "briefs on that at this point would be premature," Fedorchak said.

The company could face fines of up to $200,000 if found to have violated state rules in either case, though it could contest any fines in state district court.
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GREENSBORO, N.C. - Juana Luz Tobar Ortega, 49, has been living in the cinder block room that used to be the nursery for St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Greensboro for four weeks.

She has a bed, a nightstand and a small TV. Her family visits her during the week, but eventually they leave. She's grateful for her room and the volunteers taking turns to visit her, but she wants to go back to her home in Asheboro.

"Without even knowing me, they opened their doors to help me," Ortega said. "This decision was difficult. I decided to stay here for my family."

Ortega was the first person facing deportation in North Carolina to obtain sanctuary in a church. A growing number of sanctuary churches nationwide are offering people a place to eat, sleep and wash, beyond the reach of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since 2011, ICE has had a policy of refraining from entering sensitive locations such as churches, hospitals and schools to arrest, interview, search or carry out surveillance.

Buying yourself some time

Individuals seek sanctuary as a last resort to avoid deportation and to buy time to obtain at least a stay of removal that temporarily delays deportation.

Ortega came to the U.S. from Guatemala almost 25 years ago to flee guerrillas she says were threatening her. While she was seeking asylum in 1999, Ortega left the U.S. without authorization from the government to care for a daughter in Guatemala who had a life-threatening illness. She returned to the U.S. with a false visa two months later. In 2011, ICE detained her at her job at Sanger Enterprises, a furniture textile company. Since then, every year, ICE has postponed her deportation order, until this year.

During her routine visit with ICE in April she received an ankle bracelet and a deportation order to leave the U.S. by May 31. Leaving the country would have meant saying goodbye to her family - her husband, four children and two grandchildren.

"It's not easy when all of the sudden you're told to leave your country, your kids," Ortega said. "I've lived here for so many years. And I've contributed to the country. I've worked this whole time. Never, never have I stopped working."

This wasn't the first time Ortega has been asked to leave the U.S. In 1998, an immigration judge gave Ortega the opportunity to voluntarily leave the U.S., said Bryan Cox, spokesperson for ICE.

"The Board of Immigration Appeals subsequently dismissed her appeal in 2001 and granted her voluntary departure from the United States by July 2001," Cox said. "However, Ms. Tobar failed to leave the country and is now subject to a final order of removal. Ms. Tobar has received all appropriate process before the federal immigration courts and is subject to removal from the United States in accordance with federal law and judicial order."

Being at the church won't change her legal status, Cox said, but he noted that ICE's sensitive locations policy is still in effect, meaning ICE agents won't enter St. Barnabas.

Rev. Randall Keeney, vicar at St. Barnabas, and his congregation are giving Ortega sanctuary until she can get a stay of removal. Ortega did not attend church at St. Barnabas nor did she know anyone from the congregation. The American Friends Service Committee in Greensboro, a social justice Quaker organization, asked Keeney if Ortega could stay at the church.

"No one voiced opposition, and when I asked if we should, by voice everyone said 'yes,' " Keeney said. 'We stand behind this family'

Two years before Ortega arrived, the American Friends Service Committee asked Keeney to give sanctuary to a man from El Salvador. That didn't work out, but Keeney continued conversations with the organization to host someone in the future.

Providing sanctuary is one of the boldest actions a church can take to advocate for immigration reform, said David Fraccaro, executive director of FaithAction International House in Greensboro.

"Sanctuary is not only providing safety and care for a family, it's also publicly saying 'we stand behind this family as a congregation and as a community,' " Fracarro said. "That can be an important strategy to come out of relief. It puts a face to the story. They are the rare cases."

They are the rare cases people get to learn about. Many others live in the shadows hoping not to get noticed by ICE.

"The fear in the immigrant community is so thick," Keeney said. "Parents who may be undocumented are afraid to go to work, they're afraid to leave the house. The only thing that's going to repair that is some serious, comprehensive, compassionate, merciful immigration reform. Immigrants have been scapegoated long enough. Something has to change."

In April, brothers Dario and Jose Arroyo were going to go into sanctuary at the School for Conversion in Durham, N.C., an interfaith organization that teaches how to live in community. The Arroyo brothers fled Mexico in the 1990s seeking refuge in the U.S. due to their family's political beliefs. They are both married, have children and are working.

The morning they were to leave, a judge granted them a hearing for a stay of removal, and neither went to the school.

Over the last year, Rev. Julie Peeples' Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro has been preparing the church with a room and a shower to host someone in sanctuary when needed.

"This is in line with the gospel. It's in line with how sanctuary has been offered by people of all faith for centuries," Peeples said. "It's what we feel called to do right now. It's the best way to love our neighbor."

A growing number of churches in North Carolina are learning about sanctuary, and dozens are supporting the movement by providing food, shelter and health care, Fracarro said.

There have been 25 public cases of people in sanctuary in the country since 2014. Sixteen cases have received delays in deportation and eight are still in limbo. In one case, the person was unexpectedly deported.

40 percent increase in deportations

The rise of the sanctuary movement in North Carolina coincides with an increase in deportations nationwide. There was an overall 40 percent increase in ICE arrests during President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, compared to the same time period in 2016.

In January, President Trump signed an executive order to prioritize the deportation of all who entered the country illegally, not just those with criminal convictions. U.S. Secretary John Kelly signed a memorandum in February to implement the order.

"As Secretary Kelly has made clear, ICE will no longer exempt entire classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement," Cox said in a statement. "All those in violation of immigration law may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States."

Ortega has not stepped outside the church since she began living there. She's afraid. Seeking sanctuary was her last attempt to remain close to her family, she said.

Jackeline Tobar, 22, her youngest daughter, said the house feels empty without her mom.

"It doesn't feel alive," Tobar said. "When she comes home, she'll tell us what to do. She's the one that gets the family together."
A lavish production of "Shrek the Musical" is especially dear for two families who are performing it together through July 23 at Art Park Players in Deer Park.

"This show is extra special to me," said Nicole Flenniken of Pasadena, who was diagnosed earlier this year with Stage 4 cancer.

"I didn't know whether I would be able to do it, as I am being treated in a clinical trial at M.D. Anderson (Cancer Center)."

Flenniken, 41, appears as Dragon in the show with her husband, fellow Deer Park Junior High schoolteacher Scott Flenniken as Papa Ogre, and their children, Carlee, 10, and Will, 6.

"It is a fun, new family experience," she said. "I get to enjoy it with my family and my theater family, and it is so nice to have something so positive in our life right now."

Flenniken has performed in a number of shows at Art Park Players, including "Little Shop of Horrors," "The King and I," "Anything Goes" and "1776," among others.

Her brother, Joe Piper of Deer Park, is the technical director of the musical, which is based on the Oscar-winning film "Shrek" (best animated feature, 2001).

More Information WANT TO GO? What: "Shrek the Musical" When: Evening performances are July 14-15, and 21-22, with meal at 7 p.m. and show at 8 p.m. Matinee performances are July 9, 16 and 23, with meal at 1 p.m. and show at 2 p.m. Where: Performances are at the theater/courts building at 1302 Center St. in Deer Park. Details: Dinner and show tickets are $30. Show-only tickets are $15. Tickets are available by calling 281-794-2448. Further information is available at www.deerparktx.gov. See More Collapse

Three members of a Friendswood family also perform together in "Shrek."

"This could be the only show my daughter and my husband will get to do together," lamented Monique VonDeylen, who appears as the Mad Hatter, with daughter Rachel, 13, as Teen Fiona, and husband, Marc, as Bishop.

"Rachel is about to head up to a prep school in Wisconsin," said her mother. "I haven't made any plans to do another show, because I think I will be visiting Wisconsin a lot."

Marc VonDeylen is pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Friendswood.

"It's fun that he's playing a bishop in this," said his wife.

Ben and Suzi Ruege, who also attend Lord of Life and sing in the church choir, appear as Peter Pan and Wicked Witch in "Shrek."

Like Vernon Rose of Houston, who plays Donkey, "Shrek" siblings Caleb Monroe and Rose Monroe of Deer Park are students at Monique VonDeylen's Music with Monique Voice Studio in Friendswood.

The Rueges, who live in the Clear Lake area, and the Monroe siblings play four of the fairy-tale characters who the evil Lord Farquaad banishes from the Kingdom of Duloc for being "freaks."

Shrek and his wise-cracking sidekick, Donkey, travel to Duloc to confront Lord Farquaad. They also rescue Princess Fiona from a castle where she is trapped.

Fiona is played by Emmy Smith, 17, of Seabrook.

"I grew up on 'Shrek' movies, so I have always loved Fiona," said the daughter of William and Tracy Smith.

"I love how she is not a typical princess," said the young actress. "She is a little bipolar and quirky. When Shrek lets out a fart, she replies with a burp, and they have a battle of burping and farting. It is a show-stopping number."

Smith, who is about to enter Sam Houston State University as a musical theater major, has performed in about 50 musicals since age 7, including roles as Cinderella at Clear Falls High School in League City, Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde" and Ariel in "The Little Mermaid" at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Webster, and Wednesday in "The Addams Family" at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston.

Keith Dupree of Pearland portrays the diminutive Lord Farquaad.

"I am on my knees the whole time," he said. "I have on knee pads, and black leggings and a long cape, to hide my (own) legs, and I also have to maneuver his little fake legs."

The 2009 graduate of Clear Lake High School, who is 26, has been performing in theater for 13 years.

"My first musical was "The Mikado' at Clear Creek Community Theatre," he said. "I also played Feldzieg in "The Drowsy Chaperone' at College of the Mainland Community Theatre in Texas City."

Dupree works for an energy company in downtown Houston while studying business at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Pearland is Dupree's home base, he said.

"It's right in the middle of everything."

"There are a certain few shows I've always wanted to do," he said. "Farquaad was one of my dream roles to play, so I kept my eye out for 'Shrek' auditions."

Matthew Pena of Deer Park plays Shrek, a towering green ogre.

"I am pretty average in height," he said, "but what Shrek lacks in height, he makes up for in 'oomph.' "

The 24-year-old son of Tracie Perez of Deer Park and Gonzalo Pena of Spring graduated from Deer Park High School in 2011. He worked at Art Park Players for two years as a technical theater assistant, and now drives an ambulance for a refinery in Deer Park.

"Matt is perfect for the part," said co-director David Eck. "He is a very lovable, big guy, with one of the biggest hearts ever. He is immensely talented, with the voice of an angel."

Pena said he took his cue for how to play Shrek from how the character himself explains that, like an onion, he has many layers.

"He has a rough exterior, but he's also very sweet," said the actor. "His sensitive side comes out when he sings 'Big Bright Beautiful World (reprise)' toward the end of the show."

Pena thinks the musical expresses the message of acceptance and inclusion even better than the original movie.

"Not everybody is what we might define as normal or the same," he explained. "The show is about how people should be accepted for their differences, even loved for their differences. It is fun to get to spread this (message) to people of all ages."

The show's music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire feature colorful characters singing "Big Bright Beautiful World," "Freak Flag," "What's Up, Duloc?" and other showstoppers.

"Shrek the Musical" is a presentation of the City of Deer Park Parks and Recreation Department and the Art Park Players. It is directed by David Eck and Susan Mele, with choreography by Heather Steele, musical direction by Alex Musgrove and technical direction by Joe Piper.

The cast features Matthew Pena, Emmy Smith, Vernon Rose, Nicole Flenniken and Keith Dupree, along with Chad Fontenot (Pinocchio), Andrea Richards (Gingy/Sugar Plum Fairy), Rachel VonDeylen (Teen Fiona), Abigail Reeves (Young Fiona), Sebastian Stranch (Young Shrek/Grumpy), Steven Reeder (Big Bad Wolf), Marc VonDeylen (Bishop), Monique VonDeylen (Queen Lillian/Mad Hatter), Fred White (King Harold, Thelonius), Kathleen Hughey (Mama Bear), Caleb Monroe (Papa Bear), Maya Garcia (Baby Bear), Katelyn Defrancis (White Rabbit), Jennifer McLaughlin (Fairy Godmother), Benjamin Ruege (Peter Pan), Suzie Ruege (Witch), Jordan Lucas (Elf), Nancy Shanks (Humpty Dumpty), Scott Flenniken (Papa Ogre), Tatianna Cortez (Mama Ogre), Elliott Vrettos (Ugly Duckling), Julia Thomas (Tweedle Dee), Madison Stinson (Tweedle Dum), AnnMarie Tapia (Hobbit), Rose Monroe (Little Red), Rebecca Lenzo (Fairy), Galadriel Warring (Fairy), Mary Arrigo (Fairy), Jade Torres (Puss in Boots), Lacey Myers (Rat), Calah Gutierrez (Little Bo Peep), Cadden Wilson (Guard), Spencer Langseth (Guard), Jenna Roberts (Villager), Carlee Flenniken (Villager), Will Flenniken (Villager), Baily Crenshaw (Villager), Brianna Alvarado (Villager) and David Heyen, Eddy Reyes and Austin Midkiff (Three Little Pigs).

Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net
The North Korean missile that soared high above the Sea of Japan early Monday was hailed by state-run television as a "shining success." But to U.S. officials, it was a most unwelcome surprise: a weapon with intercontinental range, delivered years before most Western experts believed such a feat possible.

Hours after the apparently successful test, intelligence agencies continued to run calculations to determine precisely how the missile, dubbed the Hwasong-14, performed in its maiden flight. But the consensus among missiles experts was that North Korea had achieved a long-sought milestone, demonstrating a capability of striking targets thousands of miles from its coast.

Initial Pentagon assessments said North Korea had tested a "land-based, intermediate-range" missile that landed in the Sea of Japan just under 600 linear miles from its launch point, Panghyon Airfield, near the Chinese border. But government and independent analyses showed the missile traveling in a steep arc that topped out at more than 1,740 vertical miles above the Earth's surface.

If flown in a more typical trajectory, the missile would have easily traveled 4,000 miles, potentially putting all of Alaska within its range, according to former government officials and independent analysts. A missile that exceeds a range of 3,400 miles is classified as an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM.

"This is a big deal: It's an ICBM, not a 'kind of' ICBM,' " said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia program at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "And there's no reason to think that this is going to be the maximum range."

David Wright, senior scientist for the Union of Concerned Scientists, calculated in a published analysis that the Hwasong-14's demonstrated capability exceeded 4,100 linear miles, based on preliminary estimates released Monday.

"That range would not be enough to reach the Lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska," Wright said.

North Korea's apparent accomplishment puts it well ahead of schedule in its years-long quest to develop a true ICBM. The Hwasong-14 tested Monday could not have reached the U.S. mainland, analysts say, and there's no evidence to date that North Korea is capable of building a miniaturized nuclear warhead to fit on one of its longer-range missiles. But there is now little reason to doubt that both are within North Korea's grasp, weapons experts say.

"In the past five years, we have seen significant, and much more rapid-than-expected development of their ballistic-missiles capability," said Victor Cha, a former director of Asian affairs for the George W. Bush administration's National Security Council. "Their capabilities have exceeded our expectations on a consistent basis."

While U.S. intelligence officials have sought, with some success, to disrupt North Korea's progress, Pyongyang has achieved breakthroughs in multiple areas, such as the development of solid-fuel rocket engines and mobile-launch capabilities, including rockets that can be fired from submarines. Early analysis suggests that the Hwasong-14 uses a new kind of indigenously built ballistic-missile engine, one that North Korea unveiled with fanfare on March 18. Nearly all the country's previous ballistic missiles used engines based on modifications of older, Soviet-era technology.

"It's not a copy of a crappy Soviet engine, and it's not a pair of Soviet engines kludged together - it's the real thing," Lewis said. "When they first unveiled the engine on March 18, they said that the 'world would soon see what this means.' I think we're now seeing them take that basic engine design and execute it for an ICBM."

In announcing the test in a special TV broadcast Monday, North Korean officials proclaimed that the country had achieved an ICBM capability that would safeguard the communist government from attacks by the United States and other adversaries. According to U.S. analysts, leader Kim Jong Un has long calculated that nuclear-armed ICBMs are the best deterrence against threats to his survival, as any perceived aggression against him could trigger a retaliatory strike targeting U.S. cities.

"As the dignified nuclear power who possesses the strongest intercontinental ballistic rocket which is capable of hitting any part of the world along with the nuclear weapons, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will fundamentally terminate the U.S. nuclear war threats and blackmail and credibly protect the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region," a government spokeswoman said in a bulletin read on state-run television.

The spokeswoman added that the missile's trajectory was deliberately set "at the highest angle" to avoid harming neighboring countries.

That claim rang true to U.S. analysts, who agreed that the high arc was likely intended to avoid possibly hitting Japanese territory. Moreover, the rocket's flight path also would help North Korea secure another objective: secrecy. By sending the spent engine splashing into the deep waters of the Sea of Japan, Pyongyang ensured that it would be hard, if not impossible, for U.S. and Japanese divers to find and retrieve the parts.
BEIJING - North Korea's latest test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile marks a direct challenge to President Donald Trump, whose tough talk has yet to yield any change in Pyongyang's behavior as the regime continues its efforts to build a nuclear weapon capable of striking the mainland United States.

The missile - launched Tuesday in North Korea, late Monday in the United States - flew higher and remained in the air longer than previous attempts, enough to reach all of Alaska, experts said. They called it a major milestone for North Korea's weapons program.

The test comes just before Trump will see key Asian leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week. North Korea was already expected to be a main subject for meetings on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit, but the test adds urgency to a widening U.S. campaign aimed at further isolating North Korea.

The day after the launch, the U.S. Army and the South Korean military conducted a missile exercise in response to "North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions," U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement. It was unclear how Pyongyang might react to the exercise, which launched missiles into South Korean territorial waters along the country's eastern coastline.

"Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision-fire capability," said Dana White, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

Trump responded to the North Korean missile test by applying rhetorical pressure on China, North Korea's ally and economic lifeline, and by mocking dictator Kim Jong Un on Twitter.

"North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" Trump asked in a message very shortly after the launch.

"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," Trump continued. "Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

The launch follows a string of recent actions by Pyongyang, including a salvo of missiles last month and three tests in May. Kim has now launched more missiles in one year than his father and predecessor in the family dynasty did in 17 years in power.

North Korea has also conducted five nuclear weapons tests since 2006, including two last year.

The number and variety of tests worry experts who see each step as part of a march toward a missile capable of striking America's West Coast.

The missile tests violate existing United Nations and other sanctions, which North Korea has found ways to evade. Although Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have declared that the "era of strategic patience" with North Korea is over, the new U.S. administration has not spelled out what that means.

Tillerson has said Washington might eventually negotiate with North Korea under the right circumstances, but he has suggested that possibility is remote. The United States will act alone if it must, he has warned, though he has not spelled out what exactly that would entail.

The Trump administration has recently leaned on China to rein in North Korea and curb illicit trade with the country, an international pariah largely cut off from the global financial system.

Given that Japan and South Korea are within range of existing North Korean missiles, Trump has also sought to unite leaders of both nations behind a strongly worded U.S. position that it will no longer tolerate the North's provocations. The Trump administration has asked other nations around the globe to sever or downgrade diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.

Leaders of China, South Korea and Japan will be at the G-20 meeting in Germany.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared to share Trump's frustration, if not his tone. In remarks to the news media, he vowed to work closely with the United States and South Korea, but called on China and Russia to do more.

"I'd like to strongly urge international society's cooperation on the North Korea issue and urge China's chairman, Xi Jinping, and Russia's President Putin to take more constructive measures," Abe said.

In a daily news conference, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, condemned the test but countered that Beijing had "spared no effort" in its fight.

On Tuesday, Russia and China jointly proposed that North Korea put further nuclear and missile tests on hold while the United States and ally South Korea refrain from large-scale military exercises. Both Russia and China oppose North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Both also oppose the U.S. antimissile system being installed in South Korea.

Experts said the Trump administration does not have many choices for what to do next.

"Unfortunately, the Trump administration has few options other than robust economic pressure on China and North Korea," said Anthony Ruggiero, a specialist on the long-running diplomatic and military standoff at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "The U.S. wasted the last 10 years with a combination of negotiations that were destined to fail and strategic patience that failed from the start."

A new sanctions regime led by the United States would be the best response, Ruggiero said, because China and Russia would veto the most effective form of sanctions at the U.N. Security Council.

Last week, the Trump administration announced sanctions targeting a China-based bank accused of laundering money for the North Korean government and moved forward with an arms sale to Taiwan that Beijing opposes.

Trump followed up with a call Sunday to China's Xi, in which Trump "raised the growing threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs," according to the White House.

"Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula," a White House statement said, while "President Trump reiterated his determination to seek more balanced trade relations with America's trading partners."

The trade reference was an implicit threat to reassert U.S. complaints about Chinese economic practices that Trump has largely set aside in recent months as he has sought to engage Xi, with whom he claims a strong relationship.

China has pledged cooperation with the United States over North Korea but has not fundamentally shifted away from a strategy that balances pressure on the Kim regime with keeping the regime afloat, said Chris Steinitz, a research scientist at the federally funded, nonprofit Center for Naval Analyses.

"It's kind of how China looks at everything. They have a very long view," Steinitz said. "They will wait, they will bide their time. They have a lot of priorities."

In the meantime, Steinitz said, North Korea will continue to test missiles.

The U.S. military said the Hwasong-14 was in the air for 37 minutes, a duration that signals a significant improvement over previous tests. In a special announcement on state television, North Korea said the missile flew about 579 miles, reaching an altitude of 1,741 miles.

The launch was made from a site in North Korea's North Pyongan province, and the missile flew more than 500 miles before landing in waters off Japan's coast, U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials said.

As with other recent launches, the missile appears to have been fired at a very steep trajectory in an effort to avoid flying over neighbors.

Multiple independent analyses of the test showed that the missile flew at a high-altitude trajectory, soaring to about 1,700 miles before landing in the Pacific off the Japanese coast, about 580 miles from its launch point.

The Pentagon and the State Department confirmed late Tuesday that North Korea had launched an ICBM.

"The United States strongly condemns North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile," Tillerson said in a statement. "Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world."

Tillerson added that the United States intends to bring the issue before the U.N. Security Council to hold North Korea accountable. On Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, announced that she and her counterparts in Japan and South Korea had requested an emergency Security Council meeting, set for Wednesday afternoon.

---

Rauhala reported from Beijing. The Washington Post's Joby Warrick and Dan Lamothe reported from Washington; Shirley Feng and Yang Liu reported from Beijing.
The U.S. Army and South Korean military responded to North Korea's latest launch with their own exercise of missiles, launching them Wednesday into South Korean territorial waters along the country's eastern coastline, U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement. The launches were directly in response to "North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions," Pacific Command said.

The Army used its Army Tactical Missile System and South Korea used its Hyunmoo Missile II, which can be deployed rapidly and provide "deep strike precision capability," Pacific Command said.

The South Korean-U.S. military alliance "remains committed to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific," Pacific Command said. "The U.S. commitment to the defense of the [Republic of Korea] in the face of threats is ironclad."

On Tuesday, North Korea launched a missile that flew higher and remained in the air longer than previous attempts, enough to reach all of Alaska, experts said, in a milestone for North Korea's weapons program. The response from the U.S. and South Korean military alliance, which came Tuesday evening Washington time, amounted to a show of force, though it is unclear how the North Korean government would perceive it.

The Army describes the missiles it used as long-range, all-weather guided missiles. They are designed to be precise in nature and can be used beyond the range of artillery and rockets.

The U.S. missile system can be used to take out ground combat units, surface-to-surface missile units, air-defense units, helicopter rearming and refueling systems and communications sites, according to an Army fact sheet.

Some of the missiles in the system are designed to deliver a single, 500-pound warhead on a target through the use of satellite guidance, while others distribute hundreds of smaller bomblets over a larger distance, according to the Army.

Dana White, a Pentagon spokeswoman, confirmed in a statement Tuesday night that the missile North Korea used was an intercontinental ballistic missile and described it as a "escalatory launch."

"The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies," White said. "Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability."

White said that the United States remains prepared to defend itself and allies and to use "the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea." The United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korea Peninsula, and its commitment to its allies is ironclad, she added.
Texas colleges and universities are resisting a national college admissions slump, enrolling 1.7 percent more students year over year as campuses nationwide saw a 1.5 percent decline in student enrollment, according to recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse.

The numbers reflect demographic shifts nationally and in the Southwest also reported by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

Declining birth rates mean the number of high school graduates will be stagnant through the early 2020s, causing universities nationwide to feel an enrollment pinch, according to the commission. With fewer high school graduates, there is a smaller pool for universities to recruit. By 2020, about 3,000 fewer students are expected to graduate from high school nationally than in 2013.

"Institutions that cannot attract graduate students to compensate for declining numbers of undergraduates will continue to struggle in the coming years," Doug Shapiro, executive research director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, said in a statement. "The spring 2017 numbers reinforce the trends that we saw in the fall term, and will likely continue: enrollments at community colleges and smaller non-profits declining, while four-year public colleges and larger privates hold steady."

But in Texas, the number of public high school graduates is projected to grow by 22.6 percent between the 2011-12 academic year and 2024-25, the education commission found.

The clearinghouse data show Texas institutions enrolled 1.39 million students last spring, up from 1.37 million in spring 2016. New Hampshire was the only other state with enrollment growth above 20,000 students.

Meanwhile, Michigan, New York and California campuses lost between 18,000 and 20,000 students each, seeing the largest drops in the country.

The gains in Texas come as universities and colleges around Houston have set lofty enrollment goals, as enrolling more students leads to more tuition revenue and state funding from the formula that distributes money to public institutions.

"The Houston area is one of the most dynamic areas of the country in terms of growth overall," said Peter Bryant, an enrollment expert at Iowa firm Ruffalo Noel Levitz, in an interview last fall on Lone Star College's enrollment growth. Bryant wasn't available for an interview on Monday but said in an email that broader trends had not changed since the fall.

Universities and colleges around Houston have hustled over the last few years to make sure they're keeping up with the region's growing population.

Nearly 8,600 students enrolled at Texas Southern University in the spring semester - a 5.75 percent increase from last spring's enrollment. The growth was driven partly by a 47 percent increase in new students transferring from community colleges.

Austin Lane, TSU's president, has said that better relationships with local community colleges would play a pivotal role in growing enrollment, which had declined since 2012. His goal is to expand enrollment to 15,000 students by 2020.

University of Houston-Downtown is three years into an ambitious strategic plan that also focuses on enrollment growth - up from 14,251 last year to 18,000 by 2020.

Texas' growth in college-age candidates will stem largely from an increase in black and Hispanic high school graduates, according to the regional commission's report.
Liberty is a beautiful thing. This week, we celebrate America's independence with fireworks, festivals and parades packed with national symbols: our colors, our flag, our military veterans in full dress uniform.

Beneath these symbols are sacred ideals. Among the most precious is the principle of individual liberty, the idea that government is created by and for the people.

At our nation's heart is not a building in Washington or a chamber in Austin, but We the People.

As such, it's been understood for most of Texas' history that government closest to the people governs best, so long as it adheres to basic laws and rights enshrined in state and national constitutions. The concept is known as local control. For more than a century, the power of larger cities to govern as locals see fit has been codified in state law as "home-rule."

Now that form of independence is under attack by foes you'd least suspect: Gov. Greg Abbott and other far-right members of a Republican Party that long has championed local control, small government and protection from government overreach.

When the Texas Legislature meets later this month for another expensive, unnecessary 30-day special session, at least half of the items on Abbott's agenda deal with issues usually handled by cities, counties and school districts, from property tax collection to tree ordinances.

"The list of proposed topics for a special session represents an all-out assault on the ability of Texas voters to decide what's best for their communities and their neighborhoods," Texas Municipal League Executive Director Bennett Sandlin said in a statement in June.

He said "no one has ever proposed such sweeping restrictions" on local voters' ability to shape their communities and that "stifling their voices through an all-powerful, overreaching state government is a recipe for disaster."

It's a troubling trend that has been building for a while. Through the years, lawmakers have taken aim at local governments' ability to regulate everything from plastic grocery bags to fracking. In the most recent session, the state attempted to usurp local control on issues ranging from public restrooms to policing.

On the latter, lawmakers forced through a ban on so-called "sanctuary cities" - which the bill's author admitted do not exist in Texas - despite the protest of big city law enforcement across the state. The law requires local police to comply with immigration detainer requests that are supposed to voluntary and allows individual officers to violate the policies of their chiefs and ask anyone in custody their immigration status, including those held in a routine traffic stop.

Whether you agree with the "sanctuary cities" provision or not, insubordination in police departments and outright assault on local control should concern any Texan.

And so should the increasingly authoritarian rhetoric Abbott has used to defend it.

"As opposed to the state having to take multiple rifle-shot approaches at overriding local regulations, I think a broad-based law by the state of Texas that says across the board, the state is going to preempt local regulations, is a superior approach," Abbott has said.

The approach is "more simple, more elegant," Abbott says.

Yeah, well, so is communism. One rule for all. Real simple.

Hypocritical Republicans

Until recently, I was confounded by how a conservative Republican governor could get away with such an argument. Isn't this hypocrisy from a guy who used to brag as attorney general about suing President Barack Obama for government overreach?

Then I heard some like-minded lawmakers explain. Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, for example, argues that the states created the federal government, limiting federal authority.

It's a flawed premise, one that the Confederate states tried to use to secede from the Union, says Charles "Rocky" Rhodes, professor of constitutional law at South Texas College of Law Houston.

"There's nothing to support that," he said.

While it's true that the state conventions ratified the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court has held for almost 200 years that it was an act of the people, Rhodes says.

So, yes, Republicans in Austin are hypocrites for bemoaning federal overreach while at the same time micromanaging the crime-fighting tactics of Houston's police chief.

But Burton and others make a valid point when they say that cities lack the sovereignty of states. Cities do derive power from the state.

Texas law allows home-rule cities such as Houston the right to govern as local leaders see fit, so long as local laws don't violate state law or the state constitution.

Killing the home-rule

And there's the rub. Now state leaders are taking aim at specific local laws by aggressively pre-empting them with state legislation.

And technically, there's nothing in Texas law to stop them. Lawmakers in Austin can trample local rule as they see fit. They, essentially, can kill home-rule by a thousand cuts.

"Whether that's good policy or not, or inconsistent with the idea that local people should be controlling what happens in their locality, is a different issue," Rhodes, the constitutional law professor, said.

One of the most striking arguments that the anti-local control folks make is that they're doing it to preserve liberty. That, somehow, ordinances to keep plastic bags from polluting waterways in a city or from suffocating cattle in a rural town are attacks on liberty.

Even so, locals are better positioned to fight offending ordinances a few miles away than they are in a pink dome that in Texas can be 500 miles away.

The city of Houston, Rhodes points out, is not too much smaller than the population of America at the time the Constitution was ratified.

"The idea that a city of that size couldn't govern itself would be shocking to the framers," Rhodes says.

It should be shocking to all of us, even two centuries later.
The slaying of a 79-year-old woman inside her Hedwig Village home has shaken the well-to-do city that has not seen an active murder investigation in roughly two decades.

Reminders of the recent violence reverberated down the village streets Tuesday morning as reporters swarmed the scene and police re-canvassed the area, looking for leads in the killing of Janeil Bernard.

"This is a very big hit to this community," Sgt. Marvin Collins of Hedwig Village Police Department told reporters.

It was Bernard's maid who first reported the slaying Monday afternoon, after she walked into the ranch home on the 11000 block of Capri and made a gruesome discovery.

The elderly woman appeared to have been beaten and stabbed, and parts of the house were ransacked.

"It was a very brutal scene," Collins said, adding that it appeared Bernard had fought back against her attacker.

Collins said robbery may have been the motive.

After Monday's find, police realized the woman's car and wallet appeared stolen. The vehicle - a red Cadillac sedan with a Texas license plate - turned up in southwest Houston, near Almeda Genoa and State Highway 288. The keys were found on the ground about 200 feet away.

Acquaintance attacker?

Houston police, who notified Hedwig Village about the recovered vehicle around 10:30 p.m. Monday, have offered to process the car for evidence.

Bernard had a "very scheduled life," Collins said.

She was involved in a number of activities. Bernard did part-time accounting work and had clients who came to her home, but no one was on her calendar for a recent visit, according to investigators. Authorities are hoping for tips about her Sunday-night routine.

Police also are developing a suspect and are monitoring the credit cards that were in her wallet for activity.

Despite the chaos inside, some parts of the home were untouched, as if the robber had a specific goal in mind, investigators said.

"Whoever did this didn't spend a lot of time in the house," Collins said. "There's a lot of electronics that weren't taken. Whoever did this was looking for a particular - possibly cash or jewelry."

It still was not clear Tuesday what may have been taken.

"Because she's a very independent person, there's not a lot of information as to what all she actually had," Collins said.

There were no signs of forced entry at the home, and Bernard typically kept her doors locked, leading police to suggest the woman may have known her attacker.

'Time to help her'

Surveillance footage acquired by police from nearby homes has narrowed the killing's time frame to a seven-hour span on Sunday.

Collins said one of Bernard's sons said he spoke to her around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Security video from the neighborhood shows the red Cadillac leaving the home between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., the sergeant said.

Authorities are asking people to come forward with any additional information that can help reconstruct the chain of events.

"I'm told she's a real giving person, that she helps a lot of people that are in need," Collins said. "Now's the time to help her."

Police said they have no record of any past calls for service at the home, though Bernard's son told officers the house had been burglarized some 20 years ago.

"I don't think we've had an active homicide in this city since the 90s," Collins said. "We have an older resident population in this area, and that has people worried, that has people concerned."

Cindy George contributed to this story.
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Squad 13 made its first case a week ago: charging a 24-year-old man with shooting another man who tried to intervene in a domestic dispute.

The Houston Police Department's new overnight investigative unit arrived shortly after the 1 a.m.shooting on June 25, canvassing witnesses and scouring the southwest Houston apartment complex for the shooter.

As paramedics rushed the injured man to Ben Taub Hospital, Squad 13 investigators found Tomas Gonzalez-Turquiz - and the weapon they believe he used.

The arrest marked the debut of the new squad, tasked with chasing down criminals responsible for thousands of serious but nonlethal aggravated assaults, robberies, shootings and other violent crimes that play out at night on the streets of Houston each year.

It also reflects a serious shift in HPD's efforts to fight gun violence and other serious crimes overlooked in years past while homicide investigators focused on fatalities.

"It's common sense," said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who has made fighting gun crime a top priority. "You can't have detectives and investigators not rolling on aggravated assaults. Aggravated assaults are just a failed murder."

Guns claimed more than 400 lives in Houston through homicide or suicide, and firearms were used in at least another 5,450 aggravated assaults in 2016, according to police data.

Much of the crime happens at night.

"The only crooks that work banker hours are Enron execs and bank robbers," said Larry Karson, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston-Downtown. "Having investigators respond around-the-clock means that they have a chance to immediately locate witnesses at the scene and do field interviews instead of trying to find witnesses a day or two later based only on a busy patrol officer's report."

Next time could be murder

The new investigators will augment the 15 detectives and homicide sergeants on Squad 8, the homicide division's overnight murder squad.

"It really is something we need," said Lt. Warren Meeler, who will oversee the new unit. "We have a lot of shootings we just didn't have the capacity to make before  There's a lot of shootings out there that are just a millimeter away from being a murder."

Homicide investigators previously responded only to lethal shootings or violent crimes where a victim's death was imminent. Overnight assault cases could sometimes lag for hours before being handed off by patrol officers to investigators.

Meeler recruited the members of the new unit from a pool of 33 applicants. The new squad's most junior member is a 2-year patrol officer; the most experienced has worked in law enforcement for 21 years.

Four officers started working in late June and the unit should be close to full strength by mid-July, he said.

Investigators will also help the murder squad handle large scenes, and their work will groom them for openings in the future.

"They're going to get vast amounts of experience - with living victims," Meeler said. "And one day, when they're ready to move, to transition to a murder squad, there's no learning curve."

A similar unit that had responded to a more diverse range of cases was disbanded last year - before Acevedo took the top job - in an effort to shift more officers to patrol.

Joseph Gamaldi, vice president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, said the organization supports the new unit but believes the city needs to hire more officers.

"We feel it's a more proactive approach to investigating aggravated assaults," Gamaldi said. "Crime is up in this city and we hope deploying this unit will help reduce violent crime in the city, considering we're 1,500 officers short."

The 'Lucky 13'

The explosion of violence that Sunday happened just outside a southwest Houston apartment.

Two men confronted Gonzalez-Turquiz after they saw him assaulting a family member, police said. He then pulled out a pistol and tried to shoot the first man, but the gun misfired. He then pointed the weapon at the other man and shot him, according to investigators.

The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition, but additional details about his condition were not available.

Gonzalez-Turquiz faces aggravated assault and family violence charges. Court records show he has been arrested twice before in Harris County on trespassing charges - once in September 2015 and again in January. In each case, he pleaded guilty or did not contest the charges, court records show.

His attorney, Joe Salinas, could not be reached for comment.

Later the same day Gonzalez-Turquiz was arrested, Squad 13 made a second arrest. About 11:35 p.m., a 34-year-old Houston man suffered severe head trauma after being run over by a car during an argument.

Rescue personnel took the victim to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Police arrested Monte Justus Pounds, 35. He has a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 1999, and previously pleaded guilty to drug possession, theft and assaulting a family member, court records show.

A lawyer is not yet listed for Pounds' most recent case. Mary Acosta, a Harris County public defender who represented him previously, could not be reached for comment.

The two cases are just a fraction of what lies ahead for a group Acevedo nicknamed the "Lucky 13," while making an innocuous joke to a reporter.

Since then, the investigators have embraced the name and created a slogan to go along with it.

"We make our own luck," Meeler said.
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Mr. Vito, as his students call him, began class with his usual questions: "What do you want to know? What would you like to read?"

The English as a Second Language instructor, whose full name is Vito Susca, sat at the head of a long conference table. By his elbow, a pile of dog-eared reference books: A Dictionary of American Idioms. World Almanac 2017. Collins Thesaurus. Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

His adult students at the Literacy Council of Fort Bend County can look up a nettlesome word in seconds on their smartphones, but the 86-year-old Susca is old school. So whenever someone stumbles over vocabulary, one of the books is passed around the table.

From Renee Kang, a native of Hong Kong, to Erika Arroyo, a soon-to-be first-time mother from Brazil. From Jean Cuyollaa, an ebullient retiree from France, to Morvarid Rad, a soft-spoken Iranian.

From one newcomer to another, then back to Mr. Vito, a retired engineer, Korean War veteran, history buff, widower twice over, son of an Italian immigrant father and Polish-American mother who both struggled to learn English as adults.

In his 17th year as a volunteer teacher, Susca conducts his class like a seminar on American culture, weaving in current events and comic strip brain teasers, regaling students with tales from his life and chapters from U.S. history. They leap from syntax and vocabulary to the Haymarket Square riots and the Trail of Tears; from grammar and idioms to the six flags of Texas and the meaning of Juneteenth.

Susca meanders and motivates, corrects mistakes gently and nudges reluctant speakers, creating a welcoming space for immigrants who must not only learn a thorny new language, but navigate a new way of life.

They are pushing past homesickness and hostility, delighting in this country's freedoms and discovering some of its flaws, and finding support among strangers who recognize that an accent does not equal a lack of education.

Just like Susca's parents.

Just like countless waves of immigrants before them.

---

"What would you like to read?" Susca asked again, as the students shuffled through a package of articles and opinion pieces clipped from the newspaper. One was about gender-loaded language in fiction; another about the universality of feeling like a foreigner.

A third was headlined "The Immigration Dodge" - a Wall Street Journal opinion piece arguing for lowering the number of immigrants allowed into the United States.

They started with that one.

"What do you do with people who have been here for a long time but are illegal, not a citizen?" Susca said, posing an opening question. "Under Trump's plan, he wants them all out of here."

Kang began reading: "All sides need to be clearer about what immigration policy is meant to ... achieve." Her tongue tangled over the last word.

"Achieve," Susca repeated. "What is it going to do for us? By deporting these people to their countries, what will it do for us?"

He paused.

"It's a painful experience for people who wanted to come here, who wanted freedom because this is, of course, the land of opportunity," mused Susca. "Whatever you want to do, if you're a hard worker, you can do what you want. You can make a very good life."

"It's the American Dream," said Kang.

"Yep, the American Dream," Susca agreed, "that's what we always talk about."

That is what drew Moryel Roman and her family from Venezuela three years ago. Her husband, who works for Energizer, was offered a chance to transfer. The political situation back home was chaotic. The U.S. seemed more secure, safer for their children

Roman, 36, arrived knowing only some grammar from her high school English classes. Now, she can communicate more easily, but is still shy about her accent.

In class, that isn't a problem. Outside, it can be.

"Sometimes, when you try to understand what they are saying and you ask can you please repeat that, people are not very kind with you," said Roman, who has been in the ESL class since January. "They say: 'You are not from this country. Keep quiet.' "

Roman tries to take those comments in stride. The problem, she says, is the other person's, not hers.

Besides, she retorts, "what other language do they know?"

---

As the students took turns reading the op-ed, Susca reviewed new vocabulary words. Contentious. Polarizing. Animosity. Ideological.

"More than 4 million people are on immigration waiting lists," read Jennie Lai, who came from Hong Kong. "And the universe of potential immigrants to the U.S. is much larger still."

Allowing large numbers of immigrants into the U.S., the writer argued, would depress wages and cause Americans to lose jobs.

"That's the biggest problem. Most Americans won't do these jobs," Susca said. "They consider them distasteful."

Another new word.

"Distasteful? Not tasty?" joked Cuyollaa, who enlivens the classes with a mischievous wit. "What will happen to Sugar Land and all these communities where you have lawns to be cut when Trump will put them back?"

Susca thought of his father, who immigrated in 1909 and earned a living laying tracks for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. He was paid a dollar a day and had to shell out 10 cents a night to sleep in a boxcar.

"No one wanted to do that job," said Susca. "Who would do these jobs if you didn't have immigrants coming in?"

---

An hour into class, Soraya Blanco hustled into the room with an apology and an enthusiastic greeting for Mr. Vito.

The Venezuelan immigrant had rushed from her job as a dispatcher for the Greensheet. A former flight attendant, Blanco left her country to escape political turmoil and to join her oldest son, who has been living in the U.S. for 13 years.

At first, she said, she felt embraced and sheltered here. That changed with the presidential election last November.

Now, Blanco feels that immigrants - whether they are here legally or not - are no longer met with open arms. She senses a new animosity in routine interactions. It scares and saddens her.

"If we are doing everything we are supposed to, we expect to live in peace and safety," she said.

Blanco picked up the reading: "Inhabitants of diverse communities tend to withdraw from collective life, to distrust their neighbors."

Susca scanned the students seated at the table, 10 of more than 700 immigrants who attend several classes a week at the center to improve English and gain marketable skills. Living in a county often tagged the most diverse in the nation, in a region where one in four residents are foreign-born.

"He's saying these people don't integrate. They feel that they're separate," he said, shaking his head. "I don't know about that, because of what I do here. The people who come here are eager to learn about integrating into society."

He shrugged.

"OK. Let's go on."
Another high-ranking official has resigned from the embattled Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which has been rocked by a series of controversies over extravagant spending and regulatory overreach in recent months.

General Counsel Emily Helm, the agency's top lawyer, resigned effective Monday, according to the head of the commission that oversees the TABC.

"I have accepted the resignation of General Counsel Emily Helm," said commission Chairman Kevin Lilly, the Houston businessman tapped by Gov. Greg Abbott to reform the agency. "I thank her for her many years of service to this agency and the people of Texas, and wish her well on her future endeavors."

Helm is the third high-ranking official to leave the TABC since The Texas Tribune began investigating the agency over lavish trips to out-of-state resorts, questionable use of peace officer status by top agency honchos, failures to accurately maintain records of state-owned vehicles and heavy-handed regulatory tactics against alcohol permit holders.

Executive Director Sherry Cook announced her retirement in April, a few days after she and other top officials were grilled by the House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics. Abbott welcomed it as a "good start" toward an agency house-cleaning.

Then in May, a member of the three-person commission overseeing the regulatory agency, Steven Weinberg, a hold-over appointee from the administration of former Gov. Rick Perry, abruptly resigned after a commission meeting.

Sources with knowledge of Helm's resignation Monday say it is part of an ongoing effort by Abbott and Lilly to shake up the agency and install new people in top leadership posts. Last week Lilly visited the TABC's Austin headquarters, where he reviewed the personnel files of senior staff and conducted a series of closed-door meetings with them.

Fight with Spec's

The Helm departure was announced just a few days after the Tribune published a story about the TABC's botched enforcement action against Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods, the state's largest liquor store chain, in which Helm played a key role.

After a three-year investigation that cost Spec's more than $1 million to fight, the agency had sought to yank all of the retailer's liquor permits or fine it up to $713 million. In a stinging rebuke of the state's actions, two administrative law judges found the TABC failed to prove any of its dozens of allegations of serious liquor law violations.

Instead, the judges recommended Spec's be given a warning for a minor "credit law" infraction - a single late payment totaling $778 - under an arcane Texas law spelling out when liquor stores must pay their suppliers.

Spec's says the payment fell within a grace period and it may fight even the warning.

The Houston lawyer representing Spec's, Al Van Huff, said Helm abused her power during settlement negotiations with the family-owned company. Helm, through a spokesman, denied the accusation.

Fired from previous job

It is not Helm's first brush with controversy at a state agency. She was fired from the Texas Youth Commission (since merged into the Texas Juvenile Justice Department) in 2007 in the wake of a wide-ranging scandal in which agency managers were criticized for failing to act on reports of widespread abuse, records show.

According to state personnel records, Helm was terminated and made ineligible for rehire at the agency after providing "untruthful and inaccurate statements" to investigators. Her employment status was listed as "TERM-Retirement."

When she applied for a job at the TABC, Helm was asked to describe why she had left her TYC job. She wrote: "Will discuss at interview/retired," records show.

Agency spokesman Chris Porter said Helm informed TABC officials of her termination before they gave her a job.

"Ms. Helm fully disclosed the circumstances surrounding her termination from TYC at the time of her employment interview with the Commission," Porter said. "The Commission had full knowledge of those details when she was offered the job."
Houston City Council voted Wednesday to sue the state over its new "sanctuary cities" law, joining Texas' three other largest cities in challenging the controversial measure that allows police to ask people their immigration status if stopped, and threatens to punish law enforcement officials who refuse federal immigration holds.

Council voted 10-6, with At-Large Councilman Jack Christie abstaining, to join San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and other local governments and nonprofits in a consolidated lawsuit challenging the law, officially known as Senate Bill 4.

The high-profile legal fight is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Monday in San Antonio, where the U.S. Department of Justice reportedly is prepared to join Texas in defending the law.

"Houstonians are expecting us to stand up and protect their interests, not to defer to somebody else, not to wait and say El Paso is doing this, or San Antonio is doing this, or Dallas is doing this or Austin," Mayor Sylvester Turner said. "The filing of a lawsuit doesn't make us a sanctuary city, but I do think it is the proper forum to assess the constitutionality of Senate Bill 4."

Turner, who had shied away from the issue for months, decided two weeks ago to put a lawsuit to a vote of council.

He was joined by council members Jerry Davis, Ellen Cohen, Dwight Boykins, Karla Cisneros, Robert Gallegos, Mike Laster, Larry Green, David Robinson and Amanda Edwards in voting for litigation.

"I could say it's mean or mean-spirited, but it's not just mean or mean-spirited. I believe it's a vicious bill," said Laster, who represents District J. "I believe it's instilled in far too many of our citizens a profound and deep fear."

Cisneros, who represents District H, added that Houston should not sit on the sidelines while other cities take on the law.

"Where do you draw the line when it comes to stepping up and taking a stand and owning some responsibility?" she asked. "Is it responsible to say, let's let San Antonio or Austin or some other city fight our fight?"

Cost concerns

Some of the council members opposed to a lawsuit had questioned why Houston should involve itself in a legal fight others already are waging.

"The city of Houston is very good at getting into lawsuits all by ourselves. I don't think it's necessary that we reach out and hunt for lawsuits to join," At-Large Councilman Mike Knox said. "Other than size, I don't see where Houston has anything to add of any substance to this particular lawsuit."

Knox was joined by council members Brenda Stardig, Dave Martin, Steve Le, Greg Travis and Michael Kubosh.

Their arguments have centered on cost, a commitment to enforcing federal immigration laws and the possibility that Houston could lose state or federal funding by suing.

President Donald Trump's administration wants to deny federal grants from so-called sanctuary cities that do not fully cooperate with immigration authorities, but temporarily has been blocked in court.

Turner, who estimated the litigation would cost $250,000, said he thinks it is "highly, highly unlikely" Houston would lose funding, noting that the city honors federal immigration detainer requests.

"We are not a sanctuary city," Turner said. "This has nothing to do with declaring Houston a sanctuary city."

Travis questioned why some council members were invoking the need for Houston to lead on SB4, when so many others already have sued.

"If this is a leadership position for the city, then why weren't we leading? Why weren't we the first ones out there?" he asked. "We're joining. We're a bunch of joiners."

Senate Bill 4, which goes into effect Sept. 1, empowers police to ask about immigration status, even during a routine traffic stop, and imposes possible jail time and fines for sheriffs and police chiefs who deny federal requests to hold immigrants detained for other alleged crimes.

Abstension explained

The Houston area is home to the third-largest population of immigrants in the country illegally, behind New York City and Los Angeles, according to the Pew Research Center.

Before he left the council chamber, Christie explained his abstention by saying, "we need to lead by example, not by suing."

Council's vote follows more than five hours of public testimony on SB4 Tuesday, when most of the scores of residents in council chambers urged the city to sue.

Daniel Candelaria, advocacy organizer for the Houston-based United We Dream, cheered the vote as a "significant step."

"But it must not be the last," he said in a statement. "The fight to improve the lives of our immigrant community in Houston and Texas is not over."

Harris County Republican Party Chair Paul Simpson, on the other hand, called the city's move "cheap political theater."

"This is yet another needless and irresponsible waste of taxpayer dollars," Simpson said in a statement. "It is also more proof that Mayor Turner, like his predecessor, will use Houston government to divide our city for perceived political gain by pushing a radical liberal agenda against the will of its own citizens."

Turner expects the city to join litigation by Monday's hearing.
Houston has a new Parks and Recreation director.

City Council confirmed Stephen Wright as Houston's new parks director Wednesday, as Mayor Sylvester Turner directed the department to focus on improving the quality of neighborhood parks.

Wright replaces longtime director Joe Turner and comes to City Hall from the YMCA of Greater Houston, where he was vice president of business development and healthy living.

"Parks and rec provide the community with a great equalizer," Wright told City Council. "Socioeconomic standards, diversity, all those things go by the wayside when you have the opportunity to actually get outside and just play together."

Houston's parks department manages some 370 parks and 200 other green spaces.

The mayor charged Wright with improving the quality of community green spaces rather than simply focusing on high-profile parks like Memorial and Hermann.

"We want to place a great deal of emphasis on these neighborhood parks," Turner said. "There are hundreds spread throughout the city, and many have not received the same level of attention as our signature parks."
Melissa Phillip/Staff

Mayor Sylvester Turner reversed course Wednesday on his plan to ask voters to repeal Houston's revenue cap this fall, saying it is "unlikely" he will ask for the cap's removal.

Turner intends to make a final decision in the next couple of weeks, but said he is leaning toward leaving a repeal of the cap on property tax collections off November's ballot in a bid to clear the way for voter approval of other key financial measures.
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The case demonstrates the risks for employers in adopting off the shelf or global policies and training packages. Employers should ensure their policies and training are specifically adapted to domestic legislative requirements and regularly updated as the law, and compliance develops.

Dr Ross Patterson founder of Safetrac, the award winning compliance training provider, says, Often organisations implement a one size fits all program from their international parent. As noted above, this approach can backfire and leave an organisation exposed when an incident occurs.

Online training is just as effective

Another feature in the case was that the employee argued that the online training provided was insufficient and that face-to-face training would have been more viable. The court rejected the argument entirely, making it clear that online training is just as strong and effective as face-to-face training.

Steps you can take to avoid potential breaches
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How can the economic crisis be the springboard for the development of a small business? - more specifically, for a business in Greece, whose commercial activity is book publishing? How can a business person, precisely because he or she is Greek, can overturn her foreign colleagues' underlying suspicion regarding her credibility and trading behaviour? And how can contemporary Greek culture have a decent dialogue with European and global culture? Why should a foreign publisher invest in the translation and publication of contemporary Greek plays in their own language?

These were the primary questions I faced as publisher of the Sokolis publications when I was obliged - especially under the capital control imposed on Greece in June 2015 - to take drastic measures to avoid the shrinkage of my business due to lack of liquidity in the market, while trying to keep unchanged the quality of our publications and our sense of responsibility towards the reader.

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The crisis in the publishing industry, and Greek culture in general, became apparent in 2008. Gradually, government grants to publishers began to decline. Today, public debts to individuals are systematically delayed, a fact that creates an extra burden to the private sector, if one takes into account the overtaxation of entrepreneurs, mostly small and medium-sized, the lack of access to bank finance - factors that exhaust market liquidity. As far as publishing is concerned, the negative consequences are even more obvious.

Today, more than ever, the turn to foreign markets is imperative - not only in the field of publishing. At any rate, an outgoing gesture is not only a basic commercial strategy that should be based on the four pillars knowledge of the international market-professionalism-perseverance-competitive and good quality products, but it is also a cultural need and requirement, because nowadays, more than ever, we need to find a channel of communication and exchange of ideas with other nations. It seems that in a sense the economic crisis woke us up to the global cultural reality.

Who is to blame for the current situation in our country? The economic situation in Greece is the result of many years of wrong practice and social behaviour. However, business people must not stick to the question of who is to blame, but must discover ways to overcome any obstacles and shape the conditions that will, firstly, secure the viability of their business and, secondly, maintain profitability.

In this endeavour, however, the Greek businessman or businesswoman is often treated with some degree of mistrust, which sometimes touches the limits of scorn. In my view, the worst of all is the projection of a distorted image of Greece abroad. However, as everywhere in the world, there are good and bad entrepreneurs in Greece. And there are many Greek entrepreneurs with a vision and, as I said, a high sense of responsibility towards their consumer.

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Considering all of the above, I felt that the economic crisis and its distorted recount abroad was an excellent opportunity for me to change the negative image of my country and its entrepreneurial might to the rest of the world. In short, I wanted to give the economic crisis a positive sign.

And, at this historic turning point for Greece, when the country is paralysed in many sectors, the area of culture is essentially the field in which the country produces incessantly and creatively and to which one should rightfully invest since Greece has a pivotal position in laying the foundations for world culture - most notably in the Theatre.

The main activity of our publishing house, besides the multi-volume anthologies of Greek poetry and prose, works that are taught in the classics departments in Greek Universities and constitute a bibliographical source for all the Modern Greek academic chairs abroad, is the publication of theatrical works, covering both Greek and World dramaturgy. We are the official publishers of the National Theatre of Greece and we host the most important voices of contemporary Greek theatre.

Soon after the imposition of capital controls in Greece, I visited the Oberon and Nick Hern publications in London. We were already acquainted with Nick Hern because we had recently issued the excellent book by Peter Brook, The quality of mercy. The purpose of my trip was to offer them a collection of Contemporary Greek Playwrights in English. I had already sent them a lot of remarkable works translated into English. Methuen & Methuen also showed an interest. We ended up making an agreement with Oberon, and, since March the Oberon Anthology of Contemporary Greek Plays is available in the market throughout the English-speaking world. This is a collection that hosts texts of five important Greek playwrights, two women and three men (L. Kitsopoulou, N. Rapi, Y. Mavritsakis, A. Dimou, Ch. Giannou), covering almost all kinds of theatre: lyrical drama, existential monologue, black comedy, full-length multi-character drama.

This is an anthology I am particularly proud of because it is the first time that works of contemporary Greek playwrights are published in an independent form and in the most spoken language in the world, English. And I feel the need to warmly thank Oberon publications for their trust.

This project is titled "Greek Theatre Travels Abroad", and at the moment texts from the most important contemporary Greek playwrights travel to different parts of the world. The aim of this project is to demonstrate that the Greek dramaturgy does not end in Greek tragedy and comedy and in the works of Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides and Aristophanes. Owing to these insurmountable works Greece is considered the birthplace of Western Theatre and, through the legacy of these works, it has also promoted a wider Greek theatre education. Something similar happens with Shakespeare in England, whose works are read and produced and will do so in the future around the world. Thus, Greek culture was and will always be inseparably linked to the theatre.

Nowadays, Greece has a number of notable playwrights whose works, even when conceived from a personal experience of the Greek reality, touch upon a certain universality and can, therefore, have a strong and meaningful appeal to the foreign reader and theatre person, no matter which the author's country of origin is - or even because of it.
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69 years ago, on this day in 1948, the NHS, our national treasure of which I am so proud, was born. Founded on the principle of free healthcare for all, regardless of wealth.

I have been a nurse in the NHS for 35 years, and in that time I have worked thousands of shifts, treated countless patients and seen a lot of changes to our health service. As a nurse at Oxford University Hospital's Accident and Emergency Department, my job is often stressful, but I love what I do. The patients I have treated in the many years since becoming a nurse inspire and humble me. Every day I witness the strength of those living with cancer or facing major surgery, and do everything I can to support and treat them through their time in hospital. Nurses are specialists who run clinics, treat, admit and discharge. We are consultants, professors and educators, innovators, researchers and managers.

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The NHS has been a constant in my life, as I am sure it is in the lives of everyone in Britain. It is a safety net, always there if we need it; a guarantee that if the worst happens - if we or a family member falls ill - we will be treated without the worry of facing huge bills or bankruptcy. As a child with asthma, I was in and out of hospital and doctor's surgeries. My children were born in the NHS, and as my parents age, and become more frail, the support we get from our health service is vital.

But it feels like our health service is on the edge of a precipice. Research out this week has revealed that more midwives and nurses are quitting the profession than joining for the first time on record, with the number leaving having risen by half in four years. The crisis of recruitment and retention of nurses is serious and directly affects patient care, as already overstretched staff just can't give our patients the care and attention we want to give, or the care and attention they deserve.

Figures from the Health Foundation's Freedom of Information request have shown there is a shortage of 40,000 nurses and 3,500 midwives in England alone. There is no doubt that the public sector pay cap, workplace pressures and the scrapping of the NHS University Bursary have created the crisis threatening our health service, which worsens with each day that passes.

The public sector pay cap has been the subject of a lot of debate over the past few days, with Conservative ministers such as Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, and even Jeremy Hunt joining calls for it to be scrapped, despite all of them voting down Labour's amendment to the Queen's Speech, which would have done just that. Whatever their motivations, whether it is genuine concern at the extreme difficulties public sector workers are facing, or just a political ploy to attack a weakened Theresa May, the cap on our wages needs to end. It is an attack on the staff that work in our health service, my colleagues and I, who love what we do, and it has forced many to resort to working additional shifts, visiting food banks, or taking out hardship loans just to get by.

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Where I live in Oxfordshire, the cost of living has skyrocketed, and it was recently declared the least affordable place to live in the UK. At the same time, my pay has stagnated for the past seven years. I am a single parent of three, and with housing costs taking up sixty percent of my income, just getting by is a struggle. My daughter, also an NHS worker, and her partner have lived with me for the past two years, saving up for a deposit to buy their own home. Of course, I don't do what I do for the money, but after spending two 12 hour shifts in a row treating patients in corridors due to cuts in hospital bed numbers, not having enough money to go to the cinema, or take my children out, shows the disdain the government has for the work we do, and the misplaced priorities of a government that can give tax breaks for the super-rich, while offering nothing to protect our world-class public services.

The government's deliberate defunding of the NHS is running down our health service, and it is crushing the morale of its staff in the process. Things need to change and they need to change quickly.

The NHS has always been staffed by immigrants, and we must never forget those that came from the Commonwealth in the 50s and 60s, and the Phillipines and Europe since the Millennium. Since Brexit there has been a 96% drop in nursing applications from EU countries.

So today, on the 69th birthday of the NHS I make a desperate appeal to this Government, on behalf of our treasured health service and its patients, that they reverse the cuts planned for the NHS, and pay NHS staff who dedicate their lives to caring for its patients a salary we deserve.

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Last year Hong Kong effortlessly earned a spot in my top 3 cities in the world, alongside New York and Melbourne. What do all three cities have in common? The answer is amazing food.

Hong Kong draws it's culinary inspiration from the Chinese mainland and international influences, creating a match made in foodie heaven. Food is the heart of Hong Kong's culture. If you travel mainly to eat and explore new foods like I do, Hong Kong will win your heart as well.

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In Hong Kong, you can dine at roadside stalls to world-class restaurants or better yet, dine at world-class restaurants at roadside stall prices. Even though Hong Kong has been ranked one of the most expensive cities in the world, traveling there does not mean that you have to break the bank. Below are my top 3 recommendations on where to eat traditional Hong Kong food on a budget.

Tim Ho Wan

Where: IFC, Central, Hong Kong

What to try: Dim Sum and Pork bun (0.7 / $0.90 each)

Tim Ho Wan offers the world's cheapest Michelin star meal. An excessive amount of dim sum restaurants exist in Hong Kong. As a tourist, though, you should put Tim Ho Wan on your "to food" list as I call it. This way you can leave Hong Kong with peace of mind, knowing that you've tasted great authentic dim sum. Another dish to try is the famous pork bun which consists of soft dough filled with sticky sweet pork.

Kam Wah Cafe

Where: 47 Bute St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

What to try: Pineapple Bun (0.80 / $1)

A pineapple bun is a sweet bun which is mainly popular in Hong Kong and Canada. The bun resembles a pineapple on the outside, hence the name. The mixture of sugar, eggs, flour, and lard makes it crispy on the outside with sweet delicious bread on the inside. The pineapple bun is best eaten hot with a slice of butter inside. Locals usually have the bun along with Yuanyang Tea, which is a mixture of Hong Kong style milk tea and coffee. It's slightly more expensive than the bun itself, but worth a try nonetheless.

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Australian Dairy Company

Where: 47 Parkes St, Jordan, Hong Kong

What to try: Steamed Milk Pudding (2/$2.50) and Scrambled Eggs Breakfast Set Menu (2.50/$3.30)

Australia Dairy Company is a traditional Hong Kong restaurant, cha chaan teng, serving up some amazing all day breakfast. They're mostly known for their delicious Hong Kong style rice puddings and scrambled eggs with toast. The service when I visited was surprisingly good given it's reputation. Either way, you can't go wrong with a quick meal at Australian Dairy Company.
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Although it's still early days, the evidence is that the Tory Trade Union Act 2016 is already backfiring as the length of individual strikes increase, creating more days 'lost' to striking per strike, as a result of the new tighter regulations. The intention of the Tory government with the Act was to reduce the levels of strike action even lower than they presently are and especially in the so-called 'essential services' of transport and education.

Introduced on 1 March 2017, unions now have to pass two new thresholds to gain a lawful mandate for action. So in addition to getting a simple majority of those voting for action, the turnout has to be at least 50%, and in a number of essential services, like transport and education, all those voting for action must also represent 40% of all those entitled to vote. In other words, non-voters are counted as 'no votes'.

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Already there have been a couple of significant defeats for the unions - UNISON local government workers in Scotland and RMT members on the London Underground. And, it's not yet clear whether more or less ballots for action are now being organised. We won't know that until the figures for 2016 emerge next summer.

But what is clear so far is that amongst the many, many more number of ballots that have resulted in mandates for action, the predominant pattern of strikes being one-day affairs (or at best a series of one-day affairs) is coming to an end. The strike at the Bank of England is only the most obvious and high profile case so far. Unite has announced that its members will undertake a four day strike beginning at the end of July.

At British Airways, fellow Unite members have just begun a mammoth sixteen day strike while other Unite members at a Manchester housing repair company have announced they will strike for four weeks uninterrupted from Saturday 1 July. Just sticking with the Unite union, dozens of other examples can be found. Then, one only has to look at the mounting evidence in other unions to see this clear pattern emerging.

These three cited examples of strike all have quite different causes (Bank of England - pay, British Airways - victimisation, Mears - new contracts) but the new law is making them act in a very similar fashion. This is because two of the other new parts of the Trade Union Act 2016 require unions to i) give fourteen days' notice to the employer of action (up from seven days' notice) and ii) the length of a lawful mandate is capped at six months (which can be increased to nine with the agreement of the employer). Previously, there was no cap on the length of the mandate.

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So, in order for action to be effective, it has to be more hard-hitting as employers have longer to make counter-preparations for. This means unions are front-loading their action in more discontinuous actions in smaller timeframes. But they are also doing this because they know they have to get their skates on because they cannot afford to have their mandates eroded by employers that play for time by stringing talks and negotiations out. The clock is always ticking in their heads towards six months.

There is also evidence that some workers have decided to increasingly ignore the new law by taking unofficial, unballoted action, especially in the Royal Mail. This has the element of surprise and is not limited by the balloting restriction. Of course, it is unlawful action but so far no one has been sacked for organising such action as they can be under the Employment Act 1990.

Even if the Trade Union Act does lead to fewer ballots for strikes and fewer strikes, it has already not only lengthened the duration of those that do occur but it has also made them more difficult to solve by forcing union members to act in a more assertive and aggressive manner. All this was entirely predictable as the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD) warned in 2015 during the consultation on the new act. It stated: 'The new [provisions of the Act] ... will ... harden attitudes'.
Up until recently migration was not such a loaded word. It represented movement, opportunity, adventure. There was nothing of the heated debates and political divides that dominate the media buzz today, relaying fear, swinging elections and clouding the global discourse on people on the move.

With 65 million children on the move around the world, we have to rise above all this and put the children concerned at the centre of the discussion. A fuller understanding of the reasons why families migrate will help us better appreciate the universal aspirations that are driving people to seek a better life for themselves and their children.

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West and Central African countries outnumber others in the list of arrivals of young migrants in Italy. Many of them make the dangerous journey because they saw no future for themselves at home and decided to risk their lives for education, for work, for opportunity. These young people describe a sense of despair, struggling to climb out of poverty without adequate schooling in communities that are held back by disease and not enough jobs.

With only a vague sense of the dangers of the 'backway', the desert route to Libya, they set out to escape a life of poverty and struggle. Children as young as 10 take buses across the Sahel, paying bribes for passage at checkpoints until their money is gone. They sometimes end up in the hands of kidnappers who torture and beat them until their desperate parents pay a ransom or until they are buried in a shallow grave in the sands of Libya. The world community has issued stern condemnations but has done little to protect children who have been dragged into the depths of this new form of hell.

The status quo is unconscionable. To see some of the best and the brightest of Africa's youth flee poverty to face violence, degradation and death is a tragic reality that we cannot accept as normal. While some young migrants survive the journey, no one should have to risk so much in search of opportunity.

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Yet many would say that the issues are too hard to tackle, the costs too high and the situation too complex. Addressing the issue of migration in West and Central Africa will require courage and commitment if we are to deal with the root causes of migration: poverty, lack of education and absence of hope.

From Nouakchott to N'Djamena, UNICEF is already laying the foundation for a better future. Strengthening systems for children's protection and education, keeping children healthy and ensuring they have the tools to be lifelong learners and the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. This is the core 'business' of UNICEF.

To address the issue of migration will require investments in social services in the countries where people on the move are coming from, so families feel safe and supported, and their children can thrive in their home environment. Until people can find opportunity in their own country, the waves of migration will likely continue.

As daunting as the issue may seem, there are many solutions. Engagement from governments on an agenda for action can help expand the systems of support and protection for children across the region. Until we can turn the rhetoric of compassion into practical long-term solutions that are relevant for communities, then children and adolescents will continue to be at risk.

Tens of thousands of children would be better protected if governments of the region strictly enforced legislation punishing child traffickers. This can be done by scaling up support to investigate, arrest and adjudicate cases in a transparent and public manner, sending a strong message that traffickers are not above the law.

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Many of the problems associated with migration come from the walls that we build in our own minds and are rooted in misconceptions. UNICEF and partners are calling on civil society and the public at large to be part of a movement that builds awareness about positive inclusion and the benefits of welcoming migrants in their community. We must all work to eliminate xenophobia and discrimination by significantly expanding national and grassroots campaigns that promote the integration of migrant children and foster a culture of acceptance and diversity.
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Imagine a community in the Global South, perhaps a group of informal workers in an urban slum, or a group of subsistence farmers on marginal land.

Is there a successful model or simple idea that might dramatically change things for these women and men? A magic bullet that could help them escape poverty?

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Part of my role involves identifying these 'scalable models.' Replicable ideas that have worked in one place and could work elsewhere (with some contextualisation, to use the jargon). I can give you a couple of well known examples: conservation agriculture (which helps farmers increase their yields) and micro-finance (making small loans to help people start businesses).

However, when I worked in the field in Zimbabwe, one local project leader, who ran a super-successful, internationally-recognised NGO, told me that more than half of their material related to (and I paraphrase here): issues of identity, hope, and character; rather than the technical expertise that they were known for.

In Walking with the Poor, Professor Bryant Myers suggests that "the deepest form of poverty is poverty of being, ontological poverty," where people begin to see themselves as less than human: a broken sense of identity. Unless this is addressed, endowing someone with technical expertise makes little difference. Unless they have hope that things can turn out well for them after all (and the character to fight for this), then they never bother to put new technical knowledge into practice. What's the point, if you believe you are powerless to escape a life of poverty, and even deserve it?

In other words, the success of this NGO rode as much on their ability to walk with and empower those they supported, as on their ability to teach them a particular technique.

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Sitting at Tearfund's annual global gathering of international staff this week, I've been reminded of this. The search for magic bullet models is only part of the story. Successful community development is as much about walking in relationship with people as it is about finding a 'killer idea'. It's about helping people face their fears and find hope in desperate situations, about reminding them that they are powerful people whose choices matter. Helping them articulate their hopes, and rediscover their true identity.
It was the end of Tarawih night time prayers, during the Holy Month of Ramadan, when worshippers were mercilessly attacked by a driver seeking to target the Muslim community. This attack has tragically left one dead and at least ten injured.

The alleged attacker has been named as Darren Osborne, a 47-year-old father of four. After he rode into those coming out from Finsbury Park Mosque and the nearby Muslim Welfare House, he is alleged to have shouted "I want to kill all Muslims - I did my bit".

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As the only Muslim survivor of the 7/7 bombings, my shock and anguish at this attack is twofold. It is a stark reminder of the importance of tackling both terrorist activity and of the rising tide of Islamophobia we have seen since the Brexit vote.

Mr Osborne has since appeared in court via a video link from Belmarsh prison, and is due to return for a preliminary hearing on 20 July. He faces charges for terrorism related murder and attempted murder.

Neighbours in Pentwyn, where he lived, have described him as "aggressive" and "strange". He was not known to the police, but it has now come to light that he had a history of Islamophobia, once telling a 10-year old Muslim neighbour that he was an "inbred", and was recently thrown out of a local pub for "cursing Muslims and saying he would do some damage".

The Finsbury Park attack coincided with The Great Get Together, gathering in memory of the late MP, Jo Cox. In June last year, she was shot twice in the head, once in the chest, and then brutally stabbed fifteen times by far right extremist Thomas Mair as he yelled "Britain first". Jo Cox was a passionate defender of the EU and immigrant welfare, and for this reason she was labelled a 'collaborator' and 'traitor' by Mair.

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It is hard not to see a parallel between the statements made by these attackers, and those in the mainstream media in the wake of recent Islamic terrorist attacks, for example Katie Hopkins' statement calling for a "final solution".

The UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination have stated that British politicians are responsible in fuelling the steep rise in racist hate crimes seen during and after the referendum campaign. By failing to condemn xenophobic rhetoric and by entrenching prejudices, politicians contribute to politically legitimising Islamophobia and far-right extremist views.

The Finsbury Park attack is emblematic of growing Islamophobia in society. In the wake of recent Islamist terrorist attacks, hate crime figures have soared. The Mayor of London's office recorded a fivefold increase in Islamophobic attacks after the London Bridge attack. Tell MAMA has found that racist incidents increased 530% in the week following the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande concert, and reported a 240% increase in anti-Muslim hate in the seven-day period following the London Bridge attack on June 3.

For JAN Trust, these are not just abstract statistics - this is our direct personal experience. My organisation, and I as a Muslim woman, have long been the target of far-right racist abuse including hate mail, death threats and vandalism to my property and my centre. The women who we educate and empower at our centre have had similar experiences, with our records showing a 31% increase in Islamophobic incidents this year.

Compared to the public awareness of Islamic extremism, there is little appreciation of the growing threat of far-right extremism. From our work at the forefront of anti-extremism education, one issue that we repeatedly find is that people are often not aware that extremism and radicalisation is also done by the far-right.

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The number of suspected far-right extremists reported to the Government's counter-terror programme Prevent has increased by 30% in the past year and from our own research, we are well aware of the growing presence of the far right online.

In the same way that the Muslim community have been active in challenging and preventing Islamic extremism, there needs to be more done at the community level to prevent far right extremists from influencing people. Supporting a national narrative of unity, diversity and coexistence is at the heart of prevention, and should not be undermined by our politicians or by sensationalism in the mainstream media.

While we are happy to see that the Finsbury Park attack is being treated with the severity it deserves and recognised as an act of terrorism, there is still a long way to go. In the meantime, to ensure the safety of our Muslim communities across the UK, JAN Trust is calling for on the government to take stronger action against the rising problem of Islamophobia.

Mosques and Islamic centres need to be protected by police to prevent further attacks, and the community needs to know that incidents of hate crime and Islamophobia should not be tolerated, and that they will be punished.

It is time to double our efforts to tackle extremism in all its forms. We aim to continue JAN Trust's hard work in preventing radicalisation through our grassroots education and training programmes.

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Pride season is here - and we're getting ready for our annual family trip to Pride in London.

Two mums, two dads, two kids, and a huge rucksack crammed with face paints, rainbow flags, packed lunches, waterproofs, suncream, ear defenders and emergency snacks.

In previous years, we've marched or watched the marchers. We been there in the pouring rain and in the blazing heat, using stickers and free sweets to keep the kids smiling. We've let them scoot along the route, carried them on our shoulders to see above the crowds, and even on one occasion marched with a potty - in case of emergencies (the toddler's, not ours).

But we weren't there last year.

Like many parents of young children, more domestic concerns took priority. There was a date clash with the school summer fair. And I missed it - the noise, the crowds, the diversity, the flamboyant outfits, the people who have been marching at Prides since before I was born and to whom we owe so much.

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I realised, when I heard my partner tell our kids that our town's summer fair parade (100 people, up the high street and back) was "a bit like Pride - but not really", that it was time to go back.

Pride's not the same once you have children. Not just the experience itself, but your reasons for going along (or staying away) can change too. When we interviewed more 70 LGBT parents and their children for 'Pride and Joy' - our parenting guide for LGBT parents - people had plenty to say about parenting at Pride.

For some, it's an important way of affirming an LGBT identity and a sense of community, which is not possible in everyday life.

Bi mum Rebecca found that becoming a parent compounded her lack of visibility as LGBT. "People tend to assume I'm straight anyway, and the addition of children just adds another layer of assumptions," she says. "But Pride is the one time in the year I'm unambiguously and publicly identifying/identified as queer."

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For others, it's about celebrating the progress made for LGBT rights, in particular the rights to marry, form families and bring up children.

Donal helped revive the LGBT Pride march in Dublin in the early 1990s. Shortly after the Irish marriage referendum result, and after many years absence, he took his two adopted sons to their first Pride march in 2015. The family had all taken part in the successful Yes campaign, which paved the way for same-sex couples in Ireland to be given the right to marry, and now it was time to celebrate.

"From the start of the campaign our kids were involved, and we found a new group of queers of all sexes and gender identities to call friends," Donal explains. "It's been wonderful."

For many parents, like Donal, it's important for their children to feel they are part of the LGBT community too. Pride enables LGBT parents to show their children that families like ours are not unusual, and that we can be proud of who we are. And the message seems to get through - at least it did for Shoshana, now in her twenties, who went to Pride throughout her childhood with her two mums.

"In my early years, my parents would wheel me around the parade in my buggy," she remembers. "My memories of Pride as a child are bright, colourful and noisy. I was proud of my family and happy to be marching for the LGBT+ community. Now I have a beautiful bunch of LGBT+ friends to walk with. But even if I didn't identify as LGBT+ myself, I'd still like to be there: supporting my family; proudly acknowledging our social significance; and championing LGBT+ visibility and rights."

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But for all the positives, Pride, especially with small children, can be hard work. Although as more families attend, more facilities are provided, Pride can still be busy, noisy and chaotic. That's all part of its charm.

But this has put some LGBT parents off the bigger city-centre Prides, despite being regular attenders before. Instead they've joined in one of the increasing number of local Pride events up and down the UK.

After all, Pride doesn't have to be the all-out, thousands-strong, rainbow-coloured extravaganza that it will be in London this weekend and other big cities. For parents like 20-year-old Poppy, local Prides provide a place of acceptance and friendship, and rare visibility for LGBT relationships in their neighbourhoods.
Announced by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Cisco SVP of IoT and Applications Rowan Trollope during Cisco Live Las Vegas, the partnership will involve using Cisco's connected cameras, sensors, and platforms to collect and analyse data across environment, traffic, water, crowd control, transit, lighting, waste management, security, and parking.

According to Michael Sherwood, CIO for the City of Las Vegas, creating a smart city is all about improving the experience and lifestyle of the 42 million yearly visitors, 650,000 city residents, and 2.2 million Las Vegas valley citizens.

With Cisco already providing the government's phone and networking systems, Sherwood said it was about simply extending this partnership into the city itself.

"Having a partner like Cisco that was able to help us with sensor technology, help us understand dynamics operation and how we could find new ways of efficiency, made it an ideal partnership," he explained.

Cisco's smart city solutions are being trialled in Las Vegas' innovation district, also known as the "digital playground", which was itself launched in March last year as a starting point for digitising the city.

"Instead of going out and doing what others might do, which is go ahead and buy one system and just plonk that into their entire city, we test it in a small pilot area, we get reactions from the community, we get reactions from the government leaders, and see how that technology works," Sherwood said.

"We're able to work with them in that playground and sort of refine it, hone it, and test it out, and then, once it's good, we can expand it out throughout the community."

One of the primary aims of creating a smart Las Vegas is to improve congestion at major intersections for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, Sherwood said, which will involve using the data collected to reroute vehicles, improve the efficiency of traffic lights, and increase public safety.

"Using IoT technology now, we're able to look at the intersection in ways we've never looked at it before, using assets we already own. We own streetlights, we own these signal interchanges," he said.

"We're able to look at intersections now and count the number of vehicles that go through an intersection. Not only count the number of vehicles, [but also] the number of bicyclists, and the number of pedestrians ... with this intelligent architecture, we're able to see how people use the street.

"We're actually able to use the analytics now to look at the intersection at night and see that you're the only car there, so instead of the timer-basis that we use today -- that's just a timer, which is why you experience that 1-in-the-morning [red light] when you're there for what feels like years -- now the camera technology can look at that and make changes."

Sherwood said the city could also use that data to prepare for autonomous vehicles, including for choosing trucking routes in and out of the city, with the traffic cameras to also be used to improve safety.

"The same traffic and analytic cameras also allows us to look at the intersections and see if someone leaves a backpack behind, something that's out of character. It gives us the ability to be forward thinking instead of reactionary ... those type of analytics change dynamics of how cities operate, and how we can become more efficient as a government."

In terms of security, Sherwood explained that the primary reason for undertaking the pilot within the innovation district is to ensure the security of the systems before deploying them across the entire city.

"That's why we created the innovation district, where we can test these technologies out in a smaller but real-life environment, and it gives us an opportunity to see the security concerns we might have, how we can guard against those threats before we scale it out to the community," he said.

"Security is definitely a number one priority."

Sherwood confirmed that the city is looking into deploying blockchain in future, with an announcement expected by the end of 2017 on this.

"We are looking at a seamless payment transaction system, so it's something on the horizon. Again, we're very forward thinking, very aggressive in all the technology we're looking at deploying."

The smart city initiative is also a good opportunity to publish additional open data, with Sherwood saying Las Vegas is the number one city in the United States on providing open data under an effort to improve transparency and boost economic outcomes.

"We're able to publish that data openly," Sherwood said, adding that Cisco's platform will allow it to push more data out into the community.

The City of Las Vegas will be soft launching a smart city tie-in app called Go Vegas in August to provide mapping, weather, parking, and traffic information to residents. The city will also gather information from the app's users to analyse how it can be improved and individualised.

"It will actually have mapping components, the air temperature at the park, so you'll be able to get an idea of what the park conditions are like, you'll be able to see the number of parking spots or the availability, whether it's 10 percent availability, 50 percent, or completely available," the CIO explained.

"We'll start building profiles on individuals, so if we know you use a certain parking lot every week, and that lot is going to be resurfaced or closed for a special event, we'll be able to send you a push notification letting you know about another lot that's available."

Trollope added that Cisco will additionally be providing funding for startups and companies to expand operations into Las Vegas' innovation district.

Cisco has been focused on creating smart cities worldwide, with its Smart+Connected digital platform -- which consolidates data from sensors and information systems to provide an overarching view of a city -- already having been deployed in Kansas City, Copenhagen, Paris, Adelaide , Bucharest, Hungary, Dubrovnik, and Bengaluru.

Its smart cities program has seen it work with Adelaide, South Australia, on transforming the region into a smart city, after signing a memorandum of understanding for an IoT innovation hub designed to leverage Adelaide's free Wi-Fi network as a test bed for new applications and projects back in 2015.

The networking giant similarly announced plans to deploy a smart city framework throughout Kansas City, Missouri, in partnership with telecommunications carrier Sprint two years ago. Kansas City initially used a 2-mile Wi-Fi network and 93,000 sensors to begin improving efficiency for parking, traffic, lighting, water, and waste management.

Cisco also signed a "country digitisation" agreement with the French government in February 2015, committing to help accelerate the digital transformation of France through investments in smart cities, education, startups, national infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

An investment of $100 million followed, along with Cisco's partnership with French startup accelerator NUMA on the DataCity project in Paris; an open innovation project for future smart cities with NUMA; the opening of a new Innovation and Research Center at Cisco's HQ in Paris; and a further $100 million investment that October.

In March last year, Cisco similarly outlined plans with Berlin's Senate Department of Economics, Technology, and Research to transform Berlin into a smart city as part of the $500 million "Deutschland Digital" initiative that aims to digitise all of Germany, with telemedicine, public safety, security, and network infrastructure improvements the main areas of focus.

Cisco last month also formed a smart cities "alliance" with KPMG Australia to meld its technology and solutions with KPMG's IoT capabilities and provide an end-to-end open framework including the provision of advisory, technology, platform, support, and operations services.

The focal points of the smart city alliance will be developing tools for such services as smart city architecture; cybersecurity; data and analytics; change management; master service integration; design thinking; solution design and implementation; optimisation and operational services; and financial and business case modelling.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/article/las-vegas-announces-smart-city-plans-with-cisco/
Pittsfield Man Pleads Guilty To 2015 Murder



Thomas Lee Newman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Wednesday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A city man pleaded guilty to a murder charge Wednesday morning, related to the shooting of an 18-year-old man on Tyler Street two years ago.

Thomas Lee Newman, 20, pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court on single counts of second-degree murder, armed assault with intent to murder, and illegal possession of a firearm.

Judge John Agostini ordered Newman to serve a life sentence at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on the murder charge.

He was given concurrent five to seven years on the armed assault with intent to murder and concurrent two and a half to five years on the firearm charge.

Newman will be eligible for parole after 18 years.

Newman shot and killed Keenan Pellot Jr. and wounded another man on July 31, 2015. The shooting occurred mid-day in front of Chewy's Barber Shop and led to a multi-day search for Newman.
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Having headlined Glastonbury and announced a huge arena tour, Ed Sheeran has spoken about wanting to produce an 8 Mile-type biopic about Ipswich.

Speaking to Q, the troubadour talked about his ambitions, saying that discussions regarding a film, based on his life and hometown, have been had.

"I want to have an 8 Mile moment but 8 Mile meets Notting Hill, he told the publication.

"Not gritty like Detroit but, like, Ipswich. I've got loads of songs about Ipswich that haven't come out so I could make a soundtrack.

Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Show all 15 1 /15 Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He once stole a bottle of extra hot sauce from Nandos (The bottle then smashed all over him on the tube) Getty Images Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He turned the other cheek to hardboy Noel Gallagher Sheeran invited him to his Wembley gig after Gallagher said he 'couldn't live in a world where Ed Sheeran sold out Wembley Stadium' Getty Images Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He stood up for Sam Smith when the singer was getting homophobic abuse After Smith said he was getting hate messages on Twitter, Sheeran responded with a picture of a geek saying 'I bet they are under 12, live in the middle of nowhere, and look like this' Getty; AP Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He did a lap on Top Gear despite having no driving licence The Star really did drive A Reasonably Priced Car (but luckily it was an automatic) Getty Images Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Hes been technically homeless since the age of 17 MTV Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Hes mates with Courtney Cox Ed Sheeran/Instagram Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He likes to 'start the night with a Jagerbomb' Rex Features Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He briefly dated Ellie Goulding Getty Images Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring American rappers Rick Ross and Ty Dolla $ign like his song The A-Team Getty Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He called Miley Cyrus a stripper at the Grammy Awards Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring His father is an art historian and his mother is a jewellery maker. Now thats rock and roll Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Hes collaborated with Pharrell Williams, arguably the least boring person on the planet right now PA Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He was named the most important act in black and urban music in the UK after topping Radio 1Xtras Power List Getty Images Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring He wrote a song about an ex-girlfriend cheating on him with one of his mates Getty Images Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Reasons why Ed Sheeran is not boring Did we mention he was sofa surfing as a busker-cum-gigger for three years?

The Curtis Hanson-directed 8 Mile focussed on an up-and-coming rapper, played by Eminem, who struggled growing up in Detroit. Eminem went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Lose Yourself.

Sheeran has previously spoken about his biopic ambition, telling The Sun: I really want to make a film that I do the soundtrack for and star in  thats my next thing. I look at a film like Notting Hill and I think thats like a brilliant benchmark, or Once.

So if you were to mix Notting Hill with Once, I would say that would be a good start. I dont think I will do an album as a soundtrack, but I will definitely put together a soundtrack with a bunch of my songs on it, but I dont think it will be an album.

I am in talks with one filmmaker that I really fucking love and we are going to slowly but surely put something together. I would want to cast all unknowns. I want to have low-budget, indie, British-made film.

Meanwhile, Sheeran has quit Twitter, saying looking at the social media account was "ruining his day".
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Jon Watts, 133 mins, starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Tyne Daly, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a Marvel superhero film done in the style of Tom Sawyer or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Tom Hollands Peter Parker, one of the liveliest characters in last years Captain America: Civil War, now has an entire movie devoted to him  one with plenty of youthful snap and crackle.

The story has a local feel and is all the better for it. Peter isnt trying to save the world or battling evil in exotic locations. A brief trip to Washington apart, he stays at home. His stomping (and climbing) ground is the corner of New York where he lives with Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and where he goes to school. Hes not a fully fledged Avenger yet and his patron Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) encourages him to stick for the time being to being a friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man. When he is not in costume (and sometimes when he is), he hangs out with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), a roly-poly figure who holds super-heroes in awe.

Recommended Ranking the Marvel Cinematic Universe films

It goes without saying that the film is full of in-jokes and self-mocking humour. As played by Holland, Parker is cheerful to the point of facetiousness. He makes his own home movies, refreshingly amateurish affairs when compared to the gloss of Marvel filmmaking, and spends a lot of time sitting in his bedroom. He is more Spider-Boy than Spider-Man.

Michael Keaton won an Oscar for playing an ageing Hollywood superhero trying to re-invent himself on Broadway in Birdman. Here, hes cast not as Birdman but as Adrian Toomes/ Vulture, the villain of the piece. At the start of his film, his salvage company is put out of business by government busybodies. He responds by turning to crime and by using alien tech to give himself special powers. Keaton plays the character in bravura fashion, with just enough menace to seem threatening but also with a blue collar everyman quality and a nice line in ironic humour. Just as the teenage Spider-Man here isnt yet ready for Avenger duty, Vulture isnt the type of uber-villain who is going to bring about Armageddon. If he was, we know that Iron-Man would come after him. Hes more the flat-track bully type, just about safe enough for the youthful Spider-Man to tackle as his first grown-up assignment.

Homecoming illustrates yet again just how flexible Marvel films are becoming and how the lines between them and more conventional dramas are blurring. This is as much a high school drama about an adolescent trying to make sense of the world as it is a superhero film. Hollands Spider-Man has a mischievous but very naive quality. Hes desperate to prove himself to Tony Stark. He is a strange mix of self-belief and insecurity. Hes arrogant enough to take on Vulture even though he can barely work out his costume or his superpowers. He has a crush on his lithe, glamorous, high IQ classmate, Liz (Laura Harrier) but, at least at first, is far too much the nerd to do anything about it. Dude, youre an Avenger. If anyone has a chance with a senior girl, it is you, Ned tries to gee him up but with only mixed results. Peter is too busy with his crime-fighting duties to stick around at Lizs party or to attend the academic Decathlon competition in which she is one of the schools leading lights. At the same time he is trying to save the city, he is still worried about staying out late without permission and falling into Aunt Mays bad books.

Some of the action sequences here are deliberately low key by comparison with those in Avenger or X-Men movies. One of the best has Spider-Man hanging upside down, taking on thugs working for the Vulture who are trying to rob a bank. He wisecracks at the most perilous moments but he doesnt always get his own way in the fights. Hes a puny teenager, after all, and they have secret weapons that he cant cope with.

Two of the other big set-pieces  a scene aboard a ferry and one in which Peters classmates have some terrifying moments in a lift at the top of the Washington Monument  are spectacular enough in their own way but feel on the generic side. They could easily be slotted in to any other Marvel super-hero movies. The films freshness lies less in its special effects or highly choreographed fight scenes than in its likeable portrayal of a typical American teenager  Peter Parker as an In-Betweener. Just stay away from anything dangerous, Peter is warned early on, advice which he, of course, ignores completely. His overweight and ever-enthusiastic friend Ned is the perfect comic foil, keeping teachers distracted by pretending that he is using the school computers to watch porn and helping out Spider-Man at times of maximum danger when, by rights, Spider-Man should be saving him.

Homecoming is just one more episode in the ongoing saga of Marvel super-heroes. It proves that Hollands Spider-Man can easily carry a movie on his own. Theres plenty of scope for spinning off sequels and no sense at all that the cobwebs are showing or that the franchise is anywhere near its sell-by date.
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Molly Kate Kestner recently unveiled her brand new single I Dont Know which saw her collaborate with co-writer/producer Starsmith and co-writer Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran, 'Thinking Out Loud').

Along with penning tracks for herself and other artists (Ryan Tedder, Kelly Clarkson, Wiz Khalifa) the US artist recently supported Wrabel on his 2017 West Coast tour.

We're premiering a beautiful acoustic version of her track Good Die Young - which was written on the day that Prince died.

Check it out below:

Q&A with Molly Kate Kestner

What are you listening to at the moment?

Ive been listening to a lot of Sigrid, London Grammar, and James Arthur.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

I'm hoping to play as many shows as possible, tour a little, put out more music, and also visit Harry Potter World at some point.

What was the first gig you ever played and what's been the best so far?

The first gig I ever played was actually in my hometown (Austin, MN). There was a festival to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Hormel Foods which is based in my town. Pretty random but it was a lot of fun!

I'd say my best gig would have to be the last show I did on tour with Wrabel (an incredible artist if you haven't heard of him). We ended the tour in LA & all my friends came out to the show and it was just the most fun I've had performing!

'I Don't Know' - the new single from Molly Kate Kestner - is out now
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"Sweden's first man-free rock festival will see the light next summer," its organiser has confirmed, following a string of sexual assault reports at other festivals in the country.

It was announced on Saturday that Bravalla, Sweden's largest one, would not be taking place in 2018 after police received reports of four rapes and 23 sexual assaults at this year's event.

Following the news, Swedish radio presenter and comedian Emma Knyckare tweeted: "What do you think about putting together a really cool festival where only non-men are welcome, that we'll run until ALL men have learned how to behave themselves?"

 Thousands at Glastonbury create human peace sign

It would seem she received a lot of support for the idea, as she later confirmed on Instagram: "Sweden's first man-free rock festival will see the light next summer.

"In the coming days I'll bring together a solid group of talented organisers and project leaders to form the festival organisers, then you'll hear from everyone again when it's time to move forward."

Sexual allegations also blighted Sweden's We Are STHLM festival and are a worldwide problem, with 28 British festivals staging an online "blackout" in May in accordance with the #saferspacesatfestivals campaign.

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The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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Since 2016, Glastonbury's attractions have included The Sisterhood, a space exclusively for people who self-identify as women.
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The downpour stopped, so Kirti Patel decided to hold the dinner party on her balcony, with its views of colossal flowering trees and construction that had stalled for the rainy season. Pink vines of bougainvillea were in bloom, and the raw scent of ginger and garlic was in the air.

The centrepiece of the meal was Patels labour-intensive rendition of kuku paka, a coconut-chicken dish with roots about 300 miles east of her home, in the city of Mombasa.

For centuries, that port on the Indian Ocean was a hub for immigrants, many from other parts of East Africa, the Middle East and India. Kuku paka is a product of the diverse influences that shaped Kenyas coastal cuisine, and today it is craved and recreated in home kitchens and restaurants all over the country, and beyond.

Food blogger Kaluhi Adagala says kuku paka is a dish for an occasion that is made only from time to time (NYT)

The dish seems simple: chicken on the bone, in a sauce of spiced coconut milk.

But youll find the chicken cooked in a number of ways  grilled over charcoal, or steamed with aromatics, or braised. That sauce can be pale and soupy, or dark and glossy. It can be mild and easygoing, or it can prickle with chilies so your eyes fill with tears.

Some cooks will add corn on the cob, potatoes or halved hard-boiled eggs to the mix. Others crowd the sauce with meat and nothing else.

Its a dish that welcomes tinkering, but every kuku paka is a love letter to coconut, its fat and its sweetness, the way it can make so many other flavours shine without losing its own. And everything in that coconut sauce seems a bit more glamorous than it did before, even a chicken leg.

Patel and her husband, Anil Patel, raised their two children in Nairobi, driving to Mombasa for family vacations by the beach, bringing home the flavours of the coast like a keepsake. Kuku paka, which has been part of her culinary repertoire for decades, is both celebratory and nostalgic.

She found what she needed at Fruity Fruits, a produce market that almost seemed to be showing off the citys vast range of excellent, year-round ingredients. Back in her kitchen, Patel split open a few coconuts. She grated the white flesh and pressed the mass to make coconut milk, setting aside the sweet, cloudy water to braise the chicken.

Once the milk reduced a little, Patel added the braised meat and let it all bubble together. When the sauce was creamy, thick with finely ground cashews, and the leanest pieces of meat were tender, she threw cilantro and fried onions over the top and set the dish out beside a basket of mandazi, deep-fried yeasted buns still warm from the fryer.

As a dozen guests ate, a pile of clean chicken bones grew at the centre of Patels table.

Kaluhi Adagala, 25, is a Nairobi food blogger who previously worked in the finance industry. She adds sprigs of fresh rosemary to her chicken marinade, crushing the needles to release their pine-scented oils.

For Kenyans who are more inland, this dish is an occasion, she said, noting its richness. We make it only from time to time.

Kirti Patel headed to Fruity Fruits for all the vital ingredients (NYT)

When Adagala does make it, she braises the chicken in coconut, tinted with turmeric, and serves it over hot rice, or with a stack of supple chapati. She also likes it with ugali, the plainly delicious boiled cornmeal that, unlike kuku paka, is an everyday pleasure.

Madhur Jaffrey, the actor and author, who lives in New York, researched kuku pakas roots when she published a recipe for the dish in her 2003 cookbook, Madhur Jaffreys Curry Nation.

She adapted it from a Kenyan-Indian immigrant who ran a restaurant in England. He slashed the meat as if preparing it for the tandoor, Jaffrey said, and roasted it in a hot oven to order.

But Jaffrey later published another version of the recipe, in From Curries to Kebabs. In that one, adapted from a Muslim family who had immigrated to Kenya from the Indian state of Gujarat at the turn of the 19th century, the chicken wasnt roasted at all. It was skinned, then simmered.

Kuku paka isnt constrained by hard rules, but there are patterns in its variations. There should always be a touch of sourness, Jaffrey says, and the heat of green chilies.

This sourness often comes from a squeeze of lemon, but Agnes Kalyonge, a caterer and recipe developer in Nairobi, slips in a spoonful of tamarind pulp instead.

For her website, Kalyonge writes about a range of regional Kenyan dishes  from plantain, taro and pumpkin stew to braised chicken gizzards  and posts instructional cooking videos that she shoots on her phone, which is propped up by a tripod-like stand she built herself.

She said she wanted to replicate the flavours of a kuku paka she had tried on the coast, but improve on it.

So she added the step of brining the meat in apple cider vinegar, to season it right through. While many sauces begin with frying onion, and a paste of ginger, garlic and green chilies, Kalyonge simmered the aromatics raw in the coconut milk, and let them mellow slowly in the fatty, reducing milk, stirring the pan almost constantly.

Coconuts are a key ingredient to making kuku paka for all versions of the classic dish (NYT)

The name kuku paka is an abbreviation for kuku wa kupaka, Swahili that translates roughly as chicken in sauce. But Kalyonge said original versions of kuku paka always called for that chicken to be grilled.

You cant argue with the smoky flavours that come from browning chicken slowly, over charcoal. It lends the finished dish the umami-rich notes of barbecue, and evokes the grills that were fired up on the coast a century ago, as kuku paka hopped from kitchen to kitchen, edited and revised in each.

Kalyonge first cooks the chicken gently, wrapped in foil on the charcoal grill. Then she takes out the meat and sets it back on the grate, uncovered, to crisp the skin and to stripe each piece in so many shades of dark brown.

That extra step that we take, before finishing it off in coconut sauce, she says, that is what makes it Kenyan.

Recipe: Kuku Paka (Chicken With Coconut)

Serves 6

1 hour, plus marinating time

4lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks on the bone

3 plum tomatoes

1 white onion, peeled and quartered

1-2-inch piece ginger, peeled

4 garlic cloves, peeled

4 serrano chilies, stemmed and seeded (use fewer if you prefer a mild dish)

2tsp kosher salt

2tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

2tbsp coconut oil

2 cans of coconut milk

Juice of 1 lemon

Handful of coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish

Rice, chapati or flatbread, for serving

Trim any excess skin from the chicken, keeping some skin intact. Score each chicken piece in two or three places, slicing about a half-inch into the meat. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, chilies, salt, cumin and coriander. Process until a rough paste forms. Rub one scant cup of the mixture all over the chicken, into the cuts and under the skin, reserving the rest for the sauce. Set chicken aside in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 5.

Prepare and light a charcoal grill. Meanwhile, as the grill heats, prepare the sauce. In a large pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and add the remaining paste, stirring occasionally, until all of the water in the mixture evaporates and the oil separates, becoming visible on the surface, about 15 minutes should do. Continue to cook, stirring more frequently so the bottom doesnt burn, until the paste is thick and dark and the raw smell has lessened, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and simmer until the sauce is about as thick as cake batter and has turned a mellow shade of orange, about 20 to 25 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Grill the marinated chicken, turning the pieces so the skin is browned and the meat is cooked through, then add to the sauce. If the sauce has become too thick to coat the meat and provide a good gravy, stir in a splash of water. Turn the heat back on to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the flavours have melded. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice, then garnish with coriander. Serve with rice, chapati or flatbread.

 New York Times
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Patients needing hip replacements or cataract removal are facing long delays while doctors battle a new wave of NHS rationing, an investigation suggests.

Freedom of Information data obtained by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows a rise in the number of special requests for funding now being lodged for procedures that were once considered routine.

Cataract removal, hip replacements, knee surgery, procedures for carpal tunnel syndrome and help for mental health problems are among those treatments now needing to go through an extra layer of NHS red tape.

 Audience member during May's comments on NHS: 'Bollocks, absolute bollocks'

Stephen Cannon, vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons, condemned the restrictions as a misguided attempt to save money by reducing the number of procedures carried out.

He told the BMJ: By mandatorily requiring prior approval from the individual funding request service before referral, these CCGs [clinical commissioning groups] are unfairly and unnecessarily prolonging the time patients will spend in pain, possibly immobile and unable to carry out daily tasks or to work.

Overall, the number of exceptional funding requests made by GPs in England to CCGs rose to 73,900 last year, a 47 per cent increase from 2013-14, when they made 50,200.

Just over half (52 per cent) the requests made in 2016-17 were approved by CCGs, although some patients are then waiting months to start their treatment.

Most of the funding requests are for cosmetic procedures, such as removing skin tags and varicose veins, or for IVF, which the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says should be routinely funded but is not.

Between 2013-14 and 2016-17, the number of requests for hip and knee surgery rose from 49 to 899.

Meanwhile, the number of referrals for cataract removal in England rose from 359 in 2013-14 to 1,034 in 2016-17.

According to the BMJ, Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern CCGs in Buckinghamshire recently issued guidance stating that all referrals for hip and knee surgery should go through a funding request process.

There is also variation around the country in the number of funding requests and approvals for any procedure, the BMJ said, with Rushcliffe CCG in Nottingham received no requests, while Chiltern CCG processed 3,800.

Southern Derbyshire CCG received 14 requests last year for procedures such as cataract surgery but approved none.

In contrast, Stafford and Surrounds CCG processed 2,123 requests, including 764 for skin excision, 232 for cataracts, and 163 for hip or knee replacement, but approved them all.

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 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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 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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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Richard Vautrey, a GP in Leeds and deputy chairman of the British Medical Association's General Practitioners Committee, called for an open and honest discussion on this type of rationing.

He urged NHS England to set clear guidelines on which treatments should be routinely available and which should require an individual request.

It's clearly unfair for patients to be subjected to this postcode rationing, and it also adds further to GPs' workload as they are called on to provide more and more evidence to support each application, he told the BMJ.

Julie Wood, chief executive of NHS Clinical Commissioners, the organisation that represents CCGs, said commissioners had to make difficult decisions over which services to fund.

Unfortunately the NHS does not have unlimited resources, and ensuring that patients get high quality care against a backdrop of spiralling demand and increasing financial pressures is one of the biggest issues CCGs face, she said.
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Narcissists tend to get the furthest in life. That's the most disheartening fact that writer Eric Barker learned after spending almost a decade trying to uncover what makes some people glittering examples of success and others, well, not so much.

Narcissists do better in job interviews, are more attractive on first dates, and are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions, Barker, who has recently released the book Barking up the Wrong Tree off the back of his blog of the same name, tells The Independent. It's distressing to realise that, at least in the short term, a lot of bad behaviour can pay dividends.

After poring over studies into the, albeit subjective, notions of happiness and success since the summer of 2009 Barker has made a heap of uncomfortable discoveries. In that time he has unpicked common questions including whether nice guys really do finish last, if sucking up to your boss ever works and, er, what we can learn from serial killers when it comes to excelling in our careers.

Disconcerting for both parents, children and adults in denial, Barker has found that being at the top of the class quickly becomes unimportant in the real world, depending on a persons life goals. And if becoming an world-innovating billionaire sounds appealing, listen up.

Writer Eric Barker has found that narcissists do best in life in the short term (Michael Goode)

Barker cites a 1995 study conducted at Boston College in the US which documented the lives of 81 valedictorians for 14 years after they graduated. Sure, 90 per cent of them went on to have professional jobs, and 40 per cent climbed to the highest possible role in their respective fields. But zero had achieved anything truly world-shattering.

On the contrary, separate research into 700 millionaires found that their average GPA was 2.9 and their winning quality wasnt sticking to the beaten track or obediently learning how to pass exams, but breaking the rules. Often, that didnt go hand in hand with academic prowess.

Apple CEO Steve JObs had a lower than average GPA of 2.9 but has changed how we live (Getty)

Another study at the Stanford Graduate School of Business showed that managing how your boss sees you is more important than working hard when it comes to climbing the career ladder. And separate research at the University of California Berkeley into ass-kissing found that it never backfires, even when a manager knows that it's totally insincere.

And if going against the grain to achieve wild success while stepping on more than a few toes sounds familiarly like the behaviour of the current president of the US, Donald Trump, Barker explains that he neatly fits into research at Harvard which showed that leaders fall into two categories: filtered and unfiltered.

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"Filtered leaders are thoroughly vetted by the system and tend to maintain the status quo. Unfiltered leaders don't go through the standard checks and balances; like entrepreneurs or politicians who come to power through an unlikely series of events. Trump is the most 'unfiltered' president America has ever seen. Unfiltered leaders don't play by the standard rules, in fact, they may not even be familiar with the standard rules. Their tenures are marked by big changes, often negative, sometimes positive. Trump has probably shown us that a lot of Americans were seeking change  and they're likely to get it. For better or for worse."

So far so depressing. But Barker is adamant that his research isn't intended to turn us all into heartless psychopaths, nor does it spell doom for those who aren't naturally narcissistic or sycophantic. Quite the opposite. Luckily he also found that, in the end, being a jerk doesn't pay off as the workplace becomes bloated with liars and schemers, creating an unpleasant environment that is hard to sustain in many cases. In addition, while our interactions with others are certainly important they aren't the be all and end all, but rather part of a wider picture. Barker found that what was even more important than worrying about what is going on around you when chasing success is recognising and cultivating specific skills.

US president Donald Trump is an unfiltered leader (AP)

I'm naturally an introvert, he says, but I knew for the book I'd need to reach out to people and get help. In chapter four, when I explore the old maxim of It's not what you know, it's who you know I detail some of the most effective networking techniques according to the academic research. I leveraged those to connect with some of the people whose stories I told. Without the help of those tips, I would have missed out on some of the most inspiring and insightful parts of the book."

Recognising that he is an introvert rather than attempting to mask it, he adds, is one of the most important lessons he has learned since and one of the biggest mistakes that most people make when they try to improve their lives.

"Most people don't really take the time to objectively 'know thyself'. They aren't clear on their personal strengths and weaknesses," stresses Barker. "Without that information, it's hard to align yourself with a good environment where you'll thrive, with the right people who can help you compensate for your shortcomings, and difficult to know what skills you need to double down on and which ones you might want to work on or ignore."

"A lot of the maxims we've been taught about success are myths or half-truths, but there is a lot of information about getting ahead that is valuable, if not essential," he adds. "Success is possible for everyone but we need to start with a better understanding of ourselves and have a personal definition of success that is aligned with that." Whether or not that involves being a narcissist is up to you.
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The worlds car industry took another step away from its 130-year association with the internal combustion engine this week as Volvo became the latest car maker to make a decisive switch to electrification of its output.

Volvo Cars president and chief executive, Hakan Samuelsson, announced that all new Volvo models from 2019 will enjoy some form of electric propulsion, either as hybrids that will retain a conventional petrol or diesel engine, or as purely electric models.

Depending on customer demand, when this generation of models reaches the end of its cycle in the mid-2020s, then the last ever Volvo car with a petrol or diesel motor could roll off the production lines, possibly coinciding with Volvos centenary year of 2027.

Recommended Volvo to make only electric cars from 2019

Mr Samuelsson said: This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car. Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1 million electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.

This is about the customer. People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish.

Manufacturers such as Volvo are also responding to tougher EU targets for emissions, where electric cars, with zero emissions at the point of use, can drastically improve the overall green credentials of a model range, especially for marques such as Volvo that tend to sell larger saloons and SUVs. Companies that fail to reach these targets of their production will be fined.

Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Volvo Cars is now owned by Geely of China, and seems also to have been influenced by its parents activities a home, where there has been a radical shift in attitudes towards pollution.

China, motivated by a need to clean up its air and to reduce imports of oil, is now pushing electric vehicles hard. Last year Chinese electric vehicle sales reached 507,000 units, compared to 221,000 across Europe and some 157,000 in the US.

Chinas electric vehicles sales are expected to jump to around 700,000 this year, and growth around the world, albeit from a very low base, is set to explode in the 2020s and 2030s, alongside increasingly driverless vehicles. Apple and Google are well known for their plans in this field, and Tesla, the worlds first electric-only car maker, is also one of its most valuable, its large silent and sporty saloons no longer such a rare sight in the more prosperous neighbourhoods of Western cities.

In Europe, Swedens neighbour, Norway, though oil-rich, leads the way to electrification, with four out of every 10 new cars electrically driven, and a massive public investment in infrastructure for charging points. These are essential in urban areas where electric cars cannot be easily charged from flats and terraced houses.

Volvo Cars will introduce a range of electrified cars, including five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021, three of which will be Volvo models and two of which will be high-performance electrified cars from Volvo Cars new premium brand, Polestar.

These five cars will be supplemented by a range of petrol and diesel plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid 48-volt options on all models, representing one of the broadest electrified car offerings of any car maker, though other makers, notably Toyota, have been developing those options for much longer.

Indeed, with even the next generation of the Jaguar XJ limousine rumoured to be an electric model, every car maker is moving towards electrification at an accelerating rate. Some, such as Hyundai and Honda, are also developing electric motors using on-board hydrogen fuel cells, a still more ambitious technological change.

Customer resistance to electric-only vehicles on the grounds of limited range and high purchase cost is being eroded by rapid advances in battery technology, faster recharging and official incentives.

Significantly, too, this marks a further step back from the reliance on controversial diesel engines of so many European makers.

Volvo made plain that one reason for its change has been pressure from its customers, and this comes against a background of the VW diesel scandal and bad publicity about the health and environmental impact of the noxious emissions diesels can pump into congested cities.

Volvo was one of a number of makes, notably also including Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the VW Group that have invested heavily in diesel technology over many years. Other brands, such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda, where diesels have traditionally been a much smaller part of the product range  and where small petrol engines, pure electric or hybrids have figured more prominently  are being less badly hit by the backlash against diesel and the authorities moves to marginalise diesel cars.

Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City, for example, are reportedly planning to ban the most polluting cars and vans by 2025. Beijing, long one of the dirtiest big cities on the planet, will replace its entire fleet of taxis with electric vehicles in the next five years. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will raise the capitals congestion charge on diesels from 11.50 to 24 this October, with a move towards a ban on dirtier diesels from 2019. Some councils are also charging motorists more to park a diesel engine car.

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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. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

It is a remarkable turnaround from the situation a little more than a decade ago when ministers were enthusiastically encouraging car buyers to switch to diesel. Although diesels tend to have lower CO2 emissions than petrol-engined cars, they also generally perform badly on emissions of nitrous oxide and sooty particles that have been linked to cancer and lung disease.

Disappointed diesel car owners have called for compensation, perhaps through a scrappage scheme to replace their cars with newer, cleaner machines.

Meanwhile, a collapse in diesel car resale values would also hit the finance arms of car makers, where vehicles sold on popular Personal Contract Plans offer customers a guaranteed price for them to buy their car when the initial lease period ends. When these PCPs were introduced they assumed diesel values would hold up; as they fall, though, more owners will simply walk away, rather than pay above the odds to buy the car, leaving the car companies covering the difference between what they expected to able to sell the car to the customer for, and what it is actually worth on the second-hand market  in effect a loss.

That could represent a very heavy burden for the car makers and their shareholders, not to mention a savage financial penalty for the diesel scandal.
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The European Union and Japan have reportedly agreed in principle on a free trade deal.

According to the Associated Press, the deal will affect an overwhelming majority of commerce between the two economic powerhouses.

Its expected to be officially endorsed at a summit on Thursday when EU Council President Donald Tusk and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are due to meet.

In a tweet on Wednesday afternoon, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said: Weve reached political agreement and now recommend to leaders to confirm this.

An EU official told AP said that the deal with the Japanese means we have agreed on almost everything of importance to either side.

If it is endorsed as expected, it will likely still take several months for both sides to finalise all the terms of the deal. A deal would reportedly require amendments to Japans protections for its dairy farmers. Their home market is protected by tariffs of up to 40 per cent on processed cheese. The dairy sector is a traditionally sensitive area for the EU.

Additional reporting by news wires
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In April 2017, Theresa May called a general election to secure a mandate to deliver Brexit on her terms. As the campaign unfolded, rather than the departure from the EU, it was the funding and delivery of public services that came to the fore. Schools funding, the privatisation and funding of the NHS, and cuts to police numbers emerged as significant issues upon which the election battle was fought.

The launch of the Conservative manifesto, including proposed measures on social care, quickly dubbed as a dementia tax, and the ending of the triple lock on pensions, seemed to open a Pandoras box of criticism about a decade of budget cuts to public services following the financial crash in 2008.

Public institutions had been abolished, reconfigured, slimmed-down, privatised and put on meagre rations under the austerity programme introduced by the Coalition government in 2010. There appeared to be little sign of a change in direction in the 2017 Conservative manifesto.

Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower (Getty) (Getty Images)

Local government, which had suffered the deepest cuts of all, did not really figure in the debate, despite suffering huge disinvestment over a number of years. The abandonment of large sections of the population became visible following the Grenfell Tower disaster. Instead of a co-ordinated local and national state-sponsored response, it seemed the residents of Grenfell had to fall back on the big society until ministers were pressured into action.

The violence of austerity

Vickie Cooper and David Whyte, describe the multiple ways that austerity has unleashed social violence among the population. Their new book, The Violence of Austerity, launched during the election campaign, offers a stark account of the many ways that people have been cut off from their most basic entitlement to: housing, food, health care, social care, and general protection from hardship. Writing during in the midst of the campaign, they concluded that both the economic madness and the vicious cruelty of austerity have almost been written out of this election.

However, in the days that followed, the debate took an unexpected turn, prompted by horrific terrorist attacks in Manchester and London. Cuts to police numbers became a hot topic and the Conservatives were heavily criticised for budget and staffing reductions. Labour promised to fund 10,000 more police on the streets.

In the two decades between Blair and Corbyn contesting their first general election, there has been only a marginal drop in police numbers (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

It is perhaps an irony that the years of triangulation by Tony Blairs New Labour on the question of policing may yet be helping to pave the way to Downing Street for another form of new Labour, Blairs bete noir, Jeremy Corbyn. In the final days of the election campaign, the Labour Party subtly but ruthlessly critiqued both Blairs foreign policy and Mays previous record as a Home Secretary who had cut police numbers. Corbyn, the man previously thought unelectable by the chattering classes and the Westminster bubble, began to gain ground in the polls.

Long-term trends

Yet, had austerity cut that deep into police officer numbers over the long term? In 1996, prior to Blairs victory, the total was 125,000; in 2016 it stood at 121,000, a marginal drop in numbers over a 20-year period, and one that might be expected in terms of productivity gains in any organisation, especially given the introduction of new technology. In fact, overall total workforce figures have actually risen from 182,000 to 197,000 in the same period, indicating a displacement from beat to desk work. Of course, there was retraction from 2010 but only to restore numbers to levels viewed as acceptable a generation ago.

During this time the police have also taken on many extra responsibilities. Will McMahon has written about demands placed on the police, describing how in the space of a generation, the public have become increasingly likely to call on them. In the face of broader public service cuts, especially at local government level, the police have been expected to pick up the pieces.

Much of todays policing has little to do with actual crime (Getty) (Getty Images)

The College of Policing estimates that around 84 per cent of all incoming calls to command and control centres are for non-crime incidents. Rather than law breaking, the core business of police work today is on something officially defined as Public Safety and Welfare  mental health, child protection, missing persons and suicides.

In April of this year, Sir Thomas Winsor, the chief inspector of constabulary, said: The police are considered to be the service of last resort. In some areas, particularly where people with mental health problems need urgent help, the police are increasingly being used as the service of first resort. This is wrong.

Chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police Shaun Saywer has threatened the local NHS trust with legal action after a shortage of mental health beds led to police being forced to hold people in cells.

Providing resources elsewhere will free up police to deal with issues such as terrorism (Getty) (Getty Images)

Those favouring a Labour victory in the recent campaign may have revelled in the sight of a radical new leader skewering a Tory prime minister on the question of police numbers on the beat. However, the answer to the pressure that the police are currently experiencing might not be found in Labours 10,000 police but in 10,000 extra social workers, mental health workers and the like. Community safety is not the sole preserve of the police. It is hard to see, for example, how having extra police officers on the streets in Kensington and Chelsea would have prevented the deaths in Grenfell Tower.

Transforming society

In the days since the election, police resources have remained high on the agenda, with senior officers raising concerns about the ever-increasing pressures faced by the service, especially as staff are redeployed to counter-terrorism duties. Policing groups and Labour continue to push for more police on the streets, peddling the misguided notion that this would be an inherently good thing.

In the aftermath of the exceptional bravery and heroism displayed by police officers during recent terrorist attacks, it seems almost heretical to question any expansion of police resources. We must not overlook the darker side of policing in terms of institutional racism and the overwhelming focus on black youth and poor communities. If we want to take seriously the problems of violence and harm in society then we need a new approach.

As both austerity and the economic crisis have wreaked havoc in society, the impulse to punish and control has trumped any commitment to taking seriously peoples needs. We need to look beyond the narrow confines of our existing legal system, police force and prison system.

To take law breaking and harm seriously, we need to reconfigure how we think about safety in society. Law breaking and harm have many complex sources, many that simply cannot be addressed by more police on the streets. In simple terms, if some of the problems we face include violence, mental ill health, poverty, and yes, harmful deregulation, then the one-size-fits-all solution of criminal justice is not the answer.

Government budgets should be directed towards specialist community bodies (Roger Blackwell) (Flickr:Creative Commons)

What is required is a managed and strategic withdrawal of policing from a range of social work functions. There is clearly a need for visible, local and accessible support workers. Rather than expanding the capacity of the police to fill the vacuum left by austerity  what is required is a shift in government budgets away from policing and towards services and training of staff who are focused on reducing harm and meeting needs. This would include housing workers, youth workers, community safety workers, health and safety workers, environmental safety workers.

This could free up the police to focus on more serious public protection issues of violence  terrorism for example. This would imply a significantly smaller and specialised policing function.

After austerity

We need state-led and community-led interventions to respond to and tackle harm. However, the risk is that by focusing on police numbers, we forget to take seriously the root causes of harm and their connection to social and economic arrangements.

The electoral and political landscape has suddenly shifted and the opportunity for radical social change suddenly seems possible. If austerity is, indeed, starting to crumble then this is a huge opportunity to not only invest in public services, but to rethink their configuration and purpose. If we want to take community safety and harm seriously, the answer shouldnt be more police, courts and prisons. The answers are out there. We just need to start asking the right questions.

Rebecca Roberts is senior policy associate at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies
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Archaeologists in eastern China have found 5,000-year-old skeletons of people experts say would have been unusually tall and strong.

According to the measurements of bones in the graves at the site in Shandong province, a number of the people would have measured at 1.8m or taller, with one man estimated to have been 1.9m, Xinhua news agency reported.

Although not particularly unusual by 21st-century Western standards, it is thought their height would have seen them tower over many of their contemporaries.

This is just based on bone structure. If he was a living person, his height would certainly exceed 1.9m, Fang Hui, head of Shandong Universitys school of history and culture, told the agency.

Locals in Shandong see their height as a defining characteristic. A study conducted in 2015 found the average height of 18 men to be 1.753m, compared to the countrys national average of 1.72m.

Confucius, who was born in what is now the Shandong province, was reportedly 1.9m tall.

The excavation site in the village of Jiaojia, near Jinan City, has been found to hold 104 houses, 205 graves and 20 sacrificial pits. A number of colourful pots and jade articles were also recovered.

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

Archaeologists have been uncovering artefacts and bones from the late Neolithic people since last year, who are understood to have lived mostly off pigs and millet.

The people living in the region 5,000 years ago are believed to have had relatively comfortable lives; the rows of houses that have been excavated suggested their living quarters had separate bedrooms and kitchens, according to China Daily.

Colourful pots were also found in the graves (YouTube)

The area is also believed to have been the political, cultural and economic centre of the Chinese region.

Taller men were found buried in larger graves, which could be due to them having a higher status and having access to better food.
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Tony Blair must be prosecuted over the unnecessary and unlawful Iraq War, a court has heard.

General Abdul Wahed Shannan Al Rabbat alleges Mr Blair, then UK prime minister, committed the crime of aggression by invading Iraq in 2003.

The general wants to bring a private prosecution against Mr Blair and two other key ministers at the time  foreign secretary Jack Straw and the attorney general, Lord Goldsmith.

Michael Mansfield QC, arguing for a war crimes trial in the UK, told the High Court Mr Rabbat had sought the prosecution in the wake of the Chilcot inquiry report, which was released last year.

Saddam Hussein did not pose an urgent threat to the UK, intelligence reporting about [Iraqi] weapons of mass destruction was presented with unwarranted certainty, that the war was unnecessary and that the UK undermined the authority of the UN security council, is how he summarised the findings, according to The Guardian.

Nothing could be more emphatic than these findings. It was an unlawful war.

Westminster Magistrates Court refused to issue summonses in November last year on the grounds that the former ministers had immunity from legal action, and in any event the current Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, would have to give consent.

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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 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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 general applied to the High Court in London for permission to seek judicial review of the magistrates court decision.

After a half-day hearing, two judges reserved their judgment and said they would give their decision on whether to grant permission at a later date.

The general lives in Muscat, Oman, does not possess a passport and could not be at the hearing on Wednesday.

But Court 4 of the Royal Courts of Justice was filled by citizens from Middle East countries, including Iraq and Syria, who say they feel they have had to pay the price of the Iraq invasion.

The Attorney General intervened in the case and his legal team urged Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the Lord Chief Justice, sitting with Mr Justice Ouseley, to block the generals legal challenge on the grounds that it was hopeless and unarguable because the crime of aggression is not recognised in English law.

Additional reporting by agencies
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The Government will send in a task force to take over parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Communities Secretary (DCLG) Sajid Javid said outside experts will be brought in to manage the council's housing, regeneration, community engagement and governance services in the wake of heavy criticism over the council's handling of the tragedy.

It comes just days after leading MPs and campaigners warned The Independent that the Government had to strip RBKC of its powers or face possible civil unrest.

They said the Government should impose new commissioners to run the local authority, which was plunged into further turmoil last week after leader Nick Paget-Brown and deputy leader Rock Feilding-Mellen were forced to stand down over their handling of the disaster, which claimed at least 80 lives.

Robert Black, the head of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), also stood down to assist with the investigation and inquiry.

Mr Javid said: The scale of the recovery effort needed on the Lancaster West estate in the months to come cannot be underestimated. Support to survivors, the families and friends of those who lost their lives and residents in the wider community must and will be ongoing. The challenge of providing that support is and will continue to be significant. I want to help the council meet that challenge.

The immediate response to the disaster is being coordinated by the Grenfell Response Team, headed up by John Barradell. He is ably supported by a number of colleagues drawn from London Councils, the wider local government sector including the RBKC, the voluntary sector, Police, Health and Fire services as well as central government. Their expertise and hard work is making a huge difference.

As well as providing that immediate support, we must have an eye to the future. This intervention is putting in place the foundations that will support the longer term recovery.

In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 1 /51 In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementis Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire

Elizabeth Campbell, a former member of the council's cabinet, was nominated to replace Mr Paget-Brown, saying in her first public statement she was "truly sorry" for RBKC's handling of the tragedy.

She said the "unprecedented scale" of the incident meant her first task of leader was to ask DCLG for help.

"I look forward to working with their staff as we all concentrate our efforts on healing the wounds in the north of our borough and to regain the trust of a community traumatised by disaster," she said.

The move stops short of demands from DCLG shadow secretary Andrew Gwynne and London mayor Sadiq Khan for ministers to appoint external commissioners to take over the running of the whole council.

The new team is expected to be phased in as the current Grenfell Tower response team is gradually wound down following the immediate aftermath of the fire.

Yvette Williams, coordinator of the Justice4Grenfell campaign group, said last week survivors were becoming increasingly angry over the council response to the tragedy.

Recommended Last survivors from 22nd floor of Grenfell Tower tell of their escape

We are definitely calling for the council to be brought under executive control. Were calling for them to just go, the arrogance alone is just astounding, she said.

There has to be action, not just a statement anymore. Something needs to be seen to be done for the community. We are not just traumatised, we are angry. There will be civil unrest if this continues, there needs to be some kind of action that shows something is being done.

In his resignation statement, Mr Paget-Brown described the Grenfell fire as possibly the worst tragedy London has seen since the end of the Second World War.

He conceded that the council had faced criticism for not answering the publics questions and said he had to accept my share of responsibility for these perceived failings.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to meet the Queen in Edinburgh as part of a trip to recognise the strong ties between his country and the UK.

Mr Trudeau is visiting Scotland on his way to the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on 7 and 8 July.

He met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the first time on Tuesday and will have a private meeting with the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Wednesday to honour her importance to Canada's history and to thank her for her continued dedication to Canada, his office said.

The event comes as part of Holyrood week when the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh host a number of engagements in Scotland.

Scottish Paralympic gold medallists Gordon Reid, Jo Butterfield and Karen Darke were all made MBEs at an investiture ceremony at the palace on Tuesday and, before the meeting with Mr Trudeau, the Queen and Prince Philip will visit Stirling and Falkirk.

They will travel by boat to The Kelpies sculpture to unveil a plaque to name the Queen Elizabeth II Canal that runs through the Helix development.

At Stirling Castle, the royal couple will attend a thanksgiving service in the Chapel Royal before meeting supporters and staff involved in the redevelopment of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum.

Recommended Justin Trudeau was his best self at Canadian Pride

Mr Trudeau was accompanied on his trip to Ireland by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their young son Hadrien.

His office said his visit to Ireland and the UK will serve to recognise the strong family ties, history and common purpose our countries share.

Mr Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada who was elected prime minister in 2015, said he is looking forward to his meeting with the Queen.

They met in London shortly after his election, but they also met when Mr Trudeau was a young boy and his father Pierre was Canada's PM.

Mr Trudeau said: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's commitment to public service has long inspired me and many other Canadians.

Justin Trudeau Show all 8 1 /8 Justin Trudeau Justin Trudeau Day out The family get in the boat with climate change AP Justin Trudeau Keeping fit Jogging over the Alexandria bridge with the Mexican president AP Justin Trudeau Family comes first Sophie inspires me every day to be better. I wouldnt be here tonight if it werent for her leadership and her example." AP Justin Trudeau Three-way handshake Trudeau has vowed to strengthen international relations. Twitter Justin Trudeau Bromance Friendship with the White House The White House Justin Trudeau Pandas Just because. Twitter Justin Trudeau Yoga The plank became an internet sensation Twitter Justin Trudeau Making history Trudeau's gender-balanced cabinet was the first of its kind AP

With this year marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation, I look forward to thanking her personally for her dedication to our country and for carrying out her duties with such grace and strength.

Press Association
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Pride in London, the annual celebration of the LGBT+ community, is to return to the capital's streets this weekend.

The festival takes place over 14 days, and features a range of events - in addition to the hugely popular 8 July parade - aimed at raising awareness around some of the major issues facing the community; including homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and everyday discrimination in the workplace.

At a Pride Reception at City Hall, the first of its kind for seven years, Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed members of the LGBTQI community, representatives from UK Black Pride, and Pride in London, ahead of the festivities.

While chatting about being the first Mayor of London to appear at a Pride march in the capital, joking about Kylie Minogue songs during his campaign ('I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky to become mayor') and showing off a T-shirt with the word 'Masc' on it, Mayor Khan had some more serious points to make.

"We're here to have fun. We're here to have an amazing Pride in London on Saturday. But we recognise [...] that these are tough times for those of us who live here," he told those gathered

"These are tough times for the LGBT+ community."

Praising Stonewall co-founder Michael Cashman for his work paving the way for LGBT rights in the country, Mayor Khan remarked that while the capital had come a long way, "there was no space at all for complacency".

"We've got to make sure we're vigilant against anybody who incites hatred.

"And one of the things we have to do is celebrate who we are. As Michael said, I don't want to be 'tolerated'. Nobody should be tolerated for their sexuality or their ethnicity, or their faith, or because of who they are. They should be celebrated, respected and embraced."

Reflecting on last year's Pride, Mayor Khan said that it took place just "days after the tragedy in Orlando" - the horrific gun attack at the LGBT nightclub Pulse, where 49 people lost their lives in 2016.

He went on to discuss the recent attacks in London Bridge and Finsbury Park, saying: "These past five weeks have been the toughest this city has seen for many years.

"These are unprecedented times. But you and me, on Saturday, are the antidote to that hatred. You on Saturday are the antidote to the sadness, the struggle and the grief."

"As long as I'm Mayor of London, you will be welcomed, you will be celebrated and embraced. Love happens here."

After Mayor Khan had finished his address to members of the LGBTQI community and press, noted rights campaigner Peter Tatchell shouted out from the audience, criticising an alleged restriction on the number people allowed to march in the Pride in London parade.

Speaking to the Independent, Mr Tatchell said that City Hall, the Metropolitan Police and Westminster City Council "have a duty to explain why they have imposed an artificial limit of 26,500 marchers in the Pride parade."

Mr Tatchell went on to say that "the ethos of Pride is that it should be open to everyone", adding that "Pride organisers are hugely concerned about the amount of money it costs to put on the parade, but if it was a political march, there would be no cost whatsoever."

In a statement the Independent , Mr Tatchell clarified that:

"I was referring to the cap on participants forced on the Pride organisers by the Mayor, Westminster council and the Metropolitan Police. They never dictate similar limits on the equivalent Notting Hill Carnival. It is outrageous that people who want to march cannot. This goes against the whole spirit of Pride."

Returning to the stage following Mr Tatchell's remarks, Mayor Khan took up the mic again and said:

"We have the largest number of floats this year. We have a record number of walking groups, this year. We'll have more than a million people on Saturday, this year."

He went on to add: "I will defend my record against any mayor in the history of this city. Have a great Pride."

Peter Tatchell said: "Sadiq refused to answer my question. I am a big supporter of the Mayor but I found his unwillingness to respond to a legitimate question very disappointing.

"The Mayor's only riposte was that he looked forward to celebrating Pride with 'a million people' on Saturday.

"Sadiq has been misled. There is nothing like a million people at Pride London. It is one of the smallest Prides in any European capital city, far outsized by Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Madrid."

Responding to Mr Tatchell's criticisms, a spokesperson for the Mayor told the Independent: The Mayor will lead this years Pride in London parade  which promises to be the biggest ever - with 81 floats and 231 walking groups. Over one million people will line the streets in an event which will celebrate Londons LGBT+ community and show that London will always be a beacon of inclusiveness and diversity.

A Pride in London spokesperson also told The Independent that every person who had applied to be in the parade, 'is in the parade'. Adding: "The demand for places in our parade has been greater than ever before.

"In order to meet the requirements of our agreement with Westminster Council and relevant authorities, the size of the official parade does have an upper limit. In response to feedback about space and waiting times we have worked to extend the length of this years parade and make sure it's not only one of the biggest ever parades London has seen, but also a better experience for all involved.

"Around 1pm people are expected to come and enjoy the day."

Pride in London takes place on Saturday 8 July. UK Black Pride will take place on Sunday 9 July. And the community-style event Pride in the Park is taking place on Sunday 9 July.
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The boys who wore skirts to school to protest about its uniform policy, have won the right to wear shorts.

As temperatures soared last month, male pupils at Exeter's Isca Academy became frustrated that they were required to wear trousers.

So dozens of them borrowed skirts from their female peers to protest - making national headlines in the process.

Now headteacher Aimee Mitchell has confirmed they were successful.

If the hot weather returns this term she said in a letter to parents that the boys will now be allowed to wear their PE kit. Tailored charcoal grey shorts will become part of the official summer uniform next year, she added.

Praising the boys initiative and resourcefulness and "the good spirit in which they expressed their views", she wrote: "I feel they were great ambassadors for the Academy and we feel proud that our school fosters independent and lateral thinking young people.

Should a heatwave return before the end of term, parents will be notified that pupils can wear their PE shorts if they wish to, she added.

The boys had claimed the uniform policy was unfair because girls could be cool and bare legged in the hot weather but not them. Before their protest, some of the boys reportedly shaved their legs after being told they were too hairy.

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year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens 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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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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

Speaking to DevonLive, one of the boys parents said she was very proud of the boys successful initiative.

She said: I'm glad that they did it because it makes them feel that they are visible and that they will be heard if they speak to the right people and that adults will support them. They were just amazing. And they were amazed at the way it went viral all over the world. It was crazy."
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Tommy Robinson has met with members of Manchesters Jewish community at a secretive event where he is believed to have outlined his extreme views on Islam in a speech.

The former English Defence League leader is said to have talked to around a dozen members in Prestwich, just outside Manchester city centre, until the early hours of last Thursday morning.

Mr Robinson mentioned the meeting on his Twitter account and claimed it was a charity fundraiser for the Amelia-Mae Foundation which supports people with Neuroblastoma.

According to the Jewish Chronicle, one community member said her friends had organised the meet-up but she would take legal action if her own name was linked to the event.

An additional source told the publication the meeting with the far-right campaigner, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, went on until the early hours of last Thursday morning.

The meeting has sparked outrage in the wider Jewish community whose members argue Mr Robinson incites racial hatred and is in the same league as the British National Party (BNP) - where he used to be a member.

Muslim man comforts elderly Jewish woman in symbol of Manchester unity Show all 4 1 /4 Muslim man comforts elderly Jewish woman in symbol of Manchester unity Muslim man comforts elderly Jewish woman in symbol of Manchester unity A Jewish woman named Renee Rachel Black and a Muslim man named Sadiq Patel react next to floral tributes in Albert Square REUTERS Muslim man comforts elderly Jewish woman in symbol of Manchester unity REUTERS Muslim man comforts elderly Jewish woman in symbol of Manchester unity REUTERS Muslim man comforts elderly Jewish woman in symbol of Manchester unity REUTERS

The Jewish Labour Movement, which has been a formal affiliate of the Labour Party since 1920, told The Independent they were deeply alarmed by the secret gathering and members of the organisation had been left "outraged".

Jeremy Newmark, the chairman, said: "There can be no space in our community for the politics of extremism and hate. British Jews stood firmly against the British Union of Fascists, the National Front and the BNP.

"We are warning them not to be taken in by the likes of Tommy Robinson who is part of that same legacy of hate. We call upon the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council to take political and educational steps to distance our community from Robinson and his associates  No ifs, no buts, Tommy Robinson is an enemy of our community.

Recommended Witness rebuffs claim Tommy Robinson was defending himself in brawl

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, who describes itself as a democratic, cross-communal voice, condemned the meeting.

Tommy Robinsons record of anti-Muslim provocation means that he could never be a partner of a respectable or mainstream Jewish organisation, they said on Twitter.

Jewish Voice, a left-wing group, were equally disdainful of the meeting and have a launched a campaign titled Jews Against Islamophobia in response.

Despite being accused of antisemitism, Mr Robinson has declared his support for the Jewish people and Israel. He has long tried to curry favour with British Jews and has travelled to Israel, declaring himself a Zionist.

"People actually think I'm a Jew. I've gone full 360 over last eight years. From people thinking I hate Jews to people thinking I am a Jew, he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

Mr Robinson recently sparked fury for attacking the Quran as a violent and cursed book just a day after the Finsbury Park terror attack.

The far-right leader, who was filmed scuffling with a man at Ascot last month, announced he was leaving the EDL in 2013 in a joint conference with think tank Quilliam. His departure was widely covered, with the former leader later telling police he would help with their investigations into alleged racists within the extremist group.

A representative for Mr Robinson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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A neo-Nazi sticker declaring a "white zone", alongside a man giving a fascist salute, was left on the windscreen of a woman's car.

Isatta Kallon, who is originally from Sierra Leone, thinks she was specifically targeted by racists, in Torbay, Devon, where she was spending the day with her family, who were visiting from West Africa.

On their return to her car, she found the sticker.

"I thought 'is this for real'," the 49-year-old told the Plymouth Herald. "I definitely think we were targeted as I walked around and looked at all of the other cars which didn't have stickers.

"I believe they would have seen us get out of the car. It's unbelievable and I was really upset about it."

She added: "Why should my children suffer? They were born here  I wonder what's going to happen if this is still going on in 2017."

The sticker also features the name of the National Action group, the first far-right group to be branded a terror organisation by the Government.

At the time Home Secretary Amber Rudd called it "a racist, antisemitic and homophobic organisation which stirs up hatred, glorifies violence and promotes a vile ideology."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every 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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

The self-styled nationalist youth movement has praised Thomas Mair, the white supremacist who murdered Labour MP Jo Cox last year. It uses anti-Semitic language and gestures copied from Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party.

The group, which has held protests featuring banners saying "Hitler was right" has been filmed putting up posters declaring "white zones" in Liverpool.

Anyone joining or drumming up support for the organisation now faces criminal prosecution.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they were looking into the matter.
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BBC diplomatic editor James Landale has rejected a job working for Theresa May, he has announced.

Mr Landale, who previously served as the corporations deputy political correspondent, said it was nice to be asked, but that he had decided not to apply for the role  widely reported to be as the Prime Ministers head of communications.

Mr Landale was tipped as a frontrunner for the job, which is currently vacant, alongside BBC head of live political programming Robbie Gibb. However, he has now ruled himself out after saying he is happy in his current role.

He wrote on Twitter: Parish news: I was asked if I would consider a job at No10. Nice to be asked but have decided not to apply. Have great job at BBC.

The Downing Street director of communications role has been vacant since Katie Perrior resigned shortly before the general election. She became the first of several key May aides to walk out after the disastrous election result, and was followed by the Prime Minister's joint chiefs of staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill.

Ms May's press secretary, Lizzie Loudon, also left and has since been replaced by former Sun journalist Craig Woodhouse.

Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images

Mr Landale attended Eton at a similar time to David Cameron and later spent ten years at The Times. He moved to the BBC in 2003 and was made deputy political editor in 2009.

Downing Street sources told The Guardian both he and Mr Gibb had been interviewed for a job. The latter leads the BBCs political team in Westminster, overseeing the Daily and Sunday Politics programmes.

The Number 10 head of communications role is currently being filled by Chris Wilkins, Ms Mays director of strategy. Mr Wilkins is believed to be in the running for the job on a full-time basis.
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Dominic Cummings might have been one of the key architects of the Brexit vote but he remains little known to the public.

The behind-the-scenes ringleader served as the Campaign Director of the Vote Leave campaign and is the mastermind behind some of its most memorable slogans.

He was the brains behind the infamous 350m-for-the-NHS slogan plastered on the side of the bus and coined the phrase vote leave, take control.

Mr Cummings, a former special advisor to Michael Gove, has now found himself in the limelight for performing a staggering U-turn by admitting that leaving the EU may be an error.

In a late-night Twitter exchange, the political strategist described the referendum as a dumb idea before other ideas had been tested to seize back powers from Brussels.

Despite the huge influence of Mr Cummings, who David Cameron once branded a career psychopath, has exerted on future of Britain, he continues to be something of a mystery to the British public.

His career path

Born in Durham, Mr Cummings was the son of an oil rig project manager and a special needs teacher. He went from Durham School to Oxford University where he graduated in 1994 with a First in Ancient and Modern History.

After leaving university, he did not immediately turn his attention to politics. Instead, he lived in Russia for three years where he sought to establish an airline connecting Samara and Vienna.

Dominic Cummings said officials wanted to stop funding Kids Company but were overruled

His eurosceptism first reared its head between 1999 and 2002 when he served as campaign director at Business for Sterling - the campaign against Britain joining the Euro.

After this, he became director of Strategy for Conservative Party Leader, Iain Duncan Smith, but quit after eight months out of anger at the introduction of what he perceived to be half-measures. Between 2007 and 2014, he worked for Michael Gove as a special advisor.

There he became famed for his forthright, direct manner and "not suffering fools gladly.

A profile of Mr Cummings penned by Conservative Home in 2014 described him as one of the most direct people in politics and noted it was rare for a special advisor to attract any attention let alone the amount he was getting. According to the piece, the strategist rose to prominence for mounting a frontal assault on Nick Clegg, whom he has accused of being self-obsessed, dishonest and a revolting character.

It has been said of Cummings that you underestimate him at your peril, the author Andrew Gimson writes. He is exceptionally intelligent, without being exceptionally steady: a ruthless man who fights to win and is prepared to risk defeat. If he were a conventional careerist, he could be bought off or persuaded to be patient in the hope of obtaining the reward of becoming an MP and a minister. Cummings is more dangerous than that. He is an idealist.

The politician, who married Mary Wakefield commissioning editor at The Spectator in 2011, eventually left the post to start a free school.

Despite working closely with the Conservative Party over the years, he has never joined a political party himself.

Brexit engineer

It was with the Brexit vote that Mr Cummings truly flexed his strategist prowess. Behind the scenes, he is credited with being a key player in pulling off last years shock vote for Britain to leave the European Union.

He proposed the campaign for an extra 350m to be spent on the NHS every week from diverted EU spending and the infamous bus which leading Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson were photographed alongside. The pledge was of course scrapped when Theresa May took over in Downing Street.

Mr Cummings was criticised by MPs at the Treasury Select Committee in April 2016 for creating campaign leaflets which could potentially mislead members of the public into believing they were created by the NHS.

His campaign strategy was summarised as: "Dont talk about immigration"; "Do talk about business"; "Dont make the referendum final"; "Do keep mentioning the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the over-reach of the European Unions Court of Justice".

After 52 per cent of Britain voted to exit the EU, Mr Cummings was hailed as one of the key masterminds behind the successful campaign.
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Women from Northern Ireland will be able to access free abortions on the NHS in Wales and Scotland as well as England, it has been announced.

Details of the new policy are to be set out shortly, the Scottish government said the day after Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones also confirmed the decision.

Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland in all but exceptional circumstances, even in cases of rape and incest.

Many hundreds of women are thought to travel across the Irish Sea each year to undergo the procedure in Great Britain  where they are presented with a bill from the health service.

Last Thursday the UK Government backed funding for women from Northern Ireland to access free abortions in England, a dramatic change in policy provoked by an amendment to the Queens Speech tabled by Labour MP Stella Creasy.

The U-turn came just weeks after the Supreme Court narrowly rejected an appeal from a mother and daughter, who was 15 when she travelled from Northern Ireland to Manchester for an abortion, for which she was reportedly charged around 900.

The judges ruled women in Northern Ireland were not entitled to receive free abortions in the NHS in England, citing respect to the democratic decision of the people of Northern Ireland.

Ms Creasy dropped her amendment, expected to be backed by some Tory backbenchers, after chancellor Philip Hammond announced the policy change.

A Holyrood spokesperson said the Scottish government believes that a woman from Northern Ireland, in Scotland, should be able to access an abortion for free on the same basis as women in Scotland and we will set out shortly how that can be achieved.

The Scottish Government's view is that abortion should be part of standard healthcare for all women, and available free from stigma, they said.

 Hammond: Government will fund abortions in England for Northern Ireland women

Scotland was granted new devolved powers over abortion as part of the 2016 Scotland Act. At the time, Nicola Sturgeon said she would look into giving Northern Ireland women access to NHS abortions in Scotland without prohibitive costs.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), Britains largest provider of abortion services, said on Monday it had removed all consultation and treatment fees for women living in Northern Ireland after the Governments decision.

As the details of the new government scheme have yet to be put forward, Bpas is concerned that women may delay treatment as they wait for the commitment to be actioned, they said, adding that women who have been treated by Bpas since Friday will have their fees refunded.

Recommended Theresa May faces series of rebellions after abortion climbdown

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has signed a formal agreement with the Conservatives to prop up Theresa May's minority government, has long opposed abortion.

One of the Northern Irish party's MPs, Ian Paisley Jr, said the DUP will not compromise on its anti-abortion views as part of the deal.

Mr Paisley said "the rights of the unborn child trump any political agreement that has been put in place" as he issued a warning to any MPs who try to raise the issue in the House of Commons.

Marie Stopes UK, another major abortion provider, said there has been no change to their fees for Northern Irish women yet, but said it was vital the Government implement the change as soon as possible.

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

We are already in discussion with government over how to implement this change and ensure that women from Northern Ireland can start accessing abortion services in England, free at the point of care, said Sally bassett, the organisations acting managing director.

Now that this decision has been made, it is vital that the change is implemented as soon as possible, so that women seeking abortion are clear on their options.

We strongly believe that Northern Irish women are entitled to the same NHS services as any other UK taxpayer. Ideally these services would be provided in Northern Ireland itself, but until that happens, this is an important step forward.
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Theresa May has U-turned on a promise not to carry out immigration checks on Grenfell fire victims, leaving survivors who need help at risk of deportation if they come forward.

The Prime Minister pledged in Parliament not to use the tragedy as an excuse to check residents immigration status, but ministers confirmed anyone wanting help must register with Home Office officials and be subject to normal immigration rules after 12 months.

Downing Street confirmed to The Independent that what happens to survivors at that point would depend on their circumstances.

 Housing Minister fights back tears recalling Grenfell Tower stories

Campaigners had raised concerns victims may not come forward for help because they feared questions being raised about their immigration status, with Labour branding the Governments newly unveiled approach as grotesque.

It came as police announced 87 discoveries of human remains in the charred tower, but could not say they belonged to the same number of people because of the catastrophic damage in the building.

Ministers also announced they would send a task force to take over parts of the beleaguered Kensington and Chelsea Council following heavy criticism of its response to the disaster.

Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said: "The Government has been clear that our priority is to ensure that victims of this tragedy get the access they need to vital services, irrespective of immigration status.

"This period of leave to remain for those directly affected by the fire will provide survivors with the time to deal with the extremely difficult circumstances in which they find themselves and start to rebuild their lives whilst considering their future options, as well as to assist the police and other authorities with their enquiries about the fire."

Jolyon Maugham QC, a prominent barrister who has volunteered to offer free legal services to Grenfell victims, said: You cant really call this an amnesty. The Government is offering not to deport you immediately if you give it the wherewithal to deport you later. Its hard to see that it will have the response the Government says it desires.

In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 1 /51 In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementis Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire

Karen Doyle, spokesperson for Movement for Justice  an immigration rights group  said: A 12-month amnesty is like handing over a ticking time bomb to severely traumatised people. Recovery from what happened at Grenfell will be a lifetime process  one that requires people are in a safe and secure environment to make space for that painstaking work.

Navigating the immigration system, living with constant fear of deportation and being constantly told you are a liar is itself a traumatising process.

For those who are undocumented, who know what fate awaits them at the end of 12 months, this offer means nothing.

The only meaningful offer would be a complete amnesty with permanent right to remain. Let these people heal.

Those granted limited leave to remain will have full access to relevant support and assistance, but only for the limited time available.

Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, said the possibility of deportation for survivors was grotesque.

Ms Abbot said: The partial amnesty is limited to 12 months, which does not go far enough.

Some victims have literally lost everything in this horrific tragedy: all their possessions, homes and loved ones. The idea that on top of this they could be deported later is grotesque.

To access all the support they need without fear of deportation, any survivors concerned about their status must be given indefinite leave to remain. Otherwise, they may just disappear off the grid.

Two weeks ago, Theresa May told the House of Commons: We will not use this tragic incident as a reason to carry out immigration checks on those involved or on those providing vital information to identify victims or those assisting with the criminal investigation.

We will make sure that all victims, irrespective of their immigration status, will be able to access the services they need, including healthcare and accommodation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said that, even with the team of 250 forensic pathologists and officers that are currently working within the tower, it would still take many months for the final death toll to be known.

Commander Stuart Cundy said: Until formal identification has been completed to the coroners satisfaction I cannot say how many people have now been recovered.

The last visible human remains were extracted on Monday, and 21 people have been formally identified by the coroner and their families informed.

He added: This will take us many months, but we will search each and every flat.

We will use all the information we have, especially what we have been told by survivors and families, to prioritise our search where we believe we may find more human remains.

We are absolutely determined to do all we can as quickly as we can to return all those who are in Grenfell Tower to their loved ones.

It was also revealed that a government task force will step in to take over the running of certain council services, in the wake of Kensington and Chelsea Councils heavily criticised response to the tragedy.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed outside experts will be brought in to manage Kensington and Chelsea Councils housing, regeneration, community engagement and governance services.

It comes just days after leading MPs and campaigners warned The Independent that the Government had to strip the local council of its powers or face possible civil unrest.

They said the Government should impose new commissioners to run the local authority, which was plunged into further turmoil last week after leader Nick Paget-Brown and deputy leader Rock Feilding-Mellen were forced to stand down over their handling of the disaster, which claimed at least 80 lives.

Robert Black, the head of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, also stood down to assist with the investigation and inquiry.

Mr Javid said: The scale of the recovery effort needed on the Lancaster West Estate in the months to come cannot be underestimated. Support to survivors, the families and friends of those who lost their lives and residents in the wider community must and will be ongoing. The challenge of providing that support is and will continue to be significant. I want to help the council meet that challenge.

The immediate response to the disaster is being coordinated by the Grenfell response team, headed up by John Barradell. He is ably supported by a number of colleagues drawn from London councils, the wider local government sector including the RBKC [Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea], the voluntary sector, police, health and fire services as well as central government. Their expertise and hard work is making a huge difference.

As well as providing that immediate support, we must have an eye to the future. This intervention is putting in place the foundations that will support the longer term recovery.

At the despatch box in the House of Commons today, new housing minister Alok Sharma fought back tears as he described the suffering of the families of victims he had met since the tragedy occurred.

'The families which Ive met have been through unimaginable pain, he said, before pausing for several seconds. This is a tragedy which should never have happened, and we are determined to do all that we can to make sure something like this never happens again. When he sat down, he wiped his face with a tissue.
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New minister Steve Baker has slapped down colleagues trying to avert a hard Brexit, insisting there will be no compromise on Theresa Mays plans.

It would be fatal show of weakness  like putting blood in the water  to let Brussels believe Britain is stepping back from the Prime Ministers hardline proposals, set out in January, he warned.

Mr Baker admitted to Cabinet divisions on the terms of Brexit since the election weakened Ms May, saying: It is the case that some people would like to reinvent things.

 Minister appointed to negotiate Brexit wanted EU 'torn down'

But, the junior Brexit minister insisted: We have taken a major strategic decision to leave the European Union.

That is a major strategic decision for our country and the last thing we need to do now is take a misstep.

One of those missteps would be to divert from the policy that was set out in the Lancaster House speech and the White Paper.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, is leading a push by some Cabinet ministers for a lengthy transitional period, to avoid a disastrous cliff edge for businesses from crashing out of the EU with no trade deal.

One option might be a Norway-style arrangement, keeping Britain in the European Economic Area (EEA) and, therefore, within the EU single market.

However, critics argue that would mean Britain being forced to accept trading rules, without helping to make them, as well as free movement of EU citizens.

It's like putting blood in the water to even talk about the EEA, Mr Baker told the BBC Radio 4's World At One programme.

We don't want to be a rule taker, for all the reasons that David Cameron gave during the referendum. We mustn't take up some of those ideas.

Mr Baker was giving his first major interview since his surprise appointment  taken as a clear signal that Ms May is determined to press ahead with a hard Brexit.

As The Independent revealed, the former head of the anti-EU European Research Group of Tory MPs was filmed calling for the destruction of the European Union.

Mr Baker said the EU should be wholly torn down, before branding it an obstacle to world peace and incompatible with a free society.

Conservative MPs warned his appointment risked the UK's ability to secure good Brexit terms, while Labour said it was extraordinary and raised questions about the Prime Minister's judgement.

Many at Westminster doubt that Ms May can keep together a government that includes hardliners such as Mr Baker and soft Brexit advocates including the Chancellor.

Mr Hammonds officials have written an unpublished paper that challenges the Department of International Trade (DIT) over its bid to prioritise trade deals outside the EU.

The Treasury will demand to see proof that agreements with non-EU countries can outweigh the loss of European trade from leaving the customs union.

Mr Hammond hopes to use the findings of that paper to press his case for staying within the customs union, at least for a transitional period.
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Jeremy Corbyn has asked Theresa May why she was able to find 1 billion in funding for Northern Ireland to help her make a deal with the DUP but not to lift the cap on public sector pay.

The clash came during a heated session of PMQs in which the Labour leader demanded that the 1 per cent cap on public sector pay rises be lifted in order to give nurses, doctors and teachers a salary boost.

Several senior ministers have backed calls for austerity to be eased, but Chancellor Philip Hammond has so far stood his ground.

Ms May's response appeared to suggest she was not considering a climbdown. She consistently emphasised the need to reduce the deficit, arguing that Britain could not risk going the same way as countries like Greece, where debt has spiralled.

That led Mr Corbyn to demand to know how money had been made available for Northern Ireland in order to help Ms May make a deal with the DUP in return for their support in key votes after her majority evaporated at the general election.

"The Prime Minister found 1 billion to keep her own job", he said. "Why can't she find the same amount of money to keep nurses and teachers in theirjob, who after all serve all of us?"

Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Show all 27 1 /27 Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary for Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Priti Patel Priti Patel has been appointed International Development Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Alun Cairns Alun Cairns will stay on as Welsh Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Karen Bradley Karen Bradley is now Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Rex Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Greg Clark Greg Clark has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? James Brokenshire James Brokenshire has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Stephen Crabb Stephen Crabb has resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers will not return as Northern Ireland Secretary. She was reportedly offered a role by Theresa May, but turned it down, saying it was not one she felt could take on Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Chris Grayling Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Damien Green Damien Green has been appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Liz Truss Liz Truss has been appointed Justice Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Patrick McLoughlin Patrick McLoughlin who was Transport Secretary has been appointed Tory Party chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Justine Greening Justine Greening has been appointed as Education Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson is to become the new Government Chief Whip Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt will continue as Health Secretary Getty Images Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan lost her job as Education Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been sacked as Justice Secretary Reuters Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? John Whittingdale John Whittingdale left his job as Culture Secretary EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Oliver Letwin Oliver Letwin, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, has been sacked from his role in the cabinet PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Philip Hammond The former Foreign Secretary has been made Chancellor EPA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Boris Johnson Leading Brexit campaigner is given the role of Foreign Secretary Getty Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Amber Rudd Leading Remain campaigner takes Theresa May's old job of Home Secretary PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Michael Fallon Stays as Defence Secretary AP Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? Liam Fox The former Defence Secretary is named as head of new Department for International Trade PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? David Davis The former shadow Home Secretary and leadership rival to David Cameron is named Secretary of State for Leaving the European Union - aka Brexit minister PA Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? George Osborne Gone as Chancellor - and fails to secure any new role in May's government GETTY Theresa May's Cabinet: Who's in  and who's out? David Mundell The Conservative Party's only Scottish MP retains his role as Scottish Secretary Getty Images

In refusing to lift the cap, ministers are "recklessly exploiting the goodwill of public servants", he added.

Ms May blamed the austerity policy on Labour, saying the Tories had inherited "the biggest deficit in our peacetime history" and were dealing with "Labour's mismanagement of the economy".

"It isn't fair to bankrupt our economy", she said, accusing Mr Corbyn of "telling people they can have all the public spending they want without paying for it".

However, Mr Corbyn said the Tories had presided over "seven years of tax cuts for the richest and tax breaks for the biggest corporations".
 Close PMQs: Corbyn looks incredulous as May 'reminds' him of Greece

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Prime Minister's Questions returns for the second week since Parliament resumed after the general election.

Clashes between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are likely to focus on the issue of public sector pay, with ministers under mounting pressure to ease austerity and scrap the 1% cap on public sector pay increases.

A number of senior Tory ministers, including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, have called for the cap to be lifted, but Chancellor Philip Hammond is standing firm - for now at least.

Labour's Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, has been granted an urgent question in the Commons on the issue, but that is unlikely to stop Jeremy Corbyn quizzing the Ms May about it too.

MPs are likely to grill the Prime Minister on the ongoing response to the Grenfell Tower disaster, with many of the victims still to be rehoused and Kensington and Chelsea council having been widely condemned for its actions in the days after the blaze.

Today's main politics stories are:

Austerity pay cap declared 'dead in the water after firefighters offer'

David Cameron says people who opposed austerity are 'selfish'

Scotland to end public sector pay cap next year

DUP says no power-sharing deal reached in Northern Ireland

Top BBC journalist snubs Theresa May's attempt to recruit him

Government taskforce to take control of parts of Kensington council
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Saudi Arabia is the chief foreign promoter of Islamist extremism in the UK, a report has warned.

The conservative Henry Jackson Society said there was a clear and growing link between Islamist organisations preaching violence and foreign state funding.

In a new report entitled Foreign Funded Islamist Extremism in the UK, the thinktank calls for a public inquiry into extremism bankrolled by other countries.

It suggests several Gulf states and Iran are responsible for much of the foreign funding of extremism in the UK, but that Saudi Arabia in particular had spent millions on exporting its conservative branch of Wahhabi Islam to Muslim communities in the West since the 1960s.

The thinktank, run by controversial journalist and political commentator Douglas Murray, said this typically took the form of endowments to mosques and Islamic educational institutions which host radical preachers and distribute extremist literature.

The report calls for a public inquiry in Saudi Arabias connections with UK based extremism.

The UKs Saudi Arabian embassy told the BBC the allegations were categorically false.

The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 10: Greece AP The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 9: Denmark Shutterstock The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 8: Austalia Getty Images The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 7: Sweden Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 6: Mexico Reuters The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 5: Germany Anthony Faiola/The Washington Post The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 4: Israel AP The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 3: US Getty The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 2: France Getty The 10 developed countries suffering the most deaths from terrorism 1: Turkey AP

But it comes as the Government is facing mounting pressure to release its own report into Saudi funding of extremism.

Responding to a parliamentary question on Tuesday, Theresa May said ministers were considering advice on what is able to be published and will report to Parliament with an update in due course.

The report, which has been in Ms Mays personal possession for six months, was first commissioned by David Cameron in 2015 following an agreement with the Liberal Democrats to get their support for Syrian air strikes.

Recommended Saudi Arabia says it has foiled Ramadan terror plot at Grand Mosque

But last month a spokesman for the Home Office admitted to the Guardian that the report may not be published because its contents were very sensitive.

Since coming to power in July last year, Ms May has courted the conservative kingdom, which is one of the main buyers of UK-made arms.

Earlier this year, the Government approved 3.5bn-worth of arms exports licences to the Gulf state.

Several British ministers have visited Saudi Arabia over the last year to cultivate trading relationships as the UK looks for post-Brexit trading partners and the kingdom, under new Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, is trying to diversify its economy away from oil.
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Theresa May has said wiping out the budget deficit, not higher public-sector pay, is her priority  claiming that to let spending rip would risk a Greece-style collapse.

The Prime Minister echoed George Osborne by invoking the economic crisis that struck Greece to insist on a tight grip on spending, despite fierce pressure to ease up on austerity.

Cabinet ministers are in near-open revolt, demanding Ms May lift the harsh one per cent public sector pay cap, as well as find extra money for education.

But, answering Prime Ministers Questions in the Commons, she refused to budge  instead mounting her strongest defence yet of the economic policies she inherited.

She told Jeremy Corbyn: Let me remind the right honourable gentleman what happens when you dont deal with the deficit. Its not a theoretical issue.

In Greece, where they haven't dealt with the deficit, what did we see with failure to deal with the deficit? Spending on the health service cut by 36 per cent. That doesn't help nurses or patients.

Mr Osborne, now editor of the London Evening Standard, posted a tweet with a smiley face as the Prime Minister  who sacked him last year  now defended his record.

It was striking that Ms May, despite the pressure from within her Cabinet, chose not to hint at a U-turn on public sector pay, widely expected in the autumn.

Later, a Government source doubled down on the message, claiming a Greek-style collapse was a very real threat if Mr Corbyn was allowed to implement his tax and spending policies.

Earlier, the Labour leader accused the Government of flip-flopping and floundering on future pay for teachers, prison officers, the police, nurses, doctors and other NHS workers.

Ministers were recklessly exploiting the good will of public servants, Mr Corbyn alleged, adding: They need a pay rise.

He said Ms May had found 1bn to keep her own job, alluding to the sum handed to Northern Ireland through the deal for the Democratic Unionist Party to prop her up in power.

Why cant you find the same amount of money to keep nurses and teachers in their job  who, after all, serve all of us? he asked.

Ms May replied that she understood the difficulties people faced, but claimed she was still dealing with Labours mismanagement of the economy.

The Prime Minister did say looming recommendations about pay for teachers, police officers and prison officers would be considered very carefully.

And she denied that a pay award for firefighters  worth two per cent this year and a potential three per cent from April 2018  showed the pay cap was dead in the water.

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 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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 firefighters award is not a matter that is determined by Government, it is determined by the employers and it is not subject to a pay review body, the Prime Minister said.

There are outstanding pay review body reports, those cover teachers, prison officers, police officers and senior salaries and the Government will consider those reports very carefully and will respond to them.

But while we do that we will always recognise that we need to take those decisions against the need to live within our means.
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Vince Cable has launched a blistering attack on Theresa May, accusing of delivering a speech that could have been taken out of Mein Kampf.

The likely next Liberal Democrat leader condemned the Prime Ministers attack, last year, on a global elite - as citizens of nowhere - for apeing Adolf Hitlers infamous book.

I thought that particular phrase was quite evil, Dr Cable told the New Statesman magazine.

It couldve been taken out of Mein Kampf. I think thats where it came from, wasnt it? Rootless cosmopolitans? Mr Cable added: It was out of character for her.

The Prime Minister sparked huge controversy with her party conference speech, which was widely viewed as putting forward her own brand of post-Brexit nationalism.

Critics protested that Ms Mays description ignored people with multiple nationalities, or identities, including immigrants to Britain.

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

Today, too many people in positions of power behave as though they have more in common with international elites than with the people down the road, the people they employ, the people they pass on the street, she told the party faithful.

But, if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere. You don't understand what citizenship means.

Olympia, the late wife of Dr Cable  who is set to be crowned as Tim Farrons successor without a fight, later this month - was Indian.
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A paranormal expert who has written several books on poltergeists and UFO sightings has become the Conservatives newest MEP.

Rupert Matthews, who until the end of last month was a lecturer for an online-only university which focuses on the paranormal, was appointed to fill a vacant seat representing the East Midlands after Andrew Lewer became an MP.

As well as his work with the International Metaphysical University, he is best known as the author of a range of parapsychology books including titles such as Paranormal Surrey and A History of Alien Activity from Sightings to Abductions to Global Threat.

He has said he himself does not have a generalised belief in the paranormal and instead is merely presenting the evidence in his books. He also writes popular history books.

But these are not the only controversial views the politician appears to hold  he once claimed European Commission had the power to send troops to the streets of Britain to prevent it leaving the EU, The Times reported.

Earlier this year, he also claimed the EU was using the blanket term Nazis to avoid confronting the reality that Germans did unspeakable things to their fellow humans.

The former Tory councillor originally stood to be a Conservative MEP in 2009  then again in 2014  and was placed third on the partys list of candidates for the East Midlands.

The party only won enough votes to get their top two candidates into parliament, so Mr Matthews missed out until 2011 when then Tory MEP Roger Helmer announced he was stepping down.

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

Under European Parliament rules, an MEP is normally replaced by the next person down on the list but the party said they wanted to re interview Mr Matthews to assess his suitability.

This annoyed Mr Helmer, who promptly cancelled his resignation and defected to Ukip.

Mr Helmer gave his full support to Mr Matthews appointment, telling The Times: He makes a thing of being the great British eccentric.

I go to the ballet, he dresses up in medieval armour. Good luck to him.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken a swipe at Britain over Brexit and argued the country is becoming increasingly inward-looking.

During a press conference in Dublin with Irelands newly elected Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Mr Trudeau took aim at Britain and the US.

The leader of the Liberal Party argued Canada and Ireland should take advantage of their respective neighbour's increasingly isolated approach by seizing new openings on the global stage.

"There are tremendous opportunities for countries like Canada and Ireland, at a time where perhaps our significant allies and trading partners in the case of both the US and the UK are turning inward or at least turning into a different direction," the 45-year-old said.

He said the two nations should "make the pitch they are places which are exciting and open to the world in a positive, progressive way."

Mr Varadkar, the youngest and first openly gay prime minister in the majority-Catholic country, echoed Mr Trudeaus arguments and restated his countrys commitment to the European Union as it prepares for Britains exit from the continent.

(Getty Images (Getty Images)

"We each share a relationship with a very big neighbour, a neighbour that has to a certain extent decided to go in a different direction at least for the time being," he said.

The politician, who is a son of an Indian migrant, said it was unfortunate Britain had opted to leave the European Union and would be unable to navigate free trade agreements like the one between Canada and the EU until it has formally left the bloc.

"I can't see a scenario where Britain could remain a member of the EU, even in a transitional period, and then negotiate other trade deals on their own," he said.

A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Show all 4 1 /4 A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel

The two leaders share clear parallels in the sense that they are both young, progressive and occupy the centre ground. They are also in similarly challenging positions given they both face testing times with their heavyweight neighbours  the US under Donald Trump and Britains decision to leave the EU.

Mr Trudeau, who is in Ireland for a three-day visit ahead of the G20 meeting in Hamburg later this week, enjoyed some downtime with the Irish PM after their day of meetings.

The world leaders both shared photos of their run in Pheonix Park on their Twitter accounts.

Mr Varadkar, who has previously expressed admiration for Mr Trudeau's leadership style, wore Canada-themed socks to the earlier meetings.

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

Mr Trudeau is famed for his sock choice and often wears a special pair for particular occasions, with many dubbing it sock diplomacy. The Canadian wore mismatched Star Wars socks to meet Mr Varadkars predecessor Enda Kenny in May. It coincided with the widely-celebrated Star Wars Day on 4 May.
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A New York City policewoman was shot and killed in an "unprovoked attack", investigators said.

Miosotis Familia, a 12-year veteran on the force, was in uniform and sitting in police truck when the gunman, later identified as Alexander Bonds, came up to the passenger side window and shot her.

Her partner, Vincent Maher, immediately called for help and two officers chased Bonds down. When he drew his gun they shot and killed him.

Recommended Police officer adopts boy he rescued from severe child abuse

Although the mother of three was rushed to the nearby St Barnabas Hospital, Ms Familia, 48, died three hours after the shooting.

"Based on what we know right now, this was an unprovoked attack against police officers who want to keep this great city safe," Police Commissioner James O'Neill told a news conference.

Deputy Chief Jason Wilcox added that "everything is pointing" to this being an assassination.

Ms Familia was nearing the end of her shift, monitoring the 4 July celebrations in the Fordham Heights neighbourhood of the Bronx, when Mr Bonds struck. There does not appear to be any link between the pair.

Witness Jay Marzelli told the New York Post that he thought all the gunfire was fireworks, before he saw "probably 40, 50, 60 cops screaming, Call a paramedic, clear the block.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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He added: I saw an officer laying there in the ground unconscious in another officers arms. Police officers screaming, Get the f***ing paramedics.

State Department of Correction records show Mr Bonds spent seven years in prison for robbery before being released on parole in 2013. He also posted an anti-police rant in a September 2016 Facebook post, the New York Times reported.

In a video he said police officers raped and killed inmates and bad prison conditions, adding "I dont care about 100 police watching this."

He also said "want[s] justice" and that he would "not hesistat[e]...in the streets," though there is no indication of what he meant by that in the video. NYPD detectives have reviewed the video as well.

Roma Martinez, told the newspaper that Ms Familia "had a reputation as 'a good police woman' who spoke Spanish."
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US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said America is prepared to use military force against North Korea in the wake of its latest missile test.

Ms Haley called the test  of an intercontinental ballistic missile that experts say may able to hit Alaska  "reckless and irresponsible" and a "clear and sharp military escalation".

She added that the US is prepared to use its full range of capabilities, including military force, to deter North Korea if necessary.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces," she said. "We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

Other deterrence strategies include harsher sanctions on the country, which Ms Haley said she would propose in the coming days. She added that the US may go as far as cutting off trade with countries that continue trading with North Korea.

The White House said only that it was "exploring those options".

In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video

The comments come the day after North Korea tested an ICBM it claims can strike "the heart of the United States.

Pentagon officials said the missile, believed to be a modified KN-17 liquid fuel device, was something they had "never seen before". Officials saw the KN-17 being prepared for launch via satellite, but say a second stage was added later.

The US responded the next morning with a joint military exercise with South Korea, firing ballistic missiles into the water along the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US "seeks only the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea". He also said the US would bring North Korea's "provocative action" to the UN Security Council in hopes of enacting stronger measures against them.

The Council gathered in an emergency meeting called by the US on Wednesday afternoon.

At the meeting, British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft said Britain supports measures to increase the cost of missile testing for North Korea. French Ambassador Francois Delattre said a "decisive collective response" is necessary.

But Russia's deputy envoy to the UN, Vladimir Safronkov, said his country opposed any military actions or attempts to "economically strangle North Korea".

"All must acknowledge that sanctions will not solve the issue," he said, voicing support for "dialogue and consultations" instead.

Both Russia and China appear likely to veto any sanctions proposed by the United States.

The missile test is widely seen as a challenge to the Trump administration, which has taken a hard line on North Korean aggression.

The day after the test, Mr Trump lashed out at China, who he had hoped would put economic pressure on North Korea.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter," he tweeted. "So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"

Ms Haley appeared to double down on these comments on Wednesday, chastising those countries she says are "encouraging" trade with North Korea.

"Such countries would also like to continue their trade arrangements with the United States," she said. "That's not going to happen."

The Ambassador also condemned North Korea's treatment of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American who was detained in North Korea for allegedly stealing a poster. Mr Warmbier was returned to his parents in a coma last month. He died days afterward.

Ms Haley said North Korea's treatment of Mr Warmbier was emblematic of the regime as a whole.

"If North Korea will treat an innocent student the way it treated Otto Warmbier, we should not be surprised if it acts barbarically on a larger scale," she said.
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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said "global action" is required to stop the "global threat" posed by North Korea as tensions rose following the rogue state's successful test of its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Ratcheting up the pressure on Pyongyang, Mr Tillerson said the US would "enact stronger measures" against the North, adding Washington would never accept it as a nuclear power.

South Korea also warned the North's leadership would face "destruction" as it and the US carried out tests of missiles with "deep-strike, precision capability".

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that its ICBM test-firing completed the country's strategic weapons capability, adding that it would not negotiate with the United States to give up the long-range missiles until Washington abandoned its hostile policy against the North, the country's KCNA news agency said. Mr Kim was said to have described the missile as a "gift" for the "American bastards".

Mr Tillerson's statements were the first official confirmation that the US authorities believe the North's claim about its ICBM capabilities to be true. He said the US would discuss its proposals at the United Nations Security Council and a meeting was due to take place on Wednesday.

"Global action is required to stop a global threat," Mr Tillerson said.

"Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

The US "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea", he stressed.

The US Department of Defence backed up Mr Tillerson's remarks with bullish talk of its own.

"We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White.

"Our commitment to the defence of our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad."

In a further sign of the increased tensions, the US and South Korea conducted an offensive ballistic missile drill early on Wednesday, defying a call for a freeze on such activity by Russia and China.

The American military said the exercise  which fired missiles into the sea off South Korea's coast  demonstrated "deep strike precision capability".

In a statement about the missile drill, the office of the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, said: "President Moon said North Korea's serious provocation required us to react with more than just a statement and that we need to clearly show our missile defense readiness to North Korea."

South Korea's military also warned the North's leadership would face "destruction" if it threatened the security of the South or its allies, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The US President and his South Korean counterpart met in Washington this week to discuss further sanctions against the North with Donald Trump saying the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed.

Efforts by Russia and China to ease tensions were set out in a joint statement from the two countries' foreign ministries, issued shortly after President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in the Kremlin.

The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries, it said.

Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way.

The statement said Washington was using North Korea as a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the area.

In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video

North Korean state television said the test of the Hwasong-14, which took place early on Tuesday morning local time, was overseen by the country's leader. It said the projectile had reached an altitude of 1,731 miles and flew for 39 minutes before hitting a target in the sea.

It added North Korea was now a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most powerful intercontinental ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world.

The North's state-run KCNA news agency reported that after Mr Kim witnessed the tests "he said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary".

Experts said the capabilities of the missile remained unclear  with some disgreement over the potential range of the missile  but said it marked a potential milestone in North Koreas efforts to project its nuclear capability.

David Wright, of the Global Security Programme at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said if the reports were true, the missile would have a maximum range of around roughly 4,160 miles on a standard trajectory.

That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska, he said in a blog post.

Karl Dewey, an analyst with Janes Information Group, said a successful development of an ICBM by North Korea, would give decision-makers in Washington reason to pause for thought before deciding to strike the communist regime.

Some have suggested the missile could even travel further, if launched in an easterly direction given the Earths rotation. This would technically enable North Korea to target not just all of Alaska, but a small part of northwestern Canada.

Jean Lee of Wilson Centre in Washington said the latest test was cause for people to be worried. Test-firing a ballistic missile just days after the Trump-Moon summit, where the two leaders discussed tightening sanctions against North Korea, is Pyongyangs way of sending a message of defiance to the US and South Korean leaders, she said.

Its also strategic: if the US and South Korea are going to step up sanctions, North Korea will certainly move faster in getting its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as far along as they can before any negotiations on a freeze or dismantlement.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report
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Prosecutors in Poland are formally seeking the extradition of a 98-year man living in Minnesota who has been accused of being the former head of an SS-led Nazi unit that slaughtered civilians and set fire to Polish villages.

Reports said prosecutors from the National Remembrance Institute (IPN) in Warsaw, established in 1998 to prosecute war crimes, had forwarded their request for the extradition of Michael Karkoc to the Polish Embassy in Washington.

The IPN announced earlier this year it had issued an arrest warrant for Mr Karkoc, who has been accused of commanding a unit of Ukrainian nationalists responsible for mass killings in villages along Polands eastern border during World War II.

Mr Karkoc when he applied German citizenship with the Nazi SS-run immigration office in February 1940 (AP)

Mr Karkoc, who is said to be suffering from Alzheimers disease, has repeatedly denied through his family that was responsible for such actions.

The IPN had previously said it was investigating Mr Karkoc, after an inquiry by the Associated Press claimed he had led a unit of largely ethnic Ukrainians fighters which committed a series of war crimes.

The news agency said records did not show Mr Karkoc had a direct hand in war crimes, but said statements from the men in his unit and other documentation, suggested he was at the scene of several atrocities as a company leader.

The AP said its story was based on witness testimony, Mr Karkocs memoirs and records taken from Nazi SS files and archives in Poland, Germany and the United States.

 Yemen's prime minister accuses UK of war crimes

Ben Keith, a lawyer at the London firm 5 St Andrews Hill, said Mr Karkocs extradition would be governed by the EU-US extradition treaty.

The terms of the agreement mean that Poland is not required to produce the evidence of the crime, merely that it provides a summary of the evidence, he told The Independent in a statement. Based on mutual trust and recognition, the US can be expected to extradite Mr Krakoc unless there prove to be obstacles.

Mr Keith said there were various potential obstacles to such a move. He said one possible issue, the lapse of time, was unlikely to be relevant because of the nature of the crime involved. However, Mr Krakocs reported ill-health could prove crucial.

The question will therefore be whether he is fit to travel to Poland, and more importantly whether he is fit to stand trial, he said. Does he have sufficient mental capacity to understand the case against him? That will be for the US courts to decide.

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

Mr Karkocs own version of events is told in his memoirs, and are contained within the documents collected at the Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota.

The AP said the original 170-page memoir, published in 1995 and written in his native language, tells of the civil-war-like turmoil within Ukraine before and during the war and of how Mr Karkoc fled his homeland in 1939 to escape from the Communists, only to wind up in Nazi-occupied Poland, where he was conscripted into the German army.

The National Remembrance Institute said its request was forwarded to Polands Embassy in Washington last month for handing over to US justice authorities. Neither the embassy or the IPN immediately responded to inquiries.

Mr Karkoc coud not be contacted. Earlier this year, his son, Andriy Karkoc, said the accusations were a baseless attack on his father.

The Associated Press and the KGB may provide something they say is proof, he said. But what they cannot provide is something that is true. My father was, is, and remains an innocent man.
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Donald Trump has attacked China over its increasing trade with North Korea, in the wake of Pyongyang's latest missile test having increased tensions in the region.

In the latest indication of Mr Trump's cooling views on China, a nation to which he had recently displayed considerable warmth and optimism, the President implied the White House's efforts to work with the Asian country had failed.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!," he tweeted.

Mr Trump has been pushing China - North Korea's largest trading partner - to try and rein in the isolated nation over its nuclear programme, having tweeted after Tuesday's missile test that he hoped China would "put a heavy move" on the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The latest missile test by North Korea involved an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which some experts believe could have the range to reach the US state of Alaska.

The test marked a new milestone in the North Korean nuclear programme, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying the test, on the eve of the US Independence Day holiday, represented a new escalation of the threat to the United States and its allies, and vowed to take stronger measures.

The launch came days after the first face-to-face meeting between Mr Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in and ahead of a G20 summit of the world's richest economies in Germany.

On Wednesday, US and South Korean troops, in response to the ICBM launch, engineered a show of force for North Korea, with soldiers from the allies firing deep strike precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters. Mr Moon ordered the drills with the United States to show North Korea our firm combined missile response posture, his office 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

Mr Trump posted his tweet as he prepared to head to Europe for the G20 summit in Germany, during which he is due to have a bilateral meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. As he left the White House, he responded to a question about his actions for North Korea. He said: We're going to do very well.

The Presidents first stop was due to be Poland, for a brief visit that will include a speech in Krasinski Square, near the site of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. He will also meet with the leaders of Poland and Croatia and hold a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda, according to the Associated Press.

Mr Trumps priorities for the meeting may get superseded by North Koreas latest missile launch in defiance of international treaties, an action that the West has limited decent options with which to respond.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned Donald Trumps approach to foreign policy, criticising his administration for adapting a winners and losers view of the world rather than focusing on cooperation.

Ms Merkel  who no longer considers the US a friend based on her political partys campaign material  is set to meet with Mr Trump later this week at a summit in Germany with 20 global leaders. But in the days ahead of their trip to Hamburg, the German Chancellor has set herself up for potential clashes with the US President over climate change and free trade.

Mr Trump has been widely criticised for his anti-globalisation policies that are focused on cementing his America First doctrine, such as his withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate change agreement. Meanwhile, his supporters have praised what they see as his commitment to protecting US jobs.

Recommended Donald Trump lashes out at China over North Korea trade

As G20 president, it is my job to work on possibilities for agreement and not to contribute to a situation where a lack of communication prevails, Ms Merkel told Die Zeit weekly.

However, she added that differences should not be pushed under the table.

While we are looking at the possibilities of cooperation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers, she said.

She added that comments from one of Mr Trumps security advisers about how the world is an arena, not a global community, contradicted her views.

Germany wants everyone to benefit from economic progress rather than only a few, she said.

Europe must pool its energy, she said, adding that ideas of an economic government for the euro zone and of a European finance minister, put forward by new French President Emmanuel Macron, were two important thoughts.

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Ms Merkel previously said the US could no longer be relied upon after Mr Trumps withdrawal of the country from the Paris accord, and has predicted very difficult talks about climate change and trade at the G20 summit. Critics of Mr Trumps decision on the climate agreement have said that the US is forsaking its role as a global leader on one of the most important issues affecting the planet.

Whoever believes the problems of this world can be solved by isolationism and protectionism is making a tremendous error, Ms Merkel said last week.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of protesters are anticipated to march in Hamburg this week against globalisation and what they claim is corporate greed and a failure to tackle climate change. German authorities believe that around 8,000 demonstrators are prepared to use violence, the countrys interior minister has said.

Ms Merkel said that while she respects peaceful demonstrators, anyone who gets violent spurns democracy.

German police have already used a water cannon to disperse about 500 anti-capitalist protesters in the city before the two-day summit.
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Donald Trump begins his second trip as US President in Poland, a visit viewed by some as an endorsement  implicit or otherwise  of the right-tilting, populist government there that has been criticised by its EU partners for displays of seemingly light authoritarianism.

Polands government  run by the conservative, Eurosceptic Law and Justice Party  has similar stances to Mr Trump on an array of issues including immigration, global warming and coal mining.

The country is also one of only four Nato members other than the US that spends the 2 per cent target of GDP on defence, which could elicit praise from the US President, who during his last trip to Europe chided allies for still not paying what they should be paying.

Mr Trump will meet on Thursday with Polands President Andrzej Duda before attending a session of the Three Seas Initiative Summit, a gathering of Central European leaders.

Mr Trump will deliver what the White House is describing as a major speech in Krasinski Square, the epicenter of the Warsaw Uprising that aimed to liberate the city from Nazi occupation  a failed undertaking during World War II that resulted in the death of approximately 200,000 Poles.

He will praise Polish courage throughout historys darkest hour, and celebrate Polands emergence as a European power, said HR McMaster, Mr Trumps national security adviser, during a White House briefing last week.

He will lay out a vision, not only for Americas future relationship with Europe, but the future of our trans-Atlantic alliance and what that means for American security and American prosperity, Mr McMaster said.

Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban Show all 11 1 /11 Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty

While Mr Trump is expected to be more coldly received in western European capitals, the Polish government has expressed excitement about the President's stop in Warsaw  with defence minister Antoni Macierewicz saying the visit shows how much Polands place in geopolitics and world politics has changed.

But there is unease in Brussels that Mr Trumps visit to Warsaw could deepen divisions between eastern and western countries in Europe.

Gianni Pitella, leader of the socialist bloc in the European parliament, said: After a few months of his presidency, Trump has already jeopardised the Paris agreement on the climate change, endangered the EU-US and Nato relationships, and now he risks blowing up the already very delicate situation in Poland and eastern Europe.

Observers will be watching to see if Mr Trump during his visit addresses EU members' concerns that the governing Law and Justice Party is attempting to gain more power through moves to bring the media and courts under its control.

If Mr Trump does not call out Poland for what EU institutions have deemed to be attacks on democratic institutions, he could potentially embolden leaders such as Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban, experts say, who has also been criticised for exhibiting signs of light authoritarianism.

Since becoming the governing party in 2015, Law and Justice has been accused of eroding the independence of the Constitutional Tribunal  the judicial body in charge of resolving disputes over the constitutionality of the activities of state institutions  politicising the appointment of prosecutors, and turning public media into a mouthpiece for the party.

The Polish government has also refused to accept migrants under quotas agreed to by its pro-European predecessor  an effort that Mr Trump is expected to endorse.

After the Manchester terrorist attack in May, which Isis claimed responsibility for, Polands Prime Minister Beata Szydo decried the madness of the Brussels elite who wanted to create a utopia of open borders. Mr Trump has also expressed opposition to the concept of open borders, signing an executive order  portions of which have now gone into effect  barring immigrants from multiple majority-Muslim nations from entering the US.

Mr Trumps stop in Warsaw could also be seen as a slight to more powerful western allies. He has yet to make visits as President to France and Germany  which have both rebuked the US leaders recent decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the Law and Justice Party, said in a speech last week that Poland has a new success, Trumps visit, which is causing other European countries to envy Poland.

After leaving Warsaw, Mr Trump will head to Hamburg, Germany for a two-day summit with 20 global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Ms Merkel has already set herself up for a possible showdown with Mr Trump, predicting that they will have very difficult talks about climate change and trade.
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Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are reportedly expected to bond over their disdain for fake news when they meet later this week at the G20 summit in Germany.

While the White House has not released many details about what the two leaders will discuss, likely topics include the war in Syria, fighting the Islamic State and the conflict in Ukraine. It is uncertain whether Mr Trump will bring up Russias interference in the 2016 presidential race.

Mr Trump  whose campaign advisers are currently facing a slew of investigations at home for possible ties to Russia  has apparently not indicated to aides that he is worried about his meeting with Mr Putin, according to the New York Times. The US President has been known to shun preparation and go with his gut in chats with leaders, but there is question over whether this is a best tactic to use in a meeting with a former foreign intelligence officer who is trained in deception.

Mr Trump has also proven to be susceptible to flattery, and two people close to the President told theTimes that he and the Russian leader are expected to form a connection over their dislike for the media.

Mr Trump has frequently criticised news outlets that he views to have published unfavourable work about him or his administration. Meanwhile, Mr Putin has been accused of killing journalists who dont agree with him.

Russia currently ranks 148 out of 180 countries for press freedom  behind South Sudan and Afghanistan, according to the international watchdog Freedom House. The US is 40th on the list, after many countries in Europe.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

The White House announced this week that Mr Trumps meeting with Mr Putin would be a formal bilateral discussion instead of the brief pull-aside at the summit in Hamburg that many had expected.

Even though Mr Trumps aides have been unable to offer many details about what the two leaders may talk about, the Kremlin has said that Mr Putin will press Mr Trump to lift sanctions imposed on Russia for its annexation of Crimea, and to relinquish Russian diplomatic compounds on Long Island and in Maryland that the US seized last year.
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Teaching assistant Kelvin Holt watched as a preschool student fell to the back of a cafeteria line during breakfast in Killeen, Texas, as if trying to hide.

The cash register woman says to this four-year-old girl, verbatim, 'You have no money,' said Holt, describing the incident last year. A milk carton was taken away, and the girl's food was dumped in the trash. She did not protest, other than to walk away in tears.

Holt has joined a chorus of outrage against lunchroom practices that can humiliate children as public school districts across the United States rethink how they cope with unpaid student lunch debts.

The US Agriculture Department is requiring districts to adopt policies this month for addressing meal debts and to inform parents at the start of the academic year.

The agency is not specifically barring most of the embarrassing tactics, such as serving cheap sandwiches in place of hot meals or sending students home with conspicuous debt reminders, such as hand stamps. But it is encouraging schools to work more closely with parents to address delinquent accounts and ensure children don't go hungry.

Rather than a hand stamp on a kid to say, 'I need lunch money,' send an email or a text message to the parent, said Tina Namian, who oversees the federal agency's school meals policy branch.

Meanwhile, some states are taking matters into their own hands, with New Mexico this year becoming the first to outlaw school meal shaming and several others weighing similar laws.

Free and reduced-price meals funded by the Agriculture Department's National School Lunch Program shield the nation's poorest children from so-called lunch shaming. Kids can eat for free if a family of four earns less than about $32,000 a year or at a discount if earnings are under $45,000.

It's households with slightly higher incomes that are more likely to struggle, experts on poverty and nutrition say.

Children often bear the brunt of unpaid meal accounts. A 2014 federal report found 39 percent of districts nationwide hand out cheap alternative meals with no nutritional requirements and up to 6 percent refuse to serve students with no money.

The debate over debts and child nutrition has spilled into state legislatures and reached Capitol Hill, as child advocacy groups question whether schools should be allowed to single out, in any way, a child whose family has not paid for meals.

There's no limit to the bad behaviour a school can have. They just have to put it in writing, said Jennifer Ramo, executive director of New Mexico Appleseed, an advocacy group on poverty issues. We live in a credit society. I think schools should handle debt like everybody else does: You don't take away food from children. You feed them and you settle the bill later.

Spurred by Appleseed and others, New Mexico in April passed its anti-meal-shaming law, which directs schools to work directly with parents to address payments and requires that children get a healthy, balanced meal regardless of whether debts are paid on time.

Elsewhere, the California Senate in May unanimously approved a bill that prevents schools from denying lunch if a parent or guardian has not paid.

Thresa Thomas, a Los Angeles Unified School District food service worker for students with severe physical and learning disabilities, grinds up complimentary cheese sandwiches in a food processor to serve through feeding tubes to students who don't bring lunch and whose parents have not paid.

They're not able to complain too much, she said. We should give them all the same food, and we should collect the money as much as possible.

Texas recently adopted a temporary grace period for students to keep eating cafeteria food while debt payments are negotiated with parents.

At the federal level, language has been proposed for next year's House appropriations bill that would set minimum standards to protect children from public embarrassment and leave them out of payment discussions.

New Mexico's Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Act was ushered through the Statehouse by Democratic Senator Michael Padilla, who was raised in foster homes and vividly recalls having to sweep and mop the lunchroom to earn meals at an Albuquerque public school.

It's shouldn't be that way, Padilla said. This should not have to be a thought for a child.

Federal cash subsidies feed two out of three students statewide  yet meals still go unpaid, school administrators say.

The piece that is really different in this legislation is that you cannot turn a child away no matter what they owe, said Nancy Cathey, who oversees food services at Las Cruces Public Schools.

That provision is likely to drive up the district's unpaid meal accounts, which recently totaled $8,000, she said. The district previously declined to serve high school students who cannot pay and extended a $25 credit to middle-schoolers.

Most districts aim to keep meal costs close to $3.20, the typical federal reimbursement rate for free lunches.

The Albuquerque district is still weighing whether it can afford to serve the same hot meal to all students and do away with an alternative cold meal that has been nicknamed derisively the cheese sandwich of shame.

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The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. 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Sian McCullough of Albuquerque said her stepdaughter was confronted in first grade with an alternative brown-bag lunch when their meal account went unpaid.

The intent was, 'We do this because the kids will go home embarrassed and send the money,' she said. It just didn't sit well with me.

Associated Press
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Ever since she was born in a squalid displaced camp for Burma's ethnic Rohingya minority that authorities won't let anyone leave, Rosmaida Bibi has struggled to do something most of the world's children do effortlessly: grow.

Frail and severely malnourished, she looks a lot like every other underfed child here  until you realise she's not really like any of them at all.

A tiny girl with big brown eyes, Rosmaida is four  but barely the size of a one-year-old.

She wobbles unsteadily when she walks. Bones protrude through the flimsy skin of her chest. And while other kids her age chatter incessantly, Rosmaida is listless, only able to speak a handful of first words: Papa. Mama. Rice.

Half a decade after a brutal wave of anti-Muslim violence exploded in this predominantly Buddhist nation in June 2012, forcing more than 120,000 Rohingya Muslims into a series of camps in western Burma, this is what the government's policy of persecution, segregation and neglect looks like up close.

It's a policy born of decades of military dictatorship and fear that Muslims are encroaching on what should be Buddhist land. The troubling thing today, rights groups say, is that this stance has been adopted by the administration of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate and longtime opposition leader who rose to power after her party swept national elections last year.

Recommended Mob in Burma kills Rohingya Muslim with bricks in street attack

And any hope that Suu Kyi  once lauded worldwide as a human rights icon  might turn things around has been shattered by her silence and the reality that life for the Rohingya has deteriorated by the day.

This is worse than a prison, Rosmaida's 20-year-old mother, Hamida Begum, said of the makeshift hut they call home  the place where her daughter was born that floods with every heavy rain.

Poor, unemployed, and prohibited from crossing checkpoints into more affluent Buddhist-only areas, Begum has been unable to find anyone who can help.

I want to give her an education. I want to send her to school like all the other kids, she said as Rosmaida burrowed into her lap in Dar Paing, near the state capital, Sittwe. But she is sick... she cannot grow.

The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group, have long been denied citizenship, freedom of movement and basic rights in Burma, a country that largely sees them as foreigners from neighbouring Bangladesh even though most were born here.

Although tensions in Rakhine state go back decades, the neighbourhood Begum grew up in in Sittwe was mixed, and she said people there used to get along.

That changed dramatically on 5 June 2012, when Buddhist mobs began attacking Muslims and setting homes ablaze. Begum fled, running barefoot so hard and so fast she realised only later that her feet were covered in blood.

Today her neighbourhood  where denuded trees and the destroyed remains of homes are still visible  is occupied by Buddhist squatters. Although Begum said her grandparents owned their family's house there, they have neither been allowed to return nor compensated for its destruction.

Aside from a single district, Sittwe is now entirely Buddhist, and Muslims are prohibited from walking its streets.

Suu Kyi has denied such policies equate to ethnic cleansing, but international rights groups insist that's exactly what they are. Suu Kyi's office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Matthew Smith, who runs the advocacy group Fortify Rights, said, It's scandalous that these internment camps still exist five years on... The reality is that there's a lot she (Suu Kyi) could be doing, but isn't.

The Rohingya are no closer now to getting their rights ... and in some respects the situation is much worse, he said. Over the last year, there's been mass killing, mass rape, widespread forced labor and other violations, all committed with complete impunity.

After a Rohingya insurgent group killed nine officers in northern Rakhine state in October the first reported attack of its kind  security forces responded by burning entire villages, raping women and killing an unknown number of people in a rampage that sent 75,000 people fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh, according to the United Nations and international rights groups. The government puts the death toll at 52 dead or missing and blames extremists for the killings.

Although southern Rakhine state, where Rosmaida lives, was not directly affected, the region has experienced a spike in tensions. On Tuesday, a 100-strong Buddhist mob in Sittwe killed one Rohingya man and injured six others who ventured into the city under police escort to buy boats.

Suu Kyi says her administration is dealing with the issue by implementing the recommendations of a commission led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which called on the government to close the displaced camps and allow their inhabitants to return home.

Most of the camps remain open, though, and Suu Kyi's administration restricts access to the region, blocking journalists from independent access to the north altogether. Last week, her government said it would also bar members of a UN-approved fact-finding mission from entering the country to investigate alleged rights violations by security forces against the Rohingya.

Vanna Sara, a Buddhist abbot at Sittwe's Seik Ke Daw Min monastery, said harsh policies were necessary to protect Buddhists. Western Burma is on the frontline of a population explosion, and Muslims, he said, are trying to swallow the whole region.

They can't be trusted. No Muslim can be trusted. They're all scary, Sara said. That's why, to tell you the truth, it's better that we don't live with the Muslims. That's how we feel.

When Begum settled in Dar Paing after the 2012 violence, she tried to start her life anew. But her tragic story has mirrored that of many Rohingya. The man she married died shortly after he was detained in Malaysia, where he was trying to bring their family for a better life. Their son died a few hours after birth.

Begum has since remarried, but her fisherman husband sometimes comes home from a day of work with less than a dollar, or nothing. That makes it hard to care for her biggest concern  her daughter  who is lucky just to be alive.

A report issued by UNICEF in May said a staggering 150 children under the age of 5 die every day in Burma, while nearly 30 percent are malnourished. Although the UN does not have specific statistics for the camps, half of whose inhabitants are children, aid workers say the situation inside them is even worse.

Begum has taken her daughter to local clinics half a dozen times, but her condition has never improved.

Rosmaida is now being helped by an international humanitarian charity which is giving her ready-to-eat packets of therapeutic food paste to alleviate severe acute malnutrition, which the World Health Organisation describes as a life threatening condition requiring urgent treatment.

But Begum is concerned because her daughter's appetite is so low, she has trouble eating all of them.

Twice a day, she takes her daughter's hand and walks her through Dar Paing's labyrinth corridors, a place Rosmaida has lived in her entire life.

Rohingya mothers face persecution Show all 10 1 /10 Rohingya mothers face persecution Rohingya mothers face persecution Ramida Begum holds her 10-day-old daughter in their shelter in Kutupalang, an unregistered refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. 'The military caught my husband and burnt our house down a week before I left Myanmar. Since then I don't know whether my husband is dead or alive' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Minara Begum sits inside the shelter, cradling her one-month-old son Ayub. Minara fled to Bangladesh from Nasha Phuru village in Myanmar with her husband and mother-in-law. 'My child doesn't get enough breast milk as I don't eat enough nutritious food. I have to buy milk powder from local market though it's not very good for my son' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Amina, pictured with her 16-day-old daughter Sumaiyin, is in a refugee camp Balukhali that neighbours Ramida and Minara's. 'One and a half months ago the military came to our village and kept firing their guns. I ran away with my neighbours to save our lives. You see us alive here only because the God was so kind. They caught my uncle and my younger brother and we don't know whether they are dead or alive' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Fatema sits beside her one-day-old daughter Aasma in Kutupalang. Fatema fled to Bangladesh from Jambuinna village in Myanmar two months ago after her house was burnt down by the military. She crossed Naf River by boat during the night. 'Our situation is better than many other refugees as my husband Mohammad Alom works here as a day labourer. Many of the new refugees have no work here, so they have to rely on relief' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Jamalida cradles her two-month-old daughter Shahida. Jamalida came to Bangladesh with her husband from Nasha Phuru village in Myanmar Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Rehana Begum lays her one-day-old daughter in front of her inside their tarpaulin shelter. Rehana fled her village of Jambuinna in Myanmar three months ago. 'We were in our home and suddenly the military came to our village and started shooting. When we heard the sound of gun shots we immediately went to our relatives. We walked for four hours without any food and water to reach the border at 1 a.m. We paid 25,000 Myanmar kyat (14) to a broker to cross.' Intercepted by Bangladesh border guards, Rehana's family narrowly escaped being sent home. 'They wanted to send us back, but then we heard gunshots from the Myanmar side and the guards released us, saying, "Stay in Bangladesh and save your lives"' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Noor Begum sits next to her one-day-old daughter Sumaiya as she stares into the camera. Noor came to the camp one-and-a-half months ago from Nagpura village with her husband Jahangir Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Rajuma Begum observes her one-month-old son Raihan. 'I fled to Bangladesh because of fear, because I needed to save my children. I was pregnant and suffering from fever while crossing the border. I also have an 11-month-old boy, so it was very difficult to reach the border from our village Wabek in Myanmar. I had to rest frequently. After six hours of horrible walking we finally reached the border at 2am and crossed after paying a broker' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Eighteen-year-old Asmot Ara rests her newly born daughter on her lap. Asmot said she came to the camp one month ago with neighbours from Nagpura village. In Myanmar her father-in-law was killed and their home burnt down by the Myanmar military Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution As Marijaan holds her 25-day-old daughter Noor Habi, her son peers over her shoulder. Marijaan fled to Bangladesh from Khyeri Prang village in Myanmar one month ago after her house was burnt down by the Myanmar military. 'I reached the border at night and crossed by the boat. I paid the boatman to cross the Naf River' Reuters

It's hard, she says, because Rosmaida's tiny joints often hurt. She can't walk far, and she's never been able to run.

Soon, Begum will have another reason to worry: She is pregnant again.

Associated Press
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A policeman in Burma fled the scene of a deadly mob attack on Rohingya Muslims that has put the troubled western state of Rakhine on edge, two police officials said on Wednesday.

A group of Rakhine Buddhists threw bricks at Rohingya men in the state capital of Sittwe on Tuesday, killing one - identified as Maung Nu, also known as Monir Ahmad, 55 - the office of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said in a statement.

Two police officers told Reuters an unarmed junior policeman was with the Muslim men at the time of the attack but was unable to protect them from the mob.

We questioned the young policeman. He said he tried to stop them but he wasn't able to and ran away back to the police station, said Colonel Myo Thu Soe, spokesman for the home affairs ministry in the capital, Naypyitaw.

No one had been arrested for the attack, but an investigation was going on, he said.

Rakhine State has seen the most serious religious violence in predominantly Buddhist Burma since the military began to end its decades of strict rule, with hundreds of Rohingya Muslims killed and more than 140,000 people displaced there in communal unrest in 2012.

Suu Kyi, who came to power last year as part of the transition from military rule, has emphasised the importance of the rule of law in solving conflict between Buddhists and minority Muslims.

Tension has been running high in the state since an army crackdown in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks in October, but Sittwe has not seen a repeat of the communal clashes of 2012.

On Tuesday, seven Muslim men had travelled into Sittwe from a camp on its outskirts housing people displaced in 2012. They got into an argument with a Buddhist ethnic Rakhine man over the purchase of a boat, attracting the attention of residents who began to attack them.

The people didn't attack the police because he's the same race, said Lieutenant Colonel Win Naung of Sittwe district police.

Burma does not recognise the more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine as citizens. Many in Burma consider the them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Myo Thu Soe said the policeman on the scene was unarmed and inexperienced and unable to protect the Rohingya men.

Rohingya mothers face persecution Show all 10 1 /10 Rohingya mothers face persecution Rohingya mothers face persecution Ramida Begum holds her 10-day-old daughter in their shelter in Kutupalang, an unregistered refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. 'The military caught my husband and burnt our house down a week before I left Myanmar. Since then I don't know whether my husband is dead or alive' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Minara Begum sits inside the shelter, cradling her one-month-old son Ayub. Minara fled to Bangladesh from Nasha Phuru village in Myanmar with her husband and mother-in-law. 'My child doesn't get enough breast milk as I don't eat enough nutritious food. I have to buy milk powder from local market though it's not very good for my son' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Amina, pictured with her 16-day-old daughter Sumaiyin, is in a refugee camp Balukhali that neighbours Ramida and Minara's. 'One and a half months ago the military came to our village and kept firing their guns. I ran away with my neighbours to save our lives. You see us alive here only because the God was so kind. They caught my uncle and my younger brother and we don't know whether they are dead or alive' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Fatema sits beside her one-day-old daughter Aasma in Kutupalang. Fatema fled to Bangladesh from Jambuinna village in Myanmar two months ago after her house was burnt down by the military. She crossed Naf River by boat during the night. 'Our situation is better than many other refugees as my husband Mohammad Alom works here as a day labourer. Many of the new refugees have no work here, so they have to rely on relief' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Jamalida cradles her two-month-old daughter Shahida. Jamalida came to Bangladesh with her husband from Nasha Phuru village in Myanmar Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Rehana Begum lays her one-day-old daughter in front of her inside their tarpaulin shelter. Rehana fled her village of Jambuinna in Myanmar three months ago. 'We were in our home and suddenly the military came to our village and started shooting. When we heard the sound of gun shots we immediately went to our relatives. We walked for four hours without any food and water to reach the border at 1 a.m. We paid 25,000 Myanmar kyat (14) to a broker to cross.' Intercepted by Bangladesh border guards, Rehana's family narrowly escaped being sent home. 'They wanted to send us back, but then we heard gunshots from the Myanmar side and the guards released us, saying, "Stay in Bangladesh and save your lives"' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Noor Begum sits next to her one-day-old daughter Sumaiya as she stares into the camera. Noor came to the camp one-and-a-half months ago from Nagpura village with her husband Jahangir Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Rajuma Begum observes her one-month-old son Raihan. 'I fled to Bangladesh because of fear, because I needed to save my children. I was pregnant and suffering from fever while crossing the border. I also have an 11-month-old boy, so it was very difficult to reach the border from our village Wabek in Myanmar. I had to rest frequently. After six hours of horrible walking we finally reached the border at 2am and crossed after paying a broker' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Eighteen-year-old Asmot Ara rests her newly born daughter on her lap. Asmot said she came to the camp one month ago with neighbours from Nagpura village. In Myanmar her father-in-law was killed and their home burnt down by the Myanmar military Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution As Marijaan holds her 25-day-old daughter Noor Habi, her son peers over her shoulder. Marijaan fled to Bangladesh from Khyeri Prang village in Myanmar one month ago after her house was burnt down by the Myanmar military. 'I reached the border at night and crossed by the boat. I paid the boatman to cross the Naf River' Reuters

Despite the fact they had a police escort, Myo Thu Soe said the Muslim men were not authorised to travel to the area.

Since the 2012 violence the city's Muslims have been confined to camps or a single city ward, unable to travel freely without a police escort.

Reuters
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China has invited medical experts from the US and Germany to help in the cancer treatment of dissident Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo - a move some claim has been taken for PR reasons ahead of the G20 summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinpings is due to fly to Germany to attend the meeting in Hamburg on Friday and Saturday, where he will seek to project Chinese leadership on a range of issues from trade to climate change.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Chinas only Nobel Peace Prize winner had been released from prison on medical grounds to treat his liver cancer. Now, it has been reported officials in the north-eastern city of Shenyang have invited experts from the US and Germany to help treat him.

Reuters reported the hospital in the city made the decision at the request of the family and in consultation with the doctors already treating him, the Shenyang Bureau of Justice said in a short statement on its website.

It said that a German government spokesman confirmed that a German doctor was part of the team treating Liu and that officials in Berlin were in close contact with the Chinese government.

The Chinese government told us yesterday about their willingness to allow treatment for Mr Liu including access to foreign doctors, including a German specialist, government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters.

We very much welcome this and are still pushing for a humanitarian solution.

Nobel peace laureate, dissident and civil rights activist Liu Xiaobo (EPA)

Liu, 61, who participated in the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square demonstrations, became the first citizen of the People's Republic of China to win the Nobel Prize in 2010 for advocating greater freedoms in his country.

He was arrested in 2008 and subsequently sentenced to 11 years in prison for inciting subversion of state power and has been held incommunicado since. Following Burmas release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in November 2010, he is the only laureate currently serving a prison sentence.

Having foreign experts on the medical team is no replacement for Liu Xiaobo and his family to freely choose how and where he should be treated, Lius friend, the scholar Wen Kejian, told the Associated Press. We have not been able to speak to family members, who are under pressure not to speak to us.

 China warns countries not to allow North Korea situation to go down 'irretrievable' path

Mr Wen said that he and another of Lius, Mo Zhixu, had tried to visit him at the First Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang where the authorities said Liu was being treated. He said they made inquiries at likely floors, but were turned away when nurses said they were not aware of a patient by the name of Liu Xiaobo.

Asked if the move would lead to Liu leaving the country, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing: We hope other countries can respect China's judicial sovereignty and not meddle in China's internal affairs.

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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. 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

Amnesty International said in a statement that the move appeared in part an attempt to limit international criticism.

Time is running out for Liu Xiaobo, said Salil Shetty, Amnestys secretary general. It is not too late for the authorities to end this cruel farce. They must let Liu Xiaobo and his wife, Liu Xia, travel abroad to get the medical treatment he so desperately needs.

The US embassy in Beijing declined to comment. Newly appointed US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad said last week the United States would like to see Liu treated elsewhere for his cancer.

Last week, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was asked about Xiaobo.

Hes not a US citizen, hes a Chinese national, but wed like him to have access to international medical specialists if he chooses to do so, she said. One of the important things we see is give him the opportunity, if he wants to seek medical treatment elsewhere, to be able to seek medical treatment elsewhere.
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War with North Korea cannot be ruled out after its test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the US and South Korean militaries have warned.

Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war, senior generals said on Wednesday.

The two allies held a joint missile response drill following Kim Jong-un's Independence Day gift package  a confirmed ICBM test of a projectile with the potential to hit the US state of Alaska.

South Korea warned its neighbour conflict would mean its destruction, as it tested precision ballistic missiles alongside the US.

Gen Vincent Brooks, commander of US forces in Korea, and Gen Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South's joint chiefs of staff, said in a statement: We are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance's national leaders.

It would be a grave mistake for anyone to believe anything to the contrary.

As the combined live fire demonstrated, we may make resolute decisions any time, if the alliance commanders-in-chief order it. Whoever thinks differently is making a serious misjudgement.

Separately, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said: We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea.

In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video

Uncowed, Mr Kim has reportedly ordered his scientists to frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees, thought to refer to more missile and nuclear weapons tests.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said global action is required to stop a global threat and that we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

However, he said the US wanted only the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed a plan to pursue talks with the North in order to curb its nuclear ambitions during their recent meeting in Washington.

As Vladimir Putin met with Xi Jinping for talks on international affairs, China and Russia proposed on Tuesday that North Korea end its testing programme while the US and South Korea hold off their large-scale military exercises.

Mr Trump has tried to increase pressure on Mr Jinping to rein in Mr Kim, for whom China is his sole major ally.

The US President said after Tuesday's ICBM test: Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!
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The parents of a British man with autism missing in Australia have made an emotional appeal for help tracking him down.

Benjamin Wyatt, 34, from Bath, vanished after visiting a beach in the Melbourne area with his family on Tuesday.

Police carried out an extensive search of the area by air, land and sea, although no trace of Mr Wyatt was found.

On Wednesday his mother, Diana Wyatt, was visibly distraught at a press conference as she urged her son to return, saying her life was empty without him.

She told reporters: Ben has never had a night out on his own before.

He knows I worry like anything. I'm the world's worst worrier and Ben if you're listening, if you're watching come back.

He's just a really nice guy to have around and I miss him. My life is empty.

His father, Phil Wyatt, fought back tears as he said: Keep an eye out for him please, just let the police know if you find him, thank you.

The family had recently arrived in Melbourne, their last stop as they travelled around Australia, and had been due to leave the country on Thursday, according to reports.

Victoria Police released an image of Mr Wyatt and appealed for the public's help finding him.

The force said in a statement: Benjamin, who has autism, was visiting the beach with his family at Half Moon Bay, Black Rock about 2.15pm (Tuesday).

His family left him in the car park for a short time while they went to collect their car but when they turned to pick him up he had disappeared.

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

Benjamin is visiting Australia with his family from the United Kingdom and does not know his way around Melbourne.

The Victoria Police helicopter, water police, local police, state emergency service and lifesavers conducted an extensive search of the area but were unable to locate him.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: We are supporting the family of a British national who was reported missing in Melbourne on 4 July. We are in contact with the local authorities.

Press Association
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A former European senior official has reportedly voiced fears that Donald Trump's trip to Europe could boost far-right politicians on the continent.

Mr Trump has today started his second European visit as the President of the United States, travelling first to Poland before heading to the Germany for the G20 summit.

Polands government, led by the right-wing, Eurosceptic Law and Justice Party, has been more welcoming to the President than some European leaders.

Recommended Trump kicks off his second foreign tour as President today

Mr Trump will also make an appearance at the summit for the Three Seas Initiative in Wroclaw while in Poland. The initiative is a joint Polish-Croatian project launched last year that aims to strengthen trade, infrastructure, energy and political co-operation between 12 countries that border the Adriatic, the Baltic and the Black Sea.

One former senior official from one of the Three Seas Initiative member states told Politico they feared Mr Trumps visit to Poland would give the countrys leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and his far-right counterpart in Hungary, Viktor Orban, a boost.

I worry he might give Kaczynski and Orban a boost, a bad reprise of [former American Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfelds old vs new Europe, but this time not because we were supportive of the US on the war on terror but because those two are nativist Euroskeptics, the unnamed source told the website.

In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour Show all 39 1 /39 In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arriving for a reception ahead of a banquet at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud being welcomed at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a welcome ceremony with traditional sword dancers at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with US President Donald J. Trump and wife Melania during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump adjusts the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, after it was bestowed upon him by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 Palestinians print posters depicting US President Donald Trump in preparations for his planned visit, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, before delivering his remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef exchange a memorandum of understanding Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump shares a laugh with a child during a visit to the American International School in the Saudi capital Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers rest during preparations ahead of President Trump's landing in Tel Aviv, Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump makes her way to board Air Force One in Riyadh as she heads with her husband the US President to Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One for Israel, the next stop in Trump's international tour, at King Khalid International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers wait for the arrival ceremony of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark Air Force One on arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump and his wife, US First Lady Melania Trump are welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, in Lod outside Tel Aviv, Israel EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sit during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump chats wife Sara Netanyahu as US President Donald Trump chats to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony to welcome Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump delivers a speech upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump gestures during a press conference with Israel's President at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump watches as First Lady Melania Trump signs the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump stands next to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the plaza in front of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner leave notes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Ivanka Trump, assistant and daughter of US President Donald J. Trump, touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump arrives in a vehicle to Saint Damaso's Court for a private audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis walks past Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the occasion of the private audience with President Donald Trump, at the Vatican AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis exchanges gifts with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis meets US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania during a private audience at the Vatican Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis with US President Donald J. Trump EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis gets into is car after meeting with US President Donald Trump AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 President Donald Trump and his wife Melania look at the frescoed ceilings during their visit to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump security vehicles are seen in front of Air Force One before take off from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to reporters before boarding the Air Force One to Brussels, at the end of a 2-day visit to Italy including a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, at Rome's Fiumicino international airport AP

The unnamed official referenced the strategy used by Mr Rumsfeld under former President George Bush, who divided the continent into Old Europe, referring to the western states, and New Europe, meaning the eastern countries.

The Presidents behaviour was a focus of his last trip to Europe and the Middle East, where one unnamed US State Department official claimed he acted like a drunk tourist.

When it comes to diplomacy, President Trump is a drunk tourist, the official told The Daily Beast at the time. Loud and tacky, shoving his way around the dance floor. He steps on others without realising it. Its ineffectual.
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Parents in France will be legally obliged to vaccinate their children from 2018, the government has announced.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said it was unacceptable that children are "still dying of measles in the country where some of the earliest vaccines were pioneered.

Three childhood vaccines, for diphtheria, tetanus and polio, are currently mandatory in France. Others, including those against hepatitis and whooping cough, are simply recommended.

Announcing the policy, Mr Philippe evoked the name of Louis Pasteur, the French biologist who made breakthroughs in disease research and developed the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax in the 19th century.

He said all the vaccines which are universally recommended by health authorities  11 in total  would be compulsory.

The move follows a similar initiative in Italy, which recently banned non-vaccinated children from attending state schools.

The World Health Organisation has warned of major measles outbreaks spreading across Europe despite the availability of a safe, effective vaccine.

Anti-vaccine movements, whose followers are known as anti-vaxxers, are believed to have contributed to low rates of immunisation against the highly contagious disease in a number of countries.

A recent survey found more than three out of 10 French people dont trust vaccines, with just 52 per cent of participants saying the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.

 Health officials urge vaccines as US faces measles outbreak

There were 79 cases of measles reported in France in the first two months of 2017, mostly due to an outbreak of 50 cases in the north-eastern Lorraine region, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Between the beginning of 2008 and the end of 2016, more than 24,000 cases of measles were declared in France, official figures show. Of these, around 1,500 had serious complications and there were 10 deaths.

Vaccination is not mandatory in Britain, and around 24,000 children a year in England are not immunised against measles, mumps and rubella.

Fear surrounding the combined inoculation for the three infectious diseases, known as the MMR vaccine, stems in part from a discredited study claiming to show a link between the jab and autism.

The paper, published in medical journal The Lancet nearly 20 years ago by disgraced former doctor Andrew Wakefield, led to a heavy fall in uptake among parents at the time, but exhaustive scientific research has now disproved the theory.

Two children in the UK have died of measles since 2006, and in 2013 a young man from Wales died of the disease  all a waste of life, Dr Farah Jameel told doctors at the British Medical Association (BMA) annual meeting last month.

The BMA is calling for evidence to be submitted to the UK Government on the potential advantages and disadvantages of childhood immunisation made mandatory under the law.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

Beatrice Lorenzin, the Italian health minister, has said falling vaccination rates in the country was an emergency generated by fake news and 12 vaccines would be compulsory for schoolchildren aged up to 16.

Cases of measles rose more than fivefold across Italy in April compared to the same month last year, according to National Health Institute figures.

This alarming resurgence of the disease has been blamed on the anti-vaccination stance of the populist Five Star Movement (M5S), which took a quarter of the vote in the countrys 2013 general election.

The price of a packet of cigarettes in France will also rise from seven to 10 euros (around 6.10 to 8.70) in another public health measure announced by Mr Philippe.
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Suspects in the shooting down of the MH17 passenger jet will be prosecuted in a Dutch court, the countrys foreign ministry has announced.

The ministry said international cooperation would continue during the prosecutions.

Nearly 300 people died when MH17 was downed in 2014.

Recommended Donald Trump to meet with Vladimir Putin at G20 summit

Foreign minister Bert Koenders said that the decision had been made by the countries jointly investigating the crash  Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine and the Netherlands.

The decision follows attempts, blocked by Russia in 2015, to set up an international court over the incident, which killed all 298 people aboard the Malaysia Airlines flight. Victims came from 17 countries, and included 196 Dutch.

The Dutch Safety Board, which investigated the incident, concluded in 2015 that the plane was downed by a Russian-made rocket. Investigators said last September that the rocket was fired from territory held by pro-Russia separatists.

No suspects have been named.

A report by the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) said there was no doubt the missile that downed the plane was brought in from Russia and fired from rebel-controlled territory as militants sought to fend off attacks by the Ukrainian air force during the war in the region.

Investigators pinpointed the launch site atop a hill in farmland west of Pervomaiskyi, having traced the convoy carrying the Buk from the Russian border through Donetsk, Torez, Snizhne and on to the launch site in the hours before MH17 was downed.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has claimed Germany is "committing suicide" by not allowing him to speak to Turks at a rally in Germany.

"Germany needs to correct this mistake," he told the Die Zeit newspaper, adding that "We need each other".

Germany has blocked Mr Erdogan from making a speech to supporters during the G20 summit in Hamburg later this week, which could have drawn huge protests from Kurds living in Germany.

Recommended Thousands took to streets of Hamburg as Trump expected to visit

Foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was "not a good idea" because "on the sidelines of the G20 we don't have the police numbers to provide the security" needed.

Mr Erdogan triggered a diplomatic spat earlier this year when Germany and The Netherlands banned rallies intended to increase support for him in April's emergency powers referendum.

He called Europe "fascist and cruel", described the Dutch as "Nazi remnants" and accused Germany of "fascist actions".

But in his latest interview he insisted he had no personal problem with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Ms Merkel will hold talks with Mr Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 summit, her spokesman said on Wednesday.

Relations between the Nato partners have soured in the last few months. On Tuesday, Turkey condemned as incitement to violence an art installation in front of the German chancellery that portrayed Mr Erdogan as a dictator.

The spokesman also said Merkel would discuss the Ukraine crisis with French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Erdogan also said as long as Germany did not send supporters of his former ally, Fethullah Gulen, back to Turkey, his country would view Germany as a land that protected terrorists.

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. 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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. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. 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Ankara has blamed Mr Gulen, a Muslim cleric, for orchestrating a failed coup last July. He has denied the accusation.

But his alleged involvement has served as pretext for a widespread crackdown in Turkey that has swept up tens of thousands of people including teachers, police officers and journalists as Mr Erdogan consolidates power.

Germany's Turkish population numbers about three million.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A male model was reportedly brutally stabbed to death in Iraq over his appearance.

Karar Nushi was found dead in Baghdad after reportedly receiving death threats over his long hair and tight-fitting clothes.

The Institute of Fine Arts student, who was also an actor and a model, was found covered in stab wounds on Palestine Street to the north of the capital, according to Iraqi News.

His body reportedly showed signs of torture.

Friends of the actor said on social media they believed he was killed by radical Islamists because of the way he dressed, his long hair and his friendship with female actors.

Mr Nushi was a Shia Muslim and was said to be preparing for a male beauty pageant before his death.

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. 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Last year Isis militants threw a man they accused of being homosexual from the top of a building in Kirkuk, Iraq.

In 2016, extremists blindfolded a man before pushing him to his death from a 10-storey building in Aleppo, Syria, after accusing him of homosexuality.

In 2015, Amir Ashour, founder of Iraqi LGBT rights group IraQueer, was forced to flee his home country for Sweden after receiving death threats.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has congratulated coalition troops on their victory against Isis in Mosul, as fighting for the last pockets of the city still under militant control rages.

Praise be to God, we managed to liberate (the city) and proved the others were wrong, the people of Mosul supported and stood with our security forces against terrorism, Mr Abadi told reporters at a news conference in Baghdad on Tuesday night.

Instructions have already been issued on rebuilding the city - devastated by Isis improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and coalition bombing - and improving the security situation, he added.

Mr Abadis remarks came three years to the day since Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only public appearance at Mosuls al-Nuri mosque, leading Friday prayers and urging Muslims worldwide to join the just-declared Islamic state.

Iraqi troops seized the ruins of the mosque last week, using the symbolic victory to declare that the Iraqi half of the caliphate had been toppled.

Isis blew up the 12th century building on 26 June after it became apparent the US-backed Iraqi forces had begun a push in its direction.

Its black flag had flown from the al-Hadba (Hunchback) minaret since June 2014, when the extremists managed to capture one third of Iraq after sweeping across the border from Syria.

In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty

Now Isis clings on to just a handful of neighbourhoods in the winding streets of Mosuls Old City, although Iraqi forces have forced them into an area less than one kilometre squared on the West bank of the Tigris River.

Civilians continue to flee from Isis territory in large numbers - many weak and emaciated after weeks of coping with little food, water and medicine in the 50 degree heat.

None of the previous battles were like this, Major Faris Aboud, working at a small field hospital just outside the Old City, told the AP.

In a single day we received 300 wounded, the father of three continued. For me, seeing the wounded children is the hardest, we see children who have lost their entire families under the rubble, they have no one now.

Across the border in Syria, Isis grip is also loosening on its last city of Raqqa as US-backed Arab and Kurdish militias advance through the citys neighbourhoods.

 The children of Mosul: Iraqi youngsters left psychologically damaged by ISIS war

The security situation in the region is expected to remain volatile, however.

Analysts expect the organisation to morph into a full-blown insurgency across the two countries, mounting sleeper cell assaults and suicide bombings in areas declared liberated from its rule to provoke continued unrest.

A man who asked to only be referred to as Abu Abid, for fear for his family's safety, was waiting to get a spot on a truck after fleeing the Old City when he was approached by an AP reporter.

That place, it was absolute death, he said. We will never be the same. Once the fear has been planted in your heart, you can't get rid of it.
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Visiting a classroom or playground in the sprawling camps now home to Iraqis who have fled Isis, it can take a while to realise whats missing at first.

There are colourful posters and drawings on the walls, toys to play with, music and games. But the sound of kids laughing, annoying each other and joining in the words to songs is muted.

Many children have obvious difficulty having fun as they associate music  banned for so long  with punishment. Some are so traumatised by what theyve witnessed over the last three years that theyve lost the ability to speak.

In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty

What was striking was how introverted and withdrawn children have become. They rarely even smiled. It was as though they had lost the ability to be children, said Dr Marcia Brophy, Save the Childrens senior mental health adviser for the Middle East of her research.

Every family has experienced the loss of their home, and 90 per cent of children interviewed for a new report from Save the Children have lost loved ones since Isis swept across a third of Iraq from neighbouring Syria in 2014.

You would see people getting killed in the streets. And we didnt have anything. They denied us everything, even playing, said 11-year-old Sara, whose name has been changed. No food, nothing at all.

They killed my brother in front of me. They said he was passing information to the army. What can we do?

The US-backed Iraqi coalition has already declared victory in the nine-month-long fight for Mosul, but the announcement has been criticised as premature by many. Fighting in the city continues and Isis clings on to considerable territory all the way up to the Syrian border.

And while almost all of the 600,000 children estimated to live in the city and surrounding Nineveh province are now safer in camps or the homes of relatives, the violence theyve seen and endured stays with them.

All 65 children interviewed by experts are suffering from toxic stress, and mental images of an unidentified thing, person or monster are so vivid they appear to haunt children during the day as well as at night, Save the Children found.

The psychological damage is severe, and charities are warning a future risk of stigma and abuse  as well as arbitrary detainment by coalition forces  lies ahead.

While every parent will say they took their children out of school during the Isis occupation, where curricula reflected the extremist ideology, around half were probably forced to keep their children enrolled, said Rob Williams, CEO of WarChild UK.

 Drone footage shows the devastation in Mosul's old city and the destroyed al-Nuri Mosque

We are worried that now Isis is gone these kids will face being ostracised or worse by their communities. Its like France at the end of the Second World War.

I met a child used as a human shield during my last visit. When his family managed to return home to Mosul, You are Daesh [the Arabic word for Isis] was graffitied over the house and now hes too scared to go home because of what might happen.

With psychological rehabilitation and sustained community reconciliation efforts, it is entirely possible for Mosuls children to grow up to lead normal and stable lives.

Yet despite the fact that psychological support for both children and adults is a key factor in preventing further radicalisation and ending the cycle of conflict, most programmes are chronically underfunded with just two per cent of funding needs met.

Donor governments have been slow to respond to the UNs 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for the region, which only has 43 per cent of the necessary funding to implement any help at all  let alone mental health assistance.

Weve pulled the tooth of the Isis occupiers but weve left a gaping hole, Rob Williams of WarChild said. Who knows what infection will fill it again in future?

Donors need to stop looking at this as a problem and see it more as an opportunity. But if they dont, no one will be surprised if in five years time a conflict breaks out all over again.
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Some 300 Isis fighters remain in the small patch of territory still controlled by the group in Mosul's Old City, according to a senior Iraqi commander.

Lt Gen Sami al-Aridi of Iraq's special forces said that the militants' hold on Mosul has shrunk to a 500 square metre (600 sq yard) area. Tens of thousands of civilians are believed to be trapped in the Isis-run enclave, with around 1,500 fleeing with every 100-metre advance by Iraqi forces.

Iraqi forces moved to besiege the Old City before launching their attack in order to prevent Isis fighters from fleeing to neighbouring Syria, but Lt Gen Aridi said hundreds of militants still managed to escape from the Old City alone.

They just shave their beards and walk out, he said. Just yesterday we captured two among a group of women and children.

Late on Tuesday, Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the armed forces on a big victory in Mosul, despite ongoing clashes. The prime minister declared an end to the extremist group's self-styled Islamic caliphate in June.

Isis captured Mosul in a matter of days when it swept across northern and central Iraq in the summer of 2014. Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition launched a major operation to retake the city in October.

Meanwhile, aid charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is warning that Mosul's civilian population has endured huge suffering during the battle to retake the city, with trauma cases among the population rising sharply in the last stages of the mission.

Civilians who have managed to get medical treatment are suffering from burns, and shrapnel and blast injuries, while many women and children are in need of critical care and are under-nourished, a MSF officials said. But there was concern that only a small proportion of the civilian population were managing to get the medical attention they required.

Really, (there is) a huge level of human suffering, Jonathan Henry, MSF emergency coordinator in West Mosul, told a news briefing in Geneva after spending six weeks in Iraq.

This is a massive population that has been traumatised from a very brutal and horrific conflict, he said.

 Iraq PM Haider al-Abadi hails 'big victory' in Mosul

Iraqi commanders have predicted final victory in Mosul this week after a grinding eight-month assault on the once two-million-strong city which has pushed Islamic State into a rectangle no more than 300 by 500 metres beside the Tigris.

The militants' brutality and the US-backed war to end their three-year rule has created an extremely traumatic environment for people to flee from and to return to, affecting their mental health on a large scale, Mr Henry said.

The west (of the city) has been heavily destroyed. It's really mass destruction ... similar to the blitz of the Second World War, hospitals have been destroyed, neighbourhoods are in ruins.

The battles in the Old City's maze of narrow alleyways is fought house-by-house in streets packed with civilians and planted with multiple explosive devices by the militants, who are also using drones and suicide bombings.

In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty

Schrapnel and blast injuries, broken bones from collapsed buildings and burns are the main type of wounds seen by the MSF team of surgeons in west Mosul, said Mr Henry.

One of our major concerns is we feel only a small percentage of the patients are reaching medical facilities, he said.

Half of the 100 war-wounded over the past two weeks at the MSF 25-bed hospital were women and children in need of critical care and many were malnourished, he said.

But the most urgent patients we feel are not able to leave the conflict area.

About 900,000 people, nearly half the pre-war population of Mosul, have been displaced by the fighting, taking shelter in camps or with relatives and friends, according the aid group.

AP/Reuters
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The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have criticised the "negative" response from Qatar to their list of demands, prolonging the month-long standoff.

The four countries cut ties with Qatar over its close ties to Iran and alleged support for terrorist groups, something Doha denies. The deepening rift has caused concern for Western allies that see the region's leaders as key partners in both energy and defence. The fact that the group have not imposed further sanctions will come as some relief.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt met in Cairo on Wednesday after Qatar responded to a far-reaching list of 13 demands which the bloc insisted must be met to end the tiny energy-rich kingdoms isolation. Those demands include shutting down the pan-Arab Al Jazeera TV channel, curtailing Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, closing down a Turkish military base  something Turkey is against  and downgrading its ties with Iran.

Recommended Saudi Arabia has played Trump like a fiddle when it comes to Qatar

"The response the four states got was overall negative and lacked any content. We find it did not provide a basis for Qatar to retreat from its policies, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said, reading out a joint statement following the meeting.

Mr Shoukry said that the four Arab states "hope wisdom prevails and Qatar makes the right decision".

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said: The political and economic boycott will continue until Qatar changes its policies for the better. He added that any further steps taken against Qatar would be "taken at the appropriate time" and claimed they would be "in line with international law."

After a two-day extension to an initial 10-day deadline, Doha had submitted its response to what it considered legitimate demands from its neighbours early on Wednesday via Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator.

 UAE: Diplomacy will be given 'one or two more chances' before they 'part ways' with Qatar

Tentative reconciliation efforts led by Kuwaiti delegations, as well as encouragement from Turkey, Germany, the US State Department and UN, have so far come to nothing. With all sides so far refusing to back down, it is feared a compromise could still be elusive.

In a sign of the importance of the matter to the US, President Donald Trump spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday, calling on all parties to negotiate constructively to resolve the dispute with Qatar and to stop terrorist financing and discredit extremist ideology.

The four Arab nations  followed by a handful of other Muslim countries  abruptly cut off ties on 5 June  accusing Qatar of meddling in their internal affairs, in addition to the terror funding accusations.

The move plunged the country into crisis, sending the stock market tumbling and effectively closing down its airspace.

Families have been split up and myriad businesses affected by demands for Qatari nationals to leave the countries involved, and vice versa.

On Tuesday, credit ratings agency Moodys downgraded Qatars economic outlook to negative as the diplomatic dispute continued to have economic effects.

The likelihood of a prolonged period of uncertainty extending into 2018 has increased and a quick resolution of the dispute is unlikely over the next few months, a statement read.

Qatar has strongly denied all the allegations against it, and reacted with anger to its neighbours 13-point demands list, which included points such as closing down state-owned Al Jazeera, paying restitutions and cutting off alleged links to Isis, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Doha government had previously described the list as so far-reaching it appears intended to be rejected, adding that it was an affront to Qatars sovereignty. Nonetheless, it agreed to consider some demands.

 President Trump says Qatar is a major funder of terrorism

Qatars official response has not yet been made public.

While some Arab media outlets have suggested a military confrontation or a change of leadership in Qatar could be in the offing, officials have said those options are not on the table.

Although further sanctions have been threatened if Doha does not capitulate, last week the UAE's foreign minister Anwar Gargash played down the chances of an escalation, saying the alternative is not escalation but parting ways. The comment was interpreted by many as suggesting Qatar may be forced out of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC), the regional political body which serves as a counterbalance to Iran.

News agencies contributed to this report
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"Amazing Thailand" - so the slogan goes. But while Thailand shines brightly on many fronts  its exuberant capital, mesmerising beaches, bucolic countryside, lip-smacking food  it is mirrored by a dark side, a far cry from the tourism authority's vision of paradise.

During my years living in the Land of Smiles, I heard almost daily tales of horrific motorbike, car, boat and bus accidents, scams and property frauds, drownings and diving incidents, stabbings, suicides and highly-suspicious deaths. Most distressing among them were the murders of British youngsters Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, who were brutally killed on the southern island of Koh Tao in 2014. At the time of the event, I was asked by an international news agency to gather some quotes from foreigners living on the island.

Recommended British man found dead on Thai holiday island

Resting in the Gulf of Thailand, a two-hour ferry ride north of Koh Samui, Koh Tao is best known for its incredible marine life, which over the years has attracted a small but buoyant expat community of around 2,000 people, many of whom run dive centres, restaurants and B&Bs. But my requests to long-time residents and business owners were met with fear, as they made it quite clear they felt their lives would be in danger if they spoke on the record. Off the record, however, they told of an island held in the iron grip of a mafia family, who demanded protection money, controlled the local police force and were not above attacking or burning down the homes and businesses of people that crossed them.

Later, the investigation into Ms Witheridge and Mr Miller's murders was widely criticised, with the police accused of incompetence, mismanagement and the scapegoating of two Burmese migrant workers, who are now awaiting the death penalty. With attention focused on the island, a number of other disturbing deaths soon came to light, including that of Nick Pearson, from Derby, who police concluded had fallen from cliffs and then drowned, and French tourist Dimitri Povse, who was found hanged with his hands tied behind his back. Since then, I have refused to visit the island, have strongly advised friends and family not to go and have declined to include Koh Tao in any of my travel-related articles. The recent discovery of the body of Elise Dallemange, the seventh young backpacker to have died in suspicious circumstances in just three years, has only strengthened my belief that Koh Tao is a place to be avoided at all costs.

Koh Tao may be beautiful but is allegedly controlled by a mafia family (Rex)

But while Koh Tao appears particularly troubling, corruption and mafia connections are not unique to the island. It's an open-secret that many of Thailand's most popular tourist resorts, including Phuket, Koh Samui and Phi Phi, are run by powerful families who control everything  from which vendors can sell pineapples on the beach to human trafficking, prostitution, and land rights. I was told by the general manager of one five-star hotel in Phuket that they had to include kick-back money in their budget to allow for building to go ahead.

Recommended The 59 most dangerous countries in the world for British tourists

Within a few weeks of arriving in the south, I also learnt that taxis are mafia controlled and charge up to 10 times more than you would pay in Bangkok; jet-ski operators are notorious for intimidating tourists into paying for fictional damages  never leave your passport as security  and if you do have a problem, the police are unlikely to help, although you should always report any crimes committed against you, for insurance purposes if nothing else. Violent attacks on women are also common enough for the Foreign Office to offer this advice:

Violent sexual assaults and unprovoked attacks have been reported in popular tourist destinations, including in the Koh Samui archipelago and Krabi province. These are particularly common during the monthly Full Moon parties and generally occur late at night near bars.

 British family beaten unconscious at Thai beach resort

The FCO goes on to state: Drink spiking has been reported in tourist destinations around Thailand, with both male and female victims. Be careful about taking drinks from strangers and at clubs and parties, or leaving your drinks unattended, particularly in Koh Samui, Pattaya and at the Full Moon party on Koh Phangan, where date rapes have been reported.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

So after three years living in Thailand would I say its safe to visit? Yes, for the most part. But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. You should take extra care when visiting the country. Do your research, avoid high-risk activities, never raise your voice to a Thai person (Thais hate confrontation and when they lose face often turn to violence) and ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance. And, for now, avoid Koh Tao.
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Narcos fans can now stay at one of Pablo Escobars houses, which has been turned into a 35-room luxury hotel.

The mansion in the Mexican beach resort of Tulum sat empty for 14 years before being renovated by Lio Lamca, an art dealer based in New York who has transformed it into Casa Malca (casamalca.com).

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"I purchased the property because I thought it was insane," he told Cool Hunter. "I could not believe that in this world, a property like this still exists and hasn't been taken over by a corporation."

For 450 (395) a night, guests can stay in a property that once belonged to Colombias most notorious druglord.

Escobar was a controversial figure at the forefront of the Colombian cocaine scene in the 1980s and early 1990s. He headed up the Medellin Cartel which, at the height of its operations, brought in more than $70m (54m) per day.

The property has been turned into a luxury hotel (Casa Malca)

The King of Cocaine"s story rose to prominence again in 2015, when Netflix Original series Narcos depicted Escobars rise to power and fall from grace  he was killed in a shoot-out in 1993.

Casa Malca is a world away from the propertys former owner. Filled with paintings, sculptures and furniture by a range of contemporary artists from Lamcas personal collection, the hotels facilities include a steam room, pool and rooftop deck. Its set right on the beach in Tulum, on the furthest corner of the Yucatan peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico.

Casa Malca is filled with contemporary artwork (Casa Malca)

The hotels kitchen uses locally-sourced produce wherever possible from small businesses in the area to produce traditional Yucatan cuisine, as well as more contemporary dishes from around the world.

Those looking for a touch of Pablo-esque danger on their getaway might just be disappointed
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Some cabin crew employed by British Airways at Heathrow will walk out for another two weeks, stretching the long-running dispute into the peak month of August.

Members of Unite working for BAs Mixed Fleet operation are currently taking 16 days of industrial action, which is set to continue up to and including Sunday 16 July.

After the only two days of normal working in July, the strike will resume on Wednesday 19 July and continue to Tuesday 1 August. It will cover key dates for families travelling abroad on holiday.

Unites national officer, Oliver Richardson, said: Todays announcement of a further escalation underlines the determination of our members in their fight for better pay and against British Airways bullying behaviour.

We are seeing strong support for the ongoing strike action. The time and money British Airways is spending on wet leasing aircraft and bullying striking cabin crew are resources which could easily settle this dispute.

Its high time British Airways stopped spending millions defending low pay and its bullying approach by negotiating a settlement to this long running dispute.

The airline is hiring in planes and crews from Qatar Airways, which owns one-fifth of BAs parent company, IAG. The short-haul jets are operating around 30 flights a day. The aircraft and crew would otherwise be idle at present, due to the ban on Qatari airlines flying to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.

British Airways is like to continue this wet lease agreement.

Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step Show all 7 1 /7 Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step Cynthia's laptop is carefully wrapped Cynthia Drescher Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step Cynthia's then given an form to fill in Cynthia Drescher Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step Then it's boxed and bagged individually Cynthia Drescher Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step The laptop is given a business class tag Cynthia Drescher Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step It's individually labelled and marked as fragile Cynthia Drescher Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step On arrival, the laptops are waiting at baggage claim Cynthia Drescher Travelling with the laptop ban: step by step Result: the laptop has survived Cynthia Drescher

A BA spokesperson said: As during Unites previous industrial action, we will ensure all our customers reach their destinations.

In practice, that means there will be some cancellations, with passengers on affected flights offered a range of options, including a refund, re-routing or re-booking on a different service.

In the current strike, BA claims to be operating 99.5 per cent of its normal schedule. Today, six long-haul flights have been cancelled because of the Mixed Fleet stoppage.

The airline's Heathrow-Doha service has not operated since the start of the strike, and is cancelled up to and including next Tuesday.

The BA spokesperson added: Instead of calling further completely unnecessary strikes, Unite should allow its members a vote on the pay deal we reached two months ago.

It seems extraordinary that a trade union should ask its members to give up their pay and benefits for virtually the whole of July, trying to target the holidays of hard-working families, rather than give those members a chance to settle the central issue of the dispute.

Unite has launched legal action against the Governments decision to approve the use of Qatar Airways planes. The union argues that the arrangement breaches European regulations, and that insufficient notice was allowed for objections.
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Were it not for the noise, Bedfont Lane would be an unremarkable outer-suburban thoroughfare in the far west of London. But every minute or two a plane roars overhead on the final approach to the southern runway at Heathrow, close enough for the observer to read its registration.

This week, planespotters here have been rewarded with what ornithologists call vagrants: species that are far away from their familiar territory. Because between 1 and 16 July, British Airways is borrowing nine short-haul Airbus A320 jets, plus pilots and cabin crew, from Qatar Airways.

The wet-leased aircraft are operating around 30 domestic and European flights a day, covering for flights grounded by an unprecedented 16-day strike by some BA cabin crew belonging to the Unite union.

Some passengers have declared themselves delighted with the substitution, which brings greater comfort plus free food and drink in economy class. But the strikers and their union representatives are furious.

I met them a few hundred yards further along Bedfont Lane at the Bedfont FC clubhouse. The Home of the Eagles is also the traditional strike HQ for the traditional disputes between British Airways cabin crew and management.

In 2010, I listened as the top brass of the Unite union urged on strikers in a long, bitter dispute over cost-cutting. BAs then-chief executive, Willie Walsh, said that the airline faced ferocious competition in Europe and beyond, and could no longer afford the generous pay and conditions that cabin crew enjoyed.

The key element of the eventual settlement was the establishment of a new cabin crew unit, Mixed Fleet. Every new Heathrow cabin crew member since 2010 has been recruited into Mixed Fleet, with inferior terms to longer-serving staff.

In time, Mixed Fleet will eventually replace the legacy teams of Eurofleet and Worldwide. Until that happens, two or three decades from now, old and new never work together on the same flight. Which, given the discrepancy in pay and conditions, is probably wise.

Were not second class cabin crew, one female striker told me. We do our job as well as Eurofleet and Worldwide. Why shouldnt I get what the others get?

Im required to live within a two-hour radius of Heathrow. I can't buy anywhere with the money Im on. When I go and ask for a mortgage, they laugh at me."

The P60 that she showed me indicated she had earned less than 20,000 last year. Ive been at British Airways for six years, and Ive never entered the sickness process, she said.

(PA (PA)

A male colleague said that he earned more on a zero-hours contract with Ryanair. His P60 showed income for the year at under 18,000.

British Airways maintains that no full-time Mixed Fleet staff earned less than 21,000 last year. This includes a 3 per hour flying allowance, payable while they are on duty, but which has to cover meals downroute. The slump in sterling has pushed up the cost of dining out at almost all Mixed Fleet long-haul destinations.

Mixed Fleet cabin crew's pay and rewards is in line with cabin crew at our competitor airlines, said a BA spokesperson.

New cabin crew in their first year working full time at British Airways will receive more than 21,000 based on pay, allowances, incentive and bonus.

We have offered Unite an independent audit of pay, which it has declined.

Recommended British Airways to borrow planes from Qatar Airways

What the union calls poverty pay was at the root of a dispute that began last year, and has seen 26 days of industrial action in the first half of 2017.

The local MP and Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, called in to Bedfont FC one morning earlier in the year to lend his support, and observed that they were the first strikers he had met who fixed their make-up before joining the picket line.

Since then the two sides have reached an agreement on pay. The current strike is about what Unite says are 'sanctions' against 1,400 union members who have previously gone on strike; BA calls them 'consequences'.

Cabin crew say the pay deal comes with unacceptable strings attached: the loss of bonuses and travel concessions for a further year, as punishment for those who go on strike. They must also, say strikers, agree not to carry yellow pens or other yellow symbols. That might sound random, but yellow symbolises to other crew that they are strikers.

Its like working for North Korean Airlines, said a female cabin crew member. Theyre handing us a surrender document.

(For the avoidance of doubt, British Airways has no connection with the North Korean national carrier, Air Koryo, which has been judged the world's worst airline.)

Outside, the procession of inbound planes is unrelenting - which, for a group of workers intent on grounding aircraft, must be demoralising. In previous strikes, around 1,400 cabin crew have gone on strike, about a quarter of the Mixed Fleet total. This stoppage appears to involve about the same proportion.

Change gear: a Qatar Airways Airbus A320 in Brussels, preparing to fly to Heathrow for British Airways (Hazel Gulliver)

Today, BA's only strike-hit departures are long-haul services to Doha, Jeddah and Lagos; arrivals from Doha, New York and Dubai are also axed because the corresponding outbound flights did not operate yesterday.

BA says it intends to operate 99.5 per cent of its schedule during the strike. Minor incidents such as the false fire alarm at Heathrow's Terminal 3 yesterday and a security alert at Manchester today seem to be having almost as much impact as the industrial action.

But the strikers say stopping work is having a deeper effect: undermining confidence in the airline, and causing a decline in service standards when fewer than the normal complement of staff are crewing a flight.

Both sides have dug in.

BA insists: We have set out the consequences for crew if they take strike action. The purposes of these consequences are to encourage crew to come to work.

The airline has drafted in staff working in other parts of the airline who are trained as cabin crew, and put in place a range of measures to support our Mixed Fleet cabin crew who are reporting to work as normal.

 British Airways CEO denies catastrophic computer failure was caused by job cuts

The strikers say these are needless and expensive steps, apparently intended to ease concerns about possible intimidation: paying for taxis to work and even a 30 allowance for toiletries to be bought downroute, so that cabin crew need not check in a bag.

Strikers mounted a protest at Qatar Airways UK headquarters in west London, claiming that the crew of the wet-leased planes would be locked up if they went on strike. The state-owned Qatari airline owns 20 per cent of BA's parent company, IAG - whose chief executive is Willie Walsh.

The striking cabin crew would normally be serving Marks & Spencer food and drink. Instead, they handed out flyers asserting that Marks & Spencer staff in stores earn more than British Airways Mixed Fleet cabin crew selling the same stuff at 30,000 feet, and urging the public to email the chief executives of both BA and M&S.

Another Unite leaflet read: BA should pay their frontline staff a decent living wage, not one that sees many of us sleeping in cars between flights because we cannot afford the petrol to get home, or taking on second or third jobs on our few rest days.

British Airways firmly refutes the assertion that staff are not paid a living wage, saying: The reward package for Mixed Fleet is undoubtedly attractive. Since the start of 2017, we have received 17,210 applications for jobs in Mixed Fleet.

As I prepared to leave Bedfont FC, a Qatar Airways jet was flying in from Lyon. While the passengers enjoyed a little bit of extra comfort, the cabin crew who might have been working the flight were defiant, and asked me to relay a message to BA passengers.

If youre travelling with British Airways youd like to know that the crew member didnt sleep in their car and was able to afford some breakfast.

You want a premium airline? You need well-paid, premium staff.
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The US devices ban on flights from certain Middle East and North African airlines is unravelling  though the UK has shown no intention of removing prohibitions on laptops and e-readers.

In March, the US Department for Homeland Security (DHS) abruptly introduced a ban on any electronic devices bigger than a mobile phone from the cabin of flights to the US from eight Middle Eastern and North African nations.

Services flying non-stop from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco and Qatar are covered by the ban. But on Monday the second airport in the UAE, Abu Dhabi, was deemed safe enough to relax the ban.

Now the chief executive of Turkish Airlines, Bilal Eksi, has tweeted that he expects the ban on larger electronic devices to be lifted for flights from Istanbul imminently. Eksi tweeted on 3 July: "The electronics ban that had been in place on US flights has been revoked as of 5th of July. Thank you." But the airline has not changed its existing statement explaining that larger electronic devices are banned from the cabin.

The ban was imposed, according to the DHS, in response to intelligence reports that terrorist groups were aggressively pursuing innovative methods" to attack passenger planes, including smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.

The UK Government quickly brought in a ban that emulated the US prohibition, though with a different list of countries: the UAE, Qatar and Morocco, which have frequent flights to Britain, were omitted, while Lebanon was added.

The main effect of the UK ban is on flights from Turkey. The Turkish Airlines' chief executive's tweet raised the hope that the Department for Transport might also relax the rules.

But a DfT spokesperson said: It is for the US to determine its own security measures based on its own assessments, just as we do ourselves. We work closely with all our international partners to keep aviation security under constant review, but for obvious reasons we do not comment on specifics.

The safety and security of the travelling public is our top priority, and the UK has some of the most robust aviation security measures in the world."

The US was keen to impose the devices ban on all international flights to the US, but European officials lobbied intensively against the prohibition  on the grounds that it posed additional risks with numerous lithium batteries packed in the hold.

Washington DC has now said airports worldwide must implement extra screening, including explosive trace detection, sniffer dogs and extra scrutiny of the gate area.

The moves come as tests of airport security checks conducted by undercover agents at Minneapolis-St Paul exposed serious weaknesses. A team from the DHS in Washington posed as ordinary passengers and successfully managed to sneak explosives, fake weapons and drugs past checkpoints on 17 out of 18 attempts.
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As Chicago and Austin join Norwegians expanding route network from Gatwick, the airline is challenging Virgin Atlantic in its reach of US destinations.

Norwegian will fly to Chicago OHare and the Texas state capital from March 2018, using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The airline already has existing or previously announced routes from Gatwick to eight US cities: Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Orlando and Seattle. So next summer it looks like having only one fewer American destinations from London than Virgin Atlantic, which has 11. But if New York JFK and Newark (both served by Virgin) are regarded as the same destination, then Norwegian will be level in cities served.

Virgin Atlantic has much higher frequencies on its US routes, and also has a partnership with Delta which greatly extends travellers options. But Norwegian also has flights from Edinburgh and Belfast to three other US gateways: Providence, Stewart and Hartford.

Bjorn Kjos, chief executive of Norwegian, said: Many people said low-cost long-haul would never work but three years, 13 routes and 1.5 million UK passengers later and Norwegian has shown there is huge demand for more affordable long-haul travel.

Norwegians new Chicago route costs from 179 one way and will operate only four times a week; American Airlines has four flights a day to the Windy City from Heathrow, with British Airways and United also competing.

To Austin, there will be just three weekly flights, costing from 239 one way. The infrequency of the route will limit the appeal to business travellers - though for Texans, the earlier arrival in London, over two hours before BAs existing Heathrow service, may appeal.

Gatwicks chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said: Gatwicks long haul network breaks yet another world record as we now offer 62 long haul routes  more than any other single runway airport in the world - and the fifth-largest network of any airport in Europe.

Last week the Government reiterated its commitment to a third runway at Heathrow.
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When packing for a trip most people reach for swimwear or an extra sweater, not car parts or pet fish. But these items and more are among the strangest things checked-in on flights in a new airline survey.

The research, conducted by Virgin Atlantic, has revealed the weird and wonderful items passengers have attempted to take with them on a plane. Animals feature prominently on the round up, with live fish and a dead cow both popping up. Other objects include electrical goods and furniture, showing many people are not concerned about hitting the weight limit.

Recommended Live lobsters on planes are a thing in America

They also found regional patterns, with brooms arriving at check in regularly in India and loose tyres commonplace in Lagos.

Mark Anderson, executive vice president of customer at Virgin Atlantic, said: Weve always flown to an eclectic mix of destinations, so its only right to expect an eclectic selection of baggage! Our global teams speak to so many customers on a daily basis and it certainly brightens their day when they notice something out of the ordinary.

Live fish

(Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A passenger tried to check in four live goldfish in a plastic bag filled with water on a flight from Barbados.

Car parts

(Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Someone tried to fly a car bumper from London Heathrow and loose car tyres have also been found in luggage going from Shanghai to London. Virgin found that tyres are also common on flights from Lagos.

Fridge freezer

istock (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Vegas is home to the all-you-can-eat buffet. Perhaps these travellers filled their fridge freezer with leftovers before they tried to check it in at the Nevada airport...

Bathtub

(Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

People often struggle with packing the right sized soap but this full sized tub was presented at check in for a London to Johannesburg journey.

Bed head

(Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Travellers attempted to check in the head board of a bed from Delhi. Virgin Atlantic says brooms often arrive at check in from Delhi.

A whole dead cow

(Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The animal was covered in bubble wrap on a transatlantic flight from JFK to London  the request was declined.
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Donald Trump begins his second foreign foray as US President today with a stop-off in Poland before heading to the G20 summit in Germany on Friday. Trumps trip comes at a time of troubles for him, internationally, with publics in many countries already having less confidence in him than George W Bush at the height of his own travails as president.

Given Trumps unpopularity is particularly marked in Western Europe, it is no coincidence that he has decided to make a Polish stop-off where Washington recently deployed hundreds of troops. The countrys government, run by the conservative, Eurosceptic Law and Justice Party, has been much more welcoming of Trump than many other EU counterparts, and the country is one of only four NATO members other than the United States that spends the 2 per cent target of GDP on defence.

Examples of the Polish administrations affinity with Trump include its opposition to immigration, support for burning coal, and scepticism of multilateral institutions. Right now, for instance, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo finds herself in heated battles with the EU over her administrations refusal to resettle refugees and migrants, and opposition to judicial changes that Brussels says will weaken the rule of law.

Recalling former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfelds controversial division between so-called Old Europe in the west of the continent and New Europe in the east, Trump will also attend the Three Seas initiative. This is a conference in Wroclaw for leaders from 12 Central European, Baltic and Western Balkan states.

 MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski responds to Donald Trump's attack

Yet, despite the warm reception the US president will receive in Poland, he is likely to find himself in a significant foreign policy disagreement even here. That is because many in the country are concerned about Russias resurgence, especially given Trumps previous scepticism of NATO and his occasionally warm rhetoric toward Vladimir Putin.

However, the trips overall theme will be US-Polish solidarity and this will bolster Trump before the G20 which could be a significantly rougher ride for him. Criticism he could receive at that German summit stems from his America First philosophy, including his controversial withdrawal from the Paris climate change deal; his pledge to build a Mexican wall; plus his temporary travel ban for six Muslim-majority countries.

The latest evidence of the extent of international disdain for Trump is found in a major report last week from Pew Global Research. Remarkably, this found that around three quarters of the world has little or no confidence in his international leadership and policies. Indeed, in many countries, support for the President is lower than that for Bush in 2004 after the controversial US-led invasion of Iraq.

To be sure, at least two significant countries  Israel and Russia  have much higher faith in Trump and his international leadership. But these are very much the exceptions in a sea of international negativity toward him from Asia-Pacific to the Americas.

As last weeks Pew data revealed, the spike in anti-US sentiment in many countries for the first time since Bushs presidency means Trump now has potential to become the least popular ever US president overseas in modern history. And this could undercut much of the work that Barack Obama undertook to turn around the climate of perception about the country in the last eight years.

 Covfefe, Meryl Streep and North Korea - Trump's most controversial tweets

Coming into office in 2009, Obama confronted a situation in which anti-US sentiment was at about its highest levels since at least the Vietnam War. The key factor driving this was the international unpopularity of the Bush administrations foreign policies in the so-called war on terror.

The Obama team did much to reverse these public opinion patterns. And according to one research study, by Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index, which uses the same tools that consultants use to value corporate brands, the Obama effect was estimated to have raised the value of Brand America by $2.1 trillion in the first year of his presidency alone.

This reflected the substantial increase in foreigners regarding the United States as the most admired country in the world again following the Bush presidency. And this turnaround in fortunes was not only been welcomed in Washington but also in corporate America, following concerns during the Bush years that US-headquartered multinationals were becoming a focus for a commercial backlash because of anti-Americanism.

However, despite successes, Obamas progress was uneven. Perhaps the biggest failure of his global public diplomacy was toward what he called the Islamic world.

For instance, despite the early promise of his Cairo speech in his first term in which he sought to reset US relations with Muslim-majority countries, there remain pockets of very high anti-Americanism in several key states. This includes in countries like Pakistan and Egypt which Obama failed to substantially address, as surveys have shown over recent years.

Yet, despite this, more than 64 per cent of global publics overall had trust in Obamas international leadership in the final year of his presidency: far cry from the situation for Trump today.

Indeed, it is crystal clear that much of the world still wishes that Hillary Clinton was elected last November. Although she lost last years US election, she was the stand-out winner in last years poll of nearly 50,000 people in 45 countries, covering 75 per cent of the world, by WIN/ Gallup International Association. The survey found that the public in all but one country (Russia) wanted Clinton to win over Trump.

And the WIN/Gallup poll results were very similar to that by Handelsblatt last year that was taken with some 20,000 people in the G20. Once again, Russia was the only state where Trump bested Clinton.

Taken overall, the Polish trip will be welcome respite for Trump given growing international disdain for him. As polls indicate, he may become the least popular US president overseas in modern history, undermining his potential for foreign policy success in coming years.

Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics
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It is a month since four Middle East powers, led by Saudi Arabia, cut off ties with their regional neighbour Qatar. The diplomatic and economic sanctions imposed on the small Gulf state have been severe; not least because the nation relies on imports for a wide range of everyday goods.

The breakdown of relationships has been a fair time coming. Qatar has long stood accused of being too sympathetic to Islamist groups; its critics claim it has directly or indirectly supported and harboured terrorists and has bolstered extremist groups by paying large ransoms to secure the release of kidnapped Qatari nationals. The Qatari government strongly disputes the allegations.

Saudi Arabia, along with Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE, has laid down a list of demands which it says Qatar must accede to if relations are to be restored. Among them is the shutting down of the state-funded broadcaster, Al Jazeera (and affiliated outlets), which for two decades has been a thorn in the side of most Middle Eastern powers. Qatars critics contend the service  at least its Arabic version, as opposed to Al Jazeera English  has, with the approval of the authorities, given a platform to fundamentalists and been sympathetic to terror organisations including Isis.

Such criticism of the broadcast network cannot be wholly discounted. Al Jazeera has employed terminology in respect of Isis, for instance, which is a great deal more neutral than other Arabic broadcasters  notably it does not employ the pejorative word Daesh. It has given airtime to hardline clerics who critics accuse of being demonstrably anti-Semitic. It would, in short, be wrong to conclude that Al Jazeera is beyond reproach.

Nevertheless, for its rivals to require that the plug be pulled on the Doha-based service is a remarkable and outrageous step; and ultimately an assault on press freedom, precious little of which exists in the region. That isnt to say Al Jazeera is wholly independent of interference from Qatars rulers, but all things are comparative; other broadcasters in the Middle East are strictly controlled.

The truth is, the Saudi regime and its allies do not like and do not trust Al Jazeeras influence. It has become the go-to channel for many millions of people across the Arab world and it has rarely dodged controversy. Its coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings angered regimes which were on the ropes and it has enabled the Muslim Brotherhood to have its voice heard in countries where it was once at the head of revolutionary movements. To the increasingly troubling autocracies of the region, Al Jazeera is not only an irritant but a fomenter of unrest. But none of this constitutes a valid reason to dismantle a news organisation.

Of course, the great irony in all this is the degree to which Saudi Arabia itself stands accused of the same crime as Qatar, in terms of promoting and supporting extremist ideologies and even terrorists. A new report by the Henry Jackson Society suggests that Saudi Arabia deliberately funds mosques and educational centres overseas, including in the UK, to inculcate the illiberal and bigoted ideology that is at the root of Wahhabi doctrine. Like their counterparts in Doha, rulers in Riyadh deny any and all such allegations connecting the ruling family to extremism.

What should also not pass without comment is the degree to which Saudi Arabia appears to have been emboldened by the recent visit of US President Donald Trump. Not only did Trump signal his intent to do some serious arms business with the Saudi royal family, he also lapped up assurances that the Saudis were cracking down on anyone found to be funding terror. No wonder King Salman and his friends felt they could take steps against Qatar just a week or two later. Indeed, when the sanctions were announced Trump effectively tweeted his approval, telling his followers that when it came to financing terrorism, all references point to Qatar.

It would be immensely more helpful if the leader of a nation that champions freedom of expression in its own constitution would send an alternative message: calls for the closure of Al Jazeera must be condemned.
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Yesterday in Baghdad, Iraqi actor Karar Nushi was murdered due to rumours of his homosexuality. He had been receiving death threats because of his transgressive appearance  particularly his long hair  and was discovered brutally stabbed on a central street in Baghdad.

It is a devastating incident, yet an increasingly regular phenomenon since the Western invasion of Iraq in 2003. Humanitarian reports estimate that between 2004 to 2009, 680 people have been murdered due to gender and sexual non-conformism. According to Amir Ashour, the remarkable founder of IraQueer  a charity to support LGBTQI+ citizens in Iraq  queer people are publically exposed by Isis with their names and photos on walls around Baghdad. In some parts of the country, if it is even discovered that you know a queer person, it can be very dangerous."

Amir explained that on one of these "killing listsa person's crime was having long hair. All it takes is the perceived idea of someone's sexuality, or the perceived idea of someone's gender expression," for them to be murdered. The offender Amir refers to was a married heterosexual man with kids, whose slight variation of male propriety resulted in his execution.

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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. 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

I am a queer Iraqi, and feel enormously privileged to live safely in London when I hear about such news. But I watch on guiltily in a climate of Western Islamophobia, where such incidents are co-opted by the far right as a way to incite xenophobia. Of course, they mask their extremism as the fight to preserve Western liberalism, and Im told to count my blessings that the West has saved me from my barbaric homeland. Gay voice in the far right, Milo Yiannopoulos, is but one disgusting example of someone justifying Islamophobia as protecting civil liberty.

While the fight against extremism has been the recent epithet of Western democracy, we have to ask ourselves  what has been the Wests role in extremism in Iraq?

Violence against LGBTQI+ people in Iraq has escalated dramatically since the Western invasion in 2003, and its not a coincidence. Just as the far right use LGBTQI+ rights as a way to brew racism, Isis exploit LGBTQI+ people as a tool to fuel anti-Western hatred. Disdain for the West is potent on Iraqi soil  what did we expect after destroying a civilisation for no actual reason? And homosexuality has become imaged as a Western export. Amirs team on the ground have seen how LGBTQI+ bodies are weaponised by Isis as being symptomatic of the Western corruption of Iraq. It seems that no matter where you look, queer bodies are the scapegoat for extremism. Are we worth so little?

 The children of Mosul: Iraqi youngsters left psychologically damaged by ISIS war

It surprises many that being LGBTQI+ is not actually illegal in Iraq. This is of great pleasure to our now pitiful Home Office  haunted by the ghost of Theresa Mays post  who use the legislative specificity as a way to reject LGBTQI+ asylum seekers from Iraq. In 2010, for instance, the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group exposed that 98-99 per cent of LGBTQI+ asylum applications in the UK were denied. And as recently as 10 April 2017, the Home Office arrested 30 Iraqi refugees  many of whose lives are endangered in Iraq  forcing them on a charter plane without negotiation.

Its hard to get your head around this without wanting to cry: the West has destroyed a once glorious civilisation, has had a role in allowing LGBTQI+ hate crimes to escalate on foreign soil, yet refuses to help those lives who are now endangered because of this. To top it all off, the West paints itself as the bastion of civil liberty. Its similar to how weve selectively forgotten that homophobia in Africa and India is partially a hang up from the ideology of British colonialism  many now tut disapprovingly at the primitive behaviours abroad.

Dont be one of them. As someone with the privilege of living in the West, do all you can to ensure the safety of those we have had a part in endangering. Id encourage you to start with a donation to Amirs urgent organisation, IraQueer.
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In my diary, I have the words Labour leadership election? pencilled in for 23 September. The only thing I got right was the question mark. The words were written when Theresa May called the snap election; along with many politicians in all parties, I believed she would win a big majority. And that Chuka Umunna and Yvette Cooper would then challenge Jeremy Corbyn for his job.

Instead, we might have a Conservative Party leadership election this autumn. At a time of political turmoil, one thing is certain: Corbyn is totally secure. After his brilliant election campaign, many of his Labour MP critics admit they were wrong about him, and that he has earned the right to lead the party into another election.

Despite that, the Corbynistas have been less magnanimous in their internal victory than their opponents have been in defeat. In remarks which deserved more attention, Ian Lavery, an ally promoted by Corbyn to Labour chair after jointly running the partys campaign, said Labour might be too broad a church. It was seen as a declaration of war by Corbyns critics: if they could not accept that the party is now a socialist one, they should get out.

It might have been dismissed as an isolated incident. But it is not. Corbynistas are moving quickly to cement their grip on the party. Despite a superficial post-election unity, some MPs previously critical of Corbyn have already been put on notice that they will be deselected unless they toe the left-wing line. There are plans to change Labours rules  to bolster Corbyns position on the partys national executive committee (NEC); ensure that a left-winger would be on the ballot paper in future leadership elections and possibly make it easier for constituency parties to deselect MPs. An unnecessary battle over the rulebook will loom large at the partys Brighton conference in September.

 The 20 new appointments to Labour's front bench

When Corbyn reshuffled his frontbench pack, only one critic  Owen Smith  was brought back into the Shadow Cabinet, leaving talented figures languishing on the backbenches. Corbyn allies insist several critics were handed junior frontbench roles, saying it would be wrong to change a loyal, winning team.

Corbyn's honeymoon with the voters continues  and he is a more assured Commons performer than before the election  but among his old enemies, it is over. The left-wing manoeuvring has alarmed those on the partys centre-right (although, as The Independent revealed on Saturday, they have a plan to boost their own power on the NEC). After Labours unexpectedly strong showing on 8 June, the anti-Corbyn wing told me that their pre-election plan for a breakaway centre party was dead. Only three weeks later, they are talking about it again.

Two things have put it back on the agenda: the left-wingers moves and Corbyns stance on the EU. Sir Keir Starmer, the Shadow Brexit Secretary, has the most unenviable job in the Labour Party  bridging the divide between the Corbyn-John McDonnell camp, who do not want to die in the ditch opposing hard Brexit, and those Labour MPs who believe the election result means the party must step up to the plate and fight for soft Brexit.

Starmers painstaking work was interrupted when Umunna tabled an amendment to the Queens Speech calling for the UK to stay in the single market. Forty-nine Labour MPs voted for it, defying Corbyns line to abstain. It wasnt really an anti-Corbyn revolt, more a marker for parliamentary battles to come on Brexit. But it has inevitably fuelled tensions between Labours two tribes. Starmer believed a consensus was possible and saw Umunnas move as premature, since pro-EU Tory MPs were never going to rebel on the Queens Speech, but might do later.

If Labour does split, then Brexit would be the catalyst  if Corbyn does not move far enough for Labours centre-right. The seeds of a new party might just be planted in cross-party cooperation which steers the country to a more sensible, softer Brexit than the version May clings to but for which there is no majority in Parliament.

Despite headlines about Labour being in meltdown over Brexit, it is the Tories who are again torn apart over Europe. Labour should not allow its small differences to divert attention from that.

After such a strong election, and with a good chance of winning the next one, the idea that Labour should be drifting back towards civil war seems crazy. But it is happening. Both Labour camps should observe a ceasefire. Corbyns critics should get fully behind him for the sake of the party; in return, he should be a consensual rather than a factional leader, which would enhance his credentials as a prime minister-in-waiting. Otherwise, the only winners will be the Tories.
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Allowing big companies to pump money into political campaigns in an attempt to keep legitimate candidates out of office  that is how democracy will die if we let it.

I have uncovered disturbing evidence that it is happening.

The board of NEX, a city trading company run by former Tory Party treasurer Michael Spencer, decided it didnt much like the fact that five Liberal Democrat candidates  including Dr Vince Cable  had supported the Remain campaign during the EU referendum.

So, in an effort to ensure that they didnt get elected to Parliament during the recent general election, it used NEX shareholders' money to funnel 5,000 to each of their Tory opponents, understood to be sitting MPs with slim majorities over their Lib Dem challengers.

While the company is sparing about the details, we know this because to comply with the law it had to declare that it had made the payments. This it did in its AGM circular. Aint the rule of law grand. The board felt it extremely important that the UK Government had a clear mandate for the country to negotiate the best possible deal for the UK, following the decision to leave the European Union, in order to ensure that the position of London as the financial centre of Europe is maintained, it declared. The board believes that these donations were in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

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

Now, its bad enough that wealthy individuals use their fortunes in an attempt to influence the political process, as Spencer has done through his investment company IGPL.

It subverts the principle of one man one vote when individuals are allowed to use their financial clout to do this, but at least theyre using their own money.

The NEX board, however, used other peoples money. It called on funds that belonged to NEX shareholders.

Most companies long ago ceased the practice of using their investors' cash to make political donations of any kind.

They correctly recognised it wasn't their place to be making political decisions on their investors' behalf.

Their job was to focus on returns.

In breaking with that consensus, NEXs directors have arrogantly decided that they know better, which would have been bad enough.

But in this case their actions went beyond simply donating a bunch of money to a political party they liked the look of to use for campaigning purposes.

 Brexit: Tory ministers 'think Theresa May's red lines need loosening'

They sought to directly interfere in individual constituency elections where they disliked the views of the candidates put up by one particular party. They thus made their company a political actor. And they made their shareholders political actors by default too.

If you save through a pension or an ISA theres a strong chance that means you. I have index tracking funds, so I'm pretty sure it means me.

As such NEX's directors have made me personally complicit in what I view as the subversion of the democratic process. Words don't begin to express how angry that makes me feel.

Worse still, we shareholders were told when the company was trading as ICAP that while the directors were seeking the authority to make donations or incur political expenses of up to 100,000, they didn't plan to use it.

The authority, they said, was being sought because of the broad definitions of political donations and political expenditure contained within the law. "The directors have no present intention to make political donations," they intoned.

Until the election changed their minds.

The best of it is this: Theresa Mays vision of a hard Brexit has already done more damage to London's financial centre, in whose interests NEX's directors said they were acting, than perhaps even the financial crisis.

Her decision to quit the single market, and abandon the passport arrangement that allows financial firms to sell their services across the bloc, has sparked a mass exodus of business.

City banks, insurers, and others, have been falling over each other to establish new EU hubs in Frankfurt, Dublin, Paris. Functions that used to be carried out in London are moving there, at the cost of thousands of jobs.

Given that, how the NEX board can say that trying to keep Lib Dems out was in the interests of the City of London is beyond me. It calls into question the directors' decision making.

What they did was not, of course, illegal. But it was disgraceful. If its directors have any sense of decency, they should refund their shareholders out of their own pockets.

It wont make what they did right. But it would at least be a start.
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If peace treaties are born only when the leaders of the nations at the table are in psychological sync with one another, then its conceivable we might be in luck when it comes to the United States and North Korea. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un look like two men who could have chemistry. A match made in heaven may be taking it too far, but bear with me.

I am not being flippant here. The crisis over Pyongyangs nuclear sabre-rattling is too grave. It may still seem remote for those of us on the East Coast of the US or in Europe, but imagine waking up these days and turning on the radio news in Seoul. Or Tokyo. Or, come to that, Alaska, which potentially was within range of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the North just shot off.

Recommended Donald Trump lashes out at China over North Korea trade

Well leave the verbal recklessness to the two aforementioned gentlemen; no one does it better than them. Indeed, they virtually vie with one another to inflame their stand-off with tweets  the American, of course  or statements delivered by state news complex. Kim takes the insults and bluster to the greater extremes. but he is speaking a language that Trump perhaps understands.

North Korea has just launched another missile, Trump said in a mocking tweet in the wake of the successful ICBM launch this week. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? The President proceeded to speculate that China was about to put a heavy move on Pyongyang for its actions, without saying what that might be exactly.

During the transition, Barack Obama, in a private Oval Office meeting, warned Trump that North Korea was likely to be the most vexing foreign policy challenge of his presidency. (One day, the 45th President of the United States might give the 44th credit for getting something right.)

Since his swearing-in, Trump has blasted out more than a dozen tweets about precisely that problem, aimed at either pricking Kim or pressuring China to to rein in its troublesome neighbour. North Korea is behaving very badly, he tweeted in March. They have been playing the United States for years. China has done little to help! On the campaign trail last year, Trump would blithely dismiss Kim, who is 33, as a man child and a whack job.

Over to the whack job. The state news agency of the DPRK  Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea  described his glee at the ICBM launch, which had been timed to coincide with the July the Fourth holiday in the US  home of the American bastards. With a broad smile on his face, Kim urged his scientists to frequently send big and small gift packages to the Yankees, it reported.

After feasting his eyes on the missile  named Hwasong-14  Kim had expressed satisfaction, saying it looked as handsome as a good-looking boy and was well made, the agency went on.

Who else could look at a weapon capable of killing hundreds of thousands of civilians with a single direct hit and liken it to a handsome kid? There is a familiar ring to the language, isnt there? Yes, that would be Trump, he who tweeted the other day that the Republican plan to take health insurance away from 23 million Americans, will end in a beautiful picture.

Kims mind is made up. The survival of his nation  and his regime  depends on his forcing his way into the club of nuclear nations, whether the current membership likes it or not. That is his calculation. If his populace has to suffer further sanctions and economic privations along the way, so be it. Even steps by China to strangle its economy is unlikely to deter him. He will not bend like Muammar Gaddafi, the former despot of Libya, did, because look where that got him.

Trump and his generals hint at military action to stop him. That was the message sent when the US and South Korea fired off missiles of their own in joint exercises on Wednesday. Self restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war, General Vincent Brooks, the US Commander on the Korean peninsula, growled. We are able to change our choice when so ordered  It would be a grave mistake for anyone to believe anything to the contrary.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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

Resuming the Korean War is not an option, however. The risks are simply too high. Seoul is a mere 35 miles from the border and the array of North Korean hardware amassed there. There is no military option here to destroy the nuclear programme [or] his missile programme, former acting CIA director Michael Morell told CBS on Wednesday. There is no option to do that that wouldnt start a second Korean War and wouldnt raise the possibility of him using nuclear weapons against his neighbours. The risks are extraordinarily high in a military standoff.

Trump may have done the world a service by shaking up the status quo. America is no longer deluding itself the problem can be contained or ignored. Bill Clinton began the process with his 1994 accord with Pyongyang under which it was promised aid in return for freezing its nuclear endeavours, which it didnt do. Trump is calling Pyongyang out and Beijing too, signalling his impatience with China not just with words but with acts, including a big arms sale to Taiwan.

Original thinking is what we need. That may include the West acknowledging that North Korea has become a nuclear power, unfortunate though that may be, and engaging with it to ensure that as such it can begin to act responsibly. That sounds naive. It involves accepting a terrible precedent. But what other choice is there?

And if serious dialogue between the US and North Korea is the only answer at this point, it might not be a bad thing if their leaders  whacky or otherwise  speak the same language.
And the Brexit winner is  Frankfurt? Could it really be? The city on the banks of the river Main had ambitions for decades to establish itself on a global map. It wanted to become West Germany's capital after World War Two, only to lose out to Bonn. After the introduction of the euro, it tried to rival London as Europe's financial centre but never made it into the same league.

With Britain turning its back on the continent and banks scrambling to ensure continued access to the single market, this town of about 700,000 is getting another shot at climbing the ranks. In recent weeks, more banks have said they're leaning toward "Mainhattan" - as the locals call their banking district - for their new EU hub. Standard Chartered, Nomura Holdings, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Daiwa Securities Group have picked the city. Citigroup, Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley are weighing a similar move.

"Frankfurt has become the leading candidate for bank operations leaving London," said Hubertus Vaeth, managing director of Frankfurt Main Finance, a lobby organisation.

"Frankfurt and the whole region are reaping clear benefits."

While the excitement is understandable, even backers of Frankfurt admit that the real impact will be limited. The Brexit relocation will probably turn out to be a trickle, not a torrent, with each bank moving a few hundred jobs at the most.

The moves won't happen at once but over time, said Oliver Wagner, managing director of the Association of Foreign Banks in Germany, which has been promoting Frankfurt. "Only a few hundred people will actually relocate from London to Frankfurt over the next couple of years," he said. In total, Frankfurt could add as much as 5,000 jobs because of Brexit, Wagner estimates.

That is barely enough to move the needle on the Global Financial Centres Index, a frequently cited list ranking the world's financial hubs. Frankfurt is a distant 23rd, behind Shenzhen, and barely edging out Seoul. London is first, before New York. Dublin is 33rd.

"Frankfurt doesn't have breadth in a whole variety of areas, such as insurance, reinsurance, asset management, legal services, trade finance and so on," said Michael Mainelli, co-founder of Z/Yen Group, the think tank that compiles the index.

"Frankfurt has always been basically just a finance centre for two large investment banks, neither of which are particularly healthy."

The city is home to Deutsche Bank, once an ambitious global player that has been stymied by embarrassing losses and a series of costly legal disputes. Commerzbank AG, the other large bank in the city, is cutting thousands of jobs and refocusing on retail and corporate clients after being forced to seek a bailout in the financial crisis.

The main advantage for the city is that it is the headquarters of the European Central Bank, the euro region's central bank and, increasingly, the regulator for much of its financial system. In June, the ECB sought the legal power to oversee clearing of euro-denominated financial instruments, a play for power that could herald the relocation of more jobs from London's lucrative clearing industry to the EU and possibly Frankfurt.

On Monday, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Japan's second-biggest lender by market value, said it had decided to set up banking and securities units in Frankfurt to maintain business in the EU after Brexit. That's less than a week after Nomura, Japan's biggest securities firms, said it applied for a licence to operate a new entity out of Frankfurt. On Wall Street, Goldman Sachs plans to more than double its staff in Frankfurt to 400 as it begins withdrawing personnel from London. CEO Lloyd Blankfein has publicly said the bank has shelved plans to move more key operations to the UK. Morgan Stanley is close to picking Frankfurt for its enlarged EU hub, people with knowledge of the matter have said.

Many bankers acknowledge that the spectre of moving to a city that is more than 10 times smaller than London feels a bit like being sent off to a desert outpost. One bank executive, speaking in private, said he expected that many jobs being relocated to Frankfurt would be filled with new hires and won't necessarily involve people moving from London.

"When was the last time you took your partner off for a weekend in Frankfurt?" Valerie Pecresse, president of the Paris region, scoffed at a press conference earlier this year. "If you want to live somewhere, you look at all the qualities of the cultural life, of cooking, of healthcare, children's care, and in this aspect Paris rates first in continental Europe."

Like Dublin, Paris is among the cities competing with Frankfurt for bankers. The French capital ranks 29th on the list of financial centres.

While Frankfurt's nightlife isn't a match for cities like Paris or London, it does have a cultural scene that is bigger and livelier than you would expect for its size, with well-known museums and theatres. It has a quaint old town. It has the Taunus, a mid-sized mountain range half-an-hour north that's popular with hikers and mountain bikers. And then, of course, there's the airport, from where you can get to London, Paris, Berlin, Rome or Madrid in just a few hours.

"Frankfurt isn't a bad place to live," said Mainelli at Z/Yen Group. "It's a bit boring, a bit dull. But so are many bankers." (Bloomberg)
National Party co-founder James Reynolds may be facing a bill of tens of thousands of euro after the ICSA was awarded costs in a High Court application.

The court dismissed an application by Mr Reynolds to continue an injunction preventing the farm body from removing him from senior positions he had held within the organisation.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan awarded the ICSA the costs of the application after it found Mr Reynolds had not made a strong case that was likely to succeed in court.

The ICSA said it had decided to remove Mr Reynolds as a member of the Longford County Executive, its National Executive and as the national treasurer because of his involvement with the National Party which it described as being "in the mode of right-wing European Movements".

Mr Reynolds from Rorkes Drift, Laughill Coolarty, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford opposed it and argued it was not entitled to remove him and it would damage his reputation.

Earlier in the year he had secured a temporary injunction restraining the ICSA from taking any steps to remove him and had sought to extend the injunction until it was decided in court.

A special meeting was held last November to discuss Mr Reynold's involvement in the National Party which is opposed to unrestricted immigration, is anti-abortion and favours the death penalty for certain crimes.

The judge said ICSA members were unhappy with comments he had posted on social media and he had also gone on TV programme Claire Byrne Live, where he spoke on behalf of the National Party, and criticised the efforts of the Irish Navy in rescuing refugees in the Mediterranean.

The judge said the ICSA seeks good relations with elected public officials and public servants.

Mr Reynolds said he has not yet decided if he will appeal the decision.
Gardai in Limerick have confirmed they are investigating a suspected 'arson' attack on a farm in Limerick in recent days.

The incident took place in the early hours of Friday morning when a fire was reported in Ballyhomin, Askeaton.
China's top online retailers and US superstore giant Walmart are scrambling to satisfy the voracious appetites of consumers excited about the first American beef to arrive in the world's most populous nation in 14 years.

"I am a frequent buyer of steak so I can tell the quality by its colour and marbling," said one woman on Thursday at a Sams Club store in Beijing owned by Walmart. She selected a 211 yuan ($31.13) pack of newly arrived US steak over her usual choice from Australia.

"This looks tasty, worth a try," she said, declining to be named. Other shoppers at the store said imported beef was superior in quality and worth its hefty price.

Beef is the fastest-growing meat sector in China, outstripping stagnant demand for more widely eaten pork, with consumers seeking healthier sources of protein and adopting Western eating habits.

China's beef imports hit $2.6 billion last year, making it the world's fastest-growing overseas market for the meat. Consumer excitement about the lifting of a 2003 ban due to a scare over mad cow disease looks set to help US beef grab a significant share of that demand.

US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is in Beijing to mark the return of US beef to China, and is expected on Friday to meet his Chinese counterpart, Agriculture Minister Han Changfu, as well as Vice Premier Wang Yang.

Some of the millions who buy food online are expected to join the woman in the Sams Club store as some of the first to buy US beef in China in more than a decade. Social media has been buzzing for weeks with those ready to tuck into American steak.

"American steak is delicious," said one user on China's Twitter-like Weibo service. "It doesn't have the mutton smell of domestic beef."

Womai.com, owned by food giant COFCO, said it had received more than 1,605 orders for beef from US meat giant Tyson by late Wednesday.

JD.com, one of the country's biggest online retailers, has started pre-sales of US beef ahead of the product's availability from mid-July.

Online meat is typically around 10pc cheaper than it is in stores, according to Euromonitor.

Imported meat accounted for more than 30pc of JD.com's meat sales last year, with Australian beef the top category and the most searched-for item, the company said.

Still, food safety fears linger, despite Beijing's stringent import requirements.

One Sams Club shopper, surnamed Huang, was worried about more than beautiful marbling: "We should not only stick to foreign beef. They have food safety issues, like growth hormones and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the US."
Minister Michael Ring has ruled out moving key staff in his Department of Rural and Community Affairs from Dublin to his native Mayo.

Fianna Fail TD Eamon O Cuiv claimed the establishment of the new department provided an ideal opportunity for its relocation out of the capital and he suggested a site owned by the Office of Public Works in Charlestown, Co Mayo.

But Minister Ring angrily accused Mr O Cuiv of "playing politics" and insisted that he had "no intention" of moving his senior officials out of Dublin.

"I saw it in my brief as minister of sport and tourism with the department based in Killarney, if you wanted a file you had to have it couriered up and couriered down. If you wanted an official you bring them up and bring them down," Mr Ring explained.

He pointed out that the Department of Rural and Community Affairs already had 52 staff mainly based in Ballina, but he said its headquarters would remain in Dublin.

"The secretary of the Department, or an assistant secretary or two, have to be here in Dublin. You have to have that to formulate government policy," the minister maintained.

"I will be doing my work mostly from here [in Dublin]. I can't be in Ballina," he added.

However, Mr O Cuiv said relocating the Department to Charlestown provided an opportunity for the government and Minister Ring to "put down a marker" and show a genuine commitment to rural development.

"If Minister Ring is serious about improving employment opportunities and services in rural Ireland, he should locate the headquarters of his new department there [Charlestown]," Mr O Cuiv said.

"There is a suitable site available, and the creation new jobs in the town would bring a much needed economic boost for the area.

"It would also mean that the civil servants in the Department would experience the realities of rural life on a daily basis," he added.

Depopulation

Mr O Cuiv pointed out that the mid-Connacht region had suffered severe depopulation through emigration over the last century.

He said the Department of Rural and Community Affairs should be located in a CLAR area and the Charlestown site was ideally suited.

"If the policy makers are living in the same conditions, they will have a better appreciation of the challenges faced by rural communities, such as poor broadband, and how these conditions could be significantly improved by a relatively small public investment," Mr O Cuiv said.

This view was supported by Roscommon-Galway TD, Michael Fitzmaurice.

"It would also be totally appropriate for the Department of Rural and Community Affairs to be based somewhere in the west of Ireland," Mr Fitzmaurice said.

"It would not only make sense but it would be a big boost to whatever area was chosen in terms of employment," he added.

"Any staff such as principal officers who would object to a move to the country could be accommodated in other departments and I am sure there would be plenty of people willing to live and work in the west in the new department," Mr Fitzmaurice maintained.
Angry tillage farmers are occupying the the Department of Agriculture in Kildare St this evening over details of a Tillage Crisis fund which they say is not acceptable.

The farmers are members of the IFA Grain Committee and are seeking the full details of the tillage scheme and an urgent meeting with Minister Michael Creed. Gardai are present at the protest.

IFA has been lobbying for a support package for tillage farmers who lost crops in the 2016 harvest due to dire weather conditions.

The farmers concerned are primarily farmers along the west coast from Donegal to Kerry and in some inland counties who, because of the weather conditions during the harvest season last year, were affected by wet days that ran on in a manner that meant that they could not get into their fields and that their soil was very soft.

This meant that they could not harvest their crops.

IFA wants to discuss elements of the scheme, which have been reported in the media, and which would not be acceptable to the IFA.

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An emergency fund worth an estimated 1.5m is set to open for tillage farmers in the west hit by poor weather during last years harvest.

The Crop Loss Compensation scheme, expected to be launched in the coming weeks, will make a maximum of 5,000 available to up to 300 private tillage farmers.

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture confirmed the new scheme but said it will only support private tillage farmers whose damaged crops had no commercial value and where upwards of 30pc verified crop loss volume occurred.

This was a challenging scheme to put tougher in terms of quantifying and verifying dreadful losses to farmers

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It will be a maximum payment of 5,000 per applicant with a ceiling of 200 per hectare. It will be limited to a max area of 25 hectares per applicant, said the spokesperson.

IFA President Joe Healy his organisation has held a number of meetings with the Department about the details of the scheme, and the Department had committed to a further meeting once the draft scheme had been prepared.

This has not happened. We need to sit down with the Minister and sort this out before the scheme is published, Joe Healy said.

At a meeting of the IFA Grain Committee today, Chairman Liam Dunne said members were very concerned about the selective information that appeared in the media. The report quoted a Department spokesman as saying that the scheme would go ahead and gave some limited details about the scheme.

He said, The details are totally unacceptable to the Grain Committee, as the scheme appears to be too narrow and restrictive. The reported budget may not be sufficient to cover the full extent of the losses incurred by farmers. Those farmers who are most affected must receive the most from the scheme.

Given the financial pressure farmers have been under for almost a year as a result of lost crops, it is crucial that payments are made to farmers as soon as possible. It must be user friendly and ensure that sufficient aid gets to those who deserve it.
James OConnor, President of the American Chamber, presents the Kennedy-Lemass Medal to Loretta Brennan Glucksman

LORETTA Brennan Glucksman, the prominent Irish-American philanthropist, has become the second recipient of the Kennedy-Lemass medal.

The medal honours a US leader of Irish heritage who has helped strengthen the Irish-US relationship.

Ms Brennan Glucksman, Chairman Emeritus of the Ireland Funds, was awarded the medal for her outstanding contribution to US-Ireland relations by the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland at its annual Independence Day lunch in Dublin this afternoon.

More than 700 people attended the ceremony.

Dignitaries included Reece Smyth, Charge dAffaires of the US Embassy, who said that the philanthropic efforts by Ms Brennan Glucksman in the educational and cultural space were profound.

Tributes were paid by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who, in a message read out at the ceremony, said: She has inspired us all and it is very fitting that she should be honoured in this way.

A message from Anne Anderson, outgoing Irish Ambassador to the US, was also read out.

She described Ms Brennan Glucksman as a towering figure in Irish America.

Ms Brennan Glucksman, who attended the ceremony with her daughter Kate and son John, said she was overwhelmed by the award.

She paid tribute to her close friends, broadcaster Gay Byrne and his wife Kathleen Watkins, who also attended.

During her 18-year tenure as Chairwoman of the American Ireland Fund, Ms Brennan Glucksman oversaw contributions of over 300m  of some more than 500m raised to date  in support of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development on the island of Ireland.
IRELAND'S most-celebrated restaurant is enjoying its best-ever year this year as diners are flocking to Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin.

Stephane Robin, the director of Ireland's only two Michelin-star restaurant, said 2017 was turning out to be the "best ever year" since it opened 36 years ago.

The stellar performance in 2017 follows three consecutive record-breaking years in 2016, 2015 and 2014 as the restaurant benefits from the boom in fine dining and the recovering economy.

Speaking to the Irish Independent yesterday, Mr Robin was commenting on new accounts for the restaurant firm, Becklock Ltd, showing that accumulated profits at the business increased by 210,458, going from 564,531 to 774,989 in the 12 months to the end of last August.

The company's cash pile during the year increased more than four-fold, from 371,419 to 1.479m. The famed restaurant is housed in the five-star Merrion Hotel on the southside of Dublin city centre.

Mr Robin said that for the restaurant to attain a third Michelin star "is a dream. Never kill the dream".

Expand Close Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud retained its two Michelin stars in 2017's Guide released this morning / Facebook

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Paying tribute to the staff, he argued that the sheer consistency in the quality of the food and the service had never been as high as it is today at the restaurant.

Mr Robin cited the lobster ravioli, wild salmon ("no fish can beat it"), king crab ("beautiful) and Wicklow hills lamb fillet ("superb") as being particularly popular with the diners right now.

Those who opt for the evening eight-course dinner can pay 185 per head or 120 for a three-course meal, while a two-course lunch costs a rather more affordable 50 per head.

Mr Robin said that the restaurant was benefiting from the "huge amount of tourists in Dublin this summer, especially the number of Americans. It is quite amazing".

Last year, the restaurant closed for three months for renovations and he said that the refurbishment was now paying off.

The project involved a new kitchen being equipped and the business deliberately did not increase the number of tables beyond the existing 20.

"We have 60 to 70 'covers' in the evening time and if we had increased the number from 90 to 100 'covers', the quality would suffer, Mr Robin said.

He said the renovated restaurant "is very smart, very elegant and very comfortable. We are very, very happy with it."

The business has no plans to expand or open any other restaurants.

The director added: "We regard the restaurant here as our baby, which deserves all of our care and attention."

The restaurant employs 38 and staff costs, including directors' pay, last year totalled 1.278m.
A database of clients and claims is at the centre of the probe into alleged cartel activity in the insurance industry, the Irish Independent has learned.

Regulators from the European Union led dawn raids on insurance bodies over alleged cartel activity.

Gardai acted as observers, and officers from the competition watchdog were also involved in the early morning swoops.

The raids were prompted by allegations that motor insurers in this country are operating a cartel by price-fixing.

A cartel is a conspiracy against consumers to keep prices artificially high. A cartel usually means restricting new entrants to a market.

Motor premiums have been going up by as much as 70pc at times over the past three years.

It is understood a database with details about drivers and their claims history was the focus of the raids.

Officers from the European Competition Directorate headed up the operation, with a total of around 45 competition regulators involved.

The main raid was at the Dublin offices of Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the insurance sector.

Some insurance companies were also understood to have been raided, along with software companies that hold insurance industry databases.

A statement from the European Commission said: "The commission has concerns that the companies involved may have engaged in anti-competitive practices in breach of EU anti-trust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and/or abuse of a dominant market position."

Insurance Ireland, which is headed up by Kevin Thompson, said its offices were raided, and it was co-operating with the EU and the Irish competition authorities.

Read More

"Insurance Ireland understands that the inspection at its premises relates to databases concerning claims history information and drivers' penalty points," it said in a statement.

The focal point is a database operated by Insurance Ireland, which has been the subject of allegations in the past that new entrants to the market are unable to get access to it.

Known as Insurance Link, it contains the claims history of all drivers. Examining this is the only way to validate a driver's claims history.

Access to the database is essential for any company hoping to sell motor insurance here.

Insurance Ireland and Mr Thompson have consistently denied that it restricts use of the database, and stressed that access to databases is regulated by the Data Protection Commissioner.

Another database, known as the Integrated Information Data Service (IIDS), is operated by the insurance industry and gives access to the Department of Transport. It contains information on penalty points.

There have been claims in the past that members of Insurance Ireland have easier access to this database, something which Insurance Ireland denies.

The raid comes as the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is already involved in a probe into alleged cartel activity in insurance.

It initiated the probe at the end of last year, issuing witness summonses and information requests to motor insurers and industry groups.

The investigation relates to industry participants allegedly signalling premium increases.

The raiding of offices is a major step-up in the investigation.

The European Competition Directorate aims to ensure the single market for insurance operates without hindrance.
An EirGrid-led consortium has secured 20m in funding from the EU to carry out research into renewable energy development.

The EU-SysFlex project will receive the funding under Horizon 2020, the EUs 80bn research and innovation programme.

EirGrid is the overall project co-ordinator, while French electricity group EDF will act as technical co-ordinator.

Fintan Slye, chief executive of EirGrid, described the funding as an endorsement of the companys ground-breaking work in renewable energy,

Our engineers have been working to meet the challenges of operating the electricity system while achieving high renewable electricity targets. Running the power system with the current high levels of renewable energy is unprecedented and presents significant challenges for its real-time operation, Mr Slye said.

Read more: Lack of natural gas storage raises concerns of higher winter energy prices

The project, which involves 34 organisations from 15 countries across Europe, has an overall budget of 26m and will run for four years until 2021.

The aim of the EU-SysFlex project is to identify issues associated with integrating large amounts of renewable energy, provide practical assistance to power system operators across Europe, and create a long-term roadmap to facilitate the large-scale integration of renewable energy.

In 2016, renewable energy accounted for almost a quarter of electricity generation across the island of Ireland and is expected to rise to 40pc by 2020 in order to meet Irish and Northern Irish government targets.

The EU has also set out ambitious plans for greener and a more decarbonised Europe by increasing the levels of renewable energy.
The chairman of struggling telecoms giant Ericsson has announced he will stand down after six years in the role.

In a statement on Wednesday, Leif Johansson said he would not put himself forward for re-election at next year's annual shareholders meeting.

The Swedish firm has performed poorly, with shares losing almost half their value in the last two years as it battled to retain its relevance amid a fiercely competitive telecom market.

New chief executive Borje Ekholm launched a turnaround plan when he joined the group earlier this year, and Mr Johansson said with this strategy now under way, it was time for him to step down.

The move comes one month after activist investor Cevian Capital spent 1 billion US dollars on a 5.6pc stake in Ericsson.

Christer Gardell, Cevian's co-founder, said at the time that he saw "significant potential" in Ericsson. However, he was sharply critical of the board for the group's recent underperformance, saying that it had done "a very poor job".

While Mr Johansson did not directly attribute his departure to pressure from activist shareholders, it was implicit in his statement.

"The company now enters a new phase, with focus on execution, and we also have a new ownership constellation," he said.

"It is natural to let the owners jointly propose a chairman and well ahead of this I want to announce that I will not be available for a next term."

Ericsson's nomination committee has initiated the search for a replacement, the company said.
Bank of China's freshly established Irish arm aims to lend close to 700m annually by 2020 as the state-controlled lender attempts to capitalise on deepening trade relationships between Ireland and the world's second-largest economy.

The new Dublin outpost, a subsidiary of the bank's UK hub, was officially launched last month at a ceremony attended by Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Bank of China chairman Tian Guoli.

Yet the fanfare preceded any substantive operational capacity and served more as a mark of intent than as a trigger for an immediate ramp up in lending.

Bank of China, the world's fourth-largest bank by capital, already manages a finance-leasing division in Ireland, BOC Aviation (Ireland) Ltd, but that will continue as a separate unit.

According to sources close to the bank, a new Irish workforce, charged with carrying out the bank's business strategy, is unlikely to be in place for a further three months.

However, within the first year of operation, the Irish office aims to lend between 200m and 300m, rising to 400m in the second year and then up to 700m by the third.

It is understood that the Dublin branch, run by the general manager, Tian Jun, will be joined by the autumn by a new head of corporate lending, who will be charged with overseeing about half-a-dozen bankers.

Sources said the strategy spans three key areas: lending to big Irish corporates, a push into European markets and a deeper focus on the expanding network of Chinese industries and corporations across Europe. This final target represents the bank's most important strategic objective.

China's rapid economic advance has precipitated a wave of offshore investment over the past decade, with Chinese corporations snapping up enterprises throughout the world.

In Europe, the merger and acquisition activity has largely centred on Germany and the UK as China Inc seeks to acquire the sophisticated technologies and advanced manufacturing sectors needed to drive growth in its domestic market.

According to sources, Bank of China's Irish office will also focus on trade financing. Syndicate loans, where the bank acts as part of a group to fund a single borrower, usually a large corporation, are also viewed as key opportunities. Sources said the Beijing-based bank has set a 25m minimum threshold on its syndicate-loan business

The potential to use Dublin as a beachhead into Europe post-Brexit is on the cards too, with Mr Tian highlighting the lender's recent meetings with the Central Bank of Ireland - raising the possibility that the Irish arm will become a fully-fledged subsidiary rather than an offshoot of the London office.

He said: "Because there are uncertainties, we will have the necessary plans."

Bank of China was unavailable for comment.
Broadcaster TV3 has confirmed today that Vincent Browne will be stepping down as presenter of the Tonight programme from the end of July

His retirement from the show comes after a decade at the helm of the current affairs programme.

"He is doing so for personal reasons," a spokeswoman said.

"Vincent Browne is recognised as one of Irelands most renowned and respected journalists and is known for his no-nonsense style of interviewing and his ability to give viewers a voice during turbulent economic and political unrest.

Bill Malone, Director of Programming at TV3 paid tribute to the broadcaster's professionalism.

Vincent has made an extraordinary contribution to Irish journalism and to Irish broadcasting. As the presenter of the Tonight Show, Vincent encapsulated the mood of the nation during unprecedented economic and political turmoil. His commitment to highlighting inequality and injustices in Irish life has been unwavering over his journalistic career," he said.

Viewers have reacted with dismay that Browne, often cited as Ireland's answer to Jeremy Paxman, is signing off for the final time.

The broadcaster, who turns 73 this month, has struggled with health problems and has previously taken time off.

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In June 2014, he was admitted to St Vincent's Hospital after a bout of pneumonia.

A source said he was "worn out and completely drained".

As a result, he had to take leave from the programme for the whole summer in order to recover properly.

He was forced to take more time off in February last year, meaning he played no part in TV3's general election coverage. At the time, he said: "I've got to deal with a respiratory health problem and I've got to take time off, unfortunately, over the next while during the election."
Army bomb disposal officers have made safe a historic grenade in Limerick.

The device was discovered earlier under Thomond Bridge by staff as they carried out maintenance work on the bridge.

Gardai requested the army bomb disposal to attend the scene.

A team arrived on scene at 3.30pm and the scene was cordoned off.

"Due to the location of the grenade the assistance of the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service was required," the Defence Forces said in a statement.

"The grenade was subsequently moved to a safe location and disposed of. The scene was declared safe at 8pm."

The device was a Mills 36 grenade which was a type of explosive regularly used throughout the War of Independence and World War Two.

They were patented and developed by the British Army in 1915 and continued to be manufactured up until the 1980s.

The army has requested that any member of the public who comes across a historic device raised the alarm.

"Historic munitions from conflicts in the early 20th century can be encountered from time to time. Should members of the public find such munitions they are advised to maintain a safe distance, inform An Garda Siochana, who in turn will request Defence Forces assistance," a spokesperson said.
Dublin City Council will write to the Government calling for the formation of a national waste regulator, a waiver scheme for poor families and for the new bin charging regime to be scrapped.

An emergency motion at the council meeting last night, in response to a new bin charging structure, received the support of 37 councillors. Among those to support the Sinn Fein proposal that the Lord Mayor writes to Environment Minister Denis Naughten, was Fine Gael councillor Naoise O Muiri. "It's ironic that we have a National Lottery regulator and not a waste regulator," he said.

A motion that waste management services be taken under the control of the local authority, proposed by People Before Profit, also passed by 36 votes to seven.

Ahead of the council meeting a small protest took place outside City Hall. Sinn Fein councillor Daithi Doolan said there were people who could not afford to pay any increase. "What we really need here is a comprehensive view of waste management, rather than heaping cost upon cost of already burdened households," he said.
The jury in the trial of a man accused of a machine gun murder while dressed as a woman is expected to hear closing speeches from both sides tomorrow morning.

Christopher McDonald (34), from the East Wall area of Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 36-year-old Keith Walker in the car park of the Blanchardstown Pigeon Racing Club on Shelerin Road, Clonsilla on June 12, 2015.

A small amount of evidence was heard in the Central Criminal Court trial today, before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy asked the jury to return to hear closing speeches this morning.

The jury heard from Superintendent Colm Murphy, who was cross examined by Bernard Condon SC, defending.

He agreed that a doctor had examined the accused following his arrest, and had noted: front two upper teeth missing over two years ago.

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He also agreed that the fact that a man had been arrested for the shooting had received considerable media coverage.

Garda Sean Kelly told prosecuting counsel Denis Vaughan Buckley SC that he was present when DNA and firearms residue samples were taken from the accused man at Blanchardstown Garda Station.

The jury had previously heard that no firearms residue was found on the accused. His DNA was found on a glove and wig that Gardai say were found next to the gun used in the attack.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of six men and six women.
Patrick Fitzpatrick, who played Zumo Bishop in Fair City, has pleaded guilty to the assault on Theresa Gannon

A FAIR CITY star has admitted biting his ex-partner's arm and punching her in the face in a drunken attack at his Dublin home.

Patrick Fitzpatrick (33) set upon the woman after he had been drinking at his house in the north of the city.

The actor, who played Zumo Bishop in the hugely popular RTE soap, pleaded guilty to assault and his case is due to be finalised before the courts today.

Fitzpatrick admitted a charge of assault causing harm to Theresa Gannon at his home at Hollytree Terrace, Ballymun, on September 4, 2015.

Previously, Dublin District Court heard the victim was at the accused's home on the day in question, when he became aggressive.

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He threw two punches at her face and bit her right upper arm.

The court heard Ms Gannon was left with bruising to her face. The bite did not break her skin.

A medical report on Ms Gannon's injuries was presented to the court and this was read by the judge.

Fitzpatrick had already entered his plea and was on bail when his case came before the court yesterday.

His barrister told Judge Grainne Malone the accused had already pleaded guilty before Judge John Lindsay, and the case would have to go back to that judge for finalisation.

A pre-sentence probation report had been ordered and the court heard this was favourable to Fitzpatrick.

His barrister said the issue of compensation had also been "canvassed".

Judge Malone said she was agreeing to a one-day adjournment only because Judge Lindsay had specifically noted that he would be dealing with the case.

She asked Garda Niall Carolan, of Ballymun Garda Station, to explain the position to the victim.

Gda Carolan said, however, that Ms Gannon was in court for the hearing.

"Thank you very much for coming to court," the judge told Ms Gannon.

"I am sorry that this has happened, that the judge who was supposed to be here isn't available."

Fitzpatrick, wearing a navy blazer, blue jeans, grey waistcoat, white shirt and navy tie, remained silent during the brief proceedings.

He was remanded on continuing bail.

The charge against him is under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Quitting

Fitzpatrick was last seen on Fair City in 2016, when he returned to the popular soap for one episode.

He was a cast member between 2007 and 2013 before quitting the show.

Fitzpatrick's acting career started with the Roundabout Youth Theatre in his native Ballymun before he auditioned for Fair City.

He has recently spoken about having given up drinking and losing weight since his time on the show.
Tim McGann in possession during an inter-provincial derby with Ulster

A FORMER Munster rugby player resisted arrest after shouting expletives at gardai in a drink-fuelled episode in Dublin city centre.

Tim McGann (35) had taken off without paying a taxi fare when he became threatening and abusive towards gardai, obstructing one female officer who tried to arrest him.

Judge Michael Walsh struck the case out, leaving him without a criminal record after he paid 500 to charity, as well as another 20 to cover the unpaid cab fare.

McGann, from Clifton Road, Clove Valley, Sydney, Australia, pleaded guilty to non-payment of a taxi fare, breach of the peace and obstructing Garda Zara Johnston.

A garda sergeant told Dublin District Court the incident happened at 3.10am this morning, July 5.

While on uniformed patrol, gardai responded to a report that a man had taken off from a taxi without paying at St Stephens Green South.

When gardai arrived and identified themselves to the accused, McGann started shouting expletives at them and resisted arrest.

The total cost of the taxi fare had been 19.20. McGann had no previous convictions.

The accused was from Australia, had come over here for a wedding and was due to return on Monday, his solicitor Michael French said.

He had been out at Copperface Jacks and got a taxi afterward but refused to pay the fare. McGann had had far too much alcohol and responded the way he did to the gardai, Mr French said.

He had played professional rugby for Munster for a number of years, and had a two year old child Mr French continued.

He is acutely aware of the ramifications of convictions of this nature, he said. The whole thing has served as an eye opener for him.

The court heard McGann had spent the night and morning in custody.

The accused was a big boy now, Judge Walsh said, and noted the accuseds obstructive actions towards Garda Johnston when followed to Leeson Street.

I dont think that reflects well on the type of individual we are dealing with, the judge said.

The judge let the case stand in the mornings court list to verify that the 500 could be paid.

When it resumed, Mr French said the money was available. Judge Walsh said 20 was to be paid to the taxi driver, Masoud Firoozy, with the rest to be donated to the Capuchin Day Centre for the impoverished people of this city.

The judge said he was taking account of the defendants early gulity plea and the fact that he did not waste any court time.

McGann, wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes, did not address the court.
A burglar who sat down to have scrambled eggs with his victim after lunging at the man with a knife and stealing his phones will be allowed attend residential drug treatment prior to sentencing.

Stefan Boyle (28) was spotted by Ali Yassine hiding under a table in a mosque and was told to leave.

Boyle then lunged at him with a knife, nicking the victim before he tried to escape out a window.

Mr Yassine, a caretaker in the mosque, kicked the burglar in self defence and told him to relax. He then made him scrambled eggs and sat down with him while Boyle told him his life story.

Garda Sean Duignan told Seamus Clarke BL, prosecuting, that Mr Yassine didn't realise until after Boyle left that he had stolen two phones from his bedroom, which was in a building attached to the mosque.

The following day, while Mr Yassine was in the city centre organising for his phones to be blocked, he happened to bump into Boyle.

He asked the man if he taken the phones and the burglar handed them back to him and apologised.

Boyle, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary of Ali Hussain House, Milltown Bridge, Dundrum on November 2, 2016. He has 110 previous convictions, 63 of which are for burglary.

Judge Karen O'Connor noted Boyle had been assessed as suitable for residential treatment and said she would adjourn sentencing until January to allow him take up a place when it become available.

During the sentence hearing Gda Duignan said Boyle was arrested eight days later after they got a decent description of him from Mr Yassine and were able to view CCTV footage from the mosque.

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He told gardai that he had got on well with the victim, described him as a good guy and apologised.

He said he wanted to get money for drugs and had forgotten that he had taken the phones during his 30-minute conversation with Mr Yassine.

He said it would cost him 15 per phone to unlock them and he didn't have the cash for that.

Boyle said Mr Yassine made him scrambled eggs and he told Mr Yassine that he was homeless, that he had been in and out of prison and that he was having problems with his girlfriend.

He said he got in to the mosque through an open window in the ladies toilet. He said he got a fright when he saw Mr Yassine but told gardai the victim was able to defend himself.

James O'Brien BL, defending, said Boyle apologised for his behaviour on the night. He said his client was 17-years-old when his child died from leukaemia.

Mr O'Brien told Judge O'Connor that Boyle was very anxious to take up a place in residential drug treatment and it was something of a last chance for him.

The court heard a place would be available for Boyle at Coolmine Therapeutic Centre in the next four to six weeks.

Judge O'Connor said Boyle was to be collected from Cloverhill Prison by a staff member of Coolmine when a bed was available and he was to complete the residential and after-care programme. Gardai were to be notified in the case of any breach of the conditions.

She told Boyle: "This is your very, very final chance," and said she was giving him a chance to present himself in the best light that he could prior to sentencing.

Boyle replied: "I would just like to say thank you very much, I appreciate it.

Judge O'Connor told him: "It's up to you now."
THE partner of a man who died from a brain hemorrhage after he was sent home from hospital three times after complaining of headaches is seeking a High Court order quashing the result of his inquest.

The action has been brought by Gwen Bradley against Philip Comyn, who in his capacity as coroner for Cork City, held an inquest on April 11/12 last into the death of Evan Morrissey.

Mr Morrissey died, aged 28 years, on March 22, 2014 at Cork University Hospital (CUH), after being transferred there from South Tipperary General Hospital (STGH) some days earlier.

He had first presented at STGH on March 2, 2014, complaining of severe headaches, but was discharged the following morning.

He returned on two further occasions before being discharged shortly afterwards. He was re admitted on March 18 to STGH after becoming very ill before being moved to CUH, where he died.

The jury at the inquest returned a narrative verdict, which is a verdict in line with the medical evidence, that Mr Morrissey died from a hemorrhage from a re-bleed from a cerebral artery aneurysm.

Ms. Bradley and Mr. Morrissey of Rosegreen, Cashel, Co Tipperary, had five children together, the youngest born six months after his death.

She is unhappy over the manner in which the inquest was conducted, and claims he limited the scope of the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Evan's death.

She says the inquest was not conducted in accordance with the law.

The coroner, she claims, prevented relevant evidence concerning the facts and omissions that led to Mr Morrissey's death being put before the jury.

Her barrister Patrick Tracey told the High Court said solicitor Cian O'Carroll represented Ms Bradley at the two day inquest.

Mr O'Carroll attempted to ask questions of the medical witnesses at the inquest, but was not allowed to do so by the coroner, counsel said.

Counsel said the coroner repeatedly prevented Mr O'Carroll from asking questions that strayed beyond that particular person's interaction with Mr Morrissey when the deceased was under their care.

In particular, Mr O'Carroll sought to ask questions in relation to the procedures and protocols that were in place at STGH for dealing with patients with symptoms such as those exhibited by Mr Morrissey.

Counsel said because of the interventions by the coroner, Mr O'Carroll on instructions from Ms Bradley decided to withdraw from the inquest.

Permission to bring the action was granted, on an ex parte (one side only represented) basis, by Mr. Justice Seamus Noonan who said the matter could come back to court in October.
Smoke can be seen quite a distance away (Image via Claire Twohig on Twitter)

Firefighters have brought the massive fire at Cork city's former St Kevin's Asylum under control.

The blaze was reported at 8.30pm last night at the derelict St Kevins Asylum, which is located near Lee Fields in Shanakiel.

Duty Officer at the blaze, Gerry Myers told Independent.ie that the fire was brought under control late this morning.

"At the moment the crew are dampening down a few hotspots but it's mostly extinguished."

Cork City Fire Brigade also confirmed that two-thirds of the building is destroyed, but that the roof is intact. The 5th, 4th and 3rd floor have also collapsed.

During the fire the gables collapsed and engineers visited the site this morning to check whether the building needs to be demolished for safety reasons.

St Kevin's was formerly part of Our Lady's psychiatric complex, and is also known as St Annes.

Six units of Cork Citys Fire Service were assisted by the County Fire Service and they battled the fire late into the night, after a local fisherman raised the alarm.

Efforts to save the Victorian building were hindered by poor access roads to the site as well as poor water pressure in the hydrants on site.

Locals have claimed that the fire was a long time coming, with many complaining about antisocial behaviour in the area since the building closed in 2002.

Cork City North-Central Councillor, Thomas Gould, who campaigned for the derelict St Kevin's to be used as a solution to the housing and homeless crisis in the city expressed his "anger" at the incident and the lack of action taken by the HSE on the site since its closure.

"I raised the issue with Simon Coveney last year as a solution to the housing crisis. It's owned by the HSE and it could've housed families or been made into student accommodation. Now the floors are burned to the ground."

Two units of the Fire Service have remained on scene to battle any out breaks of flame.

Gardai can confirm they are investigating the fire as an incident of criminal damage.

An investigation into the blaze is already underway, with experts trying to determine how safe the remaining parts of the building are.

The fire is the second in four years, with the previous incident causing damage to the St Annes Unit in 2013.

St Kevin's hospital was built in 1893 as an extension to Our Lady's Hospital located in Shanakiel, Cork. The red-brick building overlooks the River Lee and is visible from almost every corner of the city. It housed 490 patients and was used as a psychiatric hospital until its closure in 2002 and has been left in a derelict state since.

Like the majority of former Irish asylums, St Kevin's has a complicated history. According to the Inspector of Mental Hospitals in 1940, the patients in the hospital were "vulnerable, innocent and harmless". The Inspector also stated that patients in the "vermin-infested" hospital were often abandoned, ill or victims of poverty. A report from the Inspector of Mental Hospitals documented in Tarquin Blake's, Abandoned Ireland explains how in a female ward of 28 patients, there was only one toilet between patients and it "had no seat or no curtains".

In the years since its closure security efforts were made to prevent the building from vandalism and squatting. In 2012 the HSE reported that it spent 7000 securing the site. In recent years Cork City councillors urged that the building be used as a solution for families who are victims of the housing crisis.

The burning of St Kevin's is the latest in a long line of similar incidents in Cork city. In 2012 the Good Shepherd Convent was gutted in a fire, while more recently in 2016, the Vernon Mount Mansion was also burned down.

St Kevin's gothic exterior and its watchful eye over the city has made it subject to rumours of being haunted. From people reporting to feel feelings of dread when entering the site to hearing eerie noises from within its boarded windows, the vast site has been visited by those with an interest in paranormal activity over the years.
Patrick Heeran (48) who disappeared from his home at Aughavas, Co Leitrim in October 2011.

Gardai have launched a murder investigation six years after a man who went missing from a west of Ireland town.

Pat Heeran (48) was last seen in Mohill, Co Leitrim at 4.20pm on the 3rd October, 2011.

He was reported missing to gardai on October 14.

Gardai will hold a public appeal for information in the town tomorrow.

It is understood a search is underway in the Leitrim area.

In the years since Mr Heeran went missing two gardai involved in the investigation claimed that senior management failed to inform them about a serious threat to their safety because the criminal targeting them was allegedly working as an "off-the-books" informant.

Instead they say that the informant  who is a suspect in the disappearance of Mr Heeran  was protected by other officers.

It is claimed that the homes of the two gardai were monitored by a three-man gang who were prepared to attack them and damage their property.

A large search continued for a number of months after Mr Heeran disappeared but it proved fruitless. It is thought he may have been killed over a drugs debt.

Last year the Dail heard allegations that senior gardai did not seal off the scene in a timely fashion and the house was subsequently burgled leading to the contamination of evidence.

Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny said:

"When local gardai arrived at the home of Mr Heeran to check into the report that he was missing, they considered the possibility of something sinister and wanted to have the house sealed off as a possible crime scene.

"However, senior gardai dismissed this possibility and told them to make the usual inquiries and that he would turn up drunk somewhere.

"After some time, when Garda management finally agreed to seal off and examine the house, they found it had been burgled in the meantime and was therefore forensically violated for the purposes of evidence-gathering."

Speaking that week a cousin of Mr Heeran, Damien Brennan, said the family's hope was now focused on the return of their loved one's remains.

"We are realistic enough to know that it has been a long time and in those circumstances the main ambition would be to get his body back, so we can bring closure to the situation," he said.
THE Taoiseach has defended Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney in a row over an Air Corps pilots refusal to fly him from Dublin to Cork due to forecast fog.

Correspondence between the Defence Department and the Air Corps shows that the military air service were very unhappy by the then-Defence Ministers challenge to the pilots safety decision in June 2015.

In the Dail, Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, raised concerns about the incident in which Mr Coveney phoned the pilot concerned after he said he could not fly the Minister to a very important meeting in Cork.

Mr Martin, a Cork South Central rival of Mr Coveney, said he hoped the then-Defence Minister, responsible for the Air Corps, did not put pressure on the pilot. He also asked whether Mr Coveney had since apologised to the pilot concerned.

I think safety should never be compromised by somebodys diary agenda, Mr Martin said.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that, as a former Transport Minister himself, he was insistent that aviation safety always came first.

When it comes to a decision, safety always comes first. And its always the pilots decision, not the passengers, as to whether or not to fly, Mr Varadkar said.

But Mr Varadkar said that Mr Coveney had merely inquired from the pilot about the issue. He said the Minister had put no pressure on the pilot.

Earlier Mr Coveney said he has the utmost respect for members of the Defence Forces,

On his way into Cabinet today the former minister for defence refused to get into the details of the 2015 incident  but said his record in the Department of Defence spoke for itself.
So much for a sleepy summer. Insurance executives, who were turning their thoughts to lazing on a sun-drenched beach with a cocktail in hand, were given a sharp jolt of reality yesterday morning.

A co-ordinated dawn raid on the offices of motor insurance bodies and insurers in Dublin shocked the executives.

Maximising the element of surprise, the raid by competition enforcers from the European Commission's Competition Directorate was unannounced and unexpected. To say it rattled the head honchos who run motor insurance companies would be an understatement.

It is understood that 45 officers from the EU Competition Directorate, and officers from the State's competition watchdog, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), were involved. Gardai had an observer role.

It is part of a probe into alleged cartel activity in the insurance industry.

Competition watchdogs are concerned about allegations of price fixing in this market.

The EU competition regulators fear that new players are reluctant to come into the Irish market because they find it hard to get access to databases on drivers and claims histories.

As most of the insurers here operate across the European Union, the European Competition Directorate is concerned to ensure that the single market for insurance operates without hindrance.

Our own CCPC has been probing the motor insurance sector here since last September. It has already sought documents and witness statements.

But the involvement of European competition regulators in searches of offices here was a surprise.

They want to ensure that it is an open market, with new entrants not facing any obstacles to setting up in Ireland, from the likes of a cosy cartel.

A cartel is a conspiracy against consumers to keep prices artificially high. Insurers have been quick in the past to say they have not done anything illegal, and certainly no case has been proven against them as yet.

But with premiums rising by as much as 70pc at one stage there is concern that this is a dysfunctional insurance market, something that would cause new entrants to shun it.

The raids raise uncomfortable questions for the Central Bank. It has extensive data on the insurers here.

It has said in the past that it has been lied to by the insurance industry. It also revealed, in letters obtained by this newspaper, that it told insurers to raise their prices in the past over fears premiums had been unsustainably low for too long. For their part insurers have never really come up with convincing arguments for why motor premiums have gone up so much in the last three years.

They have advanced many reasons for the huge premium hikes. They blame suspicious and fraudulent claims and the prevalence of hard-to-disprove whiplash.

But it is also a fact that they are losing money on investments, settle claims too early, have under-priced and under-reserved in the past and are poorly managed.

Now they and their representative body have been raided over allegations they have been acting like a cartel.

One thing is for certain, few motorists will have any sympathy for their plight.
A child waves as he waits to disembark at the Italian port of Salerno from a ship with 1,216 migrants onboard after their rescue from the Mediterranean sea last week Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Austria has deployed armoured vehicles close to its border with Italy and will send up to 750 soldiers to block any migrants trying to head north, the government announced.

The move reflects deep concern in Vienna and elsewhere in Europe over the huge number of asylum seekers who continue to cross the Mediterranean from Libya - so far this year more than 85,000 have been rescued and brought to Italy.

But it prompted a rebuke from Rome, with the Italian foreign ministry summoning Austria's ambassador to explain the beefing-up of border security. Italy has warned in the past that such measures would contravene EU rules on free movement.

Austria said it would ramp up border controls at the Brenner Pass, a key trade and transport route through the Alps that connects the two countries. "We are ready to protect our Brenner border if necessary," said Sebastian Kurz, the Austrian foreign minister.

The 750 soldiers could be rushed to the border within 72 hours if there was a migration emergency, officials said.

"I expect border controls will be introduced very soon," Peter Doskozil, the defence minister, told the newspaper 'Kronen Zeitung'.

His spokesman said there was no concrete timetable for the new controls. "But we see how the situation in Italy is becoming more acute and we have to be prepared to avoid a situation comparable to summer 2015."

That was a reference to the crisis two years ago when hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants streamed into Western Europe along the so-called Balkan Route, having crossed to Greece from Turkey.

The militarisation of the border seemed to be, in part at least, driven by domestic political considerations.

There are concerns that when Austria holds an election in October, the far-right Freedom Party could do well unless the government can seize the initiative on migration and border security.

With France and Switzerland closing their borders to migrants since last year, the tens of thousands in Italy have nowhere to go. The EU came up with a plan to relocate around 160,000 asylum seekers stuck in Italy and Greece but so far only 20,000 have been resettled.

Italy says it can no longer be expected to deal single-handedly with the vast number of asylum seekers, most of them economic migrants.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The Reddit user who took credit for creating a spoof of Donald Trump beating up CNN has issued an apology for the clip.

Trump had shared on Twitter the video showing him bodyslamming WWE chief Vince McMahon, after which user HansAssholeSolo wrote on Reddit: I wake up and have my morning coffee and who retweets my shitpost but the MAGA EMPORER himself!!! I am honored!!

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However in the apology, HanAssholeSolo said he hadnt meant to advocate violence of any kind against the press and the video was nothing more than a prank.

He wrote: The meme was created purely as satire, it was not meant to be a call to violence against CNN or any other news affiliation.

I had no idea anyone would take it and put sound to it and then have it put up on the presidents Twitter feed.

HansAssholeSolo said the original clip he created featured no sound, although the video Trump shared on his social media account had had commentary added to it  something the Reddit user was unaware of before he took credit for it.

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Once the spoof had been traced back to HansAssSolo, his Reddit post history  including anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic and racist comments towards African Americans  came to light.

In his apology, the user said his posts were in no way the person hed been perceived to be, writing: I would also like to apologise for the posts made that were racist, bigoted, and anti-semitic. I am in no way this kind of person, I love and accept people of all walks of life and have done so for my entire life.

I am not the person that the media portrays me to be in real life, I was trolling and posting things to get a reaction from the subs on reddit and never meant any of the hateful things I said in those posts.

CNN said itd managed to identify the man behind the HansAssholeSolo account by piecing together personal details hed shared on Reddit. Using these details, CNN were able to find a Facebook page that corroborated the details and find the mans name.

It then tried to contact the man by email and telephone on Monday, though it was ultimately unsuccessful. The following day HansAssholeSolo issued his apology on the subreddit /The_Donald before deleting all of his previous posts. His account no longer exists.

HansAssholeSolo contacted CNN after posting his apology and confirmed his identity, and asked they didnt reveal his name out of fear for his personal safety and for the public embarrassment it would bring to him and his family.

CNN said: CNN is not publishing HanA**holeSolos name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behaviour on social media again. In addition, he said his statement could serve as an example to others not to do the same.

CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.
A crowdfunding drive from a Muslim community in Tower Hamlets is raising funds to deliver food hampers to fire stations in the capital.

Dr Monir Miah, a GP from Tower Hamlets is building on an idea from Muslim women in the immediate wake of the Grenfell fire, which left hundreds homeless and an as yet unknown number dead, to provide Londons firefighters with a little treat in the form of food hampers.

Over 200 firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in the early hours of June 14.

At the time, London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton told reporters: This is an unprecedented incident. In my 29 years of being a firefighter, I have never ever seen anything of this scale.

The campaign is raising money to deliver hampers to four London fire stations, Shoreditch, Whitechapel, Shadwell and North Chingford.

Each of the hampers will include healthy food (Monir is a GP, after all) and a note with a verse from the Koran.

The message will read: Thank you for all you did, we know you tried your absolute best. The Quran says and whoever saves it [a person], it is as if he saved the whole of mankind (Sura al-Maidah 5:32).

Everything you have done, and continue to do is recognised and valued sincerely. We hope you enjoy our small token of gratitude to you. Muslim community  UK

Monir said of the campaign: Its a gesture of compassion, community cohesion and solidarity and that we appreciate what our firefighters do on a day-to-day basis.

He said the campaign has done fantastically well, with Muslims and non-Muslims contributing funds. Whats more, it has 20 days left to raise more cash.

The JustGiving page has raised 730 so far, over double its original target of 325.
This is not "just another North Korean missile launch".

The "successful" testing of what North Korea's state news agency KCNA called an "inter-continental ballistic missile" takes the Korean Peninsula one step closer to a conflict that could drag in the world's great powers and cost millions of lives.

This time is different, and potentially much worse than before, because it threatens to bring a reaction from the United States. The US closely monitors North Korea's ability to strike cities on the west coast, and significant progress towards that goal is unlikely to go unanswered.

According to Chad O'Carroll, managing director at Korea Risk Group, a North Korean nuclear missile that can reach the west coast is deeply problematic for a sitting US president.

"The acrimonious nature of relations between the two countries makes Pyongyang's possession of an ICBM a far more urgent threat for Washington  and has the potential to undermine South Korean and Japanese confidence in the security of the US nuclear umbrella," he said.

The fact this missile came on the Fourth of July, Independence Day in the United States, will be seen as a deliberate provocation.

It also has the potential to bring Beijing and Washington to crisis point in a month which has seen bilateral ties plummet over a US arms deal to Taiwan.

Chinese Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang urged North Korea to stop violating UN sanctions on missile launches, but ended his remarks by calling for calm, a ritualistic statement that it raises after such events, one that settles blame across the region, rather than squarely with the North.

China's current position is to press for denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula by getting the US and South Korea to stop their annual defensive military drills, which Pyongyang claims threaten it. In response, the North would suspend missile launches and nuclear testing.

Given the fact North Korea invaded the South in a surprise attack in 1950 - triggering a war which cost nearly a million South Korean civilians their lives - this is a non-starter for American and South Korean military leaders.

Reaction

The reaction by South Korea's new progressive-minded leader Moon Jae-in was more indicative of where things really stand. Fresh from a summit with Donald Trump, Mr Moon is likely to know the US president's thoughts better than most. For a man who has sought to de-escalate tensions, his warning was stark: "I hope North Korea will not cross the point of no return".

Mr Trump's tweet in the early hours of yesterday once again put the ball in China's court, wondering if Beijing would "end this nonsense once and for all".

Since he has already deployed new forces - including a carrier group and nuclear submarine - in waters in and around the Korean Peninsula, many are wondering what the red line will be for Washington.

So how can the situation be resolved? Many would argue that there are no good options, but it's clear that few have been truly tried.

South Africa is a case in point. As an apartheid regime, it too tried to establish a nuclear weapons programme in the late 1980s.

Unlike North Korea, sanctions against the South African regime were far more rigorous, and the state far more isolated on the international stage. Largely down to its anti-Western rhetoric and surface-level claim to be a socialist state, North Korea has escaped this level of pressure and isolation.

Unfortunately, Russia and China are the two main enablers of North Korea, helping it outwit its sanctions with front companies and quiet cross-border trade.

Promises

Naturally, all of this trade is "in the name of peace". Despite promises to Mr Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Beijing has done little to press sanctions. Pyongyang's largest trading partner, it made a great show of turning back coal ships in February, however, its outrage this month over Washington's sanctioning of Dandong Bank - a small Chinese bank complicit in North Korean money-laundering - showed where China's interests lie.

Russia, already smarting under Western sanctions, is also problematic. While pressing for a peaceful resolution, it is increasing business links and regularly "rents" North Korean labourers to work its timber camps. Both continue to round up North Korean defectors and "repatriate" them to certain death in North Korean camps.

Again, South Africa provides a template. Under US leadership, the international community could resolve the issue fairly quickly. Countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia could stop accepting North Korean labourers - some 50,000 are said to work under contract abroad.

International banks could sanction any financial institution that enables more than the bare minimum of North Korean trade. Certainly, the small arms market that has sprung up between North Korea and Chinese coastal cities - like Dalian - could be stopped.

International tourism could be fully stopped.

The answers are there, but they demand the political will. It is not merely North Korea that is sleepwalking toward conflict. By not taking steps to stop it, we are all doing the same - and it will be a conflict in which Koreans will suffer the most.

John Hemmings is director of the Asia Studies Centre at the Henry Jackson Society
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang,

North Korea has claimed to have successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, a feat that would be the culmination of a decades-long ambition.

The "landmark" test of a Hwasong-14 missile was overseen by leader Kim Jong-un early yesterday, American Independence Day, a female announcer wearing traditional dress said in a special announcement on state Korean Central Television.

North Korea was "a strong nuclear power state" and had "a very powerful ICBM that can strike any place in the world", she said.

"The test launch was conducted at the sharpest angle possible and did not have any negative effect on neighbouring countries," North Korea's state media said in a statement.

Powerful

North Korea's test appeared to be its most successful yet, with experts saying it was powerful enough to reach Alaska.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who convened a national security council meeting, had earlier said the missile was believed to be an intermediate range type, but the military was also looking at the possibility it was an ICBM.

Shortly after the test, US President Donald Trump (below) mocked Mr Kim on Twitter and suggested China do more to rein in its neighbour.

"North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" Mr Trump said, without mentioning Mr Kim by name. "Hard to believe that South Korea ... and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

Before entering the White House, Mr Trump dismissed North Korea's claim that it was in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US, saying "It won't happen!"

China called for calm and restraint after the test. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said UN Security Council resolutions had clear rules on North Korea's missile launches and China opposed it going against those rules.

The launch was part of a string of recent test-firings as the North works to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US.

It sent the rocket 930km with a flight time of 39 minutes and reached an altitude of 2,802km. Officials say the duration of the flight means it would be longer than any other tests previously reported.

The fact it reached an altitude that "greatly exceeded" 2,500km prompted arms control specialist Jeffrey Lewis to respond on Twitter: "That's it. It's an ICBM. An ICBM that can hit Anchorage, not San Francisco, but still."

The missile landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Japanese government said, adding it had strongly protested what it called a clear violation of UN resolutions.

Read more: All are sleepwalking towards a conflict that can be avoided

In the US, the Defence Department said Pacific Command detected and tracked the launch of what it believed was a land-based, intermediate range ballistic missile from North Korea's Panghyon Airfield.

David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Programme at the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said the assessments of the flight time and distance suggested the missile could reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km on a standard trajectory.

"That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska," he wrote in a blog post.

It was the fourth ballistic missile launched by the North since South Korea's President Moon took office in May, vowing to use dialogue as well as pressure to bring Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes under control.

Mr Trump has ramped up the rhetoric in recent weeks, declaring last week that the "era of strategic patience" with North Korea was over.

Fight

His tweets in response to the latest test alarmed some North Korea experts. Laura Rosenberger, a former State Department official, said: "Picking a Twitter fight with a nuclear-armed dictator is not wise - this is not reality TV anymore.

"Trump is playing with fire here - nuclear fire. He could literally get us in to a war with his tweets."

The missile launch comes as the Trump administration has displayed increasing frustration with China's reluctance to put more pressure on North Korea.

The 'New York Times', citing anonymous administration officials, reported on Monday that Mr Trump told the Chinese leader that the US was ready to act on its own against North Korea.

The North has in the past launched ballistic missiles timed to key diplomatic events and meetings of leaders. ( Daily Telegraph London)
A missile is fired during a combined military exercise between the US and South Korea (South Korea Defence Ministry/AP)

Donald Trump has expressed frustration with China for failing to do more to cut off support to North Korea and exert pressure to curb its nuclear pursuits.

Pyongyang's intercontinental ballistic missile test this week demonstrated a dangerous new reach for weapons it hopes to top with nuclear warheads one day.

The launch is spurring US demands for global action to counter the threat.

Since he entered the White House, Mr Trump has talked about confronting Pyongyang and pushing China to increase pressure on the North, but neither strategy has produced fast results.

He had expressed optimism after his first meeting with China's President Xi Jinping that the two would work together to curb North Korea's nuclear programme, but on Wednesday he condemned China on Twitter.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"

In his initial response to the launch on Monday evening, Mr Trump urged Beijing on Twitter to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

But he also said it was "hard to believe" that South Korea and Japan, the two US treaty allies most at risk from North Korea, would "put up with this much longer".

North Korea conducts about 90% of its trade through China. Beijing has long resisted intensifying economic pressure on neighbouring North Korea, in part out of fear of the instability that could result on its doorstep, and Mr Trump has not found a way to break through Beijing's old habits.

Mr Trump spoke with Mr Xi and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, discussing North Korea and its nuclear programme. He will meet them both again this week at the G20 meeting in Germany, as well as have his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

US officials joined South Korea and Japan in requesting an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

AP

At the meeting, the US ambassador to the United Nations warned China it risks its massive trade with the United States if its trade with North Korea violates UN sanctions.

Nikki Haley said "the world has become a more dangerous place" and the US will use its "considerable military forces" to defend itself and its allies, but prefers to use trade.

She added that "much of the burden of enforcing UN sanctions rests with China," which accounts for 90% of trade with North Korea.

She said that the Trump administration will work with China and other countries but will not repeat past "inadequate approaches".
Manchester airport terminal 3 evacuated after suspect bag found.

The terminal was shut down before a full search was launched, according to people there.

"Due to a potential issue with a bag in Terminal Three, a precautionary evacuation is taking place while further investigations take place," the airport's official Twitter account said.

It confirmed the evacuation was only happening in one of the airport's three terminals.

Police have confirmed that a bomb squad is attending the airport, after a call about the bag came in the morning.

People reported they were being asked to move far back from the airport's terminal after the evacuation had taken place.

Manchester's airport is the third biggest in the UK and more than 22 million passengers go through it each year.

People who were sent out as they waited for their flight complained on social media that their trips might be delayed and that they were left waiting while the package was seen to.

Photos and videos posted online showed hundreds of people waiting outside the terminal  both at its front and on the tarmac  without apparently being told what to do.

The airport has instructed passengers due to fly from the affected terminal to travel to terminal one instead, apart from passengers for six Ryanair flights, who have been told to travel to terminal two instead.

The airport has since confirmed that the terminal will soon be re-opened.

They said in a statement on Twitter: "Manchester Airport can confirm that our routine baggage screening programme in Terminal 3 identified a bag which appeared to contain a suspicious item.

"Greater Manchester Police was immediately informed and all passengers were safely evacuated from the terminal while further investigations took place.

"Officers have now determined the bag poses no threat and we are beginning the process of allowing colleagues and passengers back into the terminal."

Latest update on Terminal Three pic.twitter.com/QY9XcR1nKF  Manchester Airport (@manairport) July 5, 2017

The evacuation came a day after a terminal at Heathrow was evacuated and shut because of what turned out to be a false fire alarm.

It was also a day after Manchester's terminal one had to be temporarily shut because of water leaking through the roof
Pro-government militias wielding wooden sticks and metal bars have stormed congress and began attacking opposition politicians during a special session coinciding with Venezuela's independence day.

Four politicians were injured. One of them, Americo de Grazia, had to be taken in a stretcher to an ambulance suffering from convulsions, said a fellow congressman.

"This doesn't hurt as much as watching how every day how we lose a little bit more of our country," Armando Arias said from inside an ambulance as he was being treated for head wounds that spilled blood across his clothes.

The attack, in plain view of national guardsmen assigned to protect the legislature, comes amid three months of often-violent confrontations between security forces and protesters who accuse the government of trying to establish a dictatorship by jailing foes, pushing aside the opposition-controlled legislature and rewriting the constitution to avoid fair elections.

Tensions were already high after vice president Tareck El Aissami made an unannounced morning visit to the neoclassical legislature, accompanied by top government and military officials, for an event celebrating independence day.

Standing next to a display case holding Venezuela's declaration of independence from Spain, he said global powers are once again trying to subjugate Venezuela.

"We still haven't finished definitively breaking the chains of the empire," Mr El Aissami said, adding that President Nicolas Maduro's plans to rewrite the constitution - a move the opposition sees as a power-grab - offers Venezuela the best chance to be truly independent.

After he left, dozens of government supporters set up a picket outside the building, heckling politicians with menacing chants and eventually invading the legislature themselves.

Despite the violence, politicians approved a plan by the opposition to hold a symbolic referendum on July 16 that would give voters the chance to reject Mr Maduro's plans to draft a new political charter.

Later Mr Maduro condemned the violence, calling for a full investigation during a speech while attending a military parade.

AP
Iraqi forces slowed their advance yesterday through the last streets in Mosul controlled by Isil where militants and civilians are packed in densely together, a commander said.

While Iraqi commanders predicted final victory in Mosul this week, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announced they had begun an assault on Isil's Syrian redoubt in the Old City of Raqqa.

The Iraqi military has pushed insurgents into a shrinking rectangle no more than 300 metres by 500 metres beside the Tigris river in Mosul, but resistance has been fierce.

The Rapid Response Division, an elite Interior Ministry unit, called in air strikes just 50 metres away from their targets, and the fighting got close enough at one point for the militants to toss a hand grenade at the troops.

It was from the pulpit of Mosul's medieval Grand al-Nuri Mosque that, three years ago, leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and Syria. Forces retook the mosque last Thursday, prompting Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to declare an end to the group's "state of falsehood".

The number of militants fighting in Mosul, by far the biggest city it has ever controlled, has dwindled from thousands at the start of the US-backed offensive more than eight months ago to a couple of hundred now, according to the Iraqi military.

A commander from the Rapid Response Division estimated more than 10,000 civilians remained trapped inside the area under militant control, including people brought from other areas as human shields.

They are trapped with little food, water or medicine amid the Old City's maze of narrow alleyways, according to residents who have managed to escape.

"The presence of civilians has affected the troops' advance a lot. The directions from the commander-in-chief of the armed forces are to advance slowly to preserve civilians' lives and this is what we are doing," the officer said on state TV without being named. "The area is small but the advance today is very good, relatively."

He said the progress had also been slowed by a high number of improvised explosives planted in streets and buildings.

A US-led international coalition is providing air and ground support to the offensive, which includes Iraq's army and counter-terrorism service in a multi-pronged attack.

With Mosul gone, the group's territory in Iraq will be limited to a few areas west and south of the city where some tens of thousands of civilians live.

Iraqi authorities are planning a week of nationwide celebrations to mark the end of the offensive, and Mr Abadi is expected to visit Mosul to formally declare victory.

In neighbouring Syria, a US-backed coalition force said it fired on two small sections of the historic Rafiqah Wall in the Old City of Raqqa, allowing it to overcome Isil defences.
Images from the final report into the investigation of the explosion on Boeing 777 flight MH17 which killed 298 people (Dutch Safety Board/AP)

Any suspects in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 over Ukraine in 2014 will be prosecuted in the Netherlands, the Dutch government announced.

Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the decision was made by the countries jointly investigating the crash, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine and the Netherlands.

The countries will continue to cooperate on the prosecution and it will cover all 298 victims, who came from 17 countries including the UK.

Most were Dutch citizens.

An international criminal probe concluded last year that the missile that destroyed the passenger jet was fired from rebel-controlled territory by a mobile launcher brought in from Russia.

Russia has denied any involvement, and denounced the conclusions as politically biased.

The Dutch foreign ministry did not identify eventual suspects to prosecute.

Investigators last year said they had pinpointed 100 people they want to speak to who are believed to have been involved in transporting the Buk missile launcher or its use.

Russia did not immediately respond to Wednesday's announcement.

The Russian government could refuse to extradite any of its citizens for eventual questioning or prosecution.

Malaysia had proposed setting up an international court to try those responsible for the plane's destruction, but Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution in favour of a tribunal.

The Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was blown out of the sky on July 17 2014, in eastern Ukraine amid fierce fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops.

The Joint Investigation Team, led by prosecutors and police from the Netherlands, made its preliminary findings public after interviewing more than 200 witnesses, listening to 150,000 intercepted phone calls, examining half a million photos and video recordings, consulting radar and satellite images, and sifting through dozens of containers filled with wreckage from the jet.

The Russian military has said data from radar in southern Russia showed that the missile that downed Flight 17 did not originate in rebel-controlled territory.

AP
Donald Trump has attacked China over its increasing trade with North Korea, in the wake of Pyongyang's latest missile test having increased tensions in the region.

In the latest indication of Mr Trump's cooling views on China, a nation to which he had recently displayed considerable warmth and optimism, the President implied the White House's efforts to work with the Asian country had failed.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" he tweeted.

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2017

Read More

Mr Trump has been pushing China - North Korea's largest trading partner - to try and rein in the isolated nation over its nuclear programme, having tweeted after Tuesday's missile test that he hoped China would "put a heavy move" on the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (AP/Wong Maye-E) / Facebook

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The latest missile test by North Korea involved an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which some experts believe could have the range to reach the US state of Alaska.

The test marked a new milestone in the North Korean nuclear programme, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying the test, on the eve of the US Independence Day holiday, represented a new escalation of the threat to the United States and its allies, and vowed to take stronger measures.

The launch came days after the first face-to-face meeting between Mr Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in and ahead of a G20 summit of the world's richest economies in Germany.

Read More

On Wednesday, US and South Korean troops, in response to the ICBM launch, engineered a show of force for North Korea, with soldiers from the allies firing deep strike precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters.

Mr Moon ordered the drills with the United States to show North Korea our firm combined missile response posture, his office said.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un reacts during the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency REUTERS

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said America is prepared to use military force against North Korea in the wake of its latest missile test.

Ms Haley called the test  of an intercontinental ballistic missile that experts say may able to hit Alaska  "reckless and irresponsible" and a "clear and sharp military escalation".

She added that the US is prepared to use its full range of capabilities, including military force, to deter North Korea if necessary.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces," she said. "We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

Other deterrence strategies include harsher sanctions on the country, which Ms Haley said she would propose in the coming days. She added that the US may go as far as cutting off trade with countries that continue trading with North Korea.

The White House said only that it was "exploring those options".

The comments come the day after North Korea tested an ICBM it claims can strike "the heart of the United States.

Pentagon officials said the missile, believed to be a modified KN-17 liquid fuel device, was something they had "never seen before". Officials saw the KN-17 being prepared for launch via satellite, but say a second stage was added later.

Expand Close What was said to be the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, ICBM, in North Korea's northwest / Facebook

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Whatsapp What was said to be the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, ICBM, in North Korea's northwest

The US responded the next morning with a joint military exercise with South Korea, firing ballistic missiles into the water along the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US "seeks only the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea". He also said the US would bring North Korea's "provocative action" to the UN Security Council in hopes of enacting stronger measures against them.

Read More

The Council gathered in an emergency meeting called by the US on Wednesday afternoon.

At the meeting, British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft said Britain supports measures to increase the cost of missile testing for North Korea. French Ambassador Francois Delattre said a "decisive collective response" is necessary.

Expand Close US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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But Russia's deputy envoy to the UN, Vladimir Safronkov, said his country opposed any military actions or attempts to "economically strangle North Korea".

"All must acknowledge that sanctions will not solve the issue," he said, voicing support for "dialogue and consultations" instead.

Both Russia and China appear likely to veto any sanctions proposed by the United States.

Read More

The missile test is widely seen as a challenge to the Trump administration, which has taken a hard line on North Korean aggression.

The day after the test, Mr Trump lashed out at China, who he had hoped would put economic pressure on North Korea.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter," he tweeted. "So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"

Ms Haley appeared to double down on these comments on Wednesday, chastising those countries she says are "encouraging" trade with North Korea.

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"Such countries would also like to continue their trade arrangements with the United States," she said. "That's not going to happen."

The Ambassador also condemned North Korea's treatment of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American who was detained in North Korea for allegedly stealing a poster. Mr Warmbier was returned to his parents in a coma last month. He died days afterward.

Expand Close Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP) / Facebook

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Ms Haley said North Korea's treatment of Mr Warmbier was emblematic of the regime as a whole.

"If North Korea will treat an innocent student the way it treated Otto Warmbier, we should not be surprised if it acts barbarically on a larger scale," she said.
A day heavy in green Indian equity markets saw a day, heavy in green, today. Nifty 50 ended, up by 321.5 points. Sensex ended, up by 1181.34 points. Top Gainers today were HDFC, HDFC Bank, Infosys. Top Losers ... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 3:43 pm

In early trade, Rupee rises 71 paise to 80.69 / $ Early on Friday, the rupee strengthened 71 paise to 80.69 against the dollar as investors' attitudes were bolstered by easing US CPI data and a decline in the dollar index. Forex traders claime... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 2:24 pm

Sensex zooms over 1,100 pts; Nifty above 18,300; IT index top contributor Domestic benchmark indices in the fast lane today led by IT and Metal stocks outperforming. Both the Sensex and Nifty benchmarks were nearly 2% higher amid positive global cues. On the se... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 2:00 pm

NIBE receives order of Rs11.88 crore from Goa Shipyard; Stock slips 1% Nibe Limited stocks in focus as the company announced the receipt of purchase orders. As per the regulatory filing, it has received two purchase orders dated November 08, 2022 from G... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 12:53 pm

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Ex Bigg Boss contestant Mandana Karimi recently filed a domestic violence case against her businessman husband Gaurav Gupta. While many thought it was a publicity stunt, others were shocked her marriage is ending in less than six months.

Twitter/Mandana Karimi

But the strange part is that after going all public about how she has been kicked out by her in-laws, the actress doesn't want a divorce. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, the reality show star spoke about what exactly happened, After an argument with my husband, I had gone to a friends to cool down. When I returned, they wouldnt let me enter and have stopped communicating with me.

Instagram/Mandana Karimi



Some of my friends have come down but my family is not here and I dont have a place to stay. I am not in touch with anyone from Bigg Boss so I dont think any of them are aware of my plight, she added.

Instagram/Madana Karimi

Asking if she will eventually file for divorce, she claimed she still loves her husband very much and doesn't want the relationship to go kaput.

I didnt leave my house, I love it. I havent been allowed to enter the house or even my husbands office but that doesnt mean I should get divorced. I am still his wife, I love Gaurav. I havent filed for divorce, I have only filed a domestic violence case. I never expected it to end up as a horror story. You never expect things will turn bad when you are in love. Unfortunately, thats what happened to me.

Gaurav's family, however, has not come out in the open and spoken about this at all.
While on one hand, Priyanka Chopra has been grabbing headlines for a lot of people trolled her pout selfie that she recently uploaded, alleging her of undergoing a lip surgery again, the diva, on the other hand, is unfazed. Ignoring all the hoopla, she is having a time of her life in Paris, and giving us glimpses of her fun vacation.

The actress who is gearing up for her second Hollywood movie was in Paris for Armani Prive's show during the couture week. What's more? Our Desi Girl had a fangirl moment meeting Italian actor Sophia Loren and French actor Isabelle Huppert.

From visiting the Eiffel Tower to having the lavish dinner, PC is enjoying her time in the US, and these pictures are proof. Take a Look:

#1

Bye bye @diariesofdiana ... I'm Paris bound.. couture week here we come. @chanchal_dsouza @danasupnick @cristinaehrlich @kevinmichaelericson #PCinParis A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 3, 2017 at 1:41pm PDT

#2

Such a spectacular show. Thank you for having me Mr. Armani #backstage #PCinParis #couture2017 @armani A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 4, 2017 at 11:15am PDT

#3

A love affair with Paris in @armani ... #couture2017 #PCinParis #lookoftheday #armaniprive A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 4, 2017 at 2:17pm PDT

#4

Amazing to be with an exceptional group of women celebrating the house of @armani . Lovely evening. @naomiwatts #sophialoren #katewinslet @isabelle.huppert #tangWei A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 4, 2017 at 2:24pm PDT

#5

So... I had a fan girl moment.. @isabelle.huppert #sophialoren #PCinParis #armaniprive A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 4, 2017 at 2:50pm PDT

#6

Gimme some Paris.. gn world... Zzzzzz @armani A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 4, 2017 at 3:50pm PDT

Apparently, Priyanka Chopra is bowled over by Paris' beauty!
5 Indian students did the unthinkable and became the first team from India to ever reach this far at any one NASA's competition.

Team Kepler

NASA launched a challenge where they invited coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, technologists, and everyone enthusiastic to address challenges we face on earth and in space.

The 48-hour long hackathon that occurred on April 29-30 saw more than 25,000 participants from over 69 countries.





But students from VIT University, Vellore, has secured the Second position globally under the People's Choice award in the 'NASA Space Apps Challenge 2017'.

They are also the first ever team from India to secure a place in the global finalist's nominees having competed against 25,140 participants across 69 countries.

Mantej Singh Gill, Ankit Garg, Anupam Rana, Divyansh Rajput and Rajat Bhati together made this dream space simulator using which you can have a first-hand experience of travelling in space.

Their team, known as 'Team Kepler' developed a space simulator using virtual reality and embedded systems, where an individual could experience a space shuttle launch.

The virtual reality system was an integration of a dynamic chair with directional vibration feedback, a glove which allowed the user to interact with the virtual reality and an AI bot which acted as an astronaut's assistant.

When Indiatimes asked Mantej about his experience, he said - "We did this in one night" with sheer elation in his voice.

They are further developing a fully-fledged system, where the user can undertake different NASA missions. The purpose of their project is to create curiosity for space exploration and astronomy amongst young minds.

With this win, they want to help spread awareness on astronomy and space exploration and also motivate young Indian minds to pursue projects in the same field.

The cost of this simulator will be around 2-3k.

The team is also planning to propose this project to ISRO and if they like it, who knows if Indians will begin to explore space with their feets touching the ground.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, the first by an Indian PM, starting Tuesday, brings back memories of an almost century-old connection of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom with World War I.During the tour, Modi will be visiting the Indian soldiers' cemetery at Haifa, the country's third-largest city. Here, in 1918, the Mysore Lancers, personal army of the Mysore Maharaja, played a crucial role in winning one of the greatest battles of World War I for the Allied Powers.

wikipedia

Along with the Jodhpur Cavalry and 16th Imperial Cavalry Brigade, these Mysore warriors on horseback charged Turkish positions in and around Haifa. The victory also ended the Ottoman Empire's 400-year rule over the region. Researcher BL Manohar Arasu shared some interesting insights about the war and said that in its remembrance, the Indian Army also celebrates Haifa Day every year in September.

Arasu, also a radio enthusiast, said: "The Indian soldiers were armed only with lancers and swords while the Turks were armed with artillery and machine guns. This battle is one of the last cavalry charges that resulted in victory in a modern war. By the end of WW I, horses had become redundant in wars."

oldindianphotos

Arasu explains that Lancers, who happened to be fighting fit, used the lance, a long spear-like javelin, very effectively . "Since April 1892, the Mysore State Troops of the Maharaja consisted of several battalions. At the onset of World War I, England declared Egypt as its protectorate and the major task there was to safeguard the Suez Canal. It started putting up its own forces and took the help of the State Troops maintained by various Indian Princes. The next step was formation of the Imperial Service Troops wherein troops from princely states and mixing them with those trained by British officers," he added.

BCCL

Arasu added, "In October 1914, the Mysore regiment consisting of 29 officers, 444 non-commissioned officers and men with 526 horses, 49 mules and 132 followers left Bengaluru for the Middle East. A convoy of 36 ships carried these troops from India, escorted by HMS Swiftsure and HMS Hardinge on their way to Suez, and reached in November. From October 1914 to January 1916, the troops served in Egypt during the Great War and went on to conquer Haifa in 1918."

BCCL

Researcher Echanur Kumar said some men from the Mysore Lancers were martyred in the famous war and many came back victorious in 1920 once the war was over. "Then Maharaja of Mysore Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and his troops got thanksgiving letters from the British Empire. The Lancers, who returned to Mysuru region, were not allowed to go home immediately. There were several sessions to honour them at the Palace and in public places. The Lancers were merged with the Indian Army in 1950 and lost their distinct identity," he added.

Echanur said there are about 800 graves of Indian soldiers in Israel, including those at the cemetry in Haifa.
As we all know, PM Modi is currently on a visit to Israel. From being received by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv airport to the heart-warming welcome by where he said - 'Swagat Hai, We Love India', Modi's visit is turning out to be quite a success.

indianexpress

PM Modi stays at the world's most secure suite secured against bomb attacks, chemical attacks with its own kitchen just in case his valet is asked to rustle up something for him at the last minute.

However, this not why we are here.

IndiaToday

Since yesterday, we have been hearing that Modi will meet Israeli kid Moshe Holtzberg who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks when he was aged just two.

And the Indian PM just met him.

The kid, whose parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg were among the victims killed during the 26/11 attack, was overwhelmed to meet the Prime Minister.

"I want to ask you something, with all my heart. Please continue to love me forever and always remember my parents" the kid said.

During their meet, Moshe was seen reading from a tiny booklet where he wrote this heartfelt speech and all the things he wanted to convey to the Indian Prime Minister.

"Dear Mr Modi I love you....people in India" he added.

Not only did he say that he would love to visit India once again, but also expressed his gratitude towards everything he's received so far. After his speech, Modi offered Moshe a long-term visa for India and expressed that he will be more than happy to welcome him.

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Unbelievably touching gesture! Narendra Modi in Israel will visit Moshe Holzberg,baby who narrowly escaped death frm Paki subhumans on 26/11  Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) July 1, 2017

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Nice to see @narendramodi meeting 26/11 survivor #Moshe on his #Israel visit

Like Israel... Modi never forgets nor forgives  Hunting_Hunters (@eparitosh) June 29, 2017

Moshe is now 11 years old and his kin is extremely touched by this display.

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PMModi meets baby Moshe,who was the youngest survivor at #NarimanHouse in 26/11Mumbai attacks,never met by ManmohanSingh,PM at that time. pic.twitter.com/nNiB3oi5rU  Ruchi Shukla (@RuchiKom) July 5, 2017

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PM @narendramodi meets Moshe Holtzberg, the now 11-year-old survivor of the 26/11 attacks, in Jerusalem #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/81tM6jIVCl  Manish Patel (@iManishBJP) July 5, 2017

Moshe was saved by Sandra Samuels, his brave nanny, who was later awarded an honorary citizenship by the Israeli Government so that she could be with Moshe.

26/11

Sandra found Baby Moshe crying by his dead parents, his pants drenched with their blood. She saved him at great peril to her own life pic.twitter.com/n8uTPCH2GV  Amar Govindarajan (@amargov) July 4, 2017

Moshe along with his nanny, grandparents met Modi in Jerusalem, surrounded by prominent dignitaries.

Sandra's picture holding Moshe close to her chest, right after attacks is still imprinted in everyone's mind and was one of the most poignant pictures from that attack.

It's only because of her that Moshe is alive.
As we all know, Modi is currently touring Israel. From being received by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv airport to the heart-warming welcome by where he said - 'Swagat Hai, We Love India', Modi's visit is turning out to be quite a success.

wion

Since yesterday, we have been hearing that Modi will meet Israeli child Moshe Holtzberg who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks when he was aged two, owing to which, he's being applauded by everyone on the Internet. Read more

1. Amid Lynchings In The Name Of Cow Protection, BJP And RSS Start Co-operative Society To Sell Beef In Kerala

Amid the unabated lynchings in the name of cow protection, BJP once again showed that hypocrisy is what that drives one in the politics. While a slew of lynchings of people by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes has got a soft support from the saffron party and sub-groups working under its umbrella, Kerala BJP and RSS have joined hands to start a co-operative society to sell meat which includes bovine meat as well as fish, a Malayalam daily Deshabhimani reported on Tuesday.

reuters

After Meghalaya and other North-East states, BJP has once again shown its hypocrisy and has worked against the line of cow-protection its known for on the national front. Read more

2. PM Modi Stays In Safest Suite on Earth, Secured From Bomb Explosions And Even Chemical Attacks

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a ceremonial welcome in Israel by PM Benjamin Netanyahu, his stay in Israel has become even more exciting as PM Modi has been kept in the most secure suite on the entire planet.

ap

"His suite is secured against bomb attacks, chemical attacks, everything," Sheldon Ritz , the director of operations in King David Hotel told TOI. He is also the incharge of PMs entire visit. Read more

3. Home Ministry May Partially Withdraw AFSPA From Assam, Arunachal As Security Situation Gets Better

Home Ministry is said to be ready for the "partial withdrawal" of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from BJP-ruled Assam and Arunachal Pradesh as their is an improvement in the "security situation" in these states, official sources said.

bccl

The sources said according to a home ministry assessment, security situation was "better" in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh than never before and the imposition of AFSPA could be further reduced. Read more

4. Former Maharashtra BJP Leader Filmed Kissing Woman In A Moving Bus, Arrested For Rape

A former BJP leader in Maharashtra was arrested on Wednesday after a video of him kissing a woman in a bus went viral. The video is said to be from the last week. As per the report by NDTV, Ravindra Bavanthade was arrested on the charges of rape. The woman in the video has accused BJP leader of raping her in the bus.

Bavanthade is from Gadchiroli district and was caught on CCTV camera of a private bus while kissing a woman. Later, the woman approached the police and accused him of rape. On June 27, the accused was travelling to Nagbhid from Nagpur in a private bus with the said woman where he was caught on the CCTV footage while kissing her. Read more

5. In Hyderabad, Dealers Working At Top Companies Deal LSD To Students As Young As Thirteen

In Hyderabad, at least 20 schools have been informed that their students are buying and using drugs including LSD. Parents have also been informed, according to government officials, and seven drug dealers have been arrested in the last 48 hours.

dailymail

Dealers have sold LSD as well as MDMA, popularly known as Molly to students as young as 13 or Class 8 students. Read more
North Korea tested a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that it claims can carry a large nuclear warhead. This led to a call by Washington for global action to hold North Korea accountable for pursuing nuclear weapons.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs and ICBMs, the state KCNA news agency said.

Russia and China joined diplomatic forces on Tuesday and called for North Korea to suspend its ballistic missile program in return for a moratorium on large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea.

reuters

North Korea said it successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time, which flew a trajectory that experts said could allow a weapon to hit the U.S. state of Alaska.

2. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14.

reuters

The launch, which North Korea's state media said was ordered and supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, sent the rocket 933 km (580 miles) reaching an altitude of 2,802 km over a flight time of 39 minutes.

3. The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 seen here lifting off from the test site.

reuters

The launch came days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons programme, which it has pursued in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions.

4. Kim Jong Un signs the order to carry out the test-fire of the missile Hwasong-14.

reuters

North Korea has said it wants to develop a missile mounted with a nuclear warhead capable of striking the U.S. mainland. To do that it would need an ICBM with a range of 8,000 km (4,800 miles) or more, a warhead small enough to be mounted on it and technology to ensure its stable re-entry into the atmosphere.

5. The order to carry out the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14.

reuters

Some analysts said the flight details suggested the new missile had a range of more than 8,000 km, underscoring major advances in its programme. Other analysts said they believed its range was not so long.

6. The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 is seen during its test.

reuters

Officials from South Korea, Japan and the United States said the missile landed in the sea in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone after being launched on a high trajectory from near an airfield northwest of the North's capital, Pyongyang.

7. Kim Jong Un celebrating the successful launch with other military leaders.

reuters

"The test launch was conducted at the sharpest angle possible and did not have any negative effect on neighbouring countries," North Korea's state media said in a statement. The North said its missiles were now capable of striking anywhere in the world.

8. A North Korean KRT TV presenter announces the successful launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

reuters

9. A man walks past a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea's the Hwasong-14 missile, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea.

reuters

"It appears the test was successful. If launched on a standard angle, the missile could have a range of more than 8,000 km," said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. "But we have to see more details of the new missile to determine if North Korea has acquired ICBM technology."

10. A man watches a TV broadcasting still photographs released by North Korea's state-run television KRT of North Korea's Hwasong-14 missile, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea.

reuters

11. People watch a TV broadcast of a news report on North Korea's Hwasong-14 missile, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea.

reuters
From sporting a rainbow-coloured socks reading Eid Mubarak to wearing one blue sock and one pink, each with the Nato flag emblazoned on the calf, Trudeau has taken the internet by storm with his 'sock diplomacy'.

1. Justin Trudeau 2. at Pride 3. wearing rainbow socks 4. high-fiving a little girl dressed as Wonder Woman pic.twitter.com/1xYQoOaPOt  laura olin (@lauraolin) June 25, 2017

But the feisty Canadian PM is not alone in his quirky political stunt, Irish Taoiseach (PM) Leo Varadkar joined Trudeau in sock diplomacy when they met in Dublin on Tuesday.

Twitter/Justin Trudeau

Varadkar wore Canada-themed mapleleaf- printed socks, while Trudeau, who favours statement socks, wore a sedate, striped pattern.

In Dublin for our first meetings with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this morning- thanks for your very warm welcome!  pic.twitter.com/t0AfSN8IXm  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 4, 2017

Mr Trudeau arrived in Dublin with his wife, Sophie Gregoire, and their youngest son, Hadrien, on Monday. He is in Europe for a key G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany later this week.

Prime Minister Trudeau and Ms. Gregoire Trudeau are greeted by Canadian ambassador @KVickers in Dublin, Ireland. pic.twitter.com/hWaH6ywvWy  CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) July 3, 2017

Earlier this year, on May 4 (Star Wars Day), Trudeau had worn Star Wars-themed socks to a meeting with then Irish PM Enda Kenny in Montreal.
Operation Entebbe, also called Operation Thunderbolt was a hostage rescue mission conducted by IDF (Israel Defence Forces) in Uganda on 4 July, 1976. 103 hostages were rescued by Israeli commandos, led by Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, the elder brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As is the case with most Israelis, Yonatan underwent the compulsory military service with IDF. After that was over, despite having the option to study in US, he decided to stay back and took part in the Six Day war and was decorated afterwards. He later went on to enrol in Harvard University but couldnt stay away from Israel for long. He quite studies and returned to his country and rejoined the Army. By 1970, he was leading the Sayeret Matkal, an elite special forces unit of IDF. He later took part in the Yom Kippur War In 1973.

AnswersAfrica

On 27 June, an Air France plane flying from Tel Aviv to Paris with 248 passengers was hijacked by members of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and German Revolutionary Cells, and was flown to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. In Uganda they had the support of Idi Amin, the military dictator of Uganda at the time.

In Entebbe, the passengers were moved to an unused building, the non-Israeli and Israeli hostages were separated. In the next two days non-Israeli hostages were released. The hijackers demanded the release of militants in Israeli jails in exchange of hostages.

While this was happening, Israel was using diplomatic channels to secure the release of hostages and also planning a rescue mission with inputs from the intelligence agency Mossad. The deadline for the release of passengers was extended to July 4 on account of Idi Amin travelling to Mauritius and that gave Israel the time they needed.

Wikimedia Commons

Kenya, sympathetic to Israel yet mindful of Amins wrath agreed to help. Four C-130 planes were flown to Entebbe overnight without being detected. The assault team, led by Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu and 28 commandos was tasked with attacking the terminal building where the hostages were kept.

The planes landed in Entebbe at 11 oclock at night and the commandos reached the terminal building in cars that they carried to resemble Idi Amins entourage. The terminal building was stormed and cross fire ensued. Hijackers were neutralised and three hostages died in the firing. Three more hijackers, in the adjacent room were killed and hostages rescued.

As the rescued hostages were being loaded on to the aircrafts, they came under attack from Ugandan soldiers. The commandos retaliated to the firing from the air traffic control tower and quickly neutralised them. It was during the fire fight that Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu and five more commandos were wounded. Netanyahu died while being attended to by the medical team. But by this time . The other team of commandos in the mean time had already destroyed Ugandan Air Force planes parked on the tarmac. These included 11 Mig-17 and Mig-21 planes so that they couldnt be intercepted on the way back to Israel. The operation lasted less than 90 minutes.

Wikimedia Commons

Yonatan Netanyahu became an Israeli national hero and was buried with full military honours. According to Gordon Thomas book  Gideons Spies: Mossads Secret Warriors, Benjamin Netanyahus hard line against all terrorists came as a result of the death of Yonatan.
If youve ever played a space-based game like Halo, Mass Effect, or Warhammer, the concept of a space marine would be familiar to you. Strangely enough, though we havent yet begun colonising other planets or forming a Unified Earth government, we may still soon see a space military arm within our lifetime.

Starship Troopers (1997)

The US House of Representatives has been given a defence budget proposal for 2018, which contains a provision for the formation of what its calling the Space Corps.

Filed by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), the proposal talks about creating a separate military service that would be dedicated to protecting the United States on the final frontier. The US Space Corps provision also seeks to create a separate US Space Command, in the same way the US Cyber Command was separated from the main military.

The idea is that the committee believes the US relies on space more than any other nation, yet it isnt protected in the same way terrestrial assets are. The Air Force currently controls all of the US militarys space missions, including procurement and launches for military and intelligence satellites. The Space Corps would instead be a separate branch of the military, though it would be administered by the Secretary of the Air Force.

The US Space Corps is a provision in a budget package that would give close to $700 billion in funding to the military, billions more than requested by president Donald Trumps administration. And who knows, maybe one day young people really will end up drafting to fight a nebulous alien threat.
Once upon a time, Xiaomi was the hot new player in the smartphone market here in India, though demand for their devices seemed to have somewhat cooled lately. Now, it appears the company is looking to widen its horizons further than ever before.

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer today signed an agreement with Nokia, allowing the two to exchange cellular patents, while also setting up for new future projects. It seems Xiaomi will now be working together with Nokia on various smartphone add-on technologies like the Internet of Things, virtual reality, and even artificial intelligence. Nokia, for its part, will supply network infrastructure equipment.

The agreement comes at a time when both companies are looking to reclaim some of their former glory in the mobile phone industry. Nokia has long-since lost ground with the advent of Android and iOS (thanks to its Windows-powered OS), while Xiaomis more recent setbacks have been stiff competition from other Chinese manufacturers like Oppo, Vivo and LeEco.

Xiaomi is one of the world's leading smartphone manufacturers and we are delighted to have reached an agreement with them, Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri said in a statement.

Our collaboration with Nokia will enable us to tap on its leadership in building large, high performance networks and formidable strength in software and services, as we seek to create even more remarkable products and services that deliver the best user experience to our Mi fans worldwide, added Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun.
The Zonal Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Enugu State has arrested 356 suspected drug traffickers in six months, according to the Zonal Commander, Mr Anthony Ohanyere.

This was made known by the commander, on Tuesday at an event to mark the 2017 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The theme for this years commemoration is Listen First: Listening to Children and Youths is the First Step to Help them Grow Healthy and Safe.

He also said that the command, within the period, seized 356kg of illicit drugs and prosecuted 76 persons.

The state government had been a pillar in the fight against illicit drugs and trafficking because the governor is interested in the youths.

The commander said that the zonal office had enjoyed the goodwill and support of the state government.

Ohanyere said that the agency would continue to sensitize members of the public on the effects of illicit drugs in line with UN regulations and policies of the Federal Government.

In a keynote address, the Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecelia Ezeilo, said that drug trafficking and abuse were among the most dangerous threats to the society.

Ezeilo urged governments at all levels to rise up to the challenge, in order to effectively address the menace.

Meanwhile, Dr Ujunwa Nduanya, the Registrar, Psychological Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), said in a lecture, that the dearth of rehababilitation centres for addicts was the bane of the fight.

Nduanya said that available statistics revealed that only one out of six addicts received attention, adding that the record was not encouraging.

Source: ( PM News )
An Osun Magistrates Court sitting in Ile-Ife on Tuesday sentenced one Olayinka Awofisoye, 33, to three years imprisonment over N5.8million fraud.

Magistrate Olalekan Ijiyode, who handed down the sentence, said it would serve as a deterrent to others.

The magistrate, however, ordered that the sentence should start from the time of the convicts arraignment.

The convict, who was arraigned on Oct. 26, 2016, on two-count-charge of fraud and stealing, had pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Ijiyode had granted the convict bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

The Prosecutor, Insp Sunday Osanyintuyi, had informed the court that the convict fraudulently obtained one Toyota Hummer Bus marked XA 401 FFE and valued at N5.8 million, property of one Oladiji Olayemi.

He stated further that the offence was contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Sections 390 (9) and 419 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34 Vol 11, Laws of Osun, 2002.

Source: ( PM News )
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that only a legitimate court order could stop the process for the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye as demanded by his Kogi West constituents.

This was made known by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, in Abuja.

He said that filing a lawsuit was not enough to stop the recall process.

INEC had on Monday released the schedule of activities for the recall of Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the Senate, with Aug. 19 fixed for verification of signatures of petitioners demanding his recall.

But, various suits have been instituted in courts to stop to stop the process.

The cases include those by Melaye and Concerned Kogi Registered Voters, filed separately at a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to halt INEC from conducting the verification of signatures and the recall.

Oyekanmi said that the actions of the commission were being guided by the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

The constituents came with sacks of documents which they said were `the signatures of more than half of the voting population of Kogi West Senatorial District, which Melaye represents.

They also presented a register of the said signatories and a letter, asking INEC to begin the process of recalling the senator representing that particular district.

Subsequently, the Commission, in the exercise of the powers conferred on it by Sections 116 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), on Monday issued a timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the senator.

The first stage is a verification exercise slated for July 10, 2017.

To that extent, filing a lawsuit is not enough to stop INEC from carrying out its legitimate duty.

Only a legitimate court order or an injunction can be considered by the commission, he said.

On claims by Melaye that some of the signatures submitted to INEC were forged and that names of dead registered voters were also included, Oyekanmi said that the process of verification would clear all that.

On method INEC would adopt in verifying thumbprints of registered illiterate voters who are part of the signatories for the recall, he said that it would be handled.

The Commission will adopt its normal way of conducting the verification exercise, which will be applicable to both the literate and not-so-literate.

He said that the Commission would apply its standards in a situation where people believed to have signed the recall letter, failed to show up for signature verification.

If the verification fails to meet the established standards, the commission will not proceed to the next stage. The recall process automatically terminates there, he stated.

Source: ( PM News )
Nigeria, Africas most crowded nation and home to more than 155 million individuals is amidst political, monetary and social shakiness. The north, focal and south eastern parts of Nigeria are the most influenced parts.

No wonder the country sits pretty comfortably on the 6th position of Africa 10 Most Dangerous Countries.

Killings in different forms has been the major headline in the last 8 Years. If it is not MEND it will be BOKO HARAM. If it is not HERDSMEN it will be KIDNAPPERS.

Tension fills the whole region and no where is considered save for habitation. Although, the efforts of the Nigerian Army is yielding the desired fruits as we were told sometime ago that these elements had been technically defeated.

Meanwhile, as the Nigerian government seeks to finding a solution to many problem bedevilling the country, event took a dramatic turn in the South Western region of Nigeria.

Around mid-2016, a group called BADOO was reported to have carried out a bloodletting operation at an area called Ikorodu, in Lagos State.

Their modus operandi is to sneak in to houses at the odd hour or hijack a loosely closed doors. They hit their victims on the head with a grinding stone and soak their blood in their magical handkerchief.

The spate of Badoo operations in Ikorodu is becoming increasingly alarming and nobody knows who their next target will be.

However, looking at the name Badoo, one may tend to mistake it for one of the Nigerian finest Indigenous rapper, Olamide, who adopted the nickname Badoo and turned it to a brand.

Olamide to lovers of indigenous Rap music needs no introduction. He is a musician who rose from nothing to become something. And he is never shy to remind his fans that hes truly from the street (ghetto).

As people continue to mumble on what brought the name Badoo for destructive missions, I ask : What Effect could Badoo Onslaughts Have On Olamide Badoos fan base and image.

Written By Sammyramires
An investigation about the rate of bribery among police officers in the South-eastern part of Nigeria has exposed the ills of the security outfit.

Inspector General of Polices campaign for the reformation of the Nigeria Police Force, (NPF) may just be a mirage when one considers what some officers serving in Anambra State declared recently.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the police officers declared that nobody will stop police from mounting road blocks and obtaining bribe popularly called Roja because of the nature of the State.

Some unrepentant officers justified their decision based on the fact that the residents in state were purportedly dubious and criminal minded people who can do anything to any officer who wanted to enforce law and order.

They also claimed that when any officer made arrest or wanted to enforce the law, there will be directives from above to allow the suspects to go despite the weight of the crime.

So it is better to collect than to stay there doing nothing as an officer one of the officers said.

A reporters visit to the state revealed that virtually in every corner of the state roadblocks were mounted and the officers were there dutifully collecting their Roja from motorists.

A correspondent findings revealed that the bribe arrangement was categorized in three ways with different price tags.

It was tagged that officers from divisions obtain between N50 to N100, Area Command Officers obtain between N100 and N200 while the Zone 9 officers collect N200 and above.

Once you are plying any road, you will meet those officers at the check points, and the only thing you need to check was where they came from and give them their money and drive away a motorist said.

The online news platform reports that the officers claimed that if the police really want to enforce law and order in the state, a good number of the residents were supposed to be in various prisons for various offences. But there were no encouragement and facilities where those criminal elements will be kept.

A reporters visit to the state revealed that there were so many road blocks mounted by the police across the state.

It is common in areas linking major towns like Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Oko, Uga, Umunze, Abagana, Aromo Junction, Agulu, Obosi, Uke, Awkuzu, etc.

Efforts to speak with the Police Public Relation Officer Anambra State over the matter proved abortive as his phones were switched off.

However, police sources said the issue was normal in the state and any Commissioner of Police who wanted to stop the practice will be frustrated by the officers.
The former Managing Director of Mainstreet Bank Registrars Limited, Lagos, identified as Oluwadare Akingbola, and four others have been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court over alleged theft of N1.040 billion from the account of Mainstreet Bank Registrars Limited.

The accused were first arrested by the operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, FCIID, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos and arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate court Lagos in separate charges in May, 2017 for the same offence.

They all pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime and were granted bail in the sum of N5 milion each with two sureties each in like sum.

In the new amended seven count charge No. H/20/2017, police prosecutor, ASP Henry Obiazi informed the court that Oluwadare Akingbola, Suleiman Adedoku, 46; Adegbami Adegoke Elijah, 43; Patrick Okoh, 35; Dauda Tawo Oluwashola, 43, and a woman, Udoka Martins Uwah still at large and others still at large committed the offence between December, 2016 and February, 2017 at Mainstreet Bank Offices in Gbagada and Maryland, Lagos.

Obiazi told the court that Akingbola connived with Adedokun and Udokah Martins Uwah still at large to steal the sum of N760 million from the account of Mainstreet Bank Registrars Limited.

He alleged that Akingbola also conspired with Adedokun, Oluwashola, Okoh and others still at large to withdrew the sum of N280 million from the account of Mainstreet bank Registrar without the authorities of the bank and shared the money among themselves.

Obiazi also alleged that the secret became open when the management of Mainstreet Bank Registrars Limited audited their account and uncovered the fraud.

He said the offences the accused person committed are punishable under section 411, 287, (5) (A) (9) (C) and 410 of the criminal laws of Lagos State.

All the accused again pleaded not guilty to the charges in the open court and Magistrate Mrs. O.G Oghre ordered that the defendants should continue to enjoy the previous bail granted them and adjourned the case till 13 July, 2017 for mention.

Source: ( PM News )
A Nigerian pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians, has again demanded that Senate President Bukola Saraki, in conjunction with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, direct the setting up of a medical panel to ascertain whether President Muhammadu Buhari is incapacitated, under the provisions of Section 144 sub-section 4 of the Nigerian Constitution.

It also asked the President to address the nation by live video by Thursday or face the prospects of organized protests in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

In a statement signed by convener Deji Adeyanju and Secretary John Danfulani, the group warned: If the President is found with any infirmity that renders him incapable of discharging his duties, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall officially declare him incapable of discharging his duties and declare his office vacant as prescribed in subsection 2 of section 143.

Pointing out that July 4th marks 58 days of Mr. Buharis absence from his office as President, and from the country on a medical vacation in the United Kingdom, the group observed that he has had almost no contact with Nigeria during the period, and made no public appearances.

To this end, we urge President Buhari to address the nation via a live video on or before the 60th day (2 days from today) of his absence, it urged.

It further demanded that AIT, Channels, Vanguard and Punch correspondents, along with representatives of SaharaReporters and Premium Times be present at the live event.

In failing to do so, we will begin a series of peaceful processions and mass action across the country such as [in] Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kaduna and also outside the country in London and New York aimed at sensitizing the public as to the legal & constitutional crisis created by President Buharis continued absence from office and the insistence of the cabal to shield him away from his constituents, the Nigerian people.

Concerned Nigerians is a pro-democracy group committed to accountability, rule of law, good governance and the fight against corruption.

Source: (SaharaReporters )
South African popular radio presenter has been fired by the Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), for calling President Jacob Zuma a zombie in a Facebook post, the privately owned News 24 site has reported. South African popular radio presenter has been fired by the Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), for calling President Jacob Zuma a zombie in a Facebook post, the privately owned News 24 site has reported.

According to SABC spokesman, Kaizer Kganyago, he said OAP Ravi Govenders contract was terminated because of concerns that he had brought the public broadcaster into disrepute.

Although, the Radio Lotus presenter had earlier apologized for the post that he said he had put up in anger after listening to a speech by the President at the governing African National Congress (ANC) policy conference in the main city, Johannesburg, on Friday

Just heard a Zombie Zuma giving a speech on the news. Massacring the beautiful English language. Uneducated creature. Even the other moron [Zimbabwes President Robert] Mugabe speaks much better, he was reported to have said in the post which was later deleted.

Mr. Zumas son, Edward, accused Mr. Govender of hate speech and threatened legal action against him.

We fail as a family to understand what prompted Ravi Govender to make such a statement referring to our father as a zombie. Is this still part of freedom of speech? We believe that this is the worst form of abuse of democracy that many of our leaders fought so hard to achieve, he was quoted by Times Live as saying.

Source: ( Linda Ikeji )
The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Wednesday, said the death of late Isiaka Adeleke has affected the sanity of his brother who is contesting Osun West senatorial election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Otunba Deji Adeleke.

He expressed regrets that the family of the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke has been using the unfortunate incident of his death to manipulate the minds of the people of the Ede ancient town.

He said this in Ede, Adelekes town, during the campaign for the APC candidate in the Saturday by-election, Senator Mudashiru Hussein.

Aregbesola said it is sad that since the death of the former governor of Osun in April, many lies and fabrications have emanated from the family and few of his loyalists.

Among the lies being peddled against him and his government include the fact that the younger brother of the politician, Dr. Deji Adeleke claimed that he borrowed the Aregbesola government money to pay workers salaries. He said it is also unthinkable that the Adeleke family would claim that Aregbesola begged Senator Adeleke to join APC.

This was just as the Governor along with the Timi of Ede, Oba Muniru Adesola Lawal, sued for peace, stating that the coming election should not be allowed to cause crisis.

The Governor said anywhere where peace is absent there can be no development.

He stated that God chooses whom he likes as a leader and so politicians should tred cautiously.

He held that APC did the best it could have done for the first democratically elected Governor of the state when his then party, Peoples Democratic Party PDP treated treated him by giving him the Senatorial ticket then.

Aregbesola stated that it was the late senator who came to APC uninvited because of the treatment he received in the PDP.

On the purported claim in some quarters that the Adeleke family helped his re election, the Governor said he never collected a Kobo from the younger brother of the late Senetor, Dr. Deji Adeleke or any of the Adelekes.

He added that his administration has never for any reason borrowed money from any individual or group to meet the states statutory obligations.

Aregbesola held that with the volume of workers salaries arrears and pensions at that time, no individual could borrow the state the amount required at that time.

According to him, Deji Adeleke does not have the financial capacity to bail out Osun from its financial challenges even before now, not to talk about lending us money to pay workers salaries.

If anything at all, it is their family that sought and got favours from the Osun State Government under my watch. It is to the glory of God that they got the Certificate of Occupancy of their university from our government.

Why didnt those who are their new friends give them C of O of that university?

If Deji Adeleke has so much money, why is he begging me to waive the payable tax of his university? Why cant he just pay?

I am bold enough to say this over and over again, because I have never sought for assistance from any of the Adelekes family even during the life time of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, nothing as such occurred.

Though my relationship with late Adeleke was cordial and beyond politics because we have known each other even before Osun politics because our residences are adjacent to each other in Lagos state.

He was a good brother and a friend to me while alive, but during this dire economic period, I never approach him for any financial assistance not to talk of obtaining cash from his brother.

The governor commended the monarch for calling for peace to reign in the entire senatorial district before during and after the election.

Aregbesola said it is the responsibility of the Oba to make sure peace reigns in his domains.

According to him, if the monarch fails to guarantee peace in his area, he will be the first person to be blamed for shirking in his responsibillity of the Oba to make sure peace reigns in his domains.

According to him, if the monarch fails to guarantee peace in his area, he will be the first person to be blamed for shirking in his responsibility.

I am very happy that you called for and preached peace to the people. As we all know there is no iota of gain in causing chaos.

And I must say here, Kabiesi, that peace in a town is the responsibly of a king. And if he fails in his secure that peace he will be the one that will be held responsible.

Source: Naijaloaded
There was a bit of uproar on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday when a point of order was raised, that the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki be made the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Some senators loyal to Saraki moved a motion calling him the acting president following the absence of Acting president Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari in the country.

Being the number three man, the senators said he should assume the position of the acting president but wise counsel was allowed to prevail as Saraki refused to allow any of his supporters to second the motion.

The Senate, upon resumption from its 3 weeks break, received a communication from Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Acting President of Nigeria, seeking the confirmation of Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, as the Director General of National Lottery Regulatory Commission.

The lawmakers, however, subjected the letter to deliberations, owing to the fact that the Acting President, had earlier reportedly said the Senate had no power to confirm nominees.

Senator Eyinanya Abaribe (Abia South), had raised a motion that the country had no President or Acting President at the moment, adding that, President Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo were neither in the country, as at the time.

Daily Post reports that this was greeted with a counter point, coming through order 53 rule 4 of the Senate standing rules, by Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central).

Marafa who cited relevant sections of the Nigerian constitution, said, if the President is not around, the Vice President should act, and if the Vice President is not around, the Senate President, who is the number 3 citizen should become acting President.

The Senate President, however, didnt allow any seconder or more comments, even when Senators were agitating to support the motion. He quickly ruled Senator Marafa out of order.

The Senate, had earlier called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to remove Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

The Red Chamber said the time has come for the Executive arm of government to obey its resolutions.

It also suspended all confirmation of appointments until compliance with its resolution.

Source: ( PM News )
The Ugandan government has announced through the Ministry of Public Service has banned public servants from dressing indecently to the office.

In a circular tweeted by privately owned Observer newspaper, it says women are not allowed to show their cleavage nor wear dresses or skirts that are above the knees. Sleeveless blouses or any clothing made out of see-through material are equally not permitted.

Womens pant-suits are allowed, but female public servants will not wear any tight-fitting clothing. Flat, open shoes are also ruled out, except in cases where one can prove that it is for medical reasons.

The circular further states that accessories should be modest, and women should not have bright hair colour, braids or extensions.

For the men, they are required to wear neat, long-sleeved shirts, jackets and ties, trousers that are not tight, keep their hair short and neat, and also not wear brightly-coloured clothes.

The circular, derived from the 2010 Public Service Standing Orders on dress-code, was forced to be put in place following the high rate of indecent dressing in the office.

Source: ( Linda Ikeji )
3-D representation of ocellar S-neuron projecting into the inner layer of the medulla in the honeybee brain. Credit: Adrian Dyer, RMIT

New research into the way that honeybees see colour could pave the way for more accurate cameras in phones, drones and robots.

Identifying colour in complex outdoor environments is extremely difficult because the colour of light is continuously changing.

Researchers in Melbourne, Australia, looked to see how honeybees solve this problem and discovered a totally new mechanism for processing colour information.

The results of the work by academics at RMIT University, Monash University, University of Melbourne and Deakin University were published today in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

The project, supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant, was coordinated by Associate Professor Adrian Dyer at RMIT, who has been working with Professor Marcello Rosa at Monash University and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function to solve this classic problem of how colour vision works.

Dyer said: For a digital system like a camera or a robot the colour of objects often changes. Currently this problem is dealt with by assuming the world is, on average, grey.

This means it's difficult to identify the true colour of ripe fruit or mineral rich sands, limiting outdoor colour imaging solutions by drones, for example.

Bees have three extra eyes (ocelli) on the top of their head that look directly at the sky, and lead author Dr Jair Garcia (RMIT) and a multidisciplinary team discovered that the ocelli contain two colour receptors that are perfectly tuned for sensing the colour of ambient light.

Bees also have two main compound eyes that directly sense flower colours from the environment.

Garcia said: Physics suggests the ocelli sensing of the colour of light could allow a brain to discount the naturally coloured illumination which would otherwise confuse colour perception.

But for this to be true the information from the ocelli would have to be integrated with colours seen by the compound eyes.

To test if this happened, Dr Yu-Shan Hung (University of Melbourne) mapped the neural tracings from ocelli and showed neural projection did indeed feed to the key colour processing areas of the bee brain.

Professor Andrew Greentree from the ARC Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics at RMIT said: It is rare that physics, biology, neuro-anatomy and ecology all fit together, but here we have it.

The system closely predicts previously observed behaviour of bees foraging in complex environments and provides a new solution for illuminations as diverse as natural forest light, sunlight, or shade.

Dyer said: We're using bio-inspired solutions from nature to tackle key problems in visual perception. This discovery on colour constancy can be implemented into imaging systems to enable accurate colour interpretation.

Professor John Endler (Deakin University) said: The discover provides a superb solution to a classic problem and makes colour constancy computationally inexpensive.

Rosa said: The strength of this study lies in the combination of modelling, behavioural analysis and neuro-anatomy. It shows how modern, interdisciplinary neuroscience can point to an elegant solution to classical problems in vision.

###

For interviews, images and high-res video contact:

RMIT University: David Glanz, +61 3 9925 2807 or + 61 438 547 723 or david.glanz@rmit.edu.au.

Monash University: Ruth Schneider, +61 3 9902 0892 or ruth.schneider@monash.edu.

Deakin University: Elise Snashall-Woodhams, +61 3 9246 8593 or e.snashallwoodhams@deakin.edu.au.
The government of China will prosecute the former president and vice chairman of People's Insurance Co (Group) of China Ltd (PICC) following the results of an investigation indicating he committed corrupt acts such as bribery.The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the anti-corruption watchdog of the ruling Communist Party, said in an online notice that Wang Yincheng has been expelled from the Party for serious discipline violations. This is the term the Party often uses when referring to corruption.CCDI investigations have revealed that Wang was found to have illegally influenced inspections and audits, connived with other corrupt officials, received bribes, and spent public money to pay for personal vacations, reports Reuters.In January, it was reported that Wang was under investigation for corruption and he was taken in for questioning.Wangs case has been handed over to judicial authorities, meaning he will stand trial for the charges. The Communist Party controls the judiciary, resulting in a high conviction rate.The anti-corruption crackdown initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping has snared several top officials, including heads of banks, insurers, and regulators. Xiang Junbo, chairman of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, was investigated and dismissed for corruption in April.
A global brand ranking has made for poor reading for the insurance industry with just three insurers making the top 100.The 2017 BrandZ Top Global Brands report, published by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown, rated Chinese firm Ping An as the most valuable insurance brand, coming in at 61 on the list with an estimated brand value of US$17.2bn.China Life took 78th (US$13.9bn) in the ranking whilst AIA were ranked 97th (US$11.6bn) in the report which measures brand equity based on interviews with more than three million consumers globally, as well as analysis of financial and business performance.In an insurance specific top 10, State Farm (US$9.2bn) and Allianz (US$6.3bn) rounded out the top five whilst global firms AXA and Zurich were also listed.The value of the Asian brands increased 676 percent over 10 years, while the US and European brand value declined 27 percent and 38 percent, respectively, the report noted.Challenges and opportunities for insurance brands remain on the horizon as demographic changes, societal trends and geopolitical uncertainty continue to impact the industry.Overall, insurance brands declined by 1% in value, as the connection between customer and brand remained relatively weak, due to digitisation and the commoditisation of the insurance sector.Businesses and individuals face many new threats, life events, and disruptions that are creating new opportunities for insurance brands to consider, Victoria Sakal, senior consultant at Kantar Vermeer, said.Sakal said that cyber remains a key area of growth as do changes to the sharing economy which have seen more small businesses require innovative cover.Insurance brands should also consider peer-to-peer insurance and on-demand options rather than buying an annual policy, consumers are looking for ways to buy insurance on an as-needed basis or for a specific occasion, Sakal continued.Brokers and insurers alike should look to provide more than risk transfer options. The report highlights as one example the use of telematics as a way to boost driver behaviours.As insurance firms position themselves into the lives of their customers as more than just a grudge purchase, brand value and trust will rise.The report also noted that millennials starting families presented the greatest opportunity for insurance firms.Insurers and brokers should consider how their current value proposition can best be communicated with these younger generations, the report advises, as well as becoming more positive in their outreach.Google were named as the most valuable brand in the world at US$245bn, followed by Apple (US$234bn) and Microsoft (US$143bn).
It is a criminal offence if directors do not apply for their director ID on time
American International Group will hire the CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies brokerage business to act as a deputy to AIG s top executive, sources say.Reuters reported that AIG is expected to hire Marsh CEO Peter Zaffino, who will leave the company to become AIG CEO Brian Duperreaults effective deputy.Marsh President John Doyle will take on the dual role of president and CEO when Zaffino leaves, Reuters reported. No other details of Zaffinos role at AIG are known.Duperreault, a protege of former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg, took the reins of the company in May, according to Reuters. Duperreault is known in the industry for his expertise in turning around struggling companies.Neither AIG nor Marsh & McLennan would comment on the report, according to the AP.
The Pennsylvania insurance commissioner has publically called her state senators health care stance irresponsible and frightening.Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller released a statement criticizing Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey's recent comment supporting a repeal of the Affordable Care Act without a replacement in place.The move would put the health care of millions of Pennsylvanians in jeopardy, she said.Senator Toomey's comment to Fox Business News Friday that he supports repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without legislation to replace this vital lifeline is irresponsible and frightening.Senator Toomey glibly assumes Congress will come up with a replacement health plan to provide coverage for his constituents by whatever arbitrary deadline is set but, in doing so, he ignores his own history and his constituents' well-being."The ACA helps many families with employer-sponsored and individual coverage by allowing adult children to remain on these plans through age 26. These young adults may be completing their education, working part time, or in entry level jobs that don't provide benefits, and this provision of the law gives them time to get their careers started and to begin paying down other expenses, such as student loans, without worrying about paying for health insurance.Miller said the Senator needed to listen to his constituents who rely on the ACA for healthcare."Another important provision of the ACA is the ban on excluding pre-existing conditions from coverage. Prior to the ACA, many plans would not cover pre-existing conditions, or would only cover them after a waiting period, or they forced those with pre-existing conditions into extremely expensive plans, Miller said."Senator Toomey needs to speak with Carl, from Cumberland County, who before the ACA, lost his insurance because a pre-existing condition spiked his premium from $400 to $3,400 a month in two years, forcing him to drop coverage and face potential financial ruin. Under the ACA, Carl, age 62, got affordable coverage because his pre-existing condition could not be excluded and could not affect his premium rate [and] Anna, from York County, who recently told me her story of having two children with severe, chronic health conditions, and for whom expanded Medicaid provides a vital lifeline Her family has insurance, but the costs of continuing care for their children, even with private coverage, was forcing Anna's family to choose between paying their monthly utility bills, and buying needed medicine for their children. Under expanded Medicaid, Anna's family can now pay their monthly bills on time."Miller said Senator Toomey was one of the 13 GOP senators who crafted the current Senate health care replacement in secret.This replacement, which has not come to a vote, would result in 22 million Americans losing coverage, she said."Placing a deadline before Congress and expecting its members to act by that deadline is far from a guarantee they will do so," Miller said."Pennsylvanians need to keep this  in mind, and not allow their health care to be put in jeopardy with a vague promise that Congress will come up with something before an arbitrary deadline returns health insurance to the very consumer un-friendly situation that existed prior to the Affordable Care Act."
Aetna Inc., the third-largest U.S. health insurer, will move its corporate headquarters to New York City next year, making it the latest company to leave Connecticut as the state raises taxes and deals with a budget deficit.

New York will get about 250 new workers with the move, while Aetna will keep thousands of jobs in Connecticut and hold on to its Hartford campus. It has about 6,000 employees in the state, most of them in the Hartford area, where it has been located for more than 160 years.

The move comes after Aetna and General Electric publicly criticized the state of Connecticut in 2015 for its taxes and business climate.

Later that year, Aetna agreed to buy Humana Inc., and a decision about its headquarters was delayed. General Electric announced last year that it was moving its headquarters to Boston from Fairfield, Connecticut.

The Humana deal was terminated earlier this year. A few months later, Aetna said it was considering several locations for a new headquarters.

After the move to the new building in Manhattan, Aetna will have between 1,000 and 2,000 employees in New York. New York City will provide a $9.6 million assistance package, the city said in a news release.

Regarding its operations in Connecticut, the company said on its website, Aetnas long-term commitment to Connecticut will be based on the states economic health.

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said in a statement that the state must address its long-term challenges head-on so that it can be more predictable for businesses and taxpayers.

(Editing by Taylor Harris and Matthew Lewis)

Related:

Topics New York Connecticut
Connecticut residents whose home foundations are crumbling are facing a perplexing problem with their insurance policies: The damage wont be covered unless their homes collapse.

More than two dozen insurance companies being sued in federal court by 40 homeowners recently filed court documents asking a judge to dismiss the class-action lawsuit for a variety of reasons, including that the plaintiffs are only covered if their houses fall down.

The motions to dismiss the lawsuit filed June 2 are adding to the dismay of the homeowners, who face living in potentially unsafe homes with plummeting values that cant be sold and would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix.

A house has to fall down before its covered for anything? Thats just preposterous, said Jeannette Lesperance, a plaintiff in the lawsuit whose Manchester homes foundation has large cracks. Theres nothing you can say to that.

State officials say possibly 30,000 or more homes and condominiums built in central and northeastern Connecticut from the mid-1980s to 2016 could be affected by the problem, which has been linked to the mineral pyrrhotite. The mineral naturally reacts with oxygen and water, causing concrete foundations to crack and crumble.

The problem, first discovered in the mid-1990s, has been traced to a Willington quarry that provided material to a concrete maker whose product was used in thousands of homes.

Lesperance and her husband, Alfred, are retirees. They say they cant afford the estimated $400,000 it would cost to repair their home.

Many other homeowners besides those in the class-action lawsuit also have been told their policies only cover collapse and not cracking or crumbling, said Ryan Barry, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit.

These houses are all in state of collapse, Barry said. You shouldnt have to wait for the house to fall into rubble, to cave into itself, to qualify for coverage.

Barry said the average cost of repairs was around $200,000 per home.

One of Barrys arguments in the lawsuit involves a 1987 decision by the state Supreme Court, which ruled that the word collapse in homeowners insurance policies did not just mean a home falling down but also substantial impairment in the structural integrity of a building.

Insurance companies later amended their homeowners policies across the country in response to that ruling and other court decisions, changing the definition of collapse to mean an abrupt or sudden falling down, Barry said. He also alleged the insurance companies made those changes without properly notifying homeowners as required by state law  a claim the insurance companies deny.

Representatives from several insurance companies being sued in the class-action lawsuit, including Travelers and Allstate, declined to comment.

While insurers have sympathy for the homeowners, they have to follow the letter of insurance policies, said Eric George, president of the Insurance Association of Connecticut, a trade organization that represents insurance companies that do business in the state.

Policies are envisioned to cover accidents, George said. Things that take place over time because of defective products are not covered. My heart goes out to the homeowners. Its an absolutely devastating situation.

Homeowners had hoped that the legislature and Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy would step in and help them, but a bill that would have set aside $15 million in assistance died during this years legislative session. Theyre now hoping lawmakers take up the issue again during a special session expected this summer.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Homeowners Connecticut
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into an apparent natural gas explosion that destroyed a Pennsylvania home and killed a utility worker.

The UGI Utilities worker was checking out a reported gas odor when the house in Manor Township, Penn., near Lancaster, Penn., exploded at about 12:15 p.m. Sunday.

Homeowner Jeannine Hughes says a UGI worker told her moments before the blast that natural gas readings near the home were close to 100 percent.

The county coroner has yet to release the dead workers name and didnt immediately return a call Monday.

Two other UGI workers were hurt and a local sewer worker was also injured. Hughes family was unharmed.

Spokesman Christopher ONeil says the NTSB has jurisdiction over any gas pipelines outside a residence or business.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Pennsylvania
About 20,000 gallons of crude oil belonging to Exxon Mobil Corp. was released after a Canadian National Railway Co. freight train derailed on June 30 at Plainfield, Illinois.

The cause of the derailment was unknown, a filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said on July 1.

Twenty cars of the south-bound Canadian National train carrying crude oil were involved in the derailment, while three of the cars leaked, CN spokesman Patrick Waldron said.

There were no injuries, fire or threat to public safety, Waldron said, adding the track has been repaired and trains have resumed operating through the area.

Environmental clean-up work is underway at the site of derailment and the investigation into the cause of the accident would continue into this week, he said.

Reporting by Vijaykumar Vedala and Eileen Soreng in Bengaluru; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Lisa Shumaker

Topics Energy Oil Gas Illinois
Oklahomas rural roads and bridges are among the worst in the nation, according to a new report from a national transportation group.

TRIP researchers said 16 percent of Oklahomas rural bridges are structurally deficient, The Oklahoman reported. Thats the seventh highest rate in the nation.

The report also determined that 22 percent of Oklahomas rural roads are in poor condition and rank 10th worst rate in the nation.

According to the report, fatal accidents on Oklahomas rural roads are more than double the rate of the accidents on the states interstates and non-rural roads.

Oklahoma AAA spokesman Chuck Mai said the Legislature needs to help fund the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has been open about the deteriorated pavement conditions on Oklahoma highways, department spokesman Cody Boyd said, adding: Oklahoma didnt get into this situation overnight, and it cannot be fixed overnight.

Counties have invested about $900 million to improve roads and bridges over the last 12 years, according to Gene Wallace, executive director of the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma. He estimated it will take about $3 billion to $4 billion to make a difference.

In our opinion, if you want to have a progressive growing state, youve got to have an infrastructure to carry the traffic, Wallace said. Weve lost funding, like three years in a row, that have delayed some of these projects.

Wallace said many of the states bridges were constructed before 1930, but that the weight of vehicles has increased since then and has contributed to the number of inadequate bridges that weve got out there.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Oklahoma
An insurance provider whose imprisoned client drove into a crowd at Oklahoma State Universitys 2015 homecoming parade will provide $100,000 to the victims.

A judge is expected to decide how the money will be divided during an August hearing, The Oklahoman reported.

Mark Smiling, an attorney for Farmers Insurance, said the victims, along with medical care and insurance providers, wont receive a lot of money. He said thats common when there isnt enough insurance proceeds to pay for an accidents full damages.

Its totally up to the judges discretion how hes going to divide those proceeds, Smiling said.

The crash killed four people and injured dozens of others.

Prosecutors alleged the driver, Adacia Chambers, 27, sped up before slamming into the parade spectators. Chambers attorneys said she has a mental illness and experienced a psychotic episode at the time of the crash.

Chambers pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in January. She was sentenced to life in prison.

The victims incurred medical bills that ranged from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. But Chambers liability coverage capped at $100,000 for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage.

Most of your carriers dont write huge policies on young people, Smiling said. She had a little more than the minimum, but not enough there to cover all the damages.

The insurance company has already paid more than $37,000 to Stillwater for damages. At the hearing, $12,537 in coverage for property damage also will be divided up.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Agribusiness Oklahoma
A bus driver was killed and eight passengers injured when a tire failed and the driver lost control of the bus carrying support staff from an Illinois drum corps.

The bus drove over the median before tumbling onto its left side shortly after 4 a.m. Monday on Interstate 10 about 10 miles from the Arizona-California border, Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Quentin Mehr said.

The driver, 55-year-old Donna M. Howard from Kansas City, Missouri, died after being partially ejected from the vehicle, according to Mehr, who said she wasnt wearing a seatbelt at the time of the rollover.

The bus was being used by the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, Illinois, Mehr said. The Phantom Regiment said in a statement that the bus was shuttling the groups support staff, not performers, between shows in California and Arizona.

Eight of the 13 passengers were taken to hospitals in Arizona and California, including two who were airlifted to a Phoenix hospital.

All eight were treated and released from hospitals by Monday evening, Mehr said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Arizona
Homeowners in northern Arizona were given the green light to return days after being displaced by a fast-moving wildfire, while residents more than 200 miles away fled their homes after a blaze forced an evacuation of a small mountain community overlooking Tucson.

By Monday, more than 850 firefighters had contained 75 percent of the fire that has scorched 43 square miles near Prescott, authorities said. Fire crews were still working on containing the northern portion of the blaze, spokeswoman Tiffany Davila said.

In southern Arizona, the Pima County Sheriffs Department said Summerhaven and Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains were evacuated, but officials do not immediately know how many people were affected.

About 50 full-time residences were evacuated in the community as the fire burned about 22-square miles (57 square kilometers), spokesman Deputy Ryan Inglett said. There are hundreds of structures that are at risk, Inglett said.

Many homes and cabins on the mountain are summertime retreats where Tucson-area residents go to escape the desert heat.

The fire has scorched through grass, brush, and timber since it started Friday in foothills of Redington Pass, officials said. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

Firefighters this wee were also battling wildfires in California, Utah, New Mexico and Washington state.

Crews in southern Utah were hoping to make progress on a wildfire that forced more than 1,500 people to flee homes and campsites since it started two weeks ago. In California, firefighters stopped the progression of a small wildfire that triggered evacuations in a rural area north of Fresno.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Homeowners Arizona
Jeremy D. Morley concentrates on International Family Law. The firm works with clients around the world from its New York office, with a global network of local counsel. Mr Morley is the author of "International Family Law Practice", the leading treatise on international family law in the U.S., and "The Hague Abduction Convention", published by the American Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a former law professor.
The reports author, from the Danish Ministry of Finance, tells ITR - in his personal capacity - that more robust policies are needed to tackle what is a serious global problem.
Francesi di nuovo alle urne per il secondo turno delle elezioni legislative. Esito scontato, secondo gli ultimi sondaggi che assegnano a La Repubblique En Marche del presidente Emmanuel Macron tra i 440 e i 470 seggi.

Tutta lopposizione dovrebbe spartirsi i restanti 100: meta ai Republicains, poco piu di una ventina ai socialisti, una decina ai radicali di sinistra di Jean-Luc Melenchon, il resto  da uno a 4  al Front National. Probabilmente sara Marine Le Pen a fare il suo ingresso per la prima volta in Parlamento (al terzo tentativo e in ballottaggio favorevole nella sua circoscrizione a nord). Ma se i quasi 11 milioni di voti delle presidenziali dovessero portare addirittura a una diminuzione della rappresentanza in Parlamento (attualmente per il Fn i seggi sono 2, ma rischiano di dimezzarsi) la disfatta degli avversari di Macron sarebbe completa.

Una maggioranza schiacciante rischia di escludere ogni possibilita di dibattito, Emmanuel Macron avra tutte le chiavi in mano lamenta Francois Baroin, leader dei Republicains che dovra anche occuparsi di mediare fra i Macron-compatibili del suo partito e gli irriducibili che vogliono stare comunque allopposizione. Melenchon arriva a mettere in guardia contro unAssemblee Nationale dove lopposizione avra meno deputati di quelli su cui puo contare lopposizione in Russia. Eppure, un sondaggio Elabe aveva svelato nei giorni scorsi che il 61% dei francesi avrebbe preferito correggere il voto del primo turno, nel senso di un riequilibrio della situazione in campo.

Ma non sara impresa facile, dal momento che spesso il candidato Lrm promosso al ballottaggio attirera molto piu del proprio avversario voti dispersi di chi e stato eliminato. Pesa poi lincognita astensionismo, dopo il record del 51,3% stabilito 15 giorni fa: secondo un sondaggio diffuso ieri sera, il 53% di francesi avrebbe gia deciso di non andare a votare domani. Lidea prevalente al primo turno che tutto sia gia deciso in favore di Macron e diventata ormai una convinzione generale.
A leading healthcare agency has called on the Government to lift prescription charges for homeless people.

Safetynet Primary Care, a charity which runs 20 clinics in Dublin, Limerick and Cork, said the benefit would be a "quick fix" to some of the health problems for people in emergency accommodation and hostels.

Dr Fiona O'Reilly, Safetynet general manager, told the Oireachtas Health Committee that asking homeless people to pay for medication was a barrier to care.

The committee also heard calls for the Government to speed up the opening of "fix rooms" in Dublin for heroin-users to inject under medical supervision.

Safetynet also questioned why GPs were not tasked by the HSE with providing methadone therapy as a basic service.

There are more than 7,000 people classed as homeless, including more than 2,000 children.

Dr O'Reilly warned about people who had been forced to live in emergency accommodation in B&Bs, hotels and new family hubs then being given homeless-specific healthcare.

"As much as people should be kept out of homelessness, they should be kept out of homeless-specific services," she said.

"We have failed again if another cohort comes into homeless services."

Dr O'Reilly also told the committee that Ken Loach's critically acclaimed film I, Daniel Blake, which won the Palm d'Or in Cannes, should be mandatory viewing for anyone working in public services.

"It really shows how the State helps people into homelessness," she said.

The committee was told of studies which found two-thirds of homeless people suffered chronic health issues and more than half had mental health conditions.

It heard that Safetynet reached more than 50% of the homeless population with primary care services.

Dr Austin O'Carroll, medical director of Safetynet and director of the North Dublin City GP Training Programme, said two of his patients had died in the last six months while waiting to get methadone treatment.

He cited the tragic death of a young mother from the Midlands who was forced to travel to Dublin to access the therapy.

Dr O'Carroll said that despite doing well on the treatment she was forced to return to the capital for a prescription but was violently assaulted when she stayed in a hostel and ended up back on the streets.

She died three weeks later from an overdose.

"I think if she had got treated down the country she would not be dead," he told the committee.

"People don't realise but more people die from drug related death than from suicide or car accidents combined. It's the biggest killer of young people."

Safetynet also warned that outpatient services for homeless people was a waste of money because so many people did not attend.

Dr O'Carroll warned that more than half of the 40 Hepatitis C patients he referred to hospital for potentially lifesaving treatment did not turn up for appointments.

"I told them all it was lifesaving," he said.

"Twenty-six missed their appointments and did not turn up."
Protesters gathered outside a Dublin-based property company earlier against high rents.

Independent TD Mick Wallace was one of the protesters outside IRES, a firm that has some 2,400 units on its books.

The protest coincided with the launch of a new block of apartments in Sandyford in Dublin.

'The Maple' apartment complex will see rents start at 1,800.

The Dublin Tenants Association has picketed the headquarters on Dublin's Grand Canal dock.

Mick Wallace rallies against his old business of building and property development. Is 1800 for a 1 bed ridiculous? @NewstalkDrive pic.twitter.com/dSpzpLPD2c  Henry McKean (@HenryMcKean) July 5, 2017

The group said the protest was called in response to escalating rents and the wider issue of Government-supported vulture fund activity in Dublins crisis hit housing market.

IRES was established in 2014 and has already amassed 2,378 properties, making it one of the biggest private landlords in the country.

Dublin Tenants Association claim tenants have contacted them about poor treatment by IRES.

Mr Wallace told the crowd: "They have flogged them - vulture funds - for a fraction of their worth.

"I've seen apartments sold for less than 100,000 on days when you couldn't be put back there for 200,000 if you got the land for nothing and you were allowed interest free money to do the same.

"It just doesn't make sense.

"We've the likes of... one beds at 1,900 plus a month, three beds at 2,700 a month plus - who in God's name can afford them?

"And why has the Government been prepared to sit back and just allow the whole thing to disintegrate in how we supply our housing in Ireland is beyond me".

Podcast: Vulture Fund Protest on 1800 for a one bed. @NewstalkDrive @NewstalkFM https://t.co/KeOKKNFi9O  Henry McKean (@HenryMcKean) July 5, 2017

Newstalk Drive's Henry McKean went to the protest, and met some of the people struggling to pay rent.

One renter, Patrick Nealise, said: "What happened was I fell into difficult circumstances - personal and mental health wise - and I couldn't afford the rent on a one-bed no more.

"And I had a child that was staying with me and I was told I had to get a two-bed.

"I'm still in a one-bed - I think they're pricing people out of their homes".
Some 300 Islamic State fighters remain in the small patch of territory still controlled by the terror group in Mosul's Old City, a senior Iraqi commander has said.

Lieutenant General Sami al-Aridi, of Iraq's special forces, told the Associated Press that the militants' hold on Mosul has shrunk to an area of 600 square yards.
In his maiden speech at the National Assembly as premier, Mr Philippe promised 20bn of tax cuts by the end of President Emmanuel Macrons term in 2022. Spending will drop by the equivalent of 3 percentage points of GDP in that time and taxation will fall by 1 point, he said.

We must face the truth about the financial situation of the country, Mr Philippe said.
Industrial espionage costs German industry billions of euro each year with SMEs often the biggest losers, the BfV domestic intelligence agency said in its annual report.

The report mapped out a range of security threats including Islamist militancy and increased far-right violence, but highlighted the growing incidence of cyber espionage.
TUI is studying whether to take a majority stake or even full ownership of the proposed leisure airline  which was intended to combine assets from Air Berlins Niki and TUIs TUIfly.

However, TUIs reluctance to add German capacity stands in the way of a deal, said one of the sources.

The original project, which collapsed a month ago when Abu Dhabi-based Etihad pulled out, was aimed at letting German tour operator TUI revive its unprofitable TUIfly airline while allowing loss-burdened Air Berlin to offload its Niki leisure brand.

TUI and Etihad, Air Berlins biggest investor, would have each held about one-quarter of the venture, with just over 50% owned by the Niki Privatstiftung foundation in Austria. Combining TUIfly and Niki would have created a 60-plane fleet.

While TUI could buy Niki and is considering such a deal, that option isnt likely because carving Niki out of Air Berlin would be costly and time-consuming.

Plus, TUI wants to reduce its German airline capacity amid a glut of seats.

That said, its in TUIs interest to ensure Air Berlins survival because if that carrier fails, TUIfly would have to take back the 14 aircraft and crews it is leasing to its partner.

All parties involved are under pressure.

Air Berlin has posted seven annual losses in the past eight years, and the TUIfly-Niki venture was part of a strategy to narrow its focus to its scheduled flight network while jettisoning point-to-point and leisure operations.
The local community council is organising the meeting to discuss the Mackinnon report, which advocates Carrigtwohill, 18km east of Cork city, along with a number of other towns, coming under the control of City Hall.

Guest speaker at the event is Alf Smiddy, whose previous report, submitted in 2015, recommended a merger of the city and county into a single local authority. The idea was shelved.

However, a majority of residents and industries in Carrigtwohill were reportedly shocked by the Mackinnon report.

The community council has also invited residents from nearby Glounthaune to attend the meeting.

One local said: Many people see it as nothing more than a land grab for rates, especially as Carrigtwohill possesses a lot of industry and there is plenty of land zoned there for more.

Thousands of houses are also planned in the area, with the land already zoned by the county council.

The proposed housing developments are earmarked for sites close to the railway station, ensuring any boundary extension would hugely benefit the city council, rather than the county council, from additional local property tax payments.

County councillor Anthony Barry, who lives in the town, said: All the conversation, since the details of this report were made public, has been about Cork city and, indeed, the wider Cork region.

At no stage has the effects on local communities, like Carrigtwohill and Glounthaune, been ever mentioned and it is only fair that members of the general public, affected by these decisions, be given the opportunity to offer their opinions.

He welcomed the local groups decision to invite Mr Smiddy, who had chaired the statutory review group. The meeting commences at 8pm.

Mr Barry said: The Carrigtwohill Community Council wants to inform the residents of the likely local impact.

He insisted the towns and villages affected by the Mackinnon report had been well-served by Cork County Council over the decades.
Justin Trudeaus trip to Ireland could certainly not be regarded as a token visit if the amount of Irish-themed presents he received was anything to go by.

But during a day of present showering, it was the gift of Irish heritage that will perhaps be most treasured by the Canadian leader.

Wow, this is news to me, a grinning Mr Trudeau said as his Co Cork lineage was uncovered during a visit to the EPIC centre.

Mr Trudeau, who arrived in Ireland on Monday with his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau and son Hadrien, met with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday morning.

He was presented with his first present, a 1927 edition of a book on WB Yeats which featured the poem The Lake Isle of Inishfree. This was followed by an Irish rugby jersey in recognition of Canadas support for this countrys World Cup bid; a pair of Celtic-design socks; a Dublin GAA jersey; a bodhran; a hurley; an ancient picture of Dublins CHQ building; and finally a framed family tree tracing his Irish roots.

The PM @JustinTrudeau showcasing his skills, I think he'd make a strong Centre back! V.Proud to meet local man @campaignforleo as Taoiseach. pic.twitter.com/EmcYAeA5dP  Ciaran Kilkenny (@CKKilkenny93) July 4, 2017

Experts at the Irish Family History Centre uncovered the far-back Irish link on Mr Trudeaus mothers side, revealing he is a direct descendant of the Bernard family from Cork.

Mr Trudeau was related to Arthur Bernard, who was High Sheriff of Cork in 1697 and MP for Bandon from 1713-14. The prime ministers great (x6) grandfather Francis Bernard received a degree from Trinity College in 1729 before moving to London. However, yesterday Mr Trudeau was told it took Mr Bernard seven years to complete the degree which should have only taken three.

That must be a family tradition, he joked.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, who joined Mr Trudeau yesterday afternoon, suggested he visit Cork on a return trip to Ireland and said it would be on the front page of the local Bandon paper now that his roots have been uncovered.

After their early morning meeting, Mr Varadkar also pointed to the strong ties between Ireland and Canada.

I think it has been a very positive thing that Irish people have migrated to Canada. At one stage it was about 14,000 a year, that has now gone down considerable to about 6,000 a year because of the change in our economy, he said.

Mr Varadkar said many of these emigrants had returned with greater skills, which boosted our economy.

Asked about the threat Brexit poses, the Taoiseach said that Britain would not be able to engage in separate trade agreements with countries such as Canada before they fully exit the EU.

For so long as the United Kingdom is a member of the European Union, they are not at liberty to conclude trade agreements with other countries, Mr Varadkar said. Certainly, I cant see a scenario where Britain would remain a member of the EU, even in a transitional period and then negotiate, other trade deals on their own.
Third and fourth-generation shop owners on Cornmarket St said City Hall needs to overhaul its entire approach to the management of the Coal Quay street market amid claims that its vision to rejuvenate its street trading tradition has failed.

They said the councils proposals  first unveiled in 2009  to create a thriving open-air market on the back of a 4m investment in the area which was completed in 2011  has just not been delivered.

At lunchtime yesterday, just one of the handful of stalls was trading, and for only a few hours. The Murray sisters, who have been trading in the area for two generations, declined to comment.

But James Cogan, the fourth generation of his family to run McCarthys on Cornmarket St, established by his great grandmother Nora McCarthy, then run by her daughter Nora, and then his father Charlie, said everybody wants a thriving street market to succeed.

But its not being managed properly, and there has been little or no consultation, he said.

There is a tradition of trading here. This is where people came to shop, to be entertained. They tried to change it, to improve it, but they took the wrong approach and it just hasnt worked.

Traders on Corks Cornmarket St in 1937. Picture: Irish Examiner archive

There are unique shops in this area  shops that give Cork its character  and stalls that you just wont get in any other city. This is ours. Its our place. And its bursting for something to happen.

Brenda Harte, who was born in a building on Cornmarket St, and who like her mother and grandmother before her has worked in nearby Twomeys shop, for 62 years, said Cornmarket St should be managed properly.

There was loads of people traded here years ago, and when they did the road works, they were supposed to develop the market more, she said.

But there are a few stalls at the top that only open a few hours a day, then they have a food market on Saturdays at the other end, and there is a big gap in the middle.

This is Corks designated market and they dont utilise it properly. We have a big path now, with nobody on it. Its not our fault that they didnt fulfil their promises.

They were responding to calls on Monday from publican Benny McCabe for round-table talks on the future of the streets market trading tradition.

He said he is considering legal action against the city because the vacant market stalls are blocking the listed building which houses one of his landmark pubs, the Bodega.

The stalls that have been erected. Picture: Denis Minihane

He insisted he wants a street market to succeed and thrive in the area but he said the stalls should be designed and managed properly.

But not everyone shares his view. Ann Horgan, from Togher, has been shopping with the Coal Quay street traders three times a week for the last 35 years.

I used to come in as a little girl with my mother, and remember the other markets, and since they done it up, its brilliant, she said.

Im quite happy with the stalls I come to. Its the craic, and the shopping, we talk about old times, and if you have a problem, you can share it with the staff running the stalls.

I come down for the chat, it gets me out of the house, well have the chat and the laugh, and its many the bargain I got here  bed clothes, pillows, duvets, you name it, I get the best here.

A spokesman for City Hall said the city council has invested heavily in the public realm in the historic area and is committed to working with everyone in the area to ensure that the Coal Quay contributes strongly to the economy of the city centre.
Ireland has a nationally funded, school-based girls-only HPV immunisation programme that started in 2010.

HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer in woman. But it has also been shown to be associated with anal, genital and throat cancer in both males and females.

It is also linked to penile cancer in men and with the development of genital warts in both men and women.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) will establish the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of extending the national immunisation schedule to include HPV vaccination of boys.

Hiqa will undertake the health technology assessment supported by an expert advisory group that it is currently forming.

The evaluation was requested by Health Minister Simon Harris. The final results are expected in the autumn next year and will be submitted to the minister for his consideration.

Hiqas deputy chief executive and director of health technology assessment, Dr Mairin Ryan, said the HPV vaccine had been shown to be safe and it is highly effective in preventing cervical cancer in women.

HPV infection is the most commonly acquired sexually transmitted viral infection. In most cases, it causes no symptoms and is cleared by the bodys immune system. However, persistent infection can lead to the development of cancer, said Dr Ryan.

The Irish Cancer Society is concerned that the uptake of the vaccine among first-year secondary school girls dropped from 87% to 50% over a two-year period and, if says if it is not reversed, women will continue to die needlessly from HPV-caused cancers.

It also believes it is time for the Government to extend the HPV school vaccination to boys so that as many lives as possible can be saved. While 335 women are diagnosed with cancers caused by HPV each year, 85 men in Ireland also develop cancer that can potentially be prevented by a simple and safe vaccination.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) is questioning the need for an assessment at all, given that medical evidence proves the vaccination is highly effective.

IMO president Dr Ann Hogan said there was a need for a highly effective communications strategy to inform parents of the medical facts around the success and effectiveness of the vaccine. Children needed to be educated about how to reduce the risk of contracting HPV, she said.

There has been a steady erosion of confidence in and uptake of the vaccine based on irresponsible scaremongering and if uptake continues to decline it will have serious consequences for all our young people, said Dr Hogan.
John Heaphy, 30, with an address at Crestfield Downs, Glanmire, Co Cork, and previously of Blarney St, Cork, brought the case against the two drivers and the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).

Ms Justice Bronagh OHanlon said at the High Court, sitting in Cork, that she would adjourn the case for mention at the High Court in Dublin on October 31.

This is on the basis that the plaintiff takes all necessary steps to get the first and second defendants before the court so they can be heard in relation to their defence of the case if they wish, said Ms Justice OHanlon.

The judge also told lawyers for the plaintiff and for the MIBI that she required written submissions to be sent to the court registrar by October 5.

The first two defendants in Mr Heaphys civil action yesterday are the drivers of two cars who were convicted in 2010 for dangerous driving causing the death of two teenagers.

At Cork Circuit Criminal Court in December 2010, James Simms, 35, of no fixed address, and Philip Murphy, 48, of 58 Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Cork, were sentenced for their dangerous driving on May 14, 2010, on Harbour View Road, causing the death of CJ Dolan, 16, and Derry OCallaghan, 19.

John Heaphy was the front seat passenger in the car driven by Simms and in which the two teenagers were fatally injured.

Elizabeth OConnell, senior counsel for the plaintiff, said Mr Heaphy sustained multiple injuries in the crash including seven fractures to his head, as a result of which he sustained serious damage to one eye and was also left with Bells Palsy.

Liability is hugely an issue in the case, said Ms OConnell.

The plaintiff was playing football at Hollywood estate at around 11.30pm on the night of the incident when his friend, Darren Lenihan, was grabbed and forced into the boot of a Volkswagen Golf which was driven away by Murphy. Mr Heaphy and others followed in a Ford Mondeo driven by Simms.

Those in the pursuing cars later managed to establish that their friend was not in the boot of the Volkswagen but this car then followed their vehicle, the Mondeo, leading ultimately to the fatal crash.

Mr Heaphy was put on trial on a charge of making a threat to cause damage to property before any of this occurred but he was acquitted on this charge in June 2011.

Lorraine OSullivan, senior counsel, represented the defence.

Their case is that the plaintiff was negligent in travelling in a car that was bound to crash and that this likelihood was foreseeable. Also the defence is that the driver of the Mondeo was not insured and Mr Heaphy would have known this.

Mr Heaphy testified that he only got into the Mondeo because his friend had been taken away.

My friend was taken, we just wanted him to be safe, said Mr Heaphy.
Ministers and TDs from the region were confronted by cardiac care campaign groups yesterday, while Health Minister Simon Harris was criticised for not meeting families.

Several hundred people marched on Leinster House demanding 24-hour cardiac services and mobilised support after Co Waterford farmer Tom Power died of a heart condition while being transferred to Cork on Sunday, June 18.

His sister Catherine yesterday met politicians and campaigners but had strong words for ministers, including Mr Harris.

Contact me and get these doors opened. Now! The South East deserve this. I dont want another summer just because he is swanning off now, booking his holiday. I expected him to be there.

He doesnt realise the risk he is putting people in from the South East. He has one job  to look after peoples health.

Ciara Gore from Waterford, 11, joins protesters outside Leinster House in calling for a 24/7 cardiac facility for the South East.

Hilary ONeil, founder of the South East Patient Advocacy Group, said families in the region were suffering in a medical apartheid. Our lives are as important as people from Cork, Limerick and Dublin, she said.

Mr Power (39), from Bell Lake near Dunmore East, died in an ambulance near Dungarvan. The father-to-be had not been able to access urgent care at University Hospital Waterford where cardiac services close at night-time and on weekends.

The death raised questions as to whether Mr Power would have survived if he had been able to access the type of cardiac services available in Dublin or Cork.

Protesters make sure their voices are heard outside Leinster House.

The Government is relying on a review to reject demands that the South East needs a second full-time cath lab and, instead, have plans for a temporary facility and a further review.

The issue was raised by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin in the Dail yesterday, where he said a report in 2012 for the HSE had recommended a second cath lab  where special equipment is used to examine a persons heart  for Waterford.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar replied that money had been set aside for a mobile lab and additional hours provided for staff. A national review will be conducted at a late stage, he said.

Minister Harris, in a statement, said he had expressed his deepest sympathy to the Power family. Extra funding of 500,000 had been provided for Waterford Hospital to improve services, he said.

He reiterated that all decisions on how to configure health services must be evidence based. A further review of the cardiac services at Waterford will also be undertaken.

But other campaigners and patients say they will not wait for more reviews or promises. Jill Hicks from Waterford, who has an irregular heartbeat condition, described how she received treatment for her illness. She was lucky, she said.

I was very aware of my own mortality. I live 10 minutes from Waterford Hospital, yet I have to travel at least 90 minutes to Dublin or Cork if something is wrong. This is unsafe. We want the same cardiac care services that families elsewhere have. A temporary laboratory is not good enough. There are literally people dying on the side of the street now.

Junior jobs minister John Halligan, a Waterford TD, said the review and temporary lab was by no means the final solution: It is an interim measure while we continue to fight for improved services at UHW and that fight is only beginning, judging by the crowd who turned out at Leinster House.
The call for a health study, similar to one established in Australia to examine the correlation between illnesses in its air force and their members use of chemicals, comes following months of revelations in the Irish Examiner.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he will raise the request in the Dail, and said the Governments response to the scandal has been deficient to date.

Mr Martins stance follows a recent meeting he and his party defence spokeswoman Lisa Chambers held with a number of former Air Corps staff.

The group, all in their 40s and 50s, listed the litany of illnesses they have suffered since leaving the Air Corps, including rectal cancer, Hodgkins lymphoma, heart attacks, autoimmune diseases, depression and anxieties, solvent-induced encephalopathy, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease  even among non-smokers.

All suffer significant health issues, Mr Martin said, describing the encounter as a sad and often difficult meeting.

One has undergone five surgeries and is in constant pain. They all have personal issues. One has had two heart attacks and in one instance was kept alive by his wife and a first responder, said Mr Martin.

All were exposed to chemicals, and in at least one case, the person was tubbed  sat in a bath and doused in chemicals which was a ritual at the time, he said.

I was taken aback at some of what they had to say, particularly about not having protective clothing.

One told me that subsequent to his time at the Air Corps, he went into private industry and couldnt get over the contrast in terms of the attitude and directions for handling chemical spills and use of protective suits. The contrast was striking.

Mr Martin said the men were not aware of any potential link until they caught up with their former Air Corps colleagues via social media, or until they read coverage of the issue in the Irish Examiner.

He said the men are now compiling a list of former technicians who are suffering chronic illnesses or have died.

My own concern is that there has been a significant absence in transparency, said Mr Martin.

He said his party would call for the publication of an independent report on Air Corps whistleblower allegations which was recently presented to the Department of Defence, along with all health and safety reports into conditions at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.

Mr Martin said similar experiences in Australia provide an example Ireland can follow in tackling the issue.

We have to move from anecdotal examples to an evidence-based study, he said.

We need a proper, urgent health study that contrasts Air Corps technicians with the general population, he said.

In January, this newspaper revealed that three Air Corps whistleblowers made protected disclosures alleging a number of shortcomings in the management of health and safety issues in the technical stores in Casement Aerodrome, where chemicals used in the cleaning and maintenance of aircraft are deployed on a daily basis.
The dramatic raids, which included the offices of industry representative body, Insurance Ireland, were conducted yesterday morning based on the concerns of the EU Competition Directorate regarding alleged price fixing in motor insurance.

In a statement, the European Commission confirmed that its officials had carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in motor insurance in Ireland.

The Commission has concerns that the companies involved may have engaged in anti-competitive practices in breach of EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and/or abuse of a dominant market position, the statement said.

It said these offences are under Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The commission said its officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).

The CCPC itself launched an investigation into this area last September, which is thought to be separate to the EU probe.

The commission statement said: Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step into suspected anti-competitive practices.

It said such inspections do not mean companies are guilty, nor did it prejudge the outcome of the probe.

The Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular, the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings, it said.

The commission said there was no legal deadline to complete inquiries and that it depended on a number of factors  including, the complexity of the case, the extent to which companies co-operate with the commission and the exercise of the rights of defence.

Insurance Ireland yesterday confirmed it was subject to an unannounced inspection at its premises by the European Commission.

Insurance Ireland understands that the inspection at its premises relates to databases concerning claims history information and drivers penalty points. Insurance Ireland is co-operating fully with the European Commission and is confident its practices are fully compliant with competition law. Insurance Ireland is not in a position to comment further at this time.

In a statement, the CCPC said it was working with the commission in its investigation.

The European Commission investigates potential infringements of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, it said. The CCPC cannot provide any information in relation to the European Commissions investigation.

Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath said: The number one priority of this investigation has to be to ensure that consumers are protected from any potential anti-competitive behaviour in the insurance industry.
By the standards of these affairs it took off at lightning speed, examining whether Sergeant Maurice McCabe was subjected to a blackening of his character because he complained of malpractice in An Garda Siochana.

The starting point for the inquiry concerns a distasteful allegation from 2006 against McCabe of inappropriately touching a young girl. This occurred when McCabe was sergeant-in-charge of Bailieborough station in Co Cavan, at a time when, it has since emerged, there were serious problems with policing in the district. The allegation came from the daughter of a colleague.

Yesterday, the tribunal heard that there were issues around the credibility of the allegation, the history of the complainant, and the manner in which the matter was dealt with by the child protection services.

A chilling picture emerged of the fate that can befall a citizen accused of a child-related offence, irrespective of the credibility of such an allegation.

The starting point for much of this was December 6, 2006, when the child protection arm of the HSE got a call from Mrs D, mother of Ms D, the complainant. At the time, Ms D was about 14. Social worker Rhona Murphy told the tribunal Ms D claimed that, eight years previously, during a visit to Sgt McCabes home, he engaged in a game with her and other children, in which he held Ms D over a sofa, everybody was fully clothed, and the word humping was used to describe the motion.

By December 2006, Ms D had been on the radar of child protection services for over a year. In September 2005, she had begun engaging with the service. The earlier matter involved sexual behaviour, which, the tribunal heard, involved a garda investigation, arrest, and file being prepared. None of this had anything to do with Sgt McCabe.

Then came this allegation against her fathers colleague. Ms Murphy was yesterday brought through the response within the child protection service to the allegation.

Ms D was not interviewed. She was not the subject of any test of credibility. Ms Murphy said this was because the service worked from a statement that Ms D had made to the gardai about the allegation. (The DPP ultimately ruled there was nothing to it.)

Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe (right), arriving with his legal team for the first day of public hearing at the Disclosures Tribunal in Dublin Castle.

Ms Murphy visited Ms D at her home, and spoke with her parents. Ms Ds father gave Ms Murphy details of Sgt McCabes wife and children. Ms Murphy said she did not engage during that visit with Ms D over the substance of the allegation. Neither did anybody in the service contact Sgt McCabe. Such contact would have given the child protection service the opportunity to see whether he posed a threat to children.

None of this was done, despite minutes of meetings in the service detailing intentions to do so.

Ms Murphy was asked by Michael McDowell, for Sgt McCabe, about notes she had taken from a conversation with the inspector investigating the claim. These included phrases doubts about credibility and spinning different stories, referring to Ms D.

Despite all that, the file on Ms Ds allegation against Sgt McCabe was closed in October 2007. The file categorised the outcome of the allegation as inconclusive, despite the absence of any check of credibility of Ms D, nor of assessment of Sgt McCabe.

Again, Sgt McCabe was not contacted about it, nor informed that details had been taken about his wife and children.

The second witness was Mary OReilly, a line manager for Ms Murphy. She confirmed that, on the basis of the contents of the file, Sgt McCabe would not be considered any danger to children.

Ordinarily, that may have been the end of the matter, notwithstanding the grave omissions by the social services.

Then it resurfaced in 2013. By then, Sgt McCabes status in the force had changed. He had made complaints of malpractice in 2008, and in 2012 had made complaints about widespread ticket-fixing for road traffic offences.

Ms D approached counselling services in April 2013. She was assessed in July and August by counsellor Laura Brophy, who gave evidenceyesterday afternoon. In the course of the assessment, the tribunal heard, she disclosed the earlier allegation.

Ms Brophy made notes about the disclosure that included the details:

Abuse involved molesting and dry humping; didnt come back to client until she was 12 or 13;

Remembers getting really uncomfortable in primary school;

This man was guard in Bailieborough but has since moved, forced out when allegation came out.

Laura Brophy at the The Disclosures Tribunal in Dublin Castle, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

As is now known, Sgt McCabe was forced out of Bailieborough over his claims of malpractice. There was nothing in the 2006 allegation concerning molestation.

There was nothing in yesterdays evidence as to whether Ms D made any disclosure to Ms Brophy about the issues that arose in her life in 2005, before she made the allegations against McCabe.

Ms Brophy contacted social services about the disclosure. Had she been informed the matter was on file and had been dealt with, she would have done no more, she told the tribunal. But the response she got was that there was nothing about it on file.

Ms Brophy filled out a retrospective disclosure form where a devastating error occurred. In the box to be filled out for description of an allegation, three sentences apparently lifted from a separate case were inserted. The minor allegation against Sgt McCabe was now recorded as one involving digital penetration, both vaginal and anal and a threat against the complainants father if she were to reveal anything.

Another mishap, but it would have major consequences for Sgt McCabe. The error would not be discovered until next May, some nine months later.

Ms Brophy admitted her error once it was brought to her attention by Ms D, who had learned of it from gardai.

That was my first discovery of the error, Ms Brophy told the tribunal.

I immediately saw the issue. I apologised and said I will try to resolve this, that I would contact the social services immediately.

The tribunal must now determine whether or not this erroneous allegation was used by anybody in the gardai to smear Sgt McCabe.

Yesterday he watched proceedings from the public gallery in the company of his wife, Lorraine. The evidence could not have made for easy listening.

Tomorrow, Ms Brophy will be cross examined by counsel for Sgt McCabe.
Confidence has returned to Europes chancelleries just in the nick of time, what with US president Donald Trump due in Europe on Friday.

During the annus horribilis of 2016, many feared for the EUs survival. But in 2017, there is renewed hope for the European project, owing to Emmanuel Macrons election as president of France, and electoral defeats for far-right populists in the Netherlands, Austria, and Germany, as well as Mr Trumps plunging popularity at home.

The recent Mercron partnership between Mr Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel has European policymakers talking excitedly about a reinvention of the eurozone.

There are now proposals for a shared eurozone budget and finance minister, and for an EU-level security union to tackle terrorism and strengthen border controls.

Moreover, the European Commission last month launched a new defence fund to close the gap between Europes aspiration to defend itself and its ability to do so. The hope is that 510m Europeans will no longer have to depend on 320m Americans for their security.

In the past, many EU member states complained that the cold peace between France and Germany hampered effective governance of the EU.

Today, those countries have expressed renewed faith in the ascendant Franco-German relationship, though if France and Germany fail to give others a stake in their success, many countries may end up with buyers remorse.

At the European Council on Foreign Relations annual council meeting in Berlin last month, 250 former and current prime ministers, foreign ministers, policymakers, and thinkers convened to discuss the state of European affairs.

Many were torn between excitement about a European relaunch and fear that the Mercron arrangement will leave other member states behind.

For France and Germany, it is worth remembering that the Merkozy era  when Ms Merkel and then French president Nicolas Sarkozy tried to forge an alliance  evoked hostility in other European capitals.

Other EU member states resented the exclusive role of France and Germany in developing EU- or eurozone-wide solutions, which were then presented as faits accomplis to the rest of the bloc.

In one notable example, Ms Merkel and Mr Sarkozy once held a summit to forge closer ties with Russia without bothering to consult or include the EU member states in Russias immediate proximity.

The challenge for France and Germany now is to capitalise on the recent victories for pro-European governments without provoking a backlash in the other EU member states.

However, this wont be easy, not least because French and German leaders are torn between two competing visions of Europes future.

One vision favours a union of concentric circles, with a Franco-German-led eurozone at its core. This idea is appealing, at least on the surface, because it would allow the core countries to continue integrating, while leaving behind perceived troublemakers such as Poland and Hungary.

But this strategy, though meeting the need for deeper eurozone integration, would not address Europes longstanding divides between east and west, north and south, or centre and periphery.

Issues such as Russia, refugees, austerity, military action, and Brexit would continue to challenge European solidarity.

The second vision for Europes future emphasises coalitions among countries that are willing and able to work together.

In a largely intergovernmental EU, smaller coalitions could be an effective governance tool and mitigate the veto power that currently exists in formal EU meetings. They could even sign treaties to formalise their arrangements  such as the Schengen agreement on border-free travel.

Under a coalition model, country groupings might change, depending on the issue at hand, thereby allowing for more flexibility.

And, although Germany and France would probably be at the centre of many of these groupings, other countries could take the lead and share the limelight, making the EU re-launch less divisive.

For example, in an earlier era, Poland and Sweden spearheaded the EUs eastern partnership strategy toward countries such as Ukraine.

The Mercron partnership has a better chance of building goodwill within Europe than the Merkozy partnership ever did.

For starters, the balance of power between France and Germany will probably now shift a bit toward the former, given that the French economy is strengthening, and will be positioned for renewed growth after Mr Macrons promised reforms.

Moreover, owing to his knack for transcending traditional divides (which I previously described as the Macron method), Mr Macron might be able to build new, better relationships with member states that have not previously had close ties to France.

And, last but not least, Mr Macron has a huge store of soft power and political capital, similar to Barack Obama after grassroots enthusiasm brought him to power in the US in 2008.

At the same time, Germany is in a weaker position than it was during the Merkozy era, which is good news for the Franco-German relationship.

The refugee crisis has rendered Germany a demandeur, rather than a supplier, of European public goods. And although Ms Merkel seems indispensable on the international scene, plenty of people in Germany are starting to plan for the end of her mandate.

Most important, Ms Merkel and Mr Macron both need the Mercron partnership to work if they are to succeed in building a stronger Europe.

The Europe of the future must be capable of protecting its citizens from global threats; but to define those threats, it will have to consider all EU member states perspectives, not just France and Germany.

Fortunately, Ms Merkel and Mr Macron are both aware of the limitations of the Merkozy tandem, and with the need to improve on the relationship Ms Merkel had with Mr Macrons predecessor, Francois Hollande.

Above all, their realism about the bilateral relationship and its possibilities will be essential, because Europes most powerful asset has never been a detailed vision of the future, but rather its collective willingness to improve upon past failures.

If Mr Macron and Ms Merkel keep this historical perspective in mind, they can turn their relationship into a political marriage from which all of Europe will benefit. An exclusive partnership will breed more resentment than goodwill, and probably not survive for long.

Mark Leonard is director of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
When Steve Werner joined Milhaus, the company was gearing up for a growth spurt that took it from roughly 80 employees in 2015 to more than 270 employees today. Upgrading the companys IT infrastructure was a priority for Werner, who is the first director of technology at the Indianapolis-based company, which designs, builds and manages luxury apartments in urban areas.

They went from a very small business to a pretty good sized business in a short amount of time. But we were still running on small business hardware, with a small business backup plan, Werner says. The companys IT gear was running in an old server closet with no air conditioning. It couldnt handle all that we were adding to it, Werner says. Everything was about to melt down.

Milhaus moved to a new corporate headquarters early last year, which included a new server room. We totally re-architected the infrastructure for the business, Werner says.

As part of the IT overhaul, Werner set out to provide better protection for Milhaus telecom, file and accounting services. In the past, Milhaus had file-level cloud backup, but no recovery provisions for its servers. If a server were knocked out, we would have had to rebuild the server from scratch, which could take days, Werner says. We needed to be able to recover a lot faster than that.

Creating an infrastructure that could handle the growth, handle the number of people  that was the first step. Step number two was disaster recovery. We needed real backup, and a real way to bring this stuff up that didnt require rebuilding systems from scratch.

In particular, Milhaus phone systems are core to business operations. Its still the primary way for residents and prospective tenants to reach sales and support staff. Milhaus not only designs and builds apartment buildings, but also manages the buildings after construction. At 12 of its sites, Milhaus provides the phone services. Its important for me to make sure that those phones are always available at those sites, Werner says.

Network services also extend beyond the corporate headquarters. It varies from property to property, but Milhaus might offer high-speed internet, wi-fi, TV, and home automation services to the residents of its luxury apartments. We build our own networks at the buildings, all through the buildings, all the way into the units. Basically, we buy the internet pipe in bulk and we distribute it to the units, Werner says. You move in, and on day one you have fiber optic-based high speed internet.

Moving to the cloud

Flexibility, affordability and access to specialized expertise are driving interest in disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS), particularly among small and midsize businesses, and adoption has grown steadily in recent years. According to research firm Forrester, 40% of enterprises have already adopted enterprise DRaaS, with another 24% planning to do so.

Milhaus checked out several providers before selecting Online Tech, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., that offers hybrid cloud, colocation, disaster recovery and offsite backup services. Online Tech hosts Milhauss DRaaS environment at their data centers, along with file-level and image backup services.

The fact that Online Tech offers geographical diversity was a draw; it operates seven data centers in three states. Support for cross-hypervisor failover and failback was also a priority for Milhaus, which is standardized on Hyper-V. The Online Tech service is powered by Zertos virtual replication technology, which enables cross-hypervisor replication across VMware and Microsoft hypervisors and multiple sites with native multi-tenancy.

Getting everything moved over and replicated through Zerto at Online Techs data center in Michigan took several months. There were bumps in the road, but Zertos engineers worked with us, Werner says.

In December, Milhaus had its first planned test of the disaster recovery environment. I thought It cant work this way. But literally, a couple of clicks and the server is up, and youre able to log into it, and its just as fast as turning the VM on here, directly on the hypervisor, Werner says.

A few months later, Milhaus had an unplanned test, thanks to a lightning strike. We lease some land right next to our building for a cellular tower, and lightning hit the cellular tower, apparently, traveled down into the ground, hit our ground wire, and then traveled into our server room, Werner says. It took out all of our switches in the server room. It was major network damage.

While technicians worked on-site to see if they could restore or replace the IT gear, Werner reached out to Online Tech. We got on the Zerto-based portal with them, and all the servers came up, just like in the test, within minutes.

In the end, Werner was able to get Milhaus core services  in particular its VoIP phone services  back online without doing a complete failover. I didnt want to go ahead and effect the DNS changes at that point. But everything stood up and worked perfectly as it should have in the event of a disaster.

Looking ahead, Werner aims to move some of the companys most critical services to a more high-availability cloud environment.

We cant provide high-availability power, and obviously we cant insulate well enough from lightning strikes and things like that," he says. Probably Milhaus will enlist Online Tech to further insure reliability.

Now were looking to move those tier-one services out to their cloud, so theyll be replicating directly between two of their data centers. And then we have less worry that well go down.
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Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotu (middle, front row) in Son La province (Source: VNA)



Following the welcome ceremony, Yathotu had a working session with provincial leaders, where she heard Son Las socio-economic development in 2016 and the first six months of this year reported by Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Hoang Van Chat.

In 2016, the localitys economy grew at 9.2 percent, contributing more than VND4 trillion (USD176 million) to the State budget, Chat said, adding that the local economic growth rate reached 5.15 percent during the first half of this year.

Sharing a 250km border line with Laos, Son La inked documents on comprehensive cooperation with eight northern Lao provinces of Houaphan, Luang Prabang, Bo Keo, Udomsay, Luang Namtha, Phongsaly, Saynhabuly and Xieng Khouang, he said.

Chat noted that Son La and the Lao localities have maintained the exchange of delegations, information and experience, contributing to enhancing cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

At the same time, the two sides encouraged people residing near the common border to follow the Vietnam-Laos Agreement on National Border Regulations, he said.

According to the provincial leader, in 2016, Son La provided the Lao provinces with VND26.1 billion (USD1.14 million) to help them construct a number of essential facilities.

Son La now accommodates 1,100 Lao students and has helped train 40 Lao officials, he said.

Yathotou spoke highly of Son Las socio-economic achievements, saying activities marking the 2017 Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year in the locality are significant, demonstrating the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and between Son La and the Lao northern provinces in particular.

The Lao chief legislator noted her wish that Son La and the Lao localities will continue their mutual support across fields.

Later on the day, the provincial Party Committee hosted a banquet for the Lao NA Chairwoman and her entourage.

Earlier, the Lao delegation paid floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi./.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse (Source: VNA)



Vietnam and Germany established diplomatic ties on September 23rd, 1975. Since then, the bilateral friendship and cooperation have developed extensively.

Mutual trust and understanding have been strengthened through the regular exchange of high-level delegations and cooperative mechanisms. During the Vietnam visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel in October 2011, the two Government leaders signed a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership which put forward targets and measures to intensify bilateral collaboration.

Germany is Vietnams largest trade partner in Europe with two-way trade reaching USD8.78 billion last year and USD3.8 billion in the first five months of 2017. Vietnam mainly ships mobile phones and computer components, garment and textile, footwear, coffee, agricultural and aquatic products to Germany and imports machinery, spare parts, automobiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and milk products from the European nation.

In terms of investment, Germany considers Vietnam a promising market with rapid development in Asia. As of April 20th, the European country had 285 projects worth USD1.41 billion in the country, ranking fifth in the European Union and 20th among 116 nations and territories investing in Vietnam. There are about 300 German enterprises operating in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has 30 investment projects in Germany with total capital of USD124.8 million, focusing on finance-banking, automobiles, real estate, services and informatics.

Since 1990, Germany has provided some USD2 billion for Official Development Assistance projects in Vietnam through technical and financial cooperation. The German Government pledged aid worth more than EUR600 million (USD682.1 million) for projects in energy, vocational training and environment in the Southeast Asian nation.

Germany is one of the most important markets for the Vietnamese tourism sector. In the first three months of this year, 61,923 Germans visited Vietnam, up 13.2 percent year-on-year. From July 1st, Vietnam piloted visa waivers for German citizens staying for 15 days or less.

German is being taught as the second foreign language in 13 schools nationwide thanks to a German Foreign Ministry initiative.

There are currently 176,000 Vietnamese people living in Germany. Several States have also piloted the teaching of the Vietnamese language in high schools, such as Brandenburg, Berlin, Sachsen and Sachsen Anhalt.

In addition, the two countries have signed agreements to create a legal foundation for economic cooperation, including an agreement on double taxation avoidance and another on investment protection and encouragement.

Themed Shaping an interconnected world, the G20 Summit will be held on July 7th-8th in Hamburg. As the host of the APEC 2017, Vietnam was invited to conferences and meetings within the G20 framework this year./.
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
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Samsung to invest $19B in chip, display plants

SEOUL, South Korea  Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it will invest $19 billion in the next four years in its memory chip and display plants in South Korea.

The South Korean companys announcement comes as the global memory chip industry enjoys a massive boom thanks to a surge in demand for microchips. Global tech companies have been increasing servers and data centers to handle more data from mobile devices and auto vehicles and also on expectations that adoption of artificial intelligence would create even more demand for handling data.

Samsung said by 2021, it will spend an additional $12.5 billion to increase the capacity in its memory chip factory in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. Samsung said the $13.6 billion chip plant, which broke ground two years ago, is one of the largest semiconductor production lines in the world.

Samsung will spend $5.2 billion in its memory chip cluster in Hwaseong as well.

Another $871 million will be spent on its display factory in Asan, which produces OLED screens for mobile phones. Samsung uses OLED screens for its high-end Galaxy smartphones. The advanced displays have allowed Samsung to distinguish its Galaxy phones from rivals with curved forms. Samsung is the dominant supplier and OLED screens for mobile devices are a lucrative business for the company, along with memory chips.

VW returns to Iran after 17-year absence

FRANKFURT, Germany  Volkswagen says its flagship brand is returning to Iran after a 17-year absence.

The Wolfsburg-based carmaker said in a statement Tuesday it will start selling Tiguan SUVs and Passat sedans through importer Mammut Khodro.

Mammut Khodro is already selling trucks made by Volkswagen Groups Scania division.

Volkswagen began selling vehicles including the classic Beetle in Iran in the 1950s but withdrew in 2000.

Volkswagen said in a statement that restarting exports offers the company a chance to get to know local market conditions and re-establish the Volkswagen brand.

It cited Iranian government estimates of a car market with 3 million new vehicle sales per year.

Trudeau: Trump, Brexit mean new chances

LONDON  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that his country and Ireland should seize the opportunity to be open and progressive as their big neighbors, the U.S. and Britain, turn inward.

Trudeau said there are tremendous opportunities for countries like Canada and Ireland at a time where perhaps our significant allies and trading partners ... are turning inward or at least turning in a different direction.

He said the two nations should make the pitch that Canada and Ireland are places that are exciting and open to the world in a positive, progressive way.

Trudeau spoke after meeting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Dublin. Both leaders face tricky times with their neighbors  the U.S. under President Donald Trump and the U.K. as it leaves the European Union.

The two politicians are among a crop of young, centrist Western leaders seen by some as a counterweight to the populism that fueled Trumps election victory and Britains decision to leave the EU.

The Associated Press
Forsyth Countys health care systems have launched multiyear plans aimed at curtailing the local opioid addiction crisis through prevention and more appropriately prescribing painkillers.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites prescription opioid abuse as driving the increase in opioid overdoses, which kill 91 Americans every day. Opioids include OxyContin and morphine.

State health officials disclosed May 18 that North Carolina has had a 73 percent jump in opioid-related deaths from 2005 to 2015. There were more than 13,000 opioid-overdose deaths in the state during the 10-year period.

That includes an increase from 13 to 53 in Forsyth County. Overall, the 14-county region of the Triad and Northwest North Carolina climbed from 130 to 235, representing 21.2 percent of the states 1,110 opioid-related deaths in 2015.

We recognize that opioid abuse is a serious public health epidemic, said Dr. Kevin High, executive vice president of health system affairs for Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Thats why we are confronting this problem head-on, with programs aimed at research, prevention, screening and treatment.

Wake Forest Baptist is emphasizing using non-opioid anesthesia, enhanced training on pain management for doctors and pharmacists, better communications on opioid use with patients, and offering medication drop-off boxes at seven affiliated outpatient pharmacies for unused or excess opioids.

Meanwhile, Novant Health Inc. said its initiative includes using alternative pain therapy options, such as massage, yoga and physical therapy, and ensuring that patients requiring opioids are in the proper care setting for monitoring use.

Novant Health recognizes that opioid prescribing patterns must change and that patients who have opioid use disorder should be identified and treated, Novant said in a statement. As a result, Novant Health is building a structure to develop and sustain processes for a holistic approach to opioid stewardship.

On Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law the bipartisan STOP Act, which puts new restrictions on medical providers who prescribe and dispense opioid drugs, and require electronic prescription filing.

The bill would limit the public supply of opioids, as well as clarify funding for syringe exchange programs. The bill includes $20 million over two years for local substance-abuse treatment and recovery services.

With this legislation and the new State Opioid Action Plan, were taking important first steps to stem the opioid epidemic, Cooper said.

On May 21, North Carolina received a two-year, $31 million federal grant for opioid prevention, treatment and recovery initiatives from the 21st Century Cures Act as part of state-targeted responses. Eighty percent of the federal funding must target outreach, engagement, treatment and recovery services.

The opioid crisis does not pick Democrats or Republicans as victims, Cooper said. Our solutions should not be that way, either. Our solutions should fix this problem for every single citizen in North Carolina.

Wake Forest Baptist recently created the Center for Research on Substance Use and Addiction, which is conducting clinical trials to study alternative ways to treat pain and reduce use of opioid pain medications.

The center said new pain management tools have reduced opiate use in trauma patients by almost 50 percent.

The center has adopted a policy to screen all trauma and burn patients for risky use and substance use disorders, including referring them to treatment when necessary.

A study released last year by Blue Cross Blue Shield determined that 21 percent of its commercially insured members filled at least one opioid prescription in 2015. North Carolina ranked in the top 10 in that category, as well as patients who were on a long-term opioid regiment in 2015.

Those members with an opioid use disorder diagnosis spiked 493 percent from 2010 to 2016.

Other findings included:

Women age 45 and older having higher rates of opioid use disorder than men, while males younger than 45 having higher rates of opioid use disorder than females.

Females fill more opioid prescriptions than males across all age groups; and

Long-duration prescription opioid use and opioid use disorder align geographically, with the highest rates in the South and the Appalachian region.

Blue Cross also found a correlation of lower rates of opioid treatments in the South.

While opioids are more likely to be prescribed for select acute short-term conditions, prescriptions for chronic conditions are twice as likely to extend past 45 days, Blue Cross reported.

They are three times as likely to reach a high-dose level, which leads to higher levels of opioid use disorder.
Its not surprising to hear that Gill Thornton is an outstanding actor.

What may come as a surprise is that the 17-year-old is vice president of Alamance Repertory Company Theatre (ART-C), which she co-founded with Walter Boyd, a retired lawyer and long-time local theatre actor.

Thornton was performing in Children of Eden in Burlington when she met Boyd, who used to be president of Gallery Players, the oldest community theater in their area, he said. He has many years of experience producing shows and understands whats required behind the scenes.

We talked about how every company does the same shows, Thornton said. We wanted to do something different to bring the shows to people that maybe other companies havent done in a long time or that they havent done at all. We wanted to give people more opportunities and bring more shows to the stage that maybe people dont know as much about.

Boyd was impressed with Thorntons performances on stage.

She was the most talented young actor I had ever seen, he said. Shes just a phenomenon on stage.

When I was coming along, we had a lot of youth theatre, Boyd said, and he had many opportunities to perform. Due to cutbacks in arts programs in schools, young people dont get as many opportunities anymore, he said.

Shes always wanted to direct  shes got great ideas for shows, he said. She has fresh ideas.

Boyd practiced law in Washington, D.C., and when his parents died, he moved back home. He retired at age 50 and began doing theater again. He doesnt have children of his own and said that hed mentored other young people over the years. When he met Thornton and heard she wanted to direct, he thought he would be able to do what I can, to help.

She picks the shows; shes directing and starring, he said. I make her do all the budgets, designing sets, picking costumes, schedules, and handling many other details required in a production.

He did the paperwork to incorporate.

She is an equal partner with me  were 50/50, he said, adding that the reason he is president is because shes not old enough to sign contracts yet.

They plan to do three or four shows a year, Thornton said. The first performance of ART-C was The Rose of Treason at Paramount Theater in Burlington, and they produced Annie at Triad Stage in Greensboro. Thornton is directing Heathers: The Musical, and they are rehearsing now. They plan to offer Deathtrap in October.

Thornton has been acting for seven years.

When I was 11, my grandma (Marsha Hierl) signed me up for camp at Little Theater of Winston-Salem, Thornton said. It just kind of clicked, and I have not stopped.

She enjoys singing as well as acting. Shes played Maria in West Side Story with Stained Glass Playhouse and also with The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. Thornton is home-schooled and lives in Winston-Salem with Hierl. Her experience with ART-C has provided many academic  and life  lessons.

To me, it seems like its a natural thing for her, said Hierl, who owns Studio 7. When Hierl retired, she had more time devote to Thornton. You dont often get to follow your dreams. Its just an opportunity for me to help her follow her dreams.

Thornton does a lot of script reading and thinking about budgets and applying for rights to perform a play. The ART-C work counts as math and also English.

I didnt realize how much I learned from it until I started logging it, she said. I didnt realize how much it taught me. Being 17 and having the weight of an actual company on your shoulders is very difficult.

Shes had to balance her schedule between work and rehearsals.

I didnt know how much a director really did, she said. Its your responsibility to do it. I didnt know that until I had to do it. It was really difficult to get everything done for the show.

Dealing with people in the position of director, people act completely different toward you. Theres a lot more respect, I think, when youre a director instead of onstage. People are coming to you with all their problems, (saying) This isnt going my way, and you need to fix it. 

Without my grandma and my parents, I probably would not have continued with it, Thornton said. It was my grandma telling me youve got finish it.

Shes glad she did.

I love it, she said. Its my favorite thing. I didnt realize how much I liked it until after Annie ended.

ART-C will perform Heathers: The Musical in July in Burlington, and Boyd said the Paramount is the best theater in the whole area as far as being reasonable to rent and wonderful staff. Thornton is directing a cast of about 15 from Winston-Salem, Burlington and Lexington. They plan to produce Deathtrap in October.

It seemed like a big responsibility for someone so young, Boyd said. I just want everybody to know how proud I am of Gill. Shes justified every ounce of faith I have in her.
Today

Becoming partly cloudy after some evening rain. Low 52F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Tonight

Becoming partly cloudy after some evening rain. Low 52F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will give way to occasional showers in the afternoon. High 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
The collision between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in Baku has not been the only flashpoint between Ferrari and Mercedes this year. Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, the FIA sent out a note to all teams reminding them that burning engine oil as fuel was not allowed, following suspicions that some have been using a scheme to generate a power boost in qualifying trim.

OIL BURN TACTICS FUEL CONTROVERSY

While the Vettel/Hamilton clash grabbed all the headlines post-Baku, it should not totally overshadow the fact that their respective teams were already at loggerheads over the use of engine oil as fuel in a bid to improve qualifying performance.

Interestingly, the topic was first raised by Red Bull, as the Milton Keynes-based outfit has been questioning Mercedes stunning one-lap pace in recent years. Having asked for clarification as early as 2015, Red Bull sought further answers from the FIA over the winter, with Formula 1s ruling body confirming that using oil in such a way was indeed illegal.

The story took another turn in between the Canadian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix when the FIA released a new technical directive on the matter.

We wish to remind you that, as previously stated in various meetings and re-emphasised in TD/004-17, we consider the use of oil as fuel to be prohibited by the Technical Regulations, wrote Marcin Budkowski, the head of the F1 technical department at the FIA.

For the avoidance of doubt, the only fuel that may be used for combustion is petrol, and the only permitted characteristics of that petrol are clearly set out in Article 19 of the Technical Regulations.

Even though the Technical Regulations do not directly specify the permitted characteristics of engine oil used in F1, we would consider any attempt to use additional components or substances in oil for the purpose of enhancing combustion as a breach of the Technical Regulations."

Why did the FIA feel compelled to issue the reminder?

This time, it was Mercedes that requested a new clarification. The reigning world champions are suspecting their rivals from Maranello of using their auxiliary oil tank to spray oil into the V6.

Last winter, Ferrari would have apparently asked FIA Race Director and Safety Delegate Charlie Whiting whether the regulations allowed the use of two different specifications of oil and whether the oils chemical makeup was defined. This would have triggered Mercedes suspicion that the Scuderia was using the auxiliary tank to stock a specific oil, which would be burnt as fuel in qualifying.
Armed groups have been committing war crimes in the Central African Republic (CAR) [UN materials], according to a report [summary] released Wednesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] detailing violence in three central provinces between November 2014 and April 2017. During that time period, HRW documented at least 566 civilian deaths at the hands of the Seleka and anti-balaka groups. Armed groups also destroyed no fewer than 4,207 homes, forcing people to flee the area and causing the deaths of 144 children and elderly people. Those responsible for the deaths have not been detained, arrested or otherwise held accountable and are still free to roam the areas where their crimes occurred. In addition to seeking international support for improved civilian protection, the report also asks the UN and other individual governments to back the Special Criminal Court (SCC) financially and politically. Although President Faustin-Archange Touadera has praised the SCC, the government has lagged in steps to operationalize it. The SCC, an institution within the CARs justice system with international judges and prosecutors, has the unique chance to hold accountable the perpetrators of these grave crimes.

Violence has persisted in the CAR since the predominately Muslim-based Seleka rebels ousted former president Francois Bozize in March 2013. In June a UN human rights expert warned [JURIST report] that the CAR must act now to protect its population and implement justice. In May a report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights claimed that human rights violations within the CAR may amount to war crimes [JURIST report]. In January Amnesty International reported that perpetrators of war crimes have not been prosecuted [JURIST report] or investigated for their crimes. The rights organization urged that the countrys justice system needs to be reconstructed and a Special Criminal Court, tasked with trying suspected war criminals, and a witness protection program must be established. In November UNICEF called for aid to approximately 1.2 million children distressed by conflict [JURIST report] in the CAR.
Polands special prosecutors have requested the US extradite a Minnesota man accused of Nazi war crimes. Michael Karkoc, 98, is a former commander of an SS-led Nazi unit responsible for [AP report] burning Polish villages and killing civilians during World War II. The request for extradition was filed last month [Independent report] by the National Remembrance Institute (IPN) [official website]. Although records do not show that Karkoc had a direct hand in war crimes, documentation, including his own memoirs and statements from other men in his unit, suggests he was present and supervised the atrocities. A previous attempt [Newsweek report] to extradite Karkoc to Germany was dropped when his lawyer provided documentation showing he was unfit to stand trial. According to his family, Karkoc is suffering from advance Alzheimers disease. He denies any involvement in war crimes.

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. Earlier this month the Austria Constitutional Court [official website, in German] ruled [JURIST report] that the government seizure of the apartment complex where Nazi leader Adolf Hitler [Britannica profile] was born is constitutional. 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.
Two UN human rights experts have urged [UN report] Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe [official website] to halt the planned execution of a man with psychological disabilities. William Morva, a US Hungarian national, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a hospital security guard and a Sheriffs deputy in 2008. A court-appointed psychiatrist diagnosed Morva with delusional disorder and believes that he may have committed the murders due to delusions he was experiencing. According to the experts, Morva did not receive reasonable accommodations during his trial. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [materials] reasonable accommodation means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Additionally, the jury was not informed about Morvas condition. The two experts are asking authorities to annul the death sentence against Mr. Morva and to re-try him in compliance with international standards related to due process and fair trial.

Recently the death penalty has been a pressing issue across the country. Earlier this week Florida Governor Rick Scott scheduled [JURIST report] the execution of Mark Asay which will be the states first execution in nearly two years. The execution of death row inmates in Florida had been halted after their sentencing procedure was deemed unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. In June a federal appeals court reversed [JURIST report] a lower court decision and found Ohios execution protocol to be constitutional. In that same week a federal judge ordered [JURIST report] major changes to Arizona death penalty procedures due to prisoner complaints. Earlier in June the US Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] that psychiatric assistance must be provided for indigent defendants sentenced to the death penalty. In May the Delaware House of Representatives passed a bill [JURIST report] that would reinstate the death penalty. Floridas new bill [JURIST report] declaring that the death penalty may only be imposed by a judge upon unanimous recommendation from the jury was signed into law in March. In January the US Supreme Court refused [JURIST report] to consider a challenge to Alabamas death penalty system.
Arricano Real Estate Plc (Cyprus), a managing company and developer of several shopping centers in Ukraine, is ready to buy one of the largest shopping centers in Kyiv  Sky Mall  from bank Pivdennyi (Odesa). The mall was transferred to ownership of the financial institution to pay a debt.

The press service of Arricano said on Tuesday that the company is considering a statement of bank Pivdennyi Board Chairman Alla Vanetsiants to sell Sky Mall as a public offer and accepts it.

"If bank Pivdenny is going to sell Sky Mall, we are ready to buy it. We will send the official letter to the head of the bank," Arricano CEO Mykhailo Merkulov said.

As reported, Vanetsiants in an interview with the Business weekly published on July 3, 2017 said that bank Pivdennyi intends to sell Sky Mall.
Ukraine increases agricultural exports by 31% in five months of 2017  Agriculture ministry

Exports of Ukrainian agrarian products in January-May 2017 amounted to $7.513 billion and increased by almost 31% compared to the same period in 2016.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the key export commodity groups are grains with a 38.1% share of total agricultural exports, sunflower oil with 27.4%, oilseeds with 8.6%.

"The increase in agricultural exports by $1.795 billion is an excellent result of work of our exporters... This is a significant impetus for further work in the direction of diversifying national exports, increasing the share of processed products in the structure of agricultural trade," Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food for European Integration Olha Trofimtseva said.

According to her, Asia (41.1%), the European Union (30%) and Africa (19.3%) remain the key partners in the regional structure of Ukrainian exports.

The top five major importers of Ukrainian agrarian products in the five months of this year were India with $919.9 million, Egypt with $825.9 million, Spain with $459.6 million, the Netherlands with $441.3 million, and Turkey with $426.1 million.

The top ten leading products were sunflower oil, corn, soybeans, sugar, meat and poultry offal, barley, soybean oil, chocolate, honey, and beans.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said Ukraine initiates the start of the talks on the establishment of a free trade area with the United Kingdom after Brexit.

"Taking into account that the UK has decided to leave the European Union in the so-called Brexit, at present we need to talk about a new foundation for our economic cooperation. I raised the issue of the launch of consultations on the establishment of an FTA with the UK," the prime minister said after a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May in London on Wednesday.
Russia is creating military structures in occupied areas of Donbas which are full compatible with Russian armed forces, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy and head of the permanent Rada delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Iryna Friz has said. Friz is a member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction in parliament.

"Occupied Crimea, from a military point of view, is completed integrated into Russia's Southern Military District. All training conducted on the peninsula is coordinated with units assigned to the district. The approach to Crimea is cardinally different that approaches for using military formations in other occupied territories. This shows the Kremlin views Crimea as fully occupied, with security and social unrest risks," Friz said in her brief, titled "Militarization of occupied territories: Destabilization of the Euro-Atlantic region and mechanism of geopolitical influence."

Friz said Russian forces operate different in occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which is used as a training ground for conducting military operations and testing new weapons systems.

"Among the priority tasks for Russian troops there are [testing] new methods of artillery systems use, electronic warfare and radio surveillance, including new unmanned aviation vehicles and the organization of coordination work with artillery units," Friz says in her report.

The MP said the type of trainings and equipment used by the Operations Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) in Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region does not correspond with the stated aim of Russian military formations located there.

"It's very likely that OGRF units are preparing specialists and infiltrating recon networks in Romania with the aim of creating diversionary groups using citizens of the breakaway region," Friz says in her report.
An agreement on international legal cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands in the case on the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 in July 2014 in the sky over Donetsk region and the prosecution of those responsible for this crime will be signed on Friday, July 7.

"This decision was made following an agreement between Ukraine and the Netherlands on international legal cooperation in relation to crimes involving the shelling of the MH17 flight. The agreement is scheduled to be signed on July 7, 2017," the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said the agreement covers practical aspects of the transfer of jurisdiction from Ukraine to the Netherlands and makes it possible for all suspects of committing this crime to participate in the Dutch criminal proceedings.

In this context, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry recalled that in 2015 Russia blocked the resolution of the UN Security Council about the formation of an international tribunal to bring to justice those responsible for firing at the airliner, which led to its crash and the death of almost 300 people on board.

Earlier on Wednesday, July 5, Bloomberg reported that the cases against suspects in the case on the downing of the MH17 flight are planned to be considered in the Netherlands under the Dutch law. This decision was made by representatives of the countries cooperating in the inquiry into this crash - the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Ukraine and Belgium, the report said citing the Dutch media, which cites data from informed sources. The agency said the investigation is ongoing, and the decision does not mean that the perpetrators will be brought to court any time soon.

As reported, the Boeing 777 belonging to Malaysia Airlines flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) was shot out of the sky killing all 298 passengers on board.

The international joint investigatory group (Joint Investigation Team, JIT), which is comprised of prosecutors and law-enforcement officials from Ukraine, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, and Malaysia, as well as EU legal officials, on September 28, 2016 presented its findings in the criminal investigation of the tragedy.

"The JIT concluded that MH17 was downed by a rocket, Series 9M38, launched from a self-propelled ground-to-missile launcher BUK-TELAR, in a farming area in the region of Pervomaiske village. The area is currently held by pro-Russian militant groups. Investigators said missile complex was delivered to Ukraine from the Russian Federation and returned there after the downing," the findings said.

In early June 2017, the British investigative journalists group Bellingcat said it found a photo of the Buk 323 missile launcher of the Russian 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade taken before the launcher was used to down the MH17 passenger flight in Donetsk region in 2014.

In mid-November 2016, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that investigators had established the names of a hundred individuals suspected of involvement in the crime and that they will be named in 2017.
The death of a convicted felon in a high-speed chase with a Nebraska State Patrol trooper has triggered what Gov. Pete Ricketts calls an agency-wide review, led by the governors Chief Human Resources Officer Jason Jackson.

Ricketts said the review will seek to examine the totality of the workforce climate and make recommendations for continuous improvement. That sounds a lot like efforts to determine the climate of the Nebraska Department of Corrections  and we all know how well that has been working out. That department remains plagued by a shortage of staff and violent incidents, including assaults by prisoners against staff and inmate deaths at the hands of other inmates.

Before the governor dismissed him last week, NSP Col. Brad Rice said the patrol has a proud 80-year tradition of serving the state, and throughout those 80 years weve always been looking for ways to better serve. He called the governors initiative another important step to uphold that tradition, and to ensure that we achieve our goal of protecting public safety.

Theres that public safety hand again. What about the public safety of Antoine LaDeaux who died in a violent crash last October when he ran a stop sign and tried to outrun a trooper north of Gordon? His car crashed into a ditch and ejected him after a trooper executed a tactical vehicle intervention which involves spinning the fleeing vehicle by bumping the rear bumper or fender with the pursuing cruiser.

A Sheridan County grand jury investigated the incident and determined there was no wrongdoing on the part of the patrol. The TVI procedure is seldom used and only in cases where it can be safely executed. The trooper involved had the necessary approval from his superiors and the event was well documented with a dash cam and transcripts of radio transmissions.

Things got hinky when the troopers superiors changed the narrative and said the accident wasnt caused by the troopers actions, but by the driver of the fleeing vehicle who turned his car into the cruiser. Why change the story that was otherwise well documented?

Sounds like a classic case of CYA. If you arent familiar with that term, its likely that you have never met a politician, ever worked a job where you made a mistake that you wanted to hide, or quite frankly, watched television or a movie.

The trooper involved said three times that he used the TVI method to end the chase. But, hours later, NSP officials in the Panhandle said LaDeaux instigated the collision with his swerving. Dash cam video shows the troopers cruiser veering into LeDeauxs car. Despite the conflicting testimony, the Sheridan County grand jury concluded that LaDeauxs actions caused his death.

Speculation swirls inside the patrol. Was a false narrative used to avoid additional scrutiny of the procedure? Use of such force requires extra paperwork and extra paperwork could play into the hands of an attorney seeking to sue the state agency at the familys request. Were the higher ups trying to avoid such consequences? Ricketts said Jackson will launch his agency review immediately.

A good friend who retired from NSP said things usually dont go well when people without a law enforcement background are sent to a law enforcement agency for a quick review and policy decisions are then made based on the limited information.

J.L. Schmidt, a registered Independent, is the Nebraska Press Associations statehouse correspondent.
Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov has discussed with EU Delegation to Ukraine chief Hugues Mingarelli the latest cyber attack against Ukraine's information resources and issues of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU to counteract cyber threats, the NSDC's website said on Wednesday.

"Cooperation on this issue is extraordinarily topical, because cyber war is one of the most dangerous aspects of Russia's aggression against our state," Turchynov was quoted as saying. He added that the latest attack was powerful and directed against information resources used by government agencies, the banking sector, critical infrastructure and economic entities working in Ukraine.

Mingarelli, in turn, confirmed willingness to cooperate in the sphere of cyber security.

"We support reforms undertaken in Ukraine and are ready to actively cooperate with you to counteract cyber threats, which pose a danger for our countries," Mingarelli said.

The sides also discussed reforming Ukraine's security and defense sectors.

As earlier reported, on June 27 the computer network of Ukraine's Cabinet of ministers, along with dozens of state and private banks and companies, were victims of a massive computer virus attack that shut down operations. Experts preliminarily have called the event the largest cyber attack in Ukraine's history.
When it comes to the national opioid crisis, Nebraska has been lucky so far.

Whether its Nebraskas location in the center of the country, a relatively strong economy with low unemployment or some other factor, the state had the second-lowest hospitalization rate for opioids, according to new federal data published Tuesday.

Those numbers reflect a 64 percent increase for inpatient care and a 99 percent jump for emergency treatment from 2005 to 2014 and nearly 1.3 million opioid-related hospitalizations in 2014, the Washington Post reports. But those figures only date to 2014  meaning the epidemic has continued booming in the last two-and-a-half years and will continue to do so if unchecked.

Nebraska has taken several steps in the right direction to blunt the growing crisis, but the state must remain vigilant in combating this public health nightmare.

A variety of pharmacy chains now offer naloxone, which reverses opioid overdoses, without a prescription. Gov. Pete Ricketts and Attorney General Doug Peterson launched an awareness campaign in February.

Effective last October, Medicaid capped the number of short-acting opiates that could be prescribed to Nebraska patients to 150 per month, or five per day.

But battling this scourge will require additional work in the coming years. Peterson said that Nebraska is at a challenge point, as the number of prescription overdose deaths increased from 2.4 to three people per 1,000 between 2005 and 2015. Fifty-four Nebraskans died of opioid overdoses in 2016 alone.

A Journal Star investigation into opioid abuse and death in Lincoln revealed that no age or walk of life precluded a person from chemical dependency.

Lincoln Journal Star
SMITHFIELD  An important step soon may be complete for a proposal to divert excess Platte River flows into the Republican Basin.

The project would take the Platte water, when available, from the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation Districts E-65 Canal, under Highway 23 west of Smithfield, into the east branch of Turkey Creek and on to the Republican River.

First, there must be a water service agreement between CNPPID and two Republican Basin natural resources districts proposing the project: Holdrege-based Tri-Basin and Alma-based Lower Republican.

The CNPPID directors approved the agreement this morning at their meeting in Holdrege. It now will be considered by the two NRD boards.

The idea has been out there for decades, I think, with several different sites looked at, Tri-Basin General Manager John Thorburn of Holdrege said. He emphasized that diversions would occur only at times when the Platte is high enough to first meet all other more senior water rights and target river flows for endangered species.

The proposed site works well, he said, because it is on the divide between the Platte and Republican basins. The Central canal is along the north side of Highway 23, and the water can flow under the highway directly into a pasture canyon leading to Turkey Creek.

It would enter the Republican River 25 miles downstream between Oxford and Edison and then be held in Harlan County Lake for use when needed for compliance with the 1943 Republican River Compact.

Thorburn said there is some natural movement of water between the two basins. We just want to enhance that.

The NRDs compact compliance responsibilities are to offset streamflow effects resulting from use of hydrologically connected groundwater. The requirements are being addressed with conservation and augmentation projects.

Thorburn and LRNRD Assistant Manager Scott Dicke of Alma said the alternative would be shutting down thousands of irrigation wells in the Republican Basin.

Tri-Basin already gets some augmentation credits from agreements with CNPPID to divert excess Platte flows into Elwood Reservoir for groundwater recharge that eventually benefits the Republican River.

Both districts have moratoriums on net irrigated acres. The LRNRD also has a well moratorium and irrigation allocation of 45 inches over five years.

The Republican Basin irrigators in Nebraska are the most regulated in the state, maybe the nation, Thorburn said. Whenever there are high (Platte) flows, we hear from our constituents about why we are letting all that water get away.

He said the Turkey Creek diversion pipeline would have a capacity of 100 cubic feet per second, but the highest base flows Turkey Creek can handle are 40-60 cfs.

Thorburn has said there is potential to divert an annual average of 6,000 acre-feet through the project. The water would be fully credited for compact compliance as imported water from the Platte Basin.

An Olsson Associates study commissioned by the two NRDs determined it would be cost effective, based on an estimated cost of $1.4 million-$1.9 million. It tells us there is a great opportunity to move ahead, Dicke said.

The wild card is we cant depend on high flows in the Platte at any given time, Thorburn said, So there are times when there arent going to be diversions into the Republican.

The Turkey Creek project would be unique, but its not the first attempt to divert Platte water to another basin. There was an effort in the 1980s for a Platte-to-Little Blue project, also using the CNPPID system.

Mike Jess of Lincoln, who then was the newly appointed Nebraska Department of Water Resources director, said the Little Blue NRDs goal was to build a reservoir on the river in the Campbell-Bladen area.

Although the Nebraska Supreme Court had ruled in 1980 that such transfers were legal, the project was opposed by Platte Basin NRDs and faced a required consultation with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on possible effects on endangered species or critical habitat.

Jess said funding also was a huge unresolved issue.

The Catherland Irrigation District took up the cause after the Little Blue NRD withdrew, but the project wasnt built.

With any water project, it never is only about funding, current DNR Director Jeff Fassett said.

They are just by their very nature controversial, he told the Hub during the 2017 Nebraska Water and Natural Resources Tour.

Fassett said its a plus that the current proposed Platte-Republican diversion would involve water rights junior to all other Platte River water rights.

However, he expects there will be objections, especially from Platte Basin environmental interests. That increases the odds of an appeal no matter how Fassett rules on the water right application the Tri-Basin and Lower Republican NRDs must submit to DNR for the diversion project.

Also, Fassett doesnt see much surplus in the Platte Basin beyond the existing water rights. Thats ultimately what Ill be faced with, he said.
In this Saturday, July 1, 2017, photo, a customer looks at various types of imported cheese sold at a department store in Tokyo. JapanAos foreign minister is preparing to head to Brussels to seek a breakthrough in talks on a free trade agreement with the European Union. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said over the weekend that he was hopeful the two sides would resolve remaining differences, mainly over trade in cheese and autos, before FridayAos summit of the Group of 20 industrial nations. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
Afnan Jaballah, 13, holds a photo of her father, Mahmoud Jaballah, as her brother Ahmad Jaballah looks on during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. Strict release conditions need to continue for an Egyptian man the federal government has long branded as a potentially dangerous terrorist, a Federal Court judge has ruled. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
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Ukrainian-Belarusian Economic Forum to be held in Kyiv with participation of Poroshenko, Lukashenko  Ukrainian commerce chamber

The Ukrainian-Belarusian economic forum will take place in Kyiv on July 21 with the participation of Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The event will include a plenary session, which will address the state, prospects and priorities of the Ukraine-Belarus economic and investment cooperation, conditions and advantages of doing business in Ukraine and Belarus, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported on Facebook.

"During the forum, a regular meeting of the Ukrainian-Belarusian advisory council and B2B-talks between representatives of the business circles of Ukraine and Belarus will also take place," the report said.

The administration of the president of Ukraine has not yet officially confirmed the participation of the two presidents in this event.
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Attendees at the American Diabetes Associations Scientific Sessions in San Diego this year  many of them young researchers who are active on social media  were surprised to be greeted with the following: Thanks for joining us at #2017ADA! Photography isnt allowed during presentations  wed appreciate it if youd delete this tweet.

For many, the essence of gathering at conferences is the sharing of scientific information, a peek at interesting research in progress.

The policy, unusual for scientific conferences, is the most public manifestation yet of the tension between the drug and medical device companies that help sponsor the ADAs flagship programs on one side and researchers and patients on the other.

The New England Journal of Medicine doesnt consider this a problem. Some researchers on Twitter pointed to NEJM guidelines that state online posting of an audio or video recording of an oral presentation at a medical meeting, with selected slides from the presentation, is not considered prior publication, according to Medscape.

The #2017ADA hashtag  on 10 million peoples feeds, and growing  has been dominated by negative feedback, according to Symplur, a health care social media analytics platform.

Each year, academic and industry researchers present cutting-edge and sometimes unpublished data at the ADAs Scientific Sessions. Many of these researchers accept research grants or consulting contracts from insulin makers and other pharmaceutical companies, according to disclosures made on the conferences website. The nonprofits website shows it accepted corporate sponsorships of up to $135,000 for the opportunity to advertise at the conference in a variety of creative ways, including promotional handouts at hotel check-ins, ads in the meeting guide and marketing materials in the goody bag distributed to participating physicians. The conferences mobile app was sponsored by Sanofi, one of the big three insulin makers.

But the $500-$900 ticket prices preclude many physicians, researchers and patients from attending.

Conference attendees who live-tweeted photos of presentation slides were quickly rebuked by the ADA. The nonprofits social media team tweeted at attendees to delete their photos. The comprehensive policy even applied to sessions about open innovation, an irony not lost on patients and researchers keeping up online with the conference, which concluded Tuesday.

The first rule of open invitation: You don't talk about open innovation. @shivani_go #2017ADA pic.twitter.com/YquLkHicfO  Matthew Dalby (@MatthewJDalby) June 9, 2017

I am not familiar enough with the ADA to have an informed opinion on their no photo-taking policy as a general matter. In this particular case, the application of the no-photos policy to a talk on patients freedom to  and increasing ability to  design treatments for themselves did seem like a funny juxtaposition, said the researcher, Eric von Hippel, the T. Wilson Professor in Management at MIT.

Still, some rogue attendees tweeted photos anyway, only to find that representatives of the American Diabetes Association were enforcing the policy in person, too.

Excuse the poor focus  taking photos at #2017ADA has turned into a covert activity. Executive summary: the lockstep slides look damning. pic.twitter.com/kBRJb1RgRp  Thom Scher (@thomscher) June 10, 2017

Defending the unpopular policy, Linda Cann, ADAs senior vice president of professional services and education, cited legal concerns in a statement to pharmaphorum.

All research slides and posters are the legal property of each of the research authors and their study team, not the Association, Cann said. Reversing this policy could unwittingly dismantle the long-standing discourse and engagement of medical and research meetings around the world.

After this years meeting, we will re-evaluate the policy and our legal obligations to the researchers who present at Scientific Sessions.

Cann did not explain which legal obligations concerned the ADA. Independent academics are not typically litigious when it comes to intellectual property. Pharmaceutical and medical device companies might worry about breaking Food and Drug Administration rules prohibiting marketing a product before regulatory approval.

Some in the diabetic online community have speculated that a snafu at last years sessions contributed to this years zealous enforcement. In 2016, sensitive data about a new Novo Nordisk drug, Victoza, was shared with conference attendees an hour before its official release to the markets, and the data was immediately shared on Twitter, according to a Bloomberg report. Novos stock dipped by 5.6 percent the following day.

Emily Kopp is a reporter, Kaiser Health News, where this article originally appeared.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Kilkennys famous City Hall  and the office of Mayor of Kilkenny  must be preserved despite the changes imposed by the Local Government Reform Act 2014, according to a number of councillors.

At a recent meeting of the Kilkenny City Municipal District, former mayor Cllr Joe Malone bemoaned the current system and called for a letter to be written to the Minister on the matter.

This place [the Tholsel] is falling down around us, he said.

The Fianna Fail councillor said that the mayoralty had been downgraded.

I'm not having a go at anyone over in John Street [Kilkenny County Council HQ]. It was a decision made in Dublin, he said.

If it continues the way it's going, I think we may put the chains inside in the museum as well, he said.

Cllr Patrick McKee supported Cllr Malone's sentiments, and said the mayoralty was facing challenges ahead.

The local Government change has been a disaster, he said.

The loss of the borough council has had a huge impact on the city and environs. We have two and a half years left, and we have to do our best... or the people of Kilkenny won't forgive us.

Agreed

Cllr Malcolm Noonan agreed.

We are effectively now a committee of Kilkenny County Council, he said.

The Green Party councillor said that people still recognised the Tholsel as a seat of civic authority in a way they did not see County Hall on John Street.

The Mayor has a deep and central role in this city, and the role of this building is also vital, he said.

Director of services Tim Butler said Kilkenny had done as much as possible to facilitate change while keeping some of the traditions. He noted a number of staff have moved from City Hall, but it is hoped some will move back, and said it is not intended the building will be vacant.
Entry is now open for Kilkenny dairy breeders to compete in prestigious annual dairy livestock contest, the Diageo Baileys Champion Dairy Cow competition.

The event, which is sponsored by Diageo and its cream supplier Glanbia Ireland, takes place on August 23 at the Virginia Show in Cavan. It carries a prize fund of over 10,000. Cash prizes are available across all categories including a new Junior Cow category for cows in their second calf.

The top place of Overall Champion attracts a 2,500 prize; followed by 1,000 and 500 for Reserve Champion and Honourable Mention respectively. Cash prizes will also be awarded for Highest Protein Content, Best EBI and Best Exhibitor-Bred Cow and Best Junior Cow. The popular Best-Heifer-in-Milk category carries a fund of 1,700 with first place worth 500.

Diageo Irelands Head of Corporate & Trade Communications, Hazel Chu said that the event will 'once again shine a spotlight on the quality of dairy breeding excellence across the island'.

The prizes for EBI and Best Protein emphasise the most profitable factors for both breeding dairy herd replacements and milk production. Martin Tynan General Manager of Glanbia Ireland Virginia explained:

The Diageo Baileys Champion Cow rewards breeders that combine good conformation in their animals with milk production capability," he said.

"To be eligible for entry, the cow must first have produced 500kgs of butterfat and protein in a 305-day lactation. Having a cow placed at the Baileys is therefore a great endorsement of any herd.

Last years winner was Philip Jones from Wexford.

Entry forms are available by calling Brendan Smyth ++ 353 (0)87 2560952, or by visiting the Virginia Show websitehttp://www.virginiashow.com/ championcow/ Follow the conversation on Twitter @BaileysCow #DiageoBaileysCow. Find us on Facebook at Baileys-Champion-Dairy-Cow
Whats important to you about money?

I ask clients and potential clients this question all the time, and Ive learned  after having had thousands of these conversations  that few people give the topic much thought.

Thats unfortunate, because the answer  or answers  will help you focus on what matters to you most.

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Investors (and many financial professionals) tend to put all the emphasis on growing their nest eggs for retirement and not focusing on whether the money you amass while youre working will last after youve retired. But theres so much more to a comprehensive financial plan than just the beginning and the end.

You should be using your money as a tool to achieve your goals. And your adviser cant help you reach those goals if you dont even know what they are, or if you cant articulate them, when youre discussing retirement strategies.

Here are some questions to help you get started. (If youre married, be sure to include your spouse.)

Who do you want to help with your money?

Answering myself or ourselves is a perfectly acceptable answer. But if you have others you want to include  parents or children or anyone else youll need or want to take care of  be specific about what youd like to be able to do for them. You could and should be exploring how youll cover those costs now and in the future.

Do you have any specific bucket list items you wish to achieve?

Have you and your spouse dreamed of traveling, moving or changing your lifestyle in any way? When do you want those things to happen? Have you considered and included the costs of these activities in your financial plan?

You cant take it with you, so do you want to live large or leave some behind?

Is it OK to spend every penny you have during your lifetime, so that the last payment to the funeral home barely clears, or does leaving a financial legacy matter to you? Which people or organizations should receive your money? Your adviser can help you set up a course of action (a will, a trust, life insurance, etc.) to help you achieve your legacy goals in the most tax-efficient manner possible.

What would happen if you or your spouse became sick or disabled?

Have you talked about what kind of care youd prefer if its required (e.g., skilled care in your home, adult day care, an assisted living facility)? How would you pay for care, and how would your choices affect your loved ones in the short and long term?

Money is a very personal topic, and sharing your thoughts on these issues can be uncomfortable  particularly if you and your spouse disagree on your various goals. But if youve never thought about your money in this way before, this can be a powerful and revealing exercise. Complete it thoughtfully, and discuss your options with the people affected.

Then youll be ready to build a truly comprehensive financial plan.
Here in wee Monaco amongst its most famous district Monte-Carlo lies the "Carre d'Or" or "Golden Square". The name is perfectly analogous to the ongoing, spoiled attitudinal state of late for Gold: 'tis acting like a "square", continuing as ever to not go anywhere.

Further, as the above panel shows, Gold now lies -104 points (or -7.7%) from where 'twas at mid-year in 2016, still choosing to be docked in its 1240-1280 box, wherein week-after-week little opportunity knocks. To be sure for the long-term stacker, averaging in at the same price over and over rather defeats the whole purpose.

Moreover with precisely one-half of 2017 in the bag, the precious metals have finally lost what had been their cheery month-after-month leading role within the BEGOS Markets as we see below, the chart-topping component now being the Euro! And from " The Dept. of Never Say No ", coming in second is the ever-correctionless S&P 500, don't you know, our "live" price/earnings ratio therein at 34.3x ... oh say it ain't so!

So here are the current year-to-date standings, with Gold 'round the center row. And query this : ought Silver's performance really be so low (+4.2%), given not just Gold's is almost double (+7.8%, most of which came in the year's first two months), but that Copper's too is +7.9%? The average Gold/Silver ratio millennium-to-date is 62.4x, but presently is 74.8x. To price Silver back up to that average means an increase of 19.9% (which from today's level of 16.625 would bring us to 19.930). Just sayin'...

Specific to this past week, Gold settled yesterday (Friday) at 1241. How comparatively narrow has become Gold's trading range? Its "expected weekly trading range" is now 28 points: a year ago, that was just about Gold's "expected daily trading range" (25 points). Squished in range and squished in its purple-bounded 1240-1280 box, here are Gold's weekly bars, the parabolic Long trend now four weeks in length without a wit of upside price movement:

Worse for those of the miners' leverage persuasion, year-over-year the leading brethren are lower, and year-to-date they're barely off the mat, if that. Here from a year ago are the percentage tracks of Franco-Nevada (FNV) -5%, Gold itself -7%, Newmont Mining (NEM) -17%, the prominent exchange-traded fund of the Gold miners (GDX) -20%, the popular exchange-traded fund of the Silver miners (SIL) -22%, and poor ole Goldcorp (GG) -33%. Ouch!

Continuing to say "Ouch!" as well is the still-falling Economic Barometer. Oh to be a fly on the wall within the hallowed halls of the Federal Reserve Bank: "To raise or relax? That is the question. Perhaps to rescind?" Here's the year-over-year Baro, the S&P (red line) actually appearing to have run out of puff, (yet hardly worth the mention as it has no declension):

What is sporting declension are Gold's "Baby Blues", the dots of day-to-day 21-day linear regression trend consistency continuing their fall as we see below left . Of interest here is with the blue dots crossing under -80%, (meaning the downtrend is truly intact), 'tis also the area from which price itself oft turns back up, which coincident with this being the lower end of the (as yet inescapable) 1240-1280 box suggests 'tis time to reverse back up. And the nut over which to come as seen below right in the 10-day Market Profile is the 1245 level, the most heavily-traded price these last two weeks:

Below for Sister Silver, her Baby Blues ( left ) have shown a lack of directional consistency over the last several trading days. As earlier noted, Silver is priced quite low relative to the performances of both Gold and Copper, suggesting for the moment she's adorned neither in her precious metal pinstripes nor in her industrial metal jacket . ('Course this being Monaco, just about anything, or indeed practically nothing, goes). Either way, Silver presently sits just below her profile resistance ( right ) of 16.65:

And thus to Gold's monthly bars we go. You may recall from the prior month-end missive our inference that Gold was rather due for a down month, the rightmost red bar for June now clearly so showing. One wonders as well given last year's strong price ascent, (albeit much of which was given back in the year's final trimester), if the Gold Troops can garner the necessary energy for a similar upside performance. A return to Base Camp 1377 would be nice, but in back-to-back years to reach up there twice seems more and more like a roll of the dice:

Next week brings us the Federal Open Market Committee's minutes from their 13-14 June meeting, followed by Friday's grand finale for a purported up-tick in payrolls. Should Gold fall from its box, 'twill surely bring cries of the yellow metal being nothing but rocks. But at the end of the day, 'twill truly be Gold which rocks !

Salut!
* Primavera focusing on domestic opportunities

* Targets growth companies, especially in health and tech

* Invested in Zhejiang Dasouche Finance, funded Koubei

By Matthew Miller

BEIJING, July 5 (Reuters) - Primavera Capital Group, one of China's largest private-equity firms, is paying closer attention to domestic opportunities in sectors such as health and technology in the face of stricter capital controls at home and rising protectionism overseas.

This year alone, Primavera joined a $1.1 billion fundraising round for Koubei, the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd online-to-offline commercial services platform. Also, it has taken a stake in Zhejiang Dasouche Finance Leasing Company, the largest service provider for second-hand automobile merchants in China.

"We are doing more investments with entrepreneurs, taking equity stakes in growth companies," said Primavera's co-founder and chairman, Fred Hu, a former head of China at Goldman Sachs Group.

As a Goldman banker, Hu helped restructure China's biggest financial services companies, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd and Ping An Insurance Group Co .

He set up Primavera in 2010 and now helps manage $8 billion in funds. He has been carving out a niche for the group as the go-to firm for domestic entrepreneurs, state enterprises and even foreign investors looking for strategic help.

In September, Yum Brands Inc selected Primavera and Ant Financial Services Group, Alibaba's payments services arm, to take a 4 percent pre-IPO stake in its spin-off, Yum China Holdings .

Hu was named board chairman of Yum China, which operates more than 7,600 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in the mainland.

Investing with China's over-cashed private equity and venture capital world is a challenge, especially at a time when a regulatory clampdown in China and rising protectionist rhetoric globally mean most firms are scouting for domestic opportunities rather than overseas ones.

"There's a lot of capital sloshing around," said Hu. "Managers are aggressively chasing certain deals and valuations have been driven too high."

PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates fundraising increased 48 percent last year to $72.5 billion.

"It's inevitable that mistakes will be made," Hu said.

FRONT-SEAT VIEW

Hu set up Primavera with former Goldman Sachs managing directors Haitao Zhai, Kenneth Wong and William Wong. Its limited partners include institutional investors such as Second Swedish National Pension Fund, Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd , Finland's Varma Mutual Pension Insurance, Metlife Inc , State Street Corp , AIA Group and Bank of China Ltd .

The firm's top deals include being an anchor pre-IPO investor in Alibaba, and taking stakes in its sister companies, including Alipay and Cainiao, an Alibaba-backed logistics company.

Hu grew up in rural Hunan and in 1978 participated in China's first university entrance examinations after the Cultural Revolution. He was admitted to the prestigious Tsinghua University and later earned a doctorate at Harvard University.

"It was a one-in-a-million chance," said Hu, who was only 15 years old at the time.

Hu's 14-year career at Goldman Sachs - first as a regional economist, and later as a top deals' adviser and regional chairman - gave him a front-row seat in the most momentous period in China's economic reform. He was a principle banker in the listings of Ping An, ZTE Corp and Bank of China. The restructuring of ICBC was a single defining experience, he said.

"It is the biggest bank of China, the stakes were so much higher and the obstacles were much greater," said Hu, who pushed Goldman Sachs to invest in ICBC, rather than act as an advisor.

At a time when many investors were sceptical, Hu was willing to push forward, ICBC's former chairman Jiang Jianqing told Reuters.

"I met with more than 40 well-known domestic and foreign bankers and executives to talk about investing in ICBC, but their response was generally cold," Jiang told Reuters.

Hu maintains that China still "punches below its weight" - even after an unprecedented corporate buying spree - and over time it will be a big capital exporter to the world.

"There's still interest and appetite for Chinese companies to do deals in global markets," Hu said. "But in the near term, capital controls and uncertainty about protectionism are significant hurdles to overcome."

(Reporting by Matthew Miller; Additional reporting by Shu Zhang in BEIJING; Editing by Clara Ferreira-Marques and Neil Fullick)
Editor's Note: Kitco readers, have your say! Check out our newest feature  KITCO CHAT!  where you can share your comments and ask questions directly to us.

As gold prices are facing additional pressure from a more hawkish Federal Reserve, TD Securities is still expecting gold to do well in the second half of 2017, with this weeks main triggers being the FOMC meeting minutes and the U.S. jobs report.

Moving forward this week, important US economic data will be the likely driver for the precious metals. Specifically, the FOMC minutes from June on Wednesday, along with the June jobs report on Friday, will be the major events this week with the potential to shift gold sentiment, TD Securities commodity strategists Ryan McKay and Daniel Ghali said in a report.

The U.S. data this week will help the market figure out whether or not the Feds more hawkish tone, along with its plans to begin offloading the balance sheet, is in fact justified, analysts wrote.

The jobs report will indeed be important in shaping the markets expectations of the Feds ability to follow through on these goals.

If the data disappoints, gold is bound to recover and traders might start viewing the Feds projections as unrealistic.

TD Securities added that no matter the outcome this week, the yellow metal is expected to do well in the second half of 2017 as it may turn out that the latest rate hike and the Fed's hawkish stance is more bark than bite.

Key drivers to watch for gold during the rest of the year are: Brexit, North Korean missiles and the Italian elections.

U.S. President Donald Trumps ability to deliver on promised reforms should also be carefully monitored by investors, according to TD Securities.

The equity market looks priced for perfection and may well come under selling pressure if rates move higher or if the Trump administration does not deliver stimulus in the form of lower corporate and personal taxes, which looks increasingly likely, McKay and Ghali said.
U.S. and South Korean troops fired missiles into the waters off South Korea, the U.S. military said on Tuesday, in a show of force after North Korea's ICBM test. "The deep strike precision capability enables the (South Korean)-U.S. alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions," the U.S. Army said in a statement, adding that the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II were utilized. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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.
ATHENS, July 5 (Reuters) - Greece sold 1.625 billion euros ($1.84 billion) of six-month T-bills on Wednesday to refinance maturing issues, the country's debt agency PDMA said.

The six-month paper was sold at a yield of 2.78 percent, down from 2.97 in a previous sale last month. The amount raised included 375 million euros in non-competitive bids.

Greek 10-year bond yields hit the lowest level since September 2009 on Tuesday. It traded at 5.3 percent on Wednesday.

The sale's bid-to-cover ratio was 1.30, unchanged from the previous sale.

In a rollover T-bill holders renew their positions instead of getting paid on the maturing paper they hold. The settlement date of the new bills is July 7. ($1 = 0.8829 euros)

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas)
(photo by CGTN)

China has reached an agreement with Japan to build its first quasi-axisymmetric stellarator, the latest move to explore nuclear energy.

Southwest Jiaotong University (STU) and National Institute for Fusion Science of Japan Monday signed a cooperation agreement in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, read a statement sent by the university to the Global Times on Tuesday.

A working staffer at the university surnamed Chen, who is engaged with the project, told the Global Times that "the two sides are still negotiating the implementation of the project."

The process of fusion explained in a simplified illustration /American Security Project Photo

Nuclear fusion, which powers the sun and all stars in the universe, is regarded as the alternative way to provide sustainable, zero-emission and relatively cheap power to grids.

Stellarators and tokamaks are the world's two most important devices to sustain nuclear fusion reactions within a magnetic confinement, as well as the two fusion devices that are most likely to be viable power sources.

Tokamak and stellarator. China had its first tokamak in 2007. /Science Photo

According to the statement, a stellarator, which imitates the functions of a fixed star, requires more complex techniques to build than a tokamak, but can avoid large ruptures caused by plasma currents.

Tang Chuanxiang, director of the Department of Engineering Physics of Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "China has achieved much progress in tokamak research, but is still at an early stage in stellarator research."

China first initiated studies into stellarator technology in the 1970s.

Germany's stellarator  Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) reactor  is an experimental stellarator built in Greifswald, Germany, by the Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) in 2015. / Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics Photo

It is now one of the seven members of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor plan, together with the US and Russia, to build the world's first tokamak fusion reactor, the statement said, adding that cooperation between China and Japan would help create conditions for China to build large stellarator devices in the future.

SJU's move came less than one month after the University of South China (USC) signed a memorandum of understanding with Australian National University (ANU) with the ANU agreeing to provide the USC with its plasma stellarator device, hopefully by the end of this year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Working under the memorandum, China and Australia aim to jointly develop a future energy source for the world, making fusion a viable baseload power source by 2050.

(Source: Global Times)
By Claire Ruckin

LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - Banks have lined up around 800m-equivalent of term loans to back UK-headquartered health food and supplements chain Holland & Barrett's buyout by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's L1 Retail, banking sources said.

L1 Retail announced at the end of June it would buy Holland & Barrett from The Nature's Bounty Co and The Caryle Group for 1.77bn. Citigroup, HSBC and UBS are arranging the debt financing, which is expected to launch for syndication to investors before the summer. The 800m term loan will be denominated in sterling and euros, the sources said.

The overall debt size will be higher and could be closer to 1bn-equivalent, as it will also include undrawn loans such as a revolving credit facility, the sources said.

L1 Retail was not immediately available to comment.

SUMMER SALE

Arranging banks generally try to avoid launching loans in the summer period as investors head to the beach, but with Holland & Barrett there is a belief that there are strong advantages to launching now rather than waiting until September.

First, the European leveraged loan market is very receptive as investors are eager for new paper after a large number of repricings and refinancings. There is less risk launching the deal now rather than holding the syndication risk on balance sheets and launching into unknown market conditions in September.

Also, as a new credit to the market, Holland & Barrett will require more research by investors, which means it is expected to take more time than a known name. They will also have to carry out due diligence on the owner, as it is not owned by a well-known private equity house, the sources said.

Banks will be keen to launch any new deal that requires more work before a number of potential large deals in the works gain investor attention such as a 3.175bn financing for German drugmaker Stada and a 2.5-3bn financing for a possible sale of German metering and energy management group Ista.

"It doesn't surprise me Holland & Barrett will come to the market before the summer. Given the ownership and the fact it is a new deal, it will want to tail off a hot market, rather than restart the market in September," an investor said.

Private equity firm Carlyle acquired Nature's Bounty, including Holland & Barrett, in 2010 for US$3.8bn.

Reuters reported in January that Carlyle had hired Goldman Sachs to help it sell Nature's Bounty, but that it may opt to sell Holland & Barrett separately.

Originally founded in 1870, Holland & Barrett has grown to become Europe's largest health and wellness retail chain with 1,300 shops in 16 countries.

(Editing by Christopher Mangham)
LISBON, July 5 (Reuters) - The sale of Portugal's state-rescued Novo Banco to U.S. private equity firm Lone Star should be concluded by November following a 500 million euro ($566 million) debt swap that will be launched soon, deputy finance minister said on Wednesday.

Playing down concerns that lawsuits filed by some bondholders could derail the agreed deal, Ricardo Mourinho Felix told a parliament committee that European Union banking supervisors and the EU directorate general for competition were aware of this tentative timetable.

"At the moment, we expect that the bond swap process, to be announced soon, will be concluded during the summer, so that the sale can be finalised by November," he told lawmakers. "The bond exchange process is being prepared right now."

The government has said that an August deadline initially set by Brussels to sell Novo Banco ceased to exist in March when Portugal reached a preliminary agreement for Lone Star to buy the lender in exchange for a 1 billion euro capital injection.

The key condition of the deal is a so-called liability management exercise, or a bond swap, that the bank has to perform to generate additional capital worth 500 million euros.

EU authorities will also still have to approve a restructuring plan for Novo Banco for the sale to go ahead as planned.

Novo Banco was carved out of the country's biggest ever bank collapse in 2014 after a 4.9 billion euro rescue operation of Banco Espirito Santo.

A group of bondholders led by U.S. fund BlackRock have sought an injunction to block the sale, fearing it would damage their claim to be compensated for an estimated 1.5 billion euros in losses suffered on Novo Banco bonds. A failed bidder for Novo Banco has also said it would go to court in a separate attempt to re-open the sale process. ($1 = 0.8833 euros)

(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Andrei Khalip; Editing by Mark Potter)
STOCKHOLM, July 5 (Reuters) - Sweden sold 10 billion Swedish crowns ($1.17 billion) of treasury bills maturing in October, the Debt Office said on Wednesday. The Debt Office said it sold the bills at an average yield of -0.7977 percent and to a bid-to-cover ratio of 1.46. ($1 = 8.5141 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Stockholm Newsroom)

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.
OSLO, July 5 (Reuters) - Norway's central bank sold the following government bond (NST 473) in a uniform price auction on Wednesday: Coupon: 4.50 pct Maturity: May 22, 2019 Settlement date: July 7, 2017 AUCTION DATE July 5, 2017 Feb 1, 2017 YIELD (pct) 0.61 0.73 ALLOTMENT PRICE 107.23 108.56 SCHEDULED OFFER (bln NOK) 3.00 3.00 TOTAL BIDS (bln NOK) 9.06 5.41 ALLOTED (bln NOK) 3.00 3.00 BID COVER RATIO 3.02 1.80 NOTE: The central bank said that there was about 45 percent allotment on lowest accepted bids.

(Reporting by Oslo newsroom)

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.
* Euro zone periphery govt bond yields (Adds Coeure comments, updates prices)

By Abhinav Ramnarayan

LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - Investors scrutinised the outlook for Italian bond yields closely on Wednesday after the European Central Bank bought more of that country's debt than usual in its flagship asset-buying programme.

The ECB bought more than 2 billion euros of Italian and French bonds than it was supposed to in June, moving further away from a rule aimed at ensuring that its stimulus is evenly spread across the euro zone. The conflict for investors is that Italy, seen as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ECB's bond buying scheme, is expected to be amongst the losers as the central bank unwinds extraordinary stimulus.

However, if the ECB is going to buy more Italian bonds than expected in the months to come, this could soften the blow.

"It is very hard as an investor to know whether to buy or sell on this news," said DZ Bank strategist Christian Lenk.

"At the end of the day, if the ECB is approaching its limit of Bunds (it can buy), we may see a stronger deviation towards BTPs. But it is still a relatively small amount of deviation so far and the overall picture is of tightening."

The gap between Italy's 10-year government bond yield and the German equivalent was pinned to its tightest level in over two weeks at 163 basis points and was more than 40 bps tighter than the April peak. It also emerged Tuesday that the European Union had approved a 5.4 billion euro state bailout of Italy's fourth-largest lender, Monte dei Paschi di Siena , taking the total amount of Italian taxpayer funds deployed to rescue banks over the past week to more than 20 billion euros. Euro zone government bond yields have been rising across the board in recent weeks on comments from policymakers that suggest the ECB is moving towards normalising its ultra-loose monetary policy stance.

Though some policymakers have since sought to play this down, German government bond yields are close to their highest levels all year at 0.48 percent. Volatility in euro zone bond and currency markets over the past week has not been significant and partly reflect a misalignment between bond and equity prices, European Central Bank board member Benoit Coeure said on Wednesday. Minutes of the ECB's June meeting are due on Thursday, which should provide further clues on how far the tapering debate has gone in Europe.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is also due to publish minutes of its June 14 meeting later on Wednesday, with analysts waiting to see if the central bank drops any clues on whether it will push its next planned rate hike to later in the year.

For Reuters Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets see reuters://realtime/verb=Open/url= <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Decision Europe: Full election coverage cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=72745 Deviation from Capital Key ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan; Editing by Toby Chopra)
* Monte dei Paschi sets 1.2 bln euro profit target for 2021

* Jobs and branches to go as part of restructure

* Shares seen re-listing in second half of September

* EU approves state bail-out as Italy tackles banking crisis

(Adds CEO comments, fund manager)

By Stephen Jewkes and Paola Arosio

MILAN, July 5 (Reuters) - Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena set out plans to get out of the "emergency room" and return to profit on Wednesday, clearing the way for a state bailout that should remove the biggest threat to the country's financial stability.

The world's oldest bank said on Wednesday it expected a net profit of more than 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in 2021, from a loss of 3.2 billion euros last year, as part of a restructuring plan approved by European authorities.

"It's a conservative plan. We're not shooting at unrealistic targets," Chief Executive Marco Morelli told analysts on a conference call to present the new plan.

Morelli said no mergers were planned at the moment. "There is no Plan B on the table," he said.

Burdened by bad loans and a mismanagement scandal, Monte dei Paschi has for years been at the forefront of Italy's slow-brewing banking crisis.

Italy's fourth-largest lender was forced to request state aid in December after its attempt to raise capital from private investors failed.

On Tuesday the European Union approved a 5.4 billion euro state bailout after it agreed to a drastic overhaul in a move that will leave Rome holding around 70 percent of the bank. EU officials speaking on condition of anonymity said Italy would have to exit the bank at the latest by the end of the 5-year plan.

"What we experienced in the last nine months is pretty much unheard of: It's like an ER department with an emergency every five minutes," Morelli said.

Italy has pledged more than 20 billion euros of taxpayer money in the space of a week to rescue three of its banks, but the country's wider financial sector is still weighed down by around 300 billion euros of non-performing loans (NPLs).

At the end of last month, Rome committed up to 17 billion euros to rescue regional banks Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca though it said the final bill would be much lower, adding the state might even turn a profit from the bailouts.

"The Monte Paschi plan looks good but we need to see execution. Still, coming after the Veneto rescues it settles nerves about Italy's banking system," said Zenit fund manager Stefano Fabiani.

PATH TO PROFIT

In its 2017-2021 plan, Monte dei Paschi sees a headcount reduction of around 5,500 to just over 20,000 and a fall in the number of branches to around 1,400 from some 2,000 in 2016 as it seeks to ensure the lender is profitable in the long term.

It expects to reach a return on equity of more than 10 percent in 2021 while its CET1 ratio, a measure of financial strength, is seen at 14.7 percent from 8.2 percent in 2016.

Crucially, the bank will sell 28.6 billion euros of gross bad loans, of which 26.1 billion will be securitised through a transfer to a privately funded vehicle on market terms, with the operation partially funded by bank rescue fund Atlante II.

The bank said it would sell securitised notes to Atlante II at 21 cents on the euro. "We are in line if not slightly above recent market transactions," Morelli said.

The CEO, who expects the bank's shares to relist in the second half of September, said 5.5 billion euros in deposits were recovered in the first quarter, adding liquidity was no longer an issue.

"The bank managed to stay alive," he said, referring to the close shadowing of the lender by European authorities. "We negotiated the plan with the EU Commission line by line."

Rome is under the spotlight for taking advantage of exceptions in EU rules designed to stop the use of taxpayer money to deal with bank crises.

Policymakers now want Italy to come up with a solution for tackling NPLs without requiring any more government money to prop up its beleaguered banking sector.

European Central Bank vice president Vitor Constancio said on Wednesday there needed to be swift action to establish a stronger secondary market in Europe for non-performing loans and policy changes to incentivise banks, investors and the authorities to tackle the issue more effectively.

"Partial solutions and further delays are not options if we want to tackle the problem of NPLs" he wrote in Italy's main business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. ($1 = 0.8807 euros)

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Italian bank stocks' recent history BREAKING VIEWS-Italy's final bank bailout not as bad as it looks ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak in Milan and Foo Yun Chee in Brussels; Editing by Susan Fenton/Keith Weir)
Soprano Renee Fleming, right, and pianist Hartmut Holl perform during Fleming's recital at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

By Yun Suh-young

Soprano Renee Fleming explains the pieces in the program during her recital at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Monday.

/ Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

"I missed you," said Renee Fleming, after singing the first piece of the concert, "C'est Thais, l'idole fragile" from the opera "Thais" by J. Massenet, at her recital in Seoul, Monday. It was her first appearance in front of a Korean audience in 15 years. "It's been a long time," she said.

The globally renowned American soprano was in Seoul for a one-time performance as part of her world tour. The Seoul Arts Center was packed with people who didn't want to miss this one and only opportunity to see her in Seoul. All three floors of the music hall were filled as shown and tickets were sold out.

Fleming, dressed in elegant dark navy, sang the remaining songs consecutively for the first part of the concert. They were G. Faure's "Mandoline," Saint-Saens' "Soiree en mer," and L. Delibes' "Les filles de Cadix," and six of J. Brahms' pieces which were "Standchen," "Die Mainacht Mondnacht," "Meine Liebe ist grun," "Wiegenlied," and "Vergebliches Standchen."

When she came back for the second half of the concert, wearing a black dress studded with red flowers, she took up the microphone again, explaining the context of the songs that she was about to sing.

"The first piece was the most popular song in the entire 20th century. It has a bigger meaning than what it appears to have," she said before singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz."

"For the second piece, you will have to whistle for me for this song," she said, demonstrating when and how to chime in when she gives them the cue. The song was "I Whistle a Happy Tune" from "The King and I" and the audience followed her instructions perfectly, whistling in unison.

The third and fourth songs were Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" and "I Feel Pretty" from "West Side Story," to which Fleming added, "It's his 100th (birth) anniversary next year."

After singing "Estrellita" by Manuel Ponce and "La Morena de mi copla" by Carlos Castellano Gomez, she took up the microphone again to explain her last series of Italian songs.

"The following four songs are the most emotional and have the broadest height of anticipation and depth of sorrow. The third and fourth are serenades and the third is my favorite aria and one that I sing at every concert."

She sang Tosti's "Aprile," Boito's "L'altra notte in fondo al mare" from Opera "Mefistofele,"

Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" from Opera "Gianni Schicchi" and Leoncavallo's "Mattinata."

When the crowd broke out in cheers after the performance, Fleming looked overwhelmed.

"What a wonderful audience," she said to the crowd who wouldn't stop clapping. Two girls came up to the stage to present Fleming and pianist Hartmut Holl with flower bouquets.

Unable to resist the fervent reaction, she came back out to sing Gershwin's American opera "Summertime" to which the audience again cheered enthusiastically. For the second encore song, she sang R. Strauss' "Zueignung (Dedication)."

When the crowd wouldn't stop applauding, Fleming came back out and said jokingly, "You are amazing. Will you come with me?"

As the last encore song, she sang what she called her "signature aria" which was "Song to the moon" featured in the opera "Rusalka."

When the final encore song was over, the crowd cheered in a standing ovation.

The audience marveled at her performance. Two young women during intermission lauded Fleming's voice saying, "How does it spread out like that and fill the space?" while a middle-aged women on her way home appreciated Fleming's stage presence saying, "She has great presence on stage. She knows how to communicate with the crowd. Opera arias can be boring but she laid out the program well so that the second half was not boring at all."
(photo by CGTN)

Visitors to Hamburgs Insel Park have in recent days been able to see pandas, peacocks, roosters and many other animals  but this is not a zoo. In fact, it is one stop of the Zigong Lantern Festivals global campaign, which kicked off in Beijing on January 10 this year.

(photo by CGTN)

The annual Zigong Lantern Festival is an ancient tradition that comes from Zigong in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province. The festival dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and this year, the lanterns are part of the decorations at the 2017 G20 summit in Hamburg.

(photo by CGTN)

According to Huang Dechun, director of this global campaign, the lantern festival in Hamburg occupies 1.7 hectares, and features 23 groups of lanterns. Most of the amusing and beautiful lantern styles are based on German interests in Chinese culture, such as animals, Chinese antiques and myths, meaning local residents can enjoy some of these great examples of Chinese culture in their own city.

(photo by CGTN)

It took more than one month to make the lanterns for display in Zigong City, before they were loaded into five containers on board the Ourong China-Europe Freight train bound for Hamburg. In the past few years, this trip would have taken more than 40 days by sea, but now, after a 20-day rail journey, these lanterns are able to arrive in Hamburg and meet the public just before the start of the G20 Summit.

(photo by CGTN)

The Hamburg Lantern Festival will officially kick off on July 6 and last for 10 days, welcoming tourists and visiting leaders attending the G20 summit.
British actor Tom Holland speaks during a press conference at the Conrad Hotel, Seoul, Monday, for the upcoming superhero film "Spiderman: Homecoming." / Yonhap



By Kim Jae-heun

Tom Holland, the new face of Peter Parker in the popular "Spiderman" movie series, says the superhero and he are much alike in that they both are not popular in real life but they go under big changes.

Parker in the upcoming "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was a mere 15-year old high school student until he is bitten by genetically modified spider. With his new spider-like ability, Parker is asked to join the Avengers team along with Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr., to fight the villain Vulture, played by Michael Keaton. But he is just not ready yet.

"My teenage life was little strange," said Holland during the press conference at Conrad Hotel in Seoul, Monday. "I was an ordinary student at school and at the same time an actor. But I was not the popular kid, which helped me to play Peter Parker better."

"One of the reasons why Spiderman is my favorite superhero is because we both undergo big changes in our lives. So many changes are happening in my life and it is very important to me that I stay tuned into myself. Spiderman also undergoes many changes in his life and he tries to stay tuned into himself," said Holland.

The British actor added that his unique voice has also helped him express his teen superhero better.

Holland has a uniquely high-pitched voice and in one particular scene in the movie, it made it easier for him to show his desperation in convincing his best friend character Ned.

"When kids get excited, their voices go up and they speak fast. I know I did and still do now. In this one scene particularly, Ned finds out that I am Spiderman and I am trying to convince him not to tell anyone. And I am very much speaking in this fast and high voice. Plus, I am British," said Holland.

If actors like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield played a masculine and sweet superhero in the previous Spiderman series, Holland has something more fresh and exciting he is adding to his role, which he describes as "cuteness."

"It's important not to make Spiderman masculine because he's a kid. As soon as you make him masculine, it's harder to relate to him if you are younger and are in high school. I definitely was not masculine in high school," said Holland.

Asked to name his favorite character in the Avengers, Holland picked "Ant-Man."

Although he had much suspicion on an insect superhero at first, he enjoyed watching the movie and suggested to film producer Kevin Feige of Marvel Studios that he create another series gathering insect heroes.

Jacob Batalon, who plays Ned in the movie, picked "Black Widow" as his favorite _ for she can win various fights without using her superpowers.

"Black Widow can take anybody without using her superpower. She is just beautiful in the scenes," said Batalon.

The American superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics character Spiderman, stars Jon Favreau, Donald Glover and Zendaya.

The sequel is scheduled to hit local theaters Wednesday.
President advised not to be good cop' for North Korea

By Kim Jae-kyoung

President Moon Jae-in should have his administration develop strategies to address substantive issues from the Korea-U.S. summit as soon as possible, according to American experts on Korea.

They said the summit between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump could be considered a "win-win" in that the two leaders developed rapport, but Seoul should not be too excited about the joint statement itself.

"I think the focus of the summit outcome shouldn't rely heavily only on the joint statement," Tara O, an adjunct fellow at the Washington-based Pacific Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told The Korea Times.

In her view, the fact that it took seven hours to produce the statement after the Trump-Moon press conference reflects that there were a lot of disagreements.

"They had to water it down to only the points they can agree on and even those points were probably contentious," she said. "The meaning of a statement in one language not quite equals the meaning in another language."

"What was said at the press conference showed a lot of gaps in their perspectives, priorities, and approaches. I think that's more telling of where this is going," she added.

The experts shared the view that there were no great breakthroughs but it was a good start to what will be a close, intricate relationship between Trump and Moon.

They believe that from the Korea's perspective, difficult issues on North Korea were particularly well addressed.

"I think President Moon should be pleased. He got assurances on the alliance and some room to maneuver on North-South relations," said Stephan Haggard, director of the Korea-Pacific Program at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy.

According to the experts, one of the biggest outcomes from the summit for South Korea was its gaining of ground to take a leadership role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

However, they said that Seoul should be careful about only being a "good cop" in handling the reclusive country.

"Moon wants Korea to take more of a leadership role in dealing with North Korea, and Trump seems OK with that," said William Brown, adjunct professor at Georgetown School of Foreign Service.

"I think though that both sides have to be careful not to cast Seoul in the role of the good cop in dealing with Pyongyang and the U.S., or Trump, as the bad cop," he added.

The retired U.S. government official, who attended Moon's speech at an event hosted by CSIS, Friday, pointed out that it is Trump's mentality to rail against and drive a wedge between the Korean and American public.

"I have a sense that North Korea is running into financial difficulties, as a result of heavier Chinese trade sanctions, and will be looking for donations in return for engagement," he said.

"Hopefully, we can remain unified in our resistance to bailing Pyongyang out, yet again, instead offering them a more positive way ahead that includes reforming their system and ending their nukes."

Trump's idea of FTA false'

Haggard, who also serves as visiting fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, stressed that the first step should be to send an envoy.

"So far, the North has been pressing President Moon to conform with their priorities, blocking opportunities for cooperation and restating old positions on North-South relations that do not reflect the new nuclear reality," he said.

"The President is right to emphasize that South Korea has a place at the negotiating table on nuclear weapons and whatever small trust-building measures are taken at the outset need to be linked to a broader improvement of relations on the peninsula."

Regarding economic issues, such as cost-sharing arrangements for the U.S. troops and the Korea-U.S free trade agreement (KORUS FTA), the experts called on Moon to develop more practical strategies to achieve tangible results.

Haggard said that burden-sharing in the alliance might be seen as an issue of fairness, but in the larger picture the amounts of money involved are not huge.

"I think Korea needs to figure out what it wants from the burden-sharing negotiations. If it is paying more, what is it getting in return?" he said.

"We already knew that trade issues would come up, but the idea that Trump can rip up the KORUS FTA is clearly false," he added.

He explained that there are provisions that allow for renegotiation of the agreement, but the agreement was ratified by the U.S. Congress and Trump will have to come back for approval on whatever he chooses to do, saying, "There is a lot of support for the agreement in Congress."
By Kang Seung-woo

SAP announced Monday that it has named Scott Russell as the new president of SAP Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ).

Russell, with 20 years of experience in management, technology and consulting, will be in charge of increasing the firm's business and presence in the region.

He will take over from Adaire Fox-Martin, who was recently promoted to the SAP Executive Board. The region includes Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Previously, Russell served as president and managing director for SAP Southeast Asia and he was also the chief operating officer for the firm in the Asia-Pacific region between 2014 and 2016. Plus, he was senior vice president of SAP APJ Services.

"The Fourth Industrial Revolution has created unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally improve the state of Asia. By infusing our innovations into our purpose, SAP's innovative solutions, built on SAP HANA and in the cloud, empower private and public organizations in the Asia Pacific region to become sustainable digital businesses," Russell said.

SAP North America President Jennifer Morgan said, "Scott's vision and commitment to the customer, together with his impressive technology background and leadership experience, make him the right leader to help write the next chapter of SAP APJ's growth and innovation story."

Before joining German software giant SAP, Russell was a managing consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and led the Systems Integration and Application Maintenance business for IBM Australia New Zealand.
This is the third of a series highlighting Korean banks' operations in Southeast Asian countries.  ED.



By Park Hyong-ki





Kim Jong-hee

NongHyup Finance Myanmar is considering raising capital to finance its expansion in the region, said Kim Jong-hee, managing director of the bank.



Also, it will invest in equities of banks in Myanmar for strategic partnerships when opportunities arise as the country moves to deregulate laws on foreign bank services in the future.



This is in line with its plan to increase the number of its branches to seven by the end of this year, from three in the first half of the year, he added.



Launched with $3 million in capital in Yangon last January, NongHyup Finance Myanmar marks Seoul-based NongHyup Financial Group's first overseas bank unit.



It mainly provides microcredit and savings accounts to locals working in the agriculture sector.



"In 2018, we are looking to have 12 branches. Given the expected loan growth, we are planning for a capital increase," the NongHyup Finance Myanmar chief told The Korea Times via an email.



"Our ambition is to have assets of $10 million in three years in Myanmar, and develop NongHyup's first successful overseas business model."



He noted that it has been providing microcredit of less than 1 million Burmese kyat on average per person in Myanmar.



As Myanmar has restrictions on foreign financial operations given that its financial sector is still underdeveloped, NongHyup will not be able to seek local targets for mergers and acquisitions in the short term.



Its capital market is small and nascent since the Yangon Stock Exchange opened last year.



However, as the economy develops, it is moving toward easing some rules on foreign direct investment. The country has been growing over 7 percent on average per year since 2013.



"In the mid to long term, we will consider equity investments in local banks whose financial operations are closely aligned with NongHyup's amid deregulations," Kim said. "We will also not rule out the possibility of further diversifying our services."



One of the services it would like to offer in the future is mobile banking.



He said that Myanmar is rapidly becoming a tech-savvy country with more than 70 percent of its population using smartphones.



"We will have to review the feasibility of the digital business with our parent company as our branches and customers increase here," Kim said.



NongHyup Financial Group Chairman Kim Yong-hwan decided to establish a microfinance unit in Myanmar after visiting and meeting former Myanmar President Thein Sein in 2015.



This was part of the group's long-term vision to become a global agricultural bank by sharing its know-how in financing and development with developing and underdeveloped economies.



NongHyup seeks to help develop and improve Myanmar's production, distribution, sales and storage systems of agricultural goods, with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Korea Rural Community Corp. (KRC).



"NongHyup specializes in this area," he said.



"As we work to offer our specialization, and KOICA and KRC help transfer agriculture technology to Myanmar, we will be able to share this model with other developing countries nearby, including Vietnam and India."
South Korean President Moon Jae-in convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday, shortly after North Korea launched what appeared to be a ballistic missile in its latest provocation.

The meeting, to start at 11:30 a.m., is expected to check the country's defense readiness against additional provocations.

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile into the East Seat from Banghyon in its northwestern Pyongan Province, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported earlier.

The launch took place at around 9:40 a.m., it said.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said the NSC meeting will be chaired by Moon's top security adviser and head of the National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong.












Click a graphic to view a larger version.



By Jane Han

DALLAS  North Korea's first ambitious intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) aimed at hitting the U.S. was test launched Tuesday, July 4, the most patriotic day of the year for the American people.

While many Americans celebrated their independence with barbeques, fireworks, parties and parades, news of the new security threat was concerning for some.

''We're almost getting too used to North Korea's routine nuclear and missile tests, aren't we?'' said Kenneth Mock, 43, a software engineer for an energy company, while attending a Fourth of July festival with his wife and two daughters in the suburbs of Dallas.

''But getting a quick read of today's news did concern me a bit. It seems like a dangerous milestone,'' he said.

North Korea conducted its first ICBM test  an ongoing campaign ultimately aimed at developing a nuclear warhead to reach the U.S.  to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day












By Yi Whan-woo

Speculation is growing over the high possibility of a sixth nuclear test by North Korea following its successful test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Tuesday.

Pyongyang is purportedly capable of mounting a nuclear warhead on the ICBM, which is believed to be able to reach Alaska.

To fulfill its years-long goal of striking the U.S. mainland, the reclusive state will try to verify through a nuclear test that its nuclear warhead is explosive enough and yet securely attached to the ICBM, according to military officials and analysts.

"I don't want to bet on it but I see a chance of a North Korean nuclear test," Defense Minister Han Min-koo told the National Assembly National Defense Committee in a briefing. "It has been North Korea's goal on the governmental level to weaponize its nuclear power. It appears to be capable of carrying out a nuclear test at any time although there have not been any suspicious activities so far."

Han speculated that North Korea has made a "considerable" advancement in miniaturizing its nuclear weapons.

Speaking before the committee, other military officials echoed a similar view.

One said the possibility remains for North Korea to demonstrate its capability through a more powerful nuclear test.












By Jun Ji-hye

North Korea claimed Wednesday that it has perfected the warhead "re-entry technology" necessary to bring a nuclear-armed missile back into the Earth's atmosphere during its test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the previous day.

But the Ministry of National Defense downplayed this, saying it still remains to be seen whether the regime in Pyongyang has mastered such technology.

The ministry added that it is still too early to conclude the North has succeeded in the development of an operational ICBM capable of striking the continental United States.

The North's state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said the country successfully conducted the ICBM test, supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which checked the capability of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead.

The media said the test finally verified "all technical features of the payload of the rocket during its atmospheric re-entry including the heat-resistant features and structural safety of the warhead shroud made of a newly developed carbon compound material, in particular."

Securing missile re-entry technology has been cited as the toughest challenge for the North in developing an ICBM. If Pyongyang's claim is true, that would mean that the North has almost completed its ICBM.












By Kim Hyo-jin



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test was a gift to the U.S. on America's Independence Day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Wednesday.



Pyongyang's official news agency reported Kim expressed satisfaction Tuesday after personally overseeing the launch of the ICBM.



"American bastards would not be very happy with this gift package sent from us on their Independence Day," KCNA quoted Kim as saying.



It added, Kim said while laughing, "We should send them small and big gift packages more often so we can help break their boredom."



The report reiterated that Pyongyang successfully test-fired an ICBM  the Hwasong-14  saying it can carry large-scale and heavy nuclear warheads and is capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

The KCNA said Kim stressed, "We will never bring our nuclear and ballistic rockets to the negotiating table unless the U.S. scraps hostile policies toward North Korea and its nuclear threat."













The remark was the first for the young leader to directly refuse negotiations on his country's nuclear and missile programs.



It implied that Kim will continue nuclear and missile provocations, while refusing to engage in dialogue that asks for the scrapping or freezing of the programs.



The KCNA reported that Kim, intent on test-firing an ICBM capable of reaching the continental U.S. within this year, had spearheaded its development program.



Kim predicted the launch of an ICBM during his annual New Year's speech this year, saying, "The preparations for the test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic rocket have reached the final stages."



The agency said Kim had visited the site for missile development many times ahead of the launch and encouraged technicians and scientists.



Expressing satisfaction with the self-developed rocket, Kim once said it was as "handsome as a good-looking boy," the KCNA reported.



While encouraging developers, it quoted Kim as saying "Our long confrontation with the U.S. has entered the final stage. It's time to show the U.S., which has tested our determination and ignored our warnings."



The North has test-fired missiles around the anniversary of the July 4 U.S. Independence Day several times. On July 5, 2006, it launched a Taepodong-2 and two Rodong missiles, and also two Rodong missiles on July 4, 2009.
President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook board a presidential plane at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday, before heading to Germany to attend the G20 summit there scheduled to begin Friday. Moon will meet with world leaders and ask for cooperation in curbing threats from North Korea that conducted a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, Tuesday. / Yonhap
In an article published in the Russian newspaper Izvestia on Tuesday, Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev wrote that the Western mass media distorts information about the intentions of countries as the main weapon in their information war.

According to Kosachev, the main objective behind this distortion is the creation of a myth that portrays certain countries as dangerous aggressors. Thanks to all these Orwellian statements we are now living in some sort of an inside-out reality, the Russian senator wrote, according to an English translation of the Russian-language report in RT.

Though Kosachev was talking specifically about how the Western mass media distorts Russias intentions, his comments apply to all key potential U.S. rivals, including, and perhaps especially, China, which is often cast as a rising power with malign intentions and commonly singled out as the biggest threat to U.S. hegemony.

His comments also come at a time of profound time change in discourse, as media from all corners of the world battle to gain the dominant position in a fast-changing global media landscape.

On July 4, Lu Xinning, deputy editor-in-chief of the Peoples Daily, urged the Chinese and Russian media to work together to break the dominance of Western discourse in a speech at the third China-Russia Media Forum in Moscow, Russia.

Lu said China and Russia should work together to seize the opportunity of this new media era. As two big powers, strategic collaboration between our two countries is related to global stability. This same logic applies to discourse, which can have a global impact, Lu said.

Lu noted that in recent years, the Western discourse against China and Russia has been strong and the West is trying to force its Hobbess war of all against all view on China and Russia, creating a distorted view of the two world powers.

The Chinese and Russian media cannot let others interpret the international order and international rules on their behalf, and should take the initiative in this fierce international competition over discourse, Lu added. This new media era has redefined the way in which information is disseminated and acquired, creating a rare opportunity for developing countries and emerging market countries to win the right to speak.

But Lus call to action will be far from simple, as one reader pointed out. No doubt [this effort] will be portrayed in the Western Privileged Press as a vast communist conspiracy against freedom, rule of law, and of course democracy through the spreading of evil propaganda, the user wrote on Peoples Daily Online. Then added: [But] I certainly hope this effort helps to refute the false narrative of the 'Empire of the Exceptionals.'

The Russian senator in his comments also talked about countering a false narrative: The demagogy about attacks on values and freedoms should be countered with the truth about the geopolitical motives of Western nations actions, Kosachev wrote.

The practice of demonizing other countries in the Western mass media plays a key role in keeping the myth of exceptionalism alive and well, but comes at the cost of other countries image and progress. In the U.S., for example, elite policymakers and the mainstream media passionately believe in American exceptionalism. They are convinced that the U.S. is a shining city upon a hill, morally superior to every other country on earth, and this thinking is reflected in their powerful and influential discourse.

But the tide may be turning. On Tuesday, visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin witnessed the signing ceremony of a media cooperation agreement in Moscow. The agreement, signed between Peoples Daily President Yang Zhenwu and Sergey Mikhaylov, director general of Russias TASS news agency, will allow both sides to form a comprehensive strategic partnership under the principles of equality and mutual trust. Eighteen other agreements were also signed at the China-Russia media forum in Moscow on July 4.
Parents of students attending autonomous schools march toward the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in protest against the move to abolish "elite schools," on June 26. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon

By Kim Bo-eun

President Moon Jae-in's appointment of his education minister Wednesday will likely expedite his drive to overhaul the elite high school system, fueling the debate over the issue.

As a means to provide equal education, Moon pledged to turn the elite high schools _ including foreign language, international and autonomous high schools _ into regular schools.

The appointment of Kim Sang-kon, former liberal education superintendent of Gyeonggi Province and deviser of Moon's education policies, as education minister has probably set the fate of these schools.

The plan has the support of liberal superintendents _ Gyeonggi Province's Lee Jae-joung and Seoul's Cho Hee-yeon have been at the forefront of the move.

Lee said he will not approve the status of these schools in coming evaluations. Cho, on the other hand, says the system of elite schools should be abolished through law changes.

This has prompted a fierce backlash from the schools and the parents of students.

Elite high schools

Daewon Foreign Language High School was established in 1984 as the nation's first school specializing in foreign languages. By the late 1980s, it was a route for students to enter prestigious universities. In the 1990s, foreign language high schools were authorized as "special purpose high schools."

The Kim Dae-jung administration introduced private schools with autonomy in 2001 to diversify education under the system of equalized high school education. The autonomous high school system was fine-tuned under the following Lee Myung-bak administration.

Autonomous schools have freedom in choosing their own curriculum, personnel management and admissions. The schools are subject to regional education office evaluation every five years.

Elite schools account for 2 percent of 2,500 high schools nationwide.

Dispute

The debate over these schools is centered on whether they are living up to their purpose of providing diverse education or whether they have merely become a means to enter top universities.

Advocates say these schools are necessary to prepare students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. They say instead of removing them, their shortcomings should be complemented.

The schools have been designed to cultivate diverse strengths such as foreign languages and extra-curricular activities.

"A uniform education system which does not allow diversity at private schools can become a serious factor that weakens the nation's competiveness," Oh Se-mok, principal of Joongdong High School, an autonomous high school, said.

However, critics say that under the status quo, the schools are focused on sending as many students to top universities as possible. Besides the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), there are other forms of recruitment to select students based on certain skills such as foreign language ability or other activities.

"The schools have strengthened education based on college entrance and have established a hierarchy in the high school system," civic group World Without Worries about Shadow Education said.

Another factor that irks critics is that the elite schools are able to recruit students ahead of regular schools, which results in them accepting most of the best students.

"Most of the regular schools are unable to accept high-performing students, and many freshmen at regular schools feel inferior as they begin high school," the civic group said.

It claims this has resulted in the overall quality of education at regular schools falling.

Another key reason the Moon administration is aiming to abolish elite schools is that they intensify private education at middle school level. Autonomous high schools say this is untrue, as applicants for autonomous high schools do not take exams. They are selected based on their academic records from middle school, a cover letter and interview.

But students also receive private tutoring when drawing up their cover letters and getting ready for interviews.

In addition, tuition costs at elite schools are considerably higher than regular high schools.

Critics say this results in a polarization of education between the haves and have-nots _ only those who can afford private education and high tuition costs have access to elite education.

Parents of students are opposed to the schools being abolished, as the schools will lose their prestige and this could adversely affect networking with graduates.

Around 2,300 parents of students at 23 autonomous high schools gathered in downtown Seoul on June 26 to protest against the plan.

"Students have fallen victim to changing education policies," they said.

An association of 18 civic groups picketed in front of the education ministry building in Sejong on Wednesday, urging the government to carry out its pledge to abolish elite schools.

Meanwhile, execution of the plan is set to take time. The education minister said at his National Assembly hearing it should be carried out while taking into account the opinions of schools, parents and students.
South Korea and the United States staged a massive combined ballistic missile exercise Wednesday aimed at sending a warning message to North Korea, the South's military said a day after the communist country claimed a successful long-range missile test.

The allies fired a barrage of missiles, including the South's Hyunmoo-2A and the U.S. Eighth Army's ATACMS, into the East Sea, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.



The Hyunmoo-2A is a ballistic missile with a range of 300 kilometers, and the ATACMS, or the Army Tactical Missile System, is a surface-to-surface missile.



The live-fire training was held on the orders of President Moon Jae-in who cited the need for demonstrating the allies' missile defense posture with action, not just a statement, said Moon's office Cheong Wa Dae.



Moon delivered the proposal to U.S. President Donald Trump through their national security advisers, it added.

The U.S. troops said they mobilized the assets to counter "North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions" a day earlier, referencing its firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).



"The deep strike precision capability enables the (South Korea)-U.S. Alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions," the Eighth Army said.













Meanwhile, the North's state media gave a detailed account of the reclusive nation's latest missile test.



The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the North has mastered the atmospheric re-entry technology and other skills for an ICBM via the test inspected by leader Kim Jong-un.



It added the country's ICBM is capable of carrying a large-sized warhead. In particular, the temperature of the warhead stayed within the range of 25-45 degrees Celsius at the time of the re-entry, with all other core devices normally operating before the missile struck a mock target accurately, it argued.



The North also verified "all technological characteristics" necessary to fire an ICBM from a mobile launcher, it said.

The KCNA described the ICBM as an Independence Day "gift" for Americans.

The South's military stressed that the allies are all set to retaliate in the case of a North Korean missile attack.

It warned that the leadership of the North Korean regime will face "destruction" if it threatens the security of the allies' people with its nuclear weapons and missiles.



In Washington, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson strongly condemned the North's ICBM launch.



"Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region and the world," he said in a statement.



He said the U.S. would take tougher measures to hold Pyongyang accountable and reaffirmed that it will never accept the North as a nuclear power. (Yonhap)
South Korea's Hyunmoo-2A ballistic missile, left, and the U.S. Army's MGM-140 Tactical Missile are fired into the East Sea from an undisclosed location on South Korea's east coast during a joint missile drill, Wednesday, aimed to counter North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile test conducted Tuesday. / Yonhap



Moon orders missile drills targeting NK leadership

By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea and the United States fired ballistic missiles in a joint drill aimed at striking the North Korean leadership, Wednesday.

The live-fire exercise was an armed reaction to the North's purported successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) conducted Tuesday.

President Moon Jae-in issued the missile firing order after getting consent from U.S. President Donald Trump, Cheong Wa Dae said.

This marked the first time for the allies to conduct a ballistic missile drill in response to the North's missile threats, Defense Minister Han Min-koo said in a National Assembly session.

Issuing the order, Moon said the allies needed to demonstrate their joint defense posture "with action not just words," according to chief press secretary, Yoon Young-chan.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Seoul and Washington fired their Hyunmoo-2A and the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) ballistic missiles, respectively, into the East Sea at 7 a.m.

Both the Hyunmoo-2A and ATACMS are surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 300 kilometers.

Trump backed Moon's order, saying he respects Moon's willingness to deter the North's provocation with action, Yoon said.
By Choi Ha-young





Gen. Vincent K. Brooks

Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, warned North Korea, Wednesday, that the ROK-U.S. combined forces may shed "self-restraint" in handling its nuclear and missile threats.

In a joint statement he issued with Gen. Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brooks said, "Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war."

The statement came after the allies conducted a ballistic missile exercise early in the morning in response to Pyongyang's "successful" intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test-firing Tuesday. North Korea claimed that its ICBM is capable of reaching the continental U.S.

"As this missile live-fire exercise shows, we are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance's national leaders," Brooks said. "It would be a grave mistake for anyone to believe anything to the contrary."

Gen. Lee Sun-jin echoed this. "We may make resolute decisions at any time, if the alliance's commanders in chief order it."












By Lee Han-soo

A Thai woman's wits have led to her rescue and that of four others from a brothel in South Korea.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency revealed the case on Wednesday.

The incident started when the five women visited a Busan supermarket on May 16 under the "guidance" of a Korean man.

The women were regular customers who visited late at night to buy daily necessities.

On May 16, the women bought products while the Korean man stood just outside the supermarket. But something unusual happened when they paid the bill.

As one of the women extended her cash-filled hand to the casher, he realized there was more there than he expected -- a hand-written SOS message hidden inside the cash.

"Help the police. I was caught in the fourth floor of the building," read the note in English, Korean and Thai.





The note the woman handed to the supermarket clerk. / Yonhap



It also said in poor Korean that she had been deceived and needed his help to call the police. The clerk realized the urgent nature of the issue and penned an answer: "112 call, helping you." 112 is Korea's police hotline number.

But the woman stopped him and left with the others.

When his shift finished, the clerk handed the note to police with a phone number given to save store points.

Police checked the number and traced it to a person who they had previously caught operating a brothel.

But during the initial investigation, police failed to find the "fourth floor of the building" where the women were being held captive.

They did discover a suspicious fortune-telling shop but did not investigate further as it seemed closed.

The women were finally rescued on May 18 after the woman specified the fortune-telling shop as the location through social media.

A foreigner support center in Osan picked up the SNS post and reported it to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, which told the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency.

"I believed that she was afraid that if I immediately reported the case to the police she would face dire consequences by the Korean man waiting outside," the supermarket clerk said.

"I was too afraid to escape on my own," the Thai woman, who handed the note to the clerk, told police. "I wrote the note with the little Korean I learned from customers."

The ringleader, surnamed Lee, had held five Thai nationals and forced them into prostitution for 90,000 won ($70) to 160,000 won a customer.

Lee and the broker who brought the women to Korea lured them with the prospect of getting jobs at legitimate Thai massage parlors.

But when they arrived, Lee took their passports and locked them inside the building, forcing them to have sexual intercourse with customers.

Lee said he advertised his illegal business on the internet and met customers at subway stations to avoid detection. He said he asked for an official identification card or a salary check slip to see if the customer was an undercover police officer.
Sungkyunkwan / Courtesy of Chris Boreman



This is the first in a series of contributions about Seoul's charms as seen from foreigners' points of view  ED.

By Chris Boreman

When I first came to Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) in Seoul two years ago for a job interview, the first thing I noticed was the old Korean structures along the right side of the road. "What do these have to do with the university?"





Chris Boreman

When I stopped by after the interview, I discovered I was standing in Sungkyunkwan's original Joseon Dynasty-era campus from back when it was a royal Confucian academy. I would later learn of the close relationship the school had with the politics of the period and how many people who once graced the halls of old Sungkyunkwan would go on to be profoundly influential on Korean history.

I got the job, and to my delight, my duties included working as a tour guide on the old campus. I have had the chance to guide university presidents, ambassadors, industrial leaders and others through the old campus. I always enjoy seeing them marvel at the beautiful historic buildings.

Sungkyunkwan was originally founded in Seoul in 1398 shortly after the newly established Joseon Dynasty relocated the nation's capital there. The new dynasty brought interest in Confucian principles which would have a substantial impact on the culture of the era. The academy instructed students from the aristocratic class primarily on works of Confucian and other classical Chinese literature. To enter and ultimately graduate, students had to pass a series of civil service examinations, after which they would often go on to serve in government positions. Most of the famous scholars and statesmen who shaped the nation's politics and academia graduated from Sungkyunkwan.

The old campus was built based on geomancy, meaning that its front faces directly south and is designed around the four cardinal directions. This was considered the best design to be harmonious with nature, one of the key attributes of Joseon architecture. Due to its open courtyards and plant life, it makes for a beautiful and relaxing tour through its grounds during any season. Spring and autumn, however, are considered the best times to visit due to the comfortable weather and opportunities to see flowers or colorful foliage.

The old campus opens its gates at 9 a.m. every day, closing at 6 p.m. in warmer months and 5 p.m. in the winter. Entry is always free, even during special ceremonies, and it is listed as National Historic Site 143. My favorite landmarks to see are Myeongnyundang, the lecture hall which is on the Korean 1,000 won bill and the university's symbol, and the large ancient ginkgo trees, one of which is National Monument 59. Dongjae, the eastern dormitory which was still inhabited by SKKU students until the early 2000s, is a relaxing place where you can still see students reading or relaxing between classes. There is also the Munmyo Shrine area where Confucianists still perform ancient ceremonies. The university's formal graduation ceremonies are conducted there as well.

The Seoul city government has considered requesting UNESCO World Heritage Status for Sungkyunkwan, although nothing has happened yet. As it is only a short walk from Changgyeong Palace and the bustling Daehangno, it is only a matter of time before more visitors discover one of Seoul's most underrated tourist destinations.

I have seen there are strong connections between the country's ancient past and modern present as well as how its emphasis on educational excellence drives its political and economic currents. One of the best ways to fully understand the culture of Korea is to visit Sungkyunkwan and see for yourself a part of the unique historic legacy of the nation's academic traditions.





Chris Boreman works for Sungkyunkwan University's Office of International Relations and is a freelance writer.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in departed for Germany on Wednesday for a Group of 20 summit where he is expected to discuss ways to rein in North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile technologies with other leaders.



His departure came one day after North Korea claimed to have had a successful test launch of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).



Moon earlier told his security officials to seek cooperation with the United States and other countries in sternly dealing with the North's provocation including the UN Security Council's action.



Tuesday's launch of Hwasong-14 marked the North's sixth missile test since the new South Korean president took office on May 10.



Moon is expected to rally international support in condemning the North during his meetings with G20 leaders.



He is scheduled to hold three-way talks with US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday (German time).



Moon and Trump agreed in their summit in Washington last week to strengthen the countries' joint deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats.



The three-way talks with Japan's Abe are widely expected to focus on enhancing the countries' cooperation on ending North Korea's nuclear ambitions.



South Korea and Japan, both close allies of the US, have often let their bilateral ties deteriorate over historical issues that include Japan's territorial claim to a set of South Korean islets in the East Sea, called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.



The Seoul-Tokyo relations are again at a low ebb after Moon hinted at renegotiating or scrapping a 2015 deal over Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.



The agreement, signed by Seoul's former conservative administration, is believed to be aimed at pardoning Japan's war atrocity once and for all, in exchange for 10 billion yen ($8.85 million).



The new South Korean president said his people can not accept the deal.



Still, he has said such issues must not keep the countries from advancing their cooperation on other and more urgent issues, such as North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.



Moon and Abe are also set for bilateral talks, to be held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg early Friday, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.



The South Korean leader is also expected to hold bilateral talks with a "number of other foreign leaders," possibly including China's Xi Jinping.



Both Moon and Trump have repeatedly urged Beijing, North Korea's major ally, to do more to prevent it from making any further provocations. China accounts for more than 90 percent of North Korea's overall trade.



Moon is also expected to seek Germany's support in dealing with the provocative North.



His five-day trip to the European country will begin with a two-day stay in Berlin, where he will hold a bilateral summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to Cheong Wa Dae.



He will also hold talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.



He will head to Hamburg on Thursday to join the annual G-20 summit over the following two days. It will mark the first multinational forum attended by the new South Korean president. (Yonhap)




/ Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

The government announced Wednesday that it has begun to put "blind hiring" into force for all public jobs  a major step to change the country's highly intrusive recruitment practices.

Most notably, state-run companies are no longer allowed to request job applicants' photos and information that isn't directly related to job, including their physical appearance, family background and the names of schools they attended.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said it will distribute new guidelines to all 332 public institutions, which must carry out the policy immediately. The 149 public institutions under the control of local governments will follow suit next month after receiving the ministry's education.

A draft of a new resume for public jobs / Yonhap

"The government came up with the policy to ensure that all job seekers can compete fairly," Vice Minister Yi Sung-ki said.

But exceptions are allowed for certain positions. Employers, for example, may ask about the job applicants' eyesight for security positions. Even then the information they request should only be "essentially job-related."

Also during job interviews, employers should continue to comply with the rule: no questions about anything unrelated to work.

The ministry will also push ahead with making a law to require private firms to do the same. Meanwhile, it plans to distribute the recruitment manuals to 400 major firms and run training for them.












By Choe Chong-dae





Strong diplomatic ties between Korea and Belgium have existed since 1892, even before the two countries entered into a treaty of friendship in 1901. Accordingly, the first legation of Belgium was inaugurated in Korea in 1903.



Testament to this longstanding friendship is the unique Belgium Consulate building built in southern Seoul in 1905 and renovated in 1983. The building's classical ionic columns and fireplaces have been kept intact, allowing it to serve as a tool for studying classical architecture of the 1900s as well as modern art. It is now part of the protected Korean architectural heritage as Historical Site No. 254.



With Japan annexing Korea in 1910, the majority of foreign missions were expelled. Belgium closed its diplomatic post in Seoul in 1918 but became one of the first countries to recognize Korea as a sovereign nation after Korea gained independence and established a new government in 1948.



It was not until 1970 that Belgium re-established its embassy in Korea. The most dramatic demonstration of Belgium's involvement with Korea was the participation of 3,000 volunteer soldiers during the Korea War (1950-1953) under the flag of United Nations Command. More than 100 of these valiant Belgians sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Korea.



Commemorating the 110th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Belgium, a special concert and reception were held at KBS Hall in September 2011. The organizers, the Belgium Embassy in Korea and KBS, treated guests to the delightful KBS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Patrick Davin, as well as the unique flavor and taste of Belgian beer. Some of the world's finest beers hail from Belgium, which offers over 1,000 types.



Most recently, Korean dignitaries were honored to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium to Seoul as she led a 256-strong Belgian delegation on its 4th economic mission to South Korea from June 10 to 17. Ever since King Philippe became king of Belgium, he has requested Princess Astrid to lead Belgian economic missions abroad.



On this occasion, Princess Astrid travelled to Korea with a delegation including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders and Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Pieter De Crem.



While in Korea, Princess Astrid was appointed an honorary citizen of Seoul. Another high-profile event during the mission was a visit to Panmunjom, a village in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea called the "Joint Security Area," or JSA. The JSA was created in 1953 after the ceasefire and is nowadays controlled by United Nations forces.



I was invited to attend the June 12 Korea-Belgium Friendship Concert and reception to celebrate Korea's friendship with Belgium on the occasion of the Belgian Economic Mission to Korea. In attendance were Princess Astrid and other distinguished figures included Ambassador of Belgium to Korea Adrien Theatre, and Yonsei University President Kim Yong- hak.



Kumho Art Hall at Yonsei University offered the perfect venue for invited guests to enjoy the chamber music concert elegantly performed by exceptionally gifted musicians of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, which is under the honorary chairmanship of Her Majesty Queen Paola.



Unlike other past receptions held by the Belgium Embassy, on that night I was unable to savor Belgiums variety of beer as only soft drinks were served at the reception for the Korea-Belgium Friendship Concert. Nevertheless, the melodious notes that filled the air lifted my spirits despite the lack of the other kind of spirits.



Exchanging greetings and shaking hands with Princess Astrid was a great honor for me. I was pleased that she showed much interest in Korean culture and media at the reception. I believe the visit of Princess Astrid has paved the way for fruitful bilateral relations between Korea and Belgium.





Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is President of Dae-kwang International Co, and Director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com
NK ICBM test tests Moon's policy consistency



President Moon Jae-in reacted with cool head on North Korea's alleged intercontinental ballistic missile test Tuesday. "We hope the North will not cross the bridge of no return," Moon warned during the emergency National Security Council meeting. "There is no knowing how Korea and the United States will respond if it violates the red line."



His message confirmed Moon is committed to his agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump during their Washington summit to deal sternly with the North's provocations. For that Moon gained the U.S. consent for Seoul to try and open dialogue with the isolated regime.



For the liberal leader who just resolved suspicions about his alleged pro-North Korean tendencies after the summit, it is important to continue trust-building with its key ally. Through it, the Moon government will be able to strengthen its persuasive power in coordinating with the U.S. a policy toward the North and take initiative if it comes to that to cut a deal with Pyongyang.



No less important, Moon has reassured the conservatives at home, who are skeptical of what they see a soft approach on the North, laying the groundwork for them come to his side. This diminishes the chance for ideological divisions on domestic front.



No doubt, Tuesday's ICBM test is a serious provocation. The projectile reached 2,808 km in altitude and flew about 933km before splashing down in the exclusive economic zone of Japan in the East Sea. Experts say that if the altitude were lowered to the trajectory of a missile for a maximum distance, it could fly 7,000 km to hit Alaska. Considering the missile the North fired May 15 was by estimate capable of flying 4,500km, it could be a matter of time before the North can possess a missile with a striking distance of 10,000km and hit the U.S. mainland.



What has been worrisome is a potential military U.S. response based on President Trump's vow not to allow the North to fire an ICBM. Technically, what the North fired Tuesday is a projectile that flew a long distance but is short of an ICBM, which also needs a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can withstand the heat and shock of reentry into atmosphere and explode as designated. It may take a couple more years before the North puts together such a working ICBM.



In other words, Moon still has a window of opportunity, although narrowing, to use his license to try dialogue, defuse the crisis and make peace on firmer ground. It will boil down to whether Moon proves perseverant enough to stick to his phased denuclearization formula.



His predecessor, Park Geun-hye's trustpolitik collapsed because she was emotionally swayed by the North's provocative acts, while her predecessor Lee Myung-bak lacked philosophical conviction or inter-Korean reconciliation. Moon should be different from them, if he wants to prevail against greater odds. What to come may make Tuesday's challenge look like a small bump along the road. When he feels unsure, Moon may recite a Yogi Berra quote: It ain't over till it's over.




By Kyung Moon Hwang





Not surprisingly, last week's meeting between Presidents Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump in Washington DC received a lot more interest in South Korea than in the US. Also not surprisingly, yet another instance of Trump's shameful behavior suddenly grabbed all the attention, minimizing further the American public's awareness of the South Korean leader's visit.



What was surprising, however, was that Moon still fawned over his deplorable counterpart while repeating age-old mantras about South Korea's historical bond with the US. President Moon's past statements suggest that, like probably the majority of South Korean adults now, he understands the complexity of America's role in Korean history. But there he was in Washington, tellingly the first foreign capital he visited after taking office, delivering the cliche about the "blood alliance" that the two countries forged in the Korean War and maintained thereafter through common interests and ideals.



Park Geun-hye would not have put it differently, nor indeed Park Chung-hee. For a progressive who has emphasized South Korea's autonomy from the US, Moon Jae-in sounded remarkably similar to his predecessors.



This was the case even as Trump blurted out, probably off-script, that he insists on renegotiating the free trade agreement between the two countries. (Perhaps this explains why Moon inserted a subtle dig at the US government's failure to protect Otto Warmbier, the young American who died from his sham incarceration in North Korea.) On the whole, however, both presidents' statements following their official summit meeting restated the generalities of ironing out differences over trade, getting tough with North Korea over its nuclear program, and further strengthening the rock-solid ROK-US relationship.



Much of this can be explained away as simply diplomatic speak. But on the other hand, President Moon appears to have gotten carried away with nostalgia, triggered by powerful impressions about the US implanted into most South Koreans of his generation. He also has a familial connection to this mythology, which he was eager to highlight to his American hosts.



As we know, Moon was born near Busan in early 1953, just a couple of years after his parents joined thousands of other civilians fleeing the Chinese advance into the coastal city of Heungnam in late December of 1950, six months following the start of the Korean War. They were among approximately 15,000 refugees allowed to board an American transport ship in what came to be known as the Hungnam Evacuation or the "Christmas miracle," which provided safe passage to Busan, the temporary capital of South Korea at the time. (The recent hit film "Ode to My Father" opens with a stirring dramatization of this event.)



This is one of several moments in America's intervention in the Korean War, such as the Incheon Landing of September 1950, that shaped the Korean faith in America's salvational role, a picture further promoted by both South Koreans and Americans during the Cold War. With the liberalization accompanying democratization, however, Koreans came to learn that this neat image of the US is wildly simplistic.



A more complicated and realistic understanding of America's involvement in Korea acknowledges that it did not begin with the Korean War, contrary to what almost all Americans also believe, but rather in the mid-19th century. From then to the period immediately following liberation from Japanese rule in 1945, when the anti-communist US military occupation of southern Korea set the stage for horrific brutalities just before the Korean War, much of this earlier history was not pleasant. Furthermore, the US forces depicted as heroes for rescuing desperate North Koreans in late 1950 subsequently went on to carpet-bomb North Korea indiscriminately, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians.



In a terrible irony, these bitter memories allowed the Kim dynasty to fabricate stories about itself in order to cement its grip on the North Korean population. In a tragic way, then, the US military involvement on the Korean peninsula contributed significantly to solidifying the same North Korean regime that everyone now condemns, a regime that can easily point to past American actions as justification for developing its nuclear program.



The other irony is that this more reasonable historical understanding directly arose from the same forces of the democratic opening that produced a more forthright view of South Korean state violence from the Korean War era. These atrocities began with the killing of tens of thousands of civilians on Jeju Island in 1948 and 1949 and culminated in the countless thousands of innocents executed by President Syngman Rhee's regime, cultivated and trained by the United States, right after the start of the Korean War.



Finally, the numerous family members of the victims, as well as a few survivors, of these massacres had to wait decades, under South Korean dictatorships backed by the United States, in order to gain redress for their suffering.



So it is understandable if many, if not most, South Koreans do not buy into the ready-made images of American benevolence and the ROK-US alliance. Of course, there is much to be said for the positive aspects of America's historical impact, which might be considered more important in the end. But hopefully, regardless of where one falls in the spectrum of opinions about this topic, everyone can recognize that it was not as simple as what these ceremonial summit meetings suggest.





Kyung Moon Hwang is a professor at the Department of History, University of Southern California. He is the author of "A History of Korea-An Episodic Narrative" (Second edition, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). Contact khwang3@gmail.com.
By Oh Young-jin



Isn't it possible U.S. President Donald Trump is better a leader than he is a pro wrestler or a juvenile old neighborhood bully?



The American mainstream media are engaged in a constant screaming contest with Trump  lately rerunning his tweet clip about him pummeling the "CNN man" in a mock ringside slugfest and highlighting his sexist/blood retorts. True, he deserves all the pillorying he is getting.



But what if he has the right stuff for the job, or at least parts for it, but is not being given credit for it? Aren't Americans and the rest of the world swept by the scoundrel Donald, not noticing the other side  a smart, intuitive but underappreciated leader?



President Moon Jae-in's visit to Washington and the two's summit ironically allows a glimpse into the serious, presidential side of the most vilified man in the world.



At least two newspapers enlisted experts to score the summit on a 1 to 10 scale and produced an above-average eight points. True, the bar had been lowered since the pre-summit fear was that it would turn out to be a brawl between the two leaders of different ideologies or degenerate into an otherwise embarrassing circus, considering Trump's quixotic behavior.



The President ceded ground significantly to please Trump and address U.S. concerns such as Moon's decision to delay the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system. It is with a little hyperbole that Moon went to U.S. as a liberal but returned home a conservative.



The reason for Moon getting those high scores is thanks in no small part to the host. He looked presidential when acknowledging Moon's show of appreciation for U.S. help in protecting Korea during the 1950-1953 Korean War.



He gave Moon what he had wanted in the joint statement, which recognizes the leading role in the ROK-U.S. alliance and on the path to unification. Both references can be dismissed as ones only with rhetorical value but being so accustomed to playing second fiddle to a powerful ally, they provided Koreans with cause for celebration. He did little trick in confirming the two countries' alliance.



But the businessman in Trump came out and asked Moon to foot the bill.



The Korean side was caught off guard by the way he was asking but had expected to pay one way or another. For the American side, Trump did protect the U.S. national interest  preventing any extra taxpayers' money from getting wasted.



Off the script in the press meeting, Trump made the renegotiation of Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) a fait accompli, and left no room for interpretation about his waning for Korea to pay more for maintaining U.S. military presence.



Three times, Trump showed Moon who's the boss.



Prior to the summit, the White House suddenly announced it was dropping THAAD from the summit agenda. Tension was building to a breaking point over it. This was seen as a tactical move to remove the thorny issue that had vexed Moon until he flew to Washington.



The second time came during their joint press conference when Trump ambushed Moon, who felt less burdened by the THAAD resolution, with the FTA and burden sharing issues. Moon could have stopped Trump cold and rebutted him over his wrong facts. The President listened politely without intervening.



The presidential office said later that Trump had improvised but apparently fell short of making a protest. The FTA renegotiations will certainly give U.S. goods an extra edge and the USFK burden sharing talks will surely squeeze more dollars from Korea. Trump deserves a point to keep his country on the plus side.



The third was about the seven-hour delay in the issuance of the joint statement. Some newspapers compared the delay with a "blood-drying" experience among the presidential staffers because the failure to produce one meant trouble in the summit. The presidential office explained that the draft was held up while moving up on the chain of command. If that was plotted, it would be like a sheaf from Trump's "The Art of the Deal"  ensuring the other side feels grateful about your action.



As evidenced by those good scores, the consensus is that Moon did not get a bad bargain, enabling him to declare after returning from his Washington trip that he wants to get into "the driver's seat" in dealing with the North. Moon also managed to keep at bay the conservatives' complaint that he and his liberal ilk are soft on the North and weakening the alliance.



Truly, the magic appears to be wearing thin, prompting Moon to get out of his stupor and face reality as the Moon-Trump deal is being put under scrutiny. But it is undeniable that Trump has done well for the country on this one.



Few would be willing to give Trump the benefit of doubt. The good side of Trump is not hard sell but no sell, considering his daily fare of slapstick comedy and the state of the union that is on the verge of rebellion.



His presidency was born on the promise of disrupting the status quo. The suspicion is that it is trivialized and bogged down by vested interests. That means that his strengths are ignored at our expense?







Oh Young-jin is The Korea Times' chief editorial writer. Contact foolsdie5@ktimes.com and foolsdie@gmail.com.




By Lee Hyo-sik



Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has rebutted its labor union's "distorted" information about its management situation, calling on union workers to refrain from making excessive demands as it struggles to get back on track.



Korea's largest shipbuilder said Wednesday that the union has been spreading false information about the number of ship orders and other business issues to secure the upper hand in ongoing wage negotiations.



"Union leaders must stop distorting the facts to make the company appear to be in better shape than it actually is," an HHI official said. "What they should do instead is to persuade workers to make the necessary sacrifices to help normalize the company's operations."



In a recent newsletter issued by the union, it said the shipbuilder secured new orders from January to May, worth $3.8 billion, to build 62 ships.



The workers also said the company earned 618.7 billion won in operating profits in the first quarter of the year and has many ships to build in the second half of this year.



However, the management is calling these dispatches as ill-intended fake news, claiming that the union has been overstating business conditions to its advantage.



"HHI secured orders for only 17 ships from January to May. The other 45 were won by its two affiliates, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries," the official said.



"HHI doesn't have many ships to build until June of next year because it takes at least eight months to begin the construction of a ship after winning an order. We have only 10 ships to work on in the second half of 2017. We have no idea about what to do with 5,000 workers who will become idle."



He said HHI earned only 69 billion won in operating profits in the first three months of the year, while Hyundai Oil Bank and other affiliates earned the rest.



"It is not right for HHI workers to demand a wage hike, citing the profits earned by other companies. Union leaders should inform the members of the correct information about the company and make reasonable demands in the ongoing wage negotiations," the official said.



HHI management and the union have failed to conclude collective bargaining for 2016 and are now engaged in talks to complete wage deals for both 2016 and 2017.



Last year, the union demanded a 96,712 won hike in basic monthly salary, among other demands. For 2017, the union is asking management to raise the base salary by another 154,882 won and the bonus by 250 percent.



However, the management has been calling on union workers to accept a 20-percent cut in basic salary in return for keeping about 5,000 workers on the payroll this year. The shipbuilder said that without the union's sacrifice, the 5,000 will have to be let go of because of the lack of orders.




By Park Jae-hyuk



More than 30 percent of Korean households have pets, a survey showed Tuesday.



According to KB Financial Group's research center, about 5.9 million households own pets, up from 4.57 million in 2015.



The survey shows that one out of three households had previously owned pets, meaning that more than 60 percent of Korean households have lived with animals.



Dogs are the most popular pets  eight out of 10 pets are dogs and 16.6 percent are cats. Goldfish, hamsters, birds and rabbits account for the remainder.



The three most popular dog breeds are maltese, poodle and shih-tzu, while those of cat breeds are Korean short-haired, Persian and Russian blue.



Three in 10 respondents spend 50,000 won ($43) to 100,000 won a month on their pets. However, 9 percent of pet-owning households spend more than 1 million won a month on their pets. Most of the expenses are for feeding their animals.



Given that a growing number of businesses in various fields have begun to tap into the booming pet industry, the amount of spending by pet owners is expected to continue to increase.



Companies are seeking to take advantage of the booming pet industry.



KB Financial Group, which conducted the survey, also plans to provide pet owners with comprehensive financial services beginning this month. "KB seeks to become a representative financial company for pet owners, satisfying their needs for pet insurance and other financial services," a company official said.



Food firms, such as CJ CheilJedang, Dongwon F&B, Korea Ginseng Corp., Seoul Milk and LG Household & Health Care, are expanding their pet food businesses. Harim Group opened its first pet food plant last month as well, launching "The Real" as a "human-grade" pet food brand.



Retail giants including Lotte, Shinsegae and Shilla have promoted clothing brands for pets. Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin is especially interested in the matter, as he himself owns two poodles named "Mary" and "Molly."



In line with the trend, the Korean government proclaimed an amended animal protection law earlier this week.



The new rule prohibits animal sellers from breeding and importing animals. Also, pet auction dealers should register themselves as animal sellers, who should follow the new regulations on facilities and personnel.



"We expect the amended law to prevent animal abuse which might have happened at auction houses," said an official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.




FTC set to survey franchisees in Seoul, Gyeonggi





Jung Woo-hyun, former chairman of MP Group Choi Ho-sig, former chairman of Hosigi Chicken

By Park Jae-hyuk

Mr. Pizza and Hosigi Chicken were recently kicked out of an association of franchises over scandals involving their former chairmen, according to industry officials, Wednesday.

Amid growing distrust in franchise chains, the nation's antitrust watchdog also seems to be starting intensive surveys about conditions throughout the industry.

The Korea Franchise Association (KFA) recently decided to expel the pizza firm and to accept the chicken firm's resignation during its regular board meeting last week. The expulsion is the toughest punishment against any of the association's members.

"I feel sorry for the recent scandals, as the overall industry has faced criticism for the misconduct of some firms," KFA Chairman Park Gi-yeong said during the meeting. "However, the association must lead reforms to overcome public criticism and prejudice against the industry."

He also vowed that the association will continue to educate its members in ethical management.

The expelled Mr. Pizza has faced setbacks in its business over former Chairman Jung Woo-hyun's charges of embezzlement, malpractice, unfair trade and mistreatment of franchisees. He is also alleged to have paid 4 billion won ($3.4 million) in wages to his relatives, after hiring them in controversial ways. The prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for him.

After the mistreatment of franchisees made headlines, the pizza firm's founder resigned as chairman last month.

However, he still denies the accusations. The Korea Exchange demanded Mr. Pizza officially announce the truth of the ex-chairman's embezzlement charge.

"Nothing has been confirmed so far regarding the prosecutors' investigation," the company said in a statement. "We will make an announcement about this matter again in a month or when any specific result comes out."

The police also interrogated former Hosigi Chicken Chairman Choi Ho-sig over allegations of sexually harassing a female employee in her 20s. The prosecutors' office worked on the case since last week.

Although Choi resigned as chairman and the firm apologized to the public, Hosigi faced a 40 percent drop in its sales after the case, as most consumers began to boycott the brand.

The KFA board agreed to impose tougher punishment against scandalous members from now on.

In addition to the association's measures, the government plans to take measures against the franchises' mistreatment of their franchisees.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) will inspect franchised stores in Seoul and in Gyeonggi Province this month, cooperating with local governments for the first time. The FTC will make ex officio investigations of their headquarters, if it discovers any violations during the inspection.

Although the number of stores to be inspected is not known, observers estimate that more than 3,000 stores in the metropolitan area are subject to the survey.
Hyundai Card Cooking Library: Ground floor and deli reception. / Courtesy of Hyundai Card, Shin Kyung-sub

The nation's largest credit card issuer Hyundai Card is gaining public attention for its social contribution to culture _ Hyundai Card libraries.

The company's four libraries, first opened in 2012 and completed this year, are more than marketing and branding tools _ they symbolize the company's sensibility, with more than 15,000 books housed in each library.

"Hyundai Card libraries have three things in common: They aren't large in space. But they are full of information that makes the entire space look large. Most of all, they are totally different from each other, staying true to their fundamentals without the conventional umbrella concept decorated with abstract jargon," said Hyundai Card Vice Chairman and CEO Ted Chung.

With their trendy but classic design concepts, Hyundai Card's four libraries have been highlighted as must-see places by numerous media outlets. They have also won various design contests. The Hyundai Card Design Library won the Design for Asia Award in 2013 and the Music Library won a top prize at the Seoul Architecture Awards in 2015.

Chung said the four libraries boast modernity and serenity, and reject a "uniform" theme or atmosphere.

"We thought that it would be more interesting to highlight different characteristics in different spaces. For instance, the Design Library delved into the thought-provoking process of a person, while the Travel Library shouts the ambience of irregularity in its design," he said.

"We wanted to get people's hearts pumping when they visit the Music Library, so the design became very bold. But for the Cooking Library, awakening your senses was only available when everything else was in doubt. So we took it that way."

Located in Jongro-gu, central Seoul, the Design Library houses a total of 16,872 books about architecture, design and the arts since the Bauhaus era.

It also has a collection of about 3,500 books that could be classified as rare _ limited edition, out of print and others _ including a complete collection of DOMUS, a noted Italian design and architecture magazine since 1928; and LIFE, one of the most reputable U.S. magazines on photography.

The Hyundai Card Travel Library is at Seolleungro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where more than 14,000 books about travel or travel-inspiring stories are on display. It also has a complete collection of the National Geographic since 1888.

In the Music Library, which is in Itaewon, Seoul, there are 10,160 vinyl albums of pop music since the 1950s, alongside 4,773 books about music. It also houses a complete collection of Rolling Stone magazine since 1967.

It has the underground performance hall, the Understage, which can host up to 500 standing guests.

The Cooking Library is in Gangnam-gu, where a visitor has a choice 11,364 books to read about food and cooking. The number of recipes introduced in the books totals 396,570.

It also has two kitchen stations for cooking and cooking classes as well as a greenhouse on the rooftop for private dining parties.

(advertorial)


With the installation of the dome on the containment building, all major civil engineering works have been completed at Unit 5 of the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant developed by China's State Power Investment Corp, located Northeast China's Liaoning province. [File Photo]

China is becoming the global center of the nuclear power industry while realizing its goal of optimizing its energy structure and promoting social development, Li Guanxing, director of the Chinese Nuclear Society, said Monday.

As a clean, safe, and efficient source of energy, nuclear power has become an important factor in the global trend of promoting low-carbon, sustainable development, Li said during the 25th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering. The conference in Shanghai opened on Sunday and will end on Friday.

The Chinese mainland has 36 nuclear power units in service, with 20 more under construction. Total installed capacity is about 56.94 million kilowatts, which shows the massive scale of Chinas nuclear power sector, Li said.

Capacity is expected to reach 88 million kilowatts by 2020, he added.

The development of Chinas nuclear sector will strengthen innovation and industrial upgrading over the next five years, enhancing nuclear safety and forging the Chinese brand, Wang Yiren, deputy director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, said at the conference.

The International Conference on Nuclear Engineering is the worlds most influential conference in nuclear engineering, and is known as the Olympics in the field. This years gathering rallied more than 1,000 representatives from around the globe. It was co-sponsored by the Chinese Nuclear Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, and a research and design institute affiliated with the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), one of the top five power generators in China.

At the conference, SPIC Chairman Wang Binghua delivered a keynote speech, stating that China has developed a home-grown, third-generation nuclear power supply chain, with AP1000 and CAP1400 pilot projects undergoing smooth process.

SPIC Chairman Wang Binghua delivers keynote speech.

In his speech titled, The Development of Advanced Passive Nuclear Power Technology in China, he said that the past decade was an important period for the development of Chinas third-generation nuclear power technology. The SPIC-owned State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) has deepened cooperation with Chinese and foreign partners and overcome various difficulties and challenges to make this new technology possible. Hot functional tests on the first units of the Sanmen and Haiyang nuclear power plants have passed, and the independently researched and developed CAP1400 demonstration project is ready for construction.

Wang Binghua emphasized that leading nuclear power development and providing clean energy is the mission of SNPTC. The company is devoted to innovation, sharing, cooperation, and win-win and to creating value for clients with advanced technology, mature project construction and management abilities, stable and high-efficient supply systems, and localization experience, as well as with investment and financing capacities, to make greater contributions to the safe development of global nuclear power with advanced passive nuclear power technology.

During the conference, SNPTC demonstrated its technical competence and performance, attracting widespread attention from attending parties.
Qatar says the demands made by Arab nations to end the Gulf diplomatic crisis are impossible to meet, as a deadline fast approaches for a response from the emirate. Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani slammed the "unrealistic" demands during a press conference in Doha Tuesday.

Al-Thani questioned how the demands "can fall within the context of international law," and said no "independent state can accept" such proposals.

He handed an official response on Monday to Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, but its contents have not been disclosed. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, which all cut diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar a month ago, have threatened further sanctions if Doha does not meet their demands. They gave Qatar an extra 48 hours after an initial 10-day deadline expired on Sunday.

The demands included Doha ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood, closing broadcaster Al Jazeera, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and shutting down a Turkish military base in the emirate. These four nations will meet in Egypt on Wednesday to discuss the crisis.
UTC Girl Scouts complete 100 Days of Service project

To mark the centennial birthday of Girl Scouts San Diego, Girl Scouts throughout the County have been out in full force, doing 100 days worth of good deeds. As part of a challenge called 100 Days of Girl Scouts, troops and individual members took action in their communities to make the world a better place. The 100 Days of Girl Scouts Challenge (March 12-June 19) coincided with the national birthday of Girl Scouting.

University City Girl Scout Junior Troop 3884 chose San Diego Humane Society as the beneficiary of their work. After brainstorming, the Scouts decided to make goodie bags for people adopting dogs, cats and rabbits. The enterprising fifth-graders funded the activity, which doubled as the troops Bronze Award project, with proceeds from their Girl Scout Cookie earnings, combined with donations from Purina, Petco and Pura Natural Pets. They filled each bag with food, treats, pet care items, handcrafted toys created from recycled materials and personalized notes.

Continuing the celebration, a fundraiser for adults is set for 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15 at Scout Campus, 1231 Upas St., Balboa Park. Dubbed Urban Campout, the fundraiser will invite supporters to don their glittery best for an evening of games, auction items, food, drinks and dancing to the music from a live band. sdgirlscouts.org/uc

The Cottage restaurant plans remodel, may add a fireplace

The Cottage restaurant at 7702 Fay Ave. is in the planning stages of what management is calling the Cottage La Jolla refresh.

Assistant General Manager Trevor LeClair said although preliminary, the remodel could include adding a fireplace, remodeling the interior to replace the seafoam green wallpaper with natural wood finishes, and other interior upgrades, but still keep it the classic Cottage people love. He added the work was supposed to be complete before the summer tourist season, but a delay pushed work back. Unsure of a specific date, LeClair said the remodel would likely begin in late fall.

La Jollan contributes essay to new book about Paris

Writer Susan Vreeland of La Jolla is one of the contributors to A Paris All Your Own, which will have its San Diego launch July 13. The book examines the fascination with the City of Lights, as told through the stories of nearly 20 women writers. All the contributors have written books connected to Paris, yet their personal stories of the city are wildly different.

For example, Vreeland peeks behind the stereotype of snobbish Parisians to show readers the genuine kindness of real people, and Julie Powell (author of Julie and Julia) looks at the food scene and running around with young children.

A San Diego book talk with some of the authors will be 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13 at Le Parfait Paris, 555 G St. downtown. The book is available for purchase on amazon.com

Sailing exhibit moves over to San Diego History Center

An exhibit on Americas Cup sailing race  which was held in San Diego in 1988, 1992 and 1995  is moving from the Hall of Champions to the San Diego History Center this summer. The Americas Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport, predating the modern Olympic Games by 45 years, and along with the Olympics, is considered the pinnacle of sailing achievement.

In addition to the focus on the Americas Cup, the collection showcases San Diegos many Olympic and World Champions, early sailing history, the science behind sailing, and where to sail in San Diego. Many of these materials will be exhibited by the Port of San Diego at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal starting in late July.

In October, San Diego will host the Extreme Sailing Series on San Diego Bay in foiling catamarans similar to those currently racing in the Americas Cup. sandiegohistory.org

Marine Rooms Ron Oliver named Chef of the Year

The Marine Rooms kitchen in La Jolla Shores has one more title to add to its already crowded trophy cabinet. Chef de Cuisine Ron Oliver received the Chef of the Year award from the California Restaurant Association on June 13.

For more than 18 years, Chef Oliver has been instrumental in upholding the rich traditions of The Marine Room as a San Diego landmark, while introducing exciting new programs and events, including the popular High Tide Dinners and annual Cooking Class series, reads a press release.

In partnership with The Marine Room Executive Chef Bernard Guillas, Oliver has led the publication of two cookbooks: Flying Pans: Two Chefs, One World and Two Chefs, One Catch: A Culinary Exploration of Seafood. marineroom.com

Petition to reduce La Jolla traffic reaches 200 signatures online

A petition directed to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and District 1 Council member Barbara Bry to reduce traffic in The Village of La Jolla is making its rounds on the change.org online platform. With more than 200 signatures as of press time, the request seeks to have a bridge built over La Jolla Parkway joining La Jolla Scenic North and South, and an additional ramp installed off La Jolla Parkway to access I-5 North.

The bridge would greatly reduce the amount of traffic passing through the bottleneck as would an I-5 access ramp, the petition reads.

The person behind the request, who isnt identified in the document, details the traffic problems that affect several areas of La Jolla. The traffic at the intersection of Torrey Pines Road, Hidden Valley Road and La Jolla Parkway has reached a breaking point, it states.

To read the petition or lend support, visit bit.ly/trafficpetition
Editors Note: As a world renowned surfing town, La Jolla has its legends of the sea. Were stoked to bring you their stories in this new summer series. If you know someone who should be included, please provide their contact information to reporter Maria Jose Duran at mduran@lajollalight.com or (858) 875-5951.

The Surf Moms, a group of almost 10 women who paddle out together off La Jolla beaches, first met nine years ago. We see the same people in the water every day, because we surf every day. So when you see the same people over and over, you start talking, said La Jolla resident Valerie Juboori.

The Surf Moms group got started because we surfed at the same time of day. We would drop our kids off at school, and then everyone would have their stuff in their cars and just head right to La Jolla Shores beach. From there, we expanded, elaborated Surf Mom and Shores resident Jill Nooren, who moved to the 92037 ZIP code in 2008 from Iowa.

In the early morning of June 28, equipped with wetsuits and surfboards, four of the Surf Moms met La Jolla Light at Kellogg Park for an interview and surf session. Their members are from different walks of life, ages and sizes. Some of them are retired, others are stay-at-home moms or are looking to rejoin the workforce. Half of them live in La Jolla, the rest drive to town (sometimes an hour) to surf with their friends. They surf at different beaches, but mostly La Jolla Shores. What all of them have in common is their love of the sport.

To me its the perfect blend of mind, body and spirit. Its the one sport and the one place where I can go and sort all my problems, Surf Mom Barb Whatley explained. Ive been through some things in my life, and this was my salvation. It makes me happy, it challenges me and it gives me perspective.

For Juboori, whos originally from the Dominican Republic and who has been surfing for 18 years, the sport is more than a hobby, it is a lifestyle. My life revolves around surfing. The people I spend time with, were all of the same mindset. Theres nothing that a good day of surfing cannot cure.

Jessi Epperson agreed. It rejuvenates me, she said. For her, just paddling out with friends is fun enough. Its very relaxing, whether you catch a wave or not, (its awesome) just to be floating in this huge ocean and to look around and see how fortunate we all are.

Nooren added, It never gets old for me. I cant believe I live here, this is the best thing ever.

The Surf Moms interrupt each other, finish one anothers sentences, tease and laugh out loud (a lot). But overall, inside and outside the water, they uplift each other.

Juboori explained, People cheer you on. They are so happy when youre doing well on a wave, and they may not even know you. Im pretty sure when youre running a track, people arent going, Good one! 

Nooren interjected, We all have kids ... problems with different things. In fact, Whatley and Epperson are both breast cancer survivors.

One of the things we do, Whatley said, is, No judgments. Everybodys got history, baggage and whatever, but on the water, were all just surf sisters doing our thing. And I like that, sometimes you need a break from life, and this is it.

She said chemotherapy and other breast cancer treatments can change the muscles used for paddling. I can paddle, but I cant actually surf right now, said Epperson. I have a side effect, so I have to wait. I think our surfing proves to ourselves and to our kids that you can fight through something and get back to doing what you want to do and still be happy.

When asked what their favorite wave was, they answered in unison every wave. But for Juboori, the ones that stuck with her the most were the times I almost died. Like at Blacks Beach 20 years ago. I was out surfing and the waves started getting bigger, and bigger, and I just couldnt take them in. I sat out there crying for like an hour, Im going to die. And then one medium-sized wave came and I was able to ride it back to shore, she explained.

Whatley suffered an injury during a surf session three weeks prior to this interview, when a surfboard hit her head. (I was) taken in an ambulance, had stitches and a concussion, she related. But the point is, I just wanted to get back into the water as soon as possible. And the guy who hit me, hes great guy. We didnt quite kiss, but we made up.

Epperson chimed in: A lot of people who dont surf ask, Why would you be doing that? Youre getting hurt, there are sharks! and Im like, Its all I want to do. 

Nooren summed up the Surf Moms experience, The thing that bonds us all is that we cant live without it. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Competitiveness

None of us are Malia Manuel, Nooren said, referring to the competitive female surfer from Hawaii. But because we have daughters who surf competitively, its important for us to be a role model, (show them) we can do this, too, have fun with it, and we may not be the best surfers, but were going to get in there and do it.

Juboori followed, I just want to show my daughter that here we are at our advanced age and were still loving this. Its such a healthy lifestyle, so hopefully, theyll integrate it into their lives, too.

When she was growing up, and especially in the Dominican Republic, there werent many women surfing. We were the only two girls on the whole island who surfed. And that was very weird, we were frowned upon, and now theres tons of women in the water, she said.

Epperson elaborated, I know every time my daughters in the water, sometimes shes the only female out there, and the guys are always, Good job! or Whos that little girl? because she does look little compared to all these men. But shes not afraid and its awesome that all of us have raised our girls to just jump in!

Nooren added, Our daughters learn not to be timid because in the beginning, they didnt want to go in, but now they have confidence. Theyre good enough, they know when to go and when not to go, and that confidence shows outside the water, too.

Boards of choice

When asked what their surfboard of choice was, these were the Surfer Moms answers:

Whatley: Im a longboarder. A 9-foot-long board, thats the one I like. I can catch just about anything in all the conditions that I would ever choose to surf. Im not looking to surf 10-foot waves. If theyre that big, and I cant catch waves with this board, then I probably shouldnt be out. And as I get older, I feel like Im still improving and getting better, but I do realize that when I do get hurt, my recovery time takes up a significant amount of my life, so I try to minimize that.

Juboori: I grew up shortboarding, but Ive been longboarding for 10 years. I did the switch because surfing here its more crowded, so the longboard is easier to get in (a wave). If Im surfing against a 19-year-old boy, and were both on shortboards, guess whos going to get the wave? Its going to be him! But if Im on a longboard, ha! Its mine! Problem solved.

Epperson: I surf a fishboard. I love it, its fun and its floaty. It lets me just kind of have fun and hang out, and if I want to pop up and catch a wave, I can, and if I want to just chill, I can.

Nooren: This is my baby right here. I love her. Honestly, I was scared of the 9-foot boards, because they hit me a whole bunch of times. I just progressively moved down and I love this, its a 7-foot, 6-inch board and it rides like a longboard, but is not as much for me to handle.

Surf Term of the Week
(photo by Xinhua)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel Tuesday for the first-ever visit of an Indian prime minister to the country, in bid to boost all-round ties.

His three-day visit marks 25 years of full diplomatic relations between the two nations.

He was accepted with an official welcome ceremony at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv, with the participation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and cabinet ministers.

In remarks at the airport, Netanyahu welcomed Modi, saying "It is truly a historic visit. It's the first time an Indian prime minister is visiting Israel. We receive you with open arms. We love India. We love your culture, your history, your democracy."

Netanyahu praised the ties between the two nations, noting that the Israeli and Indian governments are establishing a 40 million U.S. dollars innovation fund "as a seed for further innovation."

Modi said that it is his "singular honor to be the first-ever prime minister of India to undertake this groundbreaking visit to Israel."

He promised to forge "a strong and resilient partnership with Israel," praising Israel as a nation built "on democratic principles."

"They have nurtured it with hard work and the spirit of innovation. India applauds your achievements," he said.

Netanyahu will accompany Modi for most of his trip, which includes a visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, and working meetings with President Reuven Rivlin and opposition leader Isaac Herzog.

His itinerary includes also meetings with industry leaders in the fields of water, agriculture, and hi-tech, as well as with people from the Indian community and Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were killed in the 2008 attack on the Mumbai Jewish center of Chabad House.

On Wednesday, Modi and Netanyahu are expected to sign seven cooperation agreements in the areas of water, energy, and research and development.

In a tweet on his Twitter account ahead of his departure, Modi described Delhi's ties with Israel as "special," saying terrorism and trade will be on the table during talks with Netanyahu.

In an interview to the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom, Modi said that his visit is "based on the deep centuries-old connection between our two peoples."

Modi is not scheduled to travel to Ramallah city in the West Bank, the political center of the Palestinian National Authority and a usual stop for leaders seeking to maintain balanced ties with Israel and the Palestinians.

The visit comes 25 years after the two countries established full diplomatic ties and 14 years after the late Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, arrived in New Delhi.
Honoring Cesar Chavez

Op Ed by Ruben Martinez, Ph.D.

Cesar Chavez died near his hometown of Yuma, AZ on April 22, 1993 at the age of 66. Chavez was in San Luis, AZ to assist UFW attorneys defend the union against a lawsuit brought by Bruce Church Inc. (BCI), a giant California-based lettuce and vegetable producer.

Eastern Michigan University's 12th annual Cesar Chavez celebration

YPSILANTI: Eastern Michigan University is the most diverse university in Michigan, which it holds as a defining and singular strength. As part of that, EMU is proud to host various events throughout the year that celebrate all races, cultures and ethnicities.

Por: Isabel Flores, corresponsal La Prensa

DETROIT, MI: La Comision Nacional de Libros de Textos Gratuitos (Conaliteg) cuenta en su portal de internet con el acervo digital de todos los libros de texto gratuitos para el ciclo escolar 2019 - 2020. El catalogo puede consultarse en la direccion: http:/libros.conaliteg.gob.mx De esta manera, los ninos podran mantenerse entretenidos con informacion en su propio idioma y estar al dia con sus materias, mientras se encuentran en casa por la contingencia.

Census 2020: Todos Debemos ser Contados
PRESS RELEASE

Former NATO Commander Recommends Trump and Putin Seek Diplomatic Solution to Syria Conflict

July 3, 2017 (EIRNS)In a July 2 interview on "The Cats Roundtable" show on New Yorks AM 970 radio, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Adm. (ret.) James Stavridis recommended that President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discuss a diplomatic solution for the Syrian conflict, when they meet on the sidelines of the July 7-8 G20 summit in Hamburg. Stavridis has often voiced provocative policies towards Russia, making his latest remarks all the more notable.

"We ought to be exploring with President Putin how we can cooperate to end this terrible war in Syria," Stavridis said. "This cant be resolved on the battlefield," he said, but instead "will require a diplomatic resolution, and only the United States and Russia working together can resolve it."

Stavridis also noted that because of strong support from Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "is not going anywhere, so rather than end up in a situation where another 500,000 people die, I think it is time to have a political accommodation."

The former NATO commander also recommended that Trump take on the issue of Russias "meddling" in last years U.S. Presidential elections.
PRESS RELEASE

Trump-Putin Meeting Set for July 7

July 4, 2017 (EIRNS)The White House has confirmed reports that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday. Their talk will take place during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, and is planned as "a full-fledged sit down meeting," RT reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Ahead of the summit, Trump spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about trade and climate issues, the White House said.

Trump will also meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha on the sidelines of the summit. This could potentially be a game changer in U.S.-Thai relations, since, under Obama, relations were strained since the 2014 Thai coup. Prayuth turned to China, while constantly under attack from Washington about democracy and human rights.
Emirates and Turkish Airways said Wednesday that they have 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 Islamic State or other groups might smuggle explosives on board 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 United States.

Both airlines alerted the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees airplane safety in the U.S., 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.

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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 worlds busiest for international traffic, in large part thanks to Emirates expansion. It was one of 10 airports affected by the ban, put in place by the Trump administration in March, that forbids taking laptops, tablets and some other electronics onto planes as carry-ons.

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 precedent set by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, which American officials cleared 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 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 more than 81,000 electronic devices away from passengers to store them in specially protected baggage during the 102 days the ban affected it.

The U.S. laptop ban now applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from seven international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Jidda and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; and Doha, Qatar.

In May, U.S. President Trump shared highly classified intelligence with senior Russian officials visiting the White House about Islamic State 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 Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani said that U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials were already in Doha.

I think they arrived yesterday, he said. 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.

There is a precedent for concern over laptops being used as bombs. In Somalia, the Al Qaeda-linked 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 administrations travel ban on six predominantly Muslim countries, has hurt Middle Eastern airlines. Emirates, the regions biggest, said it slashed 20% of its flights to America in the wake of the restrictions. The airline said Wednesday that it now flies 103 flights a week to the U.S.

UPDATES:

10:45 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from a U.S. Homeland Security spokesman and Qatars foreign minister.

This article was originally published at 3:40 a.m.
Upscale jeans maker True Religion Apparel Inc. said Wednesday that it filed for bankruptcy reorganization, making it the latest Southern California apparel firm to falter as people embrace online shopping.

The once-trendy manufacturer also was frayed by design missteps and boring store displays as fickle shoppers sought out the next new thing.

True Religion said that in tandem with filing under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy laws, its owner, TowerBrook Capital Partners, a private equity firm, reached a proposed deal with lenders to slash True Religions debt by about three-quarters as it continues operating.

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We are taking an important step to reduce our debt, reinvigorate True Religions iconic brand and position the company for future growth and success, which includes putting more resources into its online efforts, True Religion Chief Executive John Ermatinger said in a statement.

The Manhattan Beach-based firm, which employs 1,900 people, sells its jeans and other clothing in 140 stores with the True Religion and Last Stitch brand names, and through other boutiques and department stores. The company said it closed 20 of its stores last year to cut costs.

Founded in 2002, True Religion grew popular with its array of pricey designer jeans, and from 2007 through 2012, it nearly tripled in size, becoming a company with revenue of $490 million in 2013.

The company formerly was publicly held, but it went private in 2013 when it was acquired by TowerBrook Capital for $835 million.

Also starting in 2013, True Religion began experiencing declining sales caused by the general trend of consumers [moving] away from traditional retail to online shopping, Dalibor Snyder, True Religions chief financial officer, said in a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, where the company filed its Chapter 11 petition.

That trend has accelerated in recent years with shoppers shifting from brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce. In addition, the rise of fast-fashion stores carrying lower prices  such as Zara, owned by Inditex of Spain, and H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) of Sweden  has hobbled True Religion and other apparel retailers.

American Apparel is one of several L.A. retailers to declare bankruptcy or go out of business in recent months. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The shift resulted in the bankruptcies of such Southern California-based clothing retailers as American Apparel Inc., Pacific Sunwear of California Inc., Nasty Gal Inc. and Wet Seal.

There also has been a widespread retrenchment in retail overall as consumers spend more online. Chains closing stores in malls and elsewhere in the last year include Macys Inc., Sears Holdings Corp., J.C. Penney Co. and Payless ShoeSource Inc.

True Religions problems were further adversely impacted by new product designs launched by the company that failed to resonate with the consumer, Snyder said in his filing.

In its fiscal year ended Jan. 28, True Religion lost $78.5 million on revenue of $369.5 million.

On True Religions website Wednesday, many of the womens jeans were priced at $199 or higher, with some pairs selling for $319. Many of its mens jeans also were priced at $199 and up.

Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Assn. trade group, said there continues to be a market for expensive denim but that True Religion also has struggled with marketing and merchandising shortcomings.

Their retail establishments were not exciting enough, and they werent putting enough marketing energy behind their brand to bring them to an aspirational level  that the consumer would aspire to [buy] True Religion apparel at its lofty prices, she said.

No longer can you excite a consumer in a retail store with piles of jeans on the table, Metchek said. There has to be a look around it. Is there an excitement to it that defines the brand?

Under its deal with lenders, True Religion plans to swap debt for new equity in the reorganized company that will reduce its debt by more than $350 million. The firm said it also had obtained additional financing of up to $60 million from Citizens Bank.

james.peltz@latimes.com

Twitter: @PeltzLATimes

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2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about retail store closures, current prices of True Religions jeans and comments from an industry executive.

This article was originally published at 9:55 a.m.
The Edward Enninful revolution is rumbling on at British Vogue, which lost Emily Sheffield, the titles deputy editor and one-time aspirant to the top job, this week.

Sheffield, Samantha Camerons sister, said that after a very happy decade with the title, it now feels the right time to move on to new challenges. She said she plans to finish her time at Londons Vogue House as acting editor of the October issue, and is looking forward to seeing Enninfuls new and exciting vision for Vogue.

Enninful officially joins the title on Aug. 1, although hes already been wielding fashions big ax, with many of the titles old-timers leaving. According to media sources, Sheffield jumped, and was not pushed. There are more departures to come, as well as some new faces joining, with an announcement about the latter expected this week.

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Conde Nast confirmed Sheffields departure as it reacted to a red-hot interview with Lucinda Chambers, British Vogues former fashion director, in the online platform Vestoj.com.

Chambers, who left in May, had been at the publication for 36 years, and famously styled the Duchess of Cambridge for the cover shoot for Vogues 100th anniversary issue last year. She worked closely with Mario Testino on scores of cover stories, and was a fixture at the magazine.

Her interview was a diatribe against British Vogue and the fashion industry: She also hit out at the Italian fashion tycoon Renzo Rosso, whose company owns Marni, where Chambers had served for years as a creative consultant.

I didnt leave. I was fired, said Chambers in the interview, detailing how and when she discovered she was no longer needed chez Vogue House. She said she was blindsided by the news, one reason why shes let loose on her former employer.

I dont want to be the person who puts on a brave face and tells everyone, Oh, I decided to leave the company, when everyone knows you were really fired. Theres too much smoke and mirrors in the industry as it is.

Conde said some of Chambers recollections were inaccurate and issued the following statement on Wednesday: Its usual for an incoming editor to make some changes to the team. Any changes made are done with the full knowledge of senior management.

Chambers also talked about some of her own covers for British Vogue: The June cover with Alexa Chung in a stupid Michael Kors T-shirt is crap. Hes a big advertiser so I knew why I had to do it. I knew it was cheesy when I was doing it, and I did it anyway. OK, whatever. But there were others.There were others that were great.

She also recalls how naive the Castiglionis were when they sold a majority stake in Marni to Renzo Rosso, whose OTB company owns brands such as Diesel and Maison Margiela.

He is the antithesis of everything Marni stood for, and said she suggested to Rosso that he promote someone who was already on the design team when Consuelo Castiglioni left as creative chief. She said he didnt do it, and the last womens wear collection was a disaster. The show was appalling.

Rosso declined to comment on Wednesday.

Chambers also admitted that she hasnt read Vogue in years. I never felt I led a Vogue-y kind of life. The clothes are just irrelevant for most people  so ridiculously expensive. Its a shame that magazines have lost the authority they once had. Theyve stopped being useful. Why not be both useful and aspirational? Thats the kind of fashion magazine Id like to see.

Chambers also alluded to a new idea that shes working on. Maybe its a tell-all, or in this case, a tell-more memoir.

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Ali Razi fled Iran in 1978, came to Los Angeles, and found a place where he could thrive. He traced much of his success and that of others here to one core principle: freedom.

On Tuesday  the Fourth of July  the prominent developer, now 77, was on hand to unveil a new public art installation in Los Angeles, the Freedom Sculpture, which Razi and others in the Iranian American community hope will be a beacon for the world.

America is great because of all the beautiful cultures brought by immigrants, Razi said. When people drive by the sculpture along Santa Monica Boulevard, he said, he hopes they ask: What is this freedom? This shared dream is based on what?

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Artist and designer Cecil Balmond agrees it is a symbol of timeless values of freedom and tolerance. Balmond, whose proposal was chosen from among more than 300 others as the design for the $2.2-million sculpture, said the pair of gold and silver cylinders set atop rings is to be seen at speed.

I know Santa Monica Boulevard well, said Balmond, who lives in Britain and has completed large public art installations around the world. As you drive by at 30 to 40 miles an hour, you feel the script moving. Its not static.. When you move past, its alive.

Production of the sculpture was organized by the Farhang Foundation, an L.A.-based nonprofit organization, and the unveiling was part of the inaugural Freedom Festival, a nightlong block party that featured live music, food and fireworks. The Farhang Foundation promotes the study and appreciation of Iranian art and culture. Organizers said they hope the Freedom Festival becomes an annual event.

The sculpture is a permanent addition to the median at Century Park East, about a block from the Westfield Century City Mall and at the gateway to Beverly Hills. The area is home to many from a sizable diaspora of Iranian Americans in Southern California. Community groups estimate that about 500,000 Iranian Americans live in the region, the largest enclave outside Iran.

The 20,000-pound piece is set upon travertine stone and was built entirely in the U.S. It is the newest addition to Century City  a neighborhood of towering office buildings  but it traces its inspiration back 2,500 years to the Cyrus Cylinder, which was unearthed by the British Museum in 1879.

The 9-inch barrel is inscribed with the story of Cyrus, the king of Persia, and his conquest of Babylon. The artifact is seen as a testament to how Cyrus brought justice and peace to Bablyon.

Razi, the founding chairman of the Farhang Foundation, said the Cyrus Cylinder carries special symbolic weight on the Fourth of July.

This conqueror, rather than killing or stealing, let people practice their own religion. He was the first to put together a multinational empire based on freedom of religion, Razi said.

Funding for the sculpture came from a large crowdfunding campaign that saw contributions from about 1.1 million supporters from around the world, said Farhad Mohit, the founding vice chairman of the foundation. Organizers did not want one or two wealthy donors underwriting the project, Mohit said.

Its led by Iranian Americans but it represents much more than that. We wanted the sculpture to be in the heart of Los Angeles, Mohit said. Los Angeles embodies diversity in its ideal form. All beliefs and religions belong together here in a beautiful place.

The event in Century City was not the only show of diversity in Los Angeles celebration of the holiday. In downtown Los Angeles Grand Park, hundreds of people milled across closed streets, snapping selfies with sno-cones or perusing food trucks selling grilled cheese and pizza.

Natalie Ayala, 15, stood in the center of a closed First Street with her mom and two sisters, soaking it all in. The Fourth of July symbolized freedom and independence, she said, but also something else.

America is so diverse, she said. I think it represents that too.

Back in Century City, a crowd of thousands enjoyed musical performances and a mix of Persian food and local favorites such as Van Leeuwen ice cream.

Elham Sadegh, 38, made the trek from Salt Lake City after she heard about the festival and sculpture unveiling on Facebook. Sadegh, who emigrated from Iran to the U.S. two years ago, said she was excited to be among fellow Iranians and ring in the Independence Day festivities. The sculpture, she said, was a way of commemorating Persian history while celebrating life here.

We came here for freedom, Sadegh said. Everybody loves freedom.

Times staff writer Kate Mather contributed to this report.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

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Two Los Angeles firefighters were injured Tuesday while tackling a blaze that ripped through four condominiums in Chatsworth.

The firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injures as they battled the wind-driven fire, according to Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The blaze started just after 4:50 p.m. inside a condominium in the 22000 block of James Alan Circle, he said. Flames quickly spread to adjoining condominiums.

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It took 122 firefighters 81 minutes to extinguish the blaze. One person was evaluated for exposure to smoke.

Authorities think a propane gas tank for a barbecue grill probably leaked and sparked the blaze on a condominium patio, according to fire department Capt. Erik Scott.

The American Red Cross was assisting the four families who lost their homes.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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Orange County sheriff set to take the stand in jailhouse informant case
For years, Orange County sheriffs officials have assured  and reassured  Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals that they have been searching diligently for jailhouse records he demanded.

Again and again, they sat in his courtroom and swore there was nothing more to be found  claims followed by the discovery of multiple troves of hidden material.

How does this happen? Goethals asked Sheriff Sandra Hutchens on Wednesday. They were dead wrong.

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They possibly did not look hard enough, Hutchens replied.

The exchange came in a hearing meant to look into the Sheriffs Departments repeated failure to turn over evidence in the case of Scott Dekraai, the former tugboat captain who pleaded guilty to the murders of eight people at a Seal Beach salon in 2011.

To bolster its chances of sending Dekraai to death row, the prosecution originally sought to use evidence against him obtained by a veteran jailhouse informant.

The penalty phase of Dekraais trial  in which he will get the death penalty or life in prison  has been delayed indefinitely as the hearings drag on. Goethals must decide whether the Sheriffs Department can be trusted to turn over evidence, a question that may determine whether the judge tosses out the death penalty.

The judge reminded Hutchens that he issued his order for informant-related evidence four and a half years ago, and only weeks ago a sheriffs supervisor testified there were 68 boxes of potentially relevant material that still had not been examined.

Whats your reaction to that? Goethals asked.

I cannot explain why the boxes were not discovered before, Hutchens said. I apologize that we apparently did not know where those items were being kept.

The judge added: Youre Harry Truman. The buck stops with you.

Goethals expressed incredulity regarding sheriffs supervisors claims that they were in the dark for years about the existence of a so-called special handling log. The log documented the movements of informants and was accessible on a shared computer drive.

It was right there for anybody to see, Goethals said. How could they not know it existed? Im having a problem with that. If there had been competent supervision, wouldnt the sergeants and lieutenants have known of it?

I would agree, Hutchens said.

Hutchens explanations for her departments failure to find evidence varied. She cited inadequate training that has since been improved, an old record-keeping system and the possibility that supervisors may have deferred to jailers perceived expertise.

At one point, Hutchens told the judge, I know youve been frustrated.

My frustration has nothing to do with it, I can assure you, Goethals said. I just expect compliance.

Hutchens acknowledged that informants had been placed near targeted inmates in the Orange County jail for years, with the aim of eliciting incriminating statements.

There may have been a few deputies who took their duties to different levels than were authorized.  Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, testifying about the jailhouse informant scandal

Hutchens spent much of the day being questioned by Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, who represents Dekraai and alleges that the Sheriffs Department has engaged in an elaborate, decades-long operation that violated the rights of criminal defendants by using jailhouse informants to elicit confessions from them.

Hutchens acknowledged that the snitch scandal in which her department has been embroiled has been embarrassing. She testified that some of her deputies may have flouted rules regarding jailhouse informants, but that such conduct was committed only by a few.

Asked to elaborate, Hutchens pointed to Seth Tunstall, William Grover and Ben Garcia, who worked as jailers in the unit that dealt with informers. They are still under criminal investigation by the California attorney generals office, Hutchens said.

Hutchens added: There may have been a few deputies who took their duties to different levels than were authorized.

The judge has criticized Hutchens for taking inconsistent positions on the withholding of evidence, and has at times threatened to hold her in contempt.

The scandal exploded in 2015 when Goethals barred the district attorneys office from prosecuting the case, ruling that authorities failed to turn over key information about the use of informants. The California attorney generals office, which is now prosecuting the Dekraai case, continues to pursue the death penalty.

So far, despite weeks of testimony in the current hearing, no one seems able to answer one of Sanders key questions  what accounts for a gap between April and October 2011 in the special handling log?

Called to testify, some sheriffs jailers have invoked their 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Some former supervisors in the jails special handling unit have blamed lower-level jailers for any misuse of snitches  a narrative echoed in a heavily criticized recent report from the Orange County grand jury, which blames rogue deputies.

In court Wednesday, Sanders questioned Hutchens about public statements she has made that her deputies dont work informants in the jail, and confronted her with internal Sheriffs Department memos  including a memo that hung on a jailhouse office wall  that showed jailers cultivated snitches as part of their duties.

What she meant, Hutchens replied, is that jailers dealt with informants but did not initiate snitch-involved investigations into targeted inmates in the widespread way Sanders has alleged.

Instead, she said, jailers responded to requests from outside law enforcement agencies who wished to use informants.

Sanders confronted her with an email from a former special handling deputy  written in June 2014, as the current litigation was underway  which showed the department had decided to relabel informants as sources of information.

Hutchens said she had never seen the email before but that she was not troubled by it.

It appears that [the deputy] is trying to get best practices out there, Hutchens said.

She said the department had ramped up its training and taken pains to classify informants carefully so that deputies better know what information requires disclosure to defense attorneys.

We could have done a better job of responding to discovery requests, Hutchens said.

Sanders contends the relabeling was part of a concerted effort to deceive and deter defendants who are seeking jailhouse records.

Youre Harry Truman. The buck stops with you.  Judge Thomas Goethals to Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens

Hutchens testified that she believed much of the confusion surrounding her agencys work with informants involved terminology.

Hutchens said that information from so-called TRED records, which dealt with the classification of inmates, including informants, had been turned over to defense attorneys in numerous cases before the Dekraai case.

She said she had not known the records were called TREDs when she took over as sheriff in 2008, nor did she know where the term originated. But she disputed Sanders characterization of the records as some secret database.

Sanders asked for the cases in which such information had been turned over.

I cant go through and enumerate every case, Hutchens said.

Hutchens said she agreed with the recent Orange County grand jury report that characterized the misuse of informants as the work of rogue deputies.

Sanders presented a memo in which a jailer spoke openly of his role in cultivating informants, suggesting supervisors clearly knew of the work.

That doesnt sound too rogue, right? Sanders said. Sounds like the people above him know what hes doing.

Hutchens said that what jail supervisors may have known is part of the criminal and internal investigations now underway.

Last week, Hutchens, who has been sheriff since 2008, announced she will not run for reelection next year. Both the Department of Justice and the California attorney generals office are investigating her departments handling of informants.

christopher.goffard@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATchrisgoffard

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UPDATES:

7:05 p.m.: This article was updated with more testimony from Hutchens and questions by Judge Thomas Goethals.

2:55 p.m.: This article was updated with more testimony from Hutchens.

12:35 p.m.: This article was updated with more testimony from Hutchens.

11:25 a.m.: This article was updated with testimony from Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

This article was originally published at 4 a.m.
Katy Kargosha worried her in-and-out flight from Iran to Los Angeles might look a little sketchy.

She had left her home in New Orleans two days earlier and flown to Tehran, where she would spend only four hours  just long enough to pick up a severely disabled passenger before flying back to the United States.

Her passenger, frail and tired from the long trip, was a pug. Like him, Kargosha had once called Iran home. As her plane touched down at Los Angeles International Airport , Kargosha trembled with anxiety.

I was sure they were going to ask, Why did you go to Iran for four hours? said Kargosha, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Iran. I was worried Id get in trouble. I was worried about the dog if they kept me for a thousand questions.

The dog had been abandoned beside a Tehran highway and was now being escorted by Kargosha to Los Angeles  into the arms of The Pug Queen.

I was worried I'd get in trouble. I was worried about the dog if they kept me for a thousand questions.  Katy Kargosha

Katy Kargosha holds a rescued pug inside Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, where she was in-country only four hours to pick-up the injured dog. (Katy Kargosha) (none / Katy Kargosha)

As relations between the U.S. and Iranian governments have deteriorated during the Trump presidency, travelers increasingly have become pawns in the political tug of war amid talk of travel bans, sanctions and the nuclear agreement that Trump has called the worst deal ever negotiated.

Last week, the Supreme Court affirmed parts of President Trumps travel ban involving six Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. Much narrower than the presidents original executive order, it would presumably not affect people who have bona fide connections in the U.S.

The ban went into effect Thursday night, drawing protesters and immigrant-rights attorneys to LAX to assess the impact on travelers.

Weeks before the Supreme Courts decision, over Memorial Day weekend, Kargosha rushed to her homeland to get the dog on behalf of pug rescuer Izabella St. James. As a dual national, Kargosha can travel with relative ease, without the visa-processing delays and denials that have beset others.

The pug was whisked to the U.S. without a hitch. But the dogs rescue, amid uncertainty about the ban, illustrated the anxiety that accompanies traveling to Iran in the Trump era.

In the current environment, the possibilities of complications are greater if the Iranian traveling to the U.S. is a human being, said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, which advocates for better U.S.-Iran relations.

Its astonishing that you have a greater chance of coming to the United States if you are a dog than if you are a relative of an American citizen, Parsi said.

Heres a challenge for you, Pug Queen

The skinny, fawn-colored pug limped across a red Persian rug, his front legs splayed awkwardly in front of him, falling repeatedly. Hed been beaten.

In Iran, Islamic clerics view canines as unclean and symbolic of Western decadence. Conservative lawmakers have, in recent years, called for their owners to be lashed and pay steep fines.

Still, dog ownership appears to be growing among the countrys upper and middle classes. Videos of dog beatings and killings have gone viral on Iranian social media, prompting major protests and calls for laws that would punish animal abusers.

Having a dog is a political protest of sorts, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute. Its kind of like giving the finger to the regime.

Kargosha, a dog lover whose own pug died recently, saw a video of the puppys tortured walk on Instagram, where she follows several Iranian animal rescuers. She sent a message full of crying emojis to The Pug Queen, whom she had never met: Did she think he could be helped?

St. James replied within seconds: I will take this baby and get it help if it can be flown here!!! I will pay for the flight.

It was Feb. 1. Five days after Trump issued his original travel ban.

Massive protests had erupted that weekend at LAX, where several Iranians with visas and green cards were among those detained by federal authorities after the ban was announced. Kargoshas Persian acquaintances in the U.S. were canceling travel plans, afraid to leave the country.

St. James and Kargosha tried to find volunteers in Iran to bring the pug to the U.S. There were no takers.

I was like, Oh, Iran. Awesome. Heres a challenge for you, Pug Queen, St. James said. But if theres a pug that needs to be rescued, everyone step out of my way. Im not deterred by anything: time zones, politics, continents, religion, culture.

If there's a pug that needs to be rescued, everyone step out of my way. I'm not deterred by anything.  Izabella St. James

Izabella St. James, the so-called Pug Queen on social media, is photographed with Chance, a severely disabled pug rescued from Tehran. (Christina House / For The Times) (Christina House / For The Times)

St. James, one of Hugh Hefner s former live-in girlfriends and author of a book about life in the Playboy Mansion, has taken in dozens of pugs.

As a child, she had to leave her dog behind when her family left communist Poland, and she always wanted another. She researched breeds while attending law school and loved the description of pugs: ornery, clever, goofy-looking. Hefner later bought her first pug, Balbina.

Followers of her prolific social media accounts  who crowdfund the rescues and the dogs myriad medical expenses  report to her when they find neglected pugs. She has shown up, unannounced, at the homes of backyard breeders in the Inland Empire, given them cash and taken their dogs.

The Iranian pug was her biggest challenge.

A travel ban for a pug? she said. I dont think so!

A life of abuse

The pug, who is now about a year old, had suffered his whole life, said St. James and Kargosha, who pieced together his history from Iranian animal rescuers.

He urinated on his owners rug as a puppy, and was kicked so hard his neck was nearly broken and his spine damaged, hobbling his ability to walk properly, St. James said. A visitor to the familys home contacted a local dog rescuer, who took him in.

The pugs story spread over Iranian social media, which is how Kargosha learned of him.

As St. James and Kargosha were trying to figure out how to get him to the U.S., the rescuer found a surgeon to operate on the dogs neck, and an Iranian family offered to pay and foster him while he healed, St. James said. But the surgery, she said, made his injuries worse. He lost all use of his front legs.

Then, the dog of the family caring for him had its own medical expenses, and the family couldnt care for the pug. They returned him to his original owners, who left him on the side of the road with no food or water, St. James said.

Two days after he was abandoned, some Iranians who feed stray cats spotted him and scooped him up.

A complicated journey

For Iranian Americans, much of the hope for better relations and easier travel after the implementation last January of a nuclear accord between the U.S. and Iran has been tempered by the recent arrests in Iran of dual citizens, some of whom received lengthy prison sentences, and by Trumps travel ban.

Parsi, with the National Iranian American Council, said the number of visa applications by Americans wanting to visit Iran dramatically increased after the nuclear deal was struck but is now down more than 50% compared with last year.

For Iranians wishing to visit the U.S., the visa process is expensive and can take months. Because there is no U.S. embassy in Iran, they must travel to one in a third country  such as the United Arab Emirates, Armenia or Turkey  to apply for a visa, go through a lengthy screening process, then return to the third country to have their passports stamped.

But many dual nationals, like Kargosha, who goes to Iran annually to visit family, have traveled back and forth for years without incident.

Within a week of learning the pug had been abandoned, Kargosha flew to Tehran. Despite her nerves about landing in L.A., Kargosha and the dog had no problems.

An American welcome

Kargosha and the pug were greeted at LAX by admirers waving American flags and holding a sign: Welcome Puggy!

The dog St. James hoisted up, weeping, was deathly thin, just 8 pounds, with convulsing front legs. He couldnt move his neck and could only drink water through a syringe.

Chance, a 1-year-old pug rescued from Iran, laps up a Starbucks Puppaccino, a cup full of whipped cream (Christina House for The Times) (Christina House / For The Times)

On a recent afternoon, St. James, wearing a shirt with Pug Queen in gold letters, brought him to a Brentwood Starbucks. He lapped up a Puppaccino, a cup full of whipped cream. Because he now is a hip Angeleno, she said, he was wearing a polo shirt emblazoned with flamingos.

St. James cooed at him in Persian: Salam! Hello. His ears perked up.

Days later, he would undergo a risky surgery to realign his spine and to remove a wire left behind in the Iranian surgery. Maybe, one day, hell walk again.

St. James asked her followers to name him. They chose Chance because this was his.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

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A 38-year-old man has been charged with killing the mother of his two children and wounding her boyfriend in South Whittier during a child custody exchange, prosecutors announced Wednesday

Efrem Ruben Lozoya, 38, turned himself in to police shortly after fatally shooting his ex-wife, Nereida Villanueva, and wounding her boyfriend Saturday and is charged with murder and attempted murder, Los Angeles County prosecutors said. He faces up to 75 years to life in prison if convicted.

Villanueva, 33, died at the scene inside her apartment in the 13900 block of Coteau Drive in the unincorporated community of South Whittier.

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Lozoya and Villanueva were involved in a child exchange when Lozoya shot her and the male victim for unknown reasons, Sheriffs Deputy Ryan Rouzan said.

Lozoya and Villanueva have been divorced for several years, authorities said.

The couple have two children together, ages 7 and 9, Rouzan said. The children were not injured and it was unclear if the children witnessed any portions of this crime, he said.

When deputies arrived they found that Villanueva and the male victim had both been shot at least once in the upper torso. Villanueva was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sheriffs officials said Lozoya is employed by a contractor that provides jail services to the Montebello Police Department.

The Montebello City Jail is operated by the GEO Group Inc., a private correctional firm, under the oversight of the Police Department, according to the citys website. It has a 20-bed capacity.

Past media reports and a 2015 audit of the facility available at the GEO Groups website identify Lozoya as the jails administrator.

Prosecutors are seeking to increase Lozoyas bail from $2 million to $5 million on Wednesday.

Staff writer Tony Barboza contributed to this report.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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Minors who enter the U.S. without permission must be given a court hearing to determine whether they can be released, a federal appeals court panel decided unanimously Wednesday.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said immigration authorities continue to be bound by a 1997 lawsuit settlement that guaranteed court hearings for minor immigrants, set standards for their detention and established a policy in favor of their release.

After that settlement, Congress passed two laws dealing with unaccompanied minor immigrants. The federal government argued those laws replaced the settlement and revoked the right to bond hearings.

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The 9th Circuit disagreed.

In the absence of such hearings, these children are held in bureaucratic limbo, left to rely upon the [governments] alleged benevolence and opaque decision making, Judge Stephen Reinhardt, a Carter appointee, wrote for the court.

The settlement of Flores vs. Janet Reno established that juveniles detained near the border or elsewhere without a parent must be given bond hearings.

The hearings gave minors the right to a lawyer, an opportunity to learn and challenge government evidence against them and the right to contest being locked up, the panel said.

The 9th Circuit cited evidence that the government has been holding minors for months or even years without hearings, even when parents are nearby and can care for them.

Among them was a boy identified only as Hector, who was stopped near the Mexico-California border at the age of 15 and held for 480 days, mostly in a locked facility in Yolo County.

In a declaration, Hector described the Yolo County facility as a prison, where minors were locked in cells at night to sleep on cement benches with mattresses.

During 16 months there, Hector was not given a lawyer or an explanation about why he was being held even though his mother in Los Angeles was seeking his release, the 9th Circuit said.

Without any explanation, the federal government released Hector in December into the custody of the person who had been advocating for his freedom all along  his mother, Reinhardt wrote.

The court cited evidence that juveniles have agreed to deportation rather than face continued incarceration without their families.

Unaccompanied minors today face an impossible choice between what is, in effect, indefinite detention in prison, and agreeing to their own removal and possible persecution in their native countries, Reinhardt wrote.

The ruling upheld a decision by Los Angeles-based U.S. Dist. Judge Dolly M. Gee, an Obama appointee.

The government may appeal the panels decision to a larger 9th Circuit panel or to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Carlos Holguin, one of the lawyers for the juvenile immigrants, described Wednesdays decision as a modest victory. Other obstacles remain to obtaining the release of minors to family members, he said.

Nicole Navas Oxman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice, said federal lawyers were reviewing the ruling and considering which steps to pursue next.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

UPDATES:

6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from a case lawyer and the federal government.

2:55 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect that lawyers in the case could not be reached for comment.

This article originally was published at 1:10 p.m.
Joaquin Navarro-Valls  a suave, silver-haired Spaniard who was a close confidant of Pope John Paul II and served for more than two decades as chief Vatican spokesman  has died at the age of 80.

Manuel Sanchez, spokesman for the Opus Dei movement in Rome, of which Navarro-Valls was a member, said he died Wednesday after a long illness.

Navarro-Valls was fiercely loyal to John Paul, accompanying the Polish pope on most of his 104 international trips. He also performed delicate diplomatic missions, such as helping to prepare the popes historic pilgrimage to Cuba.

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Known for his coolness and restraint, Navarro-Valls nearly broke into tears when John Paul was dying in April 2005. He choked up and walked out of a conference room when a German reporter at a briefing on the popes condition asked him how he personally felt.

I was trying to keep my emotions in check, but then a reporter asked how I was experiencing the passing of the pope personally, and I couldnt control myself, he explained later.

Navarro-Valls, who spoke four languages, was a foreign correspondent for the Spanish newspaper ABC when John Paul offered him the job as director of the Vatican press office. He was the first journalist to hold the post.

He was a lay member of the conservative Catholic movement Opus Dei, an order much favored by the pope, but Navarro-Valls always insisted the fact that he was president of Romes Foreign Press Assn. at the time weighed heavily in his hiring at the Vatican.

Navarro-Valls was credited with bringing computer technology to the press office, promoting the use of multiple languages in the Italian-centric press operation and giving journalists better access  making him the perfect press aide for a pope known for his media savvy.

Navarro-Valls held degrees in both journalism and medicine, specializing in psychiatry.

Some saw the combination as perfect for his job as papal spin doctor.

In 1997, just a few months before the papal pilgrimage to Cuba, he flew to Havana and was summoned for what turned out to be a six-hour-long encounter with Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Navarro-Valls said he told Castro that the pope had one particular request: that the regime restore the Christmas holiday that was abolished under communism. Castro kept his word to do so, and the holiday is still celebrated today.

With three successive non-Italian popes, Navarro-Valls helped lead a quiet revolution to internationalize the Vatican. The current spokesman is an American, Greg Burke, a former Fox correspondent.

Burkes assistant, Paloma Garcia Overo, is the first woman to hold a ranking position in the press office. She worked as a Spanish TV journalist before accepting the Vatican post.

Burke said that Navarro-Valls embodied what Ernest Hemingway defined as courage: grace under pressure.

He recalled Navarro-Valls working at the U.N. Population Conference in Cairo in 1994, calling it one of the best examples of what Pope Francis calls ideological colonization. It was fascinating to see someone who was defending the faith, but he wasnt on the defensive. He was leading the fight.

Burke said: I didnt always agree with Navarro, but he always behaved like a Christian gentlemen, and those can be hard to find these days.

Navarro-Valls found himself under fire from some in the Vatican when he became the first official to publicly hint that John Paul was suffering from Parkinsons disease. The popes condition clearly was evident, but not something many wanted to disclose.

During a 1996 trip to Hungary, at a time when John Paul looked extremely frail, Navarro-Valls said the pope suffered from an extra pyramidal syndrome. His comments referring to drug-induced side effects nearly cost the Spaniard his job.

After John Paul died, Navarro-Valls remained as spokesman for 15 months with the new pope, Benedict XVI.

I am conscious of having received in these years so much more than I have been able to give, he said upon resigning in July 2006.

He was not married and lived in an Opus Dei residence in Rome.
Martin Shkreli, the boisterous former hedge-fund manager and pharmaceutical-industry executive, was chastised Wednesday by a judge for speaking to the media during the early days of his securities-fraud trial.

All your client has to do is stop talking in the courthouse and around the perimeter of the courthouse, a visibly frustrated U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said.

Shkreli has struggled to abide by his defense attorneys advice to keep quiet since being charged in late 2015 with misleading investors in two of his hedge funds and the biopharmaceutical company Retrophin, all of which he founded. He has live-streamed his thoughts via YouTube and was kicked off Twitter this year for harassing a journalist.

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But for prosecutors and Matsumoto, the breaking point appears to have been a surprise visit Shkreli, 34, made last week to an overflow room in the courthouse filled with reporters. During the visit, Shkreli criticized the prosecution team from the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, mocking them as the junior varsity to the federal prosecutors in Manhattan.

I think the world blames me for almost everything, he said before his attorney called him out of the room.

Shkrelis attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said he was alerted by a U.S. marshal that Shkreli was in the room and ran across the courthouse to pull him out.

I was shocked by these comments and statements. ... Any juror could have heard them, Matsumoto said.

Prosecutors asked that either Shkreli be ordered to keep quiet or the jury be semi-sequestered so they could not hear chatter in the hallways about the trial or comments made by Shkreli.

Mr. Shkrelis behavior appears to be escalating, said Jacquelyn Kasulis, chief of the business and securities fraud section for the Eastern District U.S. attorneys office. It is of paramount importance that we avoid a circus-like atmosphere.

Shkrelis comments could taint the jury, especially if they were to overhear reporters discussing the case in the hallways or as they entered or left the courthouse, Kasulis said. We are very, very concerned that we will find ourselves in a position that we can not unring the bell, she said.

Kasulis pointed to comments Shkreli made to reporters last week indicating that he had never considered a plea deal to resolve his case. In fact, she said, Shkrelis defense team initiated plea negotiations several times. Many of Mr. Shkrelis statements are inaccurate, Kasulis said.

Brafman said he was outraged and dismayed " by Kasulis statements regarding plea negotiations. Brafman said he was ethically bound to raise the issue of a plea deal with prosecutors but that Shkreli repeatedly refused to consider it. He said, I would never plead guilty to something I didnt do. Were going to trial, Brafman said.

Brafman also rejected the need for a gag order and said that his client was being baited, particularly by a reporter who peppers him with questions when he leaves the courtroom. Maneuvering the 100 yards between the courthouse steps and the car sometimes requires Shkreli to deal with a scrum of 40 to 50 members of the press, a stressful situation for someone with anxiety such as Shkreli, Brafman said.

Matsumoto ordered Shkreli to no longer speak to reporters about the case either in the courtroom or on the street outside. This isnt going to help Mr. Shkreli in the end. He is risking exposure in the media that could harm him, Matsumoto said.
The Trump administrations new voter fraud commission is lacking a crucial component in these early days: momentum.

A growing chorus of secretaries of state  both Democrats and Republicans  has voiced dismay at the commissions request for voters personal information. On June 28, the panels vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, sent a letter to top elections officials in each state asking that they supply, among other things, names, addresses and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.

As of Wednesday, at least 40 secretaries of state had either rejected the request or said that state law did not permit them to share all of the requested data.

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Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, called the request intrusive and unnecessary and said he would not hand over the personal information of his states nearly 4 million voters.

For me, it was an obvious call that we were not going to comply, Simon said on Wednesday. This commission does not seem trustworthy. I just cannot justify handing this information over.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, siding with fellow Minnesotan Simon, offered the commission advice while noting in a tweet the states nearly 12,000 lakes. When they ask for private voter info, time to tell the Election Integrity Commission to GO JUMP IN A LAKE!

The Democratic senators comments were an aquatic echo of the reaction of Delbert Hosemann, Mississippis Republican secretary of state. Last week, he said the commission can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from.

In May, President Trump established a 15-member Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, led by Vice President Mike Pence, to study registration and voting processes. The group, which consists of elected officials from across the country, is set to hold its first meeting on July 19. It will later submit a report to the president.

The formation of the committee came after Trump alleged in January  without evidence  that between 3 million and 5 million illegal votes were cast in last years presidential election. Though Trump prevailed in the electoral college, Democrat Hillary Clinton led the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes.

Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray is among the Republican officials who have rebuffed the commissions request. Insisting he was going to safeguard the privacy of Wyomings voters, Murray said the commissions request could lead to federal overreach.

Simon and Murray are joined by secretaries of state from California, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Mississippi to fully reject the commissions proposal.

Officials from other states, including Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Missouri, Kansas, Utah and Texas, will turn over some of the requested information.

Nationwide, studies have shown that voter fraud is almost nonexistent.

A recent comprehensive report into voter fraud, conducted by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, found 31 credible instances between 2000 and 2014 of voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion votes cast. The report examined every federal election in that time period.

Danielle Lang, senior legal counsel at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, which focuses on election law, said the commission was built on a lie.

And now its seeking evidence to essentially prove a lie, she said.

Trumps allegation of voter fraud led to a strong rebuke by some in his party, including Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted. He said Ohio investigated voter fraud in past elections and came up with nothing.

We conducted a review 4 years ago in Ohio & already have a statewide review of 2016 election underway. Easy to vote, hard to cheat #Ohio, Husted tweeted in January.

So whats Husteds response to the commissions request?

Voter registration information is a public record and is available online, Husted said in a statement.

He added that confidential information, such as the last four digits of a voters Social Security number, was not available to the public and he would not provide it to the commission. (Even Kobach announced that Kansas law forbade him from handing over Social Security numbers.)

Kobach on Wednesday called reports that more than three dozen states were pushing back against the commission fake news.

Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams said he would provide some publicly available information, but not the Social Security digits, which are private.

Williams, a Republican, on Wednesday applauded some of the commissions efforts. He said he was pleased that the panel, in addition to seeking voter data, was asking for the views and recommendations of secretaries of state on several specific issues outlined in Kobachs letter. They include, among other things, how the commission can support election administrators with security issues and how voters can be protected from intimidation or disenfranchisement.

This is encouraging some of the work theyre doing, Williams said.

Still, when asked whether he believed widespread voter fraud took place last year  as Trump proclaimed  Williams did not hesitate.

I have not seen any indication that occurred, he said.

ALSO: In Poland, a right-wing, populist, anti-immigrant government sees an ally in Trump 

kurtis.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @kurtisalee

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Jersey City has turned sharply against Donald Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner
A New York City police officer was shot to death early Wednesday morning, ambushed in a marked patrol car by a man with a revolver who was later killed by officers.

Officer Miosotis Familia, a 12-year member of the department, was assigned with a partner to a mobile command post when the man fired one round through the window and struck her in the head as she was wrapping up her shift. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.

This was an unprovoked direct attack on police officers who were assigned to keep the people of this city safe, Police Commissioner James ONeill said.

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Her partner radioed for help, and officers responded quickly, encountering the suspect, 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, about a block away, he said. As they confronted him, he pulled a revolver, and police fired, striking and killing him. A silver revolver was found at the scene. A bystander was hit in the stomach by a bullet during the confrontation and is in stable condition, police said.

Shots fired! 10-85! the officer is heard shouting after the gunfire, including the code for an officer down. My partners shot! My partners shot! My partners shot! Hurry up, central!

Bonds had been on parole for a robbery case in Syracuse, N.Y., police said. He is seen in surveillance footage marching up to the post with purpose, officials said, but it wasnt clear what provoked the attack.

The shooting recalled the Dec. 20, 2014, killing of patrol officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were shot to death in their vehicle without warning by a man who approached the passenger window of their marked police car. The shooter, 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, then fatally shot himself. Brinsley announced online in the moments before the shooting that he was planning to shoot two pigs in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner.

The Bronx neighborhood was blocked off with police tape. Police were combing for any other surveillance footage and talking to witnesses.

Witness Jay Marzelli told the Daily News of New York he thought the shots were fireworks at first.

I was in this bodega right here on Creston, just getting a sandwich and all of a sudden there was all this running and stuff going on, and I look out probably 40, 50, 60 cops screaming, Call a paramedic, clear the block! he said. It looked like there was a riot going on, and two seconds later I hear gunshots, Bam, bam, and then the police officer was just laying there.

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UPDATES:

5:11 a.m.: Updated with additional details and background

3:51 a.m.: Updated to add officer and suspect identities.

3:13 a.m.: Updated to say the officer has died.

This story was originally posted at 2:50 a.m.
North Koreas testing of a missile capable of reaching U.S. soil is an ominous development. For residents of Los Angeles  which is routinely cited as a potential target for such a weapon  it is especially so.

For the time being, North Korea does not appear to have a missile that can reach this city, nor has it figured out how to equip one with an effective nuclear warhead. But we have to face facts. North Koreas capabilities are growing rapidly, and efforts by successive U.S. administrations, the United Nations Security Council and even China have failed to restrain the nuclear ambitions of Kim Jong Un and his predecessors.

Given that reality, President Trump might be tempted to give up on diplomacy and take preemptive military action to destroy North Koreas nuclear program and perhaps the communist government along with it.

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There is no guarantee that diplomacy will solve this problem; but a reckless military response will surely make it worse.

After all, the president declared last week that the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed. On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said: The United States is prepared to use the full range of our capabilities to defend ourselves and our allies. One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces.

But military action could be disastrous, leading to war on the Korean peninsula and the death of thousands of people. As the presidents military advisors will surely tell him, even surgical airstrikes designed to destroy North Koreas nuclear weapons probably would trigger retaliation by the North against South Korea, using conventional weapons already amassed on the border. Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis has warned that the result would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most peoples lifetimes.

Some who argue for a preemptive strike justify it on the grounds that Kim is irrational and that once North Korea is capable of launching a nuclear weapon  against South Korea or a distant target in the United States  it wont be deterred by the certainty of massive retaliation. But while Kim is a tyrant, theres no indication that he doesnt respond rationally to incentives and disincentives. (That doesnt mean his possession of nuclear weapons isnt dangerous. They allow him to consolidate his power and intimidate other nations and they increase the possibility of a nuclear arms race in the region.)

If military action is off the table, what should the United States do?

First, the U.S. should continue to lean on China to press North Korea to rein in its nuclear ambitions. Trump once held out great hope for Chinese intervention, but lately has expressed disillusionment. On Wednesday he tweeted: Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us  but we had to give it a try!

But Trump shouldnt give up. The truth is that China has made some efforts to pressure North Korea, supporting sanctions at the Security Council and restricting imports of coal from North Korea. But it should be pressed to do more, including support the new Security Council resolution Haley said the U.S. would introduce.

Second, the administration should leave the door open to negotiations with North Korea  including direct talks. Its understandable that the administration would be reluctant. to sit down with the North Koreans. Not only is it distasteful because the Kim regime is a egregious violator of human rights, but in the past, North Korea has made commitments to the U.S. and other nations and then reneged on them.

The administration seems to have ruled out participating in any negotiations that would result in a freeze on nuclear or missile tests by North Korea as opposed to a dismantling of that countrys nuclear weapons program. On Tuesday Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reiterated that the U.S. will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea. But perhaps there is a way for talks to take place without either side insisting on preconditions. If nothing else, a continuing channel of communication might reduce tension and prevent events from spiraling out of control.

There is no guarantee that diplomacy will solve this problem; but a reckless military response will surely make it worse.

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Telecommunications companies are preparing to roll out the next generation of wireless networks, dubbed 5G, which promise an enormous increase in capacity and connectivity. These networks not only will increase competition in broadband, they are a key enabling technology for a host of advanced products and services. They also represent a gateway to better economic opportunities in inner-city areas that are underserved by broadband today.

But these new networks are different in structure and appearance too. Instead of high-powered antennas on tall towers, they rely on an array of lower-power transmitters closer to the ground that serve much smaller cells. Thats why mobile phone companies are concerned that cities and counties will throw up bureaucratic or financial roadblocks to 5G in their communities. Its not a groundless worry; wireless companies already have encountered local resistance in places where they have introduced the new technology.



For the record: An earlier version of this editorial misidentified the bill in question as AB 649. It is SB 649.

Its the look and the intrusiveness of the small cell networks that seems to spark the controversy. People are upset about the deployment of thousands of pieces of equipment the size of small appliances being placed strategically and liberally on publicly owned vertical infrastructure (thats bureaucratese for municipal utility poles, street lights and even traffic lights). That means a lot of equipment in full view and in proximity  really close in some cases  to houses and people.

Local governments must retain some authority to push back on proposed deployments.

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The wireless industry has a solution to this potentially huge NIMBY headache: A bill in the California legislature (SB 649) that would streamline the approval process for putting small cell networking gear on public poles and lights. If its on property the government controls, approval would be automatic in most cases, so local governments couldnt drag out the permitting process with public hearings and studies. The bill also would limit how much rent locals can charge the companies for space on their poles and lights.

There is precedent for this kind of brazen move: The phone and cable TV companies persuaded the Legislature in 2006 to end local control over the construction of new cable TV systems, arguing that a shift to state licensing would bring much-needed competition to pay TV. But that logic doesnt apply to the mobile phone market, where there is vibrant competition. Local government officials are crying foul, calling it an audacious power grab and the equivalent of a gift of public funds to billion-dollar telecommunications companies that dont need the help.

The new mobile networks also will involve much more equipment in public view than an upstart cable TV system. Wireless companies say that the transmitters are typically the size of a pizza box or briefcase, although the bill would allow equipment up to the size of a small refrigerator.

Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), the author of SB 649, argues that wireless upgrades are a public benefit, and therefore local governments should not have the right to endanger them with unreasonable hurdles. Besides, he says, the more that individual cities are allowed to charge for their pole rentals, the less that wireless companies will have left for network upgrades in other, possibly more needy communities. But the bill goes far beyond setting a reasonable fee to access public property; it would usurp the rights of cities and counties to make decisions about how to use their property. Those rights include the right to make the wrong decisions.

Its clearly in everyones best interest for 5G networks to be deployed, and surely most local governments would agree. But why shouldnt cities and counties be able to try to leverage their assets to get a good deal for residents as part of the process, or take the time to get the publics input on what could be a significant change to their physical and virtual landscapes?

Small cell technology does not have to be obtrusive or unattractive, nor will every street in a community necessarily require outfitting. Thats why local governments must retain some authority to push back on proposed deployments. Left to their own devices, telecommunications companies would naturally opt for the most efficient and cost-effective configuration when making a capital investment. Their goals are making profits and serving customers, not making a city look nice.

The telecommunication industry has been pushing this streamlining strategy in other states, with various degrees of success. Eleven have adopted some sort of laws to limit the local permitting process and pole fees. Legislators in other states, like Washington, have been more skeptical. Californias lawmakers ought to be wary as well and show more interest in protecting the rights of communities to govern the use of their infrastructure, rather than letting telecommunication companies make those decisions for them.

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Puppy mills pose one of the most vexing issues in animal welfare. They are essentially factory breeding farms that overuse their female dogs and crowd animals into dirty, often fetid cages, all for the business of churning out sought-after pedigreed and designer puppies that can command thousands of dollars in pet stores.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not inspect dog breeders that sell to consumers in person, on the assumption that pet buyers can judge breeding conditions for themselves. Instead, it requires licensing and inspections for breeders that sell puppies to other vendors  pet stores or their suppliers  if they have five or more breeding females. Similarly sized online sellers must also be licensed and inspected if their customers buy their pets sight unseen.

The vast majority of commercial breeders, however, dont comply  about 80% of the estimated 10,000 U.S. commercial breeders go unlicensed. And for even the ones that do, the standards set by the Animal Welfare Act are so abysmally low that breeders can keep animals in cramped cages, give them water as infrequently as twice a day, and breed females continuously to the detriment of their health. The worst offenders, who fall short of even the minimal standards, get cited but may remain licensed despite repeated violations.

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Stemming the flow of animals from inhumane breeding operations into pet stores is a crucial step that the state can take and should.

To make up for a weak animal welfare law and ineffective federal enforcement, the California Legislature is considering a bill by Assemblyman Patrick ODonnell (D-Long Beach) that would cut off one of the main markets for bad breeders: pet stores. The bill (AB 485) would prohibit pet stores in the state from selling dogs, cats and rabbits obtained from a commercial breeder, allowing them to carry only animals sourced from shelters and rescue groups. The bill has passed the Assembly. The Senate should pass it as well.

More than 200 jurisdictions across the country have ordinances similar to this one. At least 33 are California cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Irvine. AB 485 would create the first statewide ban.

It may seem unfair to put the onus for stopping bad breeders on pet store owners who sell puppies they buy legally from commercial breeders. Nor does it seem fair to cut off commercial breeders that are humane, assuming there are some, from their prime sales outlet. But the combination of low standards and lax enforcement has helped entrench the business of inhumanely manufacturing animals, particularly puppies. The abuses are so widespread, theres no way for pet-store shoppers or even the stores themselves to know for sure that the dogs they are buying were raised humanely.

A 2010 audit by the USDAs Office of Inspector General found that animal care inspectors failed to levy sanctions quickly or appropriately on breeders with tick-infested or inadequately sheltered dogs, or whose food and water dishes were overrun with vermin. Although USDA officials say they have enhanced training of inspectors to improve enforcement, puppy mills still abound, and those with multiple violations continue to operate, according to reports of bad breeders compiled annually by the Humane Society.

Meanwhile, its getting harder for the public to identify breeders whove flouted the rules  the Trump administration stopped making USDA inspection records of pet breeders public in February. Nor has the USDA shown any interest in raising federal standards to a level sufficient to protect pets, despite a petition from three leading animal welfare groups.

Representatives of the pet trade industry are pushing back against the bill, arguing that many stores get their puppies from hobby breeders, who breed only a handful of dogs in their homes. But these unlicensed suppliers are exempt from inspection by the USDA, so no one is checking to see whether theyre humane.

For those who still want a pedigreed puppy, the best way to find one is by finding what animal welfare advocates and dog clubs call a responsible breeder. These are people who breed their female dogs carefully, offer plenty of space for their dogs, and, most important, welcome you to come and see where their dogs are bred and raised. Because they sell directly to prospective pet owners, USDA does not require them to be licensed.

AB 485 wont cut off every outlet for bad breeders. They can sell online, where maybe theyll be inspected once a year. But stemming the flow of animals from inhumane breeding operations into pet stores is a crucial step that the state can take and should.

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A majority of Californians voted in support of legalizing medical and adult-use cannabis. Clearly, the people believe that cannabis is not a dangerous drug when sold and consumed responsibly  and that the cannabis economy, once legalized and regulated, can serve in the best interest of Californians.

Many have asked why we should continue funding the losing war on cannabis when we can reap the benefits of this economy. Many have compared the emergence of legalized cannabis to the history of the alcohol industry.

Cannabis prohibition was supposed to lower crime and reduce social problems. Instead, prohibition has overloaded our courts and prisons, while social problems persist. The people wisely made medical and recreational cannabis consumption legal in California; now its up to the Legislature and law enforcement to work out the details.

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Im eager to have my State Assembly District 59, encompassing most of South Los Angeles, participate in this new economy. District 59 has been historically underserved and has felt the devastating and debilitating effects of the war on drugs, but I strongly believe that we can reverse the stigma associated with cannabis and allow this burgeoning industry to uplift our community.

In District 59, where our unemployment rate is much higher than the state average, we simply cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity.

Theres a reason legal cannabis has been nicknamed the green rush. The legal medical cannabis market was already worth an estimated $7.2 billion in 2016, and recreational cannabis could create more than 250,000 jobs in the state by 2020.

In District 59, where our unemployment rate is much higher than the state average, we simply cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity. Historically underserved communities especially those communities that were on the receiving end of the war on cannabis  deserve to reap the benefits of this new industry.

As we formulate and implement medical and adult-use regulations, we must allow those who previously operated in the underground market to move into the legal market. Once on the wrong side of a bad law, they will now be able to contribute to the collective well-being of our community and local economy. Once criminals, theyll now be business owners.

We must actively encourage the transition from criminality to legitimacy. We cannot allow those who are operating illegally in the underground market to continue to put health and public safety at risk. Instead, we should urge them to operate in compliance with local and state law by providing them a pathway for success, perhaps through small-business loans and equity programs implemented at the local level.

We also need to make sure that our community members have an opportunity to obtain employment in these newly regulated businesses. This can be achieved by requiring that operators hire within our own communities, ensuring that people convicted of nonviolent crimes are not barred from employment, and providing low-cost training that local community members can access. It is only through this inclusive approach that we can equitably spread the benefits of legal cannabis.

Our new federal administration seems intent on reviving our nations war on drugs  which history has shown to be more of a war on people of color. But we in California, and especially in South Los Angeles, have an opportunity to prove that legalization and regulation can guarantee public safety and spur economic growth far better than mass incarceration.

Assembly member Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer Sr. represents Assembly District 59. He can be reached at (213) 744-2111.

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Explaining Trump to Europeans

That puppy in the window may have come from a bad breeder
If youre planning a trip to Europe this summer, be forewarned: You may spend a lot of time explaining Donald Trump to the natives.

In our case, it started immediately, with the British immigration officer at Londons Heathrow Airport.

Are you from the Southern states? he asked. What he meant was: Are you Trump voters?

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What has gotten into you people? he demanded. You used to be a model other countries wanted to follow. Now we watch you and shake our heads.

That was one of dozens of unsought conversations in three countries about the state of American politics. Europeans familiarity with the details of our national melodrama was sometimes startling.

Whats the real story about Melania? our British friend Naomi asked. Is she moving into the White House or not?

Europeans who once resented our superpower status now express sympathy for our troubles -- even nostalgia for American leadership.

What about the famous son-in-law? asked Lala, our Italian neighbor, amused to catch Americans practicing the kind of clan-based politics Italians know. Is he the brains of the family?

If Trump is impeached, then Pence becomes president, right? asked Liliane, a German lawyer. Would he be worse?

Brits, Italians and Germans all asked whether Trumps presidency would be over by the end of the year. I described the complexities of impeachment, and how unlikely it was that a Republican-controlled Congress would go there. I reminded them of Italys Silvio Berlusconi, who won three elections and governed for nine years despite prosecutors efforts to bring him down.

Our European friends absorption in all things Trump goes beyond mere gossip, of course. They have gnawing concerns about an increasingly disorderly world  one in which the president of the United States, instead of bolstering stability, often seems to be a disruptor.

It wasnt a scientific sample by any stretch. But our conversations mirrored a Pew global survey released last week which found that Trump is unpopular across much of the world and that his unpredictability has shaken confidence in the United States.

For half a century, Europeans got used to thinking of the United States as a stable cornerstone of world politics  not always sophisticated in their eyes, not always right, but reliably there. Now that were less reliable, theyre more nervous. If the United States is making the world less stable instead of more stable, were all in deep ., Lalas husband Carlo said in fluent American.

They know all too well that Europe  politically divided, militarily weak and economically listless  cant fill the empty role of the missing superpower.

Europe could be strong if countries knew how to work together, but they dont, said Peter, a German yoga instructor. Nationalism gets in the way.

Trump may have had one positive effect on continental politics, as Europes wave of nationalist populism appears to have ebbed. Trump-style anti-immigrant populists lost ground in three major elections this year: the Netherlands in March, France in May and Britain in June. In France, Trump virtually endorsed populist candidate Marine LePen; she was trounced by the Obama-style Emmanuel Macron.

We have learned from your example, Liliane joked.

There may be a silver lining for Americans too. Europeans who once resented our superpower status now express sympathy for our troubles  even nostalgia for American leadership.

Many Europeans condemned George W. Bush for invading Iraq. Then they pouted when Barack Obama, whom they liked better, made it clear he was more interested in Asia. Now they see a president who thinks alliances are a scam and doesnt put much stock in the U.S. treaty commitment to defend Europe.

Europeans have plenty of reasons to worry about their future. Islamist terrorism has accelerated with attacks in England, France and Belgium. The European Union is in danger of falling apart. Russia is meddling in their elections and corrupting some of their governments. They still havent solved their massive unemployment problem.

In earlier times of trouble, American presidents stepped in with reassurances that the United States wanted a Europe that was prosperous, strong and united. Trump says, instead, that he sees Europe as a competitor, not an ally, and that he prefers his competitors to be weak, poor and disunited.

Italian columnist Beppe Severgnini recently compared Trumps America to a straying husband, but suggested that hed come home.

Go ahead, have your affairs, he wrote. But dont forget: Youre married to us.

Perhaps he had forgotten that Trump is already on marriage No. 3  and that he views wedding vows and treaties as open to renegotiation, just like real estate contracts.

Most Americans dont pay nearly as much attention to European politics as my Italian, British and German friends pay to ours. There are too many countries, too many elections. And the details of European economic integration are mind-numbing.

But perhaps we should listen more closely to our European friends.

Theyve noticed that, under Trump, an important alliance  one that has kept their continent peaceful for 70 years  is in danger of slipping away through neglect. They see what theyre losing, and theyre worried. Shouldnt we be too?

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

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California is only months away from offering thousands of retailers a license to sell recreational marijuana to people ages 21 or older. It is the will of the voters, yet I remain concerned about the impact that recreational/non-medical cannabis commerce could have on the health and safety of neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County. I wonder how this brave new world will make circumstances, conditions, even life itself better. Currently, all commercial cannabis is banned in the unincorporated areas of the county, and if it were up to me, Id keep it that way until I felt confident that safeguards were in place to protect our communities.

As things stand, it is imperative that the Board of Supervisors enacts responsible regulation and effective oversight, developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders, to ensure that creating a commercial market for marijuana would not lead to overly negative consequences. We have a responsibility to serve all 10 million residents of the county  not just the voters who said yes to Proposition 64  particularly minors who dont have the right to vote but certainly deserve our protection.

Our track record has been less than stellar in getting a handle on establishments that sell dependence-inducing substances. Liquor stores are a common sight in many parts of the county, and bear at least part of the blame for higher rates of addiction, blight, petty and violent crime and diminished opportunities for residents in the immediate vicinity. Because unfettered cannabis commerce can compound those problems and sabotage economic revitalization, we should learn from Colorado and Washington, the first states to legalize recreational marijuana (in 2012).

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According to its Department of Revenue, Colorado raked in almost $200 million in taxes in 2016 as marijuana sales hit $1.3 billion. But its Department of Public Health and Environment reported that 6% of pregnant women used marijuana, potentially endangering their unborn childrens health. At least 16,000 children were at risk of being exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke at home.

Early and regular marijuana use is associated with use of other illicit drugs, including cocaine, hallucinogens, prescription opioids and heroin.

Colorados Department of Public Health and Environment also found that 1 in 4 adults age 18 to 25 used marijuana in the last month, and 1 in 8 adults used marijuana daily or near daily. It also reported that more than 5% of high school students used marijuana daily or near daily. Weekly cannabis use at such a young age is associated with impaired learning and memory and could lead to psychotic symptoms in adulthood.

In Washington, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 17% of fatal crashes in 2014 involved drivers who had recently used marijuana, more than double the percentage before legalization.

Though the perils hysterically alleged in Reefer Madness have long been debunked, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has found that early and regular marijuana use is associated with use of other illicit drugs, including cocaine, hallucinogens, prescription opioids and heroin.

Moreover, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that Los Angeles County fatal crashes involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana began to go up after 1996, increased 360% from 2003 to 2004, maintained an upward trajectory until 2008 before decreasing in 2009, and steadily rose again by 60% from 2010 to 2014. The increases coincided with the passage of the Compassionate Use Act, which legalized medical marijuana; the initiation of the Medical Marijuana ID Card Program; and the decriminalization of possessing 1 ounce or less of marijuana, making it an infraction instead of a misdemeanor.

Los Angeles Countys Office of Cannabis Management is working closely with the Board of Supervisors, various departments and a broad array of stakeholders to develop comprehensive and reasonable ordinances and policies for both medical and recreational marijuana. One of the goals is to create an accountable and safe marketplace for the responsible use of marijuana rather than revel in overstated economic opportunity. Lets be clear that gangs and cartels operate outside regulation, and dismantling this illegal market operating within saturated communities will be daunting.

Though dispensaries tend to be concentrated in low-income neighborhoods of color, less than 1% are owned by people of color, according to the L.A. County Department of Regional Planning. Apparently, racial and economic discrimination does not stop at the doorstep of the cannabis industry.

Proposition 64 proponents say it will generate tax revenue, business profit and jobs. They also claim that it would improve criminal justice by putting fewer people  historically people of color  in jail for smoking a joint. However, that remains to be seen as disparate treatment is a defining feature of law enforcement in too many communities in L.A. County.

A call for effective oversight should not be misconstrued as an attempt to thwart the will of the people, or to wage a new war on drugs. Instead, as a card-carrying progressive I consider it due diligence to ensure that the proliferating sale of marijuana, a mind-altering substance, will not wreak havoc on our neighborhoods, particularly those already beset with many other challenges. We certainly dont want to make matters worse, and, right now, my concern is that commercial cannabis has the potential to do just that.

Mark Ridley-Thomas is chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and represents the 2nd Supervisorial District.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

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To the editor: Recently The Times focused on Californias End of Life Option Act with two nicely complementary reports. (She watched her ex-husband end his life under Californias new right-to-die law. I felt proud, June 30, and 111 terminally ill patients took their own lives in first 6 months of California right-to-die law, June 27)

One summarized statewide results from the first year that physician-assisted suicide was legal. It provided statistics showing just 111 suicides.

The other report featured the touching account of a local man whose terminal cancer left him with the prospect of suffering untreatable daily pain over the few months he was expected to live; he opted for physician-assisted suicide under the law.

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Both reports militate strongly for other states to adopt laws like ours. Hard numbers suggest that precious few patients will select the suicide option. Poignant personal anecdotes point up how having that option available provides enormous relief both to patients and those dear to them.

These reports should be made available to the 82% of Americans who live in states without the empathetic option that our law provides.

Betty Turner, Sherman Oaks

..

To the editor: On the first day of the new year, my partner and I drove to a friends house at the beach in Ventura. Originally from Canada, our friend had spent years working with special-needs children in this country.

Waiting for us at her house were her, her two sisters and her brother and his wife, all from Toronto. She was sitting in the living room, calm and collected as she always was. In her hands, she had the sheets of instructions that she would follow in the next half hour or so.

We brought a day bed into the center of the living room so we could all be around her. And then she began the process. I wont go into the details, but this talented and giving woman was inspiring in her passing. We sat with her until there was no more breath or heartbeat, certified by a friend and caregiver who was present.

A call was made to a woman from the agency who came and did all the paperwork. She then called the man who would come and take my friends body, which she donated for scientific research. We took a walk on the beach and marveled at the strength of this good friend.

She did it her way.

Jerry Rutledge, West Hollywood

..

To the editor: State data show that Californias law allowing doctors to prescribe lethal medication to certain terminally ill patients has been working well. Individuals had this option to peacefully end intolerable suffering and died peacefully, rather than in agony.

It thus appears that the American Civil Liberties Unions concern about the death penalty being cruel and unusual punishment has been addressed. So, if the ACLUs concern has been eliminated, why arent the same medications and procedures being used to conduct executions in California?

Joe Nedza, Newport Beach

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: When one looks at the immensity of the proposed temporary storage facility for spent fuel rods currently kept at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, it is obvious that temporary in this case is not in the 10 or 15 years quoted. If it were, the existing water tanks at San Onofre would suffice. (1,800 tons of radioactive waste has an ocean view and nowhere to go,

Considering that this has been a known problem for 50 years without an acceptable solution, it would be best for any new storage facility to be robust enough to suffice for many decades or longer.

Why locate it near sea level, which is known to be rising? It should be inland at higher elevation. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, a few miles away from San Onofre, would be suitable. It has the space, and presumably the permitting process could be relatively simple.

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Richard Rigney, Long Beach

..

To the editor: I am a retired nuclear scientist and who worked in the industry for about 40 years. Your article on San Onofre did not mention some history.

At the urging of former Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), President Obama halted work on the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository north of Las Vegas. After the election of President Trump, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stated that there are no technical reasons for not licensing the site. So far, we have spent $15 billion on Yucca Mountain.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter ordered the suspension of all spent fuel reprocessing in the country. This single unscientific order significantly increased the amount of waste that must be isolated.

Both Carter and Reid ignored prominent scientists and engineers, placing this country in this dire situation.

Raj Acharya, Encinitas

..

To the editor: You do not describe the consequences of leaving the nuclear waste where it is.

Failure of the storage tanks at San Onofre due to an earthquake, a rising ocean or a terrorist attack would render an area of Southern California a vast wasteland for hundreds of thousands of years. The economic loss to California and the nation would be devastating.

Surely, storing such lethal waste in a temporary site far from human population would be a better solution.

Berton Moldow, Laguna Woods

..

To the editor: San Onofre stands like a monolith of proud science and tech gone sour: Agencies bicker, private and public entities litigate, guards are paid to supervise the site around the clock, and area residents rightly worry about the nuclear waste nearby.

As scientists and engineers try to come up with ways to remove the waste from San Onofre, in the end, we know one salient fact: Dr. Strangelove is still alive, and we dont know what to do with him.

We desperately need a hero scientist of gargantuan mentality to invent the answer.

Chet Chebegia, San Marcos

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Kamala Harris works to forge relationship with Central Valley

Sen @kamalaharris talking grapes with Fowler Packing Co president Dennis Parnagian in the fields outside metro Fresno pic.twitter.com/smVuRfbSpQ  Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) July 5, 2017

The drought may be over in the minds of urban Californians, quite literally washed away by huge accumulations of rain last year that filled reservoirs and left the states mountains covered with snow even now.

But the farmers and others in the Central Valley, veterans of multiple drought-and-flood cycles, know the reprieve is only temporary. On Wednesday they pressed new U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris to work to ensure a more reliable source of water for the nations most bountiful farming region.

This area is drying on the vine, Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, told Harris during a roundtable with Central Valley officials.

A long-term solution can only come through federal and state action to protect the areas water supply, he said.

Jason Phillips, chief executive of the Friant Water Authority, said recent rainfall had done little to stem problems caused by nearly a decade of drought.

A canal that runs from Fresno to north of Bakersfield sunk in some places as much as 2 feet in two years, he said, wreaking havoc on a system that operates on the force of gravity.

We cannot get all the water to our growers, he said.

The meeting between Harris and nearly two dozen agriculture and water officials was meant to ease what is typically a fraught relationship between the states Democratic leaders  all of whose power bases are in metropolitan areas  and the mostly Republican Central Valley powers that traditionally look at them with skepticism.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein has worked for two decades to aid the agricultural industry  at the roundtable, several nodded as Harris referred to the senior senator as an incredible warrior for the area.

But Harris predecessor, former Sen. Barbara Boxer, was allied more with environmental groups that have fought dams and other water systems. As a result, she was viewed negatively by many here.

Harris was intent Wednesday on persuading the Central Valley representatives of her interest in places beyond her base in Alameda and San Francisco counties.

They, on the other hand, worked to convince her to be more in the Feinstein mold on issues important to the area  from reliable water to immigration programs to environmental protections that take into consideration the areas needs.

President Trump was highly popular in much of the Central Valley, apart from Fresno County, which leans Democratic because of its metropolitan shadings. But some issues important to the valley cut in politically unorthodox ways.

Republicans here are more concerned than those elsewhere with passing a plan that would give legal status to immigrants, on whom agriculture depends. With undocumented workers worried about deportation, and the border tightening to those not yet here, the labor supply has already shrunk, farmers said.

Theyre out there working, being productive people, said farmer Joe Del Bosque. They work hard for us, and we have nowhere to reach.

Del Bosque said he recently held a training session for new workers. Of the 200 people who showed up, only a handful were born in the United States, he said.

Environmental regulations prized by Democrats elsewhere are often frowned on by some party members here and blamed for the areas water difficulties.

Several of the participants lobbied Harris for her support of dams that have long been under consideration by federal and state officials, particularly the Temperance Flat Dam, which would be constructed on the San Joaquin River.

Harris offered no assurances on the topic to the group on Wednesday. Afterward, speaking to reporters, she also did not take a position.

One of the things that were going to have to figure out ... is what is the right solution for that, she said of a plan to construct the Temperance Flat Dam and several others. Is it going to be about the building of dams? Is it also going to be about looking at  also looking at  other sources of renewable and sustainable reliable sources?

Both sides signaled they did not expect an alliance on all fronts. But Harris said she would serve as an advocate for farmers during the crafting of a new farm bill and other measures before the Senate.

William Bourdeau, executive vice president of the politically influential Harris Farms, told the senator he wished the majority of her supporters who reside in urban areas would have a better understanding of the risks and challenges of farming.

We need somebody to explain the symbiotic relationship we have, he said.

I agree with you completely, she replied.
Arguing that California is at a crucial crossroads, Republican David Hadley is announcing a bid to be the states next governor. The former assemblyman, who voted against Donald Trump in the fall, is a social moderate and fiscal conservative whose 2018 candidacy could galvanize the GOP establishment in a state where it is at a significant disadvantage.

Hadley, 52, is the third prominent Republican to enter the field, joining businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen. The Democratic field is similarly crowded. In California, voters choose from all of the candidates during the primary and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Ive decided that I can fill an important role in this election, I think we can win this race, I think we can bring important changes and important reforms to California, and I think Im the right guy to do it, Hadley told The Times. We cant have this race be a debate between a Democrat and a socialist.

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He didnt specify about whom his remarks were directed at, but the best-known Democratic hopefuls in the race are Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang.

The last time a Republican candidate was elected statewide was more than a decade ago, and Democrats have a 19-point edge in voter registration. The Democratic gubernatorial candidates have a head start and have raised more than $20 million combined.The states top-two primary could keep a Republican off the November 2018 ballot, a repeat of what happened in the 2016 U.S. Senate race.

But Hadley believes a Republican has a chance to appeal to voters who believe Democrats have gone too far with the Legislatures recent passage of an increase in the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. and Democrats unsuccessful attempt to create a single-payer healthcare system in California.

On so many issues, the leadership in Sacramento does not reflect the values of the residents of California, he said.

Specifically, Hadley said he hopes to build a coalition of center-right voters as well as non-Republicans willing to cross party lines. He plans to roll out the endorsements of more than 20 GOP members of the Legislature soon.

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Hadley is a Fullerton native, a businessman who served in the Assembly for two years and a father of four who lives in Manhattan Beach with his wife Suzanne.

He opened a gubernatorial exploratory committee in the spring, but held off on making it official until now. The announcement is coming just after San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who was facing pressure from national and state GOP leaders to enter the race, announced he would not run.

Hadley declined to say whether Faulconers announcement influenced his decision, but the mayor is better known among voters and donors. And they would have been vying for the same types of supporters because of similar ideological profiles and demonstrated crossover appeal being elected in places where Democrats outnumber Republicans.

David Hadley, seen here greeting voters after participating in a 2016 Assembly candidates forum, announced that he is running for governor in 2018. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

In 2014, Hadley won the South Bay Assembly seat by a 0.6% margin, ousting Democrat Al Muratsuchi in a low-turnout race. Two years later, Muratsuchi reclaimed the seat with an eight-point margin of victory, thanks to energized Democratic turnout because of the presidential election in the Democratic-leaning district.

Hadley did not cast a long political shadow during his time in Sacramento, though he did successfully push through bills to increase transparency of school employee misconduct and roll back civil-asset forfeiture laws.

Hadley occasionally broke with his party on issues such as renewable energy, a reflection of voters views in his swing district.

Republican donors have been reluctant to fund statewide candidates in California given the partys losing track record. But that may change in 2018, because there are seven congressional races in the state that are crucial to GOP efforts to retain control of the House of Representatives. GOP leaders believe it is key to have a strong candidate at the top of the ticket to drive Republican turnout and protect both those incumbents and their congressional majority.

Some of the establishment donors and power brokers who would have backed Faulconer are likely to give Hadley a look. He has existing ties to some, notably Charles Munger Jr. The GOP mega-donors independent expenditure committee spent more than $1.4 million trying to boost Hadley in his unsuccessful reelection race.

Muratsuchi worked hard to tie Hadley to Trump, despite Hadley openly opposing Trumps presidential bid. (He voted for libertarian Gary Johnson).

If Hadley advances to the general election in the gubernatorial race, he runs the same risk given the polarized climate in a state Trump lost by more than 4 million votes.

Hadley said he doesnt intend to turn the race into a referendum on the president.

This is not going to be a campaign about reacting to every tweet or real or made-up outrage out of Washington, Hadley said, noting that Trump is not responsible for the states high level of poverty, failing schools and high taxes. This is going to be a campaign focused on the future of California.

seema.mehta@latimes.com

For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter.

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Theres a new candidate in the race to be Californias next governor. More on that below.

What might have been a quiet Independence Day otherwise was marked with new North Korean aggression, a provocation Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said should be met with action from all nations to publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences for its nuclear program.

Before that, the weekend was dominated by -- you guessed it -- one of President Trumps tweets, this one directed at CNN.

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In Los Angeles, the resistance braved the heat for an impeachment march that, in true California fashion, also had a mediation room for pro-Trump and anti-Trump forces to talk out their differences.

Im Christina Bellantoni. Welcome to Essential Politics after a little holiday break. Hope it was a wonderful Fourth of July.

Were also keeping an eye on the growing number of states that have rejected a request for personal information about voters from a presidential commission on voter fraud.

It will be a sleepy week in Washington, but lawmakers are active in Sacramento. They even worked on Monday, although that might have had something to do with their paychecks.

One outstanding question is whether a deal is made on extending Californias cap-and-trade program before Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez heads to D.C. to become a congressman. For those keeping track, any deal would need to be struck by Friday so the legislation could be posted for 72 hours before his last day July 10. If that day comes and goes, theres a short window for getting something done before summer recess.

Congressional Republicans are under a similar time crunch when they return from the holiday break. Sen. Kamala Harris pointedly mocked her GOP colleagues while making stops in Southern California this week.

She went after the team of Republicans who came up with the Senate healthcare plan  all white men, whom she described as this group that looks exactly like each other and not like most of us here.

For more this week on what Californias politicians are up to, keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed. And get the latest about Trumps second trip abroad, his meeting with Vladimir Putin and whats happening in the nations capital on Essential Washington.

WHY STATE LAWMAKERS HAVE FAILED TO FIX THE HOUSING CRISIS

It costs a lot to live in California, and the problem is only getting worse. State lawmakers introduced more than 100 bills this year to try to make housing more affordable.

But theres already a 50-year-old law on the books that aims to encourage developers to build housing. As Liam Dillon reports in a new project, the law has failed at helping stem the statewide shortage of homes driving Californias affordability problems. The reason? The law requires cities and counties to produce prodigious reports to plan for housing  but it doesnt hold them accountable for any resulting home building.

Cities and counties resent the law. To avoid complying, theyve asked the state to let prison beds count toward their low-income housing goals, among other things. And despite knowing about the laws weaknesses for decades, state lawmakers have provided no incentive, such as a greater share of tax dollars, for cities and counties to meet their housing goals.

Have questions about the states housing policy? Tweet them to @LATpoliticsCA and Dillon will answer them in an upcoming Q&A.

KEVIN FAULCONER SAYS NO WAY

If you missed it late Friday as the holiday weekend kicked off, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer made it crystal clear he wont be leaving his job anytime soon. The Republican has said it before, but amid a lobbying effort from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and others, Faulconer felt the need to declare again that he wont run for California governor in 2018.

The Republican mayors decision has major repercussions in the nations capital. He had been under intense pressure from GOP leaders. Not only is Faulconer seen as one of the California GOPs brightest political stars, but party leaders also believed that having him at the top of the ticket in the 2018 election would have helped Republicans up and down the ballot.

A prominent political strategist posits that Faulconer decided he didnt want to be a sacrificial lamb in national Republicans efforts to hold control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

HADLEY GETS IN

Shortly after Faulconers announcement, former state Assemblyman and Republican David Hadley told Seema Mehta that he is running for governor.

The Manhattan Beach resident demurred when asked if the San Diego mayors decision prompted his move. But his ideology makes him the likely choice of the GOP establishment in an election where national eyes and donors dollars are likely to focus on California because of seven races that are critical to GOP efforts to keep the House.

GARCETTI GOES NATIONAL

Eric Garcetti was just sworn in Saturday for his second term as L.A. mayor, but is he already picturing himself in the Oval Office?

As far-fetched as a Garcetti candidacy for president might sound, its the mayor himself who has stoked the chatter. With Trumps election, he says, I think all the rules are off.

History suggests he faces steep odds, Michael Finnegan and Dakota Smith report.

DEEP DIVES

Noah Bierman explores the character that is Mike Pence, writing that the vice president copes with the drama that defines life as Trumps sidekick by acting as though everything is normal, boringly normal.

Those great jobs numbers? They arent actually that great.

GUN LAW BLOCKED

Yet another California law runs afoul of the feds, with a judge blocking the voter-approved measure requiring disposal of large-capacity magazines. At the same time, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is continuing his spat with the NRA, lashing out at the groups new recruitment video, arguing that it was dangerous and could lead to violence.

ABOUT THAT RECALL

Supporters of state Sen. Josh Newman filed a lawsuit seeking to stop a recall campaign against the lawmaker, alleging that signature gatherers have misled voters and the petition contains false information.

The Democratic legislator from Fullerton faces a recall funded by the California Republican Party for voting to increase the states gas tax and vehicle fees to raise $5.2 billion annually for road repairs.

Gov. Jerry Brown, meanwhile, defended the bill headed to his desk that would effectively force the recall to a later date and thus a higher-turnout election.

The only people who would be against that are people who wanted to fool people and dont want to test it in court or in the light of day, Brown said. He also dismissed critics opposed to the gas tax, saying that of course its unpopular, but Californians want paved roads, and to have paved roads youve got to spend real money.

SKELTON: RENDON WAS RIGHT TO BLOCK SINGLE-PAYER

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon has come under attack from progressive activists, including the California Nurses Assn., for blocking a single-payer healthcare proposal this year. But what he did provided a rare look at a politician acting heroically, George Skelton writes.

The protesters were back at Rendons office Monday, Melanie Mason reports.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE VOTERS GONE?

Fewer and fewer people are voting, and theyre giving up their say in how government is run, Skelton writes. The nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California has reported that theres been a decline in voter registration in California compared to other states, and thats coupled with declining voter turnout in non-presidential elections.

POLITICAL ROAD MAP: THE STATES WALL OF DEBT

Browns signature last week on a new state budget adds a chapter to the story of his focus on whittling down Californias budget liabilities.

But as John Myers points out in his Sunday column, the governors wall of debt was only the first of several hurdles when it comes to paying off huge obligations. And the ones to come are much, much larger than what Brown and lawmakers have been able to knock down in the past six years.

Myers also found the spending plan is the latest example of California Democrats seething anger over Trumps efforts to shift the nations priorities rightward. In fact, Assembly Democrats nicknamed their proposal the protect and persist budget.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

-- On this weeks California Politics Podcast, our Times team discusses the political fallout from the fight over single-payer healthcare in Sacramento and the prospects in this legislative session for a broad fix to the states housing woes.

-- California is seeing an increase in hate crimes. There were 931 incidents in 2016, an 11.2% spike over 2015, the state Department of Justice reported.

-- There would be tougher penalties for people repeatedly caught illegally crossing the border and millions of dollars less in federal funds for so-called sanctuary jurisdictions such as Los Angeles under two House immigration bills approved Thursday.

-- After long pushing for Congress to reconsider the open-ended Authorization for the Use of Military Force it granted in 2001, Rep. Barbara Lee got a foot in the door last week when her amendment, which would make Congress review the presidents current authority to use military force, was added to a Defense Department spending measure.

-- Mark Z. Barabak examined local efforts to flip seven GOP congressional seats, a switch from the national groups that like to swoop into California.

-- Sacramentos sheriff asked Trumps immigration chief for help fighting Californias sanctuary state bill.

-- Anticipating billions of dollars from new tax increases, the California Department of Transportation is predicting it will make significant headway during the next decade on delayed highway and bridge repairs.

LOGISTICS

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Trump called him my African-American. But he has few kind words for the president. By Mark Z. Barabak (Mark Z. Barabak/Los Angeles Times) On the day that changed his life, Gregory Cheadle almost stayed in bed. He was tired  he traveled a lot in his long-shot bid for Congress  but asked himself: How often does a candidate for president come to the far reaches of Northern California? And why pass up a crowd and the chance to hand out more fliers? So Cheadle roused himself that June 2016 morning and secured a spot up close when Donald Trump swooped in for a rally at Reddings municipal airport. It was hot, the atmosphere was loose and Trumps patter seeming more stand-up comedy than campaign spiel. He went into one of those sidelong digressions, about protesters and an African American  great fan, great guy  and, by the way, whatever happened to him? It was then, Cheadle said, he raised his hand and jokingly shouted, Im here. Trump looked and pointed, his voice a throaty rumble. Look at my African-American over here! he exclaimed. Are you the greatest? In the days and weeks that followed Cheadle was attacked on social media and harassed by people who dug up his phone number and email address. For a time he stayed home, too nervous to venture outside. All, he said, because the media portrayed him as something he was not and never has been: a Trump sycophant. Read More Facebook

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Trump quietly signs Russia sanctions bill By Noah Bierman President Trump quietly signed legislation Wednesday that imposes new sanctions on Russia and limits his ability to remove them, according to two White House aides. Trump signed the bill without cameras or an immediate press release. He had opposed imposing new sanctions on Moscow but had little choice after a nearly unanimous Congress approved the bill, guaranteeing they would override a veto. The bill, which also imposes new sanctions on Iran and North Korea, prevents American companies from investing in many energy projects that are funded by Russian government interests. It also prevents Trump from unilaterally lifting the sanctions. It thus marked an unusual move by Congress to tie the presidents hands on foreign policy. Trump did not want to give up that leverage. But the vote in Congress was a strong sign that lawmakers do not trust Trump to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump has repeatedly praised, and the widening federal investigation into possible coordination last year between his presidential campaign and Moscow. Passage of the sanctions bill already has sparked a harsh reaction in Moscow. Putin announced last week that the United States would need to shed 755 personnel, including U.S. diplomats, from its embassy and consulates in Russia. President Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats, said to be spies, from the United States last December. A White House aide said a statement would be issued later Wednesday. Facebook

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Senior GOP senators serve notice: No action on healthcare at this point By David Lauter Trump administration officials continue to push the Senate to take another run at healthcare legislation, but on Monday senior Republican senators pushed back, making clear that theyre done with the topic for now. Theres just too much animosity and were too divided on healthcare, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the head of the Senate Finance Committee, said in an interview with Reuters. I think we ought to acknowledge that we can come back to healthcare afterward, but we need to move ahead on tax reform, Hatch said. His remarks were quickly followed by others in GOP leadership positions. I think its time to move on to something else, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri told CNN. If the question is do I think we should stay on healthcare until we get it done, I think its time to move on to something else. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota also chimed in. Until someone shows us how to get that elusive 50th vote, I think its over, he told reporters. The remarks seemed a coordinated effort to respond to administration officials, including budget director Mick Mulvaney and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who said over the weekend that they wanted the Senate to keep working on healthcare. Last week, the Senate defeated several different Republican plans to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act. The votes made it clear that with unified Democratic opposition to repeal, and divisions among Republicans, the campaign to overturn the law has stalled out, at least for now. Congress faces several other pressing issues that will be demanding lawmakers attention, including deadlines at the end of September to raise the federal debt ceiling and fund government agencies for the coming fiscal year. And the administration is eager to move on tax proposals, with officials rather optimistically saying they hope to see votes by November on a tax package that is not yet written. Facebook

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Good news for Atty. Gen. Sessions: Trump has 100% confidence in Cabinet By Noah Bierman To Q re Sessions, spox Sanders says Trump has 100% confidence in Cabinet. Last wk she wouldn't say if he had it in Sessions. Kelly effect?  Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes) July 31, 2017 President Trump has called Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions beleaguered and even VERY weak, but Sessions seemed to get good news from the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on Monday. Trump has 100% confidence in all of his Cabinet secretaries, Sanders said in response to a question about Sessions job status during the daily White House briefing. Last week, when speculation about Sessions was rife, Sanders repeatedly declined opportunities to provide assurances that the attorney general enjoyed the presidents full confidence. Trump himself said time will tell when he was asked last week about Sessions. The willingness to tamp down speculation about Sessions may reflect the arrival Monday of retired Gen. John F. Kelly as the new White House chief of staff. He is tasked with restoring order to the administration. Sanders also batted down reports that the White House was discussing moving Sessions to another post, as secretary of Homeland Security. That job became vacant Monday after Kelly was sworn in as Trumps new chief of staff. Sanders said the White House has had no conversations about any Cabinet members switching jobs. Republican senators have publicly opposed firing Sessions, and a couple have objected to shifting him to another post as well, given that it could appear that Trump is trying to affect the investigations of himself and his campaign in the context of Russias election interference. Trump has said publicly that his frustration with Sessions, once among his closest allies, stems from Sessions decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, an act that led to the appointment of a special counsel. Facebook

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Can Trump really cut health insurance payments for members of Congress and their staff? It would be easy By Lisa Mascaro Reeling from the failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Trump now threatens to block federal funding that lawmakers and their staff rely on to help buy health insurance. Trumps threats are not empty. The administration could simply stop the payments -- which are provided to Capitol Hill lawmakers and staff much the way many employers help pay employees monthly insurance premiums -- by dashing off new federal regulation. But the easy attack on lawmakers skims over what many say was a complicated, but fair-minded, compromise made during the Obamacare debates several years ago. Under Obamacare, if lawmakers want insurance through their employer - the federal government - they are required to buy policies through the ACA exchanges. There had been great criticism at the time, largely from opponents of the healthcare bill, that lawmakers and congressional staff should not be exempt from the law. The argument was they should have to live under it. So they did. Usually those buying individual insurance on the exchanges can apply to see if their income and geographic area allow them to qualify for a federal subsidy. For lawmakers, though, that was prohibited. Instead, they get the regular employer contribution they did before, much in the same way other workers do when their companies buy insurance. For federal workers, the government covers about 70% of the costs, about the same paid by employers in the private sector, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. The administration affirmed that federal support for lawmakers and their staffs in an Office of Personnel Management regulation issued in 2013. To cut those funds off, Trump administration could simply reverse course, and issue another regulation changing the rules. Trump appeared ready to do so in a series of weekend tweets. Why should Congress not be paying what public pays, Trump tweeted over the weekend. If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon. But such a move would likely cause an uproar in Congress. Its not just members of Congress, but also their staffs, who would have to pay full price for their insurance. Stopping Trumps action, though, seems tough. It would require Congress to pass legislation ensuring the federal payments would continue to be made. Few lawmakers would likely take up that cause. And even if Congress were able to pass a bill protecting the payments, it seems doubtful Trump at this point would sign it into law. Facebook

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U.S. hits Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with sanctions By Associated Press Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrates the results of Sundays election in Caracas. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images) The Trump administration has hit Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with financial sanctions. The move comes after Venezuela held a weekend election that will give Maduros ruling party virtually unlimited power in the South American country. The Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions against Maduro in a brief statement on Monday, a day after the Venezuelan vote to elect a constituent assembly that will rewrite the constitution. A longer explanation from the White House was also expected. The administration imposed sanctions on more than a dozen senior current and former Venezuelan officials last week, warning the socialist government that new penalties would come if Maduro went ahead with Sundays election for the assembly. Facebook

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Anthony Scaramucci is out as White House communications director By Brian Bennett Anthony Scaramucci, the brash New Yorker who was announced little more than a week ago as President Trumps White House communications director, was ousted Monday before he had even officially taken the job. John F. Kelly, the newly sworn-in White House chief of staff, told Scaramucci around 9:30 a.m. EDT that he was going to be replaced, according to a person close to White House. In a statement officially announcing the move, the White House said Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. While Scaramuccis time at the center of the presidents circle was short, it was consequential, prompting the resignations of first Sean Spicer as White House press secretary and then Reince Priebus as chief of staff. The most notable firings and resignations in the Trump administration >> A former hedge fund executive on Wall Street, Scaramucci, who enjoyed media attention, also had come on strong stylistically, highlighted by a profane tirade against colleagues Priebus and Trump strategist Steve Bannon in an exchange last week with a New Yorker reporter. The abrupt shift in Scaramuccis status seemed to reflect Kellys mission to bring order to the chain of command within the chaotic administration. In getting Scaramucci to leave, Kelly was undoing Trumps own hiring decision. Scaramucci had told reporters when he was hired that he would be reporting directly to the president at Trumps request, bypassing the normal chain that would have the communications director -- like all staff -- report to the chief of staff. Scaramuccis unusually short tenure reflects a moment of extreme turbulence in the White House, which has been embroiled in infighting as it confronts low poll numbers for the president, a floundering legislative agenda and the investigations involving Russian meddling in last years presidential election. After word spread of Scaramuccis ouster, Spicer, who resigned when Scaramucci took over but was still working in the White House, walked out of his office to a throng of reporters. Is this a surprise party? he asked. UPDATE 12:15 p.m.: This story has been updated throughout with additional details and background. This article was originally published at 11:49 a.m. Facebook

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Trump swears in John Kelly, says ex-secretary of Homeland Security will do an even better job as chief of staff By Noah Bierman President Trump swore in his new chief of staff, John F. Kelly, on Monday morning, formalizing a shake-up in his top ranks that was announced Friday evening with word of the resignation of Reince Priebus. We look forward to - if its possible - an even better job as chief of staff, Trump said to Kelly, formerly the secretary of homeland security. Ill try, sir, Kelly replied. JOHN KELLY is now chief of staff. Sworn in during ceremony in Oval Office minutes ago. pic.twitter.com/dMEQ4rhpFA  Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 31, 2017 Trump is hoping that Kelly, a retired general, will retool and bring order to a White House that has struggled with low poll numbers, staff infighting, a faltering legislative agenda and an investigation into Russian election meddling and potential collusion and obstruction of justice. Yet Trump said the administration has done very well after a reporter asked what would be different under Kelly. He cited the unemployment rate, the thriving stock market and unnamed polls that, he said, show high business confidence. Were doing very well. We have a tremendous base, he said.The country is optimistic. And I think the general will just add to it. Trump praised Kellys performance at the Department of Homeland Security, where Kelly focused on immigration issues at the southern border, as record-shattering, with very little controversy. There was no word on whom the president might name to replace Kelly at the department. Trump reportedly has considered moving Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions there from the Justice Department, reflecting his unhappiness with the attorney general, but Republican senators preemptively have signaled their opposition to such a move. Facebook

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Risky investigation, stalled agenda  Trumps in trouble, so heres his strategy By Noah Bierman (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) Hosts of Southern Californias Morning Answer radio show were wrapping up a two-hour live broadcast from a white tent just outside the West Wing last week and marveling at their access to Cabinet secretaries and prominent administration figures. If youre a Trumpkin, host Brian Whitman told his listeners on AM 870, this is like fantasy camp. The White Houses daylong hospitality for Salem Radio Network, a nationwide chain of Christian and conservative stations, underscored President Trumps continued courtship of  and increased dependence on  core supporters as he confronts a stalled agenda and increasingly perilous investigations into whether his campaign colluded with Russia and he subsequently sought to obstruct the inquiries. Read More Facebook

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Obamacare vote isnt the only sign of GOP resistance to Trump By Noah Bierman In the year since Donald Trump won the Republican presidential nomination, party leaders have been reluctant to challenge a man who has formed a tight bond with conservative voters, even when he upset party orthodoxies and norms of presidential behavior. But that reticence is breaking down. A convergence of contentious issues, as well as embarrassing infighting and shake-ups at the White House, have a number of Republicans suddenly in open resistance to Trump on a number of fronts. Read More Facebook

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Trump ousts Reince Priebus as chief of staff in latest White House shake-up By Noah Bierman John Kelly (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump ousted his beleaguered chief of staff, Reince Priebus, naming Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly to replace him Friday in the latest White House shake-up as the administration struggles to emerge from bitter staff infighting and a stalled legislative agenda. Trump announced the abrupt reshuffle in three posts on Twitter hours after the Senate killed his latest plans to rewrite President Obamas signature healthcare law, dealing another harsh blow to the White House. The tweets, sent as Trump was returning on Air Force One with Priebus after a speech on gang violence in New York, caught Capitol Hill and others off guard even though Priebus stature in Trumps inner circle has been in sharp decline for some time. Read More Facebook

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Putins spokesman accuses U.S. of political schizophrenia By Associated Press Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a meeting in Moscow on June 21. (Sergei Karpukhin / EPA) Russia urged the United States on Monday to show political will to mend ties even as it ordered sweeping cuts of U.S. embassy personnel unseen since Cold War times. President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said it will take time for the U.S. to recover from what he called political schizophrenia, but added that Russia remains interested in constructive cooperation with the U.S. We are interested in a steady development of our ties and are sorry to note that we are still far from that, he said. Peskovs statement followed Sundays televised comments by Putin, who said the U.S. would have to cut 755 of its embassy and consulate staff in Russia, a massive reduction he described as a response to new U.S. sanctions. The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously said that the U.S. should cut its embassy and consular employees to 455, the number that Russia has in the United States. Along with the caps on embassy personnel announced Friday, it also declared the closure of a U.S. recreational retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and warehouse facilities. Moscows action is the long-expected tit-for-tat response to former President Obamas move to expel 35 Russian diplomats and shut down two Russian recreational retreats in the U.S. over reports of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Facebook

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White House urged to refrain from Obamacare sabotage as Trump mulls subsidy cutoff By Laura King A pair of prominent lawmakers urged President Trump on Sunday not to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, in the wake of failed Republican efforts to scrap his predecessors signature legislative achievement. But Trump urged GOP senators to try again to push through some version of repealing and replacing the law, even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last week it was time to move on to other matters. Trump senior advisor Kellyanne Conway said the president would decide in coming days whether to block subsidies that are a crucial component of the existing healthcare law. Hes going to make that decision this week, and thats a decision that only he can make, Conway said on Fox News Sunday. Two of the lawmakers who blocked the Senate GOP repeal plan last week, however, criticized the administrations continued efforts to overturn the law. Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who steadfastly rejected a series of GOP healthcare measures last week, blamed the Trump administration for encouraging instability in the insurance markets by continuing the uncertainty over whether the subsidies  cost-sharing payments that reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs for poorer Americans  would continue. Im troubled by the uncertainty that has been created by the administration, Collins said on NBCs Meet the Press. She contested Trumps characterization of the payments as an insurance company bailout. Thats not what it is, she said, calling the reduction payments vital assistance to low-income Americans. And Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said further action on healthcare should be done in a bipartisan manner and not rushed. You cannot do major entitlement reform singlehandedly, and you wouldnt do major legislative initiatives singlehandedly, she told reporters in Alaska. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) echoed Collins criticism of Trumps threat to stop making the cost-sharing payments. You know, I really think its incomprehensible that we have a president of the United States who wants to sabotage healthcare in America, make life more difficult for millions of people who are struggling now to get the health insurance they need and to pay for that health insurance, he said on CNNs State of the Union. Prior to heading out for a day at his Virginia golf property, Trump tweeted that Republican senators should press ahead with efforts to scrap Obamacare -- a day after he tauntingly exhorted them not to be quitters in the quest for a legislative victory for him. Don't give up Republican Senators, the World is watching: Repeal & Replace...and go to 51 votes (nuke option), get Cross State Lines & more.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2017 The White House budget director, Mick Mulvaney, on CNNs State of the Union, said it was official Trump administration policy that the Senate should keep working to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, eschewing an August recess if necessary. Senators, he said, need to stay, they need to work -- they need to pass something. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, while acknowledging a responsibility to follow the law -- Obamacare -- also signaled that Trump was not accepting defeat in efforts to get rid of the measure. Our goalas well as the presidents goal, is to put in place a law, a system, that actually works for patients, he said on Meet the Press, adding, You cant do that under the current structure. Facebook

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Frustrated in defeat, Trump threatens healthcare of voters  and lawmakers By Joseph Tanfani Frustrated by the failure of the Obamacare repeal in the Senate, President Trump on Saturday threatened to end federal subsidies for healthcare insurance  for Congress as well as the rest of the country. After seven years of "talking" Repeal & Replace, the people of our great country are still being forced to live with imploding ObamaCare!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017 If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017 If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon! Trump tweeted, fuming about Congress failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he said was imploding. Such a move could cause havoc and much higher premiums in insurance markets, since many low- and moderate-income people depend on those subsidies to help cover the cost of their policies. Through a series of administrative maneuvers by Congress and the Obama administration, members and their staffs also benefit from those subsidies. Targeting congressional healthcare might score Trump some populist points with his base, but it would likely come at a cost of poisoning his relationship with Congress. Just making the threat on Saturday highlights how far things have eroded between Trump and top GOP lawmakers. And it comes a day after Trump pushed out former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, an establishment Republican who was the GOP congressional leaderships trusted liaison in the White House. Trump actually has a jarring amount of leverage over thousands of congressional staff who depend on employer health care contribution. https://t.co/lRPmrmDIJs  Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) July 29, 2017 Trumps longstanding threat to let the health insurance plans fail would come with its own political price. The federal government sends about $600 million a month to insurance companies to help cover the cost, and Trump is threatening to cut that off to allow Obamacare markets to collapse. His goal is to pressure Congress to send him a repeal bill, but so far the strategy has failed. The confidence Trump has expressed that if he followed through with the threat the fallout would land not on him but on Democrats, because they created Obamacare, is not widely shared in Washington. If health care collapses, voters will blame Trump and the GOP.



That's what happens when you control the White House and Congress. pic.twitter.com/iEjEGyapAL  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 29, 2017 Facebook

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Iran condemns new U.S. sanctions, vows to pursue missile program By Ramin Mostaghim Iran defied Washington and condemned new U.S. sanctions over its development of missiles capable of being armed with nuclear warheads. We will continue with full power our missile program, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told state television IRIB on Saturday, dismissing new sanctions passed by Congress last week as, hostile, reprehensible and unacceptable. Its ultimately an effort to weaken the nuclear deal, Ghasemi said, adding, The military and missile fields  are our domestic policies and others have no right to intervene or comment on them. Iran had agreed to limit its nuclear activities under the 2015 agreement with the U.S. and other world powers in exchange for sanctions relief. Ghasemi argued Saturday that the U.S. had violated that agreement by linking the missile program to the nuclear deal and restricting Iranian banking activities in the U.S. He argued that Irans latest missile tests dont break the agreement because the weapons are defensive. The new wave of pressure on missile projects in Iran will push the Islamic theocracy into a corner, predicted Iran analyst Hojjat Kalashi in Tehran, noting that the government of President Hassan Rouhani, who was reelected in May, is coping with an economic downturn and may step back from the compromise nuclear deal. The new Iran sanctions bill, which also targets Russia and North Korea, was passed by the House and Senate this week. It would penalize those involved in Irans ballistic missile program as well as those who do business with them, impose an arms embargo on Iran and label its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist group. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said President Trump will sign the bill. On Friday, the U.S. was joined by Britain, France and Germany in condemning Irans recent launch of a satellite-carrying rocket and warned that it violated a United Nations resolution implementing the 2015 nuclear deal. In a joint statement, they urged Iran to stop developing missiles and rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads that have a destabilizing impact on the region. In response to a rocket launch Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on subsidiaries of an Iranian company involved in Tehrans ballistic missile program. But Nader Karimi Juni, an analyst close to Rouhanis government, said Iranian leaders dont believe the U.N. and European powers will ultimately back the U.S., and so Iran will not compromise on missile projects and will remain defiant. Facebook

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Trump jabs U.S. mayors, who push back, calling president out of touch with cities By Kurtis Lee (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) President Trump wants police to know that he  not mayors  has their back. Ive met police that are great police that arent allowed to do their job because they have a pathetic mayor or a mayor that doesnt know whats going on, Trump said Friday in a speech before police officers in Brentwood, N.Y. The comments from Trump, who in his address highlighted crime in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, drew applause from some in attendance. In a statement following Trumps remarks, the United States Conference of Mayors, a bipartisan group, released a statement pushing back against the president. The presidents comments today prove how out of touch he is with the realities of life in American cities. Mayors number one priority is  and always will be  the safety and protection of their residents, said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the groups president. There is no daylight between the mayors of our cities and the uniformed officers who work tirelessly to keep us safe every single day. During the speech Trump called on police and immigration officials to be rough with suspected gang members in cities nationwide. In a recent interview with The Times, former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who recently launched a $200-million initiative to empower city governments and mayors, stressed the key to good governing is experience as a manager  something, he said, Trump was not. Bloomberg added that the mayors are much more in tune with the needs of residents than the federal government. You got to remember a mayor and the local city council are much closer to the public than the governor and the state legislature, or the president and the federal legislature. So if the public is in favor of something, the local officials know it and they get held responsible, he said. Facebook

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The growing parade of exits under Trump administration By Len de Groot A lot of people have left President Trumps early administration  Chief of Staff Reince Priebus was replaced Friday. The White House communications department has been the scene of many of the recent turnovers as it wrestles to craft a message sometimes at odds with Trumps frequent tweeting. At the National Security Council, there has been a leadership struggle since Michael Flynn resigned in the face of pressure over undisclosed contacts with Russia. One appointee was fired over comments he made at a private function. Others have been removed as Flynns successor, H.R. McMaster, has moved to add loyalists to the council. Here are the most noteworthy departures: Read More Facebook

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Trump urges officers and immigration officials to be rough on animals terrorizing U.S. neighborhoods By Barbara Demick ( (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)) President Trump on Friday called for police and immigration officials to be rough with suspected gang members in order to rid the country of animals he said are terrorizing communities. Please dont be too nice, Trump told police recruits at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, a heavily Latino suburb of New York City. Like when you guys put somebody in the car and youre protecting their head, you know the way you put the hand  like, dont hit their head, and theyve just killed somebody?  You can take the hand away. He implied that he was satisfied with rough handling of suspects by the police. When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon  you just see them thrown in, rough, he said. Scoffing at calls for what he describes as political correctness, Trump also renewed his pledges to build a wall along the Mexican border. He accused the Obama administration of admitting criminals into the United States. Read More Facebook

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Analysis: In a Washington run by men, two overshadowed Republican women make their point on healthcare By Cathleen Decker In a Washington that has grown demonstrably more testosterone-fueled since President Trumps inauguration, it took two Republican women to secure the end of a long effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. They were the same two women  Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski  who had been excluded from the 13-member working group drafting the Republican bills. Nobodys being excluded based upon gender. Everybodys at the table, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had said of his all-white-males group. In the early hours of Friday, the duo was overshadowed by the more dramatic and unexpected no vote from Sen. John McCain of Arizona. There was reason for the attention lavished on McCain  a war hero and veteran senator returns to the Capitol days after a dire cancer diagnosis. But without both Collins and Murkowskis steadfast opposition, his vote would have been meaningless. Also largely overlooked: Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat who like McCain made an arduous trip to Washington despite her recent diagnosis of late-stage kidney cancer. Social media buzzed Friday with praise for the women senators from many fronts, including from men. But from many women, there was also a sense of familiarity at being ignored or taken for granted. Read More Facebook

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Clinton Foundation donor who was denied a visa settles leak case against the U.S. By Joseph Tanfani A billionaire Nigerian businessman and major Clinton Foundation donor banned from entering the U.S. two years ago on terrorism grounds has settled a lawsuit against the U.S. government. Gilbert Chagoury last year sued the FBI and other government agencies in U.S. District Court in Washington, saying he had been damaged by what he described as improper government leaks to the Los Angeles Times. The Times reported last year that Chagoury had been denied a visa to travel to the U.S. in 2015 on suspicion that he had provided aid to terrorist groups. One document, citing unverified information from an unnamed source, said that Chagoury  who is of Lebanese heritage  had funneled funds to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia and political group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. Chagoury, an ardent Lakers fan who for decades lived part of the year in Los Angeles, angrily denied that he ever provided funds for terrorism. He said the publicity forced him to sell his Beverly Hills mansion at a loss and caused a bank to close his account. A philanthropist, Vatican ambassador and longtime friend of Bill Clinton, Chagoury once was invited to the White House after contributing to a Democratic get-out-the-vote campaign. He donated at least $1 million to the Clinton Foundation. Emails released last year showed that a Bill Clinton aide pushed Hillary Clintons aides at the State Department to get Chagoury access to top U.S. diplomats. In the settlement filed in court on Friday, the Justice Department said Chagoury has never appeared on the list of Specially Designated Nationals, figures such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers who are generally barred from doing business in the U.S. The government did not grant Chagourys request for a court hearing to dispute the reports that led to his exclusion from the U.S. As I have often said, I have loved America my whole life because it was the land of freedom and justice, he said in a statement, adding that he hopes the agreement will help repair his reputation. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chagoury, who lives most of the time in Paris, has not applied for another visa, said his spokesman, Mark Corallo. Facebook

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Trump ousts Priebus, announces John Kelly as new chief of staff President Trump announced via Twitter on Friday that he had named retired Gen. John Kelly, head of the Department of Homeland Security, as White House chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus. I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 ...and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 Read More Facebook

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Rep. John Delaney of Maryland to run for president By Associated Press Rep. John Delaney of Maryland says hes running for president, instead of governor or reelection, in 2018. Delaney, a Democrat, announced his plans in a statement Friday. The politically moderate banking entrepreneur is in his third term in Marylands 6th Congressional District, which includes western Maryland and a large section of Montgomery County, the states largest county. The 54-year-old is worth roughly $90 million and is one of the Houses wealthiest members. He spent about $2 million to help finance his first House race in 2012. His consideration of a possible Maryland gubernatorial bid months ago quickly drew interest in his House seat. Several candidates already have expressed interest in running for the seat. Facebook

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McCain set to head back to Arizona to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments By Kurtis Lee (Shawn Thew / EPA) Sen. John McCain is headed home. Hours after McCain spurned his party and voted in opposition to a GOP measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the senators office announced Friday he will return to Arizona to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments for his recent diagnosis of brain cancer. McCain, 80, was found this month to have a brain tumor known as a glioblastoma. He is scheduled to return to Washington in September after his initial treatments. The glioblastoma  an aggressive type of cancer  was discovered when McCain had a blood clot removed from above his left eye. According to the Mayo Clinic, which is overseeing McCains treatment, glioblastoma is difficult to treat. After returning to Washington this week and voting in favor of opening Senate debate on repeal, McCain was among three Republicans early Friday morning to vote in opposition to a so-called skinny bill that would repeal the ACA, known as Obamacare. The move by McCain, who has served in the Senate since 1987, has drawn the ire of members in his own party and some in the right-wing media. Facebook

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McCains surprise vote doomed GOP healthcare bill, but did it open the door for Senate bipartisanship? By Lisa Mascaro Sen. John McCain is usually happy to spar with reporters, but he ducked into an elevator ahead of the Senate healthcare vote late Thursday without saying a word about how he would vote. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, though, already knew the answer. The Democratic leader had been talking with the Arizona Republican all week  four, five times a day  ever since McCain returned to work after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Earlier in the week, McCain had dramatically salvaged the stalled GOP bill by voting to begin debate, only to go on to deliver a blistering speech against his own party leaders partisan, closed-door process in crafting it. Weve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle, he told them. Were getting nothing done. Schumer and McCain have been longtime colleagues, a kind of frenemies who seem like throwbacks to an earlier era of Congress. They worked together on big legislation, including the 2013 immigration overhaul  grand ideas that seem all but impossible in todays Congress. They had plenty to discuss. About the Senate, about it working again, about working together, and about how this bill was so poor for the American people, Schumer said. And he knew that, so did half his colleagues, but he had the courage to vote no. The moment stunned the Senate when McCain stepped up to cast his vote  a single down-turned finger  dooming the healthcare bill. Audible gasps filled the galleries, which were packed with onlookers. But his vote  along with no votes from Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska  did more than shelve the long campaign to repeal the Affordable Care Act. It cracked open a new divide in the Senate, which seems to be split not so much between Republicans and Democrats, but by those senators who want to work together versus those stuck in hardened partisan tribes. Read More Facebook

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U.S. hits Iran with more sanctions in response to satellite launch By Associated Press The United States is slapping Iran with new sanctions in response to its launch of a satellite-carrying rocket into space this week. The sanctions target six Iranian subsidiaries of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group. The Treasury Department says that group is central to Irans ballistic missile program. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the sanctions illustrate deep U.S. concerns about Irans missile testing and other actions. He says the U.S. will continue countering Irans ballistic missile program, including Thursdays provocative space launch. The U.S. has said that launch flouted a U.N. Security Council resolution because the technology is inherently designed to be able to carry a nuclear payload. The sanctions come as the Trump administration continues debating its Iran policy and whether to scrap the 2015 multilateral deal that limits the development of Irans nuclear capabilities. Facebook

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Political betrayal. McCain vote against Obamacare repeal draws ire from conservative writers By Kurtis Lee (Cliff Owen / AP) Though John McCain was one of three Republicans who helped Democrats squash the legislation to repeal Obamacare, conservative media is homing in on the Arizona senator for spurning his party in the healthcare vote. Here are some of todays headlines: John McCain: Traitor to the conservative cause (Washington Times) McCain, who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, has been a staunch opponent of Obamacare, but in the end he could not support the so-called skinny repeal measure put forward by his colleagues in the Senate. In this piece, Cheryl K. Chumley, jabs McCain for his vote. For American voters expecting their Republican-dominated House, Senate and White House to honor their years of repeal promises and actually, well, repeal Obamacare, McCains thumbs-down was a face-slap moment that will be remembered in history as a textbook classic case of political betrayal, she writes. McCains odd definition of leading the fight to stop Obamacare (National Review) This article is simple  its a quick compare-and-contrast of McCains recent comments versus his vote on Friday. Last year, during a tough reelection, McCains campaign ran a television ad that boasted the senator is leading the fight to stop Obamacare. But last night his office put out a statement noting the GOP Senate bill did not offer a replacement to actually reform our health care system and deliver affordable, quality health care to our citizens. The author of this piece, Jim Geraghty, concludes: Its very difficult to characterize McCains decision as leading the fight to stop Obamacare. Thats more like leading the fight to keep Obamacare in place while you continue to look for a replacement that you like better. John McCain burns Mitch McConnell sides with Democrats (American Spectator) When McConnell, the majority leader, stood on the Senate floor Friday after the bills failure, he was clearly annoyed. McCains no vote had led to applause moments earlier from Democrats. In a move thats no surprise to anyone, John McCain voted against the embarrassingly named Skinny Repeal, voted against his party (or is it his party?) and voted to keep Obamacare going as is, writes Melissa Mackenzie. Facebook

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Meet the two female GOP senators who opposed the healthcare bill from the start By Kelcey Caulder Sen. John McCain shocked Republicans and Democrats alike with his vote early Friday morning to kill the latest Republican effort to repeal Obamacare. But McCain was not the only Republican to play a role in blocking the final version of the overhaul bill. Two female Republican lawmakers, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, also voted against the bill. Collins has opposed repeal and replace efforts from the beginning, and Murkowski has also been critical of much of what the Senate Republican leadership has proposed. Collins said it would be a big mistake for Republicans to pass legislation without trying seriously to work with Democrats to reach bipartisan solutions. Instead, she called for both parties to work together to improve the healthcare system. Murkowski and Collins were the first from their party to come out against repealing the ACA without having new, replacement legislation on the table. In statements posted on Twitter, Collins, who voted against the same proposal in 2015, said she did not think it was constructive to repeal the law without a replacement, while Murkowski encouraged senators from both sides of the aisle to work together to address healthcare issues. I will vote no on the motion to proceed to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement. I voted against this same proposal in 2015. pic.twitter.com/Szuke5zYNL  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) July 18, 2017 My recent statement on the Senate Healthcare Process: pic.twitter.com/j19Ok1KwWw  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) July 18, 2017 The two senators were also the only Republicans to vote against opening debate on repeal of Obamacare earlier this week. Their opposition to Republican healthcare efforts has drawn a lot of criticism within the party, some of it expressed in vulgar, even violent terms. Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter said in an interview Wednesday with MSNBC: Somebody needs to go over there to that Senate and snatch a knot in their ass. A Texas congressman said the female senators narrowly avoided an Aaron Burr-style showdown with him. President Trump publicly rebuked Murkowski on Twitter for her vote. Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 Trump has not criticized Collins by name for her vote, but warned Tuesday at a rally in Ohio that any senator who votes against repeal and replace is telling America that they are fine with the Obamacare nightmare, and I predict theyll have a lot of problems. Facebook

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The current Senate GOP effort to repeal Obamacare is dead. Now what? By Noam N. Levey (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) The sudden collapse of the GOPs Senate campaign to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act does not mean the issue disappears. Significant problems and challenges remain, particularly for Obamacare insurance marketplaces. The defeat increases the odds that Congress will begin to look at a more limited approach to shore up the current law and stabilize markets. The GOPs repeal effort may return, but in the meantime heres a look at what a temporary fix might look like: Read More Facebook

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Paul Ryan responds to the failure of the GOP healthcare bill By Associated Press House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday that hes disappointed and frustrated by the failure of Republican healthcare legislation in the Senate. But Ryan said in a statement that we should not give up after promising for years to repeal and replace Obamacare. We were sent to Washington to fulfill the pledges we made to our constituents, the statement said. While the House delivered a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, unfortunately the Senate was unable to reach a consensus. At the same time, the speaker said that overhauling the tax code is at the top of the Houses list of priorities. He pledged to pursue historic tax reform in the fall. He issued his statement as the House prepared to leave Washington for its annual August recess. The House passed legislation repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act in May. But after a failed vote early Friday in the Senate, its not clear if GOP leaders will be able to resuscitate the efforts. Facebook

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Economic growth rebounded to 2.6% annual rate in second quarter By Jim Puzzanghera The Port of Los Angeles (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. economy rebounded this spring after a weak winter, expanding at a solid 2.6% annual rate as consumers picked up their spending pace, the Commerce Department said Friday. Total economic output, also known as gross domestic product, for the April-through-June period was in line with analyst expectations for a bounce-back based in part on pent-up demand. The economic growth rate was more than double the 1.2% pace in the first quarter. That figure was revised down Friday from an earlier estimate of 1.4%. After the winter blues, the economy has rebounded, said Sung Won Sohn, an economist at Cal State Channel Islands. Read More Facebook

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Never mind healthcare. President Trump has made slogans great again By Mark Z. Barabak ( (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)) His promise to repeal and replace Obamacare has crashed and burned. Tax reform hasnt gotten far. The White House is in disarray, and big plans to rebuild the nations infrastructure have hit a brick wall. But there is one unimpeachable triumph President Trump can point to: Hes made great again great again. The Make America Great Again 2016 campaign slogan  limned in block letters and emblazoned on countless cherry-red ball caps  has been reimagined, repurposed and cheekily appropriated for countless pitches and commercial products. Apart from the now-familiar caps, mercantile options include aprons, beanies, beer cozys, coffee mugs, hoodies, leggings, swimsuits, T-shirts, water bottles and, for the special someone, Donald Trump Make America Great Again Womens Booty Shorts. But MAGA, as the president short-hands the phrase in Twitter posts, is also popping up in places having little or nothing to do with politics: on a catwalk at New Yorks Fashion Week, high in the sky promoting classical music in Phoenix, on the menu at an Italian restaurant in Atlanta. Read More Facebook

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If Adam Schiff is Californias next U.S. senator, he might want to thank President Trump By Mark Z. Barabak (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) The road to elected office can be long and winding and is not always paved with the best of intentions. Some politicians  think of the Kennedys or the Bush family  are born to the trade. Others are borne by tragedy. Former Santa Barbara Rep. Lois Capps succeeded her husband when he died of a heart attack. Former New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy was spurred to run when her husband was killed and her son gravely wounded in a mass shooting on the Long Island Rail Road. Typically, though, the ascension is more methodical, one rung after the next, often with a pinch of right-place, right-time fortune thrown in for good measure. Lately that bit of luck has visited itself on Adam B. Schiff, in the form of Russian meddling and a president who hurls tweets like poison thunderbolts. Read More Facebook

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Kris Kobach says Trumps voter fraud panel will keep voter data secure. Some states arent buying it By Kurtis Lee (Jessica McGowan / Getty Images) After weeks of legal battles and bipartisan pushback from top election officials nationwide, President Trumps voter fraud commission has renewed a message for the states: Its safe to pass along your data about voters. Individuals voter registration records will be kept confidential and secure throughout the duration of the commissions existence, Kris Kobach, vice chairman of the commission, wrote in a letter sent late Wednesday to all 50 secretaries of state. Even so, by Thursday, much of the criticism that greeted an earlier request from the commission was repeated by election officials and activists, who have expressed concerns about privacy and have called the panel both a sham created by an insecure president and a tool to suppress votes. Trump  without evidence  has repeatedly alleged that 3 million to 5 million illegal votes were cast in last years presidential election. (Trump prevailed in the electoral college, while Democrat Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by about 3 million votes.) Read More Facebook

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President Trump said our guys are rougher than the violent gang MS-13. What did he mean? By Brian Bennett (SAUL LOEB / AFP ) When President Trump said this week his administration is going after bloodthirsty criminal gangs like the notoriously violent MS-13, he added a menacing flourish: Our guys are rougher than their guys. The comment raised concerns that Trump was instructing immigration agents to use excessive force when going after suspected gang members. Not so, Trumps top spokeswoman said on Thursday. I think the president means that our guys are going to do whatever it takes to protect Americans, protect American lives, protect our borders, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in response to a question about what Trump meant by rougher. Trump wants people to do their jobs, not go beyond the scope of what they should do, Sanders said. Trumps comment came during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday night. We are throwing MS-13 the hell out of here so fast, he said, boasting that his administration is liberating towns and cities from gangs. And, well, I will just tell you this, were not doing it in a politically correct fashion, Trump added. Were doing it rough. Our guys are rougher than their guys. Trumps comment was meant to boost morale among immigration officers looking to arrest and deport gang members, said one senior administration official, who would speak only without being identified to discuss the presidents thinking. As part of Trumps crackdown on immigrants in the country illegally, he has instructed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to target a suspected gang member for deportation before that person has been convicted of a crime, said ICE director Thomas Homan. Homan joined Sanders at her daily briefing at the White House. The two spoke to preview the presidents Friday trip to Long Island, N.Y., where he will tout his administrations efforts against MS-13 and other gangs. For Trump, who grew up in Queens, recent headlines about MS-13 violence in central Long Island have hit close to home. In April, four young men were found hacked to death in a park in Central Islip, N.Y., a senior administration official told reporters Thursday night. He is a New Yorker and he knows New York, the administration official said. It is absolutely a personal issue. And he knows whats happening in New York -- and its not just Long Island -- is a tragedy and there are communities like that all across America. Facebook

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Boy Scouts chief apologizes for presidents political rhetoric at national Jamboree. Trump wont By Brian Bennett President Trump wont apologize for a surprisingly political speech this week to Boy Scouts that provoked a backlash for his attacks on his predecessor, his election rival, dissident Republicans and the news media. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered that word on Thursday, just after a top executive of the Boy Scouts of America issued an apology on behalf of the organization for allowing the political rhetoric to occur during Trumps address Monday evening at the National Scout Jamboree held in West Virginia. Michael Surbaugh, the organizations chief executive, in a statement extended his sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree. He noted that the groups invitation to the president to speak was in keeping with a long-standing tradition since 1937; eight of 11 incumbent presidents have attended. But, Surbaugh wrote, we have steadfastly remained non-partisan and refused to comment on political matters. We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program. At the White House, however, Sanders indicated that neither she nor Trump saw any reason to apologize, or considered his remarks in any way out of line. I was at that event and I saw nothing but roughly 40,000 to 45,000 Boy Scouts cheering the president on throughout his remarks, Sanders said. I think they were pretty excited that he was there and happy to hear him speak to them, she added. Sanders said she had not seen the statement from the Boy Scouts chief. During his rambling 38-minute speech to the Scouts in Glen Jean, W.Va., Trump criticized Hillary Clinton and President Obama and singled out congressional Republicans who were not in lockstep with him on healthcare. He got much applause and supportive chants from his audience, and even credited the Scouts -- who are too young to vote -- for being among the millions who elected him. But almost immediately, the Boy Scouts organization was inundated with protests from former Scouts, parents and others angered by the presidents partisan words. Facebook

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Trumps words kind of hurtful, Sessions says, but he has no plans to resign By Joseph Tanfani President Trumps scathing criticisms have been kind of hurtful, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said Thursday, even as he again signaled that he wants to stay on the job. He wants all of us to do our job, and thats what I intend to do, Sessions said in an interview with Tucker Carlson of Fox News. Separately, Sessions told the Associated Press that it hasnt been my best week  for my relationship with the president. He made the comment in El Salvador, during a visit to highlight joint efforts to take on the MS-13 gang. The attorney general said he hadnt met with Trump but looked forward to talking to him about it. If he wants to make a change, he has every right, Sessions said. I serve at the pleasure of the president. Ive understood that from the day I took the job. But, he said, I believe with great confidence that I understand what is needed in the Department of Justice and what President Trump wants. I share his agenda. The comments were the first this week on the subject from Sessions, who has been subjected to harshly critical tweets from Trump for three days. The president has called him weak and said he wasnt aggressive enough in going after leakers. Last week, after Trump criticized Sessions in a New York Times interview, Sessions told reporters he planned to stay on as long as it was appropriate. Sessions has seemed to redouble his attempts this week to win back the presidents favor. He announced another crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities that dont cooperate with immigration enforcement and on Friday traveled to El Salvador to highlight arrests of MS-13 gang members, both favorite topics of the president. The Justice Department also plans to address leaks next week. Sessions said his department was stepping up leak investigations. Some people need to go to jail, he said. The president has every right to ask the DOJ to be more aggressive on that, and we intend to. On Wednesday evening, after Anthony Scaramucci , Trumps incoming communications director, falsely claimed in a tweet that hed been the victim of a leak, Sessions chief spokeswoman released a statement agreeing that leaks are undermining the government and promising to aggressively pursue leak cases wherever they may lead. Trump has made it clear that he is most angry with Sessions for recusing himself from supervising the ongoing investigation into his administrations ties with Russia. But Sessions defended that decision. I understand his feeling about it because this has been a big distraction for him, he said on Fox. Im confident I made the right decision, the decision thats consistent with the rule of law, and an attorney general who doesnt follow the law is not very effective at leading the Department of Justice, he said. In the interview, Sessions reached back to Trumps campaign slogan to praise the president as a strong leader. He is determined to move this country in the direction that he believes it needs to go to make it great again, he said. Sessions has received considerable support in recent days from conservative Republicans, including many of his former Senate colleagues. On Thursday, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) went to the Senate floor to discourage Trump from moving against Sessions, saying that the Senate would not allow the president to make a recess appointment that would bypass the normal confirmation process. A recess appointment would allow Trump to appoint a person who could serve without confirmation until the start of 2019. Such appointments can only be made if the Senate formally takes a break, which senators of both parties have said they will avoid in order to prevent Trump from avoiding confirmations. If youre thinking of making a recess appointment to push out the attorney general, forget about it, Sasse said. The presidency isnt a bull, and this country isnt a china shop. 1:55 p.m.: This post was updated with additional remarks by Sessions and remarks by Sen. Ben Sasse. 5:50: This post was updated with additional quotes from Sessions interview. Facebook

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For Trump White House, cable television becomes the venue for intramural sniping By Noah Bierman President Trump and his aides love to complain about leaks from within the White House. But on Thursday, the infighting was out in the open. The incoming communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, in a morning phone call broadcast on CNN, compared the West Wing to a fish that stinks from the head down, implying that White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is responsible for at least some of the leaks. Later, Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to come to Priebuss defense and say whether Trump has full confidence in his chief of staff. Another Trump advisor, Kellyanne Conway, used a prison analogy for the broader backstabbing among aides, telling Fox News that her West Wing colleagues were using the press to shiv each other. While the knifings might suggest a new level of chaos in a White House known for it, the style is all Trump. As a businessman, he has a history of fostering rivalries among his employees. He always did sort of like competition, backstabbing, infighting kind of stuff, said Barbara Res, who spent nearly two decades as a top executive in Trumps real estate business. He set people up to do that. Trump led the charge this week, using his Twitter account and an interview with the Wall Street Journal to ridicule his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, one of Trumps first and most prominent campaign supporters. By Thursday, both Priebus and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were seeing their fates publicly debated, less than a week after Sean Spicer was forced out as press secretary after months of speculation and presidential slights. The Priebus intrigue was amplified by Scaramucci on Twitter and in the CNN interview. He blamed Priebus for leaking Scaramuccis personal financial disclosure forms -- which are publicly available -- and suggested that Trump encouraged Scaramuccis offensive in a phone conversation the two men had just before the aide dialed into CNN. When Sanders was asked about the Scaramucci-Priebus dustup, she said that the president likes healthy competition on his staff. The president likes that kind of competition and encourages it, Sanders said. The result is a White House that increasingly suggests the presidents former way of life. As the star of a reality TV show, he fomented internal competition and firings among apprentices; their cable television appearances, meanwhile, recall the confessionals familiar to reality show fans, in which characters confide directly to the camera their anger or enmity toward others on the show. The primary attribute for a successful tenure in the Trump White House is masochism, tweeted Rick Wilson, a longtime Republican operative and Trump critic. The repeated evidence of dysfunction and the high level of insecurity among Trumps core aides help explain the White Houses inability to focus on its agenda. Trumps critics voiced suspicions on Twitter that the public staff blow-up was a deliberate distraction from the struggle in Congress to pass a healthcare bill, as well as from the ongoing investigations into potential collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia and the backlash to Trumps surprise Twitter announcement on Wednesday that transgender people will be barred from military service. But those issues also were being heavily covered on cable news. The stories that were overshadowed were those Trump was trying to promote: a deal his administration helped strike with Foxconn to build a production facility in Wisconsin, possibly creating thousands of new jobs, and nascent efforts to craft a tax overhaul plan. Facebook

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Democrats criticize financial industry backgrounds of two Trump bank regulator nominees By Jim Puzzanghera Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Senate Democrats on Thursday criticized the financial industry backgrounds of President Trumps nominees for two key banking regulatory positions, arguing they would not protect the interests of average Americans. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and others sharply questioned Joseph Otting, the former chief executive of Pasadenas OneWest Bank, and investment fund manager Randal Quarles during a confirmation hearing by the Senate Banking Committee. Trump nominated Otting to be the comptroller of the currency, a powerful regulator of national banks. Quarles has been tapped to be the Federal Reserves vice chairman for supervision, who is in charge of the Feds oversight of the nations largest bank holding companies and other regulatory efforts. The two are expected to be friendlier to the banking industry than recent Democratic appointees. Read More Facebook

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Senator warns Trump there will be holy hell to pay if he fires Sessions By Joseph Tanfani A prominent Republican Senator issued a blunt warning to President Trump not to interfere with the Russia investigation, saying any effort to get rid of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters Thursday that there will be holy hell to pay if Trump fires Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, a favorite of conservatives who represented Alabama in the Senate for 20 years. Grahams warning was the sternest yet from Senate Republicans to Trump about the potential consequences of firing either Sessions or Mueller. The chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa), issued his own warning in a tweet Wednesday night, saying his committee would not take up a nomination of a replacement attorney general this year, which is required before the Senate can vote to confirm. Everybody in D.C. Shld b warned that the agenda for the judiciary Comm is set for rest of 2017. Judges first subcabinet 2nd / AG no way  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) July 27, 2017 Starting with an interview in the New York Times last week and continuing with a three-day barrage of critical tweets, Trump has raged at Sessions for his decision to recuse himself from supervising the investigation into the Russian attempts to influence the election, and into whether anybody involved in Trumps campaign participated in the scheme. Trump also has bitterly complained about Mueller, whom he has accused of leading a witch hunt, and Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod J. Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller and who is now supervising the probe. Justice Department regulations say that only the attorney general, or in this case Rosenstein acting in his place, can fire the special counsel. If Sessions were gone, Trump could try to appoint a replacement willing to carry out the firing. Graham said he will introduce a bill next week that would require court review if anyone tried to fire a special counsel who was investigating the president. I think Ill get all the Democrats and I hope to get a good number of Republicans, he said, adding that the enacting such a law is not just for Trump but for any future president. We need a check and balance here. Graham said Trumps campaign to marginalize and humiliate the attorney general is not going over well in the Senate or among conservatives. He also said Trump, who has called on Sessions to investigate his former rival Hillary Clinton, has gone way beyond what is acceptable in a rule of law nation. This is not draining the swamp, he said. What hes interjecting is turning democracy upside down..taking 200-year-old concepts that were a nation of laws and not men and trying to turn it upside down. Sen. Graham: "Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency." https://t.co/6Pd60LrGRU pic.twitter.com/EXBOwBC35C  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 27, 2017 Facebook

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Watch live: White House news briefing with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Facebook

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Trump administration threatens to retaliate against Alaska for GOP senators Obamacare repeal vote, news site reports By Noam N. Levey The Trump administration threatened to block federal aid to Alaska in an effort to bully one of the Republican senators opposed to the current Senate GOP push to roll back the Affordable Care Act, according to a report by the Alaska Dispatch News. The news site reports that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Wednesday called Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan with a warning that Murkowskis vote had put Alaskas future with the administration in jeopardy. According to the report: Sullivan said the call from Zinke heralded a troubling message. Im not going to go into the details, but I fear that the strong economic growth, pro-energy, pro-mining, pro-jobs and personnel from Alaska who are part of those policies are going to stop, Sullivan said. I tried to push back on behalf of all Alaskans.  Were facing some difficult times and theres a lot of enthusiasm for the policies that Secretary Zinke and the president have been talking about with regard to our economy. But the message was pretty clear, Sullivan said. The threat followed disparaging comments made by the president about Murkowski, including a Twitter attack Wednesday morning Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad! Trump wrote. Murkowski dismissed the presidents attacks in an interview with MSNBC. Were here to govern. Were here to legislate, she said. Were here to represent the people who sent us here. And so every day shouldnt be about campaigning. Every day shouldnt be about winning elections. How about just doing a little bit of governing around here? Thats what Im here for. Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins were the only Republicans who voted against a procedural motion Tuesday to begin debating legislation rolling back the 2010 healthcare law, often called Obamacare. Sullivan, also a Republican, voted in favor of advancing the bill. Murkowski has urged a more open process to develop the legislation, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) has put together behind closed doors without committee hearings or input from Democrats. A spokeswoman for Zinke did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Facebook

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Iran angered by report that Trump wants additional nuclear inspections By Shashank Bengali Iran responded angrily Thursday to reports that the Trump administration would push for inspections of military facilities to ensure Tehran is complying with the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran will not succumb to further pressure, Hamid Reza Taraghi, a hard-line analyst who is close to Irans leadership, told The Times. Taraghi did not say whether Iran would refuse inspectors access to military facilities but insisted the Islamic Republic was complying with the agreement, which required Iran to shelve its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. President Trump has said he wants to tear up the deal and doesnt believe Iran is complying, although his administration certified it was in a report to Congress this month. The Associated Press reported Thursday that Trump was pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites, either to prove that Iran was violating the deal or force it to refuse, which could cause the agreement to collapse. Iranian officials have argued in the past that inspections of military sites would be off-limits. But under the agreement it signed with the United States and five other world powers, Iran agreed to the so-called Additional Protocol, which allows U.N. inspectors limited access to any site where illicit nuclear activity is suspected. Taraghi, a former lawmaker, said the Additional Protocol allowed for snap inspections and that international inspectors had installed closed-circuit cameras in all nuclear-related facilities. They have access to everything going on here on the ground, Taraghi said. What else do they want to know? It was not immediately clear what military sites the Trump administration was seeking to have inspected, or whether it had evidence that Iran was breaching the terms of the deal. U.N. inspectors monitoring Irans compliance had not requested access to military facilities as of July 25, according to a paper published Thursday by Mark Fitzpatrick, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington. If US has good evidence of #Iran violations, then an inspection request is warranted, Fitzpatrick tweeted. A request designed to trap Iran into saying no isnt. Facebook

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Top U.S. general says Pentagon will not change policy on transgender troops until White House acts By W.J. Hennigan The nations senior military officer said Thursday that there will be no modifications to Pentagon policies for now despite President Trump social media posts declaring a ban on transgender troops in uniform. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a memo to commanders and senior enlisted leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines that the military will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect. Dunford said Pentagon policy on transgender troops would not change until the White House has issued Trumps directive to Secretary of Defense James Mattis through formal channels  not on Twitter  and the secretarys office issues guidance on implementation to the service chiefs. Its unclear when that might happen. The unusual memo appeared intended to calm widespread confusion and concern at the Pentagon, which was blindsided when Trump wrote Wednesday that Pentagon would not accept or allow transgender troops to serve in any capacity. The presidents posts appeared to reverse a year-old Pentagon policy that allowed transgender soldiers to openly serve for the first time, and to seek sex reassignment surgery, hormone therapy and other treatments at military hospitals. Trumps surprise announcement not only marked a retreat for the Pentagon push to bar gender-based discrimination. It also was an about-face for Trump, who had repeatedly vowed his support for the LGBT community during the campaign last year. The posts raised questions about the fate of thousands of transgender service members, including some deployed overseas, and whether they would be kicked out of the military under Trumps directive. Dunfords memo appeared to address those fears, at least for the short term. There will be no modifications to the current policy until the Presidents direction has been received by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary has issued implementation guidance, he wrote. In the meantime, we will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect, he added. As importantly, given the current fight and the challenges we face, we will all remain focused on accomplishing our assigned missions. In his tweets, Trump said he had decided to bar transgender troops because the military cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Experts said neither justification was accurate or fair since the expected medical costs were negligible and transgender troops have been openly serving for the past year without disruption. The sweeping declaration drew rebuke from war veterans and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy groups, who vowed to challenge Trump in federal court if self-identified transgender service members are forced out of the military. VoteVets, a liberal military veterans advocacy group, said Thursday it had collected more than 20,000 signatures from veterans, military families and other supporters to oppose the ban. Facebook

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Analysis: Trumps war against elites and expertise By Cathleen Decker (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) When President Trump campaigned this spring at the Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson, one part of his predecessors approach got a special endorsement. It was during the Revolution that Jackson first confronted and defied an arrogant elite. Does that sound familiar? Trump asked to laughs from his audience. When Trump ally and National Rifle Assn. President Wayne LaPierre teed off six weeks later on Americas greatest domestic threats, he cited not homegrown terrorists but what he termed the three most dangerous voices in America: academic elites, political elites, and media elites. The rhetoric against elites came from two men who would seem to be card-carrying members of the club: LaPierre made more than $5 million in 2015, the most recent year for which his compensation was publicly released. Trump lived before his inauguration in a gold-plated home in the sky above New Yorks Fifth Avenue, a billionaires luxurious domain. Yet for Trump and his allies, a war on elites has been central to the campaign which put him in the presidency and has maintained the loyalty of his core voters. Trump has taken particular aim at entities that could counter his power, which has helped stoke the ardor of his political backers. Read More Facebook

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Top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway says colleagues using the press to shiv each other By Noah Bierman White House staffers continued their angry campaign against leaks -- and each other -- as top advisor Kellyanne Conway used vivid language in a Fox interview Thursday to denounce colleagues who are using the press to shiv each other in the ribs. The comments came shortly after Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, delivered his own attack on leakers -- all but blaming Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff -- in an interview on CNN. If the Trump White House at times resembles a reality show, cable television has become the confessional booth where the players vent their anger at each other. That dynamic was on vivid display Thursday morning. Kellyanne Conway: "Now, there are leaks, and then there are people using the press to shiv each other in the ribs. Thats different." (Fox)  David Wright (@DavidWright_CNN) July 27, 2017 Conway largely backed Scaramucci without explicitly taking sides in his public war against Priebus, whom he publicly suggested leaked Scaramuccis financial disclosure forms to the press. The forms are public and available through a request. We just have to cut down on people thinking its cute and its popular and it somehow enhances their resume and their portfolio for later on to curry favor with folks who are more interested in covering the style and not the substance here, Conway said of those who leak to he press. Asked specifically whether she agrees with Scaramucci that Priebus leaked the financial forms, Conway passed on the opportunity to defend Priebus. Leakers are easier to figure out than many think, she said, perhaps ominously given Scaramuccis threats to fire suspects. This West Wing is a very small place. Facebook

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Warfare in the West Wing breaks into the open as Scaramucci takes aim at Priebus By Brian Bennett A knife fight for control of the West Wing broke into the open Thursday morning as President Trumps new communications director Anthony Scaramucci lashed out at White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus in a televised interview, accusing Priebus of leaking and standing in the way of Trumps agenda. The fish stinks from the head down, I can tell you two fish that dont stink, OK, and thats me and the president, Scaramucci said, calling in to CNNs morning show New Day. I dont like the activity thats going in the White House, he said. Scaramucci, who had said the day he was named to the White House job that he and Priebus were like brothers, drastically amended that in the interview, comparing the two of them to the brothers who, in the Bible, were the characters in the first murder. Some brothers are like Cain and Abel, other brothers can fight with each other and get along. I dont know if this is reparable or not  that will be up to the president, he said. Scaramucci on his relationship with Reince: "Some brothers are like Cain and Abel." Uh, Cain killed Abel. https://t.co/UQ8F9HiXLx  Dan Merica (@merica) July 27, 2017 President Trump has a track record of encouraging rivalries among people who work for him. Scaramucci said he had spoken with Trump for 15 minutes to go over what he was going to say before he called CNN, implying his warning to Priebus carried Trumps backing. Trump, Scaramucci said, has given me his full support and his full blessing. When Scaramucci was hired, Trump told him he would report directly to the president, bypassing the chief of staff, and setting up the clash that played out Thursday on national television. If you want to talk about the chief of staff, we have had odds, we have had differences. When I said we were brothers from the podium, thats because were rough on each other, Scaramucci said. The tension between Scaramucci and Priebus flared after Politico published a story Wednesday about Scaramuccis publicly available financial disclosure form showing he still stands to profit from his stake in an investment firm he founded. The disclosure form was available to the public because Scaramucci had been nominated earlier this year for a job at the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., and the forms become public 30 days after they are filed. But Scaramucci, in a tweet Wednesday night, seemed to imply Priebus had leaked the form to make him look bad, or knew who did, and called for an FBI investigation. He later deleted the tweet, apparently after being informed that the form was not leaked. Over the last five days, Scaramucci said to CNN, he has done a major amount of work interviewing assistants to the president and communications staff. He also had dinner with Trump on Wednesday night in addition to his phone conversation with the president Thursday morning. The two of them want everyone to know we have a very, very good idea of who the leakers are, who the senior leakers are, in the White House, he said. Scaramucci took aim specifically at Priebus for leaking details about internal White House discussions and maneuvers. If Reince wants to explain that hes not a leaker, let him do that, Scaramucci said. Scaramucci appears to be giving voice to Trumps frustration with people in the White House the president believes are slowing down policy efforts, even though Trump has shown a pattern of repeatedly stepping on his own efforts on healthcare, job creation and other initiatives with unplanned tweets on topics such as Russia, transgender troops and unfounded allegations of voter fraud. There are people inside this administration who think its their job to save America from this president, Scaramucci said. Its not their jobs ... to rein him in or do things to him that slow down his agenda. People in the Washington are back-stabbers, Scaramucci said. Im more of a front-stabbing person. Facebook

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Scaramucci tweets, then deletes, confusing statement that referred to information in Politico report as a leak By Colleen Shalby In a now deleted tweet, incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci sent out a confusing statement Wednesday night, addressing information reported earlier by Politico as a leak. The article reported on Scaramuccis financial disclosures. According to Politico, those details had been filed with the Office of Government Ethics, so its unclear what  if anything  was leaked information. Scaramuccis tweet further confused as it ended with White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus Twitter handle. Just before those characters, he noted that he intended to contact the FBI and the Justice Department. Some speculated that Scaramucci was implying that Priebus was behind the leak. But in a new tweet roughly two hours after the original, he tweeted what appeared to be a clarification, correcting a headline of news site Axios. Wrong! Tweet was public notice to leakers that all Sr Adm officials are helping to end illegal leaks, he tweeted, ending it  once again  with Priebus handle. Wrong! Tweet was public notice to leakers that all Sr Adm officials are helping to end illegal leaks. @Reince45 pic.twitter.com/AB0reseuX1  Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 27, 2017 Five days ago, Scaramucci, responding to a question about reported tensions between him and the chief of staff, said he and Priebus are a little bit like brothers, where we rough each other up a little, which is totally normal for brothers. 10:15 p.m. PT: This post was originally published at 8:52 p.m. It was updated with information from Scaramuccis new tweet. Facebook

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Senate Judiciary chair fires off warning to Trump about Sessions By David Lauter Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, fired off an unmistakable warning to President Trump on Wednesday evening: Dont even think about trying to get a new attorney general confirmed this year. Trump has been publicly tormenting Jeff Sessions, appearing to want to push the attorney general into stepping down from his job. But in a tweet, Grassley made it clear that if Trump pushed Sessions out, he would have to live with an acting attorney general for a long time. Everybody in D.C. Shld b warned that the agenda for the judiciary Comm is set for rest of 2017. Judges first subcabinet 2nd / AG no way  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) July 27, 2017 Any nominee for attorney general would have to pass through the Judiciary Committee before getting a confirmation vote, so Grassleys no way would be a formidable barrier. Grassley has been an administration loyalist on nearly all issues so far, but as a veteran senator, he has a strong independent streak and, as previous administrations have found, he can be implacable if angered. His message comes as conservative allies rally support for Sessions. Several other Republican senators have spoken out in favor of the attorney general, a former colleague who was well liked during his years as senator from Alabama. Senate Democrats already have said they would use procedural motions to prevent the Senate from formally going on a recess this summer, blocking Trump from making a recess appointment that would bypass the Senate. Republicans used similar maneuvers to block recess appointments by President Obama. If Sessions were to step down and not be replaced, Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein would become acting attorney general. Trump has been critical of Rosenstein as well as Sessions, so that option presumably would not appeal to him. Facebook

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Under fire from Trump, Sessions should stay focused on his job, White House says By Joseph Tanfani (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) In spite of a daily barrage of Twitter attacks from President Trump, the White House press secretary said Wednesday that Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions should stay focused on performing his duties as the nations top law enforcement officer. You can be disappointed in someone and still want someone to continue to do their job, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday, hours after Trump criticized Sessions for the third straight day  this time for not replacing acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Sessions was one of Trumps earliest and most loyal supporters, but the relationship has turned icy as Trump continues to seethe about Sessions decision to step aside from supervising the investigation into alleged Russian interference with last years election. Sessions was at the White House for meetings Wednesday, the second time this week hes visited the West Wing, but once again did not see Trump, Sanders said. Sanders did not clear up the main question surrounding Trumps strategy of publicly battering the attorney general: If the president is so unhappy, why doesnt he simply fire Sessions? Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday that Trumps apparent attempt to humiliate Sessions into quitting was a sign of weakness. To me, weakness is when you play around the edges, and you dont use the power you have, Graham said in an interview on CNN. Sanders said that Trump wants Sessions to continue to lead the Department of Justice. He wants him to focus on things like immigration, leaks and a number of other issues, she said. One of Trumps public complaints has been that Sessions hasnt been aggressive enough in pursuing leakers of classified information. In fact, the Justice Department is expected to announce next week some leak prosecutions. On Tuesday, Sessions also announced new measures to cut off some federal funds to so-called sanctuary cities that dont cooperate with immigration enforcement, another favorite issue for the president. But Sanders added that, at this point, a leak investigation would not salvage Sessions standing with Trump. I dont think thats the nature of the relationship, she said. In two tweets Wednesday morning, Trump criticized Sessions for not replacing McCabe, whose wife ran for office as a Democrat in Virginia in 2015. He suggested that McCabe had a conflict of interest in his duties as deputy director of the FBI during the investigation of Hillary Clintons handling of classified emails as secretary of State, although McCabe did not move into that job until months after his wifes campaign was over. McCabe took over the bureau as acting director when Trump fired James B. Comey in May. Sanders also declined to answer a question on why Trump did not fire McCabe himself, saying only that Trump looked forward to seeing his nominee as FBI director, Christopher Wray, be confirmed by the Senate soon. Facebook

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Trump, on Twitter, announced a ban on transgender service members. Now the military has to figure out what he means By Brian Bennett (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump surprised even the Pentagon on Wednesday morning by his unexpected announcement, via Twitter, of a ban on transgender service members. The military has not had a chance to decide how to put such a ban into effect, acknowledged Trumps top spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as she fielded numerous questions on the topic later from White House reporters. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who was on vacation, wasnt informed until Tuesday that Trump had decided to bar transgender service members from serving in any way. Sometimes you have to make a decision and once he made a decision, he didnt feel it was necessary to hold that decision, Sanders said. The president concluded, based on consultations with his national security team, that allowing transgender individuals to serve erodes military readiness and unit cohesion, she said. White House and Pentagon officials had been discussing details of medical coverage for transgender service members on active duty. But Trump went far beyond that with his series of tweets that the military will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the military. It will be up to the Defense Department to determine the specifics of the policy, including whether active-duty transgender service members will be kicked out of the military, Sanders said. Estimates of the number of current service members who are transgender range from 1,300 to about 16,000. The implementation policy is going to be something that the White House and Department of Defense will have to work together to lawfully determine, Sanders said. I would imagine the Department of Defense will be the lead on that, she added. Trumps tweets overshadowed other announcements he had planned to make Wednesday about adding manufacturing jobs to the economy and donating $100,000 of his second-quarter paycheck to the Department of Education to support science and math education. The president has expressed concerns since this Obama policy came into effect, Sanders said. She added that the president considered allowing transgender people in the ranks is a very expensive and disruptive policy. At one point, an exasp
Good morning. Its Wednesday, July 5. Heres whats been happening around O.C.

TOP STORY

Asians and Asian Americans swarm to thriving Diamond Jamboree, Irvines hot spot

For Kayla Chai, fresh from posing with her college diploma, theres only one spot to rush to for a treat  Diamond Jamboree. Others share the same idea. Countless families at the Irvine hot spot say theyre regulars, even if on many weekends every parking space  all 747  are full. TimesOC

PUBLIC SAFETY

Orange County rappers body discovered as Kern Rivers grim toll climbs

A body pulled from the Kern River over the weekend has been identified as that of rapper Michael Ramirez of Buena Park, who was swept away June 22 by dangerous currents. Ramirezs death is the eighth since March along a river whose reputation has led some to call it Killer Kern. Los Angeles Times

AROUND THE COUNTY

Orange County pays off the last of its $1-billion bankruptcy debt

When Todd Spitzer first ran for the county Board of Supervisors in 1996, he promised to be a good steward of the publics money. My campaign was focused under the shadow of the largest municipal bankruptcy at that point in the history of the country, he said Saturday, the same day the county delivered its last payment on the $1 billion in bonds it used to get out of that bankruptcy. Los Angeles Times

Disneylands Pirates of the Caribbean will no longer include an auction scene selling women

A scene that depicts women on the auction block apparently has no place in a Disneyland ride, even if the attraction is meant to depict the violence, debauchery and misogyny of a pirates life. When the Pirates of the Caribbean ride closes for routine maintenance next year, the scene will be replaced. Los Angeles Times

National Episcopal leader bars L.A. bishop from selling Newport church

The top bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States has barred the bishop of the Los Angeles diocese from completing a planned sale of the St. James the Great Episcopal Church property in Newport Beach. Daily Pilot

Newport Beach shuts down 78 unpermitted vacation homes; more are under scrutiny

Newport Beachs new short-term rental monitor has helped the city close the door on nearly 80 unpermitted vacation rental homes in the past month, with dozens more under review, the city says. Daily Pilot

SCHOOLS

Student suicide prevention plan in the works for Newport-Mesa schools

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District is expected to launch a program this fall intended to educate district staff members and students on ways to prevent youth suicide. Daily Pilot

Bookmobile brings the library to Anaheim neighborhoods

The Anaheim Public Library Bookmobile took to the road for the first time on Valentines Day in 1958, carrying books for patrons to check out on the streets then known as Anaheim-Olive Road and Placentia Avenue. TimesOC

BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE

What $1 million buys right now in three O.C. communities

Heres a look at what about $1 million buys in the Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach housing markets. Los Angeles Times

ENTERTAINMENT

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall are ready to perform at Newport Beach Summer Concert Series

Herb Alpert, the jazz-pop trumpeter, co-founder of A&M Records and musician most associated with the Tijuana Brass, is returning July 7 to the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach with his three-piece band and his wife, vocalist Lani Hall, during the annual Summer Concert Series. TimesOC

FOOD

Naugles plans a second Mexican fast-food location in Huntington Beach

Naugles, the revived Mexican fast-food restaurant chain formerly owned by Del Taco, is opening a second location in Huntington Beach. Daily Pilot

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to dailypilot@latimes.com.
As a girl growing up in La Canada, Laurie Gibson always believed in the power of words and storytelling.

Her parents were avid newspaper readers and as a La Canada High School student, shed spend hours in the public library, surrounded by books and periodicals that piqued her interest in the world around her.

I saw the importance of stories and journalism every single day, said the now-San Diego-area resident. It was role-modeled by my parents.

Gibson took library studies courses at Pasadena City College and earned an English degree at CSU Northridge that led her to a brief dalliance with community journalism and eventually a career as a self-employed editor, copy editor and book reader.

Now the lifelong wordsmith is helping writers navigate a vast and complicated publishing industry in order to get their own stories heard. This weekend, she returns to her hometown to lead a two-day workshop at Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse.

On Saturday at 2 p.m. Gibson offers Publishing 1-2-3, a class that aims to dispel some of the popular but unhelpful myths people have about bringing their books to the marketplace. One of the most popular misconceptions, Gibson says, is that the writing stops when a book is completed.

The myth of the bestseller is that all you have to do is get it out there and readers will flock to the book, she said. A lot of first-time writers dont understand how pivotal marketing and promotion is to their books.

Participants of Saturdays workshop will engage in prompts and creative exercises designed to get them thinking more critically about their own writing process.

Sundays 2 p.m. workshop Authors and Editors: Holding Hands or Butting Heads? hones in on the editing process and aims to educate writers about where to find editors and proofreaders, and developing a pathway to publishing that is mindful of their ultimate goals.

Its important for beginners to understand editing as a naturally cooperative process, rather than a battle of wills, according to the credentialed copy editor.

Editors become editors because they love words and stories, Gibson said. Its not just the nasty grammarian with the red pen  its people who are serving the story with the best of their skills and talents.

Gail Mishkin, organizer of the Flintridge Bookstore event, said she was thrilled to be able to offer local residents a peek behind the curtain at the sometimes mystifying book-publishing industry.

We get a lot of people approaching us about doing writers workshops here, but this is the first time, in my experiences, anybodys approached us about a publishing workshop, Mishkin said. Its one thing to write a book, but to get it published is an enormous hurdle.

Gibson said shes delivered her workshop more than 80 times at locations from San Diego to San Francisco, and participants run the gamut from artists looking to produce a self-published work for just 40 family members to authors whose hopes reach all the way to the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Among them is Jodi Pratt, a resident of Aptos, Calif., who first took Gibsons workshop in Monterey in 2014 and again the following year, when she wanted to segue from a career in banking to writing a suspense novel.

Before meeting Laurie, I was so overwhelmed with the unknowns of the entire process  the writing, the editing, whether or not to get an agent, whether or not to seek a traditional publisher or do something on my own. It was keeping me from even starting to just write, Pratt said in an email interview. With Lauries information, I was able to start to see the path of where to go once I had my story written, which in turn freed me to actually start writing.

Now, Pratt has finished a draft of the book and is working on an epilogue in advance of having it professionally edited. She said Gibsons taking the mystery out of publishing and providing a few resources helped remove her writers block.

Helping aspiring authors like Pratt overcome their hesitation is part of what inspires Gibson to continue her personal passion for crafting stories into finely polished gems, though she herself has no interest in putting her own book out into the world.

This program that I give is my version of a book, she said.

FYI: Editor Laurie Gibson leads a two-day publishing workshop July 8 and 9 at Flintridge Bookstore & Coffehouse, 1010 Foothill Blvd., La Canada. Classes run from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days. Cost is $25 for one session, or $45 for both. Reservations are strongly encouraged, as space is limited. Attendees will receive a professional edit of five pages of their manuscript. Call (818) 790-0717.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
The original caption reported, Denny Matasci, holder of world frog-jumping record, cheers on his champion, E. Davey Croakett, in what clearly is a giant leap for frogkind. Sadly, Daveys jump fell short of victory.

Croakett won the 1976 competition with the then-world-record 20-f00t, 3-inch jump. In 1981, Croakett, like many aging champions, croaked, failing to place.

Nearly 40.000 attended the 1981 contest in Angels Camp, Calif., watching 2,675 frogs a-leaping. ABCs Wide World of Sports jumped in with a 10-minute segment.

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Los Angeles Times photographer Bob Chamberlin spent an entire day shooting the jumping competition. He isolated the frogs from the crowded site with a 400 f/4.5 telephoto lens. Using a Nikon F2 film camera, Chamberlin exposed Tri-X film at 1/500th a second.

I concentrated on getting a tight shot, Chamberlin says, with shallow depth of field.

Chamberlins frog image won a 1982 National Headliners Award.

I had a fun free trip to Atlantic City, Chamberlin says.

This post was originally published on Sep. 15, 2010.

See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here
Her television voice bellows and booms from deep inside, like a trained diva, with a delivery that commands attention.

And on the rare occasions these days when Ri Chun Hee appears on North Koreas state-run news network, the audience knows the looming declaration is serious.

The latest broadcast came when Ri  in her raspy, guttural cadence  told the world Tuesday about North Koreas successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a weapon that one day might threaten the U.S. mainland.

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The launch, she breathlessly announced, demonstrated the unwithering power of our state.

Ris three-minute monologue, which helped prompt a flurry of international condemnations, is one of many historic moments in North Korean history the anchor has announced over a decades-long career for Korean Central Television  one of the only places locals can get broadcast news.

It is the very top-level announcements, the ones that North Korea feels particularly proud of and have maximum propaganda value, said Martyn Williams, a writer for the North Korean Tech website who gets the governments broadcasts live via satellite from his San Francisco-area home. Shes the one that goes out and tells the nation and the world.

Dressed in black, Ri wept before the nation when reading the news that Kim Il Sung, North Koreas founding supreme leader, had died in 1994. She did the same in 2011 when his son and dynastic successor, Kim Jong Il, passed away.

Now shes a presence for the third-generation leader, Kim Jong Un, when North Korea violates United Nations resolutions to achieve breakthroughs in its quest to develop nuclear weapons and the worlds most-powerful ballistic missiles.

Ri, who is in her mid-70s, once anchored the state-news networks 8 p.m. broadcast, before retiring around 2012. She has since returned for major announcements, such as the two underground nuclear tests performed in 2016.

Her delivery is, one might say, distinctive.

Its forceful and operatic, with the tones flowing up and down. Sometimes her shoulders follow along as she reads. Occasionally Ri smiles, her expression a seeming mix of joy and pride.

Whenever I see her, it seems like shes singing instead of broadcasting the news stories, said Peter Kim, an assistant professor at Kookmin University in Seoul who watched the missile announcement.

Ri, in her recent appearances, has worn a vivid pink Choson-ot, a traditional outfit that pairs a full-length, high-waisted skirt and a cropped, long-sleeved top. Its known as hanbok in South Korea.

TV announcer Ri Chun Hee once anchored the state-news networks 8 p.m. broadcast, before retiring in about 2012. (Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images)

Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies who studies detailed imagery for clues about North Koreas nuclear and missile programs, calls Ri our favorite lady in pink.

Born in Tongchon, a coastal county in southeastern North Korea, Ri began her news  or propaganda, depending on the perspective  career in 1971, after attending the Pyongyang University of Cinematic and Dramatic Arts. Little is known about her in the West, other than a few details gleaned from rare interviews that have surfaced over the years.

According to a 2008 profile in a North Korean magazine, Ri lives in a modern home with her husband, children and grandchildren in Pyongyang, the capital. At the time, she drove a luxury car  a gift from the nation, according to the magazine.

She also once granted an interview to China Central Television, or CCTV, around the time of her retirement, saying a new generation would succeed her on the air.

I see younger people on television, and they are very beautiful, she said, her jet-black hair pulled back and up in a conservative style. I realized for television you need to be young and beautiful.

Ri, however, is still the go-to voice for what the government sees as its most-important milestones  events that conversely leave United States and South Korean security officials wringing their hands.

Younger anchors dont have the same gravitas, said Nam Sung-wook, a professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University in Seoul.

Her voice has strength to it  strong, expressive and also has great charisma to it, he said. Thats why she is qualified to deliver important messages.

It wasnt just Ris announcement, of course, that let the world know about the missile test.

The nearly 40-minute flight of what North Korea calls a Hwasong-14 left plenty of immediate clues about what the country had accomplished. The missile, launched in the morning from a northwestern province, flew more than 500 miles, reaching an altitude of 1,700 miles, before landing in the Sea of Japan.

A flatter trajectory, some experts have said, could have put Alaska within its range. It was the latest sign that the North Koreas illicit nuclear and missile programs are continuing to advance, leaving Washington and Seoul to weigh a range of less-than-ideal options to address them.

A military strike by the United States could prove catastrophic, and a diplomatic solution also seems unlikely given the Trump administrations contention that the country must denuclearize before any talks.

Kim Jong Un, for example, took to the airwaves Wednesday to declare, We will not take a single step back in our choice to strengthen nuclear force.

The fallout from North Koreas announcement continued Wednesday, as the South Korean military confirmed that the device was, in fact, an intercontinental ballistic missile, after some hesitation the day before. United States officials, after first questioning whether North Korea had crossed the ICBM threshold, also arrived at that assessment.

As South Korean President Moon Jae-in left for Germany for the G-20 Summit, the National Assemblys defense committee also passed a resolution condemning the launch.

Such condemnations are nothing new for Ri, likely the most-recognizable news reader in her country  and perhaps the only recognizable one from northeast Asia in Western countries. Her style is so distinctive that its also invited comedic parodies in both Taiwan and Japan.

Shes in that place now that just her presence on television signifies to the North Korean people that this is important, serious news, said Williams, the technology and media writer. Certainly her appearance is noted overseas as well.

Stiles is a special correspondent.

ALSO

U.S. says North Koreas ICBM launch is a new escalation of the threat to the United States and the world

As the world focuses on its nuclear ambitions, North Korea deploys another weapon: Drones

North Korea is building mysterious artificial islands that would be perfect for missile launches
Europes unrelenting migrant crisis is threatening to overwhelm Italy, even as the tide of flimsy boats washing up on Greeces shores has slowed to a trickle.

More than 85,000 people fleeing poverty and violence have risked the perilous Mediterranean crossing to reach Italy this year, a 20% increase over the same period in 2016, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration. At least 2,150 others have died trying.

The surge has inflamed a long-standing dispute over the way European Union countries share the burden of accommodating refugees and migrants from Africa, the Middle East and beyond.

Italian officials, who have been among the more welcoming in Europe, threatened last week to close their ports to rescue ships operated by humanitarian groups that werent flying the Italian flag unless they received more help from other EU members.

On Tuesday, Austrian defense officials said they were prepared to use armored vehicles and troops to prevent migrants from crossing the border from Italy.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, decried the unfolding tragedy.

Italy is playing its part in receiving those rescued and providing asylum to those in need of protection, he said in a statement Saturday. But this cannot be an Italian problem alone. It is, first and foremost, a matter of international concern.

Until last year, many of those trying to reach Europe were Syrians using the shorter route from Turkey to the Greek islands. But the number of arrivals there has plunged since the EU struck a deal with Turkey in March that year to stem the flow. More than 9,200 have made the crossing this year, compared with 158,000 in the first half of 2016.

The rest of the arrivals by sea have been shared between Spain and Cyprus, which as of Monday had received 6,464 and 273, respectively.

Why are migrants headed to Italy?

Italy has long been a destination for those hoping to reach European shores because of its proximity to North Africa, and specifically the lawless nation of Libya, which in recent years has become a launchpad for Mediterranean crossings.

Most of these migrants come from sub-Saharan Africa. According to UNHCR, the top two nationalities arriving in Italy by sea in 2016 were Nigerians (21%) and Eritreans (11%).

Nigeria, Africas most populous nation, is facing its worst economic crisis in decades and a deadly uprising by the militant group Boko Haram, while Eritrea has a notoriously repressive government that migrants accuse of imposing a system of forced labor and governing by fear.

Libya was itself a destination for migrants under longtime strongman Moammar Kadafi, who needed labor for his oil-rich nation. But Kadafis ouster in 2011 plunged the country into violent chaos, spurring many foreigners to take their chances on overloaded boats to Europe.

The number of Mediterranean crossings often increases during the warm summer months, but U.N. officials say the recent surge is exceptional. More than 12,000 people were plucked from the sea over four days last week.

Officials note another striking feature: the high number of children who make the journey alone or get separated from their parents along the way.

We are under pressure, and we ask for a concrete contribution from the Europeans.  Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni

How is Italy handling the influx?

The Italian Coast Guard has taken the lead on efforts to rescue migrants stranded at sea. The survivors are taken to reception centers, where they are allowed to apply for asylum.

But Italian officials say they are getting overwhelmed and are stepping up pressure on their European counterparts to share the burden.

Last week, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni warned that unless other countries do their part, the growing number of migrants could fuel a public backlash and position euroskeptic populist parties for victory in national elections expected within the next year.

"Italy has never ducked its commitments and it does not intend to do so, Gentiloni told reporters in Berlin. But he added, We are under pressure, and we ask for a concrete contribution from the Europeans.

Many of those who apply for asylum in Italy do not qualify, and officials have promised to build more detention facilities for migrants and step up deportations.

Whats the rest of Europe doing to help Italy?

Under EU rules, asylum seekers are supposed to apply for protection in the first member country they reach.

At the height of the migration crisis in late 2015, EU leaders set up a quota system to try to relocate up to 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy within two years. But some countries refused to take part, and officials say the number of people resettled will fall far short of the goal.

European leaders are now trying to mobilize resources to help Italy cope with the growing number of migrants. The EUs executive branch announced nearly $40 million in additional aid for the country on Tuesday.

The European Commission said it would also raise more than $50 million for an initiative to help Libya reduce the flow of migrants headed to Italy. Efforts under discussion include making improvements to the camps that house migrants in that country, strengthening border controls and supporting the Libyan coast guard.

Germany and France are promising to increase their efforts to help relocate those migrants in need of protection, according to a joint declaration with the EU commission Monday. But Austria is threatening to take a less-welcoming stance.

An Austrian defense ministry spokesman told the Reuters news agency Monday that four armored vehicles had already been deployed to its border with Italy and some 750 troops were poised to be deployed within 72 hours to deal with any emergencies. Other Austrian officials, however, said there was currently no need for such measures.

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

Twitter: @alexzavis

ann.simmons@latimes.com

Twitter: @AMSimmons1

ann.simmons@latimes.com
Poland hasnt really had a turn in the world spotlight since the 1980s, when all eyes were on the drama of the Solidarity labor movements perilous but ultimately successful struggle against Communist rule.

President Trumps stop in Warsaw, where he arrived Wednesday night on his way to the Group of 20 meeting in Germany, focuses attention on a country viewed by many as having come full circle since those heady days.

Polands right-wing government views the visit as an enormous boost to its prestige, and has worked to ensure that Trump-friendly crowds turn out for a U.S. president known to relish shows of public adulation.

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U.S. allies in Western Europe, however, worry that the presidents visit is in effect stamping a seal of approval on the Polish leaderships aggressive moves against democratic institutions such as the courts and the news media, and that Trump could be seen as offering an implicit endorsement of the governments populist, stridently anti-immigrant stance, which is reminiscent in some ways of his own.

Still colored in many ways by the sorrowful legacy of the 20th century, including the deaths of about one-fifth of its population in World War II, Poland has strong U.S. ties, personified by a large diaspora in the United States. While countries such as Ireland and Germany claim a far larger share of ancestral roots among Americans, Americans of Polish ancestry number nearly 10 million and have left an indelible mark on cities including Chicago and New York.

NATO ally Poland also hosts a contingent of about 900 U.S. troops, and has for many years contributed to U.S. and NATO missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it spends more of its GDP on military expenditures than most of its North Atlantic Treaty Organization neighbors, a subject Trump publicly lectured the alliance about during an awkward visit in May.

Trumps public events in Poland were scheduled for Thursday.

Heres some background about the first stop on Trumps second international trip as president.

Who runs Poland?

Trumps Polish counterpart, President Andrzej Duda, shares some common policy ground with the U.S. president, including prospects for energy deal-making, a shared mistrust of Muslim immigrants and refugees and a degree of disdain for the European Union. But the countrys most powerful political figure is Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the nationalist-minded ruling Law and Justice party, which won 2015 parliamentary elections.

Under Kaczynski, the party has moved to rein in the judiciary, sought to muscle media outlets into taking a more pro-government line and advanced various conspiracy theories, including one surrounding the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed dozens of Polish dignitaries including Kaczynskis twin brother, Lech, who was then president.

What do Poles make of Trump?

Its a more complicated question than the sight of cheering crowds  some of them bused in by backers of the governing party from outside Warsaw  might suggest. Within Poland, support for Trump tends to break down along urban-countryside lines, with less enthusiasm for his policies and rough-edged political style in cosmopolitan Warsaw.

In a recent Pew Global Attitudes survey, Trumps ratings in Poland and neighboring Hungary were higher than in most of the rest of Europe, but still low in terms of his leadership qualities. According to the survey, only 23% of Poles trust the U.S. president to do the right thing in global affairs.

Still, Poland is seen by Trumps entourage as far friendlier territory than Western Europe, where his relations with leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have been strained over the decision to abandon the landmark Paris climate accord, among other issues.

What are Warsaws worries these days?

As in most countries, domestic issues like the economy are the biggest day-to-day concerns for most people. When it comes to foreign policy, the behemoth to the east  Russia  overshadows everything. Polish officials are keenly aware that they have Trumps ear as he heads into bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday on the sidelines of the summit in Hamburg. Like all NATO allies that have Russia as a near neighbor, Poland has a keen interest in the degree of Trumps commitment to the NATO alliances fundamental principle, which states that an attack on one is an attack on all.

Is Poland out of step with the rest of Europe?

In some important respects, yes. Its government has feuded with the European Union over a variety of topics, including immigration quotas and a fray over the governments attempt to derail an EU leadership role for former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, now seen as an adversary of the ruling party.

Polands leaders are thought to be using Trumps visit to make at least symbolic inroads into Germanys powerhouse status on the Continent. He will join in an event convened by Warsaw ostensibly to boost regional trade and infrastructure  the Three Seas initiative, but seen by some as a Polish-led bid to carve out a separate sphere of influence in Eastern Europe.

How have past U.S. presidential visits gone?

Warm receptions are the norm. Presidents Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton all made a point of meeting with Lech Walesa, the Solidarity leader who rose to the presidency. Walesa is considered an enemy by the current government, and there were no private talks with Trump on the agenda.

How has history shaped Polish attitudes?

Poland has a long and tragic history of being caught between powerful warring empires. Even before Polands oppression-haunted decades as part of the Soviet bloc, the countrys dead in World War II amounted to a staggering 6 million, about 20% of the prewar population. Outside recognition of past suffering is well received; Trumps main public event is a speech in the capitals Krasinski Square, near a monument to the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. The presidents national security advisor, H.R. McMaster, said in a pre-trip briefing that Trump would praise Polish courage throughout historys darkest hour, and celebrate Polands emergence as a European power.

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laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT

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Authorities said at least 26 people were killed Wednesday in northern Mexico during a predawn gun battle between warring crime gangs, part of an escalation of deadly violence across the country.

In an interview with Milenio television, Chihuahua state prosecutors spokesman Felix Gonzalez said the confrontation between armed groups broke out in the town of Las Varas around 5 a.m. For the next two hours, members of the La Linea gang squared off with a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, leaving more than two dozen people dead and several others wounded, he said.

The violence in Las Varas, nearly 185 miles southwest of the border city of Ciudad Juarez, comes days after a similar burst of bloodshed in neighboring Sinaloa state. Authorities said at least 30 people were killed there over the weekend; a firefight with police officers near the resort town of Mazatlan left 19 suspected cartel members dead.

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Violence in Mexico has surged to record levels this year. There were 2,186 homicide investigations opened in May, more than in any month since the government began publishing homicide statistics in the 1990s.

Analysts say violence is swelling as members of splintered drug cartels battle for territory. A power vacuum emerged after this years extradition to the U.S. of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the former leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, and now his sons are battling for control with the sons of one of Guzmans top lieutenants. Meanwhile, a new criminal group, the Jalisco New Generation cartel, has been trying to assert control in bloody turf battles.

The fight against transnational criminal groups and regional security was the subject of a meeting Wednesday between President Enrique Pena Nieto and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, who is in Mexico for three days of talks.

Although Kelly, like his boss, President Trump, has pushed for more border security in an effort to stop the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S., Mexico has repeatedly said that the U.S. should be focused on reducing its demand for drugs.

Illicit drug trade is indeed the most important cause of violence in Mexico, and drug trafficking is costing thousands of lives both in Mexico and the U.S., Mexicos Foreign Ministry said last week after Trump incorrectly tweeted last month that Mexico is the second-deadliest country after Syria.

The president was referring to a controversial recent study that ranked Mexico as the worlds second most-dangerous conflict zone after Syria.

Mexico has disputed the premise of the annual Armed Conflict Survey, released this year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, saying it wrongly points to the existence of an armed conflict in Mexico.

The existence of criminal groups is not sufficient criteria to speak of a non-international armed conflict, said a joint statement issued by Mexicos secretaries of governance and foreign relations.

Some blame Pena Nieto, whose single, six-year term ends next year, for not doing enough to stop the violence.

Some experts have criticized Pena Nietos drug war strategy, adopted from his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, which puts an emphasis on capturing or killing top cartel leaders instead of training police officers and creating more economic opportunities for young people susceptible to joining criminal groups.

They also point to Mexicos recent overhaul of its criminal justice system, which mandates that law enforcement officials must gather more evidence in crimes than was previously required. The change was designed to make the system more fair for defendants, but analysts say many local police and prosecutors simply dont have enough training and, in some cases, are in the pocket of the drug cartels and unwilling to cooperate.

Although the violence has been especially bad in certain parts of the country, including in Chihuahua and Sinaloa, homicides have increased in a majority of Mexican states.

Cecilia Sanchez in The Times Mexico City bureau contributed to this report.

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicum

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Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog was routed in the first round of the Labor Party leadership election Tuesday, as the political movement that led the country for years continues its struggle to regain relevance.

The primary election was won by Amir Peretz, a former Labor chairman and defense minister, with 33% of the vote. Avi Gabbay, a newcomer who defected from a center right party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition, finished second with 27%. Peretz and Gabbay face a runoff vote July 10 to determine who becomes the new party chairman and opposition leader.

Herzog finished a distant third with 17% of the vote.

Though the party currently leads the opposition bloc in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Labor is struggling with a dormant peace process, an electorate that has shifted to the right in recent years, and a seeming lack of a charismatic political leader to reinvigorate the party base and attract new supporters.

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Television news opinion polls in the spring suggested the party would lose half of its seats in the current parliament, and finish in fourth or fifth place, reflecting Herzogs lackluster appeal.

The success of Peretz and Gabbay, both of whom have Moroccan roots, raises the possibility that they will be able to boost the partys appeal among Israels Middle Eastern Jewish population, which resents Labor as a party of secular European elites and prefers Netanyahus Likud party.

A 2006 file photo of Amir Peretz, then Israels defense minister. (Stringer / Associated Press)

We are not a closed club, Gabbay told supporters after the results were announced.

Ever since the Camp David peace negotiations in 2000 collapsed and gave way to a Palestinian uprising, leading to the collapse of the last Labor-led government, the party has struggled to articulate a new vision for Israels national security and peace diplomacy, analysts say.

Waves of conflict with Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian lone wolf attackers, along with regional instability, have shaken Israeli optimism about a peace deal and strengthened right wing parties in the parliament. Meanwhile, Labor voters have sacked seven party chairmen since 2001.

As hopes for a peace deal with Palestinians have dimmed, the party has shifted focus in recent elections to socio-economic issues, hoping to strike a chord with the Israeli middle and working class voters squeezed by surging housing costs.

Lacking any specific policy or clear ideological identity, Labor is simplistically branded leftist or old by most Israelis and dismissed.  Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli American public opinion expert

But when voters go to the polls, its usually issues of peace and security that dominate, said Nimrod Novik, a former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

With the collapse of the peace process, years ago, Labor lost its primary banner, Novik said. Labor has lost its security credentials in the public mind because its leaders didnt convey the same security authority as Netanyahu.

Years of joining right wing-dominated governments or flirting with joining have muddied Labors image. After Herzog vowed that he wouldnt join a coalition with Netanyahu after the election, the Israeli media revealed that he secretly discussed with Netanyahu a unity coalition government that would promote a new peace process with the Palestinians.

The problem nowadays is that Labor talks big about opposition but its not clear to Israelis what that means, said Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli American public opinion expert and former campaign advisor to Labor.

Lacking any specific policy or clear ideological identity, Labor is simplistically branded leftist or old by most Israelis and dismissed, Scheindlin said.

Israelis know Labor as the descendant of Mapai, the party led by the countrys first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion. Labor is also known as the party of former Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, who concluded peace treaties with the Palestinians and Jordan.

Labor used to win significant support from diverse constituencies such as Israels Arab minority and working-class Middle Eastern Jews, and Orthodox Jews, but in recent years has shrunk to a party of secular elites of European descent, said Daniel Ben Simon, a former Labor parliament member and journalist.

Peretz is a former labor union leader who led Labor to a second place finish in the 2006 election. Peretz lost the party leadership due to disappointment with his role as defense minister during Israels inconclusive war with Hezbollah in the same year.

Before joining Labor less than a year ago, Gabbay, a former telecommunications executive, ran for parliament with the center-right Kulanu party in the 2015 election, and served as environment minister in Netanyahus government.

But despite the prospect of a fresh start with a new leader, party members at a polling station in Tel Aviv said few of the candidates seemed to inspire much excitement.

We havent succeeded in choosing a candidate who can sway the masses. We havent found a candidate that is both a security hawk, charismatic and knows how to communicate, said Keren Pesah, a 43-year-old lawyer. Though she voted for Gabbay, she admitted he doesnt seem [charismatic] either.

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Mitnick is a special correspondent.

@joshmitnick
At a crumbling command post inside a bullet-pocked house, a militia commander was struggling to coordinate the fight against Islamic State in its Syrian capital, Raqqah.

We entered the Old City yesterday and a group from the Free Syrian Army also came. They said they wanted to be a part of this, Haval Bilind said Tuesday. As you know, its a war, there are a lot of mortars and snipers. Now they are saying, We dont want this, we are leaving.

Using military radio, he tried to persuade the fighters not to withdraw. The conversation was punctuated by distant booms and the crack of nearby gunfire.

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A mix of Syrian and Kurdish forces allied with the U.S.-led coalition have been fighting to free Raqqah from militant control since June 6. They have captured one-quarter of the citys neighborhoods and advanced Tuesday into the walled Old City, a stronghold for an estimated 2,500 jihadists.

But even as the U.S.-allied forces advanced, schisms emerged, and it is unclear how much the infighting will delay the battle for Islamic States Syrian capital, where thousands of civilians remain trapped, or the larger fight to vanquish the group in Syria.

Brett McGurk, the U.S. special presidential envoy for the anti-Islamic State coalition, tweeted that the advance was a key milestone in campaign to liberate the city. Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, also issued a statement praising the advance into Raqqah, noting, The most humane way to save the people of Raqqah is to swiftly and decisively defeat ISIS.

But commanders said infighting has led to delays.

On Tuesday, Bilind, 34, sat on a staircase with a half dozen of his troops. He is a commander with the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group of various forces that are arrayed against both Islamic State and the Syrian government of Bashar Assad. A Syrian Kurd, he wore the patch of the Kurdish militia known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, which is part of the coalition, along with portions of the Free Syrian Army.

The stairs  crumbling, littered with bullet casings have become his command post.

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter at an outpost in east Raqqah surveys damage wrought by Islamic State militants after they recaptured the area earlier this month. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)

Together, he and his soldiers scanned the Free Syrian Armys positions on his iPad. Yellow dots marked seven posts in a neighborhood near the Old Citys Rafiqah Wall, which they had breached that morning.

All but two units appeared ready to flee, he said, and not for the first time since the offensive began.

After about 700 Kurdish forces freed the devastated neighborhood last week, it was recaptured by Islamic State. Militants gained ground after some of the 350 Free Syrian Army troops deployed there lost two fighters to sniper fire and fled, Bilind said. Kurdish forces retrieved the bodies, and launched a new attack.

In the ensuing battle, eight Kurdish soldiers were killed (they had already lost 20 in the fight for eastern Raqqah). The survivors returned to find that the house they had used as a base had been burned by the militants, although their staircase command post was relatively unscathed. Late Monday, Islamic State launched a new mortar attack up the street. Sniper fire sounded nearby Tuesday afternoon.

They are delaying the liberation of Raqqah, Bilind said of Free Syrian Army forces, after numerous Kurdish overnight offensives. At night we are controlling and in the day they are leaving. We have two options: Force them to fight, or let them go and replace them.

That morning, combined forces had rescued 150 civilians, he said, but thousands more are still trapped in the city, without electricity and water, and with food supplies dwindling. One Raqqah man called Bilinds unit to report that he had lost more than half his body weight.

People are suffering a lot, so we are trying to make it quick, Bilind said.

He feared the longer it takes to free the city, the more likely militants who have being fleeing south to the nearby town of Dair Alzour will seize civilians as hostages and human shields. We dont want to give them the opportunity, he said.

Syrian Democratic Forces troops walk by the burned remains of their command post in east Raqqah that was targeted by Islamic State before they recaptured the area this month. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)

But many Arab Free Syrian Army fighters in the area are from Dair Alzour, and came to help free not just Raqqah, but their city too, said leader Abu Imad. Their faction of the Free Syrian Army is not part of the Syrian Democratic Forces. The regular Syrian army has been fighting in Dair Alzour, with support from Iran and Russia, he acknowledged, but, We dont know exactly what will happen in the future, if the regime will advance, if the alliances will change.

Asked whether the Free Syrian Army could take Dair Alzour, Bellend, the Kurdish commander, smiled.

Lets liberate Raqqah first, he said.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Kurdish commander tried to reason with a Free Syrian Army counterpart on the radio.

First, one commander denied his troops were abandoning their positions. Then another arrived at the foot of Bilinds makeshift staircase command post, defiant.

Why are you withdrawing? said Bilind, 34, leaning down to look his younger counterpart in the eye.

You also withdrew. We had a lot of snipers, said the man, known as Abu Mousab, who wore a green tribal head scarf.

Come on! the bearded Kurdish commander replied.

But Abu Mousab, clean shaven and a bit sheepish, refused to back down.

If the work is like this, I will quit, he insisted.

The Kurdish commander reminded his Free Syrian Army counterpart that he brought him supplies Tuesday and the day before. Abu Mousab complained his military radio still didnt work.

Thats not a reason to leave. Call my commander, Bilind said.

I will call my commander, Abu Mousab said, and stormed off.

Bilind radioed his superior.

When will they make a sacrifice if not now: When the world ends? Im afraid the others will say if they withdraw, so will we, he said of the Free Syrian Army units in the area.

The superior was furious.

I swear by the blood of the martyrs if they withdraw, I will kill all of them, he fumed  not serious, just angry. Tell them there is an order.

I told them many times, Bilind said, sounding weary.

I will tie them up and force them to stay! the commander shouted.

Abu Hamda and another Free Syrian Army fighter wandered inside the Kurdish outpost, past cars and other debris Islamic State had burned after their forces last retreat. They insisted their units would stay and fight.

But it was no use. A few miles up the road, several of their fellow fighters were already trying to hitch a ride out of town. At the same time, two Kurdish fighters shot in the head by Islamic State snipers in east Raqqah were brought to a military clinic for treatment. One was wounded, the other died.

A Free Syrian Army fighter tries to hitch a ride out of East Raqqah Tuesday after others threatened to abandon their posts due to mortars and sniper fire from Islamic State. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times)

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf

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Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong delivers a speech at a conference on China-Africa relations in Accra, capital of Ghana, on July 4, 2017. China will not be a proselytizer and instead supports Africa's pursuit of development paths suiting its own situations, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong said Tuesday. (Xinhua/Shi Song)

China will not be a proselytizer and instead supports Africa's pursuit of development paths suiting its own situations, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong said Tuesday.

Sun made the remarks as African development experts met in Ghana at the start of a conference on China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program on Africa-Sino Relations.

The two-day conference, organized by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), is expected to discuss how Africa and China can cooperate in terms of technical capacity and resource capacity enhancement to boost Africa's development and create a win-win partnership for both sides.

Sun said China's development collaborations with Africa are without ulterior motives.

"China will further enhance cooperation with Africa in areas such as digital economy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and environmental protection. But China will never act as a proselytizer, nor attach political strings; never interfere in domestic affairs of African countries nor impose its will upon Africa, and China will never issue an empty check," Sun said.

She urged African countries to diversify their export base and pursue export processing in order to strengthen their economies.

"It is my hope that in the near future Africa will shift the model of exporting raw materials and establish a complete industrial chain. People can see more goods made by China and Africa jointly in the international market," the ambassador said.

In his opening remarks, Vice-President of Ghana Mahamudu Bawumia hailed China's remarkable development story.

He pointed out that China's "push" has been based on their vision, on their "going global" strategy, and the discipline and determination to execute their plan.

Africa's cooperation with China and all of its development partners, Bawumia said, should also be based on the continent's own vision for lifting its people out of poverty.
Together with his political party, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, popularly called "AMLO", hosted an event on July 1, 2017 in order to celebrate the signature of a document "for the unity, the prosperity, the people and the rebirth of Mexico."

"We are on the eve of achieveing a transformation for our nation," the leader of the Movement for National Regeneration (Morena) declared to the thousands of sympathizers that showed up to the event in Merida, Yucatan.

During his hour-long speech AMLO said that July 1, 2018 would define a fourth transformation in the history of Mexico, since before this, "there were three major movements: the Mexican independence; the reforms of Juarez; and the Mexican Revolution," he said.

AMLO who was the front-runner to succeed Vicente Fox in the 2006 general elections lost to Felipe Calderon by a historically razor thin margin. History repeated itself in the 2012 elections when Obrador who was a front-runner lost again to Enrique Pena Nieto.

Based on two polls in April 2017 from major Mexican media outlets - El Universal and Excelsior - AMLO and his Morena political party are currently front-runners for the 2018 general elections.

 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Approximately 10 months after the successful G20 Summit in Hangzhou, it is the turn of a German city - Hamburg - to host this high-level meeting. Hamburg itself is an important place for the economic interests of most participant countries. Being the third largest port in Europe, it provides good opportunities for trade and interconnectivity. China naturally benefits because Hamburg is the leading seaport in Europe for its foreign trade. The Middle Kingdom is its most important partner for container traffic with volume handled reaching approximately 2.5 million TEUs. Almost one in three of the containers handled in this port comes from China or is starting the sea voyage to China from there.

Apart from symbolism, however, this year's G20 Summit has a special importance. In the aftermath of the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, it is debatable how the US perceives its role as the leading power of globalization. Trump pays more attention to bilateral deals instead of multilateral free trade agreements and this constitutes a critical policy change from that of his predecessor Barack Obama. There is no better example than his decision to bury Obama's TPP plan.

Within this framework, China is making small but steady steps to ensure that the process of globalization will not be seriously influenced by the obscure stance of the new American president. The first step was made in January 2017 when President Xi Jinping gave the keynote address during the Davos World Economic Forum. On the same wavelength, only a few days ago, Premier Li Keqiang also praised the benefits of globalization in the speech made in the Summer Davos.

It is premature to argue that China is replacing the US in leading the globalized world. Nonetheless, the country certainly sees a rising opportunity which it is carefully grasping. Some influential American commentators put the blame on Trump. In a recent article published in The New York Times, Thomas Friedman writes that the US president is "China's chump." After a personal visit to Asian countries, Friedman's conclusion is the shrinking of American influence in recent months is making China great again. It will be particularly interesting to monitor if this tendency will be again evident in Hamburg.

Moreover, this year's G20 Summit will offer useful insights on whether Trump might be cornered, especially after his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have downplayed this scenario.

However, some international media are less optimistic. The Guardian, for instance, asserts that Merkel and Trump "head for [a] clash at G20 Summit." In parallel with this, Reuters sees the German chancellor as challenging the America First policies of the US president.

From another perspective, attention will be turned toward the first encounter between Trump and his counterpart from Russia, Vladimir Putin. The White House has already confirmed the meeting, which will take place amid domestic and international pressure - mainly from Europe - on the former for his perceived friendly temper vis-a-vis Moscow. It is questionable if Trump will practically proceed toward a reset of US-Russian relations and possibly to the opening of a new, better chapter under current circumstances. The personal chemistry between the two leaders will certainly play a role. No prognosis can be made because Trump is unpredictable and could even act spontaneously in Hamburg.

Last but not least, this year's G20 Summit might find China and the EU at odds regarding new Chinese investments, especially in European industries of strategic interest. Merkel has been skeptical on the matter and she is frequently sharing her concern with many other European leaders. The Beijing administration is aware of this German position but needs to elaborate more on appeasing fears as well as on possibly finding a new narrative involving the "win-win" theory. The Hamburg Summit is giving the opportunity to Chinese and European policymakers to discuss the issue, only a few weeks after the Brussels EU-China Summit.

All in all, the official program of the G20 Meeting is structured around important themes. These include the resilience of the global financial system, global economic growth, trade, tax evasion, corruption, digital technology, climate change and health. Irrespective of the significance of issues on the official program though, what will perhaps matter more in Hamburg will be which power or powers will be able to set the agenda. It is here where China is gradually gaining ground.

The author is a lecturer at the European Institute in Nice, France.
(photo by CGTN)

Chinas oceanographic research vessel KAN407 was allegedly obstructed by Japan on Tuesday during a field trip near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

The Japanese coastguard said the Chinese vessel, KAN407, was spotted dropping what looked like a cable into the sea.

The coast guard warned the Chinese vessel away, claiming it did not have permission to be in the area.

KAN407 was previously warned out of the area by Japanese authorities during a similar excursion on June 13.

A similar incident happened on July 2, when several Japanese media outlets reported a Chinese naval vessels alleged invasion of the Tsugaru Strait between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan which connects the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean.

Yin Zhuo, a rear admiral in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, told CGTN that the incident was not an "invasion", but that the Chinese vessel passed through the strait in accordance with the law and did not pose any threat to Japan.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Tsugaru Strait is an international waterway where foreign ships, including naval vessels, can go through.
Jul 5, 2017, 1:48pm ET

'Minor' explosion at GM Detroit-Hamtramck plant injures workers

Fortunately, the company does not believe any of the injuries are life-threatening.

A 'minor explosion' has reportedly injured several workers at General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck factory.

A Detroit Fire Department official told The Detroit News that it was "not a disaster," though one worker was transported to a nearby hospital to receive treatment for facial burns.

A GM spokesperson suggests three workers were injured by an "air valve that popped" while they were performing maintenance work. Two were treated at the scene.

"Emergency personnel are currently investigating an incident that occurred at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck plant before 10 am Wednesday, July 5," the spokesman said. "The injuries are not believed to be life threatening."

The Hamtramck facility builds the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Volt and Impala.
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Leicester Prison is a calmer and safer place to be for inmates, according to the findings of a report.

Compared with 2015, there were fewer violent incidents in the Welford Road mens prison in 2016.

Bullying was tackled more effectively and there was better management of those at risk of self-harm.

Management and provision of healthcare also improved  especially for inmates with mental illnesses  and progress was made in tackling drug misuse.

These are the key findings of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which is responsible for checking on the welfare of prisoners in the UK, in a report covering the 12-month period ending January 31 this year.

Irene Peat, chairman of IMB Leicester, said: We believe that during 2016 the experience for prisoners in HMP Leicester improved in most areas because of good leadership and a committed body of hard-working staff.

The establishment has renewed energy and a readiness to adopt fresh ideas and we look forward to this continuing over the next reporting year.

The report concluded that the prisoner experience improved  with more opportunities for purposeful activity, education and skills training available to the 400 inmates.

Resettlement services helping prisoners and their families to prepare for life after prison were embedding well, with an increased number of peer workers improving access to information and advice for prisoners preparing for release.

(Image: Mike Sewell)

The report praised an outstanding programme of cultural activities, involving collaboration between the prisons library, education department and writer in residence.

The board commended the new governor, who took up office in February 2016, for his energy and enthusiasm in accelerating the programme of improvements that began following an unfavourable report of the visit by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in autumn 2015.

It also praised him for fostering links with the community, including De Montfort University and potential employers, with the support of a hard- working senior management team and increasingly experienced workforce.

However, IMB Leicester, said concerns remained in several areas of prison life, including dilapidated accommodation.

A spokesman said: During 2016 a number of prisoners suffering serious mental illness were held in this prison after being assessed as requiring secure hospital care.

There were significant delays, sometimes many weeks, before they could be transferred.

The board drew this to the attention of the prisons minister during the year and has included a special report within the present publication.

The board also draws attention to the very poor and dilapidated accommodation, particularly in the main wing, and has asked the prison service to consider at the very least some investment to allow upgrading of communal shower and toilet facilities, which at present fall below a decent standard.

The IMB said the prison has continued to make progress overall since the report.

The spokesman said: Since February, there have been further positive developments to improve opportunities for prisoners and their families.

These include refurbishment of the Visits Centre and waiting room, the opening of a workshop and liaison events with potential employers.

IMB Leicester is made up of 15 unpaid public servants who make frequent unannounced visits to the prison.
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Two teaching assistants have appeared in court to admit failing to take reasonable care of a teenager who slipped under the water at his school pool and almost drowned.

Marilyn Smith (62), of Lee Rise, Ratby, and Eileen Coull (64), of Groby Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to the Health and Safety at Work offence which happened on January 27 last year.

They were said to have been jointly responsible for 18-year-old pupil, Sam Sebastian, who has severe mental and physical disabilities, at West Gate School in Glenfield Road, Leicester.

Teenager spent four months in hospital

Sam had been using a rubber ring to float in the school pool at the time but slipped under water for about 90 seconds.

He suffered a cardiac arrest and spent more than four months in hospital.

The defendants were originally charged with wilful neglect of a person without mental capacity, which they denied at an earlier hearing.

However, today when the trial was due to commence, the two women pleaded guilty to an alternative count of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of Sam Sebastian, a person who may have been affected by their acts and omissions at work.

Their plea was accepted by, Rebecca Herbert, prosecuting.

Both women currently suspended from their jobs

Leicester Crown Court was told the defendants were both currently suspended from their jobs.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC said he was not intending to send either of them immediately into custody.

Defence counsel told the court that changes had since been made at the school.

The judge said he wanted to know what measures had been put in place at next Thursdays sentencing hearing.

'A good deal needs to be said to explain the sentence'

Releasing the defendants on bail, he said: You have pleaded guilty to this offence and know what the outcome is likely to be.

I cannot sentence you today because a good deal needs to be said to explain the sentence.

At an earlier hearing at the citys magistrates court, the justices were told that Sam has Angelman Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and epilepsy, has severe developmental delay and is unable to speak.

He also needs assistance to walk and the magistrates were told he required one-to-one assistance in the pool.
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A 17-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder a woman in Leicesters Victoria Park is also now being questioned on suspicion of rape.

The teenager remains in police custody today where detectives are questioning him about the horrific attack in the park late on Monday.

The woman, who is in her 20s, is critically ill in hospital.

Police believe she was attacked at around 11.40pm as she walked across the park, from the Granville Road to Victoria Park Road.

In a statement this afternoon, Leicestershire Police said: The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder yesterday evening and he was further arrested on suspicion of rape.

(Image: Alex Hannam)

A large area of the park was cordoned off to allow crime scene investigators to conduct a detailed examination of the scene where the woman was found.

Police said the cordon would remain in place throughout today.

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Widdowson, who is leading the investigation, said: Officers are carrying out house to house inquiries in the area and as part of those enquiries we are asking for CCTV footage from any commercial premises, private premises or vehicle sources.

Any footage, no matter how brief, could be vital to the investigation.

We still need to trace anyone who may have been in the area of Victoria Park late on Monday night or in the early hours of yesterday and who may have seen something which can help us with our inquiries.

This was an horrific assault and has left a young woman in an extremely serious condition in hospital.

I need to speak to anyone who was in the park between 11.30pm on Monday and 12.40am yesterday.

You may not think what you saw is significant, but we still want to speak to you.

Contact Leicestershire Police on 101.

Officers said they were no longer looking for the man in the CCTV footage which was issued to the media yesterday.
China Wednesday urged India to immediately withdraw its border troops that have crossed into Chinese territory and correct its mistakes with practical actions.

"The Indian troops are currently in Chinese territory, and the matter remains unsettled," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a routine press briefing.

He urged India to show sincerity in resolving border disputes and developing bilateral ties, and create conditions for the normal development of China-India relations.

Geng said the Sikkim section of the China-India border was defined in the Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet in 1890. Successive Indian governments have acknowledged the demarcation.

He also cited a note presented by the Indian embassy in China to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Feb. 12, 1960, to explain the Indian border incursion.

The Indian government welcomed China's note explaining the demarcation of the border, saying Sikkim and Bhutan belonged to one side of the border while Tibet stood at the other side, according to the Indian embassy note.

The Indian embassy note quoted a Chinese note as saying that the border between Sikkim and Tibet had been officially defined, and there was no divergence or disputes in the map drawing as well as in practice.

The Indian government was willing to add that the boundary had also been marked on the ground, the Indian note said.

Geng said India's recent move has violated the goals and principles of the UN Charter, and trampled on international laws and the basic norms of international relations.

In the early 1950s, China, India and Myanmar jointly initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, featuring mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and cooperation for mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.

"By illegally crossing into another country's territory, India has tread on the basic norms of international relations it had initiated itself," said the spokesperson.

"How can India win the trust of its neighboring countries and play a greater role in global affairs, if it does not correct its mistakes in a timely way?" Geng said.
THE first Miss Limerick from a Muslim background has pledged to challenge Islamophobia during her reign, after being subjected to attacks online.

Racha Mennad, 20, said she has been the victim of racist and religious abuse online, even though she was born and grew up in Ireland.

The Tullamore native, who has been studying HR and French at the University of Limerick for two years, said she made a complaint to the gardai over one highly offensive comment.

Ms Mennad notified the gardai that one person wrote on her Facebook Avoid Racha Mennad  she has bombs on her.

She said the comment was made at a time when she was trying to launch her modelling career and was also worried this would negatively impact upon her professional reputation.

The man in question denied to gardai that he wrote the offending comment, and she declined to pursue the matter further, she said.

However, she said she is increasingly frustrated by comments on social media equating Muslims to terrorists.

The comment on Facebook is probably the most extreme example, but Muslims have to constantly deal with small passing remarks that people dont think are offensive, but are actually highly offensive.

It does hurt when people make these comments, and there should be greater repercussions when they write these things online, she said.

She said that every time there is a terrorist attack all Muslims feel a burdening responsibility to defend the religion and remind some people that this isnt what Islam teaches or supports.

It shouldnt be like that but unfortunately it will be until people realise that terrorism knows no religion.

While she was raised in a Muslim family, she said she is not a practising Muslim now.

That doesnt mean that I can just turn my back those comments. My family is Muslim, so I know what it is to be a Muslim each day.

I still feel like I have a responsibility to educate people to a certain extent. In general, Ireland is a very open country, but some people are misinformed or slightly ignorant. Many people dont understand whats going on in Syria or the circumstances these people are fleeing from, said Ms Mennad, whose parents fled the war in Algeria in 1996.

I dont consider myself Muslim because I dont pray and I dont fast, and Islam calls for a lot of discipline. I also dont want to be defined by my faith, but I just try to live a moral life, she said.

Born in Ireland, she said she is also proud to be Algerian and to have an Algerian passport.

But I am really Irish as well. I kind of have the best of both worlds.

Speaking about attacks on a number of mosques in Limerick, in which one was broken into, vandalised and the carpet urinated upon, she said the people who did this are the terrorists.

Isis or Isil and any other terrorist organisation do not represent the Muslim community, nor are they welcomed by it. These people are extremists that manipulate the words of, in this case, the Quran in order to justify their cruel actions.

It is so unfortunate that we are the target of so much ignorance and hatred because of a small group of brainwashed psychopaths. Isis have killed hundreds and thousands of innocent Muslims in Syria and all over the world and continue to do so each day, so how can anyone say that these people are Muslims?
A FATHER-of-five who agreed to store around 10,000 worth of cannabis in order to reduce a drug debt he owed, has avoided a prison sentence.

Michael Dawson, aged 36, of Elton Court, Meelick, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply on October 22, 2013.

Detective Garda Padraic Quirke of the divisional drugs unit told Limerick Circuit Court the defendant was under observation when gardai witnessed the hand-over of the drugs in the car park of a fast-food restaurant.

Around 500 grams of cannabis was found in the boot of Dawsons car when it was searched at a filling station on the Ennis Road a short time later.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told a further small quantity of cannabis and a weighing scales were found during a follow-up search of the defendants home.

During interview, Dawson told gardai he had received a phone call earlier in the day and was told where to retrieve the package. He admitted he had intended bringing the drugs home to await further instructions as to where to bring them.

Det Garda Quirke said the owners of the drugs had agreed to reduce a debt he owed by 250.

Pat Barriscale said his client  a qualified chef  had lost his job a number of months earlier which caused severe financial strain. He said Dawson travelled to the UK following the seizure as his life was under threat.

He said clients car was taken as part payment by the owners of the drugs and that he has not come to the attention of gardai since.

Imposing sentence, Judge ODonnell noted the defendant, who is unemployed, represents a low risk of reoffending and that there was an element of duress in the background

He said the the quantity of drugs seized was an aggravating factor as was the fact that he absconded.

He imposed a three and-a-half year prison sentence, which he suspended in its entirety.
GARDAI in Limerick are investigating an assault on a student that has been described as a traumatic incident.

The assault took place outside Limerick Insitute of Technology  close to an area that has seen repeated incidents in recent weeks  and saw the student attacked by two male youths who, according to gardai, proceeded to punch and kick the student.

He received minor cuts and bruising from the incident, however this was a traumatic incident for the student, said a garda spokesperson.

Gardai in Mayorstone are anxious to speak to anyone in the vicinity of LIT Moylish last Thursday, June 29, between 2pm and 2.30pm that may have witnessed this incident.

Any information could prove valuable for this investigation, added the spokesperson.

The Old Cratloe Road area is to have CCTV installed following a wave of anti-social and criminal behaviour in the area, according to Limerick TD Maurice Quinlivan.

Limerick City and County Council confirmed that CCTV will be installed following multiple reports of assaults, intimidation and other anti-social behaviour by gangs of up to 30 young people in the Old Cratloe Road and Caherdavin areas, the Sinn Fein TD said.

In a recent incident, a young man was involved in a fight and received an injury to his back and hand, while other incidents have seen two teenagers punched in the face while walking in the area, a student suffer bruising and soft-tissue injuries when he was forcibly pulled into a car and robbed, and a student stabbed in the back near a bus stop at Old Cratloe Road earlier this year.

Senator Kieran ODonnell has confirmed that gardai have received approval to put a specific garda operation into the Caherdavin and Old Cratloe Road areas to deal with the anti-social behaviour.

"This involves an extra sergeant and two gardai specifically on this operation. It is funded under the Gardai Anti-Crime Operation Thor scheme and is already yielding results," he said.
BUDGET airline Norwegian has apologised after a technical issue forced the cancellation of the first of its new flights from Shannon to Providence Green Airport in Rhode Island this week.

Much fanfare greeted the start of the new transatlantic services with the budget airline from Shannon to the US on Sunday, with the flight to Stewart International in Orange County departing as scheduled.

However, there was a hitch with Monday's flight to Providence.

A spokesperson for Norwegian Air International said: We are extremely sorry that due to an aircraft technical issue, the planned flight from Shannon to Providence on Monday, July 3 was cancelled.

A number of passengers were rebooked onto alternative flights from Cork and Belfast on Tuesday afternoon. Passengers not wishing to travel on the alternative flights have been offered free rebooking on other services or a full refund. We would like to sincerely apologise again to passengers for the inconvenience caused.

The airline added that the next flight is due to run as scheduled next Monday.

The new US routes on the carrier  four a week from from Shannon to Stewart and to Providence  mean Shannons transatlantic offering is at its largest number for 17 years.

Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos promised more choice and lower fares for travel to the USA as a result.

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 has hailed the additional routes as a major milestone for our passengers.
Jul 5, 2017, 7 AM

The 1935 Sudan 50th Anniversary of the Death of Gen. Charles George Gordon set of nine stamps (Scott 51-59) has long-lasting appeal across a broad range of collectors.

Tip of the Week  By Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

In the April 5, 2010, Stamp Market Tips, we tipped the Sudan set of nine 50th Anniversary of the Death of Gen. Charles George Chinese Gordon (Scott 51-59) stamps, issued Jan. 1, 1935. This set has remained in steady demand over the years since that time, proving its long-term appeal.

General Gordon was an eccentric but brilliant military commander. Gordon served in the British Army in the Crimean War, but he won lasting fame in brilliantly commanding the Ever Victorious Army of the Emperor of China, which earned him the sobriquet Chinese Gordon.

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After China, in 1873 Gordon entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt as the governor-general of Sudan. In Sudan, he was a tireless foe of the slave trade, virtually eradicating it during his tenure. Exhausted by his efforts, he resigned in 1880 and returned to Great Britain. After his departure, Muhammad Ahmad, an Islamic holy man, proclaimed himself to be The Mahdi (an apocalyptic ruler at the end of time) and led the tribes of Sudan in revolt against the Egyptian government.

Gordon was sent to Sudan to evacuate the Europeans from Khartoum, but he refused to leave the Egyptians and loyal Sudanese to their fates. Staying on to defend Khartoum, he conducted a brilliant defense but was eventually overwhelmed by superior numbers. A British relief column arrived two days after the city fell. The story was dramatized in the 1966 United Artists film Khartoum, starring Charlton Heston as Gordon and Laurence Olivier as The Mahdi.

The 2017 Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 values the set of nine stamps in unused hinged condition at $181.25 and in mint never-hinged condition at $325. This exciting historical set is popular across a broad range of collectors, and demand has been steady.

However, we feel it is overpriced and is a good buy in mint never-hinged condition or unused hinged condition at 50 percent to 65 percent of Scott catalog value.
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The foreign ministers of Egypt, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are set to meet in Cairo on Wednesday to decide on next steps in the standoff against Doha

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have extended the deadline by which they insist Qatar must meet certain demands to Wednesday, at the request of mediator Kuwait.

Ten days ago the bloc presented Qatar with a 13-point list of demands, with a deadline of the evening of Sunday 2 July, which include cutting ties with Iran, halting support for groups such as Hezbollah and Daesh as well as shutting down AlJazeera TV network.

On 5 June the four countries severed diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Iran and terrorism, which Doha has denied.

"In response to a request from the Amir of state of Kuwait Shiekh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah to extend the grace period offered to Qatar to 48 hours, based on the affirmation of the Qatari government to his Highness that it will send its official response regarding the list of demands addressed to it by Monday, the four countries announce their approval to the Emir of Kuwait's request, the four countries said in a joint statement, as reported by the Saudi official news agency SPA.

"The response of the four states will then be sent following the study of the Qatari government's response and assessment of its response to the whole demands," the statement added.

Late on Sunday, before the postponment, US President Donald Trump spoke to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in the UAE separately to voice his "concerns about the ongoing dispute."

"The president also underscored that unity in the region is critical to accomplishing the Riyadh Summit's goals of defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability," the WHite House said in a statement adding that "President Trump, nevertheless, believes that the overriding objective of his initiative is the cessation of funding for terrorism."

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain are set to hold a meeting this Wednesday in Cairo to decide on next steps over Qatar.

In a statement on Sunday evening, Egypts foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said the meeting comes at an invitation from Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to his Gulf counterparts.

The meeting comes in the frame of coordinating stances, and consultations between the four countries to decide on future steps on dealing with Qatar, as well as an exchange of visions and evaluation over international and regional calls over the matter, the statement read.

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The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain started Wednesday afternoon a meeting in Cairo to decide on the next steps over their dispute with Qatar.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, the Arab quartet said in a statement that they received Qatars response over their 13-point list of demands through mediator Kuwait.

The joint statement said the three Gulf countries and Egypt would respond to the Qatari reply "in a timely manner."

The meeting comes almost one month after they severed diplomatic ties with Doha over allegations it supports terror groups, which Doha denies.

A press conference is expected to take place following the conclusion of the meeting to announce results.

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The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Cairo to discuss their next move on relations with Qatar, having severed diplomatic relations and imposed sanctions on the gulf country for close to a month.

The Cairo meeting convenes upon the invitation of Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and is expected to last several hours..

An announcement may cap the meeting that should, according to an informed Egyptian source, send Qatar a clear message that the countries involved are serious about seeing a real change in the attitude of Doha when it comes to basically interfering in the internal affairs of other Arab states  the four countries involved in the diplomatic boycott but also other countries where Qatar has been playing a destructive role, including Syria and Libya.

The critical meeting comes at the end of a 48-hour extension of a 10-day ultimatum imposed by Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama on Doha requiring it to either accommodate a list of 13 demands or face increased diplomatic and economic constraints.

The countries agreed to the extension of the mandate upon the request of Kuwait, which has been trying to mediate a political compromise to end the Qatar crisis.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister has met with Qatari and later Saudi officials over the past two days to convey what one Arab diplomat qualified as "a limited Qatari openness to discuss some demands put forward by some but not all of the four countries, provided that any political agreement is conducted in a way Doha would see as compatible with its rights as a sovereign state and not a dictation of policies as put forward in the 13-point list of demands."

The demands made by the four countries, which were leaked immediately as they were sent to Doha, include what the three Gulf states and Egypt qualify as a direct involvement by Qatar in supporting terror and in interfering in their internal affairs.

Those included the extradition of political opposition figures  designated by the four states as terror elements, with Egypt in particular demanding that Qatar hand over Muslim Brotherhood figures -- and halting financial support for groups designated as having "terror associations," which aim to cause instability in those countries as well as in other Arab states that influence the interests of the boycotting countries.

The demands also include ending any Turkish military presence in Qatar and limiting relations with Iran, the arch-foe of Saudi Arabia which is said by most Arab diplomats to be at the forefront of the anti-Qatar campaign.

According to the Egyptian source, Qatar has told the Kuwaiti mediator that "in principle" it is willing to ask some of the political figures it has been hosting under the disapproval of both Riyadh and the Abu Dahbi to leave Doha for other countries.

Qatar also said it is willing to revise its support for some groups operating in Syria and Libya.

The source said that Qatar also showed a willingness to encourage the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood to refrain from taking up any direct political activities while residing in Doha.

The source said, however, that Doha is neither willing to eliminate the Turkish military presence in Qatar nor cut its relations with Iran, arguing that these are sovereign matters.

UAE officials, including the foreign minister and the ambassador of Abu Dhabi in Washington, publicly ruled out the chance of a military attack on Qatar but promised severe measures against Doha should it fail to honour the demands of the three Gulf countries and Egypt.

However, according to the Egyptian source, this does not exclude "joint military consultations" among the four countries "to take into consideration any emergencies."

The source explained that it all started with grave security concerns over potential Qatari association with some Iranian plans to instigate ethnic strife in Saudi Arabia and to interfere in the internal political set up of Riyadh."

The source added that there is "a tentative agreement that a joint military presence of the four countries in Bahrain could be established to be ready to face any challenges."

Bahrain is a soft target for sectarian incitement, given of course the high proportion of Shia in the population there, he said.

Meanwhile, a Cairo-based European diplomat said that there is enough support for the wise efforts of Kuwait to find an exit from this feud, which he said is interfering with the security and stability of the Gulf and, for that matter, of the Arab countries that are going through turmoil, particularly Libya and Syria.

The European diplomat said that the political developments in Saudi Arabia, especially the change of crown prince from Mohamed Ben Nayyef, who was said to be closely associated with the ruling Qatari family, to Mohammed Bin Salman, the son of the ruling king should help ease out the political tension in the Gulf.

The diplomat added that the initial willingness of Qatar to reduce support for some groups in Libya and Syria would also appease Abu Dhabi, which is opposed to those groups.

It is not impossible to reach a compromise there  but of course Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would not be fully excluding the political line that Qatar has in both countries."

"Any future political arrangement in Syria and Libya would have to include Islamist perspectives because those have been supported not only by Qatar but also by Turkey, which maintains strong ties with the Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, the European diplomat added.

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According to a private detective, there are only four large, mocha-colored automobiles in all of Evian, a town on the French side of Lake Geneva. The protagonist of "Moka" - and the woman who paid for that information - lives across the water in Switzerland. She's certain that one of those four cars struck and killed her child.

Adapted from a 2007 novel by Tatiana de Rosnay (whose grim "Sarah's Key" was made into a movie in 2010), "Moka" is a stark, moody mystery that doesn't actually contain much mystery. Instead, it excels as a character study and a dynamic face-off between two formidable actresses: Emmanuelle Devos and Nathalie Baye.

Devos plays Diane, whose teenage son Luc (Paulin Jaccoud) has died in a hit-and-run. Baye is Marlene, the woman who may or may not have been at the wheel.

Diane's grief has left her estranged from her husband, Simon (Samuel Labarthe), who frustrates her by trusting in the police to investigate Luc's death. Diane, for her part, moves across the lake, accompanied only by a cellphone containing digital reminders of Luc and the girlfriend he never mentioned, Adrienne (Marion Reymond). On the ferry over, Diane meets a young smuggler (Olivier Chantreau). His specialty seems to be dope, but he just might also be able to get Diane a gun.

Quickly eliminating the other suspects, Diane becomes convinced of Marlene's guilt. But rather than confront her, Diane begins by trying to insinuate herself into Marlene's life. As methodical as she is hysterical, Diane even attempts to buy the tan-colored Mercedes she believes struck Luc, which has been put up for sale by the 60-something Marlene's younger boyfriend, Michel (David Clavel).

Marlene, who runs a beauty salon where Diane soon becomes a regular, using an assumed name, is intrigued by the newcomer's interest in her, but also suspicious. The two might have bonded over maternal pressures, since Marlene is having trouble with her restless adolescent daughter Elodie (Diane Rouxel). But Diane tells Marlene she's not a mother.

Elodie is clearly out of control. In her quieter way, so is Diane. ("Stop being so reasonable," she implores Simon.) Neither one of them can be fixed by Marlene or Michel, although both are menders of female psyches: Marlene with creams and lotions, Michel with the aquatic exercise classes he leads at a local spa.

Swiss director Frederic Mermoud is no Hitchcock, yet he presents this story as if it's a real puzzler, even though there are no MacGuffins to throw off amateur sleuths. Attentive viewers will crack the case long before Diane does.

Discovering who did what to whom isn't the point anyway. Luc and Adrienne studied music together, and the Beethoven-heavy "Moka" ends with an affecting musical epiphany - both for Diane and one other person. It's not the hit-and-run driver, but it's someone Diane should have sought from the first.

---

Two and one-half stars. Unrated. Contains violence, partial nudity and a sexual situation. In French with subtitles. 89 minutes.

Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time.

Advance fri july 7
Three army personnel were killed Wednesday morning when an unknown assailant opened fire on security forces manning a toll booth on Al-Ayyats International-Regional Road in Giza governorate, an army spokesman statement read.



The security personnel killed were army personnel and two retired army officers.



The armys statement mourned the victims and described the act as a terrorist attack by an unknown assailant.



The victims died from multiple gunshot wounds, Al-Ayyat prosecutions preliminary investigations stated.

The investigation has been transferred to the military prosecution.



Attacks against security forces have become common in recent years but are largely concentrated in North Sinai, where Egypt's army and police are battling an entrenched Islamist insurgency.

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Fans of the popular Texas burger chain that has dazzled "Fancy Ketchup" lovers for nearly 70 years can see where it all began at a little-known replica of the original restaurant in Corpus Christi.

Whataburger officials first built a replica of its first store in 2005 and placed it near a drive-thru line of an operating restaurant.
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A hand witnessed protruding from a horse trailer seen traveling on Interstate Highway 35 recently led to a high-speed pursuit into Cotulla and the arrest of two individuals, authorities said.

Roger Ramirez, of Laredo, and Carlos Patricio Gonzalez III, of Encinal, were detained Thursday and charged with conspiracy to transport and transportation of undocumented immigrants, federal court documents state.

The La Salle County emergency dispatch received a report at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday from a freight truck driver who said he had seen a hand sticking out of a horse trailer that was being towed by a dark-colored Ford F-250 pickup truck near mile marker 50 in the northbound lanes of IH-35, Marc Robertson, La Salle County Sheriff's Office spokesman, said in a release.

The pickup truck driver, identified as Ramirez, allegedly attempted to evade capture by leaving the interstate at mile marker 65.

READ MORE: Here are Laredo residents who used the most water in the last year

Ramirez's path into Cotulla was blocked by a law enforcement vehicle at the Nueces River bridge. He then drove back onto the interstate and traveled a mile before driving into Cotulla on FM 468, continuing on Leonard Avenue, Robertson said.

"With La Salle deputies following, Ramirez drove southeast on Leonard Avenue through five stop signs at intersections until he reached a dead end and steered the truck and trailer into a service alley. He then caused the Ford to crash into a fence post," the release states.

Ramirez climbed out of the damaged vehicle and ran the distance of one city block before he was stopped and cuffed by a sheriff's deputy, according to Robertson.

Court records state Gonzalez, identified as a passenger in the vehicle, was immediately detained by deputies.

During a search of the vehicle, one man was discovered in the back seat of the load vehicle. Traveling in the horse trailer were three adult women, four adult men and a teenage boy, Robertson said.

Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration inspection and found all nine individuals to be undocumented immigrants.

RELATED: 'El Chapo' Guzman's powerful Sinaloa cartel is withering while he sits in a US jail

Medics of the La Salle Fire Rescue & EMS were dispatched to treat Ramirez, Gonzalez and one other individual. They were transported to the Frio Regional Hospital.

Gonzalez suffered a fractured leg and received medical attention, a criminal complaint filed in the case states. Ramirez and the undocumented immigrant did not sustain any reported injuries.

All three individuals were transported from the hospital to the Cotulla Border Patrol station for processing, according to the complaint.

During post-Miranda interviews, Ramirez and Gonzalez allegedly admitted to transporting the undocumented immigrants for financial gain.

In addition to his federal charges, Ramirez faces prosecution for evading arrest or detention, and a range of traffic violations that include reckless driving, Robertson said.
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A couple arrested recently for allegedly attempting to smuggle about $2.3 million in meth from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Austin have been identified in federal court.

A criminal complaint filed against Armando Flores Casas, 22, and Santa Valentina Rangel Pescador, 22, charged them with importation of methamphetamine and conspiracy to import methamphetamine.

On June 22, a federal judge ordered Flores detained pending trial. Meanwhile, Rangel was granted a $175,000 bond with $3,500 deposit, two co-sureties and other conditions pretrial services recommended, according to court documents.

The case happened June 17.

READ MORE: Here are Laredo residents who used the most water in the last year

At approximately 10 p.m., Flores and Rangel arrived at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in a white 2011 Ford F-150. In a secondary inspection, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection K-9 unit alerted authorities to possible contraband inside the cabin, according to the complaint.

A search of the F-150 yielded a "thick, milky substance" inside the gas tank. CBP said the substance tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the complaint. It weighed 125 pounds and had an estimated street value of $2,375,000.

Homeland Security Investigations took over the case. Flores and Rangel allegedly elected to an answer questions without an attorney present.

Flores stated he and Rangel traveled from Austin to Nuevo Laredo, where they met Flores' friend and another male. They dropped off Flores and Rangel at a hotel and took the F-150 out for several hours, the complaint states.

RELATED: Man who doused girlfriend in mop water, beat her with wrenches arrested at Laredo motel, police say

Rangel stated she agreed to travel with Flores for $1,000 to visit family, according to the complaint. She allegedly knew she and Flores were transporting drugs back to the Austin area.

"Rangel said after she and Flores were dropped off at the hotel, Rangel asked Flores for more money since she knew they were going to transport narcotics. Rangel said Flores told her he would see what he could do," states the complaint.
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A man wanted for beating up his girlfriend last month in Louisiana was recently arrested at a local motel, according to Laredo police.

An LPD officer assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested Jeremy Daniel Key, 41, without incident June 23 at the Evelyn Motor Inn at 2720 San Bernardo Ave.

A Louisiana warrant charged Key with attempted second-degree murder. Authorities said Monday that two Red River Parish Sheriff's Office deputies took custody of Key from the Webb County Sheriff's Office on June 28.

"As suspected, when arrested in Laredo, Key was in possession of a 2014 Dodge Charger reported stolen from the Martin community northeast of Coushatta on June 4, 2017," states a news release from the Red River Parish Sheriff's Office.

READ MORE: Here are Laredo residents who used the most water in the last year

In addition, Key was charged with theft of motor vehicle and booked on fugitive warrants from Natchitoches Parish for resisting an officer and unauthorized use of a moveable. His bond was set at $1 million. He remained behind bars at the Red River Parish Jail, according to authorities.

Covered in blood

The case dates back to June 1. That day, a concerned citizen reported to a Red River Parish detective that a woman, who was covered in blood, stated that her boyfriend was responsible for her injuries. Authorities identified the suspect as Key.

She was taken to the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center for treatment. Red River Parish deputies said they tried looking for Key at his residence, where they encountered "signs of a disturbance."

"The victim reported that she was asleep when Key doused her with a bucket of mop water and began beating her with a handful of wrenches. She stated that he was also threatening to kill her," states a news release from the Red River Parish Sheriff's Office. "

RELATED: Authorities: Hand sticking out of horse trailer leads to arrests, discovery of immigrants in S. TX

As the altercation moved throughout the house, he reportedly struck her with a jack stand and repeated the threats to kill her. She was eventually able to break free and escape to a neighbor's house."

Warrant

Investigators secured a second-degree murder arrest warrant for Key. The following afternoon, authorities placed out a lookout for a red sport utility vehicle. Authorities said they spotted the suspect vehicle near the Red River and Natchitoches Parish line and attempted a traffic stop.

"As the vehicle came to a stop, a passenger bolted from the car and entered the woods near Messick Road and Holman Loop in the Fairview Alpha community. The driver and a second passenger were detained and questioned, enabling authorities to confirm that Key was the fleeing subject," states the news release.

Key was not located. Authorities then put out a lookout for a gray 2014 Dodge Charger. He was found in possession of that vehicle in Laredo on June 23, authorities said.
San Francisco marked the Fourth of July in classic (local) summer fashion  with cold fog and stiff winds but double-barreled fireworks nonetheless.

The show began at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday with a colorful fusillade above Fishermans Wharf that was launched from Municipal Pier and barges docked off Pier 39. The crowds along the Embarcadero and Jefferson Street erupted in cheers, shrugging off any partisan disputes.

The chilly, overcast evening didnt keep people from spending their holiday on the waterfront. By 7:30, the lawn at Aquatic Park was comfortably full with families, couples and groups of friends who showed up early to stake out space.

Many were tourists who decided to make the fireworks  and the gathering fog  part of their itineraries.

I looked it up, saw fireworks on the bay, and we thought it would be fun, said Sarah Franz, who had arrived Monday from the Dallas-Fort Worth area with her brother, Jonathan.

It was their first visit to the Bay Area, and they already had seen the Haight-Ashbury and Chinatown. In the latter, Jonathan had purchased a stars-and-stripes hoodie, which he kept tightly zipped.

Any complaints so far? Its too cold, Jonathan said. Sarah agreed: Were used to 100-degree weather.

On a bench nearby, the Gama family of Riverside was huddled tight after polishing off a takeout pizza for warmth.

Weve been here three hours  too long, Caressa Gama said as her husband, Marco, and sister-in-law. Victoria, laughed.

There were no real regrets, though. The family often travels to the Bay Area and decided to make a quick drive up and back to spend their first July Fourth in San Francisco.

We figured it would be something new, Victoria said, wearing a weathered Giants cap. I always love San Francisco.

Monica Sante had a shorter drive: She was one of a group of five adults and three children who came from Richmond for the fireworks.

We were thinking about a different place to go, said Sante, who spent last years July Fourth in Hercules. They shrugged off the fog, but not another feature of todays Bay Area: The traffic was horrible. Parking, too.

An hour before the fireworks started, Pier 39 was jammed and the crowd was growing by the minute. The wind was picking up while the temperature dropped, and the line for the Biscoff coffee cart was 20 people long.

We knew it would be cold  but not this cold!, Kristi Patterson of Minneapolis laughed, knit cap pulled almost to her eyes.

But the Fourth of July is more than fireworks, and crowds across the Bay Area gathered Tuesday for music, picnics and parades.

In Redwood City, the view from Melissa Magallons pink beach chair showed a crowd of thousands gathered for the citys annual Fourth of July parade, which featured college marching bands, unicycle riders and local businesses puttering down Arguello Street in flatbed trucks.

Touted as the biggest Independence Day parade in Northern California, the Redwood City event started with the blast of a cannon at 10 a.m. and went on for two hours in the scorching heat.

Vendors hawked Polish dogs, snow cones and beer. Spectators crammed the sidewalks with strollers and lawn chairs. Nearby on Broadway, a classic car exhibit featured gleaming Chevrolet Impalas, boxy Plymouths and Mustangs with their hoods open to expose exquisite vintage engines.

Melissa, 6, wore patriotic colors to celebrate the occasion: a puffy red and blue bow and flip-flop sandals with red straps, revealing her red-and-blue polished toenails. By 11 a.m. she was clinging to her mother, Maribel Magallon, and craning her neck to see the dancing tree mascot from Stanford University.

The tree  thats our favorite part, Maribel Magallon said in Spanish.

Like Melissa, many spectators at the Redwood City parade dressed up to celebrate their American heritage. Some wore Stetson hats with star and stripe patterns. Others sported solid blue or red polo shirts. Stephanie Merlo, 26, had tied a flag bandanna around the neck of her lanky German shepherd.

Ive been coming to this parade for years, said Merlo, who grew up in Redwood City and has attended the event so many times that shes memorized the order of the floats.

The chile pepper, thats kind of new, she said, pointing to a truck blasting cumbia music, with a large sign advertising the Redwood City Salsa Festival in September. They added that one a couple years ago.

But otherwise, little has changed since Merlos childhood. She was among many people for whom the 78-year-old holiday celebration had become a family tradition.

This years July Fourth celebration was awash in civic pride, with 200 organizations and businesses vying to best represent Redwood Citys history and diversity.

I like it because its funky, said Lanah Hotchkiss, who came to the parade with her husband, Ross, for the fifth time. And because all the local community groups get a chance to come out.

Rachel Swan and John King are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com, jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan, @JohnKingSFChron
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The fireworks Bryant Moore hears exploding nearby are making him jittery. The pops that pierce through the apartment walls rattle Moore, forcing him to remember what happened days earlier: the flashes of the gun. The pow pow pow.

Moore, 22, dropped to the ground as more than 50 bullets sprayed across the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, early Saturday morning, according to police estimates. In total, 28 people were injured - 25 by gunshots - in the nation's largest mass shooting since the Pulse nightclub attack a year earlier in Orlando, Florida.

"Like a damn movie," Moore says, describing the scene. He was shot three times, in his thigh and in both feet, which are now wrapped with black, bootlike contraptions.

"I ain't never been scared of no guns," he says. "And now I'm like, damn. . . . I guess it had to take me being shot to just come to a realization that this is not a damn game. Life is not a game."

Authorities have said all the injured people are expected to survive. Still, the lack of fatalities doesn't make the incident less shocking. It is the third mass shooting in Arkansas this year, as many mass shootings as the state experienced in all of 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

"It's gotten a lot of attention, and I think rightfully so," said Lt. Steven McClanahan, Little Rock Police Department spokesman. "Because 25 people shot at one scene, I mean that's never happened in our city before."

The shooting touched off the flurry of speculation and questions: Had Little Rock become the latest victim of terrorism? Were the state's gun laws to blame?

Instead, city leaders say the incident appears to be a more familiar story of violent crime, similar to what other big-city mayors and police chiefs have highlighted in recent years.

Little Rock has seen a bump in violent crime over the past few months, officials say. There have been 29 homicides this year, compared with 15 at this time last year, McClanahan said Monday. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, citing preliminary data, reported this week that violent crime in the city in 2017 had increased more than 20 percent when compared with the 2016 figures from the same time period.

Saturday's shooting unfolded about 2:30 a.m. during a performance by Finese 2Tymes, a rapper from Tennessee whose real name is Ricky Hampton. Hampton was arrested Sunday on outstanding charges of aggravated assault with a gun in an unrelated shooting in Forrest City, Ark., according to news reports.

Police say gang members were present at Saturday's shooting, and some in attendance "have been on our radar screen," McClanahan said.

No one has been charged in connection to the shooting.

Mayor Mark Stodola said violence in the city has been "focused primarily with two small groups of people," describing a Hatfields-and-McCoys scenario, involving warring families. McClanahan described the situation as a bit more complex but said authorities think the city's jump in crime can be linked to gang activity.

"We think a lot of these are second-generation gang members, that are now coming of age, and contributing to violence in our city," he said.

Stodola said an early morning phone call about the incident on Saturday left him with a "sickening feeling in my stomach."

He expressed concerns about "too many guns in the hands of the wrong people," saying officials need to more vigorously monitor how felons get possession of firearms.

A law allowing concealed handgun permit holders who have taken up to eight hours of active-shooter training to carry their weapon in certain bars will take effect in September, according to the Associated Press. In this case, though, Stodola doubted the law would have mattered.

"The people who had weapons in that lounge, I'm only surmising, but I would imagine that they had those guns regardless of what the law was that was passed," Stodola said.

He said Little Rock's surge in violent crime is "not unlike what's happening in other cities around the country." He said he has spoken with other mayors who have relayed stories of what is happening in their communities.

"What drives it? Obviously, illegal activity," he said. "Whether it's an epidemic of illegal drugs and somebody cheating somebody out of some money, or obviously somebody disrespecting another individual."

On Monday, there were reminders of the chaos at Power nightclub. Gloves, presumably from police or paramedics, remained outside the club. Bits of glass were on the sidewalk, and a "Notice to Vacate" sign was posted on the door. Inside, a woman's shoe could be seen on the ground.

"I'm in Power, and my best friend just got shot," a woman's voice says on a 911 call from Saturday's shooting, released to The Washington Post on Monday.

"Hello, they just shot up the club. Oh my God," another woman tells a dispatcher, on another call.

As Moore contemplates the experience nearly two days later, he resolves to start carrying a gun when he goes out.

"I ain't going to be in no predicament like that again," he says.
A new icon will join the Ginza landscape ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, as The Yomiuri Shimbun, Mitsui Fudosan Co. and other enterprises announced on Wednesday that a new commercial and hotel building complex will open in the Ginza 3-chome area in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, in spring 2019.

The building will house Ryohin Keikaku Co.'s Muji global flagship store, as well as a hotel overseen by the company - the first of its kind in Japan.

The 58-meter-high, 10-story building with a three-story basement will have a total floor area of about 14,200 square meters. The new Muji flagship store will occupy basement level one to the sixth floor, and will include its complete range of lifestyle goods and a restaurant.

The tentatively named Muji Hotel, fitted out with Muji furniture, will be housed on floors six to 10. Odakyu Electric Railway Co. subsidiary UDS Ltd. will operate the hotel.

The three-building Marronnier Gate Ginza complex, whose operations began in March after the renovation of the former Printemps Ginza store, is located near the new development. Marronnier Gate and the new complex will work in partnership to increase the number of visitors, including inbound foreign tourists, to the buildings.

Construction of the new building began on June 15 on land that previously housed the Ginza branch of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. and other lots. The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings and The Yomiuri Shimbun acquired the land from TEPCO in September 2013.

"We welcome the future arrival of Muji, a store that is popular abroad, into the new building under construction in the Ginza district," said a spokesperson from the corporate communication department of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings. "In partnership with Marronnier Gate Ginza, a complex that houses many popular shops such as Tokyu Hands and Nitori, we hope to contribute to the prosperity of the district by offering a space that can enhance the lifestyles of consumers."
Related Temperature to drop on Wednesday in Egypt as heat wave subsides Egypt braces for continued heatwave of 40 degrees Sunday Egypt's temperature will continue to drop in the capital Cairo from 36 degrees Celsius on Wednesday to 34 on Thursday, following a sizzling four-day heatwave of 40 degrees, state run MENA reported.

Cairo is expected to see a high of 34 and a low of 25, while the Mediterranean city of Alexandria will witness a high of 29 and a low of 24.

Meteorological experts warn of low visibility levels in the northern regions of the country, especially during early morning hours due to fog, as well as

Active winds on the Red Sea and Mediterranean could disturb navigation.

The highest temperature during morning hours on Thursday will be seen at southern and upper Egypt's governorates of Luxor 41, Aswan 40, Qena 39 and Sohag with 37 degrees.

Sharm El-Shiekh in South Sinai will see 39 degrees high and 31 low, and Hurghada on the Red Sea coast 38 and 30.

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Visiting dignitaries from Russia and China may face crowds of rowdy demonstrators at the G-20 summit that begins on Thursday in Hamburg, leading the two powers to make a show of solidarity with each other before the summit begins.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin for a state visit, his third to Russia this year. The two leaders have already demonstrated their joint resolve by denouncing the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system to South Korea.

"Beijing and Moscow are steadfastly opposed to the THAAD deployment and seriously suggest that relevant countries stop and cancel the installation," said Xi shortly before his arrival in Moscow, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The United States and South Korea maintain that the THAAD system is only intended to counter the threat of North Korean nukes, but China holds that the radar and launch capabilities extend deep into Chinese territory and thus pose a grave security risk. Russia has expressed support for Beijing's position several times over the past year.

The relationship between Beijing and Moscow has deepened in recent years as Russia has sought to reduce its economic dependence on Europe, while China has sought support for its interests abroad under a more assertive Xi.

During the visit, Putin is expected to give Xi the Order of St. Andrew, the Russia's highest order, for "his distinguished service to the peoples of China and Russia," according to the TASS news agency. And Russian foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov characterized the state of relations between the two countries as "the best in history."

Russia is also China's favorite foreign policy exception. China vocally opposed U.S. bombing campaigns in the Middle East - but Russia's campaigns in Syria were hugely popular in China.

The official state visit doesn't start until Tuesday, so expect more joint statements and news of trade deals worth up to $10 billion over the next two days.
At Lenox Memorial Middle and High School in the Berkshire region of western Massachusetts, the longtime mascot is the Millionaires - but if most of the students have their way, it won't be for long. The decision, however, is not in their hands - and some folks in the affluent town of Lenox don't want it to change.

During a recent student council survey of the more than 400 students in grades 6-12, about two-thirds of those who responded said they no longer want to be known as the Millionaires, according to Lenox Public Schools Superintendent Timothy Lee. Nearly 80 percent of the students from grades 6-12 answered the survey, which had a number of questions about what they wanted the student council to accomplish during the next school year.

Why?

"The rationale explained by the student council leaders was that Millionaires no longer accurately represented their identity and who they are as a group of students," said Lee. Students report being harassed by rival teams because of the name, and the Berkshire Eagle quoted Julie Monteleone, a student council member, as telling the district's governing board recently:

"The term Millionaires has become associated with the top 1 percent of our country, which excludes and burdens a very large majority of the population and currently plays a large role in the division of the United States."

While the Millionaires has been the school's mascot since the 1950s - referring to wealthy visitors who owned second homes in the area - that nickname does not appear on school team uniforms, Lee said, and there is no physical mascot that appears at games, as happens at schools with animal and other more conventional mascots.

Lee said that now that the students have spoken, the rest of the community has to be heard. The school district, he said, has sent out a survey to students, staff, parents and other community members asking about priorities for the annual strategic plan. He said that this year, the survey included a question asking people whether they would support consideration of a change from the Millionaires to something else.

The survey results should be back by August, at which time, he said, the district's elected governing body, called the Committee, will discuss how to proceed. He also said he anticipates a public forum being held so that different voices in the community can come together to discuss it.

There already appears to be opposition to a name change from at least one member of the Committee, according to the Eagle. It quoted member Francie Sorrentino as saying that the students were wrong about what the Millionaires means: "Some people say it's snobbish, but that's not true. This is a wonderful community and nobody is treated differently whether they're rich, middle class or poor."

And the Eagle's editorial board weighed in on the side of keeping the nickname in a piece that said in part:

"Abandoning the Millionaires nickname and mascot would be a concession to political divisiveness as surely as it would be to bullies. While it is true that the meanings of words evolve over time and that nicknames that were once seen as acceptable may grow unacceptable (such as the NFL's Washington Redskins), the Millionaires should not only be preserved the nickname should be embraced because it keeps a part of Berkshire history alive."

But the newspaper quoted state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli as saying, "I find it somewhat embarrassing, a running joke here in the Statehouse."

As for Lee, he said he has no preference.

"I think my interest really is just making sure that anyone who might have a voice or opinion about this gets a chance to express it," he said, "and also that if our students are feeling like the time is right for a change or that they don't think our current team name represents their identity, I want to make sure they are able to communicate that in a way that is respectful and also that their message is heard, and heard in a way that is respectful."
Donald Trump's encounter with Russian leader Vladimir Putin is raising concern among veteran American diplomats and analysts about a mismatch between a U.S. president new to global affairs and a wily former Soviet spymaster experienced in the long game of strategy and statecraft.

Their highly anticipated meeting this week at the Group of 20 summit promises to set the tone for the next four years of U.S.-Russia relations. Putin -- who has been president or prime minister of Russia since 1999 -- has used his first face-to-face meetings with prior presidents to try to gain the upper hand.

A range of global issues hang in the balance, including continuing sanctions against Russia, checking Putin's expansionist policies in the Ukraine, halting North Korea's nuclear weapons programs, managing frictions over Syria and Iran and preventing Russian interference in U.S. and European elections.

Any meeting between the two will highlight their very different approaches to personal diplomacy. Putin has shown himself to be a skillful, focused tactician who carefully prepares and is not easily distracted from his goals. Trump is known to shun preparation and instead go with his gut, placing great faith in what he believes to be an ability to read the person sitting across from him. In the case of Putin, who is trained in deception, this could be difficult to do -- especially if the Russian leader tries to disarm Trump with praise.

Putin is "professionally prepared to try to manipulate people," said William Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia under Republican President George W. Bush and now president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "He will come well-equipped, and it's important that we do that too."

The White House confirmed Tuesday the meeting is set for Friday afternoon and will be a "normal bilateral meeting," without commenting further. The two leaders are expected to cover a range of issues in the meeting, which is expected to last about 30 minutes. Trump departed Washington on Wednesday for Warsaw, where he will meet with eastern European nations that seek to thwart Russia's use of its energy exports as leverage against them.

Trump hasn't ruled out raising concerns about cybersecurity and Russian election meddling, which have increased tension in the relationship, according to a U.S. official familiar with the preparations.

The U.S. views hacking and meddling both defensively in terms of what the U.S. is doing to protect itself, and offensively in terms of whether and how the U.S. should retaliate to prevent future interference, the official said. Trump wouldn't detail those considerations in the bilateral meeting, the official added.

Both sides played down expectations of concrete achievements, portraying the meeting mostly as a chance for the two leaders to take the measure of each other. Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said in a June 29 briefing the U.S. was approaching the meeting with "no specific agenda" while a Russian official said the leaders will focus on the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, the fight against terrorism and Russian requests that the U.S. return diplomatic property President Barack Obama seized in retaliation for election meddling.

For Putin, the meeting represents an effort to get relations with the U.S. back on track after fallout from the 2016 U.S. presidential election stymied progress with Trump's team and fueled anti-Russia sentiment among Americans and members of Congress.

"I'm counting on Putin's enormous experience in international contacts and building personal relationships with world leaders, which is something that he has always been successful in," said Frants Klintsevich, deputy head of the defense committee in Russia's upper house of parliament.

Trump may also get some advice from Putin about how to stand up to officials and bureaucrats who try to rein in his impulses and ideas, a theme that the Russian president has warmed to in recent weeks. Speaking to a small group of reporters in St. Petersburg last month, Putin said that "specialists and analysts" will always tell leaders that difficult things can't be done.

"But to say, 'No, I don't agree, that's wrong, I will do it differently' -- you need to have great internal courage," Putin said.

From Russians' perspective, expectations are low but the meeting must go forward, said Andrey Kortunov, director general of the Russian International Affairs Council, a research group set up by the Kremlin. "Anything short of a complete failure would be regarded as success because for the Russian side it's important to show to the domestic constituency but also to the outside world, that we've hit a tipping point, we've reached the bottom" and can begin moving back toward a "more stable" relationship, Kortunov said.

Trump has been hobbled at home by investigations into Russian election interference, ties between Russia and Trump campaign associates and his firing of FBI Director James Comey. The U.S. has yet to hand back over to Russia the two diplomatic compounds taken by the Obama administration after the election. Congress also is pushing legislation to bolster sanctions against Russia despite Trump's opposition.

On paper, an American president holds more cards heading into a meeting with Russia. The U.S. has the larger economy and military and more allies. But Putin is a veteran of geopolitics with a wealth of experience handling his global counterparts. Bush looked in Putin's eyes and thought he saw a "sense of his soul." Obama dismissed Putin as a bored, slouching kid in the back of the classroom. Both were wrong.

"I'm very worried that the United States could be out-gamed," said Evelyn Farkas, a former deputy assistant defense secretary for Russia and Ukraine during the Obama administration and now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Trump "seems susceptible to praise and flattery, and Putin seems to very much understand our president's psychology."

Meanwhile, Trump's early optimism about resetting relations with other world leaders has run up against Realpolitik. After holding back on trade tariffs against China in the belief that President Xi Jinping would crack down on North Korea in a way he hadn't for Obama, Trump has in recent weeks publicly expressed disappointment in Xi and concluded it was time to threaten more financial pressure. Trump was charmed by King Salman of Saudi Arabia only to find their bond used as Saudi leverage against Qatar.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a California Republican, dismissed the risk of Trump getting played, saying, "Obama, Bush, Clinton all got it wrong. So you can't possibly do any worse. Putin's a bad guy. We know Putin's game now. We know exactly what he's up to."

Kortunov said Putin probably can't offer much to Trump in terms of concessions, but there could be some opportunities as long as the U.S. has flexibility and understands that talks are a two-way street. Regarding Syria, he said Assad is "not a sacred cow" for Russia but Putin wants the U.S. to take a more balanced approach to Iran. On North Korea, Russia wants the U.S. to avoid unilateral actions, particularly military ones, that could lead to a conflict.

Putin's government understands that "Russia remains toxic and definitely it will be used against President Trump by his political opponents back at home," Kortunov said. "Any progress is likely to be very slow and very selective."

Yet how Trump handles Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. election will shape perceptions of the two leaders' relationship in the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. president has yet to campaign publicly for an aggressive federal response to Russian election interference, sensitive to any notion it could undercut the perceived legitimacy of his win.

Rep, Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, cast Trump's handling of the issue in the meeting as a test of his mettle.

"The president needs to confront Putin on the Russian intervention in our elections, and we will not accept it in any way if he just sweeps it under the rug," Schiff said. "I'm afraid the message Putin will take away is that he doesn't have the courage to stand up to him."

Russian efforts to manipulate elections are also a major concern throughout Europe and governments there want Trump to make clear to Putin that interference anywhere is unacceptable, said one Western European official.

But the most Putin and Trump may be able to agree on is an agenda for the two countries to pursue in coming months and a follow-up meeting, perhaps on the margins of a summit of Asian and Pacific leaders in November, said Thomas Graham, a former senior White House aide under Bush.

This first meeting should be short with a plan for future meetings, Nunes said. "You'd be wasting your time to sit there and have Putin lecture you for four hours," he said. "I don't think Trump's going to sit there and drink vodka with him. The president needs to put our most important issues on the table."

---

Bloomberg's Gregory L. White, Toluse Olorunnipa and John Fraher contributed.
BEIJING - The Trump administration has called for "global action" on North Korea, but as concern about the July 4 missile test and its aftermath deepens, the world's biggest players, the United States and China, are at odds about what to do next.

Tuesday's launch was a display of the North's longest-reaching weapon yet - an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range that experts say covers Alaska.

Before his inauguration, President Donald Trump said North Korea's plan to develop an ICBM capable of hitting the United States "won't happen" and he has since repeatedly talked tough on the issue. His main strategy to stop it counted on help from Beijing, the North's financial lifeline.

But with the risk of armed conflict on the rise and Kim Jong Un taunting him, Trump must now craft a new strategy amid deep divisions.

In the wake of Tuesday's test, China and Russia issued a joint statement condemning North Korea and calling for what they called a "double suspension," a plan that would see the United States and South Korea suspend joint military exercises and North Korea suspend weapons testing.

But by early Wednesday morning, Asia time, U.S. and South Korean forces were firing missiles of their own, conducting joint military exercises that U.S. Pacific Command cast as a show of "ironclad" resolve - but seemed sure to rile Beijing.

Trump then took to twitter, appearing to blame China for failing to tighten the economic noose. "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try," he tweeted without elaborating on the trade statistic.

Chinese data released in April showed China's trade with the North grew 37.4 percent during the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2016. China said then that overall trade grew even as it complied with U.N. sanctions and stopped buying North Korean coal.

Trump's annoyance with China makes it even less likely he would consider the Beijing-Moscow plan, analysts said.

Daniel Pinkston, a lecturer in international relations at Troy University in Seoul, said he saw no chance the United States and South Korea would agree to halt joint exercises, especially after the North's latest missile test. "It's a non-starter, it's just not going to happen," he said.

Deng Yuwen, a Beijing-based expert on North Korea, sees a growing divide between the positions of the United States, South Korea and Japan, on one hand, and China and Russia on the other.

"Two opposing blocs have been formed," he said.

The missile the Kim regime launched Friday had been in the works for years. It flew higher and remained in the air longer than previous attempts, in what experts called a milestone for North Korea

South Korean authorities described the North's test as a two-stage missile with a range of about 4,300 to 5,000 miles - enough to reach Alaska and other parts of North America.

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo said there is high probability that Pyongyang will stage another nuclear test. He also noted gains in its efforts to miniaturize a warhead - both steps toward developing nuclear-tipped weapons capable of hitting the mainland United States.

North Korean state media carried gleeful descriptions of the test. Official accounts had Kim "feasting his eyes" on the ICBM.

"With a broad smile on his face," he urged scientists to send more "big and small 'gift packages'" to the Americans, in time for Independence Day, according to North Korea state press.

Kim was quoted as saying that the "protracted showdown with the U.S. imperialists has reached its final phase."

On the other side of the fortified line separating the two Koreas since the 1950s, senior U.S. and South Korean military officials warned that North Korea's actions threatened peace.

"Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war," Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, and Gen. Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement.

Trump hoped to head off all these problems. Since becoming president, he has focused his efforts - and his tweets - on getting Beijing to pressure Pyongyang.

The plan took shape during talks in April with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, where the leaders appeared to put aside differences in the name of cooperation on North Korea and trade.

In recent weeks, there have been signs that Trump is frustrated with China's progress. On June 21, he tweeted: "It has not worked out."

On Tuesday, as news of the North Korean test broke, but before the missile was confirmed to be an ICBM, the president vented again. "Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," he wrote.

"Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

China, in turn, is frustrated by Trump's public scoldings and worried about his changing plans.

"The international community has no solutions," said Song Xiaojun, who used to run a government-linked military magazine. "The U.S. wants to transfer the burdens to China."

Li Bin, a senior fellow at Beijing's Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, cautioned that any move by the United States or its allies is likely to renew Chinese fears that Washington is tackling North Korea to bolster its regional power and contain China's rise.

Both foreign and Chinese experts seemed perplexed that the United States still did not seem focused on talks with the Kim regime.

"The first obvious step is talking to them. That's just kind of Diplomacy 101," said John Delury, an assistant professor at Seoul's Yonsei University.

"Obama didn't do enough about that, either," he added. "There has been a severe drought of talking at a high level with North Koreans."

---

The Washington Post's Dan Lamothe in Washington, and Shirley Feng, Luna Lin and Yang Liu in Beijing contributed to this report.
Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC)  which is in charge of regulating private media companies in Egypt  said on Wednesday that it has filed a case with the public prosecution against Al-Hayat TV network for issuing dud cheques days after the network's channels were taken off the air for not paying their arrears for over a year.

Al-Hayat network, which has been operating since 2008 and runs six channels, was taken off the air on Monday by the EMPC for not paying its arrears, which are estimated at EGP 19.9 million and $75,000, the EMPC said in a statement on Wednesday.

One day after being taken off the air, Al-Hayat started broadcasting from outside Egypt.

Al-Hayat issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the shutting down of its broadcast is an unprecedented and unexpected move.

Al-Hayat questioned the reason behind the EMPC's decision to take such "abnormal and retaliatory action" against Al-Hayat, yet failing to do the same against other channels that are in deeper debt.

The network added that it had sent cheques to pay off part of its debt on 2 July, which should have resulted in its channels being put back on the air on 3 July.

The EMPC, however, says that Al-Hayats cheques were not valid, and dismissed the network's claim that other channels in debt were treated differently, saying Al-Hayat delayed payment of its arrears for over one year, unlike other channels.

The EMPC added that Al-Hayat's capability to broadcast from outside of Egypt so quickly shows that the channel is in good financial status, which demonstrates its "lack of seriousness in solving the problem" of its outstanding debt.

[The EMPC] would never want to shut down a channel, as we are interested in increasing the number of operating channels. We therefore support serious channels when they encounter obstacles, but we can never accept [non-payment of what we are owed].

The decision to halt the broadcasting came following the media complexs undertaking of all legal and peaceful measures with the network and granting it more than one deadline for payment, the EMPC said on Monday.

The board of directors of Al-Hayat network is chaired by wealthy businessman El-Sayed El-Badawy, who is also president of the Wafd Party.

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The family of a 38-year-old man fatally shot last year by two Houston police officers demanded Wednesday that his autopsy and other investigative material be turned over to them.

At a press conference in front of the Harris County Criminal Courthouse, widow Nikki Braziel said she wants to know what grand jurors were told before they decided last week to clear the two officers of any wrongdoing in the death of Alva Braziel.

"We are demanding justice," she said. "We are demanding that all my husband's paperwork be released to me."

Flanked by a dozen protesters, Nikki Braziel and others said they want to all the evidence in the July 9, 2016 shooting, including a toxicology report that would show whether Alva Braziel had PCP or other drugs in his system.

The Houston Chronicle requested a copy of the autopsy and toxicology reports on Aug. 9, 2016, one month after the shooting. The request was denied  and affirmed by the Texas Attorney General's Office  because the Harris County District Attorney's Office indicated there was a pending criminal investigation, one of several discretionary exceptions to the Texas Open Records Act.

The Chronicle made a second request Friday after prosecutors indicated the officers would not be charged. The district attorney's office and the county attorney's office both agreed Wednesday that the records can now be released, but the Harris County medical examiner's still did not release them by the end of business on Wednesday.

Alva Braziel was killed about 12:40 a.m. as he was waving a gun in the middle of Cullen Boulevard.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting led Mayor Sylvester Turner to order the release of 18 minutes of video footage collected from nearby surveillance cameras and the officers' body cameras.

The surveillance video captured the incident from afar. It was enlarged to show Braziel holding his hands in the air as the police vehicle rolls up and stops.

That, Nikki Braziel, means he was not pointing the gun at the officers.

"Hands up! Don't shoot!" she and the other protesters chanted Wednesday.

The police body cameras were not turned on until after the shooting, but showed the officers approaching Braziel on the street with a gun in his hand. The officers can be heard telling another officer that they thought he was trying to wave them down until he pointed a gun at them.

Last week's decision by a Harris County grand jury to not indict the officers was the second time the case had gone before grand jurors. The first time, the family said they were not given an opportunity to tell the grand jury their side of the story.

The family also complained Wednesday that grand jury proceedings are secret, so they do not know what was said. They said the law should be changed to be more transparent.

Andrew Kragie contributed to this report.
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a Mission man to spend 12 years in prison for his role in a drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracy that involved purchases of quarter horses and South Texas real estate.

Manuel Villarreal Garcia, 41, had pleaded guilty to money laundering and drug conspiracy charges as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. His sister married into a family in Mexico that was involved in drug trafficking and Villarreal used a U.S. trucking company to help them distribute the drugs, prosecutors alleged.
A San Antonio woman was found dead on a beach at Padre Island National Seashore over the weekend.

Julianne Julie Elizabeth Shaw, 59, may have been the victim of a possible drowning, according to a Padre Island National Seashore news release. It was unclear if authorities are still waiting for autopsy results to determine the official cause and manner of Shaws death.

RELATED: Alamo Heights HS graduate, mother killed in rollover crash

Shaws body was found Saturday at Malaquite Beach. No further details were available Monday from the Kleberg County Sheriffs Office or from Padre Island National Seashores office.

Shaws husband, Jeffrey Akins, told the San Antonio Express-News that Shaw took a trip to the beach by herself Saturday morning. No one saw anything, he said of his wifes death. It appears  something happened when she was out in the water.

pohare@express-news.net
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Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain said in a joint statement on Wednesday that Qatar has displayed "complacency and a lack of seriousness" in response to the four countries demands that Qatar stop backing terrorism and interfering in the affairs of neighbouring countries.

The foreign ministers of the four countries met in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the recent developments of the diplomatic situation with Qatar after receiving the Gulf countrys response to their list of demands.

Last month, the four countries cut ties and trade links with the tiny oil-rich state over Qatars alleged support of terrorist groups and its relationship with Iran.

Qatar denies supporting terrorists and has defended its close ties with Iran.

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said at a press conference following the meeting that another meeting is set to take place in Bahrain soon to discuss the issue.

The deadline for Qatar to comply with a list of 13 demands by the four countries expired on Wednesday.

Shoukry told reporters at the press conference that Dohas response to the demands was negative and failed to indicate that Qatar is retreating from its policies.

Shoukry said that Doha's response reflects a failure to realise the gravity of the situation or meet the concerns of the Arab countries involved in the dispute.

Shoukry added that Doha must adopt six principles to end the diplomatic crisis: a commitment to combating terrorism; stopping incitement and hateful rhetoric; full compliance with two agreements signed in Riyadh in 2013 and 2014 that outline how Qatar should end its row with the Gulf states; conforming to agreements reached during the Arab Islamic American Summit held in Riyadh in May; and non-interference in the affairs of other Arab countries or international efforts to fight terrorism.

Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that Qatar was interested in "destruction, incitement, extremism and terrorism," rather than in good neighbourly relations.

Saudi FM Adel Al-Jubeir said that no benefit could result from Qatari cooperation with Iran, which he described as an isolated country.

Following the Arab countries cutting of ties with Qatar, Iran declared that it is ready to provide the Gulf country with food supplies.

Al-Jubeir also said that Turkey is currently neutral in regards to the row between Qatar and the Arab countries, adding that he hopes this situation will not change.

Following the eruption of the diplomatic conflict with Qatar, Turkey declared that it would provide Qatar with food supplies and would send extra soldiers to its military base in the Gulf state.

The four Arab countries have demanded that Qatar shut down the Turkish military base in the country, which they consider a form of foreign interference in the region.

The Arab states issued the 13-point list of demands two weeks ago, giving Qatar 10 days to comply.

The deadline was later extended by 48 hours at the request of Kuwait, which has been acting as a mediator since the beginning of the crisis.

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A man who appeared before Longford District Court last week charged under the Theft & Fraud Offences Act had his case adjourned to allow for a Probation Report to be furnished to the court.

Sean Kemp, Room 323, Judge Darleys B&B, Parkgate Street, Dublin 1 appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes charged with stealing a wallet containing 50 from a car at Hibernian Court, Longford on April 5, 2015.

He was also further charged with stealing two laptops, an iPhone 6 and 2,800 in cash at 2 Oaklands Drive, Longford on April 4, 2015.

Outlining the evidence to the court, Inspector Tom Colsh said that on the date in question, the defendant met up with another party.

The court was told that the pair subsequently entered a house at Oaklands, Longford and proceeded to steal an iPhone, laptop and nearly 3,000 in cash.

The iPhone and laptops were later recovered during a search but the cash was never found, the Inspector added.

The court then heard that on another date, the defendant smashed the window of a car and stole 50 from the vehicle.

This, money was never recovered either, the court was told.

The court then heard that the defendant had 58 previous convictions - 29 of which were under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act - and was currently before Longford Circuit Court on separate matters.

In mitigation, the defendants solicitor, Frank Gearty said that a Probation Report in respect of his client would be furnished to Longford Circuit Court on November 14 next.

He then asked Judge Hughes to wait to determine sentencing until that report was received by the court.

He has been making great progress in recent months which has been subject to supervision by the Probation Service, he added.

The Court has already given him a chance and he is engaging in a residential course as well now.

Addressing Judge Hughes, the defendant said that he was unable to get residential help for his drug addiction until now because he was required to be taking no more than 30mg of methadone a day to gain access to a residential course.

I was on 80 mg of methadone and bit by bit I got it down to 30 mg which is what I am on now, he added.

Now that I am down to that, I will get onto the residential course.

Mr Gearty also told the court that if his client was afforded an opportunity to make amends, he would endeavour to address compensation in respect of the matters before the district court.

During his deliberations , Judge Hughes said he was faced with a dilemma.

My problem is how to stop this man from burglary to feed his filthy, dirty, rotten habit , the Judge fumed.

The people like the Hutches and the Kinahans are laughing at the likes of you Mr Kemp and you see for yourself that they never appear before the courts.

You are an example of what drugs do to people, especially young people.

The Judge said he would wait to see the Probation Report and allow the defendant time to get set up on the residential course before determining the matters before him.

The case was subsequently adjourned until November 14 next to allow for the Probation Report to be furnished to the courts.
The Government has given the go ahead to reinforce Longford's allocation of special needs assistants ahead of the new school year.

In total, approximately 111 full time SNAs will be allocated to first, second level and special schools in Longford from September.

The figure represents an increase of six compared to the same period last year.

Local Fine Gael Deputy, Peter Burke said the announcement underlined the Government's commitment to ensure that all children with special educational needs can maximise their potential.

"SNAs play a hugely important role for children who need extra help and in many cases, allow students to access mainstream school where otherwise it would not be possible," he said.

His government colleague and constituency counterpart, Independent Alliance TD Kevin 'Boxer' Moran said the decision was made to ensure those children who require SNA support are suitably accommodated.

"This will ensure that children with special educational needs may be enrolled and take up their places in September," he commented.

For more on this story, see next week's Longford Leader.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: July 03 2017

Mark Lichtner, 60, has allegedly placed hundreds of sexually explicit calls from a blocked telephone number to numerous young women over the past several years.

SCPD arrested Mark Lichtner of Long Beach, 60, who stalked a 22-year-old Amity Harbor, NY, woman for more than two years.

Lynbrook, NY - July 3, 2017 - Suffolk County Police on Friday, June 30, 2017 at approximately 8:40 a.m. arrested a Suffolk County Police on Friday, June 30, 2017 at approximatelyarrested a Long Beach , NY, man who stalked a 22-year-old Amity Harbor, NY, woman for more than two years.

First Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an investigation after a female victim reported that a man had been repeatedly calling her from a blocked number. During the calls, which happened often and were sexual in nature, the man would make comments about her appearance and he provided details about her daily activities. The details were so specific the victim believed the suspect was physically stalking her.

During a thorough investigation, SCPD Crime Section Officers James Johnson and Brian Raleigh identified the caller as Mark Lichtner, 60, formerly of 44th Street in Manhattan, and placed him under arrest in Lynbrook , NY, at approximately 8:40 a.m. Lichtner, who now resides in Long Beach, NY, was charged with Stalking 4th Degree and Stalking 3rd Degree.

During the investigation, officers discovered Lichtner is a suspect in a similar incident that occurred in Manhattan that the New York Police Department 17th Precinct is investigating. It was also determined the suspect has placed hundreds of sexually explicit calls from a blocked telephone number to numerous young women in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New York and other jurisdictions over the past several years.

The suspect located his victims by doing random Facebook searches of young womens public profiles. He then made explicit and inappropriate phone calls to the victims based on information he garnered from their posts. Police urge members of the public to be cautious with content they post publicly on social media.

Officers believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with additional information or individuals who believe they may be a victim is asked to contact the First Precinct Crime Section at (631) 854-8150.

Lichtner was held at the First Precinct and was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip , NY, on July 1.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: July 05 2017

Officials: William Seeger of Eastport, 47, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was admitted for treatment of serious injuries.

SCPD are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously injured a bicyclist in East Moriches.

East Moriches, NY - July 5, 2017 - Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously injured a bicyclist in Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at approximately 7:50 a.m. Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously injured a bicyclist in East Moriches on

William Seeger was riding a bicycle northbound on Locust Avenue, attempting to make a left turn onto Montauk Highway, when he was struck by a 2010 Toyota Prius that was also northbound on Locust Avenue attempting to turn left onto Montauk Highway at approximately 7:50 a.m.

Seeger, 47, of Eastport , New York, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was admitted for treatment of serious, non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Toyota, John Gannon, 52, of East Moriches, who was alone in his vehicle, was not injured.
US President Donald Trump stressed to Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in a phone call on Wednesday the need for constructive negotiation between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, the White House said.

Trump also called on all "the countries to follow through on their commitments at the Riyadh summit to stop terrorist financing and discredit extremist ideology."

Cairo hosted on Wednesday a meeting of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arabia Emirates to discuss the diplomatic situation with Qatar.

The Arab FMs said in a statement that Qatars response to their 13-point list of demands displays complacency and a lack of seriousness.

The White House statement added that the two presidents discussed recent developments regarding the threat posed by North Korea.

Trump stressed the need for countries to fully implement UN security resolutions on North Korea and to stop hosting North Korean guest workers, as well as isolate the country economically and militarily.

Egypt is currently a member of the UN Security Council.

On Tuesday, North Korea held a military test for its new intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in the sea near Japan.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed with a US congressional delegation on Wednesday in Cairo the latest developments in the Middle East region, the Egyptian presidency announced.

The delegation, which had Democrat and Republican congressmen, was led by Republican congressman Jeff Dunham.

The Egyptian president expressed during the meeting Egypt's keenness on working to upgrade Egyptian-American strategic relations in all fields in the upcoming period.

El-Sisi also spoke about Egypt's political and economic reforms, as well as the latest developments in the war on terrorism in the Middle East and other challenges in the region.

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MARTINSVILLE-Just like the dinosaurs, the Virginia Museum of Natural Historys Dino Festival is going to be larger than life, according to Dr. Alex Hastings.

For the first time, the annual event will take place across two days, July 21 and July 22. On Friday, the event will last from 3 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, it will last from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m.

We are pulling out all the stops, said Hastings, the museums assistant curator of paleontology. Weve got a whole new exhibit thats opening that day. Everyone will get to see our new exhibit Dinosaurs: Reign of the Giants for the first time on Dino Day.

The event will also feature vendors, exhibitors and fun activities for kids, such as a Dino Dig Pit, dino tattoos, face-painting and balloon animals.

Its all focused on dinosaurs, Hastings said. The big new pieces are two full-size skeletons. One is a stegosaurus and one is a triceratops. This triceratops is probably the biggest triceratops skeleton Ive ever seen. Around that, were going to have a lot of the real fossils that we have in our collections here at the museum, not only stegosaurus and triceratops, but also Tyrannosaurus rex and the big sauropods, or long-necked dinosaurs.

The new stegosaurus was recently donated to the museum by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Hastings said.

Were really lucky to have this, he said. It will have a new home here in Martinsville. Its a full skeleton, and its nice because its mounted in the correct position. For a long time, they had stegosaurus with the tail dragging on the ground. That just doesnt make sense biologically; it doesnt work at all. But this is one with the tail up, which is correct.

This stegosaurus is a rare example with throat plates attached, Hastings added. Stegosaurus had armor plates in the skin of its throat to protect from predators attempting to bite its neck. A lot of times, he said, those plates are not included on skeletons.

The event will also feature a truly enormous triceratops skeleton, along with a newly-cast triceratops skull.

The museum will also be unveiling, for the first time, an exceptionally rare piece that has never before been displayed publicly: A triceratops fossil with bite marks from a Tyrannosaurus rex.

People will get to see the evidence of a fight between T-Rex and triceratops, Hastings said. It is an unbelievably rare piece. Its really one-of-a-kind worldwide. As a frame of reference, last year a Japanese documentary crew came over here specifically to see this fossil. Thats how rare this is. That was produced only for Japan, but it was worth it for them to come to Martinsville, Virginia to see it.

Other attractions will include an animatronic T-Rex in the lobby; a sand pit where youngsters can re-enact the meteor strike that ended the age of dinosaurs; and public presentations intended for general audiences. Hastings will offer a presentation on the museums fieldwork in Wyoming last summer digging up dinosaurs, while a professor from Appalachian State University will offer a presentation on specific evidence of fights between dinosaurs.

Some activities will be different between the two days, so if you want to go to both, youre not going to see exactly the same things, Hastings said.

Tickets to the Dino Festival are $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-18. VMNH members and children under the age of three are admitted free.

For more information, call (276)-634-4141 or visit vmnh.net.
RIDGEWAY-It started eight years ago, when Pelin Yirmibesoglu and her two sisters went on a tour of Infinity Acres. The three sisters, who live in Istanbul, Turkey, were in Martinsville visiting their grandmother when she suggested the family go visit the Ridgeway ranch. Now the girls have made it an annual tradition, not just visiting the ranch but helping with the Animal Adventure Camp.

According to 18-year-old Pelin, their mother, Marianne Yirmibesoglu, is originally from Martinsville, while their father, Sefer Korhan, is from Turkey.

Before she and her sisters were even born, Pelin said, her parents worked out an arrangement: If they were to live in Istanbul, the children would have to come to America once a year and attend college in America in order to experience both cultures.

Since then, Pelin said, she and her two sisters, 16-year-old Ela Mae and 13-year-old Aylin Bridget, have come to Martinsville every summer to stay with their grandmother, Marie-Bernice Downey, and visit their cousins.

Eight years ago, Pelin said, their grandmother took them on a tour of Infinity Acres, the non-profit ranch in Ridgeway which offers tours and animal-based activities for children and people with special needs. It didnt take long for the young women to fall in love with the ranchs menagerie of animals and the following year, they attended the ranchs Animal Adventure Camp, a week-long program where young people aged 7 to 17 can interact with horses, llamas, goats, alpacas, and other critters, and also take part in activities like fishing and making crafts.

Seven years later, Pelin said, they now schedule their annual trip to America around the Animal Adventure Camp.

Its been great having them every year, said Laura Steere, who owns Infinity Acres with her husband, Rick Steere. Its been so exciting seeing them grow up from little girls to beautiful young ladies. Last year, their mom was over, and we always have a little social time when she comes to visit. I said, Its been so exciting seeing all the changes. She said, Well, do you realize what impact youve had on my childrens whole childhood? I never thought of it like that.

Everyone has a favorite activity at the camp. Pelin said that her favorite activity is horseback riding.

I like catching crawdads in the creek, Ela Mae said. Thats so fun.

I like the pond where we go swimming, Aylin said.

And the snacks, she added.

A change of pace

It is safe to say that Henry County, Virginia offers a big change of pace from Istanbul, Turkey.

For one thing, its just a bit smaller, with 51,881 people. As of Jan. 1, 2017, Istanbul had a population of 14.8 million. Turkey straddles eastern Europe and western Asia. Istanbul is a transcontinental city. Half of the city is in Europe and half is in Asia.

Because of the large population, people are densely packed in Istanbul and tend to live in apartment complexes.

Id fall asleep to my upstairs neighbor playing the piano, Ela Mae said. Thankfully, he plays well.

Theres also a difference when it comes to traffic. Istanbul is ranked in the Top 20 in the world, when it comes to traffic density. There are more drivers out on the street than even Los Angeles. That makes for a different experience when the girls arrive each year in Henry County.

One thing I like about Martinsville and my grandmothers house is that I can walk outside barefoot, Ela Mae added. I cant do that in Istanbul. All big cities are like that. I wouldnt walk barefoot in New York, either.

All three sisters agreed on their favorite difference between Istanbul and Henry County: The quiet.

Its so relaxing here, Pelin said. Its quiet. Where we live, its not as much.

All three sisters are still in school in Istanbul. Schools operate a bit differently in Turkey, Pelin said.

In eighth grade, you have to take an exam, like the SAT but for high school, she said. And all the high schools are graded, so if you get a better grade, you go to a better high school. Its very competitive.

Different schools teach in different languages, Pelin said. For example, she wanted to learn Spanish, but as there are no Spanish-speaking schools in Istanbul, she decided to go to an Italian-speaking school. Shes about to enter her fifth of five years at the school, she said. The first year was devoted to teaching the students how to read and speak Italian. The remaining four years are what we typically think of when it comes to high school: Math, science, literature, biology, chemistry, physics and so forth.

Except its all in Italian.

As a result, Pelin is now trilingual, fluent in Italian, Turkish and English. Ela Mae and Aylin both speak Turkish and English, and Ela Mae is in the process of learning German; shes wanted to learn German since she was little, she said, because her father speaks it.

Two years ago, Pelin said, her parents purchased a home in Roanoke, and once Ela Mae graduates from high school, the family plans to move back to the United States. As the girls are all U.S. citizens, these plans will not be impacted by the travel ban that the Supreme Court recently approved on a limited basis. Also, Turkey is not included as one of the countries covered by the ban. That list only includes travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

As soon as she graduates next year, Pelin said, she will likely be the first to come back to Virginia, as she is hoping to attend college in the state. Her top three choices are UVa, Virginia Tech and George Mason.

The young women are looking forward to experiencing more of what the U.S. has to offer.

I want to see what its like living here all year, Ela Mae said. I know what the summer is like, but whats it going to be like when school starts?

They arent the only ones who are excited.

For his wife Laura, Rick Steere said, its like Christmas morning when she knows these girls are coming.

Animal Adventure Camp runs July 10 through July 14, and there are still a few slots available. To register or for more information, call (276)-358-2378 or visit infinityacres.org.
The memoir includes descriptions of how a 2014 motorcycle accident left him in a coma with a dozen broken bones

A La Crosse author has acknowledged he falsified most of the claims in his self-published memoir.

Tristan Szente's memoir, "Becoming Me ... Again: A True Story," includes descriptions of how a 2014 motorcycle accident left him in a coma with a dozen broken bones, a concussion and second-degree burns.

He wrote that a doctor told him when he woke from his coma that the authorities were trying to find the person who hit him and two police officers interviewed him.

He also described how he defeated a rare brain virus that doctors said would kill him.

The La Crosse Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/2tEsS7n ) Friday that police have no record of an accident involving Szente and have no record of any contact with him in 2014 or the surrounding years. No one called 911 on the day of the crash to report it and ambulance records show no crash victim was transported to a hospital.

Szente told the newspaper he was involved in a motorcycle crash in 2014 or 2015 but didn't report it and sought medical help days later for a concussion, burns and cuts. He declined to release his medical records but acknowledged that the hospital scene he described never took place.

He also told the newspaper he was never diagnosed with a brain virus.

"I wanted to write something positive. I foolishly and wrongfully let it get out of hand," he said. "I just kept writing. I'm sorry. I should never have done it."

Szente self-published his book through Rosedog Books and it was previously priced between $9 to $10 on Amazon.com, though it was not immediately known how many he sold. He broke his contract in April and chose to remove the book from print, saying he wanted to make substantial changes and re-publish later, Rosedog Books spokesman Michael Knapp told the Tribune.

A message seeking comment was left with Rosedog Books by The Associated Press on Monday.

Szente said he removed the book from publication because it was becoming a distraction but later added the falsifications could also be a reason for ending publication.

Oprah Winfrey threw author James Frey out of her book club in 2006 after he acknowledged fabricating parts of his memoir "A Million Little Pieces."

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To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Agreement, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, jointly launched a set of two $50 commemorative polymer notes at a ceremony held at the Singapore Istana on 5 July 2017. The set comprised of one Brunei Darussalam $50 note and one Singapore $50 note.



In celebration of this milestone, one million pieces of Brunei Darussalam $50 and two million pieces of Singapore $50 commemorative notes were made available for public exchange at face value.



Banks in Brunei Darussalam and Singapore also co-distributed a set of two commemorative notes  one Brunei Darussalam $50 note and one Singapore $50 note. In addition, 5 types of limited edition numismatic note sets were available for purchase:

Identical Numbered Notes Set.

Singapore 3-in-1 Uncut Sheet.

Brunei 3-in-1.

Brunei 8-in-1.

Brunei 40-in-1 Uncut Sheet.

Refer to the table to find out the details about the Singapore sets.

Type Description Quantity (Pcs/Sets) Issue Price (S$) Identical Numbered Notes Set Contains one Brunei Darussalam $50 commemorative note and one Singapore $50 commemorative note. Both notes share the same serial numbers and special prefix 'CIA'. 5,000 300.00 Singapore 3-in-1 Uncut Sheet An uncut sheet of three Singapore $50 commemorative notes. 3,000 400.00

Watch the video to find out more about the 50th anniversary commemorative and numismatic notes.
By Stephanie Murray, State House News Service

SPRINGFIELD -- Smith & Wesson plans by summer's end to acquire a company that makes firearm suppressors -- an "opportunistic" move it says will help it expand into a growing market as states across the country legalize gun suppressors for consumers.

The Springfield manufacturer, a branch of American Outdoor Brands Corp., announced Monday it will acquire Gemini Technologies Inc. The Idaho company known as Gemtech manufactures "high quality suppressors and accessories for the consumer, law enforcement, and military markets."

James Debney, president and CEO of American Outdoor Brands, said Gemtech will be an "excellent fit" with the company's long-term strategy.

"Gemtech is widely recognized for producing some of the finest rifle and pistol suppressors in the market. Gemtech's strong product development capabilities, combined with our experience in brand management and our manufacturing expertise, will help us to efficiently develop both firearms and suppressors, minimizing our time to market for both product categories," Debney said in a statement. "We view this acquisition as opportunistic, allowing us to enter the suppressor category, which resonates strongly with our core firearm consumer, at a time when the market is particularly soft."

Massachusetts consumers would not be among those purchasing gun suppressors from Smith & Wesson. The commonwealth is one of eight states that does not allow consumers to use suppressors and one of 10 that bans them for hunting, according to the American Suppressor Association. Only law enforcement officers and manufacturers may handle gun suppressors in Massachusetts.

A suppressor has a larger volume than the barrel of a gun, so the hot gas from the ignited gunpowder that pushes the bullet forward has more space to expand in the suppressor. The gas is under less pressure and makes less noise when the bullet exits a gun through a suppressor rather than just the barrel.

The Gun Owner's Action League of Massachusetts, a group that advocates for consumer gun rights, called firearm suppressors the "hearing protection of the 21st century" for sportsmen across the country.

"By decreasing the overall sound signature, suppressors help to preserve the hearing of recreational shooters and hunters. It also can help to mitigate noise complaints from those who live near shooting ranges and hunting land," the Gun Owner's Action League said in a statement.

Several Beacon Hill lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have filed bills to allow Massachusetts consumers to purchase and use gun suppressors.

Rep. Josh Cutler filed H.763, Sen. Michael Moore filed S.1340, Sen. Donald Humason filed S.1317. Moore and Rep. Paul Frost filed H.789.

Last year, Humason filed S.1271, which would have allowed consumers to own gun suppressors. The bill was reported favorably by the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee in March 2016. No further action was taken.

Humason, of Westfield, also spoke to the gun suppressor issue last year during a legislative session that took up an illegal hunting bill. Humason withdrew a gun suppressor amendment he filed at that time with the promise that the Senate would revisit the issue.

"Our minds automatically think of James Bond and silencers used by assassins to perpetuate evil deeds. That is not what this is about. Maybe this is something we should get to at another time. It would be a very good amendment for business owners here in Massachusetts where there is a company that manufactures these suppressors. This would be helpful to quiet the sound of those hunting or shooting activities so as to not bother those who do not enjoy hunting like we do," Humason said.

Jim Wallace, the executive director of the Gun Owner's Action League of Massachusetts, said he's hopeful that the state will pass gun suppressor legislation once more people become educated about what suppressors do.

"With firearms there are so many myths out there about what guns can do and can't do, and are and are not. Suppressors are the same way. It takes a lot of education," Wallace said.

Gun suppressors are already manufactured in the western part of the state by Yankee Hill Machine, a firearms manufacturer and dealer based in Florence, a village in the city of Northampton.

John Rosenthal, co-founder of Newton-based nonprofit Stop Handgun Violence, disagreed that suppressors are a boon for sportsmen. Instead, Rosenthal said, firearm suppressors make it easier to kill people in public.

"It's harder to hear the shot and you can kill people in public without notice and Smith & Wesson is no different than Donald Trump, Jr. who is promoting his silencer company that he's invested in. It's all about making it easier to kill without being caught," Rosenthal said. "A company that is in the business of making it easier for people to kill without getting caught is disgusting."

Massachusetts had the fewest gun deaths in the country in 2015, with 3.13 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Rosenthal said that figure can be attributed to the state's tough gun laws and cautioned that deaths will go up if gun suppressor legislation passes in Massachusetts.

Rosenthal criticized the Gemtech acquisition and said Smith & Wesson has gone from being part of the solution to a major part of the country's gun violence problem over the last decade or so.

"Smith & Wesson will be laughing all the way to the bank while the rest of us are crying over the deaths of our loved ones, it's that simple ... It's all about the money," Rosenthal said. "I'm a gun owner and a business person. I have no interest in banning guns, but you have to be honest. There is no use for a silencer for sporting, the only use for a silencer is assassinating somebody without detection, without being heard. Smith & Wesson should be ashamed of themselves, they live in the safest state in the nation ... and they are pushing instruments of death on this country without a conscience."

Smith & Wesson plans to complete the acquisition of Gemtech over the summer.

Gemtech President Ron Martinez will become the company's general manager and lead its team in Eagle, Idaho. A spokeswoman for Smith & Wesson said the value of the deal is undisclosed and Gemtech plans to remain in Idaho.

"The company intends to complete the acquisition of Gemtech utilizing cash on hand and expects the transaction to close this summer," the company said in a statement.
For 59 local students, the recent Eleanor A. Dunn Memorial Scholarship Breakfast, held at the Jewish Community Center, was a special event.

In all, about 100 guests were on hand to honor the recipients of $52,000 worth of college scholarships awarded by the Springfield Council of Jewish Women Scholarship Funds of the Jewish Endowment Foundation (a division of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts).

Scholarships ranged in amount from $750 to $1,500. During the event, each recipient got up to introduce him- or herself and talk about their immediate plans for the future.

Co-chairwoman of the scholarship committee, Ann Cowen, said the amount awarded was the largest in many years. "Among our scholarship recipients are many ... with GPAs higher than 4.0, members of the National Honor Society, scholar-athletes, writers, artists ... students doing outstanding internships, and many who have worked long hours ... to fund their educations."

This scholarship program is different from others in two unique ways: the applicants are interviewed individually, a process that allows them to be more than a summary on paper; and scholarships are renewable for up to four years.

Awards were made to 29 new students and 30 existing recipients.

Students and scholarship recipients Ajeyo Clouden, center, and Abel Togba, right, both of Springfield, celebrate recently with Ajeyo's mother, Dena Cooper, at the Eleanor A. Dunn Memorial Scholarship Breakfast at the Springfield Jewish Community Center.

One new student was Ajeya Clouden, 17, a recent graduate of the Renaissance School in Springfield. She'll attend the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where she plans to pursue political science and business administration. "I want to help people in our community with what they're going through now," she said. For her, the scholarship is a stepping stone to her education. She particularly appreciated the interview, which allowed for a more personal connection.

Her mother, Dena Cooper, said Ajeya is her first child to go to college. "I'm beyond proud of her," she said. "She has held down three jobs while taking all honors and advanced placement courses. And she's already taken three college level classes and gotten straight A's in all of them."

One of the returning recipients was Kate Bergeron, 20, of West Springfield. A rising junior at UMass Amherst, this is her third scholarship from the Jewish Endowment Foundation.

"Getting this scholarship has been three times as impactful as other scholarships for me," said Bergeron, a business management major. "I'm one of 11 children in my family and I need to pay my way through school. This is the only scholarship I found that is recurring."

According to co-chair Nedra Mirkin, there are 22 members of the committee that interview the applicants. "This year, members also visited local schools to publicize the scholarships," she explained. A subset of about 10 committee members then selected the students to receive scholarships and forwarded their names to the Jewish Foundation Board for final approval.

The scholarship fund began in 1943 with a single $200 payment for a Springfield student to attend Smith College. Since then, more than $2 million has been awarded.

The scholarships are dependent on several donors, including three separate scholarship endowments supported by the Webber Family whose funds represented the largest number of awards this year. Sisters Jane Shernow and Meg Steinberg said their mother, Ruth Webber, was chair of the scholarship committee for many years. "It's exciting to see these students," Steinberg said. "They are well-spoken and highly ambitious." Shernow agreed. "It's wonderful that we can be a part of it."



Anyone wishing to volunteer, make a donation, or create a scholarship fund should contact Michelle Lancto, donor relations and operations manager at the Jewish Endowment Foundation, at mlancto@jewishwesternmass.org or at 413-732-9994.



According to the Jewish Endowment Foundation website, jefwesternmass.org, SCJW awards are available to all qualified students regardless of race, religion and gender. Applicants must be residents of Springfield, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Hampden, Agawam, West Springfield, Chicopee or Ludlow. Scholarship recipients are chosen based on a combination of academic performance, financial need, and community involvement. Applications for the 2018-2019 academic year will be available in January.

The 2017 recipients are:

New (Total $26,300)



Markina Ako-Brew, of Springfield

Tanner Allen, of Longmeadow

Anishka Ayton, of Springfield

Corey Bryant, of Springfield

Tien Bui, of Springfield

Alesia Burnett, of Agawam

Joseph Burzdak, of Hampden

Ajeya Clouden, of Springfield

Taylor Colkos, of Wilbraham

Nicole Cotto, of Springfield

Ryan Deady, of Chicopee

Xavier Farrell, of Springfield

Gabrielle Favreau, of Springfield

Julia Guilbert, of Springfield

Olivia Hatten, of Springfield

Alexandra Jellinger, of Longmeadow

Matthew Jones, of Springfield

Gabriel Katz, of Longmeadow

Taylor Mickens, of Springfield

Anderson Nguyen, of Springfield

Tuan Nguyen, of Chicopee

Suraji Omoru, of Springfield

Raheema Reid, of Springfield

Gabriella Rodriguez, of Springfield

Max Rubin, of Longmeadow

Adriana Sanchez, of Springfield

Oriana Siphanoum, of Springfield

Abel Togba, of Springfield

Brendan Truong, of Springfield

Kyasia Williams, of Springfield

Renewals (Total $25,750):
The memoir exposed the alleged role of Pakistan's former spy chief Shuja Pasha in quashing a murder trial against the author

Pakistan intelligence and security officials reacted angrily earlier this week, 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.

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.

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Following a search of Lake Hiawatha in Norfolk County on Tuesday evening, rescue crews reportedly recovered the body of a drowned victim.

The Bellingham Fire Chief told NECN that the victim, a man in his early 40's who fell into the water when his canoe tipped over, was not wearing a life jacket and did not know how to swim. The town's fire department received notice that a man had fallen into the water around 8:20 p.m. on the Fourth of July evening.

Rescue crews from Massachusetts and Rhode Island searched the lake with the help of a state helicopter until the body was recovered in water reportedly seven feet deep, about 100 feet away from shore, according to WCVB.

The man's identity has not been released.
A man's hand was left partially amputated on the night of Fourth of July when a firework exploded in his hand.

Quincy Police Captain John Dougan said a 32-year-old Quincy man tried to light a firework with a short fuse late Tuesday night when it exploded in his hand.

The victim lost several fingers in the blast, which occurred on Agawam Road just before 10 p.m.

The man, whose identity has not been released, was transported to Boston Medical Center and then to the Trauma Center at Massachusetts General Hospital to be treated for his injuries.
A 51-year-old Agawam man was critically injured Tuesday afternoon when he crashed his motorcycle on a winding road in Newfane, Vermont, according to Vermont State Police.

Ronald Ashey suffered life-threatening head injuries, some broken ribs and other injuries in the 1 p.m. accident on Grimes Hill Road, police said.

Ashey was transported by ambulance to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital initially, and then transferred by helicopter ambulance to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Police said Ashey was riding his 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle on Grimes Hill Road when he crashed. Weather and road conditions were not considered a factor in the accident. No other vehicles were involved.

Ashley was wearing a helmet, police said.

The motorcycle sustained minor damage, police said.

Newfane is located about 10 miles northwest of Brattleboro.

The accident remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the Westminster State Police barracks at 802-722-4600.
The 39-year-old man killed in a jet ski collision on the Merrimack River in Lowell has been identified by authorities, reports NECN.



Juan Arroyo-Ortiz of Lawrence survived the impact but later succumbed to injuries at an area hospital, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.



The collision occurred sometime between 2 and 2:30 p.m. on the holiday near Rynne Beach.



Massachusetts State and Environmental Police responded to the scene alongside Lowell Police. According to NECN, no arrests have been made in connection with the fatal collision and police have not said whether they have identified the rider of the other jet ski involved.



The collision remains under investigation and anyone with knowledge of the circumstances is asked to call one of the investigating parties.






Iran's president has assailed a major dam project by Turkey involving the Euphrates and the Tigris River, demanding a halt in the construction.

Hassan Rouhani says the dams would be "dangerous" for the entire Middle East.

His remarks came during a conference on sandstorms hosted by Tehran on Monday and marked the Iranian president's first public criticism of the dam project, seen as controversial in the Mideast.

He did not name Turkey but said that multiple dams planned on the two major rivers that flow into Syria and Iraq will have "destructive consequences" and affect many, including Iran and "should be stopped."

Iran and Turkey support opposing sides in Syria's civil war.

Rouhani added that "it is not possible to remain indifferent" toward the issue of the dams.



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Founders of high-tech startups in the Advanced Technology Park launched by Montana State University say theyre concerned about losing their current offices and lab spaces.

They say their landlord, Advanced Technology Inc., a subsidiary of the MSU Foundation, plans to move them out of the Nopper Building on West College Street but has offered no idea where the firms can find the kind of lab space and business incubator space they need to stay in business.

The reason for the moves is that MSUs student population has grown 33 percent since 2006 and space is tight in the campus core, university officials wrote to the regents. To free up space for academic use, the university would move several support offices off campus.

By Gail Schontzler Chronicle Staff Writer

Full Story: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/montana_state_university/msu-plan-to-move-into-tech-park-worries-startup-firms/article_34f5f0bc-8bb5-5f09-889f-3332d12b8a9a.html
Upon opening the app, students will be able to see a virtual model of the university, including information about its history and find out more about its aeronautical, astronautical and marine engineering fields  subjects which the school is famous for.

This is the first AR-enabled acceptance letter to be sent out in China  and the concept appears to be a world first.

Yvette Tan

Full Story: http://mashable.com/2017/07/05/ar-college-acceptance/?utm_cid=hp-h-3#XPS6j7YNhPql
Iraqi forces battled the last Islamic State (IS) militant group holdouts in Mosul on Wednesday, a day after the country's premier feted the "major victory" over IS in the northern city.

In neighbouring Syria, US-backed forces gained ground after air strikes by the international anti-IS coalition punched holes in the wall of the Old City in Raqa, where they are waging a parallel offensive against IS.

"Today, our advance was easier than yesterday," said Lieutenant Colonel Haider Hussein, a commander in Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service.

"We took control of more than 200 metres (yards) today and there are less than 200 metres remaining toward the Tigris River," Hussein said, referring to the waterway marking the eastern edge of remaining IS-held territory in the city.

More than eight months since the start of the operation, IS has gone from fully controlling Mosul to holding a limited area in the Old City on its western side.

But Iraqi troops in Mosul have faced tough fighting and a spike in suicide bombings in recent days, commanders have said.

IS "are using a new strategy in which they wait inside houses and when the soldiers enter the houses they fire bullets or blow themselves up," Hussein said.

The body of a woman said to have been suicide bomber shot before she could blow herself earlier in the day lay in the street near the house where the officer spoke.

Decaying corpses gave off a stench of death that permeated some streets, and a pool of half-dried blood spread out from the door of one house.

Streets were strewn with clothing and other objects left by civilians who were fleeing the fighting.

"The enemy is not a regular army," said Brigadier General Nabil al-Fatlawi, a CTS commander.

"It's a street to street battle," said Fatlawi, who expects the battle to be over in "a few days".

Despite the ongoing fighting, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraq's people, security forces and the Shiite religious leadership "on the achievement of this major victory in Mosul" in remarks broadcast Tuesday night.

But automatic weapons fire and explosions on Wednesday made clear that the final stage of the battle for the city was not yet over.

Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake Mosul on October 17, advancing to the city, recapturing its eastern side and then setting their sights on its smaller but more densely populated west.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces -- an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters -- have been battling IS in Syria, and made gains Wednesday in their drive to retake Raqa from IS.

"The SDF advanced and captured the strategic Saif al-Dawlah road leading towards the Old Mosque," said Nuri Al-Mahmoud, a spokesman for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which makes up a bulk of the SDF.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the SDF had pushed forwards about 200 metres (yards) by midday (0900 GMT) on Wednesday.

"They are now approximately 300 metres (yards) from the Old Mosque -- within firing range of it," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Syria's civil war provided fertile ground for IS, which seized territory in that country and also overran large areas north and west of Baghdad.

IS have since lost significant ground, but the recapture of Mosul and Raqa will not mark the end of the war against IS.

IS holds other territory in both countries, and is expected to revert to its insurgent roots in Iraq, carrying out bombings and hit-and-run attacks that were its hallmark in past years.

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"A business cluster is a geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field. Clusters are considered to increase the productivity with which companies can compete, nationally and globally."

The Montana Photonics Industry Alliance serves as a hub for Montanas optics and photonics companies, entrepreneurs, laboratories, and universities to commercialize, grow and sustain globally leading organizations that create high quality jobs and economic opportunity in Montana. http://www.montanaphotonics.org/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAVVha48Geg&feature=youtu.be

***

Employment Opportunities

Optics and photonics are growing in Montana providing excellent career opportunities. But thats not all. Montana provides pristine beauty and an excellent quality of life. Combined with abundant recreational and arts activities, advanced health care facilities, and safe communities, Montana offers an unbeatable lifestyle. Move your career and your life to a higher level.

You should be in Montana http://www.montanaphotonics.org/employment/

***

Choose Montana  http://business.mt.gov/

Welcome to the Governors Office of Economic Development

The Montana Governors Office of Economic Development is the states lead organization to help businesses succeed in our state  and we take that mission to heart.

Whether you are interested in locating your business here, starting a new one, or expanding an existing business, we are ready and able to assist you. Let one of our team members answer any questions you have, and direct you to the best resources available to help your venture succeed.

Contact us http://business.mt.gov/About to get moving on your next big opportunity in Big Sky Country.
The head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said on Wednesday that Turkish military deployments near Kurdish-held areas of northwestern Syria amounted to a "a declaration of war" which could trigger clashes within days.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus retorted that his country was not declaring war but that its forces would respond to any hostile move.

The mounting tensions between two U.S. allies in northwestern Syria risk opening yet another front in the multi-sided conflict, in which outside powers are playing ever greater roles.

They could also distract the YPG from the U.S.-backed campaign to capture Islamic State (IS) militant group's stronghold of Raqqa, some 200 km (125 miles) away. The YPG is spearheading that campaign.

Asked by Reuters whether he expected a conflict with Turkey in northern Syria, where the two sides have exchanged artillery fire in recent days, YPG Commander Sipan Hemo accused Turkey of preparing for a major military campaign in the Aleppo and Afrin area.

"These (Turkish) preparations have reached level of a declaration of war and could lead to the outbreak of actual clashes in the coming days," he said in emailed comments. "We will not stand idly by against this potential aggression."

Turkey's policy in northern Syria has been focused on containing the growing sway of Kurdish groups that have established autonomous regions since Syria's war began in 2011.

Ankara says the YPG represents a security threat, seeing it as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades.

Turkish forces deployed in northern Syria last year in support of Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army rebel groups in an operation that forced IS away from the border and at the same time drove a wedge between YPG-held areas.

In recent weeks, Turkey has sent reinforcements into the area north of Aleppo, according to Turkey-backed rebel groups who have established control over a section of the Turkish-Syrian frontier with Ankara's support.

"This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats," Kurtulmus told Reuters in an interview. "Their (YPG) primary goal is a threat to Turkey, and if Turkey sees a YPG movement in northern Syria that is a threat to it, it will retaliate in kind."

Hemo was last week cited as saying the YPG had a plan to capture that area between the towns of Azaz and Jarablus. Asked about that remark, he described the Turkish intervention as "occupation" of Syrian land, and said the YPG had never "threatened Turkey or its security".

LONG-TERM PLANS

Turkey, a NATO member, has been incensed by the U.S. decision to ally with the YPG. Washington took the decision to arm the group before the final assault on Raqqa began in June.

The YPG is fighting under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Arab fighters.

In separate comments to the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper published on Wednesday, Hemo said the United States had established seven military bases in areas of northern Syria controlled by the YPG or SDF, including a major airbase near Kobani, a town at the border with Turkey.

Citing operational security, the coalition said it did not confirm or deny information about "specific capabilities, force numbers, locations or movement of forces in Iraq and Syria".

Hemo indicated the YPG would keep fighting IS even after its defeat in Raqqa, saying it was committed with "the international coalition to cleansing Syria of terrorism and establishing a political system capable of achieving real democratic transformation".

Turkish defence ministry sources said last month the United States had pledged that weapons provided to the YPG would be taken back once IS was defeated. Turkey says that is not credible.

"There has never been an incident where a group in the Middle East has been armed, and they returned the weapons," Kurtulmus said. The United States "have formed more than a terrorist organisation there, they formed a small-scale army."

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has left open the possibility of longer-term assistance to the YPG, saying the U.S. may need to supply them with weapons and equipment even after the capture of Raqqa.

Hemo said U.S. officials had denied any intention to take away the YPG's weapons and that the YPG would in fact be needing more support due to its medium and long-term plans to tackle the remnants of IS.

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Russia, Turkey and Iran failed in talks on Wednesday to finalise an agreement on creating four de-escalation zones in Syria after Ankara raised objections, diplomats said.

Russia and Iran, which back President Bashar Assad's government, and Turkey, which supports some of the rebels, aim to reach a consensus on the zones by the end of August, when their delegations are set to meet again in the Kazakh capital.

The failure is a setback for Moscow, the main architect of the plan, as it seeks to take the lead in global efforts to settle the Syrian civil war.

"During these consultations the Turkish side said it needed more time in order ... to make an appropriate decision," said senior Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev.

Bashar al-Ja'afari, the lead negotiator from the Damascus government, was more direct.

"The Turkish delegation objected to the adoption of any documents related to the implementation of mechanisms of the agreement on the de-escalation zones," he said.

Russia, Turkey and Iran have set up a working group to reconcile their positions before the next Astana meeting set for the final week of August.

Lavrentyev said details related to the southern de-escalation zone needed to be agreed with the United States and Jordan, who support the rebels based there.

Turkish delegates made no statement to the media after the talks.

The Kazakh talks, which began in January, come at a time when Turkey and Russia each want to disentangle themselves from the fighting. This has led them into an ad-hoc alliance, though they still trade barbs.

Since the May agreement was announced, the rebel-held stronghold of Idlib province in the northwest of Syria has been mostly calm.

But fighting has continued on other frontlines in western Syria, including Eastern Ghouta of Damascus and the southwestern city of Deraa, where government forces and their allies are trying to crush remaining pockets of rebellion.

If the agreement on de-escalation zones is finalised, Russia, Iran and Turkey will be able to quickly - within weeks - deploy forces such as military police on the borders of those zones, Lavrentyev has said.

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Morgan County Veterans Day Parade slated Nov. 11 Audio Article The Morgan County Veterans Day Parade will be held on Friday, Nov. 11. The parade will form at the Commons, in McConnelsville, at 9:30 a.m. and set out at 10 a.m. The American Legion Post 24 will render honors at the monuments at the Commons, Riecker Building, the Square, at...

A concert with two purposes Audio Article Wednesday, Nov. 30, a concert with dual purposes is being held at the Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, Ohio. Its a thank-you to healthcare workers, who can attend for free, and its a benefit for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. In September 2021, Rick Shriver contracted COVID-19. He collapsed...

BOE reminder of early voting hours and polling location change Audio Article Remaining early voting hours at the Morgan County Board of Elections are as follows: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov, 2 through Friday, Nov. 4; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5; from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6; and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m....

Lions Club announces annual Wreaths Across America Audio Article On Saturday, Dec. 17, the Chesterhill Lions Club will be joining with National Wreaths Across America in the laying of wreaths at each of the seven cemeteries located in Marion Township. The mission is to honor the local veterans who have served our nation so their families can rest assured...

Governor DeWine awards $6.7 million for domestic violence survivor programs Audio Article Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced that he is awarding $6.7 million to support the work of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN) to offer mobile and health advocacy services and temporary residential services for domestic violence survivors across the state. The announcement comes during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month....

CDC committee vote wont change Ohio school vaccine requirement Audio Article Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA has released the following statement: The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine to be added to the formulary or schedule of vaccines for children does not mandate this vaccine for school children. Ohio law determines...
Human Rights Watch on Wednesday demanded an independent inquiry into the deaths of four Syrians who died while in Lebanese army custody and said anyone responsible for wrongdoing should be held to account.

The Lebanese army said on Tuesday that the four Syrian men arrested during a raid on a refugee camp on Friday had died while in detention from chronic illnesses that had been aggravated by the weather conditions.

In separate statements on the deaths, a Lebanese human rights group and a Syrian opposition alliance accused the Lebanese army of torture that led to the deaths.

A military source denied allegations of torture, saying they were baseless.

"In light of the armys own admission that the health conditions of the detainees deteriorated while in custody, a formal, transparent and independent investigation must be launched and in case of wrongdoing those responsible for the deaths should be held accountable," Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

The army detained several hundred people during its raid in the Arsal area on Friday in what it called a preemptive security operation against militants planning attacks in Lebanon. The army said five suicide attackers had blown themselves up while attacking soldiers during the raid, and one civilian was killed.

The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) said torture had led to the deaths of at least four detainees at refugee camps in the Arsal area and demanded a judicial inquiry.

The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said 10 people had died in custody, some of them by torture, while it said 19 others had died in the raid itself. It also demanded an investigation.

"We reject any attempt to justify these violations and crimes against Syrian refugees on the pretext of preserving security or allegations of confronting terror in Lebanon," the SNC said in its statement.

The U.N. refugee agency says Lebanon hosts more than 1 million registered Syrian refugees, equivalent to a quarter of its population, though the number is widely put at closer to 1.5 million.

They are scattered across Lebanon in informal tented settlements where many face the risk of arrest due to a lack of legal residency that they struggle to obtain.

The camps around Arsal town have long been a haven for militants coming from Syria who have clashed with Lebanese forces conducting security raids searching for suspects hiding among the refugees.



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In a recent editorial, Suzanne Koven, M.D  primary care internal medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston  shared a letter that she wrote to her younger self. Share on Pinterest Mr. Onur Gilleard, a consultant plastic surgeon, shared what he wished he had known during his 6 years of residency training. Having witnessed new interns go through an exercise of writing a self-addressed letter that was going to be sent to them 6 months later, she described how she was filled with longing and wanted to share with these interns and her younger self what she wished she had known. Dr. Koven explained in her heartfelt letter that she wasted much time and energy in [her] career looking for reassurance that [she] was not a fraud, telling her younger self that one of the obstacles that she will need to overcome are the feelings of impostor syndrome. She added, You see, Ive been haunted every step of my career by the fear that I am a fraud. Dr. Koven explained how this struggle has changed her perception of medicine over the years. In the first few years in practice, I was sure that being a good doctor meant curing people. But today, she has come to the realization that some things are beyond her control. How I wish I could spare you years of self-flagellation and transport you directly to this state of humility! Her final message to her younger self is, My dear young colleague, you are not a fraud. You are a flawed and unique human being, with excellent training and an admirable sense of purpose. Your training and sense of purpose will serve you well. Your humanity will serve your patients even better. Armed with the wisdom of hindsight, we probably all have things that we want to spare our younger selves from. So what do todays physicians wish they had known about their training? Medical News Today spoke to Mr. Onur Gilleard, who recently finished his plastic surgery residency and is now a consultant at the Royal London Hospital in the United Kingdom. Reflecting on his 6 years of residency training, here is what Mr. Gilleard wishes he had known.

1. The journey is a marathon, not a sprint Although this may seem like a banal cliche, I cant think of anything that better sums up surgical training, Mr. Gilleard said. As a first-year resident, Mr. Gilleard had a steep learning curve ahead of him. It felt almost impossible that I would ever be able to perform the complex operations, such as reconstructing a breast after a mastectomy or a leg after severe trauma, that I saw the consultants undertaking, he said. At the time, his skill level was limited to only simple surgical tasks, such as cutting out skin lesions or suturing simple wounds. But as his training progressed, Mr. Gilleard began to assist with the more difficult reconstructive cases. Yet while being able to perform specific tasks within a case, such as suturing and cutting, the thought of having the knowledge and skill to be able to do complex operations independently felt extremely daunting, if not impossible. Listening to his colleagues boast about their achievements didnt help. He said, I just felt like I wasnt progressing quickly enough. Now I realize that this probably wasnt true. Weeks and months would pass, and Mr. Gilleard would feel that he had not learned anything new. Now that [I] have finished training, he explained, I can see that while I had these feelings of stagnation, I was, in fact, learning valuable lessons. At the time, however, all I was focused on was making big strides in my surgical skills. But in fact, the subtleties of patient management and being able to do the simple things were skills I was gradually acquiring and are just as important. It feels as though if Id appreciated this I could have saved myself a great deal of stress and anxiety. Mr. Onur Gilleard

2. You cant always please everyone Coping with mistakes is a common challenge for residents. But according to Mr. Gilleard, this is difficult for surgeons because they are competitive by nature; they want to succeed and impress their teachers. But now that I am a consultant, I think that sometimes I took too much to heart what my trainers at the time would say, Mr. Gilleard explained. He also realizes that while learning a craft such as surgery, trainees can be in a vulnerable position. Complicated procedures that require the integration of anatomical knowledge, spatial awareness, and dexterity, which consultants have been doing forever, are all new to residents. I still remember comments like, What are you doing?, Why on earth are you doing that?, or Why dont you know this? really affecting my confidence. Too often he would compare his skills to those of the consultants. However this was a ridiculous thing to do as these people [had performed] the same operation over 1,000 times, while it was my second attempt for example, he explained. Or maybe that consultant, who had been so aggressive, was just having a bad day  which isnt an excuse, just a reality. It doesnt make it right but it will happen and the important thing is that if it does, think about things objectively without taking them too personally.

3. Find out what is important to you From the beginning, Mr. Gilleard realized that surgical residency was going to be a physically and emotionally draining journey. He saw his friends making big sacrifices when it came to family and friends. Often, he said, my colleagues lived far away from their families, and the stress created by residency created problems in the relationships. So Mr. Gilleard made the decision not to marry or have children, and to focus on his own well-being instead. I concentrated on work, ensuring that I got enough sleep and exercise. Supporting a family during residency was something I never thought I could do. Mr. Gilleard also made the decision to live close to the different hospitals he rotated through for his training, which he said made his life a lot easier. This is one area in which Mr. Gilleard feels that he did things right  at least for him.
Approximately a quarter of the countrys physicians are international medical graduates. This diverse physician community, many of whom obtained their medical degrees abroad before taking up positions in the United States, play a significant but often overlooked role in U.S. healthcare.

Share on Pinterest International medical graduates make essential contributions to the U.S. healthcare system.

According to the American Association of Medical College (AAMC), more than 6,000 international medical graduates (IMGs) come to the U.S. each year to participate in medical residency programs, under what are known as J-1 non-immigrant visas.

Once they complete their residency, these physicians have two options, should they wish to practice in the U.S. They can return to their home country for at least 2 years, then apply to re-enter the U.S. following a different immigration pathway, such as an H1-B worker visa.

Alternatively, they can apply for what is known as a Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver. This allows IMGs to stay in the U.S. providing they commit to serving in underserved, often rural, areas for 3 years.

In the past 15 years, the AAMC say that this waiver has funneled 15,000 foreign-trained doctors into otherwise underserved communities.

This includes doctors such as Dr. Muhammad Tauseef, who was interviewed for a National Public Radio broadcast last January.

Born and educated in Pakistan, Dr. Tauseef remained in the U.S. under the J-1 Visa Waiver and began working with mostly uninsured children at a pediatric practice in Louisiana.

That was a challenge, he said. But it was rewarding as well because you are taking care of people who there arent many to take care for.

Following a move to Texas 2 years ago, Dr. Tauseef now cares for low-income patients at Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic in Dallas. Six of the 30 physicians who work there are from other countries.

More hostile environment for IMGs

Today, IMGs seem far more reluctant to talk about their vital contribution, perhaps given the anti-immigrant rhetoric swirling around the U.S.

One eminent surgeon approached recently by Medical News Today, for example, suddenly backtracked on an initial promise to talk about his personal experience of moving to the U.S. from Iran, citing concerns that sounded similar to those made by someone in a combat zone.

The racist climate in the U.S. is [] destructive. [The media] want me to answer questions [but] they will not take the bullets, he said. The current admin has caused a lot of damage. You should talk about medicine without employing country of origin. Otherwise, you will see people commenting about why is he not going back to where he belongs.

With his travel ban, President Trump is targeting citizens from predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Yet in addition to legal, political, and moral concerns, these orders also threaten his own countrys healthcare.

In a report published in HealthAffairsBlog, economists Matthew Basilico, of Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, and Michael Stepner, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, found that around 14 million doctors appointments were provided each year by physicians trained in the six countries listed above.

Ironically, a large proportion of those doctors work in states that helped to put Trump into the White House  such as Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, according to the report.

They provide 1.2 million doctors appointments per year in Michigan; 880,000 in Ohio; 700,000 in Pennsylvania; and 210,000 in West Virginia, the study authors wrote.

International medical graduates have been a resource to provide medical care to areas that dont otherwise have access to physicians, said Andrew Gurman, chairman of the American Medical Association, when speaking to National Public Radio earlier this year.

They dont all have permanent visas, and so a lot of them are concerned about what their status is going to be, whether they can stay, whether they can go home to visit family and still come back. And the communities they serve have similar questions, he commented.

The care provided by IMGs from the countries targeted by the Trump administration fills glaring gaps in U.S. health provision.

Rural and underserved communities in the United States have long struggled to attract high-quality physicians in sufficient quantities. Incentive programs have attempted to bridge this gap, but shortages remain. Our analysis suggests that physicians entering from these countries [] are situated on the front lines of medical need. Matthew Basilico

Basilico and Stepner also pointed out that many IMGs on the rural front line work in specialties that are particularly important in remote areas, where a single cardiologist or neurologist can be responsible for managing life-threatening conditions for hundreds of local people.

The challenges of being an IMG

The current uncertainties and air of threat engendered by the Trump administration swirl around foreign-trained doctors who have already had to overcome significant challenges to bring their skills to U.S. healthcare.

As well as the social and cultural implications of moving to a new country, they also face financial hurdles. For example, foreign medical licenses often dont transfer to the U.S., meaning that physicians are sometimes required to spend up to $15,000 over a 3-to-5-year period for often duplicative training.

Resource constraints can also force some foreign-trained physicians to lower their personal bar and become nurses or physician assistants in the U.S.

A study by Michelle Denise Ferreol explored the personal experiences of a range of IMGs from the Philippines, many of whom have since carved out successful careers at various levels of the U.S. healthcare system.

Having come to the U.S. in 1997, Rowena Punzalan, M.D., now practices in pediatrics and hematology in Wisconsin. But she initially had not planned to stay. I fully intended to do my residency and go back to the Philippines, she said in the study.

But greater opportunities in the U.S. changed her mind. I thought I could spend more time with my family here and less time working, for the same amount of earnings, explained Dr. Punzalan. I wanted to do research, which wasnt really possible in the Philippines. I like the opportunity it affords me here to interact with leaders in the field.

Several interviewees highlighted the fact that IMGs did not always have the same access to the tools and techniques available to those who learned their trade in the U.S.

By the time I got here, I was way behind already, said Ed Ferreol, M.D., who is now a Virginia-based neuropathologist. When you take a residency, you get exposed to [] techniques and practices that arent available in the Philippines.

Racial hurdles also rear their heads. Heidi Zafra, M.D., came to the U.S. in 1992 and now practices pediatrics in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is purely white [] So theres a challenge making [locals] believe its okay to have an Asian doctor. You really have to show that youre competent, but that you would really take care of them.

IMGs also face location challenges, often taking up positions in isolated rural communities. For instance, working as a psychiatrist in Alabama, Tina Zafra, M.D., spoke of having to learn what Southern culture is all about. The food, the people, the conservatives  theyre mostly conservative Republicans.

She is echoed by Benjamin Gozon, M.D., who is now a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor in Wisconsin. With the cultural differences, its not that easy to make friends, he said. You dont necessarily have a lot in common with many people around here.

Yet despite coping with outsider challenges, IMGs continue to plug the gap in healthcare provision that many U.S.-trained physicians seem reluctant to fill.

The Atlantic has covered issues that put U.S.-trained doctors off rural practices, and one heartfelt response came to a feature by Olga Khazan last January.

Most doctors dont want to live in areas with no amenities. They dont want to send their kids to schools where creationism is taught in biology class, railed Zeeky34. Who are they going to hang out with in rural areas [where] there arent many educated people? Lots of doctors are non-white  they sure dont want to live in those places. What does rural America have to offer American doctors?

Long-term contribution by IMGs

Embracing immigrant physicians is vital for U.S. healthcare in terms of long-term demographics of an aging population, as much as to address current shortages in rural provision.

The number of adults aged 65 years or older is expected to increase by nearly 20 million by 2030, matched by a growing need for physicians in health professional shortage areas that threatens to create a significant dearth of physicians in the coming decades.

The Trump administrations efforts to block immigrants from countries that provide many IMGs are therefore particularly ill-conceived.

There could very well be a patient in a rural area who had an appointment with their doctor this week and the doctor was not allowed back into the country, said Matthew Shick, director of government relations and regulatory counsel with the AAMC, speaking to CNN.

He went on, At a time when the United States is facing a serious shortage of physicians, international medical students are helping to fill an essential need.

In June 2017, the AAMC joined 21 other health-related organizations to highlight the short-sightedness of the Trump administrations anti-immigrant stance.

In a statement, they said, International researchers and scientists strengthen the laboratories at medical schools and teaching hospitals that develop cures for life-threatening and chronic conditions, providing hope for millions of Americans.
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. These three cancers, coupled with colorectal and oesophageal cancer, are the five most common digestive cancers worldwide, causing almost three million deaths per year and contributing to over a third of global cancer deaths.No countries within the EU were found to have 'light' alcohol consumption (on average, less than 1 alcoholic drink per day per capita).Alcohol consumption across the European region is higher than in any other region in the world, with. As a result, the continent suffers from the highest proportion of ill health and premature death directly linked to alcohol.Despite high levels of consumption throughout Europe, research shows that as many as 90% of people are unaware on the link between alcohol and cancer.In light of these alarming statistics, tackling the harmful use of alcohol is a main priority for the upcoming Estonian presidency of the Council of the European Union.Consumers are provided with mixed-messages on recommended units, glasses and volumes of alcohol. UEG are therefore calling for a pan-European approach to the provision of clear and consistent information about the health risks of drinking alcohol to help eradicate confusion on appropriate levels of consumption.Professor Markus Peck, leading digestive health expert, comments; "One of the main challenges in addressing high drinking levels is how deeply embedded alcohol consumption is within the European society, both socially and culturally. Political action like minimum pricing and reducing access to alcohol needs to be taken now to prevent many future casualties. Research then has to follow to help generate data and allow us to fine-tune future political activity".Increased pressure on the alcohol industry to develop clear and responsible labelling, together with a tightening of regulations on the marketing of alcohol, are other important steps outlined within the report to help tackle the crisis.Source: Eurekalert
An Indian wedding is incomplete without two songs  Sukhbir's Oh Ho Ho Ho' and Lollipop Lagelu' (although I am sure many would disagree with the second one right now), but it's true. The moment the DJ plays, Tu lagaweli jab lipishtick, hilela Arra dishtric and the beats drops at kamariya, that is the time when our inner sleazeball comes out and takes over the entire f**king dance floor. And we don't think our obsession over this Bhojpuri song will ever die down. So when someone covers this song, how can we let it pass? Although, someone singing it does not even remotely surprise us, but the fact that this Bhojpuri song has found a Nigerian fan who turned it into a soulful melody, is what's making us trip right now.

 Facebook/Samuel Singh

Samuel Adepoju aka Samuel Singh, a 26-year-old from Nigeria is a diehard fan of Indian music and Thalaiva Rajinikanth. He covered this song, which was originally sung by Pawan Singh and has already got more than 290k views. So who introduced him to this Bhojpuri classic? I first heard the song during my college days in Jaipur when I participated in a cultural event. A friend from Chile had recommended the song to me and said I could wow a crowd if I sang Lollipop Lagelu, he told Hindustan Times. Well, hold on to him mate, you will never find a friend as good as him. He turned you an internet sensation!

Well, apart from Bhojpuri, his Punjabi game is spot on as well. If you want to know why we are saying this, go and check his cover of Brown Rang'. And the fact that his lyrics and pronunciation are close to perfect, can put most of us to shame. Samuel is an entrepreneur and huge fan of Rajinikanth and Lungi Dance' and he is planning to play it on African drums. Well, although it's hard to pretend that we are not eager to listen to his Lungi Dance' cover, please don't make us wait for long and sing it already.
Reliance Jio has now launched the world's longest submarine cable system that can deliver up to 40 Terabits of bandwidth in a region that expands over Asia, Africa and Europe. The AAE-1 cable is being installed to provide faster speeds and meet the growing demand for video-centric content in India. The Telecom company details that the cable is going to support all forms of communication, applications and other types of content.

 Jio

The cable system will go from Marseille in France and will extend all the way to Hong Kong. Jio will be working with other telecom companies from Europe, Middle East and Asia to make this huge project possible. The cable system will have PoP in Singapore, Hong King and various European cities in France, Italy and Greece.

 Youtube

The new terabit capacity and 100Gbps direct connectivity to global content hubs and interconnection points ensure that Jio will continue to offer its customers the most exceptional high-speed internet and digital service experience, said Mathew Oommen, President-Jio in a press statement.

We are excited to participate in the launch and deliver the cable landing in Mumbai at the time when India's data traffic continues its accelerated data consumption and growth, he added.

 AAE-1

The incessant demand for data consumption and for video-centric content is growing at an exponential rate in India and Jio hopes to capitalise on it. AAE-1 will also link up with other cable systems and fiber networks which will enable the company to provide service to all global markets.

Reliance Jio will provide the network operations and management for AAE-1 in India, using their state of the art facility in Navi Mumbai.
Ugandan public servants on Wednesday hit out at a list of strict new rules forbidding them from showing cleavage, having long nails, dyed hair or wearing skirts above the knee.

But for many in the conservative east African nation, the main concern seemed to be the cost of implementing the rules, rather than the rules themselves, and the fact that workers had not been consulted.

"Women get less pay. This directive will make women fear going to workplaces for fear of losing their jobs because they don't have money to buy new dresses and change hairstyles," said Agnes Kunihira, the workers representative in parliament told AFP.

Winifred Akech, 34, a public officer in one of the government agencies told AFP, she was forced to borrow money to cut her hair as the hairstyle she had was banned under the new directive.

"I didn't have money to go to a salon and cut my hair because it has a tint (colour) and was forced to borrow from a friend. This is embarrassing to me. Secondly, I feel my right to a hairstyle of my choice is being trampled upon," she said.

A statement from the ministry of public service on Tuesday outlined the list of strict rules, saying that public officers had been dressing indecently.

It said women should not wear tight clothes, skirts or dresses above the knees or reveal their back or cleavage.

Civil servants "are also required to keep their hair neat without colour, on top of maintaining polished short nails not more than three centimetres."

"Exaggerated make-up" is also a no-no.

Men are required to wear trousers -- but not too tight -- jackets, a neck-tie and closed shoes.

According to the statement those contravening the rules would be given a warning, and repeat offenders would face disciplinary action.

Outspoken Ugandan academic Stella Nyanzi, who is currently on trial for cyber harassment for calling President Yoweri Museveni a "pair of buttocks", did not hold back on her Facebook page about the new guidelines.

"Who really cares what public servants in Uganda wear, when the emperor walks around naked?" she wrote, again taking aim at Museveni's buttocks with a series of colourful descriptions.

She said the country should not be distracted amid efforts to scrap a presidential age limit of 75 years, widely seen as a bid by Museveni, now 72, to seek a sixth term in office.

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The implementation of the International Labour Organizations (ILO) Better Work Programme would allow for economic and commercial diversity in Egypt, investment and international cooperation minister Sahar Nasr said on Tuesday.

The Better Work Programme aims to "improve labour standards and competitiveness in global supply chains," according to the ILOs official website.

In an official statement from the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, Nasr said that the ILOs approval to implement the programme in 30 Egyptian garment companies from June to December 2017 came as a result of intensive efforts and constant coordination with the ILO.

The ILOs approval of the programme's implementation through the Ministry of Manpower shows recognition of the progress made in Egypt. It reflects the ILOs confidence in the governments commitment to completing the steps that would foster an adequate climate for such a programme, the minister added.

Egypt will be joining seven other countries where the programme is established, including Jordan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and others.

The project deals with 2 million workers in 1,500 factories and establishes economic relations with about 35 major global companies in the US, Europe and Japan, which contributes to increasing job opportunities and attracting investments to Egypt, Nasr explained.

Deborah Greenfield, Deputy Director-General for Policy at ILO, reiterated the ILOs support for the Egyptian government in promoting decent work and of the initiatives launched so far to this end, according to the ministry's statement.

The first stage, which will be implemented from July through December, will involve an ongoing audit of Egyptian factories by the trade and industry ministry.

The second stage will be implemented starting January 2018, with the possibility of adding more sectors and locations to the programme.

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He started with the Merseyrail map. He conquered the North. Now every station in the West Midlands is in his sights. He's the Merseytart...
The 39th Cairo International Film Festival is set to run next November.

Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy has been selected to head the jury of the upcoming edition of the Cairo International Film Festival in November.

A celebrated actor with over 100 films in his career, Fahmy was the president of CIFF for four years between 1998 and 2001.

He was also the head of jury at several international film festivals, including, Muscat, Oran, and was a jury member at the Arab World Festival in Paris.

Born in Cairo in 1940, Fahmy graduated with a bachelor in directing from the Higher Institute of Cinema, and went on to pursue a Master in Fine Arts at UCLA in California.

His 4-decade long career is peppered with awards. He won best actor award for his role in Entabeho Ayuha El-Sada (Watch Out, Gentlemen), and best actor for his role El-Aar (The Shame), and an award for El-Ekhwa El-Aadaa (The Rivaling Brothers).

He won a Murex dOr Lifetime Achievement Award, the prestigious Arab art award from Lebanon.

The Syndicate of Journalists honored him for his roles that dealt with the 6th of October war, most notably the film El-Rosasa La Tazal Fi Gaiby (The Bullet is Still in my Pocket).

He got into acting after director Hussein El-Imam gave him a role in the film Dalal El-Masreya (Dalal The Egyptian, 1970), and afterwards director Mohamed Salem cast him in Nar El-Shouq (Fire of Longing, 1970).

The actor successfully avoided being boxed into playing the same roles of the charming romantic young man, such as Khalli Balak Min ZouZou (Watch Out for Zou Zou, 1972), and made it a point to present variety in his roles.

Some of the films that exhibit this flexibility are El-Laab Maa El-Kebar (Big Guys Game, 1991), Mawed Ala El-Ashaa (Dinner Date, 1981), and Eskenderia Kaman W Kaman (Alexandria Again, Forever, 1989), his only collaboration with the late renowned director Youssef Chahine.

Fahmy also has a number of roles in television and theatre.

He was a presenter for a show titled Elnas wa Ana (The People and I), which aired on the Egyptian television and El-Hayah Channel.

Fahmy has also taught directing at the Academy of Arts for over 10 years.

He was UNDP Goodwill Ambassador for the Arab states for nine years since 1998, and was named the first Special Olympics Ambassador for the MENA region in 2007.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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In a ceremony held at his ministry's headquarters, Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany announced the discovery of a very important medical manuscript uncovered by the monks of St Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai during restoration works carried out in the monastery's library.

The ceremony was attended by Greek Minister of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media Nikos Pappas, the Archbishop of Saint Catherine's Monastery, Egyptian Cultural Minister Helmy El-Namnam, Egyptian Minister of Communication and Information Technology Yasser El-Kadi, Egyptian Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashid, and South Sinai Governor Major General Khalid Fouda.

Mohammed Abdel-Latif, assistant minister of antiquities for archaeological sites, explained that the discovered manuscript is one of those known as "Palmesit" manuscripts, dating to the 6th century AD. The manuscript is written on leather and bears parts of a medical recipe of the renowned Greek physician Hippocrates.

The manuscript has also three other medical recipes written by an anonymous scribe, one of which contains drawings of medicinal herbs of the Greek recipe.

The second layer of writing found on the manuscript is a text of the Bible known as the "Sinaitic manuscript," which spread during the Middle Ages.

Ahmed Al-Nimer, supervisor of Coptic archeology documentation at the ministry, told Ahram Online that "Palmesit manuscripts" are a very well-known type of manuscript written on leather and formed of two layers. The first one, he explained, was previously erased in order to be re-written on the leather again. "This was done due to the high cost of leather at that time," Al-Nimr pointed out.

The monastery of Sainte Catherine's contains many "Palmesit" manuscripts in addition to a library containing 6,000 manuscripts, among them 600 manuscripts written in Arabic, Greek, Ethiopian, Coptic, Armenian and Syriac. They are mainly historical, geographical and philosophical manuscripts and the oldest dates to the 4th century AD.

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Incidents law enforcement officers responded to between June 23-29 in Tuscola County by township and community:

Akron:

 Assault and battery on 3000 block of Loomis Road.

 Marijuana possession on West Bay City-Forestville Road.

 Welfare check on 3000 block of North Sheridan Road.

Almer Charter:

 Single-vehicle accident on Deckerville Road.

 ORV accident on 1000 block of West Darbee Road.

 False alarm on 1500 block of Pine Crest Drive.

 False alarm on 1000 bock of Cleaver Road.

Arbela:

 Two-vehicle accident on Bray Road.

 Weapons offense on 10000 block of South Reese Rod  subjects target shooting.

 Business property damage on 8600 block of Birch Run Road  turfing.

 Family trouble on 8000 block of Barkley Road  civil standby.

 Traffic - bus broke down on Bray Road.

 Trespassing on 6000 block of Birch Run Road.

Dayton:

 911 hang up call on 4000 block of Turner Road  phone issue.

 Assist animal control on 4000 block of Hurds Corner Road with animal neglect complaint.

 Single-vehicle accident on Murphy Road.

 Single-vehicle accident on Treasurer Road.

Denmark:

 Disorderly conduct on 3200 block of Van Buren Road  bar fight.

 Assist Michigan State Police on East Caro Road with a traffic stop.

 Traffic stop on Saginaw Road  stopped for loud exhaust, no insurance and improper license plate.

 Traffic on Bradford Road  no license plate on vehicle.

 Two-vehicle accident on Vassar Road.

Elkland:

 Traffic on Cemetery Road  suspicious vehicle on side of road, no registration.

Ellington:

 Warrant arrest on Deckerville Road.

 Assist EMS on 2000 block of East Caro Road with an assault.

 Family trouble on 2000 block of Gerou Road  civil dispute.

 Littering on East Gilford Road.

 Complaint on Duprey Road  loud party.

Elmwood:

 False alarm on 1000 block of Pine Court.

Fairgrove:

 Assist Akron Police Department on 2400 block of North Thomas Road  civil dispute.

Fremont:

 Car/deer accident on Saginaw Road.

 Traffic on Saginaw Road  cattle on roadway.

Indianfields:

 Two-vehicle accident on Ellington Street.

 Assist Saginaw Police Department on 2400 block of Cottrell Drive  recover stolen items.

 Assault and battery on 1000 block of East Dayton Road and marijuana possession.

Juniata:

 Inspection on 3500 block of Kirk Road  open door at business.

 Family trouble on 3000 block of South Kirk Road  civil dispute.

Kingston:

 Car/deer accident on Bevens Road.

Koylton:

 Investigation on Mayville Road  criminal sexual conduct.

 Suspicious situation on Cemetery Road  vehicle trouble a traffic hazard.

Millington:

 False alarm on 3100 block of Murphy Lake Road.

 Cows at large on Sheridan Road.

 Welfare check on 5300 block of Millington Road.

 Traffic assist on Sheridan Road  subject out of gas.

 Two-vehicle accident on Sheridan Road.

 Impersonation fraud on 5000 block of Murphy Lake Road  trying to access bank accounts.

Novesta:

 Car/deer accident on Cemetery Road.

 Car/deer accident on Kingston Road.

 Traffic on Kelly Road  tractor ran off roadway.

Tuscola:

 Assist Michigan State Police on 5800 block of Pinkerton Road for residental alarm.

 Assist EMS with patient on 1000 block of West Saginaw Road.

Vassar:

 Marijuana possession on State Road.

 Two-vehicle accident on Pinetree Drive.

 Single-vehicle accident on Hess Road.

 Assault and battery on 300 block of Volz Road.

Watertown:

 Car/deer accident on Fostoria Road.

Akron Village:

 Assault and battery on 3400 block of Mill Street and bond violation.

Millington Village:

 Assist Millington Police Department with medical order.

Unionville Village:

 Missing person located on 3100 block of Bay Street.

 Investigation on 3000 block of Phelps Street  custody issue.

Reese Village:

 Two-vehicle accident on West Caro Road.

 Traffic on West Caro Road  hit and run and property damage accident.

 911-hang up call on Meridian Street.

Caro City:

 Assist Caro Police Department on 100 block of Grant Street with deceased person.

 Assist with motorcycle event at State Street.

 Assist Caro Police Department with domestic on Millwood Street.

*Listing includes information from the Michigan State Police and other law enforcement agencies
A commissary pilot program that allows users to order their groceries online and pick them up outside the store will soon be expanded, possibly with a new service fee, officials said.

The service, which allows authorized shoppers to order food and other items online and select a time for pick-up, is currently free, and users are not permitted to tip. The program, known as Click2Go, has been in operation at three stateside commissaries since 2013. In June of 2016 officials said they had no plans to expand or eliminate the pilot program, although they said at the time of roll-out that they expected the test to last only into 2014. The program is currently available at Fort Lee, Virginia, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and Travis Air Force Base, California.

Now officials said they are planning an expansion to the service, although they have yet to announce where it will operate.

"The Agency is actively engaged in the development of a Click2Go expansion plan," Kevin Robinson, a commissary spokesman, said in a statement. "We expect to have an announcement soon on specific plans to expand."

Launching the service at a new location requires the installation of a delivery area and call button adjacent to the store where users stop for pick-up. Orders must be placed on the commissary's website a minimum of six hours in advance, and can be scheduled up to a week out, according to a commissary fact sheet. Coupons are accepted, and patrons pay at pick-up using a credit card or debit card run as credit. Cards requiring a PIN, WIC and food stamps, cash and checks are not accepted at the curbside stations.

The curbside program makes up about 2 percent of sales at the three stores its operating in now. That number is in line with civilian grocers, such as Walmart, who offer the service outside the gate, officials said. The average amount, known in grocery parlance as "basket size," spent on Click2Go orders is about $105 -- 60 percent higher than the basket size of shoppers inside the store, they said.

Officials said any new fee for the service "would be in line with grocery retailers." Although some grocers, like Walmart, offer pick-up for free, fees at other grocers vary. For example, Giant charges about $3 per order, while Ralphs charges about $7 and Kroger charges about $5.

Commissary shoppers may be split on whether or not they want a curbside grocery service. A 2012 Military.com SpouseBuzz poll of about 1,400 readers showed that while about 36 percent said they would use online shopping, 36 percent also said they would not. About 27 percent said they would be most likely to use the service for small orders, not re-stocking their pantries.

Commissary officials said over 50 percent of Click2Go users are in paygrades E4 to E9, while 68 percent are between the ages of 25 and 44. About 60 percent of users are active duty members or family members, and 65 percent have two to four dependents. About 29 percent of users are military retirees.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.
Officials at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, are warning personnel to avoid a perimeter around McKinley Climatic Lab after an unexplained explosion occurred at the on-base facility Wednesday.

"A little before 10 a.m., an explosion occurred at McKinley Climatic Lab," Eglin officials said in a Facebook post.

No injuries have been reported.

First responders established a 1,000-ft perimeter, and surrounding areas were evacuated, the post said. Officials said to avoid contact with smoke from the blast, even as it continues to dissipate.

Officials first warned the smoke may have contained methyl chloride, but later said, "It has not been determined that the smoke contained methyl chloride. However the incident occurred in an area within close proximity of said chemical."

Related Content:

Methyl chloride can be used as a cooling mechanism; its use has been curtailed, however, because of toxic effects and flammability.

Officials ordered a temporarily shelter in place for offices stationed between Eglin Boulevard and Van Matre Avenue -- roughly a three mile stretch -- and asked personnel to turn off their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to avoid circulating smoke in facilities.

Eglin spokeswoman Ilka Cole told Military.com there is no explanation for what caused the explosion at this time. She could not say whether anyone was in the building at the time of the explosion, but said "people normally work in that building."

"We will provide updates as we receive them. The cause is currently under investigation," Cole said.

The McKinley Lab is responsible for high-range weather testing of military and commercial aircraft, munitions and weapons.

Cole could not say how much damage the explosion has caused, or if the blast aftermath will shut down the facility until the investigation is complete.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
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...
Two other U.S. soldiers were wounded in the incident in Afghanistan's embattled Helmand province in which Pfc. Hansen B. Kirkpatrick, 19, of Wasilla, Alaska, was killed by enemy fire on July 3, a Pentagon spokesman revealed Wednesday.

The two soldiers' wounds were not life threatening and they were being treated at a coalition medical facility, said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, director of Press Operations at the Pentagon.

He said that Kirkpatrick suffered fatal injuries from indirect fire from the enemy, believed to be the Taliban, during a partnered operation with the Afghan National Security Defense Forces south of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province.

"There are no indications this was friendly fire" that resulted in Kirkpatrick's death, Davis said. He said the enemy indirect fire may have been from mortars but the incident was under investigation, which was normal procedure in the death of a service member. Kirkpatrick was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas.

"Pfc. Hansen Kirkpatrick served honorably as a mortarman in 1-36 Infantry, the Spartans," Maj. James C. Bithorn, executive officer of the 1st BCT of the 1st Armored, said in a statement. "He was a caring, disciplined and intelligent young soldier who lived the Spartan motto of 'Deeds, Not Words.'"

"His service to the battalion spanned just over 12 months -- a period of intense operational tempo -- that culminated in a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel/Resolute Support" mission, Bithorn said. "He will be greatly missed by his fellow soldiers and leaders alike."

Brig. Gen. Mark H. Landes, deputy commanding general for Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division, said "Our thoughts and prayers are with Pfc. Kirkpatrick's family and loved ones," Landes said. "As there is no stronger bond than that between soldiers, the Army and 1st Armored Division mourn the loss as a family."

Kirkpatrick was the seventh U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan this year, compared to 14 in 2016 and 22 in 2015 following major withdrawals of U.S. troops in 2014. Since the U.S. invasion after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, a total of 2,399 U.S. service members have died from combat or other causes in and around Afghanistan, according to the icasualties.org website.

In February, Nicholson began asking for 3,000-5,000 more troops to counter a resurgent Taliban which now controls more than 40 percent of Afghanistan's districts, according to the United Nations and officer of the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The U.S. currently has about 8,500 troops in Afghanistan, and NATO and coalition countries have a total of about 5,000.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was expected to submit to President Donald Trump this month a new strategy for Afghanistan that he has said would focus on getting more cooperation from Afghanistan's neighbors and emphasize more U.S. airpower to back up the Afghan forces.

Trump has authorized Mattis to set troop levels in Afghanistan, but Mattis last month, through spokeswoman Dana White, disputed published reports that he has already signed off on sending 4,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan as part of the new strategy. Davis said Wednesday that Mattis was still expected to submit the new strategy this month but gave no timeline.

Davis said the incident in which Kirkpatrick was killed occurred in the Nawah district of southwestern Helmand province. Nawah traditionally has been one of the major producers of opium and poppy in Helmand, the source of much of the world's heroin.

The Nawah district has been part of a seesaw struggle between the ANDSF, trained and supported by the U.S., and the Taliban. Nawah fell to the Taliban last August, the ANDSF later gained the upper hand, and then the Taliban seized control again in October 2016 while killing the district's chief of police.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com
The latest case before the ECJ was referred to it by a French court in Lille and concerns a 2014 French law on taxis and chauffeured services which makes it a criminal offense to organize illegal taxi services and sets restrictions on the use of software to find customers in the street.

The European court battles are being fought as Uber struggles with last month's departure of co-founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick following a string of scandals that have hit a global star of the U.S. tech industry.

Judges will make a final ruling later this year. However, they generally follow the advice of their advocates general and the comments come two months after another opinion, which rejected Uber's argument that it was only a digital platform and so subject to less regulation than a transport firm.

Uber played down the non-binding opinion from an advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union, saying it applied only to a service using unlicensed drivers known as UberPOP, which it had already discontinued in France.

Uber suffered a new setback in Europe on Tuesday when a European Union court adviser said France was entitled to charge local managers of the U.S. ride-hailing app firm with running an illegal taxi service.

Uber had argued that it was not a taxi company and that the criminal fines imposed on two of its French managers were not valid because the French taxi law infringed EU rules under which limitations on digital services in the bloc require prior approval from Brussels.

Advocate General Maciej Szpunar, who also provided the opinion in the Spanish case in May, disagreed and upheld France's right to prohibit and punish illegal transport activities like UberPOP without seeking EU approval of its law.

"Member states may prohibit and punish, as a matter of criminal law, the illegal exercise of transport activities in the context of the UberPOP service, without notifying the Commission of the draft law in advance," he said in statement.

Uber said it now only operates in France with licensed cab drivers, as it does in many of its main European markets.

Uber was fined 800,000 euros ($908,000) last year and two of its executives were also fined for running an illegal taxi service with UberPOP. The case is currently being appealed and an outcome is expected at the end of the year.

Notably, Szpunar also said that member states remained free to punish illegal transport activities provided by intermediaries such as Uber without asking for Brussels' green light regardless of whether Uber was considered a transport or an information society service.

Damien Geradin, a professor of competition law and economics at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, said the impact of a potential ruling along the lines of Tuesday's opinion would have little impact on Uber's operations in France, but would have wider ramifications for how it is regulated across Europe.

"More generally, the significance of the opinion is that it shows once again that Szpunar resists any qualification that Ubers services can be considered as information society services," Geradin said.

"This is a missed opportunity as these provisions would protect Uber against discriminatory or disproportionate rules adopted in the member states, while still allowing member states to regulate the underlying services [provided by the drivers] to protect riders, drivers and third parties."
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Board meeting was held to transact the following business:-1. Finalization of Issue Price of Warrants as Rs. 25.13/- per warrant, proposed to be issued on preferential basis to the persons belonging to promoter and non- promoter category;2. Considered and approved the Notice of EGM to be sent to the shareholders of the Company.3. The Extra- Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the shareholders of the company is scheduled to be held on 7th August 2017 at 12th Noon at the Registered Office of the compay5. Considered and approved the Notice of 35th Annual General Meeting of the Company to be sent to the members of the Company.6. The 35th Annual General Meeting of the company is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, 12th September 2017 at 12 Noon at The Hotel New Marrion, Bhubaneswar.7. Fixation of Book closure date i.e., from Wednesday, the 6th September, 2017 to Tuesday the 12th September, 2017 (both days inclusive) for the purpose of 35th Annual General Meeting of the company ;Source : BSE
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Pursuant to Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, enclosed herewith is the report on production, domestic sales and exports of the Company which will be released to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the content of which is self-explanatory.This is for the information of the exchange and the members.Source : BSE
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The Consumer Complaints Council (CICC) of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has upheld complaints against 130 of the 199 cases reported on misleading advertisements. The CCC held in the wrong major FMCG, telecom, and e-commerce enterprises such as Godrej Consumer Products, Hindustan Unilever, Reliance Communications, Vodafone, and Amazon India, among others.

FMCG manufacturer Godrej has been accused of presenting a misleading advertisement for its Cinthol soap product with a Buy 3 Get 1 Free offer. The main advert omits the fact that the fourth soap is of a smaller size and flouts the ASCI code by not making a mention of the disparity on the front of the package along with the offer.

Similarly, an Emami Ad on Keshking Ayurvedic oil, promising freedom from hairloss, was found to be false and exaggerated

A Pepsodent Ad by Hindustan Unilever boasted a 12-hour protection against germs. The ASCI report found the claims falling short of evidence.

Reliance Communications, Aircel Maxis, and Vodafone India were among telecom companies to have made it to the list.

Aircel Maxis unlimited local calls pack offered at Rs 249 violated the ASCI Code as the daily-calls cap for other networks are at 200 minutes.

RComms was guilty of advertising an offer in similar lines as Aircel. Moreover, its popular claim of providing the Fastest 4G Network was found to be misleading by exaggeration.

The unlimited local and STD call offer of Vodafone priced at Rs. 328 for 28 days, was in contradiction with its actual disclaimer of a 300 minutes per day cap. As disclaimers cannot be contradictory to the claims made in the main Ad, Vodafone transgressed ASCI Guidelines for Disclaimers in this case

The smartphone player Mobitech Creations advertisement of One Plus 3T said the phone was the best rated smartphone in India. It misrepresented facts as the ratings were obtained from Amazon.in where the customer ratings are not accurate and properly verified. Besides, Apples I Phone 5c and iPhone 6s also had the same ratings, rendering One Plus 3Ts claim of the superlative position incorrect.

Amazon India and the foodtech startup Foodpanda have also made unsubstantiated claims and were held accountable.

The Conditions Apply clause for a Woodland wallet on sale on Amazon, was in contradiction with the e-commerce sites claim of 100% Original Products. It was not in tandem with the websites assertion of having filter to check deceitful sellers. The product was not original, the report concluded, based on evidence supplied with the complaint. The e-commerce major was also held responsible for showing a false MRP on a product offering 48% discount.

Foodpandas Ad offered an Upto 50% off on products which could not be found on sale under discount; evidence of customers actually availing the offers at specified eateries were also unavailable.
business GST impact: A ground report from Asia's largest textile market It has been only a few days since India moved to the new tax regime, goods and services tax (GST). A ground check by CNBC-TV18 found that business at Asia's largest textile market is at a standstill. Traders are confused about billing, demand is at an all-time low and sales are expected to drop 50 percent in July.
Cyrus Mistry, chairman of Tata Group, smiles during the Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) annual general meeting in Mumbai June 27, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer (INDIA - Tags: BUSINESS HEADSHOT) - RTR3W3B4

The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate's Court here today took cognisance of the defamation complaint filed by Tata Trusts' R Venkatramanan against the ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry and others, and directed them to appear before it on August 24.

"The court has summoned Mistry and others in the criminal defamation case filed by us, wherein we have demanded a compensation of Rs 500 crore," Parvez Memon, who appeared for Venkatramanan, said.

Venkatramanan, the managing trustee of Tata Trusts, had filed a Rs 500 crore criminal defamation complaint against Mistry for making "false" statements against him.

According to Venkatramanan, Mistry's mail sent to the directors of Tata Sons and the trustees of Tata Trusts, contained "defamatory statements" against him.

After he was ousted as the chairman of Tata Sons on October 24, 2016, Mistry, in an e-mail, alleged that fraudulent transactions worth Rs 22 crore had taken place at the group's aviation venture AirAsia India and accused Venkatramanan of having tried to cover it up.

The issue, however, is now being probed by the Enforcement Directorate and the outcome of the investigation is pending.

Venkatramanan further said the mail, which was also leaked to the media, had caused irreparable damage to his reputation among his colleagues, family, friends and the society.

On April 17, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed a petition by two firms belonging to Cyrus Mistry's family, seeking waiver of an eligibility condition for moving the forum against Tata Sons. Mistry later moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) challenging the same.

The two firms had sought to challenge Mistry's ouster from Tata Sons and alleged that there was mismanagement and oppression of minority shareholders.

They urged the NCLT to use its discretion and waive an eligibility condition for filing such a petition.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by Mistry's office said, "The attempt to initiate criminal prosecution for alleged defamation is an ill-advised and immature proxy battle through Mr Venkataramanan, whose role in Air Asia is subject matter of several investigations by law enforcement agencies."

"The move by the Tata Trustees to attempt to muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings faced by them, now before the NCLAT, will be effectively and appropriately dealt with. The petitioners in the NCLAT proceedings and Mr Mistry will continue to do the right thing...and protect it from oppressive conduct and mismanagement," it said.
Abhay Laijawala of Deutsche Bank said the research house expects Q1FY18 aggregate revenue growth of 7 percent, EBITDA decline of 7 percent and earnings decline of 6 percent (YoY) for the Nifty.

The 6 percent forecast decline in earnings may be exaggerated by the large YoY inventory adjustments at the oil marketing companies due to the sharp decline in global oil prices, according to him.

He feels excluding energy, Nifty earnings are expected to rise by 4 percent (YoY).

GST rollout uncertainties are forecast to impact earnings of companies focused on domestic consumption while exchange rate dynamics are likely to impact earnings of exporters, according to Laijawala.

For the Deutsche Bank coverage universe, analysts forecast revenue growth of 5 percent, EBITDA decline of 7 percent and earnings decline of 12 percent (YoY), he said.

Industrials, financials and staples sectors will lead earnings growth while energy, telecom and healthcare will lag in the June quarter.

The research house said for industrials, earnings growth (of 16 percent) is likely to be led by a supportive base effect and execution of profitable orders.

In financials (8 percent growth), it said while slippages should remain elevated, the rate of new NPL formation should slow versus FY17. Credit costs will be elevated as banks try to improve coverage ratios.

Overall loan growth will be sluggish but several private sector banks, like HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank, Yes Bank and Federal Bank, are expected to grow faster. NIMs are likely to decline marginally. The CASA ratio will likely stay strong as withdrawals under re-monetization have been slower, it added.

According to Deutsche, fee income growth is expected to be steady, led by retail. Treasury gains are likely to be strong. Overall, private sector banks are expected to do better led by small/retail private banks.

The consumer staples sector (growth of 6 percent) is expected to be a relative outperformer in an otherwise challenging growth environment. Demonetisation and GST implementation are likely to impact earnings growth momentum for the sector, it feels.

Energy, telecom and healthcare are expected to report earnings declines of (-27 percent), (-25 percent) and (-21 percent) YoY respectively, Deutsche said.
Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman speaks during an interview in New York, May 4, 2012. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR31M2I

Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman addressed the audience in the SBI Mega Conclave on Wednesday.

Here are 10 key points from his speech.

# Development in transportation technology has made trade easier. But now, the technological progress is in manufacturing not in transportation. Robots are going to change how we manufacture goods and eventually the shape of markets.

# Commenting on the current scenario of global trade, he said, world trade was open in the 1930s, currently it is in hyper-globalisation state.

# The world is not seeing a retreat from global trade, we are seeing the plateau. Global trade is plateauing because of protectionism.

# He pointed out that India being a rapidly growing emerging market has to rely on exports, particularly export of services.

# Giving credit to the policymakers for the turnaround, he said, India used to be a very restrictive country during his student days.

# South Korea went to become advance economy from being very poor one. Emerging economies today want to be like South Korea. However, It may not be possible to follow the footstep of Seoul or China as the opportunity window will get narrower in future for developing economies.

# Showing disappointment at the growth rate of India, he said, the country should be growing at eight percent, not six.

# He opined that there doesnt seem to be a fiscal problem in India. However, India has some short-term macroeconomic issues on which it needs to work.

# He attributed globalisation as one of the reasons behind Income inequality in wealthy countries.

# Commenting on India's case, he said, though there is income inequality and poverty in the country but the schemes to fight poverty are also becoming a driver for growth.
oil_gas3_58067886

Moneycontrol Research

On the surface, oil prices seem to have settled down in a range between USD 45 and USD 50 a barrel. However, the strong under-current tension between supply and demand should have led to more volatile prices. That is not the case.

The struggle looks to be concentrated among suppliers. Two sides are at each other constantly: Oil producer lobbies of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and some non-OPEC members like Russia on the one hand and shale gas and oil producers backed by the US government, on the other.

OPEC has been trying hard to bolster crude oil prices by announcing production cuts but its efforts have at best resulted in preventing the slide in oil prices. US has been steadily increasing its production.

The second round of production cuts announced by OPEC nations was not enough to boost market sentiment which led to a fall in oil prices immediately after the news.

However, it soon recovered most of the lost ground on news of a drop in production in US. Oil prices posted their longest winning streak of eight days since 2012. News of a loss of production in US falling by 100,000 barrels and a drop in rig count helped push oil prices from USD 45 levels to USD 49. But thats where the good news ends.

Firstly, the dip in oil prices is temporary as the fall was on account of tropical storms. As for the drop in oil rig count, it was mainly because of a shut-down owing to maintenance. Oil rig count has been rising for 23 weeks continuously before the present dip of two rigs from a rig count of 756.

But the bigger supply-side pressure is likely to come from OPEC itself.

OPECs production and exports are well above their projected levels. Though OPEC as a group had claimed to cut crude oil production, it has exported more oil in the first six months of this year than it did in 2016. Over the first six months of 2017, OPECs average exports stood at 25.02 million barrels -- a gain of 290,000 barrels over the same period of 2016.

June saw a bigger jump in oil exports by OPEC nations which jumped to 25.92 million barrels, up 450,000 barrels from May's 25.47 million barrels, according to a Reuters report.

Though OPEC claims a high level of compliance among its member nations at 92 percent, data on the ground shows a high level of supplies. Saudi Arabia seems to be the only major supplier complying with its restriction limits. United Arab Emirates production has risen to an average 2.8 million barrels in the first half of this year from 2.52 million barrels in the same period in 2016. Iran has increased production by 450,000 barrels to 2.13 million barrels.

Other OPEC members like Libya and Nigeria, who were not bound by production cuts, have increased their production levels, close to their original levels.

Supply-side pressure is likely to continue as both Iraq and Iran are increasing their oil productions. Iraqs Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said that he no longer feels there is a need for deeper production cuts and will keep investing to raise capacity to 5 million barrels a day by year-end even if prices fall. Iran, too, has pledged to increase its production level to pre-sanction levels.

With supply-side pressure likely to continue and demand for energy showing little signs of growth, oil prices could re-test the lows, unless there is some political development in the Middle East that can play into the hands of the oil bulls.

For Indian economy and markets, a low oil price is a boon.
business SBI Chief on GST rollout: 'Smooth start but long way to go' "Good start but a lot more needs to be done." That's SBI Chief, Arundathi Bhattacharya on how the GST regime has kicked off.
It said the rocket blasted off from the northwest at 9 a.m. to make a 39 minute flight along a preset trajectory before accurately hitting target waters in the open sea. The rocket flew 933 km, reaching an altitude of 2,802 km, it added.

North Korean state TV said the country is now "a full-fledged nuclear power... possessed of the most powerful intercontinental-ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world."

North Korea on Tuesday claimed it succeeded in test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile called Hwasong-14, capable of striking Alaska and Hawaii.

Missile experts in South Korea and overseas believe the missile could travel 6,500 to 7,000 km if it is launched at a 30 to 40-degree angle, which is not enough to reach the U.S. mainland but could reach Alaska (6,000 km) and Hawaii (7,000 km).

Some two months ago, the North tested an medium-range ballistic missile capable of hitting targets 5,000 km away. A government source here said, "North Korea probably shortened the range so that the missile would not pass over Japan. We are focusing on whether North Korea succeeded in acquiring the technology to allow missiles to re-enter the atmosphere with the latest test launch."

In order for an ICBM to function properly, it needs to be able to withstand temperatures of 7,000 to 8,000 degrees Celsius on re-entry at a speed of Mach 24 or 25.

The U.S. confirmed North Korea's claim but warned Pyongyang that it would use "the full range of capabilities" against the growing threat. The launch was timed to take place on U.S. Independence Day.

Some experts believe North Korea's rapid missile development could enable the isolated state to succeed in developing an ICBM by the end of this year that is capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

President Moon Jae-in called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council right after the test and urged Pyongyang not to pass "the point of no return."

U.S. President Donald Trump was scathing on Twitter. "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," he tweeted.


A vendor waits for customers as he sells rice at a market in Kolkata September 23, 2010. India's food price index rose 15.46 percent in the year to September 11, government data on Thursday showed. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri (INDIA - Tags: AGRICULTURE BUSINESS) - RTXSK2L

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Ahead of the visit of an Indian delegation to the EU to resolve the basmati rice issue, grain exporters body AIREA today said tough norms by the European Commission will hit the exports badly as the trade worth over Rs 1,700 crore could shift to Pakistan.

The European Commission has recently brought down in basmati rice the maximum residue limit (MRL) level for Tricyclazole, a fungicide used by farmers against a disease, to 0.01 mg per kg from the next year. This was done for all countries.

"The EU has virtually imposed ban on import of Indian basmati rice by reducing 100-fold the import tolerance level of 'Tricyclazole'. It is not possible to bring down the pesticide level all of a sudden to nearly zero," AIREA President Vijay Sethia told reporters here.

The Indian government team is scheduled to visit Brussels, Belgium, on July 12 to discuss the matter. Two aromatic basmati rice varieties -- PB1 and 1401 -- are maximum exported to the EU. The shipments of these varieties with Tricyclazole MRL at 0.03 mg per kg were accepted so far from India.

At least, two crop cycles are required to effect the desired change. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence that it is harmful on human health, he said, adding that meanwhile farmers are being educated to use the fungicide in a judicious manner. If the government does not take up the issue with the EU, basmati rice exporter Kohinoor Foods Joint Managing Director Gurnam Arora said: "Our business worth over Rs 1,700 crore will shift to Pakistan, which also exports aromatic rice to the EU.

The new EU norms are unjust and one sided and not in the interest of farmers." Pakistan exports 'Super' variety of aromatic rice and it does not use Tricyclazole on its crop and is looking at the opportunity to ship more from January 2018, he added. India, the world's top rice exporter, shipped 3.5 lakh tonnes valuing Rs 1,744 crore of basmati rice to the EU in 2016-17.

The country's basmati rice exports to the EU comprise 10 per cent of the total 40 lakh tonnes undertaken annually, as per the industry data. Even Spain and Italy use Tricyclazole on their paddy crop. The new norm has also affected them, Arora added. The association has made representation to commerce and agriculture ministries and sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter.
'One country, one tax' is welcome change for all of India because the regime has worked globally. It's a regime which has proven itself in the past, said Bhramani Nara, ED, Heritage Foods in an interview with CNBC-TV18's Nithya Balakrishnan.

This regime is set to benefit 3Cs -- corporates, consumers and the central and state governments, she said, adding that it will also make ease of doing business much better, which is an important objective of the country.

The whole process will help manage inventory better, reduce wastage and improve efficiencies, she said.

She said, the tax benefits in dairy products have already been passed on to the consumers and for products wherever there was increase in tax rates, the company has absorbed the cost, so that the customer is not affected, she said.

I think the intent of this regime was that the government wanted to make essential goods  be it food or non-food more affordable to the consumer, she said.
3:30 pm Market at Close: Equity benchmark indices ended the session on a flat note with a positive bias, with the Nifty ending above 9600-mark.

The Sensex closed up 35.77 points at 31245.56, while the Nifty ended higher by up 24.30 points at 9637.60. The market breadth was positive as 1685 shares advanced against a decline of 982 shares, while 144 shares were unchanged.

Lupin, ONGC and Vedanta gained the most, while ITC, Wipro and Infosys lost the most.

3:20 pm Drug launch: Pharma major Lupin shares rallied 5 percent intraday after it announced generic version of Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride Ophthalmic solution in the United States.

Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride Ophthalmic solution USP, 0.5 percent (base) is an AT1 rated generic equivalent of Novartis Pharma's Vigamox Ophthalmic solution.

The drug is used for treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis caused by susceptible strains of the organisms.

Vigamox Ophthalmic solution had US sales of USD 267.9 million, as per IMS MAT data of March 2017.

3:05 pm New contract: Shares of IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company rose 10.4 percent intraday as it has received contacts worth Rs 236.76 crore.

The company has received letter of intents (LoIs) from Jharkand Bijli Vitran Nigam (JBVNL) under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for a total contract value of Rs 236.76 crore.

2:49 pm Market Check: Equity benchmarks remained rangebound in afternoon trade, with the Nifty moving in a tight range of 20 points since the beginning today.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 2.03 points at 31,207.76 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 10.55 points at 9,623.85.

About 1,640 shares advanced against 957 declining shares on the BSE.

IDFC as well as IDFC Bank rallied nearly 10 percent each after sources told CNBC-TV18 that IDFC Bank is likely to announce a large acquisition shortly.

The bank is looking to acquire a large financial services company, which will be in-line with with strategy to augment retail business, sources said.

2:25 pm Buzzing: Tata Motors gained more than 1 percent intraday after Morgan Stanley retained overweight rating on the stock despite tepid JLR sales growth in US; and the company announced price cut.

The research house also maintained its price target of Rs 588, implying 37 percent upside over a period of one year.

Luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover's retail sales in North America in June were up 3 percent YoY against 14 percent growth YoY in May, led by Jaguar sales.

Jaguar sales increased 7 percent in June against a 44 percent YoY growth in May as the base has now caught up - F Pace launched in May 2016 in North America.

Land Rover sales were up 1 percent in June, same as in May.

The mix in Land Rover sales was good with RR sales up 23 percent YoY and further ramp-up in Discovery sales and launch of Velar should improve sales growth going forward, Morgan Stanley said.

Incentives continued to be up YoY but were down 6 percent MoM to USD 2,621 per unit in June, driven primarily by lower discounts in the Jaguar portfolio, it added.

2:05 pm MSEI decision postpones: A day after announcing the extension of trading hours from 9:15 am to 5:00 pm, the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) has decided to postpone this decision.

It is hereby informed that the implementation of the revised schedule of trading hours, as mentioned in the circular, has been postponed. A circular mentioning the revised date of implementation will be issued separately, the index said in a statement.

The exchange on Tuesday had said that the new trading hours would be implemented till 5 pm from July 7, 2017. Presently, the trading commences on the exchange at 9.15 am and closes at 3.30 pm.

1:45 pm MF assets soar: The average assets under management of the mutual fund industry rose 7 percent taking the total AUM to a record high of Rs 19.52 lakh crore at the end of June quarter, according to the data on the Association of Mutual Funds in India.

Fund managers attributed the increase in AUM to robust markets matched with growing participation from retail investors.

In January-March, the average AUM of 42 MF players stood at Rs 18.3 lakh crore, as per AMFI.

1:21 pm Market Check: Equity benchmarks continued to be volatile in afternoon trade while the broader markets extended gains following positive global cues.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 14.82 points at 31,224.61 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 14.15 points at 9,627.45.

Lupin extended gains to 4 percent after the launch of generic Vigamox Ophthalmic solution in the US, which has US sales of USD 267.9 million, as per IMS MAT March 2017.

Jaiprakash Associates was biggest midcap gainer, up 6 percent followed by Videocon Industries, Shriram Transport, Reliance Communications and Tata Chemicals with 3-5 percent upside.

The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices gained nearly a percent each as about 1,606 shares advanced against 910 declining shares on the exchange.

1:05 pm Buzzing: Shiva Cement share were locked at 10 percent upper circuit at Rs 30.15 on profit booking after a solid rally in more than a week.

There were pending sell orders of 1,559,186 shares, with no buyers available on the BSE, at 13:08 hours IST.

The stock rallied nearly 62 percent in previous six consecutive sessions after new promoter - JSW Cement raised its stake in the company to over 50 percent.

With the current buy out of 3.15 percent stake, JSW Cement's shareholding in Shiva Cement increased to 53.47 percent from 50.33 percent earlier.

"JSW Cement has acquired control over Shiva Cement and will become the promoter of the company. Current equity shareholders, who are currently members of the promoter group will cease to be promoters of the company," Shiva Cement said.

12:40 pm Europe opening: European markets opened mixed as Independence Day celebrations in the US kept trading activity muted across the world and geopolitical tensions continue to heat up.

12:35 pm Market Check: Equity benchmarks continued to consolidate in afternoon trade, with the Sensex hovering around 31,200 level.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 9.15 points at 31,200.64 while the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 8.40 points to 9,621.70.

About 1,506 shares advanced against 935 declining shares on the BSE.

12:15 pm Buzzing: Tata Elxsi share price gained nearly 2 percent as KR Choksey said it assigned a buy rating on the stock after applying a P/E multiple of 23x FY19E EPS of INR 90 to arrive at a target price Rs 2,070.

It believes that Tata Elxsi is rightly placed in all high growth industries, i.e. automotive, broadcast & media, semi-conductor, communications and healthcare which will serve as key triggers to drive 20 percent revenue CAGR between FY17 and FY19.

The research house is particularly bullish on recent updates wherein the companys autonomai platform for autonomous vehicles has been licensed to a Top Global OEM and companys association with Panasonic for Specialist Design Services in consumer products/ electronics.

11:50 am Q1 Earnings Preview: Hefty box office collection of more than Rs 1,000 crore due to blockbuster movies - Baahubali 2 and Tubelight - is expected to boost financials of multiplex companies in June quarter of FY18 but the same performance is unlikely in second quarter.

'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion' gave a big bang start to Q1FY18 with the blockbuster reporting overall domestic box office collection of Rs 1,326 crore. However, the much hyped (expected to collect Rs 200 crore plus) Salman Khan flick, Tubelight came croppers and ended with around Rs 100 crore box office collections.

Movies like Sachin A Billion Dream and Hindi Medium performed moderately. Among Hollywood movies, The Fate Of The Furious 8 did well in Q1FY18 while Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2, Pirates Of The Caribbean-5 and Wonder Woman failed to make a mark.

"We estimate 18 percent YoY advertising growth for PVR, aided by good expected performance of Tubelight, Baahubali 2 and Sachin A Billion Dream in Q1FY18," Edelweiss said.

It expects the multiplex industry to continue to report decent growth in Q1FY18 on higher share of net box office collections led by addition of screens in past 12 months (PVR opened 8 screens in Q1FY18); and pick up in Hollywood films.

11.29 am Market Check: The broader markets continued to outperform benchmarks, with the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices rising 0.6 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 34.73 points at 31,244.52 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 17.45 points at 9,630.75.

About 1504 shares advanced against 788 declining shares on the BSE.

Reliance Industries, M&M, Asian Paints and Tata Motors continued to rally, up 1-2 percent. Banks stocks like Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank were up 0.3-1 percent.

However, the correction in ITC, HDFC, Infosys, TCS, Wipro and Bharti Airtel capped gains.

11:15 am Phase II trial: Zydus announced the initiation of a phase II trial investigating ZYAN 1, an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, as a treatment for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

Two phase I trials of ZYAN 1 have been concluded in Australia and India, and results were recently published in clinical pharmacokinetics.

11:00 am Price cut: Following the rollout of GST, Tata Motors decided to pass on the entire benefit to customers, offering a price reduction of up to 12 percent ranging between Rs 3,300 and Rs 2.17 lakh depending on the model and variant.

10:45 am Services PMI: Activity in India's dominant service sector expanded at its fastest pace in eight months in June as new business orders surged, a private survey showed.

The Nikkei/IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers' Index climbed to 53.1 in June from the previous month's 52.2. June was the fifth consecutive month the index has been above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.

"With services being the prevalent sector in India, the fainter rise in manufacturing was more than offset and growth of private sector output climbed to an eight-month peak," said Pollyanna de Lima, economist at IHS Markit.

10.33 am Market Check: Equity benchmarks continued to trade higher in morning, with the Nifty eyeing 9,650 level, backed by Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 46.05 points at 31,255.84 and the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 16.05 points to 9,629.35.

The broader markets outperformed benchmarks, with the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices up over 0.6 percent on strong breadth. About two shares advanced for every share falling on the exchange.

10:12 am Buzzing: Motilal Oswal has initiated coverage on Jubilant Life Sciences with a buy rating and target price of Rs 905, implying 31 percent upside on expectations of strong growth in pharma and life science ingredients segments going ahead. The stock gained more than 5 percent intraday.

All sub-segments in pharmaceuticals (which constituted 52 percent of total sales in FY17) are well poised for growth, the research house feels.

9:59 am Buzzing: Shares of ABC Bearings has locked at 20 percent upper circuit and Timken India gained nearly 5 percent as ABC Bearings is going to merge with the later one.

The board of directors of ABC Bearings at its meeting held on July 4, has approved the merger of ABC Bearing into Timken India through a scheme of amalgamation and arrangement amongst ABC Bearing, Timken India and their respective shareholders and creditors," ABC Bearings said in press release.

The said scheme is subject to the approval of the shareholders and creditors of ABC Bearings, approval of the regulatory authorities and the sanction of the National Company Law Tribunal.

Timken India will issue 5 equity shares of Rs 10 each for every 8 shares held in the ABC Bearings of Rs 10 each.

9:45 am FII View: Adrian Mowat of JPMorgan said the MSCI Emerging Market index rallied 17 percent in the first half of 2017 outperforming Developed Market by 8 percent.

This was the best first half performance since 2009. It was the 6th straight month of outperformance from emerging markets versus developed markets, the longest run since May 2008, and only the fourth such streak in the last 20 years, he added.

He feels capital is returning to emerging markets.

For India, policy newsflow remains supportive given progress on GST rollout, increasing expectations of monetary easing and steps towards resolution of asset quality issues by RBI, Mowat said.

9:30 am Earnings Preview: Expect Nifty's Q1FY18 earnings to decline 6%, revenue growth of 7%: Deutsche

Abhay Laijawala of Deutsche Bank said the research house expects Q1FY18 aggregate revenue growth of 7 percent, EBITDA decline of 7 percent and earnings decline of 6 percent (YoY) for the Nifty.

The 6 percent forecast decline in earnings may be exaggerated by the large YoY inventory adjustments at the oil marketing companies due to the sharp decline in global oil prices, according to him.

He feels excluding energy, Nifty earnings are expected to rise by 4 percent (YoY).

GST rollout uncertainties are forecast to impact earnings of companies focused on domestic consumption while exchange rate dynamics are likely to impact earnings of exporters, according to Laijawala.

For the Deutsche Bank coverage universe, analysts forecast revenue growth of 5 percent, EBITDA decline of 7 percent and earnings decline of 12 percent (YoY), he said.

Also read - Buy, Sell, Hold: 8 stocks and 3 sectors are being tracked by analysts today

9:15 am Market Check: Equity benchmarks opened moderately higher on Wednesday, with the Nifty holding 9600 level despite mixed Asian cues.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 25.37 points at 31,235.16 and the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 5.95 points to 9,619.25.

Reliance Industries hit a fresh 52-week high, up nearly a percent and surpassed market capitalisation of TCS. BPCL, M&M, Adani Ports and Tata Motors were other gainers.

HDFC lost a percent on exposure to NPA accounts Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Infosys, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Steel and Hindalco Industries were under pressure.

The broader markets gained too, with the Nifty Midcap up 0.3 percent as about two shares advanced for every share falling on the BSE.

Among midcaps, ABC Bearings surged 20 percent and Texmaco Rail was up 10 percent. Jubilant Life, Kesoram Industries, United Spirits, Persistent Systems, Shilpi Cable, Tata Coffee, Jaypee Infratech, Videocon and Venky's were up 1-5 percent.

Shiva Cement plunged 10 percent after 50 percent rally. Reliance Communications and Bajaj Finance were other losers.

Asian bourses were mixed as geopolitical concerns came to the fore a day after North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile.
The country's markets regulator is open to the idea of the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) extending its trading hours but wants a proper structure in place and has asked the exchange to first comply with clearing corporation norms.

The regulator told MSEI that in 2009, it had allowed extended hours for equity cash and equity derivatives. MSEI, however, is only allowed in the cash segment. It has now laid conditions before MSEI for extending its trading hours including thoroughly checking the IT, trading and risk management structures.

Within a day of announcing the extension of trading hours up to 5 pm, the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) on Wednesday withdrew the circular on the same. The exchange had on Tuesday issued a notice announcing extension of trading hours till 5 pm from Friday (July 7).

In a revised circular on Wednesday, the MSE said, "It is hereby informed that the implementation of the revised schedule of trading hours...has been postponed".

"A circular mentioning the revised date of implementation will be issued separately," it added.

SEBI has asked MSEI to extend its timings only after meeting the required liquid net worth of the clearing corporation of the exchange, which is Rs 100 crore. The regulator had issued guidelines in May last year which said that liquid net worth consists of fixed deposit, investment in liquid mutual funds and government securities.

According to SEBI's calculations, the liquid net worth of MSEI's clearing corporation is not in compliance with Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations (SECC) norms.

"SEBI and MSEI have differing views on the liquid net worth of the clearing corporation," a source close to the development told Moneycontrol. "MSEI has more than Rs 110 crore of liquid net worth, but the regulator is not including members' contribution and clearing banks' contribution in this net worth, which is allowed in Securities Exchanges and Clearing Corporation (SECC) norms."

A source close to the development said that while the regulator may not raise concerns over technology and trading structure, risk management will remain an issue. MSEI will also need to have an overall net worth of Rs 300 crore by September.

"Brokers are not comfortable with this move [of a 5pm closing time]," a market source told Moneycontrol. "Their argument is that the cost of running a business will increase if the timings are extended. At the same time, however, currency and bonds trading takes place till 5pm."

A market expert said that SEBI is working on a universal exchange in which the stock exchange will start commodity trading and vice-versa. "In such a scenario, the stock exchange will be open till late night. Some big brokers are resisting this move."

The MSEI, earlier known as MCX-SX, was set up by Jignesh Shah-led Financial Technologies (India) Ltd (FTIL) and it commenced operations in the currency derivatives segment in October 2008.

It began operating as a full-fledged bourse with the launch of equity trading in February 2013.

The exchange is aiming to make market presence as it is currently witnessing near-zero trade volumes in the equity segment.

"We are a small and young exchange and have to create a market for ourselves," an MSEI source told Moneycontrol. "We have to be creative in order to attract volume to our exchange."
An Indian stockbroker uses a computer at a brokerage firm in Bombay March 7, 2005. Indian banking shares shone on Monday on expectations of stable interest rates while the broader market closed at a new high for the third consecutive trading day, boosted by foreign and domestic funds, traders said. REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe PP/JJ - RTR46TG

Moneycontrol Research

Savvy investors in Tokyo Plast International Limited (TPIL) have already doubled their money in the past one year, but there is still room for further appreciation in this consumption focused play.

TPIL makes and markets plastic insulated ware like thermo food containers and coolers. The company, which enjoys a "Star Export House" tag, is promoted by Velji L Shah. Promoters own close to 52 percent of the business

TPIL has two manufacturing plants at Kandla and Daman. The Kandla plant specializes in insulated water jugs, cooler boxes and ice chest. The Daman plant specializes in insulated casseroles and food warmers.

So what are the unique moats that investors are excited about?

Promising industry: Indias plastic consumption is expected to grow at a healthy pace on account of growing substitution, expanding middle class and new applications. Plastic is gradually replacing competing products like steel and aluminium.

Branded exporter of thermoware: The Company manufactures thermoware products under the brand PINNACLE. Its brand PINNACLE is registered and all its designs are patented in more than 50 countries including the US. "Pinnacle" gets a prominent place among the top retailers of the world.

Focus on exports: A sizeable chunk of its revenue comes from exports. In the gobal market, the company exports to over 75 countries including US, Latin America, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain and many more. It has been awarded the "Top Exporters Award" in thermoware by the government of India for the past four consecutive years.

Wide range and variety: TPIL offers products under various categories, such as Thermo Bowl, To-Go, Outdoor Living and Combos. Its Thermo Bowl products include Pinnacle, Palila, Pavonia, Paloma, Parisa, Platinum, Panache and Picasso. Its To-Go products include Prime, Paloma Lunch Kit, Omega, Regal, Sunny, Phoenix and Picnic Treat. Its outdoor living products include ice cooler box and cooler jugs. Its Combos include Eskimo 5 Pieces Set, Proxon 4 Pieces Set, Eskimo 2 Pieces Set and Eskimo 7 Pieces Set.

Steady financial performance: In the past four years, revenue has grown at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 8 percent, but the operating profit has grown 14.2 percent compounded. The company has reported a healthy 24 percent growth in after-tax-profit. It is important to note that over the years, despite the vagaries in the market place, TPIL has managed to post healthy mid-teen operating margin. The balance sheet quality is also comforting, with the company having negligible debt on the books.

FY17 shows promises: TPIL ended a stellar year with revenue growing 24 percent to Rs 72 crore and EBIDTA margin improving 290 basis points to 16.7 percent resulting in 50 percent growth in operating profit. The after-tax-profit rose by 70 percent.

Even if the company grows in a moderate trajectory, in the coming two years, we expect the topline to grow by 19 percent, operating profit by 20 percent and profit after tax by 28 percent.

Reasonably valued in the peer group: There is no listed company in the identical product space, but if we compare the performance of Tokyo Plast with similar sized listed peers, the performance gap is huge.

However, despite the overt superior fundamentals, TPIL still quotes at a discount to its peers.

As with many consumer facing and not so high entry-barrier businesses; TPIL too has to negotiate Chinese competition and fluctuation in foreign exchange market. While Tokyo Plast International has all the right ingredients to excite the long term investors, the stock has nearly doubled over the last one year.

If any of the aforesaid tailwinds result in any disappointment in numbers, it can provide decent entry opportunity given that the fundamental moats and a reasonable valuation (at the current price of Rs 158 valued at 12.5X FY19 earnings) beckons attention. Patient long-term investors should be keeping an eye on this opportunity and capitalise on market gyrations to build up positions.
Delhi government to adhere to existing funding mechanism for metro

The Delhi government has decided to adhere to the existing funding mechanism of metro projects, for the upcoming Delhi Metro Phase IV, as stated by the centre. The move intends to expedite the 104-km-long  READ FULL STORY

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The Delhi government has decided to adhere to the existing funding mechanism of metro projects, for the upcoming Delhi Metro Phase IV, as stated by the centre. The move intends to expedite the 104-km-long metro project that was approved by the AAP government in January, 2017.

See also: Centres nod to fourth phase of Delhi Metro

This is to inform you that the proposal sent by the government of NCT of Delhi, is not in conformity with the existing framework of funding pattern for metro rail projects, wherein central taxes are shared equally by the central and state governments as subordinate debt, Naidu had said in the letter.

Reacting to Naidus letter, a Delhi government spokesperson said, In principle, the government feels what share it gets from the centre is very insufficient. However, the CM has directed that despite this injustice being there, metro projects should not be delayed at any cost. The government will pay its due share.

The proposed corridors are Rithala-Narela (21.73 kms), Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 kms), Tughlakabad-Aerocity (20.20 kms), Lajpat Nagar-Saket G-Block (7.96 kms), Janakpuri (west)-RK Ashram (28.92 kms) and Mukundpur-Maujpur (12.54 kms).

The post Delhi government to adhere to existing funding mechanism for metro appeared first on Housing News.
Liquor companies have been buzzing in trade today after Supreme Court yesterday stated that States could denotify roads and allow bars within city limits, adding that city traffic is much slower than actual highway traffic.

The Supreme Court had banned liquor outlets within 500 meters of state and national highways effective April 1, 2017.

To gauge the impact of this on the business and the likely relief from SC, CNBC-TV18 spoke to Shekhar Ramamurthy, MD, United Breweries.

He said last few months have been very challenging for the company post the Supreme Court ban on liquor shops, bars, which came on the back of demonetisation last year.

However, he said the company was looking forward to yesterdays Supreme Court statement to become a reality because most of the state and national highways run through big cities in India, which impacted about 40-50 percent of outlets of the states.

However, he clarified that, "As an industry we support the fact that people should not abuse alcohol, we support that there should be no drink and drive but at the same time highways running through big cities, municipalities is a strange phenomenon that we have and this situation can be sorted out and we can have a win-win situation, where legitimate businesses can continue to operate, and the fact that there should be control on drink and drive will also get implement.

When asked how much of the SC relief impact if any would come to them, he said they need to figure that out yet because the impact is not only in big cities but many other municipalities also get impacted.

Some states saw a bigger impact of liquor ban than others, he said for example Kerala had a big impact because 60 percent of outlets were shut, so industry saw a decline of almost 50 percent in the first quarter. Similarly, all parts of Maharashtra outside Mumbai saw steep double-digit decline but rest of the country the impact has been moderate, he added. Karnataka and Telangana hasnt been impacted because the ban in Karnataka kicked it from July 1 and in Telangana it will kick in from September 1.

Taking about GST impact, he said although alcohol has been kept out of GST but all input materials like bottles, malt, sugar, cartons, energy, transport etc used to produce the final product and reach it to the consumer is under the GST, so in-effect we are also under it. We will need 3-6 months to gauge that but fear that average tax rate on the inputs is going to higher post GST.

However, he clarified that price hikes on account of input issue will happen because in 60 percent of the country they have to go to the state government to seek price hike approval. Therefore, he doesnt see change in prices at this point of time.
(Image: Shutterstock)

In line with its endeavor to boost the startup ecosystem in Karnataka, state IT and BT minister Priyank Kharge has launched an 'Elevate 100' program which aims to help 100 startups with funds, mentorship, and a go-to-market strategy with a Rs 400 crore allocation.

It is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. Elevate will help the state support IT and BT, which is growing at a fast pace, and also help to take them to the next level. It will not be just funding, because not all startups need it. We are also offering technical and business support, based on their needs, Kharge said.

Elevate 100, has been instated under Karnataka government's startup cell. The state has allocated Rs 400 crore towards the program. The program will identify 100 of the most innovative startups in Karnataka and help them reach goals through active mentorship, networking opportunities, and a seed fund, Kharge said.

The government started accepting applications for the program on July 4, and will close the process on July 18, which will be followed by a demo event in August, this year. Kharge said that the government will hold open house sessions in Mangaluru, Kalaburgi, Mysuru, and Hubli, to identify the best startups among the ones shortlisted.

These open houses will be organised in association with TiE and the Deshpande Foundation.

The startups will get access to Startup Cells other initiatives such as idea validation, incubation facilities, brainstorming sessions on accounting, legal, and emerging technologies. The startups, apart from the seed funding by the government, can also connect with investors through the program.

The Karnataka Government runs several other programs to help startups, under the Startup Cell, such as the Grand Challenge that seeks to identify startup solutions for governance issues.

Till date, the government had identified 46 startups and sanctioned a total of Rs 15.68 crore in various fields such as biotechnology, IT, and tourism.
Arrow Greentech | Production operations will be recommenced at Ankleshwar plant as Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) issued interim revocation order. (Image: arrowgreentech.com)

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Moneycontrol Research

With environment conservation gaining currency Arrow Greentech Limited (AGL) is an interesting growth stock to keep an eye out for.

A leading manufacturer of water soluble films in India, AGL is currently expanding capacity and continues to focus on creating niche products and monetizing the same.

Recently DSP Blackrock bought 4.71 lakh shares (4 percent of AGLs equity) through open market purchases.

AGLs Products

Incorporated in 1992, AGL (market cap Rs 654 crore) is a leading company in water soluble film technology. Through its key product Watersol (water soluble film), the company is currently serving end markets of agro-chemicals and embroidery. The key benefit it brings is the avoidance of human touch in handling harmful chemicals and the optimum usage of such agri-chemicals  for example, application of certain pesticides. Currently, about 81 percent of AGs revenue (FY 2016) comes from royalty income, 7 percent from consultancy and 12 percent from the sale of water soluble film based products. AGLs manufacturing unit is in Ankleshwar and major institutional clients are in the field of agro-chemicals (eg: UPL).

Water Soluble Film and its Market

Water soluble film, manufactured from PVA (Poly vinyl alcohol), is a biodegradable packaging film which can dissolve in water or waste. Globally, North America is the largest market for water soluble film, having a 35 percent market share. Detergent industry (~37 percent) is the largest end user segment, followed by agrochemical packaging (35 percent).

As per ALGs annual report, global PVA film market is about USD 500 million and is presently growing at 5 percent. Quicker adoption of this technology for applications as diverse as healthcare, agro-chemicals, embroidery, dyes, cement, enzymes, fish baits, edible films packaging etc. hold promises for steady increase in demand.

Kuraray (Japan) and Sekisui Speciality chemicals are among the largest producers of PVA and films. Aicello Corporation, The Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry and Arrow Greentech are the other known players. Over the years, China has developed a large capacity which, in turn, increases the competitive intensity for the low margin applications of water soluble films.

Positioning of Arrow Greentech - Healthy royalty income backed by scores of patents

AG boasts of 32 registered patents related to water soluble film technology which helps it to garner healthy royalty income and consultancy fees that has grown at CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 58 percent between FY13 and FY16.

So far the company has monetized 3 out of 32 patents in the form of consultancy fees for the technical know-how, royalty income and sale of related products. Going forward, the company has plans to monetise its remaining patents which have high functional applications (refer table). Recently, AGL is exploring prospects of water soluble film for drug delivery with various pharma companies.

The company has alliances with technology leaders in various end markets like Proquimia (cleaning and hygiene products), Tsukioka and Trace tag (security products) in order to make more end consumer products. In the near future, the company is focusing on high margin products like embedded edible film, mould release film and detergent films.

Three-fold capacity expansion for the water soluble films

AGL is currently tripling its water soluble films capacity from 150 tonnes to 450 tonnes and the new capacity is expected to post a utilization of 75 percent in the current fiscal year. We estimate segmental revenue contribution from sales of products would ramp up to 25 percent by FY19 from 12 percent currently. This would help in meeting the existing demand for water soluble films/related products from the domestic clients.

Key Risks

Currently, company imports all its raw materials including PVA which exposes it to price volatility of these materials. Import threat from Chinese players are low as the company caters to relatively high value added applications  except for embroidery. However, presence of international players like Kuraray in India is a more credible threat.

Valuation

Compared to leading global companies in the PVA film segment, AG trades at slight premium (12 percent on average). However, given the fact that company is at the early stage of growth (revenue CAGR of 14 percent for 2017-19E) a sustained premium is justified due to array of patents (higher share of royalty income), potential for monetization and the capacity expansion.

In our projections, we estimate 50 percent utilization for the added capacity in FY18. Due to reduced percentage share of royalty income, blended EBITDA is expected to moderate to 73 percent in FY19. At the current price, the stock is available at 15.7x projected earnings of FY19, which is attractive in our view. Investors having an appetite for high beta growth stock can consider this for accumulation.
In an interview to CNBC-TV18, SP Tulsian of sptulsian.com shared his readings and outlook on the market and specific stocks and sectors.

Anuj: I wanted your thoughts on whether extending market timing till 5:00pm is a good idea.

A: Definitely not a good idea but let us accept the hard fact that these things are going to continue if people are talking of the international financial city in Gandhinagar working for 23.5 hours, you are bound to see these kind of things happening. I am definitely not in favour of this, let us understand, but the things are all institutionalised take for whether broker, or the channels and all that. You have to accept that there will be two shift of the working and those who are all proprietary based kind of things or maybe where having very low infrastructure kind of things, they will have to give a thought twice.

However these things are going to be seen because in the cut throat competition, every entity, every company, every institution, even NSE and BSE will be keen to see their revenue getting increased. There is no social objective to it, whatever we may call it, whether health hazard and all that, but things are going to happen and even if it happens at 5:00pm, take it from me that other exchanges will follow and all the entities those who have been opposing will see getting aligned with this revised timings.

Reema: What are your thoughts on ABC Bearings as well as the Timken merger? The swap ratio has been announced, yesterday the stock was up close to about 20 percent, i.e. ABC Bearings, any arbitrage that you see, how would you play the story?

A: There is huge arbitrage but you should be able to get that arbitrage benefits available because ABC Bearing if you convert the swap ratio then the share price works out to Rs 423-424. So that means you wont see the shares available till Rs 410. However, what I want to draw an inference from this merger is the value which we have been in fact recommending or which we have been highlighting the tremendous value which existing in case of the microcap and smallcap or maybe the midcap stocks because ABC Bearings is having a market cap of sub Rs 300 crore and Timken, an MNC is having 75 percent stake of the promoters.

They are acquiring this company and prepare to dilute their equity from 75 percent which has been the global philosophy of all MNCs. Mind it that ABC Bearings is partly manufacture and partly distributor. So, the kind of valuations which has been paid, maybe a market cap of closer to about Rs 400 crore for the company shows that these kind of valuation exists in case of many other companies. However, as you have asked for the arbitrage opportunity, there is arbitrage opportunities in case of ABC Bearing but share wont be available in my view till the level of Rs 390-400 because it will keep hitting upper circuit till then but

However, thereafter Timken, because after this merger Timken promoters will have their stake falling below 75 percent and that will be seen as a good rerating or the kind of valuation call coming on Timken on the expectation that again MNCs will increase their stake back in Timken to 75 percent. So this is the whole scenario of the merger or the swap ratio of eight shares of ABC Bearings getting converted into five shares of Timken.

Anuj: Let us discuss your stock idea for the day, Kesoram Industries.

A: Kesoram Industries again, you are right in pointing out that there are corporate developments which people or market probably have not been able to understand. Firstly, let me give you the background, this is a BK Birla Group company. The company is having two cement plants, one in Telangana and one in Karnataka with an aggregate capacity of 7.25 million tonne per annum. Apart from that, they have 16 lakh tyre making capacity, 16 lakh pieces per annum whether it makes for cars, or passenger vehicle (PV) or for two and three wheelers. They dont make truck tyres and that plant is operating at Balasore Odisha having a negative EBIT of Rs 60 crore for FY17 which was at Rs 360 crore in FY16.

Now, if you see the corporate development recently which has happened, IndusInd Bank have subscribed convertible bonds exactly 15 months back at Rs 120 per shares, 75 shares. Those shares have been sold by IndusInd Bank two days back or maybe three days back, maybe on Friday at Rs 137 per share which have been bought by the promoters of the company. In fact it has not been expressly stated that but if you go by the block deal, you will find that one Birla Group company having Birla building address have bought, that means it implies that the promoter stake has risen from 50 percent to 53 percent. If I go by the shareholding pattern, Century Enka, which is again a BK Birla Group company, holding about 1.5 percent is shown as non-promoter which I am unable to understand that why Century Enka should be shown as a non-promoter.

So, if you add that, 55 percent stake. However, whatever information which we are gathering, we have talked about ABC Bearings, those who had got a whiff of this would have made huge money, maybe about 100 percent. Similar could happen. I am not seeing that 100 percent gain is possible in Kesoram Industries but what has happened in the past, company has sold one tyre plant at Haridwar to Rs 2,200 core.

Again the street is talking that the second tyre plant which is at Odisha is seen to have a net present value of Rs 1,800 crore which management is probably contemplating to monetize that also. The net-debt in the books of the company is Rs 1,800 crore. So, if, I am using the word if, they monetize the Odisha tyre plant also which in fact I see it logical because there is no reason  if they have sold the major portion of the tyre plant, why should they continue with a smaller one. So, they can monetize that also for Rs 1,800 crore make the company debt free, number one.

Number two, if you see the shareholding pattern of 55-54 percent, the entire shareholding is held by Manav Investments and AB Birla Group company or maybe Pilani Investments. That means no shareholding of the promoters is held or having a cross holding like held by individuals and all that. Presently the daughter of BK Birla, Manjushree Khaitan, she is the executive vice chairperson. The patriarch BK Birla is the chairman of the company.

So, people are talking that there has been some kind of arrangement which in fact I can loosely call it as a family settlement also where Kumar Mangalam Birla has agreed to acquire entire this one and come as a Vice Chairman on the board. So, tyre business monetization, promoters are seen increasing the stake, in fact company have reduced the debt from Rs 4,800 crore to Rs 1,800 in last 18 months. So, that shows the serious move on part of the management.

If you value that, the market cap of Rs 1,800 crore remains as an enterprise value also for 7.25 million tonne per annum cement plant that translates into valuation of EV of USD 39 per tonne. I dont think that any of the listed company is having this kind of valuations. Even if you take the valuations of Gujarat Sidhee kind of stocks which has the capacity of 2.2.5 million, even they are ruling at a USD 45-50 per tonne. So probably amongst the listed space with a capacity of 7.25 million tonne this is probably the cheapest valuation for a cement stock available at USD 39 per tonne even if you do not presume that all these developments may happen which at least I am hopeful that which will get implemented in next three to four months.

You can see the valuations even for the cement plant at maybe about USD 65-70 if I take the very pathetic valuations for tyre division. So, even considering that on fundamentals you have a huge potential. Cement division as such of the company has been posting an EBIT of Rs 100 crore for FY17 which can be taken as PBT also because there wont be any tax element because of the accumulated losses.

So, with all these developments if happens, company can post an EPS of closer to about maybe Rs 10 also because equity is Rs 125 crore, face value Rs 10. So, there are umpteen corporate developments lined up and I am quite bullish, I am quite positive and in fact we have been giving this view when the stock was ruling since Rs 75-80. I have recommended this in Investor Camp also and we continue to have our investment in the stock. So maybe one can expect a target of Rs 180 in next six months on the stock price.
Moon arrives in Berlin on Wednesday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He is expected to sit down with Merkel and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

President Moon Jae-in left for Germany on Wednesday for an official visit to Berlin and to attend the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

He will also give a speech at an event hosted by the Korber Foundation on Thursday.

On Thursday, he will have a dinner in Hamburg with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and hold bilateral talks with Abe, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

It will be the first gathering of the leaders of the three countries in about a year and three months.

The nuclear and missile threat from North Korea is likely to be a major topic in the wake of its latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

On Friday, Moon is expected to talk with leaders from some 10 countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.


Sandeep Wagle of powermywealth.com told CNBC-TV18, "The metal space is looking good. Today also specifically Vedanta, Hindalco, both are looking good. I would recommend a hold Hindalco Industries with a stoploss of Rs 175 and I would talk of a target of anywhere between Rs 240-250 in next five to six months.

Hindalco Industries ended at Rs 198.75, up Rs 0.90, or 0.45 percent on the BSE.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 210 and 52-week low Rs 127.35 on 30 May, 2017 and 05 July, 2016, respectively.
IRB Infrastructure Developers | In 2020 so far, the share price has moved up 76 percent to Rs 131.20. It's trailing twelve months (TTM) P/E was 6.40 multiple while 5-year average P/E was 8.30 multiple.

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Shares of IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company rose 10.4 percent intraday Wednesday as it has received contacts worth Rs 236.76 crore.

The company has received Letter of Intents (LoIs) from Jharkand Bijli Vitran Nigam (JBVNL) under the integrated power development scheme (IPDS) for a total contract value of Rs 236.76 crore.

The company has received the LoI for supply of all equipments and materials including providing for all erection services related to the contract for urban electrification works of Dhanbad Electric Supply Circle of JBVNL in Jharkand for a contract price of Rs 126.38 crore.

The other contract is for urban electrification works of Dumka-Sahibganj Electric Supply Circle of JBVNL worth of Rs 110.38 crore.

The completion time of the said projects is 24 months.

The company is already working for rural electrification and IPDS works in Jharkhand state at Sahibganj, East & West Singhbhum, and Jamshedpur.

The company is currently executing RE works/IPDS works for more than Rs 1850 crore across India.

At 14:55 hrs IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company was quoting at Rs 46.30, up Rs 3.40, or 7.93 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
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Shares of Persistent Systems rose over 2 percent intraday on Wednesday as investors cheered an initiation of coverage on the stock by a global research firm.

Morgan Stanley, in its report, said that it had initiated coverage on the stock as it expects an upswing in its earnings growth rate in 2017. This, it said, is similar to EPAMs 2009 inflection point.

Going forward, it expects the stock price to double by 2020 as organic revenue and earnings per share continue to improve from FY18.

Interestingly, on June 22, 2017, FIL Investments Mauritius sold 12,06,186 shares of Persistent Systems at Rs 676.63 on the NSE.

However, Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund Inc bought 6,59,575 shares at Rs 676.66 and Morgan Stanley Invest Fds Indian EQ Fund bought 6,58,852 shares at Rs 676.66 on the NSE.

The stock gained over 14 percent in the past one month, while its three-day gain stood at 2 percent. At 09:23 hrs Persistent Systems was quoting at Rs 690.00, up Rs 11.65, or 1.72 percent on the BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 693.00 and an intraday low of Rs 688.00.
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Automaker Tata Motors today announced a reduction in price of its passenger vehicles by up to Rs 2.17 lakh, making available the GST benefit to its customers.

"Following the rollout of GST, we have decided to pass on the entire benefit to our customers. We are offering a price reduction of up to 12 per cent ranging between Rs 3,300 and Rs 2,17,000, depending on the model and variant," Tata Motors President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Mayank Pareek said in a statement.

The company "whole-heartedly" welcomes the initiative by the Union government for introducing GST and bringing in a uniform tax across the country, he added.

"This will enhance the ease of doing business and usher in a new era for the economy in general and especially, for the automotive industry," Pareek said.

Yesterday, Mahindra and Mahindra announced reduction in prices of its utility vehicles and SUVs by up to 6.9 per cent on an average. Similarly, the company reduced prices of small commercial vehicles.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Venkys is very interesting, from Rs 500 in the last five months it has almost tripled or gone up four times. I think there is some tailwind and possibly it can do even better. All this social media impact of possibly cow slaughter is having some impact there. So, chances are that could go up even another Rs 1,000, Rs 2,800-3,000. So that is something people should watch out for."

"Also, for the day I think Shriram Transport, Bajaj Finance and some of the NBFCs are coming back. Avanti Feeds is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,560 and target of Rs 1,630. It is again with that chicken theme kind of play."

"GAIL India is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 367 and target of Rs 350. Arvind is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 370 and target of Rs 354."
Oil prices have been low ever since a crash in 2014 took place thanks to a glut in crude production and a sparring between OPEC and non-OPEC countries.

Being the world's third largest consumer of oil, India has used this clout to negotiate some great deals with countries that used to typically have the upper hand in what was previously a seller's market.

Also read: Why India's decision's to buy from non-OPEC countries' is a good one

Here are various deals and treaties it has signed with various oil producing countries, OPEC and non-OPEC.

> North America and India

In response to the production cuts, India's Oil and Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in May said that he was "working out details of the strategy to buy cargos, including from the USA and Canada, which happens to be becoming very competitive."

Sources told Reuters that Indian Oil Corporation, one of India's largest state-owned retailers, has "issued its first ever tender to buy sour crude from North America to diversify imports."

Also read: All you need to know about OPEC's oil pricing gimmicks

> Qatar and India

Amid the Gulf crisis and the fear of shaky oil prices, Pradhan recently told Reuters that India is ready to sign long-term gas purchase deals with Qatar on the condition that Doha agrees to acquire stakes in power plants which have been hit by gas shortages.

Qatar, which is the Gulf's economic powerhouse, is a major supplier of oil and a part of OPEC. But with good bilateral relations, our country can reap benefits.

> Saudi Arabia and India

Similarly, India and Saudi Arabia share bilateral relations apart from OPEC relations. However, to add, the additional supply from Saudi Arabia to the energy-starved India is beside the OPEC agreement. Until mid-June, Saudi Arabia was India's largest crude oil supplier. Saudi Arabia supplied 17 percent of the crude in India in May. The supply of crude is done via pipelines.

>Iraq and India

On mid-June, Iraq dethroned Saudi Arabia as India's largest supplier of crude. This is again beside the OPEC relations and it is the additional supply as per the bilateral trade relations between Iraq and India.

> Iran and India

Despite India and the US not always seeing eye-to-eye on India-Iran relations, India still carried forward into creating strong bilateral trade relations with Iran. This has, till now, proved to be in India's favour because Iran has dethroned Venezuela and Nigeria and has become India's third-largest oil supplier.
Four days after a 15-year-old schoolboy put up a Facebook post that allegedly hurt religious sentiments, communal violence continues to plague West Bengal's Baduria region, which is just two hours away from Kolkata.

Amid the ongoing violence, a 62-year-old man died after he was admitted to the RG Kar Medical Hospital on Thursday morning. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has claimed that he was their party cadre.

Although the prime regions of Baduria and Swarupnagar have calmed down, Basirhat area continues to simmer with violence on Thursday. A three-member fact-finding team nominated by BJP President Amit Shah will be sent to the area to monitor the situation.

On Sunday, the schoolboy had posted a picture which allegedly offended Muslims. Immediately afterwards, arson and violence broke out in the Baduria region.

Internet services have been completely shut down and a 48-hour curfew was imposed in the affected regions around 2 pm on Wednesday. Prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 were imposed, which restricted mass gatherings.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) and South Bengal's Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed in the violent areas.

Political mudslinging

On the political front, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been on the war path.

West Bengal RSS general secretary, Jishnu Basu has accused CM Mamata Banerjee of not taking action to control the violence. He told CNN-News18 that the mobs propelling violence are anti-social "Jihadis" and "cow smugglers".

Completely shunning Banerjee's claim of the riots being non-communal, Jishnu said that the root cause of the problem was that the Mamata-led government has "pampered" such anti-social "Jihadis" in the state.

Jishnu has also alleged that the district police forces are trying to protect themselves behind the central forces that are deployed in the region.

BJP leader Chandra Bose supported the RSS claim, blaming Mamata banerjee of practising "vote-bank politics" and promoting communal sentiments in the region. He said that the riot propagators are "anti-social Jihadi elements from a certain community."

The BJP President of Bengal Unit, Dilip Ghosh had called for President's rule in the state after army personnels were deployed in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday night.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called state Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi a "block president of the BJP" and accused Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of being unfair to West Bengal.

Tripathi denied the allegations and said he needed no lessons on how to do his job. The Governor added that it was wrong to say that "Raj Bhavan had become the office of the BJP or RSS".

State BJP president Kailash Vijayvargiya had urged HM Rajnath Singh to intervene in the situation on Tuesday. The Centre had rushed more than 300 paramilitary personnel to control the situation on Tuesday night.

With Baduria, the epicentre of the violence, witnessing police vehicles being torched, shops vandalised and roads blocked, Rajnath Singh offered to send more troops if required. However, Mamata Banerjee refused the Centres assistance in the issue.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist leader MP Mohammed Salim has also accused Banerjee of inaction and criticised the governments inability to control the situation. CPI-M has also demanded that an all-party meeting be convened in the state to deal with the situation.

Sights of violence

The BJP has alleged that there were 2,000 Muslims who attacked Hindus in the North 24 Parganas district.

Mamata Banerjee has urged the protesters who are demanding a death sentence of the teenager to retaliate through Facebook and not take to the streets.

In Baduria and the surrounding regions in Basirhat, shops were burnt, stoned and ransacked. Mobs burnt police vehicles and the Baduria police station was set ablaze on Monday night.

The situation took an ugly turn on Monday which saw the regions of Swarupnagar, Basirhat and Baduria boiling with angry mobs demanding a death sentence for the teenager. The boy was arrested on Monday.

Railway routes to the district were blocked by agitators on Wednesday. Schools in the region have declared holidays to ensure safety of the schoolchildren. Colleges in and around the region also remain shut.

The locals in the area are facing the brunt of the violence as all means of transportation has come to a standstill. Shops and schools remain shut and normal life has ceased to exist in the area.

People are scared to step out of their homes. Vegetables and other ration items are unavailable for most homes in the region. Buses, rickshaws and other public transport have been completely shut down.

Nilotpal Sarkar, a resident of the area, said, "We have hardly had any Hindu-Muslim atrocity in the region. This is very new for us."
The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Wednesday said the "severe warning" from the Chinese side on the border standoff with India was "a bit surprising", but called for settling the issue through talks.

CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said it's "very unfortunate that the Chinese have given a severe warning" to India.

China, which is playing an "important role in the world", should not use "such type of terminology", he said, adding that it was unexpected.

Beijing yesterday ruled out a compromise in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim section, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the "grave" situation.

In unusually blunt remarks, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said, "The ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

The Chinese official media on Wednesday stepped up its attack on India with editorials asking its troops to move out of Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector "with dignity or be kicked out" and describing the situation as "worryingly tense."

While China's nationalistic tabloid 'Global Times' said India should be taught a "bitter lesson", another official newspaper, 'China Daily', said New Delhi should look in the mirror.

Asked about the bellicose statements emanating from the Chinese side, the CPI leader said the issue should be settled through talks.

"As neighbours, we should try to settle the issue through discussions. The increase in tensions is very unfortunate. This should be settled amicably," Reddy told PTI.

Reddy said it's a "bit surprising" such a severe warning was given to India from the Chinese side. "We should not escalate things further. After all, whether it's China, Pakistan or Bangladesh, we have to live as permanent neighbours and we should try to settle the issue peacefully."

Asked if he agreed with the statement of Defence Minister Arun Jaitley that the India of 2017 was different from what it was in 1962, the Left leader avoided a direct reply and stressed on amicably settling the issue.

But the veteran Communist leader added a peaceful atmosphere was needed.

"It is true that it's not 1962 now, it's 2017. Naturally, there may be several differences, several changes that have taken place. The thing is it's not the question of accepting something from Arun Jaitley or not. It's a question of amicably settling the issue."

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for several days now.

The trouble started when the Chinese tried to build a road in the sector. China claims Dokalam as part of its Donglang region.
Modis historic visit to Israel comes with the usual benefits in the areas of defense and technology. Whats unusual is the strategic diplomatic shift wherein India has now officially de-hyphenated foreign policy for Israel from Palestine. Whats more  this is happening at a time when geopolitical alliances are shifting rapidly.

Defense and diplomatic ties  on a strong footing

As a prequel to PM Modis visit to Israel, diplomatic and defense collaboration had been strengthening. Over the past year, India has successfully tested jointly developed long range surface-to-air missile (70 km range) and Israel-made SPYDER quick reaction surface to air missiles. In April 2017, India-Israel inked deals worth USD 2 billion for the advanced missile system  the largest ever contract for the state-owned Israel aerospace industries.

On the diplomatic front, high level visits to Israel have been pretty consistent since 2014 when the NDA came to power. The Home Minister, President and External affairs minister have visited Israel, in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

While the defense and military collaboration is nothing new, it has strengthened over the years as both nations continue to face broadly common threats of terrorism and border conflicts.

India  the largest importer of arms from Israel

As per SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), Indias share in global arms imports have increased by 13 percent during 2012-16 (vs. 9.7 percent in 2007-11 period). Israel is the third largest exporter to India after Russia and USA. However, for Israel, India is their biggest export market for arms (USD 599 million in 2016).

Israels arm export to India (USD million)

Source: SIPRI

One of the key imports from Israel which has drawn attention is the import of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In the year 2016, as per SIPRI database, air defense systems have constituted 28 percent of Israels arm exports and India has been the largest importer of the same. Not surprisingly, the current visit aims at sealing another such deal on UAVs/drone (Heron TP) expected to be worth USD 400 million.

A subtle but substantial change in foreign policy

What stands out in this visit is the strategic importance attached to India-Israel relations. This has not only been addressed in a symbolic way by the first ever visit by an Indian PM, but also in terms of Indias stance towards Israel  de-hyphenating reference to Palestine. In our view, this indicates an independent foreign policy approach for Israel unlike in the past when relations with Israel were measured in context with Indias relation with Arab world.

While this looks like a step towards stronger relations between India and Israel, it also hints at a re-assessment of geopolitical fault lines. With this, India overtly aligns to US-Israel geopolitical axis as far as defense deals and military cooperation is concerned.

Must Watch: Why Is Israel Called A Startup Nation?

The timing of this development is significant. There has been almost a U turn in the Trump-Xi relation with respect to latters handling of North Koreas isolation. North Korea, on the other hand, continues to up the ante with the recent ICBM missile test. Trump made it clear to Prime Minister Modi during the latters recent visit to the US that he is counting on India for isolating North Korea. USs arm sales to Taiwan incidentally has further flared up the Asias regional tensions.

Sino-India relation  a new low?

On the Sino-India relationship, border issues on the north-east front has escalated suddenly and could take a while to ease. Hope lies in the Modi-Xi interaction on the sidelines of G-20 meeting in Germany followed by NSA level meet later in July. While Xi Jinping may have internal compulsions for the aggressive diplomatic stance, as he awaits partys endorsement of a second term, geo-political tensions have risen with China having dominant economic influence on Indias hostile neighbour.

Given this backdrop of the historic visit of Indias PM to Israel, a remarkable shift in Indias Middle-East/Israel foreign policy stance and the unprecedented and rapidly moving geopolitical equations, it is prudent for investors to take note of rising risk premium. In the context of already elevated valuations, a correction in benchmark indices cannot be ruled out in the event of increased geopolitical tension.
Most shops and business establishments were shut across Kashmir today due to a strike over alleged high-handedness of the government and the proposed rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the state.

The strike, called by by Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC), prompted the authorities to impose restrictions in parts of Srinagar, the summer capital.

Most of the shops and other business establishments in Srinagar were closed.

JKCC, which has been opposing proposed introduction of GST in the state in its current form, is an umbrella body representing trade, commerce and industrial organisations, besides civil society formations, in the valley.

JKCC called the general strike across the valley today to protest against what they termed as "high-handedness" of the authorities and the proposed GST launch in the state.

Yesterday, several traders were detained after they tried to march towards the state Assembly. Condemning the police action, JKCC called the strike.

However, public transport remained unaffected.

Restrictions are in force in areas under jurisdictions of police stations Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal, District Magistrate (Deputy Commissioner) Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone told PTI.

Lone said the curbs were imposed as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in the country which is yet to implement the new tax regime.

Opposition parties, the business community and the civil society are opposing the implementation of GST in its present form, claiming it would undermine the state's special status as guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution and its fiscal autonomy.
Former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron shared his experience in rebuilding the Conservative Party in the U.K. from 2005 to 2010 in Seoul on Tuesday.

Cameron, was speaking at the eighth Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul hosted by the Chosun Ilbo under the theme "New Leadership in the Era of Hyper-Uncertainty: Towards Cooperation and Prosperity."

Cameron, a stalwart advocate of austerity after the 2008 economic crisis, said conservatism must recognize the changing times and change with them to reflect the interests of voters.

Cameron's promise of a "Big Society" brought the Conservative Party back into power after the 13-year reign of New Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Cameron also visited President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae, where he recalled that he worked hard as prime minister to improve relations with Korea and clinch a free trade agreement with the Asian country. Moon replied that Korea hopes to diversify its diplomatic partners from the major four powers -- China, Japan, Russia, and the U.S. -- and strengthen cooperation with Europe.

Cameron resigned after his decision to call a referendum on EU membership resulted in a shock vote in favor of Brexit.

The two-day conference drew participation of 159 speakers including former U.S. President Barack Obama.


The Chinese official media today stepped up its attack on India with editorials asking Indian troops to move out of Dokalam area in Sikkim sector "with dignity or be kicked out" and describing the situation as "worryingly tense".

While China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times said India should be taught a "bitter lesson", another official newspaper, China Daily, said India should look in the mirror.

The Global Times said in its editorial that India will suffer "greater losses" than in 1962 if it "incites" border clashes with China.

As the standoff in the Dokalam area continued for the third week, it said India should be taught a "bitter lesson".

It also claimed that the Chinese public was infuriated by India's "provocation".

"We believe the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers," it said.

"We need to give diplomatic and military authorities full power to handle the issue. We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson," it said.

The editorial said it "firmly" believes that the face-off in what it calls the Donglang area will end with the Indian troops in "retreat".

"If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area (referred to as Dokalam or Dok La), and it is ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power," it said.

The paper was referring Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat saying that India 'was ready for a two-and-a-half front war'.

"Jaitley (Defence Minister Arun Jaitley) is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts," it added.

Jaitley on June 30 said India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, hitting out at China for asking the Indian Army to learn from "historical lessons".

According to the editorial in China Daily, India's defeat in the 1962 war was perhaps too "humiliating" for some in the Indian military and that is why they are talking "belligerently" this time.

Since the standoff on June 6, when the PLA destroyed bunkers of the Indian Army, claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces warning India against escalating border tensions.

"India should look in the mirror. It was not able to refute the evidence of illegal border-trespassing and coerced its small neighbour Bhutan to shoulder the blame," the China Daily said.

The Global Times also asserted that China attaches great importance to domestic stability and doesn't want to be mired in a mess with India.

"But New Delhi would be too naive to think that Beijing would make concessions to its unruly demands," it said.

"New Delhi's real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block China's road construction there," the editorial said.

"Cold war-obsessed India is suspicious" that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area. India is taking the risk to betray the historical agreement and wants to force China to "swallow" the result, it said.

The China Daily added that India should respect border agreement and withdraw troops, linking India's move to stop the Chinese military from building a strategic road in Dokalam area in June 16 to its concern over China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"India may be trying to make a point. It is reportedly worried that the Chinese road construction may represent a significant change in the status quo with serious security implications for India, according to its foreign ministry."

Such worries, the paper added, could have been allayed through dialogue and consultation using the mechanisms that are already in place and "which have long helped the two sides maintain peace and tranquillity in the region since their short border war in 1962".

The editorial said the situation in Dokalam remains "worryingly tense, with a stand-off between soldiers of the two countries still ongoing".

"That the situation has not flared out of control is thanks to the great restraint exercised by the Chinese troops. But the tensions resulting from the intrusion will surely grow if there is not a total withdrawal of the Indian troops."

Unlike previous incidents that have occurred along other parts of the 3,500-kilometre border between China and India, the latest incident happened at a section that has long been demarcated by an 1890 historical convention and reaffirmed in documents exchanged between the successive Chinese and Indian governments since then.

Both dailies, however, referred to India's concerns over the road in Dokalam close to the narrow chicken neck area in the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan border as it could cut off a vital link with India's north-eastern region.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction since June 6 after a Chinese Army construction party came to build a road.
India Economy

Negotiations between India and ASEAN towards signing a regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement are likely to conclude by the year-end, a top official said today.

Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Preeti Saran said the negotiators will meet shortly in Hyderabad and thrash out issues relating to telecom, health, transport and communications in a bid to tap the potential that exists in these sectors.

The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the 10-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

It also includes six states with which ASEAN has existing FTAs comprising Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

Saran laid stress on cross border trade and investment between India and ASEAN for which the Indian government was making concerted efforts to make 106 of its rivers navigable, expediting the work on the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway project and was considering its extension to Cambodia.

Addressing the inaugural business and academic session of the Delhi Dialogue, Saran said the government of India accords highest priority to cultural, people-to-people connectivity adding, "we hope to deepen these links through the development of commerce and academic exchanges".

Saran also said India has put forward proposals for establishing high capacity fibre optic network to enhance digital connectivity, according to a release issued by Ficci.

"The time is ripe to consider grid connectivity with Bangladesh and extend it to ASEAN nations," she said. In order to connect with the Indian diaspora in ASEAN nations, she said the government is set to organise a regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Singapore in December this year.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) during a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, November 15, 2016. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RTX2TP6F

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and how Israel's cutting-edge technology could help the 'Make in India' initiative.

Describing Israel as a real friend, Modi recalled Rivlin's visit to India in November last year.

Hailing the ties between the two nations, Modi said: "...today it is 'I to I and I for I'. When 'I say I for I, I don't mean the popular saying but what I mean is India with Israel, India for Israel".

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence here.

"The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India," Modi tweeted.

Must Watch: Why Is Israel Called A Startup Nation?

"It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the President's residence.

"President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality," wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.

Modi said during his visit to India, Rivlin started a phrase 'Make with India' and "I feel since my arrival yesterday that has been echoed by many people and I think what you started has now percolated to all levels".

Rivlin on his part described Modi as one of the greatest leaders in the world.

"We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We understood very well about your thought about the need to help partners who will 'Make in India'," Rivlin said.

"...we are doing a lot in order to fulfill your ideas about 'Make in India'," the Israeli President said.

"We only suggested some projects that may be we can do with India and I know that you have accepted that and appreciated that very much," he said.

Rivlin said there was a scope for cooperation between universities and industries of India and Israel.

"The....people in Israel are trying to find ways to invest in India and to make mutual projects together," he said.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) during a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, November 15, 2016. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RTX2TP6F

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties.



The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India: PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/r6eFdlrYwz

 PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

"The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India," Modi tweeted.

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence here and thanked him for the "warm hospitality and friendship".

"It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presdient's residence.

"President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality," wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.
netanyahu_Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made an impromptu visit to the grave of Theodor Herzl, who is considered as the founding father of Zionism, at the suggestion of his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

Modi, who visited the Yad Vashem Museum and honoured the victims of the Holocaust, was suggested by Netanyahu, apparently spontaneously, that they visit the grave of Herzl born Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl - which lies adjacent to the memorial.

Prime Minister Modi agreed on the suggestion and the two leaders visited the marble tomb at Mt. Herzl.

Modi placed a small rock on the marble tomb as Netanyahu watched with a smile.

"PM Netanyahu and @PMOIndia Modi visited Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, and paid their respects to the founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl," the official Twitter account of the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel tweeted.

It also posted a brief video that showed Modi placing his hand on the tomb.

"Before departing the Yad Vashem complex the leaders visited the Grave of Theodor Herzl - Chozeh HaMedinah (lit. "Visionary of the State")," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

Herzl was an Austro-Hungarian journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who is considered the founding father of Zionism - a movement to establish a Jewish homeland.

He died in 1904 at the age of 44 and buried in a cemetery in Vienna. In 1949, his remains were moved from Vienna to be reburied on the top of Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, named in his memory.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tweeted India has a weak PM, followed by screenshots of two news reports- one related to H-1B visa not figuring in Modi-Trump talks, and another one about the Ministry of External Affairs accepting the use of the term administered Kashmir.



India has a weak PM pic.twitter.com/NKbUO1iOHX

 Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 5, 2017

The opposition is also planning to take up the issue of H-1B visas in the upcoming session of the Parliament, likely to begin on July 12.

There is a massive slowdown in the IT sector. We have seen several job losses this year. Worst is, changes in American policy are also impacting IT jobs in India and the Government does not seem to have any response. Therefore we will demand answers from them in Parliament and want to know how are they going to protect one of the biggest job creation sectors till date, a top Congress leader, who did not wish to be identified, told Moneycontrol.

Moneycontrol has previously reported that the H-1B visa issue was not discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the United States last week.

The over USD 150 billion Indian IT outsourcing industry has been a beneficiary of the H-1B visa programme of the US. It has been facing protectionist sentiments across almost all its major markets- US, UK, Singapore and New Zealand in the past year.

The industry has been bracing for drastic changes in the H-1B visa programme, which has been extensively used by Indian companies to send their workforce to US-based client locations, helping them keep costs low and gain an advantage over global competitors.

While visas have been dealt with as a trade issue for long, it was a major campaign promise of Trumps presidential campaign. India has, so far, not taken it up as a major issue with the current US government.

The Indian IT industry has been accused of misusing the visa programme but has vehemently denied any such misuse. Its problems are further compounded by the news of upcoming layoffs at all IT majors owing to automation, which again, all of them have consistently denied.

Congress-ruled Karnatakas IT minister Priyank Kharge told Moneycontrol in an exclusive interview last week that the State government is keeping an eye out for issues for retrenchment and reskilling.

They have little or no legal help, so I have offered corporate legal help because corporate laws are more dynamic. This may help them position their demands more legitimately. It also helps me negotiate with the employers in a better way, he told Moneycontrol.
Over nine years after an arbitrator divided their family properties three-way, the Singhania family groups on Wednesday brought the dispute to an end, with Raymond owner Gautam Singhania and others informing the Supreme Court that they have settled their wrangle among themselves.

Three Singhania family groups -- Mumbai, Kolkata, and Kanpur  were locked in the dispute over shares in the premium properties, despite the arbitration award splitting it three ways.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar was apprised of the settlement which took the statement on record and allowed the parties to approach the Bombay High Court for releasing their share of Rs 46 crore deposited with it by the Kolkata group.

It said the Bombay group will get Rs 23.40 crore, while the Kanpur group will get Rs 22.71 crore as per the settlement they have agreed upon.

The bench directed the Bombay High Court to release the principal amount among petitioner Gautam Singhania and other members of the group.

The apex court also allowed the refund of Rs 20 crore deposited with the Supreme Court registry on proper identification.

It had on April 30, directed Raymond owner Vijaypat Singhania and his son Gautam to hand over their luxury Kamla cottage, a bungalow in Juhu, to Kolkata group of the family as per 2008, arbitration award by May 6.

The bungalow was handed over to the Kolkata group of the family after the apex court order.

The arbitration award had said that the Kanpur group of the family was to hand over possession of four properties to Vijaypat Singhania-led Mumbai group, which in turn was to hand over the Juhu bungalow to the Kolkata group.

However, Vijaypat Singhania had refused to part with the bungalow saying he had not got his share of property from the Kanpur group.

In 2006, the Supreme Court had appointed an arbitrator. In 2008 the arbitrator while splitting the property passed an award directing that the Kolkata Group receive the Juhu property and four properties to be handed over to Bombay group by the Kanpur group.

The bench passed the order on an appeal filed by Gautam Singhania, challenging a Bombay high court order directing him to vacate the bungalow.

Counsel for the Kolkata group and senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Gautam Singhania informed the bench that they have reached a settlement among themselves.

The apex court, however, said that the issue of stamp duty will be decided by the High Court.
Nokia and Chinese Smartphone maker Xiaomi have recently signed a multi-year patent and a business collaboration agreement. In this transaction, Xiaomi has also acquired patent assets from Nokia as both the companies agreed upon a cross license to each others cellular standard-essential patents.

"Xiaomi is one of the world's leading smartphone manufacturers and we are delighted to have reached an agreement with them," said the President & CEO of Nokia - Rajeev Suri. "In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects."

Nokia is poised to provide network infrastructure equipment to Xiaomi under the business cooperation agreement. The equipment will aim to deliver high capacity, low power requirements which is expected by large web providers and data center operators. Interestingly, Nokia and Xiaomi have also agreed to further explore opportunities for cooperation in the areas of Augmented and Virtual Reality, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence.

For now, both the companies will collaboratively work on IP Routing based on Nokia's newly announced FP4 network processor, optical transport solutions for data center interconnect and a data center fabric solution.

Lei Jun, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi commented upon the partnership "As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future. Xiaomi is committed to building sustainable, long-term partnerships with global technology leaders.

Our collaboration with Nokia will enable us to tap on its leadership in building large, high-performance networks and formidable strength in software and services, as we seek to create even more remarkable products and services that deliver the best user experience to our Mi fans worldwide."
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow on Monday and voiced their opposition to the deployment of a THAAD anti-missile battery in South Korea. Only a day later, North Korea launched what it said was an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking some parts of the U.S.

China and Russia are understandably wary of the U.S.' massive military presence on their doorstep, but the THAAD battery is designed solely to protect U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as well as South Koreans from a North Korean missile attack. Its deployment was based solely on the sovereign decision of South Korea.

But for some reason China and Russia have no interest in these facts, and are expected to try and bully President Moon Jae-in at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany this weekend into reversing the deployment.

China and Russia still think that the grim status quo on the Korean Peninsula is better than the removal of their buffer state, even if North Korea ends up arming itself with nuclear weapons. This is why they have been so passive in taking part in UN sanctions against the North.

North Korea has of course used this to its advantage and raced ahead to develop nuclear weapons and missiles and now it claims to have succeeded in developing an ICBM. If China and Russia continue to carp over something as harmless to their own ambitions as the THAAD battery, they should not be surprised if South Korea decides one day to develop its own nuclear weapons.

Moon met with U.S. lawmakers during his recent visit to Washington and told them he has no intention to "reverse" the deployment of THAAD. If he tells a different story to Putin and Xi during the G20 Summit, it could have a devastating effect on the alliance with Washington. Moon needs to be calm and confident in explaining the need for the THAAD battery and urge Russia and China to get on board with restraining the North instead.


Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity
July 05, 2017

The Saudi-Qatar Spat - Qatar And Iran Are Winning - MbZ, MbS Lose Face

The Saudi/UAE campaign against Qatar quickly turned into a mess. Qatar did not fold as had been expected. There was no plan B. The instigators of the plan have now to fear for their head.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have all build up and pamper extremists groups fighting in other countries. They supply money, weapons and political and media support to various kinds of murderous Takfiris. Unlike the other three, Qatar not only supported arch-conservative Salafists but also groups aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. The MB do not accept the primacy of the Arab absolute monarchs. They provide an alternative way of governing by adopting some democratic participation of the people. That makes them an imminent danger to the Saudis and other family dictatorships. The military dictator of Egypt, which joined the Saudis on the issue, had led a coup against the elected MB government of his country.

In the view of the Saudis and the other three Qatar had to be reigned in. While its media arm Al-Jazeerah Arabic promotes the sectarian and anti-Iran positions the Saudis support, it also promotes the Muslim Brotherhood. That needed to be stopped.

On June 5 the four countries launched a boycott and blockade of Qatar. Three weeks later they issued a list of demands to Qatar which could be summed up as "surrender your sovereignty or else ...". The "offer" was designed to be refused. It practically demanded total capitulation while threatening more sanctions and even war.

As MoA predicted on June 7, two days after the spat started, Qatar did not fold. It has hundreds of billions in monetary reserves, international support from its liquefied gas customers and allies, and it secured supplies and support from Turkey and Iran. It simply did not response to the "offer" in time for the ultimatum's end.

The Saudis blinked first. On Sunday the ultimatum was prolonged for two days. Yesterday Qatar responded with its own demands which were, like the "offer", designed to be refused. It also announced that it would increase its liquefied gas exports by a third which threatens to take market share and income away from the Saudis. It reminded the UAE that 80% of its electricity supplies depend on natural gas delivered from Qatar.

Today the Saudis, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain met to discuss further consequences and new measures against Qatar. The Gulf media predicted more sanctions.

But the gang of four decided to do ... nothing:

The foreign ministers of four Arab countries, meeting in Cairo, said they regretted Qatar's "negative" response to their list of demands.

...

The Saudi foreign minister said further steps would be taken against Qatar at the appropriate time, and would be in line with international law.

...

The meeting came as the deadline for Qatar to accept the list of demands or face further sanctions expired.

This is a huge embarrassment for the clown princes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia. They, Mohammad bin Zayed and Mohammad bin Salman, are the instigators of the campaign against Qatar. The meeting today had to deliver some penalty against Qatar for not giving in to any demand: some additional significant sanctions , a more intense blockade, some threat of military strikes. But the meeting came up with ... nothing.

The clown princes had shot their wad on the very first day. They could not come up with any new measures that were agreeable. Kuwait and Oman reject to push Qatar out of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the UAE would lose all its international businesses in Dubai should the Qatari gas supplies, and thereby its electricity, shut down. An additional blockade of Qatar is impossible without the agreement of the U.S. Russia and other big states.

Such a huge loss of face will have consequences. When the Saudi clown prince launched the war against Yemen he expected, and announced, that Sanaa would fall within days. Two years later Sanaa has not fallen and the Saudis are losing the war. Qatar was expected to fold within days. But it has enough capital and income to sustain the current situation for many years to come. The war against Yemen and the sanctions against Qatar were indirectly aimed against Iran- the Saudis' cpsen arch-enemy. But without investing even a dime Iran is now the winner from both conflicts. MbS, the Saudi clown prince, has twice proven to be a terrible strategist who endangers his country.

The Saudi King Salman and his son said that neither of them will take part in the upcoming G-20 meeting in Hamburg. Rumors have it that they fear an imminent coup should one of them leave the country.

No one should be surprised if the Salman era finds a bloody end within the next week or month.

Posted by b on July 5, 2017 at 18:40 UTC | Permalink

Comments
Did you miss out on the Pop Quiz this week? It's time to catch up and get ready for next week!
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. SW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. SW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Midland County Sheriffs Office

A Midland man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly engaged in sexual contact with a child, according to court documents.

Bobby Joe Turner, 40, was being held Tuesday on a $75,000 bond for a second-degree felony charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Midland County Sheriff's Department

A Midland man was arrested Monday night in connection with the shooting that occurred earlier in the day, according to a press release from the Midland Police Departments spokeswoman.

Dino Atayde, 36, is being held at Midland County jail on a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the release. Bond had not been set as of Tuesday evening.
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Two teenagers were arrested Thursday after allegedly stealing firearms, according to court documents.

Odessan Cody Ryan Arbuckle, 17, was being held Tuesday on a $15,000 bond for a state jail felony charge of theft of a firearm and a $25,000 bond for a second-degree felony charge of burglary of a habitation.

Calvary James Woodwick, 17, of Monahans, was being held Monday on a $15,000 bond for a state jail felony charge of theft of a firearm and a $15,000 bond for a third-degree felony charge of harassment of a public servant.

Midland police were dispatched at about 7:20 a.m. Thursday in reference to two males breaking into a vehicle.

Arbuckle and Woodwick stole a wallet and two firearms, according to their arrest affidavit. Arbuckle then entered an apartment without the consent of its owner intending to commit theft, according to the affidavit.

Woodwick later spit on an officer repeatedly, according to the affidavit.

If convicted of the state jail felony charge, Arbuckle and Woodwick could face up to two years imprisonment.
'The big truck is still on ...
The political activist said the need of the hour was to bring together different energies in the country.
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Three people  a man and two teenagers  are in the hospital after a shooting in Orange County.

Man found shot at home on Lancaster Road, taken to ORMC

2 teen shooting victims showed up at ORMC after

Deputies believe shooting part of domestic dispute

The shooting happened after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday along Lancaster Road, east of Orange Blossom Trail in Pine Castle.

Orange County Sheriff's deputies arrived at a home after reports of gunfire. There they found a 35-year-old man injured, and paramedics took him to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

A short time later, investigators said two other shooting victims, ages 15 and 19, showed up at the hospital as well.

The man and 19-year-old are in serious condition, while the 15-year-old boy suffered a minor injury.

Deputies also came across a fourth victim, an 11-year-old girl, at the home. She, too, had a minor injury, but did not need to go to the hospital.

Orange County Sheriff's deputies said that they are not searching for a suspect, as they believe the shooting to have stemmed from a domestic dispute.

Deputies also said all the witnesses have been generally unruly and uncooperative with the investigation.
The husband of the Daytona Beach woman whose 5-year-old son was found weighing just 25 pounds and unable to speak is now facing charges related to the case.

Brian Hall is charged with failing to report child abuse

His wife, Naomie Hall, was arrested last week

Police say wife's 5-year-old son is severely malnourished, can't speak

RELATED: 5-year-old boy found neglected, weighing 25 pounds in Daytona Beach home



Brian J. Hall, 29, was arrested Tuesday and faces charges of failing to report suspected child abuse, abandonment or neglect, according to a Daytona Beach Police charging affidavit.

According to police, Hall married the boy's mother, Naomie Hall, in 2012 in Maryland, and the family moved to Florida when the boy was 6 months old. The couple have two younger children.

A representative from the Department of Children and Families arrived at the home on June 28 to investigate a report of child neglect. The investigator first made contact with the 5-year-old and his mother; Brian Hall arrived at the home moments later, police said.

The investigator reported that Brian Hall, who was "upset," said, "He is not my responsibility. I'm not his father. I come from a rich and white family." Hall then pointed to the two younger children and told DCF investigators, "Those two are taken care of," police said.

The 5-year-old boy was taken to Halifax Hospital. He "cannot communicate with either words or sign language and has never received any form of education. The victim cannot speak, walk or stand and is still in diapers," the affidavit states.

Brian Hall is being held without bond.
Spaces are still available for the Texas Plains Trail Regions ninth annual Tourism & Preservation Roundup, the regions leading heritage tourism conference, scheduled for July 19-21 with most sessions scheduled at the Plainview Country Club.

This years annual conference, which helps prepare tourism and historic preservation professionals and volunteers with ideas they can use to attract visitors to sites and events, will focus on the newly designated Texas Music Trail and ways to incorporate local music history. It will also serve as a launching pad for celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Texas Heritage Trails Program, which began in 1968 as the Texas Travel Trails in connection with HemisFair 68.

Destination marketers, museum workers, parks personnel, elected officials, and followers of Texas history are all welcome. Registration for the full conference includes:

--Wednesday afternoon tour of the Jimmy Dean Museum and other museums on the Wayland Baptist University campus, 4-5:30 p.m.

--Wednesday evening reception (cash bar) and barbecue banquet at the Plainview Country Club, with a talk on West Texas music heritage by historian Dr. Joe W. Specht, preceded by Texas piano stylings of Lucy Dean Record of Lockney and cowboy poetry performances by students of Boys Ranch, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

--Thursday morning and afternoon sessions on museums, historic highways, trails, and more

--Thursday lunch with a program on the new Texas Music Trail

--Thursday evening performance at the Fair Theatre, with actress Zoe Kirkpatrick of Post as Cynthia Ann Parker in the late Marybeth Little Westons one-woman show The Comanche with Blue Eyes, 7 p.m.

--Friday hands-on session on publicizing your communitys music heritage, 9-11 a.m.

The all-inclusive registration fee (dinner and lunch included) is $99. Tickets to The Comanche with Blue Eyes are $10 ($15 at the door). Special hotel rates are available at the Comfort Suites for overnight guests.

A full schedule of all presentations, sessions, and activities is at http://TexasPlainsTrail/Roundup, along with online reservation and ticket reservations.

The event is made possible with the sponsorship of Main Street Plainview and Plainview Chamber of Commerce, with sponsorships by the Post Chamber of Commerce and Cal Farleys Boys Ranch.

The Texas Plains Trail Region (TPTR), an award-winning heritage tourism initiative of the Texas Historical Commission, is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing heritage tourism to the 52 counties of the Texas Plains and Panhandle.

For more information, call Barbara Brannon, TPTR, 806-747-1997 (mobile 806-252-6544).
The parent company of San Antonios Pioneer Flour Mills and the Guenther House restaurant announced Wednesday that it acquired a Canada-based frozen-food company.

San Antonio-based C.H. Guenther & Son Inc. purchased Plats Du Chef from Claridge Inc. The transaction amount was not disclosed.

Plats Du Chef is based in Montreal, Quebec, and operates two manufacturing plants in Toronto, Ontario, employing almost 500 people, said Steve Phillips, C.H. Guenther & Son senior vice president of corporate services.

The acquisition brings the total number of employees working for C.H. Guenther & Son to about 2,600, according to spokeswoman Julie Ann Vera.

Costco Wholesale Corp. is the largest customer for Plats Du Chef, whose frozen products include franks in a blanket, French onion soup and organic steel cut oatmeal.

The transaction expands C.H. Guenther & Sons number of companies in Canada to four, which operate six facilities. The San Antonio company also operates 10 U.S. facilities, two in the United Kingdom and one in Belgium.

Phillips said the acquisition will not change any C.H. Guenther operations in San Antonio.

Were going to keep the (Plats Du Chef) management team and employees intact as it is in Canada. At some point, well put them on our computer and accounting systems in San Antonio, Phillips said.

Plats Du Chef management will report to C.H. Guenther & Son CEO and President Dale Tremblay in San Antonio, Phillips said.

Plats du Chef was founded in 1981 by Michel Lachapelle and wife Monique. Claridge Food Group purchased the company in 2002 after the company began selling products to Costco in 1997.

C.H. Guenther & Son was founded in Texas in 1851 by German immigrant Carl Hilmar Guenther.

dhendricks@express-news.net

This article was updated to reflect the correct number of Canada companies owned by C.H. Guenther & Son.
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San Antonios Rackspace Hosting tapped another EarthLink executive for its C-suite, announcing Wednesday that its hired Louis Alterman as chief financial officer.

Alterman followed CEO Joe Eazor from dial-up internet service pioneer EarthLink Holdings Corp, which provides network, communications and information technology services. He started June 27.

Louis is one of the best business athletes Ive had the good fortune to work with during my 30-year career, said Eazor in a statement. He excels as a leader not only in finance but also in strategy, operations, M&A and sales.

Former CFO Karl Pichlers last day was May 23, a spokesperson previously told the Express-News.

Alterman joined EarthLink in 2003 and was named its CFO in 2015. During his tenure EarthLink materially increased cash flow and reduced leverage, lowering interest expense by 40 percent, according to Wednesdays announcement.

During our three years together at EarthLink, Louis took the initiative to meet frequently with key customers and prospects, Eazor said. He helped our sales teams close deals and refine our operational metrics and processes.

EarthLink was sold this year to telecommunications provider Windstream Holdings Inc. And Rackspace has been undergoing changes of its own since it was acquired last year by New York private equity firm Apollo Global Management in a deal valued at $4.3 billion.

Eazor was recently appointed Rackspaces CEO, effective on June 12. The companys former CEO Taylor Rhodes said in a May blog post that he would be leaving San Antonio-based Rackspace because he felt he had taken the company as far as he could given his strengths and skills.

Rhodes was named chief executive officer of SMS Assist, the company announced in May. SMS Assist is a Chicago-based technology company that has developed software to provide property management services to landlords, corporations, restaurants and other types of businesses.

Rackspaces interim CFO Matt Bates has been appointed chief transformation officer, according to the announcement.

In this role, Bates will lead the effort to better scale Rackspaces expertise and Fanatical Support, and the engaged workplace culture that makes it possible for Rackers to deliver exceptional customer service, according to the news release.

Alterman complimented Rackspaces company values, culture and customer service in a statement.

From the moment I stepped into the headquarters, I could feel the energy and the engagement, he said. The door is open for us to lead the managed I.T. services market, and Im thrilled to reunite with Joe and work with other talented Rackers to help capitalize on this massive opportunity.

sehlinger@express-news.net

Twitter: @samehlinger
A New Jersey company acquired San Antonios NuPak Medical last week for an undisclosed amount.

NuPak, a medical device contract manufacturer founded in San Antonio in 1997, is now part of Katena Products, which specializes in eye care products. NuPak currently has 18 employees.

Jeff Brownstein, director of marketing for Katena, said the company is considering expanding the San Antonio operations. David Cocke, formerly the general manager of NuPak and now Katenas vice president for manufacturing, said there are plans to add six new employees to San Antonio over the next 3 to 6 months.

Katena is owned by Audax Private Equity, which is based in Boston.
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Trump campaign adviser Brad Parscale is moving his firms political data and marketing operation from San Antonio to Florida in pursuit of an airport with more direct flights.

Parscale ran the digital operation out of San Antonio that is widely credited with contributing to President Donald Trumps win last year. His role as digital director included overseeing the campaigns targeted social media outreach and helping to cull a massive database that assisted in identifying potential voters.

Its too difficult to get to the East Coast, namely Washington, D.C., and New York City, from San Antonio because of the lack of direct flights, Parscale said. Its also difficult to attract talent when a three-hour flight to New York takes seven hours and includes a layover or two, he said.

I think the airports nice, its convenient, it just needs more direct flights, Parscale said of San Antonio International Airport.

RELATED: 9 things to know about Brad Parscale, Trump's man-behind-the-scenes in Texas

Theresa Hong, who worked on the Trump campaign as its digital content director, said the airport was a huge issue during the campaign.

I never thought it was until we were on the campaign, and until there were people not just all over the United States, but all over the world coming into San Antonio and working, she said. You cant get a round-trip flight, its very difficult for people to come in and out, and me going to D.C. a lot, me traveling around a lot, I can attest to that.

The infrastructure in Florida makes it a lot easier than San Antonio, she said.

Parscale is still very much part of Trumps orbit, serving as the digital, social and media adviser for the 2020 presidential campaign and the nonprofit supporting Trumps agenda called America First Policies.

Giles-Parscale received more than $93 million over the 18 months through December from the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and the joint fundraising effort Trump Make America Great Again Committee, according to Federal Election Commission reports. The firm has already received more than $1.5 million from the campaign in the first quarter of this year, according to the most recent FEC data.

RELATED: Parscale denies help from Russia on Trump digital campaign

All of Giles-Parscales political work and staff will be moved to Florida and split off from the San Antonio design and marketing firm that bears his name, Parscale said. The political operation will be based north of Miami, he said, to take advantage of the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports. Hes already found office space in north Miami, declining to disclose details.

Parscale and Jill Giles, the firms creative director, partnered in 2011 to establish Giles-Parscale, which does marketing, branding, data science, interior design, website design and other digital services. The companys work can be seen all over San Antonio, including the logo for Hotel Emma and branding for the nearby Can Plant apartment complex at the Pearl.

The companys corporate and consumer work will stay in San Antonio, which Parscale considers home.

I really want to continue to bring my knowledge back to my staff and help San Antonio businesses become even more profitable and successful, Parscale said Monday. San Antonio has, still, one of the best abilities of any city in the country to grow and spawn successful businesses. Even though the political business is no longer there, I still want to see San Antonio be successful.

Hong, who is no longer with Giles-Parscale, said the lack of direct flights in San Antonio is a real problem.

I am very, very sad hes going to be leaving San Antonio, Hong said of Parscale. However, I understand wanting to establish something kind of in the Fort Lauderdale-Miami area.

sehlinger@express-news.net

Twitter: @samehlinger
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A Central Texas restaurant is serving something deadly.

The lionfish, a bothersome and sometimes even deadly fish currently invading the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, is being served by the Downtowner, an American Southern cuisine eatery in New Braunfels.

"The fish is pretty gnarly," Joe Ortega, chef at the Downtowner, told mySA.com.

READ ALSO: New treats on the S.A. foodie, bar scenes that are as cool to eat as they are to Instagram

According to the National Ocean Service, the invasive lionfish is "capable of causing extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity, competing with native organisms for limited resources and altering habitats."

But as problematic as the species is, Ortega said the fish is actually delicious.

Upon being introduced to the product by a man who sells them local honey, Ortega said they decided they wanted to try putting it on the menu.

RELATED: First look at the dishes and the inside of The Pearl's new food hall

The Downtowner serves up lionfish whole, either fried, grilled or blackened, as a po'boy or served strip style with dipping sauces.

The new dish has been so popular that the restaurant sold out of 50 lionfish between Thursday and Sunday of last week, Ortega said.

The Downtowner is located at 208 S. Castell Avenue and is open Tuesday through Sunday.

jthorpe@express-news.net

@jerilynnthorpe
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NEWTOWN - Schools Superintendent Joseph Erardi, who oversaw the opening of the $50 million Sandy Hook School in August, has announced his retirement.

I could not end my career in a place I am more proud of, Erardi said Wednesday.

Erardi, 61, who was named Connecticuts 2017 Superintendent of the Year, said a time-sensitive health concern in his family helped drive his decision to retire.

I assured the Board of Education that I will stay as long as I need to, to ensure a smooth transition, Erardi said.

Erardi came to Newtown in 2014 with the challenge of leading a community devastated by the 2012 massacre of 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook School.

Part of that recovery process was the building of a new Sandy Hook School. In the fall, Erardi oversaw the emotional opening of the school, giving tours to assure that students, teachers and parents were familiar with the new building before the first day of class.

In community forms and outreach to parents, Erardi encouraged Newtown to unite, inviting people to call him at home to discuss concerns.

First Selectman Pat Llodra said Erardi was instrumental helping the school district thrive in a time of grief.

Dr. Erardi has served the district and the town exceptionally well for these past four years, said Llodra, who herself plans to retire in the fall. I thank him most sincerely for those efforts and for the many times we have partnered together to achieve an outcome to benefit learners and residents.

Newtowns Board of Education was expected to take up Erardis retirement at a special meeting Thursday night.

The Board of Education is extremely appreciative of the time and dedication Dr. Erardi has given to our town and school system, school board President Keith Alexander said Wednesday. His leadership has been steadfast and supportive in always working to move us forward.

Erardi, in an email to staff and parents, said he would spend the summer making sure the school district was ready to open in the fall.

I have assured the Board of Education and staff that all work needed to launch the new school year will be done, he said.

In 2016 Erardi oversaw a brain trust of education leaders and mental health experts who produced a report for the state Board of Education.

Among its recommendations:

Get serious about early identification of students mental health issues.

Address students social, emotional and physical needs.

Create comprehensive student profiles from all areas of the youths life.

rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342
June 18

At 10:10 a.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the 7400 block of South Rice Avenue. Between 8 p.m. June 17 and 10:17 a.m. June 18, an unknown suspect(s) made entry into the victim's unsecured cars.

At 12:56 a.m., Officer Proctor was patrolling the 5300 block of Bellaire Boulevard westbound when he observed a 2003 Dodge Ram stop at a red light at an intersection, and then continue to slow roll past the marked pedestrian cross walk and into the intersection before the light turned green. Pursuant to a traffic stop initiated by Officer Proctor, the driver was found to be driving while intoxicated and was subsequently arrested and transported to the Bellaire Jail for booking.

At 4:25 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop in the 6600 block of the West Loop S/B. Officer Liccketto observed a different expiration date on the temporary license plate on the rear of a black Ford. The Texas Temporary License Plate was later found to be altered/fictitious. The driver of the vehicle was placed in custody for displaying a fictitious license plate and taken to the Bellaire Police department for booking and processing without incident.

June 19

At 12:24 a.m., Sgt. D. Hollie was patrolling the 5400 block of Dashwood Street. Sgt. Hollie observed a vehicle with expired motor vehicle registration 1/17 and defective equipment: rear license plate light out. The driver showed several signs of intoxication and was subsequently arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) second offense.

At 2:07 a.m., Officer C. Barber conducted a traffic stop in about the 4800 block of Bellaire Blvd west bound. Officer Barber ran the temporary license plate on the 2004 black Toyota which returned to a silver 2015 Toyota. Officer Barber also observed a registration sticker on the front windshield of the black Toyota that did not belong to that vehicle. The driver admitted he purchased the temporary from "some guy at a gas station near the Galleria shopping complex". The subject was arrested for Fictitious Plate, Class B. Officer Barrientos assisted with this arrest and translation of Spanish.

At 2:23 p.m., Officers Schwausch and Manriquez were dispatched to the 4700 block of Jessamine St. in regards to a female who attempted suicide. The female was transported to Ben Taub Hospital by Medic 81 for evaluation.

At 2:34 p.m., Officer Andrade was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department Lobby in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Officer Andrade met with the victim who advised he parked his vehicle in the 5100 block of Bissonnet Street. The victim stated he returned to his vehicle and observed his front left driver's side window broken. After further investigation this was determined to be a criminal mischief.

At 4:14 p.m., Officer Liccketto was patrolling the 5500 block of Bellaire Blvd. and observed a green Honda Accord with expired registration. Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and conducted an interview with the driver. During the interview, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was taken into custody for driving while license invalid-enhanced and taken to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing.

June 20

At 1:58 a.m., Officer D. Clawson, observed the defendant's vehicle traveling south in the approximate area of 10300 block of South Post Oak without a rear trailer license plate and no rear trailer lighting during nighttime hours. During the traffic investigation it was determined the trailer was stolen. The defendant was subsequently charged with felony theft.

At 7:03 a.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 4900 block of Bellaire Blvd when he observed a green Mitsubishi Montero Sport traveling in front of him with defective equipment (brake light). Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and found the driver to be driving with a suspended license and no proof of financial responsibility or insurance. The driver was placed into custody for DWLI enhanced. Upon administrative inventory of the vehicle before tow, a spoon and syringe with residue testing positive for oxycodone were found in the rear of the Montero. The driver was subsequently charged for PCS less than a gram.

At 10:41 a.m., Officer Younger initiated a traffic stop in the 4400 block of Bellaire Boulevard on a red Ford Escape for a defective passenger side brake light. Officer Younger's traffic investigation found the driver being charged with driving while license suspended enhanced due to previous conviction.

At 2 p.m., Officer Lysack was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department in reference to an identity theft. Officer Lysack met with the victim who advised an unknown suspect opened a Kohls credit card account with her information.

June 21

At 12:24 a.m., Officer Barrientos conducted a traffic stop in the 5900 block of IH 610 West Service Road on a silver Toyota Camry for expired registration of 10/2016. Ofc. Barrientos made contact with driver. During the traffic stop investigation, the driver's license was discovered to be currently suspended. The suspect was unable to provide any type of proof of financial responsibility for his vehicle. Ofc. Barrientos placed the driver in custody for Driving While License Suspended Class B.

At 10:14 a.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the 5200 block of Palmetto Street in reference to a theft. The victim stated that a white male went through alley way on the north side of the residence and stole the victim's bike. The bicycle was located underneath the carport on the north side of the residence. Suspect exited the residence through the west side and went north on Palmetto Street.

At 2:57 p.m., Officer Lysack was dispatched to the 5300 block of Grand Lakes Street in reference to an identity theft. Officer Lysack met with the victim who stated an unknown suspect attempted to withdraw from her savings account but was unsuccessful.

At 5:30 p.m., Officer Delgado was dispatched to the 4400 block of Valerie Street in reference to burglary of a motor vehicle. Upon arrival Officer Delgado made contact with the victim who stated an unknown suspect(s) broke out the rear driver side window of her vehicle and stole her workbag.

At 11:46 p.m., Officer Bellard was dispatched to the 6700 block of IH 610 South in reference to a minor accident. Officer Bellard arrived on scene at 11:51 p.m. and after further investigation the driver was placed into custody for driving while intoxicated.

June 22

At 5:28 p.m., Officer Younger was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department in regards to a theft report. Officer Younger arrived at approximately 1728 hours and made contact with the victim who advised she was scammed attempting to buy a dog.

At 8:27 p.m., Officer Younger was dispatched to 5861 Bissonnet St. in regards to a silent alarm. Officer Younger arrived at 8:28 p.m. and made contact with the reportee who advised an unidentified suspect stole $87.87 in product and fled on foot in an unknown direction.

June 23

At 7:27 p.m., Officer O'Sullivan was patrolling in the 6600 Block of 5th Street when he observed the suspect vehicle operating with an expired/suspended California License plate. The driver was stopped as he entered the parking lot of 5130 Bellaire Blvd. The driver had no insurance for the vehicle he was operating, and his drivers' license had six active suspensions. The driver was arrested for driving while license suspended a class B misdemeanor.

At 4:57 p.m., Bellaire Officer D. Clawson responded to an aggravated robbery at 4417 Bellaire Blvd. Between 4:50 and 4:56 p.m., a black male suspect, who was the passenger in a grey sedan, entered the parking lot at the Bellaire United Methodist Church. The suspect entered the passenger side of the complainant's vehicle pointing a pistol at the complainant and her child. The suspect stole the complainant's purse at gunpoint and fled the scene.

At 8:30 p.m., Bellaire Officer D. Clawson responded to the 4800 block of Bellaire Boulevard for an assault that had occurred between a mother and her adult daughter. During my investigation I learned the complainant in this incident is the suspect's mother and she was not willing to cooperate. The suspect was gone upon arrival. This case is still pending.

At 1:57 p.m., Officer Andrade was dispatched to Pin Oaks Estates Drive in reference to a burglary of a habitation. Officer Andrade met with the victim who stated that between 9:30 a.m. and 1:55 p.m., an unknown suspect(s) forced entry into her back door and stole several items.

At 5:26 p.m., Officer Liccketto was patrolling the 5100 block of Bellaire Blvd and observed a black Kia Sedona with expired registration. Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and conducted an interview with the driver. During the interview, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was taken into custody for driving while license invalid-enhanced and taken to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing.

June 24

At 10:30 a.m., Officer Marcotte initiated a traffic stop in the 5900 block of IH 610 West Service Road on a 2002 BMW for expired registration. The driver was found to be intoxicated on drugs, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

At 7:36 p.m., Officer Liccketto met with the complainant in the lobby of the Bellaire Police Department in reference to an assault. The complainant stated while she was in line of Wells Fargo, she was struck by someone in the arm.

June 25

At 5:11 a.m., Bellaire Officer D. Clawson and Officer Y. Ortega, responded to 6000 IH 610 South for a disabled vehicle in a moving lane of traffic. During the traffic investigation the defendant was found to have been driving while intoxicated. The defendant was subsequently arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated second offense, a class A misdemeanor.

At 4:10 a.m., Officer Clisham observed a vehicle in the 4900 block of Bellaire Boulevard traveling approximately 15 miles per hour over the posted speed limit and driving erratically. Officer Clisham initiated a traffic stop on said vehicle on a nearby street. After further investigation the driver of the vehicle was placed into custody and charged with driving while intoxicated.

At 6:26 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop in the 7000 block of the West Loop N/B on a black Buick. During the interview with the driver, the temporary tag displayed on the vehicle was found to be fictitious. The driver was arrested and taken to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing without incident.

June 26

At 9 p.m., Sgt. Hefferin was patrolling the area of the 6800 block of Fifth Street southbound. Sgt Hefferin observed the suspect vehicle, a black Volkswagen Jetta, fail to stop exiting a private drive and fail to signal turn. Sgt Hefferin conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. During the investigation the driver was found to be operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver's license and previous conviction for driving while intoxicated. The driver was later arrested and transported to the Bellaire jail without incident.
June 23

At 10:49 am, an officer was dispatched to the West U PD in regards to found property. It was discovered several items were found at the West University Place Recreational Center and turned into police.

An officer observed a vehicle fail to stop at designated point in the 3600 block of Rice Blvd. The officer stopped the vehicle and after further investigation learned the driver's license was suspended and he was operating the vehicle without proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for Driving While License Invalid.

Officers were dispatched to the 5800 block of Kirby in regards to a minor accident that had just occurred. Dispatch advised both vehicles were on scene and one was attempting to leave the location. After further investigation, it was discovered that the striking vehicle's driver was operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. The driver of the striking vehicle was arrested for DWI.

June 24

At 10:47 am, an officer was dispatched to the jail in regards to a prisoner transport. While transporting the prisoner from West University Place Police Department to Harris County IPC, the prisoner's property was lost.

At 4:18 pm officers were dispatched to the 4200 block of Law in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle in progress.

An Officer was dispatched to the 4100 block of Byron in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle that had already occurred.

June 25

At 2:21 pm, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 2600 block of Pittsburg in reference to a case of identity theft

June 26

An officer was dispatched to the intersection of University and Mercer in regards to a suspicious person. The subject was located in the 6500 block of Edloe and upon making contact he was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia and a small clear bag containing an unknown mixture of narcotics.

Dispatch advised of a subject going in and out of stores in the 3900 block of Bellaire harassing random individuals. Upon Officers canvassing the area, the subject was located in the 3900 block of Bellaire where he subsequently transported to Ben Taub for an Emergency Detention Order.

An officer was dispatched to the 4100 block of Judson in reference to lost property.

An officer viewed a subject lying in the rain on the sidewalk in front of the businesses located at 5400 Block of Kirby. The subject was discovered to be highly intoxicated and was taken into custody as a result.

June 27

At 09:30 a.m., West University Place PD dispatchers received a 911 call in reference to a robbery in progress in the 6700 block of Stella Link at Bank of America. Police arrived and discovered that a Garda armored truck was the apparent target of this robbery. The armored driver was taking a moneybag into the bank when he was assaulted from behind by two (2) suspects. The suspects were armed with guns and gone upon police arrival. They fled the scene in a gray SUV west bound on Bellaire. The West University Place Police Department is asking for assistance in locating or identifying the suspects and/or vehicle in this case. Anyone with any information may contact the FBI Task Force at 713-693-5000 or the West University Place Police Department

An Officer was dispatched to HPD Jail to pick up a subject who has West U PD warrants. Upon arrival the Officer took care and custody of the subject. The subject was then transported to the West University Place Jail.

June 28

At 2:24 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby to speak with a complainant in regards to a civil issue.

At 5:17 pm, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 2700 block of Robinhood in reference to a case of identity theft.

June 29

At 11:23 a.m., an officer stopped a vehicle on traffic in the 3100 block of Wroxton for an expired registration and defective equipment. Upon investigation of the stop, it was discovered the driver was operating the vehicle on suspended license. Subsequently the driver was taken into custody for driving while license invalid.

An officer viewed an accident that had just occurred in the 6600 block of Stella Link. The suspect left behind vehicle parts and their license plate. A crash report and offense report were completed.
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Community members recently heard an update of the Cypress Creek Greenway Project, which will create a continuous linear greenbelt along Cypress Creek and Little Cypress Creek.

The greenway will preserve a natural corridor along Cypress Creek and its major tributaries that will provide a multitude of recreational activities, reduce flooding along Cypress Creek, preserve the natural habitat, and provide economic benefits to home-owners and local businesses.

Jim Robertson, chairman of the Cypress Creek Greenway Project and board member of the Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition, gave the update about the plan at Lone Star College CyFair.

"With parks and trails being the number one amenity that people are looking for now as recreation, we feel this will be really beneficial for the Houston area," Robertson said.

Greenway project advocacy coordinating started in 2004. Robertson gave an update on the progress of this project across Harris County Precincts 3 and 4. The information session discussed the project which creates green space with parks and trails from west of U.S. 290 to where Cypress Creek joins Spring Creek, a distance of more than 40 miles. Individuals and families will have opportunities to participate in outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and rowing.

"A lot of people have asked about this particular program about the Cypress Creek Greenway Project. I wanted to get an update about what is going on in the community," said Claire B. Gunnels, assistant library director at LSC-CyFair. "We obviously have a lot of people who are interested in getting out into the greenways and getting fresh air. I think people will find that everybody is interested in all these shared properties. You think of Houston as urban life so often and (now) we get a little glimpse of the beautiful green and blue and fall colors."

The Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition does not purchase or build parks and trails. The mission of the coalition, in collaboration with government and the private sector, is to actively pursue the development of a regional Cypress Creek Watershed flood reduction/environmental preservation plan.

Along with educating the community, the Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition aims to achieve research and advocate flood damage reduction measures implemented in advance of urban development on a cost-effective basis. The coalition also promotes parks, recreational, forest, and wildlife habitat development consistent with the preservation of the watershed's natural environment.

Though Robertson was hesitant to disclose the amount projects such as the greenway typically costs, he did confirm that it is not rare for an anchor park to reach the millions.

"It's not uncommon to have $3 to $3.5 million dollars of infrastructure of an anchor park," Robertson said.

Some of the public anchor parks adjoining Cypress and Little Cypress Creeks within the area of the Cypress Creek Greenway Project are Telge Park, Cypress Park, 100 Acre Wood Preserve, Kickerillo Mischer Preserve, and Mercer Arboretum. Parks in the area of the Cypress Creek Greenway Project are located in Precinct 3, 4, and the Timber Lane Utility District.

"The thing that has been most gratifying to see is the participation and involvement by the Precinct 3 and 4 Parks Department in developing the anchor parks," Robertson said. "Also, to see the involvement of the Municipal Utility Districts (MUD) involved in developing parks and trails."

"Since the project started, Precinct 3 started Cypress Park, Maxwell Hall Park, and Bud Hadfield Park, and East Shadowlake Pocket Park, Robertson said. "Cypress Park is the biggest of those and is an anchor park."

Precinct 4 is active in trail development. Green spaces in Precinct 4 that have opened and developed since the project started include Little Cypress Creek Preserve, 100 Acre Wood Park, which Bayou Land Conservancy played a key factor in the development, but the park is now managed by Precint 4. Kickerillo Mischer Preserve Park also opened in April.

Since January 2004, the community has seen 24 parks developed in the Cypress Creek Corridor. Additionally, 15 trail development projects have been in the Cypress Creek Corridor as well.

During the update Robertson informed the community that the plan is also to develop a trail system along the entire length of the Greenway that would link to other trails in the Greenway parks and local community.

"I think the community will enjoy the clear economic value of the project. Home values appreciate for properties are adjacent to public greenspace, that's been documented," Robertson said. "I think the quality of life and the ability to exercise is one of the things are really positive aspects of it."

Robertson believes Houston is the ideal city for a project such as the Cypress Creek Greenway Project. A timeline of completion was not given for the project during the presentation. Robertson wants to remind the community that the project is a work in progress and takes time to complete.

"I feel like what is happening with this is really going to be transformational how people view Houston," Robertson said. "Personally, I don't know another large metropolitan area in the country that has the potential for the connectivity that we do in the greater Houston area."
After North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, new South Korean President Moon Jae-in warned Kim Jong Un "not to cross the red line," vowing a stern response should he step over it.

The problem is it's unclear where that line is.

North Korea's move toward a rocket capable of reaching the U.S. mainland would justify tougher sanctions after consultations with the U.S., a presidential official told reporters on Tuesday. But he added Moon's red line was an "abstract concept" for now.

On the flip side, it would be hard for Moon to move quickly toward talks with Kim as that is premised on a freeze in North Korea' weapons program, said the official, who asked not be identified due to the sensitivity of the topic.

The lack of a clear plan from the new administration leaves Moon, a former human rights lawyer in office since May, in danger of playing a lesser role over his reclusive, nuclear-armed neighbor. Kim has already directed his recent rhetoric at the U.S., promising to send more "gifts" Donald Trump's way.

Moon will meet with other leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Germany this week, where collective condemnations are expected of Kim's actions, while South Korea and the U.S. conducted a joint missile drill on Wednesday.

Still, his attempts to sound forceful against North Korea while also urging caution against rash action, and the lack of clarity on his "red line," risk appearing wishy-washy at home. With popularity ratings around the 80 percent mark, expectations are high domestically for Moon to improve on the prior administration, where the president was impeached.

"The ICBM test has put both Moon's popularity and his North Korea policies on a test board," said Lee Jae-mook, who teaches political science at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

Kim's advances in weapons technology "create a lot of homework for Moon," particularly if the tensions spill over to South Korea's economy or people start to feel less safe, said Kim Yun-cheol, who teaches political science at the Humanitas College of Kyung Hee University.

Moon is already facing some pressure.

Choung Tae-ok, the floor spokesman for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, said that Moon would end up doing "nothing" if he sticks to his dual approach of sanctions and dialogue. Lee Hye-hoon, leader of the opposition Bareun Party, called on Moon to conduct a "fundamental review" of his policies.

Just one percent of those who approved of Moon in a Gallup Korea poll last week said they support him for his North Korea policies, while a further one percent favor him for his diplomacy. Among those who disapproved, a combined 17 percent said they did so for his North Korea policies, diplomacy, or a controversy over a U.S. missile shield.

"Moon's desires notwithstanding, Pyongyang has no interest in discussing nuclear matters with the South," said Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS in Honolulu. Kim wants to talk with the U.S. as "one nuclear power to another," he said.

"Moon has been willing to talk tough to keep Trump on his side, but I'm not sure he is prepared to play the kind of hardball that would be required to really bring Kim to his senses."

Just two days before the missile test, Moon returned from Washington after meeting with Trump. Moon said the U.S. leader had handed him the keys to lead a push against Kim's nuclear ambitions, allowing him to embark on "a long journey to build an eternal peace system" on the Korean peninsula.

But Shin Beomchul, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said the chances of inter-Korean talks are fading. "With the success of the ICBM, the North will ask for a higher level of compensation and Moon would find it difficult to meet all of the proposed conditions," Shin said.

Namkoong Young, who has taught inter-Korean politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies for more than 25 years, said one of the few choices left for Moon is to stress and strengthen South Korea's alliance with the U.S.

"There are few things we can do alone," other than "asking the friend with the muscle to do something for us," Namkoong said. Moon's hope to resolve the nuclear issue through talks with Kim "sounds too idealistic to me."
WASHINGTON - On paper, the decision made perfect sense. Kimball Elementary, which opened during World War II, needed to be modernized. Everyone agreed on that. So the District of Columbia school district, which is renovating all of its aging buildings, scheduled an extensive $51 million makeover.

The plan called for the school to shut down for two years beginning this summer. Its 350 students would move to an empty school a mile away.

That's still the plan. But as the move date approaches, it's running headlong into a formidable obstacle that didn't show up on paper: fear.

Many parents say they don't want to send their kids to the temporary location, Adelaide Davis Elementary School. They don't have anything against Davis. But they don't want to travel through an area with which their neighborhood, known as "37th," has had a long, often bitter and occasionally deadly rivalry.

The "swing" school sits in a working-class Southeast neighborhood of well-kept single-family homes. But it is a block from a public housing complex, Benning Terrace, that for decades has been plagued by crime and regarded as one of the city's more dangerous places. To locals, it's known as Simple City. Or Simp. Or Baby Vietnam.

For parents, the proximity of Davis to Simple City is unnerving.

"It's territorial," says Jeanelle Swiney, 37, who went to Kimball and has two children at the school. "Simple City has had confrontations with everyone. We want to stay in 37th. It's a village here. I'm not afraid to come out here because I know my community and my community knows me. We don't want to move out of our comfort zone."

The parents are scared for their children - and for themselves. Simple City is nearby, but it's a destination they've always been careful to avoid. Likewise, residents of Simple City steer clear of 37th and other areas with ongoing turf battles. Navigating perceived no-go zones is part of the daily routine for many residents in the poorest parts of the District.

Kimball parents say their kids may be safe on the school bus. But, they ask, what if a parent or sibling has to go the school to pick up a child? What if they want to visit their child's class or attend an after-school activity? What will happen when it starts getting dark early?

To date, just half of Kimball students have re-enrolled for next school year. Danita Walker sent her three children to Kimball. Now Walker, whose children are grown, works as a community liaison with families at the school. She thinks up to 40 percent will choose not to make the move to Davis. Some have already signed up for charter schools elsewhere.

"Violence, guns, safety," Walker says, listing the reasons. "All of the concerns are about safety. They just don't feel safe going into that community."

Even as parents are deciding what to do, the Kimball renovation has begun. And work continues to get Davis ready for however many show up for prekindergarten through fifth grade when school starts in August.

School officials expect pushback whenever schools are closed, even for renovations. But the concerns at Kimball are a reminder of the unexpected challenges D.C. Public Schools encounters as it tries to upgrade campuses across the city, including in neighborhoods wracked by violence.

To quell worries, school and police officials say they have met often with parents and community members to share busing and security plans. But the history here is deep, and decades of disputes and turf wars won't disappear easily - even if many who live in the area say they no longer know what the beefs are about.

- - -

During the height of the District's drug wars, Simple City was an epicenter of violence. The Washington Post noted that at least 65 people were killed there from 1987 to 1997, an average of one homicide every other month. Neighborhood gangs were known to fight with crews from across the city - including ones from 37th.

The origin of the neighborhood's name is obscure. Even many residents don't know how it came about. For some, the name Simple City is a source of pride. But for others, it's an unwelcome stigma.

The area remains a focus for law enforcement, even as activists have brokered truces to calm the volume of gunfire in Benning Terrace.

D.C. police often patrol in and around the complex of low-slung apartments and townhouses. Investigators continue to recover illegal guns and ammunition connected to shootings, carjackings and robberies.

In 2015, federal authorities indicted seven people they said were involved with the Simple City Criminal Organization, a crew responsible for car thefts, identity thefts and other crimes. Officials said the organization operated from about 2009 to July 2015.

Still, there are signs of improvement.

"That place is nowhere as violent as it once was," D.C. Patrol Chief Robert Contee said. "Yes, there have been shootings. Yes, they have had homicides. But by and large . . . a lot of folk have put in a whole lot of effort to bring that nonsense down."

Many of the skirmishes between rivals in this part of the city rarely involve elementary students.

Police leaders say the patrol sector can face spurts of violent crime in any given year, but nothing on the scale of what occurred decades ago. So far this year, police say there have been two homicides in the sector, compared to 11 in the same period last year, and overall crime is down nearly 10 percent this year.

In the past several years, police have sought to help neighborhood youths set aside feuds of prior generations. They believe the school relocation offers a chance to expand on those efforts. They also plan to ensure safe transit for Kimball students, monitoring and reacting to threats as they emerge. The school district says it will bus the students straight from the ice arena to Davis, and it promises enhanced security at the campus.

"We would not move students to an area that we did not think was safe," said DCPS spokeswoman Michelle Lerner. "We have been surveying the community on security and transportation. We're confident that this is going to be a good transition and that all staff and all students and all families will be safe."

But for many parents, these assurances aren't enough. Memories are long, and they can shape perceptions of safety as much as recent trends.

Freddie Williams, whose daughter Princess will enter first grade, said he isn't comfortable with Davis because "I used to stay around that neighborhood and there's a lot of violence that I know of." He and others are clamoring for the school district to make space available at Sousa Middle School, near Kimball, which has many unused rooms.

But the school district says Sousa doesn't meet federal requirements for early-childhood classrooms and can't accommodate all the Kimball students. For now, Davis remains the only option if they don't want to transfer to another school.

- - -

Robert Woodson Sr., a civil rights activist, helped the Alliance of Concerned Men negotiate a truce between warring factions in the late 1990s after the gang-related slaying of 12-year-old Darryl Hall made national news. He agrees that the Kimball parents' concerns are well-founded, and he worries about daily interactions that could spark trouble.

"When they are making these decisions they never consult the community or consider this as a factor at all," he said. "It's all professional planners, educators and politicians who don't realize these decisions can have lethal ramifications for kids."

The school district says that it worked extensively with the community on the relocation plan. But parents say the choice of the swing school was made without any input from them.

Woodson said city and community leaders should approach young people to help prepare for the arrival of students and parents from another neighborhood.

"There are young adults in that community who are very influential with these kids," he said. "I would convene a meeting with some of these people and get some intelligence from them on how a smooth transition can occur."

The rivalry between the neighborhoods is one of many turf battles in this part of the District. People who live here know not to cross unmarked boundary lines, said the Rev. Anthony Minter, the pastor at First Rock Baptist Church.

Minter, 60, has been a member of the church since he was 9 and has watched the community struggle with poverty, broken promises and violence. While there have been intermittent truces, they eventually fall apart.

"The peace that had been brokered is not there anymore," Minter says. "There's a whole new group of people, and it has gotten progressively worse."

Minter said that if the children are bused from Kimball to Davis, there won't be trouble, but that "if they have to walk through the community, there's a good chance there could be a problem."

Minter and others know the neighborhood beefs go beyond the issue of Kimball's relocation. And they are frustrated that disputes linger and fester, becoming ingrained in daily life for the vast majority of people in the neighborhoods who want nothing more than to live in peace.

"It's a problem that we say, 'It's not safe,' and we just leave it at that," he said. "As adults, as community leaders, we have to do something to fix that problem. I mean, it's crazy. This is really all one community. I still believe that we can come together as a community, that peace can be restored. It's easier said than done, but it's doable."

School begins on Aug. 21.
What happens in Vegas, or at the very least what you buy there, really does need to stay in Vegas.

Las Vegas, which had almost 43 million visitors in 2016, will begin legal sales of recreational marijuana starting on July 1 as part of the statewide change in law in Nevada. But while you eventually will be able to buy it on the Strip -- a dispensary is applying for a license on the famed street -- dont think you can smoke it there. Nevada law prohibits marijuana smoking in public places.

Law enforcement is expected to be keeping an extra eye out for such behavior. A spokesman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told the Los Angeles Times that tourists also shouldnt expect to use marijuana in hotels along the Strip and downtown, none of which have decided yet to allow it.

Related: Science and FDA Say Cannabis Is Medicine but DEA Insists It Isn't

Rocky Road

A last minute lawsuit seemed about to derail the sale of adult-use marijuana in Nevada.

The states voters approved the sale of recreational marijuana in November 2016 along with California, Maine and Massachusetts. But the Silver State worked faster than the other states to get a regulated, adult-use marijuana system in place. Most states are not expected to start legal marijuana sales until January 2018.

However, the states Independent Alcohol Distributors sued, saying they wanted exclusive rights for the first 18 months to distribute marijuana in the state. That language actually is included in the proposition passed by voters last November, according to Nevada Public Radio.

A judge ruled in the distributors favor, effectively eliminating the vast majority of 93 applicants who had applied for licenses (many of them dispensaries which already sell legal medical marijuana).

However, emergency rules passed by the state will allow sales to go forward if a dispensary already has marijuana in supply. This is expected to last 60 to 90 days in some places, giving the state and the alcohol distributors time to hash out the legal issues.

If nothing else, the situation has shown the high amount of money at stake when a state legalizes adult-use marijuana, as has been seen in Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

Related: Cannabis Stock Index Grew 236% In 2016

$60 Million For Education

Meanwhile, state leaders hope to use the windfall from a marijuana excise tax for public use.

By the language of the proposition approved by voters, marijuana tax money and fees must go into the State Distributive School Account. Gov. Bob Sandoval hopes as much as $60 million annually could go toward schools in the initial first year of sales.

On the other hand, the state also expects to incur costs for regulating the industry, including $600,000 for the state Department of Taxation to set up a software system for tracking marijuana sales and another $1.1 million in additional personal costs.

Follow dispensaries.com on Instagram to stay up to date on the latest cannabis news.

Related:

Sorry, But No You Can't Smoke Marijuana on the Las Vegas Strip Yet.

NBA Champion John Salley Talks About the 'Seed to Sale' Process for Cannabis Business

What Is Schedule I and Why Is Marijuana on the List, Anyway?



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will drop by Istanbul next week on his way home from the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg and a three-hour stop in Kiev to talk with the Ukrainian president.

He will have a full plate on his overnight stop. He will meet with Turkish officials to discuss the fight against the Islamic State. He will swing by the U.S. diplomatic post to chat with employees.

And he will attend the World Petroleum Congress to be given a lifetime achievement award for a career spent climbing up the ladder at ExxonMobil to the top rung.

In a background call to brief reporters on the trip, senior State Department officials mentioned the award in a single, passing sentence. But they deflected follow-up questions about when the award was granted and whether it violated his vow to recuse himself from matters involving ExxonMobil, where he spent his entire working life and retired after a decade as chief executive.

The London-based World Petroleum Council, which bestows the award, could not be reached for comment. But some of the answers were available on the conference's website.

Tillerson is receiving the Dewhurst Award, the council's highest honor, in recognition of his "outstanding contribution to the oil and gas industry" when he ran ExxonMobil before being tapped to become secretary of state.

He was selected for the award before he became Trump's top diplomat. It was announced in a council newsletter published in November, and Tillerson did not emerge as a contender until December.

Tillerson is only the 10th person to receive the Dewhurst Award, which is named after the former president of the Institute of Petroleum in Britain, the forerunner of the council. Most of them are former CEOs of big oil companies like Chevron, Shell and Petrobas, or royalty from Saudi Arabia and Qatar who were ministers or university presidents in the industry.

The awards ceremony is in Istanbul because it is the venue for the World Petroleum Congress, which is described in the news release as the "Olympics of the oil and gas industry." The notice says it is attended by 5,000 delegates, including 50 government ministers and 500 CEOs plus 1,000 journalists to chronicle the event.

Tillerson's visit to the U.S. mission in Istanbul will be more low key, but no less meaningful for the employees in attendance. Whenever a secretary of state pays a visit, staff members typically bring their children to witness it and maybe shake the secretary's hand. For many, it's an event for the memory books. State Department employees based overseas often hang photographs in their home of themselves or their children posing with the secretary of state during visits to embassies and consulates around the world.
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Police on Tuesday arrested a 48-year-old man in connection with a shootout at a Northeast Side steak house that left one man dead.

Victor Ricondo now faces a charge of murder, following a determination by police that he had been "lying in wait" for the victim at the restaurant. He remains in the Bexar County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

RELATED: Motorcyclist in multiple alleged high-speed chases 'taunts' deputies, is caught filling up with gas

According to a preliminary police report of the shooting, Ricondo parked his van in the Texas Land and Cattle Steak House parking lot at 60 NE Loop 410 around 10:15 p.m. then exited the driver's seat and moved into the passenger side middle row.

"Seconds later," according to the report, 39-year-old Anthony Rangel and another woman parked next to Ricondo's van. Rangel exited his vehicle and opened the rear door of the van, at which point Ricondo apparently began yelling at him. Rangel closed the door and ran back to his own vehicle.

As Rangel was backing up his vehicle, Ricondo allegedly opened fire, striking Rangel at least once in the neck.

RELATED: SAPD officer in squad car runs over, kills 63-year-old woman after responding to fireworks call

Rangel apparently tried to drive away, but ended up wrecking in the parking lot.

Police and paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and transported Rangel to University Hospital, where he later died.

Ricondo and the woman with Rangel were detained for interviews with police, during which officials concluded Ricondo had been waiting for Rangel and was not in any danger when he opened fire.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHoods unprecedented move to block the San Antonio Express-News from news conferences on grand jury indictments sends a troubling message.

Whether you love or hate the media, blocking their access at any level by any public official infringes on the First Amendment and a free press. That, in turn, impinges on your right to information.

The move speaks volumes about the character of the man who holds the highest elected law enforcement post in Bexar County. Taxpayers who fund his salary should find it offensive.

LaHood, who is in his first term, did not respond to a request for an interview. We can only assume that his questionable actions were prompted by the less than favorable coverage he has received in this newspaper. That coverage, however, was accurate and purely the result of his own actions.

Prior to his most recent news conference on a new murder indictment against convicted baby killer Genene Jones, LaHoods staff admitted members of the electronic media but blocked a courthouse reporter, Metro columnist and photographer from the Express-News.

Investigator Brian King stated that the news conference was in a private space in a secure part of the building.

LaHoods actions are reminiscent of what happened in Washington, D.C., earlier this year when President Donald Trump blocked CNN and the New York Times from White House press conferences.

Its a content-based ban and the government generally cannot enact laws or restrictions that punish speech or restrict public access based on content. Courts have held that a government press conference is a public forum generally open to the media and any restrictions must be based on reasons other than content, First Amendment attorney Susan Seager told LawNewz after that incident.

In 1998, a federal court held, Discriminatory governmental action aimed at the communicative impact of expression is presumptively at odds with the First Amendment. Above all else, the First Amendment means that the government cannot restrict freedom of expression on the basis of its ideas, message or content.

That case involved a Louisiana sheriff who did not like an article published by the Times-Picayune. In retaliation, the newspapers reporters were not notified of press conferences and were barred from attending if they learned about them.

In short, the court held the sheriff was violating the First Amendment.

LaHoods authority to hold a closed press conference in a secure area of a government building also has been addressed by the court. The 2010 Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information Report quotes from a 1970s case in Hawaii in which the courts held that a mayor could not block a newspaper from attending a press conference in his private office.

If he chooses to hold a general news conference in his inner office, for that purpose and to that extent, his inner office becomes a public gathering place. When he uses public buildings and public employees to call and hold general news conferences on public matters, he is operating in the public and not the private sector of his activities, the court ruled.

While there are those who will argue the First Amendment does not protect against discriminatory practices such as those witnessed in the district attorneys suite at the Paul Elizondo Tower, it is clear that LaHoods actions could have a chilling effect.

They are an attempt to control the content of news reported on him.

The courts have reviewed this issue. In 2001 in a case involving a writer for the Chicago Reader and a sheriff, an Illinois federal court concluded that a reporter might well tone down a critical article if she feared that jail officials might terminate, or even restrict, her future access. That is exactly the type of chilling effect the First Amendment guards against.

There is not merely a squabble between a newspaper and an exceedingly thin-skinned district attorney. Its about the free flow of information and the First Amendment.

We are all affected regardless of how we get our news.
When American taxpayers finance drug research, they have earned the right to buy the resulting medication for a reasonable price. But thats not happening.

Instead, taxpayers wallets are hit twice for too many medications  once when they pay for drug research through their hard-earned tax dollars and again when a pharmaceutical company, which used that research, engages in price gouging. What a contradiction: Americans pay for pharmaceutical research, yet are often unable to afford the resulting medications.

This is particularly insulting when some of these same drugs developed in America are sold abroad for substantially less than Americans are charged. Pfizer, for example, charges 12 times as much on this side of the Atlantic under the Medicare program for the same seven top-selling drugs as it charges in Ireland.

When drugmakers are granted unrestricted, government-approved monopolies and exploit them to set monopoly prices, a diagnosis of a dread disease can become a prognosis for financial ruin. One of every 4 Americans reports having difficulty paying for their prescriptions. Last fall, I hosted a forum at Laurel Heights Methodist Church and heard from families struggling with drug price gouging.

Suffering from diabetes, Denise, for example, cannot get full insurance coverage for most of her medications. When she cannot afford insulin, she skips doses, making it difficult to control her condition. Unable to pay $1,200 out-of-pocket every month, Nancy simply stopped buying her prescriptions. Her physician finally got her into a hardship program, but medications still cost her $400 monthly. Other constituents cannot afford their asthma inhalers, go without their cholesterol medicine, or have medications that cost more than their entire Social Security checks.

We all want innovative cures, but an unaffordable drug is totally ineffective. While claiming that monopoly prices are required to subsidize the research for new cures, nine of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing than on research. The largest drug manufacturers had an average profit margin of more than 20 percent  more than twice the revenue for all of the S&P 500 companies. While they are certainly not short of cash to finance research, drugmakers continue asking for more tax breaks and taxpayer funds.

Even President Donald Trump has said that the pharmaceutical industry is getting away with murder and called drug prices astronomical. But as with so many of his campaign promises, he seems to be abandoning consumers in favor of Big Pharmas wish list. His drug agenda is reportedly being developed by a top lobbyist from one of the leading price gougers.

Small wonder that out-of-state consultants for this same powerful lobby would write an opinion piece for this paper critical of my efforts, just as they have personally attacked efforts by my colleagues to stand up to Big Pharma (Doggett proposal would slash number of lifesaving drugs, Other Views, June 28).

When a drug is granted a monopoly and competition is forbidden, there are no market forces to encourage reasonable prices. However, under long-standing law, when the benefits of a taxpayer-funded product are not available to the public on reasonable terms, the government can exercise taxpayer protection rights, known as march-in rights, to promote competition by authorizing other manufacturers to produce and sell the same drug.

Fifty members of Congress joined my effort seeking competition to bring down prices by asking the Trump administration to establish guidelines so drug companies know what reasonable access looks like. Unfortunately, Trump, surrounded by pharmaceutical executives, has not responded  not even in a tweet.

Much more than our modest request is needed to correct the current injustice. We should authorize Medicare to negotiate drug prices similar to the Veterans Administration, legalize the importation of safe medications from abroad, and prevent anti-competitive tactics that obstruct availability of cheaper generic drugs.

If you or a loved one has been affected by high prescription drug prices, please write me at Lloyd.doggett@mail.house.gov. Despite Big Pharmas grip on most of Washington, together we can continue advancing every reasonable effort to lower drug prices.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett represents the 35th Congressional District, which includes parts of San Antonio and Austin.
Re: Thoughtcrimes illegal in more than 1984, Brian Chasnoff, Thursday:

First, the good news. Mr. Chasnoff is able to write interesting, lucid, common-sense columns. The bad news is that someone misplaced or took away his dictionary. He does not seem to know the difference between legal and illegal.

I have not heard any Republican or conservative rant about not allowing legal immigrants into our country. They rant about illegal immigrants who do not make an application and go through the legal process. If you cannot find Mr. Chasnoffs dictionary, I will gladly donate one to him.

William D. Drane

City clowns

Great to see Mayor Ron Nirenberg start his term by signing San Antonio onto the Paris Climate Accord. Perhaps his campaign slogan shouldve been, not The City You Deserve, but A City that Parrots Austin (or San Francisco). It is deluding itself to be something it is not: a sovereign nation.

All the participants in this silliness should have donned clown costumes before celebrating their juvenile antics. Glad to see our new mayor and his cronies taking their jobs so seriously. For this type of nonsense, we decided to pay these people? Regretting my vote already.

Eric Smith

Climate change forces

To Lamar Smith and Rick Perry:

Gentlemen, we are in agreement. Climate change has been an ongoing phenomenon for the history of the Earth. Now lets talk rate.

If you can accept that carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gasses that makes our planet warm enough to inhabit, and if you can accept the fossil record that plants have existed on Earth for some 500 million years, then you must accept that plant (and a little animal) carbon has been progressively stored in the earths crust as the oil, natural gas and coal the we all love to use.

In the last 100 years, that use has very successfully reversed the 500 million-year carbon storage processes, and aggressively turned carbon into carbon dioxide. Therefore, our earth must be warming as a result of societys actions. The rate of change is our problem.

Thomas W. Hoskings, Ph.D.

Reverse Robin Hood

Why are this president and Congress planning to give the wealthy huge tax cuts while increasing or doing nothing for the middle class, let alone the poor, except cutting their healthcare? Less than 1 percent of billionaires control 90 percent of this nations wealth. It is the middle class and the poor who should get huge tax cuts because they will spend the money buying homes, cars, education, etc., thus creating jobs that allow more people to buy things. That is how you increase the economy.

The wealthy put the money in offshore banks to avoid paying taxes because they have everything they want or need now. Oh, you say, then we can borrow their money and buy something. Not if you cant afford to buy anything you cant. Give the middle and poor the money and we will have a roaring economy.

Jim Denton, Gatesville
Re: Transportation fee idea floated at city budget meeting, Metro, June 29:

Transportation fee is just another way of saying road usage tax. This may be one of the stupidest ideas yet to come from the city staff.

If you think the streetcar idea and U.S. 281 toll roads caused a major uproar, you have seen nothing of the fury that will be unleashed if the city of San Antonio starts tacking monthly fees on all residents and business utility bills for the privilege of driving on our streets.

Everyone gets hurt by this hidden tax ploy. Especially low-income families and people on fixed incomes. This is one for the trash can!

Bill Ault

Suing Mr. Trump

I am again shocked by the behavior of Mr. Donald Trump. His tweeting attack on Mika Brzezinski is just another example of his classless behavior.

It makes me wonder: Can a private citizen sue the president for defamation of character? If so, maybe that would shut him up.

D.M. Horridge

Public comes last

In my innocent youth, I believed politicians were sincerely interested in serving the public and working to improve the lives of average citizens.

Through the years, I have gradually come to understand how naive that view was and now realize that most politicians true priorities are essentially:

Advance their own career.

Vilify the opposing political party.

Promote their political party.

Work for the benefit of special interest groups and donors.

Work to improve the lives of average citizens (a very distant last place).

With perhaps 95 percent of their attention devoted to the first four priorities, there is precious little remaining for the last. Those who believe otherwise are as naive as I once was.

Bill Erichson

Sustaining ideals

Re: Consider context for everything Trump says, tweets, Kathleen Parker, Other Views, June 29:

Kathleen Parker said, It takes a certain kind of intelligence to spin a yarn so counterintuitive and defiantly false that some people will believe it, anyway.

This prompts the question, from whence comes their education, and could it be a lack of training in civics that has contributed to our current upheaval?

In late January, I began reading John Adams by David McCullough while following the presidents tweets, his inconsistencies, and his apparent disregard for the principles and values our dear country was founded on.

Reading the book, I was repeatedly struck by the fact that our Founding Fathers tirelessly fought and sacrificed for this great nation, and yet within a few months, the president has defiled the character of the office he holds and tarnished our name in the world.

Having just celebrated the Fourth of July, we might pause to consider what it means to be a patriot. As civic-minded Americans, we have a responsibility to participate in our government, to be informed, to hold our leaders to a high standard, and to work tirelessly and unselfishly for the truth and ideals our democracy was founded on.

Nancy Draves

Deal with the issues

Re: Harassing Trump, Your Turn, June 26:

The letter writer believes the president is being investigated for firing someone and this is harassment because the president has more important issues to deal with.

When can we expect the president to deal with those important issues and stop the malicious tweets?

To another letter writer on the same day who believes Express-News journalists have no credibility (Not journalists): You dont have to read this newspaper.

Lo-Rena Scott, Tarpley

Pied Piper

Donald Trump followers blindly follow their leader in his assumptions that Russia is good, Vladimir Putin is great, and the media are out to get Trump with fake news.

Conservatives are quick to label any criticism or disagreement with Trumps policies or actions as fake news. They find it easy to overlook the fact that their leader is one of the best at generating and perpetuating fake news. He originated and perpetuated such stories as the birther conspiracy, where he supposedly had private investigators researching birth records in Hawaii, and the White House tapes on former FBI Director James Comeys conversations.

I could go on, but I think Ive made my point.

Jesse Ortiz

Transparent pricing

Re: Doggett proposal would slash number of lifesaving drugs, Sandip Shah and Helen Shao, Other Views, Friday:

The authors fear existing federal law would prevent drug manufacturers and other life-science companies from developing promising medicines by suspending licenses (except in extraordinary public safety concerns, such as a dangerous infectious disease outbreak). Ironically, such an extreme example of alleged price-gouging is currently being debated in a U.S. court.

As a volunteer advocate and fellow of the American College of Physicians, I urge the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industry to voluntarily publish research, development and marketing budgets for public examination to support the pricing of their products. American taxpayers and health care consumers deserve no less and would welcome such transparency.

Fred Campbell

Bathroom chaos

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says his bathroom bill will protect women and girls by keeping men out of their bathrooms.

His bill might have the opposite effect. If it passes, confusion will reign as women dressed as men enter womens bathrooms, while men dressed as women enter mens bathrooms. To make matters worse, any clean-shaven man could simply walk into the womens bathroom and claim to be a female by birth transgender.

No one will be able to tell they are lying just by looking. As things are now, at least a man has to dress as a woman before using their bathroom. Instead of making things safer, this bill creates an open season on bathrooms in Texas.

Charles R. Allen
A old photograph found in a long-forgotten file of the National Archives may provide a clue to what happened to pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart, who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

The recent discovery of the photo is the subject of a new History Channel special airing Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

The photo shows a woman who resembles the legendary pilot and a man who could be her navigator, Fred Noonan, on a dock, suggesting that the pair survived a crash-landing in the Marshall Islands.

After examining the picture, NBC News analyst Shawn Henry was a believer.

"When you pull out, and when you see the analysis that's been done, I think it leaves no doubt to the viewers that that's Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan," Henry told NBC News.

Independent analysts reportedly told the History Channel that the photo was legitimate and not altered.

The photo, marked "Jaluit Atoll," shows the Japanese ship Koshu towing a barge with something that appears to be about 38 feet long  the same length as Earhart's plane.

In the picture, a woman with short hair and wearing pants is seated near a man with a receding hairline and a prominent nose, two features that Noonan shared.

Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, which she accomplished in 1932. She was trying to circumnavigate the globe when she vanished on July 2, 1937, after her plane ran low on fuel.

Since then her fate has been grist for several theories, including that she and Noonan ditched at sea and the plane sank, that they wrecked on an uninhabited island or that they were captured by the Japanese.

In 1990, a Saipanese woman said she witnessed the flyers' execution at the hand of the Japanese, but no evidence supporting the claim has ever been presented.

NBC News said it was not known if the U.S. government was aware of the existence of the Jaluit Atoll photograph.
Founder and CEO Matthew Corrin tells the story behind the healthy fast-food brand at the NACS Insight Convenience SummitEurope in London.

By Fiona Briggs

LONDON  Recalling the early years of his career in the New York City fashion industry, Matthew Corrin, founder and CEO of Freshii, explained to attendees at the NACS Insight Convenience SummitEurope that the Canadian restaurant brand is the Zara of healthy, fast foods. Interviewed by Ashley Dalziel, Freshiis chief people officer, Corrin compared Freshiis menu innovationno one category makes up more than 18% of saleswith the global fashion giant.

Every 70 days, Zara is bringing the latest fashion trends to the masses at affordable price points, he said. We go around the world and find local food concepts, that are popular, and then every 70 days bring that to our mass market. Its done with a scalable supply chain and it keeps guests coming in. People dont get bored of us because there is always something new.

Freshii was founded by Corrin in 2005, when he was living in New York City and working for Oscar de la Renta, a high-end fashion designer. While he ate great food from local mom and pop delis, the service was dull and the branding lackluster. These experiences helped spawn the Freshii brand.

Fast track to today and Freshii, now listed on the Canadian stock exchange, operates more than 300 restaurants in 17 countries, with 150 new restaurants planned to open this year.

Corrin credits Freshiis success and appeal to its placement at the intersection of three global trends: health and wellness; millennials, who are early adopters; and ownership, since its a franchise business model. Its that intersection thats fueling our growth, he says. Growth, which will also see the brand open its first U.K. outlets in London later this year. But it will be a Freshii format tailored to the U.K. market, as Corrin explains.

When we open later this year in London, we will look different. Its not a cookie cutter approach but about bringing health and wellness to the masseswe are not sending cucumbers and quinoa around the world, he says.

Millennials shy away from cookie cutter, he maintains. Instead they prefer customization. We deliberately try to make each store a little different and really do adapt our footprint to really localize and stay relevant, Corrin says.

Corrin shared Freshiis five founding principles with attendees:

1. Talk is cheap, execution sets you apart

2. Launch fast, fail fast and iterate faster

3. Numbers rule: if you cant measure it, you cant manage it

4. Build a company with a killer culture, not a culture that kills your company

5. Pick your battles

Its those principles and Freshiis compelling offer that have seen the brand invited to operate in high schools, colleges, universities and at arenas. But its a people business first and we never lose sight of that, Corrin asserts.

So, could convenience stores take a slice of Freshii action? Corrin is not convinced. Big companies recognize the importance of health and wellness but the challenge is becoming credible.

But while growth is on the cards for Freshii, sticking to its principles and continuing to innovate, in that Zara-like fashion, are key driving forces. Ten years ago, selling spinach and brown rice was innovative, Corrin says. Then it was smoothies and now its juices. Its not about what you are building for today, its about what you are building for the next 10 yearsyou cant become stale.

This article has been printed with permission from Global C-Store Focus. Fiona Briggs Freelance retail business journalist and writes exclusive content for Global C-Store Focus. She also contributes regularly to NACS Magazine.
By Andrew Silton, the former chief investment officer of the State of North Carolina, a current and former fund trustee, and an artist. Originally published at Meditations on Money Management

What would you think if I sang out of tune? Comments from CalPERSs CIO.

A couple of weeks ago, Ted Eliopolis the CIO for CalPERS opened an investment meeting with a rebuke of unnamed critics of the pensions private equity program.[1] Mr. Eliopolis claimed that the incessant attacks on the private equity staff are unwarranted and raise questions about whether CalPERS can continue to invest in private equity. I have been one of those critics, although I doubt my comments carry much influence. However, my issue with CalPERS is the leadership of the organization, not its staff. I am confident that the staff has worked tirelessly to address performance, accounting, and transparency issues.

Mr. Eliopolis lamented the negative press coverage that causes distractions and makes the job of investing more difficult. As CIO for North Carolina, I faced front-page stories questioning the pensions investment programs, as well as my decisions and motives. Without a doubt the stories were painful. As the leader of North Carolinas investment effort, my job was to ensure that the attacks didnt distract staff. We simply continued to invest. Mr. Eliopoliss statement to the investment committee only serves to reinforce my critique of CalPERS. The pension plan has a leadership problem.

Mr. Eliopolis also lamented the damage being done to CalPERSs reputation by critics. The damage is self-inflicted. The actions of former and current leaders at CalPERS have tarnished CalPERSs reputation. However, when it comes to private equity, reputation has little to do with CalPERS access to private equity investments. As long as the pension continues to make eight and nine figure commitments, PE firms will keep flocking to Sacramento. In private equity, as with much of investment management, its all about the money.

Mr. Eliopolis claimed that no other pension plan has faced the kind of critique being leveled at CalPERS. As the nations largest pension plan, CalPERS receives more scrutiny than other public investors. However, Ive seen plenty of criticism leveled at Rhode Island, South Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Utah, New York City, North Carolina and other public pensions over their private equity programs. The issues are the same ones facing CalPERS: performance (or lack thereof), escalating fees, and transparency.

I think CalPERS is absolutely right to be taking a close look at how private equity can add value to the pension plan. However, the real challenge isnt transparency, accounting, or critics. Rather, its the problem of size and scale. Since CalPERS began allocating large amounts of capital to PE nearly 30-years ago, public pensions and sovereign wealth funds have flocked to the asset class. The edge CalPERS had as a first-mover has been eroded. Moreover, the universe within which CalPERS can invest, while deploying a meaningful amount of capital, has shrunk. Only a small number of PE firms have the scale, resources and relationships to deploy the large amounts of capital required for CalPERS to have a meaningful PE allocation. In other words, CalPERS no longer has the luxury of exploring emerging and niche strategies that offer the potential for extraordinary returns. Those opportunities tend to be too small to make a meaningful difference to the pension.

In order to confront the issues facing its private equity program, CalPERS needs to invite debate, dissent and discussion. Unfortunately most CalPERSs leadership wants to sing with one voice. Successful investors allow many voices to be heard. Mr. Eliopoliss comments to the Investment Committee will not help the staff, the private equity program, or the pension because hes terribly off key. When the CIO completed his remarks, he was greeted with applause. Stunned silence would have been the appropriate reaction.

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[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gXP3LU3qjs&list=PLIKoYJoLyluK58mpcHd76uniniHSTcMWI&index=1
By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears

Not since the German government arranged for Vladimir Lenin to return to Russia, crossing German territory in a sealed train on April 16, 1917, has a foreign state at war with Russia done something as revolutionary as the US Senate did on June 15, 2017. That is when, by a vote of 98 to 2, the senators began the process of attacking the Russian oligarchs. They are the men who have dominated the Russian economy for more than twenty years, concentrating more national wealth in their hands than can be found in any other major state in the world today.

Unremarked by the senators themselves; unreported by the American press; and unnoticed, almost, in Russia, the new measure  if adopted by the full Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump  will target the oligarchs lines of credit to international banks; the brokers, repositories and clearinghouses of their shares and bonds; their trade with the US and Europe; their US companies, bank accounts, boats on the high seas and homes abroad. If targeting the oligarchs is followed by formal sanctions, the aim will be to destroy their power at home and abroad. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation hasnt contemplated this much.

Senate Bill S. 722 started in March with Iran as its target. For short, it was called the Countering Irans Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017. Title I of the bill and 29 pages of its provisions deal with Iran. Then Title II was added. It runs for 94 pages and targets Russia. Read the text in full here.

The Anglo-American business media have reported the bill as an escalation in US economic sanctions against Russian targets, extending beyond the oil and gas sector. The Wall Street Journal interpreted the legislation as an attempt to wrest more control of Russia policy from the Trump administration. The Financial Times reported the bill would tighten existing sanctions and threatens to broaden the restrictions from energy and banking to metals, mining, railways and shipping.

The newspaper failed to read the small print, noticing few of the novel details, except for one  the bills threat to strike at European companies engaged in building and operating the new Russian gas pipeline to Germany, Nord Stream II. According to Section 232, the US will prohibit a company from mak[ing] an investment described in subsection (b) or sells, leases, or provides to the Russian Federation, for the construction of Russian energy export pipelines, goods, services, technology, information, or support described in subsection (c) (1) any of which has a fair market value of $1,000,000 or more; or (2) that, during a 12-month period, have an aggregate fair market value of $5,000,000 or more.

In practice, as the text of the bill continues, this is aimed at all Russian exports of energy, including pipelines under the Black Sea and in the Far East, and tanker shipping, particularly the oil and gas tanker company, Sovcomflot. Privatization of part of the state shareholding in Sovcomflot, which has been postponed for years, has been promised by federal property agency officials for later this month.

However, the Senate bill threatens to sanction any company, US or other, which makes an investment of up to $10 million if the investment directly and significantly contributes to the ability of the Russian Federation to privatize state-owned assets in a manner that unjustly benefits (1) officials of the Government of the Russian Federation; or (2) close associates or family members of those officials. That puts the kybosh on Gennady Timchenko, front-runner for the Sovcomflot share sale, and father-in-law of Gleb Frank, son of the chief executive of Sovcomflot, Sergei Frank. For background, read this.

But the Senate bill goes much further than attacking foreign investment in share sales for Russian state companies. It attacks the shareholding control of most of the countrys resource assets  thats to say, the oligarchs. Section 241 of the new bill is entitled Report on Oligarchs and Parastatal Entities of the Russian Federation. Read carefully.

(a) In general.Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a detailed report on the following:

(1) Senior foreign political figures and oligarchs in the Russian Federation, including the following:

(A) An identification of the most significant senior foreign political figures and oligarchs in the Russian Federation, as determined by their closeness to the Russian regime and their net worth.

(B) An assessment of the relationship between individuals identified under subparagraph (A) and President Vladimir Putin or other members of the Russian ruling elite.

(C) An identification of any indices of corruption with respect to those individuals.

(D) The estimated net worth and known sources of income of those individuals and their family members (including spouses, children, parents, and siblings), including assets, investments, other business interests, and relevant beneficial ownership information.

(E) An identification of the non-Russian business affiliations of those individuals.

(2) Russian parastatal entities, including an assessment of the following:

(A) The emergence of Russian parastatal entities and their role in the economy of the Russian Federation.

(B) The leadership structures and beneficial ownership of those entities.

(C) The scope of the non-Russian business affiliations of those entities.

(3) The exposure of key economic sectors of the United States to Russian politically exposed persons and parastatal entities, including, at a minimum, the banking, securities, insurance, and real estate sectors.

(4) The likely effects of imposing debt and equity restrictions on Russian parastatal entities, as well as the anticipated effects of adding Russian parastatal entities to the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury.

(5) The potential impacts of imposing secondary sanctions with respect to Russian oligarchs, Russian state-owned enterprises, and Russian parastatal entities, including impacts on the entities themselves and on the economy of the Russian Federation, as well as on the economies of the United States and allies of the United States.

The senators voted in favour without deciding on a definition of Russian oligarch, corruption, closeness to the regime, relationship to President Vladimir Putin or other members of the Russian ruling elite, or parastatal. Still, the meaning and intention are as clear as the US Air Forces MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator)  the bunker buster.

The targeting of Section 241 includes almost every major Russian corporation, its control shareholders, associated banks, and their offshore businesses. The stated aim is nothing less than to destroy those of them who side with the Kremlin; recruit the remainder for US-backed regime change; and pit each against the other, all against the Kremlin.

Selective oligarch targeting is already in effect; click to open for the current list. Timchenko has been sanctioned by the US and the European Union since 2014. Other oligarchs also proscribed include Sergei Chemezov, head of the state asset holding, Russian Technologies (Rostec); Yury Kovalchuk of Bank Rossiya; Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, who control SMP Bank plus pipeline and infrastructure businesses, and Roman Rotenberg, Boriss son; Igor Sechin, chief executive of Rosneft; Nikolai Shamalov, also of Bank Rossiya and father of Kirill Shamalov, Putins son-in-law; and Vladimir Yakunin, former head of state-owned Russian Railways.

The Christmas dinner which Putin has hosted each year since the war started in Ukraine identifies by name four dozen potential targets in the latest act of US war. Read the guest list for 2014; for 2015; and for 2016.



The pre-dinner speech-making session at the Kremlin oligarch dinner, December 19, 2016. Source: http://johnhelmer.net/oligarchs-on-the-skids-president-putin-goes-down-market-for-capital-reception-next-year-labour-union-bosses/

Missing from the official sanctions lists so far, but with substantial US assets, are Anatoly Chubais, head of the state high-technology holding Rusnano; Mikhail Abyzov, financial backer of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and minister of open government in his cabinet; and Mikhail Fridman of the Alfa Bank, LetterOne and Vimpelcom groups. Vimpelcom has been prosecuted for corruption by the US Department of Justice and fined $397.6 million, the ninth largest such penalty in US history. More recently, Alfa was targeted for allegedly operating clandestine connections with the Trump presidential campaign.

Two of the oligarchs with valuable residential assets in New York, and solid relationships with Putin, are Oleg Deripaska (lead image), who controls the state aluminium monopoly Rusal; and Roman Abramovich, the control shareholder of the Evraz steel group, which runs steel and pipemills in the US and Canada. Deripaska owns at least two homes in Manhattan, but is prevented from living there by a longstanding US visa ban which his Washington lobbyist has been unable to remove. For Deripaskas New York assets, read this ruling of April 25, 2017, by New York Supreme Court Judge Anil Singh.



Source: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/fbem/DocumentDisplayServlet?documentId=pFEUA7VGZSJVzEDl_PLUS_NHiTg==&system=prod An unredacted version of the text of the order can be read here. This reveals that Deripaska continues to be targeted by a US visa ban. One of the redactions Deripaska lawyers have obtained in the court docket reads: Deripaska emphasizes that his access to New York is blocked because of a visa problem. Although he has been able to enter New York on a diplomatic visa, his visits to New York since 2009 have been limited to ten trips for a total of less than 30 nights. When he was directed by the court to make an effort to attend a trial as a witness in a case in New York in the Fall of2015, he applied for a visa, but his request was denied.

To view Abramovichs homes on East 75th Street, Manhattan, click to open.

Another way to anticipate who will be informally targeted by the US shortly  formally later  is to look at the concentration of Russian wealth, and identify Russias ultra high net worth individuals, the multi-millionaires. By world standards, the Russian count is in the top-20, but trails far behind the US, China, and several European and Pacific Rim countries.



Source: http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=AD783798-ED07-E8C2-4405996B5B02A32E

But when the count is of billionaires and of concentration of national assets in their hands, Russia leads. In its latest Global Wealth Report for 2016, Credit Suisse reports: According to our estimates, the top decile of wealth-holders owns 89% of all household wealth in Russia. This is significantly higher than any other major economic power: the corresponding figure is 78% for the United States, for example, and 73% for China. The high concentration of wealth in Russia is reflected in the fact that it has an estimated 96 billionaires  a total exceeded only by China with 244, and the USA with 582.

The combined impact of war, sanctions, devaluation of the rouble, and the collapse of oil and other commodity prices, has been to diminish the value of most classes of Russian assets. Wealth for everyone below the millionaire level has been dwindling because home values have fallen, along with income, while debt has risen in absolute and proportional terms. According to the Credit Suisse report, we estimate that [debt] now equals 16% of gross assets  up from 12% two years ago.

Household wealth in Russia grew rapidly in the initial years of this century, as the country boomed along with global commodity markets. Between 2000 and 2007, wealth per adult rose eightfold. Since 2007, however, growth has been slow and uneven  up 14% to date in ruble terms, but down 56% when measured in current USD, due to ruble depreciation. The USDRUB rate rose from 25 in 2007 to 34 in mid-2014, and then shot up to 60 by the end of 2014 due to the imposition of financial sanctions. The rate was 64 in mid-2016. While household wealth per adult has risen from USD 2,940 in 2000 to USD 10,340 today, the current level is barely above that of ten years ago.

A new study on inequality in Russia, published in February by the Analytical Centre of the Russian Government, confirms that the impacts on income, assets, and net wealth have been bad for the middle class of Russian income earners, and disastrous for the Russian poor. The divide between rich and poor has been getting worse, according to this English summary.

Source: http://ac.gov.ru/files/publication/a/11944.pdf -- page 5.

So it is now the calculation of the US Senate, to be followed by the Congress and likely by the President, that Putins greatest vulnerability in the present situation is not simply cronies like Timchenko, Kovalchuk or the Rotenbergs, but the inequality of the entire Russian oligarchical system.

In the past, there was a brief attempt by the US intelligence services to target some of the oligarchs. In 2010, when Admiral Dennis Blair was Director of National Intelligence (DNI), his annual threat assessment for the US Senate Intelligence Committee reported [there is] a growing nexus in Russian and Eurasian states among government, organized crime, intelligence services, and big business figures. An increasing risk from Russian organized crime is that criminals and criminally linked oligarchs will enhance the ability of state or state-allied actors to undermine competition in gas, oil, aluminum, and precious metals markets. Implied but unnamed were Alexei Miller (Gazprom), Deripaska (aluminium), and Suleiman Kerimov (gold).

A year later, Blairs successor as DNI, Lieutenant-General James Clapper, repeated the line: The nexus in Russian and Eurasian states among some government officials, organized crime, intelligence services, and big business figures enhances the ability of state or state-allied actors to undermine competition in gas, oil, aluminum, and precious metals markets. Read more.

The DNI annual reports were no more than that  no action was recommended, and none followed.

S.722 goes much further, codifying the existing Russian sanctions in statute which the White House cannot relieve by presidential decree; imposing new sanctions the same way; and setting up a scheme of reporting of new targets. By itself, the report process will immediately trigger informal sanctions, with or without the formal orders to follow.

In this new Senate bill, the targeting is no longer crimes committed, or even the restraint of competition, but Russian wealth itself, and the oligarchs who have most of it. That is revolutionary. So is the exception in Section 241(a)(1)(A) for their closeness to the Russian regime. Thats a call for the oligarchs to join Mikhail Khodorkovsky in open rebellion.
Nuclear magnetic resonance scanner for individual proteins (Nanowerk News) Nuclear magnetic resonance scanners, as are familiar from hospitals, are now extremely sensitive. A quantum sensor developed by a team headed by Professor Jorg Wrachtrup at the University of Stuttgart and researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, now makes it possible to use nuclear magnetic resonance scanning to even investigate the structure of individual proteins atom by atom. In the future, the method could help to diagnose diseases at an early stage by detecting the first defective proteins.

Green laser light transmitted via an optical fibre excites nitrogen atoms in a diamond, causing it to fluoresce with a red light. The brightness of a nitrogen atom at the edge of the diamond lattice allows conclusions to be drawn about the magnetic signals from a sample on the surface of the sensor. (Image: University of Stuttgart)

Many diseases have their origins in defective proteins. As proteins are important biochemical motors, defects can lead to disturbances in metabolism. Defective prions, which cause brain damage in BSE and Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease, are one example. Pathologically changed prions have defects in their complex molecular structure. The problem: individual defective proteins can likewise induce defects in neighbouring intact proteins via a sort of domino effect and thus trigger a disease. It would therefore be very useful if doctors could detect the first, still individual prions with the wrong structure. It has, however, not been possible to date to elucidate the structure of one individual biomolecule.

In an article published in Science ("Nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance with chemical resolution"), a team of researchers from Stuttgart has now presented a method that can be used in the future for the reliable investigation of individual biomolecules. This is important not only for fighting diseases, but also for chemical and biochemical basic research.

The method involves the miniaturization as it were of the nuclear magnetic resonance tomography (NMR) known from medical engineering, which is usually called MRI scanning in the medical field. NMR makes use of a special property of the atoms - their spin. In simple terms, spin can be thought of as the rotation of atomic nuclei and electrons about their own axis, turning the particles into tiny, spinning bar magnets. How these magnets behave is characteristic for each type of atom and each chemical element. Each particle thus oscillates with a specific frequency.

In medical applications, it is normal for only one type of atom to be detected in the body  hydrogen, for example. The hydrogen content in the different tissues allows the interior of the body to be distinguished with the aid of various contrasts.

Structural resolution at the atomic level

When elucidating the structure of biomolecules, on the other hand, each individual atom must be determined and the structure of the biomolecule then deciphered piece by piece. The crucial aspect here is that the NMR detectors are so small that they achieve nanometre-scale resolution and are so sensitive that they can measure individual molecules exactly. It is more than four years ago that the researchers working with Jorg Wrachtrup first designed such a small NMR sensor; it did not, however, allow them to distinguish between individual atoms.

To achieve atomic-level resolution, the researchers must be able to distinguish between the frequency signals they receive from the individual atoms of a molecule  in the same way as a radio identifies a radio station by means of its characteristic frequency. The frequencies of the signals emitted by the atoms of a protein are those frequencies at which the atomic bar magnets in the protein spin. These frequencies are very close together, as if the transmission frequencies of radio stations all tried to squeeze themselves into a very narrow bandwidth. This is the first time the researchers in Stuttgart have achieved a frequency resolution at which they can distinguish individual types of atoms.

We have developed the first quantum sensor that can detect the frequencies of different atoms with sufficient precision and thus resolve a molecule almost into its individual atoms, says Jorg Wrachtrup. It is thus now possible to scan a large biomolecule, as it were. The sensor, which acts as a minute NMR antenna, is a diamond with a nitrogen atom embedded into its carbon lattice close to the surface of the crystal. The physicists call the site of the nitrogen atom the NV centre: N for nitrogen and V for vacancy, which refers to a missing electron in the diamond lattice directly adjacent to the nitrogen atom. Such an NV centre detects the nuclear spin of atoms located close to this NV centre.

Simple yet very precise

The spin frequency of the magnetic moment of an atom which has just been measured is transferred to the magnetic moment in the NV centre, which can be seen with a special optical microscope as a change in colour.

The quantum sensor achieves such high sensitivity, as it can store frequency signals of an atom. One single measurement of the frequency of an atom would be too weak for the quantum sensor and possibly too noisy. The memory allows the sensor to store many frequency signals over a longer period of time, however, and thus tune itself very precisely to the oscillation frequency of an atom  in the same way as a high-quality short-wave receiver can clearly resolve radio channels which are very close to each other.

This technology has other advantages apart from its high resolution: it operates at room temperature and, unlike other high-sensitivity NMR methods used in biochemical research, it does not require a vacuum. Moreover, these other methods generally operate close to absolute zero - minus 273.16 degrees Celsius - necessitating complex cooling with helium.

Future field of application: brain research
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed European Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska to NATO today (05 July 2017). The high-level representative of the European Union briefed the North Atlantic Council on the latest developments regarding the European Defence Action Plan and the European Defence Fund.

Following a successful first year of cooperation since the signature of the Joint Declaration on NATO-EU cooperation in Warsaw last July, NATO and the EU are currently discussing how to expand their joint work, including by bringing more coherence in their respective defence capability development priorities and output. As the Commissioner responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Bienkowska and her services play an important part in this discussion.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly stressed that a more robust European defence would contribute to fairer trans-Atlantic burden-sharing, and would strengthen NATO. The European Defence Action Plan and the European Defence Fund can help make Europe safer by offering valuable opportunities to acquire new defence capabilities and reduce market fragmentation in Europe.

Commissioner Bienkowskas visit is part of the active dialogue between NATO and the EU. This dialogue is testimony to the commitment to security, mutual transparency and close coordination that NATO shares with the EU.
Allied and Ukrainian experts gathered in Kyiv on 4 July 2017 to discuss present and future cooperation in the area of emerging security challenges and security-related advanced technologies.

During the meeting of the 15th Joint NATO-Ukraine Working Group on Scientific and Environmental Cooperation, participants exchanged views regarding several Science for Peace and Security (SPS) projects. These projects address a wide variety of emerging security challenges such as counter-terrorism, cyber defence, and the detection and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance, with the aim of forging networks, supporting capacity-building and helping the country to deal with the negative effects of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Since 2014, Ukraine has been the largest beneficiary of the SPS Programme, said Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges. Many of the ongoing activities have brought about tangible results, positively benefitting local populations and helping Ukraine to cope with the results of the ongoing conflict, stated Ambassador Ducaru in his opening remarks. Dr Strikha, Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Science and Education, underlined the strong impact the crisis has on the scientific community in Ukraine: 17 Ukrainian universities and 10 research institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine had to be re-located as a result of the conflict.

Several SPS flagship projects are part of the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for Ukraine, endorsed at the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw. An SPS flagship project is assisting Ukraine in the area of humanitarian demining by enhancing the capacity of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) in undertaking demining operations in eastern parts of the country. A multi-year initiative for the development of a 3D mine detector will ensure the sustainability of the activities. Furthermore, field exercises, organised by NATOs Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre in Ukraine and Montenegro in 2015 and 2016 respectively, demonstrated the added value of the cooperation between Ukrainian and Allied scientists and experts in disasters and incidents. With the current crisis in Ukraine, we need to continue to strengthen practical cooperation between NATO and Ukraine. The SPS Programme offers a great tool to do so and it demonstrates our commitment to support Ukraine, underlined Ambassador Ducaru.

Just recently, in March 2017, a fire at the ammunition depot in Balaklia, Kharkiv region destroyed valuable equipment. The SPS Programme rapidly delivered the needed equipment to enable Ukrainian demining teams to successfully clear the territory of Balaklia town and nine settlements in the vicinity. This support forms part of a larger project under the CAP to enhance the capacity of the SESU in undertaking humanitarian demining operations in areas affected by the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. To ensure the sustainability of the demining activities, scientists from Norway and Ukraine launched a new SPS project in 2016 to develop a 3D mine detector, allowing the SESU to conduct faster, cheaper and safer clearance of former conflict zones and help to avoid victims among civilians and the military.

Another SPS flagship project under the CAP has trained Ukrainian paramedics and has developed a multinational telemedicine system for emergency situations in Ukraine. Telemedicine can add tremendous value in the aftermath of disasters and crises by allowing international medical specialists to provide real-time recommendations to first responders at emergency scenes or in combat zones. At the conference, Ambassador Ducaru announced that, in the context of its support for the establishment of national paramedics centres in Ukraine, the SPS Programme will deliver specialist equipment, including patient simulators and manikins, medical training devices as well as multimedia IT equipment permitting practical and interactive training.
(Natural News) Nothing says friendship like pizza, or does it? A recent study of college students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that a staggering 98 percent were willing to give up their friends email addresses for a slice of pizza  not even a whole pizza, just one piece. Clearly, kids these days dont have their priorities straight.

The research, led by the National Bureau of Economic Research, surveyed 3,108 MIT attendees. In their research, half of the group was offered a slice of pizza to betray their friends privacy and cough up their email addresses. The overwhelming majority couldnt pass up a slice of the good stuff. But what is even more surprising is how many students were willing to give up their friends email addresses with no incentive at all. The researchers found that even without a tasty treat, a shocking 94 percent of MIT students were still willing to share their friends emails. In the non-incentivized group, just six percent of students presented phony email addresses to protect their friends, compared to two percent in the pizza group.

However, it is worth noting that not giving up the email addresses was actually not an option for the survey. Kids were essentially given two options: Give up the real emails, or make up fake ones.

Do Americans prefer pizza or privacy?

These findings lie in stark contrast to the commonly held belief that Americans value their privacy. Pew Research data has shown that roughly three-quarters of United States citizens say that it is very important to have control over who can obtain information about them. And, six out of ten people also claim that they would never be comfortable sharing their email contacts. And yet, theres that 98 percent of college students whod give up their friends emails just for some pizza. Even though people say they value their privacy, it seems as if younger generations are slowly losing sight of what privacy really means. In the ever-growing digital world, the concept of a private life is clearly diminishing.

As Pew Research states,  If the traditional American view of privacy is the right to be left alone, the 21st-century refinement of that idea is the right to control their identity and information. They understand that modern life wont allow them to be left alone and untracked, but they do want to have a say in how their personal information is used.

Privacy disappearing in the digital age

Across all fronts, true privacy is becoming an increasingly rare thing. From social media to data collection to hackers, and everything in between, its clear that people are losing track of what privacy actually entails. Furthermore, in todays digital world, where it often seems that every detail of your life is up for grabs, its becoming increasingly easy to become a victim of a cyber crime. Many Americans seem to struggle with understanding that their digital life is not in fact a private life, and that there are serious risks that come with this new cyber world thats been created.

For example, the passwords 123456 and password are still the top passwords for email addresses cracked by hackers. Its 2017, not 1997; no one should still be using those two choices as passwords for important accounts like email or bank accounts anymore. And yet, they still are fairly common.

Privacy is something that was once revered, but now seems to be rather misunderstood. In the digital age, if you do not take precautions to secure your information, you cannot just assume its safe. You never know when someone with a slice of pizza is going to come around.

Sources:

MarketWatch.com

PewResearch.org
A Silicon Valley nonprofit organization plans to offer homeless people vouchers for clothing, shelter, food and transportation in exchange for cleaning up Santa Cruz streets.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that the new Santa Cruz Downtown Streets Team is expected to be up and running by the end of the month.

Homeless volunteers will pick up trash and clean city streets. They will also be connected to employment services and case managers to help them get off the streets.

The Santa Cruz Downtown Streets Team is a $360,000 program in its first year and primarily funded by the city, with a large donation raised by the Santa Cruz Downtown Association's executive director.

The organization also has teams established in Palo Alto, San Jose, Sunnyvale, San Rafael, San Francisco, Hayward and Novato.
President Donald Trump's second foray on the world stage will include navigating a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a potentially chilly reception from European leaders over his recent decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, NBC News reported.

The stakes for Trump are especially high as he travels to the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, beginning Friday to discuss critical issues of counter-terrorism, the civil war in Syria, and trade, among other topics, with his European counterparts.

In a much-anticipated face-to-face, Trump is slated to meet with Putin, likely to discuss Ukraine, Syria and the alleged Russian meddling in the election.
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
Illinois lawmakers voted Tuesday to rename a portion of Interstate 55 after former President Barack Obama.

The state Senate voted in favor a resolution passed by the House last week to designate the stretch of I-55 from the Tri-State Tollway south to mile marker 202 near Pontiac as the Barack Obama Presidential Expressway.

State Rep. LaShawn Ford introduced the legislation in February to honor the former president, who calls Chicagos South Side home and served as an Illinois state senator before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004.

We can imagine that then state Senator Obama made many trips between Springfield and Chicago on Interstate 55, so it is very fitting that we rename Interstate 55 as the Barack Obama Expressway, Ford said at the time.

The stretch of I-55 from Lake Shore Drive in Chicago to the Tri-State Tollway is currently named after Adlai Stevenson, the late Illinois governor and two-time presidential candidate.

Ford initially wanted to rename the rest of the 270-mile stretch of the expressway to East St. Louis after Obama, but the portion being renamed was changed in March.

Renaming I-55 for President Barack Obama would not only be an honor for Americas 44th president, but it will be the right measure we should approve for Illinois very own state Senator and U.S. Senator, Ford said, adding, This would be one of the many highways and byways that will be named for Barack Obama, so it is only right that Illinois be at the forefront of the many actions that will rename streets and highways for President Obama."

The resolution asks that the Illinois Department of Transportation place signs bearing the expressways new name at locations consistent with state and federal regulations.
Dozens of people were arrested Monday night amid Fourth of July weekend raids by Chicago Police.

Supt. Eddie Johnson said a total of 58 people were "taken off the streets" of the citys South and West Sides for crimes mainly involving narcotics trafficking.

Authorities said 1,200 grams of cannabis were recovered along with more than 500 grams of heroin and crack cocaine. Seven guns were also found.

Thirty-eight of those arrested were convicted felons and 10 had previously been arrested on gun charges, police said.

CPD is using every tool we have and working with our partners in law enforcement to adjust the violence weve historically seen over the holiday weekend, Johnson said during a press conference announcing the results of the raids. While any level of violence remains unacceptable, CPD officers are working on the streets in force to keep residents and visitors safe in every neighborhood.

Johnson said the raids send a message to those who serve as a catalyst to the violence that we will come after you before you can inflect more harm in our communities.

CPDs Chief of Organized Crime Anthony Riccio said Mondays raids were only part one of the holiday raids. More raids were expected throughout the Fourth of July with significant more arrests expected.

Were determined to let the fourth be a safe holiday for families in these communities, Riccio said.
A 78-year-old woman was attacked by a pit bull in New Haven on the Fourth of July.

Hearing cries for help, neighbor Tonya Crump, grabbed a board from her garage and ran from her Hubinger Street home.

"I wasnt worried about me, I was more worried about her," Tonya Crump said. "I started screaming for my husband as Im grabbing the stick for him to come follow me. He starts running behind me, and he says, 'What is going on?' and I said, 'Come on! Get the dog!'"

They saw their 78-year-old neighbor in her backyard being mauled by a pit bull. The owner of the dog was screaming and trying to get the animal off of the victim.

New Haven Fire Chief John Alston said the dog's owner is a new tenant and the 78-year-old victim is the landlord. The tenant was introducing her two dogs to the landlord in a fenced-off area of the backyard when the pit bull attacked the landlord, investigators said.

"They were covered in blood. I couldnt tell who was bleeding," said Crump's husband, Jaye Crump. "It wasnt nothing to think about. I just had to get the dog off the ladies."

Jaye Crump grabbed the board from his wife and hit the pit bull with it until the animal let go. After knocking the dog out, neighbors locked the animal in a cage.

"I just got the dog off her, but they helped her until the paramedics got there," said Jaye Crump.

Tonya Crump is a surgical technician and another neighbor who was at the scene is a registered nurse. They both began administering first aid to the 78-year-old landlord.

"I ran in the house and grabbed some sponges and some gloves," Tonya Crump said. "We started applying pressure and told her to keep talking."

The victim was in serious condition after sustaining injuries to her face, head and arms. She had lost a large amount of blood because of puncture wounds and needed surgery at the hospital. She is consulting with a plastic surgeon, Alston said.



"The neighbors saved her life, the fire chief said. "At that age, 78 years old, there was a large loss of blood, all defensive wounds. Plus the dog actually attacked the back of her head and neck, so the neighbors are heroes today."

Alston said when he saw the victim at the hospital she was bandaged up but alert and speaking.

"Shes a fighter. You can tell by her wounds that shes a fighter," said Alston.

Neighbors said theyre just grateful they were there to help.

We were just all in the right place at the right time, said Tonya.

Animal control has the dog under quarantine. New Haven police say they are trying to learn more about the dog's background before deciding on the next steps.

There needs to be a history looked into for the dog, has this dog been the subject of a prior attack, was this dog recently adopted out? said Officer David Hartman.



At this time, no charges have been filed against the dogs owner, and police said its unlikely there will be.

Thus far we have not determined anything criminal has occurred - this was not a dog allowed to roam, this was not a dog that jumped out from behind a bush and attacked somebody, Hartman said.



The investigation is ongoing.
Connecticut is the nation's seventh worst state if you are looking to start a business, according to a new study from website WalletHub.

Connecticut ranked below or average in a number of key categories, including 40th in average growth in number of small businesses, 42nd in office space affordability, 45th in cost of living, and 47th in labor costs.

The state did rank eighth in "access to resources," which includes financing accessibility, human-capital availability, high-education assets, and share of college-educated population.

Here are the full findings from best to worst:

1. North Dakota

2. Texas

3. Utah

4. Oklahoma

5. Nebraska

6. Florida

7. Colorado

8. Georgia

9. Missouri

10. South Dakota

11. Montana

12. North Carolina

13. Alaska

14. Wyoming

15. California

16. Michigan

17. Virginia

18. Massachusetts

19. Kentucky

20. Vermont

21. Louisiana

22. West Virginia

23. Iowa

24. Wisconsin

25. Illinois

26. Washington

27. Tennessee

28. Mississippi

29. Ohio

30. Minnesota

31. Indiana

32. Idaho

33. Oregon

34. Kansas

35. Nevada

36. Arizona

37. Maine

38. South Carolina

39. New York

40. New Mexico

41. Arkansas

42. Alabama

43. Delaware

44. Connecticut

45. Pennsylvania

46. Hawaii

47. Rhode Island

48. Maryland

49. New Hampshire

50. New Jersey
North Korea's most threatening missile launch yet has the many South Koreans living in North Texas worried.

"Many of Korean Americans in DFW especially, who their family is living in Korea, they're really concerned (about the) safety and security of South Korea," said Minjung Kim, general manager of AM 730 DKNET Radio in Dallas, the only Korean radio station in Texas.

"All the people who experienced the Korean War in 1950, they are really worrying about war in the Korean peninsula" Kim said.

Seong Wu now lives in Lewisville, but her parents are still in Seoul where she grew up.

"Most likely, they'll be OK, and yet the threat is still there," Wu said.

"The threats have been always constant all my life, the rumors there's going to be a war tomorrow morning. But this time, it has gotten too far," Wu said. "It's disappointing and disheartening at the same time."

Just last week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in was at the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump. On Monday, he met with former President Barack Obama.

North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile only a day later, on July 4, sends chills through the North Texas Korean community.

"The peaceful unification of North and South is kind of going far away," said Jeremy Kim, chief producer at AM 730 DKNET Radio.

"I guess in a way, I am numb," Wu added. "But this has gotten too far this time."

Nearly 100,000 Koreans now call North Texas home.
As Dallas remembers the tragedy that rocked the city and its police force a year ago, the city is also in the midst of selecting a new police chief.

Former Chief David Brown, who led the force of more than 3,000 officers through the grief of the fatal July 7, 2016, ambush on officers, retired last fall.

The decision on a new chief falls now to new Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax who began his new job in February after being hired from Tacoma, Washington.

Broadnax said he is keenly aware of the challenges and expectations facing both the new Dallas police chief and the new city manager in this selection.

This is probably one of the biggest decisions Ill have to make as the city manager, one of the most important ones, Broadnax said.

Seven finalists remain in the running after Grand Prairie Chief Steve Dye dropped out this week. Three of the remaining finalists are insiders from the Dallas Police Department, four are from other cities.

Broadnax said he is looking for a steep understanding of law enforcement, extensive experience with a large police, impeccable character and strong leadership qualities.

The ambush came at the conclusion of a Black Lives Matter demonstration and community concerns raised by demonstrators are issues for a new police chief.

Further elevating the challenge since July 2016, Dallas has lost hundreds of police officers to retirement during bitter negotiations over a police and fire pension crisis. Violent crime has been edging higher with fewer officers to fight it.

A new pension plan that reduces benefits and increases contributions for employees takes effect September 1. More officers eligible for retirement under the old plan are watching closely to see who the new leader will be. The deadline is July 26 to apply for retirement with existing benefits for approval by the current pension board at its final meeting in August.

People understand their jobs, but they want to follow a leader, said Broadnax. So I am definitely looking for someone with leadership qualities that people can rally behind.

Broadnax has said only that he will make a decision before the end of the summer. He could move more quickly after the finalists undergo interviews in Dallas next week.

I think the process hopefully will be beneficial to the applicants. Theyll get a chance to tell their story, to tell why they want to be chief of the city of Dallas, and well get a chance to assess their talents through that process, Broadnax said.

A citizen meet-and-greet session with the candidates is scheduled for Tuesday, July 11, at Dallas City Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second-floor foyer.

The candidates will tour the city and police facilities on Monday, July 10, with a reception that night for invited community leaders.

On Tuesday, the candidates will also participate in panel interviews with law enforcement officials, faith and neighborhood leaders and police groups before the public event that evening.

The city managers staff will interview the candidates on Wednesday, July 12.

The candidates in alphabetical order by last name are:

 Malik Aziz, Deputy Chief, Dallas Police Department





 Carmen Best, Deputy Chief, Seattle Police Department

 Renee Hall, Deputy Chief, Detroit Police Department

 Michel Moore, First Assistant Chief, Los Angeles Police Department

 Luther Reynolds, Assistant Chief, Montgomery County (Maryland) Police Department

 Gary Tittle, Assistant Chief, Dallas Police Department

 Rick Watson, Deputy Chief, Dallas Police Department
This month, many parents will receive STAAR report cards in the mail. And they look a bit different from previous years.

The Texas Education Agency is sending out revamped versions of the report cards which are meant to be easier to read and understand.

The TEA published a video on YouTube explaining the cards.



Mike Morath, Texas Education Commissioner, told The Dallas Morning News the overhaul will help empower parents with resources to help their students succeed.

New student performance labels include:

Masters grade level: Mastery of the course knowledge and skills is shown; student is on track for college and career readiness.

Meets grade level: Strong knowledge of course content; student is prepared to progress to next grade.

Approaches grade level: Some knowledge of course content, but may be missing critical elements; student needs additional support in the coming year.

Did not meet grade level: No basic understanding of course expectations is shown; student may need significant support in the coming year.
Police in Florida say a 31-year-old man loaded propane tanks into his car and rammed it into an apartment building where his former girlfriend lived.

Fort Pierce police spokesman Ed Cunningham tells local media that five adults and a toddler escaped uninjured through a back door when Carl Philbert, who died in the crash, smashed into the building and caught fire.

Cunningham says Philbert was an immigrant from Haiti who had been staying at hotels in the area. NBC affiliate WPTV reported that he died as a result of the crash, also reporting that he had a history of domestic issues with the woman who was targeted.

The St. Lucie County Fire District said in a news release that all eight units at the apartment complex were damaged. The American Red Cross was assisting 13 adults and five children displaced by the fire.

The incident is being investigated by fire officials, police and the state fire marshal's office.
What to Know An NYPD officer succumbed to her injuries after she was shot in the head while she sat in a marked command vehicle

When a sergeant and another police officer encountered the suspect nearby, he pointed a gun at them and they shot and killed him

Police are calling the shooting on the officer an "unprovoked attack"

A police officer was shot and killed while sitting in a marked NYPD command vehicle with her partner in the Bronx Wednesday morning in what officials called "an unprovoked attack on cops."

NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, was stationed in a mobile command post, a RV-sized truck used as a communications hub during major events like the Fourth of July, in the area of 183rd Street and Morris Avenue in Fordham, according to Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

She was wrapping up her shift just after midnight and had been looking down, writing in her memo book -- a police log where officers record their shift activity -- when a gunman walked up and fired through the passenger side window, O'Neill said.

The gunman, identified by police as Alexander Bonds, is seen in surveillance footage marching up to the post "with purpose," officials said. The bullet struck Familia in the head. Her partner immediately radioed in for assistance.

"Shots fired! 10-85!" the officer is heard shouting after the gunfire, including the code for an officer down. "My partner's shot! My partner's shot! My partner's shot! Hurry up, central!"

An anti-crime team consisting of a sergeant and a police officer who were in uniform encountered the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds of the Bronx, running about one block away from the scene of the shooting, O'Neill said.

They confronted the suspect, who took out a gun and pointed it at them. The officers then fired at him and killed him, O'Neill said. A silver revolver was recovered at the scene.

Another person, believed to be a bystander, was also struck by a bullet in the stomach, police said. The man is in stable condition.

Familia was taken to an area hospital in extremely critical condition, authorities said. She later died.

Familia was a 12-year veteran of the NYPD and a member of the 46th Precinct. She was a mother of three who came to policing relatively later in life.

"Based off what we know right now, it's clear this was an unprovoked attack on a police officer who are assigned to keep the people of this great city safe," O'Neill said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Familia was "serving this city protecting people, doing what she believed in and the job she loved."

"After this shocking and sudden attack, her fellow officers came to her aid immediately," he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said all New Yorkers share in the pain and heartbreak caused by her death.

Meanwhile, there was a sea of blue outside of the hospital. Officers lined up near the ambulance entrance to salute their fallen co-worker as her body was transported to Bellevue Hospital.

Shock surrounded the neighborhood after just celebrating the Fourth of July. Numerous streets remain closed around the crime scene.

Bonds, who went by two names -- Alexander and John -- had been on parole for a robbery case in Syracuse. He was sentenced in 2006 to six years and 10 months to eight years in the case, and was released on parole in May 2013, with a supervision completion date set for May 2018.

The shooting recalled the Dec. 20, 2014 killing of patrol officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were ambushed and shot to death in their vehicle without warning by a man who approached the passenger window of their marked police car. The suspect, 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, then fatally shot himself. Brinsley announced online in the moments before the shooting that he was planning to shoot two "pigs" in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner.

Witness Jay Marzelli told the Daily News he thought the shots Wednesday were fireworks at first.

"I was in this bodega right here on Creston, just getting a sandwich and all of a sudden there was all this running and stuff going on, and I look out probably 40, 50, 60 cops screaming, 'Call a paramedic, clear the block!'" he said. "It looked like there was a riot going on, and two seconds later I hear gunshots, 'Bam, bam,' and then the police officer was just laying there."

PBA President Patrick J. Lynch said in a statement that Familia "gave her life protecting a neighborhood that had been plagued by gang gun violence. Fully knowing the dangers that she faced, she suited up in a uniform every day and stood tall against those who threaten and terrorize the good folks of the Bronx."

"We will keep her in our hearts and minds as we do all of the women and men who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the city they loved," he said.


A special guest made an appearance at the Fourth of July Parade in Coronado Tuesday: the world's second oldest Pearl Harbor survivor.

Lieutenant Jim Downing is 103-years-old. He served on the USS West Virginia when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

At the time of the attack, Lt. Downing was with his wife in the married quarters on the base. Lt. Downing saw and heard the attack, jumped in his car and headed to his ship to help fight off the Japanese.

When he arrived at the harbor he saw there was no way to reach his ship. So he jumped on the USS Tennessee, slid down its gun barrel and landed on the deck of his ship, the USS West Virginia.

103-year-old Pearl Harbor veteran in the Coronado Independence Day parade. He was loving the crowd! #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/7UbT5DwC0a  Elena Gomez (@ElenaGReports) July 4, 2017

The USS West Virginia was hit with nine torpedoes and caught on fire. Lt. Downing immediately grabbed a fire hose to try and put out the fires. He says there was ammunition on board that could cause even more explosions.

While fighting the fire, Lt. Downing noticed the bodies of his fellow sailors lying on the deck. With one hand still holding the fire hose, he went to the bodies of the fallen and started memorizing names from their dog tags. He later wrote home to their parents letting them know their sons died as heroes.

Later that afternoon, after the fire on the USS West Virginia was out, Lt. Downing headed to the hospital to check on his friends who were badly burned in the attack. He brought along a notepad and pencil and took down personal messages from the sailors to send home to their parents.

Many of those sailors died that night, but Lt. Downing made sure their final words were sent home.

Lt. Downing still travels around the United States to schools, businesses, military bases and more, so he can speak about the attacks and his military experience.

The Guinness Book of World Records is currently researching him as the world's oldest living male author. His book, The Other Side of Infamy, was published last November and details his Pearl Harbor experience and military career.
A child in Central Florida got away with something that would normally get him grounded for a while  flipping the bird while taking a photo.

This time, it was for a good reason.

The Lakeland Fire Department posted a photo on Facebook after they were called to rescue the child after he got his middle finger stuck in a school desk.

After the youngster was freed and checked out to make sure he was okay, the rescue crews from both LFD and Polk County posed for a photo  cleaning up the image as the child was more than happy to show what finger got stuck:

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A central Florida man was arrested after authorities said he threatened to kill a couple "ISIS-style" then stabbed the woman in the arm.

Jayson Scott Kearney, 49, was arrested in The Villages Friday on charges of aggravated battery, assault and criminal mischief, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

A 70-year-old woman said she was watching television when Kearney approached her from behind and put his arm around her neck while holding a knife, according to an arrest report obtained by WESH.

Kearney moved his arm across her throat and said "This is how I'm going to kill you," and said he would kill her "ISIS-style" by slicing her throat from ear to ear giving her a "smiley face," the report said.

Kearney told the woman and a 75-year-old man living with her that it would be easy to kill them and steal their car, the report said.

At one point, Kearney stabbed the woman in the arm three times with a pocket knife, the report said. "This is what will happen if you call the police," Kearney told her, according to the report.

Kearney stabbed the walls and television before deputies arrived and took him in to custody.

Kearney was being held without bond Wednesday, jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
Amid an escalating political crisis in Venezuela, Florida may sever its connections to businesses that support the South American country's current government.

Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday announced that he will ask the trustees of Florida's pension plan to go along with a proposal that targets businesses helping the regime of President Nicolas Maduro. He and other Florida politicians, including U.S Sen. Marco Rubio, have been highly critical of Maduro in the past few months.

Scott announced the plan the same day that pro-government militias wielding wooden sticks and metal bars stormed congress and began attacking opposition lawmakers during a special session coinciding with Venezuela's independence day.

``Floridians stand with the people of Venezuela as they fight for their freedom, and as a state, we must not provide any support for Maduro and his thugs,'' Scott said in a statement.

In the past three months, security forces have clashed with protesters who accuse the government of trying to establish a dictatorship by jailing foes, pushing aside the opposition-controlled legislature and rewriting the constitution to avoid fair elections.

The Scott administration did not provide any details of the new proposal but, depending on its wording, it could force the state to stop doing business with Goldman Sachs and others companies tied to Venezuela.

The trustees of the State Board of Administration, a panel that includes Scott as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, will consider the plan in August. The trustees oversee the Florida Retirement System, the state-run pension plan worth roughly $150 billion.

Goldman Sachs earlier this year bought $2.8 billion in bonds from the state-run oil company at a steeply discounted price. The bank manages some of the state's investments, and the state owns stock in the company. Goldman Sachs did not respond to questions about Scott's proposal.

Scott's move came just hours after State Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Miami Democrat, said he would file legislation for the 2018 legislative session that would force the state to drop its investments in any companies doing business with the Maduro regime. Rodriguez called Scott's announcement ``good news.''

``We have a choice on where to invest funds and who to help manage those funds,'' Rodriguez said. ``If we have a choice and a company like Goldman Sachs has decided to help prop up the Maduro regime, why would we want taxpayers to participate in that?''

Florida already has laws that prohibit the state from investing in companies that do business in Cuba, Iran and Sudan. And last year the State Board of Administration was ordered to divest from companies that boycott Israel.
Huge crowds gathered at Bayfront Park Tuesday night to celebrate the Fourth of July.

It was a dazzling display of American patriotism from Downtown Miami. Thousands of people basked in the glow of fireworks from Bayfront Park.

The free festivities began early Tuesday afternoon. Activities like pony rides and a kids play zone were available. As the day went on, the smells of food from vendors in the park could be smelled throughout Bayfront Park.

Dozens of officers and firefighters were on hand to make sure everyone had a safe holiday.

City of Miami Fire Rescue said a tourist was taken to the hospital after being hit in the head, neck and shoulders by falling coconuts.

Organizers called this the largest Fourth of July fireworks show in South Florida.

Many tourists came to South Florida for the holiday. That was an awesome display of fireworks, said Andy Radomski of Kentucky, We came down to South Florida just to see this. Awesome!
An attorney from Texas won a Key lime pie-eating contest in the Florida Keys.

Trey Bergman of Houston devoured a 9-inch pie smothered with whipped cream in 51.92 seconds during Tuesday's Mile-High Key Lime Pie Eatin' Contest in Key West. The rules prohibit contestants from using their hands.

Bergman wore a yellow bathing cap, saying it helped him cut through the whipped cream and pie to get to the crust faster.

The competition drew 21 competitors and highlighted Key West's annual Key Lime Festival. Other festival events included an offbeat Key Lime Pie Drop and tasting strolls featuring Key lime cocktails and pie.

Key lime pie was designated Florida's official pie in 2006 by state legislators.
A New Jersey man is accused of making threatening calls to a college in Washington after protests there last month attracted national attention.

Morris County prosecutors say 53-year-old Robert Kerekes Jr. was arrested Monday night. The Morris Plains man is charged with making terroristic threats, criminal coercion and causing false public alarm.

The charges stem from telephone threats made against Evergreen State College, which caused the school to be shut down for two days.

Authorities say the threats came after a series of protests over student claims of racism at the small progressive campus.

Prosecutors say Kerekes will remain in custody until a bail hearing is held.

It wasn't known Tuesday if he has retained an attorney.
A young mother of three was killed outside her Queens home as she tried to break up a fight on Tuesday night, police said. A 28-year-old man was also killed in the shooting, and another man was injured.

Jasmine Quattlebaum, 27, was hosting a Fourth of July party on 170th Street in Jamaica on Tuesday night when a fight broke out.

Police say a man at the party, 21-year-old Joseph Ocasio, punched a woman. He was later arrested and charged.

But more violence broke out at the home later in the night, when someone at the party opened fire, killing Quattlebaum and a 28-year-old man. A third man who was also shot was in stable condition at an area hospital.

Quattlebaums father, Steven Gilyard, was in disbelief outside the home Wednesday afternoon as police investigated.

My daughters sister called me this morning, and I came over to see what was going on, and she was laying in front of the house, Gilyard said. I broke down. Its just tough.

NYPD was at the home investigating on Wednesday. Evidence markers were on the street and crime scene tape was wrapped around gates and trees.

Police are looking into whether the shooting was in retaliation for the arrest of Ocasio earlier in the night.
The Kremlin says its patience with a U.S. plan to return the Russian Embassy's compounds is running out.

President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Monday that Russia has demonstrated a remarkable restraint by refraining from a tit-for-tat response to President Barack Obama's decision in December to expel 35 Russian diplomats and shutter Russian compounds in Maryland and on Long Island, New York.

Ushakov says while Russia has shown "unusual flexibility," Moscow's patience "has its limits." He urged Washington to take action to "free Russia from the need to take retaliatory moves," emphasizing that Moscow will feel obliged to respond if the matter isn't settled.

Putin and Trump are to have their first meeting at the sidelines of the G-20 summit, being held in Germany on Friday and Saturday.
A 39-year-old woman died after rushing into her burning house to save the family dog and cat Wednesday morning, officials said.

Aerial footage showed a home on the 2700 block of June Avenue in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, engulfed in flames as firefighters attempted to subdue the blaze.

They found two pets dead inside the home, but it is unclear if it was the same animal Tabetha Oakes Rutecki attempted to save. One dog survived, officials said.

Two other occupants of the home were taken to the hospital.

One firefighter sustained non-life threatening injuries.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
A man with a warrant for a probation violation was shot and killed in a deputy-involved shooting in Vista Wednesday, confirmed the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO).

San Diego Fire-Rescue crews responded to reports of the shooting at the 300 block of North Melrose Drive around 10:30 a.m. It happened close to Knoll Road between Ferrara Way and Plymouth Drive. That's a few blocks away from a church in a residential area.

On scene of investigation in Vista after a deputy involved shooting -closest major street 300 block of Melrose #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/rggPrcLvKt  Bridget Naso (@BridgetNaso) July 5, 2017

Deputies set up a wide perimeter with crime tape extending for a couple blocks around the scene of the shooting.

Witnesses saw multiple sheriff's deputies appear on the street, armed in full tactical gear as they searched for the 24-year-old man wanted on a felony search warrant.

The suspect was a documented gang member in his 20s, according to SDSO.

He was spotted by deputies in a green vehicle. When they approached him, he jumped out of the car and the driver sped away.

Deputies chased the man as he ran east, jumping over fences and through private yards. At one point, they lost track of the suspect for a short time.

"Eventually one deputy saw him jump into a yard about the 200 block of Knoll Road," said SDSO Lt. Kenn Nelson. "The deputy jumped into the yard to go take them into custody. There was some kind of confrontation between the deputy and the suspect."

There was a scuffle and multiple shots were fired, according to SDSO. The suspect was fatally struck.

Despite efforts to save the man, he died at the scene. Initial information released by homicide investigators does not indicate the suspect had a weapon.

The man was located right in the backyard of a residential house. The homeowner, Jason Shimp, told NBC 7 he heard multiple gun shots.

"Heard six to ten shots -- turned around and cops are running through my backyard and had everything shut down -- happen that quick boom," said Shimp.

An SDSO homicide team was sent to investigate. According to SDSO, deputies do not appear to have been injured in the shooting. Deputies say there are no outstanding suspects at this time.

A deputy-involved shooting is under investigation in @cityofvista near Knoll Road and Plymouth Drive: https://t.co/SgnWTQGxYS. pic.twitter.com/DPkClr6DAK  San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) July 5, 2017

Deputies say to avoid the areas near North Melrose Drive, Copper Drive, Knoll Road, Ferrara Way and Plymouth Drive.

The driver of the suspect's vehicle, a green Buick, has not yet been located, according to SDSO.

An autopsy by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office will determine the suspect's cause and manner of death.
The man who escaped from immigration officials in Virginia this week and hid in the woods for hours has been deported from the United States five times.

Federal court documents show Marlo Danilo Rivas Mendez, 27, has been deported five times in the past decade: in December 2007, November 2011, May 2012, June 2014 and January 2016.

He appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon and requested, through an interpreter, a lawyer. He wore the same tattered T-shirt and camouflage pants he was wearing when we was arrested Monday, and was expressionless.

The El Salvador native was arrested in Loudoun County, Virginia, on Monday because he allegedly was drunk in public, the documents say. An immigration detainer on him was filed the same day.

Rivas Mendez was being transported from Loudoun County to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Fairfax County when he made his escape.

Two transportation officers with the private detention company Immigration Center of America were moving Rivas Mendez between the facilities.

During the drive, Rivas Mendez complained to the officers that the handcuffs on him were too tight, the court documents say.

They stopped the vehicle on Dulles Greenway in Sterling, Virginia, and opened a door. An officer loosened the handcuff around one of Rivas Mendez's wrists.

Then, he "struck" the officer and made a break for it, the documents say.

ICE, Virginia State Police, Fairfax and Loudoun county police and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority officers all hunted for Rivas-Mendez.

Video from Chopper4 showed the extensive search underway.

Finally, more than three hours after Rivas Mendez was taken into immigration officials' custody, he was found about four miles away, near Mercure Circle and Old Ox Road.

He was taken back into custody without incident, Loudoun County police say.

Rivas Mendez, who police previously called Marlon Carlos Rivas-Mendez, uses aliases, an ICE spokeswoman said.

In addition to facing consequences for escaping from the custody of an ICE transportation officer, Rivas-Mendez faces local charges of assault and battery.

Immigration Attorney Khalid Shekib said Rivas Mendez' case is rare. He said the majority of his clients pose no threat.

They are not criminals, the majority of them. They have abided by the laws. They pay their taxes," he said.

Dr. Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies also said Rivas Mendez's case is not typical.

We shouldnt trivialize illegal immigration in general just because most illegal immigrants are not, say violent felons whove been previously deported like this guy," he said.

He said he does believe in strict punishments, though, for people who repeatedly enter the U.S. illegally.

[If] you throw the book at those who come back after having previously been deported, you could get a lot less of it," Camarota said.

Federal sources tell News4 that repeated deportation is common among members of some gangs.

Rivas Mendez has not been linked to gang violence.
A teenage boy is in danger of losing a hand after a firework he was playing with on the Fourth of July exploded, officials say.

The young teen was injured just after 10:30 p.m. in the backyard of a home on the 1800 block of Addison Road South in District Heights, Maryland, Prince George's County fire officials said.

He received severe injuries to his hand, face and torso. Medics rushed him to a trauma center.

Prince George's County Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale said charges in the case are possible.

"We cannot look the other way when a law designed to prevent this type of life-changing injury is violated," he said.

In Prince George's County, it is illegal for any person to possess, discharge or explode any fireworks.

This is the third firework-related injury in the county in the past nine years.

At least four people were injured using fireworks Tuesday night.

A District Heights resident who lives near the boy who was injured said he often sees people in the area using fireworks. He said he hopes people will steer clear of them.

"If someone holds something in their hand and it explodes, I think that there would send a message," he said.
Two D.C. police officers on bicycles and a D.C. Department of Transportation employee were hurt after a man in a pickup truck plowed into them and then hit a dump truck Thursday night in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.

Two Virginia men were arrested after the horrifying crash, which police said is not connected to terrorism.

Brandon Figures-Mormon, 22, of Disputanta, Virginia, and Dwayne Nicholas Taylor, 23, of Prince George, Virginia, were arrested.

Figures-Mormon has been charged with assault with intent to kill and possession of an unregistered firearm.

Taylor initially was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm. The D.C. Office of the Attorney General decided after reviewing evidence not to charge him, a representative for the office said Friday afternoon.

The officers were riding their bikes near 18th Street and Columbia Road NW, when the white pickup truck crashed into them.

Witnesses told News4 the pickup truck swerved around a WMATA bus and struck the officers.

"We heard an absolute horrifying screech," said Katie Vincentz, a witness.

Vincentz was inside Tryst Lounge when it happened. She and others quickly ran out onto 18th Street.

"What we saw was just horrifying. There was a police officer who had been thrown pretty much 30 feet," she said.

"The officers ... were yelling at the truck 'Stop!' and the truck wasn't slowing down. The truck was probably going about 50 mph and just hit them," Michael Matuson said, a Navy veteran with first aid training.

"I checked his pulse to make sure he was still breathing. He was on his side," he said.

The officers and DDOT worker were rushed to Medstar Washington Hospital Center. The officers' bikes laid mangled on the pavement.

One officer was in critical but stable condition. The second officer is expected to be released Friday, D.C. police Chief Peter Newsham said in an update. The DDOT employee was treated and released.

The truck driver also was injured and taken to a hospital.

Police found an assault-style weapon inside the vehicle.

While the suspect's motive is not clear, Newsham said there is no "information to suggest this was a terrorist related event."

There were major road closures in the area of the crash.

On Friday, businesses in the Adams Morgan showed their support for those injured.

"We immediately heard from business owners throghout the neighborhood that were really concerned for the officers because they're part of their family. And the Adams Morgan business community is really a big family," said Kristen Barden, with the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District.

In the aftermath of the crash, staff at the nearby bar Madam's Organ offered water to first responders and urged patrons who witnessed the crash to wait patiently so investigators could take their statements.

"We're all a big family out here. We know all the guys, all the officers and nightlife crew, the midday crew, the DDOT parking enforcement and public works," Madam's Organ staff member Darian Gray said.



Anyone with information should call (202) 727-9099.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correctly state that, according to police, a DDOT worker was the third person injured.
A bicyclist was seriously injured after being struck by a BMW SUV in Westboro, Massachusetts, on Wednesday afternoon.

A source told the NBC Boston Investigators that a woman was driving when she struck another woman on a bicycle on West Main Street around 1:30 p.m.

According to another source, the victim ended up on the roof of the BMW wagon and the driver kept going for several blocks before she finally stopped.

The driver was later identified as Anwesa Sengupta, of South Grafton. Her husband, Sanjay, said she had tried swerving out of the way.

"The brakes failed and the car swerved out of control," he said. "The car lost control, she just couldn't stop."

He said that his wife is very upset over what happened.

"She is mentally shattered, it is not easy for her to see her run over someone," Sengupta said.

Neighbor Kelli Silva said the driver stopped almost in front of her house.

"She seemed upset, she was sitting over here on the lawn, and yeah, she seemed upset," Silva said. "It had to have been very traumatic, whatever happened."

The Worcester Telegram said the bicyclist was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center with "multiple traumatic injuries." Westboro police said the 48-year-old sustained serious injuries to her head, back, hip and leg.

The cyclist was later identified by police as 48-year-old Mary Beth Baloney.

"We have a lot of kids that are walking across the street, trying to get to different places, lots of young kids in the neighborhood, so it is scary," Silva said.

The bicycle lay mangled on the street, its front tire badly bent. The BMW had a broken windshield and suffered heavy damage on the front diver's side.

Police said Sengupta's phone was obtained as part of the investigation and she was tested for drugs and alcohol at the scene. The investigation is ongoing but at this time, she is not facing any charges.

"We will do everything in our humble means to assist the family in any way possible," said Sanjay Sengupta.
Boston police seized over 650 grams of opiates and arrested four suspects during a drug bust in Jamaica Plain on Saturday.

Police officers obtained a search warrant after a month-long investigation into a drug trafficking operation in the area of 42 Forbes Street. During the search, officers found more than 400 grams of heroin, 250 grams of fentanyl and $4,945 in cash.

Police arrested Angel Martinez, 49, of Roxbury, Pablo Baez, 32, of Jamaica Plain, Carlos Melendez, 28, of Jamaica Plain and Maylelin Ramirez-Tejeda, 32, of Jamaica Plain, without incident.

The suspects were arraigned in West Roxbury District Court on charges of trafficking Class A and B drugs, possession of Class B drugs with intent to distribute and distribution of Class B drugs.
Police say a child was injured after a car crashed into a Rhode Island Taco Bell.

The car crashed into the Warwick store Tuesday afternoon and became wedged in the entryway.

Police say the child was hurt when he was hit with flying glass. He was treated at the scene.

The car has been since removed, and officials estimate the building requires $20,000 to $30,000 worth of repairs. No other injuries were reported.

The dining room has been closed, but the restaurant's drive-thru is still open. It is unclear what led to the crash.
Police are looking to find the person who abandoned a dog in a wooded area in Leicester, Massachusetts.

The pit bull was found inside a cage Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. by a logger working in the area of Moosehill Road.

The logger told police the dog had a collar with no tags on it and a leash. There was a bag with a can of dog food on top of the cage when he found it.

Police said the logger brought the dog to an area closer to the road in hopes the animal's owner would come back. That's when ninth graders Sam Rice and Brady Thebeau were riding their bikes and spotted the animal.

"The dog was really sad," said Thebeau, 14. "As soon as he saw us, his tail was wagging. He seemed really excited to see some help."



The teens took the dog home and Stephanie Rice, Sam's mom, helped them give it a bath.

"The crate was covered in dog feces," said Stephanie Rice. "The dog was covered in feces, looked like it had cigarette burns all over the side and on his back, goo coming from his eyes."



After washing the animal, the trio gave the dog food and water.

"He was just crying because he wanted attention," said Stephanie Rice. "As soon as somebody sat down with him, he calmed down and just wanted to play."



The dog, estimated to be 4-5 months old, was then turned over to the Leicester Animal Control Officer.

Authorities said the dog had what appeared to be numerous insect bites on it when it was found.

Leicester Police are currently investigating the incident as a potential case of animal abandonment and animal cruelty.

The boys are hoping the pit bull will find a nice home.

"I find it sort of sad that someone would do that to a dog," said Thebeau. "A dog that cute especially."

Anyone with information on the dog's owner is asked to contact the Leicester Crime Tip Hotline at 508-892-7010 and select option No. 7.


A home health aid is facing numerous charges after police in Weymouth, Massachusetts, said she made several withdrawals from a client's bank account.

Police arrested Theresa A. Jensen on June 27 following a lengthy investigation. She was charged with 28 counts of larceny, assault and battery on a person over 60, and drug possession.

Police said the investigation began June 19 when 88-year-old Josephine Lally's daughter went to authorities after discovering 35 fraudulent ATM withdrawals from her mother's account between February and June. The amounts varied but most were for $500.

Lally remains upbeat, even after the incident.

She used to tell me she loved me, said Lally. Im scrimping and saving trying to save my money and stretch it and then to think somebody couldnt care less.

Lallys family members started becoming concerned when they saw her bank statements, and noticed thousands of dollars missing.

I thought I was careful, said Lally.

The family focused immediately on Jensen, a certified nursing assistant, who had been helping Lally at her Weymouth apartment every day for the last two years.

She just doesnt realize the concept of money, said Lally. Never thinks of saving it. Shes the only person I know whos broke on payday.

Once police were notified, they set up surveillance at the Citizens Bank where most of the transactions were being made. Investigators linked security camera photos of Jensen using Lallys bank card around town, and when Jensen showed up at Lallys apartment for work one day, they moved in and arrested her.

When questioned by police, Jensen admitted that she had withdrawn cash many times by using Lallys Citizens Bank ATM card, according to police records.

Lally says she never gave the woman her card or her PIN.

When she made the bed in the bedroom, she rooted around in the bureau and found the cards, said Lally. And then when Id go to the bank shed always put her head very down and looked. It annoyed me.

Court documents show Jensen, who worked for Homewatch Caregivers in Weymouth, is accused of taking over $16,000 in cash.

Well I forgive her, said Lally. The laws the law.

Jensen has been fired from her agency. The company says they did perform a background check and they are very surprised by whats happened.

Neither Jensen nor her attorney have returned phone calls for comment. It's unclear when she will appear in court to face charges.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced that Highway Administrator Thomas Tinlin will resign from his position.

Tinlin had taken time off to address a subarachnoid brain aneurysm rupture, but was scheduled to return to work this week prior to his resignation announcement, according to a press release.

"While I am excited about what lies ahead, this has been a difficult decision. I have truly loved serving the people of the Commonwealth, and the City of Boston, and have taken pride in my public service roles for decades. And I am grateful for all the mentors I have had along the way."

Jonathan Gulliver, who had previously served as Director of Highway Division District 3, will serve as Acting Highway Administrator. Gulliver had previously taken on the position in May in Tinlins absence.

Tinlin has been in public service in Massachusetts for almost 30 years. He joined MassDOT in 2014 as its Chief of Operations and Maintenance before being promoted to Highway Administrator in 2015.

With MassDOT, Tinlin helped launch initiatives to improve infrastructure such as Complete Streets and Municipal Small Bridge Program. He also oversaw the states transition to all-electronic tolling.

Governor Charlie Baker thanked Tinlin for his service in a press release.

"From grueling snowstorms to toll demolitions, Tom Tinlin was there to see our highway projects through on time and on budget and he always brought his sense of humor and kindness to the job," he said.
Fourth of July fireworks sparked two house fires in New Haven overnight, according to New Haven fire officials.

Fire officials said the blaze at 17 Walnut Street in New Haven started around 12:30 a.m. The residents woke up and ran when they realized the building was on fire. All the occupants of the multi-family home made it out safely.

All we know was the house just went up It was a matter of ten minutes the house was engulfed in flames. Everything, said resident Lisa Sari.

Firefighters arrived and declared a second-alarm. The fire raged for about an hour, causing serious damage to the house and also spreading next door.

Fire officials said a barrel of fireworks was left next to the home and caught fire. Officials said that it appears that while the fire was caused by a careless disposal of fireworks, they dont believe it was intentionally set.

While firefighters battled the blaze on Walnut Street, other crews were fighting a fire on Woolsey Street. The damage was no as significant as on Walnut Street, but it still caused a scare.

Fire officials say playing with fireworks should always be taken seriously and the materials should be carefully discarded, even if it appears theyve gone out. The fireworks that led to both fires were legal, but were not disposed of properly.

Its just like a cigarette sometimes when people think theyre out and they put them in a trash can. They start a fire. You have to be conscious of that. Thats why we recommend that you do soak them in water and soak them in a metal can overnight, said Assistant Chief Mark Vendetto of the New Haven Fire Department.

Investigators have not determined whether any charges will be filed.
Wednesday was another long day of rebuilding and cleaning up in central and northern New Hampshire, after furious flash flooding this past weekend wreaked havoc on roads in several communities.

One of the hardest-hit locations was the town of Orford. Road crews have been working overtime there to reopen Route 25A.

The road washed away entirely in one spot, where a critical culvert runs through, and was left looking like Swiss cheese in many other places.

Flash flooding knocked out a home's foundation on Brook Road, just off 25A.

These little tiny tributaries all over, when the rain starts, they turn into raging monsters, said Michael Galli, the dean of students at Rivendell Academy in Orford, who was photographing storm damage Wednesday.

Orford's Scott Gagnon was broadcasting on Facebook Live from his front lawn Saturday night, during the torrential storm that spawned the destructive flooding.

The roads getting cray-cray, Gagnon marveled during the live broadcast, looking at water racing across his lawn and the road.

When all that violent water receded, the homeowner saw it had carved out a massive chunk of his yard, along with a section of 25A.

I always knew water could be dangerous, but I was just shocked this wasn't even a hurricane and we had five inches, Gagnon told NBC Boston.

The closed or damaged sections of road are going to have a significant impact on a major charity event in the area this weekend: the Prouty.

The long-running event has several thousand bicyclists raising money for the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

However, some of the course was supposed to go right through 25A, so the Prouty had to cut, shorten, or redirect many of its bike routes, out of concern for safety.

The executive director of the event said the Prouty still expects to raise nearly $3-million for the cancer center.

It doesn't matter what route you do, observed Jean Brown of the Prouty. The point of the event is it's where the community comes together to fight cancer, and we'll do it again on Saturday.

Another example of that can-do attitude could be seen in a sign a homeowner put in her yard on 25A. Even with the community facing significant work ahead, the sign reads, "Orford Strong."
A Massachusetts man who is considered armed and dangerous is being sought by state and local police in connection with a murder that occurred overnight Wednesday.

A warrant has been issued for Lewis H. Starkey III for murder, assault to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He is believed to be driving a red 2013 Lincoln MKX with Vermont plate QLTMKR.

Starkey is accused of shooting and killing 48-year-old Amanda Glover, inside his home on West Street in Wendell. Investigators said he then drove to his work - Specialized Trucking Company in Chicopee - where he allegedly fired a shotgun at a worker there.

The worker was behind glass and suffered only minor injuries due to the broken glass. Starkey fled the scene when his gun malfunctioned.

"At this time, the suspect is still on the run," Chicopee police spokesman Mike Wilk said. "He is to be considered to be armed and dangerous. If you see the suspect, immediately dial 911 and give the information. DO NOT approach this party."



Starkey's neighbors said they don't know him well. They would see him walking his dogs, but he mostly kept to himself.

"I'm a little freaked out by it, I don't know, kind of taken aback," neighbor Jacqueline Skerry said. "Living out here you don't expect something like that to happen. It's kind of creepy."

"I went up to my friend's house and there were a bunch of cops up there and it looked like a very serious situation, so I returned home and there were a couple state cops down there at the intersection and they said not to leave my house. I went to get in my car and they were like 'Stay in your house,'" added Preston Liversidge, another neighbor.

Anyone who sees Starkey is asked to call 911 or 508-820-2121.
Police in Rochester, New Hampshire have arrested a man for assaulting another man during the Fourth of July holiday.

Police say the 44-year-old victim was stabbed in the upper right arm during a fight in the area of South Main Street and Academy Street in Rochester around 2:44 p.m.

The victim was transported to Frisbie Memorial Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.

The suspect fled the area before police arrived, but was soon located on Portland Street.

Paul Lupo, 47 was charged with one count of second degree assault (class B felony). He was transported to Strafford County Jail with bail set at $5,000 cash.

Lupo is scheduled to be arraigned at the Strafford County Superior Court on July 5.
Police arrested a 21-year-old for driving almost double the speed limit on Route 279 in Bennington, Vermont on Tuesday.

The vehicle was recorded going 109 mph in a 55 mph zone on the highway at 12:15 a.m.

Police pulled the vehicle over and cited Colby Sanders of Bennington for careless and negligent operations and excessive speed.

Saunders is scheduled to appear in the Bennington County Superior Court on August 21.
A woman in her 50s lost several fingers in a Fourth of July fireworks accident in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

Police responded to the playground near the Wakefield Common around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a fireworks-related injury. Upon arrival, they determined that a woman had lost several of her fingers trying to set off powerful M-100 fireworks.

"This is the second straight year that someone has been seriously hurt while using fireworks illegally," Wakefield police Chief Rick Smith said. "The town goes to great lengths to put on an organized fireworks display, so there is absolutely no excuse for putting yourself and others in harm's way by setting fireworks up on your own."

Police did not release any information the woman's current condition. No other injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

A man in Quincy was hurt in a similar accident on Tuesday, suffering substantial injuries to his finger after a firework went off in his hand at a private residence on Agawam Road.


Ex-Norfolk dentist extracts fine humour in latest book Ex-Norfolk dentist extracts fine humour in latest book

Well-known Norfolk author, blogger and storyteller Dr Barrie Lawrence is taking readers on a James Bond-fuelled journey in his new title Licensed to Drill - Dentist on the Loose!", writes Kevin Gotts.
By IANS

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is challenging the US federal prosecutors over a court order that bars the social networking giant from notifying some users about the investigation into their data.

According to Buzzfeed, Facebook received search warrants from the government for three account records over a three-month period.

"The warrants were accompanied by a nondisclosure order from a District of Columbia Superior Court judge barring Facebook from notifying users about the warrants before Facebook complied," said the report this week.

Facebook lost an initial challenge to the gag order but has now taken the case to the DC Court of Appeals.

"A decision is still pending, but the court did rule that Facebook and the government could post an unsealed notice to any groups with an interest in the matter," Engadget reported.

In its fight against the government over user data requests, Facebook has received support from Microsoft, Google, Apple, Snap, Dropbox and Twitter, along with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

"The Constitution can offer adequate protection only if the targets of seemingly overbroad warrants, such as those at issue here, know their rights are under threat," wrote lawyers for ACLU and Public Citizen Litigation Group in one of the briefs.

"Facebook is challenging the government over data searches that are possibly related to protests that happened during US President Donald Trump's inauguration," Engadget reported.

A Facebook spokesperson told BuzzFeed that the company was "grateful to the companies and civil society organizations that are supporting us in arguing for people's constitutional rights to learn about and challenge these search warrants."



SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is challenging the US federal prosecutors over a court order that bars the social networking giant from notifying some users about the investigation into their data. According to Buzzfeed, Facebook received search warrants from the government for three account records over a three-month period. "The warrants were accompanied by a nondisclosure order from a District of Columbia Superior Court judge barring Facebook from notifying users about the warrants before Facebook complied," said the report this week. Facebook lost an initial challenge to the gag order but has now taken the case to the DC Court of Appeals. "A decision is still pending, but the court did rule that Facebook and the government could post an unsealed notice to any groups with an interest in the matter," Engadget reported. In its fight against the government over user data requests, Facebook has received support from Microsoft, Google, Apple, Snap, Dropbox and Twitter, along with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "The Constitution can offer adequate protection only if the targets of seemingly overbroad warrants, such as those at issue here, know their rights are under threat," wrote lawyers for ACLU and Public Citizen Litigation Group in one of the briefs. "Facebook is challenging the government over data searches that are possibly related to protests that happened during US President Donald Trump's inauguration," Engadget reported. A Facebook spokesperson told BuzzFeed that the company was "grateful to the companies and civil society organizations that are supporting us in arguing for people's constitutional rights to learn about and challenge these search warrants."
By PTI

JERUSALEM: India and Israel today launched a five-year technology fund, reminiscent of a fund that boosted the Jewish state's ties with US over four decades, and agreed to holds talks for an investment protection treaty in a bid to boost trade and business ties.

A joint statement, issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unprecedented visit to Israel, identified start-ups as among areas for boosting bilateral ties.

The two nations agreed to put USD 4 million a year for five years into the Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund, or I4F, said the statement issued after Modi's talks with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The MoU, between the Indian Department of Science and Technology and the National Authority for Technological Innovation of Israel, "will play a seminal role in enabling Indian and Israeli enterprises to undertake joint R&D projects leading to development of innovative technologies and products that have potential for commercial application," it said.

Besides getting Israeli technology firms to invest in India, the fund aims to spur Indian firms to open development centres in the Jewish state and invest in their technology ecosystem.

Modi and Netanyahu "underlined the need to boost bilateral cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship and called for greater collaboration in the field of start-ups," it said.

The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Fund, the model for I4F, has invested in almost 1,000 projects since 1977, helping generate USD 10 billion in indirect and direct revenue.

"The two prime ministers agreed that negotiations would be conducted on an agreement for the protection of investments in order to encourage bilateral investments from both sides," the joint statement said.

Indo-Israel trade has grown from about USD 200 million in 1992, when they established diplomatic ties, to nearly USD 4.2 billion last year.

"The two prime ministers noted the importance of realising the full potential of bilateral trade and investment. They tasked the India-Israel CEO forum to come up with early recommendations in this regard," the statement said.

Recognising the importance of facilitating movement of business-person, India and Israel underlined their expectation that the granting of multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years will encourage greater economic and commercial exchanges.

JERUSALEM: India and Israel today launched a five-year technology fund, reminiscent of a fund that boosted the Jewish state's ties with US over four decades, and agreed to holds talks for an investment protection treaty in a bid to boost trade and business ties. A joint statement, issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unprecedented visit to Israel, identified start-ups as among areas for boosting bilateral ties. The two nations agreed to put USD 4 million a year for five years into the Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund, or I4F, said the statement issued after Modi's talks with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. The MoU, between the Indian Department of Science and Technology and the National Authority for Technological Innovation of Israel, "will play a seminal role in enabling Indian and Israeli enterprises to undertake joint R&D projects leading to development of innovative technologies and products that have potential for commercial application," it said. Besides getting Israeli technology firms to invest in India, the fund aims to spur Indian firms to open development centres in the Jewish state and invest in their technology ecosystem. Modi and Netanyahu "underlined the need to boost bilateral cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship and called for greater collaboration in the field of start-ups," it said. The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Fund, the model for I4F, has invested in almost 1,000 projects since 1977, helping generate USD 10 billion in indirect and direct revenue. "The two prime ministers agreed that negotiations would be conducted on an agreement for the protection of investments in order to encourage bilateral investments from both sides," the joint statement said. Indo-Israel trade has grown from about USD 200 million in 1992, when they established diplomatic ties, to nearly USD 4.2 billion last year. "The two prime ministers noted the importance of realising the full potential of bilateral trade and investment. They tasked the India-Israel CEO forum to come up with early recommendations in this regard," the statement said. Recognising the importance of facilitating movement of business-person, India and Israel underlined their expectation that the granting of multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years will encourage greater economic and commercial exchanges.
By IANS

NEW DELHI: In a strategic move, Chinese tech major Xiaomi and Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia on Wednesday signed an agreement for business collaboration and patent licencing where Xiaomi will acquire key patent assets from Nokia.

The multi-year patent agreement includes a cross-license to each company's cellular standard essential patents. The financials of the deal were not disclosed.

"As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future," said Lei Jun, Chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, in a statement.

Although not faring well globally including in China, Xiaomi is witnessing rapid growth in the Indian market and clocked over $1 billion in revenue in 2016.

Under the agreement, Nokia, which had recently revamped the feature phone market with its nostalgia-driven 3310, will provide network infrastructure equipment designed to deliver high capacity, low power requirements for large web providers and data centre operators.

Nokia and Xiaomi will work together on optical transport solutions for datacentre interconnect, IP routing based on Nokia's newly announced 'FP4' network processor and a data centre fabric solution.

"In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects," added Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia.

The companies have agreed to explore opportunities for further cooperation in areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI).

Beyond smartphones, Xiaomi is also a leading IOT player. The Mi Ecosystem IoT platform has crossed 60 million connected devices, and there are now over eight million daily active connected devices on the Mi Ecosystem platform.

NEW DELHI: In a strategic move, Chinese tech major Xiaomi and Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia on Wednesday signed an agreement for business collaboration and patent licencing where Xiaomi will acquire key patent assets from Nokia. The multi-year patent agreement includes a cross-license to each company's cellular standard essential patents. The financials of the deal were not disclosed. "As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future," said Lei Jun, Chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, in a statement. Although not faring well globally including in China, Xiaomi is witnessing rapid growth in the Indian market and clocked over $1 billion in revenue in 2016. Under the agreement, Nokia, which had recently revamped the feature phone market with its nostalgia-driven 3310, will provide network infrastructure equipment designed to deliver high capacity, low power requirements for large web providers and data centre operators. Nokia and Xiaomi will work together on optical transport solutions for datacentre interconnect, IP routing based on Nokia's newly announced 'FP4' network processor and a data centre fabric solution. "In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects," added Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia. The companies have agreed to explore opportunities for further cooperation in areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI). Beyond smartphones, Xiaomi is also a leading IOT player. The Mi Ecosystem IoT platform has crossed 60 million connected devices, and there are now over eight million daily active connected devices on the Mi Ecosystem platform.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A hotel that denied a room to an inter-faith couple on Tuesday has come up with a clarification that religion had nothing to do with its decision.

The Shafeek Subaida Hakkim and Divya D V  hes a Muslim and shes a Hindu  were turned away from Olive Residency in Bengaluru when they sought a room for the night before the woman was to attend an interview the next morning.

However, the hotels cashier Kalluraiah clarified that he was apprehensive since the couple sought a room for just a few hours and didn't have any luggage.

"Id be responsible if they committed suicide or indulge in any wrongdoing in the room. When I asked them to produce ID cards, I saw that one name was Shafeek and the other was Divya. I didn't want to take any risk, so I refused to give them rooms," said Kalluriah.

"I don't know why they have made this a big issue. TV crews have been here since morning," he added.

Kalluriah said Olive Residency does not discriminate on the basis of religion. "Many Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Jains come here. We have never had such issues in the past. The couple claimed to be married for more than seven years but didn't show me any government document to prove it. How can we trust unknown persons?"

Suresh Babu, owner of Olive Residency, said his staff could not be faulted. "The couple didn't give any documents to prove they had come here for an interview or that they are married. My cashier politely requested them to look for another hotel out of fear. Unfortunately they have made this into a communal issue," he said.

Shafeek Subaida Hakkim and Divya D V, from Kozhikode in Kerala, said they would approach the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for action against the hotel.

They said they did furnish proof of their marriage. "The receptionist was adamant he would not give us a room as it's not acceptable for a Hindu and a Muslim to stay together. Even though we showed proof that we were married, he refused," Shafeek said. It was harrowing. Divya is a PhD student at Ernakulams Government Law College.

BENGALURU: A hotel that denied a room to an inter-faith couple on Tuesday has come up with a clarification that religion had nothing to do with its decision. The Shafeek Subaida Hakkim and Divya D V  hes a Muslim and shes a Hindu  were turned away from Olive Residency in Bengaluru when they sought a room for the night before the woman was to attend an interview the next morning. However, the hotels cashier Kalluraiah clarified that he was apprehensive since the couple sought a room for just a few hours and didn't have any luggage. "Id be responsible if they committed suicide or indulge in any wrongdoing in the room. When I asked them to produce ID cards, I saw that one name was Shafeek and the other was Divya. I didn't want to take any risk, so I refused to give them rooms," said Kalluriah. "I don't know why they have made this a big issue. TV crews have been here since morning," he added. Kalluriah said Olive Residency does not discriminate on the basis of religion. "Many Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Jains come here. We have never had such issues in the past. The couple claimed to be married for more than seven years but didn't show me any government document to prove it. How can we trust unknown persons?" Suresh Babu, owner of Olive Residency, said his staff could not be faulted. "The couple didn't give any documents to prove they had come here for an interview or that they are married. My cashier politely requested them to look for another hotel out of fear. Unfortunately they have made this into a communal issue," he said. Shafeek Subaida Hakkim and Divya D V, from Kozhikode in Kerala, said they would approach the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for action against the hotel. They said they did furnish proof of their marriage. "The receptionist was adamant he would not give us a room as it's not acceptable for a Hindu and a Muslim to stay together. Even though we showed proof that we were married, he refused," Shafeek said. It was harrowing. Divya is a PhD student at Ernakulams Government Law College.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Prohibition and Excise Minister KS Jawahar beat a hasty retreat on Tuesday after asserting in unequivocal terms that the State government was promoting beer as a health drink. The Minister, in a debate on the states liquor policy on a news channel, had said emphatically that beer was a health drink and even asserted that he was ready to prove the same.

As his statement triggered protests with YSRC legislator Roja branding the State government anti-women, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu summoned him on Tuesday evening and reportedly gave him a piece of his mind. When contacted, Jawahar told TNIE he had never termed beer a health drink and denied saying that the government was promoting it. My statement was distorted. I was merely trying to point out that beer had less percentage of alcohol, he clarified.

The Minister further claimed that he doesnt know the difference between beer and breezer and appealed to netizens not to mock him on social media.Even as he struggled to extricate himself from the controversy, the State government issued orders classifying all roads under the control of the Roads and Buildings Department and falling within the limits of municipal corporations, municipalities, and mandal headquarters as district major roads.

The move came less than 24 hours after the State Cabinet directed officials of the Roads and Buildings Department and Prohibition and Excise Department to discuss and denotify State roads for the purpose of allowing liquor shops.

In a shot in the arm for the government, the Supreme Court declared earlier in the day that there was nothing wrong in denotifying even national highways if they were within a city.

"We are waiting for the Supreme Court order. After studying it, we will take appropriate decision on allowing liquor shops on national highways within a city, a senior official of the Roads and Buildings Department told TNIE.



The total number of liquor shops in the State is 4,380 of which 3,180 are located on highways. Of the 885 bars, as many 550 are on highways. Now the state government is free to allow all these liquor shops and bars. Despite maintaining that the government is not considering liquor business as a source of income, the Cabinet had on Monday discussed the denotification of roads as a possible way out of the apex courts recent verdict banning liquor shops on highways. The Cabinet had decided that at least State roads could be denotified to begin with.

VIJAYAWADA: Prohibition and Excise Minister KS Jawahar beat a hasty retreat on Tuesday after asserting in unequivocal terms that the State government was promoting beer as a health drink. The Minister, in a debate on the states liquor policy on a news channel, had said emphatically that beer was a health drink and even asserted that he was ready to prove the same. As his statement triggered protests with YSRC legislator Roja branding the State government anti-women, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu summoned him on Tuesday evening and reportedly gave him a piece of his mind. When contacted, Jawahar told TNIE he had never termed beer a health drink and denied saying that the government was promoting it. My statement was distorted. I was merely trying to point out that beer had less percentage of alcohol, he clarified. The Minister further claimed that he doesnt know the difference between beer and breezer and appealed to netizens not to mock him on social media.Even as he struggled to extricate himself from the controversy, the State government issued orders classifying all roads under the control of the Roads and Buildings Department and falling within the limits of municipal corporations, municipalities, and mandal headquarters as district major roads. The move came less than 24 hours after the State Cabinet directed officials of the Roads and Buildings Department and Prohibition and Excise Department to discuss and denotify State roads for the purpose of allowing liquor shops. In a shot in the arm for the government, the Supreme Court declared earlier in the day that there was nothing wrong in denotifying even national highways if they were within a city. "We are waiting for the Supreme Court order. After studying it, we will take appropriate decision on allowing liquor shops on national highways within a city, a senior official of the Roads and Buildings Department told TNIE. The total number of liquor shops in the State is 4,380 of which 3,180 are located on highways. Of the 885 bars, as many 550 are on highways. Now the state government is free to allow all these liquor shops and bars. Despite maintaining that the government is not considering liquor business as a source of income, the Cabinet had on Monday discussed the denotification of roads as a possible way out of the apex courts recent verdict banning liquor shops on highways. The Cabinet had decided that at least State roads could be denotified to begin with.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANTHAPURAM: Mohanlals son Pranavs debut as a leading man in a Malayalam film, to be directed by Jeethu Joseph, has been named Aadhi.

The title was revealed during the pooja function held at Vivanta By Taj in Thiruvananthapuram Wednesday. Mohanlal was there with his family.

The pooja for Pranav's debut movie was held along with that of Mohanlal's big budget movie Odiyan, which is to be directed by ad film director V A Shrikumar Menon.

Both films are being produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas.

Coming with the tagline 'Some lies can be deadly', Aadhi will see Pranav essay the character of a parkour expert, according to Mohanlal.

Shooting for the film is expected to begin soon. Satheesh Kurup will wield the camera while Anil Johnson will score the music.

This will be my ninth film, but there is more pressure and tension than in my first eight because Pranavs debut is being eagerly anticipated by the whole of Kerala," said director Jeethu.

The motion poster of the movie was released during the function.

The 26-year-old Pranav made his debut in 2002 as a child artiste in Onnaman. The same year, he won the Kerala State Film Award for best child artiste for his portrayal of the role of Appu in the film Punarjani.

Mohanlals film Odiyan is a fantasy drama. It will have Manju Warrier and Prakash Raj in prominent roles alongside the matinee idol.

The motion poster of the film, revealed by Mohanlal on his Facebook page recently, has scored with his fans.

THIRUVANTHAPURAM: Mohanlals son Pranavs debut as a leading man in a Malayalam film, to be directed by Jeethu Joseph, has been named Aadhi. The title was revealed during the pooja function held at Vivanta By Taj in Thiruvananthapuram Wednesday. Mohanlal was there with his family. The pooja for Pranav's debut movie was held along with that of Mohanlal's big budget movie Odiyan, which is to be directed by ad film director V A Shrikumar Menon. Both films are being produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas. Coming with the tagline 'Some lies can be deadly', Aadhi will see Pranav essay the character of a parkour expert, according to Mohanlal. Shooting for the film is expected to begin soon. Satheesh Kurup will wield the camera while Anil Johnson will score the music. This will be my ninth film, but there is more pressure and tension than in my first eight because Pranavs debut is being eagerly anticipated by the whole of Kerala," said director Jeethu. The motion poster of the movie was released during the function. The 26-year-old Pranav made his debut in 2002 as a child artiste in Onnaman. The same year, he won the Kerala State Film Award for best child artiste for his portrayal of the role of Appu in the film Punarjani. Mohanlals film Odiyan is a fantasy drama. It will have Manju Warrier and Prakash Raj in prominent roles alongside the matinee idol. The motion poster of the film, revealed by Mohanlal on his Facebook page recently, has scored with his fans.
By Express News Service

The shooting of Nivin Paulys next Hey Jude, opposite Tamil actor Trisha, began on Tuesday in Goa with a traditional launch event. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Shyamaprasad, its a musical romance set against the backdrop of Kochi and Mangalore.

According to sources, the actress will play a Christian girl and this has led many speculate if her role will be similar to what she did in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. In an early interview, she'd said, Its a sweet love story and I play a meaty role. Theres so much scope for me to perform.

Since both Nivin Pauly and Trisha enjoy a huge fan base both in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, we can expect the film to release in Tamil as well. However, official confirmation is awaited.

The film has an ensemble cast, including Mukesh, Urvashi, and Pratap Pothen.

The shooting of Nivin Paulys next Hey Jude, opposite Tamil actor Trisha, began on Tuesday in Goa with a traditional launch event. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Shyamaprasad, its a musical romance set against the backdrop of Kochi and Mangalore. According to sources, the actress will play a Christian girl and this has led many speculate if her role will be similar to what she did in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. In an early interview, she'd said, Its a sweet love story and I play a meaty role. Theres so much scope for me to perform. Since both Nivin Pauly and Trisha enjoy a huge fan base both in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, we can expect the film to release in Tamil as well. However, official confirmation is awaited. The film has an ensemble cast, including Mukesh, Urvashi, and Pratap Pothen.
By PTI

CHENNAI: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth today appealed to the state government to consider the demand of theatre owners and distributors to withdraw the 30 per cent local body tax imposed on the film industry.

"Keeping in mind the livelihood of lakhs of people in the Tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea," the actor said in a tweet as the the strike by exhibitors entered its third day.

Rajinikanth is currently in the US for a "regular health checkup".

The 66-year-old actor, who was shooting for his upcoming film "Kaala Karikalan", left for the US on June 29.

Keeping in mind the livelihood of Lakhs of people in the tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea  Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) July 4, 2017

Nearly 1,000 cinema halls in the state have remained shut since July 3 with exhibitors going ahead with their stir to protest imposition of 30 per cent local body tax in addition to 28 per cent GST.

Senior officials of the Tamil film producers council, South Indian Artistes Association along with theatre owners and distributors, who met Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday, decided to continue their protest, as the meeting did not yield any positive result.

The issue also echoed in the ongoing Assembly session yesterday with opposition parties DMK and Congress raising it. Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani told members that the government would give due consideration to problems of all sections of people.

Besides the local tax, a GST of 18 per cent has been fixed for tickets priced below Rs 100 and 28 per cent for those above Rs 100.

Association members had also met Finance Minister D Jayakumar who assured them that the government was with them and the matter required a decision at the policy level.

CHENNAI: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth today appealed to the state government to consider the demand of theatre owners and distributors to withdraw the 30 per cent local body tax imposed on the film industry. "Keeping in mind the livelihood of lakhs of people in the Tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea," the actor said in a tweet as the the strike by exhibitors entered its third day. Rajinikanth is currently in the US for a "regular health checkup". The 66-year-old actor, who was shooting for his upcoming film "Kaala Karikalan", left for the US on June 29. Keeping in mind the livelihood of Lakhs of people in the tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea  Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) July 4, 2017 Nearly 1,000 cinema halls in the state have remained shut since July 3 with exhibitors going ahead with their stir to protest imposition of 30 per cent local body tax in addition to 28 per cent GST. Senior officials of the Tamil film producers council, South Indian Artistes Association along with theatre owners and distributors, who met Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday, decided to continue their protest, as the meeting did not yield any positive result. The issue also echoed in the ongoing Assembly session yesterday with opposition parties DMK and Congress raising it. Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani told members that the government would give due consideration to problems of all sections of people. Besides the local tax, a GST of 18 per cent has been fixed for tickets priced below Rs 100 and 28 per cent for those above Rs 100. Association members had also met Finance Minister D Jayakumar who assured them that the government was with them and the matter required a decision at the policy level.
S Naagarajan By

Express News Service

Arvind Krishna is returning to Tamil cinema with two biggies, Nenjam Marappathillai and Nibunan. Excerpts from a quick conversation with the ace cinematographer:

What does it feel like to work with Selvaraghavan again?

I have worked with him on several films including his first two, Kaadhal Kondein and 7G Rainbow Colony. And now, I see that our chemistry has actually got better. We have both matured.



How does Arvind Krishna like to plan his shoot?

I do most of it on the location. Of course, there are some cases where I plan the whole day well in advance, including what equipment I want to use. For particularly challenging scenes, I like to take a day off with the team, so we can all rehearse. For the stunt sequences of Nenjam Marappathillai, thats what we did. The actors were all given training for at least a couple of days before we proceeded with the shot.



In Pudhupettai, especially, some of the shots were exquisite. But what if the tone of a scene goes against the tone of a film?

The priority is always the mood of the film. And if in keeping with it, the mood of the scene. And then of course, we try to delineate the shades of the character if we can. If a film is dark, like, say, Pudhupettai, it would be against the philosophy of the film if we went and shot a colourful song in Europe.



Youve never been against experimentation. For instance, there has been a lot of talk about an underwater sequence in Nenjam Marappathillai.

We used GoPro cameras and managed it. Else, we would have had to worry about arranging tanks, making sure the water is clean enough, and all this can get quite expensive. If we decide to shoot in a swimming pool, we have to make sure that there are enough lights to light up the shot.



While on lights, Arun Vaidyanathan, the director of Nibunan, was full of appreciation for how you used a headlight as a light source for one of the scenes?

(Laughs) Necessity is the mother of invention. It was an instinctive choice to do that. I felt it would add a certain edge to the mood of the film. Also, we were facing a lot of constraints and the idea to do this just came to me. The shot has come out really well.



What are these constraints you speak of?

As it was a bilingual, we had to shoot every scene twice, and the difficulty lay in making sure every aspect of the shot remained the same. I have tried to stay away from the usual techniques: the fast cuts, close-ups and the shaky camera technique. Its a very unique thriller, and Im quite excited about its release.

Arvind Krishna is returning to Tamil cinema with two biggies, Nenjam Marappathillai and Nibunan. Excerpts from a quick conversation with the ace cinematographer: What does it feel like to work with Selvaraghavan again? I have worked with him on several films including his first two, Kaadhal Kondein and 7G Rainbow Colony. And now, I see that our chemistry has actually got better. We have both matured. How does Arvind Krishna like to plan his shoot? I do most of it on the location. Of course, there are some cases where I plan the whole day well in advance, including what equipment I want to use. For particularly challenging scenes, I like to take a day off with the team, so we can all rehearse. For the stunt sequences of Nenjam Marappathillai, thats what we did. The actors were all given training for at least a couple of days before we proceeded with the shot. In Pudhupettai, especially, some of the shots were exquisite. But what if the tone of a scene goes against the tone of a film? The priority is always the mood of the film. And if in keeping with it, the mood of the scene. And then of course, we try to delineate the shades of the character if we can. If a film is dark, like, say, Pudhupettai, it would be against the philosophy of the film if we went and shot a colourful song in Europe. Youve never been against experimentation. For instance, there has been a lot of talk about an underwater sequence in Nenjam Marappathillai. We used GoPro cameras and managed it. Else, we would have had to worry about arranging tanks, making sure the water is clean enough, and all this can get quite expensive. If we decide to shoot in a swimming pool, we have to make sure that there are enough lights to light up the shot. While on lights, Arun Vaidyanathan, the director of Nibunan, was full of appreciation for how you used a headlight as a light source for one of the scenes? (Laughs) Necessity is the mother of invention. It was an instinctive choice to do that. I felt it would add a certain edge to the mood of the film. Also, we were facing a lot of constraints and the idea to do this just came to me. The shot has come out really well. What are these constraints you speak of? As it was a bilingual, we had to shoot every scene twice, and the difficulty lay in making sure every aspect of the shot remained the same. I have tried to stay away from the usual techniques: the fast cuts, close-ups and the shaky camera technique. Its a very unique thriller, and Im quite excited about its release.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: China today said there was no scope for a "compromise" in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim section, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the "grave" situation.

In unusually blunt remarks, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador said in an interview to PTI: "There has been talk about this option, that option.

It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)." The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a "pre- condition", he asserted.

However, he made it clear that there was no scope for a "compromise" on the issue. "The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary.

That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," he said. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese army's construction party came to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India. "The situation is grave and made me deeply worried.

It is the first time that Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognised boundary and trespassed into China's territory, triggering a close range face off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased," Luo said.

He also asserted that India has no right to interfere with the China-Bhutan boundary talks, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan. On the standoff, the Ministry of External Affairs had said India was "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".

"As for the so called 'security concerns' of the Indian side, India has crossed a delimited boundary into other country's territory in the name of security concerns, no matter what kind of activities it conducts there, which will not acceptable to any sovereign state. "India cannot encroach upon the territory of other countries on the ground of its 'security concerns'.

Otherwise, the world would be in chaos," the Chinese envoy added. He also asserted that "it is critical that India shall withdraw its troops immediately to minimise the negative impact. It serves the interests of the two sides."

He also noted that the current standoff was of different nature from the previous frictions between the two countries, and said it was the first time that such a severe situation has occurred at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary.

NEW DELHI: China today said there was no scope for a "compromise" in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim section, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the "grave" situation. In unusually blunt remarks, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff. Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador said in an interview to PTI: "There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)." The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a "pre- condition", he asserted. However, he made it clear that there was no scope for a "compromise" on the issue. "The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," he said. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese army's construction party came to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India. "The situation is grave and made me deeply worried. It is the first time that Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognised boundary and trespassed into China's territory, triggering a close range face off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased," Luo said. He also asserted that India has no right to interfere with the China-Bhutan boundary talks, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan. On the standoff, the Ministry of External Affairs had said India was "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". "As for the so called 'security concerns' of the Indian side, India has crossed a delimited boundary into other country's territory in the name of security concerns, no matter what kind of activities it conducts there, which will not acceptable to any sovereign state. "India cannot encroach upon the territory of other countries on the ground of its 'security concerns'. Otherwise, the world would be in chaos," the Chinese envoy added. He also asserted that "it is critical that India shall withdraw its troops immediately to minimise the negative impact. It serves the interests of the two sides." He also noted that the current standoff was of different nature from the previous frictions between the two countries, and said it was the first time that such a severe situation has occurred at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The auction of 11 slots of Doordarshan's direct-to-home (DTH) platform--DD Free Dish today earned the public broadcaster an amount of Rs 85.10 crore.

"Total 11 DTH slots were auctioned today...earned a total revenue of Rs 85.10 crore in a day," DG Doordarshan Supriya Sahu said.

In today's auction, three slots were for 'news and current affairs channels' with a reserve price of Rs 6.50 crore. For this category, the maximum and minimum bids received were Rs 6.70 crore and 6.50 crore respectively, she said.

On the other hand, eight slots were meant for 'non news and current affairs channels' with a reserve price of Rs 8 crore. For this category, the maximum bid was of Rs 8.40 crore, while the minimum bid was to the tune of Rs 8 crore.

As per data, 'DD Free Dish' currently reaches 22 million homes in India with a bouquet of 80 channels.

Next version of 'DD Free Dish' will provide 104 channels with set top boxes.

NEW DELHI: The auction of 11 slots of Doordarshan's direct-to-home (DTH) platform--DD Free Dish today earned the public broadcaster an amount of Rs 85.10 crore. "Total 11 DTH slots were auctioned today...earned a total revenue of Rs 85.10 crore in a day," DG Doordarshan Supriya Sahu said. In today's auction, three slots were for 'news and current affairs channels' with a reserve price of Rs 6.50 crore. For this category, the maximum and minimum bids received were Rs 6.70 crore and 6.50 crore respectively, she said. On the other hand, eight slots were meant for 'non news and current affairs channels' with a reserve price of Rs 8 crore. For this category, the maximum bid was of Rs 8.40 crore, while the minimum bid was to the tune of Rs 8 crore. As per data, 'DD Free Dish' currently reaches 22 million homes in India with a bouquet of 80 channels. Next version of 'DD Free Dish' will provide 104 channels with set top boxes.
By PTI

PANAJI: Two constables of the Goa Police were allegedly assaulted by a group of tourists on the famous Calangute beach in the state after they were told not to consume alcohol and create nuisance, an official said.

The incident occurred at around 3.45 pm yesterday on the beach in North Goa when the two constables on duty asked the group of 11 men to behave themselves.

"The tourists, who hailed from Haryana and Delhi, were inebriated when they started hitting the constables who were in uniform," Calangute Police Station inspector Jivba Dalvi told reporters last evening.

All the 11 men were arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and produced before a local court which remanded them in judicial custody.

"The medical examination confirmed the presence of alcohol in their blood," the police officer said.

PANAJI: Two constables of the Goa Police were allegedly assaulted by a group of tourists on the famous Calangute beach in the state after they were told not to consume alcohol and create nuisance, an official said. The incident occurred at around 3.45 pm yesterday on the beach in North Goa when the two constables on duty asked the group of 11 men to behave themselves. "The tourists, who hailed from Haryana and Delhi, were inebriated when they started hitting the constables who were in uniform," Calangute Police Station inspector Jivba Dalvi told reporters last evening. All the 11 men were arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and produced before a local court which remanded them in judicial custody. "The medical examination confirmed the presence of alcohol in their blood," the police officer said.
By IANS

CHANDIGARH: It is known as the world's largest community kitchen -- feeding freshly cooked food to an estimated 50,000 devotees on weekdays and over 100,000 on weekends and festivals. But the newly-introduced GST is going to put an extra burden of over Rs 10 crore on this socio-religious activity at the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar and other gurdwaras, temple officials say.

With purchases made for the community kitchen coming under various slabs of the new GST, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the mini-parliament of the Sikh religion that manages Sikh shrines (gurdwaras) in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, including the Harmandir Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple), is expecting an additional burden of Rs 10 crore from this year.

Besides the Golden Temple, the SGPC runs the langar services in other famous Sikh shrines like Takht Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib (where the modern day Khalsa Panth was established on April 13, 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh), Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district and scores of other gurdwaras under it.

The "Langar Sewa" (community kitchen) is a socio-religious activity that is part of the Sikh religious ethos from the time of the first Sikh Guru, Nanak Dev (1469-1539). The langar was started to emphasise equality in society regardless of religion, caste, colour and creed.

With the new GST slabs likely to hit the SGPC 's purchases with an additional financial burden, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitely to exempt all purchases made by SGPC for "langar sewa" from the GST Act.

"The Punjab government had earlier exempted all items purchased for langar by SGPC at Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar, Sri Keshgarh Sahib Anandpur and Talwandi Sabo Bathinda from VAT. The SGPC spends around Rs 75 crore to purchase desi ghee, sugar and pulses. Now, it will have to bear a financial burden of Rs 10 crore on these purchases as they come under the 5 to 18 per cent GST bracket," Badal pointed out.

SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar has also sent a communication to the GST Council, which decides on the tax structure and exemptions, to exempt the Sikh body from the GST slabs.

"Sri Harmandir Sahib runs the world's largest mega kitchen, offering free meals throughout the year to hundreds of thousands of people. (It is funded by) offerings made by people," Badal pointed out.

"The central government should immediately withdraw the GST on purchases made by the SGPC and other religious institutions that are doing community service of this magnitude," Prithipal Singh, a devout Sikh who has been doing voluntary service at the Langar Hall of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar for the past nearly a decade, told IANS.

Under the new GST Act, there is provision for exemption to institutions/businesses on the recommendation of the GST Council.

Hundreds of people volunteer on a daily basis at the Golden Temple complex and other gurdwaras to prepare and serve food and wash used utensils at the langars. The volunteers include scores of women and children as well. People partake langar while sitting on the floor in the langar halls of gurdwaras.

The langar service is funded from donations made by people at gurdwaras. The SGPC has an annual budget of over Rs 1,100 crore to manage the gurdwaras under it.

"Anyone coming to the langar is offered food. No one is ever turned back. It is part of the Sikh ethos," volunteer Gagandeep Singh pointed out.

Hundreds of tonnes of wheat flour, desi ghee, pulses, vegetables, milk, sugar and rice are used, along with millions of litres of water, annually at the Golden Temple complex and other gurdwaras to prepare langar.

The langar is completely vegetarian.

CHANDIGARH: It is known as the world's largest community kitchen -- feeding freshly cooked food to an estimated 50,000 devotees on weekdays and over 100,000 on weekends and festivals. But the newly-introduced GST is going to put an extra burden of over Rs 10 crore on this socio-religious activity at the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar and other gurdwaras, temple officials say. With purchases made for the community kitchen coming under various slabs of the new GST, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the mini-parliament of the Sikh religion that manages Sikh shrines (gurdwaras) in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, including the Harmandir Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple), is expecting an additional burden of Rs 10 crore from this year. Besides the Golden Temple, the SGPC runs the langar services in other famous Sikh shrines like Takht Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib (where the modern day Khalsa Panth was established on April 13, 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh), Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district and scores of other gurdwaras under it. The "Langar Sewa" (community kitchen) is a socio-religious activity that is part of the Sikh religious ethos from the time of the first Sikh Guru, Nanak Dev (1469-1539). The langar was started to emphasise equality in society regardless of religion, caste, colour and creed. With the new GST slabs likely to hit the SGPC 's purchases with an additional financial burden, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitely to exempt all purchases made by SGPC for "langar sewa" from the GST Act. "The Punjab government had earlier exempted all items purchased for langar by SGPC at Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar, Sri Keshgarh Sahib Anandpur and Talwandi Sabo Bathinda from VAT. The SGPC spends around Rs 75 crore to purchase desi ghee, sugar and pulses. Now, it will have to bear a financial burden of Rs 10 crore on these purchases as they come under the 5 to 18 per cent GST bracket," Badal pointed out. SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar has also sent a communication to the GST Council, which decides on the tax structure and exemptions, to exempt the Sikh body from the GST slabs. "Sri Harmandir Sahib runs the world's largest mega kitchen, offering free meals throughout the year to hundreds of thousands of people. (It is funded by) offerings made by people," Badal pointed out. "The central government should immediately withdraw the GST on purchases made by the SGPC and other religious institutions that are doing community service of this magnitude," Prithipal Singh, a devout Sikh who has been doing voluntary service at the Langar Hall of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar for the past nearly a decade, told IANS. Under the new GST Act, there is provision for exemption to institutions/businesses on the recommendation of the GST Council. Hundreds of people volunteer on a daily basis at the Golden Temple complex and other gurdwaras to prepare and serve food and wash used utensils at the langars. The volunteers include scores of women and children as well. People partake langar while sitting on the floor in the langar halls of gurdwaras. The langar service is funded from donations made by people at gurdwaras. The SGPC has an annual budget of over Rs 1,100 crore to manage the gurdwaras under it. "Anyone coming to the langar is offered food. No one is ever turned back. It is part of the Sikh ethos," volunteer Gagandeep Singh pointed out. Hundreds of tonnes of wheat flour, desi ghee, pulses, vegetables, milk, sugar and rice are used, along with millions of litres of water, annually at the Golden Temple complex and other gurdwaras to prepare langar. The langar is completely vegetarian.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI/BEIJING: The rhetoric from Beijing grew even shriller Wednesday on Indias standoff with China on the trijunction of the borders of Bhutan, Sikkim and China. And in the face of it, India continued to strike a Buddhist pose.

The Union Home Ministrys spokesperson Ashok Prasad said India would not take a reactionary stance on Chinas decision to turn away Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from the Nathu La pass and pledged that clearances to Chinese investments in India would continue to be taken with a "great deal of maturity".

To a specific query whether New Delhi would stop granting security clearances to Chinese firms, the spokespersons response was in the nature of appropriate decisions by appropriate people at appropriate levels. Security concerns along the Sino-Indian borders are handled by the Ministry of Defence, diplomatic relations are the domain of the External Affairs Ministry and security clearances for foreign investments are granted by the Union Home Ministry. The inputs to these decisions are supplied by the intelligence agencies.

While pilgrims have been turned away at Nathu La, the other pilgrimage route to Kailash Mansarovar is still operational, officials said.

Beijing, on the other hand, has not stepped back from ratcheting up tensions even further. On Wednesday, it announced that it is weighing options on issuing a travel alert for its citizens visiting India.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens in accordance with the security condition of the relevant countries," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang in Beijing, using elliptical language typical of China in relation to other countries.

"We will decide whether or not to issue a travel alert," Geng said to a question about articles in the Chinese media cautioning Chinese investors in India.

On Tuesday, a leading official newspaper in Beijing warned Chinese companies operating in India to take steps to avoid being affected by the anti-China sentiment in India.

The article in Global Times called on Chinese firms to reduce their investments in India in view of the tension.

In other remarks, spokesman Geng went on to accuse India of "trampling" on the principles of Panchsheel, the hoary treaty of mutual coexistence dating back to Nehruvian days. He asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back its troops Doka La.

Beijing also claimed that India is "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector of the border which could endanger India's access to its northeast.

"I want to point out that the relevant actions by the Indian side violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of international law and international norms. As we all know, in the 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the Five Principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," the foreign ministry spokesman said.

"However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing international relations by illegally crossing into another country's territory," he said.

WHATS GOING ON: 3 things to know

1. The standoff began last month with the People's Liberation Army destroying Indian Army bunkers in the Doka La where the borders of India, Bhutan and Tibet meet and proceeded to stopped pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass.

2. India had objected to the construction of Chinese roads in this area, which falls in the territory of Bhutan, a country whose security is guaranteed by India.

3. China has stepped up its belligerence ever since India chose not to participate in Beijings signature Belt and Road Initiative. Beijings language has grown sharper since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US and his meeting President Donald Trump.

NEW DELHI/BEIJING: The rhetoric from Beijing grew even shriller Wednesday on Indias standoff with China on the trijunction of the borders of Bhutan, Sikkim and China. And in the face of it, India continued to strike a Buddhist pose. The Union Home Ministrys spokesperson Ashok Prasad said India would not take a reactionary stance on Chinas decision to turn away Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from the Nathu La pass and pledged that clearances to Chinese investments in India would continue to be taken with a "great deal of maturity". To a specific query whether New Delhi would stop granting security clearances to Chinese firms, the spokespersons response was in the nature of appropriate decisions by appropriate people at appropriate levels. Security concerns along the Sino-Indian borders are handled by the Ministry of Defence, diplomatic relations are the domain of the External Affairs Ministry and security clearances for foreign investments are granted by the Union Home Ministry. The inputs to these decisions are supplied by the intelligence agencies. While pilgrims have been turned away at Nathu La, the other pilgrimage route to Kailash Mansarovar is still operational, officials said. Beijing, on the other hand, has not stepped back from ratcheting up tensions even further. On Wednesday, it announced that it is weighing options on issuing a travel alert for its citizens visiting India. "The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens in accordance with the security condition of the relevant countries," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang in Beijing, using elliptical language typical of China in relation to other countries. "We will decide whether or not to issue a travel alert," Geng said to a question about articles in the Chinese media cautioning Chinese investors in India. On Tuesday, a leading official newspaper in Beijing warned Chinese companies operating in India to take steps to avoid being affected by the anti-China sentiment in India. The article in Global Times called on Chinese firms to reduce their investments in India in view of the tension. In other remarks, spokesman Geng went on to accuse India of "trampling" on the principles of Panchsheel, the hoary treaty of mutual coexistence dating back to Nehruvian days. He asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back its troops Doka La. Beijing also claimed that India is "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector of the border which could endanger India's access to its northeast. "I want to point out that the relevant actions by the Indian side violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of international law and international norms. As we all know, in the 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the Five Principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," the foreign ministry spokesman said. "However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing international relations by illegally crossing into another country's territory," he said. WHATS GOING ON: 3 things to know 1. The standoff began last month with the People's Liberation Army destroying Indian Army bunkers in the Doka La where the borders of India, Bhutan and Tibet meet and proceeded to stopped pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass. 2. India had objected to the construction of Chinese roads in this area, which falls in the territory of Bhutan, a country whose security is guaranteed by India. 3. China has stepped up its belligerence ever since India chose not to participate in Beijings signature Belt and Road Initiative. Beijings language has grown sharper since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US and his meeting President Donald Trump.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Amid opposition from opposition members, Jammu and Kashmir legislature on Wednesday adopted a resolution on implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the State.

The resolution was adopted in Assembly today by voice vote after two days of discussion. However, the opposition NC, Congress and independent MLA from Valley including CPI(M) protested against extending the new tax regime to the state in its present form.

It was also adopted in upper house of the State legislature by a voice vote.

After passage of resolution in the State legislature, the state cabinet met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to give to give concurrence to 101st amendment act for implementation of GST in the State.

The passage of the resolution in the legislature and its concurrence by the state cabinet will pave way for implementation of the new tax regime in the State, which was only state in the country not to implement the GST rolled on July 1.

The resolution was moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu yesterday.

Responding to the concerns of the legislators, he said under no circumstances will the State government amend the Section 5 of Constitution of J&K which gives it special taxation powers.

Reacting to the demand of opposition to bring a separate GST law for J&K, Drabu said alternative law will require amending constitution of J&K and of India. "Amending Section 5 of J&K Constitution will open Pandora's Box. Instead, what we are proposing is that the GST Council must come within the ambit of Article 370.

"We are proposing that the Article 370 shall not be compromised in any way through the Presidential Order. The GST Council should not be a way to subvert the process and enough safeguards are built to empower the constituents of J&K in the Council. Besides, the exclusive powers of the State to tax and the Consolidated Fund of J&K shall not be impaired," he said.

After the resolution was passed, Drabu termed it a statement of a principle. "The sense of the House is that no one has issues with GST per se. There might be differences with modalities of applicability, which is why we want this law to be backed by the State Government and legislative process so as to prevent any harm to the consumers and trade without compromising on the States special position".

Seeking to allay the fears of business community, he said industry exemptions and tax remissions will continue both from the Centre and the State Government under the new tax regime.

Hitting out at opposition for making an issue out of a non-issue, he said the GST is the biggest democratization of public funds in the world and J&K, being a consumer state, will immensely benefit from it.

"We are not touching the Constitution of J&K, so where is the question of violation of basic structure of constitution? Under previous regimes, 94 out of 97 items in union lists have been made to apply to J&K, the FM said.

Drabu said Article 370, which gives special status to J&K under Indian Constitution, should be protected and used for development of the state and for the empowerment of people.

"Instead, it is being used as a tool to whip up political passions and draw political mileage. It is being used for creating fake controversies, he said.

"If the GST overwrites Article 370 of Indian constitution or section 5 of J&K constitution) I will not come back to this House," Drabu said.

National Conference leader and MLA Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar said extending GST will erode the special status of the State.

He said New Delhi has never fulfilled the promises made to people of State and this (GST) case will meet the same fate.

Opposition NC working president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah termed passage of resolution on GST in State Assembly as a sham and said there was absolutely no clarity on constitutional safeguards for the state.

A Congress spokesman described the special assembly session on GST as a mere eye wash on part of PDP-BJP government, which remained on tenterhooks to pass the new tax regime in the State by staging dramas and enacting different stories in this regard

The PDP-BJP coalition government had crossed all limits of betrayal, he said.

SRINAGAR: Amid opposition from opposition members, Jammu and Kashmir legislature on Wednesday adopted a resolution on implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the State. The resolution was adopted in Assembly today by voice vote after two days of discussion. However, the opposition NC, Congress and independent MLA from Valley including CPI(M) protested against extending the new tax regime to the state in its present form. It was also adopted in upper house of the State legislature by a voice vote. After passage of resolution in the State legislature, the state cabinet met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to give to give concurrence to 101st amendment act for implementation of GST in the State. The passage of the resolution in the legislature and its concurrence by the state cabinet will pave way for implementation of the new tax regime in the State, which was only state in the country not to implement the GST rolled on July 1. The resolution was moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu yesterday. Responding to the concerns of the legislators, he said under no circumstances will the State government amend the Section 5 of Constitution of J&K which gives it special taxation powers. Reacting to the demand of opposition to bring a separate GST law for J&K, Drabu said alternative law will require amending constitution of J&K and of India. "Amending Section 5 of J&K Constitution will open Pandora's Box. Instead, what we are proposing is that the GST Council must come within the ambit of Article 370. "We are proposing that the Article 370 shall not be compromised in any way through the Presidential Order. The GST Council should not be a way to subvert the process and enough safeguards are built to empower the constituents of J&K in the Council. Besides, the exclusive powers of the State to tax and the Consolidated Fund of J&K shall not be impaired," he said. After the resolution was passed, Drabu termed it a statement of a principle. "The sense of the House is that no one has issues with GST per se. There might be differences with modalities of applicability, which is why we want this law to be backed by the State Government and legislative process so as to prevent any harm to the consumers and trade without compromising on the States special position". Seeking to allay the fears of business community, he said industry exemptions and tax remissions will continue both from the Centre and the State Government under the new tax regime. Hitting out at opposition for making an issue out of a non-issue, he said the GST is the biggest democratization of public funds in the world and J&K, being a consumer state, will immensely benefit from it. "We are not touching the Constitution of J&K, so where is the question of violation of basic structure of constitution? Under previous regimes, 94 out of 97 items in union lists have been made to apply to J&K, the FM said. Drabu said Article 370, which gives special status to J&K under Indian Constitution, should be protected and used for development of the state and for the empowerment of people. "Instead, it is being used as a tool to whip up political passions and draw political mileage. It is being used for creating fake controversies, he said. "If the GST overwrites Article 370 of Indian constitution or section 5 of J&K constitution) I will not come back to this House," Drabu said. National Conference leader and MLA Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar said extending GST will erode the special status of the State. He said New Delhi has never fulfilled the promises made to people of State and this (GST) case will meet the same fate. Opposition NC working president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah termed passage of resolution on GST in State Assembly as a sham and said there was absolutely no clarity on constitutional safeguards for the state. A Congress spokesman described the special assembly session on GST as a mere eye wash on part of PDP-BJP government, which remained on tenterhooks to pass the new tax regime in the State by staging dramas and enacting different stories in this regard The PDP-BJP coalition government had crossed all limits of betrayal, he said.
By PTI

SHILLONG: Opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar today said the country's secular fabric is in "danger", asserting that those in power should promote communal harmony and not "disrupt" it.

Kumar also said there is a definite move in the country to communalise people in the name of what one should eat, what one should see and how one should live.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker said she is contesting the presidential elections to fight against an ideology that has threatened and put the secular fabric of the country in danger.

"The need (to contest the presidential poll) has arisen because the atmosphere in the country has begun to threaten the secular fabric of the country," Kumar said while addressing the MLAs of the state.

Seeking the support of the legislators, she said her fight was against an ideology that "has challenged and is exceedingly putting in danger the communal harmony, social justice, inclusiveness, transparency and all that we have been standing for and held dear."

"This is the chance we have to make history and act in the best interest of our country for its progress and modernity and also for our next generation," she added.

Stating that India is a vast country with so many religions, ethnic groups, cultures and many ways of living in harmony, Kumar said, "Those in power should be able to always promote this harmony and not disrupt it."

Kumar expressed her gratitude to the 17 opposition parties for backing her against ruling NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind in the July 17 elections, saying they were doing so despite political differences.

In an indirect attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar said she failed to understand why, despite their "tremendous majority in Parliament and given their hold in the government," NDA leaders were "only talking and trying to distance themselves (from communal incidents) and no action is seen on the ground."

Appealing to the MLAs to listen to their inner voice, she said, "The inner voice of conscience carries more weight than numbers when people decide on moral ground and on grounds of principles and ethics and philosophy."

Besides Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy was present.

Kumar thanked Roy, president of the United Democratic Party that has eight MLAs, for his support.

"It is encouraging to find the Leader of Opposition with us. I am grateful the House is with us. People are with us and with our ideology that we are following, she said.

NDA-ally National People's Party (having two MLAs) and Hills State People's Democratic Party (with four MLAs) did not attend Kumar's address.

SHILLONG: Opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar today said the country's secular fabric is in "danger", asserting that those in power should promote communal harmony and not "disrupt" it. Kumar also said there is a definite move in the country to communalise people in the name of what one should eat, what one should see and how one should live. The former Lok Sabha Speaker said she is contesting the presidential elections to fight against an ideology that has threatened and put the secular fabric of the country in danger. "The need (to contest the presidential poll) has arisen because the atmosphere in the country has begun to threaten the secular fabric of the country," Kumar said while addressing the MLAs of the state. Seeking the support of the legislators, she said her fight was against an ideology that "has challenged and is exceedingly putting in danger the communal harmony, social justice, inclusiveness, transparency and all that we have been standing for and held dear." "This is the chance we have to make history and act in the best interest of our country for its progress and modernity and also for our next generation," she added. Stating that India is a vast country with so many religions, ethnic groups, cultures and many ways of living in harmony, Kumar said, "Those in power should be able to always promote this harmony and not disrupt it." Kumar expressed her gratitude to the 17 opposition parties for backing her against ruling NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind in the July 17 elections, saying they were doing so despite political differences. In an indirect attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar said she failed to understand why, despite their "tremendous majority in Parliament and given their hold in the government," NDA leaders were "only talking and trying to distance themselves (from communal incidents) and no action is seen on the ground." Appealing to the MLAs to listen to their inner voice, she said, "The inner voice of conscience carries more weight than numbers when people decide on moral ground and on grounds of principles and ethics and philosophy." Besides Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy was present. Kumar thanked Roy, president of the United Democratic Party that has eight MLAs, for his support. "It is encouraging to find the Leader of Opposition with us. I am grateful the House is with us. People are with us and with our ideology that we are following, she said. NDA-ally National People's Party (having two MLAs) and Hills State People's Democratic Party (with four MLAs) did not attend Kumar's address.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "In the absence of any consistent, corroborative and conclusive material evidence of the bodily remains, my family is unable to accept the demise of my son as informed by the authorities. We still believe that he is missing," says Sahadevan VP, father of Keralite Sukhoi pilot Flight Lieutenant S Achudev, who went missing on regular sortie at Tezpur Air Force Station.

A month after the 'mortal remains' of S Achudev were brought home, his family has rejected the official version of the incident. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Achudev's father has sought a simultaneous investigation by an external agency such as the CBI/NIA/RAW/IB to unfold the mystery behind the incident and to bring out the truth.

Raising six questions to the Prime Minister, Sahadevan said these questions have already been raised to the authorities, but none of which have been addressed so far. Here's the text:

"I am to state that the following are some fundamental questions which I have already raised to the authorities concerned, none of which unfortunately have been addressed so far.

1. I have every privilege to know if my son is alive or not. If he's alive, where is he and under what circumstances? If the Indian Air Force confirms otherwise, where is the remains of his body which can rationally confirm this? Else, on what basis have the Indian Air Force reached this conclusion?

2. If the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the reported Sukhoi aircraft was retrieved,

a. What were the findings on the analysis of the same?

b. What was the details of the last recorded voice conversation between the Control/Commanding Centre and the pilots?

c. Based on the FDR/CVR data findings which should have revealed further details into the incident, why did no further search and rescue operation occur?

3. If the aircraft was said to have lost radio and radar contact with the control/command centre

a. Where did this occur and what was the reason for the same?

b. How long after being airborne did this happen and in what direction were they bound to, during this course?

c. If the sortie as quoted by the Ministry of Defence was a twin aircraft formation, was there any communication between the missing aircraft and the other aircraft. What was the account of events as per the pilots of the paired aircraft?

4. What material evidences have been used to conclude that both the pilots could not initiate ejection as stated by the Ministry of Defence?

5. It its learnt that the helicopter commenced after one hour of the missing was reported and the massive ground search operation started two days after the incident. With regard to this, please confirm

a. What is the protocol in place at the Indian Air Force to search for the missing

pilots and aircrafts?

b. What is the current status of the search in this case?

6. Were the ISRO's technology and the aid of foreign satellite imagery utilised?

If not

a. Why was ISRO's satellite service not employed for surveillance during the search and rescue operations in this strategic area close to the Indo-Chinese border? Cartosat satellites are served for cartographic applications in all adverse conditions.

b. What was the reason for not seeking the aid of foreign satellite imagery during the incident to find the missing pilots and aircraft?

In view of the fact that the aforementioned fundamental questions have not yet been addressed and not having received any logical or rational material evidence, I cannot take into account the present enquiry justifying the statement of Air Force officials on this heartbreaking incident.

As much as we are proud that he served the Indian Air Force away from us, he is my family's greatest asset. With his inconsolable mother awaiting Achudev's return each and every moment by my side, I sincerely request with the highest faith to initiate all possible effort to trade my son Flt Lt Achudev S at the earliest.

I request that effective search activities should be continued till the missing pilots are located or scientific evidence/result on the remains of the body of the pilots are traced out.

Please ensure that there is active involvement and guidance from agencies under the local government and police forces along with local tribes and natives under the guidance of the defence forces.

Given the contradicting and inconclusive information provided to me by the Indian Air Force, I am highly dissatisfied with the planning and execution of the search operations carried out for the missing pilots and extremely unconvinced by the conclusions reached in this incident.

Under these circumstances, I humbly request that a simultaneous investigation by an appropriate external agency like CBI/NIA/RAW/IB may be directed to unfold the mystery and to reveal the truth of the unfortunate incident."

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "In the absence of any consistent, corroborative and conclusive material evidence of the bodily remains, my family is unable to accept the demise of my son as informed by the authorities. We still believe that he is missing," says Sahadevan VP, father of Keralite Sukhoi pilot Flight Lieutenant S Achudev, who went missing on regular sortie at Tezpur Air Force Station. A month after the 'mortal remains' of S Achudev were brought home, his family has rejected the official version of the incident. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Achudev's father has sought a simultaneous investigation by an external agency such as the CBI/NIA/RAW/IB to unfold the mystery behind the incident and to bring out the truth. Raising six questions to the Prime Minister, Sahadevan said these questions have already been raised to the authorities, but none of which have been addressed so far. Here's the text: "I am to state that the following are some fundamental questions which I have already raised to the authorities concerned, none of which unfortunately have been addressed so far. 1. I have every privilege to know if my son is alive or not. If he's alive, where is he and under what circumstances? If the Indian Air Force confirms otherwise, where is the remains of his body which can rationally confirm this? Else, on what basis have the Indian Air Force reached this conclusion? 2. If the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the reported Sukhoi aircraft was retrieved, a. What were the findings on the analysis of the same? b. What was the details of the last recorded voice conversation between the Control/Commanding Centre and the pilots? c. Based on the FDR/CVR data findings which should have revealed further details into the incident, why did no further search and rescue operation occur? 3. If the aircraft was said to have lost radio and radar contact with the control/command centre a. Where did this occur and what was the reason for the same? b. How long after being airborne did this happen and in what direction were they bound to, during this course? c. If the sortie as quoted by the Ministry of Defence was a twin aircraft formation, was there any communication between the missing aircraft and the other aircraft. What was the account of events as per the pilots of the paired aircraft? 4. What material evidences have been used to conclude that both the pilots could not initiate ejection as stated by the Ministry of Defence? 5. It its learnt that the helicopter commenced after one hour of the missing was reported and the massive ground search operation started two days after the incident. With regard to this, please confirm a. What is the protocol in place at the Indian Air Force to search for the missing pilots and aircrafts? b. What is the current status of the search in this case? 6. Were the ISRO's technology and the aid of foreign satellite imagery utilised? If not a. Why was ISRO's satellite service not employed for surveillance during the search and rescue operations in this strategic area close to the Indo-Chinese border? Cartosat satellites are served for cartographic applications in all adverse conditions. b. What was the reason for not seeking the aid of foreign satellite imagery during the incident to find the missing pilots and aircraft? In view of the fact that the aforementioned fundamental questions have not yet been addressed and not having received any logical or rational material evidence, I cannot take into account the present enquiry justifying the statement of Air Force officials on this heartbreaking incident. As much as we are proud that he served the Indian Air Force away from us, he is my family's greatest asset. With his inconsolable mother awaiting Achudev's return each and every moment by my side, I sincerely request with the highest faith to initiate all possible effort to trade my son Flt Lt Achudev S at the earliest. I request that effective search activities should be continued till the missing pilots are located or scientific evidence/result on the remains of the body of the pilots are traced out. Please ensure that there is active involvement and guidance from agencies under the local government and police forces along with local tribes and natives under the guidance of the defence forces. Given the contradicting and inconclusive information provided to me by the Indian Air Force, I am highly dissatisfied with the planning and execution of the search operations carried out for the missing pilots and extremely unconvinced by the conclusions reached in this incident. Under these circumstances, I humbly request that a simultaneous investigation by an appropriate external agency like CBI/NIA/RAW/IB may be directed to unfold the mystery and to reveal the truth of the unfortunate incident."
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: A non-bailable warrant was issued against liquor baron Vijay Mallya here on Wednesday by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.

Mallya, former chief financial officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunathan, former deputy MD of IDBI bank OV Bundellu, former ED SKV Srinivasan, former MD BK Batra and a few other officials of the bank were among the nine accused who were named in the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month in a money-laundering case. The court issued non-bailable warrant against all of them on Wednesday.

Loan transaction of over Rs 950 crore between the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines and the IDBI bank was in contravention of established industry practices, the agency said. The allocation of loan shows the connivance between Mallya and the bank officials. The loan was sanctioned and disbursed despite weak financials, negative net worth, negative debt to equity ratio and low credit rating of the borrower company, ED had said in the chargesheet.

The chargesheet details the proceeds of the crime and is seen as a move to make Indias case stronger for Mallyas extradition.The chargesheet also revealed that Rs 417 crore of the loan amount was remitted outside the country under the pretext of lease rental payment and other miscellaneous payments.

MUMBAI: A non-bailable warrant was issued against liquor baron Vijay Mallya here on Wednesday by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court. Mallya, former chief financial officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunathan, former deputy MD of IDBI bank OV Bundellu, former ED SKV Srinivasan, former MD BK Batra and a few other officials of the bank were among the nine accused who were named in the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month in a money-laundering case. The court issued non-bailable warrant against all of them on Wednesday. Loan transaction of over Rs 950 crore between the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines and the IDBI bank was in contravention of established industry practices, the agency said. The allocation of loan shows the connivance between Mallya and the bank officials. The loan was sanctioned and disbursed despite weak financials, negative net worth, negative debt to equity ratio and low credit rating of the borrower company, ED had said in the chargesheet. The chargesheet details the proceeds of the crime and is seen as a move to make Indias case stronger for Mallyas extradition.The chargesheet also revealed that Rs 417 crore of the loan amount was remitted outside the country under the pretext of lease rental payment and other miscellaneous payments.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the public spat between the two over communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district.

The home ministry, in a written communication, also sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the violence in the district following an "objectionable"

Facebook post and the steps taken to restore normalcy.

In his separate telephone conversations with Tripathi and Banerjee, the home minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the riot-hit area.

The governor and chief minister are believed to have explained their respective positions to the home minister, who counselled them to resolve their differences amicably, sources said.

Making a dramatic allegation against the governor, the chief minister yesterday accused him of threatening and insulting her over the communal incident. Banerjee said she had even thought of quitting office over the "humiliation".

While the chief minister yesterday alleged the governor was acting like a "BJP block president", the governor said he was surprised at her attitude and language.

"The talks between the Hon'ble Chief Minister and the Hon'ble Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it," a statement issued by Raj Bhavan here said.

Communal clashes broke out in North 24 Parganas district Monday night following an "objectionable" Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

In his conversations with the West Bengal chief minister and governor, the home minister also discussed the situation in Darjeeling, where the indefinite strike for a separate Gorkhaland state entered its 21st day today.

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the public spat between the two over communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district. The home ministry, in a written communication, also sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the violence in the district following an "objectionable" Facebook post and the steps taken to restore normalcy. In his separate telephone conversations with Tripathi and Banerjee, the home minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the riot-hit area. The governor and chief minister are believed to have explained their respective positions to the home minister, who counselled them to resolve their differences amicably, sources said. Making a dramatic allegation against the governor, the chief minister yesterday accused him of threatening and insulting her over the communal incident. Banerjee said she had even thought of quitting office over the "humiliation". While the chief minister yesterday alleged the governor was acting like a "BJP block president", the governor said he was surprised at her attitude and language. "The talks between the Hon'ble Chief Minister and the Hon'ble Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it," a statement issued by Raj Bhavan here said. Communal clashes broke out in North 24 Parganas district Monday night following an "objectionable" Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation. In his conversations with the West Bengal chief minister and governor, the home minister also discussed the situation in Darjeeling, where the indefinite strike for a separate Gorkhaland state entered its 21st day today.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Giving relief to the pubs near highways, which have been shut down for selling liquor, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said there was nothing wrong in denotifying highways if such roads are within a city. A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar observed that the purpose of the ban was to ensure speeding vehicles on highways dont have drivers under the influence of liquor and said: There are city roads and there are roads outside the city.

There are congested roads. The idea behind the judgement was that in fast-moving traffic, you should not be under the influence of liquor.This comes as a major relief to liquor vends and pubs, especially in Chandigarh, where State administrations have denotified the roads within the city.

The court was hearing a plea against the Chandigarh administrations decision to denotify certain roads, allegedly with an aim to circumvent the apex courts verdict banning liquor vends within 500 metres from State and National highways. The court will now hear it on July 11.

The plea, filed by the NGO Arrive Safe Society, claimed the Chandigarh administration issued the notification to bypass the court order. The plea also stated that by denotifying State highways and renaming them as major district roads, the Chandigarh administration had made a mockery of the Supreme Court order. The NGO moved the top court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed its plea, holding that it could not refer to any law which has been violated while issuing the said notification.

NEW DELHI: Giving relief to the pubs near highways, which have been shut down for selling liquor, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said there was nothing wrong in denotifying highways if such roads are within a city. A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar observed that the purpose of the ban was to ensure speeding vehicles on highways dont have drivers under the influence of liquor and said: There are city roads and there are roads outside the city. There are congested roads. The idea behind the judgement was that in fast-moving traffic, you should not be under the influence of liquor.This comes as a major relief to liquor vends and pubs, especially in Chandigarh, where State administrations have denotified the roads within the city. The court was hearing a plea against the Chandigarh administrations decision to denotify certain roads, allegedly with an aim to circumvent the apex courts verdict banning liquor vends within 500 metres from State and National highways. The court will now hear it on July 11. The plea, filed by the NGO Arrive Safe Society, claimed the Chandigarh administration issued the notification to bypass the court order. The plea also stated that by denotifying State highways and renaming them as major district roads, the Chandigarh administration had made a mockery of the Supreme Court order. The NGO moved the top court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed its plea, holding that it could not refer to any law which has been violated while issuing the said notification.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will today hear a case against social activist Teesta Setalvad, who is accused of corruption and misappropriation of funds which was meant for rehabilitation of Gujarat riot victims.

Teesta, her husband and the two NGOs - Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace - approached the apex court challenging the October 7, 2015, verdict of the Gujarat High Court, which had rejected their pleas for defreezing their personal bank accounts.

One of the residents of Gulberg Society had filed a complaint against Setalvad and others alleging that money was raised to make a museum at Gulberg Society in the memory of those killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, but it had not been utilised for the purpose.

The high court had upheld the verdict of a lower court in this regard observing that the probe was at a serious point.

In their plea before the apex court, the petitioners have alleged that their accounts were "illegally freezed" without following the due process of law.

The Gujarat Police filed an affidavit in the apex court alleging that the funds collected by them for setting up of museum in memory of the riots victims of Gulberg Society was spent on personal use.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will today hear a case against social activist Teesta Setalvad, who is accused of corruption and misappropriation of funds which was meant for rehabilitation of Gujarat riot victims. Teesta, her husband and the two NGOs - Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace - approached the apex court challenging the October 7, 2015, verdict of the Gujarat High Court, which had rejected their pleas for defreezing their personal bank accounts. One of the residents of Gulberg Society had filed a complaint against Setalvad and others alleging that money was raised to make a museum at Gulberg Society in the memory of those killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, but it had not been utilised for the purpose. The high court had upheld the verdict of a lower court in this regard observing that the probe was at a serious point. In their plea before the apex court, the petitioners have alleged that their accounts were "illegally freezed" without following the due process of law. The Gujarat Police filed an affidavit in the apex court alleging that the funds collected by them for setting up of museum in memory of the riots victims of Gulberg Society was spent on personal use.
By IANS

BHOPAL: Three more farmers have committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh due to debt, taking the total number of farmer deaths to 42 in the past 24 days -- an average of two deaths a day.

Parshuram Sahu, an elderly farmer from Maneshia village of Rahatgarh region in Sagar district, reportedly swallowed pesticide, troubled by debt and usurers on Tuesday. He was taken to the Medical College Hospital of Sagar, where he died late in the evening.

According to his relatives, Sahu was under a debt of Rs 2.5 lakh from his relatives and usurers. He was under stress as he was unable to repay the amount, and committed suicide.

However, the Station House Officer of Rahatgarh, Shivpratap Singh Baghel said: "Parshuram often remained sick and that is why he ate sulphas (poison). As regards debt, exchange of money is a common process in rural areas."

Similarly, in Radhapur village of Himmatpura outpost under Pichhor Police Station of Shivpuri district, farmer Govind Das, 70, hanged himself to death over a land dispute on Tuesday.

Police outpost in-charge Pratap Singh Gujjar said on Wednesday: "He bought a piece of land a few years ago, but the sons of the seller lodged a complaint against him, and the case went to court. Govind lost the case and consequently the land. And that is why he committed suicide."

In another case, in Shahpura village of Udaypura Police Station of Raisen district, a farmer named Sanjeev Rai hanged himself to death late on Tuesday evening. Villagers said the reason behind the suicide was debt, but SHO Naresh Singh Parihar said the reason is still not known and the case is under investigation.

Farmers continue to commit suicide in Madhya Pradesh. The deaths come even as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has promised to make farming a business of profit.

BHOPAL: Three more farmers have committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh due to debt, taking the total number of farmer deaths to 42 in the past 24 days -- an average of two deaths a day. Parshuram Sahu, an elderly farmer from Maneshia village of Rahatgarh region in Sagar district, reportedly swallowed pesticide, troubled by debt and usurers on Tuesday. He was taken to the Medical College Hospital of Sagar, where he died late in the evening. According to his relatives, Sahu was under a debt of Rs 2.5 lakh from his relatives and usurers. He was under stress as he was unable to repay the amount, and committed suicide. However, the Station House Officer of Rahatgarh, Shivpratap Singh Baghel said: "Parshuram often remained sick and that is why he ate sulphas (poison). As regards debt, exchange of money is a common process in rural areas." Similarly, in Radhapur village of Himmatpura outpost under Pichhor Police Station of Shivpuri district, farmer Govind Das, 70, hanged himself to death over a land dispute on Tuesday. Police outpost in-charge Pratap Singh Gujjar said on Wednesday: "He bought a piece of land a few years ago, but the sons of the seller lodged a complaint against him, and the case went to court. Govind lost the case and consequently the land. And that is why he committed suicide." In another case, in Shahpura village of Udaypura Police Station of Raisen district, a farmer named Sanjeev Rai hanged himself to death late on Tuesday evening. Villagers said the reason behind the suicide was debt, but SHO Naresh Singh Parihar said the reason is still not known and the case is under investigation. Farmers continue to commit suicide in Madhya Pradesh. The deaths come even as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has promised to make farming a business of profit.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore following the Supreme Court order banning all liquor shops along national as well as state highways.

Of the 8,591 highway liquor shops affected by the Supreme Court order, 2,000 are yet to be relocated while 3,000 shop owners have surrendered their liquor licences, said UP Excise Minister Jai Pratap Singh.

"We have incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal ending March 31. Out of the target of realising Rs 19,000 crore, the excise department could generate Rs 14,000 crore following the apex court order order," the minister told PTI.

The Supreme Court had last year ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways across the country and prohibited all signages indicating presence of liquor vends.

The Supreme Court again on March 31 reiterated its December 15, 2016 order to shut down, by April 1, establishments selling and serving liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways, but relaxed the distance to 220 m for cities, towns and municipal areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

According to latest data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), accidents due to drunk driving have the highest fatality rate among all accidents.

NCRB data showed that some 42 per cent of drunk driving victims ended up dead in 2015  this was a far higher rate than that of accidents caused by over speeding and reckless driving.

Highlighting his department's initiatives for going cashless, Singh said, "We are introducing a cashless system in liquor shops and asking them to install point-of-sale (POS) machines. Though it will difficult in rural areas, we are asking shops to switch over to cashless payments."

On media reports suggesting that the cashless system is being introduced to deter teenagers from purchasing liquor, the minister said there is already a law which does not allow sale of liquor to minors.

About sale of liquor near religious places and schools, he said, "An SC order in 2008 says no to liquor vending with a radius of 75 metre of a school or religious place. But, with increase in population density, the number of schools and hospitals have increased leading to conflicts."

"We have decided that no liquor shop will be relocated within 500 metre of religious places or hospitals. In case of objection, even residential colonies will come under the ambit. At the moment it is not in a very formal shape. But we are working on it," the minister said.

About excise revenue expectations for 2017-18, the minister said his department has fixed a target of Rs 20,000 crore.

The minister said that Yogi Adityanath government will introduce its new excise policy from April 2018 and the government plans to break the syndicate system in liquor trade.

"We are working on the new excise policy before finalising it," he said.

The new excise policy may introduce a system of bar code on each bottle in a bid to check black marketing and pilferage in liquor sale, mostly in country-made alcohol products.

The bar code would be connected to computer data to ensure each batch is sold by the rightful dealer, an excise official said.

In case of foreign made liquor too, bar coding could help check exchange from special zone to normal excise zone.

The new policy will also seek to unearth all rackets involving liquor syndicates.

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore following the Supreme Court order banning all liquor shops along national as well as state highways. Of the 8,591 highway liquor shops affected by the Supreme Court order, 2,000 are yet to be relocated while 3,000 shop owners have surrendered their liquor licences, said UP Excise Minister Jai Pratap Singh. "We have incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal ending March 31. Out of the target of realising Rs 19,000 crore, the excise department could generate Rs 14,000 crore following the apex court order order," the minister told PTI. The Supreme Court had last year ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways across the country and prohibited all signages indicating presence of liquor vends. The Supreme Court again on March 31 reiterated its December 15, 2016 order to shut down, by April 1, establishments selling and serving liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways, but relaxed the distance to 220 m for cities, towns and municipal areas with a population of 20,000 or less. According to latest data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), accidents due to drunk driving have the highest fatality rate among all accidents. NCRB data showed that some 42 per cent of drunk driving victims ended up dead in 2015  this was a far higher rate than that of accidents caused by over speeding and reckless driving. Highlighting his department's initiatives for going cashless, Singh said, "We are introducing a cashless system in liquor shops and asking them to install point-of-sale (POS) machines. Though it will difficult in rural areas, we are asking shops to switch over to cashless payments." On media reports suggesting that the cashless system is being introduced to deter teenagers from purchasing liquor, the minister said there is already a law which does not allow sale of liquor to minors. About sale of liquor near religious places and schools, he said, "An SC order in 2008 says no to liquor vending with a radius of 75 metre of a school or religious place. But, with increase in population density, the number of schools and hospitals have increased leading to conflicts." "We have decided that no liquor shop will be relocated within 500 metre of religious places or hospitals. In case of objection, even residential colonies will come under the ambit. At the moment it is not in a very formal shape. But we are working on it," the minister said. About excise revenue expectations for 2017-18, the minister said his department has fixed a target of Rs 20,000 crore. The minister said that Yogi Adityanath government will introduce its new excise policy from April 2018 and the government plans to break the syndicate system in liquor trade. "We are working on the new excise policy before finalising it," he said. The new excise policy may introduce a system of bar code on each bottle in a bid to check black marketing and pilferage in liquor sale, mostly in country-made alcohol products. The bar code would be connected to computer data to ensure each batch is sold by the rightful dealer, an excise official said. In case of foreign made liquor too, bar coding could help check exchange from special zone to normal excise zone. The new policy will also seek to unearth all rackets involving liquor syndicates.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Following the discovery of fake Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degrees issued in the name of Baba Farid University in Punjab a few days ago, the state health minister Brahm Mohindra ordered an enquiry into the matter on Wednesday.

Sources said that racket was detected when one Rajesh Kumar of Bhulle Chakk Colony in Gurdaspur visited the Board of Ayurvedic and Unani Systems of Medicines (BAUSM) to renew his medical registration certificate.

Rajesh Kumars certificate, with the registration number 10967, was discovered to be fake when BAUSM registrar Dr Sanjeev Goyal found that one Dr Sonam Dhiman from Bungal village in Pathankot district was already registered with that number.

The matter was immediately brought to the notice of Vikas Pratap Singh, secretary of Medical Education and Research, who further discussed it with the health and medical education minister Brahm Mohindra. The minister then ordered a vigilance enquiry into the matter.

While ordering the inquiry, Mohindra said that he suspected the racket was behind the spread of intoxicants in the state. The guilty who was duping candidates and endangering lives of people would soon be nabbed, he added.

Enquiries were also being conducted in Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Laxmi Narain Ayurvedic College, Amritsar and Guru Ravidas University.

CHANDIGARH: Following the discovery of fake Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degrees issued in the name of Baba Farid University in Punjab a few days ago, the state health minister Brahm Mohindra ordered an enquiry into the matter on Wednesday. Sources said that racket was detected when one Rajesh Kumar of Bhulle Chakk Colony in Gurdaspur visited the Board of Ayurvedic and Unani Systems of Medicines (BAUSM) to renew his medical registration certificate. Rajesh Kumars certificate, with the registration number 10967, was discovered to be fake when BAUSM registrar Dr Sanjeev Goyal found that one Dr Sonam Dhiman from Bungal village in Pathankot district was already registered with that number. The matter was immediately brought to the notice of Vikas Pratap Singh, secretary of Medical Education and Research, who further discussed it with the health and medical education minister Brahm Mohindra. The minister then ordered a vigilance enquiry into the matter. While ordering the inquiry, Mohindra said that he suspected the racket was behind the spread of intoxicants in the state. The guilty who was duping candidates and endangering lives of people would soon be nabbed, he added. Enquiries were also being conducted in Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Laxmi Narain Ayurvedic College, Amritsar and Guru Ravidas University.
By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Once again, the onus has fallen on women to ensure their own safety, even on office premises. Instead of making it a safe place to work in, the administration of a university in Lucknow passed the diktat that women staff should leave premises by 6 pm.

The vice-chancellor of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, has issued an order directing the women staff not to stay on campus beyond 6 pm. In case they are required to stay for longer hours on special occasions under compelling circumstances, they will have to seek the prior permission from the V-C himself.

R C Sobti, the V-C of the central university, said that on regular days, the women staff, including administrative and faculty members, would have to leave the campus before 6 pm. He claimed that the order was passed to ensure the safety and security of the women working on campus.

"The intent behind the move is to secure women generally from increasing cases of harassment on campus," said BBAU spokesman Govind Pandey. He added that the initiative would also help the women employees to reach home in time before it got dark. With the sex ratio of 912 women per 1000 men, UPs total share of all India crimes against women has varied between 17%- 14% during the last one and a half decade.

The V-C has passed the latest order in the wake of a number of complaints from women staff about their harassment on campus. In recent times, they have been at the receiving end in many cases. So in order to avoid such situations, such an order has been issued, Pandey stated.

He added that heads of all the departments were told to inform the V-C office in advance if any girl student is working in laboratories beyond 6 pm. However, BBAU women employees have objected to the diktat claiming that it was an attempt to restrict their freedom. "Is this the way to women empowerment? It is all hogwash," said Avantika, a research scholar claiming that she was often required to be on campus much beyond 6 pm in connection with her research work.

Condemnation came through from other quarters also. "They only talk of parity and hardly practise it. Freedom for women is only rhetoric," said a student pursuing graduation in science. On the other, a woman administrative officer on campus attributed it to male chauvinism calling it an attempt to shut out women in the name of security. "What about the money (Rs 1 crore) spent on installation of CCTV camera to curb the harassment incidents against women on campus?" she asked on the condition of anonymity.

Criticism poured in from male staff too. The university has two doctors  one male and another female  who are deputed in night shifts on a rotation basis every alternate day. "If the woman doctor will not be allowed to do the night shift, how far is the male doctor expected to slog on night duty?" asked a staffer of the university dispensary, claiming that the order was bound to hamper health services on campus.

However, a female faculty member raised the pertinent issue saying if the order was applicable for all women, then what about the hostellers who were allowed to be in the scholar's room till 8 pm and also the library which remained open from 8am-8pm. "What if the girls are harassed at these places?" she asked.

LUCKNOW: Once again, the onus has fallen on women to ensure their own safety, even on office premises. Instead of making it a safe place to work in, the administration of a university in Lucknow passed the diktat that women staff should leave premises by 6 pm. The vice-chancellor of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, has issued an order directing the women staff not to stay on campus beyond 6 pm. In case they are required to stay for longer hours on special occasions under compelling circumstances, they will have to seek the prior permission from the V-C himself. R C Sobti, the V-C of the central university, said that on regular days, the women staff, including administrative and faculty members, would have to leave the campus before 6 pm. He claimed that the order was passed to ensure the safety and security of the women working on campus. "The intent behind the move is to secure women generally from increasing cases of harassment on campus," said BBAU spokesman Govind Pandey. He added that the initiative would also help the women employees to reach home in time before it got dark. With the sex ratio of 912 women per 1000 men, UPs total share of all India crimes against women has varied between 17%- 14% during the last one and a half decade. The V-C has passed the latest order in the wake of a number of complaints from women staff about their harassment on campus. In recent times, they have been at the receiving end in many cases. So in order to avoid such situations, such an order has been issued, Pandey stated. He added that heads of all the departments were told to inform the V-C office in advance if any girl student is working in laboratories beyond 6 pm. However, BBAU women employees have objected to the diktat claiming that it was an attempt to restrict their freedom. "Is this the way to women empowerment? It is all hogwash," said Avantika, a research scholar claiming that she was often required to be on campus much beyond 6 pm in connection with her research work. Condemnation came through from other quarters also. "They only talk of parity and hardly practise it. Freedom for women is only rhetoric," said a student pursuing graduation in science. On the other, a woman administrative officer on campus attributed it to male chauvinism calling it an attempt to shut out women in the name of security. "What about the money (Rs 1 crore) spent on installation of CCTV camera to curb the harassment incidents against women on campus?" she asked on the condition of anonymity. Criticism poured in from male staff too. The university has two doctors  one male and another female  who are deputed in night shifts on a rotation basis every alternate day. "If the woman doctor will not be allowed to do the night shift, how far is the male doctor expected to slog on night duty?" asked a staffer of the university dispensary, claiming that the order was bound to hamper health services on campus. However, a female faculty member raised the pertinent issue saying if the order was applicable for all women, then what about the hostellers who were allowed to be in the scholar's room till 8 pm and also the library which remained open from 8am-8pm. "What if the girls are harassed at these places?" she asked.
Swaran Singh By

After Prime Minister Narendra Modis hectic three-nation tour, including his half-a-day visit to the Netherlands, his first three-day visit to Israel has generated speculations on expected lines. In Israel, Modi will address over 4,000 Jews of Indian origin and meet Moshe Holtzberg, a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. The two sides will sign three agreements on space cooperation, launch a joint strategic partnership on agriculture and water, open a new Indian cultural centre in Israel and, launch a joint CEOs forum. But the big elephant in the room their expanding defence cooperationseems missing from both sides.

Though sympathetic to the cause of Jews, Indias founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi had denounced proposals for creation of a Jewish state in Palestinian territories. This was viewed through the prism of Indias own experience with partition and the birth of the Islamic State of Pakistan. Since then India and Israel have witnessed a real piecemeal cultivation from both sides resulting in India accepting legitimacy of the Israeli state in 1950, setting up their consulate in Mumbai in 1953 to extending full diplomatic recognition in 1992. This slow pace is often explained by citing Indias historical and cultural connections with the Arab nations and also Indias domestic Left and Muslim constituencies resulting in Indias enduring commitment to the cause of Palestinian liberation and its leadership. So, in spite of their expanding defence cooperation since early 1990s, India-Israel interactions have remained least publicised, let alone celebrated.

In this backdrop, the ongoing visit by Modi can be seen to formally herald the completion of this slow-motion U-turn from opposing the creation of Jewish state of Israel to declaring it as Indias most preferred partner for addressing the formidable threat of Islamic terrorism. As regards Tel Aviv, they have repeatedly announced how they see no difference between Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Hamas groups operating in Palestine and inside Israel. While both have also been evolving strategies for fighting Islamic terrorism, being sensitive to Indias links with Arab regimes, Israel has often said that they seek no reciprocity from New Delhi. But Modi is surely making a gesture by not visiting the Palestinian National Authoritys office in Ramallah and staying put all three days in Tel Aviv. At the same time, however, New Delhi continues to camouflage its defence cooperation with Israel by front-loading agricultural cooperation as their flagship project defining Indo-Israeli bonhomie. The hallmark of the visit therefore will be their signing of a strategic partnership of a unique kind: Focussing on various non-security sectors including agriculture, water, space and science and technology.

The facts however tell a different story. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, from 2012-2016, India has been Israels top destination for its arms exports India has bought over 41 per cent of Israels arms exports. During the same period, Israel emerged as Indias third largest source of defence imports after the United States and Russia, accounting respectively for 7, 14 and 68 per cent of Indias total defence imports. Such an upswing has allowed for carefully cultivated myths about Nehru having asked for Israels help in Indias 1962 war with China or India having helped Israel in its Six-Day War in 1967.

Their real defence cooperation begins from the Kargil War of 1999 when Israeli supply of artillery shells and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) helped India overcome its critical shortages at such a short notice. India later purchased Israeli Barak 1 air-defence systems to intercept Pakistans US made Harpoon missiles. The last major deal by the Manmohan Singh government was the purchase of 176 UAVs that included 108 Searcher Mark II and 68 Heron armed UAVs. The UPA government had also signed with Israel an Agreement on Cooperation on Homeland and Public Security in February 2014. This was part of Indias growing bonhomie with the US resulting in closer relations with all its friends and allies.

These UPA trends and trajectories were to continue under the Modi government which saw Home Minister Rajnath Singh visiting Israel in November 2014 and hosting the first meeting of India-Israel Joint Steering Committee on Homeland Security. Last September, India conducted successful tests on a jointly developed surface-to-air missile for Indian Navys guided missile destroyers. As part of celebrating 25 years of India-Israel diplomatic ties, three destroyer ships of the Indian Navy have already paid friendly port visits to Israel. In April, India signed a $2 billion deal with Israel for purchase of these missiles and in May, India also tested Israels Spyder quick reaction surface-to-air missile meant for intercepting and neutralising incoming missiles or drones from across the Pakistan border. And now the two are beginning to focus on countering terrorism which could witness some new initiatives.

No doubt India and Israel have close agricultural cooperation. Currently running their third action plan for 2015-2018, they have created 15 centres of excellence where Indian farmers have become major beneficiaries of Israeli agri-business practices and technologies especially producing hi-productivity, disease resistant crops with micro-irrigation for arid regions of Haryana and Maharashtra. The last decade has also seen several high level visits from both sides. Bilateral trade however has faced difficulties. It shrunk from $6.1 billion for 2012-2013 to $5.6 billion for 2014-2015. India remains the most preferred destination for Israeli tourists with Indian business travellers and tourists to Israel also increasing. This may increase Israels visibility in India creating new constituencies for stronger partnership.

Swaran Singh

Professor, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi

Email: ssingh@jnu.ac.in

After Prime Minister Narendra Modis hectic three-nation tour, including his half-a-day visit to the Netherlands, his first three-day visit to Israel has generated speculations on expected lines. In Israel, Modi will address over 4,000 Jews of Indian origin and meet Moshe Holtzberg, a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. The two sides will sign three agreements on space cooperation, launch a joint strategic partnership on agriculture and water, open a new Indian cultural centre in Israel and, launch a joint CEOs forum. But the big elephant in the room their expanding defence cooperationseems missing from both sides. Though sympathetic to the cause of Jews, Indias founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi had denounced proposals for creation of a Jewish state in Palestinian territories. This was viewed through the prism of Indias own experience with partition and the birth of the Islamic State of Pakistan. Since then India and Israel have witnessed a real piecemeal cultivation from both sides resulting in India accepting legitimacy of the Israeli state in 1950, setting up their consulate in Mumbai in 1953 to extending full diplomatic recognition in 1992. This slow pace is often explained by citing Indias historical and cultural connections with the Arab nations and also Indias domestic Left and Muslim constituencies resulting in Indias enduring commitment to the cause of Palestinian liberation and its leadership. So, in spite of their expanding defence cooperation since early 1990s, India-Israel interactions have remained least publicised, let alone celebrated. In this backdrop, the ongoing visit by Modi can be seen to formally herald the completion of this slow-motion U-turn from opposing the creation of Jewish state of Israel to declaring it as Indias most preferred partner for addressing the formidable threat of Islamic terrorism. As regards Tel Aviv, they have repeatedly announced how they see no difference between Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Hamas groups operating in Palestine and inside Israel. While both have also been evolving strategies for fighting Islamic terrorism, being sensitive to Indias links with Arab regimes, Israel has often said that they seek no reciprocity from New Delhi. But Modi is surely making a gesture by not visiting the Palestinian National Authoritys office in Ramallah and staying put all three days in Tel Aviv. At the same time, however, New Delhi continues to camouflage its defence cooperation with Israel by front-loading agricultural cooperation as their flagship project defining Indo-Israeli bonhomie. The hallmark of the visit therefore will be their signing of a strategic partnership of a unique kind: Focussing on various non-security sectors including agriculture, water, space and science and technology. The facts however tell a different story. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, from 2012-2016, India has been Israels top destination for its arms exports India has bought over 41 per cent of Israels arms exports. During the same period, Israel emerged as Indias third largest source of defence imports after the United States and Russia, accounting respectively for 7, 14 and 68 per cent of Indias total defence imports. Such an upswing has allowed for carefully cultivated myths about Nehru having asked for Israels help in Indias 1962 war with China or India having helped Israel in its Six-Day War in 1967. Their real defence cooperation begins from the Kargil War of 1999 when Israeli supply of artillery shells and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) helped India overcome its critical shortages at such a short notice. India later purchased Israeli Barak 1 air-defence systems to intercept Pakistans US made Harpoon missiles. The last major deal by the Manmohan Singh government was the purchase of 176 UAVs that included 108 Searcher Mark II and 68 Heron armed UAVs. The UPA government had also signed with Israel an Agreement on Cooperation on Homeland and Public Security in February 2014. This was part of Indias growing bonhomie with the US resulting in closer relations with all its friends and allies. These UPA trends and trajectories were to continue under the Modi government which saw Home Minister Rajnath Singh visiting Israel in November 2014 and hosting the first meeting of India-Israel Joint Steering Committee on Homeland Security. Last September, India conducted successful tests on a jointly developed surface-to-air missile for Indian Navys guided missile destroyers. As part of celebrating 25 years of India-Israel diplomatic ties, three destroyer ships of the Indian Navy have already paid friendly port visits to Israel. In April, India signed a $2 billion deal with Israel for purchase of these missiles and in May, India also tested Israels Spyder quick reaction surface-to-air missile meant for intercepting and neutralising incoming missiles or drones from across the Pakistan border. And now the two are beginning to focus on countering terrorism which could witness some new initiatives. No doubt India and Israel have close agricultural cooperation. Currently running their third action plan for 2015-2018, they have created 15 centres of excellence where Indian farmers have become major beneficiaries of Israeli agri-business practices and technologies especially producing hi-productivity, disease resistant crops with micro-irrigation for arid regions of Haryana and Maharashtra. The last decade has also seen several high level visits from both sides. Bilateral trade however has faced difficulties. It shrunk from $6.1 billion for 2012-2013 to $5.6 billion for 2014-2015. India remains the most preferred destination for Israeli tourists with Indian business travellers and tourists to Israel also increasing. This may increase Israels visibility in India creating new constituencies for stronger partnership. Swaran Singh Professor, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi Email: ssingh@jnu.ac.in
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Sleeping in a bus could cost you dearly. Especially if you are carrying gold and if your wife has an agenda. Muniyappan (42), who works for Chemmanur Jewellers, found this the hard way while travelling from Bengaluru to Coimbatore on official work in February.

After almost five months, the long arm of the law has caught up with his wife Nagalakshmi (36) who allegedly stole the gold ingots weighing 1.2kg to clear her debts. She was arrested on Tuesday.On February 20, Chemmanur Jewellers in SJ Park asked their trustworthy employee Muniyappan to take the gold ingots to their branch in Coimbatore. Muniyappan left the same night with his wife. They boarded a bus around 7.45 pm. After having dinner inside the bus, Muniyappan went to sleep. By the time they reached Salem, Nagalakshmi allegedly transferred the gold from her husbands bag into her suitcase and then threw his bag out of the bus.

When Muniyappan woke up a little later and did not find his bag, he panicked and asked the driver to stop the bus. Soon the luggage of all the passengers was searched but the gold was not found. However, Nagalakshmis bag was not searched.

The story did not end there. When they got down at their destination, Nagalakshmi told Muniyappan that she would return to Bengaluru and asked him to approach Tamil Nadu police. But Muniyappan was told by the police there to file a complaint in Bengaluru.When Muniyappan returned to Bengaluru and informed his employers about the theft, they filed a complaint with the SJ Park police. When the police questioned Muniyappan, they did not get any leads. And when they summoned Nagalakshmi for questioning, she refused to go. She also created a scene when they went to her house.

Police said, We kept an eye on her movements for several months. However, in the first three months though Nagalakshmi tried to pledge/sell gold she was not able to do so as pawn brokers suspected her. Later, she somehow managed to sell it in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Police have now recovered all the gold she had pledged.

BENGALURU: Sleeping in a bus could cost you dearly. Especially if you are carrying gold and if your wife has an agenda. Muniyappan (42), who works for Chemmanur Jewellers, found this the hard way while travelling from Bengaluru to Coimbatore on official work in February. After almost five months, the long arm of the law has caught up with his wife Nagalakshmi (36) who allegedly stole the gold ingots weighing 1.2kg to clear her debts. She was arrested on Tuesday.On February 20, Chemmanur Jewellers in SJ Park asked their trustworthy employee Muniyappan to take the gold ingots to their branch in Coimbatore. Muniyappan left the same night with his wife. They boarded a bus around 7.45 pm. After having dinner inside the bus, Muniyappan went to sleep. By the time they reached Salem, Nagalakshmi allegedly transferred the gold from her husbands bag into her suitcase and then threw his bag out of the bus. When Muniyappan woke up a little later and did not find his bag, he panicked and asked the driver to stop the bus. Soon the luggage of all the passengers was searched but the gold was not found. However, Nagalakshmis bag was not searched. The story did not end there. When they got down at their destination, Nagalakshmi told Muniyappan that she would return to Bengaluru and asked him to approach Tamil Nadu police. But Muniyappan was told by the police there to file a complaint in Bengaluru.When Muniyappan returned to Bengaluru and informed his employers about the theft, they filed a complaint with the SJ Park police. When the police questioned Muniyappan, they did not get any leads. And when they summoned Nagalakshmi for questioning, she refused to go. She also created a scene when they went to her house. Police said, We kept an eye on her movements for several months. However, in the first three months though Nagalakshmi tried to pledge/sell gold she was not able to do so as pawn brokers suspected her. Later, she somehow managed to sell it in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Police have now recovered all the gold she had pledged.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Keralas sensational actress abduction case is throwing up new dramatis personae with every passing day. On Wednesday, actor Dharmajan Bolgatty and Anoop, brother of actor Dileep, stepped into the spotlight.

And interestingly, there were reports Wednesday that the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case is likely to question actor Dileep and his filmmaker friend Nadirsha once again. Of particular interest to the detectives are some phone calls made by main accused Pulsar Suni from jail. The investigators are learnt to have prepared detailed questionnaires based on statements rendered by M/s Dileep and Nadirsha during their previous grilling.

Read: Pulsar Suni Remanded in Police Custody for interrogation over cellphone use in jail

On Wednesday, the SIT summoned Dharmajan and Anoop for interrogation at the Aluva Police Club. Dharmajans grilling began at 3 pm and lasted an hour. The investigators are learnt to have shown the actor a photograph of him with Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the case, and asked what their connection was.

"That photograph must have been shot at a movie location, Dharmajan told media personnel while leaving the Police Club. I do pose for photographs with people at shooting locales.

Dharmarajan revealed that he was summoned to the club by a deputy superintendent of police who is a member of the investigating team.

Meanwhile, Pulsar Suni again said on Wednesday he would, in the next two days, reveal the names of big sharks who were involved in the conspiracy against the leading lady who was abducted and molested on the night of February 17.

This was a stage whisper by the main accused as he was being taken to the court of the Kakkanad chief judicial magistrate on Wednesday.

Pulsar Suni has now been handed over to police custody for five days, as sought by the investigating team. The detectives want to grill him on how he came to possess mobile phones inside the district jail. He is also likely to be taken to Coimbatore where he hid for several days after the crime on February 17.

KOCHI: Keralas sensational actress abduction case is throwing up new dramatis personae with every passing day. On Wednesday, actor Dharmajan Bolgatty and Anoop, brother of actor Dileep, stepped into the spotlight. And interestingly, there were reports Wednesday that the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case is likely to question actor Dileep and his filmmaker friend Nadirsha once again. Of particular interest to the detectives are some phone calls made by main accused Pulsar Suni from jail. The investigators are learnt to have prepared detailed questionnaires based on statements rendered by M/s Dileep and Nadirsha during their previous grilling. Read: Pulsar Suni Remanded in Police Custody for interrogation over cellphone use in jail On Wednesday, the SIT summoned Dharmajan and Anoop for interrogation at the Aluva Police Club. Dharmajans grilling began at 3 pm and lasted an hour. The investigators are learnt to have shown the actor a photograph of him with Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the case, and asked what their connection was. "That photograph must have been shot at a movie location, Dharmajan told media personnel while leaving the Police Club. I do pose for photographs with people at shooting locales. Dharmarajan revealed that he was summoned to the club by a deputy superintendent of police who is a member of the investigating team. Meanwhile, Pulsar Suni again said on Wednesday he would, in the next two days, reveal the names of big sharks who were involved in the conspiracy against the leading lady who was abducted and molested on the night of February 17. This was a stage whisper by the main accused as he was being taken to the court of the Kakkanad chief judicial magistrate on Wednesday. Pulsar Suni has now been handed over to police custody for five days, as sought by the investigating team. The detectives want to grill him on how he came to possess mobile phones inside the district jail. He is also likely to be taken to Coimbatore where he hid for several days after the crime on February 17.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Giving indications about the role of Malayalam film industry bigwigs in the conspiracy behind the abduction and assault on an actress in Kochi, Sunilkumar aka Pulsar Suni, the key accused in the case, threw some choice tidbits as he was brought to the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Tuesday. Some big sharks are involved in the crime, and they are yet to be caught, he told mediapersons.

The police produced Suni before the court as his remand period ended on Tuesday. The court extended his remand to July 18. However, the accused did not move a bail plea before the court.

Meanwhile, dramatic scenes unfurled inside the court hall as two counsels appeared before the magistrate representing Suni. Advocates - B A Aloor and Tenny - were involved in a verbal duel as both claimed they represented Suni. Aloor, who had earlier appeared for the accused in sensational cases such as Jisha murder, wanted to plead the case for Suni which was objected by Tenny who had been representing Suni from the beginning.

IG Dinendra Kashyap arriving

to review the case | Albin Mathew



However, the court intervened and directed Suni to file an application to transfer the vakalat (advocacy) to Aloor. Following the court direction, Suni signed the advocacy petition.

Suni also complained to the court he was subjected to physical torture in jail. However, police surgeon Rajesh V R, who appeared before the court submitted the accused did not inform him about torture and he could not find any internal injury during examination. According to the doctor, the accused was physically fit.

Aloor told mediapersons Suni feared his life would be in danger if he was released from the jail. He feared threat to his life and hence did not move an application for bail. There are a few influential persons behind the conspiracy. He feels safe inside the jail, Aloor said. A complaint will be lodged against the police surgeon for submitting a false report before the court on Sunis complaint regarding physical torture in jail.

The court granted bail for Charlie, the seventh accused in the case, who provided a hideout for Suni at Coimbatore while he was on the run after committing the crime.Meanwhile, a team led by Kalamassery C I Jayakrishnan conducted a search at Kakkanad District Jail in the case regarding the alleged use of mobile phone by Pulsar Suni. The cops also retrieved the CCTV footage from the prison. Earlier the Info Park police had registered a case after the recovery of a mobile phone and SIM cards allegedly used by Suni inside the jail.

KOCHI: Giving indications about the role of Malayalam film industry bigwigs in the conspiracy behind the abduction and assault on an actress in Kochi, Sunilkumar aka Pulsar Suni, the key accused in the case, threw some choice tidbits as he was brought to the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Tuesday. Some big sharks are involved in the crime, and they are yet to be caught, he told mediapersons. The police produced Suni before the court as his remand period ended on Tuesday. The court extended his remand to July 18. However, the accused did not move a bail plea before the court. Meanwhile, dramatic scenes unfurled inside the court hall as two counsels appeared before the magistrate representing Suni. Advocates - B A Aloor and Tenny - were involved in a verbal duel as both claimed they represented Suni. Aloor, who had earlier appeared for the accused in sensational cases such as Jisha murder, wanted to plead the case for Suni which was objected by Tenny who had been representing Suni from the beginning. IG Dinendra Kashyap arriving to review the case | Albin Mathew However, the court intervened and directed Suni to file an application to transfer the vakalat (advocacy) to Aloor. Following the court direction, Suni signed the advocacy petition. Suni also complained to the court he was subjected to physical torture in jail. However, police surgeon Rajesh V R, who appeared before the court submitted the accused did not inform him about torture and he could not find any internal injury during examination. According to the doctor, the accused was physically fit. Aloor told mediapersons Suni feared his life would be in danger if he was released from the jail. He feared threat to his life and hence did not move an application for bail. There are a few influential persons behind the conspiracy. He feels safe inside the jail, Aloor said. A complaint will be lodged against the police surgeon for submitting a false report before the court on Sunis complaint regarding physical torture in jail. The court granted bail for Charlie, the seventh accused in the case, who provided a hideout for Suni at Coimbatore while he was on the run after committing the crime.Meanwhile, a team led by Kalamassery C I Jayakrishnan conducted a search at Kakkanad District Jail in the case regarding the alleged use of mobile phone by Pulsar Suni. The cops also retrieved the CCTV footage from the prison. Earlier the Info Park police had registered a case after the recovery of a mobile phone and SIM cards allegedly used by Suni inside the jail.
Rajesh Abraham By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Jews from Kochi settled in Israel are overjoyed and excited as Narendra Modi began his historic visit to Israel on Tuesday even as they hope to take up the issue of denial of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to Indian Jews in Israel with the Prime Minister.



Over phone from Kadima, about 35 km off Tel Aviv, Aaron Muttath, said the entire Israel is abuzz with Modis visit. For the past three to four days, everyone here is discussing the Prime Ministers visit. We are all excited, he said. Aarons family shifted to Israel in 1970 when he was just 12 years old. He has a house in Paravoor in Ernakulam district, and makes it a point to visit Kerala at least once a year.

Dr Shifra Muttath, wife of Aaron, said: This is a path-breaking visit.



Shifra went to Israel in 1990 after completing her dentistry course in Kochi and in the country of her forefathers she met her future husband, who incidentally is from Kerala. Shifra said a cultural programme arranged for Modi on Tuesday was cancelled owing to security reasons, much to the disappointment of the Indian diaspora.

Tirza Lavi



According to her, youngsters are not getting OCI cards as they have undergone army service. We have compulsory army service in Israel. So, its unfair to deny OCI cards just because we have done army service, she said. Tirza Lavi, whose entire family relocated from Kochi to Israel back in 1971, is also one of the organisers for Modis public meeting on Wednesday.

There will be a gathering of over 6,000 people in Tel Aviv comprising Indian-origin Israelis with their families (spouses and children) meeting with Modi on Wednesday evening. Many buses have been organised for the event for all the Jews from Kochi, she told Express over phone from Tel Aviv.

I was invited to have a seat in the VIP part of the convention and also to get a photo with the PM, Tirza said, words failing to betray her excitement. For Jewish couple Samson Pallivadikal, 71, and Miriam Artzi Pallivadikal, 68, who are based in Rehovot, about 20 km off Tel Aviv, the visit of Modi comes at a time when they are in Kochi for their annual visit. We are proud to have Modi in Israel, the first Indian Prime Minister ever to visit the country, said Samson. Yes, its a big miss for us, said Miriam. We planned our trip to Kerala early, and hence could not change the plans, she said.

KOCHI: Jews from Kochi settled in Israel are overjoyed and excited as Narendra Modi began his historic visit to Israel on Tuesday even as they hope to take up the issue of denial of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to Indian Jews in Israel with the Prime Minister. Over phone from Kadima, about 35 km off Tel Aviv, Aaron Muttath, said the entire Israel is abuzz with Modis visit. For the past three to four days, everyone here is discussing the Prime Ministers visit. We are all excited, he said. Aarons family shifted to Israel in 1970 when he was just 12 years old. He has a house in Paravoor in Ernakulam district, and makes it a point to visit Kerala at least once a year. Dr Shifra Muttath, wife of Aaron, said: This is a path-breaking visit. Shifra went to Israel in 1990 after completing her dentistry course in Kochi and in the country of her forefathers she met her future husband, who incidentally is from Kerala. Shifra said a cultural programme arranged for Modi on Tuesday was cancelled owing to security reasons, much to the disappointment of the Indian diaspora. Tirza Lavi According to her, youngsters are not getting OCI cards as they have undergone army service. We have compulsory army service in Israel. So, its unfair to deny OCI cards just because we have done army service, she said. Tirza Lavi, whose entire family relocated from Kochi to Israel back in 1971, is also one of the organisers for Modis public meeting on Wednesday. There will be a gathering of over 6,000 people in Tel Aviv comprising Indian-origin Israelis with their families (spouses and children) meeting with Modi on Wednesday evening. Many buses have been organised for the event for all the Jews from Kochi, she told Express over phone from Tel Aviv. I was invited to have a seat in the VIP part of the convention and also to get a photo with the PM, Tirza said, words failing to betray her excitement. For Jewish couple Samson Pallivadikal, 71, and Miriam Artzi Pallivadikal, 68, who are based in Rehovot, about 20 km off Tel Aviv, the visit of Modi comes at a time when they are in Kochi for their annual visit. We are proud to have Modi in Israel, the first Indian Prime Minister ever to visit the country, said Samson. Yes, its a big miss for us, said Miriam. We planned our trip to Kerala early, and hence could not change the plans, she said.
By Express News Service

PUDUCHERRY: In a dramatic development, the three BJP members nominated as MLAs to the territorial assembly by the Union Home Ministry were sworn in by Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi at Raj Nivas on Tuesday night.

Bedi, in a hastily-convened event, administered oath of office to V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathy. Under normal circumstances and usual procedures, it is the Assembly Speaker who administers the oath.

It was such a hush-hush affair that there was no intimation to the media for the event. They were later informed about it through an official press release with photos and videos. The reason for the sudden oath-taking, bypassing the Speaker V Vaithilingam was not stated.

Except Bedi and Raj Nivas officials, no others were present at the 8 pm ritual. There seems to have been no invite to anyone. Handpicked, the trio were recommended by L-G to the Union Home Ministry for the posts, while the Congress government led by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who, going to the convention, should recommend names, was kept in the dark.

The practice thus far has been that the elected government will recommend names to be nominated as MLAs through L-G and the ministry would issue appointment orders. Earlier in the day, the three nominated MLAs had called on the Lt Governor at Raj Nivas and had told media persons that it was a courtesy call.

At noon, all the three men called on the Speaker and apprised him about their nominations by showing the orders they received from the Home Ministry. They expressed their desire to get sworn in immediately, that is by the evening, but the Speaker declined their request stating that there is a process involved. Vaithilingam asked them to submit the gazette notification of Puducherry government pertaining to their appointment to the Assembly secretary so that he could take a decision.

Upset over the unilateral nomination of the three members to the assembly, this, perhaps, the Congress government thought was the only way to buy time, as it has been trying to nullify the appointment by legal means. The hearing on the case filed by K Lakshminarayanan, Congress MLA and parliamentary secretary to Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, seeking a stay on the nomination is coming up in the Madras High Court on Wednesday.Sensing trouble in the event of the court granting stay, the trio were administered the oath by the L-G at night.

PUDUCHERRY: In a dramatic development, the three BJP members nominated as MLAs to the territorial assembly by the Union Home Ministry were sworn in by Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi at Raj Nivas on Tuesday night. Bedi, in a hastily-convened event, administered oath of office to V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathy. Under normal circumstances and usual procedures, it is the Assembly Speaker who administers the oath. It was such a hush-hush affair that there was no intimation to the media for the event. They were later informed about it through an official press release with photos and videos. The reason for the sudden oath-taking, bypassing the Speaker V Vaithilingam was not stated. Except Bedi and Raj Nivas officials, no others were present at the 8 pm ritual. There seems to have been no invite to anyone. Handpicked, the trio were recommended by L-G to the Union Home Ministry for the posts, while the Congress government led by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who, going to the convention, should recommend names, was kept in the dark. The practice thus far has been that the elected government will recommend names to be nominated as MLAs through L-G and the ministry would issue appointment orders. Earlier in the day, the three nominated MLAs had called on the Lt Governor at Raj Nivas and had told media persons that it was a courtesy call. At noon, all the three men called on the Speaker and apprised him about their nominations by showing the orders they received from the Home Ministry. They expressed their desire to get sworn in immediately, that is by the evening, but the Speaker declined their request stating that there is a process involved. Vaithilingam asked them to submit the gazette notification of Puducherry government pertaining to their appointment to the Assembly secretary so that he could take a decision. Upset over the unilateral nomination of the three members to the assembly, this, perhaps, the Congress government thought was the only way to buy time, as it has been trying to nullify the appointment by legal means. The hearing on the case filed by K Lakshminarayanan, Congress MLA and parliamentary secretary to Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, seeking a stay on the nomination is coming up in the Madras High Court on Wednesday.Sensing trouble in the event of the court granting stay, the trio were administered the oath by the L-G at night.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: An anti-terror squad team of Rajasthan police secured a Chennai-based businessman late on Monday night on suspicion of links with terror outfits.This came following information from a suspect who was nabbed from the city in February, officials of the Rajasthan team told Express.

M Haroon Rasheed (36), who runs a mobile phone and money exchange business was picked up by a five-member team from Rajasthan led by an ADSP.

M Haroon Rasheed

We secured him based on the information provided by Mohammed Iqbal, who was arrested in February over suspected links to terror outfits. We suspect Rasheed to have involvement in channelling money to those like ISIS, ATS SP Vikas Kumar told Express.

Based on Rasheeds request, his elder brother Imran Khan was allowed to accompany them to Rajasthan.

According to a source in Rajasthan police, Iqbal (36) was arrested following information revealed by Jameel, who was arrested in that State in November. During the investigation, the team found that Iqbal had received calls from a landline number in Chennai, which led to Rasheed.

The Rajasthan ATS team that comprises an ADSP, an inspector and three other personnel, reached the city five days ago and was closely monitoring Rasheed, said sources.

On Monday, he closed his shop at Burma Bazaar around 10.45 pm and went to meet his friends near Muthialpet Post Office. That is when the Rajasthan team picked him up. Rasheed was taken to his home, and an inquiry was held with his family members too, said an official with the city police requesting anonymity.

During preliminary inquiry, Rasheed said he usually gave money to couriers to bring mobile phones from Dubai, including `60,000 recently. But we are looking into the terror angle behind these financial transactions, said the source in Rajasthan police.

Sources in city police intelligence wing said Rasheed was a native of Ramanathapuram district, who

had come to Chennai about 30 years ago. He was into mobile phone business, including importing them from abroad. Sources said he was the main dealer for a private mobile phone company.

CHENNAI: An anti-terror squad team of Rajasthan police secured a Chennai-based businessman late on Monday night on suspicion of links with terror outfits.This came following information from a suspect who was nabbed from the city in February, officials of the Rajasthan team told Express. M Haroon Rasheed (36), who runs a mobile phone and money exchange business was picked up by a five-member team from Rajasthan led by an ADSP. M Haroon RasheedWe secured him based on the information provided by Mohammed Iqbal, who was arrested in February over suspected links to terror outfits. We suspect Rasheed to have involvement in channelling money to those like ISIS, ATS SP Vikas Kumar told Express. Based on Rasheeds request, his elder brother Imran Khan was allowed to accompany them to Rajasthan. According to a source in Rajasthan police, Iqbal (36) was arrested following information revealed by Jameel, who was arrested in that State in November. During the investigation, the team found that Iqbal had received calls from a landline number in Chennai, which led to Rasheed. The Rajasthan ATS team that comprises an ADSP, an inspector and three other personnel, reached the city five days ago and was closely monitoring Rasheed, said sources. On Monday, he closed his shop at Burma Bazaar around 10.45 pm and went to meet his friends near Muthialpet Post Office. That is when the Rajasthan team picked him up. Rasheed was taken to his home, and an inquiry was held with his family members too, said an official with the city police requesting anonymity. During preliminary inquiry, Rasheed said he usually gave money to couriers to bring mobile phones from Dubai, including `60,000 recently. But we are looking into the terror angle behind these financial transactions, said the source in Rajasthan police. Sources in city police intelligence wing said Rasheed was a native of Ramanathapuram district, who had come to Chennai about 30 years ago. He was into mobile phone business, including importing them from abroad. Sources said he was the main dealer for a private mobile phone company.
Pinhas Inbari By

Express News Service

TEL AVIV: I want to prepare a most VIP (sic) welcome to Prime Minister Modi- no less than the visit of President Trump. That was what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his office soon after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially accepted his invitation to visit Israel sometime early last year.

Israel laid out the red carpet for Modi when his plane landed at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport on Tuesday evening. After a warm hug, the two leaders gave brief speeches at the tarmac, with Netanyahu welcoming his friend Modi in Hindi. This is a long-awaited visit...70 years to be precise. We love India  its history, culture and the winds of change, Netanyahu said.

Its a big honour to be the first Indian Prime Minister in Israel. India is an old civilization, but the young people are its economic engine and we consider Israel to be among our most important partners, Modi responded. Besides seeking economic prosperity we fight terror together, and this is the Memorial Day for the fall of Yonatan Netanyahu (PMs brother) in Entebbe when he saved so many lives, he added.

But the visit is not only about security  it might be typical that from the airport both leaders went directly to a flower farm that employs modern techniques and then to Yad Vashem the Holocaust memorial site. This will be followed by an official dinner at Netanyahus residence, a rare honour for a visiting head of State. Most Israelis love India, a favourite tourist destination, particularly for the youngsters who have just finished their conscription service. Meeting with young Israelis and Indians in Israel is likely to be one of the key features.

Israeli officials are delighted that India has finally de-hyphenated their country from Palestine by bypassing Ramallah. A senior Palestinian source said Modi is unlikely to raise the Palestine issue during this visit, fuelling speculations that India might leave the pro-Palestinian bloc in the United Nations, inflicting a severe blow to the movement.

But Lev Aran, an Israeli expert on Indian affairs believes New Delhi will not go that far because of the Kashmir issue. India does not want Palestinians to draw similar traits between Kashmir and Palestine. They want it to be left as an internal issue of India and hence will remain loyal to the Palestinian cause.

However, despite all the official hype here, the Israeli media did not consider the event important enough to run on prime time. There were other issues that stole the headlines  an environmental disaster in the Negev, President Rivlin pardoning former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who was jailed on corruption, and the internal elections in Labor party were deemed far more important.

Road to Washington

Formally de-hyphenate relations with Israel & the Arab world, including Palestine

Heron armed drone (will change the strategic equation in South Asia)

Robust intelligence cooperation, particularly on terror and Pakistan/Afghanistan/Central Asia

Deep cooperation in IT, particularly high-end stuff like Artificial intelligence

Ramp up non-defence trade from $5-6 billion to $10 billion

Education ties, particularly in higher, specialised education

More Indian states to get Israeli water management and irrigation

Obtain advanced digital technology in the health sector

Sharper and clearer embrace of Israel as an ally

High-end tech from the US, which it cannot directly give us, owing to restrictions on dual use tech, but which Israel has and can share with India

TEL AVIV: I want to prepare a most VIP (sic) welcome to Prime Minister Modi- no less than the visit of President Trump. That was what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his office soon after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially accepted his invitation to visit Israel sometime early last year. Israel laid out the red carpet for Modi when his plane landed at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport on Tuesday evening. After a warm hug, the two leaders gave brief speeches at the tarmac, with Netanyahu welcoming his friend Modi in Hindi. This is a long-awaited visit...70 years to be precise. We love India  its history, culture and the winds of change, Netanyahu said. Its a big honour to be the first Indian Prime Minister in Israel. India is an old civilization, but the young people are its economic engine and we consider Israel to be among our most important partners, Modi responded. Besides seeking economic prosperity we fight terror together, and this is the Memorial Day for the fall of Yonatan Netanyahu (PMs brother) in Entebbe when he saved so many lives, he added. But the visit is not only about security  it might be typical that from the airport both leaders went directly to a flower farm that employs modern techniques and then to Yad Vashem the Holocaust memorial site. This will be followed by an official dinner at Netanyahus residence, a rare honour for a visiting head of State. Most Israelis love India, a favourite tourist destination, particularly for the youngsters who have just finished their conscription service. Meeting with young Israelis and Indians in Israel is likely to be one of the key features. Israeli officials are delighted that India has finally de-hyphenated their country from Palestine by bypassing Ramallah. A senior Palestinian source said Modi is unlikely to raise the Palestine issue during this visit, fuelling speculations that India might leave the pro-Palestinian bloc in the United Nations, inflicting a severe blow to the movement. But Lev Aran, an Israeli expert on Indian affairs believes New Delhi will not go that far because of the Kashmir issue. India does not want Palestinians to draw similar traits between Kashmir and Palestine. They want it to be left as an internal issue of India and hence will remain loyal to the Palestinian cause. However, despite all the official hype here, the Israeli media did not consider the event important enough to run on prime time. There were other issues that stole the headlines  an environmental disaster in the Negev, President Rivlin pardoning former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who was jailed on corruption, and the internal elections in Labor party were deemed far more important. Road to Washington Formally de-hyphenate relations with Israel & the Arab world, including Palestine Heron armed drone (will change the strategic equation in South Asia) Robust intelligence cooperation, particularly on terror and Pakistan/Afghanistan/Central Asia Deep cooperation in IT, particularly high-end stuff like Artificial intelligence Ramp up non-defence trade from $5-6 billion to $10 billion Education ties, particularly in higher, specialised education More Indian states to get Israeli water management and irrigation Obtain advanced digital technology in the health sector Sharper and clearer embrace of Israel as an ally High-end tech from the US, which it cannot directly give us, owing to restrictions on dual use tech, but which Israel has and can share with India
By AFP

BARCELONA: Police detained 24 people in Spain, Italy and Germany on Wednesday as part of a Europe-wide operation against suspected members of Italy's Camorra crime group, a Spanish police spokesman said.

"Fourteen have been detained in Spain, eight in Italy and two in Germany," a spokesman for Spain's Guardia Civil police force told AFP, without revealing their identities.

He said the operation aimed to "dismantle an international criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking and money laundering", adding that he was referring to the "Italian Camorra," based in Naples in southern Italy.

Police were searching several premises in Barcelona, Spain's second-largest city, including homes, restaurants and other businesses, as part of the operation.

In Spain most of the arrests took place in Barcelona while in Italy they mostly took place in Naples, the spokesman said.

Spanish police suspect the organisation laundered money earned through drug trafficking through a vast network of firms based in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Portugal.

The Camorra used gambling houses, car rental agencies and gold stores in these countries to launder money, the police spokesman said.

Police regularly detain members of Italian mafias in Spain.

In an interview with El Pais newspaper last month, Italy's mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti said his country's crime syndicates were solidly implanted in Spain.

He said the country was "a strategic place" for them "for geographical reasons, and because they think they can go about their business under less scrutiny."

"It's a strategic location for drug trafficking and offers opportunities for money laundering. They see it as a place to colonise."

Spain's proximity to Morocco, one of the world's largest producers of hashish, as well as its close ties with former colonies in Latin America have made it the main entry point of hashish and cocaine into Europe.

Several Italian mafia clans have transferred their more risky activities such as drug trafficking to Spain, according to Italian journalist Roberto Saviano, the author of "Gomorrah", the best-selling expose on the criminal underworld in Naples.

Camorra bosses refer to Spain's Mediterranean coast as "Costa Nostra", or "Our Coast", alluding to the Sicilian mafia "Cosa Nostra", according to Saviano.

BARCELONA: Police detained 24 people in Spain, Italy and Germany on Wednesday as part of a Europe-wide operation against suspected members of Italy's Camorra crime group, a Spanish police spokesman said. "Fourteen have been detained in Spain, eight in Italy and two in Germany," a spokesman for Spain's Guardia Civil police force told AFP, without revealing their identities. He said the operation aimed to "dismantle an international criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking and money laundering", adding that he was referring to the "Italian Camorra," based in Naples in southern Italy. Police were searching several premises in Barcelona, Spain's second-largest city, including homes, restaurants and other businesses, as part of the operation. In Spain most of the arrests took place in Barcelona while in Italy they mostly took place in Naples, the spokesman said. Spanish police suspect the organisation laundered money earned through drug trafficking through a vast network of firms based in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Portugal. The Camorra used gambling houses, car rental agencies and gold stores in these countries to launder money, the police spokesman said. Police regularly detain members of Italian mafias in Spain. In an interview with El Pais newspaper last month, Italy's mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti said his country's crime syndicates were solidly implanted in Spain. He said the country was "a strategic place" for them "for geographical reasons, and because they think they can go about their business under less scrutiny." "It's a strategic location for drug trafficking and offers opportunities for money laundering. They see it as a place to colonise." Spain's proximity to Morocco, one of the world's largest producers of hashish, as well as its close ties with former colonies in Latin America have made it the main entry point of hashish and cocaine into Europe. Several Italian mafia clans have transferred their more risky activities such as drug trafficking to Spain, according to Italian journalist Roberto Saviano, the author of "Gomorrah", the best-selling expose on the criminal underworld in Naples. Camorra bosses refer to Spain's Mediterranean coast as "Costa Nostra", or "Our Coast", alluding to the Sicilian mafia "Cosa Nostra", according to Saviano.
By AFP

DUBAI: Emirates airline announced on Wednesday that it had won an exemption from a US ban on passengers taking laptops and tablet computers on flights from its base in Dubai.

Emirates is the third carrier after neighbouring Abu Dhabi's Etihad and Turkish Airlines to win a reprieve from the new rules Washington imposed three months ago on direct flights from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa.

"The ban on electronic devices has been lifted with immediate effect for flights to destinations in the United States," an airline spokesman told AFP.

He said Emirates had won the exemption after implementing new security measures demanded by Washington in March when intelligence officials learnt of efforts by the Islamic State group to produce a bomb that could be hidden inside electronic devices.

They required the installation of sophisticated imaging devices for X-ray and ultrasound screening of carry-on devices.

All other electronic devices larger than a mobile phone had to be transported only in checked luggage.

The laptop ban triggered a fall in demand for Emirates' US-bound flights and in May the airline reduced services on five of the 12 US airports it serves.

Etihad was the first airline to meet the new US security requirements, with its exemption starting on Sunday. Turkish Airlines followed earlier on Wednesday.

Britain announced a similar ban on personal electronic devices for flights originating from six countries, including Turkey but not the United Arab Emirates.

Turkish Airlines chief executive Bilal Eksi said on Wednesday that he expected Britain to lift its ban on the airline's flights "shortly".

DUBAI: Emirates airline announced on Wednesday that it had won an exemption from a US ban on passengers taking laptops and tablet computers on flights from its base in Dubai. Emirates is the third carrier after neighbouring Abu Dhabi's Etihad and Turkish Airlines to win a reprieve from the new rules Washington imposed three months ago on direct flights from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. "The ban on electronic devices has been lifted with immediate effect for flights to destinations in the United States," an airline spokesman told AFP. He said Emirates had won the exemption after implementing new security measures demanded by Washington in March when intelligence officials learnt of efforts by the Islamic State group to produce a bomb that could be hidden inside electronic devices. They required the installation of sophisticated imaging devices for X-ray and ultrasound screening of carry-on devices. All other electronic devices larger than a mobile phone had to be transported only in checked luggage. The laptop ban triggered a fall in demand for Emirates' US-bound flights and in May the airline reduced services on five of the 12 US airports it serves. Etihad was the first airline to meet the new US security requirements, with its exemption starting on Sunday. Turkish Airlines followed earlier on Wednesday. Britain announced a similar ban on personal electronic devices for flights originating from six countries, including Turkey but not the United Arab Emirates. Turkish Airlines chief executive Bilal Eksi said on Wednesday that he expected Britain to lift its ban on the airline's flights "shortly".
By PTI

JERUSALEM: India and Israel today signed seven agreements to step up cooperation in key sectors like space, agriculture and water conservation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held in-depth talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Department of Science and Technology and Israel's National Technological Innovation Authority for setting up of USD 40 million worth India-Israel Industrial Research and Development (R&D) and Technical Innovation Fund.

Prime Minister Modi said, "we are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field".

"Our decision to establish a bilateral technology innovation fund worth USD 40 million for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal.

"We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do more in this direction.

Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts," he said.

In the water sector, two agreements were signed to increase cooperation on water conservation and state water utility reform in India.

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources signed the agreement on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India.

The second one was signed between Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources on State Water Utility Reform in India.

Modi said that Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology and "these are also among my priority areas in India's development".

"We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation," he said.

In the agriculture sector, the two countries have agreed upon India-Israel Development Cooperation - a three-year work programme in agriculture from 2018 to 2020.

They also agreed for cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks.

Besides, separate MoUs were signed between ISRO and ISA for cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link, and in Electric Propulsion for small satellites.

Modi, who held wide-ranging talks with Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit, the first by an Indian premier, also said that during their talks he and Netanyahu agreed to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.

JERUSALEM: India and Israel today signed seven agreements to step up cooperation in key sectors like space, agriculture and water conservation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held in-depth talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Department of Science and Technology and Israel's National Technological Innovation Authority for setting up of USD 40 million worth India-Israel Industrial Research and Development (R&D) and Technical Innovation Fund. Prime Minister Modi said, "we are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field". "Our decision to establish a bilateral technology innovation fund worth USD 40 million for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal. "We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do more in this direction. Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts," he said. In the water sector, two agreements were signed to increase cooperation on water conservation and state water utility reform in India. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources signed the agreement on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India. The second one was signed between Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources on State Water Utility Reform in India. Modi said that Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology and "these are also among my priority areas in India's development". "We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation," he said. In the agriculture sector, the two countries have agreed upon India-Israel Development Cooperation - a three-year work programme in agriculture from 2018 to 2020. They also agreed for cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks. Besides, separate MoUs were signed between ISRO and ISA for cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link, and in Electric Propulsion for small satellites. Modi, who held wide-ranging talks with Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit, the first by an Indian premier, also said that during their talks he and Netanyahu agreed to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.
By PTI

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu today discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region that has been marred by years of conflict.

"We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail," Prime Minister Modi said after holding wideranging talks with his Israeli counterpart on the second day of his landmark visit.

Later, a joint statement issued by the two sides said the two Prime Ministers discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

"They underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region," it said.

The two leaders "reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements," it added.

Ahead of his visit, Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish state, had said that India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully.

India supports all efforts to find an acceptable solution to all the pending issues, including Jerusalem, he had said.

"A final-status agreement should respect the sentiments and address demands of all affected parties," Modi had said.

The two-state solution envisions independent Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting side by side peacefully. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as their future capital.

During his historic three-day visit, Modi did not travel to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, to meet with Palestinian leaders, as is common for visiting foreign dignitaries.

The move is seen as a significant departure from the past when Indian leaders always visited Palestinian territories while visiting Israel.

Modi, however, had met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in New Delhi in May.

India for the first time has de-linked its relationship with Israel from its traditional support to Palestine. It hopes to leverage its relationship with Israel to attract more investment, and gain from Israeli cutting-edge technology and defence.

The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu today discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region that has been marred by years of conflict. "We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail," Prime Minister Modi said after holding wideranging talks with his Israeli counterpart on the second day of his landmark visit. Later, a joint statement issued by the two sides said the two Prime Ministers discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. "They underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the region," it said. The two leaders "reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements," it added. Ahead of his visit, Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish state, had said that India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully. India supports all efforts to find an acceptable solution to all the pending issues, including Jerusalem, he had said. "A final-status agreement should respect the sentiments and address demands of all affected parties," Modi had said. The two-state solution envisions independent Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting side by side peacefully. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as their future capital. During his historic three-day visit, Modi did not travel to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, to meet with Palestinian leaders, as is common for visiting foreign dignitaries. The move is seen as a significant departure from the past when Indian leaders always visited Palestinian territories while visiting Israel. Modi, however, had met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in New Delhi in May. India for the first time has de-linked its relationship with Israel from its traditional support to Palestine. It hopes to leverage its relationship with Israel to attract more investment, and gain from Israeli cutting-edge technology and defence. The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.
By PTI

BEIJING: The Chinese official media today stepped up its attack on India with editorials asking Indian troops to move out of Dokalam area in Sikkim sector "with dignity or be kicked out" and describing the situation as "worryingly tense".

While China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times said India should be taught a "bitter lesson", another official newspaper, China Daily, said India should look in the mirror.

The Global Times said in its editorial that India will suffer "greater losses" than in 1962 if it "incites" border clashes with China.

As the standoff in the Dokalam area continued for the third week, it said India should be taught a "bitter lesson".

It also claimed that the Chinese public was infuriated by India's "provocation".

"We believe the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers," it said.

"We need to give diplomatic and military authorities full power to handle the issue. We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson," it said.

The editorial said it "firmly" believes that the face-off in what it calls the Donglang area will end with the Indian troops in "retreat".

ALSO READ: All eyes on Modi-Xi meeting on G20 sidelines

"If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area (referred to as Dokalam or Dok La), and it is ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power," it said.

The paper was referring Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat saying that India 'was ready for a two-and-a-half front war'.

"Jaitley (Defence Minister Arun Jaitley) is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts," it added.

Jaitley on June 30 said India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, hitting out at China for asking the Indian Army to learn from "historical lessons".

WATCH: Bhutanese people say China's border action could lead to war

According to the editorial in China Daily, India's defeat in the 1962 war was perhaps too "humiliating" for some in the Indian military and that is why they are talking "belligerently" this time.

Since the standoff on June 6, when the PLA destroyed bunkers of the Indian Army, claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces warning India against escalating border tensions.

"India should look in the mirror. It was not able to refute the evidence of illegal border-trespassing and coerced its small neighbour Bhutan to shoulder the blame," the China Daily said.

The Global Times also asserted that China attaches great importance to domestic stability and doesn't want to be mired in a mess with India.

"But New Delhi would be too naive to think that Beijing would make concessions to its unruly demands," it said.

"New Delhi's real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block China's road construction there," the editorial said.

"Cold war-obsessed India is suspicious" that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area. India is taking the risk to betray the historical agreement and wants to force China to "swallow" the result, it said.

The China Daily added that India should respect border agreement and withdraw troops, linking India's move to stop the Chinese military from building a strategic road in Dokalam area in June 16 to its concern over China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"India may be trying to make a point. It is reportedly worried that the Chinese road construction may represent a significant change in the status quo with serious security implications for India, according to its foreign ministry."

ALSO READ: China says Doklam situation 'grave', rules out compromise

Such worries, the paper added, could have been allayed through dialogue and consultation using the mechanisms that are already in place and "which have long helped the two sides maintain peace and tranquillity in the region since their short border war in 1962".

The editorial said the situation in Dokalam remains "worryingly tense, with a stand-off between soldiers of the two countries still ongoing".

"That the situation has not flared out of control is thanks to the great restraint exercised by the Chinese troops.

But the tensions resulting from the intrusion will surely grow if there is not a total withdrawal of the Indian troops."

Unlike previous incidents that have occurred along other parts of the 3,500-kilometre border between China and India, the latest incident happened at a section that has long been demarcated by an 1890 historical convention and reaffirmed in documents exchanged between the successive Chinese and Indian governments since then.

Both dailies, however, referred to India's concerns over the road in Dokalam close to the narrow chicken neck area in the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan border as it could cut off a vital link with India's north-eastern region.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction since June 6 after a Chinese Army construction party came to build a road.

BEIJING: The Chinese official media today stepped up its attack on India with editorials asking Indian troops to move out of Dokalam area in Sikkim sector "with dignity or be kicked out" and describing the situation as "worryingly tense". While China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times said India should be taught a "bitter lesson", another official newspaper, China Daily, said India should look in the mirror. The Global Times said in its editorial that India will suffer "greater losses" than in 1962 if it "incites" border clashes with China. As the standoff in the Dokalam area continued for the third week, it said India should be taught a "bitter lesson". It also claimed that the Chinese public was infuriated by India's "provocation". "We believe the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers," it said. "We need to give diplomatic and military authorities full power to handle the issue. We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson," it said. The editorial said it "firmly" believes that the face-off in what it calls the Donglang area will end with the Indian troops in "retreat". ALSO READ: All eyes on Modi-Xi meeting on G20 sidelines "If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area (referred to as Dokalam or Dok La), and it is ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power," it said. The paper was referring Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat saying that India 'was ready for a two-and-a-half front war'. "Jaitley (Defence Minister Arun Jaitley) is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts," it added. Jaitley on June 30 said India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, hitting out at China for asking the Indian Army to learn from "historical lessons". WATCH: Bhutanese people say China's border action could lead to war According to the editorial in China Daily, India's defeat in the 1962 war was perhaps too "humiliating" for some in the Indian military and that is why they are talking "belligerently" this time. Since the standoff on June 6, when the PLA destroyed bunkers of the Indian Army, claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces warning India against escalating border tensions. "India should look in the mirror. It was not able to refute the evidence of illegal border-trespassing and coerced its small neighbour Bhutan to shoulder the blame," the China Daily said. The Global Times also asserted that China attaches great importance to domestic stability and doesn't want to be mired in a mess with India. "But New Delhi would be too naive to think that Beijing would make concessions to its unruly demands," it said. "New Delhi's real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block China's road construction there," the editorial said. "Cold war-obsessed India is suspicious" that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area. India is taking the risk to betray the historical agreement and wants to force China to "swallow" the result, it said. The China Daily added that India should respect border agreement and withdraw troops, linking India's move to stop the Chinese military from building a strategic road in Dokalam area in June 16 to its concern over China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). "India may be trying to make a point. It is reportedly worried that the Chinese road construction may represent a significant change in the status quo with serious security implications for India, according to its foreign ministry." ALSO READ: China says Doklam situation 'grave', rules out compromise Such worries, the paper added, could have been allayed through dialogue and consultation using the mechanisms that are already in place and "which have long helped the two sides maintain peace and tranquillity in the region since their short border war in 1962". The editorial said the situation in Dokalam remains "worryingly tense, with a stand-off between soldiers of the two countries still ongoing". "That the situation has not flared out of control is thanks to the great restraint exercised by the Chinese troops. But the tensions resulting from the intrusion will surely grow if there is not a total withdrawal of the Indian troops." Unlike previous incidents that have occurred along other parts of the 3,500-kilometre border between China and India, the latest incident happened at a section that has long been demarcated by an 1890 historical convention and reaffirmed in documents exchanged between the successive Chinese and Indian governments since then. Both dailies, however, referred to India's concerns over the road in Dokalam close to the narrow chicken neck area in the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan border as it could cut off a vital link with India's north-eastern region. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction since June 6 after a Chinese Army construction party came to build a road.
By AFP

THE HAGUE: The trials of any suspects arrested in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine will be held in the Netherlands, Dutch officials announced on Wednesday.

All 298 people on board were killed when the plane was downed on July 17, 2014 on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

A joint international investigation has determined that the Boeing 777 jet was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile fired from rebel-held territory, but a separate criminal probe has yet to arrest any suspects.

Now the countries leading the joint investigation team (JIT) -- Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine -- have agreed that any trials will be carried out within the Dutch legal system.

The countries "decided that the suspects should be prosecuted in the Netherlands, a process that will be rooted in ongoing international cooperation and support," Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a statement.

"This cooperation is vital, given the complexity of this case," he added, highlighting that eastern Ukraine was a conflict zone, "the scene of heavy fighting ... which is still difficult to access."

The investigation was also hampered by "a great deal of disinformation and attempts to discredit the investigation".

Most of the victims were Dutch, but Koenders said that in total they came from 17 countries spread across five continents.

Dutch prosecutors, who have been leading the criminal probe, had asked the government to clarify the legal framework for any prosecutions in order to proceed in the case.

Investigators concluded in September that a BUK missile, which had been transported over the border from Russia shortly before the incident, was fired from a field in eastern Ukraine then controlled by pro-Russian rebels, and hit the plane.

But it stopped short of saying who pulled the trigger, and Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement, putting the blame on Kiev.

Preliminary criminal findings have said around 100 people are under investigation for playing "an active role" in the disaster.

Investigators have also released the names of two wanted Russian-speaking men -- Andrey Ivanovich, also known as "Orion", and Nikolay Fiodorovich, who used the pseudonym "Delfin" -- appealing for information about their whereabouts.

Ukraine and the Netherlands will sign a treaty on Friday to allow criminal prosecutions to be transferred to Dutch courts, the justice ministry said in a statement.

THE HAGUE: The trials of any suspects arrested in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine will be held in the Netherlands, Dutch officials announced on Wednesday. All 298 people on board were killed when the plane was downed on July 17, 2014 on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. A joint international investigation has determined that the Boeing 777 jet was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile fired from rebel-held territory, but a separate criminal probe has yet to arrest any suspects. Now the countries leading the joint investigation team (JIT) -- Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine -- have agreed that any trials will be carried out within the Dutch legal system. The countries "decided that the suspects should be prosecuted in the Netherlands, a process that will be rooted in ongoing international cooperation and support," Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a statement. "This cooperation is vital, given the complexity of this case," he added, highlighting that eastern Ukraine was a conflict zone, "the scene of heavy fighting ... which is still difficult to access." The investigation was also hampered by "a great deal of disinformation and attempts to discredit the investigation". Most of the victims were Dutch, but Koenders said that in total they came from 17 countries spread across five continents. Dutch prosecutors, who have been leading the criminal probe, had asked the government to clarify the legal framework for any prosecutions in order to proceed in the case. Investigators concluded in September that a BUK missile, which had been transported over the border from Russia shortly before the incident, was fired from a field in eastern Ukraine then controlled by pro-Russian rebels, and hit the plane. But it stopped short of saying who pulled the trigger, and Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement, putting the blame on Kiev. Preliminary criminal findings have said around 100 people are under investigation for playing "an active role" in the disaster. Investigators have also released the names of two wanted Russian-speaking men -- Andrey Ivanovich, also known as "Orion", and Nikolay Fiodorovich, who used the pseudonym "Delfin" -- appealing for information about their whereabouts. Ukraine and the Netherlands will sign a treaty on Friday to allow criminal prosecutions to be transferred to Dutch courts, the justice ministry said in a statement.
By PTI

TEL AVIV: Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who narrowly escaped death in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack at the age of two years, today expressed his desire to return to the Indian city and live there.

He made his desire known when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met him as also his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who had played a key role in saving the child during the terror attack at Chabad House in which his parents were killed.

Now 11 years old, Moshe lives with his grandparents Rabbi Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg here.

"Aapka swagat hai hamare desh mein," said the boy to Modi who was accompanied by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Moshe told Modi, who affectionately hugged him, that he misses India. Modi told him that he is welcome to return to India and live there, for which he will be provided a longterm visa.

"Dear Mr Modi, I love you and the people in India... I live in Afula, but I remember our connection to Nariman House (Chabad House)...I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I (will) live there," Moshe said.

"Please continue to love me forever. Thank you. And always remember my parents," said the boy to Modi while presenting a gift to the Indian prime minister.

"Thank you for your very very special gift," Modi said.

"Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome.

You and your all family members will get long-term visas. So you can come anytime and go anywhere," Modi told the boy.

Netanyahu invited Moshe to accompany him to India when he travels there.

Moshe was just two at the time of the 26/11 attack and was rescued by his nanny who fled with him from the Nariman House after Pakistan-based LeT terrorists attacked it.

His late parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, were directors of the Jewish center. Both were killed in the attack.

The Nariman House was one of the five places in Mumbai targeted by 10 terrorists who killed 166 people before nine of them were eliminated in a 60-hour-long operation. One terrorist was caught alive.

Moshe now lives with his grandparents in Afula. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends.

Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010. She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family during the weekends.

Before meeting Modi, Moshe's grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandson's 'bar mitvah', a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upnayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite Modi.



TEL AVIV: Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who narrowly escaped death in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack at the age of two years, today expressed his desire to return to the Indian city and live there. He made his desire known when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met him as also his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who had played a key role in saving the child during the terror attack at Chabad House in which his parents were killed. Now 11 years old, Moshe lives with his grandparents Rabbi Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg here. "Aapka swagat hai hamare desh mein," said the boy to Modi who was accompanied by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Moshe told Modi, who affectionately hugged him, that he misses India. Modi told him that he is welcome to return to India and live there, for which he will be provided a longterm visa. "Dear Mr Modi, I love you and the people in India... I live in Afula, but I remember our connection to Nariman House (Chabad House)...I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I (will) live there," Moshe said. "Please continue to love me forever. Thank you. And always remember my parents," said the boy to Modi while presenting a gift to the Indian prime minister. "Thank you for your very very special gift," Modi said. "Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome. You and your all family members will get long-term visas. So you can come anytime and go anywhere," Modi told the boy. Netanyahu invited Moshe to accompany him to India when he travels there. Moshe was just two at the time of the 26/11 attack and was rescued by his nanny who fled with him from the Nariman House after Pakistan-based LeT terrorists attacked it. His late parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, were directors of the Jewish center. Both were killed in the attack. The Nariman House was one of the five places in Mumbai targeted by 10 terrorists who killed 166 people before nine of them were eliminated in a 60-hour-long operation. One terrorist was caught alive. Moshe now lives with his grandparents in Afula. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends. Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010. She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family during the weekends. Before meeting Modi, Moshe's grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandson's 'bar mitvah', a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upnayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite Modi.
By PTI

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and how Israel's cutting-edge technology could help the 'Make in India' initiative.

Describing Israel as a real friend, Modi recalled Rivlin's visit to India in November last year.

Hailing the ties between the two nations, Modi said: "...today it is 'I to I and I for I'. When 'I say I for I, I don't mean the popular saying but what I mean is India with Israel, India for Israel".

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence here.

"The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India," Modi tweeted. "It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the President's residence.

"President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality," wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.

Modi said during his visit to India, Rivlin started a phrase 'Make with India' and "I feel since my arrival yesterday that has been echoed by many people and I think what you started has now percolated to all levels".

Rivlin on his part described Modi as one of the greatest leaders in the world. "We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We understood very well about your thought about the need to help partners who will 'Make in India'," Rivlin said.

"...we are doing a lot in order to fulfill your ideas about 'Make in India'," the Israeli President said.

"We only suggested some projects that may be we can do with India and I know that you have accepted that and appreciated that very much," he said.

Rivlin said there was a scope for cooperation between universities and industries of India and Israel. "The....people in Israel are trying to find ways to invest in India and to make mutual projects together," he said.

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and how Israel's cutting-edge technology could help the 'Make in India' initiative. Describing Israel as a real friend, Modi recalled Rivlin's visit to India in November last year. Hailing the ties between the two nations, Modi said: "...today it is 'I to I and I for I'. When 'I say I for I, I don't mean the popular saying but what I mean is India with Israel, India for Israel". Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence here. "The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India," Modi tweeted. "It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the President's residence. "President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality," wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel. Modi said during his visit to India, Rivlin started a phrase 'Make with India' and "I feel since my arrival yesterday that has been echoed by many people and I think what you started has now percolated to all levels". Rivlin on his part described Modi as one of the greatest leaders in the world. "We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We understood very well about your thought about the need to help partners who will 'Make in India'," Rivlin said. "...we are doing a lot in order to fulfill your ideas about 'Make in India'," the Israeli President said. "We only suggested some projects that may be we can do with India and I know that you have accepted that and appreciated that very much," he said. Rivlin said there was a scope for cooperation between universities and industries of India and Israel. "The....people in Israel are trying to find ways to invest in India and to make mutual projects together," he said.
By PTI

KATHMANDU: A school teacher in Nepal was today sentenced to nine years in prison and fined Rs 75,000 for raping his minor student.

The Pokhara High Court overturned the Kaski District Court's verdict which had absolved Laxman Khawas of rape charges and given him a clean chit.

The victim's family had accused Khawas of raping the 14year-old girl on the pretext of teaching her mathematics.

A division bench of justices Achyut Bista and Balachanda Sharma sentenced him to nine years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 75,000.

It is alleged that following the incident, Khawas coerced the girl's family to sign an agreement not to disclose the case in return of financial gains.

The District Court had last year given the clean chit to Khawas on the basis of the agreement.

KATHMANDU: A school teacher in Nepal was today sentenced to nine years in prison and fined Rs 75,000 for raping his minor student. The Pokhara High Court overturned the Kaski District Court's verdict which had absolved Laxman Khawas of rape charges and given him a clean chit. The victim's family had accused Khawas of raping the 14year-old girl on the pretext of teaching her mathematics. A division bench of justices Achyut Bista and Balachanda Sharma sentenced him to nine years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 75,000. It is alleged that following the incident, Khawas coerced the girl's family to sign an agreement not to disclose the case in return of financial gains. The District Court had last year given the clean chit to Khawas on the basis of the agreement.
By PTI

BEIJING: Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China today accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

China also claimed that India was "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to its north-eastern states.

"I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know, in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters here.

"However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other country's territory," he said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.

Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was "very serious". "China and India have been in contact through the special representatives mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries," he said.

China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said.

"Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory," he said. The situation is yet to be resolved and "India should pull back the troops that is precondition to avoid worsening of the situation", Geng said.

"Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations," he said. "If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs," he said.

"We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion," Geng said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan. "In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," he said.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending China's road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states. Geng also said that besides former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it. "The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and China's Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice," he said.

Quoting the note, Geng said, "The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground. The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India," Geng said.

Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, "there is no such consent as you mentioned".

The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutan's territory."It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion," Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou. "In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet," Nehru had said.

Geng said, "Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the China India boundary has already been delineated." Since India's independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said.

Geng's remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador had said ,"There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)."

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, "I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides. It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question with in the Special Representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.

BEIJING: Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China today accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops. China also claimed that India was "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to its north-eastern states. "I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know, in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters here. "However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other country's territory," he said. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954. Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was "very serious". "China and India have been in contact through the special representatives mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries," he said. China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said. "Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory," he said. The situation is yet to be resolved and "India should pull back the troops that is precondition to avoid worsening of the situation", Geng said. "Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations," he said. "If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs," he said. "We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion," Geng said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan. "In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," he said. "The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted. The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending China's road building which India and Bhutan have objected to. India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states. Geng also said that besides former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it. "The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and China's Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice," he said. Quoting the note, Geng said, "The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground. The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India," Geng said. Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, "there is no such consent as you mentioned". The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutan's territory."It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion," Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou. "In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet," Nehru had said. Geng said, "Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the China India boundary has already been delineated." Since India's independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said. Geng's remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in India's court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff. Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador had said ,"There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)." Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, "I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides. It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question with in the Special Representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.
By PTI

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government today vowed to go ahead with the process of drafting the new Constitution to give its Tamil minority greater autonomy after the country's influential Buddhist community demanded that the plan be abandoned.

Government spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the parliament will not reverse the process begun in April last year to draft the Constitution.

"The government got 6.2 million votes to change the constitution," Senaratne said. "The monks can have their views, but the people's mandate at two elections in 2015 was to change the Constitution. We will not work against the people's will just because Buddhist monks want us to do so," he said.

Nearly 70 per cent of the island's population follow Buddhism.

Monks based in the central town of Kandy yesterday asked President Maithripala Sirisena to stop the political reform process which according to monk Anamaduwe Dhammadassi would "only create unnecessary problems". Dhammadassi said all major branches of Buddhism in the country were against the reforms.

The latest move by the Buddhist community is a new challenge to the government of President Sirisena who himself is a Buddhist and is committed to ethnic unity.

Tamils, who live predominantly in the north and east of Sri Lanka, form the largest minority group in the country constituting for 11.1 per cent of the population. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ran a nearly three-decade separatist campaign leading to a bloody war with the Sri Lankan security forces.

According to the UN figures, up to 40,000 civilians were killed by the security forces during former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime that brought an end to the brutal conflict with the defeat of the LTTE in 2009.

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government today vowed to go ahead with the process of drafting the new Constitution to give its Tamil minority greater autonomy after the country's influential Buddhist community demanded that the plan be abandoned. Government spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the parliament will not reverse the process begun in April last year to draft the Constitution. "The government got 6.2 million votes to change the constitution," Senaratne said. "The monks can have their views, but the people's mandate at two elections in 2015 was to change the Constitution. We will not work against the people's will just because Buddhist monks want us to do so," he said. Nearly 70 per cent of the island's population follow Buddhism. Monks based in the central town of Kandy yesterday asked President Maithripala Sirisena to stop the political reform process which according to monk Anamaduwe Dhammadassi would "only create unnecessary problems". Dhammadassi said all major branches of Buddhism in the country were against the reforms. The latest move by the Buddhist community is a new challenge to the government of President Sirisena who himself is a Buddhist and is committed to ethnic unity. Tamils, who live predominantly in the north and east of Sri Lanka, form the largest minority group in the country constituting for 11.1 per cent of the population. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ran a nearly three-decade separatist campaign leading to a bloody war with the Sri Lankan security forces. According to the UN figures, up to 40,000 civilians were killed by the security forces during former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime that brought an end to the brutal conflict with the defeat of the LTTE in 2009.
By Associated Press

NICOSIA: Turkey toughened its stance today in talks to reunify Cyprus, insisting that it won't sign any deal involving the withdrawal of all its troops from the ethnically divided Mediterranean island nation.

At talks to end Cyprus' 43-year ethnic divide at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made it clear that a peace accord would not include a specific, agreed-upon date by which all Turkish troops would have to be pulled out.

"There will be no sunset clause ... and Turkish troops will be staying on the island because this is the demand of the Turkish Cypriots," Cavusoglu said. "If there is anybody dreaming this, they have to wake up, there will be no sunset clause."

Turkey has kept more than 35,000 troops on Cyprus since 1974, when it invaded in the wake of a coup mounted by supporters of union with Greece. The minority Turkish Cypriots think their presence undergirds their security and want them to stay.

Cavusoglu has previously stated Turkey's opposition to a full troop withdrawal as part of a deal to unify the island as a federation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. But Tuesday's remarks appeared unequivocal, leaving no negotiating room for Greek Cypriots, who have been pushing for a full troop pull-out in order to remove what they see as a threat and a vestige of control from Ankara.

It's unclear how Cavusoglu's remarks will impact the talks between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

In addition, Turkey, along with Cyprus' two other guarantors Greece and Britain, the island's former colonial ruler are deeply involved in the negotiations, especially on the pivotal issue of the island's future security.

"The Turkish Cypriots have been very clear at every meeting that they ... have security concerns," said Cavusoglu.

However, Cavusoglu indicated there was room to change the security regime that operated before the 1974 invasion.

He said the military intervention rights and security guarantees accorded to Cyprus' "guarantors" under the island's 1960 constitution could be adapted for the current day.

But he repeated that complete abolition of those intervention rights and security guarantees is a "non-starter" for both Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots.

Anastasiades has proposed an international police force, backed by the UN Security Council, to keep the peace once the island is reunified. He said outside military forces have no place on Cyprus, arguing that European Union statutes guarantee ample security.

Cyprus is an EU member, but only the Greek Cypriot southern part that is the seat of the island's internationally recognized government enjoys full benefits.

Akinci rebuffed suggestions by Anastasiades that Turkish and Turkish Cypriot security proposals aren't in line with a possible deal's parameters that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres laid out after talks last week.

Guterres' presence helped break a procedural impasse on Friday. Cavusoglu said he may return on Thursday if needed.

Apart from security, a number of issues including a Turkish Cypriot demand to take turns holding the federal presidency with Greek Cypriots remain to be resolved in parallel negotiations.

The talks, which started June 28, are to run until the end of the week.

NICOSIA: Turkey toughened its stance today in talks to reunify Cyprus, insisting that it won't sign any deal involving the withdrawal of all its troops from the ethnically divided Mediterranean island nation. At talks to end Cyprus' 43-year ethnic divide at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made it clear that a peace accord would not include a specific, agreed-upon date by which all Turkish troops would have to be pulled out. "There will be no sunset clause ... and Turkish troops will be staying on the island because this is the demand of the Turkish Cypriots," Cavusoglu said. "If there is anybody dreaming this, they have to wake up, there will be no sunset clause." Turkey has kept more than 35,000 troops on Cyprus since 1974, when it invaded in the wake of a coup mounted by supporters of union with Greece. The minority Turkish Cypriots think their presence undergirds their security and want them to stay. Cavusoglu has previously stated Turkey's opposition to a full troop withdrawal as part of a deal to unify the island as a federation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. But Tuesday's remarks appeared unequivocal, leaving no negotiating room for Greek Cypriots, who have been pushing for a full troop pull-out in order to remove what they see as a threat and a vestige of control from Ankara. It's unclear how Cavusoglu's remarks will impact the talks between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. In addition, Turkey, along with Cyprus' two other guarantors Greece and Britain, the island's former colonial ruler are deeply involved in the negotiations, especially on the pivotal issue of the island's future security. "The Turkish Cypriots have been very clear at every meeting that they ... have security concerns," said Cavusoglu. However, Cavusoglu indicated there was room to change the security regime that operated before the 1974 invasion. He said the military intervention rights and security guarantees accorded to Cyprus' "guarantors" under the island's 1960 constitution could be adapted for the current day. But he repeated that complete abolition of those intervention rights and security guarantees is a "non-starter" for both Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots. Anastasiades has proposed an international police force, backed by the UN Security Council, to keep the peace once the island is reunified. He said outside military forces have no place on Cyprus, arguing that European Union statutes guarantee ample security. Cyprus is an EU member, but only the Greek Cypriot southern part that is the seat of the island's internationally recognized government enjoys full benefits. Akinci rebuffed suggestions by Anastasiades that Turkish and Turkish Cypriot security proposals aren't in line with a possible deal's parameters that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres laid out after talks last week. Guterres' presence helped break a procedural impasse on Friday. Cavusoglu said he may return on Thursday if needed. Apart from security, a number of issues including a Turkish Cypriot demand to take turns holding the federal presidency with Greek Cypriots remain to be resolved in parallel negotiations. The talks, which started June 28, are to run until the end of the week.
By AFP

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will fly to Switzerland later today to push leaders closer to a historic deal on reunifying Cyprus.

Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders, whose latest round of talks opened in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana a week ago, have asked Guterres to return to the table, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Dujarric declined to say whether a deal was within reach, saying: "It would be dangerous of me to make any sort of predictions at this point."

"The secretary-general just felt that it was a good time for him to return to the talks and he will be there tomorrow," he added.

The UN-sponsored talks opened on June 28 amid some optimism over the prospects for reaching a final settlement to end the decades-old division of the Mediterranean island.

Negotiations have run into hurdles over the thorny issue of security guarantees and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the north of the island.

Guterres on Friday said negotiations had been "highly constructive" and that the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides had reached a "clear understanding" of the key elements of a final settlement.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and later occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired putsch seeking union with Greece.

Turkey maintains more than 35,000 troops there.

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will fly to Switzerland later today to push leaders closer to a historic deal on reunifying Cyprus. Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders, whose latest round of talks opened in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana a week ago, have asked Guterres to return to the table, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Dujarric declined to say whether a deal was within reach, saying: "It would be dangerous of me to make any sort of predictions at this point." "The secretary-general just felt that it was a good time for him to return to the talks and he will be there tomorrow," he added. The UN-sponsored talks opened on June 28 amid some optimism over the prospects for reaching a final settlement to end the decades-old division of the Mediterranean island. Negotiations have run into hurdles over the thorny issue of security guarantees and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the north of the island. Guterres on Friday said negotiations had been "highly constructive" and that the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides had reached a "clear understanding" of the key elements of a final settlement. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and later occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired putsch seeking union with Greece. Turkey maintains more than 35,000 troops there.
Work-outs during, post pregnancy reduce postnatal depression in new mommies

Washington D.C. [USA], June 19 : Would-be-mommies, please take a note!





(Posted on 20 June 2017, 1668204516 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/health-news.php  (Posted on 20 June 2017, 1668204516 173O212O198O32)

Practicing stretching, breathing, aerobic activities and yoga in your pregnancy days and even after that, reduce the risk of postnatal depression, suggests a study.According to researchers, women, who exercised, displayed fewer signs of depression following the birth of a child.They tracked the mental health of almost 1,000 mothers, who were offered exercise interventions during and after pregnancy.Researcher Celia Alvarez-Bueno, from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, said that the negative consequences of postpartum depression not only affect the mother but also the child, who can suffer poor emotional and cognitive development.Symptoms of postpartum depression can include anxiety attacks, insecurity, irritability, fatigue, guilt, fear of harming the baby and a reluctance to breastfeed.The symptoms start within four weeks of delivery and are considered severe when they last for more than two weeks, according to the researchers.Alvarez-Bueno stated that it is important to test the most effective strategies to prevent this disorder or mitigate the consequences.The team analysed data from 12 trials of exercise interventions during or after pregnancy between 1990 and 2016.The studies included a total of 932 women and all examined them for their severity of postpartum depression.The exercises used in the various studies included stretching and breathing, walking programs, aerobic activity, pilates and yoga.Compared to women who did not exercise, the researchers found those who did had fewer depression symptom during the postpartum period.The findings indicated that exercise after pregnancy also reduced depression among the women who did not had diagnosable symptoms.The research is published in the journal Birth.
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Assam: Alleged Cow vigilantes attack drivers transporting cattle

Sonapur (Assam) , July 3 : In another case of apathy by alleged cow vigilantes, a truck driver in Assam's Sonapur was assaulted on suspicion of transporting cows.





(Posted on 03 July 2017, 1668204517 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 03 July 2017, 1668204517 173O212O198O32)

On Sunday, the driver of a vehicle ferrying cattle in the state was allegedly attacked by a group.The attackers beat the driver and in spite of them showing valid documents allowing them to ferry the animals, the gau rakshaks kept on thrashing the former.The incident took place near the outskirts of Guwahati city in the state.While addressing a gathering, at an event marking the centenary of the Sabarmati ashram in Ahmedabad and 150th birth anniversary of Shrimad Rajchandraji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged to shun violence in the name of cow vigilantism.Prime Minister Modi said, violence is against the ideals of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi."Killing people in the name of 'gau bhakti' is not acceptable. This is not something Mahatma Gandhi would approve," he had said."Let's all work together. Let's create the India of Mahatma Gandhi's dreams. Let's create an India our freedom fighters would be proud of.""No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands," he added.The Prime Minister's remarks came in the wake of growing incidents of cow vigilantism.
Srinagar: Exhibition of Centrally sponsored schemes

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) , July 4 : A mega exhibition sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture was held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) for four days in Srinagar recently.





(Posted on 04 July 2017, 1668204518 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 04 July 2017, 1668204518 173O212O198O32)

The exhibition was held with the objective of promoting agriculture research, science, technology, research, development, information technology, communication, biotechnology, industrial development, innovation, crafts, culture, government schemes and programmes.This exhibition provided a platform for science and technology lovers, farmers, traders, industrialists and students to interact with policy makers, scientists and researchers to give a glimpse of experiments, researches in various fields.ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research), Ministry of Railways, Ministry of AYUSH, ICMR (Indian Council Of Medical Research), CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research),ICAR(Indian Council of Agriculture Research) and many more institutions participated in the event.The vision of the exhibition is to create an interactive platform and multiply the messages for development of the society. It intends to uplift the section from grassroots by not only spreading science amongst the masses but tourism, railways, agriculture, medical, skill development, handlooms and handicrafts.To encourage the young minds, a pavilion has been set up, where students from various schools have displayed their innovative models and ideas.
US, South Korea conduct military drill, as Pyongyang 'ballistic' threat looms

Washington [U.S.], July 05 : The United States and South Korea both held a joint missile drill after North Korea claimed to have conducted its first successful test of a long-range missile.





(Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204520 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204520 173O212O198O32)

"Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement released Tuesday night.A statement from the US Army said their own army and the South Korean military personnel conducted the exercise to counter North Korea's "destabilizing and unlawful actions,"The statement also reads that the exercise used the Army Tactical Missile System and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.State news agency KCNA said on Wednesday in a report, after the most recent missile test that North Korea claimed to have developed, a new nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile with a stable re-entry system.The US-South Korea drill comes after North Korea claimed to have tested a missile that it says can "reach anywhere in the world."Yesterday morning missile test reached a height of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television, which would be the highest altitude a North Korean missile had ever reached.US military analysts believed it probably was a two-stage ICBM, said a US official with knowledge of the Americans' analysis.Yesterday, the US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi, president of the UN Security Council, that she wants an emergency session on North Korea, according to a tweet from Haley spokesman Jonathan Wachtel.Wachtel wrote that the emergency session will convene Wednesday afternoon.While condemning the missile test UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said through his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, "This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation.""The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations," he added.US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement and strictly criticized the North Korea missile test, reports CNN."Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," Tillerson's statement said.
Nawaz Sharif embarks on two-day visit of Tajikistan

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 5 : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday left on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan at the invitation of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.





(Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204522 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204522 173O212O198O32)

A high-level delegation, comprising Pakistan's Water and Power Minister Khawaja Asif, Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz and Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir, will accompany Prime Minister Sharif on his visit."The visit to Tajikistan is reflective of the Prime Minister's vision to strengthen Pakistan's relations with neighbouring and regional countries and further increasing regional connectivity," said an official release.The leaders of the two countries will discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation, including trade and investment, energy cooperation and regional connectivity will be the key focus of their talks.They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, with particular attention to Pakistan's policy of a peaceful neighbourhood.According to an official release, a Joint Declaration entitled "Road towards strategic partnership for regional solidarity" will be signed during the visit.A meeting of Joint Business Council (JBC) will coincide with the visit of Prime Minister Sharif.The JBC will consider steps to enhance bilateral trade and commercial ties.Tajikistan is also hosting a Quadrilateral Summit of CASA-1000 member states, namely, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tajikistan.This project aims developing energy corridor and land connectivity between Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.It will also provide electricity produced in Tajikistan and Kyrgyztan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.A Trilateral Summit between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan is also scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the visit to hold discussions on regional topics of mutual interest.
Reddit user who created 'Donal Trump's video apologises for prank

Los Angeles [USA], July 5 : Reddit user 'HanA**holeSolo,' who claimed that he was the first one to upload the video of of President Donald Trump body-slamming a man with the CNN logo superimposed on his head, has finally apologized for the video.





(Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204522 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php  (Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204522 173O212O198O32)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Redditor who created the gif took to the site's message board Tuesday and issued a public apology in a post that has since been removed.The user wrote, "I would like to apologize to the members on the reddit community for getting this site and this sub embroiled in a controversy that should never have happened. I would also like to apologize for the posts made that were racist, bigoted, and anti-semitic. I am in no way this kind of person," clarifying that the gif was just a "prank" that had been misconstrued as "calling for violence."Adding, "I do not advocate violence against the press and the meme I posted was in no way advocating that in any way, shape or form. The meme was created purely as satire, it was not meant to be a call to violence against CNN or any other news affiliation. I had no idea anyone would take it and put sound to it and then have it put up on the President's Twitter feed. It was a prank, nothing more."The user added that he had the "highest respect for the journalist community" and commended reporters for putting their "lives on the line every day.The apology comes one day after CNN was able to identify the person behind the username and attempted to contact him, but calls and emails were not returned by the user.CNN responded to Trump's tweet by issuing the following statement, "It is a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters. Clearly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the President had never done so. Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill, he is instead involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his."
#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...

#KBO Landers starter Kim Kwang-hyun wins top KBO pitching award After making a successful return from a two-year stint in the majors, SSG Landers starter Kim Kwang-hyun was named the winner of South Korea's top professional pitching award on Fr...
Remembering Charkha's Founder, Sanjoy Ghose

Sujata Raghavan, New Delhi , July 5 : In the year 1980, a young man graduated from Elphinstone a leading college in Bombay (now Mumbai) with stars in his eyes.





(Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204523 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 05 July 2017, 1668204523 173O212O198O32)

Schooled at the prestigious Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai, he had excellent grades, an outstanding academic and co-curricular record. At the time, it seemed that all the roads to a successful corporate career were open to him. He had admissions to three of the top management institutes in the country - Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad, Bangalore ( now Bengaluru) and Calcutta (now Kolkata).This young man sprang a surprise on everyone by opting for a nascent institution, IRMA (Institute of Rural Management, Anand) in Gujarat, taking admission in its very first batch. This young man was #Sanjoy Ghose and the stars in his eyes were not for his personal success and glory but for the most down-trodden of our society. His sole concern was how to make life better for those who were living on the margins of a development that can very easily bypass them. This concern is what marked Sanjoy's journey as a grassroots social activist guiding all the steps he took towards academic excellence and professional achievements.On completing post-graduation from IRMA, and a brief period of work on the ground, Sanjoy was selected for the prestigious INLAKS Foundation Scholarship in 1984 at Oxford University, UK . Here he pursued agricultural economics. On his return, he chose to work at the grassroots, with desert communities in Western Rajasthan. As Founder Secretary of URMUL ( Uttari Rajasthan Co-operative Milk Union Limited), Bikaner, his concerns covered livelihoods, education, health and education for communities living in the harsh region.Community participation in all of this was the key. He worked assiduously to build local leadership and enable them to take charge of their development path.Sanjoy and his family - his wife Sumita and their children Joyita and Anando spent their early years ( 1986-1995) at URMUL. During the period Sanjoy bagged the Hubert Humphrey fellowship. He then spent a year ( 1988-89) at the illustrious institution - John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.By 1995, URMUL interventions that had expanded to address concerns of the poor in Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer regions was ready to be handed over to the community leadership built under Sanjoy's tutelage. This allowed him to shift base to another region in the country that faced its own and very different challenges.In 1996 Sanjoy moved to Assam, to a small riverine island, Majuli in the midst of the mighty river, the Brahmaputra. Every year during monsoons, the island faced devastating floods. Large chunks of the island had already been lost due to erosion. With a small team of committed social activists, he began work under the banner of AVARD- NE (Association of Voluntary Agencies for Rural Development, North East.)The team mobilised the community to work towards low-cost effective solutions for both flood control and soil erosion. This held out a hope for a beleaguered region and a community, distraught by recurring floods. However, this promising path, the ground-swell of local support that the work received -was tragically cut short. On #4 July 1997 Sanjoy Ghose was abducted by a militant outfit active in the region, the #ULFA ( United Liberation Front of Assam) Sanjoy was only 37 years old at the time. It has been 20 years since.Sanjoy's disappearance has been devastating for his family, his large circle of friends, associates and like-minded individuals. It was also a body blow to all that he stood for, built up -a development model based on the needs of local communities, driven by their aspirations for change.Grassroots social activism undoubtedly defined Sanjoy Ghose. His life was devoted to work for the poorest and most marginalsed communities.There was however another aspect to his persona, one that propelled him towards articulating development issues on the ground through writing. Not only was he erudite, he had the unique advantage of having his ears to the ground, his finger on the pulse of the very people he served. All of this he translated into articles that the Indian Express ran as a series in a column aptly named, #"Village Voice"Published articles in a leading English mainstream media on issues that were still uncommon in newspapers at the time -was laudable in itself. But Sanjoy was not looking for personal or professional recognition. He wrote solely with a spirit to draw the attention of the urban elite to rural issues - the section of society that accesses news and forms views through English language newspapers. This section of society meant opinion leaders, policy influencers and policy-makers. And this was the target readership that Sanjoy sought to reach.The media has been a powerful tool that 'mirrors' the life of a nation in its diverse aspects. Sanjoy Ghose saw in this an immense potential to connect the voices of the rural marginalised; those who remain in the shadows of development. It is these voices that are 'unheard' and indeed these voices that policy makers must listen to and take heed while planning. In a nutshell, Sanjoy was looking at media advocacy- one that would be driven by perspectives of the rural marginalised.He could see that what had begun as his column 'Village Voice' could very well extend to many others who are connected with grassroots development. It was this vision that led Sanjoy Ghose to establish #Charkha on 24 October 1994. Charkha in a sense was an attempt to institutionalise the success of the "Village Voice" experience, to broaden its scope, to bring in more writing talent and different geographies.The move was hailed by several leading media persons who Sanjoy consulted at the time. Many lauded it as an idea far ahead of its times. Indeed it was. It became a precursor for what is now popularly termed as " #Development Communication", now taught as a curriculum in several media institutions.Sanjoy's vision has survived simply because it touches upon a home truth. The voices of those at the bottom rung of the social ladder need to inform policy-making processes of the day. This makes for inclusive development.Charkha has since upheld this vision articulated in its mandate "To contribute towards building a harmonious, inclusive society empowered by knowledge".Over the last more than two decades Charkha has translated this into an expansive engagement with rural marginalised communities across several regions in the country.Through its #Tri-lingual Feature Service in Hindi, English and Urdu the organisation continues to place their perspectives as articles in the media across the three languages. Charkha is making all attempts to live up to a phrase coined at the time of its founding " Spinning Action into Words"!The views expressed in the above article are that of Sujata Raghavan of Charkha Development Communication Network.
AIREA seeks PM Modi's intervention on EU ban of Indian rice import

New Delhi , July 5 : Citing the case of Pakistan taking over the European Market in the export of Basmati rice to the European Union after its virtual ban on the import of Indian rice, the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in the matter.





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Owing to reducing the alleged harmful effects of Tricyclazole, a fungicide used extensively in rice cultivation, the EU decided to lower the import tolerance level, thus imposing a virtual ban on the import of Indian rice."Out of the 40 lakh metric tonnes of Basmati rice exported from India every year, amounting to Rs. 22, 000 crore of foreign exchange, 3.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice is exported to the EU countries alone. Out of a total production of 10 lakh tonnes of Pusa Basmati that is procured out of 20 lakh tonnes of paddy farmers, 15-17 lakhs farmers' livelihood and income will be affected. This is an alarming figure, and that is why we have asked for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention," Vijay Setia, President, AIREA told ANI.The AIREA, in their letter written to Prime Minister Modi, pointed out that there is no scientific evidence of the harmful effects of this fungicide on human health. A number of other countries like U.S.A., Canada and Japan have placed no such restriction on use of Tricyclazole.The AIREA has also started conducting workshops to educate farmers on EU decision and to impart knowledge of good agriculture practices so as to minimise residue."The EU has enforced a new regulation, whereby minimum residue level will be reduced by 100 times. Total export is around Rs. 8,000 crores; if no relief is given, we will incur a loss of this amount. We have requested to deliberate on this, since we will not be able to comply immediately. Farmers need time to change their cultivation pattern, for which they need to be educated. Instead of January 2018, we would request the Government to suggest the EU to begin the new norm from January 2020," said Jean Philippe Laborde, MD, Ebro India.Tricyclazole is a fungicide developed by Dow Agri Sciences, widely used to combat a disease known as blast affecting the paddy crop. Under the Indian agro-climatic conditions, Tricyclazole is the most farmer-friendly and cost effective solution to protect the rice crop from blast. It has been used all across the world for over 30 years with not a single health related incident anywhere.The EU had asked Dow Sciences, USA, the original developer of this molecule, to provide additional information on safety aspects of Tricyclazole. While Dow Sciences stated that the required information would be provided by early 2019, the EU decided to to lower Tricyclazole import tolerance level from January 1, 2018 itself.
Omar Abdullah miffed with passing of 'sham' GST resolution in J-K Assembly

New Delhi , July 5 : Expressing absolute disappointment over the passing of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) resolution by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday termed it as a 'sham', adding that the resolution is bereft of specifics.

With absolutely no clarity of what "constitutional safeguards" the BJPDP Govt in J&K has agreed with the centre the sham resolution passes.  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) 5 July 2017

This is what I'd said yesterday & the resolution, bereft of specifics, is exactly the blank cheque that I'd foreseen. https://t.co/PCGblEQJbc  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) 5 July 2017





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Drawing an analogy with a blank cheque, Omar said it was like asking for the members to sign a cheque without telling them the amount that will be entered on the cheque before presentation.Omar took to Twitter to express the same:Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-People's Democratic Party (PDP)-led Government in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said the administration could not come up with convincing arguments."As expected the Govt. reply was full of hyperbole & devoid of substance. The BJPDP Govt had decided to apply GST so why the theatrics?" he tweeted.The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed the GST resolution earlier today.
What's next for Chase Marina? RIDEM has received plenty of proposals

Bob Ballou, assistant to the director of RIDEM, spoke about the goal of establishing a state port in Tiverton similar to Newports State Pier #9.
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
A novel bandage alerts the nursing staff as soon as a wound starts healing badly. Sensors incorporated into the base material glow with a different intensity if the wound's pH level changes. This way even chronic wounds could be monitored at home.

All too often, changing bandages is extremely unpleasant, even for smaller, everyday injuries. It stings and pulls, and sometimes a scab will even start bleeding again. And so we prefer to wait until the bandage drops off by itself.

It's a different story with chronic wounds, though: normally, the nursing staff has to change the dressing regularly - not just for reasons of hygiene, but also to examine the wound, take swabs and clean it. Not only does this irritate the skin unnecessarily; bacteria can also get in, the risk of infection soars. It would be much better to leave the bandage on for longer and have the nursing staff "read" the condition of the wound from outside.

The idea of being able to see through a wound dressing gave rise to the project Flusitex (Fluorescence sensing integrated into medical textiles), which is being funded by the Swiss initiative Nano-Tera. Researchers from Empa teamed up with ETH Zurich, Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) and University Hospital Zurich to develop a high-tech system that is supposed to supply the nursing staff with relevant data about the condition of a wound. As Luciano Boesel from Empa's Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, who is coordinating the project at Empa, explains: "The idea of a smart wound dressing with integrated sensors is to provide continuous information on the state of the healing process without the bandages having to be changed any more frequently than necessary." This would mean a gentler treatment for patients, less work for the nursing staff and, therefore, lower costs: globally, around 17 billion $ were spent on treating wounds last year.

When wounds heal, the body produces specific substances in a complex sequence of biochemical processes, which leads to a significant variation in a number of metabolic parameters. For instance, the amount of glucose and oxygen rises and falls depending on the phase of the healing process; likewise does the pH level change. All these variations can be detected with specialized sensors. With this in mind, Empa teamed up with project partner CSEM to develop a portable, cheap and easy-to-use device for measuring fluorescence that is capable of monitoring several parameters at once. It should enable nursing staff to keep tabs on the pH as well as on glucose and oxygen levels while the wound heals. If these change, conclusions about other key biochemical processes involved in wound healing can be drawn.

A high pH signals chronic wounds

The pH level is particularly useful for chronic wounds. If the wound heals normally, the pH rises to 8 before falling to 5 or 6. If a wound fails to close and becomes chronic, however, the pH level fluctuates between 7 and 8. Therefore, it would be helpful if a signal on the bandage could inform the nursing staff that the wound pH is permanently high. If the bandage does not need changing for reasons of hygiene and pH levels are low, on the other hand, they could afford to wait.

But how do the sensors work? The idea: if certain substances appear in the wound fluid, "customized" fluorescent sensor molecules respond with a physical signal. They start glowing and some even change color in the visible or ultra-violet (UV) range. Thanks to a color scale, weaker and stronger changes in color can be detected and the quantity of the emitted substance be deduced.

Empa chemist Guido Panzarasa from the Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles vividly demonstrates how a sample containing sensor molecules begins

to fluoresce in the lab. He carefully drips a solution with a pH level of 7.5 into a dish. Under a UV light, the change is plain to see. He adds another solution and the luminescence fades. A glance at the little bottle confirms it: the pH level of the second solution is lower.

Luminous molecules under UV

The Empa team designed a molecule composed of benzalkonium chloride and pyranine. While benzalkonium chloride is a substance also used for conventional medical soap to combat bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, pyranine is a dye found in highlighters that glows under UV light. "This biomarker works really well," says Panzarasa; "especially at pH levels between 5.5 and 7.5. The colors can be visualized with simple UV lamps available in electronics stores." The Empa team recently published their results in the journal "Sensors and Actuators".

The designer molecule has another advantage: thanks to the benzalkonium chloride, it has an antimicrobial effect, as researchers from Empa's Laboratory for Biointerfaces confirmed for the bacteria strain Staphylococcus aureus. Unwelcome bacteria might potentially also be combated by selecting the right bandage material in future. As further investigations, such as on the chemical's compatibility with cells and tissues, are currently lacking, however, the researchers do not yet know how their sensor works in a complex wound.

Keen interest from industry

In order to illustrate what a smart wound dressing might actually look like in future, Boesel places a prototype on the lab bench. "You don't have to cover the entire surface of wound dressings with sensors," he explains. "It's enough for a few small areas to be impregnated with the pyranine benzalkonium molecules and integrated into the base material. This means the industrial wound dressings won't be much pricier than they are now - only up to 20% more expensive." Empa scientists are currently working on this in the follow-up project FlusiTex-Gateway in cooperation with industrial partners Flawa, Scholler, Kenzen and Theranoptics.

Panzarasa now drips various liquids with different pH levels onto all the little

cylinders on the wound pad prototype. Sure enough, the lighter and darker dots are also clearly discernible as soon as the UV lamp is switched on. They are even visible to the naked eye and glow in bright yellow if liquids with a high pH come into contact with the sensor. The scientists are convinced: since the pH level is so easy to read and provides precise information about the acidic or alkaline state of the sample, this kind of wound dressing is just the ticket as a diagnostic tool. Using the fluorescence meter developed by CSEM, more accurate, quantitative measurements of the pH level can be accomplished for medical purposes.

According to Boesel, it might one day even be possible to read the signals with the aid of a smartphone camera. Combined with a simple app, nursing staff and doctors would have a tool that enables them to easily and conveniently read the wound status "from outside", even without a UV lamp. And patients would then also have the possibility of detecting the early onset of a chronic wound at home.
Panaji: Two constables of the Goa Police were allegedly assaulted by a group of tourists on the famous Calangute beach in the state after they were told not to consume alcohol and create nuisance, an official said. The incident occurred at around 3.45 pm on Tuesday at the beach in North Goa when the two constables on duty asked the group of 11 men to behave themselves.



"The tourists, who hailed from Haryana and Delhi, were inebriated when they started hitting the constables who were in uniform," Calangute Police Station inspector Jivba Dalvi told reporters.



All the 11 men were arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and produced before a local court which remanded them in judicial custody.



"The medical examination confirmed the presence of alcohol in their blood," the police officer said.


Kochi: She sits beside the grilled window of her ancestral home, observing tourists and a few youngsters who have come to visit the historic area. Queenie Hallegua lives in a house that is situated about 100 metres from Kochis most prominent landmark, Paradesi Jewish Synagogue.



One would find it rather difficult to imagine a person residing in an ancient home that is squeezed between boutiques and antique shops. Then again, her house is perhaps one among the few households that continue to exist in the area.



Homes of many Jewish families residing adjacent her house have either been demolished or sold. With only 11 members of the Jewish community residing in the state of Kerala, one does wonder about the day when a community whose 2000-year-old association with India might cease to exist.



But it is in a spirit of hope and happiness that Hallegua talks to News18 about her experience as a Jew growing up in Kochi, and gives her views on the historic summit between Prime Ministers of India and Israel currently underway.



But meanwhile, as Prime Minsters Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu meet, Hallegua talks to News18 about her experiences as a Jew growing up in India and gives her view of the historic summit.



Hallegua hails from Mattancherry, Ernakulam district. She completed her Bachelors in Botany from the St. Theresa College in Keralas Ernakulam district in the late 1950s. I was married off soon after. Life was very different back then, Hallegua said. Her children - a daughter and a son - are currently living in the United States of America (USA).



A member of the Paradesi Jew community, she is also one of the trustees of the Paradesi Jewish Synagogue located here. As she narrates the tales of her past, of Jewish festivals, customs, her family and Israel, one is bound to be stumped by the harmony that exists between the families from various backgrounds living here.



A past that only know



Judaism like many religions involves a regular holy service at the place of the worship  the Synagogue. For many years, according Hallegua, the tiny area of Kochis Jew Town had three Synagogues. The holy service requires 10 men above the age of 13 to recite the hymns and devotional songs.



Our community is rather conservative. As a result, the women and men do not sit together during the service. They sit in separate, designated spaces, explains Hallegua.



Interestingly, unlike the practice followed in several other Jewish communities, the service at the Paradesi Synagogue was often conducted by the community elders. We did not have a Rabbi during our services. The elders from the community were very knowledgeable and could interpret the ancient scripture too, she added.



However, the official establishment of the Israel in the year 1948 brought about significant changes in the lives of the Jewish Community residing in Kochi. Some members of the community chose to abandon all that they owned in their tiny township and immigrated to Israel.



Over the years, many families have left their homes and decided to start their lives afresh in a place that many claimed to be the land of the Jews. As a result, there are fewer men above the age of 13 to be part of the group or quorum to conduct the service.



The few Jews residing in the area continue to pay visits to the synagogue on several occasions  including occasions like Yom Kippur and the Fast of Gedalia. But the community has not witnessed a full-fledged service for years.



A home in Israel



Hallegua claims that the Jews in Kerala were among the more fortunate members of the community. Not only were they allowed to practice their religion, they were also given due regard and made an integral part of the society.



She does have relatives residing in Israel and visits the place often. However, she herself never wanted to emigrate for she is used to life she lives in India. Her late husband too was a patriot and was keen on residing in Kochi until his dying day.



Then again, Hallegua believes that the land of Israel has a force that draws the ommunity to the nation. Many Jews were killed and tortured during the World War. As children, residing in Kerala, we were clueless about these unfortunate incidents. Here, we had the pleasure of listening to the Hindu devotional song Venkatesha Suprabhatam in the mornings when we headed to the synagogue for our prayers, Hallegua says.



She adds that the experience, as she was growing up, of listening to prayers from the mosque next door was truly wonderful. We lived in such harmony. But those Jews living elsewhere were not so lucky.



So, it is lovely to know that there is a home or a land that Jews could call their own. It is special indeed, Hallegua explains.



Culture that is lost



Fewer schools around Fort Kochi conduct classes in Hebrew and the scriptures. When asked about the possibilities of forming a quorum in the present scenario, Hallegua commented that it is possible to do so. But it would not be a complete service, for no one in the community has an in-depth knowledge of the ancient scriptures including the Tora or the Tanakh.



The unknown tomorrow



Prime Minister Modis visit to Israel has stirred a lot of joy among the Indian Jews residing in the country. Not only is the visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the country, it is also being viewed as an opportunity for Israel and India to bridge ties and build trust.



Both Modi and Netanyahu have problems to tackle, related to national security. This meeting could help them, stated Hallegua.



As she gears for the rest for a visit to the bank and her game of SUDOKU, she also reminisces those days when she and her friends could walk about the streets of Mattanchery fearlessly in their casual attire late night as well.



Things have changed. This street become pitch dark post 7 pm, Hallegua added. Queenie and a few other trustee members are working towards establishing a museum to showcase the communitys heritage. But would that be the beginning of an end?


China has stepped up its diplomatic offensive asking New Delhi to withdraw troops from what it claims is disputed territory and its foreign affairs office saying it is considering a travel advisory for Chinese citizens across India.The statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on Wednesday said, "To earn the trust of its neighbour, India has to withdraw troops from the territory illegally trespassed."Their foreign office also claimed that Indian troops are on "Chinese territory in Donglang" which India has proved is contrary to facts.China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Doka La area near the Bhutan trijunction for almost a month in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962, when the two countries fought a brief war.Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.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.The standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries was triggered when the Indian Army blocked the construction of a road by China in the Doklam area.The standoff came to notice when China denied Indian pilgrims entry for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim. At first, Beijing said it stopped the Yatra due to damage to roads in Tibet after rains and landslides. Later, China signalled the matter was related to the standoff between the two armies near Sikkim.India has pushed in more troops in a non-combative mode to strengthen its position in the area. 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.
Indias Rukmini Naval Satellite has picked up the presence of a Chinese naval surveillance ship in the Indian Ocean as the two regional giants remain locked in a standoff in the Doklam area of the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction.The HaiwangXiang is Chinas latest surveillance ship which seems to have been sent to monitor the Malabar Exercise between the United States, Japan and India. The naval exercise will be held in the Bay of Bengal from July 10.Satellite imagery expert Col (Retd) Vinayak Bhatt, who tweets with the handle @rajfortyseven, said the presence of such sophisticated warship is clearly an offensive maneuver. According to him, HaiwangXiang is a specially designed naval platform for intelligence gathering. It has four ray domes and has four drones onboard for the extended range of information gathering. The ship has the capability to track radio communication and can detect any ballistic missile deployment or fighter movement in a large radius of area, he said.India has also stepped up surveillance of the Doklam area via real-time satellite imagery to monitor any movement of Chinese troops and daily images from ISROs CartoSat series are being shared with the government, defence sources told CNN-News18. Local troops are also videographing on-ground activities, they added.According to Col (Retd) Bhatt, in the last few years, India has done very well in the field of satellite monitoring. In fact, satellites of CartoSat series are able to provide real-time images of sub-meter resolution. Therefore, India has at par capabilities with any leading country, he said.The standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries was triggered when the Indian Army blocked the construction of a road by China in the Doklam area.Doka La is a pass in India which adjoins the Dokalam platue in Bhutan. China is also embroiled in a dispute with Bhutan over Dokalam.Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.India on June 30 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 has pushed in more troops in a non-combative mode to strengthen its position in the area. 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.
Bengaluru: A couple from Kerala has alleged that they were denied a room in a Bengaluru hotel purely on communal grounds because the husband and wife belonged to different religions.



Shafeek Subaida Hakkim and his wife Divya D V tried to check into a hotel in central Bengalurus Sudhamanagar, the Olive Residency.



Hakkim said in a post shared on social media that they faced discrimination purely because they are an inter-faith couple.



My wife had an interview at the National Law School in Bangalore. So we reached Bengaluru around 6.30 am, where an auto-driver took us to this hotel. We were just registering when the hotel staff checked our identity cards. Suddenly, he stopped us and said they wont give a room. I asked him why he said very casually  we dont give a room for Divya and Shafeek. He openly admitted that they dont give room to a Muslim male with a Hindu girl, Shafeek told News18.



The incident happened on Tuesday, and an auto-rickshaw driver eventually helped them get a room in another hotel.



We didnt have any time (to pursue this) because Divya had the interview in the afternoon. I think I will complain to the Human Rights Commission and other bodies now probably, he said.



The hotel management, however, refuted allegations there was any recommendations. It is not because of a Hindu-Muslim issue. They didnt have proper documents, nor did they have luggage. They wanted the room for just half an hour. We denied them a room because they didnt have proper records, hotel manager Shivamadu told News18.



He also claimed that a majority of his customers are Muslim and that there was no truth to the allegations.




Jerusalem: Seven agreements were signed between India and Israel on Wednesday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held in-depth talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.



The agreements involved cooperation in key sectors like space, agriculture and water conservation.



A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Department of Science and Technology and Israels National Technological Innovation Authority for setting up of USD 40 million worth India-Israel Industrial Research and Development (R&D) and Technical Innovation Fund.



Prime Minister Modi said, we are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field.



Our decision to establish a bilateral technology innovation fund worth USD 40 million for research in

industrial development will help us in achieving this goal. We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. PM Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do more in this direction. Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts, he said.



In the water sector, two agreements were signed to increase cooperation on water conservation and state water utility reform in India.



Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Israels Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources signed the agreement on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India. The second one was signed between Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources on State Water Utility Reform in India.



Modi said that Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology and these are also among my priority areas in India's development.



We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation, he said.



In the agriculture sector, the two countries have agreed upon India-Israel Development Cooperation - a three-year work programme in agriculture from 2018 to 2020.



They also agreed for cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks. Besides, separate MoUs were signed between ISRO and ISA for cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link, and in Electric Propulsion for small satellites.



(with PTI inputs)
New Delhi: India and Israel on Wednesday expressed concern over the growing menace of terrorism and radicalism and agreed to cooperate to protect their strategic interests. The two countries called for strong measures against terror groups and their sponsors.



India has suffered first-hand violence and hatred spread by terror groups so as Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after holding wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit.



Modi said during their talks he and Netanyahu agreed to to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.



Later, a joint statement said the two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations.



"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.



The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, it said.



Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), the statement added.



"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," said Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.



The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.



India and Israel also agreed to set up a $ 40 million fund for industrial research and development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing $ 20 million each.



(With PTI inputs)
Tel Aviv: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the relationship between India and Israel was forged by "tradition, history and friendship".



The Prime Minister announced a flight service between Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv to a rousing applause. The audience welcomed PM Modi's decision as he invited everybody to pay a visit soon.



Addressing a gathering of the Indian diaspora at Tel Aviv's Convention Centre, the PM said the two countries were like two close friends meeting after a long time.



In another important announcement, he said that people of the Indian community, who have served compulsory army service in Israel, will get "Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, adding that the purpose of this facility will not be complete until it was extended to the people living in Israel".



This is the first time in 70 years that an Indian Prime Minister has come to Israel. It's an occasion to be happy, but it poses a question why it hadnt happened until now?" he said, starting his address.



Before Indian Prime Minister delivered a lively address, with the audiences intermittently chanting "Modi-Modi", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed him once again to Israel. "It's a partnership made in heaven, but happening right now, here on earth," the Israeli Prime Minister said, to a 6000-strong crowd.



Lauding his government's efforts, PM Modi asserted that the Centre was on course to ensuring "own houses to every citizen of the country by 2022," the year India completes 75 years of independence. "My Government's mantra is reform, perform and transform."



Shining light on a variety of commonalities between the two countries, PM Modi said: "Netanyahu and I have one more thing in common - we were both born in independent countries," adding that even the festivals of the two nations coincide.



"We have Diwali in India, you have Hanukkah in Israel. When we celebrate Holi, you celebrate Karim, Modi said.



The Prime Minister interacted with the Indian Jewish community directly, saying, "India has a very small Jewish community, but it has made its presence felt in every field. The Jewish community has enriched India with its contributions."



Earlier in the day, the two leaders held extensive talks and signed 7 Memorandum of Understandings in key areas such as space, agriculture and water conservation.




Bengaluru: President Pranab Mukherjee said there was no point in complaining about IT talent related protectionism by some countries and India has to prepare itself to face such challenges in the future.



Stressing on the importance of basic research and innovation, he said unless the required investments were made in these areas, the country cannot make further progress.



Delivering the convocation address at the Indian Institute of Science, he noted India occupied an important place in the sector and had some advantages initially because of the skills of its IT professionals.



"Therefore there is no point of saying thatcertain countries are changing their policies about theimmigration, movement of the skilled personnel from one country to another and we are now losing jobs which wereexclusively enjoyed by us in the initial years.



"We shall have to be ready for these types of challenges coming in the future not from one or two countries but from all across the world. Therefore we require excellent teachers, bright students and conducive atmosphere which are most

important in the academic life," he added.



His comments assume significance in view of the curbs imposed by the United States on grant of H1B visas.



Pointing out that this was his last visit to a centralinstitute as the 13th President before demitting office later this month, Mukherjee said, he is "deeply satisfied" with the IISc as its 'Visitor'.



"I am concluding with an institution which has madeIndia proud," he said, noting IISc was the best university in the country and among the best in the world.



Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah were among others present at the event.



Stating that research and innovations are the most fundamental things, Mukherjee said, "I am sorry that not only in our academies, but also in our industries we have neglectedthem for too long."



He said, "Unless we make investment in basic researchand innovation, I'm sorry we cannot make any further progress,to see the type of India which we would like to see."



Addressing the graduating students, the President said "unfortunately" those opting for fundamental research are lessand "we have to change this picture and see to that Indianbright minds dedicate themselves towards it."



"Your demand in the market could be much more...you may lead a very comfortable life abroad, you may earn hugeamount of money, but equally make the country happy," he said.



Mukherjee also noted that after C V Raman severalproducts (alumni) of Indian universities received the Nobel Prize,but they were recognised while working abroad.



He said creating a conducive atmosphere and retainingsuch talents in domestic institutes of higher learning was the majorchallenge that planners, leaders and administrators will have to address.



Noting that the country had the opportunity to capture the world job market because of its demographic dividend (large young population), he, however cautioned that this could become a liability if they were not provided proper inputs that include skill and employment.



Skill development initiative should be expedited and implemented with all earnestness. Universities must have good quality laboratories and libraries, he said while advocating regular updating of knowledge and equipment there in order to compete in today's fast changing world.


: India looks at aggressively pursuing its Act East policy with a decision to invite ASEAN nations for the Republic Day celebratios next year. Sources say the "commemorative event is under works." At a time when India and China are engaged in a stand-off at the tri-junction with Bhutan in Doklam area, this move assumes even greater significance.Interestingly, some ASEAN countries are themselves engaged in a tussle with China over territorial claims in South China Sea. China claims that virtually all of the strategically vital sea even those approaching the coasts of South-east Asian nations like Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Vietnam belong to it. Philippines dragged China to the International tribunal in The Hague over the dispute. The court ruled against China in July last year. The China Daily, touted as a government mouthpiece, called the decision "outrageously one-sided". China had even refused to participate in the proceedings.According to the Government of India, the country hopes to forge stronger ties with ASEAN countries with the hope that it creates "an interface between North East India including the state of Arunachal Pradesh and the ASEAN region". Arunachal Pradesh too has seen Chinese aggression with many blaming the slow pace of infrastructure development in the border areas vis-a-vis the rapid pace of development on the Chinese side. Hence, this attempt by India to ramp up work in the state is crucial keeping in view the boundary dispute with China.From Look East, India stepped up its engagement with the South East Asian countries to Act East. There was a clear intent to engage with the ten ASEAN countries not just to promote economic cooperation and cultural ties but also to develop a strategic relationship with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, according to MoS, External Affairs VK Singh in his reply to Parliament in 2015. In the same reply, Ministry of External Affairs highlighted that India had also invited ASEAN member states to participate in the International Solar Alliance which it had co-launched with France on 30 November, 2015 at COP-21.On strategic issues, we have increasing convergence on security interests with key partners both in bilateral and multilateral format. Closer cooperation in combating terrorism, collaborating for peace and stability in the region and promotion of maritime security based on international norms and laws are being pursued. In October last year, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Goa, the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical Economic Cooperation) countries were invited for the outreach event. This included countries from the South Asian region.
New Delhi: Nine days after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley warned Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of adverse effects if the state did not join GST, the state assembly adopted GST resolution. This has now cleared the way for GST to be implemented in the state.



The resolution has been passed on to the state cabinet which has called a special cabinet meet to give concurrence to Amendment 101, or the GST Act, to the states constitution to allow it to be implemented in the state.



After the cabinet gives its concurrence, it will then recommend the amendment to the President of India.



As soon as the Presidential Order is passed, GST act will automatically be extended to J&K, the only state resisting the big tax reform till now and the only one to have its own constitution.



GST had divided the valley for the last several days, with the opposition parties expressing fears that the states special status allowed under article 370 of the constitution will erode if it becomes a part of One Nation One Tax policy.



However the ruling coalition, BJP  PDP, repeatedly assured the states leaders that GST could interfere with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.



It was not just the opposition parties but PDP itself that seemed to be unsure about lending support to the reform, which is why GST couldnt be rolled out in the state just like it was in every other state in the country.



However despite the adoption of GST resolution, the agitation over it may be far from over.



We will protest against the manner in which the resolution was passed unilaterally by the majority and the manner in which people's concerns were not addressed. By bringing in Amendment 101 forcibly, this government has cared little for the special constitutional provisions of the J&K state. We will take this to people and expose the government, said M Y Tarigami, CPM MLA.



Opposition parties including independent law makers have rallied against Amendment 101 despite assurances made by the state Finance Minister and PDP leader, Haseeb Drabu, about Article 370, which gives the state special status, not being compromised in any way.



Speaking in the floor of the house on Wednesday, Drabu said that under no circumstances would section 5 of the state constitution, which gives Jammu and Kashmir exclusive taxation powers, be eroded.



However, state leaders like National Conferences provisional president Devender Rana have claimed that the oppositions fears have not been allayed.



The Finance Minister has failed to reply to the issues raised in the debate. PDP and BJP had made up their mind to anyhow pass this resolution, and bring GST without considering the aspirations of people. And they have bulldozed their way because of the majority they hold in the house, he said.



However, the ruling parties, which had pressed quite strongly for an early resolution of the impasse, argue that the tax reform would only benefit the state in the long run. BJP legislators described passing of GST resolution as big event.



This is a big day for J&K. We debated the issue for two days and the fact that J&K is a consumer state was brought forth. This tax regime is going to benefit J&K state a lot. It will help annihilate corruption and tax evasions. Only unscrupulous traders or businessmen need to fear the outcome of todays resolution, said Ravinder Rana, BJP MLA.
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court alleging that Karnataka had not released the 22.5 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Cauvery water as ordered by the apex court last year. The neighbour has released only 16.584 TMC so far, it said.



A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked the counsel for Tamil Nadu to file a proper application in this regard and assured that it would hear the matter, PTI reported.



Tamil Nadu alleged that Karnataka was under an obligation to give it 22.5 TMC in the last 25 days but only 16.58 TMC had been released so far, leaving a substantial shortfall in supply.



The apex court had on October 18 last year directed Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu till further orders and asked the two governments to ensure peace and harmony, saying citizens should not become a law unto themselves.



Earlier, on September 30, 2016, the Supreme Court rapped Karnataka for its repeated "defiance" in flouting its orders for releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and said no one would know when the "wrath of the law" would fall on it.



On October 1, Karnataka had moved a review petition in the apex court against its three orders on on the issue and direction to the Centre to create the Cauvery Water Management Board (CWMB).



In its review petition, Karnataka said "grave miscarriage of justice" had been caused to it following the three apex court orders of September 20, 27 and 30, by which it was directed to release water and the Centre was to constitute the Board by October 4.



(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: As tensions between India and China refuse to die down, national general secretary of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Ram Madhav slammed the opinion piece in Chinese daily Global Times, saying that the kind of aggression China was showing was surprising and unprecedented.



For the first time, there are perceptional differences on where the actual line of control is. The opinion piece in Global Times was very harsh. Such language is not used in diplomatic relations, he said.



The Chinese media, he added, is often seen as guided by political dispensation of the country. So, whatever they publish is taken as an official position. What we need is for leaders to calm down, Madhav told News18.



He quashed concerns on the magnitude of the current situation, recalling a similar "serious" dispute in 1986 in Sudaranasu village in Arunachal Pradesh, he said the two countries could not see eye-to-eye for 6-7 years.



Yes, it is for the first time that there are perceptional differences on where the actual line of control is. But the situation is far from grave, he added.



Asked whether the escalated tensions had anything to do with PM Narendra Modis recent visit to US President Donald Trump, Madhav said that there was very little chance that the meeting was a reason for tensions to be triggered.



Im not sure why theyre so aggressive. When President Xi Jinping and PM Modi met in Astana, they were so cordial with each other. President Xi took some time out to spend with Modi too. I dont know how things reached this level, Madhav said. Bilateral trade, he hoped, would ne be affected.



Border issues have been going on since the time Rajiv Gandhi was in power. They have never affected our bilateral activities. Be it trade, academics, people to people relations. Hopefully we can, as everyone says, freeze border issues and talk about other issues. This is the way forward, he added.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Israel, on Wednesday said the relationship between India and Israel is a relationship of friendship, tradition and historical significance. Addressing the Indian diaspora in Tel Aviv, Modi said that the Jewish community has enriched India with their contribution to different fields. Modi was accompanied to the event by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday offered 'baby' Moshe, a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, a long-term visa to India.



Moshe was just a two-year-old baby when terrorists attacked Nariman House in Mumbai and killed his parents.



PTI reported that Modi, in a special gesture, met Moshe, now 11, along with his grandparents and Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who managed to escape with him from the Nariman House which came under attack by Pakistan-based LeT terrorists in 2008.



"Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome. You and your all family members will get long term visas. So you can come anytime and go anywhere," Modi told the boy during the meeting.



Moshe started his welcome speech for Modi in Hindi, saying "Aapka swagat hai humare desh mein".



"I want to ask you something from all of us: Please continue to love me forever. Thank you. And always remember my parents.



"I live in Afula, but I remember our connection to Nariman House... I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I live there... Dear Mr Modi I love you and the people in India," Moshe said.



The boy gifted a photo to Modi. "Thank you for your very very special gift," Modi said with affection.



Moshe's parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others by terrorists at the Nariman House, also popularly known as Chabad House. The Nariman House was one of the five places targeted by the terrorists during the attack that killed 166 people.



Moshe now lives with his grandparents  Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends. Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010.



She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family during the weekends.



Before the meeting Modi, Moshe's grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandson's 'bar mitzvah', a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upanayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite Modi.



(with PTI inputs)
Patna: Amid chants of Jai Sri Ram on Tuesday, a Muslim family in Bihar's Begusarai district converted to Hinduism. Mohammed Anbar, head of the family, claimed that the Bajarang Dal convinced them to embrace Hinduism after they were forced to follow Sharia law by Muslim hardliners.



Anbar, along with his two sons - Amir Subhani and Sameer Subhani - went to a temple, where the priests performed the rituals. Anbar is a lawyer by profession and practices in the district court.



"I am a liberal. I used to visit temples and mosques both, but hardliners in my community objected to it. I was threatened for participating in events organized by Hindus. Then, Bajrang Dal contacted me. They told me about Hinduism in details, and I was convinced that Hinduism was not a religion but a way of life. So, I decided to follow their advice," Anbar said.



Begusarai Superintendent of Police Ranjeet Mishra told News18 that it all happened with the consent of the family, and there was no report of any pressure on the family.



District coordinator of Bajrang Dal Shubham Bhardwaj accepted that his organisation was behind the conversion, claiming it was Anbar who contacted them.



"He was continuously harassed by the local Imam and their supporters. They were forcing them to offer Namaz five times in a day, and he was threatened for visiting temples. Recently, his house was attacked by hardliners, forcing him to seek our help. Our volunteers saved him and his family. Then we aked him to adopt Hinduism and he agreed," he told News18.


Prime Minister Modis visit to Israel is expected to witness the signing of a number of defence deals as New Delhi attempts to close the ever increasing military capability gap vis-a-vis China and Pakistan. The recent defence deals relating to the joint Indo-Israeli development of the Barak-8 air defence missile systems is reflective of Indias efforts towards indigenous modernization and fits in with Modis Make in India initiative. The likely highlight of these deals will likely be Indias purchase of armed drones in the form of the Heron TP for their perceived utility by the India media in conducting surgical strikes.



Some of the likely deals that could be signed during the Prime Ministers visit also includes the purchase of 8,000 Spike anti-tank missiles, worth about $500 million for the Army and two Phalcon early warning, command and control systems for about a $1 billion for the Indian Air Force. The acquisition of these weapons systems hold the potential to address significant capability gabs in the Indian military.



India has been importing from Israel various weapons systems, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles over the last few years, making India one of Israels largest buyers of military hardware. The value of defence deals signed in recent months have exceeded $2 billion.



The Barak 8 surface to air missile capable of shooting down aircraft, drones or missiles upto a range of 70 kilometers has been developed by Israeli Aerospace Industries and Indias Defense Research and Development Organization in collaboration with a number of other Indian and Israeli companies and vendors.



The Barak 8 being acquired for all the three services will reduce the number of types of air defence systems operated by the Indian armed forces. It will improve affordability by reducing acquisition, operating, integration, and training costs. More importantly, it vastly improves Indias ground based air defence capability to defend its airspace from intrusions by the China or Pakistan when in the future it is paired with the longer range Russian-made S-400 Triumf advanced air defense systems. Given the IAFs claimed deficiencies in fighter airframes which would affect traditional roles like air defence and policing, air defence systems line the Barak-8 will play a critical role in defending Indian airspace.



The much vaunted Heron TPs are one of Israel Aerospace Industriess more advanced UAVs with an endurance upwards of 30 hours, maximum takeoff weight of 5,300 kg and a potential weapons/mission payload of upto 1,000 kgs. They can be used for both surveillance as well as combat and support roles, and can carry air-to-ground missiles to take out hostile targets.



The use of UAVs will permit Indian policymakers to exercise the use of force while substantially lowering the risk to military personnel and act as force multipliers in enhancing surveillance capabilities. In Indias case, the Indian military hopes that armed UAVs will give it the capability to conduct symbolic retaliatory attack against Pakistan based terrorists in while limiting the violation of Pakistani sovereignty and hoping to avoid any escalatory spiral. The emphasis in the media the acquisition of the armed Heron TP for Surgical strikes is indicative of how the ill-defined term has become the leading public and military understanding of military options available to India in responding to terrorism emanating Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).



While there advanced technologies from Israel especially drones have captured the imagination of the military and public discourse offering the possibility of increasing Indias offensive military capability, it is the technologically less complex system like the anti-tank missile in the form of the Spike that will transform the capabilities of the Indian infantry man who is the spear of a manpower intensive land based defence of two fronts.



So far, budgetary constraints have meant that the Indian armed forces have not been able to quickly invest in technologically advanced platforms to leapfrog their war fighting capabilities. Indias burgeoning defence relationship with Israel provides New Delhi the opportunity to build some foundational military capabilities where Indian defence public sector companies have not succeed in delivering even basic military platforms and systems.



(Pushan Das is a researcher at the Observer Research Foundation) Views expressed are personal.
In this December 11, 2008 photo, two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg is held by his grandmother Yehudit Rosenberg and a domestic help during a condolence prayer meeting in a synagogue for those killed by terrorists at Chabad House during the 26/11 attacks. (REUTERS)
Accusing India of behaving shamelessly before the international community, the Chinese media has warned that India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts.If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area, and it's ready for a two-and-a-half front war , we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power. Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts, an editorial in Chinas state-run Global Times said, referring to recent statements by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Army chief General Bipin Rawat.New Delhi's real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block China's road construction there. The Cold War-obsessed India is suspicious that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area, the editorial said amid a 20-day standoff between the regional giants in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction. The standoff was triggered when the Chinese army's construction party came to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.The strongly-worded editorial also accused India of coercing Bhutan. India has long treated Bhutan as a vassal state, a rare scene under modern international relations. India's illegal border intrusion is not allowed by international law; besides its suppression of Bhutan must be condemned by the international community. The Indian media claimed in recent days that New Delhi shouldn't abandon Bhutan, it said.China has also recently released a map to back its claim that Indian troops "transgressed" into the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector. Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.India has 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 also led to the cancellation of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim.
New Delhi: In a major setback to Sahara, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said if the conglomerate fails to deposit Rs 542 crore by July 15, its Aamby Valley City will be auctioned, setting July 20 as the next date of hearing.



Sahara India Pariwar had filed a plea, seeking more time to deposit the money. The Supreme Court shot down the petition, making it clear that Subrata Roy and group will face the legal action if the cheque is not honoured.



The Apex court also approved the official liquidator's plan to auction the Aamby Valley city but asked it to wait until July 15, 2017. "Why should we accommodate you anymore? We will sell Aamby Valley and get the money," the SC said. Roy had last deposited Rs 1500 crore in April.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss a host of cooperative deals in defence, agriculture, trade, diplomacy and water management during the formers ongoing visit to the Middle Eastern country. Narendra Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish homeland "Ahead of the visit, both countries have prepared a roadmap of joint economic undertakings," The Haaretz reported on June 29, 2017. "The Israeli cabinet approved a 23-page document continuing scores of bilateral measures and a budget of 280 million shekels (about $79.6 million or Rs 514 crore)  a bigger sum than Israel has ever set aside for China, Africa and Latin America combined. No fewer than 11 ministries were involved in preparing the programme."Here are five things that define the India-Israel relationship:India is Israel's top destination for arms exports, buying 41% of export between 2012 and 2016, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, an independent global conflict and arms-research institute.Israel is India's third-largest source of arms, with a 7.2% share of imports between 2012 and 2016, next to the US (14%) and Russia (68%).The earliest signs of collaboration came during the 1962 Sino-Indian war, when Israel provided India military aid. Israel also assisted India during two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971.India reciprocated during the six-day war in 1967 by providing Israel with spare parts for French-made Mystere and Ouragan aircraft as well as AX-13 tanks (also French-made).The highlight of the partnership was Israel's supply of artillery shells during the Kargil war in 1999 when India faced a shortage.In the late 1990s, a crucial defence deal was the Indian purchase of Barak 1, an air-defence missile, bought specifically for its capability to intercept US-made Harpoon missiles deployed by Pakistan.India's imports of unarmed aerial vehicles (UAVs) have almost all been from Israel. Of 176 UAVs purchased from Israel, 108 are Searcher UAVs and 68 are Heron UAVs.In April 2017, India and Israel signed a $2 billion deal for an advanced medium-range surface-to-air missile system, which will provide the Indian army the capability to shoot down aircraft, missiles and drones at ranges of up to 70 km.In September 2016, tests were conducted of the jointly developed Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile with a range of 70 km, intended to equip three guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy.India successfully tested the Israeli-made SPYDER quick-reaction surface-to-air missile in May this year. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to deploy this system on its western border.India and Israel also closely cooperate on counter-terrorism issues through a joint working group on counter-terrorism.Several ministerial and high-level official visits to Israel preceded Modi's tour. These included visits by then Home Minister LK Advani in 2000, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2008, Home Minister Rajnath Singh in 2014, President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015 and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in 2016.Three Indian naval ships, destroyer INS Mumbai, frigate INS Trishul and tanker INS Aditya, made a goodwill visit at the Haifa port in May 2017 to mark 25 years of full diplomatic relations between the two countries.An Indo-Israel agriculture action plan for 2015-18 is operational, and 15 of the proposed 26 centres of excellence in agriculture are being developed in India with Israel's help to showcase the latest technology to Indian farmers.Phase-I (2010-12) and phase-II (2012-15) of the agreement are complete, according to a reply to the Lok Sabha.India has benefited from Israeli technologies in horticulture mechanisation, protected cultivation, orchard and canopy management, nursery management, micro-irrigation and post-harvest management, particularly in Haryana and Maharashtra.Every year, more than 20,000 farmers visit the Agricultural Centre of Excellence at Gharaunda in Karnal, Haryana, where a nursery produces hybrid seedlings -- including tomatoes, cherry-tomato, coloured capsicum, cucumbers, eggplant and chilli pepper-grown in small, individual cells, ready to be transplanted into containers or a field.There was a five-to 10-fold increase in crop yields with an accompanying 65% reduction in use of water and noticeable decrease in the use of pesticides and fertilisers, according to a December 2014 report on the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project.On June 28, 2017, the Union cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Israel on the National Campaign for Water Conservation in India.Technologically-adept Israel has developed water-management technologies, located as it is in a semi-arid region with limited sources of fresh drinking water.India and Israel had earlier signed a MoU on water resources management and development cooperation in November 2016.Israel was India's 38th-largest trading partner, with trade of $5.02 billion (Rs 33,634 crore) in 2016-17, down 18% over 2012-13. The trade balance stood in India's favour at $1.10 billion (Rs 7,370 crore) in 2016-17.Mineral fuels and oils are India's leading export to Israel, worth $1.01 billion in 2016-17.India's major imports from Israel in 2016-17 included natural or cultured pearls and precious stones, worth $1.11 billion.Trade in diamonds accounts for nearly 54% of the bilateral trade. Nearly 40 diamond dealers from India have opened offices at the Israeli diamond exchange in Ramat-Gan. Some of these dealers have been active in Israel for nearly 30-40 years.The Israeli government has proposed measures such as "offering export insurance, liberalising the aviation sector and granting longer-term visas". The aim is to boost Israeli exports to India by 25% over the next four years and tourists to 80,000 annually."Relations with Israel are significant for India because of cooperation in agriculture, defence and science/technology," Uttara Sahasrabuddhe, professor of international relations at the University of Mumbai, told IndiaSpend."Israel has been giving key weapons systems to India, including missiles; it has given us those weapons which we could not directly buy from the US for ideological reasons; cooperation in counter-terrorism from information sharing to techniques/doctrine of counter terrorism," Sahasrabudde said. "It is also an important source of foreign investment, if tapped with care. The visit of the Indian PM will indicate that New Delhi has come out of the old mindset."(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: Why is Prime Minister Modis Israel visit placing such a heavy stress on agricultural cooperation? The key to understanding this is the governments stated aim to double farmers incomes and the belief that Israeli agriculture and irrigation technologies can help deliver that goal.



Consider the following slogans: More crop per drop, Hark khet ko pani (water for every farm), Doubling farmers incomes.



These encapsulate the governments thinking on how to raise agricultural productivity. Israeli technology is vital for each of these aims.



But first, a short digression on Israels water management system. When the nation was founded in 1948 it realized that it was severely water stressed. Sixty percent of the land was desert and the annual rainfall was 50 cm. There were no rivers of note and no chance of water sharing in a hostile neighborhood. Rainfall has fallen to half the level of 70 years ago while the population has grown 10 fold according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Israel thus had to come up with innovative water solutions.



The result is a centralized water management grid, developed over the decades to make maximum use of water. The center piece of this strategy was drip irrigation. Instead of flooding fields, water is delivered directly to the plants roots in small quantities.



Now compare this to Indian agriculture. Only a small portion of Indian agriculture is irrigated, mostly through canals. The canal network is most extensive in North India, particularly Punjab, Haryana and Northern Rajasthan, and relies on excessive use of water, leading to water stress and overuse. The farmer in these regions typically thinks that the more the water delivered to his farm, the higher the productivity. This attitude is being severely challenged by changing water patterns due to overuse and climate change.



This is where the government thinks Israeli technology can help. The Middle Eastern nation recycles 90% of sewage and the recycled water is used for agriculture. Plants have been engineered to grow in arid conditions and sea water is desalinated for human use.



India has always been interested in Israels mastery of drip irrigation, but it now wants the partnership to blossom. Israeli firms have the technological know how while Indian partners know how to navigate the complex bureaucratic maze here, Anai Joglekar, who is in charge of political affairs and special projects at the Israeli Consulate in Mumbai told News18. This visit will create momentum for partnerships on the ground.



It is hard to ignore that there is an Israeli technological solution for each of Modis slogans: More crop per drop and har khet ko pani (drip irrigation), doubling farmers incomes (an integrated water management system for agriculture). Its a partnership that can expand and thats why Israels government has committed Rs 500 crore, which the Indian government may match, analysts hope.



Further, the Israeli experience with collectivized farming has become a template for a plan that is being pushed by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). A Kibbutz is an Israeli collective community based on agriculture while a Moshav is a cooperative agricultural community. Both these are being explored as templates for farmer-producer companies by NABARD. However, one of the main problems of Indian agriculture is the small size of land holdings. Corruption in cooperatives is a well-known problem, particularly in Maharashtra. Plus, the government does not have the money to pump into co-ops.



The government and NABARD are keen to push farmer-producer companies where a large group of farmers pool their land together and work as a collective. They could be registered as a non-profit, company or trust, would produce business plans and access capital from formal banking channels.



Maharashtra has already asked the Israeli Consulate in Mumbai to prepare a plan for establishing a farmer-producer collective in Dehni village in Yavatmal district, which has one of the highest incidences of farmer suicides.



India has already adopted drip irrigation in some parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana. An article in Forbes India in 2010 reported that the Israeli firm Netafim, the worlds largest micro-irrigation company, indigenized its Family Drip System (FPS) for mainstream farming in India. Drip irrigation is now available for farms that are as small as a quarter acre.



No doubt, both governments will be hoping to take this partnership forward by providing a government to government framework that would enable corporate partnerships to flourish.
Sharing my remarks at the press meet with PM @netanyahu. https://t.co/MxUZyLo72s pic.twitter.com/34SZX8j9i1  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 4, 2017

With an eye of strengthening the bilateral ties with Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to elevate relations between two countries. The PM is later scheduled to meet Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as a two-year-old, on Wednesday.Reaffirming bilateral ties, PM Modi says the I of India is always with the I of Israel"The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India," PM Modi tweeted.Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence and thanked him for the "warm hospitality and friendship"."It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India," Modi wrote in the guest book at the President's residence."President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality," wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.
Jerusalem: Israel's Yad Vashem memorial serves as a mirror to societies as the world is grappling with intolerance, hatred and terror, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust.



Modi was accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israel's largest memorial to the Holocaust, among the greatest tragedies in human history as some six million Jews were killed by Nazi Germany.



The leaders toured the Hall of Names, containing photographs and names of Holocaust victims, and the Children's Memorial and participated in a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance.



In the visitors' book at the memorial, Prime Minister Modi, wrote, "I am deeply moved by my visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is as much a poignant reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago as it is a symbol of the endurance and fortitude of the Jewish people."



"As we deal with conflict, intolerance, hatred, and terror in our time, Yad Vashem serves as a mirror to societies around the world. May we not forget the injustices of the past and its devastating toll on humanity. And remembering the past, may we empower our children to make compassionate, just and righteous choices for their future," Modi wrote.



Before departing the Yad Vashem complex, Modi visited the grave of Binyamin Zeev (Theodor) Herzl at the suggestion of Netanyahu.



Theodor Herzl was an Austro-Hungarian journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was one of the fathers of modern political Zionism, a movement to establish a Jewish homeland.



Yad Vashem started as an organisation in 1953 on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance near Jerusalem, as a form of reference to future generations, documenting the memory of Holocaust victims and the history of the Jewish people during the tragic time.



The museum occupies over 4,200 square metres - mainly underground - and emphasises the experiences of the individual victims through original artifacts, survivor testimonies and personal possessions.



Shaped as a prism penetrating the mountain, the new Yad Vashem opened in 2005. Its architecture sets the atmosphere for the nine chilling galleries of interactive historical displays which present the Holocaust in several ways.



The museum leads into the Hall of Names, which contains more than three million names of Holocaust victims submitted by their families and relatives.



The Holocaust was the killing of nearly six million Jews, including some 1.5 million children, by Adolf Hitlers Nazi Germany. Though the persecution of Jews began in 1933, the mass murder was committed during the more than four years of World War II.



On his arrival, Modi was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu along with the top tier of Israel's leadership - known as segel aleph.

Modis three-day visit to Israel is the first by an Indian prime minister to the Jewish state.
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Derek OBrien waded into the war-of-words between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Wednesday, calling the latter an RSS Sakha Pramukh. In a Facebook post, the Trinamool Congress leader said wondered if the bedsheets and towels in Raj Bhavan would have BJP logos.



Communal clashes in the states North 24 Parganas district have heated up the political scene as well, with Mamata Banerjee accusing the Governor of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her. The Raj Bhavan had voiced surprise over Banerjee's "attitude and language", and said, "the Hon'ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state."



Echoing Mamatas position a day later, OBrien said it was time for the Governor to go. Bengal Governor sounding like RSS Sakha Pramukh, time for him to go. Yes, the Governor has used unacceptable language in his telephone call to the Chief Minister. It is very unfortunate that the Raj Bhavan in Bengal has converted into an RSS shakha. Its almost like all the bedsheets and towels and everything in Raj Bhavan now have BJP logos. The Governor is not sounding like a Governor anymore, who is supposed to protect the Constitution. He is sounding like a shakha pramukh  this is completely unacceptable, the MP said in his Facebook post.







Backing his party chief, OBrien said Banerjee was not given the post of the CM by other political parties, but by the people of Bengal. What happened during that phone call is unacceptable. She is a democratically-elected Chief Minister. Its not as if the BJP, the Congress or the CPI(M) has sent her here. Ten crore people of Bengal have sent her here, said OBrien.



Tripathi, a former BJP veteran and ex-speaker of Uttar Pradesh assembly, was appointed West Bengal governor after the Narendra Modi government was formed in 2014.



The violence between two communities at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division in the district started on Monday night over the post following which a young man was arrested, the police said. A violent mob put up road blockades at several places and attacked members of other community, besides destroying many shops, they said.



A senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer said four companies comprising 400 troops of the force's South Bengal Frontier have been deployed in Bashirhat, Swarupnagar, Baduriaand Devganga areas to assist the state police in containing the situation.



(With PTI Inputs)




Kolkata: West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi on Tuesday spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue of communal clashes in North 24 Parganas.



"Governor K N Tripathi had a telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and had informed him about the clashes in North 24 Parganas district. They had a detailed discussion about the present situation in the area," a Raj Bhavan source told PTI.



Communal clashes have broken out in North 24 Paraganas district over an "objectionable" post on Facebook, prompting the state government to rush 400 troops of paramilitary BSF today to assist the police in containing the situation.



The violence between the two communities at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division in the district started last night over the post following which a young man was arrested, the police said.



In an unprecedented move, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Tripathi of "threatening" her over the phone and talking "big on the law and order".



She said that he was acting like a "BJP block president".



Banerjee said, "I am not here at the mercy of anyone. The way he spoke to me, I once thought of leaving (the chair)."



Tripathi expressed surprise over Banerjee's "attitude and language" and said there was nothing in his talks for which she felt insulted, threatened or humiliated.



"The talks between the Hon'ble Chief Minister and the Hon'ble Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it," a statement issued by Raj Bhavan here said.







It said that the governor asked the chief minister to ensure peace and law and order by all means.
Struggling Chinese tech group LeEco is under growing pressure from its creditors and business partners, with a court in Shanghai ordering a freeze on some of its assets over late payments to a bank. The latest financial troubles of the conglomerate, which has interests ranging from smart cars to online content, have surfaced days after founder and CEO Jia Yueting said its cash problems were "far worse than expected" and that billions of dollars in funds raised in recent months were not enough to help it ride out the crunch.China Merchants Bank Co Ltd said in a statement on Tuesday it had applied to have some of LeEco's assets frozen because a subsidiary, Leview Mobile HK Limited, had been late making interest payments on a loan."CMB's Shanghai branch repeatedly urged repayment without success and so sought to use legal means," the bank said, adding it now had risks related to the loan under control and did not rule out using "friendly talks" to resolve the issue.LeEco, which controls smartphone maker Coolpad and its core listed smart TV unit Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp, has been battling huge financial pressure since Jia admitted last year the company had expanded too fast and was facing "big company disease".Shenzhen-listed Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp issued a statement late Tuesday, saying the Shanghai court had frozen a 26.03 percent stake in LeEco held by Jia, and would do so for three years.As of Tuesday, Jia, the controlling shareholder, held 26.27 percent of shares in LeEco, the statement added.Watch the Tech and Auto ShowAccording to a court document dated June 26, the Shanghai High People's Court approved a freeze order on 1.237 billion yuan ($182 million) of assets of Leview Mobile HK Limited, two other LeEco-linked firms as well as CEO Jia and his wife.The court document, seen by Reuters, said it had found CMB's application to be "in accordance with the law" and so the freeze order ruling would come into immediate effect.Local media outlets earlier reported the asset freeze.A LeEco spokesman said the case concerned "financing loans related to LeEco's smartphone business", but added LeEco had enough collateral to cover the loan."Our senior executives are currently in close communication with various financing units of CMB, and we hope to resolve the related debt issue very soon," he said. LeEco also hopes to raise further cash to help it "get back to normal", he added.In late 2015, CMB agreed a 10 billion yuan loan to LeEco, part of which was used to acquire a stake in Coolpad and was the biggest bank loan to LeEco at the time, financial magazine Caixin said on Monday, citing public information.Some other partners and suppliers are re-examining their exposure to the troubled group.This week, local media reported an affiliated company of electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn divested its 20 percent stake in LeEco's TV and video unit Leshi Zhixin, a blow to the company's core business and one of its most profitable units. Foxconn did not reply to Reuters' request for comment.LeEco is also facing pressure from China Mobile over late payments of around 14 million yuan, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The carrier declined to comment.In June, Taiwan's Compal Electronics Inc reduced shipments to LeEco, and temporarily suspended its plans to buy shares of Leshi Zhixin, according to local media. At Compal's first quarter investor conference, it said it was monitoring Leshi's repayment abilities and would develop a new strategy to collect its debt, which could involve legal action.Compal did not provide immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. LeEco did not reply to Reuters' requests for comments on its business partners' actions.Faced with the worsening cash crunch, LeEco has put some of its global properties for sale, cut staff numbers, and is planning a restructuring to fold some business units into Leshi Internet.
The board of Indian online marketplace Snapdeal has rejected a bid worth $700-$800 million from Flipkart after due diligence by its bigger rival, Mint newspaper reported on Tuesday. Japan's SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), Snapdeal's biggest investor, is looking to sell the firm to Flipkart to secure a stake in India's largest e-commerce player. The offer by Bengaluru-headquartered Flipkart last week is only for the Snapdeal online marketplace and doesn't include the company's logistics arm Vulcan Express or its digital payments unit FreeCharge, Mint said quoting three anonymous sources.SoftBank declined to comment while Snapdeal, its shareholders Nexus Venture Partners and Kalaari Capital, and Flipkart were not immediately available for comment. Snapdeal has been expected to fetch at least $1 billion from its sale to Flipkart. Negotiations between the two companies will continue, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.Flipkart did not give any reason for "knocking down" Snapdeal's valuation, the source added. As part of the proposed transaction, SoftBank would invest about $1 billion in Flipkart through a direct cash infusion and by buying equity stakes in its investors such as Tiger Global, according to sources.Watch the Tech and Auto Show
The Saudi national airline said on Tuesday it expects the United States to lift a ban on laptops and tablets in the cabins of its US-bound flights from the kingdom by July 19.



Saudia, also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, said the ban would be lifted "on or before July 19" and it was working with US authorities on "alternative security measures".



Washington in March barred all electronic devices larger than a mobile phone in the cabins of direct flights to the US from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, only allowing them in hold luggage.



The ban was brought in after intelligence officials learned of efforts by jihadists from the Islamic State group to produce a bomb that could be hidden inside such devices.



For the same reason, Britain also banned similar-sized electronics from the cabins of direct flights from six countries.



Washington said it would abolish the ban for companies that implemented new safety measures.



Etihad Airways on Sunday became the first airline to benefit from the lifting of the ban, with flights from the airline's base in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi no longer affected.



The decision came after the airline implemented the new directives, a spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security said.



Turkey's Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said Tuesday that the ban would no longer apply to US-bound flights from Turkey's main international airport from July 5.
Istabnbul: The United States has lifted the in-cabin ban on laptops and other large electronic devices on US-bound flights from Dubai and Istanbul, Emirates and Turkish Airlines said on Wednesday.



The announcements come three days after restrictions were lifted on Etihad Airways' hub Abu Dhabi International Airport.



The ban was lifted "effective immediately" on Dubai International, the world's busiest airport for international travel, after new security measures announced by the US last week were implemented, an Emirates spokeswoman said in a statement.



Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline and which flies to 12 U.S. cities, had blamed travel restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump's administration for a drop in demand on U.S. flights.



The Dubai-based carrier cut flights to five U.S. cities from May, though has since said demand was starting to return on some routes.



Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines said in a statement that passengers traveling to the United States could now take their laptops onboard.



Chief Executive Bilal Eksi also tweeted that the airline expected a similar ban flights to Britain would soon be lifted.



U.S. and British officials carried out inspections of security measures at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Tuesday, the Dogan news agency reported.



There was no immediate comment available from U.S. officials on the lifting of the ban in Dubai and Istanbul.



The U.K. ban does not apply to flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.



In March, the United States imposed the ban on flights originating at 10 airports in eight countries -- Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey -- to address fears that bombs could be concealed in electronic devices taken aboard aircraft.



The United States announced on June 29 enhanced security measures for flights to the country which require additional time to screen passengers and personal electronic devices for possible explosives.



The new measures, which take effect within three weeks of the announcement, will affect around 325,000 daily passengers travelling on 180 airlines from 280 airports around the world, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.



Airlines that fail to meet the new security requirements could still face in-cabin electronics restrictions.



Saudi Arabia Airlines (Saudia) expects the ban to lifted on flights from Jeddah and Riyadh by July 19, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.


United Nation: The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the North Korean rocket launch as requested by United States, Japan and South Korea, the UN press office said.



The closed-door consultations of the 15-nation Council on North Korea will take place at 11 a.m. ET, the United Nations said in a statement on Saturday.



Council diplomats said the United States, Japan and South Korea requested the meeting after North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday carrying what it has said is a satellite in defiance of United Nations sanctions barring it from using ballistic missile technology.



South Korean U.N. Ambassador Oh Joon wrote in a letter to Venezuelan Ambassador Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno that the council in 2013 had expressed "its determination to take further significant measures in the event of a further (North Korean) launch or nuclear test."



Reuters obtained a copy of the South Korean letter to the Venezuelan ambassador, who is president of the Security Council this month.



The United States and China have been discussing a possible expansion of U.N. sanctions on North Korea in response to its latest nuclear test last month. Council diplomats say they hope to vote on a Security Council resolution on the issue later this month.



One diplomat said the rocket launch highlighted the need for "tough action" by the council against North Korea.


Manila: Beauty contestants from different regions in the country pose for photographers as they are presented to the media by a hotel poolside for this year's Miss Philippines Earth beauty pageant Wednesday, July 5, 2017, in Manila, Philippines. Forty hopefuls are vying for the title and a chance to represent the country in the Miss Earth contest which advocates for the protection and preservation of the environment. (Image: AP)
As Virginia rides the wave of a booming population in Northern Virginia toward a projected ranking of 10th most populous state in the union by 2040, Central Virginia is not getting left behind.

According to the latest population projections released by the University of Virginias Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, the city of Lynchburg is projected to grow to 96,000 residents by 2040, up from 79,047 measured in 2014, according to citydata.com. Between 2020 and 2040, the city is expected to add 15,000 residents, which is an estimated growth of 18 percent.

Just behind Lynchburg, Bedford County is expected to grow to 91,000 residents by 2040, with a growth rate of 15 percent between 2020 and 2040. The study estimates Bedford Countys current population of 76,000 residents will grow to just shy of 80,000 by 2020.

Appomattox County is expected to reach a population just shy of 18,000 residents by 2040, which is up from the currently population of about 15,000 people. The locality is projected to hit 15,900 residents by 2020 and then grow 11 percent over the next 20 years.

Campbell County also will add about 5,000 residents between 2020 and 2040 to reach a total population of 62,000. The current population of about 54,000 residents is expected to hit 57,000 by 2020.

Shonel Sen, a research and policy analyst with the Weldon Cooper Center, said metropolitan areas of all sizes are growing across the commonwealth, while rural areas are shrinking or holding steady.

The divide between urban and rural communities is growing, she said. In terms of metro areas, a lot of the growth youre seeing is coming from areas like Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond, but all other metro areas are also a large contributor to the population growth. Even when youre looking at Central Virginia, the urban areas will pop up more in population.

The Weldon Cooper Centers Demographics Research Group produces the official annual population estimates for Virginia and its localities and serves governments at the federal, state and local levels as well as private companies with statistical research.

The state budget for fiscal year 2016-18 budget allocated funds $300,000 over two years for the new round of population estimates to help the government implement policy.

Despite growth in the more rural counties of Bedford, Appomattox and Campbell, Amherst and Nelson are lagging behind.

Amherst is projected to see a 2 percent population decrease between 2020 and 2040 to about 31,000 residents by 2040. The countys current population is 32,000 and is expected to drop to 31,700 by 2020.

Nelson is predicted to grow to 15,244 by 2040, which is only marginally higher than the 2020 estimate of 14,941. The current population is estimated to be just 100 residents lower at 14,835.

The study did not focus on the causes of population growth or decline but instead studied previous trends and data collected from the last two censuses collected in 2000 and 2010 to create a model to project the near future.

We tried to go back and see what the localitys population structure was in the past and how that could change in the future, Sen said. These findings are a template for the future, but they may vary, and we intend to change these projections as we get more input data.

Megan Lucas, CEO of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, said the results of the population projections are encouraging for the regions existing businesses, and future ones that could be drawn to the area.

Ultimately it means success for our existing industries, but it also means our labor force will grow, and that is important as we try to recruit industry into the region and tell our story, she said.

Currently Virginia is ranked 12th in the nation for population with 8.4 million residents, but the study estimates the commonwealth could surge past New Jersey and Michigan and be home to 10.5 million people by 2040. The state of California is ranked first with 39 million and Wyoming comes in last with only 585,000.

Despite the increasing population in the commonwealth, Sen said the majority of the growth is coming from older residents who are living longer and growing old in Virginia.

Even though the commonwealth is growing, its growing because of older people, plus there are medical advances so you have longer life expectancy. In terms of the future growth, about more than 50 percent that you can expect to see is people who are about 65 just growing older in the same place.

Statewide, the population of Virginia residents 65 and older is projected to jump from about 1.4 million in 2020 to more than 1.9 million by 2040.
Jordana astonished by second place

While sharing her accomplishment with her friends and family at her school located at the Aranguez Main Road, San Juan, Mahabir said she never thought her name would have been called.

She said she put in a lot of hard work and long hours of studying up to the last day for the exam and did not expect to score high enough to be placed second.

I am speechless, she said Everything happened so fast.

When I heard my name, I just stood there in shock. I felt so happy and nervous at the same time. It is a feeling that I will never forget. When asked about her career plans, Mahabir said she wants to follow in the footsteps of her cousins as doctors.

I want to be a gynaecologist. I hear about some of the struggles women face in my country and I want to be able to contribute to my country in this field.

She said St Augustine Girls High School was her first choice and she cannot wait to attend the school in the new school term.

Her mother Charmaine Mahabir, a single parent and a proprietor, said her daughter made her extremely proud yesterday
Shenice tops Tobago

St Andrews Anglican also secured the third place on the island with Kareah Manning who will also be attending Bishops High.

Overcome with emotion yesterday, Shenice told Newsday, I feel really ecstatic. I didnt expect this, I tried but I really wasnt looking forward to this kind of result. I did put in a lot of work, late nights and long school days but I wasnt always in my books. I still did extra-curricular activities like swimming, singing and piano.

I want to be a psychologist or cardiologist when I grow up. Her father Frank Stanisclaus was also surprised by his daughters achievement.

I have to give it to her, he said.

She worked hard. We ensured that she did a certain amount of work every day, but quite apart from that we allowed her to do her music. She does piano. She does swimming and so on. So, she had those types of relaxation. Her schoolmate Kareah experienced mixed emotions.

I feel happy, scared I am not an emotional kind of person. I wanted to go to Bishops and I feel excited knowing that I would be going there come September. Principal Nicole Henry-Waldron could not contain her excitement as it was the first time St Andrews had secured the top place in the examination on the sister isle.

I am very elated and I feel very motivated, she told Newsday.

As she congratulated the staff at the school, Henry-Waldron also encouraged parents to continue to be a part of their childrens lives as the school copped four spots in the top ten.

Second place went to St Nicholas Privates Chelsea Low who said she never expected to be placed at her first choice.

I would be going to Bishops High School. I want to encourage other students like myself to never give up because it pays off. It was a lot of hard work and long hours but I think it was worth it. Scarborough Methodists Jordan Langley was the only boy to secure a spot in the top ten. Langley placed sixth in Tobago and 742 nationally having obtained a total score of 238.74. He was assigned to Bishops High School.
Destra ordered to pay Belizean man for ruptured bladder

In a video that was posted online by another patron, Olivia could be seen lying on his back before Destra told him, If yous a bad boy I will treat you bad.

Treat him bad allyuh? before dropping herself onto his pelvis.

Olivia was then seen getting up from the floor of the stage but did not appear to be in any immediate discomfort.

Sources however revealed that once off the stage, he complained of a pain in his midsection and had to be rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.

Tests at the hospital revealed that Olivia had suffered a ruptured bladder from the impact.

Justice Courtney Able delivered his ruling after Olivias lawyers argued that Destras move on stage was less like a soca dance and more like a wrestling move.

The court granted a default judgement against Garcia as she did not enter a defence and lawyers confirmed that they are currently in talks with local attorneys to have the order enforced in this jurisdiction.

Newsday spoke to attorney Christophe Rodriguez who, along with Shane Kingston, will act for the Belizean national locally to enforce the order.

Rodriguez, whose law partner Steve Perera handled the case in Belize, explained the first course of action he intends to follow is to approach the High Court to have the judgement recognised. We will be asking the court to have her pay the amount of damages (compensation) ordered by the Belizean court.

We will be approaching the court within the next two weeks. Attempts to contact Garcia or her publicist were unsuccessful.

Newsday understands that she left the country for Miami earlier yesterday.
15-year delay in proclaiming adoption law

Susan Ruth Jackson and her son Jordan Matthew Leiba had their TT passports revoked by the TT Consulate in Toronto, Canada, on September 2010 and won their judicial review claim in 2011, when a High Court judge found that the decision of the Chief Immigration Officer to seize their passports and not restore them was illegal.

The judge had found that Susan and Jordan were citizens of TT by virtue of Susans lawful adoption by Trevor Anthony Jackson and Jean Umilta Jackson, both TT nationals, who were domiciled in Jamaica for 36 years.

Susan was adopted by the Jacksons in May 1983.

Jordan was born in Jamaica in 2004.

At the heart of the appeal, heard by Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Justices of Appeal Peter Jamadar and Nolan Bereaux, who apologised for the delay in giving their decision, was whether Susan could claim citizenship by virtue of her adoption.

According to the judges ruling, which was delivered by Bereaux, the Adoption of Children Act of 1946 did not recognise foreign adoption orders and did not have extra territorial effect.

However, he pointed out that although the 1946 Act was repealed in 2000, which expressly provided for the recognition of adoption orders validly effected overseas, the 2000 Act was not proclaimed until May 18, 2015, long after Susan and Jordan filed their judicial review claim and the judges decision.

It is lamentable that its (the Act) proclamation took so long, Bereaux said.

He held accordingly Susan was not at the time of the grant of her passport a citizen by descent and was not entitled to any TT passport until the proclamation of the 2000 Act.

Jordan also could not then claim citizenship through his mother.

In his reasons, Bereaux noted that the Chief Immigration Officer would ordinarily have won his appeal but for the proclamation of the 2000 Act as the initial decision to seize the passports and to refuse to restore them was justified as the repealed act was not yet in force.

However the effect of the 2000 Act is that the declarations (granted by the High Court judge) must be upheld, he ruled and directed that the old passports be attached to the new passports which are to be reissued to them.

In his ruling, Bereaux emphasised that the Chief Immigration Officer was not acting unlawfully when the passports were seized as the law in existence at the time justified the TT Consulates actions.
No One Will

Ever Smash

Stuff Quite

Like He Did
There's a new heated battle raging in Britain: In parliament at least, there's a line in the sand between those who don neckties and those who don't. Britain's parliament relaxed its dress code last week so that male parliamentarians are no longer required to wear neckties in the House of Commons, provided they are in "business-like attire," reports the Evening Standard. The change was reportedly inspired by an MP who has cerebral palsy and can't wear a tie, but not all MPs are fans of dressing down. Conservative transport minister John Hayes, for instance, announced Tuesday that he would refuse questions from a male MP unless he wore a tie. The Telegraph reports three MPs went tie-free Tuesday.

Hayes was ready to intercede, though. "I do have a tie here which I'm prepared to offer" to "anyone that is sartorially challenged or inadequate," he announced. Poking fun at Hayes, Labour MP Jess Phillips later tweeted she "won't take interventions from people not wearing a feather boa." But other MPs side with Hayes, believing that eliminating neckties "reduces the esteem of parliament," per the Telegraph. They'll have to get used to open collars, though. While MPs are still "attended to by men in tights and garters," the new dress code is "in keeping with the long, slow decline of this particular item of men's clothing in the West," reports the BBC, adding the necktie has gone from a symbol of authority to one of outdated tradition. (Read more United Kingdom stories.)
Martin Shkreli is "making a spectacle of himself" and his securities fraud trial and he needs to be told to be quiet, prosecutors say. Prosecutors have asked a judge for a gag order banning the "Pharma Bro" from talking about the case publicly and discussing it on social media, NBC News reports. In their court filing, federal prosecutors in New York cited an incident Friday in which Shkreli visited a viewing room at the courthouse and discussed evidence and witnesses with journalists, the Wall Street Journal reports. Prosecutors also accused Shkreli, who was banned from Twitter for harassing a female journalist, of operating the @BLMBro account, which has been tweeting about the case.

In their motion, prosecutors argued that Shkreli had "embarked on a campaign of disruption" that has made it difficult to select a jury and could "render a fair trial impossible." Shkreli's attorney, Benjamin Brafman, asked the judge to reject the request because his client has a constitutional right to speak freely, Reuters reports. Shkreli, Brafman said, is a "young man with a demonstrated history of significant anxiety" and is in a "clearly frail emotional state." He said Shkreli is trying to defend himself against what he sees as "one-sided" coverage of the trial, which resumes Wednesday. (In his opening statement, Brafman cited Lady Gaga twice.)
Emirates and Turkish Airways said Wednesday they have been exempted from a US ban on laptops in airplane cabins, joining Abu Dhabi-based Etihad in satisfying American security concerns that had cut into the long-haul carriers' business. It remains unclear how the airlines addressed fears that ISIS or other groups might smuggle explosives on board in electronic devices, the AP reports. But in Turkey, authorities now use CT scanners to take cross-section images of passengers' electronics just before they board airplanes heading to the US. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees airplane safety in the United States, did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Dubai-based 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 Etihad, which American officials cleared on Sunday. In Istanbul, Turkish Airlines tweeted that passengers aboard its US-bound flights should "fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices." The US laptop ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop US bound flights from seven international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; and Doha, Qatar. (Read more airline industry stories.)
The G20 summit may not be much fun for Donald Trump, what with the angry protesters making noise between his possibly difficult meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But he'll have a bit of a buffer beforehand as he first visits Poland, where he's expected to receive a warm welcome from the country's right-wing, populist government when he arrives late Wednesday, reports the BBC. It's no surprise why: The governing Law and Justice Party is in line with the Trump administration on major issues, "from immigration to global warming and coal mining," reports the New York Times. The party also sees Trump's visit as "tacit approval for its policies," which have been heavily criticized by the European Union, per USA Today.

While Poland is taking a conservative approach to abortion and gay rights, it's the country's apparent attempts to curb oppositionby using state-owned media as a government puppet and pushing a law that would alter how judges are selectedthat have most irked critics. To prevent an assumption of Trump's endorsement, critics hope Trump will reference these concerns during a speech in Warsaw on Thursday. So far, however, there's no indication he will. National Security Adviser HR McMaster says Trump will "celebrate Poland's emergence as a European power" and discuss "America's future relationship with Europe." Also Thursday, Trump will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and other Central European leaders at the Three Seas Initiative summit. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
When Franz Kafka died, he left instructions for his friend Max Brod to incinerate any incomplete worksa request Brod ignored, which led to the publishing of The Castle and The Trial, among other writings. Edward Albee also wanted to avoid such posthumous publications, and the New York Times reports that the Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? playwright, who died in September at age 88, left directions for two friends to decimate any unfinished manuscripts. Those executors, designer William Katz and accountant Arnold Toren, were named in a will Albee signed in 2012 and filed in a Suffolk County court on Long Island. There's even an umbrella term this kind of scrubbing falls under: "dead hand control," which allows the deceased to still wield some say from beyond the grave by essentially "gifting" certain assets or property, but with conditions set upon the beneficiaries.

"Am I disappointed? Yes, because every tiny bit of everything that a writer has written provides insight into that writer's creative process," the Edward Albee Society president laments to the Times. Estate law and intellectual property experts, meanwhile, cite the "moral and legal quandary" such a demand imposes, with executors forced to decide between the deceased's wishes and the greater societal good. But others support Albee's right to keep his scribblings forever secret, with fellow playwright Doug Wright noting that drafts can be "sensitive" items for writers and that, as authors' private property, they have the right to do as they please. "It's no more our business than it would have been if [Albee] had made a little bonfire of his work before his death," says the Yale School of Drama's dean. Mental Floss lists other writers who wanted their work destroyed upon their demise. (Read more authors stories.)
A New York City cop was shot to death in the Bronx overnight Tuesday in an apparent ambush. NYPD authorities say Miosotis Familia, 48, was sitting in her police vehicle about 12:30am when a gunman walked up and shot her in the head, reports DNA Info. Familia, a 12-year-veteran, died soon after at the hospital. "Based on what we know right now, this was an unprovoked attack on police officers," said police commissioner James O'Neill at St. Barnabas Hospital. Officers quickly tracked down the alleged shooter about a block away and fatally shot him. He has been identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, who was out on parole for robbery in the Syracuse area, reports the New York Times.

The Daily News reports that Bonds once assaulted an officer with brass knuckles and has criticized police on social media. Officers say they opened fire on him when he drew a handgun. During that shootout, a bystander was shot in the stomach and is in stable condition. The incident calls to mind another in December 2014, when a gunman shot and killed two NYPD officers sitting in their patrol car. Early Wednesday, officers saluted as Familia's body was transported from the hospital. (Read more NYPD stories.)
She met four teen girls through social media and acquaintances and quickly tried to befriend them. But it wasn't their friendship Jelinajane Bedrijo Almario was after, say police in Hanford, Calif. Over the next few weeks in 2016, Almario, then just 16, pimped the girls, aged 14 and 15, by posting their photos on prostitution websites and driving them to meet clients at motels in Tulare County, Detective Richard Pontecorvo tells the Fresno Bee. Thankfully, "we caught her case very early," he adds. Almario was arrested in May 2016 and charged as an adult with human trafficking and making terrorist threats. On Monday, two days after her 18th birthday, she was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

"It was a huge eye-opener for us," Pontecorvo says of the case, heard in Kings County Superior Court. "We were able to get these girls back home and get them the help they needed  but these pimps are ruining these kids' lives at an early age." Pimps like Almario, he adds, per UPI, "are great at locating kids with low self-esteem and trying to be their friend, and then it obviously changes." For example, Almario once sent threatening emails to the mother of one of her victims who was simply looking for her daughter, reports the AP. Pontecorvo explains the girls Almario targeted "would run away for weekends or work a couple of nights." (A teen says she was forced to have sex with 1,000 men at this hotel.)
Rescue crews in New Jersey freed a skydiver who got stuck in a tree and was dangling 70 feet above the ground, the AP reports. Emergency crews in Gloucester County got a call around 5pm Tuesday saying the skydiver had crashed into the trees in Monroe Township. Per NJ.com, the skydiver had strayed off course, with the flight likely originating from Williamstown's Cross Keys Airport.

"Crews set up for a rope rescue and safely lowered the skydiver to the ground," the local fire department said. A rep from Skydive Cross Keys says the trapped individual was an "experienced, solo skydiver" who was using a "fully open and functional parachute." Authorities tell WPVI it took rescuers more than an hour to free the person, who reportedly escaped injury. (Read more skydiving stories.)
Despite the uproar following the acquittal of the police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile, the judge in the trial supports the jury. In what the Minneapolis Star Tribune calls a "rare move," Judge William H. Leary III wrote a thank-you letter to jurors in the case to reassure them that they "faithfully fulfilled the difficult task you were asked to undertake." He clarified that he wasn't offering his opinion of Jeronimo Yanez's actions, just noting that the jurors' verdict "was fully supported by a fair interpretation of the evidence and the law you were obligated to apply." The June 23 letter was filed with the courts on June 28

Leary said that the public likely doesn't understand what the jury was asked to do, CBS Minnesota reports. He went on to break down all of the things prosecutors needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and said that since they failed to do so, the jury returned a not guilty verdict. "You were never asked to decide whether racism continues to exist, whether certain members of our community are disproportionately affected by police tactics, or whether police training is ineffective," he wrote. "You were simply asked to determine, beyond a reasonable doubt, whether a crime had been committed." (Read more Philando Castile stories.)
North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile Tuesdayalready causing a stiris now said to have featured a new type of missile the Pentagon has "not seen before," Reuters reports. Pentagon spokesperson Navy Capt. Jeff Davis says the ICBM, which was fired from a mobile launcher, had a re-entry vehicle on top. While the Pentagon is keeping quiet on the details of what made the missile so unprecedented, it did say the ICBM was fired from a location not previously used for missile launches, according to the AP. "This was a very provocative action. It has our attention," Davis says.

Also on Wednesday, President Trump criticized China for not doing more to pressure North Korea into abandoning its development of nuclear weapons. "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter," Trump tweeted. "So much for China working with usbut we had to give it a try!" CNN reports China and Russia want diplomatic talks and concessions between North Korea and the US. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea appear to be leaning further toward military action. North Korean state media says the missile tested Tuesday is capable of hitting the US mainland, and experts agree it has the range to strike Alaska. However, US intelligence doesn't think North Korea yet has the ability to attach a nuclear device to the missile. (Read more North Korea stories.)
"She was a fighter, she was toughand that was the job for her," Miosotis Familia's nephew tells the New York Times. Family, friends, and coworkers are mourning the loss of the NYPD officer and Bronx native who was fatally shot early Wednesday only a few miles from her home. A longtime friend says Familia grew up during the crack epidemic, and that made her want to help people. The New York Daily News reports Familia spent five years as a nurse at New York University Hospital and another two years at the American Red Cross before joining the NYPD 12 years ago. Fully knowing the dangers that she faced, she suited up in uniform every day and stood tall against those who threaten and terrorize the good folks of the Bronx, the head of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association says.

Familia didn't just take care of the citizens of New York, she also raised three children while caring for her elderly mother. There is not one single negative thing that anyone can say about her, the president of the Dominican Officers Association says. Thats not because of her deaththats just her nature." Familia was shot and killed while sitting in a police vehicle. It's unclear why she was shot, and she didn't know the shooter, who was killed by police a short time later. Jeff Sessions says Familia's death is the "latest in a troubling series of attacks on police officers over the past two years," the Washington Post reports. The attorney general says the 48-year-old officer was "unjustly targeted and murdered in a cowardly, unprovoked attack." (Read more NYPD stories.)
Now, pay through app for Delhi Metro travel

New Delhi : Delhi Metro commuters will now be able to buy token and recharge their smart cards through their mobile banking application, the Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) said on Sunday.

"The DMRC today 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," said a DMRC statement.

The service can be availed through any bank application and has been provided by HDFC Bank.

The passenger would have to select 'pay through QR' option in the app and then direct the smartphone camera-wise to the QR code displayed at the ticket counter. He or she can then enter the fare and make the payment.

Currently, this facility has been made available at five Metro stations -- Rajiv Chowk, Rajendra Place, Seelampur, Pitampura and Nehru Place, and would be introduced subsequently in a phased manner in all metro stations.

Speaking on the launch, DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh said: "The DMRC is making all efforts to push the cashless mode of transaction initiated by the government.

"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/coins at the stations," Singh added.

The Bharat QR Code was recently launched by the 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, the statement read.
After North Korea successful test of ICBM, Now South Korea, US conduct joint missile drills

Seoul : South Korea and the US on Wednesday conducted joint ballistic missile exercises a day after North Korea declared a successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a media report said.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that the missile units of South Korea and the US carried out the joint ballistic missile drills in the East Sea at 7 a.m. in response to Pyongyang's repeated provocations.

The joint exercises mobilised the South Korean military's Hyunmoo-II ballistic missiles and the eighth US Army's ATACMS ground-to-ground missiles to show their combined capability in emergency situations, the statement said.

The joint missile drills followed Pyongyang's claim on Tuesday that it successfully test-fired a new type of ICBM, called Hwasong-14, which flew about 930 km and was lofted as high as some 2,800 km.

The joint drills were conducted as South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed it to US President Donald Trump, Yoon Young-chan, Moon's senior press secretary, told reporters.

Moon said it would be necessary to clearly show the South Korea-US combined missile preparedness to Pyongyang as just announcing a statement was not enough.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Israel with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu

Tel Aviv : In an effusive welcome to Narendra Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "Apka swagat hai mere dost. We have been waiting for you for a long time".

After warmly receiving Modi at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport with a hug, and according him a red carpet welcome, a smiling Netanyahu said: "My friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welcome to Israel. Apka swagat hai mere dost."

He also welcomed Modi in Hebrew.

"Prime Minister we have been waiting for you for a long time. We have been waiting almost 70 years in fact. Because yours is truly historic visit. It is the first time an Indian Prime Minister is visiting Israel. We receive you with open arms. We love India, we admire your culture, your history, your democracy, your commitment to progress."

In his comments, Modi said he was "honoured" to be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, though the two nations had set up formal diplomatic relations 25 years ago.

"It is my singular honour to be the first-ever Prime Minister of India to undertake this ground-breaking visit to Israel."

Making a statement soon after Prime Minister Modi landed in Tel Aviv on a three-day visit, Netanyahu termed the friendship between their two countries as "natural".

Netanyahu said that in their first meeting three years ago Modi had said 'sky is the limit' for India-Israel relationship.

"You said when it comes to India-Israel relationship, sky is the limit. But actually my friend the sky isn't the limit because today our space programmes are working towards reaching even greater heights," a smiling Israeli Prime Minister said.

"The tie between our talented, innovative people is natural. It is so natural that we can ask what took so long for them to blossom."

He also announced an innovation fund for cooperation in the fields of technology, water, agriculture, energy and other fields.

"In this visit, your Make in India initiative, meets my Make with India policy. We are setting up a $40 million innovation fund as the seed for even greater cooperation on technology between us," the Israeli Prime Minister added.

In a display of close and informal ties between the two leaders, Modi called Netanyahu by his nickname Bibi and remembered as Yoni his elder brother Yonatan Netanyahu, a military officer who commanded the elite commando during Operation Entebbe to rescue hostages held in Uganda on July 4, 1976. The officer was killed during the operation.

"Today is July 4, exactly 41 years since Operation Entebbe. The day when your Prime Minister, and my friend, Bibi, lost his older brother Yoni, while saving the lives of so many Israeli hostages. Your heroes are an inspiration for the younger generations," Modi said.

Modi said, "India is an old civilisation but a young nation as 800 million youth are below 35 years of age. On the path of sustainable and high growth and all-round development, India counts Israel as an important partner."

"We are also cooperating to secure our countries against common threats such as terrorism...A strong and resilient partnership with Israel will be my focus," Modi said.
Narendra Modi in Israel: PM visits Yad Vashem Holocaust official memorial

Jerusalem : Soon after his arrival here in what is the first ever prime ministerial visit from India to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday visited Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

Modi visited three halls, including the Hall of Names, which has about 4.6 million names of Holocaust victims in boxes stored on shelves, according to the External Affairs Ministry.

The Hall of Remembrance has the names of 22 infamous concentration camps engraved on the floor. It has an Eternal Flame, and a stone crypt that contains ashes of Holocaust victims. The Prime Minister rekindled the eternal fire and laid a wreath at the stone.

The children's memorial remembers the 1.5 million Jewish children who were among the six million victims of the holocaust. Their names are called out continuously.
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New Delhi:

Delhi University will release third cut-off list 2017 on Friday. Students can log on to DUs website du.ac.in to check the list of different colleges. After logging on to the website, students will get two options - UG Admissions 2017- (Entrance Based) and UG Admissions 2017-(Merit Based), from where they can check the cut-off for admissions.

The admission process at Delhi University colleges under the second cutoff list is still going on. For morning colleges, students can complete the admission process between 9pm to 1pm and the same can be completed between 1pm to 5pm for Evening colleges.

The Sri Ram College of Commerce will close admission for BCom (hons) in the third list for general and OBC candidates. The college had already closed admission for Economic (hons) for General candidates after the first cutoff list.

Many colleges such as Hans Raj, Ramjas, Kirori Mal and Sri Venkateshwara are still left with seats in most courses and the third cutoff is likely to see a dip.

Also Read: JoSAA Seat Allotment 2017: Second list released at josaa.nic.in

DU Admission Second Cut Off below:

For the BCom (Hons) course, SC category students need have 91.25 per cent, ST -- 84 per cent, persons with disabilities -- 87.25 per cent and Kashmiri migrants -- 87.50 per cent.

For BA (Eco Hons), SC category students require 94 per cent, ST -- 91 per cent, persons with disabilities -- 94 per cent and Kashmiri migrants -- 94 per cent.

"Candidates are advised to contact personally for completing the admission process on any day, during the admission schedule for second cut-off, between 9 am and 1 pm, with prescribed documents", said a release issued by the college.

In Pics: PM Modi in Israel | 'Aapka swagat hai, mere dost', says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
New Delhi:

Megastar Rajinikanth's younger daughter Soundarya has finally put a legal end to her wedding seven year wedding with Ashwin on Tuesday after a family court in Chennai granted divorced to them.



Soundarya and Ashwin, who got married in September 2010, reportedly, agreed to part ways with mutual consent. According to the media reports, it was Soundarya who had filed the mutual consent divorce petition in September last year. The now ex-couple is also said to be living separately for over a year now.



The couple's troubled marriage came into limelight a while ago. As per a reports published in TOI, "Though initially the news of marital discord was being denied by both Soundarya and Ashwin, the fact that Soundarya kept saying that she always felt proud to identify herself as 'Soundarya Rajinikanth', triggered debate over the status of their marriage."



The media reports suggest that Soundarya and Ashwin parted ways due to irreconcilable differences. Reportedly, while the terms of settlement hasn't been revealed, the entire divorce proceedings went on smoothly. Besides, no mention has been made about the custody of Soundarya-Ashwin's four year old son Ved.



On the work front, Soundarya is busy promoting her upcoming directorial 'VIP 2' which stars Dhanush and Kajol in the lead. The movie is slated to hit the screens on July 28 this year.

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New Delhi:

Mandan Karimi, who created a buzz for filing a domestic violence case husband Gaurav Gupta, has blamed her mother-in-law for her troubled marriage. The former Bigg Boss 9 said that her MIL not just made her to convert her religion, but also used to abuse and insult her. Karimi also asserted that her mother-in-law was also not happy with her husband.



During her recent interview with TOI, "Yes, she was but I thought things will get better with time. I changed my religion. I accepted Hinduism and our wedding took place according to Hindu rituals. She only allowed us to get married as her son wanted to marry me. And now when she realised that her son is planning to move out of the house and separate the business she told Gaurav either you chose Mandana or her. My husband Gaurav, who doesn't have a spine to chose, decided to stay with his mother. I always joked about evil mother-in-laws from Balaji's daily soaps, but had never imagined that it will happen to me. She used to abuse and insult me. In fact, I was the one who told Gaurav that we will stay with the family. I will work on it. I really tried, but they were always mean to me and never accepted me as part of the family. She used to taunt me 'India mein aisa nahi hota, tum Iran se hona toh tumhe kya pata India ka culture'."

Also Read | Mandana Karimi: Ex-Bigg Boss finalist files domestic violence case against hubby Gaurav Gupta



Mandana asserted that she did try everything to resolve the differences. "When things started becoming bad between us I told him Gaurav lets sit and talk or go on a holiday. Let's spend some time together so that we can sort out the differences, but he always refused giving excuses. I have no clothes, no money and I am staying in an apartment. They all have moved on in life. My husband is busy partying, my mother-in-law is ready to go on a holiday and I am here still trying to contact Gaurav. When I took police to his house they didn't let me in. He didn't allow me to enter even his office. He told one of his friends how dare she took police to my house," she added



Interestingly, there were reports that Mandana has filed divorce after post domestic violence complaint, however, the diva clarified that she doesn't want to get divorced as she loves Gaurav very much.



She said, "Honestly, I love my husband very much. I haven't filed for divorce. I just want to tell him that you can't take a marriage so lightly. You can't manipulate and throw me out of the house. I am his wife and I don't understand why he isn't allowing me to enter my matrimonial house? I have been staying out of the house for almost 7 weeks. He recently told a common friend of ours that I don't want Mandana in my life and I will file for divorce. If he wanted to divorce me within 6 months of our marriage why did he marry me."



Mandana and Gaurav, who were said to be dating for a while, got married in January this year. The diva is said to be in a relationship with Gaurav during her stint in Bigg Boss 9.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modis three-day visit to Israel, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister to the Middle East nation has been dubbed as a historic trip by strategic affairs pundits to bolster the diplomatic ties between the two nations.



At the red carpet welcome at Tel Aviv airport, Isreal's Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu started off the diplomatic accord on a high by announcing cooperation in the space domain, likely to be an MoU between ISRO and Israel Space Agency (ISA) to launch satellites together. The sky is not the limit for our relationship, given our plans in space together, he said.



PM Modi was equal in his response by providing an apt acronym to the India-Israel relationship, describing it as I-square T-square (Indian Talent and Israeli Technology; India-Israel ties for ). PM Modi then in his characteristic fashion played a master stroke by making a personal reference to terrorism, recalling that marked the 41st anniversary of Operation Entebbe, the valiant military rescue of Israeli hostages from a plane held hostage by Palestinian militants in Uganda that was led by Mr. Netanyahus brother Jonathan, who was killed during the operation.



The gesture of PM Modi to remember the PMs brother was thoughtful, and touched a chord, Michael Oren, Deputy Minister in Mr. Netanyahus office told The Hindu . Later on , after a visit to the Israel Holocaust memorial, Mr Modi said, Yad Vashem is a reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago.



It is notable that Lt Col Yonatan Netanyahu, elder brother of Isreal's PM Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu laid his life at the prime age of 30 during Israel's tactically brilliant overnight raid on Entebbe airport in Uganda to release 100 hostages held for a week by German and Arab terrorists. Around 102 out of 106 people, who were held hostage, were rescued by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) but Yonatan was the one defence personnel who lost his life.



The 99-minute operation had become a classic case study for military bravado, the storyline for three hit movies, taught and studied by armies around the world. Uganda, which had touched a diplomatic nadir with Israel, turned their former embassy building in Uganda into a Palestine Liberation Organisation office, was quick to give the hijackers affiliated to the Palestinian group permission to land the plane at Entebbe. Uganda went ahead to take part in negotiations for the hijacker's demands.



The eight-day ordeal started on , when Air France flight 139 Airbus A300B4-2013, left the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for Paris. Planning for the rescue took a week and while there was a political and a military solution, in the end, the military rescue operation seized the day.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday apologised for her minister Imran Ansaris lynching remarks, saying that the latters intention was not wrong but the usage was.

"I don't think his intention was wrong, but because it was a wrong word I apologise," Mehbooba said.

"I can lynch you here," Jammu and Kashmir minister Imran Ansari had said to National Conference leader Devender Rana in the legislative assembly during a discussion on implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The remark came during a heated argument between the minister and the opposition MLA.

I don't think his intention was wrong, but because it was a wrong word I apologize:J&K CM on Imran Ansari's lynching threat to Devender Rana pic.twitter.com/tKQ7yVcIVa  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

J&K is the only state which had to implement the GST, which came into force in rest of the country on July 1 .

Rana, while taking part in the discussion on the GST regime, had said members of House should rise above "political considerations" and agree upon what is good for the state and its people.

Also Read | GST | 'I can lynch you here: J&K minister to opposition MLA in Assembly

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New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked the law department to submit a way forward roadmap on legislative bills which are awaiting clearance from the Centre.

The order came after the chief minister chaired a review meeting with the department to take feedback on the status of pending bills and objections raised at different levels.

Some of the party legislators had raised the issue of salary increase in the assembly session recently. The bill seeking salary increase of Delhi legislators is still awaiting clearance. The chief minister directed the law minister to submit a status report on all such bills at the earliest, an official source said.

The source said nine crucial legislations passed by the Delhi assembly since the AAP came to power in 2015 have been pending with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal asks Manish Sisodia to give 80 per cent reservation to Delhi students in government-aided colleges

These include Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015, Minimum Wages Bill, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Condition of Service), among others.

The AAP dispensation has been at loggerheads with the Centre and has repeatedly accused it of blocking key bills, thereby not letting the Delhi government to function.

Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal alleges 'massive corruption' in East Delhi Municipal Corporation

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and held talks. Daniel Carmon, Israel Envoy to India, said the visit has been tremendous and warm and it is a big development.

Here are the live updates-

# Sure rest of my stay would be equally exciting. Let me take this opportunity to invite you and your family to India: PM Modi to PM Netanyahu-ANI

# We also discussed the situation in West Asia and the wider region. It is Indias hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail: PM-PMO

# Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests: PM Modi-PMO

# We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bed-rock of a strong partnership: PM-PMO

# Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples: PM Modi-PMO

# Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have had productive discussions covering an extensive menu of issues: PM Narendra Modi-PMO

# Our belief in democratic values and economic progress has been a shared pursuit: PM Modi-ANI

# Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agriculture: PM Modi-ANI

# We are being challenged by forces of terror. We have agreed to cooperate in this area: PM Netanyahu-ANI

# India-Israel sign seven agreements including MoU for water conservation in India,Plan of cooperation regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks-ANI

# This is a deeply moving moment for me. We are making history: PM Netanyahu -ANI

# This is a marriage made in heaven but we are implementing it here on earth: PM Netanyahu-ANI

# India-Israel ink agreement on cleaning of River Ganga

# Agreement signed between both nations in space sector, agriculture

Earlier the Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and how Israels cutting-edge technology could help the Make in India initiative.

Describing Israel as a real friend, Modi recalled Rivlins visit to India in November last year.

Hailing the ties between the two nations, Modi said, ...today it is I to I and I for I. When I say I for I, I dont mean the popular saying but what I mean is India with Israel, India for Israel.

I for I. Which means India for Israel and Israel for India: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/6siS2KaeBc  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence here.

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India, Modi tweeted.

It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again on Wednesday. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India, Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presidents residence.

President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality, wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.

Modi said during his visit to India, Rivlin started a phrase Make with India and I feel since my arrival yesterday that has been echoed by many people and I think what you started has now percolated to all levels.

Rivlin on his part described Modi as one of the greatest leaders in the world.

We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We understood very well about your thought about the need to help partners who will Make in India, Rivlin said.

...we are doing a lot in order to fulfill your ideas about Make in India, the Israeli President said.

We only suggested some projects that may be we can do with India and I know that you have accepted that and appreciated that very much, he said.

Also Read | Modis Israel tour: PM checks-in suite of worlds safest hotel capable of resisting bomb explosion, chemical attack

Rivlin said there was a scope for cooperation between universities and industries of India and Israel.

The....people in Israel are trying to find ways to invest in India and to make mutual projects together, he said.

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Jerusalem:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties. The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India, Modi tweeted.



Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence here and thanked him for the warm hospitality and friendship.

Here are the live updates:

#1:42 PM

PM Narendra Modi's dinner yesterday with PM Netanyahu and his family went on for 3 hours



#1:40 PM

I for I. Which means India for Israel and Israel for India: PM Modi



#1:35 PM

I can never forget my visit to India, it was a memorable visit: President of Israel Reuven Rivlin



#1:30 PM

Jerusalem: PM Modi meets President of Israel Reuven Rivlin #ModiInIsrael pic.twitter.com/ql5plWxGZU  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

#1:20 PM

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India: PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/r6eFdlrYwz  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

#1:15 PM

Israeli PM gifted PM Modi painting depicting charge of Indian Cavalry Brigade,resulting in Haifa's liberation in WW I #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/zOc8qg6SZK  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India, Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presdients residence.

ALSO READ | PM Modi strikes deep chord with Isreali counterpart Netanyahu



President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality, wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.

ALSO READ | Modis Israel tour: PM checks-in suite of worlds safest hotel capable of resisting bomb explosion, chemical attack

(With inputs from agencies)

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Jerusalem:

Those who believe in humanity and civilised values must come together and defend it at all costs by resolutely opposing the evils of terrorism, radicalism and violence that has plagued the world, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night.

Yad Vashem is a reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago, Modi said in a press statement along with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

Modi, who laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Memorial museum where he paid tributes to over six million Jews killed by Nazi Germany, said the memorial is a tribute to your unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation.

Yad Vashem tells us that those who believe in humanity and civilised values must come together and defend it at all costs. As such, we must resolutely oppose the evils of terrorism, radicalism and violence that plague our time, he said.

On his part, Netanyahu said the two countries must stand together to fight the menace of terrorism.

Describing India and Israel as sister democracies, he said, We can do great things together.

Modi said the link between the people of the two sides goes back to thousands of years when the first Jews landed on Indias south-western coastline. Since then, the Jews have flourished, and their traditions and practices thrived in India.

We are proud of jewish sons and daughters of India like Lt. General J.F.R. Jacob, Vice Admiral Benjamin Samson, Master architect Joshua Benjamin, and film actors Nadira, Sulochana, and Pramila whose diverse contributions have greatly enriched the fabric of Indian society, he said.

Indian Jews are a living and vibrant connect to this shared history, he said, adding his visit to Israel celebrates this ancient bond between communities across both the nations.

The ties between the two nations have seen rapid growth since the establishment of full diplomatic relations a quarter century ago, Modi said.

Over coming decades, we want to frame a relationship that transforms the landscape of our economic engagement, the Prime Minister said.

He said India is the worlds fastest growing large economy and its focus on using technology and innovation to meet development priorities provides productive scope to expand academic, scientific & research, and business links with Israel.

We also want to put in place a robust security partnership to respond to shared threats to our peace, stability and prosperity. I will work with Prime Minister Netanyahu to craft and build a clear action agenda to realise these objectives, Modi said in the statement before a dinner hosted by his Israeli counterpart at the PMs residence here.

PM Narendra Modi's itinerary in Israel:



1:00 PM: Official welcome ceremony at President Residence and meeting with the President

2:00 PM: Meeting with the Prime Minister and delegation level talks

3.30 PM: Working lunch with the Prime Minister

4:30 PM: Joint Press conference and statements being read out by both PM

5.30 PM: Signing of memorandum on various matters

7:00 PM: Meeting with leader of Opposition

7:30 PM: Meeting people who have received awards from the Indian Government

8.00 PM: Israel Museum visit with Israeli PM

10:30 PM: Meeting people of Indian origin & Baby Mosse

11:30 PM: Address at the community event in Tel Aviv

Also read: PM Modi on India-Israel ties: 'We want to frame our relationship that transforms the landscape of our economic engagement'

Also read: PM Modi in Israel, visits Danziger flower farm with Netanyahu

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met 26/11 survivor 'Baby Moshe' in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Moshe Holtzberg, who is now 11-year-old, got invitation from the Prime Minister to visit India.

Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India, Moshe Holtzberg replied the Prime Minister.

Modi told him that he can visit India anytime and the nation will give him and his family a long-term visa.

Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai, was "excited and emotional" ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his grandfather informed.

Jerusalem: Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India says Moshe Holtzberg the now 11-year-old survivor of the 26/11 attacks pic.twitter.com/5X7lVrYCSs  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

Shortly before Moshe's second birthday, the terrorists stormed the Chabad House in Mumbai, taking the toddler, his parents and several tourists hostage. Moshe's nanny, Sandra Samuels, was also in the building but managed to hide in a room downstairs.

#WATCH: Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India says Moshe Holtzberg the now 11-year-old survivor of the 26/11 attacks pic.twitter.com/QCebzkvL0T  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

Also Read: PM Modi gifts two set of relics from Kerala to Israeli counterpart Netanyahu

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Jerusalem:

India and Israel on Wednesday signed seven agreements to step-up cooperation in key sectors like space, agriculture and water conservation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held in-depth talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Department of Science and Technology and Israels National Technological Innovation Authority for setting up of USD 40 million worth India-Israel Industrial Research and Development (R&D) and Technical Innovation Fund.

Prime Minister Modi said, we are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field.

Our decision to establish a bilateral technology innovation fund worth USD 40 million for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal.

See pics: In pictures | When PM Modi met 26/11 survivor Baby Moshe in Jerusalem

We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do more in this direction. Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts, he said.

Exchange of agreements between India and Israel, in Jerusalem #ModiInIsrael pic.twitter.com/PuvNqyVlBy  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

In the water sector, two agreements were signed to increase cooperation on water conservation and state water utility reform in India.

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Israels Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources signed the agreement on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India.

India-Israel sign seven agreements including MoU for water conservation in India,Plan of cooperation regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

The second one was signed between Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources on State Water Utility Reform in India.

Modi said that Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology and these are also among my priority areas in Indias development.

We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation, he said.

In the agriculture sector, the two countries have agreed upon India-Israel Development Cooperation - a three-year work programme in agriculture from 2018 to 2020.

They also agreed for cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in Atomic Clocks.

Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation,water and agriculture: PM Modi #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/uI8kdRrm20  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

Besides, separate MoUs were signed between ISRO and ISA for cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link, and in Electric Propulsion for small satellites.

Also Read | Watch Video | PM meets 'Baby Moshe'; 26/11 survivor says 'Dear Mr Modi, I love you', wish to visit Mumbai

Modi, who held wide-ranging talks with Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit, the first by an Indian premier, also said that during their talks he and Netanyahu agreed to to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.

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Mumbai:

Capital markets regulator Sebi will auction a property owned by Sahara in Uttarakhand, for a total reserve price of little over Rs 223 crore, on July 28, as part of the process to recover funds from the beleaguered group.

In a public notice on Tuesday, the Securities and Exchange Board of India said that SBI Capital Markets has been mandated to e-auction 82.93 acres of land located in village - Bahadarabad and Ranipur in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

Sebi hereby invites bids from the intending bidders along with and amount equivalent of 25 per cent of the reserve price as earnest money to be paid through demand draft/pay order/RTGS/NEFT in favour of Sebi-Sahara Refund Account, the notice said.

The regulator said that 1.36 acres of land out of 82.93 acres has been acquired by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

An amount equivalent to the valuation of 1.36 acres of land would be reduced from the successful bid amount to be paid by the successful bidder in its last tranche payment on pro-rata basis, it added.

TOP NEWS: North Koreas Kim Jong-Un says intercontinental ballistic missile test a gift to Americans on their Independence Day

Following directions from the Supreme Court for the sale of certain Sahara assets to recover money, Sebi has appointed SBI Capital Markets (SBI Caps) and HDFC Realty for auctioning various land parcels held by Sahara group.

In November last year, Sebi had lined up as many as five land parcels of Sahara for an e-auction at a total reserve price of over Rs 130 crore.

Besides, 13 properties were put on the block in October, and their combined reserve price was about Rs 1,400 crore and 58 properties were auctioned in July, last year, with a collective reserve price of nearly Rs 5,000 crore.

After spending two years in jail, Sahara chief Subrata Roy is currently out on parole. He was sent to jail on the orders of the Supreme Court in a long-running dispute with Sebi.

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Beijing:

Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China today accused India of trampling on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to correct its mistakes as soon as possible by pulling back troops.



China also claimed that India was misleading the public by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chickens Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger Indias access to its north-eastern states.



I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters here.



However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other countrys territory, he said.



The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.



Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was very serious.

ALSO READ | China claimed sizeable Bhutan territory, Nehru told Zhou Enlai in letter



China and India have been in contact through the special representatives mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries, he said.



China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said. Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory, he said.



The situation is yet to be resolved and India should pull back the troops that is precondition to avoid worsening of the situation, Geng said.



Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations, he said.



If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs, he said.



We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion, Geng said.



The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.



In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public, he said.

ALSO READ | Sikkim standoff: China says 'no scope for compromise' in military deadlock, situation is 'grave'



The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi, Geng asserted.



The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending Chinas road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.



India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut Indias access to its northeastern states.



Geng also said that besides former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it.



The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and Chinas Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice, he said.



Quoting the note, Geng said, The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground.



The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India, Geng said.



Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, there is no such consent as you mentioned.



The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutans territory.



It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion, Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou.



In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet, Nehru had said.



Geng said, Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the China India boundary has already been delineated.



Since Indias independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said.



Gengs remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said the ball is in Indias court and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.



Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think-tanks that the conflict can lead to a war if not handled properly, the ambassador had said ,There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option).



Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modis comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides.



It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question with in the Special Representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, Geng said.



What is shocking is that the India border troops entered into the Chinese side of the delineated border in the Sikkim section which is serious in nature, he sad.

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New Delhi:

The Border Security Force on Wednesday sent 400 security personnel to West Bengal to control the situation after communal violence in North 24 Parganas. The internet services has also been disrupted in Baduria.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also sought report from WB government on communal violence in the state.

The communal violence started over an objectionable post on Facebook. Two communities started fighting with each other late on Tuesday night over the FB post. A youngster has been arrested in the matter.

The hostile crowd had disrupted many roads and started attacking people from other community. The police had come into action to control the situation. The district is said to be tense after the incident and shops in the area have been closed.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi of threatening her and said that he was acting like a "BJP block president".

Also read: 'The way Guv spoke to me, I once thought of quitting, says Mamata Banerjee

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New Delhi:

The wreckage of the Indian Air Force chopper that went missing on Tuesday has been found in the Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh. The advanced light helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Air Force has been deployed for evacuating people from the flood-hit district of Papum Pare in Arunachal Pradesh since Tuesday morning, went missing in the afternoon amid heavy fog and rain.

There were three crew members and a police personnel on board when it took off from Sagalee on Tuesday. The IAF chopper that had already made several sorties since the morning and had evacuated as many as 50 people including several women and children from Sagalee to Itanagar, went missing around 4 PM on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju chopper on Tuesday made an emergency landing in Arunachal Pradeshs Itanagar. Bad weather was the cause of the landing. Earlier, a helicopter carrying Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made an emergency landing at the HAL Airport Bengaluru after suffering a bird hit on April 24.

Also Read: IAF chopper with three on board goes missing in Arunachal Pradesh's Papum Pare district

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New York:

Americans are celebrating their country's birthday on Tuesday with big-time fireworks, small-town parades and the quirky spectacle of competitive hot dog eating, marking a day of shared traditions in a nation that has grappled with divides this past year.

In New York, throngs are expected to watch the annual Macy's fireworks blowout and the Nathan's Famous frankfurter- chomping contest on Coney Island on July Fourth.

In Washington, President Donald Trump is observing his first Independence Day in office by hosting a White House picnic for military families, followed by a fireworks viewing event for military families and staffers.

In Boston, one of 14 original copies of the Declaration of Independence will be displayed at a museum, and hundreds of thousands of people are expected at the city's fireworks show. Organizers of Chicago's Independence Day celebration are expecting such large crowds that the city's Navy Pier is opening at 10 am, nearly 12 hours before fireworks begin.

Meanwhile, more than 15,000 new citizens will be sworn in during more than 65 Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country.

For all the pomp and celebration, July 4 arrives with Americans deeply split over the nation's direction, after last year's presidential election and political clashes over immigration, health care and other issues in the early months of Trump's Republican administration.

And in an era of concerns about security, the Independence Day celebrations are mixed with precautions. The New York Police Department planned to station 100 vehicles to block intersections and 20 sand-filled sanitation trucks to fortify viewing areas for the Macy's fireworks show.

Heavily armed counterterrorism units will mingle among spectators, officers will have portable radiation detection devices and bomb-sniffing dogs, and officers will be stationed on rooftops to look out for any sign of trouble.

Boston police also plan to put trucks and other heavy equipment near the celebration there. Police in both cities say there are no confirmed threats.

In a somber observance of the toll of terror, small American flags will be placed by all the nearly 3,000 names on the National September 11 Memorial in New York.

Meanwhile, residents of Laconia, New Hampshire, might not have had a Fourth of July parade if a resident hadn't stepped in to organize it after learning it was facing cancellation for lack of interest. Some 25 organisations have since signed up to provide floats or marchers

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Beijing:

China on Tuesday called for calm and restraint after its close ally North Korea successfully fired an inter-continental ballistic missile, triggering a Twitter out burst from US President Donald Trump who asked Beijing to take tough action against Pyongyang.

North Korea on Tuesday said that it has successfully launched an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), calling it amile stone in its missile development programme.

"China urges the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,(DPRK) to refrain from acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions so as to create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes man Geng Shuang told a media briefing.

But at the same time, he called for calm and restraint amid speculation of a retaliation from the US. "We hope all relevant parties can exercise calm and restraint, avoid taking actions that may escalate tensions,and make efforts to bring the issue back to peaceful settlement through dialogue and consultation," Geng said, reiterating Beijing's oft repeated stand whenever DPRK, theofficial name of North Korea, conducts missile tests. UN Security Council resolutions ban the DPRK from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology,nuclear tests or any other provocation.

The successful missile test, believed to be a powerfulone, is regarded as a game changer for Pyongyang to ward off pressure being built by the US, South Korea and Japan which are deeply concerned over its nuclear programme and tough stance pursued by North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un.

The "landmark" test of a Hwasong-14 missile was over seenby leader Kim himself and an emotional woman anchor of the North Korean state-run television said it flew 933 kms. DPRK has become "a strong nuclear power state" and had "avery powerful ICBM that can strike any place in the world",she said. This is the first such claim by North Korea. Reports from Japan said the missile landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) after being launched near anairfield in Panghyon, about 100 km northwest of Pyongyang. North Korean missile and nuclear threat figures highly in telephone talk between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump is pressuring China to prevail on its ally and pressure North Korea to abandon the missile programme. "Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!" Trump tweeted earlier. For its part, China has been saying that it is strictly implementing UN Security Council resolutions and was reluctant to go beyond that.

Trump has been expressing frustration saying that Chinais not so helpful over the North Korean issue. In his phone talks with Trump, Xi told him that China-US relations have been affected by some negative factors, and the Chinese side has already expressed its position to the United States, apparently referring to US' arms sales to Taiwan.

With North Korea now launching its first ICBM, observershere say it will add more pressure on Trump to act on his poll promise to blunt North Korea?s nuclear threats. The US has already placed THAAD (Terminal High AltitudeArea Defence) in South Korea, which has angered China as itspowerful radars has the potential to monitor deep into China's territory.

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Seoul:

Kim Jong-Un, North Korean leader, vows his nation would "demonstrate its mettle to the US" and never negotiate its weapons programmes after watching the test-launch of its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The hard line suggests that more tests are being prepared as North Korea tries to perfect a nuclear missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

ICBM launch on Tuesday, confirmed later by US and South Korean officials, is a milestone in Pyongyang's efforts to develop long-range nuclear-armed missiles.

Read more: N Koreas Kim Jong-Un says ICBM a gift to US on their Independence Day

The ensuing uproar only seemed to inspire the North's rhetoric in official media, which described Kim as smiling as he urged his scientists to "frequently send big and small gift packages' to the Yankees", an apparent reference to further tests.

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Seoul:

North Koreas defiance came to fore when Pyongyangs official news agency on Wednesday said that its leader Kim Jong-Un termed intercontinental ballistic missile test was a gift to American bastards on their independence day.

The Korean Central News Agency reported, he said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary.

Breaking into peals of laughter, it said, he added that we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom.

N Korea says ICBM can carry 'large, heavy nuclear warhead'

North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of carrying a large, heavy nuclear warhead that can survive re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, its official news agency said today.

Washington described the device, launched yesterday in a watershed moment for Pyongyangs weapons ambitions, as an ICBM, and independent experts said it was capable of reaching Alaska.

The Korean Central News Agency said that after personally overseeing the test, leader Kim Jong-Un said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary, the United States independence day.

Breaking into peals of laughter, KCNA said, he added that we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom.

Kim had inspected the Hwasong-14 missile and expressed satisfaction, saying it looked as handsome as a good-looking boy and was well made.

North and South Korea have been divided since the war on the peninsula ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion.

Also read: N Korea tests ballistic missile; Donald Trump asks China to take action against Pyongyang's 'nonsense'

Also read: India, US condemn North Korea over its missile programmes



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Jerusalem:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artifacts of the long Jewish history in India.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th Century, the Prime Minister's Office said. The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochin Jews in India.

It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban.

According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabbanwas later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore. Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and otherplaces in Malabar.

Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earthfrom Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy placeand a "second Jerusalem". The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi.

The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade withIndia. These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church.

Also Read: PM Modi meets 26/11 survivor Baby Moshe in Jerusalem, asks him to visit India with family

And oversight of trade in Kollam to West Asiang associations. Westn and Indian tradi Asian association included Muslims, Christians,Zoroastrians, as also a group of Jews, who signed in Judeo-Persian and possibly also in Arabic and Pahlavi (MiddlePersian).

The plates bear their signatures that appear to have beencut into the plates by a local workman unfamiliar with the script, the PMO tweeted. The replica of these plates was made with the cooperation of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala.

Also Read: PM Modi-PM Netanyahu joint statement: India, Israel sign agreement in space sector, cleaning of River Ganga in UP

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United States:

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday after North Korea said it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, diplomats said.The United States which confirmed it was an ICBM launch backed by Japan and South Korea, requested the urgent meeting that is scheduled for 3pm (1900 GMT).

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong -14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska. North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers ( 1,741 miles) and flew 933 kilometers.



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land based, intermediate range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America. But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later confirmed the missile launched was an ICBM.



The launch came as Americans prepares to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China to act to "end this nonsense once and for all."US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday spoke by phone with China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting, diplomats said.

Also Read: China calls for calm and restraint after North Korea's missile test

Guterres stressed the importance of having united approach to addressing the North Korean crisis. China, Pyongyang's main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear program. The United States maintains the Pyongyang must first halt its missile launches and nuclear test. North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from developing missile and nuclear technology.



The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and last month added 14 North Korean officials and four entities to the sanctions blacklist.

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REDDING  Nearly three years after it was reopened by a member of the original owners family, the Redding Roadhouse has closed again.

The venerable restaurant and watering hole on Redding Road closed on Monday, and the business and property are for sale, according to property owner Sandra Wright.

Were flexible, she said. Were interested in doing whats best for the family and the community.

Jordan Wright, the son of property owners Kenneth and Sandra Wright, reopened the restaurant in the fall of 2014 after it had been closed for about six months. Jordan Wright died in November after a long battle with bone cancer. His wife, Kate, took over as owner/manager of the restaurant.

She has worked in the business but shes not a restaurateur, Sandra Wright said. She has a 1-year-old baby and she operates the Redding Ridge Market. Its a lot. A restaurant is a full-time job on its own.

Sandra Wright also said the chef at Redding Roadhouse recently quit, which was the straw that broke the camels back.

Jordan Wright was also the nephew of Mac Groetzinger, who opened the restaurant in 1985 and operated it until the early 2000s. Groetzinger turned over the business to proteges Lou Macol and Mike Roberts and they operated the business until 2012. Ted Stonbely bought the restaurant in 2012, but it closed less than two years later.

Jordan Wright was also a builder and renovated the restaurant before opening it in October 2014.

He worked to get it back to what it had been, Sandra Wright said. Jordan had the magic touch.

The 3.5-acre property also has three rental homes, which Sandra Wright said are always fully leased. Kenneth and Sandra Wright are currently representing the business and property sale on their own.

Were in talks with a few local people, she said, adding that she hopes the new restaurant owner will keep a similar format. We live close and have a vested interested in the success of the restaurant. We have an emotional interest, too. Its been in the family for a long time and it was a difficult decision to close.

Any professional restaurateur who looks at that building will know not to change too much because it works, she added. The Roadhouse is a big, complicated restaurant with a lot of rooms. I hope it doesnt change, but if we dont own it we dont have a say.

Sandra Wright said she would also consider finding a manager to run the restaurant.

Redding First Selectwoman Julia Pemberton said the restaurant is at a crossroads and is a vital part of the community.

Redding without the Roadhouse is not the same, she said. The Wright family, especially Jordan Wright, made the Redding Roadhouse a special place. Im sure it was a difficult decision, but we need to respect it. My thoughts, first of all, are with the Wright family.

News of the latest closure of the restaurant was posted on the Redding Roadhouse Facebook page on Monday. The post quickly received nearly 100 comments, mostly from former patrons recalling good times at the restaurant.

After a very long few years we have decided it's best to regroup and find a candidate most excited to keeping the charm alive at The Roadhouse, the posting read. We thank you for your continued support and your patronage through the years.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
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As the mother of premature twins, Kate Mayone, of Shelton, faced some hurdles getting her children to breastfeed.

She said, after giving birth to her daughters at Bridgeport Hospital in 2015, her support varied depended on which doctors or nurses she saw on a certain day. Some were pro-breastfeeding, while others emphasized the importance of weight gain, and pushed supplementing with formula.

Ultimately, she was able to successfully breastfeed her children, with the help of the hospitals lactation specialists but it took a lot of work to get there.

So Mayone, 35, was happy to hear that the hospital is taking a close look at improving community outreach to increase breastfeeding rates among women who give birth there.

Bridgeport Hospital is looking to implement two initiatives at the hospital in the near future.

One is called couplet care, and targets all new moms at the hospital. It involves a single nurse caring for mother and baby, as opposed to an individual nurse for each. The other initiative is a peer counseling program geared specifically at the Hispanic community  a group of women who hospital staff said are typically reluctant to start breastfeeding until they get home.

Mayone said both ideas sound great. She particularly thinks the couplet care would have benefited her. I definitely think it would help to have someone who looks at you as a mom and baby unit, she said. It makes the most sense.

Moving the numbers

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, with continued breastfeeding alongside some solid foods until they are at least a year old. Nationwide, about 81 percent of new moms start out breastfeeding. Nearly 52 percent are still breastfeeding at six months and about a third are breastfeeding at a year.

Promoting breastfeeding has long been a goal at Bridgeport Hospital said Dr. Harris Jacobs, the hospitals chairman of pediatrics.

However, he said the hospitals rate of moms who exclusively breastfeed is in the 30 percent range  a vast improvement from the rate of 1 to 2 percent the hospital saw a few years ago, but still far off from where they want to be.

We havent been able to move much further, he said, which is why they are working to improve their outreach.

Offering support

Two of the hospitals lactation specialists said, though emphasis on breastfeeding has increased, obstacles still exist. Some of these are cultural, as with the issues they are seeing with some moms in the Hispanic community.

Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers had the highest rate of initiating and maintaining breastfeeding, followed by English-speaking Hispanic mothers, according to a study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics last year.

The problem is that many of these moms dont want to start breastfeeding until they get home, said Liz Seaman, a lactation specialist and maternal child health educator at Bridgeport Hospital. When they get home, they do great, she said.

However, before then, Seaman said, this group of moms is more likely to believe that they arent producing enough milk, or that the colostrum (the first milk produced by new mothers) isnt healthy for their baby, or other myths.

The first few days are often critical for mothers and babies. The colostrum, or initial milk, that the mothers body makes is essential in boosting the babys immunity. Seaman and fellow lactation specialist and maternal child health educator Susan Marsh said theyve been working on trying to break misconceptions about breastfeeding among Hispanic mothers, but havent had much luck.

Thats why they would like to offer peer counselors  specifically, women of Hispanic descent who speak Spanish  to help offer education and support, ideally before the baby is born. The thought is, if they get the information from someone in their own culture, its more effective than getting it from us, Seaman said.

Couplet care, meanwhile, has been shown to be an effective model for most new moms, Marsh said.

Research shows it can help with increasing the breastfeed rate, by treating mom and baby as a single unit, she said.

Neither measure is offered yet. Jacobs said, but the hospital is in the process of getting grant funding for the peer counselor. And he, Seaman and Marsh said couplet care could be offered by mid-fall.

The goal is to continue pushing the hospitals breastfeeding rates higher, they said. However, Jacobs pointed out that the aim is to do this without stigmatizing mothers who are unable to breastfeed for one reason or another.

One thing were extremely careful about is not making anybody feel guilty if they cant do it, he said.
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NEWTOWN - The town and school district have asked a judge to throw out a wrongful death lawsuit brought by parents of two children slain in the Sandy Hook massacre, arguing it was the shooter - and not Newtown officials - who caused the worst crime in Connecticut history.

Simply alleging that the defendants teachers, administrators or staff failed to act a specific way prior to or in the middle of such a shocking tragedy, when six of them gave their lives to protect the children of the school, is not enough to create a genuine issue of material fact, writes the town and school districts lead attorney, Charles Deluca of Stamford. [T]he horrendous and unprecedented nature of (the shooter) Adam Lanzas criminal conduct precludes any finding of foreseeability, a necessary element for the plaintiffs to proceed.
Whatever happened to predictability? The milkman, the paperboy, evening TV? Much has changed since the 90s sitcom Full House was released, but the lyrics to its theme song ring true now more than ever.

We live in the gig economy, and unpredictability is the reality of everyday life for many workers. The number of gigs available is growing, and this booming economy has changed the workforce, as well as the makeup of the labor market. According to a 2015 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, 40 percent of the workforce now has nontraditional employer-employee jobs.

Related: Gig Economy Platforms Are Creating a New Class of Entrepreneurs

Why are people gigging? The Pew Research Center released a survey late last year stating that it served as an income gap filler and allowed flexibility and control over work schedule. The same source also reported that millennials surpassed Generation X to become the largest share of the American workforce in 2015. As Joel Stein stated in the Time magazine article Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation, millennials may have created their own fate. In exchange for demanding free time, flexibility and more control over their work, they have had to forgo medical coverage, retirement benefits and many other securities that contribute to a social safety net that was spurred by the Great Depression.

The power shift

The Great Depression seems a fanciful tale of woe from long ago, but the recent recession from 2007 to 2009 was a wakeup call for those with the most economic vulnerability. The aftermath of that recession forced many people to accept work where they could find it, and gig jobs were often all that was in reach. As reported by the 2015 U.S. GAO report analyzing the contingent workforce, gig jobs are disproportionately held by younger, less educated, low-family-income individuals.

Gig jobs do not come with paid sick leave, vacation days or parental rights. There is no workers compensation coverage to help provide medical care to workers injured, or death benefits for families of workers killed on the job. There is also no protection against work-related discrimination or wage and hour violations, or effective means for collective bargaining to contract for fairer compensation.

Related: How the Gig Economy Is Changing Work for Women

Decades of litigation, legislation, social movements and labor marches had leveled the playing field for the majority of the workforce. Now, in a blink of an eye, the scales are loaded in favor of the economically powerful corporations in the gig economy, helping them pay less overhead, avoid payroll taxes, retirement plan contributions and unemployment benefits. The profit from less overhead alone may be the impetus that is driving the expansion of the gig economy. Cost savings for the employer means cost savings for the consumer, but what is the cost to the worker and to our society?

Worker safety

Employers are regulated by the Department of Labor and have to comply with state and federal labor laws. They also have to meet minimum worker safety standards outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These laws and regulations help protect workers by imposing safe workday time limits, mandatory rest breaks and mandatory accident reporting. Employers who violate these regulations are subject to serious penalties -- which, for the most part, keep employers motivated to keep their workers safe.

Gig workers do not have those same safety protections. There are no workday time limits and no rest breaks, which can expose gig workers to fatigue and exhaustion. Gig workers are also often untrained because employers do not want to exercise too much control over them for fear that the worker will be reclassified as an employee. This lack of training often leads to unsafe work environments.

Related: How to Avoid Regulatory Fire in the Gig Economy

Public safety

Consumers are relying on the gig worker to perform skilled tasks with little to no training. Weve all been in a ridesharing situation questioning how the driver behind the wheel received a license, let alone approval to carry consumers commercially. Weve also heard of the terrifying assaults that have taken place on passengers due to insufficient background checks.

Grabbing a rideshare to the airport for a 5 a.m. flight might seem safe, but there are no industry regulations that limit the number of hours an individual can drive for rideshare companies. Even though some rideshare apps lock their drivers out after a certain number of consecutive driving hours (and kudos to them), there is nothing stopping the driver from switching over to another app. Most rideshare drivers display multiple rideshare badges and drivers can switch back and forth between the apps with no limits in place to protect the public. Stories of rideshare drivers who work 20 hours straight are common. Under these circumstances, the dangers to drivers, passengers and the public are clear.

Related: Is the Gig Economy Sustainable?

Why labels matter

Employers classify workers as independent contractors, freelancers, consultants and temporary employees to make them gig workers and not traditional employees. But, its not just up to the employer to decide; there are laws that outline who is and isnt an employee.

The seminal legal case on employee classification came out in 1989, the same year Full House became the most popular Friday night show. The case, S.G. Borrello & Sons, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations, analyzed whether agricultural laborers were employees or independent contractors, and in doing so, the decision outlined criteria for establishing the employment relationship -- known as the Borrello factors.

Related: Don't Sell Yourself Short in the Gig Economy

The Borrello factors consider who has the right to control the details of the work, who supervises, who supplies the job tools, what the length of service will be, method of payment, agreement of the parties and whether the work is part of the regular business of the principal. The Borrello factors can be thought of as a bundle of sticks, as coined by Kevin Lancaster, a prominent San Francisco lawyer, and answering the question of who has more sticks in their bundle, the worker or the employer, will tell you whether the worker is a traditional employee or an independent contractor. If the worker has more sticks, she's a gig worker. If the employer has more sticks, the worker is an employee.

The future of gig workers

As gig opportunities and technology expand, the employment sticks are changing and there are many questions to ask, such as:

Is the app a tool supplied to perform the job?

Who supervises the work?

What is the regular business of the principal? Hosting platform or ridesharing company?

Who sets the rate of pay? The worker or the app?

These questions, and others, are under dispute in two class action cases that might reshape the sticks in classifying workers -- OConnor v. Uber Technologies, Inc. and Cotter v. Lyft, Inc. These cases are important in bringing to light the seminal issue of whether large tech companies are employers of the workers or not. The former could represent a return to the pre-gig economy balance of power between workers and companies as well as preserve our social safety net.

However, if the latter prevails, then it presents society with a new set of challenges in determining if and how we can continue to provide a social safety net to our citizens in the context of this new economy.

Related:

How the Gig Economy Hurts Workers and Consumers

Managing Your Lawyers as Your Startup Grows

Wiretapping Is a Threat to Small Businesses -- Here's How to Protect Yourself



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


The 40 or so students sitting before him nod. Theyre assembled here at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for a class called Entrepreneurship from Diverse Perspectives, where female and minority entrepreneurs and investors are invited to speak. The hope is to cultivate an appreciation for the value of diversity among the countrys next business leaders.

If youve ever heard Tristan Walker speak, diversity was almost certainly the topic. A Stanford grad himself, he keynotes conferences on the subject. Hes been a fixture at SXSW. Almost any newspaper article, radio segment or magazine story about diversity in business (including, full disclosure, a few written by me) will quote Walker, if not focus on him almost exclusively. And it makes sense that hed find himself in this position. After all, hes the black man who rocked his way through some of techs hottest companies, raised $33.3 million to launch a startup of his own and then, like an action-movie hero who just leaped across a chasm, immediately started pulling other people across with him. You gotta succeed, he implores the students. If youre not succeeding, youre not recruiting anybody. Hes good at this: natural, earnest, and yet never lecturing. He makes people want to succeed. And in turn, they want him to succeed. Because his success is their success. His success makes more success possible.

But later, during a one-on-one conversation, Walker confesses that this role has been weighing heavily on him. I have this kind of internal conflict, where its like, Tristan, you cant mess this up, he says. Every entrepreneur feels that at some point, of course. Most feel it damn near all the time. But he has the unique challenge of feeling many other peoples hopes on his shoulders. If his success is their success, then is his failure their failure?

Related: A CEO's Main Focus Should Be Improving Company Culture

Because heres the thing: He still has a lot of work to do. His company Walker & Company Brands is a grooming startup that launched with big expectations -- all, no doubt, heightened by Walkers celebrity. He repeatedly said he wanted to build the Procter & Gamble for people of color, and that quote has been repeated everywhere from CNBC to USA Today. Yes, sales have been strong. While he cautions that 2017 isnt over yet, revenue is up 200 percent from last year. And yet, he says, were in this weird purgatory. Early-stage investors want to see explosive growth, and private equity investors tell him they want to see a profitable company before putting in cash. Its the kind of position that doesnt exactly inspire any entrepreneur to take a victory lap yet. Which makes it even more important that we focus on our business discipline and execution, he says.

All this has led Walker to a crossroads. His company and his public profile have grown in tandem, to the point where focusing on one means, to some degree, neglecting the other. And as both grew, a stark choice presented itself: Be an effective CEO, or be an effective symbol.

These days, it appears Walker is letting the former speak for the latter. Hes turned down more than 50 speaking engagements over the past year and has promised his team that that will continue for the next six months. Hes promoted new hires to the media, with the intent of directing the focus away from himself. And hes also adopting a new, more deliberate leadership style. At Walker, he says, I think, How can I be the best CEO I can be? Nowhere in that is How can I be the best spokesperson I can be? Im already a good spokesperson. But I can be a better spokesperson if Im a better CEO.

This summer bears the first fruit of that transition. Walker & Co. is releasing its first new branded product line since its 2013 launch. Its called Form, a haircare line for women that takes aim at a $2.56 billion market opportunity and can bring Walker one step closer to what the Procter & Gamble for people of color would truly look like. But in order to achieve and sustain the growth hes after, Walker has to build an organization that is equipped to support it. And that means intense focus on the task at hand.

I cant do this for everybody else, he says. I do it because I care about it. I want this company to be around 150 years from now.

Image Credit: Cody Pickens

The Tristan Walker origin story is oft-told in Silicon Valley, as a parable of how hustle and foresight and grit and talent can combine into handsome rewards.

The short version goes like this. Walker grew up in the South Jamaica housing projects in Queens, New York. He got straight-As in middle school and earned a full scholarship to Hotchkiss, a powerhouse prep school. After graduating from Stony Brook University and a brief jaunt at the trading desks of Lehman Brothers and J.P. Morgan, Walker was drawn to the bubbling startup scene, enrolled in Stanford Business School and took an internship at Twitter. When Foursquare blew up in 2009, he emailed co-founder Dennis Crowley eight times to ask for a job and, upon not hearing back, showed up at Crowleys office uninvited. Crowley challenged Walker to sign up 30 merchant businesses in a month; Walker returned with 300. He got the job and later became Foursquares first head of business development. Three years after, he became an entrepreneur-in-residence at the hottest venture capital firm in the Valley, Andreessen Horowitz, and co-founded Code2040, a not-for-profit that mentors young minorities and connects them with jobs in tech.

All the while, Walker tinkered with his own startup ideas. Walker & Co. came in response to the dreaded ethnic aisle of grooming products -- those shunted-off, sometimes lower-quality products that every person of color has long been stuck buying. Walker proposed making high-quality and well-designed products that, while good for people of all races, were designed with the grooming challenges of people of color in mind. (Razor bumps, for example: A mainstream razor leaves many black mens faces irritated.)

Walker & Co. came together quickly. From the start, Walker had impressed pretty much everyone hed come across, so he had little trouble finding eager investors. I dont think hed even formally put everything together, says Charles D. King, an investor, and founder and CEO of the media company Macro, recalling when he first heard Walkers pitch. I immediately let him know that I was in. It was clear that he was a visionary.

In 2013, Walker & Co. launched with its first line of products -- razors, shaving cream, priming oil and restoring balm, all carrying the brand name Bevel. And while it seemed surprising that a guy with so much tech cred would launch a grooming business, Walker insisted that his company was, at heart, a tech company. For instance, it would operate on a subscription model, like Ipsy, LootCrate, Harrys and many other venture-backed e-commerce startups. Originally, users would buy a $60 starter kit and then pay $30 a month for refills. Investors liked this; subscriptions, in their experience, equaled customer retention. (Since then the starter kit has gone up to $90.)

Walkers insistence on being a tech company also put him squarely in the middle of a tech industry crisis. Silicon Valley was becoming as known for its dearth of diversity as for its innovation, and pressure from activists forced companies like Facebook and Google to reveal just how white their companies were. As the issue heated up, Walker became the first call for reporters looking for minorities to speak about their experiences in tech, and to offer potential solutions. When conference organizers needed diverse faces, Walker was the first guy to book. He was brilliant, likable and happy to share his experiences. It was a perfect match.

This was smart business sense, in a way. Walkers visibility afforded his startup a fair amount of good publicity, as the companys message -- that health-and-beauty products should be made to be inclusive and efficacious for all races and ethnicities -- ran parallel with the case that diversity advocates made when criticizing the tech industry. And by being so open and accessible, Walker also kept his company in the news long after its launch. Hed often give reporters his cellphone number so they could call directly. (In 2014, when I first traveled to San Francisco to write about him, he even invited me to stay at his home.)

But this kind of visibility can have a downside. The conference circuit is a seductive and voracious beast. It offers abundant rewards, but it can consume a lot of time and distract you from actually running your business. Its perhaps telling that some of the most buzzed-about entrepreneurs on the speaking circuit -- who, like Sophia Amoruso or Kevin Rose, became celebrities independent of their businesses -- also presided over struggling companies. Walker wont say whether this ever entered his mind. But when I visited him for this story this summer, it was easy to see a change in his thinking. There was no invitation to stay at his home. (Though to be fair, he now has a 2-year-old son, Avery.) When Id text him asking for more information or a quote about this or that, hed often refer me to his PR person. As I rode in an Uber with him to that Stanford seminar, he read as more obligated than enthused. More telling, he said that Stanford had already asked him to show up for events like those three or four times this year. It was, he admitted, starting to feel weird.

Image Credit: Cody Pickens

When Joanne Hsieh got the call from a corporate recruiter, she said she wasnt interested. After 10 years at Estee Lauder in New York, she was on her way to becoming SVP and general manager of international development, and was perfectly happy. But the recruiter persuaded her to at least fly to Palo Alto and take a meeting with Tristan Walker, a man shed heard of but knew little about. He was looking for a chief operating officer, the recruiter said. Its worth the conversation.

In December 2015, she did. And in Walker, she found an answer to a problem shed heard in the industry for years. These bigger companies have been trying to innovate around certain ethnicities and customer segments, she says, and its really difficult when you dont have that personal journey yourself. Walker had that. Hsieh took the job.

Shes the first health-and-beauty hire that we ever had, Walker says. Its crazy when you think about it.

It really is: A health-and-beauty company spends its first three years not hiring anyone from its industry? But thats not uncommon in the tech world. In Silicon Valley, many people pride themselves on disrupting industries theyre totally new to. The theory goes that insiders are too entrenched in the existing ways of doing things, and therefore only outsiders can see what theyre missing.

Yet Walker may have made his own version of that mistake. By being inside the tech industry for so long, perhaps hed become trapped in its way of thinking, which led to staleness in parts of his organization. For example, as his company had grown, hed kept staffers who were clearly no longer a fit for their jobs. So within the past couple of years, hes let them go and appointed department heads to help manage the companys growth. As a result, Walker has freed himself up to focus more on the essentials. I need to make sure nobody gives up, he says. I need to make sure were well-capitalized. And I need to make sure folks recognize the innovations and disruptions were offering this industry.

And by industry, he now means consumer goods -- not tech. He raised eyebrows at Recodes Code Commerce conference last March when he told Valley-whisperer Kara Swisher, When I started, I said were a tech company. Thats bullshit. The reason hed done it, he admitted, was because investors were more likely to buy into a tech company than a retail business. Now hes hoping that a different class of investors -- from health-and-beauty insiders to family offices, for example -- will see value in Walker & Co. that tech investors have not.

Related: This Is the Job That Best Prepares You for CEO Success

Hes also free to reconsider every decision that cascaded from being a tech company. Subscriptions, for example. Its the de rigueur business model in e-commerce today, but not everyone is going to commit to $30 a month without trying the product first. By holding firm on subscriptions, he was turning curious customers away. So in 2015, he began selling his products a la carte. That also meant he could sell on Amazon, and in Target. The minute we released a la carte, our sales went crazy, he says. Customers want to try this stuff. Last year, a la carte made up 10 percent of all Walker & Co.s sales. In 2017, itll cross 50 percent.

Hsieh, as COO, knew exactly what to do next. She began hiring more industry insiders and then mobilizing them to learn everything they could about Bevels buyers. That has uncovered some useful insights. Sixty to 65 percent of the people who buy Bevel products at Target are white men, for one thing. For another, a la carte is driving a spike in subscriptions.

For Walker, this kind of effort has become self-reinforcing: Rethink his role, which leads to rethinking the company, which leads to rethinking sales, which leads to rethinking hiring, which leads back to rethinking all those things anew. And the culmination of all this rethinking is Form.

Image Credit: Cody Pickens

Eight or so Walker & Co. employees are gathered around a conference room, watching YouTube videos on how to achieve different hairstyles on different types of hair. These are the core of the companys customer success team -- essentially a customer service group that, in addition to addressing products and orders, serves as users grooming concierges. For the past four years, thats meant all things shaving. Confused about how to achieve a certain look, or get the smoothest skin? These people will walk you through it by email, online chat or phone. But as the team preps for the launch of the companys new haircare line, Form, theyre having to learn an entirely new vocabulary of grooming.

Shell lay her edges at the end, says Walker & Co.s staff chemist, Iyore Olaye, at the front of the room, as she points to a video. We talked about edges last time, remember?

As an African-American man, I find this surreal to watch. The room is diverse -- theres an Indian man here asking about wash-and-gos, and a white woman asking how long a Dominican blowout takes. Ive literally never in my life seen anyone other than black people show genuine interest in learning about this stuff. And theres another person asking questions from the back of the room: Walker himself.

Were recommending these styles to people? he asks Olaye at one point. Are we going to call it that or brand it ourselves?

We dont say shingling on the website, she replies. Well call it scrunching, because that term is more widespread.

In the past, Walker would always be at the front of the room leading a meeting. Walker & Co. was his company, after all, and he thought leadership meant leading every step of the way. But over the past few years, as hes been laying the foundation for Form, hes also been discovering what it means to lead from behind -- to let people innovate on their own -- and then, as LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman likes to say, manage the chaos.

Related: You're a Real CEO When Your Company Is Bigger Than Your Title

Walkers team has taken three or four similar products to near completion over the past four years, though he didnt release them. And over those years, Form was slowly being developed. The brands origins date back to 2014, when Walker approached a haircare blogger named Cassidy Blackwell. Originally I had this idea about a haircare education brand and thought of going to business school, she says. Tristan said, Would you ever consider coming to do that here? But there was a catch. He wasnt ready to start, which meant shed need to put time in on the customer success team. I was like, This isnt for me. But she took it anyway. It paid off. What it gave me was this very intimate knowledge of Bevel customers and how to serve them, she says. In 2016, it was time: Walker paired her up with Olaye and a team and handed them the reins to develop a haircare product for women.

The resulting 10-product line of conditioners, shampoos, and hair gels is unlike anything in the marketplace. Most haircare products are sold by hair type or ethnicity -- the shampoo for curly hair, say, or the conditioner for Latina women. That often doesnt address individual womens needs. So instead, Form also focuses on lifestyle. Customers can answer a lengthy online survey about how often they swim, what zip code they live in, how often they work out, and so on. Then theyll be recommended four or five useful Form products.

Form launches in retail, and the product will be heavily sampled in stores, which never happened with Bevel. Target was interested, but Hsieh, the COO, felt the savvier move was to launch with Sephora and then expand from there. Volume will be different because Target is just a behemoth, but it really puts us on the map as a company that can pivot between the two, she says, between mass-market retail and high-end specialty markets. Thats important for a company that doesnt want to be pigeonholed -- and, as important, wants to show that its customers are not monolithic either.

Theres a lot of potential money to be made here. Each Form product runs $22 to $32, which seems steep compared with most of whats on the market -- but its not. Price point is not a big deterrent [for African-American women], says Toya Mitchell, multicultural analyst at Mintel, the market research firm. Hair is an extremely personal subject for them, and theyre willing to pay a lot for products that really work. In 2016, black consumer spending on haircare products was estimated at $2.56 billion. If Walker & Co. can grab even a slice of that, its well on its way to paying out on its promise -- and Walker wants a lot more than one slice.

Three billion is just the black part, he says. I think the markets bigger than that. Its an important nuance, because people start thinking were [just] a black brand again, and thats not the case.

Back at Stanford, Walker wraps up points hes now made in public easily hundreds of times. The major takeaway, he tells his audience, is that diversity isnt something companies should do out of obligation; they should do it because it will make them more profitable. Products made for an inclusive audience, made by an inclusive workforce, are the best products. And when Form launches, it will be a big test of that vision. Theres a significant economic imperative to this thing, he says. If [people] dont want to see that? Fine. Ill see you in 20 or 30 years, when the majority of this country is people of color.

When class is over, a small crowd forms around Walker. A short, middle-aged white woman runs over and exclaims, Oh my God, I am obsessed with you! Then another student: I saw you at an event a few months ago, and I was so inspired, she says. Thanks for everything.

Years ago, moments like these may have seemed like markers of success. But he has work to do back at the office. So he smiles and says thank you, and then slowly, steadily, makes his way out the door.

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Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 5, 2017 /CNW/ -- Tahoe Resources Inc. (TSX: THO, NYSE: TAHO) ("Tahoe" or the "Company") today reported that the Company has learned that the Supreme Court of Guatemala has issued a provisional decision in respect of an action brought by the anti-mining organization, CALAS, against Guatemala's Ministry of Energy and Mines ("MEM"). The action alleges that MEM violated the Xinca Indigenous people's right of consultation in advance of granting the Escobal mining license to Tahoe's Guatemalan subsidiary, Minera San Rafael. The provisional decision is in respect of a request by CALAS for an order to temporarily suspend the license to operate the Escobal mine until the action is fully heard. The Company understands that no Xinca representative or community is currently participating in the CALAS lawsuit against MEM.

The provisional decision suspends the Escobal mining license of Minera San Rafael while the action is being reviewed by the court. The Company was not a party to the action commenced by CALAS and did not previously have standing to make submissions to the court in respect of the provisional application. This decision confers legal standing on the Company which will now take all legal steps possible to have the ruling reversed and the license reinstated as soon as possible, including immediately appealing the decision to the Constitutional Court.

The Guatemala Supreme Court is the initial trial court in Guatemala for constitutional actions filed against MEM. Appeals from these decisions are heard by Guatemala's Constitutional Court. Based on a prior ruling by the Constitutional Court involving consultation obligations with respect to a large natural resource project, the Company believes that its operating license should remain in effect while any additional consultation is completed. Accordingly, the Company intends to both appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court and ask for the Supreme Court to reconsider its provisional ruling.

The Company believes that all consultation obligations relating to the permitting of the Escobal license were met. The last official census shows the San Rafael community to be 98.6% non-indigenous and with no Xinca community presence. Despite the fact that the Escobal mine is not located in or impacting any indigenous communities of Guatemala, the Company understands that MEM held a consultation process that complied with the requirements set forth in ILO Convention 169.

Based on its prior experience with Guatemalan court proceedings and evaluation of similar cases before the courts, the Company estimates the Constitutional Court could rule on the appeal within two to four months. We will be seeking to have the license reinstated during this period.

The Company also plans to file a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court, which is the lower court that issued the provisional decision. Based on prior cases, the Company cannot predict when the Supreme Court would rule on the motion for reconsideration.

In addition, the Company will also be requesting the Supreme Court to resolve CALAS's definitive constitutional claim. The definitive constitutional claim and appeal process could take between 12 and 18 months.

While the Company cannot determine at this time when or if the suspension will be rescinded and the license will be reinstated, including for purposes of conducting a consultation process, we believe ILO 169 does not apply here, and if it did apply, was already met. We understand that the effect of ruling in favour of CALAS could mean that consultation must occur before the suspension is revoked. It could also mean, as happened in similar cases in Guatemala, that the court could allow operations to resume while a consultation process is conducted. We believe that the timeframe to undertake the consultation processes, and for a reconsideration of our application for the issue of the license, could be in the range of six to 12 months.

Upon formal receipt of the order temporarily suspending the license for Escobal, the mine will be placed on stand-by and is planned to be maintained in a manner such that full production can be expeditiously resumed on a reversal of the suspension. During this time, the Company will continue to maintain its high standard of security and environmental protection.

Ron Clayton, President and CEO of Tahoe Resources Inc., commented: "We are extremely disappointed in the Court's ruling suspending the license because we believe that there are no indigenous communities affected by Escobal's operations. While the lack of indigenous communities in our area makes ILO 169 inapplicable, there is nevertheless extensive documentation evidencing that an ILO 169 consultation process was in fact conducted in the area of the mine. We are acutely aware that an adverse ruling could have a significant adverse impact on our shareholders, partners, employees, vendors and community populations, as tax and royalty payments, along with purchases of operating supplies will be suspended during any period that the mine is not operating. Escobal is our flagship mine which has been designed and operated to meet the highest environmental standards and we will make every effort to remove any suspension and bring Escobal back into operation as soon as possible. We remain committed to protecting our employees' livelihoods, as well as those livelihoods of the Company's suppliers and the thousands of Guatemalan families that benefit from the responsible operation of the Escobal mine."

The Company's preliminary Q2 results include production of over 4 million ounces of silver, more than 110 thousand ounces of gold, revenue of greater than $200 million and an estimated cash balance of over $165 million. There are no significant inventories of concentrate on hand.

Depending upon the success of the Company's appeal and the timing of court rulings, the Company anticipates, assuming a three-month suspension period resulting in a deferral of production to a future period, the following impacts could be expected:

2017 silver production would be deferred to future periods by 5.1 million ounces;

Sales and operating costs associated with deferred production would be incurred in future periods;

Sustaining capital expenditures of $12 million would be deferred;

would be deferred; Fixed costs of approximately $10 million would be incurred;

would be incurred; Exploration efforts in Guatemala of $0.5 million would not be incurred; and

of would not be incurred; and Estimated royalties of $4 million and taxes of $5 million related to deferred production would not be accrued; payments would resume upon recommencement of production and sales.

Given the possible material impact of suspending operations at the Escobal mine, the Company will be reevaluating previous multi-year guidance and can also no longer confirm previously issued 2017 guidance at this time. Long term care and maintenance plans are under consideration by management and further updates will be provided when that evaluation is complete.

The Company plans to host a conference call to answer questions regarding the suspension of the Escobal license on Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 5:00 a.m. PT (8:00 a.m. ET). Those wishing to join the call can do so using the telephone numbers listed below.

Participant call-in numbers:

+1-800-319-4610 (toll free from Canada and the U.S.)

+1-604-638-5340 (from outside Canada and the U.S.)

About Tahoe Resources Inc.

Tahoe's strategy is to responsibly operate mines to world standards, to pay significant shareholder dividends and to develop high quality precious metals assets in the Americas. Tahoe is a member of the S&P/TSX Composite and TSX Global Mining indices and the Russell 3000 on the NYSE. The Company is listed on the TSX as THO and on the NYSE as TAHO.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, and "forward-looking information" under the provisions of applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of the Company. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the provisional decision from the Supreme Court of Guatemala which has the effect of suspending the Company's mining license in respect of the Escobal mine, the time for appeals to be heard and decided and the likelihood of such provisional decision being reconsidered and reversed by the Supreme Court of Guatemala or overturned by the Constitutional Court in Guatemala, the future price of silver, gold, lead and zinc, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, free cash flow, currency exchange rate fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" , "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" , "believes", or variations or comparable language of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Tahoe will operate in the future, including the price of silver, gold, lead and zinc, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals. In respect of the forward-looking statements concerning the provisional decision from the Supreme Court of Guatemala, the factors to be considered by the Constitutional Court in an appeal of the provisional decision, the timing and the likelihood of success that the provisional decision can be reversed or overturned, and the potential impacts of the decision and the time and expense of appeals and challenges to such decision, actions that may be necessary to reinstate the license and the inability to operate the Escobal mine while the license to Tahoe's Guatemalan subsidiary, Minera San Rafael, is suspended on the Company's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, Tahoe has provided them in reliance on certain assumptions that they believe are reasonable at this time. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Tahoe's actual results, programs and financial position could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. These include, but are not necessarily limited to workings of the Guatemalan legal system, social unrest and political or economic instability in Guatemala and the Company's ability to efficiently resume operations once the suspension of the mining license is lifted, and relationships with our partners, including employees, vendors and community populations.

Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, silver, gold, lead and zinc price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and mineral resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operational and development risks, litigation risks, regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability), changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/or change in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in Guatemala, Peru, and Canada, and other jurisdictions in which the Company does or may carry on business in the future, delays, suspension and technical challenges associated with capital projects, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labor and other consumables, currency fluctuations, the speculative nature of gold exploration, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility, competition, loss of key employees, additional funding requirements and defective title to mineral claims or property. Although Tahoe believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions and has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Tahoe to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: operational risks in Guatemala, Peru and Canada; matters related to aboriginal rights in Canada; risks related to integration of acquisitions; risks related to obtaining, maintaining and renewing licenses and permits to operate the business; risks related to operating cash flows and liquidity; future prices of silver, gold, lead and zinc; risks related to indebtedness and financing requirements; risks related to licenses and title to assets; risks related to governmental laws and regulations; risks related to illegal mining; risks related to operating hazards and availability of insurance; risks related to mine concentrate transportation and marketing risk; risks related to environmental matters; risks related to mineral reserve and resource calculations and possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; risks related to international operations, including economic and political instability in foreign jurisdictions in which Tahoe operates; risks related to current global financial conditions; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; mine development and operating risks; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors Relating to Our Business" in Tahoe's most recent annual information form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Although Tahoe has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as otherwise indicated by Tahoe, these statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any disposition, monetization, merger, acquisition, other business combination or other transaction that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of Tahoe's operating environment. Tahoe does not intend or undertake to publicly update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Tahoe Resources Inc.

[email protected]

Tel: 775-448-5800

SOURCE Tahoe Resources Inc.
Data from this project expected to take RepliCel's products to next level of potential commercial viability

VANCOUVER, June 13, 2017 /CNW/ - RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: REPCF) (TSXV: RP) (FRA:P6P2) ("RepliCel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has signed a collaborative research project agreement with the University of British Columbia ("UBC"). The project will be co-lead by the UBC's Dr. Kevin McElwee and Professor Youwen Zhou.

The project is designed to deliver a gene and protein expression "map" of healthy hair follicle cells expected to be critically important to improving key components of the manufacturing, regulatory, and clinical profile of RepliCel's cell therapy products.

"We are very excited to be working with UBC on a project we've spent considerable time designing to mature our understanding of the cell populations we work with to improve our product manufacturing, clinical outcomes, and assays critical to regulatory approval and commercialization," stated RepliCel President and CEO, R. Lee Buckler.

This study will examine different cell groups from human hair follicles and look for differences, and similarities, in gene and protein expression. Additionally, the project will analyze array data from select subjects who participated in RepliCel's phase I/IIa clinical trial of its RCH-01 product in development for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia which completed earlier this year. This includes data from patients who had the best clinical hair growth response at six months and a sustained positive response at 24 months.

In the study with UBC, the gene expression profiles of the cultured cells from these clinical trial subjects who had a strong hair growth response will be compared to the gene expression profile of subjects who had a reduced hair growth response. The analysis is anticipated to allow RepliCel to better identify specific genes with high or low expression in the cultured cells that correspond to strong hair growth promotion.

About Professor Youwen Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Youwen Zhou is a physician scientist who is a Professor at UBC's Department of Dermatology and Skin Science. He received his BS degree from Nankai University, China, a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the State University of New York, and an MD degree from the University of Toronto. After completing dermatology specialty training at UBC, he joined UBC Faculty of Medicine as a physician scientist in dermatology in 2000, and was promoted to full professor in 2013. He founded the UBC Molecular Medicine Lab and Chieng Genomics Center at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) with infrastructure funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation in 2001. Dr Zhou's research is centered on biomarkers of skin diseases such as skin lymphoma, melanoma, and vitiligo, using a wide variety of methods and approaches, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), linkage analysis, next generational sequencing, transcriptional profiling, cellular and animal models, as well as genome editing.

Dr Zhou has published more than 100 articles in journals such as Nature, Cell, Nature Genetics, and Blood, and holds multiple patents in skin lymphoma diagnostic biomarkers. In 2013, Dr Zhou was awarded a Barney Usher Award for Outstanding Achievements in Dermatology Research from the Canadian Dermatology Association. Dr Zhou specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers and skin pigmentation disorders, and is a consultant dermatologist at Vancouver General Hospital and British Columbia Cancer Agency. He teaches graduate students, medical students, dermatology residents and postdoctoral fellows. Dr Zhou is the past president of the Canadian Society of Investigative Dermatology, and served as a board member for Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA). He is also a grant reviewer for CIHR, the Canadian Dermatology Foundation, and the Natural Sciences Foundation of China.

About Dr. Kevin McElwee, Ph.D.

Dr. Kevin McElwee is an Associate Professor at the UBC's Department of Dermatology and Skin Sciences and Director of the Hair Research Laboratory at VCHRI. His research is funded by competitive grants awarded by multiple organizations including the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Dr. McElwee is one of only a small group of research scientists worldwide who studies hair biology and associated diseases. He has worked as a hair research scientist for 19 years and has published over 100 medical journal articles, as well as research abstracts and academic book chapters on hair loss research. Dr. McElwee received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and his PhD from the University of Dundee, Scotland. Postdoctoral training included three years at the Jackson Laboratory in Maine and four years at the University of Marburg, Germany, studying hair loss diseases and hair biology. Dr. McElwee is a co-discoverer and patent holder of RepliCel's technology and continues to serve as the Company's Chief Scientific Officer.

About RepliCel Life Sciences

RepliCel is a regenerative medicine company focused on developing autologous cell therapies that address conditions caused by a deficit of healthy cells required for normal tissue healing and function. The Company's product pipeline is comprised of three clinical-stage products: RCT-01 for tendon repair, RCS-01 for skin rejuvenation and RCH-01 for hair restoration. RCH-01 is under exclusive license by Shiseido Company for certain Asian countries. All product candidates are based on RepliCel's innovative technology, utilizing cell populations isolated from a patient's healthy hair follicles.

RepliCel is also developing a proprietary injection device (RCI-02) optimized for the administration of its products and licensable for use with other dermatology applications. Please visit http://replicel.com/ for additional information.

Forward-looking information

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the results of the UBC project outlined in this release. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include: statements relating to the statements that (i) data from this project is expected to take RepliCel's products to next level of potential commercial viability; (ii) the gene and protein expression map will improve key components of the manufacturing, regulatory, and clinical profile of RepliCel's cell therapy products; and (iii) the results will improve our product manufacturing, clinical outcomes, and assays critical to regulatory approval and commercialization. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks which may cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including: the risk that there will be delays enrolling clinical trial participants; the risk that the Company will receive negative results from the Company's clinical trials; the effects of government regulation on the Company's business; risks associated with future approvals for clinical trials; risks associated with the Company obtaining approval for its clinical trial in Germany; risks associated with the Company obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals for its various programs in Canada, the USA and Germany; risks associated with the Company's ability to obtain and protect rights to its intellectual property; risks and uncertainties in connection with the outstanding issues alleged by Shiseido in connection with the License and Co-development Agreement; risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's ability to raise additional capital; and other factors beyond the Company's control. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of such factors on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Readers should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factor disclosure outlined in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Edgar at www.sec.gov and with the British Columbia Securities Commission on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE RepliCel Life Sciences Inc.

For further information: Lee Buckler, CEO and President, 604-248-8693, [email protected]

Related Links

www.replicel.com






Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has said that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration made a mistake by charging leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, with treason.Agbakoba stated this while addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday on The future of Nigeria.He rejected the call fo restructuring Nigeria and agreed with the call for referendum made by Kanu.The legal luminary pointed out that Article 1 (2) of the United Nations Charter and Article 20 (1) of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights which Nigeria is a signatory to, supports self-determination.I see every politician now says restructure but I disagree. I also think the acting President was wrong to say that Nigeria is insoluble.There is nothing sacrosanct about Nigeria. It can blow up anytime. Its an artificial creation, which was made in 1914 and when it was amalgamated we were not there. It was amalgamated in the interest of the colonialists, Agbakoba said.Agbakoba added that Kanu shouldnt have been charged with treason.For me, the best that he can be charged with is unlawful assembly and an act capable of breaching public peace.Those are the things he can be charged with, but not treason; because Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Charter, which recognises the right for self-determination, he said.
Members of the separatist group in the South-eastern part of Nigeria - IPOB have taken the war to the doorstep of an All Progressives Congress chieftain, Rochas Okorocha.



Rochas Okorocha

Scores of members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday staged a rally in major streets of Owerri, the Imo State capital, chanting songs derogatory of Governor Rochas Okorochas opposition to their course.

According to one of their leaders, King David, who spoke to The Guardian, the agitation for the creation of Biafra Republic was very much on course, insisting that the governors indifference smacks of selfishness.

His words: ''We are calling for the realisation of Biafra. Biafra is real. We are having our day today. Nobody can stop us. Every one knows that we are serious. Biafra is a reality. Look at the number of people who are here today (yesterday). This is to show you that we want Biafra. IPOB is calling for Biafra.''

The agitators happily displayed their flags, urging the residents to identify with them.In a spontaneous move, a solidarity group countered the agitators with its own exercise.

Tagged a three million-man march' for President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Rochas Okorocha, the supporters said they were solidarising to uphold what they regarded as ''good governance, fight against corruption, exemplary leadership and amazing achievements.''

It was learnt that the rally had been scheduled for Monday to counter the planned one-million anti-government protest originally organised by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Kelechi Nwagwu.

After literarily obstructing human and vehicular movement for hours, the coordinator, Comrade Jeff Nwaoha, handed their document to Okorocha, saying the rally was in appreciation of the President's achievements, especially the relentless war against corruption and the governor's monumental achievements.

He said the state has ''never had it so good, maintaining that the governors six-year stewardship had surpassed the achievements of his predecessors put together.In the meantime, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has backed calls for restructuring, noting that the nation has been a ruse for years.

Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch of the association, Rev. Isaac Komolafe, stated yesterday during the inauguration of its executives in Abuja that there would not be peace until the political leadership does the needful.

He called for true federalism, arguing that ours only exists on paper.Also yesterday, sociologists traced the crises facing Nigeria to governments negligence of the role of sociologists in conflict resolution and management.

They gave the verdict during their meeting at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where they x-rayed the relevance of sociology to the overall development of human minds and nations.

The sociologists, therefore, concluded that this lack was threatening peaceful coexistence.Besides, the Auxiliary Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Jonas Benson Okoye, has enjoined those clamouring for Nigerias disintegration to have a rethink, saying the call was not the solution to the problems in the polity.

He also appealed to Nigerians to imbibe virtues and contribute towards the growth of humanity rather than seeking secession which would worsen the situation.
It is worrisome that Nigeria is effectively permanently in a state of emergency as the Armed Forces are deployed in more than 28 states of the federation in peacetime. The Armed Forces have virtually taken over routine police work in Nigeria. They are no longer acting in aid of civil authorities but have become the civil authorities. Section 217 of the constitution spells out the duties and responsibilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, which include defending Nigeria from external aggression; maintaining Nigerias territorial integrity; and securing our borders from violation from land, sea or air; suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the Presidenthe said

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, says Nigeria is currently in a state of emergency.While speaking at a Capacity/Interactive Needs Assessment Workshop of Security Sector Related Committees in the House of Representatives. in Abuja yesterday, Dogara said the deployment of military personnel in over 28 states in the country to engage in civil and security duties constitutionally reserved for the Nigeria Police, is an indication that Nigeria is currently in a statement of emergency.According to him, soldiers who are meant to be complimenting the job of the police, can now be seen in all parts of the country, doing the civil duties of the police and other security agents. He added that this trend is worrisome.
Fellow Nigerians, I am writing based on information I heard from(currently on at Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria aka AMEN) Reverend Mbaka's live programme titled 'E No Dey Again' held every Wednesday. Today's own is ongoing. Here are some of the extracts of the things I heard him say......



1. 4 Days ago he got a vision to rush to Aso Rock(he said he was told go speedily) to go and see Buhari in UK.He said he was ready to pay for the visa with his money. He went to Aso Rock but nobody was ready to take him to where he is in UK. He went back 3days ago and was also turned down. He said the God he worships is not a tribal God is can heal Muslim or Christian.



2.Last night he was in vision.There was a meeting in Aso Rock. He was part of the meeting. Ibrahim Babaginda was in the meeting. He asked him a question about Buhari but he told him to forget it.



3.Currently it is raining at Adoration Ministry on Wednesday. He said it has never happened before this year. According to him, the rain signifies something. He told everybody to look up and showed them the rainbow on the sky. He said everybody should be mature. That the rainbow signifies something.



4.He also said that as it stands now,there is cry like rain in Aso Rock and in the north.



5.He also revealed that in the spirit world,Nigerian flag is burning.



6.According to him, within a short time what is hidden will be revealed.



7.He also said that Holy Spirit has told him to forget trying to help the situation. He said he has tried his best but people in Aso Rock did not listen to him.



8.He also said that people/the elites already have their visas on hand. That when the problem starts, It is the poor that will perish.



9. He also recalled that there was a time he told Buhari that people were planning to kill him but nobody listened to him. Do you still remember the prophecy? Yes I did. People then were castigating him.



10. He also envisaged that there is likely to be catastrophe. He said that the Yorubas, Hausas and Igbos are not ready for the trouble.



11.He recalled that before Buhari travelled,he was in a vision and saw him.God told him to go and pray for him but the same Aso Rock people did not allow him in.



He is still speaking.These are the few points I could grab.The church programme is still on

I am listening to father Mbaka's E no dey programme(held every Wednesday).He raised a serious alarm about Buhari. According to him, he secured a UK visa with his money and need Aso Rock people to direct him where Buhari is in London for him to pray for him. According to him,where he saw Buhari is very far.He said medical care will not heal. He needs only prayer to be heal but Aso Rock people refused to show him where he is. He said the same thing happened during Jonathan's regime where he wanted to give him prophecy but Aso Rock people did not allow him speak to him. He was saying that not tomorrow now people will say Mbaka this Mbaka that. Remember sometimes ago he said he went to pray for Buhari but Aso Rock people did not allow him see him. When he was abt leaving,some people came out from Aso Rock and said Buhari is dead. E no dey programme is a programme where sickness you come with varnishes after adoration/Eucharistic adoration.
The Senate on Wednesday accused the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), of misleading the public and blackmailing it over the manipulations made by the lawmakers in the 2017 Appropriation Act.The upper chamber asked Fashola to resign his appointment if he was overwhelmed by the volume of work at his ministry.At the plenary, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, raised a point of order toHe said, Initially, I wanted to come under a motion but, yesterday, the House of Representatives took up the matter. Since we are on the same page with the House, I feel I should not come under a motion. But I will like to seize this opportunity to advise the minister that he should remember that he is now a minister and should behave like a minister.He is not a governor (anymore) and this National Assembly is not Lagos State House of Assembly. This is an Assembly composed of very patriotic Nigerians, very experienced Nigerians; many had done his job; many were governors before him.President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, interrupted Goje, saying, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), you are not paying attention to this matter.Goje continued, Fashola should know that he is dealing with the National Assembly of Nigeria, not of Lagos. If the job is too much for him  the ministry is too big; it comprises three ministries, which are works, housing and power; if he cannot adjust, then, he should do the honourable thing. He should so the needful.No amount of blackmail by him; no amount of propaganda by him or his surrogates will stop this National Assembly from discharging its duties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. We have sworn to uphold and protect this Constitution, and this we will do to the end of this Assembly.For now, I will cease fire and watch to see how the House will handle him. If he is well handled there, we will leave him with them. But if we are not satisfied and they pass him to us, then, we will take him over.Saraki, in his remarks, said the Senate would see how the House of Representatives would handle the matter before taking further action.I am happy that the House of Representatives are also taking up this issue. It is a matter that we must be responsible, especially those at the (executive) cabinet to look at issues from a national point of view in the interest of all Nigerians.We will definitely wait for the outcome of his appearance before the House of Representatives before further contributions. But we have take your comment, Chairman of Appropriations, he said.
The spate of insecurity in Lagos State was Wednesday further exposed after gunmen kidnapped the Baale of Shangisha, Magodo, Chief Mutiu O...

The spate of insecurity in Lagos State was Wednesday further exposed after gunmen kidnapped the Baale of Shangisha, Magodo, Chief Mutiu Ogundare.It was gathered the chief was kidnapped at about 9 am while driving along Center for Management Development, CMD road, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area, LCDA.Sources said that the abductors waylayed Ogundare while driving incompany of another chief, who they instructed to alight from the vehicle, before the abduction Ogundares abduction came barely months after he and other residents kicked against the installation of Oba of Shangisha, Oba Jamiu Lawal, claiming that Lawal doesnt belong to the ruling family in the community.
The body of a student of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has been found near a bush on Jafaria Street at Oke-Baale area of Osogbo, the st...

The body of a student of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has been found near a bush on Jafaria Street at Oke-Baale area of Osogbo, the state capital.It was gathered that the 400 Level student, Oluwafemi Shonibare, got missing about 10 days ag, when he went out to buy some ingredients to complete the beans he was cooking in his hostel near the universitys main campus.He was said to have been found inside a bush near one Alfas house.The police were said to have arrested the Alfa, whose name could not established last night.Students who sighted the decomposing body were enraged and they attempted to burn down the suspects home before the police stopped them.The police could not be reached for comment but the Deputy Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the Southwest, Saheed Afolabi, confirmed that the body5 of the student had been found.
Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday warned Nigerians to avoid the repeat of th...

Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday warned Nigerians to avoid the repeat of the 1966 coup and the tragedies that followed.The two elderstatesmen sounded the warning at the launch of the biography of the late Brig. Zakariya Maimalari at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.The book was authored by Haruna Yahaya Poloma with the title: The First Regular Combatant: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari.It was reviewed by Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd).The book presentation was attended by eminent Nigerians and serving military officers among whom was the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.Maimalari was among top military officers killed during the nations first military coup on January 15, 1966.Obasanjo, who gave reasons for some of the decisions taken by his government in his second coming as civilian president in 1999, said the topmost lesson for Nigerians to learn from unfolding events was that the nation has had enough of tragedies.He said he decided to retire Maimalaris son, who was the then Military Administrator of Jigawa State for certain reasons.Obasanjo said: What lesson can we learn? The lesson we can learn is that we have had enough tragedies in this country.I have no apology, but I have explanation. Its because its necessary to stop this sort of things that took the life of your father prematurely, that we had to take the decision that all those who have tasted power that they should never have tasted, that we should ease them out of the Army, so that we can have an Army that is free from political aberration.So far, since 1999, it seems that we have got it right. Let us hope that we continue to get it right and learn that Nigeria has had enough of bloodshed, enough of sacrifices by those victims, that Nigeria deserves peace, unity and progress, Obasanjo asserted.Gowon said: Several of our institutions have been poisoned mostly by the virus of corruption. Our people are in pain and require deliverance. But the rot is not all round.Gowon stated that Maimalarienjoyed steady professional advance and was favourably mentioned as one of the likely successors to ultimate authority on the departure of the colonial masters.Many things happened and many things failed to happen. He (Maimalari) was denied the ultimate prize and this denial produced widespread consternation.No one less deserved the sort of death visited on Brigadier Maimalari. I have sometimes wondered just what might have been had he survived the mutiny of that night.To my mind, Maimalari would perhaps have used his huge influence to re-establish civic order and governance. Perhaps in which case, there might not have been any further killings.Perhaps, maybe in the absence of the killings, the violence which became part of our nations vernacular would have been absent.Perhaps, there would have been no Biafra, no Ojukwu, no Gowon as we know them; no war and our democratic governments would have grown in stature as vehicles of popular service.Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said: Often, the Nigerian landscape has been disfigured by appalling examples of poor leadership and bad governance.So dominant has this been that our youth can be misled into feeling that there is a total absence of idealism and heroism in our society.Yet, nothing can be further from the truth. In our past and in our present, we can find exceptional examples of selfless service and notable deeds with which we can inspire in our youth.Osinbajo said: The example of Maimalari, particularly, his growth from humble beginnings, through diligence and hard work, to the dizzy heights of public service success is worth sharing. History can thus be a useful tool in the propagation of good examples.History as a subject in our schools has become fairly infamous, with students often feeling that the subject has no practical value.Yet, without a grounding in history, how do we know we who we are, where we come from, and more importantly, as a people, where we are going to?As a government, we have been concerned with the decline in the study of history and this has seen us recover history from the place where it has been ignored for too long and placed it back firmly in school curriculum.Also, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai paid glowing tributes to Maimalari and hailed the efforts of the books author for the documentation of events in the past.
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused former ministers of the party of running Nigeria aground. The Natio...

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused former ministers of the party of running Nigeria aground.The National Chairman of the party, Senator Modu Sheriff, who spoke on behalf of the party in Abuja on Tuesday, also called on the former ministers to tell Nigerians the source of their wealth.Sheriff said that it was unfortunate that the former ministers, whom he said were given the opportunity of running the country, ended adding to its woes.The former governor of Borno State, who was reacting to the former ministers meeting in Abuja on Monday, said that the partys constitution did not recognise the umbrella under which the former ministers gathered.At the meeting, the former ministers also backed Senator Ahmed Makarfis faction of the party, thereby incurring the wrath of the partys national chairman.The former ministers forum also encouraged its members to contest the partys presidential primary in 2019, and equally promised to search for other credible persons that could pick the partys ticket even outside its fold.Sheriff said that the former ministers had no constitutional backing to hold the meeting, adding that the gathering was unknown to the party.The partys national chairman also said he would obey the outcome of the partys leadership case pending before the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on who the authentic leader of the party between Sheriff and Makarfi.Speaking through his deputy, Cairo Ojougboh, in Abuja, on Tuesday, Sheriff said that he would never recognise the group of the former ministers.He said, We want to say first of all that the partys constitution is very clear and the organs of the party are specified  from the ward executive committee down to the national convention of the party. We dont have the forum of former ministers among the organs.We take exception to the comments of this group of persons who met on Monday and called themselves Forum of PDP Former Ministers.We want to say that under normal circumstances, in some countries, these are people who will not show themselves in the public.These persons have a lot of money; they must tell Nigerians how they came about their money. Again, their opinion is that they can buy the party, but Sheriff has said no, that the party is not for sale.Our position is very clear; they may not support Sheriff and the reason is because they know they cannot buy Sheriff. He is not for sale. Ordinarily, these people will not walk the streets (free). They were given opportunity to run this country, but they ran it aground.But the former ministers said Sheriff should be ignored, adding that the former governor does not epitomise the PDP.A former Minister of National Planning, Prof Suleiman Abubakar, while reacting to the comments by Sheriff, wondered how the former governor would build the factionalised party with the way he spoke.He said, Ordinarily, Sheriff does not deserve our response. Is this how a man who wants to build a party talks? If his leadership is not in doubt, he wont be in court to defend his leadership status.
Mr. Daniel Joshua, the Taraba state-born 31-year old, former N-Power graduate employee says his sound Christian moral upbringing compelled ...

Mr. Daniel Joshua, the Taraba state-born 31-year old, former N-Power graduate employee says his sound Christian moral upbringing compelled him to refund the N60,000 paid into his account, after he quit the scheme in April.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday July 1, tweeted and praised Joshuas rare display of integrity, which he said was worthy of emulation by Nigerian youths.

Joshua now works for the Central Bank of Nigeria in Benin. He is from Lissem in Ussa local government area of Taraba state.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday: My Christian moral upbringing helped me to do the right thing.

My pastor once told me that whatever weakens the conscience weakens the authority.And because i have always tried to avoid anything that will weaken my conscience, taking the decision to refund the money was not a problem.

Although i didnt have any money in my account at the time, the orientation from my bosses in my new employment about transparency, integrity and accountability also helped me quickly decide on the right path to take in the matter, he said.

Joshua, who married in 2015 and now has a child, said some family members and friends tried to persuade him to keep the money.

 But I am happy because both my wife, mother and elder brother, encouraged me to refund the money as soon as i received the alert for the two months salary.

Yes, there were some friends and family members who persuaded me to keep the money, saying it was my luck, he said.

Joshua graduated in Economics from the Modibo Adama University of Technology, Yola.

He said:It pays to be upright at all times.

He advised Nigerians, especially the youths to be upright in their daily dealings and become good ambassadors of the country.

Joshua was employed under the federal government N-Power scheme as a Primary school teacher at Kaduna Lissem primary school, in Taraba, in January. He disengaged from the job after working for three months.

Although Joshua left the N-Power job at the end of March, he was paid N60,000, being stipends for April and May.

He refunded the money to the coffers of the Federal Government.

The N-Power management has commended Joshua for refunding the money. A message on its official Twitter handle reads: We are extremely proud of Daniel.
The Nigerian Senate, yesterday, described the recall moves of Melaye as an exercise in futility that would become a waste of time and ...

The Nigerian Senate, yesterday, described the recall moves of Melaye as an exercise in futility that would become a waste of time and resources of the state. According to the Senate, INEC is aware of relevant sections of the constitution that the cumbersome process of recall must follow.It also noted that the various stages passed so far in the move, as facilitated by the electoral umpire, were not in line with laid down constitutional procedures and guidelines.Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a point of order raised against the recall move by Senator Dino Melaye himself.
A Hudson County attorney has filed a complaint against Gov. Chris Christie, saying he used his position unethically when he and family members basked in the warm sun at Island Beach State Park Sunday while the public was turned away because of the state shutdown.

In accordance with the "Plain Language Guide to New Jersey's Executive Branch Ethics Standards" no person of the executive branch may obtain a "special benefit" as a result of their position ... in the executive branch," according to the complaint filed today with the State Ethics Commission by West New York attorney Mario M. Blanch.

"The governor and his family hold no special privileges over the residents and citizens of the state of New Jersey," the complaint says. "By using the park, 'in direct contravention to the shutdown,' (Christie) utilized his position as governor ... to obtain benefits for himself and his family that members of the general public could not enjoy for themselves."

Blanch noted that while Christie and family members were on the beach, the state shutdown ordered by Christie due to a budget impasse caused many businesses to lose money and caused inconvenience to numerous families traveling during the Fourth of July weekend.

It was reported that Cub Scouts and their family members planning to camp at Cheesequake State Park in Matawan were forced to break camp and leave due to the shutdown.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop moved the city's Fourth of July fireworks and festival from Liberty State Park to Exchange Place due to the shutdown. And a 5K fundraiser for the New Jersey Special Olympics was canceled, costing the organization roughly $40,000 in donations.

The shutdown of state facilities began on July 1 and ended on July 3, after a budget agreement was reached. Although Liberty State Park had reopened by July 4, Fulop moved forward with events at Exchange Place.

Speaking about what many are calling "Beachgate," the governor said he and his family had access only to the governor's beach house and they did not request any state services while there.

The governor said his official residence in Princeton was also left without state services, but was nonetheless available to him. He also said that if others want to use the beach house, they should run for governor.

A spokesman for the governor's office did not provide a comment on the ethics complaint today.

In the complaint, Blanch requests the ethics committee find the governor in violations of state ethics guidelines, impose fines and sanctions, and mandate that Christie "pay restitution in an amount of the fair market value of renting a private beach in New Jersey during the July Fourth weekend."

Blanch said he was outraged when he saw the New Jersey Advance Media aerial image of Christie and those with him on the beach on Sunday -- an image that made national headlines and inspired hundreds of internet memes.

"No person is above the law, and Gov. Christie had no right to plop himself in a beach chair when the general public did not have access to the beach," Blanch said today. "The governor's actions are unfair, outrageous, and completely unethical. Gov. Christie should plop himself somewhere else, because New Jersey does not need politicians who only care about themselves."

The complaint was filed via fax and was addressed to Ethics Committee Executive Director Susana E. Guerrero. In the complaint, Blanch also asks to be notified when a date for a hearing on the complaint is set so that he may attend.

Exhibit A in the complaint is the picture of Christie on the beach on Sunday.
BAYONNE -- The recently retired Bayonne police chief won't be leaving the department empty-handed.

Drew Niekrasz will receive $291,004 from the city over the next two years for unpaid sick time and other compensation that includes bonus sick time for not using his regular sick time. It is expected to be paid in three installments over the next 18 months.

The former chief accumulated 194.5 days -- 123 banked days, five bankable holidays in 2007, 32 sick leave incentive days -- or incentive pay for not taking sick days -- and 34.5 vacation days, said Robert Kubert, the city's public safety director who collected $320,000 payout when he retired as police chief in 2012.

City spokesman Joe Ryan said Niekrasz will also receive 175 hours of terminal leave pay, which is sort of a retirement bonus. In total, Niekrasz -- who joined the force in 1988 -- amassed a total of 1,994 compensation hours at $145.94 per, according to Kubert.

Kubert said that the money Niekrasz will receive is owed to him contractually.

Niekrasz and Kubert are not the only Bayonne public employees to receive "boat checks," so-named because you could purchase a boat with the money. Former Police Chief Ralph Scianni received $444,450 while former Fire Chief Greg Rogers is due $231,000.

Mayor Jimmy Davis, who is owed $169,000 in unused sick and comp time for his years in the police department, said in an interview with The Jersey Journal last year that "We make good money as police and fire. We make decent money. And cities really can't afford to be paying this money out."

These types of payouts are being made while the city struggles with a municipal budget. Last year the city sold $45 million in deferred payments by the Port Authority for $27.2 million upfront -- to fill a budget deficit.

But Bayonne is not alone in giving out big payouts. In Jersey City, former Police Chief Phil Zacche is owed $512,000 and four Jersey City ranking officers were owed a total of $1.3 million when the retired in 2013. Deputy Chief Peter Nalbach topped that list with a payout of $565,797.

In 2010, the state passed a law capping sick-time payouts for public employees at $15,000, but that only applied to people who began working after the law was signed.

The retirement compensation will be payable to Niekrasz in three payments of $97,001.46: the first shall be made 60 days from the date of notice of intention to retire or on the date of retirement -- which ever occurs later, while the remaining two payments will be made payable on Jan. 1 of 2018 and 2019, Kubert said.

Niekrasz announced his retirement last month after nearly three decades with the Peninsula City's police force.

In 2016, Niekrasz was earning a salary of $245,000.

The department will now be headed by Drew Sisk, who was promoted from deputy chief. Sisk was sworn into the force in the same class as Niekrasz in March 1988.
Here's how Hudson County state legislators reacted to the agreement reached on the state budget agreement and the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield legislation that restructures the state's largest health insurer, that held up adoption of the $34.7 billion budget:

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus):

"I stood my ground for good reason -- we must always put the people of New Jersey first. With this agreement, we have done exactly that.

"We are protecting ratepayers in this time of great health care uncertainty. We are protecting progressive budget priorities important to working families. We are bringing more transparency to our largest health insurer, and doing it effectively, based on what we've seen work in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

"A key step forward was the input I sought from Horizon, which is a key player in our state's health care universe, like it or not. This agreement protects Horizon's ratepayers from unreasonable last-insurer-of-resort demands and ensures excess reserves go to either ratepayers or to reduced premiums. Horizon ratepayers -- a significant part of our state's population -- will not be unfairly taxed, as previous plans allowed.

"Our focus needs to be on quality health care for all residents, not creating conflict. Hopefully now we will put the focus on quality health care in this time of great national uncertainty.

"These were my goals, and I'm more than pleased to see this come to fruition.

"Insisting upon good public policy is seldom simple and rarely easy. We worked hard and moved this bill away from the governor's proposal and the bill approved by the Senate. This agreement is sound public policy that is a win for everyone."

Assembly members Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City) and Annette Chaparro (D-Hoboken):

"The people of New Jersey deserve a budget that employs their tax dollars in a manner that is fair, judicious and aimed at making their lives better. The Democratic budget meets those criteria, and we are pleased that Speaker Prieto was able to broker a deal that makes upholding forward-looking values possible. The new Horizon legislation protects the insurer's 3.8 million policyholders while presenting a compromise that will ensure progressive ideals are a priority in New Jersey. This is a win for the people of our state."

Assembly members Angela McKnight (D-Jersey City) and Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D-Bayonne):

"We have been committed to doing what is right for New Jerseyans throughout this budget process. That is why we stood in solidarity with Speaker Prieto. We're glad that after the governor's shutdown, we have a compromise that protects Horizon policyholders and our Democratic principles. Our concerns were always

with the impact on taxpayers and Horizon ratepayers who would have been

impacted by the governor's callousness."

Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez (D-West New York):

"Reopening state government has been the immediate priority since July first. New Jerseyans should not have had to endure a shutdown of state services, parks and beaches. The shutdown was an unnecessary disruption to the lives of our fellow New Jerseyans.

"The budget we released from committee and eventually passed in the Assembly put working families first, as they should be. With its passage, we put residents affected by the shutdown back to work, thankfully, limiting any further repercussions."
Writer featured in Congressional Record

Professor Roland Alum Jr. of West New York had his Jersey Journal op-ed inserted in the Congressional Record by N.J. Congressman Thomas MacArthur (R-Ocean, Burlington counties) on June 6.

The op-ed, "Why May 20 is so important to Cuban Americans," was posted on NJ.com on May 18 and published in The Jersey Journal on May 20.

According to Alum, this was about his sixth mention in the Congressional Record.

The piece was about Professor Margarita Garcia's recent book "Before Cuba Libre," a biography of Tomas Estrada-Palma, who was Cuba's first elected president (1902-06).

As Alum notes, Estrada had criss-crossed New Jersey in the late 1890s from his residence -- as an exile -- in upstate New York, in his many trips to/from Washington, D.C., lobbying for Cuba's independence from then-oppressive imperial Spain

Resident serves aboard warship

Petty Officer 3rd Class Genesis Liriano of Jersey City is aboard the USS Halsey operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Liriano works as a machinist's mate as an auxiliary engineer. She is responsible for the production of water while out at sea and all the refrigeration equipment when the ship is in port.

Bayonne woman reenlists in guard

Specialist Kymberli Segarra of Bayonne reenlisted to continue service with the 145th Maintenance Company as part of the Army National Guard.

Dance company finds new home

Nimbus Dance Works is moving to a new location at 165 Newark Ave. in Jersey City. This new space will offer two dance studios, office and storage space. The company has a GoFundMe to raise funds for the move.

They are also looking for in-kind items including an 18-passenger van, a piano, a color printer, office furniture, theater lighting equipment and other desirable items to auction at their fundraiser.

Among the items sought are vacation stays, gift certificates, tickets to concerts or sporting events, etc. The move will take place in early September and will be the start of Nimbus' 13th season.

Sailor earns promotion

Machinist's Mate Elvis Soriano of Wallington was promoted to Petty Officer Third Class on June 1. The ceremony took place at Commander Mine Countermeasure Squadron Three headquarters in Point Loma, Ca.

Grad going to NJCU

Adam Sullivan of Harrison will attend New Jersey City University in the fall. He is a 2017 graduate of Saint Peter's Preparatory School.

Guide to protect monarch butterflies

The Department of Environmental Protection published a conservation guide for monarch butterflies. The purpose is to educate the public about the butterflies and the significant decline in their population. The guide will give tips on how to prevent the loss of more butterflies and help people understand the importance of these butterflies in New Jersey.
SOLEBURY, Pa. -- Police have released the name of the 27-year-old man who drowned while swimming in the Delaware River near Washington Crossing State Park on the Fourth of July.

Marvin Lemus Nolasco, of Philadelphia, was swimming with family and friends when he was pulled underwater by a current and unable to be located, police said.

Solebury police said officers and park rangers were notified around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday that a man went underwater near Washington Crossing State Park and did not resurface. Dive teams from neighboring towns responded and found Nolasco's body about 90 minutes later.

Police are urging recreational boaters and swimmers to use caution when going into the river and to use life jackets or other life-saving flotation devices.

"The river at the time of this incident was flowing normally for this time of year, but strong currents and pockets of deep water are always present, and again we urge all to use extreme caution in the water," police said.

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
PRINCETON -- An anthropology professor at Princeton University died late last month after a fall in northern India while directing a six-week international study seminar for a small group of undergraduates, university officials said.

Isabelle Clark-Deces, a 61-year-old professor of anthropology at Princeton University.

Isabelle Clark-Deces, 61, who taught undergraduate and graduate courses on India, died June 29 in the village of Mussoorie, according to a statement from Princeton University.

Born in Paris, Clark-Deces was described by colleagues as a widely respected scholar of South Asia and frequently traveled to the area.

"She absolutely adored her students and regularly praised them in faculty meetings," said Carolyn Rouse, a professor of anthropology and department chair.

Sarah Pinto, who earned her Ph.D. in anthropology at Princeton with Clark-Deces as her adviser, said Clark-Deces was "a passionate teacher and mentor, full of fiery intelligence and frank clarity."

Clark-Deces is survived by her daughter, her two brothers and her longtime partner Frederick Smith.

Memorial donations may be made to the environmental charity of the donor's choice, the statement said.

People can view or post comments on a blog honoring Clark-Deces' life and legacy.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEW YORK -- A New York Police Department officer has died from her wounds after being shot in the head early Wednesday in what authorities described as an "unprovoked attack" as she was sitting in a patrol car at a command post, according to multiple reports.

The officer was identified by 7abcny.com as 48-year-old Miosotis Familia. She was in the area of East 183rd Street and Morris Avenue in the Bronx around 12:30 a.m. as part of a police response to an earlier shooting when she was shot, the report said.

A gunman, identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, shot Familia through the window of the patrol car, the report said.

Bonds was then shot and killed by other officers, according to the New York Daily News. A bystander was also wounded in the shooting, the report said.

#NYPD PO Miosotis Familia has been assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops assigned to keep NYers safe. Keep her family in your prayers pic.twitter.com/yhRB7H5bvi  Commissioner O'Neill (@NYPDONeill) July 5, 2017

Familia was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

"Based on what we know right now, it is clear this was an unprovoked attack on police officers who are assigned to keep the people of this great city safe," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said during a press conference.

Familia was a 12-year veteran of the police department.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As Beachgate seemed to continue to sizzle days after Gov. Chris Christie was "caught" on the beach that was closed to everyone else, some in New Jersey felt he wasn't the only one getting burned.

The governor's office estimated Sunday that 30,000 to 35,000 nonessential state workers were to be furloughed during the government shutdown. Luckily for those workers, the shutdown only lasted one workday for most workers.

Many say it's not fair to punish state workers for the government's inability to pass a budget.

Some government workers say they can't afford even one day of lost pay, saying many often live paycheck to paycheck.

On Friday, ahead of the shutdown, Christie told public workers that they shouldn't count on back pay.

During the shutdown in 2006, the furloughed workers received back pay for the days they were out of work. The budget was adopted eight days after the deadline In it, Gov. Jon Corzine and the Legislature agreed to include retroactive pay for some 45,000 furloughed workers.

Is it fair to punish state workers? Should they get back pay for the time they couldn't work?

Vote in our informal, unscientific poll and tell us how you voted in the comments.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
BEIJING - Leading economies and advocates of free trade, China and Germany are seeking to forge closer ties in trade and investment to help global economic recovery and encourage globalization.

President Xi Jinping arrived in Berlin Tuesday for his second state visit to the country, and is scheduled to meet German leaders and sign a series of cooperation agreements.

Bilateral cooperation has delivered real benefits to the two peoples and played a leading and exemplary role in boosting Europe's cooperation with China and Asia, the Chinese leader said in a written speech.

In face of rising global uncertainties, China is teaming up with the EU to fend off external risks and weather hardships, with Germany as a major driving force for the collaboration.

"Germany has been playing an important and very positive role in promoting economic cooperation between China and the EU, while some countries in the region still hesitate due to concerns about their domestic industries," said Xu Hongcai, an economist with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

During Xi's first state visit to Germany more than three years ago, the two countries lifted bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

"Today and once again, the China-Germany relationship is standing at a new start point, and facing new opportunities for development," Xi said, adding that he would like to join German leaders to fix new targets and set new directions for bilateral cooperation.

Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde described the economic cooperation as the anchor in bilateral ties. "China became the largest trade partner of Germany last year, and the latter has been the largest investor in and technology exporter to China in Europe."

"The two sides are highly complementary to each other. While China can produce a wide range of products and boasts advantages in the light industry, Germany tops the world in high-end equipment manufacturing," said Liu Yingkui from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Germany is one of a handful of countries that have a trade surplus with China, with its transport equipment, chemicals, watches and machinery components popular on the Chinese market. Bilateral trade totaled $151.29 billion last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

Two-way investment was also robust. China pumped over $2.95 billion into Germany in 2016, a 258.6 percent increase from a year ago. In the same year, Germany launched 392 new projects in China with actual investment of $2.71 billion.

"The two countries have broad prospects to expand cooperation," said Yao Ling, a research fellow with the research arm of the MOC, citing areas including manufacturing improvements and industrial digitalization.

The Chinese president has proposed to enhance the synergy between "Made in China 2025" and Germany's "Industry 4.0" concept.

Unveiled in 2015, the "Made in China 2025" plan aims to transform China into an innovative manufacturing country. The German "Industry 4.0" concept, coined in 2011, is designed to facilitate automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, including cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things and cloud computing.

German firms have shown great interest in the proposal. More than half of German companies that own factories in China regard the plan as positive for their operations over the next five years, according to a report by the German Chamber of Commerce in China.

The report said German firms in China are generally upbeat about the outlook for the Chinese market this year despite downward economic pressure, predicting stronger turnover and profits.

There has been successful corporate cooperation. China's Baosteel and Germany's Siemens have jointly participated in Industry 4.0 steel projects, while China's Haier and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute have set up a smart washing machine plant.

At the Hanover Fair, one of the world's largest trade fairs for industrial technology, in April, China was the second largest exhibiting nation after the host Germany, with around 1,200 participating businesses, including telecom giant Huawei.

"The two countries, although in different stages of development, can create mutual benefits via such innovation cooperation," Yao said.

Analysts also pointed out enormous potential for the two countries to cooperate on other areas, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, and expect a closer China-Germany partnership to improve inclusive growth and global economic governance.

It is the second stop of President Xi's ongoing European tour which first took him to Russia. During his stay in Germany, he will also travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations.
The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
WASHINGTON  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.
DES MOINES (AP)  A roughly $7.2 billion state budget went into effect Saturday in Iowa.

The spending plan, approved by a Republican-controlled Legislature and former Gov. Terry Branstad, addresses everything in state government from education funding to health care services.

But lower-than-expected revenue meant lawmakers agreed to a range of funding cuts across state agencies. Those cuts have come into sharper focus since the legislative session was adjourned in April.

Republicans say they tried to balance the budget while investing in priorities and essential government services. Heres a look at five impacts of the new budget:

Iowa Planned Parenthood Clinics

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland announced in May it would close four of its 12 clinics in Iowa in response to a decision by GOP lawmakers to give up millions in federal Medicaid dollars to create a state-run family planning program that excludes funding to organizations that provide abortions. No state dollars pay for abortions in Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Human Services says participants will automatically be transferred to the state program, which is supposed to cover the same services as long as they are not sought at a clinic offering abortions.

More than 14,600 people visited the impacted clinics in the past three years, according to Planned Parenthood. Services provided included birth control and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. The governors office says the state has enough other providers to offer family planning coverage to people in rural areas.

School Tuition

The nine-member Board of Regents, which oversees Iowas three public universities, voted in June to increase tuition at the schools beginning this fall. Presidents at the three universities  Iowa State University, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa  say steeper-than-expected increases were the result of recent cuts by the Legislature. Lawmakers approved an education budget bill this year that reduced year-over-year state funding to the schools by about $30 million.

The board had already agreed in December to a 2 percent tuition increase for the 2017-2018 school year. Iowa students will see tuition go up an additional $216 beyond that. Increases were higher for out-of-state, graduate and professional students.

Blindness Screenings

Prevent Blindness Iowa, a nonprofit organization that helps provide training on vision screenings and eye exams, will have fewer resources for work aimed at helping detect eye problems in K-12 students. Prevent Blindness Iowa is losing all of its state funding  a little more than $96,000.

Executive Director Jeanne Burmeister said Prevent Blindness Iowa, which has been around for nearly 60 years, estimates its reached more than 45,000 students through its trainings and screenings.

Lawmakers had originally kept funding intact for the group, but the Iowa Department of Public Health later made additional reductions.

Domestic and Sexual Violence

About $1.7 million was cut in funding directed toward services that assist victims of domestic and sexual violence. Thats a 26 percent cut in state spending toward such services, according to the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In the end, the total cuts between state and federal funding for the new budget year are expected to be $5.7 million.

The Domestic Violence Intervention Program, an Iowa City-based agency that typically receives some of the state money, has announced plans to close two of its five offices. Executive Director Kristie Fortmann-Doser said there will be no staff layoffs and no services will change at this point, but the reduction in locations will hurt victims who seek help by dropping into the agencys offices.

A 24-hour statewide sexual abuse hotline administered by the Rape Victim Advocacy Program at the University of Iowa has been defunded. Monsoon United Asian Women of Iowa said its online chat services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and sex trafficking has also been defunded.

Mental Health Workforce

The University of Iowa will stop receiving about $105,000 for a program aimed at increasing the number of psychiatrists in the state. The money was split evenly to help fund a one-year post graduate fellowship in psychiatry and offer tuition assistance to encourage students to further study psychiatry.

About 240 psychiatrists are in Iowa, according to Michael Flaum, the programs medical director. Flaum says thats not enough, hurting access to mental health services in the state. The program will end tuition assistance and seek to find other money to help pay for the fellowship. Its a very small amount of money and it has a significant impact on the psychiatric workforce in the state of Iowa, he said.

The Iowa Department of Public Health also made this reduction after lawmakers originally maintained its funding.
Imagine a well-paying, easy job with flexible hours that you can do from the comfort of your home.

As amazing as that may seem, you might also wonder if an offer like that is too good to be true. Well, as the old adage says, it probably is.

Work-from-home scams target those looking to make easy money from home. They advertise get-rich-quick opportunities through tasks as simple as stuffing envelopes.

Here are some common scam pitches that try to convince you youll earn easy cash from your easy chair:

 Secret Shopper: The ad says all you need to do is shop at a store, report your experience and collect a check. The problem is the check (including a cashiers check or money order) is often as fake as the job itself. You receive a large check, and youre asked to keep part of it and return the overpayment through a wire transfer. Eventually the check doesnt clear and youre on the hook.

 Reshipping: A scammer asks you to repackage goods and forward them to another address, often abroad. You are reimbursed for shipping charges and paid with a check. By the time your bank figures out your check is fraudulent, youve already shipped the goods and the scammer has cut off communication. Youre left with a large amount of unpaid shipping fees. And, to make things even worse, the goods you reshipped  often popular, high-cost electronics like iPhones, computers and cameras  were stolen to begin with. You may find yourself answering questions about your role in helping smuggle stolen merchandise out of the country.

 Envelope Stuffing: The envelope stuffing scam starts with a joining fee and possibly a requirement to purchase materials. You end up without the income you expected, and may even end up short after paying a joining fee and making required purchases. Or you may waste money on a piece of paper that recommends you send similar letters to others and charge them for the same advice. Keep in mind that scams like this require others to respond like you did.

 Internet Business Opportunity: It sounds tempting to be able to sit at your computer at home and simply click for cash by starting your own internet business. But these so-called business opportunities are often great money-making opportunities only for those selling the work at home services, and not so much for you.

Here are some tips on how to avoid work-from-home scams:

 Research a company before you accept a work from home offer. Use a trusted search engine and enter the companys name along with the words complaint or scam. Check for complaints through the Better Business Bureaus website at www.bbb.org, or contact our Consumer Protection Division at 515-281-5926 or toll-free at 888-777-4590 (outside the Des Moines area), or email at consumer@iowa.gov.

 Avoid an offer that appears too good to be true: Most fraudulent jobs offer well above minimum wage for very simple tasks. If the skill and effort requirements for the job are low and the pay is high, it is most likely a scam.

 Avoid job opportunities that charge a joining fee. This is how many work-from-home scammers make a profit. Its a red flag and is your sign to walk away.

 Ask to speak with other employees. If a company cant provide contact information for any employees, it is most likely fraudulent.

 Ask for the address of the companys headquarters. If a company provides one, look it up to make sure it is legitimate. Be wary of job offers from other countries  work at home scams often originate from overseas.

 Be wary of an offer that involves reshipping goods. Most reshipping scams involve shipping stolen merchandise to other countries. Handling them could get you into trouble.

For additional information contact the Iowa Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Division, 1305 East Walnut St., Hoover Building, Des Moines, IA 50319, call 515-281-5926, call toll free: 888-777-4590 outside the Des Moines area) of email consumer@iowa.gov.
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Think you know all there is to know about Harry Potter?

Fans of the Howarts wizard can put their knowledge to the test in a quiz in a Notts village - with the winners going through to a grand final in London.

The Bookcase in Lowdham has been selected as one of only 20 bookshops in the country to host the quiz celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first book. The event is open to 15 teams of four and places are filling up fast.

Competitors are encouraged to wear fancy dress at the event in the Community Hall, in Nottingham Road, Lowdham.

Jane Streeter, who runs the bookshop, will be the quiz master. She said: We are very excited about it. There are seven rounds of seven questions but I have not been allowed to see the questions. Its all very top secret.

The sealed pack can only be opened just before the quiz, which takes place on Thursday July 20 at 6pm.

Janet said: I think you will have to have pretty good knowledge of all the books."

The national final will take place in London in October, with travel paid by the Harry Potter publishers Bloomsbury.

Entry per team is 5 and includes Harry Potter themed refreshments. There must be at least one adult in each team. To book a place telephone The Bookcase on 0115 966 4143.
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A dental nurse who turned to crime after becoming 'besotted' with a serious criminal has failed to convince top judges she was too harshly punished.

Grainne Marie Cafferkey, 25, of Cromwell Street, Nottingham, was put behind bars for 44 months at Stafford Crown Court on July 27 last year.

Her crimes arose from her relationship with Dominic Usher, Mr Justice Spencer told London's Appeal Court today.

Usher committed a number of "very serious" crimes in 2014 and Cafferkey met him while teaching Irish dancing.

They began a relationship in early 2015 and she became "besotted with him", added the judge.

Her crimes took place while Usher was on remand in HMP Nottingham after being arrested in July 2015.

While behind bars, he devised a plan to pay off a witness in the trial he was facing and Cafferkey was one of those he recruited to help "execute" it.

Cafferkey admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and to supply cocaine and cannabis.

(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)

She also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to convey cannabis, steroids, mobile phones and SIM cards into prison.

Usher was convicted of robbery, arson, kidnap and blackmail and admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The 29-year-old, of Colmon Walk, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 11-and-a-half years to serve.

Cafferkey had one previous conviction for drink driving.

A psychiatric report said she had a "rather sheltered upbringing", had done well at school and qualified as a dental nurse.

Several family tragedies had left her "vulnerable" and she had ended the relationship with Usher in January 2016, the court heard.

She had expressed "genuine" remorse.

(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)

The judge who jailed her said she had "abandoned a really good career and loving family because she was besotted with Usher".

Her lawyers argued that her jail term was far too tough and should have been "rather less".

It was a "brief period off the rails which she has completely left behind her", they claimed.

"The offences were wholly out of character and committed when she in thrall of Usher," said Mr Justice Spencer.

"But they were very serious offences indeed. A lengthy sentence was inevitable.

"She was and is an intelligent young woman, she must have known the seriousness of what she was involving herself in."

The judge, sitting with Lady Justice Thirlwall and Judge Deborah Taylor, concluded: "We are quite unable to say a total of 44 months was anything other than just and proportionate.

"It was certainly not manifestly excessive. The appeal must be dismissed."
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Ssh... well let you into a secret. Corks will be popping in celebration as Nottingham prepares to host its first prosecco festival.

Organisers are keeping very tight-lipped about the details but this is what we know so far.

Billed as the drinks first and only dedicated festival, the day will be filled with bubbles, music and partying.

The Prosecco & Percussion Day Party will take place over the August bank holiday weekend at an outdoor venue yet to be revealed.

Starting at noon, four hours of fizz, live music, DJs and street food are promised.

A fully stocked bar will have 20 different types of prosecco, as well as a selection of local ales and cocktails.

More than 5,500 people have expressed an interest in attending the event on its Facebook page.

The party will take place on Sunday August 27, from noon to 3pm.

Events are also planned on the same day in 29 cities across the UK including Leicester, Manchester, Newcastle and Cardiff.
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Nottingham Forest defender Anel Ahmedhodzic and Sweden suffered a second defeat at the Under-19s European Championships.

The 18-year-old was a late substitute as his country were beaten 2-1 by hosts Georgia in Tbilisi.

Just as happened in their opening Group A game against Czech Republic, Sweden fell 2-0 behind.

Giorgi Kokhreidze opened the scoring with a powerful shot in only the third minute, and then Giorgi Kutsia set Giorgi Chakvetadze clear to double the advantage just past the half-hour mark.

Sweden summoned a reply through Viktor Gyokeres in the 47 minute, but they were unable to claim an equaliser, with Ahmedhodzic coming off the bench with 10 minutes to go.

It was a first victory for Georgia in an Under-19 finals and leaves the Swedes bottom of the table almost certainly heading for an early exit.

Swedens final group game sees them take on Portugal on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ahmedhodzics Forest team-mate Ben Brereton is also competing in the tournament, representing England.

The teenage striker helped them beat Bulgaria and will hope to see more action against Holland on Thursday, followed by Germany on Sunday.
When Jim Griffin, curator of the Lincoln County Historical Museum, asked a crowd who Nebraskas first governor was, the only answer came from Jase Long, 9.

The prize for guessing David Christy Butler as the states first governor, and the only one to be impeached? Lighting the next anvil.

The ninth annual Anvil Shoot attracted a crowd across the museums lawn.

Can't see the gallery? Click here.

Long said he did not know how he learned about Butler, who was impeached for misusing money.

I love history, he said.

Others, such as visitors from out of state and various attendees who volunteered or who were picked from the crowd, stepped up to light the anvil. The anvil, used by blacksmiths to hammer hot iron, first became a popular Independence Day explosion technique in the Appalachian Mountains after the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

Years ago, research showed Griffin that North Platte once hosted its own anvil shoots, after the museums blacksmith, Bill Fanter, suggested the idea of an anvil shoot to Griffin.

Tuesday, children were unfazed by the anvils loud explosion which sent it flying across a designated space  marked off by yellow tape. At the event, Griffin said one anvil flew 77 feet.
Amanda K. Morgan started writing as a child. Dedication to her craft has led her to publish three books, the most recent earning her a top spot on Amazons Teen and Literary Fiction list.

Ive been writing for as long as I can remember, said Morgan, who grew up in Ogallala. I remember writing books in notebooks when I was a little girl and making up little stories in my head before I went to sleep at night.

She finished her first novel at 15 and eventually went to college for a degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing.

Writing is something that I find very enjoyable and I think it can evoke a lot of emotions, Morgan said. I think thats really special.

Shes found her niche writing young adult fiction, saying she believes everyone can appreciate a good coming-of-age story.

Her latest novel, Such a Good Girl, debuted in the No. 1 spot in Amazons Teen and Literary Fiction category in June.

 Such a Good Girl is really hard to describe without giving a lot away, but it is the story of a practically perfect girl who is willing to do anything to stay that way, Morgan said.

The girl, Riley Stone, also has a crush on her French teacher. Morgan said the story is inspired by the idea of blame and has a lot of twists.

I really wanted to write a powerful, intelligent female heroine  or some might say anti-heroine, Morgan said.

She said it was wonderful to have a book debut so high on Amazon. The book, published by Simon Pulse, was also recently sold to Lumen Editions, a French company that will publish the book in France.

Morgan lives in Nashville, Tennessee, but will be making a trip home this week. On Wednesday, she will be on AM 930s Midwest Opinions at 8:10 a.m. MDT. On Thursday, she will sign books from 5 to 8 p.m. MDT at Open Range in Ogallala, and on Sunday she will be at the Ogallala Walmart from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. MDT.

To learn more about Such a Good Girl or Morgan, visit amandakmorgan.com.
Andrew Voss on the Queensland Origin III side, why more games need to go to Gosford, the best team performances of 2017 and more.

Did the Queensland selectors get it right on the DCE call?

After calling for Cameron Munster's inclusion in this very column last week, my obvious answer is yes in terms of the starting side.

However, without knowing what Kevvie Walters interchange strategy will be, I'm not a fan of a bench spot in this Queensland side going to a half who can only cover a bit of dummy half play at a pinch be it Ben Hunt or Daly Cherry Evans.

If they wanted greater versatility, Corey Norman would have been the better fit in my opinion.

But hold the phone perhaps the plan is to start with Hunt anyway and leave Munster on the bench? Wouldn't surprise.

Should we play more games at Central Coast Stadium?

Last Saturday was a revelation.

The 3pm Saturday afternoon timeslot at a magnificent stadium within easy driving distance of Sydney is absolutely perfect.

From next season, this should happen once a month from March through August. Spread it around the clubs over a two-year period for a relocated home match.

And while we're at it, one game a month in Perth should also be on the agenda for the NRL draw moving forward.

Plus let me hop on my high horse to push the barrow of Auckland again. Why more teams don't take the occasional match to New Zealand's biggest city is beyond me. More rugby league needs to be played in a city with a population of over 1.4 million. It should not just be the job of the Warriors to fly the flag a miserly 10 or 11 times a year.

How many points will it take to make the top eight this year?

I think some revision is needed here, because 30 points is looking more likely based on the ladder with nine rounds to play.

The playoffs figure is totally in the hands of the Dragons and the Eels, currently ranked seventh and eighth, because I can't see any of the top six not getting to at least 30 points.

Parramatta's equation to reach 30 is collecting four wins from games against the Storm, Tigers, Broncos who they play twice, Bulldogs, Knights, Titans and Rabbitohs.

Meantime the Dragons require four wins out of clashes with the Raiders, Sea Eagles, Knights, Rabbitohs, Titans, Broncos, Panthers and Bulldogs.

Both will make at least 30 if they only beat the teams currently below them on the ladder.

As you can now see, it's going to take a mighty run for sides currently outside the top eight but importantly, not impossible!

What have been the best performances by a team this year?

I think we saw the two chief contenders last weekend, and they came from the two grand finalists of last year.

Talk about producing on the big stage. A crowd of over 41,000 at Suncorp and the Storm pile on eight tries against the Broncos. That was some statement.

And then less than 24 hours later Cronulla outclass the second-placed Roosters, scoring seven tries in the process in front of a capacity crowd at Gosford. Adding further merit to the Sharks' performance was that I didn't think Trent Robinson's team was all that bad.

A Sharks v Storm grand final again in 2017? It's a big chance on what we witnessed in round 17.

Will we see the great winger 'shoot-out' in Melbourne?

There is every chance, based on the statistics.

This is what we are in for on Saturday night at AAMI Park.

Suliasi Vunivalu v Semi Radradra and Josh Addo-Carr v Bevan French. WOW!

Between them they have 41 tries this season. All four nabbed at least one four-pointer last week.

Man for man their career records read: Vunivalu 37 tries in 36 games. Radradra 69 in 84. Addo-Carr 19 in 25. And French, 24 in 24.

Do not miss this one.

Which team is under most pressure this weekend?

It's a dead heat: the Panthers and Bulldogs.

Both teams will get their chance to bounce back to the winners list in front of home fans.

Penrith's conceding of 42 unanswered points against Souths was astonishing. Their clash with Manly now is huge.

Meanwhile the Bulldogs plight is desperate after the golden point defeat to the Eels. With just one win from their last seven, Sunday's game against the Knights at Belmore is shaping as 'the last chance saloon.'

Giddy up!

Twitter: @AndrewVossy
GARY  An 18-year-old was killed and seven people were wounded in three separate shootings in the city during the Fourth of July holiday, police said.

Davion Snow, 18, of Gary, was found unresponsive in a vehicle about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday by police responding to a report of a gunshot victim in the 1100 block of Jennings Street, authorities said.

Three other men in the vehicle  two from East Chicago and a 20-year-old from Gary  were wounded by gunfire or possibly glass or shrapnel, Lt. Dawn Westerfield said.

Snow was pronounced dead at 1:57 a.m. at the scene, according to the Lake County coroner's office. His death was ruled a homicide.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Cpl. Edward Gonzalez, of the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit, at 219-755-3855.

About 11 p.m. Tuesday, a 44-year-old Gary woman was shot in the arm while driving in the 1800 block of West 20th Place, police said.

The woman told police she heard shots and pulled over when she realized she was wounded. Her car's rear window was damaged by the gunfire, police said.

A relative drove the woman to a nearby residence to call for help, and she was taken to a local hospital by ambulance for treatment. Detective Sgt. Michael Barnes is investigating.

Witnesses told police they heard at least 10 shots about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday as they gathered at Marquette Park, Westfield said.

Police arrived in the 500 block of North Grand Boulevard and found a 25-year-old Lake Station man with gunshot wounds to his chest and hand. Police also found a 25-year-old Gary man near the scene with a gunshot wound to his leg, Westerfield said.

Officers later were called to a local hospital, where they spoke with a 21-year-old Gary man who was wounded in the park shooting. The man told police he ran after hearing gunfire and didn't initially realize he'd been shot. Detective Sgt. William Fazekas is investigating.

Tuesday proved to be the most violent day during the long holiday weekend in Gary.

On Saturday, Dwain K. Robinson Jr., 27, of Gary, was killed and a 25-year-old Gary man was wounded when someone in a vehicle shot at them as family members gathered in the 800 block of Adams Street. Detective Sgt. Alex Jones is investigating.

Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call Gary detectives at 219-881-1210. To remain anonymous, call 866-CRIME-GP.
Tree identification workshop

CHESTERTON  Tree identificaqtion workshop will be from 10 a.m. to noon July 8 at Coffee Creek Watershed Nature Preserve. Rain date is 1 to 3 p.m. July 9. Young Choi, a biology professor at Purdue University Northwest  Hammond Campus, will provide a workshop for identifying the trees in Coffee Creek Watershed Nature Preserve. This is an opportunity to learn about the trees, natural history and ecology of the Coffee Creek, Little Calumet River and Lake Michigan watershed in Northwest Indiana. The workshop is open to public free of charge. No prior reservation is needed, but all participants will be asked to register on-site on the day of workshop. Call 219-989-2325.

Coloring for adults

HAMMOND  Coloring for adults will be at 6:30 p.m. July 18 at Hammond Public Library, 564 State St. Call 219-931-5100.

Teen candy sushi making

HAMMOND  Learn how to use candy to make "sushi" for teens in grades 7 to 12 at 2 p.m. July 19 at Hammond Public Library, 564 State St. Call 219-931-5100.

Stewardship opportunity

PORTER  Join staff and fellow volunteers for a morning of stewardship from 9 a.m. to noon July 15 to help spruce up historic Bailly Cemetery. Wear comfortable clothes; work gloves and other protective equipment will be provided. Meet at the flagpole outside the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore headquarters building at 1100 N. Mineral Springs Road. Call 219-395-1882 or visit

Vacation Bible School

LOWELL  Galactic Starveyors VBS will be at Lowell Church of Christ from 9 to 11:30 a.m. July 17-21 at 299 N. Burr St. Kids will begin each morning with skits and songs at Worship Rally. From Worship Rally, kids will gather at the Starveyors Clubhouse where they will explore Gods word. Children entering first through sixth grade are admitted free. In addition, children entering pre-kindergarten and kindergarten are welcome to join the VBS mini program. Call 219-696-7591.

Vacation Bible School

WESTVILLE  Westville United Methodist Church Vacation Bible School will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 24-26 at 154 W Main St. Any children ages preschool through seventh grade are welcome to attend. The theme is This Is My Fathers World." Registration forms are available at the ReSale Shop in downtown Westville, our web site at www.westvilleumc.org or at the church. For more information, call 219-785-2314.

Junior Wildland Firefighter program

BEVERLY SHORES  Meet the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshores fire crew and learn about their jobs and equipment at several national lakeshore locations this summer. Meet Smokey Bear and his helpers at 11 a.m. July 15 at Dunewood Campground Amphitheater at 645 Broadway Ave. Upon completion of this 30-minute, hands-on program, children will receive their very own Junior Wildland Firefighter activity book and a Junior Wildland Firefighter patch. Call 219-395-1882.

Coffee with a ranger

MILLER  Join a park ranger for a free cup of coffee or tea while overlooking beautiful Miller Woods at 9 a.m. July 8 and July 22. Use this time to plan your visit, gather area information and then hop on the free shuttle to Lake Street Beach or Marquette Park, which runs until 6 p.m. Coffee, tea and juice, as well as binoculars, will be provided while sipping your morning brew. The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is at 100 N. Lake St., about 1 mile north of U.S. 12 in the Miller neighborhood of Gary. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/indu and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesNL.
Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

It's a principle fireworks-happy Regionites should take to heart now that the July 4 holiday is over.

Indiana law allows citizens to set off fireworks throughout the year, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., though local ordinances, which vary among municipalities, often dictate shorter windows of allowable time.

But just because Hoosiers are allowed to continue igniting showers of light and deafening mortar blasts beyond the holiday doesn't mean its prudent or neighborly to do so.

Consider families with young children or infants living in or near your neighborhood. Many new parents get precious little sleep when fireworks awaken already tenuously sleeping babies.

Neighbors who work early morning shifts surely don't appreciate sounds reminiscent of Civil War cannon echoing in the sleeping hours.

And what about the proximity in which fireworks frequently are ignited to homes and other structures? Though Indiana law allows people to light fireworks on their own property, those same folks are liable for any damage done to other property, not to mention the safety risk to human lives from incendiary explosions.

A reminder of this is as close as a recent fire in Portage, in which an errant firework caused extensive damage to a home there.

Damaging someone else's property with fireworks could result in a fine of $5,000, one year in prison and legal restitution. It also could lead to civil lawsuits filed against the fireworks user.

Launching fireworks on property that doesn't belong to the user or isn't a municipally designated launching area also can garner fines of $500 per infraction.

Our Region authorities should be diligent in enforcing these laws.

Though they're frequently associated with revelry, many fireworks are dangerous, explosive devices capable of maiming, amputating, scarring and destroying.

Treat all fireworks with care and respect, but more importantly, respect your neighbors. Loud booms at all hours of the night aren't fun for everyone, and common courtesy dictates restraint.
Sabal Trail Transmission LLC announced this week that its pipeline system and facilities from Alexander City to Kissimmee Fla. were placed into commercial service.

The pipeline, a 515-mile interstate underground natural gas pipeline that travels through Lee County and three other Alabama counties, has been flowing gas in the pipeline since June, according to Andrea Grover, spokeswoman for Sabal Trail.

We started flowing gas in the pipeline from Alexander City all the way down to Kissimmee, Fla. on June 14, Grover said. And then weve sort of gone through several steps to bring on the Alexander City compressor station and, as of end of last week, that was ready for service. So we were able to fully utilize the compressor station as of Monday.

Alabama is estimated to receive over $3.2 million in taxes based on a full calendar year. Lee Countys tax revenues are estimated to be over $855,000 per year, according to Grover.

Lee County Commissioner Robert Ham said the pipeline will greatly benefit Lee County through the revenue it will receive from the company.

The revenue for us starts when gas starts flowing through that pipeline, Ham said. So we were glad to see that it had started. I just couldnt be more pleased with the way that it worked out.

The company had to first go through a formal approval process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to Grover.

Weve been working on the environmental permitting since 2013 and that all goes through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Grover said. They approved certain steps all the way through that process and allow us to construct the pipeline and then once its constructed, we have to formally ask them based on a number of criteria to be able to become operational and so we have gone through several steps of different pieces of the pipeline and the final step was asked for last week and they approved it on Monday.

Grover said the amount of gas that flows through the pipeline is controlled by its gas control center. The design capacity of the pipeline is 830,000 dekatherms per day.

There are a variety of safety parameters the company has in place for its pipeline. Its gas control center monitors the pipelines temperatures and pressures.

Any minor thing that they may see [thats different from what they are used to looking at] theyre able to remotely shut that section of pipeline and then be able to go out and inspect that area to make sure that it is safe... then put it back in operation, Grover said. Those remote valves are something thats another safety precaution in the fact that we dont have to call and send somebody out to look at that area.

Grover said the company also has people who fly the entire pipeline route once a week to make sure people are not out there doing any digs near the site. There are markers placed throughout the route of the pipeline.

Call before you dig is very important to us, Grover said. And so were making sure that people arent out there excavating along the pipeline or are doing something that they shouldnt be without calling 811. They can radio down right from the plane and have somebody get in contact with any particular person or landowner.

Every one to three years, the company uses Inline Tool Inspections to check the inside of the pipeline.

They put a piece of equipment in the pipeline, and they run it up and down the pipeline, Grover said. Theyre looking at the wall thickness, looking at the inside of the pipe and theyre being able to take a bunch of calculations and make sure that the pipeline remains safe, too.

For more information on Sabal Trail, visit its website at www.sabaltrail.com.
In a horrifying trend recently reported by Indian media, poor villagers near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve are allegedly sending their elderly relatives into the jungle as tiger prey, so they can then claim compensation from the government.

The disturbing tactic was discovered by officials at the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) in Uttar Pradesh, who, upon inspecting several mauling sites near the tiger reserve, noticed evidence of foul play. In the most recent case, reported on July 1st, the mauled body of a 55-year-old woman was found in a field near her village, but bits of her clothes were found one kilometer away, in the tiger reserve, and tractor tracks leading into and from the jungle showed that the body had been relocated.

Photo: Pallavibarman

Tigers in the Pilibhit Reserve are allowed to run free, so if people venture into their territory, they are not eligible for compensation from the Indian government. If they are attacked outside the borders of the reserve, however, their families are eligible to receive important sums of money from the state. Following an unusually high number of reported tiger attacks on elderly people from villages near the reserve  seven deaths since February  wildlife officials began to suspect that something was off.

After gathering enough evidence, villagers were accused of deliberately sending elderly members of their communities into the jungle to be killed by the wild animals, so they could then claim compensation from the government. Instead of denying the claims, locals only added that the victims volunteered to forfeit their lives so their families could have a better life.

Photo: Koshyk

They think that since they cant get resources from the forest, this is the only way their families can escape poverty, 60-year-old Jarnail Singh, a farmer, told The Times of India.

Kalim Athar, the WCCB official who arrived at the shocking conclusion after investigating the shocking attacks, has already submitted a report, and told reporters that the matter has been referred to the National Tiger Conservation Authority for further action.
The Peoples Republic of China filed a $24K per-month contract with BLJ Worldwide effective June 28 for ongoing PR services.

Peter Browns firm is to support programming and activities of Beijings DC embassy with services such as drafting/editing statements, media monitoring, social media, spokesperson training, crisis management and special events.

President Trump, according to the New York Times, is frustrated by Chinese leader Xi Jinpings failure to lean on North Korea over its missile launches.

He warned China's president that the US is willing to act alone in the event that China fails to "put a heavy move on North Korea."

The Times reported the honeymoon between the two presidents is over following Washingtons decision to sell weapons to Taiwan, threaten trade sanctions and brand China as a human trafficker.

Brown is the former manager of The Beatles and director of Apple Corps.
Agricultural News

Growth Energy, RFA, USGC Release Statement on Brazil's Delayed Decision On Ethanol Import Tariff

The Executive Management Committee of CAMEX, Brazil's Chamber of Foreign Trade, announced today it would delay a decision on a pending proposal to impose a tariff of up to 17 percent on Brazil's imports of U.S. ethanol. The following is a joint statement on this action from U.S. Grains Council (USGC) President and CEO Tom Sleight, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen and Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor:







"We are encouraged to see Brazil's continued postponement on a decision regarding a pending proposal to impose tariffs on U.S. ethanol imports. Our organizations have been tracking this issue for months and have worked heavily in Washington, D.C., and Brasilia to provide all necessary information to the Brazilian government on this issue. Imposing tariffs on U.S. ethanol imports will hurt Brazilian consumers by driving up their costs at the pump. Additionally, this action on U.S. ethanol imports will go against Brazil's own longstanding view that ethanol tariffs are inappropriate and will harm the development of the global ethanol industry. We will continue this work and appreciate the thoughtful consideration Brazilian officials are taking on a proposal that could have wide-ranging and long-standing impacts on both our industries and the global fuel supply."







Source - US Grains Council













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Top Agricultural News
The United States is in the midst of what some worry is a baby crisis. The number of women giving birth has been declining for years and just hit a historic low.

If the trend continues  and experts disagree on whether it will  the country could face economic and cultural turmoil.

According to provisional 2016 population data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of births fell 1 percent from a year earlier, bringing the general fertility rate to 62 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. The trend is being driven by a decline in birthrates for teens and 20-somethings.

The birthrate for women in their 30s and 40s increased, but not enough to make up for the lower numbers in their younger peers.

A countrys birthrate is among the most important measures of demographic health.

The number needs to be within a certain range, called the replacement level, to keep a population stable. If its too low, theres a danger that the nation wouldnt be able to replace the aging workforce and have enough tax revenue to keep the economy stable.

Countries such as France and Japan that have low birthrates have put pro-family policies into place to try to encourage couples to have babies.

The flip side can also be a problem. Birthrates that are too high can strain resources such as clean water, food, shelter and social services, problems faced by India, where the fertility rate has fallen over the past few decades but still remains high.

The debate now is about whether the United States is headed toward a national emergency, as some have feared, or whether this is a blip and the birthrate will level off.

Its about millennials, said Donna Strobino, a professor of population, family and reproductive health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Those supposedly entitled young adults who live in their parents basements and hop from job-to-job are so far also much less likely to have babies. Some experts think millennials are just postponing parenthood while others fear that theyre choosing not to have children at all.

Strobino is among those who are optimistic. She points out that the fall in birthrates in teens  when many pregnancies tend to be unplanned  is something we want and that the highest birthrates are now among women 25 to 34.

What this is is a trend of women becoming more educated and more mature. Im not sure thats bad, she explained.

Indeed, as fertility treatments have extended the age of childbearing, the birthrates among women who are age 40 to 44 are also rising.

William Frey, a demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, points out that despite the recent decline, the U.S. fertility rate still remains relatively high compared to other developed countries. The United States also still has more births than deaths and still has a growing labor force.

Frey attributed the decline in birthrates to womens lifestyle choices as well as the fact that the economy has been in a funk. Times of economic downturn or uncertainty tend to cause a drop in birthrates, but when things turn around they tend to bounce back.

Every year I say when the economy is getting better then well start having more children, he said, and Im still expecting that to happen.
When Kate Plock first came from Pawnee City to the Ronald McDonald House in Omaha, she thought shed be staying about two months  long enough for her then-3-year-old son Mason to undergo feeding therapy.

She never had heard of a Ronald McDonald House, but staying there would save her a daily 90-mile commute to Masons appointments.

What was supposed to be an eight-week stay has stretched to nearly two years  well past the Ronald McDonald House limit of 15 months.

Its been quite the journey, said Plock, 27, her voice trailing off.

Mason was diagnosed with autism at age 2. He didnt make much eye contact, didnt talk. When he was frustrated, he would collapse to the ground, screaming and swinging his arms. For Kate, a single mom, it often was easier to just pick him up than to try to get him to walk calmly alongside her.

And then there were Masons eating problems.

At 3, Mason still was sipping formula from a bottle. The only solid food he would eat was Fritos. Even then, he wouldnt chew them.

Mason was allergic to several foods, so he had learned to associate eating with pain and discomfort. Because he couldnt verbalize what he was feeling, meals often just ended in an outburst.

Just small changes in his feeding  transitioning from a bottle to a plastic cup  took several weeks of therapy at the Munroe-Meyer Institute on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus. What initially was supposed to be eight weeks of daily sessions soon stretched to 10. By then, he was taking small bites and he wasnt thrashing and screaming when food was put in front of him.

Still, Mason had a long way to go. Kate was determined to get him into other programs that could help him.

At the start of 2016, Mason became the first child enrolled in the Munroe-Meyer Institutes SEEDS program (Starting Early: Eating and Developmental Skills). The program, a combination of feeding therapy and early intervention services, is designed for children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities.

In SEEDS, Mason worked on eating a variety of foods and on his communication and self-care skills.

Now, Mason makes eye contact and is talking in full sentences. He calls Kate Mommy and says I love you.

For years, she had heard other moms make passing comments about their child using the word Mom too often  about how their kids never stopped chattering.

I just wished my kid would say it, she said. So when he finally did  when Kate finally heard Masons small voice say Mommy after she had waited more than four years  I just cried and cried, she said.

I didnt think I would ever hear that from him.

There were many milestones she didnt dare think of when she first came to the Ronald McDonald House.

For the first three months of their stay, Kate and Mason stayed mostly in their room if they werent at a therapy session. Just getting him down the stairs usually meant a violent meltdown.

I was really depressed, Kate said. Coming to a house full of people you just dont know ... it was nerve-racking.

Back then, the idea of taking Mason to the movie theater, of a tantrum-free trip down the Walmart toy aisle or of enrolling him in kindergarten seemed nearly impossible.

But just last week, Mason sat through Cars 3. A few months ago, with a therapist at his side, he calmly left the toy aisle without the toy he wanted. And in August, Mason will attend his first day of school in Tecumseh.

Moving back to Pawnee City next month will mean another big transition for both Mason and Kate.

Im nervous about it, Kate said. The (Ronald McDonald) House has become like a home, like a family.

People in the house no longer are strangers  Kate and Mason both make daily visits to Vicky Coleman, the houses program coordinator. Mason pokes his head into her office and says Hello, sweetheart or Hi, honey. Kate often comes in to chat or debrief after a tantrum.

She really doesnt ever take a break for herself, Coleman said. Ive told her a million times over that she is the mom of the century for everything shes sacrificed for her son.

Kate is hesitant to talk about those sacrifices. She hasnt worked during her time in Omaha  driving Mason to therapy and pureeing all of his food feels like a full-time job. Mason has Medicaid and Kate gets child support, but living off just over $600 a month has been tough. Within the last couple weeks, insurance has stopped covering Masons formula, which comes with an out-of-pocket cost of $50 a can. Each can lasts two days.

Medicaid covered the suggested donation to Ronald McDonald House of $20 per day, Kate said.

Its not always easy, but its been so worth it to see him grow, Kate said on a recent afternoon as Mason quietly played with Legos nearby. Im not going to brag, but I feel pretty proud that Ive gotten him to this point.

Mason still has moments when he gets frustrated. But as soon as he raises his voice or stomps his foot, Kate leans forward, looks her son in the eyes and says in a soft tone, Calm down, Mason. Use your words.

Often, thats all it takes.

Kate is amazing. Shes one of our stellar parents, said Kathryn Peterson, director of the SEEDS program. Shes as talented as some of our trained therapists at implementing protocol.

Peterson said Kates sacrifices and her willingness to keep Mason in various therapy programs for longer than she anticipated are proof of her commitment to her son.

I dont think shes ever really missed a day (of therapy), Peterson said. Its true dedication and love on her end. Its been really cool to see her connection with Mason grow.

Kate credits much of Masons progress to the institutes Severe Behavior Program. Mason was on that programs waiting list for a year before he was accepted  just about the time that their stay at the Ronald McDonald House was reaching the limit.

So Masons therapist and Kate each wrote a letter to the houses board of directors. The board approved them to stay past the normal limit  only the second extension the board had granted, Coleman said.

I dont know where Mason would be without that, Kate said. This place  the house and Munroe-Meyer  have been a miracle for us.

Now, after therapy sessions designed to prepare Mason for interacting with other kids or sitting at a table for class, hes ready for kindergarten. He already is reading, knows all his colors and loves to spell.

Hes ready, Peterson said. And Kate will continue to be his best advocate.

Therapists at Munroe-Meyer will help school officials understand his special needs and will check in with Kate via Skype.

Seeing Mason take his next steps is bittersweet for Peterson and Coleman.

We are going to miss him, Peterson said. Hes become a clinic favorite. Everyone knows Mason here. Everyone loves Mason.

The therapists have gotten used to Mason the Ladies Man coming down the hall in his button-up shirts, saying Hi to all the women he passes.

For Coleman, saying goodbye to Kate and Mason will be especially hard. She will miss his elaborate Play-Doh creations  often detailed designs of the Walt Disney logo or long strings of carefully formed letters. Shell miss hearing about and celebrating his milestones with Kate.

But Kate has assured her that she and Mason will come back often for visits. And someday, when Mason is older, shell tell him about his time in Omaha.

Ill tell him, You made so much progress and Im so proud,  she said, tearing up. Hes worked very, very hard to get where hes at.

Kate has, too. It has been a learning process for both of them.

I never expected this journey to be so long, Kate said. But Im so glad we did it.
A tax cut in the Republican health care proposals, criticized by Warren Buffett as unfairly favoring the wealthy, may be on the way out. Several Republican U.S. senators have raised questions about the cut.

When the House of Representatives passed its health care proposal in May, Buffett said removing the provision from the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, would help only high-income people.

Buffett said the tax accounted for $680,000 of his $4 million federal income tax bill for 2016.

The tax in question is a surcharge of 3.8 percent on investment income for couples with annual incomes of $250,000 of more or singles with incomes of $200,000 or more.

Money from the tax, estimated at $172 billion over a decade, is intended to offset some of the subsidies that low-income people receive under the ACA to reduce their insurance expenses.

It was huge, what they did on cutting taxes for the rich, Buffett said on CNBC at the time the House of Representatives approved its proposed law. If theres one clear-cut message that comes out of that bill, its that were going to cut the hell out of income taxes for the rich on investment income.

On tax forms, the surcharge shows up on Line 62, he said. And Line 62 disappears under this bill, so I save $680,000 on a little less than $4 million.

The Senates health care bill, which is still being debated, also would remove the surcharge. Both bills also would eliminate several other ACA taxes, reducing revenue from the taxes by more than $1 trillion over 10 years.

The proposed cuts include penalties for not buying insurance, a tax on medical devices and a tax on prescription drugs.

The taxes are intended to make the ACA revenue neutral, said Creighton University accounting professor Thomas Purcell.

In recent days, Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Bob Corker of Tennessee have questioned whether the surcharge should be eliminated, Bloomberg reported.

I do not see a justification for doing away with the 3.8 percent tax on investment income, because that is not something that increases the cost of health care, Collins said. So I distinguish between those tax increases that were part of Obamacare that increase premiums and the cost of health care versus those that do not.

Corker said, I want to make sure that were not in a situation where were cutting taxes for the wealthy and at the same time, basically, for lower income citizens, passing a larger burden on to them.

Buffetts office did not respond to a request for comment.

The Omaha World-Herald is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
A Lincoln man added an unexpected item to a homemade firework: a hamburger bun.

Police in Lincoln cited the 21-year-old man after they say the firework he set off sent a 5-pound chunk of metal into a neighboring home.

But back to the bun.

Officer Angela Sands, spokeswoman for the Lincoln Police Department, said the man started by welding metal together then stuffing the device with explosive fireworks.

He added the hamburger bun as a topper, she said.

Police aren't certain what happened to the bun or why he wanted to launch it.

Sands speculated that the bun likely exploded.

Police said the 5-pound chunk of metal from the firework flew through the air and crashed through the roof and first floor of a home two doors down, landing in the basement.

Police say the home suffered about $2,000 in damage.

At least one person was home when the metal crashed, although no one was hurt, Sands said.

"Everyone is lucky,'' Sands said.

The man was cited for felony possession of a destructive device.

This report contains material from The Associated Press.
A 41-year-old man behind the wheel of a farm tractor was arrested early Wednesday on the west edge of Omaha after he allegedly fled from police and damaged property.

The man was booked into the Douglas County Jail on suspicion of operating a vehicle during suspension, willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest and criminal mischief, according to a police report.

The man listed his residence as the Siena-Francis House homeless shelter at 1702 Nicholas St.

The report said the mans Iowa drivers license has been suspended since March 2016 for numerous driving offenses.

The man was driving a 1994, six-wheeled International tractor at the time of his arrest near 190th and Blondo Streets, the report said.

At least four officers were dispatched around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday to 168th Street and West Maple Road. Police had received several calls about a red tractor and the shirtless man who was driving recklessly in the area of 156th and 168th Streets and West Maple Road.

Police attempted a traffic stop on the tractor in the Walmart parking lot northwest of 168th and West Maple, the report said. The man fled west on West Maple.

The tractor later was spotted westbound and weaving in traffic lanes on Blondo near 180th Street. The tractor drove several hundred feet on a single-lane road before veering off the roadway to the south and ramming a metal gate to a farmstead along Blondo Street between 180th and 190th Streets, the report said.

The tractor rammed two other gates on the property and damaged a metal shed before coming to a stop.

Police said in the report that the man appeared to be very confused and was unable to provide his name. He was taken to Lakeside Hospital for treatment of a possible drug overdose and foot pain.

The man later was released from Lakeside and booked into the jail.

The report said police attempted to locate the owner of the tractor, but it was unregistered and it had no owner information inside the cab.
A Sarpy County deputy county attorney and her husband, a Bellevue police detective, were arrested early Tuesday in connection with a domestic dispute.

Deputy County Attorney Jennifer Hessig and Bellevue Police Detective Harold Hessig were each arrested on suspicion of third-degree domestic assault and child abuse following an alleged altercation, said Sarpy County Chief Deputy Greg London.

About 9 p.m. Monday night, Harold Hessig called 911 and said he needed help at the familys Sarpy County home, London said. When deputies arrived, both Hessigs had marks on them from a physical confrontation, London said. The injuries were not substantial, he said.

Both Hessigs were booked into Douglas County Jail in the early hours of Tuesday, London said. Theyve since posted bail and been released.

The child abuse counts were included because the Hessigs children were present during the alleged incident, London said, though the children were not involved.

The couple were taken to Douglas County because of their jobs in Sarpy County, said Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov.

Polikov said Wednesday that Hessig has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Not all of the reports have been completed, but Polikov said if the cases move forward his office would not handle them. Polikov said they would ask for a special prosecutor to handle Jennifer and Harold Hessig's cases.

Reached Wednesday, Jennifer Hessig declined to comment. She has worked for the County Attorneys Office since 2003.

Harold Hessig has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, said Bellevue police spokeswoman Laurie Synowiecki. Hessig has worked for Bellevue Police Department since 1999.
Douglas County 911 needs additional fire dispatchers to handle growing demands in metropolitan Omaha, according to the countys new emergency communications director.

David Sleeter saw the need as pressing enough that he went beyond the normal budget process, making a pitch to the Omaha Mayors Office and Douglas County Board members and suggesting that the City Council be briefed as well.

I would be remiss if I wouldnt bring these things out to you, Sleeter told the County Board. Its definitely deeply involved in our service levels.

The 911 center typically is staffed with two dispatchers for fire and medical emergencies and six for police calls. They handle all the dispatches in Douglas County, including the City of Omaha, small towns and unincorporated suburbs.

The two (fire dispatchers) we have scheduled on every shift cannot keep up, Sleeter said.

He asked the county and city to add another fire dispatcher position. That would require hiring six people in order to staff the position 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Sleeter said.

That would cost about $350,000 a year, with salary and benefits.

The initial answer to Sleeters request was not this year. City and county budget proposals for fiscal year 2018 do not include funding for the position, although the public, County Board and City Council have yet to officially weigh in on the budgets. The County Board is expected to have a public hearing July 11 on its 2018 budget. Mayor Stothert has not yet submitted her 2018 budget proposal to the City Council. Typically the mayor unveils the budget in mid-July.

Douglas County and the City of Omaha jointly fund the countys emergency communications. The city pays 85 percent, and the county 15 percent. Thats because the vast majority of 911 calls come from people who live in the City of Omaha. The vast majority of dispatches send Omaha police or fire personnel to respond to those calls.

Each year, county and city finance directors review budget requests from the 911 director as part of the overall budget process. They agree to a number to put in the budget proposals to the County Board and City Council.

This year, County Finance Director Joe Lorenz said city and county officials agreed to a $6.83 million emergency communications budget for 2018.

Thats about $200,000 above a target amount that Lorenz set for the department as part of a county government effort to keep the property tax rate from going up. The additional money, requested by Sleeter, would pay for equipment service, an administrative assistant and a technician to handle day-to-day matters and help with equipment upgrades and the 911 centers upcoming move.

To help meet that prime directive of keeping the tax rate flat, the county tries to avoid adding to the number of employees, Lorenz said.

Even so, the county added five positions  four dispatchers and one call-taker  to the 911 center in 2017 to meet an increased need.

Counting the two positions added for 2018, creating and staffing a new fire dispatcher position would amount to 13 new positions over the past two years.

Adding 13 to a department in two years is a lot, Lorenz said.

Even so, if city officials wanted to fund the request, Douglas County probably could come up with its portion, about $50,000 for next year, Lorenz said.

But thats not the direction we got from the city, he said.

County and city officials didnt tell Sleeter they would never fill the request for an additional fire dispatcher, Lorenz said. They just told him not this year.

Marty Bilek, chief of staff for Mayor Stothert, said the city needs more data before making a decision on adding the position.

He said he has asked Sleeter for answers to such questions as how many 911 calls take more than 30 seconds to answer, if 911 calls are being dropped, and how much time transpires between a call coming in to 911 and a dispatch going out.

When we make a decision like that, we should do it based on response times, Bilek said.

This is the first time through the budget process for Sleeter, who came from Wisconsin and took over as Douglas County 911 director in December.

He made the request this spring to Lorenz, Bilek and City Finance Director Steve Curtiss. The consensus was they would support adding money for equipment service contracts and the other two staffers, but hold off at least one year on adding fire dispatchers.

Lorenz told Sleeter that he could bring it up to the County Board. Sleeter did so in May.

He gave the board three reasons. A new Omaha Fire Department station alerting system will require additional duties from fire dispatchers. So will advanced tactical radio communications technology that the Fire Department will begin using soon. And the 911 center supervisor often has to help with fire dispatching duties.

Any time that Fire Department activities increase to any level at all, our supervisor must jump in and act as a fire dispatcher, Sleeter told the County Board. When that happens they are no longer supervising. And there are 12 to 15 people on duty at a time that they are responsible to supervise. That includes the people that are taking all the calls that come in the center and all the dispatching thats going on. Thats very hard to do when youre doing a fire dispatchers work.

Fire dispatchers are specially trained to help give medical instructions to 911 callers or to medics en route to the hospital with a patient. When dispatchers are involved in such a call, they are not allowed to leave it to do another dispatch, Sleeter said.

Its not unusual, he said, for one person to be tied up on an emergency medical dispatch situation and another on an Omaha or rural fire when another fire call comes into the center.

County Board member Clare Duda told Sleeter that he had interesting and legitimate needs.

Although as you well know, with Omaha paying 85 percent of it theyre kind of in the drivers seat on this one, Duda said. This is the one part of the budget that we have to do in conjunction with Omaha. And (there is) not much point in our funding the 15 percent of something theyre not going to do the 85 percent of.

I understand that, Sleeter replied. But its just something thats out there and theres a serious need.

He told the board that he meant no disrespect to the county and city finance directors, but he thinks the City Council should have the information, given that Omaha foots most of the 911 bill.

In an interview, Bilek said its too late to add more dispatchers to the city budget this year.

By 2019, there most likely will be a greater need. The City of Omaha plans to add a fifth police precinct then. That will require adding a police dispatcher position at Douglas County 911, and hiring five or six people to staff it.

Bilek said that if Sleeter can make a compelling enough case for an additional fire dispatcher position next year, the city would address it then.

Were going to engage the 911 folks big time next year, Bilek said.
Construction work that began July 5 will close a section of Interstate 480 in Omaha for a few months and reroute traffic into Council Bluffs.

The closed sections:

-- The westbound I-80 ramp to northbound I-480

-- The northbound U.S. Highway 75/Kennedy Freeway ramps to westbound I-80 and northbound I-480

-- The F Street entrance ramp to northbound Highway 75

The ramp closures are necessary for bridge deck repairs, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. The work will include a 3-inch asphalt overlay and protective membrane layer, replacement of bridge approaches and remodeling of bridge abutments, roads officials said.

The project is expected to be completed in the fall.

Also, the northbound lanes of I-480 will be resurfaced from about Dewey Avenue south to the I-80 interchange. That project, which also will include some finishing work that began in April on the southbound I-480 lanes, will be done at night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The lanes will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

At the same time, officials said, some night work will take place on the southbound Kennedy Freeway north of F Street.

Transportation officials said northbound Highway 75 traffic will be detoured east on I-80 into the Bluffs and onto northbound I-29. Motorists will follow I-29 to westbound I-480 back into Omaha.

Southbound Highway 75 motorists will be detoured east on I-480, then onto southbound I-29 and finally to westbound I-80 back into Omaha.

Cramer and Associates Inc. of Grimes, Iowa, was awarded the contract for the ramp work  $9.8 million. The resurfacing contract  $5.9 million  went to Omni Engineering of Omaha.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump is headed back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering skepticism across the continent over his commitment to NATO, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the U.S. out of a major climate agreement.

Trump arrives in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday for a brief visit that will include a speech in Krasinski Square, near the site of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. Hell also meet with the leaders of Poland and Croatia and hold a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Before moving on to an international summit in Germany, the president will also hold meetings with the leaders of a dozen countries located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas at a summit of the Three Seas Initiative, which aims to expand and modernize energy and trade. One of the initiatives goals is to make the region less dependent on Russian energy.

Even if he doesnt mention Putin or Russia outright, just stepping foot in Poland sends a powerful statement, said Jim Carafano, a foreign policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Europe is working for energy independence  looking for free market solutions  and Poland is in the middle of that energy corridor, so it makes so much sense that the president would go there and talk about energy policy.

At the same time, Trump will have to balance his visit to Europe with escalating tensions with North Korea, after the U.S. concluded Tuesday that North Korea had test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile. The U.S., South Korea and Japan responded to the provocation by requesting an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, scheduled Wednesday afternoon.

Trump returns to Europe after a shaky first trip to the continent in May and signs of unhappiness around the globe with the start of his presidency.

A recent Pew Research Center survey of attitudes toward Trump in more than three dozen countries found fewer than 3 in 10 respondents expressing confidence in his ability to do the right thing on international affairs.

Most of those surveyed disapproved of Trumps major policies, including temporarily halting travel from six mostly Muslim countries. Among the 37 countries Pew surveyed, Trump scored higher marks than his predecessor, President Barack Obama, in only two: Russia and Israel.

Trumps first trip to Europe as president in May saw a series of awkward encounters, including a tough speech to the leaders of NATO countries urging them to spend more on their armed forces, an uncomfortable handshake with Frances new president, and a caught-on-camera moment when Trump pushed past the prime minister of Montenegro, Europes newest country, while squeezing his way to the front of a crowd.

But Poland may offer Trump a chance to shine.

According to Polish media reports, Polands government promised the White House a reception of cheering crowds as part of its invitation. To make good on that pledge, ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists plan to bus in groups from the provinces to hear Trumps speech.

The White House didnt respond to a request for comment on those reports.

With Trumps sights already set on the 2020 election, his visit to Poland could also be seen as a power play for battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which are home to hundreds of thousands of Polish-American voters.

Trump may also seek to use Poland as an exemplar of partnership. A U.S. ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, Poland is one of the five NATO members that spends at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on the military. Thats something that Trump  and U.S. leaders before him  have demanded of NATO allies. Trump has scolded other NATO members for falling short on their commitments.

Poland is also host to about 1,000 U.S. troops, and is supporting U.S. and NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its also a regular customer for U.S. military equipment.

Before Trumps arrival, Polands government emphasized that Russias aggression in Ukraine poses a threat to the whole of Europe, something that will inevitably be raised in discussions with Trump as Europeans seek to gauge the presidents willingness to confront Putin before their first face-to-face meeting later this week.

Poland is, in some ways, a poster child for some of the issues that the Trump administration has been stressing, said Jeffrey Rathke, deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Theyre betting that this relationship with the United States on defense will balance their concerns about the possible directions of U.S.-Russia policy.

Poland also hopes Trumps visit will reinforce its position with European partners as it faces allegations of backsliding on democracy. The right-wing government is also one of only three European Union countries  along with Hungary and Austria  refusing to accept any relocated refugees, in legal violation of EU quotas.

Trump, too, has been working to curb refugee admissions to the U.S. as part of his travel ban.

Copyright 2017, the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
LINCOLN  The Public Service Commission voted Wednesday to name Mike Hybl to a second go-round as the regulatory agencys executive director.

Hybl, 63, headed the agency from 2007 through 2012, before leaving to become chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer. Most recently, he has been working as legal counsel for the Legislatures Transportation and Telecommunications Committee.

Commission Chairman Tim Schram said Hybls vast knowledge of policy and his experience on both the state and federal level will serve the commission well.

He replaces Jeff Pursley, who resigned June 12 after questions about his side job as a private telecommunications consultant with Parrish, Blessing and Associates, based in Washington, D.C.

Attorney General Doug Peterson and Frank Daley, executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, both issued opinions saying that Pursleys outside employment did not violate state law.

But the attorney generals opinion said a five-year contract the PSC had signed with Pursley was invalid and could not be enforced.

The opinions did not quell concerns about the arrangement, including from State Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, who said he believed PSC staff should avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Pursley continued working part time for Parrish, Blessing after taking the PSC job on July 1, 2015. He was previously a director of the company. Pursley said he wanted to keep a job with the company because it offers better health insurance.

Hybl, who will be paid $135,000, will begin his new duties July 19.

The PSC regulates several key industries in Nebraska, including telecommunications, natural gas utilities, grain dealers, taxis, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles. The agency currently is involved with a high-profile review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States asserted Tuesday that North Koreas latest missile launch was indeed an intercontinental ballistic missile, as the North had boasted and the U.S. and South Korea had feared.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the development  the Norths first test launch of a missile capable of reaching the U.S.  a new escalation of the threat to the U.S. and the world.

In a show of force directly responding to North Koreas provocation, U.S. and South Korean soldiers fired deep strike precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters on Tuesday, U.S. military officials in Seoul said. The missile firings demonstrated U.S.-South Korean solidarity, the U.S. Eighth Army said in a statement.

At the request of the U.S., Japan and South Korea, the United Nations Security Council was to hold an emergency session Wednesday afternoon. Tillerson said that was part of a U.S. response that would include stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable, using an acronym for the isolated nations formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Global action is required to stop a global threat, Tillerson said. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.

He said the U.S. will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

North Korea, meanwhile, seemed to delight in the international furor created by its first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing to never give up its missiles or nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more gift packages of weapons tests.

Tillersons statement, issued Tuesday evening as most Americans were celebrating the Fourth of July holiday, notably did not mention China, whose help the Trump administration has been aggressively seeking to press Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons program. In recent days, as the North has continued to test missiles in defiance of global pressure, President Donald Trump has started voicing doubt that Beijing is up to the task. His administration has taken a number of steps against Chinas interests, suggested that U.S. patience has run short.

Tillersons comments were the first public confirmation by the United States that the missile was indeed an ICBM, constituting a major technological advancement for the North and its most successful missile test yet.

The prime danger from the U.S. viewpoint is the prospect of North Korea pairing a nuclear warhead with an ICBM. The latest U.S. intelligence assessment is that the North probably does not yet have that capability  putting a small-enough nuclear warhead atop an ICBM.

Initial U.S. military assessments had been that it was an intermediate-range missile. NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said the missile did not pose a threat to North America.

Trump, in his initial Twitter response to the launch on Monday evening, urged China to put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all! But he also said it was hard to believe that South Korea and Japan, the two U.S. treaty allies most at risk from North Korea, would put up with this much longer.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations said that U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley had requested that the Security Council meet urgently along with the U.N. envoys from Japan and South Korea. Todays meeting was to be held in the open chamber, rather than behind closed doors.

Previously, North Korea had demonstrated missiles of short and medium range, but never one able to get to the U.S. The launch was not wholly unexpected. Daniel Coats, director of national intelligence, testified to Congress in May that the U.S. anticipated an ICBM test before the end of this year.

The Pentagon has spent tens of billions of dollars developing a missile defense system tailored to the North Korean ambition of attaining the eventual capability to attack the U.S. with a nuclear-armed missile. On May 30, the Pentagon successfully shot down a mock warhead designed to replicate the North Korean threat.

Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, chairwoman of the Senate subcommittee on strategic forces, said the missile test shows that the threat of North Korea is quickly advancing.

As the threat increases, we must bring greater pressure to bear on North Korea and its international patrons, China and Russia, but we should have no illusions that they will solve this problem for us, Fischer said in a statement.

Since he entered the White House, Trump has talked about confronting Pyongyang and pushing China to increase pressure on the North, but neither strategy has produced fast results. The White House has been threatening to move forward on its own, though administration officials have not settled on next steps.

Patrick Cronin, an Asia expert with the Center for a New American Security, said Trump was probably coming to the point of no return with North Korea, adding that the upshot could be diplomatic overtures or military action.

We either go to the diplomatic table with Kim Jong Un or we do take some course of action, Cronin said. In all probability, we do both.

Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, discussing North Korea and its nuclear program with both leaders. He will meet them both this week at the Group of 20 meeting in Germany, as well as have his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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A Ponca City woman has been jailed in an alleged scheme to hire someone to murder her ex-husband  an Israeli taxi driver  after FBI agents reportedly recovered documents, several dozen castor beans and poison-making materials from her home.

Danielle Dana Layman, 37, whose aliases include Samantha Dowry, Danielle Givati and Dana Abecassis, reportedly posted an advertisement on the online classifieds website Craigslist seeking someone for a 10 day gig overseas for amateur, competitive pay.

Someone responded to the advertisement May 3, authorities said, and by Friday federal agents were at Laymans home.

On Saturday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Goodwin signed a complaint against Layman for alleged violations of U.S. Code prohibiting individuals from using the internet to solicit murderers for hire.

The Craiglist advertisement sought an individual between the ages of 30 and 45 who was creative, outgoing and friendly, according to federal court documents. The ad also said the person should be bold and brave, as some of the stunts required for the job could be risky.

The ideal candidate would have some experience in acting, performing magic shows or dealing at casinos, the post stated.

After a candidate responded to the ad, he or she met Layman at a Ponca City coffee shop less than a week later to discuss the jobs details, according to court documents.

Authorities said Layman identified herself as Samantha Dowry and came prepared with a PowerPoint presentation outlining the hit job, which is referred to as Operation Insecticide.

The destination, the job candidate learned, was Tel Aviv, Israel, and their task was to murder the taxi driver using ricin powder, a highly toxic product of castor beans, according to the documents.

The alleged plan involved hiring Laymans ex-husband to drive the hired murderer around to Tel Aviv tourist attractions for a week. He/she would administer the ricin into his coffee cup every morning, court documents indicate.

The would-be assailant was offered $1,000 for personal expenses for 10 days in Tel Aviv and $4,000 upon successful completion of the hit, the documents state.

Authorities said Layman gave the person the ricin in plant form along with a packet of documents with codes, instructions and other materials related to the job, and the two parted ways.

Authorities said that after the meeting, the responder to the ad contacted an attorney for advice on how to handle the situation. The friend told the person to call the FBI immediately, which he/she did.

In the meantime, the would-be-murderer and a roommate threw the ricin into a dumpster outside an Oklahoma City apartment complex, court documents state.

Federal agents said they tied Layman to the murder plot after the person identified her in a photograph. From there, agents searched for Dowrys name in various databases unsuccessfully but found Laymans name when they checked her phone number.

Agents learned Layman was from Israel but was a U.S. resident. She claimed to have once been the director of nursing for Israels Ministry of Labor, meaning shed have knowledge of plants and science, federal agents said.

Court documents indicate Layman had been in a child custody battle with her ex-husband in 2014.

Federal agents said they swept Laymans home in Ponca City on Friday and found dozens of castor beans, a mortar and pestle with residue, and printed instructions for making ricin.

Layman was taken into custody and is being held in the Logan County Jail.
Khota sarkar left with egg on their faces: Team Uddhav on Andheri win

694 farmers Mumbai claim loan waiver! Fadnavis orders scrutiny

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was taken by surprise when he learnt that Mumbai is home to as many as 694 farmers on the loan waiver list. He has now ordered a thorough inquiry and scrutiny before ordering the waiver of loans.

These farmers figure in the list of probable beneficiaries eligible for benefits under the Rs 34,000-crore loan waiver scheme+ announced by the state government last month.

The Mumbai city and its suburbs are urbanised areas, leaving little scope for farming activity in the country's commercial nerve centre.

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A district-wise list of beneficiary-farmers, released by the chief minister on Twitter last evening, includes names of 694 cultivators from the Mumbai city and 119 from its suburbs.

A majority of beneficiaries are from suicide-prone districts like Yavatmal, Buldhana and Amravati, all located in Vidarbha region.

As per the scheme, all the eligible farmers will get benefit of waiver of up to Rs 1.50 lakh loan outstanding till June 30, 2016.

Talking to reporters, Fadnavis said, "Even I was surprised to find these two cities in the list. The 'beneficiary' farmers from these two districts would be scrutinised thoroughly before sanctioning waiver of their loans."

The chief minister said he has asked officers concerned to look into the genuineness of these farmers from the two urban centres.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 7:01 [IST]
7th Pay Commission: Demoralised J&K cops seek to end disparity

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Neglected since 1996, the police in Jammu and Kashmir have sought benefits from the 7th Pay Commission. The J&K police have the toughest job in the country and they start battling militants from the time they sign up for the job.

Now for the first time the police have upped the ante stating that they have been neglected since 1996. The police who are involved in anti militancy operations most of the time say that they are demoralized and discontented.

Now a high level committee has been formed under Additional Director General of Police, Security, Dilbagh Singh. The committee would appraise the government about the various disparities faced by the department.

The committee headed by ADGP Security has been constituted by the Director General of Police S P Vaid with four more members. A representation has been sent to the Principal Secretary Home, J&K government on June 29, 2017.

The representation talks about discrimination with the police department in 5th and 6th pay commissions. "Notwithstanding the fact, the Police Headquarters had taken up the matter with the government at appropriate level and has been pursuing the issue vigorously for last more than two decades, but to no avail."

The representation further states, lower-rung police personnel, constables, inspectors, who have the major role in crime control, anti-militancy operations and law and order duties, feel "discontented and demoralised."

"In the given circumstances, it has become imperative to associate a team of officers consisting of domain expert under the chairmanship of a senior level officer. The team will examine all pros and cons of the issue and make its recommendations to Government within shortest possible time so that no disparity is repeated in the 7th pay commission," reads the order issued by the DGP Vaid.

"The disparity continued to persist in two consecutive pay revisions since 1996 shout not be repeated so that fighting force of J&K Police is not again subjected to such pay anomalies in the 7th pay commission," the representation further states.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 8:48 [IST]
AAP backs Mamata, says opposition unity is need of the hour

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Jul 5: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wedenesday came out in support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying the governor's role was part of the BJP's larger design to "destabilise" governments in non-BJP states.

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh said West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi "deliberately insulting and threatening" Banerjee establishes that the Raj Bhavans were being remote- controlled by the Centre.

"Mamata Banerjee is no ordinary politician. The governor's words violated the constitutional decorum. He has threatened an elected chief minister. This is not a good sign for the country's democracy," he said in a press conference.

Referring to the crisis over three nominated MLAs in Puducherry and the arrest of a few Dalit activists in Lucknow recently, he stressed that opposition unity is the "need of the hour", to tide over the "crisis assailing the country".

AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shares a good rapport with his West Bengal counterpart. In the recent times, the two leaders have shared dais in protest against demonetisation.

In 2015, the AAP had organised a conclave on cooperative federalism in Delhi. But only Banerjee and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had attended it while Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Mizoram's Lal Thanhawlal and Puducherry's N Rangaswamy had sent letters of support.

Asked whether the AAP was planning to form a platform for opposition parties, Ashutosh said it is time that other parties realise what AAP has faced.

"Now, other parties are also facing the heat. This is also a lesson for the Congress. The issue is saving democracy in the country," he said.

Yesterday, against the backdrop of a violence in Basirhat in West Bengal, Banerjee accused Tripathi of "threatening" her over phone and talking "big on the law and order". She had said that he was acting like a "BJP block president".

PTI
Curtailment of AFSPA is the culmination of a string of relentless efforts

Naga peace talks to resume: Can we hope for a solution?

AFSPA in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland extended for 6 months from today

AFSPA to be partially lifted from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, July 5: The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has always been a contentious issue in Jammu and Kashmir and in several states of northeast India.

Amid a lot of protest against the draconian AFSPA, the Union home ministry has decided to "partially withdraw" the AFSPA from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The decision has been arrived at following an improvement in the "security situation" in these two northeastern states, a government official was quoted as saying by PTI.

The officials said according to a home ministry assessment, security situation was "better" in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh than never before and the imposition of AFSPA could be further reduced. They said views of the state governments had been sought on the partial withdrawal.

"In the recent past, we have reduced the time period of the AFSPA in these states," a senior official said.

However, recently the imposition of AFSPA has been extended for six more months in Nagaland.

In May, the central government through a gazette notification, had declared the entire Assam as a "disturbed" area under the AFSPA for three more months, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and others.

In another notification, the ministry had also declared three districts of Arunachal Pradesh--Tirap, Changlang and Longding--besides areas falling under 16 police stations bordering Assam as "disturbed" under the AFSPA for three more months.

The Act has been in effect in Assam since November 1990 while in the three districts of Arunachal Pradesh it has been in force since January 2016.

Currently, the AFSPA is in place in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

The Act was passed by Parliament in 1958 which grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces in areas deemed "disturbed".

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 13:11 [IST]
Bengal Governor had turned Raj Bhavan into an RSS Shaakha says TMC

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Governor of West Bengal has converted Raj Bhavan into an RSS Shaakha, TMC leader Derek "O" Brein said. He was reacting to the war of words between Governor K N Tripathi and Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

Demanding action against the governor, he added, "Article 156 of Constitution states, President can remove Governor, after this incident, worth considering asking Governor to leave."

Mamata Banerjee had alleged that Tripathi used harsh language against her while they were talking over phone on the issues of communal violence at Baduria in North 24 Parganas. "He (Governor) threatened me over the phone. The way he spoke taking the side of BJP, I felt insulted. I have told him that he cannot talk like this," Banerjee said at a media briefing in the state secretariat.

Communal violence broke out in North 24 Parganas district on Monday over a controversial Facebook post. After the incident, several shops were torched and houses ransacked in Baduria, Tentulia and Golabari. 300 paramilitary forces have been rushed to the spot.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 6:16 [IST]
Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government!

Chennai ISIS operative transferred Rs 5 lakh to fighters abroad

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Rajasthan ATS has found that the Chennai based alleged operative of the Islamic State had sent RS 5 lakh to fighters of the outfit. On Tuesday, the ATS arrested one Haroon Rasheed and took him to Jaipur for further questioning.

Rasheed a mobile phone shop owner in Burma Bazaar is alleged to have transferred funds to the tune of Rs 5 lakh to ISIS fighters abroad.

An ATS official informed that the transfer of funds was found as part of our preliminary probe. We are trying to ascertain whether he had transferred funds on his own will or was ordered by a handler to do so.

His name had cropped up during the interrogation of two other accused arrested from Tamil Nadu earlier this year. He will be questioned for further details, the officer also said.

The arrest comes just a couple of months after the Rajasthan ATS had picked up one Mohammad Iqbal from Chennai on the allegation that he had links with the Islamic State.

The ATS had also traced an operative recently in Thiruvallur. It was said that the person in question Jamil Ahmed was a fund raiser for the outfit. It was during the questioning of Ahmed that the name of Iqbal had cropped up.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 7:22 [IST]
Chhattisgarh couple celebrates birth of baby girl GST on July 1

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Raipur, July 5: It was a momentous occasion for the country as the Narendra Modi government launched the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at a special midnight meeting in Parliament on July 1. The 'birth' of GST has been hailed as India's biggest tax reform since its independence.

Hundreds of kilometers away from the national capital, in a small village in Koriya district, Chhattisgarh, a couple too celebrated the 'birth' of GST as they were blessed with a baby girl on the same day. Thus the couple decided to name their newborn as "GST".

While many would find the name "GST" little unusual, the elated couple said "the date (July 1) is significant as both are born on the same date".

Explaining the reason behind choosing the 'unique' name GST for his daughter, Jagdish Prasad told ANI, "The day Prime Minister Modi announced the GST reform as a tax revolution on July 1, my daughter was born. So I could not hold my excitement and named her GST to make this day a memorable one."

Koriya, Chhattisgarh: Couple name their newborn girl child 'GST' after birth on July 1,say "date significant as both born on the same date" pic.twitter.com/2uJ30uVdUt  ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

Since the birth of GST, villagers are flocking the house of the couple to have a glimpse of the newborn. The parents, on their part, are quite happy that because of the birth of their daughter they have received so much "fame". Jagdish said that he had never received such fame ever. "Only after the birth of my daughter I am being recognised in my village."

It is not just the family and the village that are celebrating baby GST's birth, even Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje wished the infant good health on Twitter.

Live long & healthy Baby GST!  https://t.co/7gz8cOLVdL  Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) July 2, 2017

If you are thinking that it is only Jagdish and his wife who have picked up a "bizarre" name like GST for their daughter, then you are wrong. In small towns and villages across India, many have very unusual names like "Ambassador" (the famous vehicle for VIPs) and "Cigarette", to name a few.

Well, we will say as legendary writer Shakespeare had written long ago-- "What's in a name?"

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 7:52 [IST]
Congress contradicts Shah on lynching, seeks data from home ministry

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, July 5: Days after BJP president Amit Shah stated that more incidents of lynching had occurred during the previous governments than under the current NDA rule, the Congress on Tuesday hit back demanding the Union home minister release an official data of such incidents since 2010.

Addressing a gathering of intellectuals in Goa on July 1, Shah had said there have been more lynching incidents every year in 2011, 2012 and 2013, compared to the three-year-long- rule of the BJP-led NDA government.

"Shah is blatantly lying on the issue of lynching. We do admit that there were incidents of lynching during the Congress rule as well, but people involved in such incidents were belonging to either sangh parivar or the BJP. Provocative speeches had been made by the top brass of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah," AlCC Secretary Girish Chodankar said in a statement.

He said that the lynching incidents reported during the Congress regime were hardly three per cent of the total such incidents having taken place since 2010.

A string of lynching incidents, on the alleged suspicion of storage or transportation of beef, have taken place in various cities over a period of time.

Referring to Shah's statement, Chodankar said, "As many as 28 people have died in the lynching incidents since the BJP came to power in 2014, which is 97 per cent of the total such cases since 2010".

He demanded the Union home minister make an official statement on such incidents since 2010.

"We demand the Home minister provide an official data on the lynching incidents and of those involved in these murderous attacks," Chodankar stated.

The Congress leader demanded formulating a national policy on beef, stating that the current such policies vary from state to state.

Responding to Shah's statement that the ban on cow slaughter was imposed by the Congress in Goa in 1976, Chodankar said, "Goa, Daman and Diu Prevention Of Cow Slaughter Act, 1978, was passed on June 21, 1978 when the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was ruling, whereas the Congress came to power only in 1980. The act relates to cow slaughter and is not about banning beef".

"Goa was the first state to enact such a legislation when the BJP did not even exist in this country as a political force".

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 9:33 [IST]
GJM supporters and police clash in Kalimpong

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Darjeeling, July 5, 2017: Heavy rains halted an hour long stand-off between Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters and the police in Kalimpong town leaving 3 GJM supporters and 5 policemen injured.

After a few days of lull, the Hills were again on the boil on Wednesday, the 21st day of the indefinite bandh call clamped by the GJM in the Hills of North Bengal. In the morning the routine GJM rally had taken to the streets at Kalimpong. The rally made its way from Dambar Chowk to the 10th Mile area in Kalimpong.

On reaching the 10th Mile area the rally went berserk and torched a 5 storied building which houses the Trinamool Congress party office of Kalimpong. As the police posted in the region went about dousing the fire, they were allegedly attacked by GJM supporters. Stones and bricks rained on the police from the road above.

Police in turn baton charged and burst tear gas shells. According to an eyewitness the standoff continued for an hour. Finally heavy rains quelled the situation. Morcha supporters then torched a North Bengal State Transport Office located at the Kalimpong Motor Stand. The fire engines were also stopped by the GJM supporters.

Tires were burnt in the thoroughfares of the Kalimpong town. "3 of our supporters were critically injured in police firing" alleged Binay Tamang, Assistant General Secretary, GJM. Tamang stated that one Bikram Rai has suffered head injury; Tikaram Bhujel with injury on the leg along with one PD Tamang.

Waving off the allegations, Ajit Kumar Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Kalimpong, stated "The police did not resort to firing. The police burst tear gas shells. 5 policemen have been injured."

Incidentally a similar clash between security forces and GJM supporters in Singamari in Darjeeling town on June 17 had left 3 Morcha supporters dead and many security personnel injured.

The police has started a suo moto case against Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha Gurung and other GJM leaders in connection with the June 17 deaths. Attributing the deaths to police firing, Gurung has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding CBI inquiry into the 17th June incident.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 18:16 [IST]
GNLF rejects 6th Schedule, bats for Gorkhaland

India

oi-Amitava

Darjeeling, July 5, 2017: A day ahead of the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GLMCC) meeting, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) held a massive rally in Darjeeling on Wednesday declaring 6th Schedule as "expiry medicine" and batted for Gorkhaland.

The day also saw key Trinamool Congress leaders resigning from the party in the Hills.

The GNLF rally comes on the heels of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha alleging that the West Bengal Government and the GNLF are conspiring to accord the 6th Schedule status to the Darjeeling Hills. The GJM had asked the GNLF to make their stand clear before the GLMCC meeting slated for July 6.

GNLF President Mann Ghising addressed the GNLF rally at the Clubside in Darjeeling.

"6th Schedule status is medicine that has expired. If you consume it you will get sick. GNLF has discarded the 6th Schedule demand. We have come out for Gorkhaland and it is a point of no return. We will not compromise for any other arrangement nor will we allow any compromise of the Gorkhaland issue," declared Ghising.

Seeking immediate intervention of the Central Government in the ongoing Darjeeling impasse, Ghising warned, "Already 21 days of band, have passed; the Hills are burning; Agitators are dying, yet the Centre is silent. The Centre should not ignore the Darjeeling issue. Darjeeling is like a volcano. It can erupt any moment."

Ghising stated that the GLMCC (a conglomeration of pro Gorkhaland forces for a joint movement for Gorkhaland) should not linger matters. "Form a core committee and depart for Delhi immediately. Meet the Government of India and hold dialogues for Gorkhaland" was Ghising's suggestion to the GLMCC. Without naming the GJM, Ghising stated that a single party meeting the Union Government would not yield the desired results.

Ghising stated that it is time to rise above petty politics for Gorkhaland. "People have come out for Gorkhaland. They will not forgive any party or leader if the Gorkhaland demand is compromised" added Ghising.

Regarding the ongoing indefinite bandh since June 15, Ghising stated "The party that has called the bandh has to decide on it. However nothing much is happening. Nothing is moving. The deadlock continues with the Centre looking away."

"Don't doubt our sincerity. We have come out for Gorkhaland. Everyday thousands of people are pledging support to the GNLF" claimed Ghising.

Key TMC hill leaders including Hill TMC Working President NB Khawas and Hill TMC Vice President Karishma Giri resigned from the party on Wednesday. "I have resigned in support of the people's movement for Gorkhaland" stated Khawas. When questioned on whether he would join any other pro-Gorkhaland party, Khawas stated "I have not decided yet."

However talk doing the rounds in the Hills is that Khawas could return to the GNLF fold. Incidentally Khawas had started his political career with the GNLF. With the GJM seizing power from the GNLF and ousting GNLF leaders from the Hills, Khawas after lying low for a long period had joined the TMC.

The GLMCC will be meeting in Pedong, 22km from Kalimpong town on Thursday at noon.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 20:05 [IST]
AAP vs LG fight again and this is time it is on Gandhi Jayanti

How Lal Bahadur Shastri neatly side-stepped the Chinese threat in 1965

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There is a face off along the Indo-China border with both sides building up troops. With China issuing threats on a daily basis, India has said that it has made its position clear and it will not allow the Chinese to construct a motorable road till the tri-junction through the Bhutanese territory of the Doklam plateau.

Back in the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, China had refused to deal with India as far as the affairs of Sikkim and Bhutan. Nehru had written to Chinese about the same in a letter dated March 22 1959. In his response the then Chinese premier Zhou Enlai said that the Sikkim-Tibet boundary does not fall within the scope of present discussions.

While India continued to stress that it has treaty rights to represent both Sikkim and Bhutan, China said that these were just colonial hangovers. When India incorporated Sikkim as a state in 1975, China had said that they would never recognise this merger.

In 1965, China had issued a strongly worded threat to India. On 8 September 1965, China said that if India did not dismantle all aggressive military structures on the Sikkim-Tibet boundary, it would be responsible for all consequences.

The then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri neatly sidestepped the threat. He said if the bunkers were on the Chinese side they were well within their rights to demolish them.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 14:12 [IST]
Liquor ban along highways: UP suffers Rs 5,000 cr loss

India

oi-PTI

Lucknow, July 5: Following the Supreme Court order banning all liquor shops along National as well as State Highways, the Uttar Pradesh government has incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore.

Of the 8,591 highway liquor shops affected by the Supreme Court order, 2,000 are yet to be relocated while 3,000 shop owners have surrendered their liquor licences, said UP Excise Minister Jai Pratap Singh. "We have incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal ending March 31. Out of the target of realising Rs 19,000 crore, the excise department could generate Rs 14,000 crore following the apex court order order," the minister told PTI.

The Supreme Court had last year ordered a ban on all liquor shops along national as well as state highways across the country and prohibited all signages indicating presence of liquor vends. The Supreme Court again on March 31 reiterated its December 15, 2016 order to shut down, by April 1, establishments selling and serving liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways, but relaxed the distance to 220 m for cities, towns and municipal areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

According to latest data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), accidents due to drunk driving have the highest fatality rate among all accidents.

NCRB data showed that some 42 per cent of drunk driving victims ended up dead in 2015  this was a far higher rate than that of accidents caused by over speeding and reckless driving.

Highlighting his department's initiatives for going cashless, Singh said, "We are introducing a cashless system in liquor shops and asking them to install point-of-sale (POS) machines. Though it will difficult in rural areas, we are asking shops to switch over to cashless payments."

On media reports suggesting that the cashless system is being introduced to deter teenagers from purchasing liquor, the minister said there is already a law which does not allow sale of liquor to minors. About sale of liquor near religious places and schools, he said, "An SC order in 2008 says no to liquor vending with a radius of 75 metre of a school or religious place.

But, with increase in population density, the number of schools and hospitals have increased leading to conflicts." "We have decided that no liquor shop will be relocated within 500 metre of religious places or hospitals. In case of objection, even residential colonies will come under the ambit.

At the moment it is not in a very formal shape. But we are working on it," the minister said. About excise revenue expectations for 2017-18, the minister said his department has fixed a target of Rs 20,000 crore.

The minister said that Yogi Adityanath government will introduce its new excise policy from April 2018 and the government plans to break the syndicate system in liquor trade. "We are working on the new excise policy before finalising it," he said.

The new excise policy may introduce a system of bar code on each bottle in a bid to check black marketing and pilferage in liquor sale, mostly in country-made alcohol products. The bar code would be connected to computer data to ensure each batch is sold by the rightful dealer, an excise official said.

The new policy will also seek to unearth all rackets involving liquor syndicates. In the case of foreign-made liquor too, barcoding could help check exchange from special zone to normal excise zone.

PTI
Pak committing atrocities against people in PoK, will have to bear consequences: Rajnath Singh

Lack of development in J&K for decades was one of the reasons behind rise of terrorism: Rajnath Singh

Maintain decorum, says Home Minister Rajnath to West Bengal Governor, CM

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked both West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to maintain decorum following the spat between two, reports said.

Rajnath Singh cautioned them not to make public statement about the official business of the state government. Taking cognisance of the spat, Home Minister suggested them to focus on improving law order situation in communal violence-hit North 24 Paraganas district.

Rajnath Singh's response came after the West Bengal government wrote a letter to him and President Pranab Mukherjee complaining against the Governor.

Yesterday Mamata Banerjee had alleged that Tripathi used harsh language against her while they were talking over the phone on the issues of communal violence at Baduria in North 24 Parganas.

"He (Governor) threatened me over the phone. The way he spoke taking the side of BJP, I felt insulted. I have told him that he cannot talk like this," Banerjee said at a media briefing in the state secretariat.

Communal violence broke in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal following an "objectionable" post on Facebook. Several shops were torched and houses ransacked in Baduria, Tentulia and Golabari. 300 paramilitary forces have been rushed to the spot.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 13:42 [IST]
Next VP of India: No names from BJP, no guesses by media

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There are no names and absolutely no guess work in the media as to who would the BJP field as the candidate for the next vice President of India. All we know is that no names have been identified as yet.

There have been no serious discussions as yet on the issue. The process will pick up speed once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his foreign tours early on Sunday, a BJP source informed.

Electoral College: Here is how the next President of India will be elected

The nominee would be an in-house politician with both administrative and parliamentary experience. This candidate would be crucial for the BJP as the Vice President is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP is looking at various options. A person rooted with the right wing ideology is also under consideration by the BJP. While it was being rumoured that the BJP was looking at Venkaiah Naidu as a probable candidate, the same has been dismissed outright by the party.

On Tuesday, the Election Commission issued notification for the poll and July 18 will be the last date for filling nomination. The polling will be held on August 5. Vice President, Hamid Ansari's term comes to an end on August 10.

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Congress protest over BJP members nomination as MLAs in Puducherry

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Puducherry, July 5: The ruling Congress party staged a protest in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly on Wednesday over three BJP members nominated as MLAs by Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi. The move upset the Congress Party. V Saminathan, K.G. Shankar and S Selvaganapathy were nominated and sworn in as MLAs in a quiet manner.

Usually the Speaker administers oath of office but in this case, it was administered by the LG on the instructions of the Union Home Ministry. Several parties, including DMK, have called for a shutdown on July 8.

Lt. Governor Bedi issued a statement that said, "According to the Union Territories Act the nomination of three MLAs to Puducherry Legislative Assembly is to be done by Central the Government and it only says this nothing more."

She further said it is the Ministry of Home Affairs that sends the name to the Puducherry Government, who then notify it, as was done in this case.

"The oath is and can be administered by Administrator. Hence the nomination and the oath is/was laid down under the UT Act," she added. She further said that those who want to be explained the legal position as per the law may read the act.

Oneindia News
SC to examine validity of TN trust vote

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Supreme Court will verify the validity of the trust vote by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, E Palanisamy. The court decided to take up the matter after a petition was filed in which the validity of the trust vote was questioned.

In the petition various aspects about the trust vote including the manner in which was undertaken was questioned by the petitioners. The petitioner sought that the same be declared null and void.

The trust vote became necessary in Tamil Nadu after O Paneerselvam stepped down as the chief minister and rebelled against the party. With the AIADMK faction split into two, it became necessary for Palanisamy to take the trust vote which he won in February.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 11:50 [IST]
Sonal Baberwal from Maharashtra wins prestigious Kalpana Chawla scholarship

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

While making the country proud, this girl from Amaravati in Maharashtra is the first winner of the prestigious Kalpana Chawla scholarship of the International Space University (ISU).

She has been selected and funded as its first exceptional Indian post-graduate student for the university's Space Studies Program at the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) in Ireland.

The 21-year-old, Sonal Baberwal hails from Amaravati. Being brought up in Amaravati, Sonal has studied at the Shri R L T College of Science and the Sipna College of Engineering and Technology in Amaravati, Maharashtra.

According to reports, the Kalpana Chawla scholarship of the ISU is offered at the Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland. It helps in developing strong leadership qualities.

About Kalpana Chawla scholarship

The Kalpana Chawla scholarship project has been established to honour Indian-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who passed away in the space shuttle Columbia accident, on February 1, 2003. Further, the announcement states that the "scholarship is commitment for creating building blocks that are necessary for India to maintain its leadership in the global space community and market place."

Moreover, it provides funding for Indian nationals to attend the ISU's space studies programme.

Oneindia News (with agency inputs)

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 18:29 [IST]
Mamata Banerjee on 3-day visit to Darjeeling to attend swearing-in ceremony of GTA members

TMC office, bus ticket counter set on fire in Kalimpong, West Bengal

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Violence erupted as Trinamool Congress Party office and a North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) ticket counter were set on fire by suspected GJM supporters on Wednesday in Kalimpong, West Bengal.

The situation in Darjeeling remained tensed as the agitation for a separate Gorkhaland entered its 21st day today. The Darjeeling district administration has extended the ban on Internet in the hills through July 14 and served showcase notices on two service providers for allegedly flouting the communication embargo.

#Darjeeling: TMC office and a North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) ticket counter set on fire in Kalimpong. pic.twitter.com/BWwh8SWMZm  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

So far, PWD office, hydel project and health center run by the state government-owned Ramam hydel project at Lodham, have been set ablaze by the suspected Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha supporters.

Except pharmacies all the other shops, restaurants, hotels, schools and colleges remained closed.

The hills have been on the boil since June 8 following the agitation spearheaded by the GJM demanding Gorkhaland. The agitation has also led to widespread violence, claiming two lives.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 16:25 [IST]
Unrest 2.0 planned in Kashmir ahead of Burhan Wani's death anniversary

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Separatists in Kashmir have called for a week long protest starting July 8 to mark the first death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, Burhan Wani. The separatists have decided to re-introduce the calendar of protests like they had done last year following the death of Wani.

On July 8, a complete shut down of the Valley has been ordered by the separatists. On July 9, the separatists have told people to visit the homes of slain militants. On July 11 a major social media campaign has also been planned.

With separatists and terrorists planning a week long stir, the Intelligence Bureau has warned of further trouble in the Valley. Security has been placed at an unprecedented high in the state as security forces are anticipating trouble. We will handle the situation, a Home Ministry official informed.

The security forces who have been given a free hand to deal with the situation have already launched a major offensive called 'Operation clean up.' As part of this operation, the forces have gunned down several militants.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 5:58 [IST]
Xi Jinping tells Chinese army to prepare for war, fight and win it

Angela Merkel and Xi Jinping meet to lay foundations for G20 talks

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Berlin, July 5: Fresh from talks in Russia, China's President Xi Jinping met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday-a preamble to the much-talked about G20 summit on Friday.

Merkel will enlist Chinese assistance to "promote global economic governance", particularly on climate change and free trade-two areas that will take centre-stage at the G20. Germany had previously worked with the United States to promote these causes, but President Trump's "America First" inward-looking agenda have Germany searching for alternative great power partners to help push for internationalist policies.

Later talking at the meet, Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying his country supports the European Union (EU) to be "united, stable, prosperous and open", a media report said.

Xi on Tuesday stressed that China and the EU were two important world powers and enjoyed a comprehensive strategic partnership. The Chinese leader said the more complicated the international situation was, the more significant the stable development of China-EU relations would become, Xinhua news agency reported.

Calling on the EU to build partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization with China, Xi said he hoped the China-Germany relations could play both leading and stabilizing roles.

The Chinese President arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for his second state visit to Germany.

It is the second stop of Xi's ongoing European tour which also took him to Russia.

During his stay in Germany, he would also travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 summit.

(with agency reports)
I love you, 26/11 survivor Baby Moshe tells Modi

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The much awaited meeting has taken place. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi met with Baby Moshe in Israel. Modi was greeted in Hindi by Moshe Holtzberg.

Moshe who survived the 26/11 attack was also flanked by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During the brief meeting with Moshe, Modi invited him over to India. Come to India with your family Modi also told Moshe.

Moshe in turn told Modi that he wishes to visit India soon. Moshe read out a brief note and said, " Dear Modi, I love you and your people."

I am 11 years old and I was raised by my nanny Sandra. I want to be a good student. Always remember my parents. I hope I can visit Mumbai soon, Moshe also said to a loud applause from Modi and the rest.

Modi while inviting Moshe to India said, "you and your family can visit India anytime. We will give you and your family a long term visa, Modi also said.

OneIndia News
Indian-origin teenager stabbed to death in Israel after brawl at birthday party

Israel's PM gifts Indian soldiers' photo to Modi

International

pti-PTI

Jerusalem, Jul 5: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gifted Prime Minister Narendra Modi a photo that depicts Indian soldiers leading a British military column to liberate Jerusalem.

Netanyahu gifted PM Modi the photo during a private dinner that he hosted on Tuesday for the Indian premier at his residence Beit Aghion in Jerusalem with his wife.

"While hosting PM @narendramodi yesterday evening, PM @netanyahu gifted PM Modi a photo," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

"The photo depicts Indian soldiers leading a British military column to liberate Jerusalem (December 11, 1917)," it said.

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit, presented the replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artifacts of the long Jewish history in India.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th Century, the PMO had tweeted.

The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochin Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma), to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban.

The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India. These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church.

PTI
India at UN says priority is to ensure elections in Libya

Libya accuses Qatar, Sudan, Turkey of supporting terrorism

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Cairo, July 5: Libya on Tuesday accused Qatar, Sudan and Turkey of supporting terrorism in the conflict-torn Arab country.

"By supporting terrorists, Qatar committed crimes against humanity in Libya," Xinhua quoted Libyan military spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmary as saying in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The Libyan spokesman said that he has documents proving involvement of the three countries of providing Libyan terror militia with logistic provisions, saying he will present the documents to the international community.

"All we need from the international community is to lift the arms embargo imposed on the Libyan army to fight terrorism," said the Libyan military spokesman.

He also said that his army achieved progress and controlled vast areas in Libya despite fighting four major categories: the Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood group and criminal gangs which possess weapons and ammunition.

"In one week, we controlled three large airbases in central Libya," Mesmary said, adding that his army managed to completely destroy the IS in Benghazi. He clarified that the IS presence in Libya is declining while the criminal gangs control large parts in Tripoli.

IANS

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 10:32 [IST]
Modi in Israel: How the Pakistan media covered it

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Pakistan media has been extensively covering the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel. Modi incidentally is the first ever Prime Minister to visit Israel. The fact that he will not be visiting Ramallah has also been creating a lot of buzz.

Pakistan's most influential daily had a report titled, "Modi set to become first Indian PM to visit Israel." The report focused on the defence deals between India and Israel. It also said about the transaction diplomacy between the two countries and how Modi might use the opportunity to encourage manufacturers from Israel to come and built their business in India. The report also spoke about how India-Israel relations have bloomed and how New Delhi is increasingly turning away from its old-time military hardware ally Russia.

The Dawn also had another report titled, "Modi heads to Israel, lifting the curtain on close ties." It spoke about how Modi skipping the visit to Ramallah, the seat of Palestinian Authority at a time when there is alleged growth of extremism in India can make a strong statement.

The Express Tribune used a wire copy to talk about how the visit has made the Indian Jews in Israel excited. It quotes several Indian Jews who are terming the visit a landmark moment for the Jewish state. Dunya news also used a wire copy similar to Dawn to report on the visit.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 7:08 [IST]
Pakistani-origin terrorist's sister sacked from UK airport job

International

oi-PTI

London, Jul 5: The sister of Pakistani-origin terrorist Khuram Butt, who was killed during the terror attack on London Bridge last month, has been sacked from her job as a security officer at Heathrow airport.

Haleema Butt and her husband, Usman Darr, were suspended soon after the attack on June 4 and questioned by security services. Haleema, a 28-year-old mother of two, has now had her employment terminated, according to the Daily Mirror.

"Haleema and Usman are not extreme at all. They're really upset about what Khuram did," a source close to the couple told the newspaper. "You should take it up with Heathrow," Haleema Butt said when asked about her job at her north-west London home this week.

"Our top priority is always the safety and security of our passengers and colleagues. In co-ordination with the authorities, an investigation is under way and as a precautionary measure, we have taken action to suspend two individuals," a Heathrow spokesperson said.

Usman, who has worked at Heathrow airport for a number of years, is believed to be still suspended. While there is no suggestion that Haleema Butt or Usman Darr are extremists or knew what Khuram Butt was planning, Haleema is believed to have had her contract terminated following a probe over staff vetting procedures.

Khuram Butt, believed to be the ringleader of the terrorists who crashed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before going on a stabbing spree in nearby Borough Market claiming eight lives, was known to the UK's M15 intelligence services as a key figure in the extremist group Al-Muhajiroun.

The 27-year-old grew up in east London along with his older sister, who is believed to have got the job at Heathrow just two months before the attack. UK terror experts are now calling for more stringent background checks on people applying for sensitive jobs.

"Security roles at places such as Heathrow are critical as these are the people stopping terrorists putting bombs on planes. We need to be doing more to check the names of employees against terror watch lists," Col Hamish de Bretton Gordon, former head of chemical weapons for NATO and the British Army, said.

"We can't suggest this sister is in any way sympathetic to her brother's views, but there have been enough terror cases where relatives have been acting together for the need for these checks to be done."

PTI

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 18:02 [IST]
Sikkim stand off: Up to India to exercise military option says China

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Sikkim stand off has been termed by China as a grave situation. It is completely up to India whether it wants to exercise military option or not, but China is in favour of a peaceful resolution said its Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui.

The ball is in India's court the Ambassador said. There has been talk of a military option, but it is totally up to India whether to exercise the same or not, Zhaohui also said.

The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a "pre- condition", he asserted.

The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India, he said.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese army's construction party came to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.

"The situation is grave and made me deeply worried. It is the first time that Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognised boundary and trespassed into China's territory, triggering a close range face off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased," Luo said.

He also asserted that India has no right to interfere with the China-Bhutan boundary talks, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry said that it is concerned about the situation, but also added that such construction would represent a significant change in status quo.

As for the so called 'security concerns' of the Indian side, India has crossed a delimited boundary into other country's territory in the name of security concerns, no matter what kind of activities it conducts there, which will not acceptable to any sovereign state.

India cannot encroach upon the territory of other countries on the ground of its 'security concerns'. Otherwise, the world would be in chaos, Zhaohui also added.

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Story first published: Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 5:49 [IST]
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Taipei, July 5 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () on Wednesday pledged that her administration is committed to the development of wind power in Taiwan, saying that it is not only a source of power but will also help create jobs in the country.
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Global Seamless Steel Tube Market 2017 - Vallourec, Tenaris, TMK, U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, ISMT

Seamless Steel Tube Market

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Global Seamless Steel Tube market Report offers decisive insights into the overall Seamless Steel Tube industry along with the market dimensions and evaluation for the duration 2017 to 2022. The forenamed research study covers extensive analysis of various Seamless Steel Tube industry segments based on the type of applications, type of product Components and services, and different geographical regions.Seamless steel tube market is made from a solid round steel billet which is heated and pushed or pulled over a form until the steel is shaped into a hollow tube.Browse full report with TOC @This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Seamless Steel Tube from 2011-2016, and provides extensive market forecasts (2016-2021) by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Seamless Steel Tube market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Seamless Steel Tube, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Global Seamless Steel Tube Market 2011-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Seamless Steel Tube market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies.Global key players of the Seamless Steel Tube Market : key playersU.S. Steel (USA)Vallourec (France)Tenaris (Luxembourg)TMK (Russia)Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal (Japan)ISMT (India)Tianjin Pipe Corporation (China)Baotou Iron & Steel (China)Hengyang Valin Steel Tube (China)Ansteel (China)Baosteel (China)Jiangsu Changbao (China)Yangzhou Lontrin (China)Request For Report Sample Here:The report studies the industry for (Seamless Steel Tube Market) mainly covers 15 Topics acutely display the global Seamless Steel Tube Market.Topic, this report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy and news;Topic 2, the analysis on industry chain is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players. And the analysis on manufacturing including process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted;Topic 3, 4 global and regional market is analyzed. In these chapters, this report analyzed major market data like capacity, production, capacity utilization rate, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, supply, import, export, consumption, market share, growth rate and etc. For regional market, this report analyzed major regions like Global, North America, South America, Asia (Excluding China), China and ROW. These analysis are conducted;Topic 5, 6 and 7, the performance of major manufacturers are analyzed and then in Chapter 6 and 7 the analysis on major classification and application.Topic 8, Then the marketing channel analysis is provided including the major distributorsTopic 9 and 10, this report analyzed the market forecast from 2017 to 2022 for global and regional market in Chapter 9 and the new project investment feasibility analysis;Topic 11, At last, this report provided the conclusions of this researchThis report is a valuable source of guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers, investors and individuals who have interest in this market.About Market Research Store:Market Research Store is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. Market Research Store is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United States
Global Attenuators Market Size 2017 Vishay, Texas Instruments, Panasonic, TT Electronics, AVX, Maxim Integrated, NXP

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Attenuators MarketA market study  Global Attenuators Market  examines the performance of the Attenuators market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Attenuators market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Attenuators market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Attenuators Market 2017 report includes Attenuators market Size, Revenue, market Share, Attenuators industry volume, market Trends, Attenuators Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Attenuators Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Top Manufacturers (Sellers) Analysis of Attenuators Market 2017:Firstly, the report covers the top Attenuators manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Attenuators report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Attenuators industry, Attenuators industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Attenuators Market devel1. Vishay2. Texas Instruments3. Analog Devices Inc.4. IDT(Integrated Device Technology)5. Panasonic6. TT Electronics7. AVX8. Maxim Integrated9. NXP10. Skyworksopment scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Inquiry Here:The Attenuators research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Attenuators market revenue worldwide.Finally, Attenuators market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:'Depth Market Research' is a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244,United States
Global dental equipment market was valued at US$ 6,342.3 million in 2015 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.7%

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High treatment costs in developed economies fueling influx of dental tourists in emerging economiesAccording to the New National Survey published in the American Dental Association in 2014, 40.2% of adults in the U.S. indicated that they would forego dental care due to high costs associated with it. According to 2016 statistics of the Oral Health Foundation, 88% of adults in the U.K.do not have dental insurance and around 63% of adults prefer visiting National Health Service (NHS) dentists rather than private dentists due to high costs associated with the later. High dental cost involved in cosmetic dentistry dental caries, periodontal disease treatment and overall dental care in developed economies is fueling growth of dental tourism in emerging regions such as Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Rapid development of dental tourism hubs such as India and Brazil would spur growth of the dental equipment market in emerging regions.Get exclusive sample copy @Increasing preference for refurbished dental equipment impacting the growth of overall dental equipment marketBudget constraints in emerging countries such as India, China, Brazil and Eastern European countries is driving demand for refurbished dental equipment. This aids the newly established dental clinics and laboratories to achieve cost-efficiency with quality throughput. New dental equipment such as cone beam CT systems, vacuums & compressors, cad/cam, digital X-ray units and laboratory equipment involve high capital investment. This may increase the cost of patient dental procedures, thus negatively impacting the number of patient visits. Therefore, most dentists and hospitals in emerging countries prefer refurbished equipment, which in turn helps them pass on the cost-saving benefits to their patients. Market players such as Danaher Corporation, Planmeca Oy, and Dentsply Sirona, Inc. must consider the cost parameters while targeting the cost-sensitive customer base in emerging countries that are projected to be highly lucrative dental equipment markets in the near future.Dental Equipment  Advance low cost technologies to drive the dental equipment marketDentistry is an ever-evolving healthcare segment, with numerous technologies being researched, developed, tried and commercialized to improve therapy outcomes. Growing number of dental clinics is in turn driving adoption of dental lasers, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems, dental radiology equipment, and other laboratory equipment.Advent of CAD/CAM & 3D printing fueling dental equipment market growthLaser and electro surgery techniques enable precise incision during surgeries, causing minimal damage to tissues and subsequently aiding faster healing. Advent of CAD/CAM has reduced time for prosthodontic restoration procedures to one day. Replacement of conventional radiology equipment with digital radiology equipment equipped with picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) facilitates archiving treatment records. 3D printing technology has improved outcomes of dental treatments. Cone beam CT systems provides clear extra oral images with minimal exposure to harmful X-rays compared to the conventional CT systems.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Lab-On-a-Chip Market  Global Industry Insights, Trends, Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a device that incorporates one or several laboratory functions on a single integrated circuit whose size varies from few millimeters to limited square centimeters to achieve automation and throughput screening process. Lab-on-a-chip devices can hold up to a small amount of fluid having volume less than Pico liters. Furthermore, such devices are the part of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), which is also known as micro total analysis system (TAS). Lab-on-a-chip devices allow laboratory synthesis or chemical analysis on a very small scale that have recently shown significant benefits and potential for a wide range of applications such as genomic research, proteomics research, analytical chemistry, environmental monitoring, the point of care diagnostics, and biohazards detection. LOC devices reduces the use of reagents and sample consumption, which reduces the result output time. LOC devices are small in size, portable, cost effective in manufacturing and requires less power as compared to conventional lab devices. These are the few factors, which are expected to fuel the growth of the lab-on-a-chip market.Request a sample copy of this report:Lab-on-a-chip market taxonomy:By ApplicationGenomicsProteomicsDiagnosticsDrug DiscoveryBy ProductReagents and ConsumablesSoftwareInstrumentsBy End-UserHospitalsDiagnostic LabsAcademic and Research InstitutesHome CareBiotechnology and Pharmaceutical CompaniesBy TechnologyMicroarraysMicrofluidicsWide range of application and advance technology fuels the growth of lab-on-a-chip marketLab-on-a-chip devices are used for various purposes such as analytical chemistry and diagnostics but they are majorly used in diagnostic and life-science research. The utilization of the device is significantly depends on the epidemiological factors globally. For instance, there is an increase in infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, measles and malaria. As per The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) there are around 36 million people infected from HIV/AIDS globally. Also, there is observable rise in peripheral vascular disorders such as claudication, arteriosclerosis obliterans and intermittent claudication. Furthermore, with an increase in healthcare investment the market growth of LOC devices is expected to gain traction in the near future.In 2016, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the U.S. 12-20% of the population aged age 60 and above are diagnosed with the peripheral vascular disease every year, which is approximately 8.5 million. There is a significant increase in geriatric population that supports the growth in lab-on-a-chip market as according to World Health Organization (W.H.O) it is expected that in near future geriatric population will double. According to National Institute of Aging, in 2016 there are around 620 million people globally are above the age of 65 and is expected to grow to 1.6 billion by 2050. Moreover, the increase in personalized medicine and cancer research will lead to the increase in the lab-on-a-chip market in the near future with many of the further supporting factors of the devices such as user friendly approach, easily portable and wide use in hospitals and surgical centers supports. Increasing use of conventional laboratory equipment is the major challenge that is expected to slow down the pace in awareness of the device by healthcare experts. Lab-on-a-chip technology is projected to get commercialized gradually however, in near future, this technology is expected to play a major role in the life-science industry.Click here to know more about this report:Developed regions are major growth engine of lab-on-a-chip marketThe globally lab-on-a-chip market is segmented into North America. Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. North America is leading the market in terms of increase in geriatric population, research, advancement in technology and wide acceptance of the lab-on-a-chip technology. According to Population Reference Bureau, in 2016 there were around 40 million people in U.S. above 65 and over and it is expected to reach 19 million by 2050. Europe is the second largest region in the lab-on-a-chip market due to the region being an early adopter of advanced technologies. Asia Pacific is the fastest emerging region due to a large population and unmet clinical needs of people. According to Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in 2016, there are around 4.5 billion people in Asia Pacific.Key players to support the growth of lab-on-a-chip marketTakra Bio Inc., Nobel Biocare Services AG, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., PerkinElmer Inc., and Cepheid Inc., are among the major players in the lab-on-a-chip market.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
United States Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) Market 2017 Key Players - Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, U.S. Oil & Refining, Axeon, Shell

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United States Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) Market Report 2017The reports analysis is based on technical data and industry figures sourced from the most reputable databases. Other aspects that will prove especially beneficial to readers of the report are: investment feasibility analysis, recommendations for growth, investment return analysis, trends analysis, opportunity analysis, and SWOT analyses of competing companies. With the help of inputs and insights from technical and marketing experts, the report presents an objective assessment of the Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) market.Download Free Sample Report @To begin with, the report defines the Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) market and segments it based on the most important dynamics, such as applications, geographical/regional markets, and competitive scenario. Macroeconomic and microeconomic factors environments that currently prevail and also those that are projected to emerge are covered in this report.For technical data and manufacturing plants analysis, the report analyzes Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) leading suppliers on capacity, commercial production date, manufacturing plants distribution, R&D Status, technology sources, and raw materials sources.Some of the sample companies profiled in the Voltage Detector Market report are as follows: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Axeon, Shell, U.S. Oil & RefiningThis report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc. Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, Downstream client survey, Marketing channels, Industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) new project SWOT analysis, Investment feasibility analysis, Investment return analysis, and Development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on United States Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) industry. Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Teams survey and interviews.Access Full Report @Other important aspects that have been meticulously studied in the Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) market report are: Demand and supply dynamics, import and export scenario, industry processes and cost structures, and major R&D initiatives. The new opportunities they present to market players have been mentioned in the report. A detailed segmentation evaluation of the Vacuum Gas Oil(VGO) market has been provided in the report.Browse Related Reports:About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Cloud-RAN (Radio Access Network) Market size in terms of volume and value 2014-2020

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Cloud-RAN,orCentralized-RAN (C-RAN) is an advanced cellular network architecture for mobile network infrastructure that can support 2G, 3G and 4G system and meet wireless communication benchmarks. Cloud-RAN is outpacing traditional cellular network system as it doesnt require RF (radio frequency) equipment, antenna, BTS (baseband unit) and digital processor to be deployed in the cell site. Traditional cellular network architecture demands more power, space, additional big cell towers and directional antennae to support new air interface technologies such as LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and multi-frequency bands. Moreover, enhancement of traditional cellular network in a wireless network to support data traffic demand becomes economically unsustainable. In contrast, Cloud-RAN enhances mobile communications and helps cellular network operators in delivering qualitative and effective mobile communication services at a reasonable cost.Cloud-RAN ensures centralization of baseband processing in one location. To connect to RRH (remote radio heads), fibre optical cables are required.Cloud-RAN is based on new technologies,viz. cloud computing thatcan take advantage of advanced remote antennae or radio head techniques and SDN (software-defined network) approaches.Request For Report Sample@Cloud-RAN offers various benefits like reduction in cost of network operations. The three types of cost reductions are energy consumption, site rental expenses and operational & maintenance cost of network. These savings can be balanced against cost incurred on fibre optical cables required to meet fronthaul capacity and latency requirements. Cloud-RAN also enhances capacity due to coordinated multipoint and ensures speedy performance. Aforementioned benefits of Cloud-RAN architecture automatically increase the value of service to end-users. However, initial high investment required to deploy Cloud-RAN architecture acts as one of the major challengesfor the growth of Cloud-RAN market.The Cloud-RAN market can be categorizedinto component, services and geography.The market is segmented on the basis of thenatureof its components, which includes six major categories -BBU (Baseband Units), RRU (Remote Radio Units), optical transport network, servers, processors and measurement device. On the basis of services segment, the Cloud-RAN market can be categorized into network services, custom services and system integration services. The market can also be segmented on the basis of major geographies, into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Eastern Europe and Middle East & Africa.Cloud-RAN is a global multi-billion dollar market which is expected to exhibit a considerable growth in CAGR, from 2014 to 2020. The key drivers include need to reduce increasing data traffic and Capex&Opexexpenditure, which are the biggest revenue generators for the Cloud-RANmarket. The key restraint to this market is high initial cost of deployment and dependency on availability of fibre. Major players in Cloud-RAN market focuses on partnerships, joint ventures, and acquisition &merger strategies in order to outperform their competitors. For instance, in 2013 Intel Corp. acquired Mindspeed Technologies and extended its offerings with new mobile system services i.e. Cloud-RAN.Visit For TOC@Some of the key players identified in the Cloud-RAN market are Ceragon Networks Ltd.,Actix Ltd., Aricent Technologies, JDSU, 6WIND, MTI Radiocomp, Altera Corp., Mindspeed Technologies, Inc., Intel Corporation, VitesseSemiconductor, Telco Systems, VPI Systems, Telco Systems and TEOCO among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Food Grade Lubricants Market Dynamics, Forecast, Analysis and Supply Demand 2014-2020

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Food grade lubricants refer to lubricants that are used to maintain the food processing machinery, i.e. it protects the tools and machines from wear and tear. However, since many of them come into direct contact with food, these lubricants used in these machineries need to be different from the usual machine lubricants. In other words, they should not render the food unfit for consumption. With recent advances in the food processing industry, there is now much variety in the machinery used to process each food/beverage category. With growing concern over the food we eat, food processors need to comply with various regulatory frameworks like the Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP). The standards vary from country to country. However, these are internationally accepted standards which are followed by food grade lubricant manufacturers. For instance, the non-profit public health and safety company, NSF International, along with USDA, has set standards for various food grade lubricants.These days, food safety is the highest priority for the food processors, and they take utmost care to maintain the same. H1 and H2 are the two most common broad spectrum food grade lubricants that are used in machinery involving incidental food contact and no food contact respectively. However, with the drive to produce innovative products in the food processing industry, the demand for customised and high performance food grade lubricants is expected to swell in near future. Food grade lubricants range from hydraulic fluids, oven chain oils, gear oils, compressor oils and vacuum pump oils to specialty lubricants such as can seamer oil. Different processes require different grades of oil. For instance, H3 (soluble oil) is used to prevent rust on trolleys, hooks and similar equipment whereas 3H release agents are used on chopping boards, cutters, grills, loaf pans, boning benches and other such hard surfaces.Request For Report Sample@Cutting edge equipment technology has always been the driver of the processed food industry and vice-versa. The demand for food grade lubricants is increasing with the increase in the size of the processed food industry worldwide, as well as proliferating food safety laws. All the major companies adhere to food safety laws in order to avoid product recalls and penalty fees. The trend is more prominent in developed countries such as the U.S., U.K, Canada, Norway, Germany, France and Italy. These countries, along with other developed countries, are expected to remain the main target market during the forecast period. Developing countries such as China, Brazil, India and South Africa are expected to grow at a slower rate with regard to food grade lubricants.The market can be segmented by type into H1 lubricants, H2 lubricants, 3H (releasing agents), H3 (soluble oils) and others. Geographically, the market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America (U.S., Canada and Mexico), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, and the Rest of the World (Latin America and South Africa). These lubricants are used in bakeries, the beverage industry, meat processing, pharmaceuticals, confectionery, and fruit and vegetable processing.The largest market by type worldwide is that of H1 food grade grease which can be used in variety of processes. It can be either petroleum based or synthetic in composition. Aluminium complex thickened grease is the most common and widely used lubricant as it can withstand high temperatures, is very water resistant, and is an important component in food & beverage processing equipment because of post shift equipment wash downs.Currently, North America is the largest market for food grade lubricants as USDA (The United States Department of Agriculture) has laid down stringent food safety laws for food processors. However, countries like India, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa and Brazil are potential growth drivers as a large number of American companies have set up manufacturing units in these emerging markets. The European market is relatively less regulated in food grade lubricants and lacks proper laws pertaining to the same.Visit For TOC@Some of the players of the food grade lubricant market are ITW ROCOL, Bel-Ray Company LLC, Lubriplate Lubricants Company, Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. and Suncor Energy Inc. among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Cryoablation Devices Market: Global industry Insights, Size, Share, Opportunity Analysis, and Industry Forecast till 2025

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According to W.H.O, in 2017, cancer is one of the leading causes for morbidity and mortality around the globe, with around 14 million cases in 2012, the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase by 70% by 2030. Also as per American Cancer Society, in 2016 estimated 1,685,210 new cancer cases were observed in U.S. The market is expected to gain significant traction in emerging economies of Asia Pacific, due to projected spurt in number of cancer cases detected in the region. According to American Cancer Society, 4.3 million new cancer cases were reported in China in 2015. This increase in cancer cases will support the growth of cryoablation devices market in the future.As cryoablation devices have more specificity and help curtail growth of targeted cells effectively, demand for these devices is increasing year-on-year for the treatment of cancer, also the market players have opportunity to develop technically advanced devices and tap into major lucrative market in North America, which has recently witnessed the approval of these devices for cancer treatment.Request for an exclusive sample of this report:The growing aging population and obesity rate are the major risk factor for atrial fibrillation. As per W.H.O., worldwide obesity has more than doubled and it is reached to more than 1.9 billion obese population in 2014 from 1980, as well as around 41 million children under the age of 5 were obese in 2014 and this number is continuously on rise in emerging countries. As per the stats of W.H.O. around 10.6 million children who are obese found in Africa in 2014, also close to half of the children under 5 who were obese lived in Asia in 2014. This increase in number of obese population in emerging countries will support to expand the customer base for companies in untapped market.Cryoablation Devices  Rising Demand for Complex ProceduresMany of the primary hepatic cancers are classified as hepatocellular carcinoma. When a cells resembling the hepatocytes aggregates and forms tumor that is called as hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a malignant tumor. However, the resemblance may vary with the intensity of differentiation. Liver cirrhosis is expected to be closely related to the hepatocellular carcinoma, which is potentially a curable form of tumor and can be treated by surgical resection. However, only such patients those who are having localized disease are surgical candidates. Furthermore, impairment of liver function and degree of localization of the tumor determine patient prognosis proliferation. The various clinical trials offers an alternative treatment options for different patients who are not candidates for resection.Request for Customized Tables and Figures:According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase by 70% by 2030 as compared to 2012. This increase in cancer cases will support growth of cryoablation devices market, as cryoablation is a preferred treatment for cancer. The change in lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits, along with increasing consumption of tobacco and alcohol is the leading cause for growth in number of cancer cases. As per stats released by National Cancer Institute (NCI), around 1,685,210 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2016. According to WHO, cancer was the cause for 8.8 million deaths in 2015.As cryoablation devices have more specificity and help curtail growth of targeted cells effectively, demand for these devices is increasing year-on-year in both developed as well as emerging economies for treatment of cancer. As cryoablation procedure avoids major surgery and thus, has low patient recovery time, it is gaining traction across the globe. The market is expected to gain significant traction in emerging economies of Asia Pacific, due to projected spurt in number of cancer cases detected in the region. According to American Cancer Society, 4.3 million new cancer cases were reported in China in 2015 and this number is continuously increasing year-on-year.Rising demand for cryoablation for complex procedures and rising geriatric population are expected to favor the growth in the adoption rate for cryoablation procedures around the globe over the forecast periodEconomies of China and Japan are among the largest markets for cryoablation devices, given their large geriatric population. Cryoablation, being a minimally-invasive procedure, is highly recommended for treatment of elderly people, characterized by a weaken immune system. As per United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (U.N. DESA), there were 125 million people aged 80 years or over in 2015, which is expected to increase to 434 million by 2050. Furthermore, the number of people aged 60 years or over is estimated to grow by 56% between 2015 and 2030. This rise in number of aged population will support the growth of cryoablation devices market through increase in use of cryoablation devices for the treatment of elder people who cannot undergo open heart surgery.The global cryoablation devices market is estimated to be valued at US$ 122.1 Mn in 2017 and is expected to witness a robust CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period (2017  2025).To know more about this research, kindly visit:Some of the major companies in cryoablation devices market are Medtronic Inc, Galil Medical Inc, AtriCure, Inc., IceCure Medical and Sanarus Technologies.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Orphan Drugs Market  Global Industry Insights, Trends, Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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The drugs which are developed for treatment of rare diseases and conditions are referred to as orphan drugs. The rare diseases such as Tourette syndrome, Huntingtons disease, muscular dystrophy, myoclonus, and ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease) are some of those diseases for treatment of which adequate drugs have not been developed, and hence these diseases are treated by orphan drugs. Orphan drugs are developed by the pharmaceutical companies for public health need, and the sales generated by this drugs are very minimal when compared to normal drugs. The orphan diseases manifest in patient populations representing 6-8% of the global population. Symptoms of some orphan diseases may appear at birth or in childhood including cystic fibrosis, infantile spinal muscular atrophy, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), and some others.Developing novel indications for designated orphan drugs is expected to drive the orphan drugs marketThere are around 5,000 rare diseases listed globally and 80% of those are to genetic origins. The probability of getting infected by these diseases in adults is 50%.The need for the development of orphan drugs which will treat such diseases and proactive initiatives undertaken by government and regulatory authorities are the major factors driving the orphan drugs market. For instance, the authorities of U.S. FDA for orphan drug development department are providing the incentives to healthcare and biotechnology industries in order to enhance their research and development in orphan drugs. There are few drugs that have been withdrawn from the market due to certain risk developed over prolong administration of these drugs. However, these drugs have shown good results for treatment of those diseases which in particular do not have any standard drug, owing to drive the orphan drugs market. For instance, thalidomide used as a hypnotic drug was withdrawn from market when teratogenic risk was discovered, however, this drug has shown prominent result in treating leprosy.Request a sample copy of this report:Developing orphan drugs that are used to treat rare diseases do not have a high profit margin for the manufacturers and prolong timeline for product development and manufacturing, uncertain and expensive, are the factors hindering the growth of orphan drugs market. However, the untapped emerging market and development of novel indications for designated orphan drugs is expected to create various opportunities in the orphan drugs industry.The increasing prevalence of rare cancer in patients owing to oncological diseases segment to dominate in the orphan drugs marketThe global orphan drugs market is segmented on the basis of disease, by product type and by regionOn the basis of disease type,Hematologic and Immunologic diseasesInfectious diseasesMetabolic diseasesNeurologic diseasesOncologic diseasesOther orphan diseasesOn the basis of product type,Biological orphan drugsNon-biological orphan drugsNumerous collaborative research programs across North America and Europe is owing to growth of orphan drugs marketRegional segmentation of orphan drugs market by Coherent Market Insights comprises of North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America dominates the market globally due to factors such as established regulatory and reimbursement framework and incentives given by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for research and development in orphan drugs sector. The various collaborative research programs across United States and Europe provides research data on rare diseases to manufacturers, patients and health experts which gives timely medical care, thus boost the orphan drug market. Whereas the prevalence of genetic diseases and growth of population are some factors which might allow the orphan drugs manufacturers to invest in the Asia Pacific region.Click here to know more about this report:Initiatives taken by government to increase the investment in orphan drugs development driving the growth of orphan drugs market.Key players operating the orphan drugs market are Acorda Therapeutics, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Amgen, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Baxter international, Bayer healthcare pharmaceuticals, Biomarin Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, F.Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Johnson and Johnson and many others. The increase in investments, and some initiatives taken by government helping the orphan drug manufacturers. For instance, U.S. government provides 50% of tax credit on the research and development expenses spent on the orphan drugs development by manufacturers. However the high cost of the orphan drugs and generation of small sales from it is amongst those factors which is lowering the interest of companies for market.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Dental Implants and Prosthetics Market Trends, Regulations And Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2025

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Dental implant is an artificial tooth that is placed in jaw to act as replacement tooth. People who have lost their tooth or teeth due to injury, periodontal disease and other reasons may use dental implant as an alternative to the natural tooth. Prosthetics are used to reconstruct the intraoral defects such as soft or hard structure of the jaw, missing parts and others. Rising number of people suffering from periodontal disease is one of the important factors driving the growth of dental implants and prosthetics. For instance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that 47.2% of the total population above the age of 65 years suffers from some kind of periodontal disease. Thus, with the rise in periodontal diseases globally the dental implants and prosthetics market is also expected to grow in near future.Request For Report Sample@The global dental implants and prosthetics market can be segmented as follows:Dental Implants MarketBy TypeTitanium Dental ImplantsProcedure StageSingle StageTwo StageConnector TypeExternal HexagonalInternal HexagonalInternal OctagonalZirconium Dental ImplantDental Prosthetics MarketCrowns and BridgesPorcelain fused to Metal Crowns and BridgesAll Ceramics Crowns and BridgesMetallic Crowns and BridgesDenturesAbutmentsRising edentulous population, increasing disposable income and growing awareness for dental care are some of key factors driving the growth of dental implants and prosthetics market. For instance, it has been estimated that in 2010 approximately 160 million people globally were edentulous which accounts for 2.3% of the global population. In addition, increasing geriatric population and changing lifestyle also propel the growth of this market. According, to the World Health Organization (WHO) it has been estimated that the global elderly population is expected to reach around 2 billion by 2050; thiswas around 524 million in 2010. Moreover, the global geriatric population is expected to grow at the fastest rate in developed countries such as Italy, Germany, the U.K., the U.S. and Japan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 40 million people in the country belonged to the elderly category in 2011. Around 89 million people are estimated to be beyond the age of 65 years by 2050.Thus, increasing geriatric population globally augments the demand for dental implants and prosthetics.Technological advancements in the field of dentistry also drive the growth of this market. With the introduction of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology has significantly reduced the dental treatment time. Thus, all the above mentioned factors collectively drive the growth of dental implants and prosthetics market. However, unfavorable reimbursement policies restrict the growth of this market during the study period.Geographically, Europe accounts for the largest share of the global dental implants and prosthetic market as the key players are domiciled in this region followed by North America. In addition, increasing geriatric population, presence of organized distribution channels and rising disposable income are of the major factors driving the global demand of this market during the forecast period 2015 to 2025. In addition, Asia-Pacific is estimated to be fastest growing market for dental implants and prosthetic owing to increasing healthcare awareness, population aging and rising medical tourism in countries such as India, Japan, Malaysia and others. However, economic slowdown in developed regions such as Europe and North America coupled with unfavorable reimbursement policies inhibits the global growth of dental implants and prosthetics market.Visit For TOC@3M Company, Biomet, Inc., Nobel Biocare, Straumann, Zimmer Holdings, Dentsply International, Zimmer Dental, BioHorizons, Inc., Ivoclar Vivadent AG are some of the leading companies having their presence in the global dental implants and prosthetics market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Wound Dressing Market- Insights, Size, Share, Opportunity Analysis, and Industry Forecast till 2024

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According to 2015 report by The College of Podiatric Medicine, 9%-20% of patients in the U.S. with diabetic foot ulcers require hospitalization. Furthermore, the report states that cost of treatment of diabetic foot ulcer increase with age and the cost of treatment with advanced wound dressings sometimes may be double than conventional wound dressings. Higher cost of treatment with advanced wound care is also associated with comorbidities associated with diabetic foot ulcer. Moreover, according to WHO, burn injuries are more prevalent in low and middle income countries. Therefore, companies need to accordingly develop cost-effective products that cater the large patient population in low and middle income countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Wide availability of affordable products would fuel growth of the wound dressings market in these regions during the forecast period.Browse Full Report:Diabetes UK estimates that diabetic patients are 30 times more likely to have an amputation compared to general population. With such high probability, a large number of amputation surgeries are witnessed each year, subsequently requiring effective wound dressing to prevent infection post-surgery. Wound dressings are broadly classified into three categories, namely active, passive, and interactive dressings. While passive wound dressings have protective function, active wound dressings promote healing by creating a moist wound environment. Thus, demand for advanced wound dressings such as hydrogels and foams would subsequently increase. Interactive dressings on the other hand, create a moist wound environment and also interact with the wound bed components to enhance wound healing. Dressings such as hydrogels and alginates require secondary dressing, as they are permeable and non-occlusive. Composites multi-layer dressings are relatively expensive and can be used for primary and secondary wound dressing. The global wound dressings market is expected to be driven by increasing demand for advanced wound dressings.The global wound dressings market was valued at US$ 8,269.5 million in 2015 and is expected to witness a moderate CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period (2016  2024).According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), diabetic foot ulcers have been estimated to affect 1% to 4% of diabetic population annually in the U.S. Besides, according to Diabetes UK, prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers in diabetic patients is estimated to be 2.5%, accounting for nearly 86,000 people in the U.K. in 2015. Moreover, according to the organization there are nearly 7,400 leg, foot or toe amputation procedures every year in England. The American Journal of Internal Medicine estimates that nearly half of the diabetic population in Canada have at least one hospitalization in their lifespan for treatment of diabetic foot infection.According to the World health Organization (WHO), there are nearly 265,000 deaths globally every year due to burns. Moreover, as per WHO, over 100,000 people in India suffer from burns every year, while burns are the second most common injury in Nepal accounting for 5% of disabilities.Request a sample copy of this report:Considering the high prevalence and incidence rate, market players have opportunities to capitalize on different patient groups in the wound dressings market.This report provides in-depth analysis of the wound dressing products and provides market size (US$ Million) and Cumulative Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the forecast period: 2016  2024, considering 2015 as the base yearIt elucidates potential revenue opportunity across different segments and explains attractive investment proposition matrix for this marketThis study also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approval, regional outlook, and competitive strategy adopted by the leading playersIt profiles leading players in the global wound dressings market based on the following parameters  company overview, financial performance, product portfolio, geographical presence, distribution strategies, key developments and strategies and future plansKey companies covered as a part of this study include 3M Company, Coloplast A/S, Derma Sciences, Inc., Smith & Nephew plc, Medtronic, Molnlycke Healthcare, Medline Industries, Inc., Organogenesis Inc., Alliqua BioMedical, Inc., Integra LifeSciences Corporation, and MiMedx Group, Inc.Insights from this report would allow marketers and management authorities of companies to make informed decision with respect to their future product launch, end user upgrades, market expansion, and marketing tacticsThe global wound dressings market report caters to various stakeholders in this industry, including investors, manufacturers and distributors for wound dressings products, end users, research and consulting firms, new entrants, and financial analystsAsk for Discount before Buying @Various strategy matrices used in analyzing the wound dressings market would provide stakeholders vital inputs to make strategic decisions accordinglyAbout Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Natural Flavours Market Regulations and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2025

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The market for natural flavours has grown tremendously over the past couple of years due to increase awareness of health coupled with emerging middle class across the globe. Flavours are used in food and beverages in order to enhance the taste and quality of the products. Thousands of natural volatile compounds make up the flavours and aromas of the food products that we eat in our day to day life. The definition of natural flavour under the Code of Federal Regulations is: the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavouring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavouring rather than nutritional. The market is buoyant for the coming years especially in Europe for the natural and clean label flavours.Natural Flavours Market: Drivers and RestraintsGrowing consumer interest in natural ingredients coupled with the strong command of retailers in the supply chain has made natural flavours easily and widely available in the market for consumers and are the major driving forces of the market globally. However, rising cost of raw materials and the issues of sustainability and stability of natural flavours over synthetic flavours are major restraining factor of the natural flavour market. Trends of the natural flavour market includes demands for clean-label products categories such as confectionery and soft drinks and growth in R&D for stability of natural flavour.Request For Report Sample@Natural Flavours Market: SegmentationNatural flavour market is segmented on the basis of product type, application and region. On the basis of product type the market can be segmented into natural extract, aroma chemical, essential oils and other natural flavour. Furthermore, on the basis of application natural flavour market can be segmented into beverages, dairy product, confectionary, oral products, tobacco and others. Beverages was the largest segment in natural flavour market followed by dairy products in 2014. Lastly, on the basis of region the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan and Middle East and Africa.Natural Flavours Market: Region-Wise OutlookIn 2014, North America holds the largest market of natural flavours followed by Europe. However, Asia Pacific and Latin America are key emerging region in natural flavours market and are expected to marginally take a lead in the global natural flavours market by 2025 over developed regions.Visit For TOC@Natural Flavours Market: Key PlayersSome of the global key players in the natural flavour market are Givaudan, Firmenich, Takasago International Corporation, Symrise AG, Sensient Technologies Corporation, Kerry Group PLC, Frutarom Industries Ltd. to name a few. Givaudan, a Switzerland based company holds the maxium market share in the global natural flavour market. Big multinational companies in the natural flavour market focus on the acquisition activity in order to expand within the growth areas of natural flavour market. Major Companies such as Givaudan currently marking its footprint by increasing number of production sites, creative centres, an increased marketing and sales force and also opening new offices in Africa and Asia to cater the local demandABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Luxury Hotels Global Market Industry Analysis Research reports and Forecast Growth 2015 - 2021

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) announces the addition of a new report titled Luxury Hotels Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2021. Increasing consumer awareness and changing lifestyle are the major factors contributing to the growing popularity of luxury hotels globally.Request For Sample Report@With the increasing standard of living, consumers are opting for luxury hotels for better services. Furthermore, the booming travel and tourism industry is one of the key factors fueling the demand for luxury hotels globally. In addition, rise in branding and promotional activities are one of the prime factors responsible for the increasing awareness about luxury hotels. Hoteliers are focusing on branding and promotions for better market penetration. Online booking, advance services, and easy check-in and check-out processes are the major driving factors responsible for the success of the luxury hotel industry. Moreover, in order to meet the consumer demands, hoteliers are focusing on upgrading their services. As service is a crucial part of the hospitality industry, hoteliers are concentrating on providing excellent services to retain customers.Rise in the number of international events is fueling the market growth of luxury hotels globally. Consumers are opting for luxury hotels to spend their leisure time, with a view to experience the luxurious living offered in such hotels. Furthermore, the services, which include spa treatments, beauty services, and various other amenities offer relaxation and rejuvenate the customers. Moreover, hectic daily lifestyle and demand for luxurious living are some of the key reasons behind the growing popularity of luxury hotels globally.The global luxury hotels market by geography has been categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). The scope of the report offers an insight into luxury hotel preferences in these regions, based on revenue (USD billion). In addition, the current and future trends in the luxury hotels market are also covered in the report.Currently, the U.S. is dominating the market for luxury hotels in North America. Germany is dominating the market for luxury hotels in Europe, followed by the U.K. The growing tourism industry is stimulating the demand for luxury hotels across the various regions globally. China dominates the luxury hotels market in Asia Pacific currently, followed by India and Singapore. Increasing brand awareness among consumers is driving the demand for luxury hotels in Brazil and Saudi Arabia.The business hotels segment accounts for the largest share in the luxury hotels market. Business travelers, tour groups, small conference groups, and individual tourists are the target customers of business hotels. Moreover, suite hotels are one of the major segments in the luxury hotels market. These hotel rooms have bedrooms and a separate living room area. Professionals such as lawyers, businessmen and accountants usually tend to prefer such hotels. In addition, currently, the airport hotels segment is showcasing a promising growth in the luxury hotels market globally. The target customers of airport hotels include airline passengers, especially those whose flight is cancelled or overnight layovers, business clientele and airline crew and staff, among others.The global luxury hotels market report provides an insight into the regional as well as country-wise preferences of luxury hotels. North America dominated the global luxury hotels market in 2014, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Increasing standard of living coupled with the booming travel and tourism industry are having a positive impact on the growing market for luxury hotels globally. The shift in consumer preferences toward living a luxurious lifestyle, along with the rise in the number of international events, is propelling the demand for luxury hotels in the Rest of the World (RoW).Some of the major luxury hotels in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW include Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Holdings Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, ITC Hotels Limited, The Indian Hotels Company Limited, Mandarin Oriental International Limited, Jumeirah International LLC, Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd., Kerzner International Resorts, Inc., and Marriott International, Inc.Browse Full Report With TOC@About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Aromatherapy Global Market Industry Analysis Research reports and Forecast Growth 2016-2026

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) announces the addition of a new report titled Aromatherapy Market: Essential Oils Will Continue to Rule Consumer Preferences Owing to Their Therapeutic Benefits: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026.Request For Sample Report@Consumables segment anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast periodThe consumables segment is anticipated to witness significant growth in the next decade attributed to the high efficiency and therapeutic grade of essential oils when inhaled directly or applied topically. The segment dominated the global aromatherapy market in revenue terms in 2015 and the growing trend of essential oils adoption in topical applications is projected to continue throughout the forecast period. The consumables segment accounted for more than 80% value share in 2015 and is likely to continue its growth through 2026, reaching a value of over US$ 4,000 Mn by the end of 2026. Consumables is projected to remain the dominant segment with a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. This segment is estimated to create absolute $ opportunity of more than US$ 250 Mn in 2017 over 2016.The popularity of essential oils is creating robust development in the consumables segment of the global aromatherapy marketThere are various factors driving the growth of the consumables segment in the global aromatherapy market. For instance, a large pool of the patient population opting for essential oils and carrier oils for aromatherapy massages is expected to boost the growth of the consumables segment during the forecast period. Increasing sales of essential oils for home usage is a major factor responsible for boosting the revenue of the consumables segment in the global aromatherapy market over the forecast period. Preference for topical application and direct inhalation of essential oils is another factor contributing to the revenue growth of the consumables segment over the forecast period. Many essential oils have their therapeutic properties of boosting the immune system, combating cold, allergies and breathing disorders, promoting sound sleep and relaxing ambience at home. These qualities of essential oils are boosting the growth of the consumables segment.Risks associated with an excessive use of essential oils is likely to impact the growth of the consumables segmentStringent approval for new essential oils is posing noteworthy difficulties to market development as manufacturers need to specify the indication for which the essential oil can been used. For instance, manufacturers have to mention whether the particular essential oil falls under therapeutic grade or cosmetic grade. Furthermore, some essential oils have restricted applications. These are limiting the development of the consumables segment of the global aromatherapy market. Lack of proper guidelines and misclassification of essential oils is likely to limit the growth of the consumables segment in developing regions. For example, Cineole essential oil can cause symptoms of poisoning if administered above the recommended dose for an extended duration. Its overdose symptoms include epigastric burning, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, muscular weakness, rapid heartbeat, and a feeling of suffocation. Such risks associated with essential oils may hamper the growth of the consumables segment.Consumables segment is anticipated to be the most lucrative segment in the Western Europe aromatherapy market during the period of assessmentThe consumables segment is expected to be the most attractive segment in the North America aromatherapy market over the forecast period. U.S. is the largest market for consumables, especially essential oils. The segment is witnessing the introduction of new oils, which are imported from various countries to cater to the increasing demand for essential oils across the North America region. New products are frequently being launched by leading domestic players, which makes the consumables segment more competitive in North America. An increasing awareness of the benefits of different essential oils is driving the growth of the consumables segment in the Latin America region. There is a rise in demand for wellness products and therapies in Western Europe owing to increasing disposable income and this is driving the demand for consumables in the region. The APEJ region is likely to witness an interesting trend that is creating a positive impact on the consumables segment of the global aromatherapy market. An increasing number of women in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia are more inclined to buy essential oils for their home usage and this factor is expected to boost the growth of the consumables segment in the APEJ aromatherapy market.Browse Full Report With TOC@About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
High Incidence of Hearing Impairment in Under-developed Economies Makes them Opportunity-laden Market for Hearing Aids Sales

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Hearing Aids Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.This research study analyzes the hearing aids market in terms of revenue (US$ Mn). The hearing aids market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes a market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. The report also includes key market dynamics, such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities, affecting the demand for hearing aids products globally. Comparative analysis has also been included in the executive summary that resembles the percentage market share of each regions in 2015 and 2024, respectively.This report provides in-depth analysis of the hearing aids market. The stakeholders for this report include companies involved in the manufacturing of hearing aids. For providing a snapshot of this market to the stakeholders, executive summary section is included in this report, which summarizes the market size, trends, and competition in different regions.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market overview section of this report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the hearing aids market in the current and future scenario. Market share analysis among the market players is analyzed to signify percentage share of the major players operating in the hearing aids market. All these factors will help the market players to decide about the business strategies and plans to strengthen their positions in the global market.Based on product type, the hearing aids market has been segmented into behind the ear, receiver in the ear, in the ear, and canal hearing aids. Based on end-user, the market has been categorized into pediatric and adult.Geographically, the hearing aids market has been differentiated into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World. Moreover, analysis for the major countries such as the U.S. Canada, Germany, the U.K., France, Japan, China, and Brazil have also been provided in the report. A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining the hearing aids market in various regions has been provided in this section.The report provides market estimation of the hearing aids market in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) for all the segments and sub-segments, with CAGR % for the period from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. Furthermore, the report incorporates market attractiveness analysis, by geography, that depicts the most attractive and significant region in the global market in 2015.The report concludes with the company profile section, which includes company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments for market players. Major players profiled in the report include Cochlear Limited, GN ReSound Group, GN Otometrics A/S, Siemens Healthcare, Sonova Holding AG, and Starkey.The global hearing aids market has been segmented as follows:Global Hearing Aids Market, by Product- Hearing Aids- Behind the Ear (BTE)- Receiver in the Ear (RITE)- In the Ear (ITE)- Canal Hearing Aids (ITC),(CIC), & (IIC)- Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA)Global Hearing Aids Market, by End-user- Pediatric- AdultGlobal Hearing Aids Market, by Geography- North America- U.S.- Canada- Europe- U.K.- Germany- France- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- China- Japan- Rest of Asia Pacific- Latin America- Brazil- Rest of Latin America- Rest of the World- South Africa- Russia- Rest of Rest of the WorldMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Need for Oil Storage Facilities on the Rise as Global Supply of Crude Oil Surpasses Demand

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Oil Storage Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.Petroleum products are produced through rigorous operations such as identification of oil reserve, exploration, production, refining or processing operations, storage and logistics of supplying petroleum products to end-users. Oil production has been increasing steadily across the globe. The supply of oil in the market has surpassed the demand and consumption of oil. This has created a favorable market for oil storage which can be consumed in future. Oil storage products primarily consist of crude oil, gasoline, aviation fuel, and middle distillates (e.g. diesel, naphtha, kerosene, fuel oil, petrol, marine bunker fuels, and gas oil). Middle East and Africa dominates the global market for oil storage. This report by Transparency Market Research analyzes, estimates, and forecasts demand for oil storage on the global and regional level for an eight-year period from 2016 to 2024 in terms of volume. The study also provides information on drivers, opportunities and restraints along with their impact on the overall market during the forecast period. The report segments the market based on type of storage, product type, reserves type, and geography and provides estimates and forecast of the oil storage market for each segment.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The study analyzes the product value chain, beginning with upstream exploration & production up to end-users. Additionally, it evaluates the market based on Porters Five Forces model, which analyzes the degree of competition in the market by considering factors such as bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, threat from substitute products, and new entrants. The report includes a detailed competitive landscape of the oil storage market including company market share analysis and profiles of key market participants.The report provides a decisive view of the oil storage market by segmenting the market based on type of storage, product type, and reserves type. Type of storage segments analyzed in the report include open top tanks, fixed top tanks, floating roof tanks, and other storage facilities. Based on product type, the market is segmented into crude oil storage, aviation fuel storage, gasoline storage, and middle distillates storage. Reserves type segments analyzed in the report include commercial petroleum reserves and strategic petroleum reserves. All the segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends, and the market has been estimated from 2016 to 2024. Floating roof tanks are the most widely used type of storage facility across the globe. Other storage facilities are also used on a large scale. The floating roof tanks segment has the highest growth rate in the oil storage market. This growth is attributed to the inbuilt advantage of these tanks which helps prevent breathing losses. These losses are a major concern due to strict environmental emission norms across the globe.The oil storage market has been segmented based on geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South and Central America. Demand for each segment of oil storage facilities in terms of volume for each of these regions has been forecast in the report for the period from 2016 to 2024.Leading manufacturers profiled in the report include Royal Vopak N.V., Kinder Morgan Inc., Oiltanking GmbH, Buckeye Partners L.P., NuStar Energy L.P., Vitol Tank Terminals International B.V, CIM-CCMP Group, CLH Group, Ghazanfar Group, Horizon Terminals Ltd., International-Matex Tank Terminals, Inc., Magellan Midstream Partners L.P., and Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. These companies have been profiled in detail with features such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, employee strength, and recent developments.Oil Storage Market  Type of Storage Segment Analysis- Open Top Tanks- Fixed Roof Tanks- Floating Roof Tanks- Other Storage FacilitiesOil Storage Market  Product Type Segment Analysis- Crude Oil- Gasoline- Aviation Fuel- Middle DistillatesOil Storage Market  Reserve Type Segment Analysis- Strategic Petroleum Reserve- Commercial Petroleum ReserveOil Storage Market  Regional Analysis- North America- U.S.- Canada- Europe- Germany- Netherlands- Spain- Belgium- Asia Pacific- China- Japan- South Korea- Singapore- Middle East & Africa- Saudi Arabia- UAE- Iran- South and Central America- Brazil- ArgentinaMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
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New Concepts in Fashion Retailing Market

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SummaryOrbis Research delivers key insights on the new report titled New Concepts in Fashion Retailing. Understand the competitive environment, the markets major players and leading brands.DescriptionThis briefing highlights the newest concepts in fashion retailing around the world. As hyperconnected consumers disregard the conventions of traditional retail, fashion players are increasingly looking to experiential shopping and personalisation to attract consumers attention. Furthermore, digital retailers are venturing into the physical realm in an effort to unify online and offline, as seamless transition across multiple channels and devices becomes the holy grail of fashion retailing.Get a PDF Sample of Fashion Retailing Market Report at:New Concepts in Fashion Retailing Market global briefing offers an insight into to the size and shape of the apparel market, highlights buzz topics, emerging trends as well as pressing industry issues. It identifies the leading companies and brands, offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the clothing and footwear market - be they changes on the supply side, in channel dynamics, economic/ lifestyle /demographic influences or pricing issues.Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change and criteria for success.Product coverage: Apparel, Footwear, Sportswear.Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.To Browse the Entire Fashion Retailing Market Report, Visit :Why buy this report?Get a detailed picture of the Apparel and Footwear market;Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;Understand the competitive environment, the markets major players and leading brands;Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.The Key Points Mentioned in Report are:New Concepts in Fashion RetailingMay 2017IntroductionExperiential Shopping in SportswearIntroducing Digital Capabilities to StoreHome Interiors and Fashion Plus FoodMinimising Effort and Personalising the ProcessApplications Lead to Direct ConnectionsPhygital Evolution in GuideshopsPlace a Purchase Order for Fashion Retailing Industry Report at:About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Information:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:
Global Life Science Software Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 7.76% During The Period 2017-2021

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Life Science Software Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Life sciences comprise fields like biotechnology, pharmaceutical, biomedical technologies, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and food processing. Life science software allows end-users to acquire, enhance, analyze, and document images in an efficient way and generate extensive reports. It also provides pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers with serial numbers and warranty tracking, bi-directional lot control, identification, and tracking capabilities.Technavios analysts forecast the global life science software market to grow at a CAGR of 7.76% during the period 2017-2021.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global life science software market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated by sales of life science software across the globe.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEAGlobal Life Science Software Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsMedidata SolutionsOracleSAPSAS InstituteVeeva SystemsOther prominent vendorsArisGlobalDXC technologyDucenEPAM SystemsFUJITSUGE HealthcareHCL TechnologiesInstem Group of CompaniesPDSPersistent SystemsSigniantXybionMarket driverIncreasing need for improving operational efficiencyFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeIncreasing data security and privacy concernsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendEmergence of precision medicineFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
New Report Into Health and Wellness Industry in Canada

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SummaryOrbis Research delivers key insights on the Health and Wellness Market in a new report titled Health and Wellness in Canada.DescriptionThe health-conscious culture continues to evolve in Canada, as manifested in a wide range of areas. Consumers are increasingly careful of the food and beverages they eat and drink, and constantly examine product labels and ingredient lists. As such, they place greater emphasis on food and beverages that are more natural and less processed. Meanwhile, they seek additional nutritional value and also convenient and time-saving formats. Thus, overall demand for health and wellness continues to rise,...Get a PDF Sample of Health and Wellness Market Report at:Health and Wellness Industry in Canada report tracks the developments of health-associated product types and the healthy-option positioning of competing brands across different food sectors. It provides the latest retail sales data 2012-2016, allowing you to compare health and wellness categories with each other or in the context of the total market for a sector.It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market- be they new product developments, legislative context or lifestyle influences. Forecasts to 2021 illustrate how the market is set to change.Product coverage: Focus Categories by Key Functional Ingredients, Health and Wellness by Category, Health and Wellness by Prime Positioning and Focus Categories by Key Functional Ingredients, Health and Wellness by Type, Health Wellness by Prime Positioning.Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.To Browse the Entire Report, Visit :Why buy this report?Get a detailed picture of the Health and Wellness market;Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;Understand the competitive environment, the markets major players and leading brands;Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.The Key Points Mentioned in Health and Wellness Industry Report are:Executive SummaryHealth and Wellness Continues To Grow WellOrganic Packaged Food and Organic Beverages Grow FasterIndustry Operators Increasingly Turn To Health and Wellness for Growth OpportunitiesSpeciality Food and Beverage Stores and Non-mainstream Channels Gain Ground in Health and WellnessHealth and Wellness Trends Are Likely To Intensify Despite Harsh Economic ConditionsKey Trends and Developmentsthe Organic Movement Has A Widespread Impact on Food and Beverage"less Is More" Emerges As A Key Theme in the Rising Health-consciousness CultureHealth and Wellness Gains Importance in Growth Strategies Among Industry OperatorsMarket DataTable 1 Sales of Health and Wellness by Type: Value 2011-2016Table 2 Sales of Health and Wellness by Type: % Value Growth 2011-2016Table 3 Sales of Health and Wellness by Category: Value 2011-2016Table 4 Sales of Health and Wellness by Category: % Value Growth 2011-2016Table 5 Sales of Health and Wellness by Prime Positioning: Value 2011-2016Table 6 Sales of Health and Wellness by Prime Positioning: % Value Growth 2011-2016Table 7 NBO Company Shares of Health and Wellness: % Value 2012-2016Table 8 LBN Brand Shares of Health and Wellness: % Value 2013-2016Table 9 Distribution of Health and Wellness by Format: % Value 2011-2016Table 10 Distribution of Health and Wellness by Format and Category: % Value 2016Place a Purchase Order for this Health and Wellness Market Report at:About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Information:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:
Extractor Hood Market -2017, Industry Analysis and Global Forecast to 2022

Global Extractor Hood Market Research Report 2017

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The Global Extractor Hood market study focuses major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on markets and materials, capacities and technologies, and on the changing structure of the Extractor Hood.For this report, the Extractor Hood market value is provided for 2016 in USD millions, an expected CAGR % as well as USD million worth of industry in 2022. Regionally, the globe is segmented into United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia and India to study their market size and local analysis. End user applications of Extractor Hood market covering Residential and Commercial are studied in this research. Share of Extractor Hood market is covered by applications as well supported with potential applications in the future.Buy the complete Extractor Hood report with Comprehensive table of contents @The research methodology used to estimate and forecast the Extractor Hood market involves a primary and a secondary research. A systematic procedure has been used to arrive at the global size of the Extractor Hood market and present revenue of key players in the market. Accurate data has been collected by conducting extensive interviews with people holding key decision making positions in the industry such as CEOs, VPs, directors, and executives.Inquire for discount for this report @Industry chain analysis covering upstream raw materials and equipments of Extractor Hood market, their suppliers' information as well as analysis of downstream major consumers for Extractor Hood is provided to understand the complete industry chain structure. Overall market analyzed in this report is divided by regions, types and manufacturers/companies. The research estimates 2017-2022 Extractor Hood market development trends covering capacity, production and revenue forecasts as well as regional supply consumption forecasts.Towards the end, this report includes a feasibility analysis of New Project Investment covering SWOT analysis of Extractor Hood OR marketing strategy analysis and market effect factor analysis. Overall, the report provides factual insights collected and analyzed with detailed primary and secondary research on Extractor Hood market.The research compiles profiles of small and big Extractor Hood market companies covering their product details as well as important statistics on production, capacity, price and more. These active companies' numbers are supported with information on marketing traders and/or distributors of the Extractor Hood industry along with their contact information. This data gives valuable industry insights and direction to individuals and/or companies that are new entrants, eyeing to enter or grow in the Extractor Hood market. Some of the Key vendors profiled in this research include: Faber Elica ROBAM Fotile Cata Nortek Vatti Supor DE&E Hair Media Canbo Siemens China Macro O.E SACON Galanz Vanward SAKURAPartial list of Tables and Figures for this report include:Figure Global Extractor Hood Capacity (K Units) of Key Manufacturers in 2016Figure Global Extractor Hood Capacity (K Units) of Key Manufacturers in 2017Figure Global Extractor Hood Major Players Product Production (K Units) (2012-2017)Table Global Extractor Hood Production (K Units) of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)Table Global Extractor Hood Production Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)Figure 2016 Extractor Hood Production Share by ManufacturersFigure 2017 Extractor Hood Production Share by ManufacturersFigure Global Extractor Hood Major Players Product Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Extractor Hood Revenue (Million USD) by Manufacturers (2012-2017)Table Global Extractor Hood Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)Table 2016 Global Extractor Hood Revenue Share by ManufacturersTable 2017 Global Extractor Hood Revenue Share by ManufacturersTable Global Market Extractor Hood Average Price (USD/Unit) of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)Figure Global Market Extractor Hood Average Price (USD/Unit) of Key Manufacturers in 2016About Us:eMarketOrg.com aims to provide businesses and organizations market intelligence products and services that help in making smart, instant and crucial decisions. Our database offers access to insights from industry leaders, experts and influencers on global and regional sectors, market trends, user behaviour, for companies as well as products. With data and information from reputable and trusted private and public sources, our clients are never short of statistics and analysis that are up to date.Contact Details:Ronald Aldensales@emarketorg.cominfo@emarketorg.comeMarketOrg.com aims to provide businesses and organizations market intelligence products and services that help in making smart, instant and crucial decisions. Our database offers access to insights from industry leaders, experts and influencers on global and regional sectors, market trends, user behaviour, for companies as well as products. With data and information from reputable and trusted private and public sources, our clients are never short of statistics and analysis that are up to date.Starting with market research reports, eMarketOrg.com plans to add conferences, knowledge products, which can be periodically subscribed to, and more to its range of business offerings. Spread across the globe, our network of partners, in collaboration with our service specialists, ensure that our clients receive the right product, service and/or solution that meet their requirements in convenient timelines and within comfortable budgets that neither go underutilized nor dig a big hole into their monthly, quarterly and/or yearly spends.Get in touch with us to experience a new one-stop market intelligence and business service.F/3, 4A Bharat Pushpa Apt.,Subhash Nagar, Shukrawar Peth,Pune  411002
Veterinary Radiography Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016 - 2023

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) announces the addition of a new report titled Veterinary Radiography Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016 - 2023.Request For Sample Report@Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: OverviewAnimal radiography employs similar techniques used on humans as a tool to diagnose diseases and injuries. Veterinary radiography comprises of several imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, PET, X-rays and others similar and combinational form of devices. Images captured by these imaging modalities can either be stored on a film or can be directly send to a storage device in a digital format.Veterinary radiography system is broadly classified into two prominent categories: computed radiography and direct digital radiography. Computed radiography requires cassettes having semiconductor plate that are exposed to radiation and seeks a specialized electronic reader. In direct digital radiography system a cesium iodide scintillator array absorbs the radiation wherein light pulse is detected by a large array of amorphous silicon photodiode elements.Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: TrendsOver the years computed radiography system is rapidly being phased out owing to advantages of using a digital radiography system. Benefits of using a digital radiography encompasses safety and high shelf life of the records, reduced image generation time and immediate interpretation. Moreover the ability to transfer images to a remote locations i.e. teleradiology has also increased the adoption rate of digital radiology devices. It is increasingly difficult to find film cassettes and screens for medical radiography sold by primary vendors. Despite this, digital radiography still cannot match the spatial resolution of computed radiography systems yet newer systems are narrowing the gap.X-ray is perhaps one of the first tests a veterinarian will administer for a sick or injured animal in order to assess and diagnose its condition. For small animals X-ray devices can be mounted over a table whereas for larger animals such as cows and horses a free floating machine is usually employed. Computed tomography (CT) provides three dimensional hi-resolution cross section images of internal organs and bones.The shift toward digital imaging has eventually resulted in the development of new formats and systems for image storage. As images captured in the digital format can be easily altered or manipulated a specialized medical image format known as Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) has been adopted in various countries. A salient feature of this format is a hidden header to record any manipulation made in the file. It also records every instance of the file being saved. The reader is saved within the image file. Thanks to this, any accidental or deliberate manipulation of the image can be spotted and tracked easily.Despite of high resolution and clarity CT scans for larger animals still a challenging task for veterinary physician. MRIs are also used in animal radiography, but they can be very expensive and are consequently not used as often. Digital fluoroscopy procedure assists in conducting venography, vascular studies and contrast GI studies wherein a radio contrast agent is injected to map the digestive tract or blood vessels. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not mandate 510(k) or formal pre-market approval for devices that are used in veterinary medicine. Companies manufacturing radiation-emitting devices, however, are needed to duly register their products according to the prevailing radiological health regulations. These are administered by the Center for Devices Radiological Health (CDRH).Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: Key PlayersGeographically the market is largely dominated by the developed regions such as the United States and Europe owing to the presence of the established market for radiography systems. Asia Pacific and Rest of the World market are among the fastest growing market due to growing animal health awareness and the ability of veterinarians to provide diagnostic services for animal health. Some of the prominent players in the market include Sedecal USA, Lake Superior X-Ray, Inc., Siemens AG, Toshiba Corporation, Universal Medical Systems, Inc. are a few of prominent players.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedValue ChainRegional analysis includes:North AmericaLatin AmericaAsia PacificJapanWestern EuropeEastern EuropeMiddle East & AfricaThe report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts, and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides an in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macroeconomic indicators and governing factors, along with market attractiveness within the segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and various geographies.Report highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprintThe report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketBrowse Full Report With TOC@About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Global and Chinese Ethylene Glycol Monopropyl Ether Profitable Market Outlook and Forecasts till 2022

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Demand for ethylene glycol monopropyl ether is developing strongly since several booming sectors such as paints and cleaners rely on its premium products. Looking into this potential, a new study has been added to the vast online repository of Market Research Hub (MRH), with the title Global and Chinese Ethylene Glycol Monopropyl Ether Market Outlook 2017-2022. The study offers conclusive analysis of the most viable factors such as forecast analysis till the year 2022 and about profit-creating manufacturing processes and viable technological trends.Request Free Sample Report:Nowadays, the ethylene glycol monopropyl ether is usually used in the creation of paints and cleaners. These solvents normally have an upper boiling point, together with the advantageous solvent assets of lower-molecular-weight alcohols and ethers. The study begins with the exclusive summary, research methodology as well as the geographic scope. Later, the report presents a clear introduction, overview and the data on the supply chain structure. By analyzing the raw material supply, manufacturing process, and the cost, the report helps readers create enterprising work modules. Specifically, the study offers a beneficial evaluation of the market overview as well as the detailed analysis of the whole value chain (both upstream and downstream), understandings into technological progress, and an extensive analysis of costs analysis to the core qualities of labor costs and raw materials.Make An Enquiry:Another key part of this report is the section with the market size and driving factors, which contain the all-inclusive synopsis of the global ethylene glycol monopropyl ether market during the forecast period between 2012 and 2022. This section comprising the study of the market volume and value, growth together with the development trends, demand drivers and stimulators for the ethylene glycol monopropyl ether market. It also provides a useful insight on the spending pattern and application pattern in diverse regions throughout the world.Browse Full Report With TOC:In this intelligent report, there are useful parts such as the competitive landscape analysis which contains a near exhaustive study of top players performing in this market in terms of the sales and market position. Alongside, the opportunities, strengths, weaknesses, as well as the threats are evaluated thoroughly. The report also offers a highly useful synopsis of the current emerging trends in the industry and the challenges encountered by industry members. Moreover, the study is an essential tool for companies that are dynamic across the value chain and for new entrants by empowering them with data that lets them capitalize the chances and nurture business strategies.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News At:
Global vRAN (Virtualized Radio Access Network) Ecosystem Predicted to grow at a CAGR of 125%

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The vRAN (virtualized radio access network) ecosystem is developing since this method offers benefits such as gains, scalability, reduction, performance gains as well as future-proofing networks with 5G upgrades. To look into this huge potential, a new report has been added into the vast online repository of Market Research Hub (MRH), with the title The vRAN (Virtualized Radio Access Network) Ecosystem: 2017 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts. The study offers an honest and extensive analysis of the most beneficial factors such as prospects, top players and countries.Request Free Sample Report:According to this report the market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of almost 125% during the next three year period. It also renders that in the end of 2020, vRAN organizations will carry a market value of $2.6 billion.Virtualized radio access network means a radio access network operation where few or every baseband tasks are disconnected from the remote radio unit alongside working as VNFs or virtualized network functions over product hardware. The study begins with the introduction, executive summary, the forecast segmentation and target audience. An overview about vRAN and C-RAN (centralized radio access network) and data on decoupling the base station is also available. The report also contains the outlook on future investments and about leveraging product expertise.Make An Enquiry:Additional data on the most active regions in the world such as Western Europe, North America, Latin and Central America, Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific is also available. Alongside, the agile and flexible network architecture as well as market barriers are also furnished for the benefit of the reader.In this intelligent report investors can also find the market analysis and forecasts until the year 2030 along with the global outlook on vRAN investments. The segmentation in terms of deployment model such as virtualized small cells and virtualized macro cells as well as segmentation in terms of air interface and technology. Some of the most successful companies analyzed in this report are Ericsson, Nokia Networks, ASOCS, SpiderCloud Wireless and Parallel Wireless.Browse Full Report With TOC:Another major part of the study involves the knowledge about the key practical features of vRAN and other data on remote radio unit, as well as virtualized baseband unit together about baseband virtualized network functions. Detailed data on the partially virtualized functional splits is available in this report along with knowledge on intra-PHY split, MAC-PHY split, intra-MAC split, RLC-MAC split, intra-RLC split, PDCP-RLC split and RRC-PDCP split. Later, the study evaluates the market growth drivers, capacity and coverage together about improvement and addressing the mobile data traffic tsunami.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News At:
Social Employee Recognition Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis & Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026

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Several social media platforms are experiencing increasing adoption across different organizations, globally, in the recent past. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which are mainly used by business professionals and firms to interact and connect with internal teams, are also used to recognize employee efforts and engage with employees apart from engaging in marketing and promotional activities. A report titled Social Employee Recognition Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026 has been recently added to the vast online repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE). This report determines leading industry players, products, applications, industry connotations, overall market size, distributors and software developers.Request for Sample Report:The report begins with a basic overview of the global social employee recognition systems market. This section covers analysis of drivers, major trends and restraints from the supply, demand and economy perspective, which are impacting the global social employee recognition systems market. Impact analysis of growth drivers, risks and restraints, on the basis of weighted average model is covered within the report to facilitate the readers with crystal clear decision-making insights. An in-depth analysis is provided for every segment according to market size for social employee recognition systems across the various regions. This section gives a detailed information covering absolute dollar opportunity, year-on-year growth and BPS analysis.The next section provides a thorough study of the global social employee recognition systems market across different countries in the examined regions. It give a market outlook for 20162026 and provides a forecast within the context of the global social employee recognition systems market, covering latest technological developments and product offerings in the market. This study features key trends within regions contributing to the growth of the market, as well as studies the degree to these drivers are influencing the market in each region.In the final section of the report, it includes a competitive landscape analysis to provide readers with a dashboard view on the basis of categories of providers in the value chain, presence in the global social employee recognition systems portfolio and major differentiators. Report readers can take segment-specific vendor insights to evaluate and identify key competitors based on an in-depth evaluation of capabilities and success in the global market. Comprehensive profiles of vendors are also included in the scope of the report to assess their long-term and short-term strategies, product offerings and major recent developments in the global social employee recognition systems market. Some of the key companies operating in the global market include GloboForce Ltd, SalesForce.Com, Reffind Ltd, Achievers Corporation, Kudos, Inc., Madison, Vmware, Inc., Recognize Services, Inc., Jive Software, Inc. and BI Worldwide.Browse Full Report with TOC:About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY  12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comFollow Us on LinkedIn-Follow Us On Twitter-
Global Vegetable Wax Market size is set to witness a high growth during the Forecast, 2017  2024

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The global vegetable wax market can be segmented on the basis of product type which includes the different types of vegetable wax. These waxes can be listed as bayberry, candelilla, carnauba, palm, castor, rice bran, soy, tallow tree, and others such as esparto, japan, and ouricury wax, etc. Bayberry wax is an aromatic product obtained from the surface of the fruit of bayberry and finds its uses in scented candles and other products where distinctive fragrance is desirable. Candelilla is a yellowish-brown, aromatic, brittle and hard wax derived from the leaves of small candelilla shrub. It finds its uses as a food additive for glazing, in cosmetic industry for lip balms and lotion bars, and works as a binder for chewing gums.Purchase This Report by calling Global Market Insights, Inc. at 1-888-689-0688 (Toll Free) or 1-302-846-7766.Global Vegetable Wax Market size is set to witness a high growth during the forecast period owing to its extensive use in the cosmetic, food and processing industry. It is a naturally occurring substance and does not contain any toxins that may result in health hazards.Emphasis on human health and rising environmental concerns are the major drivers for the global vegetable wax market. Being organic in nature, the product is beneficial to human health as it helps in metabolism improvement, decreasing the rate of heart disease and breast cancer. In conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, a wax coating is done to prevent them from moisture loss and also to protect them from bruising during shipping. Wax coating also increases the shelf life of these perishable food products. Some of the non-organic products that are wax coated include oranges, lemons, limes, apples, potatoes, eggplant, bell pepper and cucumbers.Request for table of contents of this research report @Long timespan required for plantation such as bayberry, candelilla and carnauba plants which need roughly six to eight years for full growth is likely to slow down the vegetable wax market growth. Moreover, difficulty in the management and care of such plantations due to unfavorable climatic conditions and untimely rains can result in further hindrances. Decrease in the cost of other waxy raw materials such as animal and insect wax, due to its abundant availability are also factors likely to slow down the global vegetable wax market growth.Reasons to Buy This Report:1. Vegetable Wax Market size & share forecast by product & application 2017-20242. Growth drivers, pitfalls & industry challenges3. Vegetable Wax Market growth opportunities & emerging business models4. Competitive benchmarking with market share analysis and company profilesBased on the application, the vegetable wax market can be classified as inks, cosmetics, fruit surface coatings, polymer coatings, polishes, candles, and paper surface coatings to name some. In cosmetics, the product is widely used in the making of baby products, bath products, lipsticks, make up, fragrances, coloring and non-coloring hair products, nail and skin care products, personal cleanliness products and shaving products to name a few.The Vegetable Wax Market Report Consists of:1. Methodology and Scope2. Executive Summary3. Vegetable Wax Industry Insights4. Industry segmentation5. Industry size, forecast and growth expectations, 2017 - 20246. Industry ecosystem analysis Raw material insights7. Technology insights8. Regulatory framework9. Industry dynamics10. Key growth opportunities11. Porter's analysis12. Company market share, 201713. PESTEL analysis14. Regional price trends15. Vegetable Wax Product Insights16. Vegetable Wax Application Insights17. Vegetable Wax Regional Insights18. Competitor ProfilesMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @Key players operating in the vegetable wax market include Cargill Incorporated, BASF SE, Akzo Nobel, Koster Keunen, Kemie Industries, Dhariwal Corporation, Megha Group of Companies, Paragon Metachem, Triveni Chemicals, Unichem Polymers Pvt. Ltd., Excel Polymer Industries, Synergy Poly Additives Private Ltd., Petroleum Product Mfg. Society, Australian Wax Co, Kavya Impex, Katyani Exports, Delhi Wax Refinery, Waxoils Pvt Ltd, Shri Ram Sons Wax Pvt Ltd. and Chaitanya Solvex Private Limited to name some.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Global Avocado Market 2017 : Mexico, Dominica, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya and Brazil

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Global Avocado market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Avocado sales volume, Price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including- Mexico- Dominica- Colombia- Peru- Indonesia- Kenya- United States- Chile- Brazil- Rwanda- Venezuela- China- Guatemala- IsraelThe survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Avocado market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Avocado market trends along with the projections of CAGRs (compound annual growth rates) are provided in the research report.Further, an evaluation of the history of the global market and the basic information of the global market is included in the report. A developmental perspective of the industry is also documented in the report. Competitive profiles of the key players in the industry are also discussed.Click Here To Sample Report @The research report provides both an assessment of recent developments in the industry along with forecasts examining the industry from the perspective of major competitors, present players and prospective end users in the Avocado market.Forecasts are generated on the basis of region, type, product, supply, demand, and other vital factors of the global market. The research report analyzed the major factors driving the global Avocado market in various countries with a satisfactory and manufacturing and structure of the global market. Forecasts are also provided region-wise in the research report.The research report comprises several chapters, tables, figures, graphs, and various other presentations formats so as to provide a precise overview of the market. The sequence of the report is maintained in such a way that highlights the overall flow of the global market. Recent developments in the global market are further described in the research report. The report also summarizes latest trends along with abstracts of the Avocado market. Major competitors of the global market including commercial and non-commercial participants in the global market are also covered in the report.Inquiry For Buying @Thus, the research report provides in-depth analysis covering all the major regions, competitors, and vital aspects of the Avocado industry.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Global Automotive Wastegate Market 2017 : Cummins Inc., Bosch, Johnson and Delphi

Automotive Wastegate

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Global Automotive Wastegate market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Automotive Wastegate sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including- Cummins Inc.- Honeywell International Inc.- Continental AG- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries- Bosch- Johnson- DelphiThe survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Automotive Wastegate market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Automotive Wastegate market trends along with the projections of CAGRs (compound annual growth rates) are provided in the research report.Further, an evaluation of the history of the global market and the basic information of the global market is included in the report. A developmental perspective of the industry is also documented in the report. Competitive profiles of the key players in the industry are also discussed.Click Here To Sample Report @The research report provides both an assessment of recent developments in the industry along with forecasts examining the industry from the perspective of major competitors, present players and prospective end users in the Automotive Wastegate market.Forecasts are generated on the basis of region, type, product, supply, demand, and other vital factors of the global market. The research report analyzed the major factors driving the global Automotive Wastegate market in various countries with a satisfactory and manufacturing and structure of the global market. Forecasts are also provided region-wise in the research report.The research report comprises several chapters, tables, figures, graphs, and various other presentations formats so as to provide a precise overview of the market. The sequence of the report is maintained in such a way that highlights the overall flow of the global market. Recent developments in the global market are further described in the research report. The report also summarizes latest trends along with abstracts of the Automotive Wastegate market. Major competitors of the global market including commercial and non-commercial participants in the global market are also covered in the report.Inquiry For Buying @Thus, the research report provides in-depth analysis covering all the major regions, competitors, and vital aspects of the Automotive Wastegate industry.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market Witnessing Rapid Growth

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Blood glucose monitoring devices market has been witnessing rapid growth owing to high diabetes prevalence globally. The market is being replenished with innovative wearable devices that can continuously track glucose levels and also maintain historic data for detailed analysis. Glucose monitoring devices help in monitoring glucose levels at home, without visits to diagnostic laboratories and doctors. This avoids delay in identifying alarming conditions and allows patients to take necessary medical help to avoid complications. Low cost, easy to use and accurate results are some of the device merits assisting swift growth across the globe.Global prevalence and increasing cost of diabetes diagnosis and treatment has created an alarming condition. Diabetes prevalence is not only increasing in developed regions, but also in developing and under developed regions. India is considered as the diabetes capital and has highest diabetes prevalence. Currently more than 50 million individuals in the country are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Statistics published by the World health Organization (WHO) also state that over 80% of the diabetes mortalities occur in low and middle income economies. However age wise distribution reveals that North America and Europe region has higher density of childhood diabetes (age group 0-14 years). Finland has highest childhood diabetes prevalence of 62% per 100,000 children. International Diabetes Federation states that low and middle income economies also have higher percentage of undiagnosed diabetes cases. 67% diabetes patients in Africa and 52% patients in South East Asia remain undiagnosed.Request Free Report Sample@Considering such wide spread prevalence of diabetes across varied age groups, various companies have introduced blood glucose monitoring products. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) consists of a sensor that checks glucose levels in tissue fluids. This information is sent through wireless technology to an external device or a smartphone for data visualization and analysis. Although these devices are more expensive than conventional blood glucose monitoring devices, the device is becoming popular among patients with severe diabetes. Results produced by CGM devices are less accurate and the patient must confirm accurate glucose level using other methods. This adds to patient inconvenience and to cost of overall diagnosis.Asia Pacific stands out as the most prominent market from the geography point of view. High diabetes population, increasing awareness about blood glucose monitoring devices, and adoption of active life style by diabetes patients are some of the key drivers for the blood glucose monitoring devices market in this region. The global blood glucose monitoring devices market is segmented into conventional blood glucose monitors, continuous blood glucose monitors, strips and lancets. Key players identified in the market include Abbott, Dexcom, Medtronic, AgaMatric, Ascensia Diabetes Care, B. Braun, LifeScan, Nipro Diagnostics, Roche, Sanofi, and various others.Request For TOC@About UsSpearhead Acuity Business Research & Consulting Private Limited (SA-BRC) is a premium Life Science business intelligence and data analytics firm. SA-BRC team offers a wide range of business intelligence services to multiple stakeholders such as Medical Device Manufacturers, Service Providers (Hospitals, Payers, etc.), Suppliers, Group Purchase Organizations, Distributors and all other individuals in the entire value chain of healthcare industry. Our research and consulting capabilities extend across several sub-domains within the sphere of Life Sciences such as Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Medical Devices, Veterinary Sciences, Wellness Products and Pharmaceuticals.Contact UsJohn WhitmoreOffice No. 14,Hermes Kunj, Mangaldas Road,Pune, 411001IndiaPhone: +91-02041210872Email: sales@sa-brc.comWebsite:
Isoprene Rubber Market : Corporate Financial Plan, Supply and Revenue to 2025

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Isoprene Rubber Market: SnapshotThe unique perceived benefits of isoprene rubbers, a form of synthetic rubber, are their resistance to abrasion and fractures. On account of having similar chemical and physical properties as that of a natural rubber, isoprene finds applications as tires, automotive mounts, shock absorbers, adhesives, healthcare items, sporting goods, and coatings among others.Isoprene rubbers are enjoying soaring demand on account of a flourishing automotive industry. Rising awareness about the use of isoprene rubber gloves for various purposes, particularly in surgeries and other healthcare processes, is also proving beneficial for its demand.With a huge thrust on research and development, more applications of isoprene rubber is expected to emerge in the near future. One such result of research and development is bio-isoprene that can be formulated from low cost sugars gotten from biomass, and provide a green preliminary material for products such as styrene block copolymers, for its use as adhesive and other applications. Many such innovative product categories is slated to bode well for the isoprene rubbers market in the near future. Already, renowned automakers in the world are pledging uptake for such eco-efficient products.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Asia Pacific, powered by particularly by China, is the primary driver of the global isoprene rubbers market. This is because of the explosive growth in the automotive industry in the region. North America and Europe are important contributors to the market as well due to the growing awareness of hygiene among people that has led to the significant uptake of isoprene rubbers in the healthcare sector.Isoprene Rubber Market: General OutlineIsoprene or 2-methyl-1, 3 butadiene, is a colorless liquid and volatile in nature. It is soluble in organic solvents such as alcohol and water due to its low vapor pressure and reactive nature. Isoprene rubbers are highly resistant to abrasion and fractures. Isoprene has electro insulating resistance, and is an organic compound that is emitted by various plants and trees. Some of the producers of isoprene are: poplars, oaks, eucalyptus, and legumes among others. About half of the yearly production of isoprene emissions comes from tropical broadleaf trees and the remaining from shrubs. Isoprene is denoted by a chemical formula CH2=C(CH3)CH=CH2. Isoprene is produced in the chloroplasts of plants through the MEP pathway that is also known as non-mevalonate pathway. Isoprene emissions are known to change dramatically with temperature and maximize at around 40 degree Celsius. This has led to the belief that isoprene protects plants from heat stress. Industrial production of isoprene was done primarily by isolation through thermal decomposition of natural rubber. It is readily available as a side product in manufacturing ethylene and as a by-product of thermal cracking of oil or naphtha.Request TOC of the Report @Isoprene Rubber Market: Trends and ProspectsIsoprene is known as a structural motif in most of the biological systems. The isoprenoids such as tetraterpenes and carotenes are derived from isoprene. Other substances and compounds derived from isoprene include retinol, phytol, dolichols, tocopherols, and squalene among others.As isoprene rubber has similar physical and chemical properties as that of a natural rubber, isoprene is used in host of applications. It does not contain fatty acids, proteins and other substances that are present in natural rubber. The various applications of isoprene include tires, shock absorbers, automotive mounts, adhesives, sporting goods, healthcare items, and coatings among others.Growing market demand for isoprene from the automotive industry is the major factor driving the global isoprene market. In addition, growing awareness has given rise to usage of gloves for various purposes. Therefore, the increasing demand for isoprene from the medical and healthcare sector is also expected to boost demand for isoprene in the near future. One of the drivers in developing bio-based isoprene is its capability to utilize low cost sugars derived from biomass, and provide a green preliminary material for products such as styrene block copolymers, for its use as adhesive and other applications.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@With rising research and development activities along with innovations, the wide range of applications in the end user industries are expected to provide opportunities for the growth of the global isoprene market. The potential for bio-isoprene is also expected to boost opportunities for isoprene in the market.Isoprene Rubber Market: Key SegmentsNorth America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW) are the major segments for the global isoprene market. Asia Pacific, especially China is expected to boost the market demand for isoprene due to the growing automotive industry in the region. North America and Europe are also expected to fuel demand for isoprene owing to the growing hygiene awareness among people. This hygiene awareness has led to a rise in demand for isoprene from the healthcare sector, thereby driving the growth of the isoprene market.Isoprene Rubber Market: Key Market playersThe key players of the isoprene rubber market are: JSR, Kaixin, Lanzhou Xinlan, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Sinopec, Togliattikauchuk, Yikesi, Zhenjiang Xintian, Goodyear, Jinhai Deqi, Kuraray, Lyondellbasell, Shell, Synthez-Kauchuk, Formosa Plastics, Kraton Polymers, LCY, YUHUANG, ZEON and Zibo Luhua Hongjin, SINOPEC, Versalis(Polimeri Europa), TSRC, and ZEON among others.About TMR Research :TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
WCM Annual General Meeting agrees by a large majority to all agenda items

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- Dividend pay-out of EUR 0.10 per share for 2016- Dr. Christian Schede as another member of the Supervisory Board elected- Positive feedback on TLG IMMOBILIEN AG's takeover offerFrankfurt am Main, 4. July 2017 - At the Annual General Meeting of WCM Beteiligungs- und Grundbesitz-AG (WCM AG, ISIN: DE000A1X3X33) for the 2016 financial year, the company's shareholders approved all agenda items by a large majority of at least over 98.80 per cent. In total, 57.52 per cent of the share capital were represented at the Annual General Meeting. Among other things, a dividend of EUR 0.10 per WCM share was distributed for the past financial year. The dividend is paid out from the tax deposit account of WCM AG. The dividend will be paid on 7 July 2017.In addition, Dr. Christian Schede has been newly elected to the Supervisory Board of WCM AG by the Annual General Meeting, he will replace Thomas Hechtfischer, who left the Supervisory Board as of 30 November 2016.In the constructive discussion at the Annual General Meeting, numerous speakers expressed their positive assessment of the takeover bid submitted by TLG IMMOBILIEN AG to the shareholders of WCM AG. The positioning and potential of the resulting commercial real estate company as well as the terms of the offer were appreciated.About WCM AGWCM Beteiligungs- und Grundbesitz-AG (WCM AG), with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, is a specialised commercial real estate company. As a real estate proprietor, the focus is on long-term rental of high-quality office and retail properties in the major office locations in Germany. Since the operational restart in 2014, WCM AG has focused on an extensive network for the acquisition of properties as well as on value-creating asset management, in order to generate attractive long-term rental income and a steady cash flow. The portfolio has a gross asset value of around EUR 800m. Shares of WCM AG are listed in the SDAX of Deutsche Boerse since 21 December 2015.Investor Relations:Gunnar JanssenInvestor RelationsWCM Beteiligungs- und Grundbesitz-AG+49 69 963 7319 10g.janssen@wcm.dePress contact:edicto GmbHAxel Muhlhaus/ Dr. Sonke KnopEschersheimer Landstrae 4260322 Frankfurt am Main+49 69-905505-52wcm@edicto.de
Benzethonium Chloride Market size demand will increase by 2017 - 2025

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Benzethonium Chloride Market: SnapshotBenzethonium chloride (hyamine), a white colored, solid, odorless artificial quaternary ammonium salt that is water and ethanol soluble, has anti-infective, antiseptic, and surfactant properties. It has widespread applications in different areas. For example, it is used in first aid antiseptics as a topical antimicrobial instrument, in toiletries and cosmetics, anti-itch ointments, mouthwashes, in the food industry as a surfactant, as a preservative in the pharmaceutical industry, as a local antiseptic in hospitals and clinics, and as a disinfectant and detergent in various other end-use industries. Many lab tests have proven that benzethonium chloride is extremely effective against pathogens such as E.Coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus.Majorly fuelling the demand for benzethonium chloride is the flourishing pharmaceutical industry, the pressing demand for food on account of an ever-increasing world population, and the soaring personal care industry.Benzethonium chloride, however, has side effects and this is hampering their uptake to an extent. Ingestion of benzethonium chloride, for instance, can lead to vomiting, convulsions, and even a collapse followed by coma, in some rare cases. It can also cause hypertension, esophageal damage, nausea and paralysis of respiratory muscles leading to central nervous system depression.Request Sample Copy of the Report @From a geographical standpoint, Asia Pacific is primed to become a key market for benzethonium chloride because of the rising demand from the fast-expanding pharmaceutical industry in the region. The rising demand from the food industry in Europe and North America is expected to bode well for the growth of the markets in these regions.Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Inclusive InsightBenzethonium chloride (hyamine) is an artificial quaternary ammonium salt which is white in colour, solid, odorless, and is soluble in water. It also dissolves in ethanol efficiently. It has a melting point of 327 to 331 degree Fahrenheit and molecular weight of 448.1. Benzethonium chloride properties include anti-infective, antiseptic, and surfactant among others. It is basically employed in first aid antiseptics as a topical antimicrobial instrument. It is also present in toiletries and cosmetics which include antimicrobial toiletries, anti-itch ointments, and mouthwashes among others. It is used on a large scale as a surfactant in the food industry. The food industry uses it on a large scale in the form of a surfactant.It is used as a preserving agent in the pharmaceutical industry, as a local antiseptic in hospitals and clinics, and as disinfectant and detergents in various other end-use industries. It is also used as a topical anti-infection agent which is brought into use for the purpose of disinfecting eyes, nose, throat, and skin. It also has application in the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture several other preservatives. It is also found in the formulation of grapefruit seed extract. benzethonium chloride known by other names such as BZP, Salanine, Polymine D, Antiseptol, Quatrachor, and Phermerol. Benzethonium chloride displays a wide range of microbiocidal action against mold, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Several lab tests have proven that benzethonium chloride is extremely effective against pathogens such as E.Coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus.Request TOC of the Report @Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Drivers and InhibitorsThe mounting demand from the pharmaceutical industry is the chief driving aspect of the global benzethonium chloride market. Additionally, the rising demand from the food industry is further anticipated to boost the growth of the global benzethonium chloride market. The growing use of benzethonium chloride in the personal care industry is another factor that is likely to provide the global benzethonium chloride market with a shot in the arm.However, the rising health concerns among consumers regarding the side effects of Benzethonium chloride is expected to hamper the growth of global benzethonium market over the coming years. On ingestion of benzethonium chloride, the infected person may collapse and other symptoms include vomiting, convulsions and coma. It may also lead to hypertension, esophageal damage, nausea and paralysis of respiratory muscles leading to central nervous system depression. These factors are expected to hamper the growth of global benzethonium chloride market.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Regional OutlookThe global market for benzethonium chloride is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the leading region in terms of consumption of benzethonium chloride owing to the growing demand from the pharmaceutical industry in the region. The rising demand from the food industry in Europe and North America is expected to bode well for the growth of the markets in these regions.Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Vendor LandscapeThe leading companies in the market are Manus Aktteva Biopharma LLP, Quat-Chem Ltd, ATHENE CHEMICALS PVT. LTD, QIHAI CHEMICALS CO.,Triveni Aromatics And Perfumery Private Limited, Ampak Company, Pharmaco-Aaper and Commercial Alcohols, ACM Chemicals, Alfa Aesar, Ricca Chemical Company, Premier Group of Industries, LTD, Hetrium, Pacific Texchem Private Limited, Par Sterile Products, Dishman Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals (P) Ltd, SHIMADZU CORPORATION and Fisher Scientific among others.About TMR Research :TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Diafenthiuron Market to record high demand by 2017 - 2025

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Global Diafenthiuron Market: SnapshotEmerging countries such as India are expected to bet on massive opportunities from the sale of diafenthiuron, an off-patented insecticide product, by the first quarter of 2018. Thousands of crores of gross sales could be targeted by Insecticides India round about the same period. The management anticipates a handsome revenue to be earned from both B2B and B2C segments through diafenthiuron sales.The global diafenthiuron market is predicted to gain a robust impetus from the inclusion of the active insecticide ingredient in popular products such as Polo 500 SC by Syngenta. Brazil could witness registration extension of several insecticide products in the near future on account of a dire need to control the spread and menace of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci B) on key crops such as soybean. Diafenthiuron could be used as an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase along with other insecticide ingredients to terminate the mechanism of mitochondrial respiration and cause an immediate discontinuation of reproduction and respiration in mites and other pests. The mode of action could be through fumigation, ingestion, or contact.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The growing significance of the insecticide product for agricultural application is prognosticated to augur well for the global diafenthiuron market. State authorities such as the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in India have set up guidelines to protect crops against menacing pests. Some of these guidelines include the use of diafenthiuron. Characterized by a short lifespan, thrips and mites attacking revenue-generating crops such as chili are a serious problem for farmers around the globe. Diafenthiuron also finds usage as an acaricide in the pest management of such crops.Global Diafenthiuron Market: IntroductionDiafenthiuron is an organic compound which is used as a systemic, broad spectrum insecticide and acaricide in the form of dispersible powder and mothballs. Its solubility in water is low and it is highly volatile, owing to which it is used to control a wide spectrum of insects in warehouses, farmlands and in integrated pest management systems. Diafenthiuron vapors are toxic to insects, mildews and molds and it is used to control insect infestation in crops. It is used as a fumigant for clothes and ant control and as a rodenticide at high concentrations.Request TOC of the Report @Diafenthiuron is used as an insect repellant in cotton, cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines and other fruits and vegetables. Diafenthiuron can also reduce soil diseases, potato weevils, root aphids, peach tree borers, and wire worms. It is applied at the base of trees and since it is a systemic chemical it is absorbed by the plants and cannot be washed off. Diafenthiuron is known by the brand names Pegasus, Polo, Cosmos, Defense, Diapol, Poleron, Akarilod, Negri, and Pegastar. It is registered as Pegasus in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia and in Polo in Asia and Latin America. Chemically, diafenthiuron is composed of thiourea which disrupts the mitochondria of insect cells causing paralysis of pests.Global Diafenthiuron Market: Top Drivers and TrendsThe growth of the pest management industry for domestic and commercial purposes has been boosting the global diafenthiuron market. This growth trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. The agrarian economies of the world are expected to be the dominant regions for the use of diafenthiuron. Additionally, tropical locations such as the Indian subcontinent, Latin and Central America are large consumers of diafenthiuron. The climate in these countries is conducive to the growth of a variety of insects that are detrimental to crop plants, owing to which it has a high demand here.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@However, the serious level of environmental pollution caused due to the use of diafenthiuron could hamper the growth of this market in the coming years. Bio-based substitutes of diafenthiuron are much milder on the environment and are expected to open new opportunities against the global diafenthiuron market.Global Diafenthiuron Market: Region-wise AnalysisChina is the worlds leading producer and consumer of diafenthiuron and consumes the agro-chemical through its vast farmlands. The U.S, Canada, South America and Western Europe are also high volume producers of diafenthiuron. It is used extensively in Brazil in its agricultural lands. Furthermore, other agrarian economies such as countries in the Indian sub continent are large consumers of diafenthiuron, owing to its broad spectrum activity against pests and rodents.Global Diafenthiuron Market: Players Mentioned in the ReportThe key players in the global diafenthiuron market so far, have been AK Scientific, ABI Chemicals, Angene, Alfa Aesar, Bayer CropScience, Apollo Scientific Ltd, China Jiangsu International Group, Conier Chem, Dalian Haokang Electronic Technology Co., Ltd, Changzhou Wujin Henglong Pesticide Co.,Ltd, Finetech Industry, GFS Chemicals, Hangzhou Uniwise International Co., Ltd, Green Chem Ltd, J and K Scientific, Hengyang KT Chemical Co., Ltd, Panpan Industry Co. Ltd, Krishi Rasayan Exports Pvt. Ltd., Sigma  Aldrich, Merck Millipore, Shengda Union Biochemistry Co. Ltd, Syngenta, Zibo Towin Chemical Co., LTD. TCI, Wangs Crop-Science Co., Ltd, Zhejiang Sega Science, Tractus Co. Ltd, and Technology Co. Ltd.About TMR Research :TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Diphenyl Sulfone Market set to increase significantly by 2025

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Global Diphenyl Sulfone Market: SnapshotDiphenyl sulfone finds extensive usage in the paper and pharmaceutical industries owing to its favorable properties and significant applications.In the paper manufacturing sector, diphenyl sulfone is engaged as a sensitizer for completing thermal paper coatings. It could be safe to say that diphenyl sulfone is employed in a majority of thermal paper grades as a sensitizer. Followed by the processes of drying and calendaring, the compound could be applied as a sensitizer with the traditional technique of aqueous coating composition application onto a pre-coated base paper. Diphenyl sulfone could be most commonly used in combination with key color formers or developers such as WinCon-2. The paper grade of diphenyl sulfone is also used as a raw material for 3, 3 dinitro diphenyl sulfone.The usages of diphenyl sulfone have always been quite momentous in the pharmaceutical sector. For instance, the drug Promin was substituted by antibiotic Dapsone, chemically, diaminodiphenyl sulfone, for the treatment of leprosy a.k.a. Hansens disease. Although Promin offered successful treatment results for leprosy, its side effects and injection type of administration sidelined the drug gradually. Dapsone had also gained the reputation of treatment of choice in leprosy management due to its effectiveness and oral administration. Dapsone is also used for treating specific kinds of skin diseases such as dermatitis herpetiformis which generally occur on the scalp, knees, and elbows and infections caused due to HIV.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Since such drugs are usually taken for life or in longer dosages, the demand in the global diphenyl sulfone is expected to remain stable in the foreseeable future.Diphenyl Sulfone Market: General OutlineDiphenyl sulfone is a twelve carbon organic compound of sulfur with two benzene rings. The chemical is available as a white solid soluble in most organic solvents, and is insoluble in water. Diphenyl sulfone is manufactured commercially by a sulfonation of benzene, through a reaction between sulfuric acid and oleum. Diphenyl sulfone is also produced through a reaction between benzene and benzenesulfonyl chloride. Typically, these processes include the formation of an intermediate, benzenesulfonic acid.Diphenyl sulfone is a toxic inorganic chemical, and due to its sulfur content, it may cause irritation and/or burns to skin and eyes, and can be fatal if inhaled. Diphenyl sulfone is also considered hazardous, as it releases toxic and irritating sulfur dioxide gas, when burned. The chemical is required to be disposed of properly, as it is may cause harm the aquatic ecosystem.Request TOC of the Report @Diphenyl Sulfone Market: Application InsightsDiphenyl sulfone is primarily used in the chemical industry as a high temperature organic solvent. Diphenyl sulfone is used in processing of rigid thermoset polymers such as PEEK, as these polymers dissolve only in hot organic solvents. Diphenyl sulfone is also used as an intermediate raw material for the production of various phenyl chemicals such as dichloride diphenyl sulfone and bisphenol S among others.Diphenyl sulfone is also used in paper manufacture and pharmaceutical applications. The diphenyl sulfone market is driven by its demand in polymer processing applications, pharmaceutical applications, and paper and pulp applications. However, the rising awareness about the harmful effects of sulfur dioxide gas, and its hazardous nature, might hamper the market growth over the forecast period. New polymer applications are expected to bring prospective opportunities for future market growth of diphenyl sulfone as an intermediate raw material for the manufacturing of chemicals.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Another use of diphenyl sulfone is for deriving a wide variety of sulfone monomers. These monomers are used to develop high performance sulfone polymers that are categorized by their high temperature sustenance, and clear transparency. These derived sulfone polymers are employed as replacements or substitutes for metallic materials and glass, and can find its application in the medical industry, aerospace industry, consumer products manufacture, and automotive industry.Diphenyl Sulfone Market: Segment AnalysisIn terms of geography, Asia Pacific is the largest consumer of diphenyl sulfone in paper and pulp industry. Major industrial economies including China, India, Japan and South Korea are the key consumers of diphenyl sulfone for application in polymer manufacture and processing, paper and pulp and chemical industries.With the rise in disposable income and purchase power parity, two of the most populated countries of Asia, China and India are growing at an exponential rate. This, in turn, supports the demand growth for end use application products of diphenyl sulphone. North America is another major consumer of diphenyl sulfone, especially in the polymer processing and pharmaceutical applications. In Rest of the World, Brazil, South Africa, Argentina, and Venezuela contribute to the demand for the market. Owing to stringent regulations against hazardous chemicals, Europe is projected to witness comparatively slower growth than other regions.Diphenyl Sulfone Market: Key Market PlayersSome of the market players of Diphenyl Sulfone are: Merck Millipore, Solvay, Calabrian, Indspec Chemical, Arichem LLC, Olympic Chemical, Vertellus Specialties Inc. and Southern ionics, among many others.About TMR Research :TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Webtrekk appoints freenet CEO Christoph Vilanek as Chairman of the Board

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Berlin-based customer intelligence provider Webtrekk today appointed freenet CEO Christoph Vilanek as Chairman of the Board.Vilanek has an extensive digital background. As CEO, he developed freenet from a pure mobile communication company to a diverse hub for todays hyper-connected lifestyles, complete with services such as digital radio, DVB-T and IPTV. In the process, he has overseen more than 3 billion in turnover for the company.His chief objective in his new role as Chairman of the Board is bringing that same sort of explosive growth to Webtrekk.Webtrekk is a growing digital company with huge strategic potential, Vilanek says. The big customer base of more than 400 businesses  among them BILD.de, ING DiBa, Hugo Boss, McDonalds, FlixBus and Deutsche Telekom  proves that Webtrekks high-end analytics and marketing solutions can rival anything on the international market.Vilanek, who has served on the board of Stroer SE for four years, will support new Webtrekk CEO Wolf Lichtenstein, who helped turn US-based software provider SAS into a leading player in the DACH region.With Christoph we have found the perfect match, says Lichtenstein, who also previously worked as a manager at McKinsey and Company. There are not many managers in Germany who are as creative and tech-savvy as him, and who have executed as many new business models in the digital industry. His expertise will be indispensable as we take our company to the next level.Adds Vilanek: As a customer intelligence company focusing on data ownership, Webtrekk is set for the future. With their software, businesses can make decisions based on complete and high-quality data.Webtrekk is a customer intelligence platform that enables clients to connect, analyze and activate user and marketing data across all devices. The Webtrekk Suite combines industryleading web and app analytics, automated marketing features, DMP and third-party integrations. Founded in 2004, Webtrekk is headquartered in Berlin and has offices in Milan, Madrid, Amsterdam and Beijing.Engel International Communications GmbH,Schluterstrasse 41, 10707 BerlinFranziska Scheider, franziska.scheider@engelpr.de, +49 1738234027
Automated Intelligence named in top 1% of Microsoft Inbound Marketing Excellence report

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Automated Intelligence ranks in top 1% of Microsoft Partners Inbound Marketing Excellence report 2017Fifty Five and Fives annual inbound marketing report launches on 9th July at the Microsoft Inspire conference. And this year, Automated Intelligence made the cut, to rank in the top 1% of Microsoft Partners 2017.Each year, the inbound marketing efforts of over 25,000 Microsoft Partners are analysed by Fifty Five and Five who then shortlist 250 enterprise solution providers.This year, Microsoft highlighted the importance of Customer Experience (CX) as part of Partner Marketing in a bid to improve the customer journey. More companies are now switching their marketing efforts to inbound, delivering a more meaningful experience for customers, and generating better quality leads.Automated Intelligence is delighted to have our marketing recognised as being within the top 1% of Microsoft Partner marketers across the world!So, what is inbound marketing?Inbound marketing is the process of attracting customers through relevant and helpful interactions. It ensures that customers can find the right content, at the right time, in the right place. As a result, thanks to inbound marketing, potential customers arent inundated with spam mail, cold calls and unnecessary messages.Automated Intelligence is committed to delivering a positive experience for all customers. This starts from the moment you read a blog, follow our social channels, or download a guide from our website.The very best of Marketing and Customer Experience for Microsoft PartnersThis year, Microsoft Inspire is set for July 9-13th in Washington D.C. Microsoft Inspire is Microsofts largest partner event of the year and covers areas like digital transformation and customer experience.The conference is an opportunity for Microsoft employees, partners and industry experts to connect and build relationships on a global scale. Automated Intelligence are delighted to be joining Microsoft and other partners at the event again in 2017, having been a gold partner since 2013.In addition to the 250 top ranked Partners, this years Inbound Market Excellence report includes interviews, insights and case studies from industry experts.Sign up to download your free copy of the report at. If youre attending Microsoft Inspire, you can also pick up a physical copy of the report at Fifty Five and Fives stand (#1236). The report shares insights, motivation and best practices for any Microsoft Partner wanting to enhance their inbound marketing strategy.Automated Intelligence (AI) provides information management software and services that enable organisations to easily transition to, and make the most of, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Azure and Office 365.Using our proven solutions, organisations can analyse and optimise their existing data holdings to aid in the transition to SharePoint from legacy data repositories, reducing costs and increasing data quality. Our technology further enables organisations to exploit their Microsoft platform to comply with legal, government and internal policy obligations, whilst improving user experience, user acceptance, information discovery and data quality.We make it easier to deliver your information strategy.Ryan KyleAutomated IntelligenceUnit 4 Legacy BuildingQueens RoadQueens IslandBelfastBT3 9DT
Cheese in Uruguay

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Cheese in Uruguay The report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.Cheese exports continued to fall in 2016, along with prices paid internationally for Uruguayan cheese. The main exporting companies have been unable to find new destinations to absorb the loss of the Venezuelan market, which, until 2014, purchased more than 50% of exports. With surplus stocks, companies are unsure of their strategic direction as the domestic market is not receiving excess volume and international prices remain unfavourable. Players face a loss-loss situation and whatever option...Publisher's Cheese in Uruguay report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2011-2015, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2020 illustrate how the market is set to change.Request a Sample atProduct coverage: Processed Cheese, Unprocessed Cheese.Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.Why buy this report?* Get a detailed picture of the Cheese market;* Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;* Understand the competitive environment, the market's major players and leading brands;* Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.Browse Complete Report atPublisher has over 40 years' experience of publishing market research reports, business reference books and online information systems. With offices in London, Chicago, Singapore, Shanghai, Vilnius, Dubai, Cape Town, Santiago, Sydney, Tokyo and Bangalore and a network of over 800 analysts worldwide, Publisher has a unique capability to develop reliable information resources to help drive informed strategic planning.Get discount on report purchase atKey Point from Table of Contents:Table 1 Sales of Cheese by Category: Volume 2011-2016Table 2 Sales of Cheese by Category: Value 2011-2016Table 3 Sales of Cheese by Category: % Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 4 Sales of Cheese by Category: % Value Growth 2011-2016Table 5 Sales of Spreadable Processed Cheese by Type: % Value 2011-2016Table 6 NBO Company Shares of Cheese: % Value 2012-2016Table 7 LBN Brand Shares of Cheese: % Value 2013-2016Table 8 Distribution of Cheese by Format: % Value 2011-2016Table 9 Forecast Sales of Cheese by Category: Volume 2016-2021Table 10 Forecast Sales of Cheese by Category: Value 2016-2021Table 11 Forecast Sales of Cheese by Category: % Volume Growth 2016-2021Table 12 Forecast Sales of Cheese by Category: % Value Growth 2016-2021Table 13 Foodservice Sales of Packaged Food by Category: Volume 2011-2016Table 14 Foodservice Sales of Packaged Food by Category: % Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 15 Forecast Foodservice Sales of Packaged Food by Category: Volume 2016-2021Table 16 Forecast Foodservice Sales of Packaged Food by Category: % Volume Growth 2016-2021Market DataTable 17 Sales of Packaged Food by Category: Volume 2011-2016Table 18 Sales of Packaged Food by Category: Value 2011-2016Table 19 Sales of Packaged Food by Category: % Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 20 Sales of Packaged Food by Category: % Value Growth 2011-2016Table 21 GBO Company Shares of Packaged Food: % Value 2012-2016Table 22 NBO Company Shares of Packaged Food: % Value 2012-2016Table 23 LBN Brand Shares of Packaged Food: % Value 2013-2016Table 24 Penetration of Private Label by Category: % Value 2011-2016Table 25 Distribution of Packaged Food by Format: % Value 2011-2016Table 26 Distribution of Packaged Food by Format and Category: % Value 2016Table 27 Forecast Sales of Packaged Food by Category: Volume 2016-2021Table 28 Forecast Sales of Packaged Food by Category: Value 2016-2021Table 29 Forecast Sales of Packaged Food by Category: % Volume Growth 2016-2021Table 30 Forecast Sales of Packaged Food by Category: % Value Growth 2016-2021Purchase Complete Report atContact Information:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. The market research industry has changed in last decade. As corporate focus has shifted to niche markets and emerging countries, a number of publishers have stepped in to fulfil these information needs. We have experienced and trained staff that helps you navigate different options and lets you choose best research solution at most effective cost.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Coffee in Australia

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Coffee in Australia The report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.Influenced by the strong cafe culture in Australia, consumers are increasingly interested in the origins and tastes of their coffee products. Consumers ask more questions about where their coffee is from and this is reflected in the strategic plans of large companies. For example, 30% of Jacobs Douwe Egberts Export NL's green coffee beans were bought UTZ certified by June 2016, ensuring the coffee beans are sustainably farmed.Request a Sample atPublisher's Coffee in Australia report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2012-2016, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they legislative, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2021 illustrate how the market is set to change.Product coverage: Fresh Coffee, Instant Coffee.Browse Complete Report atData coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts) , company shares, brand shares and distribution data.Why buy this report?- Get a detailed picture of the Coffee market;- Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;- Understand the competitive environment, the market's major players and leading brands;- Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.Publisher has over 40 years' experience of publishing market research reports, business reference books and online information systems. With offices in London, Chicago, Singapore, Shanghai, Vilnius, Dubai, Cape Town, Santiago, Sydney, Tokyo and Bangalore and a network of over 800 analysts worldwide, Publisher has a unique capability to develop reliable information resources to help drive informed strategic planning.Get discount on report purchase atLIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLESTable 1 Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: Volume 2011-2016Table 2 Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: Value 2011-2016Table 3 Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: % Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 4 Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: % Value Growth 2011-2016Table 5 Retail Sales of Fresh Coffee by Regular vs Decaffeinated: % Volume 2011-2016Table 6 Retail Sales of Fresh Ground Coffee by Standard vs Pods: % Volume 2011-2016Table 7 Retail Sales of Fresh Ground Coffee Pods by Hard vs Soft: % Volume 2011-2016Table 8 Retail Sales of Instant Coffee by Standard vs Pods: % Volume 2011-2016Table 9 Retail Sales of Instant Coffee Mixes by Type: % Volume 2011-2016Table 10 NBO Company Shares of Coffee: % Retail Value 2012-2016Table 11 LBN Brand Shares of Coffee: % Retail Value 2013-2016Table 12 Forecast Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: Volume 2016-2021Table 13 Forecast Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: Value 2016-2021Table 14 Forecast Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: % Volume Growth 2016-2021Table 15 Forecast Retail Sales of Coffee by Category: % Value Growth 2016-2021Table 16 Forecast Retail Sales of Fresh Coffee by Regular vs Decaffeinated: % Volume 2016-2021Table 17 Forecast Retail Sales of Fresh Ground Coffee by Standard vs Pods: % Volume 2016-2021Table 18 Forecast Retail Sales of Instant Coffee by Standard vs Pods: % Volume 2016-2021Table 19 Sales of Hot Drinks by Retail vs Foodservice: % Volume Breakdown 2011-2016Table 20 Sales of Hot Drinks by Retail vs Foodservice: % Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 21 Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Volume 2011-2016Table 22 Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Value 2011-2016Table 23 Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 24 Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Value Growth 2011-2016Table 25 Foodservice Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Volume 2011-2016Table 26 Foodservice Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 27 Total Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Total Volume 2011-2016Table 28 Total Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Total Volume Growth 2011-2016Table 29 NBO Company Shares of Hot Drinks: % Retail Value 2012-2016Table 30 LBN Brand Shares of Hot Drinks: % Retail Value 2013-2016Table 31 Penetration of Private Label in Hot Drinks by Category: % Retail Value 2011-2016Table 32 Retail Distribution of Hot Drinks by Format: % Volume 2011-2016Table 33 Retail Distribution of Hot Drinks by Format and Category: % Volume 2016Table 34 Forecast Sales of Hot Drinks by Retail vs Foodservice: % Volume Breakdown 2016-2021Table 35 Forecast Sales of Hot Drinks by Retail vs Foodservice: % Volume Growth 2016-2021Table 36 Forecast Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Volume 2016-2021Table 37 Forecast Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Value 2016-2021Table 38 Forecast Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Volume Growth 2016-2021Table 39 Forecast Retail Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Value Growth 2016-2021Table 40 Forecast Foodservice Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Volume 2016-2021Table 41 Forecast Foodservice Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Volume Growth 2016-2021Table 42 Forecast Total Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: Total Volume 2016-2021Table 43 Forecast Total Sales of Hot Drinks by Category: % Total Volume Growth 2016-2021Purchase Complete Report atContact Information:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. The market research industry has changed in last decade. As corporate focus has shifted to niche markets and emerging countries, a number of publishers have stepped in to fulfil these information needs. We have experienced and trained staff that helps you navigate different options and lets you choose best research solution at most effective cost.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Is It Right That Students Be Charged Letting Administration Fees?

Although it is widely believed by some that students are incapable of managing their finances effectively, it is important to point out that students are under a lot of pressure to support themselves with the financial limitations that they have. Consequently, students will try to find the best deals they can in regards to available accommodation. With a new academic year on the horizon, many new and existing students begin their search for somewhere to live in preparation for the new term at University. As competition mounts for the last available accommodations, and as we enter the summer holidays, there is the potential for this to be a costly time of year. However, it is worth making sure that you understand exactly how money much you need to pay and where the best deals can be found so that you do not spend more than is necessary.What exactly are admin fees?Administrative charges or admin fees are charged by letting agents, estate agents, insurers or other agencies as a means of covering the administrative costs incurred through the recording and storing of data pertaining to properties, tenants and landlords, arranging appointments and maintaining communication with the relevant persons. These fees however can often be highly excessive.Whats the reason for me still being charged admin fees?It was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond, in August 2016, that administration fees could be banned. While this was a potential cause for celebration amongst students as it could save them money when renting studios or shared houses, the ban was not made official.What impact could this have for students?This new legislation would have the ability to crackdown on hidden and excessive charges. As a result, the pressure on students to pay high costs for student accommodation could be reduced. Also, if a business is discovered to have been over-charging its client, penalty fees may be issued. Housing Minister Gavin Barwell stated: Were determined to make all types of housing more affordable and secure for ordinary working people.How costly are these fees?The average admin fee can be expected to be 175 approximately. This amount can vary depending on the agent and the city. Some letting agents though are dramatically increasing their prices, and in certain parts of the country, students have been subject to prices of 500 or more.Hidden Fees?Data sourced from money.co.uk shows that the average price of hidden fees in cities around England is: Liverpool  130/140 or 6 weeks of household shopping, Manchester  155/165 or 7.1 weeks of household shopping, Birmingham  160/170 or 7.2 weeks of household shopping, London  215/225 or 9.7 weeks of household shopping, Bristol  250/260 or 11.1 weeks of household shopping.* Household shopping based on 22.60 a weekWhats being done to tackle this?These rising prices are becoming unbearable. 28 year-old Vicky who was charged 500 in admin fees started a petition that was signed by more than 250, 000 people, compelling Parliament to take action. Many other students have expressed the view that being asked to pay excessive fees makes saving difficult, and many students are suffering while they struggle to cover their basic needs.Fee paying as normalIt has been predicted that this legislations final arrangements will resume into September. For students in the new academic year of 2017/18, this means that they will continue to pay administrative fees.Are there any other options?Fortunately, there are certain letting agents who will be offering no administrative fees for a limited amount of time. Unihousing is one of these agencies. Based in Selly Oak, Unihousing are a high-standard lettings agents that own all of their properties and provide the kind of attractive deal that really stands out as the student letting season draws to a close.For accommodation-seeking students in the Birmingham area unable to find a letting agent that doesnt insist on an administrative charge, paying admin fees will remain a reality.High standard student lettings agency based in Selly Oak, Birmingham. Unihousing own many properties for let in and around the area of Selly Oak in Birmingham, which is the prime location for students attending the University of Birmingham. The properties are furnished and maintained to a high standard at reasonable rates.Name: Unihousing.co,Postal Address: 571 Bristol Rd, Birmingham, Selly Oak, B29 6AFUnihousing office: Kate at 0121 471 1195Press Contact: Jon or Judy at SeadOak on 01214595066 or unihousing@seadoak.com
Global Rubber Tyre Market Situation, Trends, Growth, Future Outlook during the Forecast Period of 2017  2021

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A new market report with a title Global Rubber Tyre Market Research Report 2017 has been recently added to the vast online database of Market Research Hub (MRH). This report is an in-depth and professional analysis of the current as well as future scenario of the global rubber tyre market. This industry report package offers the most up-to-date market data on the actual market situation, trends, and future outlook for rubber tyres in the world.Request Free Sample Report @Along with a global rubber tyre market report the package includes country reports from the following countries ;Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, VietnamThe reports include historic market data from 2010 to 2016 and forecasts until 2021 which makes the reports an invaluable resource for industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers, analysts, and other people looking for key industry data in readily accessible and clearly presented tables and graphs.The latest market data for this research include:- Overall rubber tyre market size, 2010-2021- Rubber tyre market size by product segment, 2010-2021- Growth rates of the overall rubber tyre market and different product segments, 2010-2021- Shares of different product segments of the overall rubber tyre market, 2010, 2016 and 2021The product segments discussed in the data reports include:New pneumatic rubber tyres for carsNew pneumatic rubber tyres for lorries and busesNew pneumatic rubber tyres for motorcyclesNew pneumatic rubber tyres for bicyclesNew pneumatic rubber tyres for aircraftOther new pneumatic rubber tyresRetreaded rubber tyresCamelback strips for retreading rubber tyresCushioned and solid rubber tyresRubber inner tubes for motor vehiclesRubber inner tubes for bicyclesOther rubber inner tubesThe reports help answering the following questions:- What is the current size of the rubber tyre market in the world and in different countries?- How is the rubber tyre market divided into different product segments?- How are the overall market and different product segments growing?- How is the market predicted to develop in the future?- What is the market potential compared to other countries?Among the key reasons to purchase include the following:- Gain an outlook of the historic development, current market situation, trends, and future outlook of the rubber tyre market in the world to 2021- Track industry trends and identify market opportunities- Plan and develop marketing, market-entry, market expansion, and other business strategies by identifying the key market trends and prospects- Save time and money with the readily accessible key market data included in the report. The market data is clearly presented and can be easily incorporated into presentations, internal reports, etc.Browse Full Report with TOC @Table of content:1. Market for Rubber Tyres in the Country in Question 6Overall Market 6Market by Type 7New pneumatic rubber tyres for cars 8New pneumatic rubber tyres for lorries and buses 9New pneumatic rubber tyres for motorcycles 10New pneumatic rubber tyres for bicycles 11New pneumatic rubber tyres for aircraft 12Other new pneumatic rubber tyres 13Retreaded rubber tyres 14Camelback strips for retreading rubber tyres 15Cushioned and solid rubber tyres 16Rubber inner tubes for motor vehicles 17Rubber inner tubes for bicycles 18Other rubber inner tubes 19Make an Enquiry @About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of Research Reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of rubber market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comRead More Industry News @
Global Automotive LED Lighting Market: Industry Size, Share, Growth, Forecasts

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Latest industry research report on: Global Automotive LED Lighting Market : Industry Size, Share, Research, Reviews, Analysis, Strategies, Demand, Growth, Segmentation, Parameters, ForecastsDownload Sample copy of this Report @The report titled Global Automotive LED Lighting Market (2017-2021 Edition) provide an in-depth analysis of the global automotive LED Lighting market with detailed analysis of market size and growth, market share and economic impact of the industry. The report also provides market size of the global automotive lighting market.The report provides detailed regional analysis of Europe and Asia-Pacific (Japan) for the automotive LED lighting market.Complete Report Details @Growth of the global automotive lighting market and global automotive LED lighting market has also been forecasted for the period 2017-2021, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. The market for global automotive LED lighting is fragmented and major competitors are Koito, Stanley, Hella, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Magneti Marelli) and Lumberg Holding. Further, key players of the global automotive LED lighting market are also profiled with their financial information.Country CoverageEuropeAsia-Pacific (Japan)Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @Company CoverageKoitoStanleyHellaFiat Chrysler Automobiles (Magneti Marelli)Lumberg HoldingExecutive SummaryGenerally the automotive lighting uses three technologies for the lamps which could be LED technology, HID/Xenon or Halogen. The LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are the most recent technology to be used by the automotive industry. The LEDs are used more because of the changing technology and demand for more energy efficiency.There are two main segments of automotive lighting system which are classified as Exterior Automotive Lighting and Interior Automotive Lighting. There are various sub segments of the exterior and the interior segments of the automotive lighting market, which are Auxiliary Lights, Headlights, Tail lights, Side Lights, Interior Lights, Parking Lights, Brake Light, Fog Lights and Daytime Running Light. Global Automotive LED Lighting market has increased at a significant annual growth rate as compared to the preceding year and projections are made that the market would rise in the next five years i.e. 2017-2021 tremendously. The upsurge in the market was due to various factors such as rapid growth in the global automotive industry, increasing focus on fuel and energy efficiency, etc.The major growth drivers for the automotive LED lighting market are increasing sales of lightweight vehicles worldwide, growing automobile industry, increasing LED penetration and focus on energy efficiency. Despite the market is governed by various growth drivers, there are certain challenges faced by the market such as slow growth of vehicle sales in BRIC nations, high costs of LED, high research and development costs, etc.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Jigsaw Puzzle Market 2017 - Springbok Puzzles, Robotime, Disney, Schmidt Spiele, CubicFun, Educa Borras

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Jigsaw Puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often oddly shaped interlocking and tessellating pieces. Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture. In some cases more advanced types have appeared on the market, such as spherical jigsaws and puzzles showing optical illusions.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Jigsaw Puzzle in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversSpringbok PuzzlesRobotimeDisneySchmidt SpieleCubicFunEduca BorrasRavensburgerArtifact PuzzlesTenyoToy TownCobble HillWhite Mountain PuzzlesBuffalo GamesCastorlandHapeMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Access Full Report With TOC @Market Segment by Type, coversWood MaterialsPlastic MaterialsPaper MaterialsMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoChildrenAdultsThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Jigsaw Puzzle market.Chapter 1, to describe Jigsaw Puzzle Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Jigsaw Puzzle, with sales, revenue, and price of Jigsaw Puzzle, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Jigsaw Puzzle, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Jigsaw Puzzle market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Jigsaw Puzzle sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Global Smart Plug Market Analysis by Key Players, Industry Growth, Size, Share, Trends, Sales Forecast and Supply Demand to 2022

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Global Smart Plug Market Research Report, added on ReportsMonitor.com, provides insights of the industry over past 5 years and a forecast until 2022. The Report studies, the Market status and future trend in the Global market, splits by type and by applications, to fully and deeply researched and reveal the market situation and future forecast.The Smart Plug Market report would come in handy to understand your competitors and give you an insight about sales; volumes, revenues in the industry, assists in making strategic decisions. It reduces the risks involved in making decisions as well as strategies for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Both established and new players in the industry can use the report to understand the market.Get Full Access of Global Smart Plug Market Research Study @Smart Plug Market: Type wise segment: - Metering Smart Plug Timing Smart PlugSmart Plug Market: Applications wise segment: - Household Restaurant & Hotel OtherType wise and application wise consumption figures are given. With the help of supply and consumption data, the gap between these two is also explained.Get a Sample PDF of Global Smart Plug Market Research report @This Market report contains proven analysis by regions, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focusing top manufacturers in the Global market, with Production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering following top players Belkin Panasonic Broadlink IHOME and many more.On competitive landscape, this report includes complete profiles of the Market key players. For each player contact information is given. Their product details, capacity, price, cost, gross and revenue numbers are provided for better understanding.Some key points of Global Smart Plug Market research report: -1. What is the status of the Market? This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, Prospect, Growth trend, Sales by regions, manufacturers, types and applications.2. What Is the Market Competition considering Manufacturers, Types and Application?3. Who Are the Market Key Manufacturers?4. The Manufacturing Cost Analysis - Analysis done by considering prime elements5. The Market Effect Factor Analysisa) Technology Process/Risk Considering Substitute Threat and Technology Progress In the Industryb) Consumer Needs or What Change Is Observed in Preference of Customer of the Market6. What is the Market forecast (2017-2022) Considering Sales, Revenue, Growth rate, Price and Trends for Regions, Types and Applications?With Experts Interview, Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation, Primary & Secondary Sources and Research Center data, the Global Smart Plug Market research report guides you towards exponential growth.Get Full Access of Global Smart Plug Market Research Study @About Reports MonitorReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsINDIA OFFICE:008, Mihir Co-operative,Above Bharat Suzuki showroom,Fatima Nagar,Pune - 411013,Maharashtra,IndiaJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Electronics & Electric Ceramic Market Insights with Key Company Profiles - Forecast to 2025

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Ceramics are non-metallic inorganic solids with high strength and hardness, high melting point, and good thermal and electric insulation property. Advanced ceramics, also known as functional ceramics or fine ceramics, are of powder type. They are formed from oxides, non-oxides, or both; unlike traditional ceramics that are made of clay. High technology and advanced production techniques are used in the processing of advanced ceramics.Obtain Report Details @:Based on material type, the electronic & electric ceramics market has been categorized into aluminum oxide, barium titanate, zirconate titanate, and silica carbide. Aluminum oxide or alumina is a pillar of advanced ceramics. It is used as an insulator for several electronic and electric applications including electronic substrates and spark plug insulators. It has good electric and mechanical properties and resistance to corrosion and wear. It is also used in medical, and chemical applications. Barium titanite is a highly studied advanced ceramic material, owing to its usage in electromechanical devices, actuators, piezoelectric transducers, and electro-optical devices. Zirconate titanate is the most widely used piezoelectric advanced ceramic material. It is chemically inert, physically strong, and less expensive. It possesses a unique range of properties with greater charge sensitivity, high operating temperature, higher di-electric stability, and fine grain structure with high density. It is applied in tools for precise inspection of automotive and aerospace applications. It is also employed in the manufacture of level sensors, ultrasonic cleaners, and sonar devices. Silica carbide is produced in powder form and is used as a high-quality advanced ceramic. It possess exceptional hardness, very high thermal shock resistance, high thermal conductivity, high strength, low thermal expansion, low density, and high elastic modulus. It is used in semiconductor electronic devices operating at high voltages and high temperatures such as resistance heating, flame igniters, and electronic components deployed at severe environments. Other applications of silica carbide include automotive clutches and brakes and bulletproof jackets. In the automotive industry, it is used as an oil additive for reducing the friction, harmonics, and emissions. Of all material segments, the aluminum oxide segment holds a major market share, due to the availability and versatile usage of aluminum oxide in the electronics & electrical (E&E) industry.Based on end-user industry, the electronic & electric ceramics market has been segregated into aerospace, home appliances, and power grids. Aircrafts are fully packed with electronic and electric components such as antennas, sensors, resistors, and capacitors. These components should be light in weight, smaller in size, and wear-resistant. The utilization and popularity of advanced ceramics is increasing. They offer high potential for transmuting the aircraft engine capabilities, which can intensely change the future of the aeronautics industry. Therefore, aerospace is a major end-user industry segment of the market for advanced ceramics. Several home appliances would not be able to function without advanced ceramics, as advanced ceramics offer electric insulation. This is applicable for thermostat casings, PTC thermistors, fan heaters, sockets, switches, and connecting parts. In power grids, advanced ceramics are used for manufacturing the power grid tubes, power switches, insulator discs, rings, cylinders, travelling wave tubes, and relays. The power grids segment holds a major market share among end-user industry segments.For more information on this report, fill the form @:Based on region, the global electronic & electric ceramics market has been divided into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific dominates the global market due to recent growth of the power sector and increased use of home appliances in the region. Rising use of advanced ceramics in aerospace applications drives the electronic & electric ceramics market in North America and Europe. Middle East & Africa is a rapidly expanding market for electronic & electric ceramics, due to growth of sectors such as home appliances and power grids in the region.Key players operating in the global electronic & electric ceramics market are Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc. (the U.S.), Coors Tek, Inc. (the U.S.), Rauschert Steinbach GmbH (Germany), Kyocera Corporation (Japan), Mantec Technical Ceramics Ltd. (the U.K.), Ceram Tec GmbH (Germany), Ceradyne, Inc. (the U.S.), Morgan Advanced Materials (the U.K.), McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies (the U.S.), ENrG Inc. (the U.S.), and NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. (Japan).The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207
Bulk Container Packaging MArket Trends & Growth Forecast 2016 to 2024

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Global Market Insights has announced the addition of a new study based report "Bulk Container Packaging Market Size By Product (Flexitanks, Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container [FIBC], Bulk Container Liners), By Application (Food & Beverage, Chemicals) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, GCC), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024".Bulk Container Packaging Market size is set to exceed USD 6 billion by 2024.Request for a sample pages from this research@Increasing edible oil export from SEA, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, is one amongst the major factor propelling the overall bulk container packaging market size over the projected timeframe. For instance, Indonesia exported more than 14 million tons of palm oil in 2007 and reached roughly around 20 million tons in 2013. In addition, more than 30% of the total edible oil exports from Southeast Asia was done through flexitanks owing to its high operational efficiency along with low cost.Flexitanks tanks are widely preferred by the oil exporters, as it helps in increasing the profit margin, by reducing the operational expenses. Increasing palm oil demand from Europe, India and China will complement the bulk packaging container market size over the estimated period. Furthermore, increasing biofuel production across the globe on account of its environment friendly characteristics along with government support will subsequently boost the product demand for transportation applications. Thereby propelling the global bulk container packaging market size by 2024.The Bulk Container Packaging Market Report Consists of,1. Methodology and Scope2. Executive Summary3. Bulk Container Packaging Industry Insights3.1 Industry segmentation3.2. Industry size, forecast and growth expectations, 2012 - 20233.3. Industry ecosystem analysis3.4. Raw material insights3.5. Technology insights3.6. Regulatory framework3.7. Industry dynamics3.8. Key growth opportunities3.9. Porter's analysis3.10. Company market share, 20153.11. PESTEL analysis3.14. Regional price trends4. Bulk Container Packaging Market Product InsightsFlexitanks are widely preferred in the foodgrade product such as malts, edible oil and fruit concentrates, beverage and non-hazardous chemicals transportation due to its high efficiency along with superior protection against contamination. These tanks offer value added traits as compared to prevailing substitutes including barrels and drums. It is easily disposable, and hence there is no associated cleaning cost as in the case of tank containers and barrels.This, in turn, diminishes the product contamination risk. In addition, flexitanks can transport over 20 times more quantity of liquid than other substitutes in the same cost. These abovementioned flexitanks features will consequently boost the bulk container packaging market size over the projected timeframe.Make an Inquiry for Purchasing this report@5. Bulk Container Packaging Market Application InsightsIn 2015, FIBC (flexible intermediate bulk container) led the overall bulk container packaging market size in 2015. FIBC is broadly used in the transportation of polymers, building materials, chemicals and detergents.In 2015, food grade & beverage application was valued roughly around USD 900 million. Growing population has substantially increased the food demand in massive volume along with low prices. This has positively influenced the food grade & beverage trade across the globe and thus will push the bulk container packaging market size by 2024. Bulk container packaging market size for chemicals will observe growth more than 10% by 2024.6. Bulk Container Packaging Market Regional InsightsIn 2015, North America accounted for the largest chunk in the bulk container packaging market. The region is the major exporter corn, soybean, oilseeds and feeds and therefore has enormous product demand. However, Asia Pacific, mainly led by India and China, will observe highest growth close to 11% by 2024.7. Competitor ProfilesIn 2015, bulk container packaging market size was extremely consolidated with top three companies holding over 50% of the industry share. BLT Flexitank Industrial, MY Flexitank (MYF), SIA Flexitanks and Braid Logistics are few key industry players.About Global Market Insights, Inc.:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
Global Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales Market 2017 - PQ Corporation, PPG Industries, BASF, J.M. Huber Corporation, Evonik Industries AG

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Focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with Production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer. Global Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales market report also focuses on an in-depth segmentation of this market based by type and applications.The report firstly introduced the Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales basics: definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview; industry policies and plans; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Download Sample Report @Scope of the report:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales market for 2017-2022. To calculate the market size, the report considers the new installations.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaFior Markets report, Global Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales Market 2017-2022, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Top ManufacturersPQ CorporationBASFPPG IndustriesW.R. Grace & CompanyJ.M. Huber CorporationOccidental Petroleum CorporationEvonik Industries AGTokuyama Europe GmbHAlbemarleGet Full Report With TOC @Key questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales Market Research Report Split by TypeSodium OrthosilicateSodium MetasilicateLiquid Sodium Silicate Sales Market Research Report Split by ApplicationDetergentsCatalystsPulp & PaperElastomersFood & HealthcareOthersReasons To Buy- What was the size of the Global Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales market by value in 2016?- What will be the size of the Global Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales market in 2022?- What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the Global Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales market?- How has the market performed over the last five years?- What are the main segments that make up the global's Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales market?The report has put special emphasis on the market share and size of global industry, owing to their large scale share in the current and upcoming market of Liquid Sodium Silicate Sales. The industry analysis have also been done to examine the impact of various factors and understand the overall attractiveness of the industry.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.ABOUT USFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice - 102, Sanskriti Aspirations,Near Post 91, Baner Road,Pune, MH, India - 411045Phone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Automotive HVAC Market 2017 - Calsonic Kansei Corporation, Sanden Holdings Corporation, Valeo, Denso Corporation, Hanon Systems

Automotive HVAC

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Worldwide Automotive HVAC Market 2017 Analysis Report audits a Market Regions, Product Categories, with Sales, Business Revenue, Goods cost, Automotive HVAC piece of the overall industry and Growth patterns, concentrating on driving Automotive HVAC industry players, showcase size, request and supply examination, utilization volume, Forecast 2017 to 2022.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This Report Sensata Technologies Inc. Keihin Corporation Calsonic Kansei Corporation Sanden Holdings Corporation Valeo Denso Corporation Hanon Systems Johnson Electric Holdings Ltd Japan Climate Systems Corporation Mahle GmbH Air International Thermal Systems Brose GmbH & Co. Toyota Industries CorporationThe Global Automotive HVAC report gives a thorough situation of the present and gauge Automotive HVAC showcase procedures, improvement methodologies and development openings. Starting a discussion on the contemporary condition of Automotive HVAC showcase, the report extra dissects the market powerful moving each area begun in it.The report additionally concentrates the Automotive HVAC bits of knowledge of the organizations and suggestions that will help the perusers to have progressive learning of the Automotive HVAC showcase.Enquire Before Buying @ https:A principal diagram of the Automotive HVAC market is introduced to the perusers with the assistance of market definition, order, different applications, and production network examination. The Automotive HVAC report covers the investigation of conventional and the developing markets. The report more expresses the Automotive HVAC showcase rivals, their business profiles, freshest news, their piece of the overall industry, developing arrangements and methodologies, client volume and creating strategies.In next part, the Automotive HVAC Report assesses the gross edge examination of various locales i. e. (US, EU, China and Japan). Different areas can be included according to the prerequisite.All in all, it is an exhaustive research report which will help perusers to break down the possibility of interest in Automotive HVAC advertise.About UsApex Market Research offer latest market research reports and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemica1l and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.bizPhone: +177390426831155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606
Global Rice Husk Ash Market 2017 - Yihai Kerry Investments, Usher Agro, Guru Metachem, Agrilectric Power Company

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This report study global effectively used rice husk ash market.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Rice Husk Ash in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversYihai Kerry InvestmentsUsher AgroGuru MetachemAgrilectric Power CompanyRescon (India)Deelert GroupJasoriya Rice MillOthers.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversSilica Content Between 85-89%Silica Content Between 90-94%Silica Content Between 80-84%Silica Content More Than Or Equal to 95%Access Full Report With TOC @Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoBuilding & ConstructionSilicaSteel IndustryCeramics & RefractoryRubberOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Rice Husk Ash market.Chapter 1, to describe Rice Husk Ash Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Rice Husk Ash, with sales, revenue, and price of Rice Husk Ash, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Rice Husk Ash, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Rice Husk Ash market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Rice Husk Ash sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Satellite Market an Overview of Growth Factors and Future Prospects 2022

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ReportsWeb.com added Global Satellite Market Research Report 2017 to its vast collection of research Database. The report is spread across 114 pages and supported by 16 company leaders.The Global Satellite Market Research Report 2017 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Satellite industry. In a word, This report studies Satellite in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer. Key companies included in this research are Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Space Systems Loral, Airbus Defence and Space, Orbital Sciences, OHB SE, Thales Alenia Space, L-3 Communications, Huawei, Harris, China Great Wall Indutry, APCO Technologies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Indian Space Research Organisation and Hughes Satellite Systems.Browse complete report @Market Segment by Region, this report splits Global into several key Region, with sales, revenue, market share and growth rate of Satellite in these regions, from 2011 to 2022 (forecast), like North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India. Firstly, Satellite Market On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Communication Satellite, Meteorological Satellite, Navigation Satellite, Reconnaissance Satellite and Other. On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales) , market share and growth rate of Satellite for each application, including Military and Civilian.Request for Sample @Major points from Table of Contents:1 Satellite Market Overview2 Global Satellite Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Satellite Output, Revenue by Regions4 Global Satellite Supply (Output) , Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5 Global Satellite Output, Revenue, Price Trend by Types6 Global Satellite Market Analysis by Applications7 Global Satellite Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Boeing7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Satellite Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Boeing Satellite Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Lockheed Martin7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Satellite Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Lockheed Martin Satellite Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Northrop Grumman Corporation7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Satellite Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Northrop Grumman Corporation Satellite Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Satellite Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Satellite Market Forecast13 Research Findings and ConclusionList of Tables and FiguresTable Major Buyers of SatelliteTable Distributors/Traders ListFigure Global Satellite Capacity, Production (Units) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Global Satellite Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Global Satellite Price (Million USD) and Trend Forecast (2017-2022)Table Global Satellite Production (Units) Forecast by Region (2017-2022)Figure Global Satellite Production Market Share Forecast by Region (2017-2022)Table Global Satellite Consumption (Units) Forecast by Region (2017-2022)Figure Global Satellite Consumption Market Share Forecast by Region (2017-2022)Figure North America Satellite Production (Units) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure North America Satellite Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Table North America Satellite Production, Consumption, Export and Import (Units) Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Europe Satellite Production (Units) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Europe Satellite Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Table Europe Satellite Production, Consumption, Export and Import (Units) Forecast (2017-2022)Figure China Satellite Production (Units) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure China Satellite Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Table China Satellite Production, Consumption, Export and Import (Units) Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Japan Satellite Production (Units) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Japan Satellite Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Table Japan Satellite Production, Consumption, Export and Import (Units) Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Satellite Production (Units) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Satellite Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Table Southeast Asia Satellite Production, Consumption, Export and Import (Units) Forecast (2017-2022)Figure India Satellite Production (Units) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Figure India Satellite Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate Forecast (2017-2022)Table India Satellite Production, Consumption, Export and Import (Units) Forecast (2017-2022)Table Global Satellite Production (Units) Forecast by Type (2017-2022)Figure Global Satellite Production (Units) Forecast by Type (2017-2022)Table Global Satellite Revenue (Million USD) Forecast by Type (2017-2022)Figure Global Satellite Revenue Market Share Forecast by Type (2017-2022)Table Global Satellite Price Forecast by Type (2017-2022)Table Global Satellite Consumption (Units) Forecast by Application (2017-2022)Figure Global Satellite Consumption (Units) Forecast by Application (2017-2022)Table Research Programs/Design for This ReportFigure Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches for This ReportFigure Data TriangulationTable Key Data Information from Secondary SourcesTable Key Data Information from Primary SourcePlace a Direct Purchase Order of Complete Report @Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Nano Coating Sales Market 2017 - Nanophase, Nanomech, Buhler AG, Bio-Gate AG, Telsa Nano Coatings Inc

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Focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with Production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer. Global Nano Coating Sales market report also focuses on an in-depth segmentation of this market based by type and applications.The report firstly introduced the Nano Coating Sales basics: definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview; industry policies and plans; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Download Sample Report @Scope of the report:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global Nano Coating Sales market for 2017-2022. To calculate the market size, the report considers the new installations.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaFior Markets report, Global Nano Coating Sales Market 2017-2022, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Top ManufacturersNanophaseBuhler AGBio-Gate AGNanogateADMAT InnovationsNanomechEIKOS IncCIMA NanotechTelsa Nano Coatings IncInframat CorporationGet Full Report With TOC @Key questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Nano Coating Sales Market Research Report Split by TypeOrganic Nano CoatingInorganic Nano CoatingNano Coating Sales Market Research Report Split by ApplicationAutomotiveElectronicsMedical DevicesConstructionOthersReasons To Buy- What was the size of the Global Nano Coating Sales market by value in 2016?- What will be the size of the Global Nano Coating Sales market in 2022?- What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the Global Nano Coating Sales market?- How has the market performed over the last five years?- What are the main segments that make up the global's Nano Coating Sales market?The report has put special emphasis on the market share and size of global industry, owing to their large scale share in the current and upcoming market of Nano Coating Sales. The industry analysis have also been done to examine the impact of various factors and understand the overall attractiveness of the industry.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.ABOUT USFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice - 102, Sanskriti Aspirations,Near Post 91, Baner Road,Pune, MH, India - 411045Phone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Global Operating Microscopes Sales Market 2017 - Carl Zeiss, Topcon, BMS Medical, Alcon Laboratories, Takagi

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Focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with Production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer. Global Operating Microscopes Sales market report also focuses on an in-depth segmentation of this market based by type and applications.The report firstly introduced the Operating Microscopes Sales basics: definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview; industry policies and plans; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Download Sample Report @Scope of the report:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global Operating Microscopes Sales market for 2017-2022. To calculate the market size, the report considers the new installations.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaFior Markets report, Global Operating Microscopes Sales Market 2017-2022, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Top ManufacturersLeica MicrosystemsCarl ZeissTopconBMS MedicalAlcon LaboratoriesTakagiACCU-ScopeAlltion (Wuzhou)ARRI MedicalHAAG-Streit SurgicalOlympus IMSRoslane MeditechMoeller-WedelPEMEDGet Full Report With TOC @Key questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Operating Microscopes Sales Market Research Report Split by TypeOn Casters Operating MicroscopesWall Mounted Operating MicroscopesTable Top Operating MicroscopesCeiling Mounted Operating MicroscopesOperating Microscopes Sales Market Research Report Split by ApplicationHospitalsOutpatient FacilitiesOthersReasons To Buy- What was the size of the Global Operating Microscopes Sales market by value in 2016?- What will be the size of the Global Operating Microscopes Sales market in 2022?- What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the Global Operating Microscopes Sales market?- How has the market performed over the last five years?- What are the main segments that make up the global's Operating Microscopes Sales market?The report has put special emphasis on the market share and size of global industry, owing to their large scale share in the current and upcoming market of Operating Microscopes Sales. The industry analysis have also been done to examine the impact of various factors and understand the overall attractiveness of the industry.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.ABOUT USFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice - 102, Sanskriti Aspirations,Near Post 91, Baner Road,Pune, MH, India - 411045Phone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Worldwide Nut Market 2022 Share, Revenue and Growth Rate Comparison by Global Regions

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the 2017-2022 Nut Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications The report focuses on global major leading players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Nut in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , covering United States, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa.Get free sample copy of report atThe major players in global and United States Nut market, including Arimex, Olam International, Sunbeam Foods, Sun-Maid Growers of California, Diamond Foods, Archer Daniels Midland, Kanegrade, NUTHOUSE PRODUCTS, Hines Nut Company, H.B.S. Foods, BAPU, Resibras, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, Blue Diamond, Select harvest, Capay Canyon Ranch. The On the basis of product, the Nut market is primarily split into Peanuts, Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Pistachios, Treenuts and Others. On the basis on the end users/applications, this report covers Food Services, Food Processing and Others.Get more information about Nut Market atTable of Content1 Methodology and Data Source2 Nut Market Overview3 Nut Application/End Users4 Nut Market Status and Outlook by Regions5 Global Nut Market Competition by Players/ManufacturersGet discount on report purchase at6 United States Nut Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers7 Nut Players/Manufacturers Profiles and Sales Data7.1 Arimex7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors7.1.2 Nut Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Arimex Nut Sales (K Metric Tons) , Revenue (Million USD) , Price (USD/Kg) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Olam International7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors7.2.2 Nut Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Olam International Nut Sales (K Metric Tons) , Revenue (Million USD) , Price (USD/Kg) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Sunbeam Foods7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors7.3.2 Nut Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Sunbeam Foods Nut Sales (K Metric Tons) , Revenue (Million USD) , Price (USD/Kg) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Nut Manufacturing Cost, Industrial Chain and Downstream Buyers9 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors and Market Effect Factors10 Global Nut Market Forecast11 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase complete report atList of Tables and FiguresTable Research Programs/Design for This ReportFigure Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches for This ReportFigure Data TriangulationTable Key Data Information from Secondary SourcesTable Key Data Information from Primary SourcesFigure Nut Product PictureFigure Global Nut Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure United States Nut Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Product Picture of PeanutsTable Major Players of PeanutsFigure Global Peanuts Sales (K Metric Tons) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)Figure Product Picture of AlmondsTable Major Players of AlmondsFigure Global Almonds Sales (K Metric Tons) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)Figure Product Picture of CashewsTable Major Players of CashewsFigure Global Cashews Sales (K Metric Tons) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)Table Global Nut Sales (K Metric Tons) and Growth Rate (%) Comparison by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)Table Global Nut Sales (K Metric Tons) by Types (2012-2017)Table Global Nut Sales Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)Figure Global Sales Nut Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)Figure Global Sales Nut Market Share (%) by Types in 2016Table Global Nut Revenue (Million USD) by Types (2012-2017)Table Global Nut Revenue Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Concrete Admixtures Market Is Expected To Profits by 2017 - 2025

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Global Concrete Admixture Market: SnapshotOver the last two decades, there has been a remarkable expansion in urban areas around the world. This has escalated the pace of infrastructural development and constructional activities. With the booming construction industry in most of the parts of the world, the global concrete admixtures market is expected to rake in a healthy share of the revenue pie. Concrete admixtures are believed to make concrete structures more economical for contractors and other stakeholders. They find their application in residential and non-residential sectors.Emerging countries such as China, India, the U.A.E, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Egypt will be sights of high growth rate, owing to rising requirements for housing and infrastructure The growth of the market is also augmented by increasing consumer spending, spiraling demand for durable and aesthetic civil structure. Infrastructural development is majorly fuelled by the contribution of governments and therefore, government funding plays a vital role in the growth of the market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @While emerging countries will offer fertile grounds for the development of the market, gaining high profits in industrialized regions will be challenging for manufacturers due to matured nature of these markets. These regions have established and rather advanced infrastructure and the majority of demand for concrete admixture will be for maintenance and repair activities. Moreover, turbulence in the economic conditions at the global scale is negatively impacting the construction and real estate industry, which in turn is inhibiting the growth of the global concrete admixtures market.Global Concrete Admixtures Market: OverviewAdmixtures constitute those form of ingredients in a concrete mixture which are added during or immediately before the mixing procedure. They are, however, not to be confused with other ingredients such as water, Portland cement, or the aggregate. Plain concrete mixes fall short of providing the characteristics that can be easily obtained from concrete admixtures. While concrete admixtures are added to concrete at the time of batching or mixing, the dosages are normally less than 5.0% by the mass of the cement used.On the basis of function, concrete admixtures can see a classification by air entraining admixtures, water reducing admixtures, plasticizers, accelerating admixtures, retarding admixtures, retarding admixtures, hydration-control admixtures, corrosion inhibitors, shrinkage reducers, alkali-silica reactivity inhibitors, and coloring admixtures.Request TOC of the Report @Global Concrete Admixtures Market: Driving FactorsConcrete admixtures have gained prominence in concrete construction activities as they allow cost reduction. Apart from enhancing the quality of concrete, they help in its maintenance during important stages such as mixing, transporting, placing, and curing and also in adverse weather conditions. Besides this, they find important usage in building and construction activities as well, which is one of the colossal markets on the globe with regard to revenue generation.Various application segments such as highways, houses, bridges, sidewalks, and skyscrapers are expected to significantly add to the rise in the consumption of concrete and consequently, concrete admixtures. Likewise, there is a growing demand from a variety of end users which is equally contributing to the growth. Plasticizers, especially super-plasticizers, are envisaged to lead the international concrete admixtures market among the other segments in the category.While the mature markets in developed regions could affect the growth of the global concrete admixtures market, new avenues are expected to open in developing markets with the inflating demand for ready-mix concrete (RMC).Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Concrete Admixtures Market: Geographical AnalysisOwing to the growth in residential complexes, corporate offices, and architectural designs, Asia Pacific had majorly contributed to the global concrete admixtures market in the recent past. The rising urbanization in Asia Pacific countries and elevating strength of the world population are currently driving the global building and construction market and will continue to drive as projected. Emerging economies such as India and China are contributing to the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region on the back of changing lifestyles and swelling urbanization.South Africa followed by Europe also held an impressive consumption rate. However, North America has witnessed a stable advancement in the global concrete admixtures market. This trend is envisioned to continue until the end of the forecast period.Global Concrete Admixtures Market: Key VendorsAmong others, Ashland Inc., BASF, CICO Technologies Ltd., The Dow Chemical Company, Fosroc, Sika AG, LanYa Concrete Admixtures Co. Ltd., CHRYSO, and W.R. Grace & Co. are the crucial global players in the concrete admixtures market. The report presented here studies each company to provide a comprehensive analysis of their critical marketing strategies and future plans. The competitive landscape illustrated by the analysts will help the report buyers to gain a competitive edge in the global market.About TMR Research :TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Trifluralin Market : Development Trends and Worldwide Growth 2017 - 2025

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Global Trifluralin Market: SnapshotTrifluralin is extensively used as a herbicide across the globe. It is extracted with dichloromethane and detected using capillary gas chromatography with a nitrogenphosphorus detector. It is commercially available as a liquid, emulsifiable concentrate, or granular formula. It is registered for the control of annual grasses and broad-leaved weeds in cotton, ornamental plants, and food crops such as cabbage, broccoli, sugar beet, beans, onions, sugar cane, sunflowers, tomatoes, soybeans, vineyards, and a number of leafy green vegetables. Various studies show that cotton, soybean, and ornamental plants account for a substantial share in the global consumption of trifluralin.Trifluralin has a low solubility in water and has the ability to form strong bonds with soil. There are a wide range of pests that can be targeted using trifluralin, including bottle grass, bristlegrass, carpetweed, chickweed, crabgrass, cupgrass, field morningglory, German millet, goathead, hairy crabgrass, henbit, junglerice, knotweed, lovegrass, Mexican fireweed, pigeongrass, pigweed, red rice, Russian thistle, silver crabgrass, watergrass, wild oat, wild barley, and woolly cupgrass.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Trifluralin inhibits the development of meristem. It penetrates the developing plant roots where it hampers cell growth and division of the plant. It should be used with caution and in selective plants only else it may negatively impact the growth. Various lab tests suggest that it can inhibit onion and cabbage germination. Trifluralin is practically nontoxic to humans and birds in acute exposures. However, it has a very high toxicity to fish and other aquatic organisms. These disadvantages are adversely affecting the development of the global market for trifluralin.Global Trifluralin Market: OverviewThe global trifluralin market is projected to rise on the back of its main function as an inhibitor of weed growth. With key applications in the agriculture industry, the global market will ride on a robust demand for trifluralin products.Trifluralin helps to control the germination of a variety of broadleaf weeds by restraining their cell division and interrupting mitosis during the development of roots. The herbicide interferes with the synthesis of protein ropes that separate chromosomes during the process of cell division. In most cases, trifluralin is employed as a pre-emergent herbicide. It is studied that the ability of trifluralin to cling with organic matter and substandard water solubility could affect its efficacy and use. However, the crucial advantages provided by trifluralin in different applications compensate for its faint negations.Request TOC of the Report @Global Trifluralin Market: TrendsThe European Union (EU) has already banned the usage of trifluralin, owing to the risk to fish and other aquatic species with the herbicides high toxicity level. Moreover, the threat of substitutes could be lingering around the growth of the global trifluralin market.Howbeit, the international market for trifluralin is anticipated to witness a strong advancement with its significant applications in the growing agriculture industry. The herbicide cancels the need to wait for a longer time until the unwanted plantings, especially weeds, are eliminated completely. While tiling is the most commonly used method of decomposing weeds naturally, modern-day techniques which use trifluralin are taking precedence quickly. Trifluralin helps to accelerate the turnaround time for crops while minimizing the dependence on the tiling activity. The herbicide is also a great mode of weed removal which encourages cost-effectiveness and reduction in labor and time.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@In this regard, the worldwide trifluralin market is envisaged to take advantage of the necessity for faster crop production and the rising agricultural sector.Global Trifluralin Market: GeographyThe demand in the developed regions, such as the U.S. and Australia, of the global trifluralin market is favorable. However, China as part of a developing region has been struggling due to the regulatory issues that are inhibiting the growth of its manufacturing plants. The short supply of intermediate chemicals required for production are also adding to the gradual downslide. This has resulted in an augment in the price of trifluralin over the past few years. The Chinese manufacturers have been cancelling supply contracts because of the steady price increase. New contracts have seen a rise, however with increased prices and generally, reduced supply.Global Trifluralin Market: CompetitionWith a gamut of manufacturers operating across different geographical locations, the global trifluralin market is expected to stay fragmented during the course of the forecast period 20172025. Some of the important players in the global market are Shenzhen Sunrising Industry Co., Ltd., Shandong Qiaochang Chemical Co., Ltd., Chongqing Shurong Chemical Co., Ltd., BASF, Jiangsu Fengshan Group Co., Ltd., and Dow Chemical Company. Among others, ADVANCE 10G, HERITAGE, TREFLAN HFP, TREFLAN TR-10, and TREFLAN NF are the prominent trade banners under which the Dow Chemical Company has been manufacturing trifluralin on a large scale.About TMR Research :TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Blowing Agents Market: Industry Applications, Trend, Outlook and Opportunity Analysis, 2016-2024

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Blowing agents are light weight, heat insulation, and electrical induction chemical substance which is used to generate the gas that is used in expanding of plastics, rubber and ceramics to create foam. The global blowing agent are expected to witness substantial growth owing to increasing demand from end-use industries such as construction, packaging, and automotive. The product is primarily used in the aforementioned end-use industries as adhesives, exhibiting superior properties including improved acoustics, heat & electric insulation, elasticity, and lightweight.Request Sample of Blowing Agents Market:Rising infrastructure development in Asia Pacific is expected to increase market penetrationBlowing agents are widely used across a number of application in the construction industry including acoustics, heat & electric insulation and shock absorber. Furthermore, rising infrastructure development in Asia Pacific coupled with supportive government initiatives in emerging economies such as India is fueling growth of the market. For instance, in 2016, the Indian government announced plans to invest US$ 376.53 billion to improve the infrastructure, roads, transport facility and shipping over of the following three years Encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region is likely to propel construction industry in the region, which in turn is expected to increase demand for blowing agents over the near future.Robust automobile industry growth is expected to aid market growth over the forecast periodRising demand for the product in automobile industry owing to its use in weight reduction property as well as acoustic application is a major factor fueling market growth. The global automobile industry produced over 90 million cars and commercial vehicles in 2015, which is expected to increase significantly over the following five years owing to strong indicators in Asia Pacific. These trends coupled with rising efforts to improve fuel efficiency by reducing the overall weight of automobiles is expected to have a positive impact on growth.Stringent regulations promoting the use of eco-friendly blowing agentsThe market is segmented on the basis of product type into hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), and hydrocarbons. Hydrofluorocarbons accounted for the largest share in the market, owing to its low ozone depletion potential. Furthermore, stringent regulations barring the use of HCFC, in 2003 EPA issued baseline for production and import of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b. Moreover the UK government made it mandatory to recover and recycle the HCFC used in the refrigeration unit. Owing to its contribution towards ozone depletion coupled with a potential phase out in the near future is expected to have a positive impact on eco-friendly blowing agents over the forecast period. However, phasing out of HCFC results in high technology shifting costs, which is expected to restrain market growth to a certain extent.Due to low operating cost and global warming potential, the hydrocarbons segment is expected to witness substantial growth over the forecast period. Thus increasing its use in various end-use industries. However, abrupt changes in climate, global warming, ozone depletion are the primary environmental issue, so the global agreement such as Montreal and Kyoto protocol which limits severely in the use of blowing agents.Request To View The Table of content:Polyurethane foams dominated the market owing to its superior insulating and shock absorbent propertiesThe market is segmented on the basis of foam type into polyurethane, polystyrene, phenolic, and polyolefin. Polyurethane segment dominated the market, owing to its wide application scope in an array of industries such as automotive industry in manufacturing of seats, insulation, gaskets, seal and bushing. Moreover it is used in flooring in the construction industry and also to seal boat hulls from water in the marine industry. This is mainly attributed to its superior insulating and shock absorbent properties.Rapid growth of economy and population in the Asia Pacific region, urbanization and industrialization increases. The polyurethane foam is expected to witness substantial demand in this region due to owing rise in the application scope in automobile and construction industries. Furthermore, core application industries growing at a substantial pace particularly in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam is expected to drive growth over the forecast period. In addition, increasing foreign direct investment in the region primarily due to high market potential as well as low labor and land cost is likely to propel blowing agents market growth over the next few years.The blowing agents market is expected to exhibit below average growth in North America and Europe, owing to mature end-use industries in these regions. Furthermore, stringent regulations by EPA in 2003 and UK in the use of HCFC to limit, recover and reuse of HCFC. Governing the use of blowing agents is expected further hamper growth over the following few years. However, gradual recovery of the construction industryone of the key end-use industries for blowing agentsin both the regions is expected to have a positive impact on market growth.Honeywell, Solvay, Arkema are key industry players in the blowing agents market. Continuous research and development, technological advancement and marketing strategies helps in attaining the highest market share in the global blowing agent market. Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent is the latest product developed by Honeywell which is least harmful to the environment and has the potential to replace HC, HFC and HCFC. Blowing agents industry is a consolidated market place with a large number of small manufacturers present in the industry. This trend is primarily witnessed in Asia Pacific, which is one of the major producers of blowing agents. Furthermore, the industry comprises leading players with global presence including DuPont, Arkema S.A., Honeywell International Inc., Solvay S.A., Foam Supplies, Inc., AkzoNobel NV, Haltermann GmbH, Linde AG, Americhem and HARP International Ltd.Check The Trending Report of Blowing Agents Market:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Global Enzymes Market-Outlook, Regulatory Bodies, Trends, Industry Insights & Forecast

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Enzymes are molecular catalysts that accelerates chemical reactions. The molecules in a specific chemical reaction with which the enzymes act are called substrates and the resultant molecules of the reaction is called products. The majority of enzymes are proteins and a few are RNA molecules. The enzyme activity can be regulated by activators and inhibitors. Activators increase the enzyme activity; whereas an inhibitor decreases a specific enzyme activity. Among product types, Lyases help in catalyzing the structural formation of bonds within an atomic structure by adding or removing chemical groups. The ligases can catalyze the bonding between different substrates with the help of energy source. Isomerases activate the restructuring of chemicals within a particular molecule. Oxidoreductases help in oxidation reduction, which is a process where a specific atom gives away its electron to a different atom. Transferases help in moving the chemical groups from one substance to another.Request Sample of Enzymes Market:Digestive enzymes such as amylase, gelatinase and lipase among others can convert food into usable compounds. Metabolic enzymes including acetyl coenzymes A and Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase among others gets generated in the body and helps in blood flow and proper tissue and organ functioning. Food enzymes such as lactase, lipase and protease among others can be extracted from milk, sugar, oil, meat and nuts among others.Factors including growing demand for specialty enzymes, blooming pharmaceutical industry and focus on increased production in every end use industries is anticipated to drive growth of the global enzymes market over the forecast period (2016  2024).Enzymes Market TaxonomyOn the basis of source, the global market is classified into:PlantAnimalMicroorganismsOn the basis of product type, the global market is classified into:LigasesIsomerasesLyasesOxidoreductasesTransferasesOn the basis of application, the global market is classified into:Digestive EnzymesMetabolic EnzymesCleaning EnzymesOn the basis of end-use industry, the global market is classified into:Food and BeveragesCosmeticsPharmaceuticalBiofuel and GasFeedTextilePaper and PulpDetergentOthersOn the basis of geography, the global market is classified into:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.GermanyItalyFranceSpainRussiaRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanASEANAustraliaSouth KoreaRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoArgentinaRest of Latin AmericaMiddle EastGCC CountriesIsraelRest of Middle EastAfricaNorthern AfricaCentral AfricaSouth AfricaEurope, followed by North America is expected to lead the global enzymes market over the forecast period, owing to high demand for functional food and presence of a large end use industries in these developed regions. However, rampant economic growth in emerging economies of India and China along with burgeoning growth of various end-use industries in Asia Pacific are expected to position the region as the fastest growing region in the global enzymes market over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to be the most lucrative region for the enzymes market mostly due to a growing base for pharmaceutical industry and the increasing preference towards functional food among the populace.Enzymes Market Outlook  Consumer Preference towards Functional Food to Drive Market GrowthWith the specific health attributes that the functional foods provide coupled with growing health awareness is expected to drive the enzymes market over the forecast period. Enzymes are used to manufacture functional foods. Enzymes such as protease, lipase amylase and cellulose are used in functional foods to enhance its functional attributes, including enhanced digestion, anti-oxidation, decreased cell aging, and nutrient properties. For example, in order to lower cholesterol count, omega 3 fatty acids and probiotic yogurts are used as functional foods. Many scientists and researchers claim that omega 3 fatty acids can also help in better brain functioning. According to a study conducted by Coherent Market Insights, the global functional food market is estimated to reach US$ 65 billion by 2024 and is estimated to expand at a CAGR of over 15% over the forecast period.Request to view the table of Content:Detergents containing enzymes may trigger skin allergies. Moreover, high cost of handling enzymes act as barriers for growth of the global enzymes market. There are reported cases of enzymes (sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium alkane carboxylates, bacillus protease) that are used in detergents causing skin and eye infections.Key players in the global enzymes market include Sanofi S.A., BASF, Roche Holding AG, BBI Enzymes Ltd., Codexis Inc., Affymetrix Inc. and AB Enzymes.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Global Renewable Chemicals Market - Industry Trends, Outlook, Regulatory Bodies & Regulations and Key Market Players

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Renewable chemicals commonly known as bio-based chemicals are obtained from various renewable sources such as organic waste products, agricultural waste, agricultural feedstock, microorganism, and biomass. Due to lower carbon constituent and environment friendly characteristics, it has emerged as a potential substitute for petroleum-based chemicals. Increasing awareness and growing demand for methanol and ethanol in the pharmaceutical industry is a major factor expected to fuel growth of the renewable chemicals market during the forecast period. The renewable chemical market is expected to be dominated by Europe, followed by North America. This is mainly attributed to inclination of the populace and industry players towards adoption of novel and technologically advanced green products. However, on the back of supportive government policies and low labor cost, Asia Pacific is expected to specter enormous growth for the market during the forecast period. Renewable chemicals have diverse application such as agriculture, food & beverages packaging, biomedical, among others. Technology applied for manufacturing renewable chemicals from biomass includes thermo chemical conversion, enzymatic hydrolysis, dehydrative transformation, fermentation and bioconversion, production of Fischer Tropsch diesel, acid hydrolysis, among others.Request Sample of Renewable chemicals Market:Renewable chemicals Market TaxonomyOn the basis of product type, the global market is classified into:Bio polymerAlcoholsKetonesOrganic acidsOthersOn the basis of applications, the global market is classified into:AgricultureFood & beverages packagingBio medicalTextilesOthersOn the basis of geography, the global market is classified into:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.GermanyItalyFranceSpainRussiaRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanASEANAustraliaSouth KoreaRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoArgentinaRest of Latin AmericaMiddle EastGCC CountriesIsraelRest of Middle EastAfricaNorthern AfricaCentral AfricaSouth AfricaRenewable Chemicals Market Outlook  Surge in End User Demand Augmenting Market GrowthEmerging technological breakthroughs, inclination of the populace towards eco-friendly products, and supportive government policy are fueling growth of the renewable chemicals market. Moreover, the growing demand for ethanol & methanol, green packaging materials and consumer goods packaging materials is expected to witness tremendous growth during the forecast period. Abundant raw material, cheap labor cost, and increasing demand for renewable chemicals in China and India is expected to propel growth of the market for renewable chemicals. Moreover, tremendously escalating urbanization and industrialization in emerging economies of Asia Pacific are further expected to amplify demand for renewable chemicals across various flourishing end-use industries. Strict regulation by EU on the use of fossil fuels has compelled manufacturers and researchers to innovate and develop new technology, which can replace fossil fuel.Renewable Chemicals Market Challenges  High Cost for CommercializationThe renewable chemicals market is very niche, with few numbers of players in the global market. Moreover, increasing consumer awareness about the environment is expected to sharply incline towards green and eco-friendly chemicals. To fulfill increasing demand for renewable chemicals, commercialization of pilot project and players have to make significant investment in research and development to upgrade the existing production technology and develop new products. While the market offers highly lucrative growth opportunities, high capital investment in production of renewable chemicals as compared to other conventional chemicals and polymers, is expected to be a key challenge for market growth. Also, the viability of renewable chemicals in terms of matching performance of conventional chemicals is still to be conclusively proved, which dissuades end-use industries from adopting these chemicals. Increasing technological advancements and growing consumer awareness is expected to change the tide in the near future. Moreover, due to abundant petroleum reserves in Middle East and Latin America, the market for renewable chemicals in these region is expected to experience least growth during the forecasted period.Check The Trending Report of Renewable Chemicals Market:Renewable Chemicals Market  Regulatory Scenario:2009, Federal Legislation enthusiastic support for bio based products development and promotion.As per The Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000, established the biomass research and development initiative to promote and develop bio based products, which consist of representatives from the white house, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and US Department of EnergyThe key players in the market include Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM), Amyris Inc., BASF SE, Bioamber Inc., Biomethanol Chemie Nederland B.V., Braskem, Cargill Inc., DSM, E. I. DU Pont DE Nemours & Company, Evonik Industries AG, Genomatica Inc., Metabolix, Inc., Myriant Corporation, Natureworks LLC, Novozymes A/S, OPX Biotechnologies, Solazyme Inc., Solvay, The Dow Chemical ComAbout Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Does Canada need a law like this one?I'be been thinking about just how easily I'd bought a prepaid mobile phone recently. Though I paid by card, I could just as easily paid cash.The TELUS salesman never asked to see my ID.I registered the sim card at home over my home WiFi, but what would have stopped me from using a public WiFi connection?I paid for my TELUS plan using my personal bank card, but could I have anonymously bought a TELUS top-up card at the supermarket?If I wanted even more privacy, I could set up an anonymous Google account and e-mail address for the phone, download Skype, Fongo, and TextNow, pay cash for a Google Play top up card at the supermarket and then use that credit to to to buy Skype services. I could pay cash to buy prepaid credit card anonymously and use that to subscribe to a VirtuFon Skype-in number for Canada.With a little effort (and not much), I could have an anonymous prepaid smartphone data plan, a free anonymous Congo number, a free anonymous TextNow number that could freely change every 14 days, and an affordable anonymous Skype-in number, so three different anonymous virtual phone numbers on one single device.Am I missing something here?It would seem reasonable to my mind that a telecom be required to register every phone number that it assigns. When I bought the prepaid phone and sim card, the TELUS agent ought to have been required by law to see my ID, register the phone number to my ID and registration date in-store, and pass it on to a national database where it would be saved for 70 years.There is no way we should be able to acquire a mobile phone number so anonymously.
Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market Projected to be Resilient by 2025

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Global Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market: SnapshotBy recognizing the role of energy storage systems, several government bodies across the globe have been aiming at building an affordable, reliable, and sustainable power supply structure for catering to the snowballing energy needs of their citizens. The competitive scenario of the global advanced energy storage technologies features acquisitions, mergers, partnerships, and product launches as the most leveraged growth strategies.For example, in May 2017, Wartsila Corporation announced that it is planning to acquire Greensmith Energy Management Systems Inc., a prominent provider of advanced energy storage technology solutions based in the U.S. The strategic acquisition will enable Wartsila to ramp up its international footprint in the advanced energy storage technologies market. As the competition between the leading companies operating in the market intensifies, the growth of the market for advanced energy storage technologies is likely to shoot up.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The growth of the global market for advanced energy storage technologies is also being fuelled by the initiatives of different organizations and agencies. For instance, in May 2017, the Advanced Energy Storage Caucus was launched in the U.S. Congress by representatives. Executives from the leading manufacturers, suppliers, and developers of advanced energy storage technologies attended the conference, whose central objective is educating the members about the advantages of these systems.Such initiatives inform government officials and people at large about how the use of advanced energy storage technologies can transform the way power is generated, distributed, and utilized. Also, the implementation of advanced energy storage removes the hurdles that are associated with higher use of battery storage.Global Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market: OverviewAdvanced energy storage systems play a crucial role in the power industry. Maintenance of power quality, effective distribution, and proper energy management are some of their unique perceived benefits. They carry out the aforementioned tasks through frequency regulation, mitigating power congestion on grids, and supplying power uniformly in distributed generation. Advanced energy storage technologies first convert electricity into energy, store it, and then convert it back into usable electricity when the need arises. This is because while only a fixed amount of electricity can be generated at a time, the demand for electricity changes all the time.Request TOC of the Report @A report by Transparency Market Research furnishes valuable insights into the global advanced energy storage technologies market by analyzing the key trends and current competitive dynamics. It segments the market based on applications, technologies, and geography. In terms of technologies, for example, it classifies the market into super capacitors, pump hydro storage, batteries, flywheels, compressed air energy storage, and fuel cells. There are also more recent, upcoming technologies such as synthetic gas, super magnet, and hydrogen gas. Among all of these, pump hydro storage has been around for a very long time and dominates the market too. Application-wise, the report segments the market into transportation and grid storage.Global Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market: Trends and OpportunitiesSpiking daily electricity consumption along with the yawning gap between energy supply and demand has necessitated substantial storage capacity additions. This has been the single-most important factor contributing to the global advanced energy storage technologies market. Other factors driving the market are the burgeoning renewable energy installations and the spurt in demand for hybrid and electric vehicles. Additionally, increasing concerns about greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions is also filliping the global advanced energy storage technologies market. This is because advanced energy storage technologies assist in effectively managing the flow of energy resources thus reducing the need for power generation, thereby bringing about energy conservation.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Advanced energy storage systems have also allowed consumers to manage their electricity needs by using the load shifting technique which helps to bring down costs. Furthermore, other factors including the growing need of smart grid installation and new transmission and distribution grid construction and upgrades has also bolstered the global market for advanced energy storage technologies market.Global Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market: Regional OutlookDepending upon geography, the global market for advanced energy storage technologies can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. North America, among them, is the leading market on account of the soaring popularity of electric vehicles and rising use of grid storage. North America is trailed by Asia Pacific and Europe. Going forward, Asia Pacific is predicted to outshine all other regions in terms of growth rate.Companies Mentioned in ReportTo present an insightful assessment of the competition prevailing in the global market for advanced energy storage technologies, the report profiles companies such as Sony, Nippo Chemi-Con Corp., A123 System LLC, Denso, Hitachi, and Toshiba.About TMR Research :TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Specialty Polymers Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20162024

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Specialty polymers are used as polymer additives to enhance the ideal properties of polymers and enhance their performance. These chemicals are more costly than the commodity chemicals. Specialty polymers are classified in specialty chemicals segment. These chemicals are preferred over conventional polymers due to their specialized properties such as high corrosion resistance, enhanced endurance limit, electrical insulation, thermal stability, and high heat and flame resistance. These polymers are widely used as insulating materials in various applications.Request Sample of Specialty Polymers Market:Specialty polymers are used in various end-use industries such as automotive, electronics, marine, cosmetics, medical, aerospace, agriculture, and construction. Electroluminescent polymers, conducting polymers, biodegradable polymers, liquid crystal polymers, polymer composites, and thermoplastic polymers are among the widely used specialty polymers. Each specialty polymers shows different properties, which is suitable for particular applications.Specialty Polymers Materials Market TaxonomyOn the basis of product type, the global Specialty Polymers materials market is segmented into:Thermoplastic PolymersPolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)Polycarbonate (PC)PolysulfonatesOthersBiodegradable PolymersPolyhydroxybutarate (PHB)Polyhydroxybutarate-hydroxyvalarate (PHBV)Polyhydroxyvalarate (PHV)Conducting PolymersIntrinsically Conducting PolymersExtrinsically Conducting PolymersDoped Conducting PolymersCoordination Conducting PolymersPolymer CompositesParticle reinforced compositesFiber reinforced compositesStructural CompositesLiquid Crystal PolymersElectroluminescent PolymersOn the basis of end-use industry, the global Specialty Polymers materials market is segmented into:Automotive & TransportationElectrical & ElectronicsMarineAdhesives & SealantsCoatingsAerospaceMedicalBuilding & ConstructionOil & GasOthers (Cosmetics, and Agriculture)In spite of being relatively expensive, specialty polymers are indispensable in a wide range of industries due to their unique properties. Thermoplastic polymers are widely used in manufacturing electrical parts such as sockets and switches due to their high heat and flame resistance properties. Also, thermoplastic polymers are used to manufacture bulletproof glass for automotive application. Biodegradable polymers find major use in medical and agricultural end-use industries. In the medical industry, biodegradable polymers are largely used in controlling drug delivery. These polymers are also used widely in manufacturing films, molded bottles, and coated paper. Conducting polymers are polymers that have the ability to conduct better heat than other polymers, and are used in application requiring high heat conductivity. Electroluminescent polymers are widely used in display panels for LED screens for television, mobiles, and PC, among others. These are also used for color pixels in ink jet printing. Liquid crystal polymers (also known as Kevlar) are widely used in manufacturing body armor, and protective clothing.Check The Trending Report of Specialty Polymers Market:Specialty Polymers Market Outlook  Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region in specialty polymers marketAsia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing market for specialty polymers during the forecast period. The growing automotive, construction, and electronic end-use industries in countries such as India, China, Japan, and South Korea are major drivers escalating growth of the specialty polymers market in the region. The growing infrastructure development and growth in disposable income are fueling growth of specialty polymers market in the region. Also, rampant economic growth and shifting of manufacturing units of key players such as BASF and The Dow Chemical Company to Asia Pacific, in order to capitalize on lucrative growth opportunities, in turn creates a highly conducive environment for growth of the specialty polymers market in the region. Rampant infrastructure development, growing building & constructing activities due to rise in population, and growth in sales of consumer goods are projected to further fuel growth of the specialty polymers market in the region.The fluctuating crude oil (the basis feedstock for specialty polymers) is a major restraint for market growth. Low focus of players on R&D activities, which subsequently results in low technological advancements in manufacturing specialty polymers are other major restraints in the market. Some of the major companies operating in the global specialty polymers materials market are Croda International Plc, Evonik Industries, BASF, Solvay Group, Specialty Polymers Inc., PolyOne Corporation, AmeriLux International LLC, The Dow Chemical Company, Clariant, Arkema Group, 3M, A.Schulman, Inc., Ashland Inc., and Koninklijke DSM N.V..About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Ethanol Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20162024

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Ethanol Market OverviewEthanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is a colorless liquid manufactured from starch-based, sugar-based or cellulosic feedstock. The U.S. and Brazil are the major producers of ethanol. Corn is the major feedstock used in the production of ethanol in the U.S., while ethanol is produced from sugarcane in Brazil. According to Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), 25,576 million gallons of fuel ethanol was produced in 2015. According to Sucres & Denrees (Paris), approximately 110 billion litres of ethanol is consumed globally each year. Ethanol has wide range of applications such as biofuel, industrial, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Approximately 87% of the global ethanol is used in producing biofuels. The environmental concerns related to greenhouse emissions have resulted in use of ethanol to produce transport fuels. The U.S., Brazil, and Europe are the major producers and consumers of ethanol. According to RFA, the gross output of ethanol industry in the U.S. was US$ 23.33 billion in 2016. Growth of ethanol market in Asia Pacific is attributed to increasing consumption of biofuels. According to International Energy Agency, the biofuel market in road transport application is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 3.9% by 2020. This in turn is projected to fuel growth of the ethanol market.Request Sample of Ethanol Market:Global Ethanol Market TaxonomyThe global ethanol market is classified on the basis of the following segments:ProcessWet-millingDry-millingProduct TypeSynthetic ethanolOil derivativesCoalOthersAgricultural ethanolSugarcaneSugarbeetMaizeWheatRyeOthersApplicationFuelsIndustrialPharmaceuticalFood & beveragesCosmeticsOthersRequest To View The Table of content:Prevalent Scenario in Ethanol MarketIncreased applications of ethanol in biofuels, industrial, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food & beverages sectors lead to burgeoning growth of the ethanol market. According to Independent Chemical Information Service (ICIS), 73% of ethanol is used as fuel, 17% in beverages and 10% of ethanol is used for industrial applications. Increasing demand of biofuels is fueling growth in consumption of ethanol in the renewable fuel energy sector. According to State Council General Research Office, the U.S. government is promoting use of ethanol as a source of renewable fuel and creating awareness regarding the environmental and social benefits of gasoline. Corn, sugarcane, grains, sugarbeet are common sources for manufacturing agricultural ethanol. Ethanol used for in fuel applications are agricultural ethanol as synthetic ethanol is not used for fuel applications. Ethanol is used as solvents in industrial applications for wide range of end users which include cosmetics, detergents and cleaning products, printing ink, paint & coatings. Ethanol has its application in food & beverage sector in manufacturing vinegar, alcoholic beverages, and is also used as glazing agents in bakery & confectionery.Government initiatives play a vital role in development and innovation of ethanol for wide range of applications. For instance, the fuel regulations imposed by the government in Mexico allowed 5.8% of ethanol blends in the fuel supply. The government and ethanol associations are continuously working in coordination to fuel the growth of ethanol market. RFA in partnership with federal government and the industry key players are working to innovate new applications of ethanol and minimize the difficulties related to trade of ethanol and enhance the market growth globally. U.S. and Brazil contributes a major market share in production and consumption of ethanol. Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow due to growing applications of ethanol industrial chemicals to manufacture acetic acid and ethyl acetate and the increasing applications of ethanol as solvents in pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors.Fragmented MarketThe global ethanol market is highly fragmented due to the participation of many established and emerging players in the ethanol industry. Major players involved in the market include Archer Daniels Midland Company (U.S.), Cargill, Inc. (U.S.), Grain Processing Corporation (U.S.), Ace Ethanol LLC (USA), Advanced BioEnergy, LLC (USA), Chemtex Group (USA), MGP Ingredients (U.S.), Flint Hills Resources LP (USA), Copersucar SA (Brazil), Adkins Energy LLC (USA).Check The Trending Report of Ethanol Market:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:Visit Blog :
Global Hybrid Power Systems Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Hybrid Power Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 " to it's Large Report database.The research study is designed to analyze the global hybrid power systems market. The market is calculated in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) based on the annual sales of hybrid power systems. The market for hybrid power systems has been segmented on the basis of type, end-use, and country/region. The global hybrid power systems market, based on type, has been segmented into wind-solar-diesel-hybrid, PV-diesel-hybrid, and others. On the basis of end-use, the hybrid power systems market has been segmented into residential, rural facility electrification, and others.The regional segments included in this study are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South and Central America (SCA). These regional segments are further divided into country-wise segments. The report provides a detailed growth forecast for the 20162024 period, considering 2015 as the baseline year. Projections have been provided for revenue (US$ Mn) through the annual sales of hybrid power systems.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The report includes the key market dynamics affecting the demand for hybrid power systems. As a part of our market dynamics analysis, we have analyzed the market drivers, market restraints, and market opportunities. A comprehensive competitive landscape, which includes company market share analysis and market attractiveness analysis, has also been provided in this report. The report also provides a detailed industry analysis of the global hybrid power systems market with the help of Porters Five Forces model. The Porters Five Forces analysis aids in understanding the five major forces that affect the industry structure and profitability of the global hybrid power systems market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and degree of competition.The study also includes the value chain of the global hybrid power systems market which provides a glimpse of key suppliers, manufacturers, and distribution channel as well as interaction of suppliers and buyers with end-users. The company market share analysis has been done considering the revenue and global penetration of key market players in the hybrid power systems industry. The market attractiveness involves benchmarking and ranking each technology and region on the basis of numerous parameters. The parameters selected are likely to have a pronounced effect on the demand for each technology in the current scenario as well as in the near future.Read All Power Market Research Reports @Table of Content1. Preface1.1. Report Description1.2. Market Segmentation1.3. Research Scope1.4. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary2.1. Snapshot2.2. Overview3. Industry Analysis3.1. Introduction3.2. Overview3.3. Value Chain Analysis  Snapshot3.4. Value Chain Analysis  Overview3.5. Market Dynamics  Overview3.5.1. Driver 1 - Hybrid power systems are critical for reducing carbon footprints globally3.5.2. Driver 2 - High power source reliability offered by wind-solar-diesel combination3.5.3. Restraint 1 - High initial investments and installation costs3.5.4. Opportunity 1 - Lack of grid connectivity in remote and rural areas driving hybrid power systems market3.6. Porters Five Forces Analysis  Overview3.6.1. Porters Five Forces Analysis  Bargaining Power of Suppliers3.6.2. Porters Five Forces Analysis  Bargaining Power Of Buyers3.6.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis  Threat Of Substitutes3.6.4. Porters Five Forces Analysis  Threat Of New Entrants3.6.5. Porters Five Forces Analysis  Degree Of CompetitionAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Global Methionine Market Research Report 2017 Key Manufacturers : Evonik, Adisseo (Bluestar), NOVUS, Sumitomo Chemical, CJ

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Methionine Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.A detailed synopsis of the Methionine, with the help of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the key market elements, has been included in the report recently added to QYResearchReports.com. The study presents a holistic view of the market for the period 2017 to 2022 and the major challenges that stakeholders are faced with in the current scenario have been addressed. Data pertaining to the major growth drivers, limitations, and leanings has been assembled and presented along with an assessment of the potential impact these factors may have on the markets future growth.An in-depth investigation of aspects concerning the markets regulatory outline, company summaries, supply and demand chains, state of imports and exports, production capacities, actual production values, and several other verticals has been provided with significant visibility, lending sharp insight into the scenarios of the Methionine. Combined with several tables, graphs, charts, and other graphical elements, the report also offers a chapter-wise segmentation of the market for easier comprehension.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @As establishments look for ways to monetize opportunities in the severely competitive market in Europe, making well-informed decisions at the right time is highly crucial. Effective verdicts are easier when companies have a comprehensive understanding of the overall market scenario at a precise period in time. The report therefore makes this rather easy for companies with the help of its thoroughly-researched and visually impressive presentation of content.The report also presents an in-depth overview of the competitive scenario of the Methionine with the help of succinct business profiles and a SWOT analysis of the major vendors in the market. Recent developments within the company, the product and service portfolio, and financial standing also feature as part of the vendor landscape analysis.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Table of Contents1 Methionine Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Methionine1.2 Methionine Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Methionine Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Methionine Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Solid Methionine1.2.4 Liquid Methionine1.3 Global Methionine Segment by Application1.3.1 Methionine Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Feed Additive1.3.3 Pharmaceutical1.3.4 Food Supplement1.4 Global Methionine Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Methionine Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)2 Global Methionine Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Methionine Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Methionine Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Methionine Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Methionine Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Methionine Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Methionine Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Methionine Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Methionine Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Methionine Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers3 Global Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Methionine Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Methionine Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Methionine Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Methionine Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Methionine Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Methionine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Methionine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Methionine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Methionine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Methionine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Methionine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Methionine Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Methionine Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Methionine Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Methionine Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Methionine Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)7 Global Methionine Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Evonik7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Methionine Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Evonik Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Adisseo (Bluestar)7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Methionine Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Adisseo (Bluestar) Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 NOVUS7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Methionine Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 NOVUS Methionine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Global Under-Counter Dishwashers Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Under-Counter Dishwashers Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Under-Counter Dishwashers is a comprehensive report of the global Under-Counter Dishwashers and provides an elaborate assessment of the current market dynamics, notable trends, emerging opportunities, lucrative growth prospects in various regions, and competitive landscape. The report estimates the market share and growth rate of various segments over the forecast period [20172022]. A variety of regional factors and global trends are anticipated to influence the dynamics of the Under-Counter Dishwashers market. Emerging and new entrants looking for an in-depth understanding of the prevailing trends driving the growth of the key segments can peruse through this study to get reliable and up-to-date insights. The analysis of the market dynamics in major regions help emerging players to recalibrate their market positioning strategies to get a sustained foothold in the market. The study highlights the changes in regulatory landscape in various regions and offers a fair idea of the impact of the governmental policies on competitive dynamics. Established companies exploring better avenues for growth will find the analysis a treasure trove of information, which will help them capitalize on the imminent investment pockets.The rapid pace of technological advancements in the Under-Counter Dishwashers market has shaped the way businesses connect with consumers in every arena. The report assists market participants to understand the role of major technological progress in their offerings. Recent product innovations launched by leading and emerging companies will help new entrants to zero in on crucial areas of research and development activities. The findings in the report helps companies craft investment strategy to gain share in untapped markets. Employing a vast array of industry tools such as SWOT and Porters five forces analysis, the study offers a granular understand of all macro- and micro-economic aspects shaping the growth of the market in the coming years.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.1 Definition and Specifications of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.1.1 Definition of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.1.2 Specifications of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.2 Classification of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.3 Applications of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.5.1 Industry Overview of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers1.7 Industry News Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Under-Counter DishwashersBrowse Market Research Report @3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Under-Counter Dishwashers Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Under-Counter Dishwashers Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Under-Counter Dishwashers Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Under-Counter Dishwashers Major Manufacturers in 201510 Industry Chain Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers10.1 Upstream Major Raw Materials Suppliers Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers10.1.1 Major Raw Materials Suppliers with Contact Information Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers10.1.2 Major Raw Materials Suppliers with Supply Volume Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Regions10.2 Upstream Major Equipment Suppliers Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers10.2.1 Major Equipment Suppliers with Contact Information Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers10.2.2 Major Equipment Suppliers with Product Pictures Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Regions10.3 Downstream Major Consumers Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers10.3.1 Major Consumers with Contact Information Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers10.3.2 Major Consumers with Consumption Volume Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Regions10.4 Supply Chain Relationship Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers11 Development Trend of Analysis of Under-Counter Dishwashers11.1 Capacity, Production and Revenue Forecast of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Regions and Types11.1.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Regions 2016-202111.1.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Under-Counter Dishwashers 2016-202111.1.3 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Types 2016-202111.2 Consumption Volume and Consumption Value Forecast of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Regions, Types and Applications11.2.1 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Regions 2016-202111.2.2 Global and Major Regions Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Growth Rate of Under-Counter Dishwashers 2016-202111.2.3 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Types 2016-202111.2.4 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Applications 2016-202111.3 Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Forecast of Under-Counter Dishwashers11.3.1 Supply, Consumption and Gap of Under-Counter Dishwashers 2016-2021List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Under-Counter DishwashersTable Product Specifications of Under-Counter DishwashersTable Classification of Under-Counter DishwashersFigure Global Production Market Share of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Types in 2015Table Applications of Under-Counter DishwashersFigure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Under-Counter Dishwashers by Applications in 2015Figure Industry Chain Structure of Under-Counter DishwashersTable Global Under-Counter Dishwashers Major ManufacturersTable Global Major Regions Under-Counter Dishwashers Development StatusTable Industry Policy of Under-Counter DishwashersTable Industry News List of Under-Counter DishwashersTable Raw Material Suppliers and Price AnalysisQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Global Healthcare Gamification Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022

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This report studies the global Healthcare Gamification market, analyzes and researches the Healthcare Gamification development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMicrosoftUnder ArmourStravaAdidas AGAppleFitBitJawboneNikeGoogleAyogo HealthRally HealthBadgevilleHubbub HealthZimmer BiometWelltokAkili Interactive LabsBunchballFitocracyEveryMoveSuperBetterSyandusMango HealthTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsGlobal Healthcare Gamification Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Healthcare Gamification1.1 Healthcare Gamification Market Overview1.1.1 Healthcare Gamification Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Healthcare Gamification Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Healthcare Gamification Market by Type1.3.1 Enterprise-Based Solutions1.3.2 Consumer-Based Solutions1.3.3 Other1.4 Healthcare Gamification Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Fitness Management1.4.2 Medical Training1.4.3 Medication Management1.4.4 Physical Therapy1.4.5 OtherRead Comprehensive Overview of Report @2 Global Healthcare Gamification Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Healthcare Gamification Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Microsoft3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Healthcare Gamification Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Under Armour3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Healthcare Gamification Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Strava3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Healthcare Gamification Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Adidas AG4 Global Healthcare Gamification Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Healthcare Gamification Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Healthcare Gamification Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Healthcare Gamification in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Healthcare GamificationQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Hand Tools Market to increase at CAGR of 3.9% through 2027

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Competitive advantage of adopting power tools has lowered the adoption of hand tools. Multiple industrial operations are being equipped with power tools to benefit from their cost-effectiveness, lesser labour-induced work and higher efficiency. Furthermore, advancements in existing power tools are swiftly outpacing the upgrades done on conventional hand tools. In the long run, there is a possibility that hand tools might lose their applicability to power tools. Future Market Insights projects that during the forecast period 2017-2027, the global market for hand tools will showcase a moderate growth, registering a CAGR of 3.9%.Future Market Insights recently published report, titled Hand Tools Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2017-2027, estimates the global hand tools market to reach US$ 15.6 Bn value by end of 2017. In the ten-year forecast period, the global demand for hand tools is likely to witness a downtrend, bringing in just over US$ 22.3 Bn in revenues towards the end of 2027. Factors impacting the growth of global hand tools market are compiled in the report, which include:There has been a rise in the number of major manufacturing plants and industries in the world, wherein hand tools are widely used for maintenance purposesRequest For Report Sample@Automotive repair & maintenance sector is presently a lucrative industrial vertical for application of hand toolsAlthough, the global demand for hand tools is predicted to decline due to rising prices of raw materials such as iron ore and aluminiumIncreasing prevalence of DIY activities and rising employment opportunities for technical jobs are observed as key trends of the global hand tools market. The report further reveals that a majority of hand tools sold in the world will be used for industrial purposes. In 2017, industrial application of hand tools is expected to net global revenues worth over US$ 9.3 Bn. Key findings in the report also indicate that metal cutting tools will be observed as top-selling products, registering a steady revenue growth at 4.9% CAGR. Also, throughout the forecast period, over 40% of global hand tool sales will be accounted by retail distribution channels. Online distribution of hand tools is also expected to gain traction towards the latter half of forecast period.North America is estimated to remain as the most-lucrative region for growth of hand tools market. Consistently procuring one-third share on global revenues, North America will remain the dominant region in the global hand tools market through 2027. On the other hand, the hand tools market in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region will register fastest revenue growth, exhibiting 6% CAGR over the forecast period. Companies such as Channellock, Inc., Akar Tools, Ltd., Apex Tools Group, Wera Tools, Snap-On, Stanley Back Decker, Kennametal Inc., Klein Tools, and JK Files (India) Limited are profiled in the report as key manufacturers of hand tools in the world.Send an Enquiry @ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Endodontic Reamer Consumption Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021

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The Global Endodontic Reamer Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Endodontic Reamer market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Endodontic Reamer industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.Secondly, the report states the global Endodontic Reamer market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Third, the Endodontic Reamer market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Endodontic Reamer1.1 Definition and Specifications of Endodontic Reamer1.1.1 Definition of Endodontic Reamer1.1.2 Specifications of Endodontic Reamer1.2 Classification of Endodontic Reamer1.3 Applications of Endodontic Reamer1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Endodontic Reamer1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Endodontic Reamer1.5.1 Industry Overview of Endodontic Reamer1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Endodontic Reamer1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Endodontic Reamer1.7 Industry News Analysis of Endodontic ReamerRead Comprehensive Overview of Report @2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Endodontic Reamer2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Endodontic Reamer2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Endodontic Reamer2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Endodontic Reamer2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Endodontic Reamer2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Endodontic Reamer2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Endodontic Reamer3 3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales and Sale Price Analysis of Endodontic Reamer3.1 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Endodontic Reamer 2011-20163.2 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Endodontic Reamer by Regions 2011-20163.3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Endodontic Reamer by Types 2011-20163.4 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Endodontic Reamer by Applications 2011-20163.5 Global Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Endodontic Reamer by Companies 2011-20163.6 Global Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Regions 2011-20163.7 Global Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Types 2011-20163.8 Global Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Applications 2011-20163.9 Global Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Companies 2011-20164 USA Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales, Sale Price and End Users Analysis of Endodontic Reamer4.1 USA Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Endodontic Reamer 2011-20164.2 USA Market Size (Volume and Value) of Endodontic Reamer by Types 2011-20164.3 USA Market Size (Volume and Value) of Endodontic Reamer by Applications 2011-20164.4 USA Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Endodontic Reamer by Companies 2011-20164.5 USA Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Types 2011-20164.6 USA Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Applications 2011-20164.7 USA Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Companies 2011-20164.8 USA Regional Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Endodontic Reamer 2011-20164.9 USA End Users with Contact Information and Consumption Volume of Endodontic Reamer by Applications5 Europe Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales, Sale Price and End Users Analysis of Endodontic Reamer5.1 Europe Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Endodontic Reamer 2011-20165.2 Europe Market Size (Volume and Value) of Endodontic Reamer by Types 2011-20165.3 Europe Market Size (Volume and Value) of Endodontic Reamer by Applications 2011-20165.4 Europe Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Endodontic Reamer by Companies 2011-20165.5 Europe Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Types 2011-20165.6 Europe Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Applications 2011-20165.7 Europe Sale Price of Endodontic Reamer by Companies 2011-20165.8 Europe Regional Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Endodontic Reamer 2011-20165.9 Europe End Users with Contact Information and Consumption Volume of Endodontic Reamer by ApplicationsQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Nocturia Market  Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2025

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Global Nocturia Market: SnapshotNocturia, also known as nocturnal polyuria, is a medical condition in which patients get a frequent urge to urinate while sleeping at night. It is particularly prevalent among the elderly who often find it difficult to sleep properly. The three broad categories of nocturia are mixed nocturia, bladder storage problems, and nocturnal polyuria.Although, women between 18 to 49 years of age are more susceptible to nocturia than men, after the age of 60, it is men who are more prone to it. In order to treat nocturia, uncovering of neurological disorders, hypertension, cardiac symptoms, and intake of medicines such as cardiac glycosides is a must. Patients also need to be diagnosed for lower limb edema, sleep apnea, obesity, and pelvic analysis. This diagnostics segment of the nocturia market will likely keep driving demand upwards on account of a burgeoning elderly population worldwide.Request Sample Copy of the Report @From a geographical standpoint, North America, powered by the highly developed healthcare infrastructure in the advanced nations of Canada and the U.S. is a key region in the global nocturia market. It is trailed by Europe which is also witnessing a growth in the market owing to a surging geriatric population, sponsorship from government agencies and other companies, and other crucial support. Apart from Europe and North America, Asia Pacific and the Rest of the World are also significantly contributing to the market, particularly in the area of research for development of new and more effective therapeutics. Both for aspiring and existing are exploring the opportunities for growth in the regionGlobal Nocturia Market: Brief DescriptionNocturia, or nocturnal polyuria, is a medical condition wherein patients experience frequent urge to urinate at night after sleeping. Especially among the elder patients, the lack of sleep often leads to nocturia, and is not to be mistaken by enuresis or bedwetting where patients do no wake up to avoid it. Rated among the most distressing symptoms in older men and women, nocturia is classified into three prominent categories namely bladder storage problems, nocturnal polyuria, and mixed nocturia. Although the women aged between 18 to 49 years are more prone to nocturia than men, the ratio reverses after 60 years of age. Nocturia in some cases are also caused by conditions such as urological infection, liver infection, tumor of bladder, diabetes, diuretic medications, pregnancy, and regular alcohol or coffee intake at night among others. Depression, low level of physical activities, mental stress, and congestive heart failure may also lead to nocturia. This report observes that the prevalence of two or more nocturia among men aged between 70 to 79 years is approximately 50%.Request TOC of the Report @As per an article by Medscape in 2010, 58% women and 66% men in the country of the U.S. suffer from nocturia and the percentage is expected to rise to 72% to 91% respectively for age group of over 80 years. With the rising geriatric population across the world, the market for nocturia is estimated for a healthy growth rate during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.Global Nocturia Market: Trends and ProspectsFor proper treatment of nocturia, diagnosis to identify neurological disorders, cardiac symptoms, intake of medicines such as cardiac glycosides, and hypertension is imperative. The patients should also be thoroughly diagnosed for sleep apnea, obesity, lower limb edema, and pelvic analysis. These diagnostics segment of nocturia market is estimated to maintain consistent demand as the geriatric population surges across the global. According to the National Institute of Aging, 1.6 billion people will be aged over 65 by 2050. Pelvic organ prolapse repair and surgical intervention with respect to transurethral prostatectomy are the last approaches for physicians and surgeons. Nocturia in past couple of years has gained a lot of attention and prompted researches and manufacturers to invest and thereby improve quality sleep and overall life rating. Some of the pipeline drugs include desmopressin acetate, afacifenacin, fedovapagon, ASP-7035, lidocaine, Paxerol among others.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Nocturia Market: Geographical OutlookOwing to robust healthcare infrastructure, the U.S. and Canada make North America as the most lucrative region in the global market for nocturia, although Europe too is experiencing escalation in demand due to rising aging population, feasible support, and sponsorship from government agencies and other companies. Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World market in terms of research activities are not contributing too significantly in the global nocturia market but for existing and new entrants these regions render pool of opportunities to explore and grow owing to developments in healthcare infrastructure, rise in disposable income, and increasing incidences of diabetes and bladder cancer conditions.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
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United States Food Encapsulation Market Report 2017 - Royal DSM ,Kerry Group

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This report studies sales (consumption) of Food Encapsulation in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringCargill Inc.Frieslandcampina KievitRoyal DSMKerry GroupIngredion IncorporationLycored Ltd.International Flavors and Fragrances Inc.Symrise AGSensient Technologies CorporationBalchem CorporationTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsUnited States Food Encapsulation Market Report 20171 Food Encapsulation Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Food Encapsulation1.2 Classification of Food Encapsulation1.2.1 Polysaccharides1.2.2 Proteins1.2.3 Lipids1.2.4 Emulsifiers1.2.5 Others1.3 Application of Food Encapsulation1.3.1 Functional food & Beverages1.3.2 Convenience Foods1.3.3 Bakery & Confectionery1.3.4 Dairy Products1.3.5 Others1.4 United States Market Size Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) of Food Encapsulation (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Food Encapsulation Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Food Encapsulation Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @2 United States Food Encapsulation Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Food Encapsulation Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Food Encapsulation Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Food Encapsulation Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Food Encapsulation Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Food Encapsulation Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Food Encapsulation Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Food Encapsulation Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by States (2011-2016)3.1 United States Food Encapsulation Sales and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.2 United States Food Encapsulation Revenue and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.3 United States Food Encapsulation Price by States (2011-2016)4 United States Food Encapsulation Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)4.1 United States Food Encapsulation Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.2 United States Food Encapsulation Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.3 United States Food Encapsulation Price by Type (2011-2016)4.4 United States Food Encapsulation Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)QYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Smart Factory Market to increase at CAGR of 13.3% through 2025.

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According to the latest market report published by Future Market Insights titled, Smart Factory Market - Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015-2025, the market was valued at US$ 51.9 Bn in 2014 and is expected to register a CAGR of 13.3% from 2015 to 2025.Growth of the smart factory market is primarily driven by rising focus on advanced manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, developments in information and communications technology (ICT), increased focus on energy consumption, rising prices and stringent environmental regulations are expected to be key factors driving growth of the smart factory market over the forecast period.FMIs report segments the global smart factory market on the basis of market structure, component, manufacturing vertical, and region. Market structure includes to collect, to connect, to analyse and to control. A detailed analysis of each segment is presented in the report to deliver an accurate view of the market.Request For Report Sample@On the basis of manufacturing vertical, the smart factory market is further segmented into automotive & transportation, food & beverages, electrical & electronics, aerospace & defence, oil & gas, garment & textile, chemical and others (healthcare & pharmaceutical).Among these, the automotive & transportation segment dominated the global smart factory market in terms of revenue contribution in 2014. Growth of this segment is primarily driven by increasing investments by leading automobile manufacturers. For example, in September 2015, German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz announced an investment of US$ 1.3 Bn to expand and upgrade its SUV manufacturing unit in Alabama, U.S. This expansion would add 300 new jobs and support end-to-end digitalization of the production process as a part of the companys smart factory initiative.This report also covers trends driving growth of each market segment and offers analysis and insights about market potential across key regions namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Middle East & Africa. Furthermore, the market is sub-segmented on the basis of major countries in each region in order to provide a regional analysis of the overall market.Asia Pacific was the largest revenue contributor to the global smart factory market, accounting for US$ 20.4 Bn in 2014. This is mainly attributed to increasing investment in manufacturing plants in the region. For example, in April 2015, the South Korean government along with Samsung Electronics announced an investment of US$ 12.6 Mn to promote the smart factory concept in the country.Smart factory market in Europe accounted for US$ 14.7 Bn in 2014and is expected to register a CAGR of 14.3% during the forecast period. Growth of the market in this region is expected to be driven by increasing government support for development of innovative production technologies in countries such as Germany and the U.K. Also, increasing spending by key players is expected to further drive growth of the market in Europe.Send an Enquiry @Smart Factory Market: Major PlayersKey players in the global smart factory market include ABB Group, Rockwell Automation, Inc., General Electric Co., Siemens AG, Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, SAP SE, PTC Inc., Accenture PLC and Atos SE. These players focus on mergers and acquisitions, new product launches, expansions and partnerships in order to remain competitive in the market. A competitive dashboard has also been included in the report to provide detailed information about key players in the market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
United States Waste Derived Biogas Market Report 2017 Siemens, Clarke Energy, Sarawak Energy, Cargill Inc.

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "United States Waste Derived Biogas Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.Notes:Sales, means the sales volume of Waste Derived BiogasRevenue, means the sales value of Waste Derived BiogasThis report studies sales (consumption) of Waste Derived Biogas in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringSiemensClarke EnergySarawak EnergyCargill Inc.Biogas Technology Ltd.Bedminster InternationalEnvironmental Products & Technology Corp.AAT GmbH & Co.Biotech Energy AGBekon Biogas Energy Inc.Biogen GreenfinchADI Systems IncMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisEnter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @Split by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoSewageIndustrial WastewaterAgricultural WasteLandfill GasOtherSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Waste Derived Biogas in each application, can be divided intoMunicipal Electricity ProductionOn-site Electricity ProductionTransportation FuelOtherTable of Contents1 Waste Derived Biogas Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Waste Derived Biogas1.2 Classification of Waste Derived Biogas1.2.1 Sewage1.2.2 Industrial Wastewater1.2.3 Agricultural Waste1.2.4 Landfill Gas1.2.5 Other1.3 Application of Waste Derived Biogas1.3.1 Municipal Electricity Production1.3.2 On-site Electricity Production1.3.3 Transportation Fuel1.3.4 Other1.4 United States Market Size Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) of Waste Derived Biogas (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Waste Derived Biogas Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Get more information from Research Report Press Release:2 United States Waste Derived Biogas Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Waste Derived Biogas Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Waste Derived Biogas Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Waste Derived Biogas Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Waste Derived Biogas Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Waste Derived Biogas Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by States (2011-2016)3.1 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.2 United States Waste Derived Biogas Revenue and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.3 United States Waste Derived Biogas Price by States (2011-2016)4 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)4.1 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.2 United States Waste Derived Biogas Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.3 United States Waste Derived Biogas Price by Type (2011-2016)4.4 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)5 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)5.1 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)5.2 United States Waste Derived Biogas Sales Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)5.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6 United States Waste Derived Biogas Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis6.1 Siemens6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Waste Derived Biogas Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Sewage6.1.2.2 Industrial Wastewater6.1.3 Siemens Waste Derived Biogas Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 Clarke Energy6.2.2 Waste Derived Biogas Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Sewage6.2.2.2 Industrial Wastewater6.2.3 Clarke Energy Waste Derived Biogas Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Sarawak Energy6.3.2 Waste Derived Biogas Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Sewage6.3.2.2 Industrial Wastewater6.3.3 Sarawak Energy Waste Derived Biogas Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
St. Petersburg to be a center of Russian lighting culture

The Russian Creative Association of Lighting Designers RULD and the Higher School of Lighting Design at ITMO University (CLD ITMO University) are pleased to announce the 4th International Research-to-Practice Conference on Lighting Design in 2017. The event will be held at the high-tech New Stage of Alexandrinsky Theatre on October 1213, 2017, which will bring together Russian and international experts from the fields of lighting design, architecture, multimedia, urbanism, art, IT and engineering.International Research-to-Practice Conference on Lighting Design is a unique annual international research-to-practice conference in St. Petersburg. From 2018 through to 2030, with a look towards 2050, this city will develop as the center of Russian Lighting Culture according to The Complex Development Program of the city of St. Petersburg. The International Conference is a key platform for the interaction of domestic and international representatives in the fields of science, business, art and the innovation sector to implement this program.The main goal of the conference is to connect Science with Business through Art and Innovative technology to develop a competitive market of lighting design and produce new ideas and trends. Over 500 architects, lighting designers, engineers, IT and multimedia specialists, scientists, representatives of Russian government, top-managers, set designers, producers and artists are expected to attend this years conference and discuss the main theme Identity.The two-day event features four general panel discussions, more than 20 presentations, workshops and lectures given by key Russian and international experts. In addition to the main program, there will also be cultural and social events arranged, as well as open lectures for the city to promote the development of lighting culture and to increase awareness and knowledge amongst the local citizens in the field of science and light.Furthermore, during the conference the Award Ceremony of the first International Lighting Design Competition will be held during the Festival "Night of Lights in Gatchina". The competition is organized by St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution of Culture National Reserve-Museum Gatchina and the Higher School of Lighting Design (CLD ITMO University) with the support of the Committee of Culture of St. Petersburg. The best installations from the competition will be displayed for the visitors of the festival on the 12th of August 2017 along with professional installations that are included in the events main program. The winner of the competition will be chosen by the festival expert jury. The winner of the online poll will get the Audience Choice Award. The prizewinners will be announced at the 4th International Research-to-Practice Conference on Lighting Design in 2017.Last year the International Research-to-Practice Conference on Lighting Design gathered 390 participants and attendees. 25% of them were top-managers and business owners. 41% were designers, lighting engineers, architects, artists, set designers, representatives of government, multimedia and the IT market. 34% were scientists, students, professors and staff members of universities and international laboratories. Eight countries were represented by international headliners from Germany, UK, USA, France, Hungary, Italy, Finland and Netherlands.The main sessions and panel discussions of the 2017 conference12 October 2017Session 1: Open CitiesIT-scaling: how to create tools of analysis for smart cities and why they are necessary for the world professional communityPreparing for a public event: light as a communication tool and a way to transform public spaces during citywide eventsSession 2: Welcome to the digital worldCreating an environment for people: new control tools and techniques, changing attitudes towards the design of the urban lighting environmentChildhood in the urban environment: new technologies for a new generation13 October 2017Session 3: Art & Science in Lighting DesignLighting scenarios. Venue: city, theater, interiorLight, fabric and wearable electronics: trends for world market of smart fashion, jewelry and accessoriesSession 4: Professional transformationTo activate thinking: exclusive techniques for professional developmentTo improve environment for ideas: progressive tools in the hands of future professionalsKeynote speakersMarc Fontoynont, Ph.D., Professor with special responsibilities  Lighting-Daylighting at Aalborg University (Denmark), recipient of the Fresnel Medal and Alfred Monnier Lighting Award. He has 30 years experience in lighting and daylighting optimization, and currently serves as Vice-President of the European Lighting Cluster Alliance (ELCA), and convener of CEN TC 169/WG 11 Daylight at CEN. His research-to-practice area is focused on innovative lighting schemes, SSL controls and vision science, with concerns for reduction of operating costs, and improved benefits for human beings.Roger Narboni, a world-renowned French lighting designer, visual artist, electronical engineer and director of CONCEPTO (Paris, France). In 1987, he launched a new discipline called Light Urbanism and has implemented more than 120 lighting master plans in France and abroad. He created recently the Dark infrastructure strategy, a new method to limit the light pollution and to preserve nocturnal biodiversity in urban environment. He is an author of many known books and science-fiction novels. Since 10 years, he has developed prospective researches and creative studies on the topic of the future of urban lighting. Among his last projects are the lightings of Ceramic Museum in Sevres (France), the Grand Canals nightscapes in Hangzhou and the Inner Rivers nightscape in Dujiangyan (both in China and UNESCO world heritage sites), and the new urban lighting for Shanghai Huangpu Rivers right bank (21 km long).Sergei Mitelev, CEO of St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise Lensvet (founded in 1934), which is the leading operator of urban lighting in St. Petersburg which is under the Power and Engineering Maintenance Committee under the Administration of the St. Petersburg Government.Marco Frascarolo, Ph.D. in Technical Physics. Director of RomaTre Lighting Lab. Member of Sapienza Master in Lighting Design (MLD) Scientific Board. Member of AIDI (Italian Lighting Association) National Board. Founder (2001) and scientific coordinator of Fabertechnica lighting, designing more than 200 lighting projects. Consultant of Rome Municipality for public lighting. Author of new lighting projects for the Sistine Chapel and Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (UNESCO world heritage sites). Coordinator of Sapienza MLD project team who developed the guidelines for Colosseo lighing.Dr. Yang Bai, researcher of the Microelectronics Research Unit at University of Oulu, Finland. In 2017, he made a ground-breaking discovery of materials called KBNNO and KNBNNO as the next-generation energy harvesting materials, that can harvest energy from the light, heat and motion of their environment. This discovery has greatly drawn global attention from media, industry, research society and the general public, since it can lead to a new generation of energy-efficient materials, is equally important for the industry of media technology, flexible electronics and smart fashion, as for the development of smart cities.Denis Astakhov, independent creative producer, ex-CEO of interactive media studio SILA SVETA, ex-producer of the Russian Visual Artists Creative Laboratory. He blends technology, art and design in his works for global brands all over the world since 2008.Ellen Kathrine Hansen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Director of MSc Programme in Lighting Design at Aalborg University (Denmark). Member of the jury for LIT AWARDS in lighting design (Los Angeles, USA). She is building up a research area where disciplines, practice and academic knowledge overlap to develop knowledge on how new interactive lighting technology can support natural light to improve peoples lives.Natalia Bystriantseva, Ph.D., Head of CLD ITMO University, Creative Association of Lighting Designers RULD and Art & Science Institute at ITMO University. Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the International Research-to-Practice Conference on Lighting Design. One of the leading Russian experts in the field of lighting design, laureate of the National Award in Literature and Arts (In the category Architecture and design, 2014) and member of the jury for LIT AWARDS in lighting design (Los Angeles, USA).PartnersSPb GUP LensvetGRIVENaledo LED systemsARTLIGHTCultural partnersThe New Stage of Alexandrinsky TheatreGatchina Palace and Estate MuseumThe Netherlands Institute in Saint-PetersburgStrategic media partnerSt. Petersburg Design WeekMedia partnersInterlight Moscow powered by Light + BuildingSvetotechnikaEntrance is freeMore detailed information about the conference and registration form on cld.ifmo.ru/en/conferenceAddress:Naberezhnaia reki Fontanki 49AThe New Stage of Alexandrinsky TheatreSt. Petersburg, Russian FederationCultural background of placeThe New Stage of Alexandrinsky Theatre forms part of the modern theater complex, which was designed by the well-known Russian architect Yury Zemtsov and was opened for Alexandrinsky Theatre in 2013. The main purpose of such an extension to the oldest national stage in Russia was to create a new, technologically advanced platform for development of experimental and creative research fields. A high-tech transformer stage, a professional media center and rehearsal rooms, all these make the New Stage the most attractive venue for artists and researchers of innovative technologies.###ITMO University is one of Russia's leading higher education and research institutions, specializing in Information Technology, Optical Design and Engineering and one of 15 Russian universities that were selected to participate in the Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100.RULD is a creative association of lighting designers the main goal of which is to raise the professional quality of Russian lighting designers, both theoretically and practically.CLD ITMO University is one of the leading educational and experimental project of ITMO University in the fields of science, technology, lighting design and art.The Higher School of Lighting Design (CLD ITMO University) is one of the leading Russian educational institutions for educational and experimental practical projects in the fields of science, technology and art.CLD ITMO UniversityGrivtsova lane 14-16, Sankt-PetersburgFor further information, please contactSvetlana DegtyarevaCLD ITMO University.: +7 (965) 001 15 32E-mail: cld.conf@corp.ifmo.rucld.ifmo.ru
Egypt Food and Drink Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast 2015 | Researchmoz

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Egypt Food and Drink Industry 2015 Market Research Report" to its huge collection of research reports.The Egypt Food and Drink Industry 2015 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Food and Drink industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Food and Drink market analysis is provided for the Egypt markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report focuses on Egypt major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Food and Drink industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 161 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Table of ContentsChapter One Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of Food and Drink1.2 Classification of Food and Drink1.3 Applications of Food and Drink1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Food and Drink1.5 Industry Overview of Food and Drink1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Food and Drink1.7 Industry News Analysis of Food and DrinkChapter Two Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Food and Drink2.1 Bill of Materials (BOM) of Food and Drink2.2 BOM Price Analysis of Food and Drink2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Food and Drink2.4 Depreciation Cost Analysis of Food and Drink2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Food and Drink2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Food and DrinkChapter Three Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Egypt Key Manufacturers in 20143.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Egypt Key Food and Drink Manufacturers in 20143.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Egypt Food and Drink Key Manufacturers in 20143.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Egypt Food and Drink Key Manufacturers in 2014Chapter Four Production Analysis of Food and Drink by Regions, Technology, and Applications4.1 Egypt Production of Food and Drink by Regions (Key Provinces) 2010-20154.2 Egypt Production of Food and Drink by Product Types 2010-20154.3 Egypt Sales of Food and Drink by Applications 2010-20154.4 Price Analysis of Egypt Food and Drink Key Manufacturers in 20154.5 Egypt Capacity, Production, Import, Export, Sales, Price, Cost and Revenue of Food and Drink 2010-2015Chapter Five Sales and Revenue Analysis of Food and Drink by Regions5.1 Egypt Sales of Food and Drink by Regions 2010-20155.2 Egypt Revenue of Food and Drink by Regions 2010-20155.3 Egypt Price Analysis of Food and Drink Sales by Regions 2010-20155.4 Egypt Price, Cost and Gross of Food and Drink 2010-2015Chapter Six Analysis of Food and Drink Production, Supply, Sales and Market Status 2010-20156.1 Capacity Production Sales Revenue of Food and Drink 2010-20156.2 Production Sales Market Share Analysis of Food and Drink 2014-20156.3 Import, Export and Consumption of Food and Drink 2010-20156.4 Supply, Consumption and Shortage of Food and Drink 2010-20156.5 Import, Export and Consumption of Food and Drink 2010-20156.6 Cost, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin of Food and Drink 2010-2015Chapter Seven Analysis of Food and Drink Industry Key Manufacturers7.1 Juhayna Food Industries7.1.1 Company Profile7.1.2 Product Picture and Specification7.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.1.4 Juhayna Food Industries SWOT Analysis7.2 Cairo Poultry Company7.2.1 Company Profile7.2.2 Product Picture and Specification7.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.2.4 Cairo Poultry Company SWOT AnalysisMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Market 2017 - Top Players AURECON, BECA LTD, ELECTRIX, GENERAL CABLE, Vestas, PIONEER ENERGY LIMITED

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies sales (consumption) of Wind Power Transmission Equipment in Europe market, especially in Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy, Spain and Benelux, focuses on top players in these countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these Countries, coveringAURECONBECA LTDELECTRIXGENERAL CABLEGENERAL ELECTRIC (GE)PIONEER ENERGY LIMITEDVestas...Market Segment by Countries, this report splits Europe into several key Countries, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Wind Power Transmission Equipment in these countries, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeGermanyFranceUKRussiaItalySpainBeneluxTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Split by product type, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoGearboxCouplingOtherSplit by application, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Wind Power Transmission Equipment in each application, can be divided intoElectricityOtherTable of ContentsEurope Wind Power Transmission Equipment Market Report 20171 Wind Power Transmission Equipment Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Wind Power Transmission Equipment1.2 Classification of Wind Power Transmission Equipment1.2.1 Gearbox1.2.2 Coupling1.2.3 Other1.3 Application of Wind Power Transmission Equipment1.3.1 Electricity1.3.2 Other1.4 Wind Power Transmission Equipment Market by Countries1.4.1 Germany Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 France Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 UK Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Russia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Italy Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Spain Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 Benelux Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Europe Market Size (Value and Volume) of Wind Power Transmission Equipment (2012-2022)1.5.1 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.1.2 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume and Value) by Countries2.3.1 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Countries (2012-2017)2.3.2 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Market Share by Countries (2012-2017)2.4 Europe Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume) by Application3 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers3.3 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Type3.4 Germany Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Application4 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.4 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers4.3 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Type4.4 France Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Application5 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.5 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers5.3 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Type5.4 UK Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Application6 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Value (2012-2017)6.1.1 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.2 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.6 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)6.2 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers6.3 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Type6.4 Russia Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Application7 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7.1 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Value (2012-2017)7.1.1 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.2 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.7 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)7.2 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers7.3 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by Type7.4 Italy Wind Power Transmission Equipment Sales and Market Share by ApplicationMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market 2017 - Top Players Siemens, GE, Vestas, Enercon, Gamesa, Gold Wind

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies Direct Drive Wind Power Converter in China market, focuses on the top players in China market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringSiemensGEVestasEnerconGamesaMHI VestasGold WindUnited PowerMingyangENVISIONXEMCShanghai ElectricTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Market Segment by Regions (provinces), coveringSouth ChinaEast ChinaSouthwest ChinaNortheast ChinaNorth ChinaCentral ChinaNorthwest ChinaSplit by product Type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoAir CoolingWater CoolingOthersSplit by Application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Direct Drive Wind Power Converter in each application, can be divided intoCoastal RegionInland CityTable of ContentsChina Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Research Report 20171 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Direct Drive Wind Power Converter1.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Segment by Type1.2.1 China Production Market Share of Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Type in 20151.2.2 Air Cooling1.2.3 Water Cooling1.2.4 Others1.3 Applications of Direct Drive Wind Power Converter1.3.1 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Coastal Region1.3.3 Inland?City1.4 China Market Size (Value) of Direct Drive Wind Power Converter (2012-2022)1.5 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Status and Outlook1.6 Government Policies2 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Type2.5 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers3 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis3.1 Siemens3.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.1.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.1.2.1 Air Cooling3.1.2.2 Water Cooling3.1.3 Siemens Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.2 GE3.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.2.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.2.2.1 Air Cooling3.2.2.2 Water Cooling3.2.3 GE 119 Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.3 Vestas3.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.3.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.3.2.1 Air Cooling3.3.2.2 Water Cooling3.3.3 Vestas 131 Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.4 Enercon3.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.4.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.4.2.1 Air Cooling3.4.2.2 Water Cooling3.4.3 Enercon Jan Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.5 Gamesa3.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.5.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.5.2.1 Air Cooling3.5.2.2 Water Cooling3.5.3 Gamesa Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.6 MHI Vestas3.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.6.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.6.2.1 Air Cooling3.6.2.2 Water Cooling3.6.3 MHI Vestas Million USD Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.7 Gold Wind3.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.7.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.7.2.1 Air Cooling3.7.2.2 Water Cooling3.7.3 Gold Wind Power Industry Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.8 United Power3.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.8.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.8.2.1 Air Cooling3.8.2.2 Water Cooling3.8.3 United Power Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.9 Mingyang3.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.9.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.9.2.1 Air Cooling3.9.2.2 Water Cooling3.9.3 Mingyang Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.10 ENVISION3.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors3.10.2 Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Product Type, Application and Specification3.10.2.1 Air Cooling3.10.2.2 Water Cooling3.10.3 ENVISION Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)3.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview3.11 XEMC3.12 Shanghai Electric4 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Consumption, Export and Import (2012-2017)4.1 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Capacity, Production and Growth (2012-2017)4.2 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Revenue and Growth (2012-2017)4.3 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production, Consumption, Export and Import (2012-2017)5 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Market Analysis by Application6.1 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Application6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 ChinaDirect Drive Wind Power Converter Market Analysis by Regions (Provinces)7.1 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production, Production Value and Price by Regions (Provinces)(2012-2017)7.1.1 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production and Market Share by Regions (Provinces)(2012-2017)7.1.2 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production Value and Market Share by Regions (Provinces)(2012-2017)7.1.3 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Sales Price by Regions (Provinces)(2012-2017)7.2 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Consumption by Regions (Provinces)(2012-2017)7.3 China Direct Drive Wind Power Converter Production, Consumption, Export and Import (2012-2017)Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Next-Generation Sequencing Market Research Report 2017: Eurofins Scientific, Gatc Biotech AG

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This report studies Next-Generation Sequencing in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringIllumina, Inc.Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.Beijing Genomics InstituteQiagen N.V.454 Life Sciences Corporation (Roche Holding AG)Agilent Technologies, Inc.Eurofins ScientificGatc Biotech AGMacrogen Inc.Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Ltd.Perkinelmer, Inc.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Next-Generation Sequencing in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoSequencing By Synthesis (SBS)ION Semiconductor SequencingSequencing By Ligation (SBL)PyrosequencingSingle-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing (SMRT)Other TechnologiesSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Next-Generation Sequencing in each application, can be divided intoIntroductionDiagnosticsDrug DiscoveryBiomarker DiscoveryPersonalized MedicineAgriculture & Animal ResearchOther ApplicationsTable of ContentsGlobal Next-Generation Sequencing Market Research Report 20171 Next-Generation Sequencing Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Next-Generation Sequencing1.2 Next-Generation Sequencing Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Next-Generation Sequencing by Type in 20151.2.2 Sequencing By Synthesis (SBS)1.2.3 ION Semiconductor Sequencing1.2.4 Sequencing By Ligation (SBL)1.2.5 Pyrosequencing1.2.6 Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing (SMRT)1.2.7 Other Technologies1.3 Next-Generation Sequencing Segment by Application1.3.1 Next-Generation Sequencing Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Introduction1.3.3 Diagnostics1.3.4 Drug Discovery1.3.5 Biomarker Discovery1.3.6 Personalized Medicine1.3.7 Agriculture & Animal Research1.3.8 Other Applications1.4 Next-Generation Sequencing Market by RegionRead Comprehensive Overview of Report @2 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Next-Generation Sequencing Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Next-Generation Sequencing Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Next-Generation Sequencing Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Next-Generation Sequencing Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)3.1 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.2 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Production and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.3 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.4 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.5 North America Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.6 Europe Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.7 China Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.8 Japan Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.9 Southeast Asia Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.10 India Next-Generation Sequencing Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)4 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)4.2 North America Next-Generation Sequencing Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.3 Europe Next-Generation Sequencing Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.4 China Next-Generation Sequencing Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.5 Japan Next-Generation Sequencing Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.6 Southeast Asia Next-Generation Sequencing Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.7 India Next-Generation Sequencing Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)5 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Production and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.2 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.3 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Price by Type (2011-2016)5.4 Global Next-Generation Sequencing Production Growth by Type (2011-2016)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
One to watch: Investment, progress and growth of Nigerian maritime and rail.

Multimodal West Africa, Transport & Logistics Exhibition

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Despite recent economic difficulties, owing to the drop in crude oil prices, the Nigerian GDP has rocketed from $166bn in 2006 to $296bn in 2017 (tradingeconomics.com) and the country remains one of the largest economies in Africa. Due to its major contributions to the ECOWAS region and African continent in general Nigeria is widely recognised as the gateway to West Africa and is the focus of international attention. As a vital part of any economy, a lot of this attention has been concentrated on the Transport and Logistics sector.Recent years have seen major investments in Nigerian road, rail, air and sea transport pouring in from global private and public sectors, revealing the level of interest and opportunity in the West African market. These investments have been steadily building over the years and include $390m from Qatar in 2012 (Ventures Africa) and, more recently, $1bn from the UK government in December 2016 (Punch Nigeria).A lot of the more promising developments, such as the Badagry mega port (scheduled for completion in 5 years time) and the Lekki deep sea port (situated on a greenfield site and expected to be completed in 2019) are funded by private investments; Lekki Port is costing $1.5 Billion in private funding. The increase in private and public investments is encouraging, and as a result, performance levels have been rising in ports and terminals that have already received the funding they need to progress and reform:Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited (PCHSL), a leading indigenous terminal operator in charge of Terminal C of Tin-Can Island port, has grown its operating capacity by 220 percent from 5,000 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) inherited from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 2006 to 16,000 TEUs, within 10 years of handling cargo in Nigerian port This tremendous transformation can be attributed to the multi-million dollar worth of investment in terminal infrastructure, acquisition of equipment and training of personnel, which have succeeded in transforming the terminal into a modern and information technology-driven seaport. (Business Day, 2016).Developments within individual ports have been introduced in conjunction with nationwide improvements such as the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) scheme, which will bring an end to revenue leakages from under-declaration of vessels GRTs and increase governments import revenue.In response to the progress witnessed in the sector and the plans for further growth, more international companies are entering the West African market. International carriers and freight forwarders such as: CMA-CGM, DHL, MSC, DSV, UAL, Sifax and St. Johns met earlier this year at Multimodal West Africa, an international transport, logistics and supply chain management exhibition run by local events organisers, Clarion Events West Africa (part of the esteemed global events company, Clarion Events Ltd.).With over 10 years experience in the freight forwarding and supply chain management sector and having delivered trade fairs in Africa for the past 20 years, Clarion Events Ltd. are recognised as the leading organiser in the region. The 2018 edition of Multimodal West Africa, holding 23  25 January, will welcome 5000 cargo owners and over 100 leading international and local carriers and freight forwarders.Multimodal West Africa is organised by Clarion Events West Africa Ltd; the Lagos based office of Clarion Events Ltd who are responsible for 180 international trade fairs every year delivered from 13 global offices, including the Multimodal Portfolio consisiting of 3 annual editions of Multimodal held throughout the world welcoming over 700 exhibitors and 16,000 visitors. Having delivered international trade fairs in Africa for the past 20 years, Clarion Events Ltd are recognised as the leading organiser in the region.Victoria SmartVictoria.Smart@clarionevents.com+44 20 7384 803369-79 Fulham High StreetLondonSW6 3JW
Healthcare Analytics And Medical Analytics Market is Expected to Cross US$ 31 Billion by 2022

Healthcare Analytics And Medical Analytics Market

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The Global Healthcare Analytics And Medical Analytics Market is segmented on the lines of its application, delivery mode, component, end user and regional. Based on application segmentation it covers clinical, financial, predictive modeling, operational and administrative and research. Under delivery mode segmentation it classified into on premise, web hosted and cloud based. Components are classified into hardware, software and services. Based on end user segmentation it covers healthcare, payers, providers and others.Browse Full Report @:How Big is the Global Healthcare Analytics And Medical Analytics Market?The Global Healthcare Analytics And Medical Analytics Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 31 billion by 2022 and will grow at a CAGR of more than 27% in the given forecast period.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Verisk, Medai, MedeAnalytics, Optum Health, Truven Health, McKesson, Cerner and other larger players such as IBM, Oracle.. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The healthcare analytics medical analytics market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Premium Insights5 Market Overview6 Healthcare Analytics Market, By Type7 Healthcare Analytics Market, By Application8 Healthcare Analytics Market, By Component9 Healthcare Analytics Market, By Delivery Model10 Healthcare Analytics Market, By End User11 Healthcare Analytics Market, By Region12 Competitive Landscape13 Company Profiles13.1 Introduction13.2 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc.13.3 Cerner Corporation13.4 Health Catalyst13.5 IBM Corporation13.6 Inovalon Holdings, Inc.13.7 Mckesson Corporation13.8 Medeanalytics, Inc.13.9 Optum, Inc. (Part of Unitedhealth Group, Inc.)13.10 Oracle Corporation13.11 SAS Institute Inc.13.12 Verisk Analytics, Inc.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Diode Laser Industry Global Market Growth, Development and Key Manufacturer Analysis Report 2017-2022

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This report provides an in-depth insight of Global Diode Laser Industry covering all important parameters including development trends, challenges, opportunities, key manufacturers and competitive analysis.The 'Global and Chinese Diode Laser Industry, 2012-2022 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Diode Laser industry with a focus on the Chinese market.View complete report atFirstly, the report provides key statistics on the market status of the Diode Laser manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail.In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2012-2017 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Diode Laser industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2017-2022 market development trends of Diode Laser industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out.In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Diode Laser Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2012-2022 global and Chinese Diode Laser industry covering all important parameters.Request sample copy atMajor Points from Table of ContentsIntroduction of Diode Laser IndustryManufacturing Technology of Diode LaserAnalysis of Global Key ManufacturersGlobal and Chinese Market of Diode LaserMarket Status of Diode Laser IndustryMarket Forecast of Global and Chinese Diode Laser Industry 2017-2022Analysis of Diode Laser Industry ChainGlobal and Chinese Economic Impact on Diode Laser IndustryMarket Dynamics of Diode Laser IndustryProposals for New ProjectResearch Conclusions of Global and Chinese Diode Laser IndustryInquire for discount atList of Tables and FiguresFigure Diode Laser Product PictureTable Development of Diode Laser Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Manufacturing Process of Diode LaserTable Trends of Diode Laser Manufacturing TechnologyTable Global Diode Laser Capacity ListTable Global Diode Laser Key Manufacturers Capacity Share ListFigure Global Diode Laser Manufacturers Capacity ShareTable Global Diode Laser Key Manufacturers Production ListTable Global Diode Laser Key Manufacturers Production Share ListFigure Global Diode Laser Manufacturers Production ShareFigure Global Diode Laser Capacity Production and Growth RateTable Global Diode Laser Key Manufacturers Production Value ListFigure Global Diode Laser Production Value and Growth RateTable Global Diode Laser Key Manufacturers Production Value Share ListFigure Global Diode Laser Manufacturers Production Value ShareTable Global Diode Laser Capacity Production Cost Profit and Gross Margin ListFigure Chinese Share of Global Diode Laser ProductionTable Global Supply and Consumption of Diode LaserFigure Global Diode Laser Capacity Production and Growth RateFigure Global Diode Laser Production Value and Growth RateTable Global Diode Laser Capacity Production Cost Profit and Gross Margin ListFigure Chinese Share of Global Diode Laser ProductionTable Global Supply and Consumption of Diode LaserTable Import and Export of Diode LaserFigure Industry Chain Structure of Diode Laser IndustryFigure Production Cost Analysis of Diode LaserFigure Downstream Analysis of Diode LaserContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in classcustomer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries. Our commitment to customer service is best exemplified by free analyst support that we offer to our clients which sets us apart from any other provider. We also offer enterprise subscriptions which provide significant cost savings to our clients.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Jakob A. Mosser to leave Schur Flexibles

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Baden, July 5, 2017. Jakob A. Mosser is to leave the Schur Flexibles Group. Mosser founded the company in 2012 and has managed the company as Chief Executive Officer since that time. Following the companys successful expansion, he provided support last year in the sale of the company to private equity investor Lindsay Goldberg. The company now intends to focus more strongly on organic and value-based growth. We thank Jakob A. Mosser for his work over the past years. Without his tireless commitment there would be no Schur Flexibles Group. We wish him all the best for his professional and personal future, said Thomas Unger, Chairman of the companys Advisory Board. Until the new CEO joins the company, Michael Schernthaner, Christian Kolarik and Bernhard Mumelter will jointly manage the company. The main emphasis of our work will be to create value for our customers through our products and services, Unger stated.About the Schur Flexibles GroupThe Schur Flexibles Group with its headquarters in Baden near Vienna and around 1,400 employees has specialized in innovative, high quality and made-to-measure high-barrier packaging solutions for the food, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. With its integrated chain of added value, from extrusion via print and laminating to extensive bag-making, the Group, which was founded in 2012, has recorded an overall turnover of 350 million euros. Schur Flexibles includes 12 companies with 14 production plants: Germany, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Greece and Russia, all of them highly specialized and each of them enjoying technology-leadership status in its own field. This centre-of-excellence concept makes the Group an attractive and expert partner for client companies in selected sectors.Press contact:Casa Blanca Communication GmbH & Co. KGClaudia DiedrichsenMuhlenberger Weg 6122587 HamburgTel: +49 (0)40 47 11 001 - 75Fax: +49 (0)40 47 11 001 - 80Email: diedrichsen@c-b-c.deInternet:
Polymer Derived Ceramics Market Scope and Revenue Outlook for 2017-2022

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Global Polymer Derived Ceramics Market 2017 report spread across 123 pages gives Market Segment Analysis by Key Manufacturers, Regions, Types and Applications. Polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) have been developed rapidly since they were discovered over 50 years ago. PDCs exhibit important application values in several key engineering fields, such as aerospace, machinery, energy, information and microelectronics.Complete report is available atScope of the Report:This report focuses on the Global Polymer Derived Ceramics market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers: Ube Industries, Nippon Carbon Co Ltd, COI Ceramics, Inc., MATECH, SAIFEI GroupMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers: North America (USA, Canada and Mexico); Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy); Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia); South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.); Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa). Market Segment by Type, covers: SiC Fiber, Others & Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into: Aerospace, Machinery, Microelectronics, OthersRequest for discount atThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Polymer Derived Ceramics market.Chapter 1 to describe Polymer Derived Ceramics Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force.Chapter 2 to analyze the top manufacturers of Polymer Derived Ceramics, with sales, revenue, and price of Polymer Derived Ceramics, in 2016 and 2017.Chapter 3 to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017.Chapter 4 to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Polymer Derived Ceramics, for each region, from 2012 to 2017.Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions.Order copy of report atChapter 10 and 11 to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017.Chapter 12 Polymer Derived Ceramics market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022.Chapter 13, 14 and 15 to describe Polymer Derived Ceramics sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets.Ritesh Tiwari,+ 1 888 391 5441sales@reportsandreports.com
Green Building Materials Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20162024

Green Building Materials Market

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reen building also called sustainable building or green construction refers to buildings that are environment-friendly and energy efficient throughout their lifecycle, which involves designing, construction, maintenance, renovation, operation, and demolition. The popular materials that are used in making a green building are straw bales, grasscrete, rammed earth, hempcrete, bamboo, recycled plastic, and wood, among others. Mycelium, ferrock, ashcrete, and timbercrete are also being used to construct green buildings. The primary thought of green building construction is to define an approach that minimizes negative effects on the environment (air, water, and earth) as well as human health. The primary sources of green building materials are renewable sources (forests) and recycled materials (doors, old plumbing, recycled plastic, etc).Some of the major advantages that green building provide as compared to conventional buildings are efficient technology usage, easy maintenance, improved air quality, water and energy efficiency, and high return on investment. These building also ensure temperature moderation, waste reduction, water conservation, and improved physical and help improve mental health of the inhabitants.Request a sample copy of this report:Green Building Materials Market TaxonomyOn the basis of product type, the global market is segmented into:Interior ProductsExterior ProductsSolar productsOthersOn the basis of applications, the global market is segmented into:InsulationFramingRoofingInterior FinishingExterior SidingOthersOn the basis of end user, the global market is segmented into:Healthcare centersR&D centersEducationPublic facilitiesResidentialOthersOn the basis of geography, the global market is segmented into:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.GermanyItalyFranceSpainRussiaRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanASEANAustraliaSouth KoreaRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoArgentinaRest of Latin AmericaMiddle EastGCC CountriesIsraelRest of Middle EastAfricaNorthern AfricaCentral AfricaSouth AfricaAccess Table of Content (TOC) of the report:Increasing health concerns among people, growing responsibility and concerns towards environment safety and increasing demand for efficient energy usage is expected to drive the growth of green building materials market over the forecast period (20162024). A major spike has been witnessed in stress levels and related health problems among the global populace over the last couple of decades. The home and work environment of an individual has a major impact on the persons wellbeing and thus, consumers are increasingly inclined towards aesthetically pleasing green buildings that help alleviate both physical and mental problems. This is a key factor fueling market growth. This trend is expected to gain further traction in the near future. However, higher initial costs, dearth of raw materials, lengthy construction time, and lack of skilled professionals impedes market growth. Basic construction materials used in green buildings, such as straw bales, grasscrete, rammed earth, hempcrete, bamboo, recycled plastic, and wood are not widely available across the globe. The process of using this materials as construction material is costly and professional workers are needed, which makes the process capital intensive.Green Building Materials Market Outlook  Rising Concerns Regarding Environment Safety to Fuel Market GrowthThe growing concerns regarding the environment safety is in turn expected to drive growth of the market over the forecast period. Growing concern towards environmental safety, such as concerns regarding water wastage, inclination towards conservation of natural resources and protection of biodiversity fuels growth of the global green building materials market. Various dedicated regulatory bodies such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) have green building ratings and certification programs and have formed guidelines pertaining to green building construction. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is an environmental safety regulatory tool used by the United Nations for encouraging adoption of renewable materials in the construction sector. Another popular research institute dedicated towards sustainable development and environmental safety in India and South Asia is TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute).View this full report:Product innovation is one of the key strategies adopted by the leading players in the green building materials market. Manufacturers are focusing on adding solar thermal cladding and bio-plastics. In 2016, Gunlocke, a furniture manufacturer introduced Myco Board. This new ecofriendly product offers cost-effective, environment friendly solutions for interior products. Some of the major companies operating in the global green building materials market are Alumasc Group Plc, AMVIC Building Systems, Binderholz gmbh, Bauder Ltd, BASF SE, and InterfaceAbout Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Radiation monitoring and Dosimeter Badges Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth by 2017  2025

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Radiation monitoring is device which can identify the present and measure the radiation quantity. Radiation monitoring device are so sensitive that can provide the dose of the radiation during the radiology procedures. The radiation monitoring devices can monitor the environmental contaminations. The Nuclear power plants produce electricity by fission and used uranium, which is a radioactive material, according to a report from Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), in November 2016, about 30 countries over the globe are operating 450 nuclear reactor and 60 new nuclear plants are going to develop in 15 countries. This statics also fuel the market over the forecasted period.The radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market have the huge market as they are used in various application like oncology treatment, and other chronic diseases. According to National Cancer Institute (NCI), in 2016, 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @Radiation monitoring and Dosimeter Badges Market: Drivers & RestraintsRadiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market is huge market in the term of use, and technology advancement. The growth in number of cancer patients and the uses by different organization like defenses, environmental organization. Now a days food industry are also using the radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges to check the food and crops in the fields of having the present of radiation. Government are also motivating the radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market by providing funds. For instance, USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) are more concerned about high level of UV-B (ultraviolet radiation) from the Sun, which may harmful for crops, USDA is releasing the funds of $1,308,336 for the study to different agricultural college, who come under the eligibility area. As of restraints the peoples are not much aware of using the product and they are not technology trained.Request to View Tables of Content @Radiation monitoring and dosimeter badges market have a huge potentials for the growth in the forecasted period as owning by the technology advancement for developing new devices which will be more accurate and handy to use. The awareness program should be more to increase the utilization in various fields.As a geography conditions the Radiation Monitoring and Dosimeter Badges is segmented into: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. North America will be having huge market share in various fields like medical, nuclear power plant and scientific applications. According to the U.S., NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) that radiation therapy is used by 7 out of every 10 people in the U.S. As Asia Pacific is also a growing market as they have the increasing number of nuclear plant and as well as use in medical treatment.To view complete report @Some players in Radiation Monitoring and Dosimeter Badges Market are Landauer, Inc., Ludlum Measurements, Inc., ECOTEST, Mirion Technologies, CHP Dosimetry, Renentech Laboratories Pvt. Ltd, MP Dosimetry, Sierra Radiation Dosimetry Service, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Fluke Corporation, RDC Inc, and Biodex.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Spohrer Dodd is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the law firms formation

Spohrer Dodd

www.sdlitigation.com/

Jacksonville, Fla., June 29, 2017  Ten years ago, Roger Dodd and Robert Spohrer entered into a partnership and created Spohrer and Dodd, P.L. Now known as Spohrer Dodd, the partners, attorneys and staff are celebrating ten years of successful representation of hundreds of families and for the contributions the firm has made to the community.I am so proud of all the firm has accomplished over the past ten years, especially for the positive impact we have been able to make on the lives of hundreds of families, said Spohrer. When we started this firm, we made a decision to be the law firm that digs deeper and utilizes the resources of experts to find out what really happened and who is legally at fault. Through our dedication and intensive investigations, we have been able to get significant restitutions and answers for our clients.Spohrer said the firms success has also allowed them to significantly contribute to the community. The firms financial success has permitted them to actively support numerous organizations including Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Southern Legal Counsel and the Boy Scouts of America. They not only support the organizations through donations, but also by providing pro bono services and volunteering.Spohrer Dodd attorneys are also very involved in the education of younger attorneys through the firms continuing legal education events. For the past nine years, they have also sponsored a closing argument competition at Florida Coastal School of Law and have provided scholarships to the top three law students.Attorneys and paralegals at Spohrer Dodd are among the best and brightest in the industry. All firm partners are involved in lecturing and writing for legal seminars and programs, and many serve or have served as adjunct professors at Florida Coastal School of Law and other institutions. The paralegals are also some of the best in the state and are actively involved in both state and local associations, where they serve on executive boards.Over the past ten years, the partners have been successful in attracting the very best and brightest in the business, said Spohrer. We could not be happier to have such a top-notch team at Spohrer Dodd.About Spohrer DoddSpohrer Dodd is an elite law firm comprised of seasoned trial attorneys, expert professionals and specialized staff. Their experience, diligence, and creativity allow them to help clients achieve positive legal outcomes in the most challenging and complex personal injury cases, which are often cases that other personal injury law firms are unwilling to undertake. Their team of board certified trial lawyers, attorneys and staff, the firm's intellectual and financial resources, and their network of specialized experts are dedicated to every case their Jacksonville law firm handles. For more information, visitSpohrer Dodd701 W. Adams StreetJacksonville, FL 32204Media Contact: Kelly WhiteKelly.white@cfmedia.net
Global Flexo-ink Market: Comprehensive Analysis, Business Growth, Prospects and Opportunities 2017-2023

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Synopsis of Flexo-ink MarketThe Global Flexo-ink Market is expected to witness a significant growth by 2023 with CAGR of 5.72%. The prominent factors fuelling the development of flexo-ink market are, new advances and developing interest of solvent based inks in flexible packaging. In addition, rising interest for bundled sustenance and refreshments has prompted advancement in naming industry which at last upsurge the flexographic printing ink in quality items and administrations. Aside from this, favoring government directions and enhanced execution are critical to future picks up in the water based flexo-ink market. Flexo-Ink has been produced on the premise of customary letterpress printing. From that point forward flexographic printing has been advanced as current method for imprinting in different applications, for example, ridged, adaptable film, name and tag, collapsing containers and envelope among others. Flexography printing inks are picking up significance in the field of printing industry over gravure printing inks as far as shorter runs, which benefits exceptional advancements and the interest for even little amounts. Be that as it may, stern directions of specialists, for example, FDA and EPA towards high emanations of unstable natural compound (VOCs) can hamper the market development.Hence, genuine players in publicize are focusing more into expansion and moving of cost capable things demonstrating advancement in key markets portions.Flexo inks are created with blend of tars, added substances, shades, surfactants, grip promoters and miniaturized scale measures of deformers and silicones to give fantastic properties cost points of interest. Flexo inks are accessible in three structures, water based, dissolvable based and UV based. Dissolvable based flexo inks are perfect for plastics movies, backdrop and business utilizes while water based inks functions admirably with permeable materials like cardboard and paper. Be that as it may, with increment in achievable quality consolidated with investment funds in downtime and waste have made UV Flexo inks one of the well-known institutionalized ink in the segmentMarket SegmentsThe global Flexo-ink market is majorly segmented on the basis of Type, Resin Type, End Use and Region Based on Type, global Flexo-ink market is segmented into Water Based Flexo, Solvent Based Flexo, and UV Based Flexo. Based on Resin Type, Flexo-ink market is segmented into Acrylic Resin, Polyurethane Resins, Polyamide Resins, Cellulosic Resins, Vinyl Resins, Others. Based on end use, Flexo-ink is segmented into Packaging Industry, Label Industry, and Paper Industry. Based on region market is divided into North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.To Get Sample Copy of Report Visit @Key Findings Global Flexo-ink market is projected to reach USD 6,840.5 million in 2016 and expected to reach USD 10,030.3 million in 2023 with a CAGR of 5.72% Asia Pacific accounted for largest share due to easy availability of raw material, lower labor cost and minimal legislations by government regarding usage of VOCs contain inks in end user industries like packaging, label and paper. Key players including SunChemical, Flint Group, Toyo Ink and Siegwerk among others are investing more into product development and shifting towards UV based inks owing to zero VOC contain and high profit margin. Flexo-ink market is a fragmented market, however, tier 1 and tier 2 manufacturers dominate the market share. Asia Pacific dominate the market accounting for 40%, followed by Europe and North America. Asia Pacific is forecast to be the fastest growing region in Flexo-ink market at close to 6.09% CAGR from 2017 to 2023 Solvent based flexo-ink, by type is dominating segment over water based flexo-ink owing to quick drying capacity, perform well and allow printers a wide choice of products over water based ink. In near future, stern regulations about high VOCs contain causing health problems can shift the focus towards water based flexo-ink and UV based flexo-inkRead the full report: @Key Players:Key players of the global Flexo-ink market are: Sun Chemical Group Flint Group TOYO INK SC HOLDINGS CO., LTD. HuberGroup Deutschland GmbH T & K TOKA CO., LTD. SAKATA INX CORPORATION Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaAIntended Audience Flexo-ink manufacturers Traders and distributors of Flexo-ink Production Process industries Potential investors Raw material suppliers Nationalized laboratoryRegional AnalysisGeographically, Asia Pacific region is the largest market of Flexo-ink due to growing Flexo-ink manufacturers owing to minimal legislations by environmental regulation bodies. Asia Pacific accounts for 40% of market share in which China is dominating segment with more than 50% of market share. With increasing investments in expansion and product development by major players in market especially in packaging industry are also projected to boost the market for flexographic ink market. In addition, packaging industries are gathering more attention to flexible packaging by offering attractive look for customers to purchase. Further in coming years, it is expected that key players will target these region in order to form strategic alliance with local players in market to maintain market share.Europe is second largest market share holder owing to presence of packaged food industries leading to increasing labelling and attractive packaging. Furthermore, with rising demand of personal care and food & beverages products is anticipated to drive the North America and Europe Market. In North America region, countries like US and Canada are anticipated to drive the flexo-ink market due to increasing expenditure on advertisements, outdoor activities and labelling in food and beverages and pharmaceutical industry.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
North America Drug screening Market will enroll the CAGR of over 6% by 2023

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Market Research Future adds new report of Drug Screening Market Research Report- North America Forecast to 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Segments:The segmentation for the North America drug screening market; On the basis of Test Sample; segment includes hair, saliva, blood and urine On the basis of the Condition; the segmentation is done into unconsciousness, panic attack, chest pain, breathing problem, vomiting, seizures, pain management, organ transplant, and drug allergiesMarket Highlight:Drug testing is done usually for patients who are not able to tell what kind of drugs they were taking in the past. They are unable to tell because of various reasons for example sometime they are in a very serious condition or are unconscious. The drug testing is also used to determine allergies caused by drugs and is also used when pain management has to be done for a patient. Sometime drug testing is also done for forensic studies. This testing is done by various test samples, which includes sample like hair, saliva, blood or urine. The small amount of any one of this is collected and used for the test.The North America Drug screening market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 6% which has started since 2017 and is expected to continue till 2023 thus, estimated growth period of this market can be stated as from 2017-2023. There is an increase in cases of drug consumption therefore the market already has a good position.Request a Sample Report @Key players of North America Drug Screening Market:Some of the players operating in the North America drug screening market are Siemens Healthnieers Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings Quest Diagnostics Roche Diagnostics Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Express Diagnostics Int'l Inc. Shimadzu, MPD Inc. Alere ToxicologyIntended Audience Medical device Companies OEM & ODM manufacturing companies R & D laboratories Pathology laboratories Biotechnology companiesBrowse Report Details @Study objectives of North America Drug Screening Market To deliver detail study of the market structure along with projected future growth forecast for the next 7 years about various segments and sub-segments of the North America drug screening market. To deliver understandings about factors affecting the market growth. To study the North America drug screening market based on various factors - price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force analysis etc. To deliver past and evaluated future revenue of the markets segments and sub-segments with respect to countries  U.S and Canada. To deliver country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future growth prospect. To deliver country level analysis of the markets segments which includes by test sample and by condition. To deliver synopsis of key players and their strategic profiling in the market; systematically examining their core competencies and drawing a competitive landscape of the market. To track and analyze developments which are competitive in nature such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments currently taking place in the North America drug screening market.Request Table of Contents for this Report @Regional analysis:The North America drug screening market is segmented into two countries which includes U.S and Canada. These countries have maximum number of patients who are consuming high dosage drugs for the various chronic diseases. These drugs show various adverse effects. Thus, the market for drug testing is more in these two countries.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Investment Analysis of Construction Industry in Indonesia to See Incredible Growth by 2021

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/construction-industry-investment-analysis

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Market Research Future adds new report of Investment Analysis of Construction Industry in Indonesia 2016-2021 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentKey Findings: As per MFRF examination, it has been assessed that most of the market is commanded by non-private properties roughly around 56.67% out of 2015 when contrasted with private development exercises. The add up to spending in development industry in Indonesia is accounted to Billions of every 2015. The yearly creation development rate is represented amid the anticipated period. The piece of the pie of Indonesia Construction Business is assessed around.Request a Sample Report @Market Highlight:Indonesia is known as the second most useful and productive progression include in Asia, where unlimited attempts are experiencing in both private and in addition non-private divisions. For instance, one of the head winds which were begun by the property assemble named Lippo Karawaci is the Millennium Village and The Global Smart City which is organized on a 70 hectare in Lippon town. The progress brought about huge damage for these attempts would be for the most part $15 billion. In Indonesia, the change business has been growing 8% to 9% reliably, because of titanic eagerness for private properties and headway of the property region in honest to goodness urban gatherings around the nation. General society works meander is a key point in the association's strategy to give water assets, avenues and human settlement foundation for the entire arrangement movement.The meander board in Indonesia is favoring to draw resources into the country as it dispatches a tremendous structure program proposed to revive modernization and actuated progress. Considering the conspicuous cases, the GDP of the progression business has made at a higher rate than general nation's GDP. From 2003 to 2013, the GDP has made from 125.3 trillion RP to 907.3 trillion RP, where the business addresses around 10% of GDP.Browse Report Details @Study Objectives of Investment Analysis of Construction Industry in Indonesia To give quick and dirty examination of the improvement business close by gauge for the accompanying 5 years of the of the Indonesia Construction Market To give bits of learning about components impacting the market improvement To give country level examination of the market with respect to the present market size and future approaching To give country level examination of the market for improvement industryRequest Table of Contents for this Report @The market report for Investment Analysis of Construction Industry in Indonesia of Market Research Future involves broad essential research alongside the nitty gritty examination of subjective and additionally quantitative perspectives by different industry specialists, key supposition pioneers to pick up the more profound understanding of the market and industry execution. The report gives the unmistakable picture of current market situation which incorporates recorded and anticipated market measure as far as esteem and volume.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market Globally Grow at a CAGR of 6% by Revenue During the Period 2016-2021

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/commercial-aircraft-health-monitoring-systems-market

Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market by IVHM Technology (Prognostic, Diagnostic, CBM & Adaptive Control), Sub-System (Aero-Propulsion, Aircraft Structure, Avionics and Ancillary System), Fit (Line fit and Retro fit), and by Region- Forecast To 2021Study Objectives of Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market To give itemized examination of the market structure alongside estimate for the following 5 years of the different sections and sub-portions of the Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market To give bits of knowledge about variables influencing the market development To break down the Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market in light of different elements value investigation, inventory network examination, doorman's five compel examination and so on. To give chronicled and figure income of the market fragments and sub-portions concerning four principle geologies and their nations North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To give nation level investigation of the market regarding the present market size and future imminent To give nation level investigation of the market for fragment by IVHM innovation, sub-framework, and fit. To give vital profiling of key players in the market, extensively dissecting their center skills, and drawing an aggressive scene for the market To track and dissect aggressive improvements, for example, joint endeavors, key partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, new item advancements, and research and improvements in the Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems MarketSample Report Available atMarket Synopsis of Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems MarketThe Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market is required to develop at a CAGR of around 6% amid 2016-2021. The key elements driving the development are the benefits of basic wellbeing observing, requirement for flying machine continuous harm discovery, developing pattern towards more electric air ship, rising interest for mechanization, development in situational attention to drive operations, decreasing unscheduled upkeep and expanding resource use, and financially savvy support.According to the MRFR examination, challenges related with SHM sensors to coordinate into air structure, and accreditation clearances are the limits influencing the market development.Improvement of fiber optics sensor for continuous information examination and R&D spending on wellbeing observing frameworks are the rising patterns in the market.Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market Key PlayersSome of the key players in the Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market are Airbus, Boeing, GE Aviation, Rockwell Collins, United Technologies, Accellent Technologies, BeanAir, Meggitt, RSL Electronics, Rolls-Royce Holdings, and Ultra Electronics Holdings.Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market Target Audience Aircraft HMS OEMs Component Suppliers Aftermarket suppliers /MROs Research Institute / Education Institute Potential Investors Key executive (CEO and COO) and strategy growth managerBrowse Full Report Details @Regional and Country Analysis of Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems MarketAs per the MRFR analysis, APAC is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of around 10% during the forecast period.The reports also cover country level analysis:Americas (North & Latin)USCanadaBrazilOthersEuropeGermanyFranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia  PacificChinaIndiaJapanAustralia/New ZealandRest of Asia-PacificMiddle East & AfricaUAE,KuwaitIsraelRest of Middle East & AfricaThe market report for Global Commercial Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
City of Plattsmouth officials are working with federal and state emergency management agencies to acquire funding to repair damage incurred from the thunderstorm cell that hit the evening of June 16.

Plattsmouth City Administrator Erv Portis told city council members Monday he has met with Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials several times since the storm.

The most recent meeting was Friday afternoon (June 30), he said. Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a disaster declaration and is seeking federal assistance.

Portis said damage information needs to be in to FEMA July 16. The federal government has 30 days to respond as to whether the community would be eligible for funds. We anticipate that we will be, he said.

The city submitted its preliminary costs to repair public infrastructure damage. Damage to trees is not an eligible expense, he said.

Portis estimates infrastructure repairs will cost $90,000. The bulk of damage was to the cemetery. Were finally considering opening up the cemetery but there is still a lot that remains to be done. There are very large trees lying on the ground. We cannot get heavy equipment in there, he said.

The city is looking to hire a contractor with a crane. The trees need to be cut into pieces and then taken to the brush pile, he said.

There is a glitch to removing damaged ash trees. Nebraska Department of Agriculture has put a quarantine on moving or removing ash trees, because they dont want the Emerald Ash Borer to spread to more locations, Portis said. So we dont know yet what were going to do with those trees.

Trees in Garfield Park were also severely damaged and many residents still have brush on their curbs incorrectly thinking the city will clear them away. Once we get past clean up, there is a lot of brush out there in the right of way. A lot of people pulled it out of the right of way and are waiting for us to pick it up. Property owners are responsible for the trees on their property, Portis said. Its a liability that we cant take on. Well have to get to the work but its a low priority. The cemetery and the parks are the first priorities.

As for structural damage to city property, well-house No. 4 suffered roof and electrical damage. There was also damage to our newest well, number eight, he said.

High winds blew a new umbrella costing $5,000 into the roof causing damage at Twin Rivers Water Park. There was some flashing and roof damage at the senior center and to the fencing at the ball field. This all adds up to about $90,000 with most to be covered by our insurance, Portis said. We will know a lot more in the next couple of weeks. We will meet with some of the contractors doing business in Bellevue and Sarpy County.
Confectioneries Global Market, By Product & Data Validation, Analysis and Forecast 2022

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The Global Confectioneries Market is estimated at $161.6 million in 2015 and is poised to reach $205.3 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period. Increasing disposable income, rising population, growing urbanization and rising trade market are some of the key factors driving the confectionery market. The major challenges for the industry include rising government regulations, changing end user preferences and health issues. The chocolate segment is estimated to witness the maximum growth.For more information about this report:Europe leads the worldwide confectionery market, followed by North America and Asia Pacific. Followed by China and the U.K., U.S. represents the major confectionery market worldwide. India is the main market in Asia Pacific and the rapidly growing confectionery market in the world.Some of the key players in the market include Parle Products Pvt. Ltd., Kegg's Candies, The Ferrer- Group, Cadbury, The Hershey Company, Crown Confectionery, Nestle S.A., Perfetti Van Melle, Mars, Kraft Foods, MondelAz International, HARIB- Dunhills PLC, United Confectionery Manufacturers, Petra Foods, Yildiz Holding and Brookside Foods.Categories Covered:- Sugar confectionery- Cereal bars- Chocolate confectionery- Gum- OthersType of Sugars Covered:- Food Items- Chewing gum- Candies- Sweets- Fruits- Butter- Honey- Lollies- Cocoa- Milk- Chocolates- Toffees- BerriesType of Bakers' Covered:- Cakes- Cookies- Pastries- DoughnutsRequest Sample Copy atRegions Covered:- North America- US- Canada- Mexico- Europe- Germany- France- Italy- UK- Spain- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- Japan- China- India- Australia- New Zealand- Rest of Asia Pacific- Rest of the World- Middle East- Brazil- Argentina- South Africa- EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements1 Executive Summary2 Preface3 Market Trend Analysis4 Porters Five Force Analysis5 Global Confectioneries Market, By Category6 Global Confectioneries Market, By Sugar7 Global Confectioneries Market, By Bakers'8 Global Confectioneries Market, By Geography9 Key Developments10 Company Profiling10.1 Parle Products Pvt. Ltd.10.2 Kegg's Candies10.3 The Ferrero Group10.4 Cadbury10.5 The Hershey Company10.6 Crown Confectionery10.7 Nestle S.A.10.8 Perfetti Van Melle10.9 Mars10.10 Kraft Foods10.11 MondelAz International10.12 HARIBO Dunhills PLC10.13 United Confectionery Manufacturers10.14 Petra Foods10.15 Yildiz Holding10.16 Brookside FoodsInquire before Buying atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Barium Sulfate Market - Evolving Countries, Type and Application Manufacturers NaFine Xinji Chemical, Nippon ,Chemical Industry Forecast to 2022

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HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 119 pages on title 'Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Barium Sulfate Market 2017 Forecast to 2022' with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions that includes North & South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africaand important players such as Fuhua Chem, NaFine, Xinji Chemical ...........SummaryBarium sulfate (or sulphate) is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula BaSO4. It is a white crystalline solid that is odorless and insoluble in water. It occurs as the mineral barite, which is the main commercial source of barium and materials prepared from it. The white opaque appearance and its high density are exploited in its main applications.Request a sample report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Barium Sulfate in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversCimbarHuntsmanSolvayBarium & ChemicalsJiaxin ChemSakai ChemFuhua ChemNaFineXinji ChemicalNippon Chemical IndustryLianzhuang technologyOnmillion Nano MaterialRedstarMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversPrecipitated barium sulfateModified barium sulfateSpecular bariumMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoDrilling FluidsRadiocontrast AgentPigmentPaper BrightenerPlastics FillerNiche usesBuy this report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Barium Sulfate market.Chapter 1, to describe Barium Sulfate Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Barium Sulfate, with sales, revenue, and price of Barium Sulfate, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Barium Sulfate, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Barium Sulfate market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Barium Sulfate sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceMake an enquiry before buying this Report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Barium Sulfate Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Precipitated barium sulfate1.2.2 Modified barium sulfate1.2.3 Specular barium1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Drilling Fluids1.3.2 Radiocontrast Agent1.3.3 Pigment1.3.4 Paper Brightener1.3.5 Plastics Filler1.3.6 Niche uses1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving ForceView Detailed Table of Content @HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218 (US)
Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheter Global Market, By Product & Data Validation, Analysis and Forecast 2022

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The rising demand for orthopedic surgeries is the primary factor fuelling the market growth. Furthermore, better pain control, fewer side effects, acceptance to advanced techniques, earlier home discharge for select subset of hospitalized patients, shorter hospitalization and increase in quality of life are some of the drivers favoring the market growth. However, high cost of product, the stringent regulation for approval of catheters by government agencies, catheter infections are restricting the market growth. The recent trend for Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheter is improvement in management of pain grabbing which has gained more attention and is witnessing steady growth in the development of several catheters and techniques.For more information about this report:Indication joint replacement segment commanded the largest market revenue in CPNB catheter market, owing to high prevalence in highly developed countries. North American region is expected to witness highest CAGR followed by Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific countries are expected to adopt CPNB catheters owing to large aging population, increasing incidence of orthopedic surgeries, and increasing income of population.Some of the key players in the market include BBraun Medical, Inc., Teleflex Incorporated, Halyard Health, Inc., InfuSystem, Stryker Corporation, Pajunk GmbH, Gamida, Te.Me.Na, Hotspur Technologies, Inc., Cohera Medical, Inc., Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Dyna Medical Corp, NPI Medical, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Cephalon, Inc.Products Covered:- Non-Stimulating catheters- Stimulating catheterInsertion techniques Covered:- Tunneling- Nerve stimulation- UltrasoundIndications Covered:- Trauma- Ambulatory Surgery- Upper extremity- Lower extremity- Thoracic, abdominal, pelvic, and urological surgery- Joint replacementEnd Users Covered:- Ambulatory surgical centers- HospitalsRequest Sample Copy atRegions Covered:- North America- US- Canada- Mexico- Europe- Germany- France- Italy- UK- Spain- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- Japan- China- India- Australia- New Zealand- Rest of Asia Pacific- Rest of the World- Middle East- Brazil- Argentina- South Africa- EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements1 Executive Summary2 Preface3 Market Trend Analysis4 Porters Five Force Analysis5 Global Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheter Market, By Product type6 Global Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheter Market, By Insertion techniques7 Global Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheter Market, By Indications8 Global Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheter Market, By End User9 Global Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block Catheter Market, By Geography10 Key Developments11 Company Profiling11.1 BBraun Medical, Inc.11.2 Teleflex Incorporated11.3 Halyard Health, Inc.11.4 InfuSystem11.5 Stryker Corporation11.6 Pajunk GmbH11.7 Gamida11.8 Te.Me.Na11.9 Hotspur Technologies, Inc.11.10 Cohera Medical, Inc.11.11 Kimberly-Clark Corporation11.12 Dyna Medical Corp11.13 NPI Medical11.14 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.11.15 Cephalon, Inc.Inquire before Buying atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Ceiling Tiles Market is Expected to Cross US$ 43 Billion Globally By 2023

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This market study analyses the market by its value chain. Value chain analysis starts with the analysis of feedstock products and ends with the analysis of end-user industry. The report uses Market Attractiveness Analysis and Porters Five Forces Model to analyze the diverse factors affecting the expansion of the market.Browse Full Report @:How Big is the Global Ceiling Tiles Market?The Global Ceiling Tiles Market was valued at US$ 19.80 Billion in 2014 and is projected to cross US$ 43.00 Billion by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of more than 9.0% between 2015 and 2023.The key players in global ceiling tiles market are Armstrong World Industries Inc., Chicago Metallic Corporation, Grenzebach BSH GmbH, Knauf, Odenwald Faserplattenwerk GmbH, ROCKFON, SAS International, Saint-Gobain SA, and USG Corporation.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2. Assumptions and Research Methodology3. Executive Summary4. Market Overview5. Market Dynamics6 Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis, by Product Type7 Global Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis, by Application8 Global Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis, by Region9 North America Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis10 Europe Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis11 Asia Pacific Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis12 Latin America Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis13 Middle East & Africa (MEA) Ceiling Tiles Market Analysis14 Competition Landscape14.1 Ceiling Tiles Market Share Analysis by Company (2015)14.2 Competition Matrix14.3 Key Profiles14.3.1 Armstrong World Industries, Inc.14.3.2 Saint-Gobain S.A.14.3.3 USG Corporation14.4.1 Knauf14.4.2 Techno Ceiling Products14.4.3 ROCKFON14.4.4 MADA GYPSUM14.4.5 Odenwald Faserplattenwerk GmbH14.4.6 SAS International14.4.7 New Ceiling Tiles, LLCAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Website:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Global Flavored Spirits Market 2023 Top Market Players  Marnier Lapostolle SA, Diageo plc.,The Brown-Forman Corporation

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Market Research Future adds new report of Global Flavored Spirits Market Research Report- Forecast till 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Scenario:Developing economy and increasing disposable income have a major impact on the flavored spirits market. The increased demand of alcoholic beverages imparting unique and refreshing flavors is also driving the market of flavored spirits globally. Availability of variants amongst the hard liquor further augment the growth of this market. High focus on Research and Development has led to innovations and fortifications in various spirit varieties which has fueled up the market share of flavored spirits in global alcoholic beverages market.Among the various type of flavored spirits, vodka is evaluated to hold a major share. Variety of flavors available in vodka is attracting mass population of consumers towards the product thereby increasing its market share. Based on various flavors, share of fruits is found to be dominant followed by herbs and spices. Based on the distribution channel, sale through specialty retailers is found to hold a major share owing to one-stop purchase and easy availability of the desired product through the channel.Market Segments: Flavored Spirits has been segmented on the basis of Type which comprises of whiskey, rum, vodka, tequila, gin, and others. Vodka is found to hold a major share due to high consumers preference. Flavored Spirits has been segmented on the basis of Flavors which include herbs & spices, fruits, nuts & seeds, and others. Among the segments fruits holds a major share. Flavored spirits have been segmented on the basis of Distribution Channel which comprises supermarket/hypermarket, specialty retailers, convenience stores, e-commerce, others. Sale through Specialty retailers is growing at a higher growth rate backed up by convenience shopping experience of the consumers.Request a Sample Report @Key Findings: Market share of nuts & seeds is found to be growing at a higher rate during the forecast period Top exporters of flavored spirits include Germany, Spain, U.S., Jamaica and the NetherlandsStudy Objectives of Flavored Spirits Market Detail analysis of the markets segments and sub-segments To estimate and forecast market size by channel and type, flavors, distribution region To analyze key driving forces influencing the market Region level market analysis and market estimation of North America, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world (ROW) and their countries Value chain analysis & supply chain analysis of flavored spirits Company profiling of major players in the market Competitive strategy analysis and mapping key stakeholders in the market Analysis of historical market trends and technologies along with current government regulatory requirementsBrowse Report Details @Key PlayersThe key players profiled in the Global Flavored Spirits Market are Marnier Lapostolle SA (Paris) Constellation Brands Inc. (U.S.) Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Italy) Diageo plc. (U.K.) The Brown-Forman Corporation (U.S.) Pernod Ricard (France) Mast-Jagermeister SE (Germany)Intended Audience Flavored spirits manufacturers Liqueur Industries Specialty alcohol manufacturers Traders, Importers and ExportersMarket Definition:Flavored spirits are hard alcohol or hard liquor fortified with additional flavors to make the alcohol distinctive as well as to increase its organoleptic property. Various flavorings are added in order to make the liquor flavored. In some cases, sugar or honey is also added to the alcohol to enhance its flavor. Flavored liquors majorly have a base of vodka, tequila, whiskey, rum and others. Growing popularity of unique flavors in liquors is increasing the share of flavored spirits in the liquor market. In addition, mass consumers are inclined toward experimenting with new flavors due to which flavored spirits have gained popularity in recent years.Request Table of Contents for this Report @Regional AnalysisThe Global Flavored Spirits Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW). Europe has the major market share followed by North America. Developing economy has led to increase in disposable income due to which Europe is projected to generate a high revenue during the given forecast period. The changing consumer preferences for alcoholic beverages will support the sale of flavored spirits in various region during the forecast period. The major importers of flavored spirits include the U.S., Spain, Germany, U.K., and the Netherlands. Based on the higher demand for alcoholic beverages especially in younger population the import and export of flavored spirits in the developed countries is found to rise at a steady rate.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Reactive Adhesives Market to Rise at a CAGR of 6.0 % by 2022

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This market is driven by a number of factors, such as increasing demand for light-weight vehicles, rapid growth of solar electricity market, and global construction sector. However, this market faces certain drawbacks and these factors may act as a roadblock to the growth of the market. We have stated such market restraint points in this report.Browse Full Report @:How Big is the Global Reactive Adhesives Market?The Global Reactive Adhesives Market was valued at US$ 8+ billion in 2014 and it is projected to cross USD XX billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 6.31% during the forecast period from 2014 to 2022.Reactive Adhesives are characterized by the formation of durable bonds between substrates to offer resistance to moisture, heat and chemicals. They are usually made from two ingredients namely monomer (resin) and initiator. Reactive Adhesives have excellent bonding strength and long term durability under extreme environmental conditions, due to these qualities Reactive Adhesives are becoming an integral part of various commercial and industrial sectors.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Premium Insights5 Market Overview6 Industry Trends7 Reactive Adhesives Market, By Resin Type8 Reactive Adhesives Market, By Resin Technology9 Reactive Adhesives Market, By End-User Industry10 Reactive Adhesives Market, By Region11 Competitive Landscape12 Company Profiles12.1 Introduction12.2 3M12.3 Arkema S.A.12.4 Ashland Inc.12.5 H.B. Fuller12.6 Henkel AG12.7 Huntsman Corporation.12.8 Illinois Tool Works Inc.12.9 Scott Bader Company Ltd.12.10 Sika AG12.11 The DOW Chemical CompanyAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging healthcare technologies, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Website:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Electrorheological Fluid Market- Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth 2024 | Research Report

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Electro-rheological (ER) fluids are smart fluids with the ability to change their rheological characteristics when subjected to changing electric fields. These fluids have been a topic of research and development for more than a couple of decades. The fluid works on the principle of electro-rheological (ER) effect, also known as Winslow effect. Electrically active particles suspended in the fluid arrange themselves along the electric field lines to form rigid chains, resulting in increased viscosity.Browse Market Research Report @The suspension particle size varies from nanometric to micrometric scales. These fluids are capable of altering their viscosity in milliseconds. This phenomenon is reversible and repeatable. This makes the use of electro-rheological fluids highly competent in several applications such as clutches, dampers, brakes, and hydraulic valves, wherein quick engagement and activation is important.Electro-rheological fluids have witnessed the rise in demand lately, due to high demand from sectors such as automotive and defense research & development. ER fluids are significantly applied in electronics and defense technologies. The property of ER fluids to get transformed into semi-solid state is helpful in the manufacture of rollable keypads and screens.When in inactive state, these devises can be rolled up and when in activated state, the ER fluid rigidifies for use. These fluids are very quick in terms of response time. Hence, they are largely preferred over the existing systems such as mechanical suspensions, clutches, valves, and brakes. ER fluids are also likely to be applied in the development of bulletproof vests. These fluids can be absorbed by the cloth fabric and they can turn into a hard covering with the application of a small electric field almost instantly. Electro-rheological fluids can also be employed for controlling the fluid flow in variable-flow controls.However, the ER fluid also has significant limitations such as settling and separation of the base fluid and particulates. This effect, called sedimentation effect, may render the ER fluid entirely useless or ineffective changing its rheological properties. Furthermore, the ER fluid has a limited range of operations and it cannot change its viscosity effectively in applications that require shear and flow modes. Collectively, these factors are hampering the ER fluids market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Electrorheological Fluid Market . Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Based on liquid base, the electro-rheological fluids market can be segmented into silicone oil, water, and others. The use of liquid base varies according to the application and shear stress. Furthermore, based on end-user industry, the electro-rheological fluids market can be divided into automotive, electronics, defense, and others. In the automotive industry, ER fluids are used for dampers and suspension systems, clutches, ER braking systems, and valves. Automotive and defense are substantially lucrative segments, especially in the markets in North America and Europe.In terms of geography, the global electro-rheological fluids market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe are major markets for electro-rheological fluids, due to high technological advancements in the automotive industry in these regions.High focus on innovation and research and development in industries such as automotive and defense is the primary reason for high demand for electro-rheological fluids in the two regions. Asia Pacific is also a key market for electro-rheological fluids. Countries such as China and Japan are making significant progress in the use of smart fluids in electronics. ER fluids can be used for the development of flexible touchscreens and tactile displays. This factor is projected to propel the demand for ER fluids in the electronics sector in Asia Pacific in the next few years.Prominent players operating in the global electro-rheological fluids market include Smart Technology Limited and Fludicon.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Jacksonville ENT Surgery adds an alternative to allergy shots to its treatment methods

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Jacksonville, Fla., July 5, 2017  Jacksonville ENT Surgery has added a new treatment method that will eliminate the need for weekly shots for some allergy sufferers. The alternative technique is called sublingual immunotherapy or SLIT and is used to treat inhalant allergies, which include grasses, trees, plants, molds and environmental allergens. Jacksonville ENT Surgery is unique in its offering of this treatment. Instead of a shot, a drop that contains a very small amount of the allergen is placed under the patients tongue and allowed to dissolve. As the process is repeated over time, the patient will build up a tolerance to the allergen.Dr. Jerry Sugar, a physician with Jacksonville ENT Surgery and leader in the field of otolaryngology, is a big proponent of SLIT and has been using it himself for the last four years. When he joined the practice earlier this year, Sugar began offering the alternative treatment to Jacksonville ENT patients. The first dose is given in the doctors office, but the subsequent doses can be administered by the patient at home.The SLIT method can work as well or sometimes even better than an allergy shot and as a doctor and a patient, I have seen it from both sides, said Sugar. I started using SLIT to treat my own allergies when I was living in Connecticut. When I moved to Ponte Vedra, my allergy symptoms became much worse due to the different allergens in Florida compared to the Northeast. I found I was very allergic to many of the local trees, grasses, molds and environmental allergens. Within three months of starting the SLIT treatment here to treat my local allergies, I noticed a marked improvement.Sugar said the potential for reactions to the drops is far less than allergy shots and patients dont have to come into the office every week to treat their allergies. He said in addition to the convenience, it can also be more affordable. Allergy drops are almost always less expensive than an allergy shot and there are fewer office visits, which means fewer copays or fees.The goal of the allergy drops is to treat the long-term tolerance to allergens. Treatment is customized to a patients allergy test results to ensure they receive just the right dose to be effective without increased risk of reactions. Sugar said most patients who start SLIT will begin feeling better within a few months.About Jacksonville ENT SurgeryJacksonville Ent Surgery specializes in the treatment of ear, nose, and throat conditions in both adults and children. They offer a broad range of options for quality medical and surgical treatment for problems related to the head and neck. Their areas of expertise include sinus and allergy, hearing and balance, snoring and sleep apnea, adult and pediatric ENT, thyroid and glandular, head and neck surgery, throat and voice, and tinnitus treatment. They also work closely with patients who may be considering a procedure for facial plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery in conjunction with an ENT surgery. Jacksonville ENT Surgery has five locations; three in Jacksonville, one in Jacksonville Beach and one in Lake City. For more information, visit jacksonvilleentsurgery.com.Jacksonville ENT Surgery11512 Lake Mead Ave., #536Jacksonville, FL 32256Media Contact: Kelly WhiteKelly.white@cfmedia.net
Spectrami accelerates expansion plans with german acquisition

Spectrami & NPC

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Dubai (UAE),Frankfurt/M. (Germany), (July 5th, 2017) - As part of its geographical expansion plans to expand across the rest of the EMEA, regional value-added distributor Spectrami has acquired Network Performance Channel GmbH (NPC), a leading global value-added distributor for networking, monitoring and security solutions in Germany.Based in the UAE and the United Kingdom, Spectrami aims to serve the channel across EMEA with local presence in GCC, UK, Germany, Austria and Netherlands.We are pleased to be expanding Spectramis operations into Germany, Europes largest economy and welcome the dedicated team at NPC to the Spectrami family, said Anand Choudha, Managing Director at Spectrami. NPC brings over 20+ years of expertise to Spectrami in the arena of IT Distribution across the EMEA Market.With its wide spread network of Channel partners (including VARs, OEMs, system integrators etc.) and world-leading network manufacturers like Ixia, cPacket Networks, Datacom Systems and Savvius, NPC delivers easy-to-use turnkey solutions that provide total network visibility, improved security, reduced complexity and optimized performance to enterprises across Europe, Middle East and parts of Asia.As per the terms of the agreement, NPC shall be rebranded to Spectrami GmbH following its successful integration. With head office in Germany and local presence in Austria and the Netherlands, Spectrami GmbH will be an extended arm of Spectrami DMCC.We are excited to be joining forces with Spectrami DMCC, one of the well-respected organisations in the sphere of value-added IT distribution, said Michael Hofer, Managing Director, Network Performance Channel GmbH.We are confident that this is the right way to move forward. With joint forces, we will be able to extend our market share through the whole EMEA region while bringing more niche and state of the art solutions to our reseller network. said Birgit Schmank, Managing Director, Network Performance Channel GmbH.Founded in 2011 with a focus on security, Spectrami launched in the UK late last year after securing investments from multibillion-dollar Abu Dhabi-based investment fund KBBO.Plans of acquisition in the European territory has been one of the major goals on our roadmap towards becoming an EMEA player in the next two or three years, providing vendors with a single platform across the geographies, added Choudha.About SpectramiSpectrami is one of the most high-growth, value added distributors based in Dubai and the UK, to serve the channel across EMEA with local presence in GCC, Europe, Germany, Austria and Netherlands. Spectrami brings niche technologies and solutions in the realm of Information Security, Data Centre Infrastructure, and Data Communication Networks. We help organizations to meet regulatory standards on their infrastructure, protect sensitive enterprise data and applications. Spectrami has been working with large IT Security System Integrators to service regional Governments, Banking and Finance, Telcos, Oil & Gas, Education, Healthcare, Hospitality and Retail sectors for over five years. We attribute our success to a combination of channel empowerment through knowledge sharing and skill building together with our ethos to continually develop and improve all aspects of the business and thereby ensure a consistently high level of customer satisfaction. For more information visitNetwork Performance Channel GmbHMartin-Behaim-Str. 2263263 Neu-IsenburgGermanyPress Contact:Michael TunkMarketing Managermichael.tunk@np-channel.comT: +49 6102 7487 250
Biopesticides Market - Growth, Demand, Trends, Analysis and Global Forecast 2023

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Global Biopesticides Market: SnapshotPesticides that are derived from natural sources such as animals, plants, minerals, and bacteria are known as biopesticides. From environmental perspective and the point of ecological chain of crop protection, biopesticides are highly beneficial, and are commonly used to control the progress of pests, insects, pathogens, weeds, and other microorganisms in a crop field. Some of the common examples of biopesticides are microbial pesticides, plant growth regulators, insect pheromones, insect growth regulators, fungal biopesticides, viral biopesticides, and bacterial biopesticides. With biopesticides, farmers can significantly increment their yield as well as the quality of it.Browse Biopesticides Market Research Report:According to the report, the global biopesticides market was worth US$1.96 bn in 2015 and the opportunities are estimated to reach a valuation of US$4.17 bn by the end of 2023, expand at a strong CAGR of 9.9% during the forecast period of 2015 to 2023. This prosperity of the market for biopesticides can be attributed to growing World population, which has consequently incremented the food demand. In addition to that, protecting crops from pests via other alternatives is now perceived as harmful in comparison to biopesticides protected crops. Owing to decreasing arable land and growing awareness regarding the contamination caused by chemical pesticides, the preference of biopesticides is increasing, as they are derived from natural resources. Moreover, regulations on food residues, growing resistance of insects against synthetic pesticides, convenience in handling, relatively low cost, and technological advancements are some of the other factors augmenting the demand in the global biopesticides market.Ease of Deployment Favoring Bioinsecticides SegmentBased on product type, the market for biopesticides is segmented into biofungicide, bioinsecticide, bionematicides, and bioherbicides. Among these, the segment of bioinsecticides is quickly gaining popularity for the purpose of crop protection. This is a reflection of the resistance shown by insects against pesticides in the recent times. Bioinsecticides are easy to deploy, which is another factor favoring the demand for the same.On the basis of active ingredient type, the market for biopesticides has been categorized into microbial pesticides, plant pesticides, and biochemical pesticides. Based on crop type, the market has been bifurcated into permanent crops, arable crops, and others including turf and forage grasses and greenhouse crops. Application-wise, the market has been segmented into seed treatment, on-farm application, and post-harvest application.Get exclusive sample of this report:Organic Food Trend Driving North America MarketThe demand for biopesticides is incrementing across all regions, while North America in particular is quickly turning into a highly lucrative region due to the growing organic food trend. Consumers are now willing to pay extra for food that have not been subjected to chemicals and growing organically using biopesticides and via advanced agricultural techniques. The U.S. is the primary North America market for biopesticides, and the demand is expected to primarily come from the fruits and vegetables segment, which is attributed to increasing awareness pertaining to nutritional benefits of crops produced using biopesticides. North America is expected to remain most prominent regional market for biopesticides throughout the forecast period, followed by Europe, although vast population base and growing awareness in several emerging economies such as India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea is expected to turn Asia Pacific into a lucrative market towards the end of the forecast period.The competitive landscape of the global biopesticides market is moderately consolidated with top five companies accounting for more than half of the shares. These five companies are Bayer CropScience AG, BASF SE, Valent Biosciences Corp, Arysta LifeSciences, Novozymes A/S, and Dow AgroSciences.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Southeast Nebraska 4-H members learned about political processes in the vibrant, living classroom of the nations capital as part of Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) an intensive 4-H civic engagement program for high-school youth held at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Md.

Better Citizenship Today, Better Leaders Tomorrow was the theme of the 2017 CWF Conference. Attending the week-long conference June 18 - 24 were 43 4-H members from Cass, Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, and Richardson counties, two sponsors, and two Nebraska extension educators, said Sarah Purcell, Extension Educator.

During this conference, the 4-H members toured Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area. Stops included: the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Library of Congress, the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Smithsonian Institute plus the Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Martin Luther King Junior Memorials. The 4-H members enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Potomac experiencing the sites of D.C. at night.

4-H members attended the Nebraska Breakfast with Nebraskas Congressional delegation addressing them and other Nebraska residents in the lower level of the Dirksen Senate Building. Nemaha County 4-H member Kaitlynn Simon and Otoe County 4-H member Maddie Werner led all in attendance in the 4-H Pledge at the request of Representative Fortenberry. 4-H members met and had their pictures taken with Sen. Deb Fisher, Sen. Ben Sasse, Representative Jeff Fortenberry, and Representative Adrian Smith.

Government processes were learned back at the National 4-H Center through mock legislation. Youth drafted step-by-step action plans to address important issues in their communities.

4-H members flew first to New York City, where they enjoyed The Lion King Broadway musical, the Empire State Building, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They toured Gettysburg National Military Park in route to the D.C. area.

For more information about 4-H and CWF 2020, please contact your local extension office or Sarah Purcell, Extension Educator at 402-269-2301.
Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene Market 2016  Potential Growth, Analysis, Strategies and Forecast 2024

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Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) Market: SnapshotPackaging, especially flexible packaging, is one of the most dynamic industries today owing to its extensive application in the food and beverages, personal care, and pharmaceutical sectors. The rising demand for bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) in packaging, labeling, printing, and lamination can be primarily attributed to the booming growth in the aforementioned industries. Transparency Market Research predicts that the demand for BOPP will be in line with that of flexible packaging in the near future. It is also likely to be consistent with the growth of the food and beverages industry.Browse Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene Market Market Research Report:By revenue, the BOPP market is poised to expand at a 5.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024, with the value rising from US$12.7 bn in 2015 to US$20.9 bn by the end of the forecast period. The market is projected to register a 6.3% CAGR in terms of volume between 2016 and 2024.Rising Consumption of Packaged, Ready-to-eat Foods Drives Demand for BOPPBOPP finds application mainly in the food industry and this segment is the leading contributor to the growth of the BOPP market in terms of volume. BOPP is used for packaging and labeling in the food industry and the growing demand for snacks, cakes, breads, ready-to-eat packaged foods, frozen foods, and confectioneries has impacted the demand for BOPP in this sector.The food sector is also anticipated to be the fastest growing application segment by the end of the forecast period. Considering the growing demand for tapes in industrial packaging, the tapes segment also holds lucrative opportunities for players in the BOPP market.Developing Regions Hold Immense Scope for GrowthThe global BOPP market is geographically segmented into North America, Central America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. In terms of volume, Asia Pacific leads the global BOPP and the region accounted for a share of more than 55% in 2015. Poised for considerable growth over the course of the forecast period, the APAC BOPP market is likely to be driven by the high demand for BOPP for the production of packages and labels in the food industry and tapes for industrial packaging purposes. China is one of the leading consumers of BOPP in the region.Get exclusive sample of this report:The Middle East and Africa and Latin America BOPP markets are projected to witness moderate to high growth by 2024, owing to the expansion of the food industry and the rising demand for packaged products. Countries within the GCC are expected to be key markets for BOPP in the Middle East; South Africa and Nigeria are likely to play a leading role in the BOPP market in Africa; Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile hold promising prospects for the BOPP market in Latin America.The BOPP market is highly fragmented, marked by the presence of several major players. Some of the prominent companies in the global BOPP market include Kopafilm Elektrofolien GmbH, SRF Limited, Chemosvit A.S., Tempo Group, Taghleef Industries, Vibac Group S.p.A., Treofan Group, Rowad Global Packaging Co. Ltd., Zubairi Plastic Bags Industry LLC, Poligal S.A., Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd., Manucor S.p.A., Oben Holding Group, Innovia Films, Xpro India Limited, Uflex Ltd., Jindal Poly Films Ltd., Biaxplen Ltd., BIOFILM, Cosmos Films Ltd., Dunmore Corporation, Polyplex Corporation Limited, and Vitopel S.A.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Roofing Underlying Materials Market Analysis by Segments, Size, Trends, Growth and Forecast 2024

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Roofing Underlying Materials Market: SnapshotFollowing a rough growth patch across developed economies post the recent economic turmoil of 2008, the demand for a variety of roofing underlying materials has again started gaining strength. However, the market is on the brisk of a huge transformation as emerging economies such as Asia Pacific and Latin America are commanding the most influential positions in the market.Browse Roofing Underlying Materials Market Research Report:The flourishing construction sector and a constant rise in new construction activities in these emerging economies are mostly to be ascribed for the excellent growth prospects for roofing underlying materials in the regions. In North America and Europe, on the other hand, demand is mostly stimulated by refurbishing and maintenance activities.Transparency Market Research states that the global roofing underlying materials market will expand at a healthy 5.5% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. The market, which had a valuation of US$27.99 bn in 2015, is expected to rise to US$45.16 bn by 2024 at this rate.Non-residential Applications to Continue Being Markets Key Revenue ContributorsThe non-residential sector is presently the largest contributor to the global roofing underlying materials market, accounting for a share of nearly 44% in the global market in 2015. However, the segment is expected to lose its attractiveness to the residential sector and report a slight decline in its overall share in the global market in 2024. Demand for a variety of roofing underlying materials in the commercial sector will be driven primarily by a sustained rise in replacement and maintenance activities post the recent economic downturn. Stabilizing economies are enabling the commercial sector to take up previously deferred replacement projects.The vast rise in residential building projects, especially in developing countries such as China, India, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Malaysia, primarily owing to strengthening economies and rapid urbanization has triggered the demand for a variety of roofing materials in the past few years. In the next few years, the flourishing residential construction sector will prove to be a high-impact driver of the global roofing underlying materials market. The revenue contribution of the residential sector to the market will expand at a 6.0% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. Volume-wise, demand for roofing underlying materials in the residential sector will expand at a 4.6% over the said period.Get exclusive sample of this report:Emerging Economies to Remain Determinants of Markets Developmental ProspectsAsia Pacific held a dominant share of nearly 41% in the global roofing underlying materials market in 2015, mainly owing to the flourishing construction industry and constantly rising numbers of new homeowners in urban parts of the region. The market for roofing underlying materials is also expected to expand at the fastest pace in Asia Pacific as compared to other regional markets. The market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.8% in the region over the period between 2016 and 2024. China will continue to be the dominant country for the roofing underlying materials market in Asia Pacific throughout the said period and will account for a nearly 58% share in the regional market by 2024.In regions such as Latin America and the Middle East and Africa, the markets for roofing underlying materials will exhibit healthy growth and will benefit the most from developments in the residential construction sector. In North America and Europe, the mature market for roofing underlying materials is expected to exhibit average growth between 3.3-3.5% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.The highly fragmented competitive landscape of the global market for roofing underlying materials features a vast number of small-, medium-, and large-sized companies struggling to acquire a larger share in the overall pie. None of the leading companies accounted for more than a 5% share in the global market in 2015. Some of the markets notable players are DuPont, Duro-Last Roofing, Inc., Firestone Building Products Company, Atlas Roofing Corporation, Braas Monier Building Group Services S.A., IKO Industries Ltd., TAMKO Building Products, Inc., GAF Materials Corporation, Owens Corning, CertainTeed Corporation, and Carlisle.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Chlorinated Paraffins Market Analysis by Segments, Size, Trends, Growth and Forecast 2023

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Global Chlorinated Paraffins Market: SnapshotChlorinated paraffins are a complex group of synthetic compounds and are used extensively in a variety of metal forming and cutting applications. They are primarily used in industrial cutting fluids, especially for manufacturing of automobiles and automobile parts and for cutting oils. Growth in the plastics and metalworking industries, especially in developed regions, is a primary factor stimulating the demand for chlorinated paraffins worldwide.Browse Chlorinated Paraffins Market Research Report:Most commonly and commercially used chlorinated paraffins are of m-grade consisting of medium carbon chain length of 14 to 17 carbons. They are cost-effective and their surging applications in commercial paints, adhesives, lubricating additives, and sealants are expected to drive the market in the coming years. The soaring use of polyvinyl chloride in various end-use industries such as the paints and plastics, steel, and textile industries is expected to spur the demand for chlorinated paraffins. Expanding applications in paints industry in various emerging regions account for a major demand for chlorinated paraffins.The global market for chlorinated paraffins market is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 3.2% from 2015 to 2023. Expanding at this pace, the opportunities in the market is projected to reach US$ 1.98 bn by 2023.Asia Pacific Market to Grow at Impressive PaceBased on geography, the global chlorinated paraffins market is segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). In terms of volume, Asia Pacific held a significant share of the global chlorinated paraffins market in 2014. Over the forecast period, this regional market is expected to grow at an impressive pace. The growth of the Asia Pacific market is attributed to easy availability of various raw materials and soaring application of chlorinated paraffins in the metalworking industry. The surging demand for PVC compounds is driven by rapid advances in the plastics industry. The soaring demand for chlorinated paraffins as metalworking fluids in the metalworking industries in various nations such as India, China, and ASEAN countries is expected to propel the market in the forthcoming years.However, mounting concerns of detrimental effect on humans and wildlife and the toxicity of m-grade chlorinated paraffins to environment are likely to severely hamper their use in developed regions such as North America and Europe. Nevertheless, the expansion of the paints and lubricants market in various countries of Asia Pacific is expected to open exciting opportunities for players across the globe.Get exclusive sample of this report:Demand for H-grade Chlorinated Paraffins to Pick up Pace in Coming YearsOn the basis of the carbon chain length, the major products are L-grade, M-grade, and H-grade. The market for M-grade occupied a major market share in 2015. The segment is anticipated to grow at an impressive pace due to their substantial use in lubricating additives, metalworking fluids, and PVC additives in developing regions. However, in the coming years, the demand for H-grade is projected to outpace that of M-grade.Based on application, the market for chlorinated paraffins is segmented into lubricating additives, plastics additives, rubber, paints, and metalworking fluids. Among these, the metalworking fluids segment is a prominent one and accounted for a market share of more than 35% in 2014, measured in terms of their demand. Owing to their flame retardant properties, chlorinated paraffins find extensive use in various metalworking applications. Since chlorinated paraffins are stable and active for a wide range of temperature and condition, they have substantial demand in the metal working industry.The global market for chlorinated paraffins market is highly fragmented with the presence of several companies of all sizes competing with each other. Major players operating in the chlorinated paraffins market include Aditya Birla Chemicals, KLJ Group, Qualice, LLC, Caffaro Industrie S.p.A., Quimica del Cinca, Leuna-Tenside GmbH, Makwell Group, NCP Chlorchem, INOVYN, Altair Chimica SpA, and Ajinomoto Fine-Techno.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
AC Drives Market Trends Forecast By 2026

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Alternate Current (AC) drives are electronic devices that alternates with voltage, frequency & magnetic flux to regulate the speed & torque of an electric motor. In an energy intensive sector optimal usage of energy and efficient utilization of its consumption is important for managing the overall operating costs of that industry.AC drives can optimize the energy usage and at the same time help in reduction of operative costs by monitoring the speed and torque of electric motors. Reduction in energy usage and the gain from extending the life of electrical equipment make AC drives to have widespread applications in industries such as water & wastewater, oil & gas and mining.The primary reasons leading to growth of AC drives market includes increasing technological improvement in drives market, and improvised application of this product in various industries. This market is expected to register healthy growth due growing usage of AC drives across globe.Obtain Report Details:Increasing urbanization & high industrialization growth rate across the globe are the primary aspects that is driving faster adoption of this product. Diverse processes for earning energy efficiency along with rising need for energy optimizations in different industrial processes are the key factors that are boosting the market growth.Although the reduction in the foreign direct investment in this sector is a key restrictive factor deterring the growth of this market. Also, there is a vast growth opportunities of this market in the auxiliary market.Moreover, increasing applications in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will provide growth opportunities for the AC drives market. The major manufacturers have consolidated power in the market but in recent period various local vendors are developing new products in this market which is expected to offer stiff competition to the big market players is a key market challenge to be overcome by key market players to gain stronghold in the market.AC drives market is segmented on the basis of power rating, voltage, end-user industry applications, and region. On the basis of power rating the market is segmented into low power drives, medium power drives and high power drives.The usage of high power variants are predominant in power generation, metals & mining and chemical & petrochemical industries. These industries also hold the largest market share and is expected to remain prominent throughout the forecast period 2016-2024.On the basis of voltage, the market is segmented into low, medium and high voltage. The medium voltage AC drivers are expected to grow at the fastest rate owing to their vast end user base. The increasing growth potential of consumer electronics segment is driving this market.By end-use industry the market is distributed into food & beverage, oil & gas, metals & mining, power generation, water generation, automation, chemicals & petrochemicals and others.The increasing adoption of AC drivers in power generation and automation industry is driving the growth of this market during the forecast period. F&B and automation has high growth potential and are the fastest growing segment.On the basis of applications, the market is segmented into fans, pumps, compressors, extruders conveyors, among other applications. The increasing use of compressors into different applications has made it the fastest growing segment in the market. Compressors also old the highest market share and will remain dominant throughout the forecast period.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the AC Drives Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.On the basis of region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America. North America has largest penetration for AC drivers and also hold the highest market share. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing segment in this market.Prominent market players operating in the market are Siemens AG (Germany), Fuji Electric Holdings (Japan), Danfoss Group (Denmark), Schneider Electric (France) Mitsubishi Electrical Co, Ltd. (Japan), Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), Hitachi Ltd. (Japan), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), and Rockwell Automation (U.S.) amongst others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Image Editing Software Industry Report Analysis and Forecasts 2017

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"This report studies the Image Editing Software market.Image editing encompasses the processes of altering images, whether they are digital photographes, traditional photochemical photographs, or illustrations. Traditional analog image editing is known as photo retouching, using tools such as an airbrush to modify photographs, or editing illustrations with any traditional art medium. Image editing software, which can be broadly grouped into vector graphics editors, raster graphics editors, and 3D modelers, are the primary tools with which a user may manipulate, enhance, and transform images. Many image editing programs are also used to render or create computer art from scratch."Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Image Editing Software in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Complete report is available atMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversAdobeSerifPhaseOneCyberlinkMacPhunON1CorelDxO OpticsACDSee UltimateZonerMagixGet a SAMPLE Request atMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversRAW Editing SoftwareNon-RAW Editing SoftwareMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoIndividualSchoolCommercialTable of ContentChapter 1, to describe Image Editing Software Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Image Editing Software, with sales, revenue, and price of Image Editing Software, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Image Editing Software, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Get Discount atChapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Image Editing Software market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Image Editing Software sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourcePurchase this report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Automotive Interior Leather Market is surveyed to satisfy USD 32,000 Million with development rate of 5.1 % by 2023

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Market Synopsis of Automotive Interior Leather MarketAutomotive interior leather is designed to provide comfort and to improve the visual appeal of the interior of the vehicle. It also leaves the vehicle with a remarkable appearance and feel. It is used widely for automotive interiors across the globe, especially in midrange and premium passenger vehicles. Growing spending capacity and rapid developments in automobile manufacturing, are pushing the market towards growth. The interior of a vehicle that adds to the aesthetic appeal of a vehicle, is also a major factor that influences consumer buying decision.Low cost, longer operational life and extended warranties are some factors helping the market growth while high initial investment and improper disposal of effluents, act as barriers for the interior leather insulated market.The global automotive interior leather market was valued at around USD 26,000 million in 2015 and is expected to cross USD 32,000 Million by 2023 at CAGR of 5.1 %.Get a Copy of Sample Report@Access the market data and market information presented through more than 100 numbers of pages of the project report Automotive Interior Leather MarketKey Players Johnson Controls Inc (U.S.), Toyota Boshoku Corporation (Japan), Lear Corporation (U.S.), Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (Japan), Faurecia S.A. (France), Gst Autoleather, Inc.(U.S.), DK Leather Corporation Berhad (Malaysia), BASF SE (Germany), Alea Leather Specialist Inc / Sunguard Group (U.S.) Grammer AG (Germany)Study Objectives of Automotive Interior Leather Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of various segments and sub-segments of the global automotive interior leather market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the global automotive interior leather market based on tools such as Price Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis, Porters Five Force Analysis To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies, North America, Europe, APAC, and Rest of the World (ROW) and their countries To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by material, vehicle type, application and regions To provide strategic profiling of the key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global automotive interior leather marketGet a Well Discount @Regional Analysis of Global Automotive Interior Leather MarketAsia-Pacific is expected to remain the largest region due to continuously growing automotive sector, owing to the presence of manufacturers in the developing nations such as China and India. Increasing necessity of owning a car, and the improving living standard, are some of the factors that help in the market growth. Moreover, rapid economic growth and rising population are driving the demand for automotive interior materials in countries such as India.In North America, the U.S. has been showing steady growth and is one of the dominant automotive interior materials markets in the world.Target Audience Manufactures Raw Materials Suppliers Aftermarket suppliers Research Institute / Education Institute Potential Investors Key executive (CEO and COO) and strategy growth managerProduct Analysis Product matrix which gives a detailed comparison of the market for different recycled product typesAdditional Information Regulatory Landscape Pricing Analysis Macroeconomic IndicatorsGeographic Analysis Geographical analysis across 15 countriesCompany Information Profiling of 10 key market players In-depth analysis including SWOT analysis, and strategy information of related to report title Competitive landscape including emerging trends adopted by major companiesBrowse Full Report Details @The report for Global Automotive Interior Leather Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Automotive Interior Leather Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Frequency Oscillator Market 2016 New Investment Projects Review

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Frequency Oscillator Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021 This report provides the Frequency Oscillator industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable).The Global Frequency Oscillator Market Research Report 2016 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Frequency Oscillator industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Frequency Oscillator market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis ofKey market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsComplete report is available atThe Major players reported in the market include:Century Enka Limited (India)CORDENKA GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)Formosa Taffeta Co. Ltd. (Taiwan)Hyosung Corporation (South Korea)Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (Thailand)Kolon Industries, Inc. (South Korea)Kordarna Plus A.S. (Czech Republic)Kordsa Global Endustriyel Iplik ve Kord Bezi Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Turkey)NV Bekaert SA (Belgium)Performance Fibers Asia (China)SRF Limited (India)Teijin Limited (Japan)Xingda International Holdings Limited (China)Get a SAMPLE Request atGlobal Frequency Oscillator Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Frequency Oscillator Market: Product Segment AnalysisType IType IIType IIIGlobal Frequency Oscillator Market: Application Segment AnalysisApplication IApplication IIApplication IIITable of ContentReasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureGet Discount atIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsPurchase this report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Anti-static Film Market 2017 Key Manufacturers Analysis

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This report studies the Anti-Static Film market, Anti-Static Film is a stretch film used to prevent static electricity from being rubbed. It is widely used in electronics, electrical appliances, power transmission equipment field.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Anti-static Film in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Complete report is available atMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversAchillesWimanBlueridge FilmsSyfanMitsubishi Polyester FilmTorayUnitikaSEKISUI Chemical GmbHSaint-GobainToyoboTechno Stat IndustrySKCEsterNAN YA PLASTICSYUN CHI PLASTICS FABRICATION CO., LTDHIMORECKKCixinFeisiteRuixianda.Get a SAMPLE Request atMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversPE Anti-Static FilmPET Anti-Static FilmPVC Anti-Static FilmOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoElectronic FieldIndustrial FieldPharmaceutical FieldFood FieldOthersTable of ContentChapter 1, to describe Anti-static Film Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Anti-static Film, with sales, revenue, and price of Anti-static Film, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Anti-static Film, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Get Discount atChapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Anti-static Film market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Anti-static Film sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourcePurchase this report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Attired appropriately in red, white and blue, Kay Shields rode in a convertible down Young Street as Grand Marshal in the Murray Freedom Festival parade on July 4.

Kay was first recognized during Murray Fire and Rescues annual pancake feed at the station with Freedom Festival President John Hensch sharing her impressive biography.

Kay has been a very integral and valued member of this community since 1978, Hensch said.

In 1978, Kay and her husband Bill moved to Beaver Lake with their three children  Robert, Kari and Wray.

Kay began working at Conestoga as a sixth-grade teacher, he said.

In addition to teaching, Kay founded and directed the Wee School of Plattsmouth Baptist Church. After teaching sixth grade for eight years, she became Conestogas Elementary Principal for 15 years. Kay retired in 2003 and continued to substitute teach at Conestoga through 2016.

Born in Roscoe, Texas, Kay attended high school at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico. Those who know her well are very familiar with her Texan Southern accent and use of words such as yall on a regular basis,. Hensch said.

Kays professional associations include National Association for Education of Young Children, National Education Association, Conestoga Education Association as past president and as a member of the negotiating team for two years, Cass County Retired Teachers including secretary for several years and Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The Shields three children graduated from Conestoga High School and they kow have three grandchildren.

She has received many awards herself and for programs she oversaw at Conestoga. She presented information on the Student Assistance Program at National Conference in San Diego, Calif., where it won one of the 1993-94 awards.

She wrote a grant for Teaming Up for Better Education and it was selected from 7,000 entries to receive a two-station Math Lab.

She helped technology team members write and receive a $108,000 technology grant for Conestoga.

Kay received the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals Award of Excellence, was in the Whos Who among American Teachers in 1992 and 1994 and was inducted into Conestoga Foundations Golden Cougar Hall of Fame as an Outstanding Faculty/Staff member.

In addition to her long career as an educator, Kay also taught Vacation Bible School and Sunday school at Plattsmouth Baptist Church. She also became the Sunday school superintendent and VBS director.

For the past 14 years, she and Bill have organized church services and facilitated memory support residents being able to attend services.

Kay also has a fun-loving side and once won a hula hoop contest in Branson, Mo. She also played Donkey B-Ball at Conestoga. She will do anything to help others and counsel others. She has helped many children in the community to strive to accomplish amazing things in life, Hensch said.
By Eugene Robinson

WASHINGTON -- The signers of the Declaration of Independence were highly imperfect men. Thomas Jefferson and his fellow Southerners were rank hypocrites for declaring "all men are created equal" while owning men, women and children as their slaves. John Adams was sour and disputatious, and later as president would sign the Sedition Act outlawing criticism of the government. John Hancock was accused of amassing his fortune through smuggling. Benjamin Franklin could have been described as kind of a dirty old man.

Yet they laid out a set of principles, later codified in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, that transcended their flaws. At this bizarre moment in our history, it is useful to remember that the ideas and institutions of the American experiment are much more powerful and enduring than the idiosyncrasies of our leaders.

I call this moment bizarre for obvious reasons. As Thomas Paine would write in December 1776: "These are the times that try men's souls."

We have a president who neither understands nor respects the basic norms of American democracy. Make no mistake: Donald Trump is a true aberration. There is no figure like him in U.S. history, for which we should be thankful.

Trump's inexperience is unique; he is the only president never to have served in government or the military. This weakness is exponentially compounded by his ignorance of both policy and process, his lack of curiosity, his inability to focus and his tremendous insecurity. He refuses to acknowledge his shortcomings, let alone come to terms with them; and he desperately craves the kind of sycophantic adulation that George Washington, a genuine hero, pointedly rejected.

Trump is a #FakeHero. He strings along his supporters with promises he has no idea how to keep. Like many a would-be strongman before him, he defines himself politically by the fights he picks; he erects straw men -- faceless "elites," cable television hosts, Muslims, Mexicans, nonexistent individuals or groups waging an imaginary "war on Christmas" -- because authoritarians always need enemies. Yet his ego is a delicate hothouse flower, threatened by the slightest puff of criticism.

The Founders, mindful of their own faults, ultimately designed a system to contain a rogue president. They limited his elective term to four years, gave checking and balancing powers to the legislative and judicial branches, and designed impeachment as a last-ditch remedy. The Trump presidency compels all of us to be mindful of our constitutional duties.

The role of the citizenry -- to express approval or disapproval at the ballot box -- includes making sure that suffrage is not selectively and unfairly denied by restrictive voter-ID laws or partisan purges of the voter rolls. It is heartening that red states have joined blue in resisting the attempt by Trump's trumped-up "voter fraud" commission to assemble a national list of voters. Perhaps some future administration could be trusted to make sense of our confusing patchwork of voting systems. This one can't.

Congress must assert its powers of oversight. One reason the signers of the Declaration gathered in Philadelphia to pledge "our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor" to the cause of independence was that they saw the mingling of royal power and British commercial interests as corrupt. We now have a president whose far-flung business empire -- which he has refused to divest, and which his family still operates -- presents myriad potential conflicts of interest. Trump has deepened the swamp, not drained it; and Congress has a duty to sort through the muck.

Congress must also let Trump know, in no uncertain terms, that any attempt to impede or disrupt special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling will have the gravest consequences. Trump should be told that firing Mueller would automatically be considered grounds for impeachment.

The justices of the Supreme Court, meanwhile, should study the court's decisions in United States v. Nixon, which forced Richard Nixon to turn over his White House tapes; and Bush v. Gore, which halted the 2000 vote recount in Florida. Both were instances wherein the court, which rightly shies away from decisions that determine who occupies the presidency, felt it had no choice but to act. It is no stretch to imagine that Trump's contempt for the Constitution will once again force the court's hand.

The Fourth of July was no day for despair. It's a day to remember that our system, though vulnerable to a charlatan like Trump, is robust and resilient. Eventually he will be tossed or voted out. And the star-spangled banner yet will wave.

Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
By Paul Anthony

Last week, the Oregon Legislature passed an $8.2 billion biennial schools budget. But even though that represents an 11 percent increase over the previous biennium, that $8.2 billion figure will leave our schools and the children they serve desperately short of resources, with devastating consequences.

The "Age of Doonesbury" isn't over.

Portland Public Schools has tried to limit the damage, but we know our budget falls short of supporting our racial educational equity goals, literacy adoption and other efforts to improve graduation rates. This is another hit to a system that has spent three decades not just cutting to the bone, but amputating limbs:

The district has become a nationally-recognized pioneer in the implementation of Trauma Informed Practices in the classroom, teaching techniques that address and reverse cycles of poverty, violence and failure. This budget will undermine that work and will leave our most vulnerable students again without the support they need.

Our children need adequate physical education, but what they receive now and what they will receive under this budget is completely inadequate. Merely mandating PE without providing additional funding to pay for it is disingenuous at best.

Similarly, career and technical education is a vital contributor to students' success in high school. Over the last three years, the district has made massive investments of time and effort in these programs. But ironically, given the restrictions on Measure 98 funds, we will likely end up offering fewer career and technical opportunities rather than more. We need an adequate State School Fund, not more grant-funded programs.

But in order to reach even this proposed inadequate level of funding, equally damaging cuts have been made to other systems. It is a documented fact that students' educational outcomes are at least as dependent on what happens outside of school as they are on anything that happens in the classroom. If throwing a little more money at school funding to make ourselves feel better comes at the expense of health care, child welfare, anti-poverty programs and housing assistance, then we work at cross-purposes.



Cuts to the Oregon Health Authority, the Department of Human Services and Multnomah County services fall most heavily on our most vulnerable students. Social service agencies like Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization, the Latino Network and Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon will be left with too few resources to shore up families' fundamental needs. Our schools and their community partners are stretched too thin already. We need the Legislature to adequately fund children's and family services.

Finally, success in high school often depends on students having a clear vision of the next steps to advance in life. But we are rapidly pricing our children out of higher education as our high school students face state university tuition increases. We need the Oregon Legislature to adequately fund higher education.



For 30 years, Oregon has been living off the foresight and generosity of our parents and grandparents. It's time to admit we have burned through our inheritance and the trust fund has run dry.

Oregon needs substantial new revenue to invest in its people.



If Oregon wants the informed, empowered, caring and capable citizens needed to ensure a humane and democratic future, we must adequately invest in our children. We cannot do that with the revenue the state is assigning to education and services for children and their families. Without significantly more revenue, this budget is simply a reckless gamble with the future of our children and state.

Paul Anthony represents Zone 2 on the Portland School Board.
MADRAS  A Madras man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the production and trading of child pornography and the sexual abuse of a child.

Jeffrey Worley

The Bulletin reports Jeffrey Worley was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty June 6 to sodomy, using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct and three counts of encouraging child sexual abuse.

Seven other counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse were dismissed.

Worley was arrested Dec. 19 after Google and AOL reported he was using the email addresses jeffreyworley69@gmail.com and wantahavefun69@aol.com to trade sexually explicit photos of children. According to court documents, Worley had used the accounts to send or receive at least three sexually explicit photos involving children.

According to court documents, Worley also had sex with a girl under 12.

 The Associated Press
A bipartisan bill has been introduced in Congress that seeks to prevent the breaching of the four Snake River dams in eastern Washington state.

The bill would keep in place the Federal Columbia River Biological Opinion until 2022. That's a plan created by a collaboration of federal agencies, states and tribes to protect migrating salmon while continuing to operate the dams.

A federal judge has ruled that the biological opinion doesn't do enough to rebuild endangered salmon and steelhead populations, the Tri-City Herald reported.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon of Portland, Oregon, has ordered a new environmental review, which is required to include a look at breaching the four Snake River dams.

The bill also would effectively overturn an April decision by Simon requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to spill more water for fish at eight Columbia and Snake river dams starting next year.

Environmentalists say the increased spill over the dams would deliver out-migrating juvenile salmon more quickly to the ocean.

But Northwest RiverPartners  which includes farmers, utilities, ports and businesses  said the bigger spill would increase electric bills in the Northwest, while doing little to help fish and possibly even harming them. Too much spill creates high gas levels in the water that can harm juvenile fish.

Sponsors of the House bill include U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse, both Washington Republicans.

"Removing the Snake River dams would be harmful to our communities, the environment and our economy," Newhouse said. "This legislation is needed to support the critical role that Snake River dams play by providing Washington communities with clean, renewable hydropower."

The Snake River dams also play a role in flood control, navigation, irrigation and recreation, Newhouse said.

"There is still work to be done, but dams and fish can coexist," McMorris Rodgers said.

The Northwest Energy Coalition, an alliance of environmental and other organizations, said the legislation was ill-timed, coming as adult returns to the Columbia and Snake rivers and their tributaries are expected to be significantly lower this year than last.

"This legislative proposal is misguided, counter-productive and based on an extremely poor understanding of the plight of our salmon and any realistic changes to how Columbia Basin hydro-system would operate to better protect salmon," said Bill Arthur of the Sierra Club.

In addition to McMorris Rodgers and Newhouse, the bill was introduced by Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash.; Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., and Greg Walden, R-Ore.

-- The Associated Press
CapitaLands wholly owned serviced residence business, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is acquiring an additional 60% stake in Quest Apartment Hotels (Quest) for A$180 million. This will increase Ascotts stake in Quest from its current 20% to 80%, propelling Ascott to become the largest serviced residence provider in Australasia.

With 180 properties located in regional and metropolitan areas across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, the acquisition will boost Ascotts portfolio by over 11,000 units to more than 67,000 units across 507 properties and 124 cities globally. At the same time, Ascott has the option to acquire the remaining 20% interest in Quest, subject to terms and conditions.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascotts Chief Executive Officer, said: Increasing our stake in Quest to become its majority shareholder will leapfrog Ascott to become the leading serviced residence provider in Australasia. This acquisition will give Ascott an instant boost of over 11,000 units.

Scale is important for us to offer more options to customers, strengthen our sales and distribution, and help speed up Ascotts growth. Besides entrenching Ascotts presence in the developed and stable market of Australia, we will be able to capitalise on the established Quest brand and its highly scalable business format franchise systems and know-how, and further apply the franchise platform as a driver of growth for Ascott.

Since Ascotts acquisition of a 20% stake in Quest in 2014, Quests network revenue has seen a healthy annual growth of 6%, resulting in strong annual profit earnings primarily from Quests recurring fee income. Ascott will enjoy the recurring franchise fees that Quest earns from its franchise properties and enhance the stability of our portfolio income as well as return on equity.

Mr Paul Constantinou, Chairman of Quest Apartment Hotels, said the investment sees Quest joining one of the worlds leading serviced residence networks, offering Quest guests the benefit of true global reach across 29 countries in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

Quest Cannon Hill

In addition, Ascott has acquired its first serviced residence in Brisbane as part of its strategic partnership with Quest. The 100-unit freehold serviced residence to be developed on a turnkey basis is acquired from an unrelated local property developer for A$24 million (S$25 million). It will be named Quest Cannon Hill and operated as a Quest franchise when the property opens in 2018.

Quest Cannon Hill is the second acquisition under Ascotts strategic partnership with Quest. In mid-2016, Ascott acquired the 221-unit Quest NewQuay Docklands in Melbourne for A$71 million (S$71 million). Quest NewQuay Docklands will be Quests largest property in its network when it opens in 2019.
Goose Creek, SC (29445)

Today

Rain ending this evening. Partial clearing overnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain ending this evening. Partial clearing overnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
APG has extended its GSA partnership with Cobalt to include the UK and Ireland effective from July 2017. Cobalt currently operates 13 weekly flights weekly to the UK and Ireland with non-stop services from its hub in Larnaca, Cyprus to London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, and Dublin.

APG will be providing full sales and marketing services as well as call centre facilities as part of the agreement. APG already partners with Cobalt in Belgium, France, Israel and Spain.

IATA Travel Agents can book Cobalts flights from London Stansted and Manchester via GDS and ticket via BSP UK through a code share agreement with APG which has its own airline code, GP. Cobalts flights to Birmingham and Dublin will be available shortly under the same codeshare arrangement.

Since the demise of Cyprus Airways, Cobalt is the largest and fastest growing airline in Cyprus, operating a single type Airbus fleet of 6 aircraft including the A319 and A320. The airline operates schedule services from its home base at Larnaca International Airport to airports in Greece, the UK, Belgium, Spain, Israel, Ireland, and France and has recently announced the commencement of services to Iran. With future aircraft deliveries planned, the airline is looking to aggressively expand its network, using Cyprus as a hub to connect Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Cobalt is redefining the low-cost travel sector by combining the price flexibility and cost advantages of the low-cost carrier business model with a high-tech in-flight service delivery.

Strategically positioned in Cyprus it services a market of over a billion potential customers with a product to appeal to both business and leisure travel segments.

Further information is available at www.cobalt.aero
BLOOMINGTON  The face of America was at Miller Park in Bloomington on Independence Day and it was wearing a smile and eating a hamburger.

That face belonged to an admittedly eclectic extended family group consisting of six families, more than 30 people and three generations.

"We have all colors, religions and beliefs," said Keith Moore of Bloomington. "We are a template of America."

"We have Hispanics, blacks, whites...," said his fiancee, Leeanna Kuykendall of Bloomington.

"We've been doing this since the 1970s," Leanna's father, Andy Kuykendall of Bloomington, said of coming to Miller Park for the Fourth of July. "I look forward to it every year."

The Kuykendall extended family wasn't alone. Thousands of people were having picnics and enjoying outdoor games for Fourth of July get-togethers at Miller Park and Normal's Fairview Park. While the mid-afternoon rain sent some people packing and closed the pools about 3:30 p.m., many people huddled under their tents and in their cars and ventured back outside when the sky cleared, eagerly anticipating the fireworks at dusk.

Leeanna Kuykendall and some other family members arrived at Miller Park about 7 a.m., chose their spot and put up their tent. The day's activities included spirited volleyball games, softball, horseshoes, poker, grilling out pork chops, burgers, steaks and hot dogs, and of course, the fireworks.

"This is like a family reunion," said Leeanna's cousin, Will Brady of Waltersboro, S.C. "The highlight is the memories we get to create together."

"But the significance is not just celebrating family and being together but celebrating all the things this country has been through," Brady said.

"It's all about coming together," said Aubrey Staton, 17, of El Paso, Leeanna's second cousin.

Asked about her family, Aubrey said, "It's definitely crazy sometimes. But it's good to have a lot of different opinions.

"People see us as different," Aubrey said. "We don't see ourselves that way. We celebrate the differences among us and come together as a family. The Fourth of July is a time to come together and celebrate a country where we have a lot of freedoms and to be thankful for where we live."

Nearby, under another tent at Miller Park, adults of the Mayes-Hallom family were barbecuing as their children played in the spray park.

"I'm 50 and this has been going on (on Independence Day) since I've been in this world," said Bertha Hallom of Normal, who arrived at Miller Park at 7 a.m. to pick their site. "By the end of the day, there will be 40 of us here."

"Today we celebrate what people have been through and our freedom and camaraderie," said her husband, Lonnie Mayes.

"Look around," he continued. "There are all kinds of people out and about fellowshipping. Look at the way the world is now. We are divided as a country. But it's important for us to know each other. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. While we're here, we need to cherish each other."

"It's good," Samiyah Mayes, 7, said of Independence Day. "You get to be with your family."

At Fairview Park as the rain fell, Jeff and Deborah Coon of Goodfield, their son, Robert, 19, and his girlfriend Megan Fisher, 19, of Washington, were part of an extended family that was shooed by the rain temporarily into their cars about 3:30 p.m.

"We might stick it out," Jeff Coon said.

But across the lane at Fairview, 25 members and three generations of the Jim and Elizabeth Hayek family were packing up at their traditional Fourth of July site where they were enjoying food and games  as they have on Independence Day for 35 years  before the rains fell.

"We got out here and secured this site at 6:30 a.m.," said Jim Hayek Sr., 73.

"We were grilling under umbrellas," said his daughter, Mary Hayek-Blankenship of Bloomington. "When the lightning started, we got into our cars."

Family members said they'd return Tuesday night for the fireworks.

"There are no tears," Hayek-Blankenship said. "There's no crying on the Fourth of July."

"We're thankful that we're here and get to do this," Hayek said. "We're thankful for this country and the people who keep it safe."
Kotkamills to Discontinue Its Operations in Imatra by the End of 2018

In accordance with a lease agreement with Stora Enso, Kotkamills' lease of PM 7 at Stora Enso's Imatra Mill expires at the end of 2018. PM 7 produces saturating base kraft (laminating papers).

July 3, 2017 - The Kotkamills group has been producing Saturating Base Kraft (laminating papers) in Tainionkoski, Imatra, Finland on Paper Machine 7 (PM 7) leased from Stora Enso since the separation of Kotkamills from Stora Enso in 2010. The operations are part of the Group's Industrial Products segment.

Stora Enso has notified Kotkamills that the leasing agreement concerning Tainionkoski PM7 will be terminated in accordance with its terms to expire at the end of 2018.

To serve its existing customers and fulfill the needs arising from increasing demand for laminating papers, Kotkamills is planning to increase the production capacity of Paper Machine 1 (PM1) on Kotkamills' site in Kotka.

In addition, Kotkamills has started preparations to procure external production capacity for laminating papers. The external capacity is planned to be available during the first half of 2018. The planned additional external capacity (excluding PM1 increased capacity) will be higher than the present capacity of Tainionkoski PM 7.

The discontinuation of the Group's operations in Imatra is not expected to have a material impact on the Group's financial position or results of operations.

Kotkamills produces laminating base papers, impregnated products, consumer boards and sawmill products. To learn more, please visit: www.kotkamills.com.

SOURCE: Kotkamills Oyj




HitmakerChinx. Photo by Maxwell Schiano (@newyorkcityvibe)



After first emerging in Brooklyn's Caribbean neighborhoods, Flex Dance Music (FDM), the all-in-one dance and music movement championed by Nicki Minaj, Madonna and Omarion, is poised to have its biggest year yet. And one of FDM's breakout stars is 26-year-old LA-via-BK producer/dancer HitmakerChinx, who can count everyone from Rihanna (who had him on her Anti World Tour) to taste-making record label/ collective Fade to Mind as fans. Originally produced to soundtrack Brooklyn dance battles, flexing  with its bone-breaking, gliding and contorted movements, indebted to Jamaican bruk-up  is not only visually breathtaking, but also sonically infectious, thanks to beats grounded in '90s reggae and dancehall. Considered by many to be the dark, pulsing cousin of the reggae lite that's become the Top 40 sound du jour, above all it's a larger movement that's finally bringing real Brooklyn-bred culture into the spotlight. "I'm not about to make anything that's soft. I need music that's going to say what I feel instead of me ripping somebody's head off," HitmakerChinx says. The artist, whose new EP, Sound of 7ife, comes out this month, adds, "When I dance and I battle you, I want to bring you into my world. That's where FDM came from."

Splash photo by Kevin Kim (@asdfwhat)


When asked what nightlife means to him, well-known London-based drag queen and queer club fixture Jodie Harsh responds, "I'd happily die on the dance floor. In fact, I probably will." Of course, dance floors are always where drag queens shine. Nightlife, particularly for members of the LGBTQ community, has always been a space where individuals can feel uninhibited and free to be themselves. Ergo, drag queens, with their larger-than-life costumes and blatant flippancy when it comes to adhering to gender norms, are the exemplars of this freedom, and they have grown to be the glue that holds many popular queer nightlife spaces together.

But Jodie Harsh isn't your average drag queen. The Canterbury-born starlet isn't satisfied with simply being a piece of art to ogle and is adamant about RuPaul's Drag Race not being his "story" (though he does love the show). So in addition to traditional drag performance, Harsh has also taken to promoting his own partiesone party, Room Service, has since expanded past London and gone global, while Dollar Baby, the drag artist's most recent, just participated in Vienna's legendary Life Ball. Harsh can often can be found in the DJ booth, spinning mixes that he creates himself, some official releases include acts as varied as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and Madonna. And if that's not enough, there's also the fact that Harsh is an accomplished songwriter, having worked alongside super-producer SOPHIE and L.A.-based songwriter Jesse Saint John to create Charli XCX's 2016 hit "Secret (Shh)."

Considering his entrance into the drag scene, it's no surprise that Harsh's career has not mirrored that of some of her peers. Unlike most who operate in the same field, Harsh admits that he fell into drag by accident. Claiming that he was "never the boy trying on his mother's heels" as a child, Harsh explains that drag was something he dabbled in, at first, because of its perks: free club admission, endless attention, and tons of hot guys. But a lot can change over time. Since the early 2000s, when he put on his first drag look at age 18, Harsh has grown to really respect his artistry and is now one of the most dedicated queens in the business. It's been over a decade of working for Harsh, and he's proud to admit that he hasn't "gone more than a week without being up in in pumps."

With Pride Month, of course, came plenty of partyingmuch of it happening in spaces very similar to the ones Jodie Harsh works to cultivate for his queer community. As we tried to capture some of that unapologetic energy for ourselves, PAPER Magazine talked to the drag icon about organizing parties in London, producing songs for Charli XCX, appearing in the Absolutely Fabulous movie, and why Lady Gaga is "Santa Claus in a gay Christmas grotto."

Jacket - Duskline; Necklace - Callum Vincent; Glasses - Crystal Cult; Boots - Natacha Marro for Charles Anastase

How did you first get involved with drag?

Totally by accidentI was never the boy trying on his mother's heels. Some friends of mine were working as drag queens in clubs around London while I was at college and I just thought they were the coolest people I'd ever met. They got into clubs for free, received so much attention and took the hottest guys home. 18-year-old me had to give it a go. It was never my intention to continue drag once I'd tried itI just forgot to stop. I don't think I've gone more than a week without being up in pumps over the past decade or so. It's like an addiction as well as a job. I need to do it, need to fuck shit up, and feel that punk rock spirit. Ain't nothing more punk than a man in a dress.

In terms of your hair and makeup, you also embrace a pretty consistent drag look. Is this a conscious decision?

Absolutely. I like to be pretty formulaic when it comes to hair and makeup. I worked out what suits my face shape pretty early on and then kept rolling with it. It's funny how my hairstyle frames my face. If I have hair on both sides or ditch the bangs it looks NOTHING like me. I get read a little on social media a bit from kids who don't get why I look the same all the time  a semi-shady 'change your wig girl' happens at least once a day. I guess their reference point is [RuPaul's] Drag Race, where challenges are won whilst looking different, by changing it up.

My reference points were always directed towards pop and fashion icons and I worked out that all my favorites had a few visual components that always remained the same: Anna Wintour's bob and glasses, Karl Lagerfeld's ponytail and suits, Boy George's hat, Andy Warhol's wig and biker jacket. I guess solid branding is something I've always subconsciously strived towards because I'm not in a competitionI'm running in my own race. I am one of the biggest RuPaul's Drag Race fans you'll find, but it's not my story. I don't have to look different all the time. Amy Winehouse once told me someone's got to be able to draw you in five seconds in order to become iconic, and she was rightyou can sketch the outline of her beehive and her thick black eyeliner flicks and it's instantly her.





Dress - KTZ; Earrings - Butler & Wilson

You are behind the wildly popular club series Room Service, which has since expanded past London and gone global. What does it feel like to have something you created become a global phenomenon?

Room Service started off six years ago as this little party in Soho, a part of London that wasn't that cool any more [because] the gays had started moving east by then. I just thought it was time for a good ol' fashioned gay knees-up  hotties and house music. I guess it became famous in its own little niche way, and we took it around the world. I decided to shut it down in London recently. I felt it had its day in this city, and I'm not a fan of constant reinvention in the club world  you may as well just start something new. I know when it's time to move something on; a lot of people in the club scene don't. It's traveling around the world still, the brand has kept alive quite well. Business is healthy, really.

Was the desire to start "something new" the push you needed to start Dollar Baby?

That's the newest thing. I'm obsessed with pop music as much as I am with house, and there's nowhere in London to hear pop that's also a cool night out. There are a bunch of really cheesy bars and clubs with that ultra commercial edge of course, but I couldn't think of where I'd go to hear Cupcakke, Charli XCX, Grimes, Brooke Candyas well as Katy Perry and Rihanna. I run the party with my best friend so it's more of a joint effort. [There are] lots more laughs and the workload is distributed evenly, which takes some of the sweat off. The name Dollar Baby just felt so frivolous and fun  she's sexy and surface and just wants to have a good time. You can be smart and protest and shout and learn and work during the week, but on Friday night you just want to be Dollar Baby for a few hours, haha.

The opening night of Dollar Baby had a surprise guest: Lady Gaga, who debuted her Joanne lead single "Perfect Illusion." How did that happen?

That was wild. Gaga was in town to launch her new song on radio and do some secret shows, and on the Friday afternoon [of the opening] I got an email from Mark Ronson asking me to announce Gaga on stage and look after her once she'd played a few songs. I was like, let me check my diary, YES. She played the show at the Moth Club, this really dingy dive bar in the middle of east London, and then we headed over to Dollar Baby to carry on the party. The club is a proper working strip club through the week then switches up for my party on Fridays, and Gaga took advantage of those poles. I've been friends with her management for ages. She really does have a great crew of people around her and she's a really loving person  you can feel the warmth around her. She cares about everyone, gives every single person time. All these club kids were hanging around the area we set out for her, trying to peer over her security's shoulders to catch a glimpse, and she invited them all in one-by-one to hang out and have a little chat. It was like Santa Claus in a gay Christmas grotto.

T-Shirt - KTZ; Harness - Bang London; Faux Fur - Vintage Katherine Hamnett

What does a party run by you look like? Who's coming? What's the atmosphere? What's the music?

The perfect party is one massive mix of people. I'm really not into [having] too much of one thing and not enough of the rest. You've gotta have all different flavors to get my pussy really poppin'. I like a full fantasy, not a sea of the same. We've got the high culture and your friends in low places: the models and the aristos, the gym boys and the queens, the club kids and pop stars. All those ingredients bake the perfect cake and the party is the hot oven.

I think a community spirit is a very important mood to encourage and nourish, [as is] a free space to express oneself and let out your inner freak, in whatever way that is. Parties are a breeding ground for creativity and ideas  it's always been important to set-up a space to mix and mingle, a place where the fashion and music creatives are hanging out with the cool kids, making connections and being mutually inspired. And the soundtrack is so important  I work with the best DJs in their genres. The music sets the tone and the people tell the story.

Clearly nightlife plays a huge role in your everyday life. What does the nightclub (as a space) mean to you  particularly in terms of embracing your queer identity? What was it about these spaces that initially inspired you to start your own club nights?

It means everything to me. As a human, I need that space to hear new music and familiar sounds, see old friends and make new ones, feel the tribal aspect of coming together. I want the sexual electricity, the freedom to express through clothing. Sex is a big part of clubbing  we want to desire and be desired and we act that out on the dance floor. And, most importantly right now, as a queer person, clubs offer a space in which to escape the hell we're going through socially and politically. There's something very special about a party going off  that energy really keeps me alive, probably quite literally. I can't imagine ever leaving nightclubs, no matter how old I am. I'd happily die on the dance floor. In fact, I probably will.

Dress - Mark Fast; Bralet - E.L.F Zhou London; Jacket - Sorapol; Earring - Butler & Wilson

What are your thoughts on the current state of queer nightlife in London? Across the country, many similar clubs are shutting down left and right. Do you see London as being different or somehow more resilient?

So many gay venues have shut in London, almost half of the exclusively queer spaces. Everyone's always in an uproar and setting up Facebook groups when a club shuts  but were they drinking there and supporting the venue whilst it was open? Of course not. If you want a place to stay open, spend your money there while you still can. For example, six months ago this little drag bar called Molly Moggs shut in Soho, and everyone was up in arms. 'SAVE MOLLY MOGGS,' they cried. And you know what? It got saved; it's reopened. And I haven't heard of a single person going there on a night out. I walked past it last week [and it was] completely empty.

Nightlife has never been stronger, in my opinion  there's something amazing to do every night of the week. There are "gay nights" (of all descriptions) in typically straight venues; I haven't thrown a party in a gay bar for years. There's something of a 'fuck you' in that. We're taking over your venues. Our communities are strong, we can move them around, we don't need fixed routes. Even the gay areas of London have moved around zip codes as much as twice in a decade. Have Uber account, will travel.

What would be your advice for how to keep these club spaces lively and profitable?

Spend money there. Be a patron. Unfortunately this is an economics topic. Support them with a night out, not just a Facebook post when they threaten to close forever, because that's too late.

T-Shirt - KTZ; Boots - Natacha Marro; Necklace - Callum Vincent

You also double as a professional DJ  often at your own parties. How did you start doing that?



Like drag, I literally started DJing by mistake. At one of my earlier club nights, I had the smallest budget to play with. I set aside money to pay for dancers or something rather than a warm-up DJ and decided to learn how to mix so that I could play the first set. I'd always loved music and was up for the challenge. DJing kind of became my main job, and it's taken me all over the world. I love it  there is no greater feeling than playing music to people and absorbing that joy and sharing that beat, that moment.

And what about your production work outside of the club? You've done official remixes for artists like Beyonce, Madonna, and Justin Timberlake. You've also co-written and co-produced for huge artists like Charli XCX.

Writing and production is something I started working on about six years ago, quietly honing that skill in the background. It's a really tough industry to break into; it's so cliquey and, of course, so many people want to do it. But I think I'm making some good stuff, writing some good songs. I absolutely see this as the end-goal  this is the rest of my life. I will always throw parties and always DJ, but writing songs and making beats and producing artists is definitely how I see the rest of my life focused on. I think all of those aspects pull together to make one package really: the clubs inform the music I'm making; the kids I hang out with definitely inform how I write, and I test out instrumental versions of new tracks when I DJ to gauge a reaction and work out whether it's finished or something I have to revisit. It's all one thing.

Jacket - Callum Vincent; Trousers - Diesel

How was it working with SOPHIE?

I've collaborated with SOPHIE on a few songs now but only one thing has come out so far. We did this track for Charli [XCX] called "Secret" which we co-wrote with my friend Jesse Saint John, who's just a wizard with lyrics and melody  oh my god. SOPHIE is the coolest. They make the most insane synths and sound effects, and they're all laid out on these controllers in a studio in the Hollywood Hills. We clicked really quickly  we're both English and obsessed with drag and club culture. I took SOPHIE to RuPaul's Drag Con; one of my favorite people, for sure.

Do you look to music as a place for liberation?

It's a place for fantasy, reality, truth-telling and escape, learning and forgetting. I'm down for all of that.

Finally, I have to ask: What was it like to have a cameo in the Absolutely Fabulous movie?



Holy fuck, that was mega. I think I know every line of Ab Fab ever  I can literally watch episodes and speak along with the characters. When I got the call asking to be in it I almost threw up. There were fifty cameos in the film  half my bloody friends are in it  but I got a little line which freaked me out even more. Spending that day on set was just incredible, seeing how it's put together. I was wearing the most uncomfortable shoes though  that seems to be a lasting memory. It was like walking on glass, and you can't even see my feet in the final cut. Jennifer Saunders [Edina, the lead character on Absolutely Fabulous] is the most down-to-earth person. I told her how much the show had inspired me and she literally couldn't see why. She has no idea what she's created and how much people love Ab Fab. I was dorky and quoted some line from season one or something and she looked taken aback. She was like, "How do you even know that episode?" I was like, "BITCH! I'VE SEEN IT TWO HUNDRED TIMES, I WATCHED IT LAST NIGHT." Definitely the ultimate fan-girl moment for me.
In an unexpected twist of fate Lindsay Lohan, actress, international woman of mystery and recent Islam convert, has declared herself for President Donald Trump fan.

In a move that makes very little sense, yesterday Linds responded to a tweet that contained a screenshot of a Breitbart article reporting Trump's support a terminally ill infant in Britain. The original tweet was referencing CNN's address of Trump's controversial July 2nd, in which showed himself beating up the CNN logo.

Linds then decided to use @LeahR77's tweet to call for an end of all the "bullying" Trump is subjected to.

She then followed up with another tweet, calling the Trump family "kind people."

This is not to forget the time that Lindsay Lohan, who appears to split her time between Greece and Turkey, announced she was "scared" to return to the United States because of Trump's stance on Muslims. She also claimed she was racially profiled at an airport for wearing a headscarf. This all went down less than six months ago.

What a world, huh?

[h/t Mic]

Image via Getty
Dave Chapelle told the story of how he first knew Kanye West was going to be famous on Jimmy Fallon, right when he returned to comedy in 2014. In it, he details booking a young and relatively unknown Kanye for his first tv performance, and going with him to the edit afterward. They decided to watch some (at the time) unreleased sketches, at which point West picks up a phone call, tells someone he can't go meet them because of what he's currently doing, and hangs up after stating that he's there "Because my life is dope, and I do dope shit."

In interactions with Richie Shazam Khan, it's hard not to have him strike you as this kind of person. Not that there are many superficial parallels between him and Kanye West, but rather that he's so completely assured of his place in the world that 100 or 100,000 people could know his name, and he would still be doing exactly what he wants to do. Richie Shazam is and will always be 100% Richie Shazam, and it is part of what makes his presence so magnetic, and part of the reason why he is such a rising star in the worlds of fashion, media, and activism today. Although he himself is regularly called an activist, when asked about that label he's quick to note that his activism is more of a form of embodiment than it is a paper trail. "My activism isn't your typical activism," he states, "I'm not just calling politicians or rallying or signing petitions. My activism is something that I have been practicing from the day I was born. I never had a typical 'coming out of the closet' moment. I've always been 'out.' I've always been unapologetic about the person I am and I live my truth at all times. Even with all odds against me. I have to show people that this is who I am and there are people like me in this world. If I cover up and hide when I'm feeling threatened, then I'm not leading the way for my queer brothers and sisters."

And Shazam is without a doubt a leader. A staple in New York City's downtown nightlife, an Instagram figurehead, and a model, it's easy to look at the non-binary West-Indian and see the face of 21st-century glamor staring back at you. But to only view Shazam through the lens of fashion would be reductive. When he steps out on the street, regardless of what he is wearing, he makes it clear to PAPER that his intent is to lead by example via fearlessness. Shazam being well known doesn't mean that he is not susceptible to the dangers queer people, particularly queer people of color, face every day, something he is well aware of. "For me, I am very fearful and I do walk down the street with a stride, confidently and unapologetically, but I get really anxious. I get really nervous," he makes a point to distinguish. "When you are free and expressing yourself, there does come a lot of risks. People will not just give you smiles and a high-five. I am very aware of the violent, consequential repercussions of expression. I think it's just important to be very vigilant and alive and awake."

With the back of his mind always on survival, however, Shazam still finds spaces in which he can subversive of the constant dangers of the world in his own fluidity. "I think that fluidity is beautiful because I think it always starts with loving yourself and embracing your difference, and finding the right community that will highlight and illuminate it, and not silence you," he says. Refusal to be silenced and visibility seem to be not just part of the end goals for him, as he holds a philosophy ofas he puts itthe "importance of denouncing silence through radically re-imagining queer visibility." It is a conscious part of every day to make himself seen and heard, and through his presentation cause other people to question the status quo.

When asked about people attempting to label him although he openly does not believe in labels, he shows a level of understanding regarding the fact that for some people more than others the dissonance between what society expects of gender and reality can serve as a challenge. "I don't think it's necessarily always malicious," he says after explaining that he is put in boxes nearly every day. "I think people like to label things so they can categorize them in their minds. Unfortunately, it's human nature."

This kind of radical acceptance is not just important for Shazam within the queer community, but rather a personal philosophy of sorts. He has made his own spiritual connection with the universe, and in speaking with him it becomes clear that it informs both his ever-growing and ever-changing identity and practice: "I look for signs, coincidences, small and seemingly meaningless occurrences; I see the deeper meaning in these things. Through constant introspection and connecting with people, important to keep a strong dialogue and connect with people's hearts and minds. I enjoy communicating and tearing down walls." He continues on to say, "I realize I spent so much of my time breaking down like, 'Oh, you pronouns are wrong. You don't understand me.' It's like no, I'm really fluid. I'm just me. Love me for me. Understand me for me. That's it. If you don't, that's okay, one day you will. I'm still figuring myself out. I think we all are. We're all on a journey of finding our voice and being open to the universe. I don't feel bounded."

At the root of it all, Richie Shazam is, in fact, an activist. But his activism is in his words, presence, and spirit as much as it is in the things we would conventionally think of as activism. And he knows his fight is a long one. "We have to continue to be empathetic and break down barriers; it is not an overnight sensationit will take time, but I am filled with strength today," he tells PAPER. And when asked what he's most proud of, in true activist fashion he looks not to himself for the answer, but to those around him: "I am proud of all of my LGBTQIA brothers and sisters all around the world who are fighting to for their freedoms and not accepted, but speak their truth, through facing structural oppressive, discriminatory practices and being vilified and harassed. I also want to pay an homage and respect to our predecessors who fought for our freedoms. It is of the utmost importance, more than ever to band together and show the LGBT community support and compassion."

Photography by Akram Shah



Styling by Ella Cepeda

Hair by Evanie Frausto

Makeup by Daniel Avilan

Photographer Assistant: Hollie-May Saker

Stylist Assistant: Odile Iturraspe
UPDATE: 5.00pm EST: Just when you thought all might have simmered down, the tea is still brewing. Rob Kardashian's Instagram account has now been suspended, so he moved right on over the more laissez-faire, Wild West-esque social platform available: Twitter.

Rob began tweeting heavily, following up on much of what he posted earlier on Instagram. While his main grievance seems to be Chyna sleeping with other men in the bed the two shared, he appeared to also now believe that Chyna's relationship with him was out of revenge over her ex Tyga pursuing a relationship with Rob's younger sister, Kylie.

No one has won in this entire scenario, except maybe Ferraritru3, who has gained almost 100k followers since Rob mentioned him on his first Instagram post.

Go off, Ferraritru3.

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UPDATE 2.30pm EST: Chyna has responded to Rob's accusations of cheating with domestic abuse allegations. In a now-deleted Snapstory the model wrote that Rob had beaten her up but she is "supposed to be quiet" because of his family.

[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BWLIz-CgojV/?taken-by=blacchynasnapchats&hl=en expand=1]

T.I. has also weighed in on the drama, why? No one knows.

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If you've been on struggle street settling back into work post the holiday weekend, here's a whole lot of tea that's so piping hot you'll feel like you are still outside basking in the July heat.

Robert Kardashian, famous for his Twitter fingers, has clearly reached peak frustration with on-and-off girlfriend and baby mama Chyna. In what has been a roller coaster of emotions, Rob went from sharing pictures of him and his daughter Dream on Fourth of July to posting Chyna's nudes, accusing her of cheating, drug and alcohol abuse.

[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BWK0dbIhHdW/?taken-by=robkardashian&hl=en expand=1]

He also claims Chyna sent her this video, that features her in bed with a man identified on Instagram as Ferraritru3 as well as screenshots of alleged conversations between himself and Chyna's lover.

[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BWKxqafBvFw/?taken-by=robkardashian&hl=en expand=1]

Rob has also aired out just how much he has spent on surgical procedures for Chyna, along with her rent, cars and jewelry.

[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BWK1xKbhQil/?taken-by=robkardashian&hl=en expand=1]

While some are capitalizing on the drama in the comments (French Montana posted his album link on one of the now-deleted nudes) many are calling for an end to the chaos.

Welcome back, kids.

Image via Getty.


easyJet is expanding its network from Berlin Schonefeld Airport to three new tempting summer destinations; starting from July 2017. The new additional routes are to the port cities of Bastia, Pula and Varna.

Passengers can now fly from Schonefeld to Bastia (Corsica) from 29 June and Pula (Croatia) from 30 June. Flights to Varna (Bulgaria) are already set to begin from 28 June. These additional routes mean passengers flying from Berlin are spoilt for choice with 48 different summer destinations.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Engelbert Lutke Daldrup, CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH: "easyJet is continuing its expansion in Berlin. This clearly acknowledges the importance of our location. In the last 14 months, the carrier has stationed three new aircraft at Schonefeld, as well as adding eleven new destinations to its Berlin flight plan. With a total of 48 destinations, there is hardly a region in Europe that cannot be reached by flying easyJet from Berlin. As always, we wish the airline a safe and successful onward journey."

With three new destinations, Berlin and Brandenburg residents alike can relax on Europe's dreamy coastlines. EasyJet now flies twice a week to the picturesque port city of Bastia in northern Corsica. Experience the true Mediterranean feeling with a coffee stop at Place Saint-Nicolas, amidst palm trees, baroque buildings and the port. The Croatian port city of Pula is serviced three times a week. Holiday mermaids can dip their fins into the turquoise-blue waters of dreamy, coastal coves. For those who wish to mix a beach holiday with cultural highlights, a detour to Pula's amphitheatre is worth a visit. Photos taken there are bound to get you likes for your Instragram collection! easyJet flights to the Bulgarian city of Varna depart twice a week. The city is well-known for its legendary music festivals as well as pulsing nightlife on its golden beach.

The new destinations at a glance

Bastia (Corsica) - 2 flights per weekdays of flight: Mon., Thurs., - maiden voyage: 29/06/2017 last flight: 31/08/2017- time period: summer

Pula (Croatia) - 3 flights per weekdays of flight: Tues., Fri., Sat.maiden voyage: 30/06/2017 last flight: 02/10/2017- time period: summer

Varna (Bulgaria) - 2 flights per weekdays of flight: Wed., Sat.maiden voyage:: 28/06/2017 last flight: 02/10/2017 time period: summer
Fifth Round Of Syria Peace Talks Under Way In Astana

07/04/17

Source: RFE/RL

Diplomats from Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the United States have begun a fifth round of Syria peace talks in Astana with the Syrian government and representatives of some Syrian opposition groups.





Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations secretary-general's special envoy on Syria, is also attending the two-day meeting in Kazakhstan's capital.



The Astana talks -- sponsored by Russia, Iran, and Turkey -- are separate negotiations from UN-sponsored talks in Geneva.



Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said the talks on July 4 were being conducted as bilateral meetings between delegation members.



The meetings were reportedly focusing on a December cease-fire under a de-escalation agreement that was brokered in Astana by Russia, Turkey, and Iran.



Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said there were nine representatives of Syria's armed opposition at the talks on July 4.



But he said the delegation did not include armed opposition leader Muhammad Alloush, who led opposition delegates at earlier rounds of the Astana talks in January, February, and May.



When asked who was in charge of the Syrian armed opposition's delegation, Abdrakhmanov told reporters, "That's their internal affair."



The armed opposition did not take part in the third round of negotiations hosted by Kazakhstan.



The head of the Syrian government delegation, Bashar al-Jaafari, was meeting on the sidelines of the gathering on July 4 with the head of Iran's delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Hoessein Jaberi Ansari.



The U.S. representative at the meeting is Stuart Jones, the acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Near East affair bureau.



Russia's delegation is headed by President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for the Syrian settlement, Aleksandr Lavrentyev.



The delegation of Turkey is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal.



Shortly before the talks in Astana began, the U.S. military announced that U.S.-backed opposition forces in Syria had breached the wall surrounding the Old City of Raqqa in their battle to take the city from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.



"Coalition forces supported the [Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF] advance into the most heavily fortified portion of Raqqa by opening two small gaps in the Rafiqah Wall that surrounds the Old City," U.S. Central Command said late on July 3.



Centcom said the SDF faced heavy resistance at the wall from IS fighters who used it as a combat position and planted mines and improvised explosive devices against advancing forces.



"Conducting targeted strikes on two small portions of the wall allowed coalition and partner forces to breach the Old City at locations of their choosing, denied ISIS the ability to use pre-positioned mines...protected SDF and civilian lives, and preserved the integrity of the greatest portion of the wall," the U.S. statement said.



"The portions targeted were 25-meter sections and will help preserve the remainder of the overall 2,500-meter wall," it added.



IS militants, who are not taking part in the Syrian peace talks in Astana or Geneva, have lost control of large swathes of territory they had seized in Syria in recent years.



The IS has said that Raqqa is its self-declared capital within Syria.



With reporting by Interfax, TASS, Reuters, AP, and AFP
Kurds Accuse Iran of Cross-border Shelling in Northern Iraq

07/04/17

By Rikar Hussein, VOA

WASHINGTON - Iranian artillery bombed Kurdish militants in northern Iraq on Monday, injuring at least three people and forcing hundreds to flee their homes, Kurdish officials told VOA. The cross-border shelling in Iraqi Kurdistan's Haji Omaran region targeted positions of Iranian Kurdish rebel groups Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) and Komala, Kurdish officials said.



see high resolution map



"The shelling started at 5 a.m. [local time] and continued for several hours, forcing hundreds of civilians from nearby villages to flee their homes," Farzang Ahmad, the local administrator of the Haji Omaran sub-district in Iraqi Kurdistan, told VOA.



Ahmad added that one villager and two rebels were injured and many local farmers' livelihoods were destroyed as a result of the shelling.



"The Republic of Iran's justification for the attack is the presence of Iranian Kurdish rebels in the border region with Iraq," he said.



Iran is home to roughly 10 million Kurds who mostly live in the northwest of the country, close to Iraqi and Turkish Kurdish communities across the border.



Kurdish groups



Kurdish armed groups, such as KDPI and Komala, have been in conflict with the Iranian government for decades, and are seeking greater autonomy for the areas inhibited by ethnic Kurds. These armed Kurdish groups are widely spread across the 60-kilometer border with neighboring Iraq.



The mountainous nature of the terrain makes it difficult for the Iranian government to control the area.



To diminish the growing activity of the Iranian Kurdish rebels, the country's military has bombed areas inside the Iraqi border on several occasions in the past, drawing criticism from Iraqi Kurdish officials who charge that civilians bear the brunt of the bombing.



The Iranian government has not commented on Monday's shelling, but Iraqi Kurdish officials say the bombing was carried out in response to the killing of an Iranian commander and injuring two Iranian border guards during clashes in Kermanshah province on Saturday.



Mustafa Mauludi, the secretary general of KDPI, denied his group's involvement in the killing and added that no other Kurdish group has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack.



Mauludi accused Iran of initiating escalations with Kurdish rebels and breaking a two-decades-old cease-fire in 2015.



"The Islamic Republic of Iran has been attacking us for years now, thinking we will abandon our struggle," Mauludi told VOA. "We have persisted our struggle despite difficulties and we will continue to do so."



Escalation of fighting



The predominately Kurdish province in northwestern Iran situated in the border region with Iraq has recently witnessed an escalation of fighting between Kurdish armed groups and Iranian border guards.



Iranian officials say that they have expelled the Kurdish rebels from the province.



"Thanks to efforts of the armed forces and struggles of the intelligence forces, security is in place on the border lines," Asadollah Razani, Kermanshah province governor general, said last Thursday.



Razani added that Iranian forces are closely monitoring the border region with Iraq and "any suspicious move will receive strong response."



However, Kurdish rebel leader Mauludi told VOA that his group receives broad support from the Kurdish population in Iran and that conflict in the province may continue "until [the] Kurdish issue is resolved."



He told VOA that continued Iranian attacks will more likely encourage Kurdish rebel groups to unify against the Iranian government forces.



"We have been in dialogue with other Kurdish parties in Iran for a while to develop a long-term cooperation mechanism and a mutual platform that will help us be more prepared for future challenges," Mauludi said.
International event issues Tehran Declaration, vows to fight dust storms

07/05/17

Source: Tehran Times

TEHRAN - Ministers and high-level representatives participating in the UN-backed International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms in Tehran (July 3-5) wrapped up the second day with the Tehran Ministerial Declaration, agreeing to "cooperate on combating SDS at sub-regional regional, and international levels."



Photo: A recent dust storm in Hamedan, Iran



Here is the full text of the declaration:

Tehran Ministerial Declaration

International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms

Tehran, 3-5 July 2017

We, the Ministers and high-level representatives participating in the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms:

Having met in Tehran to exchange views, share experiences and best practices on combating Sand and Dust Storms and to contribute to global and regional efforts to put forward a concerted and collective response to this serious challenge.

Recalling the UNGA Resolution 70/195, 71/219, UNEA II Resolution 2/21 and WMO Congress Decision Cg-XV/3.3.3.6, UNESCAP Resolution 72/7 in which Sand and Dust Storms has been acknowledged to be posing a daunting challenge to the sustainable development of affected countries including and in particular in Asia and Africa and that coordinated prompt measures are needed to address it at national, regional and global levels,

Acknowledging that Sand and Dust Storms, which are on the rise in terms of severity and frequency in many parts of the world, are detrimental to human health, agricultural land, livelihoods, coastal and marine environment, infrastructure, and the socio-economic systems, in all affected countries,

Fully aware that sand and dust storms occur due to natural biogeochemical cycles of the Earth and human-induced factors, including climate change, and unsustainable land management and water use as well as armed conflicts,

Recognizing the negative impacts of Sand and Dust storms on some countries and regions that are far away from their hot spots, due to their trans-boundary nature,

Further Recognising that combating the challenge of Sand and Dust Storms requires concerted and collaborative global, regional and sub-regional as well as national responses to address this phenomenon and also underlining the role of United Nations in promoting international cooperation and partnerships among countries and other relevant stakeholders to combat Sand and Dust Storms.



Agree to cooperate on combating SDS at sub-regional regional, and international levels on the following:

1. Share information, lessons learnt and best practices, exchange views and expertise, develop mitigation and adaptation policies and measures, exchange technical and monitored data and forecasting information to reduce the risk of Sand and Dust Storms,

2. Strengthen national legal and institutional frameworks to share early warning information of Sand and Dust Storms and raise awareness and promote integrated and synergistic actions across sectors and foster strengthened cooperation among relevant institutions at global, regional and national levels.

3. Enhance public awareness on the impact and cost of Sand and Dust Storms on human health, agricultural practice, food security, infrastructure, transport and in general socio-economic sectors and the environment and partnerships among relevant stake holders on mitigation of the impacts.

4. Collectively endeavour to enhance cooperation and coordination at global, regional and sub-regional levels to address the causes and impacts of Sand and Dust Storms including through the promotion of sustainable water use and land management, to reduce future Sand and Dust Storms risks and impacts.

5. Develop and implement a strategy on disaster risk reduction and resilience to promote sustainable land management and water use in croplands, rangelands, wetlands, deserts as well as rural and urban areas.

6- Strengthen research activities for effective monitoring, impact based assessment and forecasting and early warning mechanism for Sand and Dust Storms, to address disaster prevention and mitigation and for development of appropriate preparedness and effective response to Sand and dust storms,

7- Encourage enhanced regional and international cooperation to observe and forecast, mitigate and cope with the adverse effects of Sand and Dust Storms, and seek technical and financial support from the relevant United Nations organisations to that end.

8- Consider to further develop policy dialogue on responding to the issues of sand and dust storms among interested countries in partnership with relevant international bodies and organizations, including the establishment of a future platform, in synergy with relevant United Nations System.

9- Recognize the role of the Asian and Pacific Center for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM), regional seas programs and SDS-WAS, to develop human and institutional capacity through strengthened regional cooperation in disaster information management.

10- Invite the Environment Management Group (EMG) of the UN to consider initiating an inter-agency process involving relevant UN system warranting to prepare a global response to Sand and Dust Storms including a situation analysis, Strategy and an Action Plan. This could result in developing a UN-wide approach in addressing Sand and Dust Storms which can be used as an inter-agency framework for mid- or long-term cooperation and division of labour.

11- Request the UN General Assembly to consider this declaration for appropriate actions.

12- Express our deepest gratitude to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the excellent arrangements and the warm hospitality they extended to participants in this important Conference.
The Energy Ministry has announced reforms in the petroleum sector to deal with the discharge and sale of contaminated products.



Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, says the yearly contamination of large volumes of products presents a major challenge to the Ministry and has assured that the new measures will make it impossible for unlicensed companies to operate in the sale of contaminated fuel.



A key part of the reform involves a competitive tender process based on a transparent advertisement for the sale of the contaminated products.



"Only certified corporate entity that will be designated to buy contaminated products directly from BOST. No unlicensed company, individual or union member can trade in contaminated products henceforth, the Minister announced at a press briefing Tuesday.



The Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company Limited (BOST)) came under public criticism for selling five million litres of contaminated fuel to Movenpiina Company Limited, a company said to have been incorporated barely a month after it negotiated the deal and without a license the regulator, the National Petroleum Authority.



The public attacks compelled government to institute a probe into the transaction, however, the joint investigation by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and National Security found nothing wrong with BOSTs decision to sell the contaminated fuel to Movenpiina.



Addressing the presser on July 4, the Minister said the contamination occurred on January 18, 2017 and the MD for BOST [Alfred Obeng] assumed office on January 23, 2017 and cannot be held responsible for it," a view that many find unsatisfactory.



Meanwhile, investigation into the contentious transaction continues as a committee led by Dr Lawrence Darkwa, Head of Chemical Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has been tasked to review operations of BOST in a bid to prevent future contamination.



The committee has been given two weeks to recommend ways to avoid the perennial contamination of fuel at the company.

Source: myjoyonline.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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Ghana risks missing the opportunity to access an estimated US$320 million Green Climate Fund (GCF), meant to mitigate effects of climate change, an Economic Officer of the Finance Ministry, Robert Mensah, has said.



This is due to the inability of organizations to submit workable proposals to access the fund and manage it.



The GCF, is an international financing mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), designed to assist developing countries to support low emission and climate-resilient programmes and projects.



The fund also aims to enhance the resilience of people, enterprises and ecosystems in developing countries to the adverse impacts of climate change.



Speaking to the Goldstreet Business at a Climate Finance and Integrity Seminar organized by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mensah explained that the major challenge for many institutions, that applied to manage the fund, was their inability to meet the proposal criteria.



Out of 50 institutions, which applied to manage the fund in 2015, only two, Ecobank and Social Investment Fund, were selected to go through accreditation to manage it. Only these two organizations, met the 60 percent requirement and were shortlisted to undergo an online training which, he added, may take close to two years to complete.



He said the National Designated Authority, out of 19 projects submitted to the GCF secretariat, was able to acquire approval for three which are the Ghana Shea Landscape Redd+, Climate Resilient Landscape for Sustainable Livelihood in Northern Ghana, and the Accelerating Solar Programme for Ghana.



These three projects have US$320 million budgetary allocation for their implementation, with US$50million each for the Shea project and the Sustainable Livelihood Programme whiles US$220million is budgeted for the solar project he disclosed.



He noted that, the National Designated Authority (NDA), which is a department of the Finance Ministry, is mandated to lead all correspondence between Ghana and the GCF secretariat to ensure that proposals submitted by National Implementing Entities are aligned with the countrys climate policies.



Mensah indicated, Its not encouraging that for more than a year the fund is yet to be accessed by any national implementing entity.



Chair of the event, Mary Addah of the Ghana Integrity Initiative noted that climate change may get worse if organizations fail to access designated funds to implement adaptation strategies to tackle the challenge.



She said, it was important that such funds, when acquired should not be diverted by organizations, but must be used for its purpose.







Source: Goldstreet Business









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Health experts from the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (ABH), a national Hajj specific organisation, express their grave concern of the rapidly spreading cholera outbreak in Yemen which has exceeded 200,000 suspected cases, increasing at an average of 5000 a day. The world is now facing the worst cholera outbreak ever.

In just two months, due to this cholera outbreak, more than 1300 people have died  a substantial number of them bring children  and the death toll is expected to rise.

The Hajj pilgrimage is round the corner and pilgrims from Yemen will be joining over 2 million pilgrims from around the world in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in order to perform their pilgrimage in few weeks time.

Health experts from ABH strongly urge the prospective Hajj/Umrah pilgrims and the relevant health authorities around the world to take this issue seriously and make every effort in order to not only to protect the pilgrims, but also to eliminate the risk of the spread of these deadly infectious diseases worldwide, once the pilgrims return back to their countries.

It is extremely vital that the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding measures for the prevention of cholera should be strictly implemented. Every effort should be made towards health education and good food hygiene practice. Prospective Hajj pilgrims should be reminded of basic hygienic behaviours, including the necessity of systematic hand-washing with soap after defecation and before handling food or eating, as well as safe preparation and preservation of food. Electronic media and media should be involved in disseminating health education messages. All the concerned authorities are also strongly urged to contribute towards the social mobilization of this awareness campaign.

Hajj pilgrims have always been at high risk of contracting infectious diseases including meningitis, MERS Coronavirus due to their close proximity with millions of people from around the world. Prolonged contact with infected individuals within confined space e.g. sneezing and coughing on someone or sharing an affected persons used utensil, facilitates the spread of deadly infectious diseases, which are transmitted by direct person-to-person contact via droplets of nasal or throat secretions as well as blood and body fluids of infected individuals, warn health experts from Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK.
The First batch of 74 persons with disability (PWDs) has been recruited to work at selected toll booths across the country. Additional 126 will be engaged later this month.

The move, according to the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta, is in line with an initiative by the government to create employment opportunities for PWDs in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Mr. Amoako-Atta made this observation at Pobi Asaawa, near Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, on Tuesday, at the launch of an initiative by the ministry to recruit 200 PWDs as road toll collectors in all 35 booths across the country.

Launch

The launch, which was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), brought together government officials, traditional rulers and a section of the public. Deputy Ministers of Roads and Highways and Information, Messrs Anthony Abayifa Karbo and Perry Okudzeto, were also at the launch.

Directive

The minister said the recruitment of the PWDs was to give real meaning to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos directive to all MDAs to reserve special positions for PWDs. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) made a commitment in its 2016 manifesto to empower PWDs by providing them with job opportunities that will make life decent for them.

When I appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament to be vetted as a minister designate, I personally made the commitment to reserve 50 per cent of employment opportunities at the 35 tollbooths in the country to PWDs. Todays event is a manifestation of that commitment and the beginning of more initiatives to empower PWDs, he said. He observed that the government would come up with more policy initiatives that would address the key challenges physically challenged persons faced and also integrate them into the wider society. PWDs should not be seen as an economic burden. Rather, they constitute an untapped population with enormous potential that has to be harnessed to support the national development agenda, he said. Mr Amoako-Atta urged other government agencies, as well as the private sector to reserve employment opportunities for PWDs.

Good initiative

The President of Ghana Federation of the Disabled, Mr Yaw Ofori-Debrah, lauded the government for the initiative, describing it as a giant step and an important milestone that would address the challenges of PWDs. The launch of this initiative is important because it will improve the economic condition of PWDs and also enhance their social image, he stated.

Mr Ofori-Debrah said PWDs were satisfied with the level of engagement and involvement of the GFD towards rolling out the initiative and appealed to the government to come up with more of such programmes to support PWDs. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr Victor Owusu, gave an assurance that the right mechanisms would be put in place to guarantee the safety of all PWDs in the tollbooths. He said there would be no discrimination against PWDs at the tollbooths.  Source:

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Audio Attachment: Listen to Kwesi Pratt Jnr.

Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has asked the Government of Ghana to repatriate the Gitmo detainees with immediate effect.



The Supreme Court presided over by newly sworn-in Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo on Thursday, June 22, declared that it is unconstitutional for the two ex-detainees to be allowed into the country without Parliament's prior approval.



The court directed that the issue of admittance of the detainees should be brought before Parliament within the next three (3) months.



Speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Kwesi Pratt wondered why the detainees are still in Ghana following the court ruling which makes the stay of two detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, unconstitutional.



Mr. Pratt urged the government to send out the detainees from the country to allay fears in the hearts of Ghanaians.



To him, the Nana Addo government shouldn't even wait for Parliament to decide the fate of the detainees but do the needful.



Supreme Court decision does not make their stay lawful and constitutional. So, their stay in Ghana today is still unconstitutional. We should sack them to allay all fears.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Supreme Court has dismissed an application by businessman, Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome seeking to stop the scheduled oral examination by the Attorney General (AG) in relation to the Ghc51.2 million indebtedness to the state.



Giving the ruling Tuesday morning, the court presided over by a single judge, Mr Justice A.A Benin, was of the view that the application had no basis.



Graphic Onlines Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson reported the court said Mr Woyome failed to demonstrate that he will suffer any hardship or irreparable damage as a result of the oral examination.



Again, the court said the fact that Mr Woyome had filed a review of the case does not mean that the oral examination should be halted.



The court therefore said there was no basis for the application that sought to halt the oral examination.



Hawkson reported that, Mr Woyomes counsel brought a medical report to court that stated that Mr Woyome was sick and that he should be off duty for two weeks.



The state, represented by the Deputy Attorney General (AG) Mr Godfred Dame however argued that Mr Woyome got that medical report on June 30, 2017, a day after he was in the Supreme Court.



Counsel argued the medical report was therefore part of the ploy to dodge the oral examination and that irrespective of whatever, Mr Woyome does, the day of reckoning would definitely catch up with him, he cant run any longer.



The court therefore agreed to adjourn to July 24, 2017 by which time Mr Woyome would have recovered from the sickness.

Source: Graphic.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), Senyo Hosi, has sued outspoken member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong for defamation.



Joined to the suit is Kencity Media limited, a company that manages Oman FM and Net2 TV, all owned by Kennedy Agyapong and the Deputy Executive Director of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Afia Akoto.



Senyo Hosi is demanding GHc 5 million from Kennedy Agyapong, GHc3 million from Kencity and GHc1 million from Afia Akoto.



The CBOD boss explained that, Kennedy Agyapong, who is also the Member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region, made some defamatory comments against him on several media Houses including his own Oman FM, Net 2 and on Accra-based Asempa FM.



He added that, Afia Akoto also reiterated similar comments against him on some media platforms.



Lawyers of Mr. Hosi subsequently wrote to Kennedy Agyapong and Afia Akoto advising them to retract and apologize for the comments the lawyers say were outright falsehood, but it seems the advice was ignored.



Senyo Hosi has thus sued them praying the court to uphold that the comments were defamatory and have gravely injured his reputation hence the defendants must be made to retract, apologize and compensate him.



Mr. Agyapong alleged on Oman FM that Mr Hosi attempted to bribe the Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) with $1million to enable him buy the contentious 5 million litres of contaminated fuel sold to an unregistered oil firm, Movenpiina and Zup Oil.



Senyo Hosi in his writ quoted Kennedy Agyapong of saying: The man was promised one million dollars, he didnt take itIt is rather the one million dollars people who were going to do the contamination thingI dont know that Hosi whoever Senyo [is] but I have all this evidence against themIf that guy is on it [the committee], if they bring any report, nobody will accept it because for someone who has gone to offer one million dollarsHow can Boakye Agyarko the minister involve himthat guys should be thrown out completelyHe should question the quy and let him face me.



Mr. Hosi further quoted Kennedy Agyapong speaking on Asempa FM to have said: Again the bombshell in it is that this guy, his name is in my thing, he is called Yoosi something something, I have a difficulty pronouncing his name.



According to Mr. Agyapong, Senyo Hosi had tried to bribe Alfred Obeng Boateng so that the controversial sale of the off-spec oil would be overturned in his (Hosis) favour.



Lawyers for Mr. Hosi denied the claim, saying  Our client, for the avoidance of doubt, wishes to place on record that your said allegations are completely false and that he has never been offered or offered to buy or engage in any transaction of a commercial nature with the BOST, its CEO, any of its officers or third-parties however described.



Below is the reliefs sought by Senyo Hosi:



An order for an unconditional retraction and an unqualified apology for the said defamatory comments/broadcast/publication, doing so separately and in the Daily Graphic newspapers, and for same to be given equal prominence as the complained comments/broadcast/publication within 14 days from the day of judgment.

An order that the contents of relief (i) above be subject to the prior approval of plaintiff, and for defendants to personally and separately read out same on all media networks mentioned in paragraphs 7 and 15 above and doing so within 14 days from the day of judgment.

An order of perpetual injunction restraining defendants from any further comments of said complained defamation.

General damages for defamation.

Aggravated or exemplary damages for the malicious defamation.

Compensatory damages of GHc5, 000,000.00 for injury to character and integrity against 1 defendant.

Compensatory damages of GHc3, 000,000.00 for injury to character and integrity against 2 defendants.

Compensatory damages of GHc1, 000,000.00 for injury to character and integrity against 3 defendants.

Costs, including legal fees.

Further or other reliefs.

Source: citifmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Good Wednesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

We hope you're rested and refreshed after an extended holiday break. Goodness knows, we needed the respite. But we're back - and the headlines wait for no one, so let's get right to it.

We begin this morning with an update into the ongoing federal investigation of Philly labor boss John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, the business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and something of a kingmaker in the City of Brotherly Love.

Dougherty has consistently maintained he has done nothing wrong.

As our friends at The Inquirer report, investigators at the FBI have launched what one expert describes as a "systemic investigation" of Dougherty and the union, which has been under scrutiny for nearly a year.

From The Inquirer:

"Federal prosecutors are examining everything from the campaign donations that have made the union a political powerhouse and Dougherty a kingmaker, to the union's turbulent and sometimes violent relationship with nonunion contractors. They also are exploring the union's dealings with the Kenney administration.

"Documents obtained by The Inquirer and Daily News last week also outline a broad array of crimes federal prosecutors believe may have been committed.

"The warrant authorizing the August 2016 search of the union's offices in Philadelphia states that FBI agents were seeking evidence of embezzlement, attempted extortion of contractors, mail and wire fraud, tax evasion, and honest services fraud by public officials.

"Investigators are also exploring possible embezzlement from employee benefit plans and unlawful payments to felons, said the warrant."



New York University law professor James B. Jacobs told The Inquirer that the federal probe "has so many pieces ... What you're talking about is a whole systemic investigation."

But defense attorney Paul Messing also cautioned that a sweeping investigation doesn't end with a successful prosecution -- or even criminal charges, the newspaper reported.

"It's not uncommon for federal investigations to go nowhere and to produce no indictments," he told The Inquirer.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

After a rough 2016, Pa. shale drillers are starting to turn the corner, The Associated Press reports (via The Tribune-Review).

A new program in Pittsburgh is helping food stamps recipients buy more fresh fruit and vegetables, The Post-Gazette reports.

PhillyMag has the list of locations for the city's medical marijuana dispensaries.

BillyPenn looks at what happens to opioid treatment in Philly under the Senate GOP health plan.

Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day:

NewsWorks/WHYY-FM has another reminder of why libraries still matter.

With fewer refugees, Pa. resettlement organizations are cutting back, Keystone Crossroads reports.

A 19-year-old Allentown man has been killed in a shooting in downtown Allentown, The Morning Call reports.

While most small towns are languishing, some are flourishing, Stateline.org reports.

It's official - state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, is running for Congress in the 7th District against Republican Pat Meehan (via PoliticsPA).

Politico looks at Trump's European do-over ahead of the G20 this week.

Roll Call explains what the last of the 'Watergate babies' can teach Democrats about Trump.

WolfWatch

Gov. Tom Wolf makes it easy today - no public schedule.

Heavy Rotation

Keep the vacation vibe going one more day with this one:

And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit.
Generations of Penn State students have visited State College's favorite basement bar, The Phyrst.

The dive bar with its dark atmosphere and low ceilings packs them in for live music and reasonably priced drinks. Among the traditions many recall are Saturday nights with the Phyrst Phamily, cowbells, table wars, Phyrst Girls and the mug club.

This summer, the Phyrst is celebrating a milestone anniversary - 50 years in business since it opened at 111 E. Beaver Ave.

To commemorate the event, the Nittany Valley Society is creating a documentary, "The Phyrst 50: A Bar in a College Town."

The documentary will "reveal the fascinating 50-year history of a State College landmark." Production is underway and filming will take place this summer including during the Phyrst's anniversary on Aug. 5.

BlueWhiteTV is producing the documentary for the Nittany Valley Society and has produced other films including "The Joe We Know" and "365 Days: A Year in Happy Valley."

The Nittany Valley Society has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to support the documentary. Donations of $25 or more are being accepted with perks such as digital downloads of the film, credit listings and tickets to the film's premiere on Nov. 10 at the State Theatre.

The film will weave together interviews with the owners, staff and longtime patrons with archival footage and original music.

As the bar's history goes, Don Bartoletti opened the Phyrst after signing a lease for $250 a month with the intention creating a gathering spot for students, businessmen, Vietnam vets and other visitors.

Two years later, he was joined by Ernie Oelberman, a World War II vet and engineer at one of the Defense Department's largest contractors. (Oelbermann passed away at the age of 90 in 2015.)

The documentary hopes to bring to light the story behind the beloved bar, according to a press statement.

"The Nittany Valley Society exists to deepen appreciation for our place by sharing its stories. This film is exactly the sort of project that suits our mission of cultural conservation," said the society's vice president Kevin Horne.
An enormous iceberg, over 2,000 square miles in area - or nearly the size of Delaware - is poised to detach from one of the largest floating ice shelves in Antarctica and float off in the Weddell Sea, south of the tip of South America.

Scientists have been expecting the break from the Larsen C ice shelf, monitoring the progress of a crack which extended to over 100 miles long in recent months. The latest update from scientists with NASA and the University of California, Irvine found that only 3 remaining miles of ice continue to connect the impending iceberg to the larger shelf.

Those parts of the iceberg that have already detached have begun to move rapidly seaward, widening the rift in recent days and leaving the remaining ice "strained near to breaking point," according to Adrian Luckman, a scientist monitoring Larsen C at Swansea University in Wales.

The expected calving event - on its own - will not affect global sea level, because the ice that has detached was already afloat in the ocean. But some scientists fear that it could hasten the destabilization of the larger Larsen C ice shelf.

The iceberg itself will be enormous - one of the most massive ever seen from Antarctica. It will be over 600 feet thick and contain roughly 1 trillion tons of ice, according to an analysis by the European Space Agency and Noel Gourmelen, a scientist at the University of Edinburgh.

Scientists are divided about the impact of climate change on this particular break in Antarctica's ice shelf.

Some have contended there's little proof that the break, which will reduce the size of the Larsen C more than scientists have observed previously, reflects the advance of climate change. Ice shelves do, after all, break off sometimes.

"We do not need to press the panic button for Larsen C. Large calving events such as this are normal processes of a healthy ice sheet, ones that have occurred for decades, centuries, millennia - on cycles that are much longer than a human or satellite lifetime," Helen Amana Fricker, an Antarctic scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, wrote recently.

But others disagree.

"Of course this is due to climate warming in the peninsula," Eric Rignot, a NASA and University of California Irvine expert on Antarctica, said in an email.

Antarctica has seen an increase in breaks in its ice shelves in recent years.

The Larsen A ice shelf, far closer to the northern tip of the Antarctic peninsula - and therefore, warmer latitudes - collapsed in 1995. In 2002, the same thing happened with Larsen B, its southern cousin, situated slightly closer to the South Pole.

Now, Larsen C, still further toward the south pole and subject to somewhat cooler temperatures, has seen a major break.

But there are big gaps in scientists' knowledge about what might have disturbed the Larsen C ice shelf.

Recent studies have suggested that the ice of Larsen C has begun to flow more quickly to the sea through the shelf in recent years. The ice shelf has also been thinning and its surface has been getting lower in the water, suggesting that it might be melting from below.

But Fricker presented data to suggest that the ice shelf has since begun to thicken again.

"Yes, I agree Larsen C is 'next in line' southwards after Larsen A and B," Fricker said by email. "However, there is actually no research showing that Larsen C is getting thinner and flowing faster. In fact, in recent years, it is the opposite."

There is a similar debate over whether this individual break will destabilize the ice shelf and lead to further disintegration.

According to Rignot, Larsen C holds back around 1 centimeter of global sea level rise in the form of glaciers feeding into the remaining ice shelf. If the ice shelf were to continue to disintegrate, this ice might flow more rapidly into the sea.

An even larger fear is the southward and poleward progression of ice shelf collapse, Rignot said, pointing out that farther south there are ice shelves that, by stabilizing glaciers, are currently preventing vastly more sea level rise than Larsen C does.

Larsen C is among Antarctica's largest ice shelves but still pales in comparison to the Ross Ice Shelf and Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. Earlier this month, scientists reported a major melt event that occurred several years ago atop the surface of the Ross Ice Shelf accompanied by at least some rainfall, which also gave them concern.

Scientists will be watching the break closely and trying to glean lessons about what to expect from other potentially vulnerable ice shelves in Antarctica.

"While it might not be caused by global warming, it's at least a natural laboratory to study how breakups will occur at other ice shelves to improve the theoretical basis for our projections of future sea level rise," said NASA's Tom Wagner, who directs the agency's polar programs.
One year on from the Brexit referendum, new figures show that despite our upcoming departure from the EU, Brits are still departing to Europe on holiday undeterred by the economic fluctuations of the past twelve months.

In fact, 62% say the referendum result has not put them off travelling abroad at all, while 72% say they have not been conscious of having to minimise costs since the referendum, contrary to the public perception that the weakened pound has cast 2017 as the year of the staycation.

The figures, published today by ferry operator DFDS*, also highlight that a quarter of Brits do not intend to change their tried-and-tested methods to save money when booking a holiday abroad this summer, despite a third stating their holiday has increased in price compared to previous years.

That said, there are still some concerns surrounding particular elements of travelling to Europe post-Brexit, where there is a distinct difference of opinion between those who voted to leave the EU and those who voted to remain.

When matched against voting lines from the referendum, the results show:

Prior to the EU referendum being affirmed, 62% of remainers were concerned about the negative impact leaving the EU would have on the costs for their holiday

Nearly two in five (38%) leavers believed it would not have an impact  and still feel this is the case

With Brexit imminent, 43% of remainers now worry about how much exchange rates will affect their holiday, compared to 20% of leavers

Almost three in ten (29%) remainers fear their journey times will be extended by having to go through new border controls without an EU passport compared to 11% of leavers

34% of remainers worry about how accessible healthcare in the EU will become  a worry only affecting half of those (17%) who voted leave

Three in ten remainers admit they worry about having to obtain a visa to travel to European countries going forwards compared to that of just one in ten leavers.

Despite this, voters agreed on their willingness to pay for a visa when travelling to European countries if the cost were less than 10 with 61% of remainers and 65% of leavers in agreement.

Max Foster, Passenger Director at DFDS said While there will inevitably be some trepidation from travellers considering a holiday to Europe this summer, it is encouraging to see Brits are determined not to let this directly affect their holiday plans.

Travelling to Europe neednt be a huge expense and there are numerous ways Brits can keep costs down, such as looking at alternative ways to get there.

In 2016 we carried more than 3.5 million passengers on our Dover to France ferries alone and a further 584,000 passengers and 121,000 cars on our Newcastle to Amsterdam route, proving ferry travel is a popular method for reaching the Continent.

DFDS offers 54 sailings a day on its Dover to France routes to Calais and Dunkirk and a daily overnight service from Newcastle to Holland. With prices starting from 39 each way for a car and nine people to France and 45 per person each way for a car and four passengers to Holland, travel to Continental Europe has never been more affordable.

For more information or to book your summer trip visit www.dfds.co.uk
Douglas Nendick, seated on his temporary bed inside the Penticton Community Centre gym, is one of the few former residents of the Highland Motel who has a reason to smile
China's Ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye participates in an interview at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada, in Ottawa on Thursday, June 29, 2017. The Trudeau government should spend less time bowing down to Canadian journalists preoccupied with human rights and get on with negotiating an important free trade agreement with China, says the country's ambassador. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
PHOTOS: Petoskey celebrates Veterans Day 2022

Petoskey's American Legion taught local elementary students how to fold the flag during the Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11 in Pennsylvania Park.
Venezuela's poor rebel against the regime, roiling Maduro's bolivarian strongholds

AFP



Riot police clash with residents of La Vega neighborhood in Caracas. In western Caracas, fury erupts when food program falters. People protest when there are no other options. It's madness'

CARACAS

Petroleumworld 07 05 2017

In Caracas, the rich and poor are suddenly less divided.

For most of Venezuela's two-decade socialist experiment, the city's wealthier, whiter east has been the hotbed of anti-government sentiment. Now, noisy protests are erupting in poorer-but-calmer western neighborhoods that were strongholds for embattled President Nicolas Maduro as crime explodes and medicine and food are scarce and expensive.

Residents in neighborhoods like La Candelaria, blocks from the presidential Miraflores Palace, erect barricades and yell slogans against Maduro's government, banging pots and pans from inside their homes. They're increasingly demanding a change in government, infuriated by mismanagement and Maduro's proposed constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution -- and perhaps seize total control.

Everyone protests, without differences, because the hunger of the stomach and the hunger for democracy have been united, said Carlos Julio Rojas, a La Candelaria activist who has been menaced by pro-government militants called colectivos. He said that opposition activists have been joined at protests by government supporters, public employees, housewives and the unemployed.

Crumbling Foundation

The spread of unrest across the nation's capital poses a new and heightened threat to a regime under siege. Anti-government protesters have taken to the streets of Caracas and other major cities for three months denouncing Maduro for wrecking the economy and establishing what they call a dictatorship. Almost 80 people have died in near-daily clashes between protesters and security forces.

Venezuelans last mounted extended anti-government protests in 2014, demanding Maduro's ouster, yet ultimately they fizzled with nothing to show. This time, the opposition has gained significant international support. And inside the nation, key defections from the ruling party and the west-side unrest show that Maduro may be losing elements of the base that has sustained the socialist ideology in the face of poverty and condemnation.

Caracas's relatively prosperous east side, where protesters rally almost daily, is home to half a dozen shopping malls, a small financial district and upper-middle-class enclaves. The west side is older, grittier, poorer and more dangerous. It encompasses the historic center where the presidential palace and government ministries lie as well as large working-class neighborhoods and the bulk of the government housing stock. It also is the location of many of the city's shantytown barrios.

In some areas, members of colectivos loiter to monitor opposition leaders' movements. In others, they have have seized control of buildings, harassing and threatening residents if they don't follow government policies. But while mistrust persists among west-side residents about the opposition's motives and their future under a new government, anger has often overcome doubt and fear.

Jean Carlos Gomez, 35, a mango seller in the working-class neighborhood of La Vega, said his home has been without propane for seven months and his family has resorted to using firewood to cook.

Here there are no banners or marches, he said. People protest when there are no other options. It's madness.

Siege State

For Maduro, it's a worrisome trend. Even as the overall popularity of his predecessor and mentor Hugo Chavez sank in the final years of his life, the country's poor largely remained fervently loyal to him. Yet Maduro is even falling out of favor with that base as infrastructure fails and the oil-rich economy plunges into chaos. Night-time protests have taken place the past few weeks in west side and downtown areas including La Vega, San Martin, Mamera, Caricuao and La Candelaria.

It's a blind rage, where they need a form to channel, said said Alejandro Velasco, a professor of Latin American studies at New York University who has written about Venezuela's shantytowns. The government has played its last hand.

Services are shaky in Caracas, particularly in the slums that surround the capital. Water pipes go dry for days at a time, trash sits rotting and lights go out due to an aging power grid. The flashpoint has been the failure of the neighborhood food program. Deliveries are sporadic and reports of corruption are rampant.

It takes us by surprise when it comes, said Misleidy Gonzalez, a 21-year-old mother of two who cleans homes to get by. Barefooted children played on the cement floor of the wooden shack in the hillside Mamera slum, where she lives with her sister and niece.

Years ago, the barrio boasted government food stores filled with subsidized staples.

Before you had to wait for hours, but you'd find something, Gonzalez said. Last year, I even waited in line pregnant. Now there is nothing. Only the bags.








Good morning, friends. This edition of the newsletter is a little late and your correspondent is a lot sunburned, thanks to a holiday weekend spent on a New Jersey beach not closed to the public.

You're getting this email because you signed up for a newsletter about President Trump and how his policies affect Philadelphia. If you're reading this online or someone forwarded it to you, you can sign up here to get it in your inbox, for free, every week. You can send me questions/concerns/suggestions/affirmations here.

 Aubrey Whelan

Today, lets talk about healthcare.

Whats at stake

The future of the GOP's healthcare bill  and the future of Medicaid  is resting, in part, on how senators plan to tackle the opioid crisis. And whatever they decide will likely hit hardest in states that, like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.

The backstory

After a secret drafting process (one that included Pa.'s own Pat Toomey), the Senate healthcare bill dropped two weeks ago, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell aiming for a vote before Congress went on recess for July 4. (They're off until Monday.) In the week in between, healthcare activists mobilized, the Congressional Budget Office concluded 22 million more people would be left uninsured under the bill, and several moderate Republican senators said they wouldn't support it  a seeming death knell for a bill that, with a razor-thin GOP margin in the Senate, could afford to lose only two votes. It's been tabled until after the recess, and President Trump isn't exactly speaking up for it.

This is basically exactly what happened with the House's healthcare bill, though, which was resurrected a month later with an amendment that got conservative senators on board, and so McConnell and company are searching for compromises that can get moderates on board. One of the ways they might do that? Expanded funding for battling the opioid crisis, where Medicaid spending has more than doubled over the last five years.

The local angle

The Senate bill, with its plans to push more of the cost of the Medicaid expansion to states and cut the program by $772 billion over 10 years, was roundly criticized in the Philadelphia region, my colleague Don Sapatkin wrote last month. And Gov. Wolf has said the state can't afford to pick up the tab for the Medicaid expansion, which covered some 700,000 Pennsylvanians. (I wrote about a healthcare activist with MS who went two years without treatment before getting coverage under the expansion here.)

And then there's the opioid epidemic sweeping the country, an enormously complicated issue, to which the Senate bill allotted $2 billion over 10 years. In Pennsylvania, 175,000 people got addiction treatment under the Medicaid expansion and private insurance plans from the Affordable Care Act. (While we were all on the beach earlier this week, Sapatkin, the star of this morning's newsletter, broke down a couple recent studies on addiction and Medicaid spending and how that fits in with the Senate bill.)

Moderate senators have said the bill's allotment for addiction spending isn't nearly enough, and last week McConnell agreed to kick them an extra $45 billion. But even that might backfire, POLITICO reported, because the same moderates are still fuming over the larger Medicaid cuts. And, Sapatkin reported Monday, the cost of treating opioid addiction and its related diseases could quadruple even the increased allotment. Whatever happens in the days ahead  and it's really anybody's guess  Senators are in for a very uncomfortable recess.

What theyre saying

"Run for governor and you can have the residence." New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, erstwhile "The "They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi is a great state to launch from."  Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, joining a growing number of states refusing to send the Trump administration their voters' information  Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, joining a growing number of states refusing to send the Trump administration their voters' information as part of an investigation into voter fraud . (Gov. Wolf expressed similar sentiments in less colorful language , citing Trump's repeated accusations of voter fraud in Philadelphia during the campaign .) "Our first amendment protects the press from things like violence and we as American citizens should respect that even if the opinions of the press are not in line with our own."  Trump ally and current bane of the barrier islands, on his decision to soak up some rays at the governors residence on Island Beach State Park  which was closed to everyone else due to a government shutdown

In other news

North Korea has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile  a not-necessarily unexpected move, the AP reports, but one that has exacerbated tensions in an already unbelievably tense situation. "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" President Trump asked of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Twitter Monday.

Trump is meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin this week for the first time since the election, and the mood in the Kremlin is "dismal," the Washington Post reports in a thorough breakdown of what's at stake.

The EPA, attempting to walk back an Obama-era emissions regulation, suffered a setback in court.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Hammonton Blueberry Princess Kellyanne Conway are fans of the same restaurant in Margate.

What Im reading

A deeply reported account from POLITICO on how the grime-encrusted, crime-ridden, cash-strapped New York City of the 1970s shaped Donald Trump's view of cities  and isolated him from the people who live there.

A blow-by-blow (literally) account by my colleague Joe DiStefano of the convergence of anti-Trump and pro-Trump rallies in Center City this weekend.

A gorgeous feat of writing and reporting in the Washington Post, on a doctor in Minnesota who is his Trump-loving town's only Muslim resident.

A non-political palate cleanser

Our music critic Dan DeLuca's "perfect summer playlist" includes a track from queen of my heart Carly Rae Jepsen, the Canadian pop goddess you've been criminally ignoring for years. Go have a listen and educate yourselves.
The rise of artificial intelligence as a major potential disrupter to the labor market is unavoidable, with employers scrambling to respond. Read more

MACON, Mo.  Shane Mayes figured out a way to outsmart globalization and hire U.S. workers, but he may have a harder time competing with robots. Like other employers, he sees the rise of artificial intelligence as a major potential disrupter  and he's scrambling to respond.

But Mayes is used to challenges.

Back in 2005, Mayes moved to this small town about 60 miles north of Columbia, Mo. because his new wife, Lisa, wanted to attend A.T. Still University in nearby Kirksville. Mayes, then 32, wasn't sure what he'd do for a living.

When he worked for Elsevier, a major publisher with a big presence in St. Louis County, he'd seen jobs outsourced to India. That gave him an idea.

Many small towns in rural America, battered by recessions and globalization, saw factory jobs disappear, and for many, that meant fewer opportunities.

In Macon, the loss of the Toastmaster factory in 2001 eliminated more than 600 jobs from the local economy.

Mayes figured if companies could ship work overseas in search of cheap labor, perhaps they could find what they were looking for in distressed communities in their own backyards.

Telecommunications and computers now make it possible to locate some work anywhere on the planet  and that's especially true for information technology. If an IT specialist can work from India, he or she could also work in rural America, where the cost of living is still relatively low and jobs are in high demand.

His plan was to launch a company to provide IT services that would be staffed by displaced workers he'd train. His first obstacles: He didn't have any money, and his credit was rocky.

Mayes found an angel in Frank Withrow, who at the time was Macon County's economic development director. Withrow helped him secure a $52,400 loan from the city of Macon and another for $52,400 from the Mark Twain Revolving Loan Fund in 2005.

"I used to have a daily newspaper and was in a similar situation when I started, and somebody believed in me, so I believed in him," Withrow said.

Today, the company Mayes launched, Onshore Outsourcing, employs 380 people who do work for some of the nation's biggest corporations. Clients have included national giants such as Nike, Commerce Bank, and JPMorgan as well as big St. Louis area-based employers Panera, Centene, Ameren, and Mallinckrodt.

Onshore Outsourcing identifies workers by offering an eight-week crash course on programming, customer service, and software testing. The top students get hired by the company, where they develop, test, and support software applications for clients.

"People love the Onshore value proposition, what we stand for, so they will give us opportunities that we are not accustomed to," Mayes said. "We end up with a very diverse service portfolio because our clients have asked us to do this stuff."

Onshore Outsourcing has a number of things going for it. The workforce it draws on is relatively stable and low cost. Mayes says the average salary is about $35,000 (but can rise to $80,000 for more experienced software developers). And a U.S.-based workforce is attractive to corporations with security concerns.

Despite the success, Mayes is worried.

"Onshore is winning with all the new business all the time, and everybody is doing great. My fear is that it is shortsighted," Mayes said.

According to the recent study by BMC Software, 73 percent of IT decision makers believe businesses that do not embrace IT automation to achieve the larger digital-business strategy within the next five years will cease to exist in 10 years.

"Automation in a human-outsourcing business is not a good place to be," Mayes said. "In order to prepare ourselves well for the future, we have to attack these technologies."

Fear of automation pushed Mayes to launch a new subsidiary, OTS Digital, where employees are tasked with developing new technology. The company, based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was started in January and currently has two employees.

"The Virgin Islands is a good place to attract people and hire talent," Mayes said. "To be slightly divergent and be able to offer a different lifestyle for some of the employees, I decided to go in a different direction."

One of the recent creations of OTS Digital is a natural-language generation engine that converts the human voice into a machine-readable language and helps find articles to troubleshoot customers' problems. The system is supposed to give a customer a suitably helpful article before they stop talking.

However, more sophisticated problems may require agent assistance.

"Does that go against our model of creating more jobs? Well, yeah, it does. But I would much rather be a master of that problem than a blind victim," Mayes said.

Automation of tech-support call centers is one of the examples of how robots will replace IT workers. Dr. Cem Karacal, an associate dean of the School of Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, predicts that customer call centers will fade and be replaced with mobile devices automated by virtual agents. However, he argues that it does not mean that jobs from the IT sector will disappear.

"It may sound like the use of AI [artificial intelligence] applications will result in losses in terms of the jobs, but I think it will change the nature of the IT jobs from data processing and writing queries to a database to information generation and intelligent use of generated information that will provide businesses advantages," Karacal said. "The skill sets required by IT workers will be more into AI techniques and end use of information."

Mayes admits that the fear of automation and uncertainty of the future prevented him from adding more jobs in Macon.

"We could be adding so many jobs right now, we are moving very deliberately, in a very measured way because I feel responsible for every family that works here," Mayes said.
A Princeton University anthropology professor known as a widely respected South Asia scholar died from a fall last week while in India, the university said.

Isabelle Clark-Deces, 61, was in the village of Mussoorie in the northern state of Uttarakhand, where she was directing one of the university's six-week summer global seminars for undergraduates on the Indian Himalayas, when she died.

"It was a very unfortunate accident," a university spokesman said Wednesday, declining to release further details except to say Clark-Deces was alone when it happened.

The Times of India reported Thursday that Clark-Deces "died after falling down a narrow pathway" on June 29 while she was on her way to the Hanifl Centre for Outdoor Education and Environmental Study at the Woodstock School. The report said she was found unconscious by a group of students.

Rajesh Rauthan, a sub-inspector of Mussoorie, told the newspaper: "It was a freak accident. She fell down while she was going for lunch." Clark-Deces was taken to the Landour Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Clark-Deces, who joined the Princeton faculty in 1996, traveled to South Asia countless times, the university said in a statement. Her research focused on the Tamils of South India and Sri Lanka.

She taught undergraduate and graduate courses on India and directed the university's Program in South Asian Studies since it was established in 2007.

Clark-Deces was born in Paris and earned her bachelor's degree and Ph.D., both in anthropology, from the University of California-Berkeley. She is survived by a daughter, who lives in Berkeley; two brothers in France; and a longtime partner.

She had said she hoped students participating in one of her global seminars would feel some of what she did during her first trip to India in 1977, the university said. She first traveled to the country alone at age 20, making her way to Istanbul, Turkey, then east via bus and train through Iran and Afghanistan.

"There was kindness," Clark-Deces said of the people in India, according to the statement. "I felt the gentleness of the people, the smiles on their faces. The invitation of women to sit with them. It is an amazing country."

Carolyn Rouse, a professor of anthropology and department chair, said in the statement: "We have lost a passionate teacher. Walking through the halls, one could often hear Isabelle mentoring her undergraduate students. She always provided clear and honest advice, delivered with encouragement and love. She absolutely adored her students and regularly praised them in faculty meetings."

The university invited people to share their memories of Clark-Deces in a blog intended to honor her life and legacy.
Mark Bowden didn't set out to be a war writer.

The reporter, of Kennett Square, covered a range of topics during his 24 years at the Inquirer, including local crime and the Eagles, whose 1992 season formed the subject of his first book, 1994's Bringing the Heat.

Yet it was Bowden's retrospective coverage of war that got him onto the national stage, with the publication in 1999 of his second book, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, a minute-by-minute account of a 1993 American military raid in Somalia. The book was later adapted into a hit movie.

Bowden, 65, now a national correspondent at The Atlantic, has since written books about the war against drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, and the killing of terrorist Osama bin Laden.

His latest book, Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam, chronicles one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. Bowden will speak about the book with Inquirer editor Bill Marimow at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Hue 1968 is a detailed, multifaceted account of a battle that lasted 24 days. Bowden speaks to dozens of men and women present during the fighting, sparked off when the North Vietnamese invaded the city of Hue on Jan. 30, 1968, as part of the massive surprise attack known as the Tet Offensive.

The battle to reclaim the city took the entire month of February and involved intense house-to-house fighting among U.S. Marines, South Vietnamese forces, and their allies, including Australia. When the dust settled, 216 Americans had lost their lives, with 1,584 wounded. Estimates vary widely, but communist forces also executed thousands of civilians before they were pushed out of the city.

The battle proved to be a turning point in public perception of the war, especially when it was discovered that American leaders had lied to downplay the extent of destruction and carnage.

Bowden's book is reportedly being developed into a miniseries by writer-director Michael Mann (Heat, Public Enemies).

What brought you to the Vietnam War?

You know, I lived through the years of the Vietnam War, and like many families, mine was torn in half by differing opinions. I was 14 or 15 when it started, and I remember having strong arguments with my dad.  He would always challenge me and say, "Well, how do you know that?"  And that's what started me reading newspapers. I remember subscribing to Time magazine and reading it cover to cover.

The war brought you to journalism?

My mom would always take me to the library, and I would just randomly take books off the shelves because I was curious about them. But I started to become more focused in my reading. So in a way, the Vietnam War was something that really became important to a lot of my intellectual pursuits and would lead me to journalism.

Why focus on the battle of Hue?

I'm  drawn to dramatic stories that, if you dig deeply, can be a kind of lens on the whole experience of the war. And the battle of Hue was the largest and the bloodiest single battle of the Vietnam War. I think it includes just about every element of the war in Vietnam, from our relationship with the South Vietnamese, to the nature of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, to the politics of the war, to military strategy.

Critics praised the way you told the story in Black Hawk Down from multiple perspectives, through the eyes of numerous soldiers who were there. You do the same here, but the scope is dramatically different.

I don't think I could have done this book without having done Black Hawk Down before. But yes, the scale here was huge. You can give a minute-by-minute account the action in Black Hawk Down, since it unfolded over 18 hours. Hue continued for a full month. And while it was theoretically possible to interview every American soldier who was in Somalia that day  I think at one point there were 100 on the ground  here we're talking about tens of thousands of people, including civilians.

I imagine there was never a question of not including the perspectives of the enemy, of people who fought on the North Vietnamese side.

I thought it was essential to this project. Every story has two sides, and of nothing is this more true than a battle. You know, when I went to Somalia for Black Hawk, I did with considerable difficulty try to get that perspective. In the case of Vietnam, things there have opened up so much that one of the incentives for writing the book was that, for the first time, an American could try to capture the Vietnamese perspective as well as the American one, and I just thought that would make a powerful story.

Your interviews focus on everyday soldiers, not their leaders on the field or the politicians in charge.

For me, what brings a story to life are the people at the center of it, the people for whom it matters the most, and I think that's the first thing you learn as a reporter.

Surely, that's not the best way to achieve historical accuracy.

This is kind of the sweet spot for journalists. We are almost 50 years from the event, which means there's an immense amount of historical material I can take, but most of the participants are still alive, and I think the value of what I do is to find those people who were there and tell their stories. This can't be the sort of academic history that relies on documentation for every detail. It means I'm relying to a great extent on the memories of the participants  and memory is not perfect.

What did you hope to discover?

I tried to understand each person's motivations, how they felt about what they were doing. I would ask did they join the Marines, how they ended up in Vietnam.  Initially, I was more interested in how they felt at the time. Later in the conversation, I also asked how people felt about it now, years later. And I think this really helped to inform my understanding of them as people.

The Vietnam War was surrounded for decades with controversy. Fifty years on, is there something like a consensus about the war?

I think there's a broad consensus now that it was a tragic mistake for the United States to get involved with Vietnam. Not everyone shares that point of view, but my sense is that most people now feel this way.  There's a consensus that the United States poorly understood what was happening in Vietnam and that a great many very patriotic and decent Americans fought with good intentions in Vietnam in a cause that I believe was doomed from the start. And hopefully, it can now be seen as a cautionary tale of how the United States projects its power around the world.

Mark Bowden, 'Hue 1968: A Turning Point Of The American War In Vietnam'

In conversation with Inquirer editor Bill Marimow. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St.

Tickets: Free.

Information: 215-567-4341 or freelibrary.org
The Big Sick is romantic and funny, but the movie is way too sprawling and ambitious to be contained by the words romantic comedy.

It's a warm, bighearted epic of assimilation, the latest iteration of a classic American story of immigrant striving  this time about a Pakistani American (Kumail Nanjiani) who feels what newly minted Americans have always felt: the pull of freedom and possibility, the thrill of being unbound by tradition.

In Nanjiani's case, it means constructing a life (sometimes secretly) that's in conflict with the wishes of his devout Muslim and aspirational parents (Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff). They want him to be a lawyer; he wants to be a stand-up comedian (and is settling for Uber driver). When he excuses himself for daily prayer, he plays video games. When they bring eligible Muslim women to dinner, he feigns interest  in fact he's already in love, with an American girl named Emily Gordon (Zoe Kazan).

The story is all over the place, and is way too messy to be anything but true. Nanjiani wrote it with Gordon  now his wife  and made it with producer Judd Apatow, whose movies are known for being long and cluttered and discursive.

Here, it all works to the benefit of The Big Sick. Its wide embrace of subplots and characters is in tune with its big-tent themes. Case in point: those eligible Muslim women. In a stock comedy they'd be stiff caricatures, punch lines crafted to reinforce the trite True Love formula and Old World/New World cliches. But these women are fleshed-out individuals  beautiful, smart, sympathetic  and they register strongly, so much so that the formal matchmaking involved seems startlingly sensible, its orchestration by Kumail's parents practical and even affectionate.

Another example: Kumail's older and more dutiful brother (Adeel Akhtar) wants to know  in a way that seems right and reasonable  when Kumail is going to follow his example as a devout son and white-collar success story who can make the family proud.

All of the thoughtful characters missing from the last 10 comedies you've seen?

They're here.

And we haven't even gotten to the love story, marked by Kumail's dithering. He doesn't want to lose his family or Emily, so he lies to both parties, a doomed strategy that collapses the same day as Emily, who is rushed to the hospital with a mysterious illness, and placed in a medically induced coma.

Awkwardly supervising her care are the thrust-together trio of Kumail and Emily's parents (Ray Romano, Holly Hunter). The three are ill at ease with each other and with the hospital staff, with whom they quarrel as the mystery of Emily's illness grows apace with its seriousness. (Another no-small-parts moment: Myra Lucretia Taylor as the night nurse who persuades Kumail not to move Emily to a swankier hospital.)

How does all of this manage to be funny? It helps that the movie returns periodically to Kumail's refuge at the stand-up club (comedians Bo Burnham, Aidy Bryant, Kurt Braunohler are his friends and colleagues), and carries that playful tone with it to the hospital and to the home of Kumail's parents.

The Big Sick even finds humor (thanks to Romano and Hunter) in the frayed marriage of Emily's parents. If Kumail  not sure if Emily will wake up still hating his guts  is looking to find reassurance of a happy, long-term union, he's out of luck. This is a feature of Apatow's films (Knocked Up, This is 40), which are unfailingly honest about the ups and downs of marriage. (I don't mean to downplay the contributions of director Michael Showalter, but The Big Sick is clearly of a piece with other Apatow titles.)

That kind of candor is tricky. Sometimes it can feel like a lack of discipline. Sometimes it can feel like life.

With The Big Sick, it's definitely the latter.

MOVIE REVIEW

The Big Sick

Directed by Michael Showalter. With Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter, Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff, and Bo Burnham. Distributed by Amazon Studios.

Running time: 119 minutes.

Parent's guide: R (sexual references).

Playing at: Ritz East, AMC Voorhees 16, Bryn Mawr Film Institute, and selected area theaters.
W.D. Bill Ehrhart joined the U.S. Marines when he was 17. Ehrhart, left, in October 1967 near Quang Tri, Vietnam, and today. Read more

For Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War In Vietnam, Mark Bowden interviewed more than 100 men and women from both sides of the fighting. Below are comments from three local American veterans of the battle of Hue. All three were interviewed for Bowden's book.

Carl Dileo

Army infantryman

Retired Trenton ironworker Carl Dileo, 69, was 18 when he was drafted in 1966. "I wanted to go to Vietnam, but for my own reason," he said. "I didn't have any political views either way. I wanted to go for the adventure."

By the time he arrived at Hue in Feburary 1968, he was "already a seasoned infantryman, having fought for months in the jungle. But this was the first city we were fighting in. Usually, it was in the jungle, where you had to look for ambushes. Now I was fighting 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Dileo was shot in the head. "The bullet hit the top of my helmet, and it shattered into fragments," he said. "Pieces got stuck in my skull, but they never reached the brain." He was treated on the field and continued to fight.

Dileo looks back at the war with some melancholy. "It was such a waste of life on both sides, such a waste of youth."

Eddie Neas

U.S. Marine

Brooklyn native Eddie Neas was eager to be a Marine. "I wanted to be a Marine for all my life," he said. "I quit high school at 16, and on my birthday in 1966, I enlisted. I was 17, so I couldn't go over there for another year."

Neas, 68, who lives in Rahway in Union County, recently retired after running his own telecommunications company.

"To be honest, I wanted to know what it was like to shoot at someone and have someone shoot at you," he said. "When you're 18, you think you'll never die. I had a rude awakening.  When you see someone shot, whether it's your buddy or whether it's the enemy, it's a life-changing moment."

Neas was shot in the back. "I spent three weeks in the hospital," he says, "and then went right back."

Neas went on a recent tour of Vietnam, including a visit to Hue in March as part of an educational trip sponsored by College of the Ozarks in Missouri.

"We were each teamed up with a student studying history," he said. "It was incredible. I was overwhelmed to be back.  I stood on the spot where I had been shot, but it's so different now. The whole city had been leveled [in 1968], and it has been totally rebuilt."

D. Bill Ehrhart

U.S. Marine

Bucks County poet Bill Ehrhart, 68, recounts his experiences in Vietnam in several poems as well as his 1983 memoir, Vietnam Perkasie. Ehrhart, the son of a Protestant minister, joined the Marines at 17, and while he had no strong political reasons, he felt passionately that he ought to do his bit.

"I had been accepted to four colleges, but I signed up," he said. "It seemed the right thing to do. My brothers were both in college, they were doing their thing, and I felt this was my own thing to do."

When he told his parents, they were livid, not for any ideological reasons, but because of concern that he'd be hurt or lose his life. "I said to my mom, 'Is this the way you raised me, to let other sons' mothers go through this?' " he said.

Today, he is surprised at his sophisticated response. "Not bad for a 17-year-old," Ehrhart said, laughing.

Ehrhart teaches literature at the Haverford School. He said his first return visit in 1985 changed his perspective on Vietnam. "I had seen a documentary about the war in 1983, and a man who was about my age talked about how beautiful Vietnam was, how vivid the colors were, how they seemed to vibrate," he said. "And I realized all my memories of Vietnam were in black and white. I had never really been to Vietnam the country. I had only seen the war."

It was a revelatory trip. "It was as if I got to see it like a real country, to see the real people. I was able to replace all those memories of the war with memories in color. [I saw] people living their lives with no one dropping bombs on them."

He met a former North Vietnamese soldier. "I met him on the street one day, and I spent the night with his family. He had been to that very same battle [at Hue]. We may have been shooting at each other."

Said Ehrhart, "I call that my trip of the heart."
Kim Clemens with her children: Sudan (left), Tunisia (right) and Mali (in her arms). Read more

THE PARENT: Kim Clemens, 34, of Hatfield

THE KIDS: Sudan Huntley, 5; Tunisia Elizabeth, 4; and Mali Ann, 2; all adopted Dec. 30, 2016

A MOMENT OF BLISS AMID THE CHAOS: Taking the kids to Ocean City's Wonderland Pier, a childhood favorite of Kim's. The ocean was cold, the carousel mesmerizing.

On Kim's first night of parenthood, she planted herself in a rocker across from her foster son's crib. Sudan, then 15 months old, had arrived at Kim's home after dark with his biological sister, India, 9, and two plastic grocery bags of belongings.

"I sat in his room until he fell asleep," Kim says. "We were staring at each other: Now what?"

When she was young, growing up in a family that included stepsiblings and half-siblings, Kim envisioned getting married, becoming pregnant, perhaps having four kids. She aimed to become a teacher, but found, after working at an Easter Seals day-care center, that she preferred the hands-on aspects of care  even changing diapers on a wheelchair-bound teen  to pedagogy.

That led her to nursing school. In the meantime, she married her high school sweetheart. "We worked, we lived, we traveled. We were going to settle down to have kids  but life had other plans," she says.

After a year of trying to conceive, Kim and her husband sought fertility counseling. She was treated for endometriosis. Eventually, they tried IVF: one unsuccessful, costly  and lonely  cycle after another. "You don't tell people after every disappointment," she says. "It was a lot of pain, a lot of injections. It's hard to take the devastation, every time."

Kim's work as a nurse took up 36 hours of the week. In the remaining time, she wanted to do something meaningful. "I had so much to offer, and I felt like there was a need. We started fostering [through Bethany Christian Services] while I was going through the end of our third IVF cycle."

Sudan had medical needs  he had been born with one femur much shorter than the other, so Kim shuttled him to orthopedists and physical therapists. India struggled in school. One day, after driving an hour to a medical appointment only to find out the office had canceled the slot, Kim dissolved in tears.

"It was so life-altering, getting to know kids you hadn't lived with. As a first-time parent, it was too much." She consulted with the social workers at Bethany, who found an adoptive home for India.

But there was no room in that family for a toddler with a medical condition. After the third IVF failure, Kim didn't want to try again. Meanwhile, she had become attached to her affectionate, determined foster son, who loved to be pushed on swings or chased in a parent-child game of tag.

"He was a little kid looking for a parent's love. And as you're going to medical appointments, sitting through three-times-a-week physical therapy, it grows on you," she says.

Kim had encouraged Sudan to call her "Miss Kim," as his sister did. "He'd come to me, saying, 'Mommy, Mommy!' I'd say, 'I'm not your mom. We visit with your mom.' Finally, someone said, 'Let him call you Mom. Let him attach.' And when you let that wall down  oh, wow."

Still, she had to grieve the dream of having children biologically  seeing her eyes or temperament mirrored in a daughter or son, being able to extrapolate from her own childhood to theirs.

Nearly a year after Sudan arrived, Kim and her husband said yes to fostering Tunisia, his biological sister. "It was deja vu," she says  and a new level of parenting, with a coil-of-energy 2-year-old boy and, now, a 1-year-old girl with speech and motor delays.

"When Tunisia first came to me, she just sat and stared. She liked to be by herself." Those years  mediating squabbles between toddlers who lunged after the same toy, shuttling kids to swimming and T-ball, and endless doctors' appointments  feel like a blur, Kim says.

She thought her family was complete. But Sudan and Tunisia's birth mother was pregnant again, and Kim and her husband still longed to parent a newborn. "We thought: This is our kids' biological sibling, and [DHS] is 95 percent sure the case will be going to adoption. We called and said yes."

Mali arrived in November 2014, a 6-pound wisp of a baby with a pile of NICU discharge paperwork. The next day, a sleep-starved Kim dragged the trio to one of Sudan's orthopedic appointments. She had asked her aunt to come along for support. Mali, who had been drug-exposed in utero, needed weekly weight checks. All three kids were in diapers.

And then, her marriage quietly crumbled. "We separated the summer after Mali had come, a friendly parting of the ways," Kim says. The children were still foster kids. She hadn't signed on any dotted lines.

"Did I want to be a single parent? Did I want to move forward?" she remembers thinking. She knew what it was like to hope for pregnancy, then feel that vision shred. "I could never wrap my head around saying goodbye to them. That pain  would tear me in half.

"It was a difficult decision to make. But I felt very strongly that these were my kids."

Kim said yes. And on the last calendar day for adoptions in Montgomery County in 2016, all three kids became officially hers. Sudan understood what that meant: Now, no doctor's receptionist would say, "Oh, she's just your foster mom."

For Kim, solo parenting is a frantic juggle, aided by a community of extra hands: the friend who picks up a feverish kid from day care, the cousin who offers to drop off a platter of leftovers.

Last summer, Kim figured there was no way she could attend her family's annual reunion at Spruce Lake Retreat in the Poconos. How would she manage the hike to the mountaintop with three young kids? Relatives insisted.

"I carried Mali, my one uncle carried Sudan, and another uncle carried Tunisia." Her aunt trudged alongside with encouraging mantras: Come on, you can do it. "That's the way life is," Kim says. "Family and friends come along, and sometimes they need to carry you." She has a picture of the whole bunch, grinning, at the mountain's crest.
Kemonie McKee, 16, at left, and Syniah Martinez, 17, at right, are charged with three gunpoint robberies in Upper Darby last month and are suspects in another two in Philadelphia, according to police. Read more

Two Philadelphia girls, ages 16 and 17, have been charged as adults in the gunpoint robberies of two cabdrivers and two Ecuadoran tourists in Upper Darby last month. Police said the teenagers also are suspected in two armed holdups of pizza delivery drivers in Philadelphia.

"They committed some very heinous, nasty crimes," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. "You could write a book about these two."

But for readers who prefer happy news, this story has that as well. Moved by reports of the robberies last week, two Good Samaritans stepped forward  separately  to donate $1,000 each to the Ecuadoran women, ages 86 and 52, who allegedly were victimized by the teens while visiting relatives in the area, Chitwood said.

"Two community residents who wanted to remain anonymous came into my office and gave me $1,000 each to give to the women. They felt bad [that] people would come here from another country and be victims of a robbery," Chitwood said. "The women were absolutely thrilled. They hugged the detective who delivered it to them and couldn't thank him enough. The 86-year-old started crying."

The suspects, identified by Chitwood as Kemonie McKee, 16, and Syniah Martinez, 17, are accused of robbing the drivers of two cabs at gunpoint June 19 in Upper Darby. Police said the teens got away with $100 from one of the drivers and $80 from the other. In police interviews, the teens said the weapon shown during the robberies was a BB gun, Chitwood said, adding that no weapon had been recovered.

On the morning of June 23, the girls robbed the tourists from Ecuador at gunpoint as they exited a home on the unit block of Kent Road in Upper Darby, taking a purse that contained $700 in cash from the 86-year-old and a handbag that contained $200 and a cellphone from the 52-year-old, Chitwood said. During the robbery, one teen hit the 86-year-old in the arm with her gun and the other punched the 52-year-old in the chest, according to police.

McKee turned herself in to police with her mother on Sunday, Chitwood said. She was charged with aggravated assault and related offenses in all three cases and was being held on $500,000 bail, according to police. Martinez was arrested Tuesday night at 51st and Spruce Streets in West Philadelphia and faces similar charges for those three cases and charges for a purse-snatching to which she admitted while in custody, Chitwood said.

Both girls also admitted to carjacking robberies of two Domino's Pizza delivery drivers in Philadelphia in the same week as the Upper Darby robberies, Chitwood said. A Philadelphia police spokesman said the teens were suspects in those robberies but had not yet been charged.

Chitwood credited the teens' arrests to a "great collaboration" between Philadelphia and Upper Darby police. He said the investigation was continuing as police searched for an adult male who they believe masterminded the robberies and may have served as the getaway driver.

"These are kids committing adult crimes," Chitwood said. "There's got to be somebody leading them around."
Thursday June 30, 2017 Erin McCarthy writes about the crisis in Coatesville, 5000 kids , a brutally hot simmer and two community pools both closed because of expensive repairs. Here,Ash Park pool which has been closed since 2015. ED HILLE / Staff Photographer Read more

Children bolted off the Ash Park jungle gym as an ice cream truck pulled up on Coatesville's Third Avenue on a pleasant afternoon this month.

On their way to the street, little sneakers stomped through wood chips. Flanking one side of the playground, "Hope" and "Dream" were written on a concrete path in colorful chalk.

But on the other side, a metal fence surrounded an empty swimming pool covered by a green tarp.

"That pool looks gross," one girl said.

Another summer, another hot spell, another season without a pool for thousands of youngsters in Coatesville and elsewhere in the region.The Ash Park pool closed two years ago; the only other one, at Palmer Park, hasn't been open for at least a decade.

City Councilwoman Linda Lavender-Norris said neighboring towns don't have public pools, and some of their youngsters relied on the Ash and Palmer Park pools.

Keeping pools afloat is a challenge for the city's budget, some Coatesville officials say.

With a median household income of $34,716, Coatesville is the poorest municipality in one of the state's wealthiest counties and has one of the region's highest local property tax rates. Once a booming steel city, it's been struggling to revitalize for decades. The 2008 recession only worsened Coatesville's plight.

Last year, an economic development firm was hired to help attract businesses, but the town has store after store housed in rundown buildings or shuttered.

Officials argue the city has priorities that rank above public pools. But according to a Brandywine Health Foundation report titled City of Coatesville Parks 2021, published in August, more than 80 percent of Coatesville residents surveyed think fixing community pools is an important or very important issue.

While Lavender-Norris said she was heartened to see that the community is passionate about the problem, she warns there's no quick fix for the Ash Park pool, which has not been renovated since 1972.

She estimated that Coatesville had spent about $60,000 annually to keep the Ash Park pool open.

"We were cash-strapped," she said. "We didn't have a lot of options."

One summer the city spent about $90,000 on pool repairs, Lavender Norris said, and charged only $1 a day to swim.

Pushing her 4-month-old in a stroller, Shequita Bell, 27, said she never thought about the importance of a public pool until she had a child.

Her cousin Kevetta Bell, 28, who has several young children, said her kids used to play at the pool all day every day in the summer. Now, they complain constantly about having nowhere nearby to go and cool off.

"That's the only thing the kids had to do," Kevetta Bell said, besides walking across town to the "stupid splash pad."

The city installed the aforementioned splash pad  a play area with sprinklers and fountains  along the Riverwalk Brandywine Creek Trail in 2012. But Bell said the children aren't big fans. It's not the same, they say, as having a pool in the neighborhood.

Sitting in the shade of a covered picnic area, Jeremy Peterson, 44, who lives within walking distance of Ash Park, said he wished the council had reached out to the community right away to let people know how they could help restore Ash Park.

To him, the issue speaks to a general prosperity in the region that has bypassed Coatesville. He said he thinks the city chooses to ignore the problem.

"Everything's shutting down around you and [the city] just isn't going to say anything about it," Peterson said. "The pool is an issue, but it has to do with everything."

City activist Alphonso Newsuan said he's met with city officials to discuss how the community can help. Last week he started a GoFundMe page where residents can raise money to repair the Ash Park pool.

Lavender-Norris said the city plans for a splash pad to be installed at Palmer Park, hopefully by next summer.

But Newsuan wants to see the Ash Park pool reopened by then, he said.

"We want to open that pool for our residents, without a doubt," Lavender-Norris said. "But we have to be realistic and not throw money away."
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has extended the area placed under quarantine for an invasion of spotted lanternfly to include nine additional municipalities in the southeastern part of the state.

"This is our third season of combating the spotted lanternfly, and despite extensive work that has helped slow the spread of this potentially devastating invasive pest, the addition of these new municipalities illustrates just how challenging a task that is," said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.

The invasive bug, which is native to China, India, Japan, and Vietnam, was first detected in the United States in the fall of 2014 in Berks County. The insect is a significant threat to the more than $20.5 million grape industry, nearly $134 million apple industry, and more than $24 million stone fruit industry as well as the $12 billion in hardwood industry, the state reported.

Eighty-four municipalities in the southeaster part of the state are now affected. The quarantine restricts movement of any material or object that can spread the pest, including firewood or wood products, brush or yard waste, remodeling or construction materials and waste, grapevines for decorative purposes or as nursery stock, and any outdoor household articles such as lawnmowers, grills, tarps and other equipment, as well as trucks and vehicles not typically stored indoors, the state reported.

In Bucks County, there have been confirmed sightings of the insect in Springfield, East Rockhill and West Rockhill townships, as well as Perkasie, Sellersville and Telford Borough, which crosses into Montgomery County

In Berks County, Muhlenberg Township and Laureldale Borough were added to the quarantine area.

The insect is already present in parts of Chester, Northampton and Lehigh Counties.

"Our goal remains to eliminate this pest from Pennsylvania and see to it that it does not spread elsewhere. But to do that, we need the public to help us by watching out for these pests, reporting new infestations, and ensuring that they don't hitch a ride when you travel," Redding said.
A 27-year-old Philadelphia man believed pulled underwater by the current was found dead Tuesday afternoon in the Delaware River in Bucks County, more than an hour after he was reported missing.

According to Solebury Township police, authorities were dispatched to the river near Washington Crossing Park, off the 1600 block of River Road, around 1:15 p.m. to assist with a swimmer "in distress."

Nearly 90 minutes later, divers from the Point Pleasant Fire Company recovered the body from the water. The man was pronounced dead by the Bucks County Coroner's Office, police said.

Authorities on Wednesday identified the swimmer as Marvin Lemus Nolasco.

The search was a joint effort among Solebury police, state park rangers from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and marine and dive rescue units from townships across the county.

Authorities were urging boaters and swimmers to use caution, life jackets and other floatation devices in the water. The river on Tuesday was flowing normally for this time of year, police said, and strong currents and pockets of deep water are constant threats.
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services staff listen to testimony at a public hearing Wednesday in Philadelphia. The hearing was on the proposed cuts to the low income home energy assistance program. Read more

As Pennsylvania braces for whatever the federal budget may bring, the state Department of Human Services is already proposing cuts to its popular Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

The federal block-grant program helps the poor pay for heat during the winter. The funding comes from the federal government and is administered at the state level. President Trump's proposed 2018 budget put LIHEAP on the chopping block for the coming winter.

"As a result of the president's proposal and the uncertainty that exists around the federal budget at this time, DHS is estimating that Pennsylvania will receive $153.7 million for the 2018 federal block grant. That represents a 25 percent reduction in the fiscal 2017 allocation," Brian Whorl, the director of the division of federal programs for DHS, said at a public hearing Wednesday in Philadelphia. "This is a precautionary measure."

If the federal government comes through with funding consistent with previous years, Whorl said, DHS would scale back the proposed cuts, which include shortening the length of time the program is available in the winter and lowering the minimum and maximum amounts residents can receive.

For 2017, Pennsylvania received $209 million from the federal government for LIHEAP.

DHS proposes lowering the LIHEAP cash grant minimum to families with an income limit of 150 percent of the federal poverty level to $100 (from the previous minimum of $200) and lowering the LIHEAP crisis grant maximum to $400 (from the previous $500 cap).

At Wednesday's hearing, one of three public hearings scheduled across the state this month, several advocates and users of LIHEAP spoke out against the cuts.

"The potential decrease in federal funding would never justify cutting people off from LIHEAP in November," said Maripat Pileggi, staff attorney at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. "The potential for harm is just too great."

Pileggi was referring to an initial proposal by DHS to delay the opening of LIHEAP benefits to Nov. 27 instead of the usual start date of Nov. 1. The delayed start date drew criticism at Wednesday's hearing.

At the start of the hearing, Whorl said that the department recently received $23 million from the federal government that the department will be able to roll over into its 2018 budget. That money, Whorl said, should allow DHS to open LIHEAP by Nov. 1.

However, DHS expects the 2018 LIHEAP season to be cut short by more than a week. DHS is proposing ending the program by March 23 instead of the usual April 1 date. April 1 is also the end of the moratorium for utility companies to shut off heat in people's homes.

"Utility companies  ramp up those termination activities the month before the moratorium ends and then follow through with those termination notices on April 1," Pileggi said. "Giving folks, these families struggling to make ends meet, those few extra business days to ensure that those termination notices can be canceled and they can keep service on until the spring is very important, and we urge DHS to keep the LIHEAP season open until at least April 1."

A woman who testified during the two-hour hearing said she lost her full-time job when she became her sick mother's primary caregiver. When she couldn't keep up with her bills, she said, LIHEAP provided her some relief.

"Programs like LIHEAP help those who are the working poor," she said. "If it were not for programs like LIHEAP  I would probably still be sitting in a house with no electricity."

The state Department of Human Services will hold two other hearings next week on the proposed 2018 LIHEAP budget. For information on LIHEAP and the hearings, visit http://www.dhs.pa.gov/citizens/heatingassistanceliheap.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, is vice chair of President Trumps Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. Read more

New Jersey is still deciding whether to comply with the Trump administration's request for voter data as part of the president's investigation into alleged election fraud.

President Trump's Advisory Commission on Election Integrity sent a letter to each state last month requesting "publicly available voter roll data," such as registrants' names, addresses, dates of birth, and political party affiliation. The commission also asked for data such as the last four digits of Social Security numbers, as long as the information is considered public under state law.

The commission's request is "currently under review," Robert Giles, director of New Jersey's Division of Elections, said in a statement Wednesday. He noted that the commission had requested a response by July 14.

"To date, no information has been released nor will any future information be released that is not publicly available or does not follow the appropriate legal process for information requests," Giles said.

A spokeswoman for the Division of Elections did not respond to a reporter's question asking whether Gov. Christie, a Republican and friend of Trump's, will have any role in deciding whether to comply with the commission's request.

The spokeswoman also wouldn't say what voter information the state considered public.

Christie's spokesman referred questions to the Division of Elections.

The governor has said voter fraud "happens all the time in every state in this country."

"How you quantify it, I don't know," he said in January. "But we know it's there."

CNN reported Wednesday that 44 states and the District of Columbia have refused to provide certain voter information to Trump's commission.

"Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL," Trump wrote Saturday on Twitter. "What are they trying to hide?"

Trump has claimed, without evidence, that "millions" of people voted "illegally" in November's election. He established the panel in May via executive order.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Wolf said Friday that he would not comply with Trump's request. "The right to vote is absolute and I have no confidence that you seek to bolster it," Wolf wrote in a letter to the commission. "Voter suppression is undemocratic and I will not allow Pennsylvania to participate in this process to further the trend of suppression seen across the country."

"That said, like any citizen, you are welcome to purchase the publicly available voter file from the Pennsylvania Department of State," Wolf wrote.

He and others have raised privacy concerns about the commission's pledge to make the voter information public and questioned whether the panel would handle the data securely.

A Washington-based privacy group filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the commission's collection of voter data, alleging the panel had failed to meet a constitutional requirement of conducting a privacy impact assessment.

Democrats and groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union are calling on the Christie administration to not hand over the data.

Trump's voter commission is "a sham exercise designed to spread misinformation about election security at the expense of New Jersey voters' right to privacy," the New Jersey chapter of the ACLU wrote in a letter to the Division of Elections on Wednesday.

"Voter fraud is not the problem, and turning over sensitive voter information to Kris Kobach, a known proponent of voter suppression, is not the solution," the letter reads.

Kobach is the commission's vice chair and the secretary of state for Kansas. The panel is chaired by Vice President Pence.

The ACLU said New Jersey courts "have held that New Jerseyans have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their Social Security numbers."

As New Jersey's secretary of state, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno oversees the Division of Elections. But after announcing her run for governor, Guadagno recused herself in February from election matters. She is the Republican Party's nominee to succeed Christie.

"Protecting the integrity of elections is a top priority, and it has been the policy of the Division of Elections to protect private personal information and only provide publicly available data to those who file a proper open public records request," Guadagno wrote on Facebook Sunday.

"However, since I am recused from matters regarding the Division of Elections because I am also running for governor, I am not involved with handling the federal government's request for voter information," she said.
New carbon filters that removed PFOS and PFOA from a contaminated well in Horsham were installed in March. Read more

By this fall, drinking water flowing into three communities should be free of the chemicals from nearby military bases that tainted it, but local residents will have to pick up part of the cleaning bill  at a cost that could exceed $25 million in one town alone in the next 10 years.

"What I'm hearing in my community, they're furious because their water bill doubled and tripled because they have to pay just for the clean water to come in, which is a problem they didn't create," said State Rep. Bernie O'Neill (R., Bucks). "They have to pay for the Navy's mistake."

Even though the military was responsible for the contamination from the former naval air stations, by law it isn't obligated to eliminate the chemicals from the drinking water. It has agreed to participate in the cleanup, but only to bring the level of contamination down to meet an Environmental Protection Agency guideline. But some experts and public officials say that level is inadequate.

The Department of Defense is testing nearly 400 bases nationwide for the contamination and plans a broad remediation  following EPA guidelines  that officials say will take years. Locally, the military is paying to install filters on public wells, has provided bottled water and public water hookups for private well owners, and is making plans to clean up groundwater. A spokesman did not respond to a request for comment last week.

Across the country, state lawmakers are attempting to hold the Army, Navy, and Air Force to stricter standards in areas with contamination from firefighting foams used at military bases. But because the military is part of the federal government and has limited legal liability, that's complicated.

Mark Correll, a high-ranking Air Force official, said in two interviews with the Inquirer and Daily News over the last 10 months that the Air Force would address any contamination for which it is responsible. The military has spent more than $150 million on this effort to date.

But when states want "to do things above and beyond the EPA requirements," he said in September, "from a fiscal standpoint, we have no authority to do anything other than what we're regulated to do."

Potentially dangerous levels of the chemicals, known as PFOS and PFOA, shut down private and public drinking wells in Horsham, Warrington, and Warminster Townships in 2014 near the former Willow Grove and Warminster naval air bases.

Alarm over the compounds, which have been linked to cancers and other health problems, spiked in May 2016 when the EPA created its more stringent guideline, an advisory level based on years of research about the contaminants, which recommend people do not drink water with more than 70 parts per trillion (ppt) of the chemicals.

In many places, residents or lawmakers want the military to go beyond the EPA guideline, which some scientists and lawmakers have questioned.

The new efforts evoke classic states' rights issues: Whether the federal government  which has sovereign immunity, meaning it can't be sued without its consent  ever has to follow state law is a longstanding debate. So far, state efforts haven't compelled the military to act.

In Pennsylvania, water bills have increased for residents in Horsham and Warminster and are set to increase this fall in Warrington as the communities switch entirely to water sources with no trace of the contaminants.

Water-company contracts and billing systems differ from town to town, but in Warminster, officials estimate that $26 million will be passed onto residents in their water bills over the next decade. In Warrington, only some customers will be affected, at an estimated average of $65.52 per customer per year, said a water official. Horsham officials estimate a $1.2 million-per-year total increase.

Last week, O'Neill introduced a bill that he said might help relieve that impact. It would grant Gov. Wolf the authority to declare a disaster emergency for communities that have contamination higher than 15 parts per trillion, a designation that would allow affected communities to receive state grants for state funding to clean up contamination.

State Rep. Kathy Watson (R., Bucks) also introduced legislation that would add the chemicals to the state's list of hazardous substances and make clear that no municipality or water authority is responsible for paying for remediation.

She acknowledged that the legislation would not necessarily force the military to pay for the additional cleanup efforts. But she said passing legislation might give the state an advantage when negotiating with the military.

"This gives us the leverage to take them to court in Pennsylvania and say, 'No, no, no, no, no. You operate in Pennsylvania. You are subject to this law,' " Watson said. "We've checked this with attorneys and they say this gives us better leverage."

Research into legislation and efforts in other states to confront the military over the contamination showed "more of what didn't work than necessarily what did," Watson said.

In Michigan, where public drinking water was contaminated around the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northern Michigan, the state legislature passed a law requiring the state or federal government to provide alternative drinking water to affected residents if the government was the source of the pollution and the state health department has issued a health advisory.

But Defense Department officials have said the military does not have to follow the law, arguing it is discriminatory because it applies only to the state and federal government, according to local news reports.

The bill was "unnecessary because DOD is undertaking many of the measures contained [in the bill] already," wrote James R. Hartman, Department of Defense regional coordinator, in a letter to state lawmakers before the bill was passed. He claimed the law "would not be enforceable" and would not preclude the military's sovereign immunity.

A similar bill was signed into law in Vermont in June, though it was aimed at a plastics company that contaminated drinking water with PFCs. It requires any entity that has released PFOA to pay for alternative drinking water.

Other states have set their own advisory levels lower than the EPA's, but it is not yet clear whether the military will follow them. The Minnesota Department of Health set guidance levels of 35 ppt and 27 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, respectively. New Jersey officials created a 40-ppt advisory and have since recommended lowering it to 14. But at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Air Force is using the EPA's guideline as it tests private wells near the base for contamination, a spokesman said Friday.

Meanwhile, Horsham, Warminster, and Warrington push ahead with changing their water sources. That's what the residents wanted, officials said. But they don't want to pay for it.

Watson said she won't give up. The military contaminated the water, she said, so the military should pay for all the remediation.

"Everybody pays for their own mess, is how I look at it."
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By Roberta Rampton

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  During his presidential campaign, Republican Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader with whom he would like to reset tense U.S.-Russian relations.

But as Trump heads to his first face-to-face meeting as president with Putin on Friday at the G20 summit in Germany, he is under pressure at home to take a tough line with the Kremlin.

Allegations of Russian meddling in last years U.S. election have alarmed both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who are pushing to extend tough sanctions placed on Russia following its 2014 annexation of Crimea, a peninsula belonging to Ukraine.

Lawmakers including Republican Senator Cory Gardner are also concerned Russia has prolonged the civil war in Syria by backing its President Bashar al-Assad, a strongman whose forces have used chemical weapons against insurgents and civilians. The chaos has fueled instability in the region and a flood of migrants to Europe.

President (Trump) needs to make it clear that the continued aggression by Russia around the globe  is unacceptable, and that they will be held accountable, said Gardner, who was among six lawmakers invited by the White House last month to discuss foreign policy with Trump over dinner.

Meanwhile, the appointment of a special counsel who is investigating potential links between the Russian government and members of the Trump campaign has weakened the presidents ability to maneuver with Russia, foreign policy experts say.

The U.S. intelligence community has concluded Russia sponsored hacking of Democratic Party groups last year to benefit Trump over his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton. Russia has denied those allegations while Trump has repeatedly dismissed the idea of any coordination between his campaign and Russia as a witch hunt.

Still, just the optics of Trump meeting with Putin, a former KGB agent, are fraught with risk, foreign policy experts say.

If (Trump) smiles, if he wraps his arm around Putin, if he says, Im honored to meet you, were going to find a way forward,  I think Congress is going to react extremely negatively to that, said Julie Smith, a former national security aide in the Obama administration.

EVOLVING U.S. POLICY

Trump has signaled an interest in cooperating with Russia to defeat Islamic State in Syria and to reduce nuclear stockpiles.

The White House has been mum on what Trump would be willing to give Russia in exchange for that help. But there has been speculation he could ratchet down sanctions, or even return two Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and Long Island. President Barack Obama seized those facilities and expelled 35 Russian diplomats just before he left office as punishment for the election hacks.

While some administration officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, also support engagement, others, such as Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, have taken a hawkish line on Russia.

The lack of a unified strategy has left U.S. allies anxious. And it has lowered expectations for American leadership to help resolve crises in Syria and Ukraine, where Russian cooperation would be critical.

Trump is like a horse with his front legs tied, said a German diplomat, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. He cant make any big leaps forward on Russia. If he tried people would immediately suspect it was all part of some big conspiracy.

Trumps administration is still reviewing its Russia policy, a process that may not be wrapped up for a couple of months, a U.S. official said.

Speaking with reporters last week about Trumps upcoming meeting with Putin, White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said his boss would like the United States and the entire West to develop a more constructive relationship with Russia. But hes also made clear that we will do what is necessary to confront Russias destabilizing behavior.

THIRD TRY AT A RESET

Trump is just the latest president to grapple with the complicated U.S.-Russia dynamic.

George W. Bush and Obama sought to improve the U.S. relationship with Russia early in their administrations only to see relations deteriorate later.

Among the concerns for this president is Trumps apparent lack of interest in policy details and his tendency to wing it with foreign leaders.

McMaster told reporters that Trump has no specific agenda for his meeting with Putin and that topics would consist of whatever the president wants to talk about.

Michael McFaul, who was U.S. ambassador to Russia under Obama, said he feared Trump might be headed to the meeting without clear objectives.

I hope that he would think about first: what is our objective in Ukraine? What is our objective in Syria? And secondarily, how do I go about achieving that in my meeting with Putin? McFaul said.

Other Washington veterans say Trump wont be able to make meaningful progress with Russia on anything until he confronts Putin about the suspected election meddling.

(Trump) really has to raise the Russian election hacking last year, and has to say something like, Vladimir, dont do this again. There will be consequences,' said Steve Pifer, a long-time State Department official focused on U.S.-Russia relations.

So far Trump has shown little inclination to do so, a situation that has heightened speculation about the potential impact from his coming encounter with the Russian leader.

The shadow of all these investigations hangs over this, said Angela Stent, a professor at Georgetown University and former National Intelligence Officer for Russia.

(Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Arshad Mohammed, Warren Strobel, Richard Cowan, Jonathan Landay, John Walcott in Washington; John Irish in Paris; Noah Barkin in Berlin; Christian Lowe in Moscow; Editing by Caren Bohan and Marla Dickerson)
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House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) slammed Trump on CNN for refusing to stand up to Putin while he bullies the media.

Video:

Rep. Smith said:

This sends a very bad signal. Putin takes advantage of weakness, and its very ironic for someone with as much bluster as Donald Trump throws around every dayI guess I wish he treated Vladimir Putin more like he treats CNN. I wish he was more willing to stand up to a world leader who is threatening democracy and undermining countries all across the globe.

Because its not just the U.S. elections that the Russians have hacked into and influenced and manipulated. Theyve been doing it for quite some time. They run disinformation campaigns. They use very low-cost options: cyberattacks, disinformation. They dont have a very strong military. But what they do have is theyve decided to use these lower-cost technology options to influence things. And its very clear what Putin is trying to do. Hes trying to make the world safe for autocratic dictatorships. Thats what he believes in and thats what he wants to keep in Russia, and thats what he wants to spread. He wants to undermine liberal democracy any place he can.

The only realistic option for us is to counter that. To the extent that we let Putin get away with it, hes going to keep doing it. Its just like in Ukraine. We have not given Ukraine the level of support that we should have to raise the cost for Putins interference there. We need to up our efforts to counter their counterinformation campaigns. We need to be very clear: What Putin is doing is unacceptable. It borders on an act of war, the way theyve been treating us. And to offer concessions is simply going to encourage him to continue. We need to push back.

Push back is the last thing that Russia is going to get from Donald Trump. Rep. Smith was correct. If Trump treated the true enemies of America, like Putin, the same way that he treats the free press, he wouldnt be such a laughingstock, and the US wouldnt be declining in influence by the minute. The country needs real leadership out of their president, and the one thing that is obvious with each passing day is that Trump is not a real leader who is willing to do the work necessary to effectively govern.
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If theres one thing conservatives really understand these days, its how to whine about having to work. At all. And getting taxpayer funded health insurance while working to take affordable insurance away from the people who pay you.

So its not a surprise that Donald Trumps UN Ambassador Nikki Haley whined about working on July 4th on Twitter, going so far as to apparently jokingly add thanks to North Korea. Because nothing says ha-ha to a Trump official like North Korea state media bragging about intercontinental ballistic missiles reaching the US mainland.

Spending my 4th in meetings all day. #ThanksNorthKorea  Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) July 4, 2017

People were not amused. From pointing out that the troops work on holidays to the fact that July 4th is not an international holiday to wondering why so many Trump administration officials whine about doing their jobs, it got real.

While I appreciate your service to our nation, perhaps you should be thanking the nearly 200,000 US troops serving overseas on #FourthOfJuly  Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) July 4, 2017

Not to mention those protecting our homeland, including the police officers, firefighters, and other first responders keeping us safe today.  Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) July 4, 2017

Uhm. You know that the 4th of July isn't an international holiday, right?  Kelly Scaletta (@KellyScaletta) July 4, 2017

What job did you think you were signing up for, exactly?  Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) July 4, 2017

. Kudos. Spending a holiday working for American security is unprecedented. pic.twitter.com/QpqERnnd0i  Jake Query (@jakequery) July 4, 2017

I spent July 4th 2003 on walking patrol in Tikrit, Iraq you got it easy. Might want to think before you tweet  Brandon Neely (@BrandonTXNeely) July 5, 2017

It's your job. Deal with it. Is there a single Trump official who doesn't whine?  Anita Creamer (@AnitaCreamer) July 4, 2017

You're a public servant. How about all the military that are working endlessly to protect us? Your tweet is pathetic.  Fred Sablan (@Fredsablan) July 4, 2017

Here's a description of your job in the event you are unaware of what it entails https://t.co/GIMiePH1Xj  Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) July 4, 2017

A quick basic job description from the article Jason Leopold pointed to:

The U.S. mission to the United Nations was formally established on April 28, 1947. The United States has its own representative with the title of ambassador. An ambassador is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign country or government, or in the case of the United Nations, an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country.

What does the United States ambassador to the United Nations do? Simply put, U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations  or permanent representatives, as they are called  represent U.S. interests. The No. 1 duty is to keep the U.S. State Department informed of events at the United Nations. The ambassador then makes recommendations to the State Department and the president as to what course of action the United States should pursue.

And finally:

North Korea spent our Independence Day celebrating the launch of Pyongyangs first intercontinental ballistic missile, which state media said was powerful enough to reach the US mainland.

Naturally, a diplomat would react to this ongoing escalation by making a really bad joke on Twitter, and showing how butt hurt they are to be working on July 4th, which was the point for North Korea.

Trumps undignified and mean use of Twitter is trickling down. Now our UN Ambassador is complaining about working on Independence Day, in public, while making light of an escalating situation. In case anyone is wondering, this is not normal, its not how dignified officials behave in public, and it should be embarrassing.

But of course, there is nothing that embarrasses conservatives anymore. Whining about working while justifying Trump giving our national security secrets to Russia is what they do.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. SW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. SW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible.
For as long as I've known Earth has seven continents, I've been intrigued by the smallest one, floating around by itself in a corner of the world map.

Isolated as an island nation, Australia seemed unique from other places in many ways, from being home to marsupial animals like kangaroos to its affinity for the yeast-based spread Vegemite. Last month, however, my family and I had the opportunity to actually visit Australia and explore the environments, culture, and diversity that make up this incredible and magical continent.

My trip began with the painfully long flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia's most well-known metropolis. Immediately after landing, we boarded another flight to Cairns, a city miles away from some of the most fascinating natural wonders in the world.

After a breathtaking ride along the golden coast, we arrived at our hotel, which was nestled inside the Daintree Rainforest. The next day we departed on a train ride that took us on a breathtaking journey through the tropical foliage.

After visiting a quaint village at the top of the rainforest, we traveled back to town via a glass-bottomed gondola ride. At times, we seemed hundreds of feet in the air as we crossed rivers and gorges, but then moments later barely skimmed the canopy of the rainforest.

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We then immersed ourselves in an astonishingly different ecosystem by snorkeling on the outskirts of the Great Barrier Reef. I'm still at a loss of words to describe the coral that glowed neon yellow in the dark waters, the clams that seemed large enough to swallow me whole, and the rainbow array of fish that swam in every direction.

From Cairns, we flew to Ayers Rock, the resort town bordering two of Australia's most iconic rock formations, Kata Tjuta and Uluru. We trekked through Kata Tjuta and watched Uluru morph colors as it was illuminated by the rising and setting sun. I especially enjoyed learning about the significance of the formations to the Anangu Aboriginal people and understanding how the bumps and grooves of the rocks could transform into snakes and battle marks and illustrate the Dreamtime, the Anangu story of the creation of the rocks and surrounding area.

From Ayers Rock, we flew to Perth, where we set off on a four-day journey by train that would take us across the entire continent. The train's course, appropriately dubbed the Indian Pacific, bisected the Nullarbor Plain, which, as its name suggests, boasts little vegetation in an incredibly vast, craggy, and orange landscape. We stopped at the train "station" in Cook, a town of three or four people, and sampled the delicacies of the famous Adelaide Central Market. Most of all, I treasured the nights when I could be lulled to sleep by the train jostling through the Australian outback.

After a scenic ride through the hazy Blue Mountains, we arrived in Sydney, where we packed countless activities in our two days there. We crossed the Harbor Bridge, rode cerulean waves at Bondi Beach, and in a cruise around the harbor, enjoyed some of the most desirable views in the world. Then, far too quickly, we found ourselves at the airport as our Australian adventure came to an end.

Though the Blue Ensign flag flew in every place I visited, at times it seemed like I was traveling through dozens of countries instead of one. The diversity of Australia, seen in its landscape, culture, and towns, was unlike anything I had seen before, yet it is present in countless countries including the U.S.. I can only hope to traverse more places in the future, and discover for myself the magic found in every nation.
A Dodge Center man made his first appearance Thursday in Olmsted County District Court, where he's accused of driving drunk in a crash last summer that left another man with a traumatic brain injury.

Justin Darrell Roe, 23, faces three felony counts of criminal vehicular operation and one count each of felony fifth-degree drug possession and gross misdemeanor DWI.

He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Aug. 31.

The charges stem from a crash shortly after 3 a.m. July 23 at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Second Street Southwest in Rochester.

A vehicle was up against the stoplight pole on the southeast corner of the intersection with heavy driver side damage and a smoking engine. The driver, a 19-year-old man from Rochester, "was not acting right," witnesses and paramedics said at the scene.

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A pickup also at the scene had minor front end damage.

Police allegedly noticed a strong odor of alcohol when speaking with Roe  the driver of the pickup  after the crash. He said he'd gone to a friend's house after getting off work about 5 p.m. July 22 and "drank a lot of beers," the complaint says, in addition to doing about four lines of cocaine.

Roe said they went downtown to a bar, then he decided to go home. He tried getting a taxi, the court document says, "then decided to drive instead for some reason." He wasn't sure how long he drove around, and didn't remember anything until after the crash; Roe believed he blacked out from the alcohol, the document continues.

He failed field sobriety tests at the scene; an open can of beer was found in a cup holder in the front console.

Roe allegedly said he bought some mushrooms earlier from a friend, but didn't take any of them. Detention deputies found a clear plastic bag with mushrooms inside when Roe was checked into the jail, the report says.

A blood sample obtained via a warrant and sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis indicated a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.211 two hours after the crash.

The victim's medical records describe a spleen laceration, a probable traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive inefficiencies including memory difficulty from the probable TBI, post-traumatic headaches and impaired hearing.

The man told investigators he'd been out playing Pokemon Go in the Kutzky Park area and was heading home, driving east on Second Street.

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He stopped for the red light; when it turned green, he let his foot off the brake and started to roll into the intersection.

"Almost immediately" after the victim's car entered the intersection, the pickup collided with him, the complaint says, striking the driver's side of his car and pushing it nearly a foot into the interior of the vehicle.

The man said he climbed out of his car on the passenger side and remembers getting into the ambulance, but that's the last thing he remembers until he woke up in the hospital several hours later.
CHARLES CITY | Authorities have identified the man who was fatally shot Friday night in Charles City.

Nathaniel Fleming, 36, died after a shooting just after 10 p.m. Friday at the Casa Apartments in the 2100 block of Clarkview Drive, according to police. He was taken to a Charles City hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Fleming's last known address was in Mason City, according to a news release from the Charles City Police Department.

Earlier this week Charles City Police Chief Hugh Anderson told the Globe Gazette the victim's name was not being released yet because authorities were having difficulty notifying family members.

Antoine Williams, 36, who is wanted on a warrant for first-degree murder in the case, is still at large.

Police: Charles City murder suspect still at large CHARLES CITY | A man wanted in the fatal shooting of another man in Charles City Friday was 

A red 2006 Chevy Equinox he is believed to have been driving was found in the 900 block of Oneida Street in Waterloo, according to authorities.

The Charles City Police Department has contacted several agencies requesting their assistance in locating Williams and continue to work closely with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the news release stated.
A Rochester man charged with multiple felonies after assaulting a pregnant woman has been sentenced to probation in the case.

Dana Charles Gostomczik, 38, was originally charged with one count of first-degree aggravated tampering with a witness, one count of domestic assault by strangulation and two counts of fifth-degree drug possession, all felonies, as well as one count of misdemeanor fifth-degree assault.

He pleaded guilty in April to the domestic assault charge and one of the drug charges; in exchange for the plea, the remaining counts were dismissed at Thursday's sentencing.

Gostomczik was sentenced on the strangulation charge to three days in jail, with credit for three days already served, and placed on probation for three years. Olmsted County District Court Judge Pamela King also ordered him to complete outpatient treatment and domestic abuse counseling/treatment.

Gostomczik was given a stay of imposition on that count; if he completes all of his conditions during the probationary period, the offense may be reduced on his record from a felony to a misdemeanor.

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The drug possession charge was continued, which means if he has no violations during the probation period, the charge will be dismissed.

The investigation began Nov. 18, when Rochester police were sent to a home for a report of a domestic assault; they were greeted by a "visibly pregnant" woman, the complaint says.

The victim said Gostomczik has struggled with methamphetamine addiction for years, had recently relapsed, court documents say, and missed work that day. The two argued, and Gostomczik allegedly punched her four or five times on the top of her leg as she sat beside him. When the victim stood up to leave, he slapped her several times across the face, the reports say.

The argument continued with Gostomczik throwing items around the kitchen.

The woman was about to leave the house when Gostomczik reportedly grabbed her by the hair and pushed her down onto a sofa. He got on top of the victim and began choking her, the criminal complaint says, telling her several times that he'd kill her if she called police.

Gostomczik then left the house, taking the woman's car and house keys.

The officer noted "distinct redness blanketing the sides of (the victim's) face, and the front and sides of her neck," as well as "a large, visibly swollen welt protruding out from the top of her forearm and already starting to bruise." The woman's right thigh and lower back were also red.

Gostomczik was arrested the next day at his home, but declined to answer any questions. According to the complaint, deputies who searched him found three small plastic bags containing powder in his pants pocket. One allegedly tested positive for cocaine, another for meth; the third substance couldn't be identified through field testing.
A Milwaukee man accused of acting as a pimp for two women visiting Rochester made his initial appearance last week in Olmsted County District Court.

Nicholas Oniel Nelson, 33, has been charged with one count each of promoting prostitution of an individual, receiving profits from prostitution of an individual and fifth-degree drug possession, all felonies.

He's been released from custody in lieu of $10,000 conditional bond and is due back in court Aug. 31.

The charges stem from an investigation that began June 19, when an undercover officer reviewed ads on backpage .com. Though the online advertising site recently removed its escort section, women now post for prostitution services under Women for Men.

The officer spotted two new ads for two women: Mia and Diamond; each ad had a phone number attached to it.

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The officer contacted the ad for Mia, discussing with someone via text the payment amount for sex. She also sent a photo of herself taken in a car, with a distinctive portion of plastic on the rear driver's side seat.

The two arranged a time and place to meet; at the last minute, Mia changed the meeting site from one hotel to another nearby.

Once inside the hotel room, the officer and Mia again discussed cost and sexual acts, the complaint says, and the officer gave her the agreed-upon amount. As she excused herself to use the bathroom, the officer identified himself as law enforcement and other officers arrived.

The 21-year-old woman said she was from Wisconsin, and had come to Rochester with a girlfriend. She claimed not to have a pimp, and said she keeps all her own money.

The woman said she'd had three "tricks" since arriving in Rochester the day before, at $300 per hour, then said she wanted to remain silent.

A search of her purse before booking at the adult detention center revealed make-up, condoms and miscellaneous items, but no cash.

Inside the hotel room was a high school diploma bearing the name of another woman; the officers believed the first woman's associates were probably acting as a look-out, and searched the parking lot for a vehicle with Wisconsin license plates.

Inside the vehicle were Nelson and an 18-year-old  whose name was on the diploma, the complaint says. A distinctive piece of plastic on the rear seat matched the one in the photo Mia sent, the document continues.

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When the woman rolled down her window to talk to the officer, he could smell burnt marijuana coming from inside, the report says. Both Nelson and the 18-year-old were ordered from the car.

Inside, officers allegedly found a key to the hotel room Mia was in, a piece of paper with the phone number associated with the ad for Diamond and a glass pipe with cocaine residue.

The younger woman said she, "Mia" and Nelson had just come from North Dakota, though she's from Milwaukee. She was Nelson is "her guy," known as "Brick," and he collects all the money from her "dates," the court document says.

She reportedly confirmed Nelson is making a profit from her and the other woman prostituting themselves, in addition to advising her about how to set up the dates, to refer to the payments as "donations," and tells her to get the money before she engages in any sexual activity.

Nelson first told authorities he's an Uber driver from Milwaukee who was just driving the 18-year-old around, and were there to pick up a man. He denied knowing the young woman's name or being involved in anything criminal.

He later admitted he wasn't an Uber driver, but is actually a successful rapper, the complaint says, who'd come to Rochester to meet with a female and "obviously cheat on (his) girlfriend."

After his arrest, Nelson was searched. The search allegedly turned up 2.6 grams of cocaine and $2,000 in cash.
Rochester police are investigating a report of an exposer at a local park, authorities said today.

Officers were called about 8:30 p.m. Monday to Quarry Hill Nature Center , 701 Silver Creek Road NE.

A 17-year-old female from Eyota and an 18-year-old female from Rochester said they'd been walking in the prairie area when a man approached them and exposed his genitals, the report says.

They didn't believe he'd been following them, said Capt. John Sherwin, but they "kept running into him" before the incident.

The man was described as being in his 20s or 30s with dark hair, an average build and height, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2, wearing a black hat, black shorts, black shoes and a light shirt. He was carrying a black backpack, as well.

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He didn't say anything, the report says.
Work continues on a proposed City Loop to connect pedestrians and bicyclists to various points in the Destination Medical Center district.

Proposed in the original DMC concept plan , the urban trail network seeks to use existing and new pathways to offer connections to green spaces throughout the center of the city as a way of encouraging private investment and enhancing quality of life for residents.

St. Paul-based SRF Consulting Group is refining the concept while it works with city staff on transportation plans that also include street use, transit and parking needs related to DMC.

"We need to make sure we know how those will work together," said Joni Giese, a principal with SRF.

1. It will be branded.

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Giese said elements of the City Loop will inform visitors and residents when they are on the special route, rather than another city or regional trail.

"When you are on the City Loop, you'll know you're on the City Loop and you're going to follow that pathway very clearly," she said, noting it will come with its own unique signs and markings, as well as places to rest.

2. It will provide a downtown connection.

Beth Bartz, SRF project manager, said the City Loop could become the "last mile" for some commuters, especially in warmer months.

She said instead of driving their cars downtown, they will be able to park in outlying ramps or other areas and walk or bike the last stretch of their trips downtown.

After a stressful day, she note a trip on the City Loop could provide needed quiet time before entering traffic with other commuters.

The City Loop will also connect with existing local and regional trail systems, meaning those who already ride their bikes or walk to work will likely have a safer route.

3. It will promote physical and mental health.

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A major goal of the City Loop will be to improve community health and wellness through encouraging walking and biking, but Giese said it is also being designed to give patients and others a respite from hectic activity throughout the day.

She said planners are talking with Mayo Clinic physicians to find ways to make sure the project motivates people to walk or bike, while also providing restful amenities along the way.

4. It could spur economic development.

The DMC concept plan states: "The City Loop will be a marketable reason people come to Rochester, not simply a safe, enjoyable, healthy way to move about."

Giese said that could encourage new business along the eventual route.

"It's great to think about where we place this and how it could spur development around it," she said.

5. It could be the first part of DMC transportation efforts.

Giese said the City Loop could be completed before other elements in the ongoing DMC transportation studies because there could be less infrastructure to develop.

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The loop, however, is dependant on the other parts of the study. The ultimate path and how it is constructed will depend on what else is being done in the district.

6. It will be ADA compliant.

Part of the original proposed route was nixed when planners realized grades were too steep for wheelchairs and other uses.

The original plan called for using Seventh Avenue, but planners shifted proposed routes to Fourth Avenue to provide options that meet Americans with Disability Act requirements.

7. It has its own scenarios.

While planners of the overall transportation changes have started focusing on three scenarios for ways to get more commuters downtown and create new parking opportunities, Bartz said each of the potential paths for the City Loop are largely independent of other plans.

In some case, routes may need to be adjusted depending on transit modes used to carry commuters between the main Mayo Clinic campus and St. Marys Hospital, but she said each City Loop option can be revised to fit other needs.

"There's a lot of flexibility in that routing," Bartz said.

8. It's length is undetermined.

While the original CIty Loop proposal was 4.3 miles, three options have been modified, ranging from 3 miles to 4 miles, with a shorter option built in for those not wanting to use the entire loop.

All three mapped scenarios show the City Loop providing connections between downtown, St. Marys Hospital and the Kutzky Park Neighborhood, but how far west and east each route travels is undetermined.

An early option had the western north-south leg at Ninth Avenue Northwest, meaning users heading west on Second Street Southwest could head north at St. Marys Hospital and connect with the south side of Cascade Creek.

A longer option would take the City Loop to 11th Avenue Northwest, stretching it past the hospital campus and allowing the it to eventually cross Cascade Creek, so users could better connect with existing trails on the north side of the creek.

The third option heads further west to 13th Avenue Northwest, and again allows for crossing Cascade Creek and connecting with other trails.

9. It will connect with the river.

Each option identified has the City Loop meeting with the Zumbro River.

The scenarios using Ninth Avenue Northwest or 11th Avenue North West would take loop-users to the river at Center Street and go around Mayo Park, following the east side of the river to Sixth Street at South Broadway.

The third option shows the loop connecting with the river after it runs in front of the Mayo Civic Center, along Civic Center Drive. Like the other two options, it eventually follows the west side of the Zumbro River before veering off on Sixth Street.

10. It could reduce vehicle lanes.

In many areas, the City Loop will likely have bicycles and pedestrians in spaces currently designated for other modes of transportation. Rochester Public Works Director Richard Freese said the existing rights-of-way leave little room for expanding streets.

Planners, however, have noted flexibility exists, based on what options being considered for expanded transit and other needs. As a result, they have outlined a variety of ways the City Loop could be created with buffers between motorized traffic and those on foot or bike.

Bartz said that could mean restricting traffic in some areas, but those changes could provide new opportunities elsewhere as planning efforts continue.

Work on the DMC Transportation Plan, which includes the City Loop, is expected to continue through the end of the year.
Alexander Bonds, an ex-con with a long rap sheet, shot and killed New York City police officer Miosotis Familia, a mother of three, as she sat in a patrol car in the Bronx. The attack was unprovoked. It was an assassination.

According to the New York Times:

Around 12:30 a.m., as Officer Familia neared the end of her shift, Mr. Bonds walked up to the vehicle and fired a single round from a .38-caliber, five-shot Ruger revolver through a passenger-side window, according to Deputy Chief Jason Wilcox, the commander of detectives in the Bronx. Immediately after the shooting, Officer Familias partner, Vincent Maher, called for assistance, and two other officers encountered the suspect, who was running on Morris Avenue, about one block away. When the gunman drew a silver revolver, they opened fire, killing him. A bystander was struck by a bullet in that shootout, and is in stable condition. . . .

Sen. Tom Cotton issued this statement about the slaying of Officer Familia:

The only thing Officer Miosotis Familia could be accused of doing was protecting the community she serveduntil the very end. This was an especially senseless and wanton murder. And it shows how much we owe the men and women in blue, who spent their holiday weekend working while the rest of us celebrated, and how much we need to push back against the toxic forces that demean and defame police work.

(Emphasis added)

I think the shooting also demonstrates what Ive called Americas under-incarceration problem. In the past 16 years, Bonds has been convicted of (at least) the following offenses: assaulting a police officer with brass knuckles (2001), criminal sale of a controlled substance near a school, a felony (2004), and robbery (circa 2006). In a properly functioning justice system, a three-time loser like Bonds would not have been on the streets in 2017. Indeed, he would not have been on the streets in 2004 to sell drugs to kids or in 2006 to commit robbery.

After his release from prison in 2013, Bonds posted threatening comments about how he would interact with the police in the future (he also shared a conspiracy video from Occupy Democrats that claimed voting machines were changing Clinton votes to Trump votes, but thats neither here nor there). He was on parole at the time, as he was when he shot Officer Familia.

Given Bonds record, his threatening comments regarding the police were a red flag  a strong indicator of what was to come. In a properly functioning justice system, Bonds would not have remained free on parole after having threatened to tangle with the police.

Sen. Cotton is right to want to push back against the toxic forces that demean and defame police work. But we also need to push back against the forces that call for the light sentencing of criminals and for their early release from prison.
North Korea today successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch marks a breakthrough of sorts for the regime. The missile flew higher and remained in the air longer than previous attempts  long enough to reach Alaska, experts believe.

The New York Times explains:

Their missile traveled only about 580 miles, by itself no great achievement. But it got there by taking a 1,700-mile trip into space and re-entering the atmosphere, a flight that lasted 37 minutes by the calculation of the United States Pacific Command (and a few minutes longer according to the North Koreans). Flatten that out, and you have a missile that could reach Alaska, but not Los Angeles. That bolsters the assessment of the director of the Missile Defense Agency, Vice Adm. James D. Syring, who told a congressional hearing last month that the United States must assume that North Korea can reach us with a ballistic missile.

The Times notes that it may be a few years before the North Koreans can fit a nuclear warhead onto its increasingly powerful missiles. It may be a bit longer before missiles fitted with a nuclear warhead can reach Los Angeles. But time is running out.

What are President Trumps options at this point? The good ones have vanished as three successive presidents failed to face up to the North Korean problem.

For example, 11 years ago former Defense Secretary William Perry and future Defense Secretary Ashton Carter argued in favor of immediately making clear our intention to strike and destroy North Korea missiles on the launch pad. Now, says Perry, North Korea has built too many missiles, of too many varieties, to make the benefits of a strike like that worth the risk. It has test-flown a new generation of solid-fuel missiles, which can be easily hidden in mountain caves and rolled out for quick launch.

In addition, North Korez possesses enough artillery along the northern edge of the Demilitarized Zone to take out Seoul, a city of approximately 10 million people. Although a first strike against North Korea should not be ruled out completely, it looks like a bad option.

Trump hoped that, through the intervention of China, North Korea could be induced to stop testing missiles  in effect, to freeze its program  and maybe even to dial it back. It was reasonable of Trump to try this approach, using as leverage the threat of declaring China a currency manipulator and so forth. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, it looks like this approach will not work. In a recent tweet, Trump acknowledged as much.

What to do now? The most important thing is to accelerate the development of a missile defense system that can shoot down North Korean missiles and of cyberprograms that can sabotage missile launches.

As weird as Kim Jong Un is, hes unlikely to launch a missile attack against the U.S. Hes even less likely to do so if he believes we can shoot his missiles down. Thus, an effective missile defense system would serve two purposes: deterrence and actual protection.

We should couple a redoubling of our missile defense efforts with a strengthening of sanctions. The idea is to increase the likelihood of regime change by making life in North Korea as unbearable as possible. But we should recognize that regime change of the kind that would lead to a good outcome on the nuclear front is a long shot in the coming years.

Heres what I think we shouldnt do. We shouldnt negotiate, as South Koreas new president, Moon Jae-in, is proposing.

The goal of the negotiations would be a deal whereby North Korea would freeze its nuclear and missile tests in return for an American agreement to limit or suspend military exercises with South Korea. China has long urged this approach, and Russia is now on board with it.

Chinese and Russian enthusiasm may be enough to show the undesirability of this deal. If more is required, it can also be noted that (1) past deals with North Korea have fallen apart, (2) North Korea may well be far enough down the road to a nuclear strike capability that a freeze would be of little benefit, and (3) U.S.-South Korea military exercises are in our interest quite apart from the threat posed by North Korea. If that state didnt exist, I think we would still want to engage in such exercises because of the Chinese threat.

The bottom line is that, President Trumps early bluster notwithstanding, we are probably going to have to live with the possibility of a North Korean nuclear attack. Why? Because our responses as North Korea developed its nuclear weapons capability were hopelessly naive.

Just as they have been when it comes to Iran.
I started to write an essay on the philosophical significance of fireworks as a form of resistance to the nanny state, but it was lousy so I trashed it. Instead, this is a straightforward account of an Independence Day spent in the land of the freeby which I mean my native state of South Dakota.

Visiting family here over the Fourth of July is a longstanding tradition. Any visit at this time of year would be incomplete without shopping at one of my home towns warehouse-sized fireworks stores. Click to enlarge:

You need a shopping cart. Possibly two:

The fireworks generally have a theme of some sort:

The Artillery section features reloadable mortars:

For a few hundred dollars, you can buy a fireworks display like one a town would put on, and a lot of people do that. This might be the most fireworks-intensive place on Earth. In some years we have gone in for an ambitious display and lots of explosives, but this year neither we nor my younger brother, who was also visiting, had any kids along. So we settled for a few hundred firecrackers, a couple of parachutes, a rocket, and a reloadable mortar with 12 modestly priced shells:

We set off the firecrackers before it got dark:

If you dont understand the relationship between firecrackers and green army men, all I can say is, I am sorry about your childhood!

When it started getting dark, the real fireworks began to go off. Pretty soon there was a constant rumble of explosions all around the lake where my older brother lives. Everywhere you looked, the sky was full of color. This was one of ours:

The neighbor two doors down had some more elaborate ones:

I grew up in South Dakota, but now live in Minnesota, a state where anything that sounds like fun is likely to be illegal. It was a big deal when, not many years ago, Minnesota legalized sparklers. I doubt that anyone who has not witnessed an Independence Day in my home town can imagine what it is like.

You really do feel a little freer here, and not only on account of the fireworks, near-universal firearms ownership and the 80 mph speed limit on the interstate. Ill leave the last word to the owners of the fireworks emporium:

Happy Independence Day!
After a 45-minute performance of vignettes from the play, Hear Word! Tobore Ovuorie, the investigative journalist who moderated the audience discussion at Institut Francais in Abuja on Tuesday, asked the men in the audience to answer what they mean when they ask women to submit.

I felt the question was unnecessary, said Brenda Ogbukaa, who was an audience member.

The play is about women understanding their own power, asking men that question was diverting the attention, Ms. Ogbukaa, 27 added.

Hear Word! as it was presented at the Institut Francais, highlighted a gamut of issues Nigerian women face regularly.

These include sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence and they were the dominant themes of the performance.

Throughout the hour-long discussion, many who spoke addressed the issue of womens submission in Nigerian culture and the roles both men and women play in disempowering women.

The event was attended by many women from various sectors in Nigeria. Additionally, a group of 60 women were transported from markets and Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camps all over Abuja.

We want them to go back and feel strong and feel free to express themselves about issues they cannot talk about, said Cathy Amato, CEO and Co-founder of Latiliyan Projects Limited  the NGO that co-sponsored the presentation of the play alongside the Institut Francais.

A respondent, Ngozi Okechukwu, expressed frustration with the idea that submission is at odds with female empowerment.

For her, gender equality is not about women taking over. Its about giving us opportunity to have our own thing.

The Director of Hear Word!, Ifeoma Fafunwa, said that African women have been financially independent, historically. She added quickly that this thing toward submission or helplessness is westernization influence.

Victoria Daniel, a mother of four who currently lives in New Kuchingoro IDP camp said that, like one of the characters in the play, she has also suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her husband.

I gained a lot coming here, said 25-year-old Mrs. Daniel. They have given me some knowledge and wisdom on how to survive, how to make it and have my own something, Mrs. Daniel said.

Susie Iliyian, co-founder of Latiliyan said the organisation plans to follow-up with all the women who attended so as to assist them to acquire skills that could help them become more financially independent.

This is not a space where we just complain, Ms. Illiyian enthused. We created this event to expose these issues so that men and women can find solutions in our society.

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Qatar is not worried that its membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will be suspended as its rival neighbours threaten to escalate their sanctions against Doha.

No, they cannot take such a decision because it should be by consensus, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman said during a meeting at the Chatham House think tank in London.

He was referring to the six-member political and economic alliance in the Gulf, which includes Kuwait and Oman, who have taken a neutral stance since the crisis began a month ago.

Three members of the GCC, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, along with Egypt cut diplomatic and transportation links with Qatar in June.

Since then, Kuwait has been mediating the crisis.

The media reports that Qatar faces further isolation and possible expulsion from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) if its response to a list of demands made nearly two weeks ago is not satisfactory.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain foreign ministers are due to meet in Cairo to discuss Qatars reply to 13 demands they sent to Qatar in return for the lifting of sanctions imposed in June.

The dispute revolves around allegations that Qatar supports Islamist militants, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.

Qatar denies it supports terrorism and says Arab countries want to control its foreign policy.

Abdulrahman had said at a joint news conference with his German counterpart on Tuesday that its response was given in goodwill and good initiative for a constructive solution.

However, he insisted that Doha would not compromise on its sovereignty.

Gulf officials have said the demands are not negotiable, signalling more sanctions are possible, including parting ways with Doha a suggestion it may be ejected from the GCC, a regional economic and security cooperation body founded in 1981.

Qatar is walking alone in its dreams and illusions, far away from its Gulf Arab brothers, after it sold every brother and friend and bought the treacherous and the one far away at the highest price.

A Gulf national may be obliged to prepare psychologically for his Gulf to be without Qatar, the editor of the Abu Dhabi government linked al-Ittihad newspaper wrote in an editorial said.

Some newspapers said that remarks by Abdulrahman in which he stressed his country would not compromise on its sovereignty suggests that Doha would not change its policies.

(dpa/NAN)

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HELENA, Mont.  FBI agents seized bomb-making materials, seven guns and ammunition from the Montana home of a man they suspect of carrying out bank robberies in five states.

An inventory of the property seized from Richard Gathercole's home in Roundup shows that agents also took sheriff's badges and patches, a sheriff's vest and an ammunition vest, a military style helmet, an organic chemistry book and material to make identification badges.

The inventory list was filed with U.S. District Court in Billings on June 27.

Authorities believe Gathercole is the man they call "the AK-47 bandit" who held up at least six banks since 2012, including the Iowa Heartland Credit Union in Mason City in 2015.

[Updated] Serial bank robber suspected in Mason City credit union heist MASON CITY | A man who robbed a Mason City credit union armed with an AK-47 is believed to b

Gathercole is being held in Lexington, Nebraska, where he is accused of stealing a truck and guns and firing on a Kansas state trooper last month.

He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
Authorities say suspected Somali Al-Shabaab militants raided a Kenyan police post in northern coastal Lamu region and destroyed communication masts in the area on Wednesday.

Lamu County Commissioner, Joseph Kanyirim, confirmed the incident, saying the militants raided a village in the region and destroyed telecommunication masts belonging to firm Safaricom, disrupting communication in the area.

Reports indicate that the militants attacked a Rapid Deployment Unit camp in the area.

Coast regional police commander, Philip Tuimur, said security troops responded to the attackers and exchanged fire with them.

The engagement is ongoing and we are waiting for more response from the ground, he said.

Locals said the incident started late in the night on Tuesday.

Security agents including those from Kenya Defence Forces rushed to the scene and it was not immediately clear if there were casualties.

NAN reports that Kenyan soldiers are fighting al-shabaab under the UN-backed African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) that has lost hundreds of soldiers in camp attacks.

Besides Kenya, Al-Shabaab has attacked camps belonging to Uganda, Burundi and Ethiopia causing massive causalities.

(Reuters/NAN)

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German police on Wednesday used water cannon to disperse around 500 anti-capitalist protesters overnight in Hamburg where Chancellor Angela Merkel will host leaders of the G20 leading economies in a two-day summit starting on Friday.

Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to march in the city against globalisation and what they say is corporate greed and a failure to tackle climate change.

The Interior Minister had said on Tuesday that the German authorities believe that about 8,000 demonstrators were prepared to use violence.

Some 20,000 police officers will be deployed.

Hundreds of mainly young left-wing activists gathered and marched on a main street shortly before midnight on Tuesday in the first major protest ahead of the summit.

The G20 summit will also be attended by the U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that the Germany army fears protesters will use unarmed drones and that it has deployed a radar to locate any possible aerial intrusions.

A spokesman for the German military declined to confirm the report.

On June 20, German police unveiled a mass detention centre built in anticipation of protests against the summit.

The 11,000-square-metre centre in Hamburgs southern Harburg district has 70 group cells and 50 single cells that can hold as many as 400 detainees, according to police spokesman Timo Zill.

A supermarket once stood at the location, which was most recently used as refugee accommodation, Mr. Zill said.

Refurbishing the venue as a mass detention centre was meant to cost three million euros (3.4 billion dollars), but Mr. Zill said it remained to be seen whether the project would exceed the budget.

(Reuters/NAN)

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Iran government on Wednesday confirmed that its citizens will be able to take part in the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, in spite of diplomatic tension with Saudi Arabia.

Iran had boycotted the 2016 hajj after a stampede in the 2015 pilgrimage that killed at least 2,426 people.

Iran had the highest death toll, with 464 killed in the incident.

There were some doubt, but the National Security Council cleared things up last week and unanimously confirmed the agreement with the Saudis on Hajj participation, head of Iranian Hajj Mission, Ali Askar said.

A consular and medical team from Iran will be able to travel with Iranian pilgrims in September, the news agency ISNA reported.

Relations between the two regional rivals reached a low point in 2016 when Iranians were unable to go to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj due to a row about pilgrimage regulations.

Mostly Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran back opposite sides in the wars in Syria and Yemen.

In January 2016, Riyadh cut off diplomatic ties with Iran after a mob stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran in protest against Saudi Arabias execution of 47 people, including a prominent Shiite cleric.

Devout Muslims are expected to perform the Hajj, one of Islams five pillars, at least once in their lifetime, provided they are fit enough and have the financial means to do so.

(dpa/NAN)

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U.S. President Donald Trump urged a resolution to the Qatar diplomatic crisis in a telephone call on Wednesday with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi in which they also discussed the threat from North Korea.

The White House said in a statement that Mr. Trump reiterated the need for all countries to stop terrorist financing and discredit extremist ideology.

Mr. Trump also brought up the North Korea nuclear threat in the call, the White House said, and stressed the need for all countries to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, stop hosting North Korean guest workers, and stop providing economic or military benefits to North Korea.

Mr. Al-Sisi spoke with Trump in a telephone call about the dispute with Qatar.

The visions of the two presidents on dealing with current regional crises were in line, especially when it comes to reaching political settlements which contribute to regional security and stability, Mr. Al-Sisis office said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain have imposed sanctions on Qatar, accusing it of links to terrorism and being an ally of Iran, which Doha denies.

(Reuters/NAN)

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A recall is the power of voters to unseat a serving lawmaker before the persons tenure is up.

The unfolding debacle of Kogi State senator, Dino Melaye, has elicited curiosity amongst Nigerians about one of the most obscured but powerful constitutional instruments in Nigerias evolving democratic system.

A recall process that began with a few people queuing to etch their signatures in what initially seemed an ill-fated exercise on June 10, has now morphed into arguably the most keenly-watched political phenomenon three weeks later.

On June 22, the Independent National Electoral Commission served a notice of recall proceedings on Mr. Melaye, ushering in the newest recall exercise in the country.

On July 3, the electoral umpire unveiled a timetable of five critical dates for the recall process. The process continued despite Mr. Melayes attempts to block it from the court.

Although the provisions for recall are enumerated in the Constitution, ostensibly as tools for accountability, they are rarely tested by the electorate.

While there have been a few recall efforts in the past, no member of the parliament at the local or federal level has ever been recalled.

On August 28, 2005, a recall referendum conducted by INEC in Plateau State was unsuccessful as the incumbent retained his seat with 74 percent of the votes.

Simon Lalong, then Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, had reportedly secured a court injunction against his recall, but INEC, under Maurice Iwu, went ahead with the exercise, anyway.

This gives Mr. Melaye hope that the outcome of a referendum, if conducted against him, might not end his mandate; but does not mean the process is, by any means, easy.

Mr. Melaye apparently had this in mind when he first declared his recall process an exercise in futility a day after it began.

He is shooting the moon and boxing the wind, the senator said of Governor Yahaya Bello, his political rival whom he strongly believes is financing the recall campaign.

In a display of solidarity, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, assured his embattled colleague that his seat will remain intact.

The recall process is dead on arrival going by the Constitution, Mr. Ekweremadu said at the plenary Tuesday. Its a long process, after the verification of votes.

Legality of the process

Since theres no constitutional question about whether a lawmaker could be recalled or not, PREMIUM TIMES has decided to examine the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act as they apply to a recall exercise.

Practically, the procedures that apply to the recall of federal lawmakers are the same as those for members of a House of Assembly at the state level.

But Section 69 of the Constitution addressed recall for senators and members of the House of Representatives only, while another section dealt with a state-level recall. The process does not apply to elected executives, those can only be impeached.

The process

From Section 69 of the Constitution:

A member of the Senate or of the House Representatives may be recalled as such a member if 

(a) there is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-half of the persons registered to vote in that members constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member; and

(b) the petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered to vote in that members constituency.

Section 116 of the Electoral Act also dictated the same thing.

In Kogi, Mr. Melayes opponents said theyve collated about 188, 588 signatures to recall him from Senate.

The number represents roughly 52.3 percent of 360,098 registered voters, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The campaigners also said they ensured that all voters who signed the recall petition attached their respective voters cards to the document for proper and easier verification by electoral officers.

The Electoral Act advises that petitioners list offences against a target, but Mr. Melayes public image as perhaps the most controversial lawmaker in the Eighth Assembly makes it easy for his opponents to pin as many offences against him as they deem necessary.

Since INEC has announced some key dates in the exercise, it is no longer a question of whether the recall process would be exhausted but if Mr. Melaye can survive it.

Next, INEC will verify that all the signatures are accurate and constitute more than a half of the electorate in his Kogi West Senatorial District as asserted by the petitioners.

The Constitution and the Electoral Act require only a simple majority (51 percent) of Yes votes in the referendum that will be conducted after amongst other tasks authentication of submitted signatures.

This may likely be the most difficult stage for officials, especially as Mr. Melaye has said the collated signatures were fictitious in his prayers before the court.

But if INEC could weather the legal, political and other storms and successfully verify the signatures, the referendum is expected to be conducted by the open secret ballot system.

Once the recall process has been completed and results announced, INEC will pass instruction based on the will of the majority in Mr. Melayes constituency to the Senate President, in this case, Bukola Saraki, for immediate action.

This will be in accordance with Section 68 (h) of the Constitution:

The President of the Senate or, as the case may be, the Speaker of the House of Representatives receives a certificate under the hand of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission stating that the provisions of section 69 of this Constitution have been complied with in respect of the recall of that member.

That section, as stated, does not require the consent of the presiding officers of the National Assembly for the recall but only seeks to inform them of the outcome, contrary to the claim of Mr. Ekweremadu that The Senate would also verify the legitimacy of the votes before a conclusion is made.

If Mr. Melayes recall succeeds, INEC will conduct a by-election in his constituency.

Although the Constitution and the Electoral Act did not say if a recalled individual could still participate in a bye-election arising from such recall, legal experts say the situation is not that complicated.

Liborous Oshoma, a Lagos-based legal practitioner, said Mr. Melaye can contest if his party nominates him.

He cited the case of Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, who was elected as governor in October 2014, exactly eight years after he was impeached by the House of Assembly in October 2006.

When Mr. Fayoses 2014 victory was challenged on the basis of his past impeachment, the Supreme Court held that the governor has the constitutional right to stand election because he was not indicted or convicted by any court.

A recall is neither an indictment nor a conviction, Mr. Oshoma said. Its only a vote of no confidence passed on an elected official by constituents.

No matter how the process ends, all lawmakers, state and federal, have been put on notice, once again, that their mandate is dependent on voters  and thus they should discharge their duties accordingly.

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At least one soldier and several Boko Haram fighters were killed in different two battles between the insurgents and the Nigerian Army, an official has said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said soldiers repelled and killed many suspected mercenary fighters of Boko Haram who launched two separate attacks on military locations around Borno State.

The army did not give details on the nationalities of the mercenaries.

Mr. Usman, a brigadier general, said in a statement that the hired mercenaries killed by troops were those fighting on the side of the Mamman Nur faction of the Boko Haram.

In 2016, the Boko Haram group became factionalised following a leadership tussle between Abubakar Shekau and his second in command, Mamman Nur, when the duo disagreed on who to be recognised by Abubakar Albaghdadi-led ISIS in the middle east.

On Tuesday, Mr. Usman said the two attacks by the Boko Haram occurred on Monday.

A group of suspected Boko Haram terrorists mercenaries of Mamman Nur extraction paid dearly with their lives when they dared to attack 81 Division Task Force Battalions location at Gulumba Gana in Bama LGA, Borno State, he said.

Though Mr. Usman did not give the number of mercenaries killed in the first attack, his statement said three Boko Haram members and a soldier were killed during the second attack.

Providing details of the first attack, the official said troops successfully dealt with the terrorists and pursued those that escaped and recovered 2 AK-47 Rifles and 2 magazines of 9 round of ammunition, 2 AGL bombs, several empty cases of Shilka gun ammunition, AGL bomb and 1 damaged mobile phone handset.

On the second incident, the brigadier general said soldiers of the 3 Battalion located at Logomani, Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State neutralised 3 Boko Haram, captured one alive and recovered 3 AK-47 rifles from Mamman Nur faction when they attempted an attack on the soldiers location at night.

However, we lost a soldier during the pursuit, he said.

Meanwhile the Nigeria Air Force on Tuesday commissioned two of its personnel as pilots after successfully completing an 18-month Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas in the United States of America.

The two newly winged pilots, according to the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Olatokunbo Adesanya, were both of the rank of Flying Officer, at the time they went through the primary and fighter jet training during which they amassed over 100 flying hours each on the T-6 Texan ii and T-38 Talon aircraft types.

Mr. Adesanya, in his statement made available to journalists, said that the two officers had earlier undergone an introductory flying training at the US Aviation Academy in Denton, where they flew the Cessna 172 aircraft. They will now be deployed to NAF combat units for tactical training on fighter jets.

The Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, who officiated the commissioning said the NAF would not relent in its efforts at human capacity building, noting that the Service cannot function optimally without appropriate personnel training.

The statement said the two new pilots were winged after other 10 officers who had just completed their one-year pilot training program in South Africa were also winged.

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Nigerias Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, has defied an order given by the Industrial Court asking him to provide evidence that he has transmitted the appeal of a dismissed officer to President Muhammadu Buhari for redress as stipulated by law.

The court had on June 21 ruled that the military chief comply within 10 days with its judgment.

But as at Monday, after the period given for compliance, sources at the court said there was no evidence that the order had been carried out and the Defence spokesperson did not also confirm compliance.

The retired officer, Abdulfatai Mohammed, was compulsorily retired in June 2016 alongside 37 others, most of who were forced out of service under controversial circumstances.

Most of them, like Mr. Mohammed, did not face any panel or probe as stipulated by law.

They were also neither indicted nor queried for any offence, according to PREMIUM TIMES investigations.

In keeping with the redress window accorded him by the military rules, Mr. Mohammed had on June 20, 2016 petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to demand justice.

According to Paragraph 09.02(e) of the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers, 2012 (revised), any officer compulsorily retired or dismissed can appeal to the President through the Chief of Defence Staff within 30 days.

However, as no response came from the Presidency, Mr. Mohammed approached the Industrial Court last year to seek an order, compelling Mr. Olonisakin, a General, to transmit his petition to the President and show evidence of that action.

Although, in court documents sighted by PREMIUM TIMES, the military had tendered a July 2016 letter to Mr. Buhari, appearing to convey the petitions of 22 officers, including Mr. Mohammed, the correspondence had no stamp marking it as received by the Presidency.

Consequently, the court ruled on July 21 that the Chief of Defence Staff was duty-bound to show evidence that Mr. Mohammeds petition was delivered within 10 days of the judgment.

The defendants are also further required to furnish the Registrar of this court evidence that the applicants appeal had been so transmitted to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by order of this courtwithin 10 days, Industrial Court judge, Edith Agbakoba, ruled.

Sources at the court registry, who volunteered to speak with PREMIUM TIMES without being named, said there was no evidence that the order was complied with by the military by close of work on Monday, after the expiration of the period given for compliance.

On Tuesday, Mr. Mohammed also confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that he had not received any notice from the court whether evidence had emerged that his appeal was delivered.

The Director of Defence Information, John Enenche, a major general, did not pick calls or reply a text message requesting information on his stance.

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the executive branch has a  robust mechanism to resolve any differences between it and the legislative arm of government.

Mr. Mohammed stated this on Wednesday while addressing State House correspondents after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, which held inside the council chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Nigerian Senate had on Tuesday passed a resolution to stop all confirmation hearings for nominees forwarded by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo until contentious issues surrounding their powers to confirm appointees are resolved.

When asked whether the Senate resolution was discussed at Wednesdays FEC meeting, Mr. Mohammed said, It came up adding, We have an excellent strategy in dealing with issues with the national assembly.

The Information Minister also said the Nigerian government is not made up of the executive arm alone, but includes the legislature and judiciary.

Whatever may be the misunderstanding or problem between the National Assembly and Executive, we have an excellent mechanism of dealing with it, he said.

The Senate had in April suspended the confirmation of President Muhammadu Buharis nominees for Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, after expressing concerns with the continued stay of Ibrahim Magu as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The lawmakers had twice rejected Mr. Magus nomination as EFCC chairman, officially basing their decisions on a report compiled by the State Security Service, SSS, accusing Mr. Magu of impropriety; although many Nigerians believe the non-confirmation was because many of the senators were being investigated or prosecuted by the EFCC.

Shortly after the Senate passed the resolution, the presidency said it would not succumb to the Senate and removed Mr. Magu as chairman of the anti-graft EFCC.

Speaking in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES and other journalists and activists in April, Mr. Osinbajo said Mr. Magu enjoys his confidence, and that of the president.

Im fully in support of Magu as the EFCC Chairman just as the president is Mr Osinbajo said.

Speaking on the Senate rejection, Mr. Osinbajo said it is up to the Senate to make their judgement. If our candidate is rejected, , we can represent our candidate.

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A committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday said a letter of invitation will be dispatched to former President Goodluck Jonathan, summoning him to appear before it to explain his role in the controversial award of OPL 245 oil block licence.

Razak Atunwa, Chairman of the House Committee on Justice who leads an ad-hoc panel investigating the $1.3 billion Malabu oil deal, said the panel members have asked the clerk to write the former president.

The clerk is expected to dispatch the letter in the coming days, Mr. Atunwa said.

The $1.3 billion was paid by oil giants, Shell and ENI, for the oil block, one of the richest in Africa.

About $1.1 billion of the money was paid directly into a Nigerian government account with JP Morgan during Jonathan administration in 2011; while about $200 million had been paid by Shell as signature bonus a few years earlier.

Most of the $1.1 billion ended up in private accounts with about $801 million directly going into the account of Dan Etete, a former petroleum minister who was convicted for money laundering in France.

A good chunk of that sum is believed to have gone to Mr. Jonathan and officials that served under him, including Mohammed Adoke, the then Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

The committee is of the view that in the interest of thoroughness, natural justice and fair play, it imperative that evidence should be taken from former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Atunwa, an APC lawmaker from Kwara State, said in a prepared document emailed to PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday.

The document gave specific reasons why the committee members resolved to invite Mr. Jonathan as follows:

 Mr Jonathan was the President at the material time the Ministers brokered the deal that lead to the allegation of $1bn diversion of funds;

 Mr Jonathans name features in the proceedings initiated by the Public Prosecutor of Milan in Italy;

 A U.K. Court Judgment in relation to an application to return part of the money being restrained, castigated the Jonathan Administration as not having acted in the best interest of Nigeria in relation to the deal;

 The Attorney-General of the Federation at the material time, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has recently instituted proceedings in court wherein he pleads that all his actions were as instructed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The summon came three months after PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr. Jonathan might have received up to $200 million in bribes to approve the controversial deal.

The report was based on Italian court documents obtained by BuzzFeed and Italian business newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore.

In the documents, Italian prosecutors quoted Ednan Agaev, a Russian middleman who helped negotiate the transfer of the oil block to Shell and Eni, as saying that Dan Etete, the former petroleum minister at the heart of the oil scandal, said he intended to dole out as much as $400 million in bribes if the deal went through.

If Mr. Etete actually paid out such an amount in bribes to Nigerian officials, Agaev stated that he would think President Goodluck Jonathan got at least $200 million of this money, BuzzFeed quoted an excerpt of FBI submissions to Italian authorities as saying.

Mr. Agaev, who was Mr. Etetes representative in the negotiation, said the former petroleum minister told him of the $400 million bribe to Nigerian politicians when he approached him for his payment.

The Russian also repeated the claim in a follow-up interview with Italian prosecutors, led by Fabio De Pasquale in Milan.

I said that if its true, that he paid, he had to pay 400 million, I assume that at least 200 went to Goodluck (Jonathan).

I heard from Chief (Etete), he claims that he had to pay 400 million, so, if this is true, if he paid 400 million, then most probably the President, as the biggest boss, took at least the half of it, BuzzFeed wrote, quoting documents prepared by Italian prosecutors.

Last year, Mr. Atunwas committee commenced a new round of inquiry into the controversies surrounding the OPL 245 since its lease was first awarded in 1998.

The lawmaker said his committee found the recent allegations against Mr. Jonathan too compelling to ignore.

We cannot ignore such weighty allegations knowing fully well that Nigeria has lost billions of dollars as a result of the numerous complications around the OPL 245 oil field, Mr. Atunwa told PREMIUM TIMES in April.

Mr. Jonathans spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze, did not respond to requests for comments about the imminent summon of his principal Wednesday afternoon.

But he exonerated the former president in a January 10 statement about the Malabu oil deal.

We wish to make it clear that former President Jonathan was not accused, indicted or charged for corruptly collecting any monies as kickbacks or bribes from ENI by the Italian authorities or any other law enforcement body the world over, the statement said.

While Mr. Jonathan and officials that served under him continue to deny any wrongdoing, Shell, the global oil firm that desperately wanted control of the OPL 245, in April admitted it knew the $1.1 billion it paid alongside ENI for the block would be used as a kickback to Mr. Etete, an ex-convict.

It was not immediately clear how Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers on the panel supported Mr. Jonathans summon.

Iduma Igariwey, a PDP lawmaker from Ebonyi State who serves on the committee, said he was not carried along in the discussions leading up to Wednesdays announcement by Mr. Atunwa.

I am not aware of the plans to summon the former president, Mr. Igariwey said. This could be because I am currently travelling on a technical assignment.

When Mr. Atunwa hinted that the former president would be summoned in April, PDP members expressed strong reservations.

Nicholas Ossai, a PDP lawmaker and member of the ad-hoc panel, said special steps must be taken before Mr. Jonathan could be summoned, given his status as a former president.

Former presidents, irrespective of their political parties are senior citizens, and there are certain levels of respect accorded to them, Mr. Ossai, from Delta State, told PREMIUM TIMES in April.

Mr. Ossai did not immediately respond to PREMIUM TIMES request seeking to confirm if he signed up to the final decision of the committee to summon Mr. Jonathan.

The 16-man committee includes 10 APC members and six PDP members. Their names and party affiliation are listed as follows:

Razak Atunwa (APC-Kwara)

Abdulmalik Bungudu (APC-Zamfara)

Peter Akpatason (APC-Edo)

Nasiru Sule Garo (APC-Kano)

Sunday Adepoju (APC-Oyo)

Kehinde Oduneye (APC-Ogun)

Zakariyau Galadima (APC-Yobe)

Talatu Yohanna (APC-Adamawa)

Mogaji Dau Aliyu (APC-Jigawa)

Amiruddin Tukur (APC-Katsina)

Ossai Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta)

Obinna Onwubuariri (PDP-Imo)

Daniel Reyenieju (PDP-Delta)

Adamu Kamale (PDP-Adamawa)

Karimi Sunday (PDP-Kogi)

Igariwey Iduma (PDP-Ebonyi)

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The endorsement by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo of the continuous stay of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman was not a collective decision, the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said on Wednesday.

Addressing journalists after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday, Mr. Malami said the Federal Executive Council never discussed the continued stay and possible re-nomination of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the anti-graft agency.

The Nigerian Senate had twice rejected Mr. Magus nomination as EFCC chairman, officially basing their decisions on a report compiled by the State Security Service, SSS, accusing Mr. Magu of impropriety; although many Nigerians believe the non-confirmation was because many of the senators are being investigated or prosecuted by the EFCC.

Earlier on Tuesday, the upper legislative chamber criticised Mr. Osinbajo for allegedly questioning their constitutional authority to confirm the nomination of appointees by the executive arm.

Senators also expressed concern about the refusal of the Executive to drop Mr. Magu as the acting chairman of the EFCC.

Mr. Osinbajo had in April while speaking in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES and other journalists and activists said Mr. Magu enjoys his confidence, and that of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Im fully in support of Magu as the EFCC Chairman just as the president is Mr. Osinbajo said.

Speaking on the Senate rejection, Mr. Osinbajo said it is up to the Senate to make their judgement. If our candidate is rejected, , we can represent our candidate.

When asked for comments by State House correspondents after the FEC meeting on Wednesday, Mr. Malami said Mr. Osinbajos stance was a personal decision never discussed at FEC.

The fundamental consideration about the alleged statement is the factthat at no point ever did the Federal Executive Council sit down to arrive at the decision in one-way or the other as far as the issue of nomination or otherwise is concerned.

So, I do not think it constitutes an issue for the Federal Executive Council to make any clarification about because it has never been considered by the FEC, he said.

Mr. Malami, Nigerias chief law officer, has been in the eye of the storm over his role in and dedication to the anti-corruption fight of the Buhari administration. Last month, an anti-corruption adviser to President Buhari accused Mr. Malami of not being committed to the anti-corruption war, a major promise of the president during campaign. Mr. Malami, who is believed to be opposed to Mr. Magu as EFCC chairman, denied the allegation.

The Acting Presidents office is yet to react to Mr. Malamis claim. However, a presidency source confided in PREMIUM TIMES that what Mr. Malami said was true.

(Keeping Magu despite Senate rejection) was a decision reached between the president and his vice to sustain the anti-corruption war. I think they never took it to FEC, the source said.

BUHARIS SPOKESPERSON REACTS

Speaking on the stance of the AGF and the Acting President, President Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu said, Our understanding is that some remarks made by the Acting President some months ago when he was the Vice President, because the President was around at that time, an opinion he gave is being misconstrued.

A senior lawyer in the country offered an opinion, in which he said some categories of public officers traditionally cleared by the National Assembly need not to go through that process, that those ones can be appointed by the Presidential fiat; they dont have to go through screening. But several months ago, in his position as Vice President, Professor Osinbajo gave a personal opinion saying what this lawyer said makes sense, Mr. Shehu explained, making reference to Mr. Osinbajos support of the stance of human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on the matter as reported by PREMIUM TIMES.

I fully agree with Mr. (Femi) Falana that there was no need in the first place to have presented Mr. Magu for confirmation, Mr. Osinbajo had said, making reference to the Section 171 of the constitution.

Mr. Shehu confirmed that the government and indeed the FEC had not taken any decision on such an issue.

There is no official position by the government of Nigeria, and the Federal Executive Council never sat down to take a decision to say that some categories of officials will not be sent to the National Assembly any longer or that the authority of the Senate under the constitution to screen and pass nominees has never been questioned by the government or the Federal Executive Council, he said.

According to the presidential spokesperson, in compliance with the provisions of the law, the executive arm has been sending the names of its nominees to the National Assembly for screening and it will continue to do so.

From the time the Vice President gave that opinion to now, more than 20 nominations have been forwarded to the Senate and quite a number of them have been screened, sworn-in and are now occupying positions so therefore; this is not a big issue as some people want to make it, he said.

The presidential aide said all parties involved in the matter would soon meet to resolve it.

The party, government and the National Assembly will sit on a round table and this matter will be discussed and resolved. I assure you, he said.

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In PM Park restaurants 100th year of operation in Clear Lake, manager Cris Brager takes some old photos off the wall to look at them.

Were just darn pleased that its still here, Brager said.

The old pictures showed life in the early 1900s. The restaurant once had long cafeteria style tables and benches, rather than individual seating.

The park used to be 15 acres, from Bell Harbor to Bayside. Now, the complex is down to five acres. Its Clear Lake tourism that keeps the customers coming, not so much local support, Brager said.

We get people in here from all over, Brager said. The locals arent the backbone, tourism is.

PM Park was originally a private park built for the Patriarchs Militant of the Odd Fellows. They acquired the property in 1914.

The group built dining hall, now restaurant, in 1917, Brager said.

When the park was not in use by the Patriarchs Militant, it became a camp for orphans from the organizations that supported orphanages and others to take a week vacation, Brager said.

I talked to some who are now in their 70s and 80s who came here to camp and they said it was the best week of their life, Brager said.

The 700-some patriarchs would camp on a grounds for one week each year. The group would conduct ceremonies, socialize and take care of organizational business during the second week of July each year.

Brager calls it a private park that's open to the public. Down from 700, now only 40 patriarchs own PM Park.

Over the years, the patriarchs decided to build tiny homes in place of their tents so they could stay in more comfort. Eventually, the tiny houses were given to family or sold so the land did not stay with PM Park, Brager said.

Thats why you have some of these huge homes on these postage stamp lots, Brager said.

The park is still owned by the Patriarchs Militant but is managed by Brager who has managed the property for 13 years. She said putting in the Tiki Bar helps the property pay for itself with operation costs.

At first, the only way to get to PM Park was by boat. After South Shore Drive was constructed, the small hotel was built next to the PM Park dining hall in 1922.

At one time, Brager said, there were 117 PM Parks in the U.S. Now, Clear Lake has the only one. The patriarchs still use it one week per year.

The restaurant is open daily from starting in the spring through the fall.

Were very fortunate here to be open for three months out of the year and do well, Brager said.

The dining area features original knotty pine plank walls and original floors. This year, new windows and new siding were added for the 100-year anniversary. There wont be a huge celebration. Its more important to Brager to invest back into the building.

My goal is to make sure no one can change it for the next 100 years, Brager said.

The room seats about a hundred guests in addition to the lakeside outdoor seating. A large ballroom upstairs provides a space for groups to hold meetings, parties and reunions.

Im very proud of it, Brager said. Seldom do you get to do what you love and keep doing it.
The Buhari administration on Wednesday identified some issues that must be clarified before details of suspected looters of the countrys treasury could be disclosed.

Asked about the administrations commitment to publishing names of those from whom various amounts were recovered since the administration came onboard two years ago, Attorney-General Abubakar Malami said the government remained committed to unmasking such individuals, but would only do so after all legal concerns had been addressed.

The disclosure will definitely be made, but it is contingent on reconciliation of associated considerations as they relate to subjudice principles, Mr. Malami told State House reporters shortly after Federal Executive Council meeting.

Other issues as they relate to reconciliation and confirmation of figures, must also be addressed, Mr. Malami said.

Once the stated issues have been resolved, the government will commence piecemeal disclosure of the names of the suspects, Mr. Malami added.

The comments came hours after a court in Lagos ordered the federal government to immediately publish personal details of those that law enforcement agencies have recovered funds from since President Muhammadu Buhari launched his anti-corruption war shortly after assuming office.

The Federal Government has a legally binding obligation to tell Nigerians the names of all suspected looters of the public treasury past and present, the presiding judge, Hadiza Shagari, said in suit number: FHC/CS/964/2016.

The order was secured by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, following a Freedom of Information suit.

The group said it filed the suit after the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, turned down its FoI requests for details of those that returned cash and other assets to federal coffers.

Details of the recoveries published June 2016 showed that the Nigerian government retrieved total cash amount of N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, 3,508,355.46 and 11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.

Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $9,090,243,920.15, 2,484,447.55 and 303,399.17.

Anticipated repatriation from foreign countries totaled: $321,316,726.1, 6,900,000 and 11,826.11.

The government also announced that 239 non-cash recoveries were made during the one-year period. The non-cash recoveries are  farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels, the ministry said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had announced other major recoveries since the publication, including more than $9 million recovered from Andrew Yakubu, a former head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

The disclosure followed months of intense criticism and pressure the citizens who accused the president of failing to fulfil his promise to disclose names of suspects and their loot.

In his response to State House correspondents, Mr. Malami said the government subscribes to the spirit of Freedom of Information Act, and has the responsibility to obey requests arising from it.

But we have to take into account and consideration, the fact that there are some factors that have to be considered as far as making these disclosures are concerned, Mr. Malami insisted.

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The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ali Sheriff, has asked the partys forum of former ministers to declare the source of its members illicit wealth rather than wade into matters that do not concern them.

Mr. Sheriff, who said he does not recognise them as a sub-group of the party, said they were not qualified to advise the party on the way forward in the protracted crisis rocking it.

Speaking through a spokesperson, Cairo Ojougboh, in Abuja, on Tuesday, Mr. Sheriff said moreover the partys constitution does not recognise the umbrella under which the former ministers gathered.

We want to say that the partys constitution is very clear and the organs of the party are specified  from the ward executive committees up to the national convention of the party. We dont have the forum of former ministers among the organs. We take exception to the comments of this group of persons who met on Monday and called themselves Forum of PDP Former Ministers, an irate Mr. Sheriff said.

Mr. Sheriff was apparently reacting to a meeting conveyed by the group in Abuja on Monday.

The former ministers at the meeting had resolved to pick one of its members as the partys presidential candidate in 2019 amongst other recommendations.

It was also gathered that the former ministers backed the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party, which may have incurred the wrath of Mr. Sheriff.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on who is the authentic leader of the crisis ridden party.

In the meantime, the former ministers in reaction to Mr. Sheriffs outburst said the former governor should be ignored as he does not epitomize the ideals of the PDP.

A former minister of National Planning, Suleiman Abubakar, in a statement said responding to Mr. Sheriffs taunt was needless.

Ordinarily, Sheriff does not deserve our response. Is this how a man who wants to build a party talks? If his leadership is not in doubt, he wont be in court to defend his leadership status, he said.

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The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday observed a minute silence in honour of Nigerias one-time Permanent Representative to the United Nations and First Republic minister, Maitama Sule.

Speaking shortly before observing the moment of silence in Abuja, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo described the late elder statesman as a father of the nation and one of the great contributors to the growth and stability of the country.

He will be sadly missed by all of us who regarded him as a mentor and as a father of the nation and one of the great contributors to the growth and stability of the nation.

Yes, he was buried yesterday. Im sure many of us followed the proceedings.

The Federal Government was represented by delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and several members of the Federal Executive Council.

NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buharis letter of condolence was handed over to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State while acting President Osinbajo expressed condolences over the demise of the elder statesman via a statement on Monday.

Maitama Sule, the Danmasanin Kano and a distinguished diplomat, died in the early hours of Monday in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt.

His remains were buried in Kano on Tuesday.

(NAN)

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A former Minister of Education and a co-leader of the #BringBackOurGirls group, Oby Ezekwesili, has attacked Nigerias Senate for appearing to be backing the controversial senator, Dino Melaye, against the recall process initiated by the senators constituents in Kogi State.

Mr. Melaye had on Tuesday at the plenary begged his co-senators to save him from being recalled, during which the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, assured him that the recall process was dead on arrival.

Responding to the remark by Mr. Ekweremadu, Mrs. Ezekwesili, on Twitter, Tuesday, accused the Deputy Senate President of speaking so cynically and without due respect to citizens right.

Mrs. Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) tweeted, This too shall pass.

She then went on to tweet, Our members of @nassnigeria are like a man who NEVER imagined he would get an Ozo title. He wears the beads on his knees instead of ankles!

Funny fellows that call themselves Excellencies, Distinguished, and Honorable. They dont know that the hood does not make a monk.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has been reported as saying that those after Mr. Melaye were only wasting their time, implying that the recall wont succeed.

Mrs. Ezekwesili responded, still on Twitter, by warning the Senate president to stop talking down on citizens.

No serious leader of any institution of Democracy in a serious country that respects its citizens speaks like you, she told Mr. Saraki.

The former minister also tweeted about the ongoing face-off between the National Assembly and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, over Mr. Fasholas allegation that the lawmakers apart from slashing N21 billion off the N31 billion vote for the LagosIbadan Expressway, had inserted new projects into the ministrys 2017 budget.

Mr. Fashola had also accused the National Assembly of taking N5 billion off the budget for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge.

The House of Representatives, Tuesday, summoned Mr. Fashola to appear before it, saying his remarks constituted an incitement of Nigerians against the legislators.

Mrs. Ezekwesili expressed her faith in Mr. Fasholas ability to stand up to the lawmakers whom she said should be made to refund the the fat allowances they earn for NOTHING.

When a fellow Twitter user cautioned Mrs. Ezekwesili that she too could be summoned by the National Assembly, she responded: They wont. When the 7th NASS insulted me for pointing out their disgraceful allowances, I asked for a Debate. They dodged.

The former minister however said it was not that she did not like the legislative arm of government, but just that she detested their bad ways.

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A 28-year-old man, Ifeanyi Nwaneze, and his sister, Ginika Ojukwu, who allegedly conspired to abduct a 14- year-old girl, were on Wednesday brought before a Tinubu Magistrates Court on Lagos Island.

The first accused, Mr. Nwaneze, who resides at Tapa Street, Orile-Iganmu, was also charged with rape of the 14-year-old girl.

The prosecutor, Ben Ekundayo, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 16 at 4.00 p.m. at Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island.

He said the accused abducted the girl on her way to the mosque.

According to Mr. Ekundayo, the accused held the girl hostage for four days at his sisters house and raped her.

The accused kept the girl at Ojukwus house for four days and the sister was aware that her brother kidnapped the girl.

Nwaneze also forcefully had sexual intercourse with the girl, he said.

The offences contravened Sections 127, 266 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised)

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 266 provides seven years for abduction, while Section 409 stipulates two years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The duo pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy, abduction and rape.

The Magistrate, Ade Adedulire, granted the accused N500,000 bail each with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case until July 8 for mention.

(NAN)

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Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court in Kaduna on July 4 dismissed an application by Abdullahi Inde, former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, urging the court to vacate its earlier interim order of forfeiture in favour of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

It would be recalled that the EFCC had on February 22 recovered 17 exotic vehicles in a warehouse of the former Comptroller-General of Customs located at Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna.

The recovery was sequel to an intelligence report the commission received that stolen money and property suspected to be proceeds of crime were being warehoused at the former custom boss premises.

Following the recovery, the EFCC on February 24, 2017 secured an interim forfeiture order of the court against the properties.

However, Mr. Indes counsel, Mahmud Magaji, through a motion on notice urged the court to discharge the said order of interim forfeiture against his clients properties.

But in a considered ruling on Tuesday, the court dismissed the application and held that the EFCC has the power to obtain an order of interim forfeiture in respect of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.

The ruling was in respect of consolidated applications filed by the EFCC.

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The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, says no fewer than 43 persons have won the bidding of vehicles in the first 48 hours of the newly launched e-auction platform.

Joseph Attah, the Public Relations Officer, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Wednesday in Abuja that the platform is active and working.

Mr. Attah made the clarification following numerous complaints from interested bidders that they could not access the Customs auction websites.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, on July 3 in Abuja inaugurated the e-auction platform aimed at giving all Nigerians equal opportunities to partake in bidding for seized vehicles and to increase Customs revenue.

At the first day of the launching, there were technical challenges with the e-auction platform and these challenges have already been resolved.

Potential bidders can now register smoothly without hitches.

The first 48 hours expired at 12noon on Wednesday and already 43 persons have won the bidding including a journalist, so you can see this platform is working.

For now, it is only Jaiz bank that is on the platform, other designated banks are having Interswitch issues and they will soon be on board as soon as they ratify the issues.

I understand that today one bank will soon be on board, he said.

Mr. Attah called on potential bidders to be calm and make use of the bank available on the platform for now until other banks could come on board.

For those trying to register, they should go to the designated bank area on the platform, click on the Jaiz bank and print out the page from their system and go to the bank to pay.

This means the person has activated with Jaiz bank and the bank can key you into the bank system to enable you pay the N1 000 administrative fee, which will be transferred to your e-wallet, he said.

NAN reports that between 4:10 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5, the platform was showing Under Maintenance.

The platform also gave an instruction saying: Dear user, the server is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance or upgrade. Please refresh the page in a few minutes.

However, after many attempts to refresh the page by NAN correspondent, it still showed the same instruction.

(NAN)

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The Southern Senators Forum on Wednesday re-emerged at the Senate after being in oblivion for some years.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the forums activity was last noticed 2006 and 2007 during the tenure of Ken Nnamani as President of the Senate. It had Ifeanyi Ararume as chairman.

Announcing the revival of the forum after its meeting at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, said that it was inevitable that the group existed.

He said that as lawmakers, they must get closer to the grassroots in order to provide them with the basic needs of life.

We must ensure that we take decisions that will enable us get closer to our people as we provide a shoulder they can lean on.

We are alive to our responsibilities. It is not just to pass bills. We will take on topical issues that will alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians like security and creation of employment.

We will make Nigeria one, Mr. Akpabio said.

According to him, there has always been the Northern Senators Forum while the Southern Senators Forum has just re-emerged in the 8th Senate.

When they take decisions from the North, we will also take decisions from the South and from there we have a united voice in order to consolidate on the unity of the country, he said.

Mr. Akpabio announced that Hope Uzodinma (PDP-Imo) was Chairman of the forum, with Lanre Tejuosho as Vice Chairman.

Other members in the executive committee of the group are Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP-Abia), Publicity Secretary, while Duro Fasheyi is the Auditor.

The only female member of the committee, Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra), is the Welfare Officer.

In his remarks, chairman of the group, Mr. Uzodinma, said that the Southern Senators caucus would play vital role in strengthening the unity of Nigeria going by the recent agitation by various sectional groups across the country.

(NAN)

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A former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that he owed nobody apology for retiring politically exposed military officers during Nigerias return to democratic rule in 1999.

He made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja during the public presentation of a book titled The First Regular Combatant: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, authored by Haruna Poloma.

Mr. Maimalari was one of the military officers killed on the night of January 15, 1966 during the coup that brought Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi to power. He was the first regular combatant of the Nigerian Army.

Mr. Obasanjo paid tribute to Mr. Maimalaris son, Abubakar, who was a former military administrator.

He explained why he compulsorily retired officers in 1999 including the younger Mr. Maimalari, a lieutenant colonel, stressing that he had held political positions that could engender fertile environment for the budding democracy to survive.

Mr. Obasanjo said he had no apology, but explanations to make.

It is because it is necessary to stop the sort of thing that took the life of your father prematurely that I had to take decision that all those that have tasted of power that they should never have tasted of political offices while they were soldiers; that we should ease them out of the army so that we can have an army that will be completely free from political aberration.

And so far, since 1999, I think we seem to have got it right. Let us hope that we will continue to get it right and learn the right lessons that Nigeria has had enough sacrifices by those victims; that Nigeria deserves peace, unity and democracy.

And may the sacrifices of the life of Brig. Zak Maimalari be sufficient to give this country peace, development, unity and progress, Mr. Obasanjo said.

The former president also expressed dissatisfaction with the militarys involvement in Nigerias political activities over the years, lamenting that Nigeria had witnessed enough bloodshed.

The lesson we can learn is that we have had enough tragedy in this country; the Nigerian Army, particularly, has had the unfortunate situation where officers this country has spent a lot of money to train and who had been of great service to this country and to the Nigerian Army, had to be cut out in the prime of their life. Our lesson should be that this should never happen again, he said.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by Sulaiman Adamu, Minister of Water Resources, said the Nigerian landscape had been disfigured by appalling examples of poor leadership and bad governance because the youth were misled into feeling that there was total absence of idealism and heroism in the country.

But with chronicles on exemplary Nigerians like Mr. Maimalari, who he described as a man that has carved a place for himself in history as if he lived for eternity, despite living for only 34 years, Mr. Osinbajo said history would be a useful tool in the propagation of good examples.

Without a grounding in history, how do we know who we are, where we come from, and more importantly, as a people, where are we going? he said.

The acting president had earlier blamed successive poor leadership in the country on the abolition of the study of History in schools.

He said it was the reason the present administration recovered History from where it has been ignored for far too long and placed it back firmly in the school curriculum.

A former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, also spoke at the event describing Mr. Maimalari as a selfless and courageous military officer.

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The Senate has come under heavy criticism on social media after it decided to suspend all requests for confirmations sent to it by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

The Senate had on Tuesday expressed displeasure over what it termed the refusal of the presidency to carry out some resolutions passed by it on presidential nominations, especially the continuous stay of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman despite being rejected twice by the Senate. The legislative body said it would retaliate by not confirming further nominations sent to it by the acting president.

The Senate President had gone ahead to post the resolutions of the Senate on his Facebook page after the session.

According to the post, Mr Saraki said the decision was borne out of the parliaments resolve to ensure that there was rule of law in the country.

It is important that we build a society wherein all laws, not just some laws are obeyed. We must build a nation of laws, not a nation of men. Hence, it is not for us to choose which laws to obey, and which laws not to obey, he said.

However, many Nigerians who commented on this faulted the Senates position with some accusing the Senate President of planning to subtly take over power from the acting president.

An irate respondent, Awwal Umar, said the Senate has been a joke

Only people of integrity can say this is not the real Senate under your fraudulent leadership. The biggest joke in this country is Saraki. We are watching and are very angry. Your prayer is as useless as the Senate you are leading, he posted.

Another respondent, Nasiru Shehu, said the present parliament was the worst in history.

It is very unfortunate that we probably have the worst parliament in the world with these eighth Senate and the House of Representatives. It is a big source of concern for a nation like Nigeria dealing with legislators driven only by their personal interest. Just recently it was the lower chamber working on a bill to grant amnesty to the public looters and now the senate with another useless amendment. However, this is the result of sending mostly former governors to the senate.

Another Facebook user, Michael Ojua, said the Senate had apparently forgotten the law that set it up.

If the senate can be this lawless then where lies our hope? Cant you approach Supreme Court for adjudication? Why are you all shameless and full of selfishness? Dont try our might, if not revolution is in the offing and you and your cohorts will be the first victims.

Abogbenda Solomon while reacting to the development said the legislators were not just pleased that Mr Osinbajo was in control of the nations affairs.

You guys have started seeing it. These cabals will not allow Osinbajo to work. Its PMB that suits them. How can the Senate President who is a medical doctor know the Constitution of Nigeria more than a professor of law and SAN? In fact, there is no senator or house of representative member that knows the law more than Prof. Osinbajo. Take it or leave it.

Others like Daniel Onunekwu, however, took a middle position.

There has to be a balance in our polity. Executive arm should understand the limit of their authority. The legislature is there not just to make the laws but also to check excesses from the executive chamber My candid opinion.

For Anosike Ike, the Senate was right in its position. Lets be reasonable for once. What is the rationale in the executive sending these people to the Senate? Is it (Senate) a rubber stamp? If is for screening and confirmation, it then means, if Mr. Magu fails the test, he shouldnt be confirmed.

Meanwhile the Senate has vowed to stick to its position until the presidency addresses its concern.

The presidency is yet to officially react to this development.

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SHEFFIELD | Police have cited recent changes to a law in refusing to release further details on a school-related incident in Sheffield this spring.

At least one high school student was referred to juvenile court in what law enforcement officials called a threat to West Fork Schools in early May.

School officials and police would not say what the threat involved, but said in a news release it included inappropriate social media posts and statements" targeting the school system as a whole.

It is not known what the court referral was for, as juvenile court records are now confidential unless they involve a forcible felony, such as murder, kidnapping or robbery. The law went into effect in July 2016.

However, police are allowed to provide non-identifying, basic information, which includes criminal charges and the age of the juvenile.

The state legislature unfortunately left a lot to interpret in this law, and agencies are unnecessarily spending valuable time guessing  with multiple final answers  what was intended, said Globe Gazette Editor David Mayberry. When these cases involve publicly-funded institutions and significant interruptions in valuable classroom time for students, the public and the taxpayers deserve to know how their resources are being utilized and that their students are safe.

The Globe Gazette, which does not identify juveniles unless they are charged in adult court, filed two open records requests with the Sheffield Police Department. The requests sought the criminal charges and ages of those involved.

The department denied both requests, citing the new law.

Sheffield Police Chief Sam Cain said via email June 21 the investigation is still not complete but the majority of the matter now lies with the juvenile courts.

According to what the juvenile courts have told me and what I have read from the law that weve discussed, Im still not at liberty to discuss the matters up to this point, Cain wrote.

Sheffield police investigating 'threat' to West Fork Schools SHEFFIELD | Police on Monday were investigating a possible safety issue at West Fork Schools.

The Iowa Public Information Board, which handles violations of open meetings and public records laws, has been working with the Iowa Attorney Generals Office to determine how to interpret the changes and what impact they might have on Chapter 22.7(5), Interim Executive Director Margaret Johnson said via email May 18.

The law Johnson referenced deals with confidential records, specifically investigative reports compiled by law enforcement.

The Globe Gazette outlined its concerns May 18 to Johnson on how juvenile protections impact public records law.

North Iowa law enforcement agencies are interpreting the new juvenile law differently  some release information that doesnt identify a juvenile, while others will release nothing.

The law, News Editor Ashley Miller wrote Johnson, becomes more burdensome to the public when the incident occurred at a school. All of the juvenile cases the Globe Gazette has reported in the past few years are school-related.

Due to a broad interpretation on their part, most schools will refuse to answer questions in the name of student discipline/student privacy laws, so members of the media must go to police for information, Miller wrote.

This law places more value in one students privacy than the potential safety and well-being of all the rest of the kids in the school and the publics right to know about what it is going on at a taxpayer-funded institution.
The Nigerian authorities on Wednesday launched investigation into claims that a teenager survived 12 hours hidden in the wheel compartment of a plane between Lagos and London.

Sam Adurogboye, spokesperson of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, confirmed the investigation on Wednesday.

The boy, said to be aged 15, was reportedly discovered in the wheel compartment of a Med-View Airline Boeing 747 which made the trip on Saturday.

But speaking to AFP Wednesday, Mr. Adurogboye said the authorities were disturbed by the incident because of its implications for air safety, saying how the teenager survived at an altitude of 32,000 feet (9,754 metre) was a mystery,

We are looking into the incident to find how it happened and to prevent a recurrence, he added.

Earlier, Oyibotha Obuke, spokesperson of the airline, had said that it was cooperating with the relevant authorities.

Hypoxia or oxygen deficiency normally sets in from about 10,000 feet and would quickly render a person unconscious.

Temperatures at that altitude plunge to -48 degrees Celsius (-55 degrees Fahrenheit), causing hypothermia.

There have however been previous examples of stowaways surviving in the wheel compartment of passenger jets.

According to an October 1996 report by the US Federal Aviation Administration, Survival at High Altitudes: Wheel-Well Passengers, there were five survivors between 1947 and 1993.

Three of them were teenagers, one aged 13 and two aged 17.

Similarly, in April 2014, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said a 16-year-old boy survived a five-and-a-half-hour flight from California to Hawaii at altitudes of up to 38,000 feet.

In October 2007, a 27-year-old man was charged with entering Singapore without a valid pass or permit, after stowing away on a 35-minute flight from Kuala Lumpur.

In March 2016, the body of a stowaway was discovered in the undercarriage of an Arik Air jet flying from Lagos to New York.

Also, another body was found on an Arik Air flight from Lagos when it landed in Johannesburg in November 2016.

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An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Wednesday adjourned hearing into an application filed by Malabu Oil and Gas Limited against the Nigerian government and other respondents till October 31.

The case which was filed by Mohammed Abacha, son of late Nigerian military dictator, Sani Abacha, on behalf of Malabu had been adjourned in May for hearing on Wednesday but was further shifted because the court failed to sit.

Mr. Abacha is challenging the return of Oil Prospecting Licence; OPL 245, to Shell and AGIP exploration companies by the Federal Government in 2011.

He is asking the court to declare the initial transfer of the oil well to Shell and AGIP as null and void.

His grounds are that he was an original co-owner of Malabu when it was controversially awarded the lucrative oil block in 1998 during his fathers military regime, but that he was illegally excluded when the company transferred the oil well to the two multinational oil companies.

But in a preliminary objection filed at the previous sitting, the federal government said Malabus ownership of the oil well ended in April 2011.

Those listed as respondents in the suit are the Federal Government, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Shell Nigeria Ultra-Deep Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd, Nigerian Agip Exploration Company Ltd, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and a former Minister of Petroleum, Dan Etete.

A court order in January transferring the ownership of the oil well from Shell and AGIP to the Federal Government was revoked in March.

OPL 245, regarded as one of Africas richest oil blocks with an estimated over nine billion barrels of crude, was controversially awarded to Malabu in 1998 by the then petroleum minister, Mr. Etete, who partly owned the company through a fictional character, Kwekwu Amafegha.

The block was controversially sold to oil giants, Shell and ENI, in 2011 with a large chunk of the $1.1billion paid for it ending up in private pockets, including those of some Nigerian government officials.

The matter has already led to indictments of Shell, ENI, Mr. Etete and others in Italy and Nigeria while investigations are ongoing in other countries.

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The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday backed a recent call by the All Progressives Congress for the restructuring of the country.

In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Francis Agbo, Mr. Dickson commended the ruling party for the move, but said the mission must be given a bi-partisan approach.

The governor suggested that a restructuring committee should be raised and its members should be drawn from all political parties, civil societies and the academia to deal decisively with the matter as this would give a sense of belonging to all and sundry.

Nigerias unity and indivisibility is desirable but should be negotiated for the good of all, Mr. Dickson, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, said.

Amongst the issues the governor said should be addressed in a restructured Nigeria is resource control.

Any restructuring that doesnt include resource control will not make much sense to my people because for us in the Niger Delta, restructuring Nigeria starts with resource control, he said.

Mr. Dicksons comments came a week after the APC said it would raise a committee that would design its modalities for restructuring.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the partys spokesperson, said the partys manifesto contained aspects that dealt with how to restructure the countrys political system, largely through devolution of power.

We intend to look at fiscal federalism, state police and other concerns that would give devolve more powers to the states rather than concentrating everything at the centre, Mr. Abdullahi told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday night.

Both the APC and its central government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, had hitherto been elusive about restructuring. Mr. Buhari had said his administration will not prioritise implementation of the recommendations of 2014 national conference.

The partys position on what constitutes restructuring, which came amidst growing agitation amongst ethnic nationalities, appeared fundamentally different from what advocates of a restructured Nigeria say they want.

For one, foremost Yoruba interest group, Afenifere, said any restructuring that failed to return the country to a regional political system will not be acceptable. The group said the country should be sub-divided into regions as it was before independence in 1960 and for seven years hence.

A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has been amongst the biggest voices against the current political system in Nigeria, but said he would allow Nigerians to determine the scope of a restructured system.

He wants all the states in the country to become autonomous federating units, as against the current system in which most of the authorities are derived from centre, even when the Constitution accords a good degree of independence to states.

Last week, Mr. Abubakar, a member of the APC, welcomed his partys decision to address some of the contentious arguments around restructuring.

The APC took the decision days after the Nigerian Senate, which has its members in the majority, passed a resolution for the implementation of the 2014 confab report.

In his latest statement, Mr. Dickson acknowledged myriads of constitutional hurdles that will be encountered in trying to restructure the country, but said the efforts will pay off if the APC displayed potent leadership and a sincerity of purpose.

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Iowas fiscal 2017 budget, already propped up with nearly $118 million in cuts and transfers and $131 million in IOUs from reserves, took another hit Monday when a state agency reported a $104 million shortfall from even those downgraded expectations.

The news, although not a final accounting of the fiscal year that ended Friday, increases the chances that lawmakers will be called back to Des Moines in special session yet this year to deal again with the budget.

Gov. Kim Reynolds says she has the authority without legislative approval to grab $50 million from reserves to cover a shortfall. But the figure released Monday by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency is more than twice that.

Democrats, in the Statehouse minority and eager to make inroads against Reynolds and other Republicans before the 2018 elections, pounced on the news.

Theyve chosen not to address the runaway cost of tax credits and tax breaks to out-of-state companies, and have put Iowa into an unsustainable cycle, said a statement from Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee. With a special legislative session looking more likely each week, will Republican leaders fix the budget mess theyve created or will they just borrow more?

To be sure, the state budget is growing despite the setbacks. The legislative agency Monday estimated the general fund budget to be $6.862 billion as of June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Thats more than $190 million above the 2016 budget at this time last year.

But its far less than what was expected.

The states Revenue Estimating Conference has three times scaled back its forecasts of how much money the state would take in.

Legislators already clawed back tens of millions of dollars that had been approved and that state agencies had planned to spend.

When the estimate fell again, legislators agreed to take $131 million out of the cash reserve with the promise of repaying it within two years.

In all, with the latest shortfall added, the state seems on track to collect some $350 million less for 2017 than planned.

Reynolds has said she wont decide whether to call legislators back for a special session until the books close on the fiscal 2017 budget. Although the budget year just ended, receipts are still trickling in and tax refunds are still being paid, so the total will change.

But tweaking the budget by about an extra $55 million in three months is a tall order. In 2016, in comparison, net revenue grew about just $15 million by the time the books were closed.

Besides the need to dip into reserves to cover the shortfall for the 2017 budget year, the downgrades raise the possibility of another round of budget clawbacks next year.

Legislators already have taken into account in future budgets the need to repay the $131 million borrowed so far. But that doesnt account for any more borrowing from economic reserves, or for further softening of expectations.

Moreover, Reynolds, who is running for governor in 2018, is calling for a state income tax overhaul next year. Senate Republicans are formulating a plan that would shrink income brackets to three, gradually phase out federal deductibility in order to cut rates and provide at least $500 million in relief to Iowa taxpayers by 2022, according to Sen. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Proponents say the changes are necessary to stimulate growth.

This year, income tax receipts are not keep pace with expectations. The Revenue Estimating Conference projected they would increase by 4.1 percent over 2016. But the legislative agency said Monday they are showing only a 2.6 percent increase so far.

Iowa is not in a recession, Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement criticizing Republican priorities. Iowa is experiencing slow revenue growth because the policies of Gov. Reynolds and legislative Republicans are out of whack. Delaying tax refunds for Iowa families and other gimmicks will not solve this budget mess.
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Lower Township police seized a computer, cell phone and other electronics from a North Cape May man accused of sharing inappropriate pictures of an ex-girlfriend.

On June 30, North Wildwood police informed Lower Township police of a report from a woman who said her ex-boyfriend was sharing inappropriate photographs of her, according to a news release from Lower police.

The woman claimed the ex, Ernest Drew Paulus III, 46, of North Cape May, pointed a shotgun at her several months ago and told her not to report him to authorities, Lower police said.

Detectives from Lower spoke with the woman at North Wildwood police headquarters, then took her to the Lower police station to apply for a temporary restraining order and give a statement.

A search warrant was authorized by Judge Thomas Hillegass, and detectives, along with members of the Cape May County SWAT team, searched Paulus home in the 600 block of Howland Avenue.

During the search, authorities seized a cell phone, computer, video recording devices and other electronics, as well as a quantity of marijuana and assorted drug paraphernalia.

Paulus was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, terroristic threats, invasion of privacy for recording images without consent, invasion of privacy for sharing images, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Additional complaints are pending analysis of suspected steroids found in the home.

Paulus was taken to the Cape May County jail pending a hearing.
OCEAN CITY  A group of men from Pennsylvania was charged with assaulting lifeguards Tuesday afternoon on the beach near Eighth Street and attempting to flee by running through Gillians Wonderland Pier.

About 4:30 p.m., police were called to the 800 block of the beach to assist lifeguards with several intoxicated and loud people causing a disturbance, police said. The men, who were assaulting the lifeguards when they arrived, turned their aggression toward the officers, police said.

Two of the men ran from the beach onto the Boardwalk and into Gillians at Sixth Street, police said. Police and lifeguards ran after them and were able to apprehend the men. The three other men were arrested on the beach. All five men were taken to the police station, charged and released on summonses.

Breland J. Roach, 26, and Qwanayzia N. Nelson, 23, both of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Harold E. Corbin, 25, and Darnell M. Willingham, 29, both of Philadelphia, were charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Trevis Willingham, 34, of Philadelphia was charged with disorderly conduct.
Social media proved useful this weekend as local beach towns and business organizations took to Twitter and Facebook to let fans know they were open, despite a state shutdown.

The minute we heard about it, we did a major push on social media to let people know that only state-run parks and beaches were closed, said Ben Rose, Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority marketing director. Its the immediate, go-to platform for communicating with our visitors.

Regional and national media coverage of New Jerseys three-day government shutdown, which included the closing of all state-operated parks, beaches and recreation areas, was confusing for some and prompted calls and inquiries to chambers and city halls. Ocean City public information officer Doug Bergen said the welcome centers and City Hall received a number of calls asking whether the beaches were open, so they used social media as well as the city website and email blasts to eliminate confusion.

Fortunately, the Ocean City faithful know that no Trenton budget standoff is going to shut down our beaches, so I dont think there was a measurable effect on crowds, Bergen said.

Vicki Clark, president of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, said that chamber immediately posted to social media following the news of the shutdown Friday night.

The majority of visitors looking for information either emailed or found out through our social media channels. The Cape May County Chamber Information Center was open and assisting visitors even though state-run information centers closed, Clark said.

She said visitors who were headed to closed attractions such as the Cape May Lighthouse, World War II Tower and state beaches of Corsons Inlet and Cape May Point, were able to make alternate plans.

Areas like Sunset Beach saw an increase in holiday traffic and visitors who planned on going to Corsons Inlet State Park beach instead chose to visit neighboring beaches in Strathmere and Ocean City, she said.

Our Wildwoods Boardwalk, Beaches & Downtown are open! Get Here and join the fun! https://t.co/yPqDCPi7sB  Wildwood by the Sea (@DoWildwoodNJ) July 3, 2017

Clark said businesses catering to campers at state campgrounds like Belleplain in Woodbine did lose sales.

For an area like Cape May County whose tourism-driven economy depends on holiday weekends to bolster our seasonal businesses, the government shutdown definitely impacted business. Overnight inventory is available in limited supply and once those overnight stays are lost, you never get them back, Clark said.

While the Wildwoods tourism revenue numbers wont be out until September, Rose said all signs point to a successful July 4 weekend.

However, he said the state government needs to be more sensitive to the fact that tourism is the third-largest revenue source for the state.

And to do anything that would affect business on a holiday weekend is not something the tourism industry appreciates, Rose said.
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  State offices reopened Wednesday with about 100 people anxiously waiting in line at a Motor Vehicle Commission agency following a weekend shutdown due to a deadlock in Trenton over the state budget.

Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto announced the budget deal that ended the shutdown late Monday.

Nonessential state offices, including MVC agencies and state courts closed on the first of the month, and the MVC was closed Tuesday because of the July 4 holiday. Drivers with expired documents received extensions due to the shutdown and now have until Thursday to renew registrations and licenses.

One Atlantic City resident was worried the shutdown would last longer than it had because her daughter is due to get her license in November.

Tracy Marshall came to the MVC in person because she didnt want her check sitting in the mail.

I was surprised they were open, said Marshall. Its more crowded than normal, and thats why the man at the counter said I could call a phone number instead of standing in line.

Marshalls license expires at the end of July, but she renewed it by mail. There was incorrect information on her check and she said an MVC employee told her she may be able to correct the mistake by phone.

Some drivers who renewed expired documents said that despite the three-day shutdown, they had a pleasant experience and thought the crowds would be worse.

Its the most crowded that Ive seen it in a while, but its not as bad as the old days, said Lawrence Kaufmann. I remember the days when you stood here not moving and sat here for hours.

The Mays Landing resident needed to renew the registration for his truck, which had expired. The line used to be out the door and stretched to the parking lot entrance on Broadway Avenue, he said. Kaufmann said the renewal process is a lot more organized than it was more than 25 years ago.

At the MVC office in Lower Township, on Wednesday, Luisette Rodriguez, of Wildwood, said she was unaware that the offices had not been open for several days.

In reality, I didnt know it was closed, but if I was in their shoes, and I did have an appointment, I would have been very disappointed, she said. I would have created a petition on why, and I would have asked questions on why it was closed.

It didnt bother me at all, said Brian Cassidy, of Villas. I spent time with family.

Cassidy said all he had to do was surrender plates.

State documents expire at the end of the month. Officials with the MVC gave residents an extension because they said many residents procrastinate and wait until the last minute to renew their documents.

Although our agencies were closed Saturday and Monday, people could still renew their documents online, said Mairin Bellack, the MVCs deputy director of communications. Thats available 24/7.

Residents can renew their registrations up to three months in advance and licenses up to six months in advance, Bellack said.

The $34.7 billion budget agreement that reopened government includes more than $300 million in Democratic spending priorities and is part of an agreement to overhaul the states largest health insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The budget was approved by the Assembly and Senate early Tuesday and was signed by Gov. Chris Christie.
Visitors flocked Tuesday to South Jerseys beaches, boardwalks, state parks and campgrounds to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, food and fun.

The nice weather at the shore packed beaches in Atlantic City, lifeguards said. The senior lieutenant of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol said there were just fewer than 100,000 people on the beach Tuesday and he expected to surpass that number Tuesday night as the time for fireworks grew closer.

But Tuesday wasnt the busiest day for Atlantic City lifeguards.

Sunday was the largest non-special-events crowd, said Lt. John Ammerman, who has been a lifeguard for 31 years. The beach was packed from end to end like there was a concert.

The influx of people from Atlantic City to Cape May also increased the potential for any problems to arise.

Atlantic City lifeguards reunited about 25 lost children with their parents each day Saturday and Sunday. The rip currents were moderate to mild, Ammerman said. Lifeguards rescued 13 people Sunday, four people Monday and five people as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

In Brigantine, the fire department responded to dozens of calls.

The Brigantine Fire Department responded to over 40 calls for service this holiday weekend, said Chief Tiger Platt. The crowds seemed to be larger than previous years, most likely due to the beautiful weather and the long weekend.

On Sunday, the department had to use all three ambulances at the same time, Platt said. Most of the calls over the weekend were routine, and there were no major incidents, he said.

After a sunny, hot and humid Sunday and Monday, an ocean breeze provided some relief Tuesday. Partly sunny skies and comfortably warm temperatures were a treat for parade-goers, pool parties, backyard barbecues, and anyone who spent the holiday outdoors.

But one complaint over the weekend was an unseasonably cold ocean.

The average ocean temperature in early July is about 69 degrees. Surf temperatures from Long Beach Island to Cape May this holiday weekend were only about 59 degrees, keeping many people out of the ocean altogether.

Inland, tourists enjoyed state parks and campgrounds after the state Legislature passed a budget that ended a three-day shutdown of nonessential state services.

Most South Jersey beaches were not affected by the state shutdown because they under municipal control.

We did receive a number of phone calls at the welcome center inquiring if our beaches were open, said Katherine Custer, Sea Isle Citys director of community services. Theres a lot of people on the island today. I dont think (the state shutdown) affected us.

Officials in Avalon agreed.

Im not sure Ive seen the beaches as crowded as they are today, said Scott Wahl, the business administrator of Avalon.

Weather-wise, it was one of the nicer Fourth of Julys in South Jersey over the last five years.

Two of the last three Fourth of July weekends brought a soaking rain that washed out either morning parades or evening fireworks, which makes this years nice holiday weather that much more enjoyable.

Staff writers Dan Skeldon, Waldy Diez and John DeRosier contributed to this report.
UPPER TOWNSHIP  Fourth of July revelers laid out their blankets and set up their lawn chairs Tuesday evening at the Amandas Field recreation complex for the townships annual Independence Day celebration.

The event featured live music, pony rides, food vendors and information tables from groups like the American Legion and the Upper Township Green Team. And, of course, it was capped off with a fireworks display.

For Shane Wiggleworth, it was a wet night. The 17-year-old spent time manning a dunk tank that was set up to raise money for the local Boy Scouts of America troop.

Wigglesworth has been a scout for 13 years, and he said the Boy Scouts have allowed him to participate in events like the townships Fourth of July celebration.

It got me out of my comfort zone, Wigglesworth, of Upper Township, said.

Local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts set up tents in the large grassy field. They were planning to camp out after the fireworks and clean up the area in the morning.

This is our community, so we like to be a part of it, Troop Chairman John Castaldi said.

More than a dozen goats and one sheep also attended the event. The animals were brought by New Jerseys Freedom Farm Animal Rescue, a non-profit organization based in Greenwich Township that takes care of more than 300 farm animals.

A lot of the boys (goats) are from the dairy industry, said Jamie Castano, the rescues founder.

Those at the Independence Day event had the chance to feed the animals and donate to the organization. The proceeds will go toward the food billthe rescue goes through 2,700 pounds of hay a week.
HERNDON, Va., July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SolarWinds, a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, today announced it has participated in Cyber Quest 2017, a multi-week exercise in cyber and electronic warfare exploration and collaboration hosted by the Army Cyber Center of Excellence (CCoE) in Fort Gordon, Georgia. SolarWinds participation included on-site demonstrations of its network and systems monitoring, IT security, and database management products through live, virtual, or constructed scenarios similar to those experienced by the warfighter.



This years annual Army Cyber Quest exercise was held between June 5 and June 30, 2017 and assists the CCoE in identifying emerging technologies from government, industry, and academia and then assessing those technologies against associated Army-required capabilities. It aims to promote collaboration across industry partners and encourage results-oriented outcomes to help improve some of the unique challenges faced by our warfighters.

SolarWinds shares the same goals as the Army CCoE, which is to partner government with industry leaders to ensure that the latest technologies are available to our warfighters, said David Kimball, senior vice president, federal and national government, SolarWinds. Were honored to have been a part of this unique event, and for the opportunity to demonstrate how our powerful solutions can help the Army simplify its task of securing, managing, and monitoring its complex systems and networks.

The following SolarWinds products are were tested during the Army Cyber Quest exercise:

SolarWinds currently supports numerous DoD initiatives including the Armys Warfighter information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program, which serves as the Armys common tactical communications network backbone that enables mission command and secure reliable voice, video, and data communications. SolarWinds provides management, monitoring, and troubleshooting tools, including its Network Configuration Manager, Network Performance Monitor, NetFlow Traffic Analyzer, VoIP & Network Quality Manager, and Engineers Toolset products. You can read a full case study here.

SolarWinds Solutions for Government



SolarWinds software is available on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, Department of Defense ESI, and other contract vehicles.

U.S. Government certifications and approvals include Army CoN, Air Force APL, Navy DADMS; and Technical Requirements include FIPS compatibility, DISA STIGs, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) compliance.

SolarWinds also has hundreds of built-in automated compliance reports, which meet requirements of major auditing authorities, including DISA STIG, FISMA, NIST, and more.

SolarWinds THWACK online user community provides a number of out-of-the-box compliance report templates available to download for free, which are designed to help users prepare for an inspection. It also provides information on Smart Card and Common Access Card (CAC) product support.

For more product and GSA pricing information and for a fully functional free trial of all above products, visit the SolarWinds Government Solutions page.

Additional Resources

About SolarWinds

SolarWinds provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide, from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses, managed service providers (MSPs), government agencies, and educational institutions. We are committed to focusing exclusively on IT, MSP, and DevOps professionals, and strive to eliminate the complexity that our customers have been forced to accept from traditional enterprise software vendors. Regardless of where the IT asset or user sits, SolarWinds delivers products that are easy to find, buy, use, maintain, and scale while providing the power to address key areas of the infrastructure from on-premises to the cloud. This focus and commitment to excellence in end-to-end hybrid IT performance management has established SolarWinds as the worldwide leader in both network management software and MSP solutions, and is driving similar growth across the full spectrum of IT management software. Our solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base, which interacts in our THWACK online community to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly participate in our product development process. Learn more today at www.solarwinds.com.

The SolarWinds, SolarWinds & Design, Orion, and THWACK trademarks are the exclusive property of SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC or its affiliates, are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other SolarWinds trademarks, service marks, and logos may be common law marks or are registered or pending registration. All other trademarks mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only and are trademarks of (and may be registered trademarks of) their respective companies.

 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
IRVINE, Calif., July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vision Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of business resilience solutions for IBM Power Systems and a portfolio company of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., announced it has completed the acquisition of Enforcive Systems, Ltd. (formerly BSafe), a global provider of IT security and compliance management solutions with an impressive track record of innovation on IBM i, IBM AIX, IBM z/OS, Windows and Linux platforms. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.



In response to market demand, backed by industry research, and in the face of mounting global cybersecurity concerns, this acquisition bolsters Visions position as a leading provider of business resilience solutions  high availability, disaster recovery, migration, data replication and security  that protect data and systems and minimize downtime as enterprises transform and automate their operations.

Visions trusted brands, financial strength, and global distribution and services combined with Enforcives globally renowned security software suite will now enable customers to protect their systems and enhance regulatory compliance by controlling access, auditing and reporting with an easy-to-use interface across server platforms and databases.

Theres growing demand to provide interlocking layers of high availability and disaster recovery, security, and managed service solutions to completely envelop and protect a companys critical systems and data, whether at rest or in motion, said Nicolaas Vlok, CEO of Vision Solutions. The convergence of these technologies and services in our portfolio demonstrates our further commitment to protecting businesses and keeping them compliant in our fast-paced world.

In a recent Vision Solutions survey, the majority of respondents indicated compliance auditing and reporting is the primary security-related measure they will address in the coming year. A fully integrated security suite controls access; maintains compliance; conducts and supports audits; and provides dashboards, alerts and reports enabling system administrators, security officers and auditors to monitor and manage across groups of systems within a single interface.

This additional investment in Vision Solutions represents our further commitment to fund its growth strategy and build on its successful track record, said Prashant Mehrotra, Partner of Clearlake Capital. With the transaction complete, Vision continues to further position itself as the clear leader in providing innovative business resilience solutions on the Power Systems platform to the global marketplace.

Founder Shimon Bouganim, who sadly passed away in the beginning of this year would have been excited about joining forces with Vision Solutions, a trusted industry leader, and he would have loved the opportunity to introduce the Enforcive security offering throughout Visions global distribution network, said Arjon Cohen, Acting CEO of Enforcive Systems.

About Vision Solutions

Vision Solutions is a leading provider of business resilience solutions  high availability, disaster recovery, migration, data replication and security  for IBM Power Systems. For more than 25 years, customers and partners have trusted Vision to protect and modernize their environments, whether on-premises or in the cloud. Visit visionsolutions.com and follow us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Enforcive Systems (formerly BSafe)

Enforcive Systems is a global provider of IT security and compliance management solutions with a solid track record of innovation. A pioneer in IBM mainframe and midrange security markets, Enforcives globally-renowned software suite enables customers to secure their systems, control access, and audit and report with an easy-to-use interface across platforms. The company was established in 1983 and has offices in Herzliya, Israel, and Hackensack, NJ. More information is available at enforcive.com.

About Clearlake Capital Group

Clearlake Capital Group is a leading private investment firm founded in 2006. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlakes operational improvement approach, O.P.S. The firms core target sectors are software and technology-enabled services; industrials and energy; and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $4 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 90 investments. More information is available at clearlakecapital.com.
HERZLIYA, Israel, July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vision Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of business resilience solutions for IBM Power Systems and a portfolio company of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., announced it has completed the acquisition of Enforcive Systems, Ltd., a global provider of IT security and compliance management solutions with a 30 plus year track record of innovation on IBM i, IBM AIX, IBM z/OS, Windows, Linux, UNIX, z/OS-DB2, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.



Vision Solutions is a leading provider of software solutions designed to protect data, minimize downtime and maximize resources as enterprises transform and modernize their IBM Power Systems operations. This acquisition bolsters Visions position as a leading provider of business resilience solutions  high availability, disaster recovery, migration, data replication and security  that protect data and systems and minimize downtime as enterprises modernize and automate their operations.

Vision Solutions' core business is organized around the IBM Power Systems platform. Many of the world's largest organizations use this platform to run mission critical applications like banking software and ERP packages. Vision is the leading provider for high availability and disaster recovery solutions for such organizations.

Enforcive was established in 1983 in Israel and maintains offices in Herzliya, Israel and Hackensack, NJ. Company founder Shimon Bouganim led the company until one year ago. Originally the company provided mainframe security products, many of which are still actively used among customers. From the late 1990s the company started providing security and audit software for the IBM i platform, developing into one of the leading players in this market. Many global financial and manufacturing enterprises have adopted Enforcive products. Currently Enforcive offers security and compliance software for organizations that are IBM System i-centric, but also have a need to cover security and auditing for surrounding open platforms and databases like IBM AIX, IBM z/OS, Windows, Linux, UNIX, z/OS-DB2, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.

Visions trusted brands, financial strength, and global distribution and services combined with Enforcives globally renowned security software suite will now enable customers to protect their systems, enhance regulatory compliance through control access, auditing and reporting with an easy-to-use interface across server platforms and databases.

Theres growing demand to provide interlocking layers of high availability and disaster recovery, security, and managed service solutions to completely envelop and protect a companys critical systems and data, whether at rest or in motion, said Nicolaas Vlok, CEO of Vision Solutions. The convergence of these technologies and services in our portfolio demonstrates our further commitment to protecting our customers businesses and keeping them compliant in our fast-paced world.

In a recent Vision Solutions survey, the majority of respondents indicated compliance auditing and reporting is the primary security-related measure they will address in the coming year. A fully integrated security suite controls access; maintains compliance; conducts and supports audits; and provides dashboards, alerts and reports enabling system administrators, security officers and auditors to monitor and manage across groups of systems within a single interface.

This additional investment in Vision Solutions represents our further commitment to fund its growth strategy and build on its successful track record, said Prashant Mehrotra, Partner of Clearlake Capital. With the transaction complete, Vision continues to further position itself as the clear leader in providing innovative business resilience solutions on the Power Systems platform to the global marketplace.

Founder Shimon Bouganim, who sadly passed away in the beginning of this year would have been excited about joining forces with Vision Solutions, a trusted industry leader, and he would have loved the opportunity to introduce the Enforcive security offering throughout Visions global distribution network, said Arjon Cohen, Acting CEO of Enforcive Systems.

The Enforcive team believes the acquisition is a unique opportunity for our current and prospective customers to better protect their systems as we integrate our businesses and solutions, said Arjon Cohen. This will enable us to more completely protect customers, while easing the concerns and burdens placed on their IT pros and executives.

The Israel office of Enforcive, which is located in Herzliya, will become primarily an R&D center within Vision Solutions with a focus on security solutions.

About Vision Solutions

Vision Solutions is a leading provider of business resilience solutions  high availability, disaster recovery, migration, data replication and security  for IBM Power Systems. For more than 25 years, customers and partners have trusted Vision to protect and modernize their environments, whether on-premises or in the cloud. Visit visionsolutions.com and follow us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Enforcive Systems (formerly BSafe)

Enforcive Systems is a global provider of IT security and compliance management solutions with a solid track record of innovation. A pioneer in IBM mainframe and midrange security markets, Enforcives globally-renowned software suite enables customers to secure their systems, control access, and audit and report with an easy-to-use interface across platforms. The company was established in 1983 and has offices in Herzliya, Israel, and Hackensack, NJ. More information is available at enforcive.com.

About Clearlake Capital Group

Clearlake Capital Group is a leading private investment firm founded in 2006. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlakes operational improvement approach, O.P.S. The firms core target sectors are software and technology-enabled services; industrials and energy; and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $4 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 90 investments. More information is available at clearlakecapital.com.
BRADFORD, England, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Established multi-disciplinary firm, Deo Volente Solicitors, has selected the Proclaim Practice Management Software solution from Eclipse Legal Systems, the sole Law Society Endorsed legal software provider.

Founded in 2007, Deo Volente Solicitors has recently celebrated a decade in business, which it attributes to its reputation of a community focused law firm. Situated in Bedford, the firm's ethos is dedicated to delivering unmatched and unique client care, offering a bespoke service to all clients. The expert team covers a variety of work areas, including immigration, family, criminal, property, litigation and Islamic law.

Deo Volente Solicitors is implementing the Proclaim Practice Management system firm-wide to cater for all aspects of its service offering consistently. The case management module will reduce the time spent processing each matter, and maintain the high level of client service Deo Volente Solicitors is known for, whilst the integrated accounting toolset will offer the team an enhanced overview of the firm's day-to-day operations.

Furthermore, Proclaim's in-built workflow will ensure that all cases are handled in line with the standards adopted by Deo Volente Solicitors. Fast and effortless document production will enable staff to generate all relevant documentation automatically at case creation, and the adaptability of the system will enable the firm to effortlessly expand as and when required.

Dilly Hussain, Business Marketing Director of Deo Volente Solicitors, comments:

"We required a simple, yet robust practice management system with the ability to effortlessly scale - on a departmental level, but also across offices, and potentially outside of the UK.

"Previous experience of Proclaim led us straight to Eclipse, and after thorough demonstrations to our senior team, we found it to be a fantastic solution - for a centralised practice management system, and also for the flexibility and scalability it offers, to us and our clients."



About Eclipse

Eclipse Legal Systems, part of Capita Plc, is the UK's leading provider of legal software solutions, employing over 160 staff at its Yorkshire HQ.

The firm's Proclaim software system is in use by 25,000 professionals within a vast range of market sectors, territories and work areas. Proclaim is Endorsed by the Law Society (the only solution of its type to hold this accreditation) and integrates all case management, accounting, document management, reporting, time recording, task and diary functions into one desktop solution.

TouchPoint+ is Eclipse's unique self-service system, providing an always-on, platform agnostic portal for law firm clients and business partners.

Proclaim clients include:

Eversheds

Usdaw

Co-operative Legal Services

Deo Volente Solicitors

Carillion plc

QualitySolicitors ( Howlett Clarke , Lockings, Oliver & Co, and others)

Eclipse's market territories include:

UK and Ireland

Latvia

Australia

Canada

Nigeria

Zambia

British Virgin Islands

For further information, please contact sarah.roberts@eclipselegal.co.uk or darren.gower@eclipselegal.co.uk.

Alternatively, call +44-(0)-1274-704100 or visit www.eclipselegal.co.uk

SOURCE Eclipse Legal Systems
Central to Lepidico is its disruptive (patent-pending) L-Max (hereafter L-Max) metallurgical technology that recovers lithium from micas (eg lepidolite), and therefore holds out the prospect of creating a new source of lithium supply. Despite being an abundant lithium-bearing mineral, lepidolite has hitherto been overlooked as there has been no commercial process by which to process it economically. This report necessarily values Lepidico on the basis of the pre-feasibility study (PFS) performed on a proposed Phase 1 L-Max plant at Kenora, Canada. Beyond that however, there are a number of development options including 1) scaling up the process to full industrial scale (Phase 2); 2) securing lepidolite resources cheaply and developing them into multiple dedicated mines; and 3) developing relationships with third-party mining companies to provide further feed sources to its plant(s).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130417/608168 )



Edison estimates that execution of the PFS according to the operational parameters contained therein will result in free cash flow to Lepidico of A$28.4m per annum once steady-state production at the Phase 1 L-Max has been achieved. Assuming US$30m (A$39.8m) of equity financing at the prevailing share price, this implies a valuation for Lepidico of A$0.0202/sh currently, rising to A$0.0296 in FY22, based solely on discounting our estimate of (maximum potential) future dividends to shareholders derived from the Phase 1 plant at a rate of 10% per annum (fully diluted) - ie no value is ascribed to the development of the Phase 2 plant or other development options. As such, an investment in Lepidico may be considered to be an underwritten call on its L-Max technology.

Click here to view the full report.

All reports published by Edison are available to download free of charge from its website

http://www.edisoninvestmentresearch.com

About Edison: Edison is an investment research and advisory company, with offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and AsiaPac. The heart of Edison is our world-renowned equity research platform and deep multi-sector expertise. At Edison Investment Research, our research is widely read by international investors, advisers and stakeholders. Edison Advisors leverages our core research platform to provide differentiated services including investor relations and strategic consulting.

Edison is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Edison is not an adviser or broker-dealer and does not provide investment advice. Edison's reports are not solicitations to buy or sell any securities.

Learn more at http://www.edisongroup.com and connect with Edison on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edison-investment-research

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Edison_Inv_Res

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/edisonitv

For more information please contact Edison:

Charles Gibson,

+44(0)20-3077-5724

mining@edisongroup.com



SOURCE Edison Investment Research
Themed "Achieving Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution," the forum focuses on the Fourth Industrial Revolution that will profoundly change the way people live, work and interact with one another through intelligent manufacturing technologies.

"The showcase of GAC Motor at the 2017 Summer Davos is a validation of all of the hard work that has gone into designing and building cars that meet the highest standards of quality, reliability and safety," said Yu Jun, president of GAC Motor.

The GA8 is a luxury sedan that has been built on the C-level platform since GAC Motor launched its high-end oriented strategy. The GS8, another signature model at the "Guangzhou Night" hosted by GAC Motor during the forum, is a luxury 7-seat SUV that has integrated advanced intelligent interconnection technologies and demonstrates GAC Motor's premium manufacturing standards. The vehicle has received a five-star safety score in (China-New Car Assessment Program C-NCAP), the highest among all medium-large SUVs in the Chinese market since 2015.

Other highlights of the "Guangzhou Night" were GAC Motor's five-seat SUV, GS7, which was praised as "A New Generation Blockbuster SUV" by New York Times, and its first pure electric vehicle, GE3, which aims at bringing a friendly and intelligent driving experience. Distinguished guests from different countries were deeply impressed by GAC Motor's excellent workmanship and world-class innovation standard.

The fastest-growing Chinese auto brand, GAC Motor has been accomplishing breakthroughs in the high-end market. The company has introduced its cars to a broader global audience by serving various distinguished high-profile events such as the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (NPC & CPPCC), the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) Xiamen and the China Attractions Expo (CAE Expo).

"Our strategy for the upcoming intelligent manufacturing era is to follow the quality-first principle and take an innovation-driven development path," noted Yu. "We will keep carrying on independent innovation while forming strategic alliances with peers to achieve win-win situations."

GAC Motor is planning to establish a smart factory to implement an intelligent manufacturing, intelligent logistics, intelligent production management and intelligent control center. Its self-developed Cross-Platform Modular Architecture (CPMA) embodies GAC Motor's high-end positioning, quality-first principle and innovation-driven strategy to move towards Industrial 4.0 capabilities.

"We are exploring creative manufacturing methodologies which can apply to tailored and intelligent products and services," continued Yu, "We will also adopt an innovative business model based on the Internet of Things. The company will transform from one that does manufacturing to one that does creative design, from Chinese manufacturing to global intelligent manufacturing."

With a focus on sustainability, GAC Motor has placed an emphasis on the balanced development of SUVs, sedans as well as new energy models and has achieved remarkable results in 2017. The company launched its first self-developed electrical vehicle, the GE3, this year as well as a hybrid plug-in sedan, the GA3S PHEV, and the plug-in SUV GS4 PHEV.

"We always have great respect and appreciation for the market. In the field of new energy, the best solution is not to prescribe one certain outcome, but to experiment and explore different pathways together and let the market make the final choice," noted Yu at Michelin Movin'On, the global sustainable mobility summit in Montreal, Canada this June, about GAC Motor and the global auto industry in terms of the company's forward-looking strategies on developing sustainable mobility.

With a comprehensive product line and ever-increasing brand competitiveness, GAC Motor has sold more than 250,878 in the first six months of 2017, a year-on-year growth of 57 percent, which is significantly higher than the industry's average increase rate during the off-season. The company has a goal of annual sales volume of 500,000 in 2017.

About GAC Motor

A subsidiary of GAC Group, GAC Motor develops and manufactures premium quality vehicles, engines, components and auto accessories, achieving a year-to-year growth rate of 96 percent in 2016, the highest among all Chinese brands in the corresponding period. GAC Motor now ranks the highest among all Chinese brands for four consecutive years and 5th among all global brands in J.D. Power Asia Pacific's 2016 China Initial Quality Study.

For more information, please visit:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GACMotor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gac_motor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gac_motor

Media Contact:

Sukie Wong

+86-186-8058-2829

sukie_gacmotor@126.com

Taki Jiang

+86-134-5028-4242

takijiang@126.com

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530465/Zeng_Qinghong_Chairman_of_GAC_Group.jpg

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530466/GAC_Motor.jpg

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530467/GAC_Motor_GS7.jpg

SOURCE GAC Motor
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced its commitment to award 1.25 million to research projects in the field of fertility, supporting the advancement of medical science through the Grant for Fertility Innovation (GFI) in 2017. Launched as the first of the Merck Grants for Innovation in 2009, Merck's GFI is providing encouragement for innovation and support for scientists to realize projects that could potentially lead to the next breakthrough in the fertility treatment area. This year, the GFI Award Ceremony included the announcement of the Merck Lifetime Achievement Award in Fertility Innovation.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530473/Merck_GFI_ceremony.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530474/Merck_2017_GFI_ceremony.jpg )



To recognize Merck's belief in progress through innovation, the GFI awardees were revealed in a ceremony at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), currently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. The winning projects truly reflect the global nature of the program, ranging from research in Italy to Brazil.

Professor Bruno Lunenfeld, a speaker at the GFI 2017 ceremony, was honored with the Merck Lifetime Achievement Award for his revolutionary work within the fertility field since 1954. At the ceremony he provided an overview on the discovery of human gonadotropins from postmenopausal urine.

"Professor Lunenfeld's pioneering achievements in the field of fertility are a huge inspiration to us at Merck. It is highly motivating to consider the breadth of his contributions. For more than 60 years now, his expertise and experience have greatly contributed to our efforts to improve the quality of patient care," said Belen Garijo, member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Healthcare, when presenting Professor Lunenfeld with the Merck Lifetime Achievement Award.

The research investments through the GFI is core to the innovation strategy of the biopharma business of Merck, and in the quest for increased success rates within fertility treatment. In this year's GFI, two winning projects were selected from 46 global proposals with the common goal of advancing the fertility field. The GFI was launched in 2009, and is dedicated to transforming innovative translational fertility research projects into actual solutions with the aim to improve fertility treatment outcomes. Merck proudly announced the 2017 GFI awardees during the ceremony:

Endometrial Notch pathway as a novel target for improving implantation efficiency; Luisa Campagnolo , PhD

Pharmacogenetic algorithm for individualized controlled ovarian stimulation (iCOS) in assisted reproductive technology cycles; Caio Parente Barbosa , MD, PhD, MS and Matheus Roque , MD

About the Grant for Fertility Innovation (GFI)

Merck announced the initiation of the GFI program in 2009 to support the advancement of science and innovative technologies in the fertility field. This grant is awarded every year to translational research projects that can potentially improve baby birth rate for the benefit of the patients. Each project is blinded and evaluated by a jury of experts according to five criteria: support to increase baby birth rate; innovative research; scientific rationale; feasibility and practical utility.

For further information about the GFI and how to apply for next year's grants, please visit: http://www.grantforfertilityinnovation.com

All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to http://www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck generated sales of  15.0 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Contact:

Dr. Raphaela Farrenkopf

+49-6151-72-2274



(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160913/406891LOGO )



SOURCE Merck
MOSCOW, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Russia is one of the most important markets for the Roca Group worldwide. It currently has seven production plants and a staff of 2,700 employees in the country.

The company commercialises its products under the global brands Roca and Laufen; the Jika brand, of Czech origin; and the local brands Santek, Santeri and Aquaton.

The plan for the following years foresees a gradual investment of 50 million euros, initially aimed at the capacity increase of the plants in Tosno and Cheboksary, among other projects, in order to modernise and expand the industrial and logistic network.

CHRONOLOGY

The operations of the Roca Group in Russia started at the end of the 1990s with the first stage of commercial activity in collaboration with local distributors.

The company Roca Rus was set up in 2004, with the announcement of the construction of its first plant in the country, located in Tosno, which was engaged in the production of vitreous china. This plant started its operations in 2006.

In 2007, the Group becomes the number one manufacturer of vitreous china in the country after the acquisition of the group OOO Keramika, with two plants located in Cheboksary and Novocheboksary.

The expansion continued in 2010 with the acquisition of the local manufacturer Ugrakeram, located in the city of Vorotynsk and specialising in the manufacturing and sale of vitreous china. A new factory of acrylic bathtubs came into operation in Novocheboksary that same year.

In April 2011 , the Group acquired the Russian group Aquaton, specialising in bathroom furniture and resin basins, with plants in Davydovo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Roca Group

The Roca Group is a company engaged in the design, production and commercialization of products for the bathroom space, as well as floor and wall tiles aimed at the architecture, construction and interior design sectors.

The company has 22,600 employees, 78 production plants in 18 countries and is present in over 170 countries in the five continents.

The Spanish Group is the market leader in Europe, Latin America, India and Russia. It also has a strong presence in China and the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Africa. Thanks to this, it is the world leader in its sector.

http://www.roca.com

SOURCE Roca Group
PUNE, India, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Research Future published a half-cooked research report on "Global 5K Display Resolution Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023"  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.

5 K Display Resolutions Global Market - Overview

5K Display Resolutions is the next generation of ultra-high-definition displays and it's already causing a stir in the tech world. We've all just about come to terms with 4K providing the greatest picture detail we could ever possibly imagine and 5K Display Resolutions has already got us excited and confused about this super-dense, ultra-crisp pixel format. 5K Display Resolutions market offers just over seven times the resolution of 1080p full HD both horizontally and also vertically. It is a display resolution of about 5000 pixels. The most commonly used resolution is 5120  2880, which has an aspect ratio of about 16:9 and is about 14.7 million pixels. It is most commonly used in computer monitors and is rapidly reaching other market areas. In comparison to 4K, it offers 1280 extra columns and 720 extra lines of display area which is almost equivalent to an increase of 33.33% in each dimension. A 5K Display will show an image or video in incredible crispness, making it easy to pick out even the smallest of details.

According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the global market of 5K Display Resolutions has increased in recent years. The market is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period (2017  2023). The 5K Display Resolutions Market is forecasted to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (2017  2023).

With the increase in 4K market, the demand for 5K display resolution is estimated to increase in the near future. In this rapidly changing world of technology, 5K display resolution market is projected to show a major growth prospects during the forecast period. The continuous developments and increasing technological advancements are major factors leading to growth of 5K display resolution market. Major factors driving the growth of 5K display resolution market are the growing demand in the consumer electronics market segment. 5K video cameras are majorly used for digital cinematography. 5K resolution provides a crisp and clear image which does not get distorted while editing.

The 5K display resolution market has been segmented on the basis of product, resolution and application. The resolution segment is further bifurcated into different resolutions such as 5120  2160 resolution, 5120  2700 resolution, 5120  2880 resolution, 5120  3200 resolution, 5120  3840 resolution and 5120  4096 resolution. Out of these, most commonly used resolution is 5120  2880 resolution, which is widely used in televisions.

Request a Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3275

5 K Display Resolutions Global Market - Key Players

5K Display Resolutions market appears to be highly competitive and fragmented due to the presence of a numerous large and small players operating in the market. The key strategies traced from the analysis of recent developments of the key players include Product Launch, Agreement & Partnership, Acquisition and expansion. The study indicates large investments by multinational companies and startup emerging. The market demonstrates high growth prospect which is turn attracting several new entrants to the market.

Some of the prominent players in 5K display resolution market are  Dell Inc. (U.S.), Apple Inc. (U.S.), LG Electronics Inc. (South Korea), Philips (Netherlands), HP (U.S.), Samsung Electronics (South Korea), Red Digital Cinema Camera Company (U.S.), Sharp Corporation (Japan), Sony Corporation (Japan), Canon Inc. (Japan), among others.

5 K Display Resolutions Global Market - Segments

The 5K display resolution Market can be segmented in to 3 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;

Segmentation by Product: Comprises Monitors, Televisions, Cameras, Laptops, Smartphones, Tablets and Others.

Segmentation by Resolution: Comprises 5120  2160 Resolution, 5120  2700 Resolution, 5120  2880 Resolution, 5120  3200 Resolution, 5120  3840 Resolution, and 5120  4096 Resolution.

Segmentation by Application: Comprises Retail, Consumer Electronics, Education, Advertisements and other. The application segment is further bifurcated into retail, consumer electronics, advertisements and education.

Access Report Detail @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/5k-display-resolution-market-3275

5 K Display Resolutions Market - Regional Analysis

The regional analysis of 5K display resolution market is being studied for regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. It has been observed that Asia Pacific region is estimated to account for the largest share of the market, whereas North America is projected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. The major growth in 5K display resolution market in Asia Pacific region attributes to the technical advancements and increasing use of mobiles devices in that region.

Across Europe, countries including Germany, France and the U.K. are anticipated to drive the growth of 5K display resolution market. Europe is expected to hold the second largest market share after Asia Pacific region in 5K display resolution market. In Europe, the presence of advanced infrastructure and with the increasing adoption of technology and technological advancements in numerous countries is driving the market growth of 5K display resolution market.

Browse Related Report

8K Display Resolution Market, By Device (Monitors, Televisions, Cameras, Fulldome), By Resolution and By Application (Retail, Consumer Electronics, Education, Advertisements, Commercial Space) - Global Forecast 2023

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/8k-display-resolution-market-3344

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

Contact

Akash Anand,

Market Research Future

Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers

Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar,

Pune - 411028

Maharashtra, India

+1 646 845 9312

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Market Research Future

Related Links

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SEATTLE and MENLO PARK, Calif. and NEW YORK, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A Place for Mom, North America's largest network connecting families to senior living service providers, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Silver Lake, a global leader in technology investing, and General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm. The company is being sold by its previous investor, Warburg Pincus. General Atlantic and Silver Lake will own equal stakes in A Place for Mom, which will continue to be led by CEO Sean Kell and the company's management team, who will remain meaningful shareholders in the business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Established in 2000, A Place for Mom's multi-channel marketing and technology platform connects families to a network of over 18,500 senior living providers in the U.S. and Canada, providing free, personalized assistance. Addressing the unique needs of each family it serves, the company generates in-depth and detailed informational guidance that can dramatically simplify an often challenging and opaque search process. A Place for Mom and its network of senior living partners offer options for independent living, assisted living, residential care homes, memory care and home care services. Over the past year, the company has helped over 275,000 families in their search for senior living and home care solutions.

"As a growing number of Americans confront the daunting task of finding the right care solutions for their aging family members, our website, mobile tools and team of more than 500 expert local Advisors offer carefully researched and diverse options to identify the best and most appropriate senior care communities," said Sean Kell, CEO of A Place for Mom. "We are proud of the progress we have achieved together with our valued network of senior living community partners and through our partnership with Warburg Pincus. General Atlantic and Silver Lake both have proven track records of partnering with high-growth companies and will add considerable strategic value as we aim to expand our capabilities to serve the needs of both our families and network of senior living providers."

"We are excited to partner with Sean and his talented team as they embark on the company's next phase of dynamic growth," said Greg Mondre, Managing Partner and Managing Director, and Adam Karol, Director, both of Silver Lake. "A Place for Mom provides both families and the senior care community with a valuable service, differentiated by its powerful technology platform and data-driven approach. We look forward to working with General Atlantic to build on these strengths by helping A Place for Mom execute its important mission and expand its capabilities as the trusted network for senior care."

Anton Levy, Managing Director and Global Head of Internet & Technology at General Atlantic, said, "A Place for Mom sits at the critical intersection of a number of exciting trends across the information technology and healthcare sectors, including the continued shift in consumer research from offline to online channels." Robbert Vorhoff, Managing Director and Global Head of Healthcare at General Atlantic, continued, "Given the ever increasing demand for high quality senior care, we believe A Place for Mom is poised for continued rapid growth. We are thrilled to partner with the management team and Silver Lake to help achieve the company's long-term strategic vision as an innovative industry leader."

"A Place for Mom has established a best in class leadership position in the online senior living and care industry, with an attractive business model and a mission-driven approach," said Vishnu Menon, Managing Director and head of the Warburg Pincus San Francisco office and Justin Sadrian, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus. "We have been delighted and honored to support Sean and his team as they have built A Place for Mom into the world-class senior services network and support organization that it is today, while positioning the company to continue capitalizing on powerful long-term demographic trends going forward."

As an authority and thought leader in the senior living industry, A Place for Mom provides extensive resources including its Senior Living Finder mobile app, newsletter, blogs and planning guides to help streamline the search process for families. In addition, A Place for Mom's Senior Living Cost Index helps families learn about the cost of senior living options in over 2,000 cities. A Place for Mom is proud to have a 97% customer satisfaction rating and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

In its next phase of growth, A Place for Mom will seek to enhance its capacity to meet the growing needs of families and adult children who are increasingly turning to the Internet to inform and navigate pivotal life decisions around senior care. The company hopes to expand its service offering across the senior living continuum to provide better access, coordination and quality of care for the families it serves. In addition, A Place for Mom expects to make further investments in its technology platform including cloud-based initiatives and advanced data collection and analytics.

As part of their firms' investment in A Place for Mom, Greg Mondre and Adam Karol from Silver Lake and Anton Levy and Robbert Vorhoff from General Atlantic will join the company's board of directors.

A Place for Mom was advised by William Blair & Company and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

About A Place for Mom

A Place for Mom is North America's largest senior services network with more than 500 Senior Living Advisor and Community Relations Advisors providing resources and personalized assistance in finding senior living options. A Place for Mom works with a nationwide network of over 18,500 providers to help families find options based on a loved one's stated needs, preferences and budget. This may include independent senior housing, home care, residential care homes, assisted living communities, memory care and Alzheimer's care. The service is offered at no charge to families as providers pay a fee to A Place for Mom. For more information, visit www.aplaceformom.com.

About Silver Lake

Silver Lake is the global leader in technology investing, with about $39 billion in combined assets under management and committed capital and a team of approximately 100 investment and value creation professionals located in Silicon Valley, New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Silver Lake's portfolio of investments collectively generates more than $140 billion of revenue annually and employs more than 300,000 people globally. The firm's current portfolio includes leading technology and technology-enabled businesses such as Alibaba Group, Ancestry, Broadcom Limited, Cast & Crew, Ctrip, Dell Technologies, Fanatics, Global Blue, GoDaddy, Motorola Solutions, Red Ventures, Sabre, SoFi, SolarWinds, Symantec and WMEIMG. For more information about Silver Lake and its entire portfolio, please visit www.silverlake.com.

About General Atlantic

General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for growth companies. Established in 1980, General Atlantic combines a collaborative global approach, sector-specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon, and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great management and build exceptional businesses worldwide. General Atlantic has more than 100 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Greenwich, Hong Kong, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, Sao Paulo, and Singapore. www.generalatlantic.com

About Warburg Pincus

Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing. The firm has more than $44 billion in private equity assets under management. The firm's active portfolio of more than 140 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 16 private equity funds which have invested more than $60 billion in over 780 companies in more than 40 countries. The firm has been among the most active investors in marketplace businesses globally with current and former investments including OfferUp, 58.com, Quikr, Koudai, CarTrade, GO-JEK, Uxin, Haodai, GlobalSpec, GrubHub Seamless, and Slickdeals. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.warburgpincus.com.

Media Contacts

For A Place for Mom

Charlie Severn

[email protected]

+1-206-802-1604

For General Atlantic

Mike Geller

Edelman for General Atlantic

[email protected]

+1-212-729-2163

For Silver Lake

Patricia Graue / Sourav Bhowmick

Brunswick Group for Silver Lake

[email protected]

+1-212-333-3810

For Warburg Pincus

Mary Armstrong / Christopher Beattie

+1-212-878-9201

SOURCE A Place for Mom

Related Links

http://www.aplaceformom.com


NEW YORK, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Executive Summary

The global demand for chocolate is now showing recovery and leading suppliers such as Barry Callebaut are now forecasting stabilization of demand in the key markets worldwide. By 2020, the United States is expected to be the largest consumer of chocolate globally, followed by Russia. Amongst the BRIC nations, while India and China are nations projected to have the highest chocolate market growth in the period 2015-2020, economic conditions in Brazil and Russia have been hampering the chocolate market's growth.



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03991699/A-Study-of-the-Indo-China-Chocolate-Market.html



It is expected that the global chocolate market will grow at a CAGR of approximately to 5% through 2020. New flavours coupled with product packaging innovations will be the trend going forward. World over there is growth potential in the customized and luxury chocolate segments. People have a rising affinity for handcrafted chocolate and many startups are dappling in the art of chocolate making. Popularity of premium chocolates is on the rise particularly in the United States and Brazil. While rising obesity and health concerns world wide is a challenge for the growth of the sector, there is also growing awareness about the benefits of dark chocolate. Players have also been introducing low sugar and sugarless chocolates.



Globally, India is amongst the fastest growing chocolate markets. In 2016, the chocolate market in the country grew by 13% year-on-year. Other than India, Poland's market which grew at 2% year-on-year are the only two countries globally to have shown growth in the chocolate market. India is amongst the four countries projected to have the highest chocolate market growth in the period 2015-2020. Other countries include Mexico, China and Brazil. The chocolate market in India is currently growing at a rate of 20% annually and is projected to grow by 30% by 2020.



In 2014 the per capita consumption of chocolate in China was just 0.2 kgs as compared with 2.5 kgs per person in Brazil, 0.7 kgs per person in India and 2.2 kgs in United States. Hence, a huge untapped potential exists in the market. However, the recent government corruption crackdown has dampened the chocolate market in China.



A challenge facing the market is that Chinese customers do not trust home grow brands due to food safety issues. They have a greater affinity for foreign chocolate brands, close to 70% of the Chinese chocolate market is controlled by European brands. Other than the food safety concern, the poor performance of local chocolate brands can be attributed primarily to poor marketing efforts.



Why should the report be purchased?

The report 'A Study of the Indo-China Chocolate Market 2017'highlights key dynamics ofthe global, India and China'schocolate market. The potential of the sector has been investigated along with the emerging trends.The current market scenario and future prospects of the sector has also been studied. The report contains profiles of key players including Nestle S.A., Mars Foods, Ferrero Rocher, The Hershey Company, Mondelez International Inc., Amul. The report contains latest opinions of industry experts.



Research methodology and delivery time



Smart Research Insights has conducted in depth secondary research to arrive at key insights. Data collected from key public industry sources and publications has been scanned and analyzed impartially to present a clear picture of the industry. All recent developments which impact the sector dynamics have been captured and used to support the research hypothesis.



The report is available in soft as well as hard copy format. The delivery time for the electronic version of the report is 2 business days. The dispatch time for hard copies is 3 business days, as each hard copy is custom printed for the client.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03991699/A-Study-of-the-Indo-China-Chocolate-Market.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


VANCOUVER, B.C., July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa British Columbia will be hosting the What You Need to Know about Rental Units educational seminar from 6-8PM PT on July 26, 2017. The session will provide an overview of the Residential Tenancy Act and its implications in strata communities.



The seminar will be particularly useful to strata councils, investor owners and tenants to help them understand the expectations of current legislations and to foster a stronger sense of community between owners and tenants. The Associa rental services will also be covered to provide further information and options to investor owners.



The speakers include:



Phil Dougan  Lawyer, Access Law



Mr. Dougan has been involved in a highly diverse array of law suits and dispute resolution proceedings. From precedent setting cases in the BC Court of Appeal, to debt collection in the Provincial Courts Small Claims Division, he sees claims regarding strata bylaws, neighbor disputes, insurance claims, debt collection, land transfers, financing, defamation, residential tenancies, wills and estate matters as well as commercial leasing.



Phil received a BA from Trinity Western University in 1990 and a Bachelor of Law from UBC in 2007. He was called to the British Columbia Bar in May 2008.



Katie Khoo - Vice President, Rental, Managing Broker, Associa BC



Ms. Khoo joined Associa in 1996 and has held several positions including general manager of the Vancouver office, vice president - operations, and vice president - client relations. In 2012, Ms. Khoo assumed the leadership of Associas revenue property group, focused on bringing unparalleled customer service to their rental, co-op and commercial clients.



Mr. Khoo holds a Bachelors Degree in Commerce in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia as well as strata manager, property manager and managing broker designations. She is also on the Strata Management Advisory Committee of the Real Estate Council of B.C.



Laszlo Antal - Business Development, Associa BC



As one of the founding members of Associas new construction team, Mr. Antal continues to pilot projects, enhance systems and update workflow processes to better serve his clients. His experience includes transitioning new developments from developer to homeowners, forward planning, consulting, budget planning, and warranty preparation, as well as the operation of phased, sectioned, and airspace parcel developments. Mr. Antal continuously demonstrates a tremendous commitment to superior customer service and dedication to his clients. Mr. Antals main focus is to develop sales and client retention strategies as well as training, mentoring and evaluating current teams. His fresh and new approach to constantly assessing the way we deliver services is with the ultimate goal of improving the way we work and the way we look at our ever changing real estate market in the Lower Mainland.



The event will be held at the Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre at 711 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. and registration will begin at 5:30PM PT.



To attend, please RSVP to Laszlo Antal at laszlo.antal@associa.ca.



Delivering unsurpassed association management services to communities since 1979, Associa leads the industry operating more than 180 branch offices across North America and employing 10,000 team members dedicated to serving nearly five million residents who are part of the Associa family. With unrivaled industry expertise, safeguarded finances and trailblazing innovation, Associa provides solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more go to www.associaonline.com.



Stay Connected:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/associa/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/associamarketing

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Associaonline/

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c61e4d91-6192-4b27-82da-3c23b6b4fef8
MarkMonitor is the global leader in online brand protection, and provides advanced technology and expertise that protects the revenues and reputations of the world's foremost brands. It leads the industry in providing domain management, anti-piracy and anti-fraud solutions to more than half of the Fortune 100.

"With the company's focus on innovation, I'm excited to join at a time when Clarivate is making a major investment in new technology and analytics that is already in production with 100 MarkMonitor customers," said Veator.

Prior to this role, Veator was President of Metrostudy, a Hanley Wood company, where he oversaw the rapid growth of the real estate and construction information business. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President and Global Head of Intellectual Property Services at Thomson Reuters. Veator has also held senior executive roles at CPA Global, OpenText and was the founder and CEO of Artesia Technologies  a Digital Asset Management software company.

"Chris is a high-energy executive and an exciting addition to our team as we focus on building Clarivate Analytics and accelerating its growth," said Jay Nadler, CEO of Clarivate Analytics. "He has had success both as an entrepreneur and as an "intrapreneur", driving growth of new initiatives within a corporate setting. I look forward to what Chris will bring to the MarkMonitor business."

Clarivate Analytics

Clarivate Analytics accelerates the pace of innovation by providing trusted insights and analytics to customers around the world, enabling them to discover, protect and commercialize new ideas faster. Formerly the Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters, we own and operate a collection of leading subscription-based businesses focused on scientific and academic research, patent analytics and regulatory standards, pharmaceutical and biotech intelligence, trademark protection, domain brand protection and intellectual property management. Clarivate Analytics is now an independent company with over 4,000 employees, operating in more than 100 countries and owns wellknown brands that include Web of Science, Cortellis, Derwent, CompuMark, MarkMonitor and Techstreet, among others. For more information, please visit clarivate.com.

Media Contact

Heidi Siegel

Clarivate Analytics

Director, External Relations

+1 215 823 5646 (o)

+1 215 356 4504 (m)

[email protected]

SOURCE Clarivate Analytics

Related Links

http://www.clarivate.com


MIDVALE, Utah, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent survey conducted by Ally Bank, only 25 percent of consumers anticipate having a major spend, or splurge, this summer. Americans are or would be most likely to splurge on vacation travel (38 percent) followed by a big ticket item (23 percent), or home improvement (23 percent).

In addition to understanding if consumers are anticipating a summer splurge, Ally conducted the summer splurge study to ask how they would spend an additional $100 in money, which aligns to additional cash they might earn from credit card rewards.

One-third of survey respondents said if they were to find an extra $100 in their pocket, they would be likely to spend the cash on everyday purchases (35 percent), followed by depositing the money into a bank account (25 percent) or using it to pay off bills (24 percent). Only 11 percent said they would use the money to treat themselves.

"The Ally CashBack Credit Card celebrates its one-year anniversary this summer, and at Ally we understand that what appeals most to consumers when it comes to credit card rewards is simplicity and control," said Diane Morais, Ally Bank President, Consumer and Commercial Banking Products. "Our goal was to offer a consumer-centric card that allows customers to be in control of how they earn and redeem their rewards in a way that aligns to their personal finance goals."

With the Ally CashBack Credit Card, new customers are eligible to receive a $100 bonus when $500 in eligible purchases are made during the first 3 billing cycles. In addition, Ally CashBack Credit Card holders are eligible to earn the following rewards with their card:

2% cash back on eligible gas and grocery purchases

1% cash back on other purchases

Uncapped rewards that never expire for accounts that are open and in good standing



Ally CashBack Credit Card customers receive a 10% Ally Deposit Bonus when cash rewards are deposited into an eligible Ally Bank account, and also enjoy popular benefits, including 24/7 customer service as well as online and mobile access to their accounts.

Millennial key findings

Millennials are most likely to splurge this summer (32 percent) with nearly half indicating they are or would be most likely to splurge on travel. But when unexpected money comes their way, they aren't splurging: when asked what they would do if they found $100, 55% of the Millennials surveyed said they would either deposit the money in their savings account or pay off outstanding bills; only 10% would get themselves a treat.

"Millennials represented the largest generation segment at 50% of new Ally Bank customers in 2016, so those responses align with what we're seeing which is a group that is clearly focused on their personal finances," Morais added.

The Ally CashBack Credit Card, recognized by CardRates.com says as the Best New Cash Back offer for 2016 and 2017, is issued by TD Bank N.A. To learn more about the Ally CashBack Credit Card Program, visit www.ally.com/cashback.

Survey Methodology:

This survey was conducted by ORC International's Telephone CARAVAN Omnibus on behalf of Ally from June 8-11, 2017 among 1,007 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The margin of error for 1,007 respondents is +3.1% at the 95% confidence level.

About Ally Financial Inc.

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a leading digital financial services company and a top 25 U.S. financial holding company offering financial products for consumers, businesses, automotive dealers and corporate clients. Ally's legacy dates back to 1919, and the company was redesigned in 2009 with a distinctive brand, innovative approach and relentless focus on its customers. Ally has an award-winning online bank (Ally Bank Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender) offering deposits, credit card and home loan products, one of the largest full service auto finance operations in the country, a complementary auto-focused insurance business, a growing wealth management and online brokerage platform, and a trusted corporate finance business offering capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies.

The company had approximately $162.1 billion in assets as of Mar. 31, 2017. For more information, visit the Ally press room at http://media.ally.com.

Media Contact:

Andrea Puchalsky

313-656-3798

[email protected]

SOURCE Ally Financial

Related Links

http://www.ally.com/cashback


TOKYO, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Anaeropharma Science, Inc., a company dedicated to the development of novel therapeutics to target hypoxic solid tumors, announced on July 5 it has secured US$13.2 million in new capital. The participants in the financing round include three new investors, Novartis, Shinsei Corporate Investment Limited and Seventure Partners' Health for Life Capital fund, and two existing investors, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital's managed fund. Anaeropharma will use the financing to accelerate the development of multiple programs based on its proprietary platform technology.



(Logo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M101798/201707033347/_prw_PI1fl_qESNI4Ul.jpg)



About Anaeropharma Science, Inc.

Anaeropharma is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in research and development of drug candidates that target hypoxic microenvironments of tumors by using recombinant "Bifidobacterium". This approach offers broad potential to be more effective to solid tumors and less toxic to healthy tissues than conventional anti-cancer drugs. APS001F, a recombinant "Bifidobacterium" to express Cytosine Deaminase which converts a prodrug, 5-FC, to an anti-cancer drug, 5-FU, is its leading development product which is under a clinical trial in the U.S., and additional programs in the immune oncology area such as immune checkpoint blockers and other immune-related molecules expressing recombinant "Bifidobacteria" are under active development.

SOURCE Anaeropharma Science, Inc.
DENVER, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Art Directors Club Denver, a not-for-profit organization fostering professional development for local creatives, is excited to announce it will become an authorized chapter of The One Club for Creativity, the new global not-for-profit organization formed out of the recent merger of the Art Directors Club and The One Club.

Headquartered in New York, The One Club for Creativity (www.oneclub.org) is the world's foremost not-for-profit organization devoted to elevating creative work in all aspects of advertising and design on a global basis. With members across 61 countries around the globe, this merger marks a significant step forward for Denver, drawing international attention to the talented artists and designers who live, work, and make in the Mile High City.

This merger, while currently in process, will be made official on July 1, 2017, when the club rebrands as The One Club For Creativity  Denver. Anne Redureau, Denver Club President, and her esteemed Board of Directors are committed to preserving the club's foundational, community-focused ethos while simultaneously offering members a new, expanded network of industry experts worldwide.

When asked to comment on the Denver chapter One Club's most remarkable points -- especially in relation to its current growth -- Redureau commented, "It gathers talent from various creative fields, and these connections make our local creative community stronger. The Paper Fashion Show, being the largest of its kind in the nation, helps put Denver on the map as well."

Popular ADCD events, such as The Annual Show, design competition; The Review, student portfolio critique and scholarship awards; and the acclaimed Paper Fashion Show (also lead by Redureau) are all on schedule for this year.

Other upcoming events by The One Club for Creativity  Denver include:

The Brief , a student design competition simulating the demands of a real-world creative agency working environment ( November 2017 );

, a student design competition simulating the demands of a real-world creative agency working environment ( ); Art Bus , a curated tour of Denver's most interesting art galleries ( December 2017 );

, a curated tour of most interesting art galleries ( ); The One Show, a presentation of The One Club for Creativity's international Gold Pencil

Award winners, hosted by Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club for Creativity (February 2018).

The One Club for Creativity offers an unparalleled array of programming across creative disciplines, with all initiatives falling under four key pillars: Education, Inclusion & Diversity, Professional Development and Gender Equality.

Included in the nearly two-dozen different initiatives are programs such as career and photography workshops for local high school students, Young Guns honoring creatives age 30 and under, Young Ones honoring advertising students, Creative Boot Camps, where multicultural students from diverse backgrounds in locations around the world have the four-day opportunity to work with the best agencies and creatives and showcase their creative talents, "Here Are All The Black People" multicultural creative career fair, Portfolio Night, an annual global program long recognized as the world's largest advertising portfolio review program, Creative Women's Leadership Series, Hands On skills workshop series and many others.

"No other organization gives back to the advertising and design industries with this level of comprehensive educational and development programming on a global basis," said Swanepoel of The One Club for Creativity. "ADCD has for decades been at the forefront of celebrating creativity and providing support for the local creative community. We're thrilled to have them become part of our new global organization, and look forward to providing the Denver membership with the wealth of programming we have to offer."

About The One Club For Creativity  Denver: Since 1955, through education, professional training workshops, cultural events, and annual design competitions, The One Club for Creativity - Denver (previously the Art Directors Club Denver) has inspired, elevated, and empowered both burgeoning and established local talent, in areas of art, design, and advertising. For more information, please visit https://www.adcd.com/.

SOURCE The One Club

Related Links

http://www.oneclub.org/


HAMPTON, N.H., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet Fitness, Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States, invites everyone this summer to join any of its clubs throughout the United States and Canada for just $1 down (enrollment fee), then $10 a month with no commitment. The one-week promotion runs today through July 13 at more than 1,300 Planet Fitness locations. Click here to find a Planet Fitness near you.

"As the Judgement Free Zone, we welcome everyone to visit a local club, meet our pressure-free staff and check out our small group fitness trainings, which are free every day to all members," said Jessica Correa, senior vice president of marketing at Planet Fitness. "A recent survey we conducted found that nearly half (47 percent) of those who stress out about hitting the gym attribute it to paying membership fees. We always look to ease the burden our members feel about working out, and it doesn't get any better than joining for just one dollar."

Planet Fitness offers extremely low prices (memberships for just $10 or $19.99 a month) and a variety of benefits including a hassle-free environment called the Judgement Free Zone, brand name cardio and strength equipment, fully equipped locker rooms, flat screen televisions, and much more.

Planet Fitness also provides members with an opportunity to connect and support each other with "Planet of Triumphs," an online community that celebrates all accomplishments and inspirational stories of Planet Fitness members. Planet of Triumphs provides an online platform for members to recognize their triumphs (big or small), share their stories and encourage others, reinforcing the Company's belief that 'everyone belongs'. Check out real Planet Fitness member stories and accomplishments at PlanetofTriumphs.com.

To locate the nearest Planet Fitness club and take advantage of the one-week offer for new members this July, please visit PlanetFitness.com/Local-Clubs.

* Online survey conducted by Kelton Global to 2,006 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, with a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percent.

About Planet Fitness

Founded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of March 31, 2017, Planet Fitness had approximately 10 million members and more than 1,300 stores in 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone. More than 95% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.planetfitness.com


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Biblica, The International Bible Society, a worldwide ministry that has been helping people read and understand God's Word for over 200 years, announced the appointment of Laura Fisher as Area Executive Director, North America, effective June 19.

Ms. Fisher has over 28 years of combined corporate and non-profit management leadership experience with an emphasis of integrating international program implementation priorities with financial resource management.

Before coming to Biblica, she was Vice President of International Operations and Donor Relations for Children's HopeChest. In her role there, Fisher was responsible for field implementation of holistic child and community development projects and programs to alleviate poverty. This included sustainable agriculture, clean water access, small business development, business and vocational skills training.

"I want to be part of a team making an impact for the Kingdom of God," she says. "When I was offered this position, I had a vision of holding God's Word  becoming a steward of His Word. And that is such a high calling!"

"Laura brings many years of experience establishing and managing partnerships with complementary ministries," explains Biblica COO, Brett Schrock. "She'll be great at leading our partner-driven work in North America."

Fisher has a BBA in Finance from University of Texas at Austin. She and her husband Rick just celebrated 26 years of marriage, and live near Palmer Lake, Colorado.

"We're excited to welcome Laura to our organization," says Biblica CEO, Carl Moeller. "We know that God will use her powerfully to help us accomplish our mission of providing God's Word to the world so that lives can be transformed by Christ."

About Biblica

Biblica is committed to providing the Bible in accurate, contemporary translations and formats so that more people around the world will have the opportunity to be transformed by Jesus Christ. We do this through translation and publishing, by making the Bible accessible, and with innovative Bible engagement programs like Community Bible Experience. To learn more about our ministry and how you can partner with us to share God's Word with people around the world, go to www.biblica.com.

SOURCE Biblica

Related Links

http://www.biblica.com


EAGAN, Minn., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a decision effective today, Children's Minnesota (Children's) has ended its contract with nonprofit insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), leaving members to seek care with other children's health providers in Minnesota. Children's chose to terminate its contract with Blue Cross even though they could have continued to treat patients at current rates while negotiating a new contract. Such contracts are designed to ensure providers and insurers can negotiate without affecting patients.

In anticipation of today's contract expiration, the clinical team at Blue Cross has been working closely with the clinical team at Children's as well as other leading pediatric care providers across the state to manage the transition of care for patients and their families.

"We know many families value having access to Children's and are rightfully concerned by this news," said Garrett Black, senior vice president of health services at Blue Cross. "Blue Cross has a long history of negotiating in good faith and working through difficult issues even after the renewal date comes and goes. The vast majority of our negotiations with physicians and hospitals are resolved thoughtfully and reasonably. We find it disappointing that Children's would choose to walk away from our network instead of working with us collaboratively to negotiate a new agreement."

Driving more affordable care for members is critical to the nonprofit mission of Blue Cross. Children's is among Minnesota's most profitable care systems; and Blue Cross says Children's is demanding increases in reimbursement rates which exceed what other hospitals and physicians in Minnesota have been accepting. Blue Cross has come to the table with many alternative offers and continues to be rebuffed by Children's.

"During the last several months, Blue Cross has made every effort to reach a new contract agreement with Children's Minnesota on behalf of our members," said Black. "Unfortunately, Children's has instead been focused on an expensive marketing campaign asking patients to pressure Blue Cross into allowing Children's to charge higher prices for their services."

Black says Blue Cross offered Children's a contract with above-market prices for 2017, reflecting the value Children's provides. "Children's rejected our contract offers and has continued to push for a substantially higher price increase well above market standards," said Black.

Throughout this process, Blue Cross has stressed the need for everyone in Minnesota's health care system to address unsustainable increases in medical costs. Blue Cross is still committed to resolving this negotiation, as it has done with every other provider in its network. For example, Blue Cross recently announced a contract extension through 2020 with Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. The new agreement reflects a commitment by both organizations to make health care more affordable, while creating new opportunities to collaborate and develop innovative approaches to improving the overall quality of care for patients and their families.

While negotiations with Children's continue, Blue Cross is focused on continued patient care.

"Our clinical leaders at Blue Cross are in regular conversations with our counterparts at Children's to ensure that every patient has a plan for either ongoing care at Children's or a safe transition to continued care elsewhere," said Dr. Glenn Pomerantz, chief medical officer at Blue Cross. "The clinical teams at Blue Cross and Children's are taking our shared responsibility very seriously. While our organizations may have different perspectives on business matters, we know that people are counting on us to work together and make sure that no one goes without the care that they need."

Blue Cross has agreed to approve continued treatment at Children's for eligible Blue Cross members based on clinical criteria that Children's provided to Blue Cross for ongoing medical care. As a result, more than 4,000 Blue Cross members will continue their care at Children's. These patients will be transitioned to other pediatric hospitals only when it is medically safe and appropriate.

"We also have been working closely with other pediatric hospitals and care systems in Minnesota and have confirmed they have the capacity and resources to manage the care of patients for any transitioned patients or patients who need care going forward," said Pomerantz.

Minnesota is fortunate to have hospitals located throughout the Twin Cities and in Greater Minnesota that provide excellent pediatric care. In fact, in June 2017, one of these hospitals, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, was nationally ranked in five specialties by U.S. News and World Report in the annual "Best Hospitals" rankings.

To date, Blue Cross has been in communication with the following in-network free-standing pediatric hospitals, all of which have the clinical abilities and capacity to serve Children's patients:

University of Minnesota Children's Masonic Hospital

Children's Masonic Hospital Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Mayo Clinic Children's Center

Sanford Children's Hospitals

Shriners Hospitals for Children

In addition to these pediatric hospitals, more than 1,200 pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners remain in the Blue Cross network.

Blue Cross is committed to helping members with this transition. If Blue Cross members have any questions regarding their care or need additional assistance, they are encouraged to call the dedicated Children's Minnesota phone number at (855)-579-7657, or call the number on the back of their insurance card. Members may also find answers to their questions online at www.bluecrossmn.com.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Related Links

http://www.bluecrossmn.com


The CH-53K helicopter flew on June 30 from Sikorsky's Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach to PAX, a distance of approximately 810 miles. Total flight time was six hours, with two en route fuel stops at Naval Air Station Mayport, Florida, and Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. View the video .

"This first movement of CH-53K flight testing to our customer's facility denotes that the aircraft have achieved sufficient maturity to begin transitioning the focus of the test program from envelope expansion to system qualification testing," said Dr. Michael Torok, Sikorsky Vice President, CH-53K Programs. "This has been the plan from the beginning and is another important step toward getting these fantastic aircraft into the hands of the U.S. Marine Corps."

The four CH-53K Engineering Development Model (EDM) aircraft have already completed more than 450 hours of flight testing at Sikorsky's Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, and continue to drive to the edges of the operational envelope with both internal and external loads. The flight test program will continue to operate as it has from the beginning under an Integrated Test Team (ITT) that is comprised of Sikorsky, U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) personnel. Testing will continue in both locations, West Palm Beach and Patuxent River throughout the transition period.

"Bringing the CH-53K flight test program to PAX is an exciting milestone; many of the employees dedicated to its advancement now have the opportunity to work right down the street from it," said Col. Hank Vanderborght, U.S. Marine Corps program manager for the Naval Air Systems Command's Heavy Lift Helicopters program, PMA-261.

In April, the CH-53K King Stallion Program successfully passed its Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) and achieved a Milestone C decision that approves funding for low rate initial production.

The CH-53K provides unmatched heavy lift capability with three times the lift of the CH-53E that it replaces. With the increased payload capability and a 12-inch wider internal cabin compared to the predecessor CH-53E, the CH-53K's increased payload capability can take the form of a variety of relevant payloads ranging from multiple U.S. Air Force standard 463L pallets to an internally loaded High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or a European Fennek armored personnel carrier. In addition, the CH-53K can carry up to three independent external loads at once providing incredible mission flexibility and system efficiency.

The CH-53K offers enhanced safety features for the warfighter. Safety is enhanced with full authority fly-by-wire flight controls and mission management that reduces pilot workload and enables the crew to focus on mission execution because the CH-53K all but "flies itself." Features include advanced stability augmentation, flight control modes that include attitude command-velocity hold, automated approach to a stabilized hover, position hold and precision tasks in degraded visual environments, and tactile cueing that all permit the pilot to confidently focus on the mission at hand.

Further, the CH-53K has improved reliability and maintainability that exceeds 89 percent mission reliability with a smaller shipboard logistics footprint than the legacy CH-53E.

The U.S. Department of Defense's Program of Record remains at 200 CH-53K aircraft. The first six of the 200 Program of Record aircraft are under contract and scheduled to start delivery next year to the Marine Corps. Two additional aircraft, the first low rate initial production aircraft, are under long lead procurement for parts and materials, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2020. The Marine Corps intends to stand up eight active duty squadrons, one training squadron, and one reserve squadron to support operational requirements.

For additional information, visit our website: http://lockheedmartin.com/us/products/ch-53k-helicopter.html.

This press release contains forward looking statements concerning opportunities for development, production and sale of helicopters. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans, availability of funding and in the type and number of aircraft required; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in Lockheed Martin Corporation's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com


In June 2017, the Justice Department announced that a national healthcare company and their affiliates will pay the federal government $53,639,288.04, including interest, to settle lawsuits and investigations alleging that companies and facilities violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims to government healthcare programs for medically unnecessary therapy and hospice services, and grossly substandard nursing care.

Allegedly the companies were also billing for hospice services for patients who were not terminally ill and so were not eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit and billing inappropriately for certain physician evaluation management services. Additionally, the settlement resolves allegations the healthcare company and their affiliates violated certain essential requirements that nursing homes are required to meet to participate in and receive reimbursements from government healthcare programs and failed to provide sufficient nurse staffing to meet residents' needs. The whistleblowers will receive a combined $9.67 million as their share of the recovery in this case.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "We are certain there are physicians in every state who can prove a healthcare company is involved in a big-time scheme to overbill Medicare. It might be a hospital admitting Medicare patients who should not have been admitted, a nursing home billing Medicare as if their Medicare patients are receiving the proper care-when they are not, or a hospice company signing up patients who are not dying. If you possess this type of information please call us at 866-714-6466 and let's discuss the reward potential of your information. Why sit on a winning lotto ticket without ever knowing what it could be worth?" http://CorporateWhistleblowerCenter.Com

Simple rules for a whistleblower from the Corporate Whistleblower Center: Do not go to the government first if you are a major whistleblower. The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "Major whistleblowers frequently go to the government thinking they will help. It's a huge mistake. Do not go to the news media with your whistleblower information. Public revelation of a whistleblower's information could destroy any prospect for a reward. Do not try to force a healthcare company to come clean if they are involved in a scheme to overbill Medicare. Come to us first, tell us what type of information you have, and if we think it's sufficient, we will help find the right law firms to assist in advancing your information."

The Corporate Whistleblower Center wants to emphasize there are high quality whistleblowers in every state including California, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Washington, or Alaska.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is the premier advocate for whistleblowers in the United States. Unlike any group in the US, they can assist a potential whistleblower with packaging their information and providing the whistleblower with access to the most accomplished whistleblower attorneys in the nation. For more information, potential whistleblowers can contact the Corporate Whistleblower Center at 866-714-6466 or visit http://CorporateWhistleblower.Com.

For attribution to the June 2017 Department of Justice settlement please refer to their press release on this topic: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/genesis-healthcare-inc-agrees-pay-federal-government-536-million-resolve-false-claims-act

Media Contact:

Thomas Martin

[email protected]

866-714-6466

SOURCE Corporate Whistleblower Center

Related Links

http://corporatewhistleblower.com


BOSTON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DBmaestro, a leading provider of DevSecOps solutions for database technology, today announced a $4.5 million financing led by Vertex Ventures, with participation of existing investors StageOne, Lool Ventures and iAngels. The investment will help the company to launch its next-generation database automation solutions and extend its global sales and marketing reach.

DBmaestro technology ensures operational integrity of release automation, versioning, and policy control, increasing productivity and automation, delivering a fast ROI. DBmaestro has experienced exceptional growth, doubling revenues year over year. Major Global 2000 enterprises, such as banks, insurance companies, energy, and technology companies, use DBmaestro for continuous delivery for databases within DevOps and DevSecOps environments.

"By 2019, more than 60% of DevOps initiatives will have adopted version control and tight management of infrastructure automation tools, up from less than 5% in 2016," says Gartner Report DevSecOps: How to Seamlessly Integrate Security Into DevOps, 30 September 2016. "Information security architects must integrate security at multiple points into DevOps workflows in a collaborative way that is largely transparent to developers, and preserves the teamwork, agility and speed of DevOps and agile development environments, delivering "DevSecOps."



"DBmaestro offers the best solution for database automation, management and delivery for DevOps," said Emanuel Timor, General Partner, Vertex Ventures Israel and the newest member of DBmaestro's board. "The company's market traction demonstrates that DBmaestro is addressing a genuine need."

"DBmaestro technology directly addresses the challenges of bringing databases into the DevOps and DevSecOps environments - from automation to complete policy management," says Yariv Tabac, Co-founder & CEO of DBmaestro. "With this round of investment, we can make a significant impact on the market, supporting our Global 2000 customers with achieving their digital transformations and allowing more organizations to enjoy faster time-to-market."

About DBmaestro

DBmaestro accelerates the pace of digital transformation by delivering the last mile of DevOps and DevSecOps - database change automation. A major player in DevOps and DevSecOps, DBmaestro completes the database automation cycle from initial coding to final deployment while ensuring enforcement of corporate development, security, and compliance policies. With DBmaestro companies can reduce errors, increase efficiency, and streamline the development process. Customers include major global enterprises, such as banks, insurance companies, energy, and government institutions. For more information visit: www.dbmaestro.com

About Vertex Ventures Israel

Vertex Ventures is a leading global venture capital group supporting entrepreneurs to transform their innovative ideas into world-class businesses. With cumulative committed capital in excess of $2.5 billion, Vertex invests in early-stage IT and healthcare opportunities in China, Silicon Valley, India, Israel, and South East Asia. Since 1988, Vertex is honored to have partnered with the founders of global leaders such as Waze, 91, Grab, IGG, CyberArk, Reebonz, SolarEdge, Force10, FirstCry, Yatra and Changba. Vertex Ventures Israel is one of the pillars of the Vertex Group's network of Funds focusing on early stage opportunities in the Information Technology sector in Israel. Learn more at: www.vertexventures.com/israel/

Media Contact



Maya Lustig,

Marketing & Public Relations

DBmaestro

[email protected]

Cell +972 54 6778100

SOURCE DBmaestro

Related Links

http://www.dbmaestro.com


NEW YORK, July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alzheimers Foundation of America (AFA), a non-profit organization founded to fill the gap that existed on a national level, assuring quality of care and excellence in service to individuals with Alzheimers disease and related illnesses and to their caregivers and families, is announcing the 20 recipients, in 15 states, of its Spring 2017 Bi-Annual Milton & Phyllis Berg Family Respite Care Grants, awarded to outstanding non-profit member organizations that share AFAs mission of providing optimal care to individuals with Alzheimers disease and related illnesses, and their families.



The grants are named in honor of the deceased parents of Barry E. Berg, who has served on AFAs board of trustees since 2004. The grants were created in response to the overwhelming need for respite care as a result of caregiving responsibilities. The $5,000 grants are also given out each Fall.

This years grant recipients include:

Austin Group for the Elderly dba AGE of Central Texas  Austin, TX

Alzheimers Respite & Resources, Inc. DBA Memory Matters  Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Alzheimers Orange County  Irvine, CA

Area Agency on Aging for North Florida  Tallahassee, FL

Community Adult Respite Experience, Inc.  Albemarle, N.C.

Payson Senior Center, Inc.  Payson, AZ

Visiting Homemaker Services of Passaic County, dba HomeCare Options  Paterson, NJ

Alzheimers Services of Capital Area  Baton Rouge, LA

Alzheimers & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana  South Bend, IN

County of El Dorado  Health and Human Services Agency  Placerville, CA

Conejo Valley Senior Concerns  Thousand Oaks, CA

Hope Dementia & Alzheimers Services (a program of HopeHealth, MA)  Hyannis, MA

Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, Inc.  Nanuet, NY

OPICA Adult Day Program & Counseling Center  Los Angeles, CA

Alzheimers & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin  Madison, WI

Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging  Hiawatha, KS

Southeastern Wake Adult Day Center  Raleigh, NC

Bethesda Health Group  St. Louis, MO

Lee-Russell Aging Foundation  Opelika, AL

Old Friends Club  Kirkland, WA

AFA regularly provides grants to its member organizations, so they can develop or enhance educational and support services, as well as support families in need in their communities. Offered in the spring and fall each year, the respite care grants are awarded via a competitive application process to AFA nonprofit members. An organization must use the $5,000 grant to provide scholarships to clients (individuals with Alzheimers disease or a related dementia and/or their families) with financial or other needs for respite care services offered at the grantees own organization or another agency. Respite services include social model adult day programs, in-home aides, companion care, and overnight respite.

These grassroots organizations in our local communities play a vital role in improving the quality of life for individuals with Alzheimers disease and related dementias, and their families, said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and CEO of AFA. The organizations that were selected for these grants stand out as remarkable resources. I congratulate all the recipients and encourage them to keep up the great work.

Some of the organizations that received the grants provide meaningful, art-centered activities to create positive cognitive experiences; others incorporate physical exercises led by mentors. Some organizations offer a variety of activities including arts and crafts, music therapy, and mental stimulation games. Other organizations provide caregiver education, brain boosters, yoga, meditation, computer classes for seniors, support groups and memory screenings.

AFA is able to provide this critical support as a result of the generosity of individual contributions, grants, sponsorships and AFA development activities. To help support these initiatives, please click here.

AFA member organizations interested in obtaining grant applications must log into the members-only area of the AFA Web site.

About Alzheimers Foundation of America (AFA):

The Alzheimers Foundation of America, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,600 member organizations nationwide in the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals living with dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a national, toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, educational conferences and materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, the National Memory Screening Program, and AFA Partners in Care dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
The Michelson 20MM Foundation proudly joins industry partners, including Snap, Inc., Boingo Wireless, and MiTu, to provide internships that will increase hands-on experience and training for low-income students in the tech sector.

In the past 12 years, summer youth employment has declined 40% across the United States. Without support from organized programs like HIRE LA's Youth and its L.A. Tech Talent Pipeline, resources for job training and placement support aimed at young adults, ages 18-24, are increasingly scarce.

"We have an opportunity to lead by example," explained Dr. Gary K. Michelson, founder of the Michelson 20MM Foundation. "Internships form a crucial component of early career development, we need programs like this to help usher in the next generation of educated talent."

Michelson 20MM invests in leading edge entrepreneurs, technologies, models, and initiatives with the potential to improve access, affordability, and student success in higher education. By providing internships, the organization continues to bridge the gap between higher education and the next generation workforce.

Mayor Garcetti has set a goal of hiring 20,000 young people in Los Angeles by 2020. Meeting this goal will require a growing network of partners committed to expanding talent development opportunities.

About Michelson 20MM

The Michelson 20MM Foundation was founded thanks to the generous support of renowned spinal surgeon Dr. Gary K. Michelson and his wife, Alya Michelson. For more info, visit www.20mm.org.

SOURCE The Michelson 20MM Foundation

Related Links

http://www.20mm.org


NORTH CANTON, Ohio, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) today announced it is adjusting its full-year financial outlook for 2017. Full-year revenue is now expected to be in the range of $4.7 billion to $4.8 billion. Earnings per share on a GAAP basis is now expected to be in the range of $(1.65)-$(1.45), or $0.95-$1.15 on a non-GAAP basis. The company is in the process of closing its books for the second quarter 2017, and expects orders, revenue and adjusted EBITDA in the period to be comparable with first quarter results.

As previously disclosed, the company's banking business is increasingly made up of large, complex projects with higher software content, resulting in a longer customer decision-making process and order-to-revenue conversion cycle. As a result, the timing and volume of orders to date leads the company to adjust its 2017 guidance.

In addition, the delay in systems rollouts also has a negative impact on the company's service business. This change in volume, combined with investments in hiring and training in the service organization as part of the company's transformation, will pressure near-term margins.

"We are encouraged by the positive feedback we are receiving from customers, which demonstrates our strong competitive position," said Andy W. Mattes, president and chief executive officer, Diebold Nixdorf. "Clearly, we are disappointed in our near-term financial performance. That said, we continue to improve our operating expenses from the prior year and are taking steps to further accelerate our cost reductions. As a result, we are increasing our DN2020 net savings target to $240 million. We are committed to realizing the full potential of our new company and delivering results for all our stakeholders."

Investor call information

Diebold Nixdorf plans to release second quarter 2017 financial results on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, before trading begins on the New York Stock Exchange. Andy W. Mattes, president and chief executive officer, and Christopher A. Chapman, senior vice president and chief financial officer, will discuss the results during a conference call scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET that day. The company will not provide any further statements regarding its second quarter results or full-year outlook until the second quarter conference call.

Information about Diebold Nixdorf's financial results, including a complete, full-text press release, supplementary financial data and an earnings overview presentation, will be accessible by visiting the Investor Relations section of the company's website at http://www.dieboldnixdorf.com/earnings on July 19. Live access to the conference call, as well as the replay, will also be available on this website. The conference call will last approximately one hour. Participants should plan to dial in 10 minutes prior to the session. Details on the call are as follows:



Call-in number Passcode Time/Date Conference call US/Canada: 888-539-3624 6697755 8:30 a.m. ET, 7/19/17

International: 719-325-2190





Updated full-year 2017 outlook(1)



Previous Guidance Current Guidance Total Revenue ~$5.0B ~$4.7B - $4.8B Net Income (Loss) attributable to Diebold Nixdorf, Inc. $(75M) - $(50M) $(125M) - $(110M) Adjusted EBITDA $440M - $470M $360M - $380M 2017 EPS (GAAP) $(0.95) - $(0.65) $(1.65) - $(1.45) Restructuring ~0.45 ~0.85 Non-routine (income)/expense:



Integration expense ~0.65 ~0.70 Legal, Acquisition and Divestiture expense ~0.35 ~0.30 Impairment & Other Non-routine ~0.05 ~0.05 Wincor Nixdorf purchase price accounting ~1.90 ~1.90 Total non-routine (income)/expense ~2.95 ~2.95 Tax impact of restructuring and non-routine (income)/expense items ~(1.05) ~(1.20) Total Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP measure) $1.40 - $1.70 $0.95 - $1.15

(1) - The company expects a non-GAAP effective tax rate of approximately 30% for the full year. With respect to the company's non-GAAP tax rate outlook for 2017, the company is not providing the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure and, with respect to the company's non-GAAP tax rate and adjusted EBITDA outlook for 2017, the company is not providing corresponding reconciliations because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty those items that may affect such measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP without unreasonable effort. These measures exclude the future impact of restructuring actions, net non-routine items, acquisition, divestiture and integration related expenses and purchase accounting fair value adjustments. These reconciling items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could significantly impact, either individually or in the aggregate, our future period tax rate calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Please see "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for additional information regarding our use of non-GAAP financial measures.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Information

To supplement our condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, the company considers certain financial measures that are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, including non-GAAP results, adjusted diluted earnings per share, free cash flow/(use), net investment/(debt), EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP effective tax rate and constant currency results. The company calculates constant currency by translating the prior year results at the current year exchange rate. The company uses these non-GAAP financial measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, to evaluate our operating and financial performance and to compare such performance to that of prior periods and to the performance of our competitors. Also, the company uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making operational and financial decisions and in establishing operational goals. The company also believes providing these non-GAAP financial measures to investors, as a supplement to GAAP financial measures, helps investors evaluate our operating and financial performance and trends in our business, consistent with how management evaluates such performance and trends. The company also believes these non-GAAP financial measures may be useful to investors in comparing its performance to the performance of other companies, although its non-GAAP financial measures are specific to the company and the non-GAAP financial measures of other companies may not be calculated in the same manner. We provide EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because we believe that investors and securities analysts will find EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA to be useful measures for evaluating our operating performance and comparing our operating performance with that of similar companies that have different capital structures and for evaluating our ability to meet our future debt service, capital expenditures, and working capital requirements. We are also providing EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA in light of issuance of our credit agreement and 8.5% senior notes due 2024. For more information, please refer to the section, "Notes for Non-GAAP Measures".

Forward  Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding anticipated adjusted revenue growth, adjusted internal revenue growth, adjusted diluted earnings per share, and adjusted earnings per share growth. Statements can generally be identified as forwardlooking because they include words such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "could", "should" or words of similar meaning. Statements that describe the company's future plans, objectives or goals are also forwardlooking statements. Forwardlooking statements are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The factors that may affect the company's results include, among others: the finalization of the company's financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017; the ultimate impact of the domination and profit and loss transfer agreement with Diebold Nixdorf AG ("DPLTA") and the outcome of the appraisal proceedings initiated in connection with the implementation of the DPLTA; the ultimate outcome and results of integrating the operations of the company and Diebold Nixdorf AG; the ultimate outcome of the company's pricing, operating and tax strategies applied to Diebold Nixdorf AG and the ultimate ability to realize synergies; the company's ability to successfully launch and operate its joint ventures in China with the Inspur Group and Aisino Corp.; the impact of market and economic conditions on the financial services industry; the capacity of the company's technology to keep pace with a rapidly evolving marketplace; pricing and other actions by competitors; the effect of legislative and regulatory actions in the United States and internationally; the company's ability to comply with government regulations; the impact of a security breach or operational failure on the company's business; the company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions into its operations; the impact of the company's strategic initiatives; and other factors included in the company's filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and in other documents that the company files with the SEC. You should consider these factors carefully in evaluating forwardlooking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The company assumes no obligation to update any forwardlooking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

About Diebold Nixdorf

Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE:DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce for millions of consumers each day across the financial and retail industries. Its software-defined solutions bridge the physical and digital worlds of cash and consumer transactions conveniently, securely and efficiently. As an innovation partner for nearly all of the world's top 100 financial institutions and a majority of the top 25 global retailers, Diebold Nixdorf delivers unparalleled services and technology that are essential to evolve in an 'always on' and changing consumer landscape.

Diebold Nixdorf has a presence in more than 130 countries with approximately 24,000 employees worldwide. The organization maintains corporate offices in North Canton, Ohio, USA and Paderborn, Germany. Shares are traded on the New York and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol 'DBD'. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information.

SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf

Related Links

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LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

CX Network interviewed two telecom experts, to give their exclusive insight on the challenges, opportunities and key factors leading to a successful digital implementation: Ulrich Irnich, Director Simplification & Transformation at Telefonica Deutschland and Marijo Volarevic, Strategy Sector Director, Business Development and Innovation Center at Hrvatski Telekom .

Each speaker unravels the various aspects of Digital Implementation Process in their companies - talking about its use, threats, opportunities, tools and sustainability.

Their first area of focus has been the "drivers" of Digital Implementation wherein they talk about the online system of tecos, customer value and big data exploitation. Then, Volarevic adds a new perspective proposing "Culture and leadership in a successful transformation project are crucial," which was supported by Irnich saying "It's key to success". In his company, he ran a digital assessment center with all the senior leaders from Telefonica. They assessed who were the leaders that needed to be aware a change was needed and accepted it and which were the digital natives who understood how digital business models work using various Internal and External factors such as scale of the market, simplicity of systems, big data etc. Now, they are investing in people pushing the company towards a digital transformation, while enriching the leadership team with digital skills.

They also highlighted the point that Telcos now want to disrupt other businesses as well, such as media, tourism, banking or automotive, to broaden their business scope. For example, In France, Orange partnered with the bank Groupama to found Orange Bank in 2017, with an exportable model to be launched later on in Spain and Belgium.

Read the article here - http://bit.ly/bizmodelsdd

For more information please email [email protected] or call +44(0)-207-036-1300

SOURCE CX Network
VINEYARD, Utah, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- President of Dynamic Blending Specialists, Jordan Erskine states, "It's a great honor to be a finalist for such an important award. We strive every day to innovate and disrupt this industry and this award would prove we are on the right track."

Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD), a nonprofit trade association designed to support innovative cosmetic companies in the ever-evolving, endlessly competitive cosmetics industry, has recognized Dynamic Blending Specialists as a nominee for this year's CITY Awards. The CITY Awards recognize both long-established and start-up brands to boost their visibility in front of industry influencers.

All CITY Award winners will be celebrated for their innovative products, creative package designs, and effective marketing campaigns at the ICMAD-sponsored dinner on July 10, 2017, hosted at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada during Cosmoprof North America.

Cosmoprof North America is considered the ultimate launching pad for new brands and the beauty industry, providing a unique opportunity to introduce new products, packaging, distribution channels, and marketing innovations. The largest and most awarded B2B beauty industry event in the Americas, Cosmoprof North America is the definitive networking event for every facet of the international beauty industry.

CITY Award nominee Dynamic Blending Specialists is the only full-service turnkey manufacturing solution that works with businesses of all shapes and sizes. Offering a low minimum order quantity of 1,000 units, while other companies require orders of 50,000, DBS firmly believes that every company deserves the chance to become the next big name in the cosmetics and beauty industry, regardless of their current size and quantity needs. Dynamic Blending Specialists collaborate with their clients every step of the way in their journey to cosmetic product creation. The DBS team of expert cosmetic chemists are leaders in the industry for skin care, hair care, body care, men's grooming, natural/organic products, oral care and more.

To learn more about Dynamic Blending Specialists, please contact:

Josh Lujan, V.P. of Sales & Marketing

523 East 1750 North, Ste. 100

Vineyard, UT 84057

Office: 844-822-1665

[email protected]

www.dynamicblending.com

Cast Iron Content: Cast Iron Content specializes in building effective content that clearly delivers your brand's message, purpose, and defines the value your business was founded on. Newsletters, email campaigns, website copy, editing, SEO, and more  if it involves the written word, Cast Iron Content can help.

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SOURCE Dynamic Blending Specialists

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WASHINGTON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Eric Gertler, co-chairman of U.S. News & World Report and co-chairman and co-publisher of the New York Daily News, has been honored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York as a 2017 Great Immigrant. In its annual tribute to their founder, Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie, the philanthropic foundation recognizes naturalized citizens who demonstrate the richness of talent, skills and achievements that immigrants from around the world bring to every sphere of American society.

This year's distinguished class of Great Immigrants selected by Carnegie Corporation of New York includes:

Jeff Skoll , Social entrepreneur and 2017 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipient





, Social entrepreneur and 2017 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipient Max Levchin , PayPal cofounder





, PayPal cofounder Do Won Chang , Forever 21 co-founder





, Forever 21 co-founder Angel Cabrera , George Mason University president





, George Mason University president Oliver Hart , Daniel Kahneman, J. Michael Kosterlitz, Andrew Schally, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, and David Thouless , Nobel Prize winners





, Nobel Prize winners Viet Thanh Nguyen , Pulitzer Prize winner





, Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Hopkins , Liam Neeson, Morena Baccarin, Actors

"I am honored to be among this group of distinguished individuals," said Gertler. "The journeys of immigrants and their contributions are central to the overall American story. The richness of our culture and heritage as well as our strength as a nation are inextricably linked to our openness as a society and our history of being a place that welcomes others."

Gertler, who has been co-chairman of U.S. News since last year, became an American citizen shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Gertler lived in the United States after graduating from Brown University and then continuously as a permanent resident under green card status prior to gaining his citizenship. Among his many accomplishments, Gertler successfully led several technology and media companies, serving as CEO of Privista and PrimeAxis Media, among others, and as president of U.S.News, Fast Company and The Atlantic.

Most recently, Gertler served as executive vice president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and as managing director of the Center for Economic Transformation under both Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Mayor Bill de Blasio. In this role, he was responsible for spurring economic development through programs that promoted industry growth, with an emphasis on innovation, job creation, public-private partnerships, investment funds and industry diversification. He oversaw over 100 initiatives to further these goals and also directed hundreds of millions of dollars of city investments into the local economy.

Gertler is the author of the critically acclaimed book Prying Eyes: Protect Your Privacy From People Who Sell To You, Snoop on You or Steal From You (Random House). He holds degrees from the Sorbonne at the University of Paris, the Institut D'Etudes Politiques in Paris and a law degree from American University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Law Review.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report

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NEW YORK, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

EverCompliant, the pioneer of Transaction Laundering Detection and Prevention, announced today the move of its headquarters to New York City as the company continues to expand in the North American region. Ron Teicher, CEO will join Daniel Klein, COO in NY.

In addition, EverCompliant brings on Alasdair Rambaud as its Chief Revenue Officer and Sophie Chetboun as General Manager of the Israel office.

Mr. Rambaud joins the team with over 20 years of experience in the payments and Internet security space, and will oversee the opening of a new office in San Francisco. As the company's customer base continues to grow, he will take responsibility of revenue streams globally. Before joining EverCompliant, Mr. Rambaud held the position of SVP Merchant Services at CardinalCommerce, recently acquired by Visa (V).

Mrs. Chetboun, previously VP of R&D at Verint (VRNT), joins EverCompliant with over 20 years of experience in the cyber security and intelligence industry, and will manage all operations in Israel.

"I am honored to be joining EverCompliant at such a turning point," said Mrs. Chetboun. "I am looking forward to my new role and the opportunities that lie ahead as we work together to bring this technology to the forefront of the industry."

"I'm grateful to join such a forward thinking company that successfully navigates the ever-changing landscape of the payments and ecommerce industry," said Mr Rambaud. "With the expansion of our office in San Francisco, and the recent expansion into China and APAC, I look forward to exploring the national and global possibilities ahead of us."

Mr. Rambaud and Mrs. Chetboun's leadership appointment comes at a time of significant growth for EverCompliant, on the heels of the deployment of its platform at several major banks around the world.

"It's exciting to see our talented team growing and I am thrilled to have Mr. Rambaud and Mrs. Chetboun join us. I'm confident our clients will benefit greatly as we continue to expand as it sets us up for the next phase of growth," said Ron Teicher, CEO of EverCompliant. "Our growth is a testament to the disruptive nature of our technology and our ability to answer an unmet need in the market."

About EverCompliant

EverCompliant is the pioneer and industry leader in transaction laundering detection and prevention. The company's flagship product, MerchantView, is the first and only dedicated solution on the market designed from its core to detect and prevent transaction laundering. MerchantView applies proprietary cyber intelligence technology to identify unknown and hidden merchants funneling transactions through seemingly legitimate storefront websites. EverCompliant's technology has been adopted by large-scale financial institutions and payment service providers in Asia, Europe, U.S., and the Middle East, and is an approved MasterCard MMSP. EverCompliant is headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco, Shanghai and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Contact: Daniel Klein, +1-929-422-6269, [email protected]

SOURCE EverCompliant
CARROLLTON, Texas, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, announced today that it has been ranked number 16 by the Dallas Business Journal on its annual North Texas Fastest-Growing Franchises list.

"We are excited about our growth in the number of locations, and as importantly, our increase in many other metrics including average unit volume, franchisee profitability and franchisee satisfaction," said Catherine Monson, President and CEO, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. "The demand for signs and visual graphics remains strong, and we plan to continue adding locations across the globe."

The award-winning brand, based in Carrollton, Texas, currently has 81 locations open plus five in development in Texas. The brand has an additional 580 locations across the United States, Canada and seven other countries, and is continuing to grow throughout North America and other international markets. As part of the brand's development strategy, FASTSIGNS also is targeting sign shops for its conversion program and co-brand franchise opportunities whereby print shop owners or photo centers can expand their services by adding FASTSIGNS to their existing business.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. ended 2016 with record-breaking growth, fueled in part by the ongoing worldwide need for visual communications and digital signage technology. This year, the company expects to open 45 locations.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was recently ranked number 1 in the Business Services/Signs category and 95 overall in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500, the world's first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Acknowledged by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500 recognizes FASTSIGNS for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate and brand power.

For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or 214-346-5679).

About FASTSIGNS

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the largest sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of 660 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers in nine countries including the US, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Grand Cayman, Mexico and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE).

FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive sign and visual graphic solutions to help companies of all sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message, sell more products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points including decor, events, wearables and marketing materials. Learn more about sign and visual graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com. Follow the brand on Twitter @FASTSIGNS, Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS or LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fastsigns.

CONTACT: Chelsea Bear

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.fastsigns.com


AUBURN HEIGHTS, Mich., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Faurecia, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, today signed a joint venture agreement for its Clean Mobility business with Dongfeng Motor Parts & Components Group Co., Ltd. in Wuhan. The new company aims to provide advanced clean mobility solutions to Dongfeng affiliated OEM brands, for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. This joint venture builds upon Faurecia's long term partnership with Dongfeng, with whom it already has a joint venture for its Automotive Interiors Business.

Located in Xiangyang, the new joint venture will begin operations in 2018. The annual sales should reach 1.2 Billion RMB ( 155 million) by 2021.

Patrick Koller Faurecia CEO declares: "We are very much honored to extend our partnership with Dongfeng to our Clean Mobility business and thus bring innovative and breakthrough technologies to the Chinese market. This joint venture builds on the important relationship which Faurecia has developed with Dongfeng over the years and contributes significantly to our strong growth in China."

Dongfeng Motor Parts & Components Group Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd., and is specialized in research & development, manufacturing and sales of auto parts. Dongfeng Motor Parts & Components Group Co. Ltd. has 16,800 employees and 32 subsidiaries, including a listed company named Dongfeng Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (Stock Code: 600081). The annual sales of the Group in 2016 were RMB 12 billion, which make it one of the largest auto parts suppliers in China.

About Faurecia

Founded in 1997, Faurecia has grown to become a major player in the global automotive industry. With 330 sites including 30 R&D centers, 100 000 employees in 34 countries, Faurecia is now a global leader in its three areas of business: automotive seating, interior systems and clean mobility. Faurecia has focused its technology strategy on providing solutions for smart life on board and sustainable mobility. In 2016, the Group posted total sales of 18.7 billion. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange and trades in the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market. For more information, visit www.faurecia.com

SOURCE Faurecia

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TOKYO, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Floadia Corporation (hereinafter "Floadia") headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, announced on July 5 that it successfully closed "Series B" fundraising of 1.6 billion Japanese yen (US$14.5 million) to use the funds to continue the commercial supply of its embedded flash memory IP to major foundries. Floadia's Series B is mainly funded by Taiwanese VCs under a leading semiconductor foundry group and ITRI, along with leading Japanese VCs.

(Logo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104461/201707043369/_prw_PI1fl_F9NTThTH.png)

The investment has been funded by:

Fortune Venture Capital Corporation (one of the funds collectively known as UMC Capital),

Chih-Hung Investment Corporation (Taiwan Faraday group),

Innovation Network Corporation of Japan ("INCJ"),

("INCJ"), Golden Asia Fund Ventures Ltd. (Joint Fund of Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd., and Taiwan ITIC, an investment institution owned by ITRI),

Daiwa Corporate Investment Co., Ltd. ("Daiwa" in Japan ),

), SBI Investment Co. Ltd. in Japan ,

, Real Tech Fund (euglena SMBC Nikko Leave-a-Nest Capital L.L.C. in Japan ),

), Innovations and Future Creation Inc. in Japan ,

, TEL Venture Capital, Inc. in U.S.

Established in 2011, Floadia is a spin-out made up of experienced engineers who were developing embedded non-volatile memory at Renesas Electronics Corporation. The company licenses its intellectual property (IP), including manufacturing process and circuit designs, enabling embedded non-volatile memory production. Floadia's engineering team is comprised of experienced memory circuit designers and industry veterans with broad experience in fabrication processes, manufacturing, and reliability. One of the company's strengths is its ability to develop optimal memory IP according to customer specifications and preferred manufacturing process technology.

Two years ago, in 2015, Floadia raised 800 million JPY (US$7.3 million) of Series A funds from INCJ, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd. and Daiwa. The main purpose of Series B fundraising is to expand its embedded flash IP business into high reliability, and high-performance applications such as automotive, low-cost IoT device and mobile device markets.

Mr. Mikihide Katsumata, President and COO of INCJ, said: "Embedded Flash Memories are expected to expand their demand for more diverse applications through the Fourth Industrial Revolution in which IoT devices will be implemented. Floadia provides the ultimate solution for these market requirements offering high reliability and secures automobile applicable applications with low power, small area and low cost features. I hope Floadia will expand these marvelous technologies and products born in Japan to the worldwide market and contribute to the growth of the IoT world."

"Embedded flash plays an essential role in SoC designs, but with the need for continuous process migration, it becomes more and more difficult to enable a cost-effective and robust embedded flash IP in pure-play foundries. Floadia's SONOS based embedded flash is a proven technology with a long history within IDM suppliers of automotive MCUs," said Mr. DC Cheng, Board Director of UMC Capital. "Beyond the traditional embedded non-volatile memory usage in SoC, we see more potential for Floadia's embedded flash technology in NVSRAM and the possibility to enable future AI electronics devices," he added.

"The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to become more pervasive and, as a key component of IoT products, memory is indispensable. Customers who are aggressively going after the IoT market demand low cost, low power, and ease of use. Floadia's introduction of a game-changing embedded flash technology addressing these requirements is highly anticipated," said Mr. CJ Chang, Executive Vice President of ITIC. "Floadia will move forward, combining the strength of our bit cell development in Japan, and macro design in Taiwan. We are happy to see such a successful Japan-Taiwan collaboration model."

*Non-volatile memory is the general term for semiconductor memory which can hold saved data even in the absence of a power supply. Floadia licenses non-volatile memory as an IP block.

About Floadia Corporation

Established: April 2011

Business outline: Design and development of embedded non-volatile memory

Representative Director, President: Kosuke Okuyama

Website: http://floadia.com

SOURCE Floadia Corporation

Related Links

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COLUMBUS, Ga., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States, announced today that the company has been named one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials by Fortune Magazine. This is the third year that Fortune has published this list and the third time that Aflac has held a coveted spot. Aflac placed No. 82 in the inaugural year of 2015 and landed at No. 53 in 2017.

"Just as we are pleased to be among Fortune's 100 Best Places to Work for the past 19 years, we are very happy to be held in such high esteem by millennials, who now make up the largest segment of our nation's workforce," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "Competition for the best and brightest minds is always steep, so it is a great advantage to have this validation of our company as a great place for millennials to consider for a rewarding career."

According to Fortune, to compile this list of the Best Workplaces for Millennials, Great Place to Work surveyed more than 398,000 U.S. employees from Great Place to Work-certified companies and ranked them. Surveys were conducted anonymously, and millennials' results achieved at least 95 percent confidence level and 7 percent margin of error for each organization. Companies were required to employ at least 50 millennials to be considered. Click here for complete methodology and to read more about this year's list.

Aflac offers several benefits that are appealing to millennials, including competitive salaries, employer-sponsored health care coverage, 50 percent matching 401(k) contributions up to 6 percent of salary, on-site health care services and on-site fitness centers. Since 1995, Aflac has contributed more than $116 million to the treatment and research of childhood cancer. In 2013, the company initiated its Duckprints program (aflacduckprints.com), designed to promote public and employee engagement in the fight against childhood cancer. For every social activity, including posts or shares that use the hashtag #Duckprints, Aflac contributes $2 to the cause, up to $1.5 million. The company also offers an annual volunteer program to construct homes for the underprivileged through Habitat for Humanity.

Millennials currently make up approximately 30 percent of Aflac's workforce. To read more about what makes Aflac a great place to work for millennials and to see what employees are saying, please click here.

About Aflac

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative, Aflac U.S. can receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims in one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 11 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2017, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 19th consecutive year and included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 16th time. In 2015, Aflac's contact centers were recognized by J.D. Power by providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" for the Live Phone Channel. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day PaySM, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

Media contact  Jon Sullivan, 706.763.4813 or [email protected]

Analyst and investor contact  David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX 706.324.6330, or [email protected]

SOURCE Aflac

Related Links

http://www.aflac.com


BROOKFIELD NEWS, July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Property Partners, L.P. (NYSE:BPY) (TSX:BPY.UN) announced today that its second quarter 2017 financial results will be released prior to the market open on Wednesday, August 2, 2017. Analysts, investors and other interested parties are invited to participate in the companys live conference call reviewing the results on Wednesday, August 2 at 11:00 AM (ET). Scheduled speakers are Chief Executive Officer Brian Kingston and Chief Financial Officer Bryan Davis.



Along with the earnings news release, an updated supplemental information package will be available on the companys website, bpy.brookfield.com, before the market open on August 2, 2017.

To participate in the conference call, please dial +1 (844) 358-9182 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada or for overseas calls please dial +1 (478) 219-0399, passcode: 49820669, five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. Live audio of the call will also be available via webcast at bpy.brookfield.com.

A replay of this call can be accessed through August 9, 2017 by dialing +1 (855) 859-2056 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada or +1 (404) 537-3406 for overseas calls, passcode: 49820669. A replay of the webcast will be available on the companys website.

Brookfield Property Partners

Brookfield Property Partners is one of the worlds largest commercial real estate companies, with approximately $66 billion in total assets. We are leading owners, operators and investors in commercial property assets, with a diversified portfolio that includes 146 premier office properties and 127 best-in-class retail malls around the world. We also hold interests in multifamily, triple net lease, industrial, hospitality, self-storage and student housing assets. Brookfield Property Partners is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Further information is available at bpy.brookfield.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information.

Brookfield Property Partners is the flagship listed real estate company of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $250 billion in assets under management.

Certain of our investor relations content is also available on our investor relations app. To download Brookfield Property Partners' investor relations app, which offers access to SEC filings, press releases, presentations and more, please click here to download on your iPhone or iPad. To download the app on your Android mobile device, please click here.
DUBLIN, Ohio, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginlong Technologies, one of the world's oldest and largest string inverter manufacturers with 2 GW annual production capacity, will be presenting new and exciting inverter innovations at Intersolar North America. Intersolar North America, one of the most-attended solar exhibitions in the United States will take place July 11-13, 2017 at San Francisco. Attendees can touch the latest solar products on the Trade Show floor and hear about exciting trends and technologies at Trade Show events.

Highlighted at the Ginlong Solis Booth will be:

New! Solis 4G Platform has Arrived! Solis-1P(2.5-10K)-4G-US single phase string inverters, with high switching frequency > 30kHz, 2,3, and 4 MPPTs designs, 97.8% peak efficiency (97.5% CEC), Fan-less NEMA 4X / IP65 design, Integrated AFCI, Web-based and Smartphone App monitoring, High power density, light weight <44 lbs, UL 1741 and CEC listed now, CA Rule 21/UL 1741 SA in Aug. 2017 .

. Solis 25K-66K US Three Phase Inverters are designed for all commercial and utility-scale installations and lead the industry with 4 MPPT designs and ultra-low start up volume that maximize energy harvest. These high-quality string inverters feature NEMA 4X enclosures and the external fan-less design and fan-based design options. Compact and lightweight (<150 lbs.), Ginlong commercial string inverters are rated at 98.6% Peak Efficiency (98.3% CEC),

Solis Rapid Shutdown Devices (RSD). The Solis RSD features an innovative low-profile design for a fast, under-the-PV panel installation resulting in a clean, professional appearance. The Ginlong Solis RSD is ideal for new installations or retrofit projects. Thousands of installations in the US. The RSD is certified to UL1741 and compliant with 2014 NEC 690.12.

Award-winning Solis Inverters from Ginlong was ranked # 5 in U.S. and # 5 in global residential string inverter market by Greentech Media in 2016. You're very welcome to visit Ginlong Solis booth #9329 and meet our executives and product experts. Solis inverters are available for ordering from master distributors AEE Solar nationwide, CED Greentech nationwide, Fortune Energy in California and The Powerstore in Texas. Contact Ginlong Solis at [email protected] to setup an appointment.

About Ginlong Technologies

Ginlong offers a complete product line of bankable, ultra-reliable and cost-effective string inverters for residential, Ginlong Technologies offers string inverters under the Solis brand for the residential, commercial and utility solar market. The bankable and reliable Solis inverters from Ginlong is listed on the Approved Vendor List (AVL) of top US third-party owned solar integrators Sunrun, leading banks and loan sources including Mosaic, Dividend Solar, Sungage Financial etc. Ginlong Solis inverters are installed globally and optimized for local markets. Ginlong Solis inverters were installed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 2015. Ginlong won the prestige EUPD Top Brand PV Inverter brand award in 2016 and 2017. Ginlong Solis inverter products have an outstanding field record in the United States since the product was introduced to the market in 2009. Learn more at www.ginlong.com

SOURCE Ginlong Solis USA

Related Links

http://www.ginlong.com


Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Global Aerospace Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Application Type (Floor Panel, Side Wall Panel, Ceiling Panel, Stowage Bin, Galley, Lavatory, and Others), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2017-2022.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530533/Infographic_Market_Distribution.jpg )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160831/402975LOGO )



This strategic report, from Stratview Research, studies the interior sandwich panel market in the global aerospace industry over the period 2011 to 2022. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

Interior Sandwich Panel Market in the Global Aerospace Industry: Highlights

As per Stratview Research, the global aerospace interior sandwich panel market offers a healthy growth opportunity of 5.5% CAGR during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022 and reach an estimated $1.6 billion in 2022. The author of the report stated that Increasing production rates of the key commercial and regional aircraft, such as B737, B787, A320, A350XWB, and C Series; upcoming commercial and regional aircraft, such as Comac C919 and Mitsubishi MRJ; rising requirement of lightweight and durable products in interior applications fueled by the introduction of stringent government regulations related to fuel consumption and emission reduction; advancement in the technology; increasing global aircraft fleet size; and growing awareness to improve passenger experience are the major growth drivers of the market.

The research's findings suggest that narrow-body aircraft is expected to remain the largest segment of sandwich panel market in the aerospace interior applications during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022, whereas, wide-body aircraft is likely to witness the highest growth during the same period, driven by an increasing demand for wide-body aircraft, such as B787 and A350XWB, in the developing economies, such as China and India. There is also a healthy demand for wide-body aircraft in the Middle-East region.

In terms of core material type, nomex honeycomb has been the perennial choice for a wide array of interior applications in the aerospace industry. All the major aircraft types including narrow-body and wide-body aircraft are heavily relying on this unique material. Nomex honeycomb offers large number of advantages over competing materials, such as lightweight, exceptional stiffness and strength, good corrosion resistance, good fire resistance, good thermal stability, and excellent dielectric properties.

As per the study, North America is projected to remain the largest aerospace interior sandwich panel market during the forecast period. Most of the aircraft manufacturers have manufacturing and assembly plants located in North America. Additionally, all the major sandwich panel manufacturers have presence in the region to support OEMs for the development of advanced products meeting emerging requirements of airlines. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. The largest commercial aircraft fleet size; the gradual shift of manufacturing/assembly plants of OEMs; and upcoming indigenous commercial and regional aircraft, such as Comac C919, ARJ21, and MRJ, fueled by increasing passenger traffic will continue to drive the Asia-Pacific market in the coming years.

Zodiac Aerospace, The Gill Corporation, B/E Aerospace (now Rockwell Collins), Euro-Composites Corp., FACC AG, Jamco Corporation, and Triumph Composite Systems are some of the major players in the aerospace interior sandwich panel market. New product development, adoption of advanced lightweight materials, and collaboration with OEMs are some of the key strategies adopted by companies to gain a competitive edge over others.

Click Here and Request for Free Sample on Aerospace Interior Sandwich Panel Market

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.

Market trend and forecast analysis.

Market segment trend and forecast.

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors.

This report studies the interior sandwich panel market in the global aerospace industry and has segmented the market in five ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the five ways in which the market is segmented:

Global Aerospace Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Aircraft Type

Narrow-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Wide-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Very Large Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Regional Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

General Aviation (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Global Aerospace Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Application Type:

Floor Panel (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Side Wall Panel (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Ceiling Panel (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Stowage Bin (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Galley (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Lavatory (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Global Aerospace Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Core Material Type:

Nomex Honeycomb (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Aluminum Honeycomb (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Global Aerospace Interior Sandwich Panel Market by End-User Type:

OE (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Aftermarket (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW)

Global Aerospace Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Region:

North America (Country Analysis: the USA , Canada , and Mexico )

Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, Spain , Russia , and Rest of Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Middle East , Latin America , and Others)

Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global aerospace & defense industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Aerospace & Defense Industry

Some of our other premium market reports in the aerospace & defense industry:

Global Aerospace Floor Panel Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others), by End-User Type (OEM and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2017 - 2022

Global Aerospace & Defense Composite Ducting Market by Aircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, and Others), by Pressure Type (Low Pressure and High Pressure), By Reinforcement Type (Glass Composites, Carbon Composites, and Other Composites), by Matrix Type (Epoxy Composites, Phenolic Composites, Thermoplastic Composites, and Other Composites), by Application Type (ECS, APU, Avionics Ventilation, and Others), by Manufacturing Process (Mandrel Layup, Rotation Molding, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2017-2022

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.



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Stratview Research

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SOURCE Stratview Research
LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summary



Globally, the underground gas storage industry is expected to grow by around 22% in terms of working gas storage capacity, over the next four years. Among regions, FSU and Europe are expected to contribute most to the global capacity growth. The Middle East is expected to double its working gas capacity by 2021, the highest among all the regions. Among countries, Russia will drive most of the global capacity growth and would account for nearly 25% of the global capital spending on the planned gas storage sites.



Scope



- Up to date global working gas storage capacity data by major regions, outlook of planned capacity additions up to 2021

- Annual breakdown of capital expenditure on the planned (new build) gas storage projects for the period 2017 to 2021

- Global Planned working gas capacity additions, and capital expenditure spending by key countries and companies

- Regional capital expenditure spending on the planned (new build) gas storage projects by key countries and companies

- Details of major new project announcements, cancelled, and stalled projects globally up to 2021



Reasons to buy



- Obtain the most up to date information available on the underground gas storage projects globally

- Identify growth segments and opportunities in the global underground gas storage industry

- Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historical and forecasts of underground gas storage projects data

- Develop business strategies with the help of specific insights about global planned (new build) gas storage sites

- Keep abreast of key planned underground gas storage sites globally

- Assess your competitor's planned underground gas storage sites and capacities

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4969277/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

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CLEVELAND, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2016, global demand for water treatment chemicals totaled $25.4 billion which is forecast to rise 5.3% per year to $32.9 billion in 2021. The best opportunities for growth in this market are expected in developing regions of the world, particularly in large, rapidly industrializing countries such as India and China and in regions with significant infrastructural development such as Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Central and South America. Not only will governments of developing countries continue efforts to increase access to drinking water and sanitation facilities, but the rising amount of industrial production in these areas will boost demand for water treatment chemicals in industrial markets such as electric power generation and manufacturing. These and other trends are presented in Global Water Treatment Chemicals Market, 2nd Edition, a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

The more mature markets in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan are projected to post more modest gains as consumers limit their use of water treatment chemicals by relying on higher-value specialty chemicals that can be used in lower dosages, or on nonchemical water treatment practices.

Analyst Emily Park addresses the main drivers of growth in all regions: "Gains will be supported in part by expanding regulatory requirements for drinking water and wastewater quality and the rising use in water treatment of membrane systems, which require the use of coagulants and flocculants in pretreatment steps." A shift in product mix favoring more expensive specialty products will also support value demand. Furthermore, biocides will compete with disinfection equipment and will be restricted by environmental regulations in many regions, although biocide use will be prominent in developing markets.

More information about the study is available at https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/global-water-treatment-chemicals-by-type-market-and-region-2nd-edition-3537.htm

Related studies include:

About The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com  The Freedonia Group is a leading international industrial research company publishing more than 100 studies annually. Since 1985, we have provided research to customers ranging in size from global conglomerates to one-person consulting firms. More than 90% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 use Freedonia Group research to help with their strategic planning. Additional Chemicals studies can be purchased at www.freedoniagroup.com, www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com

Press Contact:

Corinne Gangloff

+1 440.684.9600

[email protected]

SOURCE The Freedonia Group

Related Links

http://www.freedoniagroup.com


VANCOUVER, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - GOLDCORP INC. (TSX: G, NYSE: GG) ("Goldcorp" or the "Company") has published its 11th annual Sustainability Report, which provides detailed insights into the Company's economic, environmental, and social performance.

"Our commitments to sustainability excellence, responsible mining and creating sustainable value for our stakeholders are fundamental operating principles imbedded in everything we do, beginning when the first exploration teams take the time and care to consult with communities and establish a spirit of openness, transparency and trust" said Brent Bergeron, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Goldcorp. "Our ability to continue operations and pursue growth in our business depends on long-lasting and mutually respectful relationships. Strong social, economic and environmental performance are important to our stakeholders and, in addition to reporting progress on our goals, our annual Sustainability Report offers Goldcorp another valuable opportunity to engage our stakeholders, respond to questions, and further focus our sustainability and social responsibility priorities."

Highlights of Goldcorp's 2016 sustainability performance include:

Reduced All Injury Frequency Rate by 11%, from 282 reported injuries in 2015 to 221 in 2016.





Launched an ambitious 10-year program called Towards Zero Water (H2Zero) to reduce fresh water consumption and improve water recycling rates at Goldcorp's operations.





Implemented energy-reduction projects that saved 175,000 tonnes of CO2e, achieving 73% of the Company's five-year target to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 20% from 2011 levels. Consistent with Goldcorp's energy and GHG emission goals, the Company announced development plans for Canada's first all-electric underground mine at its Borden project in Ontario .





first all-electric underground mine at its project in . Surpassed targets set by the Catalyst Accord for 25% representation of women on the Company's board of directors by 2017, and the 30% Club Canada, which targets 30% representation of women on the board by 2019. Goldcorp's board is comprised of 33% women.





Became a signatory to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.





Continued to actively participate in the Mining Association of Canada , the World Economic Forum, the UN Global Compact, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the International Council on Mining and Metals in support of responsible mining and sustainable development initiatives.





, the World Economic Forum, the UN Global Compact, the Prospectors and Developers Association of and the International Council on Mining and Metals in support of responsible mining and sustainable development initiatives. Rolled out standardized human rights training, certifying over 2,900 employees and contractors.





Completed mine reclamation at El Sauzal in Mexico , the first mine closure in the industry completed in accordance with standards set by the International Cyanide Management Code.





in , the first mine closure in the industry completed in accordance with standards set by the International Cyanide Management Code. Distributed over US$20 million in community contributions throughout the regions where Goldcorp operates.

Transparency in all levels of reporting is fundamental to building and maintaining trust amongst the people and communities affected by Goldcorp's operations, and the Company is committed to continually improving the relevance, accessibility and transparency of its sustainability reporting.

Over this past year, Goldcorp faced a number of challenges, including a year of volatile commodity prices, a cyber-hacking incident, a fatality at the Marlin mine, and an illegal blockade at Penasquito. In response, Goldcorp will continue to refine policies and practices for environmental stewardship, strengthen community relationships, and work to ensure the health and safety of its employees, contractors, partners, and neighboring communities.

Goldcorp's discipline in cost control and value optimization combined with its commitment to sustainability and responsible mining practices are critical components of its overall strategy.

The full report, as well as a downloadable PDF, is available at www.goldcorp.com

The report is independently assured, and follows the requirements of the G4 Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact, and the International Council on Mining and Metals.

About Goldcorp

Goldcorp is a senior gold producer focused on responsible mining practices with safe, low-cost production from a high-quality portfolio of mines.

SOURCE Goldcorp Inc.

Related Links

http://www.goldcorp.com


NEW YORK, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Golub Capital recently announced that as Administrative Agent, Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner, it provided a GOLD facility to support TA Associates' strategic investment in MRI Software ("MRI"). GOLD financings are Golub Capital One-Loan Debt facilities.

MRI Software provides real estate and investment management software to real estate owners and investors. The investment will support the expansion of MRI's enterprise software applications. GI Partners, which acquired MRI in 2015, will remain an investor in the company.

"MRI provides the global real estate industry with a comprehensive suite of mission critical software applications on a significantly differentiating flexible and open platform, and is operated by a world class management team," said Spyro Alexopoulos, Managing Director at Golub Capital. "We are excited to partner again with a top tier software sponsor in TA Associates, and work together in supporting the company's growth strategy."

"Golub Capital has extensive experience in software financings and has been a reliable partner on previous transactions, so I knew I could trust them to execute seamlessly," said Hythem El-Nazer, Partner at TA Associates. "Our investment will support MRI's expansion, bringing real estate technology to business owners in new locations across the globe."

About Golub Capital Middle-Market Lending

Golub Capital's Middle Market Lending group provides financing for middle market, private equity-backed transactions with hold positions of up to $400 million and is an arranger of credit facilities up to $750 million. Golub Capital's award-winning team strives to establish long-term, win-win partnerships by providing dependable, fast and creative solutions that meet private equity sponsors' and portfolio companies' needs.

Golub Capital is a nationally recognized credit asset manager with over $20 billion of capital under management. For over 20 years, the firm has provided credit to help medium-sized U.S. businesses grow. The firm's award-winning middle market lending business helps provide financing for middle market companies and their private equity sponsors. Golub Capital's credit expertise also forms the foundation of its Late Stage Lending and Broadly Syndicated Loan businesses. Golub Capital has worked hard to build a reputation as a fast, reliable provider of compelling financing solutions, and we believe this has inspired repeat clients and investors. Today, the firm has over 300 employees with lending offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.golubcapital.com.

About MRI Software

MRI Software is a leading provider of innovative real estate software applications and hosted solutions. MRI's comprehensive and flexible technology platform coupled with an open and connected ecosystem meets the unique needs of real estate businessesfrom property-level management and accounting to investment modeling and analytics for the global commercial and residential markets. A pioneer of the real estate software industry, MRI develops lasting client relationships based on nearly five decades of expertise and insight. Through leading solutions and a rich partner ecosystem, MRI liberates real estate companies to elevate their business and gain a competitive edge. For more information, please visit mrisoftware.com.

About TA Associates

TA Associates is one of the largest and most experienced global growth private equity firms. The firm has invested in more than 480 companies around the world and has raised $24 billion in capital. With offices in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong, TA Associates leads buyouts and minority recapitalizations of profitable growth companies in the business services, consumer, financial services, healthcare and technology industries. More information about TA Associates can be found at www.ta.com.

SOURCE Golub Capital

Related Links

http://www.golubcapital.com


BOSTON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Greene LLP attorneys announce the resolution of False Claims Act claims by Mark McGuire, a former laboratory director with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, Inc., a chain of North Carolina hospitals doing business as Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS). While with CHS, McGuire oversaw all of the operations of its laboratory, and protested against billing practices that resulted in false claims for payment to the government. Under the federal False Claims Act, McGuire filed a law suit on behalf of the federal and North Carolina governments, alleging that upcoding at CHS resulted in thousands of falsely inflated claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The $6.5 million settlement reached by the United States with CHS resolves McGuire's allegations that CHS upcoded when submitting claims for urine drug testing services.

Federal health insurance programs reimburse for laboratory testing based in part on the complexity of testing. Effective January 1, 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced a reimbursement code for carefully defined urine drug tests of moderate complexity, to be used when utilizing "a moderately complex reader device." McGuire found that CHS routinely billed Medicare and Medicaid under a high complexity reimbursement code for tests performed with its Beckman Coulter UniCel DxC 800 Synchron Systems, classified by its manufacturer as a moderate complexity reader device. Tests done on this machine should never be billed under a high complexity code, alleged McGuire, but by doing so, CHS increased its reimbursements by approximately $80 per test.

Before filing the False Claims Act suit, McGuire made efforts to stop the CHS billing practices internally, employing a compliance "HelpLine" and speaking directly with CHS officials. "This case is a great example of how the False Claims Act can get things done when other methods do not," said Thomas M. Greene, who along with Michael Tabb and Tucker Greene represented McGuire in the law suit. "McGuire knew he was rightCarolinas Healthcare did not own the lab equipment needed to justify the high complexity reimbursement codes. He feels vindicated by this settlement." W. Thompson Comerford of Comerford & Britt, LLP also represented McGuire in the suit, which was resolved through the instrumental efforts of Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ferry and others at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina.

The False Claims Act provides that when a whistleblower successfully files suit and the government intervenes, that whistleblower is entitled to between 15% and 25% of any resulting recovery. Pursuant to the terms of settlement, McGuire will receive $1,365,000 of the government's settlement. "We are pleased with a 21% relator share in this case, which rewards McGuire for the professional nature of his conduct in this straightforward upcoding case," said Greene. McGuire also received $30,000 directly from CHS in satisfaction of his allegations that the company retaliated against him because of his efforts to stop improper billing practices. Pursuant to the statute, CHS will also pay McGuire's attorneys' fees for the prosecution of the False Claims Act case. The case, United States ex rel. Mark McGuire v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, et al., was filed in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina, Case No. 3:15-cv-147.

Greene LLP is a Boston complex civil litigation firm that specializes in False Claims Act litigation, employing a low-volume, high-attention approach. Each of the firm's partners have over twenty years of experience in whistleblower litigation, pioneering innovative theories of recovery. Greene LLP cases have resulted in over $1.2 billion in government recoveries, including nearly $500 million for claims for which the government declined to intervene.

Contact: Thomas M. Greene

Greene LLP

(617) 261-0040

[email protected]

SOURCE Greene LLP
HOUSTON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI), ("Group 1" or the "Company"), an international, Fortune 500 automotive retailer, today announced the acquisition of Beadles Group Ltd, a large UK-based automotive retailer, which consists of seven brands across 12 dealerships in the southeastern portion of the greater London metropolitan market. The seven brands include Jaguar, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Skoda, Toyota, Vauxhall, and Kia, with locations in the towns of Bromley, Coulsdon, Dartford, Maidstone, Medway, Sevenoaks, Sidcup, and Southend.

The dealerships, which will continue to operate under the Beadles name, are expected to generate approximately $330 million in annualized revenues. This acquisition increases the Company's UK operations to 43 dealerships, which includes existing Audi, BMW/MINI, Ford, Jaguar, SEAT, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stores.

"The Beadles Group is a great fit for Group 1, as we further expand our footprint and brand portfolio in the UK. Beadles was established in 1893 and incorporated in 1915 and has an outstanding reputation for customer service and satisfaction. This acquisition bolsters our scale, provides additional management resources, and introduces new brand partnerships in the UK. We are also pleased to grow our existing relationships with key brand partners," said Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1's president and chief executive officer. "With this addition, our UK operations are estimated to generate over $2 billion in annualized revenues."

About Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

Group 1 owns and operates 171 automotive dealerships, 224 franchises, and 47 collision centers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil that offer 32 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships, the Company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related vehicle financing; sells service contracts; provides automotive maintenance and repair services; and sells vehicle parts.

Investors please visit www.group1corp.com, www.group1auto.com, www.group1collision.com, www.facebook.com/group1auto, and www.twitter.com/group1auto, where Group 1 discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations.

Investor contacts:

Sheila Roth

Manager, Investor Relations

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

713-647-5741 | [email protected]

Media contacts:

Pete DeLongchamps

V.P. Manufacturer Relations, Financial Services and Public Affairs

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

713-647-5770 | [email protected]

or

Clint Woods

Pierpont Communications, Inc.

713-627-2223 | [email protected]

SOURCE Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.group1auto.com


MOSCOW, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On the morning of July 4, the Joint Exhibition of Book and Picture on Guangdong's Engagement in Building the Maritime Silk Road kicked off in Moscow. More than 100 government officials and guests from Moscow paid visits to the fair in an ancient yellow-white villa complex. The exhibition is a part of the 2017 Experience China-Guangdong Cultural Tour to Europe.

The sixth National Congress of CPC is the only one of the kind that was held outside China. Since 2013, the renovated site that hosted the sixth National Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1928, has served as an affiliate of Moscow China Cultural Center. On top of that, it represents another landscape on the outskirts of Moscow, a place of significance for Russians to learn about the Chinese culture and for Chinese to embark on a "red" trip.

"I can't wait to make a trip to Guangdong, China at the sight of these boutique books and pictures," Nadya, a citizen of Moscow said, "the imported books from China show me what has made China an increasingly prosperous and strong country." Books of over 200 kinds including Xi Jinping: The Governance of China (Russian version), Guangzhou, Birthplace of the Maritime Silk Road were displayed in the exhibition room. Featured by rich content, these books cover a wide range of topics, such as the new ideas and strategies on the governance of China and China's reform and opening-up with an emphasis on Guangdong's achievements in economy and social programs across the board. Books that aim to introduce the history, culture and literature of China and promote Guangdong's tourist attractions and their folk custom were also on the display.

In front of the exhibition booth of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China (Russian version), Artem Kobzev, head of the department of China, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, said the book enables people to better understand China's development and policies on internal affairs and diplomacy. He believes that the meaningful Guangdong Culture European Tour is a down-to-earth trial of the communication of Chinese and Russian culture reaching deep to the grassroots.

The exhibition also displayed over 70 photographic works, reflecting Guangzhou's economic construction, culture and tradition, beautiful natural landscape and Guangdong's involvement in building the Maritime Silk Road.

Shen Haixiong, Member of the provincial Party Standing Committee of Guangdong and Provincial publicity chief, stated that, we hope that holding exhibition at this meaningful place could enable the Russian public to closely experience contemporary China's development and traditional Lingnan culture.

"We hope the exhibition allows the larger Russian society to better understand culture of China, that of Guangdong in particular," said a head in charge of the affairs of the historic site.

At the exhibition, the Information Office of People's Government of Guangdong Province as the organizer gave some books and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) produced by Guangzhou Ehang Technology as gifts to the department of China of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Model Aircraft Club of Moscow Children's Creative Activity Center.



SOURCE The Information Office of People's Government of Guangdong Province
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tahoe Resources Inc. (TSX: THO, NYSE: TAHO) ("Tahoe" or the "Company") today reported that the Company has learned that the Supreme Court of Guatemala has issued a provisional decision in respect of an action brought by the anti-mining organization, CALAS, against Guatemala's Ministry of Energy and Mines ("MEM"). The action alleges that MEM violated the Xinca Indigenous people's right of consultation in advance of granting the Escobal mining license to Tahoe's Guatemalan subsidiary, Minera San Rafael. The provisional decision is in respect of a request by CALAS for an order to temporarily suspend the license to operate the Escobal mine until the action is fully heard. The Company understands that no Xinca representative or community is currently participating in the CALAS lawsuit against MEM.

The provisional decision suspends the Escobal mining license of Minera San Rafael while the action is being reviewed by the court. The Company was not a party to the action commenced by CALAS and did not previously have standing to make submissions to the court in respect of the provisional application. This decision confers legal standing on the Company which will now take all legal steps possible to have the ruling reversed and the license reinstated as soon as possible, including immediately appealing the decision to the Constitutional Court.

The Guatemala Supreme Court is the initial trial court in Guatemala for constitutional actions filed against MEM. Appeals from these decisions are heard by Guatemala's Constitutional Court. Based on a prior ruling by the Constitutional Court involving consultation obligations with respect to a large natural resource project, the Company believes that its operating license should remain in effect while any additional consultation is completed. Accordingly, the Company intends to both appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court and ask for the Supreme Court to reconsider its provisional ruling.

The Company believes that all consultation obligations relating to the permitting of the Escobal license were met. The last official census shows the San Rafael community to be 98.6% non-indigenous and with no Xinca community presence. Despite the fact that the Escobal mine is not located in or impacting any indigenous communities of Guatemala, the Company understands that MEM held a consultation process that complied with the requirements set forth in ILO Convention 169.

Based on its prior experience with Guatemalan court proceedings and evaluation of similar cases before the courts, the Company estimates the Constitutional Court could rule on the appeal within two to four months. We will be seeking to have the license reinstated during this period.

The Company also plans to file a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court, which is the lower court that issued the provisional decision. Based on prior cases, the Company cannot predict when the Supreme Court would rule on the motion for reconsideration.

In addition, the Company will also be requesting the Supreme Court to resolve CALAS's definitive constitutional claim. The definitive constitutional claim and appeal process could take between 12 and 18 months.

While the Company cannot determine at this time when or if the suspension will be rescinded and the license will be reinstated, including for purposes of conducting a consultation process, we believe ILO 169 does not apply here, and if it did apply, was already met. We understand that the effect of ruling in favour of CALAS could mean that consultation must occur before the suspension is revoked. It could also mean, as happened in similar cases in Guatemala, that the court could allow operations to resume while a consultation process is conducted. We believe that the timeframe to undertake the consultation processes, and for a reconsideration of our application for the issue of the license, could be in the range of six to 12 months.

Upon formal receipt of the order temporarily suspending the license for Escobal, the mine will be placed on stand-by and is planned to be maintained in a manner such that full production can be expeditiously resumed on a reversal of the suspension. During this time, the Company will continue to maintain its high standard of security and environmental protection.

Ron Clayton, President and CEO of Tahoe Resources Inc., commented: "We are extremely disappointed in the Court's ruling suspending the license because we believe that there are no indigenous communities affected by Escobal's operations. While the lack of indigenous communities in our area makes ILO 169 inapplicable, there is nevertheless extensive documentation evidencing that an ILO 169 consultation process was in fact conducted in the area of the mine. We are acutely aware that an adverse ruling could have a significant adverse impact on our shareholders, partners, employees, vendors and community populations, as tax and royalty payments, along with purchases of operating supplies will be suspended during any period that the mine is not operating. Escobal is our flagship mine which has been designed and operated to meet the highest environmental standards and we will make every effort to remove any suspension and bring Escobal back into operation as soon as possible. We remain committed to protecting our employees' livelihoods, as well as those livelihoods of the Company's suppliers and the thousands of Guatemalan families that benefit from the responsible operation of the Escobal mine."

The Company's preliminary Q2 results include production of over 4 million ounces of silver, more than 110 thousand ounces of gold, revenue of greater than $200 million and an estimated cash balance of over $165 million. There are no significant inventories of concentrate on hand.

Depending upon the success of the Company's appeal and the timing of court rulings, the Company anticipates, assuming a three-month suspension period resulting in a deferral of production to a future period, the following impacts could be expected:

2017 silver production would be deferred to future periods by 5.1 million ounces;

Sales and operating costs associated with deferred production would be incurred in future periods;

Sustaining capital expenditures of $12 million would be deferred;

would be deferred; Fixed costs of approximately $10 million would be incurred;

would be incurred; Exploration efforts in Guatemala of $0.5 million would not be incurred; and

of would not be incurred; and Estimated royalties of $4 million and taxes of $5 million related to deferred production would not be accrued; payments would resume upon recommencement of production and sales.

Given the possible material impact of suspending operations at the Escobal mine, the Company will be reevaluating previous multi-year guidance and can also no longer confirm previously issued 2017 guidance at this time. Long term care and maintenance plans are under consideration by management and further updates will be provided when that evaluation is complete.

The Company plans to host a conference call to answer questions regarding the suspension of the Escobal license on Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 5:00 a.m. PT (8:00 a.m. ET). Those wishing to join the call can do so using the telephone numbers listed below.

Participant call-in numbers:

+1-800-319-4610 (toll free from Canada and the U.S.)

+1-604-638-5340 (from outside Canada and the U.S.)

About Tahoe Resources Inc.

Tahoe's strategy is to responsibly operate mines to world standards, to pay significant shareholder dividends and to develop high quality precious metals assets in the Americas. Tahoe is a member of the S&P/TSX Composite and TSX Global Mining indices and the Russell 3000 on the NYSE. The Company is listed on the TSX as THO and on the NYSE as TAHO.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, and "forward-looking information" under the provisions of applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of the Company. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the provisional decision from the Supreme Court of Guatemala which has the effect of suspending the Company's mining license in respect of the Escobal mine, the time for appeals to be heard and decided and the likelihood of such provisional decision being reconsidered and reversed by the Supreme Court of Guatemala or overturned by the Constitutional Court in Guatemala, the future price of silver, gold, lead and zinc, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, free cash flow, currency exchange rate fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" , "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" , "believes", or variations or comparable language of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Tahoe will operate in the future, including the price of silver, gold, lead and zinc, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals. In respect of the forward-looking statements concerning the provisional decision from the Supreme Court of Guatemala, the factors to be considered by the Constitutional Court in an appeal of the provisional decision, the timing and the likelihood of success that the provisional decision can be reversed or overturned, and the potential impacts of the decision and the time and expense of appeals and challenges to such decision, actions that may be necessary to reinstate the license and the inability to operate the Escobal mine while the license to Tahoe's Guatemalan subsidiary, Minera San Rafael, is suspended on the Company's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, Tahoe has provided them in reliance on certain assumptions that they believe are reasonable at this time. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Tahoe's actual results, programs and financial position could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. These include, but are not necessarily limited to workings of the Guatemalan legal system, social unrest and political or economic instability in Guatemala and the Company's ability to efficiently resume operations once the suspension of the mining license is lifted, and relationships with our partners, including employees, vendors and community populations.

Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, silver, gold, lead and zinc price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and mineral resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operational and development risks, litigation risks, regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability), changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/or change in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in Guatemala, Peru, and Canada, and other jurisdictions in which the Company does or may carry on business in the future, delays, suspension and technical challenges associated with capital projects, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labor and other consumables, currency fluctuations, the speculative nature of gold exploration, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility, competition, loss of key employees, additional funding requirements and defective title to mineral claims or property. Although Tahoe believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions and has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Tahoe to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: operational risks in Guatemala, Peru and Canada; matters related to aboriginal rights in Canada; risks related to integration of acquisitions; risks related to obtaining, maintaining and renewing licenses and permits to operate the business; risks related to operating cash flows and liquidity; future prices of silver, gold, lead and zinc; risks related to indebtedness and financing requirements; risks related to licenses and title to assets; risks related to governmental laws and regulations; risks related to illegal mining; risks related to operating hazards and availability of insurance; risks related to mine concentrate transportation and marketing risk; risks related to environmental matters; risks related to mineral reserve and resource calculations and possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; risks related to international operations, including economic and political instability in foreign jurisdictions in which Tahoe operates; risks related to current global financial conditions; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; mine development and operating risks; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors Relating to Our Business" in Tahoe's most recent annual information form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Although Tahoe has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as otherwise indicated by Tahoe, these statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any disposition, monetization, merger, acquisition, other business combination or other transaction that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of Tahoe's operating environment. Tahoe does not intend or undertake to publicly update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Tahoe Resources Inc.

[email protected]

Tel: 775-448-5800

SOURCE Tahoe Resources Inc.
WILMINGTON, Del., July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Andrews & Springer LLC, a boutique securities class action law firm focused on representing shareholders nationwide, is investigating potential breach of fiduciary duty claims against the Board of Directors of NCI, Inc. (NCI or the Company) relating to the sale of the Company to affiliates of private equity firm H.I.G. Capital, LLC (H.I.G.). On July 3, 2017, the two parties announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which H.I.G. will acquire NCI in a merger, via a tender offer, worth $283 million. As a result of the merger, NCI shareholders are only anticipated to receive $20.00 per share in cash in exchange for each share of NCI.



Andrews & Springers investigation so far has revealed that the consideration NCI shareholders are expected to receive is inadequate. The $20.00 per share consideration is actually below NCIs June 30, 2017 closing price of $21.10 per share. The deal consideration is also significantly less than the $24.00 price target set by an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey on June 23, 2017 as well as the $24.00 target price set by an analyst at Cowen and Company on June 8, 2017. Our investigation has also revealed that the process leading up to the announcement of the merger appears to have significant conflicts of interest thus making the process and consideration unfair.

If you own shares of NCI and want to receive additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit us at http://www.andrewsspringer.com/cases-investigations/nci-class-action-investigation/ or contact Craig J. Springer, Esq. at cspringer@andrewsspringer.com, or call toll free at 1-800-423-6013. You may also follow us on LinkedIn  www.linkedin.com/company/andrews-&-springer-llc, Twitter  www.twitter.com/AndrewsSpringer or Facebook - www.facebook.com/AndrewsSpringer for future updates.

Andrews & Springer is a boutique securities class action law firm representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty or corporate misconduct. Having formerly defended some of the largest financial institutions in the world, our founding members use their valuable knowledge, experience, and superior skill for the sole purpose of achieving positive results for investors. These traits are the hallmarks of our innovative approach to each case our Firm decides to prosecute. For more information please visit our website at www.andrewsspringer.com. This notice may constitute Attorney Advertising.
HORIBA MIRA - a world-leader in advanced engineering, research and product testing - has enhanced its test and engineering capabilities following the official launch of its dedicated Advanced Emissions Test Centre (AETC).

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529976/HORIBA_MIRA_AETC___Analyser_Room.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529977/HORIBA_MIRA_AETC___Climatic_Test_Cell.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529979/HORIBA_MIRA_AETC___Multiple_vehicle_soak_space.jpg )





Developed in response to increased scrutiny around tailpipe emissions, as well as new legislation requiring extensive and increasingly complex testing methodologies, the AETC represents a total of almost 8m investment into HORIBA MIRA's engineering facilities.

The AETC facilities will provide testing capabilities for global compliance, including Euro 6d Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), as well as incorporating Real World Driving Emissions (RDE) testing capabilities.

The 12,000 sq. ft facility will be officially opened today by HORIBA Chairman, CEO and President, Mr. Atsushi Horiba.

Located at HORIBA MIRA's headquarters in Nuneaton, UK, the facility is centred around a four-wheel drive (4WD) climatic chassis dynamometer and includes three individual climatic soak rooms and an ambient soak room. The combination of the 4WD dynamometer, range of climatic conditions and state-of-the-art HORIBA emissions systems will allow the determination of exhaust pollutants over a range of climatic conditions, from temperatures of -20C to 35C. Engineers at the facility will work closely with vehicle manufacturers, offering the full gamut of emissions testing which comply with current and foreseen future emissions regulations - including additional Type Approval for RDE.

The new facility has created a number of new high value engineering jobs at HORIBA MIRA and this will continue to expand into 2018, as capacity is increased.

George Gillespie OBE, CEO at HORIBA MIRA, commented: "We are incredibly proud to officially open our new Advanced Emissions Test Centre together with the HORIBA Group. Vehicle manufacturers will now have access to world-class facilities and engineers to ensure their vehicles meet new emissions regulations, housed in one location in our central England headquarters.

"The launch of the AETC represents our commitment to working alongside our customers to develop world leading products through our extensive expertise and cutting edge facilities, and reiterates our position as a global leader in advanced engineering."

The 8m strategic investment has been made by the HORIBA Group and brings the total committed investment to date to almost 25m since MIRA joined HORIBA in July 2015. The centre is the first to bring together six group companies of HORIBA, including HORIBA Japan and HORIBA MIRA who are collectively leading on project management, building and integration, as well as HORIBA Test Automation in UK, HORIBA UK, HORIBA France, and HORIBA Europe.

The AETC is the first newly-built testing facility to open at HORIBA MIRA since 2014. Its inauguration follows recent investment into MIRA Technology Park, which is now in Phase Two of its development. Set to be completed by 2025, MIRA Technology Park is rapidly gaining global recognition as a leading automotive technology cluster and is capturing broader interest as a strategic transport sector R&D location within Europe.

For more information on HORIBA MIRA, its facilities and capabilities, please visit http://www.horiba-mira.com or contact +44 2476 355 000.

For downloadable video content of HORIBA MIRA's new AETC, please visit: https://media.horiba-mira.com.

SOURCE HORIBA MIRA
MEXICO CITY, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoteles City Express, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Hoteles City Express" or "the Company") (BMV: HCITY), today announced the appointment of Mateo Mazal as Chief Operating Officer.

Mr. Mazal brings significant operational management expertise to the Company, with over a decade of experience in senior roles. At Hoteles City Express, he will be responsible for strengthening organizational processes that underpin future growth, incorporating new operating practices to maximize efficiency and supporting the brand promise across the hotel portfolio.

Previously, Mr. Mazal was Chief Operating Officer of UVM Laureate International Universities and before that he acted as General Manager of Vitro Cristal, a subsidiary of glass manufacturer Grupo Vitro. He is an Industrial Engineer with a Bachelor's degree from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) and has an MBA from Instituto Panamericano de Alta Direccion de Empresas (IPADE).

About Hoteles City Express:

Hoteles City Express is considered the leading and fastest-growing limited-service hotel chain in Mexico in terms of number of hotels, number of rooms, geographic presence, market share and revenues. Founded in 2002, Hoteles City Express specializes in offering high-quality, comfortable and safe lodging at affordable prices via a limited-service hotel chain geared mainly towards domestic business travelers. With 125 hotels in operation located throughout Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile, Hoteles City Express operates five distinct brands: City Express, City Express Plus, City Express Suites, City Express Junior and City Centro to serve different segments of its target market. In June 2013, Hoteles City Express completed its IPO and began trading on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "HCITY"; furthermore, on October 8, 2014, Hoteles City Express completed a follow on with the aim of accelerating its growth in new hotels in coming years.

For further information, please visit our website: https://cityexpress.com/en/investors/

SOURCE Hoteles City Express, S.A.B. de C.V.
ROSH HAAYIN, Israel, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterfall Security Solutions, a global leader in cybersecurity technologies for critical infrastructure and industrial control systems, today announced the successful deployment of its Unidirectional Security Gateway together with IBM's QRadar Security Intelligence solution at Dorad Energy.

Dorad is an independent power producer serving end users throughout Israel, fueled primarily by natural gas. Roni Moran, Chief Information Officer of Dorad Energy, said, "Installing the IBM System QRadar provides us with insightful visibility into network security incidents that are critical to our power plant's operations. Deploying this solution, together with Waterfall's Unidirectional Gateway, augmented our protection by eliminating threats of remote cyberattacks from entering our SCADA system, and potentially causing serious damage to the electric grid. Our multi-fold approach keeps our end users' safety uppermost in mind."

The IBM QRadar SIEM Security Intelligence and Sense Analytics products protect assets and information from advanced threats by consolidating log events and network flow data from thousands of devices, endpoints and applications distributed throughout a network. It normalizes and correlates raw data to identify security offenses, and uses an advanced Sense Analytics engine to baseline normal behavior, detect anomalies, uncover advanced threats, and remove false positives.

Waterfall's Unidirectional Security Gateway is an evolutionary alternative to firewalls, protecting the safety and reliability of industrial systems in ways that firewalls simply cannot match. The Gateway creates an impassable, physical barrier eliminating the possibility of external online attacks, while enabling business processes to proceed as usual.

Waterfall's Unidirectional Gateway family of products are recognized to reduce the cost and complexity of compliance with NERC CIP, NRC, NIST, ANSSI, ISA, and other standards, regulations and best practices. The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) December 2015 report, "Seven Strategies to Defend Industrial Control Systems," recommends unidirectional communications in three of its seven strategies to protect industrial control systems (ICS) from cyberattacks.

"IBM's QRadar is a natural complement to our Unidirectional Gateway product," said Lior Frenkel, CEO and Co-Founder, Waterfall Security Solutions. "Dorad Energy is a long-time customer of Waterfall Security, who is constantly improving and innovating its services."

About Dorad Energy

Dorad Energy Ltd. is a leading private energy company in Israel, jointly owned by EAPC, Zorlu, Edelcom Edeltech group and Dori Energy Infrastructures. In November 2010, Dorad Energy achieved financial closing and in March 2011 started constructing the largest private power station based on natural gas with a production capacity of up to 860 megawatts and the first to sell primarily to end-users. The construction works ended with the commencement of commercial operation in May 2014 and the company was on its way as an IPP - an Independent Power Producer.

About Waterfall Security Solutions

Waterfall Security Solutions is the global leader in industrial cybersecurity technology. Waterfall products, based on its innovative unidirectional security gateway technology, represent an evolutionary alternative to firewalls. The company's growing list of customers includes national infrastructures, power plants, nuclear plants, off and on shore oil and gas facilities, refineries, manufacturing plants, utility companies, and many more. Deployed throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Waterfall products support the widest range of leading industrial remote monitoring platforms, applications, databases and protocols in the market. For more information, visit www.waterfall-security.com

For inquiries:

Susan Becker

+972.508710777

[email protected]

SOURCE Waterfall Security Solutions

Related Links

http://www.waterfall-security.com


Founded in 1958 as the International House of Pancakes  in a Los Angeles, California suburb, the brand remains true to its roots by serving guests the best of breakfast all day, every day, including hearty combo meals -- like the Breakfast Sampler which includes two eggs, two hickory-smoked bacon strips, two pork sausage links, two pieces of ham, two fluffy buttermilk pancakes and golden hash browns  as well as imaginative dishes such as the iconic Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity  and the mouthwatering Cheeseburger Omelette.

"While 59 may seem like an odd, in-between year to commemorate, at IHOP we believe that every moment is worth celebrating, and that every party is better with hot, freshly-made pancakes," said Alisa Gmelich, Vice President of Marketing, IHOP. "Our guests and the love they constantly express for the IHOP brand means the world to us, and to our franchisees, so we're honoring their loyalty by offering our most cherished menu item  a short stack of our world-famous Buttermilk pancakes -- at the exceptional price of just 59 cents during our anniversary event on Tuesday, July 18."

Fun facts: Every year, IHOP serves more than 700 million hot-off-the-griddle world-famous Original Buttermilk Pancakes, 93 million cups of its International House Roast coffee from never-empty coffee pots and 310 million slices of savory hickory smoked bacon along with an endless combination of customized breakfast, lunch and dinner orders. A growing global brand with more than 1,700 restaurants, the IHOP brand continues to bring its innovative menus to guests around the world, most recently opening its doors in India and Thailand for the first time this spring.

"For close to six decades, IHOP has proudly served as the breakfast champion, welcoming generations of families and friends in to enjoy comforting morning classics and cool, culinary creations that put a fun, playful twist on all-day breakfast  and we're excited to continue building on this brand hallmark for years to come," continued Gmelich.

There's truly no party like a pancake party, and this is one you do not want to miss. The offer features one short stack of three Original Buttermilk Pancakes per person, dine-in only for 59 cents on Tuesday, July 18 from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM at participating IHOP restaurants nationwide*. Guests can visit IHOP.com to find their nearest IHOP location and join the celebration.

*Offer, price and participation varies by location. For a limited time only.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC

For 59 years, IHOP has been a leader, innovator and expert in all things breakfast, any time of day. The chain offers 65 different signature, fresh, made-to-order breakfast options, a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items as well as meals under 600 calories. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. Today, there are more than 1,700 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam as well as Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and The Philippines. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN) and its affiliates.

SOURCE International House of Pancakes, LLC

Related Links

http://www.ihop.com


BOCA RATON, Florida, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

III Capital Management ("III") On July 5, 2017, celebrates 35 years as an investment manager. III would like to thank its investors, trading partners, its outstanding current team of 107 people as well as its many former team members for their contributions in helping III reach this incredible milestone. In an industry where so many companies come and go, III is proud that it has been managing fixed income relative value capital since July 5, 1982; in addition, III has been managing credit investments for about 13 years, and convex and tail mandates for over 10 years. It is extremely humbling to think back to where we started in 1982 and then to take stock of where we are today.

While today is a day to celebrate the past, we are also extremely excited about our future outlook and some of the leadership initiatives that are underway. Effective September 1, 2017, current CEO Bill McCauley, who has led III with great distinction since 2001, has decided to step down from that position and to remain with the firm indefinitely in an advisory capacity. Under Bill's stewardship, III has seen its assets under management grow from just under $1.5 billion to today's level of almost $4.5 billion. Taking on the role of CEO will be Garth Friesen, former Co-CIO of III. Garth's vast trading and business building experience at III since 1998 has spanned all three business areas including rates trading and portfolio management, launching our credit business in 2004, and launching our convex strategies business in 2007. Additionally, Scott Wyler, III's General Counsel since 1999, will celebrate his 20th year with III by becoming its President. In this new senior management role, Mr. Wyler will work closely with Mr. Friesen to help lead III forward. Cliff Viner, our Co-Founder, and Lester Coyle will continue to manage our rates and credit portfolios as Co-CIOs while Deep Kumar will continue to manage our convexity portfolios. III's outstanding Associate General Counsel, Karen Hansen, will be promoted to General Counsel.

In announcing these changes, Mr. McCauley said: "After 16 years as CEO, I felt that it is time for a younger team to lead our organization. With this new lineup, III will be well positioned to continue its steady growth and manage the complexities of its diversified mix of strategies. III has always had a strong succession plan, and these moves are part of our plan to continue on for another 35 years or more."

In accepting this designation as CEO, Mr. Friesen said: "In addition to continuing our multi- decade tradition of delivering uncorrelated alpha in fixed income, credit and asymmetric strategies, I look forward to helping develop and implement new strategies and business lines that can leverage our greatest edge: our people and their superior understanding of these markets and the instruments we trade within them." Incoming President Wyler added: "I look forward to helping Garth lead the firm and maintain our traditions of cutting edge investment strategies, following Bill's example of always seeking and promoting best practices in all areas including all operational/non-trading functions, where I will focus -- and continuously standing for high character and ethics in everything that we do."

Contact:

Bill McCauley

CEO

III Capital Management

+1-561-544-4600 (o)

http://www.iiicm.com



SOURCE III Capital Management
CHICAGO, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- JLL (NYSE: JLL) announced today that 36 staff members have been promoted to International Director, the firm's most senior level. This designation recognizes excellent client service, inspirational leadership and key contributions to JLL's growth.

Christian Ulbrich, CEO of JLL, commended the new International Directors, "Combining deep professional expertise with a constant commitment to outstanding client service, each of our new International Directors is a great champion for our core values of teamwork, ethics and excellence. We congratulate and thank them for their achievements as we look forward to their future contributions to the success of JLL and our clients across the globe."

The 2017 International Directors include:

Laura M. Adams, Chicago Angela Newby, Singapore Borja Basa, Madrid Eddie Ng, Shanghai Washington Botelho, Sao Paulo Eric Pang, London Mark Caskey, London Karen B. Raquet, Medford, New Jersey Grace T. Chang, Chicago Suellen Ravanas, Chicago Ze Figueirinhas, Menlo Park, California Ollie Saunders, London Jonathan Geanakos, New York Darline Scelzo, Chicago Mike George, Sydney Matthew Sgrizzi, Baltimore Andrew Harvey, Sydney Peter Shannon, Chicago Rohit Hemnani, Singapore Juud Tempelman, Singapore Mark Hunter, Singapore George Thomas, Singapore Danielle Lagarde, Paris Michael D. Thompson, Chicago Jeff Liljeberg, Chicago Pedro Vasquez, Richmond, Virginia Paul Marshall, London Jean-Philip Vroninks, Brussels Greg McCavera, Washington, DC Philip Ward, London John McKinlay, Toronto Marjolein Westendorp, Amsterdam Kevin R. Mechelke, Walnut Creek, California Patrick Williams, Phoenix Mahdi Mokrane, London Tony Wyllie, Sydney

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. A Fortune 500 company, JLL helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions. In 2016, JLL had revenue of $6.8 billion and fee revenue of $5.8 billion and, on behalf of clients, managed 4.4 billion square feet, or 409 million square meters, and completed sales acquisitions and finance transactions of approximately $136 billion. At the end of the first quarter of 2017, JLL had nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 78,000. As of March 31, 2017, LaSalle Investment Management had $58.0 billion of real estate under asset management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.

Connect with us

https://www.linkedin.com/company/jll

https://www.facebook.com/jll/

https://twitter.com/jll

https://plus.google.com/+joneslanglasalle

SOURCE JLL
LOS ANGELES, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A national human rights organization is accusing the Los Angeles County Jail of federal and state civil liberty violations. The jail holds the largest number of pre-trial detainees in the United States, and was previously the target of a federal investigation that resulted in the conviction of the former sheriff and jail officials.

The Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC), a Florida-based non-profit organization that has spent nearly thirty years protecting the rights of people in U.S. detention facilities, is accusing the Los Angeles County Jail of violating state and federal free speech and due process rights as well as violations of California's Bane Act, which protects against law enforcement interference with constitutional rights by threat, intimidation or coercion.

HRDC publishes Prison Legal News (PLN), a monthly magazine that reports on criminal justice issues and prison and jail-related civil litigation. PLN, recipient of the First Amendment Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, is delivered to correctional facilities in all fifty states, including the Federal Los Angeles Detention Center located less than one mile from the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail.

In federal court (HRDC v. County of Los Angeles, Case No. 17-4883), HRDC accuses the jail of unconstitutionally blocking delivery of its magazine to prisoners in the Men's Central Jail's general population and in a restrictive housing unit known as "K-10."

HRDC argues the jail recklessly disregards constitutional rights by preventing prisoners from receiving PLN. Rather than delivering the magazine to subscription-holding prisoners, jail staff have repeatedly intercepted its delivery and returned issues with labels such as: "CONTENTS UNACCEPTABLE," "UNACCEPTABLE READING MATERIAL" and "BANNED" stamped on them. HRDC says the jail is violating free speech rights and denying due process by failing to provide adequate notice and a chance to appeal its censorship.

In addition, on at least seven occasions the jail has specifically blocked mail containing copies of a court decision dealing with prison rules barring prisoners from receiving material printed from the Internet. The court opinions were sent directly to prisoners who had requested them and to other prisoners whom HRDC identified as likely to need such information.

"Pre-trial detainees have already been stripped of their freedom, but the L.A. County Jail isn't stopping there. It is illegally denying prisoners constitutionally-protected, free speech materials that might actually teach them about their rights while behind bars," said Paul Wright, executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center. "Given the long history of violence, brutality, corruption and neglect at the Los Angeles jail and its dismal management, no one needs this information more than prisoners in that facility."

HRDC is demanding that the case be heard by a federal jury.

For additional information, please contact:

Paul Wright, Executive Director

Human Rights Defense Center

(802) 275-8594 or (561) 360-2523

[email protected]

Jeffrey Bornstein, Attorney

ROSEN BIEN GALVAN & GRUNFELD LLP

(415) 433-6830 (main)

[email protected]

SOURCE Human Rights Defense Center
LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Five of the world's leading financial institutions have committed to using Droit Financial Technologies ("Droit") as their choice for MiFID II trade compliance. The decision by BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole CIB, Goldman Sachs, Lloyds and UBS represents a watershed in the industry search for a strategic solution in the run-up to the implementation of the new European regulations.

Droit currently provides enterprise infrastructure to 11 global financial institutions to facilitate compliant and optimal trading of derivatives and securities across all asset classes, all G20 aligned regulatory regimes, global CCPs and execution platforms.

"Droit is a central part of our eligibility architecture as we prepare for MiFID II, and we continue to enjoy a strong and collaborative working relationship with the Company," said Jo Hannaford, Managing Director, Technology Division, Goldman Sachs.

Droit's ADEPT platform generates the full global cross-regulatory implications and obligations of a trade in real-time. This enables institutions to implement a comprehensive approach to regulatory pre-trade decision making and accurate execution of pre- and post-trade obligations. MiFID II is the latest in the range of global regulations implemented in ADEPT.



"The complete digitalisation of capital markets pre- and post-trade processes is a considerable challenge for investment banks, as it requires a deep understanding of the regulatory texts and mastering the use of data, products and cutting-edge technologies. Droit and its ADEPT platform were a logical choice to accelerate the Information System transformation that Credit Agricole CIB is undergoing to be MiFID II compliant. Our ultimate goal is to deliver an improved experience to our clients," said Samy Beji, Global Head of Structuring and Deputy Sponsor MiFID II programme for Credit Agricole CIB.

ADEPT comprehensively supports eligibility and scope of obligation determination for the following MiFID II/MiFIR mandates:

Pre-trade Transparency

Suitability and Appropriateness

Costs and Charges

Firm Quote Obligation

Best Execution

Post-trade Transparency

Transaction Reporting

Commodity Position Reporting

Venue Execution

Order Record Keeping

"We take an agile approach to technology, working with leading external providers as well as developing digital solutions in-house, as part of our strategy to stay at the cutting-edge of digital global markets. Working with companies like Droit enables us to stay at the forefront of technological development, rapidly respond to changes in the industry and ultimately deliver the best outcomes to our clients," said Cyril Cottu, Global Co-head of Electronic Market-Making and Commerce at BNP Paribas Global Markets.

"Transactional compliance requires the knowledge, maintenance and automation of extremely complex global rule systems," said Satya Pemmaraju, Founding Partner and CEO of Droit. "Knowing who you can trade with, what you can trade and where you can trade is considerably more involved than even five years ago. These real-time, point-of-inquiry demands provide further challenges for a strategic infrastructure. Collaboration with our sophisticated client base has produced a mission-critical platform proven to meet these challenges for MiFID II, as well as other global regulations."

Droit enables low latency decisions, integrating with front office e-trading and voice sales/trader workflows. Through a simple interface, the ADEPT platform has built-in traceability to fully digitised regulatory text, as well as complete, human-readable, auditability of every decision on every inquiry.

About Droit

Droit automates global regulations and market micro-structure within real-time trading systems, creating intelligence platforms merging finance and computational law. In December 2016, Droit announced a $16 million Series A investment from Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, DRW Trading and Pivot Investment Partners. Droit is part of the "In-Residence" program at J.P. Morgan.

The firm was founded in 2012 by a team of veteran derivative traders, quants, ecommerce specialists and technologists with front-line experience and expertise with products, markets, regulations and systems.

Droit has offices in New York City and London. For more visit www.droitfintech.com.

If you would like to schedule a demo or obtain more information about Droit's products please contact us using [email protected].

SOURCE Droit

Related Links

http://www.droitfintech.com


MINNEAPOLIS, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The first class of extraordinary research interns is hitting the labs and getting to work this summer at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. The internship program, funded by a National Cancer Institute Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) grant, engages talented Minnesota students from underrepresented backgrounds in cancer research. The multi-year grant brings interns into the laboratories of established cancer researchers, providing mentoring, hands on STEM education, and work experiences to motivated high school and college students.

"We strive to be great partners in our community and we take great pride in mentoring these driven students as they explore a potential career in cancer research," Christopher Pennell, PhD, Associate Director of Community Engagement and Education for the Masonic Cancer Center.

The internship's goal is to immerse high potential students from underrepresented backgrounds into biomedical studies and expose them to potential career paths and educational options. After completing a rigorous semester-long "Cancer Biology Boot Camp" in lab safety and protocol, students are paired with a Masonic Cancer Center faculty mentor. From their mentors, interns receive hands-on training in laboratory research techniques and career development advice. Throughout the internship program, students contribute to active research projects addressing cancer biology and pharmacology research. And after the internship has ended, the students will receive continued resources and support from the Masonic Cancer Center program in Community Engagement and Education.

The Masonic Cancer Center selected five high school and four undergraduate students for the inaugural class. The 2017 Masonic Cancer Center CURE Program students represent scholars that are racially and ethnically diverse, first generation immigrants, inner-city scholars, and female students. The program's goal is to create a pipeline of opportunity and resources to encourage wider diversity within the cancer research community.

Douglas Yee, MD, Director of the Masonic Cancer Center agreed with Dr. Pennell, saying, "As an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center charged with supporting excellence in research, clinical care and education, the Masonic Cancer Center is proud to offer such a robust experience for student scientists. Developing young, talented researchers, of all backgrounds, is a critical step in preparing the next generation of outstanding investigators to fight cancer in the state of Minnesota."

Contact:

Max Huber, Masonic Cancer Center, 612-624-5005, [email protected]

Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota is a Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute. For more than 25 years, researchers, educators, and care providers have worked to discover the causes, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer and cancer-related disease. Learn more at cancer.umn.edu.

SOURCE Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

Related Links

http://www.cancer.umn.edu


IRVINE, Calif., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced the launch of a new, insights-driven Hispanic campaign, seeking to link common attributes shared between the Hispanic community and the brand's core values. The campaign creative, which will launch on July 9, was developed specifically for the Hispanic consumer, aiming to tap into the existing positive affinity for Japanese-made products.

The new campaign is an extension of the Driving Matters general market campaign and is aimed at emphasizing Mazda's core values that are relevant to Hispanics that love to drive and value quality and craftsmanship. Leveraging the existing perception that Japanese brands are trustworthy, dependable, skillful and above all, well-made, the campaign will ultimately establish Mazda as a Japanese brand. In order to first establish that connection, the series will kick off on July 9 with a week-long "disruption" phase that will be in Japanese-only. Following the disruption phase will be three phases, each focusing on relatable Mazda brand philosophies: Passion (KODOSoul of Motion design), Harmony (Jinba Ittai driving dynamics) and Perseverance (Hiroshima Challenger Spirit).

"Through our research, we've discovered that there are more than 12 million Hispanic consumers in the United States who identify with Mazda brand philosophies, yet that same research shows that many are simply not familiar with the brand," said Russell Wager, vice president of marketing for MNAO. "We've found that the Hispanic Mazda customer is a true car enthusiast; someone who appreciates styling and performance, but is also hyper-digital and social, and already leans toward Japanese car brands. Our goal is to make sure they understand Mazda not only by our cars, but what we stand for."

The campaign, scheduled to begin in July 2017, will utilize partnerships with influential Hispanic media outlets, including Telemundo and Univision to amplify the message. Through the partnerships, each outlet will offer unique creative components tailored to their specific audience. The campaign and creative was developed in collaboration with Mazda's fully integrated and dedicated WPP team agency, Garage Team Mazda in partnership with WPP's multi-cultural marketing communications network, The Bravo Group.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 600 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.

Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/Mazda

SOURCE Mazda North American Operations

Related Links

http://www.mazdausa.com


NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MedEquities Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: MRT) announced that on June 30, 2017, the Company closed the previously announced acquisition of Woodlake at Tolland Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, a skilled nursing facility, from a wholly owned subsidiary of Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. for an aggregate cash purchase price of $10 million. MedEquities leased the facility to Prospect ECHN Eldercare Services, Inc. pursuant to a 12-year triple-net lease at an initial lease rate of 9.0% with annual escalators. Prospect Medical Holdings and Prospect ECHN provided a guaranty for the lease.

Woodlake at Tolland is a three-story, free-standing skilled nursing facility located in Tolland, Connecticut approximately 20 miles northeast of Hartford. The facility contains approximately 65,000 square feet and is licensed for 130 beds.

About MedEquities Realty Trust

MedEquities Realty Trust (NYSE: MRT) is a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust that invests in a diversified mix of healthcare properties and healthcare-related real estate debt investments. The Company's management team has extensive industry experience in acquiring, owning, developing, financing, operating, leasing and monetizing many types of healthcare properties and portfolios. MedEquities' strategy is to become an integral capital partner with high-quality and growth-oriented facility-based providers of healthcare services on a nationwide basis, primarily through net-leased real estate investment. For more information, please visit www.medequities.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not statements of historical fact. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "will" and variations of these words and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, are difficult to predict and/or could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent uncertainty and may ultimately prove to be incorrect or false. For a description of factors that may cause the Company's actual results or performance to differ from its forward-looking statements, see the sections entitled "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 27, 2017, and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC. You are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise may be required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or actual operating results.

SOURCE MedEquities Realty Trust, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.medequities.com


WILMINGTON, Del., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Late Friday night, the Senate Elections and Government Affairs Committee passed SB53 out of committee, a bill requiring a three-year waiting period if courts force the sale of a company incorporated in Delaware. Chris Coffey, Campaign Manager of Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware (CPBD), the advocacy group supporting TransPerfect employees and Senate Bill 53, released the following statement:

SB53, the TransPerfect bill, was voted out of committee 3-2 clearing its way to be voted on by the full legislature. As we have for the last 12 months, we will continue to build support and offer ways for Delaware voters to communicate with their lawmakers about the importance of the state's business-friendly reputation.

We are committed to passing this bill, district by district and on the airwaves. 70% of Delawareans do not want this company forced into a sale. We will work throughout the summer and fall to ensure Delaware residents are aware of the negative impacts caused by the TransPerfect case and the significance of SB53 to minimize its consequences.

We thank Senator Colin Bonini and his colleagues who supported our effort and look forward to working towards passage in January.

CPBD is a group made up of more than 2,200 members including employees of the global translation services company TransPerfect, as well as concerned Delaware residents, business executives and others. The group has proposed legislation that would amend Delaware law to require a three-year waiting period before forcing the sale of a solvent company

For more information on Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware visit DelawareForBusiness.org.

Contact: Mary Urban, [email protected]

Julijana Englander, [email protected]

SOURCE Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced its commitment to award 1.25 million to research projects in the field of fertility, supporting the advancement of medical science through the Grant for Fertility Innovation (GFI) in 2017. Launched as the first of the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Grants for Innovation in 2009, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's GFI is providing encouragement for innovation and support for scientists to realize projects that could potentially lead to the next breakthrough in the fertility treatment area. This year, the GFI Award Ceremony included the announcement of the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Lifetime Achievement Award in Fertility Innovation.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530473/Merck_GFI_ceremony.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530474/Merck_2017_GFI_ceremony.jpg )



To recognize Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's belief in progress through innovation, the GFI awardees were revealed in a ceremony at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), currently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. The winning projects truly reflect the global nature of the program, ranging from research in Italy to Brazil.

Professor Bruno Lunenfeld, a speaker at the GFI 2017 ceremony, was honored with the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Lifetime Achievement Award for his revolutionary work within the fertility field since 1954. At the ceremony he provided an overview on the discovery of human gonadotropins from postmenopausal urine.

"Professor Lunenfeld's pioneering achievements in the field of fertility are a huge inspiration to us at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. It is highly motivating to consider the breadth of his contributions. For more than 60 years now, his expertise and experience have greatly contributed to our efforts to improve the quality of patient care," said Belen Garijo, member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and CEO Healthcare, when presenting Professor Lunenfeld with the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Lifetime Achievement Award.

The research investments through the GFI is core to the innovation strategy of the biopharma business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and in the quest for increased success rates within fertility treatment. In this year's GFI, two winning projects were selected from 46 global proposals with the common goal of advancing the fertility field. The GFI was launched in 2009, and is dedicated to transforming innovative translational fertility research projects into actual solutions with the aim to improve fertility treatment outcomes. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany proudly announced the 2017 GFI awardees during the ceremony:

Endometrial Notch pathway as a novel target for improving implantation efficiency; Luisa Campagnolo , PhD

, PhD Pharmacogenetic algorithm for individualized controlled ovarian stimulation (iCOS) in assisted reproductive technology cycles; Caio Parente Barbosa , MD, PhD, MS and Matheus Roque , MD

About the Grant for Fertility Innovation (GFI)

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany announced the initiation of the GFI program in 2009 to support the advancement of science and innovative technologies in the fertility field. This grant is awarded every year to translational research projects that can potentially improve baby birth rate for the benefit of the patients. Each project is blinded and evaluated by a jury of experts according to five criteria: support to increase baby birth rate; innovative research; scientific rationale; feasibility and practical utility.

For further information about the GFI and how to apply for next year's grants, please visit: http://www.grantforfertilityinnovation.com

All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the EMD Group Website. In case you are a resident of the USA or Canada please go to http://www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of  15.0 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, holds the global rights to the "Merck" name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Contact:

Dr. Raphaela Farrenkopf

+49-6151-72-2274



(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160629/384917LOGO )



SOURCE Merck KGaA
"We are thrilled to have been named a Top Workplace in South Carolina," said COO Marisa Daley. "The dedication and enthusiasm of our employees in Charleston is infectious, and I'm so glad they are as happy to work here as we are to have them on our team. This award comes on the tail of our Top Workplaces Award from the Washington Post for the D.C. area  seeing that we are doing the right things across all of our locations is extremely fulfilling."

Twenty-two companies have been selected for the South Carolina Top Workplaces award. MIL's Charleston employees, who largely provide financial management and administrative services to the federal government, praised their organization for: having a set of strong values and ethics; being accepting of new ideas and innovation; showing a true sense of appreciation of their work; strong work-life balance values; and management that helps them grow professionally.

"The Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest," said Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. "And oftentimes, people assume it's all about fancy perks and benefits. But to be a Top Workplace, organizations must meet our strict standards for organizational health. And who better to ask about work life than the people who live the culture every daythe employees."

About MIL

The MIL Corporation (MIL), a CMMI Level 3 rated company established in 1980, provides federal agencies with outstanding professional services in the areas of financial management, information technology, engineering, and cybersecurity. With a staff of over 650 professionals nationally, MIL provides innovative solutions to federal government customers, including the U.S. Departments of the Navy, Commerce, State, Homeland Security, and Transportation. MIL continuously seeks to provide solutions that fit the vision, requirements, and resources of our valued customers. For more information, please visit: www.milcorp.com.

SOURCE The MIL Corporation

Related Links

http://www.milcorp.com


SAN DIEGO, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (MRTX), a clinical stage targeted oncology biotechnology company, announced today that they will host a Key Opinion Leader breakfast on the topic of Immuno-Oncology combinations on Tuesday, July 11 at 8:00am ET in New York City.

The meeting will feature presentations by key opinion leaders Jeffrey Weber, MD, PhD, (NYU, Perlmutter Cancer Center) and Matthew Hellmann, MD (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) who will discuss the present and future landscape of immuno-oncology combinations in solid tumors, including recent advances presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. There will be a Q&A session immediately following the presentations.

Mirati Therapeutics' management team will also provide an overview of the Company's product pipeline, including their clinical-stage immuno-oncology programs that combine checkpoint inhibitors with their novel kinase inhibitor, sitravatinib, and their spectrum selective HDAC inhibitor, mocetinostat.

Dr. Jeffrey Weber is Professor of Medicine and the Deputy Director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at the NYU-Langone Medical Center. A specialist in cancer immunotherapy, Dr. Weber is the principal investigator on numerous ongoing studies funded by the National Cancer Institute, and has held over a dozen INDs over the years in the field of immunotherapy. Dr. Weber's research interests are in the field of immunotherapy for cancer. As a translational clinical investigator, Dr. Weber has performed vaccine trials, protocols involving adoptive cell therapy, novel trials of checkpoint inhibition in melanoma patients and has been RO1 funded by the National Cancer Institute for over 20 years. His specific laboratory interests are in the monitoring and characterization of T cell responses in patients with cancer, and the establishment of in vitro models to facilitate the understanding of how immune modulation via abrogating and activating antibodies amplifies adaptive immunity in patients. He has been a pioneer in the clinical advancement of antibodies that block immune checkpoints in cancer, and the management of the autoimmune side effects resulting from that therapy. He has been a member of the NCI's Clinical Oncology Study Section and chair of the VA's Oncology Study Section. His prior experience includes positions at the University of Southern California where he was Chief of Medical Oncology and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and being the PI of the SPORE in Cutaneous Oncology at the Moffitt Cancer Center where he was also the head of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center.

Matthew Hellmann, MD is a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, specializing in the care of patients with lung cancers, particularly non-small-cell lung cancers. Dr. Hellmann's research focuses on developing innovative and effective ways to harness the body's immune system to fight cancer. He is a member of the Immunotherapeutics Group, where they design lead early-phase clinical trials for immunotherapies for patients with a variety of different cancers. Dr. Hellmann is actively involved in several ongoing clinical trials for patients with NSCLC and metastatic solid tumors.

This event is intended for institutional investors, sell-side analysts, investment bankers, and business development professionals only. Please RSVP to [email protected] in advance if you plan to attend, as space is limited. For those who are unable to attend in person, a live webcast and replay will be accessible at http://lifesci.rampard.com/20170711/reg.jsp, and on the Investor Relations page of the company's corporate website at http://www.mirati.com/.

About Mirati Therapeutics

Mirati Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing a pipeline of targeted oncology products intended to treat specific genetic and epigenetic drivers of cancer. This approach is transforming the treatment of patients by targeting the genetic changes in tumor cells that result in uncontrolled tumor growth and migration. Our precision oncology programs seek to treat the patients most likely to benefit from targeted oncology treatments and are driven by drugs that target very specific genetic mutations, directed by genomic tests that identify patients who carry those driver mutations. Our immuno-oncology programs are novel small molecule drugs designed to enhance and expand the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors when given in combination. In addition to our clinical programs, we have active discovery research efforts focused on novel oncology targets. The promise of these approaches includes potentially better patient outcomes, more efficient cancer treatment and faster drug development. For more information, visit www.mirati.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release regarding the business of the Company that are not historical facts may be considered "forward-looking statements," including, but not limited to, statements regarding Mirati's development plans and timelines, potential regulatory actions, expected use of cash resources, the timing and results of clinical trials, and the potential benefits of and markets for Mirati's product candidates. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "may," "would," "believe," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," and other similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations of management and upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions based on information currently available to it, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, potential delays in development timelines or negative clinical trial results, reliance on third parties for development efforts, changes in the competitive landscape, changes in the standard of care, as well as other risks detailed in Mirati's recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Mirati undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

SOURCE Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mirati.com


LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Will novel therapies revolutionise the treatment of NASH?



No drug therapies have been approved for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) but how is this set to change within the next five years? Allergan/Tobira's cenicriviroc and Gilead's selonsertib have entered the Phase III pipeline but how do they compare with other agents, Intercept's obeticholic acid and Genfit's elafibranor. How important are improvements in fibrosis and what do key opinion leaders (KOLs) believe will impact drug approval prospects? Experts discuss current study designs and endpoints and the challenges facing novel therapies such as long-term safety, cost and diagnosis.



Learn how KOLs see the market evolving, and how they expect developers to differentiate their pipeline therapies in KOL Insight: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). 6 US and 6 European KOLs give their insight on two off-label marketed products and 12 pipeline programmes. KOLs also provide their candid views on the potential for novel mechanisms of action.



Take a tour of the report now:



The table of contents >

The key business questions answered >

The key KOL quotes >

See the therapies covered >

Find out who the 6 EU & 6 US KOLs are >

Review an extract from the report - 1 drug profile >



Top Takeaways



Obeticholic acid approved for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) but what are its prospects in NASH? Find out how KOLs view the modifications of the pivotal Phase III REGENERATE study and whether they are concerned about long-term safety and cost?

Cenicriviroc and selonsertib have entered Phase III development but what are KOL expectations? Both drugs have demonstrated improvements in fibrosis in Phase II studies but what do the experts think about potential future outcomes?

Does elafibranor have potential for broad use in NASH? The Phase III RESOLVE-IT Phase III study is ongoing with Genfit's elafibranor but how do KOLs view the study design?

Emricasan and Aramchol are targeting different stages of NASH but which strategies are most appealing? Find out KOL opinions on different approaches targeting the multifaceted disease.

Which early-stage mechanisms of action (MOAs) show the most promise? Pipeline drugs with diverse mechanisms are in Phase II. Given the complexities of NASH pathogenesis, which MOAs are the most appealing to KOLs?

Which clinical endpoints are key to securing drug approval in NASH? Are improvements in fibrosis crucial or are KOLs satisfied with other endpoints such as resolution of NASH, NAFLD activity score (NAS) and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG)?

Clinical trial enrolment and design an issue going forward? Companies have announced reductions in patient enrolment numbers in NASH clinical trials due to challenges encountered. Do KOLs have concerns about trial enrolment?

Non-invasive biomarkers a critical unmet need in NASH? Liver biopsy remains the gold standard for NASH diagnosis. Are KOLs concerned about the requirement of liver biopsies to monitor drug response and disease progression in clinical trials?

Are combination approaches the key to successfully treating NASH? Given the multitude of pathways involved in the pathogenesis of NASH, do KOLs agree that future treatment is most likely going to involve combination therapy?

Will cost and reimbursement restraints impact NASH? Cost-effectiveness of novel agents approved in NASH is likely to become an important consideration. Explore the concerns voiced by KOLs about the potential restrictions facing novel therapies.



Quotes



"Combinations ensure [that] you're not just targeting one pathway. Fibrosis is important but so are the inflammatory cascade, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. I think that the most promising will be combinations of a primarily antifibrotic agent with an agent that specifically targets the metabolic pathway and insulin resistance." US Key Opinion Leader



"This is very developing field, a lot of labs around the world are looking for the ideal non-invasive biomarker for NASH, and I am quite confident that in the next five years we will discover the best one." EU Key Opinion Leader



Sample of therapies covered



Marketed Therapies (off-label)

pioglitazone (Actos/Glustin; Takeda/Eli Lilly)

vitamin E

Pipeline Therapies

obeticholic acid (Ocaliva; Intercept Pharmaceuticals)

elafibranor (Genfit Pharmaceuticals)

cenicriviroc (Allergan/Tobira Therapeutics)

selonsertib (Gilead)

emricasan (Novartis/Conatus Pharmaceuticals)

Aramchol (Galmed Pharmaceuticals)

semaglutide (Novo Nordisk)

GR-MD-02 (Galectin Therapeutics)

Plus 4 more - Download the complete list here >



Sample of KOLs interviewed



KOLs from North America

Professor Scott L. Friedman, MD, Dean for Therapeutic Discovery and Chief of Division of Liver Diseases, The Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City

Professor Joel E. Lavine, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center New York

Dr. Naim Alkhouri, MD, Staff Physician, Digestive Disease Institute and Cleveland Clinic's Children Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio

KOLs from Europe

Professor Vlad Ratziu, MD, PhD, Professor of Hepatology, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie and the Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere Medical School, Paris, France

Professor Dr. Stefano Bellentani, MD, PhD, Gastroenterologist at Azienda USL di Modena, Italy

Professor Phillip Newsome, MD, Professor of Experimental Hepatology, Director of the Centre for Liver Research and Clinical Director of the Birmingham University Stem Cell Centre, UK

Plus 6 more - download the full list now >



Money Back Guarantee



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About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

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For more information:

Sarah Smith

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Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE ReportBuyer

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Highly regarded property management specialist becomes Principal

LAS VEGAS, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Keith Lipton, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Operations for Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services company, announced today that highly regarded property management specialist Natalie Allred has joined the firm in Las Vegas.

Effective immediately, Allred becomes a Principal of Avison Young and Vice-President of Property Management in Las Vegas. She will lead the firm's local property management group with a mandate to facilitate continued client satisfaction while integrating with Avison Young's national investor services platform to attract new clients. She will also collaborate with colleagues in Las Vegas on the expansion of local office operations through the recruitment of property management, sales and leasing specialists. In addition, she will liaise with Avison Young's corporate leaders to grow the company's footprint in Southern Nevada.

Allred brings more than 25 years of experience in all facets of commercial property and asset management experience to Avison Young, most recently as an executive vice-president at The Equity Group in Las Vegas. In her new role, she will work closely with David Jewkes, who joined Avison Young's Las Vegas office in June 2017 as Managing Director, Brokerage Operations.

"We're excited to have Natalie join Avison Young to lead our property management group in Las Vegas," comments Lipton. "Her experience in leading other property management professionals in meeting the investment goals of both high-profile private wealth and institutional investors makes this a truly 'take-notice' hire for Avison Young. Natalie's depth of experience in managing all segments of commercial property, including retail, mixed-use, residential, class A office, industrial and hospitality real estate, will benefit our clients as they seek to manage individual sites and portfolios in the competitive Las Vegas marketplace."

Lipton continues: "Natalie brings day-to-day, hands-on experience managing portfolios and delivering clients true value through tenant retention and satisfaction. Furthermore, her presence will enable us to provide our clients with a tremendous bench of market leaders as we recruit new talent for our growing Las Vegas operations."

During her career, Allred has directly or asset managed more than 15 million square feet (msf) of retail, office, industrial, commercial property associations, hotels, residential condominium associations, and multi-family properties.

"I am honored to become part of an outstanding commercial real estate firm, and to bring my years of experience and expertise to Avison Young's Las Vegas office," says Allred. "The opportunity to become a Principal within a collaborative culture that executes a client-centric business model was very attractive to me. I look forward to expanding our property management team in Las Vegas as we provide creative real estate solutions for our clients."

Avison Young opened its Las Vegas office in November 2011 and a second Nevada office in Reno in March 2012. Since then, the company has expanded steadily in the state.

Over the past nine years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 80 offices and from 300 to more than 2,400 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe.

Biography

Natalie Allred

Natalie Allred brings more than 25 years of experience in all facets of commercial property and asset management to Avison Young, most recently as an executive vice-president at The Equity Group in Las Vegas. While at The Equity Group, she oversaw 7.5 msf of retail, office, industrial, residential and commercial property associations. She was also responsible for client services, new business development and the day-to-day operations of a third-party property management company. In addition, she supervised a 30-person staff that included nine property managers as well as accounting, maintenance and administrative specialists.

Prior to joining The Equity Group, Allred was a Nevada regional property manager and broker with Vestar Properties, Inc. in Las Vegas where she oversaw institutional, corporate and third-party assets, including a class A mixed-use lifestyle center (The District at Green Valley Ranch) featuring high-end national retailers and office and residential components. She also managed day-to-day operations, including the facilitation of major property events for the holidays, such as wine walks and farmers' markets.

Before moving to Vestar, Allred spent 18 years with American Nevada Company in Las Vegas, rising to vice-president. While she was at American Nevada, her overall management responsibilities included a 3-msf portfolio of mixed-use lifestyle shopping centers, grocery-anchored shopping centers, class A and LEED-certified office buildings, industrial properties, residential condominium associations, multi-family properties, hotels, and commercial property associations. She was also responsible for all financials and budgeting on a portfolio level, reporting directly to the company president. In addition, she supervised more than 25 employees, including property managers, maintenance and administrative staff.

Allred also spent one year as a general manager at Pan Pacific Retail Properties in Las Vegas, where her duties included overseeing operations management of more than 3 msf of shopping centers located within five states  Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Allred has obtained the Certified Property Manager (CPM), Executive Certified Property Manager, and Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) designations from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). She serves on the boards of the Las Vegas chapters of IREM and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), and is an active member of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and NAIOP. In the community, she sits on the Southern Nevada board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), currently acting as the local chapter's Advocacy Chair. In 2016, she received the chapter's Rookie of the Year Award.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,400 real estate professionals in 80 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality properties.

For further information/comment/photos:

Sherry Quan , Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations,

Avison Young : 604.647.5098; mobile: 604.726.0959

, Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, : mobile: Keith Lipton , Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Operations, Avison Young : 202.644.8683

, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Operations, : Natalie Allred , Principal and Vice-President of Property Management, Las Vegas ,

Avison Young : 702.637.7308

, Principal and Vice-President of Property Management, , : David Jewkes , Managing Director, Brokerage Operations, Las Vegas ,

Avison Young : 702.472.7978

, Managing Director, Brokerage Operations, , : Mark Rose , Chair and CEO, Avison Young : 416.673.4028

, Chair and CEO, : Earl Webb , President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and requalified in 2017 to maintain its status as a Best Managed Gold Standard company.

Follow Avison Young on Twitter:

For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung

For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals

Follow Avison Young Bloggers: http://blog.avisonyoung.com

Follow Avison Young on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/avison-young-commercial-real-estate

Follow Avison Young on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/AvisonYoungRE

Follow Avison Young on Instagram: www.instagram.com/avison_young_global

 Editors/Reporters

Please click on link to view and download photo of Natalie Allred:

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Natalie_Allred.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Related Links

www.avisonyoung.com


The show is strongly supported by the Japanese Government, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), as an ideal platform to purchase Japan's food. Also, the expert of exporting Japanese products to overseas, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) will be the co-organiser of the show to support on-site business between overseas visitors and Japanese exhibitors.

We expect this show to achieve JPY 1 trillion in exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products by 2019, set by MAFF. Tad Ishizumi, President of Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. says "when I heard the goal, I decided to make some contributions to support the government. We decided to launch "JAPAN'S FOOD" EXPORT FAIR as I think it could be the best way to work out. In 5 years, we are planning to gather 2,500 exhibitors and 30,000 buyers, and make the exhibition as the Asia's largest food export fair."

Source 20,000 Japan's Food Items

300 exhibitors, 20,000 Japan's food items are expected to participate in "JAPAN'S FOOD" EXPORT FAIR. Exhibits range from agri-food/meat/seafood, confectionary/snack, seasoning, beverage, and more. During the show, we are expecting 6,000 international buyers/importers from 70 countries to explore new-to-market brands, importing Japan's food/beverage products, and consulting import/logistics procedures.

Over 1,000 Buyers from Around the World in One Show

We have a Special Hosted Buyers Program where we invite 1,000 buyers from all over the world. These buyers are all from major importers, supermarkets, restaurants, department stores, etc. Following companies have already decided to visit the show (excerpt):

- Do Foods - COFCO HAIYO (Beijing) - E-Mart - Comercial Toyo S.A.DE C.V. - UWAJIMAYA - Japan Centre Group - Strategia - CCW - Kari-Out - Mitsui Foods - Shenzhen Yifan Foods - Kaneyama USA - French Food Exports - Shanghai City Supermarket - Shin Kong Mitsukoshi

For exhibitors and visitors to have a successful business meeting at the show, exhibitors must have information in both English and Japanese, interpreters at the booth, and set of tables and chairs for business meetings. Therefore, international buyers will be meeting with exhibitors who will be prepared and ready to talk business.

Request FREE Invitation Ticket >>> www.jpfood.jp/en/inv/

1st "JAPAN'S FOOD" EXPORT FAIR



Date October 11 (Wed) -13 (Fri), 2017 Venue Makuhari Messe, Japan Website http://www.jpfood.jp/en/ Organiser Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. Co-organiser Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Supporter Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Contact:

Organiser: Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd.

"JAPAN'S FOOD" EXPORT FAIR Show Management

TEL: +81-3-3349-8511 [email protected]

If you publish this release on your magazine or website, Show Management will invite you to the show with a part of travel fee. (May vary depending on the screening process) Please contact us by e-mail with a copy of the release on the magazine/website.

SOURCE Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd.
LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summary





Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4959843/





"Nuclear Power in Republic of Korea, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2017 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles" is the latest report from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the nuclear power market in Republic of Korea.



The report provides in depth analysis on global nuclear power market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in Republic of Korea (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro, pumped storage and renewables) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details nuclear power market outlook in the country and provides forecasts up to 2030. The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in Republic of Korea nuclear power market. A detailed coverage of nuclear energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to nuclear is provided in the report. The research also provides details of active nuclear reactors in the country, market size of major equipment and company snapshot of some of the major market participants.



The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalData's team of industry experts.



Scope

- A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.

- Historical period is during 2006-2016 (unless specified) and forecast period is for 2017-2030.

- Overview on the global nuclear power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity split by region in 2016, installed capacity split by major nuclear power countries in 2016 and investment trends.

- Power market scenario in Republic of Korea provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro and renewables) with forecasts up to 2030.

- Details of Republic of Korea nuclear power market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity by reactor type, installed capacity share by contractor/owner and information on major active and upcoming projects.

- Key policies and regulatory framework supporting nuclear power development.

- Company snapshots of some of the major market participants in the country.



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- The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner.

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About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

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The aptly named "Island Time" summer collection includes three new blushes with hues reminiscent of your favorite summer drinks - Mai Tai , Bellini , and Punch , one new highlighter named after an island known for its beautiful beaches and coral reefs - Bali , and one new metallic Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick, evoking the sensations of gentle surfs and blond beaches - Aruba.

OFRA's summer inspired Island Time collection is now available for purchase on two online stores. To purchase the new collection, visit Ofracosmetics.com or Ulta.com.

As a compliment to the collection, a lip set featuring three Long Lasting Liquid Lipsticks is also available for $49.70 USD. The "Island Time Lip Set" includes two existing popular summer matte shades - Cocos Island and Rio - and the new metallic shade, Aruba. Each item is also available for individual purchase. OFRA Cosmetics offers an array of envy-worthy lip shades perfect for the summer season and this lip set is no exception.

INSIDE THE COLLECTION:

Blush Mai Tai: A soft tropical orange shade.

Blush Bellini: A light peachy shade with a pink undertone.

Blush Punch: A warm coral shade that packs a punch of color.

Highlighter Bali: A multidimensional golden highlight with peach undertones.

Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick Aruba: A warm rosy-peach with a metallic finish.

Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick Cocos Island: A vibrant pink coral with a hydrating matte finish.

Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick Rio: A warm peach with a hydrating matte finish.

About OFRA Cosmetics

Founded in 1998, OFRA Cosmetics Laboratories are leading innovators within the beauty industry. Cutting-edge products are manufactured using natural ingredients, such as plant, marine and vegetable extracts, Vitamin C, and organic compounds. While swooned over by celebrities and industry professionals, OFRA is an accessible, affordable brand for every level of beauty consumer. For more information visit www.ofracosmetics.com or contact [email protected].

SOURCE OFRA Cosmetics

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BAAR, Switzerland, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Mineral, a new platform that connects buyers and sellers of physical commodities, launched today with the aim of revolutionizing the trading of commodities by providing an intuitive interface to tender, negotiate, and execute contracts.

Logo

With powerful analytical tools, Open Mineral streamlines contract negotiations and execution to increase efficiency and profitability for the participants. The Swiss-based start-up, founded by former Glencore traders, strives to disrupt the decades-old model for trading physical commodities through use of technology and analytics. The company will initially cover zinc, lead, copper, gold and silver concentrate markets and plans to expand to other raw materials in the future.

"Physical commodities have been traded in the same way by the same companies for decades," said Boris Eykher, Open Mineral CEO. "We see technology delivering tangible benefits to the mining industry. Just as Ebay and Amazon revolutionized retail purchasing by bringing buyers and sellers together directly, we aim to do the same for the physical commodity producers. The goal is to give more information and control to mines and smelters, so they can make better decisions and ultimately become more profitable."

"We have met with multiple producers, end-users and trade service providers and the feedback has been very positive. We are confident there is a massive demand out there for improved efficiency, transparency, and better market analytics. We have tailored our platform to give buyers and sellers the data and analytics they really need," added Ilya Chernilovskiy, Open Mineral COO.

In addition to global concentrate tenders, Open Mineral will provide access to trade services such as transportation, quality control, and insurance. The platform will also bring other essential elements for concentrate trade, including messaging, KYC, electronic document exchange and more.

Both Eykher and Chernilovskiy have extensive experience in commodity trading and the mining industry. They met at Harvard Business School, where both attended the MBA program, and developed their industry expertise at Glencore. The growing team at Open Mineral brings together deep industry knowledge from all sides of the physical commodity trade, with a passion to challenge the status quo of metal concentrates trade and deliver benefits to both miners and smelters by connecting them directly.

The company  www.openmineral.com  is now open for registration and the marketplace will go live in August 2017.

Contact for media: [email protected], +41 79 719 9668, Open Mineral AG, Neuhofstrasse 1, 6340 Baar, Switzerland

Related Images

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image2.jpg

Related Links

Website

SOURCE Open Mineral AG

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https://www.openmineral.com/en


PRYOR, Okla., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 30, 2017, Orchids Paper Products Company (NYSE MKT: TIS) (the "Company") entered into Amendment No. 5 (the "Credit Agreement Amendment") to its Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated June 25, 2015 by and among the Company, U.S. Bank National Association ("U.S. Bank") and the other lenders party thereto (the "Credit Agreement").

The Credit Agreement Amendment, among other things, struck the fixed charge coverage for the period ended June 30, 2017, thereby also waiving a requirement for a Cash Reserve, as defined in the Credit Agreement, to be funded by that date. Covenants for future periods remain unchanged from the prior amendment. Additionally, the Company agreed not to make any dividend or other distribution payment with respect to its equity unless the Company has achieved a Leverage Ratio of less than 4.0:1.0 for two consecutive fiscal quarters and no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Credit Agreement) exists or would exist following such payment. The amount and timing of dividend payments otherwise remains subject to the judgment and approval of the Board of Directors.

The Company is also currently exploring the refinancing of some or all of its current outstanding indebtedness with the goals of increasing the Company's financial flexibility and creating greater available liquidity, subject to market conditions. The Company is considering a range of possible refinancing alternatives.

The Company will target any potential refinancing transaction to close and fund in the third quarter of 2017. Consummation of the potential refinancing is subject to market and other customary conditions, including, among other things, the execution of definitive documentation. There can be no assurances as to the terms and conditions on which the potential refinancing maybe consummated, or that the potential refinancing will be consummated.

Jeff Schoen, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The continuing strong support of our banks by adjusting covenants to reflect present market conditions and Orchids' forward looking plan is appreciated and we believe, indicates their faith in our future and growth. We continue to be confident that the completion of the Barnwell, South Carolina mill and the increase in sales resulting from the announced new business, both of which occurred in June, bode well for Orchids' forward-looking prospects, and the expected growth in earnings we believe will bring our financial leverage measures back in line over the subsequent periods. In the meantime, debt refinancing alternatives will be considered to meet liquidity requirements which we anticipate would minimize any long-term dilution of shareholders."

The foregoing summaries are not complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendments attached to the associated Form 8-K filed on July 5, 2017.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve certain contingencies and uncertainties. The Company intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provision for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause its actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "will" or "continue" or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. These statements are only predictions.

Factors that could materially affect the Company's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements include, without limitation, those detailed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2017.

The Company's actual results may be materially different from what it expects. The Company does not undertake any duty to update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof, even though the Company's situation may change in the future. All of the forward-looking statements herein are qualified by these cautionary statements.

About Orchids Paper Products Company

Orchids Paper Products Company is a customer-focused, national supplier of high quality consumer tissue products primarily serving the at home private label consumer market. The Company produces a full line of tissue products, including paper towels, bathroom tissue and paper napkins, to serve the value through ultra-premium quality market segments from its operations in northeast Oklahoma, Barnwell, South Carolina and Mexicali, Mexico. The Company provides these products primarily to retail chains throughout the United States. For more information on the Company and its products, visit the Company's website at http://www.orchidspaper.com.

SOURCE Orchids Paper Products Company

Related Links

http://www.orchidspaper.com


NEW YORK, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) announced today that it has completed an asset swap with Independent Outdoor Network. The Company acquired digital billboards in the Boston designated market area (DMA) in exchange for static billboards in four non-metro market clusters considered not strategic to its top DMA focus.

The acquired assets include 16 digital billboard displays, including two displays in-development, and two static billboard displays contiguous with the Company's existing portfolio surrounding the city of Boston. The divested assets include several hundred static displays in predominantly non-metro areas of Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee and South Carolina.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT Media connects brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its ON Smart Media platform, OUTFRONT Media is implementing digital technology that will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage people on-the-go.

SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc.

Related Links

http://www.outfrontmedia.com


CALGARY, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Pembina Pipeline Corporation ("Pembina" or the "Company") (TSX: PPL; NYSE: PBA) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a common share cash dividend for July 2017 of $0.17 per share to be paid, subject to applicable law, on August 15, 2017 to shareholders of record of July 25, 2017.

For shareholders receiving their common share dividends in U.S. funds, the July 2017 cash dividend is expected to be approximately U.S. $0.1314 per share (before deduction of any applicable Canadian withholding tax) based on a currency exchange rate of 0.7727. The actual U.S. dollar dividend will depend on the Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate on the payment date and will be subject to applicable withholding taxes.

Pembina's Board of Directors also declared quarterly dividends for the Company's preferred shares, Series 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13. All preferred share dividends are payable on September 1, 2017 to shareholders of record on August 1, 2017.

Series Dividend Amount Preferred Shares, Series 1 (PPL.PR.A) $0.265625 Preferred Shares, Series 3 (PPL.PR.C) $0.29375 Preferred Shares, Series 5 (PPL.PR.E) $0.3125 Preferred Shares, Series 7 (PPL.PR.G) $0.28125 Preferred Shares, Series 9 (PPL.PR.I) $0.296875 Preferred Shares, Series 11 (PPL.PR.K) $0.359375 Preferred Shares, Series 13 (PPL.PR.M) $0.359375

These dividends are designated "eligible dividends" for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pembina's common share dividends should be considered "qualified dividends" and may be subject to Canadian withholding tax.

Conference Call and Webcast Details for Second Quarter 2017 Results

Pembina will release its second quarter 2017 results on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 after markets close. A conference call and webcast have been scheduled for Wednesday, August 2, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. MT (10:00 a.m. ET) for interested investors, analysts, brokers and media representatives.

The conference call dial-in numbers for Canada and the U.S. are 647-427-7450 or 888-231-8191. A recording of the conference call will be available for replay until August 9, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To access the replay, please dial either 416-849-0833 or 855-859-2056 and enter the password 15480707.

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on Pembina's website at www.pembina.com under Investor Centre, Presentation & Events, or by entering: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1307560&s=1&k=08B6F851478FB0DAE44AB96C76BCA4B8 in your web browser. Shortly after the call, an audio archive will be posted on the website for a minimum of 90 days.

Confirmation of Record and Payment Date Policy

Pembina pays cash dividends on its common shares in Canadian dollars on a monthly basis to shareholders of record on the 25th calendar day of each month (except for the December record date, which is December 31st), if, as and when determined by the Board of Directors. Should the record date fall on a weekend or a statutory holiday, the effective record date will be the previous business day. The dividend payment date is the 15th of the month following the record date. Should the payment date fall on a weekend or on a holiday the business day prior to the weekend or holiday becomes the payment date. Dividends on the preferred shares are payable on the 1st day of March, June, September and December in each year, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors. Should the record date or payment date fall on a weekend or holiday, the business day prior to the weekend or holiday becomes the record or payment date, as applicable.

About Pembina

Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation is a leading transportation and midstream service provider that has been serving North America's energy industry for over 60 years. Pembina owns and operates an integrated system of pipelines that transport various products derived from natural gas and hydrocarbon liquids produced primarily in western Canada. The Company also owns and operates gas gathering and processing facilities and an oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics business. Pembina's integrated assets and commercial operations along the majority of the hydrocarbon value chain allow it to offer a full spectrum of midstream and marketing services to the energy sector. Pembina is committed to working with its community and aboriginal neighbours, while providing value for investors in a safe, environmentally responsible manner. This balanced approach to operating ensures the trust Pembina builds among all of its stakeholders is sustainable over the long term. Pembina's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under PPL and PBA, respectively. Pembina's preferred shares also trade on the Toronto stock exchange. For more information, visit www.pembina.com.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements that are based on Pembina's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends. In this news release, such forward-looking information and statements can be identified by terminology such as "to be", "expects", "potential", and similar expressions.

In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information relating to: future dividends which may be declared on Pembina's common shares, the dividend payment and the tax treatment thereof. These forward-looking statements are being made by Pembina based on certain assumptions that Pembina has made in respect thereof as at the date of this news release, regarding, among other things: oil and gas industry exploration and development activity levels; the success of Pembina's operations and growth projects; prevailing commodity prices, margins, volumes and exchange rates; that Pembina's future results of operations will be consistent with past performance and management expectations in relation thereto; the continued availability of capital at attractive prices to fund future capital requirements relating to existing assets and projects, including but not limited to future capital expenditures relating to expansion, upgrades and maintenance shutdowns; the success of growth projects; future operating costs; that any third party projects relating to Pembina's growth projects will be sanctioned and completed as expected; that any required commercial agreements can be reached; that all required regulatory and environmental approvals can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; that counterparties to material agreements will continue to perform in a timely manner; that there are no unforeseen events preventing the performance of contracts; and that there are no unforeseen material construction, integrity or other costs related to current growth projects or current operations. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: the regulatory environment and decisions; non-performance of agreements in accordance with their terms; the impact of competitive entities and pricing; reliance on key industry partners, alliances and agreements; the strength and operations of the oil and natural gas production industry and related commodity prices; the continuation or completion of third-party projects; actions by governmental or regulatory authorities including changes in tax laws and treatment, changes in royalty rates or increased environmental regulation; adverse general economic and market conditions in Canada, North America and elsewhere; fluctuations in operating results; construction delays; labour and material shortages; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in Pembina's public disclosure documents including, among other things, those detailed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Pembina's management's discussion and analysis and annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2016, which can be found at www.sedar.com.

Accordingly, readers are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause results to differ materially from those predicted, forecasted or projected. Such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by the above statements. Pembina does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements or information contained herein, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Pembina Pipeline Corporation

Related Links

http://www.pembina.com


MONTCLAIR, N.J., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The exponential increase in the amount of data held by financial institutions, 80 percent of which is unstructured data, is fast becoming a key challenge for CTOs/CIOs in financial institutions around the globe.

In a recent Business Debate interview published on its Wall Street Journal partner site, Pendo Systems CEO Pamela Pecs Cytron discusses the importance of unstructured data to the enterprise and how the Pendo Platform not only makes such data accessible, but also how the platform makes it easy to mine that data for insights and mission-critical information.

In discussing the launch of the video, Mrs. Pecs Cytron remarked, "Our experience working with 25 percent of the SIFIs in the U.S. has taught us that to extract the real value from unstructured data you need a fast, accurate and repeatable process. The Pendo Platform does all that and more, and can be best measured by the millions of dollars we've saved our customers."

About Pendo Systems: Pendo Systems has been providing software solutions to the financial services industry since 2007. Based in Montclair, New Jersey, with offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Pendo senior management team has decades of experience developing, selling and supporting enterprise software solutions to global banks, insurance companies, and asset management firms. While engaging with some of the largest financial institutions in the world, Pendo prides itself on maintaining its agile development philosophy in order to address the ever-changing environment of the financial services industry.

All Press related inquiries please contact: Phil Smith - Head of Marketing [email protected]

Related Links

Pendo Website

WSJ Site

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLfsdx4MGNw

SOURCE Pendo Systems
LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Synopsis

Timetric's 'Personal Accident and Health Insurance in South Africa, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the South African personal accident and health insurance segment, and a comparison of the South African insurance industry with its regional counterparts.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/2268183/



It provides key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, combined ratio, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review period (20112015) and forecast period (20152020).



The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the South African economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country.



The report brings together Timetric's research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure.



Summary

Timetric's 'Personal Accident and Health Insurance in South Africa Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the South African personal accident and health insurance segment, including:



- An overview of the South African personal accident and health insurance segment



- The South African personal accident and health insurance segment's growth prospects by category



- A comprehensive overview of the South African economy and demographics



- A comparison of the South African personal accident and health insurance segment with its regional counterparts



- The various distribution channels in the South African personal accident and health insurance segment



- Details of the competitive landscape in the personal accident and health insurance segment in South Africa



- Details of regulatory policy applicable to the South African insurance industry



Scope

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the personal accident and health insurance segment in South Africa:



- It provides historical values for the South African personal accident and health insurance segment for the report's 20112015 review period, and projected figures for the 20152020 forecast period.



- It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the South African personal accident and health insurance segment, and market forecasts to 2020.



- It provides a comparison of the South African personal accident and health insurance segment with its regional counterparts



- It provides an overview of the various distribution channels for personal accident and health insurance products in South Africa.



- It profiles the top personal accident and health insurance companies in South Africa, and outlines the key regulations affecting them.



Reasons To Buy

- Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the South African personal accident and health insurance segment, and each category within it.



- Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the South African personal accident and health insurance segment.



- Assess the competitive dynamics in the personal accident and health insurance segment.



- Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories.



- Gain insights into key regulations governing South Africa insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future.



Key Highlights

- The personal accident and health segment accounted for 4.0% of the overall insurance gross written premium in South Africa in 2015.



- Brokers are the leading distribution channel in the South African personal accident and health segment.



- The South African personal accident and health insurance segment is highly consolidated, with the five leading companies accounting for 70.3% of the total gross written premium in 2015. .



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/2268183/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

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LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The Revolution is Here

The Cell & Gene Therapy Manufacturing Summit is the only conference that is 100% dedicated to focusing on development of manufacturing processes for cell & gene products. Featuring presentations on improving cost efficiency, innovative strategies for commercialisation as well as closed system processing, optimised manufacturing scheduling and maintaining GMP compliance.

The conference will take place in London on the 11th - 13th September. Early registration is rewarded so visit the event website for the latest early bird rates or email [email protected] to find out more.

With cell and gene manufacturing activity on the rise, the race towards commercialisation of cell and gene products has already begun. Where technology innovations are pathing the way towards the development of these products, challenges surrounding scale up and closed system processing highlight areas that need focus so that cell and gene therapy products can be produced on an industrial scale. Pharma IQ will be addressing the key barriers and opportunities in enhancing the development of cell and gene therapies, with the focus on how manufacturing processes can be improved ready for the market boom!

About Pharma IQ

Pharma IQ has 100k+ members and is an international online community focusing on providing pharmaceutical professionals with knowledge, information and articles. Pharma IQ is dedicated to creating a learning environment for sharing ideas, best practices and solutions within the pharmaceutical community. To learn more visit http://www.cellgenemanufacturing.iqpc.co.uk , or call us at +44(0)207-036-1300

Media Contact: Rumina Akther, Trainee Marketing Manager, IQPC: [email protected] or call +44(0)207-036-1300

Press are invited to attend this important industry summit, if you would like to a complimentary press pass please email Rumina Akther on [email protected]

SOURCE Pharma IQ
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530549/Moscow_Urban_Forum.jpg )



PwC Russia has analysed the readiness of the world's largest cities to respond to disruptive innovations and to adopt technology-driven solutions across a variety of social sectors, including healthcare, education, security, tourism and culture, transportation, the economy, utilities, urban development and citizen engagement. City readiness was assessed across several parameters: technology readiness (presence of basic infrastructure); the strategies and regulations that support the adoption and use of new infrastructure; the availability of finished prototypes; and the social readiness of citizens to use new technologies.

The top five surveyed cities were ranked according to their overall social and technological readiness in the following order: Singapore (62%), London (59%), Shanghai (55%), New York (53%) and Moscow (53%).

Subhash Patil, Partner and the Head of the Government and Public Sector Consulting Services team in western India, PwC in India:

"Cities occupy only 2% of the landmass but house more than 55% of global population, and contribute to 60% of global energy consumption, 70% of waste and 70% emission of green house gases. Clearly, cities need to innovate solutions which will drive human civilisation to a sustainable future - one which meets and exceeds climate change goals established at Paris in 2016. PwC's 'Cities Readiness Index' tells us about what is done right in which global city and gives us benchmarks on core health parameters of a city. I am happy to mention that many countries in the world, including my own country India, are giving due attention to make cities Smarter, Livable, and this report will help us learn about global benchmarks which can be adopted by cities across the world."

Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies:

"We're entering an era where executives and creatives have an unprecedented opportunity to live in the best cities, and those urban centers planning for the future will benefit greatly. PwC's report, "The Future is Coming: Cities Readiness Rating," is comprehensive in scale and rich with insights. I recommend it for anyone interested in the urban landscape of the 21st century".

The survey showed that less than half the population in the surveyed cities, excluding Shanghai (76%) and Hong Kong (53%), are ready to embrace new technologies in their daily life. London (42%) and Toronto (41%) turned out to be the most conservative.

The leaders in culture and tourism digitalisation projects are Barcelona (78%), Shanghai (78%) and Singapore (72%), as these cities have demonstrated the largest number of relevant cases.

London (72%) is the top performer in autonomous transportation, as it has designed and launched an unmanned transportation strategy and built a regulatory framework for testing.

Singapore (75%) ranks first among for the digital economy, due to its well-balanced development of critical infrastructure. Moreover, Singapore is one the few cities that has not only supported the adoption of adaptive software in schools, but has also invested in the development of adaptive learning technologies.

Moscow (64%) is the leader in providing virtual services for citizen engagement - including those designed to crowdsource ideas and address problems for urban projects. Sydney (58%) follows, as it has offered online voting opportunities on general urban matters and in elections for the last six years.

London (63%) and Singapore (61%) are the most successful examples of virtual cities and outpace the others in terms of using new construction technologies. They have run numerous experiments on modular construction and 3D printing of houses. London (77%) is the leader among cities whose infrastructure is ready for the future followed by Barcelona (74%) and Moscow (76%) due to their data analytics projects. The majority of the surveyed cities have worked together with businesses and residents to design new infrastructure solutions. In New York (67%), a significant portion of the local solutions on predictive analytics has been developed by non-profit organisations and independent groups of researchers.

Notes to Editors:

The online survey was carried out among the citizens of ten cities ( Barcelona , Hong Kong , London , Moscow , New York , Shanghai , Singapore , Sydney , Tokyo and Toronto ) in June 2017 based on a random sample. The number of respondents was at least 100 people in each city. The sample size totalled 1,500 respondents.

, , , , , , , , and ) in based on a random sample. The number of respondents was at least 100 people in each city. The sample size totalled 1,500 respondents. The survey included 24 questions (2-3 questions per section). Respondents had to select one of two suggested responses, where one option implied the use of advanced/future technologies in various dimensions, while the second option involved traditional practices, approaches and solutions. The share of respondents selecting each option was calculated for each question, then the averages were derived by section and city.

The survey findings are available at: http://www.pwc.ru/ru/assets/the-future-is-coming-eng.pdf

SOURCE Moscow Urban Forum
SUGAR LAND, Texas, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following comprehensive cGMP audit of QuVa Pharma's Sugar Land and Temple, Texas facilities, the California Board of Pharmacy has issued Outsource Facility licenses to both QuVa locations. The California Board of Pharmacy introduced this category of license in 2017 recognizing that FDA's 503B regulations require Outsource Facilities to meet cGMP standards as opposed to traditional pharmacy US <797> guidelines. QuVa believes it is one of the first 503B registered business to achieve this license status in California.

QuVa is supplying California hospitals with Sodium Bicarbonate PF 8.4% (1mEq/ml) 50ml in a syringe (50mEq per syringe), as well as other products from its comprehensive product catalogue, including other drug shortage products Calcium Chloride, Potassium Phosphate, and Rocuronium.

"We are delighted to be one of the first recipients of this new category of California licensure which reinforces our industry leading position in cGMP compliant operations," commented Stuart Hinchen, CEO and Co-Founder of QuVa Pharma. "California State Board of Pharmacy continues to be one of the most strident proponents of product quality standards in the country." Hinchen commented further that "QuVa's ability to provide high quality products, including chronic drug shortage product such as Sodium Bicarbonate, is providing California based hospitals with immediate access to medicine to continue patient care."

QuVa's range of products are all compounded from starting material that is FDA approved, and each shipment is accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis verifying Sterility, Potency, and Endotoxin levels of the product.

QuVa is the market leader in quality compliance with both Texas facilities in excellent standing with the FDA, having received the Inspection Close out report in March 2017 for the main Sugar Land, Texas campus. QuVa is opening the first phase of its 160,000 sq ft New Jersey facility in July 2017, with further expansion at that site on schedule for commissioning in Q4 2017.

For product ordering enquiries please contact QuVa Customer Service at 888.339.0874 or via email [email protected].

About QuVa Pharma, Inc.

QuVa Pharma is a nationally recognized company emerging as the leading industry 503B platform and partner of choice for compliance-oriented healthcare facilities looking to ensure a quality, safe and consistent supply of medications. The Company offers a broad portfolio of products across Pain Management, Anti-effective, OR Syringes, Labor and Delivery therapeutic areas amongst others, all of which are released only once sterility, potency, and Endotoxin testing is successfully complete, and with validation supporting appropriate BUD. The company is committed to having a patient-first orientation, as well as a robust product portfolio, leading safety standards, and collaborative, partnership-oriented customer service. For more information, visit www.quvapharma.com.

SOURCE QuVa Pharma, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.quvapharma.com


LOUISVILLE, Ky., SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. and TRADE PORT, Ky., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Radial announced today its plan to bring on an additional 3,750 workers in Louisville, Shepherdsville and Trade Port, Kentucky, to support the busiest time of year in the retail industry. As more people shop online, job opportunities in the fulfillment and transportation sectors have expanded dramatically to ensure consumers' holiday packages arrive at their doors on time.

Radial understands the importance of providing a positive work experience for its seasonal hires. Seasonal workers will have access to competitive hourly wages, overtime and holiday pay, flexible work schedules, employee discounts, and a referral bonus program. The fulfillment centers in Kentucky also provide holiday meals and fun events, giving workers a chance to unwind while at work.

For workers who may be looking for something more long term, Radial converted over a thousand seasonal employees last year into full-time roles after the holidays.

At the fulfillment centers in Louisville, Shepherdsville and Trade Port, seasonal hires will have the chance to work with some of the world's favorite brands and retailers including Aeropostale, Shoe Carnival and more. Workers will source orders and send them to their final destinations faster using Radial's technology, fulfillment and transportation solutions.

"We're thrilled to be creating so many additional jobs in Kentucky, many of which may lead to full-time opportunities. If you value quality, excellence and the best customer service possible, and you thrive in an energized, fast-paced and rewarding workplace culture, we'd love to have you work with us," said Kelly Scally, Director, Strategic Staffing, at Radial. "Whether you're looking to earn extra cash for the holidays or wanting to get your foot in the door at Radial, seasonal work is a great place to start."

To learn more about job openings in Kentucky, visit www.radial.com/jobs.

About Radial

Radial is the leader in omnichannel commerce technology and operations, enabling brands and retailers to profitably exceed retail customer expectations. Radial's technical, powerful omnichannel solutions connect supply and demand through efficient fulfillment and transportation options, intelligent fraud detection, payments, and tax systems, and personalized customer care services.

Hundreds of retailers and brands confidently partner with Radial to simplify their post-click commerce and improve their customer experiences. Radial brings flexibility and scalability to their supply chains and optimizes how, when and where orders go from desire to delivery. Learn how we work with you at www.radial.com.

Media Contact:

Laura Beauregard

PAN Communications for Radial

407-734-7320

[email protected]

SOURCE Radial

Related Links

http://www.radial.com


RICHWOOD, Ky. and HEBRON, Ky., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Radial announced today its plan to bring on an additional 4,100 workers in Northern Kentucky to support the busiest time of year in the retail industry. As more people shop online, job opportunities in the fulfillment and transportation sectors have expanded dramatically to ensure consumers' holiday packages arrive at their doors on time.

Radial understands the importance of providing a positive work experience for its seasonal hires. Seasonal workers will have access to competitive hourly wages, overtime and holiday pay, flexible work schedules, employee discounts, transportation to and from work in surrounding markets, and a referral bonus program. The fulfillment centers in Northern Kentucky also provide holiday meals and fun events, giving workers a chance to unwind while at work.

For workers who may be looking for something more long term, Radial converted over a thousand seasonal employees last year into full-time roles after the holidays.

At the fulfillment centers in Richwood and Hebron, seasonal hires will have the chance to work with some of the world's favorite brands and retailers including Aeropostale and more. Workers will source orders and send them to their final destinations faster using Radial's technology, fulfillment and transportation solutions.

"We're thrilled to be creating so many additional jobs in Northern Kentucky, many of which may lead to full-time opportunities. If you value quality, excellence and the best customer service possible, and you thrive in an energized, fast-paced and rewarding workplace culture, we'd love to have you work with us," said Kelly Scally, Director, Strategic Staffing, at Radial. "Whether you're looking to earn extra cash for the holidays or wanting to get your foot in the door at Radial, seasonal work is a great place to start."

To learn more about job openings in Northern Kentucky, visit www.radial.com/jobs.

About Radial

Radial is the leader in omnichannel commerce technology and operations, enabling brands and retailers to profitably exceed retail customer expectations. Radial's technical, powerful omnichannel solutions connect supply and demand through efficient fulfillment and transportation options, intelligent fraud detection, payments, and tax systems, and personalized customer care services.

Hundreds of retailers and brands confidently partner with Radial to simplify their post-click commerce and improve their customer experiences. Radial brings flexibility and scalability to their supply chains and optimizes how, when and where orders go from desire to delivery. Learn how we work with you at www.radial.com.

Media Contact:

Laura Beauregard

PAN Communications for Radial

407-734-7320

[email protected]

SOURCE Radial

Related Links

http://www.innotrac.com


RENO, Nev., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Radial announced today its plan to bring on an additional 1,150 workers in Reno, Nevada, to support the busiest time of year in the retail industry. As more people shop online, job opportunities in the fulfillment and transportation sectors have expanded dramatically to ensure consumers' holiday packages arrive at their doors on time.

Radial understands the importance of providing a positive work experience for its seasonal hires. Seasonal workers will have access to competitive hourly wages, overtime and holiday pay, flexible work schedules, employee discounts, and a referral bonus program. The fulfillment centers in Reno also provide holiday meals and fun events, giving workers a chance to unwind while at work.

For workers who may be looking for something more long term, Radial converted over a thousand seasonal employees last year into full-time roles after the holidays.

At the fulfillment centers in Reno, seasonal hires will have the chance to work with some of the world's favorite brands and retailers including Abercrombie & Fitch and more. Workers will source orders and send them to their final destinations faster using Radial's technology, fulfillment and transportation solutions.

"We're thrilled to be creating so many additional jobs in Reno, many of which may lead to full-time opportunities. If you value quality, excellence and the best customer service possible, and you thrive in an energized, fast-paced and rewarding workplace culture, we'd love to have you work with us," said Kelly Scally, Director, Strategic Staffing, at Radial. "Whether you're looking to earn extra cash for the holidays or wanting to get your foot in the door at Radial, seasonal work is a great place to start."

To learn more about job openings in Reno, visit www.radial.com/jobs.

About Radial

Radial is the leader in omnichannel commerce technology and operations, enabling brands and retailers to profitably exceed retail customer expectations. Radial's technical, powerful omnichannel solutions connect supply and demand through efficient fulfillment and transportation options, intelligent fraud detection, payments, and tax systems, and personalized customer care services.

Hundreds of retailers and brands confidently partner with Radial to simplify their post-click commerce and improve their customer experiences. Radial brings flexibility and scalability to their supply chains and optimizes how, when and where orders go from desire to delivery. Learn how we work with you at www.radial.com.

Media Contact:

Laura Beauregard

PAN Communications for Radial

407-734-7320

[email protected]

SOURCE Radial

Related Links

https://www.radial.com


NEW YORK, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RDD Pharma, a leader in developing treatments for anorectal disorders, announced today the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products has granted orphan designation for RDD-0315, an investigational drug for the treatment of fecal incontinence in patients with spinal cord injury. The committee recognized that RDD-0315 may be of significant benefit to spinal cord injury patients affected by fecal incontinence.

"We are pleased the EMA recognized the clinically significant benefit that RDD-0315 may offer spinal cord injury patients," stated Jason Laufer, Chief Executive Officer, RDD Pharma. 'We have the potential to positively impact the health, well-being and quality of life in this patient population. '

The Orphan Designation provides potential incentives from the European Union to develop a medicine with a prevalence of less than 5 in 10,000, such as protocol assistance, reduced fees, funding from the European Commission for clinical trials, and protection from competition once the medicine is placed on the market, including 10 years of market exclusivity.

Positive Phase 2a results in evaluating the safety and efficacy of RDD-0315 for the treatment of fecal incontinence in spinal cord injury patients have previously been reported with a statistically significant reduction in the number of fecal incontinence episodes at 8 and 12 hours post-administration.

"We are thrilled with the EMA's recognition of positive results seen in our Phase 2a study and the potential of a treatment such as RDD-0315 for patients who suffer from fecal incontinence," said Nir Barak, Chief Medical Officer of RDD Pharma. "We look forward to advancing our studies in the EU and to filing an IND with the US Food and Drug Administration later this year."

About RDD Pharma

RDD is a privately held specialty pharma, focused on fast-track development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics for anorectal diseases and gastrointestinal disorders. RDD Pharma's lead product for the treatment of pain associated with anal fissure is currently in a Phase 3 clinical study in Europe. RDD-0315 for fecal incontinence is in the midst of Phase 2b preparations in the EU and preIND stage in the US. Products currently under development at RDD are expected to reach the market in three to six years.

About Fecal Incontinence

Fecal Incontinence results from damaged or weakened anal sphincter muscles. Treatment options are very limited. It is a condition that can occur at any age and is often devastating to a person's quality of life. For older people, fecal incontinence often results in early institutionalization because family members have difficulty coping with the problem at home. Over 8% of non-institutionalized adults (~20 million) suffer from fecal incontinence in the US. The average annual direct cost of fecal incontinence in the US is estimated to be over $17,000 per person. Loss of bowel control causes embarrassment, humiliation and significantly impacts quality of life for hundreds of millions of patients globally. Currently, there are no prescription Rx therapies available for treating fecal incontinence.

SOURCE RDD Pharma

Related Links

http://www.rddpharma.com


LAKELAND, Fla., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-15) and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) announced today that a $1.2 million Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant has been awarded to help finance one Lakeland, Fla., project.

In total, FHLBank San Francisco awarded $73.6 million through 20 Bank members in its 2017 funding competition to support 89 affordable housing projects in seven states  Arizona, Alabama, California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, and Wisconsin  served by the Bank's member financial institutions. The funds will construct and rehabilitate 6,280 affordable housing units. In the 15th Congressional District, the $1.2 million in funding will help to generate 100 affordable rental units for individuals and families.

"I am very excited Florida's 15th Congressional District is partnering with FHLBank San Francisco to create more affordable housing opportunities in our community," said Congressman Ross. "The West Lake Apartments project will greatly help our disadvantaged and low-income neighbors who might not have a place to live otherwise. The private investment capital provided by FHLBank will stimulate much needed growth throughout Florida's communities by revitalizing neighborhoods, creating jobs, and facilitating economic development. I look forward to seeing the positive and substantial impact this new housing development will have in District 15, and to future public-private partnerships with FHLBank that support those in need."

The project receiving AHP funding in the 15th Congressional District is:

West Lake Apartments ( $1.5 million ) in Lakeland, Fla. , creates 100 units of affordable rental housing for extremely low- and very low-income seniors in the City of Lakeland . Located on a Brownfield site, the project will help stabilize the neighborhood by replacing blighted public housing. Residents will be offered empowerment services focused on basic financial planning, online banking, understanding credit, and steps to repair credit. Mississippi Valley Company is the member institution supporting the project, which is sponsored by the Housing Authority of the City of Lakeland .

"Rep. Ross understands that affordable housing is a pathway to dignity in the community. He has been a champion for policies that ensure low-income families can live in conditions that are safe, clean, and secure," said Lawrence H. Parks, Senior Vice President, Legislative and External Affairs, at FHLBank San Francisco. "FHLBank San Francisco is proud to team up with housing leaders in his district, as well as in other parts of California, Arizona, and Nevada, to bring high quality living conditions to low-income residents. Together, FHLBank San Francisco, our member institutions, and community organizations are helping families and individuals access affordable housing that is up-to-code and dignified.''

Since the inception of the Affordable Housing Program in 1990, FHLBank San Francisco has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to help create much-needed affordable rental and homeownership opportunities in communities served by the Bank's member financial institutions. The program develops and rehabilitates single-family and multifamily projects targeting very low- to moderate-income households. Member financial institutions, in partnership with community-based housing sponsors, submit applications for specific projects and programs.

"We are very proud to be the first in the FHLBank System to reach this $1 billion milestone," said Greg Seibly, President and CEO of FHLBank San Francisco. "Year after year, our AHP dollars, delivered through our members to their nonprofit development partners and to first-time homebuyers, are effectively expanding access to quality, affordable housing and helping build strong, stable, and sustainable communities."

Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco delivers low-cost funding and other services that help member financial institutions make home mortgages to people of all income levels and provide credit that supports neighborhoods and communities. The Bank also funds community programs that help members create affordable housing and promote community economic development. The Bank's members are headquartered in Arizona, California, and Nevada and include commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions.

Contact:

Kevin Blackburn 510-377-8999

SOURCE FHLBank San Francisco
LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Following fast on the heels of Barclays' launch of Rise London, Europe's largest FinTech co-working space, the Rise team is offering a tailored programme of events that all FinTech companies and enthusiasts can register for during London FinTech Week (fintechweek.com) from 10-14 July.

"We're opening our doors to the community and squeezing nine FinTech events into just five days. It's set to be a jam packed week full of events, 'open house' tours, networking opportunities, FinTech breakfasts & dining, seminars & social tipples, so if you are a FinTech startup or enthusiast, come join us at Rise London, the Home of FinTech." - Magdalena Kron - Head of Rise London.

Rise events during FinTech week (all held at 41 Luke Street, London EC2A 4DP):

Monday 10 July -

Rise Open House Breakfast. 9.30-10.30am Wake up and smell the FinTech. We're bringing the top minds in the industry together for a morning of conversation, croissants and coffee. We'll be chatting about the current hot topics in the sector. Register here

Tuesday 11 July

Lunch N' Learn. 12.30-2.00pm Join us for lunch as we learn how Barclays works with APIs, and a chance to meet the Barclays API team. Limited spaces.

Register here

Wednesday 12 July

Rise London - Open House Tours. 4.00-6.00pm For FinTech companies looking to find a home in London. To book a tour, email the Rise London team

Thursday 13 July

Rise & Shine: 'How to bank a startup' - a session on Venture Debt. 8.30-10.00am with Barclays High Growth and Entrepreneur team. register here

Rise FinTech Social and Networking session. 5.30pm onwards - for more information please contact the Rise London team

Friday 14 July

Rise Blockchain workshop - exploring its possibilities 9.00-10.30am - for more information please contact the Rise London team

"If you attended our launch, you'll have experienced the buzz generated here at Rise. This week is a great opportunity to witness that again, book a Rise London tour, get involved in the events and become a member of the Rise community - Amina (General Manager of Rise London)

To find out more about Rise London, visit thinkrise.com

See our Rise London launch Press Release here: http://www.newsroom.barclays.com/r/3477/barclays_opens_europe_s_largest_fintech_site_in_london

Rise London: The home of FinTech.

Rise, created by Barclays, brings together from across the world a carefully curated community of FinTech startups, along with our corporate clients and other experts, to work on Barclays' customer and business opportunities and together help to create the future of financial services.

At Rise, Barclays co-creates new products, services and platforms along with our startup partners. We partner with leading corporates, investors and industry experts across seven sites internationally in: New York, Manchester, Mumbai, Cape Town, Vilnius, London and Tel Aviv. In each location, we operate multiple programmes for open innovation, including the award-winning Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars. These programmes facilitate rapid engagement between Barclays and the Rise FinTech community, leading to the development of new models, long-term financial solutions, and the creation of valuable relationships that make the communities and markets we serve flourish.

Rise London will house more than forty FinTech companies, along with banking and technology teams from Barclays, and will serve as a gathering place for leaders in the FinTech and venture capital communities. Rise London will play host to more than 200 hours of learning, workshops, hackathons and networking on a monthly basis.

Website: https://thinkrise.com/

Rise in numbers

28m total funding raised by Accelerator companies since launch

3500+startups involved

3000+Accelerator applications since launch

1000+developers, founders and experts who visit Rise London each month

90+countries that work with Rise London

42companies supported by the Barclays Accelerator London programme, powered by Techstars

For press and media enquiries for Barclays, contact +44-(0)-207-116-4755

SOURCE Barclays
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530481/Sarokal_X_STEP_Outdoor.jpg )



For the first time, lab-grade debugging and troubleshooting capabilities are introduced to field use.

X-STEP Outdoor provides the field technicians, both at the operator's and device manufacturer's end, the means to capture real life network problems and go through them on a bit level in the lab. It is also possible to leave the device at the site and let the manufacturer's engineers capture and analyze the flow of data remotely.

"We have seen a growing demand for this kind of debugging tool as our customers suffer from 'No fault found' type of device returns. The problem is that if no information exists about the actual error situations that take place in the field, they cannot be corrected back in the lab."

"As the networks evolve towards 5G, network complexity increases and all possible configurations and scenarios cannot be tested and predicted at the manufacturing labs. For this reason, it is imperative to have field operable lab-grade tools to be able to efficiently solve the problems that occur only in the field, in real life networks," says Mr. Harri Valasma, the CEO of Sarokal Test Systems.

About Sarokal Test Systems

Sarokal Test Systems provides innovative test solutions for fronthaul networks. Our CPRI, OBSAI, JESD204, Ethernet and upcoming eCPRI and IEEE 1914 solutions enable users like chipset vendors, fronthaul equipment manufacturers, and telecom operators to develop, test and verify their 4G and 5G network devices.

Sarokal X-STEP products provide means to generate, capture, and analyze bit accurate fronthaul traffic with various line rates and protocols. With the 100% visibility and control over fronthaul traffic, X-STEP can ensure full interoperability between fronthaul devices already in the early R&D development phase as well as in the field.

For more information, visit the companys website http://www.sarokal.com

Sarokal Test Systems Oy

Paulaharjuntie 20 B 2

90530 Oulu, Finland

Phone: +358-50-302-9392

Sales: [email protected]

SOURCE Sarokal test Systems Oy
NEW YORK, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Continued collaboration between lawyers at Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), and Legal Services of Central New York (LSCNY) resulted in a significant victory for youth incarcerated in Syracuse, New York's Justice Center jail. A settlement with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and Syracuse City School District put an end to the Center's use of 23-hour-per-day solitary confinement for juveniles.

The settlement is the result of a lawsuit filed last year by the NYCLU, LSCNY and an attorney from Sanford Heisler Sharp.

Youth 16 and 17 years old, many with psychological and emotional illnesses, had been kept in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day, often for months at a time. Although they often exhibited suicidal tendencies, jail officials deliberately ignored warnings about their vulnerabilities, returning them to solitary confinement even after they had been placed on suicide watches for brief periods. Considerable research shows solitary confinement is associated with psychosis, trauma, depression and self-harm.

"Our firm is pleased to be involved in effecting real change in the care for youth confined at the Justice Center jail in Syracuse," said Sanford Heisler Sharp lawyer Aimee Krause Stewart, who has been involved in the lawsuit since it began. "The psychological, educational and social needs of these young people had been neglected and ignored by officials at the jail during a critical period in their lives. We are gratified to reach a settlement that ensures each of them will now receive education, counseling, and concern appropriate for teenagers."

The settlement is structured to continue through October 2019, subject to court approval. Under its terms, 16- and 17-year-olds will no longer be subjected to solitary confinement, or be deprived of the education and special educational services to which they are entitled. Youth will be confined to their cells only when there is an imminent safety threat that less restrictive measures cannot adequately resolve. In such cases, this confinement will last for only the minimum time necessary to resolve the threat.

"We are committed to ensuring that children incarcerated in the Onondaga County jail are treated humanely and receive all of the services to which they are entitled under the law," said David Sanford, the Chairman and co-founder of Sanford Heisler Sharp. "This settlement is an important step in protecting their rights and ensuring their safety."

Under the terms of the settlement, which included the Syracuse City School District, the Justice Center jail will now provide access to educational instruction, special education services and an incentive program encouraging positive behavior. Youth will have individualized educational plans that identify and accommodate their special needs, will receive mental health counseling and will be supervised by a multi-disciplinary team trained to work with juveniles.

As in many correctional facilities, most youth at the Syracuse Justice Center have not been convicted of a crime; they are incarcerated because they cannot afford bail. Between October of 2015 and September 2016, when the lawsuit was filed, the Sheriff placed at least 86 adolescents in solitary confinement more than 250 times, forcing them to spend 23 hours a day locked in tiny cells, sometimes with feces and urine covering the floor. Youth routinely spent more than 100 days in solitary confinement, often for minor "offenses" such as speaking loudly or wearing the wrong shoes.

While in solitary, children at the Justice Center were not allowed to talk to other detainees, received no education or mental health care and were limited to one hour of "recreation" in small filthy cages. Juveniles were also placed next to adults who sexually harassed them and young girls were watched by adult male guards as they were forced to shower without a curtain.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of all juveniles held in solitary at the Justice Center, led by six Black and Latino plaintiffs, ages 16 and 17. In February, U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd issued a preliminary injunction in the landmark case, setting the stage for the settlement.

Sanford Heisler Sharp's Stewart was a Fellow at NYCLU when the suit originated and served as counsel for the youthful plaintiffs, playing significant roles in investigating the complaint, and in drafting and filing the lawsuit. Stewart continued to assume a significant pro bono role in the matter since joining Sanford Heisler Sharp's Washington, D.C. office in October 2016.

About Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP

Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP is a public interest class-action litigation law firm with offices in New York, Washington, D.C, Nashville, San Francisco and San Diego. Our attorneys have graduated from the nation's top law schools, clerked for judges throughout the United States, and amassed extensive experience litigating cases that have earned over one billion dollars for our clients.

The Firm specializes in civil rights and general public interest cases, representing plaintiffs with employment discrimination, labor and wage violations, predatory lending, whistleblower, consumer fraud, and other claims. Along with a focus on class actions, the firm also represents individuals and has achieved particular success in the representation of executives and attorneys in employment disputes. For more information go to https://sanfordheisler.com or call 202 499-5200 or email [email protected]. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @sanfordheisler

SOURCE Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- azcentral.com and Republic Media (The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, La Voz) announced today that SiteLock has earned a highly coveted spot on the prestigious list of 2017 azcentral.com Top Companies to Work for in Arizona.

"We are proud to be honored as one of Arizona's 'Top Companies to Work for,'" said Neill Feather, President of SiteLock. "At SiteLock, we strive to build careers rather than jobs for our employees, and developing a positive working environment is a key component for achieving that goal."

All participating companies completed a two-part assessment process conducted by the independent workplace research firm, Best Companies Group (BCG). Part one of process was the Employer Questionnaire, where BCG asked about benefits, HR policies and the fun things the employers do for their employees. Part two was the Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey which measured the employee experience in 8 core focus areas: Leadership and Planning, Corporate Culture and Communications, Role Satisfaction, Work Environment, Relationship with Supervisor, Training, Development and Resources, Pay and Benefits, and Overall Engagement. Using the combined data from both parts of the survey process, BCG determined the top 100 organizations that made the grade.

"This Top Company list gets more competitive each year," says Denise Gredler, Founder and CEO of BestCompaniesAZ and consulting partner for the program. "The list of winners had very impressive employee survey results averaging an overall favorable rate of 90 percent and an overall employee engagement score of 92 percent, which is more than double the national average. These winners should be very proud of their engaged workforces. This presents a powerful opportunity for award- winners to promote their company culture to retain and attract the best talent."

The 100 "Top Companies" were honored earlier this morning at an awards breakfast reception held at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. They will also be recognized in a special supplement in the July 2, 2017 issue of The Arizona Republic, as well as online at topcompanies.azcentral.com and www.BestCompaniesAZ.com. For complete details visit www.sitelock.com or topcompanies.azcentral.com.

About SiteLock:

SiteLock, the Global Leader in business website security solutions, is the only web security solution to offer complete, cloud-based website protection. Its 360-degree monitoring finds and fixes threats, prevents future attacks, accelerates website performance and meets PCI compliance standards for businesses of all sizes. Founded in 2008, the company protects over 6,000,000 websites worldwide. For more information, please visit sitelock.com.

About Republic Media

Republic Media is a consultative media company that provides you with the means to deliver your message to the right audience in the most effective way. From online to print to direct mail, Republic Media encompasses an array of products including The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, and La Voz. Since 1890, The Arizona Republic continues to be Arizona's most trusted and most read newspaper. http://www.republicmedia.com/about-us

About BestCompaniesAZ  Arizona's Employer Branding Partner

BestCompaniesAZ specializes in helping corporate clients develop, strengthen and market their unique employer brands through a variety of events, awards and communications programs. Recognition and promotion for award-winning clients is supported through a variety of marketing programs, including recruitment marketing, search engine optimization, public relations and social media outreach. For more information contact [email protected] or call 480-545-5151.

About Best Companies Group

Best Companies Group is dedicated to establishing Best Places to Work programs to distinguish leaders in workplace excellence. As a research firm, BCG collects data about participating companies as well as employee feedback, analyzes that data, and produces a "Best" distinction that makes each recognized organization, the selected region (or industry) and the organizing partners proud. Best Companies Group identifies and recognizes places of employment that lead the way in defining the employee experience of the 21st century.

SOURCE SiteLock

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Just a few years into the project, energy demand and prices were falling. The partial nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island triggered increased citizen concerns along with increased costs to meet new regulatory requirements. The TVA Board of Directors ceased construction in 1981. The plant was never operational.

While an industrial park was developed nearby in the late 1980s, the plant was only used for safety training exercises  until now.

Today, almost 3,000 solar panels sit on four acres just outside the shadows of the eerie gray concrete structures that were abandoned mid-construction. Rows of panels sits atop driven posts that slowly rotate to follow the sun's path across the sky and maximize the solar energy gathered. The energy is sold to Holston Electric as part of TVA's Distributed Solar Solutions program. It then flows across eastern Tennessee, providing enough energy to meet the need of 100 average-sized homes.

The project made its way into national news in October 2016, when site manager Matt Mounie heard a dog barking in the abandoned plant. Upon investigation, he found a dog treading water at the bottom of a 30-foot hole. Mounie contacted local authorities who staged a rescue. After treatment and a search, the dog was reunited with his owners.

The project's developer and owner is Birdseye Renewable Energy of Charlotte, North Carolina. Birdseye is a leading developer of large solar facilities throughout the southeast, with over 430MW greenfield projects operating including 34 projects at schools in eastern Tennessee. Construction was performed by United Renewable Energy of Alpharetta, Georgia.

"It has been a true pleasure working with TVA distributor Holston Electric, the Hawkins County Industrial Development Board and United Renewable Energy. The team worked seamlessly to provide Hawkins County a notable landmark of innovation in the midst of the Phipps Bend Nuclear site. We look forward to future collaborations with TVA." said Brian Bednar, President of Birdseye Renewable Energy.

"We are proud to work with Birdseye on this exciting project to bring solar energy to east Tennessee. Due to its location, this project visibly demonstrates how clean, efficient solar energy matches other forms of power generation to meet our country's growing energy needs," said Keith Herbs, executive vice president of United Renewable Energy.

About Birdseye Renewable Energy

Birdseye Renewable Energy is a renewable energy developer that delivers thoroughly developed, shovel-ready projects to its clients across the southeastern United States. We specialize in the greenfield development of utility-scale solar facilities through identifying optimal sites and markets, building honest and trusting relationships with local stakeholders, securing all necessary approvals and contractual agreements, minimizing costs, and shepherding our projects to complete pre-construction readiness with a team of leading engineering firms. Learn more at www.birdseyeenergy.com.

About United Renewable Energy

United Renewable Energy is an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm developing photovoltaic farms and energy storage systems to utilities, industrial and commercial companies, Independent Power Producers, and Electrical Membership Corporations in the eastern United States. URE focuses on creative design and implementation to deliver solar and energy storage projects with superior quality, performance, and safety at competitive cost. Learn more at www.u-renew.com.

Media Contact

Name Jakky Shanahan Telephone 678.881.0014 x708 Email [email protected] Website www.u-renew.com

SOURCE United Renewable Energy

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OAKLAND, Calif., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Solar Energy, a leading solar installer based in San Diego, California, has been named a Renew Financial Preferred Contractor.

Southern California Solar Energy has long prided itself on slashing utility bills and saving customers money through a wide range of home improvements including HVAC, solar, windows, doors, turf and roofing.

"For our company, it's always been about saving our customers money and making them happy," said Marcus Phillips, Transaction Coordinator at Southern California Solar Energy. "We work with customers to make the best possible home improvements to save them money. We help our clients whether they have the best credit scores or no score at all."

Southern California Solar Energy offers a 30-Day Install Promise. If your new solar panel system is not installed within 30 days, Southern California Solar Energy will give you $1,000.

"Southern California Solar Energy is an amazing company to work with," said Eddie Alberton, Renew Financial Regional Sales Manager. "They take their customer's happiness and satisfaction seriously."

Southern California Solar Energy also offers homeowners Renew Financial's PACE financing, which fully provides the upfront installation costs of certain home upgrades, including solar panels, HVAC and turf. Homeowners then repay those costs over time as a line item on their property tax bill.

Homeowners wishing to contact Southern California Solar Energy may reach Jesse Wilhite at 858-380-4702 or [email protected]. The firm's website is www.southerncasolar.com.

About Southern California Solar Energy

Southern California Solar Energy is the premier Whole Home Energy provider. Our company offers HVAC, solar, windows & doors, turf and roofing. Southern California Solar Energy has many finance options including Property Accessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing and solar leasing. Whether you have perfect credit or no score at all, Southern California Solar Energy can eliminate your utility bill and access additional cash for other home improvements.

About Renew Financial

Renew Financial is one of the nation's leading home improvement financing companies. Renew Financial provides multiple financing products across the country, with programs available in several states, including Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs operating in California and Florida. PACE is a state-enabled, local government-controlled financing tool that enables property owners to use privately-sourced capital to finance the entire cost of energy efficiency, drought resiliency, hurricane and earthquake mitigation, and renewable energy upgrades to their homes and businesses, and then repay those costs on their property tax bill. PACE was named by Scientific American as one of the "top 20 ideas that can change the world." PACE is a job-creating policy tool that has enjoyed bipartisan support, having been championed in state legislatures by members from both sides of the aisle.

Additional information may be found at:

Renew Financial Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Blog

SOURCE Renew Financial

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"The planning process for this campus began in 2015. The fact that we have now broke ground is an exciting milestone for the entire Summit Vista team," said Mark Erickson. "Our team is passionate and committed to this concept of a community that promotes successful aging and it is gratifying for all of us to see these plans come to life."

Located on a 105-acre campus in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley, Summit Vista features a 62,000-square-foot clubhouse offering amenities and services that promote active living, including a 25-yard lap pool, a fitness center, clubs and activity studios, and three restaurants with menus including health-conscious options.

"It's a remarkable piece of land with great views of the mountains and the valley," noted Kem Gardner, who spoke about the development, which is the first of its kind in the state of Utah. "This is not just another real estate project. I don't think there's been a project done like it in eighteen years."

Gardner also spoke of Utah's aging senior population and the necessity of establishing a community like Summit Vista in the state. "I attended a briefing at the Gardner Institute on the aging demographics of Utah," he said. "It made me realize how important it is that we have a lifestyle community where there is social interaction and where people can get together as they get older."

Taylorsville Mayor, Larry Johnson, echoed Gardner and spoke about the impact Summit Vista will have on the local community. "The land that Summit Vista is being built on has been sitting empty for a long timelargely because the right organization hadn't come along," said Mayor Johnson. "We wanted the right kind of company to develop itone that was going to positively contribute to not only the financial health of our city, but to the personal health of its residents. This development, a Life Plan Community, is ideal for both of those factors."

A key component to this Life Plan Community is providing seniors with easy access to high quality healthcare. For this reason, Summit Vista is working with Intermountain Healthcare to provide a variety of on-site services, from health and wellness to primary care and much more.

"People come from all over the world to learn how Intermountain Healthcare practices medicine," said Gardner. "I could not be more delighted to have them be the medical provider for seniors in this community."

"Intermountain Healthcare is known locally, nationally and internationally for providing better care and better health at more affordable costs," said Dr. Mark Briesacher. "Our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible has helped Utahans have access to some of the very best healthcare. We are pleased to work with Summit Vista to deliver effective health and care for seniors."

The Summit Vista leadership team is composed of innovative leaders and executives from the senior living industry. Financial backing comes from nationally known, fiscally responsible investors who have a proven track record in developing projects of this kind, including Gardner Company, iStar Inc, and Solamere Capital. Zions Bank is also involved in bringing Summit Vista to life.

"It's a wonderful thing to have Zions Bank as our community partner," said Gardner "With Zions Bank and Intermountain as our local partners, and with the support of iStar and the Romney family with Solamere Capital, I think we are going to be well served."

Summit Vista is Utah's first Life Plan Community. Located in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley, the active senior living community offers residents worry-free living, exceptional amenities, and an on-site continuum of care that will include independent living, assisted living, home care, nursing care, memory care, and rehabilitation services. For more information, visit www.SummitVistaLife.com.

SOURCE Summit Vista

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Symic Bio, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel matrix regulator therapeutics, announced today the appointment of Glenn Prestwich, Ph.D., as Executive Vice President of Chemistry. Dr. Prestwich, Presidential Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Utah and former member of the Symic Bio Scientific Advisory Board, will assume a direct executive role in the advancement of the company's platform of clinical-stage therapeutics and in the expansion of its pipeline.

"Glenn has helped pave the way in building industrial applications from increasing knowledge of extracellular matrix biology," said Ken Horne, Symic Bio's Chief Executive Officer. "His long experience in the field will help us develop new disease targeting opportunities and accelerate our therapeutics through clinical development. We are proud to have an individual with such a highly distinguished background as an integral member of our senior management team."

"When I became aware of the opportunity to deepen my involvement with Symic, I leapt at the chance," said Dr. Prestwich. "Not only has the company already demonstrated the broad potential of its matrix regulator technology, but in a relatively short period it has brought two programs through mid-stage clinical development. I have been greatly impressed by the company's progress and look forward with excitement to realizing a shared vision of matrix biology applications."

Dr. Prestwich has led translational research efforts as Special Presidential Assistant for Faculty Entrepreneurism and has served as Director of the Center for Cell Signaling and of the Center for Therapeutic Biomaterials at the University of Utah. He has authored over 650 publications and holds 38 patents. Dr. Prestwich has helped launch over nine life science companies and has advised numerous companies. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Utah Governor's Medal for Science and Technology, the Rooster Prize of the International Society for Hyaluronan Science, the Volwiler Research Award, the University of Utah Distinguished Scholarly and Creative Research Award and the University of Utah Distinguished Innovation and Impact Award. Dr. Prestwich received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Stanford University.

About Symic Bio

Symic Bio is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel matrix regulators, a new category of therapeutics focused on matrix biology. These therapeutics, with potential applications in a wide variety of disease states, are inspired by naturally occurring macromolecules that play key regulatory roles within the extracellular matrix. Symic Bio currently has two clinical candidates: SB-030, which is targeting the prevention of peripheral vein graft failure, and SB-061, directed at disease modification and pain management in the treatment of osteoarthritis. In addition, Symic Bio is investigating applications in the areas of fibrosis, oncology and diseases of the central nervous system. For additional information please visit the company's website at www.symic.bio, LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/company/symic-bio or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/symicbio.

SOURCE Symic Bio

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ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland and TAMPA, Fla., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To help the healthcare industry address medical coder shortages, Terra Nova Transcription announced its availability of comprehensive medical coding services in January of this year. Terra Nova provides coding experts, with advanced ICD-10 qualifications, to deliver quality results with prompt turnaround, enabling healthcare organizations to outsource their coding, increasing productivity and improving their cash flow.

With our AHIMA/CHIMA-certified coding experts, Terra Nova delivers high-quality, accurate coding and demand has surged in the market since its start in January.

"Qualified coding professionals are in short supply, and HIM departments face an ongoing challenge to stay ahead of coding demands," said Hannah Zook, Director HIM Services at Terra Nova. "Our coding services offer a cost-effective way for organizations to outsource some of, or all of, their coding to ensure they remain current and improve their revenue cycle. Terra Nova is proving to be a valuable coding partner to many facilities in Canada and the United States."

"Our existing transcription partnerships allowed us to quickly implement remote solutions to meet a client's coding needs," said Maria French, President, and CEO of Terra Nova. "We have now become a key choice for healthcare organizations and health authorities looking for reliable and accurate coding, in addition to transcription services. This ensures hospitals maintain timely document turnaround, supporting patient safety and quality care. We provide solutions to meet our customers' unique needs, whether remote or in-house services are required. Partnering with Terra Nova contributes to improved patient care."

About Terra Nova- Terra Nova is a customer-centered, medical document partner in healthcare, providing medical coding and transcription solutions to help maximize health information management (HIM) productivity and improve medical reimbursement. Visit www.terranovatrans.com for more information.

Media Contact:

Amber Doster

Phone: 1-888-600-4178 Ext.101

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Terra Nova Transcription

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OLATHE, Kan., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Terracon is excited to announce its acquisition of Dente Engineering, located in the Albany, N.Y., area. Dente is a privately owned firm founded in 1993 providing geotechnical, geohydrologic, and construction materials engineering and testing services, including special inspection and drilling capabilities.

Dente's team of 21 employees has built a strong reputation for technical expertise, experience, and quality service delivery. Dente engineers, geologists, and technical experts have completed more than 4,000 projects throughout the Northeast including the Hudson Valley, southern and western New York, southern Vermont, and western Massachusetts.

"The expansion allows us to further strengthen our service offerings and geographic presence in New York and across the Northeast," said Swaminathan Srinivasan, P.E., president of Terracon. "Gaining these additional resources helps us to demonstrate our commitment to bring even greater resources to clients locally and nationally."

The company and its employees will continue to serve clients locally as Dente Group, A Terracon Company. Dente's affiliate organizations, Evergreen Testing & Environmental Services, which provides construction materials testing and inspection services through its accredited laboratory, and Acme Boring Company, which provides geotechnical and environmental test borings, also join Terracon.

Services typically include planning, managing and performing exploratory site investigation, laboratory testing programs, preparing geotechnical reports, and managing and performing construction inspection and testing services for clients in construction, education, health care, and other engineering companies.

"We have an excellent group of experienced professionals and a 25-year history which has helped build our reputation as a go-to consultant in the region," said Fred Dente, P.E., president of Dente Engineering. "As we move into this exciting new phase, we are proud this same team will continue to support our clients and now offer them access to even greater resources."

Terracon also expanded its New York presence in 2016 with the purchase of ROC Geotechnical Engineers of Rochester. This acquisition is supported by Terracon locations in Rochester, Hartford, Conn., and South Plainfield, N.J. Dente is Terracon's seventh acquisition in the past two years.

Terracon is an employee-owned consulting engineering firm with more than 4,000 employees providing environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services from more than 140 offices with services available in all 50 states. Terracon currently ranks 30th on Engineering News-Record's list of the Top 500 Design Firms. For additional information about Terracon, visit www.terracon.com.

SOURCE Terracon

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ORLANDO, Fla., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Orlando pizza fans have reason to celebrate as Southern California's fastest growing build-your-own pizzeria, The Pizza Press, is opening its first Florida restaurant in Celebration off US 192. The Pizza Press, known for its high quality ingredients, wide array of local craft beer, and fun 1920s newspaper theme, will open a location at 6079 West Irlo Bronson Highway 192 in Celebration on Saturday, July 8th.

To celebrate the opening that day, The Pizza Press will host a Great Pizza Giveaway, offering a free pizza with the purchase of a beverage, to 1,000 people who have previously signed up on their website to receive, print and present a voucher for the free pizza. Those who live, work and go to school in the area can sign up to receive the voucher at www.thepizzapress.com/orlando.

In keeping with the newspaper theme, customers at The Pizza Press are invited to "publish" their own pizza by choosing from a selection of fresh, high quality toppings, cheese and sauces. In addition to creating a custom pizza which is "hot off the press" in under four minutes, customers can choose from a variety of signature pizzas. Pizzas may grab the headlines at The Pizza Press, but the carefully curated assortment of local craft beer on tap is also newsworthy.

"We are excited to introduce The Pizza Press to Orlando," said franchise owner Fernando Colon "We know this is a great fit for the Central Florida area and we look forward to becoming an integral part of the community."

The Pizza Press is open from 11am to 1am daily and is located off 192 directly across from Celebration. For more information, please call (407) 507-0185.

About The Pizza Press

Founded in 2012, The Pizza Press is a build-your-own pizzeria with a friendly atmosphere and fun 1920s newspaper theme. Based in Anaheim, California, The Pizza Press is a rapidly growing franchise that has locations in Southern California, one in Austin, TX, and one in China, with plans to have 100 restaurants throughout the US by late 2018. For more information, visit www.ThePizzaPress.com.

Media contact: Karina Colon, (407) 507-0185, [email protected]

SOURCE The Pizza Press

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http://www.thepizzapress.com


NORTH CANTON, Ohio, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com), a world leader in engineered bearings and mechanical power transmission products, today announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, Timken India Ltd., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ABC Bearings Ltd., a manufacturer of tapered, cylindrical and spherical roller bearings, and slewing rings in India.

The transaction is structured as a merger of ABC Bearings Ltd. into Timken India Ltd., whereby shareholders of ABC Bearings will receive shares of Timken India as consideration. The transaction is subject to receipt of various approvals in India, which are expected to take at least six months to complete.

"Timken is a leader in the growing Indian bearing market, and the acquisition of ABC Bearings will expand our capacity, our customer base and our locally produced product breadth," said Richard G. Kyle, Timken president and chief executive officer. "In addition, we expect to leverage ABC Bearings' competitive manufacturing footprint to serve export markets."

ABC Bearings is a public limited company listed on the BSE Limited, with its registered office in Mumbai, India. The company operates primarily out of manufacturing facilities in Bharuch, Gujarat, and Dehradun, Uttarakhand. ABC Bearings serves an established original equipment customer base in India, focusing on heavy truck and off-highway industries. In 2016, sales were approximately $29 million.

Timken India is a public limited company listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE Limited. Following the acquisition, Timken will maintain a majority stake in Timken India, and Timken will continue to consolidate Timken India in its financial results.

About The Timken Company

The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com) engineers, manufactures and markets bearings, gear drives, belts, chain, couplings, and related products, and offers a spectrum of powertrain rebuild and repair services. The leading authority on tapered roller bearings, Timken today applies its deep knowledge of metallurgy, tribology and mechanical power transmission across a variety of bearings and related systems to improve reliability and efficiency of machinery and equipment all around the world. The company's growing product and services portfolio features many strong industrial brands including Timken, Fafnir, Philadelphia Gear, Drives, Lovejoy and Interlube. Known for its quality products and collaborative technical sales model, Timken posted $2.7 billion in sales in 2016. With more than 14,000 employees operating from 28 countries, Timken makes the world more productive and keeps industry in motion.

Certain statements in this release (including statements regarding the company's estimates and expectations) that are not historical in nature are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, the statements regarding the company's expectations regarding growth initiatives, expansion of its global footprint and expected market opportunities are forward-looking. The company cautions that actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, including: the inability to complete the acquisition or unexpected delay in the completion of the acquisition due to either the failure to satisfy any condition to the closing of the transaction, including receipt of shareholder or regulatory approval, the impact of pending regulatory or stock exchange proceedings or approvals, or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the scheme of merger or implementation agreement; the inability to successfully integrate the newly acquired business into the company's operations or achieve the expected synergies associated with the acquisition; and adverse changes in the markets served by the newly acquired business. Additional factors are discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2016, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Except as required by the federal securities laws, the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Relations:

234.262.3514

[email protected]

Investor Relations:

Jason Hershiser

234.262.7101

[email protected]

SOURCE The Timken Company

Related Links

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The complaint alleges that Wells Fargo promises its customers who did not opt into the Debit Card Overdraft Service that it will not charge them overdraft fees for non-recurring, every day transactions, like transactions with Uber and Lyft. However, Wells Fargo does charge such fees on certain one-time debit card transactions like these that it knows or should know are not recurring.

Plaintiff Angelo Clamor was charged an overdraft fee on a Lyft ride sharing transaction, and seeks to represent all individuals who, like him, were charged overdraft fees on one-time debit card transactions of Lyft, Uber, or other one-time transactions.

Jefferey Kaliel, a partner with Tycko & Zavareei, commented that "the bank's contract and consumer protection law prohibited Wells Fargo from charging overdraft fees on one-time transactions like Lyft or Uber transactions, but the bank did it anyway in order to maximize its fee revenue."

Tycko & Zavareei LLP of Washington, DC and Oakland, CA are representing Clamor, and urge consumers who have been impacted by overdraft fees on one-time transactions, such as those with Lyft or Uber, to learn more about their legal rights. For additional inquiries, please contact Jeffrey Kaliel at [email protected].

About Tycko & Zavareei

Tycko & Zavareei LLP, based in Washington, D.C. with offices in Oakland, California, has a long and successful record of litigating complex cases. The firm routinely handle large and complex matters throughout the country, advocating on behalf of individuals fighting for their civil rights, consumers seeking redress for unfair business practices, whistleblowers exposing fraud and corruption, and non-profit entities and businesses facing difficult litigation.

SOURCE Tycko & Zavareei LLP

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DENVER, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- University College, the college of professional and continuing studies at the University of Denver (DU), will be featuring its Environmental Policy and Management master's degrees and certificates at the upcoming Intersolar North American Conference and Exhibition this July.

Now in its fourth year as an exhibitor at Intersolar, University College will again attend the conference to showcase the MS in Environmental Policy and Management. Delegates who are new to the energy industry, as well as those with more established careers, can learn how to further develop their skills in concentrations like Energy and Sustainability, Environmental Health and Safety, Environmental Analytics and Reporting, Environmental Management, Environmental Policy, or Natural Resource Management.

Academic Director John Hill and Enrollment Manager Alyssa Anderson will be on hand to help show potential students how they can balance their busy work and personal schedules with in-depth and up-to-date environmental classes that are offered entirely online or on campus in the evenings. For those conference attendees who have not yet completed their bachelor's degree, University College staff will also have information on how they can finish their undergraduate education with a major in Environmental Studies.

Regardless of their present career or education status, all attendees will enjoy experimenting with University College's unique Degree Builder tool, which allows them to customize their future degree to enhance their environmental policy knowledge and develop essential skills such as decision-making, leadership, and critical thinking for the evolving workplace.

Highly flexible and affordable, a University of Denver degree through University College provides career focused content that can that can be immediately applied on the job. Master new skills with online and evening courses designed for busy adults. To learn more about University College's degree programs, visit universitycollege.du.edu.

The Intersolar Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from July 11-13, 2017. The event annually attracts some 18,000 attendees who engage in discussions and trainings on the latest trends in solar power, all while networking with industry leaders and other environmental professionals. For further information about the conference, see intersolar.us.

University College is the award-winning provider of adult education at the University of Denvera top 100 university as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Offering ten-week courses online and evenings on campus for busy adults, University College has master's degrees in eleven different areas, more than 45 concentrations and certificates, and various lifelong learning opportunities. For more information, call 303-871-2291 or visit universitycollege.du.edu. For additional news and updates, subscribe to the University College blog or follow University College on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

SOURCE University College at the University of Denver

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PALO ALTO, Calif., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the recent launch of its new prestige hair care collection, FORM, Walker & Company announced today that all FORM products will be available for purchase on Sephora.com beginning Wednesday July 5, 2017 and will be available in Sephora stores across the U.S. starting this fall. This is the first retail offering of the FORM Collection beyond its own channel, formbeauty.com, which helps make hair care simpler by offering products and regimens specifically designed for individual hair needs.

FORM was created for women of all hair textures and developed by a team of seasoned health and beauty experts using fortified, natural ingredients designed to continually improve hair health over time.

"We could not be more excited for our products to be available on Sephora.com," said Tristan Walker, CEO of Walker & Company Brands. "FORM is a prestige hair care collection and we wanted to partner with a like-minded retailer for our initial retail launch. We always want to be where our customers shop and Sephora is where many of them turn for their hair care needs. "

"We are delighted to introduce FORM to our Sephora clients because the brand is passionate about creating products that are tailored to the unique and personal hair care needs of every woman," said Artemis Patrick, Senior Vice President for Merchandising at Sephora. "The brand has worked hard to develop an edited collection of products that is both easy to navigate and addresses the versatility of our client's needs when they are developing a hair regimen. Sephora's mission is to celebrate individual beauty and FORM's personalized approach aligns so well with that."

The FORM Collection includes ten products, ranging from $22 - $32, and offers a number of customized product combinations for a personal hair care experience every day. Products include:

Clarify: Detoxing Shampoo

Cleanse: Gentle Shampoo

Hydrate: Moisturizing Conditioner

Revive: Restorative Conditioner

Multitask: 3-in-1 Leave-In Lotion

Define: Elongating Curl Creme

Sculpt: Defining Curl Gel

Twist: Hydrating Style Creme

Protect: Shielding Heat Serum

Polish: Moisture-Sealing Pomade

FORM is the sister brand of Bevel, known for its Shave System and Trimmer. Both brands are owned by Walker and Company. FORM is currently available for purchase at formbeauty.com and Sephora.com.

About Walker & Company Brands

Walker & Company Brands is a family of brands designing health and beauty solutions for people of color. Our vision is to build the world's most consumer-centric health and beauty products company, inspiring unprecedented customer loyalty. Walker & Company launched with the introduction of the Bevel brand in 2013. Bevel provides grooming products and services designed to help reduce razor bumps and skin irritation. FORM, the first women's prestige hair care collection to celebrate beauty in all its forms, is now available for order at formbeauty.com. To learn more about Walker & Company Brands, visit www.walkerandcompany.com.

About Sephora

Sephora is a leader in global prestige retail, teaching and inspiring clients to play in a world of beauty. Sephora has earned its reputation with its expertise, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit, and has been a pioneer in an unbiased approach to experiential retail since its debut in Paris in the early 1970's. A year after its acquisition by luxury group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 1997, Sephora expanded to North America with a revolutionary store model that broke the beauty experience mold, and continues to evolve today. Now with more than 430 stores in the Americasincluding US, Canada, Mexico, and Brazilplus nearly 600 inside JCPenney, Sephora has become a leading international beauty destination with over 2,300 locations in 33 countries, plus an award-winning website, and intuitive mobile apps. At Sephora, whether beauty is an obsession or part of a routine, clients have the opportunity to play with 14,000 products from 200 carefully curated brands, featuring indie darlings, emerging favorites, trusted classics, and Sephora's own, SEPHORA COLLECTION. In store, the client can access personalized recommendations at the Beauty Studio through interactive technology like the IQ systems, and garner a new look with makeovers, complimentary classes, hands-on events, and one-on-one consultations, all assisted by Sephora's expertly trained beauty advisors who offer unbiased advice on every brand, in every beauty category. Online clients interact with an inclusive beauty community on the award-winning Beauty Board, interactive Beauty Talk, and through social media @Sephora. On their mobile device, clients can get inspired to try new looks through groundbreaking digital innovations, like Sephora Virtual Artist, and access one-of-a-kind, mobile-first experiences, like The BeautyUncomplicator and Swipe It Shop It. And Sephora Beauty Insider clients feed their beauty addiction with unique rewards and customized on-of-a-kind experiences. Sephora offers endless ways to explore beauty. With Sephora Stands, Sephora's multi-pronged social impact program, the retailer continues to support its community and its people via Sephora Accelerate, Classes for Confidence and Sephora Stands Together. For the latest, visit Sephora.com

SOURCE Walker & Company Brands
EDISON, N.J., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) announced today that William Sproule, the Council's President & New Jersey Regional Manager, has been named to the steering committee at the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.

The William J. Hughes Center serves as a catalyst for research on economic and public policy issues in Southern New Jersey. The Center also provides a forum for discussions between citizens and policy makers to encourage civic engagement and increase the voice of Southern New Jersey in the public debate.

"I'm honored to be chosen as a member of the steering committee of the Hughes Center, as it is the hub for important economic growth and public policy discussions in Southern New Jersey and the broader Northeast region," said Sproule. "Our Council is dedicated to helping support important organizations like Stockton University in the areas that our carpenters live and work. Right now, our union carpenters are involved in building numerous Stockton University projects, including the Unified Science Center in Galloway and the new campus in Atlantic City."

In his role as NRCC's President & New Jersey Regional Manager, Sproule duties include: assisting the Council's Executive Secretary-Treasurer with the development of the organization's policies and procedures; overseeing all of the day-to-day operations for the Council's local unions in New Jersey's 21 counties; developing Collective Bargaining agreements; and organizing and expanding work opportunities for union membership.

Sproule worked his way up through the ranks as an apprentice carpenter in the former Atlantic City Local 623 in 1989 and had the opportunity to be a part of building a large majority of the casino and infrastructure projects in Atlantic City including: Bally's, Caesars, Harrahs and the Taj Mahal. His most notable work in the City includes the development of the $330-million-dollar Brigantine Tunnel Connector, where he served as Shop Steward for 90 carpenters.

Sproule was hired by the organization in 1999 as a Council Representative. Since then, he has worked his way into mid-level leadership positions and served on his local's Executive Board. In 2008, Sproule was promoted to Organizing Director and in 2011 New Jersey Regional Manager. During his time with the organization, he has helped to oversee and facilitate two large mergers of the Empire State Council and Metropolitan Regional Council into the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters.

Sproule serves on the NRCC Executive Board and is also a Board Member on the NRCC Scholarship Committee as well as being a trustee on the Northeast Carpenters Health and Welfare Fund and the Executive Finance Committee. He serves as a Board Member on the NJ Building Authority, serving his second term. Sproule has also helped to raise money for the Special Olympics, South Jersey Cancer Fund and Brendan Borek High Tides Memorial Fund.

About the NRCC

The Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) represents nearly 40,000 hardworking men and women in Delaware and New Jersey and portions of Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. NRCC is one of the largest trade unions on the East Coast. The NRCC equips professional men and women carpenters with the skills, training and quality workmanship that are demanded in today's construction industry. For more information on NRCC, please visit our website: www.northeastcarpenters.org; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NortheastRegionalCouncilofCarpenters; or Twitter: https://twitter.com/nrccarpenters.

SOURCE Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC)

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LA JOLLA, Calif., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the world's top physicians and researchers in the field of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer will share the latest developments in this rapidly expanding field at a conference July 16-19 in San Diego. The event at the Hotel Del Coronado attracts hundreds of medical professionals from across the globe and is considered to be the premier international IVF conference.

Reproductive Partners Fertility Center  San Diego, UC San Diego Health, and Spain's Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad are hosting the four-day event on Coronado. The conference is often recognized as the most successful postgraduate IVF course in the world. It's formally known as In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer: A Comprehensive Update.

Speakers will focus on emerging research findings, current Assisted Productive Technology (ART) science and clinical best practices. Special honorees include two IVF innovators. World-renowned stem cell scientist Alan Trounson and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) pioneer Dr. Gianpiero Palmermo are scheduled speakers.

"Year after year, the information shared at this conference sets treatment standards and improves success rates at fertility centers across the nation and beyond," notes Reproductive Partners founder and Co-Scientific Director Dr. David Meldrum. "The impact of the summit is enormous and the expertise of the speakers is unsurpassed. We're delighted to be an integral part of it."

Meldrum organized the first 'Update' thirty years ago. The event doubled in size last year when it moved to San Diego from the original venue in Santa Barbara. In addition to Dr. Meldrum, four other physicians from Reproductive Partners will be presenting and include: Medical Director Dr. Gabriel Garzo, Co-Scientific Director Dr. William Schoolcraft, Dr. Antoni Duleba who is also Division Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at UC San Diego, and Dr. Irene Su, who is also a UC San Diego Fertility Preservation Researcher.

Reproductive Partners, located in La Jolla, leads the way in establishing high standards for success and safety during ART treatment (https://www.fertilityclinicsandiego.com). Their fertility specialists are experiencing phenomenal success with single embryo transfer, a procedure that can virtually eliminate twin pregnancies for IVF patients. Their rate of single embryo transfers is among the highest in the nation.

For more information about the conference agenda and guest speakers, visit the 30th Annual In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer website at https://cme.ucsd.edu/ivf/.

CONTACT: Dionne Mameshin

PHONE: (858) 552-9177

E-MAIL: [email protected]

SOURCE Reproductive Partners Fertility Center

Related Links

https://www.fertilityclinicsandiego.com/


If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
New Delhi, June 29 : Opposition leaders on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on killings in the name of cow protection, saying those sound "hollow" and "mere lip service", as little has changed despite his earlier similar warnings.

Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the series of attacks on people accused of eating beef or slaughtering cows had to stop and "just words will not do".

"We condemn killings taking place in the name of 'gau raksha' (cow protection). This must stop now. Just words not enough," she tweeted.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said Modi's remarks in Sabarmati Ashram condemning killings in the name of cow protection was an eyewash and was done under public pressure. He described it as yet another "publicity stunt".

The Delhi Assembly, where the Aam Aadmi Party is in an overwhelming majority, passed a resolution condemning the killings and violence across the country in the name of religion and urged people to remain alert to threats posed by divisive elements.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi termed Modi's comments as "lip service" and said "gau rakshaks" got direct and indirect support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh Parivar.

"The Prime Minister says killings unacceptable but three alleged killers of Pahlu khan are yet to be arrested and BJP is in power in Rajasthan. Walk the talk Mr. PM," Owaisi tweeted.

"Modi's statement is mere lip service... So long as an animal has a higher premium, killings of human beings will continue," Owaisi added.

"The Prime Minister should ask himself as to who has created this atmosphere of lawlessness in the country. Pro forma condemnations are not enough. The Prime Minister must reaffirm that he believes in the founding values of the Indian state," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari.

Modi, speaking at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Thursday, said that killings in the name of cows were unacceptable and that nobody had the right to take the law in their hands.

Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi, in a sarcasm-laced remark, said the "presence of Gandhiji's living spirit in Sabarmati Ashram" must have affected Modi.

"What he has said is absolutely right but it should be followed by very strong action on the ground. All the perpetrators (of hate crimes) have to be caught and prosecuted and the public's confidence (in law and order) has to be revived," Gandhi told IANS.

Saying that the "state has been complicit in murders in cow's name", Gandhi hoped that Modi's statement would herald the beginning of a change.

Janata Dal United (JD-U) spokesman K.C. Tyagi said he did not see any substance in Modi's remarks.

"The Prime Minister has spoken on cow vigilantism earlier too but it has had little impact on the ground. In fact, every time he issues such advisory to gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes), the incidents of violence in the name of cow go up," Tyagi said.

Communist Party of India leader D. Raja demanded concrete action against the people involved in violence against minorities on one pretext or the other.

"He (Modi) is speaking alright but what is the action that he is suggesting? All the incidents of lynching in the name of cow are happening in BJP-ruled states. So who is patronising the cow vigilantes?" Raja said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Manoj Jha said Modi's words sounded hollow.

"He had made such delayed statements about the Rohith Vemula suicide and the Una incident (thrashing of Dalits) too. Did it stop? What this nation urgently requires is a robust legislation against mob lynchings," Jha told IANS.

On Wednesday, protests were held in several cities across India under the banner of "#NotInMyName" to denounce lynching of innocent people in the name of religion and protection of cows.
Thiruvananthapuram, June 30 : With the Malayalam actress kidnap case taking twists and turns every day, the Congress party in Kerala on Friday demanded a CBI probe into the case.

The party said the role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office in the case should also be probed.

Senior Congress legislator P.T. Thomas said given the "seriousness" of the twists and turns taking place every day in the case, only the Central Bureau of Investigation probe would be able to bring out the "real" truth behind the abduction of the young actress.

He said he was told that the office of Vijayan made a significant intervention in the case.

Thomas expressed surprise at the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) meeting on Thursday, in which three Left lawmakers, who were also actors, took a stand directly opposite to their party's on matters of women's rights and their safety and protection.

CPI-M backed Lok Sabha member and AMMA President Innocent, Kollam legislator Mukesh and Left ally legislator K.B. Ganesh Kumar were criticised by Thomas for attacking the media for raising pertinent questions in the kidnap case.

"This clearly shows that things are not fair and they did not take any favourable stand on the victim. We demand that the CPI-M and the Left should come clean on whether they concur with these lawmakers," said Thomas.

Thomas pointed out that state police chief T.P. Senkumar also on Friday said that the probe should take place in a proper manner.

Senkumar said Additional Director General of Police B. Sandhya should ensure that all the top officials were taken into confidence on the probe.

"This statement itself shows that things are not fair. The very next day after the incident, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave a clean chit and said there was no conspiracy in the kidnap. He said it was done by a group of criminals," Thomas said.

"How can someone who is also the Home Minister make such a statement? I was the first person to reach the place where the actress was kept as a hostage. I raised this issue in the assembly and Vijayan appeared very angry. Let the CBI probe, so the entire conspiracy, if any, would also come out," said Thomas.

Meanwhile the Kollam CPI-M district committee has decided to seek an explanation from Mukesh for his stand at Thursday's AMMA meeting which was directly against the party's declared view and for his outburst against the media.

State Public Works Department Minister and senior CPI-M leader G. Sudhakaran told reporters that journalists should try and probe the things happening inside the film industry.

"Things are very bad there. Things even worse than this kidnap will come out from the film industry here and for that you should probe," said Sudhakaran.

Senior CPI-M leader, former Minister and Kannur Lok Sabha member P.K. Sreemathi said AMMA "is a good organisation, but I doubt if they have the mind of a mother".

"I doubt if they acted in the way they should have acted in this episode. People are all watching everything. Maybe that's one reason why a new organisation by the women in the film industry has taken shape," said Sreemathi.

The stoic silence of superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal at Thursday's press meet also has come under attack.

The Malayalam actress was kidnapped in February, and the incident has created a huge row in the stat.

On Thursday, actor Dileep and his close friend and co-actor Nadir Shah and his manager were questioned for 13 hours that in the case.
Chennai, July 1 : Protesting against the 28 per cent rate under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for their product, manufacturers of fireworks are planning to surrender their factory keys to the District Collector, said a senior official of the Tamil Nadu Fire Works and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TNFWAMA).

"Ours is a labour intensive industry. Nearly 70 per cent of our cost is towards wages. So the input credit that we could claim is very less as compared to other industries. The 28 per cent tax rate will kill this sector," K. Mariappan, General Secretary, TNFWAMA, told IANS.

"When the GST was ushered in and the BJP members in some parts celebrated bursting our crackers, we were actually wearing black dress as a mark of protest," Mariappan added.

He said the general perception that is gaining ground amongst the fireworks manufacturers is that they are not the target but it is the celebration of Diwali that is being targeted through curbs, campaigns and now high tax rate on the industry.

Mariappan said over 800 fireworks factories have downed shutters since June 30, 2017 protesting the 28 per cent tax rate.

"We have decided to close down the factories indefinitely. We will not be in a position to pay the wages. In order to be out of the labour law clutches we plan to hand over the factory keys to the District Collector on Tuesday," Mariappan said.

He said the industry welcomes GST but the tax rate should be lowered to 15 per cent.

"Persisting with 28 per cent tax rate will result in huge tax evasion and the government would be earning far less tax revenue from our industry than what it earns now," Mariappan said.

According to Mariappan, production of fireworks would peak starting June, so that they can be used during the Diwali festival.

"The production has been affected and the continued protest would impact fireworks production. This may lead to illegal imports of unsafe fireworks from China. Despite the government's efforts illegal imports from China continue," Mariappan added.
Bengaluru, July 1 : India will set up 20 world class institutions across the country to promote research and innovation, said Union Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday.

"The government has decided to establish 20 world class institutions across the country to encourage the young talent do research and promote innovation in science and technology," Javadekar told students of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) here.

Asserting that through research and innovation the country could achieve sustainable prosperity, the minister said institutions like the IISc would not face a financial crunch as it would be adequately funded.

"GST (Goods and Services Tax) will enable the government to provide more funds to health, education, research and innovation," reiterated Javadekar while interacting with the faculty and research scholars of the premier institute.

The new indirect tax regime (GST) came into force from Saturday across the country after President Pranab Mukherjee unveiled it in Parliament at the stroke of midnight.

IISc Director Anurag Kumar and other students were present on the occasion.
Dharamsala, July 1 : Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay on Saturday expressed concern over the deteriorating health of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

"I am saddened to learn of Chinese Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo's tragic cancer diagnosis and at the same time relieved to learn of his release on medical parole," a statement quoting Sangay said.

Urging the Chinese government to grant Liu and his family permission on humanitarian grounds to travel abroad for treatment, he said: "I also join the global call and prayers for his recovery."

Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 after being sentenced the previous year to 11 years of imprisonment for inciting subversion of state power.

He was arrested after he signed, along with 300 other intellectuals, the political manifesto Charter 08, which called for constitutional rights such as freedom of the press and expression as well as the implementation of a multi-party system.

At least 154 Nobel laureates have urged Chinese President Xi Jinping in an open letter to allow Xiaobo and his wife Liu Xia to travel to the US for medical treatment.
Madrid, July 2 : FC Barcelona have given 33-year-old defender Jeremy Mathieu permission to train with Sporting Lisbon, opening the way for a possible move to the Portuguese club.

The former Valencia player, who joined Barcelona in 2014, still has a season left on his contract, but the club would probably allow him to move on a free transfer to open up a further place in their first team squad, reports Xinhua news agency.

"FC Barcelona has granted permission for defender Jeremy Mathieu to train on a trial basis during his holidays with Sporting Club de Portugal... Once this period is over, the two clubs and the Frenchman will make a decision on the player's future," the club said on Saturday.

Mathieu has made over 90 appearances for Barcelona in central defence and at left back, but has never been first choice, playing either as a substitute or when Gerard Pique or Javier Mascherano have been injured.
London, July 3 : Discarding the idea that male fertility goes on forever, new research warns that the chances of having a baby through IVF may depend on the age of the male partner as well - not just the age of women.

This study of almost 19,000 IFV treatment cycles showed a decline in the success rate with increasing male partner age.

"Our study found an independent effect of male age on the cumulative incidence of live birth," said investigator Laura Dodge from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, US.

The study, scheduled to be presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting in Geneva on Tuesday, was an analysis of all IVF cycles performed at a large IVF centre in the Boston region between 2000 and 2014, a total of almost 19,000 cycles performed in 7,753 couples.

The female partners in these cycles were stratified according to four age bands -- under 30, 30-35 years, 35-40 years and 40-42.

Men were stratified into these same four age bands, with an additional band of 42 and over.

As expected, the cumulative live birth rate (measured from up to six cycles of treatment) was lowest in those couples where the female partner was in the 40-42 age band, and in this group the age of the male partner had no impact, demonstrating the dominant detrimental effect of female age.

However, within the other bands of female age, the cumulative incidence of live birth was significantly affected by male partner age and was found to decline as the man grew older.

For example, in couples with a female partner aged under 30, a male partner aged 40-42 was associated with a significantly lower cumulative birth rate (46 per cent) than a male partner aged 30-35 (73 per cent).

Similarly, in couples with a female partner aged 35-40 years live birth rates were higher with a younger than with an older male partner.

"Women aged 35-40 did significantly benefit from having a male partner who is under age 30, in that they see a nearly 30% relative improvement in cumulative incidence of live birth when compared to women whose partner is 30-35 - from 54 per cent to 70 per cent," Dodge said.

For women between ages 30 and 35, having a partner who is older than they are is associated with approximately 11 per cent relative decreases in cumulative incidence of live birth when compared with having a male partner within their same age band, Dodge said.

In natural conceptions increasing male age is associated with a decreased incidence of pregnancy, increased time to pregnancy, and increased risk of miscarriage, Dodge noted.

The mechanisms, she added, are unclear but may include impaired semen parameters, increased DNA damage in sperm, and epigenetic alterations in sperm that affect fertilisation, implantation, or embryo development.
Bhubaneswar, July 3 : India on Monday successfully test-fired an indigenously developed short-range and Quick Reaction Surface to Air missile (QRSAM) from Chandipur along the Odisha coast.

The missile was test-fired from Launch Complex-3 at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) around 11.30 a.m from a truck-mounted canister launcher, said official sources.

"All the technologies and subsystems incorporated in the missile have performed well, meeting all the mission requirements," an official statement said.

"All the Radars, Electro Optical Systems, Telemetry Systems and other stations have tracked the Missile and monitored all the parameters. The missile test met all the objectives."

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley congratulated the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) over the successful launch.

"Congratulations to DRDO for successfully test-firing Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile. This will add to India's defence capabilities," Jaitley said in a tweet.

"Successful flight test of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile paves way for complete indigenisation of Surface to Air missile domain," he said.

The state-of-the-art missile has a strike range of 20-30 km and is capable of engaging multiple targets.

The missile has been developed by the DRDO and other establishments.

The missile was tested for a second time to evaluate the performance of its canister version. The first test was conducted on June 4.
Chandigarh, July 3 : With the Congress government in Punjab choosing to remain silent over the issue, the BJP has demanded immediate action against controversial hoardings seeking a 'freedom referendum' in Punjab.

The hoardings, which have come up at various locations across Punjab, talk of "Freedom" and a "Punjab Independence Referendum" in 2020.

The hoardings also prominently carry the photograph of militant-separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in the Army's 'Operation Bluestar' action inside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar in June 1984.

The hoardings have been put up at prominent locations in Rajpura in Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's home district Patiala, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Rupnagar (Ropar) in Punjab.

Neither the state government nor the district authorities or police have taken any action on the matter even though the hoardings have been around for three to four days.

The BJP had on Sunday demanded that the provocative hoardings should be removed by the Punjab government immediately.

"These hoardings have been put up to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab and to encourage hardliners. The Punjab government should immediately get these removed and take action. We don't understand why the Punjab government is not doing anything," BJP Punjab Vice President Harjit Singh Grewal told the media on Sunday.

"We cannot allow such anti-national elements to further Pakistan's agenda and disturb peace in Punjab," Grewal and other BJP leaders said.

The hoardings have been put up on behalf of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who is based in the US.

The SFJ, a US-based pro-Khalistan organization, on MOnday warned the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership in Punjab not to demand the removal of the hoardings.
New Delhi, July 3 : The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hold an urgent hearing of the plea of Calcutta High Court's former judge C.S. Karnan for bail and the recall of order holding him guilty of contempt and sentencing him to six-month imprisonment.

Justice Karnan was arrested by the West Bengal Police on June 20 from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.

The bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud refused to hold an urgent hearing, as Justice Karnan's counsel Mathew J. Nadumpar urged the court to constitute a bench to hear the former judge's plea for bail and recall of the apex court's May 9 order holding him guilty of contempt and sentencing him to six months' imprisonment.

"Declined. We will not accept an oral request against the judgment," the bench said.

Justice Karnan's arrest by the West Bengal Police came 42 days after the apex court on May 9 held him guilty of contempt and sentenced him to six months' imprisonment.

The day (May 9) the Supreme Court held him guilty of contempt and awarded him six-month jail term, Justice Karnan left Kolkata for Chennai.

The top court, in its order, had said: "We are of the unanimous view that Justice C.S. Karnan is guilty of contempt of court and (he) interfered with judicial process of grievous nature."

Justice Karnan was held guilty of contempt for his utterances against the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the apex court.
Kuwait City, July 4 : Qatar has responded to a list of demands from Saudi Arabia-led Arab alliance, which gave Doha an extra 48 hours to decide, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The decision was made after Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani arrived in Kuwait late Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The minister was carrying a handwritten letter from Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait's official KUNA news agency said.

The details of Qatari response were unknown yet.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, which accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, agreed on Monday to a proposal by Kuwait to extend the deadline for Qatar's response to the demand list by 48 hours.

On June 23, the four Arab states issued a list of 13 demands to end the rift with Doha, including closing of the Al-Jazeera news network and cutting diplomatic ties with Iran.

They severed ties with Qatar on June 5 over its alleged support for terrorism.

One day later, the four Arab countries imposed a partial land, sea and air embargo on Qatari-owned means of transport, including state-owned Qatar Airways.

It is reported that 59 individuals and 12 entities based in Qatar have been accused of extremism and terrorism, and these people were also listed as terrorists by the US, European Union and UN.
Chennai, July 4 : Fireworks factories in the southern state were shut for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday in protest against 28 per cent tax levied on them under the GST system, an office-bearer of their association said.

"Today (Tuesday) is the fifth day of closure of fireworks units in Tamil Nadu. The statements made by state and central ministers on input tax credit that can be claimed are not correct," Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TANFAMA) General Secretary K. Mariappan told IANS.

He said the state government should take over the fireworks industry in Tamil Nadu if the 28 per cent tax to be levied under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system was not brought down.

He said all the three fireworks manufacturers associations, lorry transport and fireworks dealer associations met the Virudhunagar District Collector and made their submissions regarding their demand.

According to Mariappan, the government has taken into account the tax rate of 27 per cent paid only by 51 big factories, whereas the industry in general has been paying only 14.5 per cent tax.

"The statements by ministers that input tax credit of 8 to 15 per cent is available for the manufacturers is wrong. We have submitted to the government that the input tax credit available for the units is only four per cent," Mariappan said.
Bengaluru, July 4 : President Pranab Mukherjee will attend the convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on Wednesday in the city.

"The President, who is also the Visitor of the 109-year-old premier institute, will deliver the convocation address and interact with its students and faculty on the occasion," said a statement here on Tuesday.

Mukherjee will also honour 677 students, including post-doctoral research scholars, post-graduates and graduates passing out from the institute with awards and medals.

The ceremony will be held at the J.N. Tata Auditorium in the sprawling green campus of the science institute in the city's northwest suburb.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R. Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will participate in the ceremony in the presence of other dignitaries and select invitees.

"Vehicular movement and traffic on the route from the old HAL airport in the city's eastern suburb to the institute will be regulated and restricted to make way for the President's convoy," police said in a statement.
Mumbai, July 4 : Actress Priyanka Chopra's mother Madhu Chopra on Tuesday rubbished the news of her daughter working with British-Indian filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, saying that it is nothing but a rumour and that no such conversation took place.

Asking about if Priyanka is working with Chadha, Madhu Chopra told IANS here that "what you read is a rumour".

"It is true that I went to Cannes with our Sikkimese film 'Pahuna' for its trailer launch and we met Gurinder there. She told me that she is visiting India soon for her upcoming film 'Partition: 1947' and that we should catch up soon. So I went to meet her at the trailer launch of her film and then went to a coffee shop, where few journalists saw us chatting and made news out of it!

"She was talking about her upcoming projects and the kind of stories she is working on etc. but we did not have any conversation on casting Priyanka in her next. You know, the next day when news came out, Gurinder got so upset and texted me saying 'Indian media is so exasperating! What is wrong with them?'," she said.

"Gurinder also told me that 'Madhu, I did not talk to the press or gave any quotes, so please don't take me wrong'. This is annoying; journalists should be more responsible while reporting on anything," added Chopra.

She said that in these days of social media and online journalism, people write many things without doing proper research work and that this is not the first time such miscommunication happened.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 31 at Berlin, Priyanka also faced lots of trolling and criticism for her knee-length dress that exposed her legs. Later Priyanka put out a picture along with her mother on Instagram captioning it: "legs of the day".

Asking about her opinion on Priyanka's way of dealing with gossipmongers and criticism, Chopra said: "All I taught her, if you have done no wrong, you have nothing to fear. She was going for 'Baywatch' promotion, suddenly she bumped onto Mr Modi, she cannot go for a dress change and come back to say hello? The meeting was not pre-planned, it was impromptu."

According to her, the picture of mother and daughter was a subtle answer to those trollers, without being preachy and her presence was the sign of her blessing as a mother.

"These days, social media trollers are just seeking for attention without focusing on content.. yes they are getting two minutes of fame but there is no credibility," said Chopra who is quite busy with their upcoming Marathi film "Kay Re Rascalaa" produced by Purple Pebble Pictures. It is releasing on July 14.
Lindau (Germany), July 5 : Should scientists be vocal in politics and intervene to dispel myths, or should they simply ignore ongoing controversies and limit themselves to fact-finding?

Expressing disappointment and disbelief on subjects ranging from the US administration's views on climate change, vaccines, the wall, as well as Brexit, a section of Nobel laureate scientists hold they should be more politically active in this "post-truth era".

Yet there are other winners of the prestigious honour who advocate a middle path: Speak up on global challenges. The majority seem to believe that in the "post-truth era" it is easy to cherry-pick data and come to a conclusion that is influenced by personal belief and appeals to emotion.

Swedish laureate Tomas Lindahl, whose work on DNA repair has increased the understanding of how cells work, and the causes of cancer and ageing processes, asserted he is in "strong opposition" to policies like Brexit and Trump's statements embracing "discredited theories" linking vaccines to autism.

"Yes, I think scientists should participate in politics, especially given what is happening today. It is quite disappointing -- things like Brexit, Trump believing vaccines are dangerous. International cooperation is essential in science and I feel strongly about Brexit," Lindahl told IANS on the sidelines of the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting here where 'Science in a Post-truth Era' was one of the core topics.

The 79-year-old Lindahl says although he can't spend too much time away from the lab, he signs petitions and expresses his opinion on specific topics from time to time.

Lindahl's Israeli counterpart Dan Shechtman, however, cautioned against aligning science and politics, but agreed that when it comes to subjects with global consequences, scientists have a responsibility to inform the public.

"I don't think scientists should involve themselves in politics. Scientists and politicians do not speak the same language. Politicians have their own interests," Shechtman, who won the Nobel in Chemistry for the discovery of quasicrystals, told IANS.

On the same note, American physical chemist and Nobel laureate William E. Moerner reasoned scientists should stick to doing basic research.

Dutch researcher Bernard Feringa, who won the Nobel in 2016, advocated communicating science to politicians and the public given the present political climate, where there seems to be a schism between science and society.

He said the belief that "science is important to our future" must be reinforced.

"We have to continue to not be frightened to speak out against Brexit," stated English Nobel laureate Sir John Walker.

But Israeli Nobel winner Avram Hershko had a guarded response.

"We should be involved to a certain degree. We are not politicians. It is not what we know how to do. On the other hand, winning a Nobel prize gives a certain weight to what we have to say. If you see things like global warming or climate change, then we should say humanity is responsible for that and, therefore, we should do something," Hershko told IANS.

Arturo Borja, Director of International Cooperation of Mexico's National Council of Science & Technology, however, is of the firm belief that science should not be basis for political action.

"Scientists should not use scientific evidence to propose ideological values," Borja warned.

(Sahana Ghosh was in Germany at the invitation of the Council for the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. She can be reached at sahana.g@ians.in)
New Delhi, July 5 : In the face of the current crisis in the Gulf where four countries led by Saudi Arabia have snapped diplomatic ties with Qatar, Riyadh is of the view that Doha must immediately stop support for extremist organisations and interference in other countries internal affairs in the region's interest.

Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to India Saud bin Mohammad Al-Sati also stressed that there has been "no blockade of any sort" against Qatar.

"Unfortunately, Qatar did not honour the agreements it had signed in 2013 and 2014 and continued in its interventions in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia, in the internal affairs of Bahrain, UAE and Egypt, and continued their support for extremist organisations and hosting leaders of extremist organisations and terrorist organisations," Al-Sati told IANS in an interview.

He said that several years of negotiations ended with Qatar signing an agreement in 2013 followed by another agreement in 2014 in Riyadh in which Doha promised to "fulfill its obligations and end its policies and violations" about which the four countries had complained against.

Asked why the four countries cut off diplomatic ties soon after US President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in May, he said the problem with Qatar has been going on for a long time now.

"We have been for the last two decades addressing these complaints and grievances with the Qatari government," the Saudi Ambassador said.

"There was a lengthy dialogue and talks with the Qataris over what we consider interventions of our internal affairs, violations of their commitments as member of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, and spreading hate and incitements in the Saudi society and so on."

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

"I would like to say here that the interests of the region will be better served if Qatar ends the crisis (by) getting rid of the leaders of the terrorist and extremist organisations that they have hosted," the envoy said.

After Saudi Arabia, along with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut of diplomatic ties with gas-rich Qatar on June 5, the four countries sent a list of 13 demands to Doha to end the impasse.

The demands include Qatar ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, closing TV news channel Al-Jazeera, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and shutting down a Turkish military base it hosts.

Though Qatar initially said that the demands were meant to be rejected, it responded on Monday through Kuwait which has been acting as a mediator.

Al-Sati said that Kuwait has asked for a further 48 hours to give the details of the response, which the four countries have agreed to.

Asked whether the current impasse would affect expatriates, including 630,000 Indians in Qatar, he said that he did not see this directly affecting the general people in that country.

"A point I would like to highlight here is that there was no blockade of any sort. They have their airspace open. Their seaports and their access to seas is open," Al-Sati said.

Stating that Qatar's imports and exports were open, he, however, said that the only restriction has been put on Qatar Airways - using Saudi airspace - and banning Qatari ships "from using our seaports".

"This is very limited to the Qatar Airways and Qatari ships. Other airlines can fly as normal. Even if they land in Qatar they can fly over the Saudi (air) space. So, there was no embargo whatsoever."

Al-Sati also clarified that there were no restrictions whatsoever on Qatar's imports and exports, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

Asked whether the current impasse would affect Qatar's gas supplies to India, the Saudi Ambassador said: "I don't see any link here."

(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)
Thiruvananthapuram, July 5 : Dismissing media speculation, popular Malayalam character actor and Lok Sabha member Innocent on Wednesday said he is not quitting as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA).

Speaking to IANS over phone, Innocent said he has no clue how such news was being spread.

"What you hear is just a figment of the imagination of the media. I have not even thought of quitting as president of AMMA," said Innocent.

Some TV channels on Wednesday put out the news that Innocent was quitting and that talks have begun to find a replacement.

Innocent has been the president of AMMA for over a decade now. However, things went for a toss ever since last week's AMMA annual general body meeting and press meet, where he feigned ignorance regarding the controversial actress kidnap case. Innocent put up a weak defence to the questions about the deliberations at the GBM regarding the actress kidnap case, and came under severe attack from various quarters.

This is the first time in his long tenure as AMMA president that he has come under attack. Innocent is also a CPI-M backed Lok Sabha member from Chalakkudy constituency in Thrissur district.

Later addressing a press meet at Thrissur, Innocent said that two of the AMMA members, legislators Mukesh and K.B. Ganesh Kumar, while speaking at the post-GBM press conference had failed to control themselves "which was wrong".

He also extended an apology to the media over the behaviour of AMMA members.

"Also, I wish to apologise to you (media) for the manner in which our members responded by hooting at the media when answers were being given by us on that day. It was not proper," said Innocent.

He said that he himself asked Dileep, following allegations of the actor's involvement in the kidnap case, whether he has any role, and Dileep "coolly replied that he has no role in it".
Jerusalem, July 5 : India and Israel are expected to ink several agreements in key sectors as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu here on Wednesday.

The two leaders held restricted talks ahead of the delegation-level talks.

"Taking yesterday's discussions forward. PM @narendramodi and PM @netanyahu meet for restricted talks in Jerusalem," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted along with pictures of the two leaders.

Earlier on Wednesday, Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin who broke protocol and welcomed the Indian leader with a hug as he alighted from the car ahead of the meeting.

"I am very grateful to the President for welcoming me so warmly," Modi told the media. "He broke protocol and came out to the alighting point to welcome me. This is a mark of respect for the people of India."

Later on Wednesday, Modi is scheduled to meet Moshe Holtzberg, whose young Jewish parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, were killed during the attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai in the 26/11 terror attacks.

He will also address a 4,000-strong gathering of the Indian diaspora in Israel in the evening.

Modi arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday in what is the first ever prime ministerial visit from India to Israel. This year, both countries are marking the 25th anniversary of establishment of full diplomatic ties.
New Delhi, July 5 : Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship HMAS Newcastle is currently on a four-day visit to Kochi, an official said on Wednesday.

The ship reached Kochi port on Tuesday and will stay there till July 7.

Its Commanding Officer, Commander M.D. Sirois, accompanied by Australian High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu and Defence Attache Captain Sheldon Williams, called on Vice Admiral A.R. Karve, AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command (SNC), to discuss issues of mutual interest.

A guided tour for Indian naval personnel on board the HMAS Newcastle as well as conducted tour of some training units under the SNC at Kochi, like Anti-Submarine Warfare School and Damage Control Training Facility 'Avinash', for the ship's crew have been planned, an official statement said.

The ship's crew will also visit places of public interest at Fort Kochi, Marine Drive, and various museums at Kochi.

The ship will participate in a passage exercise along with Indian Navy ships off Kochi on July 7.

Indian naval ships Jyoti, Shivalik, and Kamorta, from the Eastern Fleet had visited Freemantle in Australia from June 13-17 and participated in the second edition of AUSINDEX-17, a bilateral maritime exercise between the two navies.

"The naval cooperation between the two countries is in pursuance of India's 'Act East' policy to promote bilateral relations and enhance interoperability between both navies," the statement added.
Patna, July 5 : RJD leader Lalu Prasad on Wednesday appealed to all non-BJP and like-minded parties to come together to defeat the BJP in the general election of 2019 but avoided any reference to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Addressing hundreds of party leaders and workers here to mark the 21st foundation day of his Rashtriya Janata Dal, Lalu Prasad said there was an attempt to spread hate in the country by "vested interests".

He alleged there was an "undeclared Emergency-like situation" in the country.

"The BJP told lies to the people in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The central government has cheated and betrayed the people by not fulfilling any of the promises made to them in the last three years," he said.

"Where are the two crore jobs for the youth? Where is the MSP for farmers? Where is the black money from foreign banks? Where are the 'achche din'?"

The former Bihar Chief Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power "because we are divided".

"In the name of protecting the cow, people have been killed. Farmers have been committing suicide. There is a dangerous situation in the country."

He urged all non-BJP parties to come together to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha battle but made no reference to Nitish Kumar or his Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which has broken ranks with the RJD and other opposition parties over the upcoming Presidential election.

"If Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, two former Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, join hands, the BJP will be finished," he declared.

Lalu Prasad said the Modi government was targeting the AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BSP chief Mayawati, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka and his own family "because if all of them join hands, the BJP will be nowhere".

RJD leaders including Finance Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui as well as Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, the two sons of Lalu Prasad, attended the meeting.
Dhaka, July 5 : Devastating flooding in parts of Bangladesh has affected some 900,000 people and displaced thousands of families, officials said on Wednesday.

According to Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Secretary Shah Kamal, authorities had already rushed disaster response teams to carry out rescue work, distribute relief materials and supervise centres where nearly 2,000 families took shelter.

"Some 900,000 people were affected due to floods in three districts," Kamal told Xinhua news agency.

He said the affected districts include Sylhet and Moulvibazar in northeastern Bangladesh and Cox's Bazar in the country's southeast.

Floods triggered by heavy seasonal rains and onrush of water had caused widespread damage to habitation, crops, roads and highways across vast areas of the country.

In many places, the floods eroded large portions of villages, agricultural land and washed away buildings. Hundreds of educational institutes were also shut down.

Authorities evacuated residents of hundreds of villages to higher ground in the districts that were prone to torrential rains between June and September.

A flood monitoring centre in Dhaka said people in flood-affected villages in the country's northeast and southeastern regions were marooned as their homes went under up to waist high water.

TV footage on Wednesday showed the residents wading through flooded roads or on boats in search of shelter or a dry ground to live temporarily. Officials said that no disaster-related deaths from injuries or illness were listed so far.

Among the 90 monitored water level stations, water levels at seven monitored river stations were flowing above their respective danger marks while 65 river stations showed rising trend.

Apart from the government, local and foreign organisations were also extending support to Bangladeshi flood victims.
Jerusalem, July 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India and Israel have agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism and growing radicalization.

"India has suffered first hand the violence and hatred spread by terror, so has Israel," Modi said while jointly addressing the media with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu after delegation-level talks.

"The Prime Minister and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to fight growing radicalization," Modi said.

Modi, who arrived in Israel on Friday, is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Middle Eastern country. The two countries are celebrating this year the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Modi said the goal of India and Israel was to build a relationship that reflected the shared priorities and drew on the enduring bonds between people of the two countries.

"We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership."

He said he and Netanyahu had productive discussions not only on bilateral cooperation but also on issues of global peace and stability.

On people-to-people ties, Modi said that while there had been an increase in the number of Israeli tourists visiting India, more and more Indian students were coming to Israel for higher studies.

Netanyahu said Modi's visit had been "a deeply moving moment" for him personally.

He said while the Israel-India match was a match made in heaven, he and Modi had agreed to go ahead with their plans with "feet firmly planted on the ground".

"We are being challenged by the forces of terrorism. We will cooperate in this area," he said.

Netanyahu said he and the Indian leader discussed cooperation in many areas, including agriculture and water management.

Following Wednesday's talks, India and Israel signed seven agreements, including three on cooperation in space technology, two on water, one on agriculture and one on setting up an India-Israel industrial R&D and technological innovation fund.
Nairobi, July 5 : Women and girls have been sexually exploited in return for food in northern Kenya, where gender-based violence is on the rise, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said on Wednesday.

"The IRC's work with women and girls in northern Kenya has served as a critical lifeline for those who have experienced sexual gender-based violence and others forced to engage in sex work to survive," Conor Philips, Kenya Country Director at the IRC, was quoted as saying by Efe news.

Food and water in Kenya are in short supply due to drought, leaving the African country on the brink of famine.

The IRC explained that the food crisis has led to an increase in early and forced marriages, and involvement in "transactional sex".

Additionally, 12-year-old girls, who moved from rural to urban areas for prostitution, receive, according to the IRC, 50 shillings ($0.50) in exchange for sex.

Many of these girls told the NGO that their family members were relying on them for food.

"The current drought has led to a scarcity of food and an increase in women and girls who need support -- now more than ever," Philips added.

At least 2.6 million Kenyans suffer from food insecurity caused by drought, which has led to losing livestock, malnutrition, infectious diseases and a fivefold increase in food prices.

The IRC denounced the lack of funding for its programmes aimed to support this vulnerable population. In 2016, donors cut funding for programmes dealing with gender-based violence, psychosocial support, reproductive health, and mentorship to adolescent girls, among others.

"Donors should reinstate funding now, supporting girls to get out of commercial sex work and have better and safer opportunities to feed themselves and their families," he said.

The IRC, which was founded in 1933 to help victims of Nazism in Germany, operates in 42 countries to help people affected by war, civil conflict or oppression.
Kolkata, July 5 : The West Bengal Police on Wednesday cautioned against spreading rumours on social media that could "disturb" communal harmony.

The directive came a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that communal violence broke out in the state's North 24-Parganas district following a Facebook post.

"Responsible people must tweet responsibly, not with the aim of spreading rumours & disturbing communal harmony. Don't Spread any Rumour. Administration is taking full care to maintain Peace and Harmony," the West Bengal Police said on Twitter.

Referring to rumours being spread through social media posts about incidents at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division, Banerjee on Tuesday lashed out at the central government.

"We support social media but the central government has an agenda. Sometimes it is to create a hate group and cause riots via Facebook. Yesterday's incident is like that. There have been false posting of pictures which don't have any link to reality," she told the media here on Tuesday.

Banerjee said the person who posted the objectionable matter on Facebook was arrested immediately.
Itanagar, July 5 : Wreckage, possibly of the Indian Air Force helicopter which went missing in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday, was spotted on Wednesday, but the fate of its three crew members is unknown, officials said.

"It appears that a wreckage of a helicopter has been spotted between Yupia and Hoj Telam in Papum Pare rural district. However, we are yet to confirm if the debris was of the missing IAF chopper," state police chief Sandeep Goel told IANS.

He said the fate of the three crew members is not known.

Tezpur-based defence spokesperson, Lt Col Sombit Ghosh said that the IAF which conducted an aerial survey had "spotted something" which could be of the helicopter.

"We cannot confirm anything to you as yet. Let the search and rescue operation team in the ground reach the spot and ascertain what it is," Ghosh told IANS.

Meanwhile, the rescue teams from the army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and police searching for the crew members and the helicopter suspended their operation for the day following darkness.

The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the IAF engaged in flood rescue mission in the state went missing at 3.50 p.m. on Tuesday after it took off from Pilputu Helipad near Sagalee for the Naharlagun heliport.

The helicopter was evacuating people stranded in Sagalee and Dambuk due to massive landslides caused by heavy rains.

Ghosh said the chopper had gone out for flood rescue operations from its base in Jorhat on Tuesday morning.

Papum Pare district official J.Pertin said the helicopter, used to evacuate people stranded due to floods in Sagalee, had made five sorties since it arrived there at around 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday.

"In the sixth sortie to Naharlagun, for unknown reason, the crew did not take the last batch of nine civilians and took off from Sagalee with just one policeman, who was deployed to help the two crew members and then went missing," Pertin told IANS.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said in a tweet that 169 persons had been evacuated from Sagalee and Dambuk by the Indian Air Force during the day till then.

Sagalee is just north of Itanagar while Dambuk in Lower Dibang Valley is about 350 km east of the state capital.
Mumbai, July 5 : The Tata Sons on Wednesday strongly refuted a statement by its ousted Chairman Cyrus P. Mistry which sought to insinuate wrongdoing in the affairs of AirAsia India by Tata Trusts' Managing Trustee R. Venkataramanan.

On the contrary, AirAsia India - with the support of Tata Sons - has taken definitive steps both in civil and criminal courts which have cleared the air in relation to the "mischievous" allegations made by the SP Group Companies in the National Company Law Tribunal, it said.

"Tata Sons is of the view that the frivolous allegations levied by Mistry and the SP Group are value destructive," the company said.

Contrary to Mistry's allegations, the Tata Sons emphatically denied "any conduct which could be said to be oppressive or resulting in mismanagement" and said it ironical that Mistry continues to make statements that his actions are in the interest of the Tata group.

"On the contrary, his actions thus far have consistently harmed the reputation of Tata group. Tata Sons continues to evaluate its legal options in this regard," the company said.

The company pointed out that it has the highest respect for the judiciary and has never resorted to "muzzle and interfere with legal proceedings" as alleged by Mistry.

The Tata Sons statement came a day after a Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate issues process (summons) to Mistry and his brother Shapoor Pallonji and others in connection with a Rs 500-crore criminal defamation case filed by Venkataramanan.

The magistrate has ordered Mistry and other accused to appear before the court, or be represented through their lawyers, on August 24 when the next hearing is scheduled.

Shortly after this, Mistry on late Tuesday issued a statement terming the criminal prosecution for alleged defamation as an "ill-advised and immature proxy battle" through Venkataramanan.

He added that Venkataramanans' role in AirAsia is the subject matter of several investigations by law enforcement agencies.

Last year, on October 24, the Tata Sons' board had ejected Mistry as its Chairman.
New Delhi, July 5 : Rice exporters have appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene to postpone the European Union's decision by two years to reduce tolerance level of fungicide tricyclazole to near-zero level.

The All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) on Wednesday said the virtual ban on tricyclazole, which is widely used by Basmati farmers, will not just affect traders but have negative impact on farmers' livelihood.

A delegation led by the Commerce Ministry is set to visit the EU next week to resolve the issue.

The EU has decided to bring down minimum residue level (MRL) for Basmati rice from one ppm to 0.01 ppm from January 2018, which means the rice exports to the EU will come down almost to zero.

"It is not possible for our farmers to stop use of tricyclazole immediately as it is effective and cheap. We need time to educate our farmers to bring down its use or find alternative. However, all these cannot be done in a short time," AIREA President Vijay Setia said.

"We want the Prime Minister to intervene and ask the EU to postpone the planned ban for two years so that we get time to settle the matter."

Tricyclazole is developed by Dow Agri Sciences and widely used to combat diseases such as leaf blast and neck blast affecting the paddy crop.

The current MRL in the US and India is three while it is nine in Japan. There are no scientific evidences of the harmful effects of the tricyclazole on human health, Setia added.

Brigadier (Retd) J.S. Oberoi of LT Foods said India can go to the World Trade Organisation claiming disruption of trade. "However, it is a lengthy process and may not be effective."

Setia said if Indian Pusa Basmati rice failed to make it to Europe, Pakistan will be the biggest beneficiary as its Super Basmati rice -- close competitor to Indian Basmati rice -- comes without tricyclazole residue.

According to the AIREA, 3.5 lakh tonnes of Basmati rice is exported to the EU from India every year while Pakistan exports 30-40 thousands tonnes.
Mumbai, July 5 : The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday resounded with cries of BJP members shouting "Modi, Modi", followed by Shiv Sena's "Chor Hai, Chor Hai", culminating in clashes in which a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Corporator was roughed up.

The incident took place in the presence of Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray who were at the BMC for a speicl function to mark the formal rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the country's richest civic body.

As soon as Thackeray arrived to the civic headquarters, BJP corporators raised loud slogans of "Modi, Modi", which was retaliated to by Shiv Sena corporators with deafening shouts of "Chor Hai, Chor Hai". Soon it turned into a free for all.

BJP corporator Makarand Narvekar was allegedly roughed up by some Shiv Sena corporators in the melee in the lobby outside the BMC house.

However, Shiv Sena corporator Kishori Pednekar claimed that they reacted when Narvekar and some other corporators raised slogans against Shiv Sena founder, the late Bal Thackeray.

On his part, Narvekar denied he used insulting words against Bal Thackeray and said he was assaulted even before the function started in the BMC house.

The slogan-war continued till an embarrassed Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar appealed for peace and gradually the ruckus subsided.

Some Shiv Sena corporators even claimed that they mistook the BJP's slogans for "Modi, Modi" as implying Lalit Modi and retorted with "Chor Hai, Chor Hai".

Later, Mungantiwar handed over a cheque of Rs 647 crore to the BMC as compensation for the losses it would suffer after its biggest revenue source octroi was replaced with GST from July.

"The state government does not want the progress of Mumbai to be affected in any manner, so we are handing over this amount to compensate for the losses on account of octroi," said Mungantiwar.
Washington, July 5 : US President Donald Trump left Washington on Wednesday for Europe, where he will visit Poland and later attend the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mexican President Enrique PeAa Nieto in the German port city during the July 7-8 summit, Efe news reported.

Air Force One left Andrews Base in Maryland at 7.15 a.m. and Trump is expected to arrive in Polish capital Warsaw on Wednesday night.

First Lady Melania Trump is accompanying her husband on his second foreign trip since being inaugurated on January 20.

Trump's European tour starts as tensions with North Korea continue to rise following Pyongyang's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range that, according to experts, could allow it to strike Alaska.

While Russia and China have called for restraint and renewed negotiations with North Korea, South Korea and the US reacted with a joint military drill.

In Hamburg, Trump is also scheduled to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Premier Theresa May, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, among other leaders.
New Delhi, July 5 : A 21-year-old man and seven minors were arrested on Wednesday on charge of robbing an auto-rickshaw driver at knife-point, police said.

The victim was driving from Shastri Park to Khajuri in north Delhi late at night when the eight accused boarded his auto-rickshaw and asked him to take them to Khajuri Chowk, police said.

One of them threatened the driver with a knife near 5th Pusta Usmanpur while the others snatched his mobile phone and Rs 1,500, Deputy Commissioner of Police A.K. Singla said.

As they fled in different directions, the auto-rickshaw driver chased one of them, which was witnessed by a police officer who caught him.

Singla said main accused Ashif, 21, of Uttar Pradesh led police to the others involved in the crime.
Beijing, July 5 : Amid calls for war by the state-run media, China on Monday accused India of lying to the public on the border row and again warned New Delhi to withdraw troops to "avoid worsening of the situation."

As Beijing raised the decibel over the latest border stand-off in the Sikkim sector, it also hinted that the development could derail the boundary talks.

China also said India had "trampled upon" the Panchsheel pact by illegally entering into Chinese territory.

Not mincing his words, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said the nature of the stand-off in Doklam was "serious" and repeatedly asked New Delhi to withdraw troops from the area.

He also indicated that Beijing could issue a travel alert to its citizens visiting Indian depending on the security situation.

Adding to the heightened tensions and talk of war, in its sharpest comment since Indian and Chinese troops scuffled in Doklam, state-run Global Times said China must teach India "a bitter lesson".

In an editorial, the Chinese Communist Party-run newspaper said China will inflict greater losses on India than in the 1962 war if New Delhi incited military conflict.

It also said Indians will be "kicked out" of Doklam by the Chinese military.

"We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson," the editorial said.

In his briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that India had "misguided" its public about the proximity of Doklam to India.

Geng said Doklam, which the Chinese refer to as Donglong, is not at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan as claimed by New Delhi.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," Geng said.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point," he added.

India has opposed China's road construction in Doklam, which is a disputed territory between Thimphu and Beijing.

Beijing says the road building is on Chinese territory. Bhutan has opposed it, and says the ownership of Doklam is yet to be decided.

Geng said the present stand-off could hit border talks between India and China.

"Actually we have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary questions with the Special Representative mechanism."

"But this incident I believe violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representative Mechanism and also is in contrast to the efforts made by the two sides previously," he said.

There have been 19 rounds of talks under the Special Representatives mechanism since 2003.

Accusing India of dumping the Panchsheel, he said: "As we all know, China, India and Myanmar in the 1950s jointly proposed five principles of peaceful coexistence (Panchsheel).

"However, to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side has trampled on the basic norms of international relations that were proposed by itself by illegally crossing into others' territory," Geng added.

Geng reiterated that withdrawal of troops by India from the Doklam was a precondition for dialogue between both sides.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off in Doklam on the Sikkim sector since the middle of June.

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 two countries share a little over 200 km of border in the Sikkim sector.

Following the face-off, China last week suspended the pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet where Indians travel via the Nathu La Pass, which has been shut.

India 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".

(Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com and gauravians@yahoo.com)
Mumbai, July 5 : Tata Finance's controversial former managing director Dilip S. Pendse committed suicide at his residence here on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

His body was hanging from a ceiling fan and a suicide note was recovered in which he has mentioned "personal reasons" and "frustrations due to personal life issues" for the extreme step.

The Matunga police suspect he must have committed suicide between 9.30 a.m.-2.30 p.m. at his residence near the Swaminarayan Temple in Dadar east.

They have registered an accidental dearth report and sent the body for an autopsy to Sion Hospital.

Pendse, 61, had several brushes with the law in the past and was arrested in 2003 by the Delhi Police for certain fraudulent transactions and had been jailed for a brief period then.

Last year, Pendse and some others were barred by markets watchdog Sebi for two years for certain illegal transactions in another case.

Following a high-profile tiff with the Tata group, he had been removed from the Tata Finance top post of MD way back in 2001.
New Delhi, July 5 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the city government to respond on a petition seeking free education provided under the Right to Education (RTE) Rules should include teaching aids used by private schools for care of children with special needs and disabilities.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar asked Delhi government's Department of Education to convene a meeting with NGO, Justice for All, to work out solution to the issue.

The court said: "A meeting may be held between the petitioner and the competent authorities of the Department of Education, government of NCT of Delhi. Deliberation in the meeting may be placed before the Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, government of India, who may place its stand before this court on the next date of hearing."

The high court has posted the case for further hearing on July 31.

Hearing the plea that sought Rule 8(1) of Delhi Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011 have failed to take into consideration the rights of persons with disability, the bench was of the view that the issue can be resolved by a meeting with the government as "government schools are doing better than private ones".

The plea filed by advocate Khagesh Jha argued that the intervention of the competent authority of the Ministry of Human Resource Development would be necessary as 25 per cent quota is worked under the grant of the central government to the Delhi government.
Itanagar/New Delhi, July 5 : A search and rescue team of the Arunachal Police on Wednesday said it has found the wreckage of the missing IAF helicopter and two mutilated bodies near it. The IAF however said it was not certain if the debris was of its missing Advanced Light Helicopter.

An official of the Papua Pare district sent a radio message to state Chief Secretary Shakuntala Gamlin and other officials in Itanagar, saying that the wreckage of the Indian Air Force helicopter had been spotted at an inaccessible deep gorge at Sopo Yuha about 3 p.m.

The crash site is near Hostalam village, about 30 km from Itanagar.

"We have located the wreckage and two mutilated bodies of the crew members in a deep gorge near the waterfalls," said Inspector General of Police, Law and Order, Nabin Payeng.

Although, the wreckage has been spotted by IAF team aerial survey, the IAF ground party are yet to reach the wreckage site to ascertain it.

IAF officials in New Delhi said it was not certain if it was of the helicopter that went missing on Tuesday while engaged in flood evacuation.

"The search is continuing. Certain leads that the ground parties obtained will be intensively searched once the weather clears tomorrow," an IAF official said.

In Tezpur, defence spokesperson, Lt Col Sombit Ghosh said that the IAF which conducted an aerial survey had "spotted something" which could be of the helicopter.

"We cannot confirm anything to you as yet. Let the IAF search and rescue operation team in the ground reach the spot and ascertain what it is," Ghosh told IANS.

"We have not issue any official photographs of the wreckage. We are not aware of the source of the photograph that has been flashed in the social media and media," he said.

The chopper went missing on Tuesday at 3.50 p.m. after it took off from Pilputu Helipad near Sagalee for the Naharlagun heliport.

The helicopter was evacuating people stranded in Sagalee and Dambuk due to massive landslides caused by heavy rains.

Papum Pare district official J.Pertin said the helicopter, used to evacuate people stranded due to floods in Sagalee, had made five sorties since it arrived there at around 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday.

"In the sixth sortie to Naharlagun, for unknown reason, the crew did not take the last batch of nine civilians and took off from Sagalee with just one policeman, who was deployed to help the two crew members and then went missing," Pertin told IANS.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted that 169 persons had been evacuated from Sagalee and Dambuk by the Indian Air Force during the day till then.

Sagalee is just north of Itanagar while Dambuk in Lower Dibang Valley is about 350 km east of the state capital.
New Delhi, July 5 : The Congress on Wednesday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi and Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi for "misusing" their constitutional offices.

It accused Bedi of having sworn in three lawmakers illegally "in the dead of night".

"The Lt. Governor of Puducherry violated every established norm and tradition to swear in three defeated BJP candidates as nominated MLAs in the dead of night yesterday," Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said at a press conference.

Citing the act as a "flagrant" violation of the "provisions of Rules of Business of Government of Puducherry 1963, framed under section 46 of the Government of Union Territory Act", she called Bedi "a political puppet subserving the interest of BJP" and not of the Constitution.

Bedi had sworn in BJP's Puducherry unit President V. Swaminathan, the state unit treasurer K.G. Shankar, and RSS member Selvaganapathy.

The Congress also attacked other BJP-appointed Governors, charging them with "using the august office" for the BJP's "conspiratorial machinations".

Dev targeted the West Bengal Governor, for a "disrespectful, distasteful, and overbearing conduct" towards Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee had on Tuesday alleged receiving a highhanded telephone call from Tripathi, which she called "insulting" and "humiliating", in the wake of eruption of violence in 24 North Paraganas' Basirhat.

Tripathi in a statement issued later dismised the allegations as "an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert the attention from the main issue of law and order".

The Congress has demanded the resignation of both functionaries for, what it called, a compromise on "the basic tenets of Constitutional propriety".

It also trained its guns on former Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmuganathan accusing him of "running a 'ladies club' out of Raj Bhavan". Shanmuganathan resigned in January this year over the same charges.

Other Governors who were accused by the party of infractions in their conduct during their tenure were Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, Manipur Governor Najma Heptullah, former Arunachal Pradesh Governor J.P. Rajkhowa, and Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy.
Kolkata, July 6 : Alleging that a conspiracy has being hatched against her government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced the formation of 'Shanti Vahini' (peace army) at every booth in the state to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Banerjee also claimed that the situation was now "normal" in North 24 Parganas district's Basirhat sub-division, where communal tension had erupted.

"We have taken an administrative decision to create 'Shanti Vahini' at all the booths in the state by including the local police stations and the students and youths of the locality.

"They would monitor if anyone is conspiring to spread tension or start a riot in the area. The teams would also check if these people are misleading the locals by spreading rumours about robbery, riot in order to polarise them for their own benefit," she said.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said the Shanti Vahini would get administrative backing and work together with police to maintain peace in their area.

Accusing the BJP of conspiring to instigate unrest in the state, she said a political party should not use its power and machinery to spread rumours and start a riot.

"A political party can be in power at the Centre or the state but they have no right to start a riot or spread rumours by misusing their power and the government machinery," said Banerjee.

"I have heard that provocative things were said at a meeting near south Kolkata's Hazra. If it was a mixed area inhabited by different communities. There could have been a riot due to this. BJP is holding such provocative meetings directly under their party's banner," she alleged.

Taking a swipe at BJP for the volatile situation in states like Uttar Pradesh where they are at the helm, Banerjee said she would call an all party meeting only if it was necessary.

However, she refused to pass any more comments about the statement issued by Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi saying she has already articulated her stand on Tuesday.

Stating that the communal tension took place at a very small pocket in the North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee claimed that the state government has brought the situation under control in spite of "a political party's attempt" to incite people.

"This issue has happened in a small area. There is no reason to fret over it so much. This was engineered on social media by a particular political party. Both groups were instigated. To us, all are same. The situation is under control now. Some wanted to stoke fire, but I have not let that happen," she added.
Bengaluru, July 6 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday lauded the alumni and faculty of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for advancing research in science and technology.

"Alumni and faculty of IISc have played and continue to play a strong role in leading national science and technology institutions and in various advisory or administrative roles in the government," said Mukherjee, the IISc's Visitor, at its annual convocation here .

Noting that IISc maintained its reputation of being a premier institute of higher education and research, he said its academic stature as the country's best university was confirmed by the National Institutional Rankings Framework.

"Over the century-old institute has laid emphasis on the pursuit of basic knowledge in science and engineering, as well as on the application of its research findings for industrial and social benefit," said Mukherjee in his convocation address.

The institute was set up in 1909 through a private-partnership between Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Maharaja of Mysore and the government.

Deviating from the speech text, the President told the graduating students and the faculty that he was happy to be at the institute that made the country proud.

"One of my inspirations when I entered the teaching profession was the institute's Director J.C. Ghosh in the 1940s, who later became the first Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Khargapur in West Bengal," he recalled.

The institute is recogonised globally and ranked among the world's top 200 universities.

Observing that the country had 760 universities and 38,500 colleges across the country, the President said the massive expansion of the higher education sector had led resource constraints and dearth of quality teachers.

"If our institutions have to become world-class, they will have to adopt best practices in academic management and excel in whatever they do, as the spheres of intervention are many," he said.

Mukherjee also urged the institutions to provide best amenities to the academic community, as state-of-the-art laboratories would enable quality experiments.

He honoured 677 students, including post-doctoral research scholars, post-graduates and graduates passing out from the institute with awards and medals at the ceremony, held at the J.N. Tata Auditorium of its sprawling green campus.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R. Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were present on the occasion with other dignitaries and invitees.
Islamabad, July 6 : Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the National Investigation Agency (NIA) notice served to two uncles of Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq asking them to report to the NIA headquarters in New Delhi for questioning.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson, responding to a question on the NIA serving notice to Molvi Manzoor Ahmed and Molvi Shafat Ahmed, "strongly condemned the coercive, pressure tactic by India as a concerted attempt to harass the Kashmiri leadership and subjugate the indigenous Kashmiri struggle to the oppressive Indian regime".

Earlier, NIA had arrested Shahid Islam, a close aid of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on "trumped up charges of terror financing", he said.

"Intimidating relatives of Kashmiri leaders and psychologically torturing them through such reprehensible moves serves no purpose but adds to the long list of grave human rights violations committed by India against unprotected Kashmiris," he said.
A joint U.S./UK team of historians has uncovered the identity of Lawrence of Arabias Rolls-Royce  the car in which Lawrence was photographed entering Damascus 100 years ago at the culmination of the Arab Revolt. The iconic photograph of Lawrence, taken in Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria, shows two weathered British officers and a worse-for-wear Rolls-Royce. For decades, the identity of that vehicle has been a mystery to historians, Lawrence scholars and car enthusiasts. Using archival research, newly-uncovered photographs and technical analysis, the team has identified the Rolls-Royce as chassis number 60985, built in 1909 at Manchester, U.K.

In identifying the car, nicknamed Blue Mist the team not only confirmed the identity through a paper trail including diplomatic archives, war diaries, factory build records, family letters and other documents, they tracked down the descendants of the owner of the car when requisitioned by Lawrence in Cairo. The discovery has also unearthed official documents and parts of the car unequivocally proving its identity. Though the vehicle itself has not yet been discovered, it is estimated that, if found, Blue Mist would be one of the most valuable cars in the world.

T.E. Lawrence remains one of the iconic figures of modern history, said Alan Payne, editor of the peer-reviewed Journal of the T.E. Lawrence Society. He was one of the most-recognized figures of World War 1 and an innovator whose tactics and philosophies are still core to modern warfare. But because of his enigmatic personality and his self-imposed exile from society at the end of the war, there are many mysteries surrounding his life and wartime service. So any new revelations tend to generate tremendous interest, not only among historians, but in a public fascinated by Lawrence. The excitement over this discovery almost exactly 100 years after Lawrences capture of Aqaba  a feat showcased in the famous movie  is proof that even a century later, Lawrence continues to fascinate.

One of the enduring quotes from T.E. Lawrence was a Rolls in the desert is above Rubies, noted James Stejskal, team member and lead author of the paper on the discovery. Lawrence recognized that due to their reliability, speed and versatility his Rolls-Royce cars were a game-changer in the desert war. This helped him pioneer what we today call special forces and special operations. The famous photograph of Lawrence entering Damascus not only signaled the Arab victory in the region, but captured the truly pivotal moment in history that signaled the new role for the Middle East in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Lawrence, along with the commander of the Arab Northern Army, Prince Faisal, deployed small mobile bands of warriors to defeat the Ottoman Turk and German forces in an area that, today, represents parts of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Known as the Great Arab Revolt, this campaign is regarded by many historians as critical in the shaping of the modern Middle East.

ABOUT THE CAR

Rolls-Royce number 60985 was a 40/50 Horsepower chassis originally fitted with a limousine body built by Maythorn of Biggleswade, U.K. The chassis was built at the original Rolls-Royce plant on Cooke Street in Manchester, U.K. The car was an early-pattern Silver Ghost, equipped with transverse rear springs, a dropped (curved) front axle, a light rear-axle, and an under-seat fuel tank. It was named, possibly by Claude Johnson of Rolls-Royce, Blue Mist, making it one of just a handful of cars which were given colorful names, largely for publicity purposes. Other named cars included Dragonfly, The Silver Dawn, The White Knave and the iconic Silver Ghost  a name later applied to all 40/50 chassis. Though a number of named cars are known, researchers are still adding to the list.

The car was delivered on May 22, 1909 to Fletcher F. Lambert-Williams who would perish tragically aboard the Titanic. Rupert Charles Scott, the 7th Earl of Clonmell then acquired the car. It was sold in 1916 to Miss Aileen Bellew prior to her marriage to Hugh Lloyd-Thomas, a rising star in the British diplomatic corps. The couple took the car with them when Lloyd-Thomas was posted to the British High Commission in Cairo during the First World War.

Richard Weston-Smith, who lives in Santa Barbara California, is the grandson of Aileen and Hugh Lloyd-Thomas and he retains family records of the car. His documentation of his familys history was a tremendous help to the research team.

According to Weston-Smith, Diplomatic life in Cairo was very social and as diplomats, my grandparents were very much in the center of the circle. They were out on the town one evening in July 1917 when, according to family history, a man in flowing robes swept into the club they were visiting and asked the gathered crowd whose Rolls-Royce is this outside? My grandmother Aileen indicated that it belonged to her, and the man introduced himself as Col. T.E. Lawrence and then announced that he was commandeering the car in the name of his Majestys armed forces. And with that, he drove away. Granny never saw the car again, but several weeks later, a package addressed to my grandfather arrived at the Embassy, containing several pieces of the car, including the enameled plate bearing the name Blue Mist. I have always thought that was very considerate of Lawrence!

Though parts of the car, most notably the silver and enamel nameplate with Blue Mist on it, remain, the whereabouts of the car itself are unknown. It was last known in Cairo after WW1 where it was likely re-united with its original body. It was recorded as sold to an Egyptian businessman. If discovered today, given its Lawrence provenance and its iconic status, experts believe that it would be one of the worlds most valuable cars, certainly worth tens of millions of dollars. A replica tender is currently being constructed on a 1919 Rolls-Royce 40/50 Alpine Eagle chassis and it is hoped to be ready for display in 2018.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The team that uncovered the identity of the Blue Mist assembled in summer of 2017 at a meeting of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club in Asheville North Carolina. Their discussions led to a realization that each held clues as to the identity of Lawrences Rolls-Royce, but none were sufficient, alone, to identify the vehicle. The effort involved research in the Rolls-Royce factory records at The Hunt House, U.K.; diplomatic archives; the records of the Imperial War Museum; and several family collections and war diaries. Photo analysis, including detailed study of previously unknown pictures, provided significant technical clues. And primary source information, including a memoir of Lawrences driver Samuel Rolls, provided additional information. The breakthrough came when the car was identified as having been purchased under the maiden name of Miss Aileen Bellew. This led the team to family members in South Africa and California whose records and archives were able to finally tie the story together.

James Stejskal, principle author of an upcoming article on the discovery, spent 23 years with the United States Army Special Forces and subsequently served for 13 years as a senior operations officer (case officer) with the Central Intelligence Agency. His third book, Masters of Mayhem: Lawrence of Arabia and the British Military Mission to the Hejaz - the Seeds of British Special Operations, will be published by Casemate Publishers in 2018. Philip Walker is a noted Lawrence expert who traced Richard Weston-Smith through the same research techniques he used in tracking down the descendants of men involved in the Arab Revolt and who are the subject of his new book: Behind the Lawrence Legend: the Forgotten Few Who Shaped the Arab Revolt. Walkers book is scheduled for publication by Oxford University Press in February 2018. Tom Clarke is a Rolls-Royce historian who has published numerous books and articles on the marque. He developed an interest in Blue Mist while assisting in the publication of the iconic two-volume set The Edwardian Rolls-Royce by John Fasal and Bryan Goodman. R. Pierce Reid is a retired marketing executive, psychological warfare expert and former police officer who now runs a vintage Rolls-Royce restoration shop. His recent Norwich University masters thesis, For I can Raise no Money by Vile Means: T.E. Lawrence and his Relationship with Money, Debt and the Historical Record, was published in The Journal of the T.E. Lawrence Society, Vol. XXIV, No. 2.

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This tragic incident occurred in an old mining town of Prestea-Nsuta in the Western Region of Ghana, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of the capital, Accra..

The 80 feet deep pit had 19 miners working in it before it collapsed.

Close to about 48 hours after the collapse of the illegal gold mine, 14 out of the 19 small-scale miners who were trapped are yet to be rescued.

Five of the illegal miners that were trapped managed to escape by their own efforts.

At least 14 people were missing and feared dead after an illegal gold mine in western Ghana in which they were working collapsed, police said on Tuesday.

We are trying to retrieve the bodies. There were a few survivors. Those who escaped death are the eyewitnesses so they briefed us that they were coming out [of the pit] when all of a sudden they heard the noise which means the pit caved in, that is according to local police commander Supt Atsu Dzineku.

Ghana is Africa's second largest gold producer after South Africa.

The mining industry in Ghana involves big global players, however the activities of artisanal miners continue to pose challenges to the environment as well as and threaten the production of cocoa as the miners take over cocoa farms.

The new government in Ghana led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, who took office in January, has placed a ban on artisanal mining as a measure to clamp down on illegal operators.

In March 2017, activists launched a campaign highlighting the environmental damage it causes, from stripping forests to polluting water.

Since then, the west African nation has been working to find ways to better regulate and monitor small-scale miners.
Wright calculated that at a normal trajectory, the missile could fly 4,160 miles, or as far as Alaska from North Korea. Kim Jong Un has long threatened the US with nuclear attacks, and done everything in his power to demonstrate the capability to launch such an attack. While a single successful ICBM test doesn't mean North Korea has full combat capability, it could indicate that it's just a few months away.

Meanwhile, the US has taken every step short of military strikes to stop North Korea, saying that the era of "strategic patience" had ended and that "all options," including military strikes, were on the table for reeling back the rogue state.

In the aftermath of the test, Trump tweeted that China may try a "heavy move" against the Kim regime while hinting that South Korea and Japan could retaliate.

But North Korea's independence day missile launch wasn't a message to China, South Korea, Japan, or anyone besides the US. Kim Jong Un has told the US it's at risk of nuclear attack, so what changes now?

The short answer is nothing. Nothing will happen. The US has lived under threat of nuclear attack for over 50 years.

The US already lives with a nuclear-armed North Korea that can level Seoul, South Korea's capital and home to metro-area population of 25 million civilians. North Korea can already lay waste to the 28,000 US troops permanently stationed near the demilitarized zone.

Japan already lives with the knowledge that North Korea could most likely range Tokyo, home to a metro-area of almost 38 million, with a nuclear weapon.

Why should anything change when North Korea can reach Guam, Alaska, Los Angeles, or New York? North Korea doesn't attack Seoul, Tokyo, Guam, or any other place  because if they did, the US would absolutely destroy them.

That's the same reason that Russia, despite deep differences on foreign policy and conflicts of interest with the US, never fired on the US, or any other country, even during the height of the Cold War.

"We can deter them," retired Adm. Dennis Blair, the former head of US Pacific Command, said of North Korea at a National Committee for US-China Relations event. "They may be developing 10 to 15 nuclear weapons. We have 2,000. They can do a lot of damage to the US, but there won't be any North Korea left in the event of a nuclear exchange. That's not a good regime survival strategy, and even Kim Jong Un would understand that."

Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea wrote the possession of nuclear weapons into their constitution as a guarantor of their security. Expect the US to push for sanctions, diplomatic talks, investments in missile defenses  the types of measures taken against other nuclear powers  but don't expect a nuclear exchange.
The Minister of Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah who was the special guest of honour charged players in the shipping industry to introduce modern technology in their activities to improve efficiency and to conform to international best practices.

READ ALSO: Full list of nominees released

He outlined some measures by government to make the shipping industry economic viable to reduce the cost of doing business.

A board member of the Ghana Shippers Awards, Michael Luguje who is the President of the ports management of west and central Africa entreated players in the shipping industry to offer services that will facilitate trade.

The CEO of Ghana Shippers Authority, Benonita Bismarck said the authority will continue to address the challenges of shippers to make them competitive.

Industry Leadership Award was presented to the Ghana Ports and Habour Authority and was received by the Director General, Paul Asare Ansah and the Board chairman, Peter Mac Manu.

Port Sector Reforms and Human Development Champion award went to Ben Owusu-Mensah, a former Director General of GPHA.

Trade Facilitation Company of the Year went to GCNet, the provider of e-solutions to government whiles its Executive Chairman Dr. Nortey Omaboe won the CEO of the year award.

West Blue Consulting, the technical support providers for Customs won two awards, the excellence in innovation and technology award as well as Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Transparency award.

Promising Terminal of the Year went to Amaris Terminal, Shipping Agent of the Year went to Grimaldi Ghana Limited, Sea Freight Solutions Provider of the Year went to Consolidated Shipping, Brand of the Year went to McDan Shipping Company Limited, and Maersk line won the Shipping Line of the Year.
Early this year, Medikal (known in real Samuel Adu Frimpong) made known his plans to release another album for his loyal fans. Prior to the album release, he dropped 5 singles off of Disturbation.

My Album #Disturbation defines the journey. It consists of anything entertaining but reality. I'm dropping this album for those who believed in the struggle, those who doubted our hustle and those who feel it's too early for this.

This is what Mandem wanted, this is what we prayed for. This is why we wailed, this is why we skipped classes but still came out with classics, this is why teachers have been keeping an eagle eye on me since class six, this is why we still use magnifying glasses to see the Mandem who say 'cheers' without glasses.

This is for the street, this is for the youth, this is for the pastor and the priest, Medikal disclosed ahead of Disturbation album signing.

READ MORE: Tidal Rave scheduled for July 29 at Kokrobite beach

And yes, his highly anticipated album signing happened on Saturday, July 1 at the West Hills Mall, Weija.

I thought it was a musical concert as hundreds of fans trooped in the foyer of the Silverbird Cinemas to purchase his album and celebrate him as well.

Medikal spent over one hour to sign albums with fans. Comedian DKB was there as well to purchase a copy.

Then, the whole event turned.

Medikal mounted a stage with a 5 piece band to perform live for fans and patrons gathered. It came as a surprise because no one expected it and it was first of its kind since album signings were introduced at the venue.

The 7 time Vodafone Ghana Music Awards nominee stood on his feet to perform for almost 4 hours without breaking with his sweetheart Sister Deborah in the mix.

Medikal produced an energetic performance and got the whole patrons singing to both his known and unknown songs.

That wasnt all!

Kofi Kinaata, King Promise, Kuame Eugene, Pappi of 5Five fame, Walov, Sarkodie, Donzy, and other up and coming artistes hijacked the mic one after the other to set the stage on fire.

Not to forget, there was nearly a stampede when Criss Waddle came after everyone had left the venue. Guarded by heavy security, Criss Waddle pulled all the fans back to the venue to taste the bangers from his catalogue.

Some fans also had a fair share of the whole deal. 3 fans won electronic gadgets for perfectly performing some of Medikal's known and unknown songs.

Disturbation album is made up of 22 track and features E.L , Sarkodie , Shatta Wale, Omar Sterling (Paedae) , Mr Eazi, Bisa Kdei, Pappy Kojo, Falz, Yaa Pono, Ras Kuku and Pappi of 5Five fame.
However, when the case came up for mention, the court declined to take the plea of the accused persons for want of jurisdiction.

The Magistrate, Mrs Franca Yuwa ordered that two of the accused persons  Ifeoma Aboniyi and Ngunnan Agber  be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Makurdi.

The other accused person, Mlumun Agber, aged 11, was remanded in Gboko Juvenile Home.

Yuwa, thereafter, adjourned the case till Aug. 17, 2017, for further mention.

Earlier, the Police prosecutor, Sgt. Adama Owochio, had told the court that the case was reported to A Division police station Gboko by one Kwaghbee Ajiya on June 22.

Ajiya told the police that while she was inside Obangaji village market trading, she left her seven year old daughter Ngusulu Ajiya to take care of her 9 months old brother Tordue Ajiya in the same market.

She said that her daughter came running to her and crying, explaining that two women sent her with N100 to buy sweet for them but when she came back, she did not see either the women or her little brother.

When the case was reported to the police, they immediately swung into action and caught up with Ifeoma Abonyi and Mlumun Agber at Guila village while trying to run away, the prosecutor said.

He said that during investigation, Ifeoma Aboniyi aged 32, Mlumun Agber aged 11, and Ngunnan Agber aged 33 were arrested.

The prosecutor claimed that the three had confessed to committing the crime.

Owochio told the court that investigation into the matter was still in progress and prayed it to assign another date for mention.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

But the prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 30 about 7.20 p.m. along Badagry Expressway by Suru-Alaba Bus Stop.

He said Nwuike, who drove a luxury bus with registration no. LND 922 XN recklessly and hit Gladys.

Olatunde said accused hit the deceased while she was crossing the highway.

The offences contravened Sections 19 and 20 of the Road Traffic Laws of Lagos State, 2012.

In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs Bola Folarin-Williams admitted the accused to a bail of N500, 000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.

She directed the court officials to duplicate the case file and send a copy to the State Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 35-year-old mother of three said she did not know she would be the fourth wife to bear children for her husband .

She said that her husband, Mr Olusola Babatunde, first proposed to her seven years ago.

Adedoyin also told the court that her husband only told her that he had a child from another woman when they met.

The estranged wife also said that she confessed to him too that she too had a child already.

The plaintiff said that she discovered in 2015 that her husband, a commercial driver, already had three other women who bore him four children.

I was carrying my second pregnancy in 2015 when I discovered that my husband already had four children from three other women.

It was then I knew our relationship was heading for separation because my love for him vanished immediately.

But because I did not want to start bearing children for different fathers, I endured his beatings, public assault and lack of care, hoping that he would change for the better.

Since my husband had failed to change from his bad attitude inspite of several interventions by family members, I want the court to separate us, she said.

She, however, said that her husband should be responsible for the care of the children and should be restrained from further disturbing her in her house.

The plaintiff said her claim to free dissolution was on the ground that no dowry was paid on her.

But the respondent denied the accusations, adding that she could quit the union if she so wanted.

He, however, prayed for the custody of his children.

The President of the three-man panel, Mrs Yemisi Ojo, warned both parties to consider the matter seriously.

She said that this was because if the case was struck out a second time, the court might not entertain the petition again.

NAN recalls that a similar suit with number CCL/14/2016 instituted by the plaintiff suffered a setback due to lack of diligent prosecution.
The middle aged man alleged to be an occultist was accused of being in possession of the severed head of an infant.

According to a report by Punch, the suspected ritualist was nabbed at Magbo, Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State before the irate mob set him ablaze.

It was further suspected that the mob fled the scene of the occurrence when the convoy of the state's commissioner of police, Ahmed Iliyasu arrived the scene.

ALSO READ: Suspected female kidnapper burnt to death in Ikorodu

Policemen on the CPs convoy evacuated the remains of the suspected cultist.
The peculiar weather occurrence brought things to a standstill after centimetres of hail covered the Rumuruti-Nyahururu and the Nyahururu-Maralal roads.

Residents and motorists alike took to social media to post photos and videos of the natural phenomenon:

Not even the Ugandan Opposition leader Kizza Besigye was left out in tweeting about the phenomenon:

And amidst all the excitement of the snow fall, the Kenya meteorological department was quick to clarify the incident as a case of rare hail storm and not snow.

Snow in Kenya is a rare incidence given the countrys close proximity to the Equator as well as vast arid and semi-arid regions.
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The deceased, Lily Dzigbordi Asigbetse, was said to have left home to go pay her school fees at the bank but ended up at her male friends house.

Her 17-year-old colleague allegedly shot her with his fathers single barrel gun.

The prosecution said one Madam Gifty Billy, a neighbour, heard the gunshot and went to the scene. But she only found the victim lying in a pool of blood.

The prosecution said Gifty rushed the victim to the Port Clinic in Tema.

However, due to the condition of the victim, she was transferred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, where she died on admission.

The 17-year old accused is currently facing a charge of murder.

A three-member panel in April heard the evidence of a medical officer of the Tema Port Clinic in camera.

The case has since gone through months of adjournments and cross-examinations, and the family of the deceased are not happy about it.

READ ALSO: SHS student dies from alleged poisoning

Peggy Ama Donkor, a member of the bereaved family, is hoping that justice will soon be served.
UPDATE: In November 2018, Jordan Wesley Tower was sentenced in Lewis and Clark County District Court. Felony assault with a weapon, amended to misdemeanor partner or family member assault, Guilty. Sentence: One year in jail, 364 days suspended.

Jordan Wesley Tower, 23, of Helena is accused felony assault with a weapon.

According to an affidavit filed in Justice Court, the victim and Tower argued on July 1 about him staying up late at night playing video games, which kept the victim awake.

While arguing, Tower allegedly whipped the victim with a power cord, which hurt and scared her when he slammed it down.

The victim crawled into a corner of the room in fear and cried and told a deputy she couldnt move or do anything as Tower attempted to apologize.

Tower then got angry and allegedly threw his computer on the floor and breaking it as the victim fled the room and contacted her mother. Her parents came in response to her call and took her to their home then reported the incident.

A deputy spoke to the victim and then went to the home of Towers parents before advising Tower of his rights. Tower agreed to speak to the deputy and provided an explanation of what happened.

Tower was arrested and taken to the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center and advised of an order prohibiting him from having contact with the victim for 72 hours. The deputy also photographed the victims injury.
READ ALSO: Road accidents claim 510 lives in 2017

"My worry is the roundabout at Ejisu and one at the KNUST Police Station", he lamented.

The educationist stated that the roundabout at Ejuisu is a "death trap" and unnecessary to build in that location.

"It is the cause of the accidents", he stated.

"I am not expert in road construction but sometimes you do not need an expert to tell you those roundabouts are bad", Aggrey stated.

According to him, contractors who take on government work recently, produce shoddy work especially in the Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti Region.

"Who are these engineers who designed these roads and their capabilities and what were they thinking at that time?".

Dr. Evans Aggrey Darko blamed President Kufuor, former Road and Transport Minister, Dr. Richard Anane and Member of Parliament for Ejuisu, Hon. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi for allowing such bad constructions to be undertaken.

READ ALSO: Ghana records over 2000 road accidents in 2017
He is demanding GHC 5m compensatory damages.

Awuah-Darko has also sued Multimedias Asempa FM as well as Kennedy Agyapongs Madina-based Oman FM, for using their platforms to destroy his reputation.

Mr Awuah Darko said that the Assin Central MP alleged on the two FM stations that he [Kwame Awuah-Darko] had embezzled state funds and was currently living abroad.

According to him, Kennedy Agyapong said on Asempa FM that, Kwame Awuah-Darko, when we search his account, we found 100 million dollars He has run away, now living abroad He shuttles between Virginia, South Africa and Dubai. I have been monitoring him seriously These people are wicked people

He further indicated in the suit that, the MP on Oman FM, said:the crimes these people commit must not go unpunished. So far the documents I have in my possession shows (sic) an embezzlement of 230 million dollars recorded as losses for BOST under Awuah-Darko and then his own bank account after we tracked him down, we discovered an amount of 100 million dollars. These guys dont even know how to steal. He didnt even know that we could track him 100 million dollars yes 100 million dollars.

Awuah Darko has since indicated that the claims by Ken Agyapong are false.
The group, specialized in bridging the gap between parliament and the electorates, wants the committee to "summon regulatory authorities, organisations, and individuals involved in this matter for an open enquiry into the circumstances that led to the entry of the 5million litres contaminated fuel product into the market."

The call comes after the Bureau of National Investigations, the Ministry of Energy and the National Petroleum Authority cleared the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Limited (BOST) and its Managing Director (MD), Alfred Obeng, of any wrongdoing in the sale of the contaminated 5 million litres of fuel to Movempiina Oil.

The Ministry of Energy has formed a committee to to advice it on ways to prevent any future contamination of fuel at BOST.

Odekro says an enquiry into the matter will be an opportunity for parliament to overtly demonstrate to Ghanaians that indeed, it holds fast and dear to its core mandate of representation.

It continued: The current move by the Ministry of Energy to probe into the matter will deny Parliament this opportunity, and rob the general public an appreciation of full dynamics of the investigation.

Following claims by the Minority that the current MD of BOST funded the campaign of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odekro is also calling for a disclosure on the sources of funding for political parties.

The frequency of strange occurrences like this matter that involve colossal amounts of money call for a full disclosure of the funding sources for political parties, it said.

READ MORE: Minority accuses government of covering up BOST MD

Odekro believes this social accountability mechanism will put to rest suspicions of financial engineering schemes and outright fund raising at the public expense, for political party gains.

Odekro also slammed Members of Parliament for taking partisan positions in the contaminated fuel saga, saying it disempowers parliament
This was known after Accra-based Starr FM intercepted a letter which showed that the transaction took place two weeks before Movenpiina sold its consignment to Zupoil.

The letter was signed by the Managing Director of BOST requesting Movenpiina to release 2,000, 000 litres to Macwest.

READ ALSO: Tullow to shutdown Jubilee FPSO

This is a request for your outfit to release two million (2,000, 000) litres of contaminated products purchased from your company at APD to Macwest, a customer of our company.

This revelation comes after the minority in Parliament and some policy think tanks called for the interdiction of the MD or for him to step aside for investigations to be carried out.

Preliminary investigations conducted by the National Petroleum Authority indicated that the fuel has not been released onto the market.

READ ALSO: Why Ghanaians should be worried about the dirty fuel saga

Meanwhile, the firms involved in the saga are not licensed. The NPA said they will take legal action against the unlicensed firms.

In a related development, the Energy Ministry has created an eight-member committee to probe the sale of the off-spec products.

Below are the initial findings of the NPA

1. BOST had at their premises, 5 million litres of an off-spec product. This is alleged to have resulted from BOST accidentally discharging gasoline into a diesel storage tank wich already contained some diesel sometime in January 2017.

2. The tank containing the off-spec product was subsequently isolated from normal marketing and sales operations whilst investigations into the incident was initiated by BOST.

3. Based on the recommended disposal options by a Committee that investigated the incident, BOST opted to sell off the off-spec product to a company known as Movenpinna Energy.

4. Subsequently, BOST notified the Ghana Revenue Authority of their intention to dispense of the 5 million litres of the off-spec product from its storage. The process of evacuation commenced on 20 June, 2017. So far, the quantity of the off-spec product evacuated from the depot is 471,00 litres as indicated below:

1. On 20th June, 2017: 240,000 litres was evacuated

2. On 21st June, 2017, 231,000 litres was evacuated (the stated quantities were loaded into ten Bulk Road Vehicles)

5. On 23 June, 2017, additional 380,00 litres of the off-spec product was loaded into eight BRVs at the depot. However, the dispatch of these BRVs from the depot was halted on the instructions of the NPA when information about the evacuation got to the NPA. This is because BOST failed to notify the NPA and acquire prior authorization before commencing the evacuation of the off-spec product. Officials of the NPA visited the BOST depot on 27 June, 2017 and confirmed that the 8 BRVs were still stationed at the depot with their contents intact. Samples were taken from all 8 BRVs as well as the isolated BOST storage tank for analysis.

6. The NPA was able to discover the location where 6 of the BRVs discharged the off-spec product the carried from the BOST depot. This was made possible by the NPAs BRV tracking system.
The account of the town-hall meeting was published on Wednesday by The Guardian's Sam Levin, who says one employee went so far as to call the factory a "predator zone" of harassment. According to the report, about 70 to 100 people attended the meeting, but CEO Elon Musk did not.

"The topics raised in this meeting were followed up directly with those willing to discuss," a Tesla representative told Business Insider. "We have a no-tolerance policy and have made changes to leadership, policy, and training to continue to improve our work environment."

The meeting occurred after an email was sent to female employees inviting them to a "lunch 'n learn" to discover essential oils.

According to The Guardian, Tesla postponed the lunch after it received vocal criticism, and it organized the town hall on diversity, where women shared the stories of gender discrimination. Tesla said the town-hall meeting was planned in advance and was not a reaction to the lunch.

A Tesla representative said the town-hall meeting was held by a group called Women in Tesla, which holds regular meetings to receive feedback about the work environment:

"The reason groups like Women in Tesla exist is precisely because we want to provide employees with an outlet to share opinions and feedback in a constructive manner. At Tesla, we regularly host events like the Town Hall, and only someone who is intentionally trying to misconstrue the facts and paint Tesla in a negative light could perceive such meetings as something negative."

AJ Vandermeyden, a female engineer who is suing Tesla over sexism and harassment claims, is one of several sources who described the meeting to The Guardian. Tesla fired Vandermeyden in June.

"The termination was based on Ms. Vandermeyden behaving in what the evidence indicates is a fundamentally false and misleading manner, not as a result of retaliation for the lawsuit," a Tesla representative previously told Business Insider.

The lawsuit says Vandermeyden experienced "unwelcome and pervasive harassment," such as catcalls and inappropriate language, by men on the factory floor, and that she was denied promotions over men who were equally or less qualified than her.

Tesla said it launched an independent investigation into Vandermeyden's claims and found them to be unsubstantiated.

Women are becoming more vocal about gender discrimination they've experienced in Silicon Valley, which was understood to have occurred but rarely exposed in detail.

The New York Times published a bombshell report on Friday of female entrepreneurs' descriptions of sexual harassment by venture capitalists like Chris Sacca and Dave McClure.
The German bank has hired Ed Wehle as global head of technology services, reporting to Mark Keene, global head of tech, media and telecoms investment banking coverage. He will be based in New York.

He joins from Citigroup, where he spent more than two decades. He was most recently head of global services at the US bank, and has worked on close to $50 billion in deals since 2000, according to the memo announcing his hire.

He has built one of the leading services franchises over the course of his nearly 23 year career," Keene said. "In a sector that continues to evolve, our clients will benefit tremendously from his experience providing strategic and actionable advice as they navigate the opportunities ahead.

Wehle is the 13th hire at managing director level in the Americas corporate finance business this year, and the second in tech. Earlier this year, it hired Tommaso Zanobini as global head of financial technology.
The Canadian Prime Minister, dressed in full academic gear, gave a speech before receiving an "honoris causa" qualification at the graduation ceremony for the university's School of Social and Political Science.

During the speech he put on a very convincing Scottish accent, mimicking his great-grandfather who apparently decided to move the family from rural Banffshire, Scotland to British Columbia, Canada, so he could fish freely.

Here's what Trudeau said (he put on a voice for the bits in bold):

Another great Scot [was] my grandfather, Jimmy Sinclair. He was born in Banffshire and, as family lore had it, his father, my great grandfather, James George Sinclair, who was a local schoolteacher was also a passionate fisherman.

And, unfortunately, back then there were rules around who can fish in which streams.

And about the fourth or fifth time the local constable caught him, and threatened to throw him in jail if he caught him once again fishing in the lairds stream, as family lore has it, my great grandfather says: "But if I cannae fish I cannae live!"

So he went home, unrolled his schoolhouse maps, looks at a big map of Canada, pointed to a spot on the west coast of the country, and says "There! British Columbia, where we can be free and no man owns the fish."

Trudeau is in the UK for celebrations linked to the 150th anniversary of Canada becoming a single country. He is due to visit the Queen at Holyroodhouse, her Palace in Edinburgh, later today.
LONDON  The Brexit Secretary David Davis is now the favourite among to replace Theresa May as their leader and Prime Minister.

A new survey of Conservative members by the Conservative Home website found that Davis is the first choice to replace May with 24% of members, overtaking the foreign secretary Boris Johnson on 18%. International Development Secretary Priti Patel is in third place at 8%.

The Brexit secretary is the current bookies favourite to replace May at 4/1 with Ladbrokes, ahead of the Chancellor Philip Hammond and Johnson.

Davis is far and away the most popular member of May's cabinet with activists, with a net satisfaction of 78%.

May, on the other hand, has dropped from first place to second to last. She now has a net satisfaction with Conservative members of minus 26%, according to another poll conducted by ConservativeHome this week.

ConHome's research suggests that party members are far from excited by the current frontrunners in the race to replace May, however.

While Davis is the current frontrunner, more party members said they would choose none of the above, when offered to choose between the leading 7 frontrunners.

The survey did not offer members the option of current leader of the House Andrea Leadsom. Business Insider revealed last week that the former leadership candidate has been urged by dozens of MPs to put her name forward in any future contest.

Senior cabinet figures are increasingly jostling for position following May's failure to win an overall majority in last month's general election.

"There is no plan, no strategy, no direction," One Conservative minister told the Financial Times.

Fear of a second general election is so far preventing any attempt to oust May, however. As one Conservative MP tells the paper: "The person holding the party together is Jeremy Corbyn. The fear of Corbyn is greater than any nuance in the Brexit negotiation."
The company has signed a deal with Nokia that allows the two companies to use each other's patents. The agreement mostly focuses on network infrastructure kit and datacentres  but the two firms have also "agreed to explore opportunities for further co-operation", specifically the internet of things, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. We first saw the deal reported on CNBC.

Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun has already been vocal this year about the company's investment in AI. According to a report from the Android Headlines site, Lei Jun said he had boosted the company's AI team by 50%, though he didn't say what they were working on. He first announced an AI lab in March this year, according to FirstPost. And the company launched a smart speaker assistant, Kuri, in January.

On the virtual reality front, Xiaomi released a new low-cost Mi VR headset late last year.

According to May data from CounterPoint research, Xiaomi is bigger than Samsung in China, and the fifth biggest smartphone maker in the country. The company sells low-cost Android phones under the "Mi" brand. But unlike its homegrown competitor Huawei, the company hasn't expanded outside Asia. And while it was once the leading smartphone brand in China overall, it has fallen behind faster growing rivals like Oppo and Vivo.

Further expansion is an obvious way to counteract that trend. A Xiaomi spokesman told CNBC that the Nokia deal was a stepping stone towards global expansion, but didn't give specifics.

Lei Jun said in a statement: "Xiaomi is committed to building sustainable, long-term partnerships with global technology leaders.
Robert Graham King, 58, of Helena is charged with a sixth offense of driving under the influence, which is a felony.

King also faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while a license is suspended and/or revoked.

According to an affidavit filed in Justice Court, on or about July 1 at 5 a.m., a deputy allegedly saw a pickup truck being driven by King swerving across the road several times before initiating a stop.

The truck came to a stop on the wrong side of the roadway of Phoenix Street in response to the deputys emergency lights.

King allegedly told the deputy that he was not to be driving because his license was suspended and that he did not have liability insurance. The deputy also allegedly smelled alcohol and noted that Kings words were slow and slurred.

When asked to perform a sobriety test, King reportedly told the deputy he wasnt safe to be driving. After performing a sobriety test and unable to perform another, King again allegedly admitted he was drunk.

King was arrested after a breath test for alcohol. After agreeing to a blood test, King was taken to St Peters Hospital for the test.

According to the affidavit, Kings driving history contained five prior DUI related convictions, eight prior driving suspended or revoked convictions and no prior insurance convictions in the last five years.
Ayo's remains will be interred at Ebony vaults Ikoyi, Lagos. The popular actress lost her daughter after a long-term battle with sickle cell anemia.

The sad incident was reported on Sunday, July 2, 2017. Meanwhile, Pulse Celebs reached out to the actress' representative, Emiralty, who said the actress is coping with her loss.

According to him, "she's doing fine. Remi Surutu is doing fine. thank you so much." When asked about the burial arrangements he said, "we are yet to conclude arrangements on that hopefully later today we should know the bearing."

Remi Oshodi Surutu, lost her daughter, Ayo, after a sickle cell crisis at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
NEDIS serves as a platform to strengthen access to a higher quality of education, through creative ways known as education innovation, from conception to implementation, in Nigeria. In 2016, NEDIS focused on exposing education sector stakeholders to the concept and practice of systematically introducing education innovations such that they are positioned to reach more schools and children, and become embedded in educational policies and systems.

NEDIS 2017, themed From Evidence to Policy and Action: What Works?, will bring together 200 key stakeholders from government, research and academia, development organisations, donors, and a broad range of education innovators that will focus on addressing gaps in data and evidence, hearing perspectives of policymakers on what makes evidence useful, and analyzing the role of communication and advocacy in strengthening the use of generated evidence.

The summit will also showcase best practices, locally and internationally, in evidence-based policymaking. This year, NEDIS will introduce a themed symposium, capacity development workshops and an exhibition of products and services. The summit is holding July 10  11, 2017, at Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

The 2-Day summit begins 9am daily. Join in the conversation, with education stakeholders such as Honorable Obafela Bank-Olemoh (Lagos State Special Adviser on Education), Chude Jideonwo (Red Media Africa), Dr. Kole Shettima (MacArthur Foundation), Innocent Chukwuma (Ford Foundation), and other education innovators in Nigeria, by registering here.
The Accra, Ghana based Ivorian fashion label launched officially in 2013 kicked off the rebrand with a vibrant debut SS'17 collection tagged 'Colors of Earth' telling the brand's "story of evolution".

Inspired to give a stronger identity and a deeper meaning to the successful brand, the brand's creative director and CEO Marie Kipre chose a more personal meaning for the brand's new identity.

She told Pulse; "Nadrey in Bete (a language in Cote DIvoire) my dialect means My heart, My love while Laurent is my Father, My Strength and My Pride. Bold, serene and always elegant, my father, Nadrey Laurent has become my inspiration".

"Nadrey Laurent is a story of evolution, our inspiration for a new fashion brand, a more personal meaning and a stronger identity. On this new journey, we are propelled to dream bigger, push further, achieve greater. Nadrey Laurent is an invitation to an effortlessly chic yet undeniably refined lifestyle".

The debut 'Colors of Earth' collection for Nadrey Laurent features an electrifying pop of colour and the expert lavish tailoring the brand is synonymous with.

The collection takes on earthy tones like mustard, orange, brown and desert sand in African fabrics including batik and 'faso dan fani' with rich lace, crepe, satin and knit fabrics amongst others.

Colors of the Earth collection revolutionizes Nadrey Laurents mission to create apparels with appealing inspiration that convey Elegance, Luxury and Essence the creative director Marie Kipre shares about the collection.

"This collection initiates the new journey by showcasing our potential to embrace a more unique personality. It shows the warmth and beauty of our persona through colorful prints, orchid appliques, sequins and other embellishments" she says as she breaks down the collection for Pulse.

See the looks off the debut collection below.

Credits:

Photography- KlassyFilms

Models - Naadei, Kenza & Nii Otoo

MUA- Makeup by Asare

Stylist- Sarah Ferdjani

Accessories- Odara, Muggs Jewellery

Director- Mareep Production

Designer- Marie Kipre

Brand- @nadreylaurent
The directive came following the spate of jungle justice in the area in recent weeks, culminating in the lynching of a popular comedian and Master of Ceremony, Chinedu Paul alias MC Think Twice, who was mistaken for a member of the deadly Badoo Cult gang and burnt to death alongside his friends.

The State Police Public Relations Officer [PPRO], ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole gave the directive in a press release and stated that the move is to serve as one of the security measures put in place to avoid a repeat of such mistaken identities which could lead to avoidable deaths.

According to the release, the new development became necessary because of the series of operations to be carried out by the Command led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations which includes the raiding of notorious hideouts and arresting suspected members of the gang.

Read the Press Release here:

ATTENTION TO IKORODU RESIDENCE

The Lagos State Police Command would like to inform members of the public especially residents in Ikorodu and environs, that from henceforth, everybody moving around that part of the state, residents, students or workers, should always have on them a valid form of identification.

This has become important and necessary because of the series of police operations lined up in the area by the Lagos State Police Command led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations.

The Lagos State Police Command is deeply concerned about the criminal activities in the area which is not only unlawful but also affecting the integrity of the state.

The planned police operations demand residents carry on them a valid form of identification which will be verified, in order not to be restricted or face apprehension as adequate security arrangements have been put in place for the safety of every Nigerian throughout the state by the police and other security agencies.

This order takes immediate effect from the 4th of July 2017.
Alade also accused his wife of being a drunk who lived an adulterous life.

He said that he had caught her with men in hotels on several occasions.

In his testimony on Tuesday before the president of the court, Chief Mukaila Balogun, the complainant said his wife loves juju too much.

She depends on charms and was in the habit of performing fetish acts; I did not understand her way of life.

I have assisted her with over N1 million, apart from the two deep freezers I bought for her to enhance her trade, but she was not contented.

She is a drunk and used to follow other men to hotels. My patience has reached a climax and I am not ready to tolerate all her shameful acts anymore.

This honourable court should separate us because I am tired of her bad character but I pray the court to allow me have our three kids in my custody,  Alade said.

Emily, in her defence, denied the allegations and instead described the plaintiff as an unrepentant womaniser and irresponsible husband.

She accused him of beating her and burning her property when they had a misunderstanding, adding that she was ready for divorce.
Being a staunch apostle of the present day government, my guy almost knocked over the banga soup I used my hard earned money to prepare as he tried to explain how impossible it is to do any magic in Aso Rock.

My position is that the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCTs) acquittal of Senate President, Bukola Saraki was aimed at giving him a clean sheet to make it easy if the need arises for him to answer the call of duty and serve at a higher capacity.

All ye supporters of Saraki, hold on. Everything is possible in this our dear country Nigeria.

It has happened before. Have you forgotten how they did not let baba Shonekan finish his early morning tea and drop the cup before Abacha sarandar him with gun?

It is a pity that the politicians have succeeded in dividing the youths of Nigeria along party lines. We celebrate personalities and political parties instead of values. The next thing you will see on Twitter is #WeStandWithSaraki #SarakiCanDoItBetter

Todays alleged move by the Senate to impose Bukola Saraki as the Acting President might just be the first scene of a carefully constructed movie, aimed at testing the waters.

According to Daily Post, Senator Kaniru Marafa cited relevant sections of the Nigerian constitution, saying, if the President is not around, the Vice President should act, and if the Vice President is not around, the Senate President, who is the number 3 citizen should become acting President.

Nigerians should not allow the political class continue to use things like the quit notice by a Northern group and Nnamdi Kanus eloquence to distract us.

These issues are just a way of raising tension in the polity, so the main actors can go ahead to roll out their scripts.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives,Yakubu Dogara expressed worry over the subtle deployment of soldiers in 28 states of the country, in the name of keeping peace.

Dogara said the deployment of soldiers to over 28 states in the country is an indication that Nigeria is already in a state of emergency.

The Speaker also added that in peacetime, soldiers are only meant to complement the police and other civil authorities, and not the other way round.

The only reason the hustlers are afraid of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is because they have not found any skeleton in his cupboard that they can use against him.

It is time for us to pray for our nation and those in authority. While we pray, I advise we should open our eyes and watch too.

Mr. Acting President, you sef need to shine your eyes. Person no dey stay for swimming pool make soap enter him eyes oh!
She is torn between love and loyalty for her uncle and the need to protect their marriage and that is where her dilemma lies.

Read her story here:

"My name is Emmanuella, a 24-year-old fresh graduate from a Nigerian university. I was lucky to get posted to Lagos State for my youth service because I knew I would have any problem regarding an accommodation since my mother's younger brother lives here with his family.

My uncle Mark has always been my favourite amongst all my uncles and aunts because he is one cool guy who knows what is in vogue at every point in time.

Anytime I visited him in Lagos, he would go out of his way to take me to the movies, clubs and always made my stay great fun.

I always looked forward to coming to see him, so I had prayed to be posted to Lagos because I knew he would make my stay worth the while. So I was very happy when I got my posting to Lagos and when I called to tell him, he was so happy and said he could not wait for me to come over.

But the only snag in staying with Uncle Mark was his wife, , who was always indifferent whenever I came around. Though she did not show me any animosity, she neither showed delight whenever I came around.

I don't know if she felt threatened with the attention her husband showed to me or she felt he neglected her whenever I was around but I remember that most times my uncle would take me out, he often asked her to join us but she would decline, giving one flimsy excuse or the other.

When I came to Lagos, my uncle made it mandatory for me to go to their church even though I am Catholic and since I did not want to disobey him, I had to go with them to the Pentecostal church they attended.

Stella is a worker in the church and I quickly got to realize that she was very close to the pastor and worked mostly around him and in his office.

It did not take me long to find out that she was having an affair with the pastor. I know many would ask how I found out but I am a woman and I know the tell-tale signs of people who are in a relationship.

I also heard rumours from some ladies who openly talked about the affair, so I decided to do a discreet investigation and after just two weeks, I caught the two of them in the act when the pastor came to our house during my uncle's absence.

Stella thought I had gone for my CDA because it was a Thursday but that day, I was having menstrual cramps and could not leave my room. I heard when the pastor came to the house, which was not unusual as he often popped in even when my uncle was at home.

Having heard so many rumours about them, I decided to be very attentive and watchful to know what they were up to. After waiting for some minutes without hearing prayers, I managed to get out of bed and tip-toed to the sitting room and peeped and what did I see?

My uncle's wife and the pastor were locked together, kissing fervently and tearing their clothes apart right there in the settee.

I was shocked beyond words and did not know when I screamed. They quickly pulled apart and looked at me in shock. None of them could say a thing as the pastor hurried away while Stella just sat there with her head lowered into her arms.

Since I caught her about two weeks ago, she has been trying all she can to be nice to me but I feel disgusted and keep away from her as much as I can. I always give one excuse or the other to my uncle whenever it is time to go to their church.

I am torn between love and loyalty for my uncle and pity for Stella because I do not want to be the cause of problems in their marriage. While my head tells me to inform my uncle about what I saw, my heart tells me I should not inflict pains on them.

Emmanuella."

The teaser for the day was:

How Nigeria voted:

Yes, I will let him know the kind of wife he is married to - 57%

No, I will not want to cause problems in their home - 15%

I will talk to the wife and warn her to desist from what she is doing - 27%

I will keep quiet as it is none of my business - 2%
The magistrate, Mohammed Tahir, sentenced Okonkwo after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

The defendant has no reason why he should not be convicted; I therefore convict him for the offence of theft, Tahir said.

Tahir, however, gave him an option to pay a fine of N10, 000.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Adeniyi Oyeyemi, told the court that one James Alfred, a resident of Wuse, Abuja, lodged a complaint against the defendant at the Wuse Zone 3 Police Station on June 23.

He said that the convict, while at the night club located at Wuse stole the Samsung galaxy cell phone that belonged to the complainant.
Adeola, whose address was not given, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Abdulkareem Mustapha, told the court that the accused with others still at large committed the offences on June 24 at about 9.00.p.m. at No. 2, Humph Close, Plaza, Ota.

Mustapha said the accused and his accomplices, being members of a secret cult known as Aiye Confraternity, conspired and killed a man, Wallu Folorunsho.

The accused and his accomplices killed the victim by attacking him with a gun and a cutlass.

The offences contravened Sections 319 (1) and 324 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr B. B. Adebowale, said the accused should be remanded in custody pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions.
No one had to be asked to remove their hats. It's just what most people did.

The several hundred who came to Helenas July 4 celebration at Centennial Park stood with hats in hands for the singing of The Star Spangled Banner. Many voices became as one when Mayor Jim Smith led them in the Pledge of Allegiance.

And Smith told the story of how Katharine Bates penned the words after an 1893 trip to Colorado to what he said may be our best loved and best known song.

In her hotel room that night, she wrote down those words. You all know the first stanza, Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain. America, America. God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea, Smith said.

Tuesdays ceremony, sponsored by the Helena Ambassadors, the Old Glory Landmark Committee and local businesses, saw the 30-foot-by-50-foot American flag in the park taken down so a lighter weight flag could be displayed during the summer months when the winds are not so strong and a heavier flag is not needed.

White plastic folding chairs were set up to accommodate 100 people, but hundreds more arrived, many bringing their own chairs or standing or sitting on the grass for the ceremony that was capped with free hotdogs provided by the Helena Lions Club and root beer floats by Valley Bank.

Lovena Carter, who is originally from Florida, was one of the first to arrive and took one of the chairs in back with her son, Kevin, who is 1 year old, and waited for the program to begin.

Lovena's husband, Kevin, wasnt with his wife and son, who shares his name. He waited in his dress white uniform with others in the Navy Reserve for their role in the ceremony.

They, with the assistance of members of the audience, would carry the flag to where scouts from Troop 214 waited. The scouts job would be to connect the flag to the flag pole hardware that would allow a mechanical drive to raise the flag.

Their family has been in Helena for about 1 years, said Lovena who is a counselor at the Jan Shaw Home for Girls in Helena.

She was raised by her father who brought his family of nine children to the U.S. from Haiti. Lovena was the youngest.

She and Kevin were high school sweethearts in Fort Pierce, Florida, and married when they were 20. That will be four years ago in October. Since then, her husband was stationed in San Diego before being assigned to the Navy Operations Reserve Support Center here at Fort Harrison.

Being a Navy wife, she said, means being away from family. Now that they have a child, being closer to family would be nice, she added.

But even still, she has become accustomed to the distance that separates her from her family although they try to visit twice a year.

Boot camp changed Kevin and made him more serious, Lovena said. Military service is important to him. And just as his time in service has changed him, so has it affected her.

It helped me grow as a woman, she said.

Being the wife of a man in uniform has also taught her to be strong.

You have to be really strong because the house is empty, she said.

I had to be strong for him. Hes the one out there fighting for the country.

Its an honor to be a Navy wife.

Rich Brockbank, who retired from US West, waited for the program to start as he walked behind the flagpole and looked at the engraved names on the commemorative bricks that are sold to support the cost of flying the flag. The bricks, along with sponsorships, contribute the roughly $11,000 needed each year to keep the flag flying.

He was at the ceremony last year, he said, and enjoyed the live music -- this years music was provided by the Coffee Can Stash Band -- and relaxing.

Brockbank is a military veteran. Half of his two years in the Army Corps of Engineers was spent in Vietnam as a platoon leader.

The Fourth of July, he said, is about the country, and its a day he gives thought about those who died in the nations wars. Patriotism was always a part of his generation but he questions whether thats the case now.

A year of mandatory military service might be a good thing, he said.

And then its time for the program that begins with Dewey Bruce, the master of ceremonies.

The flag is a symbol of our freedom, giving each of us a sense of patriotism to be proud of, Bruce said.

Sailors, veterans, children and others help carry the flag to the pole where it slowly rises as they release it from their grasp, careful that it doesnt touch the ground.

Afterward, as the bands vocalist sings America the Beautiful and then launches into its program, Smith accepts handshakes and greetings, talking with those who came to chat and thank him for his remarks.

Helenas got a great military history, a great patriotic tradition and certainly this Old Glory Landmark is a recent reminder and addition to our heritage and our cultural inheritance. It is really special, he said.

The flag is also across the street from the 1st Special Service Force memorial in Memorial Park and not far from Fort Harrison on Helenas western edge.

Its great that we do this every year, the mayor added.
Regardless of where you get your accounts of times gone past, from the oral stories of older folk or thick volumes curated in Londons many scholarly halls, one thing strikes many people from the moment they begin to notice patterns.

Mythology, and its slightly more accurate sister, History lean in favor of the male gender.

From Zeus to Sango to George Washington, the icons and legends of entire civilizations and nations are not the women who birthed its fore-bearers, but the bearded God who made children with humans and the father of a nation who kept other nations in chains.

This is not to say there is no space for the female folk. Among the few women who find a place in old wives tales and history texts, perhaps the most prominent is the legend of a queen of biblical times.

She is known as Bilquis, Bilikisu, or more notably, the Queen of Sheba.

The legend of the Queen of Sheba is one of historys more fertile legends; over time, it has been re-imagined by Jewish, Islamic, Arabian and other many interpretations.

As a result of this, accounts of her life differ depending on whos telling the story.

Still, her story is widely recognized as a Biblical one, and the most popular account of it is that offered in the Bible; the story of her visit to King Solomon.

According to the Book of Kings, the Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold and precious stones, "and when she was with Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was nothing hid from the king, which he did not tell her" (I Kings 10:23)

In the Queens time with King Solomon, she was so astounded by the opulence and advancement of his court, as well as his wisdom, that she offered her respect for the King and the God of Israel, Yahweh.

Out of this respect, she gave large amounts of gold, rare wood and spices, precious stones in tribute to King Solomon.

"And King Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants." (I Kings 10:13)

It is said that after spending time with Solomon, the Queen converted to his religion, Judaism.

Other accounts of the Queens life go far further than this; some suggest the place of her birth as a nation in present-day Yemen. The Ethiopian account of Queen Sheba, or Makeda as she is called there, goes on to state that, on her way back, she had a child of King Solomon, named Melenik I.

Despite the many disparities in the many accounts, there are certain facts about the Queen of Sheba that are common to almost all the many stories.

1) She was from a great kingdom somewhere in the Middle East or Africa. Biblical accounts describe the Queen of the Sheba as a queen of the South who came from the uttermost ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of King Solomon.

The Kingdom of Israel and Judea, over which Solomon ruled, covered a great area of the middle east; to its south lay arts of South Arabia and farther south, the many ancient nation-states of Africa.

2) She was a black queen, of very dark skin. Apart from her origin, historians point to the Canticles, known as the Songs of Solomon, as evidence of this. She is deemed to be the object of the writers fancy, who says in Song of Solomon 1:4, I am black and beautiful.

3) The Queen of Sheba was wealthy beyond measure. All accounts of her visit to King Solomon speak of the scale of the gifts that she gave him; including large quantities of gold and rare wood that Solomon used to build his throne and later, the Temple in Jerusalem.

Even though these truths make up the pillar of any story about the Queen, each account has such different elements that it can be difficult to even decide if they are all talking about the same person.

One of the less popular accounts of Queen Sheba comes, not from the middle east, or Ethiopia, but from Nigeria, in the town of Ijebu Ode.

The Ijebu people claim that the Queen of Sheba was one of their noblewomen known as Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo. It is worth noting that this name Bilikisu is the same name by which she is referred to in the Quran.

In Ijebu-Ode, there is a medieval system of walls and ditches, over 160 kilometers long known as Sungbos Eredo. The locals claim that it was erected in her honor.

As part of his 72 day trip around Nigeria, Pulses Fuad Lawal visited the place where she is said to be buried in Ijebu-Ode.

While there, he met the custodian, a visibly aged man who has been keeping the grounds officially for 4 years, and unofficially, for a while before that.

The site of Bilikisu Sungbos grave is some way into the bush in an area called Oke-Eiri, surrounded by white walls with a message at the gate welcoming visitors to the seat of

The grave itself is bordered by a small gate in front and on the sides by a small fence made with iron bars, punctuated by small cement pillars with Arabic inscriptions on them.

According to the custodian, the grave site was found by hunters of old. These hunters were men known in Ijebuland as Alori, who went beyond the primary searches for animals, to explore the forests that made up large parts of Yoruba land in ancient and medieval times.

They were the police investigators of the time like you have detectives today, he said.

The diversity in the many stories of the Queen of Sheba shows how time, location and cultural differences can color a single story in different shades. Beyond that, though, it tells of the power of a story and of the icons that it creates.

By virtue of the fertility of her legend, the Queen of Sheba means different things to different people. To some, she is a part of religious folklore, to others, she is the beginning of a dynasty.

The most authoritative and detailed account of the Queen of Sheba is contained in the Ethiopian National Saga, the Kebra Nagast.

It is a detailed history of the Queen of Shebas visit to Solomon, as well as the Ethiopians conversion from sun worship to Judaism after their Queen was converted during her visit to Israel.

According to the text, the Queen of Sheba (or Makeda as she is called there) had a son with Solomon, named Melenik I. He is said to be the progenitor of the Solomonic Dynasty, an imperial house that ruled Ethiopia for centuries until their deposition in September 1974.

The last Emperor of Ethiopia from that lineage was the famed Emperor Haile Selassie 1.

The Ijebu see the Queen of Sheba, Bilikisun Sungbo, as something more than a noblewoman. To them, she is a goddess, benevolent now as she was wise and powerful in her life.

According to the custodian of the grounds where she is said to be buried, people come from far and near to pray to her.

It is prayers they come for, the custodian said. People come with different requests from prosperity to health

God does it (through the intercession of Bilikisun), he continued, God is the one who does it. No human being has the power to answer prayers

People are blessed with the fruit of the womb, even peace of mind."

"Isnt that worth being grateful for, he asked.

It is clear that over time, the legend of the Queen of Sheba has been woven into so many distinct cultures and places that each party would swear that their account is the truth.

The questions then arise; Which of these queens, Bilikisu, Makeda or Bilquis is the real Queen of Sheba? Was she a mighty queen who birthed an entire line of Kings or was she a soul-devouring goddess as she is so lazily described in the hit television series, American Gods.

Where are her remains? In Ethiopia or Yemen, where locals say she reigned for decades?

Was the Queen of Sheba buried in Ijebu?

The truth is that there are no answers. Makeda is as real to the Ethiopians as Bilikisun is to the Ijebu people. It is the case with all legends that have been reinterpreted by time, the strength of their truth lies in the hearts of those who believe in them.

Nothing states this more clearly than the submission of the archaeologist, Patrick Darling.

In 1999 after excavations in Sungbos Eredo, he was quoted as saying I dont want to overplay the Sheba theory, but it cannot be discounted The local people believe it and thats what is important

There are many facts that stand against those who claim that she was buried in Ijebu; carbon dating and advancements in archaeology have shown that Bilikisun Sungbo and the monuments built in her honor came centuries after the biblical accounts of the Queen of Sheba.

The facts may stand against it, but there is nothing as strong as belief.
Osinbajo, represented by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, at the 14th Biennial General Meeting of West African College of Nursing in Abuja on Tuesday.

The conference was on the theme, Emerging Health Emergencies: Community and Health Workforce Response.

The acting president said nurses and midwives were key to the healthcare delivery system and their contributions crucial in improving health outcomes of individuals, families, communities and the West African Sub region.

The healthcare system is in the midst of great change as care providers discover new ways to provide patient-centred care; to deliver more primary care in the community rather than the acute care setting.

In the most affected regions of sub-Saharan Africa the responsibilities of nurses have increased in line with expanding health services to meet local, national and global health targets, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, he said.

Osinbajo said the Federal Government had established and was running a two-year Master of Public Health programme in field epidemiology to regularly produce a crop of epidemiologists.

He also said Nigeria had set up the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control since 2011 to respond to the challenges of public health emergencies.

To complement the efforts of the government, the role of nurses and midwives in the health systems would need to be reviewed, delineated and recognised for better impact that would readily go to the field in response to emergency outbreak, Osinbajo said.

Prof Uduak Achibong, of Centre for Inclusion and Diversity, University of Bradford, commended nurses for taking up the job.

Achibong added that operating within the core values of the profession  compassion, competence, commitment and Care  would come handy during emergency occurrences.

She said that each year, one in five countries around the world had a health emergency to deal with.

Achibong listed three types of emergences and warned against slow burning health emergencies, such as obesity and dementia.

She noted that while over 15 million people globally were obese, especially in low-income countries, an estimated 71 per cent of West Africans would develop dementia by the year 2050.
The First Lady left the country on Saturday, July 1, stopping over in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) meeting on Monday 3rd July, 2017.

The meeting was a celebration of the 15th anniversary of the organization where she read the communique.

The First Lady's London arrival was announced by her personal assistant Zaynab Ikaz-Kassim on her Twitter page (@zaykassim).

She tweeted, "H.E Mrs. aishambuhari arrived London this morning after a 7 hour flight from Ethiopia, where she recently attended the 15th OAFLA G.A".

When Aisha returned from a London trip on June 6 after leaving the country to visit her husband on May 30, she had said, "My husband is recovering very fast. And very soon, he will return to the country to resume his official duties."

"I thank Nigerians for their prayers for my husband. Please, do not relent in your prayers. The President will be back very soon."
Reported lynchings of suspected members of the Badoo Cult group terrorizing the community hit the airwaves in the past few days, with some of the victims identified as innocent law-abiding members of the society.

In the statement, Senator Ashafa commended the people of Ikorodu for resisting the existence of the group within their community.

In his words, "I must I commend the resilience of the Ikorodu people who have unequivocally said NO to the presence of such a nefarious group within the Ikorodu community.

"Also, I commend the efforts of the Government of Lagos State ably led by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, in conjunction with Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, various vigilante groups including the Oodua Peoples Congress and the Onyabo who have mobilized with the police to flush out, neutralize and prosecute as many of such criminals as exist within the Ikorodu environment."

Ashafa however condemned the incidents of jungle justice, stating that, "Unfortunately, I have also received the news that in the process of resisting the members of the Badoo Cult group, the residents of Ikorodu have taken the laws into their hands and resorted to jungle justice.

"In some instances as reported, people have been arrested and lynched to the extent of being burnt to death. This is absolutely unacceptable; it is against the tenets of humanity and justice."

He concluded by urging the people of Ikorodu and its environs to remain law abiding wile staying vigilant and alert in the face of rising insecurity, stating, "As the people of Lagos East, we must continue to be civil and law abiding in all we do. While our disposition in the face of rising insecurity must be that of vigilance and alertness, I strongly believe that we must channel all our suspicions through the appropriate channels for arrest, rather than taking the laws into our hands.

"Lagos East boasts of the most noble, enlightened, industrious, intellectually advanced and law abiding people.
He stated this during an interview on a BBC interview programme, Hard Talk, on Tuesday, July 4.

"Substantial property is just an investment; my family do their own private business. They should afford to have such property in Dubai," he said.

"The type of property you are talking about is not the ones people are talking about.

"The property I invested was far back as 2013 before I became the chief of army staff, I never dreamt of becoming the chief of army staff and people are accusing me as if it is today."

According to a report by Sahara Reporters in June 2016, Buratai allegedly bought a second choice property in Dubai days after his appointment as Chief of Army Staff.

The report alleged the Army Chief and his two wives in 2013 paid the sum of 1,498,534.00 AED (N120 million/$419,000) for the first property, Project TFG Marina Hotel Unit 2711.

Citing Sale documents, the report said the first property was handed over to the Buratais on January 13, 2013.

ALSO READ: Buratai warns troops to stay away from politicians

On July 13, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Buratai as Chief of Army Staff.

It was alleged that within 11 days of his appointment, the general was making arrangements for the purchase of a second property from the same company in Dubai.
Fashola had accused the National Assembly of removing key projects of his ministry in the 2017 budget.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, Goje said the National Assembly would not be intimidated by Fasholas blackmail and propaganda.

Fashola should know that he is dealing with the national assembly of Nigeria and not Lagos State House of Assembly, said Goje, the chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation.

This assembly is composed of very patriotic and experienced Nigerians. Many have done this job before him. Many were governors before him. The ministry is too big; the ministry comprises works, housing and power.

If the job is too much for him, if he cannot adjust, then he should do the honourable and needful thing. No amount of blackmail or propaganda by him will stop this national assembly from doing its duties in accordance with the provision of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

ALSO READ: House of Reps summons Minister over budget comments

We have sworn to uphold and protect this constitution and this we would do to end of the life of this assembly. we would watch how the house would handle him. If he is well handled there, then we would treat him well. If they are not satisfied, then we would take it over, he added.

In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki advised the lawmakers to await the recommendations of the House of Representatives.

I think senator Aliyu Sabi, the chairman of appropriation has spoken on this matter and happy that the house of representatives has taken up this issue, Saraki said.
Adesina, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, stated this in a condolence message to the Attah family, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The presidential aide, who also described the demise of Attah as a huge loss to the media industry, lauded his distinguished service to the nation as a journalist, politician and opinion leader.

According to him, the Benue-born veteran journalist, not only carved a niche for himself in the course of his journalism career, he was also a strong voice in the nations political terrain during his stint in the House of Representatives in the Second Republic.

He enjoined media professionals and colleagues to draw inspiration from the career of Chief Attah.

He urged the family of the departed to take solace in the knowledge that their father lived a fulfilled life.

Adesina, on behalf of current and former presidential spokespersons, prayed that almighty God will comfort the bereaved family, friends and associates, and grant the soul of Chief Attah peaceful rest.

David Attahs death was announced on Tuesday by his son Emmanuel Attah, saying that the renowned journalist, aged 72, died at a private hospital in Jos, where he was receiving medical treatment.

He, however, failed to state the cause of his death.
Rep. Rasak Atunwa, Chairman of the committee disclosed this while interacting with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja on the outcome of the investigation the committee conducted so far.

According to him, the invitation of the former President will determine the next steps to be taken by the committee.

"The committee noted that it had conducted extensive investigation into the OPL 245 saga and that it is drawing to a close.

"However, the committee is of the view that in the interest of thoroughness, natural justice and fair play, it is imperative that evidence should be taken from former President Goodluck Jonathan.

"In arriving at this decision, the committee took account of the following facts:

"Jonathan was the President at the material time the ministers brokered the so-called resolution agreement that led to the allegation of $1 billion diversion of funds.

"Jonathans name features in the proceedings initiated by the Public Prosecutor of Milan in Italy, he said.

"A UK Court judgement in relation to an application to return part of the money being restrained, castigated the Jonathan administration as not having acted in the best interest of Nigeria in relation to the deal.

"The Attorney-General of the Federation at the material time, Mohammed Bello Adoke, who, of course, has been charged in relation to the case by the EFCC, has recently instituted proceedings in court.

"He pleaded that all his actions were as instructed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

"Accordingly, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution, the committee has decided to request that former President Goodluck Jonathan give evidence to the committee, as to his role in the matter.

"The secretariat will write, him asking for his response and submissions."

While responding to questions, he said that the former president was at liberty to make a written submission to the committee or otherwise.

He also said that the former presidents response would determine the next line of action to be taken by the Adhoc committee.

"The proper thing is that the committee has taken a decision that he must give evidence.

"Section 89 of the Constitution requires that we ask for the evidence; weve asked him for evidence and he must give evidence, we have asked him to give his response and submission.

"A matter entirely for him is, he may desire to send us a written submission, and we consider every written submission. We take it one step at a time.
The state department that renews liquor licenses will create a system to improve how it checks to see if a bar, restaurant or other place that serves alcohol has any violations cited by local law enforcement agencies.

A performance audit by the state Legislative Audit Division found that while most liquor license violations, like over-serving people or providing alcohol to people under the age of 21, are reported to local law enforcement, there is no requirement in state law that sheriffs or city police report the violations to the Liquor Control Division.

Citizens as a rule do not tend to complain to the state when they have an issue with an alcohol licensee, said John Harrington, a performance auditor with the division. Harrington spoke to a state legislative interim committee last week.

On license renewal forms, licensees are asked if they have received any alcohol violations in the last year, such as serving a person who is underage, but if they answer no there is no additional compliance work to make sure they're telling the truth.

While local police and sheriffs officers who would have written these tickets are strongly encouraged to report these violations to the state, theres no formal mechanism where local law enforcement agencies are required to report all violations, Harrington said.

In a response to the audit, Department of Revenue Director Mike Kadas said his department will implement a system to contact local law enforcement agencies when renewing licenses to see if any violations happened.

When conducting the audit, the division learned of one instance where tickets were being written locally but not reported to the state.

The audit looked at the function of the liquor licensing and compliance programs.

The state has controlled the making, distributing and selling of alcohol for more than 80 years. Liquor is the most tightly regulated, and nearly every bottle of liquor sold in the state goes through a warehouse run by the Department of Revenue in Helena. Beer and wine sales are also regulated, though they can be sold through private distribution networks.

Retail sales licenses are done through a quota system based on the population of cities and counties where licensed businesses are located.

There are several types of alcohol licenses, with most being retail licenses. There's a total of about 3,200 retail liquor licenses in the state.

Liquor licensing is handled by the Department of Revenue's Liquor Control Division and the Department of Justice Gambling Control Division.

The Gambling Control Division is a law enforcement agency formed in 1989, when the state took away gambling regulation from local authorities.

It has 18 investigators who do complaint investigations on active liquor license holders and background checks on people who apply for licenses. They also conduct unannounced visits for compliance checks. There are also four auditors who do financial reviews on liquor license applications.

The Liquor Control Division of the Department of Revenue has two bureaus  licensing and distribution. The audit focused on the Licensing Bureau, which makes sure applications meet requirements laid out in state law and confirm available licenses within population quote guidelines.

It also processes license renewals and communications with the Gambling Control division and local law enforcement agencies on matters of compliance and violations or citations.

The audit also found the agencies do not verify that when a restaurant reapplies for a beer and wine license at least 65 percent of the restaurant's gross income comes from food sales. There are 244 of these types of licenses in the state.

"By not being more proactive in seeking proof of compliance from licensees, Liquor Control is unable to verify that licensees are complying with all appropriate statutes and rules," the audit says. "A (restaurant beer and wine) licensee could be earning half or more of its gross revenue from the sale of alcohol, yet report to (the Department of Revenue) that its food revenue is 65 percent of the business as required by law. Liquor Control currently trusts the licensee's response on the annual renewal form."

Kadas said the department will see what additional information it should gather from licensees as well as review and assess current liquor laws and see if changes should be made.

Another recommendation the audit made and the department has already implemented is to allow for Gambling Control workers, who already make unannounced compliance visits, to expand the scope of their work to include compliance checks for alcohol. The agencies have drafted new inspection forms that are expected to start being used this month.
Punch reports that men of the Nigerian Army and militants engaged in crossfire over the militants' attempt to kidnap an oil magnate on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 in Cross River State.

It was also reported that the suspected militants entered the area from one of the creeks to kidnap the oil dealer but the kidnap attempt became unsuccessful with the intervention of the army personnel.

ALSO READ: Navy promises to battle kidnapping on riverine areas
The Senate called for this suspension after Acting President Yemi Osinbajo sent the Assembly a request to confirm the nomination of Lanre Gbajabiamila as Chairman of the National Lottery Commission.

Lawmakers reacted to the request, read by Senate President Bukola Saraki at plenary on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, by protesting that all confirmation requests from the executive arm be suspended until the powers of the legislative arm are recognised.

ALSO READ: Senate suspends confirmation of nominees indefinitely

According to him, "This is a Senate that does not realise that it is part of the legislature and not an executive body.

"And they want to do both the legislative and executive work together, which will totally eliminate the principle of separation of powers.

"Thats the sort of people they are. They're legislators, but theyre hungry to be the executive body.

"If they threaten to bring government to a halt, they will bear the responsibility and consequences that will arise. Let them be ready to take the consequences of their actions.

"In fact, it may be good for this country for them to expose themselves like that and let the country know the people who constitute a problem to good governance in Nigeria."

The Senate has been at odds with the presidency over appointments after it rejected the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but the presidency still kept him on as acting chairman.

Lawmakers were furious with the presidency's refusal to let Magu go, and directed Osinbajo to relieve him of his duties.

"How can they say he should remove somebody? That is an executive power.

"The constitution empowers the president to appoint the chairman of EFCC and other such agencies directly.

"So, if theyre uncomfortable with the fight against corruption and feel threatened by a man who is upright, committed and will not be distracted from doing his job, if theyre not comfortable with that, its unfortunate. But nobody is going to listen to them as far as that is concerned.
The minister gave the assurance when he briefed State House correspondents alongside the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami as well as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Muhammad Bello.

The Federal Executive Council meeting was presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

The Senate on Tuesday frowned at a statement credited to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that the Upper Chamber had no power to confirm certain political appointments being made by the presidency.

The Senate, therefore, in a four-prayer motion, resolved to suspend all confirmation requests from the executive until decisions of the legislature is respected by the presidency.

The decision of the Senate arose from a motion raised by Sen. Sani Yerima, following a letter requesting the confirmation of Lanre Gbajabiamila as Director-General of the National Lottery Commission.

Mohammed revealed that the threat by the Senate was briefly discussed during the Councils meeting.

Clearly it came up at the meeting but the fact of the matter is that we have a very excellent mechanism for resolving whatever issues is between us and the National Assembly and that is being addressed.

Whatever may be the problem between the executive and the National Assembly we have an excellent mechanism for resolving it.

I dont think we need to go to specific statements as to what was said by A or B, we believe that government is not one arm, but the legislative, executive and judiciary arms.

Whatever might be the problem we are resolving it and we are addressing it, he said.

Abubakar Malami, who also commented on the matter, dismissed the assertion that the Council had never discussed the issue of confirmation of nominations or otherwise by the senate.

He said: Well the fundamental consideration about the alleged statement is the fact that at no point ever the federal executive council sat down to arrive at the decision in one way or the other as far as the issue of nomination or otherwise is concerned.

Malami also disclosed that the council approved a National Anti-Corruption Strategy to further consolidate the ongoing fight against corruption in the country.

He maintained that the anti corruption strategy would serve as a roadmap to strengthen the enforcement and sanctions in the crusade against corruption.

Well, as you are all aware, anti-corruption is one of the major points and major drive of this administration and arising from that the government had overtime recorded very positive progress and development in that direction.

As it relates to the idea of the prevention of corruption, a lot of policies were put in place and they have proven to be successful.

Policy relating to Bank Verification Number, Single Treasury Account, policy relating to whistle blowing; policy relating to open government partnership and associated policies have all proven (to be) very effective in establishing transparency, accountability and blockage of linkages associated with corruption, he said.

The FCT Minister disclosed that the Council approved the four memoranda presented by his Ministry.

He stated that the projects approved included final engineering design for ring road number four at a cost of N242 million to be completed in six months.
The Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, June 4, 2017, gave the order after Mrs. Jonathan withdrew her suit against the EFCC.

The ex-First Lady had in February sued the anti-graft Commission for the alleged breach of her fundamental human rights.

She asked Justice Saliu Saidu to declare that the freezing of her bank accounts with about $20 million balance and those of her relatives by the EFCC as a gross violation of her rights to a fair hearing and to own property.

She also asked the court to award her N2 billion in damages against the EFCC over the illegal raid of her family property by its operatives.

Mrs. Jonathan, through her counsel, I. A. Adedipe (SAN) prayed the court to restrain the EFCC from infringing on her right.

In defense, counsel for the EFCC, Kayode Oni, described Mrs. Jonathan's suit as "an abuse of court process."

ALSO READ: Court unfreezes Patience Jonathan's bank account

However, on Monday, July 3, at the resumed hearing, Sammie Somiari who represented Mrs. Jonathan addressed the court on a notice of discontinuance of the suit.

He said he had "an instruction of his client to discontinue the matter."

According to him, an application has been filed before the court to that effect.

Responding to Mrs. Jonathan's U-turn, Oni submitted that she has a right to discontinue the case, but pressed for a charge of N500,000 as the cost of filing processes in response to the suit.

But Justice Saidu refused the N500,000 request.
For today, Wednesday, July 5, 2017:

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Magu: Osinbajo, Senate in fresh standoff

Resuming from break, yesterday, the Senate immediately went into a standoff with the presidency, vowing to stand down all requests for confirmation into executive positions in the Federal Government.

No regret retiring politically-exposed military officers  Obasanjo

FORMER President,Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, explained that he fired military officers exposed to politics when he held sway as President in order to prevent coup in the country.

3 killed as Badoo boys attack Ikorodu church

Members of the deadly ritual cult, Badoo, yesterday, struck again, killing three people in a church at Owode-Ajegunle area along Ikorodu Road, Lagos.

__________________________________________________

THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Badoo storms Lagos churches, kills babies, mother

Suspected members of Badoo cult moved from their Ikorodu base on Tuesday, attacking two churches in Owode Onirin.

Ex-gov arrested at book launch attended by Obasanjo, Gowon

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a wanted former governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki, The PUNCH has learnt.

Sagay, SANs condemn Senate as lawmakers ask Osinbajo to sack Magu

The Senate, on Tuesday, declared war with the Presidency over the retention of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after the rejection of his nomination by the legislature.

__________________________________________________

THE THISDAY NEWSPAPER

Gowon, Obasanjo Express Regret over Militarys Incursion in Politics

Sad memories of the bloodbath during the January and July 1966 coups resurfaced Tuesday in Abuja, with two former military Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo expressing regret over the militarys incursion into politics.

IOCs to Dispose of More Assets After PIB Passage, Licence Expiration

International oil companies (IOCs) operating in the country will continue to hold back on the divestment of onshore assets until after the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that governs fiscal terms, and the expiration of some of the joint venture onshore assets in 2019, investigations by THISDAY have revealed.

Olusanya is Interim CEO as Etisalat Gets New Leadership

In a move aimed at resolving its debt crisis and attracting new investors, Etisalat Nigeria Tuesday announced the reconstitution of an interim board and executive management, naming Mr. Boye Olusanya as its new Managing Director/CEO.

__________________________________________________

THE BUSINESSDAY NEWSPAPER

Nigeria taps Microsoft to Oracle to recover from recession

Nigeria is hiring U.S. technology giants such as Oracle Corp. and Microsoft Corp. as the government invests more to save costs and fight corruption, Bloomberg reports.

FG leaves IOCs confused over $6.2 billion JV cashcall agreement

An agreement entered into by the Federal Government and International Oil Companies (IOCs) in December 2016 that would have resulted in the clearance of about US$6.2 billion in cash call arrears is no longer operational, BusinessDay can confirm.

Banking shares suffer as Etisalat gets new board and management
Saraki is the 3rd most powerful man in Nigeria's leadership hierarchy--as enshrined in the nation's constitution.

It all began when Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe moved a mischievous motion during plenary on Tuesday, July 4.

The motion stopped short of declaring Saraki president; with Osinbajo away in Ethiopia for the 29th Ordinary Session of the African Union.

The acting president has since returned home.

Back in April, Osinbajo had told Pulse and other media outfits inside his residence at the Villa, that the executive didn't need to send Ibrahim Magus name to the legislature for confirmation, in the first instance.

Magus nomination for the position of chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the presidency has twice been turned down by parliament, necessitating Osinbajos remarks to select online media publishers on the night.

"I am fully in support of Magu as EFCC Chairman and so is the president, Osinbajo had said. If our candidate is rejected, the law says we can re-present him.

He added that; "Even a pocket book lawyer knows that the constitution overrides the EFCC Act. The EFCC Act says the presidency has to send the name of the EFCC nominee to the senate for confirmation. The constitution states otherwise.

"There was no need, in the first place, to have sent Magu to the senate for confirmation.

As Saraki read a letter from the acting president seeking for the confirmation of another nominee from the executive this week, senators went beserk.

They cited the comments above from Osinbajo on confirmation of nominees by parliament, as one reason why they werent going to consider the new letter before them.

I look at the issue of the confirmation brought today like a double standard or a kind of hypocrisy, said senator Isah Misau.

I hope Nigerians are watching, as long as we are operating the national assembly, the executive must respect it," he added.

Senator Dino Melaye who was very vocal in the rejection of Magu, wasted no time wading in.

Mr President, let it not be heard that it was during your time that the institution of the Senate lost its powers. I want to move a motion to prevent you (Saraki) from reading any letter from the executive seeking the confirmation of any nominee. It should become abominable, Melaye blared.

Moments later, Abaribe and Senator Kabiru Marafa were asking Saraki to replace Osinbajo.

I simply want to bring to the attention of this chamber and all Nigerians and to ask the question. The acting president is the person who is at the head of government now, but we have a serious problem in Nigeria today. We have nobody in Nigeria who is at the head of the government, Abaribe said.

He added that; The law and the procedure and all the laws in Nigeria states that you cannot have a vacuum. Today, the acting president is outside the country and so there is a vacuum.

Citing Order 54 (4) of the Senate Standing Rules, Marafa said; The constitution is very clear, if the president is out of the country, the constitution is clear as to who is the head of government. If the acting president is out of the country, the senate president is the next in the line of succession.

Stifling laughter, Saraki ruled the senators out of order with a bang of the gavel.

However, the prevailing sentiment in the country is that the senate president who hasnt hidden his ambition to become Nigerias number one citizen some day, had recruited senators to test the waters and the mood of the nation, during plenary.

The two top ranking officials in the presidency who spoke to Pulse concerning the subject, expressed similar sentiments.

In the past, certain sources had also disclosed that given Buharis struggles with his health, Saraki has been scheming to shove Osinbajo out of the way just so he can become the nations number one citizen. Pulse hasnt been able to independently verify those claims.

Presidency sources have also told Pulse that Saraki has been holding meetings with the Aso Villa cabal as he seeks to realise his ambition of overseeing Nigerias affairs; with Buhari becoming increasingly incapacitated and holed up in a London apartment.

At least one member of the Buhari cabal, Isah Funtua, has held meetings with Saraki, Pulse was told.

However, added yet another presidency source, Funtua has been barred from accessing the Villa by Buhari owing to his capacity for mischief and his propensity for leaking privileged information to the media.

Abubakar Sadiq Usman who is a member of the Buhari media organisation, says Funtua has since become a persona non grata within the Buhari inner circle.

There is disquiet in the inner circle of President Buhari as one of his strong men, Samaila Isah Funtua has allegedly betrayed the president, Usman said.

Usman added that: Alhaji Funtua is said to have serially engaged in several activities that amount to a complete breach of trust the president reposed in him.

As someone who has unfettered access to the villa, Alhaji Funtua is alleged to have used this to curry undue favour from everyone available.

He is alleged to have been engaged in this kind of activity since Buhari became president, one reason why his access to the villa was cut last year.

Apart from using his influence to curry favour, Alhaji Funtua is also alleged to be engaging in acts that portray the president in bad light", Usman said.

Online news platform, Sahara Reporters also alleges that Saraki has been holding nocturnal meetings with members of the cabal with one goal in mind--oust Osinbajo.

According to Sahara Reporters, The cabal behind president Buhari met extensively with Bukola Saraki in on how to stop Osinbajo from becoming president.

They opted to "impeach" Buhari and Osinbajo altogether and let Saraki take over as president. Or bring president Buhari back home in whatever condition and use his presence to stall any move to have Osinbajo become full president.

Bukola Saraki met with Isah Funtua in Saudi Arabia; with Funtua acting on behalf of the cabal.

"Since returning to Abuja, Isah Funtua has met nocturnally with several key northerners, asking them to rally around Saraki.

While working on this story, Pulse reached out to Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu who is Special Adviser on media to the senate president, for a reaction to some of these allegations, insinuations and reports.

However, calls placed to Olaniyonus mobile were neither answered nor returned. An email sent to Olaniyonu had also not been replied at the time of filing this story.

Olubukola Abubakar Saraki, 54, served as Governor of the north central State of Kwara between 2003 and 2011.

Saraki also has a knack for winning battles.

Aside winning his case at the CCT for alleged false declaration of assets, Saraki has also won battles against his late Dad Olusola Saraki, his sister Gbemisola Saraki-Fowora (who he succeeded in the senate), Goodluck Jonathan who meddled in the affairs of the Governors forum while Saraki was chairman of the pressure group and the PDP hierarchy from where he joined the governing APC.

To emerge senate president, Saraki outwitted and outsmarted the APC top brass--he wasn't his party's handpicked choice for the position of senate president.
He said over a week now since the ruling was delivered his lawyers were yet to receive a copy of the ruling so as to study and file his appeal.

He alleged that the Chairman of the Tribunal has been at large and every attempt to reach him or other members have proved abortive.

Briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, Sekibo pleaded that he should be allowed to have his day in the Appeal Court and nothing else

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Rivers State National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal that sat in Abuja sacked Sekibo of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

The three-man panel sitting at Apo Quarters in the Federal Capital Territory affirmed the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Andrew Uchendu and declared him the winner of the Dec10, 2016 rerun election.
The Punch reports that the body of the deceased was already decomposing as at the time it was discovered in a bush near the cleric's home.

Students living near the Jafaria Street are reported to have wept uncontrollably following the discovery and the stench emanating from the decomposing corpse.

The discovery is yet to be confirmed by the police but has, however, been confirmed by the Deputy Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students in South West, Saheed Afolabi.

As earlier reported, the 400L student of Microbiology was said to be cooking at his private hostel on Monday, July 26, when he suddenly abandoned the food and went out.

Oluwafemi's friends said they did not know whether he went out to buy something or somebody called him on the telephone, adding that the student had not been found since that time.
The students are reportedly taking over the state capital of Osun state, vandalising properties and besieging the city to protest the increasing spate of students' disappearance in the University.

Oluwafemi Shonibare, a 400L student of Microbiology was the latest student to be declared missing on Monday, June 26.

ALSO READ:Corpse of missing student found near a cleric home

While Shonibare's friends were searching for him, a female student of the University, identified as Ayomide told newsmen that the students would embark on protests against cases of missing students in the university.

However, a week after his disappearance, the decomposing corpse of Oluwafemi was discovered on Tuesday, July 4, near the house of a Muslim cleric in Oshogbo.

Prior to the sudden disappearance of Shonibare, three other students had been declared missing in UNIOSUN in recent times.
Media reports say the changes could affect thousands of jobs but these are not confirmed. However, Pulse Tech reached out to Microsoft Nigeria for a comment on this.

Naturally, since this is a global reorganisation effort, one would expect that all of the countries in which Microsoft operates would be affected. However, because markets are different that may not be the case.

On whether the tech giants sales and marketing reorganisation is going to affect its Nigerian employees, Microsoft Nigeria told Pulse Tech it does not comment on a country by country level.

ALSO READ: Tech company is working on a program that will give people access to ICT tools

A spokesperson did confirm the news, saying, The global announcement highlighted changes we are making to better serve our customers and partners. We have nothing more to add.

The aim is to help our customers and partners in every country achieve success through their digital transformations, across our commercial and consumer businesses. These changes will help both customers and partners to be successful by ensuring they have the right resources at-hand, and simplify how they do business with Microsoft, the spokesperson adds.

There may not be any immediate effects here in Nigeria, where Microsoft has been steadily ramping up its non-profit and cloud services. But it is hard to say for sure.

On the global front, Microsoft Vice President Judson Althoff has publicly stated plans to narrow the tech giants focus to include its Azure cloud-computing service as a focal point in its sales strategy.
The couple mark another anniversary of being hitched. 18 years and four kids down the road and they are still in love as ever.

Peep what Victoria, 43, writes on Instagram as her anniversary message:

Victoria, 43, shared a photo from their big day, with the couple smiling at each other as David held their son Brooklyn.

Brooklyn, then just a little baby, slept in his dads arms as the couple held hands.

I love you. Kisses x.

She and David, 42, can be seen in the throwback photo from their 1999 wedding smiling at each other as Baby Brooklyn snooze peacefully in his dads arms.

David, 42, opted for an even more epic throwback photo, posting a snapshot of the pair in their infamous matching black leather outfits.

Wow we really did this, he captions the pic, laughing at their costume.

Happy Anniversary to an amazing wife, mummy and strong business woman, he writes.

The celeb couple have four children together in the 18-year union  son Brooklyn, 17, Romeo, 13, Cruz, 11, and daughter Harper, 4.
The attack happened on Sunday at the village of Ngalewa, near the border with Nigeria, the governor of Diffa region, Laouali Mahamane Dan Dano, told state TV.

"Boko Haram elements... slit the throats of nine people... they took women, 37 women, and departed with them," he said.

"The defence and security forces are already in pursuit, and we hope that in the coming days these women will be found and freed," he said.

The governor, who went to Ngalewa on Monday, said the village had been singled out because it was known for its resistance to the jihadists.

The assailants came by foot for greater stealth, he said.

The village's mayor, Abari El Hadj Daouda, told AFP by phone that the attack happened on Sunday evening, "between 10 and 11pm."

"About 30 or 40 women and children were kidnapped... (and) nine people killed," he said.

The village lies a few kilometers (miles) north of the town of Kabalewa, where there was a suicide attack last Wednesday.

Diffa, which as a population of around 600,000 people, has suffered a string of attacks by the Nigeria-based Boko Haram since 2015.

Around 300,000 people displaced by jihadist attacks have taken refuge in the region, which already grapples with grinding poverty.

In April 2014, Islamist militants seized 276 schoolgirls from the remote northeast Nigerian town of Chibok, triggering global condemnation and drawing attention to the bloody Boko Haram insurgency.

Fifty-seven escaped in the immediate aftermath. Of the 219 who did not manage to flee, 106 have either been released or found, leaving 113 still missing.

The attack on Sunday coincided with a visit to Niger's western neighbour Mali by French President Emmanuel Macron, aimed at boosting multinational efforts to fight jihadism in countries south of the Sahara.
But after Washington confirmed that North Korea had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), experts say the US may have to accept that red line is close to being crossed if the missile system can be developed to carry a nuclear warhead.

"The window for negotiating denuclearization is closed,"Jeffrey Lewis, an expert in nuclear non-proliferation, told AFP.

"The big point is that we have to accept North Korea with a nuclear-armed ICBM."

In the immediate aftermath of the latest test, Trump again took to Twitter to berate the North's leader Kim Jong-Un and press China to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

But there are growing signs that Trump has already effectively given up on China's capability of reining in Kim's regime, declaring last month that Beijing's efforts had not worked out.

The Trump administration's hardening stance was also illustrated last Thursday when it slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank linked to North Korea -- drawing an angry response from Beijing.

In a weekend phone call with China's president, Trump reportedly told Xi Jinping that Washington was prepared to act on its own in pressuring North Korea, according to the New York Times.

As well as leaning on China, Trump has also been seeing if he can work with South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In, inviting him to the White House last week.

He has even tried to flatter Kim himself, calling him a "smart cookie" whom he would be "honored" to meet -- if only he would halt his missile programs.

Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress for Nuclear and Defense policy, said international pressure and diplomacy was of limited use now that Pyongyang was so far down the line.

'Deter, contain, constrain'

jpegMpeg4-1280x720"It is now illogical to apply pressure to prevent the threshold from being crossed. It has been crossed. Denuclearization is untenable," said Mount.

"US policy failed. The best we can hope for now is to sustainably deter, contain, constrain, and reform the regime over the long term."

In the short term, the Pentagon is studying its options for military action, though the United States and South Korea quickly made a show of force following the ICBM test, firing missiles off the coast of the Korean peninsula in what Washington called a display of "precision fire capability."

But US military chiefs have made clear they see enormous risks in a confrontation with the North.

Speaking in May, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said any war with North Korea would be on a scale similar to the devastating Korea conflict in the 1950s.

"The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely populated cities on Earth, which is the capital of South Korea," he told CBS News.

"The bottom line is, it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat, if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means."

Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in a speech last week that nothing had been ruled out but was blunt about the risks associated with any effort to impose a military solution.

"The president has directed us to ... prepare a range of options, including military options, that nobody wants to take," he said.

Lewis, a researcher at the California-based Middlebury Institute for International Studies, said the Trump administration's focus should now be on dissuading North Korea from firing anything in earnest.

"We should consider ways to reduce tension while strengthening deterrence," said Lewis.

"Ballistic missile defense might part of deterrence."

The US has already installed parts of a missile defense system -- the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system -- in South Korea to guard against threats from the North.
Investigators found evidence of more than 560 civilian deaths and the destruction of more than 4,200 homes by militias since late 2014, HRW said.

But this was likely to be just a small fraction of the total crimes that had been committed, it cautioned.

The killings had occurred "with wholesale impunity," the watchdog said.

"Over the past two years, hundreds of witnesses told us of brazen war crimes committed by Seleka and anti-balaka fighters across the centre and eastern part of the Central African Republic," HRW researcher Lewis Mudge said.

"The lack of justice for these crimes has left fighters free to terrorise civilians at will, and fuelled ongoing revenge attacks."

One of the world's poorest nations, CAR was pitched into a civil war between Muslim and Christian militias in 2013, unleashed when President Francois Bozize was overthrown by a coalition of Muslim-majority rebel groups called the Seleka.

They in turn were ousted by a military intervention led by former colonial ruler France.

Those events sparked the bloodiest sectarian violence in the country's history as mainly Christian militias sought revenge.

Christians, who account for about 80 percent of the population, organised vigilante units dubbed "anti-balaka", a reference to the machetes used by the rebels.

The HRW evidence adds to a UN report issued on May 30 that covers crimes committed in the country from 2003 to 2015.

In it, the United Nations documented "appalling" crimes by the army, armed groups and international forces.

It put forward evidence of gang rape, sexual slavery, the torching of entire villages and possibly genocide.

The SCC is a hybrid court embedded in the country's legal system but incorporating national and international judges.
BILLINGS  Vandals may have used gasoline to try and burn playground equipment, leading to the temporary closure of a part of Optimist Park.

The playground area will be closed while Billings parks officials work to replace damaged parts that were burned.

"We've had someone try to torch the playground and damage a third of the playground equipment," said Mike Whitaker, director of Billings Parks and Recreation. "You wouldn't think that playground equipment would burn, but it appears someone used gasoline."

The parks department fenced off the playground area to be repaired. The badly burned parts will be removed, Whitaker said, and they will "retrofit what's left."

Plastic parts were especially vulnerable to the vandalism, he added.

The incident has been reported to police, but Whitaker hasn't heard of any suspects. Parks officials have ordered the parts needed for repairs.

"As soon as we get those parts in, we will make the changes and reopen the playground," he said.
After spending two days in the hospital Rodrigo Londono has now traveled to Cuba to continue his convalescence, the high commissioner for the country's peace process said.

Doctors said the FARC leader, 58, checked himself into a hospital in Villavicencio in central Colombia on Sunday after having trouble speaking and moving his left arm.

That came a week after the FARC completed the surrender of their weapons to end a more than 50-year-old war under a historic accord with the government.

Announcing his release on Tuesday, the hospital said the rebel leader whose nom de guerre is "Timochenko" has largely recovered mobility in his arm and his ability to speak.

Years of talks that paved the way for the peace accord were held in Cuba, which along with Norway was a guarantor of the peace process.

Londono felt the first symptoms of the stroke on Sunday as he was preparing to visit one of 26 sites across the country where the approximately 7,000 FARC members gathered as part of the process to return to civil society.

The peace accord was narrowly rejected by Colombians in a referendum last year, but then amended and pushed through Congress.
An interior ministry source said there were clashes Tuesday inside the airport perimeter between security forces and an "outlawed" group. The airport was badly damaged during fighting between rival militias in mid-2014.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, however could not say whether the attack on the civilians was intentional.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival authorities and militias battling for control of the oil-rich country.
Morocco left the AU in 1984 after the latter admitted the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, proclaimed by the separatist Polisario Front in Western Sahara.

Bourita said he was "very satisfied" by the AU decision to allow the UN to lead attempts to resolve the Western Sahara question, with a resolution urging "appropriate support" of the UN Secretary General's efforts.

"The manoeuvres, the dithering has been discarded. Today, we have positions that go in the right direction," Bourita said.

Morocco and the Polisario fought for control of Western Sahara from 1974 to 1991, when Rabat took over the desert territory before the signing of the UN-brokered ceasefire.

Rabat, which considers Western Sahara an integral part of Morocco, proposes autonomy for the resource-rich territory, but the Polisario insists on an independence referendum.

Some African countries consider Morocco's claim to Western Sahara to be a form of colonialism.

The UN Security Council in May endorsed new peace talks between Morocco and Polisario, while renewing for a year the mandate of MINURSO, its peacekeeping mission in the disputed region.

Polisario said it was ready to negotiate with Morocco but wanted the AU to be involved as well.
In the clip, Oscar Perez urged Venezuelans to "stand firm in the streets" in their protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

"The moment is now, not tomorrow. The moment to wake up is now," the 36 year-old elite cop said, speaking in front of a Venezuelan flag. "Let's stand firm in the streets."

On June 27 Perez and unidentified accomplices flew over Caracas in a police helicopter and dropped four grenades on the Supreme Court before opening fire on the interior ministry. There were no casualties.

Perez appeared in a video released online around the time of the attacks flanked by four masked figures in black -- two of them holding rifles -- calling for an uprising.

He claimed to belong to a group that included military members, police and public servants opposed to the "criminal government."

Maduro branded the action a "terrorist attack," part of an "escalation" by right-wing "coup" plotters. He put the military on alert in response.

A day later, Perez's helicopter was found in the coastal town of Osma, 85 kilometers (52 miles) from Caracas.

In Tuesday's video, Perez said the attacks were carried out as planned.

"We only damaged structures ... there was no collateral damage because that's what was planned, because we're not murderers... like you, Mr. Maduro," Perez says, pointing his index finger at the camera.

Perez, who said he was back in Caracas, added that his group would join the protests.

"We will go out in the streets and will be with you. You are not alone," he said.

The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition has distanced itself from the attack.

"The MUD demands democratic change only by peaceful means," opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido said earlier.

Many people, including opposition leaders, suspect that Perez might be a frontman hired by the government to justify its crackdown on the opponents.
Kelly will be in Mexico City July 5-7 for "discussions on issues of importance to the US-Mexico relationship including confronting transnational criminal organizations and promoting regional security and economic cooperation," the DHS said in a brief statement.

In Mexico City, a government official told AFP that Kelly will meet Wednesday with President Enrique Pena Nieto.

This is Kelly's second official visit to Mexico. He earlier visited Mexico in February with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, just weeks after President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Trump pledged during his election campaign to build a border wall that Mexico would pay for, and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of which Canada is also a member.

Trump and Pena Nieto are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the July 7-8 G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, and five months after the first official meeting between the two leaders was aborted in a diplomatic spat.
A "gradual" pullback from both cities began on Monday at the request of King Mohammed VI, the governor of Al-Hoceima province, Fouad Chourak, told reporters.

A resident of Al-Hoceima, who spoke to AFP by telephone Tuesday, confirmed the pullback.

"Policemen have withdrawn from the central square in Al-Hoceima," the resident said. "Only a few policemen in civilian clothes are left."

Al-Hoceima, the main port in the neglected northern Rif region, has been rocked by unrest since a fishmonger was crushed to death in a rubbish truck in October as he tried to retrieve swordfish confiscated for being caught out of season.

In the months since, demands for justice and anger over the region's perceived marginalisation snowballed into a grassroots movement centred on Al-Hoceima, but protests also spread to neighbouring cities, including Imzouren.

The governor said he hoped demonstrators "will react positively" to the police withdrawal.

"Trust and security are linked... until the situation returns to normal," he said, adding that a positive response from protesters could pave the way for further measures by authorities to restore stability.

The pullback comes a week after clashes between security forces and demonstrators left nearly 80 police officers wounded, most of them struck by stones.

Authorities have arrested more than 100 people, including Nasser Zefzafi, the leader of the grassroots protest movement known as Al-Hirak al-Shaabi, since the end of May.

Al-Hirak has been demanding jobs, development, an end to corruption, and the release of all those arrested.

The government has responded to the unrest by relaunching a 2015 programme to improve the region's infrastructure, health facilities and education services by 2019.

The impact of these returns has raised concern, as diaspora associations have shown support for the movement, and before his arrest Zefzafi had called for a major protest on July 20.

A week ago Mohammed VI told ministers of his "disappointment, dissatisfaction and concern" that a $670 million (600 million euro) development programme for the Rif was behind schedule.

On a visit to the region, Tourism Minister Mohamed Sajid announced a series of "urgent measures to save the current summer season", including airline subsidies, airport tax relief and promotion campaigns.
"While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list," Tom Wilson, a fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, said in a statement.

According to the hawkish London-based foreign policy think-tank, Saudi Arabia has since the 1960s "sponsored a multimillion dollar effort to export Wahhabi Islam across the Islamic world, including Muslim communities in the West".

The ultra-conservative kingdom is the cradle of the austere Sunni doctrine of Wahhabism and is home to Islam's holiest site in Mecca.

Funding from Saudi Arabia has primarily taken the form of endowments to mosques, the report said, which have in turn "played host to extremist preachers and the distribution of extremist literature".

The report also flagged that some of Britain's most serious Islamist hate preachers have "studied in Saudi Arabia as part of scholarship programmes".

In a statement to the BBC, the Saudi embassy in London said the claims were "categorically false".

"We do not and will not condone the actions or ideology of violent extremism and we will not rest until these deviants and their organisations are destroyed," it added.

The Henry Jackson Society called for the creation of new laws requiring mosques and other Islamic institutions to declare foreign funding.

It also demanded the launch of a public inquiry into foreign funding of extremism, putting pressure on the government which has so far refused to publish its own report into foreign funding of terrorism.

Under the strict version of the Islamic faith in Saudi Arabia, women are forbidden from driving, there is no intermingling of the sexes, and cinemas and alcohol are banned, while the militant preaching associated with Wahhabi thought is accused of inspiring extremists from Osama bin Laden to the Islamic State group.
A series of searches in the gritty Anderlecht district of Brusselsnetted four people and arms hidden in a garage, the Belgian federal prosecutor's office said.

Meanwhile, in northern France, a joint Franco-Belgian operation picked up a man on suspicion of having links to the Kamikaze Riders, a group implicated in terror offences in Belgium.

The raids and arrests come with Belgium and France still on high alert after several deadly attacks claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, with troops on patrol in Brussels and Paris to guard key buildings and infrastructure.

Only last month, a soldier shot dead a man who had attempted to set off a bomb in Central Station, right in the heart of the Belgian capital, sparking fears that further incidents might be in the offing.

Investigators said at the time they had evidence that the suspect, a 36-year-old Moroccan national, had IS sympathies.

They also found explosive materials in a raid on his home in Molenbeek, a Brussels district where many of the jihadis who carried out the deadly Paris attacks in November 2015 and those in the Belgian capital in March 2016, grew up and found shelter.

No link to Paris-Brussels probe

In a statement on the latest raids, the Belgian federal prosecutors' office said "various weapons" were found during one of the house searches and that four people had been "arrested and taken in for questioning".

A source close to the probe said investigators had found at least two Kalashnikov assault rifles, while reports spoke of explosives also being discovered during operations in the immigrant-heavy Anderlecht district.

A prosecutors' spokesman said separately the raids were "directly linked" to members of the Kamikaze Riders, not to the investigation into the Paris and Brussels attacks.

The prosecutor's statement said the raids were "completely independent" from that probe.

In France, a source who asked not to be named, said a 42-year-old arrested in a suburb of the northern city of Lille was suspected of plotting a "violent action."

Several members of the Kamikaze Riders, formed in 2003 and known for testing the patience of the police, were suspected of links to foiled attacks in Brussels in late 2015.

In October 2016, two members of the group were convicted of belonging to a terrorist group, one jailed for six years, the other for three.

They were suspected of plotting an attack similar to the November 2015 carnage in Paris that left 130 people dead.

Four months later, jihadists also struck in Brussels, hitting the airport and the metro, killing 32 people and leaving hundreds injured.

The killings rocked Belgium and caused consternation when it became clear that many of those involved had been known to the authorities for some time.
"The secretary will reaffirm America's commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while encouraging the government of Ukraine to continue implementing reforms that will strengthen Ukraine's economic, political, and military resilience," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Tillerson's trip to Kiev, his first as secretary of state, will follow an expected meeting this week between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit amid strained relations between the two superpowers.

Last month Moscow cancelled a planned meeting between diplomats of both sides that was supposed to try and smooth relations.

The meeting was called off after Washington widened sanctions on Russia over its interference in Ukraine and the 2014 occupation of Crimea.

Washington has insisted that the punitive sanctions will stay in place until Russia honors the Minsk agreement to disengage from eastern Ukraine and returns Crimea to Kiev.
"Let's keep this in perspective," said Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray ahead of the two leaders' planned half-hour meeting Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany.

"We're not expecting any major agreements, we're not expecting to settle substantive differences," he told Mexican TV network Televisa.

It will be the first official meeting between the two presidents.

In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for his planned border wall -- plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades.

The two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings have eased the tension.

But nerves are still raw in Mexico over the wall, Trump's attacks on Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers and rapists," and his insistence on overhauling the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Negotiations on a new version of the 23-year-old trade deal between the US, Mexico and Canada -- which Trump accuses of shipping American jobs south of the border -- begin next month.

Videgaray said the two presidents would talk about NAFTA, as well as fighting drug trafficking, cooperating to stem a tide of immigrants from Central America, and "the relationship in general."

Trump and Pena Nieto first met in August 2016, when the former was still a candidate.

Trump's visit to Mexico turned into a public relations nightmare for Pena Nieto, who was lambasted for welcoming the brash Republican billionaire despite his insults and threats.
BILLINGS  The wildfire burning a mile southwest of the town of Zortman has grown to approximately 1,600 acres in size, according to a Bureau of Land Management spokesperson.

That number suggests the July Fire has grown by around 1,200 acres since it was estimated on Monday night to be zero percent contained and about 400 acres in size.

No mandatory evacuations had been ordered as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Phillips County Sheriff's Office dispatch.

Zortman has a population of about 70 and is near the southern border of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.

Connell's Western Montana Type 2 Incident Management Team has been ordered to manage the fire, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group website InciWeb.

Wildfire incident command teams come in five different levels, with Type 5 typically assigned to the least complex fires and Type 1 teams assigned to the most complex.

In a press release sent Tuesday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m, BLM spokesperson Jonathan Moor said that aircraft were dropping water on the fire and about 90 wildland firefighters were on scene.

Monday night, the fire was burning mixed timber along a ridge of BLM-managed lands in the Little Rocky Mountains.

Moor's update states that a heavy air tanker, multiple single air tankers, three helicopters, nine fire engines, two water tenders and three bulldozers are also involved in the effort to contain the July Fire.

Crews dispatched to the area include personnel from BLM, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Phillips County firefighters.
The United States -- which confirmed it was an ICBM launch -- backed by Japan and South Korea, requested the urgent meeting that is scheduled for 3 pm (1900 GMT).

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and flew 933 kilometers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later confirmed the missile launched was an ICBM.

The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China to act to "end this nonsense once and for all."

US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday spoke by phone with China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting, diplomats said.

Guterres stressed the importance of having united approach to addressing the North Korean crisis.

China, Pyongyang's main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear program.

The United States maintains the Pyongyang must first halt its missile launches and nuclear test.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from developing missile and nuclear technology.
"Dear Passengers, #WelcomeOnBoard to our US-bound flight. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices," Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier, said on Twitter late Tuesday.

The ban's lifting comes after Turkey began using sophisticated tomography imaging devices for X-ray and ultrasound screening at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport.

Ataturk is the only airport in Turkey with direct flights to the United States.

The first Turkish Airlines flight affected by the ban's removal was its 6.45am (0345 GMT) flight for New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, the Dogan news agency reported.

In March, Washington banned all electronic devices larger than a mobile phone on direct flights to the US from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, allowing them to be transported only in checked luggage.

The ban was imposed after intelligence officials learned of efforts by the Islamic State group to produce a bomb that could be hidden inside electronic devices.

Britain also introduced a ban on laptops, on direct flights originating from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey.

US and British officials inspected Ataturk airport Tuesday, Dogan reported, adding that Turkey expected Britain to lift its ban on Thursday.

But in a Twitter post, Turkish Airlines chief executive Bilal Eksi said only that he expected Britain to lift the ban "shortly", without giving further details.
Oscar Perez -- who claims support from members of the military, police and public servants -- urged Venezuelans in the video posted late Tuesday to "stand firm in the streets" in their protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

At least 91 people have been killed in street protests that have rocked the socialist Maduro government over the past three months. On Tuesday anti-government protesters blocked streets in Caracas and elsewhere.

Protesters blame Maduro for Venezuela's desperate economic crisis. He blames the chaos on a US-backed conspiracy.

While Perez's dramatic actions may be a sideshow in the country's deadly political crisis, the possible destitution of chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega -- the most senior figure to defy Maduro -- suggests a split in the government that could tip the balance of power.

Ortega defiant

Ortega, 59, refused to appear in court Tuesday in a case she says was trumped up by the authorities after she defied Maduro.

"I am not going condone a circus that will stain our history with shame and pain and whose decision is foretold," Ortega told reporters.

"I have committed no crime nor errors and I am not going to submit to this unconstitutional and illegitimate court," she said. "We already know that today I will be removed from my post."

Ortega accuses Maduro of violating the constitution with his plan to hold a special assembly to rewrite the document.

Opponents say this "constituent assembly" will be packed with allies that will allow him to cling to power.

She had earlier accused the pro-government Supreme Court of undermining democracy through a short-lived ruling that seized power from the opposition-led legislature.

That ruling helped spark the current wave of protests.

As violence swelled, Ortega accused police of killing protesters -- comments that enraged Maduro, who branded her a traitor.

Pro-government lawmaker Pedro Carreno has filed charges against Ortega, alleging "serious errors in the carrying out of her functions."

He also alleged she was suffering from "insanity" and should be fired.

The court held its hearing Tuesday in her absence and said afterwards it would decide within five days whether to send her to trial and suspend her from office.

Movie star pilot

In the video, 36-year-old Perez, who is also an elite cop and movie actor, urged the protesters not to give up.

"The moment is now, not tomorrow. The moment to wake up is now," he says.

"Let's stand firm in the streets."

On June 27, Perez and unidentified accomplices flew over Caracas in a police helicopter and dropped four grenades on the Supreme Court before opening fire on the interior ministry. There were no casualties.

Perez appeared in a video released online around the time of the attacks flanked by four masked figures in black -- two of them holding rifles -- calling for an uprising.

He claimed support from members of the armed forces and bureaucracy opposed to the "criminal government."

Maduro branded the raid a "terrorist attack" and part of an "escalation" by rightwing "coup" plotters. He also put the military on alert.

In Tuesday's video, Perez said the attacks were carried out as planned.

"We only damaged structures ... there was no collateral damage because that's what was planned, because we're not murderers... like you, Mr. Maduro," Perez says, pointing at the camera.

Perez said his group would join the protests.

"We will go out in the streets and will be with you. You are not alone," he said.

The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition has distanced itself from the attack.
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP)  Authorities say police in southern Illinois have fatally shot a man who fired at them after he apparently became agitated.

The shooting happened Tuesday afternoon in Belleville. Police say 39-year-old Donald Martin fired at officers several times and made suicidal comments before a police shot him. The St. Clair County coroner's office says he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Belleville police Master Sgt. Todd Keilbach tells the Belleville News-Democrat that Martin first fired what appeared to be a shotgun in the direction of officers. Keilbach says patrol officers and tactical unit officers returned fire and he was found unresponsive.

State police are investigating.

Neighbor Paula Daley said Martin started throwing bottle rockets into her yard shortly before the shooting. Daley says she was frightened by his behavior.
MARKHAM, Ill. (AP)  Authorities say the body of a young child has been found following a fire in a vacant suburban Chicago home.

WLS-TV reports the fire broke out around 6 a.m. Monday at a house in Markham. After the fire was out, firefighters searching the property found the body.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has not determined the child's gender, age or cause of death.

Neighbors say the home has been vacant and up for sale since its elderly owner moved out more than one year ago. One neighbor said she did notice a strange car near the home in the past week.

Police are trying to determine how the child got inside the home. The cause of the fire is also under investigation.
ROCK ISLAND  Growing up, it was clear David Saelens, now 60, was not going to be just another kid aimlessly banging on pots and pans.

"There was just something inside of me that had to do this," said Mr. Saelens. "I took these kiddie pool cue sticks down to the basement and tapped out rhythms on the cement walls.

"I would bang on metal trash cans outside, and our next door neighbor would say 'Dave, you're going to be a good drummer one day because you have good rhythm.' I had no idea what rhythm was, I was only 7."

Throughout the years, Mr. Saelens found himself returning to drumming again, and again, and yet again. Pride shines from his eyes as he describes playing in school bands within the Rock Island-Milan school district. Shortly after graduating from Rocky in 1975, he auditioned for the Army's music school in Norfolk, Va.

"I was trying to get into the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps," he said. "I took five auditions and did not pass any of them.

"The drum master auditioned me for the Armed Forces School of Music. So instead of being disappointed and depressed, I went," Mr. Saelens said. "When I was in Germany, in 1985, I came down with an illness and they had to send me home. There was nothing I could do, so I had to move back in with my parents. It was like starting from the bottom."

Mr. Saelen said that, after being laid off from a number of odd jobs, music and drumming became a constant in his life  professionally.

"If there was a band playing, I would get in my car and drive out to listen to them, to meet musicians," he said. "It's just networking. We would swap numbers and maybe sit in for one song.

"Then Lyle Beaver called me in 1991 because I was recommended by Steve Little," he said. "He was looking for a fill-in drummer until he could find a permanent one. The longest-running joke is that I'm still filling in 26 years later.

"After that I just never really bothered to look for any other kind of employment, because he kept me so busy."

In 1993, Mr. Saelens toured for two weeks with the Royal Canadians. In 1996 he was invited four times to perform with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, a band famous for backing up Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

In 2015, at 57  after taking classes for 13 years in an effort to expand his skill and knowledge on music theory  Mr. Saelens graduated from Black Hawk College with an associate's degree in music performance.

Mr. Saelens describes his music as easy-listening or Latin and multi-vocals, saying he prefers four-part harmony vocals. He said his song "Just a Little One"  his "claim to fame"  was recorded by Julie Lee and Her White Rose Band and played on various radio stations.

As a drummer now with 10 separate bands, Mr. Saelens said he feels blessed to be able to do what he truly loves due to the help and support of his "angels."

"Steve Little is responsible for me being a self employed, full-time drummer. He recommended me to this band and that," Mr. Saelens said. "He's my big angel and is a good friend. Without him I wouldn't be doing this.

"I've been blessed by a lot of people who have encouraged me," he said. "Julie Craighead recommended me to the Tony Hamilton Orchestra. They're my two biggest angels."

Late last year, Mr. Saelens began working on a book detailing his personal style on the drums, compiling notes on tricks and techniques he hasn't seen other drummers employ. Fifty years since his first drum lesson, and 271 songs later, Mr. Saelens says he truly never imagined this career path.

"You have to follow your heart," he said. "Any young, budding musician  let it pull you along like it pulled me along and just have a great time with it.

"It's true; that's what I did," Mr. Saelens said with tears in his eyes. "I followed my heart."
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump's first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday will be brimming with global intrigue, but the White House says there's "no specific agenda." So in the absence of a set list of topics, what are two of the world's most famously unpredictable leaders to discuss?

Trump, who prefers to have neatly packaged achievements to pair with high-profile meetings, may be looking for some concessions from Russia to show he's delivering progress and helping restore a productive relationship between the two powers. Putin would almost surely want something in return, and there's a long list of "irritants" between the two countries that they could potentially resolve.

Ahead of the bilateral meeting, White House National Security Council and State Department officials have been reviewing possible gestures the U.S. could offer Russia as part of the meeting, a current and a former administration official said. They weren't authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.

Yet any outward sign of bonhomie between Trump and Putin would be immediately seized upon by the president's critics and Russia hawks eager to show he's cozying up to the Russian leader. The ongoing investigations into Russia's interference in the U.S. election and potential Trump campaign collusion won't be far from anyone's minds.

The two leaders will sit down in Hamburg, Germany, on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit of leading rich and developing nations. Ahead of the meeting, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak met Monday in Washington with the No. 3 U.S. diplomat, Thomas Shannon, to prepare.

A look at what Trump and Putin could address:

___

ELECTION HACKING

Trump has been reluctant to publicly and directly acknowledge Russia's role in meddling in the U.S. election, out of apparent concern it undermines the legitimacy of his win. He's also insisted there was no collusion with him or his campaign, a conclusion that U.S. investigators have not yet reached.

U.S. officials says Russia tried to hack election systems in 21 states and to sway the election for Trump, a level of interference in the U.S. political system that security experts say represents a top-level threat that should command a forceful response from the U.S. Putin has denied all this.

There are no indications Trump plans to raise Russia's meddling at the meeting. Yet if he doesn't, it will give fuel to Trump's critics who say he's blatantly ignoring a major national security threat. It could also embolden those who say Trump is trying to cover for the Russians after benefiting from their interference.

___

IRRITANTS

Each side has a long list of complaints about the other that do not rise to the geopolitical level but are nonetheless impeding broader attempts to coordinate or cooperate on larger concerns. After meeting in Moscow earlier this year, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to set up a mechanism to deal with these issues the Russians describe as "irritants" and the Americans call "the smalls."

But even that effort has stalled. After the Treasury last month imposed new sanctions on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, Moscow called off a scheduled second meeting between Thomas Shannon, the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, and Sergey Ryabkov, a Russian deputy foreign minister. Shannon and Ryabkov's canceled June 23 meeting in St. Petersburg has yet to be rescheduled.

It was not clear if either Trump or Putin would seek to reopen the channel when they see each other in Hamburg, although Tillerson and other State Department officials have taken pains to stress that they remain open to a resumption of the talks.

___

RUSSIA'S WISH LIST

Russia has been especially vocal about its chief demand: the return of two properties it owns in the U.S. that were seized by the Obama administration as punishment for Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The recreational compounds are located in Oyster Bay, New York, on Long Island, and along the Corsica River in the Eastern Shore region of Maryland

On Monday, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Russia had been remarkably restrained by declining to retaliate but that its patience was running out. If the U.S. doesn't soon give back the compounds, also known as dachas, Moscow will have no choice but to retaliate, Ushakov said.

Another Russian demand is to ease surveillance of its diplomats in the U.S.

___

US DEMANDS

The U.S. has its own list, topped by a resumption of adoptions of Russian children by American parents which Russia banned in late 2012, an end to what it says is intensifying harassment of U.S. diplomats and other officials in Russia and a resolution to a dispute over a piece of land in St. Petersburg that was meant to be the site of a new U.S. consulate in Russia's second-largest city. The U.S. also wants expanded cultural and exchange programs between the two countries. Such programs were vastly curtailed or ended after Putin's 2012 return to the Kremlin in an election he accused Washington of interfering in.

Tillerson has made the adoption issue a priority, according to aides, although it remains unclear if he has succeeded in convincing the Russians to even consider revisiting the ban. The property dispute in St. Petersburg dates to 2014 when Russia blocked the U.S. from developing the site after the Obama administration hit Russia with sanctions because of it's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

Officials say the U.S. won't simply swap the Russian compounds for the St. Petersburg consulate. Action on the other demands is also required, they say.

___

UKRAINE SANCTIONS

Moscow has long sought an easing of economic sanctions the U.S. slapped on Russia over its actions in eastern Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, which the U.S. does not recognize. Though there were indications that Trump's aides entertained easing the sanctions in the run-up to the inauguration and early days of his presidency, his administration has repeatedly insisted that they will stay in place until Russia pulls out of Crimea and lives up to its commitments under a cease-fire deal for eastern Ukraine that has never been fully implemented.

Given that Russia has taken neither of those steps, easing sanctions would require a major reversal by Trump and would infuriate Russia hawks in both parties in the U.S. In fact, Congress has been pushing to increase sanctions on Russia and make them harder for Trump to lift. The Senate has passed the popular measure, which won't go to a House vote before Trump's meeting with Putin.

___

SYRIA

Eager to bolster his global legitimacy, Putin has been pressing the U.S. to cooperate militarily with Russia in Syria, where both Moscow and Washington oppose the Islamic State group but disagree about Syrian President Bashar Assad. Though defense laws passed in the wake of the Ukraine crisis bar the U.S. military from cooperating with Russia, the two have maintained a "deconfliction" hotline to ensure their forces don't accidentally collide on the crowded Syrian battlefield.

The Pentagon has steadfastly resisted proposals to work closely with Russia in Syria, out of concern the U.S. can't trust Moscow with sensitive intelligence information. But the problems posed by the lack of coordination in Syria have resurfaced following recent events. The U.S. has recently shot down several pro-Syrian government aircraft, leading Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, to threaten to shoot down any aircraft that flies west of the Euphrates River.
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.

Joyce Dombrouski is the chief executive of Providence Western Montana.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States warned Wednesday that North Korea was "quickly closing off" the prospect of a diplomatic resolution to its provocations, as the Trump administration launched a government-wide effort to identify options for confronting Pyongyang following its unprecedented intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

President Donald Trump and other senior officials dangled the prospect of punishing countries that trade with North Korea  a threat aimed directly at China, Pyongyang's biggest benefactor. In a tweet Wednesday morning, Trump questioned why the U.S. should continue what he sees as bad trade deals "with countries that do not help us."

Some administration officials are still holding out hope of persuading China to ratchet up economic pressure on Pyongyang, despite Trump's increasingly pessimistic attitude toward Beijing. Trump, who departed for Europe early Wednesday, is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany.

Thus far, both China and North Korea have proven to be impervious to Trump's tough talk and threatening tweets. Pyongyang heightened tensions this week with the test of a missile capable of hitting the U.S., a step officials described as a worrisome escalation by an unpredictable regime and perhaps the most pressing threat facing a new U.S. president with little national security experience.

Following the launch, the White House, Treasury Department, State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies accelerated discussions on options for responding to Pyongyang's nuclear pursuits. The talks center in part on the same bucket of ideas prior administrations have considered, including direct diplomatic negotiations and pre-emptive military action.

The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss the matter. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called Pyongyang's missile launch "a clear and sharp military escalation." She said that while the U.S. is not seeking a military confrontation, military options are indeed on the table.

"Their actions are quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution," she said.

South Korea's president, meanwhile, said the world should look at tougher sanctions against North Korea and insisted the problems across his border should be addressed through diplomatic channels.

"I think that the North Korean question should be solved by peaceful means," said President Moon Jae-in, who will also meet Trump at the G-20 gathering.

The North Korean threat appears certain to hang over Trump's European trip, which opens in Poland. Trump is expected to use the trip to try to forge consensus with European Union partners, which could also put more financial pressure on North Korea.

As he flew to Warsaw on Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump also spoke by phone about North Korea with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, emphasizing the need for countries to implement Security Council resolutions. The White House said Trump also discussed the need for nations to "stop hosting North Korean guest workers"  an issue Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also mentioned in his response a night earlier to the missile launch.

Restricting guest workers is one way the U.S. and other countries could try to reduce North Korea's access to foreign currency. Some 50,000 to 60,000 North Koreans work abroad, mostly in Russia and China, South Korea's spy service has said, including at about 130 restaurants North Korea operates overseas. The workers' mission involves earning money to bring into North Korea.

North Korea conducts about 90 percent of its trade through China, giving Beijing enormous sway over the reclusive government. Despite forging a friendly relationship with Xi, Trump has become increasingly dismayed at China's reluctance to take tougher action against North Korea. He asserted Wednesday that "trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter."

In April, Chinese customs data said total two-way trade between China and North Korea increased 36.8 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year earlier. However, raw data from the first quarter showed that total two-way trade increased by only 7.4 percent. It was unclear why the customs agency reported a higher rate.

Anthony Ruggiero, a North Korea expert at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the U.S. could try to prod Beijing to take a tougher line on North Korea by exploiting Chinese banks and other companies' desire for access to the U.S. dollar.

"The administration can give them a choice: Do business with North Korea or have access to the U.S. financial system," Ruggiero said.

The Trump administration signaled its willingness to take that approach last week when it announced it was blacklisting a small Chinese bank over dealings with North Korea.

China has long resisted intensifying economic pressure on neighboring North Korea, in part out of fear of the instability that could mount on its doorstep, including the possibility of millions of North Koreans fleeing into China. China has also been concerned that a reunited, democratic Korea  dominated by South Korea  would put a U.S. ally, and possibly U.S. forces, on its border.
"The Congress shall have power ... to establish a uniform rule of naturalization ... throughout the United States." -- U.S. Constitution, Article 1.

The Appellate Courts of the 4th and 9th circuits had affirmed most of the Preliminary Injunctive Relief granted against President Trump's Executive Order No 2 by lower district courts. The U.S. Supreme Court has now unanimously stayed those appellate court orders -- except as to those "foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States." (i.e., "the exception")

The court has set hearing on the merits of all issues of the consolidated cases for October 2017.

Were I writing the President's Supreme Court brief on the main issue (note: not on "the exception"], appealing from the 9th Circuit's Immigration rulings, my brief would go something like this:

The U.S. Supreme Court, in Galvan v. Press, stated that under Article I of the Constitution, the power to make immigration laws is entrusted exclusively to Congress.

In Fiallo v. Bell, the Supreme Court stated, "Over no conceivable subject is the legislative power of Congress more complete than it is over the admission of aliens. ... The conditions of entry for every alien, the particular classes of aliens that shall be denied entry altogether, the basis for determining such classification ... have been recognized as matters solely for the responsibility of the Congress.

So, what if Congress, in an exercise of exclusive power to make immigration laws, were to make the following hypothetical findings and law?

"The unrestricted entry into the United States of nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen would be detrimental to the interests of the United States and directs that the entry of nationals from those designated countries be barred for 90 days."

Would the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, or any other federal court have power to enjoin that exercise of congressional power?

What is the meaning of the word "exclusive?" Does Congress have "exclusive" power, if a court can enjoin exercise of that power?

If the power to make immigration laws is entrusted exclusively to Congress, and is "solely the responsibility of the Congress," that power is neither "exclusive" or "sole" if any court can bar Congress from exercising that power.

But what if Congress delegates its power to control immigration to the president -- the chief executive? Indeed, in the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952, Section 212(f), that is precisely what Congress did.

"Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or non-immigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate."

In writing that law, Congress exercised its "EXCLUSIVE" power over immigration. It delegated its "exclusive" power to make "findings" [president finds] to the president. It also delegated to the president, its "exclusive" power to "deem what is appropriate" [he "may deem to be appropriate"].

So, if the president "deems it appropriate" to bar entry by nationals from six countries where Muslims are slaughtering Muslims for 90 days because he fears that at least some of those immigrants or refugees will bring their "holy wars" here, and that that would be detrimental to our security, can any court second-guess him? Make its own determination of what is detrimental? What vetting is appropriate and required for our national security?

Under Section 212(f), the president alone, as chief executive, has been designated by Congress as Congress' agent. Pursuant to that delegation, President Trump has made his executive order.

(The "hypothetical legislation" set out above is a verbatim excerpt lifted from President Trump's Revised Immigration Executive Order, EO No. 2.)

The main question which the Supreme Court will decide in October is who decides whether the president's finding is legally sufficient? Who decides whether immigration from a particular country will be detrimental to the U.S.? The president, or 700 federal court judges? Will we have one immigration policy, or 700?

If you think the latter, what competence does any judge have to manage immigration?

National security? The answer is obvious: NONE.
Celebrating Our Service Members

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Transit Equity Starts With QueensLink

For decades Queens has seen a disinvestment in the necessary transit infrastructure the borough needs to promote equity and sustainability. Most of the time, transformative...
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Prosecutor to seek punishment for Nemtsov murder case defendants on July 12

MOSCOW, July 5 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  A prosecutor will seek punishment for five defendants in the case over the murder of prominent Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov on July 12, spokesperson for the Moscow District Military Court Irina Zhirnova told RAPSI on Wednesday.

In late June, jurors found all the defendants guilty of involvement in the politicians murder and illegal trafficking in firearms and ammunition. According to the verdict, they did not deserve leniency.

The jury panel stated that one of defendants, Zaur Dadayev, conspired with others, was stalking and collecting data on Nemtsov, prepared murder and killed the politician himself, shooting his victim at least six times from an unidentified gun.

Boris Nemtsov, 55, a prominent opposition politician, who held a number of high-ranking posts in the Russian government in the 1990s and in the 2000s joined the opposition, was shot down in the center of Moscow as he walked across a bridge near the Kremlin on the night of February 28, 2015.

Investigators believe that the conspirators in the murder had thoroughly prepared to commit this crime and spied on the victim.

Five men, Zaur Dadayev, brothers Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, Khamzat Bakhayev, and Temirlan Eskerkhanov have been charged with contract murder, illegal acquisition, carrying and keeping of weapons.

Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer in Chechen Interior Ministry, is believed to be a mastermind of the murder. He was placed on the international wanted list in November 2015. Beslan Shavanov, who allegedly was also implicated in the crime, reportedly killed himself when police tried to arrest him.

Criminal prosecution of Shavanov was dismissed because of his death. Investigation into Mukhudinov is underway.
Manifestation of humanism: experts comment on pretrial restraint law

MOSCOW, July 5 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul, Lyudmila Klenko)  The introduction of a fast-track pretrial restraint review for severely ill suspects should ease overcrowding in pre-trial detention centers, experts told RAPSI on Wednesday.

In early July, President Vladimir Putin signed a law stipulating that decisions on replacement of pretrial custody with another restraint should be taken by inquiry officers, investigators, or courts in charge of respective cases not later than within three days after receiving copies of medical assessment reports issued in custodial facilities, as a document published on the official website of judicial acts reads.

In the best interests of pretrial detention centers and lawyers

Sergey Petryakov, the head of a rights group Zona prava (Law Zone), believes that the deadline set up by the President is of positive significance for many suspects and defendants held in custody. According to him, however, everything will depend on the practices pursued by hands-on implementers of the new regulation. Petryakov presumes that some investigators may decline changes of restraints even with regard to severely ill persons in the best interests of solving a case, if such persons are expected to flee, hinder investigation, or interfere with witnesses and other persons involved in the case. Nevertheless, the expert believes, even in such circumstances a person should be guaranteed to get proper medical treatment. Besides, Petryakov says, it is to be remembered that there is a wide range of other restraints such as a house arrest, bail, or travel restrictions. However, according to the rights activist, the new regulation is a manifestation of humanism towards a large number of de jure innocent persons.

Besides, according to Petryakov, a certain alleviation of the situation in the presently overcrowded Moscow remand prisons is to be expected, what will help lawyers to visit their clients. The expert believes that the effect of the new law will be clearly seen by the end of the year.

Stalina Gurevich, a lawyer, was very positive about the law. She reminded that earlier the time required to review restraint measures with regard to severely ill defendants had not been regulated at all. According to Gurevich, it is no secret that consequences could be tragic for some persons, who had to wait for decisions too long. Therefore, the lawyer says, it is a very good initiative; however, she believes that the main thing is that the law worked and petitions were satisfied.

In her turn, lawyer Lyudmila Aivar reminded that a special procedure of medical examination of severely ill persons is currently in place, which has been set by the Russian Government. Under the procedure, which does not allow medical certificates issued by third parties, medical examination is to be carried out within 5 days since the admittance date with the results to be further studied by a commission, which is entitled to prolong examination for up to 30 days, while the new law is applicable only since the date case materials are received by courts.

According to the lawyer, there have been registered cases where apparently severely ill defendants were kept in custody for years, sometimes dying in detention due to the lack of adequate medical treatment in remand prisons. Stressing the need to care about lives and health of citizens, she positively evaluated the new law.

Magnificent news

Lawyer Sergey Polyakov says the new amendments are only a partial solution. According to him, judges, investigators, and inquiry officers will take respective decisions, but the time allowed to pretrial detention center officers to present medical assessment reports remines unregulated. He cited a case defended by a fellow lawyer, where the client suffering a serious illness was to be subjected to medical examination, but even after six months after the decision was taken, it has not been performed. It is necessary to set a term, within which medical examination is to be carried out, and define the period, within which administrations of pretrial detention centers are to present the results to courts, Polyakov insists. According to him, some time is needed to fully understand the implications of the new regulation. The lawyer says that the measure was well intended, but its enforcement still needs perfection.

The Presidential amendments are magnificent news according to lawyer Oksana Mikhalina. It is a well-known fact, she says, that a great number of defendants now in detention suffer chronic illnesses, while the list of ailments precluding custody is limited. Earlier, investigators, not restrained by time, could release defendants at the last moment only, and decisions concerning review of restraint measures have been postponed in most of cases. The lawyer hailed the new regulation noting nevertheless that she wished the list of illnesses precluding detention was expanded, in particular as concerns diabetes.
MH17 crash case suspects should be prosecuted in Netherlands  Dutch minister

MOSCOW, July 5 (RAPSI)  Suspects in the case over MH17 Boeing crash in the Donetsk Region in 2014 should be prosecuted in the Netherlands, according to the official statement of the Dutch minister of foreign affairs Bert Koenders released on Wednesday.

The countries comprising the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine, have backed up this decision, the statement published on the Dutch governments website reads.

The JIT countries have decided that the suspects should be prosecuted in the Netherlands, a process that will be rooted in ongoing international cooperation and support. This means that the teams cooperation will continue into the prosecution phase, Bert Koenders said.

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in the Donetsk region on July 17, 2014. All people on board, 298 citizens of 17 countries including 193 Dutch nationals, died.

On July 21, 2014, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted an Australia-led resolution calling for an international investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy and full and unrestricted access of experts to the site.

In late September 2016, the JIT published preliminary results of the investigation. According to the report, the airplane was hit by a land-to-air missile fired from the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Russia has repeatedly pointed out the inaccuracies in the investigation led by the Netherlands and deficiency of information, in particular, the JITs refusal to take into account information provided by Russian experts.
DECATUR  Denise Stanton dreaded the trip to the gas station a few years ago.

But earlier this week, at the Huck's Convenient Food Store at the corner of North 22nd Street and U.S. 36, Stanton was pleased as she filled up her new Ford Fiesta, paying just over $20 to do the job.

"I love the prices, it makes it easier and cheaper to travel," she said.

The yearlong streak of low gas prices continued into the extended July Fourth weekend, as Stanton and others motorists across Illinois and the nation saw the lowest gas prices for Independence Day since 2005, according to GasBuddy. The national average is $2.21 a gallon, down from the ten-year average of $3.14 a gallon.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Decatur was $2.14 on Monday, according to AAA Gas Prices, a public service updated daily by Oil Price Information Service. That is down from $2.17 this time last year.

The prices were especially notable over the holiday, where AAA reports 44.2 million Americans would travel more than 50 miles from their homes to celebrate.

Stanton said she planned to head to Springfield for Independence Day, and gas prices have made the decision to travel much easier than in the past.

I hope the prices stay this way, she said.

Prices are significantly down from four years ago, when a gallon of regular gas in Decatur costs $4.18.

Though he had no travel plans for this week, Josh Tucker said he could also appreciate the modern trend of lower gas prices.

There are no complaints from me, said Tucker, who was filling up his Ford truck at Hucks on Monday afternoon. Its cheaper to fill her up.

The state average for a gallon of regular gas is $2.29 on Monday, down from $2.40 a gallon this time last year.

Four separate locations held the title of cheapest place for gas in Decatur on Monday, at $2.05 a gallon.

A major reason for the low costs has been the increased amount of oil production in the United States, which recently hit 9 million barrels per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is up from 6.3 million barrels per day just five years ago. The current price for a barrel of oil is $46.04, down from $90.65 five years ago.
Anyone who has ever been to a meeting knows that meetings are often confounding, frustrating affairs. Most of them are designed simply to be held. The people who attend them are unlikely to agree on anything except maybe the date the next one will convene, and the possibility that they accomplish something gets smaller as the meeting itself gets larger. The G-20 summit, which will be held July 7, is no exception. But thats only because the people who attend it, the leaders of the countries with the worlds 20 largest economies, think of themselves as decision-makers when really they are hostages to history.

In fact, the dynamics involved at a meeting such as the G-20 are indifferent to the people who attend it. Personalities are interesting but ultimately indecisive in power politics. World leaders may not like Donald Trump  in fact, many do not  but since they cannot avoid dealing with the United States, still the worlds only superpower, they cannot avoid dealing with its president.

The United States is inextricably linked to three major issues that will be addressed but probably not resolved at the G-20 summit. The first is the progression of North Koreas nuclear weapons program, an issue the United States and China simply cannot ignore or fully resolve without at least talking to each other. On July 4, Pyongyang tested a missile it claims was an intercontinental ballistic missile. The North Koreans may be exaggerating, of course. The missile still needs guidance systems and a configured payload, but as U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said, the United States cant wait for North Korea to have a functional ICBM.

Here again, personalities matter less than imperatives. The Trump administration had planned for an economic confrontation with China, at least if statements from the campaign were to be believed. The reckoning has been postponed now that Washington needs Beijing to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. So far the talks have been futile, and its unclear if China even wants them to succeed. If the United States attacks North Korea, China could get what it wants  North Korea without a nuclear weapon  without lifting a finger, superbly positioned thereafter to play the role of peacekeeper against the belligerent United States. In the meantime, Chinese President Xi Jinping will promise to try harder to disarm North Korea because it strengthens his case if the U.S. attacks while he is negotiating. Washington probably sees the trap China is trying to set but cant really get around it; it will simply remember this later, after the North Korea issue has been resolved one way or the other, when it turns its attention back to Beijing. After all, the U.S. can damage the Chinese economy far more than China can harm the American.

The second issue is Russian interference in the domestic affairs of other countries  a hot-button issue that elides some obvious facts: Nations interfere with other nations all the time, and the Russians have a long history of agitation and propaganda. Moscow has, in no uncertain terms, interfered in the domestic affairs of other countries, particularly former Soviet states that lay west of Russia. The government claims, albeit quietly, they are justifiable responses to meddling in the color revolutions of Eastern Europe in the 2000s, funded as they were by U.S. nongovernmental organizations. Whatever may or may not have happened in the 2016 U.S. presidential election is beside the point. The bigger issue for Russia is that its oil is cheap, and that cheap oil will continue to hurt the Russian economy. Nothing from the meeting will change that.

The third issue is U.S.-German relations. The party of Chancellor Angela Merkel no longer uses the word friend to describe the United States in its platform. But in fact, Merkel has blamed Trump for a rupture he has little to do with. At issue are the national interests of both countries. Germany needs for the European Union to be economically healthy enough to buy the exports on which its economy depends, but the United States, which has little leverage or stake in the European Union, sees its disintegration as a European problem. And so Washington has been working with countries like the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe states on a bilateral basis to contain Russia rather than going through Brussels. Germany, moreover, wants to be in NATO and the EU, but both organizations have a hard time instituting policies that benefit all its members because none of its members have identical national interests. And then there is Russia. The last thing Germany wants to do, in light of its other problems, is confront Russia, but blocking Russia is central to U.S policy, and it needs Europe united in that regard. The divergence between the United States and Germany has been growing since 2008, and there is little Trump could have done to change things.

World leaders take their relationships with other world leaders very seriously. To them, their relationships with their peers define their national interest. Though this line of thinking is misguided, it has its advantages, given Trumps apparent unpopularity. Xi will blame Trump for disrupting a nearly successful peace process in North Korea. Putin, in an effort to dispel rumors of collusion, will blame Trump for conspiracies against Russia. Merkel will blame him for disrupting U.S.-German relations. Trumps personality, however, will no more define what happens at the G-20 summit than his healthcare views will define what emerges from Congress.
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In the United States, at least 15 transgender people have been killed in 2017 according to the Human Rights Campaign. After a transgender fem
Sales poised to expand further

Scooters have captured a little more than a third of the domestic two-wheeler market for the first time in about a decade.

Sustained double-digit growth in scooter sales year after year has inched up its share to about 34 per cent in the worlds biggest two-wheeler market.

Motorcycle sales, commanding about 70 per cent of share in 2013-14 (FY14), is now down to 62 per cent. Mopeds form a measly four per cent of two-wheelers.

Motorcycles sales have grown only five per cent between FY14 and FY17, while scooter volumes have zoomed about 55 per cent during the period.

India is getting scooterised like never before, said Y S Guleria, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI).

The segment contributed only 12 per cent to industry in FY07. It is now contributing 34 per cent, while the motorcycle contribution has declined from 83 per cent to 63 per cent in this period.

Honda is the largest player in the domestic market, with 61 per cent share.

The domestic scooter market has expanded 25 per cent in the first two months (April-May) of FY18, to 1.15 million units.

In the period, motorcycles grew four per cent to 2.09 million units. Scooters are leading the expansion of the two-wheeler market.

The trend of the first two months is an indication of the future growth story in scooters, said Guleria.

More Indian customers are now choosing scooters over mass motorcycles as their first two-wheeler model.

Experts say scooter could well account for 40 per cent of the market in the next two to three years, leaving motorcycles with approximately 55 per cent.

Scooters have had more than 50 per cent in the past. So, there is historical headroom for growth. At least a two percentage point shift is taking place annually.

It might not take long to reach 40 per cent, said Aniruddha Haldar, vice-president, marketing (scooters) TVS Motor, the second biggest scooter player.

An important pillar for growth in scooters will come from markets outside cities, primary centre of demand till now. Improvement of roads in rural markets will help companies expand reach in these untapped areas.

Honda last week launched its first scooter for the country. It has positioned the two-wheeler for buyers in semi-urban and rural markets.

The 110cc scooter, Cliq, comes with block pattern tyres (for extra grip on patchy roads), flat footboard (for more legroom) and bigger under-seat storage. It has an optional rear carrier for carrying load. It has been priced at Rs 42,499 against its previous entry-level price of Rs 51,855.

Cliq is a perfect blend of practicality and value for money, said Guleria.

More companies could develop such products. Haldar said there are opportunities waiting to get tapped in the scooter market and its emerging sub-segments.

A rural buyer needs a vehicle that can handle his usage conditions. If there is a consumer need that evolves, we will cater to it. We are working on a few of these, he added.

Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters
Artsakh Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that in order to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity, the frontline units of the Artsakh Defense Army had to take action at 20:31-20:40, July 4, causing damage to the positions located near the village of Alkhanlu, Azerbaijan. According to reliable data provided to the Artsakh Defense Army, Azerbaijan has suffered losses.

Earlier, Artsakh Ministry of Defense informed that on July 4, Azerbaijan continued to violate the ceasefire regime in different parts of the Line of Contact. During the day, Azerbaijan fired 82 mm mortars (4 shells), anti-tank grenade launchers (3 shells) in the eastern direction, 60 mm mortars (5 shells) in the southern direction, TR-107 multiple rocket launcher system (3 shells) and 82 mm mortars (3 shells) from nearby the village of Alkhanlu in the evening, aimed at a command point located in the eastern direction.

"As a result of Azerbaijan's provocative actions, the Artsakh Defense Army did not suffer losses. Finally, we must note that Baku's leadership is responsible for the consequences of the tragedy," the Artsakh Ministry of Defense reports.
The SUV craze is a worldwide phenomenon from America to Australia, and especially in South-East Asia.

Thus to celebrate its 50 years of making SUVs, Ford invited MotorBeam all the way to the Philippines to drive their various offerings at different kinds of terrains to show off their true capabilities.

India isnt the only country where SUVs are outright favourites

There is a reason Ford and Toyota unveil their SUV offerings in South-East Asia and Australia before they come to India.

Therefore to prove that their SUVs are the best of their kind as well as to celebrate 50 years of making SUVs since the mighty two-door Bronco, Ford invited us to the Philippines to drive and sample their global offerings namely the Explorer, Escape, EcoSport and the Everest (Endeavour in India).

We started our adventure first with the Ford Explorer.

A large, comfortable and powerful SUV which is primarily used in the American and Australian markets.

The test car was powered by a V6 EcoBoost engine which had more than enough grunt on offer, considering a variant of the same engine powers the new Ford GT.

Like the Endeavour, the Explorer gets Terrain Management System which lets you shift into multiple off-road modes on the go. Ford has not announced any plans to launch this in India in the near future.

Continuing with the letter 'E' named SUV legacy, the Ford Escape (also known as the Ford Kuga in certain markets) was next brought into the action.

The Escape is a mid-size SUV which would be a good option to bridge the big gap which exists between the EcoSport and Endeavour in Fords SUV portfolio in India.

The car had the same go-anywhere capability of its bigger siblings and yet it was civilised enough to tackle any mall speed-breaker.

Day two of our drive was interesting as we got to drive the all familiar EcoSport and Everest (aka the Endeavour), both of which are sold in India.

The EcoSport, known as an urban SUV, is made to tackle city life and how!

Compact dimensions make it a joy to drive and park in crowded conditions.

The cabin is comfortable with a lot of versatility in space.

The boot size is big enough for the occasional weekend trip to the mart or when you have to pick up your relatives from the airport.

The EcoSport is one of the best-selling compact SUVs in India and we too were driving a car which was, in fact, made in Fords Chennai plant in India.

The all-praised high ground clearance and seating position make it the ultimate vehicle for our cities.

But the car which excited us most on this trip was the Endeavour, a genius package and truly adheres to its tagline Engineered for Extraordinary.

Ford had indeed chosen an extraordinary bit of land to test out this monster, so here comes a history lesson - in the province of Pampanga lies Mount Pinatubo, a volcano which erupted in 1991 spewing out 10 cubic kilometres of volcanic ash.

This volcanic ash when mixed with water is called lahar, a mix of pyroclastic material and debris.

Situated about 3-4 kilometres from Mount Pinatubo are the lahar beds, a valley which entirely consists of volcanic ash with a river flowing through it.

Ford had us travel all the way to the Philippines for this wonderful new terrain.

Volcanic ash behaves like sand when it is dry but it completely changes character when it is wet.

Unlike wet sand which tends to sink slowly, wet volcanic ash suddenly sinks and one can be totally caught off-guard.

To make things more complicated, the flowing water and the rain can completely wreck havoc on your grip in a matter of minutes.

In this treacherous terrain, the Endeavour felt like a true off-roading monster.

Terrain Management System made our life easy as we used Sand & Rock mode to traverse this beautiful valley, occasionally shifting into 4L and locking the differentials.

We also used Hill Descent Control while traversing steep gradients. Powered by the 3.2-litre engine, the Endeavour delivered a punchy performance from the oil burner.

The Americans are known for delivering cars with huge, loud and powerful characteristics which make you the true king of the road.

The four vehicles we drove were very different from each other.

The EcoSport proved to be a perfect champion in the urban setting with its compact dimensions and practicality.

Also, the Endeavour managed to tame some extreme conditions with relative ease thereby showcasing the highly capable yet comfortable nature of this off-road machine.

Powered by
Slots, parking bays unavailable at major airports

Airlines have asked the government to reopen old airports to ease congestion at existing ones.

The civil aviation ministry is considering reopening the HAL airport in Bengaluru and Begumpet airport in Hyderabad.

Airlines have told the government there is a shortage of slots and overnight parking bays at most major airports and have suggested smaller nearby airports be used as alternatives beyond watch hours.

Among the airports suggested are Nagpur and Aurangabad for Mumbai, Agra for Delhi and Arakkonam for Chennai.

There is an acute shortage of slots and parking bays at most airports. We did not get preferred slots at most major airports for the summer schedule. In some airports, it has become difficult to find empty parking bays, said an executive with a private airline.

Another airline executive pointed to the runway closure at Bengaluru early this year.

Our schedules go awry, the frequency of flight has to be cut, there is loss of business, he said.

The Begumpet and HAL airports were shut by the government after new airports became operational in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Agreements signed with promoters of the international airports in these two cities restrict operation of airports within 150 km.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad is managed by GMR and GVK recently sold its stake in Bengaluru International Airport to Prem Watsas Fairfax group.

Spokespersons of the two companies did not respond to queries but executives said there was no need to reopen old airports as expansion work was under way.

A Rs 2,500-crore expansion plan will increase capacity by almost 25 million, a GMR executive said. A Bengaluru International Airport executive said work was on for building a second runway and a new terminal.

This will enhance capacity to 35 million by 2020-21, he said.

A 20 per cent annual growth in passenger traffic has led to a capacity crisis at major Indian airports. Aviation consultancy CAPA says six major Indian airports will run out of capacity by 2025.

Civil aviation ministry officials said land acquisition was a big a hurdle in building new airports.

A new law makes make land acquisition very expensive. While airports are a central subject, they are built on land acquired by state governments.

Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey said the Centre was preparing a template for land pooling for new airports.

Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters
Writes to Trai, Mumbai Police to catch unauthorised SMS senders

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has sought help of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to counter the menace of fake investment tips being sent by unknown entities claiming to be from top domestic brokerage houses like Motilal Oswal and HDFC Securities.

These brokerages say they arent the ones sending the messages and their names are being misused.

In a recent communication, the market regulator requested Trai to develop special software to restrict such mobile messages.

Sebi wants the software to be designed in such a way that the telecom regulator can scan select keywords and accordingly decide on broadcasting the message.

It is a serious issue. We are in touch with the authorities concerned to figure out how stock market-related news is circulating without any authorisation, said a regulatory official who is familiar with the development.

Sebi has also approached the cyber crime investigation cell under the economic offences wing of the Mumbai Police and deliberated the entire issue with them.

We are trying to trace the location of the syndicator/origin of the messages. The software used by them is a bit complex, but our expert team is working on it and will soon bring them to book, said an official of the cyber crime cell.

Sebis action came after it received complaints from a few broking firms against these fake messages.

According to broking firms, their names are being misused by unknown entities as they are not the senders of such stock tips.

Confirming the development, a Motilal Oswal Securities spokesperson said, Yes, we have complained about it to the stock exchanges and Sebi. We have also registered the case with the cyber crime cell of Mumbai police.

A typical message that phone subscribers receive is to buy shares of a penny stock, the entry price, stop loss, trade quantity, the target price and the holding period.

Some of these stock operators also give a reason, howsoever implausible, such as the company would be receiving a major order from a large company or it being an acquisition target of a well-known firm.

Gullible investors easily get trapped due to such messages as they assume that such tips are genuine as they come from big broking firms.

I believe that a section of unscrupulous traders is morphing the names of brokerages to run some penny stocks, said Alok Churiwala, managing director, Churiwala Securities.

The syndicates that send these messages are mostly promoters of substandard companies who barely witness any trading volume, he added.

Sebi regulations say that only those who are registered with the regulator as investment advisors and research analysts can provide investment-related advice.

This is not the first time when the market regulator has faced the challenge of curbing unauthorised activity in the securities market directly or indirectly.

Sebi through its various circulars has constantly warned investors not to be swayed by such tips.

However, in this case the stock tips claim to be coming from renowned brokers and appear authentic with some minor changes in the brokerages name.

Last year, Sebi had floated a consultation paper to curb unauthorised investment tips through social media.

Under this, it proposed curbing unsolicited investment advice and promotion of investment products through electronic and broadcasting media platforms.

Besides, the watchdog sought greater checks and balances for online investment advisory services and use of automation or robotic tools.

The proposed norms - part of the consultation paper on amendments/clarifications to the Sebi (Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013 - however, were widely criticised by some sections. Sebi is yet to pass the final guidelines on it.
'How can a State, which claims to be a responsible power, unilaterally grab a "disputed" area to build a road on it?' asks Claude Arpi.

After completing my first book on Tibet in the 1990s, I looked for a title which could resume the content of my research.

At the end of the 19th century, Tibet was a mere pawn in the Great Game between Imperial Powers.

The 1890 Treaty on Sikkim, today quoted ad nauseam by the Chinese government, was one of the 'unequal treaties' imposed on a smaller nation.

Big insects had little consideration for the weak.

The 13th Dalai Lama could grasp the forces at play and was determined to make Tibet an independent State. It did not work.

Charles Bell, the British frontier officer, recalled the Lama when China invaded the Land of Snows in 1910.

After deciding to temporarily take refuge in India, the Tibetan leader cabled the British Agent in Gyantse, Tibet, asking him to inform London that 'Large insects are eating and secretly injuring small insects.'

The story seems to continue today with China building a road on Bhutanese territory without informing Thimphu.

But this time, what Beijing had not expected is that India would come to the rescue and defend the small kingdom.

China, which dreams of becoming a 'big insect' (without the name!) tried to change the status quo in the Doklam area of the Bhutan-Tibet border.

On June 29, the royal government of Bhutan, which had held 24 rounds of talks on the issue with China so far, explained the situation: 'On 16th June 2017, the Chinese Army started constructing a motorable road from Dokola in the Doklam area towards the Bhutan Army camp at Zompelri.'

'Boundary talks are ongoing between Bhutan and China and we have written agreements of 1988 and 1998 stating that the two sides agree to maintain peace and tranquility in their border areas pending a final settlement on the boundary question.'

'The agreements also state that the two sides will refrain from taking unilateral action, or use of force, to change the status quo of the boundary.'

Bhutan conveyed to Beijing 'both on the ground and through the diplomatic channel,' that the construction of the road inside Bhutanese territory was a direct violation of the agreements and that it would affect the ongoing process of demarcating the China-Bhutan boundary.

Beijing and Thimbu have already had a Joint Survey of the area.

Beijing was well aware that the area has been under dispute for several decades; some 50 years ago, letters were exchanged between Delhi and Beijing using the same language for a similar incident.

Despite the fact that China has no proof to contradict that the pastures in the Dokham area have for centuries been used by Bhutanese nomads (the Chinese were nowhere to be seen before the first years of the 1960s), the Chinese spokesperson has stridently been speaking of 'Chinese' nomads using these pastures since immemorial times.

Let us come back to the 1966-1967 correspondence which appeared in Volumes 13 and 14 of the MEA's White Papers on China.

In January 1966, China was the first to open hostilities, Beijing complained of Indian troops entering Tibet on September 30, 1965 'four Indian soldiers crossed Toka La (Doka-la) and intruded into Tunglang pasture in Dongnan (Dokham plateau) grassland, and with their weapons intimidated Chinese herdsmen who were grazing cattle there.'

On September 30, 1966, South Block sent a note to the embassy of China in Delhi to counter the Chinese propaganda; it spoke of a series of intrusions 'in the Doklan pasture area which lies south of the traditional boundary between Bhutan and the Tibet region of China in the southern Chumbi area.

The note pointed out: 'It is reported that on the 13th of April 1966, a patrol of the Royal Bhutanese Army observed that a Chinese patrol of 13 men had intruded about three miles south-west of Sinchel La.'

'The Tibetan grazers were informed by the Bhutanese patrol that they were in Bhutanese territory and asked to withdraw.'

The situation continued during the following months.

The problem was that the trijunction between Tibet (China), Bhutan and India had never been agreed upon.

The situation has not changed today.

On October 27, 1966, the Xinhua news agency replied to the Indian note on behalf of the Chinese government: '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.'

'Following that, with much fanfare (the) 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.'

It mentioned the 'Doklam pasture' where the Chinese intrusions took place, located in the vicinity of the trijunction of the boundaries of China, Bhutan and Sikkim.

At that time, Beijing tried to create a wedge between India and Bhutan: 'The King of Bhutan has long since solemnly declared that "Bhutan is an independent sovereign State and has the right to conduct her own foreign affairs".'

'(But) inheriting the mantle of British imperialism, the Indian government has all along been pursuing an expansionist policy and bullying its neighbouring countries.'

Like today, the Bhutanese government had issued a press statement on October 3, 1966: 'The Government of Bhutan have, for some time, been concerned with reports received from its patrols of a number of intrusions by Tibetan grazers and Chinese troops in the Doklam pastures which are adjacent to the southern part of the Chumbi Valley.'

'This area is traditionally part of Bhutan and no assertion has been made by the Government of the People's Republic of China disputing the traditional frontier which runs along recognizeable natural features.'

Last week, the MEA issued a press communique underlining that 'the two Governments had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalized in consultation with the concerned countries.'

'Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding.'

Despite the fact that Beijing loves to refer to the 1890 Treaty, which was an 'unequal' treaty signed by the Manchus and Great Britain (without the participation of Bhutan, Tibet and Sikkim, the stakeholders), China has clearly broken its promises given to Bhutan and India.

How can a State, which claims to be a responsible power, unilaterally grab a 'disputed' area to build a road on it, especially when it is aware that this road is so strategically located for a neighbour.

Only Beijing can answer this question.

Some say that it is in the Chinese DNA to first change the status quo on the ground and then later to offer to 'talk'.

Remember the South China Sea or Aksai Chin?

India has to remain vigilant.

Tailpiece: As mentioned above, 'differences of perceptions' on the Tibet-Sikkim-Bhutan and the Sikkim-Tibet borders are not new.

China used fully these differences during the Indai-Pakistan conflict of 1965, threatening to interfere in the war by opening a new front in Sikkim.

This has been well documented in the Notes, Memoranda and Letters Exchanged between the Government of India and China (or White Papers) published by the ministry of external affairs in Delhi.

An incident which took place in Delhi on September 24, 1965 is worth relating (it appears in White Paper No XII).

A delegation led by some Indian politicians (one of them would later become prime minister of India), took a herd of 800 goats to the Chinese embassy in Delhi to make a point: Is it worth starting a war over some pastures or simply because herds had crossed an unmarked line?

On September 26, 1965 the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs lodged a strong (not to say rude) complaint to the Indian embassy in Beijing: 'In the afternoon of September 24, 1965, a mob of Indian hooligans went to the gate of the Chinese embassy in New Delhi to make provocation led by Indian officials and Congress leaders and driving a flock of sheep before them.'

The Chinese note continues: 'They made a huge din, yelling that China had invented absurd pretexts for threatening and intimidating India, that China wants to start a world war over some sheep and a few yaks, and so on and so forth.'

The note directly accused Lal Bahadur Shastri's government: 'This ugly farce was wholly instigated and staged by the Indian government.'

It continues in the same tone: 'The Indian government will definitely not succeed in its attempt, by staging this ugly anti-Chinese farce, to cover up its crimes of aggression against China and the wretched picture of its troops fleeing in panic from the Chinese side of the China-Sikkim boundary.'

'For a number of years you have flatly denied that Indian troops had intruded into Chinese territory across the China-Sikkim boundary and built military works for aggression there.'

'Yet within a few days of our demand for the dismantling of the military works for aggression within a specified time-limit, the Indian troops who had intruded into the Chinese side of the China-Sikkim boundary could not but flee helter-skelter under the surveillance of Chinese troops, leaving behind numerous evidence of their crime, thus suddenly exploding the falsehood which you had so painstakingly concocted over these years.'

'How can you succeed in hiding your shame?'

The note concluded: 'In staging a few forlorn and unseemly anti-Chinese demonstrations you have your undivulgeable motive -- to seek reward from the imperialist and modern revisionists.'

'But the Chinese government must remind the Indian government that there is a limit to everything, and that the exceeding of such a limit will not be tolerated.'

A few days later, Delhi simply replied that India is a democracy and demonstrations are allowed. It denied the government's involvement.

Let us hope that the Chinese letters are less rude now than 50 years ago, but then like now, Beijing believes that the best form of defence is attack.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana, June 9, 2017. Photograph: MEAIndia/Twitter
Its electoral triumphs in assembly polls, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, have made the BJP the single-largest party in the Rajya Sabha, reports Archis Mohan.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to announce its candidate for the vice-presidential poll, but knows its increased numbers in the Rajya Sabha, by April 2018, would mean the successor to M Hamid Ansari would have to face a less obstructionist House of Elders.

While the attention is mostly on whether or not Communist Party of India-Marxist chief Sitaram Yechury would return for a third term and, if at all, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress would come together to help Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati get re-elected to the Rajya Sabha, the BJP is busy counting its improved numbers by what will be the Narendra Modi governments last budget session.

According to a party strategist, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, the party would ideally opt for a vice-presidential candidate well-versed with the Rajya Sabha proceedings.

The vice-president of India is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson and responsible for running the House.

BJP strategists expect its vice-presidential candidate to win by a huge margin and get 550 votes, or over 70 per cent of the 788 vice-presidential electoral college votes.

The vice-presidential electoral college comprises 543 Lok Sabha and 245 Rajya Sabha members.

Over and above the nearly 400 BJP-led National Democratic Alliance votes, strategists expect regional parties such as the Biju Janata Dal, the YSR Congress, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, all six independents and most of the eight nominated members, to support its vice-presidential candidate.

The NDA is currently way short of the halfway mark of 123 in the 245-member Upper House. As a result, for the better part of its tenure, the Modi government has found its legislative agenda hobbled in the Rajya Sabha and has pushed several of the bills, including Aadhaar, as money bills.

But that is set to change. The NDA, on its own, would not get a majority during the current term of the Modi government.

But the BJP, because of its electoral triumphs in assembly polls, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, is set to increase its tally by nearly a dozen seats from the current 56 by April 2018. That will make it the single-largest party in the Rajya Sabha.

Crucially, key opposition parties, especially the Congress (58) and the SP (18), are set to witness a significant decrease in their numbers. The Congresss could come down by around 10 seats, while the SPs could decrease by five seats.

In the changed scenario, the BJP could hope for support, on key bills as well as day-to-day functioning of the House, from neutral regional players such as the BJD, the AIADMK and others.

From August 2017 to April 2018, as many as 70 members would retire, including three nominated members. Nine members are set to retire in August, three in January and 58 in April.

The Aam Aadmi Party is set to debut in the Rajya Sabha with three Congress members from Delhi retiring in January.
Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China on Wednesday accused India of trampling on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to correct its mistakes as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

China also claimed that India was misleading the public by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chickens Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger Indias access to its north-eastern states.

I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Gen Shuang said.

However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other countrys territory, he said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.

Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was very serious.

China and India have been in contact through the special representatives mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries, he said.

China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said.

Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory, he said.

The situation is yet to be resolved and India should pull back the troops that is precondition to avoid worsening of the situation, Geng said.

Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations, he said.

If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs, he said.

We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion, Geng said.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public, he said.

The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 metres away from Mount Gipmochi, Geng asserted.

The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending Chinas road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut Indias access to its northeastern states.

Geng also said that besides former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it.

The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and Chinas Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice, he said.

Quoting the note, Geng said, The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground.

The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India, Geng said.

Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, There is no such consent as you mentioned.

The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutans territory.

It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion, Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou.

In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet, Nehru had said.

Geng said, Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the China India boundary has already been delineated.

Since Indias independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said.

Gengs remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said the ball is in Indias court and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think-tanks that the conflict can lead to a war if not handled properly, the ambassador had said, There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option).

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modis comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides.

It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question with in the Special Representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, Geng said.

What is shocking is that the India border troops entered into the Chinese side of the delineated border in the Sikkim section which is serious in nature, he said.

No dispute with Bhutan in Doklam: China

Meanwhile, China on Wednesday claimed that it has a basic consensus with Bhutan on the boundary and there is no dispute between two countries in the Doklam area, the centre of the current Sino-India military standoff.

The standoff between troops of India and China at Doklam area started after Bhutan, which has close diplomatic and military ties with India, protested to Beijing about the

Peoples Liberation Army troops building a road in the strategic location close to chicken neck tri-junction.

I can say that we have been stressing that Doklam belongs to China since ancient times. It was under the effective jurisdiction of China without any dispute. China and

Bhutan had about 24 rounds of boundary talks, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing answering a question about Bhutans protest.

Although the boundary between the two countries is yet to be settled but we have basic consensus on the boundary and there is no dispute between both of us that Doklam belongs to China, he said.
The situation in West Bengals communal strife-torn Baduria in North 24 Parganas district remained tense today even as the spat over the clashes continued between Governor K N Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

With the clashes threatening to disrupt inter-faith harmony, Banerjee said her government has decided to form peace-keeping forces across the state involving local people and assisted by state administration and the police.

A police officer said no untoward incident was reported till Wednesday afternoon from Baduria though the situation is tense, adding forces have already been deployed across the entire area and they have cleared roads blocks put up by local residents and conducted route marches.

Announcements are being made via public address system asking people to maintain law and order, he said.

Schools, shops, markets and business establishments remained shut in and around Baduria, including Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia, where prohibitory orders are in force.

Four companies of Border Security Force personnel (about 400 personnel) have been rushed to Baduria and adjoining areas of Basirhat, Swarupnagar and Deganga to assist the local administration.

Rail blockades at three places on the Barasat-Bongaon and Barasat-Basirhat sections in the morning inconvenienced daily commuters.

Violence had erupted between two communities at Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of the district since Monday night over a Facebook post, following which a young man was arrested.

Banerjee said the peace-keeping forces, called Shanti Bahini, will be stationed in 60,000-odd booths across the state to maintain communal harmony.

The clashes had triggered an unprecedented spat her and Governor Tripathi, whom she accused of acting like a Bharatiya Janata Party block president and threatening her.

The Raj Bhawan has voiced surprise over Banerjees attitude and language, and said the governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state.

The governor dismissed her charges as baseless saying these were meant only to emotionally blackmail the people of the state.

Instead of making accusations against him, it is better for the chief minister and her colleagues to direct their attention to maintain peace and law and order in the state without making any distinction on the basis of caste, creed or community, a Raj Bhawan release quoting the governor said.

It is wrong to say that Raj Bhawan has become the office of the BJP or the RSS, it said.

Amid the continuing spat between Mamata and her party colleagues and the governor, the BJP demanded that the Centre impose Presidents rule in West Bengal and send central observers to assess worsening law and order in the state.

We demand that the Centre intervene and impose Presidents rule in the state. The Centre should send a team of observers to assess the worsening law and order situation in the state, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told reporters.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist has also accused the TMC government of failing to protect the people at Baduria and has demanded an all-party meeting to deal with the situation.

Image: Police personnel try to break the door of TMC office to douse the fire after it was set ablaze by an irate mob in Kalimpong. Photograph: PTI Photo
A farmer's outfit in Madhya Pradesh plans to take out a rally to New Delhi from Mandsaur, where five peasants were killed in police firing a month ago, to take forward the demand for remunerative prices for produce and waiver of farm loans.

The inter-state road campaign, being organised by the Madhya Pradesh Kisan Sabha, will start from Mandsaur and cover various places in Maharashtra and Gujarat, before reaching New Delhi later this month.

On July 18, the rally will reach Delhi where farmers will hold a protest in front of Parliament. It will continue the march and culminate at Champaran in Bihar on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The farmers in the state had last month gone on an agitation, stopping supply of milk, food grains and vegetables to protest the lack of good prices for their produce.

On June 6, five farmers were killed as the agitation by peasants demanding a loan waiver and remunerative prices for their produce turned violent in Mandsaur.

"More than 150 farmers' bodies are taking part in this four-wheeler rally. The almost three-month-long rally is going to start with the collection of soil from the villages of the five farmers killed in police firing on June 6," MP Kisan Sabha president Jaswinder Singh, who is in Mandsaur, said.

He said the morcha will start from MP and then travel through Maharashtra and Gujarat. On July 18, the farmers' rally will reach Delhi where they will hold a protest in front of Parliament.

Singh said the farmers from different parts of the country are expected to participate in the rally which will conclude in Champaran on October 2.

He said the morcha is being taken out to press for the remunerative prices for farm produce.

"We want that the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission (for the welfare of farmers) should be implemented immediately," Singh said.

The implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's report was one of the promises made in BJP's manifesto during the Lok Sabha polls. Not only this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had later announced that it will be implemented. But this has not happened yet, he said.

"We want that loans of farmers should be waived off," Singh said.
Footprints of militancy has been sharply increasing in the Kashmir Valley with as many as 50 young men taking to arms in the past six months, a senior police officer has said.

Most of these new recruits came from Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts in South Kashmir, which had become the hub of tech-savvy, young militants.

A total of 50 Kashmiri youths joined militancy in the valley in 2017, the police officer said.

Rising footprints of militants have raised concern among the security agencies, which believe the trend reflects the worsening situation in Kashmir.

The officer said that 88 Kashmiri youths joined militancy in 2016, the highest in the past six years.

Since 2014, there has been a constant rise in the number of people joining militancy.

As many as 66 youths joined militancy in Kashmir in 2015 and 53 in 2014, data compiled by security agencies revealed.

In 2010, 54 youths joined militancy and in 2011, the number came down to 23. It further dipped to 21 in 2012 and 16 in 2013, it said.

The Pulwama-Shopian-Kulgam region has become a hotbed of home-grown terrorists, the officer said.

Officers dealing with security aspects say Pulwama, which has of-late emerged as the terror epicentre, is strategically important as it is the central point to connect Srinagar, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Budgam districts of Central Kashmir.

The new-age terrorists has speedily increased their footprints in Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts mainly because of the unprecedented support offered by the local population, the officer said.

The areas have seen the highest number of encounters and attacks, the officer added.

Topography of Pulwama, with its vast orchards and fields ringed by dense forests, also provide a perfect shelter and operating cover to the terrorists.

Pulwama was home to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in July last year.

It is also the base of Abu Dujana, commander of Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists in the Kashmir Valley, Abu Musa and dozens of other known terrorists.

Security forces have also foiled attempts by dozen others to cross over to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for arms training, the officer said.

In 2017, as many as 54 men were stopped from joining the ranks of militants, the officer said.
People of Indian origin in Israel will get the Overseas Citizen of India cards even if they have undergone the compulsory army service, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday night.

IMAGE: Modi addressed the Indians living in Israel at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters

Addressing the Indian diaspora at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre at an event which was also attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi also said that direct flights would be launched between Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv to encourage people-to-people contacts.

He said an Indian cultural centre would also be opened in Israel, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the Indian diaspora.

He said he had heard about problems being faced by the people of Indian origin in getting the OCI cards.

The Indian government has simplified the rules and even those who have undergone the compulsory military service in Israel will get the OCI cards, the prime minister said to the cheering by the crowd.

Modi said the Jewish nation had links with India dating back to centuries but the fact that no Indian prime minister had travelled here in 70 years raises questions, an apparent swipe at the previous governments of India.

For the first time in 70 years, an Indian prime minister has landed here to seek your blessings, he said amid chants of Modi, Modi.

Describing Netanyahu as my friend, Modi said the kind of welcome extended to him since his arrival on Tuesday cannot be forgotten by anyone.

Hailing Israel, particularly its innovations and scientific advancements, he said the country has demonstrated that the number and size does not matter but it is the spirit that matters.

He remembered former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres, saying he had worked tirelessly for the humanity.

IMAGE: People dance with Israeli and Indian flags during a reception held by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Indian community in Israel. Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters

Referring to Moshe Holtzberg, an 11-year-old Israeli who was saved by an Indian nanny during the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, Modi said it had shown how life succeeds over terrorism. He had met Moshe earlier in the day.

Modi also recalled the contribution of the Indian Army in liberation of Jerusalem and Haifa during the World War-I. He will be travelling to Haifa on Thursday to pay his tributes to them.

In his 60-minute speech, Modi talked about various programmes initiated by his government and said these were aimed at the betterment of the common people.

Netanyahu, who spoke before Modi said the partnership between India and Israel was "made in heaven and was happening here now."

He said he and Modi had decided on a vast programme and the Indian diaspora was "a bridge". "We love you," he added.

"We have decided to cooperate in so many areas.... We are building this future today, between two democracies," the Israeli prime minister said.
Declaring that Artsakh will continue to exercise its right to self-defense, Levon Mnatsakanyan, the countrys defense minister, told the Interfax news agency that Azerbaijan was the aggressor on July 4 along the Line of Contact and that the Artsakh military did not target the civilian populace of Azerbaijan, a claim made by Baku.

What happened on July 4 along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border depends on who you ask.

The Artsakh foreign ministry says that Azerbaijan was the aggressor, firing a TR-107 multiple rocket launcher installed near residential buildings in the Azerbaijani village of Alkhanlu. Artsakh forces merely responded, says the ministry.

Baku claims that Artsakh initiated the firing, killing an unspecified number of civilians.

Minister Mnatsakanyan says that Baku continues its inhumane policy of locating its gun emplacements within civilian areas.

The minister also advised Azerbaijan from refraining from such reckless military actions that can lead to unpredictable consequences.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Photograph: @PresidentRuvi/Twitter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and how Israels cutting-edge technology could help the Make in India initiative.

Describing Israel as a real friend, Modi recalled Rivlin's visit to India in November last year.

Hailing the ties between the two nations, Modi said: "...today it is 'I to I and I for I'. When 'I say I for I, I don't mean the popular saying but what I mean is India with Israel, India for Israel.

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit, met Rivlin at his residence in Jerusalem.

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India, Modi tweeted.

It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India, Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presidents residence.

President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality, wrote Modi, who is the first India prime minister to visit Israel.

Modi said during his visit to India, Rivlin started a phrase Make with India and I feel since my arrival yesterday that has been echoed by many people and I think what you started has now percolated to all levels.

Rivlin on his part described Modi as one of the greatest leaders in the world.

We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We understood very well about your thought about the need to help partners who will Make in India, Rivlin said.

...we are doing a lot in order to fulfill your ideas about Make in India, the Israeli President said.

We only suggested some projects that may be we can do with India and I know that you have accepted that and appreciated that very much, he said.

Rivlin said there was a scope for cooperation between universities and industries of India and Israel.

The....people in Israel are trying to find ways to invest in India and to make mutual projects together, he said.

IMAGE: 'The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol,' tweeted Modi.

Photograph: @PMOIndia/Twitter

On second day of his visit, Modi will also meet Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who as a toddler survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai.

Moshe is 'excited and emotional' ahead of his meeting with Modi, his grandfather said on Wednesday.

Shortly before Moshe's second birthday, the terrorists stormed the Chabad House in Mumbai, taking the toddler, his parents and several tourists hostage. Moshe's nanny, Sandra Samuels, was also in the building but managed to hide in a room downstairs.

She emerged when she heard Moshe's cries and found him standing between his parents' bodies. She grabbed him and fled the building, also known as the 'Nariman House', which reopened in 2014 after extensive renovations.

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents -- Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg.

"Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us," Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI over phone from Jerusalem.

Modi is making a special point by meeting 11-year-old Moshe, who survived the 2008 attack that claimed the lives of his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the directors of the Chabad House.

"We all are here at Jerusalem from Afula to meet the Indian prime minister. This meeting is very important to us as the prime minister, who represents 125 crore Indians, has shown a desire to meet Moshe and us," Rosenberg said.

"India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi," he said.

"It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain," he said.

Asked if Moshe recalls the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, Rosenberg said, "He doesn't speak much (on the terror attacks) but says Chabad House is his home."

Moshe will be visiting Chabad House after two years when he is 13, Rosenberg said.

"I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian ambassador saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to meet us," Moshe's grandfather said.

Samuels, 53, was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in 2008.

She frequently travels from her home in Jerusalem to visit Moshe and his grandparents. The Rosenbergs and Samuels have also been invited to meet the prime minister.

Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky, the director of Chabad House in Mumbai, said he was looking forward to a new era of ever-more friendly relations between India and Israel.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
After personally overseeing the test Kim Jong-un 'said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary', says KCNA.

IMAGE: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reacts during the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 on Tuesday. The North said its missiles were now capable of striking anywhere in the world. All Photographs: KNCA/via Reuters

The United States on Wednesday confirmed that North Korea test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time and warned of an escalated threat from Pyongyang, while carrying out a joint missile drill with South Korea in response.

Meanwhile, North Koreas official news agency said that the ICBM launched on Tuesday is capable of carrying a large, heavy nuclear warhead that can survive re-entry into the Earths atmosphere.

Washington described the device, launched in a watershed moment for Pyongyang's weapons ambitions, as an ICBM, and independent experts said it was capable of reaching Alaska.

IMAGE: Hwasong-14 is seen in this undated photo released by North Koreas Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang on Tuesday.

The Korean Central News Agency said that after personally overseeing the test, leader Kim Jong-un said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary, the United States independence day.

He added that we should send them gifts once in a while to help break their boredom.

In the show of strength that followed the ICBM launch, the US and South Korean soldiers fired missiles into the latters territorial waters on Tuesday to showcase their precision fire capability, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said.

According to a statement by US forces in South Korea, the exercise utilised the Army Tactical Missile System and the South Koreas Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

IMAGE: Test launch of Hwasong-14.



The Pentagon said that Americas commitment to the defence of its allies in the region -- South Korea and Japan -- in the face of threats is ironclad.

The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies. Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability, White said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who confirmed the launch in a statement, said America would never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The United States strongly condemns North Koreas launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world, Tillerson said.

The US has also requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which is expected to take place on Wednesday.

IMAGE: Kim Jong-un oversees the test-fire on Tuesday.



We intend to bring North Koreas provocative action before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable, Tillerson said.

He also called for global action to stop a global threat.

The US seeks only the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea, he added.

At a White House event, US President Donald Trump, without mentioning North Korea, said that the US will handle its challenges. We do have challenges, but we will handle those challenges. Believe me.

With inputs from agencies
Pakistan is closely watching Prime Minister Narendra Modis historic trip to Israel as it can have serious implications on strategic stability in the region, a media report said on Wednesday.

The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan officially does not comment on bilateral visits of other heads of governments and states, but it is closely following Modis trip since it can have serious implications on strategic stability in the region.

Israel has long been a major supplier of arms and other defence equipment to India and those deals have deliberately been kept secret by the two sides. However, the two countries are now more open and publicly talk about their deepening defence cooperation, the daily said.

India got access to some of the most modern defence technologies of America through Israel, defence analyst Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib was quoted as saying by the daily.

Gen Shoaib said India had greatly benefited from the defence and military ties with Israel.

Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, an international affairs expert, said growing defence cooperation between India and Israel would disturb strategic balance in the South Asian region.

The Quaid-e-Azam University professor believes Israel assistance can propel Indias missile programme, something that would undermine Pakistans policy of maintaining credible deterrence, the daily reported.

One of the subjects on which the Indian media has created a lot of hype is the threat emanating from terrorism. It has worked hard to relate terrorism with Pakistan and blame it for virtually any terror incident occurring anywhere in India, the daily said.

Modis three-day visit to Israel is the first by an Indian prime minister to the Jewish nation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his entire cabinet went to Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport to receive Modi in a rare gesture.

Modi, before leaving for Tel Aviv, told an Israeli newspaper that terrorism was a common challenge and said New Delhi and Tel Aviv can cooperate even more closely in battling it.

Former ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi believes that the Indian media is too much obsessed with Pakistan, saying: No matter where Modi goes, India always tries to drag Pakistan along.

However, Naqvi was sceptical if Israel would go too far to appease India.

Pakistan is not under the immediate radar of Israel. Their (Israel) priority at the moment is Middle East.

However, Naqvi said their defence and military cooperation was something that had direct bearing on Pakistan.

For Gen Shoaib, there is a lesson for Pakistan in the ever-growing close relationship between Israel and India.

If India can cement ties with Israel while at the same time maintaining diplomatic ties with its enemy Iran, why cant Pakistan also show flexibility in its foreign policy, Gen argued.

Our foreign policy should not be merely aimed at appeasing any particular country. Rather we need to follow our own national interests, he said.

Some analysts have advocated maintaining working relationship with Israel, if not establishing full diplomatic ties, in order to further and protect Pakistans interests.

In 2005, during former president Pervez Musharrafs tenure, Pakistan and Israel established contacts and even foreign ministers of the two countries met in Turkey. However, things could not make headway further after that.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they deliver joint statements during an exchange of co-operation agreements ceremony in Jerusalem. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, and his family to India and offered them long-term visas as he met them in Israel.

Modi, in a special gesture, met Moshe, now 11, along his grandparents and Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who managed to escape with him from the Nariman House which came under attack by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists in 2008.

Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome. You and your all family members will get long term visas. So you can come anytime and go anywhere, Modi told the boy during the meeting.

Moshe started his welcome speech for Modi in Hindi, saying Aapka swagat hai humare desh mein.

I want to ask you something from all of us: Please continue to love me forever. Thank you. And always remember my parents.

I live in Afula, but I remember our connection to Nariman House... I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I live there... Dear Mr Modi I love you and the people in India, Moshe said.

The boy gifted a photo to Modi.

Thank you for your very very special gift, Modi said with affection.

Moshe was two when his parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others by terrorists at the Nariman House, also popularly known as Chabad House.

The Nariman House was one of the five places targeted by the terrorists, killing 166 people.

Moshe now lives with his grandparents -- Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends.

Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010.

She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family during the weekends.

Before the meeting Modi, Moshes grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandsons bar mitvah, a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upnayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite Modi.

All photographs: Press Information Bureau
India and Israel on Wednesday elevated their ties to the "strategic partnership" level with a vow to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism and pitched for "strong measures" against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups.

The issue of terror and "strategic threats" along with various other topics like cooperation in defence and security, water, agriculture, space and West Asia figured prominently in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

After the wide-ranging talks, the two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture and space.

"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, said in a joint media appearance with Netanyahu.

Modi, on the second day of his three-day visit, said India and Israel live in "complex geographies" and are aware of "strategic threats" to regional peace and stability.

"India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel," he said, adding the two leaders had "agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyber space."

Netanyahu said the two countries need to cooperate in the field of counter-terrorism as he described 26/11 as a "horrible terrorist attack".

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, while briefing the media on the talks later, said that the two countries had decided to elevate their relationship to the strategic partnership, which gives a special dimension to the ties.

A joint statement issued after the talks said "strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, , support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctury to terrorists and terror groups."

Though nobody was named in this context, the Indian side saw this as a reference to Pakistan.

The two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations, the joint statement said.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism, the statement added.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a USD 40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing USD 20 million each.

All photographs: Press Information Bureau
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday dubbed Narendra Modi as a "weak PM" for not raising the issue of H-1B visa in his talks with United States President Donald Trump and for playing down the use of the term "Indian-administered Kashmir" by the US.

The Congress on its Twitter handle also criticised Modi's US visit, saying it was merely a photo opportunity and the main issues were bypassed.

Gandhi tweeted some links of media reports that said "H-1B didn't figure in Modi-Trump talks" and "MEA accepts US use of 'administered Kashmir'".

"India has a weak PM," he tweeted.

India had played down the usage of "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir" by the US in a statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country last month, saying similar terms have been used in the past too.

The Congress tweeted, "While it was a great photo opportunity, the main issues were bypassed on Narendra Modi's trip to the United States. #Unfruitful #WeakModi."

It also posted a picture captioned 'no priority for Indian interests' along with the tweet.

"PM Modi should have made an effort to ensure that issues of visas and the tech industry were discussed," it tweeted.

The Congress had on Tuesday attacked Modi over his frequent foreign trips, saying they had not benefited India "even a bit" and that only time would tell about the gains from his current visit to Israel.

Senior AICC spokesperson Ajay Maken claimed Modi's last "64 visits in more than 3 years" have catered only to domestic Indian audience through "televised shows" instead of ensuring concrete gains for the country.

The Congress had earlier urged Modi to take up during his meeting with Trump, the issues of H-1B visa, racial attacks on Indians and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.

Photograph: PIB
'Indrani said she had some things to discuss with Peter, which he digested with minor surprise.'

'He looked mildly dismayed. And refused to sit down next to her, in spite of her welcome.'

'In spite of months of wariness from Peter's side, the ice was broken.'

Vaihayasi Pande Daniel reports from the Sheena Bora murder trial.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

The first complete hearing of the Sheena Bora murder case at long last took place on Tuesday, July 4, a humid monsoon day, at the sessions court, Kala Ghoda, south Mumbai, 133 days after the trial began.

Scheduled to be the last matter of the afternoon, the proceedings, which attracted hordes of journalists, lawyers and bystanders, began close onto 3 pm, and went on till past 5 pm in Judge J C Jagdale's Courtroom 51.

Since neither journalists nor apparently police escorts bringing the accused in from the jails, know the exact case line up, till they actually show up in court and look at the day's schedule, hanging on the bulletin board, outside each courtroom, our day in court began much earlier -- at the usual time, a little after the court opened at 10.30 am.

"The hearing will not begin before 2.45 pm," I was informed by someone helpfully, since State vs Indrani Mukerjea/Bora/Das/Pori and vs Pratim Mukerjea and vs Sanjeev Khanna was the last entry on the day's list.

As I muddled over how to re-arrange my day, realising there would just about be nothing to cover till afternoon, the guards surprisingly brought in Indrani Mukerjea.

Maybe she was here early, I inferred, to say something further to Judge Jagdale in the Byculla Jail mysterious death of prisoner Manjula Shetye, of which she was a partial witness.

But shortly after that, Sanjeev Khanna, in a green bush shirt and dark slacks, showed and a bit later Peter Mukerjea.

Sanjeev explained that at every court hearing day, they needed to be ready and down waiting for the prison van at the usual time, because neither are they or their handlers aware of the hearing schedule.

As a result of Indrani's recent testimony in court of what she saw on the day of fellow prisoner Shetye's death, her security is still extra. Five policewomen. And strict, but barriers were melting.

She was spirited to the corridor section, just outside the courtroom that has a grill and the grill was pulled across to prevent her from chatting too long with the improperly inquisitive media, as she is wont, given her belief that she voices, "the pen is mightier than the sword." Sanjeev was taken in there too.

Peter usually sits aloofly on the other side, away from Indrani, with whom he has not uttered a single word, apart from shaking his head occasionally in court, since I started to come to this trial in February.

For some reason Peter's police escort directed him to the area where Indrani was sitting.

Peter came warily around the corner and asked, "Is she there?"

As soon as he set eyes on her, the first since she was allegedly beaten up in jail, he quickly retreated, hoping valiantly to park somewhere else. The policemen insisted he had to sit there too.

Reluctantly, he approached the benches. Indrani, who was speaking to her lawyer, immediately vacated some space.

She said she had some things to discuss with Peter, which he digested with minor surprise.

He looked mildly dismayed. And refused to sit down next to her, in spite of her welcome.

The lawyer offered to sit between them as buffer. But he declined.

He said he would talk to Indrani standing, since he had already been sitting for long in the police bus from Arthur Road.

Husband and wife (they are still married) began to discuss some urgent financial affairs relating to issuing cheques that didn't bounce and so on.

In spite of months of wariness from Peter's side, the ice was broken.

Immediately, the senior-most of Peter's police escort, an officer with a beret on his head and a few stars on his epaulets pounced.

He said they could not talk and had to take the judge's permission for that.

They remonstrated mildly with him. He seemed to acquiesce and their discussion continued for another 15 minutes.

The officer went into speak to the judge.

When he came out, he peremptorily summoned "Peetaar!" to the lifts and took him away.

They descended three floors and Peter was taken outside to the police shed where prison buses arrive and the police roster is located.

There the former television mogul was kept till hearing time.

Peter's sister and brother and their families have been away for the last month. Like last time, Peter's friend showed up with his lunch and started looking for Peter all over the court.

Finally, someone explained to him where Peter was. It is not clear if Peter finally connected with his lunch. Or what Sanjeev got to eat.

Indrani, wearing a fetching vermillion and beige kurta and salwar, and a red bindi, was fasting she said for Ekadashi.

In a packed courtroom, proceedings began from where they came to an abrupt halt in February.

That is with the testimony of the witness Ganesh Dalvi, a constable from the Khar police station who had run into a Shyamvar Rai armed with an unlicensed pistol one evening in 2015. Rai was the Mukerjeas' driver who has turned approver in the case.

Dalvi, a young policeman with a schoolboy face, addressed the court in low-pitched Marathi, in spite of Judge Jagdale's requests to speak up.

Immediately began some sorting out of what he could say and what was admissible as evidence.

After some back and forth between Peter's lawyer Shrikant Shivade, CBI Prosecutor Kavita Patil and the judge it was established that Dalvi would not talk -- as per the Bombay high court directive -- about what Rai said to him, but just about physical events he was involved in, where Rai was present too.

Subsequently what was not pertinent or admissible would be expunged from the records. Shivade, soft spoken, firm, was not entirely happy, but agreed.

The witness then recounted how Rai retraced the route of that fatal day with the police team.

Without any mention of Sheena Bora's name, he described how the police took Rai and panchas (witnesses for the police) in a police Sumo to the spot where the journey began at the National College, Bandra, northwest Mumbai, near a shop called Jockey Exclusive (that was where Sheena Bora was allegedly picked up from by Indrani, Sanjeev and Rai).

Rai, Dalvi, the other policemen then drove from there all the way to Pen, in Raigad.

Dalvi enumerated each area they travelled through.

When they reached Pen, Rai took the police to a spot near the village of Gagode Budruk where the land descended in a 'slope' 70 feet and 'pointed to a stone' and said that was where the body was burned after being doused with petrol.

From there Dalvi and his colleagues took Rai to the Pen thana.

They checked with PSI (police sub-inspector) Saral if there had been entries, since that day, of odd happenings in the area.

There were two entries and one related to sending a sample of human parts found for analysis to a professor of anatomy at the J J Hospital, south Mumbai.

Attested photocopies of those entries were taken from Pen and the police with Rai returned to Mumbai, arriving at 1.30 am.

The next day at 11 am Rai was taken to his home in a chawl near Datta Mandir, Vakola, northwest Mumbai, where his wife Sharda Shyamvar Rai was informed about the situation.

Rai's Aadhaar card, driver's license were impounded.

His driver's license had the address listed as INX Media, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Worli, south Mumbai.

He also had a picture of Sheena Bora which he showed the policemen. He was then taken back to the Khar police station and a panchanama was made out and he was taken into custody.

Dalvi spoke about it being his "conclusion" that Rai, Sanjeev Khanna and Indrani Mukerjea had killed Sheena.

That statement brought on a little storm from the defence for its lack of appropriateness.

Sudeep Pasbola, the lawyer for Indrani, and Shivade, were on their feet in a trice, expressing shock that a "conclusion which was an opinion" and not substantiated was being put on record.

Dalvi's testimony was not a long one.

What he could have said perhaps in about 15 minutes went on for nearly two hours.

His retelling was fractured by objections by the defence. But the pace is also undermined by his saying it in Marathi and the judge translating it in English and dictating it painstakingly to the court stenographer.

The process was made much more tedious by what you cannot hear.

For journalists like me standing all the way in the front, next to the court policeman, only about 50 percent of the conversation was audible and difficult to follow or take notes of.

At the back, in the accused pen, it is not at all capable of being heard.

Before the proceedings began Peter requested a place in the middle benches so he could hear better.

Judge Jagdale refused the request in a pleasant but resolute manner. The judge said the advocates would hear what needed to be heard for Peter.

"I will ask the witness to speak loudly," the judge said.

Indrani, Sanjeev and Peter shuffled in their perches on the narrow bench in the enclosure, Indrani making observations to them both, from time to time and even tapping Peter on the knee to get his attention at one point.

At certain junctures, especially when his lawyer raised objections to the testimony, Peter, dressed in his standard white and khaki with a charcoal tikka on his forehead, stood up and hung onto the railing, craned forward.

He seemed to have lost further weight, someone pointed that out, and looked stressed and drained, mopping his face with a handkerchief at intervals.

No doubt the courtroom was stuffy, with upwards of 60 people in it. None of Peter or Sanjeev's relatives were present.

When Dalvi's testimony finished up -- the defence said they would not cross examine him now and reserved the right to do so later -- Patil went again over a few bits and pieces with him.

Gunjan Mangla, Indrani's lawyer, got up to say she had not been given a copy of Indrani's medical report after she was allegedly roughed up in the Byculla jail after Manjula Shetye's death.

There was the issue of Sheena Bora's phone records that Indrani's lawyers had requested, that needed to be sorted and an Airtel nodal officer was present in court for that.

As the hands on the court clock began to inch upto 5, the police escorts started getting visibly restive, possibly because their shifts were coming to an end.

They came over to the enclosure and suggested the three accused get moving, even as the proceedings were still on.

Peter and Indrani then approached the judge going to the witness box in front, and said they needed 15 minutes to speak to each other.

They then went back into the accused enclosure -- Sanjeev had been taken down to the bus -- and began to chat in an amicable manner, again sorting financial matters.

It was a throwback to the pictures one had seen all over the newspapers of the couple together in much better days -- she was discussing issues with her signature animation and vigour.

Peter listening dutifully, his face mostly dead pan but gentle.

The cops again became twitchy, eyeing the clock.

Less than 15 minutes later they herded Peter and Indrani out, after Peter in a stately manner thanked the judge, bowing.

Indrani met her lawyer outside for a few minutes.

Peter had a paper cup of Cafe Coffee Day chai/coffee, brought by a friend and spoke to his advocates.

Then they were rounded up and taken back to the prison vans, Indrani behind Peter, while the constable escorting Peter ticked him off angrily all the way from the building to the van for his unpunctuality.

Peter disappeared into the distance, shoulders hunched, Indrani traipsing behind him, exchanging a file before departing, but not goodbyes.

EARLIER IN THE TRIAL...
Fighting sex trafficking and forced labour became Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat's life mission.

The winner of the US State Department's 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report Heroes Award speaks to Rediff.com:

IMAGE: Police Commissioner Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat with rescued bonded labour children from Odisha.

Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, the police commissioner of Rachakonda in Telangana, has been conferred with the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report Heroes Award by the United States State Department.

Bhagwat, the third Indian Police Service officer to be awarded the honour, shares his story:

I am from the 1995 IPS batch.

I was first posted in Manipur for two years -- as an assistant superintendent of police and then as additional SP.

In 1999, I joined the Andhra Pradesh police.

I was the SP of Adilabad from 2000 to 2004 when Naxalism was at its zenith, and this was one of the most affected areas.

All our energy went in controlling that one problem.

In 2004 I became the deputy commissioner of police, Hyderabad.

We heard news about a resort where girls from Mumbai and Kolkata were coming.

We raided it. We found a serious case of exploitation of girls.

The girls were staying in different parts of the city. We rescued the girls, arrested the customers and the organisers.

We worked with an NGO, which was working in the same field.

Then, I became the SP of Nalgonda district (now in Telangana).

Here, the Domara community was practicing prostitution as a family tradition.

I am from Maharashtra; I was shocked as the same community in Maharastra does not do this.

We raided places in Yadigirigunta and arrested them.

The ladies said, 'Give us an alternate profession.'

So, we worked with the collector and a scheme called Ashra was launched where allied government departments, NGOs, the Red Cross and corporates worked together to give the girls vocational training.

Self help groups (SHGs) were also formed, and the collector arranged for loans for these SHGs.

We put the children of these ladies and other school dropouts in a bridge school for a year.

After that, they were put in regular schools according to their age and aptitude.

The male youth of this community had been pimping till then; we trained them as security guards and made sure all of them got employment.

In 18 months we were able to rehabilitate 90 per cent of them.

Doordarshan made a documentary about this for a programme called Kiran.

I was awarded by the National Association of Chiefs of Police (he received the award in Boston, Massachusetts) for this effort.

I became the SP of the Women Protection Cell in Hyderabad in 2007.

There was a special project in five states to rescue women who had been trafficked into prostitution. I was the project officer.

We raided brothels in Bhiwandi, Thane, Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi and rescued a huge number of girls from Andhra Pradesh.

The traffickers were arrested, and the girls were given immediate relief of Rs 10,000.

In 2009, I became the DIG (deputy inspector general of police of Ellaru range, which includes the East and West Godavri districts and Krishna district (in Andhra Pradesh).

Girls from this area were being trafficked to different parts of the country and also being sent to the Gulf, Singapore and Malaysia.

We raided one place where prostitution was being practiced for 300 years.

With the help of the deputy collector, we raided 13 brothels there.

There was one girl from Chennai who had just passed her 10th standard and wanted to study nursing.

But a woman who ran a brothel had befriended her and decided to send her abroad; she had even applied for a passport for the girl.

We came to know about it, and arrested the woman and rescued the girl.

It resulted in a conviction and the woman was sent to jail for 10 years.

On July 1, 2015 the commissionerate of Rachakonda was formed, and I became the first commissioner.

Anti-trafficking has to be fought on a different level now.

Earlier, it was sex trafficking and now it is online trafficking.

You can order a girl from anywhere online.

We sent our men as customers and then raided the premises.

We rescued girls from as far apart as Haryana and Bangladesh.

Fifty apartments were being used as brothels. We sealed all of them with the help of the authorities.

We then turned our attention to forced labour.

Operation Smile had been launched by the central government to track missing children.

We rescued 498 children who had been brought here from Odisha. They were paid as little as Rs 1,500 for 6 months.

We contacted an NGO in Odisha and got teachers to come here.

We started a school here for one year. The students studied here for a year, and only after that were they sent to join schools back home.

We did not send them back immediately because we thought the parents might send them somewhere else again and the problem would not be solved.

After 2007, whenever a woman is arrested for prostitution she is not treated as an accused.

She is treated either as the complainant or as a witness.

We do not send them to prison, we send them to homes.

You must know that in jail they can easily come out on bail. It is not as easy to come out of our home.

Some people say that prostitution keeps the number of rapes down. We don't agree.

Will they say the same thing if someone from their family is in that profession?

Police Commissioner Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat spoke to Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar.

The children of red-light districts who made it out
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Bahrain: Woman human rights defender at high risk of torture, including sexual assault

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Bahrain: Woman human rights defender at high risk of torture, including sexual assault, 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595c9ab64.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In response to news about the arrest of human rights defender Ebtisam al-Saegh by the Bahraini authorities on the night of 3 July 2017 Samah Hadid, Director for Campaigns at Amnesty International in the Middle-East said:

"The Bahraini authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Ebtisam al-Saegh whose only crime is speaking up against a government committed to crushing all forms of dissent."

"We are deeply concerned about Ebtisam's wellbeing. When she was arrested in May 2017, she was beaten and sexually assaulted by members of the Bahraini National Security Agency. Bahraini authorities have failed to investigate those claims and we fear that she is at high risk of torture as long as she remains in custody."

Background:

Ebtisam al-Saegh is a prominent human rights defender from Bahrain. She was arrested at 23:45 on 3 July 2017, after her house was raided by masked officers in civilian clothing carrying body and head cameras. Around twenty-five officers claiming to belong to the CID (Criminal Investigation Directorate) arrived at her house in five civilian cars and a mini bus.

Three armed men stayed outside the house while seven officers, including two female officers dressed in Abaya and Niqab, entered the home.

No warrant was presented for the arrest of Ebtissam al-Saegh. When she asked about the reason for her arrest and where she was being taken they replied: you don't need to talk, you will know as soon as you reach there".

Officers confiscated her mobile phones and her national ID card. The two female officers placed Ebtisam al-Saegh in handcuffs and led her away.

Amnesty international received information that Ebtisam al-Saegh was seen at the Issa Town detention centre for women,on the outskirts of Manama the capital, in the early hours of 04 July 2017, but was later transferred to an undisclosed place

On 3 July Ebtisam al-Saegh had been tweeting about the ill treatment of women at the hands of the National Security Agency (NSA) and held the King of Bahrain responsible for their actions

In May 2017 Amnesty International documented the arrest, torture, including sexual assault, of Ebtisam al-Saegh at the NSA.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Benin: Amnesty International petitions authorities to commute the sentence of 14 men on death row

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Benin: Amnesty International petitions authorities to commute the sentence of 14 men on death row, 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595c9afa4.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Authorities in Benin must commute the death sentences hanging over 14 men following a 2016 Constitutional Court judgement that effectively abolished the death penalty for all crimes in the country, Amnesty International said today on the 5th anniversary of Benin's accession to the UN treaty aiming at abolishing the death penalty.

The organization is also calling on the authorities to provide the death row prisoners with adequate food and medical care, and ensure that national legislation is reviewed and reformed in order to remove all provisions pertaining to the death penalty in all relevant laws, for all crimes.

"The judgment of the Constitutional Court last year which effectively abolished the death penalty for all crimes in Benin is remarkable and progressive. Despite this the status of 14 men who have been on death row in grim conditions for nearly two decades has not changed," said Oluwatosin Popoola, Amnesty International's Adviser on the death penalty.

"The authorities cannot continue to keep the men on death row when the court has abolished the death penalty, the uncertainty that hangs over the men needs to be resolved urgently through the commutation of their death sentences".

The 14 men are the last prisoners on death row in Benin. They have all been in prison for between 18 to 20 years. Benin's government says it will not execute them, yet it has not commuted their death sentences. Conditions for them on death row are harsh as they are isolated from other prisoners and all share one cell. The last known execution in Benin was carried out in 1987.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The death penalty is a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

To take action on the petition click here

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EU: Boat Migration Demands Shared Responsibility

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, EU: Boat Migration Demands Shared Responsibility, 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595c9de54.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Measures to tackle boat migration in the central Mediterranean - proposed on July 3 by the European Union migration commissioner and the interior ministers of Italy, France, and Germany - fall far short of what is needed, Human Rights Watch said today.

European Union interior ministers gathering in an informal summit on July 6-7 should explore more ambitious plans to ensure more equitable sharing of responsibility for the lives and rights of those leaving Libya by sea, including functioning disembarkation and relocation plans.

"These proposals on boat migration fall far short of a genuine roadmap for sharing responsibility. That's not good for the EU, it's not good for Italy, and it's awful for people fleeing Libya," said Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Long-term goals, however laudable, cannot obscure the current stark reality: with abusive conditions, lack of asylum system and conflicts there, Libyan authorities cannot effectively guarantee rights or protect people."

The measures outlined yesterday for the most part endorse intensifying current plans with respect to building the capacity of the Government of National Accord (GNA) to control Libya's borders, increasing returns from EU countries, and relocation out of Italy of certain asylum seekers to other EU countries. The UN-backed GNA, based in Tripoli, is one of three authorities vying for international legitimacy and control of territory.

The joint statement comes after the Italian government asked for other EU countries to disembark migrants and asylum seekers rescued in the Mediterranean, and the country's Interior Minister said it was considering blocking disembarkation in Italy of migrants and asylum seekers rescued by ships not flying the Italian flag and not part of international naval operations. Italy performs or coordinates virtually all rescue operations in the Mediterranean, and around 85,000 people have been disembarked in Italy since January. Over 2,000 have died at sea this year.

A well-coordinated plan among EU countries on the Mediterranean Sea-notably Malta, France, and Spain-to share responsibility for disembarkation is worth exploring as a way to alleviate the strain on Italy's reception system, Human Rights Watch said.

Instead, the statement calls for accelerating the existing EU relocation scheme, with France and Germany pledging to increase their efforts. The relocation plan was narrowly-drawn and poorly implemented, and even under the best of circumstances will benefit a tiny fraction of those reaching Italian shores, Human Rights Watch said.

France, Germany, and other EU member states should adopt broader eligibility criteria to enable more people to access the relocation plan, and ensure that requests for relocation of unaccompanied children and those with family members in EU countries are swiftly processed.

The statement also includes a proposal for a code of conduct for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) performing rescues at sea. Improved coordination, codes of conduct, and best practices are important for all actors involved in search and rescue in the Mediterranean. EU governments should also recognise that NGOs perform important rescue efforts in the Mediterranean, often in the areas where EU vessels operating under Frontex and the EU's anti-smuggling operation are not present, Human Rights Watch said.

Any new arrangements or instructions on response to situations of distress at sea should ensure that EU vessels are not obligated to cede rescue operations in international waters to Libyan forces, and should guarantee that any nearby vessels will fulfil their rescue obligations in Libyan territorial waters in situations posing the threat of imminent loss of life.

Migrants and asylum seekers in Libya face arbitrary detention in abysmal conditions and a well-documented risk of serious abuse, including forced labor, torture, and sexual violence. Fragmented Libyan coast guard forces lack the capacity to safely perform search-and-rescue obligations. As far as Human Rights Watch is aware, EUNAVFOR MED and relevant EU member states and institutions have yet to set up a mechanism to monitor the training program for Libyan coast guard forces or efforts to improve conditions in detention centers.

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Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups, 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595c9eca4.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

For the past four years, the Kremlin has sought to stigmatize criticism or alternative views of government policy as disloyal, foreign-sponsored, or even traitorous. It is part of a sweeping crackdown to silence critical voices that has included new legal restrictions on the internet, on freedom of expression, on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and on other fundamental freedoms.

An enduring, central feature has been the 2012 law requiring independent groups to register as "foreign agents" if they receive any foreign funding and engage in broadly defined "political activity." In Russia, the term "foreign agent" can be interpreted by the public only as "spy" or "traitor." To date, Russia's Justice Ministry has designated 158 groups as "foreign agents," courts have levied staggering fines on many groups for failing to comply with the law, and about 30 groups have shut down rather than wear the "foreign agent" label. Organizations targeted include groups that work on human rights, the environment, LGBT issues, and health issues, groups that do polling about social issues. A court forced the closure of AGORA Association, one of Russia's leading human rights organizations , in response to a Justice Ministry suit alleging that the group violated the "foreign agents" law and carried out work beyond its mandate. The ministry has removed its "foreign agent" tag from over 20 groups, acknowledging that they had stopped accepting foreign funding. Accordingly, as of July 4, 2017, the official list of active "foreign agents" consisted of 93 groups. The 'Foreign Agent' Law Under the 2012 law, groups must register with the Justice Ministry as "foreign agents" if they receive even a minimal amount of funding from any foreign sources, governmental or private, and engage in "political activity." The definition of political activity under the law is so broad and vague that it effectively extends to all aspects of advocacy and human rights work. Initially, the law required all nongovernmental organizations that met these criteria to register with the ministry and to identify themselves as "foreign agents" in all their public materials, with legal consequences for failure to comply. Russia's human rights groups resolutely boycotted the law, calling it "unjust" and "slanderous." In 2013, Russia's then-federal ombudsman, Vladimir Lukin, challenged the law in Russia's Constitutional Court. In 2014, the court upheld the law, finding that there were no legal or constitutional grounds for contending that the term "foreign agent" had negative connotations from the Soviet era and that, therefore, its use was "not intended to persecute or discredit" organizations. The court also found that the "foreign agent" designation was in line with the public interest and the interest of state sovereignty. Two years of mounting pressure by the authorities, court proceedings, and massive fines did not succeed in forcing groups to voluntarily register as foreign agents. In May 2014 Russia's parliament amended the "foreign agents" law to authorize the Justice Ministry to register groups as "foreign agents" without their consent. In May 2016, parliament adopted another set of amendments to the law, expanding the controversial definition of "political activity" to include, among other things, any attempt by an independent group to influence public policy, regardless of the group's mandate. To date, the registry of "foreign agents" includes the following organizations:

Association of non-profit organizations in defense of voters' rights "Golos" (Moscow) - June 5, 2014 Interregional public organization "Human Rights Center 'Memorial' " (Moscow) - July 21, 2014 Regional public organization "Ecozaschita! - Womens' Council" (Kaliningrad) - July 21, 2014 Foundation for assistance to protection of itizens' ights and reedoms "Public Verdict" (Moscow) - July 21, 2014 Foundation "Institute for Information Freedom Development" (Saint-Petersburg) - August 28, 2014 Private institution "Information Agency MEMO. RU" (Moscow) - November 20, 2014 Non-profit partnership "Institute of Regional Press" (Saint-Petersburg) - November 20, 2014 Autonomous non-profit organization "Moscow School of Civic Education" - December 9, 2014 Arkhangelsk regional public organization of socio-psychological and legal assistance to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people (LGBT) "Rakurs" (Arkhangelsk) - December 15, 2014 Regional public organization "Public Commission for the Preservation of the Heritage of Academician Sakharov" (Moscow) - December 25, 2014 Kaliningrad regional public organization "Human Rights Center" (Kaliningrad) - December 25, 2014 Free Press Support Foundation - December 30, 2014 Saint-Petersburg public human rights organization "Civil Control" (Saint-Peterburg) - December 30, 2014 Interregional public human rights organization "Man and the Law" (Yoshkar-Ola) - December 30, 2014 Interregional public organization "Information-Educational Center 'Memorial' " (Yekaterinburg) - January 16, 2015 "Information Bureau of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Saint-Petersburg" (Saint-Petersburg) - January 20, 2015 Non-profit partnership "Press Development Institute - Siberia" (Novosibirsk) - January 30, 2015 Interregional public foundation for civil society development "GOLOS Povolzhie" (Samara) - February 6, 2015 Interregional charitable organization "Siberian Environmental Center" (Novosibirsk) - February 12, 2015 City public organization "Samara Center for Gender Studies" "Samara Center for Gender Studies" (Samara) - February 16, 2015 Regional foundation "Center for the Protection of Mass Media Rights" (Voronezh) - February 26, 2015 Autonomous non-profit organization "Center for Anti-Corruption Research and Initiatives 'Transparency International-R' " - April 7, 2015 Ozersk city social and environmental public organization "Planet of hopes" (Ozersk) - April 15, 2015 Regional public charitable organization for assistance to refugees and migrants "Civil Assistance [Civic Assistance Committee]" (Moscow) - April 20, 2015 Foundation for Support of Investigative Journalism - Foundation 19/29 (Moscow) - April 24, 2015 Interregional charitable public organization "Center for Development of Non-Profit Organizations" (Saint-Petersburg) - May 13, 2015 Establishment "Informational Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Northern Countries" (Kaliningrad) - May 13, 2015 Non-governmental specialists' educational institution of additional professional education (advanced training) "Academy of Human Rights" (Yekaterinburg) - May 15, 2015 Sverdlovsk regional public organization "Sutyajnik" (Yekaterinburg) - May 15, 2015 Nizhny Novgorod regional public organization "Environmental Center 'Dront'" (Nizhny Novgorod) - May 22, 2015 Non-profit programmes foundation of Dmitry Zimin "Dynasty" - May 25, 2015 Interregional public "Foundation for Peace in the South and North Caucasus" (Stavropol) - June 19, 2015 Autonomous non-profit organization "Center for Independent Social Research" (Saint-Petersburg) - June 22, 2015 Regional public organization for promoting protection of reproductive health of citizens "Population and Development" - June 23, 2015 Association "Assistance in Legal Protection of People 'Legal Basis' " (Yekaterinburg) - July 3, 2015 Komi regional public organization "Commission for Protection of Human Rights 'Memorial' " (Syktyvkar) - July 21, 2015 Interregional public foundation for civil society development "GOLOS-Ural" (Chelyabinsk region) - July 27, 2015 Media Support Foundation "Sreda" - July 28, 2015 Foundation "Civic Action" (Perm) - August 5, 2015 Chechen regional public organization "Human Rights Center of the Chechen Republic" (Grozny) - August 21, 2015 Interregional public environmental foundation "ISAR-Siberia" (Novosibirsk) - August 26, 2015 Public organization "Perm Regional Human Rights Center" (Perm) - September 3, 2015 Interregional public charitable organization "Society for Protection of Consumer Rights and Environmental Protection 'Principle' " (Moscow region) - October 5, 2015 Autonomous non-profit organization "Far Eastern Center for Civil Initiatives and Social Partnership" (Vladivostok) - October 13, 2015 Union of public associations "Russian Human Rights Research Center" (Moscow) - October 20, 2015 Foundation for Promotion of Civil Society and Human Rights "Women of the Don" (Novocherkassk) - October 27, 2015 Regional public institution "Research and Information Center 'MEMORIAL' " (Saint-Petersburg) - November 6, 2015 Non-profit organization "Glasnost Defense Foundation" - November 19, 2015 Autonomous non-profit organization "Institute of Human Rights" (Moscow) - November 20, 2015 Interregional public organization "Center for Assistance to Indigenous Peoples of the North" (Moscow) - November 27, 2015 Regional public organization "Information and Research Center 'Panorama' " (Moscow) - December 18, 2015 City public organization "Ekaterinburg society 'Memorial' " (Yekaterinburg) - December 30, 2015 Interregional public organization "Committee for Prevention of Torture" (Orenburg) - January 14, 2016 Interregional public organization "Bureau of Public Investigations" (Nizhny Novgorod) - January 14, 2016 Nizhny Novgorod Regional Public Organization "Institute for Forecasting and Settlement of Political Conflicts" (Nizhny Novgorod) - January 22, 2016 City public organization "Ryazan historical, educational and human rights society 'Memorial' " (Ryazan) - February 1, 2016 Chelyabinsk regional public initiative - women's public association "Women of Eurasia" (Chelyabinsk) - February 15, 2016 Chelyabinsk regional public initiative "Ural Human Rights Group" (Chelyabinsk) - February 15, 2016 Omsk regional public organization "Center for Health and Social Protection 'SIBALT' " (Omsk) - February 15, 2016 Charitable foundation for social and legal support "Sphere" (Saint Petersburg) - March 1, 2016 Interregional public organization "Center for Civic Education and Human Rights" (Perm) - March 3, 2016 Non-profit organization "International Foundation for Development of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East 'BATANI' " (Moscow) - March 11, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization "Publishing House 'Valentin Manuylov' " - April 15, 2016 Saratov regional public organization "Socium" (Engels) - May 30, 2016 Regional public organization "Integration Center 'Migration and Law' " (Moscow) - June 16, 2016 Non-commercial partnership for support of social and preventive programs in public health "ESVERO" (Moscow) - June 22, 2016 Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice Promotion (Moscow) - June 29, 2016 Non-profit organization "Foundation 'Institute for Economic Analysis' " (Moscow) - July 22, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization "Publishing house 'Park Gagarina' " (Samara) - August 31, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization "Analytical Center of Yuri Levada" (Moscow) - September 5, 2016 Interregional environmental protection and human rights public organization "Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus" (Maikop) - September 13, 2016 Foundation for support of civil freedoms "Legal Mission" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 Autonomous non-profit human rights organization "Draftee's School" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 International public organization "International Historical-Educational, Charitable and Human Rights Society 'Memorial' " (Moscow) - October 4, 2016 Sverdlovsk regional public foundation "Health Era" (Yekaterinburg) - October 11, 2016 Chapaevsk city public organization "Association of Medical Workers of Chapaevsk" (Chapaevsk) - October 21, 2016 Regional charitable foundation "Samarskaya Gubernia" (Samara) - November 2, 2016 Association "Internet Community" (Samara) - December 13, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization for social support "Project April" (Tolyatti) - December 19, 2016 Regional public organization for assistance to women and children in crisis "Information and Methodological Center 'Anna' " (Moscow) - December 26, 2016 Krasnodar regional charitable public organization "Southern Human Rights Center" (Sochi) - December 27, 2016 Regional public oranization for promotion of citizens' education "Center for Information and Analysis 'SOVA' " (Moscow) - December 30, 2016 Sverdlovsk public organization for assistance to legal migration "Nelegalov.Net [No Illegals]" (Yekaterinburg) - January 10, 2017 Saint-Petersburg public environmental human rights center "Bellona" (Saint-Petersburg) - January 16, 2017 Soloneshensky district youth public organization "Pro-Movement" (Altay region) - January 25, 2017 Kaliningrad regional public organization "Society for German culture and Russian Germans Eintracht - Soglasie" (Kaliningrad) - January 31, 2017 Foundation for development assistance to mass communication and legal education "Tak-Tak-Tak" (Novosibirsk) - February 20, 2017 Murmansk regional public organization "Kola Environmental Center" (Apatity) - April 20, 2017 Foundation for sustainable development "Silver Taiga" (Syktyvkar) - June 23, 2017

And the four NGOs which registered voluntarily:

Association "Supporting Competition in the CIS Countries" (Moscow) - June 27, 2013 Karachay-Cherkess republican youth public organization "Union of Young Political Scientists" (Cherkessk) - December 15, 2014 Regional public organization "Center of Independent Researchers of the Altai Republic" (Gorno-Altaisk) - June 10, 2015 Sverdlovsk regional public social projects foundation "New Time" (Yekaterinburg) - June 23, 2017

Leader of at least 1 NGO faces criminal charges personally:

Regional public human rights organization "Union 'Women of the Don' " - criminal proceeding is in process. Chair Valentina Cherevatenko faces up to two years in prison for "malicious evasion of the duty to file the documents required for inclusion in the register of nonprofit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent."

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Poland: EU Should Tackle Unsafe Returns to Belarus

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 5 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Poland: EU Should Tackle Unsafe Returns to Belarus, 5 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595ca1e44.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The European Commission should take enforcement action to address Poland's summary returns of asylum seekers to Belarus, three leading rights groups have said today. Amnesty International, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, and Human Rights Watch highlight how Poland is in breach of human rights law, refugee law, European Union law and orders by the European Court of Human Rights.

"The Polish government is forcing asylum-seekers back to unsafe Belarus in defiance of its duties as an EU member state," Lydia Gall, Balkans and Eastern Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch said. "It's time for the European Commission to step in and address this serious breach of EU asylum law."

Since 2016, Polish authorities have been blocking entry to most asylum seekers at Brest-Terespol border crossing from Belarus by train, forcing them to return to Belarus the same day. Belarus lacks a functioning asylum system, and there are real risks that asylum seekers from Chechnya or central Asian countries could be returned to their countries of origin putting them at risk of torture or ill-treatment.

In June, the Council of Europe's European Court of Human Rights issued orders (known as interim measures) in six cases of asylum-seekers from the Russian Republic of Chechnya that the asylum seekers "should not be sent back to Belarus" until it can examine their claims, and that their asylum applications must be examined by the competent authorities in Poland. Polish border guards have refused to comply with the interim measures and would not allow the asylum seekers - three Chechen families and a single man Ruslan (not his real name) - to enter Poland and seek asylum. Most recently, on 28 June, Polish border guards again refused to allow Ruslan to enter and apply for asylum.

"What we have witnessed in the past two weeks is a blatant disregard by Polish border guards of binding orders of the European Court of Human Rights. Despite the Court's ban of the return of those asylum seekers to Belarus until the examination of their applications, Polish border guards continue denying them access to Polish territory to apply for asylum," Barbora Cernusakova, Amnesty International's researcher on Poland said.

The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, made up of 47 member states representatives, should speak out against Poland's repeated non-compliance with the European Court's interim measures, the organizations said. At the same time, the EU's European Commission should hold Poland accountable, and EU member states should also press Poland to end the forced returns which breach the EU Procedures Directive and EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the organizations said.

Given the imminent risk of return from Poland to Belarus, where he may face further deportation to Russia and lack of protection from ill-treatment and torture, Ruslan filed a complaint at the European Court on 28 June, with the assistance of NGOs and advocates from the Warsaw Bar Association.

"In the complaint, we argue a breach of the right to an effective remedy against the decision of the Polish border guards, as well as a violation of the principle of non-refoulement - which prohibits the return of asylum seekers to countries where they risk persecution. We are afraid that the repeated return of Ruslan to Belarus, where his chances of receiving international protection are minimal, may expose him to the risk of being returned to Russia where he may face torture or ill-treatment," Jacek Bialas, a lawyer at Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, said.

Ruslan, who has sought numerous times to seek asylum in Poland described his experience: "When they return me... I don't know to describe it... it feels wrong, it feels humiliating" Ruslan said that during his last attempt to apply for asylum at the border, the Polish border guards questioned him about non-governmental organizations working with refugees in Belarus, refused his entry and subsequently escorted him to the train back to Belarus.

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UN 'appalled' by terrorist attacks in the Syrian capital, Damascus

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN 'appalled' by terrorist attacks in the Syrian capital, Damascus, 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595ca4194.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations has condemned the terrorist attacks in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and underscored the need to bring those responsible to justice, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today.

We are appalled by the utter disregard for human life displayed by the perpetrators, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN chief, said in a statement today.

Those responsible for the attacks must be held accountable.

According to reports, at least 20 people were killed and dozens more wounded in the incident.

In the statement, Mr. Dujarric also offered the Organization's condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
UN agency condemns attack on staff in Central African Republic town

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN agency condemns attack on staff in Central African Republic town, 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595ca4684.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Strongly condemning an attack against its staff and premises in a northern town of the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations refugee agency has underscored the importance of safety of aid workers for them to be able to help civilian populations in desperate need.

At about 5 PM on 1 July, unidentified armed men entered the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) premises in Kaga Bandoro town, threatened staff at gun point, and looted all goods and money on site, Andrej Mahecic, a spokesperson for the UN agency told the media at a regular news briefing in Geneva today.

There were six UN staff members (four from UNHCR and two from the UN Development Programme) at the premises and they were also robbed of their belongings, including personal items and passports.

"Since the attack, UNHCR has temporarily relocated staff to the MINUSCA (the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR) base in Kaga Bandoro, and we will be moving some to [the capital,] Bangui," added Mr. Mahecic.

Also in the town, on the night of 28 June, unidentified armed men tried to break into a UNHCR accommodation, with the intention of attacking staff and looting belongings. That attack was thwarted by MINUSCA forces.

Frequent violence in Kaga Bandoro - located about 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of Bangui - has had a significant impact on the local population, displacing many and leaving them in need of humanitarian assistance.

In CAR, UNHCR has been providing protection and relief support to more than 8,600 refugees and 503,000 internally displaced persons.

Clashes between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian, have plunged the country of about 4.5 million people into civil conflict since 2013. In addition to those displaced within the CAR, more than 484,000 people from the country have been forced to seek refuge in neighboring nations.
Mosul's war widows face new challenges in displacement

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Author Cathy Otten Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mosul's war widows face new challenges in displacement, 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595ca5ea4.html [accessed 11 November 2022]

As she fled her neighbourhood in western Mosul, Asmaa Mahmood, 25, and her husband and their two young daughters came under heavy fire from militant extremists. They were captured and the men and women were separated.

"They took my husband and we had to just keep going," she says. "We escaped and we hid in abandoned houses until we made it to the camp."

Two weeks after reaching the safety of Hammam Al-Alil camp, she learned from other displaced Mosul residents that her husband had been killed. They had found his body and buried him.

"I was shocked and I suffered from psychological trauma and grief," she says.

Widows like Asmaa are among more than 900,000 people who have fled since the military operation to retake Iraq's battle-ravaged second city from militants began nine months ago.

They number in their thousands. Many of their husbands were murdered by armed extremists who maintained a brutal grip on the city. Others were killed in air strikes, or were shot or blasted by artillery as they fled across the front lines.

Their husbands were often the families' sole breadwinner. Without an income and often with children to support, Mosul's war widows are among the most vulnerable to have been displaced during months of fighting for the once thriving city, parts of which have been flattened.

In Hammam al-Alil 2 camp, which is run by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partners, female headed households make up more than a quarter of the total - 1,250 out of 4,463 families or 21,462 people.

Since reaching the camp in April/May, Asmaa has received mattresses, a tent and items including kitchen utensils from UNHCR as part of the distribution given to new arrivals. Other help includes legal aid and reissuing of missing documents, including government ID, which is vital to receive benefits and move freely.

Like many of the widows, Asmaa is worried about her children's future. Despite being illiterate, she wants to get a job to support her family.

She chats in her tent alongside her two young daughters, Rimah, four, and two-year-old Bedoor, who are dressed in matching green and white frilly dresses. Asmaa explains that she has to dress the girls identically to avoid arguments.

A much larger issue looms: she has yet to tell them that their father is dead, evasively saying that he was working and would soon be home.

"I am so exhausted worrying about the future of my children. Now I have no-one to rely on," she says. ''All I want is to provide a good living for my two daughters. I don't worry about myself. I just don't want my daughters to feel different from any other girls who have a father.''

At the beginning of March, Sahar Amar, a 22-year-old widow, heard that her neighbourhood in West Mosul was about to be retaken by Iraqi forces. She gathered up her three children and ran towards the Iraqi troops as militants shot at them.

Her parents helped her carry her three young children: Zahra, 10 months, Amar, aged three, and Hamood, six. Together, they ran down a road that was littered with the bodies of the city's residents who had been gunned down by the armed group as they fled.

"We survived by a miracle only. We could see and hear the bullets flying close to our bodies," she said. When she arrived in Hammam al-Alil 2 camp she received a tent and mattress, blankets and kitchen kits from UNHCR.

Sahar explains that her husband was killed last year in a collision with a vehicle carrying militants. He had previously been in trouble with the armed group for selling forbidden cigarettes. She believes the crash was not accidental. When she heard the news of his death, she was days away from giving birth to Zahra.

During the displacement, her national ID card was lost. Her children still need government ID cards and birth certificates because those issued by the armed group are no longer valid. UNHCR is assisting widows, as well as all IDPs who lived under extremist rule, get the correct documentation.

Sahar was unable to buy her children gifts for Eid this year because she was no source of income. "I just want to survive and raise my children," she said.
Vietnam: Free human rights blogger "Mother Mushroom"

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 4 July 2017 Cite as Article 19, Vietnam: Free human rights blogger "Mother Mushroom", 4 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595ca8ba4.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 urges the immediate release of human rights defender and blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for "anti-state propaganda" under Article 88 of the Penal Code, a provision that runs contrary to international human rights standards on freedom of expression. We urge the government to repeal Article 88 and reform the Penal Code to bring it into line with international human rights standards.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, also known by her blogging name, "Mother Mushroom" (Me Nam), was sentenced on 29 June 2017 in the People's Court of Khanh Hoa Province, after she was detained in October 2016 on charges related to her activism and blog posts. She had been detained for nine months incommunicado before being brought to court last week. International monitors and state embassies were not allowed to follow the court proceedings, which has further raised concerns that she did not receive a fair trial.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh is an internationally honored human rights activist and blogger. She received a Hellman Hammett grant from Human Rights Watch in 2010 as a writer defending free expression. Civil Rights Defenders gave her the 2015 Civil Rights Defender of the Year award. In March 2017, she received the International Women of Courage award from the State Department.

As one of the most prominent human rights activist in Vietnam's digital sphere, as well as the founding member of the Vietnamese Bloggers Network, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh has exposed corruption, land confiscation, police brutality, as well as advocating for freedom of expression, among other issues. She has voiced her strong support for fellow dissidents and publicly advocated for the release of multiple political prisoners in Vietnam. More recently, with the motto "Fish need clean water - People need transparency" (Ca can nuoc sach - Dan can minh bach), she was actively involved in the campaign against the massive environmental devastation caused by the Taiwanese steel plant Formosa in Central Vietnam, which has reportedly destabilized the livelihoods of millions of people across the country.

The detention and sentencing of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh run counter to Vietnam's international and domestic commitments. Vietnam ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1982, Article 19 of which guarantees the right to freedom of expression. This fundamental right has been echoed in Article 25 of Vietnam's 2013 Constitution. However, Article 88 of the Penal code, which criminalises propaganda, defamation, and making or storing of materials against the state with up to 12 years imprisonment, falls far outside of the permitted limitations to freedom of expression allowed under Article 19 of the ICCPR, and allows the state worrying scope to repress expression by human rights defenders and others.

ARTICLE 19 urges the Vietnamese government to quash the conviction of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh and release her from prison. Furthermore, the government should take immediate steps to revise the vaguely-worded and repressive Penal Code, which is often used to criminalize free expression, and end its crackdown on political dissent.

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
Colombia's FARC Ends its 53-year Insurgency

Publisher International Crisis Group (ICG) Publication Date 5 July 2017 Cite as International Crisis Group (ICG), Colombia's FARC Ends its 53-year Insurgency, 5 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595cd16e4.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The International Crisis Group celebrates the most significant achievement of the Colombian peace process to date: the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has now finished handing over 7,100 weapons to the UN Mission, putting an end to its 53-year insurgency. Now the parties must focus on implementing the rest of the peace agreement, which will require overcoming several major challenges.

The first is to ensure security. Peace with the FARC has ended Colombia's largest insurgency but other armed groups remain active. The National Liberation Army, or ELN in Spanish, continues its war against the government despite the ongoing Quito-based peace process. The government and ELN have announced a plan to reach a ceasefire in early September, and should intensify their efforts at the negotiating table to do so. Other armed groups, including criminal organisations and FARC dissidents, control important parts of Colombia's periphery. The government should increase its military and police efforts in the short term to effectively regain control of areas under their influence. Finally, the remaining 872 FARC weapons caches registered by the UN mission must be destroyed by 1 September, as agreed.

The second challenge will be to reintegrate FARC combatants into civilian life by allowing them to participate in economic cooperatives, perform political work and receive educational support. The FARC hopes it can do this while maintaining its internal cohesion and collective lifestyle. But planning is behind schedule as key details are missing on the projects the FARC hopes to help carry out in order to generate income and sustenance for its fighters. The FARC's proposal that its fighters remain in extremely remote areas of Colombia, where the group has been present for decades, may stumble because these parts of the country are characterised by poverty, lack of markets and poor infrastructure. Recently, the Colombian Agency for Reincorporation and Normalisation, or ARN - the state institute in charge of ex-combatant reintegration since 2006 - was put in charge of FARC "reincorporation". It will need increased financial resources to guarantee a successful process.

Finally, the peace agreement still faces serious political resistance. Opposition political parties have vowed to change certain aspects of the agreement and, with congressional and presidential elections scheduled next year, they will soon have the opportunity to make their case. The successful weapons handover in theory should give proponents of the peace agreement a boost, but much will depend on developments on two important fronts. The government and FARC will need to show that their coca substitution agreement yields results - namely, a decrease in coca production and a transition to an economy based on sustainable, legal economic activity. Current trends are not promising. Colombia is likely witnessing record-high coca cultivation levels, which critics have linked to the peace process and an overly-soft drug policy.

Moreover, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) - the transitional justice mechanism designed to both render justice and shed light on what occurred during the insurgency - needs to demonstrate it is making a difference and enforcing accountability, particularly against guerrilla commanders, in order to counter the perception of FARC impunity.

The weapons handover is a milestone: the FARC's violent insurgency has come to an end and the organisation has ceased to exist as an armed group. For all the challenges that remain, and for all the uncertainties that lie ahead, this is a remarkable achievement for the Colombian people. At a time when faith in peacemaking and conflict resolution is at a low, it is also a welcome and inspiring example for the rest of us.
Rising cholera, diarrhoea and malnutrition 'deadly' for children in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Sudan, warns UNICEF

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 5 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Rising cholera, diarrhoea and malnutrition 'deadly' for children in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Sudan, warns UNICEF, 5 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595cd1f34.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Access, funding and security are urgently needed to ensure humanitarians can reach hundreds of thousands of children suffering from cholera and diarrhoea across Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Sudan, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said.

On top of these diseases, rising rates of malnutrition in these countries could be deadly for children, Christophe Boulierac, a spokesperson for the UN agency, said at a regular news briefing in Geneva.

Access, funding and security are needed in the four countries so that UNICEF and our partners can reach children with an integrated response that deal simultaneously with both malnutrition and disease prevention treatment, he added.

According to the UNICEF spokesperson, Yemen is presently the worst cholera outbreak in the world with over 260,000 suspected cases and over 1,600 deaths. Of these, half the suspected cases and a quarter of the deaths are among children.

Furthermore, the situation of South Sudan is equally worrying. The current cholera outbreak in the country, which started in June last year, has for the first time lasted through the entire dry season and there are fears that it could worsen as the new rainy season progresses.

About 6,870 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in South Sudan so far this year, informed Mr. Boulierac, noting that children and teenagers accounted for about 51 per cent of the cases.

On top of this, about 1.1 million are malnourished in the country and almost 290,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

In Somalia, there are about 53,000 cases of cholera (three times more than in 2016 and ten times more than in 2015) and some 1.4 million children are feared to be malnourished, 275,000 of them severely malnourished, the UN spokesperson added.

Furthermore, in Sudan, over 20,000 suspected cases of acute water diarrhoea, with over 400 deaths, had been recorded.

Over 20 per cent of the affected population are children, he noted.

Response in midst of daunting challenges

In their response, UN agencies, including UNICEF as well as humanitarian partners have stepped up their efforts but face considerable challenges.

In Yemen, UNICEF delivered a total of 36 tons of life saving medical and water purification supplies to Yemen on board chartered aircrafts. However, with limited access and a national health system ravaged by conflict, there are significant challenges reaching those in need.

Similarly, access is a major obstacle in Sudan where the most affected areas lack safe water and proper sanitation. In the country, UNICEF is also in urgent need of some $22 million to provide life-saving interventions to over 100,000 children.

As part of its programmes, UNICEF along with partners is providing therapeutic and life-saving food treatment to severely malnourished children South Sudan (200,000), Somalia (200,000) and Yemen (320,000). The UN agency is also restoring and equipping health facilities, developing medical and nutritional supply pipelines and providing clean and safe water to vulnerable children and families.
Pakistan recruiting Taliban fighters into pro-government militias

Publisher IRIN Author Aamir Saeed Publication Date 5 July 2017 Cite as IRIN, Pakistan recruiting Taliban fighters into pro-government militias, 5 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595cd2ed4.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Pakistan waged a bloody offensive for years to drive Islamist militants out of Afghan border regions, but now some Taliban factions are regrouping, only this time with the government's blessing, according to opposition politicians, residents, and a former Taliban leader.

In 2014, Pakistan's military launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb [Sharp and Cutting Strike], which aimed to drive Islamist militants out of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, a semi-autonomous region on the border with Afghanistan. The operation has mostly wound down now, and hundreds of thousands of families have returned. Many insurgents were killed during the operation, while others fled over the porous border into Afghanistan.

Now, some of those militants - members of Taliban factions - have been invited back to form militia groups in FATA and three districts in neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Local politicians and a former Taliban leader told IRIN that the men, who previously fought the government and killed civilians, will now help defend the region against other militants. Some residents reject the strategy, which they believe will only lead to more fighting.

"The militants are doing all this with support of the local administration," said a member of the Awami National Party, requesting anonymity for security reasons. "The administration, in return, expects these militants to spy for them on the locals and fight against foreign militants."

Mohammad Shoaib, an assistant political officer in FATA's South Waziristan Agency, denied that his government is supporting Taliban groups. "The presence of the militants in the area is a matter of concern for us and we keep chasing them constantly," he said.

'Green light'

Such official denials ring hollow to Naimat Gul, a former member of the Taliban shura, or governing council, in South Waziristan. He said members of the faction formerly led by Mullah Nazir, who was killed by a US drone strike in 2013, have come back to South Waziristan from Afghanistan and regrouped.

"Obviously, they have returned to their homeland after getting a green signal from the government," he said.

"They all are pro-Pakistan people and will help us keep Pakistan secure from infiltration of foreign militants," said Gul in an interview in Dera Ismail Khan, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district where he and others said Taliban elements have been meeting in a dilapidated house with the full knowledge of the government.

Syed Fida Hassan Shah, the regional police officer overseeing Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts, denied that the Taliban were organising in his jurisdiction. "These all are rumours," he said. "We will take action if they tried to open their offices."

Muhammad Saleh Shah, an independent senator in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, negotiated the deal with Pakistani Taliban founder Baitullah Mehsud that saw him agree in 2008 to cease attacks against government forces (before he was killed by a US drone strike the following year).

He said it was clear the Taliban fighters were being encouraged to regroup: "The government is giving incentives to those who killed hundreds and maimed thousands in suicide attacks and bomb blasts."

Fear and distrust

Residents expressed concern militants could turn on the government and civilians would once again become casualties.

"They are self-professed killers and the government must try them under the law instead of keeping them in safe houses," said Waris Khan, a cycle-rickshaw driver in Dera Ismail Khan. "What is the guarantee that these militants will not revert to killings of innocents?"

An elder told IRIN by phone from South Waziristan that the FATA administration is allowing members of two Pakistani Taliban groups to organise in his area. The factions are those formerly led by Mullah Nazir and a group led by Shaharyar Mehsud that claimed responsibility for a January bombing that killed 24 people in FATA's Kurram Agency.

He said the FATA government had struck a deal with members of those groups to fight against the so-called Islamic state and other militants based over the border in Afghanistan.

"So far the militants regrouping in the area are peaceful for the locals, but we don't know how long this will continue," said the elder, who requested his name be withheld.

Shoaib, the assistant political officer in South Waziristan, admitted that Taliban groups have been reasserting their authority in some communities but denied that the government was condoning it.

"It's a local tradition to settle the disputes through jirgas," he said. "Yes, they hold their jirgas to dispense justice to the locals, but we discourage people to obey them."

Shoaib said the government is instead trying to encourage militants to lay down their arms and has created job training programmes aimed at reintegrating former militants into civilian life.

Such reassurances are not enough to convince some residents who fled fighting during Operation Zarb-e-Azb to return to South Waziristan.

Ali Wazir shelved his plans to bring his family back to the South Waziristan town of Wana after friends and relatives told him that groups of Taliban were operating there openly. He said he lost 11 family members to Taliban bombings, including one that killed his father and two brothers in 2005 in Wana, and he was initially optimistic that the army had finally driven the militants away.

"Taliban are getting offices again not only in Waziristan, but also in the settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province," he said. "The militants are getting benefits and we are left at their mercy again."
A Sun Prairie man charged with 18 felony counts of forgery entered a plea of not guilty to each on Monday afternoon.

Lessie Stewart, 50, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court accused of passing counterfeit $100 bills at the Portage Walmart in September 2016.

Portage police were called on Sept. 28 to the store where a manager explained that when counting deposits an employee found 18 counterfeit $100 bills. The manager then watched security footage from the night before, which reportedly showed two men arriving at the register, buying a candy bar with a debit card and putting $1,800 on a gift card.

A Portage detective forwarded suspect information to the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network, which yielded a call from the Sun Prairie Police Department. The officer in Sun Prairie explained that one of the two men was a resident and a suspect in counterfeit fraud cases in that city.

When officers located the suspect, he identified the other man as his uncle Lessie, who was on probation at the time, following a Sept. 14, 2015, conviction for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated as a fourth offense, resulting in a withheld sentence with eight months conditional jail time and three years probation.

On Feb. 6, Stewart was charged with the felony counts carrying a potential eight-year sentence with each count. In March Stewart was taken in to custody by the Dane County Sheriffs Office, leading to time served in Dane County Jail and Dodge County Correctional Institution.

In court before Judge Todd Hepler, represented by defense attorney Jennifer Cunha, Stewart stood mute, with pleas entered on his behalf. The case is being set for trial as Stewart is held on signature bond and serving time for his prior case with a mandatory release date of Oct. 17, 2018.
Sale of surveillance equipment to Egypt by French company Amesys: impunity must end

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 5 July 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Sale of surveillance equipment to Egypt by French company Amesys: impunity must end, 5 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595cd5744.html [accessed 11 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Since 2011, the French authorities have been investigating the role of Amesys in supplying a sophisticated electronic surveillance system to the Libyan regime. This system enabled the regime to identify political opponents and human rights defenders, arrest and then torture them. Today's report from Telerama reveals the sale of a similar system to the Egyptian government in March 2014, and puts the spotlight on the impunity that the company continues to enjoy.

FIDH and LDH call on the French government to put an immediate end to the export of surveillance equipment to Egypt, where the regime is guilty of repression and violence against human rights defenders and all peaceful opposition voices. FIDH and LDH also urge the appropriate judicial authorities to expand the current investigation into the supply of surveillance equipment to Libya to include Amesys' similar dealings with the Egyptian regime.

In 2011, the Wall Street Journal revealed how Amesys had installed an extensive electronic surveillance system that had enabled the Gadhafi regime to identify and target Libyan activists and political opponents. In January 2013, five Libyan victims - whose online communications were flagged by the Amesys system and used as the basis for their arrest and torture - were assisted by FIDH and LDH in filing a civil suit in France and delivering their testimony before the French courts. As yet, nobody has been charged with complicity to torture by the French specialised unit for the prosecution of crimes against humanity and war crimes, responsible for investigating the case.

The revelations in today's Telerama report that a similar surveillance system was supplied to the Egyptian government - with the "blessing" of the French authorities, who remained silent on the company's application to license the technology to General Abdel Fatah Al-Sissi's regime - constitute yet another resounding scandal. The Egyptian regime is responsible for human rights violations of an unprecedented scale and severity; since Sissi came to power in July 2013 through a coup d'etat, grave acts of torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and summary executions have all been reported. Hundreds of people have been sentenced to death, and tens of thousands have been arrested on the pretext of counter-terrorism. Journalists and NGOs are the primary targets, especially in light of the repressive "anti-freedom" law that was adopted in March 2017.

"Putting technology for tracking and spying on its critics in the hands of the Sissi regime, while repression is in full swing, is not only self-interested and cynical but also, most likely, criminal. That is why we are asking the French authorities to expand the current investigation into Amesys supplying to Libya to include the similar deal with the repressive Egyptian regime." Patrick Baudouin, FIDH's lawyer and Honorary President.

Supplying this material to yet another repressive regime, while the company is under judicial investigation in France, is far from unsurprising.

"This new scandal reflects the impunity that Amesys executives enjoy, they are clearly untroubled by the judicial investigation directed at the company's dealings with the Libyan regime. Although the legal proceedings will take time, we call on the French political authorities to take all the necessary steps to immediately end the supply by French companies to the Egyptian government. This is a clear violation of corporate responsibility to respect human rights." Maryse Artiguelong, Vice President of LDH and FIDH.
A growing speaker company in the Green Lake County village of Princeton is trying to raise funds for expansion and is getting assistance from a major national player in venture capital.

Princeton Audio, which since 2014 has been manufacturing a series of high-end wireless speakers with proprietary components that can be upgraded as technology changes, has joined First Democracy VC, a joint effort between Indiegogo and MicroVentures designed to help entrepreneurs from around the country raise money.

Princeton Audio is hoping to raise between $50,000 and $100,000 to help in its marketing efforts as it continues to grow, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This fall, Princeton Audio plans to introduce a wireless woofer that will integrate with the companys regular wireless speakers that are housed in black walnut, cherry, mahogany and maple. Headphones will be added to the lineup in 2018, according to the companys business plan.

Over the last six months, Princeton Audio has sold nearly 1,000 speakers, said Michael Pelland, who founded the company now located in a former general store in Princetons downtown. In 2016, Princeton Audio had sales of $154,000 and in the first five months of the year had sales of $136,000. Speakers range in price from $379 to $729, according to the companys website.

The last few months in particular have really prepared us to take full advantage of the opportunity this partnership represents, Pelland said. Traffic to our website has increased nearly 700 percent, new orders have increased (and) we simply cant make these speakers fast enough, Pelland said. Its time for us to take a big step forward.

One of the key components to a speaker made by Princeton Audio is a proprietary and removable combination USB and mini-plug that allows the speaker to adapt to changing technology. The plug was invented by Pelland, who has had his hand in more than 30 patents as a design engineer over the last 25 years.
Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used.
Authorities in the central Chinese province of Hunan have jailed two people for "spreading rumors" on the popular messaging app WeChat amid growing public anger over the government's response to widespread flooding in the region.



Two managers of a WeChat group from Hunan's provincial capital Changsha were sentenced to seven days' administrative detention in the city's Gaoxin district after posts critical of the local government's handling of the flooding in Ningxiang county, police said in a statement.



Dozens of people have been killed and more than 20 remained missing this week, as heavy rains continued to batter southern China, flooding towns, cutting off power and halting traffic.



Trains have been halted and roads cut off to many towns and villages, but local residents in the worst-hit areas have clashed with police after protesting against the government's response.



Footage of protests in Hunan's Ningxiang county over the weekend showed hundreds of people gathered on a square, shouting angrily, surrounded by police vehicles.



Others carried banners and umbrellas, while nearby vehicles sounded their horns.



Local residents have hit out at the slow speed of flood relief work, with many areas still deprived of fresh drinking water and power even where floodwaters have receded.



"There are some places that still have no tap water," a resident of Ningxiang county told RFA. "We haven't had any here for four days."



"But we're not doing too badly, because we're under the aegis of the city government, whereas it's very serious in other places ... like Shahe Market and Baimaqiao," he said.



Protesters taken away

Local residents have staged protests in some parts of the disaster-hit region in recent days, prompting clashes with police and the detention of protesters, according to a business owner near Baimaqiao.



"Some people were taken away to the police station," the business owner said.



An officer who answered the phone at the Ningxiang county police department declined to comment on the incident.



"You'll have to ask a different department," the officer said. "We are the emergency response team."



The number he supplied simply transferred the call once more to the emergency response team, however.



The Baimaqiao business owner said there have been "huge losses" caused by the flooding.



"Our losses were purely the result of the flooding, and we have lost everything," he said. "The damage is probably worth about 100,000-200,000 yuan at the very least."



"Some places have damage costing more than a million yuan, which is to be expected," he said. "Nobody has said anything about compensation."



State highway blocked

A third local resident said many people are blaming the local government for failing to predict the flooding.



"I'm a fair-minded person, but even I think that it's going to be hard for the municipal government to escape responsibility," he said.



Meanwhile, five people were arrested after dozens of residents blocked a state highway in Hunan's Xiangtan city, calling for compensation for loss and damage cause by the floods, causing tailbacks of several kilometres, the city police department said via social media.



The protesters blocked State Highway 320 near Tongzi village, Xianghu city, demanding the government compensate them, police said.



More than 11 million people in 11 southern provinces have been affected by floods, landslides and hailstorms.



Water levels in major Hunan rivers and lakes have reached danger level, while some rivers have already broken their banks, flooding towns, villages and farmland for miles around, according to the ministry of civil affairs.



Dozens of flights at several airports serving major cities in the flood-hit region including Chengdu, Changsha, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were canceled or delayed, stranding thousands of travelers on , Associated Press reported.



More rain is forecast to hit the region this week.



Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Prominent Chinese rights lawyer Wang Yu, who was 'released' on bail last August after being held for more than a year on subversion charges, has been under tight surveillance akin to house arrest along with her whole family ever since, her lawyer told RFA on Wednesday.



Two years after police launched a nationwide operation targeting lawyers, Wang Yu and her husband and colleague Bao Longjun are now living in the northern region of Inner Mongolia along with their son Bao Zhuoxuan, and are seldom seen or contacted by friends or former colleagues.



Repeated attempts to reach Wang and Bao on their previous cell phone numbers resulted in "number unobtainable" messages or busy signals this week.



However, the family reportedly traveled to Tianjin in late June to visit relatives, but remained under close surveillance by state security police during the trip, and returned to Inner Mongolia's Ulaanhot city on June 30, sources told RFA.



"They are still not free," fellow rights lawyer Wen Donghai, who has met with Wang since her "release," told RFA. "There is even surveillance in their bedroom, and there is a team of people watching them around the clock."



"That team follows them wherever they go."



Wen said the couple's son, who was slapped with a travel ban after planning to attend a high school in the United States, has been barred from taking up a place at a Beijing school.



"According to the rules, their bail period should be up on July 22, after which the authorities should unconditionally drop the charges against them," he said. "They should regain their freedom in the next couple of weeks, but it doesn't look as if that's what the authorities are getting ready to do."



Bao's defense lawyer Huang Hanzhong said the inclusion of the couple's son in the surveillance regime is indefensible.



"At least there is still a criminal case pending against Bao Longjun and Wang Yu, but their son Bao Zhuoxuan isn't a suspect in any criminal case," Huang said. "He should be allowed the freedom to travel and to study."



"Nobody out of the three of them is free," he said. "This is a serious violation of their rights as citizens, and an illegal act."



Rights groups say several individuals 'released' following the crackdown that began with Wang's detention on July 9, 2015 are still being held incommunicado.



Under surveillance



Meanwhile, others who were granted "bail," including legal assistant Zhao Wei, have also remained under surveillance, and haven't been in touch with their usual social circle since leaving the detention center.



Overseas rights groups said they would mark the anniversary of the crackdown on rights lawyers by designating July 9 Chinese Lawyers' Day.



"As prominent representatives of Chinese lawyers, human rights lawyers have been the target of the Chinese governments persecution since the beginning of the rights defense movement," a consortium of groups including the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group said in a statement.



"Theyve had their licenses to practice law revoked, theyve been followed, threatened, publicly slandered by state media, abducted, disappeared, sent to forced labor camps, imprisoned for lengthy periods, and tortured," the statement said.



"Persecution has become commonplace," the groups said, announcing plans for an inaugural event on July 9 in Washington.



Concerns are growing for the safety of dozens of human rights lawyers and associates locked up in an unknown location by the Chinese authorities in a crackdown that started in July 2015.



Following a nationwide operation targeting rights lawyers, activists, their families, and employees, at least 19 of the more than 300 detained, questioned, or otherwise affected were held on suspicion of subversion with no access to a lawyer.



Reported by Ding Wenqi for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Young North Koreans from well-connected families are avoiding military service in growing numbers, often by claiming illness, in a trend that is fueling social tensions, North Korean sources say.



The practice is now common among the children of Peoples Committee and Administrative Committee officials at the city or county level, a resident of North Hamgyong province told RFAs Korean Service.



Some executives children regularly return home from their military base for medical reasons, and they eventually get discharged, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



North Koreans excused from military service for medical reasons are deemed not eligible for later political work, but have no problem finding positions as administration executives or as workers in trade, the source said.



One young North Korean conscripted in May from Chongjin citys Sinam district returned home only two months later, the source said, adding that the young mans father, surnamed Park, is employed as a labor department officer for the districts Administrative Committee.



Officer Parks son was sent back for medical reasons and is now lounging around at home, he said.



His friends are also executives children who have avoided military service. He is not being treated in a friendly way by his neighbors, though.



A growing problem



Also speaking to RFA, a source in North Koreas South Hamgyong province called the widespread evasion of military duty by the children of executives a growing problem.



They are in a totally different class from the children of ordinary citizens, who are often forced to perform physical labor on construction sites or farms during their years of military service, the source said, also speaking on condition he not be named.



The son of one executive of the Hamhung City Party Committee was discharged during his first year of military service, the source said.



He spent the first six months of his initial training period on vacation leave, and then served the rest of his days at home after being assigned to a military base.



He then visited his base just once a month, the source said.



This is considered to be a special right of the executives, and it is ruining the social environment, he said.



Reported by Jieun Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Richard Finney.
North Korea has tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that may be capable of hitting the northwestern U.S., prompting condemnation from Washington, but leaving it with limited options to rein in the Kim Jong Un regime, experts said Wednesday.



The test, which came hours ahead of the U.S. Independence Day holiday on Tuesday, was the Norths first of its Hwasong-14 missile, which the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said successfully demonstrated its ability to reenter a warhead into the earths atmosphere and target the heart of the United States.



The missile flew for 37 minutes and had a lofted trajectory of 1,700 miles (2,735 kilometers), which some analysts said makes it capable of reaching all of Alaska and represents a significant stride in North Koreas development of its weapons program.



The launch follows at least ten other missile tests by North Korea this year alone, including the trial of a new rocket engine and the firing of what were believed to be several anti-ship missiles in June. The North has also tested nuclear weapons at least five times since 2006, including twice last year.



U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the latest missile test a new escalation of the threat to the United States and its allies, and the U.S. Army and South Korean military responded Tuesday by launching their own missiles into South Korean territorial waters in a show of force.



U.S. President Donald Trumps administration has since vowed to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat, while General Vincent Brooks, the top military commander in South Korea, said in a statement Wednesday that the U.S. and South Korea are prepared to go to war with the North if ordered, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.



Kim Jong Un was quoted by the KCNA as saying that Pyongyang will not negotiate with the U.S. to give up its weapons unless Washington abandons its hostile policy against the North, and analysts agree that the latest launch has reduced U.S. options to address the situation.



Washington has mulled military action against the North, but such a move could trigger retaliatory artillery strikes by Pyongyang against South Korea, whose capital Seoul is located only 35 miles away from the North Korean border and is home to around 10 million people.



The United Nations Security Council, chaired by North Koreas only major allyChina, held an emergency meeting Wednesday, during which U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said that Pyongyangs actions were quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution, and that Washington would use its military forces if we must, though it prefers not to.



The missile test also came days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations are to meet in Germany and discuss possible measures against North Koreas weapons program, which continues despite U.N. sanctions.



Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 meeting, and while both China and Russia have called for North Korea to suspend its missile program, the two nations oppose resolving the crisis on the Korean peninsula through the use of force or economic sanctions against Pyongyang.



The U.S. has urged Chinathe Norths biggest trading partnerto pressure Pyongyang on abandoning weapons development, but Beijing has been reluctant to endorse tougher sanctions against its northeastern neighbor, such as an oil embargo, ending acceptance of guest workers, and penalties against Chinese firms conducting business in North Korea.



Diplomats also say that China has failed to fully enforcing existing international sanctions against the Kim regime.



Limited options



On Wednesday, Bonnie Glaser, a senior advisor for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington, told RFAs Korean Service that the U.S. now has limited options to deal with North Korea, including sanctions, military pressure and diplomacy.



This first test of an ICBM will drive Trump to press for more sanctions, she said, adding that when the U.S. president meets with Xi at the G20, he is likely to ask him to reduce crude oil exports [to North Korea].



The U.N. Security Council could [also] pass a resolution that mandates a cap on oil exports to North Korea.



Yun Sun, a senior associate with the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, said that North Korea had demonstrated a credible threat of a deliverable nuclear weapon, earning it a strategic deterrence against a potential U.S. attack and a perceived guarantee of its national security.



By developing the technology that previous efforts were aimed to prevent, Sun said, North Korea had changed the goal and pace of any follow up strategy.



The U.S. doesnt have a lot of effective options to deal with North Koreas ICBM test, he said.



The military option is clearly not a good one, given North Koreas ability to retaliate and attack Seoul. More sanctions might be in order, but they have not been effective in stopping North Korea from any of its nuclear development so far.



According to Sun, Washington could choose to negotiate directly with Pyongyang, but now that North Korea has achieved the ICBM capability, there is the question of what the talk will be about.



Denuclearization is unlikely to happen, so we are talking about how to engage North Korea, which equates to rewarding bad behavior.



China impact



Harry Kazianis, director of Defense Studies at the Washington-based Center for the National Interest, said the latest launch shows that Kim will do anything to maintain power in North Korea, and predicted upcoming tests of a missile that can hit all of the United States and possibly a hydrogen bomb.



Nuclear weapons atop ICBMs are the ultimate insurance policy, for if Washington ever thought about attacking, North Korea could kill millions with the push of a button, he said.



Kazianis said that the biggest impact of the ICBM test will be on China, as Trump will push harder than ever to get Beijing on board with international measures to rein in the Norths weapons program.



But he added that China is unlikely to end its support for the Kim regime, when the alternative could mean millions of refugees from North Korea streaming over its border or the reunification of the Korean peninsula under U.S. ally Seoul.



Beijing, beyond some token moves, was never going to help Washington in any substantive way in dealing with the North's nuclear and missile programs, he said.



Beijing does not like the status-quo, but for them, the situation could be far worse.



Reported by Kyung Ha Rhee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun and Kyung Ha Rhee. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The military situation on the Korean peninsula has become tense again in the wake of North Koreas test of Hwasung-14, a purportedly intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on July 4. As North Korea crossed the red line that the US government drew in terms of the Norths military provocations, all eyes are on the possible US response. Changsop Pyon of RFAs Korean Service interviewed Dr. Andrei Lankov on Pyongyangs motives and the implications of its ICBM test on the troubled US-DPRK relationship. Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea, is a specialist in North Korean affairs and author of several books on North Korea including The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia (2013).

RFA: North Korea claims to have test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4. If thats true, what do you think is Pyongyangs motivation behind such an ICBM test?

Lankov: As a matter of fact, it has been regarded as a matter of time that North Korea would have the capability to strike the US continent. Although North Koreas claim of ICBM test might not be true or may have been overstated, it is almost certain that the North would be able to develop an ICBM that can strike the US continent within several months or years. What is Pyongyangs purpose? I think in the short term they have two purposes: one is they want to have deterrence against a possible US attack, and the other is they can ignore the US pressure. In the long-term, however, they still want to absorb South Korea by force, so Pyongyang thinks their ICBMs can dissuade the US from intervening in a military crisis on the Korean peninsula. They wanted to (absorb South Korea) back in 1950, but couldnt because of the US military intervention. At present, however, North Korea is more focused on the short term purpose, namely securing a deterrent power against the US, as they have fears of a possible US attack. They believe that in the short term it is their nuclear weapons and ICBMS tipped with nuclear warheads that can deter a possible US attack.

RFA: Pyongyangs ICBM test put its ally China on the spot. Do you think China can apply maximum pressure such as suspension of oil supplies to North Korea?

Lankov: I dont know, but Im a bit skeptical about that. Chinas attitude toward North Korea is double-minded. One the one hand, China doesnt welcome North Koreas nuclear development at all. Letting the North go nuclear means South Korea, Japan and even Taiwan could go nuclear, too. I think there is a possibility for China to take an extreme measure against the North such as cutting off oil supplies, but the possibility is very dim, I believe. Although China is very critical of North Koreas nuclear development, they regard any internal crisis or chaos, even regime collapse in North Korea as more of a threat than a nuclear Korea. If China cuts off oil supplies to North Korea completely, you will see their economy start to crumble, and there is a real possibility of the North Korean regime collapsing. Today China virtually ignores North Korea, but at the same time they feel the North is a very important buffer state.

RFA: Despite North Koreas ICBM test, something the US has regarded as a red line, the Trump administration has few good options, but has not taken the military option off the table. Do you think the US can launch a preemptive strike against the North?

Lankov: Well, it might be possible, but Im skeptical about its feasibility. From the US viewpoint, such an attack is too dangerous. North Korea has countless hostages,' namely the South Korean people. If the US starts a preemptive attack, the North will most likely strike Seoul, South Koreas capital, and its surrounding areas. In that case, the Korea peninsula will turn into a war ground once again. This would not be desirable from the US viewpoint, and another Korean war will threaten the national interests of the United States gravely.

RFA: Faced with North Koreas ICBM threat, what kind of response do you think the US and its allies should come up with?

Lankov: In the short term, there are not any good options that the US, South Korea, Japan, or even China can take. In the long term, however, I think there are two options. One is for South Korea to strengthen its military alliance with the US further, and the other is for South Korea and Japan to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, which would bring about very dangerous results. As for a secondary boycott against Chinese businessmen or companies trading with North Korea, it is almost certain that the United States will apply it. But Im skeptical about a US preemptive strike against the North. Its possible that the United States can launch a preemptive strike against the North. China can cut off its oil supplies to the North. But the consequences are much more dangerous than we think. As for sanctions, almost all the available sanctions have been applied against the North to the point that there are no more effective ones left. Although China participated in multiple sanctions against North Korea, it has not done so fully and completely. Despite numerous sanctions against North Korea, however, its economic situation is not as bad as we think.

RFA: As the sanctions are failing, the only option at the moment seems to be dialogue and engagement. Given North Koreas further provocations with the ICBM test, dont you think any hope for dialogue between the US and North Korea is gone?

Lankov: Im very skeptical about any possible resumption of dialogue between the two countries in the near future. North Korea wants talks with the US about a nuclear freeze, not denuclearization. However, the US cant do any talks about a nuclear freeze. The American people and the American press will be very critical of their president if he tries to hold talks on a nuclear freeze, because they will regard any such efforts as the US kneeling down to North Koreas blackmail and pressure. Even if the US has the political will for a nuclear freeze, it could not do so immediately. There might come out many kinds of threats and symbolic actions from both sides for the next several months. In the long term, I dont think there would be any other option but a nuclear freeze to tackle the North Korean nuclear issue. Even though any compromise on a nuclear freeze is impossible right now, it might be possible in about two to three years from now.
Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers take a cigarette break as they move towards the frontline of fighting with the government army near Laiza in northern Myanmar's Kachin state, Oct. 14, 2016.

An armed ethnic group clashed with government troops on Wednesday morning in the Indawgyi region of northern Myanmars Kachin state in the latest bout of hostilities between the two adversaries, local residents said.

Government troops from Division 101 and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops from Battalion 6 battled each other for nearly an hour about two miles east of Aing-lay-tu village in Mohnyin township, they said.

It is not known if there were any casualties, villagers said.

Some of the roughly 80 ethnic Shan families who live in the area and farm for a living said shells from the battle fell near their farm huts.

We were working in the fields when we heard the gunfire, said one villager who declined to give his name. And then shells fell in our area, and we all fled to avoid being killed. We dont know when we can return.

In June, fighting between government soldiers and the KIA forced thousands of people to flee the seven wards that comprise the Tanaing gold and amber mining region in Kachin states Tanaing township.

The Myanmar government is trying to end decades of ethnic separatist civil wars and forge peace in the country through a series of peace negotiations started last August by de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The KIA was invited as an observer rather than a participant to the second and most recent peace conference in May, because the group, along with seven other militias, has not signed the government's nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA).

The KIA was one of four ethnic armed groups belonging to an umbrella organization for militias which have not signed the NCA that recently split from the body over a disagreement about the pact.



Fighting in northern Shan state

Meanwhile, more than 300 villagers who live in Namtu township in northern Shan state fled to central Namtu town on Wednesday as fighting flared between two rival ethnic militiasthe Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Shan State Army-South (SSA-S)an official from a local youth organization said.

The fighting occurred in the morning, and the residents left their villages in the evening, said Lway Kee Daung, joint secretary of the Taang Students and Youth Committee.

The 300 people from six villages have sought shelter inside Pobbayon Monastery in Namtu, she said.

Intermittent clashes between the TNLA and SSA-S, the military wing of the Restoration Council of Shan State, first broke out in November 2015, weeks after the SSA-S joined seven other ethnic militias in signing the NCA.

The two groups have blamed the hostilities on accusations of territorial encroachment by each side.

Fighting between the two ethnic militias and between the TNLA and the government army in northern Shan state has caused thousands of residents to leave their villages and flee to safety.

Reported by Kyaw Myo Min and Thiri Min Zin for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Men carry the body of Maung Nu, a Rohingya Muslim who was killed by a Buddhist mob, away from the crime scene in Sittwe, capital of western Myanmar's Rakhine state, July 4, 2017.

Authorities in western Myanmars Rakhine state tightened security in the state capital after a Buddhist mob attacked and killed one Rohingya Muslim man and injured six others in the latest act of sectarian violence to rock the restive state, local police said on Wednesday.

A group of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists threw bricks at the Rohingya men and attacked a vehicle in which they were traveling in the Buddhist-majority Ywar Gyi Mrauk neighborhood of Sittwe on Tuesday, killing 55-year-old Maung Nu, also known as Monir Ahmad, according to a statement issued by the office of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

The violence prompted police to step up patrols in the area, said Sittwe district police chief Lieutenant Colonel Win Naung.

Everything in Sittwe is well under control, he said. We have made all necessary arrangements for the safety of the townsfolk in Sittwe.

Police are investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made, he said.

Two seriously injured men are being treated at Sittwe General Hospital, while the four others have been sent back to the Dapaing internally displaced persons camp (IDP), the statement said.

Those who were attacked were among 10 Rohingya who had received permission to leave the camp on the citys outskirts to give statements at a criminal case in a Sittwe court, according to state media reports.

During a break in the trial, seven of the men asked police to escort them to a nearby dock where they discussed buying a boat from a local businessman.

An argument broke out on the boat jetty, attracting the attention of local residents who then attacked the men, state media said.

A police escort, who was not carrying a weapon, was unable to stop the angry mob from hurling bricks at the men, and he fled the scene unharmed, according to a report by the online journal The Irrawaddy.

Illegal immigrants

Buddhist-majority Myanmar views the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and denies them citizenship, basic rights, and access to jobs and health care.

The worst clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya in Rakhine occurred in 2012 when communal violence left more than 200 dead and displaced tens of thousands of Rohingya who were sent to IDP camps. About 120,000 Rohingya remain in the camps.

More recently, about 1,000 Rohingya were killed and 90,000 were forced to flee their homes in the northern part of Rakhine state during a four-month security operation by Myanmar soldiers and border patrolmen that began in October 2016 after a deadly attack on border guard stations. An obscure group of militant Rohingya was blamed for the raids.

Some of the Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh accused Myanmar security forces of committing atrocities against them during the crackdown.

The United Nations issued a resolution in March calling for the dispatch of an independent, international fact-finding mission to investigate the allegations.

Myanmar, however, disassociated itself from the resolution because de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi said the move was not in keeping with what was actually happening on the ground in northern Rakhine.

She has appointed a commission led by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan to examine the situation on the ground in Rakhine and propose ways to solve the sectarian tensions. The commissions final report is due in August.



Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A Tibetan monk who vanished after being taken into custody last year by police in Sichuans Ngaba prefecture was sentenced this week to a three-year prison term, Tibetan sources say.



Jamyang Lodroe, 36, was sentenced on July 4, 2017, by a court in Ngabas Trochu (in Chinese, Heishui) county, a relative living in Paris told RFAs Tibetan Service.



Authorities allowed his family to visit with him for an hour, but did not say where he will be sent to serve his sentence, the source named Choephel said, citing contacts in Ngaba.



Lodroe, a monk at Ngabas Tsinang monastery, was detained without explanation on the evening of May 15, 2016, in front of the Barkham (Maerkang) City Peoples Hospital, sources told RFA in earlier reports.



He was held incommunicado since then, and his family and other relatives asked the relevant police departments many times where he was being held, but always without success, Choephel said.



Lodroe had written articles on sensitive political subjects and was accused of sending news about protests to contacts outside his area, Choephel said, adding that this may be why he has now been imprisoned.



Authorities in Tibetan-populated areas of China closely monitor Tibetans use of mobile phones and social media and harshly punish the spread of news or images of self-immolations and other protests challenging Chinese rule, sources say.



Reported by Sonam Lhamo for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.




Detained activist Tran Hoang Phuc's Facebook page, with his reaction to being blocked by police from meeting U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016.

Vietnam has arrested a young activist for posting material critical of the government on social media, his mother told RFA's Vietnamese on Wednesday.

Ho Chi Minh City native Tran Hoang Phuc, 23, was detained on July 3 on the accusation of "possessing materials, producing and posting videos on internet critical of the government" under article 88 of Vietnam's penal code, she said.

"I went to talk with Hanoi police on July 3 and was told that Phuc has been detained," Huynh Thi Ut, Phucs mother, told RFA.

The detention order issued by Hanoi police on July 3 says that Phuc is in the custody of Hanoi police.

Rights groups and Western governments say Vietnamese authorities frequently use Article 88 and the charge of "propaganda against the state" to arrest and imprison those who support democracy and human rights and denounce abuses.

Phuc was selected to take part in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), a U.S. government leadership development and networking program in Southeast Asia. He was invited to meet with then U.S. President Barack Obama last year when Obama visited Vietnam, but police blocked Phuc from going to the meeting.

"I have worked with Phuc on some education and business strategy consultancy projects," former political prisoner Le Thang Long told RFA.

"Phuc is a serious young person who is truly patriotic. He always obeys the laws so I am very surprised to hear from his mother that he has been detained," he added.

Phuc's detention follows the sentencing on June 29 of activist and blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as Mother Mushroom, to 10 years in prison under Article 88 for her Facebook posts and interviews with U.S. news agencies.

Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Philippine soldiers display various types of seized improvised explosives and banners similar to those used by the Islamic State at a village in Basilan province in the southern Philippines, May 16, 2015.

Philippine troops have recovered two decapitated bodies believed to be those of Vietnamese hostages held captive by the Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern island of Basilan since November, military officials said Wednesday.

The severed heads were found next to the corpses, officials said. The grisly discovery came on the 44th day of a government offensive to dislodge members of the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group in the city of Marawi, some 300 km (187 miles) northeast of Basilan.

The bodies were found at 5:40 in the morning by a member of the local populace, said Col. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan.

The cadavers will be made to undergo forensic exams as coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy is also simultaneously done, he said.

Uy said the bodies were identified as Hoang Thong and Hoang Va Hai. The two were among six Vietnamese crew members of the MV Royal 16 cargo vessel who were abducted in November by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) gunmen off Basilan, a stronghold of the militants.

One of the six, 28-year-old Hoang Vo, was rescued by the Philippine Army after soldiers overran an Abu Sayyaf position last month. Three other Vietnamese are among 22 people, including citizens of The Netherlands, Indonesia and Japan, who are still being held captive by extremists in Basilan and in the jungles of nearby Jolo island, officials said.

Vietnam said it was trying to verify reports of the beheadings from Philippine officials.

Vietnam strongly condemns all acts of kidnapping and inhumane murder, Le Thi Thu Hang, Vietnams foreign ministry spokeswoman, said in a statement Wednesday. "Such actions must be punished appropriately.

Philippine regional military chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez also condemned the beheadings and vowed to step up offensives to recover the remaining hostages.

(The military) commiserates with the bereaved family and friends of the slain victims, he said. In no way does the Abu Sayyaf Group represent our Muslim brothers who are true followers of the Islam.

Operations were ongoing to recover three other hostages in Basilan, Galvez said, but did not elaborate.

Engaged in banditry, kidnappings

The Abu Sayyaf, or Bearers of the Sword, is the most brutal of militant groups operating in the southern Philippines. It was formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Ladens al-Qaeda network but has mostly been engaged in banditry and kidnappings, including of Indonesian and Malaysian crew members of commercial ships sailing in area waters.

In February, the gunmen beheaded German yachtsman Jurgen Kantner after his government failed to pay a ransom equivalent to U.S. $600,000 demanded by the gunmen. Two Canadian hostages suffered the same fate last year.

ASG gunmen have also carried out some of the Philippines biggest terrorist attacks, including the 2004 bombing of a passenger ferry that killed more than 100.

The group is believed to number in the few hundreds and is divided in several factions, one of which is led by Isnilon Hapilon, who has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS).

Hapilon managed to escape troops in Basilan early this year, and last month connected with militants led by members of the Maute family in Marawi.

Military officials said Hapilon, backed by several Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern fighters, plotted the takeover of Marawi, a Muslim trading hub of 200,000 people.

The takeover triggered vicious gun battles since May 23 and forced President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire southern region under martial law.

Duterte had also sought the assistance of the United States and Australia, who are providing intelligence assistance by flying spy planes over Marawi, which has been emptied by its residents with bombing runs and intense fighting reducing parts of the city to rubble.

The military said the gunmen were still in control of several villages, where the militants are holding dozens of people as hostages. Hundreds of other residents remain trapped in the war zone, officials said.

The fighting has killed 343 militants, 85 security forces and 39 civilians. A Singaporean IS fighter, whose body was recently recovered, was among the dead militants, officials said.

According to earlier reports, two Indonesians, a Malaysian, two Saudis and a Chechen were among other foreign militants killed in the action in Marawi.

The viciousness of the gun battles and the presence of the foreign fighters in the city have raised regional concerns that Southeast Asia may become a hub for IS as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. In recent weeks, officials in neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia have also warned that IS fighters fleeing from the battles in Marawi could try to infiltrate their nearby territories by sea.



In the Malaysian state of Sabah, which lies off the southern Philippines, an intelligence source with the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), told BenarNews that all movements of ships in the area were being watched for suspicious activity.



"All fishing and passenger boats plying the Sulu sea are being intercepted by Malaysian security forces in the hope of getting information about IS militants in the area," the source said on condition of anonymity.



"The particulars of all people found on the Sabah side of the the Sulu sea are being questioned thoroughly, and their particulars are being noted and compared with those on the ESSCOM wanted lists," the source said, adding, "There are fears that IS Militants trying to flee the southern Philippines may disguise themselves as fishermen, or Filipinos wanting to visit their friends or relatives already in Sabah."

Vantage point captured

On Wednesday, officials said troops had taken control of Dansalan College, a hilltop campus in Marawi that provides a vantage point for enemy snipers.

The challenges for the troops also remain continuously in their fight to retake many of the buildings in the remaining four villages and that is why our troops continually are engaged the whole day as they make their way inside the interior areas, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said.

We will continue to focus on this kind of operation as we enter into the inner areas of these villages that are held by the enemy, he said.

Padilla said the discovery of two cadavers in Basilan was also a confirmation that the gunmen have become desperate in the face of a military offensive.

Its a positive indication that their forces are almost spent, he said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Ted Kanavas, a former Republican state senator from Brookfield, died Monday after a two-year fight with cancer. He was 56.

Kanavas served from 2001 to 2011 in the state Senate, where he focused on economic development and technology issues, helping pass the Angel Investment Tax Credit Act to encourage investment in startup companies. He also served on the Elmbrook School Board from 1999 to 2002.

He co-founded the lobbying and public relations firm Michael Best Strategies in 2014. The firm is affiliated with the law firm Michael Best & Friedrich.

Ted was a leader of the conservative movement in our state, spending years in the State Senate dedicated to the service of the people of Wisconsin, Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brad Courtney said in a statement. Ted was a great friend and we will miss him dearly. Our prayers are with his family during this time.

Kanavas was raised in Brookfield. He graduated from UW-Madison and attended the Pepperdine University School of Law for one year before starting a career in the software industry.

He also was a former aide to U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls.

Teds passing comes too soon. His endless passion and energy for recognizing, engaging, and solving public problems, both as an elected official and a private citizen, made him remarkable, former Gov. Tommy Thompson said in a statement. Ted loved life, his family, and the State of Wisconsin  I will miss my friend.

Kanavas had just been named chairman of Michael Best Strategies. He also frequently appeared as a guest talk show host on WISN Radio and recently was a co-host on the WisOpinion.com web show The Insiders.

Kanavas is survived by his wife, Mary, and three children.

He was a great man, said Michael Best Strategies President Robert Marchant. He cared deeply about those close to him and always treated people with dignity and respect.
Henrico County police have released a sketch of the gunman wanted for an attempted rape in Cheswick Park last month and are asking the public to help identify him.

The suspect is described by police as a black man with a dark complexion, standing between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11 and of average weight.

He was wearing a blue-gray Captain America shirt, black or dark blue gym shorts and pink shoes, either slippers or sandals, at the time of the crime.

The suspect is accused of beating and attempting to rape a woman at about 11 a.m. on June 24 as she was on an exercise trail in the park.

The woman fought off her attacker after he struck her in the head with a handgun.

During the struggle, the assailant lost possession of the gun, and the victim ran from the scene screaming, bloody and bruised, authorities said.

A passer-by helped the woman to the front of the park along Forest Avenue and contacted police. Investigators checked the area with K-9 units, and forensics checked for possible DNA evidence left by the gunman.
Hundreds of Ashland residents celebrated the nations 241st birthday with a downtown party that featured a parade, patriotic music and pies.

The festivities began late Tuesday morning near Henry Clay Elementary School, where families and friends lined up to march in true patriotic fashion. American flag attire was commonplace in the citys downtown, as marchers  young and old  sported star-spangled hats, pants, suits and sunglasses and made their way along the parade route.

The rest of the summer afternoon was spent on the front lawn of the Hanover Arts and Activities Center, with games, contests, food and music at the forefront of the party.

Mayor Jim Foley delivered brief remarks during the reception, thanking the town and asking the audience to give applause to the greatest country in the world.

Today we are all Americans, and thats all that counts, Foley said.

The annual parade has been a part of Ashland tradition for more than 20 years. While the parade does not permit floats or motorized vehicles of any kind, the streets were filled with other modes of transportation  bicycles, tricycles, strollers, recumbent bikes and even a couple of penny-farthings.

Barclay DuPriest, this years grand marshal, said the parade is a family-oriented event that gets bigger every year in a town with a patriotic fervor that never goes away.

I cant imagine a better place to celebrate the Fourth of July, she said.

Iconic tunes were performed by the Hanover Concert Band, which honored military veterans in the audience with a medley. Former members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines stood to be recognized as the band played the service songs of their respective branches.

Even the pets wore American garb Tuesday to participate in the Most Patriotic Pet contest.

Area resident Meredith Milligans miniature donkey, Willie Donka, was the subject of much attention as children and passers-by stopped to pet the animal. Fitted with red-white-and-blue shoes, a star-spangled handkerchief and a wicker sunhat, the 25-year-old donkey won third place.
The results of a year-long scouring of Ashland's material history that was years in the making has expanded the scope of the town's story.

The town's historic district could add as many as 111 new sites that were built between 1934 and 1964. A recommendation is being submitted to the National Park Service, which is expected to finalize it, Ashland senior planner Garet Prior said.

The update of the Ashland Historic District expanded its period of significance to 1964 to include the eras of legal disenfranchisement and racial segregation in Ashland from 1902 to 1968; recovering from the Great Depression from 1936 to 1945; and Ashland in the "New Dominion" from 1945 to 1967.

"We really captured some formative periods in Ashland," Prior said. "It really follows a lot of civil rights history."

Prior said it's been a goal for Ashland to update its historic district since 2011. The historic district update was paid for with a $20,000 grant from Virginias Department of Historic Resources, along with $15,250 from Ashland.

The newly identified contributing resources are the results of a survey of the town's historic district, which centers on the intersection of North Railroad Avenue and North Thompson Street and juts out to include swaths of South Center Street, Henry Clay Road and College Avenue.

The Ashland Historic District was listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1982 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The district's original period of significance spanned the late 1840s to 1934 and had identified 201 contributing resources.

Marc Wagner, director of the Capital Region Preservation Office with the Department of Historic Resources, has said the need for the update of the Ashland Historic District had to do with information about the historic district being old and out of date. The Department of Historic Resources was the fiscal agent for the project and hired Commonwealth Heritage Group, a cultural resource management firm, to carry out the project.

Laura Knott of Commonwealth Heritage Group said quite a bit of information has been added to the historical significance of the Ashland Historic District. Knott cited as an example inclusion of Ashland's passage of a racial segregation ordinance in 1911 that specified that "no blacks could live on a city block if the majority of the residents on the block were white, and vice versa," according to new documentation for the Ashland Historic District.

"The result was the legal segregation of African Americans in Ashland to the area called Berkley Town and one or two other areas, all located outside the current historic district boundaries," the documentation reads.

Alphine W. Jefferson, president of the Hanover County Black Heritage Society, said members of his group helped with the update of the historic district.

"We are very pleased that it has been included," Jefferson said of Ashland's civil rights history.

Jefferson said early talks are taking place to create an arts district in Ashland that would present art and preserve historic art and folkways. Jefferson said he would like to see the cultural contributions of Ashland's black churches highlighted.

To go with the expanded narrative of Ashland's history, residential and commercial buildings were identified as contributing to the Ashland Historic District. The buildings include the Trackside Grill at 301 S. Railroad Ave. and Ashland Theater.

"The most important building that had not been included as a contributing structure was the Ashland Theater," Knott said.

Contributing resources are structures or sites that contribute to a propertys historic significance. A noncontributing resource would be buildings that dont contribute to a propertys historic significance. Being a contributing resource means a property could be eligible for state and federal historic tax credits.

Prior said the future of Ashland's historic district could see an expansion of the physical boundaries of the Ashland Historic District or creating separate ones.
The 89 new citizens naturalized Tuesday in a ceremony at the Virginia Historical Society represent nearly 40 countries but one dream.

Here are some of their stories.

***

Sumita Kuntal has been living in the U.S. for more than 20 years.

When I got (my green card) renewed the second time, I knew, said Kuntal, formerly of India.

Kuntal came to the U.S. in 1995. She returns to her native country each year to visit family, but its no longer home.

After living in America all these years, its home, she said. I am who I am because of America.

The Glen Allen resident works at CarMax, and she said she has no plans of leaving the U.S. any time soon. And she joked that shes contemplating a future presidential bid.

***

After taking the Oath of Allegiance, in which he renounced fidelity to his native Canada, Frank Wood registered to vote.

Wood said he has lived in the U.S. on-and-off for about 20 years and married an American woman about 12 years ago.

I thought it was about time to get involved in some of the decisions of this country, he said. I want to vote.

He said that he hoped to advocate for other immigrants and that they should follow the process.

Its a lot of hard work, and in the end, its worth it, Wood said.

***

Vilma Delgado immigrated to the U.S. six years ago from El Salvador.

In a conversation that alternated between Spanish and English, Delgado said she was happy to be with her family  her brother and his wife moved to the U.S. a few years before her. The couple had a son, who embraced her tightly after the ceremony.

She went through a lengthy process to become an American. There is an application and interview process. Those seeking citizenship must also attend classes and pass an exam.

It was a gift from God, Delgado said of becoming a citizen. Im very happy.
The Partners for After School Success in Dane County has been awarded $386,000 from a federal agency to continue tutoring and extended learning programs.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which also funds AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, awarded the grant to PASS so 52 AmeriCorps workers can help middle- and high-school students in low-income and resource-challenged areas of the county.

Quality after-school programs like PASS can make a significant difference in the lives of children, by providing the resources and mentorship they need to flourish, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said.

Having PASS Ameri-Corps recognized at the federal level highlights the programs impact and provides the funding we need to serve the youth in our community, Parisi said.

Over 200 students were helped by the PASS literacy tutoring program in Dane County in the 2015-16 school year, with 79 percent of the participants showing improved reading skills and 56 percent meeting their target reading gains.

Thirteen local agencies work with PASS in Madison, McFarland, Sun Prairie, Cross Plains, Verona and Middleton, with the host sites including schools and neighborhood centers.
Eighty-nine of the nations newest citizens celebrated Americas 241st birthday Tuesday by swearing an oath of allegiance at the Virginia Historical Society.

The Independence Day crowd of hundreds, who gathered in various shades of red, white and blue, roared once the last of the names was called and Jamie O. Bosket, the historical societys president and CEO, declared them the newest citizens of America.

I feel home, said Alaa Elhag Yousif, formerly of Sudan, after leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. The wife and mother of three said her family is a large part of that.

The first time, when I come here, Im so worried about other culture and tradition and religion. But Im so surprised. People here are so friendly and nice, she said. I know this country give them a best education and health care. To be here, to be an American, its like a dream. Today, Im so proud to be a part of this country.

Hailing from 37 nations, these naturalized citizens now make up part of Americas shared and diverse story, Bosket said.

Welcoming citizens from distant and foreign lands is an ideal born at Americas founding, he said.

An immigration officer told the soon-to-be citizens before the ceremony that it was part marriage and part graduation  two staples of the American dream.

Roger Gregory  chief judge of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which in May ruled against President Donald Trumps revised travel ban  administered the Oath of Allegiance and offered encouragement and advice to the new citizens.

America will need your industry to fuel her engines of prosperity. America will need your intellect to seed her fields of creativity. America will need your imagination to light her path to new discovery. Yes, American will need your voice to join in its unwavering cry for justice, Gregory said. From this day forward, my dear fellow citizens, this is your charge.

The crowd around the new citizens included not only family and friends, but also well-wishers wanting to offer a warm welcome.

Emily Jasper led a group from Indivisible Richmond, a chapter of a national movement dedicated to resisting the president. After the apolitical ceremony, her group held a picnic on the museums lawn with cupcakes and snacks.

Jasper said the group wanted to stay civic- and positive-minded.

Its not just about standing up when youre upset, but celebrating the positive moments, too, Jasper said.

Jasper said she recently traced her lineage back eight generations to the Revolutionary War, and remarked that those naturalized Tuesday could be the start of long lines of Americans.

Its big for them, but it can be big for us, too, she said.
Grace Cuenin isnt usually part of the Henrico Division of Fires Engine 13 unit. However, when the team needed to temporarily fill a space on a recent shift, it happened to be her turn to join.

Cuenin worked with fellow firefighters Michelle Greep and Nichole Beall for the entirety of their 24-hour shift two weeks ago. The next day, the department realized it had just witnessed its first all-female team  by accident.

Them being together wasnt planned, said Henrico Fire Chief Anthony McDowell. It just happened that way.

Despite the fluky nature, the occurrence affirmed the success the department has had in recruiting and retaining female firefighters, McDowell said.

Weve made specific efforts to recruit in the community. ... The women weve hired as a group are impressive individuals, McDowell said. It was just sort of a milestone for us.

Within the next two weeks, the department saw its second all-female team at Engine 13. This time, 25-year veteran Susan Caskie subbed on Greep and Bealls team as a driver for Lt. Ryan West.

Caskie, who will retire in July, said she has watched the number of female firefighters grow within the department.

When I was a little girl, women couldnt be firefighters, she said.

Greep, who captained the first all-female team, said the milestone will open doors to women to make being a firefighter more feasible.

I have people, when they ask me what I do for a living, they dont even realize that there are females in the Henrico Fire Department, said Greep, who has been a firefighter for seven years.

With less than a year in her helmet, Beall said she didnt think as much of the milestone as the more tenured firefighters did. She applied to the fire academy on her own volition, desiring a hands-on job.

For me, this is not as big of a deal, I would say. Just because thats the mindset change thats happening right now, she said.

The change within the departments demographics are more noticeable to people who started working with them more than five years ago, Battalion Chief Jackson Baynard said.

Theres been exposure throughout the years, but it hasnt been normalized as much as its becoming right now, he said.

Baynard said the Henrico department is committed to recruiting the best candidates and setting the same high standards across the board, regardless of sex.

Theres no excuses; it is what it is, the battalion chief said.

Fire Station 13 Lt. Price Dunn said the leadership at his station does not view any team member differently.

If its their day to ride on the truck, theres no stigma or anything that we put with it because we work with them every day, Dunn said. As far as Im concerned, theyre other firefighters on the shift.

With the increase in women, the department started remodeling some of its stations to accommodate both sexes.

Greep said that when she started out at a station on Laburnum Avenue, she shared a bathroom with four male firefighters.

The new stations are for everybody, she said.

Many bathrooms now have single, lockable units, and changes have also been made to the bunks to add privacy.

Baynard said remodeling the stations is good across the board for the 600 firefighters in the countys department, men and women alike.

Then we can be more effective when we hit the road at 2 in the morning to go help somebody, he said.

As the Henrico Division of Fire becomes more inclusive, Caskie foresees more women making their way into untouched areas of the department. She said the technical rescue team has never had a woman; very few have ever been officers or part of the special service units.

There are some other barriers in the department that I have a feeling are going to be broken, she said. The more it happens, the less of an anomaly it will be.
Hampton police said officers were called shortly after 12:30 a.m. to the scene, where they found three men in a side yard who were suffering from gunshot wounds. Devyn Andre Reed, 21, of Hampton was pronounced dead at the scene. A 19-year-old Hampton man and a 21-year-old Wakefield man were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions wasted no time reversing his predecessors efforts to bring some sense and proportion to the nations war on drugs. Fortunately, not everyone in the GOP takes such a backward view on the question; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, for instance, has drawn praise for his thoughtful approach to the question.

President Trump named Christie to head a panel on the opioid crisis. Let us hope he takes careful note of a letter on the subject from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Over 13 heavily footnoted pages, it makes a strong case against the lock-em-up school of thought.

There is no statistically significant relationship between state drug offender imprisonment rates and three measures of state drug problems: rates of illicit drug use, drug overdose deaths, and drug arrests, Pew writes. Thats a more formal way to say this: Putting drug users in prison doesnt reduce drug use.

Yet the United States has been operating on the opposite assumption for many years  and at great cost. Over the past 35 years the number of federal drug prisoners has risen nearly 20-fold; almost half of all federal prisoners are serving time for drug offenses. Federal prison spending has grown six-fold during the same period. Much the same holds true in the states. Yet rates of drug use, and the availability of illicit drugs, are higher now. Pew notes that more than 33,000 Americans died from an (opioid) overdose in 2015, and heroin deaths that year jumped 20 percent.

To back up its central claim, Pew offers some stark contrasts. For instance: Tennessee imprisons drug offenders at a rate more than three times greater than New Jersey, but the illicit drug use rate in the two states is virtually the same  even after adjusting for demographic variables such as education and race.

And: Michigan, New York, and Rhode Island ... significantly decreased drug sentences. ... Each of these states reduced both their prison populations and their crime rates. Other states have experienced similar phenomena.

This should not come as a great surprise. Individuals struggling with addiction are, at least metaphorically, already in chains. They need to be set free from it  which threatening them with another form of incarceration does not do.

What does? Pew finds  just as Virginia has  that drug courts can help many addicts: A systematic review of drug courts in 30 states concluded that a combination of comprehensive services and individualized care is an effective way to treat offenders with serious addictions. Meanwhile, supervision strategies that provide swift, certain, and graduated sanctions have demonstrated a reduction in both recidivism and costs. Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina have saved hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars by taking this approach.

Virginia is no stranger to drug courts; the first one took root in Roanoke two decades ago, and 38 of them now dot the commonwealth. A 2008 Virginia legislative study found that those graduating from the states drug courts were three times as likely to be earning a paycheck as non-participants; non-participants also have a felony recidivism rate five times higher than participants do.
Seven people are seeking four seats on the Franklin County School Board in the November election.

Races in the Boone and Snow Creek districts and for the at-large seat are uncontested. Incumbents G.B. Washburn, who serves as the boards chairman, and Penny Blue are seeking re-election for the Snow Creek and at-large seats, respectively. Political newcomer Donna Cosmato will run unopposed to represent the Boone District.

But four candidates will vie for the Rocky Mount seat: postal employee Jeff Worley, Carilion Clinic employee and former school social worker Sherry Scott, Ferrum College professor John Carey and retired teacher Rita Murphy.

Murphy, 60, is a Franklin County native who spent 30 years working in various school districts, according to a Franklin News-Post story. Efforts to reach Murphy were unsuccessful.

Carey, 46, has taught English at Ferrum College since 2002. He moved to Rocky Mount from West Virginia when his wife, Marisa, got a job as a Spanish teacher at Franklin County High School.

Were both very much into education  its our livelihood, he said. And I want to get involved in the community.

Carey obtained a bachelors degree in English at West Virginia University, and a masters degree in the subject at Marshall University.

His son Paulo is a rising seventh-grader at Benjamin Franklin Middle School.

Carey identified three areas on which hed like to focus: expanding career and technical education; providing adequate resources to help special education and at-risk students succeed; and offering equitable and competitive salaries for teachers.

The topic of special education is near to Careys heart, he said. He has a nephew with special needs and as a graduate assistant at Marshall worked with the H.E.L.P.  Higher Education for Learning Problems  Center. There, Carey tutored students with a variety of disabilities from attention deficit disorder to traumatic brain injuries to dyslexia.

He said the district needs to ensure the salaries it offers to teachers are competitive with other school systems in the region so it can attract and retain quality educators. Carey said hes interested in looking into the pay scale for teachers. The topic has come up in the last two budget cycles, when the board considered transitioning from a 16-step system to a 30-step system.

Careys first run for office is in a crowded field.

Im going to give it a shot, because I care, he said. I want to make a difference.

As president of Benjamin Franklin Middle Schools PTO, Cosmato, 64, had an opportunity to work with parents and teachers and learn about ways in which they thought the school system could improve. Cosmato also has worked as a teacher and administrator in both public and private schools, though not in the Franklin County system. Locally, she worked as an administrator at a Christian school and nursery in Vinton that has since closed and Christian Heritage Academy.

Her experience and love for students and teachers prompted Cosmato to run for the seat, which Thad Montgomery announced in April he would vacate. This is Cosmatos first run for office.

Im hoping I can do some good there, she said.

Cosmato has lived in Franklin County for 15 years. She works as a writer, and is also raising her grandson, a student at Franklin County High School.

Cosmato said she doesnt want to focus on just one issue, though with a special needs grandson, it would be easy to do so. Cosmato plans to focus on broader issues, such as providing adequate STEM-H and career and technical education opportunities for students.

Just making sure that kids are being offered the appropriate educational opportunities for their particular skill set so that when they graduate they have something that is marketable, she said.

In talks with constituents, Cosmato said, shes heard some voice concerns that the school district is too centralized within Rocky Mount and indicate interest in a second middle or high school located elsewhere in the county. Cosmato said she doesnt know whether that would be possible, but its something shed like to explore.
RICHMOND  Justin Knight, president and CEO of Apple Hospitality REIT Inc., suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries in a plane crash in Buckingham County on Tuesday afternoon.

Knight was flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville after the small plane he was piloting crashed in a Dillwyn cornfield. His 11-year-old son, the only passenger, was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

We greatly appreciate the concern for Justins well-being and the outpouring of support following yesterdays accident, the Richmond-based real estate investment trust said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. We feel very fortunate that the injuries he sustained were not more serious and we look forward to his full recovery.

While Knight recovers, Krissy Gathright, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Bryan Peery, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will share responsibilities and oversight of Apple Hospitality, according to the companys statement.

At 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, the medical center said Knight was in fair condition.

Knight was appointed to the position of CEO of the company in 2014. He has served on the companys board of directors since 2015 and joined the company in 2000. Apple Hospitality REIT owns one of the largest portfolios of upscale service hotels in the U.S., owning 235 hotels across 33 states.

The 44-year-old Midlothian man also serves on the board of trustees for Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista. A graduate of Brigham Young University in Utah, he is married with four children.

Separately, in Prince Edward County on Monday, the pilot of a small plane suffered serious injuries after he crash-landed his aircraft, state police said.

The Piper PA-15 ran out of fuel while in the air, and the pilot of the private plane was forced to make a crash landing in a cornfield about 1:05 p.m. near the intersection of Virginia 658 and Virginia 700, police said. The impact of the crash caused the aircraft to catch fire.

The pilot, Philip Cianciolo of Wallingford, Connecticut, was flown to VCU Medical Center in Richmond for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Cianciolo, who was the planes only occupant, was flying from North Carolina to Connecticut at the time of the crash.

The Federal Aviation Association and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified of both crashes, state police said.
In 2017, The Times They Are A-Changin is more than just a prophetic Bob Dylan song (and album) riffing on social change, its a prudent observation about waning public support for the death penalty  especially among Democrats.

Gone are the blood-lusting, big-haired days of 1992, when Bill Clinton was first-elected. Most forget, Clinton prevailed despite the spectacle of his unprecedented and unbecoming posturing on the death penalty; cultivating a tough on crime persona, Bubba returned to Arkansas from the campaign trail in a cynical, self-serving move, to oversee the troubled execution of a brain-damaged 42-year-old black man, Ricky Ray Rector.

Nowadays, Democratic distaste for the death penalty is blowing in a suffocating, sepulchral wind; currently it threatens to engulf, and perhaps darken, the political future of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe. McAuliffe has the thankless job no human in civilized society should  he has to decide whether to grant clemency to William Morva  a severely mentally-ill man scheduled to be executed on July 6.

McAuliffe insists hes personally opposed to the death penalty, but he has also vowed that hes willing to impose it, which he did, recently, allowing the execution of Ricky Gray to proceed in January. In fact, McAuliffe bears the ignominious distinction of being the only sitting Democratic governor to allow an execution to go forward  both Grays and the execution of Alfredo Prieto in 2015  a tangible marker when it comes to newfound Democratic dissatisfaction with the death penalty  and a sign that the times, truly, they are a-changin.

If, from the tangled morass surrounding the death penalty generally, and Morvas case, specifically  Gov. McAuliffe is to emerge from his life or death decision a standard-bearer of modern-day Democratic values  a truly viable candidate for Commander-in-Chief in 2020 (and beyond)  there is only one action he can take, that he must take: McAuliffe must spare Mr. Morva.

Last year, even before the 2016 Democratic Party platform broke with Hillary Clintons indefensible stance against abolishing capital punishment, political reporter Kira Lerner asked what the smart money today suggests is purely rhetorical, Is Hillary Clinton the Last Democratic Presidential Candidate to Support the Death Penalty? Lerner observed: Being opposed to capital punishment is no longer a handicap for Democratic presidential candidates; in fact, taking a strong stance against the death penalty may even be beneficial in both a primary and general election. And experts say we can expect to see a time in the near future when support for the practice could actually be a liability.

Glancing about the country there is plenty of evidence suggesting Lerners prognostication is a fait accompli. For example, in May, in Philadelphia, civil rights attorney Larry Krasner won the Democratic nomination for District Attorney despite vowing to never seek the death penalty. Likewise, in Denver, Colorado, Democratic prosecutor Beth McCann was elected despite making a similar pledge. And, in Orlando, Florida, the elected chief prosecutor, Aramis Ayala, also a Democrat, courageously swore-off the death penalty, starting a legal firestorm that smolders still. In California, and even in traditional, accepting hotbeds of capital punishment, like Alabama, Democratic acceptance of the death penalty has plummeted.

In fact, the writing isnt just on the wall for Democratic candidates when it comes to their electorates disenchantment with the death penalty, its in a cogent oped written by former New Mexico Gov., Bill Richardson. In I carried out the death penalty as governor. I hope others put it to rest, Richardson argues, [t]o effectively represent the interests of citizens, and protect our nations role as a global leader, a new generation of policymakers and politicians must put the death penalty to rest once and for all.

Starting with Mr. Morvas untreated, severely debilitating mental illness that was directly involved in the crimes he committed, there are many good, even honorable reasons, for Gov. McAuliffe to spare Mr. Morvas life. And then, as Bob Dylan might wryly sing, theres politics. So, come senators, congressmen  and yes, you too, Gov. McAuliffe  please heed the call. Dont stand in the doorway. Dont block up the hall. For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled . . . . For the times, they are a-changin.
A RIGHT-wing activist bidding to lead UKIP kicked off her election campaign at a Rotherham village hall after her planned launch at the New York Stadium was cancelled.

Anne Marie Waters, founder of the anti-Islam group Sharia Watch, initially planned to hold her launch event at the Millers home ground on Saturday.

But it was called off days earlier, with Ms Waters citing police contact, although South Yorkshire Police insisted it had not advised Rotherham United to pull the plug.

Ms Waters instead welcomed supporters  but not the Advertiser  to see her speak at Dalton Parish Hall.

Jack Buckby, a member of Ms Waters For Britain campaign, declined to comment when asked how many people had attended the event.
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Peru's Congress has dismissed comptroller Edgar Alarc?n, who had a pivotal role in the dismissal of the former Finance Minister Alfredo Thorne.

Earlier this year, Alarc?n said that Thorne offered to increase his budget if the comptroller authorized the building of a new airport in Cuzco. After that, Thorne lost a confidence vote in Congress and was forced to step down.

According to the Peruvian media, the Alarc?n involved himself in commercial operations with a Comptroller's Office supplier and hid information on its activities in a sworn statement of property and income.

As a senior government official, Alarc?n was prohibited from having business ties with Comptroller's Office suppliers.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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(Agencia CMA Latam) - The Colombian Producer Price Index (PPI) in June recorded its largest annual fall since May 2013, decreasing by 2.07% - a sharp slowdown when compared to the same period last year, when it rose 6.95%, said the Colombia's National Administrative Statistics Department (DANE).

According to the report, the annual decline was due to a sharp decrease in mining, agriculture, livestock, and fishing, while the industry sector was the only one to post an above-average variation.

On a monthly basis, Colombia's PPI decreased by 0.50% in June from May, the biggest decline since February.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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The European Commission confirmed that its officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in motor insurance in the Republic of Ireland.

The Commission has concerns that the companies involved may have engaged in anti-competitive practices in breach of EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive practices and/or abuse of a dominant market position. The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

There is no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anti-competitive conduct. Their duration depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the companies concerned co-operate with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defence.

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Qatar said it plans to boost its natural gas production by 30 percent over the next several years, noting that the move will strengthen the energy-rich Gulf nation's position as the world's largest producer and exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG.

State-run Qatar Petroleum said it intends to raise it's LNG production from 77 million to 100 million tons per year by 2024.

The company will secure the new additional volumes by doubling the size of its new gas project in the southern sector of the North Field, which Qatar Petroleum had announced last April.

This will increase the North Field's production of natural gas, condensate and other associated products by one million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Qatar shares the North Field with Iran off its northern coast.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said, "With the conclusion of further technical studies, we have decided that the best option would be to double the size of the project to 4 billion cubic feet of gas per day, which constitutes a 20% increase from the current North Field production rate, or about 1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day."

On completion within five to seven years from now, the project will raise the production of Qatar to about 6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The announcement by Qatar comes a day after French energy giant Total SA (TOT, TTA.L) signed an agreement with Iran's National Iranian Oil Company for the development and production of phase 11 of South Pars or SP11 gas field.

This project will have a production capacity of 2 billion cubic feet per day, or 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day including condensate. The produced gas will supply the Iranian domestic market starting in 2021.

Qatar's move also comes amid an ongoing diplomatic crisis in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia and its allies severed diplomatic ties with the country in June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region.

Qatar Petroleum said it does not plan to cut the pipeline that delivers gas to the UAE despite the crisis.

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A survey conducted among residents of G20 countries has found that most of them have more confidence in the summit's host - German Chancellor Angela Merkel - than in U.S. President Donald Trump to do the right thing in world affairs.

Leaders from the world's largest economies are set to meet in the German city of Hamburg later this week for the G20 summit.

The leaders of Guinea, Kenya, Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Senegal, Singapore, Spain and Vietnam will attend the Hamburg summit as guest invitees.

Heads of international organizations such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, ILO, WTO and Financial Stability Board have also been invited to attend the meeting, to be held on July 7-8.

The Group of Twenty consists of 19 member nations and a representative of the European Union.

A Pew Research Center survey examined attitudes in 37 nations, including in 17 of the G20 member states. It could not conduct the survey in China and Saudi Arabia, two countries where state restrictions are rigid.

In only two of the G20 countries surveyed - India and Russia - do residents have substantially more confidence in Trump than in Merkel when it comes to world affairs.

In seven G20 countries - Germany, France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Australia - two-thirds or more of the public say they have confidence in Merkel, compared with Trump. Support for her is greater than it is for Trump in Italy, Brazil and Mexico.

In the United States, more people have confidence in Merkel than in their own leader (56 percent to 46 percent).

There are only a few G20 countries where Merkel does not have this confidence advantage. Residents of Turkey have comparatively little confidence in either leader.

When it comes to two of the key issues that will be discussed at the G20 summit - trade and climate change - most people in G20 member countries take a dim view of Trump's policy proposals, the Washington-based non-partisan fact tank says.

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Dear Editor

Re: Samoa tourisms biggest problem

One problem that holds back tourism is when a few people try to scam tourists, and do not think about their actions in terms of how it affects tourism dollars in the future.

We booked a rental car with a local company, the cars battery cables kept popping off. Rain or shine we would have to get out and pound down the battery cables to get going again. Then the fuel line had a leak and the car stopped.

Then they offered another car but showed up with a standard truck and said we should be grateful because it was their last vehicle. Then the truck had no A/C and no space for our children to put their feet what with the luggage and mealofa packages we were bringing over to Savaii for family.

Then they said to take a taxi after the car broke down, that they would reimburse us, which they didnt. The topper was when the rental guy asked us to hand-carry packages of what he called ava, but who knows what was in them.

When we said no thanks, he left without completing something. We had just given him extra tala to do (carry something to the counter). Since we (our parents) are local, we try to give our money to a local rental company, but the results were not worth it.

The guy knew we were local, and still had the nerve to act in this way. Luckily he was only one guy, and everyone else we met this trip and back in April were great.

If each person realises that their behaviour affects the feelings tourists have, and that affects the economy, they would hold themselves to a higher standard. The highlights were the guys from Fiji Air at the airport, and the kind service at the hotels La Uaina, Le Lagoto, Amoa, and Coconuts. And the kind guy at the blowholes on Savaii.

The real winners were the kind school children, and locals in church who welcomed us warmly, and the LDS missionaries along the way. Really, everyone else was great.

We will be back as we have family there, but not everyone goes back after such experiences from that rental car company!

Discuss this please
The Ministry of Police is calling on Vaitele-uta residents not to panic, saying the Police have everything under control. This follows a gun shooting incident in Vaitele-uta which has caused anxiety to residents in the area.

To date, three men have been arrested from the incident.

This was confirmed by Assistant Police Commissioner, Salaa Moanananu Salaa, in response to Samoa Observer questions. He explained a fight had broken out between three men and one other man.

It escalated and a gun or guns were fired; fortunately no one was injured."

We have arrested three men, and we took a weapon as evidence. "

However the Police are continuing investigations into the matter, and its unclear if this was the one weapon that was used."

We also dont know if there were more guns, said Salaa.

He confirmed the gun that has been taken in is unlicensed and illegal in Samoa.

The Assistant Commissioner said the Police have been patrolling the area night and day to assure residents they are always nearby and will respond right away if another incident occurs.

The problem with this area is that its privately-owned land and all sorts of people are living here. But I want to make it clear the Police do not tolerate this type of behaviour.

Putting fear into residents by discharging ammunition into the air is unacceptable and the police will get to the bottom of this, promised Salaa.

Several residents of Vaitele-uta told the Samoa Observer how scared their families were when the incident occurred.

Its like what you see in the movies, where theres gun shootings, said one woman. I don't feel safe here.

Salaa suggested that where possible, residents should remain indoors at night, until the matter is resolved.

Dont panic, the Police in Faleata are nearby and they have been patrolling this area.

I want the residents to be aware the Police are there to serve and protect them, we are only a call away, said Salaa. In the meantime the three men have been criminally charged and are held under Police custody.

They are charged with throwing objects, unlawful possession of a firearm and assault.

More charges may be added once the Police complete their investigations, said Salaa.
Issues concerning the use of customary land to set up foreign businesses and the influx of foreign businesses into Samoa has led the Samoa Law Reform Commission (S.L.R.C.) to look into the Foreign Investment Act 2000.

This was confirmed by Ulupale Fuimaono, Assistant Executive Director in response to Samoa Observer questions last month.

Fuimaono said the Foreign Investment Act, 2000, promotes foreign investment and regulates investments by guaranteeing the rights of citizens to participate in the economy of Samoa. He said the concerns expressed by Samoan citizens in the newspapers, TV news and social media have been noted.

According to Fuimaono, another major issue is the scattered nature of Samoas foreign investment provision which is in five different pieces of legislation.

These include the Foreign Investment Act 2,000; the Companys Act 2001, Business License Act 1998; Foreign Investment Regulations 2011; Citizenship Investment Act 2015."

Accordingly, there is a need to consolidate these legislations into one law to streamline processes, create a uniform and improve understanding, accessibility and use of foreign investment in Samoa."

Other issues include the types of businesses foreign investors can invest, use of customary land to set up foreign businesses and criteria for eligibility and enforcement."

Consequently, this prompts the need for Samoa to revisit Samoas law to ensure it is workable, robust and promotes the need of the government and our communities whilst attracting investment from overseas, said Fuimaono.

He further pointed out that Solomons Islands consolidated into one legislation its foreign investments provisions which were originally scattered into three different laws. Fuimaono said for Solomon Islands the move was to address the lengthy and costly approval processes for foreign investors and to make it easier for investors to ascertain what laws applied.

In 2015 the Cook Islands simplified its 1995 Development Investment Act to clarify eligibility criteria for foreign investors. For example, prohibition of any foreign businesses - a business with more than third foreign ownership, to carry on business in the Cook Islands in any activity unless it is registered."

Tonga in 2014 reformed its foreign investment laws (i.e Foreign Investment Act 2002) and policies to attract foreign investors through developing investor-friendly policies and introducing new incentives to key growth areas.

According to the Assistant Executive Director, the Commission considers it important to revisit its current legal framework.

This will ensure that its law is adequate comprehensive, robust, and effective in promoting economic development and most importantly protecting the interest of our local population.

Fuimaono says they anticipate the challenges with revisiting the current framework.

For example, promoting economic development without compromising the interest of Samoan citizens, imposing control measures and regulations to protect the local economy without discouraging foreign investments as well as streamlining procedures and processes for application.

The S.L.R.C. will look at whether its appropriate to consolidate Samoas foreign investment laws into one legislation similar to other legislation.

Adequacy of current provisions of the law and relevant issues; eligibility criteria and application processes and enforcement.

Also Fuimaono notes the need to consider similar laws in the Pacific Region and abroad and their effectiveness.
A suspended Assistant Police Commissioner, Samoa Mulinuu, has strongly denied any wrongdoing in relation to the conduct of his duty.

He has denied that he abused his power in relation to a complaint from a mechanic lodged with the Police. He has also refuted claims he tampered with evidence in the case against former Director of the National Prosecution Office (N.P.O.). Instead he maintains he was merely doing his job.

Samoa was telling his side of the story during a Commission of Inquiry ordered by Cabinet to investigate his conduct in the handling of the criminal matter against Sililoto Peneueta and his involvement in allegedly tampering with witnesses in Maugas case.

Samoa and former Inspector Luatimu Samau are the subject of Inquiry.

It is headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Lesatele Rapi Vaai, with Tavui Annie Laumea and Namulauulu Sami Leota as members.

The lawyers assisting are Sefo Ainuuu and Alesana Tumua of the Office of the Attorney General. Arthur Lesaa is representing Samoa while Luatimu Samau is standing in prose.

During Mulinuus testimony, he denied threatening to arrest Sililoto if he didnt pay money to a relative of his who had lodged a complaint against him.

Constable Solomona Mavaeao brought Sililoto in for questioning but because my office is located before the C.I.D. that is why he was brought into my office first, Samoa said.

I then told him of what Letoga wants that if he pays back the money, Letoa will withdraw his complaint. However, Sililoto wanted to take the matter to Court."

However, during that time Sililoto told me he had told Letoga to give $5,000 tala to fix the car and then he will decide how much the car will cost. But I didnt threaten him or say anything like that.

He also took issue with the testimony by Sililoto noting some things said, were inaccurate.

During his testimony in here, he told the Commission that the car in question belongs to a palagi man, but when I was talking to him, he said it was his car."

What Sililoto is trying to do now is to put another person in there especially this palagi and he knows very well that Letoga is the kind of person who is not really good in English."

This is what I noticed during Sililotos testimony; he is trying to put on an act to mislead Letoga.

Asked about the allegations of tampering in the case involving Mauga Precious Chang, Mulinuu said he wanted to find out what the case was about.

Hence the meeting with Mauga to discuss the charges against her.

I realised that I needed to fully understand the matter and the charges that we would be charging Mauga with."

I then asked the Police Commissioner if I could have a look at the files because he told me to accompany him."

However, he (Commissioner) told me that he took the file to the A.Gs Office for a final review. He also said they had sought an opinion from a lawyer from New Zealand on whether there was enough evidence."

He said the A.G. and the lawyer from New Zealand said there was enough evidence to charge Mauga.

It was at that point, he asked the Commissioner for a copy of the file for his understanding of the case.

He told me to call the Traffic Division and ask for the files with regards to the matter and thats how I got the files.

Upon receiving the file, Mulinuu noted discrepancies.

I saw that the photos and the statements taken by the taxi driver and the bus driver did not match, he said.

Another issue that drew his attention, was the missing information on the report about the brakes of all three vehicles involved.

I then informed the Commissioner about this and that it needed to be corrected before we could go see Mauga because we are talking about the Director of N.P.O. at the time."

The Commissioner was furious when he found out about these mistakes but the file had already been reviewed by the A.Gs Office and they had already approved of it."

He called out Magalo who conducted the investigation. He was swearing and he was really angry towards Magalo because of this, especially since the photos were different from the statements of the witnesses.

Mulinuu said the Police Commissioner told him to correct all the errors in the investigation report.

But I didnt tell Magalo to do another investigation. No, I quickly picked up on the errors when I saw the file."

I questioned the bus driver when he was brought in and thats when he said that it was him who crashed into the Tucson. The Tucson kind of bounced to the back and that he also crashed into the taxi that was in front of the Tucson."

So the bus drivers statement at this time matched the photographs that were taken. Thats when I asked Magalo why he didnt do all of this during his investigation but Magalo didnt reply."

The taxi driver was also brought in and he said the same thing. So this time the bus driver and the taxi driver were telling the truth, they had changed their statements."

Thats how I became involved with the investigation because I was basically following orders from my leader to make sure the errors were corrected. I didnt tamper with the witnesses and the investigation."

So it was those errors and the orders that I followed from the Commissioner that have landed me here in the Commission and cost me my job.

Final submissions by both lawyers were presented before the Commission on Monday afternoon.
Doris Tulifau, is certain of one thing; and that is working for a great cause can make a difference in this world.

Ms. Tulifau is known as the ambassador for Samoa Victim Support Group Juniors and as well, she has been doing volunteer work for different organizations in the country for two months.

She has been working alongside S.V.S.G. President Siliniu Lina Chang and S.V.S.G. members as well as other different N.G.Os and although it has been an amazing work experience for Doris, one wonders where it all began for her.

In an inclusive interview of Samoa Observer, Ms. Tulifau said she gave her heart to this work when she became a victim herself and she came to do some research on domestic violence and sexual assault in Samoa.

Being a victim myself of sexual assault and domestic violence, I wanted to come back to Samoa and see what we were doing here to solve the problem of domestic violence and sexual assault especially if its in the family or village, and finding out what are the different protocols, and if I could learn as much as possible to try to find a way to help us Samoans in America."

I have been working with our dynamic team that comes from all walks of life to tackle this subject of D.V., sexual abuse, anti bullying, drugs and alcohol etc."

I also came here to donate to the S.V.S.G. shelter with school supplies from my organization BROWN GIRL WOKE and the help of Lydia Ioane U.C.L.A. N.P.I. C.C.C.P. & Janessa Maddox with contributing 80 U.C.L.A. back packs, school supplies also another N.G.O. called Ofa Atu organization that paid for the suit cases to come from America to Samoa."

My family has helped them in the past and I literally grew up watching S.V.S.G. grow and Lina Chang has watched me as a youth during my undergrad time to owning my own N.G.O. and in my PhD.

Ms. Tulifaus voice has not only been heard by many but she has also inspired a lot of people who are victims of so many different issues.

I've been asked to speak at different organization Y.W.C.A. Samoa, Alliance of American Samoa, American Samoa Community College, Peace Corps panel, on my work as a human activist and my own N.G.O. called Brown Girl Woke which is an organization and movement on being accountable as brown girls to be at the forefront of social injustices happening around the world."

I've been really close to Young Womens Christian Association because I think every Samoan girl that has grown up in church would appreciate this amazing group."

They take girls from around Samoa and train them about Human Rights and let them go back to the villages and speak to youth on how to tackle these issues."

They allowed me to be a part of the three day training and come to speak to the girls as a guest speaker so its been amazing being a part of the conversation and the work; we have to be in the conversation and fighting for each other.

Ms.Tulifau was also involved in the outreach programme at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints at Sataoa; a programme that appeals to all sectors of a community from the village council, the churches, the womens committee, the untitled men and ladies groups and the families, in a community.

Ive been doing my dissertation on the idea IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD and S.V.S.G. juniors brought that idea to life to take to villages."

We speak too because we truly believe that all the layers that we have in a village i.e. family, churches, schools, chiefs, aumaga(untitled men), alii so forth, there should be no reason any child should be left behind for sexual assault, drugs and alcohol.

WE HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR EACH OTHER! S.V.S.G. junior used this frame work to take to the villages in rural areas and it was so powerful because everyone understood our theme IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD!" She has been a part of the ground work for Nofotane project."

I have been doing the ground work with the Nofotane project."

I have walked all the markets and plaza with our team promoting the workshops that S.V.S.G. will be providing women."

I am very proud to be a part of project that promotes gender equality.

Its been amazing, seeing everyone understanding the issues that we spoke about, our culture and how we try to make sure that we understand the Samoan way in the villages especially how you speak."

You know its so much work compared to America where you just go and speak but here, they have to make sure that they dont disrespect a certain rule which is really hard and being here in the dynamic of it has helped in understanding different people."

Its the work that you dont get paid for, its hard work. So its something that helps you understand yourself if youre really a person that wants to give back.

And Ms. Tulifau will be continuing her work to make a difference in this world and Samoa will be expecting more visits from in the future as she has other plans for our country.

I was invited by the amazing U.N. Country Coordinator Mele Mauala for any input in a programme for young girls called Glow Girls, and I am glad to be coming back to Samoa and helping with the project in any way I can."

I will be traveling around the Pacific this year, Guam, Palau, New Zealand and Tonga on the same work I am doing on taboo issues sexual assault and domestic violence, trying to learn what they are doing and making a Pacific network to try to help our people."

We shouldn't reinvent the wheel!
The Ministry of Agriculture has re-sent samples of the virus that affected some parts of Samoa to Germany for the second time.

Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Tilafono David Hunter said this was a result of the initial samples not being good enough.

Hopefully we will get results at the end of this month (last month), he said.

Tilafano suspects the virus might be the Taro vein Chlorosis.

This has similar symptoms to the virus that affected parts of Upolu but as mentioned earlier, its better for us to wait on the results from Germany. He said that preventative measures at this time are very important.

Yes, we dont have much for the media but the Ministry is working closely with farmers at the affected areas and many other farmers across the country.

That is working together with the community in ways and methods to protect the spread of the virus in the country.

And that is what is happening for the duration of the wait until the result from Germany is back.

Taro virus has created a lot of problems for local farmers. And that is also despite the assurance from the Ministry of Agriculture that the nation has nothing to worry about in terms of a new unknown virus.

Still farmers are concerned about the future of the crop. A 46-year-old farmer from Mauga Savaii, Moe Paono, said the absence of an immediate update about the state of the virus that surfaced at the beginning of last month is concerning.

Im from Savaii and even though I havent received any confirmation about the virus crossing over to our island, I still worry, he said.

What we were told (media) a number of weeks ago is that the government banned the transportation of taro shoots between the two islands (Savaii and Upolu).

In my opinion, there is no guarantee that will stop the spread of the virus to parts of Savaii, Apolima and Manono.

Moe went on to say that the Ministry should work together with all the farmers in the country. That is to prioritise ways especially for farmers (not just from affected parts of Upolu) to ensure safety.

We may never know what tomorrow will bring. Theres no time to wait on those samples...but I think the idea is to work together...they should let us know that these are some of the ways that we can protect our crops.

Toae Lemigao from Tanumalama shared Moes views on the matter.

The disease could lead to a huge loss in our economy especially because most of our people rely on taro plantation.

Toae said the government should keep the public well informed.

We need to know what is happening.

All we heard is that there is a new virus but apart from that we havent been told anything else.

No further notices. It seems to me that theyre saying that theres nothing to worry about. Thats fine but what if it grows and becomes another taro leaf blight?

Last month, the American Samoa Department of Agriculture suspended importing taro and taro shoots from Samoa.

I mean thats not small, Toae said.

What will happen when other countries suspend the export of our taro? We should be talking about this. The government should be working with farmers on ways to prevent this from spreading.

As a farmer, Im very worried about the virus. The virus could result in the severe loss of income for us and the economy will eventually be affected.

I mean taro is not only to feed my family, but also to put my children in school.

The farmers believe prevention is better than cure.

I dont want to remember the taro leaf blight (lega) and how it devastated Samoa back in the 1990s. This is why we have to be proactive about this.

The most recent epidemic of Taro Leaf Blight spanned the Samoan Archipelago from 1993-1994.

The Taro Leaf Blight epidemic of Samoa in 1993 is an example of extreme devastation of what this virus can cause if preventative measures are not used to control the spread and symptoms.
M.P.M.C. - In a matter of weeks, the Ministry of Agriculture will open a poultry farm and piggery at its Livestock Division location at Vailima.

The two farms are part and parcel of a new pathway developed by the Ministry to commercialize the pork and chicken industries, says Minister of Agriculture Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao.

And its part of the World Bank funded Samoa Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Project (SACEP).

With the bulk of meat imported for local consumption, the Minister says that there is a huge opportunity for local farmers to enter the market as commercial chicken and pork sellers.

Every month, we import 40 containers of chicken.

The new pathway developed by the Ministry is to reduce our reliance on imported meat.

Having said that it would be amiss I fail to publicly acknowledge the role played by the Tanumapua Poultry Farm owned by Taimalie Charlie Westerlund.

Over the years, Taimalie and his people have staked a foothold in the local egg production and are now meeting close to 70% of local demand.

And that is fantastic for Samoa, not only in terms of employment for our people but keeping the money in our economy.

He added that the primary goal of the Ministry is to support livestock producers to improve their productivity and take greater advantage of market opportunities. We have three state of the art incubators at Vailima that can hatch top quality layers for egg production and broilers intended to stock our hatchery for meat consumption and exports, says Laaulialemalietoa.

Added Chief Livestock Officer and Assistant Chief Executive Aiolupotea Tony Aiolupo;

We are nursing close to 200 one day old broilers imported from New Zealand which we plan to use in our breeding trials down the road.

Hatching the perfect layers and broilers is a timely process but as the Minister has indicated, this is a new pathway that will benefit not only our livestock farmers but generate new employment opportunities to stimulate our economy.

Rome was not build in a day, added Laaulialemalietoa.
Think a minuteFormer American President, Harry Truman, said that every president has been attacked by the news media and press. President Truman further concluded that a U.S. president who had never fought with Congress or the Supreme Court had not really done his job.

This principle is also true for you and me.

No matter what our job is, there will be people who oppose and criticize us. Sooner or later you will stand for something that others will not like. Never forget, You cant please all the people all the time.

That is why always trying to be popular is a losing battle, wasting both our time and effort. We need to choose the right battles for the right reasons and realize that success is having a good character and clear conscienceeven if sometimes it makes us unpopular with certain people. But many of those people who will not like you for your moral stand will still respect you for your character and courage.

Remember, If you know better, then you must make a stand to live better, which can inspire others to live better.

The sad fact is that when no one makes a stand for the right, everyone suffers.

All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing. The famous Watergate scandal in America was an example of this. The men who worked closely with President Nixon knew that morally wrong and illegal things were being done, but they did not do anything to stop it.

In fact, during the trial when the prosecutor asked one of Nixons men named Porter why he did not even try to stop it, Porter answered: I was afraid of the group pressure from the other men and that I would not be seen as a team player.

Porter did not understand that Sometimes silence is golden, but other times its just plain yellow [and cowardly].

Theres nothing wrong with being a team playeras long as you choose the right team: truths team. Remember, If you dont stand for something, youll fall for anything.

A wise man said: Please Godand you will please the people God wants you to please. Today, wont you decide to join Gods team? Jesus declared: Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.

If you ask Him, Jesus will give you the power and courage to daily make a stand for what is true and right. Plus, you will inspire others to do the same. Just think a minute
Yesterday in Samoas House of Representatives history was made.

It was when Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, dispelled all doubts when he confirmed that a new Head of State for Samoa, had indeed been appointed.

And yet neither the new appointee nor the one he was replacing, was present in Parliament when Tuilaepas announcement was made.

Still, the new Head of State is His Highness, Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who has been holding the Tama Aiga Title, Tuimalealiifano, since 1977.

The man he is replacing is His Highness, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, who has served as Head of State himself, since 2007.

As for Tuimalealiifano, at age 70, there is no doubt he has prepared himself well, for the task up ahead.

His credentials are impressive.

He has a Bachelor of Laws Degree from The Australian National University, a Diploma in Theological Studies from Malua Theological College, he was a Secondary School Teacher, a Police Chief Inspector in Samoa, and in New Zealand for three years, a Principal State Solicitor in the Office of the Attorney-General, a former Public Defender with the Justice Department, a former Public Trustee, a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Samoa, and of course, he was - and he still is - a Member of the Council of Deputies to the Head of State, first in 1993-2001 and later from 2004 to today.

In any case, these are the acquired tools hed been honing down over the years, knowing well they would stand him in good stead today.

In yesterdays ceremony though, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, was straight to the point.

He said: The appointment of the Honorable Tuiaana as Head of State is a milestone, for the Independent State of Samoa.

He also said: I congratulate Honorable Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, for his calling.

He reminded Parliament that Tuimalealiifano served in the Ministry of Police, he is an Attorney, and later he was appointed to the Council of Deputies.

Tuilaepa added: He has served the Government for more than 20 years, (and) when Malietoa Tanumafili II passed away in 2007, Tuimalealiifano was one of the names considered for the position of Head of State twice; in 2007 and again in 2012.

However, Tuilaepa pointed out, the bid was unsuccessful.

It was believed then that the timing was not right. He was not ready to be the Head of State.

Tuilapepa said: Every appointment comes from God, and you have waited patiently 

And now, acknowledging the former Head of State, Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi, and his service to Samoa over the last ten years, Tuilaepa said: This is a call from God and it was made through a secret whisper to each member of the Human Rights Protection Party, as its indicated under the Constitution.

He also said: I commend Tui Atua for his service in the last 10 years.

Im certain you want to continue serving your country, however thank you for your service.

In your many years of service, you have served in every aspect of the Government.

You were a Member of Parliament; a Prime Minister; a Member of the Council of Deputies; and a Head of State.

Only God can reward you abundantly for your service to your Government and the people of Samoa.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa assured: The appointment of the Head of State was conducted in a democratic way. It was not an easy decision to make for such a small country.

However, Samoa is a family, he reminded.

And with that, he announced that the swearing in ceremony for the new Head of State, would be announced shortly.

As for the new Head of State, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, he remains his quiet self.

During an interview with the Samoa Observer, in his office on Tuesday, he said: I am humbled by my appointment to lead Samoa over the next five years.

He also said: With all humility, we humbly accept the appointment. The glory is to God, not to us, not to our families, not to our friends.

We want to serve our country, and if this is the capacity in which we can serve, we want to serve.

All I want to say is thank you to the Head of State, Tuimalealiifano told the Samoa Observer.

The out-going Head of State, His Highness, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, could not be reach for an interview, at press time last night.

His tenure in office ends on 25 July 2017, Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, revealed.

Let us now take this opportunity to wish Samoas new Head of State, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, and his family, the best of health as theyre carrying out the duties and responsibilities of office, that are without a doubt waiting up ahead.
The construction of the half million tala temporary market for Savalalo vendors, may be delayed.

This is according to the Minister of Public Enterprises, Lautafi Fio Purcell in an interview with the Samoa Observer.

The government cant go on with the temporary market because the Apia Waterfront Project is expected to start at the end of this year, Lautafi said.

We dont want to come up with a plan now as they (vendors) might be asked to relocate again and that will only waste money.

The government is still keen to help out the vendors; thats our priority that we are working on now.

Stated in the budget 2017/2018, the Apia Waterfront Development project is expected to commence construction next year and the New Zealand government is contributing $3.56m towards that project.

So we are still looking at a very sustainable, long term solution for them (vendors) but the fact of the matter is, that we cant go on with the plan because the Waterfront Project is expected to start construction at the end of this year or beginning (of next year).

As I mentioned earlier, we dont want to build the market and then end up having to move again after two month of construction.

The government has requested the government of New Zealand to start off the project from where the Savalalo market recently stood. I believe theyre working on it now because this (request) needs to go through their Minister.

Lautafi confirmed that it took twelve months to complete the project at the site.

We are looking at allocating some of the vendors to the A.C.C. Market and other places to continue on with their businesses so we can make a move on building up the market for them.

At the beginning of this year, Cabinet approved 500,000 tala to build a temporary market for the vendors and the work was expected to start this month.

Looking back, when the flea market in Apia burned down in mid-January last year, more than a few people also had to witness how their livelihood went up in smoke.

With support of the Samoa Land Corporation, a new, but only temporary market was built.

Back then, each vendor was provided with $1,000 as a compensation amount by the government.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa told the vendors that close to five million tala has been expended by the government for the vendors through the cash payments and the cost of erecting the temporary market.

Since then, not much has happened to the newly opened market. The installation of a gigantic tent at the place does not really keep the rain out, but definitely keeps the heat in.

Sales pitches take place in the almost dark and certainly sticky atmosphere, where Samoas tourists barely can distinguish the traditionally manufactured handcrafts from each other.

A situation that especially bothers some of those, who have to resign themselves to it  the vendors.

The whole place is very tight. Theres one block of stalls, but it is shared by many different vendors, says Fieta Tuala. The woman from Vaimoso also shares her stall with a colleague at the flea market.

The place is narrow, winding alleys are what affects the business in a negative way, with a decreasing number of customers as a result.

The customers are forced to look at one stall only for a few seconds until they move on to the next one. It is just too tight to sell our handcrafts to the people, Tuala explains.

She also complained about the amount of money Samoa Land Corporation gave away after the flea market was reopened. They gave us a thousand Tala to cover all the damage, but thats not enough.

"The goods that were burnt were worth three or four thousand.

What was initially described as a temporary solution for the traditional market in Apia, has now become a daily routine for the vendors.

But this daily routine with all its new problems is one that Fieta Tuala cannot accept.

They should rebuild the place in the way it was before [the fire].

"It is too hot and dark in here and without the right amount of space, we cannot properly talk to our customers. Also, the rain comes in easily because the tent is leaking right above our stall.

As for the markets future, Fieta Tuala feels slightly at the governments mercy concerning the current situation. We just come and try to sell our things here and we can only listen to what the government tells us.

With this opinion, she is not alone at the flea market. Nimarofa Saufoi from Fagalii Uta is another one of those vendors who faced up to the fact that his workplace might never be equal again to where he used to work.

I lost everything in the fire. I do not know when the government is going to rebuild the old market, but at least, we have a place to sell our stuff, which is okay to me.

It was a good support from the government to give everyone thousand Tala to restart the business but [] now the market should be rebuilt and put in the right place where we have enough space to also store our stuff.

But there are also vendors at the temporary flea market which are satisfied with the current situation. Nervin Laauli from the village of Vaiusu is one of them.

The young man describes the market nowadays as the better place to run his business. There were different shop vendors at the old market, but at the moment, I have more customers then I had before, so theres nothing to complain about for me. I also have no problem with the heat. The other market was hot as well.
The hearing of the appeal against the conviction of former Director of the National Prosecution Office, Mauga Precious Chang, has been scheduled for 6 December, 2017.

However the matter was on the calendar for criminal mention in the Supreme Court. Defense Counsel Aumua Ming Leung Wai who represents Mauga informed the court the Attorney General was not told of the Appeal.

Kirsten Kruse appeared on behalf of the independent prosecutor Satiu Simativa Perese.

The application was made before Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavasue Falefatu Sapolu on Monday.

Your Honour I have just noticed something this morning [Monday], said Aumua.

The Attorney General was not advised of the appeal and he has to seek leave of this court so my application for this matter Your Honour is to ask that it be adjourned for two weeks so we can obtain further instructions.

Chief Justice Patu granted the application made by the Counsel.

This matter is further adjourned for re-mention on Monday 17th July, he said.

Should the appeal go directly to the Court of Appeal I think the motion needs to be amended so it shows that it files directly to the Court of Appeal and not to this court.

Last month, Mauga was found guilty of negligent driving causing injury charge. She is appealing the decision by the Supreme Court, through her counsel, Aumua.
M.P.M.C. - The selection of non-Samoan citizens who are residing in the country under temporary arrangements but have expressed interest to become permanent residents as Samoan citizens entered a new era this week.

For the first time, the selection process for permanent residents is computerized with the inaugural on online selection draw, executed by officials to pick the 15 lucky future citizens.

The stakeholders witnessing the historical event include Chief Executive with the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, (M.P.M.C.), Agafili Tomaimano Shem Leo, Assistant M.P.M.C. Chief Executive Siaopo Pese in charge of the Immigration Division, Police Superintendent, Tagaloa T. Matamu, Steffary M. Hunt from the Office of the Attorney General and immigration officials.

The online selection draw replaces the manual drawing system which was affordable but had room for doubt and probable cause for concern, noted M.P.M.Cs Chief Executive Agafili.

With the computerized selection, it lifts the transparency and accountability of the selection process and its fair for all.

Management has also taken into the consideration the remarkable increase in the number of non-Samoa residents who have expressed interest in citizenship and residence over the years.

For this year, 73 non-Samoa residents have expressed interest. And from that pool, the online draw has picked15 non-Samoan citizens who are now a step away from becoming permanent residents and citizens as long as they meet the remaining criteria.

A reserve list of five has also been randomly selected in case one of the lucky 15 applicants fails to comply. A fee of $3.000 tala is mandatory.

Prior to the computerized selection process, non-Samoa citizens who applied were considered on a first come, first served basis, says Immigration Chief, Siaopo.

But we now have a legitimate selection process, he continued. And even if awarded Samoan citizenship and residency in the country, there are provisions.

For instance, if the new resident leaves and does not return in a one year period his or her Samoan citizenship status will be automatically cancelled.

The 20 non-Samoa residents selected which includes the Reserve List will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration as a lead up to the official swearing in ceremony in the coming weeks.
The Toefuataina Support Centre has been busy setting up a computer learning centre at their Returnees Office, according to the Director of the Samoa Returnees, Magele Vernon Mackenzie.

This is one of our latest endeavours to promote our ongoing service delivery and contribution to rehabilitation through capacity building initiatives and finding ways to resettle our returnees, said Magele.

We have scheduled different activities during the week and have already started basic computer classes at 10 am and Alcohol & Drugs counseling at 11am.

Magele said their project goal is that the rehabilitation centre supports institutional strengthening for all Returnees, to improve their quality of life and to reduce their propensity to re-offend.

This initiative is kindly sponsored by the Civil Society Support Programme

(C.S.S.P.) and is another milestone for the Trust.

This project will contribute to Australias Strategic priority to progress health and education outcomes and to enable economic growth. Accordingly, this also

aligns with the Samoa Development Strategy (SDS) 2016-2020 with the theme

Accelerating Sustainable Development and Creating Opportunities for All.

Magele has also linked up with Moananu Tyrone Laurenson In Country Manager of the High Tech Youth Network Centre which is situated next to Samoa College.

If some of their returnees are younger than 26, they may fit into our target market of 8 to 26 year olds to make use of our I.T. facilities at a designated time, he said.

The Trust has successfully launched several workshops over the years with

a strategic plan to develop a comprehensive rehabilitation hub focussed on

engaging (criminal deportees).

The centre aims to facilitate a safe space to inspire learning and provide 'real world' transferable skills for those returnees who did not finish high school or even consider taking academic courses.

We plan to implement various programs for returnees' and empower them towards a goal oriented outlook. This initiative is both crime preventive and progressive.
Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease improved in some patients who were given an asthma drug, according to a small clinical trial released Wednesday.

The medication, amlexanox, reduced blood-sugar levels and liver fat in one-third of patients in the placebo-controlled study.

Moreover, the researchers found gene signatures that correlated with the positive responses.

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Diabetes and fatty liver disease together affect tens of millions of Americans  and hundreds of millions worldwide. The diseases also share some of the same underlying characteristics, such as excess weight and resistance to insulin.

Researchers from institutions including UC San Diego, the University of Michigan and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla contributed to the study. It was published in the journal Cell Metabolism and is available at j.mp/amlexanox.

More studies with larger number of patients are needed to validate the effectiveness of amlexanox, the studys authors said. Questions to be answered include the amount of drug to give, its frequency and how it works in combination with other drugs.

 More than 25 million Americans have diabetes. Lisa Kroon, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at UCSF, covers the medicines used to treat Type 2 diabetes, dual therapies and insulin. Recorded on 07/17/2014.

The report examined 42 obese patients with both Type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Half of those individuals took amlexanox for 12 weeks. Those who responded to the drug had more inflammation in their fat tissue and a different profile of genetic activity than non-responders.

If that response profile is confirmed in more research, it could lead to tests predicting whether patients are good candidates for the drug.

The research team was led by Alan Saltiel of UC San Diego, who started the work while at University of Michigan, and Elif Oral at the University of Michigan. Co-authors included Ronald Evans, Ruth Yu and Michael Downes, all of the Salk Institute.

The team had identified two enzymes, called IKK and TBK1, that were overproduced in obese mice. The enzymes caused a drop in energy metabolism.

Saltiel and colleagues then searched through a database of chemicals to find inhibitors of these enzymes. They came up with amlexanox, which is approved for asthma in Japan, but not in the United States.

The study is exciting news in the search for new treatments for these diseases, said Pamela Itkin-Ansari, a diabetes researcher at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla. She was not involved in the study.

Already having approval for amlexanox means it has been determined to be safe, shaving many years off the clinical-trials process, Itkin-Ansari said.

The fact that its a known drug makes it thrilling, she said. We can now ramp up the trials and really get to work.

Future studies need to include more patients and follow them for a longer period of time, she said.

What you really want to see is over the course of a couple of years whether patients reach a stable point, Itkin-Ansari said. Do the benefits continue to grow or do they reach a plateau? Those are really important questions that can be answered in a larger and longer trial.

More extensive testing could also reveal whether the theories on what makes people respond are correct or need adjustment, Itkin-Ansari said. Correct predictions of response would help doctors tailor treatments to the biological characteristics of individual patients, a field known as personalized medicine.

Further reading:

Nonalcoholic liver diseases focus of new UC San Diego center

UC San Diego, Janssen collaborate on metabolic diseases

Another biotech company joins San Diego, bringing $40 million

Experimental liver drug may fight cancer

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
The California Highway Patrol said 35 people were killed in highway accidents statewide during the extended Independence Day weekend, including two in San Diego County.

CHP officials tallied incidents between 6 p.m Friday and 6 am. Tuesday. It was almost certain that more fatalities would be added to the agencys count once accidents during the final hours of July 4th celebrations were taken into account.

During the same days last year, 27 were killed statewide, including one from San Diego County, the CHP said.

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Arrests by CHP officers for driving under the influence totaled 1,083 statewide during the three-and-a-half day period this year, with 54 of them in San Diego County.

In 2016, 1,118 people were arrested on suspicion of DUI, with 79 in San Diego County.

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bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
Thousands of visitors to Old Town on Tuesday got a taste of 19th-century San Diego in a history-themed Fourth of July celebration.

A parade, a flag-raising, speeches, Civil War-era music from a brass band, dances and contests marked the annual Independence Day at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

Guests heard a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence in English and Spanish, and were invited to sign the document.

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They watched as the American flag was raised in the plaza.

They also could participate in various games, including contests for cow-chip-throwing and pie-eating.

These activities were part of the organizers efforts to accurately depict both everyday and monumental aspects of the period from 1821, when San Diego was part of Mexico, to 1872  several years after the American Civil War ended.

That historical perspective is what Old Towns all about, said Gregg Giacopuzzi, a state park interpreter who has led coordination of the event for about 15 years. Giacopuzzi estimated that 5,000 people would visit the park on Tuesday, the most since he has overseen the celebration.

We try to have an historic event, something you might have seen 150 years ago, he said.

Historical re-enactors in period dress added to the 19th-century flavor. They included performers such as Contra Notion, a band that plays 18th- and 19th-century music. Led by fiddler Larry Friar Edwards and dance caller Ron Nelson, they performed traditional tunes that brought scores of people out of the audience to dance along.

Another group, the Armory Band, based in Riverside, focuses on the Civil War period. Armory Band member Jennifer Murrell portrayed drummer Jeremiah Merkling, aided with a painted-on beard.

Its fun to be a part of history, Murrell said. You feel like youre there.

No battles were fought in San Diego or California, but the state helped the Union cause with both volunteer soldiers and the states gold supply.

While Civil War days get a good deal of attention by historical re-enactors, the music of the time is less celebrated, Murrell said.

Bruce Carver, head of the Armory Band, said the group was originally named the Irish Brigade but then took its current name after a real Civil War-era band based in Richmond, Virginia.

Its probably the only band during the Civil War that played for both presidents Lincoln and (Jefferson) Davis, Carver said.

Go to www.facebook.com/BandinthePines for more information on the Armory Band.

The days events were presented by Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, with help from the Boosters of Old Town, the County of San Diego, Wells Fargo Bank and Fiesta de Reyes.

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
The San Diego Unified Port District has approved $756,600 for four pilot projects to see if any can jump-start the areas blue-tech economy.

The projects are a nautical version of a car-washing machine, a way to remove toxic copper from bay waters, a smartphone app to locate empty boat slips, and an incubator for shellfish.

The port hopes to recoup $2.6 million on a planned $5 million, five-year investment in blue-tech businesses.

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We started this new strategic investment fund to help expand our portfolio and hopefully bring in new business and look for projects that are sustainable and have a great social benefit for the bay, said Eileen Maher, who oversees the ports planning and green port activities.

Added Paula Sylvia, the ports program manager for aquaculture and blue tech: Ideally the businesses will be successful and be able to expand and operate on their own.

One environmentally sustainable goal of the program is to reduce copper pollution in the bay, especially in the Shelter Island Yacht Basin, where the port is required to reduce 76 percent of the copper by 2022 to meet state and federal standards.

The copper comes from antifouling, copper-based paint that boaters use to ward off the buildup of barnacles, algae and other sea life that attach themselves to hulls and keels.

When divers scrub off barnacles attached to those boats, minute particles of copper dissolve in the salt water. Today, some parts of the bay, especially in the Shelter Island Yacht Basin have measured as much as 5 parts copper per billion boats, when 3.2ppb is the state standard.

Thats the equivalent of a few grains of salt in 10 tons of potato chips  but enough over time to build up in bay fish to cause a possible toxicity problem for consumers.

Two of the blue-tech ventures to counter copper buildup will be funded in this first round of grants:

RentUnder of Osthammer, Sweden, will receive $140,000 in a two-year experimental use of its Drive-In Boatwash system at the transient boat dock next to the harbor police installation on Shelter Island. (A previous version of the story said the boatwash would be on Harbor Island.) Boaters would dock their vessels, up to 53 feet long, between two sets of brushes that automatically sweep over the hull and keel removing any buildup of organic material. A marina in Vancouver, Canada, installed the first such installation in North America in March. Chris Guillemaud at Coast Discovery Marina on the Campbell River said users pay about $7.70 per foot for the 20-minute washdown. If washed quarterly, boaters could save several thousand dollars in costs to repaint a hull with antifouling paint. The machinery is expected to be installed early this fall. The port stands to receive 50 percent of the gross receipts and 4 percent of any revenue from similar operations elsewhere in the state for the next eight years.

Red Lion Chem Tech of Jacksonville, Fla., will receive $165,000 to install absorbent resin filters to remove copper from bay water. The filters will be set up in three locations in the Shelter Island Yacht Basin and elsewhere in the bay. The port will receive 1 percent of all revenues through any licensing of the companys copper mitigation water technology anywhere in the world.

Our goal is to help reduce the amount of copper already in the water, Maher said.

To help boaters locate available slips when they sail into the bay, the port will pay Swell Advantage from Halifax, Canada, $100,000 to develop a smartphone app that shows vacancies at 463-slip Cabrillo Isle Marina on Harbor Island.

If the app works as promised and is marketed to other marinas worldwide, the port would receive 5 percent of all gross revenues for the next 15 years.

The fourth pilot will further the ports aquaculture ambitions to grow oysters in the bay.

Acacia Pacific Aquaculture, doing business as San Diego Bay Aquaculture, of Corona Del Mar, will receive $351,600 to install a floating upweller nursery system.

It will be used to incubate oyster eggs from three weeks old to about four months old. They would then be exported to grow to maturity in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

A preliminary trial of growing oyster eggs to test healthy water conditions has been under way at Tuna Harbor at the foot of G Street, which is where the new system will be installed. 

If the system proves successful, the port stands to earn at least $6,511 in monthly rent and at the end of the experiment, equipment ownership would be transferred to Acacia.

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roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley
For the Fletcher family, Fourth of July is never complete without a group photo. That can be a quite a chore when five generations need to get rounded up.

This is not easy, real estate agent Ron Fletcher said with a combination of good humor and exasperation as the Fletcher clan moseyed across a beach around noontime Tuesday.

He and about 120 others were gathered for their 92nd consecutive annual reunion in Del Mar, a community whose development is among the many legacies of the familys late patriarch  the legendary Col. Ed Fletcher.

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This is like herding cats, said Grant Fletcher, at age 57 the youngest grandson of the colonel, who came to San Diego in the late 1880s with $6.10 in his pockets and ended up living a tale resembling that of Horatio Alger.

By the time the colonel  who received his title from an appointment to the California National Guard  died in 1955, he and his wife, Mary, had raised 10 children and helped turn San Diego County from a sparse Southern California outpost into a major metropolitan area.

With a knack for salesmanship and a discerning eye for real estate and other financial opportunities, Ed Fletcher was instrumental in the development of Rancho Santa Fe, Grossmont, Mount Helix and a host of other projects, such as the Pine Hills Lodge in Julian. His name also graces Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach and Fletcher Hills in East County. And he served in the state Senate between 1935 and 1947.

Thousands of motorists drive on Fletcher Parkway each day and many residents relax at Lake Hodges, one of several water infrastructure projects that Fletcher helped shepherd.

Less well-known is a more personal project that Fletcher established  the annual Fourth of July family reunion. From the Jazz Age to the digital era, relatives have gathered at the Fletcher family compound in Del Mar each year since.

1 / 14 Matt Stehly, a family friend takes a group photo of about 120 members of the Fletcher family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, during the 92th annual family reunion. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 14 Three-and-a-half year-old Ferris Flowers, the youngest member of the Fletcher family to attend the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion, meets Kim Fletcher, 89, grandson of Colonel Ed Fletcher. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 14 The Fletcher family is so large, that name tags are a must during the annual family reunion. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 14 Garrison Fletcher and Eloise Thomas, two of about 120 members of the Fletcher family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, during the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion. The family is so big, that Garrison put together an address book for family members. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 14 About 120 members of the Fletcher family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, during the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 14 Sisters, Mary Escherich and Charlotte Rowe, granddaughters of Colonel Ed Fletcher, look at papers during the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion. Charlotte is the oldest granddaughter of Fletcher who helped develop Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Fletcher Hills, among other places in the area. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 14 Bob Fletcher, one of about 120 members of the Fletcher family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, directs everyones attention his way during the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 14 Cousins, Kim and Larry Fletcher, grandsons of Colonel Ed Fletcher, greet each other during the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 14 About 120 members of the Fletcher family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, during 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion. Colonel Ed Fletcher helped develop Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Fletcher Hills, among other places in the area. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 14 About 120 members of the Fletcher family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, during the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 14 Ron Fletcher, one of Colonel Ed Fletchers grandsons, hosted the 92nd annual Fletcher Family Reunion for about 120 family members. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 14 Family friends, Dave McKinnon and Matt Stehly take a group photo of about 120 members of the Fletcher family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, during the 92nd annual family reunion. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 14 Grant Fletcher, the youngest grandson of Colonel Ed Fletcher, takes a photo during the 92 annual reunion of the Fletcher family. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 14 The Fletcher Times is the newsletter of the Fletcher family. About 120 members of the family, descendants of Colonel Ed Fletcher, gathered during the 92th annual family reunion. Colonel Ed Fletcher helped develop Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Fletcher Hills, among other places in the area. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)

And yes, the group photo was taken Tuesday.

As toddlers squirmed in the front rows, the most senior member of the Fletcher clan posed in a plastic beach chair: 96-year-old Charlotte Taylor Rowe, whose mother was the eldest of Col. Fletcher and Marys children.

Its just wonderful to see the tradition carry on, Rowe said. Im sure our grandmother would have loved it.

Bonnie Fletcher, a La Jolla law firm administrator and Ron Fletchers sister, said the key to a successful string of family reunions is keeping a low-key attitude.

The environment here is kids and hot dogs and hamburgers, she said. The only competition is who can surf better.

Like many, Ron Fletcher said the annual reunion is a highlight for him every year. I dont even think about a Fourth of July anywhere else, he said.

Mary Catherine Taylor Escherich, 91, the second-oldest granddaughter who now lives in Pomona, remembered Col. Fletcher as a visionary who formed a fondness for the backcountry as he got his start in the area delivering fruit on dirt roads.

He loved it so much and wanted to see it developed, Escherich said. Maybe he didnt have the education, but he could see where the dams and other things should go and he knew someday, somebody would be happy living there.

Eighty-year-old Larry Fletcher, one of the colonel and Marys grandsons, still lives in Fletcher Hills, the El Cajon-La Mesa neighborhood his grandfather helped construct.

He recalled that while Col. Fletcher was a literal mover and shaker in the San Diego region  for example, redirecting a river in Del Mar to make room for more oceanfront lots  it was Mary Fletcher who often had the final say-so on familial matters.

Grandfather took her out (in El Cajon) to show her the new house he had bought because it had a lot of bedrooms so they could raise their family there, he said. And grandmother said after a half a days ride by buggy to get there, absolutely not, Im not going to live this far out. So he had to turn around and sell it. She ruled the roost.

Col. Fletcher had a significant role in shaping the community of Del Mar, including the establishment of the Del Mar Racetrack and fairgrounds. He also directed surveyors and the mule team that dragged logs through Del Mars rugged hillsides and laid out the citys plot maps in the early 1900s.

Each lot had a view along Del Mars winding streets, and Col. Fletcher built the first seaside beach house in the Del Mar Beach Colony.

When I was a child, we would have Sunday picnics out here with my grandmother and grandfather all year long, not just during the summer, said Virginia Mack Wofford, 78, whose mother was Col. Fletcher and Marys eighth child.

Wofford even remembers the family actually having to pay people to stay at the houses on the beach during the winters to make sure the homes were protected from storms that sent waves onshore.

We paid them $25 to $50 a month to live in them because no one was here in the winter, she said, which is startling when one considers how much year-round vacation rentals go for today.

The Fletcher Fourth of July celebration also provides the family an opportune time to gather and determine which local charities will receive earnings from the Fletcher family foundation endowment.

Bonnie Fletcher said once members of the family reach age 21, theyre eligible to take part in fundraising and discussions about foundation disbursements.

Another big family decision?

Who has to bring the food next year, Ron Fletcher said. They kind of elect you.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
Balboa Park may be full of palms and blue gum eucalyptus, but a program announced Thursday will add a wider diversity of other species to the 149-year-old parks arboreal catalog.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the Tree Balboa Park effort will replace hundreds of trees lost during the drought and add to the shade canopy that cools visitors on hot days and sucks in carbon dioxide emitted by cars driving to and from the park.

When we plant more trees, we make our neighborhoods greener and our air cleaner, he said.

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Added Councilman Chris Ward, whose district includes the park, This investment for restoring and investing in our tree canopy will be a huge boost to the health of the park.

Tree Balboa Park is being kicked off with 500 trees and accompanying state-of-art irrigation under a $378,300 grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, funded from the states cap-and-trade carbon tax receipts. The city is matching the grant with in-kind contributions.

The Balboa Park Conservancy, which applied for the grant, also is starting a tree stewards program to teach volunteers to monitor the new trees and help with maintenance.

We had this devastating drought  theres no other word for it, said CEO Tomas Herrera-Mishler. We lost at least 10% of the [estimated 15,000] trees in the park.

But instead of replacing many of the lost sequoias and other non-native and water-hogging species, the conservancy and the city park department picked out 14 species that will survive on less water, absorb more carbon dioxide and add more shade for picnickers and walkers.

They include jacarandas, Torrey pines, ficus and coast live oaks. Red ironbark eucalyptus is on the list, but no palms.

The trees will be planted starting in October, after the summer heat has passed.

roger.showley@sduniontribune.com

Showley writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune
Three playmates attending Playboy Music Fest in Merida, Mexico, were arrested Friday by Mexican immigration officials who believed the women were working in the country without proper visas.

Elif Celik of Turkey, Lauryn Elaine of the U.S. and Marie Brethenoux of France had tourist visas that would not allow them to do paid work in Mexico.

They were guests at the festival and were not paid to be there, according to a statement released in by Playboy Mexico following the event. Playboy Mexico called the incident a misunderstanding and said it regretted the treatment that the women received.

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They are not bunnies, they are WARRIORS, and we love them, the organization wrote on its Instagram account after the women were released.

Elaine told Fox News that the three were taken around midnight while they were sitting at a VIP table drinking champagne and that they had to beg for food and water while they were detained in a holding cell for about a day.

A Mexican immigration official confirmed to local media that the women had been detained but denied that they had been treated poorly by officers.

Brethenoux posted an image to her Instagram account of the three women in orange dresses holding their wrists as if handcuffed, saying, Even after detention in Merida nothing can stop us! Bunnies warriors.

Salvador Avila, a photographer, posted another photo of the women similarly posed with the caption, Orange is the new Black.

The party was held at La Hacienda Chichi Suarez, which, according to its website, was built in the 1500s and can hold events for up to 4,000 people.

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A man suspected of trying to kidnap a 6-year-old boy had the nerve to ask the childs relatives to help him jump-start his truck in City Heights Tuesday late night, San Diego police said.

He almost got away with it, but the family noticed the boy lying down on the trucks front seat. They kept the man from leaving until police got there.

The 52-year-old man was jailed on one count of kidnapping and one of false imprisonment.

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A family gathering on Ontario Street, off Auburn Drive, was breaking up when the boy walked out of the house to wait for his parents by their vehicle. The stranger pulled up in a truck, got out and grabbed the boy from behind, police said.

He put the boy into his truck and told him to lie down and be quiet, police said.

But then his truck wouldnt start. He asked some of the childs relatives for help. They were trying to jump-start the truck when the boys parents came out, looking for him.

The relatives started to ask the stranger if he would help them search for the boy. Thats when they saw the child lying on the seat, police said. They held the man there and called police shortly before midnight.
About 700 pounds of drugs worth more than $5.2 million were seized at the U.S.-Mexico border in California over the weekend, authorities said.

From Friday through Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers also captured 13 fugitives wanted on charges such as DUI, assault, burglary and probation violations and found two men hiding in a tractor trailer of Persian limes.

The seizures included more than 300 pounds of methamphetamine, 223 pounds of cocaine, 22 pounds of fentanyl, 77 pounds of marijuana and 45 pounds of heroin. The drugs were found hidden in such places as spare tires, gas tanks, car seats and panels.

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One of the cases involved 34 pounds of cocaine worth $509,000 discovered stashed in a Lincoln Navigators transmission.

Officials said the driver, a 57-year-old Mexican citizen who is a legal permanent resident, was sent to secondary inspection around 10 a.m. Saturday at the San Ysidro port of entry. Officers were suspicious because his story had some inconsistencies. The drugs were found during the inspection.

karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com
A homeless man was burned nearly to death inside his tent and another man was arrested on an attempted murder charge at a Grantville campsite Tuesday night, police said.

Witnesses at the camp along the San Diego River pulled the 63-year-old victim out of his burning tent and called 911 about 9 p.m.

Medics took the man to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said.

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Other transients at the camp off San Diego Mission Road told police they heard two men arguing, then the victim yelling. About five minutes later they heard the sound of a fire and saw the victims tent in flames. He was inside with a pallet on top of him, Buttle said.

The witnesses helped the victim, and noticed another man hiding in the bushes, watching them. Buttle said the man stuck around until police got there, then he wanted to leave.

The man was detained for questioning, then arrested.
Media just getting taste of its own medicine

Regarding President sparks furor with video targeting CNN (July 3): The article reprinted from the Washington Post in which the news media and others accused President Trump of inciting violence against journalists is laughable.

These same people have no problem with a play depicting the assassination of a Trump look-alike, and the alleged comedienne Kathy Griffin holding a bloody, severed head resembling President Trump.

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If these incidents arent incitements to violence I dont what is. What hypocrites.

Glenda de Vaney

Chula Vista

Disgraceful to attack freedom of the press

David Fetchina (Trump bashers need better senses of humor, July 4) needs to cultivate a more comprehensive sense of history.

No legitimate national leader should feel entitled to denigrate a sacred pillar (freedom of the press) of our ongoing experiment in democracy and promote the hostile erosion of civility among our peoples.

In this case, trying to make a point with feckless, over-the-top theatrics is not a joke; it is a national tragedy.

R. Lowell Smith

Mission Heights

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A series of events that included an intercontinental ballistic missile launch on Tuesday escalated conflict between the U.S.and North Korea, leaving President Donald Trump, U.S. military leaders and allies across the globe looking at what options they have as they try to formulate a measured response.

"We are monitoring and continuing to assess the situation in close coordination with our regional allies and partners," Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said. "The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies.

Have questions about whats going on over there? We did, too. Here are the questions we had, and the answers we found.

What was launched on the Fourth of July?

An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)  which at least one expert from the Union of Concerned Scientists said could have been powerful enough to reach Alaska  flew for about 40 minutes and about 580 miles.

As this CBS report indicates, U.S. military officials are not disputing the assessment by outside experts that the missile could have traveled more than 4,000 miles and reached Alaska  though not the lower 48 states or Hawaii  if flown on another trajectory that it seems capable of.

The missile landed in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

This launch is unique because of what officials recognized as a missile with two stages, with the second being attached to a missile, previously known by U.S. intelligence, that allowed it to travel the extended distance. Leader Kim Jong Un has repeatedly aired threats about a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead, and said on Wednesday that the missile North Korea launched could do it.

Many experts still believe, however, that the country still doesnt have technology to produce a re-entry vehicle required for returning a missile to the Earths atmosphere from space during a long-distance strike.

We hadnt expected this to happen this soon, writes John Schilling, an expert at the website 38 North, which is affiliated with John Hopkins University. However, it will probably require another year or two of development before this missile can reliably and accurately hit high-value continental U.S. targets, particularly if fired under wartime conditions.

At any rate, the prime minister of neighboring Japan said the launch was substantially more serious than in the past and that it requires an entirely distinct response.

The threat has now reached a dimension altogether different from what has transpired until now, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the United Nations general assembly on Wednesday.

What is President Donald Trump saying about it?

Trumps immediate reaction on Twitter was to keep up his continued call for China to step up in the region.

The day after the launch, a tweet sent by the president seemed to indicate he was abandoning his previous strategy to call for China to take the lead on dealing with North Korea diplomatically.

So how has the U.S. responded so far?

Trump has asked China to cut economic ties to its neighbor. He has also extended that message to other world leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whom he told to stop hosting North Korean guest workers, and stop providing economic or military benefits to North Korea.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the launch a new escalation of the threat and reiterated the administrations stance that world partners should help with the situation.

Global action is required to stop a global threat, said Tillersons statement on Tuesday. All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The U.S. fired several precision missiles into the South Korean sea the same day in a show of force against Jong Un.

Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said the exercise was meant to show our precision fire capability.

Who else is responding?

South Korea joined the U.S. in Tuesdays military exercise missile launch and called for tougher sanctions on North Korea.

North Korea should stop this immediately, he said on Wednesday, vowing to discuss the issue further with world leaders at the upcoming G20 conference this weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping called for diplomatic talks with a goal of denuclearization of North Korea and a pledge by parties involved to refuse to use military force as a solution.

Meanwhile, Russia and China teamed up on Tuesday to propose their own idea, releasing a joint statement calling for a moratorium on missile tests and asking the U.S. and South Korea to stop combined large-scale military exercises.

The U.N. Security Council planned an emergency meeting for Wednesday to discuss the ongoing threat.

Whats next?

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the top American general in South Korea, says self-restraint is all thats keeping the U.S. from going to war with North Korea.

As this alliance missile live-fire shows, we are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance national leaders, he said of the joint missile response by the U.S. and South Korea.

"We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea," White, the Pentagon spokesman, said on Tuesday.

But a diplomatic solution is still the goal, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea, Tillerson said. As we, along with others, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

North Koreas government-run news agency reported Jong Un says he wont negotiate with the U.S. to give up its growing weapons arsenal until Washington abandons its hostile policy toward the country.

Have more questions about whats happening in North Korea? Add them to the comments section below and well try to answer them on this page.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
Love nature and hiking local trails? Then the inaugural Coast to Crest Trail Challenge is for you.

The challenge is to hike five trails in the San Dieguito River Park by June 30, 2018. After submitting a selfie taken at each designated photo spot, participants will receive a reward. An extra prize is offered to the first 50 who complete the challenge posed by the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy.

We offered the most interesting hikes with the best views, said Jess Norton, SDRVCs conservation manager.

The five trails include one in Rancho Bernardo  Bernardo Mountain, which overlooks Lake Hodges. The others are Clevenger Canyon South in San Pasqual, Del Dios Gorge in Rancho Santa Fe, San Dieguito Lagoon in Del Mar and Volcan Mountain in Julian. Details about each hike are below.

Those who successfully complete the challenge that began Saturday will receive a certificate and decal, a 20 percent off coupon from REI, $10 in Adventure Bucks from Adventure 16 plus bragging rights for accomplishing five cool outdoor adventures, according to organizers.

The first 50 who complete the challenge and submit their photos for verification will also receive a SDRVC cooling towel.

Photos shared on Instagram and Facebook with the hashtag #C2CChallenge might also get highlighted by the conservancy.

Trail maps are available at REI  5556 Copley Drive in Kearny Mesa and 1590 Leucadia Blvd. in Encinitas  and Adventure 16, 143 S. Cedros Ave. in Solana Beach. More information is also at sdrvc.org/C2CChallenge.html.

Norton said she was inspired to launch the Coast to Crest Trail Challenge after learning about the Mission Trails 5-Peak Challenge.

To help people complete the challenge, the conservancy is offering at least one free guided hike per trail, though based on initial response to the offer more could be added to the schedule, said SDRVC Executive Director Trish Boaz.

Volcan sold out in the first three days, so well open a second ... due to popular demand, Boaz said, adding all the other guided hikes are near full  even those scheduled for next year  so she advises those interested to reserve their spots quickly. She said high interest in hiking Volcan Mountain was also likely due to it being named one of the 10 best hikes in the county.

While challenge participants do not need to go on a guided hike, Boaz said they are an opportunity to join people who are knowledgeable and can let them know about the biodiversity of the plants and animals at the locations.

Boaz said all the hikes are likely doable for ages 12 and up, ranging from easy to strenuous, but people need to take safety precautions.

Norton said she advises hikers to start out early in the morning, especially in the summer before the temperature gets too hot. Also, hike with a buddy and be aware of rattlesnakes.

In terms of safety, the number one concern is ... having enough water, Boaz added. She said at a minimum people should bring with them 20 ounces (2.5 cups) of water per mile they plan to hike.

Have fun, Boaz added, saying the river parks Coast to Crest Trail  spanning a 70 mile stretch between Del Mar to Julian  should not be the best kept secret in San Diego.

The challenges trails are:

 The Volcan Mountain trails free guided hike on July 8 is sold-out, but another will be scheduled, Boaz said.

The Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve in Julian features a 5.4-mile round-trip trail (gateway to summit) that is rated moderately strenuous while climbing from an altitude of 4,100 feet (parking area on Farmer Road) to 5,353 feet (summit). It is only open to hiking and dogs are allowed on leash. The selfie spot is the scope at the summit.

Per the SDRVC, The Volcan Mountain ridge is iconic as both the headwaters of the San Dieguito River and the highest point in the River Park (5,300 feet at the summit). Ironside Spring feeds Santa Ysabel Creek, which meets Santa Maria Creek in San Pasqual Valley to become the San Dieguito River.

The Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve is home to mixed conifer, oak and cedar forest, native grassland and seasonal ponds. The summit features sweeping views of Earthquake Valley and the Salton Sea to the east, and on a clear day, all the way to the ocean to the west.

Just as striking as the views from the summit is the beautiful Hubbell Gateway at the beginning of the trail.

 The San Dieguito Lagoon trails guided hike will be on Sept. 23.

The trailhead is at the San Andres kiosk in Del Mar. The selfie spot is the Old Grand Avenue Overlook Bridge. It is a 2.76-mile round-trip that is rated easy, is open to hiking and biking, and dogs are allowed on leash.

Per the SDRVC, the intertidal marsh habitat at the San Dieguito Lagoon is among the most rare and threatened habitat in California. Starting in fall 2006, an ambitious restoration project created 115 acres of wetlands in addition to the traditional coastal sage scrub habitat.

The Lagoon is a popular spot for birdwatchers as it provides habitat for a number of endangered species. Its also a popular stopping point for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway.

 The Del Dios Gorge trails guided hike will be on Nov. 11.

The trailhead is the Santa Fe Valley staging area off Del Dios Highway near Calle Ambiente in Rancho Santa Fe. It is a 4.54-mile round-trip that is rated moderate, is open to hiking and biking, and dogs are allowed on leash. The selfie spot is the Rattlesnake Viewpoint.

Per the SDRVC, the viewpoint gets its name from the shape the viewpoint bench  built from native rock  forms. Just as striking as Del Dios Gorges beauty is its archaeological significance. The area is home to the C.W. Harris Site Archaeological District, which has artifacts going back 9,000 years, to San Diego Countys earliest inhabitants.

The Lake Hodges Dam controls the rivers flow through the Gorge. The natural landscape is made up of both riparian vegetation and coast live oak. ... (Also viewable is) the historic Hodges Flume, which transported water from Lake Hodges to the San Dieguito Reservoir until 2003. Although the water is transported by gravity, an optical illusion makes it look like the water is traveling uphill.

 The Bernardo Mountain trails guided hike will be on Jan. 20.

The summit trail portion is a 3.9-mile round-trip, which is rated strenuous. The total hike mileage depends on the starting point, including a few spots in Rancho Bernardo such as near the David Kreitzer Lake Hodges Bicycle Pedestrian Bridge. It is open to hiking and biking. Dogs on leash are allowed, but not within 50 feet of the lake shore. The selfie spot is Bernardo Summit, with the photo taken so that Lake Hodges is in the background.

Per the SDRVC, Bernardo Mountain rises 1,100 feet on the north side of Lake Hodges. Its hillsides and areas around the base are full of coastal sage scrub and prickly pear cacti, providing habitat for the California gnatcatcher and coastal cactus wren. The summit offers breathtaking panoramic views where golden eagles once nested.

 Clevenger Canyon South trails guided hike will be on Feb. 24.

The southern trailhead is around 5 miles from San Diego Zoo Safari Park in San Pasqual. There are two options. The east fork is a 4.4-mile round-trip with the selfie spot being the wire-mesh chairs bolted to a boulder. There are two summits, at 1,755 feet and 1,635 feet, providing views of Boden Canyon, Palomar Mountain, Volcan Mountain and the Laguna Mountains. The west fork is a 2.8-mile round-trip with the selfie spot being the end of trail sign. It has a 1,550-foot summit and sweeping views of San Pasqual Valley. Both options are rated strenuous, open to hikers only and dogs are allowed on leash.

Per the SDRVC, the South Trail traverses hillsides full of low-lying coastal sage scrub and taller, denser southern mixed chaparral. Wildflowers emerge in the spring, coloring the hillsides with lilacs and other blooms.

email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
KIMBERLY EPLER

Staff Writer

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VISTA -- A Superior Court judge on Thursday sentenced JaneDorotik, a Valley Center woman convicted of killing her husband, to25 years to life in prison after denying a last-ditch effort by herattorney to secure a new trial.

Judge Joan Weber said testimony given last week by a new defensewitness was fatally flawed and even if a jury believed the woman,it was not enough to overcome extensive evidence presented attrial.

The judge also denied a defense request to delay her rulingwhile attorneys pursued a new lead. Weber said the witnesses thedefense was seeking could only point to other people having a rolein the murder, not contradict evidence against Dorotik.

We will probably never know all the parties who had a role inaiding and abetting before and after the fact of the murder, Webersaid. The fact remains there is substantial circumstantialevidence tying the defendant to this crime beyond a reasonabledoubt.

How could she get her own husbands blood on her hands if shewas not involved in the homicide? Weber asked.

A key piece of evidence in the trial was a syringe withDorotiks fingerprint in her husbands blood.

Before she was sentenced, Dorotik maintained her innocence andasked the prosecution to have investigators continue to search forthe true killer.

I loved my husband, she said. I still love my husband. Thishas not been justice thats served here.

Dorotik, 54, was convicted in June for beating and stranglingher husband, Robert Dorotik, in their bedroom, then dumping hisbody along his favorite running path a few miles away from thehorse ranch they rented.

His body was found on Feb. 14, 2000, one day after Jane Dorotikreported him missing.

Prosecutors contend that Jane Dorotik murdered her husband toprevent him from receiving 40 percent of her income if the coupledivorced. Robert Dorotik had filed for divorce in 1997, but thecouple later reconciled.

After the sentencing, Jane Dorotik fought back tears as shehugged her defense attorneys, Kerry Steigerwalt and Cole Casey.Steigerwalt said he will file an appeal within the next twoweeks.

Outside the courtroom, prosecutor Bonnie Howard-Regan said shewas sure the right person was sentenced for the murder and she wasfrustrated by defense attempts to delay the sentencing.

Weve already found the truth. We have no doubts about that,"Howard-Regan said, adding she was anxious to call the Dorotiks twosons, who testified against their mother at trial.

They want some closure, she said. They will always know theirmother killed their father. Im just glad its over.

Steigerwalt said he will still try to track down two witnesseshe believes can match testimony presented at trial.

A man called a homicide detective Wednesday to say he visited aValley Center store the day Robert Dorotiks body was found. There,he was told by a third person about two men who said that the daybefore, they saw two Latino men with a white man slumped in betweenthem parked in a black truck near where the body was recovered.

Defense witness Lisa Marie Singh told jurors about a nearlyidentical sighting at the end of the trial.

Prosecutors argued that even if the two men could be found,their testimony was irrelevant because blood evidence ties JaneDorotik to the murder scene in the house and a witness saw herdriving the truck that is an exact match to tire prints found wherethe body was dumped.

The judge agreed. She called the search for the two men a"fishing expedition and denied Steigerwalts request to have moretime to check out the story.

Weber also dismissed the testimony of Sheri Newton, who said shesaw the victim jogging near the area where his body was found thenext day and only moments before she was nearly hit by a blacktruck.

Steigerwalt had based his motion for a new trial on Newtonstestimony, saying it backed up Singhs testimony. Newton cameforward after jurors were already in deliberation and the judgerefused at the time to reopen the case.

Its unfortunate that it ends here, said Steigerwalt. But, hecalled the judges discussion about other people possibly beinginvolved in the murder a step forward.

All along weve maintained there was more to this than JaneDorotik being the killer, he said.

Bonnie Long, who has steadfastly maintained her sister JaneDorotiks innocence, said the family was devastated by thesentencing.

Its horrible, she said. I know he wasnt killed in thebedroom. I know we came out of there with a lot of questionsunanswered.

Contact staff writer Kimberly Epler at (760) 739-6644 orkepler@nctimes.com.

8/3/01
The word "blessed" is going the way of other words that have all but lost their unique meanings as a result of overuse and commercialization.

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Back in eighth grade (waaaay back), the good Sisters of Mercy did their best to teach a pack of unruly adolescents the meaning of being blessed. They had us memorize the eight beatitudes (Blessed are the merciful Blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are the meek etc. ) and patiently explained that being blessed entails a special relationship, a sort of quid pro quo, with God, who is selective about dispensing his grace. Being blessed, they admonished, is not to be bandied or bragged about.

This was serious stuff  the stuff saints are made of. It made a deep impression on this 13-year-old.

Well, Im willing to bet that if those nuns were around today, theyd be reaching for their rulers  or rosaries  in horror at the way the word blessed is being abused. And while I am by no means an especially religious man, I am saddened to see it going the way of other words that have all but lost their unique meanings as a result of overuse and commercialization. (Think artisanal, gourmet, organic, and luxury.)

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Do you think perhaps Im being unnecessarily prickly? Pay attention. You hear it cropping up more and more, tossed off by politicians on the stump, actors on talk shows, athletes in post-game interviews. Theyve all been blessed in some way or another, dont you know?

But it is on Facebook, where dignity and self-restraint go to die, that you encounter some truly cringeworthy claims. For example, an old friend recently posted that she was feeling blessed to be catching the sunset at a rum bar in Florida. (Blessed are the vacationers?) Another acquaintance shared a photo of a bowl of German potato salad and commented that they were blessed to have found the old family recipe. Im not kidding. And as if those werent silly enough, a former colleague posted that he was blessed to get a last-minute upgrade on the way to attend a business conference. I just pray it wasnt on United.

What galls me about these and similar assertions is the arrogance of it all, the presumption that the Lord has deigned to bless you out of the billions on the planet  over something like potato salad or an upgrade!

This is not to say I dont think the word should be used at all. The way I see it, there are plenty of reasons to feel blessed, like those exceptional moments or circumstances that you may believe to be divinely touched: a birth in the family, 10 years of sobriety, beautiful grandchildren, a disease in remission, a 50th wedding anniversary, a lifelong friendship, surviving a flood (but what does that say about those who didnt?). Thats just to name a few. It can also describe a geographical setting (blessed with fertile soil and a temperate climate). After all, thats Gods handiwork.

But, folks, it simply doesnt do to trot out the word every time you post a Facebook photo of the annual family reunion or your bare feet plopped on a deck chair with the Caribbean waves curling between your toes. Use it too often and it ends up meaning nothing.

Yes, it feels special to be secure, loved, happy, and healthy. Nevertheless, please think twice before you employ the term blessed; use it sparingly. Perhaps the words fortunate, lucky, or grateful would describe the situation better.

As in, I feel fortunate, lucky, and grateful to write this essay and get paid for it, too.
The European Space Agency's Gaia satellite spotted six stars speeding through the Milky Way. These hypervelocity stars exceed the galaxy's local escape velocity.

The velocities of the stars are greater than 220 miles per second. One of them has an exceptional pace that could reach about 300 miles per second. The scientists thought that it might shoot right out of the galaxy. This is so impressive that it surpasses the Sun that travels for about 135 miles per second through the Milky Way.

The Gaia satellite has been collecting data on the evolution of a galaxy. It captures the movements of more than a billion traveling stars. With this, the scientists examine this data by building an artificial brain.

Tommaso Marchetti, the lead author of the study that was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, said that in the end, they chose to use an artificial neural work that is a software designed to mimic how the brain works. He further said that it can learn how to identify certain objects or patterns in a huge data set. He added that they taught it to spot hypervelocity stars in a stellar catalog like the one compiled with Gaia, according to Inverse.

The six hypervelocity stars have low masses just like the mass of the Sun. They are named TYC 2298-66-1, TYC 8422-875-1, TYC 2456-2178-1, TYC 2348-333-1, TYC 49-1326-1 and TYC 5890-971-1.

One of the stars is speeding fast and the other five stars seem to be slower that the highly speeding star. The scientists thought these slower stars could be more fascinating and they want to know what slowed them down. It is theorized that the invisible dark matter in the Milky Way could have a significant role in this matter. Dr. Anthony Brown from Leiden University said the result showcases the great potential of Gaia opening new insights to examine the structure and dynamics of the galaxy, as Sci-News noted.
Professor Stephen Hawking has spoken during his 75th year birthday at a grand cosmology conference in his honor held at the University of Cambridge, U.K., this week. He expressed his disappointments and concern about the Earth's climate and the decision of the U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Independent reports that the U.S. President announced that USA would be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement last month. The President claims he wants to "renegotiate" the country's part in the agreement to ensure American businesses are not of disadvantage.

"We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible," said Professor Hawking. The well-known physicist further said that the President's action could push the planet over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees and raining sulfuric acid. He theorized that the decision could trigger environmental damage on the planet Earth for generations to come.

The physicist added that by denying the proof for climate change and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to the planet, endangering the natural world, for humanity.

The effects of climate change are visible and could be felt all around the globe. The temperatures are rising that leads to extreme weather such as having heat waves and heavy rains. There are losses of sea ice that give rise to sea level and there are changing seasonal patterns all around the world.

The Paris Climate Agreement is signed by almost 200 nations to fight the devastating effects of climate change. This action is pessimistic just like Professor Stephen Hawking, who seems pessimistic in combating climate change as of now.

Meanwhile, just last month, Professor Stephen Hawking urged people to explore other planets so humans can travel beyond the solar system. He said that spreading out may be the only thing that saves humans from themselves. He is convinced that humans need to leave the planet Earth to be able to save mankind, as Science Alert noted.
The presence of microbes on the International Space Station (ISS) has been monitored regularly by NASA. In fact, the American space agency has been collecting and analyzing samples from two different locations in each module every few months.

According to The Space Reporter, the cargo that arrives at the International Space Station and the vehicles that carry the cargo are subject to cleaning and monitoring for microorganisms before the launch. Before traveling to the ISS, astronauts are also quarantined.

Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi are always present wherever humans are. Studies of microbes found on the ISS were found to be the same ones found in human environments on Earth, with few of them making people sick.

Russian space agency Roscosmos also monitors the microbes on the ISS modules, says Mark Ott, a microbiologist at the Johnson Space Center. Samples collected are separated whether they are bacteria or fungi. When returned to Earth, scientists identify the microorganisms found on them. On several occasions, they were able to identify microbes that were suspected to pose health hazards but were later on found to be harmless.

Ott said that scientists should be investigating different ways of monitoring spacecraft for organisms, but that they should be careful in interpreting results. "NASA has and continues to closely monitor the International Space Station to ensure it provides a safe and healthy environment for our astronauts," he shared.

NASA has been conducting studies regarding the impact of long-term space travel, collecting samples from astronauts and from different locations in the ISS to determine the possible effects of space travel in a person's immune system, as well as on the effects of the individuals' microbiomes.

To do this, the agency partnered with the Sloan Foundation, where they studied the microbial environment of the space station as a means of learning more about the colonization, evolution and adaptation of these microorganisms in space. The partnership is supposed to support research on the microbiome of the environment.
Carbon dioxide makes up 82 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. But it seems that it is less of a problem now compared to the rise of a more potent emission: nitrogen trifluoride or NF3.

The Weather Network noted that overall emissions of CO2 have risen only 5.6 percent from 1990 to 2015, but levels of NF3 have seen an increase of 1,057 percent in the same period. The exponential rise may have been linked to the manufacturing sector that uses the chemical to make solar panels, semiconductors and LCDs. Incidentally, the same discovery threatens the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall ordered by President Donald Trump.

At a rally in Iowa, the president proposed installing solar panels on his wall, saying that the wall can then "create energy and pay for itself." However, the administration is still facing a problem regarding construction of solar panels, which could increase prevalence of NF3 and intensify climate change issues.

Mainly used as a cleaning agent to clear away silicone, NF3 is usually eliminated during use, but a small percentage can still leak into the atmosphere. At this point, it is unclear just how much has been leaked but scientists have warned that NF3 is effective at trapping heat and can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. Seeker also noted that NF3, despite contributing little to greenhouse gas emissions compared to CO2, is actually 17,200 times more potent.

Dr. Michael Prather of the University of California, Irvine, said that while NF3 will not create a climate problem, its numbers still add up. Thus, everyone should pay attention to the small things that add up, especially considering how dangerous it could be in the long run.

Despite the rise of NF3 being linked to solar panels, environmentalists are still quick to defend their stance. Tim Donaghy, a senior research specialist for Greenpeace, said, "The impact of NF3 as a global warming gas is big on a per-molecule basis, but the benefits of carbon-free energy from solar panels swamp the negative impacts due to NF3 emissions."
As the seasons change, my beverage choices follow.

Although I love many of the larger, bolder red wines out there, I find it challenging to sip them when Im sweating through my shirt during our Africa-hot summers. For this reason, as the mercury rises, I find myself gravitating toward whites produced within colder regions. Perhaps there is a subliminal process at work: cooling me off by projecting the climate of that region or maybe just the fact that these wines are chilled, crisp, flavorful, and exciting. Either way, this month, I am digging the underappreciated area of Alsace.

Alsace is truly an amalgam of both France and Germany, having changed ownership between the two countries six times in the past 300 years. Claiming the second-most-northerly wine-producing region in France (behind Champagne), Alsace is nestled between the Rhine River to the east and the Vosges Mountains to the west.

These mountains are one of the contributing factors to the quality of wines produced here. They first act as a barrier to rains coming from the west, giving Alsace one of the driest viticultural areas in all of France. Due to a complicated and multifactorial tectonic history, the Vosges foothills are blessed with one of the most complex and diverse soil structures in the world. This translates into terroir-driven wines that allow producers a truly unique expression of each grape variety.

As one would expect in this type of climate, most wine production is white with the notable exception of Pinot Noir (used in red and rose). There are four grapes classified as noble varieties: Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat, which are the only ones allowed for Grand Cru wines.

The remaining accepted varieties are Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Chardonnay, Klevener, Chasselas and Auxerrois Blanc. Although close to the northern limits of viticulture, one luxury this northerly latitude provides is long sunny summer days which allow grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness and construct complex aromatics. The cool nights help the grapes maintain their natural acidity, a necessity to balance these viscous, extracted wines.

Akin to its German influences, Alsatian wines are compulsorily sold in a fluted bottle, and most are, unlike French wines, labeled by grape variety. If a varietal is stated on the label, 100 percent of the juice must come from that grape variety (with a few exceptions), which exceeds the normal 85 percent required by EU laws. The wines differ from those across the border in Germany with respect to residual sugar, which is routinely lower in Alsatian wines.

Sitting at the top of the pyramid, there are 51 areas that have the privilege to the Grand Cru title, and each is now an appellation in its own right.

The next tier is Alsace AOC, which covers the entire Alsatian growing region. At this level, if all of the grapes come from an allowed village, they can append their name on the label. The only other AOC is that for traditional method sparkling wines, Crement d Alsace AOC, and it can likewise span the entire growing region.

Unlike most other wine regions in France, Alsace lacks the IGP classification. This level exists for wines that fall within the stated region but may use grapes, growing methods or production choices that prohibit them from using the AOC on their label. In Alsace, if a producer is not within compliance for Alsace AOC rules, they are relegated to the Vin de France label (which removes all mention to region of origin); a definite impact to marketing and target price points.

With 75% of Alsatian production being consumed domestically (in Alsace), one would think that these wines are impossible to come by across the pond. Although not common, they are readily available in a well-stocked French wine section.

So if you want to find a way to beat the heat, need some white wines to stand up to sturdy foods or are just looking to expand your beverage repertoire, the wines of Alsace are definitely worth seeking out.

Suggested wines

Domaine Ostertag Riesling

Vin d Alsace, 2014, $19.99

This biodynamic wine has a nose of lime, pineapple, citrus rind, some orchard fruit (apple) and a smoky minerality. On the palate, one first notices the bright acidity and well-balanced alcohol. The body is slightly medium-plus in nature with rich tropical fruits (pineapple and tangerine) along with baked orchard fruit. The finish is long with lingering mineral laden tropical citrus. Pair wine with roe-based sushi, spicy Asian cuisine, or pork and potatoes.

Willm Pinot Gris

Alsace AOC, 2014, $18.99

The nose is rich and evident with aromas of orchard fruit (pear and apricot), citrus fruit (lime), floral (citrus blossom) and a honeyed component. The palate has an off-dry perception (slight residual sugar) but is well balanced with the evident acidity present. The body of this wine is viscous and caressing to the palate. The flavors are of unctuous apricot, citrus, slightly perfumed/floral all bathed in honeysuckle nectar. These are richer, riper and fuller bodied versus the Italian Pinot Grigio. Pair with white meats (pork, veal, rabbit) in rich sauces, smoked fish, meat heavy charcuterie, or spicy Indian dishes.

Willm Gewurztraminer

Vin dAlsace, 2015, $20.99

Instantly this wines nose speaks to complexity. There are orchard fruits (apple and pear), tropical fruits (passion fruit and mango), allspice and a rose-petal-perfumed floral component. The palate is viscous from both the nature of the grape and the medium-dry residual sugar. The acidity keeps the sweetness in check and prevents a flabby palate. The flavors mirror the nose with floral, perfume, and ripe, even bruised, fruit. This wine offers a great way to be introduced to this noble grape. Pair with spicy foods, strong cheeses, roasted vegetables or desserts like fruit salad and apple tart.

Dennis Fraley is a local nurse anesthetist who moonlights as a wine educator and consultant. For more information about his services and upcoming classes, visit winewired.com. Wines are available at Micky Finns, Pamplico Highway. Send your email address to dennis@winewired.com to get on the mailing list of wine events, classes and tastings. He is also available for private events and dinners.
HARTSVILLE, S.C.  Gina Kolata, a medical reporter for The New York Times and a New York Times bestselling author, told how she came to write a book about a Hartsville family during a dinner and silent auction on June 24 at the Drengaelen House of Coker College. Her book, Mercies in Disguise, is about the Baxley family.

Mercies in Disguise tells of the familys quest to find answers about the terrible illness that has afflicted members for multiple generations. Most specifically, its the story of Amanda Baxley Kalinsky and her dilemma over whether to have the genetic testing that would reveal whether she carried the mutated gene that caused the disorder that took the life of her father, Dr. Buddy Baxley, at age 56 in 2010, her grandfather in 1998 and other relatives before and since.

Not only was Amandas father a doctor, so is one of his brothers. The book describes how a short conversation that brother had with a woman from Darlington at their fathers funeral started him wondering if his grandfather might have had the same illness.

After a lot of research and testing, the family discovers the name for the incurable brain disorder claiming the lives of those they love: Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker.

There is a 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene that causes this disorder. Genetic testing exists to know for sure.

Amanda contemplates being tested. In the book she said the two people she loves most didnt want her to have the testing done. At the time she was only 25.

Now married to Brad and in her 30s, Amanda also shares in the book the decision she made and how the outcome has shaped the rest of her life.

This is a book of hope. Yet, it will elicit an emotional response from readers as the Baxley family shares some of the most difficult times of their lives, each making their own decision of how they want to cope with the knowledge they could carry the gene.

As she introduced the speaker, Amanda said her first reaction to the request to write a book was, Why would you want to write a book about us?

Her second reaction was, Lets do it.

She said the book was two years in the making with many phone calls and emails. Kolata only visited her twice while writing the story. Prior to the book, Kolata wrote an article for The New York Times in February 2014 about Amanda.

Amanda said the two-year process was painful. It meant reliving some of the worst family moments.

It was completely worth it, she said. I am thrilled with the result. It is fantastic. Perfect.

I now consider her one of my best friends, Amanda said.

Kolata said the book was a labor of love.

I feel like I know the family so well, she said. I really love that family.

She said she admires the familys courage in retelling these most painful experiences.

One reader said, I can hardly put it down. I am about halfway through it. It is fascinating.

I read it in a day and half, said one family member.

Kolata said there has been an amazing response to the book, which came out in March. It already has made some lists for best book reads.

Kathy Baxley, Amandas mother, said she is overcome with gratitude to Kolata and the Lord for the book and the June 24 event to raise money for research into this disease.

Amanda said there isnt sufficient funding for research on rare diseases. That is why they held the dinner and auction to generate funding, so hopefully other families will not have to go through what they have.

All proceeds from the evening will go to the CJD Foundation Mercies in Disguise Research Grant in memory of Dr. Buddy Baxley.

Before the event, they had already funded an entire leg of a research grant for $10,000. The dinner and auction raised $10,505. They have also raised more than $8,000 on the website, Kathy said. They are hoping to be able to fund another leg of the research grant.

Grant amounts are $50,000, and five families are asked to reach $10,000 to be able to fund a researcher. The CJD Foundation scientific committee meets and considers grant applications and chooses the ones to fund, Kathy said. Mercies In Disguise grant funds will go to fund a GSS researcher only with other GSS familys gifts, she said.

Amanda said the book was selected as an Okra pick by the Southern Independent Booksellers Association. The Washington Post Book Club picked it as their top nonfiction read for April 2017.

During Labor Day weekend, Kolata will speak at a large book fair in Decatur, Georgia. She has had others at Barnes & Noble in Manhattan, several events in Princeton, New Jersey, Blue Bicycle Books events and Burry Bookstore as well as the moveable feast and others.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to Mercies in Disguise Research Foundation can do so at cjdfoundation.org .

Books are available locally at Burry Bookstore in Hartsville and on amazon.com.
Cosco announced on 1 July that the shares trading will continue to be suspended until further notice. The extended period of Coscos share trading suspension in Shanghai, now reaching its seventh week, suggested that a prospective acquisition of another publicly listed company is not the reason for the suspension, Alphaliner said.

Any bid for Orient Overseas International Limited (OOIL) or OOCL would require immediate disclosure, given the publicly listed status of both companies and also to ensure that any news leaks that could affect the share price would not jeopardise a potential deal, the specialist container shipping analyst said.

Cosco has consistently maintained that the shares suspension is due to the group proposing to plan for certain material matters which involve the company, and such material matters constitute material asset restructuring based on discussion and negotiation among the parties.

Alphaliner said Coscos restructuring is believed to involve an internal re-organisation that is unrelated to OOCL while the Cosco groups overseas expansion efforts appear to be mainly focused on enlarging its global terminal footprint in support of Chinas One Belt One Road initiative.

On the container shipping side, Coscos immediate growth would come from its massive newbuilding program comprising 34 new ships of 9,000-20,000 teu (three of which already delivered this year) that would cost over $4.2bn in total.

Despite some media reporting that a Cosco-OOCL deal could be announced on 1 Kuly, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Hong Kongs handover to China, the date passed with little fanfare, Alphaliner said.

An OOIL spokesman had told Seatrade Maritime News on 21 June that the group is not aware of, nor is it involved in any bid relating to the company or OOCL.

Rumours about the marriage of Cosco and OOCL have circulated since January this year, and firmly denied by OOIL.
Recording some of the lowest figures seen in the last five-year period, the latest piracy report shows that in the first half of 2017, there were a total of 87 reported incidents, compared to 98 in the same period of last year.

In comparison, there were 138 incidents in the first half of 2013, 116 in the first half of 2014, and 134 in the first half of 2015.

Among the 87 incidents in the first half of this year, 63 vessels were boarded, 12 fired upon, four hijacked and attacks were attempted on another eight vessels. A total of 63 crew have been taken hostage so far this year while 41 have been kidnapped, three injured and two killed.

Also among the 87 cases, 19 were product tankers, 18 were bulk carriers, seven were chemical tankers, and 43 were other vessels.

One of the most recent case happened at end-June when six heavily armed pirates hijacked a small Thai product tanker en route from Singapore to Songkhla, Thailand.

The incident followed a similar pattern to a series of product tanker hijackings in the region which occurred approximately every two weeks between April 2014 and August 2015, according to the ICC IMB report.

To prevent criminal gangs carrying out attacks on other product tankers, the IMB PRC is calling on Malaysian and Indonesian authorities to take robust action, in the same vein as their response which brought perpetrators of the previous spate of attacks to justice, said Mukundan, director of IMB.

Elsewhere at the Horn of Africa, Somali pirates continue to pose grave threats to merchant ships, with the hijacking of an Indian dhow in early-April among one of five reported incidents off Somalia in the second quarter.

Pirates in Nigeria, on the other hand, continues to dominate when it comes to reports of kidnapping. So far this year they have been responsible for the abduction of 31 crew in five reported incidents. The numbers include 14 crew members taken from two separate vessels in the second quarter.

Violence against crew members continues with half of all reports of vessels being fired upon coming from Nigeria, the ICC IMB report stated.

Recognising the need to get a clearer understanding of the depth of under-reporting in the Gulf of Guinea region, the IMB in association with Oceans Beyond Piracy, has proposed the idea of a Community of Reporting, a project aimed at encouraging all stakeholders to share reports of piracy and armed robbery with the IMB.
Press Release

July 5, 2017 De Lima calls for an inquiry into the condition of IDPs in Mindanao Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed concern over the increasing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within and outside evacuation areas in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao amidst the heightened military pursuit of the Maute group. De Lima said she has filed Senate Resolution No. 420 urging the appropriate Senate committee to look into the plight of these IDPs in order to come up with corrective measures to address the pressing humanitarian crisis in Mindanao. "With these reports, it is imperative for the Senate to verify these troubling complaints, and to properly investigate and assess the true living conditions of the IDPs within and outside evacuation camps," she said. Last May 23, President Duterte has placed the entire region of Mindanao under martial rule and suspended the writ of habeas corpus in order to quell the rebellion committed by Maute terrorist group in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. The violent encounters between the government troops and the Maute fighters have resulted to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents who were forced to take refuge in crowded evacuation centers or the nearby homes. Last June 22, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) estimated about 69,434 families - or 339,822 individuals - who have been uprooted from their homes and have continued to suffer under less than humane conditions due to lack of food, safe water, health hazards, among others. After a week thereon, DSWD has reported that the protracted crisis has now displaced about 82,767 families - or 403,052 individuals - in Marawi City and 20 municipalities of Lanao del Sur and two more in Lanao del Norte. "These Filipino citizens and families are also reported to be facing threats from our own military, who have allegedly been refusing the passage of relief goods, conducting indiscriminate airstrikes, disrespecting the Islamic faith and harassing women by telling inappropriate rape jokes," De Lima noted. The Senator from Bicol said the declaration of martial law in Mindanao region is not a license for both the terrorists and government troops to abuse the innocent civilians who are caught in the crossfire. "The protection and general welfare of the Filipinos who have already lost their property and source of livelihood, and who have been separated from their accustomed way of life should remain among the highest priority for all government units or agencies involved," she said. "The government should address the plight of the displaced citizens in Mindanao, particularly the emerging humanitarian issues emanating from heightened militarization and continuous presence of terrorist elements," she added. Earlier on, De Lima has raised alarm over the safety of the remaining civilians trapped in the war zones, some of whom were reportedly used by Maute group to cook or carry ammunitions, while some orphans were used as shield against military assaults.
A passenger was killed and the driver fled the scene after a fatal car crash Monday evening in San Jose.

The incident occurred at 10:40 p.m. when a 2010 Toyota Corolla heading south on Highway 85 swung onto the carpool flyover lane to Highway 101 at an undetermined speed, according to the California Highway Patrol. The car then smashed into the guardrail, tumbling down the embankment and landing upright on its wheels.
Randy Volenec and Mona Marbach peered through a glass wall into what will be the Grand Hall of the Transbay Transit Center, a three-story complex that spans two city blocks and has a $2.2 billion budget.

Forget the big stuff. They were scrutinizing small triangles of white caulking, and they did not like what they saw.

Its a bit funky  unsightly, Marbach said, pointing to the adhesive splashes where huge panes of glass meet atop round columns.

The mullion caps should have been installed better, Volenec nodded. Then he turned to a visitor and laughed. Not that people are likely to be up here staring at the mullions.

Maybe not, but thats why the two architects make the rounds at the construction site every other week. Theyre on the lookout for whats not right, trying to ensure that the complicated project, when it opens next spring, will live up to more than a decade of hype.

Volenec is a senior associate at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, the Connecticut firm selected in 2007 by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority to design the immense station for buses and trains that extends from Beale Street almost to Second Street. Its main entrance will be a plaza at Mission and Fremont Streets. Marbach is with Adamson Associates, the executive architect for the project.

Marbach and another architect from Adamson are based in San Francisco, spending each day at the construction site to keep an eye on how things are going with a project where roughly 700 workers from 35 contractors are at work. Volenec flies west twice a month to help resolve any problems and sign off on full-size mockups of whats coming next.

Our job is to make sure that the product lives up to what the client paid for, and that it meets the expected standards, Volenec said.

Straightforward as this might sound, theres a limit to how finicky architects can be with a project the scale of the transit center.

We always have to pick our battles  whats important, Volenec said. Its a judgment call all the time.

With the clumsy caulking  which should have been a thin, even line  architects arent likely to convince the Joint Powers Authority that the aluminum mullions for the 32-square-foot panels of glass should be taken out and reinstalled, this time lined up more crisply. Instead, the request was that caulking be reapplied at the clumsily done junction points.

By contrast, this was Volenecs fourth visit where the to-do list included the rounded metal casings for the columns on the third-floor platforms where commuters will wait for their buses.

The thin aluminum panels that wrap the steel to form a circle are supposed to meet with clean lines. They dont, though theres been progress. Worse, an exit sign designed to be attached to the ceiling had been installed on a column. The ceiling is straight, the columns are round and even a casual visitor could see the mistake.

Some contractors learn fast, Volenec said. Some of them we worry about daily.

Unlike Volenec, Marbach has an office on Mission Street and is a constant presence on the job site. No two visits are alike; after flat glass was installed as paving in one stretch of the rooftop park  an opaque surface strong enough for people to walk across  she stood underneath while water was poured across the surface, making sure there were no leaks.

Three times.

Every time work on something is starting, theres a pre-construction meeting and a test, Marbach said. We make sure the first section is right; then they do the next 100,000.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Anything remotely technical has written specifications spelling out whats expected of a contractor. Even the visual quality of plastering is keyed to preset standards, with explanations of how it should look from 2 or 10 or 40 feet.

We can only reject whats not in the specifications, Marbach said. Its not us deciding what we like while were standing there.

Volenec agreed: You cant have an epiphany on site.

Though sometimes, you can.

Two huge cross-beams span the escalators that lead to the third floor, adding structural support. Each comes with a bird-deterrent strip across the top, visible only if you peer down to the Grand Hall.

Since Volenecs last visit, the beams had been painted a vivid white, and, as specified, the gray strips had been applied. The color contrast caused Volenec to wince.

Something like this, well talk with the contractor, he said, and ask if they can move the pair of gray strips to out-of-sight spots where theyre needed, and replace them with white ones, easily obtained.

Well be honest with them, and tell them we messed up, Volenec said. Thats why we try to stay on good terms with everyone, and not piss them all off.

John King is The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron
By now, BARTs Millbrae Station  with its connections to Caltrain, buses and shuttles  was supposed to see 16,500 passengers pass through its fare gates every weekday, making it the fifth-busiest station in the system.

But 13 years after it opened, its pretty much just another BART station, nowhere near the bustling Peninsula transit hub that planners envisioned. With just under 7,000 riders entering and exiting daily, the station ranks 27th in activity among the transit systems 46 stations.

BART and Caltrain officials acknowledge Millbrae Station isnt what planners had in mind when they opened it in 2003 as part of a five-stop extension that would take the rail system to San Francisco International Airport. But, even so, they say its still a vital link between two popular pieces of the Bay Area transit network.

It works  for the people who use it, said Joel Keller, a veteran BART director who was on the board as the station was being planned, debated and built.

But theres no question that the ridership projections  and hopes  for the station were overly optimistic.

The models we have are pretty good, Keller said. But I always look at the models with some skepticism because people will make decisions based on whats best for them.

And thats what happened. When ridership forecasts were made in 1995, the dot-com boom had just begun and the economy was surging. A growing economy meant more jobs and employees who needed a way to get to them. By the time the station opened, the boom had gone bust. And by the time the economy recovered, where people worked had changed.

Forecasters made other assumptions that never came true. They thought Caltrain fares would be raised, giving riders an economic incentive to transfer to BART, that BART trips between Millbrae and San Francisco would be faster than they are and that Caltrain would end most of its northbound trains at Millbrae, forcing passengers to switch to BART to get downtown.

It hasnt helped that transfers between BART and Caltrain turned out to be awkward and unreliable and that its not easy for riders who want to get to the airport on BART from Millbrae. While passengers from the north can take BART directly to the airport, passengers from the south usually have to hop on BART at Millbrae, get off at San Bruno Station and transfer to an airport train.

Expectations for the new station were high.

Its the big one, Molly McArthur, a BART spokeswoman, now retired, said at the time. Its going to be a hive of activity. Its really more than a BART station, its a transit hub. And thats really a new thing for us at BART.

As the largest transit station in the Western U.S., Millbrae is indeed big. Its surrounded by parking lots and a five-story parking structure  nearly 3,000 spaces in all  and has five tracks: three for BART and two for Caltrain. The tracks are all at ground level, but the station concourse with ticket machines and restrooms are above ground.

BART riders coming from the north and bound for Caltrain arrive on the east side of the station. To catch Caltrain, they have to ascend escalators or stairs, exit through the BART fare gates and walk a few yards across the concourse before descending to the Caltrain stations west side.

Northbound Caltrain riders planning to take BART into San Francisco have an easier time of it. They can avoid the stairs and escalators by passing through a set of BART fare gates for a quicker transfer to BART.

Riders also can be foiled by a lack of coordination between the two rail systems. Trains often run late, and sometimes BART arrives just minutes before Caltrain is scheduled to depart.

BART and Caltrain officials say they talk to each other occasionally about coordinating schedules but have developed no official policies to ensure a more consistent and seamless transfer.

We do try to coordinate arrivals so as not to leave people stranded at the station, looking at the red lights of a departing train, Keller said. But it doesnt always work.

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Tasha Bartholomew, a Caltrain spokeswoman, said the agency shares its draft schedules with BART and asks for suggestions. When things dont go as planned, engineers will hold a train for scurrying passengers while trying to stay on schedule.

While we try to accommodate courtesy connections at Millbrae, it is not always possible, she said. We are two separate operations with different signal systems and infrastructure.

Nina Leviten, 18, who lives in Palo Alto and attends classes at UC Berkeley, said she takes Caltrain to Millbrae, transfers to BART and rides to downtown Berkeley. On the way home, she reverses the trip.

The joint station at Millbrae makes it possible for her to attend Cal, she said, but sometimes the connections between trains are tough, especially on her way home when she has to rush up and down stairs.

Its a little difficult because (Caltrain) leaves just three minutes after BART arrives, she said. Last week I missed it two times and had to wait 20 minutes.

While the projected ridership still hasnt materialized for Millbrae Station, BART and Caltrain officials remain optimistic that it will grow.

A major transit-oriented development with 376 units of housing, a 150-room hotel, and office and retail space is planned on land next to the station. Meanwhile, Caltrain is proceeding with plans to electrify its system, increasing the number of trains it can run. And, someday, the states high-speed rail line is expected to share the Caltrain tracks, with stops at Millbrae.

Its always been an aspirational station where we look for increased ridership, Keller said. Eventually, it has the potential to be a much busier station.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
The laid-back days when marijuana growers could spray crops with chemicals without fear of consequences are just about over as California prepares to deploy a strict new testing regimen, but the proposed regulations have sparked debate over claims theyll force many pot merchants out of business.

The California Bureau of Marijuana Control issued a draft plan this spring that set some of the stiffest limits in the country for solvents, pesticides and microbial contaminants such as fungus and bacteria in the sticky bud, pills and edibles sold at medical cannabis dispensaries.

The rules are certain to apply to newly legalized recreational pot as well when California regulators consolidate the systems in the coming months, paving the way for the opening of retail shops as soon as January.

The regulations, which generally follow state and federal laws governing crops such as tomatoes and almonds, come at a pivotal moment for a trade that has coasted for decades without much regulatory oversight. The promulgators of the leafy herb are mostly happy at the dawn of legalization, but they are also bracing for a shock as the government pulls a business founded on hippie values out of the shadows.

Californias proposed regulations are highly technical and subject to change, but many in the business agree they are tantamount to a ban on pesticides.

Its a very high bar and its going to send ripples through the industry, and I think thats a good thing, said Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, which advocates for more than 600 marijuana farmers and business owners.

Our members are thrilled to pick winners and losers based on whos using poison and whos not, he said. Pesticides are poison. They kill things, and its appalling that they have become so normalized in agriculture.

The proposal sets parts-per-million limits for 88 different solvents, chemicals and pesticides, including myclobutanil, a widely used fungicide, and the insecticides carbaryl and malathion, which are commonly used to control bugs that attack fruits, vegetables and marijuana plants.

The rules are important, toxicology experts say, because studies have shown people who smoke or vape cannabis absorb about 10 times more of what is in the pot than those who who eat it. Although there are no long-term studies on the effects of smoking pesticides, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Toxicology found that people who smoked pot from a bong took in about half of the pesticides that were in the weed.

The danger was especially serious for people with diseases or compromised immune systems, according to the study.

The lack of regulations was seized upon recently by a California activist who accused 675 dispensaries in California of failing to warn consumers about the pesticides in their edible products.

The state attorney general is investigating the allegations by Michael Murphy and his Clean Cannabis Initiative that products sold in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles and the Central Valley contained unsafe levels of myclobutanil, carbaryl and malathion.

Depending on the results of the investigation, either the state or Murphy could file suit under Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, which is intended to help Californians protect themselves against chemicals known to cause cancer.

Ann Grimaldi, a San Francisco lawyer representing several of the dispensaries, said actions like this are premature given that the state is now drafting regulations governing pesticide residue in pot. She said Murphys action certainly feels like a shakedown to my clients, who did the best they could in an industry with few established standards.

Youve got an industry that has been operating in a gray area for many years, and now its, Welcome to the real world of chemical regulations, Grimaldi said. The problem is, its not always easy to figure out what compliance means. My clients say, Give me a target and Ill meet it, but tell me what the target is.

The states proposed targets are contained in the 114-page draft plan released in April covering the growing, processing, distribution and sales of medical marijuana. The regulations, submitted by three state agencies, seek to control a statewide industry worth more than $2 billion a year, including about 1,000 dispensaries stocked by tens of thousands of growers. The Bureau of Marijuana Control is now evaluating public commentary on the plan.

The rules would require all weed to be lab-tested and tracked from seed to sale. Maximum allowable pesticide levels were based on existing state Department of Pesticide Regulation standards for fruits and vegetables.

In addition, edibles would be analyzed to make sure they have no more than 10 milligrams per serving of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical compound in cannabis that makes people high.

No doubt, the regulations will cost people in the reefer racket. According to studies, testing requirements make up 80 percent of the regulatory costs for cultivators and manufacturers in states that have legalized marijuana. California regulators estimate the cost of producing pot will increase $524 a pound, or as much as $310,000 per year for the average grower or manufacturer once the rules are implemented.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Noel Manners, the owner of CampCool Collective in Mendocino County and the co-founder of Gooey Cannabis, an oils and edibles startup, said most laboratories in California are not capable of testing to the precision that will be necessary.

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.

The standards that they are putting up for cannabis are far higher than anything else out there, he said.

Manners said he was baffled recently when 8 of 10 samples he submitted for testing came back positive for pesticides  even though he has never sprayed any on his plants. He believes the lab detected pyrethrins, a naturally occurring insecticide derived from chrysanthemums.

Of course, if you test far enough, you are going to find some trace amount of soil or dust or something, Manners said. Thats why, in the food industry, there is a threshold of one rat hair or dropping per whatever measurement they use. Plants are not sterile, so we have to establish realistic thresholds.

Reggie Gaudino, the vice president of science and genetics at Steep Hill Labs in Berkeley, caused a furor last year when 75 percent of marijuana samples he tested from Bay Area dispensaries came back positive for pesticides. A similar experiment in the Los Angeles area found a 93 percent contamination rate.

Gaudino said that between 25 and 33 percent of the pot he has tested in the Bay Area would have failed Oregons pesticide and chemical standards if they were applied. And the rules there are not as strict as the ones proposed in California.

If I went back and tested using the current proposed standards in California, the number of failures would skyrocket, Gaudino said. Our opinion is, it will be extremely difficult to meet these levels, and it will result in a large number of failures in the industry.

Pesticide testing has also been an issue in Washington, Colorado and Oregon, where recreational marijuana use is legal. Thats due, in part, to a lack of federal guidance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not help states on pesticide-safety issues because cannabis cultivation is illegal on the federal level.

Complicating matters, farmers who never spray can end up with contaminated crops. Pesticide experts say soil taken from landfills or cropland previously used to grow something else could contain residue. Insecticides could also flow into the aquifer from neighboring apple or citrus farms or drift over after being sprayed from an airplane.

All of which will make it tough for pot farmers, manufacturers and merchants  especially fringe operators  to make their bottom lines.

I think this will force the industry to focus on best practices and not simple productivity, said Allen of the Growers Association, who predicts that as many as half of the pot farmers operating in California will go out of business. Cannabis is currently the most valuable cash crop in California, and were committed to ensuring that its also the most sustainable and environmentally healthy.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
The identity of a woman slain Monday in San Jose has yet to be confirmed.

The woman was shot at around 5 p.m. Monday near San Jose State University, on the 600 block of South 10th St., according to police. Officers responding to reports of loud bangs inside a home found the victim dead at the scene.
Police in San Franciscos Tenderloin reached into their own pockets in the wee hours to help house a mother and her toddler whom they found camping in an alley  after the shelters of last resort that the city relies on to keep families off the streets didnt open their doors.

I dont want to see a 2-year-old sleeping in the Tenderloin  its not right, said Officer Kevin Lyons, one of several cops who paid to put the young girl and her mother in a neighborhood motel.

The story began one day last week at 2:40 a.m. when officers from Tenderloin Station were dispatched to the corner of Larkin and Myrtle Street, a three-block-long alley, to check on a 36-year-old woman and her daughter who were camping and unable to find shelter for the night. The woman, who had food and blankets, told police she was currently homeless and had previously stayed in shelters with her daughter, but that she had no family or friends who could help her.

The officers began calling around to try to find space in a family shelter  but none of the five they dialed answered the phone.

They then asked dispatch if an officer at Southern Station on Third Street could check at a nearby womens shelter  like the others, a nonprofit run under contract with the city. After waiting, the Tenderloin cops were told there were no beds  or even chairs  for the mother and daughter and that the shelter provided no further assistance.

Chronicle staff / Chronicle staff

The answer was the same when Mission District cops were sent out to check at a drop-in center in their area.

Because it was cold, Fire Department paramedics came out and checked the mother and daughter. But there was no medical emergency, and all the paramedics could do was leave them with some more blankets.

The cops even contacted Child Protective Services, but because it was after hours, they could only leave a message.

Lyons, who was monitoring what was happening over the radio back at Tenderloin Station, couldnt believe what he was hearing. He began collecting $10 and $20 donations from the cops there. Soon he had $240, enough to get the mother and child a room for a couple of nights at the Civic Center Inn on Ellis Street.

Every day, the city is touting its homeless program and how many people they are getting off the streets, said Lyons, an 18-year SFPD veteran. But if the cops didnt do anything in this situation (and something bad happened), they would be hung by the flagpole.

This isnt the first time (weve helped), and we are not looking for accolades. We just want to be able to call these services for help, Lyons said.

Nick Otto/Special to the Chronicle

Its awesome they did it, said Jennifer Friedenbach, director of the Coalition on Homelessness activist group. Its not the first time cops have covered (such) costs. Theyve let people sleep in the stations, and they passed hats to put people up in hotels.

But she said the circumstances here underscore the fact that we do not have a safety net at all.

Capt. Teresa Ewins of Tenderloin Station followed up with in a email to Sam Dodge, deputy director of the citys year-old Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, looking for answers.

Dodge told us the city does have contracts with a pair of church-run emergency shelters for families, and they always have a little space. The police report doesnt indicate that the officers phoned either shelter, but it probably wouldnt have done much good.

We found that the nearby First Friendship Family Shelter on Steiner Street doesnt answer its phones after 5 p.m., and representatives did not return a voice-mail message we left during the day.

Dodge said clients can knock on the doors after hours, but according to Friedenbach, they frequently will turn away people who show up after the (8 p.m.) curfew. And despite official counts showing space, she said, both shelters often are full.

Clearly, its a place where we can improve, Dodge said.

He said he had urged the Tenderloin captain either to call him directly or to call the 24-hour 311 help line if her officers cant find an available shelter.

Nick Otto/Special to the Chronicle

This time, he said, the cops who stepped up found an answer in a tight situation ... and it speaks to their dedication. But we want to make sure they dont have to invent the wheel if they ever come across this situation again.

There is support, Dodge said, and if they dont have answers immediately, there are ways to get the answers.

Ewins said Dodge and other city officials have been very good at giving us what we need. Given the complexities of dealing with a large homeless population, she said, challenges are to be expected.

Its a group effort, and thats what our approach is right now, she said. Any family is going to want us to go the extra step for their child  thats part of our job.

As for mom and her toddler? After their two nights at the Civic Center Inn, they disappeared back onto the Tenderloins rough-and-tumble streets  until Sunday night, when police got another call about a woman and child who appeared to be homeless.

It was the same mother and daughter. This time, the cops went straight to First Friendship Family Shelter. When the officers dropped Dodges name, Lyons says, the doors opened wide.

There has got to be a better system, he said. Especially with a child involved.

All this in a city that spent $275 million on homeless services last year.

S an 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
Seven people were arrested Tuesday when a melee broke out on the midway of the Alameda County Fair, disrupting Independence Day festivities at the fairgrounds in Pleasanton, officials said.

The fracas unfolded about 5:30 p.m. in the carnival area of the fairgrounds, near the rides and attractions, said Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriffs Office.

The suspects, identified as mostly male juveniles, were arrested for fighting, failing to disperse and resisting police, Kelly said.

It remained unclear Wednesday morning what started the melee.

No one was seriously injured in the brawl, Kelly added.

Considering the tens of thousands of visitors, it wasnt out of the norm to have to deal with a few issues, Kelly said.

KTVU

The gates at the fairgrounds at 4501 Pleasanton Ave. were shut at 6 p.m. due to traffic congestion, crowds and public safety, and the Fourth of July fireworks show went on as scheduled.

But about 7 p.m., more trouble occurred in one of the exhibition buildings at the fairgrounds when a firecracker was set off and someone yelled gun, prompting a mad dash for the doors, said Scott Zalkind  owner of Lucky Dog Hot Sauce in Hayward, who had a booth in the building.

Kelly said some juveniles ran through the building committing vandalism.

The sheriffs deputies surrounded the building and protected vendors, and words arent enough to describe how grateful I am as a vendor that they were there, Zalkind said.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Most of the drivers wont even enter the building.

The trauma from a mass shooting at a United Parcel Service distribution center has made going back to work almost unimaginable for many of the nearly 40 workers who witnessed the June 14 massacre.

San Francisco, though, has been prepared for helping shell-shocked survivors of the rampage that left three UPS drivers and the shooter dead.

As tactical police officers confronted 38-year-old Jimmy Chanh Lam inside the Potrero Hill building after he killed his co-workers, a team of service providers specially trained to assist in mass shootings rushed to the scene. Within half an hour of the first police call, they were helping drivers who had fled the building when the shooting started.

Law enforcements role is to provide safety and contain the incident. Our role is to support and intervene for the victims, said Dr. Gena Castro Rodriguez, chief of the victim services division of the San Francisco district attorneys office.

Her group is one of the first in the state specially trained to respond to mass-casualty events. District Attorney George Gascons office created the unit after the December 2015 attack in San Bernardino that left 14 people dead at a government offices Christmas party.

As of last week, only five of the UPS drivers who witnessed the shooting at the UPS center in San Francisco had returned to work, said Joe Cilia, the secretary-treasurer for Teamsters Local 2785, the drivers union.

People are afraid, he said. Its tough. People are starting to wonder whats going to happen going forward, and theyre not able to go back to work.

The first 30 days after an incident such as a mass shooting are a window during which trauma symptoms can worsen into post-traumatic stress disorder, Rodriguez said. Grief counselors, she said, can help survivors regain a sense of stability.

Leopold Parker, 53, was in the drivers morning meeting at the Potrero Hill building when Lam started shooting. He isnt back on the job at UPS, but hes been back at the office to speak with the counselors, which, he said, has helped a lot.

The veteran driver saw Lam shoot the first victim, Benson Louie, right in front of him.

So far, Im doing OK, Parker said. Im just worried about our younger drivers. I dont know what those guys are going through. Its been bad enough for me seeing a guy take a bullet.

While many drivers are working through the shock of what happened that day, theyre also disturbed that they will probably never know why Lam turned on his colleagues.

In some cases, the justice system gives some closure, Rodriguez said during an interview inside an airy lounge set up for crime victims on the fourth floor of San Franciscos Hall of Justice.

In this case, because the shooter is also deceased, were never going to really know what the motivation was or what the thoughts were, so thats going to linger for some families, she said, as Pink, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador therapy dog, rested at her feet.

Pink, who joined the district attorneys office in November, has been trained to provide affection and comfort to victims and witnesses traumatized by crimes like the UPS shooting, usually working in group settings or in private therapeutic session.

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.

The days ahead for the shooting survivors wont be easy. But because her team responded to the scene immediately, Rodriguez believes its in a better position to help them.

She began working soon after the San Bernardino attack to establish a citywide framework to handle survivors of mass shootings. Law enforcement and emergency personnel have long practiced for such attacks in exercises like Urban Shield in Alameda County, but less attention has been paid to dealing with the psychological fallout.

We know these events are increasing, Rodriguez said. We need to be prepared so were not always responding in the aftermath. We want to help people as quickly as we can.

Since San Bernardino, her team developed a response strategy and has held trainings with several city agencies, including the police and sheriffs departments and the Department of Public Health. It also works with law enforcement agencies in other Bay Area counties  including San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa and Marin counties  and is prepared to respond to provide assistance in mass-casualty incidents.

At the scene of the UPS shootings, Rodriguezs team served as a go-between for survivors and their families as the chaos unfolded. The team was ready with financial resources and on-site counseling.

While they havent gone back to work, many of the drivers have attended funerals for two of the three men killed in the attack. In addition to Louie, longtime drivers Michael Lefiti, 46, of Hercules and Wayne Chan, 56 of San Francisco were killed. All the victims will be remembered in a public ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday at City Hall.

As the drivers trickle back to work, theyll have to decide where theyre going to have their morning meetings.

I dont think anyone wants to assemble where we did, Parker said. We dont want to have flashbacks.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
You know that part in The Andy Griffith Show when Deputy Barney Fife fumbles in his pocket and asks, Can I use it now, Andy? Can I use my bullet? Thats the kind of deputy I am: a mediocre-to-lousy shot. But I drive down to the airport range every month and fire a hundred rounds to remind myself how to do it. And every qualification day, in late June, the range master writes down 81 next to the name Paulson. Barely passing.

The 160 deputies who work for me depend on me to eke out that score. Im the guy in charge of the biggest jail, and if I cant shoot straight, then who can? We depend on each other to keep safe, and the city depends on us to safeguard lives and property, to protect the innocent.

But not just shooting. As I was walking out the door one Tuesday, a sergeant said, Dont forget the blueberry.

What do you mean? I asked.

It doesnt take Nostradamus to predict that you pick up Krispy Kremes every other Wednesday.

Were an unsurprising family. When Laki, at Bravos Pizza, sees my telephone number, he answers, Half pepperoni/half cheese pizza. Chicken parm with spaghetti, not rigatoni. And you cant be too generous with the sauce. He depends on the business of people like us. And we depend on him to provide the best pizza in San Francisco every Friday night, the one meal of the week we dont argue over, at the one place where theyll let Aidan eat raw dough.

Brian and I have been together for 32 years, and part of that is because he is a brilliant and passionate dancer, but another part is that when I walk into Safeway with him, I can prophesy that I will never check out in the express lane.

When I first became a foster dad, I asked for a remedial parenting class. I had never changed a diaper, and I didnt know any lullabies. Our social worker, Mary, explained to me that at-risk boys didnt need any special skills. All they really needed was predictability: Never throw a surprise party for a foster child.

When Zane was young and I put him to bed at night, I asked him which story he wanted read, and every single night, for about three months, it was Where the Wild Things Are, until mysteriously, for the next three months, it would be Harold and the Purple Crayon. Zane didnt want mystery. He wanted to know that both Max and Harold got back home and were safely in bed by the end of the book.

Zane never learned the screen defense from me, and I did not teach Aidan about skinks. But Brian and I have been there, every morning and every evening for 14 years. For 5,110 dinners Zane and Aidan have depended on the four of us sitting around the battered wooden kitchen table that Pop gave us the year that Nurse Vivian died. We have held hands even when were mad at each other, and we said grace, and at the end, we raised our juice glasses, A toast! To the best boys in the world! and Zane has always added, Wherever they are.

I never can tell which day Zane will walk out on summer school or which day Aidan will stick his head in a concrete staircase. But I do depend on the boys to be my moral compass. Every day I ask myself whether my boys would be proud.

Even the dogs foresee. The minute that I get up from the kitchen table, Kryptos tail starts wagging because he depends on the fact that we never finish a pork chop without saving him a bite.

A year into this, Ive come to depend on you readers. You tell me when I mistake the location of the Raccoon Strait, and you tell me when the story of the Snacky Dinner has resonated. At least one reader has told me that she has come to depend on my being her Wednesday morning antidote to the bad news in Section A.

Yesterday, on July 4, the nation celebrated Independence Day, and that is good. All things considered, I would hate speaking in a British accent and bowing to a queen. But today, and the rest of the days of the year, we celebrate the fact that we are all connected, that we depend on each other not just for our security, but also for our sense of family. And joy.

Happy Interdependence Day.

Kevin Fisher-Paulsons column appears Wednesdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
When sound came to the movies in the late 1920s, suddenly every play and musical ever written became available for adaptation. The studios saw the opportunity and grabbed it. But what they didnt know  what it took them a while to realize  is that adaptations are like transplants. You cant just take one thing from one place and slap into something else.

Early attempts to adapt musicals, for example, were static, and plays were often stagy and featured people talking in weird accents that were not quite English and not quite American. But eventually, filmmakers remembered what theyd learned in the days of silent film, that the camera needed to move and that films needed to communicate, not just with words, but also with camera movement, close-ups and combinations of images.

Ever since, the theater has been a steady source for movies. Yes, more movies come from novels  like films, novels change locations at will and always have a defined perspective. Yet its almost inevitable that any play that makes a strong impression will find its way to celluloid, whether its a lightweight musical (Mamma Mia) or a heavyweight drama (Fences).

And there are no rules for this. Stage adaptations that seem like stage adaptations, that never open up into other locations, are fine; and ones that expand and seem as if they never could have been plays are fine, too. Films that are faithful to their original source can be great or dreadful, and so can films that play fast and loose with the original material. It all depends on the vision of the people making the film.

No matter what the approach, one thing is essential: The play must be reimagined as a film. That sounds almost ridiculously obvious, but in practice it means reimagining every moment and making the translation from one medium to another. Take, for example, War Horse, which premiered on Londons National Theatre in 2007 and became a Steven Spielberg film in 2011.

In the stage version, the horse was a large puppet, operated by visible puppeteers, and the horse was almost always onstage, often just off to the side. Thus, it was always easy to remember that War Horse was the horses story, and the cruelties depicted were easier to take, as well, because the use of puppets provided some distance.

On screen, this wasnt possible. You cant use fake horses in a movie, and unless the horse was literally in the scene, he couldnt be off in the background, there to remind us of his existence. Spielberg and his screenwriters instead had to find their way into the storys emotional current through filmic means, and they did. They invested in the emotional elements of individual moments and dramatically depicted war scenes only alluded to in the play.

The nagging thing about adapting great material is this: If the play is already great, it may be in its ideal form. That is, it may be meant to be a play, not a movie. That means, in a sense, that the play has to change and become something else in order to be just as great in another medium. For the film version of Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet added a character, played by Alec Baldwin, and an entirely new scene, which provided the movies most remembered line: Coffee is for closers.

Another thing that might have to change is casting. In 1963, it was regarded as a scandal that Julie Andrews, who played Eliza Doolittle on Broadway, was passed over for George Cukors film version, in favor of Audrey Hepburn, who couldnt really sing and ultimately had to be dubbed. But today, more than a half-century later, does anyone doubt the sheer magic Hepburn brings to that film? It was the right decision.

There have been some wrong decisions, too, over the years. Lots of them. What follows are some of the best and worst of films derived from plays:

Best

(1) Private Lives (1931): This Noel Coward play was only a year old when the screen version from MGM was released. Directed by Sidney Franklin, it represents the best of film and stage technique. Producer Irving Thalberg actually filmed the play when it was on Broadway, so Franklin and his cast could refer to it when they were in doubt. Yet some of the best comedy comes from Franklins use of close-ups. The result is a somewhat under-appreciated classic, and a landmark in stage to screen adaptation.

(2) Design for Living (1933): If Private Lives showed the value of faithfulness to an adapted work, Paramounts 1933 adaptation of another Noel Coward play showed the opposite. Screenwriter Ben Hecht essentially tossed the original play out the window, keeping only the premise of a menage a trois. That, combined with the direction of Ernst Lubitsch, resulted in a film even more sophisticated and witty than Cowards original work.

John Springer Collection / Corbis via Getty Images

(3) The Voice of the Turtle (1947): Ronald Reagan, Eleanor Parker and Eve Arden are magnificent in this almost-forgotten adaptation of John Van Drutens play, about a chance meeting between an Army officer and a budding actress, both of whom are recovering from deep spiritual wounds.

(4) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951): Elia Kazan directed this faithful adaptation of Tennessee Williams stage hit, importing most of the original Broadway cast, with Vivien Leigh taking on the role of Blanche DuBois, who was originally played on stage by Jessica Tandy. An excellent movie in its own right, its also a filmed record of Marlon Brando in the role that transfixed the theater public and transformed American acting.

Contributed Photo

(5) Richard III (1955): Heres the thing about Laurence Olivier. He looked like a leading man, but he had the soul of a character actor. In this adaptation of Shakespeares play, which he also directed, he is in hog heaven, with his fake nose and hump, straddling the line between comedy and tragedy and milking this villainous role for everything its worth.

AP

(6) My Fair Lady (1964): Rex Harrisons claim on history is his performance here as Henry Higgins, which preserves his Broadway performance in the same role. Audrey Hepburn is achingly lovely, and the movie is a feast for the eyes, the summit of a particular kind of full-color wide-screen opulence that would soon go out of fashion.

(7) Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966): Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton achieved their screen zenith, together and separately, in this Mike Nichols adaptation of the Edward Albee play. The film is just a succession of brilliant scenes and can be watched over and over again with pleasure  and horror.

Anonymous/Associated Press

(8) The Boys in the Band (1970): Acclaimed as a breakthrough and then discarded as an outdated relic, this William Friedkin film, an adaptation of the play by Mart Crowley, must be regarded as a slice of gay cinema history. Made when the gay rights movement was in its infancy, its a movie about how difficult it is to maintain a healthy self-conception in the midst of a culture that is demeaning you. Five of the actors who appear in the film died of AIDS, either in the late 80s or early 90s.

(9) Amadeus (1984): Milos Formans adaptation of the Peter Shaffer play, about the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri in old Vienna, is one of the great examples of a directors coming in with his own distinct vision and reshaping the play into a completely different kind of work. This time, the results couldnt have been better. Its a sensuous delight of beautiful settings and glorious music, with vivid performances.

(10) Fences (2016): Denzel Washington took a role made indelible by James Earl Jones and transformed it into his own psychological lexicon. Then he built a film around that, taking care to fill every single role in this August Wilson adaptation with the best actor available. And everyone had a chance to excel, especially Viola Davis, whose performance will be studied for the next 50 years.

David Lee/TNS

Worst

(1) Proof (2005): This adaptation of David Auburns Pulitzer Prize winning play, about a brilliant young mathematician who thinks she might be going mad, sabotaged itself through the casting of Gwyneth Paltrow, a pleasant actress, but one incapable of depicting mental torment. Lacking a doorway into madness, she just played the role as sullen  and took the movie down with her.

MIRAMAX

(2) Nine (2009): Rob Marshall adapted this outdated relic from the 1980s, a musical based on Fellinis 8, and cast Daniel Day-Lewis as an Italian director. Lewis idea of acting Italian was to walk hunched over and to smoke constantly. He looked like a creep, and when he sang, he didnt sound Italian. He sounded like Bela Lugosi.

Sony Pictures

(3) Rabbit Hole (2010): Two things got in the way of this adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaires Pulitzer Prize-winning play. First, the literalizing quality of cinema took what seemed emblematic (a husband and wife cope with the death of their son) and turned it specific, to the detriment of the material. And second, Nicole Kidman seemed miscast in a role originally played on stage by Cynthia Nixon.

Lionsgate Pictures

(4) Les Miserables (2012): Anne Hathaway annihilates the best song in the show (I Dreamed a Dream) by sobbing through it, and Hugh Jackman has tonal problems, in Tom Hoopers long, long, very long adaptation of the hit musical. Heres a case where a less faithful rendering might have aided the translation from stage to screen.

Associated Press

(5) August Osage County (2013): A disaster. Director John Wells took Tracy Letts dark and very funny black comedy and transformed it into a maudlin drama. He did this not by an act of will, but by passively allowing Meryl Streep to transform the character of the mother, a comic monster, into a vessel for audience pity. Its a shame that years from now people will blame Letts for Streeps demolition job.

Claire Folger/The Weinsteiin Co.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle
Justice is moving further out of reach for the poorest in Alameda County.

In an attempt to centralize the process in which criminal defendants enter a plea, learn their rights and meet their court-appointed attorneys, county officials will soon hold arraignments nearly 30 miles southeast of Oakland, at the new East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.

Most people arrested in Alameda County live closer to Oakland than to Dublin.

But the inconvenient location is only for defendants who are too poor to make bail, according to Morris Jacobson, the countys presiding judge, who came up with the idea. Defendants with enough cash for bail will still get to have their arrangements at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.

If you can afford to pay that bail, you get your first appearance in Oakland, not Dublin, Brendon Woods, the Alameda County public defender, told me. If they can afford to bail out, their case is heard in Oakland. So this comes down to money and access.

In other words, you can slide out of jail by sliding a debit or credit card, a perk of the criminal justice system that so many in Alameda County cant afford.

The $147 million facility in Dublin, a gleaming building that nobody wants to be caught in unless they work there, is the first new courthouse built in Alameda County in decades. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of this month.

Jacobson, who decided without community input to move arraignments to Dublin, says the idea hes been kicking around since 2014 will save money. While he hasnt said how much, at first glance it appears to be a sound, fiscally responsible decision.

Right now, suspects arrested in Alameda County are housed in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin before being transported to Oakland for arraignment. According to Jacobson, holding arraignments in the new courthouse, which is 300 yards away from the jail, will slash transportation costs and save time.

That might be true  but only for the court and the Alameda County Sheriffs Office, which buses the inmates back and forth in stainless steel handcuffs and leg irons.

Beginning next month, family and friends who want to provide support at an arraignment will have to drive an hour round-trip from Oakland or settle in for three hours on BART, paying $9 a person for round-trip tickets.

Arraignments usually last only a few minutes. Yet they are the crucial, introductory part of any case, when criminal charges are formally announced by the district attorneys office and when defendants who cant afford a private attorney are assigned a public defender.

Unsurprisingly, the arraignment is also when the criminal justice system, crippled by racial and social inequities, begins breaking down for the poorest among us. Moving arraignments to Dublin will ensure that the inequities only get worse: Not only will friends and families have to work harder to get to court, so will defense attorneys.

Because the Alameda County public defender doesnt have an office in Dublin, attorneys will waste more time in Bay Area traffic and spend less time digging into the cases stacked on their desks. The back-and-forth traveling could make public defenders less effective.

To drive my point home: The extra miles put more lives at risk.

They would have to go there for one appearance, and the rest of their cases are in Oakland, Woods, the county public defender, said about his staff attorneys. For me, its just a logistical nightmare trying to figure out how to make it work.

This is my worry  were going to spend more time traveling than preparing for cases.

Theres something that can be done to keep Jacobson and Woods from driving each other crazy. Jacobson should take a cue from Santa Clara County. Instead of charging a cash bail, the county put together a risk-assessment program that has reduced the jail population.

The program has saved Santa Clara County millions, so why not try an alternative plan that could keep millions in the pockets of Alameda County taxpayers?

Californias median bail is $50,000, and more than 60 percent of the people in our overcrowded jails cant make bail before trial or sentencing. That costs California taxpayers more than $4.5 million a day to house them.

A statewide solution to this problem stalled in the Assembly last week: a bill by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, to eliminate cash bail and let judges decide if defendants need to be jailed until trial.

On a week when we celebrate another year of this countrys independence, lets not forget the people who cant afford to buy their freedom.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last week called Kates Law (HR3004). The bill is named for Kate Steinle, the young woman whose unfortunate death in San Francisco in 2015 has been exploited as a recurrent shibboleth in efforts across the nation to instigate anti-immigrant fervor.

Were it in effect in 2015 however, nothing in this proposed law  which increases maximum sentences for immigrants who re-enter the country illegally after a deportation  would have prevented Steinles death. Her death was the result of systemic defects and individual errors that the bill does not address. What the law will do is fill our already overcrowded prisons with nonviolent immigrants.

The bill would do two things:

 Increase the maximum sentence for previously deported people who re-enter the U.S. from two years to 10, and increase the maximum sentences for people who re-enter after being convicted of certain criminal offenses  including for immigration offenses  to up to 25 years.

These law changes have nothing to do with the circumstances preceding Steinles death. Had the bill been law in 2015, it would have had no effect on Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, the man accused of causing her death. Thats because Lopez Sanchez already faced a 20-year prison sentence each time he entered the country, based on a minor narcotics conviction from 1993 in the state of Washington  an offense that aggravates any illegal entry he committed (8 U.S. Code 1326).

The facts of this case are largely unknown to the public. Lopez Sanchez didnt travel to San Francisco voluntarily. He was transferred here by federal authorities, because San Francisco maintained a 20-year-old warrant in a marijuana offense. Lopez Sanchez then appeared in San Francisco Superior Court, where his case was promptly and predictably dismissed and he was released. Alone, unemployed, in a city he did not want to be in, Lopez Sanchez wandered the streets. In statements to ABC-7 news while incarcerated, Lopez Sanchez described picking up an object wrapped in a T-shirt that discharged while he handled it. What is uncontested: He did not know the victim, she was 100 feet away from him when shot, and the single bullet ricocheted off the concrete pier near where Lopez Sanchez was seated. The Sig Sauer .40 caliber automatic pistol, known for having a hair trigger, is documented in hundreds of accidental discharges, even when handled by trained law enforcement.

The firearm should never have been on the streets. The Bureau of Land Management official who left his loaded weapon unsecured in a car that was burglarized has never accounted for his negligence in starting the chain of events that resulted in Steinles death.

The frenzy surrounding the Houses passage of this law  and the repeated false assertions that being tougher on immigrants would have averted this tragedy  now threatens Lopez Sanchezs chances of a fair trial. Yet, none of the tragic events that led to Steinles death would have been affected by Kates Law. It wouldnt have prevented Lopez Sanchezs transfer to San Francisco or subsequent release, nor prevented the negligence and theft that placed a firearm in his path.

For those who want to whip up fear of immigrants, it is politically expedient to cast Lopez Sanchez as dangerous. But the truth is hes never previously been charged with a crime of violence. He is a simple man with a second-grade education who has survived many hardships. He came to the U.S. repeatedly because extreme poverty is the norm in many parts of Mexico. He risked going to jail so that he could perform a menial job that could feed him. Each time, he came to the U.S. because American employers openly encourage illegal immigration to fill the jobs U.S. citizens dont want.

Passing Kates Law as a response to this tragedy is the legal equivalent of invading Iraq in response to 911  a preying upon emotions to further a pre-existing agenda. It is a cynical anti-immigrant effort unrelated to Steinles death that in no way honors her memory.

Matt Gonzalez is one of the attorneys representing Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, whose trial is scheduled to begin later this month. He is the chief attorney in the San Francisco Public Defenders Office.
People shooting up on doorsteps, needles and tourniquets left behind. People sleeping and storing stuff under front steps and in electric meter boxes. Neighbors threatened by people who appear deranged. Daily car break-ins. Families afraid to go to the public library. Sidewalks littered with stolen mail and packages, used needles, vomit and feces. Sleepless nights from the noise of drug dealings and altercations and continuous screaming on the streets. Our local branch library, Jane Warner Plaza, and the 7-Eleven were magnets for groups of young people with no apparent residence and very apparent drug use and dealing. This was the Castros new normal.

Many of our neighbors gave up hope, put up gates or moved away. Others, while fed up, werent ready to give up.

Castro residents of different blocks came together as the Neighborhood Action Group to focus individual frustrations into group actions. Our goal is to restore a vibrant quality of life to the neighborhood, while addressing the needs and behavior of those on the streets. NAG wants to participate and support  and nag when necessary  city government to create legitimate, coordinated, fair solutions to the existing problems.

We meet biweekly to share research, brainstorm and determine actions. We show up and speak up. We participate in neighborhood cleanups and civic meetings. We advocate for specific initiatives and new programs worth a try: for example, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program in Seattle, data practices of New York City police and respite centers. We collaborate with city leaders and hold them  and ourselves  accountable for actions taken and promised.

Two coincidental events encouraged us:

 The city Fix-It initiatives engagement in the Castro, and

 The powerful media blitz on homelessness.

The Fix-It team provided a jump start with new cleanup efforts for the most problematic areas, improving lighting, trimming trees and accelerating improvements at the Eureka Valley library. San Francisco homelessness department Director Jeff Kositsky and his staff were forthcoming about their limited, focused approach and challenges. Our precincts police captain, William Griffin, increased presence at hot spots, decreasing encampments and drug use. The library piloted changes resulting in a safer, more-welcoming environment and reduction in disturbances. Supervisor Jeff Sheehy and staff listened to our ideas and helped to shape and advocate for the best.

The media blitz made complex data and information accessible, put it into a larger social context with compelling stories that humanized the facts and figures. The coverage made us realize the need to take action.

The process is frustrating and slow. City agencies arent always aligned and collaborating on common goals. Its difficult to obtain accurate, timely and meaningful data at a neighborhood level. Although we are encouraged by changes and attitudes reflected in the neighborhood, the larger changes seem illusive.

But we stay fixed on our goals: permanent street residence is not acceptable  its not safe or healthy for those who are housed or not housed. Services need to be available, not wait-listed, and should provide basics, such as centers with toilets and drinking water, Wi-Fi service, managers to assist with shelter, behavior counseling, addiction recovery, etc.

As a city, we need to review how law enforcement and consequences of drug use are managed. Although we would like to see more foot patrols and community policing, we do not believe arresting drug users on the street will solve the problem. We must always respect individual rights, but individuals with behavioral mental issues are endangering the safety and well-being of others. More services must be provided. Our laws need modification to allow intervention in some cases without the demonstration of imminent danger to self or others. This standard often creates a loop: a call to police, a trip to the emergency room, and quick release back to the streets.

Were in this together: Quality of life for everyone can be improved with commonsense services for those with fewer resources and options. Contempt or disregard will only allow conditions to deteriorate, and only put off solutions.

Its not about money: Well either spend it reactively, with emergency, police or clean-up services, or proactively, with housing and treatment.

We know there are no quick fixes, but we have seen small, perceptible improvements. Weve found that small actions give rise to greater ones. Involvement is contagious. Those who live in the community are best situated to understand community-specific problems.

Everyone can participate in creating solutions. For others, tired of complaining to little avail, we encourage you to organized, get involved and NAG in your neighborhood. San Francisco is a city of compassion and caring and a hub for technology and creativity. We can and must do better!

Joan Temko Anyon and Carolyn Thomas are Castro district residents representing the Neighborhood Action Group. To learn more, contact NAG at castronagaction@gmail.com.

Read the Beyond Homelessness coverage

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Who pays for all those political ads that bombard voters every election season?

An effort to make the answer clearer to the public is squeezing California Democrats between two liberal constituencies. On one side, theyre facing pressure from progressive activists who decry the influence of dark money and want more disclosure. On the other, theyre being lobbied by labor unions, which help fund their campaigns and are fighting a bill meant to bring more transparency.

This is an issue of who spends tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in campaigns, and do they feel that it would hurt the way that they do business, said Trent Lange, president of the California Clean Money Campaign.

The face-off comes as California Democrats are already suffering from internal divisions that have cleaved left-wing supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders  Berniecrats  from the partys established leaders. The camps disagreed in the race last month for chair of the state party and in debates in the Capitol over a proposal to create a single-payer health care system.

For years, Lange and an array of advocacy groups have been pushing for legislation dubbed the Disclose Act, which would change Californias political ethics law in two significant ways. It would require campaign ads to more clearly display the names of the groups that paid for them, dictating details such as font size and background color. And it would require that the listed backers be the original source of the money, not masked by a misleading committee name such as Citizens for Mom and Apple Pie.

Many grassroots Democrats support the bill. Activists have gathered thousands of signatures on nonbinding petitions, and the platform adopted at the state party convention this spring states that Democrats will implement full disclosure of funding sources for political advertisements ... in a way that clearly and unambiguously identifies the largest major donor.

Yet various forms of the Disclose Act have failed in the Democratic-controlled Legislature four times in the last seven years. A recent version  mired in opposition from some labor unions  couldnt even get a vote in committee. That prompted a rally outside the Capitol last month at which one Democratic lawmaker implored the visiting activists not to give up, and another told them, This is not an easy fight.

And you know something? This should be an easy fight, said Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale (Los Angeles County). We have nothing to hide. Everybody should know who is funding campaigns, who is funding independent expenditures. This is a small but very important step.

The bill was on hold while its author, Democratic Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles, negotiated behind the scenes with key labor unions. He just released a new version, AB249, and its been substantially watered down. Instead of applying the proposed disclosure rules to ads for all kinds of political campaigns, the new version would require that the people paying for ads be listed only on those for ballot measures, not those for candidates. Last year in California, ballot measure campaigns drew a record $473 million.

What the new rendition of the bill leaves out is a large and growing sector of political advertising  the commercials and mailers paid for by independent expenditure groups. These super-PAC-style groups pool money from several sources and spend it to mount campaigns for and against candidates, but without any involvement from the candidates themselves. Last year, these independent groups spent $80.7 million on campaigns in California as they worked to sway the outcome of numerous legislative races.

The approach is used by interest groups across the political spectrum, including labor unions, oil companies, education advocates, casino-owning tribes, and associations for lawyers, dentists and doctors. Only labor unions have come out publicly against the Disclose Act this year. In a letter explaining why it opposed the earlier version of the bill, the California School Employees Association wrote that it didnt want new disclosure rules applied to independent expenditures.

This change would hamper labors ability to pool resources and share information to engage in independent expenditures from coalition committees, said a letter signed by the unions executive director, Dave Low.

The California Labor Federation, an umbrella group for many unions, also opposed the earlier version of the Disclose Act. Since the independent expenditure disclosure was removed, spokesman Steve Smith said, the new version is much closer to something that we would support.

The earlier version was unworkable, Smith said, because some independent expenditures are paid for collectively by many different unions, and there is only so much you can put in a disclaimer without it taking up the entire ad.

We want to make it clear to voters that labor unions are funding an advertisement, but it has to be something we can comply with, Smith said.

Gomez, who worked as a unions political director before being elected to the Legislature, said his own background in the labor movement helped him in negotiating the bill.

I could take a lot of pressure, said Gomez, who is likely to resign from the Legislature in the coming weeks because he was recently elected to Congress. I think anybody will be able to carry it over the finish line, but I was able to get very close because I come from labor.

Langes seven-year effort to pass the Disclose Act has outlasted several supportive legislators. Although hes unhappy that the latest version of the bill leaves out independent expenditures for candidates, Lange said voters will benefit from improved disclosure of the donors behind ballot measure ads.

Were not thrilled with it, Lange said. But we do want a bill that can pass.

Laurel Rosenhall is a reporter for CALmatters.org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining Californias policies and politics.
San Francisco Superior Court, faced with a deficit of nearly $5.3 million, says it will close its clerks offices at 1 p.m. on Fridays and require court staff to take Fridays off on a rotating basis, without pay.

The closures will start in September and continue through June, Presiding Judge Teri Jackson said Monday. The unpaid furloughs will begin Aug. 4.

The deficit arose from a 9 percent cut in state funding for the fiscal year that started July 1, Jackson said. She said four unions representing the workers had accepted the furloughs, which will require each staffer to miss one Friday per month through next June, to avoid layoffs.

The court is considering other money-saving measures, including a freeze on hiring, Jackson said.

We are committed to keeping our courtrooms open and continuing to prioritize access to justice despite the reductions, Jackson said in a statement.

With clerks offices closing earlier on Fridays, drop boxes will be available outside each office from 1 to 4 p.m. for documents that will be file-stamped on that day, the court said.

The state budget approved by Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature for the new fiscal year includes about $3.7 billion for the judiciary, about the same as last year, despite the contention of California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye that trial courts badly needed more funding after years of cuts. The state provides a large majority of the courts funding, and local fees cover most of the rest.

The San Francisco courts funding declined because of rules adopted by the state courts Judicial Council in 2013 that allocate an increasing share of state dollars to courts with relatively higher workloads for their judges.

Jackson said the San Francisco court suffered a 9 percent cut, the largest of any county, reducing its state funding to $51.7 million. In 2008, before the recession, the court had a $90.5 million budget and nearly 600 nonjudicial employees, compared with about 430 now, Jackson said. The court started laying off employees in 2011 after the first round of state budget cuts.

The courts judges will not be furloughed, but Jackson said they had agreed to make voluntary contributions to help support court operations. She said she was requesting an amount equal to one day of their pay per month, about $509, from Aug. 1 through June.

The clerks offices are at the courts headquarters at 400 McAllister St., the criminal and traffic courts at 850 Bryant St., and the Juvenile Justice Center at 375 Woodside Ave.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
The idea of communal or cooperative living has been associated with hippies, the 1960s counterculture, and even cults in recent decades. But for people living in them today, like the author of this piece, the routine of waking up in a house full of former strangers feels more practical than subversive.

Communal culture in the Bay Area started long before the Summer of Love. For example, Cloyne Court, a 140-person student housing co-op in Berkeley, has been operational since 1946. In 2013, The Chronicle reported that people in the tech industry were reviving the concept of communal living. At one point, the article listed 16 communal houses popping up in the region, with one former Stanford University computer science student running another four.

In June 2017, Business Insider reported that one Bay Area cooperative housing startup, HubHaus, has expanded to over 40 co-living houses in the past year. There are other companies like WeLive and PureHouse that are scaling a similar rate to HubHaus.

In part the new growth of these shared living spaces is the search for alternatives to the costs of traditional Bay Area rentals. But the trend is also pulling in people want to live a less atomized lifestyle.

Visual artists, teachers, event planners, writers and architects and more have been turning to co-living as a means to create intentional community, share resources and, in some cases, save money.

"I really was living in a small apartment in San Francisco that was, in so many ways, not really fulfilling what I wanted out of my living space. It was just super cheap," said Brent Schulkin, who lives in Euclid Manor, an 11-bedroom co-living house in Oakland. "I was one of the few who moved from San Francisco to Oakland to triple their rent, but for me it was definitely a desire to have community built in, to have friends that I can hang out with especially as someone is doing a lot of entrepreneurial stuff and spends a lot of time at home.

"That's much more demoralizing when you're by yourself all the time. You want to take a five-minute break, but there's no one around because you're in your little apartment, whereas here it's so much nicer to be able to take a break and have these great friends around and have these different resources."

One of the resources that is shared in several of these co-living houses is food. Residents often pay into a food budget and then buy food and drink that are communal.

Schulkin said that the shared food program, combined with the enthusiasm for cooking among his fellow residents at Euclid Manor, is a real bonus.

"I end up eating much more, with greater health and greater convenience than I otherwise would as a result," he said.

Eating meals at a co-op provided Will Schuerman, a 32-year-old psycholinguist, with some of his greatest memories while living in the 140-person Cloyne Court.

"Having a hundred people eating dinner, all together at once, from a home-cooked meal was always chaos," Schuerman said. "That was the fun of it. It was chaotic, but always in a fun, positive way."

Schuerman, who has lived in co-living houses off and on since his early 20s, said that once he lived with over 140 people, "anything smaller than that is manageable." But one of the challenges to living with several different people is making decisions.

Every housing cooperative has its own decision-making process. "We initially had lots of discussions about complicated governance models, but we haven't actually needed them," Schulkin said with a chuckle.

He said his house meets every other week to make major house decisions and makes smaller ones using the Slack messaging app. Schuerman lived in a house in 2017 that had a similar decision-making process. He said that one of the challenges of co-living, as it relates to decision-making, is that "people have different ideas of how the house should be run."

The Berkeley Student Housing Cooperative (BSHC), of which Cloyne Court is a part, has a member-elected board of directors and managers to facilitate conversations and make major decisions. That organization, which was created in 1933, oversees 17 housing cooperatives and three apartment co-ops around Berkeley's campus.

Aside from the large houses - like Cloyne Court and the three apartment co-ops - the BSHC has the Afro House, an African American theme house, The Convent for students age 25 and older and Andres Castro Arms, which became a people of color theme house in the fall of 2016.

So communal living, in various forms, has been around for much longer than the '60s. It's continuing to evolve in the Bay Area and will likely spread to other major cities, with venture capitalists starting to invest in co-living startups like HubHaus. The concept represents the future, at least for some of the people who are living communally now.

"Now that I've experienced this sort of living, I find it hard to imagine going back," Schulkin said. "I think that I've had a taste of this and I think that some form of community living will be in my future, certainly."
A good Samaritan trying to intervene in a fight was beaten with a cane in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco on the Fourth of July, officials said.

The 48-year-old victim was near the intersection of Sixth and Mission streets when he saw a man and a woman arguing about 3:36 p.m. Tuesday, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
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Firefighters missed a "short window of opportunity" to prevent a 16-year-old survivor of the Asiana Airlines crash from being run over by two San Francisco fire rigs, a death that "never should have" happened, National Transportation Safety Board officials said Tuesday.

At least two firefighters who looked at Ye Meng Yuan and decided she was dead could have examined her to verify that conclusion, but failed to do so, safety board investigator Jason Fedok said at a Washington hearing looking into the July 6 crash.

Ye, a Chinese schoolgirl flying to the U.S. to attend a religious camp in the San Fernando Valley, and a companion who also died were thrown from the plane when it crashed because they weren't wearing seat belts, Fedok said. They would probably have survived if they had been belted in, he said.

The third Chinese girl killed in the crash had her seat belt on but was struck in the head by a door on the Boeing 777 that was knocked loose on impact, Fedok said.

'Seconds counted'

Christopher Hart, the safety board's acting chairman, said firefighters and other first responders had "charged into the wreckage" to find survivors, despite not knowing when a fire that broke out on the plane might suddenly intensify.

"Seconds counted," Hart said. "Nonetheless, something happened that never should have."

Two fire rigs rolled over Ye as she lay on the ground near the burning plane's left wing. A San Mateo County coroner's autopsy found she was alive when the rigs struck her.

Safety board investigators concluded that firefighters "did not appropriately triage" Ye after looking at her and deciding she was dead.

Video footage

Video footage shows "a short window of opportunity for at least two firefighters to perform triage on (the girl) and verify their visual assessments," Fedok said, "but they did not do so."

The safety board did not identify the firefighters. But two, Lt. Christine Emmons and Roger Phillips, have said they saw Ye on the ground and assumed she was dead without examining her.

Such an assessment, experts say, involves physical contact, including checking for breathing and pulse.

Touching is essential

"You can't assess without touching," said Peter Green, a former San Francisco fire paramedic who developed the airport's multi-casualty triage response plan in 1999.

The first foam-spraying fire rig rolled over Ye 23 minutes after the crash, and the second one hit her 11 minutes later, investigators found.

Justin Green, an attorney for Ye's family, said the Fire Department and the city have never apologized for what happened. City officials have yet to respond to the family's legal claim, which is the first step toward a lawsuit, he said.

Basic step 'overlooked'

"Ultimately, you have a very basic step that was overlooked by more than one firefighter," Green said. "Here they look at someone, but no one checks her pulse."

He added, "To the family, this is more about admitting a mistake was made and making sure that it doesn't happen again. I don't think the family has heard what they need to hear."

At a safety board hearing in December, Assistant Deputy Fire Chief Dale Carnes said that what happened to Ye was "not a matter of us being careless or callous - it was the fact that we were dealing with a complex and dynamic environment and we were focused on saving as many lives as possible."

On Tuesday, the Fire Department issued a statement from Chief Joanne Hayes-White in which she praised the investigation as "thorough and comprehensive."

She said the department has beefed up training for firefighters and commanders and improved triage tracking and communications.

Commander training

The federal safety board said it had concerns about fire commanders' lack of training for handling crash scenes and communications problems among the first responders, though investigators said those were not factors in Ye's death.

Fedok noted that commanders "had no previous experience working at an airport, nor had they ever been involved in an airport disaster exercise."

Fedok added that there were "numerous problems with communication" among the first responders, including an incorrect report to the incident commander that there was no fire on the plane. Several emergency personnel said communication difficulties, including the lack of a common radio frequency, had hindered the response, Fedok said.

Airport Director John Martin said in a statement that SFO has taken steps to improve radio communications and is about to buy an emergency alert system. It has also procured a Boeing 767 for "realistic emergency training drills," he said.
A gas station attendant shot to death during an armed robbery in Antioch was described on Wednesday by family and friends as a loving father who worked tirelessly to put two of his three children through college and had hoped to do the same for his teenage son.

Jawad Ataie, 57, was working about 8:30 p.m. on Monday at the Valero gas station on 18th Street and Hillcrest Avenue when a man wielding a gun pistol-whipped him before fatally shooting him in the stomach and back, relatives said.

Police apparently shot the suspected robber dead, but have yet to release any information on the incident. The Contra Costa County district attorneys office confirmed Wednesday that the robber was killed and that prosecutors are investigating the officer-involved shooting in keeping with protocol for such incidents.

Sahib Singh, 30, was working behind the counter at a 7-Eleven across the street from the Valero when Ataie was killed. From the window of the convenience store, Singh saw a police officer standing near the doorway of the Valero with his gun drawn.

The officer shot at the suspect, who fell to the ground and then stumbled out into the street, Singh said. The 46-year-old suspect, whose name was not released, began jogging slowly toward nearby residences, climbed a white picket fence and fell into the yard of a house, Singh said.

The cop was running slow behind him because he knew (the suspect) was shot, said Singh, who spoke Punjabi.

A few minutes after the suspect climbed over the fence, the officer returned to the gas station, Singh said, adding that it was unclear if more shots were fired.

Ataie had been working at the Valero station for about five years, said Asad Noori, who owns the business.

He always had a smile, Noori said of Ataie.

Noori declined to comment on details of the shooting, but said police were on the scene until 6 a.m. that Tuesday and took security footage from the gas station to review.

Ataie emigrated from Afghanistan to the Bay Area in 1998 with his wife of 25 years and his eldest son, 24, and daughter, 22, relatives said.

He also has a 16-year-old son who was born in the United States and attends high school in the area.

He moved from Afghanistan to have a better life for his family and his kids, relatives said.

Ataie first came to Concord, and then moved to Antioch two years ago.

He was a hard worker, said a relative, who asked that his name not be used. He was a loving, great husband.

Relatives said Ataie worked long hours seven days a week to help pay his sons tuition at San Jose State University and to cover the cost of his daughters education at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.

That moment was in Gods hands. Nobody could do anything about it, the relative said of Ataies killing.

A Go Fund Me account was set up Monday to help the family with funeral costs. By Wednesday afternoon, the fund had raised nearly $32,000.

He was a loving man who worked everyday, Sunday through Saturday, to provide for his family as much as he could and never complained once, reads a statement on the Go Fund Me page.

On Tuesday, business continued as usual with Noori behind the counter and customers filling up their cars at the gas pumps.

Surjeet Virk, 40, has been working at the 7-Eleven across from Valero for eight years and said that while the area had seen a drop in criminal activity in recent years, it wasnt surprising that an armed robbery had occurred.

In this area, those things happen, Virk said. You hear gunshots.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
At a recent White House gathering of tech titans, Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered a blunt message to President Trump on how schools could better serve the nations needs. To help solve a huge deficit in the skills that we need today, Cook said, the government should do its part to make sure students learn computer programming.

Coding, Cook told the president, should be a requirement in every public school.

The Apple chiefs education mandate was just the latest tech company push for coding courses in schools. But even without Trumps support, Silicon Valley is already advancing that agenda  thanks largely to the marketing prowess of Code.org, an industry-backed nonprofit group.

Code.org was founded in 2012 by Hadi Partovi, an early investor in Facebook and Airbnb, and his twin brother, Ali Partovi, himself an early investor in Zappos and Dropbox. The group gained renown by using a viral video to stir up mass demand for coding lessons. Now Code.orgs goal is to get every public school in the United States to teach computer science.

In our tech-driven world, Hadi Partovi argues, computer science has become as essential for students as reading, writing and math. Encryption is at least as foundational as photosynthesis, he said.

Computer science is also essential to U.S. tech companies, which have become heavily reliant on foreign engineers. Trumps efforts to limit immigration make Code.orgs teach-Americans-to-code agenda even more attractive to the industry.

In a few years, Code.org has raised more than $60 million from Microsoft, Facebook, Google and Salesforce, along with individual tech executives and foundations. It has helped to persuade two dozen states to change their education policies and laws, Partovi said, while creating free introductory coding lessons, called Hour of Code, which more than 100 million students worldwide have tried.

Along the way, Code.org has emerged as a prototype for Silicon Valley education reform: a social-media-savvy entity that pushes for education policy changes, develops curricula, offers online coding lessons and trains teachers  touching nearly every facet of the education supply chain.

They have got this multipronged approach, said Amy Klement, a partner at Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment organization started by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife, Pam, which has given $5.5 million to Code.org. Its unique and a model I would love to see replicated.

But its multilevel influence machine also raises the question of whether Silicon Valley is swaying public schools to serve its own interests  in this case, its need for software engineers  with little scrutiny. If I were a state legislator, I would certainly be wondering about motives, said Sarah Reckhow, an assistant professor of political science at Michigan State University. You want to see public investment in a skill set that is the skill set you need for your business?

Partovi, 44, said he simply wanted to give students the opportunity to develop the same skills that helped him and his backers succeed. He immigrated as a child to the United States from Iran with his family, went on to study computer science at Harvard, and later sold a voice-recognition startup he had co-founded to Microsoft for a reported $800 million.

That dream is much less accessible if you are in one of Americas schools where they dont even tell you you could go into that field, Partovi said.

Even so, he acknowledged some industry self-interest. If you are running a tech company, he said, its extremely hard to hire and retain engineers.

Code.org is now one of the largest providers of free online coding lessons and more comprehensive computer science curriculums. It has also provided training workshops to more than 57,000 teachers, Partovi said.

The rise of Code.org coincides with a larger tech-industry push to remake U.S. primary and secondary schools with computers and learning apps, a market estimated to reach $21 billion by 2020.

Last year, Apple rolled out a free app, called Swift Playgrounds, to teach basic coding in Swift, a programming language the company unveiled in 2014.

Last month, Apple introduced a yearlong curriculum for high schools and community colleges to teach app design in Swift. Apple has also supported Code.org by hosting the groups popular Hour of Code events in its stores.

Before Code.org emerged, the National Science Foundation, industry, and education experts worked for years to develop and spread computer science instruction in schools. In 2009, for instance, an engineer at Microsoft started a program called Teals (for Technology Education and Literacy in Schools) that places tech company volunteers in schools to help teach the subject.

Then Partovi came along with the idea of using a viral video to spark mass demand for the courses.

He began by persuading Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear in a short film promoting coding to students. In its first week on YouTube, the video, called What Most Schools Dont Teach, racked up roughly 9 million views. Within two weeks, Partovi said, about 20,000 teachers contacted him.

Partovi compared Code.orgs approach to those of startups like Airbnb and Uber. Airbnb is disrupting the travel space, but they dont own the hotels, he said, adding: We are in a similar model, disrupting education. But we are not running the school and we dont hire the teachers.

Partovis elite connections didnt hurt.

One day in early 2013, he bumped into his neighbor, Bradford Smith, then a senior Microsoft executive, in a driveway outside their homes in Bellevue, Wash. Smith had recently published a Microsoft report calling for a federal plan to better prepare students for careers in computer science and engineering.

Partovi, for his part, was hoping to go viral with a message that coding could improve students job prospects. Teaching skills that may lead to higher-paying jobs seems like the kind of idea that everyone in the country can get behind, he said.

Partovi promptly invited Smith over to preview his celebrity coders video.

Microsoft soon became Code.orgs largest donor. Smith, now the president of Microsoft, compared their efforts to an educational initiative in the late 1950s. Back then, the Soviet Union had just won the space race by launching Sputnik, and the United States, in an effort to catch up, passed a law to finance physics and other science courses.

We think computer science is to the 21st century what physics was to the 20th century, Smith said.

Together with local groups, Partovi said, Code.org and Microsoft have helped persuade 24 states to allow computer science to count toward math or science credits required for high school graduation. Along with groups like Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code and Latina Girls Code, Code.org has worked to make the subject accessible to a diverse group of students.

But the movement has also supported legislation that could give companies enormous sway in public schools, starting with kindergarten, with little public awareness.

Last year, Microsoft and Code.org helped push for a career-education bill in Idaho that, education researchers warned, could prioritize industry demands over students interests. Among other things, they said, it could sway schools to teach specific programming languages that certain companies needed, rather than broader problem-solving approaches that students might use throughout their lives.

It gets very problematic when industry is deciding the content and direction of public education, said Jane Margolis, a senior researcher at UCLAs Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

The Idaho bill read, in part, It is essential that efforts to increase computer science instruction, kindergarten through career, be driven by the needs of industry and be developed in partnership with industry.

When a reporter apprised him of the bills language, Smith of Microsoft seemed taken aback, saying he had not endorsed it. Broad public education should not be grounded first and foremost in the needs of any particular industry  or in the needs of industry as a whole, he said.

Partovi noted that Code.org had opposed a more extreme coding bill in Florida that would have required students to obtain industry certification. It has also opposed bills that would allow coding courses to count toward foreign-language credits in high schools, he said. Still, Partovi added, We do think that tech companies have a role to play.

The Idaho law took effect last year. One of its first results was a new program, developed with Oracle, to train public-school teachers how to teach students Java, the Redwood City companys popular coding language. Other companies, including chipmaker Micron Technology, were invited to help develop computer science standards.

Some people will believe that industry is going to be driving our education system forward, and that is absolutely not the case, said Angela Hemingway, executive director of the Idaho STEM Action Center, which oversees the states computer science education initiative. They are collaborative partners.

Smith of Microsoft said that tech companies and philanthropists were simply trying to give voice to an overlooked subject. What we really need is a national conversation about the broad array of intellectual disciplines that will be fundamental to the future of American students, Smith said. Its a broad array, not a single subject.

Partovi concurred. We have a lot of debate in this country about how to teach, he said, and not enough debate about what to teach.

Natasha Singer is a New York Times writer.
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Actress Mindy Kaling has sold her home in the Hollywood Hills for $1.61 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The creator and star of "The Mindy Project" bought the property four years ago for $1.7 million, so she's absorbing a small loss on the 1,600-square-foot home in Los Angeles.
HELENA, Mont.  FBI agents seized bomb-making materials, seven guns and ammunition from the Montana home of a man they suspect of carrying out bank robberies in five states, according to an inventory list filed with a federal court.

The property seized from Richard Gathercoles home in Roundup shows that agents also found sheriffs badges and patches, a sheriffs vest, an ammunition vest, a military style helmet, an organic chemistry book and material to make identification badges.

Authorities believe Gathercole, 39, is the man they call the AK-47 bandit who held up at least six banks since 2012 in California, Washington, Idaho, Nebraska and Iowa. The suspect typically wore a mask with only his nose and eyes showing and carried an AK-47 rifle with a drum magazine.

Gathercole is being held in Lexington, Neb., where he is accused of stealing a truck and guns and firing on a Kansas state trooper who was trying to pull him over for a traffic stop last month.

The inventory list filed with U.S. District Court in Billings on June 27 listed 39 seized items, including computers, books and other documents. It does not include details of the improvised-explosive device material that was found other than IED components.

Travis Burrows, the FBIs senior supervisory resident agent in Billings, said a total of seven explosives were found in Gathercoles home, and a bomb squad detonated them all.

The search warrant filed with the court said one explosive device was used in a 2015 bank robbery in Iowa and contained powder, metal pieces and a fuse.

Gathercole is scheduled to appear in court in Nebraska on Thursday on both a fugitive from justice charge related to the attempted shooting of the Kansas trooper and on the theft charges.

His public defender, Corey Burns, said Wednesday that the preliminary hearing will only determine whether there is probable cause to file those charges, and that Gathercole will not enter a plea.

He declined to discuss Gathercole any further without his clients permission, other than to say, He is doing well.

Federal charges related to the bank robberies have not been filed. Last week, San Bernardino County prosecutors said they planned to charge Gathercole with attempted murder of a peace officer for the shooting of a Chino police officer during a 2012 bank robbery.

Matt Volz is an Associated Press writer.
NEW YORK  A New York City police officer was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside a mobile command post by an ex-convict who had ranted online about his treatment in prison and about officers getting away with killing people, authorities said. The gunman was killed by police about a block away.

Miosotis Familia, a 12-year member of the force, was writing in her notebook in the front seat of the RV-like vehicle when the killer strode up to it in a Bronx neighborhood around 12:30 a.m. and fired one round through the passenger-side window, striking her in the head, authorities said.

PO Miosotis Familia has been assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops assigned to keep NYers safe, Police Commissioner James ONeill tweeted.

Her partner radioed frantically for help, and police caught up to 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, who was gunned down after pulling a revolver, police said.

Familia, 48, had been stationed inside the mobile command post, which had been set up in the high-crime neighborhood since March after a triple shooting and was manned around the clock.

Bonds was sentenced to six years in Attica prison in an armed robbery case out of Syracuse and had been paroled in 2013. He had other prior arrests, including one in 2001, when as a teenager he was accused of attacking an officer with brass knuckles.

In a video posted on Facebook in September, the Bronx man ranted about the treatment of people by officers and talked about how hard life was behind bars.

Dont think every brother, cousin, uncle you got that get killed in jail is because of a Blood or Crip or Latin King killing them. Nah, police be killing them and saying that an inmate killed them, he said in the video.

At another point, he said into the camera: Im not playing, Mr. Officer. I dont care about 100 police watching this. And: Its time for people to wisen up.

Police said they were trying to identify the motive for the shooting.

While tensions have been running high between police and black people around the country, there was little or no immediate indication the killing had a racial dimension. Bonds was black; Familia was black and Hispanic, her family hailing from the Dominican Republic. She apparently had no previous contact with Bonds.

Familia, a mother of three, including a set of twins, lived with her mother and worked the midnight shift in the Bronx. Family and friends said she became an officer to help her community.

Officers stood at attention and saluted as an ambulance carrying her body left the hospital.

Colleen Long is an Associated Press writer.
JERSEY CITY, N.J.  Until he stepped aside from his real estate business to become a senior White House aide, developer Jared Kushner was a major player in the gentrification of Jersey City, where former railroad yards and waste sites are being transformed into luxury housing.

His company built a high-rise branded with the name of his father-in-law, Donald Trump, featuring a gold-hued marquee and skyline views of lower Manhattan. It was embarking on a twin-towered $800 million compound that would have dominated downtowns Journal Square, and bidding on a 100-acre industrial site to build 8,000 homes to be marketed to Orthodox Jews.

But being related to the president is not a blessing here.

Since the presidential election, Jersey City has turned sharply against Kushner. Opposition to Trump runs deep here, and the city has been taking out some of that hostility on the Kushner Cos., withdrawing political support for high-profile projects and shining a spotlight on the companys business practices.

Mayor Steven Fulop, a friend of 36-year-old Kushner, abruptly yanked his support for a tax abatement at Journal Square in May. Several other Kushner projects have run into intense public opposition, with community activists accusing the Kushners of hiding campaign contributions, abusing a federal program designed to promote development in poor areas, and selling visas to Chinese investors while the Trump administration is cracking down on immigration.

Trump is toxic in Jersey City, said Bill Matsikoudis, a lawyer who is running for mayor against Fulop.

Historically steeped in Democratic-machine politics, the city now has a large population of immigrants, young professionals and minorities. Few of them voted for Trump, who got 14 percent of the vote here in the presidential election.

Plenty of people also hold a grudge against Trump because of his claim during the presidential campaign  soundly debunked  that thousands and thousands of people in Jersey City were cheering on Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center towers came down.

The Kushners are woven into the fabric of a lot of communities in New Jersey, but the problem for them is that none of those communities like Trump, said Matt Hale, a political scientist at Seton Hall University. If you anger someone in New Jersey, you dont get the tax abatement. Thats the transactional nature of New Jersey politics.

Kushner has stepped down from his chief executive role at his familys company. But the fact that he retains ownership in some of its properties has raised questions about whether there are inherent conflicts in being a real estate developer while holding a high federal position.

Barbara Demick is a Los Angeles Times writer.
With most plays, to say their characters are simple, their plots predictable and their messages didactic would amount to a strong criticism. But what if thats what the theater company is going for?

The San Francisco Mime Troupe, whose Walls opened in Dolores Park on Tuesday, July 4, before touring to parks across Northern California, never aspires to subtlety. Its tools are those of agitprop. It mimics the powerful (thats where the companys name comes from  not from artsy silent mime), seeking not just to entertain but to stir its audiences to think critically and take politically progressive action.

With Walls, which marks the Tony-winning companys 58th season, the target is the authors and enforcers of our inhumane immigration policies. Mary Jones (Velina Brown) and Cliodhna Aghabullogue (Lizzie Calogero) are Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents whose own lives make their work hypocritical. Mary is in a relationship with Zaniyah (Marilet Martinez), an undocumented immigrant, and Cliodhna, an immigrant from Ireland, fudged her paperwork. The worthy implication here is that any support of our immigration policies  which incriminate the innocent, encourage deadly border crossings and split families apart, among manifold other evils  is inherently hypocritical, for we all benefit from at least semi-porous borders and the contributions of immigrants past and present (and most of us are or descend from immigrants past and present).

But Walls, which is written by Michael Gene Sullivan and directed by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, doesnt add much more to that point than you can get from the straight, one-sentence version of it. Zaniyah is so deeply scarred by her border crossing that each time she hears the word border, she snaps, as if getting zapped by an electric fence (accompanied by an electrocuting guitar riff from the live band). But then when she finally tells Mary her tale, her journey hits only the familiar signposts  desert heat and cold, a pack of hiding bodies, sexual exploitation  of countless other immigration narratives.

Browns Mary never really has a crisis of conscience; she seems ready to to turn in her badge almost from the shows opening, which makes for a dithering journey to a foregone conclusion 80 minutes later. Song lyrics, by Piero Amadeo Infante, over-explain: When I came back it was so hard to find a job, or All this time Ive only been thinking of myself. (And as performed by this cast of four, which also includes Rotimi Agbabiaka, they are more screeched or croaked than sung.)

When agitprop has worked in the past, it has been to speak directly to and champion a very specific oppressed group who had no one else to speak for them, who were ignored by other art forms (and by most of the rest of society). Think of the Depression-era workers roused by the call to Strike! Strike! Strike! in Clifford Odets Waiting for Lefty, or the Central Valley migrant laborers inspired to organize by the actors of El Teatro Campesino.

Walls has neither that narrowly defined audience thats in urgent need of empowerment nor that clear call to take a concrete step. This is not to say its not well and good to support people without documentation and question heinous regulations, as the show advocates. And a Breitbart piece decrying the show as a lesbian illegal alien musical unworthy of NEA funding attests that somewhere out there, there exist audiences whod benefit from seeing it. But when the medium and the message are both already obvious to any audience member whod self-select to see the show in this lefty city, whats the point?

Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak

Walls: Book by Michael Gene Sullivan. Music by Michael Bello. Lyrics by Piero Amadeo Infante. Directed by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe. Various Northern California parks through Sept. 10. 80 minutes. (415) 285-1717. www.sfmt.org
In pursuit of happiness, we turn to our favorite subject: vintage homes. We didn't need to sign a declaration to pinpoint nine homes built in the 1770s, but it isn't exactly easy to sort through centuries of construction to uncover these Colonial-era gems.

All nine of the national treasures below are available for a buyer who yearns to live in a historic home. Many of these 1770s-era structures have original details intactso buyers can expect to find wide-plank hardwood floors, imposing wood beams criss-crossing the ceiling, and lots and lots of fireplaces.

If you're intrigued by the idea of declaring independence from the creature comforts of tract homes, scroll down and let freedom ring.

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251 Main St, Foxboro, MA

Price: $650,000

Built in: 1775

Worthy of declaration: Known as Sunnymeade, this Colonial stunner was built for a man by the name of Thomas Brastow Jr. While Brastow's biography isn't in most history books, his legacy lives on in this 10-room home. Elements of the home's original construction are apparent throughout, but it's been updated for modern life. It includes 3 acres and a private pond, ideal for contemplating the life of a colonist.

realtor.com



90 Old Harbor Rd, Chatham, MA

Price: $779,000

Built in: 1775

Worthy of declaration: This shingled Cape Codstyle home is known as the Captain Joseph Atkins House. With as many fireplaces as bedrooms (four), this Massachusetts marvel is ready for a new owner to cozy up and begin the home's next chapter.

realtor.com



1135 Halladay Ave W, Suffield, CT

Price: $356,900

Built in: 1774

Worthy of declaration: A 13-room Colonial over 200 years old for a little over $100 a square foot? It's a bargain for the ages! Known as Seven Smoakes, this is a home where the fireplaces outnumber the bedrooms, 5 to 4. The living room fireplace is huge and features a bake oven for nights when you're really going retro.

realtor.com



221 Ash St, Weston, MA

Price: $1,295,000

Built in: Sometime in the 1770s

Worthy of declaration: Records on this five-bedroom home indicate it was built in the decade of our nation's birth, but then moved to its current location in 1923. The post-and-beam construction offers a distinct 1770s vibe, and the stone wishing well out back harks back to a simpler time.

realtor.com



15125 River Rd, Sutherlin, VA

Price: $429,000

Built in: 1773

Worthy of declaration: For those who like to celebrate July Fourth with suds, there's no better buy than this former tavern. Carters Tavern offers three levels of living space, original woodwork dating to its construction, and a smokehouse out back. The memories of smoked meat and beer make for some serious fireworks.

realtor.com



144 Main St, Farmington, CT

Price: $879,000

Built in: 1773

Worthy of declaration: For a buyer who just wants a little bit of history, this fully renovated four-bedroom is the answer. Hints of the original home remain in the beams, but the rest of this place is perfectly updated 21st-century glamour.

realtor.com



142 Pascack Rd, Park Ridge, NJ

Price: $639,000

Built in: Circa 1773

Worthy of declaration: Known as the Ackerson House, this classic five-bedroom is described as a "sandstone Dutch Colonial"a style we've never run across. The home's been updated, but retains many of the vintage elements a historic buyer desires. We're in love with wide front porch, a perfect perch from which to observe a revolutionor just watch the grass grow.

realtor.com



285 Wallace Gap Ln, Madison, VA

Price: $4,400,000

Built in: 1770

Worthy of declaration: The Glen is the priciest option among these Colonial-era homes, but that's because it comes with 400 acres of property in Northern Virginia. The country estate that sits astride the acreage features five bedrooms and has been "completely remodeled and enlarged." For a budding land baron, this is the place.

realtor.com



310 Front St, Marion, MA

Price: $599,000

Built in: 1771

Worthy of declaration: Right along the waters of Buzzards Bay, this five-bedroom home is only about 20 miles south of Plymouth Rock. You say you want a revolution? Well, a buyer who decides to wade into this purchase will be responsible for some serious renovation. The kitchen is complete, but the rest of the house requires rescue from an able-bodied American who desires a slice of history.

realtor.com

This article "Talkin' 'bout a revolution: 9 historic homes built in the 1770s" appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice from realtor.com.
WARSAW  President Trump opened his two-nation European visit with what he expects to be a short but warm stop in Poland before he encounters what could be a frostier reception and thornier issues at an international summit in Germany. Trumps sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Koreas first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile threaten to put Trumps skills as a negotiator to the test.

Trump arrived in Warsaw late Wednesday for a 16-hour visit that includes a keynote address to the Poles from Krasinski Square, site of a monument commemorating the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. He will have meetings with the leaders of Poland and Croatia and plans a joint news conference  his first one abroad  with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Trump also is expected to meet with the heads of a dozen countries bordered by the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas. Collectively known as the Three Seas Initiative, the group aims to expand and modernize energy and trade with a goal of reducing the regions dependence on Russian energy.

Duda told Polish broadcaster TVN24 on Wednesday that he wants to tackle concrete issues like energy security in the meeting with Trump, not engage in some general talk about world security. Trump recently devoted a week to U.S. energy production.

Trumps return to Europe follows a shaky inaugural visit in late May and signs of unhappiness around the globe with his presidency.

A recent Pew Research Center survey of attitudes toward Trump in more than three dozen countries found fewer than 3 in 10 respondents expressing confidence in his ability to do the right thing on international affairs.

Trumps earlier visit was marred by several awkward encounters, including a tough speech to NATO members urging them to spend more on their armed forces, an uncomfortable handshake with Frances new president and a caught-on-camera moment when Trump pushed past the prime minister of Montenegro to get to the front of a group photo opportunity.

Poland may offer him a chance to shine.

Polish media reports say the government promised the White House cheering crowds as part of its invitation. Ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists plan to bus in groups of people for Trumps speech. The White House didnt respond to a request for comment on the reports.

With Trumps sights already set on getting re-elected in 2020, the visit to Poland could also be seen as a power play for battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, home to hundreds of thousands of Polish American voters.

Trump may also seek to use Poland as an exemplar of partnership. A U.S. ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, Poland is among the five NATO members that spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on the military. Thats something that Trump  and U.S. leaders before him  have demanded of NATO allies.

Darlene Superville and Ken Thomas are Associated Press writers.
In an age of alternative facts, you'd at least like to know what's in your food. But as director Scott Hamilton Kennedy (Fame High) reveals in his newest documentary, Food Evolution, things aren't that simple. Navigating the debate surrounding GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and with narration from scientist/superstar Neil deGrasse Tyson, the film documents why the United States, along with the rest of the world, is so torn up about engineering our food.

The words "GMO debate" evoke images of a divided, white, middle-class America, and Food Evolution puts the issue into a larger context of a global scale. The film asserts that with few facts and unchecked fear, GMOs have been banned across the world. As a result, farmers in countries as distant as Kenya and South Africa are losing food sources to disease and face starvation and mass crop loss. As one farmer urges, "Americans, please be aware, be informed that whenever you say 'no' to GM technology, you are suppressing Africa."

Such debate, rife with misinformation and conflicting conclusions, is a haunting parallel to the state of our current administration, but Food Evolution is based in scientific fact. While the documentary unquestionably favors GMOs, Kennedy gives voice to both sides of the issue and includes interviews with GMO scientists as well as influential anti-GMO activists like Jefferey Smith and Zen Honeycutt. And though a documentary about GMOs could easily become dull, Food Evolution stays fresh and energetic, showing that, in the end, we all want the same thing: fresh, safe, sustainable food. It's just a question of how to get there. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, Food Evolution is a must-see. To know, to understand and to think critically about the future of food production is essentialquite literally a matter of life and death.

9

+ Engaging and challenging

- Not enough Neil deGrasse Tyson. Give us more!

Food Evolution

Directed by Kennedy

With Tyson, Honeycutt and Smith

Jean Cocteau Cinema,

NR,

92 min

Santa Fe Reporter
For 12 years Bizia Greene has taught children and adults about everything from table manners to business mixers. Shes the founder of the Etiquette School of Santa Fe (988-2070, etiquetteschoolof santafe.com) and now is the author of the Etiquette Rules column in the Santa Fe New Mexican.

In October 2008, SFR interviewed Greene at the height of the Obama/McCain presidential raceand it's downright quaint what we were concerned about then, when it comes to the politeness of politicians. We caught up with Greene again to get her thoughts on the state of niceness in America.

SFR: In 2008, I asked your thoughts on the presidential race between Obama and McCain. You were very concerned that, during the debates, McCain did not make eye contact and did not turn his body toward Obama. What has happened since then in American politics?

BG: It's gone more downhill, and a prime example of that was at one debate between Trump and Clinton when he didn't shake her hand. That is such an aggressive behavior. The social norm is to shake hands. That is the mainstream American greeting. It doesn't matter who you're meetingwhether they are friend or foe, you shake hands. There have been other examples where Trump won't shake hands, like with the German chancellor. He just sat there looking away. Body language reveals a lot.

Even more pointedly rude is all the name-calling, from "nasty woman" to "deplorables."

I'm of the mindset that we were all told in our childhood that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.  Every child knows that's the rule at age 4. But now, it's out the window.

In a non-partisan spirit, what observations have you made about the politeness level of the president? I am particularly struck by how he consistently walks in front of his wife.

From the top down, I see a lack of awareness and sensitivity in the White House.  [On Inauguration Day], Trump gets out of the car, doesn't wait for his wife, and just walks right up the stairs. He's leading the charge.  This is a man who is not aware of his surroundings, not aware of the people around him; he is not chivalrous. Whether it's old-fashioned or not, your wife is your partner. She is the First Lady of the United States, and she deserves to be side-by-side with you. I thought it was disrespectful, given what a big moment that was on the world stage, and that it would be photographed.

How have the social changes of the last 10 years influenced your curriculum?

I have a whole curriculum on social media and using cell phones, and that was not as extensive when I started. The main message is, 'Any time you press send or enter, it's out there for good. You cannot take it back.' It's something I tell all my clients, even my corporate clients, especially with 'reply' and 'reply-all.' That can be a disaster, and people have lost their jobs over that. There isn't a CEO or a beauty pageant queen who hasn't been called out on some Facebook post they put up five or eight years ago.

For my corporate clients, I tell them not to use their cell phones at networking events. Don't take down people's contact information on your phone. You don't have enough hands, with your hors d'oeuvres, your cocktailit's cumbersome. I tell all my clients to have business cards ready to exchange, that way you don't have to deal with technology at all. If they are going to a business lunch, if they're expecting an important call or email, announce at the front of the meeting that you might need to step away. Or say to everybody, 'Why don't we take three minutes to check our messages right now?' So there are designated times and you don't have a table top full of smartphones.

When I was growing up, I was always told there were three things it was impolite to discuss: politics, religion and money. All of that seems to be completely disregarded right now.

It is, and it isn't. For some of my family, they live in a tight-knit neighborhood where there are a lot of different political leanings. They've been able to carry on wonderful decades-long relationships, but there is an unwritten rule that politics will not be brought up because it would cause such a breakdown in the relationships. It just depends.

I think this is one of those times that it's even hard to agree to disagree. Even though a lot of the rules have gone out the window and we do talk about politics and religion and money, there are a lot of times where it isn't worth it because you know that you can't change the other person's mind, and vice versathey're not going to change your mind. Are you open to being enlightened? If you're not, don't go there.



Manners for Munchkins

(age 4-8): Thank-You Notes

4 pm Saturday July 8. $10.

Indigo Baby, DeVargas Center,

185 Paseo de Peralta,

954-4000

Young Ladies and Gents (age 12+)

11 am-2 pm Monday and Tuesday

July 17 and 18. $95.

Cowgirl BBQ,

319 S Guadalupe St.,

982-2565



Santa Fe Reporter
The struggle over what Americans choose to memorialize, and how, has spread from the movement to take down Confederate flags to now include the removal of statues venerating slave owners, racists and conquerors.

A pair of filmmakers from the Santa Fe area is drawing comparisons between the city's interpretations of its own European resettlement, epitomized by the Entrada de Don Diego de Vargas during the Fiestas celebrations in September, and this broader movement to modify or abolish painful symbols of conquest and domination.

According to the film's director, Jaima Chevalier, the documentary Veiled Lightning began as an examination of Native American artists who take inspiration from the 1680 Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish settlement at Pecos led by the medicine man Po'pay. As they began filming, they realized the uprising has resonance with resurgent Native American activism today.

An abridged version of the film was screened for the first time in early June at the New Mexico History Museum. Chevalier says she and her team have since received death threats because of its provocative content.

"The climax of the story is really what's happening today in protesting the whole situation around the Fiestas Entrada," Chevalier tells SFR. "That ended up being the exclusive news coverage we had, because that wasn't being followed by the dominant media."

At times, the improvised development of the film is apparent. Much of it consists of interviews with Indigenous artists and academics, and to a lesser extent, activists. Some are Pueblo people whose families take issue with the depiction of Spain's resettlement of Santa Fe in 1692.

Co-producer Ashley Browning, who grew up in the Pojoaque Pueblo, considers the Pueblo Revolt to be the first anti- colonial revolution to happen on American soil. She recalled as a child when dancers associated with the Fiestas would come perform at her school.

"I thought, 'That's nice, they look pretty,' but looking at it now it's very different," she says. "And knowing about the Pueblo Revolt and the history of it all  it gets me to where, why don't we have other fiestas that celebrate Native culture, or other talks about it all around?"

Elena Ortiz, a film subject from Ohkay Owingeh, who participated in a protest against the Entrada last year, echoed Browning's complaints.

"Very early I learned. My father would say Fiestas is not for us," Ortiz says. "When I got older, I simply refused to have anything to do with it, and I wrote letters to the newspaper, I talked to teachers at high schools about alternative narratives; but it really started affecting me when I had my own kids and saw they were going through it, and I remembered how it made me feel."

Ortiz and her daughter are now involved in efforts to abolish the Entrada. Also part of the effort are Jessica Montoya and her husband, Anastacio Trujillo. Both were elected to represent the "Spanish Princess" role and Don Diego de Vargas, respectively, in past Entrada productions, but now they see it as a celebration of conquest.

Montoya says that last year she met with the mayor as well as the Fiesta Council about the possibility of having the group Tewa Women United give a presentation on inter-generational trauma among Native people at this year's Fiesta. Although they mayor was receptive at the time, she says, nothing ever came to fruition.

"If the Caballeros de Vargas [the group that writes the script and choreographs the Entrada production] don't listen now, it's guaranteed this year the protests are going to be even louder and bigger. Because not only are local Natives upset about this, the whole world is watching now," she says.

A woman named Jennifer Marley from the San Ildefonso Pueblo looped Montoya into the organizing effort. Marley, an undergraduate at the University of New Mexico, has helped lead efforts to organize against the Entrada as a member of the Red Nation, a coalition of Indigenous activists "dedicated to the liberation of Indigenous peoples from colonialism."

This year, Marley says, the Red Nation plans to broaden its message beyond the abolition of the Entrada, including the protection of Chaco Canyon from fracking.

"I think a lot of energy has been accumulating ever since the [the Dakota Access Pipeline], especially among Pueblo people, which was actually surprising to me," Marley says. "Ultimately this is a struggle for ... Native life and land is constantly disregarded by both political actors and the general public, especially in a place like Santa Fe, which is on Pueblo land."

The demands of the film subjects have not been well-received by the Santa Fe Fiesta Council, whose president, Dean Milligan, considers the Red Nation to be a group of agitators from out of town. He says he is willing to sit down and speak with anybody in order to avoid protests, but is not amenable to abolishing the event.

"We've been celebrating this for 305 years. Why all of a sudden are these people, people not from here, coming and protesting? They don't understand it," he says. "We have got the Native Americans involved in everything in Fiestas, and if they were so upset with us, do you think they'd participate in it?"

Mayor Javier Gonzales says the city has "encouraged" dialogue between tribal leaders of the Tesuque Pueblo and the Fiesta Council, but maintains that the city's role is limited to reimbursing the council up to $50,000 through a lodger's tax for costs associated with the Fiestas event.

"I don't believe that the Entrada can be compared to what happened in the South, [but] I do believe there are statues around Santa Fe that were put up to celebrate Manifest Destiny and the conquering of a very peaceful people, that I think we need to confront what those symbols mean in our community by keeping them up," the mayor tells SFR by phone.

Chevalier says she and Browning will begin a film circuit for Veiled Lightning shortly, hitting up mostly New Mexico- or Native-focused festivals. A public showing of the film's final cut is planned at the New Mexico History Museum on Wednesday Sept. 6, to be followed by a community conversation about the Entrada hosted at the museum.

The Entrada production is scheduled to happen two days later, on Friday Sept. 8.



Correction: Jessica Montoya was previously elected to represent the role of the Spanish Princess, not the Indian Princess.

Santa Fe Reporter
The arch-yogi, Shiva, was known to practice his asanas and meditate atop mountains in the Himalayas. This is among the first points Tias Little, who runs Santa Fe-based Prajna Yoga with his wife, Surya, makes when we start talking about why yogis benefit from heading to places outside the quiet sanctuary of studios and, perhaps, into the mountains. In the practice itself, Little points to the mountains represented in tadasana, a root for many of the poses.

"Mountain pose is the sort of quintessential yoga pose; it's the first pose of all of the practice," he says.

The mountains and yoga are intertwined, clearly. That's sometimes tough to remember in an era when so many people practice in closed rooms, with music pumping through speakers.

Little takes his practice, and his teaching, to Telluride this month for the 10th annual Telluride Yoga Festival. He's been attending for years, and the tradition that's built up is that he and his 12-year-old son go a few days early to mountain bike or backpack through Colorado's peaks before the festival. They'll load mountain bikes on the gondola to ride up the slopes at Telluride and then bomb the downhill trails, or take the dog and backpack through the nearby wilderness areas.

"It's great to be doing a lot of outdoor activity, and fitness kind of training in the summertime in the mountains," Little says. "Just being able to be in nature, and experience the prana [essential life force]. Yoga is all about moving prana.  And the more outdoor time we get, the happier and healthier we can be."

At the festival, Little's work moves more within, to indoor spaces where he teaches classes on the fascia, the body's connective tissue; meditation; moving the blood, lymph and cerebral spinal fluid. His teaching focuses on the so-called subtle body, the more subtle energy systems yoga is meant to fine-tune. There's also a healthy dose of doing sun salutations from a vantage with a view of the valley, and meditating amid the aspen trees.

It sounds luxurious, but it's also how yoga was practiced for millennia. Little says it taps into the root goal of this 5,000-year-old tradition, which has more to do with training your mind than toning your abs.

In three and a half decades of practice, and two teaching, he sees that people start with the fitness and physical elements, and then begin to delve into the more intangible effects. In 2015, he published a manual on those approaches, Yoga of the Subtle Body: A Guide to the Physical and Energetic Anatomy of Yoga.

"All my life's work is really guiding people toward the contemplative side of yoga, to really work in the interior and in the subtle body," Little says. "So we can start on the outside with the outer forms and as we peel away the onion and work more and more toward the interior, and en route to that, one has to work with their own fears and hopes and judgments and shame and traumas and dreams. So we kind of lay out all these different layers of progression in the mind-body connection.  You go far enough, the practice gets more and more subtle, really, and that's really where the juice is."

His students, whether they find him here in Santa Fe, during his annual appearance at the Telluride Yoga Festival, or at other courses he teaches around the country, are less the "flow and glow" type. They're ones who want to come to sit still and meditate. His courses at Prajna Yoga are often weeks long, and some culminate in eight-day silent meditation retreats.

"It's really helping people dig a deep well," he says.

And that, somehow, circles back to the mountains, and this notion of a mind that resembles the view from the top of a peak.

"The tradition of meditation and yoga have always been linked to spacious awareness or boundless awareness, so that experience of vastness or spaciousness is really so palpable up there," he says. "Tibetans notice that experience of the mind like space, uncluttered and without a lot of distractions.  In the classic Buddhist literature, the mind is described as empty. People equate that with vacuousness, but it's just the opposite; it's boundless, that boundless awareness identified to be space, or sky."



Tias Little teaches courses on yoga and fascia, vital fluids, meditation and alignment during the Telluride Yoga Festival (July 20-23 in Telluride, Colorado). Surya Little will teach classes on arm balances and backbends. More details and registration at tellurideyogafestival.com.

Santa Fe Reporter
An Art to It

After 60 years of editorial cartooning, Pat Oliphant wonders how the art form will survive

By Matt Grubs

At 81, Pat Oliphants eyes are finally giving him enough trouble that hes no longer drawing regularly. He hasnt stopped thinking about it, though. And its torture.

"We thought that Watergate was a unique condition. But it sort of pales in comparison to what we've got now," the editorial cartoonist tells SFR. "I've been in this business 60 years. And I've waited 60 years for this bastard to come along. And I can't do anything about it because of my eyes."

He's speaking of the president, to whom he will later refer as an imbecile.

"This guy would have really lent himself to it," he offers wistfully.

Courtesy Andrews McMeel Syndication (Courtesy Andrews McMeel Syndication)

At the business end of Oliphants pen, many of his subjects have had little choice but to bow to his unforgiving wit and widely praised artistic acumen. He won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1967as the story goes, by slyly figuring out the political bent of the judges and drawing a cartoon he thought could win.

Oliphant won the Pulitzer in his first few years at the Denver Post. It was his time there that introduced the native Australian to Santa Fe. He and his wife, Susan Conway, moved here from Washington, DC, in the '90s. Oliphant considers it a marked improvement on Beltway life.

He honed his sharp commentary on the whetstone of the daily news, morning radio and, later, cable television. Oliphant says he quickly learned that there was a delicate balance involved in his work regimen.

"Stay angry. You've got to work yourself up every morning into a lather of indignation and take it out in your drawings," he says. "Otherwise it'd be terrible not to have that outlet  which I'm finding now."

He still draws, occasionally, recently publishing a pair of editorial cartoons that pilloried both President Trump and adviser Steve Bannon. But he says his sketches of Trump are far from the final rendering he'd craft if he were producing work daily.

"You're trying to build a character at the same time as you're getting the caricature together," he says. Trump might lend himself to the character part more easily than the nine other presidents Oliphant has drawn, but he says getting a signature image down is something that demands painstaking self-criticism. "You're trying to say what you can about the person in one rendition. And it takes a bit of time to work that out in your mind."

It's hard to overstate just how much Pat Oliphant has meant to the world of editorial cartooning. His attention to not just political satire, but to the art of drawingperspective and balance and a dozen other aspectshas made him a legend. Some of his work is part of the Museum of New Mexico permanent collection and is also cataloged at the Library of Congress.

He worries no one cares about the quality of a cartoon these days. When it's all about getting a laugh, he says, and not about getting the head-shaking, sometimes angry reaction, editorial cartooning is doomed: "It's not a joke at all. It's serious business."

That's why SFR launched its Political Cartoon Contest. Even though all subjects were fair game, most entries featured a version of Trump. Check out the winner and honorable mentions here.

Grand Prize Winner

Trojan Trump (By Patrick Boyles)

Born and raised in Santa Fe. Patrick has two amazing kids and enjoys listening to Nick Cave and Tom Waits. He says no to GMOs and supports local, fair and fresh Santa Fe.

Honorable Mentions

Trump on Coal (By Marty Two Bulls)

...and yet she PERSEVERED (By Michelle Arterburn)

Untitled (By William Rotsaert)

The Donald Came to the White House Pregnant! (By Issa Nyaphaga)

Dont mess with the Lady (By Gayther Gonzales)

Tweet Storm Chasers (By Andrew Baron)

Job Screw Ups (By Samuel Kerwin)

Santa Fe Potty Truck (By Bill Gould)

Ill give you global warming (By John St. Peter)

Too Much Spinning (By Gayther Gonzales)

The president has no covfefe (By Eric Zerkel)

The Many Faces of Trump

It's hardly surprising that we received a large number of POTUS45 cartoons. After all, who could forget about that guy, even if they wanted to? Beholdthe many faces of Trump!

Bill Gould, Gayther Gonzales, Margaret Woodd, Dave Wilkison, Robert Shulman, John St. Peter, Tom Leech, Eric Zerkel (Bill Gould, Gayther Gonzales, Margaret Woodd, Dave Wilkison, Robert Shulman, John St. Peter, Tom Leech, Eric Zerkel)

Under 18 Entries

Global Warming (By Ethan James Quintana de Andres, Age 10)

Supergirl Defending America Against Trump (By Emma St. Peter, Age 11)

Zombie Attacks Trump (By Hannah St. Peter, Age 11)

Queen Martinez (By Jack Joseph, Age 12)

Santa Fe Reporter
1

PRISON GUARD ACCUSED OF SMUGGLING DRUGS INTO STATE PEN

Man, prison isn't even as cool as film and television have led us to believe!

2

OLD MEXICO GROWS CHILE, TOO

We don't care where it's from so long as Denver doesn't try to horn in on it.

3

ALBUQUERQUE POLICE UNION BESTOWS "MOST OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE COMMUNITY AWARD" ON THE ABQ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Pretty big words from a body that scares the living shit out of everyone.

4

BETTER CALL SAUL RENEWED FOR fourth SEASON

Great news for New Mexico jobs, better news for people who've entirely given up on trying to leave the house ever again.

5

COEN BROthers BACK IN New Mexico TO FILM THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS

It's probably dark or something.

6

KOB-TV NEWS TRUCK STOLEN WHILE FILMING

This just in: That's a stupid thing to steal.

7

TURNS OUT THE SPECIAL SUGARY DRINK TAX ELECTION COST TAXPAYERS LESS THAN WAS ESTIMATED

There. Now let us never speak of this again.

Santa Fe Reporter
New SF fireworks venue goes off, with a couple hitches

It took nearly an hour to figure out how to turn off the parking lot lights at the Santa Fe Place Mall, so the fireworks didn't start until almost 10 pm, but the new venuea combination of the mall and nearby Villa Linda Parkwas popular with Santa Feans. In fact, mall parking filled up before the scheduled start and the mayor took to Twitter to encourage latecomers to park in the lots of nearby businesses.

Balancing act

New Mexico

of its credit rating last week. That's good news, because the higher the state's bond rating, the cheaper it can borrow money. But Moody's warned the state not to get too comfortable; it pegged the outlook for the state's budget situation as negative. Say what you will about credit-rating agencies, but they have big influence.

Cervantes in for governor

State Sen. Joseph Cervantes plans to

for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination today. The attorney has been a fixture in the Roundhouse as both a representative and senator. Cervantes joins Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, Jeff Apodaca and Peter DeBenedittis in the field for the 2018 nomination.

Guadalupe redesign

Santa Fe hopes to use $375,000 in grant money to study a redesign of Guadalupe Street from the river north to basically the Blake's Lotaburger at Paseo de Peralta. The project

and would have a price tag of more than $3.6 million. So start planning your detour now.

No borders underground

The

Albuquerque Journal

finishes its "Two Nations, One Aquifer" series that examines the demand for water and the

below southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua. There's no international agreement in place and pumping water for cities and for irrigation has become a competition.

City councilor wants to ban circuses

Is there such a thing as fruit that is too low-hanging for jokes? Anyhow, Santa Fe City Councilor Signe Lindell is working on a

and other traveling animal acts. Lindell says the measure won't include rodeos; not necessarily because she feels they are different, but because the councilor says the measure wouldn't pass if it included rodeos.

SFR v. Gov

After April's three-day trial, state District Court Judge Sarah Singleton asked attorneys for SFR and Gov. Martinez to submit written closing arguments. Those are now filed and the

. The paper sued the administration for failing to follow the state's open-records law and for refusing to communicate after critical coverage of the governor.

Stormy day?

It's certainly possible. Yesterday was a boomer for eastern New Mexico and forecasters say that activity will

today. It'll stay warm, with temperatures creeping up into the high 80s.

Thanks for reading! The Word hopes you escaped the Fourth without sunburn and with all of your fingers ... unless you're that guy in the Pontiac on Cerrillos, in which case we can think of one finger you could do without.

Subscribe to the Morning Word at sfreporter.com/signup

Santa Fe Reporter
Lawyers for the Santa Fe Reporter and Gov. Susana Martinez have submitted written closing arguments in a long-running court battle over public information and records.

The Reporter sued Martinez in 2014, alleging she and her staff discriminated against the paper by refusing to communicate with its journalists and violated the state Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) by refusing to turn over records related to pardons, her schedule and other public business.

The papers attorneys argued that the stonewalling began, ironically enough, after publication of a cover story critical of the administration's lack of transparency.The unusual case has received wide attention, including from numerous state and local news organizations and from the Columbia Journalism Review. A victory for the newspaper could set new transparency standards for New Mexico state government; a win for the governor would mean some vindication for an elected official who has touted hers as the most transparent administration in state history.A three-day bench trial in the courtroom of state District Judge Sarah Singleton of Santa Fe concluded in April, setting the stage for both sides lawyers to sum up their cases in writing. In his closing arguments, Martinez contract lawyer, Paul Kennedy, argued that the lack of communication from the governors staff was a workload problem, not a form of discrimination. Further, Kennedy said, the governors office did not violate IPRA and said any delays in turning over records were the result of an understaffed and overloaded workforce in her office. The Reporters lawyer, Daniel Yohalem, argued that the governors office lacks comprehensive policies for responding to records requests and that the office did not show enough proof that staffers could not timely respond to both requests for comment and records. Yohalem also argued that public comments from key government staffers show discriminatory views held by Martinez administration. Kennedy said the Reporter didnt adequately prove the Martinez cover story resulted in her office shutting off communication with the paper. The two events, he argued, were not close enough to support an inference of causation.Yohalem argued that by publicly referring to the Reporter as a left-wing tabloid, former administration spokesman Enrique Knell was indeed showing a bias against the paper. Kennedy dismissed Knells comment, but conflated the political agenda of a local political action committee, which provided documents to the paper, with political views of the paper itself. The now-defunct Independent Source PAC gave emails to the paper, which Kennedy claimed led to the lawsuit. Knells comment, Kennedy argued, connotes the admitted bias of the source Plaintiff used for the subject matter of its lawsuit, not any bias on the part of Mr. Knell himself.During Knells testimony earlier this year, he attributed his left-wing comment to the lawsuit coming out of left field.Kennedy also said the lack of communication between Knell and the Reporter stemmed from a scantily staffed governors office, noting that Knells personal circumstances prevented him from responding to press inquires in a timely fashion. Kennedy said Knells lack of responsiveness to the Reporter staff was due to a death in Knells family, a commute from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and childcare obligations. So it would have been impossible for Mr. Knell to respond right away to detailed questions on every single bill that passed, much less all the potential legislation which did not pass, Kennedy wrote about Knells workload in early 2013. Kennedy also said the governors office didnt respond to Reporter staff because Knells communication style with the news media differed from that of his predecessor, Scott Darnell. Darnell, Kennedy said, devoted more time to staying in the office responding to e-mail and did not travel by the press rooms during the legislative session.Part of Yohalems argument, both in the courtroom and in the written closing, was that there were numerous, documented instances in which Knell sent seemingly unsolicited emails to journalists at other organizations while ignoring emails from Reporter staffers. During his testimony, Knell said he often walked the halls of the state Capitol building, where reporters would ask for comment on certain issues. Kennedy pointed back to that testimony and said the Reporter staff could have communicated with Knell had they frequented the press gallery. During testimony earlier this year, Pam Cason, the governors former records custodian, said when she received IPRA requests she contacted pertinent staffers and ask them to retrieve responsive records. During the trial, Yohalem questioned Cason and others on the offices policy for searching and retaining records. Key staffers such as Chief of Staff Keith Gardner and Darnell, who became a deputy chief of staff, said in their testimony that they would delete emails they deemed transitory, or not related to official business. The administrations legally deficient IPRA procedures, Yohalem wrote in his closing argument, resulted in a systematic failure to retain, maintain and produce public records contained in emails.Kennedy argued the governors staff should not be expected to keep email records, saying an e-mail message from 49, 73, or 500 days earlier may no longer exist in a persons e-mail account if the copy of the message residing in that particular account was deleted during that 49-, 73-, or 500-day period.Kennedy also chalked up the delays to a busy fire and flood season in 2013.He argued that Cason herself was not out of the office during major events like wildfires or floods, but that scheduling and communications staff she relied on to retrieve documents were. Kennedy also cited the IPRA compliance guide that states a records custodian may need assistance from other staff members to complete a search, and the office is not expected to disrupt its normal operations in order to respond to IPRA requests.The case is far from over. Both sides are expected to submit written rebuttals this week. Its unclear exactly when a final ruling is expected, but Judge Singleton and the lawyers made clear during the trial that whichever side loses plans to appeal. This story first appeared at nmpoliticalreport.com.

Santa Fe Reporter
Tenon, which is preparing to wind up as a company after agreeing to sell its remaining North American and New Zealand businesses, says it expects to have a cash surplus of about US$4.7 million to return to shareholders after liquidation.

The company said today it has finalised the net working capital adjustments required under the agreements relating to the US$100 million sale of its US operations to New York-based buyout firm Blue Wolf Capital and the US$55 million sale of its Clearwood mill in Taupo to a group of US and New Zealand investors led by Tenon's controlling shareholder Rubicon.

Tenon returned US$71 million, or $100 million, from the US sale via a share cancellation in December, and a second capital return of about US$43 million, also by cancelling shares, in April from the Clearwood proceeds. Shareholders could elect to be paid in US or New Zealand dollars.

Tenon shareholders approved the Clearwood sale at a meeting in March. Its shares will cease trading on the NZX at the close of trade on July 27 and will be delisted on July 31, the company said in a statement.

"Although subject to uncertainty, based on information available today, Tenon believes that the cash surplus upon completion of the liquidation will be around US$4.7 million," it said.

The shares last traded at 39 cents.

(BusinessDesk)

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The government's operating surplus beat the Treasury's forecast in the May budget again as the company and investment tax take beat expectations.

The operating surplus before gains and losses (obegal) was $4.49 billion in the 11 months ended May 31, more than the $2.94 billion surplus predicted in the budget forecasts, and widening from $2.3 billion a year earlier. The Crown's tax take rose 7.8 percent to $69.53 billion, or $1.09 billion more than anticipated of which $250 million was put down to early revenue recognition which will likely be reversed and $450 million from "higher-than-expected tax assessments and additional portfolio investment entity (PIE) tax revenue", which the Treasury said was probably more permanent. That was in spite of the Treasury amending its statements for the 10 months ended April 30 after discovering it overstated the corporate tax take by $352 million.

Core Crown expenses rose a more modest 3 percent to $69.26 billion, some $345 million below forecast with the biggest underspend due to smaller bad tax debts than anticipated. Spending on social security and welfare rose $1.03 billion in the 11-month period from a year earlier, accounting for about half of the annual increase, of which $719 million was on superannuation.

In the May 25 budget, Finance Minister Steven Joyce unveiled a new programme to boost family incomes, expand infrastructure spending, and more aggressively reduce debt, which was seen chewing up increasing surpluses in coming years. At the time, the Treasury predicted the obegal would be in a surplus of $1.6 billion in the year ended June 30, rising to $2.86 billion the following year and $4.05 billion in 2019.

The Crown's net debt was $59.33 billion, or 22.4 percent of gross domestic product, as at May 30, lower than the projected $60.52 billion, or 22.9 percent of GDP. That was due to a bigger residual cash surplus of $2.62 billion than the $1.82 billion predicted on the swelling tax take. Capital spending was $3.36 billion in the 11-month period, down from $4.02 billion a year earlier and some $173 million below the budget forecast.

The operating balance, which includes non-cash balance sheet items, was a surplus of $13.1 billion, turning around a deficit of $1.46 billion a year earlier, and $1.28 billion ahead of expectations as larger investment returns made up for smaller than anticipated actuarial gains.

The government's Accident Compensation Corp investment portfolio, which has been built up to fully-fund the state-owned workplace insurer, was worth $40.92 billion as at May 30, up from $38.35 billion a year earlier, while the New Zealand Superannuation Fund held $35.58 billion of assets compared to $30.48 billion a year earlier.

ACC's long-term liabilities were $40.17 billion as at May 30, up from $37.99 billion a year earlier.

The Crown's net worth of $103.76 billion as at May 30 was $1.3 billion more than expected in the May budget forecasts.

(BusinessDesk)

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(Recasts on updated share price, adds broker comment)

ERoad shares rose to their highest level in a month after posting its fastest quarterly sales growth in the US, where the logistics and fleet management company's high hopes for rapid expansion have been confounded by slow uptake of the new federal compliance regime for electronic logging devices.

The shares jumped 6.7 percent to $1.75, the highest since June 2, after the Auckland-based said it sold 1,321 contracted units in the US in the three months ended June 30, taking its total number of devices to 7,423. That's an annualised increase of 87 percent, accelerating from a pace of 36 percent in the March quarter and equal to 86 percent of the US sales it managed to achieve in the entire March 2017 financial year. ERoad sold 3,090 units in its established New Zealand and Australian markets, with 45,029 contracted units across Australasia, with annualised growth edging up to 30 percent.

Grant Williamson, a director at Hamilton Hindin Greene in Christchurch, said the quarterly sales record was positive for the company, although the share price was coming from a low base.

"The latest positive may have attracted one or two bargain hunters - investors will want to see ongoing improvement in the quarterly numbers," Williamson said.

ERoad chief financial officer said the sales figure represented its "single biggest growth in units for a quarter" since the company was founded in 2000.

The company raised $40 million in an initial public offering in 2014 to provide a funding platform to launch into North America where it created a beachhead in the state of Oregon on the invitation of the state transport office. At the time, Oregon wanted to introduce light vehicle mileage tax in a shift away from fuel tax used to fund roads and highways and was the first in the world to develop a road user charge tax, or vehicle miles travelled tax, which New Zealand has adopted for heavy vehicles.

Those plans changed when US operators put off buying decisions ahead of a December 2017 deadline for commercial drivers to adopt and use electronic logging devices, and ERoad spent the last financial year paving the way to build its sales and marketing capacity in the world's biggest economy to prepare for that timeframe.

(BusinessDesk)

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New Zealand shares dropped with North Korean tensions spooking investors as the US Independence Day holiday left markets lacking direction. Spark New Zealand and A2 Milk Co fell while Xero and ERoad gained.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index declined 24.97 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,620.64. Within the index, 21 stocks fell, 17 rose and 12 were unchanged. Turnover was $106.9 million.

Stocks across Asia were mixed as the US holiday left investors somewhat rudderless, and easy to unsettle by North Koreas claim of the countrys first successful intercontinental ballistic missile test that brings the United States within its reach. Investors will have more to ponder later in the week with Group of 20 meeting in Germany, where US President Donald Trump is slated to meet with both his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

"The market has been tentative with the US market closed for Independence Day, we will get a better feel tomorrow when it opens back up," said Peter McIntyre, investment adviser at Craigs Investment Partners. "There has been a bit of geopolitical tension overnight too, North Korea has made investors a bit nervous."

Spark led the index lower, dropping 1.9 percent to $3.84, which McIntyre said was giving up some gains made over the previous two sessions. A2 Milk fell 1.8 percent to $3.87 and Arvida Group declined 1.5 percent to $1.30 ahead of its annual meeting on Friday.

Xero was the best performer, gaining 1.7 percent to $25.62, while Restaurant Brands New Zealand rose 1.3 percent to $6.25 and Mainfreight gained 1 percent to $23.60.

Outside the benchmark index, ERoad gained 9.2 percent to $1.79. The shares rose to their highest level since May after posting its fastest quarterly sales growth in the US, where the logistics and fleet management company's high hopes for rapid expansion have been confounded by slow uptake of the new federal compliance regime for electronic logging devices.

ERoad's chief financial officer said the sales figure represented its "single biggest growth in units for a quarter" since the company was founded in 2000. The news was positive, but the gains came on light volume, McIntyre said. Separately, its chief technology officer Bruce Wilson quit effective immediately.

Tegel Group also strengthened, up 0.8 percent to $1.33, and has gained 18 percent over the past week as a shrinking glut of chicken has brought some pricing power come back into the chicken market, McIntyre said.

(BusinessDesk)

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By PTI: By Anil Bhatt

Jammu, Jul 5 (PTI) Footprints of militants have been sharply increasing in the Kashmir Valley with as many as 50 young men taking to arms in the past six months, a senior police officer has said.

Most of these new recruits came from Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts in South Kashmir, which had become the hub of tech-savvy, young militants.

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"A total of 50 Kashmiri youths joined militancy in the valley in 2017," the police officer told PTI.

Rising footprints of militants have raised concern among the security agencies, which believe the trend reflects the worsening situation in Kashmir.

The officer said that 88 Kashmiri youths joined militancy in 2016, the highest in the past six years.

Since 2014, there has been a constant rise in the number of people joining militancy.

As many as 66 youths joined militancy in Kashmir in 2015 and 53 in 2014, data compiled by security agencies revealed.

In 2010, 54 youths joined militancy and in 2011, the number came down to 23. It further dipped to 21 in 2012 and 16 in 2013, it said.

The Pulwama-Shopian-Kulgam region has become a hotbed of homegrown terrorists, the officer said.

Officers dealing with security aspects say Pulwama, which has of-late emerged as the terror epicentre, is strategically important as it is the central point to connect Srinagar, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Budgam districts of Central Kashmir.

The new-age militants has speedily increased their footprints in Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts mainly because of the unprecedented support offered by the local population, the officer said.

"The areas have seen the highest number of encounters and attacks," the officer added.

Topography of Pulwama, with its vast orchards and fields ringed by dense forests, also provide a perfect shelter and operating cover to the militants.

Pulwama was home to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in July last year.

It is also the base of Abu Dujana, commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in the Kashmir Valley, Abu Musa and dozens of other known militants.

Security forces have also foiled attempts by dozen others to cross over to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for arms training, the officer said.

In 2017, as many as 54 men were stopped from joining the ranks of militants, the officer said. PTI AB SMN

--- ENDS ---

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city's top police officials held a press conference Wednesday at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, where a female officer was pronounced dead of a fatal gunshot wound.

A male suspect seen running a block from the incident drew a revolver on uniformed officers, who in return shot and killed the suspect, Police Commissioner James O'Neill told reporters Wednesday.

"Based on what we know right now, it is clear this was an unprovoked attack on police officers who were assigned to keep the people of this great city safe," he said.

Union official Pat Lynch asked the public's help identifying potential threats.

"When you see someone that's making threats, doing something against police officers, you need to let us know," said Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. "You need to be our eyes and ears."

Mayor Bill de Blasio commended the job of officers on July 4, in the hours leading up to the incident.

"The NYPD did an extraordinary job keeping this city safe, and then just as that was ending tragedy struck and it's such a painful reality at just the end of a very, very good thing," the mayor said.

Her partner radioed for help, and officers responded fast, encountering the suspect, 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, about a block away, he said. As they confronted him, he pulled a revolver, and police fired, striking and killing him. A silver revolver was found at the scene. A bystander was hit in the stomach by a bullet during the standoff, and is in stable condition, police said.

Bonds, who also went by the name John Bonds, was sentenced to six years in prison on an armed robbery case in Syracuse and had been released on parole in 2013. His supervision was set to end next May.

Bonds was captured on video exiting a nearby convenience store, then moving tightly along the wall, pulling his hoodie over his head and walking purposefully toward the van. The video doesn't capture the shooting but shows him running from the scene with a gun in his hand, police said.

In a video posted on Facebook in September, the Bronx man ranted about the treatment of civilians by officers and talked about how hard life was behind bars. The photos of Bonds posted on the page match a police mugshot.

"Don't think every brother, cousin, uncle you got that get killed in jail is because of a Blood or Crip or Latin King killing them. Nah, police be killing them and saying that an inmate killed them," he said in the video.

Aside from the police rant, Bonds' Facebook page mostly consisted of inspirational quotes and quizzes.

Law enforcement officials on Staten Island reacted to the death on social media:

#120pct sends our thoughts & prayers to the family, friends & colleagues @NYPD46Pct of PO Miosotis Familia. pic.twitter.com/6TigY7eSLw  NYPD 120th Precinct (@NYPD120Pct) July 5, 2017

Terribly saddened by the assassination of PO Miosotis Familia. My thoughts & prayers are w/ her loved ones & entire @NYPDnews family this AM  Michael E. McMahon (@StatenIslandDA) July 5, 2017

-- Associated Press material was used in this report.
Nearly 80,000 pilgrims have performed the Amarnath Yatra over the last six days, an official said on Wednesday as another batch of 3,389 pilgrims left here for the cave shrine in the Kashmir Valley amid heightened security.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Nearly 80,000 pilgrims have performed the Amarnath Yatra over the last six days, an official said on Wednesday as another batch of 3,389 pilgrims left here for the cave shrine in the Kashmir Valley amid heightened security.

They left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 4.05 a.m. in a convoy of 102 vehicles escorted by the paramilitary forces.

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"Of these, 2,253 'yatris' are bound for the Pahalgam base camp while 1,136 are bound for the Baltal base camp," the official said.

On the sixth day on Tuesday, over 16,000 pilgrims performed 'darshan' inside the cave shrine, the official added.

The 40-day long Yatra started on June 29 and will end on August 7 on 'Shravan Purmina' coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Situated at over 3,888 metres above the sea-level in the Himalayas, the cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure which the devotees believe symbolizes mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

The ice stalagmite structure waxes and wanes with the size of the visible moon.

The pilgrims reach the cave from two routes -- either the traditional 46km long track from south Kashmir Pahalgam base camp or the 14km track from north Kashmir Baltal base camp.

Helicopter services were also available for pilgrims from both the base camps.

ALSO READ:

Militants planning to attack Amarnath Yatra: BSF

Kashmir: Terrorists likely to target Amarnath Yatra, say intel reports

ALSO WATCH:

Terror threat to Amarnath Yatra: Pilgrims could be targeted

--- ENDS ---
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After mandatory linking of Aadhar with the PAN card, the government now plans to make it mandatory to link Aadhar with marriage certificates to avoid fraudulent marriages.

By India Today Web Desk: In a recent move, law commission has suggested the government to make registration of marriages compulsory. The law panel, in a report submitted to the government on July 4, 2017 suggested that registration of marriages should be made compulsory with a fine being charged for non-compliance within 30 days.

The commission that was headed by retired SC justice B S Chauhan, submitted a report to the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The law commission answered a question put forward by the central government regarding the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

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The above mentioned bill was given a go-ahead after SC's verdict in the 'Seema vs Ashwani Kumar case' (2006) where the apex court suggested that mandatory registration of marriages irrespective of the should be an independent law.

A bill was tabled in the Parliament in 2012 but was lapsed at the end of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. The Supreme Court thus suggested a need for a similar bill.

"It is not desirable to have a separate legislation for compulsory registration of marriage as it may not serve any useful purpose," the report submitted by the law commission stated.

The commission thus feels that linking Aadhar card to marriage certificates will be helpful in tracking records. The commission also felt that linking Aadhar number to marriage registration certificate will help prevent fraudulent marriages and also help in the prevention of cases of denial of subsistence to deserted women.

"This deprives women of societal recognition and legal security. Such fraudulent marriages are especially on rise among Non-Resident Indians. Compulsory registration can serve as a means to ensure that conditions of a valid marriage have been performed," the report said.

Linking of Aadhar card to the marriage certificate could be seen as a move which might give the social status of marriages in India a new meaning, and the increasing number of fraudulent marriages might be curbed.

"Instances of marriage fraud have also come to light in recent times. In the absence of compulsory registration, women are duped into marrying without performance of the conditions of a valid marriage," it said.

The law commission also stated that the bill will not interfere with any personal marriage laws. The report stated," "Thus, while Bill does not aim at eliminating the diversity of personal laws, or regional differences seeking merely the registration of marriages regardless of the law under which the marriages are recognised or solemnised, it recommends that these various overlapping and contradicting legislations be borne in mind while framing the rules of registration."

Recently, the government made it mandatory to link Aadhar card to PAN cards wef July 1, 2017. The move was said to be a step towards prevention of tax frauds.

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The Aadhar number is a unique number assigned to each citizen of India. The number has certain biometric information linked to it which can make it easier to track an individual.

The linking of Aadhar to bank accounts, PAN, mobile numbers etc. has received mixed responses from the people. Some feel that it is a good move as it will assist the authorities to be able to track criminals and prevent fraud, while many feel that Aadhar is an infringement to their privacy.

--- ENDS ---
Best Canadian Blog

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About Kate

Why this blog?

Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked.

This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me."

(goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated!



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"Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert

"I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick

Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick

"The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle

"Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group

I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs

"You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella

"Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky

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The Bottle Genie

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Settled Science Series

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SDA: Reader Occupation Survey

Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop

Flakes On A Plane

All Your Weather Are Belong To Us

Song Of The Sled

The Raise A Flag Debacle

(Now on Youtube!)

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Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl

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Child Labour

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Protein Hoser: THK Interview

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We Wait

Blogging The Oscars

Jackson Converts To Islam

Just Shut The HELL Up

Manipulating Condi

Gay Equality Rights


Best Canadian Blog

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

About Kate

Why this blog?

Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked.

This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me."

(goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated!



Katewerk Art

Support SDA

I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts.



Poor Richard's Retirement

Economics for the Disinterested



Montrose County



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"I enjoyed these poems immensely."

- William Peter Blatty,

author of The Exorcist



Want lies?

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Weather Shop

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Dow Jones

What They Say About SDA

"Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert

"I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick

Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick

"The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle

"Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group

I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs

"You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella

"Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky

Intelliweather

Seismic Map

Comments Policy

Read this

Best Of SDA

Hide The Decline

The Bottle Genie

(ClimateGate links)

You Might Be A Liberal

Uncrossing The Line

Bob Fife: Knuckledragger

A Modest Proposal (NP)

Settled Science Series

Y2Kyoto Series

SDA: Reader Occupation Survey

Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop

Flakes On A Plane

All Your Weather Are Belong To Us

Song Of The Sled

The Raise A Flag Debacle

(Now on Youtube!)

(.mwv Video)

Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl

Trudeaupiate

Kleptocrat Jeans

Child Labour

I Concede

Small Dead Feminist

Protein Hoser: THK Interview

The Werewolf Extinction

Dear Laura (VRWC)

We Wait

Blogging The Oscars

Jackson Converts To Islam

Just Shut The HELL Up

Manipulating Condi

Gay Equality Rights


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A Sydney man accused of drugging a woman he had met over a "sugar daddy" website in an attempt to rape her told police he had a sleeping disorder and had consumed the sleeping drug himself.

Prosecutors say Juswan Mokmargana, 46, met the Gold Coast woman, 25, on seekingarrangement.com in March 2016, and invited her to Canberra where he drugged her in an attempt to rape her.

Juswan Mokmargana, 45, leaves the ACT Magistrates Court in May. Credit:Megan Gorrey

Mr Mokmargana is now on trial in the ACT Supreme Court charged with the attempted rape, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Police were called to Civic bar King O'Malley's after 9pm on April 9, following reports from staff that a patron's drink had been spiked.
Ramasubba Reddy, a farmer who was facing financial crisis, killed himself after murdering his wife and 2 daughters as he was unable to spare money for their education.

By Ashish Pandey: Residents of Krishnapuram town of Andhra's Anantapur district woke up to a spine-chilling incident on Wednesday. A father bludgeoned to death his wife and two daughters after a quandary over financial crunch.

He later committed suicide by consuming poison. Ramasubba Reddy, a farmer who was facing financial crisis, before committing suicide murdered his family as he was unable to spare money for the education of his daughters.

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Police said that Reddy also ran a financial business but suffered losses and was not willing to send his two of three daughters for higher studies.

Both his young daughters Prashanthi and Prasanna had acquired seats in MBA and were about to join college in Tirupati shortly.

Reddy's wife Sulochana was insisting him to send the daughters to pursue MBA by selling off some property, but he was reluctant. The education of the two daughters led to frequent arguments and domestic violence.

On Tuesday, Reddy, who is also an alcoholic, killed all three by bludgeoning them with an iron rod when they were fast asleep. After murdering his family members, Reddy fled from the spot.

ACCUSED ALLEGEDLY CONSUMED POISON

Police said that he was found on Wednesday morning in the outskirts of Tadipatri in an unconscious state. Police presume that soon after killing his wife and daughters Reddy consumed poison.

Reddy was rushed to Anantapur government hospital. However, he died hours later.

Reddy's third daughter, who is pursuing BSC agriculture, is the only surviving member of the family as she was away when the incident took place.

Police said that Reddy was addicted to gambling and had lost lot of money.

The murder has sent a shockwave across Andhra Pradesh and people are unable to fathom the brutality of a father whose greed for money forced him to kill his own daughters and wife.

Also Read:

Andhra Pradesh: ACB raids tainted revenue officer; gold, Rs 42,000 in cash recovered

Andhra Pradesh: Man stabs 23-year-old girl for refusing marriage proposal in Chittoor

WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: Youth killed in broad daylight in Vijayawada, mother severely injured

--- ENDS ---
Virgin Group boss Richard Branson says Qantas sought financial help from the federal government so it could flood the market with flights and drive Virgin Australia out of business.

The British billionaire said Qantas only needed help when it went "cap in hand" to the government in early 2014 so it could continue to fund a capacity war with Virgin.

"They poured hundreds of millions of dollars into overcapacity into routes we were flying on, and they literally almost drove themselves out of business," Mr Branson, whose group owns 10 per cent of Virgin Australia, said at the launch of Virgin's new Melbourne to Hong Kong service on Wednesday morning.

"Government quite rightfully told them it's up to them to compete on a fair, level playing field. And they went back and stopped dumping tonnes of capacity on routes and behaving more sensibly.
Some of Australia's largest insurance providers have revised travel insurance policies that have long contained blanket exclusions for mental health conditions.

Cover-More Australia and QBE Insurance have recently removed exclusions in their policies that deny cover to people who cancel or change travel plans due to a mental illness that develops after they buy a policy.

The moves have been welcomed by the public interest and mental health sectors.

"We have assisted more than 100 clients who have been treated unfairly and in many cases unlawfully by insurance companies as a result of experiencing mental health symptoms," Public Interest Advocacy Centre chief executive Jonathon Hunyor said.
Woolworths has announced it won't be stocking Coca-Cola's new product, Coca-Cola No Sugar.

Coca-Cola launched the product last month as an eventual replacement for Coke Zero, but it won't be on Woolworths' shelves for now with the company confirming to Fairfax Media that the product would not be stocked initially.

"We have taken the decision to not range this product at this time," a Woolworths spokesman told Fairfax Media on Thursday morning.

"Our customers looking for a no-sugar or low-sugar cola option have ample choice already in the category across a range of different pack sizes and formats."
Four years ago the Herald reported on a leaked version of an upcoming train timetable. The story was reasonably positive. We tallied changes between the then timetable and the leaked version, which was to take effect in five months. We reported services on some lines would increase, but services to some stations would drop.

Nevertheless, the then transport minister, Gladys Berejiklian, described the leaked information as premature.

"The timetable is still in draft stage and there is plenty of work to do before it is finalised," she said in a statement.

"I expect more changes over coming months," she said.
A carbon price in Australia was probably inevitable, Queensland Resources Council chief Ian Macfarlane said in Brisbane as he addressed a business luncheon.

Mr Macfarlane, who served as resources minister in the Abbott-led Coalition government, said there was a view that carbon pricing was inevitable.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane says a carbon price is probably inevitable. Credit:AAP

"Privately I think that's probably the case, that's something that's supported by a lot of industry in Australia," he told the Queensland Media Club lunch on Wednesday.

"Obviously there would need to be a transition to a carbon price, we have a clean energy target that runs for a period of time, then you understand that on the back of that there may be a carbon price."
Kiev: An international team of prosecutors investigating the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine three years ago has decided to try the suspects in a Dutch court, a move Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said would deliver justice for the families of the dozens of Australian victims.

The group concluded last year that the powerful surface-to-air missile system used to shoot down the plane - killing all 298 people aboard the Malaysia Airlines flight bound for Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, from Amsterdam - came from Russian territory and was returned to Russia after afterward.

That seemed to strongly implicate the Russian government, as it is unlikely that anyone not connected with the military would have been able to deploy the missile launcher, called a Buk or SA-11, from Russia into a neighbouring country.

But in making that announcement, the prosecutors, who are from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Belgium, Australia and Ukraine, did not name individual culprits and stopped short of saying Russian soldiers were involved. The group said it had identified about 100 people of interest in the case but did not clarify who would be prosecuted or how.
A prominent conservative MP and ally of Tony Abbott is hosting one of Malcolm Turnbull's chief critics, Peta Credlin, at a fundraiser in Perth in October, amid mounting leadership tension in the Coalition.

Conservative MP Andrew Hastie will MC at the fundraiser where Ms Credlin, who is also former prime minister Mr Abbott's former chief of staff, is the star attraction. Mr Hastie is an ideological ally of Mr Abbott's and the pair strongly oppose legalising same-sex marriage.

Peta Credlin, former chief of staff to Tony Abbott, is a drawcard for the fundraiser. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

A flier advertising the event, obtained by Fairfax Media, invites guests to "an evening with Peta Credlin". For the sum of $100 guests will be treated to a "three-course meal by Mauritzio" plus drinks. The event is to be held at the Laguna Club in the inner city Perth suburb of Dianella on October 5.

One of the candidates hoping to fill the Senate vacancy for the West Australian Liberal party has distanced himself from the fundraiser, despite being listed as an organiser of the event. The senate hopeful, former WA Liberal MP Michael Sutherland, also predicted Ms Credlin would run for parliament.
The Immigration Department wrongly sent two Australian citizens to immigration detention, including one who was taken to Christmas Island, Fairfax Media has confirmed.

The two Australians, one of whom was originally a New Zealander, were taken to immigration detention following their release from prison after committing serious crimes.

One was taken to Christmas Island, while the other was detained onshore, the Immigration Department said. It would not provide further information about the date, length or circumstances of their detention, or the second individual's other nationality.
Days after the shock departure of its previous editor-in-chief Kim Doherty after barely a year in the job, Nicole Byers has been named the new woman at the helm of The Australian Women's Weekly.

The Weekly's parent company, German-based Bauer Media, issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon naming Byers, who has been editor-in-chief of sister publication OK! magazine for the past seven years, as the successful candidate for what has long been billed as the most prestigious gig in Australian magazine publishing.

New editor of The Australian Women's Weekly, Nicole Byers. Credit:Sevak Babakhani

However her appointment has fuelled speculation about the future of the magazine she leaves behind, with rumours that OK! and sister title NW may soon be merged into a single entity as Bauer attempts to find a profitable path forward in the embattled Australian media market.

It also follows a period of significant instability within Bauer following the recent shock resignation of former chief executive officer Nick Chan and the high profile court loss the company has suffered in the Rebel Wilson defamation case, which is expected to cost the publisher millions of dollars.
Wreckage of the Indian Air Force chopper, which went missing in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday, has been found in the state's Pampunpare district. All 3 crew members on board the helicopter are feared dead.

By India Today Web Desk: Wreckage of the Indian Air Force chopper that went missing in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday has been found in the state's Pampunpare district, reports said on Tuesday.

Wing Commander MS Dhillon was the pilot of the helicopter and the commanding officer of the unit. Flight Lieutenant PK Singh and Flight Engineer Sergeant Gujjar were also on board the indigenous chopper.

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The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the IAF had been pressed into service to help people stranded due to floods and landslides. It had gone missing at 3.50 pm yesterday after taking off from Pilputu Helipad near Sagalee for the Naharlagun heliport.

HELICOPTER EVACUATING PEOPLE STRANDED IN LANDSLIDES

The helicopter was evacuating people stranded in Sagalee and Dambuk due to massive landslides caused by heavy rains.

Tezpur-based Defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sombit Ghosh said the chopper had gone out for flood rescue operations from its base in Jorhat on Tuesday morning.

"The wreckage was found after rescue teams from the Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police along with the state police trekked through the jungle and hill areas between Yupia and Hoj Telam in Pampumpare district to locate the chopper," Sandeep Goel, the police chief of Arunachal Pradesh, said.

CLOSE SHAVE FOR RIJIJU

Meanwhile in another incident on Tuesday, Union Minister of State Kiren Rijiju had a close shave after his helicopter made an emergency landiung near Itanagar due to heavy rains and foggy weather.

"I was lucky enough to land safely, thanks to the BSF pilots who are very experienced," Rijiju told PTI.

The Mi-17 helicopter with Rijiju and seven other passengers and crew members on board was flying from Guwahati to Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.

(WITH INPUTS FROM MANJEET SINGH NEGI)

Also read | IAF rescue helicopter goes missing in Arunachal Pradesh, search operations on

Also read | Kiren Rijiju's helicopter makes emergency landing near Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar

ALSO WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Rape and sexual assault Roughly 20 million adults live in Australia in 2016. At minimum, one in every five women and one in every 20 men have been "forced or frightened into unwanted sexual activity" over their lifetime. Put those numbers into a spreadsheet and shake it. At least 1.8 million Australian women and 470,000 Australian men have been sexually assaulted. If you emptied out Brisbane you could completely refill the city with Australian survivors of sexual violence.

Less than 15 per cent of those assaults are reported to police, and of the ones that are, about 3 per cent end in conviction. If we conservatively assume that one person on average is each responsible for three of those assaults, 750,000 rapists live in Australia and have never been held accountable for their crimes. You'd have to empty Newcastle, Geelong and Darwin to house them all and 98 per cent of them would be men. Physical violence that hasn't (yet) ended in murder The most dangerous place in Australia for a woman to be is at home with her partner on a Saturday night.

The most dangerous place for a man to be is out in public in the company of other men. In 2015/16, 467,000 men and 432,000 women experienced physical assault. Men are seven times more likely to be assaulted by another man than by a woman. They are also five times as likely to be assaulted by a male stranger than by an intimate partner. Women are almost twice as likely to be assaulted by an intimate partner or family member than by a stranger. You couldn't fit all the women who've been physically assaulted by their husband or boyfriend this year alone into Docklands Stadium, Adelaide Park or Lang Park. You could get them all into Stadium Australia, and you'd even have a few seats to spare, but you'd fill all those seats, and Perth Oval as well, if you added all the women who have been assaulted by a family member.

Funding Working out how much funding is given to prevention and support services for domestic violence is tricky. Federal government funding is spread out across a couple of departments and several programs. The Attorney General's department is responsible for funding for legal services, the Department of Social Services manages funding for the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children ($100 million over four years) and the Women's Safety Package ($100 million over two years). The total travel and office expenses claimed by parliamentarians for just one year (2016) was $99.4 million. State governments, most notably Victoria with $1.9 billion over four years, also stump up quite a bit of money, but again, it's managed by different departments and programs. And again, is spread across services that are vital for victims of domestic violence, such as legal advice and housing, but aren't specifically for those people.

In 2014 the Productivity Commission recommended essential funding for community legal services was required at $200 million per year. After caving to intense pressure from every side, George Brandis reversed the federal government's predicted funding cuts and confirmed $55 million over three years for community legal services. Family Court The Turnbull government proudly announced it is making a small step towards the possibility of considering reforming the Family Court. Next year. Or maybe the year after. We'll see what the next report says. As Jess Hill, who has done outstanding work on uncovering the horrors of Family Court rulings, wrote about the Family Court last year:

"It's all too common to hear domestic violence being dismissed as 'ancient history', to see the impact of that violence on children minimised or ignored, and for custody to be stripped from one parent for attempting to protect their children from their abusive other parent." The government is also drafting legislation to prevent perpetrators of violence being able to cross examine their victims in court. What about men? To forestall the inevitable whataboutery dance performed by men of the internet in response to any article about violence against women and children, let's have a look at what's happening to men. Men's violence against themselves and each other is far greater than the violence they commit against women and children.

Suicide rates among Australian men are appallingly high, and this should forever be the line where ideology stops. Suicide is always a tragedy and no one should ever play politics with it. Just over eight people die by suicide every day in Australia, and six of those eight are men. It takes nearly three times as many lives as the road toll and 15 times as many lives as work-related deaths. The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is twice the rate of non-indigenous Australians. The reasons for suicide are always complex and cannot be attributed to any one specific cause. Loneliness, depression, substance abuse, isolation, unemployment, history of abuse and family breakdown are all factors, but rarely a single directly attributable cause. They were 35,745 men incarcerated in 2016, 12 times more than the number of women in prison. Of those, 46 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women were imprisoned for violent offences.

And so Despite all these numbers, Australia is still a relatively safe place to live. And the achingly slow progress on addressing gender-based violence has received a shot of adrenaline from the Royal Commission in Victoria. It will be interesting to watch what happens there over the next few years. Is money, education, focus, understanding and priority enough to reduce the rate of men's violence against women, children and themselves? Let's hope so. Loading If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
A second man has been charged after taking a six-year-old girl from a home north of Brisbane, sparking an Amber Alert.

The girl was seen being put into a car by her mother and two men about 9am on Tuesday.

Police have laid charges after an Amber Alert. Credit:Glenn Hunt

All three have been charged with burglary, relating to entering another person's home without permission.

No kidnapping charges were laid.
The 400 Spanish conquistadors who walked into the Aztec capital in the 16th century had conquest and new-world riches on their minds, but they were initially welcomed as friends.

From that peaceful vantage point, they were amazed by the splendour of the people of Tenochtitlan - and their cannibalistic brutality.

They found temples soaked with blood and human hearts being burnt in ceramic braziers, according to the Archaeological Institute of America.

They had heard tales of thousands sacrificed at the Great Temple's dedication, four rows of victims that stretched for miles, all waiting to have their hearts torn out.
A wave of gastroenteritis has struck hospitals and aged care homes in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

Relatives have been shocked to discover they could not visit their loved ones, or were forced to don protective gear.

An outbreak was first reported at the Cabrini Brighton private hospital two weeks ago, affecting seven patients in one ward. It is understood that family members had to wear a mask and gown during visits, while sick patients were segregated.

A second outbreak at the Cabrini Malvern hospital was brought under control on Wednesday, after nine days of illness.
Police have seized hundreds of cannabis plants and more than $50,000 in cash after a traffic stop and subsequent raids on two Perth homes.

Officers seized the cash after they stopped a vehicle in Canning Vale on Tuesday afternoon. Three Vietnamese nationals were in the car.

Police took this photo of one of the drug houses. Credit:WA Police

Inside the car police will allege they located upwards of $50,000 in cash.

Police have since carried out search warrants on two homes linked to the three people in the car.
A dangerous WA sex offender with a long history of sexual crimes has been released from custody and back into the community.

As reported by WAtoday last month, Macker Joseph Dinah, 56, was granted a seven year supervision release order following a decision in the WA Supreme Court in early June.

The Supreme Court ordered Dinah's release last month. Credit:Michele Mossop

Since 2012 Dinah has been the subject of a continuing detention order and was being kept in jail after he breached a previous supervision order.

But following an annual review of his continuing detention, Supreme Court Justice Bruno Fiannaca decided he should be freed.
An industry watchdog has slapped a permanent ban on a Perth insurance broker who failed to submit a number of financial reports on behalf of his CBD company.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said broker Jeffrey Bailey failed to lodge audited financial reports for two years, and then did not lodge a breach report with the ASIC regarding the errors in an appropriate time frame.

The group was wound up due to alleged "financial irregularities".

Mr Bailey was a managing director for Winley Insurance Group Pty Ltd, a major Perth insurance company which collapsed in April last year. The company was officially wound up in December 2016.

It is understood the breaches occurred between February 2010 and May 2016, a period of time during which Mr Bailey was deemed the responsible manager for the company.
WA's recreational fishing lobby Recfishwest has slammed a decision by the Department of Fisheries to continue legal action in the Supreme Court against a Perth crayfisher alleged to have gone over his catch limit.

Bret Carter was diving with two friends in the Shoalwater Marine Park in November 2014 when, according to a Supreme Court judgement, two Fisheries officers witnessed his friend surface with a bag of crays, measure some and place others back.

Fisheries have taken a man to the Supreme Court, alleging he took more than the daily limit of crays. Credit:Recfishwest

Mr Carter surfaced minutes later and claimed he went to do the same thing, but as he boarded the vessel, was intercepted by Fisheries officers.

He was found with 25 crayfish in his possession  17 more than the legal daily limit of eight per person - and subsequently charged.
Rio de Janeiro: Gun violence is on the rise in Rio de Janeiro, with the sound of firefights echoing daily across Brazil's seaside city as drug gangs battle each other and police officers patrolling slums.

Now a pair of applications track in real-time how many gun battles there are and where they occur, based on eyewitnesses, media and police accounts.

The "Fogo Cruzado," or Cross Fire, application created by Amnesty International and local researchers aims to let Rio's citizens know where gunfire is taking place, in the hopes of keeping them out of danger.

A second application, called Onde Tem Tiroteio or OTT or Where the Firefights are, has similar objectives.
Sorrow has turned to anger as the British public question how such a tragedy could happen. Credit:AP On Tuesday, the government confirmed that no-one would be prosecuted if they had been living illegally in Grenfell, or had been subletting their home. However the Labour opposition said the move did not go far enough to give a proper incentive for people to come forward. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the government should give permanent residency to the residents. "Some survivors have literally lost everything in this horrific tragedy, all their possessions, homes and loved ones," she said.

"The idea that on top of this they could be deported later is grotesque." About 250 investigators are still working on the police operation following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower on June 14. It is one of the biggest investigations in the Met's history. On Tuesday night police and Dr Wilcox met with families and loved ones of those dead, or missing and presumed dead in the fire, to update them on the progress of the search and recovery operation, as well as the investigation into how and why the fire started and spread. "I completely understand their desire for answers and we are committed to providing as much information as we can, as soon as we can," Commander Cundy said. Just 21 of the people who died at Grenfell Tower have been formally identified.

"Work in Grenfell Tower continues, seven days a week," he said. "Specialist officers, supported by expert anthropologists, have started a search by hand of the devastation left behind by the fire. This will involve us meticulously going through about 15.5 tonnes of debris on each floor to find those human remains that are still within the debris inside Grenfell Tower. "We will use all the information we have, especially what we have been told by survivors and families, to prioritise our search where we believe we may find more human remains. This will take us many months, but we will search each and every flat. "We are absolutely determined to do all we can as quickly as we can to return all those who are in Grenfell Tower to their loved ones. However, as I've said before such is the devastation caused by the fire it may be that tragically we cannot find or identify all those who lost their lives." Detectives are still asking members of the public to come forward with information about who was in the building that night, who survived and who is still missing. "Tragically, there are still 23 flats where despite our investigative efforts we have been unable to trace or speak to anyone who was in those properties on the night," Commander Cundy said. "We assume that sadly no one from any of those flats survived. Until our search operation is complete, I cannot say with any certainty how many people may have been in those flats, as occupiers or visitors, that night."

Survivors and relatives told the media the two-hour meeting with police had been very upsetting, with several leaving before it was over, angry that the recovery process was taking so long. Some survivors were angry at the accommodation being offered, saying it did not match their needs for size or schooling options. Father-of-two Mahad Egal, who escaped the fire with his family, told the BBC he was staying with friends because the hotel room they were offered was too small for four people. They have been offered a property in a different borough but he was worried they could not afford the rent. "It is not within my borough or the area we feel safe," he told the BBC. "To get out of an area which I have known for 25 years is hard. I am trying to be as flexible as I can. "We are already going through an undignified struggle, the crisis, the trauma... how much more do we need to bend our back before the local authority and government start pulling up their socks and start doing what they are supposed to be doing for the citizens of this country?" On Wednesday, the government announced it was sending in a taskforce to take over the local council's housing department, as well as some other operations related to the fire aftermath.
By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: At least 11 people were killed in a boiler explosion at a garment factory at Kashimpur, in Gazipur, neighboring district of the capital city Dhaka. The first and the second floor of the four-storeyed building of Multifabs Limited collapsed when the explosion broke out at around 7 PM on Monday.

Shortly after the incident, fire fighters started the rescue operation with the help of the workers of the factory and locals. Six bodies were recovered from the ruins of the factory at night, while more than three were declared dead out of the 47 admitted to the hospital.

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Joydevpur Fire Service Inspector, Mohammad Shahin Mia, said, the rescue operation was postponed in the afternoon due to heavy rains. A young man's body was discovered at around 8:30 AM this morning.

Gazipur Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director, M Akhteruzzaman, said that, the staff of Fire Service Headquarters, Savar EPZ, Joydevpur, Kaliakair and Tongi Fire stations are involved in the rescue operation.

He told the media that, the search operation will continue to find the dead bodies buried under the debris.

Gazipur Industrial Zone police inspector, Abdul Khalek, said that, the factory will be indefinitely closed for Tuesday morning. Also, a holiday has been announced in 10 factories in the nearby vicinity, including Cotton Club, Islam Knitwear, Alim Fashion Limited, Delta Fashion, Masko Limited, to keep the situation under control.

The factory authorities started the boiler section of the dyeing unit on Monday noon. Almost fifty employees were on duty during the incident.

After the explosion, the walls, doors, windows and parts the floor below the ground floor and two floors were all scattered around the area, the workers said.

Gazipur's Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Mahmud Hasan, told, "Nine of the dead were identified. Four of the bodies were handed over to their families." The relatives of the remaining dead have been informed. A separate committee has been formed on behalf of the district administration and fire service.

Recently, at least 30 people were killed in two separate boiler explosion in Gazipur and Dinajpur districts.

Also Read:

Bangladesh remembers Gulshan terror attack victims on first anniversary

Bangladesh: Rath Yatra comes to an end after nine days of procession

--- ENDS ---
Washington: North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has seemingly crossed a threshold - he now has missiles that go halfway around the world, despite a January warning, when then president-elect Donald Trump declared: "It won't happen!"

If Trump's tweet was an implicit threat of a pre-emptive strike by Washington, it stands out in the administration's menu of possible responses as the only one that has not been attempted.

All the others - containment, sanctions, negotiations and cyberwar - have been tried in various configurations by previous administrations, to little effect.

The test seems to prove that Pyongyang now has a genuine intercontinental ballistic missile - confirming that it's capable of striking Alaska. And given the pace of the advances in North Korea's weapons expertise, experts warn that in time it will figure out how to arm the new missile with a nuclear warhead.
US President Donald Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's missile tests, but his options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors.

Trump's National Security Adviser HR McMaster has indicated military force is a last resort.

"It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully", he said. So what are the options?

Most fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.
New York: The United States has warned it is ready to use force "if we must" to stop North Korea's nuclear missile program but says it prefers global diplomatic action against Pyongyang for its test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday that North Korea's actions were "quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution" and the United States was prepared to defend itself and its allies.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction," Mrs Haley told an emergency UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.

Taking a major step in its missile program, North Korea on Tuesday test-launched an ICBM, which some experts believe has the range to reach Alaska and the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten police force is very shocked and saddened to have learned of the sudden and tragic passing of our colleague in Aruba officer Tino Ruiz, who lost his life while carrying out his duties. We, the Sint Maarten Police Force extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to his family, friends, and colleagues in this difficult time. We honor him for his service and contributions made to his community and wish the island of Aruba much faith and strength in this time of bereavement.

KPSM Press Release
DIAGNOS Announces Successful Pilot at Chaparral Medical Group in California and a 3 Year Contract with the Opening of a Second Eye Screening Clinic

BROSSARD, QUEBEC  (Marketwired)  07/05/17  Diagnos Inc. (DIAGNOS or the Corporation) (TSX VENTURE: ADK)(OTCQB: DGNOF), a leader in early detection of critical health issues through the use of Artificial Intelligence, announces today the signing of a three year agreement with Chaparral Medical Group (Chaparral). We are also happy to announce the opening of a second eye screening clinic in California.

-The United States is a key market for Diagnos. By working closely with Chaparral`s 23 clinics, we have developed a new business model for the US market. Chaparral is a very high value referral account with the best practice in healthcare. We are very proud to be working and having them as our customer. Weve learned a lot from the one year pilot program. Now is the time to build on it and increase our market share of diabetic retinopathy screening. Having a second clinic will have a significant contribution to the number of patients under the guard of CARA in the USA said Yves-Stephane Couture, VP Sales of DIAGNOS.

Yearly eye exams for diabetic patients are a common requirement guideline of almost all endocrinology society and medical diabetic associations around the world. Our CARA (Computer Assisted Retinal Analysis) platform at Chaparral will help to meet this high value requirement. Higher compliancy with diabetes disease management means:

We are pleased to sign a three year contract with Diagnos, said Dr Prasad, diabetes specialist, President and Medical Director of Chaparral Medical Group. With a retinal scan, we can identify cases of diabetes by having an eye exam 10 years before the complications arise. And if detected early, we can treat it and reduce the incidence of blindness. With the Computer Assisted Retinal Analysis (CARA) Platform, Diagnos is also playing a key role in our Diabetic Champion Program. With it, we can quickly screen our large community of diabetic patients for any signs of diabetic retinopathy. Chaparral is a proud award recipient of The American Diabetes Association and National Committee for Quality Assurance Achievement of Recognition for delivery of Quality Diabetes Care.

About Chaparral

Chaparral Medical Group is a 60 physician multi-specialty group serving in 23 clinics in the communities of Claremont, La Verne, San Dimas, Fontana, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar in Southern California. Over 20 primary care physicians serve as the groups clinical core, and work together with their medical and surgical specialists to provide outstanding care to the patient population Southern California. They have been serving the community since 1978 and their unwavering commitment to patient care and physician work satisfaction are what have driven them to become the most trusted and relied-upon group of physicians in their area.

About DIAGNOS

Founded in 1998, DIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation with a mission to commercialize our Artificial Intelligence technology combining contextual imaging and traditional data mining thereby improving decision making processes. DIAGNOS offers products, services, and solutions to clients in healthcare.

About CARA-AI

CARA-AI is a tele-ophthalmology platform that integrates with existing equipment (hardware and software) and processes at the point of care (POC) and comprises: image upload, image enhancement automated pre- screening, grading by a specialist, and referral to a specialist. CARAs Artificial Intelligence image enhancement algorithms make standard retinal images sharper, clearer, and easier to read. CARA is accessible securely over the internet, and is compatible with all recognized image formats and brands of fundus cameras, and is EMR compatible. CARA is a cost-effective tool for screening large numbers of patients, in real-time and has been approved by regulatory authorities including Health Canada, US Food and Drug Administration, the European Union and others.

Additional information is available at and .

This news release contains forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. DIAGNOS disclaims any intention or obligation to publically update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Mr. Andre Larente

President

DIAGNOS Inc.

450-678-8882 ext. 224
Nyotron Earns Five-Star Rating in SC Magazine Endpoint Security Product Review

Posted by Publisher Hardware

SANTA CLARA, CA  (Marketwired)  07/05/17  Nyotron, the creator of threat-agnostic security, today announced it achieved a five-star rating in the SC Magazine Endpoint Group Review for its flagship threat-agnostic platform PARANOID. Nyotron rated a top five out of five stars for performance, features, documentation, and support.

Unlike traditional security solutions, which require prior information about the threat in order to detect it, PARANOID is the first-ever threat-agnostic solution that is capable of stopping any attack without any information about the threat and regardless of the type of threat or the methodology used to infiltrate the network. Next-generation technology vendors GUESS if something is bad or not  Nyotron KNOWS when a threat is malicious. With this threat-agnostic defense approach, PARANOID can detect and block unknown threats that traditional and next-generation technologies cannot stop.

Nyotrons PARANOID is deployed in an agent/server architecture and leverages a patented proprietary language to map the operating system of a computer. PARANOID predefines all normative and legal operating system functions that can pose risk to endpoints and servers. PARANOIDs highly accurate system-call cartography automatically identifies and terminates any malicious variance from the predefined and validated operational paths, protecting endpoints in real time without any prior knowledge of threat vectors, spread mechanism or predictions.

As weve seen from news about high-profile and rapidly proliferating attacks, the security industry is struggling because traditional and legacy solutions are clearly not working. Advanced malware is easily able to bypass traditional and so-called next-generation endpoint products to avoid detection. Nyotrons PARANOID has time and time again proven to be the answer to increasingly complex and sophisticated unknown threats, regardless of the type of attack, who generated it, or how, where and when the attack penetrated the organization, said Nir Gaist, CEO of Nyotron. This five-star recognition by esteemed industry publication SC Magazine validates PARANOIDs ability to detect, prevent, respond to and analyze both known and unknown threats.

In his verdict of Nyotrons PARANOID, Peter Stephenson, technology editor, SC Media, said, Dont pass this one by if you are looking at anti-malware. In our view, it certainly ranks in the top five such products weve seen over the past couple of years.

Along with awarding PARANOID the 5-star rating, SC Magazine highlighted the following benefits:

From the perspective of the breadth and depth of analytical capability, it is one of the best, if not the best, displays of its type that we have seen.

The agent is a state machine. All it needs to do is save the state of the correctly operating endpoint environment and look for a state change. This implies that the correct operating state is save very granularly, and it is.

The Nyotron website is comprehensive and the support package is very good. Standard eight-hours-a-day/five-days-a-week support is included and there are higher-level support packages available for an additional fee.

Visit the Nyotron website:

Learn more about Nyotrons solutions:

Follow Nyotron on Twitter:

Follow Nyotron on LinkedIn:

SC Magazine provides information security professionals with the in-depth, unbiased business and technical information they need in todays fast-paced corporate world. Each month, SC Magazine delivers up-to-date news, comprehensive analysis, cutting-edge features, contributions from thought leaders, and the best, most extensive collection of product reviews in the business. Whether through its monthly magazine, its comprehensive website or live events  such as the SC Awards program, SC Congress New York or SC Congress Canada  readers gain all the relevant information they need to safeguard their businesses overall and meet specific IT security goals at the same time. SC Magazine was selected as 2010 Magazine of the Year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). Become a fan of SC Magazine on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Nyotron is a privately held cyber-security company that has developed a disruptive threat-agnostic defense technology to cope with the biggest challenge of todays digital era  the unknown threat. PARANOID is designed to prevent targeted and advanced national-level cyber-attacks on high-profile enterprises, and it does so without any previous knowledge about the threat or its methodologies. Based on a unique last-line-of-defense approach, the companys technology is designed to protect enterprise data and critical assets by mitigating threats that were able to outsmart all security layers. Nyotrons customer base includes all major industries, such as transportation, government, banking, healthcare and the public sector. The companys headquarters are in Santa Clara, California, and R&D is in Israel. To learn more, visit .

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10Fold

415-800-5381

Vice President of Marketing

Nyotron

408-780-0752
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In the wake of the spurt in militant attacks in Bangladesh in the last one year, the government has made it mandatory for people to carry photo ID cards for domestic air travel with immediate effect.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: In the wake of the spurt in militant attacks in Bangladesh in the last one year, the government has made it mandatory for people to carry photo ID cards for domestic air travel with immediate effect.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a circular to this effect on June 30 stating that passengers boarding domestic flights would have to show photo ID cards at the time of collecting boarding passes. Following this, the Flight Safety and Regulation Division informed the airlines about the transportation services.

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Shakil Meraaj, General Manager of Public Relations Division of Biman Airlines, confirmed to the media that the airline had received this circular. Until now, passengers could board domestic flights only by showing tickets.

WHAT DOCUMENTS QUALIFY FOR PHOTO ID CARDS

From among the photo IDs, passengers could show any of these documents - passport, national identity card, driving license, photo identity card for students of educational institutions or the employee ID card of the firm where they were working.

Airlines have been asked to issue boarding passes after checking the names on tickets and photo ID cards at the counters.

Civil Aviation Authority's Director (Flight Safety and Regulations) Chowdhury Ziaul Kabir said, "This has been taken to beef up security. All domestic airlines will be following this directive."

Also read | Bangladesh: Boiler blast in garment factory kill 11 in Gazipur

Also read | Bangladesh: 3 suspected women militants detained with firearms in Kushtia

--- ENDS ---
Macomb County residents show their support in voting for a millage that will benefit the men and women who have served their community and country
The parents of a Canadian citizen and his American wife who were kidnapped nearly five year ago in Afghanistan have appealed to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network to release the couple and their two children on humanitarian grounds

Patrick Boyle and his wife Linda, recorded a video message in English with Urdu and Pashto sub-titles to launch the appeal in the hope that their eldest son, Joshua Boyle and his wife Caitlan and their two children born in captivity would be finally freed.

Joshua Boyle, 33, and his wife Caitlan Coleman, 31, were kidnapped from the Wardak-Kabul road in October 2012.

The couple set off in the summer of 2012 from their home in Perth-Andover, N.B., for a journey that took them to Russia, the central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and then to Afghanistan.

Later, it emerged that the couple was in the custody of the Haqqani network, which is part of the Afghan Taliban movement and is headed by Sirajuddin Haqqani.

In recent years, Haqqani has also operated as the deputy leader of the Afghan Taliban group.

A few videos of the kidnapped couple and their two sons, both born in captivity, have also been released as a means to put pressure on the families of Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman and the governments of Canada and the US to accept the Haqqani networks demands in return for their release.

Though the demands weren't made public, these have been conveyed to the families and the Canadian and American governments through intermediaries.

The Haqqani network earlier demanded release of their 10 prisoners, all held in Afghanistan, but it was learnt the list has been reduced to eight.

Three of these prisoners are very important for the Haqqani network. One is Anas Haqqani, the brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani and son of noted Afghan mujahideen commander Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani, who was arrested by US officials in Bahrain after returning from a visit to Qatar and handed over to the Afghan government.

He has later sentenced to death by an Afghan court, but President Ashraf Ghani's government hasn't executed him yet despite demands by certain political groups in Afghanistan. The other precious prisoner for the Haqqani network is Qari Rasheed, who had accompanied Anas Haqqani on the trip to Qatar and was arrested by the Americans in Bahrain. The third prisoner is Haji Mali Khan, a maternal uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani.

In their appeal, Patrick Boyle and Linda mentioned the case of Sirajuddin Haqqani's brother Anas Haqqani without naming him. "Our family was asked very clearly to do everything that it could to influence change and overturn Afghanistan's policy, to stop the execution of your brothers. We have done the best an ordinary Canadian family can do. I have personally written to several of the most senior government officials in Afghanistan - those with great power over any execution of your brothers.

These letters were well received," argued Patrick Boyle. He said they also pushed hard on the Canadian and US governments to encourage Afghanistan not to uphold or approve the death sentences.

In the video appeal, Patrick Boyle is heard saying to the Haqqani network leadership: "While we are a modest family, our efforts have resulted in some success. Your family members are still alive. The death sentence has not been upheld and has not been carried out. You know this to be true."

The appeal says: "We are now respectfully asking you to show mercy to our family members in return. They are a young family of innocent civilians. They have never had any government or military ties. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan can follow the tradition of other governments of Muslim nations and release prisoners at Eid as acts of kindness, charity and mercy in the spirit of Ramadan."

The appeal are addressed to the Taliban supreme leader Mulla Haibatullah Akhundzada and Sirajuddin Haqqani and they are asked to show mercy on their family. At one point, the appeal says: "We recognize the many wrongs suffered by the people of Afghanistan. Holding our family members will not remedy those wrongs."

Patrick Boyle and Linda also spoke in the video to their son and daughter-in-law, praising their strength and asking them not to despair and don't give up.
Guest Commentary

By Phil Gurski

New Canadian Media

Parliament Hill in Ottawa is one of those treasures found only in liberal democracies. Anyone can show up and lobby, protest, shout his lungs out or carry a placard peacefully and silently, no matter what the cause. It is also a great place to watch the fireworks on Canada Day as long as enjoying the sights and sounds with 50,000 strangers does not bother you.

Sometimes, the Hill is the site of demonstrations by groups that are not entirely acceptable. At times, even listed terrorist entities have marched back and forth: a good example was the 2009 mass turnout by Tamil Canadians over the civil war in Sri Lanka at which Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) flags were seen. The LTTE is a banned terrorist organisation in this country.

On June 11, approximately 200 Sikhs gathered on Parliament Hill to commemorate the anniversary of the 1984 attack by Indian forces on the Sikhs holiest site, the Golden Temple or Darbar Sahib. Demonstrators chanted Long live Khalistan and demanded that India allow a referendum on the creation of an independent Sikh state in the Punjab.

Khalistan is of course their word for this homeland and the 1984 siege led to the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 which killed 329 people off the coast of Ireland: the bomb was placed on the aircraft by Canadian Sikh extremists and was the single largest terrorist attack in history prior to 9/11.

It is important to distinguish the desire for a national homeland from the desire to obtain that homeland through violence or terrorism.

We dont hear a lot about Sikh extremism these days, which could lead some to believe that it is no longer an issue. It is fairly certain that Sikh extremist activity is at a nadir, the recent protest in Ottawa notwithstanding. As I have written before, however, it would be a mistake to assume that the movement is dead.

India for one does not think it is. During an April visit to his native Punjab province, Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was accused by a high-ranking Indian official of being a Khalistani. That official, Amarinder Singh, said there were other Khalistanis in the Trudeau cabinet and that he would refuse to meet with any of them.

This gets complicated as Minister Sajjans father was a senior official in the World Sikh Organisation the purpose of which was the pursuit of an independent Sikh state. It is not as if the Minister has not had enough problems of late, ranging from his exaggerated claim to have been the mastermind of a 2006 Canadian military operation in Afghanistan (codenamed "Medusa") to what he knew or didnt know about the transfer of Afghan detainees to local authorities.

It is important to distinguish the desire for a national homeland from the desire to obtain that homeland through violence or terrorism. I know of no link between the Minister and banned terrorist organisations and, as a Sikh, he has every right to favour independence for his people through peaceful means.

There may very well be vestiges of Sikh extremism in Canada: the long-awaited "Khalistan" never materialised and no doubt some are not willing to allow the political process to unfold gradually. Yet, we also have to take into consideration the nature of the current Indian government. Whatever you think of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you cannot deny he has ushered in a wave of xenophobic and hateful Hindu nationalism that has been responsible for some very violent acts in India.

It would not surprise me if some of these extremists were a little oversensitive to any whiff of Sikh independence.

We must be vigilant in Canada to the possibility that we harbour individuals willing to create a "Khalistan" at all costs. But we must be equally vigilant in subjecting accusations in this direction to careful scrutiny.

Phil Gurski is a 30-year intelligence veteran and the author of the forthcoming The Lesser Jihads: Bringing Islamist extremism to the world.
Teen arrested after gun found at Riley High School

A teenager was detained at the Juvenile Justice Facility on Friday after police say they brought a gun to Riley High School.
The receptionist at the hotel told the couple that he has instructions from the management not to entertain Hindu-Muslim couple as it could trigger problems.

By Nolan Pinto, Rohini Swamy: A hotel in Bengaluru turned away a Hindu-Muslim couple and refused to give them a room as the husband was a Muslim and his wife a Hindu.

Shafeeq Subaida Hakkim and Divya DV, a couple from Kerala, were in Bengaluru for some official work. They needed an accommodation to stay but refused a room at Olive Residency on Annipuram Main Road in Sudhama Nagar.

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The receptionist at the hotel said that a Hindu and Muslim cannot live together.

The receptionist went on to make his point saying that he has instructions not to give rooms to Hindu-Muslim couples as there may be problems.

Shafeeq said that they were shocked by the behaviour as they have never faced such a situation before.

"I wanted the room for just 2 hours since my wife Divya had come here for an interview with a prestigious law college. Divya is an LLM graduate and was looking to do her PhD here," Shafeeq told India Today.

He said the hotel explicitly told them it's their policy not to allow inter-religion married couples. When Divya asked him to show the hotel policy in print, the management flatly refused.

Shafeeq and his wife then got into another hotel and she managed to attend her interview. He now plans to file a complaint with the Kerala Human Rights Commission.

ALSO READ:

Hindu-Muslim couple commit suicide in Uttar Pradesh to 'save' families from 'trouble'

'Converted? Who's your baap?' Meerut couple thrashed by Yogi Adityanath's Hindu Yuva Vahini asked

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Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 62F. SW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 62F. SW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible.
It is believed that the lesbian couple got married at a temple in Koramangala, Bengaluru.

By Rohini Swamy: At a time when the Indian society has just begun to come to terms with homosexuality, case of an alleged lesbian wedding in Bengaluru has become a point of discussion .

It is believed that a 25-year-old woman married another 21-year-old woman at a temple in Koramangala.

The parents of one of the girls had filed a missing complaint only to later find out that their daughter was not only in a lesbian relationship , she had also married another woman at a temple in the city.

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The 21-year-old girl is allegedly now being counselled by the Vanita Sahaya Vani, the women's grievance cell of the police. The marriage is not legal after Supreme Court decriminalised section 377 in 2013.

The story of the two women is just like any other love story. The older lady was fascinated by the younger one and have been together as they are distant relatives.

The older lady said that she was so in love with her wife that she used to take her shopping and buy her expensive gifts.

At one point of time, the older lady expressed her love only to meet with rejection. The older woman pursued and convinced the younger one to marry her. Today, they claim to be a 'couple madly in love' with each other.

COUPLE TRACED TO KORMANGALA APARTMENT

Based on the missing complaint filed by the younger woman's family, the police initiated a search operation and traced them to an apartment in Koramangala.

The couple tried to seek help of an NGO to fight their case and also to let their family and police know that they are happy together and as adults have taken their own decisions.

As of now , the police is perplexed as to how to pursue this case, while the 'wife' is undergoing counseling.

While many feel that the whole idea of criminalising homosexuality was to bring sanity in society, but legal experts feel that the SC order was clear that one cannot be booked for being lesbian or gay. It needs to be taken on a case by case situation.

But to legally take action or even arrest, one of them needs to file a complaint or else it will not stand strong in the court.

Also Read:

Madrid: Hundreds of thousands march for LGBT rights in World Pride parade

Delhi: Spurned lesbian stabs lover after repeated rejections

WATCH | India's first lesbian couple ad goes viral

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Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), 05 July 2017 (SPS) - Sahrawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Salem Ould Salek dubbed Tuesday, in Addis Ababa, victorious the firm commitment of the Africa Unions heads of State and government, who met at the 29th AU Summit, in favour of the Sahrawi cause.

"It is an important victory," said Ould Salek, speaking to the press on the sidelines of the summit, which adopted a resolution on Western Sahara at the end of the African Organization's work. "Africa has said that the issue of Western Sahara is an African issue first and foremost."

AUs resolution urges the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in consultation with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, to take appropriate measures, including the possibility of re-establishing the AU 1978 Ad Hoc Committee of Heads of State to support UN efforts and encourage the parties present at the level of the African Union to cooperate in good faith to make the new process succeed.

In this regard, the Head of Sahrawi Diplomacy praised the AU decision to authorize the current President of the African Union, the Chairperson of the Commission, the High Representative for the Western Sahara of the African Union and the AU Peace and Security Council to take all initiatives in the African framework and in cooperation with the United Nations to enable the Saharawi people to exercise their right to independence and self-determination.

He said that the African Union's decision came after Morocco's attempt since joining the African Union last January to prevent and thwart all African efforts to achieve peace between Western Sahara and Morocco, which considers that the Sahara issue is exclusively in the hands of the UN Security Council where France has the right to veto.

Morocco had failed last Sunday in its bid to stop a mission from the African Commission to assess human rights in the occupied territories.

the Foreign Minister noted that Morocco, in its is first participation in the AU summit, has failed to delete paragraphs in the reports of the Commission on Human Rights and Peoples commissioned by a resolution of the Executive Council of the African Union to prepare a report and an assessment on the question of human rights in the occupied territories of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

He also explained that following the Moroccan attempt, the Executive Council, after an important debate, called on Nigeria to find a consensus to restore the Commission's functions and mission. SPS

125/090/TRA
Presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of England since 1999, the Talbot Ponsonby prize recognises the student who scores most highly across all three parts of the CAAV exams. Charlotte Rogerson, who works for Berrys in Shropshire, scored 79.53%, qualifying her as a Fellow of the association alongside 103 other successful candidates.

It feels like a real achievement because the exams are known in the industry to be so rigorous, she says. I qualified four years ago and obtaining that practical experience in the profession really helped, because its such a practical-based exam.

Miss Rogerson has worked at Berrys since 2014, having passed her Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor exams in 2012, and specialises in land agency, strategic business management and valuations.

She has a great knowledge of the industry and to gain the highest marks in the UK is a great achievement and thoroughly deserved, says Berrys Partner Chris Jones.

Coming from a Northumberland farming family, Miss Rogerson gained a first class degree at Harper Adams University, and accrued plenty of work experience at Buccleuch Estates and George F White before settling in Shropshire.
Independent sheep consultant Lesley Stubbings welcomes the products launch but wants to make sure farmers strike the right balance when using it.

Lesley says:

On the one hand we need to harness the potential of Zolvix to improve lamb performance and slow anthelmintic resistance (AR) to other groups, but we must not fall into the trap of over-use, which brings with it a much increased risk of developing resistance to monepantel itself.

Ms Stubbings believes this is going to be a challenge and farmers will have to think even harder about what worming products to use and when.

She continues:

The days when you could simply rotate product groups annually are long gone. In reality, most flocks will need to use three or more groups in a single season. For example 1-BZ for nematodirus, a 2-LV or 3-ML and then a 4-AD or 5-SI in the late season and for quarantine.

This is quite daunting. It requires much more forward planning and monitoring, using Faecal Egg Counts (FECs) and probably additional cost.

Andrew Pattison, SQP with RM Jones Farm Centres agrees. He says:

I would encourage my sheep farmer customers to take the time to talk to their SQP when they go in to buy wormers. Additional SQP training is underway so they can advise on product choices and suggest ways to monitor lamb performance and worm challenges.
The four accused, namely Nirala Yadav, Ram Bachan, Lalan Singh and Nitish Kumar Oraon, all were sentenced life imprisonment while the fifth accused Sudama Uraon will have to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

By Shivendra Srivastava: Five Naxals were today convicted by a special court in Bihar for Sanjay Kumar Singh, then Divisional Forest Office, Shahabad Division in Sasaram.

The four accused, namely Nirala Yadav, Ram Bachan, Lalan Singh and Nitish Kumar Oraon, all were sentenced life imprisonment while the fifth accused Sudama Uraon will have to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

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CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said here today that the agency had registered a case on March 22, 2002 on the request of the Bihar government.

The court, further, directed that all the sentences of the convicts Nitish Kumar Uraon, Lallan Singh and Ram Bachan shall run concurrently. However, Nirala Yadav, Commander of the group shall first undergo sentence U/s 22(5) of POTA, 27 of Arms Act, 148, 353 r/w 149 & 323 of IPC concurrently before commencement of life sentence U/s 3(2)(a) of POTA and 302 r/w 149 IPC and these both the sentence run concurrently.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the murder case on March 22, 2002 on the request of government of Bihar.

It was alleged that on February 14, 2002, few persons of village Rehal had gone to village Daleli, District Garhwa (Jharkhand) for the marriage of Lalmuni @ Bilath Yadav with Shail Devi and was to return on February 2, 2002. A group of MCC naxalites armed with weapons under the leadership of Nirala Yadav had gathered in village Rehal to create trouble for the marriage of Shail Devi whose marriage was earlier almost settled with Ram Bachan Yadav, a naxalite.

Subsequently, the marriage of Shail Devi was settled with Lalmuni as the family members of Shail Devi came to know about Ram Bachan Yadav being a worker of MCC. On February 2, 2002, when Sanjay Kumar Singh, DFO, and his officials reached the Forest Range Office in village Rehal, they were surrounded by these naxalites. The naxalites demanded Rs 5 lakh from the DFO but he refused to pay. Sanjay Kumar Singh was forcibly taken away from the village inside the jungle by the naxalites, where he was shot dead on the instructions of Nirala Yadav.

After thorough investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet/supplementary chargesheets against accused persons in the 2006-2009.

Also read: 1993 Mumbai blasts case: CBI asks TADA court to sentence Abu Salem to life in prison

Also read: Opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar to campaign in Bihar on July 6

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P ersimmon roared to the top of the FTSE 100 today as the housing market took the snap general election in its stride, according to the builder.

Persimmon flagged resilient consumer confidence and cheap mortgages behind healthy sales throughout May and June, leaving weekly sales rates 7% ahead of last year in the six months.

Forward sales are 18% ahead of last year at 1.6 billion, helping shares in the UKs biggest builder by market value jump 84p, or 4%, to 2374p.

Its upbeat trading comments also lifted blue-chip rival Barratt Developments 2%.

Retirement homes specialist McCarthy & Stone painted a different picture, however, as its older buyers held fire around the poll in subdued trading, according to chief executive Clive Fenton.

Everybody was regarding the election as a slam-dunk. Then, with a couple of weeks to go people realised it was not quite such a done deal, he said.

Things are just taking a little longer and there is a little more caution around, he added.

McCarthy said the delay might have a modest impact on pushing sales over the finishing line but the shares rose another 2.3p to 165.7p.
S hares in Lakehouse, the housing firm responsible for the fire alarms at Grenfell Tower, tumbled on Wednesday as investors dumped the stock.

Yesterday the Evening Standard revealed that Lakehouse is at the centre of an investigation by fraud squad police over allegations it has installed defective safety equipment in London properties. Ten people have been arrested after Hackney council was made aware of allegations of fraud and overcharging.

The mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, wrote a letter to local authority chief executives across the country on Monday warning them about the investigation which has been ongoing since 2014.

In the letter, he claimed that some of the fire safety works carried out by Lakehouse were defective including incorrectly installed alarms and emergency lighting systems.

Last night Lakehouse issued a stock-market statement saying that there is no link between the Grenfell fire and the Hackney issue. The two matters are wholly unrelated, it said. Lakehouse said it is aware of alleged frauds relating to two specific contracts for a particular client having been carried out in 2013 and 2014. These were carried out by employees and certain sub-contractors.

Lakehouse says there has been no suggestion of fraud on the companys part and that it is working with the Met Police to bring the culprits to justice.

Shares fell 5.75p, or 12%, to 47p. That leaves the company valued at 65 million.

The firm says that the prospect of any prosecution for the Hackney issue is low.

Lakehouse added: We have found the past week highly disappointing, but will not be distracted from continuing to provide a high level of service to clients and residents alike and support them during this difficult and traumatic time.

The firm was founded in 1988 and has its headquarters in Romford. It employs 2400 people and has annual sales of 300 million.
H opes the new chairman of BHP Billiton will bow to pressure from activist investor Elliott boosted the mining giants shares today.

Elliott, which has built up a small stake in the Anglo-Aussie firm through contracts for difference, has been pushing for it to dump its US oil business and focus on mining.

So far, BHP has brushed off Elliotts concerns, but Ken MacKenzies appointment as chairman gave it hopes of a change of heart.

Bernstein echoed those views today as it upgraded BHP to Outperform.

Despite managements reluctance to change at this stage, we believe that BHP is about to experience a radical shift in strategy, driven by the arrival of the new chairman Ken MacKenzie, wrote analyst Paul Gait.

Gait reckons MacKenzie, who joins in September, will accede to shareholder requests for a broad portfolio review and restructuring.

Following such a move we believe that the value upside in the core mining business will become more pronounced, he added.

His upgrade boosted BHPs London-listed shares by 29p, or 2.4%, to 1256.5p. BHP joined housebuilders higher after a strong trading update from Persimmon lifted the sector, but overall, the FTSE 100 edged up just 8.26 points to 7365.49.

Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline dropped 24p, or 1.5%, to 1604.5p as it became a casualty of a downgrade from Citigroup, whose analysts expressed concern about President Trump repealing the Affordable Care Act in the US, more commonly known as Obamacare.

Citis number-crunchers, who cut their rating on Glaxo from Buy to Neutral, said scrapping it would hit volumes and prices, causing the HIV market to slow down, to the British companys detriment.

Shares in package holiday firm On the Beach were 0.75p brighter at 388.25p as Panmure Gordon urged clients to buy into any weakness in the run-up to its annual results.

The company is not scheduled to update the market again until November  a void the broker fears could be filled by macro, geopolitical and consumer concerns.

At the smaller end of the spectrum, FairFX was 2.7p richer at 62.2p  a rise of 4.5%  as the currency firm surprised investors by reporting its first interim net profit since floating on AIM in 2014.
B ritish steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta promised to revive Australian manufacturing today after landing a shock deal to buy collapsed steel group Arrium at the 11th hour.

Arrium, spun out of BHP in 2000, collapsed into administration last year and was due to be acquired by a South Korean consortium.

But a last-ditch counter-offer from Gupta last night gazumped the Koreans.

The takeover will safeguard 5500 jobs, winning the plaudits of Aussie politicians who have taken a keen interest in the future of the steel plant, based in Whyalla.

Morgan Stanley, which was advising on the sale, and administrators KordaMentha said Guptas offer was superior to the Korean bid.

No price was disclosed.

Turnaround investor Gupta bought Tata Steels speciality steel business in the north of England this year, protecting 1700 jobs.

He promised to replicate his strategy of reviving UK manufacturing Down Under.

We have a vision to create a vertically integrated and sustainable industrial business, he said.
I s austerity dressing getting you down? Is the queue for Primarks customer service desk fraying your patience quicker than the fast fashion hem youre there to complain about? Imagine how women felt in 1947. After nearly a decade of fashion rationing they yearned for luxury. This year sees the 70th anniversary of one of fashions great revolutions when Christian Dior answered their plaintive whimpers with his sensational New Look.

At its heart was the Bar suit, an outfit that comprised a wasp-waisted jacket and bustled skirt. In 30-40 yards of precious cloth Dior offered a repudiation of every privation and foregone frippery. The corseted jacket also returned women to the age of strict body shaping not seen since just after the First World War.

This wasnt your standard French revolution. Diors first collection had emerged at a time when clothing rations and a 100 per cent purchase tax levied on luxury goods left the entire population weary of making do and mending.

Despite the best efforts of a few designers who lent their talents to the Utility clothing scheme, people had tired of the limited scope of fabrics and styles. But it wasnt the factory workers who led the rebellion. The signal to abandon the dreary weeds of war came from the top, and when it did the rush to full skirts and longer lengths was unseemly to many.

Politicians and puritans were appalled by its wasteful material demands and what Mabel Ridealgh, MP for North Ilford, called the caged bird look. I hope our fashion dictators will realise the new outlook of women and give them the death blow... at curtailing womens freedom. Fat chance. Women quickly made it clear that they didnt want the freedom to wear modest dresses and frumpy jackets. Within a year modified versions of Christian Diors vision were everywhere.

His eponymous house is now one of the worlds most successful brands. Maria Grazia Chiuri is the latest designer to take on the role of what she calls curator of its history. And what a history there is to curate. Its one of the reasons Brand Dior has chosen to mark the New Look moment with a blockbuster exhibition. Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams, at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, is the biggest exhibition of his work shown to date.

Here visitors can witness for themselves just how startling La Ligne Corolle, the New Looks actual title, must have been for women brought up on the fashion equivalent of powdered egg. The Bar suit is there, as are original toiles, sketches, letters and, yes, some of the finest dresses crafted by human hands. If your own austerity budget can stretch as far as a ticket to Paris its a fashion bargain, even if you only come home with a postcard.

lesartsdecoratifs.fr
Rajmohan Pillai, popularly known as cashew baron from Kerala, has been arrested for raping his housemaid from Odisha.

By India Today Web Desk: A 53-year-old cashew businessman was arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating a 23-year-old house maid from Odisha.

The accused has been identified as Rajmohan Pillai, who is also the younger brother of biscuit baron Rajan Pillai, who died in Tihar jail in 1995 after being arrested in a fraud case.

The incident came to light when the woman approached a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for abortion. Sources said that the woman was reportedly sent to the hospital by Rajmohan and his aides.

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One of the doctors who could not understand the woman asked her colleague from Odisha to inquire.

It was upon talking to the woman that she told tha she was being sexually abused by Rajmohan. The hospital authorities reportedly informed the Trivandrum Police.

The woman told the police that she has been working as a domestic help at Rajmohan's residence for the past eight months.

In her statement, she revealed that she had been sexually assaulted multiple times during her tenure as housemaid.

Police said that the woman has been transferred to a shelter home. Rajmohan has been booked under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code.

Also Read:

Maharashtra: Video of BJP leader kissing in moving bus goes viral, woman says was raped

Malayalam actress abduction case: What happened so far

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T ake a walk down Lambs Conduit Street in Bloomsbury, and as you get to the end of the road youll find a new coffee shop called Redemption Roasters.

Youre probably thinking, Great, thats just what our city needs right now: another hipster cafe. But this ones different. All the coffee is roasted by inmates at Aylesbury Prison, and Redemption Roasters not only provides prisoners with training and work while they are behind bars, it also helps them find a job when they get out.

This matters  prisoners are 50 per cent less likely to reoffend if they have skills and a job, but only a third manage to find work within two years of being released. Thats where Redemption Roasters comes in. Founded by a former lawyer and an ex-management consultant, this business is making a real difference to peoples lives  and making great coffee at the same time.

Its a brilliant idea and part of a new movement of London start-ups harnessing the power of business to make a positive social impact. This is a generational shift. It used to be the case that if you wanted to do good, your main options were to work for a charity or in the public sector  both still fantastic career choices, by the way.

Today, a third avenue has opened up. You can start a for-profit company that has a social purpose, and endeavour to build a sustainable business model so you can keep expanding your reach, while providing employment along the way.

The positive benefit of creating a job for someone cant be overstated. In the words of one of the prisoners supported by Redemption Roasters: I wake up and Im so excited to get to work. Ive never had a job before; Ive never felt that before.

This understanding that work matters goes back centuries. Almost 1,000 years ago, the Jewish philosopher Maimonides wrote that the highest form of charity is to create a job. Thats exactly what ambitious London social enterprises are doing  such as Bread and Roses, a flower business started by Sneh Jani and Olivia Head to provide work for female refugees. Under their programme refugees receive training in bouquet-making, as well as support with CV-writing and English tuition.

The company has already worked with over 40 female refugees, helping them get ready for work  whether that ends up being with flowers or not.

Better Health Bakery in Haggerston is similarly minded. Its a social enterprise that provides work opportunities for adults recovering from mental ill health  they first learn how to make bread, before getting the chance to sell to customers. As co-founder Ashwin Matthews puts it: We were looking for a new business that would tick a number of boxes: something labour-intensive but therapeutic in some ways, which would involve training. A bakery was the business that seemed to do all of these things.

Its certainly paying off  since 2012 theyve created work for hundreds of people and have been named amongst the five best bakeries in London its true, their walnut loaf is unbelievably good.

Whats so special about these businesses is that they all understand that whoever we are  prisoners, refugees, people with mental ill health  we all have skills that can be unlocked and the potential to create things that others will value.

As former chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks puts it in his wonderful book The Dignity of Difference: From trade, both sides gain. When we value difference the way the market values difference, we create a non-zero-sum scenario of human interaction. We turn the narrative of tragedy into a script of hope.

Amen to that.

Just nipping down the shop for a sexbot

Did you ever see the cheesy 1990s TV series Weird Science? It was terrible  a show about two nerdy high school students who use a computer programme to design the woman of their dreams, who they call Lisa (played by Vanessa Angel) and bring her to life.

According to a new report by Professor Noel Sharkey, this kind of thing may not be science fiction for much longer  companies around the world are working on sex robots that could be in the shops within a few years.

Professor Sharkey thinks its just a matter of time before humans and robots are having sex, and wants politicians to decide what the rules should be. If hes right, theres likely to be a ferocious debate ahead, with Dr Kathleen Richardson at De Montfort University, a senior research fellow in the ethics of robotics, already calling for a total ban, describing sex robots as just another form of pornography.

Ive no idea how this will all turn out, but if Weird Science is anything to go by, I cant help thinking that Woody Allen was right: Life doesnt imitate art, it imitates bad television.
T he wife of a firefighter who battled the Grenfell Tower blaze said he has been utterly broken by the tragedy.

The couple and their two children are to be among the first to take up hundreds of free holidays that have been crowd-sourced by members of the public.

More than 370 holidays have been offered in the Grenfell Tower Holiday Appeal Facebook Group since the fatal blaze three weeks ago, co-organiser Angie Mays said.

Ms Mays, a fundraiser from Ilfracombe, Devon, set up the campaign with friend and volunteer Kay Gilbert.

The firefighter and his family will head to a cottage in Marsden, West Yorkshire, for a week this month.

His wife, who wishes to remain anonymous to respect her partners privacy, said: What Kay and Angie have done from the kindness of their hearts will help so many families at such a distressing time in their lives.

As a firefighters wife, I was directed to the page they lovingly set up for the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and any emergency services who may have been affected by it.

This has been the most horrific job of my husbands career and he has been utterly broken by it.

As we all have - trying to support him emotionally, and trying to understand what he has been through. Not to mention praying he comes home in one piece.

Thanks to the utter kindness of these wonderful ladies and all of the generous donations to this cause, we will be able to go away for a week as a family for some much needed R&R.

This means the world to me that I can take them away from it all, if just for a moment.

The short-stay offers have come mainly from small businesses, B&Bs and guesthouses all over the UK, but also in Spain and Cyprus, Ms Mays said.

Other firefighter families are also in the process of taking up offers, she added.

Separate Facebook groups have been also set up to provide holidays in Cornwall and the Highlands.
S ummer is here, which means Edinburgh Fringe is on its way (August 4-28). This means that if you live in London and you love all things theatrical, the month of August may induce within you a major sense of FOMO.

But fear not: if youre not going to be able to frolic at the Fringe this year, or youre anti-watching shows that start at 10.20am, all is not lost. Plenty of shows are testing their material on London audiences before they put their props bucket in a hold-all and get on a sweaty train to Scotland.

Youll be able to see the shows before they were cool (or, entirely polished) with our handy guide to where to watch Edinburgh previews in London.

The B*easts

Bafta award-winning actress Monica Dolan has written a show that promises to be dark, exploring how far one mum will go to put what her child wants first. Were guessing quite far. Dolan also wrote the show, which will be at Underbelly at the Fringe.

July 26-28, Bush Theatre; bushtheatre.co.uk

Bechdel Testing Life

The Bechdel Test has changed cinema-going forever - who even wants to see a film where theres less than two female characters and they dont even talk to each other?

Bechdel Theatre company decided to real life conversations between women to see if they passed the test in real life, and then passed the recordings on to four great upcoming playwrights. Expect it to be intimate and hilarious and to inspire plenty of its own conversations.

July 22-23, Bunker Theatre; bunkertheatre.com

Prom Kween: The Musical

Actress Rebecca Humphries has written the book and lyrics for this show about the first boy to ever win the title of prom queen. Audiences loved it at Vault Festival earlier this year, and Humphries last Fringe show, Dizney Rascal, sold out its entire run, so it will definitely be one to watch. As an audience member, and just as a distant observer of what people like at the Fringe.

July 19-21, Hackney Showroom; hackneyshowroom.com

Sorry I Killed Your Cat

This show is surely a front runner for one of the best Fringe show titles. Whether a show full of laughs, drama and dead animals will live up to its name will be revealed in due course.

July 23, Hackney Showroom; hackneyshowroom.com

Dust and Brutal Cessation

Actress and writer Milly Thomas is taking two shows up to Edinburgh, one of which shes starring in, and you can see them in a double bill at the Bunker before the Fringe kicks off. Dust is about a woman who has to watch the aftermath of her own suicide, and Brutal Cessation has two actors swapping roles in the story of a rotting relationship - easy to see how shes been described as the love child of Charlie Brooker and Diablo Cody.

July 24-25, The Bunker; bunkertheatre.com

Taha

The Young Vic presents this story of the life of Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali, in association with Shubbak Festival, before a run at Edinburgh Fringe. Amer Hlehel offers a solo performance of survival after 50 years of loss.

July 5-15, Young Vic; youngvic.org

Edinburgh - 10 things we love 1 /10 Edinburgh - 10 things we love Architectural wonderland The skyline of Edinburgh always takes the breath away, combining the Old Town and New Town This Is Edinburgh On the buses A tour with a company like Rabbie's, as well as the city's own bus network, is the best way to get the first feel for the city Gary Doak City's guardian You can't go to Edinburgh and not see the Castle - and that doesn't mean just looking at it looming over the city Historic Environment Scotland The Palace of Holyroodhouse At the other end of the Royal Mile is the Queen's official residence in Edinburgh, Holyroodhouse Royal Collection Trust /  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2015. Photographer: John Freeman The Real Mary King's Close Take a step back in time in Edinburgh's Old Town with the preserved homes and shops of Mary King's Close Real Mary King's Close The Edinburgh Dungeon The darker side of Scotland's history is on show at the Edinburgh Dungeon The Edinburgh Dungeon Rose Street A stroll along Rose Street will tempt those partial to a liquid refreshment during their trip Hans Georg Eiben/Getty Images The Scotch Whisky Experience Learn about Scotland's national drink at the Scotch Whisky Experience and gaze at a collection of almost 3,400 different kinds Brendan MacNeill Photography The Royal Yacht Britannia Now the centrepiece of a redeveloped area of Leith, you can look in almost every nook and cranny of the Britannia, before enjoying a very civilised meal on the Royal Deck The Royal Yacht Britannia The Rutland Apartments Edinburgh boasts every kind of accomodation, but staying in an apartment in the centre of Edinburgh, offers a home-from-home atmosphere to rest after walking around the city Christina Kernohan 2014

Wife

Airlock Theatres show incorporates poems from The Worlds Wife by Carol Ann Duffy with verbatim contributions to explore obscured female perspectives throughout history.

July 19-20, Theatre503; theatre503.com

Anne Edmonds: No Offence, None Taken

Will this new show from one Australias most exciting comedians cause you offence? Will you take offence either way? No offence but theres literally no way of knowing until youve seen the show yourself.

July 28-29, Soho Theatre; sohotheatre.com

Nassim

Nassim Soleimanpour is up to his old tricks again. Like his previous Edinburgh hit White Rabbit Red Rabbit, this show will require an unprepared actor to read a sealed script. Preview performances at the Bush will include Hattie Morahan and Alexi Kaye Campbell amongst the line-up (casting for the Traverse Theatre shows is yet to be announced).

July 25-29, Bush Theatre; bushtheatre.co.uk

Late Night Gimp Fight

Late Night Gimp Night return to the Fringe for the first time in four years, but before they do, they need to test their abundance of new material on a game Soho Theatre audience to work out what stays in the final show. Which makes you sort of like a special creative consultant, just by enjoying things.

July 18-22, Soho Theatre; sohotheatre.com

Murder, She Didnt Write

An improvised murder mystery could end in literally any way, thanks to a helping hand from the audience (you won't be expected to help with actual murder. Its just a made-up game).Theatre company Degrees of Error have been enjoying successful runs since 2013 and this year they move to the 300-seater Pleasance Theatre.

25th July, 9pm, The Old Red Lion Theatre Pub; oldredliontheatre.co.uk

Hear Me Raw

This show is performed by Daniella Isaacs, not Katy Perry, just to be clear. Its about one womans clean eating journey, when all the spiralizing and pots of green things dont turn out to be the answer to eternal inner peace.

July 24, 27-28, Hackney Showroom; hackneyshowroom.com

Jack Rooke: Happy Hour

Jack Rooke recently had his own BBC Three series, Happy Man, all about male identity, mental health and body image. Now hes off to the Fringe with his show Happy Hour. Cheap-drinks-during-a-limited-window-of-time not included, as far as we know.

July 26, Soho Theatre; sohotheatre.com

Edinburgh Fringe Fest 2016 by the numbers

Maddy Anholt: Herselves

This character comedian has had five-star sell-outs at the Fringe and Soho Theatre, and now shes back with a new show. Catch Anholts surreal and enchanting characters before her run at Underbelly - shes doing three London previews.

July 12, The Curtain Shoreditch; July 28 Bread and Roses, Clapham; July 30, The Cavendish Arms, Stockwell

All My Friends Are Dead

Well, that doesnt sound very funny. But apparently it is, as Conor Drum had to turn people away every night at last years Fringe for the 40 minute version of this show - which has now been extended to an hour for this years run.

July 13, Museum of Comedy; museumofcomedy.com

The Shape of Pain

Chris Thorpe and Rachel Bagshaw have created a show about the condition she lives with, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It means that she lives with daily pain which is very difficult to explain to other people, including doctors. Catch two previews in London before it heads to the Fringe.

BAC July 21-22, bac.org.uk; Artsdepot July 27, artsdepot.co.uk

Previews season at the Pleasance in Islington

The Islington sister of the much-loved Edinburgh Pleasance is offering Londoners the chance to see three Edinburgh previews for just 12. Their previews include comedians Tim Key and Nina Conti, sketch comedy shows and a dance show about gender transition.

July 5-30, Islington Pleasance; pleasance.co.uk

Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes 1 /14 Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Im afraid of walking past construction sites for a couple of reasons. One, that Ill get cat called, or worse, ignored completely.



Felicity Ward Andy Hollingworth Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes I have the confidence to text a man first. And second. And third. And fourth. And fifth. And sixth. And seventh. Basically, till he answers.



Sofie Hagen Per Bix Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Neil Diamond is the perfect romantic troubadour. Even his name is a brief set of instructions for a successful proposal.



Simon Evans Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes I think if you were hardcore anti-feminism, surely you wouldnt call yourself anti-feminism would you? Youd call yourself Uncle feminism.



Jenny Collier Andy Hollingworth Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Im not sure about legalizing marijuana. No conversation about someone who smokes weed ends in and they got the promotion.



Rory OHanlon Ed Moore Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes My show was going to be called Oh no  my Mum was right about everything but she didnt like the title.



Pippa Evans Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes I was the prettiest, cleverest girl in my class. I was homeschooled.



Lou Sanders Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Its tough being ginger. But I know there are far more important social justice movements and next to them we are pale by comparison.



James Wilson Taylor Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes You have two choices in life. 1) Raise a family so that when youre on your deathbed, youre surrounded by the people you love. 2) Dont raise a family, and use the money youve saved to buy a really amazing deathbed.



Henry Paker Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Before I started on my food journey I wasnt healthy at all. I never thought about what I was putting in my body. Which is why I got chlamydia. Bella Younger Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Theres a common misconception that women try and change men when we marry them  thats just not true. We just want you to be the people you pretended to be to get us in the sack.



Wendy Wason Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes My father had five children with my mother and five with someone else, because he believed in equality.



Njambi McGrath Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes Im voting for Donald Trump. Heres why: I believe a violent revolution is coming to America. And I want a President whos not going to be able to handle it.



Ari Shaffir Edinburgh Fringe 2016: The best jokes I saw an article which said 16 year olds in Britain drink twice as much as they did 10 years ago. Of course they do, they were only 6 at the time.



Mark Nelson

Comedy previews at Battersea Arts Centre

A host of comedians are trying out their freshest material at Battersea Arts Centre before they head up to Edinburgh. Tickets start from as little as 6, and youll be able to see greats including Sara Pascoe, Nish Kumar, Max & Ivan and Ed Gamble.

July 10-22, Battersea Arts Centre; bac.org.uk
L ike pina coladas but not so keen on getting caught in the rain? Here are Londons best bars for getting a taste of summer with a sweet concoction of rum, pineapple and coconut.

Little Bat

Enjoy a blend of coconut-infused Bacardi rum, grilled pineapple syrup and Angostura bitters at this hip joint, halfway between a bar and a pub.

Info: 9.50, 54 Islington Park Street, N1, littlebatbar.com

Cubana

This lively Cuban bolthole does a mean frozen pina colada made with fresh pineapple and coconut blended with Caney Carta Blanca rum. For a twist on a classic, you can also choose from a fresh strawberry colada or a mango and strawberry colada. Totally tropical.

Info: 6.50, 48 Lower Marsh, SE1, cubana.co.uk

Barrio East

For a colada with a difference, try Barrios gingerbread take on the classic, made with Santa Teresa Gran Reserva rum, pineapple, coconut and ginger. It tastes all the better during happy hour from 4pm-8pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

Info: 8.50, 141-143 Shoreditch High Street, E1, barriobars.com

The best bars in London 1 /64 The best bars in London Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, rosewoodhotels.com/london

The Rosewood is doubly wonderful for drinkers, as theyve two fine spots. In the modern Dining Room, sit at the gin bar, which outstocks anywhere else in London, with more than 400 gins and 27 tonics. Trying to choose is impossible, but what a lovely impossibility to have. The bar staff clearly had one hell of a tasting session as they know the list perfectly. Across the way is Scarfes Bar, a brilliant, brilliant bar gladly shaken free from all the stuffiness usually found in hotel bars. The drinks are stunning, theyve often live music, it gets wonderfully busy and crackles with laughter. Go a little later and its busier, people drink more, everything is better. Bar Americain 20 Sherwood St, W1F 7ED, brasseriezedel.com

As the name suggests, this is a classic American bar, and done near perfectly. One can become very fond of Bar Americain and very quickly: passing through Piccadilly Circus, it acts as a magnet  a quick negroni becomes a temptation impossible to resist. Its a very beautiful place, calling to mind grand Parisian hotels of the 20s and 30s, bottles winking from the bar, staff floating through with their finery and litres of charm. Youre here to drink the classics: theyve a killer Clover Club and a straight-down-the-line Manhattan. But ask: the bartenders know their stuff and bring their A-game to any challenge  tell them what you like, and theyll bring you something new. They often have specials on, as well. Top marks for the attentive staff, bringing plenty of water and bowl after bowl of popcorn  both essential after a few here. Oriole Smithfield Markets, E Poultry Ave, EC1A 9LH, oriolebar.com

The team behind Nightjar took their winning formula, gave it a bit of a shake up and created Oriole. Theyve live music throughout the week  from Wednesday to Saturday, theres a charge per person, so watch out for that  which gives any night here a bit of zip. This is a strictly seated spot, so be sure to book: once inside, its a whirlwind tour of the world, with fine details from across the globe, both in the styling and the drinks and so much cheaper than booking a holiday. Drinks are excellent, whether youre into New Orleans style classics or something from the depths of Asia: explore the menu (split into Old World, New World and The Orient) and expect something unusual and faintly brilliant, with a touch of the Tiki. Put it this way: Oriole is ideal whether you prefer drinking from a crystal tumbler, a teacup or, er, a silver crocodile. Piano Works 113-117 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3BX, pianoworks.bar

Full credit to this fun Farringdon spot: theyve worked hard to make the place better and better since opening, which is pretty good going for what was already a decent spot to begin with. The Piano Works sounds like a quiet jazz bar but instead is a hell-raising house of sound, splendidly raucous, where a house band take requests and belt out your favourite songs. The more you get involved, the more fun it is, and the place heats up the later it gets. Wine starts at 16, house cocktails are 8, but they've tons of terrific deals during the week  including cocktails for a fiver (!!) Drink lots, dance lots and leave in the early hours with someone you shouldnt do. Thats what we did. Hawksmoor, Spitalfields 157A Commercial St, E1 6BJ, thehawksmoor.com

Its hardly surprising the bar snacks are a highlight here  have the oxcheek nuggets with a side of chips, then call the waiter over to order them over again  given how good the steak upstairs is. The drinks and setting, though, match them pound for pound. The old tube tiles on the walls, the beautiful parquet floor, the copper tops and silvery black ceiling make the large space a place to settle in for the night no matter your seat, while the cocktails come with oodles of thought in each one: the new menu has homemade bitters, shrubs and syrups, and its bloody obvious everyone behind the bar is more than a little nerdy about building drinks. Shaky Petes Ginger Brew is the classic, so have it, but follow up with the Shadow Boxer, a mix of scotch, sherry and Fernet-Branca. Odd, oddly delicious. Its also a cracking place to sit for a bottle of wine. Andrew Edmunds 46 Lexington St, W1F 0LP, andrewedmunds.com

Perhaps better than its ever been, Andrew Edmunds recently won The Good Drinking prize in our Restaurant Awards, and for good reason. Its a small spot, cramped to the point that coming here on a first date feels like youre being very forward indeed , with the best tables upstairs and not much to look at  just settle for being distracted by someone beautiful. The food, French-ish/English-ish, is fine, but its the wine that's extraordinary. And youre here for wine: forget cocktails, they have. What a list, and so quietly marked up that youre getting a steal with almost every bottle  indeed, the more expensive the better the deal. Having been going 30 years, those who knew old Soho say its one of the last bastion of such things. Drink too much gorgeous wine and come back often. The Connaught Bar Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL, the-connaught.co.uk

A bar for the impossibly beautiful, a bar of high heels and glimmering lights, of perfume and leather. Aside from oddly thumping music, the Connaught is wonderfully detached from the world  a place of its own, cosy and winter warm when it needs to be, light and summer when desired. The drinks, naturally pricey, are well put together and while classic in tone, come with crackles of theatre: washes in perfume bottles, branches as garnishes, smoke, the lot. Still, the martini trolley is what theyre famed for, so its only right to indulge. Afterward, head to the Champagne Room: sadly the law stops it being the cigar haven it once was, but it's still gorgeous: romantic and charming with its fireplace, dramatic with its glass ceiling and sculpture swan diving. Treat yourself to the Ruinart blanc de blanc. Damned good olives, too. Milk & Honey 61 Poland St, W1F 7NU, mlkhny.com

You know a bar is good when local bartenders love it, and Milk & Honey has long been a Soho favourite for those in the know. Hidden in plain sight this terrific bar has been doing its thing for just shy of 15 years. The talent hasnt diminished, and neither has the care put into the drinks. Cocktails are strong and proper and happily, they're updating the list soon to freshen things up. At around 10 a drink, M&H is also a bargain for central London, and the quality outstrips the price. It functions as a members bar, but non-members can book up until 11pm  though going earlier in the week means youre more likely to score a table. Milk & Honey is civilised, without the crushing formality. Next door is the Blind Pig, another top 'hidden' spot. Mark's Bar HIX Soho, 66- 70 Brewer St, W1F 9UP, hixrestaurants.co.uk

The bad: you might not get in. If its busy, they dont squeeze people into this basement, so either be there early, or bamboozle them with charm, or dazzle them with your brilliant wit. Were kidding: just take someone hot. The good: pretty much everything else. Naturally, the bar snacks are distractingly tasty, but the drinks list is excellent, and unusual too, with a few historical recipes brought back to life. Attention to detail is everything here, so if youre not sharing one of the big old Chesterfields, head to the bar and sit and watch  theres something about it thats like seeing a cardmaster turn tricks. And have a Hix Fix, just to say you have. The Beaufort bar and the American Bar at The Savoy The Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EU, fairmont.com

Glitz, glamour and lots of gold: both Savoy bars are wonderfully opulent. The world-famous American bar, recently revamped, is still up there as one of the best bars on our humble planet. The bartenders bible, Harry Craddocks The Savoy Cocktail Book, was written here, and the cocktails served today remain as finely tuned as they ever were. Whereas as other bars try to recreate the glamour of such places, The Savoy neednt pretend: everything is genuine. The palatial Beaufort is absurdly romantic, and drinks are extravagantly presented: it works for the most special of special occasions, and theres something undeniably grand about sipping away in the same place Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway all did. If youre planning a few drinks, either be rich or take someone rich  seriously. Artesian 1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA, artesian-bar.co.uk

Artesian won its accolades for its team, Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, who ran the place for eight years and earned its reputation as the best bar in the world. Theyve sadly departed, but have left the place in capable hands, and the feel is much the same as it ever was, which is chic, glamorous, and not taking itself too seriously. While the beautiful and the rich rub shoulders, the bartenders are mixing up excellent but often slightly silly drinks  but its their mischievousness that makes them so winning. Seriously impressive. Les Compagnie Des Vins Surnaturels 8-10 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP, cvssevendials.com

Call it CVS and your night becomes considerably easier to pronounce. Sat in Neils Yard, it is one of Londons finest wine bars. Thoroughly French, of course: New World wines barely get a sideways glance, while even Italys finest is only begrudgingly given a little space on the considerable menu. This doesn't mean there is a lack of choice  to the contrary, it is almost overwhelming, though they have a short by-the-glass list, and the charming staff are both well informed and passionate about what to have. In the summer, sit outdoors, in the winter, cosy up by the bar. Wherever you are, try the mystery wine; if you guess it, youll win a bottle. Have food  small plates made to share, and terrifically good  and drink plenty, so the bill doesnt hit as hard. The Shrub & Shutter 336 Coldharbour Ln, SW9 8QH, theshrubandshutter.com

This Brixton bar felt new in the area, taking a little of east London and bringing it down south. Theyve a pleasingly patchwork approach to decor: there are jars and bottles and shakers everywhere, which gives the place a kitchen feel. The cocktails, lovely to drink on their own, are made better with the food, which is designed to match what youre drinking. The pairings initially sound a little gimmicky  crayfish with vodka, venison on the side of The Deerhunter (an old fashioned, basically)  but they work, so drop that sceptical streak for a moment. It gets busy, so book up, get in early, and stay late. Theyve a license until 3am, so itd be rude not to. Sky Pod at the Sky Garden 1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AF, skygarden.london

The truth of it is, you come for the view, but good God it's a great view, and 360-degrees at that. Up 35 floors, if you can think of a London icon, you can probably see it. When the weather's good, get outside for some fresh air. With completely free entry and minimal security fuss, its worth making a reservation, though if youre ok to queue, theyll have you in. Cocktails arent torturously expensive, at around 11.50, and are very enjoyable  the cognac-chocolate-caramel-port mix that is Black and Gold is particularly good so it doesn't feel like they're relying on the sights.

Theres a sense of special occasion, and all the more so with live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Theyre hoping for jazz on Wednesdays, too. If youre tempted to eat, Fenchurch and the Darwin Brasserie are well worth trying  Fenchurch is particularly good for veggies. The Gilbert Scott St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, NW1 2AR, thegilbertscott.co.uk

Given the golden hue here, where luxury hangs in the air like perfume, its remarkable that wine starts at as little as 5 a glass. Wine is its strong point, and likeable head sommelier Joris Beijn is a man worth knowing: he is passionate about his list, knowledgeable and accommodating. The bar is flexible, in that it is by turns ideal for a date, or a catch up with old friends, or a pre/post dinner drinks. The room is a stunner: high painted ceilings, dramatic red walls, great big bells as art, marble bar top and crystal glasses catching the light. Cocktails come in at around 14, and err on the light side: lots of gin and floral concoctions. The restaurant, next door, isnt to be missed, either, just be prepared to get an Uber home: invariably, youll stretch and tease out the evening to stay just a little longer. Gerry's Club 52 Dean Street, W1D 5BJ, gerrysclub.com

A word of warning: this is technically a member's club, but you'll probably be fine if you flirt enough  and don't ask for Gerry, he's long since passed. Michael looks after this place now. We've only been once  very late, very drunk and with very good friends. Most old-school Soho drinking dens are dead, but this hub of actors and writers is what remains of 'Old Soho'. If you're boring, steer clear: it is a place to drink wine and beer and tell stories, to laugh uproariously and to give yourself a monumental hangover in a faintly discreet way. 68 and Boston 4-5 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DD, 68andboston.com

Boston, the bar upstairs, looks like glamorous train carriage from the golden age of cocktails but plays it a little bit safe. Wine bar 68, downstairs, is the real gem, with a wonderful way of pricing: every bottle on the list is 20, so choose what you like, not what you can afford. Better yet, if you don't fancy a bottle, they're served by the carafe (14) or glass (5.50). Wines are well picked and Denise Medrano, wine blogger and lover found behind the bar, is always working to update the list  so go back to try something new. Youll probably end up getting drunk here: the pull of another bottle at just 20 is monumentally hard to resist, but hey, thats what Soho is for. If you fancy drinking something more upscale, ask  theyve a few hidden wines kept hidden away for those in the know. Thats you, now. The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion 25-27 Brewer St, W1F 0RR, elcamion.co.uk

Forget house infusions and drinks that take half an hour to make: sometimes a good night needs tequila and dancing. The Pink Chihuahua is built for it: theyre providing the tequila  more than 300 different types of it, in fact  youre there to drink it down and dance it up. Theyve all sorts of twists on Margaritas and Daiquiris, and, given youre downstairs from Mexican restaurant El Camion, plenty of bar food to indulge in too. Lots of fun, and if youre feeling more in the mood just to sit back and sip something slowly, ask about their choice of Mezcal. There's real talent here, but fun too. The Gibson 44 Old St, EC1V 9AQ, thegibsonbar.london

Given the dearth of decent cocktails in Farringdon, the tiny Gibson is a God-send. Its a parlour pitched somewhere between Edwardian and Art Deco, and drinks arent simply poured here, theyre tended to, built, thought about, adored. All unsurprising, really, given the team learnt their trade at the likes of Nightjar and The Connaught.

This place is doing more creatively to push bartending forward than any bar that's opened up in a while, so ask the team for recommendations and youll be presented with something magic. Youll need to ask, actually, as the menu is a novel and theres the risk of wasting the evening reading instead of drinking, and that simply wouldnt do at all. Peg+Patriot Patriot Square, E2 9NF, talentedmrfox.com

The Talented Mr Fox, Matt Whiley, offers is a nice blend of things here: while the menu takes a sophisticated trip around London, with each cocktail a column of flavour, some managing chameleonic taste all within the space of a sip, the actual bar is surprisingly spare and understated. The effect is such that while drinks are upmarket, one doesnt feel obliged to sit demurely to enjoy them. Relax, have a few  you might want to, as the serves arent huge. It should be said that these cocktails are among Londons most interesting, rather than Londons best: they are talking points, oddities, they put flavours together in a way that isnt available elsewhere. If youre big on trying new things, different experiences, seeing what a cocktail can do, come, its a must. If its just something reliably delicious you fancy, elsewhere may be better. Worship Street Whistling Shop 63 Worship St, EC2A 2DU, whistlingshop.com

One presumes the staff here have night vision, otherwise its a complete and utter mystery how they see customers, let alone their ingredients. Still, they must do, for the output is pretty much excellent through and through at this dark spot. Its Victorian-inspired, which sounds tired and not a little tacky, but the gang from Purl have done it properly. Drinks are busy  lots of fusions, blends, gasses and pressure and all sorts  so its appropriate they come out of a lab. Still, all this engineering seems to be worth it, as the drinks slip down easily, the alcohol often hidden away. Make sure to take a seat in the Dram Shop, and pop in to the Gin Closet too, which operates as an honesty bar. Kansas Smitty's 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH, kansassmittys.com

Below bar Off Broadway  a long way off, its Mexican  sits this glorious den of jazz and juleps. It is a speakeasy for 2016: that is to say, it has none of the contrived mannerisms of bars which proclaim to be speakeasies, it just happens to actually be one: youll need to knock to get in, the music raves loud and hot, and the place is so crowded strangers become family after a drink or two. The house band, for which the place is named, have envy-inducing talent, and the bar has fairly recently overhauled its drinks list, and the results are good. Youll be absorbed by the music, and stay afterwards to ride the buzz of the crowd. GONG 52, Shangri-La Hotel, the Shard, SE1 9QU, .gong-shangri-la.com

Gong is in the Shard, so youre there for the view alone. View it certainly does: at 52 floors up, its by far Londons highest spot to drink: consequently, sipping on a martini, one feels a little like a Bond villain pondering all thats below. Its not a huge bar, but that somewhat adds to the sense of exclusivity. Prices are, naturally, sky high: expect to pay at least 18. The drinks have plenty about them to compete with the view: presentation is everything. Theyve not skipped on the spirits making the mix, either: expect the likes of Zacapa 23 rum (heavenly stuff), Talisker scotch and Tanqueray 10 for the gin. All top drawer stuff. If this all sounds a bit intimidating, bear in mind they operate a no reservations policy, so youve as good a chance of getting in as anyone else. Mr Fogg's Salon 58 St Martin's Lane, Theatreland, WC2N 4EA, mr-foggs.com

Downstairs is a pretty decent pub, busy from theatreland. Upstairs, the salon is quieter, but only a little. The walls are a glittering ballgown of 19th century curiosities, unsubtle nonsense winking away. Head to a chaise longues with a couple of friends or a date and take in something from each one of the five acts which split the menu. Drinks seem to smell especially good here, rich, relying heavily on the likes of rum, cognac and sherry. Gin lovers need not despair: theyve a room with 300 different types next door. Come elegantly dressed. Bar Termini 7 Old Compton St, W1D 5JE, bar-termini.com

Do Bar Termini right and youll love it: do it wrong, and you may be underwhelmed. Tony Conigliaro, cocktail chap par excellence, and coffee maestro Marco Arrigo have built a revolving-door of a place: dont come here to linger. Expect a night of cocktails and youll leave disappointed: instead, love it in the day for the 1 espressos, and swing by in the evening for a negroni (6). Theyre small, but some of the best in the capital. One swishes in and out here, and that way, it adds a touch of Italian glamour to any evening. Trisha's (New Evaristo Club) 57 Greek St, Soho, W1D 3DX



Drinks dont make a bar, and thank goodness, as the stuff served at Trishas  named for its owner  is uniformly pretty awful: red and white wine youd consider an insult if a friend served it at supper, prosecco wildly overpriced, terrible spirits ecetera ecetera. At more than 70, the club is Sohos oldest, and while nobody who goes there can ever remember anything changing  its often quite hard to recall much about Trishas in crystal detail, as it happens  nothing needs to. The bad wine and expensive mixers and paint stripper spirits are all part of the point: its a glorious drinking den, and marvellous, marvellous fun. There are characters here: the last time we were in, we sat being scared witless by an old East End gangster who said hes known the Krays. Tremendous. Long may this place live. The Fumoir Claridge's, 49 Brook St, W1K 4HR, claridges.co.uk

The Fumoir will confuse you, as youll be torn between shouting about it and keeping it all to yourself. This plush purple and leather spot, deco decadence with a touch of welcome pomp, is hidden away behind a secret door at Claridges. Tiny and glitzy enough to feel like a Hollywood dressing room from the Golden Age, its little surprise the likes of Christina Hendricks adore it. For such a small place, they squeeze an awful lot in: plenty of wines, classic cocktails given a stern shake up, buckets of gin, a lovely choice of armagnac and a magnificent scotch list, gleaming with rarities. 69 Colebrooke Row 69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA, 69colebrookerow.com

Once known as the bar with no name, henceforth they shall be called the bar with Bernards watch, as there is no other explanation for the speed with which their finely mixed cocktails arrive. Another bar from Tony Conigliaro, its earned its reputation for turning out hit after hit: the drinks list is endlessly tempting. The piano is a nice touch; that is gets played a much nicer one, and make sure to order the Prairie Oyster  fun to drink, and one even for those who cant eat seafood. Bear in mind its a small spot, so youre close to your neighbours, and if you dont like strong drinks where the booze kicks, this wont be for you. Happiness Forgets 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU, happinessforgets.com

Dont expect frills and fuss or the rest of it here: Happiness Forgets is cocktail bar distilled down to its very essence, and done very well  their tag High End Cocktails/Low End Rent sums it up best. The bartenders are all top drawer, and their creations impeccable. Unsurprisingly, this Hoxton space has its regulars, so the crowd is always good. Tables can be booked, but half are always kept for walk-ins: try your luck, its worth it. Dry Martini by Javier de las Muelas Melia White House Hotel, Albany Street, NW1 3UP, melia.com

Come to this one to brag: Dry Martini is known as Barcelonas best cocktail bar, and has been rated the fifth best bar in the world by the Worlds 50 Best Bars panel. Renowned bartender Javier de las Muelas has bought over his concept to us lucky Londoners, and with it, finely mixed and classic cocktails. No prizes for guessing that the Dry Martini is the house special  if you dont think you like them, heres a place to change your mind. With more than 80 gins on the list, you could easily lose a week here. Gordon's 47 Villiers St, WC2N 6NE, gordonswinebar.com

Gordons seems to get more and more crowded with each passing day, but perhaps rightly so: the beloved Embankment institution is made for knocking back bottles of wine in. Eat a few cold bites and chat into a long, unwinding evening. The wine list is good enough, but youre really here for the atmosphere: in summer, the terrace, buzzing, in winter, the caves indoors, crammed with noise, spilt wine, and joy. Social bar at City Social 25 Old Broad St, EC2N 1HQ, citysociallondon.com

Youd think youre at City Social, up 24 stories of Tower 42, to eat, but if you stop in the bar, theres a good chance you wont make it to your table. The drinks come as something of a surprise: theyre so much better than one expects from a restaurant bar, inventive, put together carefully but not staidly, retaining a sense of fun. And, crucially, damned tasty. Its a dark room, and full of city types, but perfect for a few late night cocktails soaking up the view, which is really quite wonderful. Bloody pricey, but thats part of it. Ladies and Gentlemen 2 Highgate Rd, NW5 1NR, twitter.com

William Borrells bolthole transcends its gimmick (which, if you hadnt guessed, is that its a converted public loo), with the help of some very handy bartenders, and its house-brewed gin, Highwayman, of which twelve bottles a day get distilled. Ladies & Gents manages well as a place for a quiet drink, or better yet, a place to quietly get roaringly drunk. Convenient indeed. The drinks are strong, very interesting, and theres plenty of odd sods on the wall to keep your conversation up. It maintains a veneer of being somewhere faintly upmarket, but youll probably end up reading from one of the books scattered around or trying to dance to the live music. Perfect for a date that gets out of hand. Bull In A China Shop 196 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6LG, bullinachinashop.london

Truth it, youll need to catch this place on a good night, as weve been in often enough to know it has its good nights and its meh nights. But when the place is on, its really cooking, and easily one of the best bars in town. The cocktail list is short, but thought through, and care is taken in even the small things: they even make sure the water glasses are chilled. The chamomile and charcoal Old-Fashioned is a must, and any whisky lovers should get chatting to the bar staff, as theyve bottles which arent available anywhere else in the capital. Sager + Wilde Arch, 250 Paradise Row, E2 9LE, sagerandwilde.com

Wine lovers rejoice, wine bores look elsewhere. Sager + Wilde admirably keep things unpretentious: the exposed brickwork sets the tone: theyre keeping things low key. The specials list changes regularly, and always with interesting choices introduced. Some of the wines are exclusive to this place, so youre all but guaranteed to try something new. Have a SHE + T (sherry with tonic, delicious), and absolutely do not leave without having the grilled cheese sandwich. 7 Tales at Sosharu 64 Turnmill St, EC1M 5RR, sosharulondon.com

Underneath Jason Athertons Sosharu is this sexy, seedy Japanese drinking den, where youll find the hazy, debauched glamour of Tokyo after dark. Unlike so many bars underneath restaurants, 7 Tales doesnt feel like a holding pen, and drinks are precision made, with flavours leaning beyond the usual  think rice-washed gin, sake, infusions of sesame, snacks like tempura. Bar snacks are an irresistible must. Callooh Callay 65 Rivington St, EC2A 3AY, calloohcallaybar.com

Eccentric doesnt seem to quite cover it: enter the surreal world of Callooh Callay through an old Victorian wardrobe, catch sight of a throne and order punch out of a gramophone from a menu thats more of a sticker book. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the bartenders really know their stuff, so for all the quirks, drinks are fundamentally pretty excellent. On the weekends, its a party bar, and DJs spin music to match: youre here for a good time. Any detectives in your gang will find there are two extra rooms in Callooh Callay to explore  theyre hidden away, too, naturally. If youre good, you might even get an invite upstairs to the Jub Jub Room, where the 10-long cocktail list changes every three weeks. Fans should also head to their new offering in Angel, Little Bat. Dukes Bar Dukes Hotel, 35 St James's Pl, SW1A 1NY, dukeshotel.com

Dukes is known for one reason: martinis. The St Jamess hotel was a favourite haunt of James Bond author and (very) keen drinker, Ian Fleming, who supposedly came up with the shaken, not stirred line here. Their martinis are exceptionally strong, and very large: theres a reason they wont serve you more than two. But look, break the mould: theyre a classic hotel bar, they serve a fine range of classic cocktails. Theres also a cognac and cigar garden, if youre so inclined. NOLA 1st Floor, 68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY, nola-london.com

It would be too easy to miss this place, so do your homework and saunter in: its must more attractive than sweatily asking anyone if theyve seen the place. Drawing inspiration from the home of proper cocktails, New Orleans, the bar loves traditional drinks, builds them properly and serves them in a den of music and laughter. Unlike some places specialising in old school serves, NOLA is a place for fun: sure, it seems to say, you could have a quiet drink  but why would you want to? Theres a cracking cigar terrace too, small enough that everyone talks before heading back in for one hell of a Vieux Carre. Call Me Mr Lucky 11 Southwark St, SE1 1RQ, twitter.com

All the hidden bars at the Breakfast Clubs around the capital are popular, with perhaps The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town being the best known. Call Me Mr Lucky, on Southwark Street, happens to be our favourite. Once youve flirted with the staff  ask to get lucky  youre taken through the restaurants kitchens to a lively bar decorated like some twisted take on a kids party. Have a go on the wheel of fortune, where youll really want to get lucky, and win a free shot, and then work your way through the cocktail list. Like any good-time bar worth its salt, this place is big on tequila, and the drinks are light-hearted fun, but  here we go getting lucky again  along with the quirks comes quality. By the of the evening, before youre porured back onto the street, youll swear tequila is your new favourite drink, and youll be singing the party hits they play all the way home. K Bar at The Kensington 109 - 113 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP, townhousekensington.com

K bar feels majestic  and there is no other word for it  because drinking here is a little like being in the captains quarters of the Titanic, albeit without the sinking feeling. There is glamour here: a kind of place to be seduced in. Cocktails wise, bar manager Ben Manchester is the man to ask for, but theres a fine list to choose from. It avoids stuffiness, and just needs to be packed out to really get cooking. Nightjar 129 City Rd, EC1V 1JB, barnightjar.com

Nightjar has fame which means writing about it is redundant: people think it marvellously good, and theyve live music most of the week. Its seating only and worth booking: just be sure not to cancel, or theyll charge a steep 10 per person. They do the speakeasy theme, but well enough that it isnt too tired yet, and have plenty of old school style on the list. Pick up a pack of cards from the bar on your way out. Reverend J W Simpson 32 Goodge St, W1T 2QJ, revjwsimpson.com

Bourne and Hollingsworth run this rather lovely little bar, downstairs from a small doorway on Goodge St. Service is friendly and speedy, it's comfortable, and drinks more than hold their own  there's both obscure traditional mixes and modern serves made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Luckily, with good drinks come good people, and it's a loud, happy place. Albertine 1 Wood Ln, W12 7DP, albertinewinebar.co.uk

Albertine hasnt changed much since the day East Enders was commissioned there. A wine bar through and through, youll struggle to get anything else (though there are a couple of ales on the menu.) Its a place with spirit, which draws a regular, devoted crowd. They sell everything they serve, and its well worth splashing out: the mark-up gets less and less as the bottles get more expensive, meaning you can get an absolute bargain at the top end of the list. Its also the kind of wine bar you go to to overindulge. First Aid Box 119 Dulwich Rd, SE24 0NG, firstaidbox2015.com

This place really is worth travelling to Herne Hill to, which must be saying something. The team behind Shrub & Shutter have thickly laid on the pharmacy theme here, with cure-all drinks. Its not an idea which sounds like it should work, and yet, how much better life would be if they were one of the emergency services. Expect saline drips, syringes, and the likes of plastic lungs  their take on thirst aid  but rest assured, flavours arent medicinal in the slightest. At 8 - 10 a drink, its reasonable for London, and wonderful to see a bar really trying something new. Bravo. Media Wisdom Photography - Giles Christopher Nam Long Le Shaker 159 Old Brompton Rd, SW5 0LJ, namlong.co.uk

It gained fame for its celebrity fans, which include Mick Jagger and Prince Harry, but Nam Long has held on longer than most A-list haunts: its been going 30 years, and recently was given an overhaul. Its quite possibly the most Chelsea place imaginable  there are literally MIC cast members floating about  and its a go-to spot to drink far too much and party. The upstairs area is bright, airy, and well looked after by the excellent bartenders, while downstairs  "the Opium Den"  is as it sounds (though there was no opium available when we asked... ) The drinks upstairs were made with more care, but downstairs is more intimate, opulent, and better for a small groups. Some of those Chelsea types who go really are the very worst, and the drinks are outrageously expensive, but hey, its a laugh. The Vault at Milroy's 3 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4NX, shop.milroys.co.uk

A bar through a bookcase: were sold. Better yet, its underneath one of Sohos finest whisky shops  with stiff competition from The Vintage House  so if youre taken with something downstairs, buy it on your way out. Its a simple little bar and the service is decidedly so-so, but its usually pretty busy, they play good music and have an excellent range of spirits. The menu is changed regularly, but its a good place to cram into with friends or on a date. You mightnt spend the entire night here, but for a couple of drinks on the way somewhere, or on the way back, it fits the bill perfectly. Bounce 241 Old St, EC1V 9EY, bouncepingpong.com

There are two Bounce bars, one on Old Street and one on Holborn. The Old Street spot is a little more fun, graffiti adorning the walls,the Holborn spot somewhat more upmarket. Still, they both deserve a mention, and for the simple reason theyre damned good fun. Drinks here are good, with a decent spirit selection at both (and a huge number of gins in Farringdon) and a respectable selection of beers. Food is fine, simple. Still, you come to play ping pong. Theyve tables everywhere. Theres little to fault with Bounce: its a laugh, and sometimes thats all somewhere needs to be.

Portobello Star

The classic pina colada is a customer favourite at this established favourite Notting Hill bar. It also offers a Large Hadron Colada made with Wray & Nephew rum, blended with fresh pineapple and coconut cream.

Info: 10.50, 171 Portobello Road, W11, portobellostarbar.co.uk

Dishoom

Dishoom brings a Bombay twist to the traditional pineapple and coconut cream mix, adding coriander, lime juice and chai syrup. You can choose to have the cocktail with or without rum.

Info: 3.90/7.50, across London, dishoom.com
A meal at Yard Sale pizzeria doesnt end with the bill. If youve enjoyed your food you can buy the T-shirt, literally. You can also snap up the stickers, bag and follow on social media for invitations to DJ sets in the restaurant and dough-based chat with new friends. This is cult pizza  food that attracts as ardent a fanbase as Justin Bieber. Made of Dough, which recently opened a restaurant in Peckham, makes T-shirts with slogans including in the name of the father, the son and the holy slice and sexy bitches eat pizza. They are sold out online.

We demand pizza as never before, says Daniel Young, of youngandfoodish.com and author of Where to Eat Pizza. The latest cult pizza comes from abroad. Mother, a Danish pizza restaurant, is opening near Battersea Power Station this month, while Anthony Falco, who left Robertas in New York after eight years, starts a residency at Yard Sale Walthamstow next Wednesday.

Hunger is a secondary concern as fans contentedly wait at Robertas while the kitchen perfects its output, throwing pizzas away if they dont pass muster under the head chefs inspections.

When Naples landmark LAntica Pizzeria Michele decided to open abroad it chose Stoke Newington. You couldnt get near the door when it opened in February because of the crowds spilling on to the pavement.

Long queues are nothing in pursuit of cult pizza. A trip to Theos in Camberwell, for example, is a commitment. Theres no getting away from the wait for a table  set aside an hour, regardless of how important you are. You can wait in the pub across the road. It may be simple  dough, fresh tomato, cheese and a few toppings  but its what London wants. So whats the draw of the dough? Young identifies it as part of the kidult trend. Londoners desperately want to eat like kids again, only with ridiculously high standards. The pizza of 10, even five, years ago is unacceptable.

Young identifies a step-change in London pizza. He says we originally embraced old-school Neapolitan pizza as the real, authentic, proper style because London has no strong regional pizza tradition, unlike the capitals of the pizza diaspora such as New York, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Detroit.

But we are free of regional loyalties and open to other styles. Now there are good Neapolitan pizzerias everywhere  three in Streatham alone  people are ready for alternative, hand-crafted pizzas made with great ingredients and the utmost care.

Radio Alice, which opened in Hoxton last year and is already opening a second branch in Clapham, breaks free from traditional constraints  toppings range from pistachio and mortadella to honey. Meanwhile, Crate brewery has a banana dahl number (nice if you think of it as a dessert rather than a pizza) and Pizza Pilgrims, which has flourished with its traditional Neapolitan vibe, has a chocolate calzone.

The best pizza in London 1 /18 The best pizza in London 50 Kalo di Ciro Salvo Don't be fooled by the red and black Dennis the Menace-style decor  this place does seriously good pizza. Ingredients are rich and authentic (the mozzarella is flown in from Campania) and the pizzas come with generous helpings of lip-smacking tomato sauce (that you be mopping up with leftover crust afterwards). Luciano Furia Sodo Pizza Cafe In case you were wondering about the name, Sodo stands for sourdough. And thats something they take pretty seriously here. All the pizza dough is fermented for 48 hours and then baked at over 450 so that its light and airy with plenty of that sourdough tang. With such great bases it makes sense to keep toppings simple, but special kudos must go to the brilliantly named Jon Bon Chovy topped with anchovies, olives, capers, chilli and fresh parsley. Pizza Pilgrims With restaurants in different corners of London, brothers James and Thom Eliot have come a long way since their days as street food traders. The Neapolitan-style pizzas here are soft and doughy with a plumped-up crust and a rich tomato base  try the nudja variety if youre feeling spicy. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele Flying in to Baker Street from Naples, this pizzeria  which incidentally was featured in Eat, Pray, Love  has been described as the best in the world, never mind London. The London branch is less scruffy (and a little more expensive) than the Naples original, and the pizzas are slightly different, too  the bases are thicker for a start. That said, the full-flavoured tomato base which is a signature is present and correct and theres no doubting this is among the finest pizza in the capital. Be prepared to queue. Santore A hefty proportion of the clientele always seems to be Italian at this old-school Clerkenwell local, and thats got to be a good sign. The signature order is pizza by the metre, made with varying toppings along the stretch  you might want to bring a couple of friends to help polish it off though. For something different try the i panuozzi, a pizza sandwich that has the same toppings but double the dough. Crate Brewery No two items could be more perfectly suited to each other than beer and pizza  and few places are as geared up for the pair of them as Crate is. As well as making its own beer on-site it serves crispy, thin-base pizzas that are worthy of much more than just soaking up your drinks. Try the Middle Eastern lamb variety, topped with spicy mince, alongside more traditional numbers. Franco Manca There's a staggering number of Franco Manca branches throughout the capital, from Soho to Southfields and Covent Garden to Chiswick. Despite its size, the slightly sour, salty chewy Neapolitan base which made such an impression at the original Brixton Market branch remains, as do the simple but well-sourced toppings. The original Brixton branch is still the best. Homeslice There are now six buzzy Homeslice sites across London serving up impressive 20-inch pizzas. Some off-the-wall toppings may put off purists, but clever combos and a blistering hot oven ensure the end results really do work  even a goat shoulder and savoy cabbage number. Devour them whole or by the slice. Pizza Union This casual pizzeria with sites in Spitalfields and Kings Cross is buzzy, fast and impressively cheap  plus the pizzas are the real deal. Theyre made in the Roman style, with bases that are thin and crispy rather than chewy, and come in an abundance of varieties. Good news for coeliacs  just ask for gluten free bases. Yard Sale Pizza Yard Sale Pizza started out how you might expect  in a yard. Founder Johnnie Tate began his dough spinning journey cooking pies in a pizza oven in his Hackney back garden, but now the brand boasts five sites across London and has collaborated with the likes of foodie rapper Loyle Carner and, err, Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin. The proof of their success is in the pie  its Holy Pepperoni is topped with two types of pepperoni and nduja sausage, while more contemporary options include the TSB, topped with tenderstem broccoli, manchego and pine nuts. Voodoo Rays Crust-leavers, get yourself to Voodoo Rays. This Dalston-originating pizza joint serves its pizza by-the-slice from massive 22-inch New York-style pies  do the maths and that means less crust, more topping. And what toppings they are: fior di latte mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes are used across the board and varieties include both Italian classic and the likes of the very English Porkys, made with Cumberland sausage, Stilton, red onion and parsley. Zia Lucia Zia Lucia really knows its dough. The growing pizza group has four different doughs on its menu  a traditional, a wholemeal, a vegetable charcoal and one made with gluten-free flour. Toppings are Italian in essence, with a few tantalisingly unusual variations along the way: the Andrea Pirlo is topped with gorgonzola, apple, truffle and olive sauce, while the Green Vegana is spread with spicy broccoli cream and sundried tomatoes. Circolo Popolare The pizzas here are as luxurious as the restaurants famously flamboyant surroundings. Delicious metre-long 'zas arrive from the open kitchens twin rotary oven, placed on tables under floral ceilings and surrounded by walls stacked with 20,000 bottles. The crusts are chewy and light, the toppings are liberally applied and the sauces are perfect. ES Magazines critic Jimi Famurewa was full of praise for the doughy dishes, calling the peach-topped Orlando Blue pie a balanced blast of sunshine. The pizzas at Gloria, Circolos sister restaurant, are just as good too. Lateef Okunnu @lateef.photography Made of Dough At Made of Dough, its all about that crust  generously charred and tangy as heck, its arguably the star of the show. Heading into the centre, be sure that the Truffle is somewhere on your order  a white pizza, both mozzarella and parmesan are topped with white alba truffle oil and portobello mushrooms, with the option to add a mind-boggling portion of burratina on top. Starting life as a residency at Pop Brixton, the Made of Dough team now have a permanent spot in Peckham, as well as popular stalls in Market Hall Fulham and the West End location of crazy golf bar Swingers.

Young says cult pizza is also a story of crusts: Londoners may have learned to love Neapolitan pizza, with its soft, moist, bendy crust. But offer them a crispy, crunchy, noisy alternative made to higher standards than Dominos or Pizza Express and they will bite.

At Mother, dough is made with seawater. When founders Nick Pound and David Biffani hit upon the winning formula they ate three pizzas in the blink of an eye, the dough seems to like the seawater and we do too. Falco says: New York has a long history with pizza, which I dont think London has. This opens up creativity. The new generation are taking from all these traditions and making their own thing.

Yard Sale co-founder Dan Spinney, was inspired by this attitude. He says: Id been following Anthonys pizza adventures for some time. We decided wed better stop the stalking and invite him over. His residency is part of Yard Sales Love In series, which has hosted Deeneys cafe with a haggis and cavolo nero pizza and Montys Deli, with a pastrami-filled calzone.

Falco hasnt been to London since he was 17 and backpacking across Europe. He says: I was on an extremely tight budget so mostly I subsisted on beer and breakfast at the hostel. I look forward to exploring the London food scene and meeting the people who make it happen.

He and Yard Sales head chef Nick Buckland are looking forward to experimenting: Unlike the thin Neapolitan styles our pizza is probably closer to the NY style in size and bite.

Mothers opening is a homecoming. Biffani and Pound met and became friends in London. We cut our restaurant teeth here, says Pound. The original Mother concept was born in London eight years ago.

Upper crust: Pizza Pilgrims in Shoreditch

The Battersea Power Station project convinced them to return. The offer of an old railway arch sealed the deal. The space plays well with the Mother aesthetic, together with the power station itself, in contrast to the surrounding gleaming glass and metal. Our arch is right by the river, next to the power station itself.

Mother in Copenhagen has a distinctive atmosphere. Part Italian crazy, part Scandi hygge. We hope to bring that to London  with low lighting, candles and huge tables for big groups and sharing.

In Battersea the restaurant will be large (470 square metres), with wood-fired ovens and a char grill (fat fiorentina steaks and Abbruzian arrosticini, which is made from lamb, are on the cards). The drinks will be entertaining, promise the founders, with natural wines, a cocktail bar, and beer brewed over here.

For Falco, coming to London is an opportunity. Making delicious pizza is important. If its too serious or stuffy, whats the point? Pizza is the worlds most fun food  and these guys look like they are living a non-stop pizza party.
The dish

Raspberry tart at Danish bakery Ole & Steen (5.10, 2 St Jamess Market, SW1, oleandsteen.co.uk). A boon of summer in London is fresh berries. Wimbledon means strawberries but raspberries are appropriate too, especially when piled high on a chewy marzipan base and pastry cream, topped with crushed pistachios.

The USP

The flavour combination. Ole & Steen opened 20 years ago in a bohemian area of Copenhagen and they know what theyre doing. The sweet nutty base provides satisfying body, pastry cream makes it feel like a frivolous desert, you get tart fruit freshness and grown-up depth of flavour from the nuts.

The drink

An Ole & Steen coffee. This cafe has an academy where it trains baristas in everything from roasting to the perfect latte foam  after all, Denmark is where the government funded a study of what milk is best suited to cappuccinos, so expect high standards. Beans come from Brazil, India and Colombia, and the resulting drink is an excellent accompaniment to a little cake. If you prefer something stronger go to nearby 45 Jermyn Street and continue the raspberry theme with a Model T. Its gin muddled with raspberry and mint, topped with champagne (13.50, 45jermynst.com).
P ride in London is just around the corner but more needs to be done to protect LGBTQ+ teachers in the work place, according to activist Dr Elly Barnes.

Section 28, the law which banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools, was repealed in 2003 but she says there is still a hangover of fear within schools that stops teachers from coming out - even to other members of staff and employers.

I dont believe for a second that every teacher that identifies as queer is out as queer within their schools," says Barnes, who founded the charity Educate and Celebrate.

"I was speaking to someone just last week who said to me that they had lost four jobs in a row because they had been outed at school as a gay teacher.

Through her charity, Barnes travels the country and sees schools as the frontline in changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people. An advocate for gender neutral uniform, she wants to see the boy and girl categories removed and replaced simply with multiple options for all pupils. Just last month, boys at Isca Academy in Devon wore skirts to school in protest. Not a protest for gender neutral uniform, but simply because of the hot weather. The school's policy only allowed boys to wear trousers.

Pride Parade 2017 around the world - In pictures 1 /45 Pride Parade 2017 around the world - In pictures A man takes a selfie with a costumed dancer during the Pride Parade in Toronto AFP/Getty Images A person makes a peace sign with their fingers during the Pride parade in Toronto AP A group of marchers walk during the Pride parade in San Francisco AP Participants dance during the New York City Pride Parade AP A reveler holds his dog as he takes part in Mexico City's gay pride parade AP Member of Resist, a foundation that supports people's movements for justice and liberation. protest President Donald Trump as they march during the New York City Pride Parade AP Parade-goers make their way down 5th Avenue during the NYC Pride March AFP/Getty Images People take part in the annual Gay Pride parade, being protected by riot police in Kiev, Ukraine AP Indian members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community take part in a pride parade, calling for freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, in Chennai AFP/Getty Images Participants pose for a photograph as they take part in the annual Gay Pride parade in Paris, France REUTERS People participate in the first Gay Pride Parade in Beersheba, Israel AP Revelers take part in the annual gay pride parade in Guatemala City's historical centre AP Members of the Caribbean pride pause during the New York City Pride Parade AP Two male participants kiss during the annual New York LGBT Pride March on Fifth Avenue in New York, EPA A man dressed in rainbow colors walks during the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York EPA A reveler poses for a picture during the annual Gay Pride Parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil AP People march in the Oklahoma City Pride Parade in Oklahoma City AP Members and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community take part in the Mediterranean Pride parade in Naples, Italy AP A reveler in costume pauses for a portrait during Mexico City's gay pride parade AP Member of the Stonewall Veterans participate in the New York City Pride Parade AP Crowds line the street as they watch the Chicago Pride Parade AP Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, right, and their children Ella-Grace and Xavier walk in the Pride parade in Toronto AP A parade marcher holds a rainbow flag while wearing a rainbow skirt during the Pride parade in Toronto AP A motorcyclist rides in the Seattle Pride Parade AP Confetti falls over SF Balloon Magic marchers during the Pride parade in San Francisco AP Revelers take part in Mexico City's gay pride parade AP Thousands of participants march during the annual Gay Pride Parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil AP A participant in costume poses during the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York EPA People participate in a LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex) Pride Parade in San Salvador, El Salvador EPA Members and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community take part in the fifteenth Milan Pride parade EPA Revelers take part in the Gay Pride Parade in San Jose AFP/Getty Images A participant poses for the camera during the LGBT Pride Parade in Valencia, Spain REUTERS Supporters of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) take part on the annual Gay Pride parade in Marikina city, east of Manila, Philippines EPA A man dances on a chariot during the 39th edition of the LGBT pride march in Mexico City, Mexico EPA

I think kids are the best activists ever," added Barnes. "They see injustice immediately, regardless of whether it is LGBTQ+ related or not, and want to eradicate it immediately.

Its that word tradition I really cant stand. Weve done a lot of things over the years. We used to drown witches because it was traditional, but we dont do that anymore because its silly.

Elly Barnes will be marching in the parade at Pride in London with children from across the capital who have taken part in Educate and Celebrate. You can catch all the action on London Live from 4pm this Saturday July 8.
J uly 1 marks Canada Day, but this year's celebration is extra special as its 150 years since the British and French came together to form a confederation.

There are many reasons to love Canada, its hunky PM Justin Trudeau, its Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Gosling and, of course, maple syrup.

But one of the main reasons to love Canada should be its incredible outdoor landscapes from the rugged mountains to turquoise lakes, and altitudinous glaciers to windswept Atlantic seashores.

In hour of Canada 150, all of its national parks are free to enter in 2017, so there's no better time to make the most of hiking, canoeing and riding around them.

From hiking the Rockies to canoeing around the staggeringly beautiful waters of Lake Louise and sailing around Prince Edward Island, here are 30 pictures that will make you want to book a flight immediately.

O, Canada, how beautiful you are.

Click through our gallery above to see for yourself.

Follow Kate on Instagram @kateloughtravel
B uzzing restaurants, slick new hotels and a craft beer scene are all good reasons to visit Chicago  and now there is one more: Norwegian Air has announced a new flight route to the Windy City from the UK.

The low-cost airline will begin operating from London Gatwick to Chicago OHare International airport as of March 2018, with four flights per week. Fares will start at 179 one way.

The news consolidates Norwegians position as one of the fastest-growing long-haul operators in the world.

But its not just Chicago that will become more accessible for thousands of travellers  a new route to Austin, Texas has also been announced.

The live music capital of the world - and its fantastic BBQ food - will be much easier to reach from March 2018, with ticket prices starting at 239 one way. The new service will run three times a week from London Gatwick.

Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos said: Once again we have put the UK at the heart of our ambitious expansion plans, with affordable fares to another two exciting US destinations. As Americas third biggest city, Chicago is perfect addition to our growing networks while Austin has also become a major hub for leisure and business travel so we are delighted to offer passengers more choice and lower fares to these vibrant cities.
T he weather is finally heating up again, and with the mercury set to hit a balmy 29C this weekend, there is nothing left for it but to grab the SPF and head to one of the countrys most beautiful sandy stretches of coastline.

From southern favourites in Dorset and Cornwall to picturesque spots in Merseyside and Norfolk, this is your guide to the best beaches in the UK.

Kynance Cove, Cornwall

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Theres a reason Kynance Cove is one of Cornwalls most revered beaches: its white sands, turquoise water and serpentine rocks will trick you into thinking youre in the Med.

Where to eat: Anns Pasties do the best pasties this side of Penzance.

Where to stay: for killer views, its got to be Atlantic House.

Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire

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Unspoilt and remote, Barafundle Bay in the south-west corner of Wales is regularly voted one of the best in the UK, thanks to its postcard-worthy golden sands and twinkling sea.

Where to eat: for locally sourced fare, check out The Boathouse Tearoom.

Where to stay: The Stackpole Inn is an excellent posh pub with rooms.

Climping, West Sussex

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Wedged between Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, Climpings shingle and pebble beach is much quieter than its neighbours, so there will be no wrestling for the perfect place to plonk.

Where to eat: enjoy a sundowner at The Oystercatcher Inn.

Where to stay: Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa is a hidden gem just back from the beach.

Blackpool Sands, Devon

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With the appearance of golden sand (actually very small pebbles) and shimmering azure waters, youd be forgiven for thinking you were lying on a beach on the Algarve.

Where to eat: wander to The Venus Cafe for vegan fish and chips.

Where to stay: swap the sea for the country at the wisteria-lined Watermill Cottages.

Botany Bay, Kent

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Wedged between Margate and Broadstairs, Botany Bay is studded with Kents famous chalk towers and you can try your hand at fossil hunting, too.

Where to eat: a breakfast sandwich at The Kitchen is perfect beachside fuel.

Where to stay: over in Margate, The Reading Rooms is one of our favourite British B&Bs.

Achmelvich Bay, Scotland

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Summer brings porpoises off the coast at the gleaming white sand Achmelvich Bay  its also home to Hermits Castle, the smallest in Europe.

Where to eat: The Seafood Shack serves the freshest fish in the UK.

Where to stay: let the lapping waves lull you to sleep at the North Coast 500 Pods.

Durdle Door, Dorset

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While you may not be able to avoid the crowds, Durdle Doors impressive limestone arch marks the finest beach on the Jurassic Coast  the waters here are superbly clear, but also superbly cold.

Where to eat: for fresh seafood with stellar views, its got to be The Boat Shed Cafe.

Where to stay: roll-top tubs and sea views are plentiful at Lulworth Cove Inn.

Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

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Pastel-hued beach huts dot the shoreline of this northern Norfolk gem  the sand dunes and pine woods that fall behind are particularly beautiful.

Where to eat: The Crab Hut serves baps filled with seafood straight out of Brancaster Staithe.

Where to stay: discover quirky Georgian maritime charm at The Globe Inn.

Porthcurno, Cornwall

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Just three miles shy of Lands End, Porthcurno is blessed with soft white sand and turquoise water.

Where to eat: sip on a Cornish ale at The Logan Rock Inn.

Where to stay: a lovers bolthole, Driftwood cottage has spectacular sea views.

Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula

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The limestone crags that flank Three Cliffs just add to its beauty. Its only accessible by foot but the golden beach that awaits is worth the walk.

Where to eat: treat yourself to the tasting menu at the Michelin-starred Beach House Restaurant.

Where to stay: the ultra-modern secret garden pods at nearby Oxwich Bay Hotel.

Formby Beach, Liverpool

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Dramatic dunes make way for stunning views across the Irish Sea. The mountains of Cumbria can be seen on a clear day.

Where to eat: youll find the finest fish and chips in town at The Good Catch.

Where to stay: after a day sunning, indulge yourself at Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa.

Southwold, Suffolk

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Charming Southwold, with its Instagrammable pastel beach huts, might just be the most quintessentially English resort town going.

Where to eat: head to Two Magpies Bakery for freshly baked sourdough.

Where to stay: The Swan Southwold is a Scandi-cool seaside stay.

Berneray Sands Beach, Outer Hebrides

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The tiny Isle of Berneray is home to just 138 people, so its likely youll find a stretch of the impossibly white sand at Berneray Sands Beach to yourself.

Where to eat: pick up a rose and pistachio meringue or walnut sourdough at The Scandinavian Bakery.

Where to stay: cosy up to the islands famous seal colony at Seal View B&B.

Polzeath, Cornwall

A file photo of the Cornish coast / Shutterstock

A mix of shingle and sand and dotted with rock pools, Polzeath is a popular surfing spot  just watch out for the riptide.

Where to eat: the breakfast tacos at Taco Boys are worth walking over the headland for.

Where to stay: with brilliant views over the beach, book the cottage at The Oystercatcher.

Rhossili Bay, Gower Peninsular

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Sprawling languorously along the Gower Peninsula in Wales, Rhossili Bay features a winning combination of rugged coves and golden sand.

Where to eat: dont miss the artisan pastries and locally made ice cream at The Lookout.

Where to stay: look across the Bristol Channel to Devon from your window at Broad Park.

Pentle Bay, Tresco

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Break off from the Cornish pack and head to the Isles of Scilly. Pentle Bay, with its gleaming white sand, lies 30 miles south of Lands End.

Where to eat: The New Inn is pub grub at its finest.

Where to stay: skip over to Hell Bay Hotel in Bryher for an indulgent spa stay.

Luskentyre, Isle of Harris

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Named the 13th best beach in the world by Tripadvisor for 2020, theres never been a better time to discover the pristine Scottish isles.

Where to eat: whether youre craving crab or cake, Croft36 will sort you out.

Where to stay: the charming Atlantic Cottage is the epitome of Hebridean hospitality.

West Wittering, Chichester

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With views of Chichester Harbour and the South Downs, West Wittering is soul-soothing. This year youll need to book a car park space before you go.

Where to eat: try tasty local fare at the newly opened Three Veg Deli.

Where to stay: Landseer House is an excellent country pile on four acres of meadows.

Saunton Sands, Devon

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This three-mile stretch of golden sand on the north Devon coast is popular among keen surfers  you just need to clamber over the largest sand dunes in the UK to get there.

Where to eat: tuck into an aubergine katsu curry at Biffens Kitchen.

Where to stay: perched above the beach, the Saunton Sands Hotel is a luxury retreat.

Mawgan Porth, Cornwall

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Flanked by lush headlands, head to Mawgan Porth first thing to watch the surfers before taking a dip in the crystalline water yourself.

Where to eat: dont fancy leaving the beach? Beach Box will deliver your smoothie bowl directly to you.

Where to stay: home to one of the UKs best eco spas, you cant miss the Scarlet.
China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing has approved a USD 329 million loan to build access roads to 4,000 villages in 33 districts of Gujarat.

By Ananth Krishnan: The China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing has approved a USD 329 million loan to build access roads to 4,000 villages in 33 Gujarat districts, the bank announced on Wednesday.

The roads will focus on last mile connectivity to schools and tribal areas, as well as introduce a first-of-its-kind digitised map that would link on-going rural roads projects in Gujarat to enable real-time monitoring, the bank said.

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This follows the bank last month announcing a USD 150 million investment in an India infrastructure fund, aimed at attracting private investment capital to India.

China is the bank's biggest shareholder, contributing around USD $30 billion to its USD 100 billion capital, and India is the second-biggest shareholder with an $8 billion contribution.

The AIIB's Vice President and Chief Investment Officer D J Pandian, who happens to be a former Gujarat chief secretary and IAS officer, said the USD 329 million loan to Gujarat would "directly contribute to the economic development" by "improving the mobility of the rural population".

"By integrating isolated and poor rural populations with the rest of the state, and improving their access to critical social services, such as education and healthcare, we can have a positive impact on the economic and social outcomes of these local communities," he said.

LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY

The bank said the project was part of the state government's rural roads programme. The first component of the project involves building and upgrading roads, constructing last mile connectivity and building missing structures such as culverts and bridges.

It would also focus on roads to schools and through tribal areas, the bank said. The second component would be upgrading planned roads and bridges to prevent flooding and widening roads, while the third part involves technical assistance in planning projects as well as developing a digitised map of Gujarat's rural roads network.

The idea is to link up the different projects through a Geographic Information System to enable real time communication as well as monitor execution as well as maintenance.

If this pilot monitoring software tool is successful, the AIIB said it would introduce it in monitoring future projects as well.

Also Read:

Time to teach India 'bitter lesson greater than 1962', says Chinese media

Sikkim border standoff: China says ball in India's court, rules out compromise

China-backed AIIB commits $150 million for India infrastructure fund

WATCH | China claims these photographs prove Indian Army crossed the border

--- ENDS ---
M ore than 750 people, including some as young as 13, have been identified by the Met as prolific knife carriers, in a stark illustration of the threat posed by blade offenders in London.

New Scotland Yard figures obtained by the Evening Standard show that 555 adults and 203 juveniles have been suspects in knife crimes on at least two occasions over the past year.

They include 16 children aged 13 or 14, another 39 who are 15, and 64 who are aged 16. Most have been arrested but 43 adults and eight of the juveniles have yet to be detained.

The disclosure came after the Met last month launched the latest phase of its Operation Sceptre knife crackdown, carrying out weapon sweeps, confiscating knives and targeting hundreds of known blade carriers.

The force is also poised to launch a group of role models, drawn from London communities, who it hopes can help persuade people not to carry knives. The group will be chaired by Neville Lawrence, whose Stephen was stabbed to death in Eltham in 1993.

Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gallagher said the figures on offenders provide a valuable intelligence picture of Londoners who were likely to pose a threat to the public.

He added: This sets out for us the scale of the challenge. Within a population of 8.5 million people it probably doesnt sound like a massive amount, but this small number are significant. They are a risk group to Londoners.

Mr Gallagher said that although the Met was continuing enforcement activity, including stop and search, it was also working with academics at the Jill Dando Institute at University College to understand the reasons young people carry knives, in order to find ways to divert them from crime.

He said initial results had shown that broken families were a key trigger for blade offending. Cannabis and other drug abuse were linked to a tendency to carry blades in some cases.

He said: What we are trying to do is find the trigger and what turns people down that path. Its very complex but some of the indicators are lack of male role models, people not feeling empowered, feeling as though they dont have support, not just from society but from their own families.

Theres no simple solution, but you need counselling, you need meaningful intervention where you can assist families  not just the young people concerned in the criminality. The approach towards them should be one of compassion, not just enforcement, and understanding the issues.

Also to give support to the families around them, the siblings, the mums, and if the fathers are around the dads as well.

Mr Gallagher said the Mets efforts on knife crime were also being helped by a lot of public-spirited interventions and the new reference group of role models being formed this month.

It will be people from communities in London, he added. I, as a white middle-aged police officer, will not have that degree of influence so we have gone to Londoners and said we need a bit of help.

The response has been overwhelming. We are getting ourselves in a position where we can make a proper societal intervention. As a single agency it wasnt working  now we have multi-agency intervention and partnership.

The main element is that the London community is mobilised.

The latest phase of Operation Sceptre included proactive operations to target repeat knife crime offenders, as well as gang enforcement.

A total of 518 knives were recovered and 622 arrests were made, including 180 for possession of a blade or offensive weapon.

Earlier phases of the operation led to the seizure of 29 knives, one electric shock baton, ammonia spray and a firearm.

Since May last year 2,709 people have been charged with possession of a knife  a charge rate of 85 per cent for all arrests for this offence.

Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Sean Yates, Silver Lead for Operation Sceptre, said: We need to change attitudes to carrying knives and are encouraging key people in positions of influence to drive this messaging forward.

"It is those individuals who will have the biggest impact on getting the message out to young people that it is not acceptable to carry a knife.

In the meantime we will continue our robust enforcement efforts to remove more knives from the streets and arrest offenders.

City of London police and British Transport Police have taken part in Operation Sceptre for the first time in its latest phase.
A south London primary school was placed on lockdown while police hunted for a man wielding a machete nearby.

Children were forced to remain inside while officers searched the area surrounding Wolsey Junior Academy in Croydon on Wednesday.

Two males, whose ages are not known, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray, criminal damage and possession of cannabis.

It was not immediately clear if a weapon was recovered after the incident unfolded in King Henrys Drive, New Addington, at about 4.10pm.

No one was injured, Scotland Yard has said.

The school has been approached for comment.

A Met Police spokeswoman said: Police were called to a report of a man with a machete.

Officers attended, and children at a nearby school were kept indoors as a precaution as officers searched the area.

Two males were arrested for affray, criminal damage and possession of cannabis. They were taken to a south London police station.


A man suffered severe burns after being squirted with acid as he walked with a woman in east London.

Police say they are hunting three youths who attacked the 27-year-old man as he walked, pushing his bicycle, with the 40-year-old woman in Mile End yesterday.

The attack took place at 2am in Burdett Road.

The acid is believed to have caught the womans clothing but she escaped serious injury after turning her face away at the last minute, according to witnesses.

The man remains in hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening. There have been no arrests.

Cab driver Hassan Ali, 40, said: We heard screams and crying coming from outside so we rushed out. You could see her T-shirt just melting away.

She wanted to take off her clothes but we said dont touch anything, just chuck on water.

The incident follows a series of acid attacks in London including the shocking assault on a Muslim student and her cousin in their car in Beckton less than two weeks ago.

Aspiring model Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar were attacked at traffic lights on June 21 when they were out celebrating Reshams 21st birthday.

Attack: Resham Khan has been left with scars over her face and body

Scotland Yard say they are treating the attack as a hate crime and have said they want to speak to John Tomlin, 24, in connection with the incident. He remains at large. Detectives said the latest incident was not being treated as a hate crime, adding that the victims and the assailants were known to each other.

In another acid incident a police officer was sprayed with a noxious substance as he responded to reports of youths driving dangerously on a moped in Waltham Forest on Monday.

The Met said an officer had attended the incident in Billet Road at 7.10pm in a marked police car when the youths drove up and one them squirted a substance through the open window.

The officer was not injured but his uniform was slightly damaged.

Anyone with information about the attack in Mile End should call Bethnal Green CID on 020 7275 4550.
U p to 250 people allegedly tried to force their way into a packed London music venue as a huge rave descended into chaos.

A fight broke out and missiles were thrown as a large crowd attempted to force their way into The Coronet in Elephant and Castle in the early hours of Sunday, it is claimed.

The theatre turned music venue in New Kent Road was hosting a 2,500-strong rave with sets from up to 20 DJs playing hip-hop, house and bashment music.

The Coronet is now facing calls for its licence to be revoked following allegations of serious disorder at the venue.

Police vans block the road outside The Coronet

A request for an emergency licence review submitted to Southwark Council by police alleges that a fight broke out and missiles were thrown as 250 people rushed the front door.

The organisers of the LIT London event said a small group of frustrated people who did not have tickets tried to force entry into the venue and that the night had to end early because of health and safety concerns.

Police officers line the street as The Coronet music venue is evacuated / @fayebobbie

Video footage shows police officers forming a line across the street as the venue is evacuated and people are led outside.

Two police vans and unmarked cars blocked the road, while several officers were accompanied by sniffer dogs.

Queues: A huge crowd waits to get into the venue in Old Kent Road

Revellers who were leaving the venue spilled out onto the street, which left New Kent Road blocked off to traffic.

A video of a huge crowd trying to get into the venue was posted on Twitter with the caption: The coronet was disgusting last night.

Another reveller said the venue needed better security and that it should not have been left to police to control the crowd.

In a statement posted on social media, the events organisers said: We sincerely apologise to the attendees who were unfortunately unable to gain entry to the venue.

This was due to circumstances beyond our control and the night had to end early. Sadly a very select few on the night acted in detriment to the masses.

Huge crowds: Hundreds of people reportedly descended on the venue / Tfl

Due to an overwhelming walk up, ticket holders were prioritised. A small group of frustrated people who did not have pre-sale tickets attempted to force entry into the venue.

This situation was controlled, however it resulted in the line becoming distorted. After several efforts by the venue, management, police and promoters to retain order the unsafe behaviour of these individuals raised health and safety concerns.

It was decided in the best interest of the attendees for the night to end early. To everyone both inside and out we are very grateful that you remained calm and collected and there were no serious incidents.

Southwark Council said representatives from the venue, police and licensing team would attend a meeting on Thursday morning to determine what would happen to the venues licence in the interim before a full review at the end of July.

Scotland Yard confirmed police had been called to licensed premises on New Kent Road around 2am on Sunday after a large number of people tried to enter the venue.

A spokesman said: Officers, including the Territorial Support group, attended and discovered a large fight.

A 25-year-old man was treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service.

Officers remained in the area until the crowd dispersed.

There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

The Standard has approached The Coronet for comment.
T wo women who spent 24 hours beating, throttling, and torturing a vulnerable man tricked into going on an internet date have each been jailed for more than two years.

Tanisha Williams, 20, a Greenwich University student, lured the 27-year-old victim to her flat in Battersea after meeting him through dating website TangoWire. When he arrived, she locked the door and told him: Youre going to die today.

Williams and her accomplice Paige Springer, a 20-year-old mother of two, then attacked the man with a metal pole, throttled him with the cord from a set of hair straighteners and threatened him with an electric drill.

The man, who has learning difficulties, was stripped naked and dunked in a cold bath during the ordeal, which lasted 24 hours, Kingston crown court heard. He was eventually released when someone visiting the flat saw his bloodied face and called 999.

Both Williams and Springer pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm during the attack on December 4, 2015. It is a sickening case, said Judge Timothy Lamb QC yesterday, jailing the women for two years and four months each.

I cannot think of any more appropriate words than gratuitous degradation. Twenty-four hours subjecting him to fear and violence.

Prosecutor Gavin Pottinger said the victim, who lives in supported housing and has a care worker, suffered nightmares and was afraid to leave his home. He thought Miss Williams was in a relationship with him, but when he arrived she locked the door behind him and said, Youre going to die today, he told the court.

He could hear Miss Williams on the phone to friends saying she was going to kill someone and he was hit by her with a pole that caused bleeding and loss of consciousness.

Further threats were made and he was dragged from the lounge to the bathroom by Miss Williams, stripped and made to get into the bath and remained there until he felt cold. His head was pushed under the water and an electric drill was also taken into the bathroom and brandished by Miss Williams, who kept turning it on and off, revving it. He was throttled with the electrical cord of some hair straighteners by Miss Williams.

Mr Pottinger said the victim banged on the walls of the flat in a bid to raise the alarm, but was then threatened with a knife by Springer, who told him: If you move youre going to get stabbed.

Both women repeatedly punched, kicked and slapped the man. Springer, who lives in Balham, tried to hit him on the head with a hammer, saying: I want to kill him, I want to hit him.

Dan Darnbrough, for Williams, said she deeply regrets the attack, adding that it was fuelled by alcohol, cannabis and anti-depressants which turned her into a zombie.

Judge Lamb also imposed a restraining order, banning the two women from contacting the victim for 10 years.
O ne person has died in a fire at a block of flats in east London.

A team of 35 firefighters with six fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze in Chingford on Wednesday morning.

Firefighters wearing oxygen masks found the person in a first floor flat and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

London Fire Brigade were alerted to the fire in Park Hill Road at 7.30am and crews brought the fire under control 90 minutes later.

Scotland Yard and LFB were not able to confirm whether the deceased was a man or a woman.

Fire crews from Woodford, Enfield, Walthamstow, Edmonton and Tottenham fire stations attended and the cause of fire is under investigation.
C ouncil chiefs plan to relax a ban on filming adverts on Tower Bridge to raise its profile as a global tourist destination and bring thousands of pounds into the City.

Officials have seen a surge in requests from luxury brands to use the landmark as a location since its central role in Danny Boyles London 2012 opening ceremony.

However, rules designed to protect its reputation and status mean requests from firms including Burberry, Jaguar, Links jewellery and TM Lewin menswear have all been turned down.

Officials are now exploring plans to ease the restrictions allowing select British brands to shoot commercials at street-level on the bridge.

At present, ads can only be filmed inside the two overhead walkways and only then if footage promotes London as a tourist destination.

Movie-makers filming the new Paddington 2 movie were granted access after publicity teams agreed the film had significant potential to showcase the visitor attraction on a substantial international level.

Other firms, including Coca Cola, Hilton Hotels, Skoda and BT have evaded the ban by shooting ads from privately-owned Potters Field on the Southbank, using the bridge as a backdrop.

In a report due to go before the Citys economic development committee on Thursday, film liason manager Joanna Burnaby-Atkins said: In the run up, during and post the 2012 Olympics there was a huge increase in demand from many types of brands wishing to promote themselves to an international market using the bridge as a backdrop.

She said easing restrictions could raise 10,000 a year as well as bringing the majestic structure to an elite global audience.

She added: We believe some commercial advertising shoots on the bridge, such as some luxury or British brands, could actually be good for the image of the bridge, raise its profile and could increase income.

This could take the form of a car advertisement as it drives over the Bridge or an advertisement for a camera being used by a pedestrian on the Bridges pavement.

Requests to film on the Bridge at pavement level should be assessed on a case by case basis and if the brand or product is suitable and the fee is attractive permission should be granted.

The proposal does not stretch as far as allowing publicity stunts featuring zip lines, climbing, abseiling or other highly unusual activities. Such requests will be politely declined.

A spokesman said: This would set an otherwise unmanageable precedent and has wider implications in terms of reputational association with the City.

The proposal will go before councillors on Thursday.
A specialist taskforce is to be sent in to Kensington and Chelsea Council to take over the running of key services in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid will announce that outside experts will be brought in to manage the council's housing, regeneration, community engagement and governance services.

The move, which follows heavy criticism of the council's response to the disaster, is due to be confirmed in a written statement to MPs.

It stops short of demands from London mayor Sadiq Khan for ministers to appoint external commissioners to take over the running of the whole council.

Inside Grenfell Tower 1 /17 Inside Grenfell Tower Water is sprayed on Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA Fire service personnel inside Grenfell Tower in west London PA A view inside the Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA Sniffer dogs were sent inside to the tower today PA Fire service personnel inside Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA Part of the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA A view inside the Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA

He wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May urging her to appoint people who will be empathetic to the situation facing survivors of the disaster - in which at least 80 people died.

The new team is expected to be phased in as the current Grenfell Tower response team is gradually wound down following the immediate aftermath of the fire.

Sadiq Khan: Local community have got no confidence in the local council following response to Grenfell Tower

It comes after Mr Javid claimed there may have been public policy failings at all levels over several decades that contributed to the disaster.

In a speech to the Local Government Association conference in Birmingham, he said the poor response to the fire created unnecessary extra suffering and that there was a looming crisis of trust between the people and local government.

The Tory council's former leader Nicholas Paget-Brown resigned last week amid scathing criticism of his handling of the tragedy.

On Tuesday, his successor issued a humble apology for the local authority's handling of the fire.

In her first public statement after being chosen as his replacement, Elizabeth Campbell said she was "truly sorry" and pledged to "heal the wounds" in the community.
T he coroner leading the inquests into people who died in the Grenfell Tower disaster described the flats' interiors as apocalyptic following the blaze, it has been reported.

Survivors of the fire met with Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox in a threehour private meeting on Tuesday evening, where residents were also told their relatives may not be identified until the end of the year.

Police were also questioned by survivors as to why no arrests had been made in the aftermath of the blaze, with Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy also in attendance.

The fire on June 14 killed at least 80 people, though officials have said the final death toll may not be known until the end of the year.

Two women embrace ahead of the meeting in Kensington / Getty Images

Lotifa Begum, a coordinator for the charity Muslim Aid, who left partway through the meeting, said the families had been told that the "recovery phase", where the authorities identify bodies, could take until the end of the year.

During the meeting, which was held at the Olympia London in West Kensington, Dr Wilcox reportedly told very angry and upset survivors of the apocalyptic scene facing officials looking to establish the death toll.

Ms Begum said some of the families were overwhelmed and had to leave.

Missing Grenfell Tower girl's 13th birthday celebrated with balloon release

The family of Jessica Urbano, who lived on the 20th floor of the building, arrived at the meeting wearing t-shirts saying 'Happy Birthday Jessie' along with a picture of the little girl, on what a family member online said was her 13th birthday.

Families of victims greeted each other at the entrance before going inside, some ushered in by police staff.

Grenfell Tower aftermath - In pictures 1 /18 Grenfell Tower aftermath - In pictures The top section of the death trap Grenfell Tower Jeremy Selwyn The tower today, after the flames were extinguished Jeremy Selwyn A close up of the tower's damaged windows PA Fire service personnel survey the damage PA The tower today, after it emerged at least 17 were killed Jeremy Selwyn Rows of blackened windows after the fire Jeremy Selwyn Police sent in sniffer dogs today to search for bodies Jeremy Selwyn PA The Grenfell Tower at dawn today Jeremy Selwyn Donations have flooded in for victims Jeremy Selwyn Water is sprayed on Grenfell Tower PA Rows and rows of blackened windows. It is feared over one hundred people may have perished Jeremy Selwyn Part of the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP Fire crews examine the wreckage PA

The families were told before the meeting that they would not be allowed to put questions directly to Dr Wilcox or Commander Cundy, and had to email their questions in by 11am the day before.

Family members were not happy with how the meeting was organised, it was reported.

Ms Begum said: "A lot of the families would have appreciated a lot more time and notice."
N early 100 firefighters tackled a ferocious blaze at a Jewish faith school in east London.

Emergency services descended on the area near Clapton Common after the fire broke out shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

A team of 95 firefighters with 15 fire engines were sent to the scene in Craven Walk following dozens of emergency calls from the public.

Crews faced hazardous conditions after the fire caused the ground floor of the four-storey building to collapse into the basement.

A crowd of passers-by at the scene of a fire at a Jewish community school near Clapton Common / @999London

Images showed plumes of smoke and bright flames rising from the school as crowds of passers-by looked on.

Station manager Nicola Lown said: "The ground floor has partially collapsed into the basement leading to hazardous conditions.

"Two fire rescue units are also on the scene and their equipment is being used to shore up the ground floor.

"This will enable crews wearing breathing apparatus to gain better access to the fire in the basement."

LFB said the cause of the fire is not known at this stage and there were no reports of injuries.

Fire engines parked in a street near to a fire at a Jewish community school near Clapton Common / @999London

Firefighters remained at the scene early on Wednesday morning as the fire ws brought under control shortly after 7.30am.

Crews from Stoke Newington, Tottenham, Homerton, Hornsey, Holloway fire stations were attending.
The editorial called for teaching India "a bitter lesson" and warned Delhi that a military conflict with China would inflict "greater losses than in 1962".

By Ananth Krishnan: A Wednesday editorial in a hardline Communist Party-run newspaper called for teaching India "a bitter lesson" and warned Delhi that a military conflict with China would inflict "greater losses than in 1962".

With the State media keeping up its harsh rhetoric over the Doklam stand-off, the Global Times said in an editorial, referring to comments made by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley that India in 2017 was different from 1962 and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat saying India was ready for a two-and-a-half front war, "If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area, and it's ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power. Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts."

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The paper, which is published by the official People's Daily but known to reflect hardline views, added, "We firmly believe that the face-off in the Donglang area will end up with the Indian troops in retreat. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers."

The editorial was the harshest since the June 16 stand-off, which has seen almost daily statements from China's government and media blaming India for the "trespass". China has accused India of triggering the stand-off, which, however, began when the PLA constructed a road into Doklam, which is claimed by Bhutan but referred to as Donglang by China.

INDIA INSTIGATING BHUTAN?

The editorial echoed the view in China that India was "instigating" Bhutan to protest China's project. "India is acting shamelessly before the international community," the editorial said. "New Delhi's real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block China's road construction there."

"India should look in the mirror," it added. "It was not able to refute the evidence of illegal border trespassing and coerced its small neighbour Bhutan to shoulder the blame. India has long treated Bhutan as a vassal state, a rare scene under modern international relations. India's illegal border intrusion is not allowed by international law; besides its suppression of Bhutan must be condemned by the international community. The Indian media claimed in recent days that New Delhi 'shouldn't abandon Bhutan.' India is humiliating the civilization of the 21st Century."

The paper said "the Chinese public is infuriated by India's provocation" and added it "believes the Chinese People's Liberation Army is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory."

INDIA'S UNRULY ACTIONS?

Echoing what the Chinese envoy in Delhi said on Tuesday on China not making concessions, it said, "New Delhi would be too naive to think that Beijing would make concessions to its unruly demands."

"We hope India can face up to the hazards of its unruly actions to the country's fundamental interests and withdraw its troops without delay," it said. "We need to give diplomatic and military authorities full power to handle the issue. We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson."

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Another commentary in the newspaper authored by Yang Siling, vice director of the Institute for South Asian Studies at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, said "India instigated Bhutan to lodge a protest with China."

"Displaying toughness against China can help the ruling party score political points," wrote Yang. "India dragging Bhutan into the latest border row was also meant to demonstrate that South Asia is India's strategic backyard and warn other South Asian countries not to side with China."

"Any wise politician could realise that China and India both gain from peaceful coexistence and lose from conflict. Unfortunately, Modi seemingly is more prone to seeking India's interests at the expense of China's," Yang added, saying "the latest provocation will not be the last from India over the border issue".

ALSO READ | Sikkim border standoff: China says ball in India's court, rules out compromise

Doklam standoff: China tells Arun Jaitley it is also different from 1962

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ALSO WATCH | Centre napping, part-time Defence Minister will not work: Congress on border standoff with China

--- ENDS ---
S ix leading artists including Sir Antony Gormley and Gillian Wearing have designed ES magazine covers celebrating Londons resilience in the face of recent tragedies.

Ai Weiwei, Sir Anish Kapoor, Jamie Hewlett and Wolfgang Tillmans have also contributed to the special editions, which commemorate the lives lost at the Westminster, London Bridge and Finsbury Park terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower blaze.

The editions are available around the capital from tomorrow.

The magazine also recognises the work of the emergency services and is published on the 12th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings of 2005. In a shot titled 52 Minutes Silence, Wearing photographed 52 Londoners to mark the number of people killed in that attack.

The ES magazine cover by Jamie Hewlett

Wearing said: On the July 6, 2005 I came out of Liverpool Street Tube station, heard this roar, looked up and the Red Arrows flew by, emitting red, white and blue smoke.

I knew it must be to celebrate that London had won the right to host the Olympic Games in 2012. It was really exciting and it felt the city was on a new high. But the very next day that all turned around.

Anish Kapoor's cover

I went to the minutes silence at Liverpool Street a week later. For this photograph I wanted to enact that moment of contemplation.

"Silence is a way to think of others, of loved ones, to remember those that have passed. It brings everyone together in a universal participation.

The collector's edition cover by Wolfgang Tillmans

London is similarly going through a mourning process now, from the recent terror attacks and the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower this is a gesture of respect to those people as well.

Jamie Hewlett, whose design shows fists being raised in defiance, said: During the recent horrors, the way people pull together makes this a very exciting time  a multicoloured show of strength. United we now stand.

Ai WeiWei's souvenir cover

Sir Antony said of his Coffee on Paper cover: This image comes from trying to think how resilience and common sympathy occurs with every precious existence potentially held in the mind of all and all held in the mind of each.

"The collective reaction to attacks in London and Manchester and the Grenfell Tower fire has been immediate, generous, inspiring.

The collector's edition cover by Antony Gormley

There has been an extraordinary evolution in the dialogue between individual and collective experience.

Among the heroes featured in the ES coverage is British Transport Police officer Emily Lewis, 26, who stayed with stabbing victim Brett Freeman for more than two hours after the London Bridge attack.

London United: the cover by Gillian Wearing

She said: Brett was saying, Go! Save yourself! I just his held his hand and said, No, Ill stay.

ES Magazine is out tomorrow and Friday.
A top London DJ who documented his cancer in an inspirational online diary has lost his six-month battle against the illness, his family said today.

Ben Smith, 38, known to fans by his stage name DJ Daredevil, died with family members at his bedside.

Smith, who collaborated with a string of US hip-hop stars, released his debut record a few days before being admitted to hospital where he was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma.

His brother Matt said: Ben was an incredible soul with immense talent, intellect and a spark of mischief  strong, thoughtful and caring with a heart of gold.

Mr Smith was a popular DJ in nightclubs across London / www.gofundme.com/djdaredevil

Mr Smith, who lived in Stoke Newington, was a sound engineer and was building a reputation among DJs following performances with Pete Rock, CL Smooth, Jazzy Jeff and Big Daddy Kane. He held residencies at London nightclubs including Scala, Bungalow 8 and the O2 in Kentish Town, and had won a string of national DJ contests.

He was admitted to Barts Hospital before Christmas with intense back pain. Tests revealed a fast-growing type of lymphoma, which left him para-lysed from the waist down.

The tumour around his spine cleared following chemotherapy and his family believed he was recovering.

Online diary December 20, 2016: I can hardly walk, my legs have swollen up and I have the worst back pain I have ever experienced. They have done multiple blood tests and a CAT scan. December 25: Im in Barts and after relentless tests they found a cancerous growth in my spine. I had radiotherapy and Im determined to beat this and live and walk again. December 31: Ive been diagnosed with high-grade Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I have a growth around my spine and its affecting the nerves so I cannot walk. January 16, 2017: Ive now been in hospital for four weeks and six days and still fighting hard. I started new chemotherapy which is very intense. My hair started falling out, so I cut it off. January 26: They warned about side effects. I have a sore mouth, Im being fed through a tube up my nose. March 26: Doctors told me tumour in back has gone ... I still have a long way to go.

Matt, also a DJ, said: Ben bravely documented his struggle  his fighting spirit amazingly strong, his will and determination an inspiration. We all assumed this marked the beginning of his rehabilitation.

However, a few weeks ago he developed a fever. More cancer cells were found, around his lungs. He died on Monday last week. Matt said his brother was optimistic, brave and inspirational to the end.

Ben followed his passion and heart. He said himself he has lived more in his time than many who make it through to old age.

Hip-hop artist Ill Conscious said: He was a staple in the hip-hop community, it was an honour to be in the mix with him. I will do my part to ensure the masses hear the work of DJ Daredevil. His fight will not go in vain.

More than 11,000 raised to help pay for Mr Smiths care will now go towards his funeral and to cancer charities. Visit gofundme.com/djdaredevil
M et chiefs are facing a 300,000 court bill after an autistic man was bitten by an out-of-control police dog.

Muhammed Azklany, 26, was left covered in blood and in total agony following the attack by German shepherd Karly in July 2012.

Officers had been called out to a disturbance when the dog, which had been trained to bite and was not on her lead, leapt on Mr Azklany and clamped her teeth down on his leg.

When Mr Azklany sued for damages, the Met fought the case, claiming Karly had been on a leash and only let loose when the suspect tried to run away.

But a jury at Central London County Court ruled against the force, leaving the Met with an estimated 300,000 legal costs bill as well as an order to pay Mr Azklany 45,000 compensation.

The attack happened when officers were called to reports of Mr Azklany and his girlfriend arguing in the street in Plumstead late at night.

Mr Azklany was talking to the dog handler when Karly, without warning, pounced on him.

It was foreseeable that the dog would take matters into its own hands, said his barrister, James Laddie QC. This was a loaded weapon which was a risk of going off. Following a 12-day trial a jury found that Mr Azklany had suffered a reckless assault.

Judge Charles Freeland QC said the dog handler had taken an unwarranted risk by taking the dog into a volatile situation without a lead.

Mr Azklany, who has autism and ADHD, was arrested after the incident and charged with a public order offence that was later dropped.

The jury rejected his claims that he had been the victim of false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

After yesterdays ruling, Andrew Arthur, from Fisher Meredith solicitors, said Mr Azklany was very happy to have been vindicated.
L ondon is threatened with losing out as a must destination for young travellers who want to study, tour and work here, a report has warned.

The youth, student and educational travel sector is worth 22 billion a year to the UK and the annual total of 14.9 million young foreign visitors is 38 per cent of all tourists.

But the British Educational Travel Association says visa restrictions, high accommodation costs and a perceived hostility towards foreigners since the Brexit vote mean one in five young people initially wanting to come here pick other destinations.

Last year the number of young tourists dropped to below 2014 levels, and the number of English language students fell by nine per cent.
E nvironmental lawyers today took the Government back to the High Court over its flawed proposals to tackle toxic air.

ClientEarth launched the fresh legal action after dismissing the Governments latest air quality plan as too weak to deal quickly with nitrogen dioxide levels.

The group believe ministers have failed to sufficiently promote new charges against vehicles belching dirty fumes as a measure to clean up the air.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is already proposing a 10-a-day T-charge on the most polluting vehicles to drive into central London from October, before the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone from 2019. But few other cities are following the capitals lead.

ClientEarth chief executive James Thornton said: The court ordered a plan for the UK Government to obey the law on pollution limits across the UK as soon as possible. The health of all UK citizens is at stake.

Air pollution is linked to an estimated 40,000 early deaths a year in the UK.

A Defra spokeswoman said: Improving the UKs air quality and cutting harmful emissions is a priority for this government.


T heresa May faced a new Tory rebellion today as backbenchers demanded a fairer pensions deal for women born in the Fifties.

Conservative MPs said they are looking to the Prime Minister and Chancellor Philip Hammond to give an early signal that they will rethink the rules for two million women told they must work an extra six years before retiring.

It comes on top of rebellions against the public sector pay cap, cuts in free school meals and school funding that have all forced ministers to promise changes in policy.

Potential rebels will use a Labour-led debate in Westminster Hall today to send a signal through the whips that they are serious. The issue could easily see the Government crushed if it is pushed to a vote in the Commons.

Not One Day More protest: Thousands descend on central London for march against Theresa May

Some 37 Conservative MPs expressed support for the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) before the general election, including former childrens minister Tim Loughton and ex-Tory chairman Caroline Spelman.

Embarrassingly for the Government, backers of WASPI even include Peter Heaton-Jones, who is the PPS, or Commons aide, to new Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke. Mrs Mays partners in a confidence and supply deal to pass key votes, the Democratic Unionist Party, are also in favour, as are the Scottish Nationalists.

Government officials estimate the cost of letting the women retire at 60, as many planned to do, at 2.3 billion. Campaigners think a compromise could cost about 750 million.

Senior Tory backbencher Keith Simpson said his wife was among the women who were affected, adding: Theres no doubt in my mind that we have a group of very very angry women who feel they have paid their taxes, worked hard and been cheated. He plans to intervene during the debate to complain about the poor quality of information given to women on official websites  a move that is bound to get the attention of Government whips.

Former minister Sir Peter Bottomley said: Everyone knows that a particular group of women were particularly disadvantaged. Theres a strong view in Parliament that something more needs to be done.

Labours shadow pensions minister Alex Cunningham, who is opening this afternoons debate, urged all Conservatives who backed WASPI to join the revolt.

He said: There are 37 MPs on the Government benches who have supported the WASPI campaign  enough to provide a majority in the House of those who want to see action taken to alleviate the difficulty faced by the most vulnerable men and women.
T he United States has lifted the in-cabin ban on laptops and other large electronic devices on inbound flights from Dubai and Istanbul, Emirates and Turkish Airlines said today.

The announcements come three days after restrictions were lifted on Etihad Airways hub Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The ban was lifted effective immediately on Dubai International, the worlds busiest airport for international travel, after new security measures announced by the US last week were implemented.

An Emirates spokeswoman said: Emirates has been working hard in coordination with various aviation stakeholders and the local authorities to implement heightened security measures and protocols that meet the requirements of the US Department of Homeland Securitys new security guidelines for all US bound flights.

We would like to express our gratitude to the US 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, the Middle Easts largest airline and which flies to 12 U.S. cities, had blamed travel restrictions imposed by President Donald Trumps administration for a drop in demand on U.S. flights.

Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Bilal Eksi tweeted that the airline expected a similar ban flights to Britain would soon be lifted.

US and British officials carried out inspections of security measures at Istanbuls Ataturk Airport yesterday, the Dogan news agency reported.
B oris Johnson has dismissed the Popes offer for terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard to be treated in his private hospital.

The Foreign Secretary told his Italian counterpart it was right that decisions (surrounding the babys care) continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts".

Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano raised the offer made by the president of the Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome, after Pope Francis called for Charlie's parents to be allowed to "accompany and treat their child until the end".

Charlie suffers from a rare mitochondrial condition and has severe brain damage.

Foreign secretary: Boris Johnson called to keep Charlie Gard in the UK / Dominic Lipinski/PA

Charlies parents, Connie Yates, 31, and Chris Gard, 32, lost a legal battle against doctors at Londons Great Ormond Street Hospital to take their son to the US for experimental treatment.

They are now spending the last days of his life with him.

Distraught parents: Connie Yates and Chris Gard / Gareth Fuller/PA

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "Minister Alfano raised the case of Charlie Gard and the Pope's recent offer of treatment in Italy.

"The Foreign Secretary said this was a deeply tragic and complex case for all involved, and said it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, in line with Charlie's best interests."

Powerful: Charlie's mother posted a photo of him with his eyes open / Connie Yates

The president of the Bambino Gesu hospital, Mariella Enoc, told reporters she had asked GOSH if Charlie could be transferred but was informed he could not be moved.

A spokesman for the hospital said: "Great Ormond Street Hospital kindly told us that there is a legal problem about Charlie's transfer to Bambino Gesu's children's hospital.

Explained: the Charlie Gard case

"For now, what we can say is that we are trying to solve the legal problem."

It comes after Theresa May said GOSH would consider any offers or new information relating to the "wellbeing of a desperately ill child".

Mrs May said: "I am confident that Great Ormond Street Hospital have and always will consider any offers or new information that has come forward with consideration of the wellbeing of a desperately ill child".

Donald Trump also tweeted in support of the tot and claimed the White House had been in talks with his family, the Pope and the Government over his treatment.
T he Queen has met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as part of her week-long stay at Holyrood.

Mr Trudeau thanked Scotland for being a "strong partner" as he received an honorary degree and met the 91-year-old monarch on a visit to Edinburgh.

Canada's leader was awarded the degree of Doctor honoris causa by the citys university in recognition of his commitment to equality and diversity.

He later walked through the capital clutching his degree scroll before a private meeting with the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse set up to "honour her importance to Canada's history and to thank her for her continued dedication to Canada", his office said.

Official meeting: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with the Queen / AP

He is visiting Scotland on his way to the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7 and 8.

Mr Trudeau is the second Canadian Prime Minister to receive an honorary degree from the university after Sir Wilfrid Laurier in 1902, who he described as his "second favourite Canadian Prime Minister".

Accepting the honour, he said: "From the people of Canada to the people of Scotland, thank you for being a strong partner to us in this new global era of so many challenges."

Honorary degree: Justin Trudeau at the University of Edinburgh / PA

He gave part of his speech in French and spoke of the links between the two countries.

Mr Trudeau said: "Fifteen per cent of Canadians have Scottish roots, so Canadians, including me, have a strong link and affinity with Scots."

Canadian visit: Justin Trudeau and the Queen / REUTERS

He urged graduates to be open to new challenges and added: "If it excites you a lot and scares you a little, then you should probably do it. Be bold, be brave, be open to the incredible opportunities in front of you.

"Class of 2017, we need you, the world needs you, so be the best version of yourselves and go make us all proud. Congratulations."

Mr Trudeau previously met the Queen in London shortly after his election in 2015 and they also met when Mr Trudeau was a young boy and his father Pierre was Canada's PM.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
T he desperate parents of terminally ill Charlie Gard are in talks with the White House about the future of their sons healthcare after President Trump backed their plea to transfer him to the US.

The latest development in the tragic case comes as the 10-month-old boy was also offered treatment at the Vaticans own childrens hospital in Rome.

Pope Francis spokesman vowed to overcome legal rulings that have prevented 31-year-old Connie Yates and Chris Gard, 32, from moving their son from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.

Charlie suffers from a rare mitochondrial condition and has severe brain damage.

Parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard with Charlie / PA

His lungs cannot function without a ventilator and a decision was made by doctors that he is in pain he should be allowed to die.

His parents, who are from west London, wanted to take him to the United States for experimental treatment which experts said would provide a small chance of meaningful improvement in Charlies brain function.

Tragic: Doctors believe Charlie should be allowed to die / PA

Through an emotional campaign, they managed to raise more than one million required to pay for the treatment, which is not offered in the UK.

But their legal attempts were blocked by judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court  all of whom supported the doctors judgement.

The European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene.

Appeal: Connie Yates and Chris Gard / Gareth Fuller/PA

Charlies story has caught the attention of many around the world, including President Trump who waded into the argument on Monday.

He tweeted: "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so."

A spokesman for Charlies parents told the Daily Mail that, following Mr Trumps tweet: The White House has been in talks with Charlies family, GOSH, the UK Government, the Department of Health and the American doctor who wants to treat Charlie.

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They added: President Trump has a very good understanding of the whole case and did not make an off-the-cuff tweet.

The president of the Popes Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome has also been in contact with GOSH after the Pope said Charlies family should be able to "accompany and treat their child until the end".

Mariella Enoc told reporters she had asked the hospital if Charlie could be transferred to their unit in Rome.

Ms Enoc said: "I was contacted by the mother, who is a very determined and decisive person and doesn't want to be stopped by anything."

She said GOSH responded that Charlie cannot be moved for legal reasons.

Devastated: His parents said they feel 'let down' / ITV

Ms Yates and Mr Gard are believed to be discussing their next move in private whilst also spending their time with Charlie.

The hospital were intending to turn Charlies life support machine off on Friday but made the decision to give his parents more time with him after they posted an emotional video saying they had been denied their final wish to take him home to die.

They said they felt let down by the legal decision.
By PTI: dignity

By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jul 5 (PTI) The Chinese official media today stepped up its attack on India with editorials asking Indian troops to move out of Dokalam area in Sikkim sector "with dignity or be kicked out" and describing the situation as "worryingly tense".

While Chinas nationalistic tabloid Global Times said India should be taught a "bitter lesson", another official newspaper, China Daily, said India should look in the mirror.

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The Global Times said in its editorial that India will suffer "greater losses" than in 1962 if it "incites" border clashes with China.

As the standoff in the Dokalam area continued for the third week, it said India should be taught a "bitter lesson".

It also claimed that the Chinese public was infuriated by Indias "provocation".

"We believe the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers," it said.

"We need to give diplomatic and military authorities full power to handle the issue. We call on Chinese society to maintain high-level unity on the issue. The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson," it said.

The editorial said it "firmly" believes that the face-off in what it calls the Donglang area will end with the Indian troops in "retreat".

"If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area (referred to as Dokalam or Dok La), and it is ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power," it said.

The paper was referring Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat saying that India was ready for a two-and-a-half front war.

"Jaitley (Defence Minister Arun Jaitley) is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts," it added.

Jaitley on June 30 said India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, hitting out at China for asking the Indian Army to learn from "historical lessons".

According to the editorial in China Daily, Indias defeat in the 1962 war was perhaps too "humiliating" for some in the Indian military and that is why they are talking "belligerently" this time.

Since the standoff on June 6, when the PLA destroyed bunkers of the Indian Army, claiming the area belonged to China, Chinese media have carried several pieces warning India against escalating border tensions.

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"India should look in the mirror. It was not able to refute the evidence of illegal border-trespassing and coerced its small neighbour Bhutan to shoulder the blame," the China Daily said.

The Global Times also asserted that China attaches great importance to domestic stability and doesnt want to be mired in a mess with India.

"But New Delhi would be too naive to think that Beijing would make concessions to its unruly demands," it said.

"New Delhis real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block Chinas road construction there," the editorial said.

"Cold war-obsessed India is suspicious" that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area. India is taking the risk to betray the historical agreement and wants to force China to "swallow" the result, it said.

The China Daily added that India should respect border agreement and withdraw troops, linking Indias move to stop the Chinese military from building a strategic road in Dokalam area in June 16 to its concern over Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

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"India may be trying to make a point. It is reportedly worried that the Chinese road construction may represent a significant change in the status quo with serious security implications for India, according to its foreign ministry."

Such worries, the paper added, could have been allayed through dialogue and consultation using the mechanisms that are already in place and "which have long helped the two sides maintain peace and tranquillity in the region since their short border war in 1962".

The editorial said the situation in Dokalam remains "worryingly tense, with a stand-off between soldiers of the two countries still ongoing".

"That the situation has not flared out of control is thanks to the great restraint exercised by the Chinese troops. But the tensions resulting from the intrusion will surely grow if there is not a total withdrawal of the Indian troops."

Unlike previous incidents that have occurred along other parts of the 3,500-kilometre border between China and India, the latest incident happened at a section that has long been demarcated by an 1890 historical convention and reaffirmed in documents exchanged between the successive Chinese and Indian governments since then.

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Both dailies, however, referred to Indias concerns over the road in Dokalam close to the narrow chicken neck area in the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan border as it could cut off a vital link with Indias north-eastern region.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction since June 6 after a Chinese Army construction party came to build a road. PTI KJV UZM MIN UZM

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K im Jong-un has said North Korea's successful intercontinental ballistic missile test was a "gift to American b*******" on their Independence Day.

The North Korean leader taunted the US after the ICBM was launched on Tuesday.

He was quoted by the Korean Central News Agency as saying: "America b******* would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary.

It came as US and South Korean troops fired deep strike precision missiles in a show of force to North Korea.

Show of force: A US Army Tactical Missile is fired during a combined military exercise between the US and South Korea / AP

In a direct response to the missile launch, soldiers fired the precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters in a joint military exercise.

The joint military exercise saw "deep strike" precision missiles fired into South Korean waters / AP

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson later confirmed the North Koreans had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, calling it a "new escalation of the threat" to the US.

He said: "Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

The US Eighth Army said the missile firings by American and South Korean troops were a show of force to demonstrate US-South Korean solidarity.

South Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II is fired during the combined military exercise between the US and South Korea against North Korea / AP

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley asked for an emergency meeting of the Security Council, which will happen later on Wednesday.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said the test of an ICBM - the Hwasong-14 - marked the "final step" in creating a "confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth".

It said the missile was launched for 39 minutes, reached an altitude of 1,731 miles and flew 579 miles.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un / AFP

US President Donald Trump reacted angrily to the test launch and called for China to intervene to "end this nonsense".

Mr Trump tweeted: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?

Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer.

"Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"
T he parents of a British man with autism missing in Australia have made an emotional appeal for help tracking him down.

Benjamin Wyatt, 34, from Bath, vanished after visiting a beach in the Melbourne area with his family yesterday. Police carried out an extensive search of the area by air, land and sea, although no trace of Mr Wyatt was found.

Today his mother, Diana Wyatt, was visibly distraught at a press conference as she urged her son to return, saying her life was empty without him.

She told reporters: Ben has never had a night out on his own before.

He knows I worry like anything. Im the worlds worst worrier and Ben if youre listening, if youre watching come back.

Hes just a really nice guy to have around and I miss him. My life is empty.

His father, Phil Wyatt, fought back tears as he said: Keep an eye out for him please, just let the police know if you find him, thank you.

The family had recently arrived in Melbourne, their last stop as they travelled around Australia, and had been due to leave the country tomorrow, according to reports.

Victoria Police released an image of Mr Wyatt and appealed for the publics help finding him.

The force said in a statement: Benjamin, who has autism, was visiting the beach with his family at Half Moon Bay, Black Rock about 2.15pm (Tuesday).

His family left him in the car park for a short time while they went to collect their car but when they turned to pick him up he had disappeared.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: We are supporting the family of a British national who was reported missing in Melbourne on July 4. We are in contact with the local authorities.
E nergy giant Shell has been forced to remove life-sized cut-outs of women from stations in Malaysia after men groped them.

The image featured a female employee wearing a headscarf and company uniform and was stationed in petrol stations around the country.

But images were circulating on social media, showing men pretending to grab the chest and crotch of the woman.

Shell has criticised the acts as distasteful and suggestive.

Removed: The cut-out depicted an employee wearing a headscarf and with her thumbs up / AFP/Getty Images

The woman in the picture was named by local newspapers as 25-year-old Nor Shafila Khairusalleh, who works at a Shell station.

She has criticised the extreme behaviour of the men in the images.

She said: They may just be joking, but I feel humiliated because that is still myself although it is just an image.

A Shell spokesman told news agency AFP: We do not condone this disrespectful act, which is completely against the culture of Malaysians and Shells core values.

We urge netizens and members of the public to refrain from sharing these images further.

The standee (cut-out) will be removed from all our sites with immediate effect.
P rinces long-time drummer John Blackwell Jr has died at the age of 43 having battled a brain tumour for the last year.

The US musician passed away peacefully with his wife Yaritza Balckwell by his side, she confirmed in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday.

My husband incredible drummer John Blackwell Jr. passed the way peacefully in my company today. Thanks God for his life and thanks everyone for their support. Yaritza, she wrote.

Blackwell Jr, who toured with superstar Prince for 15 years as part of band The New Power Generation, had been seeking treatment for a brain tumour.

He underwent two brain surgeries last year and had been undergoing rehabilitation at the Tampa General Hospital.

One year ago, my husband, incredible drummer John Blackwell Jr. was diagnosed with brain tumors while in Japan playing at the Blue Note Tokyo in a featuring with top bassist Nik West, his wife wrote on Instragam just a few days before his death.

Prince - In pictures 1 /34 Prince - In pictures Purple Rain Prince performing in 1984 Rex First UK Show Prince performing his first UK Show at The Lyceum in London in 1981 Rex Prince among men Prince onstage during the 2015 American Music Awards in Los Angeles Kevin Winter/Getty Images Super Bowl Show Prince performs during the Super Bowl Half-Time show in 2007 Evan Agostini/Getty Images Brit Awards Prince with backing bad 3rdeyegirl - Donna Grantis, Hannah Ford and Ida Neilsen - with James Corden at The Brit Awards in 2014 Rex Married man Prince and his wife Manuela Testolini backstage at the 35th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Universal Amphitheatre in 2004 Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Prince with his wife Mayte as they arrives at the De Beer and Versace "Diamonds are forever" charity fashion event in 1999 AFP/Getty Images Festival performance Prince performs during the second day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2008 Chris Pizzello/AP Under a cherry moon Prince starring in a scene from the film 'Under the cherry moon' (1986) Sensational singer Prince performing on stage Ebet Roberts/Redferns Flamboyant fashion Prince at the Radio 1 Awards in 1986 Rex At The Grammy Awards Musician Prince as he presents the winner for Record of the Year during the 55th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images 21 Nights Prince announces his '21 Nights in London' gigs at a press conference at the Hospital on May 8, 2007 in London Claire Greenway/Getty Images Dynamic duet Singer Mary J. Blige (L) and recording artist Prince perform onstage during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 22, 2012 Christopher Polk/Getty Images American Idol Musician Prince performs onstage during the American Idol Season 5 Finale in 2006 Vince Bucci/Getty Images Funk and soul Prince performs during the halftime show at the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami IN 2007 Chris O'Meara/AP Young Prince Prince in 1987 Rex Prince with his band The New Power Generation Rex MTV Moves Prince at tHe MTV Awards in 1994, Monaco Rex On the big stage Musician Prince performing at Wembley Arena in August 14, 1986 in London David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives Music world rocked: Prince in concert at Madison Square Garden, New York Breaking new sounds Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum on February 19, 1985 in Inglewood, California Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Sexy cool Prince in concert at Paradiso, Amserdam, Netherlands in 1981 Rex Paradiso found again Prince in concert at Paradiso, Amserdam in 2013 Rocking the look American musician Prince in concert at Earl's Court, London on 15th June 1992 Dave Benett Prince uncovered Prince performing bare chested in 1984 Rex

This whole year has been very challenging not only for John, but for me also, that have to provide the care he needs, and with the help of God, you as donors, and his doctors, nurses and therapists he is still fighting hard to get better.

Today, he faces another hospital change, now to a rehab facility, where he will receive Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies to continue his long recovery process.

She added: I pray God for John everyday, every hour... and thank you for your prayers, donations and for the good thoughts for John. Yaritza.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help with Blackwell Jrs medical bills and had reached more thans $78,000.

The drummer started out his career touring for Patti LaBelle and worked with stars including Justin Timberlake.



Prince died at the age of 57 last year after taking an accidental overdose of fentanyl, which is a drug 50 times more powerful than heroin.
By PTI: Patna, Jul 5 (PTI) RJD chief Lalu Prasad today claimed the country was witnessing an "emergency-like situation" under the BJP-led government at the Centre, and held that his efforts to bring UP opposition leaders Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav together would "end the 2019 match".

The former Bihar chief minister, speaking at the 21st foundation day function of his party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, was referring to the next Lok Sabha polls.

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In a scathing attack here against the NDA government, the RJD supremo said the country was witnessing an "undeclared emergency" which, he held, was worse than the one imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975.

"In the face of the kind of situation prevailing in the country today, the emergency days of the late Indira Gandhi would look very insignificant," he said, while mentioning incidents of cow vigilantism.

He questioned the BJPs portrayal of its presidential nominee, Ram Nath Kovind, as a Dalit.

"In Gujarat, Kori (the caste to which Kovind belongs) is an OBC caste and constitutes around 18 per cent of the state population. Narendra Modi chose to field Kovind in the presidential election in order to attract votes of this big chunk," Prasad claimed.

Meira Kumar, he added, belonged to an all-India Dalit caste.

"Due to my firm ideology against communalism and fascism of the BJP and RSS, even if the Congress had supported an NDA candidate, I would not have voted for him," he said.

The RJD is supporting Congress candidate Meira Kumar, who is being backed by 17 parties for the July-17 presidential poll.

In a blistering attack against the BJP and RSS, Prasad said the party had humiliated senior leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi by not fielding them for the presidential post.

Prasad said he was making "earnest efforts" to bring BSP chief Mayawati and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav together at an August 27 rally being organised here by the RJD.

"If Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav come together, the 2019 match (general election) is over," he said, adding that the BJP had won the 2014 parliamentary poll as the opposition was then divided in the country.

Prasad, who was flanked by his minister sons Tejaswi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, was accompanied by a host of ministers and RJD leaders.

He said prominent leaders of non-BJP parties would share the dais at the rally and "show a new direction to the country like Mahatama Gandhi had done by launching the Champaran Satyagraha against the British from Bihar".

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Congress president Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would participate in the mega rally, he said.

The speeding up of the trial in all four fodder scam cases against him in Ranchi and elsewhere, and the possibility of being imprisoned before the rally also featured in his speech to the RJD workers, MPs, legislators and office bearers from the district to the state level.

"My star is moving here and there. Everyone of you must become a Lalu Yadav and organise the rally in the fashion you celebrate the marriage of your son or daughter," he told the RJD workers and leaders. PTI ANW SNS KK ARK BDS ARK

--- ENDS ---
The Alliance Police Department is investigating the theft of vehicles and other items over the holiday.

In a press release, Sgt. Ed Tjaden called the thefts brazen, saying that one incident included a home being entered while residents were sleeping upstairs.

The thefts occurred the night of July 3 and the early morning hours of July 4. Police are investigating a total of eight cases, including the theft of three vehicles and motorcycles valued at about $14,000.

The Alliance Police Department has received information that other towns and cities have experienced similar incidents. A common suspect is being investigated and sought at this time, Tjaden said.

He said some of the stolen property has been recovered in Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Tjaden said reminds "citizens to remain vigilant in securing their vehicles and homes, not leaving valuables in their vehicles, and reporting suspicious vehicles and persons."

Anyone with information about the thefts are asked to contact the police department, 308-762-4955.
SCOTTSBLUFF  In an effort to help area residents enjoy a healthier, smoke-free life, Regional West Physicians Clinic recently introduced a new smoking cessation program designed to help patients safely stop smoking. The goal is to provide counseling, tools and resources to help patients kick the smoking habit for good.

Brooke Borgman, a nurse practitioner with Regional West Physicians Clinic-Pulmonology, Critical Care, oversees Regional Wests Smoking Cessation Program. She has advanced training in the smoking cessation process, and is an excellent resource to those who have made the decision to quit smoking, or have tried in the past to quit, only to relapse later.

It is covered by most private insurance, as well as by Medicaid and Medicare.

The program includes four patient visits a year, and a referral to the Nebraska Quit Line, which provides free, 24/7 access to counseling and support services during the process. In addition to personalized counseling and education, Borgman works with each patient to identify and prescribe aides designed to help curb nicotine cravings and eliminate smoking as part of daily life, including nicotine replacement options and/or medication.

Studies show that people who are the most effective in quitting tobacco long term are those who participate in a smoking cessation program, said Borgman. Our program teaches participants how to handle the cravings and addiction associated with smoking, while utilizing proven methods like tobacco cessation medications, tobacco cessation counseling and nicotine replacement therapy to tackle the challenges of quitting smoking for good.

For more information about the Smoking Cessation Program, visit rwhs.org/SmokingCessation. To enroll in the program, email Smoking.Cessation@rwhs.org or call Regional West Physicians Clinic-Pulmonology, Critical Care at 308-630-2101.
The top cop believes that CCTV cameras play an important role in helping the investigating officer gather some clues about the culprit.

Over 4,074 CCTV camers were installed across the city in last eight years.

By Chayyanika Nigam: In a bid to make the national Capital more secure, Delhi Police are likely to make it mandatory for all the residents and shopkeepers to install good-quality cameras outside their residential buildings and commercial spaces.

According to the highly placed sources in the department, to solve all the criminal cases in the city, the top cop believes that CCTV cameras play an important role in helping the investigating officer gather some clues about the culprit.

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But there are handful of cameras installed in the city and the cops fail to solve the blind cases of robbery, murder, dacoity and other street crimes.

HOW IT BENEFITS

"Initially, if the cameras are installed at every place, crime would be curbed automatically as a criminal would also have a fear of being caught in the lens," the source said, quoting the minutes of a recent meeting of the top cops including Amulya Patnaik.

He also added that the CCTV cameras also help in giving weightage to the scientific evidence to corroborate oral evidence during a trial.

Mail Today had earlier reported that Delhi Police were likely to integrate over 1.8 lakh CCTV cameras that are already installed by the associations of residents' welfare and markets along with the local police stations.

Apart from the integration plan, now Delhi Police are planning to issue a public advisory seeking individual's help to curb crime in the city by installing cameras. The source further said initially, it has suggested that it would be made mandatory to install "high-end" cameras that have night vision and better resolution. Later, it was decided that it would be too costly for residents and shopkeepers.

Further in the meeting, it was decided that the normal cameras would be sufficient if installed everywhere. It would help the cops in learning the movement of criminals. However, it is yet to be decided that whether Delhi Police would install high-end cameras at the entry and exit point of the colonies and markets or seek help of RWAs.

WELCOME MOVE

Speaking to Mail Today, the RWA of various colonies in the city have welcomed the planning of the Delhi Police, but disagreed to support the cops in case the high-end cameras are to be installed by them.

"It would be a very good initiative if individuals' help is taken by the cops. We being the RWA members, have asked the residents to install cameras, but they are least bothered. But in case Delhi Police issue an advisory and make it mandatory then the people might obey the instructions," said Rajeev Kakria, RWA member in GK-1.

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Garima Singh, RWA president of Civil Lines, said: "If the Delhi government would support the police, it will not be a burden on the individuals as we all are paying tax. And it is the duty of the police and the government to ensure safety of their citizens."

AAP'S CCTV PROMISE

It is worth mentioning that in last eight years, over 4,074 CCTV cameras are installed at various locations in different phases in the city. In 2016, Delhi Police managed to put up just 87 surveillance cameras despite the crime rate going up by over nine per cent as against the previous year in the Capital, which has a population of over 1.67 crore.

Also, AAP in its election manifesto had promised installing 15 lakh CCTV cameras.

Recently, after the increase in street crime, Delhi Police have issued an order to all the banking and financial establishments in Seemapuri to install good quality CCTV cameras.

ALSO READ | Delhi Police to install over a lakh CCTV cameras across city

Delhi: Kejriwal chairs Cabinet meeting, approves 6350 CCTVs for buses

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Noida: Woman techie shot dead in basement of her apartment, attack caught on CCTV

ALSO WATCH | Chennai: CCTV captures shocking chain snatching incident

--- ENDS ---
The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) denied on Wednesday denied a constitutionality objection filed by the opposition over the Greater Union Centennial bill, CCR sources told Agerpres. The objection was draw up by 70 MPs of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR).

PNL announced in May that the Liberal MPs group filed with the CCR a constitutionality objection over a bill on the 1 December 1918 Greater Union Centennial as adopted by the Chamber of Deputies. According to PNL, the parliamentary majority has imposed legislative solutions breaching constitutional regulations concerning the power of Romania's President to award decorations and honorary titles on behalf of the Romanian state.

The bill on the Centennial of the War for the Unification of the Nation (1916 - 1918) and the Greater Union Centennial was adopted on 3 May.
President Klaus Iohannis welcomed at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace on Wednesday World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo, who praised Romania for its progress of late as a member of the European Union and as a consolidated market economy. According to a Presidential Administration statement , this visit is part of a series of meetings to consolidate international economic cooperation within and through WTO.

At the beginning of the meeting, Azevedo commended Romania for its significant progress of late as a European Union member and as a consolidated market economy, according to the statement. Among the topics discussed were the current global trends in the area of economic policies, as well as themes of the 7 - 8 July G20 meeting in Hamburg. "Despite the fact that commercial policies are almost constantly subjected to protectionist temptations, the world economy's progress was highlighted precisely in the context of economic opportunities provided by free trade," the release says.

At the same time, President Iohannis appreciated the WTO contributions to the international economic cooperation, through the promotion of international trade liberalisation. "Moreover, it was highlighted the idea the process of liberalising commercial exchanges has brought benefits to the developed and developing countries alike, because of access to higher quality products, job creation, enhancing the flows of foreign direct investment, know-how transfers and innovations," the statement mentions.

According to the Presidential Administration, during the meeting it was shown that the benefits of free trade are so much more obvious as the economic politics will consistently relate to the principles of market economy, through the promotion of free trade not only on the international economic relations level, but also in relation to the national business environments. Furthermore, the Romanian head of state mentioned that orientation toward competitiveness also requires enhanced flexibility, mainly in the labour market.

"In this respect, a profound rethinking of the education system is required in the development of a dynamic and innovating economy, meant to capitalise on the competitive edges that are available to us, and, in addition, to foreshadow prospective solutions for the economy of the future, based increasingly more on digitisation and technological innovation," the statement reads.

Also approached were the current challenges facing the European Union related to Brexit as well as those concerning policies under which the member states try to support the SME sector, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

Agerpres...
The United States remain the main guarantor of Romania's security, President Klaus Iohannis told a 4th of July reception party hosted by the US Embassy in Bucharest.

He said Romania "brings a consistent and much appreciated contribution including to the US security."

"In respect to the military dimension of our relationship, which is excellent both on a bilateral level and within NATO, the United States remain the main guarantor of Romania's security, which, in its turn, brings a consistent and appreciated contribution, including for the security of the US," Iohannis stated at the reception party organised at the Embassy of the US on the occasion of celebrating the Independence Day.

According to the head of state, "the permanent strengthening of the transatlantic relation" is vital for Romania.

"It is essential for the Western democratic civilization. The United States are very important for the European Union, but, at the same time, and, in equal measure, a united and powerful Union it's important for the United States of America too. I am convinced that this truth is, increasingly more and more acknowledged on both sides of the Atlantic, and Romania will continue to actively support this objective," Iohannis said.

Furthermore, the head of state hailed the "consistent growth" proposed by President Donald Trump for funding the activities of the US servicemen.

"I hail once again the consistent growth proposed by President Trump for funding the activities of the US servicemen, through the European Reassurance Initiative, including on Romania's soil. I bring to mind, in this context, that this month, the impressive Saber Guardian 2017 exercise is to be conducted in Romania, which reflects, once again, our military advanced cooperation and inter-operability," Iohannis also stated.

Moreover, the head of state conveyed to US officials that the US will always find "an ally, a partner and a friend" in Romania.

"You will always find in Romania an ally, a partner and a friend that you can count on," the head of state conveyed to representatives of the US.

agerpres.
China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that "an immediate withdrawal" of Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau was a precondition "to avoid any worsening of the situation" as the June 16 stand-off continued.

By Ananth Krishnan: China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that "an immediate withdrawal" of Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau was a precondition "to avoid any worsening of the situation" as the June 16 stand-off continued.

The Foreign Ministry also accused Delhi of "misleading the public by saying the incident is at the India-China-Bhutan trijunction," reiterating its position that the particular area of the Doklam plateau, which is claimed by Bhutan, "belonged to China".

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"The Indian border troops are still standing in Chinese territory and the issue is not resolved," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang. India and Bhutan, however, see the areas as Bhutan's.

Geng said Bhutan and China have conducted 24 rounds of talks on the boundary and have "a basic consensus". "There is no dispute among our countries that Doklam belongs to China," he said.

Invoking the Panchsheel or "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence" agreed by India, China and Myanmar in the 1950s, Geng said: "In 1950s, India, China and Myanmar jointly proposed Panchsheel, but to everyone's surprise India has trampled on basic norms governing international relations that were propped by India itself, by illegally crossing on to the other country's territory.

If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how is it supposed to win trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to playa bigger role in international affairs?"

Geng said that "the immediate pull back of troops to the Indian side" is the "precondition for settlement of the incident and that is also the precondition to avoid any worsening of the situation."

China on Wednesday also indicated that the stand-off, although not along the India-China border, would cast a shadow on India's boundary talks with China, saying that the incident violated the "spirit" of the Special Representatives (SRs) mechanism started in 2003 to resolve the boundary question.

INCIDENT VIOLATES SPIRIT

"China and India have been trying to explore ways to resolve boundary question through the Special Representatives mechanism and have jointly taken measures to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas," he said. "This incident violates the spirit upheld by the SRs mechanism.

What is shocking is the Indian border troops entered the Chinese side of the delimited boundary between China and India in Sikkim section which is serious."

"We urge Indian troops to withdraw border troops as soon as possible and take concrete actions to correct the mistake and demonstrate sincerity in resolving the boundary question," he added, "and improve bilateral relations so as to create necessary atmosphere and conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations."

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ALSO READ:

Time to teach India 'bitter lesson greater than 1962', says Chinese media

Should India be tackling China first than Pakistan? 1971 war army veteran explains

ALSO WATCH:

Centre napping, part-time Defence Minister will not work: Congress on border standoff with China

--- ENDS ---
BRUSSELS  The European Union has approved French automaker PSA's acquisition of Opel and British brand Vauxhall from General Motors.

The EU's executive Commission said Wednesday that it has given unconditional approval to the deal. It said it "concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns in the relevant markets."

After losing money in Europe for years, GM announced in March that it would sell Germany-based Opel and sister brand Vauxhall to PSA in a deal worth 2.2 billion euros ($2.5 billion).

The acquisition will make PSA the No. 2 European automaker after Germany's Volkswagen.
The first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders will come as the US and Russia hold differences on a slew of issues.

Donald Trump will hold an official bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany.

By Indo-Asian News Service: US President Donald Trump will hold an official bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.

Citing remarks by US National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton, CNN reported that the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin and the first official US-Russian bilateral meeting in almost two years will occur on July 7.

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However, the exact agenda for the bilateral meeting had yet to be set.

The first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders will come as the US and Russia hold differences on a slew of issues, including the Syrian conflict, the Ukrainian crisis and the alleged Russian meddling in the US presidential election.

In April, Trump said the US was "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low."

Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington in mid-May, Trump expressed his desire to build a better relationship between the two countries.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is working to stabilise its relationship with Russia, which is "at an all-time low."

ALSO READ | Putin denies having compromising information on Donald Trump

US-Russia ties may be at an all-time low, admits Donald Trump

ALSO WATCH | Indo-Pak ties: Islamabad welcomes Putin's proposal to mediate and ease tension

--- ENDS ---
JEFFERSON CITY  Lincoln University in Jefferson City, one of two historically black colleges in Missouri, is struggling to respond to budget shortfalls caused by a reduction in state and federal appropriations and anger from faculty and staff over some steps the school has taken in response.

The university said it would lose $3.8 million in state and federal appropriations for the 2017-2018 academic year, prompting it to terminate 48 faculty and staff positions and to impose a 0.5 percent employee pay reduction, the first across-the-board pay cut ever imposed at the university, The Columbia Missourian reported. The school also will increase undergraduate and graduate tuition by 2 percent.

Were a small school in the middle of nowhere, said Randy Mitchell, a junior at Lincoln studying journalism. If the state is going to cut money, its going to come from us.

Lincoln has generally had a budget of about $50 million annually but its budget for next year will be $33.5 million. The school generates about $13 million a year through tuition and other revenue streams and must make up the rest with state and federal funding, according to independent auditor reports. Even with budget cuts, the school will be $1.8 million short for the next year, Provost Debra Greene told faculty and staff in early May.

Lincoln University and Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis are the only two historically black universities in Missouri, a designation that identifies schools founded to educate African-Americans.

Despite the designation, 53 percent of Lincolns student body of 3,289 undergraduate and graduate students is white. The school has 1,500 white students, 1,349 black students and 440 students of other ethnicities. Just 36 of the 184 faculty belong to a minority group.

Land grant schools such as Lincoln can receive federal funds only if there is a dollar-for-dollar state or local match. The state has been inconsistent in allocating money for the land grant match, meaning Lincolns appropriation isnt guaranteed from year to year.

Between fiscal years 2007 and 2014, for example, Missouri allocated nothing. During the last legislative session, a $2.5 million land-grant fund passed both the Missouri House and Senate, but it still needs Gov. Eric Greitens approval.

During the tenure of former President Kevin Rome, who left last month to take a job in Nashville, Tenn., faculty and staff positions declined to 450 from 529, according to school data. The school also suspended or ended several academic departments.

Faculty and staff have criticized many of the changes and say they lost their voice when a budget committee made up of faculty and staff was disbanded in 2013. Much of the blame was placed on Said Sewell, former provost and vice president of academic affairs. They approved a no-confidence vote against him in September 2016 and much of the faculty joined the Missouri National Education Association to prompt collective bargaining.

Before this, we never thought about unionizing. And I dont just mean discussing or debating it. No one had ever thought about it, said Noel Heermance, who has taught English at Lincoln for 48 years.

Mike Middleton, who was interim president for the University of Missouri, took over as interim president of Lincoln earlier this month. On June 14, Lincoln and the University of Missouri System signed a memorandum of understanding that will create an advisory board to assess the strengths of both universities. The partnership also will share scholarly work, mutually seek grants, collaborate on research and organize international programs.
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouri soon could have four schools for adults seeking to get their high school diplomas.

Under a new state law, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will get the power to authorize a nonprofit that would start the schools for residents over 21.

One of the schools would be situatted in St. Louis. Others would be in or near Butler, Greene and Boone counties.

The goal of the program is to give adults an opportunity to receive a diploma, rather than a high school equivalency certificate. During debate on the measure by Missouri lawmakers this year, supporters said they believed employers were more favorable to job candidates who had diplomas.

The schools would offer job training programs, industry certification and on-site child care.

The plan would allow the state to select a nonprofit to run the schools. The organization would have to invest $2 million of its own funds for facilities.

The schools will be the first adult high schools in Missouri, according to the education department, which administers grants to many basic adult education, English as a second language and high school equivalency programs throughout the state.

It will probably take the department several months to choose a nonprofit through competitive bidding, according to a department spokeswoman.

According to U.S. Census estimates, about 12 percent of Missouri adults 25 and older from 2011 to 2015 were not high school graduates.

In a statement, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry director Daniel Mehan said the program would be effective.

With workforce challenges remaining a top concern of Missouri employers, its critical that we are doing everything we can to empower our citizens to get themselves ready for work, Mehan said.

The measure, which was signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Eric Greitens, received widespread support in the House, where it was approved on a 136-8 vote. It was endorsed in the Senate 27-6 .

The legislation is House Bill 93.
JEFFERSON CITY  Gov. Eric Greitens signed legislation Wednesday barring the state from collecting taxes on deliveries such as flowers, food or construction equipment.

But, at a time when Missouri is already poised to reduce income tax rates, it remains unclear how much the change will affect revenue flowing into the states checkbook.

According to an analysis by the governors budget office, the new prohibition will cost the state at least $3.2 million in revenue, but the loss is likely to be significantly higher because of the limited scope of the study.

The measure came in response to a 2015 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that found that shipping charges were subject to taxes. That case involved a construction company that had rented a crane and then sought a refund for the tax it paid on the shipping charges.

Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lees Summit, sponsored the legislation to clarify the states position on taxing deliveries.

In Missouri, we tax goods, not services, Kraus said Monday. There were a lot of businesses that were confused.

As part of a routine review of the fiscal effects of Kraus plan on incoming revenue, the governors budget office said it could not find data to assist analysts in determining how much revenue would be lost by the change.

They were, however, able to estimate a portion of the lost revenue using industry data for pizza deliveries.

According to the review, there are approximately three billion pizzas sold in the United States each year. The analysts estimated that approximately 51 million pizzas are sold within Missouri.

Based on industry data, about half of all pizzas sold are for delivery, and thus subject to a delivery fee, the report noted. Officials said with an average pizza delivery fee of $3, that would exempt about $76.5 million in delivery fees from pizza deliveries alone, amounting to a loss of $3.2 million in annual revenue.

Officials noted that their estimate is a minimum only, since they could not estimate the loss to state revenues from deliveries for items such as flowers, groceries, rock and gravel, heavy machinery, and any other tangible good that could qualify, as there was no state or federal delivery data available for these businesses, the analysis noted.

Kraus acknowledged that the new revenue in question may have been hefty.

In essence it would have been a huge tax increase on Missourians, he said.

But, he said, it is unlikely to have much of an effect on the states bottom line.

There is a loss of revenue, but it is not significant because a lot of these businesses were not collecting it, Kraus said.

Its not the first time the Legislature and a governor have signed off on a change to state tax policy without knowing the potential effects on state revenues.

In 2015, Kraus sponsored a plan to extend an option for calculating corporate income tax to technology and service-based businesses. Officials estimated it would cost about $15 million in lost general revenue annually.

Corporate tax revenues, however, dropped more than $155 million in the first fiscal year it was in place. Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat, cited the legislation as an example of poor budget projections while announcing plans to review policy decisions contributing to ongoing budget problems.

Greitens, a Republican, has cut nearly $400 million in spending since taking office, including $251 million last week after he said the state did not have enough revenue to support spending.

Among the casualties of Greitens actions were state universities, which will see $24 million less in core funding. Also on the chopping block were nursing homes, hospitals and other health care providers, who will see lower reimbursement rates.

Greitens office did not respond to questions about the potential for lost revenue.

The legislation is Senate Bill 16.
By PTI: Chandrapur (Maha), Jul 5 (PTI) A former BJP leader from Maharashtras Gadchiroli district has been arrested for allegedly raping a 19-year-old woman inside a moving bus, the police said today.

Ravindra Bawanthade, a private school teacher, was arrested by Nagbhid police of Gadchiroli yesterday following a complaint by the victim.

Three more people, including the bus driver, were arrested today from Gadchiroli in connection with the case, the police said.

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The incident took place on June 27 but the woman approached the police on July 2 when a video clip purportedly showing the leader making sexual advances towards her went viral in the region, they said.

According to Nagbhid police station in-charge B D Madavi, the incident was captured by the CCTV camera inside the private luxury bus, when the two were returning to Gadchiroli from Nagpur.

In her complaint, the woman has alleged that Bawanthade took her to Nagpur after promising her a job and sexually assaulted her inside the bus on return.

The victim is a former student of the school where Bawanthade is a teacher.

Madavi said the former BJP leader was arrested on charges of rape and under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

The accused was produced before a local court yesterday which remanded him in two-day police custody, the police said.

According to the police, the video clip was circulated on social media after being played on a computer in the private travels office following which three more arrests were made in the case.

The arrested trio--bus driver Sharangdhar Ramteke, bus cleaner Rakesh Khobragade and helper Nitin Sahare--allegedly copied the clip from the original footage and circulated it, Madavi said, adding that further investigations are underway.

Meanwhile, BJP MP from the Chimur-Gadchiroli constituency Ashok Nete told PTI that Bawanthade was removed from the party 4-5 months ago as he was "inactive and not sincere in working for the party".

"Bawanthade is no more with the BJP," he said. PTI CORR DK AAR MIN GVS

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) French development agency AFD will assist India with an 80 million euro loan facility for developing two hydro-electric projects in Himachal Pradesh.

An agreement was signed between the Department of Economic Affairs and AFD in India for the credit facility today.

A programme is to expand Himachal Pradeshs clean energy capacities and meet the strong growth anticipated in electricity demand. It will finance two run-of-river hydroelectric plants, namely Deothal Chanju HEP (30 MW) and Chanju III HEP (48 MW) situated in the Chanju river basin.

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"The project aims to provide a capacity of 78MW of renewable energy, which will generate 280 GWh of electricity per year and reduce 276 000 tCO2eq in annual greenhouse gas emissions," AFD said in a statement. The construction of these plants will not involve any displacement or resettlement of population, thus reducing the potential negative social impacts of the project. PTI KPM MR

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Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has arrived at Doshanbe on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan.

Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda received Prime Minister at the airport.

A formal welcome ceremony held at the palace of President Imamali Rehmon where he was accorded guard of honour also.

A high level delegation including Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Khurram Dastgir and high officials is also accompanying the Prime Minister.

During the visit, leaders of the two countries will discuss bilateral relations in diverse fields and also exchange views on regional and international issues.

Pakistan and Tajikistan enjoy identical views on regional and international issues and both countries cooperate with each other on international fora.
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By PTI: Panaji, July 5 (PTI) The BJP has chosen its Goa unit president Vinay Tendulkar as the party candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha poll from the coastal state.

The election to the lone Rajya Sabha berth from the state, currently held by Shantaram Naik of the Congress, is scheduled to be held on July 21.

The last date for filing nomination for the election is July 11.

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"Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar selected me after holding dialogues with the coalition partners. The CM was given all rights (by the party) to finalise the candidate for the Rajya Sabha poll," Tendulkar told PTI today.

Tendulkar, a former forest minister, said the BJPs allies were taken into confidence before finalising his name.

After the BJP failed to secure majority in the February assembly polls and finished second behind the Congress, Parrikar had managed to stitch a rainbow alliance, comprising the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP), each having three MLAs, besides three independent legislators.

He later won the Supreme Court-mandated floor test in the assembly in March.

In the 40-member House, the current strength of which stood 38 following the resignations of a BJP MLA and a Congress MLA, the BJP has 12 members, the Congress 16, the MGP 3, the GFP 3, the NCP one, besides the three independent legislators.

Panaji MLA Siddharth Kuncalienkar (BJP) resigned in May, apparently to vacate the seat for Parrikar who is currently not a member of the House, whereas the Congress Vishwajit Rane quit after switching over to the BJP. Rane is currently Health Minister in the Parrikar cabinet.

Besides the party legislators, the BJP candidate is expected to get support of the MLAs of the MGP, the GFP and the three independents.

The lone NCP MLA, Churchil Alemao, is yet to spell out his stand.

The Congress is yet to announce its nominee for the poll. PTI RPS NSK NM NSK RAX

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By PTI: Srinagar, Jul 5 (PTI) Separatist leaders today termed the adoption of Goods and Services Tax (GST) as an "assault" on the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

A joint statement by separatist leaders said Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee formed by trade and business bodies and civil society experts to look into the issue (of GST implementation) and safeguard any further dilution of the special status is a welcome step.

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"The leadership extends its support to it for dealing with this matter," the statement issued by Chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.

It said "the concerns" expressed by the committee should be addressed by the authorities before any move to implement the law is taken, which will otherwise force people to resist it.

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today adopted a resolution for implementing GST regime in the state through a presidential order calling on the Centre to safeguard the special status and exclusive taxation powers of the state.

The resolution moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, after two days of discussions, was adopted by a voice vote even as National Conference, Congress, CPI(M) and an independent MLA protested against implementing the GST regime in the state in its present form.

"The latest assault in this regard is the implementation of the GST in its current form in the disputed land, which first the National Congress and now the PDP are pushing for," the statement said.

Meanwhile, independent MLA from Langate Sheikh Abdul Rashid, reacting sharply to the adoption of the resolution, said "how many laws will you implement or erode to vanish the autonomy of the state, Jammu and Kashmir still cannot become the part of India". PTI MIJ SMJ AKK SMJ

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Keppitipola and Ehalepola: Roles played by two udarata national leaders of yore By Satahrathilaka Banda Atugoda View(s): View(s):

The living descendents of the families of the Udarata nobility, and the other heroes who fought for independence from foreigners, as the British moved to annex Kanda Udarata, in the early 19th century, and also against the tyranny of the nayakkar rule, have now formed societies to reconstruct the lost respect of their kinsmen. Perhaps, they are partially consoled that the traitor tag tied to the families who fought for the Sinhala nation, in 1818 and 1848, had been removed by presidential gazette notification recently. It is an irony that these families had to lobby for better social life based on education, employment, and respectable professions, as they were denied to them by the British administration, and some successive administrations.

They could move to better social status only during the last few decades of the 20th century. Some of these professionals, academics and intellectuals belonging to these families that have formed such social groups, to regain the lost prestige, and remove certain misconceptions instilled in the minds of the average Lankan, on their families by the writings of some academics based on British sources. At least now there are books like Historic Matale, 1984, written by these forgotten learned persons, drawn from Buddhist clergy, retired academics, and the present generation of family members of Udarata ancestry. These writings include the heritage of the generations who lived in these lands. There are such writings in Uva-Wellassa, Sathara Korale, Sath Korale and Sabaragamuwa. This short essay deals only with Matale due to space constraints.

Matale, according to historical records, is the settlement entrusted to a royal family member Mathula for regional administration, by his uncle King Pandukabhaya, when he decentralised his rule. Another explanation is that King Gajaba settled 12,000, prisoners captured in his war with the Cholas, and Maha thala, became Mathale. The rock inscription in Dambulla of course, states, Mathula Grama Bhojaka suggesting the former is more acceptable. Historical antecedents suggest that warrior clans have settled in the region. Even during the Kandy period, this region gave leadership to the nation, and they had to pay dearly for that. Two of the prominent families, among others in the 19th century who sacrificed their kith and kin were Monaravila and Ehalepola. The latter had become a controversial but legendary figure.

Keppitipola (Monaravila) Dissave Ven Lenadora Soratha Nayaka Thera, gives a lucid account of this national hero. His birth place was Galaboda Korale, and later he came to Monaravila in the Udugoda Udasiya Paththuwa of Matale and became resident there. He married Delwala Kumarihamy of Monaravila. This is a picturesque village surrounded by rocky outcrop and a tank and the place where the ancestral home existed is partly protected. His surname was Rajapaksa Wickramasekara Mudiyanse Ralahamy. He later used the name Bandaranayaka Wickramasingha. He had two sons and one daughter. This daughter became the wife of the first adigar Ehalepola.

One of the two sons fought the British in the Uva Wellassa rebellion and was captured and he valiantly admitted that he was a rebel and was beheaded, in 1818. In certain writings it is said that Ehalepola Kumarihamy was the sister of Monaravila. The writer is familiar with these villages as they were adjoining his mothers village, Koswatta. The families of these villages were related to each other by marriages. As Ehalepola lies a few miles away from Pallepola, a small town now, linking these hamlets and these families belonged to nobility, there were these inter-marriages.

As a school boy the writer could recall the day when Keppitipola Disavas skull kept in the British museum was brought to Sri Lanka; it was also exhibited at his village in Monaravila in respect of the slain war-hero, and his descendents. These nobles served the Kandyan court as they wanted to preserve the integrity of the Sinhala nation. They served the Nayakkar kings including Sri Vickrama Rajasinghe. Keppitipolas heroic struggle to resurrect the Udarata Kingdom is well-documented and this essay is only an attempt to portray the ultimate aims of the aristocracy in the struggle.

It is written that when Keppitipola visited Dalada Maligawa, after the Kandyan Convention he could hear some verses recited by Degaldoruwe Thera, which are known to all literati.

Ane Kumbiyane -Thopatath rajek inne  Mokadai koranne  Ape karume apata wane. Rajek lebunothin-eda kiribath kannan-perhera karannan-sadu naden gigum dennan (Translation mine.)

O, the ants! You too have a king; what is to be done; this is our karma that has fallen.

If we get a king, on that day we partake milk-rice; we will hold processions, reverberating with singing sadu sadu.

This verse was etched in the mind of the dissave. Specially as it was after the signing of the 1815 Kandyan Convention, to which he was a signatory, he became emotional. The country was rising against the British occupation, Uva Wellassa, being the most violent. The British army chief Captain Douglas Wilson was also killed and Governor Brownrigg thought it is best to send one of their chieftains to quell the revolt and the choice was Keppitipola Dissave. He took this opportunity to make amends for what has been done by the chiefs to secede the kingdom, by joining the rebels now. The rebel leader Wilbave was a former monk, who had taken the name Doraiswamy, as a ruse to lay claim to the throne. Although, Wilbave was not a scion of the royals Keppitipola gave leadership to the rebellion. But it was suppressed by the British and Keppitipola was captured and he wrote to governor, Using your guns and gun-powder to kill my own people is a mark of disrespect to the honour of my Sinhala character. So please take charge of all this.

Thus he returned arms and ammunition which could have been directed to his own people. On the January 1 1818, at an assembly at a royal assembly hall of superior officers, presided over by Governor Sir Robert Brownrigg, a list of names of traitors to the British Government was read out, and Keppitipola nilames name was the topmost. On 29 October he was apprehended apparently with Pilimatalawe and Madugalle. In the hide-out..Madugalle fled and Pilimatalawe was too sick in bed to flee. Keppitipola surrendered as the rebels were getting captured.

On 13 November 1818, the trial was held, by court martial under a Lieutenant Colonel and Keppitipola was condemned to be beheaded on 26 November 1818. He worshipped the sacred tooth relic, for the last time and sacrificed his life for the sake of his motherland. The severed head was taken to London to be kept in a museum. The gazette issued said: He behaved calmly, like a hero throughout the whole period. Keppitipola faced executioners sword, in the firm belief that he was a person who performed a very invaluable task. Thus ended a heroic life of Monaravila Keppitipola Maha Dissave who fought for the Sinhalese to rule Sinhalese. It was a direct fight.

Ehalepola Adikaram. He was a cousin or a nephew of Keppitipola Dissava. He was born in Ehalepola also in Udugoda Udasiya Pattuwa in the Matale District North. The two villages were situated a few miles away from one another. There were always communications between these two hamlets as they were blood relations, and they continue even now. Ehalepola Adikarams surname was Ehalepola Wijayasundara Wickramasinha Chandrathilaka Amarakoon Vasala Mudiyanse. He also used a title of honour granted by the king, which was Senanayake Dassanayake. His father was Ehalepola Dissava (of Uva).

He too had two ambitions. The first was to oust the British from Lanka and Udarata. The second was to install a Sinhalese person of royal lineage. These were the aims of Keppitipola as well. They both thought that accepting positions in the Kandyan kingdom would make it easy to utilise these opportunities to achieve their goals. Therefore Ehalepola accepted the post of Dissava of seven korales in 1803 under Sri Wickrema. In 1806 he was appointed the second adigar and when Pilimatalawe was moved out by the King, in 1812 he became the first adigar.

It is documented that he tried to utilise the military help of the British to oust the Nayakkars from Udarata, and enthrone a son of the soil as king. Ehalepola was a nephew of Pilimatalawe. This was a strategic plan. Ehalepola Sannasa details the properties and the provinces under his jurisdiction as given by the king. (It is not included here due to space constraints.) The districts of Matale North were included in the Gam vara in this charter of copper plate. Working in the dissave of Sabaragamuwa, he usurped power and rumour spread that he was getting a sword and a crown made with the idea of gaining kingship.

When the king heard this he was angry and ordered the capture of Ehalepola. He fled to Sitawaka from Sabaragamuwa. In the meantime, the King appointed Molligoda as the first adigar and a rebellion engineered by Ehalepola was suppressed. His intentions to use the British to depose the king and become the king himself did not materialise as written by the theros of the region. There was a cross-section of the populace who supported a Sinhala king and the regaining of the kingdom from the British. Sri Wickrema did the unthinkable at this stage, executed the Ehalepola family in the most inhumane and brutal manner. Madduma Bandara Ehalepolas son true to heroism ingrained in these families, faced the executioner bravely. Ehalepola Kumarihamy was drowned with some other ladies of the noble households. It is no secret that the British used the nobility one against the other to capture the king himself. It is the saddest part of this history which all Lankans have read and learnt.

The king was captured and sent to Vellore and he died there. A poet has written some moving verses where the king takes leave of the motherland, Ithin ayubovan lakmauni garu.

Two are reproduced here for want of space.

Apayata biyen mathpen nobiwu mata  Upayen powa yali ma gena sathuta

Papadara sitiya surathal kumaru seta  Kapa demu bewin viya sathuranta rata.

To me who did not take liquor afraid of hell, was given them with planning and later getting me to drink more; by beheading the children who were adoring and loving the country went into the hands of the enemies

Wikum sihal parapura sihi thibena thuru  Uthum raja le tika mage sindena thuru

Nethin kandulu nohelami divi thibena thuru  Ithin ayubowan Lak Mawuni Garu

As long as the brave Sinhala race comes to my mind  As long as the Royal blood dries up in my veins; As long as life goes on me, I will not shed tears. So farewell to my motherland Lanka.

Ehalepola according to Purana Ehalepola Hatana used varied honorary titles given by British, to boost his ego like Maha nilame, Yuwaraja etc. but was ultimately arrested on March 2 1818. He was imprisoned without any allegation and kept in Colombo under detention, from 1818-1825. He was sent to Mauritius in the same year. He passed away there in April 1829. The British did not even heed an appeal to set him free after all these insults. So we see an end of another nobleman who yearned for Sinhala kingdom without foreign intervention. The historians who follow British diarists perhaps should read the native writers of the day who possess a different story to tell.

Ehalepola was supposed to have written the following verse looking at a small female bird  Ketakirilli, which summarises the anguish that he had for the slaying of his children. He lived with this eternal sorrow until his death.

Mitak vitara neti e ketakirilli  Ethek meru seti, borude Kirilli

Ekat daru duka nisai kirilli  Edithara ma novatida keta Kirilli

That ketakirilli is not even a fist in size. Is it a lie that you had killed a tusker, (by blinding him).

That was also done through anguish over the killing of the young ones. O!, Ketakirilli, am I not so brave and worth Ketakirilli.

(I am indebted to the Ven Lenadora Soratha Nayake Thero from whose writings I borrowed.)

(The writer is a retired Foreign Service Ambassador and a native of Matale.)
Amidst protests by Opposition parties, the J&K Assembly has finally passed the resolution for implementing GST.

By India Today Web Desk: Amidst protests by Opposition parties, the J&K Assembly has finally passed the resolution for implementing GST.

J&K's Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had on Saturday said in New Delhi that the state is likely to clear the legislation on the indirect tax regime by 6 July.

Earlier in the day, the assembly saw chaotic scenes with members involved in heated exchanges over GST.

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The discussion on GST's implementation continued for second day as BJP leaders and Independent MLA from Udhampur Pawan Gupta supported the extension of the 101st amendment to the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir.

The amendment to the Constitution last year enabled the Centre to roll out the new tax regime across the country.

Supporting the implementation of GST, state BJP chief Sat Sharma said that the revenues of Jammu and Kashmir would go up by Rs 10,000 crore annually after its implementation.

However, Opposition National Conference and Congress leaders continued to oppose GST in its current form. They demanded a separate bill in the assembly to safeguard the special taxation powers which the state enjoys under Article 370 of the Constitution.

National Conference's Ali Mohammad Sagar alleged that Central govt's resolution on GST was an "attempt to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir".

The Opposition MLAs also alleged that the ruling PDP was under pressure from its BJP ally to adopt GST.

With inputs from agencies

ALSO READ:

Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir assembly over GST

GST now a reality, Good and Simple Tax a collective effort, will help poor, says PM Narendra Modi

GST impact: Shelves at leading offline retail chains running empty

GST's red-carpet entry: Impact on consumers, traders, government

ALSO WATCH:

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Pupils at St. Marys Catholic School were chuffed today when they had the opportunity to launch their own homemade rockets into the atmosphere.

The rockets were plastic bottles, of course, and they only made it about 10 metres into the air  but it was a lesson in aerodynamics nonetheless.

The rocket launches were the culmination of a workshop taught by Dr Karen Willcox, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The ex-pat Kiwi is back in the country as part of the Sir Peter Blake Trusts Dream Team, which involves hundreds of other inspiring New Zealanders going into schools to share their stories and inspire students.

The workshop was all about exploring engineering design problems with the pupils, says Karen. They had to make decisions about their own rocket designs, and realise theres always a trade-off with each decision.

The rockets were made out of plastic fizzy drink bottles, half-filled with water and launched by filling them with gas. Once the correct amount of pressure was achieved, pupils were able to release the pressure, launching the rockets into the air.

Additions such as fins and noses had various degrees of impact on the rockets aerodynamic qualities.

The pupils who took part were all girls, as a means of encouraging them to see subjects such as science and maths in a different light.

Its about empowering the girls so they can take these subjects further as they get older, says Karen.

Dr Karen Willcox helps Molly Flynn, 10, Lily Cooper, 10, Maddie Kerr, 10, set their rocket up.

About Dream Team

Led by New Zealands Governor-General, The Rt. Hon. Dame Patsy Reddy, Dream Team leaders are speaking in classrooms around the country to inspire young Kiwis to #believeyoucan  the theme of this years Sir Peter Blake Trust Leadership Week.

More than 12,500 school students have also registered to view a digital Dream Team session with award-winning hip-hop choreographer and dancer, Parris Goebel, which was released to schools on the morning of Monday July 3 to kick off leadership week.

Schools all over New Zealand also have access to other digital Dream Team sessions, featuring Blues player and All Black Legend, Jerome Kaino, Gold Medallist, Sophie Pascoe, Huffer co-founder, Steve Dunstan, The Edge Radio Host, Sharyn Casey and Riley Elliott  aka The Sharkman.

Sir Peter Blake Trust Leadership Week runs in the final week of Term Two, starting on Monday July 3 and concluding on Red Socks Day on Friday July 7.

Molly Flynn, 10, Lily Cooper, 10, Maddie Kerr, 10, with Dr Karen Wilcox.

The Sky is the limit team members Lucia Allen, 10, Madi Smith, 10, and Jorja Smart, 11.
Fingals Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa off the west coast of Scotland in Argyll and Bute.

Its often described as one of the natural wonders of Scotland.

Felix Mendelssohn was barely 20 years old when he set off to visit the Scottish Isles in 1829, says Opus Orchestra conductor Peter Walls, at Sundays concert in Baycourt.

Its always interesting listening to Peter as he launches into one of his highly enjoyable and much-too-brief monologues prior to conducting the orchestra members through more than an hour of music.

Mendelssohn was hugely impressed by what he saw. He wasnt initially too happy with this first draft of his overture and wrote back to his sister Fanny that the development smelt too much of counterpoint and not enough of train oil, gulls and salted cod.

Peters words followed by the orchestras playing of Fingals Cave conjures up the austere grandeur and isolation of Staffa and the rush and ebb of the Atlantic Ocean.

I had followed Mendelssohns footsteps in Harlam near Amsterdam and was always struck by the complete joy, wonder and lightness in his music. I could visualise him while Peter was talking, on board the boat, sketching out some musical ideas.

So the first thing we need to know about his trip out to where Fingals Cave is, is that he got violently ill along the way and you can sense in this piece quite a lot of turbulence.

Although Mendelssohn to his sister Fanny, and now Peter to his audience, were being facetious, they both try to do something quite original.
Three years after being proclaimed king, Felipe VI returned to the debating chamber of the Spanish parliament on Wednesday to give a key speech to mark the fortieth anniversary of Spain holding its first free general election after the dictatorship of General Franco ended.

The event was part tribute to those who forged a peaceful transition to democracy in 1977 and part rallying call to politicians to maintain the same values in the years ahead.

Although he didnt mention Catalonia by name, the monarch was as direct as possible in warning of the risks to national unity. The pro-independence regional government there is planning an illegal referendum on a breakaway state on 1 October.

Like many other children and youngsters, we werent aware of what was really happening in Spain [in 1977], he commented, going on to reaffirm his commitment to democracy, understanding between all Spaniards and living together freely.

Referring to the Spanish constitution, approved in 1978, and indirectly to the planned vote in Catalonia, he added that arbitrariness, insecurity and denial of freedoms reigned  when outside the rule of law.

King Carlos' absence

In front of guests, including some 80 members of the original 1977 parliament, the king directly referred to the Franco years as a dictatorship - an unusual step for the normally neutral Spanish monarchy - describing it as an undeniable reality and a terrible tragedy.

Almost all the surviving figures involved in the 1977 general election were in attendance to hear King Felipes speech. There was widespread surprise that his father, King Emeritus Juan Carlos, perhaps the main figure still alive behind the smooth transition to democracy, hadnt been invited to the commemoration event.

A spokesperson for the Royal Household said that it wouldnt have been appropriate for the former monarch and the son he abdicated in favour of in 2014 to have been together at such an important state event.

However Don Juan Carlos managed to let it be known off the record that he was as surprised as anyone that he hadnt been invited, and in fact had kept his diary free in the expectation of going along to the Congreso de los Diputados to hear his son recall the period of peaceful transition in Spain.

Despite not being in the parliamentary chamber, Juan Carlos did receive much praise for his role, including from King Felipe himself. The king recalled the phrase his father had used when opening parliament on 22 July 1977: Democracy has begun. Now we have to try and consolidate it.

Not everyone was happy with the days events. Moderate Basque and Catalonian nationalist parties didnt applaud the king and the more radical regional independence parties failed to attend.
The recent crackdown on drug peddlers and arrest of 7 narcotics supplier has blown the lid off an organized racket which was supplying drugs to minors in the twin city of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

By Ashish Pandey: The recent crackdown on drug peddlers and arrest of 7 narcotics supplier has blown the lid off an organized racket which was supplying drugs to minors in the twin city of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The Gang was importing drugs from Chicago, USA and selling it in to the city.

The Telangana Excise department and prohibition department has so far seized substantial quantity of drugs including MDMA or methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as 'ecstasy' worth Rs 30 lakhs which has a market value of over Rs 1 crore from the drug peddlers.

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The investigation has revealed shocking details and Excise department believe that the gang was mainly supplying drugs to the students of several high profile corporate and international schools in the twin cities where the children of celebrities, politicians and police officers study.

Investigators has also found kids as young as 13 to 30-year-old youths working in city based MNC were customers of the gang and were frequently found purchasing MDMC or LSD.

LSD is sold in tablets or in liquid form, and is said to be one of the most potent narcotic drugs while MDMA, commonly known as 'Molly' or 'Ecstasy', is extensively used in parties and.

While the Excise Department has formed a two member special investigation team (SIT) it has also sent instructions to 20 Schools and 16 collage requesting them to sensitise its teacher and students about the issue of 'substance abuse'.

It has also asked to watch out 'erratic/deviant' behaviours of students and also monitor the use of cash and cards by students in school premises and nearby shops.

ALSO READ:

Punjab: Ludhiana drug peddler updates Facebook from central jail

BJP breaks silence over drug menace in Punjab, organises 'run against drugs'

ALSO WATCH:

India Today expose: Party drug industry busted

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WASHINGTON, D.C.  Virginia farmers have an incentive to donate excess product to nonprofit food banks thanks to the Food Crop Donation Tax Credit. Approved by the Virginia General Assembly during the 2016 session, farmers who donate edible food crops to a nonprofit food bank can receive up to a 30 percent tax credit for their donation.

Increasing healthy food access for all Virginians helps strengthen our communities and our economy, said Commissioner Sandy Adams. Local growers are often faced with more product than they can sell and food banks need more fresh options. We encourage Virginia farmers to take advantage of this tax credit. Its a win-win for everyone.

Sourcing food locally can help the agricultural industry, said Leslie Van Horn, executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, which represents seven regional food banks in Virginia and more than 2,000 nonprofit food pantries and feeding programs. It reduces food waste and helps give incentives to growers and producers to donate their bounty, but most importantly, it gives food insecure individuals across the commonwealth access to food they need to thrive and prosper.

Virginia farmers may apply for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the fair market value of food crops such as grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables up to a maximum of $5,000 per farmer for a taxable year. If a farmer does not owe enough Virginia income tax to use the full amount of the credit in one taxable year, the farmer can carry over the credits to the next five succeeding taxable years or until the total amount of the tax credit has been used, whichever is sooner.

The Food Crop Donation Tax Credit cannot exceed $250,000 annually for all qualifying taxpayers. If more than $250,000 of credits is requested for the year, a farmer may receive less than the full amount of the tax credit for which he or she applied.

For the 2017 tax year, farmers who wish to participate should submit a Virginia Department of Taxation Food Crop Donation Tax Credit application, Form FCD-1, by Feb. 1, 2018. More information about the Food Crop Donation Tax Credit is available on the Virginia Department of Taxations website at https://www.tax.virginia.gov/food-crop-donation-tax-credit-guidelines.
WISE, Va.  Virginia Cooperative Extension in collaboration with the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Society of American Foresters and other members of the forest industry is offering an environmental education opportunity for teachers from July 10-13.

The Trees to Products program is designed to correlate with the Virginia Standards of Learning for grades K-12. It awards 30 hours of professional development credits for participants, along with Project Learning Tree certification.

We are pleased to offer this program for teachers again this year, said Bill Worrell, extension agent for forestry and natural resources in Southwest Virginia. This is an excellent opportunity for teachers to get an in-the-field tour of sustainable forest-management techniques, as well as professional development credits, at a very low cost.

Teachers will tour key forest industry sites to learn about sustainable forest management. They will also learn about how forests provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, and the importance of forests in view-shed and water quality efforts. Participants will see how trees are converted into a variety of everyday products.

In addition, teachers will receive Project Learning Tree certification at the completion of the course. Project Learning Tree is a multidisciplinary environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation for educators of students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.

Participants pay a $25 registration fee for the four-day conference. The costs of all meals, transportation, and lodging are provided by the sponsors, with the exception of transportation to the conference headquarters at the Best Western in Wise, Va.

For more information or to register, contact Bill Worrell at 276-889-8056 or bworrell@vt.edu.
The first Friday of the month from June to October is a great time to stop by the Independence Farmers Market in downtown Independence, Virginia. The market is a poplar place to hang out any Friday from the middle of May to the middle of October. First Fridays like July 7 are Cooking Days with plenty of free samples for patrons.

Youll usually find Chef Jen Cavey and an assistant or two creating fresh, tasty food on a grill and Coleman stove. A grill is just an outdoor oven, Jen is fond of saying.

Cooking days came about after a training session from the Virginia Tech Family Nutrition Program.

They gave us a whole box of easy recipes and our first outdoor cooking kit,said Michelle Pridgen, Independence Farmers Market manager. It was so popular, we decided to expand the program. Appalachain Sustainable Development started the SNAP match program through Wholesome Wave, and Cooking Days were a natural way to teach people how to use the fresh fruits and vegetables they could receive through the program, added Pridgen.

The grant offers a match of up to $25 dollars for every SNAP dollar spent at a supporting armers market. Cooking Days feature products from the market and usually lead to a dramatic increase in sales for those items.

The day Chef Cavey grilled squash, every squash sold. I sold over 200 pounds of squash that day, Cavey said. Grilled vegetables are one of easiest recipes imaginable. If you can even call slice the vegetable, put it a bowl, sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil. Add a splash of soy sauce or paprika to taste. Place on grill and cook until browned, flip and do the other side, a recipe.

Of course, some days you dont even want to the light the grill. For those times, Pridgen, a frequent chef assistant, suggests these additional recipes. Someone told me every southerner needs a signature recipe, stuffed nasturtiums is mine, she said.

Stuffed Nasturtium Blossoms

Use fully opened organically grown flowers. (Spray very lightly to cleanse, flowers do not wash well.)

Mix equal parts softened cream cheese and hot pepper jelly.

Place the mixture in a pastry bag or a Ziploc bag with a hole in bottom and fill each flower.

Heres another great recipe to make with kids.

Spring Roll Wrappers with Fresh Vegetables

Julienne (thin, long slices) an array of fresh vegetables.

Dip spring rolls in water to soften.

Pick your favorite vegetables. Pridgen recommends carrots, sugar snaps and lettuce rolled up in the wrapper.

Dip in your favorite salad dressing or try a blend of two parts soy sauce to one part pepper jelly.
By Pankaj P. Khelkar: To get an insight of the Indo-China-Bhutan relations and the prevailing tension between India and China, India Today spoke to Lieutenant General DB Shekatkar. He is one of those senior Indian Army officers who has worked in the region and has enough experience to his credit that will authenticate what he wants to say on Chinese aggression.

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India Today spent significant time with Gen D B Shekatkar to understand the ongoing standoff between the two Asian giants, which is said to be one of the longest after 1962. Gen Shekatkar has served the Indian Army for four decades. He recently headed the Shekatkar Committee report that recommended host of reforms in the Indian military.

Lt Gen Shekatkar said that People's Liberation Army (PLA) has a strategy that while dealing with its enemy in case of a land dispute, do not to let go the rival's land area which is in China's holding. Another strategy of the Chinese is to demand the land which is with its rival and third, if the rival country's land falls in between their land then threaten the enemy for that piece of land as well.

"This bulling strategy in practise by Chinese is not only against India but also its surrounding nations. Today China does not have any friendly countries in its neighborhood except Pakistan and North Korea," he said.

IS THERE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MODI-TRUMP MEETING AND CHINA'S RECENT AGGRESSION?

When asked whether PM Narendra Modi meeting US President Donald Trump and China's recent aggression, Gen Shekatkar said, "Yes these things are timed, they are not done in isolation. When PM Modi was in US, there certainly was a discussion between Modi and Trump on China's aggression on the neighbouring states - it is unavoidable. China, through their statement, said that India should not get too close to America. Why is China concerned about it then? China feels threatened that in this part of the world, India is the only country which can take on China. Cooperation between the US and India can be troublesome for China's expansionist policy."

CHINA WILL BE AT LOSS FOR ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH PAKISTAN

Talking about China's inclination towards Pakistan, Lt Gen Shekatkar said, "What China is calling the One Ring One Road economic corridor is nothing but economic military aggression. I believe 15 years from now, Pakistan will under China's control. Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Pakistan is its best friend and their friendship is higher than the Mount Everest, deeper than the sea and sweeter than honey. But what they have not realised as yet that Pakistan is spreading terrorism across the world and North Korea is threatening everyone with its missiles and both are being protected by China.

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PROBLEM WITHIN CHINESE ARMY

China is facing many internal problems. Youngsters in China do not want to join the Army, which is also the situation in India. The Chinese youth is not ready to serve in the high altitude areas. China also does not trust Tibetans hence, they do not want to give weapons to them. The Tibetans who have been driven out, along with the Holy Dalai Lama want to go back to their own country. This is a bigger challenge for China.

CHINA GETTING ARMED TANKS TO HIGH ALTITUDES

China has tanks in Tibet and PLA is trying to bring those tanks to the higher plateaus including north Sikkim. Gen Shekatkar said the Chinese people who are going to operate such equipment should be prepared for all kinds of situation as tanks cannot fire the same way in higher altitude as they fire in the plains. The environmental condition, wind velocity and temperature affect its working.

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ALSO READ | Sikkim border standoff: China says ball in India's court, rules out compromise

Doklam standoff: China tells Arun Jaitley it is also different from 1962

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By PTI: By Harinder Mishra

Jerusalem, Jul 5 (PTI) Voicing their common concern over the growing menace of terrorism and radicalism, India and Israel today agreed to cooperate to protect their strategic interests and called for strong measures against terror groups and their sponsors.

India has suffered first-hand violence and hatred spread by terror groups so as Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after holding wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark visit.

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Modi said during their talks he and Netanyahu agreed to to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.

Later, a joint statement said the two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.

The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, it said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism (CCIT), the statement added.

"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," said Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a USD 40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing USD 20 million each. PTI HM ASK ZH AKJ ZH

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Malware targeting Linux systems is growing, largely due to a proliferation of devices created to connect to the Internet of Things.

That is one of the findings in a report WatchGuard Technologies, a maker of network security appliances, released last week.

The report, which analyzes data gathered from more than 26,000 appliances worldwide, found three Linux malware programs in the top 10 for the first quarter of the year, compared with only one during the previous period.

Linux attacks and malware are on the rise, wrote WatchGuard CTO Corey Nachreiner and Security Threat Analyst Marc Laliberte, coauthors of the report. We believe this is because systemic weaknesses in IoT devices, paired with their rapid growth, are steering botnet authors towards the Linux platform.

However, blocking inbound Telnet and SSH, along with using complex administrative passwords, can prevent the vast majority of potential attacks, they suggested.

New Avenue for Hackers

Linux malware began growing at the end of last year with the Mirai botnet, observed Laliberte. Mirai made a splash in September when it was used to attack part of the Internets infrastructure and knock millions of users offline.

Now, with IoT devices skyrocketing, a whole new avenue is opening up to attackers, he told LinuxInsider. Its our belief that the rise were seeing in Linux malware is going hand in hand with that new target on the Internet.

Makers of IoT devices havent been showing a great deal of concern about security, Laliberte continued. Their goals are to make their devices work, make them cheap, and make them quickly.

They really dont care about security during the development process, he said.

Trivial Pursuits

Most IoT manufacturers use stripped down versions of Linux because the operating system requires minimal system resources to operate, said Paul Fletcher, cybersecurity evangelist at Alert Logic.

When you combine that with the large quantity of IoT devices being connected to the Internet, that equals a large volume of Linux systems online and available for attack, he told LinuxInsider.

In their desire to make their devices easy to use, manufacturers use protocols that are also user-friendly for hackers.

Attackers can gain access to these vulnerable interfaces, then upload and execute the malicious code of their choice, Fletcher said.

Manufacturers frequently have poor default settings for their devices, he pointed out.

Often, admin accounts have blank passwords or easy-to-guess default passwords, such as password123,' Fletcher said.

The security problems often are nothing Linux-specific per se, said Johannes B. Ullrich, chief research officer at the SANS Institute.

The manufacturer is careless on how they configured the device, so they make it trivial to exploit these devices, he told LinuxInsider.

Malware in Top 10

These Linux malware programs cracked the top 10 in WatchGuards tally for the first quarter:

Linux/Exploit, which catches several malicious trojans used to scan systems for devices that can be enlisted into a botnet.

Linux/Downloader, which catches malevolent Linux shell scripts.Linux runs on many different architectures, such as ARM, MIPS and traditional x86 chipsets. An executable compiled for one architecture will not run on a device running a different one, the report explains. Thus, some Linux attacks exploit dropper shell scripts to download and install the proper malicious components for the architecture they are infecting.

Linux/Flooder, which catches Linux distributed-denial-of-service tools, such as Tsunami, used to perform DDoS amplification attacks, as well as DDoS tools used by Linux botnets like Mirai.As the Mirai botnet showed us, Linux-based IoT devices are a prime target for botnet armies, the report notes.

Web Server Battleground

A shift in how adversaries are attacking the Web has occurred, the WatchGuard report notes.

At the end of 2016, 73 percent of Web attacks targeted clients  browsers and supporting software, the company found. That radically changed during the first three months of this year, with 82 percent of Web attacks focused on Web servers or Web-based services.

We dont think drive-by download style attacks will go away, but it appears attackers have focused their efforts and tools on trying to exploit Web server attacks, report coauthors Nachreiner and Laliberte wrote.

Theres been a decline in the effectiveness of antivirus software since the end of 2016, they also found.

For the second quarter in a row, we have seen our legacy AV solution miss a lot of malware that our more advanced solution can catch. In fact, it has gone up from 30 percent to 38 percent, Nachreiner and Laliberte reported.

Nowadays, cyber criminals use many subtle tricks to repack their malware so that it evades signature-based detection, they noted. This is why so many networks that use basic AV become victims of threats like ransomware.
Motorola's Moto Mods lineup currently has speakers, a projector, battery packs, a shell that adds wireless charging and style, and even a gamepad, so what's next? A 360-degree camera, of course.

Just like Android cofounder Andy Rubin's Essential PH-1, the Moto Z aims to bring the 360-degree photography experience to the mobile.

New Moto 360 Camera Mod Revealed

Motorola took the stage in Ghana to take the wraps off the new Moto 360 Camera Mod.

Notable leakster Evan Blass got ahold of the render for the accessory and spread the word online via Twitter.

New Moto 360 Camera Mod, launched earlier in Ghana. pic.twitter.com/W3Agzm6QkO  Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 3, 2017

Exact specifications of the Moto 360 Camera Mod are currently scarce at best. In other words, Motorola has yet to outline the camera's capabilities, pricing, and release date.

However, from the look of things, each side of the attachment will have a fisheye lens to capture 360-degree images and videos. Needless to say, it'll snap on the back of any Moto Z phone and cover the rear entirely, with the camera itself jutting out at the top, based on the picture above.

Essential's 360-Degree Camera Gets Competition

The new Moto 360 Camera Mod seems like it'll go toe-to-toe with Essential's 360-degree camera accessory for the Essential PH-1, from the 360-degree offering to the design.

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, though. Lenovo-owned Motorola and Essential are defining today's "modular" phones, after all.

Now that the LG G5 and its friends and Google's ill-fated Project Ara are out of the picture, the age of mobile modularity is more or less in the hands of Motorola and Essential  that is, until an upstart or existing company decides to join the fray.

Samsung's In The Game Too

A part of the competition, Samsung has the Gear 360 camera, which was released back in May.

Of course, it's in a slightly different playing field as the Moto 360 Camera Mod and Essential's 360-degree camera because it's more of an independent device rather than a modular accessory.

Still, it's worth mentioning that the South Korean brand is making 360-degree photography easily accessible for consumers as well.

In other related news, Motorola recently outed the release dates and prices for its new set of Moto Mods  the Moto GamePad, the JBL SoundBoost 2, the Moto TurboPower Pack, and the Moto Style Shell with Wireless Charging.

Long story short, the Moto Mods series continues to grow, bringing more clever features to the table as time goes by. That's expected too since Motorola aims to launch at least 12 of them this 2017.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Have you ever wondered how concrete sea walls built by ancient Romans are able to withstand being battered by ocean waves for thousands of years? Modern versions, meanwhile, easily disintegrate over a matter of decades.

A new study may have the answer: a rare mineral forms from chemical reactions between the concrete and seawater, strengthening the age-old material.

Engineers today may borrow these ideas from ancient Roman builders to make stronger and more sustainable concrete, according to the researchers.

The Difference Between Roman Concrete And Portland Cement

Ancient Roman civilization made concrete through mixing volcanic ash with lime and seawater to bind rock fragments. This concrete was incorporated in many architectural sites, including the Pantheon and Trajans Markets in Rome.

Modern concrete, on the other hand, uses a paste of water and Portland cement, which is a fine powder largely made up of limestone and clay for holding small rocks together. Any reaction with the cement paste could create gels that expand and crack the concrete  an alkali-silica reaction that usually leads to the destruction of structures made from the material.

In their earlier research, University of Utah geologist Marie Jackson and her team reported the unique chemistry of Roman concrete, specifically the presence of rare mineral aluminum tobermorite.

The presence of the hard-to-make mineral, surprised Jackson, who explained that high temperatures are needed to synthesize it in the lab in only small quantities.

Taking Cues From Ancient Concrete

In their new study, the researchers took samples of Roman concrete to the Advanced Light Source, an X-ray synchrotron located at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, to map out where the minerals can be found in the samples.

As geologists, we know that rocks change. Change is a constant for earth materials. So how does change influence the durability of Roman structures? said Jackson in a statement.

They found the silicate mineral phillipsite, a common feature of volcanic rocks, with aluminum tobermorite crystals growing from it. Al-tobermorite appeared to grow from the phillipsite whenever seawater bathed the concrete, making it more alkaline.

Its a very rare occurrence in the Earth, Jackson emphasized in a Nature report, adding that phenomenon has only been witnessed in places like Icelands Surtsey volcano.

The growth of tobermorite strengthens the concrete, its long crystals allow the material to flex instead of break in the face of stress.

If Roman concrete thrives in open chemical exchange with seawater, the opposite takes place in modern concrete: it erodes as saltwater rusts the steel reinforcements and then washes away the compounds that glue the material together.

But while this ancient Roman technique of making concrete is better and friendlier to the environment, the recipes have been lost through time. Scientists are now seeking to develop a replacement recipe, reverse-engineering based on information on its chemical workings.

Successfully cracking the recipe could lead to a material that can also last for centuries and entail fewer carbon emissions.

The study was detailed in the journal American Mineralogist.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Startup incubator 500 Startups is seeing a change in leadership after inappropriate sexual harassment episodes that led to the ousting of co-founder Dave McClure.

Even in this day and age, even in the most evolved of societies, women still have to deal with discrimination, sexual harassment and other such inappropriate behavior every now and then. Sexual harassment issues blew up the technology startup scene on Monday, July 3, when McClure filed his resignation and admitted he was a "creep" for hitting on several women in work-related environments.

'I'm A Creep. I'm Sorry'

Last week, The New York Times reported that McClure had made advances to a woman seeking employment at 500 Startups. The report stirred a great deal of uproar and over the weekend, McClure posted a statement on Medium owning up to his mistakes and apologizing for his behavior. The post is titled "I'm a creep. I'm sorry," and addresses the sexual harassment issues at 500 Startups.

McClure notes that he would like to think he's not a bad person, but he's become aware that some of his past actions have offended and hurt others.

Sexual Harassment At 500 Startups

"I made advances towards multiple women in work-related situations, where it was clearly inappropriate," says McClure. "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."

Following the sexual harassment controversy, McClure gave up his prominent position as general partner of funds and entities at 500 Startups. Another company partner, Elizabeth Yin, filed her resignation this weekend as well. As this disturbing matter has now come to light, Yin said she was resigning after the company had covered up another one of McClure's sexual harassment cases.

500 Startups Leadership Changes

Christine Tsai, a founding partner at 500 Startups, took over as CEO a few months ago, after McClure was demoted to general partner following an internal investigation into his behavior.

"In recent months, we found out that my co-founder Dave McClure had inappropriate interactions with women in the tech community," says Tsai, adding that his unacceptable behavior does not reflect the company's value and culture. "I sincerely apologize for the choices he made and the pain and stress they've caused people. But apologies aren't enough without meaningful actions and change."

Tsai says McClure's role at the company had been limited to general partner obligations, and he's been in counseling for addressing his behavior. McClure has now resigned as general partner.

in best interest of @500Startups & at request co-founder @christine_tsai, i am resigning effective immediately. pls support christine/500  Dave McClure (@davemcclure) July 3, 2017

The hush-hush nature of this whole thing, however, is still raising eyebrows. If an internal investigation deemed months ago that McClure's behavior was unacceptable and it prompted his demotion, why did the company not own up to this and make an announcement? It's only now, after the NYT article made waves, that they're publicly addressing the issue. Yin's resignation is closely tied to this matter, as she was upset about how the company handled things and she accused management of not being honest about what prompted McClure's demotion.

A number of other startup investors have apologized for not doing more to prevent sexual harassment from occurring in the first place, especially since 500 Startups is not the only startup and venture capital outlet to mistreat women. Gender bias should not have room in any industry.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Fireworks mark the celebration of the Fourth of July but for veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, the booms and cracks of the Independence Day fireworks can recreate nightmares and cause psychological stress.

PTSD In Veterans

Between 11 percent and 20 percent of the more than 2.5 million who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are estimated to have developed PTSD, a psychiatric disorder that happens after experiencing life-threatening events such as terrorist incidents, serious accidents and military combat.

The Department of Veteran Affairs said that flashing light and loud blasts such as those produced by Independence Day fireworks can induce panic attacks.

In a bid to prevent the stress that can be triggered by firework noise, veterans, their families and organizations come up with ways to help veterans cope with the festivities.

Signs

Many veterans now post signs in their yards so neighbors would be made aware about their sensitivities. Veterans affairs offices and Vet centers even distributed some signs for free.

Jennifer Haynes, whose husband, Marine Corps Veteran Kevin Haynes, suffers from PTSD, hopes that the sign can discourage the neighbors from setting off fireworks particularly late at night. The signs are also a call for neighbors to be sensitive to people with PTSD.

"Seeing someone you love experience what he (Kevin) does when he hears fireworks in painful. He freezes up. It's like he's not even there. I just want to help him but there's nothing I can do," she said. "So if neighbors can at least warn us before setting them off it would mean a lot," Haynes said.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

The Military with PTSD is also working on a prototype of a noise-canceling headphone that uses cutting-edge audio-interference technology to intercept and cancel the boom of explosion from fireworks. The technology, which is currently a working prototype, can replace the noise of fireworks with pre-recorded messages for the veteran who wears them.

Personal Decision

Some veterans make personal adjustments to deal with the challenges of having PTSD, which include having family members who enjoy the fireworks.

"Having 2 young kids they like to watch and set off fireworks. After 4 deployments and a lot of small arm and IED's. I have to set that aside to make them happy. But yes i still jump and fidget when they go off. You just have to figure out ways to deal with it and move on. I know it sounds stupid but what i will do for my kids. I can't let my service interfere with my family life," shared Thomas Gaylor, a former U.S. Army combat engineer.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Throughout human history, new technologies have been delivering us from inconveniences great and small. Right now, one of the most significant new technologies is cloud computing, and it too has the potential to rewrite history as weve known it.

But only, of course, if politics and policy move fast enough to keep up. If we get serious about it, cloud computing could play a monumental role in what some are already calling the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, these giant leaps forward are starting to look more like baby steps backward in the current political landscape.

Heres a look at how two landmark legal cases involving Google and Microsoft could disrupt the future of the cloud.

Regulators Make Their Cases

Youre likely already familiar with at least the Cliffs Notes version of the European Unions decision against Google, which determined that the tech giant had been benefiting unfairly from its effective monopoly on Internet searches.

It turns out the EU is more serious about busting monopolies and trusts than the U.S. has been in quite some time. Regulators in the EU slapped Google with an unprecedented fine of $2.7 billion for manipulating search results to favor its own products and services. The watchdog group wants Google to provide equal treatment to their competitors.

Society chose to grant Google power as a gatekeeper to information on the merits of their search engine algorithm being demonstrably better than the competition. But that doesnt mean the entire world needs to play by their rules.

Nevertheless, while the EUs action against Google is going to substantially impact how Google and parent company Alphabet operate in Europe  and set a precedent for years to come  it might be the United States recent action against Microsoft that deals the greatest blow to techs stewardship of our economic futures.

Microsofts Line in the Sand

Believe it or not, Microsofts current tiff with law enforcement will likely be far more consequential than Googles. It involves the ownership of data, law enforcement jurisdictions and the degree to which international borders apply to data held on foreign soil.

Sound like a complicated can of worms? It is. Heres a brief summary:

A judge in New York State decided one of his cases hinged upon emails stored on Microsoft servers physically located in Ireland. Microsoft has refused to turn them over.

Like most big tech companies, Microsoft usually cooperates in these types of situations  but in this case, the company is refusing because of how the request was made  not because it was made.

Microsoft argues U.S. authorities have heretofore been required to work with the foreign government in question and request permission for access jointly. Translation: there are privacy concerns here, due diligence concerns and the mission creep of government institutions growing their footprints ever larger in the name of national security.

Parties in the U.S. unsympathetic to Microsofts stance argue that, because Microsoft is a U.S.-based company, the justice system has every right to make a demand of this kind without working with the Irish government.

This position ignores the fact that if the evidence was written down on paper, instead of encoded digitally, there would be absolutely no question these two governments must work together and abide by due process.

The legal entities in play here wish to set the precedent that digital evidence must be handled differently  and the involved parties treated differently  than evidence of any other kind. Digital information is still very much a legislative and political gray area.

It would be pretty difficult to downplay how significant this situation is. Nearly everyone with Internet access has shared a considerable amount of our personal and sensitive information, our correspondence and our personal records onto digital devices and servers. We expect a minimum level of privacy, but the framers of the Constitution could never have foreseen the need to directly address whether digital property falls under protections granted with phrases like right to privacy and protection from unreasonable search and seizure.

But now, the state  in this case a judge in New York  wishes to nearly destroy the entire canon of United States privacy laws simply because he doesnt understand how modern technology works.

This brings us, finally, to the dangerous idea that the Google case and the Microsoft case are comparable, interchangeable or speak to the same issues. They do not, and believing so is dangerous.

The Google case, in this writers opinion, is pretty straightforward. Google has quite nearly made their search engine a public utility. Its an incredible product that has made our lives significantly easier. But no single company should be allowed the power Google has now assumed; they literally write the rules about how we find information online, and can easily leverage those rules to favor their products and exclude competing offerings.

Its an antitrust case, plain and simple. It rests on legally and morally sound footing.

The Microsoft case is different, though. If cloud computing  the storage and retrieval of digital information across multiple locations  is treated differently than the storage and retrieval of physical records, were all in a hell of a lot of trouble. The implication here is that, since theres no real legal precedent in a case like this, the parties whose emails are being demanded are effectively guilty until proven innocent.

Due diligence, including the steps required to secure a search warrant, absolutely must apply to cases concerning digital evidence. If thats not so, it means everything about our digital lives, including the right to privacy noted in our Constitution, can be made public if a judge deems it expedient for managing his caseload. Microsofts Brad Smith explained the case as succinctly as anybody by asking a simple question:

Should people be governed by the laws of their own country?

If the answer is yes, the privacy of the emails in question cannot be compromised until the legal system has obtained explicit permission in the form of a search warrant and with permission from the foreign government in question.

Microsoft and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Explained

Now. Whys this all significant? Why is the sky  or perhaps the clouds  falling?

The first three industrial revolutions concerned mechanized manufacturing, rapid industrialization and computers/electronics, respectively. These revolutions delivered interchangeable parts and technologies and processes, which helped us do more with less and even made it possible to estimate equipment lifecycle costs in a formulaic way.

But the fourth industrial revolution is all about data, including how we use it and how it can help democratize just about everything else we do.

Moreover, data now lives in everything: our personal computers, phones, cars, construction equipment and even our refrigerators contain data and use an Internet connection almost perpetually. These devices, including the data they contain or help create, are some of Americas most important exports. Its pretty important that the worlds nations understand that buying American products, even and perhaps especially digital ones, come with certain guarantees of privacy. Its what the land of the free is ostensibly all about.

This is also a two-way street, for reasons that should be obvious; if the power structure in America can demand or seize data held in other countries about their citizens, any other country can make the same demands for data concerning American citizens.

In process here is an unraveling of the very legal framework that has held together civil society and international cooperation for hundreds of years. Digital evidence is no different from any other kind, and we have as much right to expect our emails will remain private as we do to expect anything in our homes to not be seized without good cause and a warrant.

The outcome in this case could set back this very real industrial revolution  a movement which should be helping ease international relations and improve the integrity of our digital lives  not make them worse.

Edited by Alicia Young
Here's a look at the Indian Israeli community which has been living in different parts of India for over 2,000 years.

By India Today Web Desk: A religious minority in India, Jews have been living in the country without any instances of antisemitism in over 2,000 years. In fact, Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to enter India. There are about 6,000 Jews in India who migrated to areas like Mumbai, Cochin (Kochi), Kolkata, Himachal Pradesh, among many others, and never left.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Israel holds great importance for the Israelis as well as Indian Jews who migrated from Israel. The Jewish community in India is the fourth largest in the world after Israel, Asian Russia and Iran.

As PM Narendra Modi signs defence deals during his tour to Israel, let's take a look at the 'real' minority community in India:

History

Photo: Newsflicks.com

Jewish refugees entered India through the sea route from Judea (Southern Palestine) and settled in India.

In 1948, about 70,000 of Jews migrated to Israel after the creation of the modern state.

But some of them stayed back.

Israel in India

The seven main Jews groups in India:

Photo: Newsflicks.com

Cochin Jews - One of the first communities to settle in India, Cochin Jews entered India through sea trade route from Malabar Island and settled as traders.

Chennai/Madras Jews - The Madras Jews were mainly diamond businessmen and of Sephardi heritage. They migrated to Chennai in 19th century. Their main language was Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) and they helped Indians by maintaining their trade relations because of their language fluency.

Bene Israel - Some Jews who lived in India (before partition) were called Bene Israel Jews. They mainly were from Sindh, Punjab and Pathan area. After the partition, they migrated to India and settled in Mumbai, while some of them returned to Israel. Bene Israel Jews are also known as Children of Israel and migrated 2,100 years ago in Maharashtra. About 3,500-4,000 of them still remain in Maharashtra.

Baghdadi Jews - This group of Jews migrated to India from Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran around 250 years back.

Delhi Jews - Delhi's Synagogue Judah Hyam Hall is the only place in the capital where Jews can pray and is a part of the Jewish heritage center.

Bnei Menashe - A community of Mizo and Kuki tribesmen in Mizoram and Manipur also emerged and are recent converts.

Bene Ephraim (Telugu Jews) - These Jews are known as Telugu Jews, and their existence dates back to 1981.

There are many Jewish landmarks in India which one can visit to taste the flavour of Israel in India. The landmarks exist in Kochi, Ernakulam, New Delhi, Mumbai and many more places around India.

Indian Jews are eagerly looking forward for a minority status in India after PM Modi's historic Israel visit.

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Actor, MP and AMMA chief, Innocent Vareed Thekkethala while talking to media, said that casting couch does not exist in the Malayalam cinema industry. Making an unwarranted remark, he then said that if the character of actress is bad, she may share the bed at will.

By India Today Web Desk: In an interaction with media today, actor, Member of Parliament and President of AMMA Innocent Vareed Thekkethala made unwarranted remarks about the Malayalam cinema industry.

Speaking to the media, Innocent said what happened at the press conference held by AMMA last week was unfortunate and that it was not a deliberate attempt to ridicule the media.

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Last week, a press conference held by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), with superstars like Mohanlal, Mammootty, Dileep, MLA Mukesh, left-backed MP Innocent, Former Kerala Transport Minister Ganesh Kumar, among others, had not ended well. The journalists assembled were not given the chance to ask questions and instead asked to "have tea and snacks", and leave.

When journalists demanded time and answers, Ganesh Kumar and Mukesh lost their cool. Why? Because of the uncomfortable questions directed at them about the Kerala actress' abduction and molestation and about the stand AMMA took in the matter.

Those who understand Malayalam, watch the video here:

Video courtesy: Manorama News

"IF THEY ARE BAD, THEY MAY SHARE THE BED"

AMMA President and Left-backed independent MP Innocent, while speaking to the media today, denied all speculations that he is stepping down as the president of the association. When a journalist asked about casting couch in Malayalam cinema industry, Innocent denied its existence altogether.

Addressing the journalist who raised the question as "sister", Innocent said, "Those days are long gone. The moment you make an imprudent request to a woman in this day and age, it will be shared with people like you. They will speak about it openly."

Innocent then said, "But if the women are bad, they may share the bed".

Watch the video Mathrubhumi News shared on YouTube:

Meanwhile, the new all-women's association Women in Cinema Collective responded to Innocent's denial of casting couch in the Malayalam cinema industry in a Facebook post. In the post, the collective said that they strongly disagree with Innocent's stand that there is no casting couch in the Malayalam cinema industry. "There is a strict hierarchy in the industry, and many women who look for breaks face the issue of casting couch. Our colleagues Parvati and Lakshmi Rai have openly shared their experiences," said the post.

Also Read:

Malayalam actress abduction: Did Pulsar Suni try to kidnap another actress two years ago?

Malayalam actress attack: Main accused says he was hired by a megastar

Also watch: Bad women share bed: Kerala MP talks about casting couch, says it does not exist

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Probably peeved at the India's first ever prime-ministerial visit to Israel, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has raked up the Kashmir bogey again, second time in two weeks.

By Santosh Chaubey: Probably peeved at the India's first ever prime-ministerial visit to Israel, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has raked up the Kashmir issue for the second time in two weeks. This time Khamenei has called Iran's judiciary to take up international issues to speak for Muslims of Myanmar and Kashmir.

According to Iran's news agency IRNA, while speaking to the officials of Iran's judiciary, Khamenei asked the country's judiciary to "enter international issues such as the sanctions, US confiscations of property, terrorism, the support for oppressed personalities like Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky (Nigerian Shiite leader) or Muslims of Myanmar and Kashmir, and to express its firm support or opposition in order to be reflected globally."

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Just ten days ago, while leading the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Tehran, repeating his oft-quoted line of "Kashmir being an oppressed nation," Khamenei had exhorted the Muslim world to openly support "Yemen, Bahrain and Kashmir". He had called on the Islamic community to unite against the "injuries being inflicted on the world of Islam."

While speaking about Yemen, another front in the battle between Iran and Saudi Arabia to establish regional supremacy, he had said that "the World of Islam should explicitly support the people of Yemen" and had likened the situation there with Bahrain and Kashmir saying, "our people can back this great movement within the World of Islam. Just as we explicitly express our position against enemies and adversaries, the world of Islam-especially the elites in it-should follow this path and take a position towards seeking to please God, absolutely, even if it leads to dissatisfaction of the arrogant front."

Iran considers creation of Israel as the worst event of the 20th Century and holds annual Al-Quds Rally on June 23 every year since 1979's Islamic Revolution chanting 'Death to Israel' to show its hostility towards Israel.

FIRST INDIAN PM TO VISIT ISRAEL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the first ever prime-ministerial visit to Israel and in a first, he has dehyphenated the Palestine ties with the Israel ties, unlike any previous official Indian visit when Indian leaders made it a point to include both Palestine and Israel in their itinerary. During his visit in October 2015, first by an Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee first went to Palestine and then to Israel.

Sushma Swaraj followed suit during her January 2016 visit. But India has also worked to maintain its Palestine ties. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was in India in May this year where India reaffirmed its solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

This is not the first time that Khamenei has raised the Kashmir bogey. India had summoned the Iranian Ambassador in 2010 to issue demarche after Khamenei's repeated calls to the Muslim community to support the so-called struggle in Kashmir. Though India was a friendly nation to Iran and it abstained from voting on a UN Security Council resolution on human rights violations in Iran, Khamenei went on to declare Kashmir a nation and India a Zionist regime.

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His official website mentions* at least three other instance, going as far back as 1990, when Khamenei tried to barge-in in an issue that India considers strictly bilateral, between India and Pakistan, with a non-compromising stand that Kashmir is an integral part of India.

This is despite the fact that Iran has emerged as India's third largest oil supplier and Iran's second biggest buyer after international sanctions were eased in 2015 with a landmark nuclear deal that ended Iran's global isolation.

Lastyear, PM Modi visited Tehran and India-Iran inked a deal to develop the strategic Chabahar port in response to China developing Gwadar port in Pakistan's Balochistan province and bilateral trade ties between both countries are rapidly expanding.]

ALSO READ:

Top Iran leader warns Saudi Arabia of harsh measures over Haj disaster

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blames US, Britain for creating Islamic State

ALSO WATCH:

With PM Modi's visit to Israel, India aims to sign a record defence deal

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Since selling an electronic surveillance system to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the French company Amesys has changed its name and shareholder in order to sell its services to the new Egyptian authorities while the French state stands and looks on.

Summer 2011: Caught up in the events of the Arab spring, Muammar Gaddafi is in hiding. In a rebel-run Libya, a largely unknown French company unwillingly comes to light. In a monitoring centre in Tripoli, two journalists from the Wall Street Journal identify the company in question on a plaque: Amesys. They sold a telecommunication surveillance system to the colonel's Jamahiriya system. A 'favour' on behalf of Nicolas Sarkozy, which allowed, along with the vital help of the mediator Ziad Takieddine, Gaddafi's return to the fold of the community of nations. A year later, a judicial investigation is opened against Amesys into allegations of complicity in acts of torture. The equipment provided by Amesys would have enabled the Libyan authorities to track down and torture their opponents. The enquiry was subsequently assigned to a newly-created department in the High Court in Paris specialising in crimes against humanity. Since then, little progress has been made in this unprecedented case. All those concerned  engineers, the big bosses, victims  have all given accounts. The final custodial sentences were granted in the spring and Amesys was given the status of assisted witness on the 30th May. The company soon came to be considered as the Voldemort of electronic surveillance: the mere mention of the name produces negative reactions. However, some tongues have loosened. Following the lead of various sources, Telerama found traces of the company's activity in Egypt. In 2017, evidence came to light that a French company which had been pursued for carrying out business with a dictator, was still selling its products to similarly undesirable countries and, worse still, was doing so with the support of French authorities. Business as usual. History risks repeating itself.

Code name: Toblerone

'Never again' seemed to be the government's promise. In an interview with Le Monde in December 2013, Fleur Pellerin, the then minister in charge of digital economy, stated that France would ensure that measures were carried out to control the export of 'dual' technologies, the civilian use of which could threaten human rights. At the same time, a spokesman from the United Arab Emirates entered into negotiation with Amesys' new boss, Stephane Salies. His country wanted to offer a present to its Egyptian neighbour which had just toppled President Morsi in favour of a military coup. The surprise was to be a 10 million euro monitoring system which was  officially- to be used against the Muslim Brotherhood. The deal was clinched within two months. The contract was signed in March 2014. In a nod to the pyramids, the operation was code-named Toblerone...

In order to complete the transaction, Salies drew on the support of two sister companies which he had created. As Amesy's commercial director at the time of the Libyan scandal, he shortly afterwards sold his shares to two holdings - Crescendo Industries and I2E  in order to buy up the business, a subsidiary of the Bull group. At a cost of 6 million euros, he also bought the intellectual property rights of the software marketed by Amesys. In April 2012, he registered the two new companies: Nexa Technologies, based in Boulogne-Billancourt; and Advanced Middle East Systems (AMESys, assumed filiation), set up in Dubai's duty-free zone. In the heart of the Gulf's 'Internet City' a dozen employees  mainly sales representatives  were given the task of selling Cerebro, the flagship solution of the new-look Amesys. The name was taken from that of the super-powered computer in X-Men, which was able to improve telepathic powers.

In reality, psychic powers are not required to guess what the cover up was about: as the brochures handed out at Milipol conferences state (where those working in security meet up every two years) the software in question is an updated version of Eagle, the programme used by Kadhafi. The name might be different, but the outcome is the same: to enable the large-scale interception of communications. In addition to the systematic storage of metadata  allowing access to information such as what computer is connected to what site at what time, as well as being able to track telephone calls, Advanced Middle East Systems promises "real-time surveillance of suspects", thanks to particularly intrusive sensors capable of tracking emails, text messages and accessing chat rooms and social media sites. "At any given moment, investigators can follow their target's activities by entering advanced criteria (email address, telephone numbers, keywords)'', as stated by the technical documentation. In other words, Cerebro is capable of accessing any unencrypted data. A powerful weapon for authoritarian governments.

"We have a sword of Damocles above our heads''

The contract details which we have had access to, give a good idea of the Egyptian setup. The technical specifications are clear: ''The provision of services enabling the implementation of an IP interception system to combat terrorist or other criminal activities''. Nexa Technologies then exports the merchandise, Advanced Middle East Systems takes delivery of them and the Egyptian Ministry of Defence (military intelligence) puts them into use. The French company offers a full after-sales service: ''Project management, progress meetings, sub-contractor management, progress reports, installation, training sessions, user interface customisation''. When asked to speak about his business interests in Egypt, Stephane Salies has systematically refused to answer.

Every 45 days, technicians from Dubai or Paris visit the various sites in order to train employees and to finalise the implementation of the system. Parisian engineers are involved in this. In the middle of June an internal source stated that This technology is being deployed. There is still a lack of data centers, but they will be in place and operational by the end of the year.'' A preliminary maintenance check is due in 2018, and the same interlocutor didn't try to hide his concerns: ''With hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members condemned to death, I don't feel comfortable'' he sighs, fearing that the Libyan situation could repeat itself; ''we are living with a sword of Damocles above our heads''. Have the French intelligence services created a loophole designed to look after the strategic interests of France or a means of opting out if circumstances so require? He swears that The DGSE - French external intelligence agency - didn't want to. An expert on this type of dossier confirmed that ''Amesys is too radioactive'' and indeed, the company has been blacklisted by French spies since the Libyan debacle. But if the company is not considered to be in good odour with the French government, it has to be acknowledged that the deal was brokered with the backing of French authorities, who turned a blind eye.

France turns a blind eye

On the 8th July 2014, a month to the day after the controversial election of Marshal Sisi as president of Egypt, Stephane Salies submitted an application for a licence to export dual-use items. Since its creation in March 2010, this supervisory authority (service des biens a double usage - SBDU) appointed by the Ministry for the Economy, has granted approximately 5000 licences a year. Its scope is wide: Dual-use items range from chemical components costing ten euros to nuclear power plants worth several millions. In the case of the more sensitive dossiers, we carry out a detailed examination with all the ministries concerned'' explains Bruno Leboullenger, head of service. He refused to pass comment on the Egyptian case, Given the nature of its activity, the inter-ministerial commission on dual-use items is protected by national security. We work with discretion but remain within a legal framework''.

Drawing : Yann Legendre / Telerama

This is where things take a turn for the worse. On the 10th October 2014, the Bercy administration responded to the request made by Amesys. Or rather it refused to make a decision. Problem: ten months earlier, in December 2013, a notice was published in the Official Journal, obliging exporters to obtain the backing of the SBDU in order to export IP interception technologies to countries outside the European Union... exactly like the contract signed between Amesys and Egypt. Instead of giving the green light, or blocking a contract, customs officials stamp the documentation with the words 'not submitted'. This means that the exported product does not fall into the category of dual-use items. Puzzling. I cannot comment on individual cases'', repeats Bruno Leboullenger, invoking, once more, the classified nature of such deliberations. The authorities would give nothing more away: along with Italy, France is the most opaque of European countries when it comes to talking about the exportation of sensitive technologies.

"We can't be Carebears''

In the light of the state's promise of more transparency and guarantees following the Libyan affair, this new evidence is proof of managerial deficiencies within the system. Although the administrator of the SBDU doesn't state it explicitly, the commission in charge of dossier assessment is not made up entirely of ministerial representatives (foreign, internal, defence affairs). It also comprises the upper crust of the intelligence services (in addition to the DGSE and the DGSI, there are also representatives of the DRM (military intelligence branch)). The fact that these meetings take place in the basement of Les Invalides, in the offices of the GIC (Groupement interministeriel de controle), an organism in charge of supervising state phone tapping, gives an idea of the highly confidential nature of the commission. In the past two years, the commission has only opposed two requests from Amesys: for the sale of interception technologies to the Pakistani secret services (vetoed by the DGSE) and for the export of two surveillance systems  including satellite surveillance  to Turkey, in November 2016, less than six months after the failed coup against Erdogan (the Minister for Foreign affairs was taken aback).

Aside from this, Amesys has been granted 9 other licences since the beginning of 2016: three in West Africa, two in the Middle East, one in sub-Saharan Africa, one in Europe, one in Asia and one in South America. Haunted by his previous mishaps, Salies has avoided taking on more contentious proposals from countries such as South Sudan, Iran and Belarus. An old hand in the business breaks the silence: Of course the French services sub-contract technical intelligence. It's either that or handing control to the Chinese or the Israelis. We aren't Carebears. We tell ourselves we are doing it in the interests of our country. In any case, all the countries are equipping themselves, whether its through us or elsewhere.'' Contemplating the tightening of export conditions, he predicts the demise of his profession: In ten year's time, there won't be any companies doing this type of business in Europe. We'll all be out of work because of excessive protocol''. In the meanwhile, the open bar remains open and the surveillance market continues to fill its coffers.

The situation in Egypt : is Sisi worse than Mubarak?

On at least three occasions in the last few years, the European Parliament has urged its member countries to stop the exportation of dual technologies to Egypt. In August 2013, EU ministers for foreign affairs decided 'that member states [suspend] export licences to Egypt for any equipment which could be used as a means of repression'. Again, in January 2015, the European Parliament approved a resolution 'forbidding, on a European scale, the export to Egypt of surveillance technologies which could be used to spy on and suppress its citizens'. With the death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian student whose mutilated body was found in the suburbs of Cairo at the beginning of 2016, the EU reacted by demanding 'the suspension of the export of surveillance equipment proven to be used in the violation of human rights'. However, Cairo remains a privileged partner of European countries, and in particular of France (who sold 24 Rafale fighter aircraft and a frigate worth 5 billion euros in February 2015). During a visit to Cairo on the 8th June, the new Foreign Affairs minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, offered 'a message of friendship' on behalf of Emmanuel Macron. Not a word was said about human rights.

Egyptian police in Giza's Haram district, on January, 25th 2016.  Ibrahim Ramadan / Anadolu Agency

On the other side of the Mediterranean, the situation continues to decline in unprecedented proportions, even surpassing Mubarak's : suppressed demonstrations, arbitrary arrests, unfair trials and missing people have become routine in Sisi's Egypt. Human Rights Watch and other international organizations claim that 40 000 to 60 000 prisoners are detained on political grounds. On the 29th May, the president enacted a law aimed at severely restricting the work of NGOs, and in particular, those defending human rights (they are now banned). According to Le Monde, 'the parliament intends to pass laws to control access to sites such as Twitter and Facebook.' And while the country continues to hold the world record in the number of death sentences issued, the use of surveillance, and particularly electronic surveillance, intensifies. In December 2014, the State put into place a High council in charge of cybersecurity; since May, at least 63 sites, notably information sites, have been blocked. The TOR network and the VPN services which allow internet users to surf anonymously are frequently targeted. In the last few years, the government and the security sector have developed tools and methods in order to carry out mass surveillance and targeted espionage', states Ramy Raoof, senior research technologist at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. Last November he witnessed 'the most sophisticated attack against human rights groups in Egypt'. Nicknamed NilePhish, this campaign was documented at the beginning of 2017. For the time being, the name Amesys has not come to the surface, although everyone is looking out for it, and not least those concerned.
"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
In 1971, Israel helped India even when the two countries had not established diplomatic ties. During Kargil war, the help came again and this time the support made India give a befitting reply to Pakistan.

By India Today Web Desk: In May 1999, the Indian Army learned of Pakistan's large-scale military intrusions in the Kargil-Dras sector. What followed was a counter-offensive code-named Operation Vijay.

"Pakistan's phased infiltration in forward outposts in inhospitable and elevated terrains revealed the Indian's military unpreparedness in both spotting and preventing the incursions across the LoC, as well the lack of training and experience in mountain warfare," wrote Nicolas Blarel in his book The Evolution of India's Israel Policy (OUP).

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Also read: India-Israel relation over the years: Ten defining developments

Amid the discussion on how and what went wrong, India turned to Israel, a country with technology and experience in border control and counter-terrorism. Israel aided India with mortar and ammunition and became one of the few countries that helped India directly. According to Blarel's book, Israel even provided India with laser-guided missiles for its fighter jets and surveillance drones.

The Indian Air Force came across various problems while providing air support to ground troops including "inaccurate unguided missiles and limited sight of the Pakistani bunkers". They even had orders not to cross the LoC under any circumstances. At this time, Israel provided laser-guided missiles for IAF Mirage 2000H fighters. The precision bombing material then "limited the advantage of the Pakistani soldiers based on high position" and helped India without violating the orders to not cross LoC.

During Kargil, Israel was forced by United States of America and other countries to delay delivery of shipment of arms that were ordered before the intrusion. Israel, however, delivered the order quickly.

Also read: Modi in Israel: 5 ways how the visit is timed strategically

Israel helped India when both the countries did not even have diplomatic ties. India had voted against Israel's creation in 1948. But even when Israel was facing an arms shortage, the former PM Golda Meir decided to divert arms meant for Iran to India during the 1971 war. She even sent a note addressed to then PM Indira Gandhi asking for diplomatic ties in return for arms, a book by scholar Srinath Raghavan revealed.

After Kargil, India introspected on its defense loopholes and decided to modernise its forces. And in 2000, India's External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh along with then Home Minister LK Advani visited Israel that began the series of ministerial level visits to the country.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during their talks he and Netanyahu agreed to to do much more together to combat terrorism to protect their strategic interests.

By India Today Web Desk: During the second day of bilateral talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu today delivered a strong statement jointly against terrorism and elevated their ties to a "strategic partnership" level.

After a meeting between the two world leaders, India and Israel also signed seven pacts on areas like space technology, water, agriculture, etc.

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"Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism, including in cyber space," PM Modi said.

Netanyahu, on his part, said the two nations have agreed to cooperate against terrorism which is faced by both of them.

"This is a marriage made in heaven but we are implementing it here on earth," Netanyahu said.

ON TERRORISM:

Recognising that terrorism poses a threat to global peace and stability, the two PMs reiterated their strong commitment to combat terror in all its forms and manifestations.

They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever.

The leaders asserted that strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups.

Modi and Netanyahu also underscored the need to ensure that terrorist organisations do not get access to any WMD or technologies.

They also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

DEFENCE:

India and Israel agreed that bilateral defence cooperation should focus on joint development of defence products, including transfer of technology from Israel with a special emphasis on the 'Make in India' initiative.

The two sides also agreed to increase cooperation in cyber security.

SEVEN AGREEMENTS:

MoU was signed for setting up of India-Israel R&D and Technological Innovation Fund.

"We are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field. Our decision to establish a bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth USD 40 million for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal," PM Modi said.

Israel will work in India on a campaign for water conservation. "We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation," PM Modi said.

Israel signed pact to start a water utility reform in Uttar Pradesh.

India and Israel will work for three years from 2018 on agriculture issues. "Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology. These are also among my priority areas in India's development," Modi said.

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India's ISRO and Israel's space agency three MoUs on plan of cooperation in the areas of cooperation in atomic clocks, GEO-LEO Optical Link, academic collaboration and electric propulsion for small satellites.

BILATERAL TRADE:

The two prime ministers noted the importance of realising the full potential of bilateral trade in investment. They tasked the India-Israel CEO Forum to come up with early recommendations on this.

India has invited Israel to be the partner country for the annual Technology Summit to be held in India next year.

India and Israel will support joint research and development projects in cutting-edge areas including 'Big Data Analytics in Health Care'.

"We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do more in this direction. Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts. This would also be our message to the CEO Forum tomorrow," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

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Also read:

Modi in Israel: India signs 7 pacts, calls for action against terror groups

PM Modi's Israel visit Day 2: After hugs and bonhomie, business deals today

Modi in Israel: 5 ways how the visit is timed strategically

How Ajit Doval prepared the groundwork for robust and open ties between India and Israel

Also watch:

Modi, Netanyahu call for action against terror groups in joint press conference

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Want to know who are the top 40 film producers in the UK? Or the leading directors of photography?

Then have a look at The Film 40 2017, Televisuals comprehensive report on the UK film industry which is now available to read in full  and for free  in our reports and surveys section.

First published in the magazine in May, the Film 40 lists and profiles the UKs most influential film producers.

From Aardman through to Working Title, they are producers with a track record of creative and financial success in the film industry.

The report also showcases the leading film studios, such as Pinewood and Warner Bros Leavesden, which are hosting increasing numbers of big budget Hollywood shoots.

Theres also a ranking of the UKs top ten directors of photography, as well as an overview of Sohos busy film vfx sector.

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One year after Alton Sterling was killed during a struggle with two Baton Rouge police officers, a small protest driven by members of the New Black Panther Party ended Wednesday when police fired stun guns, deployed pepper spray and arrested seven people outside police headquarters.

The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Sterling has driven a year-long debate about policing in Baton Rouges black communities, but the anniversary of his death did not spark the large protests seen last summer in the streets of the Capital City.

About 20 to 30 protesters initially gathered outside the Triple S Food Mart, the convenience store where Sterling sold bootleg CDs and the site of the shooting. Then they moved on to Airline Highway and Goodwood Boulevard near the Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters, close to where larger contingents of protesters gathered for several days and nights last July. Those 2016 protests became contentious, with police arresting as many as 200 people at various gatherings across the city.

Despite the much smaller size of the protest Wednesday, it still resulted in arrests on misdemeanor counts almost immediately after the demonstrations moved from the Triple S to police headquarters.

Police told the protesters, mostly made up of about two dozen members of the New Black Panther Party, to stay behind barricade lines set up around the police building. When a handful of protesters refused to back up, arguing that they were on public property and they pay taxes, they were shot with stun guns and Tippman PepperBall guns and then they were taken into custody.

Sgt. L'Jean McKneely, a police spokesman, said the seven will be booked into Parish Prison on misdemeanor counts of entering and remaining after being forbidden and resisting an officer. Four men and three women were arrested, though police have not yet released their names.

Can't see video below? Click here. Warning: Video contains graphic language.

Veda Washington Abusaleh and Sandra Sterling, two of Sterlings aunts, stood at the front of the group, yelling at police that they were on public property. They were pulled away by other protesters as they continued to scream and cry.

One police officer was also shot with a stun gun when he fell to the ground during the arrests, but police said it was unclear who fired the weapon. The officer was hit in the forearm and was bleeding, McKneely said.

"When the New Black Panther members stormed the barricade, officers observed a party member with a suspected taser in hand," McKneely said. "It is unclear at this time who tased the officer."

One of the female protesters also hurt her knee during the scuffle and received medical attention during her arrest.

A European documentary company, wearing badges that identified them as crew members with Pulpa Film, accompanied members of the New Black Panther Party, McKneely said. At least one of the New Black Panther Party members arrested was wearing a microphone, he said.

McKneely said police were not trying to prohibit people from protesting. Once the group moved through the open barricades onto the headquarters property, McKneely said, it became a safety issue and an issue of disrupting business and the arrests were made.

We didnt hinder them when they were up underneath the tree. We didnt hinder them when they were across the street, McKneely said.

Two federal lawsuits were filed after last summer's protests, with attorneys for demonstrators arguing that police aggressively intervened in peaceful gatherings. The city of Baton Rouge agreed to settle one lawsuit, which could result in about 80 protesters getting payments of $500 to $1,000 if the judge agrees to the final proposal. Another is still pending.

But law enforcement officials have argued that their responses to the protests were reasonable, with arrests mostly being made when demonstrators strayed onto a busy highway or other streets.

The protesters Wednesday retreated after the scuffle toward a nearby gas station, saying that they were going to get reinforcements and file a lawsuit. Others said that the police didnt care about them, an idea that McKneely disagreed with, saying that the officers are part of the community.

People who want to create chaos by causing division, by stirring up and creating lies, thats not true, McKneely said.

New Black Panther Party National spokesman Malik Maumau said after the arrests that he thinks the police were the aggressors.

We were not disruptive, Maumau said. We did not go to hurt anyone. We did not go to damage any property. We were orderly. We went in. We had seven individuals  women who were tased and shot with paintballs.

The gathering began earlier Wednesday when about two dozen people met at the Triple S Food Mart.

"We are standing here today not only to commemorate, but to not let it be swept under the rug and not let the fire burn out and to proclaim Alton Sterling's immortality," said Katib Siddiq, the party's national chief of staff.

The group held signs, asking people to remember Sterling, waved flags, posed for photos and then marched to Baton Rouge police headquarters.

Sterling was killed after Baton Rouge police officer Blane Salamoni shot him six times outside of the Triple S on North Foster Drive. Salamoni and officer Howie Lake II had responded to reports of a man threatening another person with a gun. The officers have said that Sterling was reaching for a gun in his pocket when Salamoni fired.

The graphic cellphone videos of the shooting galvanized protests in Baton Rouge, as well as throughout the country. More recently, with the release of information critical of how Salamoni approached Sterling, there have been renewed calls for the firing of the officers.

In May, the U.S. Department of Justice said there was insufficient evidence to charge the two officers with civil rights violations. They remain on paid, administrative leave, pending the state attorney generals investigation.

On Wednesday evening, about 35 people gathered at the Ark of Safety Ministry for prayer and song. Pastor Carl Williams, who is Sterling's uncle, led the songs as Sterling's aunts Abusaleh and Sandra Sterling, along with Councilwoman C. Denise Marcelle and others joined in.

Sandra Sterling said she is upset that there has not been more progress on her nephew's case and that Wednesday's protest and memorial service did not have nearly as many people as last year's.

"I believe in numbers and if we can get that number again, they'll have to start listening to us again," she said.

Williams did not want to comment on the U.S. Department of Justice decision to not charge the officers, other than saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.

"It's not about what happened," said Williams, "It's about what God is going to do here."

God will serve justice, he said.

Can't see video below? Click here.
Karachi Police arrested a man from North Nazimabad for selling stray dogs, painted to look like expensive breeds, on a classified website.

By India Today Web Desk: Karachi Police arrested a man from North Nazimabad for selling stray dogs painted to look like expensive breeds.

The accused, identified as a barber named Sagheer from Khamosh Colony, sold the dogs online, posting advertisements with pictures on a classifieds website.

"Sagheer was arrested on a citizen's complaint that he sold a stray dog to Riazuddin (a local man) at a high price claiming that it was of a special breeds," North Nazimabad DSP Naeem Khan told The Express Tribune.

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After Sagheer's arrest, police recovered four stray dogs from his possession, whom he had claimed were German Shepherds.

During the investigation, Sagheer told the police that he and his accomplices catch stray dogs from the streets and paint over them to look like expensive breeds.

Also read:

FYI || Lapse of reason: Dog sentenced to death in Pakistan for biting a child ||

FYI || Huckleberry the roof dog: Viral photos of dog who jumps on to the roof makes him an online sensation ||

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Alton Sterling Jr. tells his mother he wants to be a police officer when he grows up.

The 6-year-old knows his daddy is gone, but he doesn't yet understand how or why that happened.

But, one day, he will.

"Right now, he's still young, but (eventually) I'm going to have sit down and really tell him what's going on," said Andricka Williams, the mother of Alton Sterling's three youngest children, including the son everybody calls "AJ."

A year ago, Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, was fatally shot by a white Baton Rouge police officer in an incident that spurred protests across the city and put a national spotlight on the Baton Rouge Police Department.

Williams worries about the day her son will see the cell phone video of his father's death: the quick escalation, the struggle with police and the heartbreaking ending. She doesn't know how it will affect AJ or Sterling's other children.

She and others close to Sterling are still waiting to learn whether there could be criminal charges in the case or how the Police Department may resolve any internal discipline against the two officers involved in the incident.

"I pray  I'm still holding onto my faith that they do give justice, for the sake of the kids," said Williams, 35.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in May it would not file criminal civil rights charges against the two officers. The case has since been turned over to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to determine if state criminal charges are warranted. That investigation is still pending. BRPD officials say they won't move forward with an internal affairs probe until criminal charges are decided. Additionally, lawyers for Sterling's children recently filed a lawsuit in state court against the officers and the police department.

Can't see the video below? Click here.

I always wanted the kids to grow up with their daddy," said Williams, who also shares 3-year-old twins with Sterling. "We got this one officer's actions, and now a lot of kids are missing their dad.  A year later and they haven't done anything, it's crazy."

Remembering Alton

This past Father's Day, Cameron Sterling felt alone in a way he hadn't before.

"Everyone else had a dad," said the 16-year-old, the oldest of Alton Sterling's five children.

"I think about him all the time, everyday," Cameron said. "Its a process that Im going through right now. I wont get over it, (but) I have to keep pushing through my life, I have to keep moving forward."

To commemorate both his father's June birthday and Father's Day, Cameron and his mom released balloons into the sky, while the teen sang, "Goodbye," by Amanda Perez. And as sad as Cameron said he feels some days, his focus is on moving forward in a way that honors his father: college, and to be more specific, neurobiology.

"I have to graduate from high school, go to college, make him proud," the rising high school junior said. "He would want me to get up and do something with my life, go to college, and be successful . He pushed me to stay in school, no matter what."

Williams makes a point to keep Sterling's legacy alive in her children's lives, even though she realizes they will have few of their own memories to hold onto.

"My children know their daddy," Williams said. A picture of their father hangs above their beds and together they visited his gravesite. Her 3-year-olds, Journee and Josiah, like to scroll through Williams' old cell phones to see photos of Sterling. Recently, when they drove by a park where AJ and Sterling had played years ago, he pointed and shouted about his Daddy.

"I remember the good times," said Williams, who dated Alton on-and-off for a little more than six years. "Alton was like a big ol' teddy bear . He was just a big ol' kid; he just wanted to put a roof over his head."

She imitates his deep, Santa-like laugh, remembering his reaction when they went to watch WrestleMania together and their seats were so far away they could barely see. Or when she took him to Mardi Gras in New Orleans for the first time. Or when he convinced her to name their first-born after him  despite her family's tradition to start all grandchildren's names with a J.

"He loved his kids, he would try to do anything to make them happy," Williams said.

That attitude is something Triple S Food Mart owner Abdullah Muflahi said he misses every day.

"Its hard to come in just to find mural of him and not have him here," Muflahi said. He knew almost everybody in the neighborhood, and if not, if they were walking past him, hed always say hello and talk to him. He was a very friendly guy.

Sterling sold homemade CDs outside of the North Foster Drive convenience store, where he was when Baton Rouge police officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II approached him July 5, 2016. The officers had responded to a 911 call that a man who matched Sterling's description had threatened someone with a gun. Eventually they struggled with Sterling, hit him with a stun gun, and tackled him. Salamoni shot Sterling as officers grappled with him on the ground.

Both officers told detectives after the shooting that they saw the gun in Sterling's pocket  a gun he wasn't allowed to carry because of a past felony conviction  and believed he was reaching for it. Officials have said no video evidence in the case shows the position of Sterling's right hand before he was shot. Federal officials, including Acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson, said this spring there wasn't evidence to support federal civil rights charges in the case, although attorneys for Sterling's family said those officials privately criticized Salamoni's initial approach of Sterling, which included pointing a gun at him soon after arriving.

Salamoni's lawyer, John McLindon, emphasized that this had been "a very tough year" for the officer and his family. Both Salamoni and Lake are on paid administrative leave pending the final determination of criminal charges or BRPD internal discipline.

Hes got a lot of support, a lot of people in the community are supporting him, and understand what he did, he had to do," McLindon said. "He's not happy about what happened on that night, he wishes he didn't have to do that, (but) Alton Sterling had his hand on a loaded pistol."

Lake's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

What's next for BR officers after federal Alton Sterling investigation closed Two Baton Rouge policemen received the long-awaited word this week that they will not face c

Waiting for answers

It was a tough year. And, somehow, it doesn't feel like it's over, Muflahi said.

I thought this would all be over with, that there would have been something, (that it wouldn't) still be under investigation," Muflahi said. "Everything is there, I just dont know what is taking so long  . Everything, the videos, the evidence, is all on the table."

East Baton Rouge Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker dedicated much of the last year working to address issues concerning the police department through her and Councilman Trae Welch's committee on community policing  and yet she feels something is still missing.

"We performed as a community in the best way we could," Wicker said. "The people were anxiously awaiting some sort of closure. I think, even now, people just need to be able to bring closure."

Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie echoed Wicker, saying the continued pending legal cases have been hard for everyone, including his officers.

Its like a cloud hanging over our heads," Dabadie said. "Its difficult for the community, for the department, for the city.  I think the length of time that its taken to get any resolution has definitely made it more challenging."

The seemingly indefinite wait for the judicial process has continued to foster distrust from the community, said Baton Rouge state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, especially among African-Americans. Marcelle said she continues to hear about policing issues from her constituents, and those concerns are only exacerbated by the lack of answers in this high-profile case.

"It has had a negative impact on the entire situation, anytime you have a lack of transparency," Marcelle said.

Wicker called Sterling's death an awakening, highlighting economic disparities and a range of policing concerns.

The national attention that has now been brought  you mention Baton Rouge or Alton Sterling, people make that connection," Wicker said. "At the same time, my hope is, well also be known for how this community survived the storm: We didnt destroy our community, we didn't burn down businesses, we came together."

The incident has brought the Police Department under a microscope, Dabadie said, but "rightfully so." He said they have been forced to reevaluate policies and make changes, like signing the memorandum of understanding in February that State Police will independently investigate any officer-involved shootings, something that had not previously been protocol.

You never want the loss of life, thats never an acceptable outcome, but I hope and pray some good comes out of this, some way, shape or form," Dabadie said.

At Triple S

Last July, after nights of protests over Sterling's death clogged the streets, Triple S became eerily quiet. People stayed away from the place where Sterling was killed. Customers stopped coming in for their fried chicken, cold drinks and snacks.

Twelve months later, business is almost back to normal, Muflahi said.

A lot of regulars werent coming in; theyre still returning slowly," Muflahi said in late June.

Most afternoons, Travis Hicks stands in the parking lot behind a collapsible table, selling homemade CDs and DVDs, just as his longtime friend Sterling did. Around March, Muflahi welcomed Hicks to the post, which he is hopeful will help grab the attention of passers-by and generate a certain liveliness. The discs sell two for $5, and five for $10.

Every once in a while, Williams comes by the shop with her three little ones.

I love seeing those little kids, his youngest three, Muflahi said, smiling. "They come in here and we play around."

Williams believes it's important to bring AJ, Journee and Josiah to the spot where they used to visit their father  and her children love it because Muflahi spoils them, letting the children pick out some candy.

Many days, Muflahi looks out to see people he doesn't recognize stopping by  not to shop  but to to see the spot that became a backdrop for the national debate on policing.

Theres a lot of people that still come around, take pictures," Muflahi said. "They come from all over the country."

Gail Isom, of New Jersey, came to Baton Rouge in June for a wedding, but with Triple S on her must-see list.

"I have two young, black men myself, and I have nephews and brothers," the 47-year-old said, looking at the portrait of Sterling painted on the wall of the store. "That could have been them."

She snaps a picture with her cell phone of the wall, still adorned by stuffed animals and memorializing messages.

"I just couldn't leave (Baton Rouge), and not come here," Isom said.
Nineteen new two-story, brick homes unveiled Wednesday in north Baton Rouge's Zion City neighborhood have given community leaders hope that similar developments will sprout in other neighborhoods where blight has crept in and where mixed-income housing is needed.

Local political leaders were all smiles as they toured the homes Wednesday, and applauded developer Brian LaFleur's long road toward building them.

Several years ago, instead of manicured lawns and shiny windows, the lots in the Fortune Addition subdivision near Glen Oaks Middle School were adjudicated as owners stopped paying property taxes while the houses fell into disrepair.

"It's projects like this that have the real potential to change the trajectory of a neighborhood," said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome at Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

In 2014, LaFleur partnered with the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority to acquire the properties, along with some others in Melrose East. He received a $2 million grant from City Hall's Office of Community Development to develop affordable housing in Fortune Addition, and initially expected to build duplexes for rent.

But LaFleur ran into problems with the lot sizes, which had to be subdivided to make them large enough to build on, and the zoning was also problematic for building duplexes. He and the city-parish's Office of Community Development instead agreed that he would build 19 single family homes for purchase.

LaFleur Industries spent $1.1 million of its own capital to build the three bedroom, three bathroom houses that are listed for between $100,000 and $140,000 depending on the square footage. Five of the houses are market-rate, while the other 14 are affordable housing for families earning 80 percent or less of the median salary in East Baton Rouge.

Two of the nineteen houses have already sold, with one selling under affordable requirements and the other going for market-rate, LaFleur said. He said he expects it to take longer to find buyers than it would have taken had the houses been rentals.

Monika Gerhart, head of the Office of Community Development, said LaFleur is known for building durable houses, which is particularly important for affordable housing because it keeps down the costs of maintenance. And Gwen Hamilton, interim director of the Redevelopment Authority said the houses exemplify what high quality, mixed income housing development should look like.

The East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority was originally intended to bring more similar projects online, but has not received a steady, dedicated funding stream for years.

Broome's transition committees when she was taking over as mayor-president suggested merging the RDA, OCD and the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority, but Broome has not taken any public steps to follow that suggestion.

LaFleur said he has bought more lots near the new houses and is applying for additional funding from the OCD and Louisiana Housing Corporation to build on them. Mixed income housing has become a preferred method of building affordable places to live, as developers hope that both market-rate and affordable-rate dwellers can live side-by-side and create neighborhoods with ranges of incomes.

"What you see here is part of the American dream," Broome said. "What you see before you, and the blending of a community."
Kumartuli potters, the famous Durga idol artisans of West Bengal are in a tizzy after the application of GST regime as it holds back their offshore idol deliveries.

By India Today Web Desk: The newly-introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) has left the Kumartuli potters of Bengal and their business in a great chaos.

Who are Kumartuli potters?

Kumartuli potters craft the famous Durga idols and are traditional potters who reside in Kumortuli area in Kolkata. Their existence go back to the 19th century when most of the potters vanished from the area after the Barabazar invasion.

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Although, some artisans took the clay from river side near their homes and started making pots. Later, they started making idols of gods and goddesses and became famous due to their next to perfect crafts.

How GST has affected these potters?

With two-and-a-half months to go for Durga Puja, the biggest festival in east India, the potters are at a loss over the offshore delivery of Fibre-based idols.

"To countries like the US, some in Europe, we deliver Fibre images. We tie up with transport agencies who ferry these idols via cargo ship. But after GST, there is an increase in service tax (18 per cent) and consequently the extra delivery charges will be forwarded to the customer offshore. This has created confusion in terms of logistics.

Also read: Selfies prohibited: Police to ban selfie with deities in Kolkata

"The idol delivery is usually in full swing at this time of the year, but this time round, it is slow till now," Babu Pal, spokesperson for the potters, told IANS.

About 60 Fibre idols were created but only a few were delivered.

"The rest are awaiting transport. Once the customers abroad are made aware of the hike, we hope, they will agree with the required payment," added Pal.

Also read: 10 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata you shouldn't miss

As for domestic demand of idols, Pal said there would be an impact on the orders placed by other states.

"For the idols that will be transported to states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, there will be an increase in the service tax and so the overall budget will increase. As for the demand in West Bengal, we think there will be no such effect," Pal added.

With inputs from IANS

--- ENDS ---
A Dutch energy company has lodged plans for a 316 megawatt solar plant north of the Canberra in NSW.

Construction of Photon Energy's near-600 hectare plant would begin in 2019 and have the largest power output in NSW.

AGL's Nyngan Solar Plant near Dubbo in 2015.

The plant will be built near Gunning, an hour's drive north of Canberra.

Australian managing director Michael Gartner said the plant would be brought online in 30 megawatt blocks over the 12-month construction period, with each block estimated to be able to power 15,000 homes.
Gold Coast AFL star Jarrod Harbrow has been banned from driving for four months after pleading guilty to a drink-driving charge.

Harbrow, 29, faced Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday after recording a blood-alcohol reading of 0.108 during a roadside breath test at 8am on June 5.

Jarrod Harbrow had already been given a two-game ban by the Gold Coast Suns after his arrest. Credit:Getty Images

The court heard the Gold Coast Suns defender had been drinking red wine the night before with his mother.

In addition to having his licence suspended, Harbrow was fined $700 though no conviction was recorded.
News that the Federal Government has confirmed funding to develop a business case for a Melbourne Airport rail link is a welcome development. With the State Government also having provided funding for the project in this year's budget, it is good to see consensus that planning for this important long term project needs to start. While we don't think the rail link will be required for some time  our 30-year infrastructure strategy for Victoria recommends it be operational in 15 to 30 years  the planning work needs to begin now. A good project doesn't happen without good planning, and good planning takes time.

The best airport rail link will be the one that attracts the most people. This will mean it is designed with customers in mind, protects the interests of taxpayers, is accurately scoped and has enough flexibility built in to allow changes to be made in response to new information. The emergence of new technologies, changes in population, shifts in travel preferences and the effectiveness of other transport initiatives could all impact how and when people travel, either reducing or increasing the need for an airport rail link. These areas should be closely monitored as part of the planning work.

Another key part of the planning needs to be an examination of the experience of other cities. You don't need to look very far for an example of a troubled airport rail link. Both Sydney and Brisbane airport rail services initially struggled to attract enough passengers to be commercially viable, rendering them liabilities for their private operators. Other cities around the world  including London, Singapore and Hong Kong  have strong patronage numbers. Why do some services succeed while others fail? The answer is likely to consist of a number of factors, including total airport passenger numbers, proximity of the airport to the CBD and the availability of other transport services. Internationally, rail services account for around 20 per cent of the airport travel market, meaning car, bus and ride share options will continue to be important. It will take time to fully explore the factors of success  and the potential risks  in order to design the best project for Melbourne.

The other crucial element of the airport rail link planning work will be a conversation about exactly what purpose it should serve. This needs to happen well before a sod is turned. Much of the discussion of the project focuses on speed, suggesting that a high-speed connection between the city and the airport is critical. But I suspect that what people value most when travelling to the airport is not speed but reliability. On-road travel always comes with a risk of traffic delays whereas a rail link could deliver much greater travel time certainty, something anyone connecting with a flight places a high value on.
A look back over the last six months will show the world cannot approach this stand-off as it did during the Obama or Bush 2 eras. For a start, North Korea has amassed considerable weapons by developing its ICBMs, and holds a lot more bargaining power.

Anyone hoping the US will navigate what is a treacherous and complicated path forward - beset by variables that the best military and policy minds may not anticipate - may be dismayed after a scroll through US president Donald Trump's Twitter feed.

It announced a capability to reach mainland US with its missiles, a feat that will limit America's options in retaliating against any attack on South Korea or Japan if Kim Jong-un's military machine figures out how to fit them with nuclear warheads.

Just as important, the rapid ascent of North Korea's missile technology and its repeated provocations have coincided with a decline in US global leadership and status, hastened by Mr Trump himself. Historians may cast this as the first major crisis to take place in a brave new multipolar world, where the impulsive New York property magnate presides over a superpower far less in control of the future.

It may be too much to hope for, but it would benefit all sides in this conflict if the US and South Korea accepted this now. The US risks disaster by treating the Korean peninsula as the stage to enact any delusion it wields the dominance it once had, or to exorcise doubts it may not be the lone superpower it once was.

Given this, the US and South Korea's response to Mr Kim's missile test, particularly its joint missile exercise, should be viewed with scepticism by onlookers. It risks further escalating the conflict with little pay-off in the way of leverage that may bring the North Koreans back from further aggression. But hopes of harmony returning to the Korean peninsula in the short seem unlikely. The North Korean regime knows its very survival depends on maintaining some sort of uncomfortable stand-off with the US. They are well aware that the consequences of a US strike would be potentially disastrous for their own population, but have a strong ace card in the knowledge that an all-out war that could involve mass casualties in South Korea, Japan and now possibly further afield is an unthinkable risk unacceptable to most sane-minded western decision makers.

Mr Trump seems to understand the limits of US power in the stand-off, if his tweets about China's role in reigning North Korea back show anything. His Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called for a global solution. It's how Mr Trump, the US military and the State Department react to those restrictions that will largely define how this conflict ends - that, and the frightening unpredictability of the North Korean regime.

European players, Australia and other middle powers should not underestimate their role in steering the conflict to an end that doesn't involve what the US Defense Secretary James Mattis said "would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes." The waning of US influence is also a time for these countries to step up, and this week's G20 summit is an ideal forum. A good starting point would be to de-escalate the conflict, and hold back from any more muscle-flexing.
It is a truism that there is nothing much to like about North Korea. It is harsh, authoritarian, repressive and secretive. And its economic structural problems are largely of its own making - a direct result of the huge expenditure on its "military first" policy, its socialist economic principles and the greed, graft and moral obloquy of the ruling elite. But there has never been a popular uprising and the regime is likely to continue. And China has a vital interest in its ongoing survival.

As with Mark Twain's death, predictions of North Korea's imminent collapse are misplaced. Such imaginings tend to be the preserve of enthusiasts in the Pentagon and the State Department; the same ones who insist foolishly that Kim Jong-un is irrational; who refuse to deal with Pyongyang, hoping for collapse.

The geopolitical reality is that North Korea is committed to being a nuclear state. At some point in the not too distant future, it will miniaturise nuclear warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles. Refusing to engage with it will not make that prospect go away. Washington's policy of non-engagement serves only to maximise the fear, antagonism and pugnaciousness that have characterised North Korean policy for years. The Pentagon's frequently expressed mantra that it will not reward bad behaviour is unwise. China's recent criticism was pointed. It counselled the United States that by not talking to Pyongyang "you will only drive them in the wrong direction", and that a policy of non-engagement is "only making things worse".

Now China and Russia are taking matters into their own hands, jointly proposing a sensible way forward in North Korea - while Washington appears determined to remain locked in its unresolved 70-year-old war with North Korea. The ground is shifting in Northeast Asia. China and Russia are gradually forming a military semi-alliance in the region. Both countries are united in their desire to check American expansion in the Asia-Pacific. Since 2012, their navies have held regular joint exercises in the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan and the South China Sea. And last year, the Chinese and Russian foreign ministers issued a joint statement objecting to American intrusion in the dispute between China and the Philippines over territorial claims in the South China Sea - on the ground that the US was not a littoral state. There is a perception of American hypocrisy on the South China Sea issue. Washington has not ratified the very treaty - the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - to which it demands China adhere.
This is not just another North Korean missile launch. The "successful" testing of a supposed inter-continental ballistic missile takes the Korean Peninsula one step closer to a conflict that could drag in the world's great powers and cost millions of lives.

This time is different because it threatens a reaction from the US. The US closely monitors North Korea's ability to strike cities on the west coast, and significant progress towards that goal is unlikely to go unanswered. Worryingly, the test also has the potential to bring Beijing and Washington to crisis point.

North Korea's KRT shows what was said to be North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watching the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile. Credit:AP

China's position is to press for denuclearisation on the peninsula by getting the US and South Korea to stop their annual defensive military drills, which, Pyongyang claims, are a threat. The North would then suspend missile launches and testing. Given the North invaded the South in a surprise attack in 1950, this is a non-starter for US and South Korean leaders.

The reaction of South Korea's new leader, Moon Jae-in, was telling. Fresh from a successful summit with Donald Trump, he must know the President's thoughts better than most and his warning was stark: "I hope North Korea will not cross the point of no return." Mr Trump put the ball in China's court, asking if Beijing would "end this nonsense once and for all".
The Turnbull government insists there has been no major cyber security breach of its health IT systems and says "traditional" criminals - rather than sophisticated hackers - are likely to blame for a website apparently selling the Medicare numbers of all Australians.

Announcing both internal and federal police investigations on Tuesday, Human Services Minister Alan Tudge said it appeared the breach had affected only a small number of people and had not put sensitive personal medical records at risk.

But IT and privacy experts are sounding the alarm, using the revelations to call for an urgent rethink of the government's new centralised $1 billion My Health Record system - which is about to be rolled out to most Australians.
Let's take names and party affiliations out of it for a moment. And simply review two examples of post-prime ministership currently adorning our national stage

In the first instance, we've had one former prime minister make headlines because they are starting a leadership role in the not-for-profit sector. They have given interviews and written opinion pieces about how they want to help Australia tackle a debilitating, community-wide health problem.

Ahead of this week's G20 meeting, they also wrote an article about a global development issue. They have a long record of advocating for this issue in their post-parliamentary life. While it sometimes brings them into contact with genuinely famous people (as opposed to politicians), it can be safely filed under worthy but uncontroversial.

During a TV interview this week, when asked a question about domestic politics, this former prime minister's comments were consistent with what their party's current policy is (in other words: quite boring). Indeed, their public appearances follow a practice of largely staying silent on domestic matters.
A real estate giant is being probed for facilitating the alleged acquisition of 'benami' properties by the RJD chief's kin.

By Atir Khan: A renowned real estate giant is being probed for facilitating the alleged acquisition of 'benami' properties in Delhi and Bihar by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's kin.

Investigations into their benami property case have revealed that the conglomerate had put in inexplicable money in a shell company. The Income Tax (I-T) department has alerted CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to further probe the link.

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Highly placed sources in I-T Department told India Today the renowned real estate giant's South Indian subsidiary had put an amount of about Rs 20 crores into the shell company, which eventually passed on the money to companies controlled by Lalu Prasad's kin. This money was reportedly used to acquire properties, including a plush bungalow in Delhi's New Friends Colony.

The I-T Department has been analysing financial transactions of shell companies which were used to route money to acquire alleged benami properties. It has now red-flagged the suspicious financial transaction to its sister agencies now probing the matter.

SIX-YEAR-OLD TRANSACTIONS

The real estate conglomerate's name had also surfaced during the probe of a known personality linked to a political party in Opposition.

Since there was no business between the real estate company and the shell company, the I-T department suspects the money was given in return for some kind of favour.

But the investigation is criminal in nature and could be involving quid pro quo of some kind. CBI and ED are empowered to probe such transactions.

Whats more, the transactions are more than six years old. So they don't fall under the ambit of I-T Department investigations.

The department is of the view that the money was deliberately layered in a circuitous manner to avoid detection.

According to the I-T department, four shell companies are being examined for facilitating money into companies which were allegedly controlled by Lalu Prasad's kin.

However, Lalu Prasad's kin have recently disputed the department's findings with regard to their properties.

Their lawyers have appeared before the I-T department with their submissions, and said it had assumed that they are end beneficiaries of the properties provisionally attached by IT officials. They've said the assumption is incorrect.

They have also challenged the department's assessment of "illegal" share transfer. They contend that the share transfer is not in violation of any provisions of law.

Earlier, Lalu Prasad Yadav had also denied that his relatives had acquired any benami properties.

ALSO READ

Strong possibility of Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati coming together, match over for 2019: Lalu Prasad

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Lalu family members to contest benami proceedings in Delhi High Court

--- ENDS ---
Who likes short shorts and a bracing jog to clear the air?

That would be Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Irish Taoiseach (PM) Leo Varadkar who took the classic walk and talk meeting next level when they pulled on their joggers for a dash around Dublin's Phoenix Park.
After a one-year stay at Cooma Correctional Centre, Oliver Curtis is spending his newfound freedom making up for lost time with wife Roxy Jacenko and their two children, Pixie and Hunter.

The former investment banker, 31, was spotted at Sydney International Airport on Wednesday as he jetted off for his first family holiday since he was incarcerated for conspiracy to commit insider trading.

Checking in business class, it's a far cry from how he spent the last 365 days behind bars. It's believed the family are jetting to Bali.

A shroud of mystery has surrounded Jacenko and Curtis' marriage since he was released with neither of them wearing their wedding rings, but this trip abroad might be a fresh start for the pair.
A self-taught pattern maker and a fashion buyer created a world-renowned clothing label in Brisbane 28 years ago. Now a philanthropist has donated the entire collection - about 3300 garments - to Museum of Brisbane and the hope is that it will inspire the next Easton Pearson.

"Brisbane for me I think was the natural home of the collection," said the donor, Dr Paul Eliadis.

Dr Paul Eliadis, Lydia Pearson and Pamela Easton with part of Easton Pearson archive, which has all been donated to the Museum of Brisbane. Credit:Russell Shakespeare

"It's being conserved in the most appropriate way.

"The last thing I wanted to see was it broken up, and leave Australia. That would have been a crime."
They are all pictures of women doing everyday activities: a woman on a street, a woman playing the piano in her home, a woman lounging in a boat, a woman at a table in a restaurant.

All unremarkable, except that they are wearing a cow mask.

"Holy Animal meets the Holy River Calcutta'17," the photographer captioned the post. Credit:Instagram/ Sujatro Ghosh

The photographs aim to highlight the growing violence against women in India, while also drawing attention to a wave of attacks on religious minorities accused of eating beef or slaughtering cows - considered sacred by many Hindus.

"People are getting lynched in this country to protect cows. But women's safety is neglected and violence against women is rising," photographer Sujatro Ghosh said of his project.
Questions in the proposed new citizenship test that address family violence, child marriage and female genital mutilation imply opposition to these is an Australian value.

Indeed most Australians would agree female genital mutilation is an appalling breach of a girls right to bodily integrity, and that safeguarding children from violence is a vital goal in modern society. But protection from genital cutting should not only be granted to girls, but to all children.

Children undergoing such surgeries are often too young to understand what is happening to them and are legally too young to provide their consent. Credit:Stocksy

While condemning female genital mutilation, Australian society appears to broadly accept routine circumcision of young boys, and genital modification surgeries on intersex children where the childs genitals are reconstructed to resemble those typical of either a male or female. These procedures are legal and supported by Medicare.

In most cases, circumcisions and intersex surgeries occur without medical necessity or urgency: the children are healthy and no adverse medical consequences will arise if the surgery is not carried out immediately. Importantly, children undergoing such surgeries are often too young to understand what is happening to them and are legally too young to provide their consent.
LOTS changed in superannuation when the clock struck 12 this year, not least that super balances over $1.6 million may no longer be eligible for tax-free earnings (and there are lower caps on contributions). Bully for you if that's relevant  you're doing OK anyway.

New Year 2017/18 could prove "happy" indeed, for those with the intel to game all the July 1 change. And I'm about to give it to you 

Aussies don't pop the cork off some bubbles and count down the seconds 'til midnight on a new financial year, but we should. And that goes especially for this one, which is replete with new opportunities  as well as the odd threat.

But for mere money mortals there are some positive changes that have received less fanfare, chief among them the ability to make personal deductible contributions.

If that sentence has you thinking the calendar new year is far more fun, what it means is employees can now do the equivalent of salary sacrificing into super without going through their employer and setting it up before they have the money  once you know your financial situation, you can decide how much and when, and the tax break is the same.

It's also problem solved if your employer is unscrupulous enough to reduce your super payments for any salary packaging and it removes the risk they won't actually contribute money you think you're sacrificing  Industry Super Australia says one in three employees are underpaid super.

There is also a tremendous change for couples where one person has no or low earnings, perhaps because they are on a career "break" to raise children: a far higher income threshold for the spouse contribution offset. This has been sitting at a ridiculous $13,800 for years but has leapt to $40,000. You can earn a maximum $540 tax offset  so lopped off the top of your bill  for contributing $3000 on behalf of your partner (if their balance is below $1.6 million).

Just be wary of the strategy if the high earner is on a tax rate of 34.5 per cent-plus (including the Medicare levy). Louise Biti, director of Aged Care Steps, explains the benefit of a pre-tax salary sacrifice or personal deduction is 19.5 per cent (34.5 per cent minus 15 per cent) or higher for someone on the top tax rate. A spouse contribution would only provide an 18 per cent return. But in choosing which option, also keep an eye on the contribution caps for each person.
Dr Chloe Abbott (left) died in January, one of several recent junior doctors to commit suicide. Convening the panel, psychiatrist and National Mental Health Commissioner Ian Hickie said the current focus on building resilience ignored the deleterious culture of medicine and dangerous working conditions to which junior doctor were subjected. Professor Ian Hickie said resilience was a "con" that distracted from meaningfully addressing dangerous work conditions for doctors. Credit:Steven Siewert "It's this con of individual resilience that is part of the problem," Dr Hickie said. "We operate on a collegiate system that has been unregulated but has demonstrably failed to move into the 21st century."

He drew parallels with the aviation industry that had industrial safeguards in place so that pilots did not fly while fatigued. "Why should doctors treating patients be any different?" he asked. Mr Hazzard flagged overhauling legislation that required doctors to report colleagues who had a health condition that put patients at risk, over concerns the law was stopping doctors with mental illness seeking help. Currently, all registered health practitioners must report a doctor to the medical regulator if they believe the doctor is "placing the public at risk of substantial harm" due to a health issue, including mental health. But junior doctors believed any mental health problem could be reported, Mr Hazzard said.

"But that's not the way junior doctors generally interpret it because of the fear inculcated in the profession," Mr Hazzard said. "The constant fear [is] that 'I am not going to achieve to move forward in my profession if people know I've got this issue.' "We may need to change the legislation because of this perception," Mr Hazzard said. Dr Tessa Kennedy is chairwoman of the AMA NSW doctors-in-training sub-committee and said system-wide and cultural change was needed to improve the mental health of doctors. Credit:Louise Kennerley Ms Abbott, 25, said her sister didn't tell anyone she was struggling because she was terrified it would jeopardise her chances of getting into a highly competitive endocrinology training program. "When you make medicine your life, which she did, there was a huge fear that, if she asked for help, it could cost her her career," she said.

"A doctor in NSW should be able to see another doctor for their mental health problems and not be afraid that it will be reported to their boss. Everyone should have that right." All panellists agreed the culture of medicine and the "intense pressure" on doctors-in-training were of greater concern than reporting laws. Untenable working conditions, long hours, unrealistic expectations and gruelling study regimens were a danger to doctors and patients, chairwoman of the AMA NSW doctor-in-training committee and paediatric registrar Tessa Kennedy said. "We also need to look very hard at our culture," Dr Kennedy said. "Bullying and harassment remain endemic in our profession. "The sense I get is that doctors-in-training have a lack of confidence in the system to deal with bullying and harassment."

But the general attitude of some senior doctors also needed to be redressed, she said. "Whenever I flag with senior colleagues that I'm really excited to have a day off after I worked 65 hours in last five days  they scoff and say: 'Five days? In my day, I did 13 days in a row, 48-hour shifts.' "[I would think] well, thank you for invalidating my fatigue  I love my job but are you saying you need me to work in an unsustainable, unsafe way? "They have all these horror stories of them falling asleep cannulating people ... that's not a good thing. That is not something to be proud of  it's a dangerous thing." Dr Geoff Toogood spoke candidly about his own struggles as a doctor seeking help for his mental health issues. Credit:Daniel Munoz
Employees of the Spanish government in Australia have appealed to the foreign affairs department for help in their ongoing strike over a nine year pay freeze.

A group of eight locally engaged staff at the Spanish Consulate-General in Sydney walked off the job last month after bureaucrats in Madrid refused to pass on a 3.3 per cent pay increase, ordered by the Fair Work Commission as an increase to Australia's minimum wage.

Spain's Ambassador to Australia Manuel Cacho Quesada, with Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove.

The striking workers say pay rates vary between the Spanish government's diplomatic missions in Australia and have called on the Spanish Ambassador to Australia, Manuel Cacho Quesada, to intervene. The Spanish government's political and budgetary difficulties have prevented any pay rise for diplomatic officials in nine years.

Spain has one of Europe's largest budget deficits and has faced months of political malaise from inconclusive national elections.
Apple's current headquarters in California. Credit:AP But city officials and residents say this project is like nothing they've seen before. It is even bringing tourists. Onlookers snap pictures of the spaceship from the streets. TV helicopters circle above. Amateur photographers ask residents if they can stand on driveways to operate their drones, hoping to get a closer look at Apple Park. The construction of Apple Park has upset the locals. Credit:Laura Morton/ The New York Times "I just say, 'Hey, go ahead,'" said Ron Nielsen, who lives in Birdland, a Sunnyvale neighbourhood across the street from the spaceship. "Why not?"

Drone operators want that coveted aerial shot while pedestrians want to get an eyeful of the curved glass building before the headquarters become hidden by a man-made forest. The Birdland neighbourhood, situated on the other side of the road from Apple Park. Credit:Laura Morton/ The New York Times The campus is one of the last major projects started by Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple, who died six years ago. Just a few months before his death, he went before the Cupertino City Council and laid out his vision for a futuristic circular house of glass that would foster creativity and collaboration. Two years later, the council unanimously approved the plans for the campus. The main centre features the spaceship ring, the Steve Jobs Theater, a 100,000-square-foot gym and a visitors center in a woodland setting with two miles of running and walking paths. An orchard, a meadow and a pond are inside the ring. 'Mind-blowing, mind-blowing, mind-blowing'

The entire project shows off Apple's obsession with details. The custom windows were made in Germany and are considered the world's largest panels of curved glass. One pair of glass doors is 92 feet high. The finish on the underground concrete garage, said David Brandt, Cupertino's city manager, is so shiny it is almost like glass. "Mind-blowing, mind-blowing, mind-blowing," the mayor, Savita Vaidhyanathan, said about her visit to the site. "I saw the underground 1,000-seat theater and the carbon-fiber roof. The roof was made in Dubai, and it was transported and assembled here. I love that it's here and that I can brag about it." Many of the public views will soon be going away. Apple Park will eventually have 9,000 trees, filling in much of the big open spaces. The public will instead have access to a visitors centre with a cafe, a store and rooftop observation views. "It will be a separate glass structure and be set in an old-growth olive tree grove," said Dan Whisenhunt, Apple's vice president of real estate and development. Not all of these changes have thrilled everyone. Residents of Birdland, an 877-home neighbourhood, have been particularly vocal. They have complained about early-morning construction rigs that beep and rumble along major streets, unpredictable road closings, unsightly green sheeted barriers and construction potholes that result in punctured tires.

When her car was covered with construction dust, Sheri Nielsen, Nielsen's wife, contacted Apple. The company sent carwash certificates. 'You don't make everyone happy' Whisenhunt said the company strove to answer every complaint it received, "and if the issue is serious enough, I will personally visit to see what is going on." In the design phase, he said, Apple hosted more than 110 community gatherings for feedback. Birdland was addressed in late 2012 and early 2013 and was given information about what would be happening over the next three years of construction. Apple published community mailers five times and sent them to 26,000 households. The price of property in the neighbourhood has also become a source of some worry. Sunnyvale and Cupertino, like many other Silicon Valley towns, have had an extended real estate boom, as the tech industry has expanded. Prices in the area really started to rise, real estate agents and residents said, after Apple released its plans.

A three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,400-square-foot ranch-style house that cost $US750,000 in 2011 has doubled in price. Since Apple said it was moving into the former Hewlett-Packard site, prices have moved up 15 to 20 percent year after year, said Art Maryon, a local real estate agent. Today, bidders usually offer 20 to 25 percent over the asking price. Birdland is already drawing Apple employees, replacing homeowners who have cashed out to move to quieter regions. Those who remain are realizing that life will not be the same when all 12,000 of the Apple workers go in and come out on a daily basis. People in the neighborhood dread the increased traffic and expect workers to park in front of their homes since there will be fewer available spaces in the company garage. Apple's answers to concerned residents will continue, Whisenhunt said. "When you tell people what is upcoming, some of the anxiety they have calms down a lot," he said. And yet, he acknowledged, "you don't make everyone happy."
A 26-year-old man is blind in one eye after he was knocked to the ground and punched in the head in a vicious attack at a Brunswick nightclub.

Police believe three men were involved in the alleged assault on May 26 at The Phoenix nightclub.

One of the men police would like to speak to about the Brunswick assault. Credit:Victoria Police

The victim, from Rosebud, was involved in an argument with the men outside the Sydney Road club about 10pm, but he entered the club and the men walked away.

Police said the men approached the victim inside the club just before midnight, pushing and shoving him until security guards broke up the fight.
By PTI: Kolkata, Jul 4 (PTI) The opposition Left Front and Congress today demanded immediate deployment of army to control the situation at Baduria in North 24 Parganas district where communal clashes have broken out over an "objectionable" post on Facebook.

The CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra demanded that an all party meeting be convened on this issue to chalk a way out to tackle the situation.

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"We demand all party meeting and army deployment. Debate on phone call is unwanted. All of us must stand united for peace and unity. We have to defeat polarisation politics," Mishra said.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said army should be immediately deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident.

The state government rushed 400 troops of paramilitary BSF today to assist the police in containing the situation at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district.

Police here said "Clashes took place at Baduria since yesterday following an objectionable Facebook post by a youth who was arrested."

Shops, markets were shut down in Baduria as tension prevailed and spread to adjacent areas like Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia, they said.

The mob put up road blockades at many places and attacked members of other community besides destroying many shops, they said.

Demonstration was held in front of the Baduria police station by the people of one community. PTI PNT RG SMJ

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An autistic tourist who went missing from a Melbourne beach more than a day ago has returned "safe and well" to the place he was staying with his family.

British resident Benjamin Wyatt was visiting Melbourne with his family when he went missing at Black Rock, in Melbourne's southeast, on Tuesday afternoon.

His family left the 34-year-old in the car park to take photos, but they said Mr Wyatt was gone when they returned a short time later.

Police launched an air, ground and water search, and on Wednesday afternoon said they would continue looking throughout the night.
The co-owner of a top Melbourne live music venue fears an apartment block planned for next door could threaten the bar's survival.

Brendan Brogan said lower floor bedrooms of the proposed eight-storey development in Brunswick would be metres from the stage of the popular Howler bar, and noise complaints from residents could put the venue at risk.

Brendan Brogan outside Howler, with the site of the proposed apartment block next door. Credit:Eddie Jim

Mr Brogan discovered the plan two weeks ago and is "quite worried", with the block to run along the east side of his venue for about 50 metres. Fans have spoken out on social media.

Mr Brogan said the public had until next Monday to object to Moreland council.
Did you get today's brainteaser?

The answer is below:

Scott H (email), Tim C (Facebook) and @leeroybrown1982 (Twitter) were first with the answer.

I deliberately made this one rather easy considering there had been a four week brainteaser hiatus. Rest assured that next week's will be harder to solve.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 04/07/2017 (1956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After more than a year of planning and debate inside Steinbach city hall, and fundraising and discussions outside of it, the proposal to build a $24.3 million downtown performing arts centre died in less than three minutes.

Tuesdays city council meeting almost slipped by without anyone addressing the elephant in the room: the fact that the city had not received responses to its provincial and federal funding requests before its self-imposed June 30 deadline.

Just before the meeting adjourned, Mayor Chris Goertzen broached the topic. After briefly summarizing the projects journey, he confirmed it had reached its end.

Results of community surveys regarding the Steinbach performing arts centre were released at Tuesday's meeting of Steinbach city council.

The project will not move forward in its present form, Goertzen stated. We as council will begin consultations over the next few months to determine future recreation and cultural plans, however.

He reiterated councils commitment to grow its recreation and culture reserve fund by over $1 million per year. The fund currently contains approximately $750,000, Goertzen said. He closed by thanking council for their hard work on the subject. No further discussion followed Goertzens remarks.

Theres disappointment that we cant move forward, he said, following the meeting.

Future consultations will be of an informal nature, he confirmed, and will pave the way for future recreation and cultural plans that are prudent for the entire city.

But for now, this project is no more, he said, adding no alternate proposal to the performing arts centre yet exists.

The mayors message to those who supported the project, whether financially or from a distance, was one of thanks. Referencing the hard work of the Friends of the SPAC, Goertzen suggested their efforts have left a lasting imprint that will extend beyond the failed proposal.

We saw clearly that theres a passion for the arts in our community, Goertzen said. But we need to have all the pieces of the puzzle in place.

The mayor declined to speculate on the reasons why the second phase of the Building Canada fund has not been announced, noting others have been left waiting too.

Were not alone. Its the entire province, he said, later acknowledging council did expect the two levels of government to act more quickly.

Moving forward, Goertzen pledged to continue with recreation and culture efforts that are achievable, and called the citys ongoing financial commitment substantial.

He also considered the value of the sunset clause, implemented in December, which attached the June deadline to the project.

I think having deadlines on things, pushing us to move forward, is not inappropriate, he said.
A university in Lucknow has asked all women employees to not work post 6 pm to avoid any mishap.

By India Today Web Desk: A notification released by a central Lucknow University backfired on a college after the notification asked all women employees to leave the campus by 6 pm in the evening. The act was criticised by activists, along with the female staff of the university.

The order was implemented by the Vice-Chancellor of the university which was observed to be a restriction of women's freedom.

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According an ANI report, R.C. Sobti, the VC of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), sent out an order on Monday claiming that it aimed at guaranteeing safety of its female employees. The order stated that all female employees, including faculty members, should not stay at the college campus after 6 pm.

The activists condemned the act and claimed that it is a disappointment that women have to be careful of their clothes and the time they are returning homes.

Shabnam Pandey, a women activist in Lucknow told ANI, "So much is done on women empowerment by the Central and the State Government and then we hear about this institution, who has implemented these rules that women should be let off at 6 pm and women should wear certain type of clothes. All this is really disappointing."

She added that if a woman completes her work on time, it is good, but if it takes more time then the security of the woman is the institute's responsibility.

"This is also sending a wrong message to the families who will think twice before sending their daughters to schools and colleges, because it is not safe. A strict action should be taken and they should abolish this rule," she concluded.

According to the order, if any women employee wants to work after 6 pm, she would need to seek the Vice-Chancellor's permission.

--- ENDS ---
The Restaurant Monitor is a weekly listing of scores for restaurants inspected by the Brazos County Health Department.

Inspections scores are on a 100-point scale. Generally, scores below 80 might cause the department to schedule a follow-up visit. A score below 70 results in the suspension of an establishment's health permit.

The following inspections were conducted June 22 through 29.

BRYAN

Big Top Learning Center, 908 Dansby St. -- 100; Everyday Life Residential Treatment Center, 6955 Broach Road -- 100; Miramont Country Club, 1 Miramont Blvd. -- 100; Miramont Country Club -- Pool Area, 1 Miramont Blvd. -- 100; Sons of Hermann Lodge, 1104 W. William J. Bryan Parkway -- 100; Tacos La Morenita, 809 Ash St. -- 100.

The Art 979 Kitchen, 211 W. William J. Bryan Parkway -- 93. Toilet facilities improperly constructed/maintained, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, utensils and linens improperly stored/used, wiping cloths improperly stored/used, eating/drinking/tobacco use, improper date marking and disposition.

Carney's Pub, 3410 S. College Ave. -- 95. Evidence of insect/rodent contamination, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, environmental contamination.

Christopher's World Grille, 5001 Boonville Road -- 95. Food not separated and protected during preparation, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used.

Corner Store -- Service, 4609 E. 29th St. -- 90. Food not separated and protected during preparation, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, single-use articles improperly stored/used, wiping cloths improperly stored/used.

CVS Pharmacy, 3000 Texas Ave. S. -- 98. Unauthorized persons.

Food City DBA La Michoacana Meat Market, 2001 Texas 21 E. -- 97. Physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, eating/drinking/tobacco use, garbage and refuse improperly disposed.

Frank's Country Store, 6497 F.M. 1179 -- 80. Inadequate ventilation and lighting, improper cooling time and temperature, toilet facilities improperly constructed/maintained, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, environmental contamination, evidence of insect/rodent contamination, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, food and non-food contact surfaces improperly designed/used, improper cooling method, food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized, single-use articles improperly stored/used.

Highway 21 Truck Stop, 2714 W. Texas 21 -- 70. Non-food contact surfaces not clean, inadequate ventilation and lighting, evidence of insect/rodent contamination, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, thermometers not provided/accurate/calibrated, improper hot hold temperature (135 F), food not separated and protected during preparation, food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized, required records unavailable, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, environmental contamination, improper cooling method, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, inadequate hand wash facilities, improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F).

La Paloma Taqueria, 3002 Woodville Road -- 87. Improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F), food not separated and protected during preparation, food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized, improper cooling method, wiping cloths improperly stored/used, other violations.

Rana Grocery, 1501 Groesbeck St. -- 85. Toilet facilities improperly constructed/maintained, water obtained from unapproved source/improper plumbing, unapproved sewage/wastewater disposal system, thermometers not provided/accurate/calibrated, food and non-food contact surfaces improperly designed/used, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, evidence of insect/rodent contamination.

Revolution, 211 S. Main St. -- 99. Evidence of insect/rodent contamination.

Santa Teresa Catholic Church, 1212 Lucky St. -- 98. Thermometers not provided/accurate/calibrated.

Taqueria El Tio, 911 N. Bryan Ave. -- 77. Inadequate ventilation and lighting, eating/drinking/tobacco use, improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F), inadequate hand wash facilities, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, improper date marking and disposition, improper hot hold temperature (135 F), improper cooling method, evidence of insect/rodent contamination, wiping cloths improperly stored/used, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, other violations.

COLLEGE STATION

CVS Pharmacy, 717 University Drive -- 100; Gumby's Pizza, 4242 Koppe Bridge Road -- 100.

Aji Sushi, 1901 Texas Ave. -- 88. Food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized, improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F), food and non-food contact surfaces improperly designed/used, improper hot hold temperature (135 F), wiping cloths improperly stored/used.

Double Dave's Pizzaworks, 1410 Texas Ave. -- 95. Food and non-food contact surfaces improperly designed/used, environmental contamination, inadequate ventilation and lighting, non-food contact surfaces not clean.

Fox & Hound, 505 University Drive -- 90. Environmental contamination, evidence of insect/rodent contamination, wiping cloths improperly stored/used, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, improper procedures and records, food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized.

Freebirds, 319 University Drive -- 93. Environmental contamination, inadequate ventilation and lighting, improper cooling method, improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F).

Kung Fu Tea, 723 Texas Ave. S. -- 77. Inadequate hand wash facilities, eating/dinking/tobacco use, environmental contamination, food not separated and protected during preparation, hands not washed/improper glove use, improper container labeling, single-use articles improperly stored/used, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, thermometers not provided/accurate/calibrated, unauthorized persons, manager not present/knowledge not demonstrated.

Max Food Mart Inc., 12677 F.M. 2154 -- 97. Food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized.

Must be Heaven, 1700 Rock Prairie Road -- 95. Food not separated and protected during preparation, garbage and refuse improperly disposed, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained

Ohana Korean Grill, 2501 S. Texas Ave. -- 96. Eating/drinking/tobacco use, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used.

Panera Bread, 1407 University Drive -- 91. Improper cooling method, improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F), environmental contamination, food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized.

Reynolds & Reynolds, 200 Quality Circle -- 91. Physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, non-food contact not clean, improper cooling method, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F).

Skybreak Church/Jack & Jill Preschool, 4010 Harvey Road -- 93. Unauthorized persons, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used.

Stripes, 13601 F.M. 2154 -- 88. Unauthorized persons, hot and cold water unavailable/inadequate pressure, food not separated and protected during preparation, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, single-use articles improperly stored/used, environmental contamination.

Stripes, 1780 Greens Prairie Road -- 87. Improper cold hold temperature (41 F/45 F), improper cooling method, single-use articles improperly stored/used, toxic substances improperly identified/stored/used, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized.

The Republic, 701 University Drive -- 90. Food contact surfaces not clean and sanitized, food and non-food contact surfaces improperly designed/used, ware washing facilities improperly installed/maintained/used, physical facilities improperly installed/maintained, evidence of insect/rodent contamination, utensils and linens improperly stored/used.

Wellborn Grocery/Igloo Enterprises, 14889 F.M. 2154 -- 90. Thermometers not provided/accurate/calibrated, improper container labeling, unapproved sewage/wastewater disposal system, inadequate hand wash facilities, food and non-food contact surfaces improperly designed/used.

HEARNE

Edge General Store, 7250 Edge Cut Off Road -- 100.
A new program launched by the Texas A&M College of Engineering will pair first-generation engineering students with faculty or staff members who will help them navigate the path to success.

"While mentoring programs were offered in the past, this one is specifically for first-generation college students," said Bimal Nepal, Phillips '66 First Year Engineering Faculty Fellow, associate professor of industrial distribution and program lead of the First-Generation Engineering Student Mentoring Program, or FGEn. "This program is designed to help them not only transition to college life but to help support their academic success."

According to Texas A&M, first-generation students are defined as the first in their families to attend a formal university-level program or earn a degree. More than 20 percent of those in the College of Engineering are first-generation students.

More than 40 mentors have signed up for the program, and many are first-generation graduates themselves. The mentors, who have experience in student advising, will help students leverage available resources to help them succeed personally, academically and professionally. About 50 junior and senior engineering students also have signed up to serve as peer mentors. These students will allow participants to receive first-hand advice from their peers.

According to Texas A&M, the students involved in FGEn will attend mentoring events along with multiple activities focused on improving campus life and enhancing academic success. Students also will learn networking and communications skills.

"Often, adjusting to college is overwhelming for students just because they are unaware of the resources and tools available to help them on campus. Our goal is for the mentor to be that resource and help make this transition easier," Nepal said.

First-generation engineering students, both entering freshmen and current students, can apply for the program at http://bit.ly/2tOsDYa.
KN Tripathi accused Mamata Banerjee of insulting the office of the constitutional head by making baseless remarks. Banerjee said yesterday that the governor had threatened and insulted her.

By Romita Datta: The war of words between West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continued today, with Tripathi accusing Banerjee of insulting the office of the constitutional head by making baseless remarks.

Banerjee on Tuesday accused Tripathi of threatening and insulting her, after the West Bengal governor called her to enquire about the law and order situation in Bashirhat sub-division of North 24 Pargana district, where violence erupted following a controversial social media post.

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Banerjee also said Tripathi was "speaking like a BJP block president."

In a strong note, the West Bengal governor has said Banerjee's allegations against him were baseless, and were meant to emotionally blackmail the people of the state.

"Instead of making accusations, it is better for Chief Minister to direct her attention to maintaining peace, law and order," he said.

BJP-RSS DELEGATION

The Governor's phone call to Banerjee on Tuesday came soon after a combined BJP and RSS delegation met him at Raj Bhawan and complained about the deteriorating law and order situation in Bashirhat. They alleged that people from one particular community were being targeted.

The party also demanded the immediate deployment of central para-military forces in the area.

Banerjee said yesterday that "every time BJP people meet him (Tripathi), he starts speaking in their favour."

But the West Bengal Governor has said that Raj Bhawan isn't the office of the BJP or the RSS.

"Raj Bhawan is not expected to tear off or throw away complaints in the waste paper basket," he asserted.

He added that he was well aware of his constitutional responsibilities and obligations, and reminded Banerjee and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders that he was appointed by the President and was nominated by an elected government.

Meanwhile, West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee said his party would take strong steps if the Governor did not repent for allegedly insulting Mamata Banerjee.

ALSO READ

Angry Mamata hits out at West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi over Bashirhat communal flare-up

Mamata slams Centre's July 1 GST push, calls it an epic blunder like demonetisation

ALSO WATCH

Mamata Banerjee accuses Modi government of backing Gorkhaland stir

--- ENDS ---
Texas A&M graduates are tied for the most Fortune 500 company CEOs, alongside the University of Michigan, the university said Monday.

According to a list compiled by U.S. News and World Reports, the two universities top the list of colleges attended by Fortune 500 CEOs with four each.

Texas A&M president Michael K. Young said in a statement he believes the ranking "once again proves that Texas A&M has an outstanding record of preparing graduates for the workplace, and that we are a university that produces leaders."

We have a long history of graduates leading some of the worlds most successful companies and organizations," Young said. "I have no doubt at all that we will continue to produce more outstanding business leaders in the years to come.

The most prominent Aggie on the 2017 Fortune 500 list is class of '87 electrical engineering graduate Darren Woods, CEO and chairman of Exxon Mobil.

Woods was selected in December to replace now-secretary of state Rex Tillerson as the head of the largest oil company in the U.S.

He is joined by class of '84 accounting graduate Bruce D. Broussard, CEO of Humana; class of '88 accounting graduate David M. Cordani, CEO of Cigna; and class of '80 chemical engineering graduate Greg C. Garland, CEO of Phillips 66.

Woods and Garland took part in an open forum hosted by the Dwight Look College of Engineering on the A&M campus in September, during which both men attributed their success in business at least in part to the foundation they received while studying at the university.

"I probably didn't appreciate [the traditions and values] as much as I do now, but I can tell you I have lived in many places around the world, and I have shared the Aggie Honor Code time and time again," Woods said. "It's a great foundation, and I think the traditions convey a sense that each of us are taking advantage of the hard work that came before us. As a young person, it's not always easy to see that, but as you go through your life, you begin to appreciate certain values, like the idea that it's not about you, it's about what you can contribute to what others have left."

Following A&M and Michigan were Cornell University and Harvard University at three CEOs each. Brown University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University-University Park, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, University of North Carolina-Charlotte and Yale University each had two graduates serving as CEOs on the list.

The 2017 list saw a reduction in the number of CEOs for both Texas A&M as well as Harvard and Cornell, which previously held the top two spots. On the 2016 list, Harvard had 10 graduates serving as CEOs, Cornell had nine and Texas A&M was tied with the University of Notre Dame and the United States Military Academy at West Point with six graduates serving as CEOs each.
A new local organization is striving to help families keep their older members who need constant care from having to be placed in a nursing home or assisted living center for as long as possible.

The Senior Care Center, at 453 S. Main St. in Rocky Mount, is the first and only adult day care center in Franklin County to be licensed by the Virginia Department of Social Services, according to its director, Clifton Coger.

Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, the center provides recreational and therapeutic services to older adults who need supervised care, including those with dementia and Alzheimers disease. A doctors referral is necessary.

Participants are able to take part in activities such as stretching exercises, music, board games, the arts and Bible studies, as well as have the opportunity to socialize with their peers. Lunch and snacks are served.

A registered nurse is provided to help patients with their medical needs. An activities director also is on the staff.

Transportation services are available.

A full description of the centers services and their costs are on its website at www.sccva.org. The center can be reached by phone at 483-8000.

A trial period, lasting for up to two half-days, is available for free from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays.

The center is licensed by social services to serve as many as 30 participants weekly, Coger said.

Based on his research, he said the center is a badly-needed service in Franklin County as its population ages.

U.S. Census Bureau statistics show the county has roughly 11,800 residents ages 65 and older, accounting for 21  percent of its population. Furthermore, statistics show 36 percent of people within that age range have some type of impairment  such as hearing or vision, or trouble caring for themselves  that interferes with their daily lives, according to Coger.

The best care you can get is at home, he said, but his organization aims to provide the next best option.

The centers services are important because they give caregivers the opportunity to get some badly-needed respite or to run errands or take care of chores around the house, he added.

Although the Senior Care Centers focus is on serving Franklin County, because it is licensed by the state, it also is able to accept clients from surrounding localities, Coger said.
Law Commission recommended to the Modi government to make marriage registration compulsory within 30 days of the wedding with no exemption to any religious community.

By Harish V Nair: It could soon become impossible to have a hush-hush marriage. In a landmark move, the Law Commission on Tuesday recommended to the Narendra Modi government to make marriage registration compulsory within 30 days of the wedding ceremony with no exemption to any religious community including Muslims.

The panel, which guides the government on complex legal issues, suggested punishing the defaulters with a fine of Rs 5 per day for unreasonable delay. There will be other penalties for providing false information and for refusal to furnish certain information, such as name and address.

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"Since Independence, numerous initiatives have been taken to address the issue of gender inequality. Instances of marriage fraud have also come to light in recent times," the panel headed by Justice BS Chauhan observed in the report. "In the absence of compulsory registration, women are duped into marrying without performance of the conditions of a valid marriage. This deprives women of societal recognition and legal security. Such fraudulent marriages are especially on rise among non-resident Indians. Compulsory registration can serve as a means to ensure that conditions of a valid marriage have been performed."

The law ministry on February 16 asked the commission to examine and submit a report with regard to various issues relating to compulsory registration of marriages.

SHARIA LAW

Prominent Muslim organisations and clerics led by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board have always dubbed attempts to make marriage registration mandatory as "direct infringement with Sharia law".

"How can you render a nikah invalid simply because the marriage has not been formally registered with the concerned authorities? No one other than a Sharia court has the right to declare a nikah invalid," AIMPLB sources said.

Once it becomes law, the couples who fail to register their marriage will be devoid of facilities that require a marriage certificate. Experts say compulsory registration would help curb instances of bigamy and regulate polygamy. "It will become important to show the consent of first wife to register second marriage where polygamy is permitted for a faith or tribe. This will help ensure social and legal protection to women who are socially vulnerable," law panel sources said.

The report also comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath government's decision to make marriage registration compulsory without exemptions to Muslims had triggered a controversy.

HOW IT HELPS

According to experts, compulsory registration of marriages in the country will help in dealing with many serious social and legal problems in the country.

It will be helpful in preventing child marriage and would ensure that the minimum age of marriage is complied with. Also, such a law will prevent non-consensual marriages in the country, will check illegal marriage or polygamy and among other things would enable married women to claim their right to live in the matrimonial home, claim maintenance etc. and therefore will be a step in direction of empowerment of women.

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"Registration of a marriage under any of the prevailing marriage Acts like the Indian Christian Marriages Act. 1872, the Kazis Act, 1880, the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936, the Sharia Application Act, 1937, Special Marriage Act, 1954, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, any other custom or personal law relating to marriage will be acceptable and a separate standalone legislation may not be required so long as an amendment is made to the Births and Deaths Registration Act to include marriages," said the law panel's report.

It says the registrar responsible for the registration of births and deaths will also be responsible for marriage registrations.

"The Amendment Bill should provide that if the birth or marriage or death is not registered within the time limit, the registrar shall on the payment of a late fee, register the death or birth within 30 days," the report said. "It can be registered within one year only with the written permission of the prescribed authority; and after one year, only on an order of a First Class Magistrate. There will also be a penalty of `5 per day in case of delay in registration of 'marriage without a reasonable cause'."

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ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh government to make marriage registration mandatory

Triple talaq, polygamy protected by Constitution? Supreme Court to decide on May 11

If triple talaq declared illegal, will bring in law to regulate Muslim marriage, divorce: AG Mukul Rohatgi to Supreme Court

ALSO WATCH | Triple talaq: Supreme Court reserves verdict as 6-day hearing ends

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NORWALK  The Singles Under Sail Program will meet from 7:30-10 p.m. Thursday, July 20 at the Doubletree Inn, 789 Connecticut Ave., Norwalk. The topic will be Clean Water for our Community! with Nikki Cantatore, associate director of research at Harbor Watch, as guest speaker.

Cantatore will discuss Long Island Sound as an estuary that provides critical ecosystem, recreational, and economic services to citizens of Connecticut, New York and beyond. For more information, visit singlesundersail.org.
The following excerpt is from the Staff of Entrepreneur Medias book Finance Your Business. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

While succession is challenging for all businesses, it often becomes even more complicated when family relationships must also be considered. This overlap between business and family creates many obstacles to the management, growth and sustainability of these companies. Blurred boundaries between ownership and management often lead to conflicts and jeopardize the companies future.

Related: Expert Advice to Help You Prepare to Sell Your Business

While adopting sound governance practices can provide a valuable framework for family firms to address issues of sustainability and professionalism, theyre usually not compulsory, as they are for large companies listed on the stock market. Family SMEs therefore rarely adopt corporate governance codes and principles, and even if they do, family emotions can influence strategic decision making, and especially succession.

Rome wasnt built in a day: the succession process

Succession is a lengthy process that shouldnt be left to chance. Family businesses need to regard succession as an extended process of at least three years, with the roles and responsibilities of the predecessor and successor varying before, during and after the succession.

Before the succession takes place, the predecessor must mentor their chosen successor, closely nurturing their knowledge about all aspects of the business. During the succession process, the predecessor should begin to delegate increasing levels of responsibility, particularly decision-making power, to their successor. Finally, the predecessor will retire, leaving the business completely in the hands of the successor.

Reluctance to let go is one of the most significant factors in the failure of succession in family businesses. Leaders are often unwilling to plan for succession due to an emotional attachment to the business, fear of retirement, loss of status, lack of power or even a lack of diversions outside work. This attachment to the business leads many family business leaders to maintain a leadership (or consultant) position, even after retirement. While their experience can be invaluable, this continued presence can be perceived as a lack of trust in their successor, adversely affecting the decision-making process and confidence of employees and leading to frustration from the successor, as they live in the old leaders shadow.

The willingness of a successor to take over is also crucially important in family business succession. Studies show the established leadership of family firms perceive commitment to the business as the most desired attribute in their future successor, ranking even higher than their competencies.

The generation gap and personality differences are the most common reasons for disagreements between the current leader and their chosen successor. To avoid this, family businesses must adopt a culture of trust and mutual respect, supported by open communication. This will allow for an effective transfer of knowledge and social capital and ensure the continuation of the business.

Related: Grants and Loans for Women-Owned Businesses

Nepotism and sibling rivalry are common in failed succession plans, underlining the importance of a shared vision among family members, helping to keep the family united once the established leader steps down. Avoiding conflict between family members requires clear distribution of shares, roles and authorities, as well as the decision to base compensation on experience and competency. Emphasizing family values, loyalty and traditions can also play an important role in achieving a harmonious atmosphere and shared vision in family firms, all of which supports a smooth succession.

Handing over a business to the next generation is a real challenge to family businesses. However, it can be achieved by families working on their internal relationships to foster trust, open communication and mutual understanding between family members. At the end, having strong, solid family ties can help facilitate a smooth intergenerational transfer of wealth and reduce conflicts within families.

Turning the business over to next of kin

Handing down a family business is a dream of many entrepreneurs who want to see the business they started thrive in the hands of the next generation. But statistics show that succession can be riddled with challenges.

Wendy Sage-Hayward, a senior consultant at the Vancouver-based Family Business Consulting Group, says although many families may want to pass down their business, the succession process is often not thought through carefully enough to make the succession successful. Here are some handy guidelines to increase your chances of success:

Avoid holding the reins too tightly.

Founders have a tendency to hang on to control, not allowing their kids to have enough say or enough investment in the business. The entrepreneur typically does have a fairly strong control-oriented personality, says Sage-Hayward. Entrepreneurial characteristics tend to be very independent, autocratic and particular. It can be difficult for entrepreneurs to let go of those tendencies, but Sage-Hayward says thats exactly what needs to happen in order to have a successful succession.

Eliminate entitlement.

Just because your last name is Jones doesnt mean you should automatically get a seat at the Jones Companys boardroom table, says Sage-Hayward. She recommends entrepreneurs set expectations around how kids will get to participate in the family business. Often, kids will be encouraged to go outside the company for work experience and education so they can bring those experiences back into the family business.

Build the skill sets of the next generation.

One of the biggest mistakes Sage-Hayward says shes seen in family businesses is that the founders have been so busy working in and building the business that they havent spent the time to work on building the skill set or engagement of the successive generation. Working on the business means youre developing the next generation, engaging them, helping them get the kind of skills and capabilities that they need to take it over, says Sage-Hayward. Building stewardship in family members means holding regular family meetings to involve other family members in the key conversations so they understand the ins and outs of the business and are prepared to take it over when the time comes.

Consider whether the next generation wants to be part of the business.

Sometimes founders have a dream that their children will take over the family business, but the children simply arent interested. Sage-Hayward says this often happens when the founder shuts out the family from the day-to-day interactions of the business or is so busy building the business and not spending time with their families that the kids begin to resent the business and want nothing to do with it when they get older. Involving kids in the business at an early age in a positive way is the best way to ensure theyll be enticed to join the business later on. Succession planning starts from a very early age, says Sage-Hayward, building work ethic, building the understanding of the business and building the mindset.

Related: Landing a Revenue-Sharing Deal to Finance Your Business

Be prepared to let go.

Ruling from the grave is one of the worst mistakes entrepreneurs can make when handing a business down to the next generation. Trying to set up structures that will control what the next generation can do rather than allowing them to run the company will only cause leadership ambiguity and create a stressful work environment for those family members who are left to run the company. Founders should be emotionally and mentally prepared to walk away from the business completely when the time comes around.

Related:

Family Succession Planning: How to Do It Right

Succession Planning: How to Ensure Your Business Will Thrive Without You

2 Roadblocks to Successful Leadership Transitions



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


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Simply listing all 50 U.S. states would make for a tedious Fourth of July speech, at best. But the concept appealed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his big Canada Day address on Saturday: He would name each province and territory of Canada - with gusto.

After all, there weren't that many of them. How bad could it go?

The prime minister stood before a crowd in Ottawa, waved his arm and began in rapture: "British Columbia!"

Trudeau waited a moment for the applause to stop. Then on to "Yukon!" and "The Northwest Territories!"

That was a nice touch. The sparsely populated northern territories tend to get overlooked, but Trudeau was going geographically, from west to east.

"Saskatchewan!" he said. Hmm. Technically, Alberta would come first, but -

"Manitoba!" Wait, stop.

But Trudeau continued, all the way to the eastern coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, then added: "We embrace the diversity while knowing in our hearts that we are all Canadians."

An announcer would have to point out that he had forgotten Alberta.

Twitter has not yet stopped reminding him.

Trudeau awkwardly walked back onto the stage after finishing his speech and realizing what he'd done.

"I'm a little embarrassed. I got excited somewhere over the Rockies," he said. "Alberta, I love you. Happy Canada Day!"

But of all his country's 13 provinces and territories, Trudeau may have forgotten the one least likely to forgive him.

Some reminded the prime minister that his father, Pierre Trudeau, had been widely loathed in Alberta in the 1980s, when he led Canada and forced federal energy policies on the oil-rich province, as the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

The mayor of Calgary, Alberta, at the time coined a phrase that became a popular bumper sticker across western Canada: "Let the eastern bastards freeze in the dark."

Decades later, Global News noted, Alberta is a stronghold of opposition to the younger Trudeau and his Liberal Party.

Witness Michelle Rempel, a Conservative member of Parliament representing Calgary, who got on Facebook soon after Saturday's speech.

"The prime minister of our country - on Canada Day! - forgot that Alberta exists," she said. "I don't think this was an accident."

Rempel was not alone in her suspicions.

It took no time for Albertans to remember a previous mini-scandal, long before Trudeau became prime minister, when he blamed Canada's woes on "Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda."

He said this in French, as CBC reported, and added for good measure that all the best prime ministers hailed from Quebec.

So does Trudeau. And when he began his own ascent to the country's highest office in 2012, his campaign tried to explain away that old interview.

"Justin knows that Calgary, Alberta and all of Western Canada are at the very heart of Canada's future," reads the statement. "We need to get beyond the divisive politics of the Conservatives and include all Canadians."

So he said, and became prime minister of all Canadians. Then, in a speech on the country's birthday, he forgot about 4 million of them.
KEARNEY  After nearly 17 years of caring for and feeding feral cats on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus, a group of cat lovers has enlisted volunteers to build cat feeding stations and raised funds to care for the cats.

Sherry Morrow, assistant professor of industrial technology, began feeding cats on campus and in the community when she noticed that the cats looked hungry. I cant stand to see any animal hungry, she said. And I was seeing that on campus and around the community.

Feral cats are typically the result of a domestic cat getting lost or being abandoned. These cats are usually unaccustomed to human interaction and keep a distance from people. Morrow and other faculty and staff set out food and water around campus.

Morrow and others on campus often used a live trap to capture the feral cats, get them neutered or spayed, give them vaccinations, and release them back on campus. Cats that have been neutered or spayed have a notch in one ear.

A few years ago, a group was organized to begin raising funds to buy food and pay for veterinary care for the cats, which had become known as Loper Cats. Morrow and other faculty and staff had been paying to care for the cats out of their own pockets up until then.

The group participates in the Kearney Area Community Foundations Give Where You Live fundraising campaign, and they accept donations throughout the year.

Recently, area contractors donated materials, and the UNK Construction Management Organization built eight feral cat feeding stations. Seven stations were placed around campus  at the Fine Arts Building, Calvin T. Ryan Library, Copeland Hall, Conrad Hall, Nebraskan Student Union, Welch Hall and Communications Building. The eighth station is in storage and will be used later, if needed.

We selected locations around campus where people were feeding the cats, said Deb Schroeder, assistant vice chancellor of information technology and Loper Cats committee member.

Faculty and staff volunteers replenish food and water in the feeding stations every few days.

It took the cats a little while to get used to the houses because they were used to eating out of dishes, Morrow said. But theyve warmed up to it and theyre using the houses now to go in and eat and drink.

Morrow said the cats are an important fixture on campus because they hunt mice and rats, and removing them wont be effective. It does no good to remove them because other cats will move in, Morrow said.

Schroeder added that its important not to feed food scraps or handle the feral cats on campus.

No university funds are used to care for the Loper Cats. Donations can be made at the Kearney Area Community Foundation.

For more information, call Sherry Morrow at 308.865.8259.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln also has a Husker Cats volunteer program, which works to organize veterinary care, foster homes, feeding stations and monetary donations.
LINCOLN  Supporters of a program designed to protect youths brought into the U.S. illegally are criticizing Nebraskas attorney general for asking the Trump administration to reverse its earlier decision to allow those youths to stay legally in the country.

Attorney General Doug Peterson joined nine other Republican attorneys general last week in asking the Trump administration to phase out the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by refusing to renew or issue any new program permits.

Danielle Conrad of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said its wrong to play politics with the people affected.

More than 3,000 young immigrants live in Nebraska under the protection of DACA.

Peterson said his duty is to uphold the constitution, not to pick winners and losers with regard to policy.

President Donald Trump has expressed inconsistent views about the program, siding most recently with continued protection for the youths while expressing sympathy for the position they are in through no fault of their own.

Frankly, on a personal level, thats very difficult, Peterson said, but added that his duty is fidelity to the constitution.

The programs supporters expressed disappointment with Petersons decision.

It is wrong for these states attorneys general to play politics with the health, well-being, and the future of these successful, yet vulnerable, young people, and it is particularly wrong for our attorney general to target our young Nebraska dreamers, Conrad said in a statement.

Omaid Zabih, staff attorney for Nebraska Appleseeds Immigrants & Communities Program, said in a statement, We are extremely disappointed that the Nebraska Attorney General decided to add Nebraska to this letter, DACA is an extremely successful program that has had a positive impact for Nebraskas communities, families and economy.

With material contributed by the Associated Press.
Opposition parties' presidential nominee Meira Kumar will be visiting Bihar on July 6 for her election campaign.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The presidential nominee of the 17-opposition parties Meira Kumar will be arriving in Patna on July 6 as part of her election campaign in the state.

During her visit to the state capital, the former Lok Sabha Speaker will be interacting with all the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal legislators and will be seeking their votes for the Presidential elections.

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It is notable that while Meira Kumar will be meeting Congress and RJD legislators, another key constituent of the mahagathbandhan government in the state, JDU will be missing from action.

This is because JDU and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have already extended their support to National Democratic Alliance's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. Kovind, before being declared as the presidential nominee of the NDA, was the Governor of Bihar.

Interestingly, Nitish Kumar's support to Ramnath Kovind has not only annoyed the opposition parties but also created friction between Nitish and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad who termed the Bihar CM's decision as a "historic blunder".

The day when Meira Kumar was declared as the presidential nominee of the 17-opposition parties, Nitish predicted that the so-called "Bihar ki beti" was fielded against Kovind to make her lose elections.

NITISH SLAMS OPPOSITION

Nitish had then questioned the Congress why, if at all it was so bothered about "Bihar ki beti" did it not field Meira Kumar as presidential nominee in 2007 and 2012 when the UPA was in power ?

He has also slammed the Opposition parties of starting their Mission 2019 campaign on a losing note by fielding the former Lok Sabha speaker against the NDA's candidate whose victory was almost certain. He had suggested anti-BJP forces to review their strategy for 2019.

Meira Kumar will also be visiting her ancestral home, Chandra village in Bhojpur district during her three days stay in the state. There is also no plans of Meira Kumar meeting Nitish Kumar during her visit to Bihar.

Also Read:

Meira Kumar kicks off presidential campaign in Gujarat, spins charkha at Sabarmati Ashram

With Sonia, Manmohan by her side, Meira Kumar files nomination for presidential election

Presidential election: Opposition pick Meira Kumar to invoke Mahatma Gandhi's legacy during campaign

WATCH | Meira Kumar on presidential election: It's a fight of ideologies

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Grand Island and Hall County are featured in an article in the July/August issue of Nebraska Life magazine.

In an article titled Grand Islands Forgotten Birthplace, Bert Sass returns to his hometown of Grand Island and embarks on a journey back through family history to when his ancestors were among Hall Countys first settlers.

Sass story of his quest to uncover his roots and that of the community is accompanied in the magazine by photographs by Nebraska Life assistant editor Alan J. Bartels.

Nebraska Life, founded 20 years ago, is available statewide on newsstands.
Today, the Fourth of July, is all about fireworks, cookouts, picnics and trips to the lake.

But Americans know that there is much more to the holiday than loud booms and colorful lights in the sky.

Its about the birth of this great nation, the United States of America, and for what it stands.

While here in this country, the focus is often on political disputes and discord, throughout the world America is still viewed as the land of freedom.

Americans have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble and many other rights that arent granted in some parts of the world.

In reality, the Fourth of July is a reminder of these great freedoms and that they shouldnt be taken for granted.

Throughout the last 241 years, Americans have fought and died to defend these freedoms. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to World War I to World War II to Korea, Vietnam and the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans have defended the ideals and freedom that the U.S. is built upon.

Americans have died on the battlefields of many countries to keep these freedoms alive.

Because of those sacrifices, America remains a great country. That greatness is also built upon the fact that Americans elect their leaders. Americans have a say in their government, on all levels.

Not all may agree with someone in office, but they should respect them for its the people who have elected them and given them great duties and responsibilities.

People from all over the world seek to come to the U.S. not just because of freedom, but because of the economy that has been built on those freedoms. Business innovation and hard work has made the U.S. economy the largest in the world.

The U.S. is the largest economy in the world, and in 2016 it accounted for 24.5 percent of the global GDP (gross domestic product). China was second at 15 percent.

Americans are able to work hard and to make a decent living. Theres an abundant food supply created by hard-working farmers, ranchers and those working in food processing and distribution.

Theres also plentiful energy and this Fourth many in Central Nebraska have seen gas prices under $2 a gallon.

So as Americans celebrate today and enjoy the spectacular fireworks displays in the sky, remember that freedom is truly something to be celebrated. Lets remember those who have given their lives for Americans freedom and determine to work to preserve those freedoms for all Americans.
Indian war heroes, their families are delighted and have called PM Modi's visit to the cemetery as an act to highlight the role which Indian soldiers played during the World War-I and World War-II.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Amid the speculations that India will be fuelling its military modernisation programme by buying high-tech weapons from Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi by visiting Haifa India Cemetery on Thursday will convey to the whole world how India fought for world peace, that too voluntarily during the world wars.

Indian war heroes, their families are delighted and have called PM Modi's visit to the cemetery as an act to highlight the role which Indian soldiers played during the World War-I and World War-II. The visit is gaining importance as it was considered that the Indian soldiers, who fought for the allies voluntarily were not given much precedence before.

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"Prime Minister Modi by visiting Israel and Haifa Cemetery, in particular, has highlighted the role of Indian martyrs which was so far was missing. They were not given much importance simply because they fought as soldiers of allies. This is an open message to the world that the nation which can fight for the global peace voluntarily can also go to any length after nearly 100 years, when it is regarded as an emerging Asian super power," says Lieutenant General PN Hoon (retired).

Well known Army historian, Mandeep Singh Bajwa said Prime Minister Modi's Haifa visit will summit the role that India played during the two world wars fighting against fascism.

ISRAEL IS AN OLD STRATEGIC PARTNER

While the critics are fearing that India can acquire deadliest weapons from Israel like F-15A/C-Baz (Falcon), Namer Armored Personnel Carrier, AH-64 Seraph (Winged Serpent), Spike Missile System and Merkava Main Battle Tanks, the two countries believe the shared priorities can help in building global peace and stability.

Bajwa said Israel has been a trusted strategic partner and acquiring strategic technology from the Jewish nation, known for its military prowess, will not only modernise our military but will also keep the hostile neighbours like Pakistan and China at bay.

"Strategic ties with Israel are not new in the sense that after 1962 War, they helped us with weapons. Just before 1971 War, we bought 160 MM heavy mortars from them. They performed well in Shakargarh sector during the 1971 War. Though this was kept as a hush hush deal and the mortars were routed through Finland as we did not have diplomatic relations with Israel and also because we did not want to annoy the Arabs or own Muslim electorate. However, Israel has been helping us all throughout in the field of anti-terrorism and in providing intelligence, and other matters of strategic value. Israel has always helped us," said Bajwa.

Bajwa also added that India and Israel are the only vibrant democracies located between the states of Gibraltar and Melaka, and it is very natural that India and Israel work together.

HAIFA WILL BE REMEMBERED AS LAST MAJOR CAVALRY ACTION

The battle of Haifa, won with the help of Indian princely state Armies, is also remembered as the last successful horse cavalry action. According to Mandeep Singh Bajwa, the biggest lesson of the World War-I was that horse cavalry was no longer relevant in the battlefield as a weapon of offence, primarily because of trench warfare machine gun advances in artillery and introduction of barbed wire.

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"In this action, Indian cavalry played a major role and we found that after World War-I the horse cavalry disappeared from the scene," informed Bajwa.

The Haifa attack and its victory will always be dedicated to the Indian soldiers from the princely states like Jodhpur and Mysore.

"Though it was a large composite battle but the thing, which led to victory was mounted by the soldiers of 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade that comprised of the regiments of the princely states of Jodhpur and Mysore. And then there were contingents from smaller states like Bhavnagar that had a contingent which was attached with Mysore Lancers," added Bajwa.

Besides Jodhpur and Mysore lancers, Hyderabad lancers were also on the battleground but they were used on the lines of communication to guard and escort prisoners of the war.

"The attack masterminded by Jodhpur and Mysore lancers was successful. Their own causalities were minimal and had captured 1350 Turkish and German soldiers along with a number of guns and other ammunition," remembers Mandeep Singh Bajwa.

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Also read: Modi in Israel: India signs 7 pacts, calls for action against terror groups

Also read: What's the history behind PM Modi's gifts to Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu

Watch the video here

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July is Independent Retailer Month. As you know, local stores bring vitality, creativity and economic growth to their communities, so its worth celebrating those mom and pop shops. But they arent the only entrepreneurs in the country  about 10 percent of workers in the U.S. are self-employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If youre thinking of joining these ranks, you may want to prepare yourself financially.

For one thing, you may need to pay more in taxes, depending on your income. Self-employed individuals typically have to pay twice the amount in Social Security and Medicare taxes because they have to cover the portion that employers normally pay.

Also, unless youre fortunate enough to have a spouse who can put you on their employer-based health insurance, youll need to find your own, at least until youre eligible for Medicare.

Furthermore, you will need to take charge of your own retirement savings. Fortunately, several retirement plans are available to the self-employed. These plans typically offer tax-deferred growth potential and tax-deductible contributions.

Here are a few options to consider:

Owner-only 401(k)  This plan, which is also known as an individual 401(k), is available to self-employed individuals and business owners with no full-time employees other than themselves or a spouse. For 2017, you can put in up to 25 percent of your annual income as an employer contribution, and you can defer up to $18,000 (or $24,000 if youre 50 or older). The sum of your employer contribution and your salary deferrals cannot exceed $54,000, or $60,000 if youre 50 or older.

SEP IRA  If you have just a few employees or are self-employed with no employees, you may want to consider a SEP IRA. Youll fund the plan with tax-deductible contributions, and you must cover all eligible employees. As an employer, you can contribute the lesser of 25% of your compensation (if youre also an employee of your own business) or $54,000.

Solo defined benefit plan  Pension plans, also known as defined benefit plans, are still around  and you can set one up for yourself if youre self-employed or own your own business. This plan has high contribution limits, which are determined by an actuarial calculation, and, as is the case with other retirement plans, your contributions are typically tax-deductible.

SIMPLE IRA  A SIMPLE IRA, as its name suggests, is easy to set up and maintain, and it can be a good plan if your business has fewer than 10 employees.

Although planning for your retirement is important, you also need to prepare for unanticipated short-term expenses, such as a major car repair or a new furnace. While everyone should be ready to meet these needs, its especially important if youre self-employed and have a variable income. So, work to build an emergency fund containing three to six months worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid, low-risk account.

You may find self-employment to be quite rewarding  but youll likely enjoy it even more if you make the right financial moves.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by Matthew Johnson, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones, 4219 State Route 159, Suite 3, Glen Carbon, 288-0074.
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 08:34 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7b9d38 4 Editorial #Editorial,money-laundering,OECD,tax-avoidance,tax-collections Free

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has commended Indonesia for what it sees as its significant progress in addressing strategic deficiencies in the fight against dirty money.

The task forces latest plenary meeting in Spain late last month unanimously agreed to proceed with the process of admitting Indonesia into its membership, which may be completed later this year. Admission to the FATF means recognition that Indonesias AML/CFT drive has conformed with the best practices set by the organization, which now has 37 member countries.

This will be quite an achievement because only a few years ago Indonesia was blacklisted as a high-risk and noncooperative country in regard to the AML/CFT campaign.

Indonesias admission to the FATF will further strengthen its efforts to conclude bilateral competent agreements with countries, notably those classified as tax havens, in light of the enforcement of the global automatic exchange of information (AEOI) between tax authorities starting in 2018.

Even though Indonesia is no longer subject to FATF monitoring under its ongoing global AML/CFT compliance process, this is not time for complacency. Indonesia still needs to strengthen its AML efforts because big cash transactions, notably in rupiah and United States and Singapore dollars, have remained rampant, as confirmed by sting operations by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) against corruptors. It is still relatively easy for corruptors and other criminals to launder their money.

In fact, even the Financial Transaction Report and Analysis Center (PPATK), which in most other FATF countries are called financial intelligence units, has expressed frustration over law enforcing agencies not properly following up and acting on its reports on suspicious financial transactions.

The PPATK monitors suspicious transactions through banks and other financial institutions to fight money laundering practices and other financial deals of more than Rp 500 million (US$37,000) outside the profiles of their customers. The PPATK analyzes and examines suspicious transactions, with only transactions with strong evidence of money laundering filed to the National Police, the KPK, the Attorney Generals Office and the Taxation Directorate General for further investigation and prosecution.

Yet even more disappointing is that the Taxation Directorate General has failed to follow up on PPATK reports on suspicious financial transactions by auditing the annual tax returns of the individuals or companies implicated in the transactions.

Cross-checking the money flows to the bank accounts of those implicated in suspicious financial transactions against what they reported in their annual tax returns could still be effective in discovering cases of tax evasion and other tax crimes.
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Linkedin Muhammad Sinatra and Dwintha Maya Kartika (The Jakarta Post) Kuala Lumpur  Wed, July 5, 2017 15:15 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7c989b 3 Opinion #2017JakartaElection,2017JakartaElection,Jakarta-gubernatorial-election,#JakartaGubernatorialElection,ahok,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,#ahok,Rizieq-Shihab,intolerance,Muslim,Islam,democracy Free

In the wake of Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas election defeat and subsequent conviction, there is a pressure to move on from the chaos stemming from the Jakarta gubernatorial election. The whole episode was indeed an intellectually and emotionally draining experience for the entire nation.

Yet to blatantly dismiss the consequences of this conundrum will eventually damage Indonesian political maturity and social cohesion. The Ahok controversy revealed social fractures which were well-hidden under the facade depicting Indonesia as a tolerant, moderate, and progressive Muslim-majority nation.

Firstly, the publics political participation continues to be impaired by the symbolic versus substance dilemma. The primacy of symbol was exemplified in employment of identity politics as a political weapon and consolidation of power around certain celebrity-like actors.

As long as identity politics remain influential, Ahoks political overkill will continue to send a discomforting message to any political candidate seeking the approval of constituents with different identities.

The other side of the coin is the excessive adherence to those who campaigned against Ahok and his supporters. For instance, the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab launched an anti-Ahok campaign that was so effective that many were willing to disregard the FPIs harsh crusade for an Islamist agenda.

The publics unreasonable identification with the symbols envisaged by political actors will continue to hamper Indonesias democratic process, which ideally rests on rationality and critical thinking. This raises questions over the political maturity of a nation that prides itself as a democratic country.

Secondly, the pressure to conform as seen in classic herd behaviour remains a strong force in Indonesia. Religion was utilized as an instrument when anti-Ahok rallies were mobilized. Muslims who embraced the groups mentality were awarded with social acceptance by the majority group and also earned their place among the Muslim community that strived to safeguard the religion against a blasphemous governor.

Those who rejected were threatened with ostracization, shaming, and even religious excommunication. The gravity of such punishment leads to self-censorship, explaining the lack of counter-arguments by Muslims in the blasphemy discourse.

A conforming behavior to the anti-Ahok crowd would likely lead one to join future rallies demanding a religious Muslim in public office, if the public fails to assert a more critical approach to the issues raised during the anti-Ahok movement.

Thirdly, the recent swing to conservatives indicates many Indonesian Muslims incapability to reconcile religious and national identities. While conservatism in itself is a not a threat to the nations integrity, it may serve as a platform for the Islam supremacists, which some quarters are all too happy to pursue at the moment. Not only the demand for pious Muslim politicians and leaders, we now face an uptick trend of the disavowal of Pancasila values in favor of Islamic ideals by social media users.

In pluralistic democracies, compromise is a necessity for society to function. But the recent call for Islams dominance in political, economic, and social spheres raises not only fears among minorities regarding their rights and place in plural Indonesia, but also among multiple Muslim groups with differing approaches to the relationship between religion and state.

Calls for Islamic dominance also turns Islam into a lucrative political currency in political contests, allowing it to be further exploited by pragmatic actors who dont not necessarily follow Islams values and ideals, and limiting the expression of any seemingly non-Islamic political system or worldview. This explains the mounting pressure to expunge the values of Pancasila as it places Islam and Muslims on equal footing with other religious groups, therefore denying the primacy of Islam in the public domain.

In conclusion, the controversy around Jakarta gubernatorial election should be a wake-up call to question some of the basic assumptions about how Indonesia is perceived. These include the portrayal of Indonesia as a success story of Islam-democracy reconciliation, the image of a tolerant and harmonious nation, and the image of Indonesia as a progressive Muslim-majority country.

Rather than pushing to move on from these latest polemics, Indonesians would do well to wrest this moment to understand how events unfolded as they did from an educated and critical lens. In this era of information, however, people must be smart in forming their opinion of how religion should play a role in a multicultural and multi-ethnic setting.

As we just celebrated Ramadhan and Idul Fitri, there is no better time to engage in self-reflection on how we could improve ourselves as Muslims and as patriotic citizens of our nation.

***

Muhammad Sinatra is an Analyst in the Foreign Policy and Security Studies (FPSS) at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia. He looks at terrorism issues and the socio-political developments in Southeast Asia. He can be contacted at sinatra@isis.org.my.

Dwintha Maya Kartika is an Analyst in the Economics, Trade and Regional Integration (ETRI) at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia. She conducts research on economic integration and domestic economic issues, while also immerses herself on exploring human mind and behaviour. She can be reached at maya@isis.org.my.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Residents in various cities across Java welcomed Syawal, the first month of the Islamic calendar, by holding various merry festivities over the weekend.

Held about seven days after Idul Fitri, a typical Syawalan celebration would feature a parade of people carrying gunungan in the form of heaped platters of food or ketupat rice cakes neatly arranged to resemble a mountain. The food would be eaten together at the end of the procession.

Read also: Celebrating Idul Fitri the Indonesian way

At home, people would cook ketupat to be served with opor ayam (chicken braised in coconut milk) or lodeh (Javanese vegetable soup in coconut milk). Meanwhile, residents in the coastal area in Jepara celebrated Syawalan by floating agriculture produce and ketupat in the sea as an expression of gratitude and hope for more blessings.
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 16:57 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7d093f 1 Food coffee,entrepreneurship,local-brand,Jokowi,#coffee,Tuku,Go-Jek,joko-widodo Free

After two hours of waiting in Jakarta's sweltering afternoon heat, it was finally Andi's turn to place an order at the coffee shop's counter.

In his job as a driver for ride-hailing app Go-Jek, the 32-year-old's second trip to Pasar Santa complex in South Jakarta on a Tuesday was to specifically fill orders made with the Go-Food app.

"I've probably spent about four hours of my day here today since I had to wait in line for about two hours each time," Andi told The Jakarta Post after placing his order of es kopi susu tetangga (neighbor's iced coffee milk) at Tuku.

Tuku, a local coffee chain, already gained popularity for its convenient affordability combined with a delivery service. Drivers have said the long wait almost never turns away customers.

A cup of its signature es kopi susu tetangga, a mix of freshly brewed coffee, milk and palm sugar, is priced at Rp 18,000 (US$1.35). The prices of other drinks on the menu range from Rp 15,000, such as for a short cold brew, to Rp 34,000 for an iced caramel macchiato, plus a delivery fee that would depend on the distance of the destination.

Read also: Dont be afraid to start businesses, Jokowi tells youth

"But it's almost always es kopi susu tetangga. Orders usually come from people who work in offices, with the busiest hours just prior and during lunch time," Suriwiyanti said, who was also on her second trip of the day.

Despite the long lines, the 41-year-old woman said the friendly atmosphere makes it bearable, as other drivers are courteous during the wait -- not that she has to wait long anyhow.

Suriwiyanti, who is the one of a handful of female Go-Jek drivers among the dozens of people waiting in line, said her male counterparts allow women to skip the long stretch of the single-filed queue for "online orders" and join the "regular order" -- a significantly shorter line with only several people at a time.

Another regular customer, 24-year-old Karina Nadila, said she had stopped by after a skin care appointment in a nearby building. Enthusiastically anticipating her iced drink, Karina said she often drank Tuku coffee.

Read also: Jokowi listed as one of the most interactive world leaders on Instagram

"I like to add milk to my coffee as I don't like black coffee, but I think people generally like it so much because while it is rich in flavor, it's not overly powerful," Karina said, adding that the palm sugar also makes a tasty healthier alternative to white sugar.

Noticing the crowd, Karina speculated on whether the particularly long line could have been caused by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his family's recent visit to the chain's Cipete branch on Sunday, adding that it has created more publicity for the already popular brand.

Jokowi, along with First Lady Iriana and two of their children, Kaesang Pangarep and Kahiyang Ayu, had dropped by the original store located on Jl. Cipete Raya.

Jokowi sipped on hot coffee while speaking to owner Andanu Prasetyo. The President, who had a background in business prior to entering politics, had expressed full support for the development of local brands and for nurturing local entrepreneurs.

Read also: Jokowis latest vlog features surprise guest stars

In a telephone interview, Andanu said he never particularly aimed for high popularity in developing his company.

In creating a takeaway-only concept, Andanu said he only wanted to bring back a simple coffee experience, reclaiming it from the excessive lifestyle lately associated with drinking coffee.

Established in June 2015, each branch now sells approximately 1,000 cups a day, he said, using coffee beans from across Indonesia, including Aceh, Bali and Flores in East Nusa Tenggara.

"I honestly don't really know what makes it so special as the customers I've spoken to would have their own perception of 'special.' I really only created Tuku as a neighborhood coffee shop," Andanu said. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 21:21 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7d5b84 1 National IS,terrorist-attack,police,immigration Free

At least 83 Indonesians are on the polices most-wanted list for their alleged involvement with the Islamic State (IS) movement, an official said on Wednesday.

The immigration director general at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Ronny F. Sompie, said his office had received the list from the National Police. It included 243 people in total who had alleged connections with terrorist groups.

Of the total, 91 are allegedly affiliated with IS; 83 of those are Indonesian and the remaining 143 are suspected of being involved in other terrorist groups.

"The IS-affiliated are specifically those who are in the Middle East and are considered foreign terrorist fighters," Ronny said on Wednesday.

Ronny added that the five countries that topped the list are Algeria with 19, Indonesia with 18, Egypt with 10, Pakistan with 10 and Iraq with six.

The Directorate General of Immigration claimed that it prevented 301 alleged foreign militants, mainly 127 from Afghanistan and 40 from the Philippines, from entering Indonesia between January and June this year. It said it also rejected passport applications from a number of people who were believed to be planning to join terrorist groups abroad. (ecn/ika)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 15:42 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7cb80c 1 City Djarot-Saiful-Hidayat,jakarta,terrorism Free

Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat has urged Jakartans to remain calm in the face of recent acts of terror in the capital.

Dont be afraid! We cannot be afraid, he said at City Hall on Wednesday.

The latest threat in the capital thought to be made by terrorists was a letter sent to the South Jakarta Police station in Kebayoran Lama stating that Jakarta would be turned into another Marawi.

Marawi is a Philippine city where warfare is raging between Maute, which is associated with the Islamic State (IS) movement, and the Philippine army.

Djarot said the threat was not an act of terror but a challenge for Jakarta.

He advised Jakartans to exercise caution with anything suspicious.

But dont be too worried and afraid, he said.

Regarding terrorism threats, Djarot has instructed the heads of districts and subdistricts and the Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) to monitor all areas in the capital. (dra/ika)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 20:04 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7d57b8 1 National Bibit-samad,corruption,village-funds,task-force Free

Former Corruption and Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Bibit Samad Rianto has been selected to oversee the Village Funds Task Force to monitor the disbursement of government funds and prevent their misuse.

The task force is expected to assist village chiefs in performing their duties, as well as to cooperate with regional leaders, and 19 ministries and state agencies under programs to expedite village development, said Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Eko Putro Sandjojo.

"We must follow up on every [alleged violation] and revamp coordination with law enforcement officers so that reports can be addressed to provide a deterrent effect [for perpetrators]. We should also warn other villages to avoid similar violations," Eko said in a statement on Wednesday, the same day as Bibits inauguration.

The task force, which is mandated under the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministerial Decree No. 50/2017, also comprises former members of the National Police, the Attorney General's Office, the Indonesian Military (TNI), academicians, as well as NGOs.

Meanwhile, Bibit has vowed to lead the task force effectively by strengthening moral values and building a law-abiding culture in villages across the country.

"We will work to find the root causes of [violations] and we will evaluate them. After that, the internal task force will develop policies and strengthen the [monitoring] system," he said.

A report by the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) released in January revealed that village funds were among the top five sectors prone to corruption. (afr/ika)
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Cilacap, Central Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 21:42 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7e4262 1 National bomb,bomb-blast,terror-attack,terrorism Free

A 3-kilogram gas canister exploded at a Religious Affairs Office (KUA) in Sidareja, Cilacap regency, Central Java at 3 a.m. on Wednesday, causing damage on the office's fence and shattering the windows.



Central Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Djarod Padakova said police were still investigating the incident.



"A forensics team and investigators from Central Java Police's general crimes unit have inspected the location. A bomb squad from the Purwakarta Mobile Brigade [in West Java] has also been deployed," Djarod said.

During the inspection, police had found pamphlets expressing "disappointment" over a cleric in Cirebon, West Java, Djarod added.



"We are still looking into the possibility of a connection between [the pamphlets] and motive [of the attack]," he added.

Authorities have questioned witnesses around the location of the bomb, including Aris Munanto, a 58-year-old street vendor, and Rubangi, a 39-year-old mosque caretaker. (afr/ika)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5 2017

The Kebayoran Lama Police found a flag of the Islamic State (IS) movement that had been placed on the fence of its headquarters in South Jakarta early on Tuesday.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the police also found a letter that threatened to turn Jakarta into a war zone like Marawi in the Philippines, which has been under siege by the IS group.

Yes, they [terrorists] were targeting the police. Thats why we stay alert, Argo said on Tuesday. The police are currently investigating the incident by checking CCTVs and questioning witnesses around the headquarters.

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By Mayuresh Ganapatye: The Shiv Sena and the BJP corporators on Wednesday shouted slogans against each other during a function where the government was handing over an advance cheque of the GST compensation worth Rs 647 crore.

Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray were on the stage when BJP corporators shouted slogans hailing PM Narendra Modi and Shiv Sena corporators shouted anti-Modi slogans.

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Uddhav Thackeray and Sudhir Mungantiwar were helpless to control their own aggressive corporators. Even BMC chief Ajoy Mehta tried to intervene but the corporators listened to none.

This was not the first time that both parties engaged in this kind of wor of words. Post 2014 Assembly elections, whenever both these parties have come under one roof for any joint event or function, they have tried to show their strength through these ways. A similar kind of incident happened during PM Modi's last rally in Mumbai.

PROBLEMS BREWING UP

Even though the Shiv Sena and the BJP are coalition partners at the Centre and state but everything is not well between them. The increasing power of the BJP is putting the Shiv Sena on backfoot. The Shiv Sena is now feeling the heat of success which the BJP has acquired in the last three years across state and including Sena's bastion Mumbai.

During this whole drama, the BJP alleged that corporator Makrand Narvekar was heckled and manhandled by the Shiv Sena workers outside the BMC hall. "I was heckled by Sena workers as I came out of the hall. I have left it to party leadership to decide further course of action," Narvekar said.

However, Sena was quick to refute the charges levelled by the BJP. Sena corporator Kishori Pednekar said, "We didn't start this war of words. When we were chanting Balasaheb's name, it was Makrand who said chor hain, Chor hain. It was an insult to our leader. Thus, we also started shouting slogans like ghar ghar chor hain. If someone insults our leader, how can we stay calm?"

What added to the drama was when a BJP corporator started leaving the hall while Uddhav Thackeray was still making his speech. Thus, angry Shiv Sainiks who were standing outside the hall stated chanting slogans hailing their supremo Bal Thackeray.

Trying to put a cover on this controversy, state's Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "There is no wrong shouting party's slogans but it's BJP-Shiv Sena that is running this government in the state."

Also read: Lynching in name of cow against Hindutva, need national policy on beef: Shiv Sena

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Also read: Shiv Sena lauds Maharashtra CM Fadnavis for loan waiver, says farmers will be indebted to government

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 12:16 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7c3335 1 Business Indonesia,US,steel,trade-dispute,Trade-Ministry Free

The Trade Ministry has sent letters to the United States to question anti-dumping measures imposed on Indonesian steel producers.

The US has imposed anti-dumping duties on certain Indonesian firms for years  in some cases for 20 years  even though Indonesian steel exports to the superpower are relatively small in value.

We have sent [letters and] analysis [to the US] stating our objection to the dumping allegations, said the Trade Ministrys foreign trade director general, Oke Nurwan, on Tuesday.

(Read also: Trump puts Indonesia on trade hit list)

Letters were sent last year to the US International Trade Commission and the US Department of Commerce, said Oke, adding that the Trade Ministry, which had been in contact with the two, was waiting for a final response.

Trademap data shows iron and steel exports from Indonesia to the US surged 68.3 percent to US$26.1 million last year.

Export value ranged from $10.5 million to $26.1 million from 2012 to 2016, which was relatively small compared to US steel imports, which were worth $22 billion to $36 billion during the same period. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 15:33 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7cac28 1 National Jokowi,visit,Turkey,#G20Leaders,summit Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Wednesday departed for Ankara ahead of his visit to Hamburg, Germany, to attend the G20 summit slated for July 7 and 8.

During his official visit to Turkey, held in return of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans 2015 visit to Jakarta, Jokowi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the Turkish President.

The President will use the visit to bolster bilateral cooperation in numerous areas, including the economy, strategic industries and counterterrorism, the State Palace said in a statement on Wednesday.

(Read also: Russia urges dialogue, Jokowi calls Erdogan in Qatar-Gulf dispute)

Jokowi, First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo and his entourage are scheduled to arrive in Ankara on Wednesday night.

The President is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart on Thursday. They are scheduled also to launch negotiations to establish an Indonesian-Turkish Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Meanwhile, during the summits retreat session on July 7, Jokowi is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on counterterrorism efforts.

With regard to the global economy, the President will underline the importance of joint action by the G20 countries to eradicate tax fraud to help the G20 play its role in bolstering inclusive, sustainable and equal economic growth, the statement says.

At the summit, the President is also set to have his first meeting with United States President Donald Trump. Jokowi also plans to meet leaders from Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and possibly South Korea. (afr/bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 16:40 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7cfc56 1 National KPK,House,lawmaker,wiretapping Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said Tuesday that its wiretapping activities were justified under the law despite doubts by members of the House of Representatives on the legality of the method used.

We have used records [from wiretapping] as evidence in trials. The [Jakarta corruption] court has acknowledged the evidences validity, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah told reporters.

He added that the KPKs wiretapping procedures were in line with Article 12 of the 2002 KPK Law. The article allows the KPK to wiretap conversations during investigations into graft suspects.

Febris claim was in response to House efforts to prove that the anti-graft body had breached the law when investigating and prosecuting suspects. The House has set up a special committee to look into the matter.

In its inquiry into the KPK, the committee has consulted with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to obtain financial reports of the anti-graft body in order to look for possible financial mismanagement.

The committee also plans to interview graft convicts at Sukamiskin Penitentiary in Bandung, West Java and the Pondok Bambu Womens Penitentiary in East Jakarta on Thursday to uncover possible violations in investigations by the KPK. (kuk/ika)

Topics : KPK House lawmaker wiretapping
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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 21:23 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7dbf27 1 Business Starbucks,same-sex-marriage,LGBT,Muslim,boycott Free

Starbucks Indonesia clarified on Wednesday that the company had no affiliation with any political or ideological groups.

The clarification was made after Anwar Abbas, a leader of the countrys second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, called for a boycott against Starbucks, saying that the coffee shop was pro-LGBT after Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced the company's support for same-sex marriages.

"PT Sari Coffee would like to clarify that it does not affiliate itself with any political or ideological groups," said Fetty Kwartati, a director at PT MAP Boga Adiperkasa, the parent company of PT Sari Coffee.

"[...] We are grateful and proud to have been a part of local communities in Indonesia for 15 years, always maintaining the deepest respect for and adherence to Indonesia's local laws, culture and beliefs," she continued.

The statement was issued after a drop in MAP Boga Adiperkasas shares in past few days due to negative sentiment from the boycott plans. The companys shares declined by 5.54 percent on Tuesday to Rp 2,900 (21 US cents). (hol/ika)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Wed, July 5 2017

License holders of Starbucks in Indonesia have had to swallow a bitter bite of prejudice as their stocks plunged in Jakarta following a boycott of the pro-LGBT coffee retailer.

PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk. and its subsidiary company PT MAP Boga Adiperkasa saw their share prices slip by 1.49 percent and 5.54 percent respectively, closing at Rp 6,600 (49 US cents) and Rp 2,900 on Tuesday.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 16:31 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7cd554 1 City Tangerang,mayor,Instagram Free

Acknowledging the importance of social media for engaging with his constituents, Tangerang Mayor Arief Rachadiono Wismansyah took to the popular Instagram platform to promote himself and the city by offering free movie tickets.

Through his Instagram handle @ariefwismansyah, Arief asked his 5,527 Instagram followers to promote the city by posting Tangerang Ayo (Come on Tangerang) and Bangga Jadi Warga Tangerang (Proud to be a Tangerang citizen) in the comments section of his post and reposting it in their own accounts.

I am giving 100 tickets to watch this movie along with me and the actors for today only in TangCity Mall, Arief said in the photo caption, referring to a movie entitled Insya Allah Sah that features comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono and actress Titi Kamal.

The post received more than 500 comments a few hours after it appeared, forcing the mayor to set another quiz and provide an additional 50 tickets.

He did not specifically require participants to follow his account.

Arief and his deputy Sachrudin were elected to be the municipality's leaders in November 2013 after gaining 340,000 votes. (fac)

Topics : Tangerang mayor Instagram
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 10:58 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7c1def 1 Business simple-packaged-cheap-variants,cooking-oil,Enggartiasto-Lukita Free

The Trade Ministry plans to require all cooking oil producers to allocate a certain percentage of their production for simple packaged cooking oil and cheap variants in a bid to stabilize staple prices.

All cooking oil producers will have to allocate a certain percentage out of their total production for simple packaged and bulk oil variants, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Enggar Lukita told reporters after a post-Ramadan gathering on Tuesday.

The simple and bulk oil will be sold for around Rp 11,000 per kilogram.

Starting April 10, the ministry requires retailers to sell simple packaged cooking oil for Rp 11,000 per kilogram.

Cooking oil prices remained stable at around Rp 11,400 per kilogram in the period between April and June, ministry data shows. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, July 6 2017

The Jakarta Police have beefed up security to ensure the safety of the capital following the latest incident at the Kebayoran Lama Police office in South Jakarta, in which an unidentified man sent a threatening letter and placed an Islamic State (IS) movement flag on the offices fence on Tuesday.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said all police offices in the capital had heightened security to avoid becoming targets of further terror attacks, a reality they have had to deal with in the past few weeks.

We will safeguard all police offices so they wont become targets, he said at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Wednesday.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, July 5, 2017 11:33 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7c292f 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,foreign-tourists,tourism,#tourism Free

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has released new data on the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia between January and May this year.

The agency recorded a total of 5,358,489 visits, an increase of 20.38 percent from the same period last year. Out of this figure, up to 4,687,721 foreign tourists entered Indonesia through its main 19 entry gates.

Read also: Indonesian tourism growth tops Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand

The number of foreign tourists who landed at Ngurah Rai International Airport and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport were 2,284,426 and 1,004,724 people, respectively, said BPS head Suhariyanto.

The highest percentage of tourist arrivals reportedly occurred in May at the Sam Ratulangi International Airport in North Sulawesi with a 449.02 percent increase compared to last year.

The agency records that 156,050 people entered Indonesia through cross-border posts (PLBs) during the month of May, an increase of 722 percent from May last year.

Read also: Five things not to do on an airplane to reduce germ exposure

Out of the 1.16 million foreign tourists who visited in May, Chinese tourists placed the highest with 13.19 percent, followed by Singaporeans with 9.83 percent, Malaysians with 9.62 percent, Australians with 7.91 percent and Indians with 4.19 percent, Suhariyanto said.

Every month our target increases significantly. For May, our target was 1,150,000 foreign tourists. As for the peak season between June and July, the target is 1,250,000 visits per month, said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

This year, the Tourism Ministry aims to welcome 15 million foreign tourists. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Ankara, Turkey  Wed, July 5, 2017 10:50 1955 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7bc559 2 News Turkey,united-states,laptop-ban,travel-ban,Istanbul,flights Free

The United States is set to lift a ban on carrying large electronic devices, such as laptops, in the cabin of US-bound flights from Turkey's main international airport, Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said on Tuesday.

Arslan was quoted by state-run news agency Anadolu as saying the ban would be lifted on July 5 following a visit by a US delegation.

Its removal would come after Turkey began using highly sophisticated tomography devices for X-ray and ultrasound at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, he said.

US officials are to inspect the machines on Wednesday.

"With this confirmation mission, the ban will be lifted from Ataturk airport and from Turkish Airlines," Arslan said.

Read also: US lifts laptop ban for Etihad flights

"So it is an advantage for us that this hasn't gone on too long," he added. Ataturk is the only airport in Turkey with direct flights to the United States.

Late Monday, Turkish Airlines chief executive Bilal Eksi said on Twitter he expected the ban to be lifted on Wednesday.

Arslan was quoted by NTV television as saying Turkey had also been talking with Britain about removing its ban on the transport of laptops in cabin baggage from Istanbul.

Britain imposed the ban on laptops on direct flights originating from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey.

Read also: Laptop ban hot topic as airlines meet in Cancun

Flag-carrier Turkish Airlines, which has seen exponential international growth in recent years, had responded to the ban by offering laptops to business-class travellers in May.

The US on Sunday lifted a ban on passengers taking such devices on Etihad Airways flights from its base in the Emirati capita ofl Abu Dhabi, the first airliner to benefit from a removal of the ban.

The decision came after the airline implemented enhanced security measures, a spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security said.

The ban was put into place after intelligence officials learned of efforts by Islamic State jihadists to produce a bomb that could be secreted inside such devices.
A man wearing a burqa was caught by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Aligarh station on Sunday afternoon. On questioning, he said he wore a burqa fearing he'd be lynched since he is a Muslim.

By India Today Web Desk: On Sunday afternoon, passengers at Aligarh railway station noticed something suspicious about a woman clad in burqa. They alerted the GRP personnel at the station. GRP men monitored her behavior for a while and then took her into custody.

It turned out that "she" was a "he". It was a man under the burqa.

Nazmul Hasan, a 42-year-old assistant engineer in Aligarh's Kasimpur power station, was hesitant to approach the counter clerk at the ticket counter as he felt he might not be able to deceive the clerk with his husky voice. His behavior led to suspicion among other passengers.

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After being nabbed by the police for travelling in a burqa, Hasan broke down. Then came the backstory.

Nazmul Hassan told police that while he was traveling to Delhi last week to visit an ailing cousin, his bag hit a man by mistake and that the man, enraged, insulted Hassan and Islam, said a report in Times of India. Hassan told police that many others joined the angry man, abused him verbally, and that they threatened him saying that they would not allow him to live in Aligarh.

The report said that Hassan was so terrified by the incident that he decided to wear a burqa to avoid being targeted by a mob. "I had read about Junaid's killing in a train in Ballabhgarh a few days ago. I was scared for my life after the threat, but couldn't avoid travelling. So I thought of wearing a burqa," said Hassan.

Senior sub-inspector (GRP), who is also the investigating officer in Hassan's case, said to the Times of India, "We found nothing suspicious in his statement to police. Different agencies verified that his act of wearing burqa was born out of his fear following the incident that occurred with him at the railway station last week."

The police let him go after the interrogation, but the incident has once again raised a serious question about how insecure the minorities feel in our nation, a nation known for its diversity and pluralism. People taking law into their own hands has become daily news, lately.

Has lynching Muslims become the new normal in India?

The very first case of a Muslim being lynched by a Hindu mob in the name of cow was seen In September 2015, when a 52-year-old Muslim man -- Mohammad Akhlaq -- and his son Danish, were attacked by a village mob with sticks and bricks, accusing them of stealing and slaughtering a cow calf and storing and consuming beef. Danish was severely injured in the attack. Akhlaq was thrashed till he died.

Another report came in March 2016, when a Muslim man, 32-year-old Mazlum Ansari and a 15-year-old youngster, Imteyaz Khan, were brutally thrashed by a local 'gau rakshak' group. The two were accused of smuggling cattle but were actually on the way to sell eight oxen they owned at a cattle market in Chatra district of Jharkhand .

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A 17-year-old Muslim youngster and two of his brothers were attacked by a mob of over 20 people inside an EMU train from Delhi's Tughlakabad to Ballabhgarh on June 22. The deceased, Junaid, was killed in the attack after being stabbed. Junaid's brother, who survived despite multiple stabs, told media that the dispute was over train seats.

In Hassan's case, no one came forward to help him when he faced verbal abuse. Instead, people started threatening him and targeting him, because Muslim.

"I have been traveling for years but had never been targeted for being a Muslim," he said.

--- ENDS ---
Bandits steal $850 from Lower East Side cat cafe https://t.co/MitW4AJ8aVpic.twitter.com/C7ESOltCut  New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) July 5, 2017

Koneko, the cat cafe at 26 Clinton St., was robbed earlier this week by two men who made off with $850. It happened Monday evening at about 9:30, just before closing time.

According to the Daily News, one of the men stuck his hand in a black plastic bag, suggesting that he was carrying a gun. He reportedly said: You know what this is, give me the money Dont look at me, put the money in the bag. The second man was acting as a lookout. The New York Post reported that the Koneko employee, a 35-year-old woman, was made to lie on the floor as the men fled.

Police are looking at surveillance video in an effort to identify the suspects
My parents are retired academics, and the library of their small, cozy house, which is tucked away on a country hillside in Pennsylvania, is thick with the residua of a half century in the humanities. Among the many books nestled in these overcrowded shelves are a number of Modern Library hardcovers, some with their torn Art Deco paper jackets still clinging to them, some stripped to their gilt-lettered cloth binding, among them, or so I thought, an edition of Henry Adamss celebrated posthumous autobiographyone of the founding documents of American literature.

I was back at my parents over the holiday, but when I looked for the book, it was mysteriously gone. The seed, howeveras is so often the case with me, being one of visual association with a specific physical objecthad been planted. So last month, confronted with the rare, welcome, and unexpected boon of a break in my assigned-reviewing book reading duties, I dutifully made my way to the mid-Manhattan branch of the New York Public Librarythat most functional and least aesthetically pleasing of all New York City institutionschecked out the Houghton paperback edition with the foreword by Donald Hall, and dove into it that same night.

The Education of Henry Adams is an extraordinary book, maddening, alternately fascinating and tedious, just as often mordantly and unexpectedly funny, one that seems both ragingly pertinent to and impossibly distant from our own time. Written in a stream of perfectly balanced and musical prose, it is at times opaque; coming from a perspective of unimaginable privilege and prestige, it is dominated by themes of failure, exclusion, otherness, superannuation. Most of all, it provokes turbulent half-formed thoughts on history, politics, identity, privilege, and the meaning of the act of reading.

Adamss book works against its readers expectations in a curious way. The book is saturated, from its title down, with a sense of ironic detachment and self-deprecation. The running joke of the book, of sorts, is that Adams continually fails at everything he turns his hand to: he speaks repeatedly of not being able to understand, of being left out of the conversation, of being excluded, of failing, of not being equal to the task at hand. The title is deeply ironic: the book could just as easily be called (pace Lauryn Hill) The Miseducation of Henry Adams, as his attempts to be prepared for the world at large are constantly failing him and leaving him bereft of purpose and capability. There is something amusingly hangdog about his affecthes like a 19th-century Kylo Ren, living with petulant ineffectuality in the long shadows of his forbears.

And it is hard to locate the book within contemporary attitudes towards privilege and entitlement. Adams feels very dead, very white, and very male; it is difficult to imagine an author who is more favored with wealth and status, who is more certifiably a member of the Anglo-Saxon patriarchy, whose story less well-suited to our current and deeply justified hunger for diversity and alterity in the narratives we choose to invest ourselves in. What relevance could this book possibly hold?

But Adamss blunt awareness of the circumstances of his birth is disarming:

Probably no child, born in the year, held better cards than he. Whether life was an honest game of chance, or whether the cards were marked and forced, he could not refuse to play his excellent hand. He could never make the usual plea of irresponsibility. He accepted the situation as though he had been a party to it, and under the same circumstances would do it again, the more readily for knowing the exact values. To his life as a whole he was a consenting, contracting party and partner from the moment he was born to the moment he died. Only with that understandingas a consciously assenting member in full partnership with the society of his agehad his education an interest to himself or to others.

He has struck a bargain with himself and with the readers: In exchange for the privilege he has born into, he agrees to look with an honest eye at the forces that made him so and how he fits into the narrative of American consciousness. He will place, as his first biographer Ernest Samuels put it, the sustained intermingling of philosophy and personal experience in the service of a historical thesis. Adamss education leads ineluctably to the conviction of his own ignorance, and his ignorance must educate us, Donald Hall writes in his foreword. We read Adams to remind us of our ignorance. To use a shopworn metaphor, Adams is the man who fully understands that he was born standing on third base; we started out ahead of everybody, he wrote in his journals, of his cohort. It would be easy enough to see this as a form of self-absorption, of rationalization, but to me it sounds oddly heroic.

And so off he goes, through his youth in Massachusetts and his education at Harvard and then to the first great political experience of his life, that of being secretary to his father, the ambassador to England, during the Civil War. Adamss account of long-forgotten details of Englands semi-neutrality in the conflict, of diplomatic infighting and deceit and maneuvering, can be slow going, but is also remarkably evocative of how treacherous the byways of transcontinental politics werea role for which he was forever ill-suited.

Returning to the United States, he finds himself sidelined by the avaricious vulgarity of Ulysses S. Grants administration; Edward Halsey Foster pictures a man of immense reserve and intelligence, living across from the White House and studying its occupants with little confidence in their abilities. He reluctantly takes up a professorship at Harvardeducation, like politics, is a rough affair, he observesbefore going west with the legendary geologist and surveyor Clarence King. The end of Chapter Twenty finds Adams in a mountainside camp with King, where he concludes that no more education was possible for either man.

So, it is startling for a contemporary reader, or maybe even any reader, to turn the page and that find Chapter Twenty-One is titled Twenty Years After, and dated 1892. It begins with this stirring refrain:

Once more! this is the story of education, not of adventure! It is meant to help young menor such as have intelligence enough to seek helpbut it is not meant to amuse them. What one didor did not dowith ones education, after getting it, need trouble the inquirer in no way; it is a personal matter only which would confuse him.

This extraordinary sentence, with its mixture of bravado, condescension, generosity, and evasiveness, marks one of the most drastic elisions in the history of American narrative, and one that can only be understood, of course, in context. What readers of Adamss time and just after would have known was that the missing 20 years comprised the happiest of his life, those in which he met, courted, and married Marian Clover Hooper, with whom he lived a prosperous and highly social life in Washington, all of which ended abruptly with his wifes unexpected suicide in 1885. Hall avers that Adamss reticence is clearly the product not of coldness but intolerable heat; Foster makes the cryptic and highly unscholarly observation that some have speculated that Adamss distant, ironic nature contributed to his wifes suicide, but there is no direct evidence of this. Whatever the truth, it takes a special kind of man to write a 500-page autobiography without mentioning the suicide of his wife, and here again we find ourselves looking at Adams as from a great distance.

Having elided the central tragedy of his life from his history, he continues his account of his peregrinations across the United States and Europe, including three visits to Worlds Fairs, those of 1893, 1900, and 1904, as well as to a series of European cathedrals, especially the one dedicated to the Virgin Mary, at Chartres, in France. Adamss lifelong freedom from conventional social and financial obligations was socially isolating but also intellectually liberating. Adams was essentially an autodidact, and one detects in the patterns of his thinking both the autodidacts characteristic strengthscatholicity of interest, a tendency toward synthesisas well as weaknesses, the primary one being an idiosyncrasy that borders at times on cranky. (He reminds me at times of those super-intelligent loners who read, if such a thing were possible, too much, and who, ungrounded by intellectual contact with peers of any kind, spin off into elaborate conspiracy theories.)

In Adamss case, he developed a conception of himself as a conservative Christian anarchistwhatever that meansand cooked up weird, quasi-feminist, slightly icky theories about gender and sex. He vouched that he owed more to the American woman than to all the American men he ever heard of and he caught the trick of affirming that the woman was the superior, although it turns out that woman was the goddess because of her force; she was the animated dynamo; she was reproductionthe greatest and most mysterious of all energies. His adoration of feminine iconography in early Christianity was somehow yoked to his idea that Christianity had ended. The result, in his formulation, was an emptying of history, as his biographer Edward Chalfant put it, an emptiness so vast could be crushing. Having no one to turn to, he feared he might lapse into a senseless admiration of Jesussenseless because belated. His travels allowed him to pursue a growing fascination with both technology and with the history of religion, which gradually blossomed into a series of chapters about history and science. The most famous of these are The Dynamo and the Virgin and A Dynamic Theory of History, which form the basis of the books reputation as a foundational document in the philosophy of history.

For me the central brilliance of these two knotty excursae lies less in the particulars of their propositions and more in the brilliance and ambition of their scope. Adams understood better than any of his peersand remarkably well for a man aged 72, not an age commonly associated with flexible receptiveness to unfamiliar technologiesthat this new technology transformed not just work, and society, but thought. The dynamo, as the scholar Jennifer Lieberman puts it in an entrancing new book, inspires Adams to write history in new ways. Its force challenges him to think beyond his own parochial perspectiveto reimagine history not as a series of human accomplishments, but as a larger drama involving systemically interconnected energies. (Lieberman also makes the delightful observation that Adamss hunger for the gloss of the new wears off quickly, just as it might for any 13-year-old with a new smartphone.) In The Education, as Samuels observed, reality shimmers through a haze of symbols and analogies, and imagination makes all history a simultaneous emotion.

As Adams broadens his thesis, he also casts his eye backwards, and he begins to feel himself dissolving into the past, into disembodied experience. He begins to wish for the negation of learning; he saw his education as complete, and was sorry he had ever begun, and expresses doubt about the fundamental communicability of the liberal project, noting that words are slippery and thought is viscous. He limns a profound understanding of the futility of assuming that progress is cumulative. The attempt of the American of 1800 to educate the American of 1900 had

not often been surpassed for folly; and since 1800 the forces and their complications had increased a thousand times or more. The attempt of the American of 1900 to educate the American of 2000, must be even blinder than that of the Congressman of 1800, except so far as he had learned his ignorance.

Adamss conclusion, as John C. Orr puts it, emphasizes that the mental paradigms one inherited [will always] lag behind technological and scientific developments; in a world where the acceleration of knowledge and technology increases exponentially, the inner truth of education lies in recognizing its limits. We must know above all what it is that we do not know.

This conception strikes me as fundamentally humble, not just towards ones peers or superiors, but towards the unknown future generations. So many current leaders, thinkers, and writers are absolutely sure of their own values and achievements; so many of them are absolutely certain of the superiority of their moral vision to that of their predecessors, and of the utility of their perceptions to posterity. Adams was relentless in his denial of this (after all) very human urge; he looks back on his own preconceptions of youth and concludes that anything he would try to say to future generations would be worse than useless. Underneath all of his elegant melancholy is an asperity that is unsparing of himself, that is ruthless towards sentimentality, cant, moral certitude, all of the pious superiorities that so often accompanied the 19th-century idea of progress. Its a little frightening; the intensity of Adamss world-historical skepticism approaches nihilism. This, I think, more than its somewhat convoluted theories or its value as a historical document, is the heart of The Educations continued appeal. Its emotional valence is remarkably bracing to anyone who finds himself out of tune with the received notions of a culture.

This strange and beautiful journey of a book grows darker as its author gives way to the encroaching gloom of superannuation, almost to the violence of despair. He was deeply unmoored by the loss of the Titanic, on which he was scheduled to sail on its return voyage to London; Susan Hanssen writes that the catastrophe seemed almost too neatly to demonstrate the truth of his warning against modern mans belief that he could master and manipulate nature to create the kingdom of heaven on earth. His mindset can be inferred from a wonderful letter that Henry James wrote to him in 1914, wherein the great novelist wrote that I still findconsciousness interesting and implored his friend, cultivate it with me, dear Henrythats what I hope to make you do; to cultivate yours for all that it has in common with mine. (It cant be a good sign when Henry James is telling you to cheer up.) As it comes to a close, The Education strikes a note of discordance and entropy, with a dizzying view of a New York City descending into high-velocity chaos and madness:

The cylinder had exploded, and thrown great masses of stone and steam against the sky. The city had the air and movement of hysteria, and the citizens were crying, in every accent of anger and alarm, that the new forces must at any cost be brought under control. Prosperity never before imagined, power never yet wielded by man, speed never reached by anything but a meteor, had made the world irritable, nervous, querulous, unreasonable, and afraid.

That this vision feels so accurate does not mean that the world we inhabit is the same as Adamssmuch that he held dear now seems retrograde and exclusionary, and much of what he disdained has been rendered triumphant. But reading this despairing, sardonic, sometimes difficult book allows to see both things, what we have gained and what we have lost; it shows us how to attend to the details of our own educational journeys, whatever they may be.
Teju Cole can seduce you a dozen ways. As a writer who refuses to be boxed in by the conventions of genre, he blurs the boundaries between fiction and memoir, sprinkling in just enough tidbits from his own life to leave you wanting more. His essays cover an astonishing range of subjects, from favorite writers like W.G. Sebald and James Baldwin to photography, travel and the politics of race and nationality. His interests veer between aesthetics and politics, and he writes about both as the photography critic for The New York Times Magazine.

The pleasure of dipping into Coles work is encountering an extremely fertile mind. He seems instinctively drawn to creative work thats fragmentary in nature rather than fully-formed worlds. Perhaps its no surprise that he turned Twitter into an art form. But just when Cole developed a huge Twitter following, he abandoned it. I try to find out what I can do in that space, he told me, and then without any compunction or regret I move on.

His latest experiment is Blind Spot, a strange hybrid of photography book and essay collection. Cole has traveled everywhere and come back to tell us what hes seen, and its all filtered through his distinctive perspective  part Nigerian, part American and thoroughly cosmopolitan.

He recently came to Madison to speak at the University of Wisconsin, and shortly before his lecture, he stopped by my recording studio for an interview. Like he always does, Cole was carrying a camera. This one was his small Fujifilm X70 digital camera, one of nine cameras he owns. I asked if he uses them all. Yeah. Its helpful to have different tools, he said. Each one makes you shoot a little differently and opens up another seam in your head.

We talked about what he likes in photographs, his dislike of artistic boundaries, the complexities of racial identity, and his roots in both Lagos and New York.

Steve Paulson: You always seem to be looking around and taking photos of the places you go, but youve called your new book Blind Spot. What does that title refer to?

Teju Cole: Well, if youre looking a lot, at some point you become aware of the limitations of looking. Its just like being a writer. At some point you understand there are things that words can accomplish and then theres a moment when words cannot help you. Looking has been so central to my way of being in the world that it goes a little bit beyond the conventional. But I was also very much into art as a kid. And Ive got three university degrees and theyre all in art history.

Art history is basically about looking closely and trying to give an account of what youre looking at from the art tradition. Then I got into photography more than a dozen years ago. And not long after that I really got into writing about photography and that entailed even closer looking than just taking photographs because now I have to interpret other peoples photographs.

SP: It sounds like youre saying the more you look, the more you realize what you dont see.

TC: Absolutely. You realize that in everything youre looking at, youre missing something and it becomes a haunting question. The other thing that happened was that sometime around 2011, just after my first book, Open City, was published in this country, I had an episode with my eyes. I woke up one morning and was blind in my left eye. I wasnt in pain. I just couldnt see and it was like a veil had fallen over my vision, and my right eye wasnt doing so great either. So of course this is a nightmare for anyone.

SP: Especially for you, since youre a photography critic.

TC: An art historian and a photography guy. This occlusion went away over the course of a couple of days. But doctors could not quite figure out what was going on. Eventually I got a diagnosis from this top specialist on retinal problems. He said I had something called Big Blind Spot Syndrome. Its something I kept thinking about afterwards. Later, I had some surgery. The problem has come back again but only rarely. But I kept thinking about the blind spot. And it changed my photography

SP: How so?

TC: I was already looking intently, but I started to look more intently, more patiently. My photography got a bit more meditative and mysterious. I began to pay attention to the ordinary in a more focused way.

SP: Whats striking when I look at your own photographs  of back alleys, side streets, a tarp hanging over a shack  these arent the usual tourist photos we see.

TC: Thats right. Having eye trouble made the ordinary glorious. Its just the way the sun falls across concrete or, like you said, a hanging tarp. Its almost like William Carlos Williamss poetry. Im not the first person in photography to pay attention to such simple scenes, usually devoid of people and excitement. Certainly in American photography weve had pioneers like Lee Friedlander or Stephen Shore or William Eggleston, but the discovery for me was finding out the highly personal way I wanted to do this. Simply to make images out of the ordinary and then to draw the extraordinary narrative that might be lying behind that terrain or city if it was a place I was visiting.

SP: Does your approach to photography match how you look at the world? Is seeing the same thing as taking a picture of it?

TC: Its getting closer. This aspect of my work  writing for the public and making images  has been going on for about a dozen years, and in that time Ive understood more and more that all of it is of a piece. I used to think they were really separate. Now I realize that looking at the world, making images, writing about images, writing about things that are not images, all of it is an attempt to testify to having been here and seen certain things, having looked at the world with a kind eye but an eye that is not ignoring questions of justice and history. And thats why Blind Spot is a book of text and images.

SP: Nearly every page of this book has one image and an accompanying bit of text that youve written, often just one paragraph. Sometimes you reference the picture youve taken, sometimes you dont. Whats the connection between text and image?

TC: I wanted to make a book that was a little bit novelistic but with none of the things you expect from a novel. This book is not made up. These are stories drawn from real life  personal experience, philosophy, essayistic-type of speculations. Novels usually dont have 150 color photographs. And yet I wanted to give it the energy of a novel or a documentary film, just a very peculiar one. So in one sense it was about the excitement of working in a new genre  a genre I was developing myself  the rhythm of text and image. But if you look at just the images all by themselves, they have a common visual language. Theyre in color. I shot everything in film in 25 different countries. They usually have streetscapes or interiors, not a lot of people. When we have people, theyre turned away from us, so theres a quietness that connects all the images. And if you read all the text in sequence, they have a kind of philosophical temperature that unites them. So this adventure was finding my way into a new form that I hope has a coherence. So if somebody goes through the book, they feel theyve been through something strange and marvelous. Its a strange album, a strange movie, a strange novel, but its none of those things because its actually just texts and images.

SP: What can text do and what can an image do?

TC: Text is very good at being explicit. When you write, youre saying something in particular about the world. Images are specific about what was seen but not about what it means. When you put them together, you have the opportunity either to explain, which is usually not what Im doing, or to create a kind of poetry. So you put the semantics of text together with the description of the image and they meet at an interesting angle. And out of that angle, Im hoping and praying that some kind of poetry happens.

SP: And theres a third thing you do. Often youre not just describing the picture. You refer to favorite books and writers and artists. There are layers upon layers. Nothing is ever direct with you.

TC: [Laughs] Not really. Well, its all part of my world. This library contains The Iliad and The Odyssey. It also contains the Bible. Im very interested in Christian theology. I think this is my most personal book to date and Christian teaching was a big part of my formation. And the moment I start thinking about how much I am seeing, how much I am missing, all this Christianity just comes in  not as an explanation but as a lens to understand it. Stories like Jesus healing the blind, and religious faith as a kind of seeing, as a form of prophecy. Religious faith is something I drifted away from because I realized that some of the claims it made about special vision did not hold true. Having believed was a kind of blind spot.

SP: Is your project to remove the blind spots, or to acknowledge that we all have blind spots?

TC: Its really about acknowledgement. To go back to these very old texts was also a way to acknowledge the antiquity of these questions. Theres something elemental about a person walking down a street, so I talk a lot about walking in the book because walking is connected to photography but photography is connected to seeing. The kind of seeing we do has to do with us being upright creatures whose eyes are flat on our faces. Were not like dogs close to the earth, with eyes on either side of the snout. So these are very old questions. At some point we were on all fours and then we stood up. Of course the book is haunted by frailty, eventually also by death. I wanted this book to be very contemporary but also to deal with what it means to be a human creature upon the earth. Somehow thinking about theology and Homer gave me access to that.

SP: Youve taken these photos all over the world. I started jotting down some of these places: Lagos, where you grew up, Nuremberg, Tivoli, Nairobi, Auckland, Tripoli, Milan, Berlin, Zurich, Copenhagen, Seoul, Bombay, Sao Paolo, Brooklyn, Beirut, Bali. The list goes on and on. You must like to travel.

TC: I get to travel a lot. I take a lot of pleasure from it and I get a lot of productive discomfort from it. I only included photos I felt were relevant to the project of the book. I only included places where I made film photographs because I wanted a consistency of effect and appearance. Not because film is better than digital. For example, on this visit to Madison, Ive only brought my small digital camera.

SP: So I have this image of you. You land in a new place and just start walking with your camera, not necessarily to any particular destination. Is this what you do?

TC: Thats pretty accurate. You know, whats missing from this book is I dont have any pictures of Iceland because when I went there, I didnt take a film camera. I took a digital one. I have no pictures from South Africa. I have no pictures from Australia.

SP: What does film give you that you dont get in a digital picture?

TC: I think it affords a certain kind of slowness in the thinking. I have only 36 shots on this roll. Do I really want to take this picture?

SP: You have to be more selective.

TC: Yes. But having shot with film for many years now, I think that has also started to affect my digital shooting. Im not so happy-go-lucky anymore.

SP: I know people who deliberately do not take cameras when they travel because they worry theyre always going to be looking for the good shot rather than just having the experience. Does that resonate at all with you?

TC: I understand where that thinking comes from. One of the most wonderful writers on photography was the English writer John Berger, who died earlier this year. He was somebody whose work I very much cherished. And I got the opportunity to ask Berger about why he didnt take photographs and he said he tried it very briefly  maybe in the 80s. He had a photographer teach him how to take and develop photos and then he realized that when he took photos of a scene, it kind of foreclosed the writing he wanted to do about that situation. His attention to detail went to the image rather than to the writing he was able to do about it. So he preferred to observe and draw and write. But I find that Im able to do both.

SP: Do you carry around a notebook as well as a camera?

TC: I always have a notebook, a pen and a camera. These are my tools because the world is always giving you various phenomena. Youve noticed that some of what Im writing about is different from what I photographed. Sometimes they coincide. I dont want my photography to be an illustration of the text. I want the photograph to hold its own. What is the light doing? How are the colors working? How do things balance? The narrative also has to meet the demands of storytelling, of obliqueness, of compression. It has to detonate in a certain way that might actually be adjacent to the photograph, not sitting right on top of it. Which is why I dont really call these texts captions. They are voice-overs. They are running parallel. Each has to emanate its own energy.

SP: Youve talked about these elusive and mysterious photos that you like to take. Is that also what you like to see in other peoples photography?

TC: I like a very wide range of things in photography. This is important for me as a photography critic not to be closed-minded. So I like photos of the kind that is related to my work. I particularly like Italian contemporary photography. But I also like spectacular street photographers who can nail a decisive moment. I sometimes do that but not a whole lot of it. I also like a good portrait.

SP: Even though you rarely take portraits.

TC: I love strong portraits. I think its a challenging art form. Irving Penn was a great portraitist but I would rather look at a portrait by Gordon Parks. It seemed to have more import. And I think Richard Avedon, whose style is not so far from Irving Penns, was a more successful portraitist. But Henri Cartier-Bresson was an even better portraitist. There was something about what was happening around his portrait that gave it more energy. The young contemporary photographer Christopher Anderson is an extraordinary portraitist and he gets a lot of magazine work because of this extraordinary ability to work with color and appearance when making images of people. I like conceptual photography. And at the same time I like photojournalists and spot news reporting. So I like all sorts. But this applies to writing as well.

SP: You also seem to be fascinated by memory.

TC: Memory is often a layer. A lot of my language can probably be located somewhere around 1915, between Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. I have a lot of faith in what can be achieved with a well-polished English sentence. Not that I try to make the language old- fashioned, but I like a clean sentence. But a lot of the reading I do is fragmented. One of my favorite authors is Michael Ondaatje and he uses sentence fragments a great deal.

SP: Why do you like fragmentary sentences?

TC: Because they can evoke the present in a very powerful way.

SP: So you dont want a narrative thats too self-contained and wraps everything up?

TC: But sometimes I do. Look at James Joyces short story The Dead. Excellent sentences and theyre somewhat formal, even though the narrative is not formal. You get your epiphany at the end and you have these very powerful feelings. But if you read Running in the Family or The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, its jazzier. Those sentences are all over the place. Or if you read Anne Carson, who is a modern master of the fragment. A fragment is very often about mastery as well. Its about saying I need just this much to convey. That can just be a delight. For me its about recognizing that great art comes in all kinds of forms. In Blind Spot I actually use more fragments than Ive tended to use you, though I also still use a lot of well-polished sentences.

SP: Theres one page in Blind Spot that I want to quote because it raises some interesting questions. Its about Lugano. You have a photo of a park bench, a statue of a horse and some buildings. And heres the entire text that accompanies that image:

She said to me: Europe is getting worse. I still dont understand why you want to move to Switzerland. I said to her: I dont want to move to Switzerland. Quite the contrary. I like to visit Switzerland. When Im not there, I long for it, but what I long for is the feeling of being an outsider there and, soon after, the feeling of leaving again so I can continue to long for it.

Theres so much in that passage: your love of travel, your feeling of displacement, wanting to be an outsider but probably also experiencing the cost of being the outsider.

TC: Yeah, but some very profound pleasures in it. Why is that text in Blind Spot? Because it encapsulates a misunderstanding. Oh, you talk about Switzerland. You must want to live there. You want to be a Swiss citizen. No. So Im thinking through that response. What is another possible reason for wanting to be in Switzerland? Well, one way is to enjoy visiting without the desire to live there. It also fits in this book because Switzerland is one of the hidden themes of the book. And I keep going back there.

SP: It made me think of an essay you wrote about James Baldwin in Known and Strange Things. He lived in a tiny mountain village in Switzerland in the 1950s, basically in exile. He was the only black person in that village, and thats where he went to finish writing Go Tell It On the Mountain. Maybe he had to go there to be able to finish this book about America.

TC: Precisely. Theres a way that outsiderness either in your own person or in your location can help you understand what youre an insider to. Being a Nigerian-American in America helps me to understand Nigeria in a more intense way.

SP: Is it easier to write about Nigeria when youre in the U.S.?

TC: No writing is easy, but it affords me a certain insight while looking at it from a distance. Being in Nigeria, having grown up in Nigeria, also illuminates my understanding of America even though Im an American. That outsiderness helps. But the peculiar thing about having a couple of Switzerland essays in Known and Strange Things is that its a perfect illustration of the way that each of my books hands on the baton to the next book. So Known and Strange Things becomes a kind of prequel to Blind Spot. The final essay in Known and Strange Things is called Blind Spot.

SP: Which is about the experience of losing your vision.

TC: Yes. And then in a weird kind of way this blooms out into an entire book of photographs. But Known and Strange Things takes up in essayistic form many of the concerns that have been raised in novelistic form in Open City. What does it mean to live together? What are the responsibilities of looking at art? What should migration look like? Meanwhile, Open City itself is a kind of expansion on the out-of-placeness of the narrator who was at the center of Every Day Is for the Thief, which is the first book I wrote. So I dream of this organic flow of books.

SP: Even though the format of each of these books is really quite different. Some are fiction. Some are nonfiction. One has a lot of photographs. You seem to enjoy playing with form.

TC: Not only are they four books in four different genres, but each one is also considered peculiar within the genre that its supposed to be. Open City is strange for a novel. Its a novel without a plot. And 400 pages of an essay collection thats curiously personal and still you dont know too much about me [laughs].

SP: Theres one other form that youve mastered. You turned Twittter into an art form and developed a huge following.

TC: Thank you. It was a creative space for me and I enjoyed it very much.

SP: You wrote a series of tweets that got a lot of traction called the White Savior Industrial Complex. This was in response to the Kony 2012 video that was all the rage a few years ago, about the African warlord who had an army of child soldiers.

TC: So many things were coming together publicly and I wondered, whats my response to this? It allowed me to think about what we do when we do charity. What do we owe to the people to whom were doing some kind of mercy or favor? How much of it is tangled up in our own ego for wanting to be the savior? How much of this is actually racialized? If white Americans are going to Africa to go save, how is this related to the history of colonialism? How is this related to racial politics here in the U.S.? How is this related to being a white person and how you view black people? Does equality have any role to play if were helping people who are desperate, or does desperation absolve us of the need to treat people like equals? I thought these were good questions to ask. Yes, the title was provocative. The White Savior Industrial Complex got peoples hackles up a little bit.

SP: Because you were calling out people, including New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who writes a lot about this kind of thing.

TC: Right. I was calling people out. But the interesting thing about justice is that unless somebody pushes, nothing really happens. If black people dont push and speak out, nothing changes in race relations. If women dont speak out and make a fuss and make things a bit uncomfortable, gender relations dont really move. As we say, its the person who wears a shoe that knows where it pinches. And so the person whose shoe is pinching has to make the complaint. So theres a space for complaint. And Twitter was an interesting place to put those ideas out there.

SP: Are you still on Twitter?

TC: Im not on Twitter. Ive not tweeted in about three years.

SP: Why did you let it go?

TC: Thats exactly what I do with each of these genres. I try to find out what I can do in that space. I try to do good work there, and then without any compunction or regret I move on. And I try to find the next place to continue my exploration.

SP: What was it about the Twitter moment that appealed to you?

TC: An instantaneous public. The conveyance of compression and sentences into the minds of others. How much can we fit into this form? I think what any artist has to offer is really freedom. Freedom can be contagious. I chafe at excessive convention but I love to work within conventions and then try to push them and stop somewhere before the breaking point. So perfectly good English sentences but then Im pushing against what is permissible. So with this new book, what does the photography book look like? Well, not like this, which has a lot of text. So is it a selection of essays? Is it a memoir?

SP: Your personal history has clearly shaped your writing. You were born in Michigan, but within a few months your family moved to Lagos, where you grew up. How long were you in Nigeria?

TC: For 17 years.

SP: Why did you come back to America?

TC: I came back to the Midwest, to Kalamazoo, for university. My father was deeply unimpressed with the state of Nigerian universities in the early 90s and he wanted me to go back to the U.S. I didnt mind that, but I certainly did not arrive in the U.S. as a desperate and eager immigrant. We had very little money, but the privilege of choice was there. I got some scholarships and loans and then I had to start learning what it meant to be here as an American who was Nigerian. It was almost as if for the first time I was also learning that I was black. That did not need to be stated in Nigeria because everybody else around me was black, but I had to learn the racial politics of the U.S. and then I had to start experiencing in my own body the variegations of racial prejudice.

SP: So at first, you did not have the experience of most African-Americans?

TC: I did not. But Ive been in the U.S. for 25 years. Im a black guy in America, so within those first couple of years, there are many things I did not have a narrative for. What does it mean if Im strolling around in a small town in Michigan and a car slows down, the window is wound down and someone shouts the N-word at me? And what does it mean in a university setting where somebody says to me, Oh, youre not like those other blacks? All of this stuff had to be understood as a black person in America. In fact, Im an American African but Im also an African American.

SP: Wasnt it years before you actually went back to visit Lagos?

TC: Yeah. Its a little bit different from the narrator of Every Day Is for the Thief but there are some similarities. I went back to Nigeria after three years, but then I didnt go back again for another dozen years. There was a big mental distance. I kept not having the money. I kept not having the time. I kept worrying about whether I would be able to go. I went back in 2005 and Ive been back every year since then. It became a priority and I reestablished roots there.

SP: But you live in Brooklyn now.

TC: I live in Brooklyn. I live in the U.S.

SP: Do you consider Brooklyn home?

TC: Yes. Thats where my wife is. My brother lives there. My friends are there. My books are there. My office is there. So thats home. I also consider Lagos home. My parents live there. Its where I grew up. If I go to Nigeria, my room is there. The two most spoken languages in Lagos  Yoruba and English  are languages Im fluent in. So theres an at-homeness, but a home is also wherever theres good wi-fi. That connects me to the world in a way that is irreducible and essential to my experience of the world.

SP: Do you consider yourself more Nigerian or more American?

TC: Neither. Split right down the middle. Or rather 100 percent of both. I feel very invested in Nigerias future. Theres a book Ive been working on for a long time about Lagos, so I think a lot about Nigeria. Im American and America is in crisis at the moment and I feel invested. Open City was definitely an approach to this question but I feel invested in what this country ought to be. Im a citizen who is not a patriot. Im a citizen in the sense of being invested in what we owe each other. What do we do to protect each others rights? What do we do about people who break our mutual agreement? What do sanctions and punishments look like? Those philosophical questions are very interesting to me. Our borders are interesting to me. If my moneys being used to kill foreigners in the theater of war, thats my business. So Im very American and Im also very Nigerian.

SP: The two cities where youve spent the most time are Lagos and New York. Are they totally different experiences for you or do they have certain similarities?

TC: The commonalities are extensive. It is the experience of cosmopolitanism, which is maybe the fourth definition of home for me. And this is what I find in spaces in Lagos. And its what I find in New York  restaurants, clubs, bookshops, shopping malls, traffic, crazy people on the street, high fashion. Cities as a kind of problem-solving technology. If there are 16 million people in the same place, then we have to use resources in a way that makes sense in such a compressed space.

SP: What are the biggest differences between Lagos and New York?

TC: New York is much richer. Lagos might have 25 buildings of monumental scale and New York has 300. The sheer physical scale of New York never ceases to surprise me. And then theres that thing of New York being a world capital. Lagos is the capital of Africa.

Dont let people in Cairo or Johannesburg tell you different. Lagos is the place where the pop culture of Africa is being made. Lagos is the capital of Africa but New York is the capital of the world. So there is something about encountering this expansive, complex mutual togetherness in conversation. Its possible in New York. So New York is almost not an American city. Its a city thats a vision of what the world looks like if these borders are not as they are right now.

This interview was conducted through the radio program To the Best of Our Knowledge. An edited radio version will air soon.
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In what could be a 1st, #BC child #BC issued health card w/ "U" for sex. Parent Kori Doty at centre of fight w/ Vital Statistics. #LGBTQ pic.twitter.com/MPlQsO8qYe  Charmaine de Silva (@char_des) June 30, 2017

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Now this is interesting  what if everybody was born without being assigned a gender and everyone was seen as a person, not gender? https://t.co/JX1iiQzIbS  Stefan (@StefanP89) July 3, 2017

What do you think, let the child decide who he/she is? Why didn't the US think of this solution? Will the rest of the world use it? #Parents https://t.co/vCV6PU9oIn  Valeria Palo (@NoNameVal) July 3, 2017

This is the future. It makes sense. We all need to let go of our ideas about #gender. Turns out they are all made up and don't really matter https://t.co/rZwOSFpa4L  Mike Taylor (@michaelktaylor) July 3, 2017

Atli has a U  presumably for undetermined or unassigned  instead of male or female on the card, which is used for medical treatment. Parent Kori Doty, from British Columbia, is continuing to battle to keepgender from being included on other documents, including their birth certificate, with the aim that they can discover their own gender.Doty, who identifies as a non-binary transgender person who is neither male or female, was quoted by CBC News saying: Im recognising them as a baby and trying to give them all the love and support to beperson that they can be outside of the restrictions that come with the boy box and the girl box. According to CBC, Dotys lawyersaid British Colombia birth certificates currently only accommodate male or female gender.Doty, a member of the Gender-Free ID Coalition, says a visual inspection at birth cannot accurately determine what sex or gender that person will have or identify with for the rest of their life.When I was born, doctors looked at my genitals and made assumptions about who I would be, and those assignments followed me and followed my identification throughout my life, Doty said. Those assumptions were incorrect and I ended up having to do a lot of adjustments since then. Doty says the province is refusing to issuea birth certificate with no gender on it and they have now applied for a judicial review. Even just being issued a health card without a gender marker is being reported asfirst and people have been sharing their thoughts on Twitter.
Makenna Greenwald, a 20-year-old student decided to clean up Donald Trumps Hollywood star, which had been defaced with graffiti.

Greenwald used makeup wipes to get rid of the graffiti on the presidents star, before posting pictures of herself and her efforts on Twitter.

She received some praise from a few Trump supporters, including his son Eric Trump himself.

But, mostly, Greenwald received a lot of backlash from critics of Trump, who turned her post into an ongoing meme.The hashtag, #RaisedRight has been used by various Twitter users, who have been using other Hollywood stars to retaliate against Greenwalds original post. It started with Jake Stubbs re-enacting Greenwalds post, but with Meryl Streeps star instead. Similar posts quickly followed.

The hashtag, #RaisedRight has been used by various Twitter users, who have been using other Hollywood stars to retaliate against Greenwalds original post. It started with Jake Stubbs re-enacting Greenwalds post, but with Meryl Streeps star instead. Similar posts quickly followed.

Stopped to clean @MerylStreep Hollywood Star. Nothing but respect for MY President. #RaisedRight pic.twitter.com/sqLsZ70bul  jake stubbs (@jake__stubbs) July 1, 2017







Stopped to clean @Shrek Hollywood Star. Nothing but respect for MY President. #RaisedRight pic.twitter.com/8xiXaBH7kf  emo dad (@fatsoburgers) July 2, 2017





Stopped to clean Godzilla's Hollywood star. Nothing but RESPECT for MY president! pic.twitter.com/T5RF3nvwCW  Beel (@tomservo10) July 3, 2017





Some people took it past just Hollywood stars.

Stopped to clean the cheerios off of my kitchen floor. Nothing but respect for MY mom. #RaisedRight pic.twitter.com/JoEuZKihGB  Leanne (@lulushahin) July 3, 2017





Stopped to clean their sewer grate on the street. Nothing but respect for MY Ninja Turtles #RaisedRight pic.twitter.com/6N4zQIJXKj  watermelon burps (@antisocial_anna) July 5, 2017





Greenwald has since made an appearance on Fox News, in which she expressed her surprise over the amount of "disrespect" she has received. She stated: "He should be respected, whether it's his Hollywood star or just talking about him in public."

However, the meme is still going strong, as people continue to contribute to the topic with tweets of their own.
R. C. Sobti, the vice-chancellor (VC) of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow, India, has requested that female employees do not stay in their offices after 6pm.

The order is reportedly intended to keep women safe, and it asks that women seek permission from the VC if they wish to stay in the office later.

University spokesperson Govind Pandey said that the order comes after "a number of untoward incidents", adding that the order is intended "to avoid such episodes".



Some have questioned why the order only applies to female employees and not also to female students and women teachers, as one anonymous female officer said: "If the office is unsafe for women, then the campus must also be unsafe for the girls studying here."

Another employee challenged why the order did not also address the safety of male officers, asking "Wont they require security too, if they have to work till late?"

Concerns have been raised over how the order will interfere with the work of female employees, and it has also been questioned why the order is necessary following recent installation of CCTV which had cost RS 1 Crore.

The order has been criticised further, with some seeing it as a challenge to the freedom of female employees, and others considering it to be obstructive and interfering with womens' abilities to do their jobs.

One anonymous officer asked: "Is the university trying to shut out women in the name of security?"
Modi is the first ever Indian prime minister to visit Israel, a milestone he today called "a matter of joy."

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a new flight service connecting Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv, while addressing members of the Indian diaspora in Israel.

He also said an Indian Cultural Centre would soon be opened in Israel, and that members of the Indian community in the Jewish country who were a part of the Compulsory Army Service would be getting OCI cards from now on.

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"It was due to the rules of the Compulsory Army Service that you were not able to convert your PIO cards into OCI cards so far...We have decided to ease these rules," he said.

He told a rapturous crowd of at the Tel Aviv convention centre that they were meeting after "a long time."

Modi is the first ever Indian prime minister to visit Israel , a milestone he today called "a matter of joy."

Yes, we are meeting after a very long time. It took many years for this visit to happen: PM @narendramodi https://t.co/JVLG00Bequ- PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

For the first time in 70 years an Indian PM has got an opportunity to visit Israel. This is a matter of joy: PM @narendramodi- PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Modi spoke about his government's mantra - "Reform, perform and transform" - GST and Israel's innovations in such fields as solar energy and agro-biotechnology.

He mentioned some of the achievements of his government, which celebrated its three-year anniversary in May.

We have introduced 100% FDI in key sectors, which will help our economy: PM @narendramodi- PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

With the aim of 'housing for all' we have placed emphasis on the construction and the real estate sector: PM @narendramodi- PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Speaking before him, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said India and Israel were building a future between their democracies.

He said the India-Israel partnership was "made in heaven, but happening right now here."

Modi and Netanyahu have been exceptionally warm in their exchanges during this unprecented trip.

During his speech, Modi said said he and his Israeli counterpart stayed up chatting till midnight yesterday.

That conversation probably came after a dinner that Netanyahu called a "date" earlier today, albeit in jest.

(Inputs from ANI)

ALSO READ

India, Israel join hands against terror, sign 7 pacts: All about the Modi-Netanyahu meet

Israeli media on Narendra Modi-Benjamin Netanyahu meet: A hug and a cover-up on Iran

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Modi's relation with Israel goes back to his birth. Find out how

ALSO WATCH

When Netanyahu's dinner with Modi reminded him of a date at an Indian restaurant 30 years ago

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She added that she is calling for a full investigation into the matter. The flat blocks are owned and managed by private accommodation provider Liberty Living, who also provides accommodation in several other cities across the UK including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. Afor the company stated: As a precaution, we are moving students from blocks B and C to nearby accommodation. Remedial work will begin on the properties as soon as practicable. We will keep everyone fully informed of developments." This comes amidst a number of concerns over cladding after the recent disaster at Grenfell, with several other universities such asand Derby discovering flammable cladding had been used in their halls buildings. The checks put in place have also highlighted a number of local councils and NHS Trust sites throughout the UK at risk due to the material.
University life is a vicious cycle. Start a new year, go to your lectures, take notes, write essays, stress out, cram during exam time, finish off exams, forget most of what you learned - and start all over again. The questions: "Why are we doing this? What am I learning? Is this really necessary?" come up again and again.

Travel tip: have a smile on your face and some common sense in your mind, and make the world your fun ball A post shared by Global Degree (@globaldegree) on Mar 15, 2017 at 8:52am PDT

This is where Global Degree comes in - to tell us that a formal university degree is not the only option. Instead, you can get an education through travelling to every single country in the world - sounds appealing, doesnt it?

Global Degree is an initiative created three years ago for young people and students, by young people and students, after the idea that you can receive a real-world education from connections and experiences through travel.

In order to graduate with a Global Degree, you must visit each of the 193 UN member states in the world. But how did such an adventurous initiative get started in the first place?

The degree was founded by Michael Graziano. Speaking to Mike about the programme, he takes us back to the start of Global Degree, the moment when all his friends bailed down on him last minute on what ended up to be a solo trip to Thailand, which turned out to be an amazing experience.

As Mike puts it: I said ' wait a second, how many misconceptions are there in the world or in my head? This world is one amazing place and all these things that I believe are not true'.

And just like that, Global Degree was born - in Mikes words, I had this huge revelation on the last day and I just decided, on that day, that I was going to go to every country in the world, and I promised to do it in five years time.

It just felt right for me, it felt like I had found a life purpose, so I just stacked with it. Some people were tuned in, saying how inspiring all that was, and gave me the courage to follow my dreams.

One of these people was Alexander Hennessy, the current videographer and editor of Global Degree. Within four months of being home I (Mike) had gotten three sponsors to help me fund the trip, and I had convinced a guy I barely knew, we had just met one time, to quit his job, rent out his apartment, and go travel two continents with a guy he just met.

A Global Degree does not require a lengthy admission process, certain subject combinations or disproportionate tuition fees; however, it does require having a certain attitude, a great deal of openness and the capacity to see every experience as an opportunity to learn.

Mike says: As weird as it sounds, if you are surrounded by good people and have the right attitude, nothing can fail you.

Travel tip: design your own reality. @Alexanderhennessy A post shared by Global Degree (@globaldegree) on Feb 27, 2017 at 6:13pm PST

Moreover, a positive attitude can help one overcome the misconceptions that exist about travelling. Mike claims that the main three he encountered were that its lonely to travel alone, number two, that you need to be rich to travel, and the other one is that the world is bad, that people are there to get something out of you and that you just have to protect yourself - thats really not the case, the world is a great place, it just comes to you having common sense, having a smile on your face and positive attitude.

Moreover, Global Degree can have an impact not only on the individual but also on the places being visited. For example, Mike told us about Nepal, where they travelled three weeks after the earthquake and managed to raise $2,000 to build 20 brand new homes in a village severely hit by the earthquake. As Mike added, the more people that travel and try to get their Global Degree, the more they discover these little things and situations and we have to use social media to mobilise finances to do good and to help, in order to make travelling more meaningful for the traveller and the locals.

However, Global Degree requires openness not only from the travellers themselves but also from bureaucratic structures. Reflecting on this issue, Mike explains how, if you are born in the United Kingdom you can walk into a 177 UN nations without visas, but, if you are born in certain countries, you can only walk into 25 nations without a visa. So, regardless of who you are, your outlook on the world, your beliefs, none of that matters, its just what soil you are born on, and I fundamentally dont think that is right - you should have the right to travel anywhere in the world, especially if you are a young, curious student who just wants to learn about the world around him, so that you can come forward and bring all the concepts back home to make your community a better place.

Just as a glimpse of the incredible lessons one can learn from travelling as opposed to sitting in a lecture hall - Mike talks about their trip to a village in Bangladesh, where they went fishing with the locals: They took us out on this very small boat and they opened a cage, where there were two otters, and they dumped them into the water with a leash.

"After rowing up the stream, they took out a net, which caught hundreds of fish all at once. So what they did is, the fish could smell and hear the otter in the water so, they drove the fish upstream, and at the end, they caught them all at once. It kind of gave me a life lesson, that the idea of trying to go and catch what you want in life, because there are ways to create something that will bring everything you want to you naturally. Its a little kind of lesson, something that you learn in isolated places, which is something that I love."

To get started with your Global Degree you just need a positive attitude and most importantly the ability to take a leap of faith.

What's more, you will never be alone; Global Degree is a community of people with a shared passion - people who can share experiences, tips and resources on how to best approach travelling.

Hopefully, as more people join the universal community of Global Degree, one day there will be no misconceptions, no negative judgements and no obstacles about any country. Maybe one day we will be able to travel freely to any country in the world.

Are you ready to take this leap of faith?

If you are interested in following their past travels and joining the community, check out their

Facebook

and

Instagram

pages for more information!
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According to an Israeli media report, Netanyahu's team wanted to avoid any dispute during PM Modi's visit.

By Nikhil Agarwal: The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be historic in more than one way but several touchy issues seem to have been left out of the bilateral talks - the most crucial being related to Iran.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz said for the past eight years, the Iranian issue has been at the top of Netanyahu's agenda in almost every meeting with foreign leaders, especially key powers.

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"But ahead of the Modi visit, Foreign Ministry officials made every attempt to take the Iranian issue off the public and media agenda. Even if the issue comes up in the talks to be held in closed rooms during the visit, it is not expected to dominate the conversation," it said.

According to the report, Netanyahu's team wanted to avoid any dispute during PM Modi's visit, especially a public one, as well as to promote economic interests with India.

It also raised the issue of attack on Israeli diplomats in New Delhi during 2012. Fingers were then raised on Iran.

The wife of the Defense Ministry attache, Tali Yehoshua-Koren, was wounded in the attack and Israel's ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, had said in an interview that Israel would not rest until the last of the assailants stood trial.

"But the fact is that the Indians have not yet tried even the first of those involved," the media report said adding that although India knows well that Iran was behind the attack, yet they refuse to admit it officially and point a finger at the regime in Tehran.

According to the Israeli media, senior officials in the defense establishment and the Foreign Ministry concede that the issue has been covered up and made to go away by the Indians, who acted anemically toward the Iranians due to a long list of other interests that were more important.

"The Indians, who maintain close ties to Tehran in the areas of trade and energy, politely asked the Iranians not to commit any more attacks on Israeli targets in India, and swept the matter under the rug," the report said.

The Jerusalem Post stressed on how the political transformation also had an impact on its foreign policy vis-a-vis Israel.

"During Operation Protective Edge, India refrained from criticising Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. In July 2014, India abstained in the vote on the UN report condemning Israel for Operation Protective Edge," it said.

Also read:

India, Israel join hands against terror, sign 7 pacts: All you need to know on Modi-Netanyahu meet

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Modi in Israel: PM's Haifa visit tomorrow to highlight India's role in two world wars

I love you, Mr Modi, want to visit Mumbai: 26/11 survivor Moshe Holtzberg

Also watch:

Modi, Netanyahu call for action against terror groups in joint press conference

--- ENDS ---
Modi, who is the first Indian PM to visit Israel in 69 years, has been praised by Benjamin Netanyahu.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Israel, is getting grand welcome where ever he is going. In the last two days, Israel's President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met PM Modi several times.

Modi, who is the first Indian PM to visit Israel in 69 years, has been praised by Benjamin Netanyahu. In his welcome speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Modi a friend and said in Hindi, "Aapka swagat hai mere dost." In such scenario, an interesting fact about PM Modi and Israel has been revealed.

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PM Modi's connection with Israel

It's a date. 17 September 1950 is that day when India had officially recognised Israel as a nation and allowed it to open its consulate in Mumbai. And now, its special connection with PM Modi. This is the same day, when PM Modi was born in Gujarat's Vadnagar.

India-Israel ties

Though, India had recognized Israel as a nation in 1950, but the diplomatic ties between the two nations was started only in 1992. The reason for the late beginning of diplomatic ties was India's support to Israel's arch-rival Palestine. In 2015, President Pranab Mukerjee became the first Indian president to visit Israel.

I for India and Israel

Meanwhile, PM Modi during his meeting with Netanyahu said that both nations names start with letter I. He further said that I for India and I for Israel means that India for Israel and Israel for India. He also said that Israel is real friend of India.

ALSO READ:

Did Israeli PM Netanyahu just make India and China 'sautans' with his 'marriage made in heaven' comment?

When dinner with Modi reminded Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu of his Indian restaurant date

Prime Minister Modi and his 'yaari dosti' with world leaders

ALSO WATCH THE VIDEO:

--- ENDS ---
PM Modi received a warm welcome in Israel with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying "aapka swagat hai mere dost". Earlier US President Donald Trump had referred to PM Modi as a true friend. Here's a look at how Modi has built a friendship many prominent world leaders.

By India Today Web Desk: Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The citizens may have contradicting views about Narendra Modi but the Indian Prime Minister is certainly winning hearts at the international forum. Modi's international visits have made him a favourite among the world leaders.

Modi's recent visit to Israel is being seen by experts as a crucial step towards strengthening India-Israel relationships. Modi has also become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel in the last 25 years. During his welcome speech , Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called Modi a friend.

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"Aapka swagat hai mere dost," said Netanyahu.

Whoever has followed Modi closely over his tenure as a prime minister would know that strengthening foreign policy is one of his main agenda. While Modi has actively propagated India's foreign policy, he has also faced a lot of flak for visiting other countries while not addressing certain sensitive issues in India.

Modi's foreign visits, however, have certainly placed India in a strong strategic position internationally.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

In the past, President Donald Trump also called Modi a "true friend" and expressed his desire to discuss "important strategic issues" with him. Modi's recent visit to the US has not only brought India-US closer strategically but we can also see an alignment in India and US's international policy.

Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!- President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017

Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2017

AUSTRALIA

While on his visit to Australia during the early days as the prime minister, his Australian counterpart also referred to Modi as a "friend". "If we could use first names, that would be good as well because, whatever disagreements we might have, it helps if there can at least be personal warmth amongst us," said Australian PM, Tony Abbot.

People asked me isn't it too soon to visit Australia after @TonyAbbottMHR just visited. I said I can't say no to my friend Tony: PM- PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 18, 2014

BRITAIN

Britain has also made sure to portray itself as Modi's friend, given India's growing strategic importance in world politics. During Modi's visit to Britain, the then British PM David Cameron was seen putting in all efforts to make Modi's visit a memorable one.

Theresa May also called India has Britain's "closest friends". Before her bilateral visit to India in 2016, May wrote - "One of our most important and closest friends has to be India - a leading power in the world, with whom we share so much history, culture and so may values, and which is led by a Prime Minister who is undertaking a far-reaching programme of reform. In other words, we are two countries with strong ties, a mature relationship and an opportunity to make that even deeper."

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PAKISTAN

Not to forget, Modi won over Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by paying a surprise visit to Sharif on his way back from Russia. It happened to be Nawaz Sharif's birthday, thus making the visit a more special one. Just before Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan, National Security Advisors of both the nations met in Bangkok to discuss "peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues, including tranquility along the LoC (Line of Control)", said India's Ministry of External Affairs.

BALOCHISTAN

Ironically, Balochistan also considers Modi and thus India a friend. Mir Suleiman Ahmedzai, who is also known as the 'Khan of Kalat' told the media that Prime Minster Narendra Modi was a "friend of Balochistan". Ahmedzai told the media that he looks forward to India's support in the demand for a free and independent Balochistan.

Speaking at the House of Lords in Britain Ahmedzai said,"We have passed on our message to Modi through the media and without the media. The only voice we heard in our support in so many years was Modi's. I am confident that we will get support from the west, India and even from China."

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RUSSIA

Modi met Vladimir Putin earlier in June 2017. While Putin did not specifically call Modi a friend, he reinstated that India's close ties with Russia cannot be diluted.

"International relations see ups and downs, but history is witness Indo-Russia relations have not seen any ups and downs," asserted Indian PM Modi in an interview with the PTI.

Putin was also emotional when Modi visited a cemetery to pay homage to Putin's family. "I had an opportunity to visit (the cemetery) and pay homage to those who laid down their lives for Russia," Modi said during his visit to Russia. Referring to Putin her said, "you are a political leader whose family has made sacrifices" for the glory of Russia.

It will be interesting to note what will be the outcome of Modi's bilateral visit to Israel. Thanks to him, India has a lot of friends in international forum to count upon.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, July 5 (PTI) China today claimed that it has a "basic consensus" with Bhutan on the boundary and there is no dispute between two countries in the Doklam area, the centre of the current Sino-India military standoff.

The standoff between troops of India and China at Doklam area started after Bhutan, which has close diplomatic and military ties with India, protested to Beijing about the Peoples Liberation Army troops building a road in the strategic location close to chicken neck tri-junction.

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"I can say that we have been stressing that Doklam belongs to China since ancient times. It was under the effective jurisdiction of China without any dispute. China and Bhutan had about 24 rounds of boundary talks," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing answering a question about Bhutan?s protest.

"Although the boundary between the two countries is yet to be settled but we have basic consensus on the boundary and there is no dispute between both of us that Doklam belongs to China," he said.

Geng said China had been acting according to the agreements between the two countries and Doklam had been under the effective jurisdiction of China.

"Chinese activities (road building) in the relevant area does not violate relevant agreements and does not alter the status quo. The Bhutan side also knows it clearly. We will work together with Bhutan through friendly negotiations and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas," he said. PTI KJV NSA

--- ENDS ---
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.
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today directed authorities to approve at the earliest a signal-free road project between North Delhis Wazirabad and the IGI Airport, which will bring down travel time on the 29- km stretch to 20-30 minutes.

PWD Minister Satyendar Jain said the LG asked the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre -- UTTIPEC -- to approve the project after officials of his department made a representation before him.

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Jain said that once the North-South signal-free corridor, which will consist of elevated stretches and tunnel, is constructed, the travel time will be reduced to 20 to 30 minutes from the existing three hours.

The project is expected to be completed in three years from the date of its approval at an estimate cost of Rs 6,000 crore.

"The Lt Governor has directed the UTTIPEC to approve the Delhi governments ambitious North-South signal-free corridor project from Signature Bridge (Wazirabad) to IGI Airport at the earliest. It is expected that UTTIPEC will give its nod in one month," the PWD minister said.

The project will also help de-congest the citys roads.

A PWD official said that as part of project, a 6.1 km- long tunnel will be constructed from Zakira area to Pankha Road and thereafter, an elevated stretch go up to Urban Extension Area 2 (National Highway 8 Gurugram).

The minister said that a nine-km elevated stretch will also be built along Najaggarh drain.

"It will benefit commuters a lot. At present, the travel time from Wazirabad to IGI Airport is around three hours, but once this project is completed, it will be reduced to 20 to 30 minutes," he said.

Jain has said that the government plans to run high-speed electric buses on this stretch. PTI BUN SMN ZMN SMN

--- ENDS ---
Rajnath Singh called up both the leaders separately and took stock of the situation in the riot-hit area. He also discussed the situation in Darjeeling.

By India Today Web Desk: After the public spat between West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi over communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today called up both the leaders and asked them to resolve the differences.

Rajnath Singh called up Mamata and Tripathi separately and took stock of the situation in the riot-hit area. He also discussed the situation in Darjeeling. According to highly placed sources, Banerjee and Tripathi explained stands to the home minister.

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The home ministry has also sought a detailed report from the West Bengal govt about the riots.

Meanwhile, Bashirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal continues to remain tense. Sporadic clashes have been reported from Bashirhat town area, where the RAF has been rushed.

In Baduria, which is the epicentre of the violence, BSF personnel are conducting area domination exercises.

The district police is appealing to people via public address systems to maintain calm and not venture out of their homes.Prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 has been put in place in the troubled area.

The CM had yesterday accused the Governor that he insulted and threatened the her over the communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district. She also said that she felt so much humiliated that she even thought of quitting.

Banerjee further alleged that the Governor was like acting like BJP block president. Meanwhile, Governor said he was surprised at Mamata Banerjee's attitude and the kind of language she had used against him.

Communal clashes broke out in North 24 Parganas district on Monday night following an "objectionable" Facebook post. While the government sent 400 BSF personnel to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

ALSO READ:

West Bengal's 24 Parganas tense following communal clashes over Facebook post

North 24 Parganas violence: Never threatened Mamata, asked her to ensure peace, says Governor

ALSO WATCH THE VIDEO:

--- ENDS ---
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the successful test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs and ICBMs.

By Reuters: North Korea said on Wednesday its newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) can carry a large nuclear warhead, triggering a call by Washington for global action to hold Pyongyang accountable for its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

A spokeswoman for the Pentagon said it had concluded that North Korea test-launched an ICBM, which some experts now believe had the range to reach parts of the mainland United States.

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the test, on the eve of the US Independence Day holiday, represented "a new escalation of the threat" against the United States and its allies, and vowed stronger measures.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the successful test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs and ICBMs, the state news agency KCNA reported.

Kim said Pyongyang would not negotiate with the United States to give up those weapons until Washington abandons its hostile policy against the North, KCNA said.

"He, with a broad smile on his face, told officials, scientists and technicians that the US would be displeased as it was given a 'package of gifts' on its 'Independence Day'," KCNA said.

The launch took place days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons programme, which it has pursued in defiance of United Nations Security Council sanctions.

The test successfully verified the technical requirements of the newly developed ICBM in stage separation, the atmospheric re-entry of the warhead and the late-stage control of the warhead, KCNA said.

Tillerson warned that any country that hosts North Korean workers, provides economic or military aid to Pyongyang, or fails to implement UN sanctions "is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime".

"All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons," Tillerson said in a statement.

DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE

US President Donald Trump has been urging China, North Korea's main trading partner and only big ally, to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. China is also the current chair of the UN Security Council

Trump has indicated he is running out of patience with Beijing's efforts to rein in North Korea. His administration has said all options are on the table, military included, but suggested those would be a last resort and that sanctions and diplomatic pressure were its preferred course.

Trump is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 in Germany this week.

Russia and China joined diplomatic forces on Tuesday and called on North Korea, South Korea and the United States to sign up to a Chinese de-escalation plan designed to defuse tensions around Pyongyang's missile programme.

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"It's discouraging that the Chinese (and Russians) are still calling for 'restraint by all sides', despite the fact that their client state North Korea has cast aside all restraint and is sprinting for the finish line in demonstrating a nuclear-armed ICBM capability," said Daniel Russel, formerly Washington's top diplomat for East Asia, now diplomat in residence at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the matter at 3 pm EDT (1900 GMT) on Wednesday, following a request by the United States, Japan and South Korea.

LONG-RANGE MISSILE

The North's state media said the missile, Hwasong-14, flew 933 km (580 miles), reaching an altitude of 2,802 km (1,741 miles) over a flight time of 39 minutes.

Some analysts said the flight details suggested the new missile had a range of more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles), which would put significant parts of the US mainland in range, representing major advances in its programme.

US-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, said the launch was both earlier and "far more successful than expected".

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He said it would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved "minimal operational capability".

The US and South Korean militaries conducted a ballistic missile test early on Wednesday in a show of force on the east coast of the Korean peninsula. The South said the drill was aimed at showcasing the ability to strike at the North's leadership if necessary.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who ordered the drill, said "the situation was no longer sufficient to respond to the North's provocation by making statements", according to his office.

Tuesday's missile test by the North poses fresh challenges for Moon, who came to office in May with a pledge to engage the North in dialogue as well as continuing to use pressure and sanctions to impede Pyongyang's weapons programmes.

ALSO READ | After North Korea launches missile, Trump's angry tweet suggests China could end this

North Korea fires ballistic missile towards Japan: South Korea military

ALSO WATCH | India expresses concern over H-bomb testing in N Korea

--- ENDS ---
India and Israel on Wednesday signed seven agreements, including three on space cooperation, following delegation-level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

A Plan of Cooperation was signed between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in atomic clocks.

Both ISRO and ISA signed a MoU on cooperation in GEO-LEO Optical Link. ISRO and ISA signed another MoU on cooperation in electric propulsion for small satellites.

An MoU was signed between the Department of Science and Technology, India, and the National Technological Innovation Authority, Israel, for setting up an India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F).

India's Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation signed an MoU with Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources on a national campaign for water conservation in India.

An MoU on state water utility reform was signed between the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources of Israel.

The two sides also signed the India-Israel Development Cooperation on a three-year work programme in agriculture from 2018 to 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Israel, met Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday.

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India, PM Narendra Modi said on Twitter.

It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again today. I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India, Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presdient's residence.

President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality, wrote Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.

Rivlin said India and Israel will turn out to be great allies and their cooperation will only deepen on various fronts.

Modi will also meet Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attack as a two-year-old, and his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who was later awarded honourary citizenship of Israel.

He is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel to mark 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Jerusalem.

Modi left for Israel on Tuesday on a three-day visit  the first ever trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish state.

(With inputs from agencies)
Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who as a toddler survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai, is excited and emotional ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jerusalem on Wednesday, his grandfather says.

Shortly before Moshe's second birthday, the terrorists stormed the Chabad House in Mumbai, taking the toddler, his parents and several tourists hostage. Moshe's nanny, Sandra Samuels, was also in the building but managed to hide in a room downstairs.

She emerged when she heard Moshe's cries and found him standing between his parents' bodies. She grabbed him and fled the building, also known as the 'Nariman House', which reopened in 2014 after extensive renovations.

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents  Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg.

Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg said over phone from Jerusalem.

Modi is making a special point by meeting 11-year-old Moshe, who survived the 2008 attack that claimed the lives of his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the directors of the Chabad House.

We all are here at Jerusalem from Afula to meet the Indian prime minister. This meeting is very important to us as the prime minister, who represents 125 crore Indians, has shown a desire to meet Moshe and us, Rosenberg said.

India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi, he said.

It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain, he said.

Asked if Moshe recalls the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, Rosenberg said, He doesn't speak much (on the terror attacks) but says Chabad House is his home.

Moshe will be visiting Chabad House after two years when he is 13, Rosenberg said.

I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian ambassador saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to meet us, Moshe's grandfather said.

Samuels, 53, was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in 2008. She frequently travels from her home in Jerusalem to visit Moshe and his grandparents. The Rosenbergs and Samuels have also been invited to meet the prime minister.

Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky, the director of Chabad House in Mumbai, said he was looking forward to a new era of ever-more friendly relations between India and Israel. PTI DC VT GK ASK AKJ ASK 07051403 NNN
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gifted Prime Minister Narendra Modi a photo that depicts Indian soldiers leading a British military column to liberate Jerusalem.

Netanyahu gifted PM Modi the photo during a private dinner that he hosted yesterday for the Indian premier at his residence Beit Aghion in Jerusalem with his wife.

While hosting PM @narendramodi yesterday evening, PM @netanyahu gifted PM Modi a photo, the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

The photo depicts Indian soldiers leading a British military column to liberate Jerusalem (December 11, 1917), it said.

Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday for a three-day visit, presented the replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artifacts of the long Jewish history in India.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th Century, the PMO had tweeted.

The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochin Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma), to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban.

The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India.

These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church.
Timing its first ICBM launch event with the American Independence Day on July 4 , the first official communiqu on the agreement between North Korea and South Korea on Korean reunification, North Korea has warned against "submitting and kowtowing" to the US.

By Santosh Chaubey: While the major world powers are a divided lot on what stand they should take against North Korea after its nuclear capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test launch yesterday, the Korean peninsula nation has gone a step further and has issued a threat against South Korea and the US, in an apparent attack over the joint US-South Korea military drills in the Korean peninsula region.

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Timing its first ICBM launch event with the American Independence Day on July 4 and the 45th anniversary of the July 4 statement, the first official communique on the agreement between North Korea and South Korea on Korean reunification, North Korea has warned against "submitting and kowtowing" to the US.

According to a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) release, North Korea has warned that "the US puppet warmongers inside and outside who are bringing escalated tension and crisis of a nuclear war to the Korean peninsula through reckless military actions, in defiance of the fundamental principle of peaceful reunification should be dealt with heavy blows and should be wiped out of this sacred land."

CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES

According to the release available on media aggregators on North Korea, the South Korean regime, pushed by its candlelight demonstrators and subservient to the US, is abusing power and North Korea, out of its "heavy responsibility for the destiny of the nation", will never tolerate such traitors. The release says that the South Korean authorities should not run amuck else there will be catastrophic consequences as North Korea is fully prepared, "including the ability to mount precision strikes to target even the eyes of all sorts of enemies, after putting in place the deterrence for showering the US with bullets and shells of justice any moment."

South Korea and North Korea had issued a joint statement on July 4, 1972 on the future roadmap for the Korean reunification. Central to the agreement were the clauses that said the reunification was to be achieved internally and peacefully, without use of force and reliance on external actors.

But after North Korea started pursuing its nuclear and missile programme, South Korea started dithering from it. What followed was decades of highs and lows on the Korean reunification front with changing regimes and thus approaches in South Korea, irrespective of the prevailing public sentiment that was increasingly becoming hostile to North Korea after years of unilateral efforts by South Korea while North Korea remained glued with the 1972 position that served its purpose.

CHINA, RUSSIA CALL FOR RESTRAINT

While China and Russia issued a joint statement yesterday calling for restraint from all stakeholders, its duplicity was clear by the fact that while asking North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile programme, it also asked the US and South Korea to stop their military drills in the region, an annual feature for many years, instead of taking a tough approach on North Korea's increasingly aggressive posturing.

That the joint statement also called the US to remove its ballistic missile defence system THAAD from the Korean peninsula also reaffirms the vested Chinese designs here. China terms THAAD deployment in its backyard a security threat and breach of its sovereignty.

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The US, which performed a joint military drill with South Korea in response to the North Korean missile launch, confirmed that it was indeed an ICBM and according to independent experts, it was surprisingly successful.

According to the claims made by North Korea, the missile reached to an altitude of over 2800 Kms and met all targets of the launch event. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un taunted that the successful ICBM launch was a gift to America on its Independence Day. Experts say that the altitude touched by the nuclear capable North Korean ICBM makes for a range of over 8000 Kms and therefore the missile can effectively be reached to many parts of the American mainland.

Also read: North Korea says it tested ICBM that can carry nuclear warhead; US calls for global action

Also read: North Korea threatens to execute former South Korean President Park

--- ENDS ---
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Periods of rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
This model is deconstructing the conventional idea of beauty and how!

By India Today Web Desk: Meet Nyakim Gatwech, a 24-year-old South Sudanese model, who is reclaiming beauty and colour in her own way.

Since time immemorial, beauty has had one distinct definition--fair skin. Not just beauty, whitening creams, even today, thrive on a certain marketing strategy of equating fairness with the smart, confident and successful.

But here is Gatwech, turning the idea on its head in a super-sassy way.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/ queenkim_nyakim

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For some ungodly reason, black skin still invites mockery and censure. Gatwech too was once asked by a random cab driver if she would bleach her skin. To which, she had replied, ''Why on earth would I ever bleach this beautiful melanin?'', reported Metro.

Also Read:Meet Anjali Lama, Lakme Fashion Week's first transgender model

Since then, the model has been posting some of her gorgeous photoshoots on social media, with empowering messages, inspiring black people to celebrate their ''skin so rich and teeth so bright.'' She is now an advocate of diversity in the fashion industry, representing black women across platforms.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/ queenkim_nyakim Picture courtesy: Instagram/ queenkim_nyakim

Gatwech's pictures are enough proof to convince one of what beauty actually means--that it is much more than the colour of the skin.

Today, Gatwech is a successful and well-known persona in the field of modelling. She now proudly calls herself Queen of the Dark, and we couldn't agree more.

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Job Title: Shelter and Settlement Technical Officer

Organisation: Catholic

Relief Services (CRS)

Duty Station: Uganda

Reports to: Shelter and

Settlement Project Manager

About US:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in an international non-profit

organization that carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States

to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the

heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as

partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and

our commitment to serving those in need.

Job Summary: The Shelter and

Settlement Project Manager is primarily responsible for the quality standards

in the construction of the shelters through the CRS emergency response

programming in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement Camp. S/he will work closely with

the shelter and settlement project manager, community mobilization officer and

target communities to ensure the design and implementation of shelter

programming meets the highest technical and accountability standards. S/he will

provide technical input to shelter needs assessment, in collaboration with the

Yumbe-based Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer

and the Community Mobilization Officers. S/he will participate in the

orientations and trainings provided to hired labor or volunteers and respected

third parties in the host community as needed.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:

Program Implementation:

Ensure shelter construction is in

accordance with design specifications through site visits.

Prepare and submit field reports and

maintain a filing system for project documentation.

Evaluate and process payments for skilled

and unskilled labor.

Evaluate performance of carpenters and

hired labor to ensure shelter quality and safety.

The jobholder will ensure that design

concerns raised by hired labor or beneficiaries are raised to the shelter

and settlement project manager.

Work closely with other CRS departments

concerning all aspects of project implementation.

Promote safety driven construction

practices (safety culture) by regular review of project site safety

initiatives and compliance by contractor.

Ensure procurement of shelter materials

are of high quality and delivered on time.











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

The ideal candidate for the Catholic

Relief Services (CRS) Shelter and Settlement Technical Officer job

placement must hold a Bachelors Degree in engineering, or extensive

equivalent experience

At least five years of relevant work

experience as building trade carpenter mason specializing in local

construction methods specific to northern Uganda.

Extensive knowledge of local building

design standards; experience with humanitarian shelter a plus.

Previous experience working in West Nile

sub-region, Yumbe district preferred.

Demonstrated ability to build/work in a

team and to manage and motivate personnel drawing on individual skills to

advance agendas and problem solving.

Familiarity with affected populations

culture, ability to develop the respect from a wide range of people and to

communicate effectively on appropriate shelter solutions.

Excellent communication and negotiation

skills.

Strong knowledge and experience of working

with local/community partners.

Fluency in English with good verbal and

written communication skills.

Significant experience with assessments

and analytical and planning skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills and

consensus-building.

Proven experience of integrity and

professionalism.

Ability to work in partnership with local

communities and NGOs as appropriate.

Self-reliance and an ability to work in a

challenging and demanding environment.

Emergency Competencies:

Communicates strategically under pressure

Manages stress and complexity

Actively promotes safety and security

Manages and implements high-quality

emergency programs

Agency-Wide Competences (for all CRS Staff): Serves with

Integrity, Models Stewardship, Cultivates Constructive Relationships, Promotes

Learning

How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested Ugandan candidates are encouraged

to send their cover letters, CVs and three work references (names and contact

information only) to ug_recruitment@crs.org NB: Large files and/or scans

of documents will lead to rejection of your application in the subject line of

the email, copy and paste SHELTER&SETTLEMENTTECHNICALOFFICERYUMBE only.



5:00pm Deadline: 2nd January 2018 by5:00pm
But the tribe has a long way to go
With technology giant Microsoft confirming that the company is undergoing a realignment exercise, media is abuzz with reports of impending mass lay-offs. The company is looking to increase its emphasise on cloud services, which means that Microsoft will not require too many physical staff members to service their customer accounts.

Microsoft is creating a new commercial and consumer model in order to best align the right resources for the right customer at the right time. This will enable our commercial customers to get even more value from our offerings and to drive success, as well as their own digital transformation, said Microsoft in its statement.

While reports had suggested that the company is planning to lay off people in the sales and marketing team on a global scale, what remains unclear is if Microsoft India will have an immediate impact.

The current rejig stems from the realisation that it is redundant for Microsoft to maintain a large physical sales workforce to deal with its customers who are predominantly large and medium enterprises (SMEs), say sector experts. Earlier Microsoft used to sell packages to their customers, and the sales and marketing team had to frequent these customers on a regular basis. However, with the advent of a cloud-based infrastructure, everything can now be done on the cloud which involves virtual servers.

A customer can just log in to the system and access every service through the cloud infrastructure. Package renewal, sales and services could be done online through the cloud. There is online customer support and hence, there is no requirement for a large physical sales and service workforce. And hence, a few hundreds of Microsoft's sales and marketing people stand to lose their jobs in India as well, said Kris Lakshmikanth, the founder of Head Hunters India Limited.

The move will help Microsoft chart its growth path and emphasise on productivity, thereby increasing its market value, which will indeed boost Microsoft's share prices.

To begin with, sales and marketing employees will go, but eventually the R&D and other teams will also get affected. Today, Microsoft does not command the monopoly as it has competition in the form of Google, Facebook and Amazon, added Lakshmikanth.

Microsoft incurs about 70 per cent of its costs on sales and marketing in the form of branding and marketing campaigns, while only 30 per cent is spent on R&D.
A social activist from Bengaluru was slapped a fine of Rs 25 lakh by the Supreme Court on July 4 for abuse of public interest litigation (PIL). While the observations of the court have disheartened the rights' groups, it is also feared that the harsh penalty imposed on the litigant could dissuade all future litigants.

The apex court has been reiterating its stand of imposing exemplary costs on people filing frivolous petitions as they choke an already overburdened judicial system. However, the activists rue the absence of proper guidelines to determine what qualifies as a genuine PIL and the lack of clarity on who can or cannot file a PIL.

T.J. Abraham, an anti-corruption activist, who has filed several PILs till date, including high-profile ones like the illegal mining in Bellary, had filed a PIL challenging the shifting of the Mini Vidhana Soudha (administration building) in Gulbarga district of Karnataka. A bench of Justice Dipak Misra and A.M. Khanwilkar said the petition was "an abuse of the concept of PIL as it does not espouse any kind of public cause.

Referring to the decisions of the government to build the Mini Vidhana Soudha on Sy.No.264 in Aland Taluk, Abraham in a press statement said, "The order was passed (by the court) without understanding the case clearly or knowing my public intent and background. My representatives failed to present the case effectively before the apex court. But it does not take away or alter the reality that the shifting of the Soudha is a decision that will inconvenience the people, said Abraham.

The activists are shocked at the quantum of punishment too. The penalty should be proportionate to the offence, especially when the court has not made any remarks questioning the integrity of the petitioner in its order, said a veteran activist, who refused to go into the merits of the present case, but was in favour of reviewing and standardising the procedure for admission of PIL, rather than awarding harsh penalties. It goes against the spirit of PIL constituted under Article 32 of the Constitution as a tool to deliver prompt social justice. But the onus of proving that the petition is for public interest and not a frivolous PIL for pecuniary  gain rests with the person (or entity) filing the petition.

You don't have to be an affected party to have the locus standi to take it to the courts is what was laid down by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, Justice P.N. Bhagwati and others. It has been sustained that way for a long time. Of late, we have seen the menace of frivolous PILs too. But the magnitude of the wrong doing and the punishment has to be proportionate. One should keep in mind the larger sanctity of PIL and its role in democracy, as it has earned a great reputation for the Indian judiciary system, said a senior activist, who has seen huge success with PILs, including ones on Bellary illegal mining in the state, Tungabhadra pollution and public lands of 75,000 acres.

Abraham has collected 4,000 signatures of the aggrieved citizens (with PAN card details) who are opposed to the Soudha being shifted six km away from the town. There is private land available within the town, and the owner had agreed to part with it too. But the chief minister, by the illegal order (to shift), is promoting private interest, alleged the activist, who also expressed surprise over the court questioning his bona fides in public interest.

The court questioned me as to what business a businessman from Bangalore have to agitate an issue in Gulbarga. It is clear the court was not aware that amongst its other orders, on 29-03-2017, it had ordered an SC-monitored investigation into the illegal de-reservation of forests, which was the cause for the famous illegal mining scam in Bellary district involving former chief ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and Dharam Singh and several IAS and IPS officers in Karnataka. Then too, I was from Bangalore and had nothing to do with Bellary, he argued.

Abraham is preparing to file a review petition and another application for the modification of the order, seeking a cancellation or an extension of time to pay the fine. I will have to raise the money for the penalty from the people of Aland on whose behalf I had taken up the Public Interest Initiative. The court did not relax the penalty stating I could afford to pay it. The fact is I am not a big business man who can afford as I spend a lot of time for social causes, said Abraham.
Even as confusion prevails in the country over the exact implementation of the GST and the modalities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Gujarat, has been witnessing widespread protests against the new tax regime.

The famed textile market of Surat continued its indefinite strike on Wednesday resulting in an estimated daily loss of Rs 200 crore. Textile market of Ahmedabad has also joined the strike.

The Agriculture Produce Market Committees from across Saurashtra, including Rajkot, remained closed on Wednesday. The granite market of Ahmedabad is also observing strike.

In Gujarat, where Modi is the most popular leader, the strikes and protests assume significance considering that the state has assembly polls by the year end.

Former president of Federation of Surat Textiles Association Devsinh Manghani told THE WEEK that the way GST was imposed was totally unjustified. He said that earlier the government used to take taxes on yarn, but now GST is levied even on the processes that lead to yarn. There are a number of processes before the yarn stage is reached, he said.

How would you expect a small trader owning a 100 to 400 square feet shop to pay so much of tax, he questioned, pointing out that these traders earn roti (bread) and not money.

The traders are also angry over the lathicharge on them by police on Monday during a protest against the GST. Flaying the lathicharge, Manghani alleged that only theoretical aspects appeared to have been considered while bringing in the new tax regime.

Vice chairman of Rajkot's APMC, Hardevsinh Jadeja said that the traders and the intermediates and even the farmers were confused over the implementation of the GST. He said that the intermediates were not sure whether it is to benefit them or not.

When we don't know what is to be done, how do we explain to the farmers and the intermediates, Jadeja said. When it comes to people's homes, they are bound to protest, he pointed out.

While speaking to THE WEEK, state BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya admitted that there are protests against the GST in Gujarat. He, however, said that this was due to misunderstanding. Efforts were being made to clear the misunderstandings, Pandya said, and added that Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel was meeting various groups.
By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Jul 5 (PTI) Pakistan today successfully test fired short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Nasr, which army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said has put "cold water" on Indian militarys "Cold Start" doctrine.

Nasr is a high-precision weapon system with the ability to be deployed quickly, the army said.

Pakistan Army has conducted a series of training launches and tests during the current week for validation of new technical parameters of NASR with enhanced range from 60-70 kilometres and flight maneuverability.

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"Nasr has put cold water on (the) Cold Start (doctrine)," Gen Bajwa said taking a jibe at Indian Army after the training launch of the short-range

missile Nasr at an undisclosed location,

Cold Start is a military doctrine developed by the Indian Armed Forces for use in a likely war with Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, he said war must be avoided at all costs and "our strategic capability is a guarantee of peace against a highly militarised and increasingly belligerent neighbour."

He said Pakistan will go to any length to ensure regional peace and stability. He also supported governments efforts for peace through talks.

"We whole-heartedly support all government efforts towards peace through dialogue. Our capability is only meant to ensure, (that) no one thinks that war remains an option,? he said.

He appreciated the training and preparedness of Armed Strategic Force and role of engineers and scientists for the milestone towards Pakistan?s credible deterrence capability.

The army chief expressed complete satisfaction at the command and control system of the country and safety and security of all strategic assets.

President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and services chiefs congratulated the scientists and the nation over successful launch of the missile. PTI SH PMS AKJ PMS

--- ENDS ---
This is not the first time that Israel has encountered difficulties in joining the United States Visa Waiver Program. For one thing, the old passports still in use by many Israelis who have yet to upgrade to biometric pose an issue. They are easily forged and far less reliable than their biometric replacement. America has requested biometric passports years ago.

In the latest developments, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotevely explained that US officials are seeking full access to Israels fingerprint database, a demand Israel is unwilling to accommodate.

The Visa Waiver Program permits foreign nationals to enter the United States without having to first apply for a visa. At present, there are 38 members nations in the program, and citizens of these countries are permitted to remain in the US up to 90 days without a visa.

Hotevely has been working hard to have Israel included in the program, hoping the Trump administration might be a bit less stringent, however, for the time being, Israels latest application has been rejected by the Americans.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The KISS principle  keep it simple, stupid  was the acronym of the US military in the 1960s.

You need to design things so that they can be fixed in battle conditions. You need simple maintenance procedures. And you need kit that is appropriate for the job that has to be done.

Now apply this to retailing. There are a few famous catchphrases, such as James Gulliver's 'retail is detail', and Jack Cohen's 'pile it high, sell it cheap'.

The latter defined Tesco and was the title of 'Slasher' Jack's biography.

Tesco stumbled around, buying things it did not know how to run, starting businesses in the US it had to close, and so on

John Sainsbury, Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover, was also relentless in his attention to detail, and it was his intuitive genius that took Sainsbury's sales from 150million to 9billion over the 23 years he ran the company.

But then neither Tesco, nor Sainsbury's, nor indeed Marks & Spencer, remembered the need to keep things simple.

Tesco stumbled around, buying things it did not know how to run, starting businesses in the US it had to close, and so on.

Sainsbury's has just produced some decent enough results but has all sorts of problems with its online business.

M&S is simplifying its business, getting rid of things it is not great at. But while its food is wonderful, as always, it has not cracked its core business of women's clothes. Now contrast this with Alibaba and Amazon.

Alibaba is the world's largest retailer, with a current market value of 279billion. Amazon is number two at 193billion.

And Tesco? Well, it is worth 14billion; Sainsbury's and M&S both around 5billion. We think of our great retailers as giants. They are tiny by world standards.

What Jack Ma and Jeff Bezos have is focus. Jack Ma, who I have met, has that ability to mesmerise an audience by talking very simply about helping people live their dreams.

I have not met Jeff Bezos but it is easy to catch the simplicity of his pitch. He says he has three principles that have guided him over the past 18 years: 'Put the customer first. Invent. And be patient.'

A tidal wave of change is washing over retailing. I can understand that is it easier to create an entirely new retailing model, as have Alibaba and Amazon, than to modify and adapt an old one.

Ten years ago Tesco was the world's third-largest retailer, behind Wal-Mart of the US and France's Carrefour.

Carrefour is now worth about 15billion, more or less the same as Tesco, but Wal-Mart is worth 176billion. So Wal-Mart has fought back and kept growing. Our retailers haven't.

They haven't kept it simple, have they?

The shovel solution

Remember the stories about the 1849 California Gold Rush? Very few of the prospectors struck it rich, even if a handful did make their fortunes.

The ones who reliably made the money were those who sold services to the gold panners.

The moral was that you made money selling shovels, not finding gold.

Now let's look at another shovel story. In 1989 NatWest started a little electronic payments business called Streamline.

It sold part of its payments business to a US company called Ceridian, but kept part back.

Eventually NatWest was taken over by Royal Bank of Scotland.

RBS Worldpay, as it had then become, was built into an international business, buying other similar payment companies in Europe and the US.

Then RBS bit the dust. As part of the terms under which the Government was allowed to rescue it, the EU required RBS to sell ancillary businesses.

Worldpay was one of those, and it was bought by Bain and Advent for 2billion  though RBS did initially retain a 20 per cent stake.

The business went public in 2015, and last night, thanks to the possibility of a bid from JP Morgan Chase Bank or the US credit card company Vantiv, it was worth 8bn.

Now that the company is, to use the unpleasant jargon of the markets, 'in play', other potential bidders will be shaken out.

Two lessons. One is that the requirements imposed by Europe on the RBS bail-out disadvantaged British taxpayers even more than was thought at the time, because RBS was forced to sell a sound business at a knock-down price.

The other is that the boring stuff of sorting out electronic payments  the shovels  is a much better business to be in than banking, or at least banking done the RBS way.
My neighbour reversed into my car a year ago. His insurance company, Esure, accepted responsibility and I agreed to allow it to repair the car.

Within a week, the garage was demanding 1,000 and threatening to make unrelated repairs. When I refused to pay, the car was returned with damage to the internal trim and the engine in a condition that was unfit to run.

I didn't accept the car, and three months later the garage took back its courtesy car by deception, accused me of damaging it and stole my disabled badge.

Slow progress: Esure has put one reader through weeks of misery after a neighbour reversed into his car

Esure eventually moved the car to another garage, which assessed it as having at least 4,000 worth of damage, with a useless battery and an engine on its last legs. It has given me a hire car but it is too small for my needs.

I have received 24 emails promising to have this investigated and the repairs made, but I am still waiting. I have written to the chief executive three times without reply.

N. S., Surrey.

Tony Hazell replies: You've made some serious allegations against the garage used by Esure, and I'm sure it will want to investigate further.

The firm says it recognises there were initial failings by the garage, but claims these were rectified at the time.

And it argues that the further issues you highlight 'couldn't be apportioned to the garage as there was no evidence available to support this'.

However, it agrees its customer relations team failed to bring closure to your complaint, which 'was not in line with our usual best practice'. Esure has now offered to pay you the market value of your car at the time of the initial incident, plus the costs already agreed and compensation for distress and inconvenience.

Broken down, this will be 3,550 for your car, plus 440 for the tax and insurance for the year you were unable to use your car and a further 750 for distress and inconvenience, making a total of 4,740. Furthermore, your car will be returned to you.

A spokesman for Esure says: 'We sincerely apologise for the unsatisfactory way in which Mr S's complaint has been handled.

'We'd like to reassure Mr S that we are addressing our internal processes to ensure issues of this kind are resolved sooner. We constantly audit our relationships with third-party suppliers to ensure quality of work.'

As for your letters to the chief executive Stuart Vann, he replied to you on March 20 providing the name and direct phone number of the customer services employee responsible for your complaint.

YOU HAVE YOUR SAY Every week, Money Mail receives hundreds of your letters and emails about our stories. Here are some of the best from our piece revealing how people with common conditions are paying thousands of pounds for travel insurance Thank you so much, Money Mail. I have been pulling my hair out for a week trying to find affordable travel insurance to go on holiday with my wife. I had throat cancer but I'm now in remission, yet still I was being quoted up to 3,546 for a 25-day trip. After reading your article I found cover for just less than 150. Next week we will raise a rum punch to you. Cheers! B. W., Tewkesbury, Glos. This is basically the insurers' way of saying they don't want your business because they can't be bothered to work out the risk. If you have a serious illness then go to a specialist broker. M. M., Medway, Kent. Insurers don't want low-risk customers, they want no-risk customers. That's why you see these ludicrous premiums being charged to people with pre-existing conditions. A. S., London. It's just another way insurers are ripping off the public. There wouldn't be so many of them if it wasn't so profitable. They're banking on you not claiming, but if they think you will, they charge you through the nose. F. W., London. Thank you Daily Mail. I just saved more than 1,200 on travel insurance for a two-week trip to the U.S. and Canada. I didn't think I'd ever get a decent quote again. P. C., Cambridge. There should be a cap on how much they can charge. How can a firm justify charging someone 3,000 if they are in remission? E. D., London. I can understand why cover might be more expensive for a heart condition, as it can be an instant killer, but not cancer. I think insurers need to come clean on issues like these. S. D., Watford.

Why won't Vodafone let me top up my mobile?

I have been denied access to my mobile phone since the beginning of the year. I am on pay-as-you-go and top up with vouchers, but in January I received a text saying I would get credit on my phone.

I didn't understand and wrote to Vodafone to say I did not want this.

Since then, I have been unable to make calls, my son has been unable to contact me and I have a message filling my screen saying: 'Emergency Only'.

We tried to ring Vodafone, but received only a garbled message we could not understand.

I later received a letter saying the firm couldn't discuss my complaint until I cleared security. I am terminally ill and need my phone for taxis, my GP and hospital.

J. M., Glasgow.

While Vodafone took some time to sort this out initially, it reacted extremely quickly when it became aware of your circumstances.

Quick money saver Get a better deal on your mobile. Find a cheaper contract, get better coverage or upgrade your phone using This is Money's mobile compare tool

The problem turned out to be astonishingly simple to resolve. What a pity nobody realised this before sending you a letter asking for all sorts of security details.

Your phone simply required a manual reset. All you actually needed to do was turn it off and on again  which seems to be the answer to at least 90 per cent of problems involving technology.

Alternatively, you could have carried out a 'manual roam'. I've never heard of this, but apparently it means delving into the settings and searching for a network.

Unfortunately, you became confused by the letter from Vodafone, which merely confirmed your identity and was not a request for payment.

The network has now put credit on your phone and has registered your account, so it will be easier for you to speak to the right person if you need to discuss anything in the future.

Am I entitled to a police widow's pension?

My husband, who used to be a policeman, died in 1989. As a post-retirement wife I was not allowed a police pension.

Recently, I wrote to Cumbria Constabulary to see if things have changed but did not receive a reply.

Before my husband died, we were married for 15 years.

M. T., Glasgow.

I contacted the National Association of Retired Police Officers, which was able to provide some guidance.

The Police Pension Regulations changed in 1978 so that those marrying after retirement would receive a widow's pension. However, this would be based only on contributions made by the deceased officer after April 1978.

So if your husband retired before April 1978, you will not be entitled to a widow's pension, but if he retired after this, there might be something to claim.

You can contact Narpo at Narpo House, 38 Bond Street, Wakefield WF1 2QP, phone on 01924 362166, or email hq@narpo.org. For more information, visit narpo.org.
Investors piled into Worldpay yesterday, adding 1.8billion to its value after bosses revealed the company was at the centre of a takeover battle.

The electronic payment firm said Wall Street giant JP Morgan and US payments rival Vantiv were both eyeing it up  potentially triggering a lucrative bidding war.

It even sparked speculation that tech giants such as Google might make rival offers.

Shares soared nearly 30 per cent as traders worked themselves into a frenzy at the news, valuing the business at a record 8.2billion.

It is by far Worldpay's biggest one-day rise and outstrips the total previous increase seen since it floated more than 18 months ago.

Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laith Khalaf said: 'The market is expecting a healthy premium for the company, partly because there are two potential suitors. That obviously creates a bit more of a competitive bidding dynamic than if there was just one.'

Worldpay was set up by NatWest in 1989, as credit and debit cards became increasingly popular across Britain.

In 2010, Brussels competition chiefs forced parent firm Royal Bank of Scotland to sell it as a condition of the lender's 45billion government bailout.

The company was bought for 2billion by private equity firms Bain Capital and Advent International, which floated the company on the stock market in 2015.

Worldpay handles billions of transactions every year, earning profits from commissions when its technology is used at card terminals.

The firm deals with more than 40 per cent of UK payments, and 5,000 staff work at its London headquarters.

It is particularly popular with small-and medium-sized companies such as pubs, restaurants and independent shops.

A takeover would trigger big payouts for Worldpay bosses including 50-year-old chief executive Philip Jansen, who earned 2.6million last year.

He owns 7.5million shares outright worth around 30.6million at today's prices, and has up to 1.4million more worth another 5.7million coming his way if he hits targets under various bonus schemes.

In total, these holdings jumped in value by 7.9million thanks to yesterday's stock surge.

It was not clear yesterday how much JP Morgan and Vantiv might be prepared to offer for the business, although analysts at Cenkos said tech takeovers typically saw investors get a 30 per cent to 40 per cent premium.

That could see an offer of up to 8.9billion or 447.3p per share.

Worldpay stock closed at 319.5p on the night before the bids were announced.

Analysts at global merchant bank Mediobanca said yesterday that more bidders could yet come out of the woodwork.

Under takeover rules, JP Morgan and Vantiv must now submit offers by 5pm on August 1 or declare they are not interested.

Worldpay shares soared 28 per cent, or 88.5p, to 408p yesterday.
The woman driving French car giant Citroen back to success with her Anglo-Saxon 'mindset' has been named the most influential Briton in the global car industry.

Linda Jackson, 58, has topped the poll of 50 leading UK male and female car executives operating at home and abroad in the prestigious annual Auto Express 'Brit List'  the first time a female executive has taken the top spot.

Described as 'a formidable operator', the Coventry-born and raised car boss was also the first female chief executive of Citroen.

She has been credited with creating a 'French Revolution' at the Gallic car-maker by bringing her uniquely British approach and extensive motor industry experience to bear.

Top Brit: Citroen's Linda Jackson, 58, has topped the poll of 50 leading UK male and female car executives operating at home and abroad

She was inducted into the prestigious Auto Express 'Brit List' Hall of Fame by Aston Martin chief executive Dr Andy Palmer, a previous winner, in recognition of her 'outstanding leadership skills' that have helped transform and reinforce Citroen as 'a modern and innovative brand' with its 'Be Different, Feel Good' promise' .

After leaving school in Coventry and working her way steadily up the motor industry management ladder from Jaguar and Rover to Citroen, Jackson admits her life was transformed three years ago when  as managing director of Citroen UK and Ireland from 2010 - she received a phone call from PSA Peugeot-Citroen chairman Carlos Tavares offering her the top job as the company's global CEO.

Since then she has been credited with bringing a fresh, innovative and exciting 'mindset' to Citroen, translated practically into new cars on the forecourt such as the C4 Cactus, the C3, the C3 Aircross and the forthcoming C5 Aircross, which she unveiled in Shanghai.

She has also taken the Citroen brand from strength to strength, recording the highest sales volume for five years in 2016 across Europe, and in the same year selling 1.2million Citroen vehicles worldwide.

Jackson has been credited with creating a 'French Revolution' at the gallic car-maker by bringing her uniquely British approach and extensive motor industry experience to bear

After working her way steadily up the motor industry management ladder from Jaguar and Rover to Citroen, Jackson was offered the top job at Citroen in 2010

Jackson has been credited with bringing a fresh, innovative and exciting 'mindset' to Citroen, resulting in cars like the C4 Cactus, the C3, the C3 Aircross and the forthcoming C5 Aircross

Sales have been driven in particular, by the new C3  the brand's best-seller  which has already sold over 130,000 units in just seven months.

But behind the scenes and just months into her top job, the mother of two grown-up step-children lost her husband, David, to cancer, after more than three decades together.

However, encouraged by her dying partner not to give up, she found the courage to carry on with her stellar career and to launch new Citroen models on the world stage.-

Explaining her success, Jackson said: 'My biggest achievement so far is to have a clear strategy about product, services and how we come to market.

'However, my biggest satisfaction is the product that's now coming out; the fact that we've really taken the essence of what a Citroen now means and we've

used the past to create it. 'We've taken a modern, international approach. And we've seen an increase in volume  what we've created is actually working.'

Under Jackson's guidance the Citroen brand has gone from strength to strength, recording the highest sales volume for five years in 2016 across Europe

Years of experience of marketing and customer requirements have paid dividends: 'When you ask customers what they always remember about Citroen, they often refer to that superb ride.

'That's something we'll be creating again with new technology on our new cars. But for us it's so much more than that.'

Jackson said: 'We are trying with Citroen to bring back a breath of fresh air into this global brand.

'I need to draw together the past, the present and the future, so we can stand out and be different, and engage, but also make people feel good.

'It's a big challenge. We are transforming Citroen back into the brand it should be, and will be. 'It's exciting. But we have still got a lot of work to do.'

A fluent French speaker who has lived and worked in France, Paris-based Jackson began her 40-year motor industry career after school with Jaguar and Rover, and worked her way up the corporate ladder in a variety of commercial and financial roles while gaining an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Warwick University.

Jackson says her aim is to help the French take Citroen back to its roots with cars that are comfortable, affordable and innovative  but also fashionable and 'quirky' with flair - and says she is bringing her 'anglo-saxon logic' to the challenge.

Born in Coventry  once Britain's very own 'Mo'town' or 'Motor City'  she spent 27 years at MG Rover in all its variations before becoming financial director of Citroen UK in 2005 and managing director in 2010.

She is also an executive committee member of Peugeot-Citroen parent company PSA Group reporting directly to chief executive Carlos Tavares, who she met for the first time in Britain in February 2014 when he came to review the UK business she was then running.

Jackson says her aim is to help the French take Citroen back to its roots with cars that are comfortable, affordable and innovative

Summoned by by that fateful phone call two months later in April to PSA headquarters in Paris, she said: 'The HR director asked if I liked travelling. I knew we were creating regions, and I thought I was going to be given Outer Mongolia or something!

'Then I went in to see Carlos, and he said: 'I'd like you to run the Citroen brand.' It took me literally 20 seconds and I said 'Yes'. I really wanted to do the job.'

On receiving her top 'Brit List' accolade, Jackson said: 'I am truly honoured to receive this award. Citroen is an iconic French brand and yet here I am, a Coventry-born Brit, running this truly fabulous French company.

'For me, it is an absolute privilege to lead a brand that has always shown audacity and creativity throughout its history since it was founded in 1919.

'Over the past couple of years we have transformed the Citroen brand. We have initiated a deep-seated renewal, with products that are unique through their design, comfort and technologies.'

She added: 'I hope that my award inspires even more women to pursue a career in the automotive industry and to get to the very top.'

Auto Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler, said: 'Linda Jackson is leading a brand that has helped in the turnaround of one of the biggest car groups  and one that's growing fast. 'Linda Jackson has led this iconic Citroen brand on a journey of rediscovery. But it's not a journey tinged with romance for what used to be. It's one the excitement of modern technology, cutting edge design and brand values that buyers are, once again, falling in love with.'

Last year Jackson topped the rival Autocar table of 100 leading women in the automotive industry. (panel- with pix) Linda Jackson was one of just five women to make the top 50 in Auto Express's 'Brit List' of most influential global motor industry executives, reflecting in part the challenge female executives still have in getting to the top in a male-oriented industry.

The other four women are: Fiona Pargeter, head of Global PR Communications, Jaguar Land Rover (23rd); Danella Bagnall, executive vice-president product engineering lead for Jaguar Land Rover's China/Asia-Pacific region (37th); Sue Slaughter, chief operating officer, Getrag Ford Transmissions (42nd); and Claire Williams, deputy team principal, Williams F1 team.
The Pakistan Army today test launched a surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, speaking on the sidelines of the launch, said Nasr pours "cold water on cold start".

By India Today Web Desk: The Pakistan Army today said it successfully tested 'Nasr', a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile and weapons system.

The training launch, witnessed by Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, was undertaken to validate new technical parameters of the missile that enhance its range from 60 kilometers to 70 kilometers.

Speaking on the sidelines of Nasr's launch, General Bajwa took a swipe at the Indian Army saying, "Nasr has put cold water on cold start".

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The Pakistan Army chief was referring to the Indian Army's Cold Start doctrine, a theoretical operational plan that would allow Indian troops to quickly seize Pakistani territories without risking a nuclear conflict.

Notably, the existence of Cold Start was denied officially until very recently. During an interview with India Today in January this year, General Bipin Rawat became the first Indian Army chief to acknowledge Cold Start.

"The Cold Start doctrine exists for conventional military operations. Whether we have to conduct conventional operations for such strikes is a decision well-thought through, involving the government and the Cabinet Committee on Security," General Rawat had said then.

'BELLIGERENT NEIGHBOUR'

General Bajwa, in comments published by the Pakistan military's media wing, seemingly termed India "belligerent". Without naming India, Bajwa said Pakistan's strategic capability is a guarantee of peace against a highly militarised and increasingly belligerent neighbour.

"Our strat cap (strategic capability) is a guarantee of peace agnst (against) belligerent neighbour & only meant to ensure, no one thinks war remains an option", Bajwa was quoted as saying by the official spokesperson of the Pakistan military, Major General Asif Ghafoor.

The Inter Services Public Relation's release further went on to say, "Pakistan will go to any length to ensure regional peace and stability. We wholeheartedly support all government efforts at peace through dialogue. Our capability is only meant to ensure, no one thinks war remains an option."

"This weapon system (Nasr) will augment credible deterrence against prevailing threat spectrum more effectively, including anti missile defenses. NASR is a high precision weapon system with the ability of quick deployments," ISPR further said.

WHAT IS COLD START?

Cold Start is the name given to an Indian Army doctrine that would, theoretically, allow the Army to quickly mobilise its Strike Corps and seize Pakistani territory or inflict damage on Pakistani defence posts.

The idea behind Cold Start is that the Indian Army would be able to quickly penetrate deep into Pakistani territory even as the neighbouring country scrambles to shore up its defences.

The theoretical lightening-quick attack would then allow New Delhi to end a hypothetical conflict as the victor.

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The doctrine was birthed after the failed Operation Parakram when the Indian Army moved its Strike Corps to the border in a massive exercise that was in response to the 2001 Parliament attack.

However, the lumbering Indian Strike Corps took too long to fall into position at the border, allowing Pakistan to ramp up its defences.

The Cold Start doctrine aims to avoid a repeat of the slow-moving Parakram mobilisation by placing smaller, agile units closer to the border.

ALSO READ | India prepares Israeli SPYDER air defence missile system for Pakistan border

ALSO READ | Pakistan Army to jointly fight Kulbhushan Jadhav ICJ case with Pak govt

ALSO WATCH | India launches nuclear capable missile Agni 5

--- ENDS ---
Self-employed people should be auto-enrolled into paying 4 per cent of their taxable profits into a pension to combat 'crisis levels' of undersaving for retirement, says a new report.

An 'opt out' system - placing business profits straight into a pension scheme unless the owner objects - is being pushed for because only one in seven of the UK's 4.8million-strong self-employed workforce is doing this at present.

That means many will simply be unable to afford to retire, warns the report by pension giants Aviva and Royal London.

Savings shortfall: Only one in seven of the UK's 4.8million-strong self-employed workforce is putting money into a pension

Their research arrived as the Government confirmed plans to include self-employed savers in the auto-enrolment system for workers.

The initiative has led to a resurgence in pension saving over the past few years, but there is concern some groups have not benefited. They include the self-employed, the low-paid, those only working part-time, people holding down multiple jobs paying less than 10,000, and the youngest and oldest workers.

Workers aged between 22 and state pension age and earning at least 10,000 a year from one job are now automatically signed up for a pension, unless they make an active move to opt out.

The total minimum auto-enrolment payment is currently 2 per cent of salary - split between contributions from individuals and employers and tax relief from the Government - although it's set to rise in stages to a total of 8 per cent in 2019 (see the table below).

Who pays what? How pension contributions stack up under auto-enrolment schemes (Source: The Pensions Advisory Service)

John Lawson of Aviva, head of financial research at Aviva, said: 'The lack of retirement provision amongst the self-employed is reaching crisis levels.

'Whilst automatic enrolment has helped to reverse declining participation amongst employees, the situation for self-employed workers remains dire. Many will simply be unable to afford to retire unless urgent action is taken.'

The data suggesting just one in seven self-employed people are saving into a pension was released by the Government last December.

However, the Aviva and Royal London report acknowledges that some self-employed people might be relying on selling their business, or using property and other investments to fund retirement instead.

How would plan for self-employed work?

The annual tax-self assessment system would be used to default the self-employed into pension saving, suggests the joint Royal London and Aviva report.

'As part of completing an annual tax return, self-employed people could nominate a pension provider or scheme to receive any contributions and would have a sum automatically added to their total tax bill, perhaps equal to 4 per cent of their taxable profits,' the firms say.

'With standard rate tax relief this would mean 5 per cent of profits would go into a pension unless the self-employed person actively opted out.

'The fact that the contribution would go up and down in line with the ups and downs of the self-employed persons business would provide a flexibility which would be welcomed by many self-employed people.'

If someone didn't make any profits in a particular year or at all, they would pay nothing towards their pensions under the scheme, although they might still choose to do so voluntarily.

Those being 'auto-enrolled' could be given the chance to name a preferred pension scheme on their tax self-assessment form.

But for those who fail to do this, Aviva and Royal London recommend randomly assigning an approved workplace pension provider that meets the current quality standards around auto-enrolment pensions - including the annual charge cap of 0.75 per cent.

'This system is used in Poland  if people dont select their own personal pension plan, they are randomly allocated to a qualifying pension fund by the regulator,' the firms explain.

Steve Webb, former Pensions Minister and now policy director at Royal London, said: 'What we are proposing is something like the "optional gratuity" that often gets added to restaurant bills.

'In this case the self-employed would have a suggested 4 per cent net (plus tax relief from the government) added to their tax calculation.

'They would be free to opt out, but if not this amount would be collected and allocated to a pension of their choice. We think that up to 2million extra self-employed people could be brought into retirement saving through this route.'

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: 'With nearly 8million people now saving into a workplace pension, automatic enrolment continues to be a huge success.

'Our ongoing review is looking at how we can build upon this ground-breaking policy, including how to meet the needs of the self-employed in saving for a financially secure retirement.'
We wish to make reference and respond, albeit belatedly, to a letter to the editor that appeared in the Times of Swaziland dated May 30, 2017 wherein a foreign national (from Zambia) who was in the country for the SADC Summit, wrote an open letter to the national commissioner of police wherein he praises the local police for their standard of excellence and professionalism.



In fact, the writer notes that prior to visiting Swaziland, a country he vows to visit again on his next vacation, he had negative perceptions about the local police mainly gleaned from social media, until he had an encounter with our 6986 Sergeant Sandile Meshack Khumalo based at the Mbabane Police Station, after the visitor and some of his compatriots were victims of a crime.



In his open letter, the writer waxes lyrical about the professional manner the said officer handled their case, going further and well way beyond the normal call of duty, to share a word of prayer with them.

This made a telling and profound impression upon the visitors, hence the writer found it necessary to share their experience and praise the national commissioner for the standard of the local police.



Whereas, as already noted, our response is belated, we feel commendations to officer Khumalo are well merited for being a shining example of police excellence and putting our organisation and country on the map the way he has.

This standard of servitude, dedication and empathy should serve as a reference point even to other officers out there for each and every one to realise that he/she can be a worthy ambassador for the organisation wherever they are.

To Sergeant Khumalo we say well done and keep up the good work!



E S DLAMINI

FOR NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF POLICE


NHLETJENI  Nhletjeni Clinic almost resembles a white elephant as the health facility has no nurses to attend to patients.



The two nurses who were stationed at the clinic resigned almost three months apart, leaving the facility with just a nursing assistant.

The unavailability of nurses at the clinic has been met with concerns and confusion from both patients and the community.



Residents in the area now live in fear that their sick relatives might die as patients were being turned away from the local clinic, apparently due to the exodus of the last two remaining nurses.



Information gathered was that the facility has been without a registered nurse for the past seven days. Frustrated residents said the only available staff member at the clinic is a nursing assistant who, unfortunately, is not qualified to treat patients. The nursing assistant simply comes to open the clinic and loiter around, only to tell you that there is no help since there are no qualified nurses, said an angry resident.



I am going to die because the only alternative for me to get medical help is to travel to Hlatsi (Hlatikhulu), which is expensive, said a depressed elderly woman with a chronic illness.



Nhletjeni is situated about 17km to the east of Hlatikhulu, right at the heart of the trouble-torn KoNtjingila chiefdom.

An air of abandonment has been hovering over the clinic since last Tuesday, when the last nurse to resign left the facility. Another nurse reportedly resigned three months earlier.



Reasons for the health personnel leaving the facility were not immediately available.


MHLUME  The cold night did not deter Mananga Sugar Packers employees from staging a picket at around 2am.



Police had to be called during the night yesterday when the striking employees staged a picket right at the entrance to the company.

The workers reportedly sang, chanted slogans and further brandished placards much to the surprise of security guards, who are said to have not been expecting picketing to take place in the middle of a very cold night.



The picketing reportedly lasted for about two hours before the workers dispersed following the arrival of the police, who had been called to protect the companys property.



There was no violence reported during the picketing and the police confirmed the striking workers did not harass Mhlume Sugar Mill workers who were on night shift.



Despite being an independent company, Mananga Sugar Packers is situated within the premises of Mhlume Sugar Mill, which is owned by the Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation (RSSC).

According to the workers union, the objective of the midnight picketing was to send a message to management that workers were not going to back down on their demands.



Due to that we are small in numbers, we need different strategies to force managers to give in to our demands, said Mancoba Dlamini, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Agricultural Plantations and Allied Workers Union (SAPWU).

Acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that police were called during a picket which took place in the early hours of yesterday at Mhlume.
MBABANE  Members of a disciplinary panel were left dumbfounded when the chairman was accused of allegedly having a sexual relationship with the wife of Matsapha businessman Tom Kirk.



Businessman and employee of Quadro Trust Mandla Ntshalintshali was the chairman during a disciplinary hearing on June 21, 2017 in which a cashier of Akunalutfo Bottle Store situated at Sigodvweni was suspected of causing a stock shortfall of E20 000.

The bottle store is owned by Quadro Trust and Kirk is one of the trustees.



The accusation was allegedly made by Sicelo Shabangu who represented the cashier, Nelisiwe Malinga, during the hearing.

Shabangus gripe was that Ntshalintshali had allegedly not been replaced as the chairman during the proceedings yet a new initiator, Mathokoza Mbhamali had taken over from Kirk.



Kirk alleged that Shabangu informed the chairperson that his client needed time to prepare for the matter and allegedly insulted Ntshalintshali before walking out of the hearing.



While the initiator was making his submissions, the representative of the applicant mentioned to the chairman that the reason he had not been changed as chairman yet the initiator had been changed was because he was sleeping with the wife of the deponent in the answering affidavit (Kirk), submitted Kirk.



In a confirmatory affidavit, Ntshalintshali confirmed that he was the chairman on June 14 when Shabangu, Malingas representative, walked out and on June 21 when Malingas representative accused him of sleeping with Kirks wife.
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 5 (PTI) The Supreme Court today sought the assistance of the Attorney General in examining a plea by an AIADMK MLA, considered close to former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, seeking to set aside the February 18 trust vote in Tamil Nadu which was won by E K Palaniswami.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar sought the AGs help after senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for AIADMK MLA K Pandiarajan, claimed that MLAs had voted in the trust vote "under distress" and members of opposition were evicted by marshals from the assembly.

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"Let a copy of this writ petition be served on the office of Attorney General for India as we intend to be assisted by him. Let the matter be listed on July 11," the bench said.

Subramanium said there should have been secret ballot but the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker had rejected this demand of the MLAs during the February 18 trust vote which was won by Chief Minister E K Palaniswami.

"There was a trust vote but MLAs voted under distress. Members of opposition were evicted by the marshals and voting was held in a hurry. The opposition had said there should be secret voting," he told the bench.

He said the Governor as well as the Speaker can act in this issue and a representation was also made to the Governor.

"The governor has received representation and forwarded it to the the Speaker. Some decision has to be taken by them whether fresh trust vote is required," he said.

To this, the bench asked "why cant they have a trust vote again? Why cannot they do it on their own?"

Responding to this, Subramanium said this has to be done by the Speaker and the rules do not debar a secret ballot.

The AIADMK MLA has challenged the decision of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker rejecting their demand for secret ballot during the trust vote and sought a direction for quashing Speaker P Dhanapals decision rejecting their demand to determine the outcome of the floor test.

Besides, the petitioner has sought setting aside of all consequential actions including the February 18 resolution of the Assembly "expressing confidence in favour of council of ministers headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami, as the same are illegal, capricious, discriminatory and violative of the principle of secrecy which is the essence of democracy, free and fair elections..."

He has also sought a direction to the Speaker to conduct a floor test afresh only through a secret ballot in the presence of "independent and impartial" observers nominated by the Supreme Court.

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On February 18, jailed AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala loyalist E K Palaniswami had won an easy trust vote 122-11, helped by the eviction of main opposition DMK and a walkout by its allies, amid stormy scenes during which mikes were uprooted, chairs toppled and sheets of papers torn and hurled around.

Pandiarajan has claimed that 122 MLAs belonging to AIADMK were "forcibly held hostage" at the Golden Bay Resort from February 8 till right before the voting on February 18.

He has claimed that Panneerselvam had given a representation on February 19 to the Governor of Tamil Nadu requesting him not to approve the February 18 resolution of the Assembly and urged him to fix another date for a fresh vote of confidence by secret ballot. PTI ABA MNL SJK RKS ARC

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MBABANE  Its joy short- lived for security guards in the country.



This comes after 11 security services companies jointly moved an urgent application in the Industrial Court where they are challenging the workers seven per cent salary increment.



The companies are among other things seeking an order to stay and/or suspend the effectiveness of the Regulation of Wages (Security Industry) Order 2017 in its entirety.



Respondents in the matter are the Minister of Labour and Social Security, TUCOSWA and the Swaziland Amalgamated Trade Union (SATU).



In June 2, 2017, the Wages Council, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security issued a gazette which increased security guards salaries by seven per cent and it further provided that it should be backdated to March 1, 2017.

The security companies further want the court to declare the Regulations of Wages (Security Services Industry) Order null and void and of no legal force and effect.



They averred that the minister failed to comply with the mandatory requirements of Section 8 and 11 of the Wages Act 1964.

In his founding affidavit, Managing Director (MD) of Fidelity Security Malcolm BarlowJones averred that the minister committed an illegal act by issuing the Wages Order before complying with the statutory provisions of the Wages Act and also unfairly imposing and backdating the effective date without affording them the right to be heard (audi alteram partem).
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who used to take on PM Modi and the BJP on most issues of national significance until recently, has been conspicuous by his absence of late.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Amidst the hectic political activities happening in the country and abroad, one person missing from action is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener, who usually comments on all the crucial national issues and attacks Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP, of late is conspicuous by his absence.

These days Kejriwal is not seen even on television channels giving sound bytes. Advertisements featuring him on TVs and radio channels have also done a vanishing act.

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At least three significant developments have taken place in the last one month. The presidential and vice presidential elections have been announced, historic economic reform in the form of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been implemented and Narendra Modi became the first prime minister in about 70 years of India's independence to embark upon a three-day visit to Israel.

But the Delhi CM appears to be aloof from all these developments. His comments on mainstream and social media are hard to find. Otherwise, Kejriwal used to be at the forefront in criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his government and BJP on most of the issues.

KEJRIWAL HAS NO LOCUS STANDI ON ISRAEL ISSUE: SOURCES

Reacting on these three recent developments, sources close to Kejriwal told India Today that the Delhi CM does not have any locus standi on the Israel issue. Reminded that other opposition leaders were giving their opinion on it, they were of the view that Kejriwal had not been forthcoming on foreign matters.

On GST, they said Kejriwal had taken part in a hangout on July 2 over the issue and also the alleged lynching over beef of Junaid a day before Eid. They said he had also "retweeted" some comments. On the presidential elections, they said the party had hinted that they would not support the candidature of BJP's candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

However, in the past, the Delhi CM used to take an unequivocal stand on issues and would aggressively put forth his point of view.

When the whole nation was celebrating over India launching surgical strikes against terrorists on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on September 29, 2016, Kejriwal was among the few opposition leaders who had doubted the military exercise. The Delhi CM had demanded that the Centre provide proofs of the surgical strikes. While doing so, he faced criticism in the country but was quoted extensively in Pakistan.

KEJRIWAL CRITICAL OF DEMONETISATION

Similarly, when PM Modi announced the demonetisation initiative at 8 pm on November 8, 2016, most of the people went euphoric. The move was hailed by most sections of society. But Kejriwal along with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee led a campaign to demand a rollback of demonetisation. He even threatened PM Modi of "revolt" from the masses if 'notebandi' was not withdrawn.

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But not any longer. Kejriwal has refrained from appearing on the national scene regarding any significant matter. He has confined himself to the national capital, attending to local issues.

CM @ArvindKejriwal listening to the grievances of residents of Valmiki colony and assures action on the complaints. pic.twitter.com/PSxpGYiERl- AAP (@AamAadmiParty) July 2, 2017

He has hardly been even posting original tweets. On almost all occasions, he is found retweeting posts. Interestingly, a large number of his retweets belong to an anonymous person called AAP Ka Mehta with the Twitter handle @DaaruBaazMehta. Translated into English, the handle means 'alcoholic Mehta'.

Sample a couple of such retweets:

WATCH N SHARE CM @ArvindKejriwal at the foundation stone laying ceremony of 200 flats by NDMC in New Delhi constituency. pic.twitter.com/1GI7rthtVU- AAP Ka Mehta (@DaaruBaazMehta) July 2, 2017

MAIN POINTS@ArvindKejriwal @msisodia Google Hangout Condemns #MobLynchingGST will increase pricesGST Good but Wrongly Implemented pic.twitter.com/SFW9MxqNsK- AAP Ka Mehta (@DaaruBaazMehta) July 2, 2017

One would wonder why a politician like Kejriwal has suddenly started maintaining a low profile. These could be the seven reasons behind the Delhi CM taking a backseat:

1. DEFEAT IN ASSEMBLY POLLS

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Kejriwal was almost sure of winning the Assembly elections in Punjab and Goa held earlier this year. The drubbing in Punjab and the failure to open any account in Goa was embarrassing for the Delhi CM. His prestige was at stake in both these states because of the time and resources invested there. But a loss in both these states in his very attempt to expand AAP's base beyond the national capital proved a damp squib.

2. LOSS IN MCD ELECTIONS

It was AAP's first election for controlling the three bodies of Municipal Corporation of Delhi. However, the party ruling in Delhi lost to BJP. This was no less a jolt than the defeat in Punjab and Goa Assembly elections because AAP is the ruling party here.

3. EMBARRASSMENT OVER EVM

After the defeat in the two Assembly elections, Kejriwal alleged that the EVMs were tampered with to defeat AAP. He alleged that the EVMs were rigged to favour BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Goa and Congress in Punjab. He accused the Election Commission (EC) of playing into the hands of the Centre. He demanded that the EC hand over one EVM to AAP for 72 hours and it would prove that the software could be tampered with.

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EC accepted the challenge and invited not just AAP but all political parties to try their luck in proving that EVMs could be rigged. However, the parties, including AAP, backed out. This was again a loss of face for Kejriwal.

4. INTERNAL WRANGLINGS

AAP has been beset with internal strife, particularly after the electoral defeats. Former Delhi minister Kapil Mishra has revolted against Kejriwal, levelling serious allegations of financial irregularities and improprieties against his chief minister.

Around the same time, AAP co-founder and Kejriwal's confidante Kumar Vishwas have fallen apart. The two were seen trying to harm each other's political interests. A truce was sought to be brought about but it does not seem to be a permanent one. These have bogged Kejriwal down.

5. DEFAMATION CASES

The defamation cases filed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley against Kejriwal and four others from AAP have weighed him down. Though the AAP convener is fighting the case and has appointed senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani to defend him, he appears to be on the defensive. Kejriwal has been seen trying to wriggle out of the case by prolonging it and buying time.

6. OFFICE OF PROFIT CASE

Besides the revolt by three AAP MLAs, the sword of disqualification is also dangling over 20 of the 66 party legislators over the office of profit case. EC has ruled that it would continue hearing in the office of profit case. It has also signalled disqualification of the 20 MLAs. The final decision may come soon. If that happens, it would be the severest jolt that Delhi's AAP government would receive so far.

The judgment may also rob AAP of the moral authority to rule Delhi. Kejriwal may be forced to resign and call for mid-term election.

7. ED, CBI CASES

Central investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are examining cases lodged against AAP leaders including Kejriwal and his ministerial colleague Satyender Jain. ED has filed a case against AAP for allegedly diverting Rs 2 crore donations. A case is also pending over financing of "secret spy squad".

BACK TO DELHI

Kejriwal has apologised to the people of Delhi on two counts - for resigning in 2014 in a huff after 49 days of rule and for contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from a large number of seats in several states. While swearing in as CM during his second term on February 14, 2015, he had promised not to leave Delhi.

However, he forgot his promise and did the opposite by trying to expand AAP's base to Punjab and Goa. While the party lost elections in both the states, Kejriwal lost face and Delhi lost administration and governance. While he and his party leaders were busy campaigning outside Delhi, Delhi was plagued with vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya.

Kejriwal seems to have realised his folly. And it's back to basics now for him.

Also read | Boost to Meira Kumar as Kejriwal likely to support her in presidential elections

Also read | Ashish Khetan made adviser to Delhi chief minister Kejriwal

Also read | Delhi: Kejriwal chairs Cabinet meeting, approves 6350 CCTVs for buses

ALSO WATCH VIDEO

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On the second day of his visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Moshe Holtzberg, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack survivor who is now 11 years old.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met Moshe Holtzberg, the now 11-year-old Israeli boy, who was orphaned during the 26/11 terrorists attacks in Mumbai.

Accompanied by his Israeli counterpart Bejamin Netanyahu, Modi met both 'Baby Moshe' and his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels who has since settled in Israel .

"I love you Mr Modi," the 11-year-old boy quipped as he met the Indian PM. Moshe also said that he wants to visit India and ultimately become a director of Chabad House in Mumbai when he grows older.

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PM Netanyahu, who earlier accepted Modi's invite to visit India, said he would bring the boy along during his visit. "PM Modi invited me to India and you will come with me," Netanyahu said.

MOSHE WAS 2 YEARS OLD IN 2008

Moshe was just around two years old during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and was at the Nariman House, one of the sites targeted by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists.

Moshe's parents Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg died in the 2008 attacks, in which 166 people lost their lives.

Moshe was saved by his nanny, Sandra, who managed to escape with the toddler from the Nariman House, also known as Chabad House, as it came under attack.

Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others at the attack site.

MOSHE NOW LIVES WITH GRANDPARENTS IN ISRAEL

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents -- Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school).

He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends.

Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010. She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family in the north during the weekends.

(With PTI inputs)

Also read | When dinner with Modi reminded Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu of his Indian restaurant date

Also read | How Israel helped India during the Kargil war

WATCH VIDEO: PM Narendra Modi meets 26/11 survivor Moshe Holtzberg in Israel

--- ENDS ---
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By Angelica Acevedo

JAMAICA  Two people were shot dead and a man was wounded in Jamaica early Wednesday morning, police said.

According to police, at about 3:38 a.m. they responded to a 911 call about a female shot in front of 107-07 170 St. on Jamaica. Once the police arrived at the scene, they found that the 27-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to the head. The Emergency Medical Service then pronounced her dead at the scene.

Authorities also determined that a 28-year-old man had multiple gunshot wounds to his back, while a 32-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to his arm. EMS took them both to Jamaica Hospital, where the 28-year-old man was later pronounced dead. Police said the 32-year-old male is in stable condition.

Police had not arrested anyone and the double homicide investigation was ongoing. The identities of the 28-year-old male and 27-year-old female have not been released pending family notifications, police said.
One could ascribe any "life's hard, then you die," adage to Brandon Snooks, and it would seem fitting once you hear his story. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." "Fall down seven times, stand up eight." "Hardship builds character." Any of those could be the title of a future memoir/cookbook he might pen.

Still, it is difficult to relegate Snooks' foray through life as a cliche platitude, swept aside like crumbs under a rug. His path to Hudson Valley BBQ Co., an in-demand catering company he founded in 2016, is wrought with bumps in the road, but truly starts on the day everything in his life fell apart.

"It was the worst day of my life," he says, wiping away a small tear that has gathered just beneath the brim of his thick-rimmed glasses. Those wet eyes flash hope, however, for better days ahead.

The day that causes his shoulders to tense in remembrance was the end to his personal and business relationship with Andrea Loguidice, with whom he founded Wandering Dago food truck.

The truck name sparked ire from government officials, for its use of a word considered an ethnic slur against Italians. The food truck was booted from Saratoga Race Track in 2013 (followed by a ban from other state-run facilities) because of the name, and a tumultuous episode, including lawsuits and settlements, followed over the next two years. The "dago" term was meant as an homage to Snooks' and Loguidice's Italian heritage, they said, and neither encountered backlash in using the term outside of the Capital Region. (Loguidice grew up in Long Island, Snooks hails from Montana with stops in Portland, Ore., and Denver.)

The truck  a lapis-colored mobile restaurant with flashy red emblem  continues to sport the Wandering Dago name and cook the barbecue-fusion cuisine that became Snooks' hallmark, including a bicycle-riding pig with the same black-rimmed spectacles that Snooks still wears, even though he is no longer part of the Wandering Dago team.

The hard 2016 breakup with Loguidice left Snooks without a partner, a job or a place to live. Though that period is hard to recount, his composure quickly shifts towards optimism when he considers how he has prevailed since then.

"I was doing what I loved, what I felt I was put on this Earth to do," he says, and started Hudson Valley BBQ Co., based in Chatham, which combines his love of barbecue and seasonal produce with his Montana roots.

"I grew up on a farm and ate beef and greens. It wasn't trendy, it was the only way we knew," he says. Some 70 percent of Hudson Valley BBQ Co.'s business is weddings and catering (busiest from May to November), and his clientele tends to hail from New York City or New Jersey, hosting their wedding celebration in a rustic Hudson Valley barn. Snooks and his team prepare all food on-site, most of it cooked over open wood flame and coals, using a grill that Snooks manufactured. Chickens impaled at the sternum with industrial hooks are nestled in hot coals, creating a crackling, blistered skin that shatters with herbal, acidic flavors.

"That's how my grandma did it," he says.

The "party at the pig roast" vibe that Snooks creates (he brings his labradoodle Maisey to catering gigs) has rapidly garnered praise. "He completely understands our vibe as a couple and what we're looking for at our wedding and our menu completely fits our style. Can we talk about the taco bar and pig roast AND vegetarian options? Very creative, professional, and a great sense of humor," reviews Carson H. on TheKnot.com. Kaye S. says on the website, "Some of the best BBQ we have had anywhere in the area!"

Fire, for Snooks, is a seasoning much the way other chefs rely on salt and lemon juice. Though his barbecued meats are a large draw for betrothed couples and catering customers, he has not overlooked the smoky desires of vegetarians and vegans.

"A lot of vegetarians want something that emulates meat, but a lot of vegans don't want that," he says, but both want the flavor of barbecue and woodsmoke. Snooks is developing a line of retail products to solve the meat-free barbecue dilemma, using house-made seitan for brisket and beets for jerky and "burnt end" products, which he hopes to have on store shelves in 2017. Snooks refers to this as "a new era in Q."

Snooks currently employs 12 people (mostly seasonal) and retains 100 percent ownership of Hudson Valley BBQ Co. He is completely self-financed, making what he calls, "extreme sacrifices" to rebuild his life and start a new company. "We're getting ready to make the next leap. It's about finding people who still want to do this the right way. It's a people business, not a food business. We're finding all the issues as we grow," he says.

No doubt, the lessons learned to this point will propel Snooks as he embarks on new ventures, and perhaps epilogue when he reflects on his journey will be capped with a new idiom: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Deanna Fox is a freelance food and agriculture writer. www.foxonfood.com @DeannaNFox.
On Day 2 of his historic three-day trip to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin before attending a diaspora gathering.

By India Today Web Desk: After bilateral talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and signing of 7 agreements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the second day of his 3-day-long visit to Israel, met members of the Indian diaspora at a gala function.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties. Rivlin hugged Modi warmly when the latter got out from his car ahead of the meeting.

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At the end of the day, Modi addressed a 5,000-strong gathering of the Indian diaspora in Israel in the evening.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DAY 2 OF MODI VISIT:

Modi's speech to diaspora ends.

Modi announces a new flight service connecting Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv.

Modi invites Indian-origin people living in Israel to visit India.

The process of converting PIO card to OCI card will be simplified.

PM Modi announces that a new Indian cultural centre will come up in Israel.

India cannot deny OCI card to Indian-origin people living in Israel: Modi

If India and Israel work together, both nations will benefit: PM Modi

Making consistent efforts to double farmers' income by 2022, policies being formulated: PM Modi

Make in India has become a brand now, taking everyone by surprise: Modi

India has seen a record production of grains, the highest since Independence: Modi

Environment clearances take only 180 days now but earlier it used to take over 600 days: PM Modi

We have introduced 100 percent FDI in key sectors, which will help our economy: Modi

With the aim of 'housing for all' we have placed emphasis on the construction and the real estate sector: Modi

PM Modi lists out his government's achievements in various sectors during the last 3 years.

With GST we are aiming towards the economic integration of India: PM Modi

PM Modi spells out his government's mantra - Reform, perform and transform.

PM Modi pays tribute to former Israel president Shimon Peres.

Jewish community has enriched India with their contribution in various fields: Modi.

Pictures from the @israelmuseum where PM @narendramodi & @IsraeliPM @netanyahu visited today. pic.twitter.com/Ku8XJwKctx; narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) July 5, 2017

PM Modi said he chatted with Netanyahu till late in the night yesterday after dinner.

Israel has proved that population and size do not count much but the spirit matters: Modi

This is a relationship of trust and friendship: PM Modi

Israeli PM loves Indian food: PM Modi

It took 70 years for us to meet: PM Modi

We always remember that there is a human bridge between us, we admire you, respect you, love you: Israeli PM to Indian diaspora

I want to see young Indians coming here backpacking on the curry trail: PM Netanyahu

5000 Indians gather to greet PM Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Tel Aviv Convention Center to address the Indian diaspora. People throng to welcome him.

It was an emotional moment to meet young Moshe, his maternal & paternal grandparents and Ms Sandra Solomon, his nanny. pic.twitter.com/jI93JBSDp1; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 5, 2017 Celebrating the cultural linkages btw #IsraelIndia. The leaders visit Jewish museum, examine exhibits dedicated to India's jewish heritage pic.twitter.com/hZZLLuJDoF; Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets three Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees from Israel.

#WATCH: Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India says Moshe Holtzberg the now 11-year-old survivor of the 26/11 attacks pic.twitter.com/QCebzkvL0T; ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017 Moshe read out some phrases in Hindi. The 11-year-old said he hopes to become a director of Chabad House in Mumbai when he grows older.

PM Modi said he will Moshe come to India.

Moshe said he wants to visit Mumbai again. Netanyahu said he will take Moshe to India.

PM Modi meets Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Moshe said: "I love you Mr Modi".

India and Israel signed 7 agreements altogether including an MoU for water conservation in India, plan of cooperation regarding cooperation in atomic clocks and space cooperation.

India and Israel have signed seven agreements in different sectors today.

PM Modi invites Netanyahu to India. The Israeli PM accepted it.

PM and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to fight growing radicalization: PM Modi

India has suffered first hand the violence and hatred spread by terror, so has Israel: PM Modi

Our belief in democratic values and economic progress has been a shared pursuit: PM Modi

Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agriculture: PM Modi

Our goal is to build relationship that reflects our shared priorities: PM Modi.

PM Modi said he will cherish the wonderful dinner that was hosted for him yesterday by PM Netanyahu and his wife.

We are being challenged by forces of terror. We have agreed to cooperate in this area: Israeli PM

We can help people of Africa as well: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

There are so many fields where we can make a big difference together: Netanyahu.

We are making history together with India, says Netanyahu.

Agreement on water conservation and drinking water signed between Israel and India.

Pact on space cooperation signed.

India and Israel signed agreements.

Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as a two-year-old, has reached Modi's hotel for a meeting with the PM.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and @PMOIndia @NarendraModi hold a working meeting in Jerusalem#IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/aTcc0Tj0Dj; PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 5, 2017

President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India: PM Modi

I can never forget my visit to India, it was a memorable visit: President of Israel Reuven Rivlin

I for I. Which means India for Israel and Israel for India: PM Modi

"It is a privilege to meet President Rivlin again on Wednesday: PM Modi

I fondly recall his visit to India last November when he charmed us with his affable manner and desire to do more with India: Modi wrote in the guest book at the Presdient's residence.

President Rivlin is admired in India for his unstinting belief and common good of mankind, I thank him for his friendship and his warm hospitality: wrote Modi

ALSO READ

PM Modi's Israel visit Day 2: After hugs and bonhomie, business deals today

Modi in Israel: 5 ways how the visit is timed strategically

How Ajit Doval prepared the groundwork for robust and open ties between India and Israel

Hugs, yoga, Ramanujan: Modi cements friendship with Netanyahu on Day 1 of historic visit to Israel

Hindi Israeli bhai-bhai: When PM Modi met Bibi

The 6-Day War: When Israel shot down 300 fighter jets of Arab countries in 3 hours

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ALBANY  An uptick in violent crimes  something often seen in the summer  has city leader looking for new strategies to deal with a rash of incidents, many of them fueled by personal feuds.

Shootings in the capital city in the first half of this year have more than doubled over the same time last year  from eight in 2016 to 18 and six homicides compared to two for all of 2016.

Albany had a 14-month stretch without a single homicide, eight people have been slain in the eight months since November.

Police can't put a finger on what exactly has triggered the increase.

Most of the recent violence has occurred outside of the situations that we have seen here in the city over the past decades," acting police Chief Bob Sears said. "Many of our recent incidents have been personal disputes among people, and most of the victims have very little exposure to the criminal justice system."

RELATED: Schenectady aims to streamline quality-of-life enforcement

At a meeting to discuss the increase in crime, Sears said these factors make it harder to predict the next victim and suspect and where the violence will occur.

That the recent "shots fired," or shooting incidents, may not be random, provides little solace to residents, particularly those whove experienced gun violence in otherwise quiet neighborhoods.

Two men were shot in the early morning hours Sunday on Hamilton Street near Lark Street in the Hudson/Park neighborhood. Less than 24 hours later, residents a few blocks away reported shots fired at Myrtle Avenue and Dove Street. Police arrested 31-year-old Brandon Upton and charged him with weapon possession.

Although we feel the city took a necessary step today in publicly addressing the incidents that occurred over the weekend, there is still work to be done, said Hudson/Park Neighborhood Association President John DeBois, who attended the meeting at City Hall. Until we see a noticeable reduction in violence occurring in our streets, we won't be satisfied.

Hours later, police reported investigations into a stabbing at 10 p.m. Tuesday and Lark and Orange streets and a shooting shortly after midnight Wednesday, also on Lark Street, this time at Sheridan Avenue.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan, whose adopted sons brother was shot and killed this year, recognized that violent crime happens across the city

Its something that no family should have to deal with, no block should have to deal with. When I think about the death of my sons brother, that happened during the day on the corner of Quail and First streets, she said. When I go over there and see children playing  they shouldnt have to live on a street where they have to worry about shots being fired. Nobody should.

In the past, programs geared to steering people deemed at risk of being swept up in crime to a more productive direction helped lower violent crime, Sears said. Now police must determine the best strategies for the more personal, not gang-related, crime Albany is experiencing, he said.

The department takes these challenges head-on and will look at every way they can to combat them, Sears said.

Common Councilman Frank Commisso Jr., who is challenging Sheehan in Septembers Democratic Primary, said consistent leadership in the police department, a residency requirement for new officers and sharper evaluation of the effectiveness of community policing could help address the violent crime increase.

I think there is going to be a need  after analyzing metrics  for proactive policing in the city, he said. Do we have a way of determining that these officers that are allegedly engaging in community policing are generating new leads?

Sheehan said officials receive feedback from the Community Police Advisory Committee and neighborhood associations on community policing effectiveness.

City officials encouraged residents who hear, or see, something not right to reach out by any means theyre comfortable with  including Facebook, stopping in at police stations, contacting neighborhood beat officers and going to the departments online public safety network  to submit tips.

Amanda Fries/Times Union

Sears said community cooperation recently has been unparalleled, which he credited in part to the departments efforts in community policing.

The community has been a fantastic partner in all our endeavors, he said. This level of cooperation has not been seen for quite some time.

Sheehan said her administration is setting up community meetings to discuss residents concerns.

Council President Carolyn McLaughlin, who also is running for mayor in the primary, said shed like to see increased police patrols.

I am a proponent of police cars driving through neighborhoods and sitting for five to 10 minutes, she said. Its going to ease the mind of the resident, and its also going to deter crime.

Sears said, "A lot of times people won't do something if we're there, but when we walk around the corner, they take the opportunity."

I cant promise an arrest in every case," he said, "but I will guarantee that every resource and opportunity will be used to make the violence stop.

Emily Masters contributed.
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New York

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut gulped, chomped and powered his way to a 10th title on Tuesday, continuing his record-setting reign as the chowing champion at the annual Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.

Shoving water-soaked buns and wriggling franks into his mouth on a hot, sunny day on the Coney Island boardwalk, he downed 72 dogs and buns in 10 minutes to beat his own record and hoist the Mustard Belt for a 10th time. The San Jose, Calif., man bested up-and-comer Carmen Cincotti, of Mays Landing, N.J., who ate 60 franks and buns on his 24th birthday.

Miki Sudo notched a fourth straight win in the women's competition. The Las Vegas woman ate 41 hot dogs and buns to beat Michelle Lesco of Tucson, Ariz., who downed 32 franks and buns.

During the men's competition, five people were taken into custody for trying to disrupt the event, police said. The people appeared to be attempting to unfold a black banner before police stopped them and took them away. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals members had been giving away free vegan hot dogs outside the event, but spokeswoman Tricia Lebkuecher said the people arrested inside weren't affiliated with PETA.

Chestnut, 33, has dominated the chowdown throwdown for years, eating 70 franks and buns last year to top his then-record and take back the title from Matt "The Megatoad" Stonie. The 25-year-old Stonie came in third on Tuesday, with 48 franks and buns.

"There's no secret, I love to eat, and I love doing it, I love to win, so I had to figure out my body and push it to the limit," a sweating Chestnut said.

One of America's most outlandish July Fourth traditions, the contest dates to 1972, though the company has for years promoted what a former president acknowledged was a legendary start date of 1916.
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Washington

The United States asserted Tuesday that North Korea's latest missile launch was indeed an intercontinental ballistic missile, as the North had boasted and the U.S. and South Korea had feared. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called it a "new escalation of the threat" to the U.S.

In a show of force directly responding to North Korea's provocation, U.S. and South Korean soldiers fired "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters on Tuesday, U.S. military officials in Seoul said. The missile firings demonstrated U.S.-South Korean solidarity, the U.S. Eighth Army said in a statement.

At the request of the U.S., Japan and South Korea, the United Nations Security Council was to hold an emergency session on Wednesday afternoon. Tillerson said that was part of a U.S. response that would include "stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable," using an acronym for the isolated nation's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"Global action is required to stop a global threat," Tillerson said. "Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

He said the U.S. "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea."

Tillerson's statement, issued Tuesday night as most Americans were celebrating the Fourth of July, did not mention China, who the Trump administration has been aggressively seeking to press Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons program. The North has continued to test missiles in defiance of global pressure, President Donald Trump's administration has taken a number of steps against China's interests that have suggested its patience has run short.

Tillerson's comments were the first public confirmation by the United States that the missile was an ICBM, constituting a major technological advancement for the North and its most successful missile test yet.
The chair of North Tipperary IFA has described last week's meeting with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture as a massive breakthrough in the campaign against the high level of inspections and penalties in the area.

Tim Cullinan led close to 70 farmers to the Dail for the meeting, at which he made a presentation.

We got an excellent hearing, he said. So far, our campaign has paid dividends.

Mr Cullinan said the fact that the chair of the Oireachtas committee, Deputy Pat Deering had ordered to secretary of the Department of Agriculture to appear before the committee this Tuesday was a clear result for them.

It proves we are correct in what we are saying, he said, saying the Oireacthas chair had received the unanimous backing from other committee members for the secretary to appear before it.

The Toomevara farmer said that getting to meet the Oireachtas committee was unprecedented and was due to the persistence of the North Tipperary County Executive of IFA.

Mr Cullinan said that what IFA wanted next was for a change to the way inspections and penalties were handled.

We must have change, he said.

They also want the Department to answer the questions they raised on the issue and, he said, in fairness to Deputy Deering, he had stated publicly that he wanted the questions answered.

The local campaign stems from figures given out for 2010 by the local Department office showing that North Tippeary had the highest number of inspections and level of penalties in the country.

However, the Department would not give out figures for 2013, 2014 or 2015, saying the levels had substantially reduced.

But, said Mr Cullinan, following a Parliamentary Question by Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill, the deputy chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, it was revealed that there were again far more inspections and penalties in North Tipperary.

We were misled by the Nenagh office, said Mr Cullinan. They tried to confuse us with figures.

North Tipperary IFA held a protest outside the Nenagh office last February and both sides are now at an impasse, and, according to Mr Cullinan, the Department officials will not meet the IFA.

North Tipperary farmers have been hit with penalties totalling 1.28m over the past six years, Mr Cullinan revealed.

The IFA chair felt that the handbook sent to farmers detailing Single Farm Payments was causing some of the problems in relation to inspections and penalties.

He called for a complete review of of the inspections and appeals process.

local ifa applauded

Meanwhile, following last Tuesday's meeting, IFA president Joe Healy said that farm inspection issues highlighted by North Tipperary were shared by farmers in other parts of the country.

While the overall inspection and penalty rate in Ireland is relatively low, the implications for the farmers involved can be very significant. There is a very genuine fear factor for farmers, said Mr Healy.

Most of those carrying out inspections understand the practicalities of farming. However, there are a relatively small number of inspectors who have gained a reputation for being draconian in their interpretation of the rules and unreasonable, he said.

The IFA president said that the Department may say that they had a complaints process in place, but the reality was that individual farmers were afraid to make a complaint because their livelihoods were at stake.

IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy said: There is increased frustration among farmers as they are being penalised for minor issues by inspectors.

Mr Kennedy applauded the courage shown by farmers in North Tipperary, led by County chairman Tim Cullinan, for highlighting the concerns of IFA members in North Tipperary.
[July 04, 2017] 2017 SkyPixel Video Contest Showcases Stunning Aerial Footage From Around The World

SHENZHEN, China, July 4, 2017 /CNW/ -- SkyPixel, the world's most popular aerial photography community run in cooperation with DJI, has so far received more than 700 entries from participants in over 45 countries for the 2017 SkyPixel Video Contest. SkyPixel and DJI have selected some of this year's best work, showcasing participants' aerial perspective of the world in the three major categories: Nature, City, and Sport. Visit the 2017 SkyPixel Video Contest Highlights Page to see the breathtaking drone footage. https://www.skypixel.com/editor/weekly/42?utm_campaign=weekly_selection&utm_medium=PCWeb&utm_source=home-banner For those still interested in participating in the 2017 SkyPixel Video Contest, the deadline for entry is August 2. Whether you're a new drone user, professional videographer, or someone wanting to showcase their aerial creativity to a wider audience, the international contest is open to anyone in every corner of the globe. Contest participants can submit their work in any one of the following categories: Nature: Tell us a story with landscape shots, revealing the deep secrets of Mother Nature from above.

Tell us a story with landscape shots, revealing the deep secrets of Mother Nature from above. City: Capture your city's unique character and show us places we know and love from a brand-new perspective.

Capture your city's unique character and show us places we know and love from a brand-new perspective. Sport: Capture the energy and excitement behind a sport or an athlete pursuing their dreams. Videos captured from any type of aerial platform are welcome. Submissions should not be longer than five minutes and should include at least 30 seconds of aerial footage. One Grand Prize winner will be selected out of all the entries. The winner will receive a DJI Inspire 2 Premium Combo, Nikon D750 Body + 24-70 mm VR 2.8 Lens, Suunto Spartan Ultra Copper Special Edition (HR) Watch, LaCie d2 Thunderbolt 3 Hard Drive, an Oakley Latch Prizm Sunglasses, and a Tourism Australia Travel Package. Other prizes include the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, DJI Mavic Pro Fly More Combo/b>, and DJI Spark, among others.



SkyPixel will also give out a People's Choice Prize to the top ten most liked videos (cut-off time for voting is August 2, 14:00 CST). Winners will receive a DJI Osmo Mobile, LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C Hard Drive, Suunto Traverse Alpha Black Watch, and a pair of Oakley Latch Prizm Sunglasses. A curated judging panel of renowned videographers and influencers will shortlist the winners. The panel includes:

Phil Pastuhov - Aerial Director of Photography whose credits include The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Godzilla , and The Amazing Spider-Man 2

- Aerial Director of Photography whose credits include trilogy, , Ning Hao - Director and screenwriter of several Chinese blockbusters. His breakout film Crazy Stone (2006) earned a Golden Horse Award for Best Original Screenplay.

(2006) earned a Award for Best Original Screenplay. Ryan Hosking - One of the youngest feature film Aerial Director of Photography. Ryan's film credits include The Revenant, American Sniper, The Nice Guys, and CHiPs .

- One of the youngest feature film Aerial Director of Photography. Ryan's film credits include and . Filipe DeAndrade - 10-time Emmy award-winning Director of Photography, wildlife ambassador for National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD

and Robin Mahieux - Director whose creative projects include Chanel, Redbull, Sony, AIA, Cartier , Air China, Porsche, and Jaguar

, Air China, Porsche, and Jaguar David Etienne - TV producer, director, pilot, and commercial drone pilot

Andy Best - Renowned photographer and filmmaker

Josh Raab - Multimedia Editor at TIME and professor at the International Center of Photography

and professor at the International Center of Photography Brad Rickman - Digital Director for Conde Nast Traveler Contest Details Contest Deadline: August 2, 2017, 14:00 CST

Award Announcement: August 31, 2017, China Standard Time For more information about the contest and how to enter, visit: https://www.skypixel.com/events/videocontest2017 For full videos of the contest highlight (1), visit:

https://www.skypixel.com/editor/weekly/42?utm_campaign=weekly_selection&utm_medium=PCWeb&utm_source=home-banner About SkyPixel

SkyPixel was founded in 2014 and has become a leading global community for aerial photographers and videographers. The platform has over four million registered users and hosts thousands of aerial images and videos uploaded daily by users from around the world. Leading works have received over one million views. The world's largest aerial photography contest was hosted by SkyPixel in 2016, with over 27,000 entries received from 131 countries. In addition, SkyPixel also promotes the growth of the aerial community, with an educational section featuring key aerial imaging experts who provide tips on how to produce the best aerial photography. www.skypixel.com About DJI DJI is a global leader in developing and manufacturing innovative drone and camera technology for commercial and recreational use. DJI was founded and is run by people with a passion for remote-controlled helicopters and experts in flight-control technology and camera stabilization. The company is dedicated to making aerial photography and filmmaking equipment and platforms more accessible, reliable, and easier to use for creators and innovators around the world. DJI's global operations currently span across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and its revolutionary products and solutions have been chosen by customers in over 100 countries for applications in filmmaking, construction, emergency response, agriculture, conservation, and many other industries. For more information, visit our: Website: www.dji.com

DJI Store: store.dji.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DJI

Instagram: www.instagram.com/DJIGlobal

Twitter: www.twitter.com/DJIGlobal

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/djiinnovations To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2017-skypixel-video-contest-showcases-stunning-aerial-footage-from-around-the-world-300483194.html SOURCE DJI

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PM Narendra Modi gifted two sets of relics from Kerala to Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. PM Modi is on a three-day tour to the Middle Eastern country.

By Poulomi Saha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of 2 sets of relics from Kerala that are regarded as key artifacts in the long Jewish history in India.

They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th century CE

PM @narendramodi presented PM @netanyahu replicas of 2 sets of relics from Kerala regarded as key artifacts in Jewish history in India. pic.twitter.com/zxaQeVdH0b- narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) July 5, 2017

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HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochini Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban. According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabban was later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore. Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and other places in Malabar. Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earth from Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy place & a "second Jerusalem". The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi. The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India. These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church and oversight of trade in Kollam to West Asian and Indian trading associations. West Asian association included Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, as also a group of Jews who signed in Judeo-Persian and possibly also in Arabic and Pahlavi (Middle Persian). The plates bear their signatures that appear to have been cut into the plates by a local workman unfamiliar with the script. The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala. In addition, Prime Minister also presented PM Netanyahu a Torah scroll donated by the Paradesi Jewish community in Kerala. Handwritten over a hundred years ago, the scroll had been dedicated to the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi that had been built in 1568. The Torah is enclosed on wooden staves in a wooden case adorned with silver sheets and a metal crown covered in gold sheets in floral ornament style, bearing motifs typical of lamps and decorations of south India.

ALSO READ:

Modi in Israel: 5 ways how the visit is timed strategically

How Ajit Doval prepared the groundwork for robust and open ties between India and Israel

Hugs, yoga, Ramanujan: Modi cements friendship with Netanyahu on Day 1 of historic visit to Israel

Hindi Israeli bhai-bhai: When PM Modi met Bibi

The 6-Day War: When Israel shot down 300 fighter jets of Arab countries in 3 hours

WATCH: Netanyahu: Ramanujan greatest mathematician, PM Modi's enthusiasm for yoga inspirational

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[July 05, 2017] Mouser Electronics Presents Five-city IoT Technical Roadshow in India

BANGALORE, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Join Mouser to See the Latest in IoT Platform Technologies Mouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader that empowers innovation, today announces its first five-city Internet of Things (IoT) Technical Roadshow Series 2017 in association with India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA). The roadshow travels to the five major tech hubs of India - Bangalore, NCR, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad - bringing IoT products, technologies and solutions to the forefront. This single-day roadshow in each city is designed for design engineers, IoT leaders, practitioners, FAEs, technology experts, EMS, OEM and ecosystem enablers. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530453/Mouser_Electronics_Logo.jpg )

The first roadshow in the series takes place July 7 at Vivanta by Taj, MG Road in Bangalore. Attendees will learn how Mouser empowers engineers by delivering new technologies, new product advancements, and component innovations. Mouser will also sponsor the afternoon break after four informative breakout sessions by industry leaders: Accelerating the Path to Industry 4.0 by Maxim Integrated; Smart Cities, Smart Automation by TE Connectivity; IoT and Long Range Communications by Texas Instruments; and How Secure Is Your Innovation by Microchip Technology.



With the IoT sector in India poised to reach $9 billion by 2020, the industry looks to accelerate this growth through technical knowledge-sharing. This riveting symposium will provide the foundation to design and development engineers, developers and startup community, field applications engineers, OEMs, EMS and technology experts in the ESDM sector to utilize IoT to its full extent. Participants will experience the newest products, technologies and solutions that impact IoT development, and will participate in high-level discussions covering key design trends and manufacturer presentations supporting the electronics industry in India. "Mouser is proud to support and organize this five-city IoT Technical Roadshow Series for the first time in India," says Mark Burr-Lonnon, Senior Vice President of EMEA & APAC, G&A at Mouser Electronics. "IoT is one of the most exciting and innovative sectors in the industry and this series brings together engineers of all levels to experience the newest developments in Internet of Things."

Commenting on the inception of the roadshow, MN Vidyashankar, President, IESA said, "IESA has always implemented a collaborative approach to educate, develop and inspire the industry. We are enthusiastic about the Indian IoT growth story. It provides a lot of scope to break the existing standards and create a more connected and mobile environment, previously unimaginable. The IoT Technical Roadshow Series with Mouser Electronics will spearhead the stakeholders to implement IoT in their respective fields, spanning across verticals such as automotive, healthcare, telecommunications and wireless, to name a few. The five-city approach will help us to create new roads to reach a wider audience." To learn more about the IoT Technical Roadshow Series 2017 visit https://apac.info.mouser.com/5city-iot-technical-roadshow-india-apacen. With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser strives to empower innovation among design engineers and buyers by delivering advanced technologies. Mouser stocks the world's widest selection of the latest semiconductors and electronic components for the newest design projects. Mouser Electronics' website is continually updated and offers advanced search methods to help customers quickly locate inventory. Mouser.com also houses data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools. About India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) IESA is the premier trade body representing the Indian Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) industry and has represented it since 2005. It has over 260 members - both domestic and multinational enterprises. IESA is committed towards building global awareness for the Indian ESDM industry and supporting its growth through focused initiatives in developing the ecosystem. This is through publishing credible data, networking events and alliances with other international associations. IESA works closely with the Government as a knowledge partner on the sector, both at the centre and at the state level. About Mouser Electronics Mouser Electronics, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an award-winning, authorized semiconductor and electronic component distributor focused on rapid New Product Introductions from its manufacturing partners for electronic design engineers and buyers. The global distributor's website, Mouser.com, is available in multiple languages and currencies and features more than 4 million products from over 600 manufacturers. Mouser offers 22 support locations around the world to provide best-in-class customer service and ships globally to over 550,000 customers in 170 countries from its 750,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility south of Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit http://www.mouser.com. Trademarks Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. All other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Further information, contact: Daphne Tien

Vice President of Asia Marketing and Business Development

Mouser Electronics

[email protected] For press inquiries, contact:

Saswati Ray

Marketing Manager, India

Mouser Electronics

+91-959-193-0173

[email protected]



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[July 05, 2017] Rakhi.in to Access Remote Areas for Rakhi Delivery in India

NEW DELHI, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rakhi.in updates the list of destinations in India that it plans to cover for online Rakhi delivery in 2017. Boasting of a number of remote areas and towns, the list indicates intentions of the online store to make online Rakhi buying accessible to greater number of people. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530472/Rakhi_in.jpg )

Rakhi.in issues yet another update about its Rakhi delivery services in India, adding many new locations that are distant from the top cities and regions of the country. It was only a few weeks ago that the leading festival web store announced express Rakhi delivery to a number of cities. With all similar service extensions, it hints of giving tough competition to many Rakhi gift offering stores on the internet. Rakhi.in has developed a strong online presence with its customers hailing not only from India, but also from the countries like USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia, Africa and more. The online festive shopping destination which exclusively deals in Rakhi items and gifts has performed well year-after-year. Worth mentioning is the exclusive range of Rakhi collections in the categories like Rakhi for brother, Rakhi thalis, Rakhi with flowers, Rakhi with chocolates, Rakhi return gifts for sisters and personlized Rakhi gifts.



Primo Gifts Pvt. Ltd., activated their Rakhi store Rakhi.in a few years ago successfully and with the announcement of Rakhis' designs like bracelet rakhis, handcrafted rakhis, rudraksha rakhis, designer rakhis and many other unique Rakhi designs. At the same time, it started offering online booking and delivery services using a network of reliable courier companies. It soon felt the need of pushing the reach of its delivery services. Talking about the same, the CEO of the portal, Mr. Mritunjay Kumar said, "Many of the store visitors enquired about destinations that did not already exist in our lists. Considering the growing demand, we had a word with our logistics partners and they happily agreed to offer their services." In addition to the services to send Rakhi to Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and other big cities, the store is now offering Rakhi booking for delivery to the places like Aizawl, Dhanbad, Dispur, Imphal and more. Buyers from any part of India and those from foreign countries can easily place their orders using the official website of the store. The CEO of the portal added, "We have designed a simple-to-use website with features like detailed product information and secure payment options to facilitate all types of buyers. There are price brackets for every budget and we also provide free shipping to further bring down the services."

Rakhi.in boasts of adding another advantage to online Rakhi buying with its express delivery as well as remote area delivery services. People, who were earlier reliant on delay-prone postal services, can now use the internet to even send items like flowers, cakes, sweets and chocolates. It helps them save a significant amount of time and money and also to celebrate the festival of Raksha Bandhan in a much better way with their siblings separated by hundreds or thousands of miles. Visit http://www.Rakhi.in to explore services ranging from express delivery to midnight delivery, fixed time delivery as well as regular delivery to send Rakhi to India. About Rakhi.in

Rakhi.in is India's premium festival shopping destination with complete focus on items and gifts for the festival of Raksha Bandhan, also locally referred as Rakhi. Primo Gifts Pvt. Ltd., launched the store a few years ago and revives its services couple of months before the date of festival celebration every year to provide online Rakhi shopping and delivery services to buyers. It offers Rakhis for brothers, Bhabhis, nephews, cousins, uncles and friends, along with Rakhi gifts for brothers and sisters and some interesting items like Rakhi thalis.

Media Contact:

Mritunjay Kumar

Primo Gifts Pvt. Ltd.

[email protected]

+91-9818882514



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[July 05, 2017] Wipro and Ramot at Tel Aviv University Partner for Joint Research in Emerging Technologies

Wipro (News - Alert) Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company and Ramot, the Business Engagement Center at Tel Aviv University (TAU), today announced a partnership for joint research in emerging technologies. TAU is Israel's largest institution of higher learning which is home to over 30,000 students studying in nine faculties, over 125 schools and departments across the spectrum of sciences, engineering, humanities and the arts. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005350/en/ The partnership envisages the creation of joint research capability at TAU, supported by Wipro to pursue core as well as applied research in fast-developing technologies in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) space. "Wipro has a strong tradition of investing in innovation, and collaboration with academia for advanced research and development is a key element of our innovation programs. We are excited to partner with Tel Aviv University to jointly develop innovative IP in core AI technologies that will help us build advanced and differentiated solutions and services for our customers," said K.R. Sanjiv, Chief Technology Officer, Wipro Limited. "Tel Aviv University is keen to collaborate with leading Indian multinational companies for research and innovation. Wipro is clearly a great fit with TAU's areas of excellence including, but not limited to, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Sparse Representation techniques, towards developing cutting-edge platform solutions," said Mr. Oren Calfon, VP Business Development, ICT, at Ramot. "We look forward to growing the partnership between our organizations in the coming years." About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global informatio technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have a dedicated workforce of over 170,000, serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.



About Ramot at Tel Aviv University

Ramot is the Business Engagement Center at Tel Aviv University, Israel's largest research and teaching university. Founded in 1956, Tel Aviv University is located in Israel's cultural, financial and industrial center. Rooted in both academic and corporate arenas, Ramot is uniquely positioned to cultivate the special relationships between these two compelling worlds, creating win-win connections that support fertile, groundbreaking research while providing companies with discoveries that give them a crucial competitive edge. For more information, visit http://www.ramot.org. Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property, and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005350/en/

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[July 05, 2017] Prima Luce Lab Presented Its New Advanced Radio Telescope Spider 300A

PIANO, Italy, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 20th, 2017, Roveredo in Piano (Italy), at 6:00 pm Prima Luce Lab has unfolded its new long range radio telescope to those attending the event at their headquarters, but also to the world streaming it live online on their Facebook page. Doctor Filippo Bradaschia, CEO and co-founder of Prima Luca Lab, stated: "The whole spider line was born with schools and the educational system as a target. We wanted to manufacture a top notch radio telescope to be used by high schools and universities in any weather condition. Of course," he continued, "schools are our primary interest but we believe that it would be a useful asset for the scientific community as well." When asked what advantages this new model brings to customers Bradaschia said: "The Spider 300A gives the same performances of a professional radio telescope but it is compact both in size and cost. Such characteristics make it much more interesting for schools and universities." He also stated: "The spider 300A is just the beginning of our new generation of radio telescopes, we are already working on both software and hardware optional additions in order to enhance its performances. We are developing add-ons such as remote control or SEPI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) applications." The CEO explained that the final goal is to create an array of telescopes forming together a larger antenna reaching professional capabilities. The telescope comes with a 3 meters wide dish antenna. Working with 1.42Ghz frequency waves, it can be used during the day as well as night. Its functioning will not be affected by clouds either, for this kind of radio waves can penetrate cloud banks providing the possibility to observe the cosmos in any weather condition. The Spider 300A has a fully waterproof framework and in case of strong winds the antenna automatically repositions itself in such a fashion as to give as little resistance as possible. These features and the sturdy framework make it possible to leave the telescope outside without the risk of damage. Equipped with a 1024 channels spectrometer, having high gain and making little to none electronic noise, the Spider 300A can detect radio signals coming from many sources in the universe. The event started at 6:00 pm and the first prototype has been undiscovered. A brief demonstration followed along with a presentation of its technical features.







Contacts & Info Social



Dott. Filippo Bradaschia Ph. D. CEO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Primalucelab/ Mail: [email protected] Youtube: http://bit.ly/2sXHxLl Tel: +39 0434/1696106

Web: www.primalucelab.com



To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prima-luce-lab-presented-its-new-advanced-radio-telescope-spider-300a-300482997.html SOURCE Prima Luce Lab

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[July 05, 2017] Gigaphoton to Have Support Sites in China for 10 or More Locations

Gigaphoton Inc. (Head Office: Oyama, Tochigi; President & CEO: Katsumi Uranaka), a leading manufacturer of light sources used in semiconductor lithography, has announced that the company will add support sites in China to have a total of 10 or more locations by the end of FY 2017. Semiconductor production in China has been very active in recent years with increased capital investments by domestic and major international semiconductor manufacturers. Although China used to mainly manufacture conventional logic and analog devices, China now also mass-produces memory and is becoming one of the largest semiconductor markets in the world. After setting up support sites in Dalian and Xiamen in 2016, Gigaphoton established sites in Hefei and Shenzhen in sprng 2017, making a total of eight sites in China now. The company plans to open support sites in cities including Nanjing and Chengdu from July on, totaling 10 or more sites by the end of FY 2017. In addition, it will establish One Gigaphoton, a system for supporting customers as a Gigaphoton group through close cooperation between the headquarters and subsidiaries in Korea and Taiwan to address the rapid growth of the Chinese market. The number of support staff is also expected to almost double from the current level.



Katsumi Uranaka, President & CEO of Gigaphoton said, "In order to support the fast-growing Chinese market, we will set up support sites in a timely manner to keep pace with the speed of our customers' business. We believe our customers will feel the stability and high productivity of our laser through the support sites. Gigaphoton will continue to be a company that supports the growth of customers' business." About Gigaphoton

Since it was founded in 2000, Gigaphoton has delivered valuable solutions to semiconductor manufacturers throughout the world as a light source supplier. In every stage from R&D to manufacture, sales, and maintenance services, Gigaphoton is committed to providing world-class support delivered from the perspective of everyday users. For more information please visit www.gigaphoton.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005309/en/

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SHAREHOLDER ALERT: JFJN LAW Announces an Investigation into Arconic Inc.

JFJN Law (the "firm) announces an investigation of Arconic Inc. ("Arconic") (NYSE:ARNC, ARNC-P, ARNC-PB) on behalf of aggrieved shareholders.

The investigation concerns whether Arconic and certain of its Directors and/or Officers violated federal securities laws. On June 24, 2017 the New York Times issued a report, "Why Grenfell Tower Burned: Regulators Put Cost Before Safety". The article continues to report that Arconic supplied flammable panels for use in the construction of the Grenfell Tower in London where 79 people died and stated tat Arconic's marketing material contained a less thorough safety warning in the U.K. than used in there marketing material used in other countries. After the June 24, 2017 report, Arconic announced that it would discontinue sales of Reynobond PE, the alleged panel used at Grenfell Tower.







Following this news, Arconic stock has fallen as much as $2.89, or over 11% during intraday trading on June 26, 2017.

If you suffered a significant financial loss as a result of Arconic's conduct or have information that would help in our investigation, please contact our office.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005703/en/
Election results: Check out results from various races across the state
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu today described the India-Israel friendship as a 'marriage made in heaven'. While that is a sweet thing to say, Netanyahu had earlier said the same thing about Israel's terms with China.

By India Today Web Desk: India is going gaga over PM Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's friendship, which is blooming on national TV during Modi's maiden tour to Israel.

But with all the things that are going right, one thing seems to have gone a tad bit wrong.

During a press conference today, PM Netanyahu described the India-Israel friendship as "a marriage made in heaven," a line that won many hearts.

This is a marriage made in heaven but we are implementing it here on earth: PM Netanyahu #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/56ZwYf3Ymx- ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

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Soon, however, people on Twitter began digging up news pieces which quoted Netanyahu saying something very similar about Israel's relations with China.

When Netanyahu met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and their president Xi Jinping in March, he said at a gathering that China should "assume its rightful place... on the world stage."

He also said this:

"We [Israel] are your perfect junior partner for that effort... I believe this is a marriage made in heaven."

Uh, hello, polygamy?

The bottom line is, we probably should think twice before getting excited about the "marriage made in heaven" line, because it looks like Netanyahu has been making marriage proposals to one too many countries.

Read more:

Modi meets Moshe, the boy who lived: What the 26/11 toddler-survivor is up to now

Modi in Israel: India signs 7 pacts, calls for action against terror groups

Modi in Israel: 5 ways how the visit is timed strategically

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By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modis "standalone" visit to Israel is a good way to concentrate on the bilateral achievement "without other issues affecting" them, Israeli envoy David Akov said today.

The Israeli envoy made the remark in reply to a query on his countrys stand on the possibility of the Indian premier visiting Ramallah. Modi is skipping a visit to Palestine during his trip.

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"Its not for us to decide. This is clearly an issue for the Indian government to deal with. We believe that the standalone visit as this is called ... we think it is a very good way to visit Israel. This (visit) is a good way to concentrate on what we can achieve bilaterally, between the two countries without other issues (Palestine) affecting (them).

"I think this (visit) is a very good way, but again this is not our decision. It is the decision of the Prime Minister and the Government of India," the Consul General of Israel in Mumbai told reporters.

He was responding to a query on what would be the stand of Israel on the possibility of Modi visiting Ramallah, the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the central West Bank, during his "historic" visit to the Jewish nation that began today.

Modi is the first Prime Minister of India to visit Israel.

Akov said India and Israel have been cooperating in the fields of agriculture and water management.

"We have expanded our cooperation to security and the joint statement of both the governments have also mentioned issues like digital health and digital transportation.

"The Israel government has already declared that it has formed special funds worth Rs 500 crore, which is the largest so far for any government of Israel, for such tie-ups and cooperation on various sectors," he said. PTI ND NSK RAX

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While the U.S. was celebrating its independence, the folks at EK Water Blocks in Slovenia were busy announcing some of the companys upcoming cooling accessories. EKWB revealed plans to expand the recently launched Fluid Gaming product line.

At the end of May, EK Water Blocks launched an affordable water cooling product line called the Fluid Gaming Series. EKWB sells the Fluid Gaming Series hardware in complete kits that include the pump, reservoir, fittings, water block, tubing, and fluid to take the guesswork out of configuring a full loop yourself. EKWBs Fluid Gaming Series kits are significantly more affordable than the companys flagship parts, but theres a big catch: EKWB milled the new hardware from aluminum, which is not compatible with standard copper parts. If you mix copper parts with aluminum parts in the same water cooling loop, the metals will rapidly corrode.

When EKWB announced the Fluid Gaming Series, the company noted that it would release accessories for the new water cooling platform later. Yesterday, EKWB released details about its plans to expand the series.

EKWB announced that it would release a radiator expansion pack for the Fluid Gaming Series at the end of the month. Currently, you can order Fluid Gaming kits with single 120mm and 240mm radiators. By the end of July, youll have access to extra 240mm radiators, and EKWB also plans to release a 360mm version at the same time.

Connecting extra parts to your loop requires additional fittings. EKWBs existing lineup of fittings are made of copper, so you cant use those to expand your Fluid Gaming Series loop. The company didnt say whether the radiator expansion kits would include fittings, but it did say that it would release a lineup of aluminum fittings, including 45-degree and 90-degree angled fittings. There are no plans to release hard tubing compression fittings for the Fluid Gaming Series.

EKWB said it plans to announce a larger lineup of accessories later this month, which would include pump holders, fans, and other water cooling accessories. The company also confirmed that additional GPU blocks would be available at a later date, including blocks for upcoming AMD and Nvidia graphics cards.
Mapping things is an incredibly useful tool for humanity. By analyzing a given situation or development and then putting the results on a map, scientists and researchers can better understand and predict future trends around the world. And more detailed that map is, the more accurate the predictions are. Now, maps dont even need to be about something in particular to be cool or entertaining, but the more they are about something, the better right? So with that being said, lets take a look at some of the maps out there and see what we can learn from them about the world we live in and beyond.

10. Lights On Lights Out

With so many satellites orbiting our planet these days, its almost impossible for a person with access to the internet not to see the occasional photo of the Earth at night. But to their benefit, these maps are downright amazing and cool in their own right. And knowing how big the planet actually is by comparison to humans living on it, it does kinda make it look like were a bunch of bacteria that have just recently evolved to glow in the dark, right? Well, keeping in the spirit of mapping out the changes happening on Earth, cartographer John Nelson has made a map showing the changes in man-made light intensity around the world. He called it the Lights On Lights Out Map. He overlapped NASAs 2012 Earth at Night map with the one from 2016. And in doing so, he was able to show the world what regions of the planet have been lit up more, while others dimmed over the course of four years. To mark the changes, he used the color purple to highlight the regions that become darker, while cyan stands for an increase in illumination.

Now, the map doesnt explain the reasons for the changes in light intensity, but we can deduce them in some places, at least. The first region of the world that catches our eye is India. Without a shadow of a doubt, India has brightened over the past four years. The reason for this is the Indian governments project to bring electricity to its rural areas and investing heavily in renewable sources of energy. Syria, on the other hand, has become dimmer. This might not come as a surprise, given the conflict happening there. Surprisingly enough, Puerto Rico is also dimming, but the reason is their fight to curb light pollution. In the United States, North Dakota has developed a huge bright spot  which is the result of the boom in the fracking industry there. Other regions change in light intensity is harder to explain. For instance, while Georgia is getting dimmer, the two Carolinas are brightening up. One explanation for this could be that these states have taken a different approach in regards to street lighting infrastructure.

9. The Gini Coefficient Map

According to the World Bank, the Gini coefficient measures the extent to which the distribution of income among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. In other words, it highlights the difference in wealth and income between citizens of any given country, while at the same time taking into account other various factors such as taxation or social assistance. The figures range from zero  which represents perfect income equality among all citizens  to 100  which expresses complete income inequality where only one person holds the entire wealth of that country while the rest have nothing. Both 0 and 100 are hypothetical scenarios, mind you, with no country being in either situation, but ranging somewhere in between. According to the CIA database, the countries with the highest Gini coefficient are Lesotho and South Africa, with 63.2 and 62.5 respectively, while on the other end of the spectrum we have Finland with an index of 21.5, and the Faroe Islands with 22.7.

Now, in and of itself, the Gini index doesnt tell us all that much about the state of an economy or the general wellbeing of the citizens. A relatively poor country like Romania, for instance, has a coefficient of 27.3, whereas the United States is at 45. This index is often used as a frame of reference, and in combination with other statistics, in order to better understand what a country is doing right or wrong. For example, poorer countries as a whole have a higher crime rate than richer ones. But by combining this information with the Gini coefficient, it turns out that the crime rate usually drops the lower their respective coefficient is. There are, of course, other factors at play here, like the quality of education, but the trend is there. The same thing applies to richer countries as well.

Similarly, by combining the Gini index with the Human Development coefficient we can deduce which countries have or dont have a broad middle class  the backbone of every thriving economy. Super wealthy people tend to hoard their earnings in bank accounts, never to see the light of day again. They might buy a yacht or a mansion (and even a mansion theyll likely see as an investment as much as a dwelling) now and then, but most of their money will never return to the economy. The middle class, on the other hand, has enough saved for retirement while at the same time is able to invest in both business and pleasure  which in turn generates more business, an even wealthier and broader middle class, and a stronger economy in the process.

8. The Greening Earth

Over the past three decades, the planet has become greener and greener. This might seem a bit counterintuitive given the high levels of deforestation, and other such man-made activities, but believe it or not, this increase in vegetation is also because of indirect human involvement. Like with all carbon-based life forms on Earth, plants need carbon to grow. And with more CO2 in the air these days, its no wonder that plants have seen rapid growth in some areas. This phenomenon is known as CO2 fertilization.

We were able to tie the greening largely to the fertilizing effect of rising atmospheric CO2 concentration by tasking several computer models to mimic plant growth observed in the satellite data, says Prof. Ranga Myneni of the Department of Earth and Environment at Boston University. And this increase in leafy growth is not marginal, either. According to the study, the Earth has experienced a total of over 7 million square miles of greening since 1982. That area equals twice the size of mainland USA. This might seem as good news, given that more plants means less CO2 in the air, but this development may have some unforeseen side effects as well.

For starters, much of this greening has happened in areas previously unsuited for it  places like semi-deserts or arctic regions. Furthermore, the extra foliage in these areas can have unknown effects on the water and carbon cycles in nature that can negatively impact other regions in unexpected ways. Its also important to note that plants can and will acclimatize to these rising CO2 levels and the effect of this fertilization will diminish over time. This trend has been observed in various experiments, as well as the fossil record from when the Earth had high levels of CO2 in the air.

7. Livestock Density

As weve said before, mapping things out can have a wide range of unexpected uses. By gathering information about something and then placing it on the map, researchers can determine with greater accuracy certain patterns or future events. And mapping out the density of livestock around the world is no different. In fact, the International Livestock Research Institute, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Environmental Research Group of Oxford, and the Universite Libre de Bruxelles have all come together for this one. Theyve mapped out the overall density for cattle, pigs, chickens, and ducks for the entire world. And while its definitely interesting to see that neither Africa nor South America have any interest in raising ducks, and not surprising that Muslim countries have a general dislike for pork and India is full of cows, its also fascinating to see that Europe has a somewhat even distribution of all types of livestock over its entire surface, unlike most other places on Earth  except maybe China. But while these are more cultural factors than anything else, there are other reasons for the creation of these maps as well.

One such reason is acid rain. Acid rain forms when there are large quantities of ammonia in the air, and livestock are responsible for 68% of all ammonia in the atmosphere. This means that areas with high concentrations of livestock are more prone to this phenomenon. Large numbers of cattle are also responsible for land degradation in the form of trampling, which can cause a change in the natural water cycle. A high density area of livestock also produces large quantities of waste that ends up polluting rivers and lakes. And we should not forget the risk of disease. Domesticated animals have always played an important role when it comes to disease. Various strains of influenza, like the infamous swine and avian flus can and have jumped to humans. By knowing where the high risk areas are, scientists and governments can better prepare in case of a possible outbreak.

6. Fukushima and the Pacific

On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by the fourth most powerful earthquake in the world since recordkeeping began in back 1900. The undersea megathrust earthquake occurred some 43 miles off the coast, registering a whopping 9.1 on the Richter scale. The Japanese Prime Minister called it the most difficult crisis for Japan since WWII. Almost 16,000 people lost their lives, another 2,500 went missing, and more than 1.1 million buildings were either partially or completely destroyed. Tsunamis reached 6.6 feet high as far away as Chile, some 11,000 miles away, while in some parts of Japan, particularly in Miyako city, the waves were almost unimaginable  128 feet high. The tsunamis also severely damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, damaging six reactors and leading them to release their radiation into the air and the ocean. Now, despite the Japaneses best efforts at containing the problem, the power plant is still leaking, six years after the event.

This map shows how much of that radiation has spread throughout the Pacific Ocean ever since. But Ken Buesseler from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution tells us that the map, though accurate in the spread of radioactive material, can be misleading. He and his team have been studying the radiation leak ever since it started back in 2011. He went on to say that the rate of radionuclides release has slowed down significantly since the first month of the disaster, and it would take another 5,000 years before the plant will release the same amount of radioactive isotopes that it did during the first month after the meltdown. Most of the isotopes released have a short half-life of decay, spanning from a few days to a few months. Only cesium-134 has a half-life of 30 years, but as it spreads over the ocean, its radioactive power dissipates. The highest levels of cesium found in the ocean were some 1,500 miles north of Hawaii, but even if someone were to swim in these waters every day, the dose of radiation would be 1,000 times smaller than a single dental x-ray. He also goes on to say that we shouldnt disregard additional sources of radiation in the ocean above the natural sources, but even the waters surrounding Japan are safe to swim in and there is no threat to marine life.

5. Beyond the Sea

Almost anyone who has ever gone to the beach has, at least once, wondered what piece of land or country lies over the horizon. To answer that question, the people at the Washington Post have come up with a series of maps that put different countries on different continents on the same latitude across the oceans. But cartographer Andy Woodruff wanted to go a step further. He argued that coastlines arent actually straight lines  they bend and curve in all directions. So, depending on where you are on the coast, and assuming that youre perpendicular to the ocean, you could actually be facing faraway places, uninterrupted by other landmasses. For instance, if you were to stand on a piece of coast in Southern Australia, depending on your angle, you could be looking straight at the East Coast of the United States. Incredible, right?

Well, yes and no. Our constant exposure to the world map that were all familiar with makes it kinda difficult to come to terms with this, but it is true. The Earth, as we all know, or should, is a sphere, and the shortest way between two points on the planet is actually a great circle arc, not an actual straight line drawn on the map. Another misconception that comes from looking at flat, rectangular maps is that Earth doesnt really have any edges, or ups and downs for that matter. The continents are also skewed in size and shape, depending on how far away they are from the equator. So, the next time you see Antarctica covering the entire bottom of the map, know that its actual size is close to Brazils. With that in mind, if you were on the coast in Newfoundland, you could look all along the Atlantic, around Antarctica and onto Australias southern coast.

4. Large Mammals With or Without Humans

It does seem kinda strange that Africa is the only continent in the world today that has large mammals, right? Okay, there are still bears and tigers on other continents, yes, but where are Europes equivalent to giraffes, or North Americas hippos, or Australias own type of rhino? The short answer is that theyre all gone. Now, of course these continents never had those species of animals in the first place, but there were once giant wombats, giant kangaroos, and large birds at least until humans made it to Australia. In Asia and Europe, cave bears, Irish elks, cave hyenas, and woolly rhinos were roaming the lands up until the end of the last ice age some 12,000 years ago. And lets not forget Americas own giant sloths, car-sized armored herbivores, and the famed Saber-toothed tigers. What happened to them? Well, the answer is kinda obvious, isnt it?

In case its not, lets discuss it a bit. One reason could be climate change. After all, the planet was emerging from an ice age, and there were changes happening that could have affected some of the animals. But as Yadvinder Malhi, professor of ecosystem science at Oxford University said:

Creatures like megatherium, the giant sloth, and the glyptodon, a car-sized species of armadillo, disappeared in North and South America about 10,000 years ago, when there were major changes to climates  which some scientists believe triggered their extinctions. However, it is also the case that tribes of modern humans were moving into these creatures territories at these times  and many of us believe it is too much of a coincidence that this happened just as these animals vanished. These creatures had endured millions of years of climate change before then, after all. However, this was the first time they had encountered humans.

These maps show the current distribution of large mammals around the globe and their possible distribution if humans didnt exist.

3. Ideological America

The country has been arguing about a lot of fundamental things lately including state roles and individual liberty. In order to have any productive conversation on these issues you need to know where you come from. Once you know where you are coming from it will help move the conversation forward, says Colin Woodard, an award winning journalist, who also conducted the research for this map. Illustrator Brian Stauffer is responsible for the creation of the actual map. Based on their research into ideology, Stauffer divided North America into 11 distinct nations.

One of them is Yankeedom and is comprised of the Northeast and the Great Lakes region. According to Woodard, the region put a great emphasis on perfecting earthly civilization through social engineering, denial of self for the common good, and assimilation of outsiders. Then theres New Netherland, made up of the lands surrounding New York City. They are materialistic, with a profound tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity and an unflinching commitment to the freedom of inquiry and conscience It emerged as a center of publishing, trade, and finance, a magnet for immigrants, and a refuge for those persecuted by other regional culture. Tidewater is made out of part of North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. They started off as a feudal land that embraced slavery.

The Midlands are described by Woodard as Americas Great Swing Region. Its an ethnic mosaic tied together by the inherent goodness of the Quakers. South of The Midlands we have Greater Appalachia. During the Revolutionary War, they shifted their alliances depending on who appeared to be the greatest threat to their freedom. The Deep South was made by slave lords from Barbados who styled their society based on the West Indies. New France has two separate areas. One is centered in New Orleans and the other is in Southeastern Canada (so, centered in French Quebec, obviously). These are quite liberal, and are a blend of ancient regime northern French peasantry with the traditions and values of the aboriginal people.

The region of El Norte is characterized as a place apart and heavily influenced by Hispanics. They value independence, hard work, and self-sufficiency. The Left Coast is a sort of combination of Yankeedom and Greater Appalachia. The Far West region is by far the largest, and was influenced mostly by the harsh environment, rather than by the ideology of the first settlers there. And lastly, the First Nation is inhabited by Native Americans that never truly relinquished their lands or old ways of life. Located so far north, its also the most sparsely populated.

2. Our Fair Share of Arctic Ice

Its no surprise that the Arctic Ice is melting at an alarming rate. And its no surprise either that were all to blame for it. Now, when talking about air pollution, people are quick to point the finger at China  and with good cause, too. Its the worlds leading polluter, after all. But theres more to the story than that. China is also the leading producer of renewable sources of energy, particularly when it comes to solar panels. To date, China is spewing roughly twice as much CO2 into the air as the United States, but its population is more than four times as large. This means that on average, each US citizen is responsible for two times as much CO2 than an average person from China. But this doesnt make the average American the most pollutant person, either. By looking at the CO2 emission per capita in every country, we see that China is at 6.52 tons of CO2 per person, while the US is at 17.62. Saudi Arabia and Australia are at 19.65 and 18.02 respectively. In India, every citizen is responsible for just 1.45 tons.

Now, what this map shows is the amount of arctic ice melt every person in the world is responsible for, based on the CO2 per capita in their respective country. Dirk Notz, a climate scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany has made the calculations to see how much carbon is needed in the air to melt the ice. And as it turns out, each ton of CO2 emissions translates to about 3 square meters, or about 32 square feet. Based on data from 2013, each US resident led to the melting of about 49 square meters (527 sq. feet) of ice in the Arctic. This map and these numbers shouldnt be taken as a means to pass blame on others, but rather as a way to look at ourselves and what we can do to lower our own CO2 emissions. Air pollution, after all, doesnt keep track of national borders, so were all in this together.

1. The Geological Map of Mars

Now, we cant go through an entire list of maps about the modern world without addressing the Red Planet. Mars is, or will soon be part of the modern world, so we need to have it in here. People have been studying Mars and have been trying to guess its geology for the past 400 years. But it was only during the 1970s with the Mariner 9 and Viking programs that we were able to take a closer look. In more recent years, however, with the advent of high resolution cameras and sensors, astronomers were able to pinpoint with even greater accuracy the entire geology of the planet. An interesting feature visible even for those who have no idea at what theyre actually looking at is the fact that the Northern Hemisphere is basically one large depression  seen on the map in green. The crustal thickness here is approximated at a maximum of about 20 miles, whereas the southern part of the planet is at 36 miles.

Close to the equator on the Western Hemisphere, we can also see some of the most striking features the Red Planet has to offer. On the one hand, we have Olympus Mons, the tallest mountain in the entire solar system. Its actually three times the size of Mount Everest, and covers an area roughly the size of Arizona. Close to it rise another three huge mountains, and all of them are shield volcanoes. This means that every time theres an eruption, theres no volcanic explosion, and the lava gently slides along their sides. We still dont know whether these volcanoes are active or not. Thats probably for the future colonists to find out. Hope they have fun with that!

Another equally striking feature is the Valles Marineris. This is the largest canyon in the entire solar system and sits there like a huge scar on Mars face. To understand its immenseness, know that it stretches for 1,900 miles, is 500 miles wide, and 5 miles deep. The Grand Canyon, on the other hand, is 500 miles long, 18 miles wide, and one mile deep. Its creation still remains a mystery, but some speculate that it initially formed as a crack that got wider and wider as the planet cooled. Now, if you think that geological maps of Earth are important, you can only imagine how important this one will be for the people who will hopefully call Mars home one day.

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The project to connect the Aegean with the Black Sea through the development of freight hubs at the ports will highlight the importance of combined transport

Greek and Bulgarian Transport ministers will meet in Thessaloniki in Macedonia, Greece on Thursday to discuss the next steps for the creation of a railway connection between Kavala, Alexandroupolis, Burgas and Varna.

Christos Spirtzis and Ivaylo Moskovski will both focus on the framework of the bilateral cooperation and the search for joint financing.

The project to connect the Aegean with the Black Sea through the development of freight hubs at the ports will highlight the importance of combined transport to promote trade and economic development in the wider region, the ministry said.

Read more here.

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Italian contractor Saipem has won $500 million contracts from state oil giant Saudi Aramco for EPCI (engineering, procurement, construction and installation) activities at major offshore oilfields.



The long-term agreement in force, renewed in 2015 until 2021, also covers T&I (trunklines and installation) in Saudi Arabia, for Aramco.



The scope of work includes the design, engineering, procurement, construction and installation of a total of 19 jackets for the development of fields in Marjan, Zuluf, Berri, Hasbah, and Safaniya, among the most important offshore fields in the region of the Arabian Gulf.



On the win, CEO Stefano Cao said: "With this award, Saipem is further reinforcing its presence a highly strategic area such as the Middle East."



"The new contracts assigned by a long-standing customer like Saudi Aramco are also a strong and tangible sign of a major clients trust in Saipem, in the high quality of its services and in the solid expertise the company can ensure in the construction and installation of offshore platforms," he added.



Saipem is one of the world leaders in drilling services, as well as in the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of pipelines and complex projects, onshore and offshore, in the oil and gas market.



Additionally, it has negotiated the extension in Angola of the deployment of vessel FPSO Gimboa, inclusive of management and maintenance services, personnel, material and consumable supplies for three years, plus one optional year.




Unexploded bombs from what was known as the "Highway of Death" in the 1991 Gulf War have been found at a housing project site on Kuwait's Highway 80, which connects the city to the Iraqi border, said a report.



The "Highway of Death" got its name when US-led coalition aircraft bombed a convoy of fleeing Iraqi forces, killing hundreds and leaving behind hundreds of burned-out vehicles.



These bombs were uncovered by the construction crew working on a $950-million residential project on Wednesday, according to AP, citing Kuwait's Public Authority of Housing Welfare.



"Finding explosives on the site is not surprising and more could be there," the state-run Kuwait News Agency quoted officials as saying.



A military bomb squad would immediately start defusing the ordinance found along Kuwait's Highway 80, they added.
Irans agreement with French energy giant Total in the petrochemical sector will result in $2 billion investment, said a senior Iranian government official.



In case of a final agreement, Total will invest up to two billion dollars in Iran's petrochemical industries, Deputy Minister of Petroleum Marzieh Shahdaie was quoted as saying by Irna, which cited the Ministry of Petroleum.



Outlining talks between National Petrochemical Company (NPC) of Iran and French Total Company for establishment of new petchem facilities in Iran, Shahdaie said based on the latest talks, the petrochemical facilities will operate with the capacity to yield about 2.2 million tons of petrochemical and polymer products annually.



She announced that for the time being, agreement has been reached for establishment of two facilities for production of a special grade of polyethylene, each facility running with 500,000 tons annual production capacity.



Shahdaie added that furthermore, agreement has been reached for construction of a cracker ethane facility to turn ethane into ethylene  1,200,000 tons a year production capacity.



The NPC top official said the most important specification of contract with Total and its likely partnership in petrochemical projects is transfer technology for production of a special kind of polyethylene in Iran.



Irans annual petrochemical production capacity stands at 62 million tons and by the end of this year (March 20, 2018), the figure will reach 72 million tons when six new projects come into stream. The total value of net sale of the products will rise up to $17 billion.



National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and an international consortium, led by French Total company, signed Irans new oil contract in the post-sanction era for development of the phase 11 of South Pars.



Under the $4.8 billion gas deal, 56 million cu m of gas will be added to Irans capacity to extract gas from South Pars gas field common with Qatar.
Homegrown Middle East tech firms are attracting increasing interest from global companies seeking a presence in the region, according to the founder of Propertyfinder Group and other industry leaders.



Buying up established businesses, rather than starting operations from scratch, appears to be the preferred means of entry into the Middle Easts rapidly expanding digital economy, because such deals also provide all-important local expertise.



About $815 million was invested in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) start-ups in 2016, up 560 per cent versus a year earlier, entrepreneurial platform Wamda estimates.



Last years investments include Swedens Vostok New Ventures $20 million purchase of a 10 per cent stake in Dubai-based Propertyfinder Group, the Middle East and North Africas (Mena) leading online real estate portal.



"The size of deals will naturally increase because tech companies are getting bigger every year, says Propertyfinder Group founder and chief executive Michael Lahyani. Look at FANG - Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google - their stock prices have all gained more than 25 per cent this year alone. The leading region's tech businesses are also becoming more valuable each year.



That trend was underlined in March when Amazon agreed to buy Dubai-based Souq.com for an undisclosed amount, a deal that was nonetheless described by advisor Goldman Sachs as the biggest-ever technology M&A transaction in the Arab world after Dubais Emaar Malls failed with a last-minute $800 million takeover offer.



Emaar Malls subsequently bought a controlling stake in online fashion retailer Namshi in May, while Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of parent firm Emaar Properties, has also teamed up with Saudi Arabias state-owned Public Investment Fund (PIF) to create Noon.com, a $1 billion e-commerce site slated to launch in 2017.



With the arrival of Amazon to MENA, the digitisation of retail will spur the digitisation of our economies, says Dany Farha, co-founder and chief executive of Dubai venture capital firm Beco Capital. Digitisation and non-oil GDP are very strongly correlated.

Beco has invested in some of the regions most successful start-ups including Propertyfinder Group, Careem and Duplays.



Farha believes the Souq deal validates the business opportunity provided by the regions majority young, wealthy and tech-savvy population and demonstrates how hyper-local, well-funded, defensible businesses win every time.



We are young, educated, connected and relatively well-to-do with a thirst to consume and purchase goods and services digitally, remarked Farha, who was also co-founder of Bayt.com, the Middle Easts leading jobs site.



According to Beco estimates, just eight per cent of businesses in the Mena region have an online presence versus 80 per cent in the US, while just 1.5 per cent of the region's retail sales are transacted over the Internet versus 16 per cent in Britain for example.



Plot the graph, its a steep increasing curve from left to right, imagine how much value there is to come from the digital economy here, stated Farha.



AT Kearney offers a similar assessment, predicting the Middle Easts online retail industry will nearly quadruple in market size from $5.3 billion in 2015 to $20 billion in 2020.



Another deal concluded in March was Delivery Heros acquisition of Kuwaits Talabat.com, which operates in all six GCC markets and has a network of 1,300 partner restaurants including the likes of Burger King, KFC and Subway.



The Middle East was always a missing piece to our global vision, Delivery Hero chief executive Niklas Ostberg said in a statement announcing the acquisition.



Talabat built a fantastic business over the last years. We will instantly be in a leading position in a region with tremendous growth potential.



Several factors are spurring Western companies to invest in Gulf tech start-ups, according to Propertyfinders Lahyani.



Among these, he cites the regions smartphone penetration and social media use, which are among the highest globally and eclipse those of the US. Other drivers include the limited foreign exchange risk due to Gulf currencies dollar pegs and complicated legislation that makes buying established companies a more favourable entry strategy.



Western firms are also keen to acquire local products that are accurately programmed for Arabic, the favoured online search language for a large chunk of the regions population.



Layhani praises the Gulfs low tax environment for helping start-ups thrive, although bullish government rhetoric on the regions tech potential is undermined by high Internet prices in the state-dominated telecom sector.



Oil-rich countries have long subsidised gasoline and fuel prices - the same should apply to broadband, says Layhani. Isn't tech the new oil?



Broadband in the UAE is the seventh costliest worldwide at $87.81 a month for a 10 Mbps connection, according to analysts Numbeo. Qatar and Oman also make the global top 20 most expensive countries, while the same connection would cost less than $30 in the likes of Germany, France and Great Britain, for example.



For every new digital job, 2-4 additional jobs are created elsewhere, an October 2016 study by consultants McKinsey notes, estimating the sector could add $95 billion annually to the Middle Easts economy by 2020.



It's a big part of the solution to unemployment, remarked Layhani. Tech businesses are the fastest growing employers, we are constantly hiring young talents, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africas first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC), has launched its inaugural flight to Trabzon - its latest Turkish destination.



The new seasonal and direct service provides passengers the chance to discover Turkeys historic port city, in addition to its already existing services to Istanbul.



The flight operates five times weekly on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the flight departs Sharjah International Airport at 21:45, and arrives at Trabzon International Airport at 00:20 local time the next day. The return service will depart Trabzon at 01:00, landing in Sharjah at 05:15 local time. On Tuesdays the flight departs Sharjah at 13:15 and arrives at Trabzon at 15:50; return flights depart Trabzon at 16:30 and land in Sharjah at 20:45. While flights on Sundays depart from Sharjah at 16:35 and land in Trabzon at 19:10; return flights depart at 19:50 and arrive at Sharjah at 00:05 the next day.



Trabzon provides travellers with a unique opportunity to experience Turkeys coastal region and witness the history behind one of the oldest trading ports in the country. The new route is a testament to Air Arabias commitment to providing affordable holiday destinations to passengers travelling from the UAE, said Adel Al Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia. We are confident that the new destination will provide our visitors with a unique holiday getaway, and further cement trade and bilateral ties between the two nations.



Resting on the bank of the Black Sea, Trabzon is a city filled with historical significance. Featuring a unique coastal backdrop, this picturesque city is known best for its mystical architecture and bazaars. Situated on the upper east side of the country, Trabzon is a calm metropolis distant from the hustle of Istanbul and Ankara.



Air Arabia currently operates flights to 130 routes across the globe from five hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa. - TradeArabia News Service
Unbundling Will Boost Boutiques

Gerard Walsh at Northern Trust Capital Markets is from New Zealand and said the removal of protectionism from the countrys dairy industry unleashed a wave of innovation. He believes innovation will disrupt the research industry as regulations in the European Union from next year will require the separation of payments for research from trading commissions.

MiFID II comes into force in January next year and requires fund managers to either pay for research themselves or from a research payment account, where the budget has been agreed with the client. Asset managers can designate a third party to administer the RPA on their behalf but also have to track their consumption of research and assess its quality.

Walsh told Markets Media that some think there is too much capacity in research and unbundling will force an assessment of the value added to the investment process. To add a lot of value, research will have to include different ways of thinking and more unique, challenging and non-consensual ideas, he added.

McKinsey & Company also said in a report this month, Reinventing Equity Research as a Profit-Making Business, that banks and broker-dealers will need to change the types of research they provide to focus on services, such as access to analysts and corporate managements, and new forms of information and analytics through big data and artificial intelligence. For example, long-only and hedge fund managers are reportedly hiring data scientists to generate returns from insights from sources such as mall parking lots, social media, and weather satellites, as well as market data.

The consultancy continued that the transformation of research to a free-standing profit center will alter the industrys economics, and raise some difficult decisions. McKinseys view is that there will be an end to equity research as we know it, added the report.

Walsh said: Overall capacity might not decrease but more specialised boutiques may well be set up and it is possible larger firms could sponsor boutiques. For example, technology firms have data and processing power and deep wallets. They could disrupt research."

He continued that in a few years passive research could emerge, where there is automated analysis of quarterly earnings. The industry may then have a version of bulge bracket provision alongside boutiques, said Walsh.

For example, Bloomberg reported today that three Barclays analysts in New York have left the bank to start a boutique, Melius Research, ahead of MiFID II.

McKinsey said the consensus amongst banks was an industry-wide drop in equity research revenues of 30% or more over the next three years. The report said: Independent research providers should see a gain in revenues from current levels, suggesting that the revenue pool for banks and brokers will likely shrink even further.

A survey from RSRCHXchange said research budgets are expected to be relatively stable going forwards but 77% of respondents expect the number of providers to fall and 80% said they will buy research from less than five bulge bracket banks. RSRCHXchange, an aggregator and marketplace for institutional research, commissioned Survation to conduct an online poll which had 562 respondents from more than 450 asset managers, predominantly in Europe.

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By PTI: compromise

By Priyanka Tikoo

New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) China today ruled out a compromise in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim section, and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the "grave" situation.

In unusually blunt remarks, Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in Indias court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

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Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador said in an interview to PTI: "There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)."

The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a "pre- condition", he asserted.

"The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," he said.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese armys construction party came to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.

"The situation is grave and made me deeply worried. It is the first time that Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognised boundary and trespassed into Chinas territory, triggering a close range face off between Chinese and Indian border troops. Now 19 days have passed, but the situation still has not eased," Luo said.

He also asserted that India has no right to interfere with the China-Bhutan boundary talks, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.

On the standoff, the Ministry of External Affairs had said India was "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".

"As for the so called security concerns of the Indian side, India has crossed a delimited boundary into other countrys territory in the name of security concerns, no matter what kind of activities it conducts there, which will not acceptable to any sovereign state.

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"India cannot encroach upon the territory of other countries on the ground of its security concerns. Otherwise, the world would be in chaos," the Chinese envoy added.

He also asserted that "it is critical that India shall withdraw its troops immediately to minimise the negative impact. It serves the interests of the two sides." PTI PYK VJ ZMN

--- ENDS ---
In fresh round of attacks, the Congress today slammed Kiran Bedi for appointing 3 MLAs, who are "associated to BJP/RSS" in Puducherry.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: There seems to be no end to the confrontation between Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and The Congress-led government. Both the parties have accused each other of creating hindrance in the administration for months now.

In fresh round of attacks, the Congress today slammed Kiran Bedi for appointing 3 MLAs, who are "associated to BJP/RSS" in Puducherry.

Congress MP, Sushmita Dev on Wednesday attacking the governor, said, "The question is how come without consulting the council of ministers the LG of Puducherry appointed these 3 BJP related people as nominated MLAs. It is shocking that all three are BJP office bearers."

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She demanded that Kiran Bedi should be sacked by the government, adding "The way she has misused the Constitution, Kiran Bedi should be recalled and sacked by the Central government."

BLATANT MISUSE OF POWER

Dev added that while governors are protectors of the Constitution but in Puducherry, it is different. "Without discussing the issue with CM V Narayanasamy, 3 of them were nominated as MLAs. This is a violation of the Constitution. Look what is happening in West Bengal where the governor is intimidating the CM," she said.

The Congress MP said they condemned the blatant misuse of power by governors.

Meanwhile, Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy has written to PM Narendra Modi and a petition has been filed in court to dismiss/nullify the appointment of the 3 nominated MLAs in Puducherry.

Also read: Puducherry CM Narayanasamy says Kiran Bedi violating Constitution, L-G says she's not a rubber stamp

Also read: CBI branch, High Court bench must be set up in Puducherry to check corruption: L-G Kiran Bedi

--- ENDS ---
Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 4

With all grades of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) coming under GST, consumers will be paying more from this month for their cooking gas cylinders.

Pre-GST, most states did not tax LPG, while others levied value added tax (VAT) ranging between 2 and 4 per cent. Domestic LPG attracted zero custom and excise duty.

However, the price of the commercial cylinder has been reduced while the price of domestic LPG has seen a hike.

It has triggered a wave of resentment among city residents, who said they were finding it difficult to make both ends meet.

Atul Garg, a chartered accountant (CA), said LPG cylinders were going to be costlier by around Rs 30 after GST and cut in subsidy.

No doubt GST is a big and positive step but the household customers are going to feel the pinch due to this price hike, he added.

Even the new connections are also going to get costlier. The government should have kept the LPG out of GST slab as it is the most essential item used by every household daily, Garg said.

Advocate Ranjit Singh Jalal said it was unfortunate that the price of LPG cylinder had been increased.

The politicians, when in opposition, talk about giving relief to the residents, but when they come to power, they are totally different, he added.

Jalal said imposing GST on LPG was uncalled for.

Prof NK Gosain, a city resident, said it was a sheer anti-common man decision, which had been taken in haste.

Its an irony that State Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, when asked about it by people in the city, said he also didnt know much about GST, he added.

Rakesh Narula, a social worker, said the Modi government had burdened the poor people by imposing GST on the LPG cylinder.

Parveen Kumar, another city resident, said the government had back-stabbed the people as earlier it gave an assurance that rates would drop once the GST was in force but now, the prices of most basic commodities, which include LPG, had been hiked.
Mumbai, July 5

Tata Motors on Wednesday announced that it has slashed the prices of its passenger vehicles up to 12 per cent, following the roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"We are offering a price reduction of upto 12 per cent ranging between Rs 3,300 and Rs 2,17,000 depending on the model and variant," the car maker's President (Passenger Vehicles Business Unit) Mayank Pareek said.

He said the step was taken with a strong focus to encourage positive buying sentiments.

Pareek said the car maker decided to pass on the entire benefit to its customers following the roll-out of GST.

In June, company's passenger vehicles sales in domestic market were impacted by the mixed reactions towards GST resulting in low buying sentiments.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The passenger vehicle business recorded sales of 11,176 units, lower by 10 per cent, over 12,482 units sold in June 2016.

The car manufacturer had said this drop in volume was seen as being temporary. It would recover in the quarter to come based on 11 per cent growth in the April-June 2017 quarter compared to 2016.

Welcoming the introduction of GST, Pareek said this would enhance the ease of doing business and usher in a new era for the economy in general and especially, for the automotive industry.

IANS
Rahul Gandhi tweeted news reports about India not taking up H1-B visa issue during PM Modi's recent US trip and India being okay to US using the term 'India administered Jammu and Kashmir'.

Rahul Gandhi slammed the government for accepting US's using the term 'India administered Jammu and Kashmir'. (File Photo/PTI)

By India Today Web Desk: "India has a weak PM," Congress vice-president said today as he took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not discussing H1-B visa issue with President Donald Trump during his recent US visit.

Rahul Gandhi's tweet was also critical of India accepting the term 'India administered Jammu and Kashmir' used by the US.

Rahul Gandhi posted his remark along with three news headlines which highlighted India accepting US's usage of the term 'India administered Jammu and Kashmir'.

India has a weak PM pic.twitter.com/NKbUO1iOHX- Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 5, 2017

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INDIA HAD PLAYED DOWN ISSUE

While designating Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a specially designated global terrorist, the US State Department had said the militant group had claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in 'Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir', which injured 17 people.

Responding to a media query, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said the use of the term 'Indian- administered Jammu and Kashmir' merely affirmed the Indian position that Salahuddin had been involved in cross-border terrorism against India.

NEW H-1B VISA RULES TO HIT INDIAN TECH FIRMS

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop 'visa abuses'.

Trump said his administration is going to enforce 'Hire American' rules that are designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the US.

The executive order also called upon the Departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security, and the state to take action against fraud and abuse of the US' visa programmes.

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Rahul Gandhi to Narendra Modi: Congratulations. PM's reply: Thank you. Long live democracy

PM Narendra Modi responds to tweets, Rahul Gandhi will act in 3 years: Himanta Biswa Sarma at Mind Rocks

WATCH: GST on disability aids shows Centre's insensitivity towards most vulnerable: Rahul Gandhi

--- ENDS ---
Melbourne, July 5

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has ruled out giving financial support to Adani Group for its controversy-hit 21.7 billion dollars Carmichael mine project but the Indian energy giant asserted that it is moving forward on all fronts.

My government has always said it is a matter for Adani to get the finance. This is a private investment, Palaszczuk was quoted by Australian Associated Press news agency.

She said, But I havent heard any reports from Adanis themselves that theyve indicated anything to the contrary.

Following Palaszczuks statement, Adani Australia said it maintained that it was moving forward on all fronts, including organising finance for its project.

As was the case with Australian banks, Adani has not approached the Queensland Government for financing. The Queensland Government, has, however, delivered every licence and approval necessary for the project, said the companys spokesperson.

Stating that the Adani Group has an enviable record of rapid growth, strategic vision, financial stability and project execution, the spokesperson said the company would ensure the Carmichael coal mine and rail projects proceed.

A great message for north Queensland and a great future now that we can all get along and work on, he said.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 5

A local court today awarded 10-year jail along with a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh to a 21-year-old Hallo Majra youth, Satish, for raping a student of Class III last year.

The court also directed that of this amount, Rs 2 lakh be given to the victim in the form of a fixed deposit when she turns 18. The victims father, a clerk with a private transport company, told the police in his complaint that his daughter had gone to the terrace on the night of May 24, 2016.

When she returned, she was scared and was found bleeding. When he asked his eight-year-old daughter what had happened, she narrated the incident.

Following this, a police complaint was lodged and a medical examination of the victim conducted, which confirmed rape. A case under Sections 376 (2) of the IPC and under various Sections of the POCSO Act was registered against Satish.

The court directed that of the fine, Rs 2 lakh be given to the victim in the form of a fixed deposit when she turns 18. The victims father, a clerk with a private transport company, had lodged the rape complaint with the police.
CP Bhambri

THE self-proclaimed practitioners of Socialist ideological politics like Nitish Kumar of Bihar and Mulayam Singh Yadav of Uttar Pradesh cannot be expected to compromise with practitioners of the politics of Hindutva. The ideology of human equality, a foundational principle of Socialism, is antagonistic with the RSS-led Hindu Sangh Parivar. The latter practises the ideological politics of discrimination against human beings on the basis of religion, especially Hindus versus Muslims and Christians.

Socialists, whether in modern advanced industrial societies of Europe or in non-European developing Third World countries like India, are the torch-bearers of the values of human equality. In history, Socialists have launched great struggles and made sacrifices to achieve the goal of social equality and justice for all citizens without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, language or nationality. The history of the idea of Socialism is essentially based on human equality. Therefore, it is essential to analyse the most unexpected responses of present-day Socialist leaders. They have made political adjustments with the practitioners of politics of social discriminations against religious minorities in India.

Indian Socialists, beginning with 2014, are betraying the cause of social equality because the RSS-BJP controlled governments at the Centre and state levels are determined to pursue discriminatory policies. It's Hindu majority versus religious minorities. The distinctive feature of the 2014 Lok Sabha election is that all the 282 elected MPs of the BJP are Hindus. Narendra Modi, India's chief political executive, is supported only by the Lok Sabha majority of Hindus members. That the BJP in the Lok Sabha consists of Hindus only is not an accident. The BJP did not nominate a single Muslim candidate for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh state Assembly elections. India has a central government led by the BJP consisting of Hindus only. Yogi Adityanaths government in Uttar Pradesh is also supported by a majority which consists only of Hindu MLAs.

An important implication of the BJP-in-governments is the disenfranchisement and disempowerment of the Muslims from the corridors of power. Muslim representatives have been denied a place in the Hindu party. This is a new situation in the history of parliamentary democracy in India because the Prime Minister or the BJP Chief Ministers are expected to make public statements for the whole country or for the whole state. In reality, they are only representing the Hindus of India. The story does not end here. The BJP with so-called allies has nominated a committed RSS-BJP individual for the office of the President of India to be elected in July 2017. India will have a committed RSS-BJP Chief Political Executive at the Centre as well as the head of the nation as the President of India. It is immaterial that the BJP nominee for Presidentship happens to be a Dalit. The material fact is that he is committed to the idea of the Hindu Rashtra, that is  one nation, one language, one country.

Should the committed secularists and Socialists not have joined hands to oppose the election as the Head of the Nation of one whose idea of India is fundamentally opposed to the essential cultural, religious, linguistic and regional diversity of the country? Socialists like Nitish Kumar and Mulayam Singh Yadav have extended support to a BJP nominee who is ideologically committed to the idea of homogenous Hindu India. Should Socialists not lead the struggle in defence of plural India against the RSS-BJP from the front?

Is it not a grand betrayal by Socialists of the idea of equality so dear to their heart? Not only this. Indian Socialists in the past, like all European Socialists, have always launched militant and aggressive struggles against governments and political forces which have oppressed minorities and practised discriminatory policies against social groups on the basis of their identity by birth. The RSS-BJP agenda of cow protection has during the last three years led to the killing and murder of only Muslims at the hands of Hindu private vigilante groups. Should Socialists along with other democratic and secular forces not launch agitations against the BJP governments for inaction in defending the life of innocent Muslims? Muslims are the victims of allegations of cow slaughter by the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu vigilante groups. On June 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Sabarmati Ashram spoke against the so-called gau rakshaks. The same day, Alimuddin Ansari, a dairy owner in Ranchi was killed by gau rakshaks. On June 30, Merriam Khatoon, Ansaris widow alleged that the killers were rogues owing allegiance to the Bajrang Dal. The situation is deteriorating fast and an atmosphere of fear among the Muslims is being created by the RSS and its affiliates. Since their governments are in power, protection would be provided to Hindu groups who target innocent Muslims. Why is Mulayam or Nitish, claimants to the socialist heritage of India, failing in their responsibilities as Socialists?

Instead of fighting against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh was busy in weakening his own party during the 2017 state Assembly elections. His role during the elections led to the victory of the BJP. Historically, India has had a galaxy of Socialist leaders during the freedom struggle and in post-Independence India. These Socialist leaders launched anti-government struggles and satyagrahas for social justice for the poor and vulnerable strata. What has happened to the present-day Socialists who are compromising with Hindu communalists? Both Mulayam Singh and Nitish Kumar have been running state governments and have also been ministers at the Centre. It seems that the logic of power has extinguished the fire within these Socialists who do not want to stand up against the powerful BJP governments. Otherwise there is no reason for these Socialists to support Hindu communalists. The political agenda of Hindutva is fundamentally opposite to the Socialist doctrines of equality. It is a tragedy that the Socialists have either decided to join the communalists or passively watch the BJP governments' anti-minority activities.

CEM Joad might have foreseen the drift among the Socialists when he wrote: Socialism is like that hat which has lost its shape because everyone seems to be wearing it. Secularism is considered an advanced form of social organisation only because it has integrated the idea of social equality with the idea of liberty and human rights. Unfortunately, Socialists of large states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have failed to live with the ideals of Socialism or they would have been in the forefront of the struggle against Hindu communalists who reject the idea of religious equality in a multi-religious society.

The writer is Professor Emeritus, Centre for Political Studies, JNU.
KC Singh

THE Sino-Indian standoff in the Doklam area, near the tri-junction of the borders of Sikkim, Bhutan and China is assuming a serious dimension. The facts known so far are that on June 16 a PLA construction party entered Bhutanese territory in the Doklam area to construct a road. Bhutan lodged a protest with China that this intrusion was in violation of their agreements of 1988 and 1998. India, in coordination with the Bhutanese government, let its personnel  who were present at general area Doka La  help with the interception. The forces are facing-off, not eyeball to eyeball but in close proximity. These facts were revealed by India in a press note of June 30, 2017.

On June 26, the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs, answering a question, asserted that because the Sikkim-China border has been delimited by historical agreements i.e. Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), the Indian side has unilaterally stirred trouble. The Chinese ministry of defence on June 29, more acerbically, called earlier statements of the Indian Army Chief as extremely irresponsible while alleging that Indian border guards had transgressed Chinese territory.

The Indian side underplayed the fracas calculating that India and Bhutan unity and the terrain and deployment in the area favouring India, it was best to allow China to let off steam. The fact that PM Narendra Modi set forth on a leisurely three-day sojourn through Israel prior to the G- 20 meeting in Germany, South Block seems convinced that Chinese rhetoric will blow over.

But Chinese ambassador in New Delhi re-stirred the pot calling the situation grave. India had to resolve the issue as, he argued, it neither had the right to interfere with China-Bhutan boundary talks nor make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.

This may be diplomatic bluster and South Blocks unwillingness to speculate on Chinese motives justified, but the events did occur against the background of the Modi-Trump summit on June 26. It is possible that the PLA was routinely attempting to improve its position in the Doklam area as occupation of the plateau and linking it by road would provide deployment advantage. It is equally likely that the Chinese, by intruding into Bhutanese territory, were testing the weaker party of the India-Bhutan alliance to see if it could be browbeaten. Had India not aided the outnumbered Bhutanese, stopping the Chinese ingress, Bhutan would have been entitled to question Indian reliability.

Furthermore, it is also possible that the Chinese simply miscalculated the salience of the Trump-Modi summit. The India-US joint statement leaves little scope for doubt that China is the unnamed threat to a rule-based international order, freedom of the seas and Asian security. Trumps withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and transactional deal with China at Mar-a-Lago may have erroneously lulled Chinese President Xi Jinping into assuming that the US was no longer willing to wager its military resources to contain China, directly like President Barack Obama or indirectly by joining ranks with democratic stalwarts of Asia. Having consolidated its hold on the South China Sea, China may have been looking to build pressure points on India to obtain assurances on curbing the Dalai Lamas role or Indian objections to the OROB.

Unnoticed by China something seems to have turned off Trumps dalliance with it. It could be Chinese unwillingness or inability to curb the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) in its pursuit of deadlier missile and nuclear weapon capability. A successful test now of an intercontinental ballistic missile by DPRK, with the possibility of reaching the US mainland, would further embarrass Trump. His disappointment earlier emanated from the death of US student Otto Warmbier after repatriation by DPRK in a coma, the cause of which remained mysterious. While before assuming presidency Trump blamed China for DPRK behaviour, he changed that after a 10-minute chat with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April. Some Chinese reports let it be known that Xi was irritated by periodic phone calls from Trump about DPRK as Xi was hardly the desk officer for that country. Trumps tweet on June 21, after Warmbiers death, noted that while he appreciated the efforts of President Xi and China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out.

It is possible that the timing of Modis visit worked to Indias advantage as Trump may already have been having a rethink on his China policy. The aggressive patrolling of the South China Sea by US ships partially confirms a modified US approach to China. This may again be a tactical shift to be replaced with equal alacrity by Trump-Xi hand-holding at the G-20. The moral of this story is that with a whimsical US President, India and China would be grievously erring to base border policy on his anticipated conduct.

Modi and Xi are attending the G-20 summit in Germany. Xi is preceding it with a swing through Russia and a bilateral Germany visit. Modi arrives there after his three-day Israeli sojourn. If they do not meet, there would be speculation that the Chinese are upset over India stymieing them at Doklam. If they do meet, they would be compelled to address the standoff and seek a solution that allows both to keep face. Xi now finds himself between a reassertive US, just having conducted a joint missile exercise with the Republic of Korea, and a resolute India unwilling to relent on its redlines in the crucial Doklam tri-junction area that abuts Indias vital arterial link to its Eastern states. The two nationalistic leaders need an honourable way out of the crisis.

Xi needs moral ascendancy approaching the crucial five-yearly party congress which will decide the leaders to rule China over the next five years and beyond. Modi cannot back-off to maintain his image as defender and protector of Bharat Mata. It is not the 1962 moment of national shame or the 1987 Operation Falcon opportunity to restore honour lost. It is certainly time for both leaders to reassess the way forward for a safer, securer Asia. But both must remember it took one bullet to trigger World War I.





The writer is a former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, July 5

The anti-drug unit of the district police seized 21.40 quintals of postchura (poppy husk) from a truck and also seized around 66 tonnes of illegal stock of postdana (poppy seed) from the Sri Sri Enterprises, an industrial unit in Haryana State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) at Kundli in the district late last evening.

The police arrested the truck occupants, Mukesh, a resident of Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh, and Suresh, a resident of Ajitpura village of Kotputli district in Rajasthan.

The value of the seized stock was around Rs 2.50 crore.

The accused were produced in a court which sent them to three-day police custody.

During preliminary investigation, the accused admitted that after producing poppy husk from raw material, they supplied it to other parts of the state, including Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Assistant Sub-Inspectors Sandeep and Vijender said and added that further investigations were on.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 5

In a major embarrassment for the Haryana government, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday set aside the appointments of four BJP MLAs as chief parliamentary secretaries.

Allowing a petition filed in public interest against the appointments, a Division Bench of the high court, however, stayed the order for three weeks to give MLAs Shyam Singh Rana, Kamal Gupta, Bakshish Singh Virk and Seema Trikha time to appeal.

The order was made over the PIL filed by a lawyer, Jagmohan Singh Bhatti.

In his petition, Bhatti had argued that there was no provision for chief parliamentary secretaries positions under the constitution; and their appointment by the state was burden on the exchequer.

Bhatti had also alleged that the chief parliamentary secretaries, treated as de-facto ministers, were enjoying financial benefits, including salary, travelling expenses, staff, medical and telephone bills, along with government accommodation. Seeking directions to quash the appointments, he had claimed that the same were waste of taxpayers money, besides being unconstitutional.

Refuting the allegations, Haryana government had claimed that they were not getting the salary and allowances of ministers. An under-secretary had also claimed that the parliamentary secretaries were not included in the category of ministers. Elaborating, he had asserted that they were neither appointed as ministers on the advice of the chief minister, nor administered oath of office and secrecy by the governor.

The Bench was further told that the state had the right to create a post and fix salary, along with other allowances. Moreover, they were appointed to assist the ministers in public interest in view of their multifarious duties; and are there to ensure smooth functioning of the departments. The petition was based on factually incorrect, legally misconceived and distorted facts, the State had argued.

The high court has already struck down the appointments of CPS in Punjab. In its order dated August 11, 2016, the Bench had held the posts to be unconstitutional and ruled that the CPSs were in the nature of junior minister. The appointments of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries are contrary to the Constitutional intent of limiting the number of Ministers or the size of the Cabinet. The appointments as made, therefore, are in fact a roundabout way of bypassing the Constitutional mandate of the provisions of Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution and, therefore, have to be invalidated, Bench had observed.
Tribune News Service

Nahan, July 5

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chauhan today addressed a public rally at Sattiwala in Nahan constituency of Sirmaur district which concluded the BJPs Parivartan Rath Yatra in the Shimla constituency today.

Addressing the rally, Chauhan said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had brought shame to the state by being embroiled in corruption and instead of being let out on bail he should be jailed.

Chauhan, who was honoured with a Himachali cap, continued to wear it saying it signifies the pride and honour of the state.

Lauding the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi he said Modi had brought international repute to the nation and India was enlisted among the worlds powerful nations today. He said it was lamentable that the country was earlier ruled by the corrupt Congress and the nations image had taken a severe drubbing under its regime.

He also referred to the attack on their Shimla councillor Sanjay Parmar and said anti-social elements were proliferating under the Congress regime in the state. Parmar, who hails from the area, was specially honoured on the stage during the occasion.

Shivraj Chauhan also recalled the chief ministerial stints of PK Dhumal and Shanta Kumar in the state where key reforms and developmental schemes had been introduced. In contrast, the present government had plunged the state into a debt trap, he said adding that the common man was suffering under this regime.

Earlier, Mangal Pandey, in charge, Himachal, said the Chief Minister had lost the right to remain in power as he and his family had been let out on bail. Despite facing serious allegations of corruption CM has refused to resign.

He said the people would give a befitting reply to the corrupt Congress regime in the ensuing Vidhan Sabha polls.

MP Shimla Virender Kashyap and MLA Nahan Dr Rajiv Bindal also addressed the gathering.
Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 5

With the Punjab Government announcing subsidised rates of power and other measures such as abolition of truck unions, officials of the Industries Department fear flight of small-scale industry to the neighboring state from the borders areas of Himachal. The newly elected government in Punjab had announced power at fixed rates of Rs 5 per unit for industry. The government had also announced abolition of truck unions.

Many industries from Punjab had shifted to borders areas of Himachal after the industrial package was given by the Centre in 2003. Under the industrial package the industry set up in Himachal was exempted from paying central excise and income tax for a period of 10 years. The industrial package in Himachal was not renewed by the previous UPA government in 2010. However, despite that the industry that had already come to Himachal continued to survive. The Himachal had the advantage of low power rates.

Minister for Industries Mukesh Agnihotri, when asked about impact of low power tariffs announced by the Punjab Government on Himachal industry, said, We still have to study the matter. Till date Himachal was providing the cheapest power to industry in the entire country. However, now that Punjab has announced cheaper rates we shall ask the Industries Department officials to study the impact and the government would take appropriate action, he said.

Power was being supplied at about Rs 6 per unit to industry by the Himachal government which was higher than what has been announced by Punjab government for industry.

The Industries Department officials said that there were other factors also that may lead to flight to small scale industry from the state. One major factor was GST. There were many units in Himachal that had come into operation before March 2010 and they were entitled to exemption of Central Excise Tax till 2020. However, under the GST no provision has been kept for exemption from the Central Excise tax. The Government of India is contemplating refund of Central Excise after the industrialists first deposit the due amount.

Truck unions in Himachal are another bottleneck for industry. The truck unions that enjoy political patronage charge excess freight rates from the industry. Industrialists, especially the export based units, complain of irrational conditions imposed on them by truck unions. The industrialists allege that for export order they have to seal package in containers after inspection. However, neither the truck unions have containers not they allow the containers from outside to take away material from units in Himachal. Many big industrial units are suffering due to the hegemony of the truck unions.

The officials of the Industries Department say that the industry would have to adopt an aggressive policy to compete with the adjoining states to attract investment.
Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 4

The hunt for a new DGP has begun as the present incumbent Sanjay Kumar all set to assume charge as Director General, NDRF, New Delhi. Sanjay Kumar, a 1985 batch IPS officer, has been heading the Police Department for the last one-and-a-half year.

A letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs has been received yesterday, urging the state government to relieve Sanjay Kumar. He is due to retire in January 2019. Now, it remains to be seen whether the state government chooses to appoint a regular DGP before Kumar is relieved or the charge is given to someone as a stop gap arrangement.

A decision is likely to be taken tomorrow. If a regular DGP has to be appointed, the committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, will meet. The other members of the committee are the Additional Chief Secretary (Personnel), the Principal Secretary (Home) and another senior IAS officer.

Among the front runners for the post is Somesh Goyal, a 1984 batch officer, whose seniority was overlooked when Sanjay Kumar was made the DGP, almost oneand-a-half-year back. Goyal is serving as DGP (Prisons) and is the senior-most IPS officer in the Himachal cadre. Though he faced some inquiries, including one by the Vigilance in purchase of shoes, he has now been absolved of all charges. Another officer, who could step into Kumars shoes, is Sita Ram Mardi, DGP (Home Guard and Civil Defence).

He belongs to the 1986 batch and his name has been doing the rounds for quite some time. He has been lobbying hard to replace Sanjay Kumar and remained in the CID for a long time but it remains to be seen whether he will find favour with the political bosses to get the top police post in the state or not.

In the race

 Among the front runners for the post is Somesh Goyal, a 1984 batch officer, whose seniority was overlooked when Sanjay Kumar was made the DGP

 Another officer, who could step into Kumar's shoes, is Sita Ram Mardi, DGP (Home Guards and Civil Defence)

 There is also a possibility that Prithvi Raj, who is due to retire on July 31, could be given the officiating charge

 Tapan Deka, also in race, is on a deputation with the Intelligence Bureau and is serving in Guwahati
Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 5

Hours after both Houses of the legislature passed the resolution to facilitate the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet on Wednesday approved it and sent it for the Governors assent.

After his assent the Governor will forward the resolution to President of India for a presidential order through which the GST will be extended to J&K, which is shielded from Central laws due to special constitutional position within the Indian Union.

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"The Cabinet approved the GST resolution. It will go to Governors office and then to President's office for approval," roads and buildings minister Naeem Akhter told The Tribune.

Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly adopted a resolution for implementing the GST in the state amid protests by the NC and the Congress.

With this, all the states have implemented the Goods and Services Tax.

The resolution moved by state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, was adopted through a presidential order calling on the Centre to safeguard the special status and exclusive taxation powers of the state.

He said Article 370 of the constitution is not compromised in any way through this presidential order.

After two days of discussions, the resolution was adopted by a voice vote even as the National Conference, the Congress, the CPI(M) and an Independent MLA protested against implementing the new indirect tax regime in the state in its present form.

Earlier, replying to the debate, Drabu said the resolution calls upon the Centre to implement the GST in the state while incorporating safeguards for protecting its special status and exclusive taxation powers.

"We will appeal, argue, debate and discuss with the Government of India, as a matter of principle, section 5 of the J-K constitution, which gives us exclusive powers of taxation, shall be protected," he read from the draft of the resolution.

"The GSTN council will not be a way to subvert the process and enough safeguards will be built as regards the state of Jammu and Kashmir empowering the representatives of Jammu and Kashmir and bringing in under the ambit of Article 370," Drabu said.

He said the business activity in the state had dropped to almost 50 per cent due to non-implementation of the GST after the new regime was rolled out in the rest of the country on July 1, causing losses to the state exchequer.

Giving comparative data, the finance minister said while 2,000 truckloads of goods were imported on July 4 last year, only 1,000 truckloads were imported on the day this year.

He said export of goods from the state has also dropped from 300 on this day last year to 150 this year, a 50 per cent decline in trade.

On the revenue earned by the state, Drabu said it had dropped from Rs 82 crore on July 4 last year to Rs 40 crore yesterday.

"This shows that business and trade in Jammu and Kashmir cannot function without the GST," he said.

Responding to the opposition charges, the finance minister said there was no compulsion on the government to bring a resolution in the Assembly on the GST but it was done as part of "restoration of a process".

"If the GST overwrites Article 370 (of the Indian constitution) or section 5 (of the J-K constitution) I will not come back to this House," Drabu said.  With agency inputs
By India Today Web Desk: Link-up rumours are not new to Bollywood. And the latest rumoured couple to have been caught in the wind are Richa Chadha and Angad Bedi. The two met for the first time on the sets of their new web series recently, and since then they apparently haven't been able to get enough of each other.

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If a report in Mumbai Mirror is to be believed, Angad and Richa have been spotted together too times in the recent past. In fact, Angad helped Richa in moving out of her previous house to a new address in Mumbai.

A source was quoted as telling the daily, "Richa recently moved to Versova and Angad worked alongside the packers to smoothen out the process of settling into a new home for her. Since then she has been regularly dropping by a city studio where he is currently shooting for his next film and is a constant source of motivation."

Richa and Angad's spokesperson told the tabloid, "They hadn't met until they started to work together and have been spending time together since. They have hit it off really well."

From being uncomfortable while filming intimate scenes for the web series to becoming this close, Richa and Angad have come a long way. However, there is no confirmation or denial from either actor.

While Richa and Angad seem to be the latest rumoured couple in Bollywood, here are other link-ups from Tinsel Town that made headlines recently.

Farhan Akhtar-Shraddha Kapoor:

Shraddha Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar's rumoured relationship continues to be the hottest topic of discussion for gossipmongers. That Farhan is now legally divorced from Adhuna Bhabani has added fuel to the fire, and it was being said that Farhan and Shraddha were planning to make things official. However, Farhan and Shraddha have clearly denied being in a relationship. But their secret meetings and their PDA on social media have a different story to tell.

Sushant Singh Rajput-Kriti Sanon:

It was last year that Kriti and Sushant were added to the long list of Bollywood's rumoured lovebirds. It all started during the shooting of Raabta, and since then, the rumours of their affair have spread like wildfire. Sushant's break-up with longtime girlfriend Ankita Lokhande only added to the speculation. While the two have rubbished dating rumours, Sushant and Kriti are spotted in each other's company more than often.

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Tiger Shroff-Disha Patani:

Be it their secret holidays or movie dates, Disha Patani and Tiger Shroff's off-screen chemistry cannot be missed. And this very closeness has given rise to rumours about their alleged link-up. But the two have categorically denied being in a relationship. Tiger admitted to being in love with Disha but only as a friend. He was quoted as telling a daily, "I love her, but as a friend. We are only good friends. We like spending time. We go for dance rehearsals together. I love to eat and so does she."

Arjun Kapoor-Athiya Shetty:

From movie dates to crazy parties to swanky lunch plans, when two young and single Bollywood actors are often spotted together, the scope of sparks flying is a lot more. And rumour has it that it was exactly this that happened between Arjun Kapoor and Athiya Shetty. However, the Mubarakan co-actors have rubbished link-up rumours.

ALSO READ: Is Shahid Kapoor miffed with brother Ishaan over link-up rumours with Jhanvi Kapoor?

ALSO READ: Fiction can go to incredible heights, says Shraddha Kapoor on link-up with Farhan Akhtar

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ALSO WATCH: Hrithik-Angela's link-up rumours debunked, Tom Cruise to shoot Mission Impossible 6 in India

--- ENDS ---
Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 5

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution to facilitate the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) in the state, which is shielded from the Central laws due to its special constitutional position within the Indian Union.

Hours after both Houses of the legislature passed the resolution to facilitate the implementation of the GST, the state Cabinet approved it and sent it for the Governors approval. After his assent, the Governor will forward the resolution to the President for a Presidential Order through which the GST will be extended to J&K.

During the daylong discussion at both Houses, the opposition parties sought constitutional and fiscal safeguards for the extension of the new tax regime to the state.

The Assembly passed the resolution after Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu assured the members that the implementation of the GST would not compromise the constitutional autonomy of the state.

There will be enough safeguards in the new tax regime for the constitution of the J&K and its fiscal autonomy, Darbu said.

Without explaining the nature of the safeguards, Drabu said under no circumstances the Section 5 of the J&K constitution under which the state levies taxes would be eroded. He said the Article 370 wont be compromised in any way by the implementation of the GST through the Presidential Order.

The exclusive taxation powers of the state government would not be endangered and there was no question of amendment to the constitution of J&K, Drabu said.

Replying to queries from opposition parties, Drabu said the state should not expect India to amend its Constitution as per the needs of the state. We have acceded to India and India has not acceded to J&K. We need to understand it, he said.

Presidential Order awaited

Hours after both Houses of the legislature passed the resolution to facilitate the implementation of the GST, the state Cabinet approved it and sent it for the Governor's approval. After his assent, the Governor will forward the resolution to the President for a Presidential Order through which the GST will be extended to J&K, which is shielded from Central laws due to its special constitutional position within the Indian Union. The Cabinet approved the GST resolution. It will go to Governors office and then to President's office for approval, said PDP Minister Naeem Akhter.

Mehbooba apologises for Ansaris remarks

Srinagar: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday apologised in the Assembly here for the intimidatory words used by PDP minister Imran Ansari against after NC legislator Devender Singh Rana. She said the choice of words by some of the members was not appropriate. She said although, as explained by Ansari and his Cabinet colleague Sajad Lone, the minister did not mean to threaten Rana, the use of the words was not correct. Rana, who had petitioned Speaker Kavender Gupta for directions to lodge an FIR against Ansari, said he was thankful for the gesture.

Without GST, state suffered losses: Drabu

The Finance Minister said J&K suffered losses in the last one week by staying away from the GST. Nearly 2,000 trucks laden with goods entered J&K on July 4, 2016, while on July 4, 2017, the number of trucks that entered J&K was 1,000. Similarly, last year on July 4, 300 trucks exported products from J&K while on the same date this year only 150 went outside.

Weve acceded to Indiaunderstand this

Replying to queries from opposition parties during the GST discussion, Drabu said the state government should not expect India to amend its Constitution as per the needs of the state. We have acceded to India and India has not acceded to J&K. We need to understand it, he said
Amarjot Kaur

The question of gender equality, especially in young and urban spaces of India that boast of a progressive ideology, is often met with a creased brow each time the topic of menstrual leave pops up. But the folks at a digital media firm Culture Machine, founded in 2013, stood by what they preach about woman empowerment on one of their YouTube channels, Blush.

Tending to the occupational hazards of a working woman that dont just swing between office and home; Culture Machine took into account that day of the month, offering its woman employees the FOP (first day of the period) leave. It has, thereby, become the first Indian digital company to include menstrual leave in its leave policy.

Posted two days ago, Blushs video titled First Day of Period Leave #FOPLeave garnered 41, 854 likes (until 4pm on Wednesday). The video features women employees at Culture Machine who talk about their struggle with periods and reflect on the callous attitude of most employers on the issue. They are obviously ecstatic about the move made by their firm.

Breaking taboos

Devleena S Majumder, 41, the president of human resource at Culture Machine, tells us that the idea behind the move was to break the taboo associated with periods. Mark her words in red, as she continues, Thirty-five per cent of the workforce at the organisation comprises women who are between the age group of 27 to 29. We talk so much about women empowerment, breaking the stereotypes and changing norms on our YouTube channels, and I considered it hypocritical on our part to not allow women a menstrual leave.

But then, there is also a provision for sick leave. Would that not suffice? Not at all. Why should menstruation be associated with being sick? Its a biological state that every adult female goes through every monththey are not sick. You cant possibly associate falling sick with periodsthey are but a part of every womans natural body functioning, Majumder replies.

While informing us on how the leave policy functions and reactions from the men folk at the workplace, Majumder explains that the online leave marking system has a category called FOP leave, which is optional. She adds, Women often feel awkward discussing their menstrual situation with male bosses, so the online system cuts that out. However, the men at Culture Machine were extremely supportive of the move.

It began in Japan

However, when asked if menstrual leave would affect the productivity, Majumder laughs it off while telling about how the concept of menstrual leave started in Japan in the early 20th century. In the 1920s, Japanese labour unions started to demand leave (seiri kyuka) for their female workers. In 1947, a law was brought into force by the Japanese Labour Standards that allowed menstruating women to take days off work. Also, these days most companies work in digital spaces, so one can always work from home if they are up for working but dont want to get out of their sacks!

Global phenomena

Nike included menstrual leave in their Code of Conduct in 2007, implemented around the globe wherever they operate. Nike obliges the business partners to follow the code principles by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) started a campaign for menstrual leave for female employees at Toyota. The union asked for 12 paid days of menstrual leave for a woman per year.

In Indonesia, under the Labor Act of 1948, women have a right to two days of menstrual leave per month.

In South Korea, not only are female employees entitled to menstrual leave according to the Article 71 of the Labour Standards Law, but they are also ensured additional pay if they do not take the menstrual leave that they are entitled to.

In Taiwan, the Act of Gender Equality in Employment gives women three days of menstrual leave per year, which is not calculated towards the 30 days of common sick leave.

amarjot@tribunemail.com
Ludhiana: Dr Pardeep Kumar Chhuneja, a senior entomologist, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has joined as head, department of entomology, PAU. He has 26 years of post-doctoral experience of working at PAU, including that of two outstations and two departments on the main campus with 18 years in the department of entomology. During his service, he has the experience of working on entomological research, teaching and in extension programs. His contributions towards the development of apiculture are immense. Dr Chhuneja has 26 national-level recommendations in apiculture to his credit. He has given numerous technologies in bee husbandry, bee pathology, bee parasitology, bee nutrition, bee products, queen bee rearing, bee flora and pollination among other things. He has published 93 research papers in the journals of national and international repute. In addition, he has delivered 55 radio and TV talks and written 141 popular articles, authored three books in Punjabi, prepared 10 training manuals and three CDs.

Dr Chhuneja has also handled nine research projects, including Team of Excellence project of ICAR under NATP. Currently, he has been the Principal Investigator of the prestigious Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre Project, funded by the National Bee Board. Apart from this, Dr Chunneja has handled seven funded training projects. He has been the Chairman, Academic Affairs since 2012 and Secretary, Board of Studies, College of Agriculture, PAU. He has been instrumental in developing 21 undergraduate and one postgraduate course. He has also developed one undergraduate course for Egerton University (Kenya); taught 16 undergraduate and five postgraduate courses at PAU; and guided nine M Sc and five Ph D students. He is a member of the team, which is a recipient of Best All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) Team Award and also won the Overall Best ICAR-AICRP Centre on Honey Bees and Pollinators.

PAU students celebrate Van Mahotsava

The students of Hostel Number 7 of PAU celebrated Van Mahotsava on the campus. Dr Ravinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Director of Students Welfare, PAU, was the chief guest. She emphasised on planting trees for beautification of surroundings and for keeping environment clean, green and healthy. She inaugurated the plantation drive by planting Kusum tree outside Hostel Number 7.

Warden Dr TS Riar urged students to plant and care for trees. Students planted 900 saplings of trees and flowers in the vicinity of the hostel. Beautiful landscaping has been done by students through cooperative funding. Dr Dhaliwal lauded the efforts of students and motivated them to continue contributing to the pollution-free environment. Students also expressed happiness over the practical implementation of their agricultural knowledge through this plantation drive.

Beekeepers get training

A training on Beekeeping was organised at PAU under the supervision of Dr Ashok Kumar, Director of Extension Education, PAU. In all, 53 beekeepers from Punjab attended the course. Coordinator, Dr TS Riar said the resource persons delved on beekeeping practices, their management and marketing of honey. Dr Amit Chaudhary, a beekeeping expert, and Nisha, an expert from the School of Business Studies, spoke about the management of empty hives and combs and the impact of GST on agriculture.  TNS
Sarvjit Singh

MAHARAJ, our cook, has been the ruler of our kitchen for over 14 years. And we realise that the ruler too must get a break at times. Yet, when last month he announced he must go back home for 30 days in Orissa, for his wife has so demanded, the same thought crossed the four minds in the family  there will be chaos without Maharaj. The four pairs of eyes exchanged contemplative looks; then as silence from above delivered the days sermon, let be, we left in our destined directions.

Ha! No morning tea in bed to crank up our engines. Then, over a few days, perhaps an early morning dream told me  you are living in the age of self-starting cars, are you vintage already? No, no I mumbled, and suddenly saw myself making tea  two cups.

Tea is Ok, but now who will make stuffed parathas, what the ignorant Englishman calls leavened fried bread, spoiling its taste entirely. Little option, we ordered some protein powder for shakes and started visiting the farmers market every weekend, for fridge-load of fruit. Parathas had to lay down arms before the Englishmans breakfast, sad!

We have fallen on bad days at the hands of these arrogant new masters! so said the sink full of utensils. Now, this I wont do! The next moment I was doing the inevitable with the liquid detergent and a scrubber, drawing solace from Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland  Now at ours they had at the end of the bill, French, music, and washing  extra.

Who wills to clean utensils? It hurts the ego, so it surely is at ... the end of the bill, just as learning another language or music, for which you have to be a humble pupil. Taking it as yoga in action, I tried not to let impatience pull my spine this side or that, as if it were mocking me, just to disturb my dhyana.

As month-end of penance approached, a large number of cups, plates, pans and what not, accumulated over ages, had left the space of the kitchen; a bigger fridge had come in, as also a dishwasher. The kitchen had the glow of nirvana, with everyone in the family having switched to the minimal washing required of each, during the day.

And I recalled why my father always had Abraham Lincoln in black and white on his rack of books, for he had realised where slavery was inhuman, it ruins the grain of the master as well.

As Maharaj returned, wearing his uneffaceable Buddha smile, we told him unanimously  you have worked long enough. Now on, come at 10 am and leave at 1.30 pm, having fixed the lunch; and then rest. Have the weekends to yourself and your family, you will keep getting the same salary.

Virtually illiterate, calm and cheerful, this boy from the East  as if knowing Maharaj is one who comes to help those who cant help themselves  had asked us to address him so, the day he had come to us, though his parents had given him a name.
Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 5

To end the Badal familys monopoly in transport business, the Punjab Cabinet today came up with a new policy that allows for higher government participation in the luxury bus service.

The Council of Ministers also decided to scrap the Shivalik Dhauladhar Tourism Board set up three years ago to develop the area around Thein Dam.

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During an informal meeting later, senior ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu and Manpreet Singh Badal, both Sukhbir Badal-baiters, are learnt to have pressured Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to initiate action against the cable transmission company, Fastway Transmissions, that flourished under the SAD-BJP government.

The CM has been resisting pressure to act against the Badals, saying he was concentrating on rebuilding Punjab and a witch-hunt was not on his agenda.

Sources said the two ministers sought to discuss the issue of cable mafia. Sidhu had earlier spoken against Fastway. Alleging it indulged in monopolistic practices and owed Rs 684 crore to the government, he had sent the company recovery notices.

Sidhu and Manpreet are learnt to have rather aggressively put across their viewpoint, alleging that despite 1,100 notices, the company had failed to pay dues.

The two ministers insisted that the cable mafia be finished in 10 days.

The CM is learnt to have asked Sidhu to discuss the matter with the Advocate General as well as with departments awaiting payment by the company.
New Delhi, July 5

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday dubbed Narendra Modi a weak PM for not raising the issue of H-1B visa in his talks with US President Donald Trump and for playing down the use of the term Indian- administered Kashmir by the US.

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The Congress on its Twitter handle also criticised Modis US visit, saying it was merely a photo opportunity and the main issues were bypassed.

Gandhi tweeted some links of media reports that said H-1B didnt figure in Modi-Trump talks and MEA accepts US use of administered Kashmir.

India has a weak PM, he tweeted.

India has a weak PM pic.twitter.com/NKbUO1iOHX  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 5, 2017



India had played down the usage of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir by the US in a statement issued during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country last month, saying similar terms have been used in the past too.

The Congress on Wednesday tweeted, While it was a great photo opportunity, the main issues were bypassed on Narendra Modis trip to the United States. #Unfruitful #WeakModi. It also posted a picture captioned no priority for Indian interests along with the tweet.

PM Modi should have made an effort to ensure that issues of visas and the tech industry were discussed, it tweeted.

The Congress had on Tuesday attacked Modi over his frequent foreign trips, saying they had not benefited India even a bit and that only time would tell about the gains from his current visit to Israel.

Senior AICC spokesperson Ajay Maken claimed Modis last 64 visits in more than 3 years have catered only to domestic Indian audience through televised shows instead of ensuring concrete gains for the country.

The Congress had earlier urged Modi to take up during his meeting with Trump, the issues of H-1B visa, racial attacks on Indians and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. PTI
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 5

Two of the seniormost judges of the Supreme Court have come down heavily on the collegium system for its failure to prevent a person like former Calcutta High court judge KS Karnan from being appointed as a judge, saying there was a need to revisit the process of judicial appointments.

This case, in our opinion, has importance extending beyond the immediate problem (contempt of court), said Justice J Chelameswar and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said in a separate but concurring verdict.

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The main verdict authored by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar gave detailed reasons for sentencing Justice Karnan to jail for six months.

This case highlighted two things, (1) the need to revisit the process of selection and appointment of judges to the constitutional courts, for that matter any member of the judiciary at all levels; and (2) the need to set up appropriate legal regime to deal with situations where the conduct of a Judge of a constitutional court requires corrective measures - other than impeachment  to be taken, the two judges said.

Justice Chelameswar has been a criticising the opaque collegium system and even refused to take part in its meetings. Justice Gogoi is to become the CJI in 2018. Both are part of Supreme Court Collegium which appoints judges of the higher judiciary.

This comes at a time when the government and the collegium are at loggerheads over the Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of judges of constitutional courts.

The conduct of the contemnor (Justice Karnan) ever since his elevation to the bench has been controversial. Obviously, there is a failure to make an assessment of the personality of the contemnor at the time of recommending his name for elevation. Our purpose is not to point fingers to individuals who were responsible for recommendation but only to highlight the systems failure of not providing an appropriate procedure for making such an assessment, they said.

What appropriate mechanism would be suitable for assessing the personality of the candidate who is being considered for appointment to be a member of a constitutional court is a matter which is to be identified after an appropriate debate by all the concerned  the Bar, the Bench, the State and Civil Society. But the need appears to be unquestionable, they noted.

We are only sad to point out that apart from the embarrassment that this entire episode has caused to the Indian Judiciary, there are various other instances (mercifully which are less known to the public) of conduct of some of the members of the judiciary which certainly would cause some embarrassment to the system, the two judges said.

Almost two months after a seven-judge bench headed by CJI Khehar convicted Justice CS Karnan (since retired); the Supreme Court on Wednesday finally came out with its detailed verdict, justifying its unprecedented decision.

This should never happen: CJI on Karnan issue

This has never happened. This should never happen, said the CJI who authored the main verdict concurred by the rest six judges on the bench who convicted Justice Karnan and awarded six-month jail term on May 9 for his utterances against judges of the top court and the Madras High Court.

We have no hesitation in concluding, that the actions of Shri Justice C.S. Karnan constituted the grossest and gravest actions of contempt of Court. He has also committed contempt, in the face of the Court. He is therefore liable to be punished, for his unsavoury actions and behaviour. We are satisfied that he should be punished for his above actions, with imprisonment for six months, the verdict read.

However, Justice Chelameswar and Justice Gogoi raised serious questions about the appointment process and the need to deal with deviant judges.

The framers of the Constitution were people of a great sense of patriotism and maturity, men and women who maintained high standards of civic morality. Obviously, they expected those who are to be chosen for the higher constitutional offices or to be appointed to public service would be chosen by assessing their suitability (efficiency and integrity) by employing appropriate standards.

The makers of the Constitution were conscious of the fact that ascendance to higher offices need not necessarily always guarantee rectitude and the incumbent of any constitutional office could resort to behaviour inconsistent with the nature of the office and standards of conduct expected. Thereafter, provisions were made in the Constitution for impeachment of holders of various constitutional offices starting from the President of India.

When it came to the members of the constitutional courts equally, it was visualised that there can be such occasions. But the standards and procedure for impeachment of judges are much more rigorous for reasons obvious. There can be deviations in the conduct of the holders of the offices of constitutional courts which do not strictly call for impeachment of the individual or such impeachment is not feasible. Surely there must be other ways of dealing with such cases. The text of the Constitution is silent in this regard. May be it is time for the nation to debate this issue, they said.

Regarding the allegations levelled by Justice Karnan against judges, the two judges said: If there is any truth in any one of those allegations made by the contemnor against any one of the judges named by him, it is too serious a matter and requires appropriate action in accordance with the constitution and the law in the interest of both the purity of the judiciary and the constitutional governance of this nation.
Ahmedabad, July 5

As many as 200 Dalits in Amreli district have threatened to convert to Buddhism alleging police inaction in conducting a fair probe into the death of a community member in judicial custody two weeks ago.

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Jignesh Saundarva (29), who was lodged in Amreli sub-jail, died at a civil hospital on June 15.

Though Amreli Police on Tuesday nabbed four prisoners from the sub-jail on the charges of killing Saundarva, Dalit community members as well as the deceaseds kin expressed unhappiness over the probe and rushed to the collectors office to take forms for conversion.

Saundarva was shifted to civil hospital after he developed health complications while being lodged in the Amreli sub-jail, the police had said.

He was arrested under the Gujarat Prohibition Act from Dungar village in Rajula tehsil of the district and was sent in judicial custody on June 12.

Earlier, Saundarvas family had refused to accept his body demanding a fair probe into the incident.

Following a day-long protest, they had claimed the body after getting an assurance of a fair probe from the police as well as the district administration.

The Amreli crime branch on Tuesday arrested four prisoners who allegedly caused fatal injuries to Saundarva during a brawl inside the jail.

Our probe has revealed that Saundarva had a scuffle with four undertrials inside the jail over some petty issue.

During the scuffle, the accused thrashed him and hit his head on the wall, which led to his death. We arrested all these prisoners from the jail, Amreli crime branchs police inspector A P Patel said yesterday.

However, Saundarvas kin as well as local Dalit leaders expressed unhappiness over the police action, as they alleged that Saundarva died due to police torture.

The post-mortem report suggests that Saundarva was beaten up three to four days before he was sent to jail. That means he was tortured during police remand. He might have been thrashed by the jail staff too during judicial custody, Dalit leader Navchetan Parmar alleged.

We want the CBI to investigate the case. We do not have any faith in the police, he said.

To give a strong message to the government, around 200 Dalits from Dungar and other adjoining places have decided to shun Hinduism and embrace Buddhism, for which many of them have collected forms from the collectors office. We will submit these forms in the coming days, said Parmar, who is leading the agitation.

He announced that these 200 Dalits will start their journey towards embracing Buddhism by immersing idols and photographs of Hindu gods and goddesses, kept in their homes, in Thebi dam of the district today.

Even if the government orders CBI inquiry, we will not step back from our decision to covert in protest of such an injustice. If needed, we will also dig out Saundarvas body from the grave and march to the collectors office on July 7 to raise our demand for a fair probe, Parmar said. PTI
Indore, July 5

A 20-year-old medical student, who was declared brain dead following an accident, has given a new lease of life to four persons.

The student, Priyank Gupta, hailing from Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district, was admitted to a private hospital here after getting injured seriously in an accident on June 26.

He was declared brain dead on Monday, CHL Hospital's organ transplant coordinator Dr Harish Tourani told PTI.

"After getting the consent of his family members, we informed the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) and carried out the organ retrieval process," he said.

The heart retrieved from Gupta's body was transplanted to a patient in Delhi, he said.

"The heart was sent through an air ambulance to New Delhi on Monday evening where it was transplanted to a patient admitted in Max Hospital. The liver and kidneys were transplanted to three different patients in local hospitals," Tourani said.

Sandipan Arya, a spokesperson of NGO Muskan, which promotes organ donation, said Gupta was the first year student at a private medical college.

His family members agreed to donate his organs after counselling, Arya said.

He claimed the organs of 21 brain dead patients were donated during the past 20 months in Indore. These organs were transplanted to 120 patients in Indore, besides other cities in the country. PTI
By India Today Web Desk: Popular show Saath Nibhaana Saathiya is all set to go off air soon. And recent reports claim that its lead actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee aka Gopi bahu has been approached for Colors' reality show Bigg Boss Season 11.

According to a report in ABP News, the makers of Bigg Boss have been trying their best to rope in the actress. However, nothing has been confirmed yet.

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The new season will be following the format of the previous season, which means that both celebrities and people from everyday life will be invited to be a part of the show. Bigg Boss 10 was quite popular with the viewers because for the first time the show had a mix of celebrities and commoners, who were called as Indiawale.

In the previous season Manveer Gurjar was chosen as the winner of the show, who was an aam aadmi contestant. Currently, Manveer is in Spain shooting for another reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 8.

Also read: Salman Khan opts out of Bigg Boss 11; Akshay Kumar to host the show?

--- ENDS ---
Kolkata, July 5

The situation in and around Baduria in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, where communal clashes had erupted over an "objectionable" Facebook post, was on Wednesday "tense but under control".

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No untoward incident was reported till 11 am, a police officer said. Senior police officers have been deployed in the area to keep a vigil.

Announcements were being via the public address system asking the people to maintain law and order. The police were also trying to convince the people to resume normal activities.

Local train services were affected in Sealdah-Bangaon section as people squatted on the tracks at Duttapukur and Ashokenagar stations.

A pair of trains plied from Basirhat station in the morning hours after which services were disrupted due to demonstration there, GRP sources said.

Most of the shops, markets remained shut in and around Baduria, including Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia.

The police said, with the police and BSF personnel putting up at school buildings, educational institutions remained off-limits for students.

Four companies of BSF's South Bengal Frontier rushed to Baduria and adjoining areas of Basirhat, Swarupnagar and Deganga to assist the local administration in controlling the situation yesterday after clashes broke out.

The BSF personnel cleared roads after removing the blockades put up by a mob.

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Violence had erupted between two communities at Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of the district on Monday night over the Facebook post, following which a young man was arrested.

Besides putting up road blockades at several places, the mob had attacked members of another community and destroyed many shops.

The incident had triggered an unprecedented spat between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. Banerjee had accused the Governor of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her.

The Raj Bhavan voiced surprise over Banerjee's "attitude and language", and said, "the Hon'ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator to the affairs in the state". PTI
Kolkata, July 5

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today lashed out at the BJP for "misuse of social media" and warned the party against "rumour mongering".

Citing that the recent communal clashes in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal was triggered by a Facebook post, Mamata alleged that the BJP had mastered the art of misusing the social media. She cited PM Modi's tweet about "stampede" at the Gangasagar Mela in January. According to her, there was no stampede in reality and six women who died that day had died of natural causes.

Mamata also talked about an incident in Bangladesh which was posted on the Facebook and Twitter saying the incident was that of West Bengal. Addressing a press conference here today, Mamata also announced that a decision had been taken to set up 'shanti vahinis' (peace force) by every booth level committees of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The vahinis will preserve communal harmony in their respective areas.

Asked about Governor Kesri Nath Tripathi's latest missive against her, Mamata said she had spoken her mind out yesterday regarding Tripathi and would not like to speak again today.  TNS
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 5

In deep freezer for more than three years, the controversy surrounding the cremation of the dead came to an end today with the Punjab and Haryana High Court permitting the preservation of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan head Ashutoshs body. Ashutosh was declared clinically dead by doctors on January 29, 2014.

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In a 42-page judgment with larger ramifications, a Division Bench ruled that belief in samadhi formed an essential part of mythology and religion around which a large part of Hindu and Indian philosophy revolved. History, too, was replete with examples where bodies were preserved. The Bench also called upon the Centre to consider enacting a law for deciding issues revolving around deaths, both natural and unnatural, on the pattern of the Coroners Act, 2008, in England.

The Bench of Justices Mahesh Grover and Shekher Dhawan, at the same time, issued a slew of directions to prevent degeneration of Ashutoshs body.

A team would be constituted by Ludhiana DMC, of which Jalandhar CMO would be a part. It would visit the place where the body has been kept to examine it and ensure its preservation in good state

The sansthan would create a corpus of Rs 50 lakh to be retained in a bank in an FDR, which will ensure a security for the professional charges of the medical team, the Bench added.

Referring to his son Dalip Kumar Jhas prayer for a DNA test, the Bench said he could raise it in a civil suit. If such a course is adopted, the sansthan will not resist handing over a DNA sample from the body, the Bench ruled.

The Bench was hearing a bunch of appeals filed by Jha and other appellants against a single judges order of December 1, 2014, that the godman like any other living person was dead, while ordering the conduct of his last rites within 15 days.

The Bench asserted that the directions were a bundle of contradictions and contained declarations a writ court would normally refrain from making, particularly in view of the serious conflict. The Single Judge should not have reached the conclusion of natural death or even death, when the very issue was in dispute. One side was proclaiming Ashutosh to be in samadhi, while the other was accepting death as a fact. The courts have no power to issue such declaration in the absence of any law or evidence, the Bench observed.

Besides, directing the disposal of body by cremation without ascertaining the custom or practice of the parties would be clearly hurting the sentiments of a group or community if they do not believe in it. The Bench observed that the question whether the Single Judge could have presumed death was immensely difficult to answer without injustice and damage to the belief of the followers, who vehemently contend that Ashutosh was in samadhi.

The Bench said samadhi was supposed to result in complete detachment of oneself from physical realm of existence. There would be examples where even practitioners of yoga would offer this state albeit for a limited period and while being in samadhi would offer no symptoms that the medical practitioner acknowledge as essential to life.

Clarifying that the Bench would not wish to be seen as an advocate or an adherent to the concept of samadhi, it added that one could at the same time not accuse the sansthan of harbouring or practising a belief which was shockingly deviant from the generally accepted societal beliefs or as seemingly absurd to a rational mind.

The Bench ruled that it was not inclined to invade the sacred territory of personal beliefs and faiths.
Jerusalem, July 5

India and Israel on Wednesday elevated their ties to the "strategic partnership" level with a vow to do "much more together" to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism and pitched for "strong measures" against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups.

The issue of terror and "strategic threats" along with various other topics like cooperation in defence and security, water, agriculture, space and West Asia figured prominently in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu here on Wednesday.

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After the wide-ranging talks, the two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture and space.

"Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples," Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, said in a joint media appearance with Netanyahu.

Modi, on the second day of his three-day visit, said India and Israel live in "complex geographies" and are aware of "strategic threats" to regional peace and stability.

"India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel," he said, adding the two leaders had "agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyber space".

Netanyahu said the two countries need to cooperate in the field of counter-terrorism as he described 26/11 as a "horrible terrorist attack".

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, while briefing the media on the talks later, said that the two countries had decided to elevate their relationship to the strategic partnership, which gives a special dimension to the ties.

A joint statement issued after the talks said "strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctury to terrorists and terror groups."

Though nobody was named in this context, the Indian side saw this as a reference to Pakistan.

The two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations, the joint statement said.

"They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," it said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism (CCIT), the statement added.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including in areas like space, agriculture and water conservation.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a $40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing $20 million each.

PTI
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 5

India and Israel today gave shape to an historic partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu held talks for about four hours.

At the end of the dialogue, seven agreements were signed between the two countries even as they reinforced their common commitment to fighting the forces of terrorism. India has suffered firsthand due to the violence and hatred spread by terror, so has Israel. PM Netanyahu and I have agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to fight growing radicalisation, PM Modi said.

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Addressing media after the talks, Netanyahu referred to the India-Israel relationship as one made in heaven. This is a marriage made in heaven, but we are implementing it here on earth, he said.

Speaking at the signing of the Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), Netanyahu said, We are making history together with my friend PM Modi and this is deeply moving moment for me.

Our talks focused on not just areas of bilateral opportunities but also how our cooperation can help the cause of global peace and stability, PM Modi said.

The seven MoUs signed between the two countries includes a bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth $40 million for research in industrial development. The two countries also decided to work together to reform water utility and the agriculture sector in India. It was also a sign that the two countries intend to take their relationship forward to other sectors rather than keeping it limited to a defence and security partnership. Earlier in the day, PM Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and once again displayed his delight for being in Israel.

Addressing the Indian diaspora, Modi said people of Indian origin in Israel would get the Overseas Citizen of India cards even if they had undergone compulsory army service in Israel. He also announced direct flights between Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv.

While India has maintained that its relations with both Israel and Palestine stand on their own, Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Tasir Jaradat expressed his unhappiness to Al Jazeera today. We expected him [Modi] to visit both Israel and Palestine. He added that to play an important role between the two sides and to be able to spread the message of peace, one should visit both.
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 5

China today again asked India to pull back troops from Doklam in the Sikkim sector to avoid worsening of the situation as it accused New Delhi of trampling on the Panchsheel pact by illegally entering its territory.

It was weighing options on a travel alert for citizens visiting India, China added, charging India with misleading the public by saying that the Chinese had built a road near the Siliguri corridor.

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Amid the military standoff, on-ground postures of the forces are, for now, non-aggressive as a high-level dedicated group set up in 2012 is mandated to discuss such flare-ups. The military standoff is being conducted from a civil distance even as both sides have dug in heels at a spot on the Doklam plateau (10,000 feet) at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.

Both sides have pitched in tents and maintain a line for supplies, indicating readiness for a long haul. The area is disputed between Bhutan and China. India is there to help a friend.

In January 2012, the two countries established a Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. It has representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs as also the Ministry of Defence of either side.

Its mandate under Article VI of the agreement says: The working mechanism will address issues and situations that may arise in the border areas that affect the maintenance of peace and tranquility and will work actively towards maintaining the friendly atmosphere between the two countries.

It is tasked with meeting at fixed intervals and emergency consultations can be convened mutually.

In the past, similar standoffs have been resolved through diplomacy. The two countries do not have a demarcated border and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the de facto boundary all along the 3,488-km frontier.

The Border Defence Cooperation Agreement inked in 2013 says: If the forces come face to face... both sides shall exercise maximum self-restraint, refrain from provocative action, not use force or threaten to use force, and prevent exchange of fire.

With agency inputs
Tel Aviv, June 30

In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Modi's decision to meet Moshe, now 11, along his grandparents was an emotional moment for the family.

Modi also met Moshe's 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

Moshe was two when his parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others by terrorists at the Nariman House, also popularly known as Chabad House.

#WATCH PM Modi assures Moshe 'You and your family will get a long term visa for India from my Government' #IndiaIsraelfriendship pic.twitter.com/ZnkFPOVmvw  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

The Nariman House was one of the five places targeted by the terrorists, killing 166 people.

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents -- Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends.

Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010.

She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family in the north during the weekends.

Before the meeting Modi, Moshe's grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandson's 'bar mitvah', a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upnayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite Modi.  PTI
New Delhi, July 5

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the public spat between the two over communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district.

The Home Ministry, in a written communication, also sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the violence in the district following an objectionable Facebook post and the steps taken to restore normalcy.

In his separate telephone conversations with Tripathi and Banerjee, the Home Minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the riot-hit area.

The Governor and Chief Minister are believed to have explained their respective positions to the Home Minister, who counselled them to resolve their differences amicably, sources said.

Making a dramatic allegation against the Governor, Banerjee on Tuesday accused him of threatening and insulting her over the communal incident. Banerjee said she had even thought of quitting office over the humiliation.

While the Chief Minister on Tuesday alleged that the Governor was acting like a BJP block president, the Governor said he was surprised at her attitude and language.

The talks between the Honble Chief Minister and the Honble Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it, a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan here said.

The governor later called Banerjee's allegations unfounded, "meant only to emotionally blackmail the people of West Bengal".

Communal clashes broke out in North 24 Parganas district Monday night following an objectionable Facebook post, prompting the government to rush in 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation.

In his conversations with the West Bengal Chief Minister and Governor, the Home Minister also discussed the situation in Darjeeling, where the indefinite strike for a separate Gorkhaland state entered its 21st day today.

Governor has crossed all constitutional limits: TMC

The Trinamoool Congress on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on the West Bengal Governor, accusing him of crossing all constitutional limits and reminding him that the Raj Bhavan could not be the party office of the BJP.

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee charged, The Governor has crossed the constitutional line. The way he spoke to the Chief Minister yesterday, he has forgotten that it is not Uttar Pradesh. Chatterjee also said that the official residence of the Governor could not be the party office of the BJP.

He is the ex-Speaker of the (UP) Assembly. As a lawyer he must be aware of the observation of the Supreme Court (on the relation) between the Chief Minister and the Governor...

So, whatever he has said is an insult to the people of West Bengal, he charged.  PTI
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 5

The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down Sahara chief Subrata Roys plea to give him a month for encashment of a Rs 522-crore cheque issued to Sahara-SEBI account meant to be realised on July 15 and warned him of legal consequences if it was dishonoured for want of sufficient funds.

An earlier order issued by the top court required Roy to pay Rs 1,500 crore by June 15 and Rs 552 crore on July 15.

On behalf of Roy, senior counsel Kapil Sibal told a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that out of the Rs 1,500 crore, 790 crore had already been paid and the rest amount has also been paid. He said Sahara has deposited Rs 1,500.40 crore.

Sibal said out of Rs 24,000 crore amount ordered by the top court to be paid by Sahara, only Rs 9,000 crore remained.

He, however, requested the court to give more time to his client for the Rs 522-crore cheque meant to be realized on July 15. Sibal was supported by senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi who represented a Sahara company. Rohatgi  who said the court should give more time to his client  wanted the court to order verification of investors.

But the court turned down both the requests. Verification could be done after the entire money was deposited, it said.

The Bench also approved the terms and conditions for auction of properties at Sahara's Aamby Valley as prepared by official liquidator of the Bombay High Court Vinod Sharma.

Angry over non-payment of money, the top court had on April 17 decided to sell property worth Rs 34,000 crore belonging to the Sahara group in Maharashtras Aamby Valley and had sought Roys presence before it.

In November last, it had asked Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by February 6 in the refund account to remain out of jail and warned that failure to do so would result in his return to prison.

Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014. But the top court had on May 6, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since.

Besides Roy, two other directors  Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary  were also arrested for the failure of two group companies, Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL), to comply with the courts August 31, 2012, order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody.
By India Today Web Desk: Bollywood's very own Karan-Arjun are busy bromancing, and giving their fans some major friendship goals. If Shah Rukh Khan agreed to do a cameo in Salman Khan-starrer Tubelight, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor has decided to return the favour by shaking a leg in one of the dance numbers for Aanand L Rai's next with SRK.

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While the two Khans have already begun shooting for the film, here's some scoop. If a report in BollywoodLife is to be believed, Shah Rukh has gifted a luxurious car to friend Salman as a thank you token for taking out time from his busy schedule to work in Aanand L Rai's next.

A source was quoted as telling the website, "When Salman Khan came to shoot for the song, Shah Rukh surprised him by gifting him a brand new, luxurious car. The car is newly launched and no one owns this mean machine currently. Salman was shocked as he wasn't expecting this at all. But because he had managed his dates and agreed to shoot for the song on such a short notice, SRK wanted to gift him something to show his love and appreciation."

After Tubelight, we cannot wait to see SRK and Salman share screen space again in Aanand L Rai's next.

ALSO READ: Salman Khan-Shah Rukh Khan begin shooting for Aanand L Rai's next

ALSO READ: After Tubelight, Salman and Shah Rukh will share screen space again in Aanand L Rai's film

ALSO WATCH : Salman bonds with SRK, becomes face of BMC's anti open-defecation drive

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Beijing, July 5

Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China on Wednesday accused India of trampling on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to correct its mistakes as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

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China also claimed that India was misleading the public by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chickens Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger Indias access to its north-eastern states.

I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know, in the 1950s, China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters here.

However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other countrys territory, he said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.

Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was very serious.

China and India have been in contact through the Special Representatives mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries, he said.

China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said.

Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory, he said.

The situation is yet to be resolved and India should pull back the troops that is precondition to avoid worsening of the situation, Geng said.

Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations, he said.

If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs, he said.

We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion, Geng said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri- junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public, he said.

The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 metres away from Mount Gipmochi, Geng asserted.

The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending Chinas road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road-building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut Indias access to its northeastern states.

Geng also said that besides former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it.

The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and Chinas Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice, he said.

Quoting the note, Geng said, The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground.

The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India, Geng said.

Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, there is no such consent as you mentioned.

The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutans territory.

It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion, Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou.

In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet, Nehru had said.

Geng said, Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the China India boundary has already been delineated.

Since Indias Independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said.

Gengs remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said the ball is in Indias court and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a war if not handled properly, the ambassador had said ,There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option).

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modis comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides. It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question with in the Special Representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, Geng said.

What is shocking is that the India border troops entered into the Chinese side of the delineated border in the Sikkim section which is serious in nature, he said. PTI
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 5

While the Punjab Government is denying favouritism in the selection of 121 Law Officers in the office of the Punjab Advocate General, here is an interesting fact. Out of the 49 selected Assistant Advocate Generals, 27 did not appear even once as an advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the last one year.

The selection criteria sought professional income returns of three years for consistency in work. Documents accessed by lawyers reveal that five other appointees fought less than five cases this year. Most of the 27, who did not fight even a single case last year, had been enrolled for five or more years. On the other hand, many members of the Punjab Legal Cell are currently representing petitioners in more than 50 cases.

The selection has stirred up a controversy within the Congress and outside for the state government after the sand mining contracts raised many a eyebrow over involvement of a sitting ministers employee in the sand mining deals. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) office-bearers are upset as not a single advocate from the Congress legal cell has been selected in the state governments legal team.

PPCC president Sunil Jakhar said the matter was in his notice and that he would take it up with the Chief Minister. A number of MLAs had taken up the issue with the Chief Minister yesterday.

Congress sources said the CM had invited the incumbent and former heads and members of the PPCC legal cell to discuss the issue. Sources said around 30 posts were yet to be filled and the government might consider taking some from the legal cell to stem the controversy.

They have claimed that an inquiry should be conducted into the documents submitted by the candidates as regards their professional income.

Advocate General Atul Nanda did not comment on the fresh allegation. He responded to the phone call, but said he would talk later. He also did not respond to messages on his phone regarding the fresh allegation.
Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 5

Punjab Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh has landed himself in a yet another controversy. Four months since his son had lost a case in the court of Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division)-cum-Rent Controller Jalandhar, a bailiff on Wednesday went to the plush house that he and his family have been occupying in the city to get it vacated and hand over its possession to the owner, a retired Army officer.

Brig Ranjit Singh Ghuman (retd), a resident of Chandimandir, had moved the court for getting the house vacated on August 28, 2015. The orders had been declared in his favour on March 10 .

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The complainant said he had leased out house number 14 of Defence Colony to the ministers son Rana Inder Partap Singh on April 1, 2014 at a monthly rent of Rs 4,500.

Brig Ghuman said he was to retire from the service on September 30, 2015 on attaining superannuation and wanted to live in his own house. He even got a legal notice issued in July 2015 asking Rana Inder Partap to vacate the house in a month, but to no effect.

He therefore sought invoking of Section 22 of the Punjab Rent Act.

This is the same house from where Rana had been operating in Jalandhar when he became Lok Sabha MP in 2004. Even after becoming a Punjab minister, he kept holding press conferences from the house.

The counsel for the ministers son had argued that since the rent agreement was unregistered, the benefits of the provision of Section 22 of the Act could not be given to the petitioner.

However, the court of Additional Civil Judge Aashish Abrol on March 10 had opined, Non-registration of rent agreement cannot lay embargo on the right of the petitioner to seek ejectment. Petition for ejectment is maintainable. Respondent is directed to hand over vacant possession of property in dispute to petitioner within two months from the date of order.

After the Ranas had refused to move out and the complainant had sought execution of the orders, the court had directed the bailiff to put Brig Ranjit Singh Ghuman in possession of the house. You are authorised to remove any person bound by decree who may refuse to vacate the same.

Rana Inder Partap, son of Rana Gurjit Singh who is also the richest Punjab MLA with assets worth Rs 170 crore, said his family was putting up on rent in the house for the past 20 years. We had got most items from the house shifted about 15 days back. By Monday, we will vacate it completely, he said.

Even as the copy of the order stated that the Ranas had been given the house on lease of Rs 4,500 per month, Rana Inder Partap Singh said he was paying Rs 45,000 monthly and it could be a typing error.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 5

Taking a serious note of stray dog menace, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today called upon Punjab and Haryana, along with the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, to place before the Bench schemes for prevention of perils. Details of scheme for disbursing compensation to the victims or their families were also sought.

The direction came during the hearing of a civil writ petition filed by Ram Kumar of Samana. He was seeking compensation from Punjab and the Samana Municipal Council for his 12-year-old son Ankits death.

A Class V student, Ankit died in March 2014 due to a stray dog bite. Taking up the matter, the Bench of Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain also issued notice of motion to Haryana and its Director, Local Bodies.

Justice Jain directed the Registry to serve notices on the respondents through e-mail, as well as dasti.

The Bench also asked Punjab and Haryana Advocates General and UT Senior Standing Counsel to appear before it on July 12 for assisting the court.

During the course of hearing, Justice Jain referred to Section 109 of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, that enjoins upon every municipal council in Punjab to destroy, or cause to be destroyed, or confine, or cause to be confined for such period as the committee may direct, any dog or other animal suffering, or reasonably suspected to be suffering from rabies

In an interim order, Justice Jain observed menace of stray dog bites had assumed serious proportions.
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 5

Farmers are confused about the type of loans which have been announced as waived by the state government. In such a scenario, banks are finding it difficult to recover other loans from them.

After Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singhs statement about waiving crop loans of Rs 2 lakh, farmers have stopped paying instalments of their loans.

A number of farmers are daily approaching the banks to get clarification on the loan waiver. Some banks have now displayed notices outside their branches asking farmers to pay their loan instalments to avoid extra interest or penalty.

A notice displayed outside the Punjab Agricultural Development Bank (PADB), Muktsar branch, farmers are informed that theirs were term loans and not crop loans, so they should pay their instalments by July 15 to avoid extra interest on it.

Reacting to the notice, Sukhdev Singh, a farmer leader, asked, If the loans of agricultural development banks are not waived, what kind of crop loans have been waived off?. The government has played a joke with us.

Another farmer leader Nirmal Singh said, A number of farmers daily ask us about the crop loan waiver but we too are confused. Bank officials hardly have any clarification on it.

Paramvir Singh Bhandari, manager, Muktsar Central Cooperative Bank, said, The state government had announced waiving crop loans of Rs 2 lakh. These are the loans which were approved by the societies under our bank. But we have not received any notification in this regard.

Repeated attempts to contact RPS Sekhon, manager, PADB, Muktsar, proved futile.

Meanwhile, some arhtiyas (commission agents) said they too were finding it difficult to recover loans from farmers.
Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 4

While the Punjab Government dithers on providing debt relief to landless labourers, a new report suggests the number of suicides committed by landless agricultural labourers due to debt is much higher than those by farmers in the state.

The census report commissioned by the Punjab Government on rural suicides takes into account incidences between 2010 and 2016 in seven districts of the state. The report prepared by Punjabi University, Patiala, is based on a field survey of Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar and Muktsar districts. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, are preparing another report on the remaining districts.

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The report suggests 737 cases of suicides  397 (53.87 per cent) by landless agricultural labourers and 340 (46.13 per cent) by farmers  were reported in these seven districts. Most of the victims belonged to the younger and middle-age groups.

In an earlier report of the same districts, landless agricultural labourers accounted for 46 per cent of the total rural suicides between 2000 and 2009.

The latest report indicates an almost 8 per cent rise in the number of suicides by landless farm labourers. Of these, 88.38 per cent suicides were due to debt and 11.62 because of other reasons.

Experts say different studies over the past decade point towards a crisis involving landless farm labourers but successive governments have failed to take note.

In 2007, we had submitted a report on the status of local farm labourers. It pointed out that 70 per cent of the labourers were in debt.

But those findings were never used in policy formulation. Had the government acted timely, several lives could have been saved, says Prof Lakhwinder Singh, head, economics, Punjabi University, Patiala, who is one of the authors of the report.

The other authors are Sukhwinder Singh, Kesar Singh Bhangoo and Jaswinder Singh Brar.

Landless labour bodies, which are not as influential as farmer unions, feel the government only wants Dalit vote. Even after all these surveys and reports, we have to tell successive governments that we are also dying, we are also in debt. But nobody listens, says Lachhman Sewewala, general secretary of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union.

Last month, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had announced waiver of entire crop loans of 8.75 lakh small and marginal farmers but when it came to landless farm labourers, he claimed his government did not have record or information about the number of landless labourers or with regard to their outstanding debt. Later, he proposed the constitution of a five-member committee by the Speaker to look into the issues.
Berlin

A group of early human ancestors may have migrated out of Africa much earlier than thought and bred with Neanderthals in Europe, say scientists who have studied DNA from an ancient hominin bone found in Germany.

The genetic data recovered by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the University of Tubingen in Germany, provides a timeline for a proposed hominin migration out of Africa that occurred after the ancestors of Neanderthals arrived in Europe by a lineage more closely related to modern humans.

These hominins interbred with Neanderthals already present in Europe, leaving their mark on the Neanderthals' mitochondrial DNA.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, pushes back the possible date of this event to between 470,000 and 220,000 years ago.

Prior research analysing nuclear DNA from Neanderthals and modern humans estimated the split of the two groups at about 765,000 to 550,000 years ago.

However, studies looking at mitochondrial DNA showed a much more recent split of around 400,000 years ago.

Moreover, the mitochondrial DNA of Neanderthals is more similar to that of modern humans, and thus indicates a more recent common ancestor, than to that of their close nuclear relatives the Denisovans.

There has been debate about the cause of these discrepancies, and it has been proposed that a hominin migration out of Africa might have occurred prior to the major dispersal of modern humans.

This human group, more closely related to modern humans than to Neanderthals, could have introduced their mitochondrial DNA to the Neanderthal population in Europe through genetic admixture, as well as contributing a small amount of nuclear DNA to Neanderthals but not to Denisovans as recently detected.

However, more data was needed to evaluate the feasibility of this scenario and to define the temporal limits of the proposed event.

The femur of a Neanderthal excavated from the Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave in southwestern Germany provided just such an opportunity.

"The bone, which shows evidence of being gnawed on by a large carnivore, provided mitochondrial genetic data that showed it belongs to the Neanderthal branch," said Cosimo Posth of the Max Planck Institute.

The proposed scenario is that after the divergence of Neanderthals and modern human mitochondrial DNA, but before the Neanderthal specimen, designated HST by the researchers, and the other Neanderthals diverged, a group of hominins moved from Africa to Europe, introducing their mitochondrial DNA to the Neanderthal population.

Thus this intermediate migration out of Africa would have occurred between 470,000 and 220,000 years ago.

"Despite the large interval, these dates provide a temporal window for possible hominin connectivity and interaction across the two continents in the past," said Posth. PTI
EVEN in relaxing the prohibition against Mrs. Besant, and Messrs. Arundale and Wadia's publications on religion and theosophy, the Madras Government has perpetrated a blunder of the first magnitude. According to the summary of the order wired, to merit this relaxation, the books are to pass the ordeal of examination of the Governor in Council or an officer appointed by him, and the relaxation is to be conditional on a book passing this ordeal. The course adopted by the Madras Government will be condemned by public opinion all over the country. Mrs. Besant's publications are as well known as they are numerous, and have been in existence long before their highly venerated author took to active work in Indian politics. Why should then any religious books as such be required to pass an officer merely because it is written by Mrs. Besant?
IT is remarkable how bureaucracy, when isolated from the sobering influence of public opinion, betrays itself into blunder. In the midst of the most terrible war when the whole weight of official and non-official resources should be thrown into the balance against the common enemy of the public workers for internal constitutional reform. They went further and tabooed all public activity on their part in the form of the speaking or writing, and all their publications written on multifarious subjects even when they had no reference to Home Rule or politics. And lastly the Secretary of the Gokhale Hall, Madras, was prosecuted for having permitted more than one thousand persons into the Hall at the public meeting of protest against Government action is applying a war measure to intern persons whose only offence was that they had promoted by legitimate constitutional agitation the cause of Home Rule or self-government within the Empire.
By PTI: Jammu, Jul 5 (PTI) The seventh batch of about 3,400 pilgrims today leftJammu for the high-altitude Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

As many as 79,484 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine of Lord Shiva till date.

Amid chants of "Jai Bhole Nath, Bam Bam Bhole", the group comprising 2,604 men, 635 women and 102 sadhus and sadhvis inleft in a convoy of 102 vehicles this morning, an official spokesperson said.

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They wereescorted by vehicles of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the spokesperson said.

With todays batch a total of 2,05,035 pilgrims and sadhus haveleft Jammu for Amarnath since the 40-day-long pilgrimage began on June 28.

The government has mobilised a heavy security of over 35,000 to 40,000 troops including the police, the Army, the BSF and the CRPF.

This years yatra is eight days shorter than the last years of 48 days. It will 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 AB AAR DV AAR

--- ENDS ---
Washington, July 5

The US on Wednesday confirmed that North Korea test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time and warned of an "escalated threat" from Pyongyang, while carrying out a joint missile drill with South Korea in response.

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In the show of strength that followed the ICBM launch by the hermit nation, US and South Korean soldiers fired missiles into the latter's territorial waters yesterday to showcase their "precision fire capability", chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said.

According to a statement by US forces in South Korea, the exercise "utilised the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the South Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast."

The Pentagon said that America's commitment to the defence of its allies in the region -- South Korea and Japan -- in the face of threats is "ironclad".

"The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies. Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability," White said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who confirmed the launch in a statement, said America would never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.

"The United States strongly condemns North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," Tillerson said.

The US has also requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which is expected to take place today.

"We intend to bring North Korea's provocative action before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable," Tillerson said.

He also called for "global action" to stop a "global threat".

"The US seeks only the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the end of threatening actions by North Korea," he added.

At a White House event, US President Donald Trump, without mentioning North Korea, said that the US will handle its challenges. "We do have challenges, but we will handle those challenges. Believe me." PTI
Paris, July 5

Can a motley crew of countries grouping climate champions Germany and France with oil giants Russia and Saudi Arabia muster a joint defence of the Paris Agreement against Donald Trump?

This is the question for observers as the G20 group of major economies gathers in Hamburg amid a storm of geopolitical crises threatening to push climate change down the agenda.

Since Trump announced last month he would pull the United States out of the 196-nation pact, fellow G20 members including India, China, France, Canada, Italy and bloc president Germany, have reaffirmed their commitment to its climate-rescue ambitions. This will be the first opportunity, however, for the 19 to voice a collective condemnation.

At this summit what the Germans and the rest of us want is basically to isolate the US so that the US doesnt contaminate any other countries, said Mohamed Adow of Christian Aid, an expert observer of the two-decade negotiation that culminated in the Paris Agreement in 2015.

In May, before Trump made his announcement, the other six in the G7 group of rich nations reaffirmed support for the hard-fought global pact. The G20 includes the G7 as well as developing nations such as China, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Indonesia.

Russia and Turkey have signed the agreement but not ratified it. Saudi Arabia, which was one of the last countries to hold out, has both signed and ratified. Climate champions among the blocs developing country members need to be vocal supporters of Germanys bid to emerge from the summit on Saturday with strong language on climate, observers say.

The summit is meant to come up with a closing communique that includes elements on climate change.

Countries have also been negotiating the text of an action plan on climate and energy. The question is what the final text will look like.

Will 19 countries speak with one voice on climate? Or will they splinter, with some aligning themselves with the US? Will accommodations be made to America that there is a joint 20-member statement but with watered-down climate language? Whatever the outcome, observers say G20 summits are not the place for direction-changing decisions.  AFP
Washington, July 5

US President Donald Trump will get a chance to patch up trans-Atlantic ties this week when he meets with NATO allies still rattled by his failure on an earlier trip to embrace the principle that an attack against one member is an attack against all.

Trump departed on Wednesday for Warsaw, Poland, where the White House said he would showcase his commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a speech and in meetings with a group of nations closest to Russia on his way to the G20 summit in Germany on Friday and Saturday.

It was only six weeks ago when Trump, meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, scolded them for failing to spend enough on defence during a speech in which the Republican president was expected to explicitly endorse NATOs Article 5, the collective defence provision of the treaty.

He slammed Germany for its trade practices, and shortly after returning home, pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate deal, leaving his officials to try to smooth ruffled feelings.  Reuters
Washington, July 5

US President Donald Trump will hold an official bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.

Citing remarks by US National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton, CNN reported that the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin and the first official US-Russian bilateral meeting in almost two years will occur on July 7.

However, the exact agenda for the bilateral meeting had yet to be set.

The first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders will come as the US and Russia hold differences on a slew of issues, including the Syrian conflict, the Ukrainian crisis and the alleged Russian meddling in the US presidential election.

In April, Trump said the US was "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low." Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington in mid-May, Trump expressed his desire to build a better relationship between the two countries.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is working to stabilise its relationship with Russia, which is "at an all-time low." IANS
Washington, July 5

US President Donald Trump denounced China's trade with North Korea on Wednesday and cast doubt on whether Beijing is working with Washington to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us, but we had to give it a try! Trump said in a Twitter post.

Even before Pyongyang said on Tuesday it had successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, Trump recently suggested he was running out of patience with Chinas modest steps to pressure North Korea and has been considering moving ahead on trade actions.

Trump posted the tweet shortly before leaving for Warsaw, Poland, on his way to a Group of 20 summit in Germany on Friday and Saturday.

During his trip, Trump will meet for the second time with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he has expressed frustration for failing to use enough leverage to curb North Koreas N-programme. China is Norths largest trading partner and ally.  Reuters
Berlin, July 5

US President Donald Trump meets other world leaders at Germany's G20 summit from Friday, with North Korea's first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile casting a long shadow over the gathering at the heavily-fortified venue.

The rising global threat posed by Pyongyang is likely to see conflicts over climate and trade take a back seat as regional neighbours China, Japan and South Korea gather with Trump and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin in Hamburg.

"Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, confirming North Korea now possessed a weapon capable of reaching US territory.

Russia and China condemned Tuesday's test and the European Union may consider additional sanctions.

All eyes will be on Trump, who had vowed North Korea's goal of possessing an ICBM "won't happen" and has repeatedly pressed China to rein in its truculent neighbour.

In the most anticipated moment of the G20, Trump will meet Putin, the ex-KGB agent accused of having aided, with hackers and fake news, the surprise rise of the property tycoon into the White House.

The moment they shake hands is sure to see "an Olympian level of macho posturing between these two leaders, who both understand the importance of symbolism and the perception of being tough," said Derek Chollet of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Trump ruffled other leaders at a G7 meeting in Italy in May and has steered the economic and military superpower on an isolationist "America First" course.

His counterparts are bracing for fresh surprises after Trump stunned the world by pulling out of the 2015 Paris climate pact, questioned long-standing NATO allegiances and dismissed free trade principles.

Trouble is also brewing at the conference table at a time when the West and Europe are deeply divided, the post-Cold War order is fraying and China and Russia are asserting themselves on the global stage.

"There is a danger that the summit will lead to polarisation between the US and other countries" on climate change and other issues, warned Oxford Analytics economist Adam Slater.

Trade wars loom as Trump has demanded Germany and China reduce their huge surpluses and threatened other countries with punitive measures in battles over steel, natural gas and hormone-treated beef.

The year's gathering of the Group of 20 big industrialised and emerging economies, the biggest diplomatic event outside the UN, will also provide a stage for other world leaders muscling for power and regional influence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet regional rival Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a time when both are worried about North Korea.

Also, looming over the summit will be the bloody conflict in Syria and the frozen one in Ukraine -- both involving Russia -- as well as the struggle for Mideast dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Then there is Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose crackdown on alleged coup plotters, civil society and Kurds after a 2016 putsch attempt has poisoned relations with Germany. AFP
Salata, a Houston-based salad bar restaurant, has announced it will open its first Tulsa location July 20 at KingsPointe Village.

The KingsPointe site, 6030 S. Yale Ave., is the first of three locations due to open this year. The others are on Cherry Street (1619 E. 15th St.) and First Place Tower (15 E. Fifth St.)

Salata features salads and wraps prepared with fresh ingredients, including more than 50 toppings and at least 10 house-made dressings, according to the company website.

Salata currently operates more than 60 restaurants scattered across 30 cities and four states  Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois and California. It is in the process of opening three locations in Oklahoma City.
In the June meeting of the Collinsville Public Schools Board of Education, Superintendent Lance West revealed the district has reported three straight years with a budget surplus.

Operating with annual expenses near $16 million, the CPS district closed out the 2016-17 year with a 13.2 percent surplus of a little more than $1 million.

West estimates payroll costs for the coming school year will increase by $450,000, and the budget he proposed would be the districts largest this decade, consistent with the schools steady growth.

In the midst of one of Oklahomas most dire budget crises, Collinsvilles schools have not only stayed in the black, but they have also retained their teachers.

Since 2014, West said, staff has been reduced almost exclusively by attrition. Also in that time, salary steps have been paid every year, including this years extra stipend.

When teachers come to Collinsville, they tend to stay in Collinsville for life, West said. Thats a pretty good thing I hope.

One of the goals West set out when he took the position in 2014 was to be flexible and think outside the box with regards to handling finances. His presentation Monday included a significant change that he believes will also make the school districts budgeting more practical and even more teacher friendly.

Were moving to site-based budgeting, he said.

Now, the school district that has not cut a single program during lean times will put budgeting power in the hands of more administrators. One individual at each school within the district will be presented with an operating budget and given the responsibility to come in under that mark, having more involvement in how grant money and other resources are used, for example.

Were efficient now as weve ever been, West said. This will only help.

The financial success is thanks in large part to ad valorum taxes, property tax, and student population growth, West said.

West recommended the board vote to approve the proposed budget, which it did unanimously.

Other items voted on included the hiring of architecture firm KKT, for unnamed future projects.

The board approved two resignations. Dawn Martinez, a counselor, will move to Oologah. Debbie Hadley, a bus driver, resigned from her full-time post and will come back as a part-time driver.

The board also voted to approve the hire of Brittany Scott, a CHS graduate who is seeking emergency teaching certification to teach physical science at the high school. West said CPS has had about one emergency certified instructor each of the three most recent years.

It was also announced that work would begin soon to renovate the high schools wrestling room, beginning with newly painted walls.
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jul 5 (PTI) Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China today accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

China also claimed that India was "misleading the public" by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chickens Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger Indias access to its north-eastern states.

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"I want to point that the relevant actions by the Indian side violated the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in defiance of the international law and international norms. As we all know in 1950s China, India and Myanmar proposed the five principles (Panchsheel) of co-existence," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters here.

"However to the surprise of everyone, the Indian side trampled on the basic norms governing the international relations proposed by itself by illegally crossing into other countrys territory," he said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, are a series of principles which have formed the bedrock of the relationship between India and China. Their first formal codification in treaty form was in an agreement between China and India in 1954.

Geng said this time the Indian troops crossed the delineated boundary into the Chinese side and nature of the incident was "very serious".

"China and India have been in contact through the special representatives mechanism to solve the boundary question but this incident, I believe, violates the spirit upheld by the Special Representatives mechanism and goes in contrast to the efforts made by the two countries," he said.

China has already lodged a protest with India on this, Geng said.

"Indian border troops are still staying on the Chinese territory," he said.

The situation is yet to be resolved and "India should pull back the troops that is precondition to avoid worsening of the situation", Geng said.

"Troops should be pulled back as soon as possible to demonstrate the sincerity to improve bilateral ties so as create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations," he said.

"If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how it proposes to win the trust of its neighbours and how it is supposed to play a bigger role in the international affairs," he said.

"We once again urge the Indian side to abide by the boundary convention and respect the Chinese sovereignty and immediately withdraw the border troops and properly deal with the incident in a timely fashion," Geng said.

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri- junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," he said.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point, Geng said, defending Chinas road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut Indias access to its northeastern states.

Geng also said that besides former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru endorsing the 1890 Sino-British convention on Sikkim in a letter to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1959, the Indian Embassy in a note to the Chinese government in February, 1960, also endorsed it.

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"The note said that the boundary between Sikkim and Chinas Tibet has already been delineated and there is no dispute about that in the map and in practice," he said.

Quoting the note, Geng said, "The Indian government would like to add one more thing that the boundary has already been demarcated as well on the ground."

"The above mentioned was written in black and white in the note from India," Geng said.

Asked about Nehru, in his letter to Zhou, pointing out that Chinese maps showed Bhutanese territory as part of Chin, Geng said, "there is no such consent as you mentioned".

The former prime minister had pointed out to China that it was claiming sizable part of Bhutans territory.

"It is not clear to us what exactly is the implication of your statement that the boundaries of Sikkim and Bhutan do not fall within the scope of the present discussion," Nehru wrote in the letter to Zhou.

"In fact, Chinese maps show sizable areas of Bhutan as part of Tibet," Nehru had said.

Geng said, "Since the illegal trespass of the border troops, both sides have expressed stern position. The fact is that the Sikkim section of the China India boundary has already been delineated."

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Since Indias independence, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed the fact that the Sikkim section has been delineated by this convention, he said.

Gengs remarks come a day after, in unusually blunt remarks, Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said "the ball is in Indias court" and it was for the Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff.

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think- tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador had said ,"There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise military option)."

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modis comments that not a bullet has been fired at the India-China boundary for two decades, Geng said, "I want to point settlement of the boundary serves the fundamental interests of the two sides."

"It is also a strategic target, two sides are working to achieve. We have been trying to explore ways to resolve the boundary question with in the Special Representatives mechanism and we have jointly taken measure to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.

"What is shocking is that the India border troops entered into the Chinese side of the delineated border in the Sikkim section which is serious in nature," he sad. PTI KJV ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
Second District Congressman Markwayne Mullin will seek a fourth term, saying he has come to believe that his 2012 campaign promise to serve only six years in Congress was ill-advised.

The last thing we want is to make people think were going back on our word. That made this difficult, Mullin said Monday night. At the time, we were sincere. But where were at today is a different situation.

Mullin and his wife, Christie Mullin, publicly announced his decision in an 11-minute video released on social media Tuesday morning.

We understand that people are going to be upset, Mullin says in the video. We get that. We understand that. Im not hiding from that. Because we did say were going to serve six years.

The Mullins say they made their decision based largely on Mullins belief that he can make a difference.

Our process was, Can we make a difference? Mullin says in the video. I dont want to just be up there occupying a seat. Ive seen such a turnaround with this new administration, with President Trump, that when we came to a conclusion, the answer was yes  yes, we can make a difference.

Its important for Oklahoma to have people in a position to make a difference. The only way we can do that is to have people in key places.

Mullin is deputy Republican whip and belongs to the far-reaching House Energy and Commerce Committee. He serves on three Energy and Commerce subcommittees  Energy and Power, Health Care, and Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.

He also has a reputation as a Republican who can work with Democrats and even counts a Kennedy  Massachusetts Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy  among his close congressional associates.

I didnt have any idea what politics was like, Mullin said Monday night. I was surprised at how difficult it is to get something done. In the private world, if I have an idea, I just do it.

Mullin won a crowded 2012 Republican primary and defeated Democrat Rob Wallace and independent Michael Fulks in the general election to take the seat previously held by Democrat Dan Boren.

Mullin has said he entered the race primarily because of frustration with federal regulatory agencies, and in recent weeks he has said he believes that the administration is listening to his and other lawmakers concerns and is acting accordingly after years of ignoring them.

Trump kind of gets people riled up, and Id handle things differently, but I kind of understand his frustration, Mullin said.

The Mullins said one reason for the original three-term pledge was concerns about the stress on their family and their Broken Arrow-based plumbing business. Those concerns, they said, have been alleviated.

Mullin said he frequently has at least one of his five children with him when he is in Washington, and he said all of them encouraged him to seek a fourth term.

I talked to my 13-year-old (Jim) last night, Mullin said. I told him if he didnt want us to do this, we wouldnt. He said he wanted us to.

Mullin was re-elected without much opposition in 2014 and 2016 but could encounter some resistance this time because of his three-term pledge and because of some furor over town hall meetings this spring. He was recorded on video telling constituents in Jay that taxpayers didnt pay his salary, and he canceled a town hall in Tahlequah over a disagreement with the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service over security.
The Hollywood Reporter has listed The Kettering Incident in its 15 International Series to Binge Watch This Summer.

The trade publication describes it as: An Aussie answer to Twin Peaks starring The Night Managers Elizabeth Debicki as a doctor whos been suffering from strange nosebleeds and memory gaps, apparently related to an incident from her childhood, when her friend Gillian disappeared in a Tasmanian forest in Kettering. Creepy, cool and stylish as hell.

In the USA The Kettering Incident is streaming on Amazon Prime.

Other titles listed include Norways Nobel, Britains Catastrophe and Chewing Gum, South Koreas Heirs, Frances Call My Agent, and Spains Cable Girls.
This week on The Living Room Chris & Miguel are swinging in FNQ and Amanda meets Shark Tanks Andrew Banks on location.

Travel with Chris Brown & Miguel Maestre: Minjin Swing and Ocean Freedom Reef Cruise

Chris and Miguel are on their Far North Queensland road trip of a lifetime and today it is Miguels time to choose what activities they are going to do. First up, he advises Chris, after feeding him a huge Banoffe Smoothie, they are going to experience the Minjin Swing  the worlds fastest jungle swing  strapped together. Following this hair raising 120 kilometre per hour thrill ride, it is off for a Great Barrier Reef adventure where they head out to Upolu Reef, rain, hail or shine.

Renovation with Barry du Bois: Take Home Barry  Laundry & Architraves

Barry is at Bunnings when he comes across a family with a laundry dilemma  their tumble dryer is not only contributing to the mould problem in their laundry but is also a fire hazard. Barry and Vanessa get to work to sort out these issues while husband Rob works with Dylan to create architraves for the windows and doors of the couples sweet house.

Celebrity with Amanda Keller: Andrew Banks

Budding entrepreneur Amanda Keller pays a visit to the set of Shark Tank to interview the Shark of Sharks  Andrew Banks. During the interview Amanda pitches a couple of brilliant ideas to Andrew in the hope that it is a yes from him. Unfortunately, as Amanda discovers  there are such things as bad ideas.

Food with Miguel Maestre: Kuranda Kup-Murri (QLD)

Chris and Miguel take a detour from their road trip when a local community in Kuranda, just outside of Cairns, invites them for a traditional Kup-Murri lunch in the rainforest. The Kup Murri is a traditional way of cooking food and Miguel is taught many of the tricks before Chris joins him and the community to feast on the spoils of pork, veges and a delicious banana and coconut damper.

8:30pm Friday on TEN.
Tom Milhalik sells suits at Torontos Kensington Market. Grey suits, blue suits. Suits for job interviews, funerals and weddings. His stores popularity is testament to the determination and hard work he has shown since first arriving as a refugee from Hungary in 1967.

You could open a store in Kensington Market and it didn't really matter where you came from, Tom recalls. Didn't matter what language you spoke, didn't matter what colour, what religion. All you had to do was prove yourself.

The market has long served as a starting point for the displaced. Toms father, William Mihalik, set up his suit store there after fleeing the Hungarian uprising in 1956. For 12 years, the family were forced to live apart.

"All you had to do was prove yourself.

In his absence, William was a powerful figure in his sons imagination  informed by the gossip and stories Tom heard from friends and family.

Everyone in Hungary said: Tommy you're going to the land of honey and milk! he says, laughing. The details were scarce  all he knew was William owned a store selling clothing and furniture  but he filled in the gaps with youthful fantasy.

Tom recalls the excitement of his first visit to his fathers store in downtown Toronto.

But, as they passed by Williams shop, its windows protected by thick iron bars, Toms heart sank. It was a gloomy night my dad pointed out where our store was. He was very proud of it. It was not what I imagined. I imagined something grandiose.

Fifty years ago, Tom fled Hungary and found sanctuary in Canada (Annie Sakkab, camera)

Before and after school, Tom worked at the shop. It soon became an obsession. In time, it expanded and moved down the street, still remaining in Kensington Market.

After he bought the business from his father in 1987, Tom quickly learned how close-knit the area was. The cost of staffing and overheads overwhelmed the trickle of money flowing into the coffers, leaving him unable to pay rent.

I went to my neighbour and I asked if she could lend me eight hundred dollars, and she immediately said, 'Tom, it would be our pleasure, he says. It shows you how strong the community was. Without even blinking an eye, she lent me the money.

Toms brush with insolvency confirmed what he has learned over the years  community matters.

Tom's mother helped out at the store every day until she passed away.  UNHCR/Annie Sakkab

Tran Duc Tu, who fled Vietnam in 1977, has worked with Tom for 15 years.  UNHCR/Annie Sakkab

"My mom, until her death, never missed a day," says Tom.  UNHCR/Annie Sakkab

The store's popularity is testament to Tom's determination and hard work.  UNHCR/Annie Sakkab

Mario Aristodemo, originally from Italy, has worked with Tom for three months.  UNHCR/Annie Sakkab

When you come to a community like Kensington Market, when you came from nothing  totally nothing, and youre the weakest link  where you prosper, you have to give some of that money back. You have to. It's your responsibility to give back to the community.

Since the Mihaliks arrived in the 1950s and 1960s, the market has also hosted the businesses of refugee entrepreneurs from Somalia, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

The market has changed dramatically over time  grocery and appliance stores have been replaced by cafes and clothing outlets. But Toms store has remained largely unchanged, cementing his status as a fixture of the neighbourhood.

In the back of Tom's shop, a row of tailors work meticulously on heaps of clothing, representing the legacy of the market. Tran Duc Tu, who fled Vietnam as a refugee in 1977, has worked with Tom for 15 years.

During this time, Tom has received many awards and commendations for his contributions to charities, hospitals and people down on their luck.

"It's your responsibility to give back to the community.

We have a responsibility as Canadians to make sure we also give back to this great country. Not only do we just take  we also have to give back, he says. It's really what you put in  as a Canadian. You will see it in your children and your grandchildren.

He credits much of the stores success not to his business acumen, but the steadfast support of his family. My sister has been here in the store since she was 12, 13, 14 years old, he says. My mom, until her death, never missed a day.

Toms son, Tom Jr., now runs a recently-opened second branch in the heart of Torontos financial district. While the well-stocked shops there looks nothing like the first shop opened by William in his early days in Canada, the current form remains loyal to its origins.

We really, really put in a lot of work to get where we are today, says Tom, surveying the rows suits in the quiet of the shop after hours. Hopefully we can still continue to work another 60 years.

Then and Now is a series of stories profiling refugees who have come to Canada over the years, in search of safety, stability and a chance at a better life. Starting from 1956, when Canada accepted its first major intake of refugees, the project uses archived images and family photos to tell the stories of refugees from Hungary, Viet Nam, Uganda, Somalia, Colombia, Cambodia, Burundi and El Salvador.
Snapdeals board is believed to have rejected a takeover offer of USD 800-850 million (around Rs 5,500 crore) from larger e-commerce rival Flipkart.

By Press Trust of India: Snapdeals board is believed to have rejected a takeover offer of USD 800-850 million (around Rs 5,500 crore) from larger e-commerce rival Flipkart.

According to sources privy to the development, Flipkart has completed the due diligence process and has made an offer of USD 800-850 million to buy Snapdeal. However, the offer was rejected by the Snapdeals board which felt the amount undervalues the company as the due diligence report is clean.

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"The first offer has been rejected but talks are still on. It is an ongoing discussion," said one of the sources. When contacted, Snapdeal, SoftBank and Flipkart declined to comment. SoftBank, the Snapdeals largest investor, has been proactively mediating the sale for the past few months.

The board also has representation from Snapdeal founders (Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal), NVP and Kalaari Capital.

Sources said Ernst & Young, which was roped in by Flipkart to conduct a due diligence on Snapdeal, submitted its report a few days ago, following which the offer was made.

The deal between Snapdeal and Flipkart, if completed, would mark the biggest acquisition in the Indian e-commerce space.

One of the leading contenders in the Indian e-commerce space, Snapdeal has seen its fortunes failing amid strong competition from Amazon and Flipkart.

Compared to a valuation of about USD 6.5 billion in February 2016, the sale to Flipkart could see Snapdeal being valued at about USD 1 billion.

SoftBank has already written off over USD 1 billion on valuation of its investment in Snapdeal.

ALSO READ:

Snapdeal is not Snapchat: Confusion costs Indian brand its image

#BoycottSnapchat: Enraged Indians are uninstalling Snapdeal mistaking it for Snapchat

ALSO WATCH:

Enraged Indians uninstall Snapdeal instead of Snapchat after CEO remark row

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The apex court told the Central government that Election Commission should have people neutral to all political parties.

By Anusha Soni: Expressing concerns over absence of law on the appointment to the Election Commission of India (EC) and the Chief Election Commissioner, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre as to what steps the present government will take.

The apex court told the Central government that the EC should have people neutral to all political parties.

The Supreme Court said that the Article 324 mandates that the appointments to the EC are done as per the enabling law. But presently there is no law in place to govern the appointments to the EC.

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While SC reiterated that the Parliament has not made any law, it highlighted Centre's response saying that competent people have been appointed in a timely manner.

The SC pronounced its decision while hearing a plea seeking constitution of a committee comprising of the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India for appointment of election commissioners.

The plea sought that government should enact a law which ensures a fair and transparent process to appoint people at the Election Commission of India.

The SC stated that if the Parliament does not make any law regarding this, the issue will be taken up judicially. The issue will be taken up for hearing after two months.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and DY Chandrachud told Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar that the only argument of the government has been that competent people are appointed.

The observations comes a day after Achal Kumar Hoti, who was earlier chief secretary of Gujarat during Modi's tenure as Cheif Minister, was appointed to succeed Nasim Zaidi.

Also Read:

Demonetisation: Can't ban people from depositing old notes, says Supreme Court; Centre to reply in 2 weeks

Supreme Court refuses to pass interim order against Centre's Aadhaar notification

WATCH | Goa government tussle: Supreme Court orders immediate floor test

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(July 5, 2017) -- The Coordinated and Linked Approaches to Student Success Initiative (CLASS), begun by the UTSA Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs last fall, recently earned significant support from the University of Texas System. Two CLASS programs  Math Emporium Model and Project LEAD  were awarded just over $3.6 million from UT System through a request for proposals for its Quantum Leap on Student Success, a key part of the Quantum Leaps to provide Texans with the very best in higher education, research and health care.

We are so grateful to UT System for its support of CLASS and our vision to enhance student success at UTSA, said C. Mauli Agrawal, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. This funding provides a momentous boost to these initiatives to better serve our undergraduates, prepare them for academic success and dramatically enhance graduation rates.

UTSA is one of five UT System institutions to earn funding through the competitive selection process. UT System received 14 proposals with funding requests totaling $21 million. Each proposal was reviewed by higher education experts external to the UT System and Texas, as well as by UT System leaders.

The two UTSA proposals were outstanding and exciting to all the external and internal reviewers, said Rebecca Karoff, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs for UT System. The Student Success Quantum Leap was intentionally designed to allow for innovation and risk-taking in order to make improvement on retention and graduation. With these two exemplary projects, UTSA is poised to take a prominent role in accomplishing that mission. And the university is doing this in a way that focuses on meeting their students where they are, and helping them understand that they belong  and can succeed  in college.

The Math Emporium Model proposal was awarded its full funding request of $2,972,077. The funding will allow UTSA to scale a pilot emporium model program to include by 2019-2020 all sections of three core courses for pre-STEM and pre-Business students: MAT 1073 (Algebra for Science and Engineering Majors), MAT 1093 (Precalculus), and MAT 1033 (Algebra with Calculus for Business Majors).

In emporium model courses, students attend only a limited number of lectures; remaining instruction takes place in an engaged-learning computer lab environment where they can learn at their own pace or in small groups, with support from instructors and peer tutors.

In summer 2016, UTSA piloted an emporium math model for one section of MAT 1073 with successful results: 67 percent of students in the emporium model course earned either an A or B, compared to 14 percent in a non-emporium model course. The pilot was expanded to four sections of MAT 1073 in fall 2016 and again showed positive results: 46 percent of students in the emporium model classes earned an A or B, compared to 33 percent for the non-emporium model classes.

Math readiness frequently poses a challenge to college students, said Rhonda Gonzales, associate vice provost for strategic initiatives. Particularly for UTSA students enrolled in the Colleges of Sciences, Engineering and Business, we know from our own institutional research that earning an A or B in their first college math course is critical in increasing their success in subsequent math courses and in persisting in their chosen major.

The Math Emporium Model represents the first significant pedagogical shift in how core curriculum math is taught at UTSA, said Sandy Norman, chair of the Department of Mathematics. Based on the results of our own pilots, as well as the success of other schools who have implemented emporium models, we are very excited to expand this program for the benefit of all our students who choose STEM and business-related majors.

The goal is for the Math Emporium program to reach full capacity by 2019-2020, and potentially serve as many as 5,600 students per year.

The $2.97 million Quantum Leap funding for the program will be used primarily to fund salaries for full-time staff, including two course coordinators, three program managers, a software systems specialist and a lab administrative associate, as well as a number of part-time student tutors and lab assistants. UTSA will provide in-kind support for math lab facilities and computers, and is currently seeking funding to construct a 7,500-square-foot dedicated Emporium Math Lab.

The second UTSA proposal, Project LEAD (Leadership, Engagement, Academics and Dedication), was fully funded at $635,909. An onboarding and bridging program, Project LEAD aims to increase student success and retention by creating targeted programming for academically at-risk students at early stages of their academic career. LEAD I will target incoming freshmen admitted to UTSA by holistic review, while students on academic probation or warning at the conclusion of their first year will be the focus of LEAD II.

LEAD I participants will take part in a summer academy, in which they will enroll in two core classes together and participate in engagement programming and peer mentoring. Additionally, they will receive proactive academic advising and financial aid advising.

LEAD II participants will also take part in a summer academy that includes one three-hour course identified to help improve their GPA and a student success seminar. LEAD II participants will also benefit from continued peer mentoring, proactive academic advising and financial advising, and engagement programming.

A LEAD Summer Academy is being piloted at UTSA this summer with a small cohort of incoming first-year students who have registered to take classes in the second five-week summer session, July 7August 12. LEAD II programming will launch in summer 2018. Both programs aim to serve approximately 250 students in 2018 and scale up to a full capacity of 400 students by 2019.

LEAD will help new Roadrunners get off to a strong start and provide extra support to those students who need it after their first year, said Tammy Wyatt, associate vice provost for student success. A students early academic performance can impact their financial aid availability and admission into selective degree programs, not to mention their overall sense of belonging in college. Universities that have implemented onboarding and bridging programs similar to LEAD have shown positive impact on participants GPAs, as well as retention and graduation rates.

Funding for Project LEAD will be used primarily for salaries, including two full-time staff and part-time student peer leaders.

The UT System allocated $10 million as part of the Student Success Quantum Leap RFP, of which $8.2 million is being used to fund selected projects system-wide. In addition to these projects, UT System designated nearly $1.7 million to establish a Graduation Help Desk at UTSA and other system institutions. UTSA will receive approximately $215,000 to support staff hiring and infrastructure development to create the Graduation Help Desk, a one-stop resource for students who need assistance getting classes required to graduate on time or resolving other roadblocks to timely graduation.

The CLASS Initiative was created by Agrawal in fall 2016 to develop strategies in six areas related to student success: first-year experience programming; academic advising services; focused academic support programs; financial assistance offerings; leadership and professional development; and onboarding practices. The goals of CLASS are to increase first-year retention of Roadrunner students from 76 percent to 85 percent in five years, and to improve graduation rates from 38 percent to 60 percent, within 10 years.
By PTI: Mumbai, July 5 (PTI) Tata Finances dismissed managing director Dilip Pandse allegedly committed suicide at his office here today, police said.

The body of Pendse (61), who was fired by the Tatas in 2001 after his name cropped up in some illegal transactions, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his private office on the first floor of Royal Grace Building in Dadar East this afternoon.

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The body was sent for autopsy at Sion Hospital, said DCP Rashmi Karandikar, Mumbai police spokesperson.

The Matunga police have registered an accidental death report and a probe is on, she said.

Earlier, Tata Motors chief executive Karl Slym and an ex-spokesperson of Tata Steel Charu Deshpande had committed suicide in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

While Slym, a US citizen, was the MD and CEO of Tata Motors at the time of his death, Deshpande was no longer associated with Tata Steel when he ended his life.

Slym jumped out of a posh Bangkok hotel window in January 2014. Thai investigators blamed the suicide on domestic issues, saying he had had a fight with his wife.

The 58-year-old Deshpande, a former journalist who had worked with The Daily, Indian Express, Economic Times and Business & Political Observer before moving to corporate communications at ICICI Bank and Tata Steel, was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his Vasai home on June 28, 2013.

He had worked with Tata Steel till April 2013. The case related to his suicide is being probed by the CBI.

In February 2003, Pendse, who was with Tata Finance for long, was arrested by the Delhi Police for alleged involvement in misappropriation of Rs 2 crore.

A complaint had been filed on behalf of Inshaallah Investment, a Tata Finance subsidiary, alleging that Pendse issued cheques for Rs 2 crore to brokers for payment of personal transactions of a former company director.

In October 2014, the markets watchdog Sebi had found Pendse guilty of illegal trades and banned him from accessing capital markets for two years.

Pendse was dismissed from Tata Finance in 2001 after the company arm ran huge losses and the group filed criminal charges against him. PTI DC AA BEN KRK SK

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By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 5 (PTI) Rail solutions provider Texmaco Rail & Engineering today said it has inked a non-exclusive pact with Israels Lesico to explore opportunities in the upcoming Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Light Rail Transit (LRT) projects.

A business delegation of Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited is visiting Israel along with a team led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Texmaco said in a BSE filing.

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"During the visit, the company has entered into a non- exclusive MoU with Lesico Ltd, Israel, for active co-operation between the two organizations to identify potential scope of works and activities in respect of upcoming Tel Aviv and Jerusalem LRT projects (LRT) on a business case basis," it said.

The company said its expertise has been sought by Lesico for track related work for the said LRT projects.

"The overall budget for the projects has been estimated at more than USD 2 billion," the company said.

Shares of Texmaco closed at Rs 93.40 apiece on the BSE, up 6.08 per cent from the previous close. PTI ABI NAM JM

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AIA Vietnam and Shinhan Bank celebrate their ongoing partnership in digital services

As part of the ongoing collaboration, AIA Vietnam provides the latest technologies to Shinhan Banks consumers in Vietnam. The goal is to create a seamless customer experience by leveraging technological innovations.

By working with AIA, a leading insurer but also a customer experience innovator with digital services capabilities, we hope to bring to Shinhans customers an even more complete innovative experience with insurance products and services, said CEO of Shinhan Bank Vietnam Shin Don Min on July 4, at the launching ceremony for new digital services in Ho Chi Minh City.

Similarly, Wayne Besant, CEO of AIA Vietnam, said that the insurer wants to create a smooth and seamless journey for customers before, during, and after buying their insurance products and services.

Innovation driven by technology is core to our efforts, a passion shared by Shinhan Bank. We will complement Shinhan by bringing our innovations to all Shinhan branches, providing customers with utmost convenience and a fantastic experience, said Besant.

On the same day, the two partners have unveiled a series of new services. Innovations include IPoS (Interactive Point of Sale system), an interactive consultancy system enabling speedy financial health checks, paperless product illustrations, and customised solutions. All of these activities are carried out via one single point-of-entry on the iPad.

Meanwhile, My Portal and My GPS are web-based platforms that closely track customers policy status and fee payments. They can also check the status of their claims, which is available 24/7.

These digital services ensure that customers are always served quickly, efficiently, and safely, according to the representatives.

At the event, AIA Vietnam also launched AIA Vitality, a unique wellness programme, and the AIA Vitality app, which helps customers develop healthy habits with attractive incentives.
Birmingham city council today withdrew its permission for a planned rally to mark "Burhan Wani Day" on Saturday after India lodged a protest with the UKgovernment against the "glorification of terrorists"

By India Today Web Desk: Security forces are apprehending trouble in the Kashmir Valley on the first anniversary of the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani. But a threat was looming far away in the UK.

UK-based Kashmiri groups had planned to bring out a rally to mark "Burhan Wani Day" in Birmingham. After India raised protest the city council withdrew its permission for the planned rally against the "glorification of terrorists".

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The Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit was killed in a gun battle with the Indian armed forces in the Kashmir Valley on July 8 last year.

"We took a booking for a peaceful rally highlighting the human rights abuse in Kashmir. However, we are now aware of concerns raised about the promotional leaflet and, having assessed the material, have not given permission for the use of Victoria Square," a Birmingham City Council spokesperson was quoted by PTI.

India's deputy high commissioner, Dinesh Patnaik, sent a "note verbale" on Monday to the Foreign Office including details of Wani's crimes and propagation of violence in the Valley.

"A rally on Kashmir is a different matter but to glorify and eulogise a terrorist is unacceptable. The UK itself has suffered at the hands of terrorism in the last few months and lives have been overturned as a result. How can law and order allow such a glorification of terrorists and propagation of violence," wrote Patnaik.

UNREST IN KASHMIR

Four districts of Jammu and Kashmir -- Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Anantnag -- have been on the boil since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8, 2016.

Over 80 young men from these areas had taken to arms since the encounter, official sources from the state said earlier.

Seventy-six people, besides two police personnel, were killed during the five-month unrest in the valley following the killing of Wani.

The state government has also announced a 10-day summer vacation in all educational institutions in the valley from July 6.

Also read:

How Indian Army tracked and killed Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Ahmad, 9 terrorists

Kashmir: Ahead of Burhan Wani's death anniversary, security forces take steps to prevent attacks by separatists

Also watch:

Audio shows Burhan Wani sought Hafiz Saeed's blessings for jihad struggle against India

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The retail banking sector is set for intense competition as foreign and domestic banks are looking for a bigger slice of the pie

A vibrant market

On July 3, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam International Bank (VIB) officially signed an agreement with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to purchase all of CBAs branch operations in the city.

Han Ngoc Vu, general director of VIB, expressed his appreciation for the strategic cooperation with CBA. Meanwhile, he wished to enhance the relationship with the strategic partner so that CBA Ho Chi Minh Citys strength could be promoted after the acquisition by VIB.

Also, he said that the retail banking is in the core of VIBs business activities as it produced an annual growth rate of 25 per cent in 2016, 2-3 per cent higher than the growth rate of the whole banking industry in the same period. In the first six months of 2017, loan balance and deposits in the retail segment accounted for more than 50 per cent of the whole banking industry.

Another recent retail business acquisition in Vietnam involved ANZ Vietnam and Shinhan Vietnam. The former sold its retail business to the latter, a South Korean bank, and subject to regulatory approval, this deal is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Numerous foreign banks are now looking at the Vietnamese market, especially the retail sector. It is rumoured that two foreign banks are on the hunt for the retail units of other banks in Vietnam. Also, plenty of commercial banks in Vietnam are pushing up their retail businesses.

At present, there are nine fully foreign-owned banks in Vietnam, including Woori Bank, Public Bank Berhard, ANZ, Standard Chartered, Shinhan Bank, Hong Leong, CIMB, and HSBC. Recently, United Overseas Bank was approved to establish its fully foreign-owned subsidiary bank in Vietnam. Currently, there are more than 51 branches and 51 representative offices of foreign banks all over the country.

More intense competition of foreign and domestic commercial banks

With more than 93 million people, Vietnam is considered a potential market for the retail businesses of banks. This is the reason why commercial banks have recently been focusing on developing their retail businesses.

Of all foreign-owned banks, HSBC and Standard Chartered produced the strongest expansion in Vietnam. Leaders of Standard Chartered often commented that they were planning on raising human resources in the Vietnamese retail banking. HSBC is getting more aware of the domestic market and is growing strongly, especially in the retail sector. Currently, HSBC is in the lead in terms of revenue.

By acquiring ANZ Vietnams retail business, the South Korean Shinhan Bank expressed its ambition to dominate the retail sector. Last year, Shinhan Bank Vietnam generated a revenue of over VND1 trillion ($44 million), much higher than many domestic banks. Another South Korean bank Woori also scheduled to deploy plenty of retail banking services in 2017.

Domestic banks also place retail banking in their core strategies because it may bring enormous advantages in the upcoming time, while the room for developing the wholesale sector is getting tighter.

Even Vietnamese banking giants, such as Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank), and Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), which used to mainly focus on wholesale, are now developing their retail businesses. Besides VIB, many domestic banks are looking to acquire smaller banks with an advantage in the retail business.

The retail sector is the development target of numerous international and domestic banks in Vietnam, thus, the competition is getting more intense.

The case of ANZ Vietnam demonstrates that the intense competition from domestic banks, such as Vietcombank, BIDV, and VietinBank, prevented ANZ Vietnam from seizing its desired market share in the retail sector, although it held high expectations due to the rising income of the Vietnamese populace.

ANZ Vietnam sells its retail arm to Shinhan Vietnam ANZ Vietnam will be offloading its retail banking arm to Shinhan Vietnam by the end of 2017, to focus primarily on its institutional banking in the country, ANZ Vietnam said in its latest press release.

Retail banking the key to competitiveness Banks are scaling up efforts to find suitable market segments for business promotion to boost efficiency.
European Council President Donald Tusk delivers a statement before an EU-Japan summit in Brussels on Mar 21, 2017. (Photo: AFP/John Thys)

The landmark deal would mark a big victory for free trade just days before a G20 summit in Germany in which US President Donald Trump is expected to defend his "America First" protectionist stance.

The hastily-planned Brussels meeting will be attended by Tusk, EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and follows weeks of intense negotiations in Tokyo.

The EU and Japanese economies combined account for a colossal 28 per cent of global output. "EU-Japan Summit on Thursday. Ambitious free and fair trade deal in the making," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted.

"At the summit, leaders are expected to announce a political agreement on the EU-Japan free trade agreement and the EU-Japan strategic partnership agreement," a statement said separately.

At this stage, the EU and Japan are expected to reach only a "political agreement" on the trade deal, that would still cover some of the accord's toughest aspects.

A complete deal would be formally signed later in the year, according to EU plans.

Premier Abe in Tokyo said that the deal was not done and sent Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida to Brussels for talks on Wednesday to iron out final differences.

"While staying mindful of the sensitive areas for both sides, I will do everything until the final moment to achieve the best outcome for our national interest," Kishida said before his departure to Europe.

CHALLENGE FOR TRUMP

At the heart of the accord is an agreement for the EU to open its market to the world-leading Japanese auto industry, with Tokyo in return scrapping barriers to EU farming products.

Left untouched would be the controversial investment courts that have stoked opposition to trade deals in the EU nations, including Germany and France.

The deal could be seen as a provocation to Trump who pulled the United States out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership this year, in favour of striking country-to-country bilateral deals.

"Clearly, when the US steps back from its historic free trade stance, it creates an opportunity for others," said Fredrik Erixon, economist and Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy.

"Japan had been holding back on the trade deal with the EU because of the ongoing TPP discussion," he added.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem and Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan visited Tokyo last week for two days of urgent talks with Japanese officials.

In Tokyo, Malmstroem said the package would "tear down almost all customs duties between us that are worth a lot of money, billions actually".

EU exports to Japan overall "could be boosted by one third" and a deal would send a "strong signal to the rest of the world that the EU and Japan believe in free trade," she said.

Tariffs on European cheese have been a key sticking point in the talks.

Brussels wants Japan to eliminate its 30 per cent tariffs on some EU-made cheese, while Tokyo wants duties cut on cars which it exports to the 28-member bloc.
Fiber products made at Dong Phat Joint Stock Company in Ha Nois Thach That Industrial Zone. The capital city wants to attract more projects to industrial zones and clusters. - VNA Photo

Sectors to be prioritised include part supplies, electronics and mechanics industries.

The Management Board of Industrial and Processing Zones said the focus would be on speeding up land clearance and improving infrastructure to make Ha Noi an attractive destination for large investors.

One of the difficulties was the limited available land in the capital city, according to the management board. There were 13ha of vacant land in Quang Minh Industrial Zone, 25ha in Phu Nghia Industrial Zone and 36ha in Nam Ha Noi available for investment this year.

Le Hong Thang, director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said attracting investment in the capital citys industrial clusters continued to be a struggle due to high investment costs, even as investors in clusters were mainly of a smaller scale.

According to Pham Khac Tuan, head of the management board, municipal authorities had pledged to hasten administrative reform and improve investment climate to attract capital for industrial zones and clusters.

In addition, the capital city would also focus on developing the labour force in localities around and near the industrial zones and clusters as well as creating favourable conditions to boost the part supplies industry through business-to-bank and business-to-business connecting programmes.

The city would give priority to high-tech, environmentally-friendly investment and products of high added value and those that could compete with others in the market.

According to the Department of Industry and Trade, the city has developed or is in the process of developing 19 industrial zones with total area of nearly 525ha, together with 110 industrial clusters, totaling 3,000ha.

The department proposed another nine industrial clusters be developed by 2020 and 18 more by 2030, noting that completing the infrastructure system was of great importance.

In addition, the department proposed to exempt land use fees in the first stage for investors as well as provide support to investors in treating waste at industrial zones and clusters.

In the first five months of this year, industrial zones and clusters in the capital city attracted seven new projects, worth more than US$44 million in registered capital, and expanded six existing projects, worth $18.5 million.

To date, Ha Noi has attracted 629 projects in industrial zones and clusters with total registered capital of $5.9 billion. More than half of the projects were foreign-invested, worth $5.34 billion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping during an informal meeting at the Kremlin on Jul 3, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Sergei Chirikov)

The sit-down in Moscow is meant to focus on bolstering trade ties between the two partners, with deals worth billions of dollars expected to be signed.

But the talks were also expected to discuss North Korea after Pyongyang claimed the launch of its first inter-continental ballistic missile, and Trump urged China to "end this nonsense once and for all".

"Economic questions are always at the centre of our attention but we are also engaged in coordinating our efforts on the international arena," Putin told Xi at the start of the talks.

It is their third official meeting this year.

Xi in turn praised the "special character" of China's ties with Russia. He called the two nations "good neighbours, faithful friends and reliable partners" in comments translated into Russian.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported earlier that Putin and Xi "agreed to jointly push for a proper settlement of the peninsula issue via dialogue and negotiation" at a closed Kremlin meeting Monday evening on the eve of the official talks.

Beijing - North Korea's closest diplomatic ally - and Moscow have called repeatedly for calm on all sides, but Trump has warned Washington's patience with Pyongyang is nearing an end.

Xi and Putin once again slammed the US THAAD missile system installed in South Korea to protect against the North, Xinhua said. Both leaders argue that it threatens the strategic balance in the region.

The Kremlin gave no details on what was discussed at the "informal" tete-a-tete Monday.

The leaders of the two giant neighbours are expected to oversee the inking of a raft of deals worth billions of dollars as Moscow continues a pivot towards China it has ramped up since ties with the West slumped over Ukraine.

Ahead of his arrival in Moscow Xi said that relations with Russia were currently enjoying their "best time in history" as he and Putin have struck up a close relationship.

The Kremlin strongman is set to present Xi with a prestigious Russian state award at the Kremlin.

After their meeting in Moscow the two leaders are set to head to the G20 summit in Hamburg where they will come face-to-face with Trump, a first meeting for Putin with the US president.
Senator John McCain, who is in Kabul after his visit to Pakistan, asked Pakistan to do more in its efforts in countering terror groups operating from its soil.

By Hamza Ameer: US Senator John McCain has warned Pakistan to either act against eliminating Haqqani Network from its soil or else face a change of tune in America's stance.

McCain was speaking in Kabul ahead of US gearing up to send more troops to Afghanistan to support Afghan forces straining to beat back the resurgent Taliban.

Senator John McCain, who is in Kabul after his visit to Pakistan, asked Pakistan to do more in its efforts in countering terror groups operating from its soil.

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McCain said, "We have made it very clear that we expect they (Pakistan) will cooperate with us, particularly against the Haqqani network".

He also said: "If they don't change their behaviour, may be we should change our behaviour towards Pakistan as a nation".

The senator's statement came a day after he led a bipartisan Senate delegation to Islamabad, where Pakistan officials said he had reaffirmed the country's role in regional stability.

The senator's visit to Islamabad and Kabul comes at a time when the US is gearing up to send more troops to Afghanistan to support Afghan forces straining to beat back the resurgent Taliban.

Also read:

Pakistan more a threat than an ally, could face sanctions: US think tank

Kabul bomb blast: Afghanistan blames Haqqani network and Pakistan's ISI for attack

Also watch:

Afghanistan President Ghani orders execution of 11 Haqqani network, Taliban prisoners: Source

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The Ministry for Heritage has announced that three new interpretation panels have been placed within our Old Town in order to provide information on our Medieval History, namely our Islamic and Spanish Periods.
India Today accessed details of the chargesheet, which showed that Vijay Mallya and bank officials used Kingfisher Airlines brand as collateral security and valuation of Rs 3,406 crore "without independent verification".

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: In a fresh jolt to business tycoon Vijay Mallya a day before his hearing at the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on July 6 in the extradition case, a special PMLA court in Mumbai issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the liquor baron to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials.

Vijay Mallya is accused of defaulting on payment of loans worth around Rs 900 crore.

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India Today accessed the details of the chargesheet, which revealed that the Kingfisher brand was accepted as collateral security and valuation of Rs 3,406 crore, "without independent verification". The brand valuation was wholly based on the projections provided by KAL themselves.

Within 15 minutes, the court issued a fresh non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Mallya (accused number two in remand application) in the Rs 900 crore Kingfisher Airlines Ltd (KAL)-IDBI Bank loan case, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. "This is the first NBW after a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) was filed against Mallya and is quite crucial for the next hearing in London", an ED official told India Today.

Earlier on June 14, the investigative agency filed a detailed chargesheet against Mallya, with a conclusion that "the accused (Mallya) has been actually involved with the concealment, possession, acquisition and use of the proceeds of crime, and therefore, knowingly and intentionally, in the activity of money laundering as defined under Section 3 of the PMLA, and is liable for punishment under Section 4 of the PMLA."

Statements of 24 people have been relied upon in the prosecution complaint, which runs into more than 5,000 pages.

MISUSE OF KAL BRAND

The chargesheet accessed by India Today reveals that the Kingfisher brand was accepted as collateral security and valuation of Rs 3,406 crore "without independent verification". The brand valuation was wholly based on the projections provided by KAL themselves.

"The brand valuation had no independent sale value. The valuation report was only for internal purpose, accounting and reporting. It was not to be used for any other purpose, without any consent of Grant Thornton (the Auditor)", an ED official said.

But the brand valuation report was submitted by the KAL along with a loan application on October 2009 to the IDBI Bank. At the time of submitting the application, the audited balance sheet of the KAL for 2008-09 was available and reported income in the audited balance sheet was Rs 5,577 crore.

The ED official said, "This amount was substantially lower than the projected figure of revenue of Rs 7,862 crore in the Grant Thornton Report. Hence, there was a conspiracy between senior bank officials and the KAL led by Vijay Mallya to project and accept brand value as collateral."

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At that point of time, United Breweries Holding Limited (UBHL) held a large number of shares of publicly-listed companies, particularly of Mallya's group companies worth more than Rs 1,285 crore. "But still no efforts were made to utilise them to pay off the loans, the chargesheet said.

HOW MONEY SIPHONED OFF?

The PMLA investigation revealed that Mallya had formed a complex web structure of companies in order to indirectly control their affairs. He had nominated directors in those companies who were either his personal staff, retired company officials or a third person.

These shell companies were P E Data Centre Resources Pvt Ltd, Pharma Trading Ltd, Kingfisher Finvest Ltd, Devi Investment Pvt Ltd, Mallya Investment Pvt Ltd, Endeavour Estates Pvt Ltd, Gem Investment Trading Co Ltd, Firstart Inc., Watson Ltd, Kamsco Industries Ltd, Ace Bin Tech Software Consultancy Pvt Ltd, Explicit Consultancy Pvt Ltd, Deccan Lakes Systems Pvt Ltd, Medi Galaxy Pvt Ltd, Ambitious Computech Pvt Ltd, H Parsons Pvt Ltd, Appstik Technologies Pvt Ltd, Vilora Consultancy Pvt Ltd, SEP Grace, and Ganpathy Mallya Pvt Ltd.

With the help of these companies, strategised by Mallya, IDBI Bank loans were utilised for transferring Rs 41.83 crore and Rs 11.86 crore towards outward remittance from bank account number 12920200000924 held with Bank of Baroda to the bank account of Force India Formula One Team.

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It is suspected that a major portion out of the amount of Rs 417.29 crore was remitted out of India to overseas parties.

"A total amount of Rs 63.10 crore was paid to the UBICS Technologies Pvt (controlled by Mallya). This company was used as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to route the funds of KAL, as no other transaction from any other company has been noticed in this", the ED official said. Interestingly, the directors of this company were dummy acting on the behalf of Mallya.

HOW KAL PLANNED IT?

The investigation revealed that KAL was incurring losses since its inception. The company had availed loans from various banks under multiple banking arrangements and was in further need of Rs 2,500 crore.

KAL had also approached IDBI Bank for sanction of corporate loans worth Rs 950 crore. Accordingly, a loan application of Rs 950 crore was submitted on October 2009.

In the said application, KAL offered the following collaterals towards security, which were:

Hypothecation / assignment of KAL brand (valued at Rs 3,406 crore by Grant Thornton)

Negative lien on fleet of hire purchase / finance lease aircraft

Corporate guarantee of United Breweries Holding Ltd (UBHL)

Personal guarantee of the chairman of KAL - Dr Vijay Mallya.

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Later, a short-term loan of Rs 150 crore was issued on October 2009.

In a similar manner, short-term loan to the extent of Rs 200 crore was processed, sanctioned and disbursed on the same day pending the original proposal for loan of Rs 950 crore. This even as the sanctioning authorities of the bank were aware of the report of the auditor of the company which mentioned that the funds amounting to Rs 4,630 crore raised on short-term basis were being used for long-term purposes.

However, a TDS amount of Rs 111 crore were not been deposited by KAL for over six months and their credit ratings were not available, but still loans were sanctioned and disbursed without much delays.

Also read | Mallya over-invoiced aircraft lease, says Enforcement Directorate

Also read | After CBI, now ED will file request to extradite Mallya from UK

Also read | What it means to be Mallya: A house in English countryside, a condo in Trump Plaza and a red Ferrari

ALSO WATCH VIDEO

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Glenn Heights Police Chief Phillip Prasifka will take the role as the next Robinson police chief in September, city officials announced Wednesday.

Prasifka will replace former Robinson Police Chief Rusty Smith, who retired in May after almost 11 years with the city. Prasifka has served as Glenn Heights police chief since 1999 and has more than 31 years of experience in law enforcement and public safety, according to a press release from the city.

I have been in my present position for 18 years, and I wasnt actively looking to move, but I saw the posting on the city of Robinson and was really intrigued, Prasifka said after the announcement Wednesday.

The alignment with my current experience and setting in Glenn Heights is very similar to that of Robinson, with the proximity to (Interstate) 35, the small-town feel, but with amenities of a bigger city, and the fact that you are near a bigger city.

Things just seemed to align perfectly, and then after 18 years, you are often ready to move on to a new challenge, and I am excited.

A statewide search resulted in 52 applicants for the position, and officials narrowed the pool to three finalists, Robinson City Manager Craig Lemin said in the press release. A panel of community members and a panel of Robinson Police Department members reviewed the finalists and contributed to Prasifkas selection.

Selecting the next chief for the Robinson Police Department was a very difficult decision, Lemin said in the press release. We had three excellent candidates, and the choice was not an easy one. I am very pleased to have Phillip as our next police chief.

September start

Former Bexar County Sheriffs Office Deputy Chief Tammy L. Burr and Fort Worth Police Capt. Kathryn D. Rowell were the other two finalists, named in June. Lemin said Prasifka is expected to start in his new role in the first week of September.

Prasifka agreed to a salary of $91,000, and additional post-offer arrangements will continue to be made, Lemin said. Prasifkas experience in Glenn Heights will translate well to Robinson when he takes over as chief, Lemin said.

At the end of the day, I know the consensus was that his experience as a chief makes him better prepared for coming into a city our size, and that just kind of put him ahead of the other two, Lemin said. The other two finalists definitely had their positives, but having to make a transition from a larger organization to a smaller organization is always a challenge, and Phillip has already been doing that and he seems ready to set in and move forward.

Prasifka started his career in patrol for the College Station Police Department, where he later worked in the criminal investigation division and on a regional drug task force.

He became the Electra police chief in 1997 before moving to Glenn Heights as chief in 1999. He also has served as Glenn Heights interim city manager and assistant emergency management coordinator and holds a Texas master peace officer certificate.

Community priority

Eager to get into a leadership role in Robinson, Prasifka said he will make transparency and community a priority for his administrators and officers in Robinson.

I am very eager to get started and hit the ground running, he said. Ive met some of the staff through the (interview) process, but I am excited to meet all the staff, the community and get moving for the new challenge in my life, and I think as a team we will do great things in the future.
Now that the hot dogs, fireworks and Fourth of July oratory are behind us for another year, its time we get down to the work of actually protecting cherished rights, including the sanctity of voting. And theres plenty of reason to worry about how our state officials handle a request from an exceedingly dubious federal voter-fraud commission co-chaired by conspiracy theorist Kris Kobach. His request last week for voter rolls, including partial Social Security numbers, from all 50 states represents a threat to citizen privacy in all sorts of confounding ways.

Tapped by President Donald Trump to oversee a hastily assembled commission charged with validating his wildly unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud, Kobach has dispatched letters to state officials seeking all voters names, party affiliations, birth dates, felony conviction records, voting histories for the past decade and even the last four digits of all voters Social Security numbers. In some cases, the information sought could include emails and phone numbers.

You dont have to be one of the many conspiracy theorists weve encountered over the past several years to see the potential for trouble, especially given persistent concerns about the heavy hand of the federal government and the stunningly anemic response both past and present presidential administrations have displayed in staving off hackers, homegrown and foreign. Digital security experts tell Politico and other news outlets that the commission request, if successful, would centralize and lay bare a valuable cache of information that cybercriminals could use for identity-theft scams  or that foreign spies could leverage for disinformation schemes. One source, Nicholas Weaver, a computer science professor at the University of California, describes Kobachs request as beyond stupid.

Thats not all. Texas has a state law that prohibits the use of voter rolls for commercial purposes. The federal law makes no such guarantee  and given all such voter information becomes public once in federal hands, the state of Texas could thus be undermining its own law by giving such information to the feds. Add the fact the Trump family hasnt exactly cut ties with their many business interests and one can smell yet another potential avenue to abuse.

All this explains why states blue and red alike are spurning the commission. Yet officials in Texas have given mixed signals as to whether they will serve up data you thought private. There should be no hesitation. Our state should prioritize its residents over potentially devastating schemes by the federal government. To quote the Mississippi secretary of state, a Republican, They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from.

Its likely Kobach and his conspiracists mean to bolster claims of nationwide fraud through voter rolls that havent been properly pruned of voters who died or moved. Poor maintenance of such rolls should be addressed. But suggesting such data prove fraud is absurd. Thats like saying if you own a gun and someone in your neighborhood is shot, you must be guilty because you own a gun. Thats the caliber of thinking were dealing with.
By India Today Web Desk: Yeh Hai Mohabbatein actor and Nach Baliye winner Vivek Dahiya recently reached the landmark of 1 million followers on social media site Instagram. And he posted the sweetest video on his Insta account thanking his fans for their love and support.

Vivek, who is still celebrating his Nach Baliye win, said that he is extremely touched with the way Divyanka and his fans have been supporting them since the beginning of their journey together.

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The actor, who is currently in Chandigarh with his family, also hinted that he will soon return to Indian television with something big and exciting.

Check out the video:

Feeling minted to have received so much love and support from all of you! #ThankYou #Gratitude #WeAreOneMillion A post shared by Vivek Dahiya (@vivekdahiya) on Jul 4, 2017 at 12:50am PDT

Well, we are sure the actor's fans will be giddy with happiness about the announcement.

Also read: Here's what Divyanka Tripathi, Vivek Dahiya did after winning Nach Baliye 8 trophy

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ASHLAND  It is a little easier to navigate the steep curbs in downtown Ashland these days thanks to the efforts of the citys Public Works director and his crew.

The public works department recently installed handrails on the south side of Silver Street between 14th and 15th streets.

The handrails came about nearly two years after representatives of two downtown businesses expressed concerns about a lack of handicapped parking on their side of the street.

In 2015, Karen Stille with Midwest Physical Therapy and Staci Hubert, owner of Ashland Pharmacy, asked the council to increase handicapped parking on the south side of Silver Street between 14th and 15th streets. There are no handicapped stalls on that side of the street due to the high elevation of the curb, which was built during the Downtown Improvement project in the mid-1990s.

For the past 20 years or so, there was one handicapped-accessible space located on 14th Street just south of the Silver Street intersection. But that space was eliminated when the state Department of Roads widened 14th Street/Highway 66 last year.

There are two handicapped spaces on either end of the block on the north side of the street.

Accessibility was a big problem, said Stille.

Stille and Hubert emphasized to the city council that many of their customers and patients are elderly or have medical conditions which require them to use walkers, canes or wheelchairs.

Stille said she has witnessed patients fall as they attempt to step up onto the sidewalk from the street.

Weve seen a lot of people struggle trying to get up the high curb here, she said.

The city looked into creating handicapped accessible spaces on the south side, but found they were cost prohibitive. JEO Consulting Group, the company the city uses for engineering services, told the city council that it would cost about $37,000 to add handicapped spaces, and even then they would have to be located at the west end of the block due to the elevation of the curb.

The engineering firm presented the council with a much less expensive option  adding handrails to assist people over the high curb. The city ended up spending just under $2,000 for materials and removal of concrete and about $4,000 in engineering fees for the handrails, city officials said. Proceeds from the citys keno funds were used.

City Public Works Director Shane Larsen came up with a design for the handrails. He enlisted the help of a committee that consisted of City Administrator Jessica Quady, Mayor Rick Grauerholz and Stille to help with the design and the location of the rails.

We talked about good places to put the rails to make sure they would work, Stille said.

Larsen created two designs and went so far as to build wooden mockups to see how they would be placed on the curb. After they settled on a final design, Larsen had All Things Metal fabricate the rails.

The initial set of handrails did not meet Larsens expectations.

The first tubes didnt look like what we wanted so we had them refabricate them, he said.

Work to prepare the curbs took place in early June. Larsen had hoped to have the handrails installed soon after. However, due to inclement weather and pressing issues at the city pool, the public works crew could not get back downtown to finish the job until early last week.

Once they were up, it wasnt long before people started using the new handrails.

Weve had patients come in and say they used the handrails and thanked us for advocating for them, Stille said last week.

Now that theyre completed, Stille is pleased with the results.

I think theyre placed well, she said. Theyre functional.

The handrails do not impede any of the downtown parking spots, and the stalls that are located near the rails remain open to anyone, not just those with handicap parking stickers. Stille would like the public to try to keep the parking spots near the rails open for people who need the rails to get up and down the curb.

Please be mindful that these two businesses probably see a higher volume of people with accessibility issues and could really benefit from using those rails, she said.

After nearly two years, the effort Stille and Hubert put into the drawing attention to the issue of accessibility on their side of the block paid off for their customers and patients and for all the citizens of Ashland.

Its really nice to have something to grab on to, Stille said.

Larsen is also satisfied with the final product.

Im very proud and happy with the work that our city crews did, he said.
ASHLAND  On a 4-3 vote, the Ashland Planning Commission failed to recommend approval of an ordinance to annex a housing development during their June 29 meeting.

The commission originally held a public hearing in May on Ordinance 1139 to annex the first phase of the Whitetail Run subdivision. After the public hearing, which drew a packed house to the city council chambers, the issue died for a lack of a motion.

However, the ordinance came back in front of the commission on June 29 because they failed to vote on it, according to Assistant City Attorney Dave Bargen. The commission is required to make a recommendation of some sort to the city council on annexation.

The city council needs some recommendation on the issue per state statute and by city code, Bargen said.

The planning commission is a recommending agency for the city council. The commission provides recommendations to approve or deny issues relating to development, construction, zoning, etc. However, the city council is not required to follow the recommendations made by the planning commission.

The city council will vote on the third and final reading of Ordinance 1137 on July 6.

Ashland Investment Company, developers of Whitetail Run, is proposing to build 50 homes in the first phase of the subdivision. They have asked for tax increment financing (TIF) funds.

TIF is a program that allows developers to pay for public infrastructure needed to improve a property for commercial or residential development by diverting a portion of the taxes.

The taxes are frozen at the pre-improvement rate. As the property is improved, the tax that would have been paid on the increased valuation is diverted to the developer to be used to finance infrastructure. After a period of time agreed upon by the municipality and the developer (not to exceed 15 years according to Nebraska law), the property is taxed at the full improved value.

Annexation is required in order for a development to qualify for TIF. Ashland Investment Company has asked the city for $2 million to bring water and sewer lines to the outer edge of the development, add turn lanes to the highway for access into the subdivision, as well as raise and pave a portion of Dennis Dean Road. The city council is negotiating with the developers on the amount of TIF, as well as other aspects of the redevelopment plan.

Local citizens, business owners, other local developers and the Ashland-Greenwood Board of Education have come out against TIF for the housing development. Most cite the fact that the school district will not receive tax revenue on the property improvements, but could be faced with rising enrollment as a result of the new homes.

Prior to the vote, Planning Commission Member Susan Cerny made a statement regarding the controversy around Whitetail Run.

Cerny spoke about signs around Ashland that read TIF hurts our schools.

Rather than place signs, Cerny said opponents should advocate improving properties that are not living up to their potential.

I challenge the school board and its vocal advocates to get fired up, form a group and produce signs about the properties that are sitting just down the street and around the corner where no one dares to go because its been there for decades, no ones paying attention and its someone elses problem, she said.

Cerny said she joined the planning commission to do her part for the improvement and progress of Ashland.

We have a duty to the city of Ashland and its residents and the future, she said.

She added that the planning commission must be mindful of the school district, but also that the school district has a duty to take care of business.

They also have a duty to tend to that business and know how to run it and promote it using accurate data rather than fearmongering and black and yellow signs, she said.

Cerny cited questionable figures that have been used regarding the number of students that will live in Whitetail Run. She said the estimates of 2.5 or more children per household are false, according to her research. Census figures show 2.56 persons total per household in Saunders County and 2.47 in the state.

That means about half a child per house is projected in Whitetail or anywhere else in this area, she added.

In the end, Cerny said it is the planning commissions job to proudly promote, grow and advance Ashland and to work against mediocrity.

Sometimes growing pains are just that, painful, she concluded. However, when and where else will Ashland grow, and more importantly, if not now, when?

Prior to the vote, Commission Chairman Dean Curtis made what he called a general public comment about the issue.

Ive lived here since 1981. Ive never seen this community so fired up, he said.

He also urged citizens to put aside their differences no matter how the city council proceeds.

Participation, both negative and positive, is good as long as you understand when its over with youve still got to shake hands and be friends, he said. That what makes us Ashland.

After a short discussion, the planning commission voted on the ordinance. Curtis, Jared Knott, Dan Chudomelka and Kate Beranek voted no. Those voting yes included Cerny, Teresa Akeson and Jennifer Niedbalski.

The day after the meeting, City Building/Zoning Official Lenora Isom, who oversees the planning commission meetings, said in an interview that she was disappointed in the commissions failure to recommend approval of annexation because she felt the members were not fulfilling their role as the planning commission.

The planning commissions role when it comes to annexation is to determine whether or not a proposed development complies with the citys zoning regulations and comprehensive plan, Isom said.

They should be looking at, does the project fit our zoning and future land use map, and it does, she added.
Wanted in Rome is the monthly magazine in English for expats and tourists living, or just visiting, the Eternal City

The magazine offers local news, classifieds, information on events, museums, churches, art galleries, restaurants and useful numbers

Founded in 1985, Wanted in Rome is today the most important point of reference for all foreign communities in Rome

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Cultural academies, language schools and international universities use Wanted in Rome to publicise their activities

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In 1997 we launched our first website www.wantedinrome.com

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Planetarium leaves Villa Torlonia for temporary home in S. Lorenzo.

Rome's Planetarium reopened in a new interim base at the Ex Dogana (former custom house) in the capital's S. Lorenzo district on 4 July.

The Planetarium, which offers visitors a high-tech astronomical experience, leaves behind its smaller temporary premises at Technotown in Rome's Villa Torlonia complex.

The new facility will be housed at the Ex Dogana until the original Planetarium reopens at the Museo della Civilta Romana  currently undergoing refurbishment  in the southern EUR suburb of Rome.

The museum, along with the Planetarium, closed about three years ago and is expected to reopen in 2019.

Until then the Ex Dogana will host the Planetarium, including its theatre inside a 12-m wide dome, offering a programme of astronomical shows, conferences, events and observations of the stars.

For full details including opening times, see city website.

Photo La Repubblica
The situation in and around Baduria in Basirhat, where communal clashes had erupted over an "objectionable" Facebook post, continues to be tense.

By Anindya Banerjee: Basirhat is still on the brink. Blockades can be still seen at many places under the Basirhat sub-division. Parmilitary forces are yet to get a grip of the situation. Villages that were previously buzzing with activity now wear a desolated look and yet political bickering has taken the centrestage in West Bengal.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh has hit at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying, "The TMC directly or indirectly supports fundamentalists. That's why so many SIMI suspects are arrested from Bengal. Basirhat situation has also erupted beacuse of Mamata's appeasement policy."

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This comment comes a day after CM Mamata Banerjee tried to give a spin to the ongoing communal flare-up dragging in Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. She had said, "He (Governor) has threatened me. He has insulted me today. He cannot do that. I told him you cannot talk to me like this. I am an elected person. He is a nominated person."

MAMATA ATTACKS GOVERNOR

The problem started after a BJP delegation went to meet the governor complaining about the law and order situation in Basirhat over the prevailing communal tension. After this, when the governor called the chief minister, Mamata alleged the 'tone and tenor' of Governor Tripathi was humiliating.

Tipura Governor Tathagata Roy on Wednesday came in support of Keshri Nath Tripathi. He tweeted, "I have known Governor Kesri Nath Tripathi for many years. He is a very kind, gentle, soft-spoken person. But very firm on principles." In another tweet that can be termed provocative, he said, "This is our West Bengal. People in Kolkata openly pray for hanged jihadi terrorist Yakub Memon," adding a photo of the march in support of Menon.

After Tripura's tweet, TMC's Derek O'Brien tweeted, "The Governor of Tripura. A minister in the UP govt. Spreading rumours on the social media. Inciting violence. Is this not a crime? #Basirhat."

While all this was happening on social media, the CPI(M) did not take much time to take a dig at both the Centre and the state government. Polit Bureau Member Mohd Salim hit out both saying it's a joint responsibility and both have collectively failed.

POLITICAL BLAME GAME

All these political blame game continues undeterred, even as scores have fled their homes and car of the area DSP was attacked.

Violence had erupted between two communities at Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of the district on Monday night over a Facebook post, following which a young man was arrested.

Besides putting up road blockades at several places, the mob had attacked members of another community and destroyed many shops.

Also read: North 24 Parganas violence: Rajnath calls up CM Mamata Banerjee, Governor KN Tripathi, asks them to resolve differences

Also read: Strong possibility of Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati coming together, match over for 2019: Lalu Prasad

Watch Video: Bengal: Teenager's Facebook post creates communal tension, BSF troops employed

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Get great exposure for your business by joining the most important foreign community network in Rome. Become a member of the Wanted in Rome Card and offer all card holders your best deal. You decide what, how much and for how long. Start now and increase your customer reach. Become a partner today and make the best of Wanted in Romes 30 years experience in the market.
22-24 June. 30 actors: survivors of the desert, the sea and the theatre. Marking World Refugee Day, this production highlights forced immigration and involves refugees belonging to Teatro in Fuga, the Rome-based cultural association which for three decades has provided asylum seekers with access to theatre projects.

The final installment in director Riccardo Vannuccini's Trilogia del Deserto which sees migrants gather before making their perilous journey into the unknown. The stage is set variously in Palestine, Libya, Jordan, Iran; the text includes excerpts of Shakespeare, the soundtrack features music by The Pogues.

The refugees, in their new role as actors, conjure up scenes blending tradition, religion and race, requiring a leap of the imagination from the audience. Vannuccini describes it as a disorderly show, without message or central theme, transforming fiction into reality. In Italian. 21.00.
27 June. The British ambassador to Italy Jill Morris hosted a concert performed by The Chineke! Foundation at Villa Wolkonsky on 27 June.

The Chineke! Chamber Ensemble, with Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE, double bass, and Elizabeth Llewellyn, soprano, presented a programme of English Song & Schuberts Trout Quintet to an audience comprising more than 200 people from the Italian and international, academic and musical world in Rome.

The Chineke! Foundation is a non-profit organisation which has been established to provide career opportunities to young Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical musicians in the UK and Europe. The Chineke! Orchestra comprises exceptional musicians from across the continent, drawn together multiple times per year.

All photos  Steve Bisgrove.

Chi-chi Nwanoku is the founder, artistic and executive director of the Chineke! Foundation. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and with Franco Petracchi in Rome, and soon found herself in demand internationally.

The British embassy is planning for the Chinneke! Foundation to return in November.
Rome's premier jazz club hosts regular concerts by some of the biggest names from Italian and international jazz. Located in a cellar in the Prati district, this cavernous club has been central to the Rome jazz scene for more than three decades. In addition to live music the Alexanderplatz offers food and drinks, with monthly or yearly membership available. The club opens at 20.30, and jazz concerts begin at 22.00. For full details see Facebook page.
It is now possible to enjoy artisan doughnuts at Rome's Testaccio Market thanks to the recent opening of Bucolica  Ciambelleria Artigianale, already present in the Gianicolense area since late 2016.

Bucolica is dedicated to artisan ciambelle or doughnuts which are handmade at its bakery each day. Costing between 1 and 2, Bucolicas doughnuts come in various shapes and sizes, and are made primarily from locally-sourced organic ingredients.

In addition to being able to choose from doughnut flavours such as apple blossom, ginger and dark chocolate, visitors to Bucolica can enjoy bagels, American coffee, tea and smoothies.

Mon-Sat 08.00-15.00, closed Sun. For details see Facebook page.
DANTE ALIGHIERI SOCIETY  ITALIAN SCHOOL OF ROME

Since 1889, the historic mission of Dante Alighieri Society is to spread interest and passion for Italian language and Culture among foreign learners. The Italian Language School of Rome is situated in the heart of the city, in the gorgeous sixteenth-century building Palazzo Firenze, nearby the most famous monuments and touristic attractions like Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Navona and Phanteon, allowing students to experience from a privileged perspective the artistic beauty of the Italian Capital City. Due to its strategic position, the School of Rome is easy to be reached by any public transportation and train stations.

CURRICULUM AND CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

The School of Rome organizes a well-structured calendar of monthly Italian language courses for students of all levels and walks of life, ranging from Beginner to Advanced level in accordance with the six levels laid out in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of the Council of the European Union (levels A1-C2). The structure of each course is flexible in terms of number of hours and contents, thus able to meet every students need (e.g. 80 hours - Intensive, 40 hours - Semi-intensive, 32 hours - Ordinary, 20 hours - Conversation and tailor-made one-on-one private packages). During the lesson the four linguistic skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) are developed and improved through different types of activities, including simulations of real-life situations. The educational approach is based on communication (Communicative approach) to make the learning experience interesting, motivating and dynamic in order to provide learners the skills needed to practice Italian language actively in several contexts, including daily life, school, work and social interaction. The high quality standard of our Italian language courses is ensured by our teachers skills: all native Italian speakers, highly qualified and competent to teach Italian as foreign language, with several years of training experience. Every course complies perfectly with each students requirement.

At the end of each course students will receive an attendance certificate corresponding to the course level attended, called ADA certificate (Dante Alighieri Certificate). ADAs course plan is the curricular and educational planning system of the Dante Alighieri Society. The Italian language school of Rome is a PLIDA certification center. The PLIDA Certificate confirms competence in Italian as a foreign language in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of the Council of the European Union and allows its holders to register in an Italian University without having to take the Italian language exam (level B2 or C1) or to obtain the residency permit or the long residency permit (level A2 et seq).

SUPPORT AND CARE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

To gauge the level of the course most suited to your current knowledge of Italian language, before registration the School will arrange a placement test. The enrolment certificate provided by our School can also be used to obtain a study visa, when this is possible as specified by current legislation. In addition, the School will assist students upon their arrival to identify a suitable accommodation both with local families or private rooms in shared or private apartments.

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Our language School offers a well-structured calendar of cultural events allowing students to discover the hidden beauties of Italy. These activities are extremely important for the students learning path, since they will get the chance to experience the authentic Italian life, and consequently to enrich their cultural background. A beautiful library is at total disposal of enrolled students with the following timetable: Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 15:30 to 18:00 and Thursday from 9:30 to 12:30.

WHY ENROLL WITH US?

The School of Rome is the best choice for those who want to learn Italian in a friendly, motivating and authentic environment with high quality standards in terms of experienced teachers, structured course outline and facilities, where learners are supported and motivated to reach their goals.

OUR COURSES: Schedule of May-August 2017

ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSES

The Italian language courses are divided into the following six levels: Pre-beginners/Beginners(A1); Elementary(A2); Intermediate (B1); Upper Intermediate (B2); Advanced (C1); Proficiency (C2)

OUR COURSES: Schedule from September 2017 to August 2018

COMPLETE COURSE -  3.000,00

From A1 to C2

6 months - 80 hours per month

ORDINARY COURSES -  220,00

32 hours for 2 months - 2 hours, 2 times per week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday according to the level)

Courses on Mon - Wed (9:00  11:00 or 18:00 - 20:00) beginning: 4th September  6th November  8th January  5th March  7th May  2nd July.

Courses on Tue - Thu (9:00  11:00 or 18:00 - 20:00): 5th September  2nd November  4th January  6th March  8th May  3rd July.

Courses on Wed - Fri (11:00-13:00): 6th September 3rd November  5th January  2nd March  4th May  4th July.

SEMI  INTENSIVE COURSES-  280,00

 40 hours for 1 month - 2 hours 5 times per week

Courses from Mon to Fri, 11:00-13:00:

4th September - 2nd October - 2nd November - 1st December - 4th January - 1st February - 5thMarch - 3rdApril - 2nd May - 1st June  2nd July 30th July

 40 hours for 1 month  4 hours 2 times per week + 2 hours once a week

Courses on Mon and Wed 14:00 - 18:00 and Fri 14:00-16:00 or Mon and Wed 14:00 - 18:00 and Thu 14:00-16:00:

4th September  2nd October- 2nd/3rd November  1st/4th December  3rd January 1st/2nd February  1st/2nd March  4th April  2nd May  1st/4th June  2nd July  1st August.

INTENSIVE COURSES -  550,00

80 hours for 1 month  4 hours 5 times per week

Courses from Mon to Fri (9:00-13:00 or 14:00 - 18:00):

4th September - 2nd October - 2nd November - 1st December - 4th January - 1st February - 5thMarch - 3rdApril - 2nd May - 1st June 2ndJuly - 30th July

CONVERSATION COURSES 8 HOURS -  70,00

8 hours for 1 month (Tue or Thu from 11:00 to 13:00 or Tue from 14:00 to 16:00)

Beginning: the first Tuesday or Thursday of each month

CONVERSATION COURSES 20 HOURS -  160,00

20 hours for 1 month  Courses from 9.00 to 11.00.

Beginning on the first days of each month.

COURSES FOR PREPARATION OF THE PLIDA CERTIFICATION EXAM -  90,00

4 lessons, 2 hours each

ITALIAN CULTURE COURSE

COURSE IN ART -  130,00  16 hours in 2 months  8 lessons of 1,5 hours once a week + 1 educational excursion

ITINERANT ART LESSONS - 1 lesson per week in 1 month:

- Walking through Rome - 4 itineraries in the Eternal City -  35,00 ( 10,00 for a single itinerary)

- Expositions in Rome (guided tours)  the cost varies depending on the event

LETS TALK ABOUT ART (individual lessons)  Conversations about Italian artists and Italian masterpieces - 1 hour (60 min)  50

COURSE LET ME INTRODUCE YOU ITALY  Geography, history, culture and traditions of the Beautiful Country-  75,00 8 hours in 1 month  4 lessons of 1,5 hours once a week + 1 educational excursion

The course lesson duration is 50 minutes.

NB: The course schedules are subject to variation. For information visit www.roma.ladante.it

ONE-ON-ONE LESSONS/SMALL GROUPS

Individual lessons (1 student) 1 hour 10 hours 20 hours 50 470 900

SMALL GROUPS 1 hour 30 (2 students) 1 hour 20 (3 to 5 students)

The private lesson duration is 60 minutes

PROMOTION

Save up to 5 - 10%

By showing your WIR Card during registration you will get a 5% discount on the regular fee for our Ordinary courses (32 hours)

By showing your WIR Card during registration you will get a 10% discount on the regular fee for our Intensive courses (64 hours)

HOW TO ENROLL

To enroll to our language courses you shall pay 10,00 for the Dante Alighieri Membership card and 30,00 for the enrollment fee. Payment for course costs may be made at the Secretarial Office of the Italian School or by bank transfer at any international bank, with all charges to be borne by the sender.

Please find the relevant details below:

SOCIETA DANTE ALIGHIERI

IBAN: IT28 F 05034 03221 000000000536

BIC SWIFT: BAPPIT21506

BANCA POPOLARE DI NOVARA AG.17 - ROMA

Before registration you can take a placement test to gauge the level of the course most suited to your current knowledge of the Italian language.

Before making the payment of the amount for the membership fee and tuition you should go to the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country to learn about the conditions required for obtaining an entry visa for study purposes. Upon receipt of the amount, the school administration will issue the certificate which specifies the period of attendance chosen by the student for submission when applying for the necessary visa to enter Italy for study purposes. The school does not take any responsibility in finding an entry visa or a job. It is available, instead, to support students in their research of an accommodation, usually with hosting families.

(*) The 30,00 processing fee is free of charge to ERASMUS students and members of affiliated bodies.

OUR LOCATION:

Piazza di Firenze 27, 00186 Rome. Tel/Fax +39 06 6873722

INFO: www.roma.ladante.it; info@roma.ladante.it

OPENING HOURS: The Secretarial Office is open from Monday to Friday; from Monday to Tuesday from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 17:00 to 18:30 and Friday from 10:00 to 12:30

How to reach us by Public Transportation:

Bus

116: Via dei Prefetti bus stop

70 - 81 - 87 - 186 - 280 - 492 - 628: Lungotevere Marzio bus stop

52 - 53 - 62 - 63 - 71 - 80 - 83 - 85 - 116 - 119 - 492: Largo Chigi bus stop

52 - 53 - 62 - 63 - 71 - 80 - 83 - 85 - 160 - 492: Piazza San Claudio bus stop

226 - 913: Piazza Augusto Imperatore bus stop

Metro

Linea A: Piazza di Spagna metro stop
A kiosk bar in the style of a tram carriage makes for an unusual but popular meeting place in the area of Rome where Aventino converges with Testaccio.

Seating is strictly out-doors, with mismatched tables and chairs and even a swing-seat, tucked away under exotic plants, and illuminated with candles by night.

Tram Depot brings a quirky splash of colour to an area otherwise noted for its busy traffic junction and Rationalist-style post office.

The venue is frequented mainly by Rome residents but also tourists who stumble upon it after visiting the nearby Non-Catholic Cemetery or the Pyramid of Cestius.

Tram Depot serves great coffee, cornetti, sandwiches, smoothies, grattachecca in the summer months, craft beer and cocktails. Open 08.00-02.00, from spring to autumn. No toilet facilities.
Many of the 38 Americans who flew with the French in the Lafayette Escadrille were household names across the United States during WWI. They became famous dueling the Hun in the skies over France and Belgium, first joining the fight in May, 1916, when the war seemed remote and romantic to many back home, and well before the US officially entered the Great War in April, 1917. While other Americans flew for France during this period, it was the Lafayette Escadrille which garnered the headlines, with their flamboyant escapades. The squadron even kept a pair of lion cubs, named Whiskey and Soda, which apparently provided them much relief from the intense stress of combat.

Interestingly, the unit was originally named the Escadrille Americaine, but the name aroused controversy since many inferred it eroded official US claims of neutrality. So the French renamed the squadron after the Marquis de Lafayette, the famed French general who led French forces during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th Century. The Lafayette Escadrille inspired many other American citizens to fly and fight for France during WWI, so many, in fact, that they had to fill out other squadrons. Collectively they were known affectionately as the Lafayette Flying Corps, and often referred to as the founding fathers of American combat aviation. They formed the very nucleus of the U.S. Army Air Service when it was formed in 1918, absorbing the Lafayette Escadrille into its ranks as the 103rd Aero Squadron. In fact, it was the 103rd Aero which became the first official US squadron to see combat in WWI during actions on February 19th, 1918.

Despite the Lafayette Escadrilles fame during and immediately after WWI, their exploits have largely faded from view in the minds of the general public. With that in mind, our partners at AVI-8 have created a cool new watch design inspired by the bravery of the young American volunteers.

In a homage to the Lafayette Escadrille, AVI-8 embraces the true essence of the Flyboy moniker. Young, brash, bold, reckless, but heroic and deeply drawn by a sense of duty as much as adventure  it was indeed the few and the brave of the Lafayette that has given rise to the name that has become synonymous with the AVI-8 timepiece collection. With a sensibly proportioned 43 mm case  the Flyboy has been designed to echo an early 20th century pilot watch, fused with the modern day functionality and precision of the AVI-8 range. A solid 316 L stainless steel case is affixed with a beveled hardened mineral lens thatsubtly magnifies the dial.

With piston like pushers, and finely tuned shape  the case cradles impressive Japanese made Seiko precision sweep hand meca-quartz VK 64 chronograph with date movement capable of accurate split timing measurements and satisfying hand feel of a mechanical movement coupled with the reliability and day to day accuracy of a quartz. The dial is perfectly proportioned well to give both balance and vintage appeal all while offering legibility and clarity in timing readout. Squelette Hour and minute hands work excellently to complete the Lafayette. Strap with genuine leather underlining is handstitched with the famous colour of the French tricolore to pay another subtle tribute to the legend of Lafayette and the heroic band of roguish men from France and America who would comprise this epochal group of airmen. This is a handsome, pilot inspired timepiece leaning on a heroic history yet utterly modern in performance and build.

AVI-8 has also offered WarbirdsNews readers a 20% discount. Just enter the word WARBIRDS in the discount code box during purchase to receive the price reduction. The watch also comes with a free AVI-8 Card Holder. WarbirdsNews wishes to thank our partners at AVI-8 for their continued support. It is through sponsorships such as theirs that we are able to bring our readers so many great articles, so please do check out their fabulous line of aviation-themed chronographs at the link below.

Click HERE to read more about the Flyboy LaFayatette Edition
North 24 Parganas of West Bengal continues to be on the boil after a blasphemous Facebook post by a 17-year-old student.

By Indrajit Kundu: Bashirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal continues to remain tense. Sporadic clashes have been reported from Bashirhat town area, where the RAF has been rushed.

In Baduria, which is the epicentre of the violence, BSF personnel are conducting area domination exercises.

The district police is appealing to people via public address systems to maintain calm and not venture out of their homes.

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Prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 has been put in place in the troubled area.

Internet services have also been suspended here in order to curb the spread of rumours via social media.

About four companies of BSF South Bengal Frontier have been deployed in areas like Bashirhat, Swarupnagar, Baduria and Deganga.

Locals have put up blockages on the road leading to Baduria Police Station. At least six police vehicles were burnt by angry protesters.

District Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukherjee and ASP Abhijit Banerjee, along with a few other cops, have been injured while trying to maintain law and order in the area.

Although police has arrested the teenager who shared the viral defamatory Facebook post that triggered the communal violence in Baduria, protesters say they would settle for nothing less than the 17-year-old's death sentence.

The class 11 student allegedly made a blasphemous post about Prophet Mohammed.

After the post went viral, a mob ransacked his house on Monday night.

Soon after the arrest, large groups came out on the streets in various parts of Bashirhat and Barasat sub-division of the district, protesting against the Facebook post and demanding death sentence for the teenager.

Protestors damaged vehicles and set them on fire.

Also Read:

North 24 Parganas violence: Never threatened Mamata, asked her to ensure peace, says Governor

Angry Mamata hits out at West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi over Bashirhat communal flare-up

WATCH | Woman accused of trafficking girls lynched by mob in West Bengal

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A woman kept her husband's dead body for several months in the hope that he would come back alive.

By Rohini Swamy: A woman, and her children, kept her husband's dead body for several months in the hope that he would come back alive. Vazhayil Sayed had died a few months ago and his family was not seen by the neighbours for several days. The incident took place in Kulathopr in the Mallapuram district of Kerala.

The neighbours reported to the police as they sensed there was something fishy. When the police arrived at the spot, they found Sayed's wife and children surrounded around the corpse.

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Sayed, who was a teacher in the nearby madrasa, died due to illness.

The police have now launched a probe as to how the wife and children survived all this while keeping the corpse inside the house.

ALSO READ:

Rotten dead body recovered from Kerala University campus

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Australian steelmaker and mining group Arrium is set to be sold to the London-based GFG Alliance, ending more than a year of uncertainty for the struggling company.

In a move expected to secure the jobs of more than 5500 workers, administrator KordaMentha announced on Wednesday it had signed a binding agreement to sell Arrium to GFG Alliance, which is owned by the Gupta family from Britain. A price has not yet been disclosed.

Shortly after news emerged of the deal, which remains subject to approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board and the Arrium Committee of Creditors, GFG Alliance executive chairman Sanjeev Gupta indicated strongly that more GFG investment in Australia was likely.

"Looking forward, we will continue to explore opportunities to further grow our presence in Australia in adjacent and complementary industries, including renewable energy, metals and mining," he said.
Martin Shkreli cannot seem to stop talking. Now, federal prosecutors are asking a judge to make him.

Federal prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing Shkreli's fraud trial to issue a rule of silence, arguing that Shkreli has "embarked on a campaign of disruption" and has made "a spectacle of himself and the trial directly on the courthouse grounds."

Shkreli, 34, is a pharmaceutical entrepreneur and former hedge fund manager whose trial in US District Court in Brooklyn on eight counts of securities and wire fraud started last week.

The fraud charges, which Shkreli denies, relate to his running of two hedge funds and a pharmaceutical company. But he is better known for steeply raising the price of the lifesaving drug Daraprim, earning him the moniker "most hated man in America", and for his attention-seeking behaviour on social media.
Mr Jordan said the Plutus revelations had brought the ATO's integrity into question and ruined the career of former deputy commissioner Michael Cranston, who has been charged by the Australian Federal Police following his son's alleged role in the scam.

In a speech on Wednesday, Mr Jordan also zeroed in on the "startling" level of rorting by individuals among $22 billion of work expenses claimed in tax returns. He foreshadowed a boosted focus on compliance among individuals and small businesses and suggested their tax avoidance through deductions likely topped that of large corporations.

The $165 million Plutus tax scandal has "tarnished" the reputation of Australian Taxation Office, tax commissioner Chris Jordan has conceded, saying the wealth allegedly accumulated by members of the syndicate was "staggering".

"I understand only too well we have ground to make up. While we may have had some credits and credibility from the positive changes we have made in the last few years, we have lost a bit of ground with [Operation Elbrus] and our systems outages," Mr Jordan said in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra.

Former ATO deputy commissioner Michael Cranston stepped down from the agency in June. Credit:Peter Rae

"It is at the heart of what we do and that is why I said it has been an ugly process over recent times. It is unfortunate because we have been doing some good stuff."

More than 10 people have been charged in relation to the alleged scam, which the Australian Federal Police have alleged was a conspiracy to divert tax owed to the ATO over the past year. The matter is now the subject of multiple investigations, including an ATO review.

Mr Jordan, tax chief since 2013 and recently re-appointed for another seven years, said the alleged involvement of Adam Cranston, the former deputy commissioner's son, was "difficult to comprehend".
By India Today Web Desk: Scientists from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany have achieved a big feat in the world of lasers this week by developing the world's sharpest laser. The precision of this laser makes it quite useful for a number of applications.

Here is what it can do with its record-breaking precision:

Optical atomic clocks

Radioastronomy

Precision spectroscopy

Testing the theory of relativity

Carry out new precision measurements on ultracold atoms

More about the precision laser:

Theoretically, laser light has only one colour, wavelength or frequency. In reality, however, there is always a certain linewidth

This newly developed laser has linewidth of only 10 miliHertz (0.01 Hz) which is closer to the ideal laser than ever before

Also, the emitted laser light's frequency was more precise than what had ever been achieved before.

What exactly is a Laser?

A laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation

The difference between laser and other sources of light is that laser emits light coherently; in other words, it is a more consistent source of light

Laser light is used in numerous applications in industry including medicine and information technologies

It also brought about a real revolution in fields of research and in meteorology etc.

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Interested in General Knowledge and Current Affairs? Click here to stay informed and know what is happening around the world with our G.K. and Current Affairs section.

To get more updates on Current Affairs, send in your query by mail toeducation.intoday@gmail.com

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Laura Csortan has denied that her old friend Anthony Bell is the father of her daughter, Layla Rose, and that they have become romantically involved following his high-profile split from his wife of six years, Kelly Landry.

"There is no truth to this vicious and hurtful rumour and I am not dating Anthony Bell. He is nothing more than a friend," Csortan told Fairfax Media, after she became upset with a report in The Sunday Telegraph insinuating as much.

Laura Csortan has denied talk of a romantic relationship with Anthony Bell. Credit:Fairfax

Speaking about eight-month-old Layla Rose's father, whose identity is unknown, the 1997 Miss Australia and former Getaway presenter, 40, continued on her Instagram account under a post berating News Corp's story: "No mother, let alone a single mum should be put through an insinuation like this just because they support a friend unconditionally that is of the opposite gender.

"Layla's father is presently living overseas and does not wish to be dragged through the media."
International students are a vital market for WA's multi-billion dollar education sector but new figures for visa applications show a slump in the numbers of people choosing to study in the west.

Official Department of Immigration and Border Protection figures through to April 2017 show WA's student visa grants are down 32 per cent compared to 2015/16, with an 11 per cent drop to May.

Perth is a popular choice for international students - but there are warnings that numbers are down. Credit:Stefan Gosatti

According to Study Perth, a peak body promoting WA to international students, there are around 59,000 international student enrolments each year in WA, contributing significant fees and spending to the local economy.

But Perth-based migration expert Steven O'Neil from Iscah Migration said changes to visa rules by both the federal and state governments are dampening WA's ability to attract international students, and he warns the new figures should be seen as a red flag.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with more details)

By Harinder Mishra

Jerusalem, Jul 4 (PTI) Israels Yad Vashem memorial serves as a mirror to societies as the world is grappling with intolerance, hatred and terror, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust.

Modi was accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israels largest memorial of the Holocaust, among the greatest tragedies in human history as some six million Jews were killed by Nazi Germany.

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The leaders toured the Hall of Names, containing photographs and names of Holocaust victims, and the Childrens Memorial and participated in a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance.

In the visitors book at the memorial, Prime Minister Modi, wrote, "I am deeply moved by my visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is as much a poignant reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago as it is a symbol of the endurance and fortitude of the Jewish people."

"As we deal with conflict, intolerance, hatred and terror in our time, Yad Vashem serves as a mirror to societies around the world. May we not forget the injustices of the past and its devastating toll on humanity. And remembering the past, may we empower our children to make compassionate, just and righteous choices for their future," Modi wrote.

Before departing the Yad Vashem complex, Modi visited the grave of Binyamin Zeev (Theodor) Herzl at the suggestion of Netanyahu.

Theodor Herzl was an Austro-Hungarian journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was one of the fathers of modern political Zionism, a movement to establish a Jewish homeland.

Yad Vashem started as an organisation in 1953 on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance near Jerusalem, as a form of reference to future generations, documenting the memory of Holocaust victims and the history of the Jewish people during the tragic time.

The museum occupies over 4,200 square metres - mainly underground - and emphasises the experiences of the individual victims through original artifacts, survivor testimonies and personal possessions.

Shaped as a prism penetrating the mountain, the new Yad Vashem opened in 2005. Its architecture sets the atmosphere for the nine chilling galleries of interactive historical displays which present the Holocaust in several ways.

The museum leads into the Hall of Names, which contains more than three million names of Holocaust victims submitted by their families and relatives.

The Holocaust was the killing of nearly six million Jews, including some 1.5 million children, by Adolf Hitlers Nazi Germany. Though the persecution of Jews began in 1933, the mass murder was committed during the more than four years of World War II.

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On his arrival, Modi was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu along with the top tier of Israels leadership - known as segel aleph.

Modis three-day visit to Israel is the first by an Indian prime minister to the Jewish state. PTI ABH AKJ PMS

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Zakir Musa, who was expelled from the Hizbul Mujahideen in May, could emerge as the first terror commander of the al-Qaeda in India, say intelligence inputs.

By Ashraf Wani: Expelled Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Musa could be the first terror commander of the al-Qaeda in India. If inputs from intelligence agencies are to be believed, Musa might emerge as the new choice for the global terror outfit.

An engineering graduate from Chandigarh Engineering college, Zakir Musa hails from Noorpora in Tral in south Kashmir and his actual name is Zakir Rashid Bhat.

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He was the successor of Burhan Wani after he was killed in an encounter in July last year.

He was expelled from the Hizbul Mujahideen in May this year when he openly threatened Hurriyat leaders that he would cut off their throats in Lal Chowk and also criticised the Pakistani establishment and Pakistan-backed militants in Kashmir.

10 MORE MILITANTS LEAVE HIZBUL TO JOIN MUSA

Ten more militants have broken away from the Hizbul Mujahideen and joined hands with its former commander Zakir Musa, a top police official told India Today on Wednesday.

According to the police, Musa, who earlier praised the al-Qaeda, is commanding a group of at least 10 militants who were associated with him while he was commanding a section of Hizbul Mujahideen militants. Musa had disassociated himself from the outfit to establish an Islamic Caliphate in Kashmir.

Police have learnt that Musa is trying to induct more militants to his group. Recently, two militants were killed in an encounter in Kakapora area of Pulwama. After tracking a mobile conversation between terrorist Majid Mir and Musa during the Pulwama encounter, the intelligence agencies believed Mir was a part of Musa-led breakaway group.

MUSA's RISING NUMBERS A CONCERN

Security officials see local militant commanders such as Musa's "capable of running" and forming an independent militant outfit as a more dangerous trend as local youths resort to weapon snatching and go for training in the forest areas of south Kashmir.

According to sources in Jammu and Kashmir Police, more youths are joining the ranks of militants, something that poses a challenge for the security forces in the region.

Musa had openly stated his intention to establish an Islamic caliphate in Kashmir in a video message released on 15th May. While announcing his disassociation with the Hizbul Mujahideen, Musa had owed support to Al-Qaeda and thanked the global militant outfit for its support in establishing the Islamic rule. Police have not been able to track Musa's movement even almost one-and-a-half months after he disassociated with the Hizbul Mujahideen.

"Musa is praising the al-Qaeda. He wants to create a radical Islamic State in Kashmir. But, as of now, he is operating independently. He has managed to break away some 10 other militants from Hizbul Mujahideen, who are mostly from Tral and surrounding areas," said a senior police officer.

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TRAL REMAINS HOTBED OF MILITANCY

Officials said that Tral remains the hotbed of militancy and the local forest range provides a cover for the militants to get the training.

Musa as well as two previous commanders of the Hizbul Mujahideen - Burhan Muzafar Wani and Sabzar Ahmad Bhat - are also from Tral area. Both Burhan and Sabzar were killed in separate encounters with the forces.

"We are seeing an increasing number of people in Kashmir who follow Zakir Musa. Even during student protests during the last two months, students were seen carrying Zakir Musa banners. It is a very disturbing trend and shows clearly that his ideology has won him the support of many sympathisers", a top security officer said.

As Zakir Musa went beyond Kashmir to mention global jihad and talk about Indian Muslims when he asked them to stand against oppression in one of his video messages, intelligence agencies believe that he may become the al-Qaeda commander for India and may influence youths in other parts of the country too.

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Also read | Video claims Zakir Musa's Taliban-e-Kashmir provided info to forces about LeT militants killed by Army

Also read | Zakir Musa vs Hizbul Mujahideen: Musa splits parent outfit to float Jammu and Kashmir Taliban

Also read | Was Sabzar Bhatt betrayed by boss Zakir Musa? Intel inputs suggest rift among Kashmiri terrorists

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By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 04, 2017 | 02:06 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY

Donations are now being accepted for the new Heath High School Memorial.

The new memorial will be located across from Heath Middle School and in front of Heath Elementary School. The new design was introduced to the community last month.

Memorial spokesperson Christina Hadley Ellegood said the current memorial is very difficult to see or visit and is in need of major repairs.

Ellegood said the community is being asked to donate money and/or materials so the memorial can be built. The cost of the new memorial will be $80,000. Ellegood said the goal is to have the new memorial built before the 20th anniversary of the shooting on December 1st of this year.

Checks should be made out to: Heath High School Memorial

Donations should be mailed to:

Community Foundation of West Kentucky

P.O. Box 7

Paducah, KY 42002

All donations mailed to Community Foundation of West Kentucky are tax deductible.
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By Adam Morton

Jul. 05, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By Adam Morton Jul. 05, 2017 | 03:00 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was in Paducah on Wednesday to make an announcement about new flood wall protections and maintenance.



In February 2016, City Engineer Rick Murphy went to McConnell's office to ask for help with the maintenance of Paducah's flood wall, but Murphy said the plan had hit a roadblock. At Wednesday's Press Conference held at the Carson Center McConnell said, "Today it is my pleasure to announce the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is directing over $19 million for critical repairs and upgrades to the Flood Protection system." McConnell said the upgrades would include new pump stations across the city.



McConnell said his role in flood protection was to help raise the project's budget authorization cap. "I was also happy to help last year with a $400,000 grant from Delta regional authority." He said. McConnell called Paducah the inland waterway capital of the United States.



In 1998, the City of Paducah began working with USACE to have the Citys flood wall authorized for a cost-sharing program with the federal government. The authorization process has taken several years with the Project Partnership Agreement for the reconstruction project authorized earlier this year.



Murphy, who has been working with USACE since 1998 thanked Sen. McConnell for his support in the project, including his efforts to increase the projects maximum funding cap and his support in moving the project authorization and appropriation forward.



Murphy said, Its a $32 million project which will be cost-shared between the federal government and the local government, 65 percent with the federal government.



The City of Paducahs funding responsibility will be 35 percent, which can be satisfied by a combination of in-kind and cash funds.



The flood wall was built between August 1939 and July 1949. The City of Paducah took over operation and maintenance of the floodwall from the U.S. Army Corps of when construction was completed.










WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S ATTEMPT TO TAKE AWAY CONTROL OF HENDERSONVILLE'S WATER SYSTEM?

LAUNCHED LAST WINTER BY COUNTY COMMISSIONER BILL LAPSLEY.

REP. MCGRADY'S HOUSE BILL "H 718" CREATED A LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMITTEE

AFTER BEING QUIET AND OFF THE FRONT PAGES FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, HENDERSONVILLES WATER ISSUE IS NOT OVER YET

Now that this years work in the General Assembly is mostly over, we can expect---soon---a legislative study committee to be appointed that will look into the rates charged by municipal water systems statewide in North Carolina. That committee will also be looking into the possible transfer of public enterprises, such as local municipal water departments. That legislative committee is supposed to conclude its study and have its findings ready before the General Assembly goes back to work early in 2018.

This is the result of state house bill H 718, introduced by Henderson Countys Representative Chuck McGrady and included in the new state budget.

H 718, and this legislative study, is the end result of the criticism leveled back in March at the Hendersonville Water Department by county commissioner, public engineer, and former water department employee Bill Lapsley. In a lengthy presentation to the full board of commissioners, Lapsley argued, back in March, that 75 per cent of Hendersonvilles water customers live outside the city and are not adequately represented in rate-setting and other water department decisions. His solution was: legislation that would put the Hendersonville Water Department under the control of the seven-member North Carolina Utilities Commission and, essentially, take control away from the elected city council and mayor.

Lapsleys proposal was supported by three of the five county commissioners....Commissioners Hawkins, Edney, and Lapsley...who endorsed that proposed legislation. Commissioner Hawkins referred to Hendersonvilles ownership and operation of its water department as a monopoly.,

The proposal drew swift, strong, and vocal opposition from the City of Hendersonville, that has owned and operated its water system for about one hundred years and will soon, at the request of Laurel Park Town Council, likely be merging the two water systems.

In the three months that followed the stage being set for that epic city-county confrontation, no legislation was introduced to take control of the citys water department away...and H 718, and the upcoming legislative study, emerged instead.

Representative McGrady recently told WHKP News in a text message, I think the city needs to figure out some way to allow 75 per cent of its customers that are not city residents to have some say in the operation of the water department, except where the City of Asheville has water lines that are close by.

The members of this legislative study committee will be appointed by the state house and senate, and McGrady says he expects hell chair that committee. McGrady adds, There are no provisions (in H 718) related specifically to Asheville or Hendersonville...but it could produce legislation.

The City of Hendersonville is reportedly forming an advisory group comprised of local municipalities for input on water department issues.

Much of the controversy over control of Hendersonvilles water department earlier this year goes back to a legislative attempt several years ago to strip the City of Asheville of ownership of its water department. That attempt passed in the General Assembly, but was later struck down by the courts.

So...expect that legislative study committee to be appointed and go to work soon and any recommendations or legislation relating to the City of Hendersonvilles Water Department likely wont be forthcoming before early 2018.

By WHKP News Director Larry Freeman 07/05/17
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The excitement (and the smoke) from the Canada 150 fireworks has mostly dissipated. Now that its a little quieter, its a good time to reflect on what it is that defines us as Canadian.

Its a question that people have been asking since Confederation. Is it our geography? Founding cultures? The mosaic? Humour? Apologetic nature? Health care?

I would like to suggest different criteria: we are what we eat.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS This recipe for Cucumber Mizeria adapted from Madame Benoit Cooks at Home uses dill, but it can be swapped for curry to give the dish a South Asian flavour.

Of all the things that define us and our culture, surely food  and our propensity to adopt and adapt all good things for our plates  must be at the top of the list. If weve struggled to define our national identity, weve had to work just as hard to define what Canadian cuisine is. And its important to do so, not only for our collective identity and how to make the best and most responsible use of our resources, but for matters such as tourism and hospitality.You can not promote what you cannot define.

We can boast a list of good Canadian chefs, both in the kitchen and on television, in this country. They all contribute to our culinary identity.

But I think its fair to say they all owe a debt to one quite brilliant woman: Madame Jehane Benoit, Cordon Bleu chef, restaurateur, cooking-school founder, author, radio and television broadcaster.

Benoit was born in Montreal. She lived her life right in the middle of our contemporary history, bookended by about three decades. She was born in 1904  37 years after Confederation  and died in 1987, 30 years before Canada 150. At the beginning of her life, most farmhouses still did not have electricity. Cars were just coming onto the market. Broadcast radio began in 1921 and she was on the air in 1943, at age 39.

Television had not yet been invented when she was born  although she would become one of the first television chefs, appearing on Radio Canada (and then on CBCs Take 30) in 1952 at age 48, a good 11 years before Americas Julia Child on PBS.

When Benoit died, home computers were just starting to take off.

She saw great change out in the world  and in her kitchen  and she was always excited by it. She embraced kitchen technology and wrote one of the first microwave cookbooks. She was officially recognized for her many contributions in 1973, when she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Benoit trained in France at the Cordon Bleu and she studied food chemistry under Dr. Edouard de Pomiane-Pozerski. She founded her cooking school, Fumet de la Vieille France, in Montreal. She opened the Salad Bar  a vegetarian restaurant  in 1935.

SUPPLIED Canada boasts a lengthy list of great chefs, but its probably fair to say they all owe a debt to Madame Jehane Benoit.

She was a collector of recipes and a writer of some 30 cookbooks, publishing Chocolate Around the Clock in 1941; is well-known for her bestseller Encyclopedia of Canadian Cooking; and finished with her last cookbook, Madame Benoit Cooks at Home, in 1987.

What made her books and broadcasts so important was Benoits interest and appeal beyond her home province. She was genuinely interested in what was available regionally.

Now we call it eating locally, but it was really Benoit who got the ball rolling. You can see it documented in The Canadiana Cookbook (1970)  neatly divided by province, including Yukon and Northwest Territories.

And that brings us back to the question of what is Canadian cuisine? In 1967, Pierre Berton  writing as a diner, not a cook  published The Centennial Food Guide. He struggled with the notion of a national dish, concluding that it made more sense to take a regional approach. That was something Madame Benoit did from the get-go. You can see it in a 1968 episode of Take 30 (watch it here: cbc.ca/archives/entry/cooking-with-clarkson), where she and Adrienne Clarkson  during her broadcasting career, before she became Canadas Governor General  make a traditional Chinese duck in plum sauce. According to Clarkson, Canada has the best ingredients for Chinese cooking.

We are fortunate that we have so much to choose from that is indigenous to this country.

Maple syrup. Salmon. Twwrout. Corn. Beans. Pulses. Strawberries. Blueberries. Saskatoon berries. Wild greens and herbs. Birch syrup. Pickerel. Char. Venison. Duck. Duck. Goose.

Add wheat to the mix and suddenly you have bannock. Then add dairy and you get a plethora of cheeses. Throw in a world of spices and some pulses or legumes and get something new. Culinary adaptivity has always been the marker of Canadian cuisine. Thats what trade and immigration does.

We take two basic ingredients  say wheat flour and potato  add a few culturally-specific variations and make perogies, samosas, cornish pasties, potato pancakes or gnocchi. Well make those dishes out of whats right here. And were not afraid to change them up. Thats important to those of us who cook.

Madame Benoit was important to me because (in spite of the fact I was just a kid) I do have some recollection of seeing her on TV.

Its funny to watch some video clips of her online, to hear and recognize her voice. She was so charming, and Im sure she was an absolute pistol in the kitchen.

Just watch the segment Cooking expert Jehane Benoit whips up a buffet for 20 hungry men . Heres what she had to say about serving them:

I dont think you should ever make a buffet all cold or all hot because its too involved. You should also try to direct your guests in eating the warm dish first and not clutter their plates with everything and then when they are finished with the hot things, then go to the cold things and help themselves. I think its much nicer.

And if you think they are not going to do it, she says as she puts her hand on her hip, just stand at the table and get them to do it.

I remind you  this was a buffet for 20 hungry men (farmhands, no doubt  this was 1964). She wasnt kidding around.

Thats the right attitude for a cook, whether at home or in a restaurant: cook with love, but be the boss.

Madame Benoit Cooks at Home is one of my favourite cookbooks. It is a very personal cookbook, detailing her life and the food she loved best. Reading it, you get a sense of the person she was and the joy she felt for life and for cooking for those she loved. Her prose feels familiar. You can almost hear her Quebecois accent. Her recipes are old-fashioned and wholesome.

This recipe for a cucumber salad is adapted from that cookbook. It has dill, cucumber and sour cream, favourite flavours that appeal to my eastern European roots (transplanted here by immigrant grandparents). Mind you, you could swap out the dill and put a little curry in  kind of like an eastern European version of Indian raita.

What can I say? I am what I eat. Im Canadian.

Twitter: @WendyKinginWpg

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As the Associated Press reported, the Islamic Republic concluded an agreement with a French energy company and a Chinese energy company for the joint development of the South Pars natural gas field, which Iran shares with the Arab nation of Qatar. Meanwhile, Irans state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported that Hossein Jabari Ansari, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and North African affairs, had left on Monday for the fifth round of Syria peace talks, which were expected to take place throughout Tuesday and conclude on Wednesday.

Both of these developments cut against the recent trajectory in American policy, which has pointed to a more assertive stance on Iran, possibly even one that promotes the cause of regime change. They came very soon after a rally in Paris on Saturday organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, wherein members and supporters of the coalition specifically advocated for a popular uprising against the regime by the Iranian people.

It is not immediately clear how the United States will react to the new energy deal signed by Frances Total SA or to the continued Iranian presence at the Syria peace talks. Neither is it clear whether the administration took note of the NCRI rally or is considering establishing a policy that acknowledges or coordinates with the Iranian Resistance.

But what is clear is that the White House has been undermining the new atmosphere of Iranian trade by increasing sanctions on activities like Irans development and testing of ballistic missiles. At the same time, the US military and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, together with each of their local proxies, have been clashing more and more directly as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant loses ground in Syria and Iraq.

More than just reorienting American policy toward Iran, the US has also evidently been encouraging other nations of the world to follow suit. Last week, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley spoke to a meeting of the Security Council in order to once again reiterate the Trump administrations call for more action on Iranian misbehavior and a more direct acknowledgment of Iranian non-compliance with Security Council Resolution 2231, part of which calls upon the Islamic Republic to avoid work on ballistic missiles and other weapons capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

But Haleys remarks had even broader implications than would be suggested by collective action over the resolution. She told the international enforcement body that the continuance of the Iranian regimes destructive, destabilizing behavior will prevent it from ever having a normal relationship with the United States and the rest of the world. This arguably implies that the administration is unwilling to accept the existing Iranian government over the long term. Meanwhile, it certainly expresses an interest in discouraging other countries to attempt such normal reactions, either through trade or by encouraging an Iranian presence at international negotiations like those going on in the Kazakh capital of Astana, regarding the Syrian crisis.

Meanwhile, though, Iranian officials and defenders of the Islamic Republic are using the recent developments with France, China, and the parties to the Syrian talks in order to argue that relations between Iran and the world at large will continue to expand along these lines. The AP notes that the South Pars arrangement is the first such offshore oil development agreement between Iran and foreign powers since the conclusion of the nuclear negotiations in July 2015. This reportedly led one Iranian Member of Parliament to say that the taboo of American sanctions had been broken and that the door would now be open to additional Western investment in the Islamic Republic.

In addition, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh attempted to use the agreements announcement as an opportunity to deny Iranian culpability for the current state of relations between Iran and the US. Specifically, Zaganeh said that Iranian authorities were not standing in the way of American companies entry into the Iranian market, adding, The main obstacle is being created by the U.S. government.

Under the previous American presidential administration, the Treasury Department made a point of telling European companies that they would not be subject to penalties for investing in Iran as long as the nuclear agreement remained in force. This policy gave rise to some criticism by American lawmakers who felt the Obama White House was not only allowing but unnecessarily encouraging US partners to do business with the Islamic Republic. Nevertheless, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accused the US of not doing enough to help Iran recover from the economic difficulties it had faced as a result of a decade of nuclear-related sanctions.

Furthermore, Iran has still not taken any significant measures that would increase the likelihood of foreign and especially American investment. Potential such measures include the establishment of compliance with the standards set down by the Financial Action Task Force. These standards are imposed equally upon all nations and help to assure that international capital is not misappropriated as by being laundered to terrorist groups. Iran is widely acknowledged to be the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism, and the US Treasury has declared it to be an area of primary money laundering concern. Much of this situation is attributable to the fact that the Revolutionary Guards control upwards of half the Iranian GDP while also being the main driver of Iranian terror sponsorship.

This role has been particularly on display in Irans contribution to the Syrian Civil War. And this fact speaks to a major part of the reason why US forces are pushing back against Iranian proxies while the US ambassador to the UN is pushing in favor of more severe sanctions for the Islamic Republic. The IRGC has driven recruitment for Shiite militia groups operating throughout the war-torn country, and has also played a direct role in the conflict alongside those groups. As well as helping to save Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad from overthrow at the hands of moderate rebel groups, these paramilitaries and the IRGC have reportedly contributed to an Iranian project of redistributing the national population and consolidating the Shiite populations in a way that would shore up a supply and transit corridor linking Tehran, the seat of Irans Shiite theocracy, to Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Regardless of the particular role of sectarian populations, the Iranian fixation on establishing this corridor is increasingly obvious, as is the fact that the US and its allies see that project as being adverse to their interests. IranWire published a relevant analysis last week, highlighting the ongoing preservation of the Assad regime is a central priority for Tehran because if Assad goes, it is the end of Irans key ally on the borders of Israel, and that means Irans communication line with Lebanese Hezbollah and the Palestinians would be cut off.

This preoccupation has thrown a wrench in Syria peace talks in the past, and it is likely to do so again. While negotiators for the moderate rebels have walked away from some discussions as a result of Irans intractable position on Assads rule, the Iranians have been accused of violating some agreements they helped to broker, specifically by directing local proxies to either halt the evacuation of civilian populations from rebel-controlled areas or to simply go on attacking the rebels in hopes of preventing them from continuing to pose a long-term threat to Assad after the ISIL militant group has been driven out of the country.

Concerns over Irans ongoing influence in Syria are further amplified by the fact that Tehran and the IRGC are apparently using that conflict as a means of bolstering Iranian strength and the perception thereof, throughout the region. In June, the Iran launched its first missile strike on foreign territory in 30 years, using the already-criticized ballistic missiles in a supposed retaliation against ISIL targets in eastern Syria, following a pair of ISIL terror attacks in Tehran. At least one IRGC general described the strike as sending a message to the US and Saudi Arabia regarding what Iran is capable of.

Shortly thereafter, the National Council of Resistance of Iran held a press conference at its Washington, D.C. offices to provide details about the ongoing expansion of the ballistic missile program following and order by Supreme Leader Khamenei for additional development, manufacture, and testing. The NCRI identified 42 missile sites being run by the IRGC throughout the country, one of which is known to be collaborating with the Iranian institution that had been tasked with weaponization of the countrys nuclear program.

On Friday, Voice of America News supplemented the NCRIs claims with an account of a 550 million dollar spending plan to bolster the Iranian missile program. This is part of a planned increase of the IRGCs overall budget to eight billion dollars. Although that plan has not yet passed, the article emphasizes that it is almost certain to do so, given the depth of IRGC influence over the government. Notably, this has not diminished since the election of supposedly moderate President Hassan Rouhani in 2013, or his reelection in May. His initial election was regarded by some Western policymakers as a sign of hopeful moderation, but that account has been disregarded by the Trump administration as it seeks to highlight and confront Irans destructive behavior in the region and the world.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Even though the majority of the headliners are big Canadian names and the festival falls only a few days after the countrys big birthday celebrations, you wont find the term Canada 150 used at this years Winnipeg Folk Festival.

We decided to not be part of the Canada 150, decidedly, for a bunch of different reasons most of us dont agree with the Canada 150 in the way it is coming to be, and not only that, we have a lot of indigenous partners and its just too political, says artistic director Chris Frayer.

Instead, the festival is simply focused on celebrating Canadian music and musicians  from all genres and backgrounds  and is doing so in a number of ways outside of the CanCon packed Main Stage lineup.

One of the special projects Frayer and his folk fest team have been working on this year is the Canada Far & Wide: Grands Esprits workshop taking place on the Bur Oak stage Saturday, July 8, at 2:15 p.m. Winnipeg folk has teamed up with four other folk festivals  Calgary, Regina, Vancouver and Canmore  to gather a collective of musicians who will celebrate and perform renditions of key songs from Canadas history. They will be curated by the five artistic directors.

Ive always wanted to curate a songbook, like a new Canadian songbook because it hasnt been done in a million years it gave us an opportunity to create a more artistic songbook that was really balanced in terms of gender and ethnicity, says Frayer.

It was an opportunity for us to do something collaborative with the other festivals, who we are very close with it was a fun thing to work on together. And due to the intense popularity of the tribute workshop last year, theres obviously an appetite from our audience to hear cover songs.

Supplied Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers

Supplied DJ Shub

Anchoring the project is a group of three acts  DJ Shub, formerly of A Tribe Called Red, classically trained cellist Cris Derksen and Quebec duo Melisande [electrotrad], who combine traditional, pop and electronic elements in their music. They will travel to all five festivals where they will be joined by different musicians at every stop. Hosts of the Winnipeg event, Choir! Choir! Choir!, will also be at each festival, with the exception of Canmore. Cecile Doo-Kingue, Charlotte Cardin, Old Man Luedecke and Diyet round out the cast of musicians who also will appear here.

Supplied Cris Derkesen

DJ Shub (whose real name is Dan General) is looking forward to touring the festivals with Derksen, whom hes worked with before, and Melisande [electrotrad].

It always seems like when Im around these artists it inspires me to do something, so I cant wait, Im excited, he says, adding hes particularly pumped to get his version of Buffy Sainte-Maries Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee out into the world.

Ive been talking with Buffy Sainte-Marie for a while now, we actually jammed together one day and she was really digging the stuff I was doing and for her to tell me that was crazy, he says.

Since then, the musicians have been in touch, making plans to work together.

I told her I was doing a remix for this songbook for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and she actually sent me stems to work on, like a cappellas and all sorts of stuff, so it was really, really cool. Being able to work on that song with stems like that is amazing, it really boosted the production level for sure, says General.

Though the workshop isnt pegged as a Canada 150 event, the tie-in is unavoidable and General doesnt necessarily see that as a negative thing. Instead, he says it can be used as an opportunity to educate and inspire those in the audience who have the desire to listen.

I think there needs to be different voices when it comes to 150 events. As an aboriginal artist, I may take some flack for doing stuff like this for 150 but at the same time, if our voices arent heard, if were not speaking, if we get this chance to share our culture like this and we dont, we lose that opportunity and we lose that chance to speak to an audience that may be wanting to hear it, he says.

There are going to be people out there who are going to be really interested in what were doing and if we dont step up and give that a chance and express our culture, thats something the people of Canada are looking for, and its going to be lost. I think its an important thing, but I also think its an important thing for aboriginals to voice their opinions against it if they want to.

Supplied Melisande

Another workshop Frayer is excited to roll out is the Hot Rize Travelling Bluegrass Revue, which will take over Big Bluestem all day on Friday, July 7.

Last year, Frayer scheduled a bluegrass album hour at Big Blue @ Night on Friday, which, in hindsight, wasnt the best time or place for that performance, he says.

Thats not what people want from Big Blue @ Night, they want to party. And it really has showed in our tavern sales, we were way down because of the bluegrass thing on Friday last year, he says.

So this year, the four-piece out of Colorado  and their alter-ego band Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers  as well as a few other players theyre bringing along, will man the stage all day with their western-swing-influenced tunes, leaving the evening slots free to be filled by local songstress Begonia (Alexa Dirks), and alt-rock bands Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker.

Then, on Sunday, July 9  in what Frayer refers to as Fridays hangover  Hot Rize will be back on Big Bluestem for a bluegrass album hour where they, and a handful other acts, will run through the Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

The Winnipeg Folk Festival runs July 6-9 at Birds Hill Provincial Park. For more information, including the full schedule and ticket prices, visit winnipegfolkfestival.ca

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @NireRabel

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Supplied Hot Rize Supplied Diyet Supplied Cecile Doo-Kingue Supplied Choir! Choir! Choir! Supplied Old Man Luedecke Supplied Charlotte Cardin
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobas credit unions will incur millions of dollars in added costs and create confusion among their customers if they are forced to comply with a new federal ruling that says they cant use words like bank or banking in describing their services, an industry official said Tuesday.

Garth Manness, president and CEO of Credit Union Central of Manitoba, said CUCM officials dont have an exact estimate of how much it would cost the provinces credit unions to remove those words from their websites, their signage and all of their marketing and printed materials, but it would be in the millions of dollars.

The president and CEO of the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) said there also would be the added cost of trying to educate consumers about the new substitute words  whatever they might be.

Martha Durdin said the association estimates the total cost to Canadas credit unions would be about $80 million to comply with the order, which was issued Friday by the federal Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI).

Thats why the association is asking federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau to either reverse the order, or exempt credit unions from having to comply with it.

The OSFI directive will take effect in stages, with companies required to remove banking references from websites by the end of this year and from printed materials by June 30 of next year.

Durdin and Manness said they dont know why the federal regulator is making an issue of this. They noted credit unions have been operating in Canada since 1908, are government regulated and provide the same lending, deposit-taking and wealth management services as federally chartered banks. Also, they and their customers have for decades been using terms like bank and banking when referring to some of the services they provide, and it was never an issue.

Ottawa is telling credit unions to stop using the words Canadians use to describe the work we do. This rule will prevent credit unions from advertising their business banking services, or even having an online banking button on a website, Durdin said.

Under the OSFIs strict interpretation of the federal Bank Act, the federal government could also lay criminal charges against any credit union that continues to use those terms, she said.

OSFI says it issued the advisory to provide clarity after observing increased use of the words bank, banker and banking by financial service providers that arent banks.

Durdin said the regulator also said its concerned that if it allows the practice to continue, some customers might think theyre dealing with a chartered bank, not a credit union. But shes never heard of a case where that has happened, she said.

The credit unions arent the only ones who are questioning the need for such an order.

Its kind of funny, because these terms have been used for decades, said Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice-president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. It just seems a little ridiculous to us.

Pohlmann said the federation is concerned that forcing credit unions to use different terms to describe services like online banking or mobile banking will cause confusion among small-business owners. So it also plans to write a letter to the finance minister urging him to rethink the order, she said.

Durdin said the association hopes Morneau will make a decision within the next few months.

We dont have a lot of time before we need to think about how we would implement this kind of change. So the sooner the better, she said.

 with files from The Canadian Press

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 04/07/2017 (1956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Newly independent MLA Steven Fletcher said Tuesday he still hasnt been notified in writing that hes been kicked out of the Progressive Conservative caucus.

Fletcher learned about his expulsion Friday morning from the Free Press, and said all hes heard from the party since is a phone call Friday afternoon from caucus chairman Wayne Ewasko.

He has since been booted off the executive council of the provincial party and the board of directors of the Assiniboia riding association  both moves he also learned of from the media Tuesday afternoon.

Fred Chartrand / The Canadian Press Files Steven Fletcher said a provincial law disallowing floor crossing is unconstitutional.

Fletcher said hes planning a Court of Queens Bench challenge of a Manitoba law that prevents MLAs from crossing the floor without going through a by-election.

Its always been on my to-do list, he said. Obviously, its unconstitutional. There are MLAs in all parties who are disgruntled. I will admit Friday put it a little bit higher on my to-do list.

So does that mean?

No, no, no, absolutely not, said Fletcher, who insisted he is both a large-C and small-c conservative, and has no intention of seeking to join the New Democrats or Liberals.

He became aware of the law governing floor-crossing after being elected provincially, and its not the only rule hell challenge. There is a tremendous amount of sloppy legislation in Manitoba, he said.

The caucus expelled Fletcher on June 28.

Fletcher said Ewasko phoned him minutes before Tory backbencher Sarah Guillemard briefly scrummed with reporters Friday on the subject. Guillemard said Fletcher continually failed to abide by caucus principles of confidentiality, support for party policy positions and respect for leadership, colleagues and staff.

She said there were multiple behaviours, multiple events which led to Fletchers removal from caucus, but would not give details.

At 1:33 p.m., 27 minutes before Sarah went out to speak, I had a conversation over the phone with Wayne Ewasko. I expressed my disappointment that I had to hear about this from the media. The whole thing could have been handled much better by the party, Fletcher said.

They were obviously planning this well in advance, and by they, I mean the leader. It was done on a Friday afternoon, before a summer long weekend.

I asked for a written confirmation and with reasons. I have received neither. I want to be clear: I do not harbour ill feeling to anyone in caucus, I like and/or respect them all.

Fletcher said he is still a member of his riding association and has its support. He said he believed he is also still both a member of the party and its executive council.

But late Tuesday, caucus issued a contrary statement from PC Party of Manitoba president Ryan Matthews.

Our party respects the decision of the caucus. Our party constitution stipulates that sitting PC MLAs are given a seat on the PC Manitoba executive council, the release said.

In addition, our partys model constituency constitution stipulates that sitting PC MLAs are automatically a member of the PC board of directors for the constituency they represent in the legislature. As Mr. Fletcher will no longer be a PC MLA but rather an independent MLA, we have notified the Assiniboia PC association that Mr. Fletcher is no longer on the board of that association.

While Mr. Fletcher remains a member of the PC Party of Manitoba, the positions allocated to him as a sitting PC MLA have been revoked. The board of directors of the PC Party of Manitoba reserves the right to review these matters at any later meeting.

Undaunted, Fletcher said hell challenge the party on the basis that, as a former provincial party president, hes guaranteed a seat on the executive council regardless what happens with caucus.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
In the first step, the Islamic Republic should announce its protest and, if necessary, even consider the issue of interrupting relations with Paris, he added.

The regimes expert in political affairs assessed the approach of the French government towards the Iranian regime as non-transparent and hypothetical and said: On the one hand, the French government tries to maintain its economic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and, on the other hand, leaves the field open to the Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK).

He showed his anger at the Iranian Resistance gathering and said: Iranian regime should ask the French authorities to hand over some elements of Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK).

Hanizadeh also expressed his anger at the expansion of the international activities of Iranian Resistance and Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) and said: Now, France has become the focal point of MEKs activities, and the Islamic Republic must take a decisive decision against the falsification and blackmail by Paris and demand the expulsion of Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) from the French soil.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 04/07/2017 (1956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Strongquill with letters he received from Robert in prison.

He was face-to-face with the man who murdered his father. And Ricky Strongquill says his first instinct was to reach out and offer a handshake, which eventually turned into a hug.

Such was the scene that played out late last month in a Langley, B.C., prison, where Strongquill had travelled from Winnipeg to meet Robert Sand.

It was amazing. I just felt liberated, Strongquill, 36, told the Free Press on Tuesday. He first publicly shared his desire to forgive Sand in a Free Press story in May, revealing how he reached out to the prisoner about three years ago with an unsolicited letter. That triggered a number of back-and-forth messages that set the stage for their in-person visit.

He was pretty emotional. I think it was harder for him than it was for me to be in that meeting. I could tell Robert was a little bit nervous, said Strongquill. He told me he still feels shame for what he did, that he still wears that shame. I told him that with me, he doesnt have to feel all that.

CP PICTURE ARCHIVE/HO/Brandon Sun Robert Marlo Sand in this undated police photo, was convicted of first-degree murder in the December 2001 death of Constable Dennis Strongquill.

Strongquill said they spent about four hours together, discussing many of the items theyd previously written to each other about, including their families and how their vastly different paths in life had come to collide. But Strongquill said there was no talk  at his insistence  about what happened on that Manitoba highway back in December 2001 that would forever alter their lives.

I just told him I dont need to know why, that we dont need to bring all that stuff up from the past, said Strongquill. We talked for a good long time. We got to know each other. It was low-key and pretty laid back.

Dennis Strongquill, 52, was gunned down near Russell after a routine traffic stop just days before Christmas. Inside the other vehicle was Robert Sand, his brother Danny Sand and Roberts girlfriend, Laurie Bell. The trio were making their way across the Prairies after committing a string of crimes in Alberta and Saskatchewan. They had several stolen guns in their possession, which Robert turned on Strongquill in the deadly ambush.

Danny was killed days later by a police sniper who was staked out on the roof of a Saskatchewan motel, while Robert and his girlfriend would give themselves up to face justice. Robert was convicted of first-degree murder following a jury trial in Brandon and given a life sentence with no chance at parole until 2026. He was the one who pulled the trigger and killed Strongquill. Bell was found guilty of manslaughter for encouraging the attack and being along for the ride. She was ultimately sentenced to 10 years behind bars, which she completed in 2011.

Ricky said he lived with plenty of anger and hatred towards his fathers killers for years  something he attributes to leading him on a downward spiral in the years that followed that includes drug and alcohol abuse that nearly cost him his own life.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ricky Strongquill says his murdered father, Dennis Strongquill, would be proud of him for forgiving killer Robert Sand.

He describes himself as a ticking time bomb who finally decided to face his demons  which included coming to grips with what happened to his father. In order to move forward, he decided to reach out to Sand through his letter. He initially didnt tell his five siblings.

His first letter was forwarded to Sand through David Gustafson, executive director of the Community Justice Initiatives Association in British Columbia. The organization works with families of crime victims and offenders who are open to a restorative justice approach as part of the healing process.

Sand eventually responded with an emotional letter of his own in February 2014, expressing remorse for what hed done and commending Strongquill for his stance.

You and I have a couple things in common I noticed after reading your letter, Sand wrote in that initial reply to Ricky. I also havent missed a single day without thinking of your father, my brother and everything that happened in those dark days. Ive lived a life of many regrets but the loss of our loved ones and the widespread trauma I caused is by far my biggest.

Additional letters followed and Strongquill uses the word friendship to describe what he now has with Sand. His sister, Teresa, eventually followed his lead and wrote her own letter of forgiveness to Sand, then went to visit him in person in March 2016. Other siblings have not been as supportive.

When their visit last month was over, Sand handed Strongquill a bracelet to take home with him. They promised to keep in touch, including plans for another visit.

I said its like were becoming friends here, ultimately helping one another to heal, said Strongquill. His life is now in much better order as he is in a full-time relationship and set to graduate from the culinary arts program at Red River College. Hes also been sober for more than a year.

Throughout the process, hes often worried about what his father might think. Hes always come back to the conclusion that he believes Dennis would be proud. Strongquill said that feeling was confirmed after leaving the B.C. prison and stopping in a nearby park adjoining a lake to process what had occurred.

An eagle, perched on a rock eating a fish, was staring at him. HIs fathers traditional name had been Eagle Man.

I got that surge of emotion. I felt like my dads spirit was around me, he said.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @mikeoncrime
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Manitoba chief is calling on the chief commissioner of the National Inquiry for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls to step aside and make room for someone else to get hearings started.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson said Tuesday the resignation of British Columbia Judge Marion Buller may be the only way to get the troubled inquiry back on track.

Im calling on the lead commissioner to resign from her post as a sign of restarting the whole process of the missing and murdered indigenous womens inquiry, North Wilson said by phone from Ottawa.

The inquiry has held a single set of hearings since its appointment nearly a year ago and is currently on break for the summer. Four senior staff have left in the last month, amid months of public complaints the inquiry is too slow and has left families and relatives of the victims out of the process.

On Tuesday, North Wilson was meeting federal officials in the office of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett before flying back today.

Ottawa set a tight timeline when it unveiled the inquiry in August 2016, directing the commissioners to file an interim report by Nov. 1, 2017, and a final report by Nov. 1, 2018.

After months of inaction, it doesnt look like the process is working, the Manitoba chief said.

How can they actually produce a report when they didnt reach out and meet with families, at all? They had one session and then they broke for the summer. Where are they going to get their material from for that report? North Wilson said.

The process is hindering the work that needs to get done, to get answers for the families.

North Wilson said shes never met Buller  who was appointed the first female First Nations judge in B.C. in 1994  and means no disrespect, but the process would be better served by a lead commissioner with grassroots connections that families recognize and respect. In contrast, Bullers roots are grounded in the legal system.

Shes the lead of the commission and shes the one whos obviously setting the tone. And by the number of people who are resigning and walking away from it, and families, too, walking away from it  it goes to her leadership style and its not what the commission needs, North Wilson said.

We need a woman who has connections, who already has established relationships with families and knows the issue inside and out. And we need that quickly.

If we dont change the course now, the problems only going to get worse. We know the numbers of missing and murdered indigenous women are increasing, the chief said.

Advocates, including North Wilson, argue without effective action to overturn prevailing social attitudes which marginalize them, Indigenous women will continue to be targets for abuse.

Thats both from Canadian society and even within our own community: Our women are not valued as much as they should be. Thats the biggest challenge, North Wilson said. This is too important an issue to let it fall by the wayside like this.

The inquiry emailed a definitive and terse statement in response to North Wilsons comments.

The National Inquiry for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls values the input that we continue to receive from the Indigenous community, including from families, survivors, leaders, and advocates. That being said, the national inquiry will not provide comment about the opinions of others, spokeswoman Bernee Bolton wrote.

The inquiry also dismissed the staff turnover as normal, mentioning only the last executive to quit.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police have charged a third suspect in a manhunt that triggered last weeks lockdown in Portage la Prairie.

RCMP issued a warning June 27 to all city residents to stay indoors after learning an armed suspect was on the loose. School authorities responded by locking down local schools.

The alarm was lifted shortly after they captured the three suspects, including one who was shot by police.

Matt Hermiz photo Portage la Prairie RCMP officers stopped a stolen vehicle at Pankos Food Store and were informed there were firearms inside the car.

RCMP said Wednesday they now have charged a man in addition to the two women they arrested that day. All three face numerous charges in connection with the incident in the city 100 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

Jordan Brent Myran, 24, of Long Plain First Nation faces 22 separate charges, including armed robbery, arson and numerous firearms offences.

Deidra Marie Merrick, 29, and Tina Mabel Grace Daniels, 37, both of Winnipeg, face armed robbery and firearms offences.

The provinces Independent Investigation Unit, which scrutinizes all incidents that involve peace officers where injuries or deaths occur, is also investigating the case.

The incident happened June 27 when RCMP responded to a call of a stolen vehicle that was reported to have driven to Portage and found and arrested two women in suspect vehicle outside a local grocery store.

A man eluded authorities, escaping on foot, reportedly with an armed long gun.

Thats when police issued their alert to stay indoors and authorities locked down local schools.

RCMP caught up with the gunman just east of Portage on the Trans Canada Highway. He was shot during the course of the arrest, which triggered the inclusion of the provinces watchdog on police actions.

The gunman was taken to hospital in Winnipeg with non-life-threatening injuries.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fear is likely behind racist slogans spray painted on road signs and buildings in Neepawa after Canada Day, says the head of local resettlement agency.

I would say, these actions are based in fear. They are based in ignorance. Theyre coming from a complete lack of a good and healthy relationship with these new neighbours and a lack of willingness to understand another person, said Dorota Blumczynska, executive director of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, the provinces non-profit resettlement agency for immigrants and refugees to Manitoba.

Racism against newcomers isnt new, but articulating it so openly is happening more often, she said.

SUPPLIED Neepawa RCMP said vandals defaced four locations.

Neepawa RCMP Sgt. Mark Morehouse said vandals defaced four locations in the aftermath of Canada Day festivities in that town, 190 kilometres west of Winnipeg on Highway 16.

Racist and hate-filled graffiti was spray painted on two buildings near the local park that had been the focus of Canada Day 150 celebrations the previous day. The town highway signs and the local Royal Canadian Legion building were also defaced.

The slogan on the towns welcome sign on Highway 16 read Land of the G  using a slur against South Asians. G go home and F the Queen and F the government were scrawled at the other three locations.

The vandalism has unsettled the town of about 4,600.

Its probably somebody mad at the Filipinos in town; theyre upset with them, and there was also stuff about the government and the queen, Morehouse said.

It could be someone who got fired from HyLife (the hog plant), or never got hired, or a kid, but we dont take this lightly. This is racism in our town.

Neepawa has ridden a wave of change recently, with new businesses, jobs and an influx of growth since a hog processing plant opened about five years ago.

About 1,000 immigrants, mostly from the Philippines have moved to the area, altering this town, perhaps best known as the birthplace of Canadian literary figure Margaret Laurence.

Laurence wrote about ethical perspectives on life in a colonial state and the racial tensions that erupt out of it. Those tales of tension between Metis and European settlers and their descendants formed the plot of her best known book, The Stone Angel, set in the fictional Manitoba town of Manawaka.

Fast forward 60 years or so and the world is in the midst of a global migration thats moving so fast, its upended settled patterns of life, especially in small towns.

Its no wonder people on the fringes are feeling displaced even if theyre not swept up in the migrant wave directly, Blumczynska said. Who would have ever imagined that closing borders would be a topic of everyday conversation, she noted.

I would rather give people the benefit of the doubt, that this isnt entirely absolute hate. I think its coming from a place of fear, of the unknown. Maybe jobs are scarce, maybe resources are scarce and theres a sense of people having to compete for those limited resources, Blumczynska said.

An immigrant herself, Blumczynska has lived in Canada for 30 years.

Whats changed in recent years is peoples response to current geopolitics, such as the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Brexit vote and the influx of migrants to Europe, she said.

The feelings are maybe more polarized than they ever have been before. And theyre also more articulated. In these times global migration has taken such a front page in the lives of everyone, she said.

I just recently came back from Germany and I was in the middle of downtown Berlin, and in the middle of light post there was a tiny sticker that said, Refugees and their families are welcome here.

And I thought, How far have we come. There is so much welcome all over the world, and its regrettable that sometimes these misguided acts take centre stage.

I bet whats happening in Neepawa is there are incredibly welcoming people who are meeting their new neighbours, who are becoming friends and want to make sure their community celebrates everything thats Canadian. That includes diversity and inclusion, and this overshadows all that good will, Blumczynska said.

Whoever spray painted the slogans gave it some thought.

The RCMP officer said it took a ladder to reach the towns welcome sign to deface it.

Initially, town leaders didnt think the spray paint could be scrubbed off and worried it would cost thousands of dollars to repaint it until a local employee came up with a cleaning solution that worked.

The town has a local citizens patrol program thats now on the lookout for vandals, Morehouse said.

The RCMPs regional detachment in Neepawa is altering its shifts to run more overnight patrols, he said.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What better way to mark the 150th year of Canadas confederation than by taking steps to co-exist with our national animal?

Beavers can be a handful for land managers: they can quickly change an environment, creating wetlands, diverting waterways and felling trees, as was pointed out in a recent article by Bill Redekop (Dam those beavers, June 23). But the benefits these incredible engineering feats provide, while not immediately visible, have long-term advantages for local ecosystems and the planet. And that means its vital to find a balance between their industrious activities and our agricultural or industrial use of land.

The primary concern for many managers is the construction of dams that can lead to flooding, particularly of agricultural lands or infrastructure. Removal of dams, or of beavers themselves, is the traditional response, though history has shown this to be short-term, costly and ultimately ineffective. Beavers will return to ideal lodging sites due to availability of resources (including the ability to dam), and as keystone species, their role in the ecosystem warrants protection. Thats where flow devices come in.

MIKE APORIUS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Beavers can quickly change an environment.

Systems of fencing and piping that can be built from hardware store materials, flow devices can create a situation where flooding or water levels are managed safely and beavers are able to remain in place, creating a stable population and providing their ecological benefits. They can also be used to stop damming from taking place, which is particularly helpful when managing roadside culverts. There are three primary types of pond levellers that can be made by managers.

Pond levellers work by putting a large pipe through an existing dam (which the beavers quickly repair and seal into place). One end is surrounded by a fence to protect it from large debris and curious beavers, then sunken into the pond-side. The other end exits out the back of the dam, where the beavers cant plug it and allows water to pass through. This allows water to naturally move through the dam, but can be adjusted so the pond remains at a certain height (allowing for the beavers to access their caches, lodges, and so on).

Exclusion fences work by using the beavers building style against them. A trapezoid-shaped fence is built out from the spot the beavers would try and dam, frequently culverts, which forces them away as they move sticks into position. They are excluded from accessing the culvert and are unable to build across the water flow, quickly giving up.

Combo devices are the marriage of exclusion fences and pond levellers, and are used when a bit of both types of device are necessary.

When properly installed, these devices have success rates exceeding 90 per cent over a five-to-10-year span. Each device costs as little as $400 in materials (frequently materials that municipalities already have on site from other projects), and can take as few as two or three hours to build, with minimal maintenance over their lifespan.

The Fur-Bearers have built approximately 50 devices across British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, both for private land owners and municipalities, and are returning to Alberta later this year to co-host a second training event for municipalities, non-profits and individuals.

We understand the frustration of land managers facing the damage caused by beaver damming. We have seen the success of the devices and would be thrilled to consult with municipalities or non-profits who are interested in adding co-existence to their management toolbelt.

More can be learned about these co-existence strategies, along with videos, and a soon-to-be-published beaver co-existence ebook, at TheFurBearers.com.

Adrian Nelson is manager of wildlife conflict for The Fur-Bearers, which was founded in 1953 as the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals. It works to end the commercial fur trade and promotes co-existence with wildlife.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/07/2017 (1955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last Thursday, the Liberal government gave Canadians a pre-Canada Day gift in the form of a clarification on our military role in Iraq. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan joined Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland at a press conference to announce the extension of the Canadian Armed Forces advise and assist mission until March 2019. That revised end date was unfortunately about the only thing that is now clear about Canadas commitment of troops to Iraq.

Since 2014, Canada has deployed special forces personnel to assist Kurdish militia in the battle against the Islamic State group. This effort is part of a U.S.-led coalition operation to wipe out IS evildoers. Unfortunately for this hodgepodge collection of allied forces, the only unifying goal they share is eliminating the threat of IS.

Once that objective has been achieved, every one of these disparate militias  be they Shiite factions, secular Sunnis or Canadian-trained Kurds  is prepared to fight the other for the spoils.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANDIAN PRESS FILES The Canadian government says it will keep troops in Iraq for at least two more years, but doesnt describe what it hopes to achieve within that time frame.

The Kurds that Canada supports make no secret of the fact they are fighting for an independent state. Masoud Barzani, the warlord-turned-elected-president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), has declared that a referendum on independence will take place this September.

This will, of course, prove an awkward situation for our government, as it has always been Global Affairs Canadas stated policy to support the sovereignty of a unified Iraq.

Our soldiers on the ground  with permission granted by none other than Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance  have been recklessly flaunting Canadas stated foreign policy by wearing the flag of Kurdistan on their combat uniforms. Vances explanation  that our wearing of Kurdish flags helps to foster goodwill between the Kurdish soldiers and the Canadian trainers  borders on the absurd: Canadian soldiers should not be wearing foreign flags on their uniforms, especially when that flag is a symbol of a breakaway non-recognized state.

In the joint Sajjan-Freeland announcement, it was stated that Canada will not be solely in support of the Kurds as the war in Iraq moves into the next post-IS phase. According to the Liberal government, the Canadian military now has the option to train new potential partners within the Iraqi security forces. If that is the case, then someone better tell our soldiers to take off their Kurdish flags.

It will be interesting to see just which faction or factions Canada chooses to support. Elite soldiers in the Iraqi army loyal to the regime in Baghdad were recently found guilty of vicious war crimes committed during the battle in the city of Mosul, and the Shiite militia has an equally sullied reputation for committing atrocities. There are no white-hatted good guys in the complex factional violence that has gripped Iraq since the U.S. invasion of 2003.

This is the other thing that was notably bizarre about the announced extension. The Canadian government acknowledges that we will keep troops there for at least two more years, but it makes no attempt to even describe what we hope to achieve within that time frame. There is no goal, no objective, no explanation of what victory will look like.

It is simply a promised commitment to keep Canadians in harms way for a set period of time. Just like our repeated mission extensions in Afghanistan, there is not even any hint that those running this war expect to be successful anytime soon.

Offsetting the announced extension of the mission in Iraq was the confirmation that, despite pressure from NATO, Canada will not be sending troops back into Afghanistan. Given that there is just as little hope for a successful conclusion in Iraq, that decision is not very comforting.

We are not sure who we will be training in Iraq and we have no idea what we hope to achieve there, but we do know we will stay until March 2019, and that we will spend $378 million doing it.

How do you justify extending a war when you cannot describe what victory will look like?

Scott Taylor is the founder and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. He is a bestselling author and award-winning documentary filmmaker.
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.

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?

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 percent and stayed there.

Hes still backed by more than 80 percent of Republicans, and that should count for something. But he hasnt even mobilized his own base to help the health care 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 health care 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, his power as president is already eroding.
Hit and run  Saturday at 4:09 p.m., someone reported that her/his vehicle was hit while parked in the 700 block of Grove Street.

Theft  Saturday at 6:20 p.m., items were stolen from Recheks Food Pride, 609 N. Spring St.

Drugs  Sunday at 12:25 a.m., a mother told police that her son brought marijuana into the house in the 200 block of West Third Street.

Suspicious  Sunday at 1:09 a.m., police searched for a man running around by construction trailers located in the Cooper Street and Roller Avenue intersection.

Fight  Sunday at 2:56 a.m., a man was found with a bloody nose in the 300 block of North Spring Street. Police met with another man and both refused to file charges.

Disorderly conduct  Sunday at 3 a.m., a woman told police that intoxicated people were trying to enter her residence in the 400 block of Madison Street.

Intoxicated person  Sunday at 3:15 a.m., someone was arrested near the Wall Street and Madison Street intersection and cited with driving a vehicle while intoxicated.
Forty-four states and the District of Columbia have refused to provide certain types of voter information to the Trump administration's election integrity commission, according to a CNN inquiry to all 50 states.

State leaders and voting boards across the country have responded to the letter with varying degrees of cooperation -- from altogether rejecting the request to expressing eagerness to supply information that is public.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which President Donald Trump created by executive order in May, sent a letter to all 50 states last Wednesday requesting a bevy of voter data, which he notes will eventually be made available to the public.

The order came months after Trump claimed without evidence that millions had voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election. When states began to express concerns about the legality of his administration's efforts to investigate voter fraud, Trump called them out on Twitter on Saturday, questioning whether they were hiding something.

"Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?" Trump tweeted.

The information the commission is seeking includes registrants' full names, addresses, dates of birth, political parties, the last four digits of their social security numbers, a list of the elections they voted in since 2006, information on any felony convictions, information on whether they were registered to vote in other states, their military status, and whether they lived overseas.

The vice chairman's letter twice requests only "public" voter information, and Kobach clarified the specifics of his request Friday: "Every state receives the same letter, but we're not asking for it if it's not publicly available," he told The Kansas City Star.

Kobach also told CNN's Anderson Cooper last week, "Whatever a person on the street can walk in and get, that's what we would like."

Kobach cited a Pew Center on the States study from February 2012 that called for revisions of state voter registration lists.

"The Pew Center estimated last year that 1.8 million deceased people are still on the voter rolls throughout the states," Kobach told Cooper. "They said that's an estimate. They think it's a low estimate. Now, for the first time, we can actually bounce the states' voter rolls against the Social Security administration's own database to find out how many of those people actually are on the voter rolls."

The Kansas secretary also addressed the criticism from several secretaries of state over the past few days that the commission might be seeking to legitimize Trump's assertions that widespread voter fraud cost him votes last November.

"First of all, the commission is not to prove or disprove what the President speculated about in January," Kobach said. "The purpose of the commission is to find facts and put them on the table. Importantly, it's a bipartisan commission."

But the commission, which is chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, seemed to misunderstand voter privacy laws nationwide. Every state that responded to the commission's letter said it could not provide Social Security numbers, for example. Others said they consider information such as birth dates and party affiliations to be private.

What's more, Kobach asked states to supply the information through an online portal. Many states have rejected this specific request, noting that the commission should file a voter information request through established state websites, as any other party would.

As of Tuesday afternoon, two states -- Florida and Nebraska -- are still reviewing the commission's request. Another two states -- Hawaii and New Jersey -- have not returned CNN's request for comment. And while six states are still awaiting a letter from the commission, four of them -- New Mexico, Michigan, South Carolina and West Virginia -- have already pledged not to provide voters' private information. The other two of those six states, Arkansas and Illinois, have not released statements ahead of receiving the letter.

Just three states -- Colorado, Missouri and Tennessee -- commended Kobach's attempt to investigate voter fraud in their respective statements.

"We are very glad they are asking for information before making decisions," said Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, a Republican. "I wish more federal agencies would ask folks for their opinion and for information before they made decisions."

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, also a Republican, echoed Williams' sentiment in a statement Friday: "The commission's questions are fair and we will be glad to assist in offering our thoughts on these important matters," he said. "I look forward to working with Sec. Kris Kobach and the commission on its findings and offer our support in the collective effort to enhance the American people's confidence in the integrity of the elections process."

Other states were more critical. Nineteen openly criticized the commission's request.

"The President's Commission has quickly politicized its work by asking states for an incredible amount of voter data that I have, time and time again, refused to release," said Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, a Republican, on Monday afternoon. "My response to the Commission is, you're not going to play politics with Louisiana's voter data, and if you are, then you can purchase the limited public information available by law, to any candidate running for office. That's it."

Mississippi's Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, also a Republican, took the criticism a step further.

"My reply would be: They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from," Hosemann said in a statement Friday. "Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our state's right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes."

Three state leaders also raised doubts about the integrity of the commission itself, and many questioned the existence of widespread voter fraud.

"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 Thursday. "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."

"Given Sec. Kobach's history we find it very difficult to have confidence in the work of this Commission," Connecticut Sec. of State Denise Merrill, also a Democrat, said in a statement Thursday, pointing to what she alleged was Kobach's "lengthy record of illegally disenfranchising eligible voters in Kansas."

As Kansas' secretary of state, Kobach backed a national cross-referencing system to allow states to check their voter rolls for overlaps, which drew criticisms that the system was too prone to allowing legitimate voters to be purged from voting systems. Kobach also fought unsuccessfully in court for the ability to require verification of citizenship on voter registration forms.

State of Play: Where do the states stand?

Alabama: "This office will not share any information not already available to the public. ..." Secretary of State John Merrill said in a statement Friday. "The Secretary of State's Office will comply with the request if we are convinced that the overall effort will produce the necessary results to accomplish the Commission's stated goal without compromising the integrity of the voter rolls and the elections process in Alabama,"

Alaska: The Division of Elections will release only public information, according to a press release from Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott Friday. "State law allows only some information to be public. Public information does not include: last four numbers of SSN, date of birth, or residence address," among other data.

Arizona: "We will only make available the same redacted information that is available to the general public through a public records request," Secretary of State Michele Reagan said in a statement Friday. "Social security numbers, Date of Birth and identifying information such as Mother's maiden name will not be transmitted. Arizona's voters can expect to have their personal information remain private and safe."

Arkansas: "We have not yet received a letter. When we do, we will review it," Assistant Director of Communications and Education Chris Powell told CNN Monday, adding, "We're keeping an eye out for it."

California: "I will not provide sensitive voter information to a commission that has already inaccurately passed judgment that millions of Californians voted illegally. ..." Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a statement Thursday. "California's participation would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud made by the President, the Vice President, and Mr. Kobach. The President's Commission is a waste of taxpayer money and a distraction from the real threats to the integrity of our elections today: aging voting systems and documented Russian interference in our elections."

Colorado: "We are very glad they are asking for information before making decisions. I wish more federal agencies would ask folks for their opinion and for information before they made decisions," Secretary of State Wayne Williams said in a press release Thursday, which noted that his office will release voter-roll information that is public under state law but withhold data that is confidential.

Connecticut: "Given Secretary Kobach's history we find it very difficult to have confidence in the work of this Commission," Secretary of State Denise Merrill said in a statement Thursday.

District of Columbia: "The best thing I can do to instill confidence among DC residents in our elections is to protect their personal 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," DC mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.

Delaware: "Releasing this information to the White House would not serve the mission of safeguarding the fairness and integrity of elections in Delaware and would not be in the best interests of Delaware voters," said State Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove said in a statement Monday. Sec. of State Jeffrey Bullock echoed the sentiment in the same statement: "Delaware will not be a party to this disingenuous and inappropriate campaign against one of the nation's foundational institutions."

Florida: "We have received the letter. We are reviewing it," Director of Communications Sarah Revell told CNN Monday. The Florida Senate, meanwhile, has written letter in opposition to the commission's request.

Georgia: "The Georgia Secretary of State's Office will provide the publicly available voter list," Press Secretary Candice L. Broce told CNN Friday. "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."

Hawaii: No response to CNN.

Idaho: "We are interpreting this as a public records request from the Commission," Secretary of State Lawerence Denney said in a statement Monday. "As such, Idaho law requires me to respond ONLY with the non-exempt public records available under the request." The statement also noted that "while additional information is requested in the letter (such as driver's license and the last 4 of a voter's social security number), that information is NOT considered public and Secretary Denney could not be compelled, outside of a specific court order detailing the need for and intended use of such data, to provide that information under Idaho Public Records statutes."

Illinois: The Illinois State Board of Elections has not yet received the letter, a spokesperson told CNN Monday.

Indiana: "Indiana law doesn't permit the Secretary of State to provide the personal information requested by Secretary Kobach," Secretary of State Connie Lawson tweeted Friday. "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.

Iowa: "We will follow that process if a request is made that complies with Iowa law. ..." Secretary of State Paul Pate tweeted Friday. "However, providing personal voter information, such as Social Security numbers, is forbidden under Iowa Code."

Kansas: "Only "publicly available" information will be shared with the Commission," Secretary Kobach's spokeswoman Samantha Poetter told CNN Friday. "Any person in Kansas can obtain it. It is the basic information -- name, address, etc. -- not the sensitive information like last four SSN. That information is not publicly available, and therefore it is not part of the request."

Kentucky: "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. ..." Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said in a statement Friday. "The president created his election commission based on the false notion that "voter fraud" is a widespread issue -- it is not. Indeed, despite bipartisan objections and a lack of authority, the President has repeatedly spread the lie that three to five million illegal votes were cast in the last election. Kentucky will not aid a commission that is at best a waste of taxpayer money and at worst an attempt to legitimize voter suppression efforts across the country."

Louisiana: "The President's Commission has quickly politicized its work by asking states for an incredible amount of voter data that I have, time and time again, refused to release," Secretary of State Tom Schedler said in a statement Monday. "My response to the Commission is, you're not going to play politics with Louisiana's voter data, and if you are, then you can purchase the limited public information available by law, to any candidate running for office. That's it."

Maine: "Maine citizens can be confident that our office will not release any data that is protected under Maine law, to the commission or any other requesting entity," Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said in a press release Friday. The statement noted that Maine law allows the release of the voter's name, year of birth, residence address, mailing address, voter status, voter record number and any special designations indicating uniformed service voters, overseas voters or township voters, but not Social Security number.

Maryland: "The assistant attorneys general representing SBE have considered the request and have determined the disclosure is prohibited by law," Attorney General Brian Frosh said in a tweet Monday, adding in a second tweet, "I find this request repugnant; appears designed only 2 intimidate voters and 2 indulge the President's fantasy that he won the popular vote."

Massachusetts: 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, Communications Director Brian S. McNiff told CNN Friday.

Michigan: "As in most other states, Michigan law does provide for disclosure of some basic public voter information," Secretary Ruth Johnson's office said in a Facebook post Monday. "Political parties, candidates and news organizations routinely request and receive this data. State law for decades has allowed anyone to review voter lists to ensure election integrity. ... Michigan will certainly not go beyond what is legally required in any response to this data request, and we are highly sensitive to people's desires to keep what is private as private."

Minnesota: "I will not hand over Minnesota voters' sensitive personal information to the commission," Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a statement Friday. "As I've said before, I have serious doubts about the commission's credibility and trustworthiness. Its two co-chairs have publicly backed President Trump's false and irresponsible claim that millions of ineligible votes were cast in the last election. They, along with other recent appointees, appear to have a strong interest in steering the commission toward their predetermined conclusions and outcomes. I fear that the commission risks becoming a partisan tool to shut out millions of eligible American voters."

Mississippi: "My reply would be: They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great State to launch from," Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said in a statement Friday. "Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our State's right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes."

Missouri: "The commission's letter asks for 'publicly-available' information, which we would share with any person or organization making an open records request,"Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in a statement Friday. "We will protect Missourians' private information. The laws of each state are different, and in Missouri, some of the data requested by the commission is open to the public. We plan to comply by providing publicly-available information per state law. The commission's questions are fair and we will be glad to assist in offering our thoughts on these important matters. I look forward to working with Sec. Kris Kobach and the commission on its findings and offer our support in the collective effort to enhance the American people's confidence in the integrity of the elections process."

Montana: Secretary of State Corey Stapleton won't release voters' birthdays or Social Security numbers to the president's commission on election integrity, director of elections and voter services Derek Oestreicher told the Independent Record Friday.

Nebraska: "The Secretary of State has not had a chance to review the request submitted," a spokesperson told CNN Monday.

Nevada: "While this request has understandably raised concerns with privacy advocates, voter registration information in Nevada is generally available for public inspection under state law, including name, address, date of birth, and whether the voter participated in a prior election," Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske said in a statement Friday. "Election officials in Nevada do, however, collect certain information that is not considered a public record under state law and is therefore not available for public inspection. This information includes: Social Security Number; Driver's License Number; DMV Identification Card Number; and Email Address."

New Hampshire: "There's no information (here) someone can't publicly get anyway," Secretary of State Bill Gardner told the Concord Monitor Friday. "People have the right to purchase it, only what's public by law."

New Jersey: No response to CNN.

New Mexico: "My office has not yet received the letter from President Trump's election commission requesting the personal information of New Mexico voters," Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a statement Friday. "That being said, I will never release the personally identifiable information of New Mexico voters protected by law, including their social security number and birthdate. Further, I will not release any other voter information like names, addresses or voting history unless and until I am convinced the information will not be used for nefarious or unlawful purposes, and only if I am provided a clear plan for how it will be secured."

"It seems to maybe be a fishing expedition or a witch hunt of some kind, and I'm very concerned about that," Toulouse Oliver said Tuesday on CNN's New Day.

New York: "The electoral process is sacred and New York law has strong safeguards in place to prevent sharing of sensitive voter data and harassment against those who exercise their right to vote...New York refuses to perpetuate the myth voter fraud played a role in our election...We will not be complying with this request and I encourage the Election Commission to work on issues of vital importance to voters, including ballot access, rather than focus on debunked," said Governor Andrew Cuomo in a statement Friday.

North Carolina: "Integrity of our elections is critical, and a recent State Board of Elections investigation already found there was no evidence of significant voter fraud in North Carolina," Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement on Twitter Friday. "My staff has told the State Board of Elections that we should not participate in providing sensitive information beyond what is public record as it is unnecessary, and because I have concerns that it is an effort to justify the President's false claims about voter fraud."

North Dakota: In an email to CNN Friday, Deputy Secretary of State Jim Silrum said: "We will answer those questions on the survey that North Dakota law allows us to answer."

Ohio: "After each of the last three federal elections, I instructed the bipartisan boards of elections to conduct a review of credible allegations of voter fraud and voter suppression" Secretary of State Jon Husted said in a statement Friday. "The results of this review is already in the public domain and available to the Commission. Additionally, voter registration information is a public record and is available online. The Confidential information, such as the last four digits of a voter's Social Security number or their Ohio driver license number is not publicly available and will not be provided to the Commission. 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. Every Sec. of State in the country should welcome the opportunity to describe what they do to ensure the integrity of the elections in their respective states."

Oklahoma: "Full or partial Social Security numbers are not publicly available under Oklahoma law," said Bryan Dean, public information officer for the Oklahoma State Election Board, in an email to CNN Friday. "We will provide the Commission with the publicly-available information they requested, just as we would anyone who requested the information. We are required to provide public information upon request under the Oklahoma Open Records Act. We commonly get requests for our voter list. I would estimate I get at least two or three requests per day for it. We have instructions available on our website for requesting that data."

Oregon: "Oregon policy prohibits disclosure of some of the information you requested, such as social security numbers and drivers' license numbers ..." Secretary of State Dennis Richardson said in a letter Friday. "It is my duty to follow these statutes. Oregon law provides that any person may receive a statewide list of electors upon payment of $500. It is a violation of Oregon law for voter registration data to be used for commercial purposes."

Pennsylvania: "In addition, I have serious reservations about the true intentions of this effort in light of the false statements this administration has made regarding voting integrity, the historical suppression of voting rights, and the way that such data has been used in the past ..." Gov. Tom Wolf said in a letter Friday. "That said, like any citizen, you are welcome to purchase the publicly available voter file from the Pennsylvania Department of State. It can be purchased at pavoterservices.pa.gov for $20."

Rhode Island: "We are reviewing Secretary Kobach's request for information" Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea said in a statement Friday. "I will safeguard the privacy of Rhode Island voters and respond only with data that is already publicly available. I will not release social security information or any information that was requested by Secretary Kobach regarding felony status, military status, or overseas citizen information."

South Carolina: "By law, the SC Election Commission maintains the list of registered voters for all 46 counties (1/3) ... They are required to make the list available to the public upon request and Social Security numbers are never disclosed (2/3) ... Constitution ensures voters ballot choices will always be secret. Americans have died protecting this freedom (3/3)," Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted in a string of statements Monday. According to The Post and Courier, however, South Carolina officials had not received a letter from the commission as of Friday. A senior official confirmed to CNN Monday evening: "The SC Elections Commission is responsible for the data but the governor is supportive of making all public information available to the president's advisory committee. All information that is readily available to the general public should be made available to the committee."

South Dakota: Secretary of State Shantel Krebs' spokesman, Jason Williams, said in an email to the Associated Press that Krebs "will not share voter information with the commission."

Tennessee: "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," tweeted Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

Texas: According to the Associated Press on Friday, Texas election officials will provide public voter information to the election commission. While Secretary of State Rolando Pablos didn't list what records would be sent to the commission, he said in a statement he will protect private information.

Utah: "Ensuring the integrity of the election process is the highest priority of my office," Lt. Gov. Spencer J. Cox said in a statement Friday. "There has been no evidence of mass voter fraud in Utah and we look forward to helping the federal government better understand the steps we have taken to ensure the security and validity of Utah's elections. ... While my office is required to provide public records to this Commission, as we would to any other person or entity, I assure the voters of Utah that we will only provide information that is otherwise available to the public."

Vermont: "I wholeheartedly disagree with premise of this Commission: namely, that there is widespread voter fraud," Secretary of State James C. Condos said in a statement Friday. "There is no evidence of the kind of massive fraud alleged by President Trump, Vice President Pence or Secretary of State Kobach. 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. ... My focus is to protect Vermont citizens from bogus attacks on our democracy. I will not release any more information about Vermont voters than is available to any citizen requesting our voter file."

Virginia: "I have no intention of honoring this request," Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a statement Thursday. "Virginia conducts fair, honest, and democratic elections, and there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in Virginia. This entire commission is based on the specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November. 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."

Washington: "We are required by law to provide public records upon request," Sec. of State Kim Wyman tweeted Thursday. "Other requests from fed elections commission will be considered thoughtfully. ... Info that is NOT public record=your SS# (even last 4), DL #, phone #, email, language preference. We ensure this info remains private."

West Virginia: "Number one, we've never received a letter," Secretary of State Mac Warner's communications director, Mike Queen, told the Charleston Gazette-Mail Friday. "Number two, we can't see whether every state has received a letter, I don't know what states were selected or anything like that, but we haven't received it. Number three, we would never release Social Security numbers."

Wisconsin: "Wisconsin statutes do not permit the state to release a voter's date of birth, driver license number or Social Security number," said Michael Haas, administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said in a statement Friday. "State statutes permit the WEC to share confidential information in limited circumstances with law enforcement agencies or agencies of other states. The Presidential Commission does not appear to qualify under either of these categories. The WEC does not have the discretion to deny a request for the public information in the voter registration database if the required fee is paid. By administrative rule, the price is $12,500 for the entire statewide voter file, and Wisconsin law does not contain any provision for waiving the fee for voter data."

Wyoming: "I'm going to decline to provide any Wyoming voter information," Secretary of State Ed Murray told the Casper Star-Tribune on Monday. "It's not sitting well with me. ... Elections are the responsibility of states under the Constitution. I'm wondering if this request could lead to some federal overreach. ... I have not experienced any secretary of state who has expressed any concerns or worry about fraud or some type of nefarious activity occurring that jeopardizes their respective election process."

This story is being updated as new information comes in, and added background on the origins of the commission.
An article in Track Persia, a Platform run by dedicated analysts who spend much of their time researching the Middle East, outlines the story of Abdol Amin, 19, who left his home in the Foladi Valley in Bamyan, one of Afghanistans poorest provinces, to find work in Iran two years ago. Millions of Afghans, some with refugee status, live in Iran.

Two-thirds of the population in Bamyan Province lives on less than $25 a month. The poverty and lack of opportunity forces thousands of young Afghans from Bamyan to travel illegally to Iran in search of work.

Many, like Mr. Amin, end up fighting others peoples wars.

Mr. Amin earned about $200 a month working as a bricklayer and used some of his savings last year to go to Iraq with a group of fellow refugees for a pilgrimage to Karbala.

After his pilgrimage, Mr. Amin couldnt find work when returned to Iran. He lived with the constant fear of being deported. Iran isnt our country. It belongs to strangers, Mr. Amin said. Either you suffer and try to make some money or you die. However, the Iranian authorities presented Mr. Amin with an interesting solution. He could gain legal status in Iran with a 10-year residency permit and a monthly salary of $800, if he would join the fight to protect the shrine of Sayyida Zainab in Syria.

Regarding Afghan fighters in Syria, Haitham Maleh, a Syrian opposition leader, addressed a letter to President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan on June 2016. He requested an end to the influx of Afghan fighters. Afghan clerics have spoken out against the Iranian strategy due to the high number of Afghan deaths in the Syrian war. Estimates put the number of Afghans killed in Syria around 600.

According to Track Persia, Iran has poured billions of dollars into Syria, brought in Hezbollah fighters and began raising Shiite militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other places with significant Shiite populations. Iran does want to protect the major Shiite shrines in Damascus, Aleppo and Raqqa, but the use of foreign Shia militias in the Syria war was simply another fork in the larger battle for control and influence in the Middle East run by Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps elite Quds Force.

Ayatullah Khamenei Meeting Families Afghan martyrs March 2016 - English Sub

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Khamenei Meeting Families Afghan martyrs March 2016

They add, In the past few years, Iranians have expanded the recruitment to undocumented Afghans, like Mr. Amin, recently arrived from Afghanistan in search of economic opportunity. Apart from the refugees economic anxiety and precarious legal status, the Iranians exploit the Shia faith of Afghan refugees to recruit them to fight for the Assad regime in Syria.

Iran framed the Syrian war to these refugees as a Shia struggle for the defense and protection of the faith and its holy sites. The fighters have little or no knowledge of the political-security context into which they are marching, said Ahmad Shuja, a former researcher with Human Rights Watch. They do not speak Arabic, most of them have never been beyond Afghanistan or Iran, many are barely literate, most are devout Shiites.

Irans Revolutionary Guard trained Mr. Amin and various Afghan recruits of the Fatemiyoun Division. Afghan recruits are used as the first-wave shock troops. We would be the first in any operation, Mr. Amin recalled. Postings on the Telegram app, by Afghan fighters in Syria recount the Afghans being sent to fight the most difficult battles and speak about heavy casualties among Afghan fighters and the eventual victory after multiple assaults.

The bodies of slain Afghan fighters were paraded around the streets of Tehran and in Qom, in northern Iran, in elaborate ceremonies before their burials. Both Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and General Suleimani have visited the families of Afghan militiamen killed in Syria and expressed gratitude for the sacrifices their sons made for defending the holy shrines and Islam, writes Track Persia.

Mr. Amin returned to Bamyan two months ago, after being wounded in Aleppo. He had a 10-year Iranian residency in hand and the promise of a home in Iran, or in postwar Syria, if he wishes to live there. A majority of Afghans who fought in Syria have stayed in Iran. But, Mr. Amin has returned to his life as a subsistence farmer. I came back because I wanted to see what would work out better. If things are good here, I will stay. If they get worse, then I will go back to Iran, but now I dont have to worry about deportation, he said.
After a long career in EMS service, its time for Bob Butler to take a break.

Butler celebrated his last day of work for Reedsburg Area Ambulance Service June 30. He joined the service seven years ago and has been the captain of a crew. Leaving will not be an easy thing for him.

Im pretty much done, Butler said. Well my license runs out June 30, and whether Ill come in and do some fill in time starting in September, its a possibility. I havent decided yet.

Butler decided to become an EMS worker after being inspired by workers who saved his son.

My son was four days old and home from the hospital for four hours and he quite breathing, Butler said.

He baptized his son in the sink and called 911. The ambulance service arrived within a minute and went to work.

What they did to get him to breathe, I dont know, Butler said. But I have a son who is alive and doing well and my aspect was always, what you can give back when EMS has given you your son? That was always my motivation

His work has had him travel from North Dakota to Michigan, Wisconsin and Montana. He said the local area will be his permanent home, as most of his children and grand children are in Wisconsin. His wealth of experience was valuable to the Reedsburg service.

When we were just starting out as a brand new paramedic service he was able to help us and share his experience and expertise in the field of emergency services, said Ambulance Director Josh Kowalke. Hes been a real asset to the organization, even though hes been with a us a short time hes greatly appreciated and respected amongst all kinds of community members.

He will spend retirement serving his two Lutheran churches and having a large amount of family interaction.

Butler and his wife Cindy have had over 50 foster children in their home over the years, and have three currently. He also has two grandchildren ready to move into his home.

He is ready for a new change, despite the rewarding aspects EMS provides.

I love to walk into a house and see the relief that somebody is here to help and the trust that is placed into your hands and knowing you can make a difference not only for the health of the person, but also their emotional well being, Butler said.




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Digitisation experts explain benefits for nuclear

05 July 2017

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Advances in digital technologies are enabling energy companies, including nuclear power utilities, to increase efficiency, cut unplanned downtime and improve the reliability of equipment, software providers told a recent conference in Moscow. ASE Group, Fiatech, GE, IBM and Siemens explained the value to the industry of using 'big data', the Internet of Things, 'digital twins' and other computing innovations.

Executives from these companies spoke at the session titled Digital future: the next step in the development of nuclear technologies at the Atomexpo conference and exhibition on 20 June. Delegates heard about the latest technologies and processes in 'digitisation' - the conversion of text, pictures, or sound into a digital form that can be processed by a computer. These included ASE Group's Multi-D, Fiatech's Productivity Advancement Targets (PATs), GE's Predix, IBM's Watson and Siemens' Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).

Richard Crisp, director of systems engineering at IBM Internet of Things, said: "We know nuclear power is advancing. There are many challenges with introducing new technology and there are many challenges with the constraints you have in this particular industry. But it's based on science and technology, so we have to provide the heavy-duty computing to allow you to get the insights of that data. As human beings, we can't process that data by ourselves. If you train the computer to help you, then you can do your job much more efficiently."

A report issued by the World Economic Forum in June last year, Electricity: uncovering value through digital transformation, estimates there is $1.3 trillion of value to be captured globally between 2016 and 2025. This report says that by "leveraging the building blocks of digitisation" - such as service platforms, smart devices, the 'cloud' and advanced analytics - utilities could increase the asset life cycle of infrastructure, optimise electricity network flows and innovate with customer-centric products. New pools of value could also be tapped 'beyond the electron' by harnessing big data across sectors, it adds.

Multi-D

ASE-Group, the engineering subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, says its Multi-D system ensures the efficient management of all life cycle stages of a nuclear power plant. Rosatom has said it can also be used in other capital construction facilities.

The technology won the international CETI award last year in the mega-project category. Established in 2006 by Fiatech, the Celebration of Engineering & Technology Innovation awards recognise significant achievements in technology research, development, and implementation in the capital projects industry.

Stuart Young, managing director of Fiatech's Europe & Middle East business unit, said Rosatom could "become the driver" for Russia's economic development through its work on digital solutions such as Multi-D.

Multi-D includes more than 30 data-based tools, one of which is a "shared information space" that site designers, builders, suppliers, customers and regulators, among others, can access, Vyacheslav Alenkov, director of systems engineering at ASE Group, said. These tools are already providing "tangible conclusions" on the duration and cost of on-site construction work, he added.

Multi-D produced "real results" for the Rostov nuclear power plant construction project, he said, and the system is being "rolled out" across ASE Group's portfolio of orders.

"The ASE Group of Companies is oriented not only to the nuclear industry, but also works on data extension to be used by other industries and sectors of the economy," Alenkov told the conference. "Everything that can be digitised should be digitised," he said, "but it's really important that this platform brings added value rather than exists as just another IT-system."

PATs

One of Fiatech's own "leadership Initiatives", Young said, are the 12 PAT opportunities it has developed, "along with identification of over 400 organisational behaviours and practices conducive to enabling success". PATs span all facets of the capital projects industry, industry segments and life cycles, he added.

"Organisations are constantly struggling to establish systems-thinking approaches to how work is defined and performed, in the hope of becoming more efficient and effective. The massive scale, complexity, short life cycle, and subtle stakeholder interdependencies has made sustainable solution finding a major barrier. With that in mind, Fiatech members have been rethinking why compelling improvements with the potential for significant industry benefits, emerge with enthusiastic interest, only to rapidly fade away.

"Generally, it is felt that most improvement initiatives focus on a specific aspect of an enterprise's operation and involve a few functions and a handful of stakeholders. As a consequence, these efforts consistently lack context, lack sufficient visibility and support, and do not have sufficient breadth of stakeholder engagement to ensure full acceptance and long-term viability."

Every PAT "represents a purpose, an objective, and an improvement destination expressed in economic terms", he said. PATs are led by multiple owner/operators and EPCs "working in concert" to provide the motivation, knowledge, expertise and consistency needed to ensure that strategies are complete, organised, and viable, he said.

To provide insight and enable organisations to conduct effective self-assessments, each PAT is expressed through a series of success enablers. These success enablers provide the spring-board for identifying and developing viable solutions. For example, PAT #3 Through Interactive Project Planning aims to capture a 25% improvement in project cost and schedule predictability.

Digital twins and Predix

Sanjay Chopra, global leader for Energy Practice, Presales Solution Architects at GE Digital, described work with digital twins and GE Predix. Digital twins are computerised "companions" of physical assets that can be used for various purposes. GE Predix is a cloud-based PaaS (platform as a service) to enable industrial-scale analytics for asset performance management (APM) and operations optimization by providing a standard way to connect machines, data, and people.

"GE counts itself as a 125-year-old 'start-up' because we are always transforming ourselves. We needed to re-engineer ourselves in the digital world and started this process about five years ago. We looked at how to get more productivity from our own industrial activities using big data analytics," Chopra said. "Then, about three years ago, we took the assets we'd developed in our engineering world to our customers. For example, in our Monitoring & Diagnostics Center, in Atlanta, where we monitor over 2000 turbines for over 500 customers, we started to use our replications to support our clients. And about two years ago we said that, if we can do this for our customers, then we can do it for the rest of the world."

He added: "We took our Predix platform, all the physics space models that we had, the digital twins that we'd built, and put them out into the market and said, we're going to make these available for everyone."

To enable the "democratisation" of its analytics, GE had to change its own "DNA and culture", he said. "We had to start looking at things, not just from the perspective of an engineer, but from the 'art of the possible'. To do that, we had to bring dreamers into the company, the kind of people who could explore the art of the possible. In addition to that we started to look at different business models, at how to monetise [digital processes]."

He added: "Today, when we talk about the energy value network, electrons are flowing bi-directionally; we've got distributed generation; we got variable electricity being generated through renewables. But it's not only electrons that are flowing bi-directionally: data is too. We've got a lot more sensors on the network and our customers are actually becoming sensors. Today the figure is about 3 trillion IP-enabled devices out there in the world. That means we've got the potential of 3 trillion sensors which we can take data from and use to run data analytics. Some of those are in the plants and some of those are with our customers."

Referring to the WEF report, Chopra highlighted the importance of APM.

"There's still roughly about $378 billion worth of opportunity for savings that are out there. How do I maintain my asset? How do I look to reduce my O&M costs? How do I extend the life of those assets? And then I need to look at how to operate these assets according to a different economic model.

"Today people are looking at a centralised baseload, but we're going into a more distributed energy market. How do I start to manage my assets in that world? I still need to make money out of them. It's still roughly about $2 trillion worth of societal benefit in terms of how do we make sure we have reliable and safe and secure access to electricity for our customers, how do we make sure that cheap electricity is also available in areas where there is no electricity today? Those are the big areas we need to focus on.

"We deliver those through a new model. Rather than the traditional models of localised compute power, we're looking at how to leverage data science; how to leverage the Cloud to do high-scale analytics; how to create models which we can interact with; how to talk to a digital model, to a digital twin of an asset, and understand how it's operating; and what we need to do to optimise it and to make money out of it. This is something we need to do across the electricity value network and not just on the generation side. It's a model that follows all the way from the turbine right down to the toaster."

A number of GE customers are yielding benefits from digitisation in their markets, he said. For example, GE's clients in the nuclear industry are now saving about $2000 per MWh in terms of O&M costs. "So even though customers are very mature in terms of how they maintain and operate their plants, there's still a lot of value that can be realised from these assets."

No unplanned downtime

GE's "vision" with digitisation is "focusing on 100% no unplanned outages and downtime for our assets and for our utilities", he said.

In terms of the thermal performance of plants, GE is using big data analytics and closed-loop analytics.

"For example, at steam plants we have optimised the combustion process by monitoring and changing 75 parameters every minute. No human could make those changes to get those kind of benefits," he said.

"In nuclear we've been focusing a lot on our digital twins and how to get advantage from assets where there's criticality; how to keep those up and running, and how to get early warnings around those. For example, we mined data from the nuclear power plant outage database in the US, as well as the data we have at our centre in Atlanta, and we came up with the major failure modes around the assets we see in our industry. We started to develop the digital twins and analytics to ensure that we get early warnings out of those," he said.

A digital twin can be used, for example, to provide early warning of a fault on a condenser.

"We worked with a client on pattern modelling and statistical analysis to reduce the early warning of when a failure with the assets was going to occur to about one day. We then built up a digital twin, which increased that one day to ten days before the failure would happen. Our research centre is now working to extend that to 30 days. The earlier you have a warning of something taking place, the earlier you can start planning for that outage and ensure that you don't have any unplanned downtime," he said.

Chopra urged delegates to be "action orientated" and not see digitisation as a "paper-based exercise".

"Take real-life examples in your business and say that's what I'm going to use for digitisation. And remember: there's no such thing as bad data because, once you start using it, you'll understand the level of quality you're going to need in your data. Never look for 100% quality because you'll never get started. Secondly, you need to have a way of understanding the quality level at the source and try to fix it at the source. Don't try and fix it as it's being fed into the data analytics platform because, by that time, it's too late. And always look at patterns of data."

IBM Watson

IBM Watson is a cognitive system enabling a new partnership between people and computers. In the industrial world, the IBM Watson IoT Platform can continually monitor incoming information in real time and based on what it 'knows' and is continually learning, to understand current conditions, what's normal, what's not, determine trends, and suggest actions.

Crisp described his role at IBM as to "look at the data and information you've been managing over the last 20-60 years and to find new ways of using heavy duty computing, cognitive computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence to solve the problems that have not been solved yet". One of these problems, he said, is bad data.

"There's nothing wrong with bad data, but the human brain makes us differentiate between good and bad data. So why don't we train the computer to do that for us because that's what cognitive computing and artificial intelligence will bring to us tomorrow," he told delegates. "As the Millennials join your companies, they're going to want to use different tools and techniques than the ones you've been using. My hypothesis is they will need cognitive computing, that they will want to exploit artificial intelligence," he said.

IBM has "invested heavily", he said, "in a new division to exploit this computing capability and we call it the Internet of Things".

"The word is full of sensors - cars, aircraft, entire cities are full of them. But we humans cannot consume that data and we need to rely on computers. And we need to apply advanced analytics and cognitive computing to be able to manage that data," he said.

"In the first phase of any project design, we're all used to using computer aided design systems, we all have configuration and change control, but how do we apply best practice and lessons learned from the maintenance and operations phase back into design? In the future, with heavy duty computing providing new insights, you should be able to feed the root cause or the effects of some of the problems you've got in operations back into the design," he said.

"For the asset management part of the life cycle, you would look to feed data providing insights that would improve efficiency, cost and commercial profitability back to the design teams. We've talked about the digital twin and about integrating these different systems. So, we have the capability and the technology. So now you've got that data supposedly joined up, but what are you doing with the data? How are you getting the metrics and providing the insights into your design, maintenance and operations teams? This means teaching the computer to recognise good data and to ignore bad data. And then on the good data, provide the insights, the trends, the metrics, the insights that your operators, maintenance and design teams need.

"The idea is we can have a continuous improvement and take into account not just the design, but the maintenance, safety, liability and environmental constraints. With cognitive computing, we can help analyse and provide insights into those trends and data."

For example, cognitive computing, the Internet of Things and advanced analytics can be used to predict the degradation of wind turbine blades and thus reduce downtime, he said. Another example is IBM's work with Siemens on Industry 4.0 and the Smart Factory.

"Rotating machinery is a good example, where perhaps a bearing is wearing out and starting to vibrate and if you've got a sensor and you're able to capture that data, then you can predict when it's going to fail. It's taking the human out of the loop and letting the computer do the work to provide the insights. Then the human can intervene."

PLM

Danila Torop described Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Digital Factory Division, that "works collaboratively with its customers to provide industry software solutions that help companies everywhere achieve a sustainable competitive advantage by making real the innovations that matter".

Its PLM software provides the "innovation platform through which manufacturers incorporate extremely high data volumes from complex products at high speeds, analyse them and make them available to all participants", he said.

"PLM can replace multiple and disconnected design data management platforms with a global team centre," he said. "Such a centre would manage design data that is currently managed as personal files with the risk of losing information," he added.

Siemens implements a Collaborative Product Development environment when the existing SAP system is "overburdened" in support of design, manufacturing and service operations, he said. It can also reduce the design cycle time through automation whenever the product development period is "longer than desired", he added.

"PLM is a key differentiator for many companies in the energy industry and Siemens has seen huge advantages from it," he said. "Energy is a critical industry for PLM and continues to drive investment."

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by World Nuclear News

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Progress being made at Rooppur site, says IAEA head

05 July 2017

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Bangladesh is making significant progress in building its first nuclear power plant, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Yukiya Amano said following a visit to the site of the Rooppur plant on 3 July.

Amano at Rooppur (Image: S Kamishima / IAEA)

During the visit, senior officials briefed Amano on the implementation status of the preparatory activities on the site and the review process for issuing a construction licence for the plant. They also explained the role of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) in ensuring safety and security requirements.

Rooppur's two reactors will be based on a modified version of the NPP-2006 VVER (pressurised water reactor), designed exclusively for the site on the eastern bank of the river Ganges 160 km from Dhaka. Russia agreed to build the Rooppur plant in an intergovernmental agreement signed in 2011, and agreed to provide $500 million to finance preparatory work including engineering surveys, and is to provide future loans to finance the actual construction project. The foundation stone was laid at the Rooppur site in October 2013 after Russia and Bangladesh signed an initial contract on the construction of the plant. The two countries signed a general contract for the project on 25 December 2015.

In a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Amano appreciated the strong political commitment, the public support, and the cooperation by Russia as important indications of the advances made at the plant. He underscored the IAEA's commitment to assist Bangladesh in achieving sustainable development using nuclear science and technology, in particular the safe and secure use of nuclear energy.

Bangladesh has received significant IAEA assistance for the review of nuclear laws, preparation for adhering to the international legal instruments, the development and review of regulations and the assessment of sites. The IAEA sent an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission to the country in 2011 and an INIR follow-up mission last year.

During his visit to Bangladesh, the country's foreign minister Abdul Hussan Mahmood Ali gave Amano a copy of an instrument of acceptance of the Amendments to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

BAERA issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin. First concrete is expected to be poured shortly, marking the official start of construction of the units. The first reactor is expected to begin operating in 2023.

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Moon urged to halt South Korean nuclear exit

05 July 2017

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been urged to consider the climate and environmental impacts of phasing out the use of nuclear energy in the country. Moon used the permanent shutdown of Kori unit 1 last month to outline his intended nuclear energy phase-out policy.

Moon was one of seven candidates in the May presidential election who signed an agreement in March for a "common policy" for phasing out the country's use of nuclear energy. At a ceremony on 19 June to mark the permanent shutdown of Kori 1, he said plans for new power reactors will be cancelled and the operating periods of existing units will not be extended beyond their design life.

An open letter to Moon signed by 27 international scientists and conservationists - including climate scientist James Hansen - calls for Moon to reconsider his policy. It says, "If South Korea withdraws from nuclear the world risks losing a valuable supplier of cheap and abundant energy needed to lift humankind out of poverty and solve the climate crisis."

The letter notes there is strong consensus among climate policy experts that an expansion of nuclear energy is needed to achieve a significant reduction in carbon emissions and improvement in air quality.

"Over the last 20 years, South Korea has earned a global reputation for its ability to build well-tested and cost-effective nuclear plants," it says. "South Korea is the only nation where the cost of nuclear plant construction has declined over time. And in the United Arab Emirates, South Korean firm Kepco has proven it can build cost-effective nuclear power plants abroad just as it can at home."

The signatories to the letter claim a nuclear phase-out in South Korea would "profoundly undermine efforts" by Kepco to compete for nuclear new build contracts abroad. "Buyer nations would rightly question why they should buy nuclear plants from a nation phasing out its nuclear."

"Solar and wind are not alternatives to nuclear," the letter states. Given the intermittent nature of solar and wind and South Korea's land scarcity, replacing the country's nuclear power plants would require a significant increase in the use of coal and/or natural gas. This would prevent South Korea meeting its climate commitments and would increase air pollution.

"Instead of phasing out nuclear, we encourage you to lead an effort to both make nuclear even safer and more cost-economical than it already is through the development and demonstration of accident-tolerant fuels and new plant designs."

The signatories "strongly encourage" Moon to "deliberate with a wide range of energy and environmental scientists and experts" before making any final decisions.

Academics oppose shutdown

Publication of the letter came as a group of several hundred South Korean university professors and scholars also called on the president to drop his nuclear phase-out plans.

The group has called for the government to "immediately halt the push to extinguish the nuclear energy industry that provides cheap electricity to the general public", according to the Yonhap news agency.

Some 410 professors - including those from Seoul National University and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology - called for the phase-out plan to be carried out only after extensive deliberation, not only by government officials by also by industry experts.

Moon has cited concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants due to earthquakes as one reason for the phase-out policy. However, the academics argue that South Korea's plants are capable of withstanding any kind of earthquake that may hit the Korean Peninsula and there is little chance of a Fukushima-like accident happening there.

South Korea has 24 power reactors in operation with a combined generating capacity of 22,505 MWe. Together they provide about one-third of the country's electricity.

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Western colonialism is a political and economic phenomenon in which numerous European countries compete to control, conquer, and exploit other countries. By the end of the 20th century, Europeans had colonized nearly 80 percent of the world. There are a few countries that avoided Western colonialism, below youll these countries encounters with Western colonial powers.

Read MoreThe British Empire

Bhutan

The Potala Palace, a dzong fortress in Lhasa, Tibet

Bhutan was formed as an independent nation after an uprising led to its separation from the Tibetan Empire around the year 1634. The British Empire had its eyes on Bhutanese territory, and the two states were involved in multiple conflicts over the next two hundred years. The last such conflict, known as the Duar War, ended with the British Empire controlling nearly a fifth of Bhutanese territory by 1865. However, Bhutan managed to retain independence from the rest of the country, and this was recognized by the British Empire in the 1910 Treaty of Punakha. The treaty stipulates that the British recognize Bhutan as an independent nation, but maintain control of its foreign policy. India inherited this power over Bhutan two years after Indian independence in 1947, and the arrangement continues today.

Iran

Battle of Khushab (1857) by Illustrated London News

The British Empire never colonized Iran but maintained control over many of its resources during different periods in history. After the Anglo-Persian war in 1857, Irans ruling Shah granted many concessions to the British Empire, including the rights to the cultivation and sale of all Persian tobacco. This concession was canceled after a mass protest movement in the country and was a catalyst for the Persian Constitutional Revolution of 1906. The revolution established an Iranian parliament and curbed the powers of the Shah, who was closely allied with British interests.

Furthermore, the British Empire owned most of the countrys oil via the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. It was only in the 1950s that Iranian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, nationalized the company. In response, the UK and USA helped organize a coup in cooperation with the Shah. The country remained firmly within Western spheres of influence until the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Read MoreThe Longest Wars Ever To Be Fought In Human History

Nepal

Bhimsen Thapa's troops, right, at Segauli, 1816, with India Pattern Brown Bess muskets and chupi bayonets

During the early 1800s, Nepal and the British Empire were competing for territory and influence in the Indian Subcontinent. Eventually, Nepals ambition for expansion clashed with British economic interests, prompting the Anglo-Nepalese War following failed trade negotiations.

The war ended with the British Empire controlling much of the Nepalese territory. However, Nepal maintained its status as an independent nation.

Read MoreWhat Is The Indian Subcontinent?

China

The Battle of Palikiao (Baliqiao) took place on 21 September 1860 during the Second Opium War (1856-1860)

Chinas major confrontation with the British Empire came in the form of The Opium Wars. The British Empire was heavily reliant on China for its tea and was able to balance its trade by exporting opium, which many Chinese merchants and citizens were addicted to. Eventually, the Chinese government banned the sale of opium due to the negative political, economic, and social effects of the drugs. The strict enforcement of the ban dealt a severe blow to the coffers of Britains merchants.

This opened the door for Britains invasion of China over two large wars known as the two Opium Wars. The two wars ended with China signing several humiliating treaties granting trade concessions and territory to Western powers, namely the UK, France, and the US. Most famously, the UK took control of Hong Kong as a result of its victory over China.

Japan

1854 Japanese print depicting the perry expedition

Fearing the Wests continued expansion and colonization, the ruling Japanese government enacted the policy of Sakoku in 1633, isolating Japan from the rest of the world. Japanese nationals for banned from travel and foreign nationals were prevented from entering Japan. Trade with outside powers was severely limited in a bid to protect Japans sovereignty. The policy lasted for nearly 220 years and was only ended by a US military expedition known as the Perry Expedition.

The Perry Expedition was led by Commodore Matthew Perry, who was ordered by President Fillmore to end Japans Sakoku and open its markets to the outside world. Perry traveled to Japan with a large military fleet to intimidate the Japanese into opening their ports to the US, allowing for more trade with Western powers.

Korea

Lithograph depicting British-Indian force storming the fortress during the Battle of Ghazni, 23 July 1839

Korea was never colonized by Europeans, but by Japan in 1910. Japans 35-year-old colonization of Korea was among the most short-lived as it was one of the last countries in the world to be colonized. Korea had a strong resistant movement within its borders, but the Japanese country was able to suppress it.

Korea was liberated from colonization upon the surrender of Japan during the Second World War as Manchuria, a Japanese colony, was being invaded by the Soviet Union. The US dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, prompting Japans unconditional surrender to the Allied forces. With the surrender of Japan and during the aftermath of WWII, Korea became an independent nation.

Read MoreMajor Battles Of The Korean War

Afghanistan

Lithograph depicting British-Indian force storming the fortress during the Battle of Ghazni During the First Anglo-Afghan War

Afghanistan was never formally a colony under Western rule. However, it was the target of invasions by multiple countries over time, namely the UK, the USA, and Russia.

The British Empire fought Afghanistan in the three Anglo-Afghan Wars to counter Russian influence in the region. The first Anglo-Afghan War ended in a disastrous and humiliating defeat for British forces. The second war ended with Afghanistans defeat, and the British installed a leader favorable to them but did not move to formally colonize Afghanistan. Finally, the third war began with Afghanistan attacking Britain, successfully regaining control of its foreign policy.

More recently, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, and the USA occupied Afghanistan in 2001, withdrawing in 2021 following negotiations with the Taliban.

Read MoreThe War In Afghanistan

Ethiopia

Atse Tewodros II of Ethiopia with his lions

By 1913, Europe had colonized over 90% of Africa, and Ethiopia remains one of the few countries in Africa not colonized by European powers. The British, however, did invade Ethiopia in response to the kidnapping of British missionaries by Emperor Tewodros II. Tewodros had written to the British Empire requesting military assistance to fight revolutionaries in his own country. Having received no response, the Emperor held British missionaries in a bid to force Britain to grant his request.

Instead, the British Empire invaded Ethiopia in what is known as the British Expedition to Abyssinia. The invasion resulted in the successful rescue of British hostages.

Saudi Arabia

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir at the international Syria meeting in London, 16 October 2016

Saudi Arabia was part of the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years. In 1915, the British Empire signed the treaty of Darin with Abdulaziz Al Saud. The treaty established Saudi Arabia as a British protectorate, but not a colony. In return, the British aided Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in their cessation of the Ottoman Empire, and Saudi Arabia were officially founded in 1932.

Read MoreOttoman Empire: 1299 AD To 1923

Thailand

Sappaya-Sapasathan, the current Parliament House of Thailand via Wikipedia

Present-day Thailand was referred to as the Kingdom of Siam during the 19th century. The Kingdom was situated between British-ruled Burma and French-ruled Indochina (modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) (now called Myanmar). In an effort to stop colonization, King Chulalongkorn of Siam sought to embrace a number of European traditions and developed an interest in European technology. By engaging in high level diplomatic efforts, the King was able to sway the British-French alliance in his favor and keep the majority of his country free from European domination.

Though these countries avoided formal colonialism, its effects still influenced their history and continue to shape the world today. Through invasions, threats, and economic pressure, colonial powers found different means to exploit surrounding countries
Namibia is a Southern African country and one of the least populated countries in the world with a population of about 2.1 million people. Despite the low population, Namibia is home to at least 13 ethnic groups. The low population has been attributed to the extensive and arid Namib Desert covering large parts of the country. Namibia is largely a peaceful country with a stable government. Nicknamed the gem, Namibia remains largely unexploited and a dazzlingly beautiful hub of adventure. Here are some of the things that may generally be unknown about Namibia.

10. Namibia is home to the remarkable Etosha National Park.

Elephants in Etosha National Park.

The Etosha National Park is one of the incredible places to visit in Namibia. It is one of the accessible game reserves in Namibia with stunning features worth sampling. From salt pans to waterholes and rare wildlife species, Etosha National Park has plenty to offer visitors. Located in northwest Namibia, it covers an area of 8,600 square miles. It was made a national park in 1967 after having been established as a game reserve in 1907. Etosha translates to Great White Place, a name given to the national park after the Etosha pan, a 75-mile long dry salt lake bed.

9. Namibia receives the least rainfall out of all countries in sub-saharan Africa.

The arid landscape of Namibia.

Namibia is one of the driest and sunniest countries in the world with over 290 days of sunshine. The climate of Namibia is generally arid with a higher rate of evaporation compared to precipitation. Namibia receives the least amount of rainfall among the sub-Saharan countries with an annual precipitation of 370 mm in Windhoek. Rainy season starts from November to March and may extend to April. Rainfall is mainly experienced in the highland areas such as the capital Windhoek. No rainfall occurs between June and September.

8. Namibia has the second lowest population density of any country, anywhere.

Windhoek, the largest city in Namibia.

Namibia is the 2nd least densely populated country worldwide, after Mongolia. According to the 2011 Population and Housing Census, Namibia had a population of about 2 million people signifying a population of growth of just over 1% between 2001 and 2011. Namibias population represents 0.3% of the worlds population. It has a population density of 2 people per square kilometer. Life expectancy in Namibia is at 52.19 for the overall population. Windhoek is the most populated city with a population of 320,000 people. Despite the low population, the country has 13 ethnic groups including Ovambo, Kavango, Damara, Whites, and the San among other tribes.

7. It is home to the world's largest cheetah population.

Cheetahs in Namibia.

Namibia is dubbed the cheetah capital of the world because of the large population of cheetahs in the country. Although poaching and destruction of habitat have significantly reduced the number of Cheetahs in Namibia, it remains home to the largest cheetah population in the world. As of 2015, there are over 3,500 live cheetahs in Namibia with the majority of the cheetah living in Namibian farmland. Although most of the cheetahs are found outside of the protected areas, they can also be found in Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary and Bwabwata National Park. However, they are uncommon in the Etosha National Park.

6. Although only 1% of it is suitable for farming, almost half of the population works in agriculture.

Cattle in Namibia.

Although Namibia is largely an arid country with only 1% of agricultural land, about half of the population depends on agriculture for livelihood. The majority of the population lives in rural areas where agriculture is the only viable economic activity. Most of the arable lands are owned by about 4,000 white, commercial farmers who employ the services of poor Namibians. Agriculture is mainly subsistence with farming confined to communal land. Cattle keeping dominate the central and northern areas. Namibias agriculture accounts for about 5% of the GDP.

5. It is home to the largest canyon in Africa: Fish River Canyon.

Fish River Canyon, Namibia.

Fish River Canyon is Africas largest canyon. It is the 2nd largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon and was formed over 450 million years ago through water erosion and the collapse of the valley. It measures 99.4 miles long and 16.8 miles wide and almost 1,800 feet deep and its deepest end. The canyon is preserved by the nature reserves and is part of the Ai-AisRichtersveld Transfrontier Park. The environment around the Fish River Canyon is a habitat for mammals, reptiles, and fish.

4. It gained independence from South Africa in 1990.

The flag of Namibia.

After 75 restive years beginning 1915 under the control of South Africa, Namibia attained her independence on March 21, 1990. South Africa occupied Namibia in 1915 after defeating the Germans during the World War I and administered it from 1919 under its mandate from the League of Nation. In 1946, South Africa tried to make Namibia its fifth province. Diplomatic efforts were employed to arrange independence for Namibia but the efforts fell through in the 1970s. South Africa agreed to give up the country in 1988 in accordance with the UN peace agreement for the region. Namibia officially became independent in 1990.

3. It enjoys a high level of freedom of the press.

Namibia's constitution guarantees free speech.

Namibia is the safest country in Africa to work in as a journalist. It remains number one in Africa in press freedom and ranks 24th out of 180 countries globally according to the World Press Freedom ranking. Although the country had dropped by 7 places from 17 in 2016, it still ranked higher than some of the most advanced nations like the US, the UK, and New Zealand. Namibias constitution guarantees free speech and protects journalists with critical journalists finding refuge on the uncontrolled internet.

2. Namibia protects wildlife in its constitution.

Wildlife in Namibia.

Although Namibia is relatively a young country having gained independence in 1990, it has made great strides in environmental conservation. Namibia became the first country in Africa to incorporate environmental conservation in its constitution. Article 95 of the Namibian Constitution states that by promoting the welfare of the people, the government must adopt policies that are aimed at maintaining the ecosystem and biological diversity of country and use of resources in a sustainable manner. The government has also enacted laws and policies aimed at protecting wildlife. The laws promote the conservation of cheetahs and other wild animals and also promote anti-poaching.

1. Namibia is home to the Skeleton Coast, which is notorious for its shipwrecks.

Shipwrecks on the Skeleton Coast, Namibia.

The Skeleton Coast in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia is considered one of the mysterious places in Namibia. It is not only littered with carcasses of dead animals but also hundreds of ship wreckage. It is a graveyard of sailors and sea captains whose ships lie in shallow waters. When the cold water of the Atlantic current collides with a dry, warm air of the Namib Desert, they produce a force that pushes violently towards the shore wrecking sea vessels in the process. Most of the wrecks are completely destroyed but a few can be seen up close.
Flags, Symbols, & Currencies of Liberia

The Liberia flag was officially adopted on July 26, 1847. The flag is modeled after the U.S Stars and Stripes. The flag of Liberia is rectangular in shape and contains eleven horizontal stripes that alternate between red and white. The flags canton features a square blue field with a white star. The flag was officially adopted on July 26, 1847, upon the nation's independence. The Liberian flag exhibits some resemblance to the flag of the United States, which is partly explained by the historical connection between the two countries. The red stripes in Liberias flag symbolize courage, while the white color represents moral excellence. The eleven stripes represent the signatories to the country's Declaration of Independence. The blue square in the canton epitomizes the African continent, and white star in the field symbolizes Liberia as the first independent republic in Africa with a western-style governance. The flags design is based on a version of the American flag used during the early 19th century and has a height to length proportion of 10:19 History of the Flag of Liberia Liberia was colonized by the United States in the 1800s and was a major source of slaves for most American families. Like most Western colonialists, the Americans established their flag as the only official flag in the present-day Liberia. Between 1837 and 1845, the government of the Commonwealth of Liberia used the US flag with 26 stars. As Liberia prepared for independence, several of African-American slaves were freed, especially from Maryland, and brought back to the country. These slaves were mainly settled in the Republic of Maryland. The repuplic existed from 1834 and 1857 then merged into the present-day Liberia. The area had a flag consisting of black and yellow alternating stripes and a white cross on blue on the opper hoist corner. When Liberia was established as an independent state, it adopted the current flag, resembling the US flag, as a reminder that the country was founded by people of color who were once slaves in the US.

Historical and Other Flags of Liberia Flag of the US Flag of the US with 26 stars

Symbols of Liberia

National Coat of Arms of Liberia Liberia's coat of arms features a shield displaying a picture of a 19th century ship arriving home (Liberia) (a symbol of the freed slaves brought back home from the United States). Below the shield is the name of the country displayed on a ribbon, and above is the national motto: The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here. Within the shield are several elements, including: a plow and shovel (representing dignity and labor), a rising sun (the birth of a nation), a palm tree (prosperity), and a white dove (for breath of peace).

National Anthem Anthem Title: All Hail, Liberia, Hail!

Music composer: Olmstead Luca

Lyricist: Daniel Bashiel Warner

Date of Adoption: 1947 All Hail, Liberia, Hail! is the national anthem of Liberia, adopted in 1847 as the country's official national anthem. The lyrics for the song were written by Daniel Bashiel Warner, who later saved as the Liberia's third president. The lyrics were set to music by Olmstead Luca All Hail, Liberia, Hail! All hail, Liberia, hail! All hail, Liberia, hail! This glorious land of liberty Shall long be ours. Though new her name, Great be her fame, And mighty be her powers, Though new her name, Great be her fame, And mighty be her powers, And mighty be her powers, And mighty be her powers, In joy and gladness With our hearts united, We'll shout the freedom Of a race benighted, Long live Liberia, happy land! A home of glorious liberty, By God's command! A home of glorious liberty, By God's command! All hail, Liberia, hail! All hail, Liberia, hail! In union strong success is sure We cannot fail! With God above Our rights to prove We will o'er all prevail, With God above Our rights to prove We will o'er all prevail, We will o'er all prevail, We will o'er all prevail, With heart and hand Our country's cause defending We'll meet the foe With valor unpretending. Long live Liberia, happy land! A home of glorious liberty, By God's command! A home of glorious liberty, By God's command!

The Currency of Liberia is the Liberian dollar

First Liberian Currency The Liberian dollar was introduced as the countrys first currency upon its independence in 1847. It was equally valued to the US dollar at the time. The Liberian dollar came in the form of copper coins worth one and two cents. Liberias first bank notes were issued by the Treasury in 1857 in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 Liberian dollars, as well as 10 and 50 cent notes. Coins in denominations of 10, 25, and 50 cents were introduced in 1896. Second Liberian dollar In 1935, Liberia stopped using the British West African pound in favor of the US dollar. Two years later, the Liberian Treasury released new Liberian dollar coins which were used concurrently with the US dollar. The currency went on to be used for many decades. After a violent coup and an assassination of the president in 1980, Liberia experienced political upheavals and a civil war that lasted until 2003. Due to the instability experienced in that period, the countrys economy greatly declined. As a result, the Liberian dollar significantly depreciated against the US dollar. In 2000, the newly established Central Bank of Liberia released new banknotes each bearing a former presidents portrait. Between 2013 and 2015, Liberia suffered again after the dreaded Ebola virus spread in the country killing more than 11,000 people. The outbreak of the disease dragged down the countrys economy and its currency. Modern Liberian Currency As a result of a massive decline in Liberias economy which started in 1980, the Liberian dollar significantly lost value. High rates of corruption in the country also led to its loss of value. Due to the continuous drop in the value of the currency, very few traders accepted it as a medium of exchange. People in Liberia prefer to use the US dollar as opposed to their national currency. The country lacks proper financial systems to exchange foreign currency. Traders exchange the Liberian dollar for the US dollar in the black market, which leads to a further decline in the value of the Liberian dollar.

Liberian dollar Banknote Liberian 10 dollar Banknote Liberian dollar Coin Liberian 100 dollar Coin

Historical Currencies of Liberia Liberia is a nation in West Africa that was a busy trading region for British, Portuguese, and Dutch merchants in the 17th century. European traders exchanged commodities with local traders as a form of payment. At the start of the 19th century, freed American and Caribbean slaves began to resettle in Liberia. The former slaves moved to Liberia due to the injustices suffered in America. The newly settled American-Liberians declared Liberia an independent state in July 1847. It was the first African country to attain independence. The American-Liberians also created Liberias first currency, the Liberian dollar, and linked it to the US dollar. However, Liberia abandoned its dollar currency in 1907 and adopted the British West African pound. At the time, the West African pound was the currency circulating in most West African countries, including Nigeria, Gambia, and Sierra Leone. The British West African pound was pegged to the pound sterling. The currency came in the form of aluminum and nickel-plated coins. In 1918, newly created banknotes were issued. The coins and banknotes were produced and issued by the West African Currency Board. The pound was relaced by the second Liberian dollar in 1935.
The flag of Libya is the flag used by the National Transitional Council and the anti-Gaddafi forces. It was defined as the country's national flag in the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration issued on August 3, 2011, as a result of the Fall of Tripoli from the Gaddafi regime in the Libyan Civil War in August 2011. The current flag is identical to the flag of the Kingdom of Libya introduced in 1951. The green flag introduced in 1977 by Gaddafi's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya remains in use by Gaddafi loyalists.

The flag of Libya is a horizontal triband comprising three colors with red at the top, black in the middle, and green at the bottom. There is a 5-pointed star and a crescent in white color centered on the black stripe. The black stripe is double the size of green and red. The dimensions of the flag are in the proportion of 1:2.

Symbolism of the Flag of Libya

The different colors in the Libyan flag represent the different regions of the country. The red color represents the Fezzan region, the black represents Cyrenaica, while the green color represents the Tripolitania region. The crescent stands for the Islam which is the predominant religion in the country. The crescent also represents the lunar month in the Islamic calendar, which, according to Islam is a reminder of the epic journey of hijra of Prophet Muhammad. The star is a symbol of the smiling hope of the people of Libya, the object, the light and the beauty in their trust in God, and honor that illuminates the way and ends the darkness.

History of the Flag of Libya

Between 1911 and 1942, Libya was under the colonial rule of Italy and during this time there was no flag in the country. However, when the country was under the administration of the British and the French, the Union Jack and the French Tricolor flags were widely used. In 1951, the regions of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan came together to form the Libyan kingdom or the United Kingdom of Libya. Sir Omar F. Shennib designed the first flag for the kingdom in 1951 which represented the three regions of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica. In 1969, the use of the flag was dropped following the coup and was consequently adopted again in 2011.

Immediately after the coup in 1969, the country replaced its flag with a flag that closely resembled the Arab Liberation Flag with red, white, and black colors. The flag had been used un-officially in Egypt and influenced the current flag of Egypt.Libya joined the Federation of Arab Republics in 1972, which was an attempt to unite Libya, Syria, and Egypt to form a United Arab Nation and consequently, the flag at the time was adopted to link the country to Syria and Egypt. The flag had a golden scroll and the federation name in Arabic. The federation lasted until 1977.

In 1977, the country changed its name again to Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and a new flag was adopted. Muammar Gaddafi, the former Prime Minister and the then Secretary General of the General People's Congress devised the name Jamahiriya meaning "the state of the masses". The green flag was the worlds only flag with a single green color, having no other details like a symbol or any other design. Colonel Gaddafi selected the flag to represent his philosophical ideology and thinking. The color stood for the Islam religion and the Third Universal Theory style of government as outlined by Gaddafis Green Book.

In 2011, after Gaddafi was ousted, the earlier flag that was in use between 1951 and 1969 was re-adopted by the National Transition Council, and France became the first nation to recognize the new government and became the first country as well to allow an employee in the Embassy of Libya raise the flag.
Introduction

The Peoples Republic of China is a sovereign state in East Asia as well as the most populous country in the world. Its population is estimated to be over 1.37 billion. It is a single party state governed by the Communist Party. Its capital is Beijing but Shanghai is the country's most populous city. Mandarin Chinese is the country's official language. It is common to refer to the People's Republic of China as China. However, many people do not know there is a difference between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China (China). The two countries share a common history but China claims sovereignty over Taiwan.

Ancient China

Ancient China existed as a feudal society since the second millennium and was one of the earliest civilizations. In the 10th century, the country was ruled under the Tang Dynasty and reached its golden age. During this period, Philosophies of the East such as Confucianism and Daoism were born. The two formed the foundation of many social values of modern Eastern-Asian cultures.

The Northern nomadic people neighboring China such as the Turkic tribes and the Mongols often fought with the Chinese people. The two groups took turns ruling over the land and the people of China. The Northern people eventually won and took over China. They adopted the Chinese culture and way of living. The Qing Dynasty was the last Northern group to rule over ancient Chinese.

A New Age

Early in the second millennium, China became an isolationist because it did not want to be bought by foreigners. During the Renaissance period, European powers began taking over Asian countries. Many European countries like Britain and France built spheres of influence in China but did not actually take over the land.

China fell behind other countries in technology due to its isolation under the Qing dynasty's rule. In 1912, the dynasty was overthrown and the nationalist party Kuomintang established the Republic of China. Marxist ideas eventually became popular and the Communist Party was formed.

Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War started in 1927 between the Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists led by Mao Zedong. The Communists wanted to make China similar to the Soviet Union while the Nationalists wanted China to remain as it was. The Communists won the war in 1949 and the Nationalists retreated and fled to the Island of Taiwan.

The People's Republic of China

The creation of the People's Republic of China was announced on October 1, 1949 by the Communist Party's leader Mao Zedong in Beijing. Mao began many social and economic reforms in his country. Some succeeded while some failed. He began the Cultural Revolution to remove capitalist influences from the government and society. Those who disagreed with Marxism were persecuted for being Revisionists. The program ended completely in 1976 following Mao's death.

A veteran of revolution took over power eventually and he began the Reform and Opening Up campaign, whose policies helped ease the restrictions on citizens. It also introduced reforms that made the People's Republic of China a modern and industrialized socialist nation that leaned on market systems. These policies are known as 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics'.
It was so great to get back home just in time to host Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9 this past Saturday night. Our wonderful trip to Switzerland had only one snag. We were held over in Canada for a night. I woke up Saturday morning in Montreal and we caught the 8 am to Chicago. Our arrival time by car to Sextonville was 3:15 p. One hour later I was at WRCO preparing for the show. Perhaps I will be better rested and over the jet lag this Saturday night when we again take those old records off the shelf. Your requests will be welcomed and we will be playing trivia. The feature will be a trip back to the Summer of 1972. It was a great time for music. I was busy trying to buy all the records my small income could afford. I would ride along with dad once a week to the feed mill. I would walk to Schultz Brothers (the dime store) and look at the records and the model cars. Than I would run fast in my Pro-Ked sneakers to Saffells music store. They had a portable record player and I could audition new songs from Elton John, Gallery, Looking Glass, The Hollies, Bill Withers, and a new group called The Eagles. Those are great memories for me and I will play a few of those 45 r.p.m. records this Saturday night between six and midnight during Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9. Please give me a call that night at (608) 647-4155.

Phil
[July 05, 2017] iClick Interactive presents iAccess to help marketers tap digital China with Data, Efficiency and Transparency

HONG KONG, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- iClick Interactive Asia Limited ("iClick Interactive"), the omni-channel marketing technology company that connects some 2,000 marketers worldwide with their audience in China via data-driven targeted marketing solutions, is launching iAccess (www.i-Click.com/iAccess/). iAccess is a one-stop cross-channel targeting solution for agencies, marketers and DSPs (Demand Side Platforms) from anywhere in the world to effectively reach Chinese audiences easily through a single interface. iAccess is the Data-Driven Solution to Reaching Digital China with Efficiency and Transparency China is a huge consumer market with a highly complex and fragmented digital landscape. With an Internet population of over 730 million and a mobile penetration of over 90%, it is imperative for brands and businesses to adopt a data-driven approach to digital marketing if they want to precisely reach their target audiences in China. Yet marketers often find it a challenge to conduct effective digital campaigns in China due to a lack of audience data and inefficient access to premium Chinese inventories. In addition, there is a low level of ad transparency and control making measurement and evaluation difficult. Sammy Hsieh, iClick Interactive's Co-founder and CEO said, "Making data-driven digital marketing in China easy and efficient for marketers and agencies worldwide is the reason behind our development of iAccess. We believe that we can put an end to the challenges that marketers worldwide have been facing when tapping the China market." Proprietary Multi-dimensional Internet User Data iAccess helps marketers get a full picture of their target Chinese audiences and empowers trading desks with powerful data for audience buying. This is available across multiple channels via iClick Interactive's own proprietary data, as well as its access to third-party data using the company's partnerships with the market's Internet giants Baidu and Tencent. Yan Lee, iClick Interactive's Chief Product Officer commented, "With iAccess, marketers can conduct their own audience planning with multi-dimensional targeting options and interest segmentation at their fingertips." Robust Connections with Premium Chinese Media and Mobile Apps Programmatic access to premium media at scale is what most marketers and agencies look to obtain when marketing to China, yet it is not easy to achieve. Yan Lee explained how iAccess may help solve this issue, "In China, programmatic is growing at an impressive pace. Using iAccess, marketers can easily manage their digital campaigns through a single interface to access premium Chinese media inventories at scale including massive platforms like WeChat. iAccess can ensure that the marketers have the transparency and visibility they need to understand where the inventory is coming from." Global Compliance Standard Ad fraud and ad viewability issues have been plaguing digital marketers worldwide. Those brands running campaigns want to have transparency on all of their ad costs and pricings. "iAccess helps us gain an edge on other agencies by equipping us with iClick's data technology. This is something that extends our campaign reach to new relevant audiences that we would have otherwise not discovered. Its advanced functions are presented in a way that's user friendly and easy to understand. It has become a one-stop shop for us to conduct all of our premium China media buys,"said, Pete Lin, Managing Director, We Are Social. For iAccess enquiries, please contact [email protected]. NOTES TO EDITORS About iClick Interactive Asia Limited iClick Interactive Asia Limited (www.i-Click.com) is a leading omni-channel marketing technology company connecting worldwide marketers with audiences in China. Its proprietary marketing technology platform is the first of its kind in China that truly possesses omni-channel marketing competence. The core of the platform is supported by extensive data and advanced technology capabilities, which help both international and domestic marketers reach their target audiences in China through data-driven targeted marketing. Headquartered in Hong Kong, iClick Interactive was established in 2009. The company now has around 550 employees, spreading across eight locations in Asia as well as London.







Media contacts: Selina Wong / Esme Chau iClick Interactive Asia Limited Telephone: (852) 3700 9068 / (852) 3700 9069 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Helen Lam / Tim Nicholls Paradigm Consulting Telephone: (852) 2251 9082 / (852) 2251 9081 Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170705/1890511-1 SOURCE iClick Interactive Asia Limited

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The case of Jorg Baberowski:

Oppose right-wing and militarist ideology at Germanys universities

Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 6:30pm

TU Berlin, main building, Room H2013

Facebook event page



A meeting under the heading The case of Jorg Baberowski: Oppose right-wing and militarist ideology at Germanys universities will take place this evening at the Technical University of Berlin (TU). The meeting has been jointly organised by the student associations (Astas) of the TU and the University of Bremen and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE).

Representatives of all three organisations will discuss the importance of the case of Jorg Baberowski for the struggle against right-wing and militarist ideology at German universities.

In a joint statement for the meeting, the participating organisations make clear that what is at stake is not a personal dispute, but rather fundamental political questions. The return of German militarism and growing social inequality have been accompanied by a sharp turn to the right amongst certain academic layers, the statement reads.

A central figure in this development is Humboldt University (HU) Professor Jorg Baberowski, who agitates against refugees, drums up support for imperialist wars and plays down the crimes of the Nazis. This right-wing extremist talk show professor has been supported for years by broad sections of the media, other professors and academic institutions, the statement explains.

In many respects, Baberowski formulates a highly conscious program for massive state re-armament, extreme nationalism and brutal warfare. In February 2014, when he defended the Nazi apologist Ernst Nolte in Der Spiegel and declared that Hitler was not vicious, not a single professor or major newspaper stood up to oppose him.

It was students from the IYSSE and the Bremen Asta who took up the fight against this defence of right-wing and militaristic positions, the statement continues. While they received tremendous support from students, the university administration at Humboldt University responded aggressively. It backed Baberowski and declared criticism of him by students to be unacceptable.

Despite the failure of Baberowskis attempt to impose a ban on the Bremen Asta a court in Cologne concluded that the students in Bremen correctly cited him and therefore could justifiably describe him as a right-wing extremist, a racist, and someone who glorifies violencethe presidium of Humboldt University maintained its threat against critical students. It went so far as to mobilise a security team to prevent student parliamentary deputies from informing their fellow students about the case.

We call upon all students to demand the withdrawal of the statement by the HU presidium and to support the struggle against right-wing ideology, the organizers declare. The meeting will not only throw light on the background to the case, it will also discuss the conclusions to be drawn and perspectives for the struggle against far-right and militarist ideology at the universities.
The UN General Assembly has backed a resolution to refer the legal status of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague.

The Chagos Islands, which make up the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), are located halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia. Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chains, is the site of a US airbase.

The UN resolution concerns one of the most disgraceful incidents in post-war British colonial history.

Mauritius, which holds a sovereignty claim over the islands, brought the resolution on behalf of the Chagos Islanders, who have long disputed British rule, their illegal eviction in the 1960s and subsequent inhumane treatment.

Last November, the UK restated its refusal to allow the Chagossians to return to their homeland, precipitating the appeal to the UN General Assembly.

Although any decision by the ICJ will be non-binding, the resolution is a humiliating defeat for Britain. Ninety-four countries supported the resolution, with only 15, including the US, opposing it. A further 65 countries abstained, including many European Union states, Canada and China.

The UN rejected Britains arguments that the Chagos issue is about security and a bilateral matter between it and Mauritius. Anerood Jugnauth, Mauritius Defence Minister, insisted that Mauritius had no problem with the US operating on Diego Garcia. Britains ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft effectively conceded that Britain had no claim to the islands, telling the UN that Britain had told Mauritius that it would cede its claim to the Chagos Islands when they were no longer required for military purposes. No date has been set for this supposed end-point.

Making clear the broader considerations involved, Rycroft warned of possible challenges to other colonial powers that still maintain small territories around the world. The General Assembly should not interfere in a dispute between countries, he said, but let Britain and Mauritius resolve the dispute themselves. Just think: How many other bilateral disputes left over from history could be brought before the General Assembly this way? The present draft resolution could set a precedent that many of you in this hall could come to regret.

The US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley intervened to support Britain, sending out a similar warning in a letter urging members to vote against the resolution as it would set a precedent for future bilateral disputes.

For more than five decades, Britain has carried out one crime after another against the Chagossian Islanders, lying, ignoring court decisions, and covering up its actions in pursuit of its imperialist interests.

Harold Wilsons Labour government separated the islands from Mauritius prior to its independence in 1965, in breach of a UN resolution 1514 passed in 1960, which specifically banned the breakup of colonies before independence, to form a new colonial entity, the BIOT.

It went on to evict approximately 1,500 inhabitants of Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos and Salomon, in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, in a sordid deal struck with Washington that official papers show was even kept secret from Parliament and the US Congress.

The US military would lease Diego Garcia for 50 years, with an option to renew, from the British and establish a launch base there for its operations in the Middle East and Asia. In return for the islanders removal and exclusion from the British colony, which was an unspoken condition for the deal, the US gave Britain an $11 million discount on the purchase of the US-made Polaris nuclear weapons system, which Labour had pledged to scrap when in opposition.

Sir Paul Gore-Booth, a leading figure in the British Foreign Office, wrote at the time, in a document that later became public, We must be very tough about this and that there will be no indigenous population [on Diego Garcia] except seagulls.

One diplomat declared in another document, Unfortunately along with the birds go a few Tarzan and Man Fridays whose origins are obscure, and who are being hopefully whisked on to Mauritius.

Britain justified the forcible removal of the Chagossians with a downright lie: that there was no indigenous population, only contract or plantation workers on the island.

Established in 1971, Diego Garcia became a strategic base for the US military during the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the base was expanded and used for operations in the wars against Iraq in 1991 and 2003 and elsewhere. It became notorious for its use in the CIAs illegal extraordinary rendition and torture programme, with which Britain has fully collaborated.

The 1,500 Islanders were illegally deported to Mauritius and the Seychelles, another former British colony, where they have lived in desperately impoverished conditions, with a few being allowed into Britain. Since then, they and their descendants, who now number 10,000, have campaigned vociferously for their rights against a conspiracy of silence, obfuscation, temporising and lies. In the 1990s, the few who settled in Britain finally won the right to British citizenship.

In 2000, representatives of the Chagossians came from Mauritius and the Seychelles to pursue a case against the then Labour government of Tony Blair, whose foreign secretary Robin Cook had supported them when in opposition and famously espoused an ethical foreign policy, over their illegal deportation.

When they won a historic ruling that agreed that the eviction was illegal, British government officials--duplicitous as ever--declared that the indigenous citizens were free to return but to the outer homeland islands only. They could visit Diego Garcia as part of a handpicked group of up to 100 to see the graves of their families, but would then have to leave. Even this pitiful decision was opposed by the US government.

The British government will stop at nothing to protect its imperialist interests. In 2009, it unilaterally declared the Chagos Islands a Marine Protected Area (MPA), thereby outlawing fishing and the extractive industries, including oil and gas exploration. The MPA was deliberately created to prevent Chagossians from returning to their homeland by destroying their potential livelihoods.

WikiLeaks cables exposed this ruse in 2011. A Foreign Office officials note stated that the creation of the MPA was the most effective long-term way to prevent any of the Chagos Islands' former inhabitants or their descendants from resettling in the BIOT [the Chagos Islands].

In 2015, Mauritius won a ruling at the permanent court of arbitration at The Hague that stated Britain had acted illegally in the way it had exercised control over the Chagos Islands, criticizing London for failing to consult over establishing an MPA around the BIOT. But this did not change anything.

Last November, after years of delays, the British Foreign Office finally announced that Chagos islanders would not be given the right of return to resettle, arguing that the cost and US objections made it impossible. Furthermore, it would be economically unviable for them to do so, since the MPA had stripped them of their livelihoods, contradicting a recent independent government-commissioned consultation that confirmed the MPA could be maintained with just minor adjustments alongside a returned Chagossian population. Instead, the government offered a derisory 40 million support, equal to 4,000 per person.

None of this has stopped the government from harassing and issuing deportation orders against the islanders. In May, Chagossians demonstrated outside Taylor House in London to protest against the deportations that continue to plague many Chagossian families living in Britain.
The ultimatum Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Gulf states issued to Qatar twelve days ago expired midnight Tuesday with no indication that Doha is prepared to accept its provocative terms.

The Saudi-led bloc has confirmed it has received a formal Qatari response to their 13 demands, via Kuwait, which has been acting as a mediator. But this response is almost certain to be rejected by the Saudi regime and its allies. Just minutes before the deadline expired, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the demands of the Saudis, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates as unrealistic and not actionable.

On Sunday, Kuwait secured a 48-hour extension of the ultimatums deadline to allow further negotiations. The US and various other western powers have been trying to defuse the crisis, which pits monarchical and authoritarian regimes they have long back-stopped against each other.

Yesterday British Prime Minister Theresa May called the newly installed Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, to press for de-escalation.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel travelled to Doha Tuesday evening from the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. He had spent much of Monday meeting with Saudi officials in Riyadh.

Although the Saudis and their allies have claimed that military action against Qatar is not imminent, Gabriel, after meeting with the Qatari Foreign Minister, made a point of saying the sovereignty of a country is among the boundaries that you should not cross. Gabriel praised Qatar for the restraint it has shown in the face of a month-long Saudi economic blockade and urged further dialogue.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a diplomatic and economic blockade on Qatar that stopped just short of war with the aim of forcing Doha to adhere to their belligerent anti-Iran policy and otherwise recast its foreign policy in accordance with Riyadhs wishes.

Although the Saudi regime, often working in concert with Washington, has funded Islamist terrorist groups for decades, it has railed against Doha for supporting terrorism.

In addition to demanding Doha downgrade its relations with Iran, including ceasing all military and intelligence cooperation, the Saudi-led coalitions ultimatum insisted Qatar must break all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanons Hezbollah, and the successor to the al Qaida-affiliated al Nusra Front in Syria. The ultimatum also called on Qatar to pay reparations for the consequences of its policies, shutdown the broadcaster Al Jazeera, and close a recently opened Turkish military base in Doha.

These demands, as Qatari officials have pointed out, would turn the energy-rich peninsular sheikdom into a vassal state and, having clearly been formulated with the expectation that they would be rejected, raise the danger the standoff could quickly escalate into a military clash. Speaking Sunday to Britains Sky News, Qatari Defence Minister Khalid al Attiyah declared, I hope we don't come to a stage where a military intervention is made but we always stand ready. He continued, We are here to defend our country, then accused Qatars neighbours of plotting regime change in Doha.

In a move that will no doubt further raise the ire of Riyadh and its allies, Qatar announced Tuesday that it will dramatically increase its natural gas production over the next five years, a step that will require it to intensify cooperation with Iran. Doha and Tehran share ownership and jointly manage a Persian Gulf gas field, South Pars, that is the worlds largest.

The Saudi-led blockade has backfired. Rather than causing it to capitulate, it has driven Doha into a closer alliance with Iran and Turkey, states Riyadh views as rivals for regional dominance.

But the Saudi absolutist regime is heavily invested in bringing Qatar to heel. Installed in the midst of the crisis, the new Crown Prince, who has served as Saudi Defence Minister since 2015, is said to have both orchestrated the blockade of Qatar and the Saudi war in Yemen.

Two days after the start of the Qatar crisis, Turkey announced that it was sending 5,000 troops to Doha and it has joined Iran in shipping food supplies to help break the blockade.

In comments Monday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus warned against connecting Turkeys military presence in Qatar to the Gulf crisis, declaring, Turkey has a base there as part of the areas safety. The presence of Turkish soldiers will remain.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor its allies have stated publicly what their next steps will be, but they are meeting in Cairo today to plot strategy. Further economic reprisals, including a strengthening of the economic and air blockade, disinvestment from Qatar, and a run on Qatars banks are rumoured. So too is Qatars expulsion from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

The Gulf crisis has not only inflamed relations between GCC members. It has increasingly exposed the competing agendas and interests of the regional and major imperialist powers and deepened differences in Washington over US strategy in the region and how it relates to the drive to maintain American imperialisms world dominance.

Riyadhs aggression against Qatar was enthusiastically endorsed by US President Donald Trump. Indeed he immediately claimed credit for it, saying that when he had travelled to Saudi Arabia in May he had called for a tougher stand against terrorism. Trump has repeatedly made bellicose threats against Iran and warned that he could repudiate the nuclear deal that the Obama administration negotiated with Tehran.

Washingtons determination to isolate, bully and threaten Iran is increasingly opposed by the European imperialist powers, led by Germany and France. Berlin has struck a noticeably different tone in its intervention into the Qatar crisis. In an interview just days after the Saudi-led blockade was imposed, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned against a Trumpification of relations between the Gulf states.

Reflecting the growing divergence between European and US policy in the region, French energy giant Total concluded a $1 billion agreement with Iran Monday in what is the first major energy deal between a Western company and Teheran since sanctions were lifted in January 2016.

The US military-intelligence apparatus and political establishment, Democrat and Republican alike, view Iran as an unacceptable impediment to unbridled US domination of the worlds most important oil-exporting region.

However, Trumps very public support for the Saudi campaign to strong-arm Qatara stance that apparently has been encouraged by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and chief strategist, the alt-right patron Stephen Bannonhas caused major rifts within his administration and is widely viewed in Washington as a blunder.

Defence Secretary General James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have repeatedly distanced themselves from Trumps position. Mattis has lauded Qatar for hosting two major US airbases, more than ten thousand US troops, and the forward headquarters of the US Central Command. Tillerson, for his part, has been urging Americas Saudi allies not to imperil the unity of the US aligned GCC and to scale back, if not shelve, most of its demands.

For these strategists of US imperialism, the Saudi-led campaign against Qatar is an unwanted diversion from, and potential disruption of, their plans to confront Iran and Russia in Syria.

With the fall of ISIS-controlled Mosul, in Iraq and the impending fall of Raqqa the US is rushing to gain control, directly in southeastern Syria, and through proxy forces elsewhere of eastern Syria. Its first aim is to prevent Tehran from establishing a land bridge from Iran through Iraq and Syria and extending into south Lebanon. Its longer term objective is to position itself to be able to mount a direct military assault on the Russian- and Iranian-backed regime in Damascus.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka held a meeting at the Colombo Public Library Auditorium entitled Sri Lankas floods disaster: who is responsible? on June 8. The meeting discussed the social disaster created by the recent floods and landslides, the culpability of successive governments, and the necessity for a socialist program.

Flash floods and landslides at the end of May claimed at least 300 lives and affected about half a million people, mainly workers and the rural poor. Government authorities failed to issue an advance warning, leaving people to face the disaster totally unprepared.

Chairing the meeting, WSWS national editor K. Ratnayake said the media were almost silent about the disaster. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who boasted about rebuilding lives, were systematically avoiding any responsibility.

In the past six months alone around 600 people have died due to disasters, Ratnayake said. Apart from the floods, more than 200 died in a dengue epidemic. In April, 32 residents were buried alive when a garbage dump collapsed in Meethotamulla, a Colombo suburb.

The human cost of governments dismantling social programs and disaster preparedness had increased yearly, the speaker said. Forty years ago, the President Jayawardene-led government began opening the economy to create cheap labour conditions for international capital and big business, after which successive governments tore up even the meagre social rights won by the working class.

Huge tax concessions were made to boost profits, Ratnayake explained. To suppress workers struggles, a communal war was provoked, which cost around $US200 billion, with about $75 billion directly spent on defence. Yet, when it came to the rights of the poor, governments said they had no money. For instance, the government cut disaster management ministry funds by 30 percent this year.

These were policies instigated by the imperialist countries such as Britain and the US four decades ago, Ratnayake noted. The recent Grenfell fire disaster in London demonstrated the terrible consequences of these policies for workers everywhere. Capitalism cannot provide even the basic needs of the people.

International Youth and Students for Social Equality convener Kapila Fernando said the government was trying to wash its hands of any responsibility by blaming nature for the floods. In reality, well-developed technology is available for pre-warnings but it cannot be utilised under profit-driven capitalism.

Fernando said social rights, including health and education, had been gutted, with adverse consequences. In Kandy, for example, school children now show signs of respiratory diseases. The main cause is the government policy of privatising healthcare in order to transform it into a profit-making venture. This situation cannot be changed within the capitalist system.

The final speaker, SEP general secretary Wije Dias, quoted some Disaster Management Centre statistics. Between 1974 and 2014, the number of people affected by floods in Sri Lanka is recorded as 2,934,655 and 46,719 were devastated by landslides.

This shows that nature has given enough warnings for successive bourgeois governments prior to the latest floods. The criminal unpreparedness on the part of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe regime is not a simple mistake. It speaks for the anti-social attitude of capitalist rule toward the lives of working people. It affirms the historical need for the replacement of the capitalist system by an alternative social order.

Dias said sections of the elite were nervous about the developing hostility among the broad masses. The Sunday Times was forced to react angrily to the arrogant response of Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, when it pointed out the unpreparedness of the disaster management centre.

Its editorial of June 4, stated: He blames this paper for writing negative stories on the government. He goes on to ask if the ministry is supposed to keep blankets and water bottles for an impending disaster. The answer, Mr. Minister is Yes. And the blankets dont have expiry dates.

Dias referred to the London fire catastrophe. The inferno took place in the working class living quarters called Grenfell Towers, located in the midst of the wealthiest neighborhood in one of the richest cities in the world. The social inequality that has developed in bourgeois society has reached such a level now that the dwellings of working people have become eye sores in all the major cities around the world, with governments seeking to evict the occupants under dubious pretexts.

As in Sri Lanka, Dias explained, about 100 people were buried when a landslide recently smashed through a mountain village in Chinas Sichuan province. Bangladesh faced heavy rainfall last week, resulting in floods that washed away several families. It was a regular occurrence in that country.

Dias said that whether countries were developed or under-developed, they were prone to social disasters under capitalist rule, due to the criminal neglect of social needs in the pursuit of corporate profits. This criminality had reached unheard of proportions.

In every country too, repressive state machines were being strengthened to confront mass movements that were driven into struggles against austerity measures. That went hand-in-hand with the aggressive neo-colonial military interventions by imperialist powers, with the US in the lead.

Capitalist governments in Sri Lanka use every opportunity to tighten the legal system and strengthen the police and the armed forces that were already built up to an unprecedented level during the 30-year civil war conducted against the Tamil minority, the speaker said.

When the floods and landslides took place, the government immediately placed the blame on the victims for their so-called illegal constructions. The clamour for new laws ensued immediately.

Police-state preparations were a warning to working people of the end of the era of protest politics and all hopes of negotiated settlements under capitalist rule.

This made the fight for the socialist alternative to the profit system unpostponable. Only the International Committee of the Fourth International and its sections continue the fight for world socialism, for which the Russian working class, led by the Bolshevik Party of Lenin and Trotsky, laid the foundation stone in October 1917.

We again stress here the three fundamental principles of our struggle. They are: 1. The political independence of the working class. 2. The socialist program to resolve the social and democratic problems of the working class and oppressed masses. 3. Internationalism to unite the working class across national borders and to oppose every vestige of communal divisions.

A young worker from Meethotamulla, where the garbage dump collapsed killing 32 people, asked how people could fight the powerful capitalist class. He said the government had declared that compensation for the garbage dump victims would depend on the size of the house in which they lived before the catastrophe. On that basis, his family would receive only 350,000 rupees, which was completely inadequate to buy a new house.

In reply, Dias explained that the weakness of the workers movement was fundamentally a question of perspective and leadership. The bourgeois governments in every country rule by default. This situation is created by the treacherous leaderships of the pro-capitalist parties and trade unions, supported by pseudo-left groups.

This is why the SEP proposes to build alternative organisations of the working class such as Action Committees and to rally the rural and urban poor and youth on an international socialist program. The SEP campaign for an independent workers inquiry into the garbage issue is aimed at that.

Dias said the great betrayal carried out by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party in 1964, by joining the bourgeois government of Sirima Bandaranaike, had attacked the political independence of the working class. This had a huge retrogressive effect on all aspects of social conditions, including cultural life, he explained. Only the Trotskyist movement guided by the ICFI fought against this.
[July 05, 2017] Sarokal Test Systems Releases a New Lab-grade Test Device for Outdoor Use

OULU, Finland, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarokal Test Systems Oy, the manufacturer of innovative mobile network fronthaul test solutions, releases a new outdoor lab-grade test device called X-STEP Outdoor. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530481/Sarokal_X_STEP_Outdoor.jpg )

For the first time, lab-grade debugging and troubleshooting capabilities are introduced to field use. X-STEP Outdoor provides the field technicians, both at the operator's and device manufacturer's end, the means to capture real life network problems and go through them on a bit level in the lab. It is also possible to leave the device at the site and let the manufacturer's engineers capture and analyze the flow of data remotely. "We have seen a growing demand for this kind of debugging tool as our cusomers suffer from 'No fault found' type of device returns. The problem is that if no information exists about the actual error situations that take place in the field, they cannot be corrected back in the lab."



"As the networks evolve towards 5G, network complexity increases and all possible configurations and scenarios cannot be tested and predicted at the manufacturing labs. For this reason, it is imperative to have field operable lab-grade tools to be able to efficiently solve the problems that occur only in the field, in real life networks," says Mr. Harri Valasma, the CEO of Sarokal Test Systems. About Sarokal Test Systems

Sarokal Test Systems provides innovative test solutions for fronthaul networks. Our CPRI, OBSAI, JESD204, Ethernet and upcoming eCPRI and IEEE 1914 solutions enable users like chipset vendors, fronthaul equipment manufacturers, and telecom operators to develop, test and verify their 4G and 5G network devices. Sarokal X-STEP products provide means to generate, capture, and analyze bit accurate fronthaul traffic with various line rates and protocols. With the 100% visibility and control over fronthaul traffic, X-STEP can ensure full interoperability between fronthaul devices already in the early R&D development phase as well as in the field. For more information, visit the companys website http://www.sarokal.com Sarokal Test Systems Oy

Paulaharjuntie 20 B 2

90530 Oulu, Finland

Phone: +358-50-302-9392

Sales: [email protected] SOURCE Sarokal test Systems Oy

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LAKE PARK, Ga. (WTXL) - This Independence Day, an argument over land used for a veteran's memorial is causing friction in a local town.

Tom's Pond Veteran's Memorial is a relatively new project in Lake Park, Georgia. However, as plans for the memorial take shape, there's now a question of who owns part of the land.

"This is not anything new, the veterans are not trying to take over," said Russell McLeod. McLeod is a Lake Park veteran who says he's helping plan the future of the memorial. However, there's one issue.

"The fence that we put up is temporary, on the boundary line," said McLeod.

On the other side: City Council Member Jena Sandlin says that fence is about 40 feet too far into her property.

"That was my land. I've taken care of that land," said Sandlin. "I've told them that's okay to put up a fence there to separate from that little house, but why would you take it all the way to the woods and block me off from the water?"

The folks behind the veteran's memorial say moving the property line over would change a lot of the visions they have for the future, like their hope of building a fishing dock right in the area.

"If you're going to contest something that's going to be donated to a cause that's remembering veterans alive and dead, and you're going to contest it? That's the most un-American thing you can do," said Lowndes County Veteran Michael Altepeter.

Sandlin says a new survey of the land will be done soon to determine the exact property line. However, in the meantime, she says an ordinance still needs to be passed to create a special committee to oversee any changes to the memorial, because it sits on city land.

"We're breaking the law if we don't do that," said Sandlin. "If we let somebody come into our city, even a citizen, and take into their own hands on city property to do things, that's not right."

McLeod says he's just focused on the future. He wants to make sure this park is somewhere veterans and their families can come for sanctuary.

"What we're trying to do is unify the city. Not trying to gain attention, not trying to do any of those things. We're trying to resolve all that. This is something for every veteran," said McLeod.

The veteran's memorial ordinance will go before the Lake Park City Council at their next meeting on Tuesday, July 11th. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and it's open to the public.
[July 05, 2017] 5K Display Resolutions Market Demonstrates a Spectacular Growth By 2023

PUNE, India, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Research Future published a half-cooked research report on "Global 5K Display Resolution Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023"  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023. 5 K Display Resolutions Global Market - Overview 5K Display Resolutions is the next generation of ultra-high-definition displays and it's already causing a stir in the tech world. We've all just about come to terms with 4K providing the greatest picture detail we could ever possibly imagine and 5K Display Resolutions has already got us excited and confused about this super-dense, ultra-crisp pixel format. 5K Display Resolutions market offers just over seven times the resolution of 1080p full HD both horizontally and also vertically. It is a display resolution of about 5000 pixels. The most commonly used resolution is 5120  2880, which has an aspect ratio of about 16:9 and is about 14.7 million pixels. It is most commonly used in computer monitors and is rapidly reaching other market areas. In comparison to 4K, it offers 1280 extra columns and 720 extra lines of display area which is almost equivalent to an increase of 33.33% in each dimension. A 5K Display will show an image or video in incredible crispness, making it easy to pick out even the smallest of details. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the global market of 5K Display Resolutions has increased in recent years. The market is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period (2017  2023). The 5K Display Resolutions Market is forecasted to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (2017  2023). With the increase in 4K market, the demand for 5K display resolution is estimated to increase in the near future. In this rapdly changing world of technology, 5K display resolution market is projected to show a major growth prospects during the forecast period. The continuous developments and increasing technological advancements are major factors leading to growth of 5K display resolution market. Major factors driving the growth of 5K display resolution market are the growing demand in the consumer electronics market segment. 5K video cameras are majorly used for digital cinematography. 5K resolution provides a crisp and clear image which does not get distorted while editing.



The 5K display resolution market has been segmented on the basis of product, resolution and application. The resolution segment is further bifurcated into different resolutions such as 5120  2160 resolution, 5120  2700 resolution, 5120  2880 resolution, 5120  3200 resolution, 5120  3840 resolution and 5120  4096 resolution. Out of these, most commonly used resolution is 5120  2880 resolution, which is widely used in televisions. Request a Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3275

5 K Display Resolutions Global Market - Key Players 5K Display Resolutions market appears to be highly competitive and fragmented due to the presence of a numerous large and small players operating in the market. The key strategies traced from the analysis of recent developments of the key players include Product Launch, Agreement & Partnership, Acquisition and expansion. The study indicates large investments by multinational companies and startup emerging. The market demonstrates high growth prospect which is turn attracting several new entrants to the market. Some of the prominent players in 5K display resolution market are  Dell Inc. (U.S.), Apple Inc. (U.S.), LG Electronics Inc. (South Korea), Philips (Netherlands), HP (U.S.), Samsung Electronics (South Korea), Red Digital Cinema Camera Company (U.S.), Sharp Corporation (Japan), Sony Corporation (Japan), Canon Inc. (Japan), among others. 5 K Display Resolutions Global Market - Segments The 5K display resolution Market can be segmented in to 3 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding; Segmentation by Product: Comprises Monitors, Televisions, Cameras, Laptops, Smartphones, Tablets and Others. Segmentation by Resolution: Comprises 5120  2160 Resolution, 5120  2700 Resolution, 5120  2880 Resolution, 5120  3200 Resolution, 5120  3840 Resolution, and 5120  4096 Resolution. Segmentation by Application: Comprises Retail, Consumer Electronics, Education, Advertisements and other. The application segment is further bifurcated into retail, consumer electronics, advertisements and education. Access Report Detail @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/5k-display-resolution-market-3275 5 K Display Resolutions Market - Regional Analysis The regional analysis of 5K display resolution market is being studied for regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. It has been observed that Asia Pacific region is estimated to account for the largest share of the market, whereas North America is projected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. The major growth in 5K display resolution market in Asia Pacific region attributes to the technical advancements and increasing use of mobiles devices in that region. Across Europe, countries including Germany, France and the U.K. are anticipated to drive the growth of 5K display resolution market. Europe is expected to hold the second largest market share after Asia Pacific region in 5K display resolution market. In Europe, the presence of advanced infrastructure and with the increasing adoption of technology and technological advancements in numerous countries is driving the market growth of 5K display resolution market. Browse Related Report 8K Display Resolution Market, By Device (Monitors, Televisions, Cameras, Fulldome), By Resolution and By Application (Retail, Consumer Electronics, Education, Advertisements, Commercial Space) - Global Forecast 2023 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/8k-display-resolution-market-3344 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact

Akash Anand,

Market Research Future

Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers

Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar,

Pune - 411028

Maharashtra, India

+1 646 845 9312

Email: [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5k-display-resolutions-market-demonstrates-a-spectacular-growth-by-2023-300483331.html SOURCE Market Research Future

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[July 05, 2017] TELoIP Issued 19th Patent

TELoIP Inc. - the creator of powerful, software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) solutions for the most challenging, business-critical requirements; announced today the issuance by the US Patent Office of a patent that generally relates to SD-WAN system design, edge routing, points of entry, virtual core and orchestration. This patent is part of TELoIP's portfolio of patents for its Virtual Intelligent Network Overlay Architecture. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005085/en/ TELoIP Founder and CTO, Pat Saavedra (Photo: Business Wire) U.S. patent number 9692713, awarded June 27, 2017 is for a system, apparatus and method for providing a virtual network edge and overlay. "This patent relates to our VINO technology that defines the fundamental art of SD-WAN implementations and architecture principles of hub and spoke applications," said Pat Saavedra, Founder and CTO of TELoIP. "It continues to build upon our early mover IP portfolio in SDN and SD-WAN as evidenced by the 25 claims encompassed in the patent." The patent is part of a portfolio of seven patents issued in the United States since 2008 and covers four areas that industry analysts have highlighted as fundamental to building and delivering an effective SD-WAN solution. SD-WAN System Design The patent contins claims for the use of a virtual intelligent network overlay system. The system can involve client site components such as CPE devices that aggregate data plane underlay connections to a controller/gateway controlled by a cloud-based orchestration portal. The system can manage a meshed network of client site traffic connecting to a long-haul network backbone.



SD-WAN Edge Routing The patent contains claims that can involve routing traffic between CPE devices and SD-WAN gateway/controllers. This might include using an SD-WAN CPE with a static IP, dynamic IP, in a Customer Protected Route Domain that routes SD-WAN traffic across multiple underlay circuits to an SD-WAN gateway with bi-directional QoS, intelligent packet distribution and failover control.

SD-WAN Virtual Core and Points-of-Entry The patent has claims that can apply to the use of multiple controller gateways together as a distributed network forming a virtual network core with an orchestrator managing long haul traffic with encapsulation or encryption between the cloud network controllers in a multi-tenant Customer Protected Route Domain. SD-WAN Control Plane Orchestration The patent has claims that can enable using an orchestrator to manage the data plane and control plane traffic between the controller/gateways. This may apply to the utilization of an orchestrator to communicate with SD-WAN Gateways to manage long haul transport circuits and configure SD-WAN CPEs to build a mesh of virtual edge data planes with aggregation and underlay encryption/encapsulation. This patent relates to orchestration to control bi-direction QoS, intelligent packet distribution and failover on multiple network underlay circuits using a data plane. "In today's competitive networking marketplace, new SDN/SD-WAN products, services and partnerships are being introduced daily," said Rui Luis, CEO of TELoIP. "We believe that the most successful businesses will be those that leverage their intellectual property to provide novel solutions that reliably deliver high value to customers and partners." Before 2011, TELoIP envisioned bringing SD-WAN-as-a-Service to the market. Their challenge was to give service providers true multi-tenancy for scale and cost control. This led to several innovations in SD-WAN technology described above that are at the heart of the TELoIP Cloud, providing a virtual SD-WAN core which abstracts orchestration and routing at the network layer. By solving the challenge of overlapping customer subnets, TELoIP enables each client to establish their own secure, protected route domain within TELoIP's managed SD-WAN core infrastructure. The net effect is that each client gets a more advanced SD-WAN solution with better cloud integration, while our MSP and CSP (News - Alert) partners do not need to bear the heavy cost of providing dedicated cloud infrastructure and long haul transport for each customer. For more information about TELoIP, please visit www.teloip.com or call 866-901-3268. About TELoIP - TELoIP is the creator of powerful, software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs) for the most challenging locations requiring high availability and business-critical application traffic. TELoIP cloud-managed networks are used by retailers to build carrier-agnostic networks that reduce costs by 50% or more, by financial organizations for secure communications, by heath care enterprises to remotely connect clinics, and by service providers to deliver SD-WAN services. Hundreds of businesses across North America depend on TELoIP's patented VINO architecture to plan and deliver secure, lower-cost, higher-performance and more reliable networks for their voice, data and video communications needs, whether they rely on public or private clouds. Based in Toronto, Canada, TELoIP has been delivering software-defined solutions since 2002. For more information, visit www.teloip.com. Copyright 2017 TELoIP Inc. All rights reserved. TELoIP, VINO and SD-Internet are trademarks of TELoIP Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170705005085/en/

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Iranians have organized a "Trumpism" cartoon contest in which hundreds of participants were invited to submit artwork mocking the US leader. Some of the cartoons depicted Trump as a Nazi.

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The same organizers held a Holocaust cartoon contest last year, which they said was meant to highlight Western double standards on free speech and not to cast doubt on the Nazi genocide.

Video of cartoon competition

X

Photo: EPA

Photo: AFP

The logo for the contest is based on the Nazi swastika, with a diagonal "T'' in a white circle against a red background. One cartoon shows President Donald Trump painting a Hitler-like mustache on the face of the Statue of Liberty.

Photo: EPA

Photo: EPA

Hadi Asadi of Iran, who won first prize and a $1,500 award, said he wanted to highlight the "money-mindedness and war monger nature" of Trump. His cartoon shows Trump wearing a jacket made of dollar notes while drooling on books, a reference to cultural material.

Photo: AP

"I wanted to show Trump while trampling symbols of culture," said Asadi, who produced the cartoon in two weeks using a stylus pen digital printing method.

Photo: AFP

Photo: AFP

Contest organizer Masuod Shojai Tabatabaei said the aim of the contest and exhibition is to show wrong behaviors by Trump in the framework of satirical portraits. Trump and violence against women, media as well as building walls were among themes of the contest.

"The ism in Trumpism is a reference to racism and Nazism," said Tabatabaei. "Many believe his remarks are similar to Hitler's. He has had a bad attitude toward media and refugees."

Photo: AP

The exhibition, which opened Monday and will last one week, includes the works of some 1,614 Iranian and foreign participants from 74 countries, including four works from American cartoonists, of which two were awarded citations.

Photo: AFP

American Robert Jones Clayton's cartoon shows the cover photo of two copies of Time magazine, one with Trump's picture and the other with Adolf Hitler. Both men are portrayed as Time's Person of the Year and Trump tells Hitler: "It is a great honor" and in return Hitler replies "Ja."

Photo: AFP

American Ed Wexler's work shows Trump saying "Fake news" while running away from a snowball, on which a red star with a hammer and sickle emblem is seen, a reference to Russian connections to Trump.
"The situation in western Europe is catastrophic," says Rabbi Carlos Tapiero, who is at the forefront of the battle against the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement.

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"And that is also the situation in prestigious educational institutions in the US, Canada and at a certain level in Australia. Even in South Africa the situation is difficult. The BDS organizations are making determined efforts to make everyone believe that the State of Israel has no right to exist," he laments.

BDS groups in the Netherlands are proud of a severe blow they recently delivered in their latest campaign against Israel, which prevented one of its major public transport companies - Egged - from winning a tender worth 190 million Euros that would have enabled it to operate in the Netherlands northern locality, including the countrys capital, Amsterdam.

IAC director Shoham Nicolet at a march for Israel in New York (Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld)

As part of this wide scale anti-Israel campaign conducted by the same groups, Egged was portrayed as a collaborator in the violation of international law since its bus routes include transport to settlements. Moreover, Egged was accused of implementing apartheid policies as BDS activists charged it prevents Palestinian passengers from travelling on some of its lines.

In Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs (MSA), which over the past few years has led the struggle against the BDS Movement, it has become clear that counter measures from inside Israel are not sufficient, and that there is a need to strike the movement on its own home turf.

It is this line of thinking that marked the inception of cooperative efforts between the ministry and a host of international organizations, which together constitute the long arm of the state in the battle to salvage Israels image and status on the world stage.

One of those organizations is the Maccabi World Union for which Rabbi Tapiero, 54, serves as the deputy executive director and educational director. The organization operates in 70 countries worldwide and includes some 500,000 members.

"In the last decade, anti-Israeli propaganda activities have even penetrated into the communities of the Jewish Diaspora and have caused some confusion," Tapiero explains. "That is why in the last year we started a joint PR campaign with the Ministry of Strategic Affairs. We are taking advantage of the size and reach of our organization in order to fight against the delegitimization that is being done to the State of Israel."

The overarching goal of the project is to shift the negative narrative permeating international institutions to a more friendly line.

We hold seminars and training sessions for community leaders, educators, professionals and managers in every community we operate in across the globe, and we give them the tools to respond to allegations by BDS groups, Tapiero continued. These people go back to their communities and they know how to handle those who slander Israel, he proudly states.

With the massive challenge before him of shaping public opinion, Tapiero finds himself going from event to event. Last month I held a seminar for 300 religious evangelical leaders in Guatemala, he said. In April, we held a similar seminar in Warsaw for leaders from 25 countries, and more seminars in South Africa, South America and Australia. We have large Jewish centers around the world, which thousands of people of all ages go to every day. In every center, the managers and trainers are graduates of our seminars, and they convey our message to their students. This way, we further widen the circle of people who are able to respond in the war against BDS activists.

During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the Israeli-American Council (IAC) was established in the US. Today it also works in close cooperation with the MSA in a project against BDS. Ehud Danoch, who today acts as the CEO of 'Shikun & Binui,' was then Israels General Consul in Los Angeles when he organized a support event for Israel that was attended by, among others, the then-governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Much to my surprise, the people who were almost entirely absent from the event were Israeli Americans, recalled Shoham Nicolet, 40, the director of the IAC.

This was a red light for Danoch, which is why it was decided to establish an organization that would connect Israelis and strengthen Jewish-Israeli identity for the younger generation (in the US), he added.

Since its founding, the new organization has already registered remarkable success. Today we reach a quarter of a million people annually across the US, Nicolet boasts. We have thousands of volunteers and hundreds of community leaders. In every single incident since the Second Lebanon Warsuch as the Mavi Marmara, Operations Cast Lead, Pillar of Defense and Protective Edgepeople have gotten out onto the streets to support Israel. About three years ago, we realized it wasnt enough and that the real battleground was not on the streets but rather social media. This is when the relationship began between us and the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and we decided together to create Act.il  an online community that fights against the dissemination of lies about Israel.





Nicolet at an event for Israel (Photo: IAC)

At the beginning of last month, Act.il also launched a mobile app that encourages its users to take joint action on the internet to counter the negative narrative about Israel.

But the activities and efforts of IAC dont end there. Just over a year ago, we established IAC4action which, in practice, is a lobby for Israel designed to promote legislation against the BDS, Nicolet said, reflecting on past successes of the initiative. We succeeded in doing it in California and Nevada and we advanced legislation that imposes penalties on companies that boycott Israel. Now we are helping to enforce these laws.

At the same time, the European arena is not being overlooked or neglected. Five years ago, the Europe Israel Public Affairs (EIPA) was created  an independent organization with no political or party affiliation - which operates voluntarily as a lobby to promote Israel in European Union institutions and in pan-European media.

The organization was founded by Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the Director General of the European Jewish Association (EJA). Margolin founded the group in response to anti-Israeli sentiment that was becoming increasingly prevalent in European countries, much of which is in fact manifested as what is known as the new anti-Semitism.

In the EIPA - whose head offices are located in Brussels and which also has offices in Paris, Berlin and Rome  activists operate through spheres of influence. In the last few years, the organization has brought hundreds of high-ranking friends from the European parliament to Israel, as well as respected journalists, editors, commentators, writers and bloggers from all over the world who are given the opportunity to see innovation in Israel across a broad spectrum of fields including hi-tech, science, agriculture, environment and more.

During their tours, the visitors are able to view first-hand the significant contribution Israel makes to the Middle East, Europe and the entire world. Simultaneously, they witness some of the challenges with which Israel is compelled to contend.

We dont educate them and we dont preach to them, says EIPA media advisor Tal Rabina, who accompanies the dignitaries and writers on their trip.

We have a frank dialogue with them and try and make them understand that the things you see from here cannot always be seen from afar, Rabina said, adding that their efforts have already borne fruit. We have already succeeded in having hundreds of positive articles published about Israel, even in media outlets that are known for their harsh criticism against government policies.

The organization, which also operates in cooperation with the MSA, carried out extensive activities last week in the European parliament in Brussels with the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage.

One of the main highlights of the event was a huge fair held in the European Parliament plaza in Brussels resembling a hi-tech Mahane Yehuda market, which left thousands of young workers in the parliament impressed as they jumped from stand to stand to view presentations and developments by Jerusalem companies.

Members of parliament and dignitaries in the EU participated in the event. And there is no doubt it will contribute to the improvement of Israels image in Europe, and especially Jerusalems, Margolin concludes optimistically.
Grinning broadly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delighted in the global furor created by his nation's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, vowing Wednesday to never abandon nuclear weapons and to keep sending Washington more "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests.

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US and South Korean forces, in response to Tuesday's launch, engineered a show of force for Pyongyang, with soldiers from the allies firing "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters.

"The deep strike precision capability enables the (South Korean)-US alliance to engage the full array of time critical targets under all weather conditions," the US Army said in a statement, adding that the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II were utilized.

US, South Korea in joint drill (: )

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered the drills arranged with the United States to show "North Korea our firm combined missile response posture," his office said.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, said it was prepared to defend the United States and its allies against the growing threat from North Korea.

"We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White. "Our commitment to the defense of our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad."

Kim 'feasting his eyes' on ICBM test

A North Korean test of an ICBM, confirmed later by US and South Korean officials, is a momentous step forward for Pyongyang as it works to build an arsenal of long-range nuclear-armed missiles that can hit anywhere in the United States. The North isn't there yetsome analysts suggest it will take several more years to perfect such an arsenal, and many more testsbut a successful launch of an ICBM has long been seen as a red line, after which it would only be a matter of timeif the country isn't stopped.

Worry spread in Washington and at the United Nations, where the United States, Japan and South Korea requested a UN Security Council emergency session, to be held later Wednesday. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US response would include "stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable," using an acronym for the nation's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea's latest ICBM test (Photo: Reuters)

The uproar only seemed to inspire the North, whose propaganda machine rarely fails to aggrandize its leader and its military or to thumb its nose at rivals Seoul and Washington.

A report in its state media Wednesday described leader Kim as "feasting his eyes" on the ICBM, which was said to be capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead, before its launch. "With a broad smile on his face," Kim urged his scientists to "frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees," an apparent reference to continuing the stream of nuclear and missile tests Kim has ordered since taking power in late 2011.

The North was also pleased that its test came as Americans celebrated Independence Day. Kim, the state media report said, told "scientists and technicians that the US would be displeased to witness the DPRK's strategic option as it was given a 'package of gifts' incurring its disfavor by the DPRK on its 'Independence Day.'" The North has a history of conducting weapons test on or around July 4.

Kim signing the launch order (Photo: Reuters)

Kim reportedly "stressed that the protracted showdown with the US imperialists has reached its final phase and it is the time for the DPRK to demonstrate its mettle to the US, which is testing its will in defiance of its warning."

The test, North Korea's most successful yet, is a direct rebuke to President Donald Trump's earlier declaration that such a test "won't happen!"

A US scientist analyzing the height and distance of the launch said the missile could potentially reach Alaska.

North Korea's Academy of Defense Science, in a bit of hyperbole, said the test of what it called the Hwasong-14 marked the "final step" in creating a "confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth."

South Korea's Defense Ministry, in a report to lawmakers, tentatively concluded that North Korea test-fired a "new missile with an ICBM-class range" of more than 5,500 kilometers. But the ministry said it's not certain if the test was successful because Seoul couldn't verify if the North has mastered re-entry technology for an ICBM. The ministry said North Korea may now conduct a nuclear test with "boosted explosive power" to show off a warhead to be mounted on a missile.

Warning to US, South Korea and Japan

The launch sends a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, while also allowing North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program. It came days after the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Moon and ahead of a summit of the world's richest economies.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commanding officer of the British Armed Forces Joint Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Regiment, said that "in capability of missile terms and delivery, it is a major step up and they seem to be making progress week-on-week." He added, however, that "actually marrying the warhead to the missile is probably the biggest challenge, which they appear not to have progressed on."

North Korea has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and is thought to have a small number of atomic bombs, but is still trying to perfect its longer-range missiles. Some outside civilian experts believe the North has the technology to mount warheads on shorter-range Rodong and Scud missiles that can strike South Korea and Japan, two key US allies where about 80,000 American troops are stationed. But it's unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile.

Joint US-South Korea drill (Photo: AFP)

Soon after the launch, Trump responded on Twitter: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

"This guy" presumably refers to Kim. China is North Korea's economic lifeline and only major ally, and the Trump administration is pushing Beijing to do more to push the North toward disarmament.

North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons and powerful missiles to cope with what it calls rising US military threats.

Regional disarmament talks on North Korea's nuclear program have been deadlocked since 2009, when the North pulled out of the negotiations to protest international condemnation over a long-range rocket launch.

The missile test could invite a new round of international sanctions, but North Korea is already one of the most sanctioned countries on Earth.

Last year, North Korea conducted its fourth and fifth atomic bomb tests and claimed a series of technical breakthroughs in its efforts to develop long-range nuclear missiles. The fifth nuclear test in September was the North's most powerful atomic detonation to date.

The Korean Peninsula has been divided since the end of World War II. Almost 30,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea.
Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay have one thing in common: Their Mizrahi descent. In any other aspect, they are very different. Labor voters who will go to the trouble of returning to the polling stations next Monday will determine not only who will head their Knesset list in the next elections, but also the partys nature, its image, the voter base it will try to attract, and maybe even its fate.

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Between the first and second voting rounds, the Labor Party is entering a six-day war. Each of the two finalists will try to get his rivals from the first round to join his camp. None of those rivals will declare their support voluntarily. There is unfinished business; there are aspirations. Peretzs advantage is his rich political experience. Thats also his weakness: In his many years in politics, he has gained quite a few enemies. Gabby is Peretzs mirror image: New, fresh and inexperienced.

As these elections have proved, however, the candidatesmaybe apart from Peretzhave no camps within the party who vote according to orders received from above. Perhaps because of its weakness, perhaps because of its unattractiveness, the Labor Party can afford to hold free, clean and democratic elections.

Peretz has the significant advantage of being five percentage points ahead of Gabbay, but Gabbay has momentum (Photo: Eli Segal)

Peretz is five points ahead of Gabbay. Thats a significant advantage. But Gabbay has momentum. Peretz is old newsGabbay is hot news. The media will celebrate with him until he becomes old news.

Peretz has proven in the past that he is capable of reaching some right-wing voters in the development towns. This breakthrough, however, had limited power. It didnt win elections.

Gabbays potential hasnt been tested yet. Allegedly, he is very promising: He has something to offer Yair Lapids voters, Moshe Kahlons voters and Likud voters who have had enough of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Like French President Emmanuel Macron, he is attractive because he isnt part of the existing system. He hasnt made unpopular compromises, he hasnt been involved in personal and public affairs and he hasnt broken promises.

But the elections in Israel are far, and if Gabbay is elected, the other parties may have an interest in postponing the elections even more. Israel is a country that wears out its politicians. By the time the elections arrive, he may become old news. He will have to make his choices, left or right, and the elections will drive voters away. The fact that he isnt a Knesset memberwhich means someone else will receive the title of opposition leader and the aura provided by the Shin Bet bodyguardswont contribute to his success.

Isaac Herzog suffered a serious defeat Tuesday evening. He didnt lose his chances during the race, but rather in the weak and winding path he has taken since the general elections. He failed to provide his party with charisma and leadership. What he doesnt have, he doesnt have. Nevertheless, he is a skilled politician who knows how to build bridges. Labor needs people like that.

The Labor Partys pavilion at the Tel Aviv Convention Center was located at the end of the compound. Only a few dozen activists waited for the results, mostly Gabbays young supporters. The wretchedness was all over the place, but in the current era of uncertainty, todays wretchedness could turn into tomorrows success. Everything is unpredictable and every person is free to choose his own way.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed in Israel on Tuesday, had a busy first day as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took him to visit several sites of historical significance, as well as witness Israeli innovation.

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"You have already visited Yad Vashem, you paid your respects at the tomb of the founder of our national movement, Theodor Herzl and you've seen some of Israel's cutting edge technology. We went to a greenhouse on a warm day, believe me it was a warm reception," Netanyahu said at a press conference with Modi on Tuesday evening. "So, you've had a glimpse of our painful past but also of our promising future. And we're very excited to host you here."

Prime Ministers Netanyahu and Modi at joint press conference (:  )

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"We both seek a better future for our peoples," Netanyahu continued. "Doing so requires a lot of work. It won't happen overnight, but Prime Minister Modi and I have the same traitwe both want it to happen overnight. We are tireless reformers, and I want to congratulate you, Prime Minister, on the reforms that you're doing to change India's economy. And we both believe that we can do together great things for the betterment of the future of our peoples."

Netanyahu spoke of the similarities between the two nations, adding that "Together, (Israel and India) account for about 20 percent of the world's population. But although we are unequal in size, we're equal in spirit. We believe we can accomplish great things. We have accomplished great things and we have many many more opportunities to seize together in the future.

"But I have to say that we also face common challenges and the first of it is to defeat the forces of terror that rampage through the world and threaten both our countries. So we must stand together in this battle, much as we work together to perfect the future."

Netanyahu and Modi visit Yad Vashem (Photo: EPA)

The two leaders, who have talked of a continued correspondence throughout the years, recently had a friendly exchange on Twitter. On June 21st, also known as International Yoga Day, Modi tweeted, "I urge the citizens of the world to continue practicing Yoga regularly & make Yoga an integral part of your lives. The benefits are many." Netanyahu then retweeted his recommendation, adding, "Great idea PM, @naredramodi. The Middle East has too much tension. Maybe down-facing dog will help?"

"I have to confess to you that I've been inspired by Prime Minister Modi's enthusiasm for Yoga to begin," Netanyahu said Tuesday. "He said to me: you can start at a low level, choose your level. So I'm starting at a low level and here's what we're going to do. When I do a relaxing Tadasana pose, in the morning I'll turn my head to the right, India is the first democracy that I'll see. And when Prime Minister Modi does a relaxing pose of Vasisthasana and he turns his head to the left, Israel is the first democracy that you can see."

Netanyahu and Modi visit Yad Vashem (Photo: EPA)

Modi followed Netanyahu's speech with his own by saying, "Those who believe in humanity and civilized values must come together and defeat it at all costs. As such, we must resiliently oppose the evil of tyranism (sic), radicalism and violence that plague our time. Friends, the link between our people go back thousands of years, when the first Jews landed on India's southwestern coastline. Since then, the Jews have flourished."

After arriving in Israel earlier Tuesday, Modi told members of an Israeli and Indian delegation that his country considers Israel to be one of its most important partners. During his historic three-day visit, Modi will sign seven bilateral agreements with Israel.

Modi arrives in Israel (Photo: AFP)

Speaking at the welcome ceremony, Netanyahu said that Israel welcomed Modi "with open arms. We love India. We admire your culture, we admire your history, your democracy, your commitment to progress."

"We view you as kindred spirits in our common quest to provide a better future for our peoples and for our world, Netanyahu added before recalling the first ever meeting that took place between him and his Indian counterpart at the United Nations three years ago.

"We agreed to break down the remaining walls between India and Israel. We shook each other's hands and we agreed to forge a historic partnership for progress. We then met again in Paris and since then we've spoken many times on the phone. But I remember my friend what you said in that first meeting. You said that when it comes to India-Israel's relations, the sky is the limit," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu and Modi visit Yad Vashem (Photo: AP)

Delivering his remarks after Netanyahu, Modi opened by saying in Hebrew, "Shalom, I am happy to be here," adding that it was a "special honor for me to be the first Indian prime minister ever to make the revolutionary visit to Israel."

Thanking Netanyahu for the invitation and warm welcome, Modi also mentioned the prime ministers brother, Yoni Netanyahu, who fell in the heroic raid on Entebbe. "Your hero is an inspiration for our young generations," he said.

Netanyahu and Modi visit Yad Vashem (Photo: AP)

"India is a young nation, in which talented youth is the driving force. In a world where rapid progress and development is taking place, India considers Israel as one of its most important partners," Modi declared.
There is no international isolation, period. Now, we can hold the political debate inside Israel about the chances of peace. A peace agreement with the Palestinians, diplomatic agreements and settlementseverything can be discussed, but without threats and intimidations.

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Israels diplomatic situation has never been better. That appears to be the required conclusion. There is a crazy and capricious president in the White House, but for now, he supports Israel more than others. The Europeans criticize Israel over its policy, they cant stand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a person, but they respect Israel. Distant players in Africa and in the Far East are developing ties and developing an economy. Even the Sunni Arab states recently discovered Zeev Jabotinskys Iron Wall: They prefer semi-secret relations over total isolation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit is just part of this process. Another historical visit with an economic and diplomatic importance.

Netanyahu and Modi. Decent people, who dont see themselves as part of a herd, should acknowledge the prime ministers diplomatic and economic achievements (Photo: Reuters)

Im one of those who thinks that its time for a different leader from the national camp to replace Netanyahu. He is worn out and so are we. The tribalism that his recent term has been nurturing is harmful for the people of Israel in the long run. It changes nothing when it comes to his diplomatic and economic achievements. Decent people, who dont see themselves as part of a herd, should acknowledge Netanyahus advantages, just like his supporters should acknowledge his problems.

The Judea and Samaria issue doesnt disappear in such visits. I believe it doesnt disappear even with prime ministers who are willing to take dangerous gambles. The Europeans are clinging to the idea of two states for two people within the 1967 borders, and Netanyahu, by the way, provides them with these damaged goods in the interviews he gives in English. UNESCO and the United Nations Human Rights Council will keep being parodies of an international institution for the sake of humanity.

Most people dealing with the Middle East are clinging to the Palestinian story about colonialism and a conflict that began and could end in the 1967 borders. This is reality, and because there is no real solution and peace in the horizon, we are getting entangled in rhetoric battles.

All this is happening, but proportions are neededand they are provided by a visit like the Indian prime ministers visit. Israel of 2017 is not threatened by boycotters and BDS movementseven if many politicians here see them as a convenient enemy. Its facing no diplomatic threat either.

The thesis that there is international isolation due to the lack of negotiations with the Palestinians is nonsense: Today, there is a tiny number of boycotters compared to the thousands of companies in the days of the Arab boycott. There are fewer countries which would pass a resolution comparing Zionism to racism, as they did in 1975. The number of countries severing ties with Israel is decreasing. The world revolves around interests, and a democratic Israel is a top interest in the Middle East. A stable democracy is a rare commodity here, and we should remember that when discuss our situation.
MOSUL - Some 300 Islamic State fighters remain in the small patch of territory still controlled by the group in Mosul's Old City, a senior Iraqi commander said Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Sami al-Aridi of Iraq's special forces told The Associated Press that the militants' hold on Mosul has shrunk to a 500 square meter (600 sq. yard) area. A large number of civilians are believed to be trapped in the ISIS-run enclave, with around 1,500 fleeing with every 100-meter (yard) advance by Iraqi forces.

Iraqi forces moved to besiege the Old City before launching their attack in order to prevent IS fighters from fleeing to neighboring Syria, but al-Aridi said hundreds of militants still managed to escape from the Old City alone.

"They just shave their beards and walk out," al-Aridi said. "Just yesterday we captured two among a group of women and children."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome when he arrived at the President's Residence to meet with President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday.

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"Israel is a real friend... I feel absolutely at home here," Modi told Rivlin.

Rivlin responded in kind, saying, "It has only been eight months since I visited your country, I can never forget our visit because we found a really strong nation, with strong ideas and with strong wishes, and I must say with all the respect that I have, and the pleasure that I have, that you are one of the greatest leaders of democracies in the world at this time. And we appreciate very much your visit to Israel."

Indian PM Modi meets with Israeli President Rivlin (:  )

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Modi also spoke about Rivlin's visit to India, saying, "You took time to go to different places and see the entire country, and I think this was also a matter of great fortune for us that we got the opportunity to host you at all of those places."

Rivlin hosts Modi at the President's Residence in Jerusalem (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Speaking of the things Israel and India have in common, Rivlin noted that "We understand the need to have partners who will 'make in India,' because the first thing the leaders of Israel at the time did in 1948, at the establishment of the State of Israel, we felt that we should produce everything in Israel."

Rivlin hosts Modi at the President's Residence in Jerusalem (Photo: AFP)

Rivlin hosts Modi at the President's Residence in Jerusalem (Photo: AFP)

The Indian prime minister addressed the cooperation between the two nations, noting that "In the real world, what we see today is 'I for I,' and 'I with I,' and when I say 'I for I' I don't mean the popular saying, what I mean is 'India with Israel' and 'India for Israel.'"

Rivlin hosts Modi at the President's Residence in Jerusalem (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

The Israeli president also paid his visitor a compliment, saying, "I found you to be one of the leaders who really pays attention to all the needs of his people, and also pays attention to the abilities, to the opportunities, and the needs of the other side."
[July 05, 2017] FASTSIGNS Named One of the Fastest-Growing Franchises in North Texas by the Dallas Business Journal

CARROLLTON, Texas, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, announced today that it has been ranked number 16 by the Dallas Business Journal on its annual North Texas Fastest-Growing Franchises list. "We are excited about our growth in the number of locations, and as importantly, our increase in many other metrics including average unit volume, franchisee profitability and franchisee satisfaction," said Catherine Monson, President and CEO, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. "The demand for signs and visual graphics remains strong, and we plan to continue adding locations across the globe." The award-winning brand, based in Carrollton, Texas, currently has 81 locations open plus five in development in Texas. The brand has an additional 580 locations across the United States, Canada and seven other countries, and is continuing to grow throughout North America and other international markets. As part of the brand's development strategy, FASTSIGNS also is targeting sign shops for its conversion program and co-brand franchise opportunities whereby print shop owners or photo centers can expand their services by adding FASTSIGNS to their existing business. FASTSIGNS Internationa, Inc. ended 2016 with record-breaking growth, fueled in part by the ongoing worldwide need for visual communications and digital signage technology. This year, the company expects to open 45 locations.



FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was recently ranked number 1 in the Business Services/Signs category and 95 overall in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500, the world's first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Acknowledged by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500 recognizes FASTSIGNS for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate and brand power. For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or 214-346-5679).

About FASTSIGNS

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the largest sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of 660 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers in nine countries including the US, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Grand Cayman, Mexico and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE). FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive sign and visual graphic solutions to help companies of all sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message, sell more products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points including decor, events, wearables and marketing materials. Learn more about sign and visual graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com. Follow the brand on Twitter @FASTSIGNS, Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS or LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fastsigns. CONTACT: Chelsea Bear

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fastsigns-named-one-of-the-fastest-growing-franchises-in-north-texas-by-the-dallas-business-journal-300483514.html SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc.

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A joint exercise between Israeli and Palestinian rescue and security forces took place on Wednesday at a crossing near the West Bank Palestinian city of Jenin. The drill was conducted on the initiative of the Israeli Civil Administration, simulating a vehicular crash situation.

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The joint exercise took place one week after an accident on Road 60 took the lives of seven people, including a mother and her five children. Palestinian and Israeli emergency teams worked together at the site of the accident.



An Israeli and Paletinian rescue worker together (Photo: Ido Erez)

Photo: Ido Erez

Photo: Ido Erez

During the exercise, the teams rushed to the upturned cars and began sawing them open while trying to avoid causing any damage to the dummies "trapped" inside.

Photo: Ido Erez

Photo: Ido Erez

"You have to remember that in Judea and Samaria there are a lot of routes where both Israelis and Palestinians drive, and that you have to (assisted) injured parties regardless of their origin," stated Lt. Gen. Samir Khayuf, who heads Jenin's Civil Administration Coordination Headquarters.

Photo: Ido Erez

Photo: Ido Erez

Despite the fact that such joint ventures are viewed by many Palestinians negatively, the Palestinian team members said that their motivation was high and stressed the separation they make between the political challenges and the daily reality they face. "It's true that the political situation carries an important role, but at the end of the day we receive orders from our leadership and carry them out," said Khaled Cadura, the head of Jenin Communication Unit.

Photo: Ido Erez

Photo: Ido Erez

After the end of the exercise and concluding meal, the Palestinian and Israeli rescue teams applauded each other and promised to carry out future joint events. "It's too bad that back in the real world things aren't as pretty as they are here," muttered one the participants.
WARSAW - Israel has protested a UNESCO vote that called it an "occupying power" in Jerusalem's Old City, which includes sites sacred to the Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Participants in a UNESCO World Heritage Committee's session in Krakow, Poland, called on Israeli authorities to stop excavations and other works in the Old City, saying they are illegal.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon condemned the vote's wording as "disgraceful."

"No faux 'heritage committee' can sever the bonds between our people and Jerusalem," Danon said in a statement made available to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The wording was proposed by three Arab nations, described Israel as the "occupying Power" in Jerusalem. Tuesday's vote was the latest in a string of spats between Israel and the UN cultural agency.
DUSHANBE - Tajik police killed four relatives of a former elite police force commander who defected to Islamic State two years ago, two security sources told Reuters on Wednesday, during a raid on a house near the Afghan border.

The United States last August offered up to $3 million for information about Colonel Gulmurod Khalimov, whom it trained in counter-terrorism before he joined Islamic State.

Washington has described Khalimov as "a key leader" of Islamic State, which has seized parts of Syria and Iraq and staged or inspired deadly militant attacks around the world.

According to the security sources, police suspected that some of Khalimov's relatives were also linked to the militant group and were about to cross the border into Afghanistan.

When police raided a house in the Ibrat village in southern Tajikistan late on Tuesday, the suspects resisted and wounded at least one policeman, the sources said. Police killed two of Khalimov's brothers and two of his nephews, and detained several people.
Israel protested on Wednesday a UNESCO vote that called it an "occupying power" in Jerusalem's Old City, which includes sites sacred to the Jews, Christians and Muslims.

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Participants in a UNESCO World Heritage Committee's session in Krakow, Poland, called on Israeli authorities to stop excavations and other works in the Old City, saying they are illegal.

"This is another absurd and irrelevant UNESCO decision, which serves only the enemies of history and truth," Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "The decision is sad, unnecessary and pathetic."

Photo: AP

The Foreign Ministry went on to assert that "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people, and no UNESCO resolution will change this reality," emphasizing the resolution did not even achieve a majority of the votes.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also condemned the vote's wording, calling it "disgraceful."

"No faux 'heritage committee' can sever the bonds between our people and Jerusalem," Danon said.

The wording of the proposal submitted to the UN Education, Science and Culture Organization by three Arab states, which was formulated together with the Palestinians, were originally much harsher. However, pressure exerted by Israel forced the hostile proposal to be watered down.

Ten states supported the proposal: Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Turkey, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Cuba. Three voted against the proposal: The Philippines, Jamaica and Burkina Faso. Another eight countries abstained: Angola, Croatia, Finland, Peru, Poland, Portugal, South Korea and Tanzania.
Holocaust survivors joined France's president and European dignitaries Wednesday at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen to become president of the European Parliament and one of France's most revered politicians.

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Best known in France for spearheading the legalization of abortion, Veil faced down sexist criticism and repeatedly broke barriers for women in politics. She died last week at age 89.

Simone Veil (Photo: MCT)

During a national ceremony with military honors Wednesday at the Invalides monument, home to Napoleon's tomb, President Emmanuel Macron announced Veil will be inducted into Paris' Pantheon mausoleumthe final resting place of dozens of French greats.





French President Emmanuel Macron at the ceremony (Photo: EPA)

European flags around France were lowered to half-staff to honor a woman whose experience at Auschwitz-Birkenau made her a firm believer in European unification.

Former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande attend the ceremony (Photo: EPA)

Macron praised her as inspiring "respect and fascination."

"She loved Europe, she always fought for it ... because she knew in the heart of this European dream there were above all dreams of peace and freedom," he said.

Photo: EPA

Veil lost her parents and brother in Nazi camps, and spoke frequently about the need to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive.

"She knew that memory is here so that the unthinkable does not happen again," Macron said.

Photo: EPA

"Just as you leave us, Madam, please receive an immense thank you from the French people", he concluded in front of the coffin covered with a French flag, in the presence of hundreds of ordinary citizens and high-profile guests including former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.

Veil will be the fourth woman to be honored at the Pantheon. She will join two women who fought with the French Resistance during World War II, Germaine Tillion and Genevieve de Gaulle-Anthonioz, and Nobel Prize-winning chemist Marie Curie.
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Wednesday the military was working quietly against a factory for precision-guided missiles Iran is building for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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"It's at the top of our list of priorities, but at the moment we're talking about a very limited capability," Eisenkot told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "We're working against it using quiet measures to avoid a deterioration of the situation."

Such deterioration, Eisenkot said, is not expected, noting that while he "didn't identify an intention by our enemies to attack, the IDF is improving its preparedness for any scenario."

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Hezbollah, he said, "continues violating resolution 1701 (UN ceasefire agreement that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War) under civilian guise and in urban areas. UNIFIL contributes to the peace, but they don't do enough to report what's happening on the ground to the decision makers at the UN."

Despite that, "11 years after the Second Lebanon War, we have a better security situation, and we've been taking advantage of this time to dramatically improve our capabilities," Eisenkot said.

Addressing the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip following the Palestinian Authority-requested reduction in electricity Israel provides Gaza, the IDF chief said, "We're interested in a positive dynamic in the strip, but Israel can't be expected to give from its own budget while Hamas is investing money in terrorism."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi signed Wednesday seven agreements of cooperation between Israel and India in the fields of technology, water and agriculture.

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Netanyahu said the new cooperation agreements mark a "match made in heaven" as he stood alongside Modi. "We're making history together," Netanyahu told Modi. "I have a feeling that on this day, India and Israel are changing parts of our world."

Modi and Netanyahu at press conference marking cooperation agreements signing (:  )

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The agreements include three deals regarding closer ties in space development, two water agreements, cooperation over matters of national security and a joint, $40 million industrial research and development fund.

Wednesday's agreements are the centerpiece of Modi's three-day visit to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations and strengthen his country's already close ties with the Jewish state.

Modi and Netanyahu at press conference marking cooperation agreements signing (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

During the Cold War, India didn't have open relations with Israel, leaning heavily in favor of the Palestinians. But over the past quarter century, the countries have developed close ties in areas of hi-tech and defense.

The Israeli and Indian teams having lunch at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem (Photo: Haim Tzach/GPO)

Modi will hold talks with Netanyahu, tech companies and the local community of Indian Jews. His schedule does not include any meetings with Palestinian officials.

Photo: Haim Tzach/GPO





Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg

During a joint press conference on Tuesday evening, Netanyahu spoke of the similarities between the two nations, adding that "Together, (Israel and India) account for about 20 percent of the world's population. But although we are unequal in size, we're equal in spirit. We believe we can accomplish great things. We have accomplished great things and we have many many more opportunities to seize together in the future.

Rivlin (from behind) and Modi (Photo: AFP)

"But I have to say that we also face common challenges and the first of it is to defeat the forces of terror that rampage through the world and threaten both our countries. So we must stand together in this battle, much as we work together to perfect the future."

Photo: AFP

Modi met with President Reuven Rivlin earlier Wednesday, telling him, "Israel is a real friend... I feel absolutely at home here."

Rivlin responded in kind, saying, "It has only been eight months since I visited your country, I can never forget our visit because we found a really strong nation, with strong ideas and with strong wishes, and I must say with all the respect that I have, and the pleasure that I have, that you are one of the greatest leaders of democracies in the world at this time. And we appreciate very much your visit to Israel."
MOMBASA -- Somali al Shabaab militants killed two police officers on Wednesday during a raid on a northeastern Kenyan town that sparked a day-long gunbattle, a police official said, the latest in a spate of militant attacks on Kenyan security services.

Al Shabaab gunmen attacked the police station in the town of Pandanguo in the coastal district of Lamu around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT), forcing villagers to flee, according to residents. The area is near Kenya's long, porous border with Somalia.

The militants raided a dispensary for drugs and houses for food items, clothes and other valuables, witnesses said. Smoke could be seen rising from the village later in the day.
Lt. David Golovenchich, who was accidentally shot and killed by a junior IDF soldier on Tuesday night, was laid to rest Wednesday afternoon at Mt. Herzl Cemetery as fellow soldiers, family and friends bid their final farewells.

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Speaking at the funeral, his commander described him as an exceptional fighter. He went to the commanders course and after that was selected to go to the officers course. He did his job brilliantly and always took care of his soldiers like they were his children, Sion Bloch said.

Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

Your soldiers are a testament to the fact that you were an admired commander. David, you were complete with your work and you did it with a smile that never left your face. We will continue in your path. Your soldiers will continue in your path because that is how you educated them.

Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

Bloch told the Golovenchich family that David fell among soldiers who loved him before concluding his eulogy. David, in the name of the 12th Battalion. I salute you.

The Golovenchich family (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

His mother, Esther, also delivered an emotional eulogy for her son whose life was cut so prematurely short. I thought I could eulogize him. My dear son, my beloved son, she began. I think I cant describe what has befallen me. I had the privilege of having 22 years with such a wonderful gift.

You taught me so much. You always made sure that we enjoyed and that we had a smile on our faces. I promise you, with all the pain, that we will continue to do that, she continued as soldiers and friends wept around her. I love you David.

Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

Davids sister Ruthi described her brother as my hero.

You were so beautiful. You were my little brother but acted like a big brother. I learned everything from you....You lived a crazy life as if you knew it was short. You never wasted a second. I cant believe that you wont be coming back to me on Friday. We love you, she said.

Golovenchich, 22, grew up in Jerusalem, but moved to the settlement of Efrat in Gush Etzion with his family several years ago. He studied at the Bnei Zvi yeshiva in Beit El and later enlisted in the IDF and joined the Golani Brigade.

Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

"It was clear to me from the start that I had a leader, a commander growing up in my class. It was obvious throughout his studies," said Rabbi Itamar Lieberman, who was Golovenchich's homeroom teacher.

"On the one hand, he was a mischievous child, and on the other hand he had good manners and wanted to contribute. The most noticeable thing about him is his smile... he always stood out in class for his desire to contribute."

Earlier on Wednesday, the IDF soldier who accidentally killed Golovenchich gave his version of events, claiming that nobody performed the routine check on his rifle despite the fact that his magazine was inserted in the gun.

David Golovenchich

I didnt sleep all night because of the incident and I dont remember the moments after it. Close to 8pm yesterday before we went to the checkpoint, the platoon commander went through the rules of opening fire, and said if the terrorist comes to stab us at the post, we have to load our weapons and shoot him, the soldier said.

After that we did an even bigger group exercise with the soldiers and then the platoon commander practiced with me and added a few soldiers who were supposed to guard at the checkpoint. The two of us had our magazines in our guns. The commander approached the post, flipped the table over and pretended to be a terrorist. So I loaded my gun and shot one bullet at a close distance of a few meters. It is difficult for me to remember the moments after.

Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

According to this version, Golovenchich would not have been aware that his soldiers magazine was inserted while acting as a terrorist.

The soldier only drafted into the IDF last November and first took up position in Hebron just two weeks ago. Since the incident, he has been receiving treatment from a military psychologist.

He told his friends that he didnt know Golovenchich well, who only joined the Golani Brigade's 12th battalion two weeks ago. There was nothing bad between us, and the relationship was good in the last few days when we started getting to know him.
Foreign ministers from the four Arab states leading the boycott of Qatar expressed disappointment on Wednesday with the tiny Gulf nation's "negative" response to their demands, but did not announce new sanctions against Doha.

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"The response the four states got was overall negative and lacked any content. We find it did not provide a basis for Qatar to retreat from its policies," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said reading out a joint statement. Shoukry also added that Doha's response was a "position that reflects a failure to realize the gravity of the situation."

Gulf foreign ministers in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain have cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran. Doha denies the charges.

However, according to Doha's foreign minister, the demands made of Qatar were designed to be rejected, explaining that their ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country's sovereignty.

"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".

Photo: Reuters

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. Turkey urged the Arab countries to overcome their differences "in a brotherly" manner, but emphasized that the Turkish base is for the benefit of the region's security and that it "is not an occupation, an annexation force."

Foreign ministers of the four states met in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the situation after a deadline they gave Qatar to meet 13 demands expired.

"The political and economic boycott will continue until Qatar changes its policies for the better," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a news conference.
During a police operation in the Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem, ultra-Orthodox protestors surrounded a police vehicle and began shouting at officers, throwing eggs, bottles of water and stones.

Police turned the water cannon on protestors and arrested two of them for assaulting officers.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Wednesday afternoon with Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were murdered in the 2008 terror attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai.

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During the meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuwho is escorting Modi on his three-day trip to IsraelMoshe said that he missed India. The Indian premier replied by saying that the country was always open to him.

Modi meets with Moshe Holtzberg (:   )

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Netanyahu also invited Moshe to accompany him on his future visit to India.

Modi and Netanyahu meet with Moshe Holtzberg (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Moshe, now ten years old, was joined by his grandparents who took care of him after he moved to Israel and his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel managed to remove him from the carnage and bloodletting and was granted Israeli citizenship.

Photo: Haim Tzach/GPO

In the attack, six people, including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkawho ran the Jewish outreach center which also offered support to drug victimswere killed when four terrorists entered the premises and began spraying occupants with bullets.

Photo: Haim Tzach/GPO

Rivka was five months pregnant when her life was ended. However, the couples son Moshe, who was 2 years old at the time, survived the attack thanks to Sandra.

Also on Wednesday, Modi and Netanyahu signed seven agreements of cooperation between Israel and India in the fields of technology, water and agriculture.
The IDF Military Prosecution has closed the case on the death of 1st.-Lt. Yishai Rosales, who was killed in January 2016 in a training accident at the Tze'elim base in southern Israel, without filing any indictments against those involved. Only two officers are set to attend a disciplinary proceedings.

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Rosales, from the Kfir Brigade, was killed when a force from the 75th Battalion of the 7th Armored Corps Division inadvertently fired a mortar shell in the wrong direction.

One of the officers is a commander at the Fire Training Center while the other is a commander in the 75th Battalion of the 7th Armored Corps Division. In addition, two combat soldiers were dismissed for failing to operating the mortar shells as required.

Lt. Yishai Rosales

A deputy battalion commander was also reprimanded for the incident. The deputy commander of the 75th Battalion and the platoons deputy company commander were also removed from their positions.

The aforementioned officers will be arraigned by more senior-ranked officers for a number of offences including failure to comply with orders. However, their punishment is not expected to be too severe.

One of the senior officers involved in the incident, a colonel, continues to serve in the IDF but was assigned a different job.

The investigation revealed that the infantry force in the exercise that fired the mortar shells accidentally entered data that caused the shell to fire about 800 meters in the wrong direction.

A group of officers were also standing in the same area where the shell exploded, one of whom was Lt. Rosales from the Netzah Yehuda battalion. Rosales died of shrapnel wounds which he suffered to his upper body.
Some 10,000 members of the Indian community in Israel welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in honor of his visit to Israel Wednesday night at the Tel Aviv Convention Center.

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Participants arrived dressed in traditional Indian clothing, while some wrapped themselves in Indian flags or sported shirts emblazoned with Modi's image.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the crowd while Modi opened his remarks with the traditional "namaste," a respectful form of greeting in the Hindu custom.

"We are in a historic meeting, your visit, of two ancient peoples seizing the future," Netanyahu said in his remarks. "Prime Minister Modi and I have decided on a vast program to bring our partnership and our friendship to new heights. But we always remember that there's a human bridge between usyou. We admire you, we respect you, we love you."

Photo: Motti Kimchi

Ofra Dronker, one of the participants, said, "This event has further brought the community together. The whole family is here, all the Indian immigrants from other countries. Its a huge celebration. This is an event I've been awaiting for months."

Photo: Motti Kimchi

The tiny Jewish community in India is hoping that following Modi's visit to Israel they will be granted the status of being a minority in India.

There are currently some 6,000 Jews living in India and while they say they have never felt discrimination based on their religion, they still expect the special status to be conferred upon them as it has been on other religions such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and others.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

Photo: Motti Kimchi

"For us, India is our homeland. We are Indians first and then Jews. Israel is in our hearts and India is in our blood," said Yehezkel Merkel, a rabbi at a Delhi synagogue.

Earlier in the day, Modi met with Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were murdered in the 2008 terror attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai.
The new supreme leader of the Islamic militant group Hamas on Wednesday delivered his first public speech since taking office in May, railing against Israel and the Trump administration while calling for unity with the rival Palestinian Authority.

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But in his speech, Ismail Haniyeh attached a series of conditions that will almost surely be rejected by his rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. That could set the stage for an emerging alliance between Hamas and an exiled Abbas rival who is seeking a return to Palestinian politics.

Haniyeh's speech, delivered at a Gaza City hotel to a group of supporters, came at a difficult time for his group, which has been battered by an Israeli and Egyptian blockade designed to prevent the smuggling of weapons into the Strip, international isolation and deep economic problems.

Ismail Haniyeh (Photo: AP)

Hamas took control of Gaza a decade ago from Abbas' forces, leaving him in control only in the West Bank. Reconciliation efforts have repeatedly failed.

In his speech, Haniyeh repeated a call for a unity government with Fatah and preparations for general elections.

He said Abbas' Palestinian Authority must halt its security coordination with Israel in the West Bank, "whatever the result is," and called for joining forces against the Israeli "occupation." Israel and Abbas' forces maintain communications in a joint effort to stop Hamas and other militants.

The Western-backed Abbas wants Palestinian elections to be held first, and he has defended the security coordination with Israel. Hamas is shunned as a terrorist group by Israel and the United States for its founding charter that calls for eliminating the Jewish state.

Haniyeh also said the new US administration "is working quickly to extort Islamic and Arab powers" in a way to bolster Israel.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the 2007 Gaza takeover, and conditions in Gaza have steadily deteriorated. Israel says much of the funding it receives is diverted to terror activities rather than developing infrastructure.

Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: Ofer Meir)

In recent months, Abbas has attempted to step up pressure on Hamas to force it to cede control. He has slashed the salaries of thousands of employees in Gaza, forced some 6,000 people into early requirement and asked Israel to reduce electricity shipments to Gaza. As a result, Gazans receive only about four hours of electricity each day.

Hamas has recently sought help from Egypt, which has cool relations with the Islamic terror group. It also is in contact with Mohammed Dahlan, a former aide to Abbas who was forced into exile after a falling out with the president.

Dahlan, who is based in the United Arab Emirates, has facilitated a deal to ship Egyptian fuel into Gaza to ease the electricity crunch.

Haniyeh confirmed that along with Hamas-Egypt talks, meetings were held with Dahlan's aides "that led to understandings that will reflect positively on our people in Gaza."

"The Egyptians showed readiness to resolve Gaza crises and issued instructions for a series of procedures to do so," Haniyeh said.

Analysts believe that Dahlan is plotting a return to Gaza in a bid to challenge Abbas or position himself to succeed the 82-year-old leader.
YORK  Upon the resignation of former York County Attorney Candace Bottorf, Deputy County Attorney Benjamin Dennis began fulfilling the duties of that position.

That left a vacancy in the county attorneys office and the need for another attorney to assist with the duties and ongoing caseload.

So on Monday, the York County Commissioners appointed an interim deputy county attorney to assist Dennis.

Im looking for assistance and am asking for the authorization to hire Audrey Sautter to help in the interim, Dennis said. I think she will be great.

Sautter has been working in York County for several years, in private practice.

Dennis said Sautter has assisted him with some cases already, when he had time conflicts and other situations in which he needed another attorney.

She has a lot of experience, including from the attorney generals office where she was for five years, Dennis said. She will be working out of her current office and this will be a part-time situation until the next county attorney comes in. I am asking you to approve her hiring, and Id like to work with her on a week by week, case by case basis.

The county commissioners have indicated that they plan to name a new county attorney by Aug. 1, but did not want to set a specific date.

Sautters hiring will be for a term that the acting county attorney deems to be necessary, according to the motion made by Commissioner Kurt Bulgrin.

The other commissioners unanimously agreed.

How have things been going? asked Commissioner Randy Obermier.

I think things are going fine, Dennis said. I will continue to do what Im obligated to do.

There was some discussion about alleviating some of the duties put upon the county attorney as far as coroner responses, a conversation that was prompted by the commissioners who wanted to know if other authorities could offer assistance in that arena.

The county attorney acts as the county coroner, as all unattended deaths have to be investigated to ensure no criminal activity was involved.

Dennis noted that assistance has been provided by the sheriffs department when necessary, as law enforcement officials can act as the coroner if the county attorney asks for such.

But again, this is what Im statutorily obligated to do and I will continue to do that, Dennis said. I appreciate what you have said, the duties in that capacity continue to be taken care of by this office.

Ironically, Dennis was called to the scene of a fatal accident  as the coroner  mere minutes after that statement was made to the county commissioners.
6/7/2017

As a young girl, Katrina Venables saw how brutal buying into the property market could be for a struggling family.

I saw my parents both working their butts off to pay off our family home. Dad was in the coal mines and mum was a cleaner, she explains.

They are finally retired and both have chronic health problems, which means they arent living their retirement in the active/travelling style that they dreamt of. And that house never got paid off.

After starting her own family, Katrina was set to go down the same path as she and husband Shane began saving up for their own house. Before long, they realised they would need far more money to make a deposit than they had expected.

My husband and I both work part-time and we have three kids aged under six. We both share the load of work and caring for the house and the kids, whilst renting a modest three-bedroom house for $440 per week, Katrina says.

Like anyone living with a commute to Sydney, we couldnt afford [to buy] anything on our part-time wages working in health and education. So we looked into investing in property whilst continuing to rent.

Remembering her parents struggle, she decided that she didnt want to go through the same ordeal they did  slaving to pay off a house in the best years of her life, and in the process risking her own health as well as time with her family.

The revelation

To better understand the property market relative to their situation, Katrina and Shane began to study up on property investing by subscribing to magazines, reading books and blogs, attending seminars and getting advice from other investors.

One night we had a financial consultant come to our house to discuss how we could better spend

our savings and our super. Once he realised we were probably not in the most amazing financial position to be a part of his clientele with [our] quite low superannuation and savings balances, he gave us some personal insight into his property investment journey. He stayed until 11pm giving us a rundown on how property investing actually worked, Katrina explains.

I vividly remember him saying, If you were to buy this house you are living in now, it would cost you $800,000. Thats repayments of $1,000 per week. You get to live here for $400 a week.

I vividly remember him saying, If you were to buy the house you are living in now, it would cost you $800,000. Thats repayments of $1,000 per week. You get to live here for $400 a week renting. Why would you want to buy your own house?

This fateful visit set off a light bulb in Katrina and Shanes heads, and the couple was sold on the concept of rentvesting, which involves choosing to rent a dwelling in your preferred neighbourhood while investing in a different property somewhere more affordable.

We knuckled down and saved; $500 went out of our account into our savings account every week no matter what!

We knuckled down and saved; $500 went out of our account into our savings account every week no matter what! We committed to the goal of rentvesting and learnt to go without. After two years, we had $50,000, Katrina says.

By setting aside that weekly amount, she estimates that they will be able to squirrel away around $25,000 per year in savings every year  the equivalent of a deposit for a property every couple of years.

It just makes sense to us to rentvest. We could continue living happily in the suburb we love, [and be] close to great schools, parks and the beach. At $440 per week, its a steal for the area. And we can save the money we would be paying if we had a mortgage, and buy properties with that, Katrina explains.

Sticking to a formula

Katrina admits that most of the couples friends thought they were making the wrong move by choosing not to purchase their own home and to continue paying a landlord.

[They say] Oh, youre only renting, like were poor. And I guess we sort of are poor, compared to a lot of friends, when it comes to net income. We understand that we cant afford properties close to major cities that will last 30 years without too much maintenance.

To help them find the right first property to invest in, given their limited combined income of just $80,000, Katrina and Shane initially sought help from a third party.

They were like a buyers agent but got their money through the developer if they sold a property to us. The woman who owned the company was extremely convincing and had an excellent sales pitch. I gave them our brief for a property and on two occasions we signed for a new-build property, only to find out it didnt fill our brief.

While the couple did their best to trust the agents expert advice, her lack of belief in their formula and criteria was a concern. In the end, their commitment to their vision won out and they chose to proceed without using a third party.

The two properties just didnt feel right. And really, I cant help but feel that a company that gets a commission from the developer doesnt have the buyers best interest in mind, Katrina says.

I think my biggest lesson is to believe in yourself if you are well educated. We really have invested a lot of time into educating ourselves on property investment, and just needed to trust in our formula.

Following their experience with the buyers agent, Katrina tried taking matters into her own hands.

I put in an offer at our maximum amount in a suburb that scored very well on a website as a hotspot. I almost got this property but was outbid by $1,000. Im so glad I missed out, as six months on the suburb is way oversupplied due to a new estate that is being bought out by investors, Katrina says.

I knew the estate was going in, but I dismissed it and just focused on the current boomscore. It was a volatile suburb and I didnt stick with my criteria but rather got caught up in the fact that one website told me it was about to boom.

This near-disaster reminded Katrina of the importance of thorough research when investing in property, which eventually led the couple to Brisbane  regarded in 2016 as one of the fastest-growing corridors in the country.

Taking action

With guidance from OpenCorp director Cam McLellans book, My Four-Year-Old The Property Investor, Katrina and Shane decided to work with a recommended mortgage broker who secured them a 92% loan with an 8% deposit. Even though they had to pay lenders mortgage insurance, the couple was on board.

After a week or so, we found a seven-year-old house on a 750sqm block in a suburb called Burpengary, 30km north of the Brisbane CBD. It met all our criteria  close to transport and schools, 10km from the new North Lakes satellite city, and only 24% of the suburb [was composed of] rental properties, Katrina says.

All the numbers added up too. It was under the median for the suburb, plus there were tenants in place paying $395 per week.

Katrina and Shane were able to get the property for $388,000 after negotiating down the original asking price of $400,000. They also had to pay stamp duty, solicitor fees, and for building reports and other costs, but in general they considered the post-purchase experience to be smooth. Katrina also found setting up a depreciation schedule for tax time to be useful.

Now that the Burpengary property has been settled, Katrina is focusing on cultivating good relationships with her tenants and managing agency.

We are committed to buying the best property we can on our budget  with the intention of never selling

While the couple have finally found the perfect anchor property for their budget, Katrina admits that she and Shane could stretch their budget further if they both added another workday to their schedule. This move alone would allow them to save a further $20,000 each year, boosting their deposit and increasing their borrowing capacity.

However, their number one priority is their daughters  Molly, Bonny and Daisy  so theyre content to work fewer hours and earn less money until their kids are all at school.

Work smarter, not harder

With a solid long-term strategy that will see them hold on to their investment for the long term, the couple is now saving up again for their next investment. They are looking into buying one additional property every two years before riding the wave of rental income into retirement.

Our goal is to retire in our mid-50s and live off the rental income so we can continue to enjoy renting and time with our kids and each other. We are committed to buying the best property we can on our budget and sitting tight with steady growth for the next 2530 years, with the intention of never selling, Katrina explains.

In hunting for property number two, the pair plans to stick to McLellans advice, which is to go for affordable new houses that are close to amenities and public transport in tightly occupied suburbs. As they hit their 40s in the next ve years, Katrina and Shane aim to become the owners of four properties with a net worth of approximately $2m.

The saying Work smarter, not harder comes to mind when I think about our retirement plan. By rentvesting, we can continue to work part-time and spend the time with our kids in these years when they are young and at their greatest learning potential and growth.

Also, we have time to enjoy the things we like whilst we are fit and healthy, Katrina says.

She adds that their children are getting direct early lessons in property investment from their parents in order to take care of their future inheritances.

We talk regularly to them about what we are doing financially as they will be reaping the benefits of our strategy  and they better not blow it! Katrina laughs.
New York: Amid tension between the United States and Russia over Moscow's alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential elections, US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday.

"It has been agreed that the presidents will meet though their schedules are rather tight. However, we will keep in touch with our US counterparts to find an interval for this most important meeting. We will try to agree on the meeting, and I am sure that the two presidents will meet in Hamburg," TASS quoted Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov as saying.

US' National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton also confirmed that the two leaders will sit on Friday for the bilateral meeting, reports CNN.

CNN was told by US' administration officials that Trump is likely to focus heavily on the Syria and Ukraine conflicts.

It will be the first time that the two leaders will be meeting in-person with each other. So far, Trump and Putin have spoken three times by phone since the US President Trump took office.

During the presidential campaign, Trump argued for better US- Russia relations and had frequently praised Putin after he spoke favorably of Trump.
Washington: The United States and South Korea both held a joint missile drill after North Korea claimed to have conducted its first successful test of a long-range missile.

"Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement released Tuesday night.

A statement from the US Army said their own army and the South Korean military personnel conducted the exercise to counter North Korea`s "destabilizing and unlawful actions,"The statement also reads that the exercise used the Army Tactical Missile System and the Republic of Korea Hyunmoo Missile II, which fired missiles into territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast.

State news agency KCNA said on Wednesday in a report, after the most recent missile test that North Korea claimed to have developed, a new nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile with a stable re-entry system.

The US-South Korea drill comes after North Korea claimed to have tested a missile that it says can "reach anywhere in the world."Yesterday morning missile test reached a height of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television, which would be the highest altitude a North Korean missile had ever reached.

US military analysts believed it probably was a two-stage ICBM, said a US official with knowledge of the Americans` analysis.Yesterday, the US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi, president of the UN Security Council, that she wants an emergency session on North Korea, according to a tweet from Haley spokesman Jonathan Wachtel.

Wachtel wrote that the emergency session will convene Wednesday afternoon.While condemning the missile test UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said through his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, "This action is yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation.

""The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations," he added.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement and strictly criticized the North Korea missile test, reports CNN."Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," Tillerson`s statement said.
CHAMPAIGN -- Corn is grown not only for food, it is also an important renewable energy source. Renewable biofuels can come with hidden economic and environmental issues, and the question of whether corn is better utilized as food or as a biofuel has persisted since ethanol came into use. For the first time, researchers at the University of Illinois have quantified and compared these issues in terms of economics of the entire production system to determine if the benefits of biofuel corn outweigh the costs.

Civil and environmental engineering professor Praveen Kumar and graduate student Meredith Richardson published their findings in the journal Earths Future.

As part of a National Science Foundation project that is studying the environmental impact of agriculture in the U.S., the Illinois group introduced a comprehensive view of the agricultural system, called critical zone services, to analyze crops impacts on the environment in monetary terms.

The critical zone is the permeable layer of the landscape near the surface that stretches from the top of the vegetation down to the groundwater, Kumar said. The human energy and resource input involved in agriculture production alters the composition of the critical zone, which we are able to convert into a social cost.

To compare the energy efficiency and environmental impacts of corn production and processing for food and for biofuel, the researchers inventoried the resources required for corn production and processing, then determined the economic and environmental impact of using these resources  all defined in terms of energy available and expended, and normalized to cost in U.S. dollars.

There are a lot of abstract concepts to contend with when discussing human-induced effects in the critical zone in agricultural areas, Richardson said. We want to present it in a way that will show the equivalent dollar value of the human energy expended in agricultural production and how much we gain when corn is used as food versus biofuel.

Kumar and Richardson accounted for numerous factors in their analysis, including assessing the energy required to prepare and maintain the landscape for agricultural production for corn and its conversion to biofuel. Then, they quantified the environmental benefits and impacts in terms of critical zone services, representing the effects on the atmosphere, water quality and corns societal value, both as food and fuel.

In monetary terms, their results show that the net social and economic worth of food corn production in the U.S. is $1,492 per hectare, versus a $10 per hectare loss for biofuel corn production.

One of the key factors lies in the soil, Richardson said. The assessment considered both short-term and long-term effects, such as nutrients and carbon storage in the soil.

We found that most of the environmental impacts came from soil nutrient fluxes. Soils role is often overlooked in this type of assessment, and viewing the landscape as a critical zone forces us to include that, Richardson said.

"Using corn as a fuel source seems to be an easy path to renewable energy," said Richard Yuretich, the NSF program director for Critical Zone Observatories. "However, this research shows that the environmental costs are much greater, and the benefits fewer, than using corn for food.

The National Science Foundation supported this research through the Grants for Intensively Managed Landscapes Critical Zone Observatory.
New Delhi: Automaker Tata Motors on Wednesday announced a reduction in price of its passenger vehicles by up to Rs 2.17 lakh, making available the GST benefit to its customers.

"Following the rollout of GST, we have decided to pass on the entire benefit to our customers. We are offering a price reduction of up to 12 percent ranging between Rs 3,300 and Rs 2,17,000, depending on the model and variant," Tata Motors President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Mayank Pareek said in a statement.

The company "whole-heartedly" welcomes the initiative by the Union government for introducing GST and bringing in a uniform tax across the country, he added.

"This will enhance the ease of doing business and usher in a new era for the economy in general and especially, for the automotive industry," Pareek said.

Yesterday, Mahindra and Mahindra announced reduction in prices of its utility vehicles and SUVs by up to 6.9 percent on an average. Similarly, the company reduced prices of small commercial vehicles.
New Delhi: In more trouble for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami, the Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine the alleged cash-for-vote sting case involving ruling AIADMK MLAs.

The Supreme Court has, however, sought the assistance of Attorney General KK Venugopal on July 11 in response to a plea moved by former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam.

By moving the plea, former Tamil Nadu CM OPS appears to have revived his legal battle against incumbent E Palaniswami and jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala.

The date when the court will hear the case is yet to be ascertained.

According to a sting operation by an English news channel, all the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs were lured in by cash and gold by the rival Sasikala camp to support Chief Minister Edapadi K Palanisamy in the February trust vote conducted in Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Palanisamy won the trust vote held in the state assembly on the back of support offered by 122 AIADMK legislators.

South Madurai MLA Saravanan, who had deflected to the OPS faction, admitted on camera that Sasikala camp offered him money between Rs two crore to six crore for his support.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) severely criticised the ruling AIADMK government over the matter alleging that the party's inter-relationship was purchased and not natural.

With ANI inputs
New Delhi: The Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) on Wednesday said that it is not "favouring" private guest houses to accommodate students and parents during the ongoing admission season.

A few left-leaning student organisations had accused the DUSU of favouring private PGs against its poll promise to fight for more hostels.

DUSU Vice President Priyanka Chhawri who gave permission to a private guest house said it was done only after ensuring the charges were nominal.

"During the admission season, students from across the country come to DU and it takes minimum 3 days to complete the process. The varsity does not provide any accommodation. I have been getting more than 60 calls everyday to recommend a good hostel for staying during this period," Chhawri said.

"Guest houses too are preoccupied to add to the woes," she said.

A letter issued by the DUSU permitted a private accommodation centre to advertise in the North Campus and also issue pamphlets.

"There are already a lot of PGs advertising inside the campus. There is nothing to favour but one such entity approached me for permission to advertise inside the campus as it was demanded money by a few groups to do so," she said.

The ABVP-led DUSU has been demanding more hostel facilities and because of our efforts the Hindu and the Bharati College got new hostels,Chhawri said.
New Delhi: Industry is expected to contribute USD 280 billion to India's GDP in eight to nine years due to a positive fallout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as structural changes in the ease of doing business will propel growth, a study said on Wednesday.

The study was done by ASSOCHAM-Ashvin Parekh Advisory Services. The Mumbai-headquartered body is a global management consulting firm with footprint in India and the UK.

Describing the GST, in the short-term, as a "mini budget short of projection of estimated revenue", the paper said most businesses would be able to get significantly more credits under the new indirect tax regime, leading to a benefit for most of them.

"It will bring a systematic approach and enhance transparency which will aid growth of business and would help the industry to concentrate on its core business," the paper said.

"We believe that GST is a structural reform and is expected to accelerate the pace of GDP growth in India, despite implementation challenges in the near term. It would usher in lower taxes, seamless input tax credit, logistics savings and market share swings from unorganized to organised players," the paper added.

One of the most visible benefits accruing immediately from GST is removal of the octroi at the checkposts at the inter-state borders, the most irritating and efficiency killing phenomenon that should have gone long ago, said ASSOCHAM Secretary General D.S. Rawat.

"In any case, with most states removing the major trade obstacle immediately after the rollout of the GST, the ease of doing business would go up significantly and the operational efficiency would improve singularly from the removal of the border checkposts," he added.

The paper said that notwithstanding the teething troubles, the GST would make even the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) more efficient and confident, integrating them well into the mainstream of the economy.

"Eventually, GST will turn these MSMEs more competitive with a level playing field between large enterprises and them. Furthermore, the Indian MSMEs would be able to compete with foreign competition coming from cheap cost centres such as China, the Philippines and Bangladesh".
Berlin: US President Donald Trump meets other world leaders at Germany`s G20 summit from Friday, with conflicts looming over climate, trade and other global issues both inside and outside the heavily-fortified venue.

Some 20,000 police will guard the heads of the Group of 20 big industrialised and emerging economies against anti-capitalist protesters who have greeted them with the combative slogan "G20 - Welcome to Hell".

But trouble is also brewing at the conference table at a time when the West and Europe are deeply divided, the post-Cold War order is fraying and China and Russia are asserting themselves on the global stage.

All eyes will be nervously on Trump, who has steered the economic and military superpower on an isolationist "America First" course, and who ruffled other leaders at a G7 meeting in Italy in May.

His counterparts are bracing for fresh surprises after Trump stunned the world by pulling out of the 2015 Paris climate pact, questioned long-standing NATO allegiances and dismissed free trade principles.

"There is a danger that the summit will lead to polarisation between the US and other countries" on climate change and other issues, warned Oxford Analytics economist Adam Slater.

Trade wars loom as Trump has demanded Germany and China reduce their huge surpluses and threatened other countries with punitive measures in battles over steel, natural gas and hormone-treated beef.

In the most anticipated moment of the G20, Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, the ex-KGB agent accused of having aided, with hackers and fake news, the surprise rise of the property tycoon into the White House.

The moment they shake hands is sure to see "an Olympian level of macho posturing between these two leaders, who both understand the importance of symbolism and the perception of being tough," said Derek Chollet of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.The year`s biggest diplomatic event outside the UN will also provide a stage for other world leaders muscling for power and regional influence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet regional rival Japan`s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a time when both are worried about nuclear-armed North Korea which has just declared its first successful intercontinental ballistic missile test.

Also looming over the summit will be the bloody conflict in Syria and the frozen one in Ukraine -- both involving Russia -- as well as the struggle for Mideast dominance between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Then there is Turkey`s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose crackdown on alleged coup plotters, civil society and Kurds after a 2016 putsch attempt has poisoned relations with Germany.

Trump, before the summit, will meet leaders from ex-communist eastern European nations, including Hungary`s authoritarian Viktor Orban -- threatening to deepen a new east-west split in the EU, which is facing Brexit and still recovering from divisions over the debt crisis.

The US president will on Thursday meet the summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the longest-serving leader and, aside from Britain`s Theresa May, the only woman in the club.Merkel, hailed by some as the "new leader of the free world", advocates an internationalist approach to global issues -- but her G20 motto, "Shaping an Interconnected World", contrasts sharply with Trump`s go-it-alone approach.

The chancellor -- a green energy champion who has allowed more than a million mostly Muslim refugees into Germany since 2015 -- said last week that "the differences are obvious and it would be dishonest to try to cover that up. That I won`t do."

In Hamburg, she must walk a fine line between trying to build a 19-1 front against Trump on key issues and preventing even further damage to transatlantic ties, while seeking common ground for at least a watered-down G20 final communique.

On the streets, up to 100,000 protesters will march in some 30 rallies, creating a security headache for a summit held in Germany`s second city. Security officials expect up to 8,000 left-wing radicals ready to use violence.

The protesters are a diverse group of environmentalists, peace and anti-poverty activists, united in the belief that the global elite guarded by riot police is failing to solve the pressing global problems.

"We think that they all deserve our protest and our resistance from the streets," said one left-wing activist, Georg Ismael, 25.

"We are demonstrating against the G20 because we don`t think that they represent the interests of humanity."
Panaji: Two constables of the Goa Police were allegedly assaulted by a group of tourists on the famous Calangute beach in the state after they were told not to consume alcohol and create nuisance, an official said.

The incident occurred at around 3.45 pm yesterday on the beach in North Goa when the two constables on duty asked the group of 11 men to behave themselves.

"The tourists, who hailed from Haryana and Delhi, were inebriated when they started hitting the constables who were in uniform," Calangute Police Station inspector Jivba Dalvi told reporters last evening.

All the 11 men were arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and produced before a local court which remanded them in judicial custody.

"The medical examination confirmed the presence of alcohol in their blood," the police officer said.
Ahmedabad: As many as 200 Dalits in Amreli district have threatened to convert to Buddhism alleging police inaction in conducting a fair probe into the death of a community member in judicial custody two weeks ago.

Jignesh Saundarva (29), who was lodged in Amreli sub- jail, died at a civil hospital on June 15.

Though Amreli Police yesterday nabbed four prisoners from the sub-jail on the charges of killing Saundarva, Dalit community members as well as the deceased's kin expressed unhappiness over the probe and rushed to the collector's office to take forms for conversion.

Saundarva was shifted to civil hospital after he developed health complications while being lodged in the Amreli sub-jail, police had said.

He was arrested under the Gujarat Prohibition Act from Dungar village in Rajula tehsil of the district and was sent in judicial custody on June 12.

Earlier, Saundarva's family had refused to accept his body demanding a fair probe into the incident.

Following a day-long protest, they had claimed the body after getting an assurance of a fair probe from the police as well as the district administration.

The Amreli crime branch yesterday arrested four prisoners who allegedly caused fatal injuries to Saundarva during a brawl inside the jail.

"Our probe has revealed that Saundarva had a scuffle with four undertrials inside the jail over some petty issue. During the scuffle, the accused thrashed him and hit his head on the wall, which led to his death. We arrested all these prisoners from the jail," Amreli crime branch's police inspector A P Patel said yesterday.

However, Saundarva's kin as well as local Dalit leaders expressed unhappiness over the police action, as they alleged that Saundarva died due to police torture.

"The post-mortem report suggests that Saundarva was beaten up three to four days before he was sent to jail. That means he was tortured during police remand. He might have been thrashed by the jail staff too during judicial custody," Dalit leader Navchetan Parmar alleged.

"We want the CBI to investigate the case. We do not have any faith in the police," he said.

"To give a strong message to the government, around 200 Dalits from Dungar and other adjoining places have decided to leave Hinduism and embrace Buddhism, for which many of them have collected forms from the the collector's office. We will submit these forms in the coming days," said Parmar, who is leading the agitation.

He announced that these 200 Dalits will start their journey towards embracing Buddhism by immersing idols and photographs of Hindu gods and goddesses, kept in their homes, in Thebi dam of the district today.

"Even if the government orders CBI inquiry, we will not step back from our decision to covert in protest of such an injustice. If needed, we will also dig out Saundarva's body from the grave and march to the collector's office on July 7 to raise our demand for a fair probe," Parmar said.
Surat: The opposition Congress was in for a shock here on Wednesday when party`s national General Secretary Ashok Gehlot and state unit President Bharatsinh Solanki were greeted with chants hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



They had gone there to express solidarity with textile traders, who are on strike to protest the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).



Gehlot, who is in charge of the Congress affairs in Gujarat and began a tour of south Gujarat to interact with partymen and leaders at the grassroots level, accompanied by Solanki went to meet textile traders on a sit-in strike and extend support.



But, to their surprise, their vehicles were gheraoed and chants of "Modi...Modi..." welcomed them, forcing them to leave the place in a hurry.



Solanki tried to put up a brave face and later told reporters: "The media may see it in a negative way but no traders opposed the Congress. The traders were only raising slogans opposing GST."



Local Congress leaders in the city alleged that it was the handiwork of some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, who mingled with the crowd and raised the slogans.



Slogans were also raised against Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and local Lok Sabha member C.R. Patil at the same venue, they pointed out.



Meanwhile, the Congres faced another piquant situation when the posters welcoming Solanki in Surat did not feature Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, who has been sulking for sometime over not being made in-charge of the Congress` poll campaign for the December elections.



Besides, the rift between Solanki and Vaghela is an open secret.



But Solanki said, "We are together and we will remain together. We will find out who failed to put Shankersinhji`s picture on the poster and initiate disciplinary action."



About the party`s elections plans, he said Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi would be in the state next month to campaign for the party.



"We have invited him to address rallies in Bhuj in Kutch, Rajkot in Saurashtra and Vadodara in central Gujarat," the state Congress chief said.



Gandhi had addressed a rally in tribal-dominated Dediapada in April and earlier in Patel-dominated Mehsana in December last.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Wednesday hear a case against social activist Teesta Setalvad, who is accused of corruption and misappropriation of funds which was meant for rehabilitation of Gujarat riot victims.

Teesta, her husband and the two NGOs - Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace - approached the apex court challenging the October 7, 2015, verdict of the Gujarat High Court, which had rejected their pleas for defreezing their personal bank accounts.

One of the residents of Gulberg Society had filed a complaint against Setalvad and others alleging that money was raised to make a museum at Gulberg Society in the memory of those killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, but it had not been utilised for the purpose.

The high court had upheld the verdict of a lower court in this regard observing that the probe was at a serious point.

In their plea before the apex court, the petitioners have alleged that their accounts were "illegally freezed" without following the due process of law.

The Gujarat Police filed an affidavit in the apex court alleging that the funds collected by them for setting up of museum in memory of the riots victims of Gulberg Society was spent on personal use.
Tel Aviv: On day two of his 'ground-breaking' visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met President Reuven Rivlin and discussed host of issues including economic cooperation, defence and terrorism.

According to MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay, the PM was given a warm welcome by the Israeli head of the state.

Beginning the morning with the First Citizen! Day 2 in Jerusalem starts with PM @narendramodi calling on President @PresidentRuvi pic.twitter.com/u62W6mT6xI  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

During the meeting, President Rivlin told PM Modi that he can never forget his visit to India, claiming ''it was very memorable.''

Rivlin said that India and Israel will turn out to be great allies and their cooperation will only deepen on various fronts.

Signalling the great bond between the two sides, PM Modi gave an 'I for I' formula which means 'India for Israel' and 'Israel for India'.

PM Modi also thanked the Israeli establishment and the people of Israel for according a rousing welcome to him.

Importantly, PM Modi will also meet Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as a two-year-old toddler then.

PM Modi will also interact with Sandra Samuels, the Indian nanny who had saved Baby Moshe during the attack.

Moshe was orphaned 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 during the 26/11 attacks.

His nanny Sandra was awarded an honourary citizenship by the Government of Israel so she could live in the country and take care of Moshe, who is now 10-years-old.

Moshe now lives with his maternal grandparents  Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg.

Moshe's grandparents have earlier said that they feel honoured for being invited to meet the visiting Indian Prime Minister.

PM Narendra Modi In Israel - Story so far

Narendra Modi became the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to step on Israeli soil on Tuesday, undertaking a 'ground breaking' visit and receiving an extraordinary welcome by the Jewish nation.

Israel rolled out a red carpet welcome as the Air India One aircraft landed at Tel Aviv's International Airport on a warm afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu setting aside protocol and receiving PM Modi with a handshake and a hug.

In his welcome address, Netanyahu said Israel has been waiting for a long time for this visit.

"Apka swagat hai mere dost. We have been waiting almost 70 years, in fact, because your's is a truly historic visit. It is the first time that an Indian Prime Minister is visiting Israel. We receive you with open arms. We love India. We admire your culture, your democracy and your commitment to progress," he said.

Recalling his first meeting with PM Modi three years ago at the United Nations, Netanyahu said both of them agreed to breakdown the remaining walls between India and Israel.

The two leaders also vowed to take efforts to defeat the global scourge of terrorism.

Jointly addressing the media along with Israeli counterpart Benjam Netanyahu ahead of a one-on-one dinner between them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum shortly after his arrival here earlier in the day and said the museum was "a tribute to your unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation".

"Yad Vashem tells us that those who believe in humanity and civilised values must come together and defend it at all costs, Modi said.

"As such, we must resolutely oppose the evils of terrorism, radicalism and violence that plague our time."

Stating that India-Israel ties have seen rapid growth since the establishment of full diplomatic relations, Modi said, "Common objectives of economic prosperity, strong technology and innovation ties and the need to secure our societies define the space for convergent action between us. Over coming decades, we want to frame a relationship that transforms the landscape of our economic engagement."

He said that focus on using technology and innovation to meet development priorities "provides productive scope to expand our academic, scientific and research, and business links".

"I will work with Prime Minister Netenyahu to craft and build a clear action agenda to realise these objectives."

Referring to people-to-people links between the two countries, Modi said that Jews have thrived in India for thousands of years after the first of these people landed on India's south-western coastline.

"We are proud of jewish sons and daughters of India like Lt Gen JFR Jacob, Vice Admiral Benjamin Samson, master architect Joshua Benjamin, and film actors Nadira, Sulochana, and Pramila whose diverse contributions have greatly enriched the fabric of Indian society," he said.

"Indian Jews are a living and vibrant connect to this shared history. My visit to Israel celebrates this ancient bond between communities across both our nations."

On his part, Netanyahu said that India and Israel were "sister democracies" and faced the common challenge of terrorism.

Calling Modi as "friend Narendra", Netanyahu said that Israel believed in the "partnership of intelligence".

"India and Israel are sister democracies. We are unequal in size but equal in spirits," said Netanyahu.

"We also face common challenges and first of it is to defeat the forces of terror that's on rampage through the world and threaten both our countries. We must stand together in this battle. We have to defeat terrorism."

Netanyahu said both India and Israel shared "a bond of democracy, creativity, a deep respect for the past and a boundless optimism for future and it's in this spirit my friend Narendra, I welcome you here"

Speaking of his "great admiration" for people of India for talent and Prime Minister Modi for yoga, the Israeli Prime Minister also recalled Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

"We have great admiration for people of India. My late uncle who was a mathematician told me many times about his admiration for great Indian mathematician Ramanujan, who was perhaps the greatest mathematician in many centuries," said Netanyahu.

"This symbolises talents of people of India," he said.

He further added, "We believe in the partnership of talent. It won't happen over night, but we both want it to happen overnight."

With Agency inputs
CHARLESTON -- Not much could probably silence the crowds at Morton Park celebrating the Fourth of July.

However, almost the entirety park attendees went quiet when the first words of the National Anthem were belted out kicking off the annual bell-ringing ceremony Tuesday.

The bell-ringing ceremony, geared not to celebrate the country's independence, but those that have ensured it stays intact, drew a large crowd of families and veterans from the area.

Paul Drury, an Air Force veteran, said has been attending since he got out of the military after 20 years of service.

"Since I got out, I try to go every year," he said.

For Drury, the Fourth of July goes beyond celebrating independence. He said he sees it as another important day recognize the sacrifice of those who have fought to ensure the country stays that way.

Drury added that when the honor guard fire off salutes and the bell is rung he is about "all of the people we have lost."

Frank Smith, a veteran and a founder of the Red, White and Blue Days events, rung the bell in honor of veterans. he was awarded three Purple Hearts and won Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War.

This was his second time in a long time doing so.

"For the (events committee) to call me back, it was a great honor," he said.

Smith had not been a part of the coordinating committee for Red, White and Blue Days events since 2003.

Also, Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs rung the bell in recognition of financial supporters of the roster of Red, White and Blue Days events or more specifically the Charleston Charitable Trust.

Smith said the event resonated with him like it did with other veterans and their families.

"It just gives me a very good feeling," Smith said. "It makes me proud to be an American."

He said seeing people remove their hats and stand in silence gives him "a big lift."

The bell has rung every year as part of the Red, White and Blue Days since the start of the festivities' inception 27 years ago. Smith said Betty Boyer who began the Daily Times in 1966 thought something should be done with the bell. He said the idea to weave the ceremony into the festivities was brainstormed from there by Smith, Betty Coffrin and John Morrisey, founders of Red, White and Blue Days.

At the time, the festivities also included a parade which Smith described as "one of the shortest parades that anyone ever had." Smith said veterans, fire trucks and those with nice cars had to pad out the parade at the time. The parade has grown since. Today, people lined the streets along the route grabbing candy thrown out from a long line of community members riding in anything from a nice Corvette to a military cargo truck.

Throughout the day, families hung out around the jungle gym in the park and got cooled off under the fire truck fountain posted on Division Street. Micah Stearns of Charleston was one of the parents who was coerced into jumping under the water Tuesday by his daughter Tessa. He said he can get pushed into doing anything if it involves her whether it is dancing at a wedding or getting sprayed with water by a fire truck.

Also, people showed off their pets whether it was turtle or a dachshund dog in a patriotic pet parade. Leona Liggett brought it a dachshund decked out in patriotic gear. She said "of course" he loves sporting the patriotic attire including a red, white a blue hat and shirt. She said she was not able to go last year and was excited to join the parade this time around.
New Delhi: As the stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops along the border in Sikkim continues, Chinese official media has warned that the Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by People's Liberation Army (PLA).

A harshly written editorial in Global Times, said that Chinese public believe that PLA is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory.

The editorial further hit out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying, "If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area, and it's ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power. Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts."

The editorial called on the Chinese people to maintain high-level unity on the issue. "The more unified the Chinese people are, the more sufficient conditions the professionals will have to fight against India and safeguard our interests. This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson."

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party came to build a road.

Also Read - Malabar war games: India, US, Japan to deploy their largest warships, focus on anti-submarine warfare

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

China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.
Jerusalem: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

In a special gesture, PM Modi asked him to visit India with family.

He also assures the child, "You and your family will get a long term visa for India from my government."

On his part, Moshe said, "Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India."

On the other hand, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu told the child, "PM Modi has invited me to India and you will come with me."

He also met Moshe's 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.

An emotional moment reminiscent of horrific terrorist attack. PM @narendramodi meets Moshe, the boy who survived 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008 pic.twitter.com/YH9cQqjo3R  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

Moshe was two when his parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others by terrorists at the Nariman House, also popularly known as Chabad House.

The Nariman House was one of the five places targeted by the terrorists, killing 166 people.

Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents - Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg. He now goes to a yeshiva (religious school). He is still very attached to his nanny Sandra who works in Jerusalem and joins the family over the weekends.

Israel honoured Sandra with an honorary citizenship in September 2010.

She works with young kids in Jerusalem during the week and joins the Rosenberg family in the north during the weekends.

PM Modi's decision to meet Moshe, now 11, along his grandparents was an emotional moment for the family.

Before the meeting PM Modi, Moshe's grandfather had said he wanted to do his grandson's 'bar mitvah', a ceremony performed for Jewish boys at the age of 13 which Indian scholars in Israel compare with upnayana or the thread ceremony, in Mumbai for which he would invite PM Modi.

Watch below what Moshe told PM Modi (courtesy - ANI):

#WATCH: Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India says Moshe Holtzberg the now 11-year-old survivor of the 26/11 attacks pic.twitter.com/QCebzkvL0T  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

(With Agency inputs)
Beijing: China on Wednesday accused India of running "misleading the public" by claiming that the Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to the north-eastern states.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri- junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang was quoted as saying by PTI.

"The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Geng asserted.

He claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point," Geng said defending China's road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its north-eastern states.

With PTI inputs
Jerusalem: PM Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Israel, has been housed in one of the most safest suites in Israel.

According to a Times of India report, the King David Hotel where PM Modi has been housed is secured against bomb attacks, chemical attacks and almost everything.

"Even if the entire hotel is bombed, PM Modi's suite will be untouched, will come down in a pod," Sheldon Ritz, who is the director of operations in King David Hotel, was quoted as saying.

Ritz, who is also the officer in-charge of the entire PM's visit, further stated that they have vacated as many as 110 rooms of the hotel to accommodate PM Modi and his delegation.

"We have hosted every US President in this century, from Clinton, Bush, Obama and, three weeks ago, Trump. And now we are hosting PM Modi, " he added.

Besides PM Modi's security aspect, Ritz and his staff also took great care of Indian leader's "vegan" food habits.

The hotel made sure the cookies in his suite are eggless and sugarless. Even the flowers are what the Indian delegation wanted.

Giving more details about PM's suite, Ritz said that Modi's suite has its own kitchen just in case his valet is asked to rustle up something for him at the last minute.

"I believe he is eating Gujarati food," Sheldon Ritz said.

Ritz himself has been downing Indian food, remembering his childhood in Durban, where he went to an Indian-run hotel management school.
New Delhi: Amid the increasing border tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, India, the US and Japan are all set to showcase their naval power in the Malabar war games in the Indian Ocean from July 10.

In consonance with New Delhi's Act East Policy and growing relations among India, US and Japan, all the three countries will be deploying their largest warships for the high-profile war games.

Besides INS Vikramaditya, USS Nimitz aircraft carrier Japan's largest helicopter carrier JS Izumo, many other warships, submarines would take part in aimed at addressing shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.

The exercise involving naval ships, aircraft and personnel from the three countries will feature in both ashore and at-sea training off India's eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal.

Amid increasing Chinese forays in the Indian Ocean, the joint mid-summer exercise will focus on Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW).

The exercise comes at a time during an ongoing military standoff in the Sikkim section.

China on Tuesday ruled out any compromise with India and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the situation to what it described as 'grave'.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party came to build a road.

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

China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi On Tuesday got a glimpse of the Temple Mount from the window of a hotel where he met his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli PM took Modi pointed his finger outside from the windown saying, "I want to show you (something). This is called the old (Jerusalem) city and the Temple Mount is there. It is all very small..."

"This the cradle of our history," the Israeli prime minister said as he the shook hands with PM Modi before the commencement of bilateral meeting at the King David hotel here.

Modi was seen attentively hearing Netanyahu's narration of the place while looking outside the window.

The Golden Dome of Rock, also known as Qubbat al-Sakhrah, and the old city of Jerusalem was visible from the window.

About the Temple Mount:

The Temple Mount is a hill located in the old city of Jerusalem. It is known to Muslims as the al-Quds al-Sharif.

It is one of the most important religious sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are part of the site.

(With PTI inputs)
Tel Aviv: People of Indian origin in Israel will get the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards even if they have undergone the compulsory army service here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday night.

Addressing the Indian diaspora here at an event which was also attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi also said that direct flights would be launched between Delhi, Mumbai and Tel Aviv to encourage people-to-people contacts.

He said an Indian cultural centre would also be opened in Israel, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the Indian diaspora here.

He said he had heard about problems being faced by the people of Indian origin in getting the OCI cards.

The Indian government has simplified the rules and even those who have undergone the compulsory military service in Israel will get the OCI cards, the prime minister said to the cheering by the crowd.

PM Modi said the Jewish nation had links with India dating back to centuries but the fact that no Indian prime minister had travelled here in 70 years "raises questions", an apparent swipe at the previous governments of India.

"For the first time in 70 years, an Indian prime minister has landed here to seek your blessings," he said amid chants of "Modi, Modi".

Describing Netanyahu as "my friend", Modi said the kind of welcome extended to him since his arrival here yesterday cannot be forgotten by anyone.

Hailing Israel, particularly its innovations and scientific advancements, he said the country has demonstrated that the number and size does not matter but it is the spirit that matters.

PM Modi said there were about 600 Indian students in Israel who can contribute to the future of the relationship.

He remembered former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres, saying he had worked tirelessly for the humanity.

Referring to Moshe Holtzberg, an 11-year-old Israeli who was saved by an Indian nanny during the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, Modi said it had shown how life succeeds over terrorism. He had met Moshe earlier in the day.

PM Modi also recalled the contribution of the Indian army in liberation of Jerusalem and Haifa during the World War-I. He will be travelling to Haifa tomorrow to pay his tributes to them.

In his 60-minute speech, Modi talked about various programmes initiated by his government and said these were aimed at the betterment of the common people.

Netanyahu, who spoke before Modi said the partnership between India and Israel was "made in heaven and was happening here now."

He said he and Modi had decided on a vast programme and the Indian diaspora was "a bridge". "We love you," he added.

"We have decided to cooperate in so many areas.... We are building this future today, between two democracies," the Israeli PM said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told chartered accountants that they have an important role to play in creating an India that is free from corruption and black money.

Days after sending out a strong message to chartered accountants at ICAI foundation day function here, Modi has also emphasised that they play a "big role in safeguarding the economic health of the country".

"CAs have a very important part to play in the creation of a New India, which is free from corruption and black money," he said in an email sent out to thousands of chartered accountants.

Stating that India's chartered accountants are well known across the world for their skills, Modi expressed happiness that the community was leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

In an hour-long speech at the foundation day function of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) here on July 1, Modi had send out a strong message against chartered accountants trying to help entities in black money dealings even as he underlined their powers and responsibility.

"Your signature is more powerful than that of the prime minister and the government also believes the accounts signed by you," he had said.

Besides, the Prime Minister had exhorted them to take charge of bringing their clients to path of honesty and said a wrong audit can impact lives of gullible investors as people take investment decisions on the basis of their audit reports.

In the email, Modi also said it was gladdening to see the enthusiasm, affection and warmth of chartered accountants at the gathering in the national capital, "despite the issues related to entry".

The reference was to chaos and confusion at the venue of the foundation day celebrations as many people were denied entry despite having invitation cards.
Jerusalem: Recognising the immense potential of Indians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Srinivasa Ramanujan as probably the 'greatest mathematician in many centuries'.

Srinivasa Ramanujan symbolises the talent of people of India, the Israeli leader said, emphasising that the two countries believe in the partnership of talent.

"We have a great admiration for people of India. I told you about my late uncle professor, who was a mathematician at the Israel Institute of Technology. He told me many times about his admiration for the great Indian mathematician Ramanujan," Netanyahu said in a statement along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"He was perhaps the greatest mathematician in many centuries. And this symbolises the talent of people of India, as we know we have talent in Israel. We believe in this partnership of talent," he added.

Ramanujan, who died at an early age of 32, has contributed to mathematical analysis, including infinite series and continued fractions.

The Israeli leader said that he and Modi both seek a better future for the people of the two countries.

"It requires a lot of work, it won't happen overnight but prime minister Modi and I want this to happen," he said.

Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish nation, was given a rousing welcome in Israel yesterday.

His three-day visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and will also see discussions between him and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu to explore ways to enhance cooperation in key strategic areas.

With PTI inputs
CHARLESTON (JG-TC) -- City Council will be voting on adopting state prevailing wage set by the Illinois Department of Labor today.

By law, the city is supposed to establish prevailing wage rates each year for Public Works projects, and council members will vote on a measure to do so at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave.

According to the measure, these rates are published by state labor department for each county. Deborah Muller, Charleston City Clerk, said the most recently posted rates were published June 5, and the rates the city could adopt reflect that.

Prevailing wage has been a hot topic in Springfield, specifically Republican lawmakers, who are calling for reforms to these rates. Public entities like the city and Eastern Illinois University must use these rates for a majority of project labor.

Also on the docket, the council will vote to do away with the Human Resources department for the city.

Functions of the department have been taken over by other departments since 2015, Muller said. These functions include recruitment, hiring, benefit and salary administration, workers compensation, and employee relations, safety and training, according to the measure.

These tasks are being handled by the City Comptroller's Office, the city manager and human resource consultants.

More items from the agenda can be found on the City Council agenda page of the city's website.
New Delhi: China never shies away from reminding India about the humiliating defeat in the 1962 war. But at the same time, our northern neighbour conveniently forgets the severe mauling its troops received at the hands of Indian soldiers in 1967 in Sikkim and the strategic outmanoeuvering along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh in 1987.

Amidst the ongoing standoff at the Sikkim border, China on numerous occasions has threatened India to "learn a lesson from its defeat in 1962", but it must also keep in mind that an aggressive India has managed to give it a bloody nose on more than one occasions.

The Nathu La (1967), Cho La conflict (1967) and 1987 Sino-Indian skirmish (1987) are three military conflicts when Indian Army succeeded in giving a befitting reply to Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Force.

China has been accusing India of "misleading the public" by claiming that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken's Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India's access to the north- eastern states.

"In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri- junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public. The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East Mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang said.

"The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point," Geng said as he defended China's road-building at the Doklam sector which India and Bhutan have objected to.



Nathu La of 1967

It is also known as India-China War of 1967 and it was one the major border skirmish between India and China after the war of 1962.

The clashes started on 11 September 1967, when China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched an attack on Indian posts at Nathu La, which lasted until 15 September 1967.

As per a report, the end of the conflict resulted in the defeat of Chinese military in the hands of Indian forces. Indian troops drove back the attacking Chinese forces and were able to destroy many Chinese bunkers at Nathu La.

A significant number of casualties is said to have been taken place on both sides though the actual number remains unforeseeable. The competition to control the land in the border region was seen as a major cause of tensions in these incidents.

It all started from 13 August 1967, when Chinese troops began digging trenches in Nathu La on the Indian side. The Indian troops pointed this out to the local Chinese commander, who was subsequently asked to withdraw its forces from there.

Later, Indian troops decided to stretch a barbed wire along the ridges of Nathu La in order to indicate the boundary.

Accordingly, from 18 August, wires were stretched along the border, which was resented by the Chinese troops. After two days, armed Chinese troops took positions against the Indian soldiers who were engaged in laying the wire.

Accordingly, in the morning of 11 September 1967, a heated argument broke out between the Chinese Commissar, who had come to the Indian side and asked Lt Col Rai Singh to stop laying the wire. After Singh refused to flinch, the 'sulking' Chinese Commissar went back to its bunker and reportedly gave the order to its troops to launch fire at the Indian soldier, who was deployed at Nathu La as a shield to protect the engineers engaged in wire laying.

Soon after, a heavy gun fire medium machine gun firing began from the Chinese side against the Indian troops from the north shoulder.

Due to the lack of cover in the pass, the Indian troops initially found it difficult to find any place to cover and prepare themselves and suffered heavy casualties.

A little later, Indian troops opened artillery from their side and began targeting the Chinese bunkers.

Due to the advantageous position Indian troops had because of their occupation of high grounds at the pass in Sebu La, they succeeded in having an upper hand on the Chinese soldiers.

The clashes lasted for three days after which the Indian Army delivered a strong message to China that '1962 mistakes won't be repeated'.

The Cho La conflict of 1967

After getting a humiliating defeat at Nathu La, the Chinese army carried another attack on Indian Army on Cho La on 1st October 1967. To their surprise, the 7/11 GR and 10 JAK RIF stood firm and answered the Chinese firing with double magnitude.

By October 10th, Chinese had to withdraw nearly three kilometres away from the border to a feature named Kam Barracks where the Chinese Army is deployed till date. Since then Nathu La and Cho La passes have remained under Indias control and China never raised its voice against it.



1987 Sino-Indian skirmish

Sumdorong Chu incident in 1987 in Arunachal Pradesh is one such standoff where India-China came close to a war. But Indian diplomacy mixed with caution and aggression managed not only to avoid war but also brought China to the table to discuss.

It happened when at the end of 1986, India had granted statehood to Arunachal Pradesh, an area claimed by China. The Chinese government proceeded to protest.

But the military movements in Tawang, taken in conjunction with this political action were seen as a provocation by the Chinese. In early 1987 Beijing's tone became similar to that of 1962, and with the Indian Army refusing to stand down, Western diplomats predicted a war.

However, External Affairs Minister ND Tiwari's arrival in Beijing in May 1987 helped lowering the tension.

The first formal flag meeting to discuss the freezing of the situation since 1962, was held. Both sides reaffirmed their desire to continue the on-going talks on the border. A few months later, the Indian and Chinese troops withdrew from their positions in the Sumdorong Chu area.

Finally, in 1993, the two countries signed an agreement to ensure peace along the LAC.
Jerusalem: India and Israel on Wednesday launched a five-year technology fund, reminiscent of a fund that boosted the Jewish state's ties with US over four decades, and agreed to holds talks for an investment protection treaty in a bid to boost trade and business ties.

A joint statement, issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unprecedented visit to Israel, identified start-ups as among areas for boosting bilateral ties.

The two nations agreed to put USD 4 million a year for five years into the Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund, or I4F, said the statement issued after Modi's talks with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The MoU, between the Indian Department of Science and Technology and the National Authority for Technological Innovation of Israel, "will play a seminal role in enabling Indian and Israeli enterprises to undertake joint R&D projects leading to development of innovative technologies and products that have potential for commercial application," it said.

Besides getting Israeli technology firms to invest in India, the fund aims to spur Indian firms to open development centres in the Jewish state and invest in their technology ecosystem.

Modi and Netanyahu "underlined the need to boost bilateral cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship and called for greater collaboration in the field of start-ups," it said.

The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Fund, the model for I4F, has invested in almost 1,000 projects since 1977, helping generate USD 10 billion in indirect and direct revenue.

"The two prime ministers agreed that negotiations would be conducted on an agreement for the protection of investments in order to encourage bilateral investments from both sides," the joint statement said.

Indo-Israel trade has grown from about USD 200 million in 1992, when they established diplomatic ties, to nearly USD 4.2 billion last year.

"The two prime ministers noted the importance of realising the full potential of bilateral trade and investment. They tasked the India-Israel CEO forum to come up with early recommendations in this regard," the statement said.

Recognising the importance of facilitating movement of business-person, India and Israel underlined their expectation that the granting of multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years will encourage greater economic and commercial exchanges.
New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday mentioned before the Supreme Court that Karnataka has not yet fully complied with the order in the Cauvery water dispute involving the tussle between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The state government has mentioned before the apex court that Karnataka has yet to give 5.966 TMC of water to it.

On March 21, the court directed the Karnataka Government to supply 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu every day.

An apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had earlier directed Karnataka to provide 200 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till its further order.

The top court had earlier in January this year dismissed the plea seeking compensation from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for the loss of property during the Cauvery water related dispute between both states.

Siva Kumar, a Tamil Nadu-based activist, had earlier filed a petition in the Supreme Court on the same.

Earlier on January 9, the Tamil Nadu Government sought a compensation of Rs. 2,480 crores from Karnataka for not releasing water to the state despite getting the Supreme Court directive to do so.
Bengaluru: A married Hindu-Muslim couple were allegedly denied a room at Olive Residency on Annipuram Main Road in Sudhama Nagar.

Shafeek Subaida Hakkim and Divya DV, who hail from Kerala, had visited Bengaluru for some work. However, when they were looking for an accommodation at Olive Residency, the staff allegedly refused to provide a room as they belonged to different religions.

Shafeek has alleged that the receptionist categorically told them since he was a Muslim and his wife Divya a Hindu, they can't be given a room on rent.

However, while speaking to news agency ANI, the receptionist denied the accusation saying, there was a problem of luggage and ID proofs, and teh couple wasn't refused a room because of religion.

The hotel owner claimed that Shafeeq and Divya didn't tell us that they were married.

"They initially demanded a room for half-an-hour, when we refused, they demanded for a day," the owner said.
New Delhi: IPO activities in India and certain other markets are expected to gather momentum in the coming months amid strengthening investor sentiment and diminishing political uncertainty, says a report.

Global consultancy EY on Wednesday said that across Europe, Middle East, India & Africa (EMEIA) markets, initial public offering (IPO) activities picked up pace in the first half of this year and is expected to gather further momentum.

According to EY Global IPO trends: Q2 2017, despite geopolitical uncertainties in first half, activities in EMEIA are increasing, making it the second most active IPO market globally.

"As elections across the UK and Europe are decided, political uncertainty is diminishing, strengthening investor sentiment. This should lead to a pick-up in IPO activities across EMEIA, led by India and the Nordic markets," the report said.

Globally the IPO activity, so far this year, recorded 772 IPOs raising USD 83.4 billion. The top three sectors, in terms of highest number of IPOs during April-June 2017, were technology (13 IPOs raising USD 1.5 billion), industrials (12 IPOs for USD 3.2 billion) and health care (11 IPOs for USD 2.3 billion).

Regarding the Indian market, the report said, "IPO activity has been particularly strong and Bombay and National stock exchanges and their SME markets as a whole led EMEIA by deal number".

Indian exchanges saw 57 IPOs raising USD 2.3 billion in the first half of 2017.

The year 2017, kick-started with two landmark IPOs -- BSE became the first-ever Indian exchange to be listed, while Housing and Urban Development Corporation was hugely oversubscribed, making it one of the most popular IPOs in more than a decade.

"Increased activity for IPOs does not only suggest better market sentiment but demonstrates positive impact of corporate action towards improving governance in response to government policy and enabling regulations," said Pankaj Chadha, Partner at a member firm of EY Global.

Moreover, in India, IPO activity for small and medium enterprises in particular continues to grow due to strong valuations and positive returns, with the SME Board on BSE and National stock exchanges being one of the fastest growing stock exchanges globally.

Indian exchanges expect the second half of 2017 to be particularly strong with the government expected to raise close to USD 3 billion by way of former state-owned enterprise (SOE) IPOs, the report added.

State-owned enterprise (SOE) privatisations refers to former state-owned entities that have completed their IPO listings to become public companies.
New Delhi: Former 'Bigg Boss' finalist Mandana Karimi is back in news but this time it's not a happy one. The gorgeous Iranian beauty, who tied the knot with boyfriend Gaurav Gupta in March 2017, grabbed the headlines recently for reports suggesting about trouble in her six-month-old marriage.

According to BollywoodLife.com, Mandana told Mumbai Mirror, I didnt leave my house, I love it. I havent been allowed to enter the house or even my husbands office but that doesnt mean I should get divorced. I am still his wife, I love GauravI havent filed for divorce, I have only filed a domestic violence case.

There were reports suggesting Mandy has filed for divorce over domestic violence and abuse which clearly she has refuted. The 'Kya Kool Hain Hum 3' actress has made it clear that she still loves her husband and has not filed for divorce. She has only filed a case of domestic violence.

The report quotes an interview of her with Bombay Times where she revealed, My husband fell in love with me because I am a strong and independent woman, but I didnt know that Indian mothers-in-law are so controlling. I quit acting as my husband didnt want me to pursue it after marriage. I now realise that listening to him was my biggest mistake. I want to tell women not to quit work after marriage. I wanted mine to be a happy marriage, but I have been harassed. Now, I have been thrown out of my matrimonial house and Im left with no money.

She has blamed her mother-in-law Madhu Gupta for creating trouble in her married life, reportedly.
New Delhi: Global beauty Priyanka Chopra is a famous name across continentsall thanks to her massive fan following and superhit television series 'Quantico'. The diva who made her smashing debut in Hollywood with 'Baywatch' this year found herself in a tight troll spot on Instagram lately.

Priyanka posted a picture of hers two days back on Insta and it got people talking about it. Why? Well, trollers commented on how her lips look visibly different and how she might have gone for an alleged 'lip' job.

The mean comments flooded her timeline but thankfully there were some sane supporters who backed the actress and slammed trollers. Check out the picture and some of the reactions she got.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that PeeCee has been trolled for going under the knife. A few days back when she was back to Mumbai, the actress had posted a picture on Insta and people lost their mind over her alleged 'nose job'. The talented diva got trolled for going under the knife and alleged nose surgery.

However, PeeCee remains unfazed by such criticism and has refrained from reacting to trolls. Earlier, Shruti Haasan too got trolled for her alleged plastic surgery and maintained that she is not answerable to anyone.
Mumbai: Priyanka Chopras knee-length dress while meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Berlin had triggered controversy. The former Miss World was criticised and trolled for wearing inappropriate dress and sitting cross-legged during her impromptu meeting with the PM. Her mother, Madhu has now spoken about the hullabaloo.

She said that in these days of social media and online journalism, people write many things without doing proper research work.

Asking about her opinion on Priyanka's way of dealing with gossipmongers and criticism, Chopra said: "All I taught her, if you have done no wrong, you have nothing to fear. She was going for 'Baywatch' promotion, suddenly she bumped onto Mr Modi, she cannot go for a dress change and come back to say hello? The meeting was not pre-planned, it was impromptu."

Later Priyanka put out a picture along with her mother on Instagram captioning it: "legs of the day".

According to her, the picture of mother and daughter was a subtle answer to those trollers, without being preachy and her presence was the sign of her blessing as a mother.

"These days, social media trollers are just seeking for attention without focusing on content.. yes they are getting two minutes of fame but there is no credibility," said Chopra.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: A Supreme Court bench has once again ignited the hope among many people for opening up of a window to exchange demonetised currency for those who could not do so by December 30, 2016 or by March 31 due to changes in conditions for depositing the scrapped notes in the banks.

The Supreme Court has asked the government and the RBI to consider granting a window to those who have not been able to exchange scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes for genuine reasons, saying people should not lose their own money for no fault of theirs.

"You (Centre) cannot be allowed to deprive a person of his money if he couldn't deposit due to some genuine problems. Consider giving a window to a genuine problem. What if someone is terminally ill and couldn't deposit the money," a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked yesterday.

"There can be a situation where a person has lost his/her money for no fault. Suppose a person was in jail during the period... We want to know as to why you chose to bar such persons," the court said.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Centre, initially said the policy was not individual-centric and later sought time to take instruction on the issue as to whether an opportunity, on a case-to-case basis, can be given to those who could not deposit the money due to valid reasons.

Give me two weeks, I will take instructions from the government," he said.

During a brief hearing, the bench said if there is a person who has "valid reasons" for not depositing the notes, then he should be given an opportunity to explain as to why he failed to deposit the money and "he must be given a window".

It then gave illustrations like that of a person who could be ill or in jail during the period when the window was provided to exchange scrapped notes and asked the government whether such people can be forced to lose their money without any fault of their own.

"You cannot take the money away" if a person says that it was his failing that he could not deposit the money and justify that "under no circumstance could he have deposited them", the apex court said.

The bench was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by Sudha Mishra seeking a direction to authorities to allow her to deposit demonetised notes as she could not do so during the period specified by the Centre and the RBI.

The Centre has already filed an affidavit saying that the government was not going to open any window now to deposit the old notes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 last year announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes would no longer be a legal tender from the next day.

The government had assured the people that demonetised currency notes could be exchanged at banks, post offices and RBI branches till December 30, 2016. If people were unable to deposit them by that day, they could do so till March 31, 2017 at RBI branches after complying with certain formalities.

Earlier, the apex court on March 6 had issued notices to the Centre and RBI on the petitions alleging tweaking of rules on exchanging demonetised currency notes.

The Prime Minister's address to the nation on the evening of November 8 last year on demonetisation and subsequent notifications of the federal bank that the devalued currency notes can be exchanged at RBI offices even up to March 31, 2017 were valid assurances which stood breached by the ordinance, the counsel for petitioner Sudha Mishra had said.

One of the pleas has also referred to the Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance and said the government had breached the assurance.

However, the Ordinance, issued on December 30 last, had specified that only those who were abroad or armed forces personnel posted in remote areas or others who could give valid reasons for not being able to deposit the cancelled notes at banks, could deposit the demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes till March 31.

The deadline for the general public to deposit the scrapped currency in bank or post office accounts expired on December 30, 2016.

With PTI Inputs
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday asked the Centre not to accord any clearance to projects taken up in the Cauvery basin until all the issues related to the sharing of river waters are settled.

Citing media reports that Karnataka had approached the Central Water Commission seeking technical clearance for the Mekedatu dam project, Chief Minister K Palaniswami requested Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti not to approve such proposals.

"I request you to kindly issue instructions to the officials concerned not to accord techno-economic clearance to Mekedatu or any project in the Cauvery basin till the concurrence of all the co-basin states is obtained," he said in a letter to the minister.

"The ministries concerned may be requested not to give any forest, environment clearances to the Mekedatu project or any other project in the Cauvery Basin of Karnataka till all the issues on the Cauvery water dispute are finally settled," he said.

Palaniswami alleged that Karnataka had "unilaterally" sent a detailed project report on the Mekedatu project to the Commission seeking clearance, in violation of the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and without obtaining the concurrence of the Tamil Nadu government.

He also mentioned his earlier letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the Karnataka government had planned to construct a reservoir at Mekedatu.

"I wrote to the prime minister on February 25, 2017 to advise the Central Water Commission not to accord techno- economic clearance for Mekedatu or any other projects in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka till the whole issue is settled," he said.

This was reiterated in the memorandum presented to the prime minister on February 27, 2017, he added.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had on July 3 rejected the charge by Tamil Nadu political parties that the state had submitted "false details" to the Centre on the proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery river.

The intention behind the reservoir is to facilitate the release of water to Tamil Nadu as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal order, he had said.

The Supreme Court will on July 11 commence the final hearing of the appeals by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal on the sharing of water. The court will continue the hearing for 15 consecutive working days.
CHARLESTON (JG-TC) -- A presentation on local history will be one of the features of the Sunday open house event at the Five Mile House site.

Cheryl Hawker will share her discoveries in local history with her presentation "One Thing Leads to Another: Local History Links," according to news release about the event.

Sunday's open house is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. and there is no charge for admission or parking.

Other activities scheduled include a sing-along of early American songs and a chance for visitors to make their own candles, the release said. There will also be various craft demonstrations and children's activities, it said.

The Five Mile House is one of the oldest structures in Coles County and is located southeast of Charleston and the intersection of Illinois Route 130 and Westfield Road.

The site's open house events are scheduled for every other Sunday through Aug. 20.
Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday accused the state police of not investigating the matter of the suicide case of an employee of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

DMK leader TKS Elangovan said there is 'someone powerful' in the state which had instructed the police to not probe the matter.

"The police say there is nothing fishy and that the man died due to some ailment. They did not even investigate the matter properly. No postmortem was done. I am sure that the police have been instructed to not investigate the matter by someone very powerful in the state government,' Elangovan told ANI here.

An employee at Jayalalithaa's Kodanad estate allegedly committed suicide at his house on Monday.

24-year-old Dinesh kumar, who worked as an assistant in the computer section of the estate, was found hanging at his house in Kengarai Naduhatty village near Kilkotagiri in the Nilgiris.

Kumar's death comes nearly two-and-a-half months after a security guard of the bungalow estate was found murdered on April 24 this year.

One of the suspects in the case, Jayalalithaa's driver Kanakaraj, died in a road mishap on April 29 in Salem.

Another suspect was injured seriously in a road accident that killed his wife and daughter.
Beijing: China`s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd launched on Wednesday a cut-price voice assistant speaker, similar to Amazon.com Inc`s "Echo", its first foray into artificially intelligent home devices.

The "Tmall Genie", named after the company`s e-commerce platform Tmall, costs 499 yuan ($73.42), significantly less than western counterparts by Amazon and Alphabet Inc`s Google, which range from $120 to $180.

These devices are activated by voice commands to perform tasks, such as checking calendars, searching for weather reports, changing music or control smart-home devices, using internet connectivity and artificial intelligence.

China`s top tech firms have ambitions to become world leaders in artificial intelligence as companies, including Alibaba and Amazon, increasingly compete for the same markets.

Baidu, China`s top search engine, which has invested in an artificial intelligence lab with the Chinese government, recently launched a device based on its own siri-like "Duer OS" system.

The Tmall Genie is currently programmed to use Mandarin as its language and will only be available in China. It is activated when a recognised user says "Tmall Genie" in Chinese.

In a streamed demonstration on Wednesday, engineers ordered the device to buy and deliver some Coca Cola, play music, add credit to a phone and activate a smart humidifier and TV.

The device, which comes in black and white, can also be tasked with purchasing goods from the company`s Tmall platform, a function similar to Amazon`s Echo device.

Alibaba has invested heavily in offline stores and big data capabilities in an effort to capitalise on the entire supply chain as part of its retail strategy, increasingly drawing comparisons with similar strategies adopted by Amazon.

It recently began rolling out unstaffed brick-and-motor grocery and coffee shops, using QR codes that users can scan to complete payment on its Alipay app, which has over 450 million users. Amazon launched a similar concept of stores in December.
New Delhi: In a strategic move, Chinese tech major Xiaomi and Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia on Wednesday signed an agreement for business collaboration and patent licencing where Xiaomi will acquire key patent assets from Nokia.

The multi-year patent agreement includes a cross license to each company`s cellular standard essential patents. The financials of the deal were not disclosed.

"As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future," said Lei Jun, Chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, in a statement.

Although not faring well globally including in China, Xiaomi is witnessing rapid growth in the Indian market and clocked over $1 billion in revenue in 2016.

Under the agreement, Nokia, which had recently revamped the feature phone market with its nostalgia-driven 3310, will provide network infrastructure equipment designed to deliver high capacity, low power requirements for large web providers and data centre operators.

Nokia and Xiaomi will work together on optical transport solutions for datacentre interconnect, IP routing based on Nokia`s newly announced `FP4` network processor and a data centre fabric solution.

"In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects," added Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia.

The companies have agreed to explore opportunities for further cooperation in areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI).

Beyond smartphones, Xiaomi is also a leading IOT player. The Mi Ecosystem IoT platform has crossed 60 million connected devices, and there are now over eight million daily active connected devices on the Mi Ecosystem platform.
Mumbai: Though one can head to Matheran in any season, the monsoons add a distinctive charm to the tiny Maharashtra hill-station. Abundantly blessed by Mother Nature, Matherans beauty gets magnified when the clouds shower generously.

The hill-station is about 111 kilometres via Neral from Mumbai (Indias financial capital) and about 120 kilometres from Pune (Maharashtras cultural capital).

During the monsoons, one can find a thick canopy of clouds, waterfalls and lush green hilly slopes and fields. The misty view and the downpour will take you closer to nature.

The Charlotte Lake, the Alexander Point, The Monkey Point, the Echo point and the Panorama point are some of the places one can visit in Matheran.
Lucknow: Ever since the Supreme Court banned liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways, the Uttar Pradesh government has incurred incurs loss of about Rs 5,000 crore.

"We have incurred a loss of about Rs 5,000 crore in 2016-17 fiscal ending March 31. Out of the target of realising Rs 19,000 crore, the excise department could generate Rs 14,000 crore following the apex court order order," UP Excise Minister Jai Pratap Singh told PTI.

The top court in its December 15, 2016 order had banned the liquor shops within 500 metres on the either side of the national and state highways.

The top court had exempted Sikkim and Meghalaya from the ban order altogether.

However, the top court later modified its order, reducing the distance to 220 metres in areas having a population of up to 20,000.
Baduria: The Centre has rushed 400 paramilitary personnel to Baduria that is hit by communal violence, which started over an objectionable post on Facebook about a holy site.



As a precautionary measure, the government has suspended Internet services in the area so that rumours are not spread.

Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the West Bengal government over communal clashes.

Baduria is a town and a municipality and police station of Basirhat subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal.

The troubled spot is adjacent to Bangladesh border.

Four companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed at Baduria, Swarupnagar and Degangatame to tame the communal tension.

The protesters had mobbed Basirhat police station.



And the police fromneighbouring police stations had no access to the area till the BSF was deployed on Tuesday night.



Apart from the BSF, a rapid action force team of the Kolkata police and another contingent of the Howrah city police have also been deployed in the violence-hit areas.Meanwhile, the main accused, who allegedly posted objectionable material on Facebook on Sunday, was arrested on Monday morning and remanded to the police custody for four days.



However, this didn`t calm down the members of the protesting community and they resorted to violence and torched the home of the accused.



On Tuesday evening, protestors torched police and government vehicles.



Superintendent of police (North 24 Parganas) Bhaskar Mukherjee was also injured when an angry mob attacked him and torched his vehicle.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed the warring groups to maintain peace and communal harmony in the area.

She also held local police responsible for failing to block Facebook in the beginning only.

CM Mamata, however, warned the protesters not to test her patience and said hundreds of people would have been killed had police opened fire.

In Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary and In-charge of Party unit in West Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya wrote a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene in the matter on Tuesday.

He alleged that 2000 Muslims attacked the homes of Hindus and also molested the girls and women and ransacked five BJP offices.

Vijayvargia also said that "as the troubled spot is adjacent to Bangladesh border, there is a possibility that `outsiders` were involved in this violence".

A local resident and ex-CRPF personnel Mohd Abdul Rehman told ANI that "around 15 unknown persons torched government vehicles and when we objected they asked us to do whatever we were doing and let them to do their work".

Rehman further added: "We doused the fire by carrying buckets of water from the house of a Hindu family".He maintained that Baduria is a peaceful town and both the communities have been living here peacefully.

However, Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh on Wednesday posted a video on Twitter and tweeted, "Disturbing pics from Baduria, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal #Mamata and secular media r sleeping
Bengaluru: Condemning West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations on Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi calling the latter "a block president" of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the saffron party on Wednesday said that instead of maintaining law and order, the former is creating controversies every other day.

"Mamata Banerjee is playing a dramatic role here. With no evidence and no supporting document she is making viled allegations the Governor of West Bengal. Instead of focusing on governance and maintaining the law and order, everyday new controversies are being created to divert the attention of the people and the media," BJP leader S Prakash told ANI.

He further said that the law and order has gone for a toss in the state with Gorkha agitation and now the communal violence raging there.

"These kinds of tactics will not go long way. People are realizing and are fed-up with her action and I am sure she will have to rule the state instead of complaining with each passing day," Prakash added.

Earlier yesterday, Banerjee came down heavily on Tripathi saying she was threatened and humiliated by him.

Speaking at the State Secretariat in Kolkata, Mamata said, "I made it clear to him (the Governor) that he cannot speak to me in such a manner; he cannot threaten me. The Governor telephoned me and said objectionable things. He spoke like a 'block president' of BJP."

The Chief Minister claimed that she received a call from Tripathi after a BJP delegation met him over the issue of communal violence in North 24 Parganas.
Kolkata: The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a detailed report from the Mamata Banerjee government a day after communal clashes erupted in North 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal over an "objectionable" post on Facebook.

Internet services have also been suspended and Section 144 has been imposed in the most turbulent areas.

West Bengal: Internet services disrupted in #Baduria following communal violence in North 24 Parganas.  ANI (@ANI_news) July 5, 2017

The situation prompted the state government to rush 400 troops of paramilitary BSF Tuesday to assist the police in containing the situation.

The violence between two communities at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division in the district started last night over an objectionable post following which a young man was arrested.

A violent mob put up road blockades at several places and attacked members of other community, besides destroying many shops, police said.

There were no immediate reports of any casualty. Shops were shut down in Baduria as tension prevailed there and spread to adjacent areas like Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia, the police said.

A senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer said four companies comprising 400 troops of the force's South Bengal Frontier have been deployed in Bashirhat, Swarupnagar, Baduria and Devganga areas to assist the state police in containing the situation.

Meanwhile, a blame game also started over the communal violence inn West Bengal.

In an unprecedented move, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi of "threatening" her over phone and said that he was acting like a "BJP block president".

The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that over 2,000 Muslims attacked Hindu families in North 24 Parganas district and its offices at several places were set on fire.

Accusing the state police of failure to control the situation, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is also in-charge of the state, wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene in the matter.

The West Bengal government has dispatched a special team of the state police and Kolkata Police to the riot-hit area to monitor the situation.

The Chief Minister also appealed to top leaders of both the communities that her government would not tolerate "this hooliganism".

State BJP President Dilip Ghosh said if the Governor asked her about the incident, where was the question of her being insulted.
Kabul: At least two children were killed in a blast in Kabul on Wednesday.

Tolo News quoted police, as saying five people were also wounded in the blast.

No further details were provided by the police about the explosion.

No group, including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
Yangon: A policeman in Myanmar fled the scene of a deadly mob attack on Rohingya Muslims that has put the troubled western state of Rakhine on edge, two police officials said on Wednesday.

A group of Rakhine Buddhists threw bricks at Rohingya men in the state capital of Sittwe on Tuesday, killing one - identified as Maung Nu, also known as Monir Ahmad, 55 - the office of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said in a statement.

Two police officers told Reuters an unarmed junior policeman was with the Muslim men at the time of the attack but was unable to protect them from the mob.

"We questioned the young policeman. He said he tried to stop them but he wasn't able to and ran away back to the police station," said Colonel Myo Thu Soe, spokesman for the home affairs ministry in the capital, Naypyitaw.

No one had been arrested for the attack, but an investigation was going on, he said.

Rakhine State has seen the most serious religious violence in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar since the military began to end its decades of strict rule, with hundreds of Rohingya Muslims killed and more than 140,000 people displaced there in communal unrest in 2012.

Suu Kyi, who came to power last year as part of the transition from military rule, has emphasised the importance of the rule of law in solving conflict between Buddhists and minority Muslims.

Tension has been running high in the state since an army crackdown in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks in October, but Sittwe has not seen a repeat of the communal clashes of 2012.

On Tuesday, seven Muslim men had travelled into Sittwe from a camp on its outskirts housing people displaced in 2012.

They got into an argument with a Buddhist ethnic Rakhine man over the purchase of a boat, attracting the attention of residents who began to attack them.

"The people didnt attack the police because he's the same race," said Lieutenant Colonel Win Naung of Sittwe district police.

Myanmar does not recognise the more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine as citizens.

Many in Myanmar consider them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Myo Thu Soe said the policeman on the scene was unarmed and inexperienced and unable to protect the Rohingya men.

Despite the fact they had a police escort, Myo Thu Soe said the Muslim men were not authorised to travel to the area.

Since the 2012 violence the city's Muslims have been confined to camps or a single city ward, unable to travel freely without a police escort.
Mombasa: Somali al Shabaab militants killed two police officers on Wednesday during a raid on a northeastern Kenyan town that sparked a day-long gunbattle, a police official said, the latest in a spate of militant attacks on Kenyan security services.

Al Shabaab gunmen attacked the police station in the town of Pandanguo in the coastal district of Lamu around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT), forcing villagers to flee, according to residents. The area is near Kenya`s long, porous border with Somalia.

The militants raided a dispensary for drugs and houses for food items, clothes and other valuables, witnesses said. Smoke could be seen rising from the village later in the day.

In July 2014, more than 60 militants attacked the same village, torched houses and stole drugs at the same dispensary.

By 4 p.m., the gunbattle was still continuing and the militants had destroyed a phone mast, police said.

"I can confirm two police officers have lost their lives in the attack in Pandanguo in Lamu but the police are still currently fighting the militants," said George Kinoti, Kenya`s national police spokesman.

Al Shabaab`s military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, confirmed the attack to Reuters by phone.

"We burned the police station and captured cars. Now, today, there are sporadic exchanges of gunfire between us and the police in the outskirts of the town but we still control the town," he said.

The raid follows a series of attacks in Kenya claimed by Somali militants that have killed at least 28 people in the last six weeks. Most have taken place near the Somali border.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia is fighting to overthrow Somalia`s weak, U.N.-backed government and impose strict Islamic law in the Horn of Africa state.

They ramped up attacks in neighbouring Kenya after Kenyan troops entered Somalia in 2011 to join an African Union peacekeeping force there.
YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. French police arrested a man who unsuccessfully tried to ram his vehicle into a crowd outside a Paris mosque.

According to French media, the man is of Armenian origin.

BBC reported that the man has said he wanted to avenge for the ISIS-linked attacks in Paris.

The man was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, local media said.

The mans 4X4 vehicle got stuck in the barriers outside the mosque, preventing the driver from getting any further. He had fled the scene and was apprehended later. No injuries were reported in the incident.
STEPANAKERT, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars, Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh.

The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan, reads the press release of the Defense Army of Artsakh.

The Defense Ministry of Artsakh announces the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan is answerable for all the consequences.

The footage attached to another press release of the Armed Forces of Artsakh documents that the Defense Army of Artsakh retaliated only after the TR-107 multiple rocket launcher fired in the direction of Artsakh. The press release also notes that Azerbaijanis deploy their positions in populated areas according to their tradition making the civilians human shield.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan addressed a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Constitution Day on July 5, press service of the Presidents Office told Armenpress.

The message reads:

Dear Compatriots,

I congratulate you on Constitution Day.

The historic choice of the people of Armenia is to build a free, democratic and social State. This objective is clearly articulated in the Basic Law of our country. Over the past few years, the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia served as a strong legal bearing for our State and our people even in the most difficult situations. Naturally, during this period, significant changes occurred in our social and political life that led to the need for a constitutional reform, which today has become a reality in our country.

As you may know, we are in a transitional stage now. We are transitioning to a parliamentary system of governance. Our conviction is that the new amended text of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia provides greater opportunities for furthering democracy, maintaining the power balance between different branches of government, as well as for a well-balanced and harmonious development of our country, in general.

We will undoubtedly have a more equitable and a more stable statehood and society as a result of constitutional reforms.

Once again, I congratulate all of us on this remarkable day and wish we would be implicitly loyal to the letter and spirit of our Constitution.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan met with Anita Travaini, head of the working group of UNIDO project Improving competitiveness of export-oriented industries in Armenia through modernization and market access, and Giorgio Gadina, international shoe-making and quality expert, to discuss the process of the implementation of the program and the cooperation with the organization, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress.

We thank you for the support provided to our Armenian team. We see the Governments readiness to develop this field, Anita Travaini said, adding that its obvious that the investments in light industry field are increasing. She noted that it is necessary to promote preparation of qualified specialists through joint efforts aimed at developing the field.

The meeting participants also discussed the works of opening of a training center under the project which will be created based on public-private sector cooperation. The center will also provide promotion services for planning and export of shoe-making, as well as services for development of financial management skills. The Minister informed the guests that the Armenian Government currently discusses the opportunities to expand the state assistance tools for the light industry field and proposed them to take part in the discussions.

Minister Karayan and the international experts also discussed the development prospects of separate branches of light industry in Armenia. Armenia has all the preconditions and the necessary potential for establishment of production in accordance with the European standards. We need to unite our efforts to significantly develop the field, Suren Karayan stated.


YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs  Ambassador Igor Popov (Russia), Ambassador Stephane Visconti (France), and Ambassador Richard Hoagland (US)  issued a statement over the escalation of the situation in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact on July 4, reports Armenpress.

The statement says:

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs  Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Stephane Visconti of France, and Ambassador Richard Hoagland of the United States - have received information of renewed violence late in the evening on July 4 at Alkhanli village of Fizuli region that resulted in casualties, including civilians.

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs urgently call upon the sides to cease military action. Violence only begets further violence and accomplishes nothing. The only responsible and humane way to resolve this long-standing conflict is for the sides to return to the negotiation table in good faith.

The Co-Chairs extend their condolences to the families of the victims.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. In order to avoid further escalation and losses in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, Azerbaijani authorities must agree to implement the Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements, Armenias foreign ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan said in a statement regarding the July 4 Azerbaijani provocations in the NK line of contact which led to an escalation.

Baku must agree to implement the Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements in order to avoid further Azerbaijani provocations and losses, Balayan said on Twitter.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Armenias Parliament Ara Babloyan addressed a congratulatory message on the Constitution Day on July 5, press service of the Parliament told Armenpress.

Dear Compatriots,

I congratulate you on the occasion of one of our most important state holidays  the Constitution Day.

Strengthening the foundations of statehood, proclaiming the human being, his/her rights and freedoms as the highest value, the Constitution enshrined the desire of all of us to live in fair and legal state. Over more than 20 years by the adoption of the basic law and then the changes made in it, the constitutional norms have been fundamentally substantiated in the state building and our countrys public-political life.

Dear Compatriots,

New opportunities are constantly opened to us. Our progress and development depend in particular on us, on free exercise of our rights and proper fulfillment of our obligations. We should spare no efforts for our country to successfully overcome the difficulties and move forward to the next stage of development. The Constitution has created all conditions and tools for reaching it.

Understanding the commonality of citizen and state interests we need to unite our capacities, skills and efforts by using it for the benefit of our country and people.

I wish you sustainable peace, strong health, welfare, belief towards tomorrow and your own strength, reads the Speakers congratulatory message.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. There are no surprises in the relations of Armenia and NATO: Armenia is a reliable partner for NATO, Rosaria Puglisi - Deputy Head of NATO Office in Georgia, said during the international conference NATO-from Warsaw to Brussels. Human Security and Security Sector Reform in Armenia, reports Armenpress.

Armenian peacekeepers are taking part in NATO peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan. We highly appreciate this, she said.

Rosaria Puglisi also attached importance to the fact that Armenia, being a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), carries out productive cooperation with NATO as well. We do not see any controversy here, she said.

Rosaria Puglisi said Armenia is also participating in NATO good governance programs which help to fight against corruption in the armed forces. Participation in these programs is a very courageous step by your country, Puglisi said.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan are nothing more than a classical crime and terrorism, Davit Babayan  spokesperson of the President of the Artsakh Republic, told Armenpress commenting on the July 4 Azerbaijani aggression launched in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

According to him, the actions of the Azerbaijani side do not fit into any logic since terrorists and criminals are guided by deceitful and illogical ideas rather than by logic.

This also is added by the scandal according to which Azerbaijan assists terrorists through diplomatic channels: such violations are being made in this background. Of course, this is illogical, but we know that terrorists do not act by logic. They have always received an adequate response from the Armenian side. Now the situation in the border is the same as it happens every day. We have repeatedly said that we will never violate the ceasefire regime first, and our strategy is the active defense, Babayan said.

The Azerbaijani side blames the Armenian side for opening fires towards their villages, but they deployed their military posts at that direction. Commenting on this, Davit Babayan said the adversary uses its own people as a human shield.

They deploy weapons, arms, especially cannons, artillery in their settlements and open fires towards our posts from there. Even in this case we give counter response only when these military posts are at some distance from civilians and do not cause damage to the people. We know that they have a very rich experience on causing damage to their own people, killing them and then blaming other people for their actions. The most vivid and terrible manifestation of this took place in Khojaly. They killed their own people for power and blamed the Armenian side on this. When there are cases when we give counter response, there is always panic in Azerbaijan, the Artsakh Presidents spokesperson said.

According to him, Azerbaijan injects its people into anti-Armenian ideas in order to distract them from the existing problems making Armenians as a target.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh denied the Azerbaijani media reports on wounding of Defense Army soldiers, press service of the Minsitry told Armenpress.

The Ministrys statement says: The Azerbaijani media reports released today according to which 3 Defense Army soldiers were wounded as a result of the explosion in the military unit, do not correspond to reality.

Unlike the Azerbaijani side, the Artsakh Defense Ministry is committed to its transparent activity and regularly releases information on the ongoing incidents, but the disinformation of the opposing country with such content is directed solely to the domestic audience.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Razm.info  an Armenia-based web site specializing on military news and analysis, has prepared a map which shows that the Azerbaijani armed forces have deployed their firing positions near the Azerbaijani settlements by launching provocative actions against the Armenian Armed Forces from there, reports Armenpress.

The armed provocation launched by the Azerbaijani side against the Armenian posts in the morning of July 4 was followed by opening fires from the firing posts of Alkhanli village of Fizuli region towards the military unit of the Artsakhs Defense Army. Only after this the Armenian side gave counter response to the Azerbaijani firing posts deployed at the village.

Azerbaijans Defense Ministry announced two civilians were killed and one was wounded as a result of the incident.

Its worth mentioning that previously the Azerbaijani armed forces also carried out provocations at the same direction. For instance, following another Azerbaijani provocations in 2015, the Armenian Armed Forces took countermeasures towards the Azerbaijani military posts located in the Alkhanli village. The footage of this operation has been released previously and now you can once more watch it.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Senor Hasratyan  spokesman of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh Republic, commented on the Azerbaijani July 4 provocation launched in the line of contact, accusing our Neolithic minded neighbors of the death of a citizen of their own country, moreover, on two-year old child, reports Armenpress.

There is no enemy child, moreover two years old, but there are cases when a child is being killed by the fault of headless people. This happened on the evening of July 4 when the Azerbaijani powerful army fired multiple rocket launcher towards the Armenian forces, and targeted no one other than the two-year-old baby girlUnlike our neighbors with Neolithic thinking, we have to admit this fact with pain and express regret. Accept this as a personal opinion, Senor Hasratyan said.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The European Unions doors are open to Armenia: EU is ready to sign the Comprehensive and enhanced partnership agreement with Armenia, Ambassador of Poland to Armenia Jerzy Nowakowski told reporters on July 5, reports Armenpress.

We are ready for signing of the agreement. Our doors are open to Armenia. We wait for the signing of the agreement, and as the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Piotr Switalski said, we expect concrete steps from Armenian partners. We expect not promises, but concrete steps, the Polish Ambassador added.

Asked what will happen if the agreement is not signed, the Ambassador said: Of course, we will continue the dialogue with Armenia, however, there are various ways of dialogue. There is a friendly dialogue, ordinary dialogue, frozen dialogue. We have great hopes for Armenian-European serious dialogue. It depends on both sides, including the complete implementation of our agreements.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. In an interview with Armenpress, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan said the Azerbaijani behavior in connection with the photo-capture and manipulation of the killed child is a gross violation of ethical norms.

-Mr. Melik-Shahnazaryan, how would you comment on Azerbaijans behavior when it releases the photo of the dead child ad distorts the reality after escalating the situation, launching provocation and making its own people as human shields?

-In April 2016 an Armenian child was killed as a result of Azerbaijani shelling, however, the Artsakh side even didnt think about releasing any photo. The capture of photos of Azerbaijani child who was killed as a result of the July 4 incident speaks about one thing: Azerbaijan not only doesnt respect the norms of ethics, but it increases the high level of Armenophobia within its public in a quite conscious manner. And of course, its very important for the international community to feel the difference of perception of the world of the two societies. In April 2016 Azerbaijan was honoring the hooligans who beheaded the person with military uniform. But the Artsakh side expresses pain and regret over the death of the Azerbaijani child, although the reason of this is the military of the Azerbaijani side.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side announced that two civilians were killed and one was wounded.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan addressed a congratulatory message on the Constitution Day, reports Armenpress.

Dear Compatriots,

22 years ago this day the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia was adopted. That document not only symbolized our new statehood, but also laid strong foundations for Armenias building and formation and development of the Constitution. The role of the Constitution is invaluable for our countrys development as a democratic, legal and social state.

Today, on the way to implementing constitutional reforms, we all have a lot of works to do. I am convinced that we need to be guided by the idea that the assurance of the supremacy and the full utilization of the Constitution depend both on the leadership and every citizen. We all need to have a feeling of responsibility towards our countrys future and work every day to make that future a better one.

I congratulate all of us on this occasion and I want to assure about our determination to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law, the PM said on Facebook.
PHOENIX  Entrenue is officially shipping the Womanizer 2GO and +Size, two new editions from Epi24, the company behind the Womanizer collection. Womanizer 2GO offers a clever, more travel-friendly version, while +Size provides a slender, more maneuverable shape. Both designs boast the same award-winning Pleasure Air Technology pulsation.

Womanizer 2GO is a sleek, lightweight stimulator-in-disguise that makes it easy to bring the pleasure device almost anywhere, thanks to its lipstick-shaped casing and convenient protective container. Inspired by the look of Chanel lipstick, Womanizer 2GO is a rectangular handheld version of the original award-winning device, and comes with two sizes of silicone heads, six pulsation modes, and is available in three sophisticated color palettes, including mint green.

Womanizer +Size packs the same rechargeable power and function as the original shape, but with a longer, more ergonomically flexible handle, along with 12 air-pulsation functions. Offering easier reach, and a more comfortable sensation in the hand, Womanizer +Size provides an alternative to the traditional Womanizer look, made for improved functionality and feel.

The Womanizer has been one of our strongest brands, and continues to offer customers shapes and designs that shoppers love, Entrenue CEOwner Joe Casella said. The Womanizer 2GO and +Size take Womanizers already successful formula and adds form, and some sophisticated flair that looks amazing and, from what Im told, feels incredible. As with all items from Epi24, Womanizer 2GO and +Size are the original air-pulsating pleasure devices; often imitated but never duplicated, and are the only products of their kind that shoppers literally ask for by name. With so much mainstream media attention and support from the sex blogger community, theres never been a better time for stores to stock the full Womanizer suite.

The lipstick-shaped Womanizer 2GO is USB rechargeable, waterproof, and comes supported with a satin storage bag and two-year warranty. This shape is available in Black/Gold, White/Gold, and Mint/Pink.

The sleek Womanizer +Size is white and black with gold accents and comes with two sizes of silicone heads, a satin storage bag, USB charge cable, and a two-year warranty.

Both models have displays and tester units available with minimum purchase. Posters also will be available upon request.

To place an order, please call 800-368-7268, email [email protected] or visit Entrenue.com.
LOS ANGELESThe Free Speech Coalition, the national trade association for the adult industry, has announced that Studio 20, one of the leaders in the growing webcam industry, has joined the organization at the Platinum level.

Founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 2013, Studio 20 has grown to twelve studios on three continents, broadcasting from cities including Bucharest, Budapest, Los Angeles, and Cali. It now boasts over 350 performers.

In 2015, Studio 20 started to promote the glamour concept, which had a huge impact on how the online modeling industry is viewed worldwide. The studio recently released a list of 46 "must haves" for successful camgirl shows.

Were thrilled to welcome Studio 20 as a Platinum member, said Eric Paul Leue, FSCs Executive Director. We have been aggressive in our defense of the webcam industry and webcam performers, both on the legislative level and through public awareness campaigns.

FSC led one such campaign against the Netflix documentary Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On. The controversial documentary about the adult industry was harshly criticized by many of the webcam performers featured in the series over alleged privacy violations and ethical issues by the producers. FSC has assisted affected performers, worked to increase press visibility for their concerns, and led a sustained campaign to educate the documentary producers about performer issues.

The Free Speech Coalition is an important advocate for our industry, and were glad to be able to support the work they do, said Mugur Frunzetti, CEO of Studio 20. As our business has grown and become international, weve become more aware of the challenges that have faced us as an industry. We appreciate the FSCs work not only on behalf of our industry, but also its ability to connect us with partners and vendors in an increasingly diverse and disparate industry.
Warburtons turnover fell more than 25m last year as the increasingly competitive wrapped bread market impacted the business.

But although sales fell 4.6% year on year to 526.3m in the 52 weeks to 24 September 2016, operating profit increased 2.3% to 35.5m as the business kept a tight rein on costs. The average number of employees decreased from 4,588 to 4,522 over the period.

In April this year, Warburtons announced plans to close its Giles Foods bakery in Milton Keynes, with the loss of almost 220 jobs. At the time, the company said the decision was a result of significant ongoing challenges facing the business and is despite considerable time and financial investment. The company has since confirmed the site will close.

In its annual report for the 52 weeks to 24 September, posted last week, Warburtons said profit had been achieved through a continued focus on the quality of product and service and development of new product ranges. These included the Giant Crumpets launched to great fanfare in October 2015 with an advertising campaign fronted by The Muppets.

Warburtons has this year been given planning permission to add a two-storey 2,278sq m research and development centre to its existing headquarters and bakery at Hereford Street, Bolton.

As an ambitious business, Warburtons are proud to be the number one bakery brand in the UK, but have ambitions to become Britains best food business, stated the planning application. The new R&D facility will be a key development, which will ensure the company continues to innovate and lead the bakery food sector.

Warburtons said other recently introduced product ranges had continued to grow in the period covered by its annual report and had partly compensated for the general market decline and increasingly competitive nature of the wrapped bread market.

Our performance has remained stable, despite the continuation of difficult trading conditions and volume decline in the wider bakery market, said Warburtons chairman Jonathan Warburton. The performance reflects our continued focus on breakthrough innovation, quality and service in a very competitive marketplace.

As the number one bakery brand in Britain, we are committed to growing our share of the bakery market by developing new products alongside our current leading lines. Continued investment ensures we are focused on meeting the needs of changing consumer trends. This focus, along with our family ownership structure, means we are uniquely positioned to invest for the long term and ensures that we can always produce the best quality products on the market.

According to IRI data for the year to 31 December 2016, Warburtons wrapped bread sales declined 11.2% - or around 60m  ahead of the 4.2% decline in the total wrapped bread market.

Warburtons remains the most popular UK fmcg brand, showed the annual Brand Footprint UK ranking produced by retail analysts Kantar Worldpanel last month, with 84.2% of the population buying it an average of 25.2 times a year. Warburtons has lost some ground compared with last year, however.

The bakery has recently been filming a new ad campaign featuring comedian Peter Kay.
Mondelez International managing director Mike Taylor has attended Kempston Challenger Academy to educate pupils about the food industry as part of IGDs Feeding Britains Future campaign.

Taylor, along with a handful of other volunteers from the Feeding Britains Future campaign, organised by global food and grocery charity IGD, spent the day offering advice to students about what work was available in the food industry.

Taylor shared his knowledge about the industry and set up workshops, which featured activities to build confidence and developing key employability skills such as communication, teamwork and decision-making.

The Mondelez managing director said it was a privilege to meet students at Kempston Challenger Academy and share his industry insights and career path with them.

Inspiring the next generation of food and grocery talent is really important both to me and our business and I would encourage my fellow industry colleagues to sign up and share their expertise with students at a school local to them, said Taylor.

Its also a great personal development opportunity and I got as much out of it as the students did. Thanks to the team at IGD for facilitating the activity.

Ian Evason, executive principal of Kempston Challenger Academy, said they looked forward to working with IGD and welcoming the industry volunteers in the future.

We are very pleased to be part of the Feeding Britains Future program of workshops, said Evason. We feel it is important that industry and the academy work together to give our students opportunities to develop skills for the working world.

Since the Feeding Britains Future school workshops began, 15,000 students have attended a workshop.
1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted.

2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks.

3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown".

4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam).

I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published.
The main reason Gov. Roy Cooper and other North Carolina Democrats cited for opposing the Republican-led legislature's 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 Cooper's original proposal . It would have raised core state spending by 5.1 percent in the 2017-18 and 6.7 percent over two years, compared to the legislature's 3.1 percent and 5.9 percent increases, respectively.Unlike the federal government, North Carolina can't 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 legislature's 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 legislature's budget authorizes new General Fund spending on operations and capital needs of about $2.1 billion. Gov. Cooper's 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 legislature's budget puts some $889 million in various savings accounts and credit balances, including the state's 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 legislature's 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 - weren't fully accounted for within the 2017-19 budget biennium. That's because their fiscal impact begins midway through fiscal year 2018-19.On an annualized basis, then, the legislature's tax reductions will save North Carolinians between $900 million and $1 billion a year. A similar calculation is needed for Cooper's 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, that's 11.9 percent of annual revenue, or $2.8 billion in the current environment. Under the legislature's new budget, North Carolina's 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 Carolina's 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 legislature's 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 legislature's budget may be objectionable, but its basic architecture is sound.
The annual Fourth of July party at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Ottawa is a go, even without an ambassador there to host it.

Elizabeth Moore Aubin, the charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy, will host the event to celebrate American independence on the grounds of Lornado, the U.S. ambassador's residence in Rockcliffe. This year's theme is "summer picnic in the American tradition."

The party will feature "all kinds of regional delicacies  what people eat at picnics across the United States today," Aubin told host Hallie Cotnam in CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

The spread will include ribs, deep dish pizza, hamburgers, fish tacos and more, according to Aubin.

Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, who used to host the annual Independence Day party, ended his tenure in January. Kelly Knight Craft was nominated to replace him by President Donald Trump last month, and still has to be confirmed.

Aubin has been in charge since Heyman's departure, and said she is "thrilled and honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to lead during this period of transition."

She said her focus as charge d'affaires is the "very important bilateral relationship" between Canada and the U.S., and supporting the 1,100 people who work at the seven U.S. consulates across the country and the embassy.

'Really important conversations'

"Americans sometimes take our neighbourhood a little bit for granted. And we're not doing that right now. We're having really important conversations that we need to have to find solutions and to move forward and make progress in our relationship. I think it's actually a very exciting time," said Aubin.

Despite political divisions and unrest in the United States since the election of Trump in November, Aubin said she believes in a diplomatic approach and in creating conversations, ideals she said she brings to her role as a major contact point between neighbouring countries.

"Democracy is messy, and we see that in all democracies," she said. "And our democracy  you have the opportunity to speak your mind, and not everybody agrees on everything, just as in our bilateral relationships, the U.S. and Canada don't necessarily come to full understanding of each other's perspective on everything all the time. That's why we work diplomatically. That's why we have the relationship."

The Fourth of July Independence Day event at the U.S. Ambassador's residence gets underway at 5:30 p.m. featuring food and live music.
A government source has confirmed to CBC News that Ottawa will apologize and pay millions of dollars in compensation to former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr.

Khadr  who confessed to killing a U.S. army medic when he was 15, under interrogation that was later deemed "oppressive"  will receive a settlement of $10.5 million, the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to CBC late Tuesday.

Details of the deal were first reported earlier Tuesday by unnamed sources who spoke to The Associated Press, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.

Khadr, who now lives in an apartment in Edmonton, had been seeking $20 million in a wrongful imprisonment civil suit against Ottawa.

The government and Khadr's lawyers negotiated the deal last month, according to The Associated Press.

Speaking to reporters in Ireland, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would not confirm any details.

"There is a judicial process underway that has been underway for a number of years now, and we are anticipating, like I think a number of people are, that that judicial process is coming to its conclusion," Trudeau said.

15 at time of arrest

Born in Toronto, Khadr was 15 in July 2002 when he was captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of Sgt. Christopher Speer.

Khadr was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer and confessed to doing so during later interrogations by military and FBI investigators.

The Canadian was taken first to prison at the Bagram U.S. military base in Afghanistan and then to the prison at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. naval base in Cuba and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.

After pleading not guilty to five war crimes charges, including murder, in 2010, he changed his plea to guilty later that year and was sentenced to eight years plus the time he had already spent in custody.

He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his war crime convictions, in which he argued that his admissions of guilt were made under duress.

Story continues

Khadr spent 10 years in Guantanamo Bay. His case received international attention, with some advocating that he should be treated as a child soldier, not an adult.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2010 that Canadian intelligence officials obtained evidence from Khadr under "oppressive circumstances," such as sleep deprivation, during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and then shared that evidence with U.S. officials.

Youngest detainee at Guantanamo

Khadr, now 30, was the youngest and last Western detainee at the U.S. military prison.

His lawyers filed a $20-million lawsuit against Ottawa, arguing the government violated international law by not protecting its own citizen and conspired with the U.S. in the wrongful imprisonment and abuse of Khadr. The suit was first filed in 2004 and expanded in 2014.

The widow of Speer and another U.S. soldier blinded by the grenade in Afghanistan filed a wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in 2014, fearing Khadr might get his hands on money from his wrongful imprisonment lawsuit.

- TIMELINE | Key events in the Khadr case

A U.S. judge granted $134.2 million in damages in 2015, but the plaintiffs acknowledged then that there was little chance they would collect any of the money from Khadr because he lives in Canada.

Khadr's lawyers have long said he was pushed into war by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, whose family stayed with Osama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy.

Khadr's Egyptian-born father was killed in 2003 when a Pakistani military helicopter shelled the house where he was staying with senior al-Qaeda operatives.

After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Omar Khadr apologized to the families of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in health care.

Human rights groups applaud reports

Human rights groups welcomed the reports.

"For 15 years, Omar Khadr's case has been a stark reminder of the many ways that an overreaching and unchecked approach to national security readily runs roughshod over universally protected human rights," said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.

Neve said Khadr's rights were violated or ignored in Afghanistan, at Guantanamo Bay and in Canadian prisons, and that U.S. interrogators, jailers and officials refused to recognize him as a child soldier.

The previous Conservative government offered "inflammatory rhetoric" instead of making an effort to help him, Neve said.

Last month, the NDP wrote a letter to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould urging her to act on an e-petition that said Canada abandoned Khadr to a decade of torture and abuse.

"We recognized that his fundamental rights had been deprived as has been explained by the Supreme Court of Canada and this was really about the treatment he received while he was incarcerated," the NDP justice critic Alistair MacGregor told CBC.

"It's fortuitous and maybe a nice coincidence these reports have come out now after we sent that letter."

The e-petition, which opened March 22 and closes July 20, had more than 2,470 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.

Retired lieutenant-general Romeo Dallaire, founder of the Child Soldiers Initiative, said the apology and compensation is a first step in a long healing process.

"An apology does not absolve Canada for its many years of inaction, but does give it an opportunity to finally lead once again on issues of children," he said in a statement.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims said it would welcome a "long overdue" apology and compensation.

"It is the right decision in light of the callous and unlawful treatment meted out to Mr. Khadr with the complicity of Canadian officials," NCCM executive director Ihsaan Gardee said in a news release.

Federal Conservatives are critical

Others condemned the reported deal, including the federal Conservatives.

Public safety critic Tony Clement rejected the argument that Khadr was a child soldier because he "admitted his guilt." Clement called it "completely inappropriate" that the government would strike a deal to compensate and apologize to Khadr, forcing the Speer family to relive the ordeal.

"We're absolutely astounded this has happened, that he is now one of the richest Canadians in the country because of this settlement," he told CBC News. "We feel this is an act that betrays those innocent Canadians who were killed on 9/11, 25 of them, and also our soldiers who were working so hard in Afghanistan at the time."

He said any financial compensation should be given to Speer's widow and two children.

Alberta Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney also denounced the reported deal.

"Odious. Confessed terrorist who assembled and planted the same kind of IEDs that killed 97 Canadians to be given $10 million by Justin Trudeau," the former federal immigration minister under Stephen Harper tweeted.

Clarification : This story has been updated to clarify the details of Omar Khadr's 2010 guilty plea and conviction.(Jul 04, 2017 5:19 PM)
Regina has confirmed its first case of Dutch elm disease in 2017.

The infected tree, located on the 200 block of Wells Street, is to be cut down on Tuesday to prevent the disease from spreading, according to a City of Regina press release.

Mid-June to mid-July marks the time of year when elm trees are most susceptible to contracting Dutch elm disease, according to Ray Morgan, Regina's director of parks and open space.

Transporting elm firewood into the city could have devastating effects on Regina's trees, Morgan said.

"Elm firewood can carry as many as 10,000 beetles in a piece," Morgan said, referring to elm bark beetles, which carry the disease.

"You bring in one log of elm firewood that has the beetles  they're into the tree the very next day."

Elm is characterized by its corky-looking bark with a layered appearance, Morgan said. If residents are unsure whether their firewood is elm, the city can dispatch someone to identify it for them and can remove it if need be.

Infected trees can begin to show symptoms in a matter of weeks, he added. Symptoms include yellow "flagging" and dryness in a specific branch, he said. If residents notice these symptoms, they should contact the city.

If an infected tree does not belong to the city, it may be up to the owner to remove it  to the tune of $1,000, depending on the size.

Dutch elm disease has been in Regina since 1981. Since then, the city has lost an average of three to five trees per year to the disease. The city cares for about 40,000 elm trees.

Pruning elm trees is prohibited under provincial regulation from April 1 to Aug. 31.

Residents can visit the city's website or call 306-777-7000 for more information.
MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish coast guard rescued three men on Tuesday from a half-sunk dinghy stranded in the Mediterranean, after a two-day search for a boat that had left Morocco with 52 people on board. The rescued men, all from countries in sub-Saharan Africa, said the rubber boat had been drifting since it set off from Morocco's northern coast, the coast guard said in a statement. The statement said an informant had alerted the coast guard on Sunday that a boat had left from near Al Hoceima in Morocco, and that the area had been searched non-stop since then. The coast guard said it was likely that the boat they had found was the same one they were looking for. A helicopter transferred the three men, a 17-year-old and two 25-year-olds, to the Spanish port of Almeria, where medical services were treating them. (Reporting by Angus Berwick; Editing by Jesus Aguado and Catherine Evans)
Online Learning

Building Real Community Online with Free Apps

Giving students "voice, choice and connectivity" will help them gain a sense of belonging in a group even when they're states and countries apart.

Sure, you use your learning management system's discussion forums to bring people together online for class conversations. Yet, that's not the same as creating community. According to Bonnie Mullinix, a lead member of the contributing faculty in the PhD program at Walden University's College of Education, discussion forum activity is often done "pro forma"  as a requirement of class. True community encompasses student "voice, choice and connectivity," she asserted, during a presentation she delivered at the recent Online Learning Consortium Innovate 2017 conference. Best, she said, the tools that can help build community in online courses are free.

Mullinix began her hunt for community-friendly tools in 2015 as she began leading a research forum of people doing their dissertations. Like most online students, she said, they needed to be able "to work on their own stuff [but] still feel like they're not completely alone." Without a sense of community, they weren't learning "from each other's mistakes and discoveries in the ways that we hoped they would."

What was needed, she suggested, was a "synchronous online meeting"  bringing everybody together at the same time. Simple enough on the surface. Except, as with most online classrooms, this one had people in numerous time zones. So the first community-building exercise was to figure out "where and when to meet"  the connectivity part of Mullinix's community equation. With each subsequent step in the process, the group developed a model for handling shared facilitation and development of topics and focus  the voice and choice parts.

Here are the lessons she learned and the tools that worked.

Tricider turns scheduling into a group activity.

Engage Everybody in Scheduling Decisions

An initial meeting was scheduled by Mullinix and run through Skype, which worked well enough for a first gathering. But to strengthen the community "just a little more," she wanted the participants to sort out scheduling as a group activity. For that, she started with tricider, a service that allows somebody to ask a question and invite others to submit their ideas and vote for their favorites. In this case, the question she posed was straightforward: "When should we schedule our Summer 2015 Research Forum Synchronous Meeting?" Her students were asked to post days and times that were best for them to meet and then to return to the site to specify which of the choices among all of them were their top three picks. All the votes from that step were plugged into a Doodle poll, to expose where the choices converged. By allowing participants to see everybody's results and understand how the group progressed to its decision, "it [created] understanding across the board," said Mullinix.

A Doodle poll makes results transparent to the entire group.

Go for Simple When Choosing Where to Conduct Virtual Sessions

Although Skype was where the meetings started, it wasn't where they ended. "It's great. It works fine. It gives me the screen sharing that I want in addition to people's voices," said Mullinix. But, she added, it also has its complexities: "I have to know their Skype ID. They have to accept me or I have to accept them as a connection. Then I have to build a group and I have to place the call." Other choices included Google Hangouts, but that turned out to have a "bit of a learning curve." Zoom, the latest preference, has the same features as Skype with one advantage: It's simpler to enter a virtual gathering. No pre-installation needed, no sign-up required. "You send a link out to people, they click on it and they're in," she explained.
WEDNESDAY, July 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A severe head injury, especially during middle age, could dramatically boost the risk for developing dementia later in life, new research from Finland suggests.

The investigation tracked dementia risk among people who had suffered a traumatic brain injury [TBI] at 65 or younger. Ultimately, the researchers determined that not only did the risk go up for those who had a TBI, but the worse the initial head injury, the greater the risk of dementia.

"The study showed that 3.5 percent of persons with moderate-to-severe TBI [were] diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease [such as dementia] later in life," said study lead author Dr. Rahul Raj. He's an associate professor of experimental neurosurgery at Helsinki University Hospital.

"This is substantially higher compared to age-matched peers with no history of brain injury," he noted.

By comparison, "only 1.6 percent of persons with mild TBI were diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease," Raj added, placing moderate-to-severe TBI patients at a 90 percent greater risk for dementia than mild TBI patients.

The study authors pointed out that this research could only show an association; it could not prove a direct cause-and-effect link between traumatic brain injury and dementia.

In addition, a traumatic brain injury was only linked to a higher risk for developing dementia, not to a higher risk for other neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's or ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) says that about 1.7 million Americans experience some form of traumatic brain injury each year, often resulting from a fall, a car accident or a firearm accident.

Among moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury patients, roughly one in three ends up succumbing to their injury, Raj noted. One in two survivors end up struggling with lifelong disabilities. The AANS pegs the number of Americans living with a TBI-induced disability at more than 5 million.

The new study included more than 40,000 Finnish adults between 18 and 65 who had been hospitalized with mild, moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries. The injuries occurred between 1987 and 2014. The researchers followed the study participants for about 11 years.

The roughly 20,000 mild TBI patients were hospitalized for less than a day. None had experienced a traumatic brain lesion such as brain bruising, swelling, bleeding or a blood clot.

More than 20,000 moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury patients had been hospitalized for a minimum of three days. All had been diagnosed with some form of serious brain lesion.

There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, educational background or income.

Though above-average dementia risk was seen among all TBI patients, the moderate-to-severe group faced a substantially higher risk than the mild group.

The largest jump in risk was seen among those who had a traumatic brain injury between ages 41 and 50. Their odds of dementia were nearly triple those of someone with a mild injury.

For those who had a TBI between ages 51 and 60, the odds of dementia were doubled, the study showed.

More people in the moderate-to-severe group also ended up with dementia before the age of 65, compared to those in the mild group (40 percent versus 26 percent, respectively).

For TBI survivors, Raj said that "even after [a] seemingly [full] recovery there is an underlying elevated risk for dementia that probably won't ever go away.

"Thus, until we have a specific treatment for this, it is extremely important to minimize other risk factors for dementia, such as high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, diabetes, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption," he noted.

Dr. Anton Porsteinsson is a professor of psychiatry and director of the Alzheimer's Disease Care, Research and Education Program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y. He said the findings suggest the effects of a traumatic brain injury can be "long-lasting or even permanent."

Why? Porsteinsson said a head injury likely triggers a loss of "brain reserve," while spurring on problematic shifts in overall brain chemistry.

"That the risk is highest in middle age is not surprising," he added, "as the brain has less ability to recover from injury at that time. And this is also the time period where the processes that may ultimately even decades later result in Alzheimer's disease tend to start."

The upshot, said Porsteinsson, is that "taking steps to minimize the risk of TBI is quite relevant" among the middle-aged, "no less so than in young athletes."

The study was published in the July 5 issue of PLOS Medicine.

More information

There's more on traumatic brain injury at American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
The World Health Organization estimated that 32 million children globally have disabling hearing loss (greater than 30 db in the better ear; WHO, 2017 http://bit.ly/2gAVBAk). About 80 percent live in low-and middle-income countries. Disabling hearing loss, left untreated, causes delays in a child's development that can significantly impair language acquisition, cognitive faculties, and reduce his or her ability to complete even primary-level education (Am Ann Deaf. 1999;144[2]:68 http://bit.ly/2tNSZFI).

Congenital hearing loss occurs in approximately six per 1,000 births in low-and middle-income countries (Arch Dis Child. 2012; 97[7]:654 http://bit.ly/2tO0wEB). Many studies show that excellent developmental outcomes are possible in children with congenital hearing loss, but these outcomes are dependent on three essential elements: early identification, appropriate hearing technology, and early intervention services (Mueller, 2000, et al). When all three elements are in the first years of a child's life, children with hearing loss can develop on par with their peers with normal hearing. They can attend regular schools in their neighborhoods, and can aspire to broad education and employment opportunities. They can integrate fully into their communities.

Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, these three key elements are limited or may not exist at all.

The Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss http://www.childrenwithhearingloss.org/ is helping to address this issue. Established in 2009, the organization aims to make a direct and lasting impact on infants and children with hearing loss living in developing countries by providing them with access to the early identification, hearing technology, and trained professionals that they need to reach their full potential. The Global Foundation has a team of over 70 speech and hearing professionals from five countries who routinely volunteer their time and expertise to the organization's mission and projects. The Global Foundation has worked in Vietnam since 2010, and recently expanded its work to Ecuador and Mongolia.

SUCCESS IN VIETNAM

The Global Foundation works with multiple partners across hearing health care and education in Vietnam to help raise awareness of pediatric hearing loss and address some of the expertise areas needed to support this population. The organization provides training in pediatric audiology, auditory-verbal practice, speech pathology, and early intervention to Vietnamese medical professionals, audiology technicians, teachers, therapists, and families who work with or have children with hearing loss. Graduates of the training program are then included in training their peers to make the benefits exponential and sustainable.

The Global Foundation has brought together Vietnamese professionals from different disciplines across hearing health care, habilitation, and early education across the country, forging lasting interdisciplinary partnerships. Over the past seven years, a more robust cross-functional support network than the one when the program first started has been developed. This professional network has notably improved the efficiency and increased the expertise of the Vietnamese participants, who consequently took the initiative to enhance services that were previously lacking in their country.

The Global Foundation also helps the Vietnamese build audiology services. For example, it has contributed resources to build centers on pediatric audiology, early education, and auditory-verbal therapy for children with hearing loss living in three regions outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These centers are staffed by Vietnamese professionals previously trained by the Global Foundation.

The organization also supplies hearing aids to young children in need, and delivers them as part of the audiology clinical practicum. The hearing aids are fit by Vietnamese professionals with the support of the Global Foundation's team. The children are then given ongoing services by the Vietnamese medical doctors, audiology technicians, teachers, and therapists trained by the Global Foundation. This approach builds trust between the families and the Vietnamese professionals, and ensures the availability of the locally-based support for the children.

Over 1,000 children with hearing loss have directly benefited from the Global Foundation's efforts in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government recently sought to collaborate with the Global Foundation to make some aspects of the training program part of the national standard for professionals working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The success in Vietnam is an example of how a bottom-up approach can contribute to efforts to influence positive change on a national level to address the needs of young children with hearing loss and their families. In contrast, the Global Foundation's newly established program in Ecuador works within the framework of a top-down governmental model to achieve similar goals.

EXPANSION TO ECUADOR

An estimated 10,000 children under age 5 in Ecuador have permanent congenital hearing loss, the key years of child development (UNICEF). The Ministry of Public Health has a national pediatric hearing health program that provides some hearing screening, pediatric audiology, and habilitation therapy support in its medical facilities. Cochlear implants and hearing aids are supplied to patients of low income. However, the ministry recognizes the need for increased community awareness for hearing loss, systematic improvements to their diagnosis and habilitation services, and additional training for its medical and therapy professionals working with infants and children with hearing loss. The ministry and the Global Foundation have entered a partnership to address these needs.

The Global Foundation's Ecuador program includes professional and family training, awareness campaigns, and technical assistance. The organization also supports the Ministry s efforts to improve national processes and standards of care. All planning, communication, and execution of project work is coordinated by the Global Foundation through the ministry of Public Health offices in Quito. To show support for this collaboration, the ministry committed funds to support additional audiology equipment and therapy resources in some facilities involved with the Global Foundation program.

The Global Foundation launched in Ecuador with a four-week professional development initiative in January 2017. The training is cumulative so that the same participants return over time to build on their skills and expertise. The ministry effectively mobilized about 60 medical and therapy professionals working in the government health system of public hospitals and clinics across 18 provinces to attend trainings in northern and southern Ecuador. The program was led by the Global Foundation team who covered topics on newborn hearing screening, pediatric audiology, and auditory-verbal therapy. In addition, 40 children under 6 years of age and their parents participated in the therapy sessions and audiology clinics. About 80 families attended the weekly Family Nights to learn about supporting language development in children with hearing loss.

The participants showed motivation to learn and sincere concern for their patients well-being. At the end of the training session, they were enthusiastic to share how they would incorporate new techniques and procedures into their daily practice and seek collaboration with other members of the pediatric team. The Global Foundation identified opportunity areas for additional professional development, and gave well-received recommendations to help the participants achieve the best outcomes for the families and children they serve.

Looking ahead, the Global Foundation is determined to ensure continued progress with its partners in Vietnam, Ecuador, and Mongolia in improving the quality of care for infants and young children with hearing loss.
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Nairobi, July 5, 2017 Kenyan authorities should ensure that proposed social media guidelines do not prevent journalists from reporting critically or close the space for public debate ahead of general elections due to take place August 8, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Two government bodiesthe Communications Authority, which has regulatory oversight in broadcasting and telecommunications, and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, which promotes national unityare reviewing the results of a public consultation on draft guidelines that they proposed to prevent the spread of inflammatory content and hate speech on messaging and social media platforms.

A copy of the proposed guidelines, viewed by CPJ, warns social media users and bloggers against using inflammatory language, hate speech, or ethnic contempt. The vaguely worded proposal says that broadcasters will be held accountable for all content aired on their platforms and requires social media users to be polite, truthful and respectful and to adopt a civilized tone when posting political content. Social media users must seek government approval of potentially inflammatory political content 24 hours before posting items, according to the proposed guidelines.

After the results of the public consultation are reviewed, the Communications Authority can approve the proposal without parliamentary approval, according to legal experts with whom CPJ spoke and the 2010 consumer protection regulations.

The guidelines as currently drafted could constrict the Kenyan press from reporting and commenting freely on political events, said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal in New York. With elections scheduled to take place in August, we urge authorities to ensure that journalists are free to share news and opinion across all platforms without fear of reprisal.

The proposal refers to prosecution for hate speech under the National Cohesion and Integration Act, which allows for punishments of up to 1 million Kenyan shillings (US$9,600), and for publishing inciting material under the penal code, which carries prison terms of up to three years in prison and or a 5 million Kenyan shillings fine.

Under the guidelines, the Communication Authority will resolve complaints in broadcasting and telecommunications, and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission will investigate and bring up for prosecution cases against individuals and political parties.

Faith Waigwa, vice-president of the Law Society of Kenya, told CPJ that although the guidelines do not carry the same weight as parliamentary legislation, they are used by the courts to help interpret and apply existing laws.

Linus Kaikai, chairman of the Kenya Editors Guild, told CPJ, We are very concerned when a blanket declaration is made because it can affect the work of legitimate, self-regulating media.

The proposals, which were first circulated June 21, come ahead of Kenyas general election in August. A commission set up to investigate the violence surrounding Kenyas elections in 2007 was told by the ministry of information that some radio stations aired inflammatory content. A study by the BBC World Service Trust cited international reports from January 2008 as saying that some local media were responsible for fanning ethnic hatred and fueling violence.
One of President Trumps goals is to reform the federal civilian workforce, some 2.2 million workers accounting for $215 billion in compensation last year. One challenge is measuring the productivity of individual government workers.

As with any group of people, some work hard and excel, while others muddle through each workday. Part of the problem with the current structure is that the framework for evaluating government workers does not seem to be effective, and inefficient workers can remain in place for years on end.

Part of the problem, as illustrated by a report from the Government Accountability Office, is that employee review and rating systems no longer transmit meaningful information about employee performance. Among the almost 1.2 million permanent employees included in the analysis, only 0.1 percent were deemed unacceptable, and 0.3 percent were minimally successful. The vast majority of these employees were rated as outstanding or exceed[ing] fully successful. Without question, there are hard-working, talented government employees throughout the federal workforce, but it stretches belief that there are virtually no ineffective ones.

Source: Government Accountability Office, Federal Workforce: Distribution of Performance Ratings Across the Federal Government, 2013, May 2016.

The lack of meaningful feedback about employee performance weakens the link between that performance and compensation or job security. Higher average compensation for federal employees exacerbates this problem, as lower-performing workers would be incentivized to remain in their positions if they are getting compensated more than they would in the private sector.

According to a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government paid 17 percent more in combined wages and benefits than it would have if average compensation had been comparable with that in the private sector, after accounting for certain observable characteristics of workers. The comparison differs by the level of worker education: workers with a high school diploma or less averaged 53 percent more, while at the other end of the spectrum government workers with a professional degree or doctorate were compensated 18 percent less.

Even this might underestimate the true difference. Andrew Biggs at the American Enterprise Institute, posits that if the CBO used better measures for the wage differential or measured the value of federal benefits more similarly to how corporate pension liabilities, the average compensation premium for federal workers would be even higher.

Source: Congressional Budget Office, Comparing the Compensation of Federal and Private-Sector Employees, 2011 to 2015, April 2017.

Work environment, stability, and opportunity for advancement are an additional part of the total compensation package and are undoubtedly valuable. Looking at how the movement of government workers, both from voluntary quits and layoffs, compares to the private sector could shed some light on the differences between the two. Government workers are less likely to quit or be laid off than private sector workers, resulting in a workforce that is more ossified and stagnant.

Aside from the one-time spike related to temporary Census workers, the layoff rate for government workers is substantially lower than their private sector counterparts. Since 2003 the layoff rate in the private sector has averaged 1.5, triple the rate of layoffs and discharges for government workers. Very few government workers are let go due to rules surrounding dismissals and the lack of economic incentives to remove them. A supervisor who wants to get rid of an ineffective worker faces substantial bureaucratic hurdles and risk of a lawsuit from a government union.

Similarly, fewer government workers voluntarily leave their job to move on to another opportunity. The quit rate for private sector workers is around three times higher than the rate for government workers each year.

While both of these rates for private sector workers respond to the broader economic environment, they are much more stable for government workers.

These differences in these rates convey that in aggregate government workers are overcompensated and also enjoy a job security premium over workers in the private sector.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover: Layoffs and Discharges.

Government workers remain in their positions more than those at private companies. The lack of churn could be related to higher average compensation for public work, although there is a lot of variation depending on the level of education. The current federal workforce has room to improve when it comes to evaluating worker performance, and the link between performance and compensation should be strengthened. Government workers who are not good at their jobs should not keep them indefinitely, it is a waste of resources and the performance suffers.

Benefits for government workers that exceed their private sector counterparts could exacerbate the lack of feedback or consequences for poorly performing government workers, or incentivize some less productive workers to remain in government work indefinitely, reducing the efficiency of the government workforce.

Changes to the structure and composition of the government workforce should consider individual worker performances and opportunities to streamline duplicative or inefficient roles. At the same time, benefits and compensation should be reformed to reduce discrepancies between compensation for government and the private sector, while accounting for other factors such as higher stability in government work. The current administration will find many opportunities for improvement.

Charles Hughes is a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on twitter @CharlesHHughes.

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The term post-truth (posverdad) has started to appear in recent years on Spanish radio and TV and, according to Google, it has been searched for 516,000 times. While many Spanish speakers may not yet have actively used the term, they will most likely have heard it, which is why the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) has decided to incorporate it into its dictionary.

A demonstration against Trump in Washington DC. AP

RAE director Dario Villanueva broke the news during a recent conference titled The Truth, Fiction and Post-truth: Politics and Literature, which he delivered in Madrid during an event co-sponsored by the Center for Political and Constitutional Studies and Menendez Pelayo International University.

The term post-truth, according to Villanueva, will be incorporated next December into the dictionary as a noun with no hyphen. For example, Spaniards will say la era de la posverdad, despite the fact that it can be used as an adjective in English.

The term will take its place alongside words such as lie, hoax, falsehood and manipulation

The use of the prefix post doesnt mean that we live in an age in which the truth has died  just as the term post-industrial doesnt mean the end of industry. In both cases, the use of the prefix simply indicates that the fundamental role of the main word has diminished.

The term post-truth infers that peoples subjective feelings toward an idea or leader take precedence over the truth when it comes to taking decisions.

During the conference, the RAE director defined post-truth as information that appeals to public emotions, beliefs and desires rather than something based on objective fact; however, the exact definition to appear in the dictionary has yet to be determined.

Dario Villanueva described the term as interesting as well as worrying, and drew attention to the fact that the prestigious Oxford English dictionary chose it as its word of the year for 2016. He went on to say that there had been no problem finding an exact translation into Spanish.

The term will take its place alongside words such as lie, hoax, falsehood and manipulation, although Spanish speakers and writers will obviously be free to use it as they see fit.

In Spanish, the writer Luis Verdu was the first to use the term in his 2003 book, The Prisoner of 21:30

According to Villanueva, the academic decision was taken last week. For those who believe that the decision was precipitated and influenced by trend, the director pointed out that the term was first used in English in 1992 when the Serbian-American dramatist Steve Texich employed it in an article he wrote for The Nation. In Spanish, the writer Luis Verdu was the first to use the term in his 2003 book The Prisoner of 21:30. Its use has since become increasingly common in both languages.

Dario Villanueva declared that the RAE would publish words and definitions to be added to its online dictionary every December to show that it was a living dictionary.

English version by Heather Galloway.
Spains Civil Guard and the Catalan regional police began an operation at 4am this morning against the Italian Camorra mafia in Barcelona. Around 20 arrests were made. The suspects are thought to have been laundering drug money via hostelry businesses, as well as through the purchase and sale of cars and jewelry.

Police escort a suspect on Tamarit street in Barcelona. R. C.

During the investigation, the authorities seized 520 kilos of cocaine, and 450 kilos of hashish and marijuana. Spains central High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, has ordered assets worth 5 million to be frozen.

The detainees are accused of criminal organization, money laundering and drug trafficking

As well as the Spanish authorities, police in Italy and Germany have been working on the investigation, carrying out two and six searches, respectively. The detainees are accused of criminal organization, money laundering and drug trafficking, according to a statement released by the Spanish government.

Investigators believe that the suspects have been operating in a number of European countries, and as such the part of the operation outside of Spain has been coordinated by Eurojust, the European Unions Judicial Cooperation Unit. The majority of the detainees are Italian, although there are also Spaniards, Colombians, Venezuelans and Chileans under arrest.

The Catalan capital is one of the preferred destinations for the mafia, which has historically chosen Barcelona as a place to live given its proximity to Italy and the fact that they can go unnoticed there. The Catalan coast has also historically been a place where mafias launder their ill-gotten gains.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Former Al Jazeera managing director Wadah Khanfar in Madrid on Monday. Jaime Villanueva (EL PAIS)

Many springs have gone by since those few months in 2011 when Wadah Khanfar decided that the television network he headed, Al Jazeera, would focus on a series of similar-looking youthful protests taking place in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Born in the Palestinian town of Jenin in 1969, Khanfar soon realized that nothing has been more damaging to the Arab people than the deep divisions cultivated by foreign powers and local elites since the 19th century.

We are at a historic moment, he proclaimed during a memorable address, in which he argued that the Arab world was living through its own democratic spring following the ice age of authoritarianism. And even as the Arab world was undergoing revolution, Khanfar was expanding Al Jazeera ambitiously, turning the Qatari network into a giant that now airs in Arabic and English, among other languages, and has 80 bureaus across the globe. He quit when he was at the top of his game, and now spends his time defending democracy in the Arab world through institutions such as the Madrid-based international Common Action Forum, over which he presides.

Khanfar was in the Spanish capital just as the ultimatum issued by Saudi Arabia and its allies to force Qatar to permanently close down Al Jazeera was expiring.

Question. The ultimatum is expiring. What is Al Jazeera doing that is so threatening to Riyadh?

The word democracy has disappeared from the lexicon of European and American politicians

Answer. I think it is the fact that Al Jazeera stands for democracy and for freedom of choice. That is very dangerous in a region that still fears the effects of the Arab Spring. To eradicate the concept of an Arab Spring after the counter-revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Yemen and a civil war in Syria, the Saudis best bet is to eradicate Al Jazeera because it has been at the forefront of defending freedom of expression.

Q. So you admit that Al Jazeera was instrumental in spreading the Arab Spring through the Arab world?

A. The fact that we have freedom of expression through Al Jazeera and the independent media created an atmosphere where the Arab Spring was born. I cannot claim that Al Jazeera was behind the Arab Spring, but I would say Al Jazeera was important in shaping the atmosphere and the environment that encouraged young people to go out and demand their rights.

Q. What led you to expand Al Jazeera all over the Arab world?

A. The Arab world has been, for the last 100 years, dismantled into small territories that we call states. But there is a common understanding and perception, a common language and a common DNA in the region. What Al Jazeera did is create that conceptual and virtual connection between the Arabs above their states.

Q. You said the Arab spring was a historic moment for the Arab world. Do you still think the same way?

The Arab world is now full of jails. There have never been so many activists, especially young ones, in jail across the Arab world

A. Yes, I do, because the battle for freedom and democracy in the Arab world is not over. Now there are bloody conflicts taking place in Syria, in Yemen, in Libya, in Egypt. But those who revolted against the Arab Spring, the counter-revolutionary forces, are not producing a good alternative. They might succeed in ruling Egypt, Yemen or Libya for a few years, but they will fail because they are not promising freedom, democracy or economic development.

Q. Is the blockade against Qatar part of that same operation?

A. Of course. They think that by shutting down Al Jazeera no one is going to speak about democracy, but they are mistaken. The debate has already moved beyond Al Jazeera. We have young people who communicate with everyone in the world through social media, which they are also trying to close down. To tweet something in United Arab Emirates or in Saudi Arabia that the powers that be do not like might see you sent you to jail for up to 10 years.

Q. You see no possibility that this blockade is going to succeed?

A. No, because they have miscalculated the balance of power in the region. The Saudis thought during the first few days that they could make Qatar succumb. They forgot that Turkey and Iran are major powers in the region that will never allow these countries to shape the region as they wish.

We stand for a mission and this mission is to narrate an independent and balanced picture of the world

Q. You expanded the network into the English-speaking world and opened a huge bureau in the US. Why did you decide to go into America?

A. We thought the narrative of the South is not very well presented in the North, especially in America and in Europe. And most of the international news agencies and networks, like CNN and BBC, are located in the North. Al Jazeera is the first major international network that is based in the South.

Q. You were born in Palestine. Was it difficult to open a bureau in Israel?

A. As a journalist, I cannot afford to be sentimental and emotional. You cant give the Palestinian side or the Arab side and ignore the Israeli or the American side, because we have a journalistic duty. You present the facts and you allow your audience to judge. A TV network is not a political party.

A demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir Square during the Arab Spring in February 2011. PEDRO UGARTE (AFP)

Q. Did you have freedom to report on Qatar, considering that the Qatari government owns the station?

A. There are many stories that we cover in Qatar that the Qataris dont like, including the issues of the American base in Qatar and the treatment of immigrant workers. The government was very critical of Al Jazeera in public. Our relationship with them was difficult. It is true that Qatars public funding allows Al Jazeera to operate, but if this were simply a political tool, it would have ended up like Abu Dhabi TV or Al Arabiya and other TV stations in the Arab world that didnt really make a name for themselves. Al Jazeera became famous because of its independence.

Q. I was in Egypt during the 2013 coup and I have never seen such persecution of journalists as that against Al Jazeera reporters. Is there an added risk to working there?

We thought the narrative of the South is not very well presented in the North, especially in the US and Europe

A. We have never been comfortable to the centers of power. We have always been dealt with harshly by most of the Arab countries and by the Americans, the British sometimes, and sometimes the Russians. We stand for a mission and this mission is to narrate an independent and balanced picture of the world. If we pay the price for it, it will be worth it.

Q. How will the Arab world emerge from this conflict?

A. The Arab world is now full of jails. There have never been so many activists, especially young ones, in jail across the Arab world. They are trying to imprison a generation and prevent it from progressing toward the future. That means, in my opinion, that there is going to be another revolution, but this time its going to be much worse than the first one. Its not going to be as peaceful or easygoing. Its going to be extremely violent, because the amount of pressure being placed on young people in the Arab world right now is beyond belief.

Q. Has the Western world been up to the challenge?

A. Since the collapse of the Arab Spring the word democracy has disappeared from the lexicon of European and American politicians, as though it were a dirty word for the Arab world. They all began supporting what they perceive as stability. Stability means jails, oppression, confiscation of opinion. Thats not what is going to lead to stability. Its going to lead to chaos. There is a burden on democratic voices across the world. If they side with tyranny in the Arab world, they are going to be punished by a young generation that is not going to take this much longer.

English version by Susana Urra.
The Spanish coastguard spent Tuesday night searching for 49 African immigrants feared dead after their boat capsized in the Alboran Sea, which separates Spain and North Africa. The coastguards Sar Mastelero vessel focused its search on the area around Spains tiny Alboran Island after three people were rescued from the half-sunken rubber boat on Tuesday at a location some 28 nautical miles from the islet.

The Spanish coastguards Sar Mastelero searches the water of Alboran Island. Salvamento Maritimo

Those survivors said the craft had been carrying more than 50 men and had capsized after being hit by a wave.

As of Wednesday morning there was no news of the men, the Spanish coastguard in the southern city of Almeria told EL PAIS. If their deaths are confirmed, this will easily rank as the most deadly such tragedy off Spain so far this year, the agency said.

Spains coastguard searched the wrong area for 48 hours after boat operators changed their launch location

Sixty immigrants have died this year trying to reach the Spanish coast, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which also notes that the Western Mediterranean route into Europe has now become more deadly than the eastern route through the Greek islands. However, the central route from Libya to Italy is considered the most lethal, with at least 2,247 immigrants dying so far this year, according to the IOM.

The Spanish coastguard is currently continuing to search for the missing men: a helicopter joined forces with the Sar Mastelero on Wednesday morning. However, hopes are fading given the account of the survivors and the number of hours that have passed, the agency has said.

The search for the men began after a 17-year-old and two 25-year-olds were rescued by helicopter on Tuesday from a boat described as deflated and capsized. They were transferred to a hospital in Spains Almeria province suffering from starvation, dehydration and hypothermia. They were in a state of shock and unable to provide details of what had happened to them, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press.

A tweet with an image of the helicopter rescue of the three survivors on Tuesday

All indications suggest the vessel they were found clinging to was the same one that rescue services had been searching for two days earlier after an NGO had provided information that a boat with immigrants hoping to reach Spain had been launched from the coast in the Moroccan city of Al Hoceima at 8pm on Sunday.

However, it appears that the operators of the boat changed its point of departure to another position some 40 kilometers east of their original site in response to heightened security in Al Hoceima after months of protest against the Moroccan central government. The families of those traveling on the boat were not notified of the change, meaning rescue services were initially operating using incorrect information.

English version by George Mills.
Sometimes, David Lynch loses it: sometimes, one has to wonder if hes playing a joke at our expense, as he seemed to do in Mullholland Drive, or in the three very long minutes of some guy sweeping up in a bar that he managed to fit into a capital of the new series of Twin Peaks, for example.

Lynchs problem might be that over the years he has become increasingly removed from the real world. In his last movie, Inland Empire, Lynch would wake up, meditate and then film what the meditation had suggested to him. There is no plot as such: there is some conflict, but it is never resolved, so much as shattered, as though displaying every possible combination. The underlying idea is that in the final analysis, everything is connected. This is how Lynch applies the necessary suspension of disbelief required to watch a movie to real life.

Which is why you should go with your gut feeling rather than using your head when you come up against unrestrained Lynch. Eraserhead or Lost Highway dont have the classic Hollywood plot structure, and are instead a series of visual emotions. But rather than offering the ephemeral tension of a thriller, they instead provide deeper sensations, beyond the palpable. Anybody who can remember the unsettling sound of Eraserhead will know what I mean.

A quarter of a century has passed since the original and Lynch is further removed from reality than ever

This is exactly what to expect from the new series of Twin Peaks. A quarter of a century has passed since the original and Lynch is further removed from reality than ever. Because the original series is now considered a classic, its creator has been given a free hand. And sometimes, one cannot avoid asking oneself if that was such a good idea. Should somebody have been around to pull him up every now and then, as the channel that broadcast the original so often did?

This is the question that comes to mind time and again during the new Twin Peaks. The character of Doug Jones, for example make no sense (cant somebody just take him to hospital?). The storyline is sometimes weak and resorts to coincidences to drive the story forward. And if Lynch is hard enough to follow at the best of times, the huge gaps between some storylines, which can be several episodes, make the task harder still.

Whats missing from the original series is that wonderfully provincial, familiar air of Twin Peaks, which, reflected in the quirks and habits of its inhabitants, seems to be the real star of the show. The television channel insisted that the population sign seen at the beginning of each episode read 51,021, because the original 5,120 seemed too small.

But, as said, this is a show that should be watched with the guts and not the eyes. That is where the special stuff begins. Like the thousand-yard stare that Kyle MacLachlan gives his bad guy version of Cooper, a character that is radically different from the original, and superbly acted. Or the sequences where Lynch exquisitely plays with time. Or the incredible nuclear explosion in the eighth episode, comparable with the trip in 2001, A Space Odyssey and the following plot, which seems a homage to the best of John Carpenter. Because, more than just a series, Twin Peaks is art in movement as MacLachlan himself says.

As with the rest of Lynchs work, the initial conflict in the new Twin Peaks is clear enough. What is not so clear, as with the rest of his work, is that it will be resolved. We should remember that in the original series that Laura Palmers killer was revealed under pressure from the channel, and against Lynchs wishes.

But with Lynch, everything can take an unexpected turn at any moment. In the last episode, the eighth, more is suggested than was originally intended, and ends up giving new relevance to the plot of the last two episodes in the original.

This is, without doubt, the best of the series so far, and the best youll see in a long time if you manage to survive the seven previous hours of Lynch at his least restrained

English version by Nick Lyne.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned Armenias provocative actions against the peaceful population of Azerbaijan, a source in the ministry told Trend July 5.

The source noted that Armenias actions directed against civilians are unacceptable.

Armenias provocation contradicts all norms and principles of international law, said the source. The international community must realize that Armenia by such actions systematically hinders the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The international community must exert pressure on Armenia, according to the source.

Turkey urges members of the OSCE Minsk Group to contribute to an early peaceful settlement of the conflict, the source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry added.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva (born in 1967) and Zakhra Guliyeva (born in 2015) were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva (born in 1965), who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Six state senators on Wednesday urged Secretary of State John Gale to decline to turn over personal data about registered Nebraska voters to the Trump administration.

Nebraska needs to "protect the integrity of our elections and the security of our lawfully registered citizens," they wrote Gale.

"Public access to identifying information and partial Social Security numbers can lead to identity theft," they said.

"Protecting the personal and financial security of Nebraskans is important."

The request for voter data came from Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, vice chairman of a presidential advisory commission on election integrity created by President Donald Trump.

"Nebraska voters deserve to know how publicly-compiled information shared in good faith will be used outside the state," the senators wrote Gale.

"Protecting the trust placed in our state by our citizens is a priority," they said.

The letter was signed by Sens. Kate Bolz, Adam Morfeld, Matt Hansen and Anna Wishart, all of Lincoln, and Sens. Sara Howard and John McCollister, both of Omaha.

The senators said they have heard from "numerous constituents" concerned about the use of their personal information.

Thus far, 44 states plus the District of Columbia have refused to provide all or certain portions of the requested information.

Trump created the commission by executive order after claiming that millions of voters had voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election. Kobach has been a prime supporter of voter photo ID requirements that opponents suggest are designed to suppress the votes of traditionally Democratic constituencies.

On Monday, the voting-rights group Nebraskans for Civic Reform and ACLU of Nebraska sent a letter urging Nebraska's secretary of state to reject the federal commission's request.

Gale has not yet acted on the request.
Details added (first version posted on 10:28)

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

Trend:

The prosecutors office of Azerbaijans Fizuli district has initiated a criminal case over Armenias provocative actions on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, as a result of which civilians were killed and injured, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor Generals Office said in a message July 5.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the message said.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva (born in 1967) and Zakhra Guliyeva (born in 2015) were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva (born in 1965), who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs  Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Stephane Visconti of France, and Ambassador Richard Hoagland of the United States  have received information of renewed violence late in the evening on July 4 at Alkhanli village of Azerbaijan's Fizuli region that resulted in casualties, including civilians, said the statement posted on OSCEs website.

The Minsk Group co-chairs urgently call upon the sides to cease military action. Violence only begets further violence and accomplishes nothing. The only responsible and humane way to resolve this long-standing conflict is for the sides to return to the negotiation table in good faith, said the statement.

The co-chairs extend their condolences to the families of the victims.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the message said.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva (born in 1967) and Zakhra Guliyeva (born in 2015) were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva (born in 1965), who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 5

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

The international community must exert pressure on Armenia in order to stop the killing of people in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, Sergey Markov, Russian presidents confidant, member of Russian Civic Chamber, told Trend July 5.

The death of the military, and even civilians, is a clear manifestation of the fact that this conflict kills and can kill even more people. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately sit down at the negotiating table. The [OSCE] Minsk Group must increase pressure on Armenia so that the sides start substantive negotiations and reach a compromise, he said.

Markov noted that the current situation in the conflict zone completely satisfies Armenia, and this is why the country hinders reaching a compromise.

On the other hand, the Armenian leadership might be willing to compromise but is afraid of its radicals, according to him.

The Armenian leadership is afraid to be shot in the Parliament building, as it already happened 10-15 years ago. This is why, to some extent the international community must help the government of Armenia to be stronger and not afraid of the radicals.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Samir Ali  Trend:

The situation in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district, which was on July 4 shelled by the Armenian armed forces, is currently stable, Ali Aliyev, head of Fuzuli District Executive Authority, told Trend.

This is not the first provocation of Armenians. They regularly shell the Azerbaijani territories. But Fuzuli residents are not afraid. Now the situation in the Alkhanli village and in the district is stable, Aliyev said, adding that the situation is under full control of the Azerbaijani armed forces.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

It is a mistake for mediators of any international conflict to claim reflexively that there is no military solution to a military-political dispute, Matthew Bryza, former US ambassador to Azerbaijan and former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, told Trend July 5.

Bryza was commenting on the recent aggravation of the situation on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia.

Military factors play a key role in shaping the political factors that must ultimately be agreed to resolve such a conflict and should always be taken into account by mediators, he said. In diplomacy, military force and political dialogue are often inextricably linked. As the great Prussian strategist von Clausewitz taught the world, war is the continuation of politics by other means.

As is usually the case in exchanges of fire along the line of contact, it is difficult to determine who exactly provoked this latest shooting and who shot first, he said.

Unfortunately, the statement by the OSCE Minsk Groups Co-Chairs sheds no light on the situation and sounds like the typical, anodyne condemnation of violence that could apply to any conflict anywhere in the world under international mediation, Bryza said.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Fragments of anti-tank shells were found when inspecting the Azerbaijani villages, Armenias armed forces had earlier shelled, said head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor Generals Office Eldar Sultanov, commenting on the latest developments on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

He made the remarks in Baku July 5 at a joint briefing attended by officials of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and the Prosecutor Generals Office.

A criminal case has already been initiated under seven articles of the Azerbaijani criminal code, Sultanov said.

Examination of the victims bodies by forensic medical experts revealed that the Armenian side had used anti-tank shells, according to him.

Sultanov noted that this is not the first time Baku initiates a criminal case against the Armenian side, as the Armenian armed forces have already used force against Azerbaijani civilians.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Baku has repeatedly stated that the presence of Armenias Armed Forces in the Azerbaijani occupied territories is the main reason for the escalation of the situation in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the main obstacle for its political settlement, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev said.

He made the remarks July 5 in Baku at a joint briefing of official representatives of the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and the Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan, commenting on the latest developments on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva (born in 1967) and Zakhra Guliyeva (born in 2015) were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva (born in 1965), who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk and his assistants are currently inspecting the shelling site, Hajiyev said, adding that the OSCE should understand that these actions of Armenia are aimed at disrupting the negotiation process.

Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry instructed all embassies and diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan abroad to inform all countries they are accredited in about the Armenian provocation and to bring the truth to their attention.

He also noted that Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry expects serious reaction from the OSCE Minsk Group to the recent provocation on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov discussed the latest Armenian provocation against Azerbaijan with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov and Stephane Visconti, said Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev, commenting on the latest developments on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

He made the remarks in Baku July 5 at a joint briefing attended by officials of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and the Prosecutor Generals Office.

The foreign minister brought to their [OSCE MG co-chairs] attention the serious concern of the Azerbaijani side and stated that Armenias actions are aimed solely at the escalation of the situation and disruption of negotiations, Hajiyev said.

Armenia's actions are intentional as Yerevan is well aware that civilians live in those areas that were subjected to fire, according to him.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The lack of courage of the international community and the lack of will to solve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict caused bloodshed of Azerbaijani civilians, Nathalie Goulet, French senator and vice-chair of the Senates Foreign Affairs Committee, told Trend July 5.

How long can the country endure the illegal occupation of 20 percent of its lands? How many more deaths will it take? asked Goulet and paid respect to the victims and their family members and expressed condolences to Azerbaijani people who are fighting with dignity to free their lands.

I want to express my solidarity with refugees and IDPs and reassure them that we will work to find a solution, she said.

The senator noted that everyone is tired to hear that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a frozen one.

It is not a frozen conflict, it is an illegal occupation, added Goulet.

The French senator believes that the sanctions against Armenia, for which Azerbaijan is calling, should be imposed.

Azerbaijan should call on the UN Security Council to convene an emergency meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to discuss this situation, Goulet believes.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

It is inevitable that there will be more innocent victims if the UN Security Council resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are not enforced, Ziba Norman, director of the UK Transatlantic & Caucasus Studies Institute, told Trend.

There are numerous UN resolutions in place and they must be enforced, she said, adding that how this can be done remains the most important issue.

What remains to be answered is how these resolutions are to be enforced, otherwise it is inevitable that there will be more innocent victims.

It begs the question of just how serious the stakeholders are about resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance with international law, Ziba Norman added.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Authorities released the identity of a homicide suspect believed to have killed a Schuyler man before killing himself three days later, when police went to arrest him.

Colfax County Attorney Denise Kracl identified the man as Fidelgarin Valdez, 55, of Schuyler.

Valdez was suspected of fatally shooting Janner Ramon Torres Diaz, 33, at a Schuyler motel June 27, according to Schuyler Police.

When the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT team and other officers went to arrest Valdez at an apartment in Schuyler on June 30, they heard two gunshots inside and later found Valdez dead.

Kracl said Valdez died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A grand jury will be convened to investigate Valdez's death since it occurred during his apprehension.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France strongly condemns Armenians provocative actions against Azerbaijani civilians.

The association conveyed condolences to all Azerbaijani people and families of those killed by the Armenian armed forces in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

The direct and intentional attacks of the Armenian armed forces on civilians and infrastructure are a grave violation of international law and human rights, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, reads a message from the association, signed by its President Jean-Francois Mancel.

The Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France expressed regret over the inaction of the OSCE Minsk Group in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict only leads to a tragic confrontation. We hope that the international community will react to the provocative actions of Armenia in the near future and will demand implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, reads the message.

Armenia must understand that it cannot continue the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani lands forever, presenting itself to the international community as a victim of this conflict.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

Trend:

Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova sent a statement to international organizations in connection with the murder of civilians in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

This is another crime which is a continuation of the military aggression that lasts for 25 years, the ethnic cleansing and terrorist acts of Armenia against Azerbaijan, which result in death of thousands of innocent people, mass grave violation of human rights, destruction of historical, religious and cultural monuments that are part of the world culture, reads the statement.

By once again appealing to the world community, reputable international institutions and my colleagues, I urge to not only condemn but also take decisive steps to end the long-lasting Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, the mass and gross violation of human rights, to liberate the occupied Azerbaijani territories in line with international norms, restore Azerbaijans state borders, recognized by the UN and the world, and return hundreds of thousands of IDPs to their homes, Elmira Suleymanova said.

She noted that the international community must not remain indifferent to such cruelty, ruthlessness and inhumanity.

The statement was sent to the UN Secretary General, UN Security Council and High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNESCO, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the international and European ombudsman institutes, the Asian Ombudsman Association, the International Peace Bureau, ombudsmen of various countries, Azerbaijani embassies in foreign countries, embassies of foreign countries in Azerbaijan, as well as diaspora organizations of Azerbaijan.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Azerbaijan has its own principled position on all international issues considered on the platform of the OSCE, and this position is based on the countrys national interests, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the OSCE, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Austria Galib Israfilov told Trend.

"To date, we have many supporters in the OSCE, and thanks to this, Azerbaijans position is well supported in the organization," the diplomat said.

The OSCE is a consensus-based organization, and the decision-making process depends on political will and acceptability, Israfilov said, adding that the OSCE is also a broad platform for discussing different issues and interests of various groups of states and political blocs.

"The OSCE doesnt deal with the practical implementation of the neutralization of threats, as NATO or the CSTO does," he noted. "These blocs have different goals and values, and they represent two opposing military blocs in the OSCE: Azerbaijan, which doesnt belong to either of these two blocs and political groups operating within the framework of the OSCE, implements its own policy based on principles and commitments agreed upon with the OSCE and backed by the national interests and position of the country."

He added that the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the priority issue for Baku on this international platform.

Decisions were made within the framework of the OSCE in 1992-1994 on both the formats of the settlement and the composition of the countries involved in the group of mediators, the diplomat noted.

Further, the settlement process passed to the competence of the OSCE Minsk Group, the ambassador said, adding that the OSCE Minsk Group was active in the late 1990s, and at the moment all the groups work is carried out only by its co-chairs.

"It is for you to say whether it is good or bad," he said. "We see the ineffectiveness of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs activity for the last 23 years since the establishment of this group. There are no significant and effective results of the OSCE Minsk Groups work yet, but we hope that the co-chairs will make more efforts in this sphere."

"Azerbaijan expects Austria, currently chairing the OSCE, to take significant and effective actions in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the diplomat said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

"OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurtz is expected to visit South Caucasus in accordance with his mandate," Israfilov said.

Speaking about this visit, Israfilov added that there are some factors that impede the visit.

"First of all, there is a complicated situation in the OSCE," he said. "The positions of the OSCE Secretary General, as well as the heads of the three institutions of the organization, are still vacant. It is necessary to appoint people to these vacancies for the organization to fully operate."

"Secondly, Austria is chairing the OSCE, while Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurtz - the current chairman of the organization," he said. "Kurtz is currently involved in a rather tough political struggle in Austria, where the next parliament election is scheduled for October 15. Kurz, who heads the Austrian People's Party, intends to nominate himself for the post of Chancellor in case of victory."

"Therefore, the internal agenda prevails over the elements of the OSCE Chairman-in-Offices agenda in Kurzs work schedule," the diplomat added. "The visit to Azerbaijan and other countries of the South Caucasus region will depend on the results of the election in Austria."
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

Trend:

Responsibility for the murder of Azerbaijani citizens also rests with the forces supporting Armenia in the European Parliament (EP), said Fuad Muradov, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Opening fire on women and children is an act that is incompatible with humanity, Muradov said in his address to members of the European Parliament and the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

Killing a baby, civilians cannot be accepted anywhere. This is the result of superficial attitude of world countries and international organizations towards Armenias aggressive policy, which lasts for about 25 years, and at times, strong support rendered to it.

All responsibility for the committed bloody provocation lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia, as well as those who keep silent in connection with this policy, Muradov noted.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Good result is more important than a rapid result in the negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Azerbaijan on a new strategic partnership agreement, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Malena Mard said during a networking event in Baku July 5.

This is an important time in EU-Azerbaijan relations. As you know, we are negotiating a new framework between the EU and Azerbaijan, she said. Very intensive negotiations are ongoing on the broad agenda of EU-Azerbaijan relations on economic, security matters, provision of human rights, rule of law, good governance and cooperation on education.

Both the EU and Azerbaijan are ambitious about moving forward swiftly, added Mard.

We want to have an agreement that is important both for the EU and Azerbaijan, she said. We are in parallel also looking at partnership priorities between the EU and Azerbaijan for the years to come that will also guide our concrete cooperation. At the end of the day, this is about concrete cooperation on bringing the EU and Azerbaijan closely together.

The European Council adopted a mandate for the European Commission and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to negotiate, on behalf of the EU and its member states, a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan in November 2016.

The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The agreement will follow the principles endorsed in the 2015 review of the European Neighborhood Policy and offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.

The new agreement envisages the compliance of Azerbaijans legislation and procedures with the EUs most important international trade norms and standards, which should lead to the improvement of Azerbaijani goods access to the EU markets.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Ilhama Isabalayeva  Trend:

Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova prepared a statement, to be sent to a number of international organizations in connection with the recent Armenian provocation against Azerbaijan, Aydin Safikhanli, head of Azerbaijans Ombudsman Office, told Trend July 5.

The statement will be sent to the UN Secretary General, UN Security Council and High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the international and European ombudsman institutes, the Asian Ombudsman Association, the International Peace Bureau, as well as to ombudsmen of various countries.

Safikhanli reminded that on July 4, Armenian armed forces shelled Azerbaijani settlements in the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, killing residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, and injuring Servinaz Guliyeva, 52.

He said that this military crime, committed by Armenians, flagrantly violated provisions of international human rights documents, including the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, on protection of civilians during war.

The recent developments in the Alkhanli village of the Fizuli district confirmed that Armenia continues to pursue an aggressive policy and kill civilians, and does not recognize the norms of international law. We believe that the international community should not remain indifferent to this cruelty, ruthlessness and inhumane acts, Safikhanli noted.

He expressed confidence that under the UN Charter, Armenia will be punished and the violated rights and freedoms of Azerbaijani citizens will be restored.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Some 1.3 million manats (1.7022 AZN = 1 USD on July 5) have been returned to Azerbaijani exporters since early 2017 as part of the program on the refund of a part of expenditures for the export of non-oil products, Azerbaijani Deputy Economy Minister Sahil Babayev said.

He made the remarks July 5 in Baku at the opening ceremony of the Be Ready for Trade project.

He said that the measures on promoting export and the Made in Azerbaijan brand led to a 22 percent increase in the countrys non-oil export, and in general, the volume of export grew 44 percent.

But one shouldnt forget about the challenges we are facing, Babayev said. Despite that we were able to diversify our economy, oil and oil products still constitute the major part of our exports volume. So, currently, the main steps are aimed at diversifying our exports.

It should be recalled that Azerbaijan refunds 3-6 percent of the customs value of goods to non-oil exporters within the framework of mechanisms on promoting exports of non-oil products.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Trade Center (ITC) at the opening ceremony of the Be Ready for Trade project of the EUs Eastern Partnership initiative, Trends correspondent reported from the event.

The memorandum was signed by Head of AZPROMO Rufat Mammadov and ITC Executive Director Arancha Gonzalez.

In accordance with the memorandum, ITC within the framework of the Be Ready for Trade project will foster increasing competitiveness and expanding access to foreign markets for products manufactured by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of Azerbaijan.

In addition, the ITC will support the direct access of Azerbaijani products to international e-commerce platforms.

Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Sahil Babayev, who attended the signing ceremony, noted that the main components of the Be Ready for Trade project include integration of SMEs into global value chains, increasing the competitiveness of products manufactured by SMEs, strengthening the potential of exporters associations and creating ties between SMEs of Azerbaijan and EU importers.
Details added (first version posted on 10:12)

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

At present, about 80 percent of Azerbaijans GDP accounts for the private sector, and this is a positive achievement, the countrys Deputy Economy Minister Sahil Babayev said.

He made the remarks July 5 in Baku at the opening ceremony of the Be Ready for Trade project.

He said that several years ago Azerbaijans economy was formed mainly at the expense of the public sector, but the reforms carried out in the country and the attention given to the private sector made it possible to achieve such results.

Over the past several years, Azerbaijan has done a great job for the development of the non-oil sector, said the deputy economy minister. Big reforms were carried out to develop entrepreneurship and improve the business environment in Azerbaijan. Along with this, mechanisms to support competitive production were created.

The issuance of documents for investments promotion, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, creation of special economic zones, industrial and agricultural parks, as well as the issuance of preferential loans through the National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) of Azerbaijan can be mentioned among such mechanisms, he noted.

Babayev added that these measures contributed to the fact that at present, the major part of Azerbaijans GDP is formed at the expense of the non-oil sector.

Back in 2006-2008, the share of the non-oil sector in Azerbaijans GDP was only 40 percent, however the reforms led to the fact that currently, the share of the non-oil sector in the country's economy is about 70 percent, Babayev said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

Trend:

The second round of negotiations on the signing of an EU-Azerbaijan Common Aviation Area Agreement was held July 4-5 in Brussels, Belgium, the press service of the Azerbaijani State Civil Aviation Administration reported July 5.

From the Azerbaijani side, a delegation led by Director of the countrys State Civil Aviation Administration Arif Mammadov took part in the negotiations.

The delegation included employees of the State Civil Aviation Administration and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Belgium, as well as representatives of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry.

During the constructive talks, both sides expressed readiness to sign the relevant agreements.

The remarks and proposals of the Azerbaijani side were discussed, and a number of issues were clarified. A protocol was signed following the meeting.

It was decided to hold the third round of negotiations on the signing of an EU-Azerbaijan Common Aviation Area Agreement in Baku. Until then, the EU and its member countries will receive prompt feedback from other ministries and committees of Azerbaijan. It is expected that the final version of the agreement will be prepared at the meeting in Baku.

The beginning of negotiations on the draft Common Aviation Area Agreement is also important from the perspective of signing new EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, Mammadov said at the meeting.

He noted that the meeting will make a special contribution to the dialogue between Azerbaijan and Europe.

Mammadov also stressed that Azerbaijan has positive experience in cooperation in the field of civil aviation.
Katie Murtha, a librarian at the Bennett Martin branch downtown, fields the requests daily: Can you help me update my resume? Set up an email account? Look for a job?

She does what she can  in between answering phones, checking out books and helping customers find what theyre looking for  but theres rarely enough time to devote the time such library patrons need.

We can help get people get started, but theres no time to sit down one-on-one for 1 1/2 or two hours, she said.

Enter a group of retired teachers and other volunteers who spend about four hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Bennett Martin and Eiseley branches to help those who need the library computers to find a job.

They help people who lack the computer skills needed to apply for many jobs today; they help navigate the dizzying online sources advertising job openings, offer help with resumes and applications, and steer people to the good jobs they know exist.

The program, still in its infancy, is a part of the efforts by Prosper Lincolns Bryan Seck to connect people to jobs with decent pay, benefits and possibilities for advancement.

The most difficult employment issue in Lincoln, Seck said, is underemployment: People struggling to make ends meet with dead-end, low-paying part-time jobs.

The real struggle is how do we move them over to a career pathway? he said.

Seck is convinced good jobs are there  and part of the education process is getting people to understand a job at Burger King and an entry-level position at a hospital might have similar starting pay, but the latter has benefits and an opportunity to train for higher-paying jobs.

Prosper Lincoln has held several job fairs to introduce social service caseworkers to local employers who offer such opportunities, creating connections so the caseworkers can steer their clients to good job openings.

Seck has also worked to connect the human service agencies that work with people needing jobs  or better jobs  with the American Job Center, which offers free career assessment and help with the job search.

The fledgling program at the city libraries is an offshoot of that, Seck said, trying to come to those who need help.

The idea for library volunteers arose after Seck gave presentations on Prosper Lincolns efforts to librarians some months ago.

We have people who work on computers all day long, said Julie Beno, city library public service coordinator.

Seck thought of the retired teachers  hed spoken to at least two groups that had said they wanted to help. So he called.

De Tonack, who spent her career as a teacher both in K-12 and college, sent out a request to the retired teachers and put a notice on a citywide volunteer website. Tonacks neighbor, Kathi Tiede  a retired social worker with Nebraska Health and Human Services who had lots of experience working with those in poverty  also wanted to help.

Ultimately, six volunteers received a one-hour training session on the sorts of jobs available, the best sites to find those jobs and the different career pathways available  then they went to work.

Retired professor Christy Walloch has helped people from 17 to 68 years old.

A 17-year-old high school student still learning English needed help applying for a job at a retail store. Although he spoke English well, he was struggling with a 65-question survey. So Walloch helped him.

She helped a 68-year-old woman who wanted to apply for an AmeriCorps job but didnt have the computer skills to do it. She helped a man with experience as a cook, who'd just arrived in town, apply for a job at a local hospital  and he got an interview that day, she said.

Many people who come to the library dont have internet access and often lack the computer skills necessary to set up an email or the know-how to check it regularly, Beno said.

Tiede said shed like to find a way to check back in with those theyve helped to see if they found a job or need more assistance. She helped a man who had his commercial drivers license but had had several personal setbacks. Hed gotten a job interview, but she doesnt know if he found a job.

I want to know if it makes a difference, she said.

Tonack said theyd like to recruit more volunteers  and thinks people are hesitant because they dont think they have the skills to help, but they do and will get training to give them more information.

Theyll keep tweaking the program, but Murtha hopes it continues.

We find when people come in, they need help immediately, she said. So for us its been wonderful.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to provide funding for the construction of Tartar-Seydimli-Garadaghli-Sarov road.

Under the presidential order, 7 million manats is allocated from the state budget for the construction of the road connecting 20 residential settlements with a total population of 24,000 people.
Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of Italy's state railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), will visit Tehran on July 11 to finalize the construction of the 135-kilometer line, Press TV reported.

It is the first stretch of a high-speed rail line which FS plans to build in Iran, with the other being a 320-km planned link between Tehran and Hamadan.

The overall deal is worth 5 billion euros which Ferrovie initially signed under a framework agreement when former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visited Tehran with a delegation of business leaders last April.

FS will supply assistance to the Iranian railways for both high-speed and conventional rail lines, including a complete program for training personnel, the company said at the time.

The group has also been connected with the planning and construction of a high-speed rail corridor between Tehran, Qom and Isfahan, and electrification of the rail link between Tehran and Tabriz on the way to the Caucasus and Turkey.

Iran and Italy have signed deals potentially worth billions in sectors including energy, railways and defense. Italy's export agency and state lender has pledged billions of euros in credit lines and guarantees.

Beside FS, oil major Eni, electricity and gas distributor Enel, oil contractor Saipem, steel firm Danieli, infrastructure firm Condotte d'Acqua, rail and road company Gavio, and airplane manufacturer Finmeccanica are the companies which have undertaken big ticket investment plans in Iran.

Italy's state-run lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti has offered credit lines to companies building oil-and-gas and transport infrastructure, while export agency SACE has committed to guarantee those loans.

The agreements were reached when Renzi visited Iran with by a delegation of some 60 business leaders - three months after President Hassan Rouhani traveled to Italy.

Irans transport expansion includes aligning with the regional rail networks in the Persian Gulf and the subcontinent to Central Asia. The country has announced plans to invest $25 billion over the next 10 years in the modernization and expansion of its railway network.

The country plans to stretch out the nationwide railroad line to 25,000 kilometers by 2025 from under 15,000 kilometers now, with 7,500 km already under construction.

The main objective in the rail transportation sector is to complete the entire network and shift some of the road transportation to rail, given the development of industries and mines in Iran, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi has said.
Tehran, Iran, July 5

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran is still holding talks with Italy to return its satellite Mesbah, which Tehran sent to the European country for launch 10 years ago, which was not launched for technical reasons, ILNA news agency reported July 5.

Since then, Italy has not returned it, Irans first domestically made satellite.

Recently an official with the Aerospace Organization of Iran said since the satellite cannot be launched, it will be put in a museum in Iran.

Mohsen Bahrami said the $10 million project was developed as a tool for collecting data on ground water resources in the country, as well as studying the region weather.

In 2003 while undergoing tests in Italys Carlo Gavazzis research unit, the satellite was seized by European Union sanctions compliance officers citing sanctions against Iran.

In the latest remarks over the case, ICT Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said after ten years the satellite is sure to have run out of battery, but this does not mean launching it is out of the question.

He said if the government manages to take the satellite from Italy, it will be inspected by experts to determine whether a launch is possible.
Tehran, Iran, July 5



By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:



Bahram Qassemi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has criticized a Canadian courts upholding of an in absentia US court rulings against the Islamic Republic, stressing that the move runs counter to the international judicial norms.



Principally, the issuance of a ruling against a foreign country runs counter to the principle of equality of states and is in violation of their immunity under international law, Qassemi said, the Foreign Ministrys website reported July 5.



The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to oppose and follow up on the ruling, the diplomat said.



A Canadian court on July 3 accused Iran of supporting terrorism, upholding a previous ruling by a US court, which required the Islamic Republic to pay around $1.7 billion in damages to what the case had called American victims of terrorism.



The Iranian spokesperson emphasized that irrespective of internal power divisions in Canada, the countrys administration would be directly liable for any possible material and spiritual damage caused by various branches of the Canadian government as a result of such measures.



The Court of Appeal for Ontario rejected Irans request to reconsider the ruling, arguing that doing so would amount to a breach of Canadas Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act (JVTA).



The JVTA allows so-called victims of terrorism to sue foreign states for damages.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5



By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:



Some 162 parliamentarians have issued a statement expressing support for a recent missile attack carried out by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) against the IS terrorist group (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) in Syria.



The statement also urged Iranian officials to provide support for the IRGC, IRNA news agency reported.



The MPs also called for protecting international peace and stability and accused the US and its allies of destabilizing the region.



Earlier in June, the revolutionary guards launched six medium-range ground-to-ground ballistic missiles at the terrorist groups bases in eastern Syria in retaliation for twin terrorist attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran, which killed 17 people and injured over 50 others.


Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5



Trend:



The killing of an Azerbaijani child and her grandmother by Armenia deserves condemnation, Mansour Haqiqatpour, the adviser of Iran Parliament's Speaker Ali Larijani told Trend July 5.



Civilians should not be victimized to power disputes, adding that Nagorno-Karabakh primordially belongs to Azerbaijan, he said.



Haqiqatpour went on to invite the Azerbaijani government to use stronger determination to end the prolonged Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



This conflict is no more complicated than the cases of Aleppo and Mosul were, he noted, adding Azerbaijan would be benefited by using the cooperation of friendly neighbors, Iran in particular, to end the issue.



Earlier, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that on July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.



As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva (born in 1967) and Zakhra Guliyeva (born in 2015) were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva (born in 1965), who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.



The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.



The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 5

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Resolution of the diplomatic crisis around Qatar will likely to take several months, Kenneth Katzman, a senior analyst at the Congressional Research Service, which conducts research and analysis for the US Congress, believes.

It will likely be resolved after several months as Saudi Arabia and UAE realize that the US and other countries are not supporting their maximum demands. They will likely drop some demands and Qatar will make some concessions, Katzman told Trend by email.

The expert believes that the Qatar- Gulf crisis will not involve military confrontation. He also noted that the main reason for the crisis is that Saudi Arabia and UAE do not tolerate Qatar support for groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.

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.

Later, 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, the deadline expired on Sunday.

Qatar has called the conditions impossible and urged for their revision.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Nearly 50 migrants are feared dead after their rubber boat sank between the coasts of Spain and Morocco, according to the Spanish Coast Guard, Anadolu reported.

The migrants are reported to have departed from Morocco on Sunday night but later capsized after being hit by waves, said a coast guard statement. On Tuesday, the coast guard rescued three men who were clinging to the half-sunken ship, but authorities have not been able to find the other 49 migrants who were aboard.

If the missing are confirmed dead, this will be the most lethal sea crossing in the western Mediterranean this year.

As of July 3, the UNs International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 60 migrants have died on the same route since the beginning of the year, making it nearly twice as lethal as the Greek route, but significantly less so than the central Mediterranean route through Italy. Combining those deaths with this recent tragedy, almost as many people have died in 2017 trying to reach Spain as in all of 2016.

Human rights groups in Spain have condemned the situation, calling on the government to offer a more secure route into Spain.

Spain must facilitate access to asylum in the offices in Ceuta and Melilla to avoid more deaths, said the non-profit Spanish Refugee Aid Commission (CEAR) in a statement.
Field marshal Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA), has declared victory over his rivals in Benghazi during the nation's multifaceted civil war. Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, has been contested for three years by various factions vying for control of the beleaguered North African nation, Sputnik reported.

Appearing on television in a white military uniform, Haftar declared his faction's victory. "Your armed forces declare to you the liberation of Benghazi from terrorism, a full liberation and a victory of dignity against terrorism," he said.

Only land mines and bombs are left to be cleared, according to Haftar. Islamist militias and other rivals have been totally mopped up. Haftar added that the LNA "congratulates the Libyan people and thanks all the backing forces and neighboring who supported us."

"Benghazi will enter a new era of security, stability, prosperity and peace. Displaced people will return home."

The Battle for Benghazi has raged for three years, primarily between two factions: the LNA and the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, an Islamist group that has close ties to Daesh. Other factions have joined the battle, which has claimed at least 700 lives- and likely far more than that. Celebratory gunshots and fireworks were reported in the embattled city upon Haftar's announcement.
At least 17 people, including 13 al-Shabaab fighters, were killed when Somali government forces backed by foreign troops attacked a camp of the terrorist group early Wednesday, said a security official, Anadolu reported.

Ahmed Abdulahi Isse, state security forces commander in the southern Jubaland region, told reporters that they killed 13 al-Shabaab fighters in a military operation on an al-Shabaab military and training camp in the village of Qamqam, 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the coastal town of Kismayo, itself some 500 kilometers south of the capital Mogadishu.

More than 10 fighters were also wounded during the operation, he added.

In 2012 Somali government with Kenyan forces under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) captured Kismayo from al-Shabaab, their last economic stronghold in Somalia.

Last week airstrikes in the lower Shabelle region killed four al-Shabaab terrorists, including senior leaders, according to the Somali government.

Based in Somalia, members of the terrorist group often cross the porous southern border to commit attacks in Kenya.
Almost 3,600 Lancaster County property owners have formally protested their property valuations, slightly fewer than filed protests in 2015, the last major revaluation.

As of Wednesday afternoon, five days after the June 30 deadline, the county clerks office had received 3,599 protests, said Cori Beattie, deputy county clerk.

A few more may arrive in the mail, she said.

In 2015, 3,881 property owners protested their valuations, Beattie said.

Many homeowners saw increases in their assessed values for tax purposes, as the county assessors office took into account rising home prices in a booming housing market.

State law requires assessors to set assessed values as close to market value as possible, within 92 percent to 100 percent of market value.

Local governments, including the school district, city and county, rely on the property tax revenue, which is based on assessed values.

Hearings on the protests are being scheduled throughout July, and recommendations on the individual protests will go to the Lancaster County Board of Equalization in August.

Approximately 5,200 property owners asked for value adjustments last winter during an informal review period.

Overall, Lancaster Countys residential property increased by 12 percent, based on a preliminary report. About 2 percent of that was because of new construction; the rest was based on rising home values, according to a report from the Nebraska Department of Revenue.

The percent increase for all real property in the county was 8.9 percent.
By Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Monday asked a U.S. judge for a gag order muzzling former drug company executive Martin Shkreli, on trial for securities fraud charges, arguing that his statements to media could taint the jury and disrupt the case, court papers show.

Shkreli's attorney, Benjamin Brafman, asked the judge that day to reject the request on the grounds that his client had a First Amendment right to speak freely, according to the filings.

Shkreli last week told reporters outside the court that an alleged victim of his was not actually a victim because she made money from his investments, attorneys for the U.S. government told U.S. Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in a letter on Monday. He also directly spoke on camera to a journalist and appeared to be commenting on the case on social media platform Twitter under the handle @BLMBro, they added.

Brafman said Shkreli was in a delicate emotional state, and believed that the press focuses unfairly on some of his negative characteristics.

"His comments are the somewhat natural, though unfortunate consequence of a young man with a demonstrated history of significant anxiety being at the center of a supremely difficult time in his life," Brafman wrote in the filing.

Dubbed the "pharma bro," Shkreli, 34, gained notoriety for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent. The charges he faces stem from his management of pharmaceutical company Retrophin Inc <RTRX.O> and the hedge fund MSMB Capital Management from 2009 to 2014.

Prosecutors have claimed that Shkreli engaged in a Ponzi-like scheme in which he defrauded investors in MSMB and took $11 million in assets from Retrophin to repay them. Shkreli has pleaded not guilty to charges that include securities fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Federal prosecutors have asked Judge Matsumoto sequester the jury in the event that the court does not issue the gag order.

Story continues

In their letter, federal prosecutors said Shkreli visited reporters in a court breakroom last week and remarked on the credibility of witnesses who testified.

Prosecutors also wrote that Shkreli on YouTube had identified himself as BLMBro. The BLMBro Twitter account has posted stories critical of witnesses and evidence in the trial, they added.

Shkreli in January was suspended from Twitter for harassing a female journalist.

Brafman has argued that Shkreli is a misunderstood genius who earned his wealthy investors millions of dollars.

(Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Richard Chang)
MarketWatch

The sudden collapse of FTX, the worlds third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, underlines how important it is for any investor to learn about the risks taken when money is parked with a lightly regulated firm. Sam Bankman-Fried resigned his position as CEO and was replaced by John J. Ray III, a lawyer who has worked on the bankruptcies of Enron, Nortel Networks and many other companies. FTX, based in the Bahamas, held about $16 billion in customer assets but had lent about $10 billion of that to Alameda Research, a trading firm also run by Bankman-Fried and headquartered in Hong Kong, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
OAKVILLE, Ontario, July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. (Saint Jean or the Company) (TSX-V:SJL) (OTCQB:TORVF), a carbon science company engaged in the design and build of green energy storage, green energy creation and green re-creation through the use of carbon materials. Is pleased to release the results of a small prospecting program which was executed between April 20th and May 1st 2016 just before the drilling program (announced on January 12th, 2017) was started on its Bell Graphite Property, Buckingham area, Quebec. The sampling program will help with future understanding where the Company may find the higher grade zones. The Company expects to be releasing the drill results very soon. Both the sampling and drill results will be used to complete the (PEA) preliminary economic assessment (announced on October 25th, 2016) that was started in the fall of 2016.



Paul Ogilvie, CEO, commented: We feel that with the sampling and drill programs now complete we can move to application for a bulk sample. That will be needed for supply of mineralized material to the Company mill, shaping and coating facility now under construction with a goal of completion within the next two months. The mill will feature a full lab, a complete raw material to finished concentrate product line and a complete line for the production of anode material.

During March and April 2017, Dynamic Discovery Geoscience of Ottawa managed a ground time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) Phi Spy survey on the Bell Graphite Property. The goal of the survey was to identify geophysical responses possibly associated to graphite mineralized occurrences. More particularly, the survey aimed at better defining the location and geometry of conductors previously detected by an airborne TDEM survey. The survey totalled 30.7 km of lines and trails.

Twenty individual conductive anomalies, grouped within eight different ensembles (From A to H) were defined. Out of the 20 Phi Spy conductors identified, 8 are defined of first priority and 12 of second priority. The old mining sites correspond to long, wide and strong conductors. However, some long linear conductors, picked-up by the Phi Spy, have not been the object of the historical prospecting and were never checked by trenching or drilling.

A NE oriented ridge, located about 400 m west of the old mine, revealed the presence of jumbo flakes in a 5 to 10 m thick calcosilicated paragneiss. Three grab samples taken over a distance of 100 m returned the following assays:

P-269301 6.75 % Cg 12.30 % Ca 1230 ppm P P-269302 14.35 % Cg 0.32 % Ca 150 ppm P P-269303 16.90 % Cg 2.92 % Ca 2730 ppm P

The fourth sample was taken in an old trench located south of the old Bell open-stopes, on strike with the mineralized zones. The old trench was dug and blasted south of a 20 m thick E-W oriented diabase dyke. Graphite flakes are found near the contact between the diabase and the paragneiss. A grab sample returned:

P-269304: 2.87 % Cg 5.30 % Ca 1340 ppm P

Samples P-269305 and P-269306 taken at some distance north of the long and thick diabase dyke, confirm the presence of a 200 m long and narrow Phi Spy conductor. Assay results are as follows:

P-269305: 1.55 % Cg 2.31 % Ca 800 ppm P P-269306: 2.07 % Cg 3.80 % Ca 670 ppm P

Some other graphitic occurrences were found at about 200 m west of the old mine, over a length of 100 m (open on both sides). The flakes are found in a biotitic paragneiss.

P-269307 2.70 % Cg 1.89 % Ca 1830 ppm P P-269310 1.80 % Cg 0.45 % Ca 730 ppm P P-269311 1.95 % Cg 5.93 % Ca 670 ppm P

About 25 m west of P-269307, two flooded pits have been discovered. Two grab samples taken on the northern wall of the pits returned:

P-269308: 11.35 % Cg 0.61 % Ca 1940 ppm P P-269309: 12.95 % Cg 14.55 % Ca 2490 ppm P

The next four samples were taken on the same stratigraphic band, at about 50 m SW of the double pits, near the contact between the paragneiss and the E-W diabase dyke.

P-269312: 14.90 % Cg 9.64 % Ca 2740 ppm P P-269313: 0.70 % Cg 0.84 % Ca 590 ppm P P-268314: 9.73 % Cg 2.15 % Ca 1900 ppm P P-269315: 11.70 % Cg 2.54 % Ca 2050 ppm P

On the south side of the dyke, and on strike with the northern mineralized band, two samples have been picked on an outcrop of biotitic paragneiss. Results are:

P-269316: 6.46 % Cg 3.01 % Ca 1760 ppm P P-269317: 1.64 % Cg 0.54 % Ca 730 ppm P

The little prospecting program permitted to discover several Graphite mineralized paragneiss bands which were followed over distance of more than 200 m. The most western one presents very large graphite flakes (jumbo) of high quality. Two of those bands with high Cg values failed to return conductive anomalies which would indicate that the conductors picked-up by the Phi Spy survey in the central and east part of the property would correspond to thicker and richer graphitic occurrences.

The grab samples are selected samples and are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the property. The samples were transported to the ALS Laboratory in Val dOr, Quebec for Cg assaying. Samples were weighed, dried, crushed to 75% passing 2 mm, split to 250 g and pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns. C (graphitic) was analysed after roasting, HCl leaching combustion and IR (LECO).

Christian Derosier, P.Geo., PhD., is the qualified person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and, acting on behalf of Saint Jean Carbon, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

About Saint Jean Carbon

Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with specific interests in energy storage and green energy creation and green re-creation, with holdings in graphite mining and lithium claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For the latest information on Saint Jeans properties and news please refer to the website: http://www.saintjeancarbon.com/

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Saint Jean Carbon Inc.

Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Director

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jeans business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, intends budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved.

These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the conditions for completion of the Transaction, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, if necessary, will be met.

Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct.

Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
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SEWARD  It's late morning in America's Fourth of July city. The volunteer fire department fired off the anvil hours ago and moved on to the water fight competition.

Boys decked out in traditional patriots' gear, complete with tricorn hats, and girls in petticoats act out the start of the Revolutionary War in the bandshell to a captive audience. The British are coming!

Aromas of gyros, turkey legs and burgers waft over from food alley.

In a grassy area off Jackson Street, two little girls from Lincoln, 8-year-old Aundrea Torres and her 6-year-old sister, Natalia, each gingerly open white pieces of paper folded into triangles, their eyes glued to what happens next.

Painted lady butterflies slowly come alive. Flapping together their wings. One flits away. The other takes her time. The little girls watch entranced.

Their grandmother, Kelly Rivin, does, too.

"Go see our grandpa and tell him we love him and we miss him," Rivin said, for the girls.

She said they did the butterfly release to remember two grandpas the girls lost this past year. It's a nice activity, Rivin said.

A quiet moment in a town bustling with activities.

By noon, as the Capital City Cloggers tap away on the stage at the bandshell, Dave Seay, donning overalls and a bushy beard, holds a silver harmonica to his mouth at Olde Glory Theater, transformed from a stained glass-windowed church.

Over the next hour, he teaches the packed crowd the basics of playing. Blow in, blow out. Now tut, tut, tut with your teeth.

In a few minutes, the competition begins. Five contestants belt out three tunes apiece.

It's the second year for the contest and the second year Mason Naderhoff, an 11-year-old from Lincoln, has signed up.

He stands on the stage, a flag behind him, and plays "Dixieland" and "Camptown Races" before he ends with a crowd favorite, "America."

As he waits with his family to find out who won, Mason says he started playing the harmonica three years ago, after his dad gave him a book that got him interested.

He went out and mowed a bunch of grass just to buy one.

Mason, the youngest competitor by decades, didn't win this year. Maybe next year.

A half an hour later, Libby Klein, snow cone in hand, said her California friend, Chris Wilson, put it this way: "It (harmonica contest) was so aggressively American, we had to go."

By the time 1:45 p.m. rolls around, Linda Kuhlman is manning the till for the Living Word Lutheran Church in the basement at the Civic Center at the tail end of the pie festival.

The homemade ice cream sold out a few minutes earlier. But they had maybe a dozen slices left (apple, peach, blueberry, lemon meringue) of the 66 pies baked by church members as a fundraiser.

This year, she said, it seems like everybody ran out of food.

It was a good crowd. Another good Fourth of July in the books. And Kuhlman has seen a few.

She moved to Seward when she was 8 and rode a horse in the parade. Her daughter marched in a band in the parade, too.

After a 10-year stint in California, Kuhlman's back in Seward.

This morning, she slipped away to see her son fly a Black Hawk helicopter in and land it on the west side of the National Guard Armory.

"Every year, there's something to do," Kuhlman said.
Dr. Steven Bouma-Prediger has been appointed to a six-year term as the Leonard and Marjorie Maas Professor of Reformed Theology; Dr. Ernest Cole has been appointed to a 10-year term as the John Dirk Werkman Associate Professor of English; Dr. K. Greg Murray has been appointed to a 10-year term as the T. Elliot Weier Professor of Plant Science; Dr. David Ryden has been appointed to a 10-year term as the Peter C. and Emajean Cook Professor of Political Science; and Dr. Joanne Stewart has been appointed to a 10-year term as the Elmer E. Hartgerink Professor of Chemistry.

In addition to recognizing faculty members for excellence, endowed professorships provide funding for summer research projects as well as some salary support. The college has a total of 22 endowed professorships for faculty and six endowed administrative positions.

Dr. Steven Bouma-Prediger

Bouma-Prediger joined the Hope faculty in 1994, and also oversees the environmental studies minor and chairs the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee, otherwise known as the Green Team. He served as the colleges associate dean for teaching and learning from 2013 through June of this year, and chaired the Department of Religion from 2006 to 2013. His scholarship focuses on ecology and theology. His numerous publications include five books: Beyond Homelessness: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement, For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care, Evocations of Grace: Writings of Joseph Sittler on Ecology, Theology, and Ethics, The Greening of Theology: The Ecological Models of Rosemary Radford Ruether, Joseph Sittler, and Jurgen Moltmann; and Assessing the Ark: A Christian Perspective on Nonhuman Creatures and the Endangered Species Act. He co-authored two chapters in the book Living the Good Life on God's Good Earth. He is also the author of numerous published scholarly articles and essays, and has presented many papers and invited addresses. For the Beauty of the Earth won an Award of Merit from Christianity Today in the theology/ ethics category of the magazines 2002 Book Awards program, and in December 2000 Evocations of Grace was one of only five books named editors picks book of the year by Christian Century. Bouma-Prediger held the colleges John H. and Jeanne M. Jacobson professorship from 2003 to 2007. He was invited to deliver the Commencement address by the graduating Class of 1998, was elected the recipient of the Hope Outstanding Professor Educator (H.O.P.E.) Award by the graduating Class of 1999, was chosen by the students to receive the Faculty Appreciation Award during Homecoming in 2001 and was invited to speak through the Last Lecture Series organized by the colleges chapter of Mortar Board in 2009. He is also a past faculty representative to the colleges Board of Trustees. Prior to coming to Hope, he was an assistant professor of philosophy and chair of the department at North Park College in Chicago, Illinois. A 1979 Hope graduate, he holds an M.Phil. from the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, Ontario; an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary; and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Ernest Cole

Cole joined the Hope faculty in 2008. He is also director of global learning and chair of the Department of English. He specializes in post-colonial literature with particular emphasis on Sub-Saharan Anglophone African literature, India, and the Caribbean; disability studies with a focus on the disfigured body, violence and trauma; and travel and empire studies, especially Victorian literature and its intersections with world literature. His research focuses primarily on post-apartheid South Africa, but he is also interested in body and trauma studies, especially the ways in which bodily injury shapes identity. He is presently working on spatial theory as construct of national and diasporic identities in post-conflict Sierra Leone. Cole was born and raised in Sierra Leone, where he completed his bachelors and masters degrees at the University of Sierra Leone, and began his career conducting research and teaching English at Fourah Bay College. During Sierra Leones 1991-2002 civil war, he left for The Gambia, where he taught at The Gambia College and the University of The Gambia for a number of years. He subsequently pursued a doctorate at the University of Connecticut; he completed the degree the same year that he joined the Hope faculty. He is the author of multiple books, including Theorizing the Disfigured Body: Mutilation, Amputation, and Disability Culture in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone; Emerging Perspectives on Syl Cheney-Coker; Ousmane Sembene: Writer, Filmmaker, Revolutionary Artist; and Space and Trauma in the Writings of Aminatta Forna. In June of this year, Space and Trauma in the Writings of Aminatta Forna was the focus of a roundtable session of the 43rd annual conference of the African Literature Association at Yale University. In 2012, Cole was one of 15 scholars nationwide chosen to participate in that years Lilly Fellows Program Summer Seminar for College and University Teachers, Teaching Peace and Reconciliation: Theory and Practice in Northern Ireland. Hope named him a Towsley Research Scholar in 2011 in support of his research. He discussed his work during the colleges Winter Happening event in February 2011, presenting the seminar Negotiating Amputation, Forgiveness and Reconciliation, and was among the presenters during the colleges September 2012 Critical Issues Symposium, which examined Reconciliation: Hope in a Divided World.

Dr. K. Greg Murray

Murray has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1986. He teaches courses ranging from introductory biology to upper-level explorations of topics including population and community ecology, conservation biology, mathematical biology, and marine biology and biophysics. He has been active in curriculum development in the Department of Biology, and in integrating field experiences into the departments courses. His research interests include ecology and evolutionary biology, especially in plant/animal interactions such as seed dispersal and pollination ecology, and in the dynamics of tropical forests. He has conducted research in Costa Rica for almost 40 years with his wife, Dr. Kathy Winnett-Murray, who is also a member of the Hope biology faculty, as well as at local sites including the Outdoor Discovery Center and the Hope College Nature Preserve. He has mentored nearly 100 students in research, both in West Michigan and in Costa Rica. Murray has received multiple external grants in support of his research, including several from the National Science Foundation as well as Sigma Xi, the American Philosophical Society, the PEW Midstates Science and Math Consortium, the Great Lakes Colleges Association, as well as support through awards to the college from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Sherman-Fairchild Foundation. His publications include nearly three dozen articles in refereed journals or conference proceedings, and he has presented papers or delivered invited addresses at professional meetings across the United States as well as in foreign nations including Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico. He has been involved in sustainability education nationally as well as locally, including as a member of Hollands Community Energy Advisory Group, the West Michigan Strategic Alliance, the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and the colleges Green Team. Among other presentations on campus and locally, he organized Hopes participation in the nationwide Focus the Nation program in 2008, which centered on the U.S.s response to global climate change. He also led the interactive workshop Whats My Ecological Footprint during the colleges Winter Happening in January 2009. Murray holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in biology from California State University, Northridge, and a doctorate in zoology from the University of Florida, Gainesville.

Dr. David Ryden

David Ryden has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1994. During his time at the college, he has published numerous books and articles on topics such as the Supreme Court and the electoral process, religious liberty, faith-based sector/governmental partnerships, and other questions at the intersection of religion and politics. His books include Representation in Crisis, The U.S. Supreme Court and the Electoral Process and Is the Good Book Good Enough? Evangelical Perspectives on Public Policy. In 1997, he was named the colleges first Towsley Research Scholar, which allowed him to conduct research on the emerging policy of faith-based initiatives, and eventually resulted in the co-authored book Of Little Faith: The Politics of George W. Bushs Faith-Based Initiatives. During his time at Hope, Ryden has also served as departmental chair and led the colleges highly regarded Washington, D.C., Honors Semester program five times. In January of this year, Ryden presented a Winter Happening seminar at Hope on The Court in the Crosshairs, focusing on the 2016 presidential elections implications for the Supreme Court. He has been interviewed by multiple local, regional and national media this past year in conjunction with the recent presidential cycle and filling of the Supreme Court seat, including CNN, The Christian Science Monitor, U.S. News & World Report, and The New York Times. Ryden also speaks extensively at local churches and civic organizations, particularly on the impact of faith commitments on voting and political behavior. Ryden holds a bachelor's degree from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) and his doctorate from The Catholic University of America. He also holds a law degree from the University of Minnesota, and practiced law full-time prior to pursuing graduate work in American politics.

Dr. Joanne Stewart
One product to protect all your devices, without slowing them down.

An 18-year-old UK student has been charged by the West Midlands Police with supplying malware and denial-of-service tools to cybercriminals. The criminals allegedly used them to attack websites belonging to T-Mobile, EE, Vodafone, O2, BBC, BT, Amazon, Netflix, Virgin Media and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Although the Stockport student, Jack Chappell, was charged with multiple counts, the investigation concluded that no customer data was actually lost during any of the attacks.

He has been charged with impairing the operation of computers under the Computer Misuse Act, plus encouraging or assisting an offence and money laundering crime proceeds together with an American national, according to a statement from West Midlands Police.

The investigation, led by West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit and assisted by Israeli Police, the FBI, and Europols European Cybercrime Centre, also revealed that Chappell took part in a cybercriminal operation in 2015 that took down NatWests online banking system. Its implied that this was possible due to the denial-of-service software distributed by the teenager, for which he also provided an online help desk.

Denial-of-service attacks rely on a large pool of infected computers, controlled by a single bot master, all of which are instructed to flood domains or websites with illegitimate traffic, effectively causing them to stop working properly or taking them completely offline.

Continuous collaboration between law enforcement agencies has brought to justice other cybercriminal groups that have been either been distributing malware or performing cybercriminal operations. A month ago, Europol arrested six people involved in buying counter anti-virus and crypter services used to evade security solutions.

Codenamed the Neuland operation, individuals from Germany, Cyprus, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom were taken into custody.
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ


Researchers are hoping to bring technology to small farms in developing countries.

Ranveer Chandra works for Microsoft Corporation, the American technology company. Chandra grew up in India. He remembers spending four months a year on his family's farm.

"There was no water, he said. No electricity. No toilets.

Animals pulled plowing equipment through fields, as they have for centuries.

Now, Chandra  like many other researchers - wants to bring technology to small farms.

Their goal is this: to feed the world without destroying the planet.

What is precision farming?

Precision agriculture is a method of growing crops. Farmers use technology to collect very precise or exact measurements about their land. It tells farmers how they planted seeds, used fertilizers and chemical pesticides, and so on.

The main idea of precision farming, notes the Crop Society of America (CSA), is that there are natural differences in the soil  even in the same field. Farmers who understand these differences are better able to produce crops.

Precision farming is fairly new in the United States, says the CSA. It began in the 1990s. At that time, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology became available to the public.

GPS technology is able to show your exact positions on earth.

GPS information can tell farmers where they planted seeds, used fertilizers, chemical pesticides, and so on.

Large scale and small scale farming

In many areas, farmers do not use high-tech equipment. Often in those places, crop production levels are low.

Now, high-tech tools are bringing a new level of precision to large-scale agriculture.

Farm equipment can plant different amounts of seeds and leave different amounts of fertilizer in different parts of a field. Water measuring equipment can tell farmers how much water their plants are getting.

Some of this technology is too costly for small farmers, especially in developing countries.

Artificial intelligence on the farm

Ranveer Chandra, the Microsoft researcher from India, is working to develop low-cost, high-tech tools for farmers.

Chandra developed a system that connects soil sensors to other sensing equipment through unused television (TV) channels.

These unused TV signals, known as "white space" frequencies, can provide broadband internet connection over long distances.

Some hospitals and schools in rural areas are already online with white-space connections, Chandra noted.

Each soil sensor provides information about conditions on the farm. To connect all the areas into a big picture, a drone aircraft takes photographs from high in the air.

Artificial intelligence (AI) compares these aerial photos to the sensor data. AI then can create maps of where the soil is too acidic or needs more water.

Similar technology can also help farmers watch their animals. Webcams can help farmers identify sick cattle, for example.

Fertile business

Chandra hopes to bring the cost of a simple system under $100. He notes the existence of low-cost replacements for the drones. A balloon tied to a mobile phone can serve the same purpose.

He added that Microsoft is considering different business models. Farmers could share a system, or a local farm business could rent systems to farmers.

Microsoft is just one company that sees agriculture as an area of growth for technology.

Google invested in a small company that gathers farmers' data on how different crops perform from farm to farm and year to year.

Many other companies are trying to enter the high-tech farm business, notes John Fulton of Ohio State University.

Fulton himself has helped develop a free phone app for farmers. The software program helps them compare different field management techniques.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how they play in agriculture," he said. "We're really at an early stage of this digital agriculture revolution."

Uncertain future

Demands on agriculture are increasing. As the worlds population grows, farmers will need to make more food without cutting down more forests or polluting the land and water.

To do that, existing farms need to produce more crops.

Chandra says that what farmers need is more information, so they can give the land what it needs.

"Like, apply water only where it is needed, he said. Apply fertilizer only where it is needed. Apply pesticide only where it's needed.

However, the level and speed at which new farming techniques and technologies will spread remains unclear.

Bruce Erickson is a precision farming expert at Purdue University in Indiana. He told the CSA that one problem faced by any new farming technology is getting people to use it with their existing methods.

Different countries have different farming methods and different ways of doing business.

"It takes people to implement new farming practices," Erickson said.

I'm John Russell.

And I'm Caty Weaver.

Steve Baragona wrote this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

precision  n. exactness; the quality of being exact

toilet  n. a device for removing waste fluids and body waste from the home

large-scale  adj. of or related to a large area; involving many people or things

pesticide  n. a chemical that is used to kill harmful insects or animals

channel  n. frequencies used by a single radio or television station to broadcast

broadband  adj. of or related to a high speed communications network

acidic  adj. containing acid; having a sharp taste

drone  n. a small aircraft that flies without a pilot

implement  v. to begin to do or use (something, such as a plan); to make (something) active or effective
A majority of Americans say they would change their choice of college, degree or field of study, if they could do it over again.

Gallup, an American research-based company, and the Strada Education Network reported in June that 51 percent of Americans regret one of their college education choices.

The study also found that 36 percent of Americans said they would change their major if they could. Twenty-eight percent of Americans said they would choose a different college or university. And 12 percent said they would choose a different degree program.

Precious A. Smith is the Deputy Director for the Center for Academic Excellence at Howard University. Smith does not want people to think that 51 percent of American college graduates are unhappy with what they are currently doing.

She says the students might have just made different choices if they had different information at the time they were picking a major or picking an institution to graduate from.

Students often end up choosing between a career that will make them happy and a career that will make a lot of money, she says. Many students therefore end up picking a major that they are not very satisfied with.

Beth Davis is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She says, I went to college because everybody else was going to college.

Davis says her degree in history and English has nothing to do with her current job. She never took a business class in college but she now runs a successful construction business. She believes that on the job training may be a better option for many people.

The things that I am interested in, I always would have learned about anyway. I didnt need a college degree to do that, she says.

STEM and technical students have fewer regrets

The poll found that there were two groups of students that were more satisfied with their educational decisions. One included students who completed trade, technical or work-related study programs. And the other included students who specialized in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, an area known in American education as STEM.

The poll also found that individuals with higher student loan debt are more likely to say they would change at least one educational decision.

Smith of Howard University says that some former students probably didnt realize how much that loan debt was going to affect their current lifestyle.

She advises students to be flexible with their career goals. She says students need to understand that your career goal at the end of high school and your career goal at the end of college are going to look a little bit different.

Ashley Riley is a developmental specialist at Early Intervention, a service that works with children who have developmental delays.

Riley wishes that she had more information about other majors and career options when she attended college.

Riley said it was her current job at Early Intervention that, in her words, opened my eyes up to all of these other majors that I have never really been exposed to in my college career.

If she could go back to college again, Riley said she would have majored in occupational therapy or speech therapy instead of education and psychology.

The poll also showed that a persons desire to change their educational decisions is related to the kind of college or university they attended.

About half of students at public or state universities, which receive government money, would change at least one of their educational decisions. The number is higher for private and for-profit schools.

The research was part of a three-year study to help colleges and students complete education with a purpose.

The researchers collected information from June 29, 2016 through March 26, 2017. They spoke by telephone with over 89,000 people throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia.

Im Mario Ritter.

And Im Olivia Liu.

Olivia Liu reported this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

Do you regret any of your education decisions? Let us know in the comments section.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

major  n. a subject chosen as a field of specialization

degree  n. an honor given to a student after his or her completion of a study program

technical  adj. related to a job specific skill

flexible  adj. willing or able to change

occupational therapy  n. a type of treatment for those recovering from illness
North Korea said it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, on Tuesday.

The North Korean government considers the launch an important step in developing its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The government continues to test missiles although there have been repeated warnings from other countries.

The North Korean military launched the missile from an airport near its border with China. It landed in the sea in an area claimed by Japan as its special economic zone.

The launch shocked the Japanese government. It raised questions about Chinas ability to influence North Korea.

North Korea claims the missile can hit anywhere in the world.

Pressure on China increases

The launch puts pressure on the Chinese government to put stronger sanctions on North Korea. But how China will answer is still unclear.

Chinas Foreign Ministry representative Geng Shuang spoke at a press conference Tuesday. He said China has made many efforts to solve the problems on the Korean Peninsula.

He added that China plays an important part in the relations between North Korea and other Asian nations. He also asked all parties involved to use restraint to solve the dispute quickly.

Geng said China urges North Korea not to violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. He asks the country to create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations.

United States President Donald Trump has been trying to get China to do more to end North Koreas nuclear weapons program. But late last month, Trump said that while he greatly appreciated Chinas help, It has not worked out.

He added, At least I know China tried!

On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the latest missile test shows that the threat from North Korea has increased.

Later this week, the U.S., South Korea and Japan will hold a meeting, while the leaders of those countries attend the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

After the missile launch on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would work with Chinese President Xi Jinping to halt North Koreas weapons program.

Putin proposed a plan in which North Korea freezes its nuclear program while the United States and South Korea freeze their large joint military exercises.

Cheng Xiaohe is a political science professor at Beijing's Renmin University. He said it is unclear whether the United Nations will answer by only condemning the launch or by starting new sanctions.

Cheng said if new sanctions are put in place, it could include a ban on tourism to North Korea and North Korean produced petrochemical products.

All of these are possible [actions] the Security Council could discuss, he said.

Cheng noted that more research about the launch is needed. During the test, the missile climbed 2,800 kilometers before crashing into the sea.

David Wright is a physicist and co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists. He wrote on a website that if reports are correct, the same missile could fly as far as about 6,700 kilometers on a normal flight path.

He said the missile could not reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii.

However, he said it could reach Alaska.

Im Pete Musto.

Bill Ide, Saibal Dasgupta and Joyce Huang first reported this story for VOA News. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. What actions should China take when responding to North Korea? How should the U.S., South Korea and Japan respond? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

intercontinental  adj. capable of traveling from one continent to another

ballistic missile  n. a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground and explodes

sanction(s)  n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, or by not allowing economic aid for that country

resuming  v. beginning again after stopping

dialogue  n. a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement

negotiation(s)  n. a formal discussion between people who are trying to reach an agreement

appreciated  v. to understand the worth or importance of something or someone

summit  n. a meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments

tourism  n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure

petrochemical - n. a chemical that is made from petroleum or natural gas
A new report shows the number of babies born prematurely has been increasing in the United States since 2014.

The report by the National Center for Health Statistics says preterm births have increased by 2 percent in 2016 and 1.6 percent in 2015 after seven years of decreases. A baby is considered preterm if born before the 37th week of pregnancy.

Stacey Stewart is president of the nonprofit March of Dimes. The group works to end preterm birth and other birth defects. She says the increase is an alarming indication that the health of pregnant women and babies in our country is heading in the wrong direction.

Stewart calls on members of the U.S. Congress to increase access to quality prenatal care. She also wants government officials to promote proven ways to help reduce the risk of preterm birth. She notes that the U.S. Senate is considering a health care bill that many Americans believe would change coverage for maternity and newborn care.

Stewart says now is not the time to make it harder for women to get the care they need to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.

About 400,000 babies in the United States are born preterm each year. The World Health Organization estimates that 15 million babies are born preterm each year around the world.

No one knows all the causes of preterm birth. But researchers have discovered that even late-term premature babies face developmental challenges that full-term babies do not. Studies show that health problems related to preterm births continue through adult life. These problems include chronic lung disease, developmental handicaps and vision and hearing losses.

The National Center for Health Statistics report shows that preterm rates rose in 17 of the 50 U.S. states. None of the states reported a decrease.

The incidence of low birth weight, a risk factor for some serious health problems, also rose for a second straight year in 2016.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Carol Pearson wrote this story for VOANews. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

chronic  adj. continuing or occurring again and again for a long time

defect  n. a physical problem that causes something to be less valuable, effective, healthy, etc.

premature  adj. born before the normal time

prenatal  adj. relating to pregnant women and their unborn babies


The United States has denied visas to a team of Gambian students to attend a major international robotics competition.

The event takes place in Washington, D.C. later this month.

Mucktarr M.Y. Darboe is the Gambian team's leader and a government official in education. He told the Associated Press (AP) that the students were not given a reason for the visa denials. He called the decision disappointing and unfair.

The Gambia team is not alone. A few days ago, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan also denied visas for an all-girls robotics team. The Afghan team was also not given a reason.

Fatoumata Ceesay is a member of the Gambian robotics team. She said, "It's very disappointing knowing that we are the only two countries that aren't going to take part in the competition."

The robotics of the two teams will still be part of the competition. But the teams can only watch the event over Skype after spending months working on their projects.

"It would be an experience to see and discover other robots and ask questions and exchange ideas with others. It's more than 160 countries so we'd have the chance to mingle," Ceesay said.



The Gambian and Afghan students are especially confused because teams from Iran and Sudan, and a group of Syrian refugees, received visas. All three Muslim-majority countries are on President Donald Trump's travel ban. Afghanistan and Gambia are not.

Lida Azizi is a 17-year old from Herat, Afghanistan. She calls the visa rejection "a clear insult for the people of Afghanistan."

The U.S. embassies in Afghanistan and the Gambia and the State Department say they cannot discuss visa requests.

The Associated Press reported that the Gambias government has provided money for a second round of U.S. visa applications for the team. It costs more than $160 for each student to travel and apply for the visa interview.

The students were scheduled to have these visa interviews on Wednesday. We will go for an interview and hope for the best, Darboe told AP.

I'm Alice Bryant.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

disappointing  adj. making someone unhappy by not being as good as expected or by not doing something that was hoped for or expected

mingle  v. to move around during a meeting, event, or party and talk informally with different people

contaminant  n. something that makes a place or a substance (such as water, air, or food) no longer suitable for use
Another day, another tiny computer that looks like a Raspberry Pi, but which has different hardware (and a less robust user/developer community). This time its a new single-board computer from Pine64 called the Rock64 Media Board Computer.

The little PC sells for $25 and up, and its about the same size as a Raspberry Pi, but its powered by a Rockchip RK3328 processor with ARM Mali-450 MP2 graphics rather than a Broadcom processor.

Its also available with up to 4GB of RAM and with optional eMMC storage.

The entry-level price gets you a model with 1GB of RAM, Or you can pay $35 to get a 2GB model or $45 for a 4GB version of the Rock64.

Each model has an HDMI 2.0a port with support for 4K/60 Hz video output, a composite video port, Gigabit Ethernet, a USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, 40-pin and 22-pin connectors, and a microSD card slot for storage.

Theres no onboard WiFi or Bluetooth, but you can use a USB dongle to add those fatures.

Pine64 also sells a 32GB eMMC add-on for $19 if youd prefer that to removable storage. Another optional accessory is a $7 IR remote and receiver.

While the Rock64 may not have the same kind of community/developer support as the Raspberry Pi line of products, it does support Android 7.1 or Debian or Yocto Linux. And as LinuxGizmos notes, this is an open spec device, meaning hardware schematics and other details are available for download.

via CNX Software
I asked you all about this last week, but I'm glad to hear from you now. Here is the answer:

1. The Highlights are back, as of this morning's paper.

2. Bethonie Butler, who writes them, was on vacation. It wasn't a "few weeks" as you say, but it was nine days, which can certainly feel like a few weeks in 2017-time.

3. While Bethonie was on vacation, we experimented: What happens without Highlights? Do readers complain? WHY YES, THEY DO. Not in huge numbers, but with passion nevertheless. So if you called or emailed, I hope your message was included with the others. We did get them. You have been heard.

Thanks for checking in.
The researchers from the University of Exeter analysed clinical data from over 4,500 patients across the UK who were later diagnosed with bowel cancer. In a study published in the British Journal of Cancer, they looked at whether pre-existing illness affected the time it took them to get a cancer diagnosis, making it one of the first studies to investigate this.

They found that if you have a single serious illness or mental health issue unrelated to cancer, such as depression or heart disease, your bowel cancer is diagnosed on average 10 days later than usual , a 13% increase from the usual time taken for a diagnosis. This could go up to over one month when patients had multiple illnesses. These illnesses may take up a lot of time in visits to the GP and leave not enough time available to investigate symptoms or signs linked to cancer.

A bowel cancer sign or symptom which can be explained by a pre-existing condition, such as stomach pains, delayed cancer diagnosis by 9 days on average, a 12% increase from the usual time taken for a diagnosis. These cancer signs and symptom can be explained by the additional illness that the patient has so doctors are 'led astray', making it more difficult to arrive at a cancer diagnosis.

They also found that if you have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), it can delay a bowel cancer diagnosis by 26 days.

Professor Jose Valderas, one of the lead researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "When you're trying to diagnose cancer, other illnesses can be a distraction either because they also require attention or because they can mask what would otherwise be flagged as a possible sign of cancer.

"It's vital that doctors realise that existing illnesses make a diagnosis of cancer more difficult and stay alert to recognize signs and symptoms of cancer as such. It's also important that patients flag symptoms with their doctor as early as possible, whether it's unexplained weight loss or changes to your bowel habits."

Professor Willie Hamilton, one of the lead researchers from the University of Exeter, said: "A ten day delay may not sound much but it may be the difference between a well-planned admission and an emergency admission with a complication. This really matters - as the complications may kill."

The study, 'Comorbid conditions delay diagnosis of colorectal cancer: a cohort study using electronic primary care records' is published in the British Journal of Cancer. Authors are Luke TA Mounce, Sarah Price, Jose M Valderas, and Willie Hamilton.

Commenting on the study, Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: "As symptoms of bowel cancer can relate to later stage of disease it is important that delays in diagnosis are minimised. While the delays highlighted in this study are relatively small, if they add onto delays in patients presenting to their GP with symptoms, or in a diagnostic appointment, they become more serious. Currently around 20% of people are diagnosed with bowel cancer as an emergency when outcomes are generally poorer and almost 50% in later stages of the disease when it is harder to treat. "This interesting study highlights another aspect of the complexity of diagnosing bowel cancer as the majority of patients have multiple conditions. Therefore finding quicker, more effective ways to identify and diagnose these patients is crucial to help GPs and other clinicians identify or rule out bowel cancer quickly to give people the very best opportunity for successful treatment. Bowel cancer is after all, treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early."

More information: Luke T A Mounce et al, Comorbid conditions delay diagnosis of colorectal cancer: a cohort study using electronic primary care records, British Journal of Cancer (2017). Journal information: British Journal of Cancer Luke T A Mounce et al, Comorbid conditions delay diagnosis of colorectal cancer: a cohort study using electronic primary care records,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.127
A study comparing the well-being of children growing up in single-mother-by-choice and heterosexual two-parent families has found no differences in terms of parent-child relationship or child development. However, the study did find that the single-mothers-by-choice did have a greater social support network.

"Children in both family types are doing well in terms of their well-being," said investigator Mathilde Brewaeys from the Centre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria of the VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam. "Single-mothers-by-choice and their children benefit from a good social support network, and this should be emphasised in the counselling of women who want to have and raise a child without a partner." Ms Brewaeys will present the results of the study today at the 33rd Annual Meeting of ESHRE in Geneva.

Fertility treatment of single women is now available in most European countries and is an increasingly popular procedure for single women who wish to become pregnant without a partner (ie, single mothers by choice).(1,2)

Some specialists have raised concerns about the well-being and development of these children. "The assumption that growing up in a family without a father is not good for the child is based mainly on research into children whose parents are divorced and who thus have experienced parental conflict," explained Ms Brewaeys, "However, it seems likely that any negative influence on child development depends more on a troubled parent-child relationship and not on the absence of a father. Single-mothers-by-choice knowingly make the decision to raise their child alone, in contrast to unintended single mothers. Little research has been done on the specific features of these single-mothers-by-choice families and whether there are differences between them and heterosexual two-parent families in terms of parent-child relationship, parental social support and well-being of the children."

The study described by Ms Brewaeys was a comparison of 69 single-mothers-by-choice (who had knowingly chosen to raise their child alone) and 59 mothers from heterosexual two-parent families with a child between the ages of 1.5 and 6 years. Parent-child relationships, mothers' social support network and children's well-being were compared between family types according to three validated questionnaires. The analysis drew three main conclusions:

There were no significant differences in emotional involvement or parental stress between family types.

Single-mothers-by-choice showed significantly higher scores on the social support they received, but also on wanting more social support.

There were no significant differences in the children's internal and external problem behaviour (well-being) between both family types.

Based on these results Ms Brewaeys reported that children growing up with single-mothers-by-choice appeared to enjoy a similar parent-child relationship as those in heterosexual two-parent families.

Ms Brewaeys explained that the support systems welcomed by the single mothers were either informal or formal: the former could be parents, other family, friends, neighbours or a nanny, while the latter included teachers, family doctors, paediatricians, television programmes or articles about child rearing.

"A strong social network is of crucial importance," said Ms Brewaeys. "So I would recommend that all women considering single motherhood by choice make sure of a strong social network - brothers, sisters, parents, friends of neighbours. And to never be afraid to ask for help.

Ms Brewaeys pointed to earlier studies investigating the profile of this new group of single mothers. The great majority, she said, would have preferred to have a child a with a partner. But as fertility time was running out, they opted to do so alone. Most women in her study were financially stable, had received a higher education and had meaningful partner relationships in the past.

Fertility treatment for single women is an increasingly popular procedure, but there are no exact numbers yet available, even in countries with detailed IVF registries.

More information: Abstract O-262, Wednesday 5 July 2017: Single-mothers-by-choice: parent-child relationships, social support networks and the well-being of their children Abstract O-262, Wednesday 5 July 2017: Single-mothers-by-choice: parent-child relationships, social support networks and the well-being of their children 1. There are some countries, such as France, in which fertility treatment is not allowed in single (or lesbian) women (ie, without a diagnosis of infertility). There were protests last year about the inability of specialists in France to help these women, who generally head abroad for treatment. There are also national differences in the anonymity requirements of sperm donors; current movement is towards non-anonymous donation, with identifiable information available to the child at a later date. 2. Nevertheless, even in countries which give full parenthood rights to single women (such as the UK) fertility clinics are likely to ask about plans for caring for the child. In the UK 4675 donor insemination cycles (at 85 clinics and for various indications) were performed in 2014, and 2691 IVF cycles using donor sperm.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Pioneering research using the tropical zebrafish could provide new insights into the genetic basis of myopathy, a type of human muscle disease.

An international research team, led by Professor Philip Ingham FRS, inaugural Director of the University of Exeter's Living Systems Institutehas taken the first steps in determining the central role a specific gene mutation in a poorly characterised human myopathy.

Myopathies are diseases that prevent muscle fibres from functioning properly, causing muscular weakness. At present, there is no single treatment for the disease, as it can develop via a number of different pathways.

One particular type is nemaline myopathy, which primarily affects skeletal muscles and can lead to sufferers experiencing severe feeding and swallowing difficulties as well as limited locomotor activity.

Mutations in a specific gene, called MY018B, have recently been found to be present in people exhibiting symptoms of this disease, but the role these mutations play in muscle fibre integrity has until now been unclear.

In this new research, the Ingham team, based in Singapore and Exeter, has used high-resolution genetic analysis to create a zebrafish model of MYO18B malfunction; this research takes advantage of the remarkable similarity between the genomes of zebrafish and humans,which have more than 70 per cent of their genes in common.

The Singapore/Exeter team found that the MYO18B gene is active specifically in the 'fast-twitch' skeletal muscles of the zebrafish, typically used for powerful bursts of movement. Crucially, by studying fish in which the MYO18B gene is disrupted, they were able to show that it plays an essential role in the assembly of the bundles of actin and myosin filaments that give muscle fibres their contractile properties.

The team believe this new research offers a vital new step towards understanding the cause of myopathy in humans, which in turn could give rise to new, tailored treatments in the future.

The leading research is published in the scientific journal, Genetics.

Professor Ingham, said: "The identification of a MYO18B mutation in zebrafish provides the first direct evidence for its role in human myopathy and gives us a model in which to study the molecular basis of MYO18B function in muscle fibre integrity."

A pioneer in the genetic analysis of development using fruit flies and zebrafish as model systems, Prof Ingham is internationally renowned for his contributions to several influential discoveries in the field of developmental biology over the last century.

This is the latest research by Professor Ingham that has revealed important links between the processes that underpin normal embryonic development and disease.

His co-discovery of the 'Sonic Hedgehog' gene, recognised as one of 24 centennial milestones in the field of developmental biology by Nature, in 2004, led directly to the establishment of a biotechnology company that helped develop the first drug to target non-melanoma skin cancer.

The research comes at the University of Exeter holds the official opening of the Living Systems Institute with an Opening Symposium event, from July 5-6 2017.

Two Nobel Laureates, Sir Paul Nurse FRS and Christiane Nusslein-Volhard ForMemRS, who separately won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, will deliver keynote speeches as part of the opening event.

The high-profile event, held at the University's Streatham Campus marks the official opening of the LSIa 52 million inter-disciplinary research facility designed to bring new, crucial insights into the causes and preventions of some of the most serious diseases facing humanity.

A Zebrafish Model for a Human Myopathy Associated with Mutation of the Unconventional Myosin MYO18B is published in Genetics.
A new study published in The Gerontologist finds that states could save tens of millions of dollarsand help more Americans with dementia remain in their communitiesif their caregivers took part in a program designed to improve their emotional and physical well-being so that they were able care for their spouses or partners effectively at home.

Although estimates of the prevalence and incidence of dementia in the US vary, the number of affected people is large and increasing with the aging population. The economic burden of dementia, particularly the cost of nursing home care, is substantially borne by state Medicaid programs. More than two-thirds of Medicaid's budget has historically been spent on the elderly and disabled, and the program is the largest single payer of nursing home services in the country, financing about one-third of the total spending. Nearly one of every two dollars spent on long-term care in Minnesota comes from Medicaid.

Researchers here estimated savings, from the state payer perspective, from offering the New York University Caregiver Intervention (NYUCI), a well-studied caregiver support and counseling program, to eligible Minnesota Medicaid enrollees.

The NYUCI has a substantial evidence base built on several randomized controlled trials; the initial trial included 406 caregivers followed for as long as 18 years. The NYUCI consists of six sessions of individual and family counseling within 4 months of enrollment, tailored to meet the needs of the primary caregiver and family, recommendation to participate in an ongoing support group, and availability of additional telephone counseling as needed. The program has been validated in additional trials, and translated in multiple demonstration projects, including seven US states, the largest of which was in Minnesota, with 280 participants in fourteen urban and rural sites.

Researchers predicted and compared costs to Medicaid of care for residents with dementia in Minnesota over 15 years with and without implementation of the NYUCI for their family caregivers.

The model predicts a more than two-fold increase from 2011 to 2026 in the prevalence of Minnesota Medicaid eligibles with dementia living with a spouse or adult child caregiver .If their caregivers participated in an intervention such as the NYUCI, approximately 5-6% more eligibles with dementia would remain in the community annually from 2014 on, so that over 15 years 17% fewer would die in nursing homes. After 15 years, Minnesota Department of Human Services could realize savings of $40.4 million if all Medicaid eligibles/caregivers took part in such a program.

The model was informed by analysis of Minnesota data, and literature on the epidemiology, natural history, costs, and evidence-based management of the disease.

The researchers suggest that it may be possible to save even more money if the NYUCI was provided via video teleconferencing, which would eliminate counselor travel costs. This would increase the net savings to $52.2 million.

The results of this study suggest that improved caregiver support services can moderate the growing burden of dementia on government budgets, even without a breakthrough in drug treatments for dementia. But because it takes time to realize savings from a program like the NYUCI, the frequently short time horizon of legislative fiscal notes presents a challenge to adoption. In deciding on program value it may be important to distinguish cost-effectiveness from return on investment and take long-term impact into consideration.

Dr. Steven Foldes, the study's lead author, said, "Elected officials throughout the US recognize that they must find a way to pay for the increasing number of people with dementia who will need public support for nursing home care. We've known for years that this proven counseling and support program helps caregivers cope and keep loved ones at home longer. Now we know that this program could also ease the burgeoning fiscal burden for Medicaid. We've extended our earlier study to carefully estimate just how much a state like Minnesota could save over 15 years."

"This study demonstrates the potential net cost savings to Medicaid that would result from widespread use of a counseling and support intervention for family caregivers of people with dementia," said Foldes. "The cost of residential care for Medicaid eligibles with dementia clearly is of greatest relevance from a state health policy perspective. The current model is an important update of earlier models that shows that significant net cost savings are achievable from this primary payer perspective."

More information: Steven S. Foldes et al, Medicaid Savings From The New York University Caregiver Intervention for Families with Dementia, The Gerontologist (2017). Steven S. Foldes et al, Medicaid Savings From The New York University Caregiver Intervention for Families with Dementia,(2017). DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx077
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Countries should unite to tackle unscrupulous advertising of unproven therapies involving stem cells, experts say.

An international group of leading experts has called for tighter regulation of so-called stem cell tourism. This involves patients travelling to other countries, where medical regulations are less strict, for treatment with potentially unsafe therapies.

Hundreds of medical centres around the world are offering therapies that involve transplantation of so-called stem cellswhich they claim have the ability to repair damaged tissues. Clinics are marketing the treatment for a range of conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Often these therapies are advertised directly to patients with the promise of a cure. But experts say there is often no evidence to show that the treatments will help anyone, or will not cause harm.

Researchers say the practice risks undermining the development of rigorously tested, validated therapies and puts lives at risk.

Writing in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group has called for coordinated global action to tackle the problem.

They say tighter regulations on advertising stem cell therapies are needed, so that unsupported claims about potential clinical benefits do not go unchallenged.

Global regulatory authorities should agree international standards for the manufacture and testing of cell and tissue-based therapies, they add.

The groupwhich includes experts from the University of Edinburghalso calls for the World Health Organization to help guide responsible clinical use of cells and tissues, as it does for medicines and medicinal devices.

Their appeal follows the deaths of two children at a clinic in Germany in 2010, which exploited a legal loophole to offer untested treatments. The clinic has since been closed.

Dr Sarah Chan, a Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Many patients feel that potential cures are being held back by red tape and lengthy approval processes. Although this can be frustrating, these procedures are there to protect patients from undergoing needless treatments that could put their lives at risk.

"Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments."

Some types of stem cell transplantation - mainly blood and skin stem cellshave been approved to treat certain types of cancer and to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns. These treatments have been rigorously tested in clinical trials.

More information: D. Sipp at Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan el al., "Marketing of unproven stem cell-based interventions: A call to action," Science Translational Medicine (2017). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine D. Sipp at Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan el al., "Marketing of unproven stem cell-based interventions: A call to action,"(2017). stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/  scitranslmed.aag0426
Credit: University of California - Santa Barbara

It's a mark on your skin you've never noticed before. It's a spot with irregular borders, or a mole that seems to be changing. Maybe it's a wound that does not heal.

Is it melanoma? These days, the only way to be sure it's not the relatively rare but potentially lethal skin cancer is to get a biopsy and consult a pathologist.

However, the poke and punch of traditional melanoma biopsies could, in the near future, be avoided. UC Santa Barbara undergrad Abhishek Bhattacharya is using the power of artificial intelligence to help people ascertain whether that new and strange mark is, in fact, the deadly skin cancer. Bhattacharya, a biology and computer science student in UCSB's College of Creative Studies (CCS), has so far proven a 96 percent accuracy rating with his neural network model.

"We're applying computer vision to solving medical problems," said Bhattacharya, who, along with UC San Francisco (UCSF) physician and professor Dexter Hadley, developed the melanoma project and trained the neural network model to judge images of skin irregularities and predict whether the mark, mole or lesion is cause for concern.

Several factors make melanomathe rarest form of skin cancerdifficult to detect. While skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, melanoma accounts for only about one percent of skin cancers. Also, the disease can develop as a new mole, but it often develops over existing moles, and in some cases can be mistaken for scars and benign growths.

Additionally, other factors such as time constraints, priority of other illnesses and patient embarrassment frequently result in patients and doctors putting melanoma screening on the backburner. The result could be a dangerous oversight: Left unchecked, the tumor can spread to other parts of the body, including bones, organs and other tissue. Early detection is key to survival.

"What we're trying to do is something humans can't do," said Dr. Hadley," and humans can't predict under-the-skin pathology from looking from the top." Visual inspection is subjective, he said, even by physicians using a dermatoscope to see superficial and subsuperficial skin features and trained in the ABCDE (Area, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolution) protocol. However, the cancer is dangerous enough that when in doubt, physicians tend to err on the side of caution.

"You want to be oversensitive about this," said Dr. Hadley, who specializes in precision medicine. For roughly every 30 excisions of suspicious moles and lesions, he estimated, one proves to be a melanoma.

And now machine learning can offer a better way. Taking advantage of major gains in computing power and big dataand inspired by how human brains workscientists have figured out how neural network models, such as those that exist at the UCSF Institute for Computational Health Sciences, can be trained to predict whether a mole or lesion is melanoma based on images gathered from the world wide web.

"It's an iterative process, essentially," said Bhattacharya. Using loads of images scraped from the web, with labels indicating the type of skin lesions in those images, the neural network model learns what visual aspects are closely associated with melanoma diagnoses. This project uses a "convolutional neural network," the architecture of which is modeled on an animal's visual cortex.

"Basically an image is just an array of values, which tells it to be red or blue or green, for instance, and together you get an image," Bhattacharya said. "And when a computer sees an image, it's seeing a matrix of numbers." As the model processes the image, different neurons on different layers are activated by various aspects of the image, in the same way that signals travel from neuron to neuron in our brains. Some lower-level neurons might be activated by edges and blobs of color, Bhattacharya said, but higher-level neurons could be more concerned with fuller concepts and classifications.

Like a human brain, the more practice the neural network model gets, the better it is at determining what the image might indicate. Fortunately, despite the rarity of melanomasand hence relatively few images of themthe researchers were able to utilize "transfer learning." With this method, the model was "pre-trained" in making fundamental recognitions and distinctions between images of everyday objects derived from a large repository called ImageNet, and then given medical images to inspect.

Three or so years ago, the researchers achieved roughly 85 percent accuracy with just a few hundred images. Since then, with more images and more refinement, the degree of accuracy has climbed to 96 percentbetter than that of humans.

Still, Bhattacharya pointed out, the success rate "should be taken with a grain of salt," as it still needs to be proven within a clinical setting. While a head-to-head test between the neural network model and a dermatologist looking at images might prove the model the winner, its efficacy in a real-world medical scenario is yet to be demonstrated.

"We really want to get this into the hands of clinicians," Bhattacharya said. As the research team works to make that happen, Bhattacharya, Hadley and other physicians have teamed up to launch a company called SkinIQ, aimed at bringing artificial intelligence to skin cancer detection. The team hopes to create a mobile app that will allow peopleespecially those who live in remote areas with little access to skin expertsto make their own assessments as to whether they may or may not have melanoma.

The soon-to-be college senior has also made presentations and garnered awards and recognition for his work, including a second place-ranked paper at a meeting of the American Medical Informatics Association in San Francisco last March. In 2016 he received honorable mention and was the only UCSB representative at the annual UC Berkeley Big Ideas Competition. His work has contributed to numerous successful academic grants, including the prestigious and inaugural UCSF Marcus Program in Precision Medicine Initiative.

As Bhattacharya enters his senior year at UCSB, with medical school on the horizon, he points to the College of Creative Studies as setting him up for success. In particular, he credits his CCS faculty advisor Phill Conrad and research mentor Linda Petzold (a professor in the departments of computer science and mechanical engineering) for enabling his entry into translational medicine and precision medicineemerging fields in which data, technology and innovation propel rapid developments and progress in the treatment and cure of diseases.

Bhattacharya will continue to work in collaboration with Dr. Hadley at UCSF's Institute for Computational Health Sciences at the intersection of medical and data science, but he attributes his solid foundation to CCS.

"CCS has really been great," he said, adding that the idea for the use of the neural network for medicine was born at UCSB. "When I came here, I knew I wanted to do biology and computer science. Those are my loves."
Credit: National Physical Laboratory

Scientists from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), biotechnology company Ingenza and Plymouth University have joined efforts to develop a discovery and production platform for a new family of antibiotics.

The three-year project, co-funded by Innovate UK, will focus on epidermicins, a class of bacteriocins (naturally-occurring toxins produced by bacteria to kill other, closely-related strains) recently discovered by researchers at Plymouth University and the University of Manchester. The narrow range of bacteria that native bacteriocins target typically means these peptides have yet to find applications in the clinic. But if a systematic approach can be found to adapt bacteriocins into more broadly effective or even more potent antibiotics, these molecules could effectively challenge the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and the threat this poses to human health.

The team will use artificial intelligence tools developed in collaboration with IBM and the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Hartree Centre, which, together with experimental validation by NPL, will enhance the performance of selected bacteriocins in terms of their range of action, stability and potency. The goal is to generate a pipeline of candidate molecules with the maximum therapeutic response while minimising any potential side effects. Within the same project, the team will also apply and further enhance Ingenza's highly-efficient manufacturing platform to scale up production of each promising new antimicrobial candidate for further testing and clinical trials.

Ian Fotheringham, Managing Director of Ingenza, said: "We are very excited about this opportunity and grateful to Innovate UK for the timely support of this work. NPL's biometrology expertise provides crucial support for the UK biotechnology industry, placing us in an excellent position to accelerate antimicrobial discovery and manufacture."

Currently, it is estimated that around 700,000 deaths worldwide are attributable to antimicrobial resistance each year, according to Lord O'Neill's Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. Unless action is taken, this is projected to rise to 10 million lives each year by 2050. In response to this challenge, NPL's Biotechnology group is developing measurement approaches to discover, screen and validate new classes of antimicrobials that exhibit effective and selective mechanisms against pathogens.
Credit: Human Brain Project

Josh Buckholtz wants to change the way you think about psychopaths - and he's willing to go to prison to do it.

An Associate Professor of Psychology, Buckholtz is the senior author of a study that relies on brain scans of nearly 50 prison inmates to help explain why psychopaths make poor decisions that often lead to violence or other anti-social behavior.

What they found, he said, is psychopath's brains are wired in a way that leads them to over-value immediate rewards and neglect the future consequences of potentially dangerous or immoral actions. The study is described in a July 5 paper in Neuron.

"For years, we have been focused on the idea that psychopaths are people who cannot generate emotion and that's why they do all these terrible things," Buckholtz said. "But what what we care about with psychopaths is not the feelings they have or don't have, it's the choices they make. Psychopaths commit an astonishing amount of crime, and this crime is both devastating to victims and astronomically costly to society as a whole.

"And even though psychopaths are often portrayed as cold-blooded, almost alien predators, we have been showing that their emotional deficits may not actually be the primary driver of these bad choices. Because it's the choices of psychopaths that cause so much trouble, we've been trying to understand what goes on in their brains when the make decisions that involve trade-offs between the costs and benefits of action.," he continued. "In this most recent paper...we are able to look at brain-based measures of reward and value and the communication between different brain regions that are involved in decision making."

Obtaining the scans used in the study, however, was no easy feat - where most studies face an uphill battle in bringing subjects into the lab, Buckholtz's challenge was in bringing the scanner to his subjects.

The solution came in form of a "mobile" scanner - typically used for cancer screenings in rural areas - that came packed in the trailer of a tractor trailer. After trucking the equipment to a two medium-security prisons in Wisconsin, the team - which included collaborators at the University of Wisconin-Madison and University of New Mexico - would spend days calibrating the scanner, and then work to scan as many volunteers as possible as quickly as possible.

"It was a huge undertaking," he said. "Most MRI scanners, they're not going anywhere, but in this case, we're driving this inside a prison and then in very quick succession we have to assess and scan the inmates."

The team ultimately scanned the brains of 49 inmates over two hours as they took part in a type of delayed gratification test which asked them to choose between two options - receive a smaller amount of money immediately, or a larger amount at a later time. The results of those tests were then fit to a model that allowed researchers to create a measure of not only how impulsive each participant's behavior was, but to identify brain regions that play a role in assessing the relative value of such choices.

What they found, Buckholtz said, was people who scored high for psychopathy showed greater activity in a region called the ventral striatum - known to be involved in evaluating the subjective reward - for the more immediate choice.

"So the more psychopathic a person is, the greater the magnitude of that striatal response," Buckholtz said. "That suggests that the way they are calculating the value rewards is dysregulated - they may over-represent the value of immediate reward."

When Buckholtz and colleagues began mapping which brain regions are connected to the ventral striatum, it became clear why.

"We mapped the connections between the ventral striatum and other regions known to be involved in decision-making, specifically regions of the prefrontal cortex known to regulate striatal response," he said. "When we did that, we found that connections between the striatum and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex were much weaker in people with psychopathy."

That lack of connection is important, Buckholtz said, because this portion of the prefrontal cortex role is thought to be important for 'mental time-travel' - envisioning the future consequences of actions. There is increasing evidence that prefrontal cortex uses the outcome of this process to change how strongly the striatum responds to rewards. With that prefrontal modulating influence weakened, the value of the more immediate choice may become dramatically over-represented.

"The striatum assigns values to different actions without much temporal context" he said. "We need the prefrontal cortex to make prospective judgements how an action will affect us in the future - if I do this, then this bad thing will happen. The way we think of it is if you break that connection in anyone, they're going to start making bad choices because they won't have the information that would otherwise guide their decision-making to more adaptive ends."

The effect was so pronounced, Buckholtz said, that researchers were able to use the degree of connection between the striatum and the prefrontal cortex to accurately predict how many times inmates had been convicted of crimes.

Ultimately, Buckholtz said, his goal is to erase the popular image of psychopaths as incomprehensible, cold-blooded monsters and see them for what they are - everyday humans whose brains are simply wired differently.

"They're not aliens, they're people who make bad decisions," he said. "The same kind of short-sighted, impulsive decision-making that we see in psychopathic individuals has also been noted in compulsive over-eaters and substance abusers. If we can put this back into the domain of rigorous scientific analysis, we can see psychopaths aren't inhuman, they're exactly what you would expect from humans who have this particular kind of brain wiring dysfunction."
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Can a self-driving vehicle be moral, act like humans do, or act like humans expect humans to? Contrary to previous thinking, a ground-breaking new study has found for the first time that human morality can be modelled meaning that machine based moral decisions are, in principle, possible.

The research, Virtual Reality experiments investigating human behavior and moral assessments, from The Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Osnabruck, and published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, used immersive virtual reality to allow the authors to study human behavior in simulated road traffic scenarios.

The participants were asked to drive a car in a typical suburban neighborhood on a foggy day when they experienced unexpected unavoidable dilemma situations with inanimate objects, animals, and humans and had to decide which was to be spared. The results were conceptualized by statistical models leading to rules, with an associated degree of explanatory power to explain the observed behavior. The research showed that moral decisions in the con?ned scope of unavoidable traffic collisions can be explained well, and modeled, by a single value-of-life for every human, animal, or inanimate object.

Leon Sutfeld, first author of the study, says that until now it has been assumed that moral decisions are strongly context dependent and therefore cannot be modeled or described algorithmically, "But we found quite the opposite. Human behavior in dilemma situations can be modeled by a rather simple value-of-life-based model that is attributed by the participant to every human, animal, or inanimate object." This implies that human moral behavior can be well described by algorithms that could be used by machines as well.

The study's findings have major implications in the debate around the behavior of self-driving cars and other machines, like in unavoidable situations. For example, a leading new initiative from the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) has defined 20 ethical principles related to self-driving vehicles, for example, in relation to behavior in the case of unavoidable accidents, making the critical assumption that human moral behavior could not be modeled.

Prof. Gordon Pipa, a senior author of the study, says that since it now seems to be possible that machines can be programmed to make human like moral decisions it is crucial that society engages in an urgent and serious debate, "we need to ask whether autonomous systems should adopt moral judgements, if yes, should they imitate moral behavior by imitating human decisions, should they behave along ethical theories and if so, which ones and critically, if things go wrong who or what is at fault?"

As an example, within the new German ethical principles, a child running onto the road would be classified as significantly involved in creating the risk, thus less qualified to be saved in comparison to an adult standing on the footpath as a non-involved party. But is this a moral value held by most people and how large is the scope for interpretation?

"Now that we know how to implement human ethical decisions into machines we, as a society, are still left with a double dilemma," explains Prof. Peter Konig, a senior author of the paper. "Firstly, we have to decide whether moral values should be included in guidelines for machine behavior and secondly, if they are, should machines should act just like humans."

The study's authors say that autonomous cars are just the beginning as robots in hospitals and other artificial intelligence systems become more common place. They warn that we are now at the beginning of a new epoch with the need for clear rules otherwise machines will start marking decisions without us.

More information: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00122
New research into Rett syndrome therapeutics suggests that a small molecule already reported to improve respiratory problems associated with the disease may also improve spatial memory and motor skill defects.

Girls born with a mutation in the MECP2 gene initially develop typically, but at 6-18 months a gradual or sudden reversal of development indicates the onset of Rett syndrome. As this rare genetic neurological disease develops, affected girls experience slowed growth, a loss of communication skills and use of the hands, problems with movement and coordination, difficulty breathing, and seizures. The disease almost exclusively presents in girls, as the MECP2 gene is located on the X chromosome. With only a single copy of this chromosome, boys are affected in devastating ways by the mutation and rarely survive early infancy.

The MECP2 gene encodes methyl-CpG-binding protein-2 (MeCP2), a transcriptional regulator of many genes including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Decreased levels of BDNF are associated with a number of neurological disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. BDNF levels have also been shown to be reduced in the brains of individuals with Rett syndrome and in multiple brain areas of Mecp2-deficient mice. Genetic overexpression of BDNF has previously been reported to improve defective behaviours in Mecp2 mutant mice. Now, in an article published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, a team from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Stanford University School of Medicine describe the use of a BDNF loop domain mimetic to improve motor function and object location memory in a mouse model of Rett syndrome.

Improving behavioural deficits

Lead investigator Lucas Pozzo-Miller and his lab worked on the role of BDNF in synapse function for several years before entering the MeCP2/Rett field. "In fact, we became interested in Rett due to others groups' observations of MeCP2 regulation of BDNF expression and genetic overexpression of BDNF improving behavioural deficits in Mecp2 mutant mice," recalls Pozzo-Miller. The lab was working on a method to increase BDNF levels in Mecp2 mice when they learned that another group had positive results when using LM22A-4, a small-molecule mimetic of the loop domain BDNF and partial agonist of its receptor TrkB, in Rett model mice. This research - by co-author Frank Longo and colleagues - was focused on the neural bases of breathing, the role of BDNF on its proper development and the consequences of Mecp2 deletion. "My lab works on the neural bases of learning and memory," says Pozzo-Miller, "so we decided to test if LM22A-4 was able to improve spatial discrimination deficits by enhancing synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for spatial learning and memory." He contacted Longo, outlining his group's plan to test LM22A-4 in hippocampal function in Rett model mice. Longo explains that he and collaborator David Katz saw an opportunity to really challenge LM22A-4 and see if it could successfully engage in additional key Rett mechanisms.

Pozzo-Miller and his team found that Rett-like symptoms improved in model mice after treatment with LM22A-4, and the distance the mice were able to travel in a test field was comparable with normal mice. The group also noted an improvement in the ability of the treated mice to remember where an object had been placed within an arena. They further established that LM22A-4 exerts these effects by subduing excitatory synaptic transmission and network activity in hippocampal slices to levels amenable for the induction of synaptic plasticity and behavioural learning and memory.

Neurodevelopmental disorders need not be considered closed cases

There is a growing body of literature supporting the high therapeutic potential of LM22A-4 for the treatment of Rett syndrome and other diseases associated with lowered levels of BDNF. Pozzo-Miller reflects that this new research on LM22A-4, combined with prior studies from the Katz lab, provides hope that at least some neurological and cognitive deficits in individuals with Rett could be improved by pharmacological treatment even after the onset of symptoms. Neurons, the synapses between them and the networks they build are extremely plastic throughout life, which allows therapeutic intervention to improve neurological and cognitive function. Pozzo-Miller says, "There has been a growing realization that neurodevelopmental disorders need not be considered as closed cases simply because the mutations affect early brain development. Our studies in Rett model mice add to similar studies in mouse models of Down syndrome, neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis and fragile X, which provide rational bases for their treatment in adulthood, providing hope for millions of affected individuals and their families."

More information: Wei Li et al, A small-molecule TrkB ligand restores hippocampal synaptic plasticity and object location memory in Rett syndrome mice, Disease Models & Mechanisms (2017). Journal information: Disease Models & Mechanisms Wei Li et al, A small-molecule TrkB ligand restores hippocampal synaptic plasticity and object location memory in Rett syndrome mice,(2017). DOI: 10.1242/dmm.029959
An Australian study uses a new technique to challenge the brain development hypothesis. Credit: Dr. Vera Weisbecker

A new study involving The University of Queensland, which might be useful for biomedical research, re-writes parts of the rulebook on how mammalian brains - including our own - could have evolved.

It includes the possibility that distinctive dominance of our own cerebral hemispheres is not, as previously suggested, just a side-effect that forces brains of a particular size to have particular proportions.

Dr Vera Weisbecker of UQ's School of Biological Sciences said the study represented the first dataset comparing brain growth in different mammals, gathered through a novel method of non-invasive micro-CT (computed tomography) scanning which allowed the fast data acquisition of soft tissue growth in tiny mammals.

"This approach, termed DiceCT, can be widely applied, not just for evolutionary studies but also as a powerful tool for biomedical investigations of brain development in disease, congenital defects, or injury," she said.

"Our results using information from brain growth in marsupial mammals also provide a new test of the long-debated 'late equals large' hypothesis first published in 1995, to explain the way brains evolve across species."

The "late equals large" hypothesis holds that the brain proportions of different mammals, for example, people and wallabies, are shaped by a universal rule that makes them differ according to their size.

This is because larger brain parts are thought to have a later and longer process of neurogenesis - the development of neurons or nerve cells from neural stem cells and progenitor cells.

Dr Weisbecker said the "late equals large" rule had been controversial for more than two decades.

Mammalian brain growth is studied in this paper which shows that a widely accepted hypothesis of how the mammalian brain proportions grow and evolve does not work, using a novel method of micro-CT scan that allows the first fast data acquisition of soft tissue growth in tiny mammals. Credit: Dr. Vera Weisbecker

"For these cell-level 'rules' to be translated into specific brain proportions, we would also expect to see these rules reflected in predictable growth patterns of the mammalian brain, particularly in species from the same group of mammals," she said.

"Our research looked for such common patterns in brain development by providing the first data on brain growth for three species of marsupial mammals and the results show that this hypothesis does not work.

"In addition, when we compared adult brain proportions, we saw that the relationship between brain proportions and size depends on what group of mammals we look at, which is also incompatible with a universal rule for brain proportions."

Dr Weisbecker said the research was a world first attempt at quantifying mammalian brain growth across several species.

"Instead of one neurogenesis-based rule, we suspect that the evolution of brain parts, including the huge human cerebral hemispheres, results from a complex combination of factors including the early molecular processes which divide the brain long before it starts growing," she said.

"In addition, all parts of the brain need to be tightly interconnected, so that the broad pattern of mammalian brain partitions might be due to constraints of brain function combined with a very early, possibly species-specific, developmental brain 'blueprint'."

Dr Weisbecker said her lab aimed to tell the evolutionary story of today's diverse land vertebrates through developmental biology.

"My research thrives on the huge diversity of animals that Australia has to offer," she said.

The new study, Testing hypotheses of developmental constraints on mammalian brain partition evolution, using marsupials, is published in Scientific Reports and also involves researchers from UQ's Centre for Advanced Imaging, the University of Melbourne, and CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Flagship.

More information: Alison Carlisle et al, Testing hypotheses of developmental constraints on mammalian brain partition evolution, using marsupials, Scientific Reports (2017). Journal information: Scientific Reports Alison Carlisle et al, Testing hypotheses of developmental constraints on mammalian brain partition evolution, using marsupials,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02726-9
Police say they have not ruled out an ongoing feud between Uber drivers and metered taxi drivers as the reason for a vehicle being set alight in Hatfield, Pretoria.

We cannot confirm if the latest attack formed part of an alleged feud between metered taxi drivers and Uber drivers, but it cannot be ruled out as a possibility, police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo told News24 on Tuesday.

Masondo said the motorist was driving towards Hatfield when he was forced off the road by five cars, which blockaded him from the front and the back.Once on the side of the road, four suspects jumped out of the car and started damaging the car with the victim still in the car.

The victim then noticed that there was smoke coming from the back of the vehicle. He managed to escape the fire, but not before he was assaulted and robbed of his cellphone and cash by the suspects.

Masondo said cases of armed robbery, malicious damage to property and assault had been opened.

The driver of the vehicle told police he was an Uber driver.

However, Uber spokesperson Samantha Allenberg said while the vehicle in the picture doing the rounds on social media was not registered on the Uber app, she condemned the violence. Masondo also said he could not confirm if the car was petrol bombed as was earlier alleged, but said it was definitely set alight.

News24

Now read: Uber petrol bombed in Pretoria
The United States has lifted the in-cabin ban on laptops and other large electronic devices on US-bound flights from Dubai and Istanbul, Emirates and Turkish Airlines said.

Wednesdays announcements come three days after restrictions were lifted on Etihad Airways hub Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE .

In March, the United States imposed the ban on flights originating at 10 airports in eight countries  Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey  to address fears that bombs could be concealed in electronic devices taken aboard aircraft.

The UK quickly followed suit with a similar set of restrictions .

The ban was lifted effective immediately on Dubai International, the worlds busiest airport for international travel, after new security measures announced by the US last week were implemented, an Emirates spokeswoman said in a statement.

Emirates blamed travel restrictions imposed by US President Donald Trumps administration for a drop in demand on US flights.

The Dubai-based carrier cut flights to five US cities from May. It has since said demand was starting to return on some routes.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines said in a statement that passengers travelling to the US could now take their laptops and other electronic devices on board.

Chief Executive Bilal Eksi also tweeted that the airline expected a similar ban on flights to the UK would soon be lifted.

Turkeys Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said on Tuesday that US officials would examine explosives detection machines at airports across Turkey, according to Anadolou Agency.

There was no immediate comment available from US officials on the lifting of the ban in Dubai and Istanbul.

The UK ban does not apply to flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Al Jazeera

Now read: British Airways flights cancelled due to IT system failure
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
The Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) Defense Army has never targeted peaceful settlements, as it is specific to our adversary, and the target of our hit has been and will be solely the military bases from where the enemy fires at Armenian frontlines.

Artsakh Defense Minister and Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan told the abovementioned to Interfax news agency, as he commented on the Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense (MOD) statement that accuses the NKR of shelling an Azerbaijani peaceful settlement and killing civilians, on Tuesday.

In his words, even though the Artsakh army has never been the first to launch an attack, it is always ready to rein in the adversarys provocations, and with actions in response.

As for the statement disseminated by Azerbaijan that, allegedly, the Armenian army bombarded Alkhanlu settlement [of Azerbaijan] and became the cause of the death of civilians on July 4, this is nothing more than a cynical work style to mislead the international community at the expense of the blood of its own innocent citizens, Mnatsakanyan noted, in particular. By hiding behind its own population and turning the latter into a human shield, the adversary grossly violates the norms of international law.

If the adversary really had losses among civilians, then we have to express regret. However, the Karabakh armed forces will continue to make full use of its right to defend, and, if needed, to give a targeted and disproportionate response to the attacks by the adversary.

At the same time, we advise the Azerbaijani side to refrain from future military adventure that is fraught with unpredictable consequences and to seek the resolution of the matter at the negotiating table, especially since such an approach stems from the interests of the two peoples.

On Tuesday evening, the Azerbaijani forces, which are located nearby Alkhanlu village, opened fire on positions of Karabakh Defense Army. A 52-year-old Azerbaijani woman and a 2-year-old girl died in the ensuing exchange of fire.
Investment firm Morgan Stanley on Wednesday resumed coverage of music streaming giant Pandora's (P) stock with an "Overweight" rating and a $12 price target.

Cash from Sirius XM, which just took a stake in Pandora, leaves the company's ultimate strategic impact unclear for now, but it does stabilize its balance sheet, Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne noted.

Furthermore, Pandora's large user base has provided the company with room to grow its share of advertising, he contends.

"Pandora's 80 mm monthly active users spend over 20 hours a month on the platform. We believe high single digit annual ad revenue growth in '18-'20 should be achievable through a combination of rising ad load and rising ad prices as Pandora continues to target the $15 billion terrestrial radio market and even larger mobile display market," Swinburne noted.

Shares of Pandora closed higher by 1.37% to $8.89 per share on Wednesday.

What's Hot On TheStreet

Volvo is no longer feeling gas engines: Ford's (F) - Get Free Report founder Henry Ford may be rolling over in his grave on this one. Volvo Cars said Wednesday that all of its cars will feature an electric engine from 2019, as it embraces of the new technology in the face of industry-wide adoption. The Swedish car maker will roll out a mix of all-electric, hybrid and mild hybrid cars from 2019 and will no longer offer vehicles that carry just a traditional internal combustion engine, TheStreet reports.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said CEO Hakan Samuelsson. "Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1 million electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it." Meanwhile, Nissan said Wednesday that its new all-electric Leaf will hit markets starting September 6.

About Tesla's (TSLA) - Get Free Report Model 3...

Microsoft on the clock: With speculation swirling of impending layoffs, TheStreet takes a look back at how Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has reshaped the tech giant. Since taking over in 2014 from the energetic Steve Ballmer, Nadella has completely reorganized Microsoft by driving better internal collaboration and via the purchase of LinkedIn. The stock market has rewarded Nadella accordingly: Microsoft shares hit an all-time high in January after better than expected earnings.

Summer paychecks for tech interns are no joke: It doesn't beat working as a summer intern for Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report. Apple pays an average of over $7,000 per-month in pay (plus paid overtime) for college interns, along with free housing near its San Francisco Bay-area headquarters, TheStreet reports.

Wait, we stand corrected. Being a college intern and logging into work for Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Free Reportand Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report isn't too shabby, either: you can pull in the equivalent of $96,000 a year.

Costco has been crushed: Shares of the membership club retailer have plunged 13% to $158.82 inside of a month, as investors have grown worried about a world where Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report owns organic food pioneer Whole Foods (WFM) . Costco's market cap has fallen a shade more than $9 billion, TheStreet points out. The more one looks at the grocery store landscape, the stock market has good reason to be concerned about Costco's future.

Apple, Facebook and Alphabetareholdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio.Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL, FB and GOOGL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
My taxes are too high. Yours probably are also. Many "little" expenditures add up.

Example #1: "Grants can help to fight erosion on Nebraska farmland" (June 26). Is there not sufficient self-incentive to take care of land that grows your own crops?

Example #2: "Highway humor" (June 27). Federal funds totaling $278,000 (your tax dollars) per road sign to display "light, keep it cheesy" humorous phrases.

How many of these did taxpaying citizens purchase for Nebraska? For the U.S.? Add that expense to a public solicitation for potential postings  a good use of state employee time, especially traffic engineers? There may be legitimate uses for these signs, but not this one.

Such examples of tax dollar waste are numerous  too numerous  and need to stop.

Richard L. Ternes, Walton
Let the Restoration Begin! Wetlands restoration within the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern will focus on problems such as sediment contamination, reduced habitat, and a lack of public access.

The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water, making habitat restoration critically important for severely degraded industrial areas near their shores. In Michigan, NOAA has moved that goal forward by supporting the recent purchase of 98.8 wetland acres near Muskegon Lake, which feeds directly into Lake Michigan.

"NOAA and its partners soon will start restoration work to improve wildlife habitat, boost public access, and improve water quality through restoring and reconnecting wetlands to the riverine systems," says Elizabeth Mountz, a coastal management specialist for NOAA's Office for Coastal Management. "This project moves us closer to the day when the larger Muskegon Lake area is a more vital place for natural resources and wildlife, the community, and the coastal economy."

Muskegon County made the wetlands purchase with the aid of NOAA funding. This natural resource forms part of the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern, one of 43 degraded industrial areas in the Great Lakes basin identified in 1987 and prioritized for cleanup and restoration by the U.S. and Canada.

Putting Restoration on the Map The overall restoration plan will upgrade water quality for both Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan by addressing algal blooms and a decline in lake oxygen.

A lack of funding stymied intensive U.S. cleanup efforts until 2010, when the Obama administration budgeted $475 million for the new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to jump-start national restoration action.

Over the past four years, NOAA has allocated nearly $4 million to support 13 "area of concern" land acquisition projects in four Great Lakes states. Grants are awarded to state and local partners to protect critical coastal lands through land purchases and conservation easements.

Four U.S. sites have now been "delisted" as areas of concern following intensive restoration, which is the eventual goal for the Muskegon Lake site.

This wetlands purchase supports the NOAA Habitat Blueprint initiative, which identified the Muskegon Lake site as a habitat focus area and directed restoration and water quality improvements.
A World Apart Traditional ways are evident in Vietnam at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi and the traditional dress (ao dai) in the foreground. At right, NOAA's Peg Steffen dons a courting hat, once commonly used by women as a multi-purpose tool to carry items and assist in the rice harvest.



Peg Steffen, NOSs education program manager, recently returned from three months in Vietnam where she led the development of training materials for leaders in Vietnams Thanh Hoa province (provinces are equivalent to U.S. states). She worked with a dedicated group of experts to develop a workshop on climate science that took place in late May.

Vietnams long coastline, geographic location, and diverse topography and microclimates contribute to its being one of the most hazard-prone countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with storms and flooding causing both economic and human losses.

Steffen taught school for 25 years before becoming an education specialist first for NASA and then for NOAA, and joined the project as an Embassy Science Fellow through the U.S. Department of State (DOS).

Working in Hanoi

A survey of Vietnamese provincial officials revealed that people know the climate is changing, but they do not understand why, nor are they making adequate preparations to deal with the consequences. As a result, the Government of Vietnam requested help with the issue through the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.

Working in Hanoi with U.S. Embassy staff and Winrock International employees under contract to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Steffen developed a concept paper, wrote position descriptions for the trainers, developed the course syllabus, collected and developed materials, and helped create workshop activities and presentations. To understand both the cultural and political landscapes, she consulted with foreign-aid organizations including the Red Cross and Oxfam International. She also worked closely with the team of trainers, comprised of professors from Hanoi University, Vinh University, and the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment.

Two of my goals for the training were to push the idea of climate literacy for all and to encourage interactive workshops, rather than sit and git. Both of these concepts were fairly new in Vietnam, where literacy had only the literal meaning of ability to read and write, and where most training follows the traditional lecture format, Steffen says.

Preparing Vietnam for the Future

The May 22 training for 70 of Thanh Hoa provinces top government officials incorporated websites, resources, and strategies from U.S. sources including NOAA, along with relevant local information and climate predictions for Vietnam. Topics included the causes and impacts of regional climate change, adaptation and mitigation strategies, climate vulnerability, disaster risk reduction, coastal resilience, and Green Growth opportunities for economic development.

The people of Southeast Asia are likely to feel and deal with the impacts of climate change in much more significant ways than those of us who live in a comfortable, technology-enhanced world, says Steffen. All who worked on this project are hopeful that increased climate literacy will better prepare Vietnam for the future.

To that end, she notes, My wonderful colleagues in Vietnam are carrying on now that Im home. The professors that I helped train will lead workshops in three more provinces later this year, and train others to lead them, too. The plan is for a network of trainers eventually to present the workshop to leaders in all 58 Vietnamese provinces and five municipalities.
Beginning today, theres brand breakfast, lunch and brunch spot to enjoy in Bay View.

After a soft opening over the holiday weekend, Sabrosa Cafe & Gallery opened its doors to the public today at 7:30 a.m. at 3216 S. Howell Ave.

Plans for the new cafe were announced last summer, and initially the venue hoped for a late spring opening. However, construction delays extended the timeline for the new restaurant, which will also serve as a gallery, showcasing art from local artists.

Menu

The menu at Sabrosa features breakfast staples (think eggs and toast and oatmeal) along with omelettes, scrambles and dishes like jalapeno cornbread with sausage gravy ($9), chilaquiles ($9), huevos rancheros ($9), a housemade chorizo scramble with tortillas ($10) and the S.B.S.B.B.S., a breakfast sandwich featuring spicy brown sugar bourbon bacon with fried egg and cheese ($9).

On the sweeter side, there are buttermilk pancakes ($6/8), baked French toast with cream cheese glaze, pecan caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream ($10) and Frankies Benediction featuring French toast made with housemade bread, stacked with off the bone ham, two sunny-side up eggs, and fresh dijon hollandaise sauce ($12).

Lunch dishes include sopa Azteca, Chef Frankie's famous spicy tortilla soup garnished with avocado crema, cheese and shoestring tortilla strips ($3/6), salads and a variety of sandwiches and melts including a chicken torta ($10), a Pepperoncini Patty Melt ($10) and "The Ruben" with roasted seasonal vegetables, melted mozzarella, guacamole and spicy lime mayo ($10). Mexican favorites like enchiladas verdes with roasted poblano-peanut sauce ($12) and tacos of the day ($9) are also available.

In addition to non-alcoholic beverages, cocktails include a signature Bloody Mary ($8), a pear and cranberry gin bellini ($9), spiked sweet tea ($9) a whiskey old fashioned ($9) the Morning Glory with orange, mango, vodka, lime, champagne and mint ($9), coffee cocktails like the Northern Exposure featuring iced coffee cubes, vodka and Bailey's with a splash of Kahlua ($10) and both a classic lime or Luxardo cherry and pineapple ginger margarita ($9).

And more

The owners of the new cafe are Francisco Sanchez, former chef at Taqueria Azteca, and business partner Ruben Piirainen. The building, which was formerly the commercial kitchen for the Gouda Girls food truck, also served as home base for the Sabrosa Sauce company, a side business launched by Sanchez in 2015.

During the evening, Sanchez says he plans to host a variety of events in the gallery space, including "once in a blue moon" pop-up dinners featuring some of his favorite Mexican dishes.

As for the art component of the cafe, Milwaukee photographer Timothy Ablers "A Salvatorian Monastery" will debut as Sabrosas first exhibition.

Starting July 5, Sabrosa is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Examples of zircon grains used in a University of Texas at Austin study that showed the animal thought to be the oldest land-based air breather is younger than thought. Grain numbers and ages are indicated by the numbers. Credit: University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences

Some good scientific sleuthing by an undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin has helped rewrite one of the earliest chapters in the planet's evolutionary history. The research, led by the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, has shown that the millipede thought to be the world's oldest known air-breathing land creature is in fact about 14 million years younger than previously thought and cannot be the original land breather.

The paper was published June 28 in the journal PLOS ONE. The study focuses on a species of millipede called Pneumodesmus newmani, which was thought to have been breathing air on solid ground during the late Silurian period some 428 million years ago. All other animal fossils discovered before this time have been from animals that lived and breathed under water.

The millipede fossil was discovered by an amateur paleontologist in 2004 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and dated by testing plant spores in sediment found in the general area, a method that contains a significant amount of scientific uncertainty compared with radiometric dating methods, said Elizabeth Catlos, a study author and associate professor in the Jackson School's Department of Geological Sciences.

"The 428 million year age wasn't obtained using radiometric techniques because no one could get the radioactive minerals out of these soils," she said.

Catlos, who obtained the soil samples from co-author Michael Brookfield of the University of Massachusetts Boston, tasked Jackson School senior Stephanie Suarez, the paper's lead author, with finding grain-sized zircons in the sediment that could be dated in the Jackson School's Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. Zircons are minerals that trap radioactive elements inside of them when they form, which can help scientists more accurately determine the age of rock or sediment where they're found.

The zircon samples were from ancient volcanic ash beds directly above and below where the millipede specimen was found. Brookfield, who is from Scotland, said he has been collecting samples from the area since he was a teenager and has long been interested in more precisely dating the sediment where the well-known specimen was discovered.

This job was particularly challenging because the clay sediment Brookfield sent to the Jackson School was loose in plastic bags and unlike the solid rock that Catlos is used to studying. Suarez, who was introduced to the geosciences in high school as part to the Jackson School's GeoFORCE outreach program, initially tried the standard method of heavy mineral separation, which involves crushing the rock and using bromoform (an organic solvent) to separate out heavier minerals.

"When I attempted it, the ashes clumped together, and no zircons sank to the bottom," she said. "It was very messy and unsuccessful."

Undeterred, Suarez combed scientific literature looking for ideas and came across a 2014 study led by Gregory Hoke of Syracuse University that pioneered a method of isolating nonclay components from clay-rich material by constructing and using an ultrasonic clay separator.

University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences senior Stephanie Suarez displays her research that age-dated an ancient animal previously thought to be the Earth's oldest land-based air breather. Credit: UT-Austin Division of Diversity and Community Engagement

"I had to get creative," Suarez said. "We have a very small sonicator in our lab that we use to clean thin sections. I used that, a Tupperware container and some hydrogen peroxide. It worked. I was very excited."

Ultimately, Suarez was able to collect 74 zircons to be analyzed and dated. More than 10 of the zircons were younger than 428 million years ago, with the youngest being about 414 million years old. This places the specimen in a completely different geologic era, the Devonian, a classification that bursts the millipede's uniqueness. Many fossils of land-breathing organisms, mainly insects and arthropods, have been recovered from this era.

Catlos expects the results to raise a few eyebrows, but she said the beauty of published science is that others can replicate the experiment. The handful of zircons found to be younger than 428 million years old definitely show that the Pneumodesmus newmani specimen was not the first organism on Earth to breathe air while on land.

"This wasn't it," Catlos said. "We have to keep looking."

More information: Stephanie E. Suarez et al. A U-Pb zircon age constraint on the oldest-recorded air-breathing land animal, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179262 Journal information: PLoS ONE
UW engineers have designed the first battery-free cellphone that can send and receive calls using only a few microwatts of power. Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

University of Washington researchers have invented a cellphone that requires no batteriesa major leap forward in moving beyond chargers, cords and dying phones. Instead, the phone harvests the few microwatts of power it requires from either ambient radio signals or light.

The team also made Skype calls using its battery-free phone, demonstrating that the prototype made of commercial, off-the-shelf components can receive and transmit speech and communicate with a base station.

The new technology is detailed in a paper published July 1 in the Proceedings of the Association for Computing Machinery on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies.

"We've built what we believe is the first functioning cellphone that consumes almost zero power," said co-author Shyam Gollakota, an associate professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the UW. "To achieve the really, really low power consumption that you need to run a phone by harvesting energy from the environment, we had to fundamentally rethink how these devices are designed."

The team of UW computer scientists and electrical engineers eliminated a power-hungry step in most modern cellular transmissionsconverting analog signals that convey sound into digital data that a phone can understand. This process consumes so much energy that it's been impossible to design a phone that can rely on ambient power sources.

University of Washington engineers present the first battery-free cellphone design that consumes only a few micro-watts of power. The new design can sense speech, actuate the earphones, and switch between uplink and downlink communications, all in real time. The system developed by researchers from the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and the UW Department of Electrical Engineering optimizes transmission and reception of speech while simultaneously harvesting power which enables the battery-free cellphone to operate continuously. Credit: Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering

Instead, the battery-free cellphone takes advantage of tiny vibrations in a phone's microphone or speaker that occur when a person is talking into a phone or listening to a call.

An antenna connected to those components converts that motion into changes in standard analog radio signal emitted by a cellular base station. This process essentially encodes speech patterns in reflected radio signals in a way that uses almost no power.

To transmit speech, the phone uses vibrations from the device's microphone to encode speech patterns in the reflected signals. To receive speech, it converts encoded radio signals into sound vibrations that that are picked up by the phone's speaker. In the prototype device, the user presses a button to switch between these two "transmitting" and "listening" modes.

Using off-the-shelf components on a printed circuit board, the team demonstrated that the prototype can perform basic phone functionstransmitting speech and data and receiving user input via buttons. Using Skype, researchers were able to receive incoming calls, dial out and place callers on hold with the battery-free phone.

"The cellphone is the device we depend on most today. So if there were one device you'd want to be able to use without batteries, it is the cellphone," said faculty lead Joshua Smith, professor in both the Allen School and UW's Department of Electrical Engineering. "The proof of concept we've developed is exciting today, and we think it could impact everyday devices in the future."

The battery-free phone developed at the UW can sense speech, actuate the earphones, and switch between uplink and downlink communications, all in real time. It is powered by either ambient radio signals or light. Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

The team designed a custom base station to transmit and receive the radio signals. But that technology conceivably could be integrated into standard cellular network infrastructure or Wi-Fi routers now commonly used to make calls.

"You could imagine in the future that all cell towers or Wi-Fi routers could come with our base station technology embedded in it," said co-author Vamsi Talla, a former UW electrical engineering doctoral student and Allen School research associate. "And if every house has a Wi-Fi router in it, you could get battery-free cellphone coverage everywhere."

The battery-free phone does still require a small amount of energy to perform some operations. The prototype has a power budget of 3.5 microwatts.

The UW researchers demonstrated how to harvest this small amount of energy from two different sources. The battery-free phone prototype can operate on power gathered from ambient radio signals transmitted by a base station up to 31 feet away.

Using power harvested from ambient light with a tiny solar cellroughly the size of a grain of ricethe device was able to communicate with a base station that was 50 feet away.

The research team from the UW Department of Electrical Engineering and the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering includes (left to right): Vamsi Talla, Wu Meiling, Sam Crow, Joshua Smith, Bryce Kellogg and Shyam Gollakota. Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

Many other battery-free technologies that rely on ambient energy sources, such as temperature sensors or an accelerometer, conserve power with intermittent operations. They take a reading and then "sleep" for a minute or two while they harvest enough energy to perform the next task. By contrast, a phone call requires the device to operate continuously for as long as the conversation lasts.

"You can't say hello and wait for a minute for the phone to go to sleep and harvest enough power to keep transmitting," said co-author Bryce Kellogg, a UW electrical engineering doctoral student. "That's been the biggest challengethe amount of power you can actually gather from ambient radio or light is on the order of 1 or 10 microwatts. So real-time phone operations have been really hard to achieve without developing an entirely new approach to transmitting and receiving speech."

Next, the research team plans to focus on improving the battery-free phone's operating range and encrypting conversations to make them secure. The team is also working to stream video over a battery-free cellphone and add a visual display feature to the phone using low-power E-ink screens.

More information:  Vamsi Talla et al, Battery-Free Cellphone, Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (2017). DOI: 10.1145/3090090  batteryfreephone.cs.washington.edu/
Titan's three largest lakes and their surrounding areas as seen by the Cassini RADAR instrument. The researchers used the instrument to study waves on the lake surfaces. Credit: Cyril Grima/ The University of Texas at Austin

The lakes of liquid methane on Saturn's moon, Titan, are perfect for paddling but not for surfing. New research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that most waves on Titan's lakes reach only about 1 centimeter high, a finding that indicates a serene environment that could be good news for future probes sent to the surface of that moon.

"There's a lot of interest in one day sending probes to the lakes, and when that's done, you want to have a safe landing, and you don't want a lot of wind," said lead author Cyril Grima, a research associate at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG). "Our study shows that because the waves aren't very high, the winds are likely low."

The research was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters on June 29. Collaborators include researchers at Cornell University, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. UTIG is a research unit of the UT Jackson School of Geosciences.

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and one of the locations in the solar system that is thought to possess the ingredients for life. In photos taken by the Cassini orbiter, a NASA probe, it appears as a smooth brown orb because of its thick atmosphere clouded with gaseous nitrogen and hydrocarbons. However, radar images from the same probe show that it has a surface crust made of water ice and drenched in liquid hydrocarbons. On Titan, methane and ethane fall from the sky as rain, fill deep lakes that dot the surface, and are possibly spewed into the air by icy volcanoes called cryovolcanoes.

"The atmosphere of Titan is very complex, and it does synthesize complex organic moleculesthe bricks of life," Grima said. "It may act as a laboratory of sorts, where you can see how basic molecules can be transformed into more complex molecules that could eventually lead to life."

Titan is Saturn's largest moon. Its cloudy appearance comes from an atmosphere mixed with gaseous nitrogen and hydrocarbons. Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Cassini Orbiter.

On top of that, it's also thought to have an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust.

As a graduate student at the Universite Grenoble Alpes in France, and then a postdoctoral fellow at UTIG, Grima developed a technique for measuring surface roughness in minute detail from radar data. Called radar statistical reconnaissance, the technique has been used to measure the snow density and its surface roughness in Antarctica and the Arctic, and to assist the landing site selection of NASA's Mars lander InSight, which is scheduled to launch next year. Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggested he apply the technique to measuring Titan's waves.

The research zeroes in on the three largest lakes in Titan's northern hemisphere: Kraken Mare, Ligeia Mare and Punga Mare. Kraken Mare, the largest of the three, is estimated to be larger than the Caspian Sea. By analyzing radar data collected by Cassini during Titan's early summer season, Grima and his team found that waves across these lakes are diminutive, reaching only about 1 centimeter high and 20 centimeters long.

"Cyril's work is an independent measure of sea roughness and helps to constrain the size and nature of any wind waves," said co-author Alex Hayes, an assistant professor of astronomy at Cornell University. "From the results, it looks like we are right near the threshold for wave generation, where patches of the sea are smooth and patches are rough."

The results call into question the early summer's classification as the beginning of the Titan's windy season, Grima said, because high winds probably would have made for larger waves.

Information on Titan's climate is essential for sending a probe safely to the surface. Although there are no formal plans for a mission, Grima says that there are plenty of concepts being developed by researchers around the world. The study indicates that if a future mission lands in early summer, there's a good chance that it is in for a smooth landing.

More information: Cyril Grima et al. Surface roughness of Titan's hydrocarbon seas, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.06.007 Journal information: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Researchers at Nagoya Institute of Technology have established a reaction catalyzed by Bis(imidazoline)/zinc whereby 2H-azirines react with phosphite, yielding aziridines at a high enantiomeric ratio. Given the value of existing aziridines as chemical building blocks as well as medications such as the chemotherapy agent mitomycin C and the antibiotics azicemicins, this reaction system could provide a range of new targets with pharmaceutical potential. Credit: NITech

Chemists at Nagoya Institute of Technology have developed an innovative chemical reaction system, which could have applications for developing starter molecules for additional synthetic procedures in organic chemistry, as well as pharmaceutical candidates with a potentially wide range of biological activities.

Nagoya, Japan - Given their three-dimensional nature, many chemical compounds can exist in two different forms that are mirror images of each other, called enantiomers. These can have markedly different effects on the human body, so it is often necessary to isolate only one of the forms prior to administration. To avoid this problem, it is possible to develop chemical synthesis methods that produce mostly or exclusively one of the possible enantiomers. This is a salient issue for a class of molecule called aziridines, which include important antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents, but there still remains substantial scope for manipulating and modifying the reactions by which they are synthesized for a range of applications.

In a new study reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, a team of researchers at Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT) have established a new reaction whereby a group of molecules called 2H-azirines react with phosphite with the help of a catalyst. By applying a variety of catalysts and conditions to this reaction, they managed to produce aziridines at high yield and with a single enantiomer comprising as much as 98% of the total product.

Little previous work has focused on trying to produce a high level of a single enantiomer from reactions with 2H-azirines because these compounds are not very reactive. Here, the researchers chose to employ a phosphite, comprising phosphor and oxygen atoms, for the reaction with the 2H-azirines because of its ability to contribute or donate electrons in this reaction, promoting the transformation of azirines to aziridines.

"In the reaction of 2H-azirines with phosphite, we applied various chiral catalysts to see their effects," says Daiki Hayama of the Graduate School of Engineering, NIT. "Once we identified a catalyst that gave both a good overall yield and a high proportion of a single enantiomer in the reaction, we then focused on also optimizing the reaction conditions."

Once a particularly effective combination of conditions was identified, the team also tested structural variations of the azirine used as starting material in the reaction along with the best catalyst found in the previous experiment, again achieving high yields and high rates of production of one of the possible enantiomers.

"Our results show that this reaction is very enantioselective and works well for a wide range of azirines," Prof. Shuichi Nakamura says. "This approach should be very useful for developing new chiral molecules potentially with interesting features, both for medical applications and for further work in the field of organic chemistry."

More information: Shuichi Nakamura et al, Enantioselective Reaction of 2H -Azirines with Phosphite Using Chiral Bis(imidazoline)/Zinc(II) Catalysts, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2017). DOI: 10.1002/anie.201704133 Journal information: Angewandte Chemie International Edition
WeChat, known as Weixin in China, was launched in 2011 and is the world's most popular messaging service

Chinese tourists can now use the popular WeChat messaging app while soaking up the sights in Europe this summer thanks to Dutch telecoms provider KPN.

KPN said Thursday it has teamed up with Chinese technology giant Tencent as well as internet video operator Sunway Culture Media "to launch the WeChat Go SIM card for Chinese tourists travelling to Europe."

WeChat, known as Weixin in China, was launched in 2011 and is the world's most popular messaging service.

Tencent said in May that the app had reached 938 million monthly active users for the quarter, a year-on-year growth of 23 percent.

"Besides voice and 4G data services, the WeChat Go SIM card proposition also offers additional features such as travel information, Chinese video content, top ups and social media" in any EU country, KPN said.

The SIM card has been available since the start of the month, and is on sale at Chinese airports as well as other popular travel hubs across Europe.

The recommended sale price in Europe is either 12 euros for a 1GB card that is valid for 15 days, or 33.50 euros for a 4GB card valid 28 days.

"This is for the convenience of the Chinese customers, who can buy it and then put it in their cellphones and use WeChat Go without having to worry about which operator they have to connect to," KPN spokesman Stefan Simons told AFP.

While the system would have worked before, the end to roaming charges across the European Union in June may make the SIM card even more attractive to the millions of Chinese tourists who flock to Europe every year.

 2017 AFP
Credit: University of Nottingham

The sight of people cleaning cars in disused petrol stations and by the side of the road is now a common scene in towns and cities across the country, but have you ever stopped and thought about whether the person polishing your car is being treated fairly?

Up and down the country 'cheap' car washes are being exposed as 'hives' of modern slavery. Employees are being poorly paid, are being provided with little or no protective equipment and are made to work long hours without breaks.

The UK government estimates that there are 13,000 slaves in the UK. Globally, there are 46 million slaves alive today. However, government agencies, such as the police, face barriers to the identification and prosecution of perpetrators.

However, government agencies, such as the police, are faced with barriers which can impact on how easily they can identify and prosecute the perpetrators.

"Although they might not be aware of it, people are faced with modern slavery in their everyday lives," said Dr Alexander Trautrims, an expert in supply chain management at Nottingham University Business School and the lead on the Unchained Supply, a Rights Lab project.

"The signs of labour exploitation are often hidden, and are often seen as somebody just being in a bad job, making it hard for the general public and law enforcement to identify victims.

"Whilst companies have to disclose certain information and data on their business activities, their performance and the impact they have on society, it is difficult to see whether the information they provide is always accurate."

With this in mind, Dr Trautrims and Dr Thomas Chesney, also from the Rights Lab, have developed a new computer programme which will enable government agencies to uncover businesses that are using slave labour without them ever having to step foot on the company premises.

The team of experts have created a tool which can help to verify if the data being provided by a company is accurate. To make this even easier, the programme enables interested parties, such as the police, to make these decisions, merely by observing the company's activities.

"By using this programme, we aim to scrutinise businesses or organisations by using data that is publically available, so that outsiders who have no access to company accounts can use proxies and assumptions around the business that allows them to see what is taking place within the company itself," said Dr Trautrims.

As the number of cheap car washes using modern day slaves is on the increase, the team felt that a good pilot for the programme would be a business such as this in Nottingham, to illustrate how it may be violating UK minimum wage regulations.

Dr Chesney says: "What we want from this programme is to be able to look and observe what is going on within a business and to create a model which captures the realistic behaviour behind it."

From an external perspective, Dr Trautrims and his team were able to count how many cars were being cleaned by the car wash in an hour. Using the charges per car displayed by the car wash, they were then able to calculate how much the company was making on average a day. They are also able to see how many workers are based at the business, and over the space of a month, the computer programme can use this data to determine the amount of profit the company is making.

As well as the data that the team can collect by observing the car wash, they also used Google traffic datawhich is publically available, and means that they don't have to sit and count the number of cars going past.

"Whilst a car wash is relatively open and easy to observe, a lot of businesses will be behind walls, so you can't see what is going on," says Dr Trautrims.

"There are ways around this though as what we can see, is what is going in to the building, and what is coming outlike with the Google traffic data. So for example, in a factory you can see how many vans are going in and coming out. You can then make assumptions which allow you to come up with a robust statement saying that whatever they are claiming to be doing in therecannot be true. We can prove it from our external observations, without having to raid a business or go into it.

"You could, for example scrutinise the costs the company is claiming to the tax office for personal protection equipment and then the size of the car park, and you could make the assumption that there isn't enough protection for the people who work there. Or you could do it the other way around and say that maybe there are more workers in there than you say there areand why aren't they being accounted for?"

Dr Chesney adds: "We are not saying that all car washes are illegitimate, but we want to put a system in place which can help law enforcement agencies to uncover the ones who ARE breaking the law.

"We are now looking at a whole range of applications where this programme could be used. For example- we're reviewing harvesting fields in Spain.

"We can easily see how many workers there are and how many oranges are coming out. If you are using slaves then that means you have workers that are not accounted for in any of your records. So you could have a farmer who sells a certain amount of cabbage and declares a profitbut then they are only declaring a certain number of workers in the fields who couldn't possibly have achieved the amount of harvested produce.

"Our aim is to create a monitoring system to assist law enforcement agencies and to help expose those who aren't treating their employees in the right way."

Detective Superintendent Austin Fuller, of Nottinghamshire Police said: "We are really excited about piloting this new programme. We worked closely with Dr Trautrims and Dr Chesney to help develop it and have high hopes about what it can achieve. We're really stepping up a gear now to combat this horrific abuse and exploring all avenues to prevent it from happening in Nottinghamshire. We continue to urge people to look out for the signs of modern slavery and report any suspicions as soon as possible."
An unnamed Swiss man was sentenced to three years for stealing the feathers of dozens of birds, including buzzards, red kites and a rare eagle owl

A Swiss hawk enthusiast was on Wednesday sentenced to three years behind bars for stealing more than 10,000 bird feathers worth an estimated $6 million from European museums.

A Basel court found the 45-year-old man, whose name was not given, guilty of aggravated theft and property damage between 2005 and 2012, and handed him a three-year prison sentence, the ATS news agency reported.

The court, which began hearing the case on Tuesday, also sentenced an accomplice to a 15-month suspended prison term.

The man would gain access to ornithology collections at various museums in countries including Switzerland, Germany and Austria, claiming he was doing scientific research, according to ATS.

He would then pluck feathers off exotic and valuable birds, stealing what were described as "very rare and precious objects, of inestimable scientific value".

His victims included red kites and buzzards, a variety of eagle and the endangered Usambara eagle owl of Tanzania.

The man was charged with the theft of feathers from 127 different species over more than seven years.

According to state prosecutors, the stolen feathers were worth a combined 427,000 Swiss francs ($443,000, 390,000 euros), while the various museums suffered an estimated six million Swiss francs ($6 million, 5.4 million euros) in damages.

Ever since the man's collection of some 10,500 feathers was seized in 2012, he has been undergoing psychotherapy to try to understand what led him to commit the thefts, ATS said.

 2017 AFP
Credit: Fauna & Flora International

Fantastic news for Liberian forest elephants as the President gives her formal signature for the immediate implementation of a National Elephant Action Plan.

In a pivotal turning point for elephant conservation, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has formally signed off on a National Elephant African Plan  devised by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and partners and funded by Stop Ivory  to help tackle the growing threats to the country's forest elephants.

This is a significant achievement that will place Liberia in a strong position internationally to attract much-needed support for elephant conservation.

Forest elephants are currently classified as a rarer subspecies of African elephants, although some experts now argue that they might be a separate species. An escalation in poaching means that forest elephants are severely threatened, with numbers thought to be as low as 300 individuals (though a lack of recent systematic studies makes it difficult to estimate numbers accurately). Among other things, the National Elephant Action Plan helps to identify specific actions and interventions for which targeted funding will be sought to address this data gap. This will include a nationwide baseline assessment of forest elephants  the first for Liberia.

Forest elephants captured via camera traps in Sapo National Park. Credit: FFI/FDA

"Essential step" for elephant conservation

West Africa has lost more than 90% of its suitable elephant habitat over the last 35 years, as a result of logging, mining and agriculture. This loss of habitat is highly detrimental for elephants as they require vast areas to roam, so their survival depends on safeguarding sites and the corridors connecting them. Forest elephants are only found in eight African countries, and among these countries, Liberia has the largest forest cover, so Liberia's population is extremely important.

The new National Elephant Action Plan will complement the broader African Elephant Action Plan by providing a guide for the protection and conservation of forest elephants in Liberia.

This is not the first time that Liberia has taken a leading stance on elephant conservation. In 2015, the country became the first West African countries to pledge support for the Elephant Protection Initiative  an African-led, intergovernmental initiative to protect elephants and stop illegal ivory trade. With the new action plan in place, Liberia will now be eligible for funding under this initiative.

Forest elephants captured via camera traps in Sapo National Park. Credit: FFI/FDA

"This action plan is an essential step in coordinating efforts at a national level," said Michelle Klailova, FFI's Liberia Programme Manager. "It will allow us to obtain a better understanding of the issues surrounding the distribution and conservation of Liberia's elephants, identify the key threats and establish a programme of measures to ensure the survival of the species in Liberia.

"The Liberian President's signature will ensure the ideas and objectives towards elephant conservation are not just theoretical but actually implemented through the action plan," she added.

FFI has been supporting conservation in Liberia since 1997 and  despite setbacks such as the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak (which, aside from the terrible human toll, halted conservation activities)  has seen great progress being made. This new commitment by the Liberian President is an encouraging step in showing the government's commitment to protecting its natural environment.
New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) shows how a policy aimed at ensuring the world's protected areas are "equitably managed" has potential to improve nature conservation and outcomes for local people, although current practices that treat it as a 'check box' exercise put the global goal at risk.

Governments that are signed up to the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity have committed to 'equitably' managed protected areas by 2020known as Aichi Target 11. Equity is considered important for ethical reasons, because conservation can have negative impacts on local populations. It also has a practical side: when local people view conservation management favourably, they are more likely to contribute to its long-term effectiveness.

The researchers argue that the way equity is defined and put into practice will have a huge influence on whether this target moves conservation forward or simply supports 'business as usual'. It comes at a time when protected areas are spreading and will soon cover 17 per cent of the world's land surface and 11 per cent of its oceans.

The findings, published in the journal Conservation Letters, provide examples from communities living next to conserved forests in Laos to reveal how an approach to pursuing equity that is open to local communities' perspectives of what is fair, could bring better outcomes for habitats and wildlife as well as some of the world's poorest people.

However, the policy is currently being interpreted as a reporting exercise dominated by the views of park managers, using simple indicators, and the study illustrates how such limited interpretations of equity may result in responses that sustain local perceptions of injustice and miss opportunities to improve nature conservation.

Lead researcher Dr Neil Dawson, of UEA's School of International Development, said: "Some wildlife parks restrict local people's access to land and resources, which has negative impacts on cultural practices and livelihoods. In some cases, evictions have led to human rights violations. There is increasing acknowledgement that when local people perceive that conservation is being carried out fairly, it leads to better conservation outcomes, such as reduced deforestation. We don't simply need to relabel indicators used in measuring policy impacts, the practice of conservation and associated development needs to change."

To understand what equity means, the study explored the perspectives of those living next to protected areas: what costs and benefits do they experience and consider fair; what types of decision making procedures do they consider appropriate; and what rights, cultural values and practices do they demand respect for.

The study, which was supported by the UK Government through the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) research programme, focused on a remote area of northern Laos. Researchers spent a year getting to know the key issues affecting people in three villages adjacent Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area. Established in the 1990s the forested landscape is home to tigers, clouded leopards, white-cheeked gibbons and other endangered species.

Life for those living alongside the protected area has changed profoundly in the space of a generation, from hunter-gathering and rice farming deep within the forests to living in modern villages, growing cash crops to supply international markets. But the forest and wildlife have not fared well in recent years - for example, the tiger population has declined from around 15 to as few as two.

The researchers found that the park boundaries, enforced in the mid-2000s, affected villages differently. Although incomes from farming had increased in all villages, land was much more restricted in one village near the centre of the conserved area, meaning field sizes and incomes were lower on average, and with yields decreasing as fields could not be left fallow. Park authorities noticed this, and decided to release land from the protected area as compensation for this unfair distribution of costs. However, that land did not fall into the hands of those who needed it most.

Dr Dawson explained: "While this may seem a fair solution, it directly compromises conservation, trading wildlife territory for people's welfare. This is exactly the scenario that many in conservation fear when fairness to people becomes a goal of conservation.

"In contrast, through listening to the views of local people and understanding their practices and perspectives, we found equity issues to be much more complex, and uncovered potential solutions to their problems to be much more compatible with conservation. These solutions included more transparent and consistent rule enforcement to prevent land being concentrated in the hands of wealthier villagers.

"Although indicators can provide useful understanding and comparison between sites," added Dr Dawson, "equity can most practically be considered a management goal to continually adapt towards, informed by ongoing efforts to build mutual understanding and trust to gain the meaningful involvement of local people.

More information: Neil Dawson et al, Assessing Equity in Protected Area Governance: Approaches to Promote Just and Effective Conservation, Conservation Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1111/conl.12388 Journal information: Conservation Letters
The rhizocephalan barnacle Sylon hippolytes (red sac-like structure) on its shrimp host (Pandalina brevirostris). Credit: C. Nagler, LMU Munich

The bigger the host, the better for its guests. That certainly holds for parasitic barnacles. A new study confirms the link and reveals the strategy adopted by these unusual crustaceans in the early phases of the evolution of their lifestyle.

Rhizocephalan barnacles (Rhizocephala) are parasitic relatives of the more familiar filter-feeding barnacles, and they infect and feed on decapod crustaceans. The parasites consist of an outer sac-like structure which encloses the reproductive organs, and root-like network which they use to penetrate the tissues of their unfortunate hosts. This mode of parasitism is relatively rare, which makes it difficult to gauge the size reached by these parasitic barnacles. Now a research team led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich biologist Christina Nagler and Professor Henrik Glenner of the University of Bergen in Norway has used micro-computer tomography (micro-CT) to non-invasively determine the relative volumes of parasite and host in this relationship. The results reveal that there is a positive correlation between the masses of parasite and host, i.e. the larger the host, the larger the parasite. In addition, the team has applied the micro-CT method to obtain new insights into the parasite's life-cycle, which shed light on their evolution. The study appears in the journal PLOS ONE.

The Rhizocephala belong to the class of parasites that attack the reproductive systems of their hosts, thus suppressing their reproduction. This in turn enables the parasite to exploit for its own benefit the energy which the host would otherwise invest in its reproduction to promote its own propagation. Parasitic barnacles can be divided into two groups, kentrogonids and akentrogonids, which differ in their competitive strategies. The life-cycle of the kentrogonids includes a free-living larval stage, which infects a new host. Kentrogonids also reproduce several times and release morphologically distinct types of eggs into the surrounding water. This increases the probability that their offspring will find new hosts in diverse environments. Akentrogonid larvae, on the other hand, infect their hosts immediately after hatching. They are therefore less likely to be picked off by predators, but this comes at a price: The brevity of the larval phase restricts their distribution. Nagler and colleagues investigated the population dynamics of a kentrogonid and an akentrogonid species. The results showed that the akentrogonid has a high rate of reproduction, and produces large numbers of relatively small eggs. It therefore follows what is known as the r-strategy. The kentrogonid, in contrast, produces fewer progeny, which emerge from eggs that are larger than those of the akentrogonid species and thus require greater parental investment. This pattern of resource allocation conforms to the so-called K-strategy.

Three-dimensional model of a parasitic barnacle (S. hippolytes) on its shrimp host (P. brevirostris), showing the inner network (yellow) elaborated by the parasite, the parasite's reproductive organ (green) and its eggs (turquoise). Credit: C. Nagler, LMU Munich

"We know from molecular phylogenetic studies that the kentrogonids are ancestral to the akentrogenids. Our new results therefore imply that the earliest rhizocephalan barnacles continued to follow the K strategy of their ancestors, the filter-feeding barnacles. The latter are sessile organisms, and therefore inhabit a secure and stable environment, which provides relatively constant living conditions, and is compatible with the adoption of the K-strategy," Nagler explains. "When the akentrogonids emerged, they tend more to a r-strategy, which is advantageous in fluctuating environments." The team now plans to extend the micro-CT method to explore the dynamics of host-parasite interactions involving other species.

The rhizocephalan barnacle Peltogaster curvatus (arrow) on its host, the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. Credit: C. Nagler, LMU Munich
The Well-Being Map is an interactive, freely available tool based on the statistical language analysis of more than 37 billion publicly shared, geo-tagged tweets and on regional demographic data. Credit: World Well-Being Project, University of Pennsylvania

It's no secret that communities across the United States differ greatly. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's World Well-Being Project sought a simple way to capture, explore and share such differences on a large scale. Their end goal: to provide individuals with valuable insights about where they live and offer comparisons to other communities.

The result is the Well-Being Map, an interactive, freely available tool based on the statistical language analysis of more than 37 billion publicly shared, geo-tagged tweets and on regional demographic data.

For every United States county, the map displays scores for a range of characteristics: well-being and personality traits like openness and extraversion, for example, plus government-reported health and socioeconomic factors such as heart-disease mortality and unemployment. Select a single trait to explore each county's measurements for that trait, or select two traits at once to compare how the traits differ across counties. Top 10 lists show the highest- and lowest-scoring counties in the nation and within every state for each characteristic, and a County Profiles page allows users to enter a county name and see how that county ranks in the nation for all reported characteristics.

If the project's scope sounds massive, that's because it was more than five years in the making, the long-term goal of the World Well-Being Project or WWBP itself, said Johannes Eichstaedt, a Penn postdoctoral fellow who co-founded WWBP, part of the University's Positive Psychology Center, and led the map's creation.

"The World Well-Being Project was established on the idea that we can measure psychological states of large populations in real time by analyzing their social media content," he said. "To get here, we collected huge data sets, built language-based prediction models, ran those models over tweets and demographic information and extracted language patterns associated with specific traits."

Such a process has proven successful in research to this point. In February 2015, Eichstaedt and colleagues published a study in the journal Psychological Science revealing that Twitter language can predict an area's rate of heart disease.

In the past half-decade, the 20 or so Penn scientists involved with the WWBP continue to promote significant research findings that come out of evaluating social media posts. But founding project member Lyle Ungar, a Penn professor with appointments in Medicine, Arts & Sciences, and at Wharton, said he wants the map to reach an even broader audience than did the academic work alone.

"I hope people will just want to play around with it. If I were considering moving somewhere in the U.S., I would want to know how happy people are there," Ungar said. "County-level psychological profiles are really, really important. What people are like in different areas affects economic and health outcomes as well as happiness."

Christie Versagli, WWBP's web development director who designed the map's web interface, said ideally the tool would influence policymaking, too.

She offers as an example a local government wanting to understand the effect of its policy decisions, such as the introduction of new exercise facilities. By analyzing local tweets to measure the well-being within that county before and after the investment, officials could determine its relative impact, such as changes in depression levels. Eichstaedt said the British government has already successfully field-tested similar evidence-based governing.

"The better you can measure," he added, "the better you can make these decisions."

Digging deeper within the map's data could also uncover "personality profiles" of communities, identifying places that need additional support, said Anneke Buffone, WWBP's lead research scientist. "We're looking for areas where we, as a country, can do better," she said. "By analyzing social media, we can get unexpected, in-depth insights into the processes that drive happiness and illness."

Though the map is now up and running, the WWBP team plans to keep adding enhancements. The ultimate goal is a live version showing real-time assessments of Tweets as they occur, especially during major events like a Presidential election, the Super Bowl, or a natural disaster.

"This event is happening right now. Everyone's tweeting about it. How are they feeling about it? Is one region responding differently than another? The map could reveal the immediate impact of an event in several different ways," Versagli said. "This is the type of modern measurement we're moving toward."

Staying true to its name, the World Well-Being Project plans to expand the map beyond the United States, partnering with groups in Spain, Mexico, Britain and China to uncover how social media can reveal well-being findings across the globe. Eichstaedt said he is also using the map's information to delve further into his own research. "We are looking around in the happy U.S. counties and comparing them to happy areas in other parts of the world, to understand how happiness unfolds across different cultures" he said.

Funding for the Well-Being Map was made possible by a grant from the Templeton Religion Trust.
Can Bell correlations be explained by retrocausal influences? Figure shows an influence diagram representing the possible causal influences in a model with no retrocausality. Credit: Leifer and Pusey. 2017 The Royal Society

(Phys.org)Although there are many counterintuitive ideas in quantum theory, the idea that influences can travel backwards in time (from the future to the past) is generally not one of them. However, recently some physicists have been looking into this idea, called "retrocausality," because it can potentially resolve some long-standing puzzles in quantum physics. In particular, if retrocausality is allowed, then the famous Bell tests can be interpreted as evidence for retrocausality and not for action-at-a-distancea result that Einstein and others skeptical of that "spooky" property may have appreciated.

In a new paper published in Proceedings of The Royal Society A, physicists Matthew S. Leifer at Chapman University and Matthew F. Pusey at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics have lent new theoretical support for the argument that, if certain reasonable-sounding assumptions are made, then quantum theory must be retrocausal.

The appeal of retrocausality

First, to clarify what retrocausality is and isn't: It does not mean that signals can be communicated from the future to the pastsuch signaling would be forbidden even in a retrocausal theory due to thermodynamic reasons. Instead, retrocausality means that, when an experimenter chooses the measurement setting with which to measure a particle, that decision can influence the properties of that particle (or another particle) in the past, even before the experimenter made their choice. In other words, a decision made in the present can influence something in the past.

In the original Bell tests, physicists assumed that retrocausal influences could not happen. Consequently, in order to explain their observations that distant particles seem to immediately know what measurement is being made on the other, the only viable explanation was action-at-a-distance. That is, the particles are somehow influencing each other even when separated by large distances, in ways that cannot be explained by any known mechanism. But by allowing for the possibility that the measurement setting for one particle can retrocausally influence the behavior of the other particle, there is no need for action-at-a-distanceonly retrocausal influence.

Generalizing retrocausality: with or without a real quantum state

One of the main proponents of retrocausality in quantum theory is Huw Price, a philosophy professor at the University of Cambridge. In 2012, Price laid out an argument suggesting that any quantum theory that assumes that 1) the quantum state is real, and 2) the quantum world is time-symmetric (that physical processes can run forwards and backwards while being described by the same physical laws) must allow for retrocausal influences. Understandably, however, the idea of retrocausality has not caught on with physicists in general.

"There is a small group of physicists and philosophers that think this idea is worth pursuing, including Huw Price and Ken Wharton [a physics professor at San Jose State University]," Leifer told Phys.org. "There is not, to my knowledge, a generally agreed upon interpretation of quantum theory that recovers the whole theory and exploits this idea. It is more of an idea for an interpretation at the moment, so I think that other physicists are rightly skeptical, and the onus is on us to flesh out the idea."

In the new study, Leifer and Pusey attempt to do this by generalizing Price's argument, which perhaps makes it more appealing in light of other recent research. They begin by removing Price's first assumption, so that the argument holds whether the quantum state is real or nota matter that is still of some debate. A quantum state that is not real would describe physicists' knowledge of a quantum system rather than being a true physical property of the system. Although most research suggests that the quantum state is real, it is difficult to confirm one way or the other, and allowing for retrocausality may provide insight into this question. Allowing for this openness regarding the reality of the quantum state is one of the main motivations for investigating retrocausality in general, Leifer explained.

"The reason I think that retrocausality is worth investigating is that we now have a slew of no-go results about realist interpretations of quantum theory, including Bell's theorem, Kochen-Specker, and recent proofs of the reality of the quantum state," he said. "These say that any interpretation that fits into the standard framework for realist interpretations must have features that I would regard as undesirable. Therefore, the only options seem to be to abandon realism or to break out of the standard realist framework.

"Abandoning realism is quite popular, but I think that this robs science of much of its explanatory power and so it is better to find realist accounts where possible. The other option is to investigate more exotic realist possibilities, which include retrocausality, relationalism, and many-worlds. Aside from many-worlds, these have not been investigated much, so I think it is worth pursuing all of them in more detail. I am not personally committed to the retrocausal solution over and above the others, but it does seem possible to formulate it rigorously and investigate it, and I think that should be done for several of the more exotic possibilities."

Can't have both time symmetry and no-retrocausality

In their paper, Leifer and Pusey also reformulate the usual idea of time symmetry in physics, which is based on reversing a physical process by replacing t with t in the equations of motion. The physicists develop a stronger concept of time symmetry here in which reversing a process is not only possible but that the probability of occurrence is the same whether the process is going forward or backward.

The physicists' main result is that a quantum theory that assumes both this kind of time symmetry and that retrocausality is not allowed runs into a contradiction. They describe an experiment illustrating this contradiction, in which the time symmetry assumption requires that the forward and backward processes have the same probabilities, but the no-retrocausality assumption requires that they are different.

So ultimately everything boils down to the choice of whether to keep time symmetry or no-retrocausality, as Leifer and Pusey's argument shows that you can't have both. Since time symmetry appears to be a fundamental physical symmetry, they argue that it makes more sense to allow for retrocausality. Doing so would eliminate the need for action-at-a-distance in Bell tests, and it would still be possible to explain why using retrocausality to send information is forbidden.

"The case for embracing retrocausality seems stronger to me for the following reasons," Leifer said. "First, having retrocausality potentially allows us to resolve the issues raised by other no-go theorems, i.e., it enables us to have Bell correlations without action-at-a-distance. So, although we still have to explain why there is no signaling into the past, it seems that we can collapse several puzzles into just one. That would not be the case if we abandon time symmetry instead.

"Second, we know that the existence of an arrow of time already has to be accounted for by thermodynamic arguments, i.e., it is a feature of the special boundary conditions of the universe and not itself a law of physics. Since the ability to send signals only into the future and not into the past is part of the definition of the arrow of time, it seems likely to me that the inability to signal into the past in a retrocausal universe could also come about from special boundary conditions, and does not need to be a law of physics. Time symmetry seems less likely to emerge in this way (in fact, we usually use thermodynamics to explain how the apparent time asymmetry that we observe in nature arises from time-symmetric laws, rather than the other way round)."

As the physicists explain further, the whole idea of retrocausality is so difficult to accept because we don't ever see it anywhere else. The same is true of action-at-a-distance. But that doesn't mean that we can assume that no-retrocausality and no-action-at-a-distance are true of reality in general. In either case, physicists want to explain why one of these properties emerges only in certain situations that are far removed from our everyday observations.

"One way of looking at all the no-go theorems is in terms of fine-tunings," Leifer explained. "You notice a property of the predictions of the theory and you assume that this property is also true of reality. Then you show that this is incompatible with reproducing the predictions of quantum theory and you have a no-go theorem.

"For example, in Bell's Theorem, we notice that we cannot send superluminal signals so we assume there are no superluminal influences in reality, but this gets us into conflict with the experimentally observed predictions. Notice that it is not really superluminal influences per se that are the biggest problem. If we were able to send signals faster than light we would simply say, 'Oh well, Einstein was wrong. Relativity theory is just incorrect.' And then get on with doing physics. But that is not what happened: no signaling still holds on the level of what we observe, it is just that there is a tension between this and what must be going on in reality to reproduce what we observe. If there are superluminal influences, then why can't we observe them directly? This is the puzzle that cries out for explanation."

Implications and questioning assumptions

If retrocausality is a feature of the quantum world, then it would have vast implications for physicists' understanding of the foundations of quantum theory. Perhaps the biggest significance is the implication for the Bell tests, showing that distant particles really cannot influence each other, but ratheras Einstein and others believedthat quantum theory is incomplete. If the new results are true, then retrocausality may be one of the missing pieces that makes quantum theory complete.

"I think that different interpretations [of quantum theory] have different implications for how we might go about generalizing standard quantum theory," Leifer said. "This might be needed to construct the correct theory of quantum gravity, or even to resolve some issues in high-energy physics given that the unification of the other three forces is still up in the air in the light of LHC results. So I think that future theories built on the ideas of existing interpretations are where we might see a difference, but admittedly we are quite far from figuring out how this might work at present.

"Speculatively, if there is retrocausality in the universe, then it might be the case that there are certain eras, perhaps near the big bang, in which there is not a definite arrow of causality. You might imagine that a signature of such an era might show up in cosmological data, such as the cosmic microwave background. However, this is very speculative, and I have no idea what signatures we might expect yet."

The physicists don't have any experiments lined up to test retrocausalitybut as the idea is more an interpretation of observations rather than making new observations, what's needed most may not be a test but more theoretical support.

"As far as direct experimental tests of retrocausality go, the status is not much different from other things in the foundations of quantum mechanics," Leifer said. "We never test one assumption in isolation, but always in conjunction with many others, and then we have to decide which one to reject on other grounds. For example, you might think that Bell experiments show that nature is nonlocal, but only if you have first decided to accept other assumptions, such as realism and no-retrocausality. So, you might say that Bell experiments already provide evidence for retrocausality if you are disinclined to reject realism or locality. Similarly, the kind of experiments we describe in our paper provide some evidence for retrocausality, but only if you refuse to reject the other assumptions.

"In fact, the situation is really the same in all scientific experiments. There are a host of assumptions about the workings of the experimental apparatus that you have to accept in order to conclude that the experiment shows the effect you are looking for. It is just that, in the case of quantum foundations, the subject is very controversial, so we are more likely to question basic assumptions than we are in the case of, say, a medical drug trial. However, such assumptions are always there and it is always possible to question them."

More information: Matthew S. Leifer and Matthew F. Pusey. "Is a time symmetric interpretation of quantum theory possible without retrocausality?" Proceedings of The Royal Society A. DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2016.0607 . Also at arXiv:1607.07871 [quant-ph] Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society A

 2017 Phys.org
Phase-aligned radio and gamma-ray profiles of J17323131. The continuous blue line shows the 327 MHz average profile from 2014 observations and the dashed-dotted-dashed red curve shows the gamma-ray profile. The horizontal extent of the grey shade on either side of the radio profile indicates the uncertainty in phase corresponding to 1 error in DM. For clarity, both the profiles are duplicated and plotted over a range spanning two rotations of the pulsar. Credit: Maan et al., 2017.

(Phys.org)A team of astronomers led by Yogesh Maan of the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) has discovered radio emission from the gamma-ray pulsar known as J17323131. The study, presented in a paper published June 26 on arXiv.org, provides more details about J17323131, which was originally detected as a radio-quiet pulsar.

Gamma-ray pulsars are rotating neutron stars emitting gamma-ray photons. Some of them also showcase radio emission that is often difficult to detect. This is most probably due to the fact that their narrow radio beams miss the sightline towards Earth.

Located nearly 2,000 light years away from the Earth, J17323131 has a rotation period of about 196 milliseconds and is one such gamma-ray pulsar with hart-to-identify radio emission. The pulsar was found thanks to the data provided by the large area telescope (LAT) onboard NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. So far, only a faint radio signal from this pulsar was detected at 34 MHz in 2012.

More recently, Maan's team, motivated by previous faint detections, conducted follow-up observations of J17323131 between March 2014 and April 2015, using the Ooty radio telescope (ORT), located in Muthorai, India. This 530-meter-long and 30-meter-wide cylindrical paraboloid telescope allowed the researchers to observe the pulsar at 327 MHz, which resulted in detection of a faint periodic radio signal.

"We report an extensive follow-up of the pulsar at 327 MHz with the Ooty radio telescope. Using the previously observed radio characteristics, and with an effective integration time of 60 hours, we present a detection of the pulsar at a confidence level of 99.82 percent," the authors of the study wrote in the paper.

The astronomers estimate that the 327 MHz mean flux density of J17323131 is between 0.5 and 0.8 mJy and the spectral index in the range from 2.4 to 3.0.

More importantly, however, the 1,400 MHz pseudo-luminosity of the pulsar is only between 2.2 and 8.9 Jy kpc2, which suggests that J17323131 is one of the least luminous pulsars known to date.

According to the scientists, their research provides new clues about gamma-ray pulsars in general, which could improve their understanding of these peculiar neutron stars. They noted that some of the radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsars might actually be very faint radio sources, and therefore not detectable in the radio searches using current generation telescopes. That is why the researchers call for more studies of such pulsars using more powerful radio telescopes.

"The high sensitivity of upcoming radio telescopes like square kilometre array (SKA) and the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) will enable radio detection, and facilitate better studies of such pulsars," the paper reads.

SKA is a large, multi-radio telescope network being built in Australia and South Africa, which is expected to start initial observations in 2020. FAST is the world's largest filled-aperture radio telescope, located in China. It achieved first light in September 2016, and is currently undergoing testing and commissioning.

More information: Detection of radio emission from the gamma-ray pulsar J1732-3131 at 327 MHz, arXiv:1706.08613 [astro-ph.HE] arxiv.org/abs/1706.08613 Abstract

Although originally discovered as a radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsar, J1732-3131 has exhibited intriguing detections at decameter wavelengths. We report an extensive follow-up of the pulsar at 327 MHz with the Ooty radio telescope. Using the previously observed radio characteristics, and with an effective integration time of 60 hrs, we present a detection of the pulsar at a confidence level of 99.82%. The 327 MHz mean flux density is estimated to be 0.5-0.8 mJy, which establishes the pulsar to be a steep spectrum source and one of the least-luminous pulsars known to date. We also phase-aligned the radio and gamma-ray profiles of the pulsar, and measured the phase-offset between the main peaks in the two profiles to be 0.240.06. We discuss the observed phase-offset in the context of various trends exhibited by the radio-loud gamma-ray pulsar population, and suggest that the gamma-ray emission from J1732-3131 is best explained by outer magnetosphere models. Details of our analysis leading to the pulsar detection, and measurements of various parameters and their implications relevant to the pulsar's emission mechanism are presented.

 2017 Phys.org
Credit: University of Manchester

Researchers at the University of Manchester have discovered a new species of yeast that could help brewers create better lager.

Working in collaboration with the National Collection of Yeast Cultures (NCYC), the team say it is a new of member of the Saccharomyces family and is closely related to the familiar brewers' and bakers' yeast.

However, this new species was found at altitude, growing more than 1000 metres above sea level on an oak tree in Saint Auban, in the foothills of the French Alps. To survive at this altitude, the yeast has developed an ability to tolerate colder conditions than most other known strains of Saccharomyces yeasts.

Professor Daniela Delneri, from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology at The University of Manchester, said: "This ability is of interest to brewers, as lagers rely on yeasts that thrive in the cold; it also open the opportunity to create arrays of novel yeast hybrids with improved biotechnological traits."

Yeasts also play a major role in many industrial biotechnology applications that rely on their fermentation, and a yeast that operates at lower temperatures opens up potential new applications in this field.

Dr Steve James from (NCYC), which is based on the Norwich Research Park, said: "This is the first new species belonging to the brewing yeast family to be discovered since 2011. It's really exciting to find this new Saccharomyces yeast, as it extends even further the genetic diversity from which we can draw in the yeast gene pool."

As well as their familiar roles in brewing and baking, yeasts are one of the best model organisms scientists use to study how cells work. This has placed them at the forefront of synthetic biology, the emerging area of science that seeks to design biological systems useful purposes. Collections like that held by NCYC, with its over 4,000 different strains of yeast, are rich gene banks from which a myriad of different functions can be selected and engineered into new yeasts for specific purposes.

Despite there being many thousands of yeast strains catalogued in similar collections around the world, it's estimated that we've only identified a small proportion, perhaps as little as 10%, of what exists in nature.

The search for more yeast diversity drove the team from the University of Manchester to search for new yeasts at higher altitudes, as the vast majority of known yeasts derive from lower areas. Dozens of different yeast samples were collected from oak trees, a particularly rich source of yeasts, and surrounding soils, and cold-tolerant strains were isolated based on their ability to grow at lower temperatures than most other yeasts. The Manchester scientists then teamed up with specialists in yeast taxonomy at the NCYC to sift through what they had found.

Most of the isolates were found to be known species, but two were confirmed through DNA sequencing and genetic testing to belong to an entirely new species.

Dr Samina Naseeb, a research associate from the University of Manchester added, "It was incredibly exciting when we realised that we discovered a new cold-tolerant species which can also ferment maltose efficiently."
Credit: Wake Forest University

Every eight hours, a rhinoceros is slaughtered in South Africa. Rhino poaching in South Africa surged from 83 in 2008 to a record 1,215 in 2014 to meet demands by newly-affluent Asian countries, where the horn is a key ingredient in traditional medicines.

To help stem the tide of rhino poaching, some biotech companies are seeking to develop and manufacture synthetic horns that are identical to the real thing.

"The thinking is that if bio-identical synthetic horns are available at a substantially lower price than wild horns, people will choose to buy synthetic ones, which will reduce incentives to poach rhinos," said Wake Forest University economist Frederick Chen.

But the answer is not that simple.

In a published paper in June 2017, "The Economics of Synthetic Rhino Horns," Chen's research shows that, for conservation purposes, it may be beneficial to produce inferior fake horns - synthetic horns that are engineered to be undesirable in some respect but difficult for buyers to distinguish from wild horns.

Doing so would reduce demand for horns in general and lower prices since consumers who cannot identify a real horn from a fake one may be less likely to purchase one at all.

Here's why.

"This proposal makes use of a phenomenon in economics known as adverse selection, which occurs when buyers in a market are unable to distinguish between high- and low-quality products. This lack of information can drive down prices enough that high-quality products, which in this case would be real rhino horns, would cease to be supplied by sellers," said Chen.

To create buyer uncertainty regarding product quality in the horn market, the synthetic product and the real McCoy should be difficult for the average buyer to tell apart. To have products of differing quality levels in the market, the synthetic horns should be engineered to be substantially inferior in some aspect so that buyers would place a significantly lower value on the fake horns compared to the real ones.

However, it is not in the business interest of profit-seeking producers to sell synthetic horns that consumers would find undesirable.

"If the goal is conservation, simply having biotech companies that want to make money produce synthetic horns probably isn't going to solve the poaching problem since they would rather keep demand and price of horns high to increase their bottom line. And that, of course, would be bad for the rhinos."

Chen's research suggests that to drive out wild horn suppliers, governments and conservation groups need to create policies or incentives that are more likely to ensure protection for rhinos. These might include:

Subsidizing companies that produce synthetic horns to incentivize them to increase production and thereby drive down horn prices.

Promoting competition on the production side of synthetic horns. Competition on the production side will put downward pressure on prices by raising the market supply.

Making it easier or less costly for nonprofit organizations to invest in or acquire the technology for producing synthetic horns. Without a profit incentive, these organizations could make a high enough quantity of bio-identical synthetic horns to drive down horn prices sufficiently to cause wild horn suppliers to exit the market. Nonprofits could also produce inferior synthetic horns that are difficult to distinguish from real horns to create uncertainty in the market and drive out wild horn suppliers through adverse selection.

"The main lesson provided by these results is that the market structure of the synthetic horn sector and the type of synthetic horns that are produced matter greatly in determining how much - and what kind of - effect the availability of synthetic horns would have on wild horn supply," Chen said.
Large, white chicken egg surrounded by small quail eggs. Credit: Isabela C. Santos

Tiny Japanese quail eggs are a small niche market in the United States, but they're a big business in Brazil where they are sold fresh in grocery stores in egg cartons that hold 30 of the small, speckled delicacies, and are a hard-boiled staple on restaurant salad bars. Recent research from the University of Illinois helps Brazilian producers understand the birds' behavior under wind and temperature variables and suggests environmental changes to boost their egg-laying productivity.

"A study like this one is an interesting collaborative effort between animal science and engineering," says U of I researcher Richard Gates. "Animal scientists tend to think that nutrition and genetics are the primary drivers. Engineers are adamant that facilities and environment are the key. The reality is that it is the interaction of a lot of factors."

Gates is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at U of I. He says he does a lot of cross-disciplinary work. "I'm the 'token' engineer in a lot of different projects. Many projects are about the impact of the housing systemsthe interior environment on welfare, behavior, productivity for various types of animals and the exterior environmental impacts."

The study was prompted by an invitation from the manager of a large, hen laying operation in Brazil to tour the facilities of his more recent venturequail production. On the visit, Gates found long, narrow poultry sheds situated like a trellised vineyard of buildings on the side of the mountain. Each building containing three rows of quail cages running lengthwise.

"Because it's on the side of a mountain, there is a lot of wind," Gates says. "The buildings are naturally ventilated with open side walls. Vinyl curtains can be pulled up to block extreme weather when needed. The manager noticed that when the wind hit the birds in cages on the outside perimeter, they saw big behavioral changes when compared with the birds on the inside row of cages that are more sheltered from the strongest wind. He asked us for help in understanding how wind and temperature affected the quail. He was noticing that when it was what we would consider to be a comfortable temperature, the quail were being cold stressed."

For the study, six climate-controlled quail chambers were used on the Universidade Federal de Vicosa campus in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Each chamber contains an air conditioning system, a humidifier, a watering system for the quail, and a tube to create an air jet that simulates wind.

The air velocity ranged from still air, zero wind to 7 mph wind and the temperatures were 63, 73.4, 84, and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The quails' behaviors were observed under varying combinations of wind velocity and temperature that they would be subjected to under normal conditions. The behaviors were described as 1) eating or drinking, 2) stopping, resting, or posturing, 3) opening wings, bristling, or other movements associated with the birds feeling hot or cold, and 4) any other behaviors, such as chasing each other, that don't fit into one of the categories.

"Temperature and wind velocity affect how much the quails ate. When temperatures are higher, the quail ate less," Gates says. "But it also turns out that sometimes wind is a good thing. One of the major observations is that when it's hot and there is a breeze, more birds were observed eating. There isn't a good way to control the temperature in these quail sheds. So, when it's hot outside, it gets even hotter inside. What this shows is that producers really need to come up with ways to take advantage of the windnot just putting the curtain up and downbut find ways to get a breeze circulating to those inside rows of cages as well.

"We now know that if the birds are heat stressed, but air movement is provided, it helps them cope with the heat," he adds. "When they're happier, more comfortable, they're going to eat more. And if they eat more, they maintain their egg production. That's the balance that we're after."

In terms of cold temperatures, Gates says producers can close the curtains. "When we did the study, we find there is very little difference in the quails' behavior at the colder temperatures."

The study was conducted at a time when the quails' egg production would be most sensitive, but Gates says the length of the study and the various wind and temperature changes weren't long enough to reflect significant changes in their egg production.

The findings from this study, although conducted in Brazil, hold true for Japanese quail production anywhere in the world. "It provides baseline information for how we would expect quail to behave under very different environmental conditions," Gates says.

More information: The study, "Behavior of Japanese quail in different air velocities and air temperatures," is published in Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira.
A burrowing bettong. Credit: Thomas J Hunt

A study of burrowing bettongs in the Australian desert has shown for the first time that exposing threatened native animals to small numbers of predators in the wild teaches them how to avoid their enemies.

A study of burrowing bettongs in the Australian desert has shown for the first time that exposing threatened native animals to small numbers of predators in the wild teaches them how to avoid their enemies.

The little Australian marsupials, Bettongia leseuer, were once widespread across Australia but are now found only on off-shore islands or in fenced reserves, mainly due to predation by introduced feral cats and red foxes.

The new findings, by a UNSW-led team of scientists, could assist in their successful reintroduction to the mainland.

"Australian native species have not evolved with cats and foxes and so have not learnt the behaviours that can help them avoid being killed," says study senior author and UNSW scientist Dr Katherine Moseby.

"This prey naivety is thought to be the reason why most efforts to reintroduce threatened species outside fenced reserves and islands fail.

"The idea for our study came from facing the reality that we are unlikely to ever completely eradicate cats and foxes from Australia. We decided to address the issue of prey naivety by exposing native animals to low densities of real introduced predators in the wild in an attempt to stimulate learning and natural selection," Dr Moseby says.

The study, by researchers from UNSW, Arid Recovery and the University of California Los Angeles, is published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

The researchers introduced 352 burrowing bettongs into a 26 square-kilometre paddock with four de-sexed male feral cats. They studied three anti-predator behaviours in individual bettongs during an 18-month period  how soon they fled when approached, their behaviour in traps and how vigilant they were at feed trays.

As a control, another group of bettongs was kept in a paddock without any cats present.

"Previous attempts to train animals to avoid predators have been carried out in laboratories or in captivity, with animals exposed to images, models or real predators. But these approaches rarely improve survival," says study first author and UNSW scientist Dr Rebecca West.

"We wanted to see if animals could be trained in the wild by controlling the numbers of predators so the native animals had a chance to learn without their population being wiped out. This is the first time the technique has been tried in the wild.

"We found that bettongs exposed to cats became harder to approach, displayed more hiding behaviour in traps and started to show increased wariness when feeding in comparison to the control group of bettongs.

A burrowing bettong. Credit: Hugh McGregor.

"Our results show that real predator exposure can change behaviour," Dr West says.

Co-author and UNSW Associate Professor Mike Letnic adds: "The next stage of our research will be to test whether these behaviour changes lead to improved survival and whether accelerated natural selection can further improve the behavioural response."

Dr West says the study results provide hope that Australia's threatened mammals may one day return to the mainland where they belong.

"It might take many generations before predator exposure training will improve survival in the wild but our results suggest a positive step in the right direction to allowing our native threatened species to co-exist with introduced predators into the future," she says.
University of Wisconsin System officials are planning to give UW-Madison a smaller share of new state funding under an operating budget proposal released this week.

Each System institution stands to receive more money from the state under the spending plan, but the proposed operating budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year calls for taking $6.5 million in new funding that would have gone to UW-Madison and distributing it among other campuses.

Leaders of the flagship institution say they are willing to take a smaller percentage of funding as a one-time measure to help campuses that have been hit hard by budget cuts in prior years, but added they are concerned about the size of the reduction.

It could be the latest sign that UW officials want institutions outside of Madison to receive a greater percentage of state funding in the future.

The Systems $6.2 billion operating budget, which the Board of Regents is set to approve during its meeting Thursday in Madison, also increases student fees and on-campus housing costs, while holding tuition flat as mandated by legislators.

Although lawmakers have not finished the 2017-19 state budget, System officials based their one-year operating budget on the UW funding plan approved by the Legislatures Joint Finance Committee in May.

If that plan passes, the System would receive an additional $25 million per year that was lapsed from UWs funding in the prior state budget. The state would also provide $36.2 million over two years in other new funding, including $26.3 million in the second year of the budget that would be tied to how UW institutions perform in certain metrics.

Under the operating budget proposal released Monday, UW officials would not distribute the $25 million increase using the enrollment-based formula they typically use to divide money among institutions  a plan that directs the lions share of funding to UW-Madison.

Instead, they would use a different formula that shrinks UW-Madisons allocation of the new money by more than two-thirds: Whereas the campus would have received an additional $9.4 million under the prior formula, it stands to receive $2.9 million.

Other System campuses would in turn get bigger shares of the state money  UW-Milwaukee would be the biggest beneficiary, receiving an additional $1.7 million.

UW-Whitewater would get an extra $1 million, while other System institutions would receive between $205,300 and $423,600 in additional funding.

We want all our institutions to be strong, and this one-time distribution of the $25 million lapse that was returned to the UW System will help support our campuses, System spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said.

UW-Madison will receive about $2 million in other new taxpayer money for several initiatives in the state budget, including funding for cancer research and a controversial new public policy center named for former Gov. Tommy Thompson.

UW-Madison spokesman John Lucas wrote in an email that Chancellor Rebecca Blank understands the financial challenges other System institutions are facing and is willing to share some portion of the funding her campus typically receives.

But a redirection of this size is deeply concerning, Lucas added, and will make it even more difficult for the campus to make the kinds of investments needed to maintain its excellence.

System officials wrote in their budget proposal that the plan distributes funding based on the unique missions of UW institutions, as well as their abilities to generate revenue from sources other than the state government. Budget documents submitted to the Regents and posted online prior to their meeting did not specify how the new formula weighted those factors.

It would not be the first time the System has tweaked its funding formula in a way that gives UW-Madison less money  UW leaders similarly directed more funding to other campuses in their operating budget two years ago.

Higher education experts have speculated that System officials are looking to change how they distribute funding among campuses in the wake of state budget cuts that have hit smaller institutions and those with declining enrollment, such as UW-Milwaukee and UW-Eau Claire, particularly hard. UW-Milwaukee faculty have called for their campus to receive more of the Systems funding.

While UW-Madison made cutbacks in response to reduced state funding, it has other sources of revenue cushioning the blow that other campuses lack, such as the money it pulls in from growing pools of out-of-state and international students and its large alumni base.

Marquis acknowledged in March that UW officials were considering changes to the funding formula, but said at the time that no decisions had been made.

Budget raises fees, room rates

While tuition for in-state undergraduates will not rise under a freeze lawmakers are expected to extend through the next two schools years in the state budget, the Systems spending plan calls for new increases to other student costs.

Segregated fees, room rates and meal plan costs would rise by a combined average of $219 per student around the System.

At UW-Madison, segregated fees are set to tick up by $45 to fund new programs and positions at University Health Services addressing mental health on campus and to pay for new equipment that will fill the Southeast Recreational Facility after a renovation that starts later this summer.

A $226 per-student increase to on-campus housing costs at UW-Madison is being driven by the renovation of Witte Hall and a project replacing doors and locks in dorm buildings, according to budget documents.
Computer scientists have developed a system that requires only a web camera to capture a person's movements digitally in 3-D. Credit: Oliver Dietze

Many applications require that people and their movements are captured digitally in 3-D in real-time. Until now, this was possible only with expensive systems of several cameras, or by having people wear special suits. Computer scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science have developed a system that requires only a single video camera. It can even estimate the 3-D pose of a person acting in a pre-recorded video, for instance a YouTube video.

"This lets you capture video with your cell phone out in the Alps and do body tracking. Doing this in 3D, in real-time and just with a camera like the one on your mobile devicethat is a big leap," reports Dushyant Mehta, PhD student in the Graphics, Vision and Video Group headed by Professor Christian Theobalt at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbruecken (MPI).

Together with his colleagues, he developed a software system that needs only a conventional camera to digitally capture a person, along with their movements, in real-time. "So far, several video cameras, or a so-called depth camera as in the Kinect, have been necessary for this task," explains Srinath Sridhar, also a researcher in the Graphics, Vision and Video Group.

The new system is based on a neural network which researchers call a "convolutional neural network", or CNN for short, that is often associated with the term "deep learning". The MPI researchers have developed a new method to calculate the three-dimensional pose of the person from the two-dimensional information of the video streams with the aid of a neural network.

A short video on their website, produced by the scientists, shows what this looks like. A researcher juggles with clubs in the back of a room, while in the foreground a monitor shows the corresponding video recording. The figure of the researcher is here superimposed by a simplified, red stick figure. Another 3D view shows the motion from the side, showing that, for the first time, the full 3D pose is captured in real-time. No matter how fast or how far the researcher moves or extends his or her limbs, the stick figure makes the same movements in 3D, just like the more fleshed-out virtual character version in the virtual space, shown on another monitor to the left.

The researchers call their system "VNect". The system both predicts both the 3D pose of the person in the image and localizes the person in the image. This allows the system to avoid wasting computations on image regions which don't contain a person. The neural network of the system is trained using tens of thousands of annotated images during the machine learning process. The system provides 3D pose information in terms of joint angles, which can easily be used to control virtual characters.

"VNect makes 3D body pose tracking for virtual reality of computer games accessible to a wider audience because they don't need to have Kinect or other cameras available, don't need to wear special sits, and can just use webcams which are more readily accessible," says Mehta and adds, "It also enables new experiences in first-person virtual reality." Besides this interactive character control, VNect is the first system which can also be used to estimate the 3D pose of a person in community videos such as those provided on the online platform YouTube. Christian Theobalt continues: "There are many other applications possible, from Human-Computer-Interaction to Human-Robot Interaction to Industry 4.0, where man and robot work together in a factory. Also think about autonomous driving, where the car may in the future estimate the full articulated motion of people from a color camera to assess their behavior."

But VNect still has its limitations. The accuracy of the pose estimation is a bit lower than the accuracy obtained with multi-camera or marker-based pose estimation. It gets into trouble if the face of the person is occluded, the motions are too fast or the poses are too far away from the trained set of poses. Occlusion by multiple persons is a problem, too.

Nevertheless, Sridhar is sure that the technology will further mature and be able to handle increasingly more complex scenes, so that it can be used in everyday life.
UK trade. Credit: QMUL

In a joint report from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and led by the University of Warwick, the authors set out a series of principles to 'protect, promote and empower' labour rights in post-Brexit trade deals.

The report, which draws upon research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and University of Warwick, argues that the UK has an opportunity to improve significantly on protections in US and EU trade agreements and must not engage in a "race to the bottom" to improve competitiveness.

The authors argue that future trade agreements should, at a minimum, seek to maintain existing labour rights to prevent any erosion of rights when the UK leaves the EU in 2019. Such a commitment would, they argue, prevent a weakening of labour law as a competitive policy tool to attract investment and increase exports. They say that while EU and US trade agreements do include provisions to prevent the dilution of labour law, enforcement measures are relatively weak.

The report recommends that future trade agreements track and translate improvements in EU law into UK law. The report also recommends that trade agreements include commitments to protect labour rights in the trading partner country and the UK.

The authors also recommend a bespoke approach to country-specific trade agreements. Both the EU and the US tend to use a standardised approach to the inclusion of labour rights - there is very little variance from country to country. The report outlines an opportunity to make a real impact on workers' rights by customising labour provisions to target the issues of particular concern in each trading partner.

The report also recommends an approach that empowers organisations that advocate on behalf of UK and overseas workers. The report says: "In terms of the wider policy making process, trade unions and other civil society actors representing and campaigning on behalf of workers' rights could be empowered to meaningfully participate throughout the negotiation and implementation of future trade agreements."

The report's authors, who include Adrian Smith, Professor of Human Geography at QMUL, and Liam Campling, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at QMUL, said: "The post-Brexit trade agreements which the UK signs will, for better or worse, have significant impacts on the lives of workers in the UK and its trading partners. At the moment, the political rhetoric suggests that the concerns of workers could be taken seriously in these future trade deals.

They warn though that the UK must seek to do much better than the US / EU status quo. "If UK trade agreements are to include meaningful commitments on labour rights for workers in the UK, its trade partners and in global supply chains, then the bar must be set much higher than the approach in current EU and US agreements."

The report was launched today at the British Library.
Humpback whales feed from a range of species that have adapted to escape their fate in a variety of ways. As much as humans track their prey according to the species they are stalking, so whales lunge open-mouthed in different ways depending on the target they are hunting.

Research by Dr Nicholas Carey from the Goldbogen lab at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, United States and collaborators from IAMC-CNR, Italy uses data from real whale lunges along with lab simulations to examine if whales alter their lunging strategy to catch different dinners.

"Our results illustrate the complex balance between whale attacks and fish escape responses, and how the lunge characteristics of the whales may be related to the escape abilities of targeted prey," says Dr. Paolo Domenici, who spent several weeks at Hopkins Marine Station and helped lead the study.

Dr. Jeremy Goldbogen believes that this research can tell us how whales may be changing their attack strategy depending on the prey they are targeting in order to maximise their hunting success. "Whale lunges are very energetically costly, so any aspect which increases the potential success of these lunges is beneficial."

Humpback whales hunt a range of different species including krill, herring, sardines and anchovies. These prey species move in different ways, meaning that the whales can't just use one hunting strategy for all their targets.

'Whalecam' footage taken from the tag on the back of a humpback whale. Credit: Goldbogen Lab, Hopkins Marine Station

"Anchovies are likely to swim faster and cover greater distances compared to krill, and so may have better ability to escape an oncoming whale," explains Dr. Carey. "We think that these different characteristics may require varying attack strategies by the whales."

Humpback whales commonly feed on large prey shoals by accelerating to high speeds and "lunging" at their prey, engulfing a large volume of water and filtering out the prey through their filter feeders. Dr. Carey's colleagues in the Goldbogen Lab led by Dave Cade collected lunging data from live humpback whales during feeding, which informed the creation of a predatory 'looming stimulus' model which they used to analyse the escape responses of anchovies in the lab.

Lunging data was collected by placing electronic tags on the whales to measure speed, acceleration and timing of the mouth opening in order to create different lunging profiles for each target prey species. "Humpback whales feeding on fish showed more variability in their lunge strategies, and, despite prey being much faster, actually lunge more slowly," says Dr Goldbogen.

"Anchovies are among the most abundant fish in the oceans, forming vast schools of millions of individuals and are targeted by a multitude of predators," says Dr Carey, "because of this, they have evolved to be speedy, vigilant and highly responsive to approaching threats."

Footage of a humpback whale being tagged with a video and data recording device. Credit: Goldbogen Lab, Hopkins Marine Station
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BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, has traveled to Cuba for treatment and to recover after suffering a stroke during the weekend. Timochenko, who in November signed a peace agreement with the government, suffers from heart problems and had surgery in Cuba while negotiating the accord. Cuba will cover the costs of medical treatment and security, the high peace commissioner's office said. Colombia's government authorized his trip. Last week the leader oversaw the disarmament of his 7,000 or so Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels at a ceremony with President Juan Manuel Santos. "We'll return to continue giving the fight for peace and for the agreement to be fulfilled. Thank you all for your good vibes," Timochenko said in a tweet. Timochenko, 59, on Sunday suffered an ischemic stroke, a cerebrovascular accident caused by a blockage that deprives part of the brain from receiving blood and oxygen. FARC, which was founded as a peasant rebellion in 1964, has fought more a dozen governments in a war that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions. A doctor who also trained in irregular warfare in Cuba and politics in Russia, Timochenko took over as head of the Marxist FARC in 2011 after troops killed the drug-funded group's former boss, Alfonso Cano. Timochenko fought in Colombia's inhospitable jungles for many years. (Reporting by Helen Murphy; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
By Martin Petty MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was preparing to make a deal with Islamic State-inspired militants in the days after they laid siege to a southern city, but aborted the plan without explanation, an intermediary involved in the process said. Agakhan Sharief, a prominent Muslim leader, told Reuters that after a band of Islamist fighters overran parts of Marawi City on May 23 and took hundreds of people hostage, he was approached by a senior Duterte aide to use his connections with the Maute militant group's leaders to start back-channel talks. Two other Marawi sources familiar with the matter confirmed the president had worked behind the scenes to hold talks with the Maute brothers, Omarkhayam and Abdullah. However, the process was halted when Duterte in a May 31 speech declared he "will not talk to terrorists". It was not immediately clear what prompted Duterte's about-face. It came five days after another televised speech in which he told the militants "we can still solve this through dialogue", but if he could not convince them of that, "so be it. Let's just fight". "The problem with our president, his mind is changing always," said Sharief, a cleric who has had roles in various peace agreements on the long-restive southern island of Mindanao. "He announced he will no longer talk to terrorists and that made our negotiations cut." Duterte's top peace envoy Jesus Dureza said he was unaware of any back-channel talks, while his national security adviser, Hermogenes Esperon said it was unlikely Duterte had reached out to the Maute group. "Why will he talk to the terrorists?" Esperon said. Despite his tough rhetoric and frequent promises to wipe out militants, Duterte has a reputation as a peace-broker, having dealt with separatist and Marxist rebellions during his 22 years as mayor of Davao City in Mindanao, an island of 22 million with a long history of unrest. DUTERTE'S BIGGEST CRISIS The battle for control of Marawi has been the biggest crisis of Duterte's year-old presidency. Fighters from the Maute group and others loyal to Islamic State have been holed up in the commercial district of the town through more than 40 days of air strikes, artillery bombardments and fierce street clashes with troops. More than 400 people have been killed, including 337 militants, 85 members of the security forces, and 44 civilians. Some 260,000 residents have been displaced by a siege that has fanned regional fears that Islamic State is trying to establish a stronghold in Southeast Asia. Marawi Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra confirmed that back-channel talks did start but said he was not privy to details. He told Reuters the process failed because the rebels did not show good faith or reduce the intensity of attacks on government forces after Duterte offered them an olive branch. "There was a window of opportunity," he said. "But there was no show of sincerity." REBELS 'CONVINCED' Sharief, known locally as "Bin Laden" due to his resemblance to the late al Qaeda leader, would not reveal the identity of Duterte's aide, whom he said was confidentially assigned to set up a meeting with the Maute clan. He said the aide agreed that Sharief would accompany the Maute brothers' influential mother, Farhana, by helicopter to meet Duterte in nearby Cagayan De Oro or Davao City. Sharief said her sons who requested she represent them in talks with Duterte. "He (Duterte's aide) prepared everything that I needed. I told him that I need a chopper to get the mother of the Maute brothers to bring her to the president. He prepared that." "I called the Maute brothers and their mother ... I told them, I convinced them." Sharief said the president was prepared to offer the Maute clan implementation of Sharia law in their hometown, Butig, if he achieves his goal of establishing a federal system in the Philippines. Reuters could not independently verify that such a proposal had been made. The talks with the Maute group did not go ahead and the mother was arrested on June 9 elsewhere in the same province as Marawi. The Maute brothers' father, Cayamora Maute, was apprehended three days earlier in Davao City. The cleric said that the rebels would have taken Duterte's deal to end the siege. "They agreed, they supported this," said Sharief, who last met with Abdullah Maute on June 25, when he led a group of emissaries into the heart of Marawi to free some hostages during the Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday. Sharief, who owns four private schools in Marawi, some of which were badly damaged by the fighting, said he was against the radical ideology of Islamic State. But he said he was reluctant to speak out against the Maute clan because he still hoped he could convince them to end the siege. "I am a peacemaker," he said. "I cannot negotiate anymore if I talk against them." (Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Editing by John Chalmers and Bill Tarrant)
Dissident FARC rebels in Colombia have released unharmed a UN official whom they kidnapped in May, officials said on Wednesday. "We are very grateful for the decision to release him unharmed. He is in good health," said the director of the UN Information Center in Bogota, Helene Papper, identifying the hostage as Colombian national Harley Lopez. "We are currently making all the logistical arrangements to transfer him to Bogota." The leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) formally completed a historic UN-supervised disarmament process on June 27 under a peace accord with the government. But officials and FARC leaders say groups of fighters from the force who reject the peace deal have refused to lay down their arms and maintain links to drug trafficking. The government is treating them as common criminals now that the other FARC fighters have disarmed. Lopez, who works for the UN Office on Crime and Drugs, was kidnapped on May 3 in the southeastern department of Guaviare while on a tour to promote replacing coca with legal crops. An estimated 300 dissident guerrillas are believed to be active in Guaviare, Kyle Johnson, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said after the kidnapping. Colombia's defense ministry confirmed on Twitter that the hostage had contacted his UN bosses to inform them he had been released. Colombia is the world's biggest producer of cocaine, with an output of 646 tonnes in 2015, according to the United Nations. Under the peace deal, the FARC agreed to detach itself from the cocaine business that helped finance its five-decade-old armed struggle.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A fire caused by an electrical malfunction killed a girl at a Syrian refugee camp in the Lebanese Bekaa Valley overnight, a medical source said on Tuesday, in the second lethal blaze in a camp in the area in three days. Fifteen of the 140 tents in the camp were destroyed and four partly burned in the fire, according to an assessment by Save the Children Lebanon, a non-governmental organisation that assists refugees. On Sunday, a fire destroyed a Syrian refugee camp near Qab Elias, some 7 km (5 miles) away from Bar Elias, also killing one person. Initial reports indicated that fire was caused by a cooking stove. That camp was home to around 100 families. Save the Children Lebanon said it was working to provide emergency support to the families and children affected by the latest blaze. Lebanon is hosting at least 1 million registered Syrian refugees, though the government says the total is around 1.5 million, with many living in tented settlements. (Writing by Tom Perry and Angus McDowall; editing by John Stonestreet)
PARIS (Reuters) - A French public prosecutor on Wednesday asked a court to sentence the son of Equatorial Guinea's president to three years in jail on charges of using money plundered from his country to buy Parisian luxury properties and exotic cars. The public prosecutor also said Obiang should pay a 30 million euro fine and have all his assets in France confiscated. Teodorin Obiang, eldest son of President Teodoro Obiang and a vice-president himself, denies charges of laundering embezzled public funds. He is being tried in absentia. The court's ruling will come at a later date. The case is the first of several to reach court in a broader judicial investigation into allegations of illicit acquisitions in France by long-time leaders and family relatives in several African countries including Gabon and Congo Republic. Among the acquisitions at the centre of the trial is a large property bought for 25 million euros ($28.31 million)in 2005 on Paris's upmarket Avenue Foch, with gymnasium, steam room, hair-dressing studio and a discotheque with cinema screen. In addition to luxury clothing and jewels, prosecutors say Obiang, built up an exceptional collection of costly cars, which along with clothes, jewels and real estate took the value of all his assets to around 100 million euros. ($1 = 0.8832 euros) (Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry; Editing by Ingrid Melander and Richard Lough)
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at a special sitting of parliament in Singapore July 3, 2017. Parliament House of Singapore/Handout via REUTERS (Reuters)

By Fathin Ungku

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - At the end of an extraordinary two-day parliamentary debate on Tuesday, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared that it had found no evidence that he had abused his power in a dispute with his siblings over their late father's house.

"Even the opposition is not accusing the government of abuse of power," Lee said in an emotional speech, his voice quavering and eyes tearing up as he rued the breakdown in relations with his brother and sister.

Since mid-June, Singaporeans have been riveted by a public battle between the heirs of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's long-serving first prime minister who died in March 2015, over whether to demolish the old family home or let the government decide whether it should become a heritage site.

Before his death, Lee had made it public that he wanted the humbly furnished home near the bustling Orchard Road shopping district to be demolished rather than turned into some kind of museum.

He stated that in his last will, part of which was released by the prime minister's younger brother last month. But the prime minister has said there were "deeply troubling circumstances" over how the will was drawn up.

The prime minister's brother and sister, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, accuse him of being disingenuous and abusing his power by using a government committee to look at options for the house.

They both want the house to be demolished once Lee Wei Ling ceases to live there, in accordance with their father's will.

The prime minister, who recused himself from the committee, has said that while he personally favours honouring his father's wishes the government should ultimately decide what should be done.

It was the accusations of abuse of power that prompted Lee to call a special sitting of parliament to "clear the air" over an issue that some people say has tarnished Singapore's image.

He removed the Party Whip allowing lawmakers from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) to question their own cabinet regardless of the party line. The PAP controls 83 of the 89 elected seats in parliament.

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"FIG LEAF"

Lee reiterated that he was against suing his brother and sister, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, for defamation. Such action, he said, would risk dragging out the affair and further damage his parents' name.

"This is not a soap opera," Lee said at the end of his concluding speech. "We must all get back to work."

During the debate, Goh Chok Tong, who ran the country for 14 years after Lee Kuan Yew's stepped aside in 1990, defended the prime minister's character, and voiced understanding over his reluctance to sue his own kin.

"The dispute over 38 Oxley Road is only a fig leaf for the deep cracks within the family, cracks which perhaps started decades ago. What is the agenda of PM's accusers?" said Goh.

"From what Lee Hsien Yang and his wife are freely telling many others, it is clear that their goal is to bring Lee Hsien Loong down as PM, regardless of the huge collateral damage suffered by the government and Singaporeans," said Goh, who holds the honorary title Emeritus Senior Minister.

Lee Hsien Yang has said he and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, would be leaving Singapore because they felt closely monitored and hugely unwelcome.

Earlier on Tuesday, Lee Hsien Yang took aim at the prime minister's statement to parliament at the outset of the debate.

"LHL (Lee Hsien Loong) has made convoluted, ultimately false claims about Lee Kuan Yew's wishes. LHL is trying to suggest that because LKY signed some renovation plans in early 2012, he was open to preservation of the house," Lee Hsien Yang said in a posting on Facebook.

Prime Minister Lee addressed that accusation in parliament.

"The simple answer is that I did not deceive my father... my father's primary wish on the house had always been clear - he always wanted it knocked down," he said.

"Where my siblings and I differ is on whether my father was prepared to consider alternatives should demolition not be possible."

(Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; Editing by Robert Birsel and Neil Fullick)
A move by the Turkish education ministry to remove evolution from the national school curriculum has sparked an outcry and accusations the government is "brainwashing" students. The government says the change -- part of a broad revision of the school curriculum -- will modernise learning. But critics see it has a step back from scientific rigour towards creationism by the Islamic-rooted authorities under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The head of the Turkish education board, Alparslan Durmus, said in a video message evolution would no longer be taught in biology lessons in high schools from September onwards as it was "controversial". "We have left aside some controversial subjects because we know it is not possible for our students to have the necessary scientific or information background to understand them," Durmus said. The theory -- formulated by Charles Darwin in the 19th century as the theory of natural selection -- would be studied from university-level onwards. The change is not the only shift in a planned curriculum overhaul that will be implemented by 2019. Durmus also said the curriculum would move away from "a eurocentric point of view", especially in history lessons. The move comes after Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said in January the theory of evolution was "a scientifically obsolete and rotten theory". "There is no rule saying that this theory must absolutely be studied," he said. Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz said the new curriculum -- approved by Erdogan -- would "give children a much better education". The goal was to ensure "our children and students do not just use knowledge and technology but at the same time will create" them, Yilmaz said, quoted by Dogan news agency on June 27. - 'Dangerous, backward' - Feray Aytekin Aydogan, head of the secular Egitim-Sen teachers' union, described the move to remove evolution as "backward, dangerous". Aydogan said the move would make Turkey compare unfavourably with Iran, where she said students received 60 hours of lessons on evolution and 11 hours on Darwin. "We will not surrender to the darkness. We will continue to promote scientific education," said Aydogan whose union represents over 100,000 education and science workers. Thousands of the union's members were suspended from their jobs over alleged links to Kurdish militants under the state of emergency, though many were later reinstated. The union denies any links to terrorism, saying it supports secular education, peace and democracy. Baris Yarkadas, a lawmaker from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of "brainwashing" children and wanting to isolate Turkey. "What they want to do here is completely remove secular and scientific education to avoid a generation that thinks, questions or creates," he told AFP. Independent lawmaker Aylin Nazliaka agreed: "They want to create an ideological apparatus with young people who think like them." Durmus explained in the video published on June 21 that the purpose was to prepare children for "tomorrow". Contacted by AFP, an education ministry official declined to comment on the controversy. - A New Turkey? - Critics say there will also be fewer mentions in the new curriculum of the Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who set up the modern secular Republic in 1923 out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. Ataturk believed that in order to be a strong modern state, Turkey had to embrace values like women's rights, Western arts and also science. "This democratic, secular republic has come about thanks to scientific education," the head of the Kemalist Thought Association, which defends Ataturk's legacy, Tansel Colasan, told AFP. She said the changes were part of the government's goal to create a "New Turkey" ahead of the Republic's 100th year anniversary in 2023. "They want to remove Ataturk's name (and) those who built the Republic from schools," Nazliaka said.
A wave of religious conversion flows through Slovakia's Roma settlements. Spiritual organisations may show more success at integrating Roma than municipalities and social workers do.

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In Cicava, a small village in eastern Slovakia, a priest is leading a Roma integration revolution. Ten years ago Martin Mekel moved with his two daughters, son and wife to the house that today also serves as a formation centre for Roma. The ground floor consists of a kitchen, a large common area for activities and masses and a room with bunk beds for students who want to focus on their studies. Pictures of saints colour the concrete walls, and wooden carved hearts remind visitors of Gods love.

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Martin, who had first studied physics, is a tall, thin man with a gentle voice. When he smiles, he squeezes his eyes together instead of opening his mouth. He looks tired but not without reason. The past decade has been one of early mornings and late nights. He organises advisory meetings, workshops, music sessions, festivals and excursions, in addition to leading four masses per week. All of his work is aimed at the Roma minority. But for Martin, these activities are nothing more than a doorway to what he says is more important: building an identity in order to achieve social change.

Today the Greek Catholic Formation Center for Roma is working with approximately a thousand Roma across more than 13 villages. According to their own estimates 70-80 percent of their teenagers are attending high school (non-compulsory schooling after age 15), and about 30 students are enrolled in university. Those numbers are high compared to some villages, where only a few Roma teenagers, if any, are attending high school.

Sara is one of the students attending university. She lives in what is called the downtown ghetto of Cicava and studies pedagogy in the nearby city of Presov. She wears pink shoes that match her sweatpants and socks in the same shade of blue as her T-shirt.

Seven years ago, when I was 13 years old, I first came into contact with the Formation Center. Now I know I am not alone. And it has changed me. Without religion I would maybe have finished high school, but a university? Certainly not.

Stories like this one are well-known throughout Slovakia. No matter where you go on the eastern side of the country, if you drop the name Cicava, you will see lights in the eyes of social workers. Many community centres have already started to work with the Greek Catholic Formation Centre for Roma in the hope that they will offer a solution for their own local integration problems.

Daniel, a social worker in Sverzov, was so delighted by Martins work that he couldnt stop talking about it.

What Martin and his team are accomplishing is unbelievable, he said. Roma in Cicava are going to school, working and creating art.

Missionary work as an effective tool

The community centre of Sverzov recently decided to give the religious path a try. Igor, a priest working in another branch of the Formation Centre, visits the local children.

The first time went great, so now we are inviting him every Wednesday, says Daniel. We hope he can lead our Roma minority to God. I believe it is the most productive way of changing them.

Social scientist Tatiana Podolinska, who has researched the influence of religion in Roma integration, believes Daniel might be right. Podolinska observed the activities of 19 churches and religious movements in Slovakia, which together count over 10,000 actively participating Roma members. She says that missionary work has the potential to be an extraordinarily effective social tool and has been proven to deliver positive social change.

And the number of participating Roma is only rising. The Greek Catholic Formation Center for Roma is currently organising new missions in Ladomirova, Krajna Bystra, Varhanovce and Abranovce. This is in addition to the 13 other towns where the centre is currently active.

Our mission is growing, and we are becoming an organisation with wide-spread influence, Martin said.

Small groups foster connection

A strange, strident sound echoes through the hallway from the classroom on the second floor.

Dont worry, says Martin. Our leaders are holding a workshop. They are simulating situations that could occur while they are doing activities with children.

It is impossible to connect with a large group of people at once. That is why we work with small groups, where people know each other and are able to openly share their experiences and problems.

Each of those groups is led by a community member, who is given particular tasks and responsibilities. Some members focus on evangelisation, which is the act of sharing and teaching the Gospel, while some work with youngsters or lead courses and workshops.

We are trying to recognise certain characteristics and skills in people and work with that, says Martin.

Organising life with religion

Outside, one man is sweeping the floor, while a few others are fixing a car.

Father Martin showed us that it is good to do something. We are not used to that, says Stano. When asked if he likes to work, Stano says, laughing: "Yes, if it is not too hard.

Since we became part of this community, our lives have changed," says Ylavk, who looks somewhat like the Roma version of George Clooney. Before I became part of this community, I gambled, drank and smoked. I was not good for my family. Today I can proudly say I am a good husband.

The reason that Ylavk chose the religious path is hard for him to express in concrete words. But according to Rita Izsak-Ndiaye, UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, who is herself Roma, the explanation can be found in the harsh living conditions many excluded Roma experience.

People in difficult situations can be touched more easily, as they are often in more dire need of spiritual and emotional support and strengthening, she explains. Besides that, religion also plays an important role in organising life. After years without routine, there is often a desire for that kind of comfort.

The others nod in agreement while listening to each other and eating chicken curry provided by the centre. They all seem eager to tell their own stories. Thomas gets up and starts speaking, but Radko, a priest who also lives in the building, stops him to point out Berti was first. Everyone starts laughing, and Thomas sits back down, hanging his head.

Community centres or religious movements?

Radko says the problem with most community centres is that are trying to transform Roma from the outside.

Instead of focusing on meaning, they impose white solutions. If people dont find a reason for themselves to study or get a job, those solutions will not be durable, he said. If we just built a chapel in a community, it would be destroyed within a month. Wood would be used as firewood, and what could be sold would be sold.

Tatiana Podolinska agrees with this. In her research paper Religion as a Path to Change, she writes that state programs mostly focus on changing the external environment, while religious movements aim to transform people themselves. She explains that when people experience an internal change, they automatically redesign their social world in line with their new visions. They will identify with a vision from an internal change more than they would with a change made for them, and this results in higher chances of success.

But since the opportunities for Roma within socially excluded communities are extremely limited, even a significant change inside might not, under unfavourable conditions, be demonstrated outside. That is why Podolinska recommends a combination of two types of social changes instead.

Identity and hope

Around 6 oclock the mass began. Martin, Radko and their guest priest Ladislav are wearing white robes. Before the mass started, Martins eyes fall on two boys sitting in the back, and he convinces them to take part in the ceremony. They proudly process next to the priests with about 10 other altar boys.

The room is packed with young people, but in the back of the chapel, two elders are participating with as much vigor as their younger peers. In the front, Radko is joking with some of the altar boys. They are sitting shoulder to shoulder, and the line looks like a moving caterpillar as they push each other playfully.

Unlike in a conventional Greek Christian mass, no one is sitting still. Everyone is dancing and singing to show what they are expressing.

We customised the mass for them. It has to be joyful and full of hope, explains Martin. Its a matter of belonging. If they dont feel like they belong here, all the other efforts will be a waste of time.

Talking, talking and talking

Between prayers and songs, Martin addresses people individually and sometimes asks them to come to the front. Here, they are given a voice and a face in the community.

What does Jesus expect from you in life? he asks. But most of the people in the room do not know what to answer.

After the mass, Martin expresses his disappointment.

It is a pity, but it is a way of provoking them, making them realise it is important to think about what they want in life, he explains and adds that influencing others is a matter of talking, talking and talking about the same thing over and over again.

Martin changes back to a blue shirt that reads Faith can move mountains. He rushes to his car without giving himself a break, shoving a sad snack of two biscuits into his mouth while checking his watch multiple times. He is heading to Sol where he will be leading an advisory meeting.

In the towns local Greek Catholic Formation Center for Roma, 19 people are sitting on hard chairs in a circle. It is so quiet, you could hear Jesus breathing on the cross. Martin talks with them, asks them questions and offers practical advice.

Think about what you want to do and do it," he says. "If you want to do evangelisation, do it. If you dont, find something else you like to do. Imagine if I woke up every day and asked myself whether I want to be a priest or not."

The people in the circle laugh, not because the statement is so funny but they seem to really love Martin.

Personal charisma and a huge amount of energy are hardly reproducible and cannot be generalised as a systemic tool for social change, Podolinska says.

It seems that religious movements will only be gaining more influence on Roma in Slovakia and the rest of Europe. According to Podolinska, it would be advisable for authorities and social workers to take a closer look at the strategies of religious movements in the development of effective social instruments to integrate Roma.
Fines for running illegal gambling websites may be as high as 500,000.

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The Financial Administration began keeping a closer eye on illegal gambling on the internet as of July 1, with the first list of banned websites due to be released on July 17, followed by updates on a weekly basis. The Financial Administration announced its new focus on July 3.

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The move has been made possible by recently adopted legislation.

The global gambling market has developed dynamically in recent years, said Finance Ministry State Secretary Radko Kuru as cited by the TASR newswire. Legislation has reacted to an expansion of gambling in virtual space and has brought new challenges in terms of supervision.

Read also:

Read also: Explanations for web host fines vague Read more

In the first phase, the Financial Administration will search for sites with gambling activities that violate the law before calling on them to shut down. If they dont react within the period stipulated by law, they will be placed on a blacklist. Then the Financial Administration will ask a court for an injunction to block the sites and payment transactions, spokesperson Patricia Macikova announced. In addition, the authorities can impose fines amounting to as much as 500,000 for running illegal gambling websites.
I spend a lot of time talking with my friends in Turkey, particularly since the big change in climate after the protests last year. Nevertheless, from a financial markets point of view, it's a fascinating place. One of the first to be contactless and, more recently, one of the first to offer social retail banking. If nothing else, I love Turkey for their cheesy adverts:

In this latest update BKM, the ACH for most of the retail banks, provides the story of Troy, the first and only national payments scheme of Turkey.

Payments in Turkey, an ever-growing market by Soner Canko, CEO of BKM

Turkey, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has a banking sector that defies expectations. It has grown at an annual compound rate of 20 per cent over the past 15 years in terms of asset size. In this growing and dynamic market, payments have been one of the major drivers of growth and innovation.

Fifteen years ago, only 9 per cent of total household consumption was through cards. Today this ratio has almost reached 40 per cent, with a dramatic rise in recent years. The vision is to have a 100 per cent cashless society.

Today, Turkey is the largest market in terms of total number of cards and point-of-sales (POS) machines[1]. There are over 120 million debit cards, 59 million credit cards, and 2.3 million POS machines in the market.

Exhibit 1: Turkish payments market in numbers

 inspiring the world with its innovative solutions

Turkey with its rich history, going back to thousands of years ago, is a land that has shaped the history of economics as well. Money, commerce, and the concept of the stock exchange, all were born in Anatolia.

Turkish societys shopping and payment culture has grown out of this rich heritage. Its young population embracing technology and new products has traditionally made Turkey a center of innovation for payments also in modern times. Turkey was the first European country that issued a contactless credit card in 2006 and the third European country that fully completed the Chip & PIN migration after France and the UK in 2007. Turkish banks launched the worlds first national digital wallet, BKM Express, as early as 2012. Most recently, Turkey launched its first ever national payments scheme, Troy  Turkeys Payments Method in 2016 marking the start of a new era in the Turkish payments market.

Exhibit 2: Turkeys payments market has pioneered with its innovative solutions

TROY, Turkeys Payments Method as a strategic initiative in this innovative market

Troy -the payment method and brand developed by Turkish banks shared platform BKM (Interbank Card Center of Turkey)- is a strategic initiative supported by all the banks and managed by BKM. In a market where 97 per cent of card transactions are domestic, the need for a national scheme had become more and more concrete. Building on advanced payments technologies, secure infrastructure, and knowhow, Turkish banks combined forces to create a national payment scheme that can better address local requirements, shorten go-to-market time for innovative products, enlarge freedom of capabilities, and increase cost effectiveness.

As an initial step, Troy achieved 100 per cent acceptance on all the terminals in Turkey (over 2.3 million) including ATMs, point-of-sales machines, and e-commerce sites. This is what differentiates Troy from other national schemes around the world and gives Troy the edge to grow in a challenging market like Turkey.

Following the completion of necessary infrastructure, Troy was launched for consumer in May 2017 with a nation-wide campaign and is now ready for mass distribution.

Troy provides a wide range of products and services developed specifically for the benefit of the Turkish market. Its product portfolio includes magnetic stripe, contact, and contactless technology in debit, credit, and prepaid cards that can be used both for online and physical payments. Troy will add mobile to its portfolio in 2017.

Troy Innovation Center, which was established to develop and test new cards and terminals spearheads Troys development of new solutions. Leveraging the Innovation Center, Troy is poised to launch more innovative products in the coming years with a reduced product development period.

Troy, initially established as a domestic scheme, aims to add international acceptance to its value proposition. In alliance with an international cards scheme as the preferred partner, Troy will ensure international acceptance in 185 countries. Troys members will also have the liberty to work with any international scheme of their own choice.

TROY to be instrumental in realizing Turkeys vision of having a cashless society by 2023

With the full support of whole payments ecosystem from issuers/acquirers to regulators, Troy aspires to grow fast in Turkey. As of today, 26 financial institutions -constituting to almost 100 per cent market share in number of cards- are members of Troy. 16 of them, 15 banks and 1 non-bank, are currently ready to provide debit cards, prepaid cards, and credit cards with the Troy logo. The target is to have all the banks to be providing their customers with cards with the Troy logo and place a Troy card in each and every wallet, as BKM CEO Dr. Soner Canko mentioned during a press conference.

Given the growth potential of the Turkish payments market and dedication of the stakeholders, the near future will witness Troy thriving and contributing to Turkish economy in many facets. For the banking sector, it will help the sector grow in a sustainable way by improving product development capabilities and cost effectiveness. Troy has already created a large ecosystem from issuers to technology suppliers and this ecosystem will definitely expand, as Troy grows further. On the consumer side, it will not only increase financial inclusion among unbanked population but also improve the financial literacy of the Turkish population. Troy will be instrumental in increasing card usage and realizing Turkeys vision of having a cashless society by 2023.

[1] Based on the 2015 statistics by European Central Banks Payments Statistics:General Notes Report
Computer Science

Girls Who Code Brings Free Summer Coding Program to 11 Cities

Image courtesy of Girls Who Code.

Girls Who Code (GWC), a national nonprofit that teaches young women computer science (CS) skills, is bringing its flagship CS summer program to 11 cities in the United States.

The Summer Immersion Program is a free, seven-week summer course for current high school juniors and seniors. Participants learn the fundamentals of computer science, while getting exposure to the tech industry through the corporate partnerships. They gain first-hand experience coding and applying their skills to solve real-world problems. Projects have culminated in artwork, storytelling, robotics, video games, websites, apps and more, according to the program site.

Learn More A gallery of student projects from the 2016 Summer Immersion Program cohort can be seen here.

GWC will be hosting a total of 80 programs across Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Seattle, Stamford, Washington, D.C. and the San Francisco Bay Area this summer.

The program, which began in 2012, seeks to achieve the nonprofits overall goal of closing the gender gap in technology for women, who represent just 18 percent of all CS degree holders. Most participants (93 percent) have said the program fueled their interest in computer science and plans to pursue a major or minor in CS, according to the nonprofit.

Dozens of program partners will host the GWC course at their sites, including Facebook, Expedia, Ford Motor Company, Pixar, Twitter, Sephora and the Walt Disney Company. Participants in Boston, for example, will be able to tour the Network Operations Command Center in Boston at Akamai Technologies, a cloud computing services company, to explore a different view of the internet.

A list of Summer Immersion Program locations is available here. To learn more, visit the GWC site.
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A good move or harebrained scheme?

Turning a blind eye to waterlogged and muddy roads of Kathmandu, the Metropolitan Traffic Police Department (MTPD) said on Sunday that it, in association with Department of Transport (DoTM), would soon enforce a new rule as per which vehicles must get washed and cleaned before entering the Capital.
Yahoo UK News Video

The royal family has provided enough scandal to keep fans of Netflixs The Crown entertained for four seasons. And while Season Five of the hit show is no different, not all of the dramas that beset the royals in the tumultuous early 1990s have made the final cut  Netflix only had 10 hours after all. From how unbelievably close Diana came to getting caught collaborating with royal biographer Andrew Morton on his 1992 bestseller, Diana: Her True story, to how desperate Diana was to be believed that she even slipped Morton private correspondence between Charles and Camilla to prove her husbands infidelity once and for all, what got left out is just as gripping. While many of the scandals did end up being depicted on screen by Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West as the warring Waleses, Scobie explores why some of these astonishing real-life moments of controversy were left out.
By Antonio De la Jara and Fabian Cambero SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Two Chilean journalists have emerged as the main challengers to former President Sebastian Pinera in this year's presidential election, as one of South America's most stable and developed countries weighs the future of its political left. Pinera, a conservative billionaire who handily won his party's primary on Sunday with 1.4 million ballots, is the clear front-runner ahead of the Nov. 19 election and has 31 percent of intended votes, according to a poll published on Monday by Gfk Adimark. The current battle is for second, and a place against Pinera in a Dec. 17 run-off. Centre candidate Alejandro Guillier has 15 percent of votes and Beatriz Sanchez of the left-wing Frente Amplio, a new coalition, gained support over the past month and is technically tied with 13 percent, according to Gfk. The campaign in coming months will therefore determine the policy course of the Chilean left after President Michelle Bachelet, who has encountered resistance to her tax-and-spend reform agenda that was meant to reduce inequality in the world's top copper producer. Guillier is ideologically aligned with Bachelet while Sanchez has sought to propel the energy of student and protest groups who want better health and education and are frustrated with Chile's longstanding free-market model. "They are in the same electoral spectrum and this foreshadows a very complex and tense situation," said political analyst Guillermo Holzmann of the upcoming showdown. Guillier, who has held a Senate seat since 2013, and Sanchez both launched their careers on radio, one of the most trusted media forms in Chile, and have even worked for the same station, ADN Radio Chile. Now the two will have to show their differences. "Beatriz comes from opinion journalism, of analysis, of communication criticism," her campaign manager Sebastian Depolo told Reuters. "Guillier has a journalism career but for four years he has been a senator, he is a member of the establishment." Still, with the ruling Nueva Mayoria coalition in disarray at the twilight of Bachelet's rule and skipping Sunday's primaries, Guillier in the last few weeks has had to resort to a very non-established kind of campaigning. He walked door to door aiming to collect the 33,000 signatures to ensure his place on the November ballot as an independent. While support for Sanchez rose in recent weeks ahead of her coalition's primary, Guillier lost 6 percentage points from a Gfk poll a month earlier. He acknowledges not competing in a primary was a setback but is betting the leftist coalition will eventually unify around him, despite his status as an independent. Previously known as Concertacion, the coalition has won every election in Chile since its return to democracy in 1988, except for Pinera's first term in 2010. Bachelet, who is constitutionally banned for seeking a consecutive term, previously governed for the coalition from 2006 to 2010. "We are going to be the ones in the big fight, because we have the backing of institutions, of the parties, of the independents," Guillier told reporters on Monday. "We need to recover the rhythm and this week we will literally be campaigning because we don't have the roadblock of not being in the primary." (Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Sandra Maler)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - A series of meetings between Hamas and senior officials in Cairo in recent weeks are showing an improvement in ties between Egypt and the Islamist Palestinian movement, with implications for Gaza, Palestinian politics and the wider region. Ismail Haniyeh, who has recently assumed the post of Hamas's leader, said in a speech in Gaza on Wednesday that relations with the Gaza Strip's neighbour to the south-west were warming. "We have launched a new chapter with Egypt and the relations have witnessed a big move," he said. For much of the last decade, Egypt has joined Israel in enforcing a land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip, a move to punish Hamas and its armed wing, which seized the territory in 2007 and has controlled it since. The situation has worsened in the past month as Israel, at the request of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), has cut electricity to Gaza, leaving it with barely four hours of power a day. The sanctions are part of a years-long effort by the PA, led by the rival Fatah party, to force Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza and join a unified government. Power cuts have hit hospitals and water treatment plants, squeezing Gaza's two million people amid a draining heatwave. Sensing the need to act, and worried about losing popular support, Hamas sought to mend ties with Egypt, which controls their one border crossing and has, under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, been highly wary of ties between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, which Sisi ousted from power after mass protests. Hamas's newly appointed leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, whose background is with the group's militant wing, met Egyptian officials, including the intelligence chief, last month. POTENTIAL CHALLENGE TO ABBAS The meetings in Cairo were believed to have been facilitated by Mohammad Dahlan, 55, a former senior Fatah official who is originally from Gaza and is now a staunch opponent of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah's leader. Hanieyh said that Egypt has been helping improve Gazans' living conditions and the talks have already led to alleviating some hardships caused by the blockade. "We have found complete readiness by Egypt and their authorities have issued orders to implement a package of measures that has began with allowing fuel into Gaza." In his speech, Hanieyh also thanked Qatar and Saudi Arabia for financial support. Dahlan, who spends much of his time in the United Arab Emirates and is close to Egypt, has emerged as a powerbroker in the region, determined to bridge differences between Hamas and Cairo and potentially challenge Abbas for leadership. In that respect, closer ties between Hamas and Cairo are a serious threat to Abbas, regional analysts said. Not only because they help to bolster Hamas's credibility in the region, but because they empower Dahlan and undermine the ability of the Palestinian Authority to cast itself as the dominant political body for Palestinians, they said. Israel, which signed a 1979 peace treaty with Egypt and coordinates closely with it on security, is maintaining a wary eye on discussions between Egypt and Hamas. Like the United States and the European Union, it regards Hamas as a terrorist group and wants to keep its influence contained. "MESSAGE OF ASSURANCE" After the last round of meetings in Cairo, Hamas cleared land on its side of the border, creating a buffer zone with watchtowers, cameras and barbed-wire fences in a concession to security-conscious Egypt. "These measures serve as a message of assurance to the Egyptian side," Tawfiq Abu Naeem, the Hamas-appointed head of security services in Gaza, told reporters. Sources with knowledge of the talks said Hamas wants Egypt to open its Rafah crossing for longer and to increase energy supplies and imports. Egypt wants information on "radical elements" entering and leaving Gaza and help with tracking Islamic State-affiliated militants attacking Egyptian forces in northern Sinai. Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the discussions. An Israeli foreign ministry official declined to comment. In a sign that the talks are rattling Palestinian politics, Abbas, 82, will visit Egyptian President Sisi this week. Akram Attallah, an independent analyst in Gaza, said that "for the first time we can say there is joint action between the two sides, a joint cooperation. That has never been official since the Hamas movement was founded 30 years ago." DAHLAN'S ROLE Attallah sees Dahlan's mediation as critical. As Abbas has grown more frustrated with Hamas and tried to increase pressure on the group, it has strengthened Dahlan's role as a broker. Abbas expelled Dahlan from Fatah in 2012 and Dahlan has been in self-imposed exile since. The last thing Abbas wants is for him to return to Gaza, with Egypt's approval, as a hero. "Dahlan employed this moment to present himself as the most efficient party in the Palestinian arena and a saviour for Hamas," said Attallah, suggesting each side had gained: Dahlan in terms of leverage and Hamas as a political partner. Regional analysts are closely watching what closer ties with Egypt may mean for Hamas's relations with Qatar, which in recent years has spent more than $500 million improving infrastructure and building clinics in Gaza. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are now leading a Sunni-Arab drive against Qatar over its ties with Iran, accusing it of fomenting terrorism, a charge Doha denies. The analysts say if Egypt is forging better relations with Hamas, it may well insist on Hamas giving up its friendship with the emirate. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan in Cairo; Editing by Luke Baker and Peter Millership)
By Joseph Akwiri MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Somali al Shabaab militants killed three police officers on Wednesday during a raid on a northeastern Kenyan town that sparked a day-long gunbattle, a senior police official said. It was the latest in a spate of attacks on Kenyan security services since Nairobi sent troops into Somalia in 2011 to join a African Union force charged with neutralising militant and other armed groups and bolstering its U.N.-backed government. Al Shabaab gunmen attacked the police station in the town of Pandanguo in the coastal district of Lamu around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT), forcing villagers to flee, according to residents. The area is near Kenya's long, porous border with Somalia. The militants also raided a dispensary for drugs and houses for food items, clothes and other valuables, witnesses said. Smoke could be seen rising from the village later in the day. By 6 p.m., three policemen had been killed and a gunbattle was continuing, police said. "The attackers used RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades)," George Kinoti, Kenya's national police spokesman, said in a text message. "Reinforcements sent to engage the enemy have killed several terrorists." In July 2014, more than 60 militants attacked the same village, torched houses and stole drugs at the same dispensary. Al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, confirmed Wednesday's attack to Reuters by phone. "We burned the police station and captured cars. Now, today, there are sporadic exchanges of gunfire between us and the police in the outskirts of the town but we still control the town," he said. The raid follows a series of attacks in Kenya claimed by Somali militants that have killed at least 28 people in the last six weeks. Most have taken place near the Somali border. The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia is fighting to overthrow Somalia's weak, U.N.-backed government and impose strict Islamic law in the Horn of Africa state. They ramped up attacks in neighbouring Kenya after Kenyan troops entered Somalia to join the AU peacekeeping force there. In a separate incident in Somalia, an air strike killed 10 al Shabaab militants near the southern port city of Kismayo, the Mogadishu government said. It was not immediately clear who carried out the air strike. Somalia's government does not have aircraft but mentioned "international partners" in its press statement. Ethiopia, Kenya and the United States have all conducted air raids on Somali territory. (Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo; writing by Katharine Houreld; editing by Mark Heinrich)
The mother of missing woman Tracey Valesini appeared alongside a NSW police detective in an appeal for assistance in the 24-year-old cold case on Wednesday, July 5.

At the press conference, Detective Inspector Stewart Leggat echoed Sharon McSaveneys belief that Valesini was murdered at her last known address in Wentworth Falls in 1993.

Blood spatter was found at the residence in 2001, and recent advances in technology have led to a new forensic analysis process to confirm the DNA belongs to the mother of two, who was last seen at Campbelltown Courthouse on January 8, 1993.

During the press conference, McSaveney became emotional as she appealed for witnesses to come forward.

I know someone out there knows something and I want them to come forward and say what they know and just let me bring Tracey home and give her a decent burial, thats all, she said.

Police are investigating a number of persons of interest and are offering a reward to anyone who comes forward with information, Detective Inspector Leggat said at the press conference. He agreed with McSaveney when she said: I think shes been killed because of something she knows. I just hope she didnt call out for me, or see it coming.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald Valesini was engaged in a custody battle over her young daughter at the time of her disappearance. Credit: NSW Police Force via Storyful
Alls well, soldier

The second phase of local elections has been completed in Provinces 1, 5 and 7. The voter turnout rate was massive in most constituencies.
The New Mexico secretary of state will be holding hearings soon on regulations that will clarify New Mexicos campaign reporting requirements in light of a number of court decisions that have invalidated parts of New Mexicos current law while leaving other parts standing. It is an effort that was begun in 2014 by Maggie Toulouse Olivers predecessor, Dianna Duran, who was also faced with the obligation to enforce an ambiguous law. That effort was suspended amid scandal in the Secretary of States Office, and the Legislature this year tried to solve the problem with the passage of SB 96.

The bill passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan majorities in both houses, but it was vetoed by the governor, mainly at the behest of the Koch brothers-backed group, Concerned Veterans for America, based in Virginia. The result is confusion for campaigns and darkness for voters.

At issue is the requirement that independent groups  like Concerned Veterans of America  report to the secretary of state if they engage in electioneering activities in the months right before an election or expressly advocate for the defeat or election of a candidate or ballot issue at any time during the year.

In the proposed regulations these groups must, if they spend more than $1,000 on their activities, report what they are spending their money on and the donors who gave more than $200 for that purpose. Actually, the reporting requirements are much less onerous for these groups than for regular PACs and candidates.

Currently in New Mexico, all candidates and PACs must report all contributions and expenditures, with the additional requirement that they must disclose the occupation of donors of more than $200. Not so for the out-of-state independent groups, who have hidden behind New Mexicos ambiguous laws to avoid public scrutiny. Yet these large groups are dominating elections, running negative advertisements and spreading misinformation through phony phone banks. In the recent special Georgia House election over $28 million was spent by outside, dark-money groups. This big money is headed our way in the upcoming 2018 elections.

Thats why its important that the Secretary of States Office, which is the principal enforcement agency of the states campaign finance law, acts now. The 2018 election cycle begins in a just few months.

New Mexico voters and businesses overwhelmingly support the disclosure of dark money used to sway elections. In January, a poll taken by Research and Polling for Common Cause New Mexico indicated that nine in 10 voters supported requiring all independent groups who are spending money on campaigns to report who their donors are. In March of this year, 92 percent of business leaders weighed in to support disclosure.

The new regulations do not apply to nonpartisan groups not engaged in electioneering or advocating expressly for or against a specific candidate or ballot measures. They do not have to report anything and are of no interest to the secretary of state. But yes, groups who are spending big money to influence elections must report under the new regs. Why? Just as those groups have a right to spend as much as they want, the public has a right to know who they are. Accurate, complete information is the stuff that democracy is made of. It allows voters to hold elected officials to account, to determine real motivations and to not be misled. Without it, we are shooting in the dark.

We applaud the secretary of state for working to bring our law into conformance with the Caonstitution and recent case law. The new regulations clarify the rules, level the playing field for everyone who participates in the campaign reporting process and  most importantly  satisfy the publics right to know who is advocating for candidates.
At the city of Albuquerque, much planning and discussion went into the site design for this years Route 66 Summerfest, which will take place on July 22. Planning an event that hosts 30,000-40,000 attendees takes hundreds of hours of coordination and collaboration. Initial planning for the event actually began late last summer when the ART construction schedule was set after a six-month delay caused by a lawsuit. For nearly 11 months, city planners have anticipated that changes would need to be made to the event in Nob Hill.

The ART construction team has done everything possible to finish construction in Nob Hill for the Route 66 Summerfest. Months of expedited activity allowed for reopening Central Avenue from Girard Boulevard to Carlisle Boulevard. However in doing so, active construction is ongoing east of Carlisle. Safety always has to be our No. 1 priority, and there is no way we can safely accommodate pedestrians in an active construction zone.

Multiple contingency plans were developed to anticipate unknown factors and unanticipated changes in the construction schedule. These included the possibility of staging the event at UNMs Johnson Field, to considering Silver Avenue as an alternative site for most of the festivities, to moving the event out of Nob Hill for 2017.

A final decision was made several months ago to do whatever was necessary to keep the event in as large a portion of Nob Hill as possible, and thats what weve done. For this years festival, this includes Route 66 from Girard to Carlisle. Additionally, attendees will see more activities on the connecting streets between Central and Monte Vista, and the main stage  which will feature a free performance by Los Lobos  will face east on Monte Vista Boulevard at Girard. The section from Carlisle to Washington is not available because construction in this area will not be to a point where it can accommodate event attendees safely. Based on discussions with Nob Hill businesses, the primary focus of the schedule was to be out of the area during holiday shopping seasons. This is why construction ceased during the holiday season in 2016 and will be complete before the holiday season in 2017.

It is understandable that some business owners are unhappy about the changed route. The city has made several hundred individual and group contacts with business owners in Nob Hill regarding ART construction and Route 66 Summerfest. Event planners will use existing traffic lanes for three shuttle stops in the east end of Nob Hill  Central and Washington, Morningside and Carlisle  to bring attendees into this area and encourage foot traffic to these businesses.

In 2010, Albuquerque was feeling the effects of the most current recession. As a new mayor, Mayor Richard Berry looked for many ways to help local business owners through this period. One of his approaches was to take the long-standing Summerfest series and move it to different parts of Albuquerque to stimulate economic activity across the city. At the time we called it Taking Summerfest on Tour. This is how the Route 66 Summerfest, along with the Northeast Heights and Westside events, were created.

Route 66 Summerfest exceeded all expectations and quickly became one of the largest annual events in New Mexico. It also became one of the busiest, most profitable days of the year for dozens of Nob Hill businesses.

There are changes this year to what has now become expected for the event, but because the ART Construction Team is ahead of schedule, the city of Albuquerque has been able to execute a practical plan. We take pride that by working with many community partners, Route 66 Summerfest will remain in Nob Hill and will be one of the most attended, successful  and free to the public  signature events of the summer.
Leave it to Ben Bradlee to set things straight. The late executive editor of The Washington Post appeared on The Dick Cavett Show back in March 1973 and talked about the Pentagon Papers. They contained the secret history of Americas involvement in Vietnam and were first published by The New York Times and then The Washington Post against the vehement opposition of the Nixon administration. For a while, the government tried to suppress the news. Now, under a different president, it is trying to do it again.

On Cavetts show, Bradlee had to defend the Posts decision. He did it by turning things upside down. This was not a matter of the First Amendment or the abstraction called freedom of the press, Bradlee explained  not the right, exclusively, of a few people who have chosen journalism as a career. That isnt what the hell its about, he went on. Its about your right to read, your right to be informed.

Bradlee was on the mark. President Trump is not in a fight with CNN as depicted in the ludicrous video he tweeted Sunday in which he wrestles the cable news network  or with the Times or the Post. This is not a struggle between the White House and some corporate behemoths, but a continuing, persistent and hugely unprecedented attempt by the government to limit and control what you can see or read. Its not about us. Its about you.

When the White House bans TV cameras from the briefing room, as it has done repeatedly recently, it is not news organizations who are deprived, it is the viewer. CNN or NBC or any other news organization is going to make the same amount of money whether or not it has pictures of deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders answering questions. Outside of her immediate family, no one is tuning in just to see her.

As is often the case with demagogues, Trump is supported or defended by those for whom he has the most contempt. He worships cash, thinking that to be rich is to be smart. He has stocked his Cabinet with dull multimillionaires, yet he poses as the champion of the common man. He wants to rid the country of the proclaimed curse of Obamacare but he has nothing better to replace it with  and, truly, he doesnt care. His abiding goal is to erase Barack Obamas legacy. He is animated by grievance  maybe that 2011 White House correspondents dinner when Obama deftly skewered Trump for his mendacious support of the birther movement. That, not the health of the un-rich, is what matters.

Trump is not an existential threat to the mainstream media. He has, in fact, helped us thrive. Circulation is up. Eyeballs are popping. He is political pornography  gripping, exciting, lewd, fascinating. He devours adjectives so that, soon, we run out of them. The bizarre becomes ordinary. But he has done his damage. He has normalized contempt for the news media, framing it as a daily tussle between him, the tribune of the people, and us, vile overeducated snobs.

But thats not the correct formulation. Bradlee had it right  its more about readers than about writers. And yet Americas political class, especially the Republican Party, steps back from this fray, retreating to a neutral corner. Trumps daily attacks on the news media get almost no pushback from his fellow Republicans. Even that astonishingly tasteless attack on Mika Brzezinski  calling her Low I.Q. Crazy Mika and then, from the man with the Naugahyde tan and the Halloween hair, a crack about plastic surgery. In general, this got only the weariest of reprimands from Republicans. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska tweeted his disapproval. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma also did not like it. There were tweets and more tweets. This from the worlds greatest deliberative body.

On Sept. 3, 1998, Sen. Joseph Lieberman used a Senate speech to reprimand his fellow Democrat, President Clinton, for his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Once he did so, other Democrats followed suit and a kind of moral line was reaffirmed. This is precisely what the current congressional GOP has failed to do. It stands aside while Trump lies not about a particular story but about the very legitimacy of the press, as if these politicians have no stake in either the truth or getting it to the people they represent. They both encourage and abet Trumps us-against-them line of attack, not realizing or acknowledging that the them is not the media but the American people they serve.

E-mail: cohenr@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
Mexican Mennonite farmer Pedro Suderman checks a drip irrigation system for his field in northern Chihuahua in the pueblo of El Camello just east of New Mexico's Hidalgo County. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) New Mexico rancher William Hurt waits at the U.S.-Mexico border fence to talk to David Fehr, a member of the Mexican Mennonite community who was drilling a 2,000-foot well for farmer Pedro Suderman. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) New Mexican rancher William Hurt ,right, speaks with David Fehr, a mennonite drilling for water across Hurt's property on the Mexican side of the border. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) William Hurt is a private landowner and leaseholder who lives, ranches and farms along the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico's bootheel area. Hurt feels he should be consulted before any construction of a wall would be built on his land. ( Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) Prev 1 of 4 Next

Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

This is the last in the Journals five-part series about the growing demand for groundwater on both sides of New Mexicos border with Mexico. The previous stories have focused on the impact on New Mexico when Ciudad Juarez started pumping water from the Mesilla Bolson, the giant aquifer that straddles the border. Todays story, which concludes the series, is a snapshot of a New Mexico rancher whose private water pumps compete with those of Mexican farmers along the Bootheel outside the Mesilla Bolson. But the issue is the same  no agreements govern binational use of groundwater, which means, once again, the biggest straw wins. Previous stories were published on June 25 and July 2-4.

FIFTH IN A SERIES

U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER  As binational water controversies go, this one may matter to only two people: an American rancher and a Mexican farmer.

More to the point: It may matter only to the one most likely to get hung out to dry.

It was a warm February day when rancher William Hurt, who grazes cattle in New Mexicos Bootheel, came upon the 75-foot drilling rig just over the border on the Mexican side. He pulled his big diesel truck over and ambled up to the barbed-wire border fence that runs north-south on the eastern side of New Mexicos Bootheel.

He had heard from a ranch hand about the rig, that it had drilled down 1,000 feet in search of water. But this was the first time Hurt saw it up close.

Mennonite David Fehr, a tall, English-speaking man, came up to the fence. Not his farm, he said, but it was his rig. Hired to drill, he was now 1,500 feet down, he said.

The land  covered in brush and grass on the U.S. side  had been plowed flat in Mexico to the edge of low mountain ranges, in preparation for the crops that would be planted. Hurt amiably chatted with Fehr and then climbed back in his diesel truck.

If theyre going to 1,500 feet, I am going to be out of water, Hurt said.

There is no treaty between the U.S. and Mexico governing groundwater. The international line is only a superficial barrier. Whichever side sticks a straw in the deepest and drinks it up the fastest gets the water, as hydrogeologist Alfredo Granados-Olivas at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez explained later.

Back in Hurts truck, the reporter asked: Is there any recourse for you?

Not that I know of, he said.

Three months later, farmer Pedro Suderman rode his big diesel truck out to a field on the Mexican side. A team of migrant workers was clearing stones from the dirt under the hot May sun.

Where the rig had been, a well purred loudly as it pumped a thousand gallons per minute onto a field combed neatly into rows. Onions would go in soon, Suderman said. He pointed out the water-saving drip irrigation system he recently installed on half his fields, which are leased from local communal landholders.

The closer to the border, the deeper you have to go to reach water, he said. About 5 kilometers (3 miles) in, the water is closer to the surface.

Drilling a water well that deep is expensive, he said. But a man has to work and there is really nothing else to do. Its the only way.

Inevitably, farms use more water than a ranch ever could.

Hurt runs comparatively tiny wells that fill watering holes for his cattle that come to drink, at a rate of 5 gallons per minute.

The Mennonite community to which Suderman belongs has grown from about two dozen families at El Camello, Mexico, to 90 families over the past 20 years. They cultivate thousands of desert acres, growing wheat, alfalfa, green and red chile, and onions.

Theyre farming this just like miners come in and mine  all they can, for all they can get, no consideration given, Hurt said. Ranchers used to be called miners, when theyd just graze the country into the ground, leave nothing and move on. That is what they are doing here with these farms. They are gonna run out of water here, too.

This report was produced in partnership with the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.
TABQA, Syria   When Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin this Friday in Hamburg, Germany, the two presidents should have in the back of their minds the insignia worn by the Syrian Democratic Forces militia, which is Americas main ally here. The patch shows a map of Syria bisected by the sharp blue line of the Euphrates River.

The Euphrates marks the informal deconfliction line between the Russian-backed Syrian regime west of the river, and the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led SDF to the east. In the past several weeks, the two powers negotiated a useful adjustment of the line  creating a roughly 80-mile arc that stretches south, from near this battlefront city on Lake Assad, to a town called Karama on the Euphrates.

U.S.-Russian agreement on this buffer zone is a promising sign. It allows, in effect, for the U.S. and its allies to clear the Islamic States capital of Raqqa, while Russia and the Syrian regime take the city of Deir ez-Zor, to the southeast. The line keeps the combatants focused on the Islamic State (ISIS), rather than sparring with each other.

What Trump and Putin should discuss at the G-20 summit is whether this recent agreement on this separation line is a model for wider U.S.-Russian cooperation in Syria. This broader effort would seek to defeat ISIS, stabilize a battered, fragmented Syria and, eventually, discuss a political future. But is it practical?

Russian-American cooperation on Syria faces a huge obstacle right now. It would legitimize a Russian regime that invaded Ukraine and meddled in U.S. and European elections, in addition to its intervention in Syria. Putins very name is toxic in Congress and the U.S. media these days, and Trump is blasted for even considering compromise.

Against these negatives, theres only one positive argument: Working with Russia may be the only way to reduce the level of violence in Syria and create a foundation for a calmer, more decentralized nation that can eventually recover from its tragic war.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis are said to favor exploring options with Russia. But theres a contrary view among some hawkish National Security Council staffers and members of Congress. They argue that working with Russia will empower its allies, Iran and the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad, and give what amounts to a green light for their future role in Syria.

An extreme version of this view argues that the United States should mount a military campaign to block Iran and its Shiite militia allies in Iraq and Syria from obtaining a corridor across southeast Syria that would link Iran to Lebanon. This militant stance ignores two practical points: Iran already has such a corridor, but it doesnt stop the United States or Israel from attacking dangerous arms shipments; and an assault on Shiite militias might draw America into a long, costly war that could spread across the Middle East.

Its worth examining the process that established the Euphrates arc of deconfliction, because it shows how different Russias public and private actions have been. A Russian general suggested the Euphrates boundary initially, about 18 months ago, according to a U.S. official. But it wasnt formalized, so the two countries had been operating on an ad-hoc basis.

This rough deconfliction system worked at three levels. There was daily phone consultation between colonels, supplemented by occasional contacts at the one-star level between the U.S. headquarters in Baghdad and Russian headquarters near Tartous, Syria. Big issues went to the U.S. commander, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, and his Russian counterpart, Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin.

A crisis arose last month when several Syrian tanks pushed north of what U.S. commanders believed was the informal line of separation. When this small Syrian force was backed by a Syrian SU-22 fighter jet, the U.S. shot down the plane. The Russians announced that they were suspending contacts, and for a few hours, it looked pretty hairy, recalls one U.S. official. But the Russians quietly resumed talking, and by late June, the two sides had agreed on the formal arc, with precisely delineated coordinates.

Similar U.S.-Russian cooperation has been calming tensions the past few weeks in southwest Syria. Those talks have been backed by Israel and Jordan, which border the zone. That, too, is a potential model for how de-escalation can work.

Cooperating with the Russians in Syria would be distasteful, given their past actions. But spurning them would keep this volatile country at the flashpoint and almost certainly make things worse rather than better for all sides.

Email: davidignatius@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
MOSUL, Iraq  Dont stop! the Iraqi special forces lieutenant yelled as a wave of fleeing civilians trudged past his position in Mosuls Old City in the scorching heat. Dont pretend youre tired! Keep going! Nearby, dozens of women and children, their hands raised, dropped their bags for security forces to search. Keeping the crowd at a distance, the soldiers yelled at the women to roll up their sleeves and empty everything they were carrying.

We know youre Daesh, the soldiers said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

Tensions have escalated in the final days of the battle for Mosul, as suicide bombings carried out mostly by women hiding among groups of civilians target Iraqi forces closing in on the last few hundred square meters (yards) of territory IS controls. At least one such attack struck Wednesday.

At a screening center, security forces detained boys as young as 14 they accused of belonging to IS and barred the elderly and sick from stopping to rest during the difficult journey out of the war-torn district, a more than kilometer-long (half-mile) trek on foot over mounds of rubble in 115-degree (47-degree Celsius) heat.

Many civilians are believed still trapped in the IS-run enclave, with around 1,500 fleeing with every 100-meter (yard) advance by Iraqi forces. Those emerging from the Old City at this late stage in the fight were weak, injured, gaunt and pale. For months, the district has been bombarded by Iraqi artillery and cut off from food and water.

The fight for Mosul is taking a devastating toll on the Old Citys residents, Doctors Without Borders said in a statement Wednesday. Only a fraction  who require medical attention are receiving it, and many are dying on the battlefield, the humanitarian organization warned.

One man with a fractured leg was carried out Wednesday by a relative, surgical metal pins protruding through the white bandages. A small girl, her head wrapped in gauze, walked past the soldiers holding her mothers hand. Another man approached on crutches, his right leg missing below the knee, the stump bandaged.

An elderly man, stripped down to his underwear, staggered toward the soldiers.

I recognize him from the Daesh propaganda videos! special forces Lt. Fadhel Hadad yelled as two soldiers grabbed the man and sat him on the side of the road. Hadad began questioning him, but the man made motions that he was unable to speak.

Dont pretend you are too tired to speak. Give him water and hell speak, Hadad said.

Iraqi soldiers increasingly accuse civilians still inside the Old City of being relatives of IS fighters. Some 300 militants are estimated to be inside a 500-square-meter (600-square-yard) sliver of territory.

We know they are all Daesh families, but what do we do, kill them all? said a special forces solider, Amar Tabal, stationed deeper inside the Old City.

Women and children who arent found to be carrying weapons are allowed to pass. Men and boys go through a much more stringent process: Their identity cards are checked and those with documents not issued in Mosul or whose name appears on a database are held for further questioning.

Lt. Gen. Abdul-Ghani al-Asadi, a senior special forces commander, defended the screening procedures. He described the IS suicide bombings as barbaric and maintained that searching and questioning civilians is essential to protecting his forces and preventing IS fighters from escaping Mosul.

These are not children. They are cubs of the caliphate, Hadad, the officer at the Old City checkpoint said, gesturing to a group of young boys being held in custody. Another solider kicked a man into the back of a Humvee and began binding the detainees hands with plastic zip-ties.

A group of women in black hijabs covered in dust said they had been traveling for about an hour and had been checked at gunpoint three times.

They suspect we are all Daesh families, but we arent, said Ruqaya Mahmoud, 24, who said she was originally from the Old City.

IS captured Mosul in a matter of days in the summer of 2014. Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition launched a major operation to retake the city in October. In January the citys east was declared liberated and the push on the Old City  the last stand for IS in Mosul  was launched in June.

As civilians continued to flee Wednesday, one woman rushed up to Hadad and a group of soldiers standing outside a Humvee with three young men inside.

My son! Please let me wait for him, he didnt do anything, Nowal Abdel Assad begged.

Get out of here! Hadad yelled, He will follow you.

Sobbing, the woman said: I dont know why (the security forces) are doing this. My son had nothing to do with Daesh.
WARSAW, Poland  Polish President Andrzej Duda says he will hold talks on the very concrete issues of security, energy and economic cooperation with visiting U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump arrives in Warsaw on Wednesday night. On Thursday, he will hold talks with Duda and other leaders from the region, attending an economic summit. Trump will then deliver a public speech before traveling to a G-20 summit in Germany.

Polands conservative government is hailing the visit as a huge success for its diplomacy and a confirmation of its European standing.

Duda said on TVN24 that his talks with Trump will not be some general talk about world security but will tackle concrete issues like energy security for the region, which is still dependent on gas and oil deliveries from Russia.

The two leaders will also discuss further deliveries of U.S. liquid gas to Poland and the region. A one-time shipment arrived last month.

Trump sees potential benefits for the U.S. in this meeting, Duda said.

Central and Eastern Europe still needs huge investment in its infrastructure, roads, energy grid and railroads as it works to catch up with western Europe, he said.

Duda said the visit will have a historical nature and Trumps speech in a downtown Warsaw square will be not only for Poland, but for the whole world.

Dudas foreign policy aide, Andrzej Szczerski, said the Polish president has two gifts for Trump: one formal, according to the protocol, and a nice surprise gift. He would not elaborate.
WASHINGTON  One U.S. Army soldier was killed and two others were injured in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

The U.S. said that Pfc. Hansen B. Kirkpatrick, 19, of Wasilla, Alaska, was killed Monday by indirect fire in Helmand Province. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Two soldiers were wounded in the attack. Their wounds arent considered life-threatening and theyre being treated at a coalition medical facility.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said the soldiers were outside the base in the Nawah district, working with their Afghan partners. They were hit in by a mortar.

There has been a recent increase in U.S. military deaths and injuries in Afghanistan as the fighting season with the Taliban becomes more intense and American forces work more closely with their Afghan partners in the battle.

Hundreds of U.S. forces, including Marines, are in the south.
GALVESTON, Texas  Galveston County authorities say a 27-year-old Houston man has drowned while trying to save his 5-year-old son in an area at the west end of Galveston Island known for its treacherous rip currents.

Deputies say Rufino Suarez and his son were among seven people in a kayak that flipped neared San Luis Pass. The boy was found unconscious but breathing and has been taken to a hospital.

Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis says the fathers body was found later near a bridge over the pass that separates Galveston Island from Brazoria County. Authorities say neither Suarez nor his son was wearing a life jacket.

Authorities had issued warnings about potentially strong currents and had singled out San Luis Pass as an area to avoid.
Deuba struggles to expand Cabinet

With the second round of local elections over and 80 percent results already out, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is under mounting pressure to expand his Cabinet, and with too many aspirants from his own party, the Nepali Congress (NC), his task has but become complicated.
PHOENIX  Vacationers were spooked as SWAT teams roamed an eastern Arizona forest Wednesday searching for a man suspected of setting a string of fires and shooting at a U.S. Forest Service employee.

Authorities began searching for the suspect after eight fires were set Monday night near the community of Forest Lakes, about 75 miles (121 kilometers) southeast of Flagstaff.

The blazes, which were set while wildfires burned elsewhere in the state, all stayed small before being quickly extinguished.

A U.S. Forest Service fire prevention officer encountered the man Tuesday morning near the campground. Officials say the suspect used a handgun and a shotgun to fire at close range at the unarmed officer but missed. The officer fled and was not injured.

FBI and state Department of Public Safety SWAT teams joined sheriffs deputies and tribal police to search for the man in the Canyon Point Campground in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

Coconino County Sheriffs officials said the search was being scaled back Wednesday night as air and ground crews have found no clues to indicate the suspect was still in the area. But they added that authorities were continuing to try to identify and locate the suspect.

Vicki Drinkwine, who owns a local cabin rental business, said one guest came to the cabins reception area Tuesday night to make sure staffers had locked the doors. Drinkwine said shes also received calls from potential guests concerned about the search.

The news is really starting to scare people away, she said.

Larry Prather, who manages an RV resort in Forest Lakes, said three families staying there have been keeping a lookout, especially for smoke.

People definitely started to lock doors, he said.

Jon Paxton, a spokesman for the Coconino County Sheriffs office, said several dozen officers are patrolling the area and handing out wanted posters to local businesses with a photo of a man they think may be responsible.

Forest Lakes Fire District officials said law enforcement also used helicopters and night vision equipment to search.

Paxton said people have reported seeing a man matching the suspects description in communities 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) west and 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) east of Forest Lakes. He said officers look into all tips, but take them with a grain of salt.

Paxton said the suspect, if caught, could face charges for shooting at the officer but it was unclear if the man could face additional charges for setting the fires.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The nations only Latina governor says recent tweets from President Donald Trump about an MSNBC female host and a mock video attacking CNN were not appropriate and not helpful.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, a fellow Republican, said Wednesday the country needed to focus on more important issues like education and the economy.

Martinez says shes more worried about the national labs in New Mexico being protected.

This weekend, Trump tweeted a mock video showing him pummeling a man in a business suit outside a wrestling ring. The mans face is obscured with the CNN logo.

Last week, Trump tweeted that MSNBC morning show host Mika Brzezinski was bleeding badly from a facelift when he saw her around the New Year.

Martinez was critical of Trump during the presidential campaign.
The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) is inviting entries for the third edition of its coveted IndIAA awards. Launched in 2015 and positioned as the awards for real creative advertising, backed by real budgets, they will once more have an all-star jury of CEOs who have judged advertising in the real world. The jury Chair for the last two years were Harish Manwani of Unilever in 2015 and D. Shivakumar of Pepsi in 2016.

Pradeep Guha, Chairman IndIAA awards said Advertising campaigns that were released between 1st July 2016 and 30th June 2017 will be honored in multiple product and service categories. To qualify for the Award the campaign should have film (TV or Digital) as one of its elements. In each product or service category no more than an overall winner and a challenger brand (a new comer) would be awarded. The awards ceremony would be in Mumbai in September 2017.

Said Neeraj Roy, President of IAA India Chapter, This is an initiative to reward truly creative advertising and I am confident it will build on the respect and popularity it has built up during the last two years. Last years award presentation ceremony saw the biggest names in advertising and marketing assembling to salute real hard-working advertising. There will be no entry fee.

Srinivasan Swamy, Senior Vice President IAA Global, said At the IndIAA awards event, just like last year, you will see campaigns that have been watched and loved, and have gone on to impress our stellar jury, being awarded. Therefore, we will invite on stage all the co-creators of the campaign to accept the award. This will include the marketing team, the Agency creative team, the media team and other agencies who contributed to the success of the campaign.

You may visit indiaa-awards.org for information on categories as well as review winners of last year. This years nominees will be added over the next few weeks progressively.
With an aim to challenge the status quo, News18 India, the Hindi general news channel from Network18, was re-launched in November 2016 along with a revamp of its programming line-up. In line with its new tagline Danke Ki Chot Par, the channel has consistently broken several exclusive stories on a variety of pressing and relevant issues which has forced the authorities to take stock of the situation and promise action.

Over the past few months, News18 India has telecast numerous special investigative reports and stories. While Operation Namak Haraam exposed top Pakistani artists living in India involved in large scale black money transactions, Surgical Strikes ka Saboot had a police officer in PoK admitting that strikes were carried out by the Indian Army in September 2016. With a sting operation on UP police, the channel exposed the deep rooted corruption within the state police even after multiple steps were taken by the new BJP government in a bid to make the state corruption free. Following the telecast of the story, Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh Police, Sulkhan Singh took cognizance of the issue and assured that action will be taken against the culprits. Similarly, State Health Minister of Uttar Pradesh launched a probe and suspended two doctors after News18 India exposed malpractises by the doctors in the government hospitals in the state.

The channel has grown exponentially since its re-launch as is evident from the exponential increase in the channels ratings and viewership that has disrupted the pecking order of the Hindi news television industry. A testimony to the strong content is the fact that several of our prime time shows Aar Paar, Hum toh Poochenge and Sau Baat Ki Ek Baat are the top in their respective slots.
EAGAN, Minn., July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a decision effective today, Children's Minnesota (Children's) has ended its contract with nonprofit insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), leaving members to seek care with other children's health providers in Minnesota. Children's chose to terminate its contract with Blue Cross even though they could have continued to treat patients at current rates while negotiating a new contract. Such contracts are designed to ensure providers and insurers can negotiate without affecting patients.

In anticipation of today's contract expiration, the clinical team at Blue Cross has been working closely with the clinical team at Children's as well as other leading pediatric care providers across the state to manage the transition of care for patients and their families.

"We know many families value having access to Children's and are rightfully concerned by this news," said Garrett Black, senior vice president of health services at Blue Cross. "Blue Cross has a long history of negotiating in good faith and working through difficult issues even after the renewal date comes and goes. The vast majority of our negotiations with physicians and hospitals are resolved thoughtfully and reasonably. We find it disappointing that Children's would choose to walk away from our network instead of working with us collaboratively to negotiate a new agreement."

Driving more affordable care for members is critical to the nonprofit mission of Blue Cross. Children's is among Minnesota's most profitable care systems; and Blue Cross says Children's is demanding increases in reimbursement rates which exceed what other hospitals and physicians in Minnesota have been accepting. Blue Cross has come to the table with many alternative offers and continues to be rebuffed by Children's.

"During the last several months, Blue Cross has made every effort to reach a new contract agreement with Children's Minnesota on behalf of our members," said Black. "Unfortunately, Children's has instead been focused on an expensive marketing campaign asking patients to pressure Blue Cross into allowing Children's to charge higher prices for their services."

Black says Blue Cross offered Children's a contract with above-market prices for 2017, reflecting the value Children's provides. "Children's rejected our contract offers and has continued to push for a substantially higher price increase well above market standards," said Black.

Throughout this process, Blue Cross has stressed the need for everyone in Minnesota's health care system to address unsustainable increases in medical costs. Blue Cross is still committed to resolving this negotiation, as it has done with every other provider in its network. For example, Blue Cross recently announced a contract extension through 2020 with Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. The new agreement reflects a commitment by both organizations to make health care more affordable, while creating new opportunities to collaborate and develop innovative approaches to improving the overall quality of care for patients and their families.

While negotiations with Children's continue, Blue Cross is focused on continued patient care.

"Our clinical leaders at Blue Cross are in regular conversations with our counterparts at Children's to ensure that every patient has a plan for either ongoing care at Children's or a safe transition to continued care elsewhere," said Dr. Glenn Pomerantz, chief medical officer at Blue Cross. "The clinical teams at Blue Cross and Children's are taking our shared responsibility very seriously. While our organizations may have different perspectives on business matters, we know that people are counting on us to work together and make sure that no one goes without the care that they need."

Blue Cross has agreed to approve continued treatment at Children's for eligible Blue Cross members based on clinical criteria that Children's provided to Blue Cross for ongoing medical care. As a result, more than 4,000 Blue Cross members will continue their care at Children's. These patients will be transitioned to other pediatric hospitals only when it is medically safe and appropriate.

"We also have been working closely with other pediatric hospitals and care systems in Minnesota and have confirmed they have the capacity and resources to manage the care of patients for any transitioned patients or patients who need care going forward," said Pomerantz.

Minnesota is fortunate to have hospitals located throughout the Twin Cities and in Greater Minnesota that provide excellent pediatric care. In fact, in June 2017, one of these hospitals, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, was nationally ranked in five specialties by U.S. News and World Report in the annual "Best Hospitals" rankings.

To date, Blue Cross has been in communication with the following in-network free-standing pediatric hospitals, all of which have the clinical abilities and capacity to serve Children's patients:

University of Minnesota Children's Masonic Hospital

Children's Masonic Hospital Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Mayo Clinic Children's Center

Sanford Children's Hospitals

Shriners Hospitals for Children

In addition to these pediatric hospitals, more than 1,200 pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners remain in the Blue Cross network.

Blue Cross is committed to helping members with this transition. If Blue Cross members have any questions regarding their care or need additional assistance, they are encouraged to call the dedicated Children's Minnesota phone number at (855)-579-7657, or call the number on the back of their insurance card. Members may also find answers to their questions online at www.bluecrossmn.com.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blue-cross-and-blue-shield-of-minnesota-disappointed-to-announce-childrens-minnesota-has-elected-to-leave-blue-cross-network-300483288.html

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
We can help you make sense of the agribusiness industry, extending from chemicals and fertilizers used as inputs into agriculture, to the commodities, food and by-products that are an output to farming, with policy and regulation applied at every step of the value chain.
The European Commission (EC) named a new expert panel meant to advise the European Unions competition watchdog on the Android antitrust case against Google, sources with knowledge of the effort said on Wednesday. The move likely signals that the ECs antitrust investigation into Googles Android-related practices is coming to a close and if the panel agrees with the original assessment that the Alphabet-owned company is abusing the dominance of its open source operating system in an effort to promote its Android software suite, the tech giant may be hit with another historic fine. While its currently unclear for how long exactly will the newly appointed committee be inspecting Googles case, some industry watchers believe that the probe could be finished by the end of the year, together with an associated verdict on the matter. If the panel disagrees with the ECs allegations, the case could be prolonged or even dismissed though that may not be a probable scenario in light of Googles recent dealings with the competition authorities on the continent.

The investigation into Googles possible antitrust violations pertaining to its Android practices has been ongoing for over a year now, with the case originally starting in April 2016 after a complaint filed by lobby group FairSearch. The EC is specifically looking into the companys insistence to have original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) pre-install Google Search and Google Chrome on their Android devices if they want to be granted access to other Android apps developed by the Mountain View, California-based tech giant. Google previously argued that Android promotes both innovation and competition, thus being a platform thats beneficial to consumers across demographics.

Google just broke the record for the largest antitrust fine issued on the Old Continent, with the firm more than doubling Intels $1.2 billion penalty from 2009 when the EC hit it with its historic ruling last week. The exact composition of the panel that the EU reportedly appointed in recent weeks is still unclear, though more details on the matter and Googles dealings with European competition authorities will likely follow shortly. In the meantime, the company is still considering the possibility of appealing the aforementioned fine and should disclose its decision in the coming weeks.
Google is preparing to use Norwegian wind power for at least one of its European data centers as soon as September according to a new report. Though its likely that Google will be using the wind power for at least one data center in Europe, it could be used for multiple data centers that are located in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, and the Netherlands, though it wont necessarily be used to power all four of them. What is clear though is that the wind power that is generated from the wind farm will go entirely to Google as part of a deal it signed with the Tellenes Wind Farm thats set to last for a period of 12 years.

The wind farm has exactly 50 total wind turbines and will start to generate power from them sometime next week but the first round of power generated from the farm will reportedly be sold on the Nord Pool power exchange instead of being used by Google. Furthermore any power generated between now and when Google is supposed to begin receiving power as part of the 12-year deal will be part of the chunk thats sold off.

This initiative to sell off any power thats generated between now and early September should make sense as Google doesnt plan on paying for any power until the farm is completely operational, which isnt supposed to happen until around that time, but with Tellenes generating power as soon as next week that power will have to go somewhere. The deal between Google and Tellenes will be one of its latest efforts to source its power using renewable energy instead of traditional sources, but it also wont be its last as Google also reportedly bought out energy output from a Swedish wind farm as well which is set to start operations sometime next year. Although the power from the Tellenes wind farm may be split up across more than one of Googles data centers in Europe the total amount of wind power to come from the soon to be operating plant is said to be in the amount of 160 megawatts, marking it as Googles largest European wind farm.
The Google Assistant can do a lot of things, but apparently, it doesnt know that Arizona is not in the Eastern Timezone. Now this isnt just as simple as changing the timezone that Arizona is associated with, because that State is the only one in the US that does not observe daylight savings time. So during part of the year its on Mountain Time and the rest of the year its on Pacific Time. Which is likely why the Google Assistant is confused on the time in Arizona, but its still a bit strange that it believes Arizona is on the east coast, when it is definitely not.

Now this bug is not happening with other States, it only appears to be happening with Arizona, and given the fact that it doesnt observe Daylight Savings time, that does make sense. Its also happening in Google Search on the desktop, so its not just Google Assistant thats having the issue. It appears to be a Google Search issue at this time. Google has said that it is working on a fix for this issue, and should have it fixed relatively soon. This is the type of fix that likely wont need a software update either, seeing as it should all be done on the server since it is a Google Search issue and not a simple Google Assistant issue.

Google Assistant has had some interesting bugs since it launched last year, but this is perhaps the most confusing one. Hopefully its something that Google can fix in the next few days. The Google Assistant is pretty good, but it is a bit fragmented right now. The Google Assistant on Google Home, versus on your smartphone versus whats in Allo is vastly different, surprisingly. Google has added more functionality to Assistant which lives inside of Google Home, and less to whats on your smartphone, which is a bit weird since many more people have a smartphone that has Google Assistant rather than a Google Home  since those are $129, the price of some smartphones these days. You can check out the Google Product Forums for updates on this issue from Google, but theres no ETA for a fix just yet.
A new update for the Samsung Galaxy S6 is now rolling out to unlocked devices in Netherlands, which should install the June 2017 security patch. Aside from the improved device security, the update also fixes some of the device bugs and adds some performance-related improvements. While Samsung did not specify what improvements were made, users should experience better performance and smoother response from their device. As the Samsung Galaxy S6 inches closer to the third anniversary of its release, device owners should expect additional security updates from the South Korean tech giant within the next few months. However, it is likely that the device will no longer receive the next major version of the Android operating system given the track records of most of the device manufacturers. For those owning the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, there is no word yet on when a similar update rolls out for the said device.

The new update is quite small, pegged at only 82.11MB, so downloading the update through mobile data connections will not greatly affect the users data allocation. However, it is still advisable that the devices battery should have sufficient battery charge in order to finish the update process. If the device suddenly shuts down during the update process, owners may encounter software problems that could force the user to seek the assistance of a technician. At this point, the update is available for unlocked devices in the Netherlands but similar devices across Europe should receive the update soon. Users who do not want to wait for a notification from Samsung could download the update manually through the devices settings.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is one of the two flagship devices released by the South Korean tech giant back in 2015. The said device has already received two major OS updates, with the Android 7.0 Nougat update rolling out to the handset way a few months back. This handset is equipped with an Exynos 7420 chipset, which is considerably more efficient compared to the rival solution from Qualcomm. A Mali-T760 GPU is also included for the handsets graphics processing needs. The devices design was a radical shift from what Samsung did before, with the manufacturer eschewing removable batteries and going with a more premium-feeling glass back.
Domestic airlines bring down fuel surcharge

Domestic airlines have decreased the fuel surcharge following a drop in the price of aviation fuel.
MediaTek had introduced its Helio X30 64-bit deca-core flagship processor a while back, and not a single smartphone ships with this SoC just yet, but it seems like the Meizu PRO 7 might become the first one. The Meizu PRO 7 has been leaking for a long time now, and the company was actually expected to introduce it back in April, but that did not happen. Pretty much every spec leak that mentions this smartphone, also mentions the Helio X30, and if a new rumor is to be believed, Meizus upcoming flagship will be the first smartphone to ship with MediaTeks most powerful mobile processor.

For those of you who are not aware of this, the Helio X30 is actually a 10nm processor, and it was already expected to ship in a number of devices, but for one reason or the other, that has not happened. Were not sure if MediaTek had some issues delivering this SoC, or did the company miss out on consumers, but it any case, this SoC is expected to hit the market soon. The Helio X30 is also known as the MT6799, and it comes with two Cortex-A73 cores, four Cortex-A53 cores and four Cortex-A35 cores This SoC also comes with the PowerVR 7XTP-MT4 GPU which is in charge of graphics processing, and it is clocked at 800MHz. The Helio X30 supports up to 8GB of RAM and UFS 2.1 storage, while it also offers support for 4K displays. 3x carrier aggregation support is also included in this chip, and the same can be said for category 10 4G LTE, and Imagiq 2.0.

The Meizu PRO 7 is rumored to arrive on July 26, and if that info is accurate, then Meizu will probably start teasing the arrival of this smartphone in the near future. Some rumors are even claiming that the Meizu PRO 7 Plus will launch alongside the Meizu PRO 7, but that is not as likely, as the PRO Plus variants of Meizus flagship handsets usually arrive later in the year with Samsungs Exynos SoCs. The Meizu PRO 7 is expected to sport a 5.2-inch fullHD or QHD AMOLED display, along with 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and the device will probably sport a secondary display on the back, as many leaks have suggested thus far.

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Last month, the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 surfaced on Amazon.co.uk, and both devices were supposed to become available by the end of July, but it seems like the Nokia 5s launch has been delayed. The two devices are still available for pre-order, but the Nokia 5 will launch later than expected, youll have to wait until August in order to get your hands on the phone. The Nokia 3 will become available in the UK on July 12, while the Nokia 5 will land on August 16, which means its release has been delayed for almost a month, as the device was expected to launch on July 19.

Now, in addition to that, we now know when to expect the Nokia 6 to arrive to the UK, the phone will launch on August 2, and it will cost 219.99 ($285). Speaking of which, the Nokia 3s and Nokia 5s price points remain unchanged, the Nokia 3 is priced at 129.99 ($168), while the Nokia 5 costs 179.99 ($232) in the UK. The Nokia 6 will, of course, be the most expensive smartphone out of this bunch, mainly because its the most powerful one, despite the fact these are all Nokias budget offerings, as the company is expected to introduce the Nokia 8 and Nokia 9 devices by the end of this year. The Nokia 8 will be considerably more powerful than any of the companys current phones, while the Nokia 9 is expected to be its new flagship smartphone, and it will be fueled by the Snapdragon 835, if rumors are to be believed.

The Nokia 6 was originally announced back in January in China, while its global announcement followed in February, during MWC 2017. Having said that, the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 launched at MWC 2017, and the company has been releasing all those devices in new markets since then. The Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 ship with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage, the Nokia 3 is fueled by the MediaTek MT6737 64-bit quad-core SoC, while the Nokia 5 comes with Qualcomms Snapdragon 430 64-bit octa-core processor. The Nokia 6, on the other hand, is also fueled by the Snapdragon 430 SoC, but it packs in 3GB / 4GB of RAM and 32GB / 64GB of native storage. All of these devices ship with Android Nougat, and its an almost stock version of Android were looking at here.
A potential Sony Xperia flagship bearing the model number G8441 was sighted in Sony Mobiles User Agent Profile (UAProf) database earlier today, with the handset itself possibly being one of the devices that the Japanse original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is planning to launch in late summer. The smartphone is seemingly set to run Android 8.0 out of the box, with its software presumably being similar to stock Android as Sony usually decides against loading its smartphones and tablets with heavy skins. The UAProf sighting of the G8441 also reveals that the handset will support Bluetooth 5.0 and be powered by an unspecified ARM system-on-chip (SoC).

No details on the screen size of the device have been provided by the listing, with even its resolution being unclear  parts of the document contain references to a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, while others suggest that the G8441 will only support up to 1,280 by 720 pixels. This particular detail suggests that the G8441 itself may not be a flagship but rather just a Compact variant of another high-end device. Likewise, its possible that both references to the handsets resolution are correct and the G8441 is simply switching between Full HD and HD modes, much like the Xperia Z5 Premium and XZ Premium automatically change between 4K and Full HD resolution. Regardless, the actual pixel count indicates that this particular device will sport a screen with a conventional aspect ratio of 16:9.

Another device with an incomplete model number of G83XX was also recently spotted online, with that model being said to be one of Sonys two premium phones that are scheduled to be launched in the second half of the year. The newly unveiled G8441 may be a smaller, possibly less powerful revision of that phone seeing how Sonys model numbering practices dont necessarily mean that a higher number equals better hardware. Rumors of the Xperia XZ1 have also been circulating the industry for some time now, though it remains to be seen whether such a device could be associated with one of the recently sighted phones, provided that it even exists. Sony is expected to attend this years IFA Berlin that starts on September 1, so more details on the companys hardware endeavors should be available in the near future.
Sony is likely going to be announcing a few new smartphones at its press conference in Berlin just ahead of IFA. And those devices could be the G8341 and the G8441. A Polish retailer, Komp.Tech, has published some information about the two devices, but it hasnt revealed much else other than the colors and the pricing for both of these devices. These are expected to be the next flagship and then the compact model of that flagship. The G8341 is priced at 749 and the G8441 at 649, so its likely that the G8441 is the Compact version.

Apparently the G8341 is only listed as a Sony Xperia device, and then Flagship on the listing. But it is going to be available in Black, Moonlite Blue, Venus Pink and Warm Silver. Meanwhile the G8441 is listed quite similarly as a Compact Flagship and with the colors Black, Horizon Blue, Snow Silver and Twilight Pink. These are some interesting names from Sony, but not surprising to see it coming in a variety of colors. Sony does usually launch its smartphones in at least four different colors, if not more. Theres not much else available, in terms of information on these two devices. But, hopefully Sony will unwrap them fairly soon and make them public.

IFA 2017 takes place at the beginning of September and Sony has already started sending out invites to its press conference that is on August 31st, ahead of the trade show in Berlin. This is typically where the company would announce its newest smartphones and other products that will be shown off at the trade show. Sony does typically announce new smartphones at MWC in February and IFA in September, so it wouldnt be too surprising to see these two devices debut in Berlin. Additionally, since both devices are already in this retailers system, these two are definitely close to release, or at least close to being ready for pre-order. Its still unclear what these two devices will be named. After the company went to the Xperia X last year, then the Xperia XZ last fall and Xperia XZs earlier this year, its anyones guess as to what this will be named.
DoR completes study on alternative route

A feasibility study for building an alternative route to the landslide-prone Muglin-Narayangadh stretch has completed, the Department of Roads (DoR) has said.
5 July 2017 11:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

Armenia with its continuous provocations and aggression against Azerbaijani civilians brings the South Caucus region closer to war, says an Azerbaijani lieutenant-general.

Armenian armed forces fired at the Alkhanli village of Fizuli district, using 82 and 120 millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers on July 4. The ceasefire breach killed 50-year-old villager Guliyeva Sahibe and her two-year-old grandchild, as well as wounded 48-year old Guliyeva Servinaz .

Former commander of the military unit, retired general-lieutenant Yashar Aydemirov, commenting on the next provocation by Armenia, said that Armenians have always opened fire and killed civilians.

Shooting at human settlement, killing of elderly, women and children are ancestral traditions of Armenians. But ours will never act like that. Now they [Armenians] have again resorted to provocation by killing people in Fuzuli, he said, stressing that the Azerbaijani army took adequate retaliatory actions.

Armenians by such actions force our army to respond them and to attack their military facilities to prevent the provocation. So, Armenians themselves bring the war closer. We have the right to start the war at any time, but they just intensify using our right."

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains to be a source of danger for the whole region with the potential of escalation to turn to a new war.

Although, Azerbaijan which is suffering from Armenian occupation of its lands for over 20 years is loyal to the Karabakh peace process. Armenia refuses to fulfill the UN four resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan and continuously resorts to provocations. And this leaves no choice but war for Azerbaijan to restore its territorial integrity.

As for reasons why Armenia resorts to provocations to instigate war in Karabakh, Aydemirov is sure that by this way Armenia tries to postpone the peace talks.

"Yes, they do this intentionally. Armenia is well aware that it will loose the war. But at this stage, they are interested to hinder the talks. They know very well that those who support them will not allow the war to deepen, and pressure on Azerbaijan to stop the war," he said.

Armenia's incumbent authorities take every effort to position themselves in the society as "strong", Aydemirov added. "They want to show as if the Azerbaijani side opens the fire and they are responding, and the situation on the front is tense. In short, they try to cover their own [failures] to maintain stability inside. They realize that a mass protest that may put an end to their power against the authorities may start in Armenia at any time, he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

No progress has been achieved so far during the negotiations held with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2017 11:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs urgently call upon the sides of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to cease military action.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs  Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Stephane Visconti of France, and Ambassador Richard Hoagland of the United States  have received information of renewed violence late in the evening on July 4 at Alkhanli village of Fizuli region that resulted in casualties, including civilians, said a message on the website of OSCE.

Violence only begets further violence and accomplishes nothing. The only responsible and humane way to resolve this long-standing conflict is for the sides to return to the negotiation table in good faith, said the message.

The co-chairs also extended their condolences to the families of the victims.

The Armenian armed forces subjected to fire the Alkhanli village of Fizuli district, using 82 and 120 millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers on July 4.

As a result of this provocation of Armenia, the residents of the village Guliyeva Sakhiba Idris gizi (born in 1967), and Guliyeva Zakhra Elnur gizi (born in 2015) were killed. Guliyeva Servinaz Iltifat gizi (born in 1965), who has got fragment wounds as a result of the shelling, has been taken to the military hospital and was operated on, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.

The enemy was suppressed thanks to adequate retaliatory actions undertaken by the military units of the Azerbaijan's Armed Forces located in this direction.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2017 15:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman ismayilova

The Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan has issued a statement condemning a grave crime committed by Armenian armed forces in Alkhanli village of Fuzuli region, Azertac reported.

"Military and political leadership of Armenia committed another crime. Yesterday, in the evening on July 4, Armenian armed forces in our occupied territories shelled civilians and civil buildings of Alkhanli village of Fuzuli region with mortars and grenades, the statement raeds,

As a result of this inhuman action, residents of Alkhanli village  Allahverdiyeva Sahiba Idris gizi (1966) and her granddaughter Guliyeva Zahra Elnur qizi (2016) died, another civilian  Guliyeva Salminaz Iltifat gizi (1965) was heavily wounded and taken to hospital."

The Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan resolutely condemned this grave crime committed by Armenian state against peaceful Azerbaijani citizens.

"We call on OSCE Minsk Group and international organizations to take decisive actions for putting an end to aggressive policy of Armenian state," the statement concludes.

For about three decades Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions in a brutal war in the early 1990s.

Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1994, Armenia keeps violating armistice with Azerbaijan.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
EC wants poll dates by first week of August

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to suggest that the government announce dates for provincial and national elections by the first week of August.
5 July 2017 15:52 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The Armenian armed forces attacks on Azerbaijani civilians are of systematic nature, Vice-Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Bahar Muradova said at an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Minsk on July 5.

The responsibility for yesterday's attack rests with the military-political leadership of Armenia. It is scary to realize that while we are discussing the issue of building mutual trust here, there is bloodshed in our country, on our land, she said.

The Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives on July 4.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Muradova reminded that on the Azerbaijani side, solely civilians live in the villages on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, but on the Armenian side, armed forces, formed mainly of the countrys recruits, are stationed.

She noted that MPs have to find ways to peaceful dialogue and make a contribution to put an end to the bloodshed.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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5 July 2017 15:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives on July 4, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Below is the photo proof of the Armenian atrocities against Azerbaijani civilians.

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5 July 2017 15:51 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan Dan Stav is deeply saddened and dismayed by the news about the murder of people as a result of mortar fire in Azerbaijans Fuzuli region, reads a message of the Israeli Embassy in Baku.

Ambassador Stav conveys condolences to the family of Zakhra and Sakhiba and to all people of Azerbaijan, and wishes speedy recovery to the injured, said the message.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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5 July 2017 16:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the provocation staged by Armenia on July 4 on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in Fizuli region, which resulted in killing of two Azerbaijani citizens, including a 2-year-old girl.

This despicable atrocity clearly demonstrated that the provocations which Armenia follows at the border and front regions with heavy weaponry, while occupying one-fifth of Azerbaijan's territory, target Azerbaijani civilian population, particularly women and children in violation of international law and humanitarian values," read a statement issued by the Ministry on July 5.

On July 4 at 20:40, the Armenian armed forces located in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan subjected to fire the Alkhanli village of Fizuli region, using 82 and 120 millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers. As a result of this provocation, a resident of the village and her two-year-old granddaughter were killed. Another resident, who got fragment wounds as a result of the shelling, was taken to the military hospital and was operated on.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims and to the Azerbaijani nation, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.

"International community should acknowledge the fact that this deliberate and systematic policy pursued by Armenia towards fuelling violence is the main obstacle to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and put pressure on Armenia to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," said the statement.

The Turkish side also noted that Turkey, as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, established for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, will continue to support the efforts to reach a just and lasting solution within the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Ankara has repeatedly stated that the OSCE Minsk Group needs to intensify the search for solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and offered its assistance in this matter.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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By Rashid Shirinov

The Armenian Armed Forces once again purposefully and deliberately shelled densely-populated residential areas and civilian facilities in the Alkhanli village of Fuzuli region, reads a statement by Azerbaijan's Human Rights Commissioner.

Ombudsperson Elmira Suleymanova issued the statement on July 5 on the Armenian armys killing of Azerbaijani civilians and targeting of civilian facilities in Fuzulis Alkhanli village, Azertac reported.

"Armenia's occupation policy once again proved to be a major threat to peace and development not only in Azerbaijan, but throughout the whole region, she said in the statement.

Hoping that justice and peace will be established in the near future, these crimes against humanity will be given international legal assessment, criminals will be punished, and Armenia will be punished in accordance with the Charter of the UN. I call on all international organizations, states, and my colleagues to make joint resolute efforts and take action to put an end to Armenia's aggression, liberate the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, have Armenia withdraw its military forces from these territories, restore Azerbaijans borders recognized by the UN and the whole world, and ensure the return of the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons to their homes.

The statement was sent to the UN Security Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNESCO, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the International and European Ombudsman institutes, the Asian Ombudsman Association, the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, the International Peace Bureau, ombudspersons of different countries, the embassies of Azerbaijan in foreign countries and the embassies of foreign countries in the country, as well as Azerbaijani diaspora organizations.

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5 July 2017 18:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Ranulph Fiennes

Thirty-five years ago, as part of a global expedition, Charles Burton and I traveled across the Arctic Ocean via the North Pole, camping for three months on a fast-moving ice floe. It was, for us, a journey that defined our lives, and formed one leg of an enduring world record.

But another record, this one far less stable, belongs to the Arctic ice itself: by March of this year, it had shrunk to the smallest size ever recorded.

The disappearance of polar ice is driven by the use of fossil fuels, which not only underpins global warming, but also has a more immediate effect, owing to widespread reliance on heavy fuel oil (HFO) to power ships. HFO is cheap and abundant, but it is also toxic and dirty. When ships navigate the Arctic, pollutants like sulphur oxide and black carbon are deposited onto the ice and snow. The pollutant accumulation accelerates snowmelt, which warms ocean waters and, in turn, creates a self-reinforcing cycle of more melting.

The world has an opportunity to reverse these trends this week, when the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meets in London. At that meeting, Canada, along with a number of Arctic and non-Arctic member states, will propose a strategy for limiting the use and transport of HFO by ships in the Arctic. It is imperative that every state in attendance supports this crucial measure to protect the fragile and fast-vanishing Arctic ecosystem.

HFO has been the king of marine fuels since the 1960s, but only in recent years has it come under increased scrutiny. In August 2011, it was banned from ships entering Antarctic waters, but Arctic states have been slower to move. In 2015, HFO accounted for nearly 60% of the marine fuel consumed by ships operating in the Arctic.

Economic considerations drive HFOs popularity, but it is now widely understood that its environmental and human costs outweigh the benefits. When HFO is spilled in icy waters, it breaks down slowly and can devastate ecosystems and the livelihoods of those who depend on them. HFO is also a significant source of air pollution. The climate warming effects of black carbon, for example, are up to five times worse in the Arctic than they are at lower latitudes.

Alternative shipping fuels exist. Marine diesel oil and liquefied natural gas, for example, are cost effective and cleaner than HFO. Whats needed is the political will to enforce a transition to less-polluting options. For now, only limited HFO bans have been enacted, such as those enforced in the Southern Ocean and the waters around the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. As Arctic ice recedes, new shipping lanes will open to larger vessels, bearing the flags of a larger number of states, making HFO regulations even more important. The Arctic Council has warned that more shipping traffic will increase the risk of catastrophic oil spills.

Some countries are already taking action. In 2016, the United States and Canada announced a phase down in the use of HFO in vessels operating in the Arctic. Many other countries quietly support this work. But passive support is not enough. Now that the IMO meeting is taking place, more countries must step forward and add their voice to the growing number of states calling for an HFO ban in the Arctic. The European Parliament, for its part, has already broadly supported such a move.

Momentum toward an HFO phase-out in the Arctic is building. The Danish Shipowners Association and the Arctic expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten are just two of the players calling for tighter regulations or an outright ban. Other shipping companies have highlighted the need for regulations to maintain a level playing field.

In January 2017, Hurtigruten joined the Clean Arctic Alliance to launch the Arctic Commitment. The initiative brings together shipping operators, polar explorers, NGOs, communities, and businesses to back an HFO phase-out, ahead of any increase in Arctic shipping, while urging the broader shipping industry to switch to alternative fuels. (I signed earlier this year.)

At this months Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting, IMO member states must build on the progress already made by supporting the HFO phase-out proposed by Canada. In particular, they must commit to enforcement of any resulting IMO measures, and to ensuring that the use of HFO is eventually banned from Arctic waters. We have time to append the record books on Arctic ice, but we must act fast.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: Ban Heavy Fuel Oil in the Arctic

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5 July 2017 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Zaki Laidi

French President Emmanuel Macron invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Paris as his first foreign guest, while US President Donald Trump will attend this years Bastille Day celebrations. By reaching out to two world leaders who made no secret of their hope that he would never make it to the Elysee Palace, Macron has set the stage for a new and ambitious French foreign policy.

The message Macron is sending is that he will remain open to new opportunities for compromise  talking to anyone who is willing, but without glossing over disagreements. His foreign policy seeks to restore Frances central position on the world stage, while remaining firmly committed to Europe.

Macrons foreign-policy effectiveness will depend on his ability to bring about a domestic economic turnaround  a lesson learned from Macrons predecessor Francois Hollande. Beyond a military intervention against Islamist militants in Mali, Hollande achieved little on the international stage, precisely because he lacked credibility at home, owing to Frances economic weakness.

It is too early to tell whether Macron will succeed where Hollande failed. But it is already clear that Macron possesses some valuable skills and attributes that his predecessor lacked: undeniable charisma, an ability to connect with foreign leaders (thanks partly to his fluent English), a solid grasp of global issues, and a drive to implement economic reform.

Macron will also benefit from external factors. For starters, the economic situation not only in France, but throughout Europe, has recently improved substantially. Moreover, France and Germany seem to be converging on a large number of global issues. Add to that the United Kingdoms self-isolation and Trumps erratic America first polices, and Macron is in a strong position to establish himself as a key champion of multilateralism.

Of course, even if Macron does guide an economic turnaround, France will have neither the means nor the ambition to supplant the US on the world stage. But Macron does want France to exercise more influence over the international system  an ambition that is underscored by the way he addresses Putin and Trump.

Just a couple of weeks after his election, Macron slammed Russian state-owned media for employing lying propaganda to smear him during the campaign  while standing right next to Putin himself. No French leader since Charles de Gaulle would have dared to stand up to Russia in such a public way. From Macrons perspective, however, the disagreements that will shape the bilateral relationship had to be laid out, and a clear power dynamic established, before dialogue could occur.

The major test of the Russia-France relationship lies in Syria  an issue that, so far, Macron has handled skillfully. He intentionally set aside the question of whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would remain in power (as Putin wants) or be deposed (as the US and others desire), but also made it clear that France would intervene militarily if Assad were to use chemical weapons again. It is not yet clear whether Macrons approach will succeed; but France has reestablished itself, at least for now, as a player in Syria.

As for Trump, Macrons disagreement with him mostly concerns multilateral issues. France and Europe place much stock in multilateralism, which supports burden sharing. The Trump administrations tendency toward trade protectionism  not to mention financial deregulation  is therefore a source of serious concern.

But it is Trumps commitment to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement that is most problematic to Macron, who plans to work with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to bring about a US reversal. If this effort succeeds, Macron will have established France as an effective advocate and practitioner of multilateralism.

Macron has another objective with regard to Trump: to prevent disagreements from undermining their ability to pursue shared interests, especially in the fight against terrorism. In Syria, for example, the French and US positions are rather closely aligned, and Trump has already shown more willingness than his predecessor, Barack Obama, to enforce a red line on the use of chemical weapons. But Trumps Syria policy remains confused, with few clear lines having really been drawn and significant discrepancies between the claims of Trump and his own cabinet.

Of course, Trumps threats of disengagement from NATO also worry France. But France has always sought to maintain a capacity for strategic autonomy, and Macron hopes that the weakening of the US strategic guarantee will convince Europeans, who have long lagged on the establishment of a stronger common defense posture, to do the same.

Considerable economic, strategic, and cultural obstacles to the emergence of a European defense posture no doubt remain, including among those within some French industrial circles who oppose open tenders for defense contracts. But there are signs of progress. Most notably, the European Commission has for the first time decided to offer European funding for key military programs, especially in research and development.

It will take time to marshal not just the money, but also (and more challenging) the political will. But rising uncertainty over Americas reliability  together with the departure of the UK, which has long opposed European defense, from the European Union  has already spurred Germany to acknowledge the need for progress. And, of course, progress for Europe is progress for France, as Europe acts as a multiplier of its national power.

There is not yet a Macron Doctrine. But Macrons foreign policy goals are coming into focus: increase Frances credibility by reversing its economic decline; bolster the Franco-German axis in Europe; strengthen Europes role in the world; and engage with everyone. It is a realist approach  but certainly not a cynical one.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: The Macron Doctrine?

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5 July 2017 17:04 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan and Israel are eager to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and in human capacity-building.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan Dan Stav and Head of the Guba Region Executive Power Yashar Mammadov.

Stav noted that the Jewish and other communities of the region coexist and cooperate peacefully and harmoniously.

During the visit to Guba, the ambassador and his team also visited the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex and were informed of the tragic events in this region and the history of the creation of this Memorial Complex.

In addition, the Ambassador and Consul of Israel in Azerbaijan Lilah Atias met with representatives of the Jewish community in the village of Krasnaya Sloboda in the Guba region.

The Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples have a long tradition of tolerance and interaction. Todays friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Israel are built on centuries of shared Jewish-Azerbaijani coexistence.

The strategic relationship between the two countries covers cooperation in trade and security matters, cultural and educational exchanges.

Azerbaijan and Israel abolished double taxation between countries in April 2017.

Defense and energy sectors apart, the bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to $260 million in 2016.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Israel amounted to $116.2 million in January-February 2017, which is 17.5 percent more compared to the same period of 2016, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Israel also cooperate closely in the field of energy. Israel buys 40 percent of its oil from Azerbaijan.

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5 July 2017 18:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) has paid compensations worth over 739.33 million manats ($434.3 million) to depositors of Parabank, Zaminbank, Dekabank, Kredobank, Caucasus Development Bank, Atrabank, Bank of Azerbaijan, Gandjabank, Texnikabank, United Credit Bank and Bank Standard.

Banks Volume of paid compensations (million manats) Volume of paid compensation out of the total volume (pct) Bank Standard 437,51 99,2 Zaminbank 63,951 88 Dekabank 3,087 98,7 Kredobank 27,771 99,9 Caucasus Development Bank 2,004 96 Atrabank 14,35 98,2 Bank of Azerbaijan 24,191 97 Gandjabank 0,976 94 Texnikabank 120,458 98,2 Parabank 43,222 98,5

United Credit 1,807 86,1

Bank

Receiving applications for compensation from insured depositors of Bank of Azerbaijan has been suspended since January 27, Gandjabank - since February 4 and Texnikabank - since February 12.

The licenses of all 11 banks were withdrawn in 2016 due to the discrepancy of their total capital with the minimum requirements [50 million manats-$29.4 million] and default to the creditors.

Currently, 31 banks are implementing their activities in Azerbaijan.

ADIF was founded on August 12, 2007 after the Law on Deposit Insurance was adopted by the Parliament [Milli Majlis] of Azerbaijan.

The purpose of establishing the Deposit Insurance Scheme is to prevent the risk of losing money deposited by individuals and to ensure the sustainability and development of the financial and banking system whenever banks and local branch offices of foreign banks become insolvent.

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5 July 2017 18:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara israfilbayova

Brussels hosted the second round of negotiations on signing of an EU-Azerbaijan Common Aviation Area Agreement on July 4-5.

From the Azerbaijani side, a delegation led by Director of the countrys State Civil Aviation Administration Arif Mammadov took part in the negotiations, the Azerbaijani State Civil Aviation Administration reported.

The delegation included employees of the State Civil Aviation Administration and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Belgium, as well as representatives of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry.

During the constructive talks, both sides expressed readiness to sign the relevant agreements.

The remarks and proposals of the Azerbaijani side were discussed, and a number of issues were clarified. The sides signed a protocol following the meeting.

The sides agreed to hold the third round of negotiations on the signing of an EU-Azerbaijan Common Aviation Area Agreement in Baku. Until then, the EU and its member countries will receive prompt feedback from other ministries and committees of Azerbaijan.

The final version of the agreement is expected to be prepared at the meeting in Baku.

The beginning of negotiations on the draft Common Aviation Area Agreement is also important from the perspective of signing new EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, Mammadov said at the meeting.

He noted that the meeting will make a special contribution to the dialogue between Azerbaijan and Europe.

Mammadov also stressed that Azerbaijan has positive experience in cooperation in the field of civil aviation.

Currently, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of an agreement on partnership and cooperation that was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.

The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The EU is Azerbaijans major trade partner. This 28 member states union with a total population of more than 500 million people is Azerbaijans biggest economic partner providing countrys 38 percent of foreign trade share.

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Indias GST slows down Nepals imports, exports

Nepal has seen a slowdown in exports and imports of goods to and from third countries via India for the last days due to confusion created by implementation of goods and services tax (GST) in the southern neighbour.
5 July 2017 13:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

An exhibition of national costumes has opened in the National Museum of History.

The exhibition is co-organized by the Museum and National Center of the Educational technologies, Trend Life reported.

Director of the Museum Naila Velikhanli, doctor of arts, author of the exhibited costumes Sabina Dunyamaliyeva, curator of the exhibition and doctor of philosophy in history, Sabuhi Akhmadov addressed the ceremony and informed the guests about the exhibits.

They stressed that the exhibition aims at preservation of Azerbaijani-Turkic-Muslim culture in a globalizing world and ensure its transmission to future generations.

Along with costumes, the exhibition features historical photos from the museum's collection.

All the national costumes were created on the basis of studies conducted by Sabina Dunyamaliyeva in museums of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran. The studies covered Azerbaijani costumes of the late 19th - early 20th centuries.

Then the participants of the event got acquainted with the exhibits.

The exhibition will last until October 1.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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5 July 2017 17:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Week of Azerbaijani Culture has officially opened in neighboring Iran.

The Week will see holding of a number of concerts, performances and photo exhibitions in various cities of Iran. The Culture Week aims to develop bilateral cultural cooperation between the two countries, as well as to promote Azerbaijan's culture, art and tourism potential in Iran.

The official opening ceremony held on July 3 brought together Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev, and Iran`s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi Amiri and head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization Abouzar Ebrahimi Torkaman.

Garayev, addressing the ceremony, said that bilateral cooperation has a positive impact on the number of tourists coming from Iran to Azerbaijan.

"More than 60,000 Iranian citizens visited Azerbaijan on Novruz holiday this year. It is a pleasure for us, Baku has its own beauty and attracts Iranian citizens", said the minister.

He stressed that Days of Azerbaijani Culture were held in Iran in 2010 and Days of Iranian Culture in Azerbaijan in 2011. Unlike previous years, Azerbaijan Culture Days will be held not only in Tehran but also in Isfahan. Week of Azerbaijani Cinema in Tehran, photo exhibition and theater performance will be also organized as part of the event.

Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi Amiri, for his part, said that Iran and Azerbaijan should further expand their relations in all spheres.

"Iran does not impose any restrictions on the development of relations with Azerbaijan, and Tehran considers Azerbaijan its best friend", he said.

Speaking about the development of cooperation in the field of tourism as well as in other spheres, the Iranian minister underlined the great interest of Iranian citizens to Azerbaijan.

The ceremony also featured a concert by Azerbaijani musicians.

On the same day, photo exhibition highlighting Azerbaijan`s history and modern period was launched within the Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Tehran.

The event brought together Abulfas Garayev, as well as employees of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran, as well as public figures.

Moreover, Minister Garayev held a number of meetings with Iranian official during his Tehran visit.

Azerbaijan is interested in the launch of regular flights to Baku, Ganja and Nakhchivan cities from various cities of Iran, and this will promote the development of tourism both in Iran and Azerbaijan, Garayev said at a meeting with Iranian vice president, Head of Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization Zahra Ahmadipour.

Garayev added that it is necessary to create joint travel companies that will operate in Azerbaijan and Iran.

The development of tourism is the best way to further strengthen friendship, Garayev said, inviting Iranian Vice President Zahra Ahmadipour to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan.

The minister mentioned that ASAN Visa also simplified the travel of Iranian tourists to the country. Now Iranian tourists wishing to come to Azerbaijan do not need to contact the Consulate in Tehran, as they can get a visa online.

The number of Iranian citizens, who visited Azerbaijan during Novruz holiday in 2017 increased by 35-40 percent, compared to last year. Alongside capital city Baku, Iranian tourists also took part in tours to tourist routes such as Lankarana, Lerik, Masalli, Gabala and Sheki.

In general, today citizens of 93 countries take advantage of Azerbaijans ASAN Visa system. Electronic visa is a document for one entry, which determines the period of stay in the country up to 30 days.

The sides further noted that the proximity of the Azerbaijani and Iranian peoples requires even greater strengthening of friendship and good-neighborliness.

They stressed that the peoples of the two countries historically had cultural ties, which at the present stage must be developed and passed on to future generations, so that the friendship of Iran and Azerbaijan would be eternal.

Garayev also met Head of National Library and Archives Organization of Iran (NLAO) Ashraf Boroujerdi.

They discussed a range of issues, including developing prospects of cooperation between the national libraries of the two countries, as well as holding the joint book fairs.

The minister highlighted the state program carrying out by the Azerbaijani Government for development of libraries in the country.

Garayev also talked about the Days of Azerbaijani Culture held in Tehran and various cities of Iran.

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5 July 2017 09:48 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

When OSCE Minsk Group joined the peace diplomacy to find a durable and lasting solution to the long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, that emerged in the South Caucasus for over two decades ago, there was a bright flash of hope in the eyes of millions.

The bloody conflict that broke out after Armenia's illegal territorial claims towards the neighboring Azerbaijan in the late 1980s remains the hot point on the map, grasping international attention from time to time with provocations mostly leading to tragic ends.

The conflict inflicted tremendous damage to Azerbaijan, whose 20 percent of internationally recognized territory is under Armenian occupation. As a result of the war, triggered by Armenia, more than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced from their homes. Today, Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

Despite numerous efforts to untangle the glomus the Karabakh conflict remains unsettled and while Baku does its utmost to find an early and effective solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the Armenian side makes every effort to preserve the long-standing problem unresolved.

Armenias unwillingness to come to negotiations with Azerbaijan is particularly evidenced from never-ending cases of breaching the ceasefire by the Armenian armed forces. Over the last few days, the Armenian Armed Forces have again intensified their provocations against Azerbaijan on the frontline. The aggressors use large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers, 60 and 82 millimeter mortars during the attacks on Azerbaijani positions and frontline villages.

The daily attacks by the Armenian side target provoking Azerbaijan and hinder the peace talks rather than start substantive negotiations over the problem.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could have been resolved long ago if the Minsk Group, which acts as the only mediator to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, would have put the screws on Armenia, which shies away from direct negotiations.

The recent visit of the Minsk Group co-chairs to the region also didnt bring any tangible progress in the resolution of the conflict. The co-chairs were in the region from June 10 to 19, held talks with both the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides, and made another declarative statement upon completion of their visit.

It is noteworthy that Armenia increased provocations on the frontline during the co-chairs visit and killed an Azerbaijani soldier on June 15. However, there was not a word about this incident in the Minsk Groups statement  it, as usual, called on the sides to reduce tensions on the frontline and re-engage in substantive negotiations.

As soon as the mediators manage to gain some success in the negotiation process, the Armenian side steps back to freeze the peace talks again.

Lack of effective results and inaction of the OSCE Minsk Group causes public discontent in Azerbaijan, and many Azerbaijani officials and experts note the failure of the Groups work.

The institution of triple co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group, established in 1997, has not led to the desired result  the start of eliminating military consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its political settlement, Azerbaijans Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu told TASS on July 3.

He noted that Azerbaijan has been emphasizing that the time has long come to take effective steps to resolve the conflict, adding that the current status quo, particularly the ongoing occupation of Azerbaijans territory, is unacceptable.

Azerbaijani MP Asim Mollazade, in turn, told Milli.az that he doesnt expect anything from talks with Armenia to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

We dont see any criticism from the OSCE Minsk Group and other international organizations against Armenia, which occupied Azerbaijans territory, let alone sanctions, he said. In this case, Armenia naturally continues its occupation policy as it remains unpunished and feels free.

Mollazade added that Armenia continues to commit provocations on the frontline, and no trend is seen for the settlement of the conflict. The co-chairs meet in the most beautiful capitals of the world, but there is no progress in the negotiation process.

The political expert Arzu Nagiyev also expects no serious result from the meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia that is probable to take place in Austria on July 11.

I think that international law does not work regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, thats why we can say this meeting will be held the same way that the previous ones, Nagiyev said.

The expert, reminding that the conflict has been existing for more than 20 years, said the irresponsibility of the Minsk Group co-chairs is one of the main factors in the continuation of the conflict and the failure to resolve the process within the framework of UN laws.

The long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is still unresolved although Azerbaijan has repeatedly expressed its consent to come to the negotiating table with Armenia to solve the conflict by peaceful means. However, Armenia continues to play for time in order to preserve the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the OSCE Minsk Group looks like a passive player in the process.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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5 July 2017 08:42 (UTC+04:00)

On July 4, at theresult of targeted and deliberate attacking of civilians and civilian objects of the Alkhanli village of Fizuli region of Azerbaijan by armed forces of Armenia with 82 and 120 mm mortars and heavy grenade launchers Guliyeva Sahiba (born in 1967) and her 2 years old granddaughter Guliyeva Zahra were killed. Another civilian Guliyeva Sarvinaz (born in 1965) was wounded and civilian objects sustained damages.

Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev comments the situation in the frontline and killing and wounding of Azerbaijani civilians at the result of attacks of the armed forces of Armenia.

"We convey our heartfelt condolences to the families and relatives of victims and wish speedy recovery to wounded" he said.

Hikmat Hajiyev noted that as a result of these provocations of armed forces of Armenia, killing of elderly woman and her 2 years old granddaughter and wounding of another civilian and damaging of civilian objects is nothing other than the act of vandalism and once again proves the terrorist nature of the state of Armenia.

"Armenia has been conducting systematic, deliberate and targeted attacks on civilian population encompassing inter alia women, children and elderly residing in the densely populated areas adjacent to the frontline.

Armenias direct and deliberate attacks against the Azerbaijani civilian population and civilian objects, constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, in particular the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I thereto, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms" he added.

Hikmat Hajiyev noted that after the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the region, when Co-Chairs and the international organizations call for changing the status quo of occupation by substantive and serious negotiations, Armenia resorts to base and nefarious provocations aimed at deliberate and targeted killing of civilians, including children.

"Azerbaijan has repeatedly brought to the attention of the international community that the primary reason of the tension and incidents in the frontline and major impediment to the resolution of the conflict is the unlawful presence of the armed forces of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Response of Armenias political-military leadership to the calls of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the international organizations to re-engage in substantive talks for resolution of the conflict by brutal killing and wounding of civilians once again demonstrates the necessity that the Co-Chairs must demand from Armenia to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the norms and principles of international law and relevant decisions and resolutions of the international organizations and change the status quo of occupation.

The responsibility for the current situation completely falls on the political-military leadership of Armenia", he said.
5 July 2017 12:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Despite a ceasefire reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan back in 1994 following the Nagorno- Karabakh War, Azerbaijani civilians, including children, still became the victims of Armenian aggression. Last night, the aggressors killed two more Azerbaijani civilians.

On July 4 at 20:40, the Armenian armed forces, located in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, subjected to fire the Alkhanli village of Fizuli region, using 82 and 120 millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers. As a result of this provocation of Armenia, two residents of the village  Guliyeva Sahiba and her two-year-old granddaughter Guliyeva Zahra were killed. Another resident Guliyeva Sarvinaz, who got fragment wounds as a result of the shelling, was taken to the military hospital and was operated on.

Azerbaijan has already informed the relevant international structures about the provocation. However, the OSCE Minsk Group, which is working to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has only made another declarative statement, calling upon the sides of the conflict to cease military action.

Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev noted that this Armenian aggression is nothing other than the act of vandalism and it once again proves the terrorist nature of the state of Armenia. He also added that Armenias direct and deliberate attacks against the Azerbaijani civilian population and civilian objects constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.

Residents of the frontline Azerbaijani settlements are frequently wounded and killed in their homes or on their farms due to frequent ceasefire violations by the Armenian armed forces. Azerbaijani children are frequent victims of the Armenian terrorism. In March 2011, nine-year-old Fariz Badalov was shot in the head by an Armenian sniper while playing in the courtyard in Aghdam region. In July of the same year, 13-year-old Azerbaijani girl Aygun Shahmaliyeva fell victim to Armenias inhumane and immoral policy in the Alibayli village. She tragically died as a result of the explosion of a toy with an explosive device, which the Armenian side deliberately dropped into the river flowing to the village.

Meanwhile, Armenia couldnt frighten the Azerbaijani population living near the frontline. Armenians will never manage to scare us by death. We lived here, we will continue to live and we will die on this land, the residents of Alkhanli village told APA.

The villagers noted that the murder of an elderly woman and her granddaughter and wound of another resident is a manifestation of the vandalism of the Armenian army. It is a serious crime against humanity. Even in conditions of war it is forbidden to open fire on children or women, said the resident of the village Matlab Guliyev.

Chief Executive of Fizuli region Ali Aliyev, in turn, noted that currently the situation in Fizuli region is stable. He also said that the residents of the village aren't afraid of such provocations of Armenians.

Armenians cannot frighten us. They have many times committed such provocations. Currently there is no fear among the population, he told Milli.az.

Thus, Armenia has again resorted to a vile act and killed two other Azerbaijani citizens who were living their quiet life in their native village. However, the international community has again turned a blind eye to this terrible crime.

Today, it is obvious that there will always be escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict until Armenian troops withdraw from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Only the de-occupation of Azerbaijani territories is the main condition for the full and lasting settlement of this conflict. Baku has called for peace talks for many years and has used all of its diplomatic resources. However, Yerevan, using the silence of the international community, still continues to maintain the status quo, to stall for time and to kill innocent Azerbaijani civilians.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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5 July 2017 13:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The time has come to no longer keep silence and stop the horrible deeds of Armenians.

The recent provocation of Armenia which resulted in the death of two civilians gives grounds to the world community and international institutions to take counter-measures against the ceasefire violator.

The armed forces of Armenia violated ceasefire on July 4, and using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. The prosecutors office of Azerbaijans Fizuli district has already initiated a criminal case over Armenias provocative actions on the contact line.

The last provocation may aggravate the whole situation around Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as it directly violates the Geneva Conventions related to the protection of civilian persons in time of war and international law.

Innocent civilians, including women and children, living in Azerbaijani villages which are close to the frontline are frequent victims of the Armenian armed forces. The fragile armistice, achieved 23 years ago in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, is violated almost every day. The Armenian forces regularly shell the positions of the Azerbaijani army and strike civilians including children.

Lack of judicial assessment of the such actions provide ground for further escalation. A protocol adopted as an amendment to the Geneva Conventions in 1977 prohibits the deliberate or indiscriminate attack of civilians and civilian objects in the war-zone and the attacking force must take precautions and steps to spare the lives of civilians and civilian objects as possible.

The four 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols offer specific protection to children during armed conflict. In fact, children benefit from two-tiered protection under international humanitarian law: the general protection they enjoy as civilians or persons not or no longer participating in hostilities and the specific protection they enjoy as children.

More than 25 articles in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols refer specifically to children.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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5 July 2017 14:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenias provocation on the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops is a violation of human rights, international laws and norms.

Azay Guliyev, Azerbaijani MP, vice-president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, made the remark while addressing annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk on July 5.

The OSCE Minsk Group must condemn this act and stop such violations and killings of children in the future, he said. The OSCE PA must not remain silent. We must take concrete actions and put an end to it.

The Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives on July 4, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Although the OSCE Minsk Group deals with the issue for over two decades, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far.

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5 July 2017 13:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Baku has repeatedly stated that the presence of Armenias Armed Forces in the Azerbaijani occupied territories is the main reason for the escalation of the situation in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the main obstacle for its political settlement.

Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev made the remarks on July 5 at a joint briefing of official representatives of the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and the Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan, commenting on the latest developments on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

He went on to say that Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov discussed the latest Armenian provocation against Azerbaijan with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov and Stephane Visconti.

The foreign minister brought to their [OSCE MG co-chairs] attention the serious concern of the Azerbaijani side and stated that Armenias actions are aimed solely at the escalation of the situation and disruption of negotiations, Hajiyev said.

Armenia's actions are intentional as Yerevan is well aware that civilians live in those areas that were subjected to fire, according to him.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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5 July 2017 16:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The international community must exert pressure on Armenia to stop the killing of people in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sergey Markov, political scientist and Russian presidents confidant, told Trend on July 5.

Yesterday, the Armenian armed forces undertook another large-scale provocation on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops. As a result, Armenians killed two residents of the frontline Azerbaijani village, including a child, and seriously injured another resident.

Following the incident, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs issued a declarative statement and called on the sides to cease military action.

The conflict is neither in hot nor in frozen phase, and outbreaks of violence constantly demonstrate that, Markov said, commenting on the incident.

Death of civilians in addition to the military is a clear manifestation of the fact that this conflict is killing and it can kill even more. Therefore it is urgent to sit down at the negotiating table, he said, adding that the Minsk Group must increase pressure on Armenia so that the sides would have begun substantive negotiations and reach a compromise.

Markov added that the pressure should be diplomatic, political, psychological, and maybe even economic.

The expert further recalled that the world community has already developed interim steps to move the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from the deadlock.

That is the Kazan formula, the essence of which is the liberation of the regions occupied by Armenia around Nagorno-Karabakh in exchange for the unblocking and demilitarization around Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, said Markov.

He noted that Armenia is completely satisfied with the current situation in the conflict zone, as it captures the balance of power between Armenia and Azerbaijan which was more than 20 years ago. Therefore, Armenia impedes the achievement of a compromise But since then the balance of power has changed, the expert added.

Markov also noted that the Armenian leadership might be ready for a compromise on the basis of the Kazan formula, but it is afraid of its radicals.

The Armenian leadership is afraid that it would just be shot in the Parliament building, as it was 10-15 years ago. Therefore, to some extent, the international community must help the Armenian government to be stronger and not to be afraid of its radicals, he said.

Russian political scientist Alexander Karavaev, in turn, is sure that it is high time for an acute reaction of the international community on the recent provocative actions of Armenia.

This is not the first case of that kind. Such attacks are regular. Their intensity periodically increases and decreases, and the victims, regardless of intensity, periodically include civilians, he told Trend on July 5.

The expert noted that the international community typically responds to such provocations by Armenia only within general statements of the OSCE Minsk Group, which express the concern of the Minsk Group co-chairs and members.

Regrettably and sadly for the citizens of Azerbaijan, there wont be a strong reaction, he said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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5 July 2017 16:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

It is a mistake for mediators of any international conflict to claim reflexively that there is no military solution to a military-political dispute, Matthew Bryza, former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, told Trend on July 5.

Bryza was commenting on the recent aggravation of the situation on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia.

Military factors play a key role in shaping the political factors that must ultimately be agreed to resolve such a conflict and should always be taken into account by mediators, he said. In diplomacy, military force and political dialogue are often inextricably linked. As the great Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz taught the world, war is the continuation of politics by other means.

As is usually the case in exchanges of fire along the line of contact, it is difficult to determine who exactly provoked this latest shooting and who shot first, he said.

Bryza further voiced regret that the statement by the OSCE Minsk Groups Co-Chairs sheds no light on the situation. It sounds like the typical, anodyne condemnation of violence that could apply to any conflict anywhere in the world under international mediation, Bryza said.

The armed forces of Armenia violated ceasefire on July 4, and using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. The prosecutors office of Azerbaijans Fizuli district has already initiated a criminal case over Armenias provocative actions on the contact line.

Following the incident, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs issued a declarative statement and called on the sides to cease military action.

Violence only begets further violence and accomplishes nothing. The only responsible and humane way to resolve this long-standing conflict is for the sides to return to the negotiation table in good faith, said the statement, the statement said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Over 6,000 trafficked in 2015-16, says NHRC report

Over 6,000 Nepalis were trafficked while around 4,000 went missing in fiscal year 2015-16, with a majority of them being women, according to the latest report of the National Human Rights Commission.
5 July 2017 17:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

UNICEF is concerned about the recent developments on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops that led to the death of Azerbaijani civilians, UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan Edward Carwardine said on July 5.

He said that UNICEF urges both sides to do their best to be more restrained in order to protect children from danger.

On July 4 evening, the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fizuli region. As a result of this provocation, a resident of the village and her two-year-old granddaughter were killed. Another resident, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. within the OSCE Minsk Group have produced no results so far.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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5 July 2017 17:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemns any use of force and believes that any disputes should be settled through peaceful means.

It therefore condemns shelling of the Azerbaijan village of Fuzuli region by the Armenian Armed Forces that caused the killing of innocent civilians, the organization told Trend on July 5, commenting on the recent military provocation of Armenia.

The message also noted that the OIC General Secretariat reiterates its long-standing position on the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, and believes that the solution to the issue is full implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and withdrawal of all Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijan territories.

"The OIC continues to support a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and believes that all efforts should be undertaken in order to prevent exacerbating the situation," reads the message.

On July 4 evening, the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region. As a result of this provocation, a resident of the village and her two-year-old granddaughter were killed. Another resident, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2017 17:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The killing of an Azerbaijani child and her grandmother by Armenia deserves condemnation, Mansour Haqiqatpour, the adviser of Iran Parliament's Speaker Ali Larijani told Trend on July 5.

Civilians should not be victimized to power disputes, Haqiqatpour said, adding that Nagorno-Karabakh primordially belongs to Azerbaijan.

On July 4 evening, the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fizuli region. As a result of this provocation, a resident of the village and her two-year-old granddaughter were killed. Another resident, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

He went on to invite the Azerbaijani government to use stronger determination to end the prolonged Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



This conflict is no more complicated than the cases of Aleppo and Mosul were, he noted, adding Azerbaijan would be benefited by using the cooperation of friendly neighbors, Iran in particular, to end the issue.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2017 17:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Role of parliamentarians is crucial to defuse existing conflicts and building confidence, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Austrias Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told a meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) in Minsk July 5.

Kurtz also mentioned the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as other conflicts in the OSCE space.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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5 July 2017 14:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The State Committee on Property Issues of Azerbaijan held the first electronic auction on July 4.

The Committee reported that currently, the "electronic auction" service combines the privatization procedure of vehicles and equipment. In the future, it will be possible to privatize small state enterprises and facilities, joint-stock companies through electronic auction.

Now, the corresponding work in programming is being implemented.

The privatization procedure is conducted in the appropriate section of the website e-emdk.gov.az.

During the first electronic auction, a car GAZ 3102, put up for auction at the starting price of 2,000 manats ($1,174), was privatized at a price of 4,120 manats ($2,420). The car, sold at auction, was licensed in the name of the buyer.

The Committee reported that anyone can take part in electronic privatization. To obtain the right to participate in the e-auction, user is required an electronic signature for registration at the e-emdk.gov.az page or on the e-government portal (e-gov.az). The submission of an application for participation in the auction is also conducted in electronic form.

In order to protect state property and effectively manage it in the new economic realities, President of Azerbaijan signed a decree on May 19, 2016.

Under the decree, the acceleration of the state property privatization process has been defined as an important direction of the economic policy.

The portal for privatization  privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country.

The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as develop the business environment of Azerbaijan.

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5 July 2017 10:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 5-6 years, Turkey has turned into a power which can eliminate threats on its borders and launch a military operation in Syria without the consent and consultations with the US, Ahmet Anapali, columnist of the Turkish Haber7 newspaper, told Trend July 4.

Anapali, who is also the author and producer of a number of political shows on the Ulke TV channel, added that the US saw Turkeys ability to act alone during Obamas presidency and in this regards expressed protest to Ankara.

The expert stressed that Trumps administration was made sure that Turkey can act independently in the region.

"President Trump first warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but after making sure that Erdogan will act solely within Turkey's interests, he began to respect Turkey's actions," he said.

In his opinion, the US authorities respect the military operation which is being carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces on the territory of Syria.

Anapali is sure that Turkey is no longer the country that it was 10 years ago.

"Previously, the US consent was required for the Turkish Armed Forces to withdraw the country, but now Turkey acts independently," he said.

Of course, the EU, headed by Germany, as Anapali thinks, is concerned about Turkey's independent actions in the region.

"Turkey has become a disobedient country for Europe," he said.

Turkey can launch new military operations in Syria in case of necessity, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said in an interview with TRT Haber TV channel July 4.

Isik said that Turkey is entitled to neutralize any threat from outside and in particular from Syria.

He added that no country is entitled to dictate its will to Turkey in the region.

Turkey has been deploying military equipment to the border with Syria since June 21. Military equipment is in Turkeys south-central province of Kilis, which borders Syrian territories controlled by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

On Aug. 24, 2016, the Turkish Armed Forces launched the Euphrates Shield operation against the Islamic State (IS) militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus, as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria with the support of the Syrian opposition.

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5 July 2017 10:14 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkey has sent a protest note to Germany, Turkish media outlets reported July 4.

Reportedly, the reason for the protest was a provocation near the Bundestag, where one of the cars had the phrase If you want to get this car - kill Erdogan written on it.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has criticized such actions, which are directed against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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5 July 2017 10:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Washington hosted defense consultations between representatives of the defense departments of Kazakhstan and the United States.

The military delegation of Kazakhstan was led by Deputy Defense Minister, Lieutenant-General Talgat Mukhtarov, Kazinform reported.

During the event, current and prospective issues of military cooperation between Kazakhstan and the U.S. were discussed.

Another plan for military cooperation for 2018-2022, which defines the areas of cooperation for the forthcoming five-year period, was signed.

In addition, meetings with representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Bureau of the National Guard, the U.S. Army and the National Defense University of the United States were held in the course of the visit.

The basis for the Kazakh-U.S. military and defense cooperation are laid out in the Memorandum of Mutual Understanding and Cooperation in the field of Defense and Military Relations between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United States Department of Defense signed in 1994.

The military cooperation with the United States is developing within the framework of the NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), which is concluded with the NATO non-member countries like Kazakhstan. Central Asian nation also cooperates with the NATO within the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC).

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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5 July 2017 14:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Qatar, having found itself in the centre of the worst regional diplomatic crisis in years, has sent an official response to the list of 13 demands from its Arab neighbors.

Saudi Arabia and its allies confirmed receiving a response and announced that Qatar "will receive a reply in due time."

"Four countries received Qatar's response through the mediation of Kuwait before the end of the extended term, which was requested by Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al Sabah," the joint statement by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt reads.

It was noted that Qatar, which faces isolation, sanctions and possible expulsion from the Gulf Cooperation Council, will receive a reply in due time.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt  who accuse Qatar of supporting extremism  gave Doha an extra 48 hours to meet their demands after an initial 10-day deadline expired on Sunday.

They required Qatar to cut diplomatic relations with Iran, close the Turkish military base, eliminate Al-Jazeera TV channel, extradite all persons wanted in four countries on charges of terrorism and pay compensation.

The demands put to Doha by Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Gulf diplomatic crisis were impossible to meet, Qatar's foreign minister said earlier.

"The list is unrealistic and is not actionable," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told reporters in Doha on July 4.



He stressed that Doha was "prepared to engage in dialogue and examine grievances" and that there were "plenty of ways to prevent the crisis escalating".

"It's not about terrorism, it's talking about shutting down the freedom of speech," he said at a joint press conference after talks with German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the four countries that broke off diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar are due to meet in Cairo on July 5 with Qatar's response set to be on the agenda.

Despite the resonance that this crisis has received, some experts look into the future optimistically saying that finding solution to the Gulf conflict will take several months.

"Probably, it will be settled in a few months, when Saudi Arabia and the UAE will understand that the U.S. and other countries do not support their demands completely. They will probably give up some of the demands, and Qatar will make some concessions," Expert of the Congressional Research Service Kenneth Katzman said.

In his opinion, the crisis around Qatar will not lead to a military confrontation between the conflicting parties.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2017 16:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The government of Kyrgyzstan creates conditions for unimpeded export to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sooronbay Zheenbekov defined resolution of the issue of unification of technical regulations as one of the main directions.

Without addressing these issues, exporters from Kyrgyzstan will constantly face difficulties in the markets of the EEU countries. To remove them, the head of government approved the corresponding action plans.

The technical regulation is a document that establishes the characteristics of products (services) or related processes and methods of production. It may also include requirements for terminology, symbols, packaging and labeling, or be entirely devoted to these issues. Compliance with the technical regulation rules is mandatory for all producers, who want to export their goods to the territory of other EEU countries.

The work of the government has already yielded results, according to prime minister

From August 12, the next 18 technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union will come into force. They have a direct effect in the territories of all countries of the EEU and operate without exceptions.

This was stated by Deputy Economy Minister of Kyrgyzstan Eldar Abakirov on July 4 at a press conference in the Government House.

He noted that at the same time a unified system for products entry to the market will be established, uniform documents of product conformity and a single product circulation mark will be applied in the EEU market.

"Thus, technical and administrative barriers for exporters are eliminated, that is, the main goal is to ensure unimpeded flow of goods to the territory of the EEA member countries," Abakirov stressed.

Eight out of 18 technical documents regulate the safety of food products, one is cross-cutting. At the same time, an important condition for implementing technical regulations for food products is the introduction of HACCP management system at the enterprises, which is a system for assessing and controlling the hazards of food raw materials, technological products and finished products. This is a guarantee of safety of produced foods," Abakirov said.

The entry into force of these technical regulations will create a single legal field for ensuring product safety and ensure protection of the customs territory from unsafe and falsified products from third countries, according to Abakirov.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
RJP-N fails to register at EC

The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) on Wednesday failed to register the party with the Election Commission (EC) due to internal dispute.
5 July 2017 18:07 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Dushanbe hosted a meeting of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who is on an official visit to Tajikistan, on July 5.

The sides held high-level talks, following which a number of new documents on cooperation were signed.

Rahmon and Sharif inked a Joint Declaration aimed at enhancing regional connectivity between the two countries and the region at large.

They emphasized close collaboration between Pakistan and Tajikistan both at the government and people level, besides giving a further boost to their bilateral relations.

With a focus on regional connectivity, trade and energy, Pakistan and Tajikistan agreed on exploring new avenues of cooperation by increasing collaborating in economy, defense and security, agriculture and education.

The two sides also agreed to continue cooperation on international arena including the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Economic Cooperation Organization. Vowing joint steps against terrorism, the two sides agreed on holding first meeting of Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Working Group on countering international terrorism.

Rahmon and Sharif also witnessed signing of MoU on trade cooperation and the MoU on cooperation between University of Arif Agriculture, Rawalpindi and Agriculture University, Dushanbe that was inked by its Rector NaimatUllah Faiz ullah and Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Following the signing ceremony, a joint press conference was held.

The Prime Minister hailed the remarkable political stability, social cohesion and impressive economic progress of Tajikistan in his speech for the press.

He said the two sides discussed the importance of road, rail and air connectivity and said it was vital for regional integration, promotion of bilateral trade, tourism, people to people contacts.

We have therefore resolved to multiply our efforts to increase connectivity between our two countries, he said.

Sharif said the two sides identified the need for increased cooperation in agriculture, industry, education and culture.

The Tajik President, in turn, expressed hope that Pakistani investors would join trade free zones in Tajikistan. He noted that Tajikistan, being a land locked country, is keen to use opportunities of Pakistani ports for exporting Tajik goods to the rest of the world.

He also said both sides exchanged views on regional situation and need to expand ties at ECO, OIC and SCO.

Pakistan and Tajikistan enjoy close and cooperative relations, which are underpinned by commonalities of history, culture and faith. These ties are characterized by mutual respect, shared perceptions and common desire to promote peace, stability and development in the region.

The two countries also share common views on major regional and international issues and cooperate closely in the regional and multilateral forums.

Over the past few years the bilateral trade between the two countries has hovered between $40-90 million, however the two countries have agreed on boosting it to $500 million.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2017 17:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Russias Gazprom and Hungary signed an agreement on gas supplies to the country via Turkish Stream, RIA Novosti reported.

Hungary considers gas deliveries by the Turkish Stream as the most optimal scenario, since other ways of gas supply - through Romania or Croatia - have not been elaborated yet.

For this reason, Hungary has an interest in receiving gas from the south, the Hungarian media quoted Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto as saying.

The continuation of the Turkish Stream to Hungary will be built before the end of 2019.

In 2014, Russia announced the termination of work on the South Stream project, which was to pass through Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, in favor of a new gas pipeline towards Turkey.

Gazprom abandoned South Stream because the European Commission did not grant exemptions from the Third Energy Package, which, in particular, says that one gas provider should use no more than 50 percent of the pipeline capacity, and the remaining capacity should be put up for auction.

Turkish Stream gas pipeline was announced in December 2014. Russia and Turkey signed an inter-governmental agreement on October 10, 2016 on the Turkish Stream, which envisages the construction of a gas pipeline along the seabed of the Black Sea to Turkeys European part and further on to the border with Greece.

The first stretch will be intended for the Turkish market and the second will supply natural gas to countries of South and Southeast Europe. Each stretch will have a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. The pipeline is expected to annually pump 31.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

Gazprom launched the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipelines offshore section near the Russian coast of the Black Sea on May 7.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kriti Sanon Flaunts Her Classy Look At An IIFA Awards Event Fashion Dona

Kriti Sanon attended the IIFA 2017 Press Conference in New Delhi and she looked very elegant in a dress from Rutu Neeva. The uniquely cut off-shoulder dress was too classy and she carried the look like a pro.

The green off-shoulder dress had a sheath structure and a side slit to make it look even classier. She teamed the dress with Outhouse Jewellery and a pair of beige sandals.

Kriti was seen at the event with Sushant Singh Rajput and A R Rahman. Sushant was decently dressed in a cool blue tee, black pants and white sneakers. While Rahman too managed to pull off a smart look with a tan coloured jacket, black pants and cool black and white sneakers.
RJP-N to register at EC today

The agitating Madhes-based Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) is registering at the Election Commission on Wednesday.
Campus Life

UBCO hosts three graduation ceremonies for pandemic graduates UBCO is hosting a unique fall graduation ceremony Thursday. Students who graduated in 2020 and 2021 will now have the opportunity to toss their caps in celebration like these students did in 2018. They're baaack! This week UBC Okanagan's campus will be filled with students, now alumni, who graduated and were celebrated with a virtual ceremony during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 600 are returning to campus to take part in a special ceremony on November 10. The event will recognize the accomplishments of those who didn't have the chance to experience that iconic opportunity of crossing the stage to receive their degree at a live graduation. This will be the first time UBC Okanagan has hosted a fall graduation ceremony and it's a special event for those who graduated in 2020 and 2021, says UBCO Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lesley Cormack. Those graduates were surveyed and many indicated they were interested in coming back to campus for a make-up graduation ceremony. "These are students who completed their studies during a particularly difficult and disconnected time," Dr. Cormack says. "While UBC honoured our graduates during the height of the pandemic with virtual ceremonies, nothing can compare to the distinction of an in-person event, complete with student speakers and a gym full of proud family members." Each ceremony will be complete with speeches from students and special moments to recognize people who received honorary degrees during the pandemic. Evangeline Saclamacis, who graduated with an applied sciences degree in 2021, is currently working with an international renewable power generation business in Vancouver. She says there are a lot of emotions flowing as she looks forward to returning to UBCO for the ceremony and connecting with former classmates. "Im excited to see how the campus has changed since I was last there, and also inspired to see how much I have changed since I first started as a student in 2016," she says. UBCO was a place that not only allowed me to grow as an individual, but also allowed me to connect with people with similar aspirations and goals. Im really excited to return and walk the stage, closing the chapter on my bachelor's degree. Aneesha Thouli, who graduated from UBC Okanagan's Health and Exercise Sciences program in 2020, is now back at school and is currently a third-year medical student in the Southern Medical Program based at UBCO. "While this ceremony will look different than any of us expected, I'm grateful we have the chance finally to celebrate," she says. "I think having been alumni for a few years gives us a unique perspective on the ceremony overall and gives us an opportunity to celebrate our successes in a totally different way than previous classes." Three ceremonies will take place on November 10, the first starting at 8:30 am with School of Engineering graduates. Following that, graduates in the School of Education, Faculty of Management and Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science will cross the stage. The final ceremony takes place at 1:30 pm where graduates in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development and the Faculty of Creative and Critical studies will be celebrated. Rain Inaba graduated with an undergraduate degree in microbiology and remained at UBCO to begin his master's in biochemistry and molecular biology. Inaba is excited to reconnect with the many friends he made while living in residences and says Thursday's ceremony will allow his fellow graduates to relive past moments and finally celebrate with their families, friends and faculty members. With these ceremonies, alumni from all faculties are welcomed back to the campus we all called home for many years," he says. "This is a day of deserved festivities and a moment of recognition for our graduates. Let us make the ceremonies loud and memorable for each of our classmates as they cross the stage. As they have already technically been conferred as UBCO graduates and are officially UBC alumni, these ceremonies will be slightly different from spring convocation. However, Dr. Cormack says every student, especially those who persevered with their studies online, should enjoy the moments of being celebrated at their own graduation ceremony. "While different, these ceremonies will include many of the traditions of graduation to honour the profound achievements and celebrate the resiliency of these students," Dr. Cormack says. "We're proud to have these incredibly engaged alumni who are going out of their way to come back for their graduation. I'm looking forward to congratulating each and every one of them in person." The post UBCO hosts three graduation ceremonies for pandemic graduates appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Enactus Okanagan College represents Canada on the world stage, finishes in top four Students from Okanagan College represented Canada on the global stage this week, presenting their social enterprise business at a prestigious international competition and finishing in the final four of 32 teams. Enactus OC, comprised of students from the Okanagan College School of Business, won the national title in September and earned the right to wear the maple leaf and represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup in Puerto Rico. The final round of competition wrapped up on Nov. 2. We are so proud of this team and of all Okanagan College students, alumni, faculty and staff who have over the past 17 years been a part of Enactus OC. Their creativity, commitment and passion inspires all of us, said Dr. Neil Fassina. Our OC team  Team Canada  tackled food insecurity and diverted 35,000 pounds of food waste through their projects, which continue to thrive and will have even greater impacts for years to come. This has been an exhilarating past week," said MacKenna Lenarcic, President of Enactus OC. "Being able to stand on the Final 4 stage representing Team Canada has been a dream come true. This is a testament of the Enactus Okanagan College program and dedication from our students, faculty and community partners who we couldnt have done this without. Who would have thought a small college from Kelowna would make it to the top 4 out of 2,064 teams from across the world. The presenting team included Lenarcic, Rebekah Dingwall, Jackson Price, Mandi Kohout, Danielle Walker and tech support Andrew Loken. The Enactus team at Okanagan College has been recognized widely this year for their projects Unusually Good Food Co. and FruitSnaps, two enterprises that collect and use apples that have fallen to the ground in orchards that unless collected, would go to waste. Unusually Good Food Co. takes the unusual apples and creates apple juice and other products for sale, while FruitSnaps turns them into apple chips and donates them to local schools, community organizations and developing countries. Reaction to the teams success in Puerto Rico this week and messages of congratulations to the Okanagan College students, alumni and faculty team speak to their achievements: Participating in this event is a great opportunity to showcase the exceptionally innovative and community-based ideas coming from Okanagan Colleges business students, who are truly world class, said Anne Kang, British Columbias Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training. Being able to showcase an idea that helps turn food waste into social and economic good on a global stage has never been more relevant. Congratulations to Team Canada! We have so many talented students coming from Okanagan Colleges School of Business who have innovative skills and enterprising ideas, who I know will go on to make a positive difference in peoples lives and our communities, said Andrew Mercier, B.C. Parliamentary Secretary for Skills Training. A big congratulations to these students for winning the Canadian National championship and showing the world their tremendous ideas. The home-grown Enactus OC team is putting British Columbia on the map and helping to build a stronger food economy here in B.C. said Lana Popham, B.C. Minister of Agriculture and Food. Their social entrepreneurship, drive, and care for the land and those around them is so inspiring to me and to their community, and will help to ensure a resilient food future in B.C. Innovation is a key factor in fighting climate change and building a sustainable economy for B.C., said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. Im incredibly proud of the Enactus Okanagan College team. Their Unusually Good Food Company is a fantastic example of the kind of environmentally and socially responsible businesses that we need and want to support as we continue to foster innovation across our economy.

UBCO research says a change in work habits is costing employees money UBCO research indicates working from home is costing employees more than they might think. When people were sent home to work during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, no one could anticipate that option might permanently change the workforce for many people. Those who could, stayed home for the bulk of the pandemic, with many still opting for remote or hybrid work options even today. Researchers at UBC Okanagan have undertaken an extensive analysis of daily in-home activity to compare pre-pandemic and pandemic behaviour as a way to project residential energy consumption after the pandemic. And they determined working from home is costing employees money. "Anecdotally, we know that people were spending more time at home than ever during the pandemic," explains Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi, Assistant Professor at the School of Engineering. "We wanted to examine what that could mean for residential energy and how this could help to plan and design communities in the future." Through an agent-based simulation powered by machine learning techniques, the researchers developed a modelling framework to integrate in-home and out-of-home activities in addition to the associated residential energy usage in the central Okanagan. The simulation suggests a nearly 30 per cent increase in daily average residential energy consumption during the pandemic. The model--used to test a post-pandemic scenario based on a majority of activities returning to pre-pandemic levels--projected a 12 per cent increase in home energy consumption. "These findings help us better understand the relationship between in-home activities and transportation demand and the associated residential energy consumption. This will also help us provide better insights on how communities should incorporate emerging transportation and land-use policies to adapt to residential energy needs," says Dr. Fatmi, who is the principal investigator at UBC's integrated Transportation Research Laboratory. The report's other author, doctoral student Mohamad Ali Khalil, says if work-from-home trends persist, it will reduce peak period congestions and emissions, but it will also result in a significant shift in energy cost burden from employer to employee. "If consumption patterns continue to change, we all need to be conscious of what that means for our household costs and the way we live in general," he says. "From the perspective of homeowners, they can reduce their consumption by updating and maintaining the heating and cooling systems of their homes, using efficient appliances and adjusting their thermostat setpoints." This study is part of a larger regional travel demand forecasting model initiative undertaken by Dr. Fatmi and his research group. The team intends to investigate transportation-related decisions such as residential location, vehicle ownership, and travel as well as in-home activities of each individual in the central Okanagan within a unified modelling framework. This model can then be used to assess the impacts on traffic congestion and the environment. In the next phase of the research, Dr. Fatmi and his team will extend their modelling to include how demographics, residential choice and transportation have impacted emissions and energy consumption during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant and published in Sustainable Cities and Society. The post UBCO research says a change in work habits is costing employees money appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Thorpe and Friends Scholarship recognizes two Okanagan College students Local students say the generosity of two prominent Penticton philanthropists is helping them take the next steps in their education. Since 2006, former MLA Rick Thorpe and his wife Yasmin John-Thorpe, along with their friends, have given more than $160,000 in scholarships to students in need at Okanagan Colleges Penticton Campus. Two of this years recipients, Wylie Rowan and Mattias Van Bergeyk, received $2,500 to put toward their education. Both students are Summerland Secondary School grads in their first year of studies at Okanagan College. I was so excited when I found out Id received the scholarship, says Rowan. Without this financial support, I would have had to leave school and find a job. Rowan says hes grateful to the Thorpes for helping him pursue his passion  Kinesiology. I have been injured many times, and I know how difficult it can be to recover. I want to help people heal. The Thorpes say their ongoing commitment to helping students in need is borne out of a desire to give back to their community. I was raised in a humble family that always found a way to help people, and so was Yasmin. The importance of giving back was instilled in us from a young age, says Rick Thorpe. These young people are our future. We know that by helping them, were investing in the future of our community, adds Yasmin. Over the last fifteen years, 76 students have received the Thorpe and Friends Scholarship. This is a challenging time for students. Theyve been really impacted by inflation, and many are struggling to make ends meet. Gifts like the Thorpes can mean the difference between students staying in school and dropping out, says Helen Jackman, Executive Director of Okanagan College Foundation.

Local company partners with OC for Dragons Den viewing party Okanagan College and Kelowna company Second Slumber have partnered to host a fundraiser and viewing party when Second Slumber appears on the popular CBC TV show Dragons Den on Nov. 3. Earlier this year, Second Slumber pitched its innovative business model to Dragons Den, looking for a funding partner to scale up its business, which re-purposes and re-sells lightly used mattresses, providing them at affordable rates and keeping them out of landfills. The company features former Okanagan College professor Rick Maddison and several OC students and alumni on its team. When Rick and I walked onto the set it was pretty surreal. There are cameras everywhere, lights shining in your eyes and people you have only seen on TV staring back at you, said Second Slumber CEO and founder Scott Amis. It would be a tough setting for most, but we practiced our pitch hundreds of times and had friends tear it apart, so we felt ready. There are lots of entertaining moments that I think people will appreciate as the Dragons were in kind of a goofy mood. Dragons Den is a Canadian reality TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a panel of investors. The show has been running for 17 years and is one of the top-rated shows in Canada. CBC says roughly 1,000 businesses apply every year to be on the show and only 50 make it to air. Amis and Maddison pitched their idea in May of this year, spending 45 minutes with the Dragons. They have no idea what the final TV product will look like but have worked in collaboration with OC to raise money for student mental health. We are thrilled to have the event hosted at Okanagan College and see what our pitch looks like for the first time, said Maddison. Many of our Second Slumber staff are current students or alumni, and prior to Second Slumber I was teaching marketing at OC so it's a special place for our scrappy and kind company. We cant wait to watch the program with all those who supported us and continue to do so. " The fundraiser and viewing party will take place Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. (PST) and feature Lakehouse chef-inspired canapes, Sandhill Wine pairings and refreshments from Big White Brewing. To purchase tickets or donate to the fundraiser go to trellis.org/dragonsdenatoc. To watch a preview of the Second Slumber presentation, click here. Second Slumber provides premium open-box mattresses that were returned within the 100-night sleep window for sale, so far, giving over 600 plus families access to a better nights sleep and keeping like-new products out of the landfill. The company certifies mattress brands wishing to be recognized as a zero-waste retailer. Partial proceeds from each mattress sold by Second Slumber are donated to the Canadian Mental Health Association in Kelowna.

Okanagan Enactus team off to Worlds After claiming the National championship, the Enactus Okanagan College team will travel to Enactus World Cup 2022 in Puerto Rico later this month. For Penticton-based student Jon Talastas, the opportunity brings a chance to showcase a locally-grown idea on the world stage. From Oct. 30  Nov. 2, OCs Enactus team will compete against national champions from 30 other countries on projects that use entrepreneurship and innovation to solve the worlds biggest challenges. Enactus Okanagan Colleges award-winning project  Unusually Good  was inspired by a student who noticed that large amounts of apples are wasted each year because they dont fit the grocery store appearance standard. In response, the Enactus Okanagan College team worked alongside the North Okanagan Valley Gleaners to turn these unusual apples into healthy apple chips that have been distributed to local schools, food banks, and even Guatemala and Ukraine this year. Unusually Good has positively impacted over 22,000 students this year by giving them access to healthy, nutritious apple chips. With their apple chip donations scaling, Enactus Okanagan College faced an important challenge: how could they fund these social programs as an economically sustainable social enterprise? Their solution? Apple juice! Once again, using those beautiful, imperfect apples, Enactus Okanagan College produced a high-quality juice with an extended shelf life and a compelling social benefit story which enabled them to pay farmers for apples that would have gone to waste. The value proposition resonated with retailers and customers, allowing Enactus Okanagan College to formally brand and launch a new social enterprise  the Unusually Good Food Company, an innovative organization dedicated to doing some good with those Unusual apples  to help fight food insecurity and climate change. The team didnt stop there. From the beginning, theyve been committed to continuous improvement and innovation to fuel their social enterprise. This spring, Penticton-based Okanagan College student, Jon Talastas, saw an opportunity to repurpose the apple pomace by-product from juice-making operations to produce apple-scented candles. Working with a local candle manufacturer, Enactus Okanagan College produced a test run of these candles, and sold out their inventory in only two months! The candles are an additional revenue stream to fund their social and environmental mission and a significant step toward achieving a zero-waste social enterprise. EnactusOC students from campuses across the valley have put countless amounts of hours in to create the fully sustainable social enterprise says Jon Talastas, Penticton Vice President of Enactus Okanagan College. From local small businesses to customers at Naramata and Penticton markets, its been an honour to work with such an incredible community team on this journey. Through community and on-campus support, EnactusOC has grown to be a nationally acclaimed organization where student leaders form connections, build confidence, and positively impact our communities through social, economic, and environmental projects. The EnactusOC community is about to get even bigger at Enactus World Cup 2022. These competitions allow students to engage with diverse teams from across the globe which will give EnactusOC students the opportunity to showcase their success and develop cross-cultural perspectives on how the power of business innovation and entrepreneurial action can be used to impact the worlds toughest problems. Were thrilled to have Enactus Okanagan College show the world the impact our students make, says Alison Gibson, Regional Dean, Penticton campus. Whats next for Enactus Okanagan College? After travelling to Puerto Rico with support from their faculty advisors at the end of the month to represent Canada on the world stage, the Enactus Okanagan College team will be back at work inspiring change through social entrepreneurship. Look for Unusually Good Food Company juice and candles at local retailers and community markets this winter. To learn more about Enactus Okanagan College, Unusually Good Food Company, and how you can support the team, please visit their website https://www.enactusoc.ca/. To learn more about Okanagan Colleges School of Business, visit www.okanagan.bc.ca/business.

Where the rubber hits the road New research from UBCO has determined that as tires and roads wear down particles of that waste are spread across roadways and can eventually end up in rivers, streams and lakes. Ever wonder what happens to the rubber tread that wears off a vehicle's tires? New modelling by UBC Okanagan researchers suggests an increasing amount of microplastics--fragments from tires and roadways--are ending up in lakes and streams. The UBCO School of Engineering researchers developed a conceptual framework to examine the potential contamination originating from the regular use of vehicles on roads and highways. Their findings suggest that more than 50 tonnes of tire and road wear particles are released into waterways annually in an area like the Okanagan. "The results are quite significant," says Dr. Haroon Mian, a UBC Postdoctoral Research Associate and study lead author. "It's especially alarming considering that this microscopic waste can contaminate our freshwater sources." Tires are critical for transportation and about 1.5 billion tires are produced annually to meet global demand--leading to almost six million tonnes of tire and road wear particles being generated around the world. Both synthetic rubber and vulcanized natural rubber are considered forms of elastomeric polymers contributing to microplastics. It isn't simply the rubber that causes contamination, says Dr. Mian. "Over time, all of those materials begin to break down and can release chemical additives that affect aquatic species," he explains. While some of the materials end up in the atmosphere, the majority of the tire and road wear particles are spread across roadways and eventually end up in aquatic environments. The results of his study indicate that almost 15 tonnes of tire and road wear particles can be transmitted to lake surface water each year, he adds. This is not only a global issue, but a local one, he points out. The research was done locally and he says lakes like Okanagan and Kalamalka are being unknowingly contaminated every day as thousands of people drive the highways connecting BC interior communities. "This analysis focused on a small section of highway in the BC interior, but the findings suggest that other regions across Canada may experience the same challenges with this type of contamination," says Mian. "A more uniform and comprehensive management and treatment strategy must be developed to limit the possible environmental ramifications." As part of his research, Mian also conducted a scenario-based assessment to estimate tire and road wear emissions by considering various real-time factors such as tire and roadway degradation in the environment and seasonal variations. The report recommends implementing tire wear labels and standardization policies, adopting tire pressure monitoring systems, and applying wetlands or roadside swales as a secondary runoff treatment. The research appeared in the latest edition of Science of the Total Environment and was supported by Kal Tire and Mitacs. The post Where the rubber hits the road appeared first on UBC Okanagan News.

Okanagan College welcomes new member to Board of Governors A local business leader has been appointed to Okanagan Colleges Board of Governors. Dustyn Baulkham, a Kelowna-based entrepreneur, has been appointed for a one-year term to the Board. Okanagan College is pleased to welcome Dustyn to our Board of Governors, says Juliette Cunningham, board chair. He brings experience and skills to the table that will be valuable as we continue in our OC Mission to transform lives and communities. Baulkham is the founder and CEO of Rebellious Unicorns, an events, broadcasting, and media production company in Kelowna. Previously, he was the general manager of the Kelowna Pride Society and the executive director of the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan. He holds a Bachelor of Management from UBC Okanagan. Im excited and honoured to be appointed to the Board of Governors, Baulkham says. The commitment to putting students first at OC and to strengthening the Colleges role as a leader in equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice is something I value very much, and I look forward to the year ahead. Baulkham joins Chair Cunningham, and the 11 other members of the Okanagan College Board of Governors: Dale Safinuk, vice chair; Neil Fassina, president; Andrea Alexander; Marcel Beerkens; JoAnn Fowler; Annika Kirk; Tina Lee; Choi Leong; Devin Rubadeau; Karley Scott and Education Council Chair, Danny Marques.

Throat-singing duo PIQSIQ to perform at OC's Penticton campus Okanagan College joins forces with Route97 Culture to present fast-rising throat singing duo  PIQSIQ in Penticton Live music will return to Okanagan College's Penticton campus this November 4, 2022, for students and music fans alike. In collaboration with the Route97 Culture Road Trip series, Okanagan College will co-present the debut of PIQSIQ in the region, who will perform a special concert inside the LEED Platinum-certified building known as the Centre of Excellence in Room 113. You can buy tickets for the show here. With a style perpetually galvanized by darkness and haunting Northern beauty, sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay come together to create the Inuit-style throat-singing duo PIQSIQ. Rooted in Nunavuts Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions, where the sisters grew up in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, inspired by endless sunlight which shines for two short summer months and deep, wintery darkness which consumes the rest of the year, the duo leave their listeners enthralled with the infinity of possible answers to the question what is the meaning of life? As PIQSIQ, the sisters perform improvisational looping live and incorporate the winter darkness and ethereal feel creating a dynamic audience experience that changes with every show. PIQSIQ has recorded four studio albums to date, and their album Taaqtuq Ubluriaq: Dark Star charted for several months nationally in the top 30 featured in both the electronic and national categories. Alison Gibson, Regional Dean for South Okanagan-Similkameen for Okanagan College, sees the Route97 Culture Road Trip Series as a phenomenal cultural experience for students and community members alike. "Celebrating and weaving Indigenous culture into all aspects of college life is deeply important to us at Okanagan College," notes Gibson. "This is such an exciting opportunity, not only for our college community but for the entire region. We are honoured to have PIQSIQ on campus, and we are proud to partner with Route97 Culture to be able to make this event possible. We look forward to opening our doors and inviting the community to join us in experiencing first-hand these remarkable artists." PIQSIQ, fresh off performing at numerous Canadian festivals this summer, will now bring their powerful live concert experience to Okanagan audiences. After years of forging hard-won skill, PIQSIQ has developed their own musical form, blending haunting melodies with otherworldly sounds. Approaching adulthood, the sisters realized throat singing was not only a musical expression but a radical political act of cultural revitalization. Expect to be awed by the power and beauty of PIQSIQ as they blend magic with sound. Mark Greenhalgh of Pentictons Misty Mountain Productions is one of the co-creators behind the Route97 Culture Road Trip Series, and he is looking forward to the PIQSIQ show: We are so excited to be bringing PIQSIQ to Penticton and Okanagan College! Its an important aspect of the programming we do in presenting cultural artists that are embracing modern technology in music-making along with traditional sounds and, especially in the case of PIQSIQ, vocalization. We are extremely fortunate to have many of the world's top Indigenous artists be from our part of Turtle Island! PIQSIQ is quickly rising, and we are so excited for the concert at Okanagan College on November 4. It promises to be an amazing experience." Tanja Wilson, Indigenous Student Services Coordinator, Okanagan College, Penticton Campus, also recommends checking out the PIQSIQ show: "Bringing Indigenous Cultural Events to the Penticton area is of the utmost importance so that we can educate everyone on how talented, loving and caring our people are. The Route97 Cultural Road Trip Series is a huge factor in doing this. I highly recommend that everyone take in at least one of their performances, preferably the one being held at the Penticton campus of the Okanagan College on November 4, 2022, featuring PIQSIQ. Mandy Wheelwright from Blister Management, a full-time career artist manager with artists Frazey Ford, Kinnie Starr, Steph Cameron and The Be Good Tanyas on her roster, is the other co-creator behind the Route97 Culture Road Trip Series, and she sees a bright future for live music returning to the college campus: For a long time, many artists developed their careers by performing at colleges and universities across the country. In the last 15 years, live music presentation with fantastic original Canadian artists, who write and perform their own music, has fallen off the campus list of activities. We aim to correct this imbalance and bring exceptional, inspiring artists back to campus for both students and the wider public to enjoy. PIQSIQ is the perfect artistic duo to launch our campus concerts. PIQSIQ is set to perform at Penticton's Okanagan College Campus in Room 113 this fall on November 4, 2022. Doors are at 7 pm. You can buy tickets for the show here. In addition to the PIQSIQ show, the Route97 Culture Road Trip Series continues with a mix of emerging and nationally recognized artists, such as: Grammy Award-winning musician Alex Cuba (October 21, 2022, at the Cleland Community Theatre)

CBC darling and JUNO-Award Nominee Begonia (November 21, 2022, at the Cleland Community Theatre)

JUNO Award-winning Winnipeg folk and country singer-songwriter William Prince (December 2, 2022, at the Cleland Community Theatre)

Vernon pop/rock artist Andrew Allen (holiday show  December 16, 2022, at the Cleland Community Theatre). Tickets coming soon! You can learn more about the Route97 Culture Road Trip Series, and buy tickets for upcoming shows, here.

TD gives $85,000 to help kids and newcomers access Okanagan Colleges Indigenous Garden Hawthorn, wolf willow, and sage are among the traditional plants growing in the garden on the hillside at Okanagan Colleges Vernon campus, which this year was visited by more than 250 local school children, thanks to generous support from TD Bank Group. TDs gift, made earlier in 2022, is funding tours of the K'nma?ka Senqa?ten - Kalamalka Indigenous garden for children and newcomers to Canada. The garden is located on Okanagan Colleges Vernon campus. Okanagan College has already received a portion of the funding; the remainder will be distributed over the next three years. This years donation allowed the College to provide garden tours for more than 250 children. My class had a fantastic experience at the Indigenous garden, says Kim Tyssen, a fourth grade teacher, at BX Elementary School. They learned so much about the traditional use of local plants and were really excited to get the opportunity to touch, taste, and see them. They also really enjoyed the traditional stories and Syilx song. Were proud that our gift has enabled so many children and newcomers to Canada to learn about Syilx culture and develop a deeper understanding of plant medicine, says Carolyn Scotchmer, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. We believe we have an obligation to future generations to take care of our planet and are excited to support this work over four years as part of the TD Ready Commitment. The K'nma?ka Senqa?ten - Kalamalka Indigenous garden was created in 2017 by a small group of employees and students from Okanagan College as well as members of the Dennis Family. Elder Theresa Dennis granted the permission required to gather and harvest 30 plants from Syilx Okanagan nation land and transplant them into the garden. Garden tours are provided by Justen Peters, a member of the Syilx community. Peters says, My family has lived in the Okanagan since time immemorial. I feel a deep connection to these hills, to these rivers, to these lakes. In our Indigenous language nsyilxcn, we say timxulax (teem-who-lah) when we refer to our mother, the earth. I am honoured to have been mentored by elders from The Okanagan Indian Band on how to work with Indigenous plants, and Im excited and proud to share pieces of my culture with students, newcomers to Canada, or anyone willing to listen. The K'nma?ka Senqa?ten - Kalamalka Indigenous garden is part of Okanagan Colleges Indigenization plan and represents an ongoing commitment to working with, and learning from, Indigenous communities. Were so grateful to TD for their gift. Over the next four years, it has the potential to allow hundreds of local children to learn traditional Syilx knowledge and develop a new understanding of and appreciation for the land. Jane Lister, regional dean, Okanagan College.
Wednesday's updates can be found here.

UPDATE 10:55 p.m.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen says a total of 18 homes are presently under an evacuation order, with another 165 under alert. Many more, up to 100, were evacuated voluntarily.

The advisory evacuation alert comprises the entire southern half of Kaleden, according to the RDOS. A full list of the impacted addresses can be found here. Evacuees are being asked to register at the Penticton Community Centre for emergency assistance.

Meanwhile, FortisBC says the majority of their customers power has been restored in Kaleden. A total of about 170 initially homes had their power cut.

UPDATE 10:05 p.m.

As night falls, the wildfire in Kaleden continues to burn an area of about 5.5 hectares.

The BC Wildfire Service has 26 firefighters working on the blaze through the evening, with more crews joining in come morning.

Despite remaining at 5.5 hectares in size for the past several hours, Max Birkner, fire information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, could not say if crews have been able to contain the fire at all, but says they'll have a better understanding in the morning.

Meanwhile, FortisBC says the majority of their customers power has been restored. A total of 170 homes initailly had their power cut.

UPDATE 9:15 p.m.

A fire official told CTV News that the wildfire in Kaleden was most likely caused by humans, as there had been no lightning in the area prior to the start of the blaze.

Simon Hanchero, an evacuee, says he called 911 when he noticed a tall tree smoking.

Kaleden Fire Chief Denis Gaudry said they received several reports at about 3:45 p.m. of a single tree on fire.

- With files from CTV Vancouver

UPDATE 8:25 p.m.

Around 100 homes have been evacuated near Kaleden but several residents don't want to go very far.

Peter Troghan was evacuated with his wife along with his neighbours. His wife went to Penticton but he wants to stay close by for updates.

"I just grabbed the important files and got out, I said Im not leaving," he said. "I wish I could be down there at my house right now."

Simon Hanchero, another evacuee, said he was one of the people who called 911 when he noticed a tall tree starting to smoke.

"I noticed the fire starting at around 4:00 p.m.," he said. "The only thing I had time to pick up was my mother-in-law and the cats and dogs and our family."

Meaghan Willis, a woman who lived just up the hill from the fire, hasn't been evacuated yet, but she is packing her valuables.

"I'm feeling very anxious knowing that fires can be very dangerous and unpredictable," she said. "I'm going to get together what's important and special and get ahold of my roommate and find out what he wants to do, and try to figure out how to deal with this."

The fire continues to burn in Kaleden and Fire Chief Denis Gaudry said crews will continue to work on battling the flames through the night. Evacuees have been checking into an emergency social services reception centre at the Penticton Community Centre all evening.

UPDATE 7:20 p.m.

Kaleden Fire Chief Denis Gaudry says 911 just lit up with initial reports of a single tree on fire around 3:45 p.m.

By the time crews arrived, the fire had spread in and around a number of homes along Oak Ave., with spot fires popping up in the nearby vineyards.

We called for forestry help, air tankers and helicopters, Gaudry said, adding the Okanagan Falls and Penticton Fire Departments were also called in.

Large areas from Oak Ave. down to the KVR trail have been burnt, with Gaudry confirming the loss of one out-building, and damage to one home, that we know of.

The fire is absolutely not contained, and evacuation orders will be expanded throughout the night.

It will depend on what happens between now and dark, with the wind, and other fires that come up because we are having to jump around, he said.

One Kaleden firefighter was treated for injuries by the BC Ambulance Service, but has since returned to duty.

UPDATE 6:50 p.m.

An officer at the scene tells Castanet at least two structures have now been lost to the fire.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says heavy smoke has forced their crews to the perimeter of the blaze, because they don't have breathing apparatuses like those used by municipal forces. The Kaleden and Penticton Fire Departments are doing the majority of the front line work.

The fire is now mapped at 5.5 hectares in size.

Evacuees are being asked to register with Emergency Social Services at the Penticton Community Centre at 325 Power Street.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has opened a reception centre. Those impacted can call 250-809-6561 for directions.

Tom Siddon, RDOS Director for Electoral Area "D" (Kaleden), says they are currently mobilizing assistance for those being forced from their homes.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m.

The B.C. Wildfire Service has 35 firefighters, two helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft, including two air tankers on the fire.

Fire Information Officer Justine Hunse says they are acting in a support role, because the blaze is located within the Kaleden Fire Department's jurisdiction. The Penticton Fire Department has continued to send support south, and a command centre has been established for all emergency services at the local fire hall.

Residents near the fire are continuing to evacuate.

UPDATE 5:15 p.m.

At least one home is fully engulfed in flames, according to Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth of the Penticton RCMP.

He says there have also been injuries, with an ambulance dispatched to the fire scene. The extent of those injuries is unknown at this time.

The B.C. Wildfire service will be releasing more information in about 15 minutes.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.

The wildfire is reportedly burning on the hillside above the beach, near Ponderosa Point.

At the scene, Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth said the fire is burning quickly up the hill, with nearby residents being asked to evacuate. The Penticton Fire Department has been called in to assist.

Justine Hunse with the B.C. Wildfire Service called the one hectare fire a rapidly developing situation, adding that ground crews and air support is en route. She noted that structures are being threatened by the fire.

ORIGINAL 4:00 p.m.

Castanet is receiving reports of a wildfire in Kaleden, possibly threatening homes.

Witnesses say the fire sparked at around 3:45 p.m., very near the community. Some residents have begun packing their bags. The B.C. Wildfire Service says they have received reports of the fire, but are still gathering information.

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Drop in Saudi 2Q earnings expected

05 July 2017

Six Saudi cement companies are expected to see a decline in their revenues and profits, by 37.1 to 62.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2017, according to a recent report by Al Rajhi Capital. The companies covered in the report are Arabian Cement, Yamama Cement, Saudi Cement, Qassim Cement, Yanbu Cement and Southern Province Cement.



The sales volume of the Saudi cement sector declined by 17 per cent YoY in the first two months of the second quarter as a result of a continuous slowdown in construction activities as well as the stiff competition, the report indicated.



During April and May 2017, all cement companies reported a decline in sales volume compared to the same period in the year before.



Northern Cement and Hail Cement witnessed the biggest drop by 43 and 42 per cent, respectively.



High level of inventories coupled with oversupply situation across the regions may lead cement companies to continue selling at bigger discounts.



Saudi and Eastern cement are likely to be impacted by halting cement exports to Bahrain.



"Based on our estimates, the revenue of companies under our coverage is expected to drop by 33 per cent YoY, whereas earnings are likely to fall by 48 per cent on yearly basis, the research firm said.



"Moving forward, we do not see signs of any significant turnaround for the construction sector in the short term and expect limited demand from mega projects that are nearing completion. Thus, we do not expect to see a recovery in the sector soon, the report added. (Source: Mubasher Info)

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Sinoma anticipates substantial rise in interim net profit

05 July 2017

China National Materials Company (Sinoma) said it expects the net profit attributable to the shareholders of the parent company for the six months ended 30 June 2017 to record a substantial increase as compared to the same period of last year.



Such expected growth is mainly attributable to the increase in the prices and sales volume of cement.

Its interim results announcement is expected to be published before the end of August, ET News reports.

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Security personnel deployed to repair, construct dam in flood-hit Saptari

The Saptari District Administration Office has deployed security personnel to repair and construct dams in the district that were damaged by recent flooding due to continuous downpour since Saturday.
Waters Corporation, a specialty measurement company, provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments, Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans. It also designs, manufactures, sells, and services thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments; and develops and supplies software-based products that interface with its instruments, as well as other manufacturers' instruments. Its MS technology instruments are used in drug discovery and development comprising clinical trial testing, the analysis of proteins in disease processes, nutritional safety analysis, and environmental testing. The company offers thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments for use in predicting the suitability and stability of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water, polymers, metals, and viscous liquids for various industrial, consumer good, and healthcare products, as well as for life science research. Its products are used by life science, pharmaceutical, biochemical, industrial, nutritional safety, environmental, academic, and governmental customers working in research and development, quality assurance, and other laboratory applications. Waters Corporation was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts.
Exorcism is a 'booming industry' in the UK, mental health experts warn

Christian mental health experts have warned of an 'astonishing' rise in exorcisms, which 'are now a booming industry in the UK' according to an extensive new report on Christianity and mental health.

The report by the think-tank Theos describes 'the burgeoning exorcism scene in the UK' and says that 'there is a danger of what one interviewee (a Christian psychiatrist) referred to as "Christian over-spiritualising", by which he meant a tendency to ascribe anything and everything to spiritual causes when other medical ones may exist'.

The research instead suggests that mental health problems are medical and found that interviewees, including mental health chaplains, said that 'in the vast majority of cases, the person in question was suffering with mental health issues which required psychiatric assistance'.

The report adds that 'if Christians start treating people with mental health issues as if they are possessed when they are not, they run the risk of doing very serious harm...exorcisms are now a booming industry in the UK, with a number of interviewees noting the astonishing increase in demand  often, as one noted, in defiance of any actual rules or procedures put in place by any church'.

The report's author, Theos researcher Ben Ryan, said: 'There has been an increased concern on the part of Christians to address this crisis. From our report we've identified dozens of programmes, charities and activities done by Christian groups to engage in this sector. These range from chaplaincy work in clinical settings to suicide prevention charities, Christian counselling to support for clergy, and from major national charities to small local, volunteer run operations. There is a huge scope of work being done in this area.

'However, much of this work is poorly networked and supported. The churches nationally have been campaigning, but at a grass roots level there is little sense of an overall strategy or system for connecting and resourcing activities, or of sharing best practice.'

A spokesperson for the Church of England said: 'The Church of England takes deliverance ministry very seriously and treats each case in a pastoral and private way. Any case would be dealt with locally through the diocese.

'Our guidelines state that particular caution needs to be exercised, especially when ministering to someone who is in a distressed or disturbed state.'

The report concludes that the Church needs to reassess how it responds to mental health problems, including a 're-appraisal of how we use the Bible on this topic'. It says: 'Rather than focusing on limited accounts of explicit mental illness, or demonic possession, more attention ought to be paid to the ability to begin building an authentic Christian language of mental health from the perspective of sufferers. Where many Christian resources currently focus on raising awareness of different mental health issues there is more to be done in terms of letting sufferers find a legitimately biblical and theological language to verbalise their own experiences.'

It also calls for more 'biblical resources that allow for Christians to embrace medical science and prevent the danger of "over-spiritualising" problems'.
Germany's Protestants split over same-sex marriage vote

Germany's vote to legalise same-sex marriage has pitted the country's Protestants against each other with opposing views revealed.

The state Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD)  a federation of 20 Lutheran, Reformed and other mainline Protestant denominations  blesses gay unions and allows homosexual ministers.

President of the EKD in Hessen and Nassau, Volker Jung, said that with the legislation change means 'a long history of discrimination comes to its end'.

But the German Evangelical Alliance (EAD), which holds a more traditionally evangelical position, has attacked the EKD's stance, reports Evangelical Focus.

Secretary General of the EAD, Hartmut Steeb, described the EKD's welcome of gay marriage as a 'catastrophe'.

He told Idea news agency the idea of family and marriage had been lost in the Protestant state Church.

'We hope the EKD stops cutting the branch of the tree on which it seats,' he said in reference to the Bible.

It comes after the German government legalised same-sex marriage, becoming the 13th country in Europe to do so.

Despite opposition from the German chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been outspoken about her Christian faith, the law was passed by 393 votes to 225.

'For me, matrimony protected by the Constitution means marriage between a man and a woman, and therefore I did not vote for this draft law today,' she said.

Several members of Merkel's conservative CDU party voted with social democrats SPD, Greens and the Left to see the change through.
Is it a sin for a Christian to provide services for a gay wedding? Pastor shares his thoughts

California megachurch pastor and author John MacArthur has weighed in on the question of whether or not it's sinful for a Christian baker or florist to provide services for a same-sex wedding.

MacArthur, the pastor of the evangelical Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and president of The Master's University in Newhall and The Master's Seminary in Los Angeles, participated in a panel discussion during Ligonier Ministries 2017 regional conference in Los Angeles on June 9.

During a question-and-answer session, MacArthur answered two theological questions pertaining to homosexuality.

One of the questions posed to the panelists asked if it's "truly sinful" for a Christian business person to make a product for a same-sex wedding.

Although panelists were initially hesitant to answer, MacArthur responded by saying that providing products to same-sex weddings is not a sin.

"No, it's not sinful for a cake maker to make a cake for a gay wedding anymore than its sinful for a guy who runs a restaurant to serve dinner to somebody who is gay, sits in a booth and eats the food, or goes to the market and buys a loaf of bread and you own the market," he argued. "What the issue is, is not whether that's sinful. It's whether the federal government can demand that people do certain things, which goes against their Christian conscience."

MacArthur argued that this is "more of a political governmental issue."

"I actually think that we need to show love to everyone and particularly, we need to do good to all those that are outside the kingdom, as well as inside the kingdom, as much as possible  a gesture of kindness toward some unregenerate person is in itself not a sin," he added.

However, MacArthur suggested it is plausible for Christians to feel that serving a gay wedding violates their "conscience in some way" and argued that they should have the right to act in accordance with their conscience.

"You don't want to train yourself to ignore your conscience," he said. "I think it's a personal issue. The issue becomes when people are basically fined or imprisoned for doing things that are religious-conscience matters. And, that speaks to the issue of how much authority the government has to make you do that."

In 2015, a Christian couple who owned an Oregon bakery were fined over $135,000 for their refusal to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. Those bakers have since gone out of business.

Months after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling making same-sex marriage legal nationwide, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis was arrested and jailed in September 2015 after she violated a court order to provide marriage certificates to same-sex couples that had her name and title on them because doing so would have violated her Christian convictions. Kentucky later passed a law that granted Davis and other clerks the religious accommodation she was looking for.

MacArthur also answered earlier in the discussion when the question was posed about whether or not a Christian who identifies as gay will get into Heaven. MacArthur answered by arguing that "no one is gay."

"If you mean by that, 'That's some hardwiring,' no one is gay," he said. "People commit adultery, they commit sins of homosexuality, they lie, they steal, they cheat. That's like saying, 'You know, I keep robbing banks, but I'm a robber. I'm a bank robber. What am I gonna do? I'm a bank robber.' That is not an excuse for what you do."

"Are there certain kind of impulses that lead people in that direction? Yes. But I think one of the really deadly aspects of this is to let people define themselves as gay," he continued. "They are not gay any more than an adulterer is hardwired to be forced by his own nature to commit adultery. Those are all behavioral sins that are condemned in scripture. God didn't hardwire anybody in such a way that they are not responsible for certain behaviors."

MacArthur concluded his answer by saying that it is a disservice to people who struggle with homosexuality by "letting them define themselves by that sin."

This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
ISIS fighters are using barbaric apps to buy virgin sex slaves for $10,000

Seven women who lived as wives to Islamic State fighters in Syria have opened up about their husbands' barbaric practices, such as purchasing virgins on sex slave apps and raping girls as young as 9 years old.

The women were caught trying to cross the border into Turkey, and are now being held at a displacement camp for women in Northern Syria, MailOnline reported on Sunday.

The women told a journalist from Arabic TV that the extremists were paying up to $10,000 for virgin sex slaves on apps, where they also shared pictures of victimized women and girls in make-up.

One of the wives, who is from Lebanon, said that the prices ranged from $2,000 to $10,000 for a virgin.

"There was a lot of tension between the wives and the sex slaves," the woman explained. "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."

Some of the other wives said that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has as many as four wives and 15 sex slaves.

The captured wives denied that the sex slaves were kept in their home, and said that they tried to help some of the victims escape  not because they were truly concerned for them, but because they were jealous that their husbands were raping them.

The women reportedly all said that they knew of 9-year-old girls that were being raped by the Islamic extremists.

They also admitted that some of their husbands beheaded victims, but denied any involvement, claiming that their only role was to sit at home and look after the children.

The wives' fate now remains uncertain. A Tunisian woman with a baby stated:

"I don't have control of my future. I live like a shadow."

Others who have escaped IS captivity, such as a teenage boy in Iraq, have revealed that sex slave captives do all they can to try and get away from the terrorists.

"The girls were covering their faces with dirt, trying to make themselves less beautiful. But if they were caught doing that they were beaten. They were all beaten and taken away. ISIS beat us too," 15-year-old Ahmed Amin Koro told Fox News in June 2016.

The teenage boy revealed at the time that jihadists would take children before sunrise each morning, forcing them to recite Islamic prayers; feeding them only with scraps, and giving them contaminated water to wash with.

Koro shared one story of a mother begging the terrorists to spare her young daughter from being sold as a sex slave, but was shown no mercy.

"The mom cried that her little girl was too young and she didn't know anything about marriage or sex, but they didn't care and took her anyway," the Yazidi boy said.

This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
Revealed: Abuse survivor's angry response to Church official's note about him to General Synod members

Matt Ineson, a survivor of alleged sexual abuse by a deceased Church of England vicar, has responded angrily to a Church official's note about him sent to all members of the General Synod, which meets in York this weekend.

Earlier today, Christian Today revealed details of a tormented, thirteenth letter he has sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Archbishop Welby met the survivor last year and the Church of England, which is conducting an internal review into its handling of his case, has put him in regular contact with its National Safeguarding Team (NST).

Ineson, who has recently waived his anonymity after being known in previous media reports as 'Michael', was the victim while a teenager of abuse three decades ago by a retired vicar, Trevor Devamanikkam, who was found to have committed suicide last month after he failed to attend court.

Last year Ineson lodged complaints of misconduct against the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, and four serving bishops, claiming that they had failed to act on his disclosures of rape.

According to Ineson, he disclosed the allegations of rape to Peter Burrows, the bishop of Doncaster, and Steven Croft, the then bishop of Sheffield and now bishop of Oxford, in 2012. The following year he disclosed to Martyn Snow, the then archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, now bishop of Leicester.

The complaints, made under the C of E's clergy disciplinary measure, were dismissed because they were filed outside of the one-year limit required by the Church.

Ineson has sent a leaflet  Rape, Sexual, Physical & Emotional Abuse... ...and the church cover up that goes on today  to all members of the Synod outlining his case, the handling of which is being internally reviewed by the Church.

Yesterday Graham Tilby, the Church's National Safeguarding Officer, himself wrote to all members of the Synod as well as all diocesan safeguarding advisers and diocesan secretaries and chief executives about the leaflet.

Tilby wrote that the leaflet 'will rightly cause you to be concerned for Michael's wellbeing' adding, 'It is his own, personal account of events and subsequent response by the Church.'

Tilby went on: 'I can assure you the matter has been take seriously; Archbishop Justin had a private, pastoral meeting with him in November last year and Bishop Steven Croft has written to Michael offering a personal meeting with him.

'There is an ongoing CDM [Clergy Discipline Measure] process underway and this therefore limits the ability of the Church corporately or of some individuals to say very much more and it is therefore not appropriate to respond publicly in detail to the issues that Michael raises. The allegations of abuse have been managed through a Church of England Core Group and in collaboration with the police; charges were due to be brought against Trevor Devamanikkam. Michael has been offered support and will continue to be offered support, although to this date he has not wanted this from the Church. The core group is now considering the most appropriate process for identifying lessons to be learnt from Michael's experience.

'I am sorry that I cannot provide you with more information. You may feel it appropriate to respond directly to Michael but I would ask that if you do feel this to be necessary, to first take advice about the issues raised in this leaflet from your Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser.

'It goes without saying that if you do meet Michael at Synod (he has said that he may attend), then please treat him with the compassion and care that he deserves.'

Now Ineson, who is set to protest outside York Minster on Sunday, has written to Tilby complaining about the note.

'I suspect I'm not meant to see it but I have been sent it by several members of synod along with many messages of support by email and telephone,' he writes. 'I have been quite overwhelmed by the support received over the past 24-hours and many members of synod have indicated that they do intend to come out of the minster to speak to us on Sunday...

'If I may offer my critique of your email because when read carefully I think it says a lot. I have simply spelled out the true history of events to date. My hand was forced to go public by the many times I have been ignored especially in my letters to Justin Welby.

'You have put in your email that I met with Justin Welby last year. This makes me wonder if you have read the leaflet at all as in it I say what happened at that meeting and what a waste of time it was. At the meeting Justin Welby didn't even know Devamanikkams name, he had to ask who 'TD' was! Therefore that meeting is hardly something you can rely on to show support for me.

'Steven Croft sent me an email last week offering to meet...exactly the same as he did at Oxford one week before his enthronement because (if I may have my sceptical hat on!) he knows we are going to York and the media are very interested...

Ineson acknowledges that he has been offered support from safeguarding officials in the Church. But, he says: 'I did turn down the support...because I do not trust the church and also to be quite honest it was too little too late.'

He adds: 'Your final comment to treat me with the compassion and respect I deserve is gratefully received...but again five years too late. Where has it been all that time?

Ineson concludes: 'In my case alone a youngster was raped several times and someone has died. How bad does it have to get?'

The Church of England declined to respond further to the exchange.
Sindhupalchok villages facing power outage after landslide

Four villages in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality of Sindhupalchok are going through a power outage for the last three days after a landslide swept away two utility poles.
Scholar solves a biblical riddle: uncovers 'sister' to the oldest copy of the Old Testament

A 'sister' to the oldest manuscript of the Hebrew Old Testament has been uncovered, alongside its author  a discovery being celebrated as decisive for future Bible translations.

The Christian research centre Tyndale House, Cambridge announced the discovery by its young researcher Dr Kim Phillips yesterday. Phillips made a major step forward in biblical studies by identifying the author of a manuscript more than a 1000 years old as the famed scribe Samuel ben Jacob.

Samuel ben Jacob (meaning Samuel son of Jacob) authored the Leningrad Codex, the earliest complete copy of the entire Old Testament in Hebrew. This codex, known in short to scholars as L, is the source behind most modern Bible translations.

But a new, long-hidden text (dated to AD 975), located in St Petersburg and known as L17, has puzzled scholars. This codex contains Joshua, Judges, 12 Samuel and 12 Kings. Painstaking study by Dr Phillips has decoded the mystery of its authorship  and pointed to ben Jacob.

L, also known as Codex Firkowich B19a, was completed around AD 1008. The traditions within it are what scholars refer to as the Masoretic Text  a copy of the Hebrew Bible produced by a scholarly community called the Masoretes, written between the 7th and 10th centuries.

However, L contains subtle differences to other Hebrew codices from the same period, and scholars have debated whether these are mere errors  or represent a separate Masoretic tradition.

The discovery of L17 as the work of Samuel ben Jacob will now allow scholars to see whether the differences in L are deliberate or not  and the results will shape the future of scholarly Bibles and modern translations.

'For the first time (for scholars outside Israel and Russia) it is possible to contextualise the readings of the Leningrad Codex against the background of equivalent readings in other manuscripts known to have been written by Samuel B Jacob', Dr Phillips wrote in the Tyndale Bulletin.

Discovering the identity behind L17 only became possible this year after the National Library of Israel released online digital copies of the St Petersburg collection.

Phillips' complete article for Tyndale House can be read here.
Vatican rocked as police 'break up drug-fuelled orgy at Cardinal's apartment'

Vatican police have raided a Cardinal's apartment where a drug-fuelled homosexual orgy was taking place, leaving Pope Francis infuriated, according to reports.

It has emerged that police last month entered an apartment at the former palace of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose responsibilities include investigating clerical sexual abuse.

The occupant of the apartment is alleged to be a priest who serves as a secretary to Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, who is the head of the Pontifical Council for Legislative texts and a personal adviser to the Pope.

When police arrived at the apartment, they reportedly found drugs and a group of men engaged in sexual activity.

The priest was reportedly arrested and taken for questioning, presumably over drugs offences, as engaging in homosexual sex is not a crime in Vatican City.

According to the Italian daily newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, neighbours became suspicious before complaining about the irregular behavior of those who were coming and going at the apartment.

Il Fatto Quotidiano claimed that Pope Francis has been infuriated by the news and may force Coccopalmerio into retirement.

The revelation comes a week after Cardinal George Pell, appointed by the Pope to clean up the Vatican's finances, took leave of absence to defend himself against sex abuse charges in Australia.

Pell, 76, has protested his innocence and claimed that he was looking forward to having his day in court after a two-year investigation, 'leaks to the media' and 'relentless character assassination'.

Australian police have not revealed details of the charges against Pell, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the judicial process.

In March, the Vatican was also hit by claims of separate orgies and prostitution among priests across Italy.
Why will this tormented sex abuse survivor be protesting at General Synod in York this weekend?

A survivor of alleged historical sexual abuse in the Church of England has complained that he has received no direct reply after writing to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, for the thirteenth time.

Archbishop Welby met the survivor last year and the Church of England, which is conducting an internal review into its handling of his case, has put him in regular contact with its National Safeguarding Team (NST).

The survivor, who has been known in media reports as 'Michael', was allegedly the victim while a teenager of abuse three decades ago by a retired vicar who was found to have committed suicide last month after he failed to attend court. The body of Trevor Devamanikkam, 70, was found by police when they went to his home in Witney, Oxfordshire, to arrest him.

Devamanikkam had been due to appear before Bradford and Keighley magistrates charged with three counts of buggery and three counts of indecent assault in the 1980s. The charges were brought under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 and related to a time when the homosexual age of consent was 21.

Last year, Michael, whose has now waived his anonymity and whose real name is Matt Ineson, lodged complaints of misconduct against the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, and four serving bishops, claiming that they had failed to act on his disclosures of rape.

The complaints, made under the C of E's clergy disciplinary measure, were dismissed because they were filed outside of the one-year limit required by the Church.

According to Ineson, he disclosed the allegations of rape to Peter Burrows, the bishop of Doncaster, and Steven Croft, the then bishop of Sheffield and now bishop of Oxford, in 2012. The following year he disclosed to Martyn Snow, the then archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, now bishop of Leicester.

In his letter to Welby, Ineson pleaded for the dismissal of the bishops in question.

A spokesperson for the Church of England's NST said: 'When Matthew wrote to Lambeth earlier this year, it was copied into a range of people and it was immediately taken up by the National Safeguarding Team, on behalf of the Archbishop, who have been in personal contact with him on a range of occasions since then to offer relevant support and talk through issues.

'The Archbishop takes all safeguarding issues very seriously and met with Matthew at the end of last year. Since the police investigation has come to a close the Bishop of Oxford has also been in touch to offer to meet with him and discuss his case.'

Ineson referred to the report last month into historical sex abuse by the former Bishop Peter Ball by Dame Moira Gibb, which concluded that the Church 'colluded' with Ball and resulted in Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, being forced to resign as an honorary Bishop in Oxford.

'In [Dame Moira's] own words 'speaking truth to power', I will speak the truth. I have no deference to any of you,' Ineson wrote. 'Why should I have? Only the truth will set you free. Why are you afraid of it? 'Power' is only real power when it is used for the good. You may think you are above the law, you are not. You are most certainly not above God's morality.'

A letter Ineson wrote to Croft in 2013 about the rapes and the church's alleged failure to act was copied to copied to Archbishop Sentamu and Glyn Webster, the bishop of Beverley.

Sentamu acknowledged receipt of the letter with a four-line response, saying he had read the letter. 'Please be assured I will keep you in my prayers through this testing time for you,' Sentamu wrote.

In 2014, Ineson formally reported the alleged rapes to the West Yorkshire police, who subsequently launched an investigation. Last year, he instructed a lawyer specialising in child abuse to make a claim against the C of E.

Devamanikkam continued to work as a C of E priest for at least a decade after the alleged offences.

In his latest letter to Archbishop Welby, on 26 June, Ineson began: 'I write concerning the rape and abuse I suffered at the hands of Trevor Devamanikkam.'

He outlined the complaints made against the Church hierarchy and complained about what he called an 'appalling' statement issued by the Church last month from the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Peter Hancock, the Church of England's lead safeguarding bishop, who said: 'We have been alerted by police that Trevor Devamanikkam has been found dead at his home. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this sad news and we have offered Michael pastoral care and support.'

Bishop Hancock added: 'We will look carefully at how we responded, as we do in all serious safeguarding situations' and pointed out that support had been offered to Michael by the National Safeguarding Team.

The statement also pointed out that 'Michael had a private, pastoral meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of last year'.

Ineson acknowledged the meeting but claimed: 'I...had a meeting with you in November 2016 during which you would not discuss the matter in any depth and you have not offered me any support whatsoever since. At our meeting you did not even know Devamanikkam's name. So much for your interest.'

He added: 'I wrote to you personally 12 times in 2016 and received no reply and was ignored. Why was that? Considering the serious content and the church's bad reputation on handling sex abuse cases and especially ignoring victims, why was that?'

The Church said that the Archbishop could not respond during the police investigation into the case.

Ineson called for an independent review into the handling of his case. 'If The Church of England is, as it appears from their own statement, intent on looking carefully how they responded to my disclosures and a review into its handling of the case is to be undertaken then the question must be asked - who will undertake this investigation and review? It must not be done internally by The Church of England or its employees themselves or this would open to extreme bias in the same way as it would be inappropriate for me to undertake such an investigation and review for the same reasons.'

Ineson wrote: 'The Church of England has made me fight at every step to try and achieve both justice and the further prevention of abuse by my abuser. By doing this you have added to my abuse.'

He added: 'In my last letter to you I promised very clearly I would, once the legal process is over, reserve my right to waive my anonymity and speak out publicly about what happened to me and the way I have been systematically treated by The Church Of England. You ignored that letter.

'Now the legal process against Mr Devamanikkam is over. If you have a heart at all I ask you give me some peace. The Bishops involved should be removed from office/give their resignationsand I mean all of them. Unless you have a complete clean slate the safeguarding failures will never go away.'

Ineson has sent details of his case to all members of the General Synod, which meets in York this weekend, and Ineson himself will be protesting in York during the Synod  the C of E's equivalent to a parliament.

This week, the conservative religious affairs blogger 'Archbishop Cranmer' wrote: ['You] must address the legal hypocrisy...which demands the resignation of Lord Carey after more than 20 years, while these bishops remain in office, shielded by an arbitrary, non-statutory, 12-month CDM limitation.'
Canadian PM Trudeau Jealous of Immigrants who get to Choose Canada Hugo O'Doherty Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that he is jealous of individuals and families around the world who make the decision to immigrate to Canada, emphasizing that people, like him, who are born Canadian take for granted the advantages of being Canadian.

Trudeau was speaking with CTV journalist Anne-Marie Mediwake in a broadcast that aired on the eve of Canada Day. Mediwakes parents immigrated from Sri Lanka in the 1970s after hearing then Prime Minster Pierre Elliot Trudeau, father of the current Prime Minister, speak in their country.

When told this, the current Prime Minister said:

One of the great reminders to me, as proud as a I am of being Canadian, as proud as I am of Canada, is I didnt get to choose this place. I was born here, and I can almost take it for granted. Anytime I meet people who got to make the deliberate choice, or whose parents chose Canada, Im jealous. Because I think being able to choose it rather than being Canadian by default is an amazing statement of attachment to Canada . . . you chose this country, this is your country more than it is for others because we take it for granted, we default into this place. And I think understanding that power of building a country that is made of people who chose, or whose ancestors chose, to build a new life here is really, really exciting . . . We are celebrating diversity as a source of strength.

Trudeaus comments come at a time when leaders of other high-profile developed nations are choosing a narrower definition of nationhood. In the United States and the United Kingdom, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May, respectively, recently came out on top in election campaigns that focused on reducing immigration levels. On the other side of the globe, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull abolished the popular 457 visa, citing an Australians first approach to immigration. The government of New Zealand soon followed suit by implementing more restrictive policies in April.

Meanwhile, since the spring Trudeaus team in Canada has made improvements to its Express Entry immigration selection system, brought in an entirely new fast-track work permit stream for certain foreign workers, passed a new law that makes Canadian citizenship easier and quicker to obtain, and stated that it will take in at least 300,000 new permanent residents per year over the coming years.

These latest measures are built on a foundation whereby Canada welcomes economic migrants, refugees, and those seeking to reunite with family members in Canada in ever-increasing numbers.

Trudeau aided by the fact that the Canadian public largely supports an immigration policy that welcomes diverse people in large numbers. Political parties in Canada are largely supportive of such a policy, and the few attempts that have been made to stall or reverse Canadas pro-immigration approach have failed. In the recent Conservative Party leadership contest, the one candidate who built her campaign around changing this policy fundamentally, Kellie Leitch, received a tiny sliver of the vote, as party members roundly rejected her program.

In the 150 years since Canada was established as a confederation, more than 17 million immigrants have arrived as landed immigrants. Many more have come as foreign workers or international students. Canadas official policy of multiculturalism, its bilingual society, security, and economic prosperity are just a few of the reasons why international migrants look to Canada as their new home.

To find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada permanently, fill out a free online assessment form .

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The chilling news of North Koreas artillery attack on South Koreas Yeonpyeong Island is a serious escalation of an already tense situation on the Korean Peninsula and a major challenge to regional stability. It comes on the heels of the latest revelation about North Koreas nuclear program: that the Communist regime had secretly built a stunningly modern nuclear facility to enrich uranium. That news alone would likely have been enough to increase diplomatic pressure on Chinathe only world power with real leverage over Pyongyangto rein in its sociopathic neighbor.

White House and other senior administration officials have stressed that the new facility violates several agreements that North Korea has signed with the United States, other participants in the so-called six-party talks, and the United Nations. The new facility does not constitute a crisis, according to Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. envoy to North Korea, after a meeting Monday with South Koreas foreign minister. But there is little doubt that North Koreas decision to show off its new facility and its 2,000 centrifuges to Siegfried Hecker, a Stanford physicist and former head of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, highlights the danger that North Korea poses to regional stability and to efforts to stop the spread of nuclear-weapons technology and materials.

Despite repeated efforts, neither Republican nor Democratic administrations have had much luck stopping North Korea from pursuing nuclear weapons or from selling its deadly expertise and materials to nuclear wannabes. Israeli and American officials say that North Korea supplied a nearly completed nuclear reactor to Syria, which Israel destroyed in an air attack in the fall of 2007. And in 2004, American officials reportedly found a shipment of uranium hexafluoride, most likely from North Korea, in nuclear materials recovered from Libya after Muammar el-Qaddafi shut down his WMD programs.

The Yongbyon revelations have prompted intense debate within policy circles about North Koreas capabilities and intentionsfor instance, about whether North Korea was able to build the new enrichment facility without foreign help and about what it intends to do with this plant and more broadly, with its nuclear program. Some hope that Pyongyang wants to use the facility as a bargaining chip and that it may scale back its program to get sanctions lifted and secure normal relations with the U.S. and other nations. But more officials take the pessimistic view that Pyongyang unveiled the new facility to persuade Washington and its allies to accept North Korea as a member of the nuclear-weapons club.

There is a pessimistic consensus on several other troubling issues. Since American and international inspectors were visiting Yongbyon as recently as 2009, officials have concluded that North Korea probably first built an enrichment facility elsewhereand moved its already-tested technology to Yongbyon only recently. Many experts also believe that North Korea probably has other covert nuclear facilitiesperhaps another enrichment facility, centrifuge manufacturing and testing facilities, and a research and development lab that it also has not disclosed.

Finally, there is an unhappy consensus that Washington has little direct political or economic leverage on North Korea. The use of military force against North Korea, for instance, is not seen as a viable option, since South Korea is held hostage by 10,000 artillery pieces within range of Seoulas todays attack demonstrated. All of this means that the burden of constraining North Koreas nuclear program falls on China, North Koreas single largest trading partner and most generous aid donor.

North Korea is not a viable state without Chinese support. Beijing has leverage to thwart Pyongyangs nuclear program, but to date it has refused to do so, fearing political instability and refugee flows. Marcus Noland, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, notes that China has been unwilling even to implement existing sanctions against North Korea. Under UN sanctions, for example, member states are not supposed to send luxury goods to North Korea; but not only has Beijing never formally submitted or publicly released a list of luxury goods it will refuse to send, he says, its exports to North Korea of items that appear on other countries luxury-goods lists have increased since 2007. Moreover, he notes, for months China prevented the committee of experts charged with implementing UN sanctions from reporting to the Security Council. If anything, the planned dynastic succession in North Koreain which Kim Jong-il would pass power over to his son, Kim Jong-unhas made China even more reluctant to pressure North Korea over its nuclear activities.

The United States could help China take the hard steps needed to halt and reverse North Koreas nuclear-weapons programs. First, we should insist that there be no more nuclear blackmail payments made to Pyongyang. Second, we must persuade China that North Koreas actions are antithetical to its security interests because they increase the need for American forces in the region, push South Korea and Japan closer to Washington, and encourage them to expand their current missile-defense systems. China holds a powerful sword over North Koreas head: it can withdraw its apparent approval of the regimes dynastic succession plan.

Bosworth is scheduled to meet today with his Chinese counterparts to discuss the latest nuclear developments in North Koreaand now, surely, the outbreak of artillery fire as well. Let us hope that he has greater success persuading Beijing to flex its muscle with Pyongyang than the U.S. has had in scaling back North Koreas nuclear activities.

Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
copyright Parliament

Brexit means it is unlikely that the current government will attempt further reform to fundraising regulation, charity leaders told delegates at the Institute of Fundraising convention yesterday.

Lucy Caldicott, chief executive of UpRising and board member of the Fundraising Regulator, said: Given the huge dominance of Brexit there wont be appetitive for further regulation of our sector from government.

However, she said that fundraisers needed to continue to absolutely engage in the work that the Fundraising Regulator has been doing. I think the charity sector has moved on hugely since the formation of the Fundraising Regulator and the positive engagement of charities and changes many of you have made in the way you operate is really excellent.

Caldicotts thoughts regarding a Brexit dominated government agenda was supported by Peter Kellner, chair of NCVO, who was also on the panel.

He said that whether it lasts for 3 months or 3 years, the life of this Parliament, while it lasts is going to be a government concerned with Brexit and with domestic tactics. This is not a Parliament in which one can expect any long term, deliberative policy.

Also speaking on the panel, John Tizard, honorary advisor to the Navca board, said that the new parliament gave the sector some opportunities, but decried the lack of collaboration between charities and umbrella bodies.

Its a shame that NCVO and Navca, for example, cant find more common cause.

Kellner: Grade is absolutely right

Kellner also took the opportunity to support the comments made in the Telegraph and on the BBC by Lord Grade, chair of the Fundraising Regulator, earlier today.

Kellner said Grade was absolutely right and called on the sector to draw a line under the controversies and move on.

Let me say straight away, and Im not sure that all NCVO members will welcome me saying this, but I think what Lord Grade said was absolutely right, he said.

We as a sector have to be absolutely clean and at the most moral end of its behavior as it can be. Its kind of disappointing that Lord Grade has to make these kinds of comments at all, because you would think that our sector does all the things that he thinks we should do anyway.

He also said that the issue should have already been addressed.

My worry is that this issue should have gone away a year or two ago. We had that terrible period where we had Kids Company, Olive Cookes suicide, all the arguments about fundraising databases leading to the fines for a number of charities, he said.

Having become chair of NCVO last November, Id rather hoped that wed put those issues behind us, so we could move forward with a much more positive agenda.




Remember when we used to obsess about every presidential tweet? When every story was about us? When Donald Trumps war with the media was, really, the only thing that mattered?

We need to stop.

Stop reporting on every tweet with the volume of a declaration of war; stop letting the president and his staff frame every misstep and scandal as a media story; stop treating Trumps war with the press as if its the most important thing happening in this country. Its not.

The countrys social safety net is being shredded; the EPA is being dismantled; we are marching towards war with North Korea; Americas standing in the world is shrinking by the day.

And were worried about the president calling us names on Twitter?

ICYMI: Eight simple rules for doing accurate journalism

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The question isnt whether Trumps tweets are newsworthy, because they are, as a smudgy window into the mans psyche. But, in most cases, they simply dont deserve the weight and emphasis the press gives them. Yes, Trumps tweet of a crude video casting him as a pro wrestler pummeling CNN was outrageous. It deserved notice for what it tells us about Trumps juvenile mind and the dark alleys of the internet that he and his staff tend to frequent. But the airtime given the video, especially on CNN, was wildly disproportionate given everything else going on in the world. (And that was before the networks reporters seemed to threaten the videos creator with unmasking if he dared go after the network again.)

Our response to each of Trumps media-bashing episodes comes off as if were hearing them for the first time. Can you believe he said that? Could this be the thing that finally does him in? Does he have no respect for the First Amendment?

The answer, of course, is that he doesnt respect the Constitutions guarantee of free speech. The medias impulse, which is understandable, is to keep the focus on his threats to the press, and not to let them become normalized. But we have reached the point at which the media response has become counterproductive and even beneficial to the president and his lackeys in the White House, who have turned the West Wing into a megaphone for Trumps faux media war and reporters in the White House briefing room into photo-op foils. Its amazing, and absurd, that we turn over live television to the press secretary to air the administrations latest broadside against the press, and let senior administration officials go off the record to attack our own outlets.

What were missingas I pointed out in an open letter to Trump on the eve of his inaugurationis that we arent obligated to cede the media agenda to this or any other administration. We control the airtime, we decide who gets quoted and how, we set the rules of engagement. The daily White House press briefings outlived their usefulness months ago. Now its time to reassess how we cover Trump and ourselves.

ICYMI: Should journalists expose trolls?

The president is fully aware that his war against the press is one of the few things that is working for him. His campaign promise to replace Obamacare is in tatters, his immigration ban has been watered down by the courts, the wall is still only (and thankfully) an architects rendering. Theres very little of substance left to bind Trump to his base or to the rightwing mediasphere that has been his cheerleader. Take away the war on the media and the bond between Trump and his supporters thins out fast. (It says something that the CNN video was Trumps most-viewed tweet since Election Day. As the country headed into the July 4 holiday, many of the most-viewed stories on Breitbart.comTrumps id, in headline formwere about the media.)

What would happen if, instead of screaming every time Trump hit Tweet, we let some of the most inane messages die? What if we took a breath and thought through what they mean? The fact that Trump doesnt like Morning Joe is something weve known for months. Whats important about his recent tweets about the show, which were awful, isnt that he called out a cable-news host or thinks MSNBC has been inaccurate. What is important is that hes a serial liar, obsessed with his media mentions to the point of hysteria, and continues to judge women largely by their appearance. To cover the Morning Joe tweets as yet another story about Trumps war with the media in a way reduces it; its about something bigger than us. That notion is in the subtext of much of the media reporting on Trump, but too often its overshadowed by the focus on the broader media war.

Pulling back from our own self-reflection and focusing all of that attention where it properly belongson our childlike, possibly unstable national leader and the wrenching national policy changes he is stumbling to put into placecould, ironically, also be the thing that convinces the rest of the country to pay attention to the dangers inherent in Trumps attacks on the media and the First Amendment.

Every time Trump fires a shot in his war against the media, theres an opportunity for a more serious, nuanced argument about why everyone benefits from a free and vigorous press: Airing a president and his policies to open discussion and scrutiny results in better government. Squashing those things, or seeking to discredit the scrutiny before it even happens, neutralizes a key check against power baked into our Constitution. Dialing up the outrage meter every time Trump attacks CNN, The Washington Post, or The New York Times gets us no closer to that important debate, which is just fine for a president who has very little else to offer.

For that fuller portrait to emerge, we, the press, need to get the hell out of the picture.

ICYMI: The most important recent development at the NYTimes

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Kyle Pope is the editor in chief and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review.
Earlonne Woodss room is the size of a large walk-in closet. It has a toilet, a sink, two lockers, a bunk bed, and a handful of personal belongings. Plus, two grown men. Its a four-by-nine-foot cell inside Californias San Quentin State Prison. Woods jokes that he can touch one wall while his back is still on the other.

He isnt in it all day, though, and when hes not, theres a good chance youll find him in the prisons media lab. Thats where he and fellow inmate Antwan Williams, as well as visual artist and prison volunteer Nigel Poor, record their newly created podcast, Ear Hustle. In the first episode, called Cellies, Woods and co-host Poor give listeners a firsthand perspective on what its like to live in such close quarters.

In prison, the phrase ear hustle is slang for eavesdropping. And thats exactly what Ear Hustle is letting listeners do. The podcast gives the audience unprecedented access to daily life at San Quentin, including stories about inmates who keep cockroaches and mice as pets, and the experience of solitary confinement. Such day-to-day realities arent unique to this particular prison. Close to 2 million people are incarcerated in the US today, and each episode of Ear Hustle offers a unique glimpse into their lives, 30 minutes at a time.

The goal of project is to show a more three-dimensional view of prison, Poor says. Life in prison is tough and frightening, but its also funny, tender, and amusing. Everything that happens on the outside happens inside prison, too. It just happens inside a deeply cloistered environment.

TRENDING: The slippery path between news and advertising at The New York Times

In pop culture and media, the guys in prison are portrayed as callous monsters, Woods says. Theyre seen as uniformly uneducated, negative, just hanging out in the prison yard playing games or watching TV, rioting, and not doing anything positive or productive with our time and life. But prisoners are regular people trying to make amends. For some, that means learning trades, getting their GED, or participating in self-help groups. For Woods and Williams, it means making a podcast.

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True-crime podcasts have gripped listeners since Sarah Koenig told us about the murder of Hae Min Lee in 2014. Serial was a game changer for podcasting, but also for the genre. Its first season spawned series like Criminal, from Radiotopia; Crimetown, from Gimlet Media; and In the Dark, from American Public Media. A slew of smaller-scale podcasts follows a similar playbook.

But Ear Hustle is different. Its not just about those in prison, but created by those in prison. Williams, the shows co-producer and sound designer, has served more than 10 years of a 15-year sentence for armed robbery; Woods has done 19 years of his 31-to-life sentence for attempted second-degree robbery.

It is my hope that people understand that we are regular people that somewhere along our path took a wrong turn, Woods says.

Poors initial assumptions about prison were shaped by what she had seen on TV and in the movies. That changed when she started volunteering in 2011 as part of the Prison University Project, an on-site, degree-granting college program at San Quentin. Slowly, she began to see that prisoners lives were not so different from the lives of normal people. She was committed to bringing a sense of normalcy to the men in San Quentin by sharing their stories.

Were not trying to let anyone off the hook, but trying to show the people as people [who] we can understand and have connections with, Poor says.

Each episode is a statement on human nature, told by people who often have their humanity questioned.

In the first episode, Woods connects his experiences with cellie life to others at San Quentin. Listeners hear about the cellie, or cellmate, from hell; adjusting to a new cellie; and dealing with smells (think cigarette smoke or body odor) in tight spaces. At one point, Woods reflects on his relationship with his own cellie, Cleo Cloeman, who was recently released from prison after 22 years. Its a surprisingly intimate and bittersweet moment.

There is a lot of levity in there, Poor says. People just expect everything inside prison will be heavy and scary, and thats not the case.

RELATED: 9 podcasts for keeping up with Trump

Through its two dynamic co-hosts, Woods and Poor, Ear Hustle fills a void in the saturated market of true-crime podcasts. Their insider-outsider banter creates a nuanced view of life behind prison walls. Woods is the listeners escort through the world of the incarcerated; Poor is the audiences surrogate.

Ear Hustle isnt the first foray into journalism for the occupants of San Quentin. For the last century, men incarcerated there have published the San Quentin News, originally known as Wall City News. When it started in 1920, it was billed as the only newspaper in the world published within the walls of a prison. It now employs more than a dozen incarcerated men, under the guidance of a handful of volunteers and professional advisers. With Ear Hustle, San Quentin can now add the only podcast created within the walls of a prison to its legacy.

Poor planted the seed for the show in 2013, when she and a handful of inmates launched a radio project called The San Quentin Prison Report in collaboration with KALW, the local public radio station. Those stories were shorter, more straightforward, and incorporated into a larger broadcast. But Poor wanted to do something more impressionistic, abstract, and longform.

Because radio has a specific listenership, we needed to work within a certain format, she says. With podcasts, we have more freedom; we could create our own format.

Ear Hustle is just the latest addition to Radiotopia, the podcast network run by the Public Radio Exchange. Its become known for its experimental, sound-rich podcasts, including 99% Invisible, Song Exploder, and West Wing Weekly. Poors initial plan was to broadcast Ear Hustle on the prisons closed-circuit channel. But her focus shifted last spring when Radiotopia announced Podquest, an open call for new podcast ideas. Poor suggested they submit a 2-minute promo. It was chosen from 1,573 entries. Ear Hustles concept was one-of-a-kind, says Julie Shapiro, executive producer of Radiotopia.

Weve never heard anything like this idea before, she says.

Since they won Podquest, Poor, Williams, and Woods have been churning away in their makeshift studio, the San Quentin media lab. It doesnt have internet access (one of the constraints of prison), but is equipped with computers, recording gear, and editing software.

Usually we sit around, and come up with things were curious about, or we bring up stories that weve Ear Hustled, Woods says. Then, I write a pitch after doing a field interview and see if that pitch gets the green light from Nigel or Antwan.

Poor gets to the media lab early, usually by 9:30 am. Most days, Williams and Woods are already there. Together, the three whiteboard pitches, discuss story structure and sound design, conduct interviews, and log tape. To find his stories, Woods relies on old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting.

I keep my ear to the ground and I listen for the stories that make me say, Damn, thats a great story, Woods says. Also, Im about to start posting topics on the wall in the buildings or just asking guys on the closed circuit television station if they have stories that they feel the world should know.

Woods and his crew also face challenges most reporters dont; theres a lot of red tape in prisons. Setting up the equipment, for example, took months. Without internet access, the team has had to get creative with sound design. They cant tap into an online trove of sound effects, so they make their own. In one episode, they tried to recreate the sound of a shower by throwing buckets of water against a cement wall.

In prison, you always have to find a workaround, Poor says.

Not everything has a workaround. All of Ear Hustles episodes are reviewed by Lt. Sam Robinson, the prisons public information officer, who did not respond to requests for comment at time of publication. Its the only way theyre able to produce the podcast. To some, the stories might be considered approved. To others, censored. Poor says theyre not trying to ruffle any feathers with Ear Hustle. So far, Lt. Robinson hasnt pushed back on any of the content.

Were not journalists, were not trying to change system in an overt way, Poor says. That might surprise or disappoint people.

Poor doesnt consider the podcast journalism, as they have to work within the framework of what the prison will allow. But she does see it as a complement to journalism. Ear Hustle might cover the same subject as a news organization like The Marshall Project, but does it with a different tone, style, and perspective.

There will be pushback that this isnt an investigative journalism podcast, and that why arent we doing more with the opportunity, Shapiro says.

The first season will have 10 episodes running every other week. It already has an active base of listeners, maintaining a position in the iTunes Top Ten since its debut on June 14. The stories, though presented through the lens of prison life, are universal. One episode is about loyalty (in the context of the repercussions one man faces from joining a gang). Another is about nurturing, framed by the story of Roach, a San Quentin inmate who cares for critters around the prison. Each episode is a statement on human nature, told by people who often have their humanity questioned.

Podcasting is intimate, making it the perfect medium for these stories, according to Shapiro. It could be anyone talking: your friend, a neighbor, or an inmate at San Quentin. You might react one way to someone like Woods on the bus, and another when listening to his voice, Shapiro says.

People are less judgmental when listening than when watching, she explains. You start in a much more neutral place, and audio just strips all those preconceived notions away.

Both Woods and Williams hope their newfound audio skills extend beyond their time at San Quentin. Once released, they want to pursue careers in audio engineering. Thats something else this podcast is doing: giving inmates hope.

Working with Nigel gives me a glimpse into what its going to be like being a productive citizen in society, Woods says. I mean, Ive never worked this hard on a project before. With Antwan and Nigel, its a collaboration, and we dont agree on everything, but thats what makes this work.

ICYMI: Equipment youll need to start your own podcast

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Meg Dalton is a freelance journalist and audio producer based in Connecticut. She's reported and edited for CJR, PBS NewsHour, Energy News Network, Architectural Digest, MediaShift, Hearst Connecticut newspapers, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @megdalts. Find her on Twitter @megdalts.
Nucor Corporation manufactures and sells steel and steel products. The company's Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling products; and bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and special bar quality products. It also engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses. This segment sells its products to steel service centers, fabricators, and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its Steel Products segment offers hollow structural section steel tubing products, electrical conduits, steel racking, steel joists and joist girders, steel decks, fabricated concrete reinforcing steel products, cold finished steel products, steel fasteners, metal building systems, insulated metal panels, steel grating and expanded metal products, and wire and wire mesh products primarily for use in nonresidential construction applications. This segment also engages in the piling distribution business. The company's Raw Materials segment produces direct reduced iron (DRI); brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron, hot briquetted iron, and DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal, as well as engages in the natural gas drilling operations. This segment sells its ferrous scrap to electric arc furnace steel mills and foundries for manufacturing process; and nonferrous scrap metal to aluminum can producers, secondary aluminum smelters, steel mills and other processors, and consumers of various nonferrous metals. It serves agriculture, automotive, construction, energy and transmission, oil and gas, heavy equipment, infrastructure, and transportation industries through its in-house sales force; and internal distribution and trading companies. Nucor Corporation was incorporated in 1958 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Achyut Wagle holds PhD in economics and is currently a professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management. He is an econo-political analyst, writing for The Kathmandu Post for many years.
07/05/2017

Indiana has struck a blow against robocalls, even those carried out by non-profit organizations.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a lower court's ruling that upheld the Hoosier state's anti-robocall law, which bars pre-recorded messages sent to consumers' phones without their consent.

Patriotic Veterans, Inc., a non-profit organization, asked for the review to make an exception for non-profits. It argued in court that the Indiana law violates the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Now that the Supreme Court has settled the issue, it is possible other states may pass laws based on the Indiana statute.

Indiana argued that political and non-profit groups are allowed under the law to make calls, even to numbers on the Do Not Call list, as long as the calls are placed by a human operator and don't use a recorded voice.

More intrusive

Part of the objection consumers have to robocalls is the technology allows an operation to place many calls at once. A human being is required only if a consumer answers the phone and remains on the line. It results in many more telemarketing calls than in a single person called individual numbers. The efficiency it provides is one reason telemarketers now favor robocalling.

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill praised the high court's decision to let the state law stand.

Every day, telemarketers seek to burden residences with automated, pre-recorded phone calls conveying unwanted messages," Hill said. "Simply put, without this law they would be a nuisance.

Hill says his office received more than 15,000 complaints last year about unwanted calls, the majority of which were robocalls.

Big increase in calls

A 2016 report by the YouMail National Robocall Index (YNRI) estimated that as many as 2.3 billion robocalls were made in the U.S. in the month of January alone. The report said nearly one in six phone numbers calling the average consumer is a robocall.

While some robocalls are perfectly legitimate -- your dentist might use such a system to confirm your appointment -- the technology has recently been deployed by scammers.

Instead of a solitary scammer dialing up potential victims, getting into his pitch, only to have the target hang up on him, technology can make thousands of calls and play a recording when a potential victim answers.

Most people are going to hang up, but the few who respond are connected to a person who then tries to reel them in. It makes the scam a lot more efficient and dangerous.
The Foundation is a huge believer in experiential learning, or learning by doing. One example of this is high school Reality Fairs, which is an interactive fair for high school students to help prepare them for their financial futures. Today, 26 states are offering students Reality Fair Programs  14 of which can be tied directly to the Foundation.

The Financial Reality Foundation (FRF) of Alaska recently utilized a grant from the Foundation to bring financial education to high school seniors via credit unions across the state of Alaska. Through their Get REAL Financial Reality Fair Program, they reached 2,663 students, which is 34% of all enrolled high school seniors in Alaska.

FRF offers financial reality fairs for free to communities by way of the cooperation among Alaskan credit unions. The Alaska Credit Union League has been a major supporter in bringing financial literacy efforts state-wide by providing the Get REAL Financial Reality Fairs in their respective communities and membership areas. Seeing the enthusiasm from schools and collaboration from credit unions, Matanuska Valley FCU was inspired to create FRF in August 2014, as a non-profit foundation to provide consumers the opportunity to learn about finances in a fun, realistic and memorable way.
Ukraine Police Trace Petya Attack Source

A vulnerability within an obscure piece of Ukrainian accounting software is the root cause of the massive Petya cyberattack that broke out last week, according to the Ukrainian law enforcement.

The attack hit Ukrainian utilities and airline services, US based pharmaceutical company Merck, Russian oil giant Rosneft and even forced operators at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to switch to manual radiation monitoring of the site.

The software is called Me.DOC, its basically an application for tax reporting and filing for companies that do business in Ukraine. At about 10:30 a.m. GMT Tuesday 27th June. Me.Doc ran an automatic update on the software, a routine event and that connected every version of Me.Doc on every computer on which it had been installed (so long as it was online) to this address: 92.60.184.55.

That by itself is not unusual.

As the Ukrainian polices cyber division explained in a Facebook post, updates from Me.doc are usually rather small, about 300 bytes. This update ran 333 kilobytes, orders of magnitude larger. Once host computers download the update, becoming infected, the malware creates a new file called Rundll32.exe. Next it contacts a different network. It then starts running new commands, taking advantage of a particular Windows vulnerability, the same Microsoft vulnerability, called EternalBlue SMB, targeted by WannaCry.

The US National Security Agency detected the vulnerability and it was contained in a group of stolen documents that made their way onto the Web via a group called the Shadowbrokers. However, the NSA did disclose the vulnerability to Microsoft, which issued a patch, long before the WannaCry virus spread.

Defense One verified the Ukrainian polices post with a second researcher who had direct knowledge of the attack and the malware in question. Other cyber security researchers with Russia-based Kaspersky Labs also began pointing to Me.DOC as the likely point of spread.

At this point, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack and authorities have yet to make a hard determination about attribution.

Actors backed by the Russian government have been targeting portions of Ukrainian infrastructure since 2015 when a massive attack by a group knocked out power to more than 225,000 people in Ukraine. But WannaCry has been linked to actors outside of Russia, namely North Korea. Its a finding that some researchers dispute.

DefenseOne:

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How A Nation Became Russia's Cyberwar Experiment:
Bunge Limited operates as an agribusiness and food company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Agribusiness, Refined and Specialty Oils, Milling, and Sugar and Bioenergy. The Agribusiness segment purchases, stores, transports, processes, and sells agricultural commodities and commodity products, including oilseeds primarily soybeans, rapeseed, canola, and sunflower seeds, as well as grains primarily wheat and corn; and processes oilseeds into vegetable oils and protein meals. This segment offers its products for animal feed manufacturers, livestock producers, wheat and corn millers, and other oilseed processors, as well as third-party edible oil processing and biofuel companies; and for industrial and biodiesel production applications. The Refined and Specialty Oils segment sells packaged and bulk oils and fats that include cooking oils, shortenings, margarines, mayonnaise, and other products for baked goods companies, snack food producers, confectioners, restaurant chains, foodservice operators, infant nutrition companies, and other food manufacturers, as well as grocery chains, wholesalers, distributors, and other retailers. The Milling segment provides wheat flours and bakery mixes; corn milling products that comprise dry-milled corn meals and flours, wet-milled masa and flours, and flaking and brewer's grits, as well as soy-fortified corn meal, corn-soy blends, and other products; whole grain and fiber ingredients; quinoas and millets; die-cut pellets; and non-GMO products. The Sugar and Bioenergy segment produces sugar and ethanol; and generates electricity from burning sugarcane bagasse. Bunge Limited was founded in 1818 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
UML may support constitution amendment, says Gyawali

CPN-UML Secretary Pradeep Gyawali said on Tuesday that his party will support the process of constitution amendment if the proposal tabled in Parliament is revoked and a new one prepared in agreement with the second largest party.
UNESCO mulls endangered status for Nepal

A team of UNESCO experts is holding a meeting in Krakow of Poland to decide whether the Kathmandu Valley, devastated by a massive earthquake in 2015, should go onto the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.
Woman killed as truck hits scooter at Balkhu

A woman died after a truck hit a scooter she was riding on at Balkhu in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
Credit Suisse hiked its target price for Imagination telling clients its strategic assets should generate a good level of interest from bidders.

Analysts at the Swiss broker revised their target for the shares from 100.0p to 165.0p, explaining that the company's assets, especially around graphics, "should generate a good level of interest from bidders".

However, in the same research note the broker predicted Imagination's ongoing dispute with Apple would drive it into high losses.

Under the assumption that its sales to Apple are cut by 60% in fiscal year 2019 before falling to zero the following year, then the company would become unsustainable without external funding.

Nonetheless, its strong suite of intellectual property and patents - particularly around graphics processors - was likely to drive interest from multiple semiconductor companies, especially those with exposure to mobile and automotive, the analysts said.

Their target price was based on a multiple of 6.0 times enterprise value to sales on the basis of their fiscal year 2020 estimates.

The broker stuck by its 'neutral' recommendation for the stock.
British Airways and Iberia parent International Consolidated Airlines Group said airline traffic, as measured in revenue passenger kilometres, rose 3.9% in June compared to the same month last year.

IAG, which also owns Aer Lingus and Spanish budget brand Vueling, said group capacity measured in available seat kilometres was up 3.5%.

Meanwhile, group premium traffic for the month of June increased by 6.8% compared to the previous year.

The load factor  which measures how full flights were  edged up to 84.3% from 84% a year ago, while for the year to date IAG's load factor nosed up to 80.9 for the first half of 2017 versus the 80.0 in 2016.

These numbers follow May's 1.8 % traffic increase and 0.9% capacity gain.

Spanish arm Iberia has been awarded a four star rating by Skytrax, which the FTSE 100 group noted reflected its punctuality improvement, product upgrades and excellent customer service.

Midway through last month, British Airways cabin crew called a two week strike and alongside union Unite threatened IAG with legal action after 1,400 cabin crew were sanctioned for striking as part of a long-running pay dispute.

The strike began on midnight on Saturday 1 July as is expected to run until Sunday 16 July, as the union accused BA of forming a blacklist to impose sanctions on striking cabin crew, which it said included the withdrawal of bonus payments "worth hundreds of pounds" and staff travel concessions.

BA pledged the airline would still fly all customers to their destinations.
US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has called on nations across the world to condemn the actions of North Korea , after Pyongyang claimed to have launched an intercontinental-ballistic missile on Tuesday.

Kim-Jong-uns regime carried out the missile test on the eve of the US holiday of Independence Day, saying that it had delivered a "package of gifts" for the country on its day of celebrations.

Experts are undecided on whether the weapon launched by North Korea had as large a range as the regime claims, but the US has responded firmly in any case.

"All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons," Tillerson said in a statement.

Russia and China, one of the isolated states only allies, joined forces on Tuesday to call on all sides to sign up to a de-escalation programme.

Chinas ambassador to the United Nations had called for a de-escalation in tensions between North Korea and the West just hours before the missile was launched.

If tension only goes up... then sooner or later it will get out of control and the consequences would be disastrous, Liu Jieyo said.

The increased risk surrounding the actions from North Korea have pushed safe haven markets stronger.

Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at London Capital Group, said: The overnight trading session was dominated by a decent risk-off sentiment after the North Korean President Kim Jong-un said to be firmly determined to test an ICBM that could hit the US within this year.

The North Korean missile threat boosted the appetite in safe haven assets. Capital flew into the yen and gold.
The WASH SDG Consortium has been granted 59 million euro by the Dutch government for its joint programme to implement water, sanitation and hygiene projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

This programme aims to sustainably improve access to and use of sanitation plus hygiene behaviour for at least 2 million people. Additionally, it will deliver access to safe drinking water for at least 450,000 people in the coming five years.



The consortium includes most major Dutch water-aid specialised organizations, such as Simavi (lead), Plan, SNV, Amref Flying Doctors, Akvo, Rain, Waste, IRC, Wetlands, Practica and RUAF.

Large scale collaboration

It is for the first time that the government and aid organizations cooperate on such a large scale to create water facilities and services that include sustainable, climate resilient, gender sensitive and socially inclusive.

In response to the adaption by the UN in 2015 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Dutch government decided to contribute with the provision of safe water and clean toilets for respectively 30 million and 50 million people.

By bringing in almost the whole Dutch water sector, the WASH SDG Consortium will contribute to realise this target in an effective and efficient way.

Leaving no one behind

Ariette Brouwer, managing director of Simavi, lead organisation of the WASH SDG Consortium: I am delighted that we have brought together so much Dutch knowledge to tackle the water and sanitation issues many underprivileged communities are facing.

Brouwer emphasised the social inclusion of the programme: 'Together with our partners in the WASH SDG Consortium we aim to reach an improved WASH situation for all, following the SDG mission of leaving no one behind.

This includes the hard to reach households, the poorest of the poor and those living in remote or slum areas, and both men and women, Brouwer said.

Long-term presence

The WASH SDG programme will be implemented in seven countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

These countries all have significant numbers of people with poor access to and use of WASH services, either in rural areas or in densely populated areas with uncontrolled urbanisation and deteriorating water security.

In all these countries the consortium members have long-term presence and ongoing WASH programmes, as well as established influence at the national level.

The WASH SDG Consortium also commits itself to ensure that for every euro invested in WASH by the Dutch government, one euro is contributed locally, through for instance investments by local households, private sector and local and national governments.

This news item was originally published on the website of Wash Alliance, Plan Nederland (in Dutch only) and Simavi.

(top photo by Simavi/Raymond Rutting)

Read also on this website

 SDG 6 for water and sanitation: Some heavy lifting to do, 10 March 2015

 Stockholm World Water Week 2016: Dutch delegation to launch programme on sustainable water use, 25 August 2016

 The Netherlands is fully committed to next leap forward on sustainable development goals, 27 September 2015

 Stockholm world water week 2015: Lets accelerate WASH, lets do it differently, 27 August 2015



More information

Simavi

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

+31 88 313 15 00

www.simavi.org

Wash Alliance International

Haarlem, the Netherlands

www.wash-alliance.org

Plan Nederland

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

+31 20 549 55 20

www.plannederland.nl
By Tim Radford

Researchers now know the difference half a degree can make. They can tell you why 1.5C warming would be better than a 2C climb in average global temperatures, because even half a degree Celsius could mean greater extremes of heat, more overwhelming rainfall and longer spells of warm weather.

And they know all this because theyve seen it happen in the recent past. There is enough evidence, they say, in the observational record for the last half century to underline the importance of even half a degree.

Stephen Hawking: 'We Are Close to Tipping Point Where Global Warming Becomes Irreversible' https://t.co/KZxggtTiwN @Climate_Rescue  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) July 4, 2017

Scientists from Germany and Switzerland outline the argument and identify the evidence in the journal Nature Climate Change.

In the last two centuries, the ratio of carbon dioxide, the result of extravagant fossil fuel use since the Industrial Revolution, has risen from around 280 parts per million to 400 ppm, and average global temperatures have risen around 1C during that time.

The researchers matched temperature and climate records for the years 1960 to 1979 and 1991 to 2010, a period when the thermometer averages climbed by a whole half a degree.

Significant changes

They found that the intensity of extreme rainfall had increased by nine percent over that period. The coldest winters were measurably less cold, and half of the global land mass had experienced changes of what they called warm spell duration of more than six days.

It is not that perceptible global warming made these extremes happenextremes happen anywaybut the researchers think it made them more likely. By raising the temperature, humans loaded the climate dice.

The hottest summer temperatures increased by more than 1C in a quarter of global land areas, while the coldest winter temperatures warmed by more than 2.5C, said Peter Pfleiderer, a scientist with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and for Climate Analytics.

And his colleague Carl-Friedrich Schleussner said, As were moving increasingly outside of the range of natural climate variability, we have to expect that impacts on agriculture, human and biological systems will be more pronounced.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has begun to prepare a special report on the impacts of a warming of 1.5C, the Paris agreement target set by the worlds nations in 2015.

There is no certainty that the worlds nations can meet the Paris target and contain global warming, and limit climate change, because enough carbon dioxide has been emitted to take air temperatures over land to that level already.

The next decade could be critical, which is why researchers feel they need the evidence in as clear a form as possible.

One of the pressing questions for scientists today is whether we know that limiting warming to 1.5C instead of 2C would make a difference in the future. We have to rely on climate models to predict the future, but given we now have observational evidence of around 1C warming, we can also look at the real life impacts this warming has brought, Schleussner said.

And the third signatory, Erich Fischer of ETH Zurich, said, Communicating abstract quantities like differences in global mean temperature is difficult.

With the warming the world has already experienced, we have an actual record of warming to study, and we can see very clearly that a difference of 0.5C of warming really does matter.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Climate News Network.
Stiff vessels in combination with low blood flow in the brain appears to forewarn of dementia or Alzheimer's

A combination of high blood pressure and decreased blood flow inside the brain may spur the build-up of harmful plaque and signal the onset of dementia, USC researchers have found. "If you have problems with the blood vessels in the brain, then you're going to end up with difficulty with thinking skills, cognition, memory, and ultimately this can be related to other brain pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease," said Daniel Nation, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of psychology at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

For the study published June 1 in the journal Brain, Nation utilized patient data from a national medical database, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative housed at Keck School of Medicine at USC, to explore whether constricted blood flow contributes to the build-up of amyloid plaque and, consequently, to the onset of dementia. He also determined a new way to calculate cerebrovascular resistance - a stiffening of the vessels that results from high blood pressure and low blood flow. The brain's blood vessels function as a plumbing system that delivers nutrients and oxygen to feed the brain cells, and then flushes away any waste that the cells cannot use. The metabolic waste secreted by cells includes protein fragments - amyloid - that a healthy brain breaks down and expels by pulsating blood through its vessels.

The brain tightens or relaxes its vessels to maintain blood flow as it adjusts for changes in blood pressure. However, the brain vessels in Alzheimer's patients are stiff and tight, inhibiting blood flow and enabling the sticky amyloid to accumulate, Nation found.

"The idea of cerebrovascular resistance converges on the notion that the blood vessels in Alzheimer's brains are in this hyper-contracted state," Nation said. "For many different reasons, the contracting blood vessels are resistant to opening up and really letting the blood in." Blood pressure and blood flow measures alone do not predict dementia as well as when they are examined together.

"When blood pressure goes up or down, the brain vessels accommodate so that blood flow will remain fixed," Nation said. "So if you don't measure blood pressure and blood flow together, then it is basically masking all of these important changes in vascular resistance, and it is very difficult to see the vessel changes that underlie this."

Alzheimer's is considered one of the greatest health challenges of the century. The fifth leading cause of death for those 65 years and older, Alzheimer's affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans - about 1 in 3 seniors. The USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics predicts the number of U.S. patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's will more than double to 9.1 million in the next 35 years.

As a research institution devoted to promoting lifelong health, USC has more than 70 researchers dedicated to the prevention, treatment and potential cure of Alzheimer's disease. USC researchers across a range of disciplines are examining the health, societal and political effects and implications of the disease.

In the past decade, the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health has nearly doubled its investment in USC research. The investments include an

Nation's lab at USC Dornsife is part of the multidisciplinary effort. He focuses on understanding cognitive decline associated with age-related changes in vascular structure and function.

To measure resistance in the brain's vessels, Nation developed an index that represents a ratio of average blood pressure to regional cerebral blood flow. A high index ranking for resistance indicates that amyloid is building up and that the patient is progressing toward dementia, Nation said.

The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database used for the study is an extensive repository of medical data from an estimated 1,000 volunteers age 55-90. The data include results of genetic, memory and cognitive tests, brain scans and blood biomarker information.

Nation utilized data on three groups of volunteers: 112 men and women who did not have any amyloid buildup in their brains, 87 who did and 33 who had Alzheimer's disease. The researchers controlled for characteristics including whether the people were carriers of the Alzheimer's gene, ApoE4, which can significantly raise the risk of the disease.

Nation found that the 33 people with Alzheimer's disease had lower blood flow in their brains than the people without dementia. These blood flow changes were undetectable in the earlier stages of disease, when amyloid was accumulating but there were no obvious signs of memory loss.

The people with Alzheimer's disease also measured much higher on the cerebrovascular resistance index. Amyloid-positive patients' cognition worsened over time. Nation found that just two years after their initial examination, they were more likely to experience accelerated cognitive decline and progression to clinical dementia.

"Our findings suggest that change in resistance may be an early and key phenomenon in the brain that's closely linked to the symptoms of cognitive decline in the future," Nation said.

In recent months, major pharmaceutical companies aiming for a cure have halted testing of Alzheimer's drugs mid-trial due to poor results. However, recent studies point to a promising option to delay the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's: drugs already on the market and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for other purposes. Among the most promising are cholesterol-lowering statins - a possibility reinforced by a recent meta-data study led by USC Schaeffer Center - and blood pressure-lowering drugs known as angiotensin receptor blockers - a possibility highlighted by Nation in a recent study published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy.

He and USC graduate student Jean Ho found that people taking blood pressure-lowering drugs have better memories than people who have elevated blood pressure and are taking other drugs. A subclass of these drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier - the filtration mechanism in the capillaries that prevents toxins from entering the brain.

Nation said he aims to refine how he measures vascular resistance so that he can test it in older adults in the lab.

By measuring the index dynamically with brain scanners, he will track how blood pressure-lowering drugs affect vascular resistance from moment to moment in the brains of people at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Then, he will work toward answering the next important question: If vascular resistance can be managed with treatments, will that lower someone's risk for developing dementia?

USC graduate student Belinda Yew was a co-author of the cerebrovascular resistance study published in Brain.

###

The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants P50 AG005142 (an estimated $7.1 million grant that covered 10 percent of the study's costs) and P01 AG052350 (an estimated $8.9 million grant that covered 20 percent of the study's costs). The NIH grants also support a series of studies by Nation.

The remaining 70 percent of the Brain study's costs were covered by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and a U.S. Department of Defense grant (W81XWH-12-2-0012).
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- A new study reports widespread agreement among physicians that maintaining electronic health records (EHRs) undermines their connection with patients. The analysis found, however, that hospital-based physicians most often decried how EHRs take time away from patient contact, while office-based physicians most often lamented that EHRs detract from the quality of their patient interactions.

The analysis by researchers at Brown University and Healthcentric Advisors, novel for its relatively large sample size and its incorporation of both hospital and office-based physicians, is based on the open-ended answers that 744 doctors gave to this question on a Rhode Island Department of Health survey in 2014: "How does using an EHR affect your interaction with patients?"

The survey question was optional but hardly trivial, said study co-author Dr. Rebekah Gardner, an associate professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School and a senior medical scientist with Healthcentric Advisors. With the goal of improving the quality of care, federal "Meaningful Use" standards have vastly expanded the amount of information that doctors must capture. But the American Medical Association has raised concerns about EHR software usability, and studies have shown that the burden of meticulously filling out electronic health records is a major cause of physicians experiencing burnout, a discouraged form of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in their work.

"Physicians who are burnt out provide lower-quality care," Gardner said. "What this speaks to is that we, as physicians, need to demand a rethinking of how quality is measured and if we're really getting the quality we hoped when we put in EHRs. There are unintended consequences of measuring quality as it's currently being done."

Gardner also cited research indicating that patients who feel their doctors don't understand them or communicate poorly are less likely to stick with treatments and engage in follow-up visits, which can undermine their care.

In highlighting how EHRs impose different burdens on different physicians, the study in the Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics illustrates that EHRs pose a multifaceted set of problems for medical practice, she said. Even so, doctors responding to the survey also acknowledged that EHRs are both here to stay and provide important benefits, such as ready access to information.

To conduct the study, Gardner worked with lead author Kimberly Pelland of Healthcentric Advisors and Rosa Baier, associate director of the Center for Long-Term Care Quality and Innovation and an associate professor of the practice at the Brown University School of Public Health.

Reckonings on records

The study quotes survey answers that exemplified the problems and promise of EHRs. Office-based physicians typically bring their computers into the exam room, leading one doctor to worry that staring at a computer rather than the patient seemed rude: "[It's] like having someone at the dinner table texting rather than paying attention."

Hospital physicians, meanwhile, typically perform their record keeping outside the exam room. They find that being tethered to their computers means they can't visit patients as much. As one such doctor put it: "I now spend much less time [with] patients because I know I have hours of data entry to complete."

While office-based physicians mainly complained about patient interaction and hospital-based physicians primarily worried over reduced time for patients, each group's second-most common lament was the other group's most common. They share the same concerns, albeit in distinct orders.

A minority of physicians said EHRs did not undermine their ability to connect with patients. The study noted one whose patients happened to be newborns and another who cited employing a medical scribe to handle the data entry during office visits.

More commonly, Pelland said, the way that physicians try to minimize the impact on patient care is to shift data entry to, as one office-based doctor put it, "hours and hours of work at home." Doctors have also begun to seek out continuing medical education on how to best integrate EHR use during patient visits to minimize disruption.

In the survey, doctors sometimes acknowledged that records can provide benefits to patient interaction. One hospital doctor praised the ease that EHRs provide in calling up a patient's history. Some office-based physicians, meanwhile, commented on how web-based patient portals improve communication with patients. Others described how they make use of their computers to interact with patients, for instance by calling up and displaying educational illustrations of medical conditions.

But the clear preponderance of comments regarding EHRs and patient care skewed negative, the authors said.

"Those tasks require a lot more brain power, focus and energy being shifted away from the patient," Pelland said. "The attention is being paid to the computer."

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It's not unusual for anyone to shop online at Amazon, but one young scientist went to the website looking for more than a favorite book. University of Connecticut Postdoctoral Researcher Nobuo Sato plans to conduct theoretical research in nuclear physics using the online retailer's computing services, and he has been awarded the 2017 JSA Postdoctoral Research Grant to do it.

The $10,000 grant has been awarded annually since 2008 for projects that will benefit the research program at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Sato's project will apply his knowledge of one of the most sophisticated theories ever devised - Quantum Chromodynamics - to understand the protons and neutrons in the heart of everyday matter. Quantum Chromodynamics is the theory of the particles and forces that build our universe at the scale of protons and neutrons inside atoms.

"Today, we know that the protons are made of quarks and gluons. And what we ultimately want to know is how these particles called quarks and gluons are situated inside protons," he explained. Sato is contributing to that effort by extracting very specific scenarios from the theory of Quantum Chromodynamics that match the scenarios that experimenters produce in Jefferson Lab's research program.

For instance, his calculations involve so-called parton distribution functions and transverse momentum distributions. These are mathematical descriptions derived from Quantum Chromodynamics that, simply put, can describe how the quarks and gluons move inside the proton and how they are extracted in relation to the probe being used to measure them in experiments.

He says these quantities are dynamic and their extraction depends on the experimental conditions. So, for each experiment, the connection of parton distribution functions and transverse momentum distributions to experimental measurements will need to be re-calculated from the theory in order to compare with the experimental data. Sato said he plans to use part of the research grant to conduct the calculations by accessing the computing power offered by Amazon Web Services.

"One needs to use a highly elaborate data analysis framework. We have to use data and the theory in order to compare, and the theoretical calculations are computationally expensive," Sato explained. "This where having some support to be able to access larger computing resources helps. It will allow me to work more on the theory side, rather than spending so much time on the computation. I can spend more time on trying to unravel nucleon structure."

The JSA Postdoctoral Research Grant is awarded annually by the Jefferson Lab Users Group Board of Directors. The group represents the scientists who come to Jefferson Lab to use its unique facilities to conduct research.

In making the award, the board judges each applicant on his or her record of accomplishment in physics, proposed use of the research grant and the likelihood of further accomplishments in the Jefferson Lab research fields. The grant is funded by the JSA Initiatives Fund program, which is provided by Jefferson Science Associates to support programs, initiatives and activities that further the scientific outreach, and promote the science, education and technology missions of Jefferson Lab and benefit the laboratory's user community.

According to Larry Weinstein, outgoing Chair of the Users Group and professor and eminent scholar at Old Dominion University, Sato's project was one of many competitive applications.

"This year's postdoc prize entries spanned a remarkable range of topics, from detector development to theoretical analysis," Weinstein said. "Once again, it was difficult choosing the winner from the superb array of well-qualified applications."

"I'm very pleased to get something that is going to be helpful for doing this research," Sato said. "What I'm doing is part of this 12 GeV era, and I am happy to be able to use my skills to help achieve the common goals."

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Jefferson Lab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, a joint venture of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. and PAE, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Hurricane Katrina whipped up huge, powerful waves that caused severe destruction in 2005 along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Their size and strength convinced Phil Kithil of Santa Fe, New Mexico, there had to be a way to harness that energy.

His first thought was a device that would use wave action to pump deep, cold seawater to the surface to dampen the intensity of hurricanes, which thrive on warm water. He proved the concept with a simple tube and one-way valve attached to a buoy, but the idea had no commercial potential as hurricanes are unpredictable.

He thought of a second use because the wave-action pump also brought to the surface concentrated ocean nutrients such as phosphate and silicate that promote the growth of phytoplankton. "Phytoplankton take in carbon dioxide to metabolize nutrients and give off oxygen," Kithil said. "We felt the pumps had a role to play in climate change mitigation."

But, again, the business potential evaporated when governments participating in the 2009 United Nations Copenhagen Climate conference did not take action that would open carbon markets for the device.

The third idea was the charm. Kithil and his company, Atmocean Inc., founded in 2006, partnered with the Albuquerque engineering firm Reytek Corp. in 2010 to produce a pump system that uses wave power to send pressurized seawater onto shore where it is desalinated without the use of external energy. Kithil said the system has a simple design and can be set up cheaply and in rural settings to provide fresh water for drinking and farming in coastal cities.

Working with scientists at Sandia National Laboratories through the New Mexico Small Business Assistance program, the two companies have tested and advanced the technology and moved it close to market by attracting significant investment. Atmocean recently signed a fourth NMSBA agreement. Small businesses can apply for help through the program once a year. "We wouldn't be where we are today without Sandia's help," said Chris White, Atmocean's chief operating officer. "It provided us with the backbone of validating our technical improvements so we could go forward." Small business program lends a hand with research and development

NMSBA is a public-private partnership among Sandia Labs, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the state of New Mexico that lets small business owners who have a technical challenge work with scientists and engineers at the national labs. Created in 2000 by the state Legislature, the program brings world-class technology and expertise to small companies and promotes economic development with an emphasis on rural areas. NMSBA has provided 2,648 small businesses in all 33 of the state's counties with more than $53.3 million worth of research hours and materials.

"Many small companies don't have the resources to do advanced research and development. NMSBA is a great way to give them an R&D hand," said Jackie Kerby Moore, manager of Technology and Economic Development at Sandia Labs. "National laboratory expertise helps these people realize their dreams and build their businesses, a win-win for the economy."

Kithil and Phillip Fullam, chief engineer of Reytek, first worked with Sandia Labs' Rick Givler, a specialist in modeling physical systems, to assess the feasibility of their near-shore wave energy system. Givler proved that, using typical waves and a set number of seawater pumps, considerable pressurized water would reach an onshore reverse osmosis water purification system.

"We needed to know if we would get a dribble at the end or a gusher of pressurized water," Kithil said. "Rick came up with the answer -- a gusher. If it was a dribble we'd have no business. With a gusher we could estimate expenses and profit. That's how important the Sandia research was. We could take an interesting idea to business feasibility."

Sandia Labs' findings have helped Atmocean attract about $3.5 million in investment to continue product testing, add staff and boost component manufacturing at Reytek. The company built full-size seawater pumps and tested the system off the coast of Oregon in 2011 and off Peru for six months in 2015. "The first Peru tests were a big success," Kithil said. "Other small communities want to see if it will work for them." System to be deployed off Newfoundland for operational testing

Atmocean is working now with Sandia Labs engineer Tim Koehler on computational modeling of the wave energy system. Following trials in a test tank at the Texas A&M University Haynes Laboratory, the system will be deployed later in the year off the coast of Newfoundland for a third round of testing that will demonstrate the prototype in an operational environment.

Atmocean's system is a 200-foot by 200-foot array of pumps floating on the ocean. "Each pump is a buoy on a piston," Koehler said. "As a wave passes, the buoy ingests sea water, and as the buoy settles, it pumps seawater through hydraulic lines back to shore where it enters the zero-electricity desalination process."

Water arrives onshore at about 180 psi, or pounds per square inch of pressure. Atmocean uses energy recovery devices -- essentially spinning mechanical wheels -- to boost 14 percent of the arriving seawater to 900 psi, the pressure needed to run reverse osmosis. The system is the size of a shipping container and is manufactured by Atmocean industry partners. "We supply the pressurized seawater and we work with standard industry-proven technologies on the desalination," White said.

The system runs 24/7 and production depends on wave action. White said that in southern Peru, in typical ocean conditions, 50 million cubic feet of pressurized water is pushed to shore in a year. Fourteen percent of that is desalinated, producing 5 million cubic feet of fresh water annually that can be used for agriculture or consumption.

Kithil said the system is inexpensive to operate, offers local employment and helps the environment. "Each array of pumps creates a defacto marine protected area with artificial structures that see marine growth," he said. "The system uses small boats operated by local fishermen who get consistent work. During our full-scale pilots in Peru in 2015, we saw a huge outpouring of support from the local fishing community." Ocean forces on buoys

Kithil and Fullam are working with Koehler to improve the pump design. "They want to know what forces the ocean, through the passage of waves, puts on the buoys, so they can optimize their performance and be as efficient as possible," Koehler said. He is using computational fluid dynamics modeling to evaluate various buoy designs engineered by Reytek and narrowed down through wave pool tests. "I will give them an idea of ocean forces on various pump designs," he said.

Koehler's first foray into NMSBA has been eye-opening, he said. "It's a different application than what I typically work on and uses different software, so it adds some breadth to my experience," he says. "It's been a good process in terms of my personal and professional growth. I'm learning more, and it's nice to help a small business. I like the idea. It's a good way to help rural communities with clean energy technology."

After the final demonstration in Newfoundland, Atmocean, which presented the technology at the 2016 United Nations Solutions Summit, will seek a commercial partner. "If all goes well, we're looking at a year-and-a-half after the tests to reach commercialization," White said.

Fullam said NMSBA provided needed resources and experience to the company. "The computer modeling tools are something a small company could never afford. We've been able to use those resources to answer some rather esoteric questions and generate more questions. The people we've dealt with really know what they are doing, and we were able to pinpoint early in the development some key technical issues we wouldn't have seen. We would have spent a lot of time spinning our wheels. It cut years off the development cycle."

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Philadelphia, PA, July 5, 2017 - People with Tourette's disorder or chronic tic disorder are over four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to a new study in Biological Psychiatry. Dr. David Mataix-Cols of Karolinska Institute, Sweden, led the study of the largest group of patients with tic disorders in the world. The study sample included 7,736 patients from the Swedish National Patient Register diagnosed with tic disorders over four decades. Compared with 77,360 people from the general population, the increased risk remained even after taking other psychiatric comorbidities into account, showing that tic disorders are associated with an increased risk of suicide in their own right.

"The results highlight an under-recognized mental health need in people with Tourette's and chronic tic disorders," said first author Dr. Lorena Fernandez de la Cruz, also of Karolinska Institute, referring to the scarce attention that suicide in tic disorders has received despite the substantial link between psychiatric illness and death by suicide. The authors hope the alarming risk found in the disorder will contribute to the clinical management of these patients.

Tic disorders typically emerge around 4 to 6 years old and often resolve in young adulthood. But for about 20% of patients, debilitating tics persist into adulthood. In the study, Fernandez de la Cruz and colleagues found that a persistent diagnosis of a tic disorder into adulthood was the strongest predictor of suicide risk. A previous suicide attempt was also a strong predictor of death by suicide, and patients with tic disorders were nearly four times more likely to attempt suicide than people in the comparison group.

Although tic disorders affect more boys than girls, the risk of suicide was the same for both sexes. The researchers also assessed the impact on risk of other psychiatric disorders that commonly coincide with tic disorders, and found that comorbid personality disorders increased the risk of suicide by nearly threefold.

"The medical risks of tic spectrum disorders have been downplayed in the media, where individuals with tics may be portrayed in humorous ways. However, suicide is no laughing matter and the study by Fernandez de la Cruz is a wake-up call for many about the potential seriousness of tic spectrum disorders," said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry.

"Suicidal behavior should be carefully monitored long-term in these patients," said Fernandez de la Cruz. The predictors that emerged in the study will help clinicians identify patients most in need of attention. Fernandez de la Cruz added that the results are a first step toward the design of strategies aimed at preventing fatal consequences in patients with Tourette's and chronic tic disorders.

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Notes for editors

The article is " Suicide in Tourette's and Chronic Tic Disorders ," by Lorena Fernandez de la Cruz, Mina Rydell, Bo Runeson, Gustaf Brander, Christian Ruck, Brian M. D'Onofrio, Henrik Larsson, Paul Lichtenstein, and David Mataix-Cols . It appears in Biological Psychiatry, volume 82, issue 2 (July 2017), published by Elsevier.

Copies of this paper are available to credentialed journalists upon request; please contact Rhiannon Bugno at Biol.Psych@UTSouthwestern.edu or +1 214 648 0880. Journalists wishing to interview the authors may contact Lorena Fernandez de la Cruz, Ph.D., at lorena.fernandez.de.la.cruz@ki.se.

The authors' affiliations and disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available in the article.

John H. Krystal, M.D., is Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, Chief of Psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and a research psychiatrist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. His disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available here.

About Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry is the official journal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, whose purpose is to promote excellence in scientific research and education in fields that investigate the nature, causes, mechanisms and treatments of disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior. In accord with this mission, this peer-reviewed, rapid-publication, international journal publishes both basic and clinical contributions from all disciplines and research areas relevant to the pathophysiology and treatment of major psychiatric disorders.

The journal publishes novel results of original research which represent an important new lead or significant impact on the field, particularly those addressing genetic and environmental risk factors, neural circuitry and neurochemistry, and important new therapeutic approaches. Reviews and commentaries that focus on topics of current research and interest are also encouraged.

Biological Psychiatry is one of the most selective and highly cited journals in the field of psychiatric neuroscience. It is ranked 5th out of 140 Psychiatry titles and 11th out of 256 Neurosciences titles in the Journal Citations Reports published by Thomson Reuters. The 2015 Impact Factor score for Biological Psychiatry is 11.212.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global information analytics company that helps institutions and professionals progress science, advance healthcare and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, more than 35,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics to professionals and business customers, in a wide range of industries. http://www.elsevier.com

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Biol.Psych@UTSouthwestern.edu
Geneva, 5 July 2017: A study comparing the well-being of children growing up in single-mother-by-choice and heterosexual two-parent families has found no differences in terms of parent-child relationship or child development. However, the study did find that the single-mothers-by-choice did have a greater social support network.

"Children in both family types are doing well in terms of their well-being," said investigator Mathilde Brewaeys from the Centre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria of the VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam. "Single-mothers-by-choice and their children benefit from a good social support network, and this should be emphasised in the counselling of women who want to have and raise a child without a partner." Ms Brewaeys will present the results of the study today at the 33rd Annual Meeting of ESHRE in Geneva.

Fertility treatment of single women is now available in most European countries and is an increasingly popular procedure for single women who wish to become pregnant without a partner (ie, single mothers by choice).(1,2)

Some specialists have raised concerns about the well-being and development of these children. "The assumption that growing up in a family without a father is not good for the child is based mainly on research into children whose parents are divorced and who thus have experienced parental conflict," explained Ms Brewaeys, "However, it seems likely that any negative influence on child development depends more on a troubled parent-child relationship and not on the absence of a father. Single-mothers-by-choice knowingly make the decision to raise their child alone, in contrast to unintended single mothers. Little research has been done on the specific features of these single-mothers-by-choice families and whether there are differences between them and heterosexual two-parent families in terms of parent-child relationship, parental social support and well-being of the children."

The study described by Ms Brewaeys was a comparison of 69 single-mothers-by-choice (who had knowingly chosen to raise their child alone) and 59 mothers from heterosexual two-parent families with a child between the ages of 1.5 and 6 years. Parent-child relationships, mothers' social support network and children's well-being were compared between family types according to three validated questionnaires. The analysis drew three main conclusions:

There were no significant differences in emotional involvement or parental stress between family types.

Single-mothers-by-choice showed significantly higher scores on the social support they received, but also on wanting more social support.

There were no significant differences in the children's internal and external problem behaviour (well-being) between both family types.

Based on these results Ms Brewaeys reported that children growing up with single-mothers-by-choice appeared to enjoy a similar parent-child relationship as those in heterosexual two-parent families.

Ms Brewaeys explained that the support systems welcomed by the single mothers were either informal or formal: the former could be parents, other family, friends, neighbours or a nanny, while the latter included teachers, family doctors, paediatricians, television programmes or articles about child rearing.

"A strong social network is of crucial importance," said Ms Brewaeys. "So I would recommend that all women considering single motherhood by choice make sure of a strong social network - brothers, sisters, parents, friends of neighbours. And to never be afraid to ask for help.

Ms Brewaeys pointed to earlier studies investigating the profile of this new group of single mothers. The great majority, she said, would have preferred to have a child a with a partner. But as fertility time was running out, they opted to do so alone. Most women in her study were financially stable, had received a higher education and had meaningful partner relationships in the past.

Fertility treatment for single women is an increasingly popular procedure, but there are no exact numbers yet available, even in countries with detailed IVF registries.

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Abstract O-262, Wednesday 5 July 2017

Single-mothers-by-choice: parent-child relationships, social support networks and the well-being of their children

Notes

1. There are some countries, such as France, in which fertility treatment is not allowed in single (or lesbian) women (ie, without a diagnosis of infertility). There were protests last year about the inability of specialists in France to help these women, who generally head abroad for treatment. There are also national differences in the anonymity requirements of sperm donors; current movement is towards non-anonymous donation, with identifiable information available to the child at a later date.

2. Nevertheless, even in countries which give full parenthood rights to single women (such as the UK) fertility clinics are likely to ask about plans for caring for the child. In the UK 4675 donor insemination cycles (at 85 clinics and for various indications) were performed in 2014, and 2691 IVF cycles using donor sperm.

* When obtaining outside comment, journalists are requested to ensure that their contacts are aware of the embargo on this release.

For further information on the details of this press release, contact:

Christine Bauquis at ESHRE

Mobile: +32 (0)499 25 80 46

Email: christine@eshre.eu
Josh Buckholtz wants to change the way you think about psychopaths - and he's willing to go to prison to do it.

An Associate Professor of Psychology, Buckholtz is the senior author of a study that relies on brain scans of nearly 50 prison inmates to help explain why psychopaths make poor decisions that often lead to violence or other anti-social behavior.

What they found, he said, is psychopath's brains are wired in a way that leads them to over-value immediate rewards and neglect the future consequences of potentially dangerous or immoral actions. The study is described in a July 5 paper in Neuron.

"For years, we have been focused on the idea that psychopaths are people who cannot generate emotion and that's why they do all these terrible things," Buckholtz said. "But what what we care about with psychopaths is not the feelings they have or don't have, it's the choices they make. Psychopaths commit an astonishing amount of crime, and this crime is both devastating to victims and astronomically costly to society as a whole.

"And even though psychopaths are often portrayed as cold-blooded, almost alien predators, we have been showing that their emotional deficits may not actually be the primary driver of these bad choices. Because it's the choices of psychopaths that cause so much trouble, we've been trying to understand what goes on in their brains when the make decisions that involve trade-offs between the costs and benefits of action.," he continued. "In this most recent paper...we are able to look at brain-based measures of reward and value and the communication between different brain regions that are involved in decision making."

Obtaining the scans used in the study, however, was no easy feat - where most studies face an uphill battle in bringing subjects into the lab, Buckholtz's challenge was in bringing the scanner to his subjects.

The solution came in form of a "mobile" scanner - typically used for cancer screenings in rural areas - that came packed in the trailer of a tractor trailer. After trucking the equipment to a two medium-security prisons in Wisconsin, the team - which included collaborators at the University of Wisconin-Madison and University of New Mexico - would spend days calibrating the scanner, and then work to scan as many volunteers as possible as quickly as possible.

"It was a huge undertaking," he said. "Most MRI scanners, they're not going anywhere, but in this case, we're driving this inside a prison and then in very quick succession we have to assess and scan the inmates."

The team ultimately scanned the brains of 49 inmates over two hours as they took part in a type of delayed gratification test which asked them to choose between two options - receive a smaller amount of money immediately, or a larger amount at a later time. The results of those tests were then fit to a model that allowed researchers to create a measure of not only how impulsive each participant's behavior was, but to identify brain regions that play a role in assessing the relative value of such choices.

What they found, Buckholtz said, was people who scored high for psychopathy showed greater activity in a region called the ventral striatum - known to be involved in evaluating the subjective reward - for the more immediate choice.

"So the more psychopathic a person is, the greater the magnitude of that striatal response," Buckholtz said. "That suggests that the way they are calculating the value rewards is dysregulated - they may over-represent the value of immediate reward."

When Buckholtz and colleagues began mapping which brain regions are connected to the ventral striatum, it became clear why.

"We mapped the connections between the ventral striatum and other regions known to be involved in decision-making, specifically regions of the prefrontal cortex known to regulate striatal response," he said. "When we did that, we found that connections between the striatum and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex were much weaker in people with psychopathy."

That lack of connection is important, Buckholtz said, because this portion of the prefrontal cortex role is thought to be important for 'mental time-travel' - envisioning the future consequences of actions. There is increasing evidence that prefrontal cortex uses the outcome of this process to change how strongly the striatum responds to rewards. With that prefrontal modulating influence weakened, the value of the more immediate choice may become dramatically over-represented.

"The striatum assigns values to different actions without much temporal context" he said. "We need the prefrontal cortex to make prospective judgements how an action will affect us in the future - if I do this, then this bad thing will happen. The way we think of it is if you break that connection in anyone, they're going to start making bad choices because they won't have the information that would otherwise guide their decision-making to more adaptive ends."

The effect was so pronounced, Buckholtz said, that researchers were able to use the degree of connection between the striatum and the prefrontal cortex to accurately predict how many times inmates had been convicted of crimes.

Ultimately, Buckholtz said, his goal is to erase the popular image of psychopaths as incomprehensible, cold-blooded monsters and see them for what they are - everyday humans whose brains are simply wired differently.

"They're not aliens, they're people who make bad decisions," he said. "The same kind of short-sighted, impulsive decision-making that we see in psychopathic individuals has also been noted in compulsive over-eaters and substance abusers. If we can put this back into the domain of rigorous scientific analysis, we can see psychopaths aren't inhuman, they're exactly what you would expect from humans who have this particular kind of brain wiring dysfunction."

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This research was supported with funding from the Sloan Foundation, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Scientists have found that the odds of dying with a malaria infection are lower when the host eats lower amounts of food

Even though malaria still kills one child every minute, the vast majority of those infected still survive, with roughly 200 million new infections every year. A new study has shown that the infectious agent responsible for malaria, the Plasmodium parasite, is able to to sense and actively adapt to the host's nutritional status. Using mouse models of malaria infection, scientists led by Maria M. Mota from Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon (iMM Lisboa), found that mice who ate 30% fewer calories had a significantly lower parasite load.

Plasmodium parasites reproduce inside red blood cells every 48 hours. The study in Nature reveals for the first time that the parasite's rate of replication depends on the calories ingested by the host. This may ultimately dictate the outcome of a malaria infection: survival or death.

"This finding alters our understanding of the dynamics of malaria infections in the field and might be highly relevant facing the alarming trend of global increased overweight versus underweight populations, including in malaria endemic regions", says Maria M. Mota.

Initial findings were greeted with some surprise. "For several months I was stunned by how quickly these parasites adapt," says Liliana Mancio-Silva, the study's first author. "It was very exciting."

There were two possibilities to explain the surprising observation: either the parasite was actively adapting when changed to a host with lower calorie intake, or instead was struggling to replicate due to the fact that some key nutrients were missing.

"This is one of the best examples demonstrating that malaria parasites sense and adapt to their host's metabolic environment through transcriptional and developmental changes," said Manuel Llina?s, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State University and an author of the paper. "Discovering precisely how this occurs may lead to new therapeutic intervention strategies to significantly reduce parasite burden."

Researchers controlled the food intake of mice before infection with different Plasmodium parasites and studied their response. They found that parasites that were missing an enzyme called KIN had an impaired response to decreased nutrient availability, and replicated at the same speed, regardless of the food available to the mice.

These results imply that KIN acts as a nutrient sensor and major regulator of parasites' ability to respond to nutritional changes, and that the malaria parasites adapt actively.

Dr Oliver Billker, a collaborator on the research from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: "This is the first time that anyone has seen that a parasite can actively restrict its growth to the environment and completely changes the way we look at parasite growth. While future research is still necessary to understand the full extent of these findings, it may well have implications not just for malaria, but also for other infectious diseases."

The data was also surprising in the context that KIN does not have many of the expected features of other nutrient sensor molecules shared between yeast, plants and mammals. As such, these findings are just the tip of the iceberg. Future studies in parasite adaptation to host nutritional states will investigate how KIN is controlled and what are its partners.

A better understanding of this system may help researchers design strategies that trick the parasite into slowing its replication to make it easier to control.

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Mancio-Silva et al., Nutrient sensing modulates malaria parasite virulence. Nature 2017

iMM Lisboa

The Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon (Portugal) is a private non-profit research institute that offers a vibrant scientific environment where world-class ingenious scientists with an ambitious research portfolio are supported by state-of-the-art technology, aiming to maximize creativity towards discoveries without boundaries. In spite of iMM's young age (created in 2002), several iMM findings, spanning from basic to translational research, are already being applied to improve human health. imm.medicina.ulisboa.pt/en/

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The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world's leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own research programmes and through its leading role in international consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments for human disease. http://www.sanger.ac.uk

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Researchers working in the Development and Growth Control Lab at IRB Barcelona reveal that the Dpp gene (BMP in humans) plays a double role in the structural organisation and growth of the wings of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This study, which has been published in the journal eLife, demonstrates that Dpp is necessary for tissue growth but that "its gradient does not direct wing growth," explains Marco Milan, ICREA research professor and head of the study. This and two other studies published simultaneously in the journal eLife settle the intense scientific debate regarding the function of Dpp and other morphogens involved in development.

Morphogens are molecules found in concentration gradients throughout tissues and they send signals from one cell to another. "The wing of Drosophila melanogaster has several morphogens, such as Dpp (BMP in humans) and Wingless (Wnt in humans), which are necessary for growth," explains Lara Barrio, the first author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in the Development and Growth Control Lab at IRB Barcelona. In this study, the scientists have examined how Dpp regulates growth and analysed how cells behave when Dpp levels are manipulated.

The role of the Dpp concentration gradient in the regulation of tissue is the subject of intense debate among scientists. Morphogens have been considered to be responsible for this process; however, using distinct techniques, these three studies now conclude that morphogens are necessary for growth but that their concentration gradients do not directly govern this process.

"We know that the gradient of this morphogen in particular aDrosophila melanogasterffects the structural organisation or the identity of the tissue, but the different levels of Dpp across the tissue have no effect on growth. That is to say, whether a tissue grows or not depends on whether Dpp is present or absent. Its gradient has no influence", explains Marco Milan.

So what regulates the size of the final structural of the Drosophila wing? "Morphogen gradients don't. There must be another alternative and as yet unknown mechanism, and the fly wing is an ideal model to answer this question," says Marco Milan.

This research is consistent with knowledge about the morphogen Sonic hedgehog in vertebrate limbs. The gradients of this molecule affect tissue identity (for example, for the fingers of a hand to differ from each other) but do not regulate growth. Therefore understanding how the structures of Drosophila form and develop paves the way to studying vertebrate development and congenital defects in humans.

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This study has been supported by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO), ERDF "Una manera de hacer Europa", and the CERCA Programme of the Government of Catalonia.
New Rochelle, NY, July 5, 2017--A comprehensive look at the under-recognized problem of environmental sensitivity and related disorders that develop as a result of exposure to chemicals and other toxic factors is published in a special issue of Ecopsychology entitled "Ecopsychology and Environmental Sensitivities: Chemical, Electrical, and Beyond," from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The issue is available free on the Ecopsychology website until September 5, 2017.

William Meggs, MD, PhD, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, contributed two articles to the special issue. In the article entitled "The Role of Neurogenic Inflammation in Chemical Sensitivity," he reviews the scientific evidence showing that environmental chemicals can trigger nerve fibers to release inflammation-inducing signals, leading to chemical sensitivity in some people. This may cause or worsen diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, skin, and musculoskeletal and nervous systems.

In "History of the Rise and Fall of Environmental Medicine in the United States," Dr. Meggs provides a comprehensive overview of how sensitivity to chemicals such as pesticides, preservatives, and inhalants was first discovered. Despite the potential for chemical sensitivity to contribute to increasingly common diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and depression, Dr. Meggs states that commercial interests and corporate profits have suppressed the growth of the environmental medicine field.

Alison Johnson, founder and chair of the Chemical Sensitivity Foundation, writes about "The Many Faces of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" (MCS) and the terrible effects of this poorly understood and insufficiently researched condition. She provides multiple examples of people who have great difficulty finding places they can live or work due to MCS developed as a result of past exposures, such as veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome, First Responders exposed to toxins at Ground Zero in New York City, and workers who have become sensitive to pesticides, petroleum products, and other chemicals and toxins.

"With Pam Gibson, PhD, from James Madison University as Guest Editor, this issue of Ecopsychology makes a bold move forward on this controversial and important topic," says Editor-in-Chief Peter H. Kahn, Jr., PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology and School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

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About the Journal

Ecopsychology is a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly online that seeks to reshape modern psychology by showing that it cannot stand apart from an intimate human connection with the natural environment. Against this backdrop, the Journal publishes original scientific research articles, as well as theoretical papers, case studies, nature writing, and reviews of important books and other media. Complete tables of content and a sample issue are available on the Ecopsychology website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Sustainability: The Journal of Record, Environmental Justice, and Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 140 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215 http://www.liebertpub.com Phone: (914) 740-2100 (800) M-LIEBERT Fax: (914) 740-2101
New Rochelle, NY, July 5, 2017--The National Institutes of Health (NIH) instituted a policy that now expects sex to be considered as a variable, much like a subject's age or weight, in the biomedical research it funds, but researchers appear unclear what this should entail. How to take into consideration the potential influence of sex and how to ensure that it is a critical element of study design and results interpretation are the focus of an article published in Gender and the Genome, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the journal website until August 4, 2017.

In the article "Considering Sex as a Biological Variable in Biomedical Research," coauthors Terri Lynn Cornelison, MD, PhD and Janine Austin Clayton, MD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, provide specific recommendations for how biomedical researchers can incorporate sex into their experimental design, data analysis, and publication of findings. Among their recommendations, the authors advise investigators to consider the influence of sex when developing research questions, design studies that include both male and female subjects, and take care to generalize research findings appropriately.

"This paper answers many of the questions investigators have about implementing the NIH mandate to include both sexes in biomedical research protocols. These clear guidelines are very helpful. One of the most important points is that the increased cost of studying both sexes is insufficient justification for not doing so," says Gender and the Genome Editor-in-Chief Marianne J. Legato, MD, PhD (hon. c.), FACP, Emerita Professor of Clinical Medicine, Columbia University, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, and Founder and Director of the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine.

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About the Journal

The new journal, Gender and the Genome, the official journal of The Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine, fills a unique niche in medical publishing. Led by Editor-in-Chief Marianne J. Legato, MD, PhD (hon.c.), FACP Emerita Professor of Clinical Medicine, Columbia University, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, and Founder and Director of the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine, the journal has a specific, well-defined mission: to explore the impact of sex/gender on the data and concepts generated as a result of utilizing state-of-the-art methods and new capabilities. The Journal is designed to acknowledge the consequences of the profound change in our ability to explore, augment--and to transform--the nature of created life and to manufacture entirely novel species, both biological and mechanical

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Human Gene Therapy, Stem Cells and Development, DNA and Cell Biology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News) was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- People with the movement disorder Parkinson's disease have a much higher risk of the skin cancer melanoma, and vice versa, a Mayo Clinic study finds. While further research is needed into the connection, physicians treating one disease should be vigilant for signs of the other and counsel those patients about risk, the authors say. The findings are published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Overall, patients with Parkinson's were roughly four times likelier to have had a history of melanoma than those without Parkinson's, and people with melanoma had a fourfold higher risk of developing Parkinson's, the research found.

Medical experts have speculated about the relationship between Parkinson's and melanoma for decades, with varying conclusions, the Mayo researchers note. Several studies have suggested levodopa, a drug for Parkinson's, may be implicated in malignant melanoma, but others have found an association between the two diseases regardless of levodopa treatment, they add.

"Future research should focus on identifying common genes, immune responses and environmental exposures that may link these two diseases," says first author Lauren Dalvin, M.D., a Mayo Foundation Scholar in Ocular Oncology. "If we can pinpoint the cause of the association between Parkinson's disease and melanoma, we will be better able to counsel patients and families about their risk of developing one disease in the setting of the other."

The Mayo study used the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records database to identify all neurologist-confirmed Parkinson's cases from January 1976 through December 2013 among Olmsted County, Minn., residents. The study examined the prevalence of melanoma in those 974 patients compared with 2,922 residents without Parkinson's. They also identified 1,544 cases of melanoma over that period and determined the 35-year risk of Parkinson's in those patients compared with the risk in the same number of people without melanoma.

The results support an association between Parkinson's disease and melanoma, but argue against levodopa as the cause, the researchers conclude. It is likelier that common environmental, genetic or immune system abnormalities underlie both conditions in patients who have both, but more research is needed to confirm that and refine screening recommendations, they say.

In the meantime, patients with one of the two diseases should be monitored for the other to help achieve early diagnosis and treatment, and they should be educated about the risk of developing the other illness, the researchers say.

The study's senior author is Jose Pulido, M.D., an ophthalmologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who treats eye melanoma.

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The Rochester Epidemiology Project is funded by National Institute on Aging grant R01-AG034676. Dr. Pulido received grants from the VitreoRetinal Surgery Foundation; Research to Prevent Blindness; Paul Family and Deshong Family; Dr. Dalvin received a grant from the VitreoRetinal Surgery Foundation.

About Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Mayo Clinic Proceedings is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes original articles and reviews dealing with clinical and laboratory medicine, clinical research, basic science research and clinical epidemiology. Mayo Clinic Proceedings is sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitment to physician education. It publishes submissions from authors worldwide. The journal has been published for more than 80 years and has a circulation of 130,000. Articles are available online at http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.
Last year, a team of forensic dentists got authorization to perform a 3-D scan of the prized Tyrannosaurus rex skull at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, in an effort to try to explain some strange holes in the jawbone.

Upon discovering that their high-resolution dental scanners couldn't handle a jaw as big as a tyrannosaur's, they contacted the Camera Culture group at MIT's Media Lab, which had recently made headlines with a prototype system for producing high-resolution 3-D scans.

The prototype wasn't ready for a job that big, however, so Camera Culture researchers used $150 in hardware and some free software to rig up a system that has since produced a 3-D scan of the entire five-foot-long T. rex skull, which a team of researchers -- including dentists, anthropologists, veterinarians, and paleontologists -- is using to analyze the holes.

The Media Lab researchers report their results in the latest issue of the journal PLOS One.

"A lot of people will be able to start using this," says Anshuman Das, a research scientist at the Camera Culture group and first author on the paper. "That's the message I want to send out to people who would generally be cut off from using technology -- for example, paleontologists or museums that are on a very tight budget. There are so many other fields that could benefit from this."

Das is joined on the paper by Ramesh Raskar, a professor of media arts and science at MIT, who directs the Camera Culture group, and by Denise Murmann and Kenneth Cohrn, the forensic dentists who launched the project.

The system uses a Microsoft Kinect, a depth-sensing camera designed for video gaming. The Kinect's built-in software produces a "point cloud," a 3-D map of points in a visual scene from which short bursts of infrared light have been reflected back to a sensor. Free software called MeshLab analyzes the point cloud and infers the shape of the surfaces that produced it.

A high-end commercial 3-D scanner costs tens of thousands of dollars and has a depth resolution of about 50 to 100 micrometers. The Kinect's resolution is only about 500 micrometers, but it costs roughly $100. And 500 micrometers appears to be good enough to shed some light on the question of the mysterious holes in the jaw of the T. rex skull.

Cretaceous conundrum

Discovered in 1990, the Field Museum's T. rex skeleton, known as Sue, is the largest and most complete yet found. For years, it was widely assumed that the holes in the jaw were teeth marks, probably from an attack by another tyrannosaur. Ridges of growth around the edges of the holes show that Sue survived whatever caused them.

But the spacing between the holes is irregular, which is inconsistent with bite patterns. In 2009, a group of paleontologists from the University of Wisconsin suggested that the holes could have been caused by a protozoal infection, contracted from eating infected prey, that penetrated Sue's jaw from the inside out.

The 3-D scan produced by the MIT researchers and their collaborators sheds doubt on both these hypotheses. It shows that the angles at which the holes bore through the jaw are inconsistent enough that they almost certainly weren't caused by a single bite. But it also shows that the holes taper from the outside in, which undermines the hypothesis of a mouth infection.

One of the great advantages of 3-D scans is that they can be shared remotely. The Field Museum limits the time that researchers can spend with Sue's skull, so the Wisconsin paleontologists' analysis was largely based on photographs. But photographs don't permit the comparison of the holes' diameters at the inner and outer surfaces.

And if researchers working with a scan needed to examine a particular feature in close detail, they could use a 3-D printer to build a replica. To demonstrate this capacity, Das and his colleagues used their scan of Sue's skull to produce a few models of it, at one-eighth the actual size.

Remote research

Das envisions that Kinect scans could prove as useful in other fields, such as archaeology and anthropology, as they could in paleontology. An archaeologist who unearths a large, fragile, artifact in a remote corner of the world could scan it and immediately share the scan with colleagues around the world.

"It's that critical size," Das says. "If it's something really small, you can use a 3-D scanner. But if you have something stationary that's difficult to move, you just put on the [Kinect] rig and walk around."

Indeed, when Das scanned Sue's skull, he mounted the Kinect in a modified camera harness and wore it on his chest. The space in which he performed the scan was irregularly shaped and presented various immovable obstacles, so it took him some time to find a route that would permit him to maintain a fixed distance from the skull as he walked around. But once he identified the route, the scan itself took about two minutes.

In ongoing work, Das, Murmann, Cohrn, Raskar, and a team of collaborators including the Wisconsin paleontologists, are looking at fragmentation patterns at the edges of the holes and at the holes' depths and diameters, to see if they can infer anything about the shape, hardness, and velocity of whatever object might have caused them.

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Additional background

PAPER: A method for rapid 3D scanning and replication of large paleontological specimens

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0179264

ARCHIVE: Reflection-removing camera

http://news.mit.edu/2016/reflection-removing-camera-0325

ARCHIVE: Phone-based laser rangefinder works outdoors

http://news.mit.edu/2016/phone-based-laser-rangefinder-works-outdoors-0325

ARCHIVE: Making 3-D imaging 1,000 times better

http://news.mit.edu/2015/algorithms-boost-3-d-imaging-resolution-1000-times-1201

ARCHIVE: Biomedical imaging at one-thousandth the cost

http://news.mit.edu/2015/biomedical-imaging-lower-cost-1123
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Trihydrogen, or H3+, has been called the molecule that made the universe, where it plays a greater role in astrochemistry than any other molecule.

While H3+ is astronomically abundant, no scientist understood the mechanisms that form it from organic molecules.

Until now.

Using lasers, Michigan State University scientists have unlocked the secret and published their results in the current issue of Scientific Reports. In a basement laboratory on campus, Marcos Dantus, University Distinguished Professor in chemistry and physics, and his team essentially duplicated the mechanism that's found from the center of the galaxy to Earth's own ionosphere.

The scientists found H3+ when they used a strong-field laser to initiate a reaction and a second femtosecond laser to probe its progress. These interactions often lead to exotic chemical reactions. In this case, it unexpectedly revealed the phantom mechanisms of H3+.

"We found that a roaming H2 molecule is responsible for the chemical reaction, producing H3+; roaming chemistry is extremely new and little is known about it," Dantus said. "This is the first documented case for a roaming H2 reaction, which is significant because roaming mechanisms are a budding chapter of chemistry - one that may provide explanations for unlikely and unexplained chemical reactions."

One reason for the dearth of knowledge is that the process happens in near immeasurable time. The entire reaction, involving cleavage and formation of three chemical bonds, takes between 100 or 240 femtoseconds. That's less time than it takes a bullet to travel the width of an atom, Dantus added.

How the roaming H2 molecule extracts the proton to evolve to H3+ is nothing short of astounding, according to the scientists. A neutral H2 molecule is formed upon ionization of an organic molecule, and it roams around the remaining ion until it finds an acidic proton. Once targeted, it then extracts the proton, and collects it to transform into the most abundant ion in the universe.

"We were able to duplicate in our lab what's happening in the cosmos as we speak," Dantus said. "Understanding this mechanism and its timescale takes us one step closer to understanding the chemical reactions that created the building blocks of life in the universe."

Future research will focus on the effect of molecular size and structure on the likelihood and timing of roaming chemical reactions.

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MSU scientists who contributed to this collaborative research include: Nagitha Ekanayake, Muath Nairat, Christopher Mancuso, B. Scott Fales, James Jackson and Benjamin Levine.

Researchers from Kansas State University also were part of the team: Balram Kaderiya, Peyman Feizollah, Bethany Jochim, Travis Severt, Ben Berry, Kanaka Raju, Kevin Carnes, Shashank Pathak, Daniel Rolles, Artem Rudenko and Itzik Ben-Itzhak.

This collaborative research was funded by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

For MSU news on the Web, go to MSUToday. Follow MSU News on Twitter at twitter.com/MSUnews.
A new study published in The Gerontologist finds that states could save tens of millions of dollars -- and help more Americans with dementia remain in their communities -- if their caregivers took part in a program designed to improve their emotional and physical well-being so that they were able care for their spouses or partners effectively at home.

Although estimates of the prevalence and incidence of dementia in the US vary, the number of affected people is large and increasing with the aging population. The economic burden of dementia, particularly the cost of nursing home care, is substantially borne by state Medicaid programs. More than two-thirds of Medicaid's budget has historically been spent on the elderly and disabled, and the program is the largest single payer of nursing home services in the country, financing about one-third of the total spending. Nearly one of every two dollars spent on long-term care in Minnesota comes from Medicaid.

Researchers here estimated savings, from the state payer perspective, from offering the New York University Caregiver Intervention (NYUCI), a well-studied caregiver support and counseling program, to eligible Minnesota Medicaid enrollees.

The NYUCI has a substantial evidence base built on several randomized controlled trials; the initial trial included 406 caregivers followed for as long as 18 years. The NYUCI consists of six sessions of individual and family counseling within 4 months of enrollment, tailored to meet the needs of the primary caregiver and family, recommendation to participate in an ongoing support group, and availability of additional telephone counseling as needed. The program has been validated in additional trials, and translated in multiple demonstration projects, including seven US states, the largest of which was in Minnesota, with 280 participants in fourteen urban and rural sites.

Researchers predicted and compared costs to Medicaid of care for residents with dementia in Minnesota over 15 years with and without implementation of the NYUCI for their family caregivers.

The model predicts a more than two-fold increase from 2011 to 2026 in the prevalence of Minnesota Medicaid eligibles with dementia living with a spouse or adult child caregiver .If their caregivers participated in an intervention such as the NYUCI, approximately 5-6% more eligibles with dementia would remain in the community annually from 2014 on, so that over 15 years 17% fewer would die in nursing homes. After 15 years, Minnesota Department of Human Services could realize savings of $40.4 million if all Medicaid eligibles/caregivers took part in such a program.

The model was informed by analysis of Minnesota data, and literature on the epidemiology, natural history, costs, and evidence-based management of the disease.

The researchers suggest that it may be possible to save even more money if the NYUCI was provided via video teleconferencing, which would eliminate counselor travel costs. This would increase the net savings to $52.2 million.

The results of this study suggest that improved caregiver support services can moderate the growing burden of dementia on government budgets, even without a breakthrough in drug treatments for dementia. But because it takes time to realize savings from a program like the NYUCI, the frequently short time horizon of legislative fiscal notes presents a challenge to adoption. In deciding on program value it may be important to distinguish cost-effectiveness from return on investment and take long-term impact into consideration.

Dr. Steven Foldes, the study's lead author, said, "Elected officials throughout the US recognize that they must find a way to pay for the increasing number of people with dementia who will need public support for nursing home care. We've known for years that this proven counseling and support program helps caregivers cope and keep loved ones at home longer. Now we know that this program could also ease the burgeoning fiscal burden for Medicaid. We've extended our earlier study to carefully estimate just how much a state like Minnesota could save over 15 years."

"This study demonstrates the potential net cost savings to Medicaid that would result from widespread use of a counseling and support intervention for family caregivers of people with dementia," said Foldes. "The cost of residential care for Medicaid eligibles with dementia clearly is of greatest relevance from a state health policy perspective. The current model is an important update of earlier models that shows that significant net cost savings are achievable from this primary payer perspective."

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The paper "Medicaid Savings From The New York University Caregiver Intervention for Families with Dementia" is available at: https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/geront/gnx077

Direct correspondence to:

Steven S. Foldes, PhD

Foldes Consulting LLC

2700 Glenhurst Avenue

Saint Louis Park, MN 55416

E-mail: steven.foldes@foldesconsulting.com

To request a copy of the study, please contact:

Daniel Luzer

daniel.luzer@oup.com

Sharing on social media? Find Oxford Journals online at @OxfordJournals
Having a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in middle-age is associated with an increased risk for future dementia, according to a retrospective of study of more than 40,000 TBI patients published in PLOS Medicine by Rahul Raj of the University of Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues.

A TBI usually results from a blow or jolt to the head and, in more severe cases, can lead to torn tissues, bleeding and other physical damage to the brain. In the new study, researchers identified everyone in Finland between the ages of 18 and 65 who was hospitalized with a mild or a moderate-to-severe TBI between 1986 and 2014. They then used the Finnish Care Register for Health Care to track hospitalization, after the TBI, with dementia, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for all 40,639 patients.

3.5% of patients who had a moderate-to-severe TBI went on to receive a diagnosis of dementia, compared to 1.6% for those who only had a mild TBI. After adjusting for confounding factors, people with a moderate-to-severe TBI were 90% more likely than those with mild TBI to be diagnosed with dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.62.2). The risk appeared to be most increased among those whose injury occurred in middle age (HR 2.7 [CI 1.8-4.2] for age 41-50, and 2.0 [CI 1.6-2.4] for age 51-60). There was no increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease or ALS with TBI. The study was limited by a significant number of deaths in the group of patients with moderate-to-severe TBI, potential misdiagnoses of TBIs, and the fact that the database only included patients who were hospitalized, for TBIs and subsequently with dementia or other neurodegenerative conditions, so may have missed those treated in an outpatient setting.

"Our results imply that in working-aged persons, moderate-to-severe TBI seems to increase the risk for developing neurodegenerative disease later in life," the authors say. "The effect of covariates, such as comorbidities, life-style factors and the effect of genetics, should be accounted for in future etiological studies, as well as to improve diagnostics and prevention of dementia after TBI."

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Research Article

Funding:

JK is supported by the Suomen Akatemia (Grant #263278). RR has received personal research grants from Svenska Kulturfonden (Grant #17/2921), Medicinska Understodsforeningen Liv & Halsa, Finska Lakaresallskapet, Maud Kuistilan Saatio, Eemil Aaltosen Saatio, Ella & Georg Ehrnroothin Saatio, Suomalais-Norjalainen Laaketieteen Saatio, Suomen Laaketieteen Saatio, and Maire Taposen Saatio. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests:

I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: RR has received personal research grants from private foundations (Medicinska Understodsforeningen Liv & Halsa, Finska Lakaresallskapet, Maud Kuistilan Saatio, Eemil Aaltosen Saatio, The Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation, Suomalais-Norjalainen Laaketieteen Saatio, Suomen Laaketieteen Saatio, Maire Taposen Saatio). JK has consulted for Pfizer on nicotine dependence in 2012-2015. In addition JK has received grants from publicly funded bodies (NIH, European Union FP7, and Academy of Finland) and private foundations (Finnish Cancer Society, Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Finnish Heart Foundation). None of these have funded the study save JK's time funded by the Academy of Finland research professorship.

Citation:

Raj R, Kaprio J, Korja M, Mikkonen ED, Jousilahti P, Siironen J (2017) Risk of hospitalization with neurodegenerative disease after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury in the working-age population: A retrospective cohort study using the Finnish national health registries. PLoS Med 14(7): e1002316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002316

Author Affiliations:

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki, Finland

Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency Care and Pain Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER:

http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002316
Squid-inspired proteins can act as programmable assemblers of 2D materials, like graphene oxide, to form hybrid materials with minute spacing between layers suitable for high-efficiency devices including flexible electronics, energy storage systems and mechanical actuators, according to an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers.

"2D layered materials can be made by vacuum (chemical vapor) deposition," said Melik C. Demirel, Pierce Development Professor and professor of engineering science and mechanics . "But the process is expensive and takes a long time. With chemical vapor deposition the problem also is we can't scale up."

Materials like graphene oxide are composed of single layers of molecules connected in a plain. While the length and breadth of the sheet can be anything, the height is only that of one molecule. To make usable composites and devices, 2D materials must be stacked either in piles of identical sheets or combinations of sheets of different composition stacked to specification. Together with Mauricio Terrones, professor of physics, chemistry and materials science and engineering, and director of 2D Atomic Center, Penn State, Demirel and his team are currently looking at stacking sheets of identical materials using a solvent approach that self assembles.

"Using the solvent approach the molecules are self-assembling, self-healing and flexible," said Demirel. "Currently we are stacking identical layers, but they don't have to be the same."

To make these molecular composites using solvent technology, the researchers combined the sheets of graphene oxide with synthetic polymers patterned after proteins found in squid ring teeth. One end of the protein strand attaches to the edge of a graphene oxide sheet and the other end attaches to the edge of another graphene dioxide sheet. The sheets of graphene oxide self-assemble to stack up with proteins linking the edges of the sheets. The length of these tandem repeat proteins -- their molecular weight -- determines the distance between sheets.

"Up until now, no one has been able to stack composite layers closer than 1 nanometer," said Demirel. "We can stack them at atomistic precision with 0.4, 0.6 or 0.9 nanometer resolution by choosing the right molecular weight of the same protein. Respectively."

The researchers tested this material's ability to make tiny devices by creating bimorph thermal actuators. A bimorph activator is a small piece of material made from two different layers and placed perpendicular to a surface. When activated, usually by an electric current, the bimorph actuator bends from the perpendicular.

The researchers report in the July issue of Carbon that "these novel molecular composite bimorph actuators can facilitate thermal actuation at voltages as low as about 2 volts, and they boast energy efficiencies 18 times better than regular bimorph actuators assembled using bulk graphene oxide and tandem repeat films." They believe that higher molecular weight proteins could reach much higher displacements.

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Other researchers on this project, all from Penn State, include Mert Vural, post-doctoral fellow; Abdon Pena-Francesch, graduate student; and Huihun Jung, graduate student, all in engineering science and mechanics; Yu lei, graduate student in physics; and Benjamin Allen, research associate, the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences and biochemistry and molecular biology. The U.S. Army Research Office funded this work.
Scientists at Rice University have simplified their approach to synthesize a highly versatile family of precursors en route to biologically active compounds. Their method should make drug design and development cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Synthetic chemist Laszlo Kurti and postdoctoral researchers Zhiwei Ma and Zhe Zhou reported their synthesis of unprotected aziridine molecules, key building blocks in synthetic chemistry. The lab's primary focus is to cut the number of steps it takes to synthesize nitrogen-containing chemical compounds. One way to do so is to simplify the synthesis of precursor molecules that can then be easily modified into products.

Their work appears in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Aziridines are triangular structures containing two carbon atoms and a nitrogen atom that are interconnected. The energy content of aziridines is high due to the strain in the three-membered ring. This is the key to their usefulness as building blocks, since they can be opened readily when combined with suitable reaction partners, Kurti said.

Synthesizing aziridines that can be modified for the preparation of drugs and other industrial purposes usually involves steps to preserve the ability to functionalize their delicate nitrogen atoms, which are important to keep the products biologically active.

"The vast majority of research done in aziridine chemistry concerns only the syntheses of various protected aziridines, which often cannot be further functionalized," Zhou said. "This simple method gives access to unprotected aziridines, which are much easier to functionalize."

What's the difference between protected and unprotected aziridines? "The key is the nitrogen atom," he said. "When this nitrogen is connected to an electron-withdrawing group, the aziridine is protected, while connection to a hydrogen atom or alkyl groups gives rise to unprotected aziridines."

The new method builds upon one introduced three years ago by Kurti and his colleagues and reported in Science. That paper described a way to make aziridines directly from olefin compounds in a single step and under mild conditions, but the transformation in some cases took days and left behind a toxic byproduct. (Olefins consist only of hydrogen and carbon atoms and are produced in huge quantities by the petroleum industry via the cracking of hydrocarbons.)

The new work streamlines the process and eliminates the toxicity, Kurti said. "We bring in a really cheap and readily available reagent, hydroxylamine O-sulfonic acid, and utilize it as an electrophilic nitrogen source for olefin aziridination reactions," he said.

The advantages of the one-pot process include the ability to produce aziridines at room temperature in as little as a few hours and with a small amount of catalyst, he said. The only byproduct of the process is an environmentally benign and water-soluble sulfate.

The resulting molecules are also stereospecific, Zhou said. "Stereospecificity means that if one takes an olefin into a reaction with a strictly defined double-bond geometry (cis- or trans), that geometry will be fully preserved at the end of the process."

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Rice University, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Robert A. Welch Foundation supported the research.

Read the abstract at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201705530/full

This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2017/07/05/greener-molecular-intermediates-may-aid-drug-design/

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews

Related materials:

Chemists make strides to simplify drug design and synthesis: http://news.rice.edu/2016/09/12/chemists-make-strides-to-simplify-drug-design-and-synthesis/

Kurti Research Group: http://kurtilabs.com

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,879 undergraduates and 2,861 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for happiest students and for lots of race/class interaction by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview.
Ribbon halfbeak are a species of fish with the ability to fly above the sea surface - but unlike true 'flying fish', they lack the necessary hind wing fins. So how do they fly? Dr Yoshinobu Inada from Tokai University, Japan says, "Investigating the design of ribbon halfbeak could provide useful information for the optimal design of tandem wing airplanes."

'Tandem wing' airplanes are the man-made equivalents of these flying fish. They fly more efficiently than conventional airplanes, but downwash from the main wing onto the hind wing can be a significant problem. Dr Inada and his research team present new research on how these fish twist their bodies in order to take flight.

"Ribbon halfbeak fly above the water surface to evade large carnivorous fish and dolphins," explains Dr Inada, "water is about a thousand times denser than air, so flying through the air is a really practical way to evade predators".

Not much was previously known about the flying behaviour of ribbon halfbeak, but this research provides new insights into their ability able to glide above the sea surface.

"Other flying fish, including the Japanese flying fish, have large pectoral fins that act as wings during flight and large pelvic fins that are used as horizontal tail wings, like those on airplanes," says Dr Inada, "however, the ribbon halfbeak lacks these large pelvic tail wings."

"Amazingly, they solve this problem by rotating their rear body by 90 degrees and use their wide dorsal and anal fins as a horizontal tail wing," adds Dr Inada.

"Other related fish species are also able to jump and fly over the sea surface, but only halfbeak twist their bodies for flight," says Dr Inada, "this is a really unique behaviour."

As well as twisting their bodies to create horizontal tail wings and fly, Dr Inada also found that these fish are likely to lift their rear body above the main pectoral wings to reduce the effect of downwash on the tail wings. According to Dr Inada's results, he says that "this has a positive effect on improving the lift and flight performance of the fish".

To get these results, Dr Inada 3D printed a physical model based closely on real ribbon halfbeak and analysed its flight performance with different tail wing positions in a wind tunnel.

Mr Junji Yonezawa, a collaborator in the study, believes that this interesting behaviour may be the result of different evolutionary selective pressures to those faced by other flying fish, leading to unique adaptations: "It has the largest number of vertebrae among Japanese halfbeaks, which means that it is able to twist the rear half of its body by a whole quarter-turn."

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Humpback whales feed from a range of species that have adapted to escape their fate in a variety of ways. As much as humans track their prey according to the species they are stalking, so whales lunge open-mouthed in different ways depending on the target they are hunting.

Research by Dr Nicholas Carey from the Goldbogen lab at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, United States and collaborators from IAMC-CNR, Italy uses data from real whale lunges along with lab simulations to examine if whales alter their lunging strategy to catch different dinners.

"Our results illustrate the complex balance between whale attacks and fish escape responses, and how the lunge characteristics of the whales may be related to the escape abilities of targeted prey," says Dr. Paolo Domenici, who spent several weeks at Hopkins Marine Station and helped lead the study.

Dr. Jeremy Goldbogen believes that this research can tell us how whales may be changing their attack strategy depending on the prey they are targeting in order to maximise their hunting success. "Whale lunges are very energetically costly, so any aspect which increases the potential success of these lunges is beneficial."

Humpback whales hunt a range of different species including krill, herring, sardines and anchovies. These prey species move in different ways, meaning that the whales can't just use one hunting strategy for all their targets.

"Anchovies are likely to swim faster and cover greater distances compared to krill, and so may have better ability to escape an oncoming whale," explains Dr. Carey. "We think that these different characteristics may require varying attack strategies by the whales."

Humpback whales commonly feed on large prey shoals by accelerating to high speeds and "lunging" at their prey, engulfing a large volume of water and filtering out the prey through their filter feeders. Dr. Carey's colleagues in the Goldbogen Lab led by Dave Cade collected lunging data from live humpback whales during feeding, which informed the creation of a predatory 'looming stimulus' model which they used to analyse the escape responses of anchovies in the lab.

Lunging data was collected by placing electronic tags on the whales to measure speed, acceleration and timing of the mouth opening in order to create different lunging profiles for each target prey species. "Humpback whales feeding on fish showed more variability in their lunge strategies, and, despite prey being much faster, actually lunge more slowly," says Dr Goldbogen.

"Anchovies are among the most abundant fish in the oceans, forming vast schools of millions of individuals and are targeted by a multitude of predators," says Dr Carey, "because of this, they have evolved to be speedy, vigilant and highly responsive to approaching threats."

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Iron particles catching a ride on glacial meltwater washed out to sea by drifting currents is likely fueling a recently discovered summer algal bloom off the southern coast of Greenland, according to a new study.

Microalgae, also known as phytoplankton, are plant-like, marine microorganisms that form the base of the food web in many parts of the ocean. "Phytoplankton serve as food for all of the fish and animals that live there. Everything that eats is eating them ultimately," said Kevin Arrigo, a biological oceanographer and the Donald and Donald M. Steel Professor at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences.

Greenland's summer phytoplankton bloom had gone largely unnoticed until just recently, despite the fact that it blankets 200,000 square miles and turns the waters of much of the Labrador Sea turquoise. "It's one of those places where people just don't sample very much," Arrigo said. "We have satellite images of this region going back years, but almost nobody's looked at this particular spot during the summer."

After learning about the summer bloom a few years ago, Arrigo and his team set out to discover what might be fueling it. Marine biologists have long known that the primary driver of Greenland's spring bloom is sunlight. In high-latitude regions where the temperature plummets in winter, the ocean's water column gets mixed as cooling surface water sinks to the seafloor and benthic nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron are dredged to the top. "When spring arrives, then you've got sunlight and nutrients -- the two ingredients you need for a bloom to occur," Arrigo said.

However, this explanation doesn't account for the summer bloom. After all, by the time summer arrives in Greenland, sunlight has been plentiful for several months already, and the recently mixed water column is still rich in most nutrients.

To solve the mystery of what might be driving the summer bloom, Arrigo and his colleagues compared NASA satellite imagery of the summer bloom and results from computer models simulating Greenland's glacier melt and ocean currents. The team found a significant correlation between the outflow of freshwater from Greenland's melting glaciers and the timing of the bloom. "The summer bloom develops about a week after the arrival of glacial meltwater in early July and persists until the input of glacial meltwater slows in August or September," said coauthor and Stanford scientist Gert van Dijken.

In a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, the scientists hypothesize that it's not the influx of the meltwater itself that is triggering the summer bloom, but rather iron particles washed off from Greenland's rocks and soil and ferried into the sea by the meltwater. "The waters around Greenland happen to be one of the rare iron-limited places on Earth," Arrigo said. "A lot of the photosynthetic machinery of phytoplankton requires iron. If they don't have iron, they can't capture light and make food."

The summer meltwater influx is likely refreshing the iron supply in the Labrador Sea around Greenland after its been depleted by the spring bloom. "All the pieces fit together," Arrigo said. "The fact that when the runoff comes, the bloom starts. The runoff likely carries lots of iron with it."

If iron-rich meltwater is indeed what's spurring the summer bloom, then the region's biological productivity could rise in the decades to come as climate change causes Greenland's glaciers to melt earlier in the year. "It may be that a much larger fraction of the northern Labrador Sea could become a lot more productive in the summer than it's been," Arrigo said.

The scientists have already submitted grant proposals to the National Science Foundation to fund a summer research cruise to Greenland to test their hypothesis.

"We want to go there before the summer bloom starts to measure the concentration of nutrients, especially iron," Van Dijken said, "and then make the same measurements after the glacial meltwater arrives and the blooms start."

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Other coauthors on the study, entitled "Melting glaciers stimulate large summer phytoplankton blooms in southwest Greenland waters," include Renato Castelao, Hao Luo, Hilde Oliver, Patricia Yager, and Thomas Mote of the University of Georgia; A?sa Rennermalm of Rutgers University; and Marco Tedesco of Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Funding for the study was provided by NASA.
"This lets you capture video with your cell phone out in the Alps and do body tracking. Doing this in 3D, in real-time and just with a camera like the one on your mobile device -- that is a big leap," reports Dushyant Mehta, PhD student in the Graphics, Vision and Video Group headed by Professor Christian Theobalt at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbruecken (MPI).

Together with his colleagues, he developed a software system that needs only a conventional camera to digitally capture a person, along with their movements, in real-time. "So far, several video cameras, or a so-called depth camera as in the Kinect, have been necessary for this task," explains Srinath Sridhar, also a researcher in the Graphics, Vision and Video Group.

The new system is based on a neural network which researchers call a "convolutional neural network", or CNN for short, that is often associated with the term "deep learning". The MPI researchers have developed a new method to calculate the three-dimensional pose of the person from the two-dimensional information of the video streams with the aid of a neural network.

A short video on their website, produced by the scientists, shows what this looks like. A researcher juggles with clubs in the back of a room, while in the foreground a monitor shows the corresponding video recording. The figure of the researcher is here superimposed by a simplified, red stick figure. Another 3D view shows the motion from the side, showing that, for the first time, the full 3D pose is captured in real-time. No matter how fast or how far the researcher moves or extends his or her limbs, the stick figure makes the same movements in 3D, just like the more fleshed-out virtual character version in the virtual space, shown on another monitor to the left.

The researchers call their system "VNect". The system both predicts both the 3D pose of the person in the image and localizes the person in the image. This allows the system to avoid wasting computations on image regions which don't contain a person. The neural network of the system is trained using tens of thousands of annotated images during the machine learning process. The system provides 3D pose information in terms of joint angles, which can easily be used to control virtual characters.

"VNect makes 3D body pose tracking for virtual reality of computer games accessible to a wider audience because they don't need to have Kinect or other cameras available, don't need to wear special sits, and can just use webcams which are more readily accessible," says Mehta and adds, "It also enables new experiences in first-person virtual reality." Besides this interactive character control, VNect is the first system which can also be used to estimate the 3D pose of a person in community videos such as those provided on the online platform YouTube. Christian Theobalt continues: "There are many other applications possible, from Human-Computer-Interaction to Human-Robot Interaction to Industry 4.0, where man and robot work together in a factory. Also think about autonomous driving, where the car may in the future estimate the full articulated motion of people from a color camera to assess their behavior."

But VNect still has its limitations. The accuracy of the pose estimation is a bit lower than the accuracy obtained with multi-camera or marker-based pose estimation. It gets into trouble if the face of the person is occluded, the motions are too fast or the poses are too far away from the trained set of poses. Occlusion by multiple persons is a problem, too.

Nevertheless, Sridhar is sure that the technology will further mature and be able to handle increasingly more complex scenes, so that it can be used in everyday life.

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The research was undertaken in the Graphics, Vison & Video Research Group of Prof. Christian Theobalt. Also participating in the project were Oleksandr Sotnychenko, Helge Rhodin, Mohammad Shafiei, Professor Hans-Peter Seidel, Weipeng Xu, and Dan Casas. The researchers will present VNect at the largest computer vision conference, CVPR, in Honolulu, USA, between July 21-26, and at the international conference SIGGRAPH in Los Angeles, USA, between July 30 and August 3.

Further Information:

Video and Paper

http://gvv.mpi-inf.mpg.de/projects/VNect/

Send questions to:

Dushyant Mehta

Max Planck Institute for Informatics

Saarland Informatics Campus

Tel.: +49 681 9325 4022

E-mail: dmehta@mpi-inf.mpg.de

Professor Christian Theobalt Max Planck Institute for Informatics

Saarland Informatics Campus

Tel.: +49 681 9325 4028

E-mail: theobalt@mpii.de

Editor:

Gordon BolduanCompetence Center Computer Science SaarlandSaarland Informatics CampusTel: +49 681 302 70741E-mail: bolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de
Hot new imagery from temperature-sensing cameras suggests that bats who warm up from hibernation together throughout the winter may be better at surviving white nose syndrome, a disease caused by a cold-loving fungus ravaging insect-eating bat populations in the United States and Canada. The study by researchers with Massey University in New Zealand and the USGS was published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution.

Bat hibernation is a state of winter inactivity characterized by low body temperature, slow breathing and heart rate, and a low metabolic rate. Metabolic arousals, or 'warm-ups,' are short and sporadic returns bats make to high body temperatures during the cold of winter. Researchers still don't understand the exact reasons for these winter warm-ups, but most suspect that the white-nose fungus likely kills bats by causing too many warm-ups during winter. This study, however, suggests otherwise.

Every time a bat warms up from hibernation it uses proportionally huge amounts of stored energy, so the fungus likely causes hibernating bats to burn through their winter fat stores too quickly. The new study was the first to use thermal imaging surveillance cameras to non-invasively monitor hibernating bats in their natural habitats for entire winters. The resulting imagery and analyses provide remarkable glimpses into the mysterious behaviors and warm-up patterns of hibernating bats.

White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease of hibernating bats causing unprecedented population declines in North America since it emerged in 2007. More than half of the 42 species of insect-eating bats in the United States rely on hibernation for winter survival and are at risk from the disease, which has spread rapidly across the United States and Canada.

Researchers installed temperature-sensing surveillance cameras in two different bat hibernation caves where WNS was present. Indiana bats, whose colonies in the region studied have declined about 30 to 40 percent from WNS, wintered in one cave, and little brown bats, whose colonies have consistently declined more than 90 percent from WNS, in the other. The cameras gathered long-term, near-continuous video imagery of the bats over several winters, allowing researchers to analyze bat behavior when they sporadically and temporarily warmed-up from hibernation.

Scientists were surprised to see that Indiana bats roused together every night during winter in the cave they observed, whereas this pattern was not apparent in the clusters of little brown bats they watched with the cameras in another cave. Not only do the new findings demonstrate that different species of hibernating bats have different behaviors for coping with white-nose syndrome, but also that thermal surveillance cameras and automated computer analysis techniques are powerful and accessible new tools for studying and monitoring the wellbeing of hibernating bats.

Lead study author David Hayman, a professor at Massey University's Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, said the researchers are seeking to answer one of the biggest unanswered questions about the disease, which is why the fungus kills certain bats but not others.

"We observed that bats from a species that appears to be less affected by the disease are arousing together as a group throughout winter hibernation," Hayman said. "This result suggests that group arousals during hibernation might be associated with the ability to survive disease, rather than as a precursor to death. Group arousals may enable body temperatures less conducive to fungal growth and increase the bats' ability to survive disease."

"Discovering how bats survive infection by the WNS fungus may lead to response actions that enhance bat survival and predict disease risk to different bat species and colonies in different regions," said USGS researcher and study co-author Paul Cryan.

Hayman and Cryan worked with scientists from Colorado State University and Mathworks to develop computer methods and sharable software for efficiently processing the thousands of hours of resulting video imagery produced by USGS. Practical applications of this new technology include identifying behaviors in specific bat species that help them survive the disease, monitoring changes in hibernation sites for endangered bats, and efficiently studying how bats and other hard-to-study animals cope with environmental change.

Pest-control services provided by insect-eating bats in the United States likely save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year, and yet insectivorous bats are among the most overlooked economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America.

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The article, "Long-term video surveillance and automated analyses reveal arousal patterns in groups of hibernating bats," is authored by David T.S. Hayman, Massey University; Paul M. Cryan, USGS; Paul D. Fricker, Mathworks; and Nicholas G. Dannemiller, Colorado State University.
It's a mark on your skin you've never noticed before. It's a spot with irregular borders, or a mole that seems to be changing. Maybe it's a wound that does not heal.

Is it melanoma? These days, the only way to be sure it's not the relatively rare but potentially lethal skin cancer is to get a biopsy and consult a pathologist.

However, the poke and punch of traditional melanoma biopsies could, in the near future, be avoided. UC Santa Barbara undergrad Abhishek Bhattacharya is using the power of artificial intelligence to help people ascertain whether that new and strange mark is, in fact, the deadly skin cancer. Bhattacharya, a biology and computer science student in UCSB's College of Creative Studies (CCS), has so far proven a 96 percent accuracy rating with his neural network model.

"We're applying computer vision to solving medical problems," said Bhattacharya, who, along with UC San Francisco (UCSF) physician and professor Dexter Hadley, developed the melanoma project and trained the neural network model to judge images of skin irregularities and predict whether the mark, mole or lesion is cause for concern.

Several factors make melanoma -- the rarest form of skin cancer -- difficult to detect. While skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, melanoma accounts for only about one percent of skin cancers. Also, the disease can develop as a new mole, but it often develops over existing moles, and in some cases can be mistaken for scars and benign growths.

Additionally, other factors such as time constraints, priority of other illnesses and patient embarrassment frequently result in patients and doctors putting melanoma screening on the backburner. The result could be a dangerous oversight: Left unchecked, the tumor can spread to other parts of the body, including bones, organs and other tissue. Early detection is key to survival.

"What we're trying to do is something humans can't do," said Dr. Hadley," and humans can't predict under-the-skin pathology from looking from the top." Visual inspection is subjective, he said, even by physicians using a dermatoscope to see superficial and subsuperficial skin features and trained in the ABCDE (Area, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolution) protocol. However, the cancer is dangerous enough that when in doubt, physicians tend to err on the side of caution.

"You want to be oversensitive about this," said Dr. Hadley, who specializes in precision medicine. For roughly every 30 excisions of suspicious moles and lesions, he estimated, one proves to be a melanoma.

And now machine learning can offer a better way. Taking advantage of major gains in computing power and big data -- and inspired by how human brains work -- scientists have figured out how neural network models, such as those that exist at the UCSF Institute for Computational Health Sciences, can be trained to predict whether a mole or lesion is melanoma based on images gathered from the world wide web.

"It's an iterative process, essentially," said Bhattacharya. Using loads of images scraped from the web, with labels indicating the type of skin lesions in those images, the neural network model learns what visual aspects are closely associated with melanoma diagnoses. This project uses a "convolutional neural network," the architecture of which is modeled on an animal's visual cortex.

"Basically an image is just an array of values, which tells it to be red or blue or green, for instance, and together you get an image," Bhattacharya said. "And when a computer sees an image, it's seeing a matrix of numbers." As the model processes the image, different neurons on different layers are activated by various aspects of the image, in the same way that signals travel from neuron to neuron in our brains. Some lower-level neurons might be activated by edges and blobs of color, Bhattacharya said, but higher-level neurons could be more concerned with fuller concepts and classifications.

Like a human brain, the more practice the neural network model gets, the better it is at determining what the image might indicate. Fortunately, despite the rarity of melanomas -- and hence relatively few images of them -- the researchers were able to utilize "transfer learning." With this method, the model was "pre-trained" in making fundamental recognitions and distinctions between images of everyday objects derived from a large repository called ImageNet, and then given medical images to inspect.

Three or so years ago, the researchers achieved roughly 85 percent accuracy with just a few hundred images. Since then, with more images and more refinement, the degree of accuracy has climbed to 96 percent -- better than that of humans.

Still, Bhattacharya pointed out, the success rate "should be taken with a grain of salt," as it still needs to be proven within a clinical setting. While a head-to-head test between the neural network model and a dermatologist looking at images might prove the model the winner, its efficacy in a real-world medical scenario is yet to be demonstrated.

"We really want to get this into the hands of clinicians," Bhattacharya said. As the research team works to make that happen, Bhattacharya, Hadley and other physicians have teamed up to launch a company called SkinIQ, aimed at bringing artificial intelligence to skin cancer detection. The team hopes to create a mobile app that will allow people -- especially those who live in remote areas with little access to skin experts -- to make their own assessments as to whether they may or may not have melanoma.

The soon-to-be college senior has also made presentations and garnered awards and recognition for his work, including a second place-ranked paper at a meeting of the American Medical Informatics Association in San Francisco last March. In 2016 he received honorable mention and was the only UCSB representative at the annual UC Berkeley Big Ideas Competition. His work has contributed to numerous successful academic grants, including the prestigious and inaugural UCSF Marcus Program in Precision Medicine Initiative.

As Bhattacharya enters his senior year at UCSB, with medical school on the horizon, he points to the College of Creative Studies as setting him up for success. In particular, he credits his CCS faculty advisor Phill Conrad and research mentor Linda Petzold (a professor in the departments of computer science and mechanical engineering) for enabling his entry into translational medicine and precision medicine -- emerging fields in which data, technology and innovation propel rapid developments and progress in the treatment and cure of diseases.

Bhattacharya will continue to work in collaboration with Dr. Hadley at UCSF's Institute for Computational Health Sciences at the intersection of medical and data science, but he attributes his solid foundation to CCS.

"CCS has really been great," he said, adding that the idea for the use of the neural network for medicine was born at UCSB. "When I came here, I knew I wanted to do biology and computer science. Those are my loves."

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Countries should unite to tackle unscrupulous advertising of unproven therapies involving stem cells, experts say.

An international group of leading experts has called for tighter regulation of so-called stem cell tourism. This involves patients travelling to other countries, where medical regulations are less strict, for treatment with potentially unsafe therapies.

Hundreds of medical centres around the world are offering therapies that involve transplantation of so-called stem cells -- which they claim have the ability to repair damaged tissues. Clinics are marketing the treatment for a range of conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Often these therapies are advertised directly to patients with the promise of a cure. But experts say there is often no evidence to show that the treatments will help anyone, or will not cause harm.

Researchers say the practice risks undermining the development of rigorously tested, validated therapies and puts lives at risk.

Writing in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group has called for coordinated global action to tackle the problem.

They say tighter regulations on advertising stem cell therapies are needed, so that unsupported claims about potential clinical benefits do not go unchallenged.

Global regulatory authorities should agree international standards for the manufacture and testing of cell and tissue-based therapies, they add.

The group -- which includes experts from the University of Edinburgh -- also calls for the World Health Organization to help guide responsible clinical use of cells and tissues, as it does for medicines and medicinal devices.

Their appeal follows the deaths of two children at a clinic in Germany in 2010, which exploited a legal loophole to offer untested treatments. The clinic has since been closed.

Dr Sarah Chan, a Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Many patients feel that potential cures are being held back by red tape and lengthy approval processes. Although this can be frustrating, these procedures are there to protect patients from undergoing needless treatments that could put their lives at risk.

"Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments."

Some types of stem cell transplantation - mainly blood and skin stem cells -- have been approved to treat certain types of cancer and to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns. These treatments have been rigorously tested in clinical trials.

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Advice about the current state of research and risks associated with unproven stem cell therapies is available from the EuroStemCell website http://www.eurostemcell.org.
According to a study encompassing the entire Finnish population, traumatic brain injury associated with an increased risk for dementia in working-age adults. Yet, no such relationship was found between traumatic brain injury and later onset of Parkinson's disease or ALS.

The researchers believe that these results may play a significant role for the rehabilitation and long-term monitoring of traumatic brain injury patients.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are among the top causes of death and disability, particularly among the young and middle aged. Approximately one in three that suffer from moderate-to-severe TBI die, and approximately half of the survivors will suffer from life-long disabilities.

Degenerative brain diseases include memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease as well as Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While the connection between TBI and degenerative brain diseases has been known, no comprehensive research data exist on the impact of TBI on degenerative brain diseases among adults of working age.

Researchers from the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki University Hospital have now examined the relationship between TBI and degenerative brain diseases in a study encompassing the entire Finnish population. The study combined several nationwide registers to monitor more than 40,000 working-age adults, who survived the initial TBI, for ten years. Importantly, the persons level of education and socioeconomic status were accounted for.

"It seems that the risk for developing dementia after TBI is the highest among middle-aged men. The more severe the TBI, the higher the risk for subsequent dementia. While previous studies have identified good education and high socioeconomic status as protective factors against dementia, we did not discover a similar effect among TBI survivors," explains Rahul Raj, docent of experimental neurosurgery and one of the primary authors of the study.

A significant discovery is that the risk of dementia among TBI survivors who have seemingly recovered well remains high for years after the injury. Raj points out that TBI patients may occasionally be incorrectly diagnosed with dementia due to the damage caused by the TBI itself, but such possible errors were considered in the study.

"According to our results, it might be so that the TBI triggers a process that later leads to dementia."

"These results are significant for the rehabilitation and monitoring of TBI patients. Such a reliable study of the long-term impact of TBI has previously been impossible," says Professor Jaakko Kaprio, a member of the research group.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES INCREASING - CAUSED BY AN AGING POPULATION AND RECKLESS DRIVING

The WHO has predicted that TBI will become a leading cause of death and long-term illness during the next ten years. Already one per cent of the population in the United States suffers from a long-term disability caused by TBI. In western countries, the ageing of the population and age-related accidents increase the amount of TBIs, while in Asia, TBIs caused by traffic accidents are on the rise.

Dementia is commonly seen as a problem of the elderly. However, the Finnish study shows that TBI may cause dementia to develop before old age, and that dementia caused by injuries are much more common than was thought.

"It is a tragedy when an adult of working age develops dementia after recovering from a brain injury, not just for the patient and their families, but it also negatively impacts the whole society. In the future, it will be increasingly important to prevent TBIs and to develop rehabilitation and long-term monitoring for TBI patients," says Docent Raj.

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URBANA, Ill. - Tiny Japanese quail eggs are a small niche market in the United States, but they're a big business in Brazil where they are sold fresh in grocery stores in egg cartons that hold 30 of the small, speckled delicacies, and are a hard-boiled staple on restaurant salad bars. Recent research from the University of Illinois helps Brazilian producers understand the birds' behavior under wind and temperature variables and suggests environmental changes to boost their egg-laying productivity.

"A study like this one is an interesting collaborative effort between animal science and engineering," says U of I researcher Richard Gates. "Animal scientists tend to think that nutrition and genetics are the primary drivers. Engineers are adamant that facilities and environment are the key. The reality is that it is the interaction of a lot of factors."

Gates is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at U of I. He says he does a lot of cross-disciplinary work. "I'm the 'token' engineer in a lot of different projects. Many projects are about the impact of the housing systems--the interior environment on welfare, behavior, productivity for various types of animals and the exterior environmental impacts."

The study was prompted by an invitation from the manager of a large, hen laying operation in Brazil to tour the facilities of his more recent venture--quail production. On the visit, Gates found long, narrow poultry sheds situated like a trellised vineyard of buildings on the side of the mountain. Each building containing three rows of quail cages running lengthwise.

"Because it's on the side of a mountain, there is a lot of wind," Gates says. "The buildings are naturally ventilated with open side walls. Vinyl curtains can be pulled up to block extreme weather when needed. The manager noticed that when the wind hit the birds in cages on the outside perimeter, they saw big behavioral changes when compared with the birds on the inside row of cages that are more sheltered from the strongest wind. He asked us for help in understanding how wind and temperature affected the quail. He was noticing that when it was what we would consider to be a comfortable temperature, the quail were being cold stressed."

For the study, six climate-controlled quail chambers were used on the Universidade Federal de Vicosa campus in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Each chamber contains an air conditioning system, a humidifier, a watering system for the quail, and a tube to create an air jet that simulates wind.

The air velocity ranged from still air, zero wind to 7 mph wind and the temperatures were 63, 73.4, 84, and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The quails' behaviors were observed under varying combinations of wind velocity and temperature that they would be subjected to under normal conditions. The behaviors were described as 1) eating or drinking, 2) stopping, resting, or posturing, 3) opening wings, bristling, or other movements associated with the birds feeling hot or cold, and 4) any other behaviors, such as chasing each other, that don't fit into one of the categories.

"Temperature and wind velocity affect how much the quails ate. When temperatures are higher, the quail ate less," Gates says. "But it also turns out that sometimes wind is a good thing. One of the major observations is that when it's hot and there is a breeze, more birds were observed eating. There isn't a good way to control the temperature in these quail sheds. So, when it's hot outside, it gets even hotter inside. What this shows is that producers really need to come up with ways to take advantage of the wind--not just putting the curtain up and down--but find ways to get a breeze circulating to those inside rows of cages as well.

"We now know that if the birds are heat stressed, but air movement is provided, it helps them cope with the heat," he adds. "When they're happier, more comfortable, they're going to eat more. And if they eat more, they maintain their egg production. That's the balance that we're after."

In terms of cold temperatures, Gates says producers can close the curtains. "When we did the study, we find there is very little difference in the quails' behavior at the colder temperatures."

The study was conducted at a time when the quails' egg production would be most sensitive, but Gates says the length of the study and the various wind and temperature changes weren't long enough to reflect significant changes in their egg production.

The findings from this study, although conducted in Brazil, hold true for Japanese quail production anywhere in the world. "It provides baseline information for how we would expect quail to behave under very different environmental conditions," Gates says.

###

The study, "Behavior of Japanese quail in different air velocities and air temperatures," is published in Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira. It is authored by Tatiany Carvalho dos Santos, Richard Stephen Gates, Ilda de Fatima Ferreira Tinoco, Sergio Zolnier, and Fernando da Costa Baeta.

Support for this research was provided by The Center for Research in Environmental and Agroindustry Systems Engineering (AMBIAGRO) of the Federal University of Vicosa (UFV) Department of Agricultural Engineering, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
Professor Ana Mancera Rueda, from the Department of Spanish Language, Linguistics and Literary Theory at the University of Seville, has carried out research on false profiles, or 'fakes', of famous people on the social network Twitter and the use of language on them. The study tries to answer questions like whether the misappropriation of the identities of famous people is normal practice on Twitter, in what cases it is permitted, what effects the parody can have on the image of the celebrity and the social role of someone who is well known and to what extent the messages published by fake accounts can be seen as examples of bad manners or even verbal violence.

Basing itself on the approaches of discourse analysis and sociocultural pragmatics, Mancera has made a linguistic study of 5,030 messages published on more than fifty Twitter profiles, all of which were parodic in nature and which were written in the guise of figures of social importance. These were grouped into different categories according to the area of the parodied subject, for example, politics, the communications media, sport, royalty, etc.

The aim of parody is to highlight the automatic style of writing that the character being imitated has in their writing, their habits and their idiolect, that is to say, their manner of expressing themselves. For that reason, "the presentations of the parodied characters in the biographies of all the analysed accounts tended to take to extremes such characteristics, as a first step towards drawing up the new identity of the subject being parodied. For example, in the profile of Naniano Rajoy constant reference is made to the digraph 'sh' to ridicule the president of the governments way of speaking", explains Mancera.

This research has allowed for the identification of three macro-strategies used by the owners of such accounts: using activities of supposed self-image on the part of the subject being parodied; attacks on the image of internet users; and making threats against the image of third parties. With such strategies, the aim is both to damage the social image of the public figure and their private image, "which is perhaps more vulnerable, as it is closer to the ego. For example, via attacks on the target's sexual orientation, highlighting their physical defects, or casting doubt on their mental faculties, which contribute to damaging their image of personal autonomy", says Mancera.

Using a game that is polyphonic in character, it is made to seem that it is the subject whose identity has been stolen who speaks to give points of view that cross the boundaries of what is politically correct, or to show a scornful attitude to the parody account's own followers, which also threatens their own sense of affiliation.

In addition, as Mancera has tried to show, the majority of these tweets use linguistic resources of a different type, which makes them offensive in character. Sometimes, they even go as far as verbal violence. However, Twitter's Impersonation Policy allows the publication of these messages, with the only condition that it is made clear that they come from a parody account.

Mancera reminds us of the statement made by the Italian journalist Roberto Saviano, who stated in an article he wrote that to insult people on social networks is not freedom of expression, but a way to defame that can be used by those who feed from the fame of others. This is something which, in the opinion of the researcher, "unfortunately, has become a strategy that is seen ever more frequently. Using it, the aim isn't only to damage the image of the public figure from the protection of anonymity, but also to try to increase the account holder's number of followers on Twitter, using irony and verbal humour, with texts that, despite their offensive character, are marked as favourites and retweeted, that is to say, resent by thousands of users, who makes these messages defamatory and their viral nature means they reach a wide audience".

###

The results of this research have just been made public in RILCE: Revista de Filologia Hispanica (Spanish Philology Review), published by the University of Navarre, which has one of the highest levels of influence in the world of philology. Also, Mancera has spent several years doing research on the language used on social networks, which she has published in the monographs El discurso politico en Twitter (Political Discourse on Twitter) and El espanol coloquial en las redes sociales (Colloquial Spanish on Social Networks), done in collaboration with Ana Pano Alaman, teacher from the University of Bologna.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Some good scientific sleuthing by an undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin has helped rewrite one of the earliest chapters in the planet's evolutionary history. The research, led by the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, has shown that the millipede thought to be the world's oldest known air-breathing land creature is in fact about 14 million years younger than previously thought and cannot be the original land breather.

The paper was published June 28 in the journal PLOS ONE. The study focuses on a species of millipede called Pneumodesmus newmani, which was thought to have been breathing air on solid ground during the late Silurian period some 428 million years ago. All other animal fossils discovered before this time have been from animals that lived and breathed under water.

The millipede fossil was discovered by an amateur paleontologist in 2004 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and dated by testing plant spores in sediment found in the general area, a method that contains a significant amount of scientific uncertainty compared with radiometric dating methods, said Elizabeth Catlos, a study author and associate professor in the Jackson School's Department of Geological Sciences.

"The 428 million year age wasn't obtained using radiometric techniques because no one could get the radioactive minerals out of these soils," she said.

Catlos, who obtained the soil samples from co-author Michael Brookfield of the University of Massachusetts Boston, tasked Jackson School senior Stephanie Suarez, the paper's lead author, with finding grain-sized zircons in the sediment that could be dated in the Jackson School's Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. Zircons are minerals that trap radioactive elements inside of them when they form, which can help scientists more accurately determine the age of rock or sediment where they're found.

The zircon samples were from ancient volcanic ash beds directly above and below where the millipede specimen was found. Brookfield, who is from Scotland, said he has been collecting samples from the area since he was a teenager and has long been interested in more precisely dating the sediment where the well-known specimen was discovered.

This job was particularly challenging because the clay sediment Brookfield sent to the Jackson School was loose in plastic bags and unlike the solid rock that Catlos is used to studying. Suarez, who was introduced to the geosciences in high school as part to the Jackson School's GeoFORCE outreach program, initially tried the standard method of heavy mineral separation, which involves crushing the rock and using bromoform (an organic solvent) to separate out heavier minerals.

"When I attempted it, the ashes clumped together, and no zircons sank to the bottom," she said. "It was very messy and unsuccessful."

Undeterred, Suarez combed scientific literature looking for ideas and came across a 2014 study led by Gregory Hoke of Syracuse University that pioneered a method of isolating nonclay components from clay-rich material by constructing and using an ultrasonic clay separator.

"I had to get creative," Suarez said. "We have a very small sonicator in our lab that we use to clean thin sections. I used that, a Tupperware container and some hydrogen peroxide. It worked. I was very excited."

Ultimately, Suarez was able to collect 74 zircons to be analyzed and dated. More than 10 of the zircons were younger than 428 million years ago, with the youngest being about 414 million years old. This places the specimen in a completely different geologic era, the Devonian, a classification that bursts the millipede's uniqueness. Many fossils of land-breathing organisms, mainly insects and arthropods, have been recovered from this era.

Catlos expects the results to raise a few eyebrows, but she said the beauty of published science is that others can replicate the experiment. The handful of zircons found to be younger than 428 million years old definitely show that the Pneumodesmus newmani specimen was not the first organism on Earth to breathe air while on land.

"This wasn't it," Catlos said. "We have to keep looking."

###

Jackson School Professor Daniel Stockli was a co-author on the study. Funding was provided by the Geological Society of America South Central Section.
Digital communication improves young patient engagement, according to new study

valued as an addition to traditional clinic appointments

staff time is identified as main cost driver

risks include patients' increased dependence on clinicians

Using texts, emails, Skype and other digital communication methods can improve the health care experience of younger patients.

That is the conclusion of new research, led by the University of Warwick and King's College London, which examined case studies from 20 NHS specialist clinical teams from across England and Wales.

A 'first look' scientific summary about the research has just been published on the NIHR Journals Library.

Young people with long-term health conditions often disengage from health services, resulting in poor health outcomes. In an attempt to address this, NHS clinicians are using digital communication to reverse this. However, so far it's been unclear whether this has been effective; there are gaps in evidence as to how it might work, its cost and ethical and safety issues.

The research, which was conducted between 2013-2016 was led by Professor Frances Griffiths from the Warwick Medical School and Jackie Sturt, Professor of Behavioural Medicine in Nursing at King's College London. Professor Griffiths said: "NHS policy prompts more widespread use of digital communication to improve health care experience.

"Digital communication enables timely access for young people to the right clinician at the time when it can make a difference to how they manage their health condition. This is valued as an addition to traditional clinic appointments, and can engage those otherwise disengaged. It can enhance patient autonomy, empowerment and activation."

Interviews were conducted with 165 young patients, aged 16-24 years, who live with a long-term health condition, along with 173 health professionals, including 16 information governance specialists. Overall, 79 clinical observations took place.

The researchers wanted to establish if 16-24 year olds involved in their own health care improves as a result of using digital communication with their clinicians could improve, and to identify associated costs and necessary safeguards.

The findings suggest that benefit is most likely, and risks will be mitigated, when digital communication is used with patients who already have a relationship of trust with the clinical team, and who need to have flexible access, such as when transitioning between services, treatments or lived context.

The study noted the implications for clinicians. The main cost driver is staff time. However, the researchers believe that this is likely to be offset by savings elsewhere in the health service. Young people and clinicians can mitigate risks of this approach by using common sense approaches to avoid increased dependence on clinicians, inadvertent disclosure of confidential information and communication failures. The researchers also noted that clinical teams need to be proactive in their approaches to ethics, governance and patient safety.

Professor Jackie Sturt commented, "Digital communication is already happening between health professionals and young people, and it's clearly something young people want. We think the NHS should be proactive in creating guidelines and helping clinicians to engage young people via digital communication. There are obviously risks, but also the potential for real benefits."

Research from the University of Warwick's Department of Economics also contributed to the paper.

###

For more information about the LYNC study, visit: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/hscience/sssh/research/lyncs/

The paper Timely digital patient-clinician communication in specialist NHS clinical services serving young people: findings from a mixed methods study (The LYNC study) is published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

For further details please contact Nicola Jones, Media Relations Manager, University of Warwick 07920531221 or N.Jones.1@warwick.ac.uk

To contact King's College London: faiqa.ahmed-khan:@kcl.ac.uk or 020 7848 0570.

Notes to Editors:

Timely digital patient-clinician communication in specialist NHS clinical services serving young people: findings from a mixed methods study (The LYNC study) has been published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

DOI 10.2196/jmir.7154

Funded by UK National Institute of Health Research 12/209/51

Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery

The Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery at King's College London has its origins in the first nursing school in the world established by Florence Nightingale in 1860. The Faculty is ranked as the number one faculty for nursing in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2015/16) and works in partnership with leading

London NHS Trusts. With close links to industry, health services and policy makers, the Faculty develops leading-edge nurses and midwives of tomorrow - practitioners, partners, and leaders in their field.

The Faculty has over 1,000 full-time pre-registration nursing and midwifery students plus an extensive portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate activities to meet the needs of a wide range of healthcare professionals seeking continuing professional development. The Faculty is at the forefront of health services, policy, and evaluation research. For more information visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/nursing

About King's College London

King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (2016/17 QS World University Rankings) and among the oldest in England. King's has more than 27,600 students (of whom nearly 10,500 are graduate students) from some 150 countries worldwide, and some 6,800 staff. King's has an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) King's was ranked 6th nationally in the 'power' ranking, which takes into account both the quality and quantity of research activity, and 7th for quality according to Times Higher Education rankings. Eighty-four per cent of research at King's was deemed 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (3* and 4*). The university is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of more than 684 million. For more information about King's please visit 'King's in Brief'.
Norfolk's landowners, farmers and local community leaders have spoken about their concerns over the forthcoming construction of three huge offshore wind farms.

The wind farms, by Danish firm Dong Energy and Swedish firm Vattenfall, are sited offshore.

However, the onshore underground cable installations, electricity relay stations and substations will affect numerous landowners and farmers along two substantial corridors of land.

The projects will see turbines built between 28 miles and 46 miles off the coast at Great Yarmouth.

The proposed cable routes will run from the coastal village of Weybourne in North Norfolk to a substation adjacent to the A140 in South Norfolk, and from Happisburgh on the Norfolk coast to join the National Grid network close to Necton in Breckland.

The wind farms could generate up to 3.6GW  enough energy to power the equivalent of 2.6 million homes.

But farmers are angry at the prospect of their land having cables running underground, thus affecting their ability to get on with their job.

'Increasingly frustrated'

Fraser Paskell - one of the region's most experienced property lawyers working in the offshore wind and renewable energy sectors - said: "It quickly became apparent landowners are being increasingly frustrated by the developers' inability to make a commitment to either the AC or DC power option."

Dong Energy has said it has not yet been decided if the project will use AC or DC (direct current), adding that DC technology is not yet utilised in UK offshore wind farms, as the technology is still evolving for wind energy.

He continued: "A DC power option would involve a much smaller land take' for cable installations - less than one third according to one developer -and eliminate the need to construct relay stations and surface features along the cable corridors."

Seven consultation events will now take place in September. Dong Energy will present findings of initial assessments, also known as Preliminary Environmental Information report (PEIR).
Four in every five small and medium sized business in the farming sector say there are ways in which banks could 'better support them', according to a recent poll.

At a time when there is a question mark over agricultural aid as the exit negotiations with the EU get underway, this latest research sheds light on the SMEs' relationship with their banks.

The top concern cited was banks not having specialist knowledge of the agriculture sector.

Tracking opinions from over 1,000 SMEs from 15 different sectors over the past 18 months, a trend emerged suggesting that this was an issue for a steadily growing proportion of SMEs in the agriculture sector  rising from 26% in 2015, to 39% in 2017.

31% of agricultural small businesses wanted to see banks committing to the sector more generally, an issue that has seen a big leap in concern over the years.

Transparent fees were also high up the list.

'Square peg in a round hole'

While calls have increased for banks to have specific sector knowledge, there has been a drop in the number of SMEs complaining that banks are unwilling to lend.

While this remains an issue for one in five agriculture businesses (21%), there has been a gradual decline from 29% 8 months previously.

"These results highlight the fact that businesses in the agriculture sector can, at times, feel like a square peg in a round hole when it comes to financial services," said Gavin Wraith-Carter, managing director at Hitachi Capital Business Finance.

"If their specific needs are not being met and if the pressures they are under and challenges they face are not properly understood, the situation will become increasingly frustrating for them."

The research was conducted by YouGov among a nat.rep. sample of 1153 small and medium business owners and directors.
Defra Secretary Michael Gove has met with over 40 farmers in Nottinghamshire to ask about the future of the farming industry once the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Gove was speaking at Starkeys Fruit Farms, Southwell in Nottinghamshire. The event was organised by by local MPs Robert Jenrick and Mark Spencer.

Around 40 farmers, growers and rural businesses attended the meeting.

Questions asked ranged from the UK's alternative to CAP, TB testing, maintaining food standards and the risk of cheaper imports, and cattle movement rules.

Mr Gove said he wanted to better understand what farmers wanted in a post-Brexit landscape.

He said: We are going to leave the EU and we are going to see change and I want to see a deal that works for British farmers.

There are some opportunities there, but obviously we have got to make sure we get some big decisions right.

I want to ensure that British farms are producing more, growing more and selling more, and farming is in a better state than what I inherited.

'Very generous offer'

Mr Gove was asked about the future of EU migrants post-Brexit.

It comes as news that the number of seasonal workers coming to work on British farms has dropped 17%, leaving farms 'critically short' of people to harvest fruit and veg, a survey by the National Farmers' Union shows.

And a recent industry survey by British Summer Fruits showed that prices could soar by 50% if the UK cannot gain access to EU workers after Brexit.

He said: The Prime Minister has made a very generous offer to EU citizens and EU nationals that we want to ensure everyone who has been here for five years gets the right to stay in the UK and everyone who has been here for less than five years can apply to stay in the UK.

I think that is a very generous offer, and the heads of various European states have welcomed that offer.

The Prime Minister has unveiled proposals for EU nationals who have lived in the UK for five years by a specific cut-off date to be given the chance to take up 'UK settled status.

'Farming is a big part'

Mr Gove was asked about the Conservative Party's relationship with the DUP, and whether their alliance will push farming to the back of priorities.

Mr Gove said: One of the interesting things about the arrangement with the DUP is that farming is a big part of it.

Of course, over the next few years well have an opportunity to ensure that money is spent more widely.

The movement of goods and access to labour across the Irish border after Brexit are 'key concerns' for farmers on the island of Ireland, according to the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU).

The DUP manifesto says the party wants a "comprehensive free trade and customs agreement with the European Union."

The DUP say they are a 'friend of the farmer and of natural heritage'.

Michael Gove concluded: Brexit is a good opportunity for us to provide access to world markets for farmers in Nottinghamshire.
British agriculture would be 'fine' and may even benefit from leaving the European Union without a free trade agreement, Farm Minister George Eustice has said.

Mr Eustice, who was speaking at the AHDB meat exports conference in Warwick, said the agriculture sector would benefit from tariffs imposed under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

"It sounds surprising," he said.

"The reason for that is the competition from Irish beef, competition from salads from Spain or vegetables from France, goes down and actually gives a firming of farmgate prices in the UK.

"Our priority is to get that Free Trade Agreement but if during the course of development of agriculture policy it became apparent that we might be coming out on WTO scenarios, obviously at that point we would start putting in some thinking as to what the domestic policy response to that situation would have to be."

'Far-reaching'

But AHDB head of strategic insight David Swales said the UK would not be able to forge its own trade policy if it had WTO imposed trade tariffs.

"The WTO exists primarily to liberalise world trade," Mr Swales said.

"These rules are far-reaching and have implications not only for UK trade but also for UK policy and policy for the devolved nations.

"In terms of policy support, the type of policy the UK can adopt post-Brexit is also constrained by WTO rules, with trade-distorting subsidies being limited and reduced over time.

"Whilst the overall level of support is more likely to be impacted by the UK governments spending priorities, the structure of agricultural policy will have to adhere to WTO rules."
Exports of cheese from Britain have increased in the first three months of the year with worldwide sales up 29% to almost 143 million.

Latest figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) show almost 40,000 tonnes of cheese were exported around the world in the first quarter of 2017, a rise of 3% compared to the same time last year.

The lion's share was destined for the EU where exports grew by eight percent, rising to 32,479 tonnes.

One of the biggest growth markets was Asia and Oceania where exports rose by 36% to 1,798 tonnes.

AHDBs Senior Exports Manager for Dairy Lucy Randolph said: "These latest figures are very encouraging for the dairy sector. It is fantastic to see that cheese from Britain is in demand around the world and markets are recognising our high quality and sophisticated products.

"While exports to Europe are still incredibly strong, it is also very encouraging to see non-EU exports have grown since the start of the year.

"It is important with Brexit that we look further afield for opportunities for our exporters."

Promotional events

The new figures come after a particularly busy year for AHDB Dairy which has expanded its trade development programme in a bid to promote speciality cheeses around the world.

A selection of premium cheeses from Britain is being promoted in India for the first time this month with shoppers in Delhi being offered tastings in supermarkets as part of a series of promotional events across the city.

In April, cheese from Britain was served up for the first time to chefs, dairy buyers and local media at a tasting session in Hong Kong.

Around 65 people attended the event, organised by AHDB Dairy to promote a range of artisan and premium cheeses already available in Hong Kong together with new selections.

'Busy 12 months'

In May, AHDB Dairy exhibited at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, America's largest annual foodservice trade show as well as Asias leading food and hospitality trade show Hofex, in Hong Kong.

Ms Randolph said they have enjoyed an 'busy 12 months' having increased their presence at food shows around the world, particularly targeting non-EU countries where they are keen to make a mark.

"We are in the process of preparing for the Speciality and Fine Food Asia event which takes place in Singapore this month.

"This promises to be a popular event and will hopefully provide many opportunities for our dairy exporters."




Haiti - Economy : EDH reminds the Government of its consumer obligations





In a note dated 4 July, the Electricity of Haiti (EDH) reminds the public institutions, parastatals, autonomous organizations, the obligation made to them to include in their draft budget 2017-2018 (paragraph 203) the amount of funding to pay for the electricity consumption in the next fiscal year. To this end, a correspondence indicating the amount of estimated average energy consumption to be entered in the Budget will be sent shortly by the EDH to each State entity.



With respect to arrears related to unused and consumed electrical energy bills (5 billion Gourdes https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21342-haiti-flash-moise-reiterates-his-promise-of-electricity-24-24-throughout-the-country-in-2-years.html ) a settlement plan will be negotiated with each of the Institutions once they have submitted a request to this effect to the EDH Commercial Department



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21342-haiti-flash-moise-reiterates-his-promise-of-electricity-24-24-throughout-the-country-in-2-years.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politics : Mayor of Port-au-Prince, concerned about neighborhood security





On Tuesday, Ralph Youri Chevry, the Mayor of Port-au-Prince, had an important working session with the Coordinators and members of the Community Intervention Teams (EIC) in the various neighborhoods of the city, including Martissant, Bourdon, Turgeau, Croix Desprez, Grand-Ravine, Bolosse, Fort-mercredi, Christ-Roi, Carrefour Feuilles, Ti Bois and Petit Descayette, whose objective was to plan a large working meeting to be held at the end of the month on the vulnerability of the neighborhoods in case of bad weather or major natural events.



In his speech, Mayor Chevry insisted on the need for the EICs to work in harmony with the Boards of Communal Sections (CASECs) and the Administrations of the Communal Sections (ASECS) to better coordinate their activities for the good of the community and the Central State can accompany them to better face their responsibilities underlining "We must take seriously the seismic risks that are real enlaces for the populations who live in particular at the Morne l'Hopital [...] It belongs to you members, of EICs and area Coordinators to raise awareness of the dangers facing them in relation to seismic risks."



The various members of the EICs who took the floor mentioned the difficulties they face daily in relation to the anarchic constructions, which particularly abound on the flanks of ravines, hilly slopes or on the edges of precipices located in areas of ground movements and of debris unloading...



Faced with the risks to which the inhabitants are subjected especially during the rainy season: floods, collapse of houses, landslides, among others... Ralph Youri Chevry promised the EICs all the support of the Communal Administration, strongly encouraging them to emphasize the prevention, awareness and training of the population.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Marawi : Islamist gunmen led by one of the worlds most wanted terrorists still hold about 1,500 buildings in a southern Philippine city after weeks of ferocious fighting that has left hundreds dead, officials said on Monday.

The Philippine military has struggled to expel scores of gunmen who rampaged across Marawi city on May 23 flying the black flag of the Islamic State group, despite day and night artillery and air strikes that have reduced swathes of the downtown area to rubble.

President Rodrigo Duterte last month vowed to crush the militants, but several deadlines have already been missed to end a conflict that has left scores dead and forced some 400,000 people from their homes.

The gunmen are led by Isnilon Hapilon, one of the worlds most wanted men, who is believed to be still alive and holed up in a mosque, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told a news conference in Manila.

In the most detailed assessment yet, he conceded there was no saying when soldiers would be able to retake all 1,500 houses and buildings still held or booby-trapped by the militants.

Since it is urban fighting a lot of our troops there are not prepared. One can say they are learning as they fight in this built-up area, he said, adding that soldiers are battling street-to-street retaking up to a hundred buildings a day.

The military in Marawi suggested a slower rate, with soldiers recapturing 40 buildings on Saturday and 57 on Sunday.

The clearing operation is difficult because of the presence of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), booby traps left behind by the terrorists, said the military spokesman for the campaign, Lieutenant-Colonel Jo-ar Herrera.

Eighty-two soldiers and police and 39 civilians have died in the weeks-long conflict, he said.

Around a hundred militants are still entrenched in the city and the army has said they have used a water route to bring in ammunition and evacuate wounded fighters, helping them withstand the military offensive for weeks. Some 300 gunmen are thought to have been killed so far.

Lorenzana said military commanders wanted a swift end to the operation, but the enemy is also very wily and resourceful.

Duterte imposed martial law over the southern Philippines soon after the fighting started, saying he needed strong powers to snuff out an IS plot to carve out territory after battlefield losses in Iraq and Syria.

A botched government attempt to arrest Hapilon at a Marawi hideout touched off the fighting in May.

He is supported by Marawi-based gunmen led by the Maute brothers, whose group has pledged allegiance to IS, as well as several foreign fighters, Lorenzana said.

Source : New Indian Express
5:03pm: The Pacers have officially waived Ellis, per the NBAs transactions log. According to David Aldridge of TNT (via Twitter), Indiana will use the stretch provision on Ellis, stretching his cap hit across five years.

That will create nearly $9MM in extra 2017/18 cap room for the Pacers, which they could use to make an offer to Kelly Olynyk or another free agent.

4:16pm: Confirming that Ellis is being waived, Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star tweets that theres no buyout involved in the transaction, meaning Indiana will remain on the hook for Ellis 2017/18 salary unless another team claims him, which is extremely unlikely.

4:06pm: The Pacers are waiving veteran guard Monta Ellis, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Charanias report doesnt include any additional details yet, but the two sides were said to be discussing a buyout earlier this week, so it seems theyve reached an agreement.

Ellis entered the 2016/17 season having started 677 of 710 regular season games since his rookie season, but saw his role with the Pacers reduced last season, and started just 33 of 74 games. The 31-year-old averaged 8.5 PPG and 3.2 APG in 27 MPG, which all represented the lowest marks since his rookie season back in 2005/06.

The contract Ellis signed with Indiana back in 2015 called for him to make $11.227MM in 2017/18 and featured a player option worth $11.69MM in 2018/19. Ellis player option is currently non-guaranteed, however, so the Pacers will only be on the hook for his 17/18 salary if no buyout was reached.

Ellis will be suspended for the first five games of next season for violating the leagues anti-drug policy, but that shouldnt have a substantial impact on his market as he seeks his next team. Hell be an unrestricted free agent after he officially clears waivers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The need for hotel guests to be connected has never been greater than it is now  and it will only continue to increase. Data consumption is expected to double by 2020, and JD Power and hotels.com surveys from 2013 to 2015 report that higher performance Wi-Fi is noted as the most-desired amenity at a hotel. In fact, guest satisfaction drops 6.5 per cent when asked to pay for basic Wi-Fi, while 80 per cent of guests said they won't return after a bad technology experience.

TELUS has been working with hoteliers in British Columbia and Alberta, bringing the highest quality Wi-Fi services to properties through the TELUS PureFibre network

Now, TELUS is proud to announce that Hospitality Wi-Fi will be available nationwide later this year.

Wi-Fi is a simple thing that feels seamlessly integrated into one's day  often no one even thinks twice about it - but it becomes hugely apparent when guests experience a bad connection or lag time in service. TELUS knows the value that solid Wi-Fi brings to the hotel stay and is excited to bring the experience of TELUS Hospitality Wi-Fi across the country to all Canadian hotel properties.

TELUS Hospitality Wi-Fi allows multiple guests in the same hotel room to simultaneously use their devices without having to worry about lag or interruption. Hotel guests can go from their room to the lobby and around the property without requiring reauthentication. This self-healing and self-optimizing solution leverages access points from industry leader, Cisco Meraki.

Hotels requiring brand compliancy can rest assured knowing that TELUS Hospitality Wi-Fi can mesh, filter content, create franchise splash pages and Service Set Identifiers. TELUS also offers support for tiered Wi-Fi offerings with PMS integration.

In addition to Hospitality Wi-Fi, TELUS will continue to offer Optik TV for Business, High Speed Internet Access for front desk and back office operations, and innovative IoT solutions specific to the hospitality industry in BC and Alberta via the PureFibre network. TELUS is committed to putting customers first by bringing the right solutions to hotels across the country.
CapitaLand's wholly owned serviced residence business, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is acquiring an additional 60% stake in Quest Apartment Hotels (Quest) for A$180 million (S$191 million). This will increase Ascott's stake in Quest from its current 20% to 80%, propelling Ascott to become the largest serviced residence provider in Australasia. With 180 properties located in regional and metropolitan areas across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, the acquisition will boost Ascott's portfolio by over 11,000 units to more than 67,000 units across 507 properties and 124 cities globally. At the same time, Ascott has the option to acquire the remaining 20% interest in Quest, subject to terms and conditions.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott's Chief Executive Officer, said: "Increasing our stake in Quest to become its majority shareholder will leapfrog Ascott to become the leading serviced residence provider in Australasia. This acquisition will give Ascott an instant boost of over 11,000 units. Scale is important for us to offer more options to customers, strengthen our sales and distribution, and help speed up Ascott's growth. Besides entrenching Ascott's presence in the developed and stable market of Australia, we will be able to capitalise on the established Quest brand and its highly scalable business format franchise systems and know-how, and further apply the franchise platform as a driver of growth for Ascott."

"Since Ascott's acquisition of a 20% stake in Quest in 2014, Quest's network revenue has seen a healthy annual growth of 6%, resulting in strong annual profit earnings primarily from Quest's recurring fee income. Ascott will enjoy the recurring franchise fees that Quest earns from its franchise properties and enhance the stability of our portfolio income as well as return on equity."

Mr Paul Constantinou, Chairman of Quest Apartment Hotels, said the investment sees Quest joining one of the world's leading serviced residence networks, offering Quest guests the benefit of true global reach across 29 countries in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

"Quest will now further leverage the strength of Ascott's globally recognised, award-winning brands and fast track its international expansion, whilst maintaining its successful franchise format business, along with the value and integrity of the Quest brand," Mr Constantinou said.

"The company now has the capability to offer customers a true global accommodation solution for both transient and extended stay requirements, and will allow Quest to fast track the growth of the brand as a unique franchising platform into global markets."

In addition, Ascott has acquired its first serviced residence in Brisbane as part of its strategic partnership with Quest. The 100-unit freehold serviced residence to be developed on a turnkey basis is acquired from an unrelated local property developer for A$24 million (S$25 million). It will be named Quest Cannon Hill and operated as a Quest franchise when the property opens in 2018.

Quest Cannon Hill is the second acquisition under Ascott's strategic partnership with Quest. In mid-2016, Ascott acquired the 221-unit Quest NewQuay Docklands in Melbourne for A$71 million (S$71 million). Quest NewQuay Docklands will be Quest's largest property in its network when it opens in 2019.

Mr Lee said: "We first took a 20% stake in Quest a few years back; it gave us time to work together and understand each other's culture and strengths. After due consideration, we decided to take the partnership further with this move. We firmly believe that the synergies of Ascott and Quest will make us more competitive in the serviced residence space. Quest also has a strong talent bench that could contribute to Ascott's global expansion plan."

Mr Lee added: "With Ascott's investment in Quest, we can count on our joint capabilities to tap more pipeline opportunities for turnkey delivery of new-build projects as well as readyoperating properties with incumbent leases in Australasia. The synergies to be realised in the global and national cross-selling network will not only widen Ascott's customer reach in Australasia, Quest's customers will also have access to Ascott's properties globally given the complementary geographical presence. Franchise, management contracts, investments, and strategic alliances will continue to be key strategies to solidify Ascott's lead as we work towards exceeding our target of 80,000 units globally by 2020."

With the addition of Quest Cannon Hill, Ascott currently owns and manages 10 serviced residences with over 1,300 apartment units in Brisbane, Greater Sydney, Hobart, Melbourne and Perth under the Citadines, Somerset and Quest brands. Quest has 180 properties with over 9,000 existing units in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and over 2,000 units under construction.

About The Ascott Limited

The Ascott Limited (Ascott) is a Singapore company that has grown to be one of the leading international lodging owner-operators. Ascott's portfolio spans more than 200 cities across over 30 countries in Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the USA.

Ascott has more than 78,000 operating units and over 57,000 units under development, making a total of more than 135,000 units in over 800 properties.

The company's serviced apartment, coliving and hotel brands include Ascott The Residence, The Crest Collection, Somerset, Quest, Citadines, lyf, Preference, Vertu, Harris, Citadines Connect, Fox, Yello, Fox Lite and POP!.

Ascott's loyalty programme, Ascott Star Rewards, offers exclusive benefits to its members when they book directly with Ascott for their stays at its participating properties.

Ascott, a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Investment Limited, pioneered Asia Pacific's first international-class serviced apartment with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984. Today, the company boasts over 30 years of industry track record and award-winning brands that enjoy recognition worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.discoverasr.com.

About CapitaLand Investment Limited

Headquartered and listed in Singapore, CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) is a leading global real estate investment manager (REIM) with a strong Asia foothold. As at 31 December 2021, CLI had about S$122.9 billion of real estate assets under management, and about S$86.2 billion of real estate funds under management (FUM) held via six listed real estate investment trusts and business trusts, and 29 private funds across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and USA. Its diversified real estate asset classes cover integrated developments, retail, office, lodging, business parks, industrial, logistics and data centres.

CLI aims to scale its FUM and fee-related earnings through its full stack of investment management and operating capabilities. As the listed investment management business arm of the CapitaLand Group, CLI has access to the development capabilities of and pipeline investment opportunities from CapitaLand's development arm. Being a part of the well-established CapitaLand ecosystem differentiates CLI from other REIMs.

As part of the CapitaLand Group, CLI places sustainability at the core of what it does. As a responsible real estate company, CLI contributes to the environmental and social well-being of the communities where it operates, as it delivers long-term economic value to its stakeholders.

Visit http://www.capitalandinvest.com/ for more information.
OTA Insight today announced it will supply its industry-leading rate intelligence tools to Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel companies. OTA Insight's state-of- the-art tools will be rolled out to the Group's portfolio of 1,400 hotels in 115 countries and territories that includes the following global brands: Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM.

Adriaan Coppens, OTA Insight CEO and founder, said: "We're excited to be collaborating with the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group to help drive smart and profitable pricing and distribution strategies through our unique range of tools. We are proud to welcome another globally recognized name in the hospitality sector to our expanding portfolio and look forward to supporting the Group with its revenue management."

Carlson Rezidor sought out a global solution to support its domestic and international properties to achieve its profitability goals. The partnership will see OTA Insight roll out its best-in- class dashboard technology to help drive the Group's revenue management strategy and provide innovative competitor benchmarking.

Taking a forward-thinking approach to support the strong growth of direct bookings, OTA Insight will also supply the hotels and Carlson Rezidor corporate teams with revolutionary rate parity management tools to enable them to monitor locally targeted OTA promotions and help ensure the best rate is always available on the hotel's website.

Eric De Neef, Global Chief Branding and Commercial Officer, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, added: "OTA Insight is the best fit for Carlson Rezidor Hotel group's revenue management strategy and systems, as it helps us unlock crucial market trends and monitor real-time movement on supply and demand of hotel rooms worldwide. We are excited about this collaboration and believe OTA Insight's progressive business intelligence tools will provide us with the information needed to grow our occupancy and revenue, but also a chance to deliver the best rate (guarantee) for our customers, on our own brand websites."

About Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel companies and includes 1,440 locations in operation and under development with more than 230,000 rooms and a footprint spanning 115 countries and territories. The Carlson Rezidor portfolio includes a powerful set of global brands: Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. Guests can benefit from Club CarlsonSM, a program that redefines hotel rewards with a collection of exceptional benefits, services, and privileges at more than 1,000 hotels worldwide. Over 95,000 people are employed in Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group hotel systems and the company is headquartered in Minneapolis, Singapore, and Brussels. For more information, visit www.carlsonrezidor.com and follow on Twitter @carlsonrezidor.

About OTA Insight

OTA Insight empowers hoteliers to deliver smarter revenue, distribution, and marketing outcomes through its market-leading commercial platform. With live updates, 24/7 support, and highly intuitive and customizable dashboards, OTA Insight integrates with industry tools including hotel property management systems, leading RMS solutions, and data benchmarking providers. OTA Insight's team of international experts supports more than 55,000 properties in 185 countries. Winner of the Best Rate Shopping & Market Intelligence Solution, Parity Management Software, and Business Intelligence categories in the 2021 and 2022 HotelTechAwards, OTA Insight is widely recognised as a leader in hospitality business intelligence.

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Katara Hospitality, the global hotel owner, developer and operator based in Qatar, reinforced its commitment to developing Qatar's next generation of hospitality leaders this week with Chief Executive Officer, Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla delivering a keynote speech at Stenden University Qatar.

Having spent more than 25 years in the hospitality industry, Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla spoke to students about the development Katara Hospitality as well as his own career path at Gulf Hotel in 1991, currently known as Doha Marriott Hotel, to be the Chief Executive Officer of a leading global hospitality company.

Commenting on the occasion, Hamad Abdulla Al Mulla, Chief Executive Officer of Katara Hospitality said: "It gives me great pleasure to speak with young Qataris who are interested in developing their career in the hospitality industry. Our partnership with Stenden University Qatar is just one example of how Katara Hospitality is dedicated to creating a dynamic and effective workforce for Qatar and underlines our commitment to developing future Qatari hospitality leaders."

During the event, which was held in the Stenden University Qatar, Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla shared his personal experience and his vision for the future: "My vision has always been to see Katara Hospitality become one of the world's leading hospitality organisations, leveraging our deep experience to showcase the rich Qatari heritage and Arabian hospitality. We take our role in the creation of a local knowledge economy very seriously and believe there is ample opportunity to grow and develop in this rewarding industry."

Dr. Ivan Ninov, Executive Dean of Stenden University stated: "We at Stenden University Qatar are very privileged to have hosted Mr. Hamad Al Mulla, as he is one of the industry leaders, who have truly inspired and motivated our students. His strong passion for the hospitality industry and his valuable advice for a successful career, were very well received by our students and faculty members."

Earlier this year Stenden University Qatar launched its Keynote Speaker Series where it hosted six leaders from different organisations in Qatar have addressed its students and faculty members.

As the country's flagship hospitality organisation, Katara Hospitality is dedicated to achieving the values and objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030. A part of this is Katara Hospitality's committed to investing in the country's youth by providing unique employment and career opportunities for Qatari Nationals.

Katara Hospitality, previously known as Qatar National Hotels, is a hospitality owner, manager and developer, aiming to become one of the leading hospitality organisations in the world. Our journey has seen us grow steadily at home, then expand across the world, spreading our passion for impeccable standards of service and luxury to the Far East, Africa and throughout Europe. We partner with some of the world's finest hotel brands including The Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Raffles, Marriott, Movenpick and The Burgenstock Selection, while we are also developing our own, home-grown Merweb business hotel brand.

Katara was the ancient name given to our land by the Greek cartologist Claudius Ptolemaeus in the second century. It is a fitting choice for our new name as it is steeped in history, symbolising the deep respect both we, and our neighbouring countries, have for Qatar's rich cultural heritage.
NEW YORK (July 5, 2017)  IVvy Inc.., a global event and hospitality technology company based in Queensland, Australia, today announced the appointment of technology consultants Kathy Misunas and Flo Lugli as U.S. advisors to support its launch in North America.

The company, which recently announced the opening of its New York office, created the first global distribution system for meetings and events, providing real-time availability, rates and inventory for function space, catering, group accommodations and event supplies. IVvy serves over 12,000 users in 13 countries

Misunas, who joins iVvy's Advisory Panel, is cofounder and principal of Essential Ideas, a boutique advisory firm with offices in New York. Lugli, who will serve iVvy as a nonexecutive board member, is principal of Navesink Advisory Group LLC, a strategic business advisory and consulting services firm in Fountain Hills, Arizona,

Lauren Hall, iVvy cofounder and CEO, said Misunas and Lugli will bring "immense global distribution expertise to support our growth in the U.S. and other markets," adding: "We are fortunate to add their experience to our team's capabilities. With their counsel, we look forward to scaling new heights."

Misunas formerly was CEO of AirTreks Inc., based in San Francisco; cofounder, president and CEO of brandwise LLC in New York; and CEO of the former Reed Travel Group in Secaucus, New Jersey, responsible for OAG, Travel Weekly and Weissmann Travel Reports as well as technology, services and marketing units, including TravelNet, Utell International and ABC Corporate Services.

She started her career with American Airlines as a reservations sales agent and advanced through leadership of the various departments of the Marketing Automation Group. She was named an officer of the company and president of the Sabre Travel Information Network in 1988 and appointed president and CEO of The Sabre Group as well as senior vice president and chief information officer of AMR Corp. in 1993.

Misunas served on the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council, is a lifetime member and former trustee of the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, now known as the Travel Institute, and participates in the technology-focused Research Board as an alumni member.

She is a member of the boards of Tech Data Corp. in Clearwater, Florida, and Boingo Wireless in Los Angeles and advises several businesses, councils and academic institutions. She is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

"IVvy has created a dynamic new MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) approach that has already achieved significant progress in aggregating different areas of the hospitality industry into unique platform offerings," she said. "I look forward to engaging with this winning team."

In addition to leading Navesink Advisory Group, Lugli is nonexecutive chairman of Dubai-based Global Hotel Alliance, the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, bringing together 35 hotel brands and more than 550 hotels in 76 countries using a shared technology platform for sales, marketing, distribution, loyalty and customer relationship management services.

From 2009 to 2013, she was executive vice president of marketing for Wyndham Hotel Group in Parsippany, New Jersey. She held multiple executive roles with Travelport, a travel technology and services provider based in Parsippany, from 2001 to 2009.

Lugli was president of Wizcom International, a technology subsidiary of the former Cendant Corporation that provided a technology and distribution platform for the hospitality, car rental and tour industries. She joined Cendant in 1987 and served in various roles, including vice president of worldwide sales & marketing for Cendant Hospitality Division.

Lugli began her career in the travel industry in 1983 as a sales & marketing team leader for the former People Express Airlines, based in Newark, New Jersey.

She serves on the boards of several travel technology start-ups and a business incubation firm that has launched 10 companies. She has volunteered as a member of many hospitality and technology associations and and was recognized as one of the most influential women in hospitality technology by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP),.

Calling iVvy "a leading hospitality technology startup with a strong vision and expansion plan," Lugli noted that the company successfully expanded from its base in Australia to New Zealand, Asia, Europe and now the United States since launching seven years ago.

About iVvy

iVvy's modern, cloud-based Sales and Catering software is revolutionizing the way meeting planners connect with hotels, allowing hotels to display rates and inventory for their meeting space online and facilitate real-time bookings. With enhanced reporting and analytics, hotels are provided with greater visibility over their business so they can yield their group rooms, meetings and event spaces to maximize revenue. To date, iVvy supports more than 25,000 users in 13 countries, with continued expansion under way. For more information, please visit www.ivvy.com.
Chatbots are getting increasingly sophisticated and capable of mimicking human conversation behaviors, but what should these bots aim to do and how can brands deploy a chatbot successfully? The new Are Bots Worth the Bother? Report from EyeforTravel and Travelaer reveals all and is free to download now.

The good news for brands is that the cost of implementing a relatively simple chatbot is not a huge investment and is coming down as more providers move into the space and natural language processing becomes more sophisticated. The cost of implementing a bot typically ranges from EUR15,000 to EUR50,000 according to the report. "These aren't a significant investment for an airline when they're spending hundreds of thousands, if not millions, a year on other digital experience products," says Mike Slone, chief experience officer at Travelaer.

Source: Reuters Events (former EyeforTravel)

However, travel brands need a foundation of data and the resources to monitor, test and support the bot. Without this, there is potential for the bot to go astray. Data is key as brands first need to identify and understand what are the key pain points for customers first and seek to address these, rather than setting objectives beforehand.

For luxury hotel brand Edwardian Hotels they began by creating apps for staff to record notes on guests, service rooms, check breakfast tables and monitor their work schedules. Icelandair started with their social media team and looked through what came up most frequently in their interactions.

In both cases, these brands looked at what their customer-facing staff were being asked most by their customers and then sought to address these queries, freeing up time for their staff to focus on more complex tasks.

"Instead of saying 'we're going to build an acquisition tool', we look at the customer journey, how a customer interfaces with a firm and its existing digital products," he says. "We look for a gap where there's a huge customer need and maybe a chatbot could help. Then we come up with a strategy to apply the chatbot to solve it  that way, we know the chatbots will be much more successful in terms of customer satisfaction and metrics."

Brands then need to monitor their bot and make sure that it is learning from each interaction in the right way. "The first version was built around understanding key words but had difficulties with the difference between: 'what's the luggage allowance for Europe?' and 'I lost my luggage in Europe.' It's a delicate situation to handle a bot telling the customer who has lost his luggage that the luggage allowance is two bags!" Said Gumundur Gunason, director of digital business development for Icelandair.

The results speak for themselves as the brands in the report, which include Skyscanner and KLM, were able to drive bookings, boost ancillary sales and increase customer service. Customers have even been fooled into thinking they are talking to an actual person and leaving TripAdvisor reviews or cash tips for their artificial helpers!

For more on chatbots and to download the report click here and find out:

How market conditions are creating an environment ripe for chatbots.

How many chatbots are deployed with travel brands currently and what level of functionality they have.

How they work, what tasks they can perform, and where their limits are.

What the costs associated with a chatbot are and how it can help your brand save money.

How chatbots can improve customer service.

What effect they are currently having and will have on the travel industry.

To download the full report, please click here: http://1.eyefortravel.com/LP=17415?extsource=pressrelease

About Reuters Events

Reuters Events is a community where the worlds top online travel brands  from hotels to airlines, online travel agents, cruise, car hire firms and more  come to meet to drive forward growth and innovation in the industry.

We know that working in the turbulent online travel industry is as exciting as it is challenging. In this constantly evolving market place, we appreciate that keeping up with the pace of change can be tough, not to mention time consuming. You need the right information, contacts and strategic insight to succeed.

Established in 1997, by Tim Gunstone, we offer a diverse product portfolio including industry analysis, insights, research, webinars, reports and conferences to suit the needs of our clients.

Our clients read as a whos who of online travel. From major hotel brands to new startups, we help our 80,000 strong customer base make better decisions, build better brands, close the most lucrative deals and ultimately sell more of their product. After all, increasing travel brand profit margins in the cutthroat travel industry is the name of the game!

No other online travel intelligence provider has been charting the growth of online travel as long as we have. We were here at the inception of online travel and we know the industry inside out. Whats more, were a small, friendly team. Forget impersonal hierarchies, we like to get to know our customers and work towards their exact needs.

Meredith Pistulka
IVvy Inc.., a global event and hospitality technology company based in Queensland, Australia, today announced the appointment of technology consultants Kathy Misunas and Flo Lugli as U.S. advisors to support its launch in North America.

The company, which recently announced the opening of its New York office, created the first global distribution system for meetings and events, providing real-time availability, rates and inventory for function space, catering, group accommodations and event supplies. IVvy serves over 12,000 users in 13 countries.

Misunas, who joins iVvys Advisory Panel, is cofounder and principal of Essential Ideas, a boutique advisory firm with offices in New York. Lugli, who will serve iVvy as a nonexecutive board member, is principal of Navesink Advisory Group LLC, a strategic business advisory and consulting services firm in Fountain Hills, Arizona.

Lauren Hall, iVvy cofounder and CEO, said Misunas and Lugli will bring immense global distribution expertise to support our growth in the U.S. and other markets, adding: We are fortunate to add their experience to our teams capabilities. With their counsel, we look forward to scaling new heights.

Misunas formerly was CEO of AirTreks Inc., based in San Francisco; cofounder, president and CEO of brandwise LLC in New York; and CEO of the former Reed Travel Group in Secaucus, New Jersey, responsible for OAG, Travel Weekly and Weissmann Travel Reports as well as technology, services and marketing units, including TravelNet, Utell International and ABC Corporate Services.

She started her career with American Airlines as a reservations sales agent and advanced through leadership of the various departments of the Marketing Automation Group. She was named an officer of the company and president of the Sabre Travel Information Network in 1988 and appointed president and CEO of The Sabre Group as well as senior vice president and chief information officer of AMR Corp. in 1993.

Misunas served on the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council, is a lifetime member and former trustee of the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, now known as the Travel Institute, and participates in the technology-focused Research Board as an alumni member.

She is a member of the boards of Tech Data Corp. in Clearwater, Florida, and Boingo Wireless in Los Angeles and advises several businesses, councils and academic institutions. She is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

IVvy has created a dynamic new MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) approach that has already achieved significant progress in aggregating different areas of the hospitality industry into unique platform offerings, she said. I look forward to engaging with this winning team.

In addition to leading Navesink Advisory Group, Lugli is nonexecutive chairman of Dubai-based Global Hotel Alliance, the worlds largest alliance of independent hotel brands, bringing together 35 hotel brands and more than 550 hotels in 76 countries using a shared technology platform for sales, marketing, distribution, loyalty and customer relationship management services.

From 2009 to 2013, she was executive vice president of marketing for Wyndham Hotel Group in Parsippany, New Jersey. She held multiple executive roles with Travelport, a travel technology and services provider based in Parsippany, from 2001 to 2009.

Lugli was president of Wizcom International, a technology subsidiary of the former Cendant Corporation that provided a technology and distribution platform for the hospitality, car rental and tour industries. She joined Cendant in 1987 and served in various roles, including vice president of worldwide sales & marketing for Cendant Hospitality Division.

Lugli began her career in the travel industry in 1983 as a sales & marketing team leader for the former People Express Airlines, based in Newark, New Jersey.

She serves on the boards of several travel technology start-ups and a business incubation firm that has launched 10 companies. She has volunteered as a member of many hospitality and technology associations and and was recognized as one of the most influential women in hospitality technology by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).

Calling iVvy a leading hospitality technology startup with a strong vision and expansion plan, Lugli noted that the company successfully expanded from its base in Australia to New Zealand, Asia, Europe and now the United States since launching seven years ago.

About iVvy

IVvy offers meeting planners the ability to search, compare and book function space, catering and group accommodations online 24/7 by reviewing real-time availability, rates and inventory posted by venue operators, then manage events using an easy-to use, cloud-based platform and custom websites to attract and register attendees and manage their experience.

IVvy provides conference centers, hotels, restaurants and cruise lines with an integrated revenue management and distribution platform to post availability, rates and inventory; manage inquiries and bookings on any device, anywhere; drive inbound revenue; and enhance reporting and visibility.

IVvy serves over 12,000 users in 13 countries including Hyatt, Wyndham Hotel Group, Accor, Choice, Best Western and other leading hospitality groups; Air New Zealand, Voyager, Flight Center and other travel companies; BMW, KFC, Siemens, Rio Tinto, and other major corporations; government offices; associations; universities; and nonprofits.

Click HERE for a high-resolution image of Flo Lugli and HERE for a high-resolution image of Kathy Misunas

CONTACT:

Rich Roberts

RDR PR LLC

717-685-4142

rich@rdrpr.com
Hotels in Cairo recorded a 42.4 per cent year-on-year increase in profit per room this month as the citys hoteliers enjoy a well-earned resurgence in line with the economic recovery of Egypt, according to the latest data from HotStats.

Hotels in Cairo recorded a 42.4 per cent year-on-year increase in profit per room this month as the citys hoteliers enjoy a well-earned resurgence in line with the economic recovery of Egypt, according to the latest data from HotStats.

The Egyptian economy is forecast to be one of the strongest growing in the MENA region in 2017 and has been bolstered by a $12 billion loan from the IMF which has reignited investor confidence.

Whilst room occupancy at hotels in the Egyptian capital plummeted by 8.9 percentage points, to 63.6 per cent this month, this was more than offset by the 72.5 per cent increase in achieved average room rate to $97.51, which fuelled a 51.3 per cent year-on-year RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) increase, to $62.02.

However, although year-on-year growth in Non-Rooms Departments helped drive a TrevPAR (Total Revenue per Available Room) increase of 39.0 per cent this month, the potential profit growth was impacted by cost increases, including Payroll (+36.8 per cent) and Overheads (+30.6 per cent) on a per available room basis.

That said, as a result of the robust top line performance, profit conversion at Cairo hotels remains strong, at 53.3 per cent of total revenue, which is well above the average for the MENA region at 36.7 per cent.

Jeddah Hotels Cut Costs to Drive Profit

Despite recording a 0.7 per cent year-on-year decline in RevPAR this month, cost savings helped hotels in Jeddah achieve a 3.2 per cent uplift in profit per room.

Whilst hotels in the Saudi Arabian resort successfully recorded a 3.0 per cent increase in achieved average room rate this month, to $353.94, this was cancelled out by a 3.0 percentage point decline in room occupancy, to 81.8 per cent.

The resultant drop in RevPAR this month was the ninth consecutive month of year-on-year RevPAR decline for hotels in Jeddah and contributed to the 15.9 per cent drop in this measure for year-to-date 2017.

Declining Non-Rooms Revenues added to the anguish, with a year-on-year drop recorded in Food and Beverage (-3.8 per cent) and Conference and

Banqueting (-19.3 per cent) on a per available room basis, which contributed to the 1.6 per cent fall in TrevPAR, to $438.55.

However, due to cost savings in both Payroll (-7.4 per cent) and Overheads (-3.1 per cent), hotels in Jeddah successfully achieved their first month of year-on-year growth in profit per room in 2017, to $235.96.

Non-Rooms Revenues Prop Up Profit Levels at Riyadh Hotels

Whilst hotels in Riyadh recorded only a 2.7 per cent increase in RevPAR this month, strong growth across Non-Rooms Departments fuelled an uplift in both TrevPAR and GOPPAR for hotels in the Saudi capital.

The growth in RevPAR at hotels in Riyadh was due to an increase in both room occupancy (+1.3 percentage points) and achieved average room rate (+0.6 per cent) and enabled hotels to achieve their first year-on-year increase in RevPAR since the start of 2017.

However, it was in Non-Rooms Revenues where hotels really demonstrated a stand out performance, with significant year-on-year growth recorded in both Food and Beverage (+34.5 per cent) and Conference and Banqueting (+91.7 per cent) revenue on a per available room basis.

The growth in ancillary revenues helped to prop up TrevPAR at hotels in Riyadh, which was recorded at +13.8 per cent, to $252.53.

And thanks to further cost savings, hotels in Riyadh were able to achieve a 29.0 per cent increase in GOPPAR (Gross Operating Profit per Available Room). This is the first time that hotels in the Saudi capital have achieved a year-on-year monthly profit increase for at least 12 months. That said, profit conversion at Riyadh hotels remains robust at 49.4 per cent of total revenue.

Click here ( Adobe Acrobat PDF file) to view full the report.

HotStats provides two reporting tools to hoteliers:

Our unique profit and loss benchmarking service which enables monthly comparison of hotels performance against their competitors. It is distinguished by the fact that it provides in excess of 100 performance metric comparisons covering 70 areas of hotel revenue, cost, profit and statistics providing far deeper insight into the hotel operation than any other tool.

Our latest innovation in daily revenue intelligence, MORSE. Amongst its reporting are daily and highly granular market segmentation metrics as well as distribution channel and source of booking analysis. It takes daily market intelligence to a whole new level.

For more information contact:

Enquiries

+44 (0) 20 7892 2241

enquiries@hotstats.com
Vizergys President, Robert Arnold brings more than ten years experience in the hotel industry and fifteen years experience in e-commerce and Internet marketing. He leads Vizergys sales teams and oversees the strategic growth of Vizergys client base, maximizing e-commerce performance for prominent property management groups, hotels, and resorts. Prior to joining Vizergy, Robert held senior leadership positions with TravelCLICK where he was in charge of several regional sales teams and for managing corporate client portfolios, for major North American hotel brands. Most recently, Robert worked as Vice President, Worldwide Sales for TIG Global, where he was able to focus on business development with property management companies and significant asset management groups, all while restructuring the sales organization.

In our latest Sojern Sit Down, I had the opportunity to speak with Robert about his prior experience in digital travel marketing, the importance of a quality website, and digital marketing strategies. As President of Vizergy, which specializes in online hospitality internet marketing, custom design, and consulting services, Robert offered great insights for both chain and independent hoteliers.

How did you get into the digital travel marketing industry, and what has kept you in it?

I was a hotel operator for about a dozen years. I worked in a variety of operations, sales and marketing, and development roles, and I happened to be the person in the company who was most interested in the internet. That was way back in 1996 as the internet was emerging, and hotels were trying to figure out what to do about it. I became interested and took a lead role with a couple of organizations and eventually made the switch to being a supplier.

What keeps me in this industry is the constant change. Every day, there is something new to learn, something to keep up with, and so many exciting opportunities as hotels become more and more mature in the use of digital. Its fascinating.

How do you apply your past experience and knowledge of the hotel industry to the work you do for hoteliers now?

I focus on the true goals of our customers. They are interested in finding new customers and keeping the ones they have. We approach our business from an asset evaluation standpoint. If we are successful in helping hotels find new customers, we will maximize asset value, and those owners and operators will be Vizergy customers for a long time.

In the past five years, what are the digital hotel marketing trends youve seen, and what do you see as trends in the next five years?

In the past five years, targeted and data-driven display strategies have certainly become more than a trendtheyve become a staple. Ive seen the rise of personalization and the ability to speak intimately with an individual rather than cast a wide net to a lot of people. Another trend is website pathing through personalization to ensure people engage with content that is developed specifically for them. Search is much more competitive than it was five years ago. Over the past three years, with the use of third party data validation, its critical to invest time, energy, and resources specifically into natural search. And thats just to name a few trends.

As far as the next five years, theres a lot of talk about making big data manageable and applying that science to virtually all digital strategies. An example is being able to segment customer profiles and using personalization to create campaign strategies via automation.

One of the goals of Vizergy is to drive website traffic and direct revenue. What is the importance of direct revenue?

Its critical to profitability. The rising cost of distribution and customer acquisition are challenging hotels today. They are battling third parties at very high costs and face the potential loss of customer loyalty. It makes it critical for hoteliers to own their customer, own their guest, and encourage their guest to book direct.

Do you see a link between a quality website and quality traffic? If so, what are your tips for a quality hotel website?

Absolutely. Architecturally, it needs to be search friendly, have rich content that is changeable, and allow for a multitude of views based on the kind of traffic being attracted to the site. And, it needs to be easy to use. One of the reasons hotel websites have lost share and continue to lose share to third parties is because the third parties make it very easy to transact business. Its 1-2 clicks on the path to purchase, while many individual websites are hard to navigate, transact on, and convert with because there is not a very natural browsing path.

Vizergy works with both big chains and smaller independents. How do digital strategies differ between the two?

Primarily with brands, we find ways to augment the investment they make with their brand partner. So, as opposed to competing for traffic, we are creating strategies to cast a wider net beyond the Brand.com website. On the other hand, the independents website has to be the centerpiece of their digital strategy. It needs to be the destination point for any and all campaigns we create and really exist as the online presence for an independent hotel.

What are 1-2 recommendations you have for hoteliers when it comes to their digital strategy?

In 2017, investing is important and cannot be done half-heartedly. Also, dont be afraid to test. As quickly as things are changing, its important that either the hotel or the hotels provider is pushing the envelope to see what works and how they can maximize their efforts.

Be comfortable with switching dollars from offline initiatives to online initiatives. We still use the term digital marketing, but I would suggest weve gotten to the point that digital marketing is in fact marketing. Its where the lions share of travel marketing spend is today, and we really need to let go of some of the age-old traditional hotel offline marketing.

Where have you traveled to that you really enjoyed, and where is one place you still want to go?

There are a number of places Ive been to that I enjoyed, but most recently I was in Moscow. I was absolutely smitten by the warmth of the people and their interest in me as an American. I still have not traveled to the Asia-Pacific region, and I would really like to visit China. Thats on my bucket list.

About Marissa Rasmussen

Marissa is Sojern's Content Marketing Associate. Indulging in her inner bookworm, watching HGTV, and playing with her puggle, Charlie, are among some of her favorite hobbies. Although she loves both, she prefers the beach over the mountains.
Hilton Niamey to Open 2019 in Niger

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) will welcome its first guests in Niger in 2019 after signing a management agreement with Niamey Hotel & Suites Niger Ltd for a 142 guestroom property in its capital city of Niamey.

Hilton Niamey will become the first hotel to open in Niger under an international brand and will operate under Hilton's flagship upper upscale Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand. The West African country will join 103 in which Hilton operates globally with the company having recently added a presence in neighboring Chad through 2016's opening of Hilton N'Djamena.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, EMEA Hilton said: "2019 will mark our fiftieth year of operating in Sub-Saharan Africa. We have long been champions of the continent's potential and we continue to lead the way in developing within new markets as we are doing in Niger. It will be fitting to welcome our first guests here during what is set to be a landmark year for the company as a whole."

Construction is already underway at a centrally located site in Niamey on Rue des Oasis, which will allow guests easy access to the administrative hub of the city with many embassies and government buildings located on or around this main road. The property will take the form a new build nine-story tower block and the 142 guest rooms include a total of 10 suites and a Presidential Suite. Four dining outlets will also be located on site along with modern business and fitness facilities.

Danjuma Ibrahim of Niamey Hotel & Suites Niger Ltd said: "It is a great honour for us to be bringing the world renowned Hilton brand to Niger for the very first time. Hilton Niamey will be constructed in line with the world class standards of accommodation guests around the globe expect from a brand such as Hilton and will become a standout location for travelers visiting the city and indeed for local citizens as a venue for meetings and events."

Hilton Niamey will be located at Rue des Oasis, Deizeibon, Niamey, Niger
Mantra Epping Hotel Melbourne Announced for 2019

Located right near Melbournes new wholesale fruit, vegetable and cut flower market and The Northern Hospital, construction is due to start in the latter part of 2017 with opening scheduled for mid-2019.

One of Greater Melbourne's fastest growing areas will benefit from a $70 million hotel development that will service the rapid increase of activity in Melbourne's booming northern suburbs.

Epping will be the site of the 214-room hotel that is being designed to capitalise on both the history of the northern suburbs and the unique attributes of Epping today.

Located right near Melbourne's new wholesale fruit, vegetable and cut flower market and The Northern Hospital, construction is due to start in the latter part of 2017 with opening scheduled for mid-2019.

The hotel is being developed by Too Build and will be operated by Mantra Group.

Operating as Mantra Epping Hotel, it will feature both hotel rooms and apartments, a cafe/restaurant, brewhouse, conference and meeting facilities, gymnasium, and an open car park containing 143 marked bays and secure bicycle storage.

Occupying a prime corner position at 250 Cooper Street within the prestigious Northpoint Enterprise Park at Epping, Melbourne's fastest growing expansion corridor just 18km north of the CBD, the four-star, two-wing hotel has been designed by leading architect Peddle Thorp and Bruce Henderson Interiors.

One of Australia's largest construction companies, Hacer Group, has been engaged to complete the project build, creating an expected 300 construction jobs.

Mantra Group Chief Executive Officer Bob East said the Group is thrilled to operate this new-build hotel under a hotel management agreement.

"This acquisition comes at an opportune time in the Australian hotel market, with hotels in Melbourne and surrounds experiencing substantial uplift in demand in recent years," said Mr East.

"This strong performance is set to continue with further domestic and international visitation uplift forecasted for the greater Melbourne market.

"Mantra Epping Hotel will complement our extensive Melbourne portfolio and reaffirms our strategy of securing desirable new properties in Australian capital city metropolitan markets.

"With its strong and varied accommodation demand drivers, we're confident this hotel will provide a market-leading hotel offering, well positioned to become the region's premier corporate, meetings and leisure hotel."

Too Build Chief Executive Officer Ian Wilson said the project is perfectly timed to accommodate the next stage of growth for Epping.

"What's exciting to me is to create something I know the local community  traders and residents alike  will really want to spend time in whether they have guests staying at the hotel or not. Mantra Epping Hotel will become a proud part of the local community and a favourite meeting spot," said Mr Wilson.

"Mantra Epping Hotel is surrounded by an array of retail shops, showrooms, business and industrial premises, plus The Northern Hospital and the newly relocated Melbourne Market are both situated nearby, which will all provide important business opportunities for the property."

Epping is located within the City of Whittlesea, one of the largest municipalities in metropolitan Melbourne covering an area of approximately 489 square kilometres.
Jumeirah Group has announced a number of new appointments.

Hakan Petek, a Turkish-British national joins Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on Palm Jumeirah as the new General Manager. Petek will be responsible for building on the success and reputation of the award-winning resort, taking over from the current General Manager Fernando Gibaja, who has moved on after two successful years.

Hakan joined Jumeirah in June 2010 as Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait. He was a key player in the pre-opening of the hotel as well as a member of the Executive Committee.

With over 27 years' experience in the hotel industry, his career highlights include eight hotel openings across several five-star luxury brand properties in Turkey: Dedeman and the Sheraton in Antalya, Conrad in Istanbul, Swissotel in Istanbul and Izmir, as well as Raffles Browns and Guoman Hotel both in London.

Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai has appointed Violet Wang as the new Director of Marketing & Communications. Violet Wang joined the hotel in June 2017 from InterContinental Hotels Group. In this role, Violet was responsible for the brand marketing communications of Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo and led the marketing activities at hotel property level.

Before IHG, Violet honed her skills working for creative agencies and was responsible for marketing projects of several high-end brands such as Land Rover and Porsche in Shanghai and Hong Kong markets. Violet graduated from Shanghai Fudan University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, and received her Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong.

Jumeirah Vittaveli in the Maldives has appointed Christopher Baker as the resort's new Resident Manager. An experienced hospitality professional, Christopher brings strong leadership and management skills to his new role.

He first joined the Jumeirah Group early on in his career, for the opening of Jumeirah Beach Hotel and joins Jumeirah Vittaveli with excellent knowledge of the brand. Christopher has filled managerial positions for a number of hospitality companies including Rosewood, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels, and Emirates Hotels & Resorts, in countries including Vietnam, UAE, Jordan, India and the UK.

Originally from the UK, Christopher studied at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism, & Creative Studies, and started his managerial career as Head Chef at Oliver's Restaurant, located in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Christopher joins General Manager Amit Majumder and his team at Jumeirah Vittaveli, an award-winning luxury island resort, situated only 20-minutes from the capital of Male.
5 Common Mistakes Made By HR Managers When Dealing With Employees

Posted by Melissa Thompson on Wednesday, 07-05-2017 4:55 pm

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Its common to hear human resource managers complaining about their best employees - but this practice is damaging, as its costly and disruptive to see good people walking out your door. The sad thing is that it can easily be avoided. You just need to think properly about how you treat them. According to Layne Davlin, CEO of Einstein HR, While good employees can sometimes be hard to deal with, their talent gives them a lot of options. Therefore, you have to make them want to work for you. If you can keep their loyalty, youll keep them around for a long time. First, we need to understand the five most common things that human resource managers do which send good employees packing. 1. They Overwork People Nothing hurts good employees like overworking them. Its so tempting to overwork your best people that human resource managers frequently fall into this trap. But overworking employees not only make them feel as if they are being punished for excellent performance, its also co...

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Reputation Institute Accelerating Growth and Investment in Italy with the Appointment of Stefano Cini as Managing Director

Posted by Press Releases on Wednesday, 07-05-2017 6:59 am

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Deep Investments by the Global Leader in the Science of Reputation Winning Key Clients in Italy.Reputation Institute continues to build upon overall global growth and investments, announcing the appointment of Stefano Cini to the leadership team in Italy, further extending the organizations global presence and research expertise founded on the deepest normative reputation database worldwide.Stefano Cinis appointment as Managing Director of Reputation Institute Italy builds on Reputation Institutes client-centric focus, extending upon Stefanos professional expertise and close relationship to clients where he was previously the Director in charge of Client Relationship, Consulting Activities and Data/Insight Integration for the Italian Market. Stefanos multi-client experience brings significant expertise in FMCG and Media markets in support of manufacturers (Nestl, Barilla, Lavazza, Mdlz, Cameo, P&G, BDF, Fater, LOreal, RB, Heineken and more), retailers (Esselunga, Coop, Conad...

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We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
New Delhi, Jul 5 (IBNS): The two-day 10th India-Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee (TEJC) meeting concluded in New Delhi on Wednesday under the co-chairs of Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry and Yarub Qudah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

On this occasion, the two countries emphasized the need for diversification of bilateral trade and deepening their engagements for greater cooperation in investment sector.

During the TEJC meeting, the two sides also reaffirmed their mutual interest and discussed the roadmap for cooperation in various fields such as Fertilizer Sector, Customs, Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, Visa and Consular issues, Health and Pharmaceuticals, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Maritime Transport, Rail Transport, and Air Transport, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Smart Grid development, Information Technology, Higher Education and Vocational Training, Agriculture sector etc.

The two leaders also inked the revised Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement between India and Jordan, aiming at boosting and diversifying bilateral trade relations, in addition to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation based on the principle of equity, non-discrimination.

On the sidelines of the TEJC, business federations from both sides also met and discussed the roadmap for promotion of trade and investment through B2B mechanism.

Image: PIB
New Delhi, Jul 5 (IBNS): The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), on Wednesday, entered into an agreement with the public and private sector banks for Multiple Banking System for EPFO contribution and payments, in New Delhi.

Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment was present at the signing.

Collections of EPF dues have been started with PNB, Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank, Union Bank of India in addition to State Bank of India through direct online mode, the Ministry of Labour & Employment said in a release.

Now, EPFO has signed agreement with another five banks viz. Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank for collection of remittances and payments to beneficiaries, at zero transaction charges.

It will facilitate all the stakeholders of EPFO by allowing the employers to deposit their EPF dues in a hassle-free, anywhere, anytime manner and PF members by direct payments of their bank accounts, the ministry said.

Consequent upon signing of agreement, the employers having bank account with these banks may deposit EPF dues directly in EPFOs account using internet banking on real time basis instead of going through the aggregator mode.

The minister said, "EPFO is one of the largest social security providers with a corpus of rupees twelve lakh crore. It has a contributing membership of 4.5 crore and about 20 crore accounts are serviced by EPFO. EPFO collects around rupees seventy-five thousand crores annually from the establishments covered under the Act. EPFO settles about 1.16 crore claims in a year and disburses about fifty-four thousand crore annually."

Image: PIB
Beijing/New Delhi, Jul 5 (IBNS): A meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education was held on Wednesday at Beijing, China, where the Indian delegation was led by Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Human Resource Development.

Delegation of all the five BRICS countries participated in the two-day deliberations.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Prakash Javadekar thanked China for hosting the meeting in Beijing.

He said that Education, being the universal good, empowers everybody. It will set the tone for the world of the future. Education is a universal, apolitical agenda. Its not negotiation, but cooperation all the way. So, increased cooperation in education is the need of the hour.



He appreciated the creation of institutional mechanism in the form of BRICS Network University and BRICS Think Tank Council.

BRICS Network University, where 12 universities from each of the 5 countries will engage with each other in education research and innovation, is another commendable initiative, he said.

Five areas of cooperation are prioritised which are Communication and IT, Economics, Climate Change, Water Resources and Pollution, and BRICS study. India will participate whole-heartedly in all these cooperative efforts, the Minister said.

Minister Javadekar highlighted some of the initiatives of the central government in the field of education.

He specifically spoke about the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) which provides a relative ranking of Indian institutions, Indias indigenous MOOCs platform, SWAYAM, which has already hosted over 480 courses online and, this year, plans to host 2000 courses and GIAN (Global Initiative for Academics Network) under which 600 professors from 62 countries have already conducted their courses in India.

"This year, we expect to receive another 800 faculty from across the world," the Minister said.

The Minister spoke about Indias research initiative, IMPRINT, which identifies priority areas for research for India, National Digital Library, which provides over 7.2 million online resources free of cost and is ever expanding National Academic Depository (NAD), Smart India Hackathon, which involved over 40,000 students in solving over 300 problems received from various sources.

Delegations from other BRICS Member states, similarly, spoke about education systems of their countries, initiatives taken by them and identifying the areas of future cooperation among BRICS Member States.

There were deliberations on the Beijing Declaration on Education which was discussed thereafter in the Senior Officials Meetings held a day before on Tuesday.

Beijing Declaration identifies some specific activities to deepen the cooperation among the BRICS Member States, encompassing the entire spectrum of education from school and higher education to vocational and technical education.

Before the meeting of Education Ministers, an international conference of Vice-Chancellors of the Universities participating in the BRICS Network University (BRICS-NU), meeting of International Governing Board (IGB) of BRICS-NU and meetings of International Thematic Group (ITGs) of BRICS-NU were held in Zhengzhou, China on July 1-3, 2017.

During the meeting, the participating countries signed the Regulation for the IGB and the statutes for the ITGs, thus completing the structure of the BRICS-NU.

At the conclusion of the BRICS Education Ministers meeting, a bilateral meeting was also held between the Minister of Human Resource Development, India and the Education Minister of China, Chen Baosheng when bilateral cooperation between India and China was discussed.



Images: PIB


Mumbai, July 05 (IBNS): Shiro, the pan Asian resto - bar, brings a Dim sum Festival starting July 7 in Mumbai.

Dim sum lovers can relish in the flavors of the Orient throughout the monsoon with a hot steaming dim sum line up till Aug 31.

Feast on exotic signature preparations like Spicy Broccoli and Water chestnut Dumplings, Mushroom and Cream Cheese Dumplings with Truffle Broth, Hoisin Duck Dumplings, Chicken Pearl Dumplings, Curried Prawns Gua Bao Dumpling, Edamame & Truffle Dumpling, paired with lip tantalizing cocktails.

The Festivals extensive menu has vegetarian, non vegetarian as well as vegan dim sums, which are available in sharing baskets with choices of four, six and nine variants.
New Delhi, Jul 5 (IBNS): As the standoff between the Indian and Chinese military continues, the latter's state run media has warned the former of greater loss than that of 1962 if war breaks out now, media reports said.

Global Times has accused India of 'acting shamelessly before the international community," stating that it managed to anger Chinese civilians with its provocation.

The state-run media has also accused India of misleading Bhutan into joining its cause.

A week earlier, India's Defence Minister Arun Jaitley refuted all claims and had told the media that if China is to wage a war the result will be very different as the 'India of 2017 is very different than India of 1962'.

Taking a jab at Jaitley, an editorial in Global Times read, "Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 - India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts."

The editorial also slammed Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat's claim that India is ready for a 'two-and-a-half front war'.

"If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area, and it's ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power,' the editorial read.

The standoff started following a violation by the Chinese government, who started building a road in the Dongland area of Sikkim Sector.

The action is a violation of a 2012 agreement between New Delhi and Beijing.

"We firmly believe that the face-off in the Donglang area will end up with the Indian troops in retreat. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers," the editorial read, adding, "This time, we must teach New Delhi a bitter lesson."




Guwahati, July 5 (IBNS): Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal met Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs of Singapore Dr. Maliki Osman and Singapore's High Commissioner to India Lim Thuan Kuan on the sidelines of Delhi Dialogue 9 late on Tuesday evening and discussed gamut of issues of mutual interest.

In the meeting that lasted for 30 minutes, Sonowal urged the Singapore Senior Minister for exploring opportunities of business and economic activities between Assam and Singapore.

Osman also responded by saying that he would visit the State between July 18 to July 21 next for identifying potential areas of cooperation in near future.

Osman said the purpose of his visit is aimed at setting up of a Skill Development Centre in Guwahati for imparting skilled training to the youth to equip them for different avocations.

The youth constitutes rich human resources and their energies must be channelized to usher in economic prosperity, said he.

Pointing out to the potential sectors like infrastructure development, tourism, oil and natural gas exploration and IT where Assam and Singapore can join hands to reap economic benefits, Sonowal urged the Singapore Senior Minister to provide technical knowhow and expertise to develop Guwahati as an IT hub.

The Assam CM also pleaded for opening a Singapore Consulate in the city which would be immensely beneficial for the people of the region seeking opportunities in Singapore.

Sonowal also urged the Senior Minister for starting direct flights between Guwahati and Singapore that would serve the population in Northeast region wanting to travel to Singapore.

Osman has assured that ground assessment would be conducted for starting flights on this route by roping in private players and, if found economically viable, flights would operate accordingly.

Harping on a verdant Assam, Sonowal said his Government will go in for massive plantation of 100 million trees and work relentlessly towards making the State an organic hub as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Our thrust is to usher in economic development without disturbing the ecological balance, Sonowal said.

Appreciating the slew of Go Green initiatives of the Chief Minister, the senior Minister said this has been necessitated against the backdrop of climate change fast taking place across the globe.

The Assam CM further said that the Government has all along given added thrust to agriculture, horticulture and floriculture sectors with a view to doubling the income of the farmers in the next couple of years.

Dwelling at length on the rich natural, mineral and human resources of Assam, Sonowal said the State with its rich reservoir of oilfields boasts of the worlds oldest refinery at Digboi.

Stressing on the importance of food security, the Senior Minister pointed out that Singapore with its limited landmass imports 90 per cent of its food products.

Osman said Assam unlike Singapore has been fortunate enough to have been blessed with natures bounty and rich fertile land.

Stating that the state government has been giving importance to bamboo-based and food processing industries with a Mega Food Park also coming up in the State in which Assam and Singapore can mutually benefit, Sonowal stated that the dredging of the Brahmaputra river would open newer vistas of water navigation in the State, thus opening up new trade and business opportunities.

Osman said that he was keenly looking forward to his maiden visit to Assam which offers new collaborative opportunities on many fronts and invited Sonowal to visit Singapore to explore the possibilities of tie-ups in the near future.

Chief Secretary V.K. Pipersenia, Secretary, Act East Policy Affairs Department, Moloy Bora and other senior officials were present in the meeting.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)


Bengaluru, July 5 (IBNS): President Pranab Mukherjee addressed the annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that it was his privilege to preside over the annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, which is a premier institution for advanced scientific education and research in the country.

He congratulated all the graduating students on their success and said that he considers convocation as a landmark day in the life of students, teachers and their parents. "It was a culmination of their years of hard work and dedicated efforts," Mukherjee said.

The President said that the Indian Institute of Science, established in the year 1909, was the result of a visionary public-private partnership between Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Maharaja of Mysore and the Government of India.

"Over the last 108 years of its fruitful existence, the Institute has laid balanced emphasis on the pursuit of basic knowledge in science and engineering, as well as on the application of its research findings for industrial and social benefit. He stated that it was worth mentioning that Prof. J.C. Ghosh, the Director of IISc in the forties, who is credited with the setting up of several engineering departments in IISc, became the founding Director of the first IIT at Kharagpur," said he.

The President said that many alumni and faculty of IISc have played and continue to play a strong role in leading national science and technology institutions and in various advisory or administrative roles in the government.

He was happy that IISc has consistently maintained its reputation of being Indias premier institute of higher education and research. Its academic stature as Indias best university has been confirmed by the National Institutional Rankings Framework in both 2016 and 2017. It is also recognized globally, having been ranked amongst the top 200 universities in the QS International Rankings.

Mukherjee said that to his mind, a key ingredient that has contributed to its success is the quality and the number of its faculty members, one that has steadily been increasing in the last few years.

He was informed that of the 4,000 students in its campus, over 2,500 are pursuing doctoral degrees. Of its 40 departments and centres, 18 are dedicated to science, 13 to engineering, and the remaining to inter-disciplinary research.

The President said that the higher education sector in India has seen massive expansion.

"The number of universities has increased to 760 and the number of colleges to 38,500. Such expansion has led to better access. However, it has thrown open some challenges like resource constraints and lack of availability of quality teachers," Mukherjee noted.

To his mind, an inspired teacher is one who ignites young minds and raises their latent curiosity.

The President said that if our institutions have to become world-class, they will have to adopt best practices in their academic management. They will have to move relentlessly in the direction of excellence in whatever they do.

"The spheres of intervention are many. For one, our institutions have to provide the best of amenities to their academic community. State-of-the-art laboratories will enable quality experiments. Good classrooms including well-stocked libraries will offer students an enriched learning environment," said he.

The President said that our centres of higher learning have to develop their social connect.

"There is need to instill in the students a sensitivity that will inspire them to search for solutions to vexed socio-economic problems," said Mukherjee.

He said that it was important to remember that by 2030 India will have a huge population comprising of youth. "This would be an opportunity to capture the world market. However, this demographic dividend could convert into demographic liability if we do not provide necessary skills to our youth," he noted.

He said that he wanted that bright minds in India should engage themselves in basic research.

The onus is on the institutions to produce men and women of substance and character, not merely competent professionals."

He expressed hope that the students of IISc who got their degrees today will contribute handsomely to our nation.
Kolkata, Jul 5 (IBNS): In a major development in its ongoing probe into a money laundering case in the Narada sting, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday served notices to three influential leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC), sources said.

According to sources, Kolkata Mayor and state fire minister Sovan Chatterjee, deputy mayor of Kolkata and TMC MLA Iqbal Ahmed and Trinamool MP from Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency, Sultan Ahmed, have been asked to appear at ED's office in Kolkata next week for interrogation.

An ED official said that Sovan Chatterjee, Sultan Ahmed and Iqbal Ahmed have been asked visit ED office at CGO Complex in Kolkata's Salt Lake area on next Monday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

However, no reaction has been received from the three leaders of West Bengal's ruling party so far.

Earlier on Monday, Sultan Ahmed was grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for more than seven hours in connection with the same case.

Since Mar 14 last year, news portal- Narada News- released several sting operation footage, where TMC's leaders, ministers, MPs and MLAs were exposed while allegedly taking bribes.

From the beginning, TMC leaderships had claimed that the sting footage was doctored and conspiracy of oppositions.

After getting direction from the Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court, the CBI has started probe into the case.

Earlier on April 17, the investigation agency registered an FIR in connection with the case under several non-bailable sections against 12 influential leaders, cabinet ministers, MLAs and MPs of TMC and one senior IPS officer, who were seen taking bribes in the sting footage, reports said.

Besides CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has registered a money laundering case in Narada sting.



(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
New York, July 4(Just Earth News): Access, funding and security are urgently needed to ensure humanitarians can reach hundreds of thousands of children suffering from cholera and diarrhoea across Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Sudan, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said.

On top of these diseases, rising rates of malnutrition in these countries could be deadly for children, Christophe Boulierac, a spokesperson for the UN agency, said at a regular news briefing in Geneva.

Access, funding and security are needed in the four countries so that UNICEF and our partners can reach children with an integrated response that deal simultaneously with both malnutrition and disease prevention treatment, he added.

According to the UNICEF spokesperson, Yemen is presently the worst cholera outbreak in the world with over 260,000 suspected cases and over 1,600 deaths. Of these, half the suspected cases and a quarter of the deaths are among children.

Furthermore, the situation of South Sudan is equally worrying. The current cholera outbreak in the country, which started in June last year, has for the first time lasted through the entire dry season and there are fears that it could worsen as the new rainy season progresses.

About 6,870 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in South Sudan so far this year, informed Boulierac, noting that children and teenagers accounted for about 51 per cent of the cases.

On top of this, about 1.1 million are malnourished in the country and almost 290,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

In Somalia, there are about 53,000 cases of cholera (three times more than in 2016 and ten times more than in 2015) and some 1.4 million children are feared to be malnourished, 275,000 of them severely malnourished, the UN spokesperson added.

Furthermore, in Sudan, over 20,000 suspected cases of acute water diarrhoea, with over 400 deaths, had been recorded.

Over 20 per cent of the affected population are children, he noted.

Response in midst of daunting challenges

In their response, UN agencies, including UNICEF as well as humanitarian partners have stepped up their efforts but face considerable challenges.

In Yemen, UNICEF delivered a total of 36 tons of life saving medical and water purification supplies to Yemen on board chartered aircrafts. However, with limited access and a national health system ravaged by conflict, there are significant challenges reaching those in need.

Similarly, access is a major obstacle in Sudan where the most affected areas lack safe water and proper sanitation. In the country, UNICEF is also in urgent need of some $22 million to provide life-saving interventions to over 100,000 children.

As part of its programmes, UNICEF along with partners is providing therapeutic and life-saving food treatment to severely malnourished children South Sudan (200,000), Somalia (200,000) and Yemen (320,000). The UN agency is also restoring and equipping health facilities, developing medical and nutritional supply pipelines and providing clean and safe water to vulnerable children and families.

Photo: UNICEF/Hatcher-Moore
Lifestyle Restaurant Review: Daw Shan Ma

Daw Shan Mas Peanut Tofu Nway and Inle Hinn Htoke. / Chan Son / The Irrawaddy

Opened last month, Daw Shan Ma is proving a popular local haunt serving up hearty and authentic Shan State street fare in a snazzy fast-food setting.

The clean bright restaurant with an open kitchen was opened by partners Ma Su Su Htwe and Jessica Spanton on the far eastern end of Bogyoke Road in a quiet Pazundaung Township neighborhood.

The menu features family recipes from across the state as well as a number of innovative items.

Shan drums and gongs adorn one side of the restaurant, while on the other are photographs of the region (some taken by Jessica) and some Shan-language graffiti that reads welcome.

Su Su, a native of Taunggyi, told The Irrawaddy she wanted Daw Shan Ma to fill the gap between dubious quality street side Shan noodle stalls and upmarket restaurants.

I wanted Daw Shan Ma to serve good Shan food, in a clean, modern setting, but stay true to the flavors and street-food style of an Aunty making it right in front of you, she said.

The most popular dish on the menu, according to Jessica, is the classic Shan Noodles served with chicken, pork, or vegetables. Key to the dishes authenticity and full flavor are the restaurants sourcing of some ingredients from Shan State.

Those characteristically springy noodles are imported from Taunggyi, though the pair did toy with the idea of using their own noodle maker.

The restaurants Hinn Htoke (chicken and spring onions steamed in banana leaf) is made using ingredients sourced from Inle Lake in southwestern Shan State. The local moe kha spring onions are particularly important, according to Su Su, as they have a very different flavor to the Yangon variety.

Peanut Tofu Nway is another of the restaurants specialties. Su Su came across the recipe in Kengtung when she was learning how to make Tofu Nway from her aunt. Its silky, rich, creamyperfect for a wet Yangon day. The chicken curry and coconut rice is another favorite family recipe.

The highlight of a concise drinks menu of Burmese teas, wine, beer, and Milo is the salted plum juicea refreshing medley of the tart, the sweet, and the salty.

The Shan sticky rice burger is the restaurants most intrepid item. Inspired by something the restaurant owners had in northern Thailand, a pork patty is infused with traditional spices of Shan sausageslemongrass, Shan coriander, and mintbefore being sandwiched between sticky rice buns.
Asia Myanmar Migrants Turn Work Permits into Fashion Statement

Myanmar people with legal documentation allowing them to live and work in Thailand have posted photos of themselves modeling the required documents. / Ye Win / Facebook

CHIANG RAI, Thailand  Although Thailands new decree on foreign labor has scared many migrant workers back to their homeland, other Myanmar people with legal documentation allowing them to live and work in Thailand have apparently welcomed the new regulationsby posting photos of themselves modeling the required documents.

Several people from Tachileik, the border town in Shan State across the river from Mae Sai in Thailands Chiang Rai province, shared their pictures on Facebookperhaps starting a new fashion trend of document necklacesstringing together their passports, ID cards and employment documents. One posted a video of herself flaunting the documents in a dance routine.

Pakaimas Vierra, vice chairperson of the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce, said on Tuesday that few Myanmar workers had been obliged to return to their homeland through Mae Sai because Chiang Rai immigration police had effectively enforced regulations in the past, and there were few factories in the province.

Unlike provinces on the western border such as Tak, she added, there were no large cities on Myanmar soil across the border from Chiang Rai.

Only 44 Myanmar people left Thailand through Chiang Rais Mae Sai border crossing on Saturday, and 14 others did so on Sunday.

Labor authorities earlier said about 30,000 migrant workers had left Thailand through permanent border checkpoints nationwide since June 23, when the new executive decree on foreign workers took effect, with a fine of up to 800,000 baht (USD$23,500) per case of illegal employment.

As the decree caused employers to lay off many illegal migrant workers, and workers themselves were seriously worried about penalties including imprisonment of up to five years, the National Council for Peace and Order decided on Tuesday to delay the enforcement of the decree until the end of this year.
Burma Cash Donations Rising for Myanmar Pagodas: Religion Minister

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Cash donations by pilgrims and visitors to famous pagodas in Myanmar have risen over the past year, according to the Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Aung Ko.

The ministry issued a statement in late June, detailing its achievements since 2016. The previous government handed more than 58 billion kyats and US$14.8 million over to the new administration, it said, as funds for Shwedagon Pagoda.

The ministry then reformed the pagodas board of trustees, and within the following financial year, which started on April 1, 2016 and ended on May 31, the pagoda received more than 2 billion kyats and $100,000 in donations.

The ministry also saw an increase of more than 3 billion kyats each in donations to Mon States Kyaiktiyo and Mandalays Maha Myat Muni pagodas after forming new boards of trustees at the two sites, according to the statement.

We have saved the cash donations from Shwedagon Pagoda at the Myanmar Economic Bank, and the bank has difficulties paying the interest monthly. So, we bought 12-year treasury bonds with that money. We will get the money along with interest after 12 years, the minister told reporters at a full meeting of the state Buddhist authority State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, popularly known by the Burmese language acronym Ma Ha Na on Monday in Yangon.

The ministry also manages contracts of services provided for the famous pagodas, such as parking and accommodation facilities, as well as overseeing other aspects of running the pagodas, said the statement.

For example, money donated into the donation box for electricity can only be used for lighting the pagoda. Money donated for gilding can only be used for that purpose, but not on other things, said the minister.

The culture ministry is preparing to nominate Shwedagon Pagoda for UNESCOs list of culturally significant sites in 2019 after Bagan and Rakhine States Mrauk U.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Gen Aung Sans Secretariat Office to be Restored, Open to Public on Martyrs Day

The Secretariat building in Yangon, currently being prepared for the upcoming Martyrs Day commemoration. / Chan Son / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  For the first time in decades, visitors to Yangons Secretariat building on Martyrs Day will get a glimpse as to how Gen Aung Sans office once looked just before the independence hero and his Cabinet were assassinated there 70 years ago.

The Cabinet meeting room inside the western wing of the complex was in use by various administrations since 1905 and served as Gen Aung Sans office. The assassins gunned down him, seven of his Cabinet members, and a bodyguard in that space during a meeting on July 19 in 1947, shortly before the country became a free republic. The date continues to be marked annually as Martyrs Day.

The room, once filled with meeting tables and chairs for politicians, has changed much over seven decades. It has been converted into a prayer hall with a Buddhist shrine.

Ma May Thadar Win, a spokesperson of Secretariat Conservation Group, told reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday that the furniture that was in the room during the time of the assassination will be placed exactly as it was during the tragic event in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Martyrs Day.

Later, we will renovate the room to make it the same as it was in 1947. The family members of the deceased martyrs also agreed to this, she added.

The furniture, which has never been on display in public and has been kept by the National Museum, will be loaned for one day to the Secretariat for public display.

On the occasion, Ma May Thadar Win said visitors will also be able to see the interior of the partially restored first parliament house, located within the Secretariat compound. It housed the nations legislature from 1935 until 1962. Its grounds hosted the ceremony ushering in Myanmars independence on January 4, 1948, when the Burmese flag was raised for the first time in front of the parliament house.

The Secretariat was opened to the public for the first time on Martyrs Day in 2014, and remains closed for the rest of the year.

In the past, the public has not been allowed to see the room where Gen Aung San and his comrades were assassinated, and access was also limited regarding the parliament house.

An art exhibition will be held for the first time in the Secretariat as well, where 40 paintings by students aged 10 to 14 will be on display, Ma May Thadar Win said.

The Secretariat will be open to the public from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on July 19.
Burma Locals Flee as Chindwin River Swells

Severe flooding in Kawlinn town in Sagaing Region during the 2015 monsoon season. / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY  Dozens of people living along a stretch of the Chindwin River in Sagaing Division moved to higher ground on Tuesday as heavy rains caused the river to swell.

Residents from some 20 homes in villages Aung Thar, Tharsi and Siphyugone, Khamti Township, sought shelter at the Mya Thein Tan monastery, located uphill in the township, as the water level approached the danger mark.

We are taking a lot of heavy rain, said U Aung San Myint, a resident of Khamti. Local authorities issued a warning for possible flooding and the locals living on the lowland are getting ready to move up to shelters on higher ground.

Vendors in Khamti town were preparing to close Myo Ma market as the water was close to breaching the banks nearby, according to locals.

Flooding forced the closure of a middle school in Sagaings Homalin Township and nine primary schools in the surrounding villages, and damaged 30 households, according to the local administration office.

We are preparing everything in anticipation for more floods. There are groups monitoring the water level as well, said a local administrative officer from Homalin Township.

Locals said the floods last year were more severe but added that they were readying supplies and plans if the water level rises.

The Meteorology Department in Naypyidaw on Wednesday reported the water level of the Chindwin River had passed the danger mark in Homalin Township and is set to increase over the next two days.
Burma Officer in Mon State Parliament Investigated for Allegedly Soliciting Bribes

Mon State Parliament. / Hintharnee / The Irrawaddy

MOULMEIN, Mon State  An investigation is being carried out in response to allegations that a staff officer of the Mon State Parliament has collected 300,000 kyats (US$220) from each new recruit, the speaker and deputy speaker of the parliament have confirmed.

The new recruits did not bribe the officer for their appointments. We had already appointed them but the officer asked them for money after the fact, said the speaker.

I heard the allegations on Saturday. Ill investigate to find the truth, Mon State Parliament Speaker Daw Tin Ei told The Irrawaddy.

The staff officer who allegedly received money from the new recruits was originally from Mon States General Administration Department and was to return to his original position this month. The move will be suspended while the investigation is ongoing, said the speaker.

We appointed them on Friday and heard that a staff officer then asked for 300,000 kyats each on the pretext of paying respects [with gifts] to the [parliamentary] speaker, deputy speaker, and directors, said Mon State Parliament Deputy Speaker Dr. Aung Naing Oo.

I met the new recruits on Sunday. Five of them said the officer told them that they had become permanent staff and would now be paid until they were 60 so should give two months salary to show gratitude, Dr. Aung Naing Oo told The Irrawaddy.

The Mon State Parliament posted job openings in early June for staff positions. A total of 160 individuals submitted applications. A written test was held on June 16, which 130 applicants sat for, and 32 passed.

Then, an oral assessment was held on June 26, and nine applicants were selected and appointed.

The written test is all the same, asking about Mon State and Parliament. The oral test varies according to our university degrees. No one asked for money at the time of the test; I heard about it afterward, said one applicant.

According to its standard organizational chart, Mon State Parliament should have 62 staff members. When the parliaments were first established at the national and state levels in 2011, there was a shortage of staff, and therefore, staff members from other ministries were assigned to the national legislature as a short-term solution.

Likewise, the parliamentary positions in divisions and states were filled with staff from concerned general administration departments. They retained their official positions in the general administration departments in the interim.

The Union Parliament months ago instructed the state and divisional parliaments to appoint staff by the end of the year.

The Mon State Parliament allowed the general administration department staff to choose whether to transfer.

More than 30 staff members transferred to the parliament, and nine people were appointed to fill the remaining positions.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Sittwe Police: Security Escort For Attacked Muslims Was Unarmed

Police basic training in Sittwe, Rakhine State. / Rakhine Gazette

YANGON  Sittwe district police chief Lt-Col Win Naung said suspects have not yet been apprehended in a mob attack on Tuesday that left one Muslim man dead, despite the presence of a police escort on the scene.

Police officials declined to release a statement from the police private who accompanied seven Muslim Rohingya men from the Dapaing camp for internally displaced people to Ywar Gyi Mrauk quarter, a neighborhood with a Rakhine Buddhist majority. Earlier, the group had traveled to the city to witness a trial at the township courthouse, two kilometers from the site of the attack.

The Lt-Col admitted that the private assigned to the duty from the No. 2 police station was unarmed and had fled the mob attack, and said that he felt powerless to stop the aggression.

We are still investigating the incident and will release a statement later, he said.

Home affairs ministry spokesperson Col Myo Thu Soe told Reuters on Wednesday that they had already questioned the junior policeman who was present during the attack. He said he had tried to prevent the violence, but was unsuccessful as he had no weapon, and therefore ran back to the police station.

A police official told The Irrawaddy over the phone that they normally would provide an armed escort when IDPs travel to downtown Sittwe or to the market.

Dapaing camp resident U Saw Lwin, who identifies himself as Rohingya, told The Irrawaddy that nearly 100 armed soldiers, including police, had arrived with around a dozen trucks in his village on Tuesday night to bring back the body of the man who had been killed, Maung Nualso known as Monir Ahmad, aged 55. They also dropped off four others who had survived. Two more men remain hospitalized.

According to a statement from the State Counselors Office Information Committee, Cpl Naing Naing and Private Soe Win had transported local community leader U Myint Naing from Dapaing camp by car in order for him to testify at a township courthouse for an ongoing case on Tuesday. But a private minivan carrying seven other men came after the police van to the court without informing the security team at Man Si checkpoint.

Authorities do not allow Muslims to enter Rakhine quarters or to shop at the town market. Buddhist Rakhine are also prohibited from visiting Muslim wards without police permission.

After the trial break on Tuesday, the group of seven Muslims went to No. 2 police station in Sittwe to request security for their return. Police Lt Kyaw Moe, who was recently promoted to serve as head of the station, sent a police private to accompany them.

Town residents typically use the Mayu main road to exit the downtown or to visit Muslim villages located outside of the town. However, on Tuesday the group of Muslim men and the police private were attacked on U Ottama Street in the Rakhine quarter of Ywar Gyi Mrauk, which is in the opposite direction of the return, according to a policeman who spoke to The Irrawaddy on the condition of anonymity.

The State Counselors Office statement did not elaborate on how the group ended up there, but stated that the Muslim men had gone to buy an old boat at Yaung Ni Oo jetty. While the men were looking at the boat, a mob reportedly began throwing bricks at them. One was killed on the spot and others were injured.

The government statement did not mention the name of private who was assigned as the security escort, although the victims names were published. The Irrawaddy asked authorities several times to provide further detail about the incident, but were not provided with additional information.

Residents from Sittwe and Muslim villagers confirmed that the situation has returned to how it was before the incident, and that the authorities have deployed security forces in the town.
Burma Traffickers Find New Ways to Smuggle Girls From Indias Northeast

Girls stand next to the waters of the river Yamuna during early morning in New Delhi in May 15, 2012. / Ahmad Masood / Reuters

MUMBAI, India  Young girls from Indias remote northeast are lured with promises of good jobs and trafficked through Myanmar to Southeast Asia nations and the Middle East on Nepalese passports, campaigners say, amid fears traffickers are finding new ways to escape checks.

Over a 100 girls from the northeast and northern part of West Bengal state were trafficked in the last two years, nearly 50 to 60 percent of them on passports issued by Nepal, said Hasina Kharbhih, founder of anti-trafficking charity Impulse NGO Network.

Obtaining visas for Middle East countries is difficult on Indian passports, so recruitment agents are getting them from Nepal. They are doing the paperwork for both passports and visas in Kathmandu, Kharbhih told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Shillong, capital of northeastern state of Meghalaya.

Traffickers have been trying new ways, including transporting women on tourist visas to Gulf nations to get round Indian emigration checks. They are also trying routes through neighboring countries including Nepal where collusion of officials with traffickers is suspected.

Campaigners said traffickers are flying the girls from Kathmandu airport and in some cases crisscrossing through Indian airports with them before flying to a Gulf nation such as Kuwait or Oman.

For destinations in Southeast Asia, such as Singapore and Malaysia, the girls are trafficked through Myanmar.

Indias underdeveloped northeast, a region marred by ethnic violence and armed conflicts, is bordered by China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan and is a hub for sex traffickers to source girls for brothels in Mumbai and Delhi.

But cases of trafficking for labor to other countries are being increasingly reported.

Recruitment agents peddle dreams to college graduates of well-paid jobs in hotels and spas in Gulf nations or the frozen fish packaging industry of Malaysia. They target illiterate girls for jobs as domestic helps.

The agencies are focusing on these areas because they find many girls are happy to go to Middle East countries as they find they can earn more there, Kharbhih said.

But when they arrive they often find themselves trapped in bonded labor, having to pay off debts to traffickers.

Their passports are taken by the employers. They are not paid, as promised, she said.

Alerts and Checks

The police in Sikkimconsidered prosperous among northeastern statesis currently investigating the case of a 25-year-old who flew to Kuwait to work as a housemaid in 2010 and went missing after that.

Her family lodged a complaint with police last year.

She had flown on a passport issued by Nepal. This is our first such case, an official with the Sikkim anti-human trafficking unit said.

A similar case three years ago put campaigners on the Nepal passport trail when a woman trafficked to Lebanon committed suicide.

We found during the investigation that she was among a bunch of others who was taken there on Nepalese passports for housemaid jobs. That one case was our entry point into the issue, Kharbhih said.

Cases have been trickling in since thena recent one of a girl taken through Chennai on her Indian passport to Malaysia to work in a beauty parlor. Her passport was seized by her employer and she couldnt renew her visa when it expired.

It was a complex case as she was legally detained for overstaying in Malaysia. It was very difficult to get her back, Kharbhih said.

Impulse NGO has police from Indias northeastern states and campaigners logged on to its trafficking alert software. It is now training border forces on how to send alerts on the system in an effort to curb the numbers of trafficked girls and women.

These girls want a good job, and some mortgage assets and take loans with the hope of returning home with money. In some cases, they do send money back home, but these happy stories are short-lived, Kharbhih said.
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By Sali Mahdy | (GlobalVoices.org) |  

A group of around 300 Iraqis recently traveled from south and central Iraq to Mosul to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday with their newly liberated compatriots.

In the summer of 2014, the militant group Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL, and Daesh) drove out Iraqi security forces and seized control of Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, in a territorial sweep of much of northern Iraq.

It was in Mosul that the militant groups leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared an Islamic Caliphate spanning Syria and Iraq.

Since then, life for Mosuls residents has been one of fear, oppression, and hardship.

Daily life changed for the worse with the persecution of minorities, food and fuel shortages, and intimidation and harsh punishment.

An effort to retake the city by Iraqi security forces began in October 2016. After eight months of intense battle just a handful of neighborhoods remain under the groups control, prompting Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to recently declare the end of the Islamic State.

The Eid in Mosul campaign was organized by a group of Iraqi activists led by Hamid al-Sayed, Ali al-Touki, and Mohammed al-Raji.

Originally an idea to visit old friends who had been trapped under Islamic State rule, the plan turned into a full-blown campaign after generating enormous interest on Facebook. More than 1,700 people expressed interest in joining the trip but security conditions would only allow 300.

This Eid was the first in three years in which Maslawis (people of Mosul) were able to publicly celebrate. The day was filled with events forbidden under the Islamic State, including poetry readings, theater, and live music. Mosuls visitors also brought a gift of more than 1,000 books from Baghdad as part of the I am Iraq, I Read campaign, an initiative promoting culture and a more educated Iraq. This gift is a start to replacing thousands of books destroyed in Mosuls libraries by the Islamic State.

The day was joyous, bringing together Iraqis to not only celebrate the holiday, but to also celebrate the liberation of Mosul. Scenes hit social media of men and women from across the country singing the national anthem and chanting Brothers, Sunnis and Shia, this country is not for sale, demonstrating a a feeling of unbreakable unity shared among Iraqis.

While the event was mostly organized by activists, the government stepped in to help providing transportation and security for the event.

Men and women of Mosul greeted the freedom caravan at Mosul University.

With flowers and love, men and women of Mosul welcome visitors from across Iraq.

Crowds gather chanting welcome to Mosul and singing the national anthem.

Over 1,000 books donated to restock Mosuls libraries.

Members of the I am Iraqi, I Read initiative preparing over one thousand books to deliver to Mosul through the freedom caravan.

  #___             #__?#_?? pic.twitter.com/cu416Xmrq8    (@MOHAMED_ALSHAKR) June 25, 2017

The evening concluded with a fireworks display celebrating Eid and Mosuls liberation.

Via GlobalVoices.org
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TeleSur |  

More than 1,600 artworks were submitted to the International Trumpism Cartoon and Caricature Contest.

U.S. President Donald Trump and his policies are the themes of an international cartoon contest organized by the Islamic Republic of Iran, with more than 1,600 artworks submitted to the International Trumpism Cartoon and Caricature Contest, PressTV reported.

Over 550 people from 75 countries sent cartoons to the contest, which began last Monday and will run for a week. The competitions logo courted controversey as the T in Trumpism was positioned diagonally, apparently to depict a swastika.

Hadi Asadi, an Iranian cartoonist, took home first prize, receiving a US$1,500 award for his drawing of Trump donned in a jacket made of dollar bills, and a tie depicting the U.S. flag while he drooled over a stack of books that represent culture. His hair, flaming upward, partially blocks out a world map in the background.

I wanted to emphasize the U.S. presidents money-mindedness and warmonger nature, said Asadi.

Ali-Asghar Jafari, the contests director, said that the United States is moving against Muslim countries, especially Iran. He also emphasized that it was difficult to prove U.S. brutality in the past, but Trumps presence has made it easy.

Another event organizer, Masud Shojaei-Tabatabai, noted that the -ism in Trumpsim is a direct reference to racism and Nazism, and that the exhibition is intended to highlight Trumps misled policies within a satirical scope.

This contest considers Trump as a symbol of U.S. capitalism and hegemony that many intellectuals compare with Nazism, he said.

The Independent reported that other themes depicted in the contest included violence against women and wall building.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

TeleSur: Artists Mock Trump in Iran Cartoon Competition
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 5, 2017 /CNW/ -- Tahoe Resources Inc. (TSX: THO, NYSE: TAHO) ("Tahoe" or the "Company") today reported that the Company has learned that the Supreme Court of Guatemala has issued a provisional decision in respect of an action brought by the anti-mining organization, CALAS, against Guatemala's Ministry of Energy and Mines ("MEM"). The action alleges that MEM violated the Xinca Indigenous people's right of consultation in advance of granting the Escobal mining license to Tahoe's Guatemalan subsidiary, Minera San Rafael. The provisional decision is in respect of a request by CALAS for an order to temporarily suspend the license to operate the Escobal mine until the action is fully heard. The Company understands that no Xinca representative or community is currently participating in the CALAS lawsuit against MEM.

The provisional decision suspends the Escobal mining license of Minera San Rafael while the action is being reviewed by the court. The Company was not a party to the action commenced by CALAS and did not previously have standing to make submissions to the court in respect of the provisional application. This decision confers legal standing on the Company which will now take all legal steps possible to have the ruling reversed and the license reinstated as soon as possible, including immediately appealing the decision to the Constitutional Court.

The Guatemala Supreme Court is the initial trial court in Guatemala for constitutional actions filed against MEM. Appeals from these decisions are heard by Guatemala's Constitutional Court. Based on a prior ruling by the Constitutional Court involving consultation obligations with respect to a large natural resource project, the Company believes that its operating license should remain in effect while any additional consultation is completed. Accordingly, the Company intends to both appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court and ask for the Supreme Court to reconsider its provisional ruling.

The Company believes that all consultation obligations relating to the permitting of the Escobal license were met. The last official census shows the San Rafael community to be 98.6% non-indigenous and with no Xinca community presence. Despite the fact that the Escobal mine is not located in or impacting any indigenous communities of Guatemala, the Company understands that MEM held a consultation process that complied with the requirements set forth in ILO Convention 169.

Based on its prior experience with Guatemalan court proceedings and evaluation of similar cases before the courts, the Company estimates the Constitutional Court could rule on the appeal within two to four months. We will be seeking to have the license reinstated during this period.

The Company also plans to file a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court, which is the lower court that issued the provisional decision. Based on prior cases, the Company cannot predict when the Supreme Court would rule on the motion for reconsideration.

In addition, the Company will also be requesting the Supreme Court to resolve CALAS's definitive constitutional claim. The definitive constitutional claim and appeal process could take between 12 and 18 months.

While the Company cannot determine at this time when or if the suspension will be rescinded and the license will be reinstated, including for purposes of conducting a consultation process, we believe ILO 169 does not apply here, and if it did apply, was already met. We understand that the effect of ruling in favour of CALAS could mean that consultation must occur before the suspension is revoked. It could also mean, as happened in similar cases in Guatemala, that the court could allow operations to resume while a consultation process is conducted. We believe that the timeframe to undertake the consultation processes, and for a reconsideration of our application for the issue of the license, could be in the range of six to 12 months.

Upon formal receipt of the order temporarily suspending the license for Escobal, the mine will be placed on stand-by and is planned to be maintained in a manner such that full production can be expeditiously resumed on a reversal of the suspension. During this time, the Company will continue to maintain its high standard of security and environmental protection.

Ron Clayton, President and CEO of Tahoe Resources Inc., commented: "We are extremely disappointed in the Court's ruling suspending the license because we believe that there are no indigenous communities affected by Escobal's operations. While the lack of indigenous communities in our area makes ILO 169 inapplicable, there is nevertheless extensive documentation evidencing that an ILO 169 consultation process was in fact conducted in the area of the mine. We are acutely aware that an adverse ruling could have a significant adverse impact on our shareholders, partners, employees, vendors and community populations, as tax and royalty payments, along with purchases of operating supplies will be suspended during any period that the mine is not operating. Escobal is our flagship mine which has been designed and operated to meet the highest environmental standards and we will make every effort to remove any suspension and bring Escobal back into operation as soon as possible. We remain committed to protecting our employees' livelihoods, as well as those livelihoods of the Company's suppliers and the thousands of Guatemalan families that benefit from the responsible operation of the Escobal mine."

The Company's preliminary Q2 results include production of over 4 million ounces of silver, more than 110 thousand ounces of gold, revenue of greater than $200 million and an estimated cash balance of over $165 million. There are no significant inventories of concentrate on hand.

Depending upon the success of the Company's appeal and the timing of court rulings, the Company anticipates, assuming a three-month suspension period resulting in a deferral of production to a future period, the following impacts could be expected:

2017 silver production would be deferred to future periods by 5.1 million ounces;

Sales and operating costs associated with deferred production would be incurred in future periods;

Sustaining capital expenditures of $12 million would be deferred;

would be deferred; Fixed costs of approximately $10 million would be incurred;

would be incurred; Exploration efforts in Guatemala of $0.5 million would not be incurred; and

of would not be incurred; and Estimated royalties of $4 million and taxes of $5 million related to deferred production would not be accrued; payments would resume upon recommencement of production and sales.

Given the possible material impact of suspending operations at the Escobal mine, the Company will be reevaluating previous multi-year guidance and can also no longer confirm previously issued 2017 guidance at this time. Long term care and maintenance plans are under consideration by management and further updates will be provided when that evaluation is complete.

The Company plans to host a conference call to answer questions regarding the suspension of the Escobal license on Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 5:00 a.m. PT (8:00 a.m. ET). Those wishing to join the call can do so using the telephone numbers listed below.

Participant call-in numbers:

+1-800-319-4610 (toll free from Canada and the U.S.)

+1-604-638-5340 (from outside Canada and the U.S.)

About Tahoe Resources Inc.

Tahoe's strategy is to responsibly operate mines to world standards, to pay significant shareholder dividends and to develop high quality precious metals assets in the Americas. Tahoe is a member of the S&P/TSX Composite and TSX Global Mining indices and the Russell 3000 on the NYSE. The Company is listed on the TSX as THO and on the NYSE as TAHO.
TORONTO, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation (hereinafter, the "Company" or "Tanzanian Royalty") (TSX: TNX) (NYSE MKT: TRX) announces that it is not effected by legislative trends in Tanzania.

Jim Sinclair co-authored a book titled "BOOM," written in the 1990s with Mr. F. Vogl, former Director of Communications for the World Bank. "Boom" outlines the authors' prediction for the economic development of China, Tanzania and India as those countries move into the modern Global economy. Many of the legislative changes presently proposed in Tanzania (and elsewhere) were outlined in the book. The authors' premise, which is being borne out in present legislative trends, states that to participate in the development of a foreign economy investing companies must enter into mutually beneficial contracts.

"The proposed changes appear to be an action to gain a fair share of the financial rewards for the people and nation of Tanzania while still providing incentives to the investors. The proposed legislation is not nationalization," stated James E. Sinclair, Executive Chairman.

The Company executed a joint venture contract granting 45% for STAMICO, the State Mining Company, and 55% for the Company as investor. The Company carried all the costs for the Buckreef Project up front. These front end costs of production shall be reimbursed out of production.

Tanzanian Royalty paid US$3,000,000, non-refundable up front, for the privilege of operating in Tanzania.

Public Companies are required to comply with reporting regulations. Reporting is necessary for transparency. Reporting transparency is required not only for all exploration results but also for all economic and mineral information published on the Canadian and USA government regulatory sites, SEDAR & EDGAR.

To date, the Company has invested Cdn. $21,981,125 in the Buckreef Gold Project.

The value of the Buckreef project and Stamico's interest has been significantly improved as outlined in the National Instrument 43-101 Report filed on SEDAR and Edgar and is available by hyperlink from the Company's website at http://www.tanzanianroyalty.com/.

"We believe the Company is in total compliance with all mining standards. Any issues of the past were settled and resolved. There are no outstanding differences or disputes between the government of Tanzania and the Company. Our arrangement with the Tanzanian government should be a role model for the entire industry. We also take great comfort in the various economic and investor protection Treaties in place between Tanzania and Canada," Sinclair concluded.

ABOUT TANZANIAN ROYALTY EXPLORATION CORPORATION:

Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation is a mineral resource company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration and extraction of gold and other natural resources in the United Republic of Tanzania, Africa. The Company, after successfully exploring for Gold has identified three development projects, Buckreef, Kigosi, and Itetemia. In early 2016 in conjunction with our first gold pour, the Company was deemed a commercial gold producer by the Tanzanian Government. The Company is presently focused on its Buckreef Gold Project located in North central Tanzania.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - July 05, 2017) - Newrange Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: NRG) ("Newrange" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the Phase I drilling continued to intersect multiple zones of high-grade, oxide gold mineralization, including 244.3 grams gold per metric tonne (g/T Au) over 0.8 meter, within 4.6 meters averaging 43.8 g/T Au, at its Pamlico gold project in Nevada. Importantly, this shallow intercept is within 13 meters of the surface.

These results are part of a fully funded program of Reverse Circulation (RC) and core drilling, trenching, mapping, geochemical sampling, geophysical surveys, and metallurgical work that will extend throughout 2017.

Key Highlights:

These latest drill results continue to define and expand the presence of high-grade gold mineralization in the vicinity of the Merritt Zone and Merritt Decline (see prior news releases on previous underground channel sampling and drill results by Newrange). Notably, this drilling intersected high-grade, oxide mineralization above the Merritt Zone, expanding the zone's shallow potential. This potential was previously overlooked because historic drilling was not assayed from the surface to a depth of 55 meters.

Hole P17-17 intersected 0.8 meter assaying 244.3 g/T Au from 10.6 to 11.4 meters. This is the Company's second highest grade drill intercept to date, and is included within a broader interval of 4.6 meters averaging 43.8 g/T Au from 8.4 to 13.0 meters. Hole 17 also intersected a second high-grade zone assaying 35.4 g/T Au over 0.8 meter from 22.8 to 23.6 meters.

Hole P17-12 intersected 4.6 meters averaging 14.5 g/T Au, within a broader interval of 13.7 meters averaging 6.0 g/T Au. This intercept is at an approximate vertical depth of 40 meters from the surface (58 meters down-hole), and extends the known limits of high-grade gold mineralization more than 35 meters to the west of previous drilling.

Hole P17-18 intersected 2.3 meters averaging 58.5 g/T Au from 56.4 to 58.7 meters, within 9.9 meters averaging 15.27 g/T Au from 54.1 to 64 meters.

Holes P17-13, 14 and 15 all contain significant intercepts of disseminated, lower grade mineralization, confirming and expanding the extent of "halo" gold mineralization more than 30 meters south of the decline.

Select High-Grade Drill Intercepts From Phase 1 Program (last 9 drill holes):

Hole Az / Incl. TD (m) From (m) To (m) L (m) Au g/T P17-12 106 / -56 106.7 25.91 27.44 1.52 6.95 And 56.40 70.10 13.70 5.99 Including 57.93 62.50 4.57 14.52 P17-13 125/-45 61.0 50.30 60.98 10.67 0.81 P17-14 125/-45 114.3 9.15 35.06 25.91 0.46 P17-15 106/-45 91.5 51.83 73.17 21.34 0.88 P17-17 0 / -90 76.2 1.52 72.41 70.89 3.57 Including 8.38 12.96 4.58 43.80 Including 10.67 11.43 0.76 244.30 And 22.87 23.63 0.76 35.40 P17-18 18 / -77 76.2 54.12 64.02 9.90 15.27 Including 56.40 58.69 2.29 58.50

All results reported are length-weighted averages with no grade capping applied. Drill intercepts are for the actual drilled intercept length and may not represent true widths. Insufficient data currently exists to estimate true width. For brevity, all values in the text of this release are rounded to one significant decimal, while the table above reports all values to 2 significant decimal places.

The Company is currently in the process of completing detailed down hole surveys and structural analyses of its drill holes utilizing the OBI Down Hole Televiewer. This state of the art, high resolution, down hole imagery provides detailed, oriented structural data from RC holes that is equal to or better than that from oriented core. This additional data will improve the interpretation of the structurally controlled gold mineralization at Pamlico and will help to better define the geological model resulting from the Company's drilling to date which will be published as modeling allows.

A complete tabulation of all Phase I drill intercepts is available on the Company's website at http://www.newrangegold.com.

Robert Carrington, President and CEO, commented that: "These results, combined with those previously reported for holes 1-10, continue to demonstrate that Pamlico is an exceptional opportunity for Newrange Gold. The high-grade, near-surface, oxide gold mineralization drilled to date is located in Nevada, a premier mining jurisdiction, and allows the Company tremendous future flexibility."

Terms of Reference

In this news release, all references to grams per tonne (denoted g/T Au) are grams per metric ton of 1,000 kilograms (2,204.62 pounds). To convert grams per metric tonne to troy ounces per short ton of 2,000 pounds or oz/t Au, multiply g/T Au by 0.029167.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Mr. Robert G. Carrington, P. Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, the President and CEO of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved for disclosure the technical information contained in this news release. All drilling was by Reverse Circulation (RC) methods using a five inch diameter center recovery bit. All drilling was supervised by professional geologists. Drill samples were collected on 1.5 meter intervals for holes 11 through 16 and on 0.8 meter intervals for holes 17, 18 and 19. Drill cuttings were captured in a closed system cyclone, then riffle split in a three tiered Jones-type splitter, generating an average sample weight of 5.6 kilograms. Samples were then securely delivered to Inspectorate - Bureau Veritas in Sparks, Nevada for sample preparation and analysis. Samples were dried then stage crushed to 80% passing 10 mesh. A 1,000 gram sub-sample was then split out and pulverized to 140 mesh from which 50 gram samples were split for analysis by fire assay (FA) with a gravimetric finish. All samples assaying more than 10 g/T Au are checked and re-assayed. In addition to the QA - QC conducted by the laboratory, the Company inserts blanks, standards and certified reference material (CRM) at a rate of not less than 1 in 30.

About Pamlico

Located 12 miles southeast of Hawthorne, Nevada, along US Highway 95, the project has excellent access and infrastructure, a mild, year-round operating climate and strong political support from Mineral County, one of the most pro-mining counties in the pro-mining state of Nevada. The Pamlico project covers the historic Pamlico group of mines, as well as the nearby Good Hope, Central, Gold Bar and Sunset historic mines.

Discovered in 1884, Pamlico rapidly gained a reputation as being one of Nevada's highest grade gold districts. Held by private interests for most of its history, the property remains underexplored in terms of modern exploration.

About Newrange Gold Corp.

Newrange is an aggressive exploration and development company focused on near to intermediate term production opportunities in favorable jurisdictions, including Nevada, Colorado and Colombia. Focused on developing shareholder value through exploration and development of key projects, the Company is committed to building sustainable value for all stakeholders. Further information can be found on our website at www.newrangegold.com.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - July 05, 2017) - Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is pleased to report that the first phase of exploration on the Company's recently-acquired1 Botoro Property ("Botoro" or the "Property") in south-west Burkina Faso has identified several gold-bearing quartz vein systems associated with regional shear zones and a preliminary soil geochemistry survey has returned gold-in-soil anomalism associated with structural features over a distance of approximately 10km.

The Botoro Property is part of the Company's 100%-owned, 660km ThreeBee Project2 in the highly prospective southern Hounde Belt.

Highlights

Wide-spaced geochemical survey identified several km-scale anomalous zones coincident with regional scale structural features, including three 2-3km-long zones within a 10km-long structural corridor

Geochemical survey returned several single-point +250ppb Au gold-in-soil assay results outside these main trends, including a high-grade sample of 4,420ppb Au (4.4g/t Au) in an area not disturbed by artisanal mining

10 artisanal mining sites identified by surface prospecting, all of which are exploiting in-situ mineralisation, including a gold-quartz system in the north which extends for over 500m along strike

Several gold-bearing quartz vein systems identified and noted to be closely associated with regional shear zones

Geology noted to feature a diverse assembly of volcano-sedimentary and volcanic rocks, complemented by granitic intrusive units and structural features of multiple orientations to produce a fertile environment for gold mineralisation

20km-long north-trending regional shear noted to extend the length of the Property and link zones of artisanal mining activity

Follow-up work programs planned, including a targeted soil-infill program and mapping of artisanal workings

Targeting high-grade mineralisation to support either a stand-alone operation or as satellite feed to Sarama's other interests in the ThreeBee Project, which includes the Bondi Deposit1

Sarama's President and CEO, Andrew Dinning, commented:

"We are encouraged by the initial stages of exploration at the newly-acquired Botoro Property that is part of Sarama's 100%-owned ThreeBee Project. The identification of several, regional-scale shear zones and associated gold mineralisation indicates that the Property has good exploration potential. The highest soil sample assay of 4.4g/t Au is unusually high for this area of the southern Hounde Belt and may indicate the potential for the presence of a high-grade mineralised system. We hope to advance the Property by conducting further exploration activities in the coming exploration season to delineate targets for prioritisation."

BOTORO PROPERTY EXPLORATION

Location and Work History

The 224km2 Botoro Property is located on the eastern flank of the well-endowed southern Hounde Greenstone Belt and is part of the Company's 100%-owned, 660km ThreeBee Project (refer Figure 1). The Property is well positioned with respect to known gold occurrences, being approximately 20km from Sarama's Bondi Deposit1 and adjacent to the South Hounde Project (2.1Moz inferred mineral resource)4.

Figure 1 - ThreeBee Project Location Map





A desktop review by Sarama on the Botoro Property concluded that historical work was very limited in scope and specifically targeted discrete areas hosting artisanal activity. Despite this narrow focus, the reconnaissance-type drilling programs yielded encouraging results with high-grade mineralisation intersected directly under the artisanal workings.

The high-grade nature of the known mineralised systems, presence of structural features, lithological diversity and the lack of systematic exploration over most of the Property augers well for future exploration success.

Mineralisation Occurrence Mapping and Soil Geochemical Survey by Sarama

Sarama undertook a soil geochemical survey over all the greenstone rocks within the permit area using an initial, wide-spaced grid of 800m x 200m to identify mechanical gold dispersion beneath the aeolian and thin colluvial horizons.

The first-pass survey was successful in identifying several areas of km-scale gold-in-soil anomalism that are proximal to contrasting lithological and structural features (refer Figure 2), illustrating the potential for the Property to host gold mineralisation.

Figure 2 - Botoro Property Geology Map with Highlighted Exploration Results





Of principal interest are three zones of gold-in-soil anomalism, each extending over a distance of 2-3km and defined by +8ppb Au and +20ppb Au contours (90th and 98th population percentiles respectively), within a 10km-long corridor that is proximal to a north-trending regional-scale fault. Each of these three areas is proximal to cross-orientation trends of minor soil anomalism, potentially suggesting a favourable structural environment for gold deposition.

In addition to these main areas, several other anomalous zones, trending north-east and east-west, were delineated by +8ppb Au and +20ppb contours. These are also proximal to interpreted structural features, indicating potential for in-situ gold mineralisation.

Outside of these trends, several single-point anomalies (+250ppb Au) punctuated the survey area, with the highest result being 4,420ppb Au (4.4g/t Au) from an area far removed from artisanal activity. The results are significant in that several areas of gold anomalism are found in undisturbed areas and along interpreted shear projections. A number of areas have been prioritised for follow-up by infill soil sampling at a grid spacing of 100m x 100m.

Mapping and prospecting by Sarama has delineated 10 present and former artisanal working sites that range from large areas of surficial panning over a 1km2 area in the south-east quadrant of the Property to scattered and smaller areas characterised by pitting at shallow to moderate depths. All the artisanal areas are noted to be focused on in-situ quartz-gold vein systems or surficial enrichment via erosional deflation, which reinforces the prospectivity of the Property.

The large artisanal working site in the north of the Property has some of the deepest artisanal shafts, some which are concrete lined and extending 40m deep, where a series of north-trending, gold-quartz veins have been exploited by artisanal miners over a strike length of 500m.

Faults, shear zones and lithologic contact areas are observed to be the main host environments with gold mineralisation being associated with quartz veins of various orientations.

Geological Mapping

Reconnaissance-level geological mapping by Sarama (refer Figure 2) concludes that the Property is underlain by abundant Birimian greenstone units (65%), with the rest of the area underlain by various granitoid bodies (35%).

The more prevalent volcano-sedimentary, andesitic-to-basaltic volcanic rocks and minor volcanic breccias or pyroclastic flows are similar rocks to those which host gold deposits of significance within the Hounde Greenstone Belt, such as the Mana, Yaramoko and Hounde mines.

A north-trending tonalite-granodiorite intrusion is mapped along the eastern side of the Property and is part of a large batholith that separates the Boromo and Hounde Greenstone Belts. The contact is marked by shearing and contact metamorphism. A syn-to-late granite intrusion, similar to the granite associated with Roxgold Inc's Yaramoko deposit, lies along the northern perimeter of the Property and is part of the larger Bondigui Stock that stretches further to the north. Small east-trending felsic dykes have also been noted in the mapping program.

Several orientations of permit- and regional-scale faults and shears have been interpreted throughout the Property including a significant east-trending fault recognised within a large artisanal mining site in the centre-east of the Property where intense foliation and aligned gold-quartz veins are found. A 20km-long north-tending fault is interpreted through the central part of the Property linking artisanal workings in the north to the high-grade, single-point gold-in-soil anomaly (4,420ppb Au, 4.4g/t Au) in the southern extremity of the Property. Adding to the structural setting is a north-north-east-trending, banded and silicified zone in the central basalt domain, interpreted as a mylonite and marking a possible, regional-scale shear zone.

The lithological diversity, presence of multiple regionally extensive structural features of varying orientations and presence intrusive units demonstrates an active geological environment with good potential to host gold mineralisation of significance.

ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD

Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer with substantial landholdings in Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on consolidating under-explored landholdings in Burkina Faso and other established mining jurisdictions.

Sarama's flagship properties are situated within the Company's South Hounde Project area in south-west Burkina Faso. Located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt, Sarama's exploration programs have built on significant early success to deliver an inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.1 Moz gold4. Acacia Mining plc is earning up to a 70% interest in the South Hounde Project by satisfying certain conditions, including funding earn-in expenditures of up to US$14 million, over a 4-year earn-in period and may acquire an additional 5% interest, for an aggregate 75% interest in the Project, upon declaration of a minimum mineral reserve of 1.6 million ounces of gold. Acacia has satisfied certain milestones and currently holds a 50% interest in the South Hounde Project and is continuing to sole fund exploration activities.

Sarama holds a 31% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Hounde Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"). Savary is the operator of the JV and in October 2015, declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 671,000 ounces of contained gold5 at the Karankasso Project JV.

Sarama has also agreed to acquire1 a 100% interest in the Bondi Deposit from Orezone Gold Corporation (refer news release May 24, 2016). Bondi has a historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au (measured and indicated) and 0.1Moz Au (inferred)3.

Together, the South Hounde Project, Bondi Deposit and the Karankasso Project form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a multi-source fed central processing facility in the southern Hounde Belt region of Burkina Faso.

Incorporated in 2010, the Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound exploration strategy across its property portfolio.

FOOTNOTES
By Choi Ha-young





Kim Hee-jin

It has been about a year since Amnesty International Korea started to voice its views on North Korean human rights. The international human rights watchdog has been known for its activities on conscientious objectors and freedom of speech in South Korea, but this is a first for human rights in the North.

Kim Hee-jin, Amnesty International Korea director, started the initiative to address human rights in North Korea, an issue has long dominated by conservative groups.

She decided to commit to the issue after attending an international conference on it. "All the panels were made up of foreigners," Kim said in a recent interview with The Korea Times during Jeju Human Rights Conference. "Since they were all outsiders, they easily discussed air strikes to kill Kim Jong-un as a measure to improve human rights without considering Koreans, both in the North and South."

Amnesty International headquarters had dissuaded its Seoul branch from being involved in the movement given the political partiality of the agenda. However, Kim thinks human rights in North Korea are never biased. "The problem is how the issue is addressed."

Outside conventional campaigns to improve human rights, Amnesty International has pioneered different issues. For example, the organization issued a report, "Connection Denied: Restrictions on Mobile Phones and Outside Information in North Korea," in March last year.

"Some experts criticized that it's too trivial to talk about telephone communication in the North," Kim said. "However, through the report we wanted to find a new target to facilitate outside information exchanges in North Korea. The mobile phone company Orascom that monopolizes the market of information exchange with North Korea was really sensitive about our project."

The organization is seeking broader attention on the issue, beyond the small community of activists. "It's a very popular matter in other countries, but not in South Korea," Kim said. "Other than the nuclear issue and Kim Jong-un, the general understanding of North Korea is very meager."

To get people's attention, Amnesty International Korea published a series of webtoons last year. "It showed diverse social issues in North Korea, for example, the fever for education there. It largely went viral online. Now we are concerned with how to connect this interest to the human rights agenda."

Kim emphasized that human rights in the two Koreas are closely linked. "Ironically, the National Security Law is a stumbling block to our efforts to improve North Korean human rights," she said. Last month, the activist planned to petition North Korean diplomats based in New York to release Korean Canadian pastor Lim Hyun-soo, who is now detained in Pyongyang. But they gave up the attempt since South Korea deems it illegal to contact North Koreans without prior government approval.

President Moon Jae-in is trying to make a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations. For former liberal administrations, which also attempted to do this, North Korean human rights have been taboo in summits.

"I think Moon would be different," Kim said. "He revealed a very firm stance against the North when Otto Warmbier died. Amnesty International Korea will make efforts not to exclude the human rights issue in possible inter-Korean talks."
By Kim Jae-kyoung

Balbina Hwang

Trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan will be crucial in finding a breakthrough on North Korean nuclear and missile issues, according to a former special adviser to the U.S. State Department.

She believes such efforts will not only show the allies' strong unity but also help coordinate responses to North Korea, while urging China to play a bigger role in containing the reclusive country's provocations.

"It is a very positive sign that the U.S. and South Korea have agreed to a trilateral meeting with Japan on the sidelines of the G20 summit," Balbina Hwang, a visiting professor at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies, said in an interview.

She served as a special adviser on East Asian affairs in the George W. Bush administration.

"Such trilateral cooperation is crucial, especially because it is becoming more evident that China's cooperation regarding pressuring North Korea is proving to be unsuccessful," she said. "If any cooperation needs to be stressed, it should be among U.S. allies."

The agreement came at the first meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump last week. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also agreed in a telephone call with Trump, Monday, to hold the meeting to discuss increasing pressure on North Korea.

On Tuesday, the North said it successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew about 930 kilometers for 40 minutes over the East Sea.

The G20 summit will be held in Hamburg, Germany, July 7 and 8. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will also attend.

"The fact the three leaders are meeting at all sends an important message of willingness for the three countries to cooperate," Hwang said.

"There are worries that South Korea-Japan relations will be rocky under Moon, so such a meeting will help to alleviate those concerns."












By Emanuel Yi Pastreich





Some Koreans are congratulating themselves that President Moon Jae-in had such pleasant meetings with President Donald Trump at the White House. Certainly the two leaders affirmed the importance of the Korea-US alliance and they claimed that they are working closely together to respond to the North Korean threat.



But when President Trump spoke of the "exemplary nature of the US-ROK Alliance" it seemed so distant from what he had said previously as to raise serious doubts about whether such pleasantries mean much at all. President Trump's willingness to let South Korea play a "leading role" in setting the stage for the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula may only last until the next presidential Tweet.



Now that the summit is over, it is time to ask the tough questions. Although the carefully planned meetings and speeches were visually effective, we need to ask ourselves whether close coordination with the Trump administration on security and diplomatic policy is wise for the Moon administration?



Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France, went out of their way to define a marked difference in policy from the start. Although these moves made for some awkward moments, the French and Germans think it was the right response in that there were no false expectations given and the disagreements were in the open, not behind closed doors.



Fuzzy words about "high-level strategic consultation mechanism" are meaningless if the Trump administration has no interest or concern for strategy or consultation. The Trump administration has stripped the State Department and Department of Defense of qualified Asia experts and filled key positions with personal loyalists, undoing the civil service tradition of the federal government dating back to Ulysses Grant.



Foreign Relations magazine described Trump as the death knell for the liberal global order established by Franklin Roosevelt after the Second World War, stating that he is "present at the destruction."



Moreover, Trump's embrace of an economy based on petroleum and coal is something Korea should stay as far away from as possible. Although every important scientist has stated, based on scientific evidence, that climate change is the greatest threat for humanity, and nations such as China, Germany and France have embraced renewable energy as the key to future development, Trump is leading the United States in the wrong direction. Korea must bravely choose to embrace the post-carbon economy and must recognize that falling behind in the design and manufacture of electric cars, solar panels and wind power could end up destroying Korea's economic future.



Sadly, President Moon has barely mentioned the word "climate change" and made no effort to meet with the policy figures who identify this crisis as the overriding priority for both countries.



Also, the Trump administration has flamed racist tendencies in the United States, and actively promoted anti-Muslim immigration policies. Perhaps some Koreans think that such developments have little to do with Korea. That would be a tragic assumption. Anti-immigrant sentiments are already impacting Asian students and residents in the United States.



Koreans are already suffering as a result. It would have been perfectly legitimate for President Moon to express his concerns about these developments, and would have won him the respect of many outside of the White House.



No degree of political magic will bring together Trump's push for increased economic sanctions on North Korea, and on Chinese firms, with Moon's plans for engagement with Pyongyang. Putting off the inevitable split between the administrations is more likely to create even deeper problems further down the road. As Machiavelli once said, "If you are going to give bad news, give it all at once."President Moon had an obligation to articulate a different perspective in a logical and respectful manner.



President Moon will be facing a figure as problematic as President Trump in the future, United States Ambassador to Korea, Victor Cha. Whereas the ambassador to Korea was a position held by important political and intellectual figures like James Laney or Donald Gregg in the past, Victor Cha is seen as more of a political operator whose writings about North Korea are more sensationalist than scientific.



It is time for Korea to focus on meaningful long-term cooperation with the United States. Korea has tremendous expertise in industrial policy and in administrative know-how that would be greatly appreciated by many Americans. For example, at a time when the United States is facing a crisis with police violence, Korea has established a model for expert policing in response to the Gwanghwamun demonstrations. American police have much to learn from the best practices of Korean police.



Finally, we must put our efforts into long-term relations. We should work to make Korean a foreign language taught in American high schools and colleges and make sure that Korean studies programs across the United States flourish. There is maybe an American girl in high school right now who loves K-Pop and who, with the proper encouragement, will become an expert in Korean politics and society, learn to speak fluent Korean and may become president, or secretary of state, in the future. We should start to focus our efforts on people like her.





Emanuel Yi Pastreich is a critic of literature, technology and international affairs. He teaches at Kyung Hee University and works at the Asia Institute. Contact epastreich@gmail.com.
Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski captured the first photographic image of a total solar eclipse on July 28, 1851, as a daguerreotype, but the first human records referencing an eclipse are thousands of years old.

Got your eclipse glasses? People across the United States are counting the days to the arrival of this year's much-anticipated total solar eclipse on Aug. 21.

This year marks the rare occasion when viewers across the entire U.S. will experience totality  the sun's path while it is completely blocked by the moon's shadow. It will be the first total eclipse in nearly 40 years to be visible from the continental U.S., and the first in 99 years with the path of totality traveling from coast to coast in the U.S., from Oregon to South Carolina.

But total solar eclipses themselves are not uncommon, occurring about every 18 months, on average. (Solar eclipses of any kind occur about two to five times a year, on average.) And while 2017 sees many gripped by "eclipse fever" for the first time, people have been observing, documenting and describing eclipses for thousands of years. [The 8 Most Famous Solar Eclipses in History]

The first recorded notation referencing an eclipse dates to about 5,000 years ago, according to NASA. Spiral petroglyphs carved on three ancient stone monuments in Ireland at Loughcrew in County Meath, depict alignments of the sun, moon and horizon, and likely represent a solar eclipse that occurred Nov. 30, 3340 B.C., NASA reported.

Irish paleoarchaeologist Paul Griffin suspected that the Neolithic petroglyphs referred to an eclipse, and began investigating them in 1999. Griffin confirmed the eclipse date in 2002 by using the Digital Universe astronomy software to calculate the alignment, which produced a late afternoon eclipse that obscured nearly the entire sun, he wrote in 2002 on the Syzygy Research and Technology website. On the Loughcrew monuments, multiple carvings show dozens of astronomical events, with overlapping concentric circles representing the solar eclipse, and isolated concentric circles indicating a lunar eclipse, according to Griffin.

Nearby, a gruesome find suggested that Neolithic interpretation of the eclipse may have included superstitious fears allayed by human sacrifice. A basin held burned bones from about 48 people, hinting that the eclipse may have been accompanied by a murderous ritual "to 'save' the Neolithic 'sky God' (Sun) from dying as it descended to the 'underworld' at the horizon," Griffin wrote in 2002.

"Made night from mid-day"

Other physical records of eclipses persist in carvings on 2,500-year-old clay tablets from ancient Babylonia, one of which described a total solar eclipse seen in the port city of Ugarit in what is now Syria, on May 3, 1375 B.C., according to NASA.

Descriptions of eclipses also appear in records from ancient China, with imperial astronomers reporting eclipses that occurred from the eighth century B.C. to the 15th century A.D., according to a study published in 2005 in the journal Archive for History of Exact Sciences.

In fact, historic records from China inscribed by imperial astronomers include references to 938 solar eclipses dating from the Chunqiu period (771 B.C. to 476 B.C.) to the start of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368 to 1644), of which only a handful have been found to be errors or false reports, the study author reported.

Writings from the ancient Greeks also described solar eclipses, with the lyric poet Archilochus, who lived during the seventh century B.C., commemorating what may have been a total solar eclipse that occurred on April 6, 647 B.C., writing, "Zeus, father of the Olympians, made night from mid-day, hiding the light of the shining Sun, and sore fear came upon men," according to NASA.

Photos, or it didn't happen

For thousands of years, written descriptions etched on stone and bone, and artists' interpretations of eclipses were the only means of recording this incredible cosmic event. But in the mid-19th century, an early form of photography known as daguerreotype enabled Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski to create the first photographic record of a solar eclipse, on July 28, 1851.

Berkowski captured the image  the first to accurately represent the solar corona  in Konigsberg in what was then the Roman Empire, now Kaliningrad in Russia. He used a small refracting telescope with a diameter of 2.4 inches (6.1 centimeters) and exposed the daguerreotype plate for 84 seconds, beginning soon after the sun was completely obscured, according to a study published in 2005 in the journal Acta Historica Astronomiae.

Since then, astrophotographers have plied their lenses to capture increasingly detailed views of this cosmic phenomenon, from time-lapse video of a total solar eclipse over Europe on March 20, 2015, caught by the European Space Agency's Proba-2 satellite, to a stunning "double eclipse" imaged by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on Sept. 1, 2016, when the sun was shadowed simultaneously by both the Earth and the moon.

Photos taken in 2013 by the Curiosity rover on Mars even offered a view of an eclipse as seen from another planet, as the Martian moon Phobos traveled across the sun.

Want some tips for creating your own spectacular photographic record of the Aug. 21 total eclipse? Check out these suggestions from our sister site, Space.com.

REMEMBER: Looking directly at the sun, even when it is partially covered by the moon, can cause serious eye damage or blindness. NEVER look at a partial solar eclipse without proper eye protection. Our sister site Space.com has a complete guide for how to view an eclipse safely.

Editor's Note: This article was updated to correct a statement about the frequency of total solar eclipses, which occur about every 18 months, not two to five times a year as had been stated.

Original article on Live Science.
Earth could turn into a hothouse planet like Venus, with boiling oceans and acid rain, if humans don't curb irreversible climate change, physicist Stephen Hawking claimed in a recent interview.

"We are close to the tipping point, where global warming becomes irreversible. Trump's action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees [Celsius], and raining sulfuric acid," he told BBC News, referring to the president's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate deal.

But most climate experts say that scenario is a dramatic and implausible exaggeration: Relative to Venus, planet Earth is much farther from the sun and given its chemical makeup will never have such a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere, so it could not likely reach temperatures of 482 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees C) that Hawking described in the interview, they say. [Doomsday: 9 Real Ways the Earth Could End]

However, the general trend of runaway and catastrophic climate change is a real concern, experts said.

"Hawking is taking some rhetorical license here," Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the Pennsylvania State University, told Live Science in an email. "Earth is further away from the sun than Venus and likely cannot experience a runaway greenhouse effect in the same sense as Venus  i.e. a literal boiling away of the oceans. However Hawking's larger point  that we could render the planet largely uninhabitable for human civilization if we do not act to avert dangerous climate change  is certainly valid."

Hothouse planet

Venus is the second planet from the sun and the brightest planet in the solar system; though the planet is named after the Roman goddess of love and desire, don't expect to take a trip to the balmy planet with your sweetheart anytime soon. Despite being the same size as Earth and having roughly the same gravity as our home planet, it's a far cry from our water-drenched planet. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, with temperatures reaching 870 degrees F (466 degrees C). The reason for these sweltering temperatures is Venus' thick carbon-dioxide atmosphere that is dotted with sulfuric acid clouds; the atmosphere traps much more heat than our own does. It is also much closer to the sun, meaning it absorbs much more solar radiation than Earth. Churning volcanoes add to Venus' reputation as an inferno. [7 of the Hottest Places on Earth]

The leading theory about how Venus came to be such a hellscape is that the planet got caught in a feedback loop, wherein the planet absorbed more solar radiation than it released, causing more water vapor to get trapped in its atmosphere. That, in turn, led to greater heat absorption, and runaway warming (also called a runaway greenhouse effect).

"Basically, Venus was in a state of heat stroke  the planet was in a warming state and it couldn't cool down," said Tyler Robinson, an astrobiologist at the University of Washington.

Unlikely on Earth

Though most humans take for granted the relative constancy of an Earth-like climate, our planet has undergone dramatic changes in its 4.5-billion-year history. During the Great Oxygenation Event, around 2.5 billion years ago, photosynthetic cyanobacteria fueled a huge rise in oxygen in the atmosphere. Around 650 million years ago, the entire planet froze, in a phenomenon known as "snowball Earth." And during the dinosaur age, the planet was, on average 18 degrees F (10 degrees C) hotter than it is now, with a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. And huge "carbon excursions" have led to massive extinctions in the past  such as the end-Permian extinction around 252 million years ago, when roughly 95 percent of sea life died out due to ocean acidification. [Photo Timeline: How the Earth Formed]

So it's not unreasonable to contemplate the possibility of a runaway climate scenario, Robinson said. Still, most experts, including Robinson, see that possibility as incredibly unlikely.

While in theory, a process similar to the one experienced on Venus could take place on Earth, the process would most likely occur over hundreds of millions of years, most experts believe, Robinson said. There are also very low odds that Earth's oceans could literally boil away like Venus' primeval oceans did, Robinson said.

Earth, meanwhile, is protected from solar radiation by an atmosphere that is dramatically different from that of Venus.

"Venus' atmosphere is about 100 times thicker than Earth's atmosphere, and composed almost entirely of CO2 [carbon dioxide]," Robinson said. By contrast, Earth's atmosphere is mostly molecular nitrogen and oxygen, with less than 0.04 percent coming from carbon dioxide, Robinson told Live Science in an email. [Infographic: Earth's Atmosphere from Top to Bottom]

Without a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and the extra dose of solar radiation from the sun, only willful malice is likely to cause a runaway greenhouse scenario, said Kevin Zahnle, a space scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, who has analyzed runaway greenhouse projections for the planet.

"There is no rational expectation of a runaway [greenhouse effect] in the facts as we know them," Zahnle told Live Science in an email.

For one, there were much warmer climates on Earth in the relatively recent past, such as during the Eocene epoch (between 56 million and 34 million years ago), and no signs of a runaway greenhouse effect, Zahnle said. At that time, CO2 levels were likely three times higher than they are now. Even imagining a future with cars, planes and air conditioning on full blast, no climate projections predict such high levels of CO2 in our atmosphere, he said.

"A runaway greenhouse effect is not in the cards," added Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Of course, there is always the possibility of deliberate sabotage, Zahnle said.

"Dr. Evil might consider an engineering solution akin to the engineering solutions proposed to terraform Mars, but the scale of the effort would be stupendous," Zahnle said. "You'd need fluorocarbons  so Dr. Evil would need to create a worldwide religion dedicated to the sacred use of hairspray and underarm deodorants," Zahnle said. (In the past, some consumer aerosol products contained fluorocarbons, though the U.S. has banned the ingredients in the late 1970s.)

Climate catastrophe possible

Nontheless, Earth doesn't have to become like Venus for life on Earth to become hellish.

The Paris Agreement aimed to keep warming below 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) compared with preindustrial temperatures, but even reaching that level for sustained periods could cause changes that are already underway to completely disrupt ecosystems and farming, Trenberth told Live Science. [Trump Pulls Out of Paris Climate Deal: 5 Likely Effects]

"Trees will still grow but a different species is required. Or farming requires different crops," Trenberth said. "That threatens the water and food supply."

Food and water don't need to vanish, they just need to fall below demand and chaos breaks out, he said. "This sort of thing is increasingly likely after about 2050, as it is likely we will go through 2 degrees Celsius during that decade," Trenberth said.

It is also theoretically possible for CO2 levels to go even higher, Robinson said. If humans were to burn every last bit of fossil fuel on the planet, CO2 levels could rise to almost 10 times their current levels, Robinson said.

"Earth hasn't experienced CO2 levels this high in hundreds of millions of years, and the resulting sea-level change is likely hundreds of feet, so, say 'so long' to all your favorite coastal cities," Robinson said.

Originally published on Live Science.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Very recently, Germany's Cabinet approved a bill that will expunge the convictions of tens of thousands of German men for "homosexual acts" under that country's anti-gay law known as "Paragraph 175." That law dates back to 1871, when modern Germany's first legal code was created.

It was repealed in 1994. But there was a serious movement to repeal the law in 1929 as part of a wider LGBTQ rights movement. That was just before the Nazis came to power, magnified the anti-gay law, then sought to annihilate gay and transgender Europeans.

The story of how close Germany  and much of Europe  came to liberating its LGBTQ people before violently reversing that trend under new authoritarian regimes is an object lesson showing that the history of LGBTQ rights is not a record of constant progress.

The first LGBTQ liberation movement

In the 1920s, Berlin had nearly 100 gay and lesbian bars or cafes. Vienna had about a dozen gay cafes, clubs and bookstores. In Paris, certain quarters were renowned for open displays of gay and trans nightlife. Even began depicting sympathetic gay characters. Protests were organized against offensive depictions of LGBTQ people in print or on stage. And media entrepreneurs realized there was a middle-class gay and trans readership to whom they could cater.

Partly driving this new era of tolerance were the doctors and scientists who started looking at homosexuality and "transvestism" (a word of that era that encompassed transgender people) as a natural characteristic with which some were born, and not a "derangement." The story of Lili Elbe and the first modern sex change, made famous in the recent film "The Danish Girl," reflected these trends.

For example, Berlin opened its Institute for Sexual Research in 1919, the place where the word "transsexual" was coined, and where people could receive counseling and other services. Its lead doctor, Magnus Hirschfeld, also consulted on the Lili Elbe sex change.

Connected to this institute was an organization called the "Scientific-Humanitarian Committee." With the motto "justice through science," this group of scientists and LGBTQ people influencing a German parliamentary committee to recommend the repeal to the wider government in 1929.

The backlash

While these developments didn't mean the end of centuries of intolerance, the 1920s and early 30s certainly looked like the beginning of the end. On the other hand, the greater "out-ness" of gay and trans people provoked their opponents.

A French reporter, bemoaning the sight of uncloseted LGBTQ people in public, complained, "the contagion  is corrupting every milieu." The Berlin police grumbled that magazines aimed at gay men  which they called "attacked by young men hurling stink bombs. A Parisian town councilor in 1933 called it "a moral crisis" that gay people, known as "inverts" at that time, could be seen in public.

"Far be it from me to want to turn to fascism," the councilor said, "but all the same, we have to agree that in some things those regimes have sometimes done good One day Hitler and Mussolini woke up and said, Honestly, the scandal has gone on long enough'  And  the inverts  were chased out of Germany and Italy the very next day."

The ascent of Fascism

It's this willingness to make a blood sacrifice of minorities in exchange for "normalcy" or prosperity that has observers drawing uncomfortable comparisons between then and now.

In the 1930s, the Depression spread economic anxiety, while political fights in European parliaments tended to spill outside into actual street fights between Left and Right. Fascist parties offered Europeans a choice of stability at the price of democracy. Tolerance of minorities was destabilizing, they said. Expanding liberties gave "undesirable" people the liberty to undermine security and

The total number of Europeans arrested for being LGBTQ under fascism is impossible to know because of the lack of reliable records. But a conservative estimate is that there were many tens of thousands to one hundred thousand arrests during the war period alone.

Under these nightmare conditions, far more LGBTQ people in Europe painstakingly hid their genuine sexuality to avoid suspicion, experiments and pleasure even when they were not sentenced for "liquidation." One gay man attributed his survival to swapping his pink triangle for a red one  indicating he was merely a Communist. They were ostracized and tormented by their fellow inmates, too.

The looming danger of a backslide

This isn't 1930s Europe. And making superficial comparisons between then and now can only yield superficial conclusions.

But with new forms of authoritarianism entrenched and seeking to expand in Europe and beyond, it's worth thinking about the fate of Europe's LGBTQ community in the 1930s and 40s  a timely note from history as Germany approves same-sex marriage and on this first anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges.

In 1929, Germany came close to erasing its anti-gay law, only to see it strengthened soon thereafter. Only now, after a gap of 88 years, are convictions under that law being annulled.

John Broich, Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Charlie Gard, an infant in Britain, has a rare condition that affects the cell's mitochondria, which generate energy. He cannot breathe on his own, and is on life support.

Charlie Gard, a terminally ill infant in Britain, is receiving international attention as his parents are seeking an experimental treatment they hope could help their son, whose rare type of "DNA depletion" condition usually results in death in the first few months of life. But what causes this condition, and why does it have such devastating effects on the body?

Charlie was born on Aug. 4, 2016, and has been hospitalized at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London since October, according to The New York Times. The 11-month-old cannot breathe on his own, has seizures, and is blind and deaf, the Times reported. His parents want to take him to the United States for an experimental treatment, but his doctors have disagreed, saying that the treatment would not help and would only extend Charlie's suffering. Instead, the hospital concluded that the most humane thing to do would be to remove Charlie from life support. [27 Oddest Medical Cases]

The case has renewed the debate about parents' rights to seek treatment for their children. Several British courts have sided with the hospital, and the child's life support was set to be withdrawn on June 30. However, his parents have since said that the hospital has postponed the withdrawal in order to give them more time to say goodbye to their child, according to The Guardian.

Charlie's condition is called encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. It is caused by mutations in genes that help maintain the DNA found inside the mitochondria (cells' "powerhouses") that turn nutrients into energy and have their own set of DNA.

In Charlie's case, the mutation is in a gene called RRM2B, which is involved in creating this mitochondrial DNA, according to the National Institutes of Health. The mutation leads to a reduction in the amount of mitochondrial DNA, and prevents the mitochondria from working properly.

The condition affects many organs in the body, but particularly the muscles, brain and kidneys, which have high energy demands, the NIH says. It can cause muscle weakness, microcephaly (a smaller-than-normal head size), kidney problems, seizures and hearing loss. Weakness in the muscles used for breathing can lead to serious breathing problems and, in Charlie's case, required that he be placed on a ventilator.

The condition is extremely rare; prior to Charlie's case, only about 15 infants worldwide were reported to have this particular form of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, according to the NIH.

Symptoms typically start very early in life; Charlie started showing signs when he was just a few weeks old, the Times reported. And babies with this condition typically do not survive beyond infancy. In a 2008 review of the cases of seven infants with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome due to mutations in the RRM2B gene, all died before they reached 4 months old.

There is no cure for the condition, and treatment consists of managing symptoms, such as providing nutritional support or using a ventilator to aid with breathing, according to a review from the University of Washington.

Charlie's parents have said that they want their son to have an experimental treatment called nucleoside therapy, an unproven treatment aimed at the DNA materials that his cells can't produce. This treatment has previously been used on patients with a less severe form of mitochondrial DNA depletion, known as a TK2 mutation, according to the Times. However, the therapy has never been used on someone with RRM2B mutations. And even the doctor who initially agreed to help the Gards seek this treatment later acknowledged that the therapy was unlikely to help Charlie, because the baby was in the late stages of the illness.

Recently, the Bambino Gesu children's hospital in Italy asked if Gard could be transferred to its facility for care, but Great Ormond Street Hospital declined to move Gard, citing legal reasons, according to The Washington Post. U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also said that it is "right that decisions continue to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts," in line with the child's best interests, according to Press Association, a U.K.-based news agency.

Original article on Live Science.
Psychopaths, with their superficial charms but lack of empathy, may act the way they do because their brains are wired to overvalue immediate rewards, a new study finds.

Psychopaths' brain wiring may also lead them to avoid thinking about the consequences of their potentially immoral actions, the study found.

Psychopaths are thought to make up about 1 percent of the general population and up to 25 percent of the prison population. Scientists who investigate psychopathy commonly define people with the disorder as having a lack of conscience or remorse, as well as impulsivity or a lack of self-control, shallow experiences of emotions, superficial charm and a grandiose sense of their own worth. [Understanding the 10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]

More than three-quarters of incarcerated psychopaths are in prison because of a violent offense, according to a 2011 review of studies. Although not all psychopaths are violent, they can prove socially destructive in other ways, by lying, cheating and stealing, that review added.

"Psychopaths commit an astonishing amount of crime, and this crime is both devastating to victims and astronomically costly to society as a whole," Joshua Buckholtz, a neuroscientist and psychologist at Harvard University, said in a statement.

Scientific research into psychopathy "has for many years focused on emotion  in particular, this idea that psychopaths are cold-blooded super-predators who lack the ability to experience emotions," Buckholtz told Live Science. In the new study, the researchers wanted to focus more on psychopaths' behaviors.

"Regardless of what they feel, they engage in a lot of behavior marked by a lack of self-control, and we were interested in the neuroscience of that poor decision making," he said.

Buckholtz and his colleagues brought a mobile MRI scanner on a tractor trailer to a pair of medium-security prisons in Wisconsin. They scanned the brains of 49 inmates as the prisoners took part in a delayed gratification test that asked them to choose between two options  receiving a smaller amount of money immediately or a larger amount later. The researchers also had the inmates take a test to assess their level of psychopathy.

The researchers found that inmates who scored high for psychopathy showed greater activity in a brain region called the ventral striatum for the more immediate choice than those who scored lower in psychopathy. Previous studies suggested that the ventral striatum is linked with the ability to evaluate the value of different choices.

In addition, the scientists found that in psychopaths, the connection between the ventral striatum and another brain region known as the ventral medial prefrontal cortex were much weaker than normal. Prior work suggested that the ventral medial prefrontal cortex "is important for 'mental time travel'  that is, thinking about the future consequences of actions," Buckholtz said. [10 Things You Didn't Know About the Brain]

These findings suggest that psychopaths often behave antisocially because their brains are wired in a way that makes them both overvalue immediate rewards and neglect the future costs of potentially immoral actions. In fact, the more abnormal inmates' brains were in both of these regards, the more crimes the prisoners were convicted of.

"The pattern of decision making we see in psychopathic individuals is not all that different from that in people with other kinds of self-destructive behavior, such as substance abusers, compulsive over-eaters or compulsive gamblers," Buckholtz said. "Whatever else may be going in psychopathy, such as deficits of emotion, our findings put psychopathy in the sphere of things that can be intervened in."

Future research can investigate whether there may be ways to help psychopaths improve their thinking about the future, such as through behavioral therapies or noninvasive brain stimulation, Buckholtz said.

The scientists detailed their findings online today (July 5) in the journal Neuron.

Original article on Live Science.
Operating within InCube Labs, a multi-disciplinary life sciences R&D lab based in Silicon Valley, Rani Therapeutics is developing a novel approach for the oral delivery of large-molecule drugs such as basal insulin, which is currently delivered via injections. By replacing painful injections with a painless, easy-to-take pill, the technology has the potential to drastically improve the lives of millions of patients suffering from diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and many other chronic conditions.

The idea is that the pill allows biological drugs, such as proteins, that would otherwise be destroyed in the stomach and intestine, to be delivered orally. This means that patients dont have to undergo painful injections. For diabetic patients, who must inject insulin daily, this could mean that they dont need to worry about needles and painful injections. The pill protects the drug inside itself until it reaches the intestine, where needles made of sugar emerge from the pill and inject the drug directly into the wall of the intestine.

Medgadget had the opportunity to ask Mir Imran, Chairman and CEO of Rani Therapeutics, some questions about the technology. Mir Imran is a prolific inventor of medical devices and has founded more than 20 life sciences companies. Mir holds more than 300 issued patents and is perhaps most well-known for his pioneering contributions to the first FDA-approved Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

See the technology in action here:

Conn Hastings, Medgadget: Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about how you got into medical technology in general.

Mir Imran, Rani Therapeutics: My passion is developing and commercializing medical innovations. I have been an entrepreneur for the past 35 years, and my focus has been on solving major unmet clinical needs. I have a background in engineering and medicine, but even from a very young age, I loved to solve problems and understand how things worked. As a child in Hyderabad, India, I often took apart anything I could get my hands on to see how it worked. My mother eventually started buying toys for me in pairs  one to play with, the other to break down. At 8 years old, I made toys of wood, string and glue, and sold them to classmates. As a teenager, I took radio repair classes. I built AM radios, fit them inside matchboxes and sold them to friends. I later left India for the US and attended Rutgers, where I earned a BS in electrical engineering in 1976. By the time I actually had started my formal engineering training, I had probably a dozen years of hands-on experience.

As a college student, I had an experience that would change the course of my life and led me to the work I do today. I had a summer job working at The Matheney School for Cerebral Palsy Children. They needed engineers to develop communication devices for quadriplegic CP children, so I built a machine for one severely afflicted girl. The unit translated her facial expressions using pre-recorded phrases, allowing her to communicate. The experience was incredibly moving, and it inspired me to pursue medicine. After three years of med school, I decided that I did not want to be a doctor and instead wanted to pursue the business of innovation.

Medgadget: What inspired you to design the Rani device?

Mir Imran: Understanding and trying to solve big problems in medicine is what motivates me. Sometimes I discover problems through my own experience or from friends, and in other cases, I learn about problems through other sources. In the case of Rani, I heard from a friend in the world of big pharma that pharma companies spent billions of dollars over the past 40 years trying to convert injectable drugs into pills. And despite that kind of investment of time and money, the attempts were largely unsuccessful. This sounded like a juicy problem. If a solution could be developed, it would affect millions of patients and would have a major impact on the pharma market.

Take insulin as an example. As a protein-based drug, it cannot be ingested, only injected. With my engineering and medical background, I thought about it from a different perspective. If the pill could protect the drug until it reaches the intestine, and then inject the biologic into the intestinal wall  which has no sharp pain receptors  we could achieve successful administration without pain or loss of efficacy. While previous attempts to convert injections into pills have relied exclusively on chemistry, Rani has approached this challenge with engineering. That is the breakthrough.

Medgadget: Put simply, how does the technology work? What triggers the drug release in the intestine?

Mir Imran: The Rani pill is essentially a mini swallowable auto-injector that delivers the drug directly into the highly vascular intestinal wall, allowing the drug to be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. Figuring out how to trigger the injection was a challenge. The answer came to me when I reached for an Alka Seltzer after a spicy Indian dinner. The reaction created in my glass gave me the idea to inflate a balloon and inject the needle. So, the patient swallows the pill, and it protects the proteins from breaking down in the digestive tract. When it reaches the intestine, the balloon inflates, prompting needles made of bioabsorbable materials  such as sugar  to be injected in the intestinal wall.

Medgadget: Is positioning in the intestine crucial, or can the pill consistently and reliably deliver the same drug payload? Are there any safety issues  could the pill block the intestine?

Mir Imran: The intestine offers an ideal location for optimal drug absorption into the bloodstream, and its lack of pain receptors make the approach painless. After the drug is administered, the sugar needle dissolves and the balloon and any other ingestible materials pass through and exit the body, without risk of blockage.

Medgadget: What types of drugs can be delivered using the pills? What diseases could these pills be useful for?

Mir Imran: The pill was designed with biologic drugs in mind, such as basal insulin, adalimumab, Human Interferon, and human growth hormone, each a multi-billion dollar market. Patients might recognize brand names, such as Humira and Avonex; these are examples of injectable biologics. We have partnered with two of the largest pharma companies  Novartis and AstraZeneca  to test their molecules on our platform. We are also testing a number of off-patent biologics.

Medgadget: Getting people to take drugs consistently is a challenge. Do you think that this pill could substantially enhance patient compliance for diseases where injections are currently needed?

Mir Imran: Certainly. Fear of needles is a major issue for patient compliance, and I saw recent estimates that non-compliance incurs costs $290 billion per year in complications and related hospitalizations.

Hundreds of millions of patients rely on biologic drugs, including people with diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. We are talking about patient compliance and outcomes on a massive scale.

Lets look at a specific example: theres a basal insulin drug, Sanofis Lantus, which has been the historical market leader. About a year ago, Novo Nordisk came out with Tresiba, which was a longer acting insulin. In this case, the drug delivery innovation was a formulation change, causing the insulin to release over 42 hours, which resulted in patients experiencing fewer low blood sugar events between meals. Patients responded very quickly and enthusiastically when drug delivery reduced the frequency of these painful injections. Tresiba is on the way to a billion dollars in revenue within a year of marketing.

Now, imagine eliminating injections all together and delivering the drug through the oral route. This technology could be a game changer for pharma companies that license our technology. Because the market shifts happen very rapidly, partners could end up owning the market very quickly. For patients, this could mean they no longer have to fear or dread the treatment plans designed to help them.

Link: Rani Therapeutics
by Sara Guaglione , July 5, 2017

BuzzFeed is shaking up the conversation with a new section.



Business editor Tom Gara will now serve as the opinion editor for BuzzFeed. The new section begins July 10.

In a memo to staff posted on Twitter by CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy, BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith described the new opinion section. Our goal is to address the rapidly changing world and contextualize it in ways that help our readers make sense of what the hell is happening, Smith wrote.

As an example of what the BuzzFeed opinion section will look like, Smith referred to the entertaining and deeply informed pieces weve published recently from Zeynep Tufekci." He cited them as a "model of what were hoping to pull off here in terms of velocity and impact on the conversation.

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Tufekci's recent posts include: ISIS Has A Strategy To Create A Media Frenzy And News Outlets Are Struggling To Disrupt It and Dear France: You Just Got Hacked. Dont Make The Same Mistakes We Did.

Gara will look for authoritative voices from around the world and occasionally from inside the newsroom, Smith wrote.

BuzzFeeds top editor then called on reporters and editors to flag interesting under-recognized voices for Tom, as well as the big looming stories across BuzzFeeds desks.

Smith used the word global often in his memo, referring to the range of voices and topics he wants highlighted in the opinion section. He asked the BuzzFeed staff to flag the news everyone will be talking about that hasnt quite happened yet.

Currently, Smith is looking for a new business editor to succeed Gara, who joined BuzzFeed in 2014 from The Wall Street Journal.
This time it is Latina, which finds itself forced to cut staff while struggling to meet payroll and deal with unpaid invoices from angry freelancers. The news was first reported by the New York Post, citing unnamed staffers at Latina Media Ventures.

Another big magazine targeting an ethnic audience is having a rocky transition under new management.

Last week, LMV cut six staffers from a total of 30 employees, following reports that staff hadnt been paid in over a month. Staffers were finally paid for the first half of June, but are still awaiting paychecks for the second half of the month, NYP reports.

As always, freelancers are last in line, with some still waiting to be paid for invoices filed up to six months ago. Some of the freelancers are owed more than $10,000, per the same anonymous source.

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The publishers troubles come amid a sudden management shakeup.

In mid-June, former president Brett Wright resigned. Around the same time, the company told employees it would miss payroll. LMV owner Solera Capital promoted two of the companys employees, Robyn Moreno and Asten Morgan, to serve as co-presidents replacing Wright.

In a previous memo to staff, Latinas management blamed a miscommunication between Solera and LMV for the missed payroll. Some subscribers also complained that delivery of the most recent magazine issue had been delayed.

Latina isnt the only big ethnic title facing financial woes.

Earlier this year, Ebony laid off most of the magazines Chicago staffers, effectively spelling the end of publishing operations there. It's all part of a transition to new headquarters in Los Angeles, following the magazine's sale by Johnson Publishing.

In June 2016, after publishing Ebony and Jet for seven decades, Johnson Publishing sold the titles to Texas-based Clear View Group, an African American-owned private-equity firm (Jet, a weekly news, opinion, culture and lifestyle magazine, moved to a digital-only publication in 2014).

In April, Ebony became the target of a social-media movement by disgruntled freelancers. They took to Twitter to complain it was late in paying contributors. The magazines management vowed to pay freelancers. However, in mid-June, the National Writers Union claimed the magazine still owed its freelancers more than $200,000.
Rockwell Automation, Inc. provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products, and services. The Intelligent Devices segment offers drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components, and configured-to-order products. The Software & Control segment provides control and visualization software and hardware, information software, digital twin and simulation software, and network and security infrastructure solutions. The Lifecycle Services segment provides consulting, professional services and solutions, and connected and maintenance services. The company sells its solutions primarily through independent distributors in relation with its direct sales force. It serves discrete end markets, including automotive, semiconductor, warehousing and logistics, and other discrete markets, as well as general industries comprising printing and publishing, marine, glass, fiber and textiles, airports, and aerospace; hybrid end markets, such as food and beverage, life sciences, household and personal care, and tire, as well as eco industrial, including water/wastewater, waste management, mass transit, and renewable energy; and process end markets comprising oil and gas, mining, metals, chemicals, pulp and paper, and others. Rockwell Automation, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The following companies are subsidiares of TE Connectivity: 999 Arques Corp., ABB ENTRELEC terminal block business, ACC Telecommunications, ADC Chile Limitada, ADC Communications (SEA) Pte. Ltd., ADC Communications (UK) Holding Ltd., ADC Communications (UK) Ltd., ADC Communications Hong Kong Limited, ADC Telecommunications Equipment (Shanghai) Co., AMP Amermex, AMP Products Pacific Limited, AMP Taiwan B.V., AMP Trading B.V., AMP de Venezuela, Acalon Holdings Limited, Advanced Fiber Products LLC, Advanced Fiber Products Limited, Advanced Tube Technologies, AdvancedCath, AdvancedCath Technologies, Alpha Technics, American Sensor Technologies, Betatherm (R&D) Limited, Brantner Holding Company, Brantner and Associates, Butterfly Management SAS, C.S. Tyco Decisive Inc., C.S. Tyco Dependable Inc., C.S. Tyco Durable Inc., C.S. Tyco Reliance Inc., C.S. Tyco Resolute Inc., C.S. Tyco Responder Inc., CII Guardian International Limited, Cablotec GmbH, Carrier Kheops Bac SAS, Catheter and Disposable Technology, Celis Eletrocomponentes Ltda., Cima de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Clarebury Pty. Ltd., Codenoll Technology Corporation, Communication Expert International Investments Limited, Compagnie Deutsch Distribution SAS, Compagnie Deutsch SAS, Comtec Systeme GmbH, Connecteurs Electriques Deutsch SAS, Corcom, Corcom West Indies Limited, Cotsworks LLC, Creganna, Creganna Captial Holding Ireland Unlimited Company, Creganna Finance (US) LLC, Creganna Finance Ireland Limited, Creganna Luxembourg SARL, Creganna Medical Devices, Creganna Medical Pte. Limited, Creganna Medical Technology Unlimited, Creganna Medical s.r.l., Creganna Regulatory, Creganna Solutions Limited, Creganna Solutions Unlimited Company, Creganna Tactx Singapore Limited, Creganna Unlimited Company, Cregstar Bidco Limited, Critchley Group Limited, Crompton Instruments (South-East Asia) Pte. Ltd., Deutsch, Deutsch Connectors Hong Kong Limited, Deutsch Connectors Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co., Deutsch Connectors Trading (Shanghai) Co., Deutsch Finance SAS, Deutsch GB Limited, Deutsch Group SAS, Deutsch India Power Connectors (Pvt) Ltd, Deutsch Israel Ltd., Deutsch SAS, Deutsch Servicios S. de R.L. De C.V., Deutsch Subco Limited, Deutsch UK, F.A.I. Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, First Sensor, Grangehurst Enterprises Pty. Ltd., Hirschmann Car Communication, Hong Kong Sensors Technologies Limited, Howard A. Schaevitz Technologies, Intercontec Connector System (Shanghai) Co., Intercontec Produkt GmbH, Intercontect Pfeiffer Industrie-Steckverbindungen GmbH, Jaquet North America, Jaquet Technology Group AG, Kemex Holding Company, Kenabell Holding Limited, LADD Distribution LLC, LADD Distribution Limited, LSA, MEAS Asia Limited, MEAS Europe SAS, MEAS France SAS, MEAS Ireland (Betatherm) Limited, MEAS Norway AS, MEAS Shenzhen Limited, MEAS Switzerland S.a r.l., MEAS US Holding, MP&E, Measurement Specialties, Measurement Specialties (Chengdu) Ltd., Measurement Specialties (China) Ltd., Measurement Specialties (China) Ltd. Production Branch, Measurement Specialties Foreign Holdings LLC, Measurement Technology (Chengdu) Ltd., Medical Engineering & Design, MicroGroup, Morlynn Ceramics Pty. Ltd., Nikkiso-Therm Co., PT KRONE Indonesia, PT. Tyco Electronics Indonesia, Pfeiffer GmbH & Co KG, Pfeiffer Verwaltungs GmbH, Polamco, Polamco Limited, Potter & Brumfield de Mexico, Precision Interconnect LLC, Precision Subsea AS, Precision Wire Components, Precision Wire Holding Company, Produxx, RAYCHEM-RPG Private Limited, Raychem (HK) Limited, Raychem (Shanghai) Trading Ltd, Raychem China Limited, Raychem Dominicana S.A., Raychem Industries BVBA, Raychem International LLC, Raychem International Manufacturing LLC, Raychem Juarez, Raychem Limited, Raychem Ltd., Raychem Pacific Corporation, Raychem Saudi Arabia Limited, Raychem Shanghai Cable Accessories Ltd, Raychem Technologies Limited, Rochester Wire and Cable LLC, SEACON Advanced Products LLC, Seacon (Europe) Limited, Seacon Global Production, Seacon Produtos e Servicos Opticos e Eletricos Ltda., Sensitive Object, Servo Interconnect Limited, Shanghai CII Electronics Co., Shenzhen Century Man Communication Equipment Co., Sibas Electronics (Xiamen) Co., TCN Holding (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., TE Connectivity (Barbados) SRL, TE Connectivity (Denmark) ApS, TE Connectivity (HKZ) Holding Limited, TE Connectivity (Kunshan) Company Limited, TE Connectivity (Netherlands) Holding S.a r.l. - Irish Branch, TE Connectivity (Schweiz) Management AG, TE Connectivity (Suzhou) Co., TE Connectivity Argentina S.R.L., TE Connectivity Australia Pty Ltd, TE Connectivity Colombia S.A.S., TE Connectivity Connectors (Suzhou) Co., TE Connectivity Distribution (Thailand) Limited, TE Connectivity EMEA Holding GmbH, TE Connectivity Germany GmbH, TE Connectivity HK Limited, TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l., TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l. Luxembourg (LU) Schaffhausen E-Finance branch, TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l. Luxembourg (LU) Schaffhausen branch, TE Connectivity Holding International II S.a r.l. (Ireland Branch), TE Connectivity Holding International S.A., TE Connectivity Inc., TE Connectivity India Private Limited, TE Connectivity Investments Holding S.A., TE Connectivity Investments Holding S.A. Luxembourg (LU) Schaffhausen branch, TE Connectivity Ireland Limited, TE Connectivity LATAM Holding S.a r.l., TE Connectivity LATAM I S.a r.l., TE Connectivity LATAM II S.a r.l., TE Connectivity Limited, TE Connectivity MOG Europe S.a r.l., TE Connectivity MOG Holding S.a r.l., TE Connectivity MOG Inc., TE Connectivity MOG Sales GmbH, TE Connectivity Manufacturing (Thailand) Company Limited, TE Connectivity Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., TE Connectivity Morocco SARL, TE Connectivity Nederland B.V., TE Connectivity Netherlands (Poland II) Cooperatief U.A., TE Connectivity Netherlands (Turkey) B.V., TE Connectivity Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., TE Connectivity Phoenix Optix Inc., TE Connectivity Seacon Phoenix Inc., TE Connectivity Sensors Germany GmbH, TE Connectivity Services India Private Limited, TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH, TE Connectivity South Africa Proprietary Limited, TE Connectivity Spain, TE Connectivity SubCom S.L.U., TE Connectivity SubCom Spain Holding S.L.U., TE Connectivity Technology Solutions Limited, TE Connectivity Tunisia Sarl, TE Connectivity ULC, TE Connectivity US Group Holding Inc., TE Connectivity Vietnam Holding Company Limited, TYCO Electronics Polska Sp.z.o.o., TYCO SUBMARINE SYSTEMS INC., TacPro, Tactx Medical, Taicang Speed & Spin Sensors Co., Taliq Taiwan Limited, Tappat Engineering Pty Ltd, TechDevice Costa Rica Limitada, TechDevice Holdings, TechDevice LLC, The Whitaker LLC, Transoceanic Cable Ship Company LLC, TyCom Holdings II SA, TyCom Networks (Peru) S.A., Tyco Electronics (AMP Korea) Malta Limited, Tyco Electronics (Dongguan) Ltd, Tyco Electronics (Gibraltar) Holding Limited, Tyco Electronics (Gibraltar) Limited, Tyco Electronics (Korea) Malta Limited, Tyco Electronics (Kunshan) Ltd, Tyco Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Tyco Electronics (Qingdao) Ltd., Tyco Electronics (Schweiz) Holding II GmbH, Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Tyco Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Tyco Electronics (Suzhou) Ltd., Tyco Electronics (Zhuhai) Ltd, Tyco Electronics AMP Guangdong Ltd, Tyco Electronics AMP Italia Products S.R.L., Tyco Electronics AMP Italia S.R.L., Tyco Electronics AMP Korea Co., Tyco Electronics AMP Manufacturing (S) Pte Ltd, Tyco Electronics AMP Qingdao Ltd., Tyco Electronics AMP Shanghai Ltd., Tyco Electronics Austria GmbH, Tyco Electronics Belgium EC BVBA, Tyco Electronics Brasil Ltda., Tyco Electronics Canada ULC, Tyco Electronics China (Gibraltar) Limited, Tyco Electronics Componentes Electromecanicos Lda., Tyco Electronics Corby Limited, Tyco Electronics Corporation, Tyco Electronics Czech s.r.o., Tyco Electronics Del Peru S.A.C., Tyco Electronics EC Trutnov s.r.o., Tyco Electronics EC Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Tyco Electronics Eta Limited, Tyco Electronics Finance Alpha GmbH, Tyco Electronics Finance S.a r.l., Tyco Electronics Finland Oy, Tyco Electronics France SAS, Tyco Electronics Germany Holdings GmbH, Tyco Electronics Group S.A., Tyco Electronics Group S.A. (French Branch), Tyco Electronics Group S.A. (Ireland Branch), Tyco Electronics H.K. Limited, Tyco Electronics Hellas MEPE, Tyco Electronics Holding Corp., Tyco Electronics Holding France, Tyco Electronics Holding S.a r.l., Tyco Electronics Holdings (Bermuda) No. 7 Limited, Tyco Electronics Holdings (Bermuda) No. 7 Limited Taiwan Branch, Tyco Electronics Hong Kong Holdings No. 1 Limited, Tyco Electronics Hong Kong Holdings No. 2 Limited, Tyco Electronics Hong Kong Holdings No. 3 Limited, Tyco Electronics Hungary Termelo Kft, Tyco Electronics Idento, Tyco Electronics India (Gibraltar) Limited, Tyco Electronics Industrial Y Comercial Chile Limitada, Tyco Electronics Integrated Cable Systems LLC, Tyco Electronics Ireland Limited, Tyco Electronics Israel Ltd., Tyco Electronics Italia Holding S.r.l., Tyco Electronics Japan G.K., Tyco Electronics Lambda, Tyco Electronics Latin America Holding LLC, Tyco Electronics Manufacturing Singapore Pte Ltd, Tyco Electronics Mexico, Tyco Electronics Middle East FZE, Tyco Electronics Motors Ltd, Tyco Electronics NZ Limited, Tyco Electronics Netherlands (Germany Holding) S.a r.l., Tyco Electronics Netherlands (Gibraltar China) Cooperatief U.A., Tyco Electronics Netherlands (Gibraltar India) Cooperatief U.A., Tyco Electronics Netherlands (India) Cooperatief U.A., Tyco Electronics Netherlands Holding B.V., Tyco Electronics Norge AS, Tyco Electronics Philippines, Tyco Electronics Precision Engineering Ltd., Tyco Electronics Printed Circuit Group LP, Tyco Electronics RIMC Holding LLC, Tyco Electronics RUS OOO, Tyco Electronics Raychem GmbH, Tyco Electronics Raychem Korea Limited, Tyco Electronics SIMEL SAS, Tyco Electronics Saudi Arabia Limited, Tyco Electronics Services GmbH, Tyco Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd, Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC, Tyco Electronics Svenska AB, Tyco Electronics Svenska Holdings AB, Tyco Electronics Technology (SIP) Co., Tyco Electronics Technology (SIP) Ltd., Tyco Electronics Tecnologias S. de R.L. de C.V., Tyco Electronics UK Holdings Ltd, Tyco Electronics UK Ltd., Tyco Electronics UK Ltd. (Kenya Branch), Tyco Electronics Ukraine Limited, Tyco Electronics Uruguay S.A., Tyco Electronics Verwaltungs GmbH, Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems B.V., Tyco Electronics de Venezuela, Tyco Elektronik AMP Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Tyco Global Networks Ltd., Tyco Iberia, Tyco International Services GmbH, Tyco Networks (Argentina) S.R.L., Tyco Networks (Italy) Srl, Tyco Networks (Netherlands) B.V., Tyco Networks Iberica, Tyco Submarine Systems, Tyco Submarine Systems C.A., Tyco Submarine Systems de Argentina S.A., Tyco Telecommunications Ltd., Wema Americas LLC, Wema Automotive System Private Limited, Wema Environmental Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Wema Environmental Technologies (Shenzhen) Co., Wema Environmental Technologies Ltd., Wema System AG, Wema System AS, Wema System Hong Kong Limited, Wema System Production and Distribution HK Limited, Xiamen Delixing Electric Equipment Businesss, and motec Montage GmbH.

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President of Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has explained that the Union leases some of their office space so as to survive.

Bice Osei Kufuor popularly known in showbiz circles as Obour confirmed that we have rented part of MUSIGAs building to a church and chop bar because we have to survive.

In a recent interview with KMJ on Daybreak Hitz, he explained further when government gave us our property, we developed a performance hall in the venue for renting to musicians and any other body who wants to use the place.

According to him, the Union runs a very opened policy but does not generate funds to take care of its expenditure so the leadership came up with creative ways to make money.

Its one of our revenue generating ventures, a days charge is GHC200 and it is used on Saturdays and Sundays. That is not any major source, as it cannot even pay for our water bill for a month.

We have also rented four of our offices to a different organisation who pay rent because we need to survive as an organisation, he said.

He questioned why MUSIGA should let space go waste when you dont have enough revenue to pay for some kinds of stuff.

Regarding criticism from fellow musicians about his leadership, Obour said, I am one person who is not easily moved by just mere comments.

"In the same vain I will hear Shatta Wale or A Plus make comments about me, other musicians tell me not to mind such comments and urge me to concentrate on my work."

According to him, he does not put any value on comments from musicians who are not members and have no idea what is going on in the Union.

"I would have been very worried if such comments were coming from Edem, Joey B or Okyeame Kwame because they know what is going on in MUSIGA," Obour said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Angelina Agyeiwaa Nti
n 2016, Ghanas economy grew by a paltry 3.2%, while the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) recorded negative growth at all levels, but the CDH Balance Fund (CDH BFund) recorded an impressive 33% growth in the face of that.

For the year ending December 31, 2016, GSE Composite Index recorded a negative return of -15.33% at 1,689.09 point; Financial Stocks Index fared worse with -19.90%, representing 1,545.41, while Market Capitalization was also lower by 7.75%, having fallen from GHC57.12 billion in 2015, to GHC52.69 billion last year.

In the face of these challenging times for the GSE, coupled with a generally declining Ghanaian economy at a paltry 3.2% growth, CDH BFund still managed to grow shareholder value by almost 33%.

Group CEO of the CDH Group, Emmanuel Adu-Sarkodie, told Journalists the poor performance of the GSE was a reflection of challenges that faced the various companies listed on the bourse last year.

The biggest losers last year included UT Bank, Ecobank Transnational, Total Ghana, Africa Champions, and Produce Buying Company among others.

He said, having observed how the listed companies were performing, CDH opted to invest more of the BFund shareholder funds into government treasury bills and other such financial instruments and that paid off.

Government took a lot of loans for development last year so we took advantage of that and invested about 90% of the shareholder funds into that in the form of fixed deposits for our shareholders and that was how we got them the profits in the face of a declining economy, he said.

Emmanuel Adu-Sarkodee blamed the decline of businesses largely on the high cost of power and called on government to take a second look at the cost of gas sold by Ghana Gas to Volta River Authority (VRA).

He noted that power cost is depleting the gains businesses make, adding that it does not make sense for power to much more in Ghana than in Cote dIvoire.

The CDH Boss said Ghana has a bigger hydro-electric plant than Cote dIvoire and yet power cost way less in that country than in Ghana.

We have businesses in Cote dIvoire and we pay about 50% less for power there than we pay in Ghana  in fact Accra City Hotel is ours and when the hotel is full we are better off using generators than using power from ECG in Ghana, he said.

Emmanuel Adu-Sarkodee believes Cote dIvoire is able to sell power for less because their power generating company buys gas at a way cheaper price than gas is sold to VRA in Ghana.

He is, therefore, calling on government to impress upon Ghana Gas to reduce the cost of gas to VRA to enable them to generate power at a lesser cost so that corporate consumers could also have some relief from power cost.

Meanwhile, at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of CDH BFund, shareholders were impressed with the gains made by the BFund in the face of a declining economy.

In spite of the gains, the fund managers still forfeited their remuneration as they have done since the inception of the fund, but shareholder actually asked the fund managers to start paying themselves from next year, a rare request for shareholder to make.

Some shareholders and promised to move their funds from other funds with other companies into the CDH BFund.
As part of efforts to encourage customers to utilize its latest mobile banking service, *901#, Access Bank Ghana is rewarding customers who transact and refer others to join the platform.

The *901# service, which was launched a few weeks ago, enables customers to conduct basic transactions such as opening a new account, buying airtime, paying bills and transferring money using their mobile devices, without the use of an internet data.

More than 500 loyal customers who have performed transactions on the platform have so far been rewarded with prizes including mobile phones, airtime and shopping vouchers.

Two of the top winners, Miriam Adom Danquah of Adum branch and Obed Nii Adjei Banfro of the Castle Road branch in Accra, shared their excitement in winning from the *901* campaign. When I signed onto the *901# service, I didnt expect to receive any reward. All I wanted to do was to be able to perform some of my banking transactions without coming to the banking hall. I am grateful to Access Bank and I urge them to continue being an awesome bank that grows with technology  Miriam shared.

According to the Divisional Head of Retail Banking, Mr. Stephen Abban we are excited to have rewarded our first batch winners in the *901# campaign. Financial inclusion is at the heart of Access Banks retail strategy and so we have made it our responsibility to give customers convenient access to banking transactions. We are looking forward to rewarding over 1,000 customers during the campaign period and also get more customers to utilize our digital banking products.

Congratulations to all the first 500 winners and we hope to continue our lasting relationships with them, he concluded.

The *901# campaign is running till the end of June 2017. Customers stand a chance of winning smartphones, gift vouchers, and free airtime when they perform at least two transactions on the platform or refer at least 5 other people to sign onto the *901# service.

With the *901# mobile banking service, customers can transfer money, buy airtime, check account balances, pay bills, transfer funds between their accounts and to third party banks, as well as conduct mobile money transfers. Other functions include making enquiries for branch and ATM locations and making transfers onto mobile money wallets.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Guingouine (CAte d'Ivoire) (AFP) - Leaving behind chic gowns and catwalks to stomp in the mud in heavy work boots, Guinean former fashion model Tiguidanke Camara has made herself west Africa's first woman mine owner.

In the small forest village of Guingouine, in the west of Ivory Coast, Camara runs a team of 10 geologists and labourers who are probing the soil for gold deposits.

She readily wades into a mucky pond to help take laboratory samples.

"When I was a model, I showed off for the jewellers. They have licences in Africa to provide their precious stones," says Camara amid a swarm of gnats, still youthful and trim in her 40s.

She does not recall any macho male resistance to her rise in an industry almost devoid of women, though bemused men have been prompted on occasion to ask whose assistant she might be.

"When it got too much one day, I had to produce my CEO's ID badge!" she protests mildly.

Camara says that modelling for jewellery firms "roused my curiosity. I started to ask myself questions. What if African men or women took charge of business in the mining sector?"

"I'm the answer to that question," declares the entrepreneur, who has been ranked by France's weekly Jeune Afrique among the 50 most influential businesswomen of Francophone Africa.

Inspired to join forces, she and a number of other women last year created an association of Women in the Mining Network of Ivory Coast (Femici by its French acronym), while Camara is also seen as an example to village girls.

'We lack everything'

Camara had to dig deep into savings -- earned on runways for big international fashion labels and jewellery brands and in promoting the wares of luxury design houses -- to launch her Tigui Mining Group in 2010 and acquire two licences to prospect for gold in her homeland.

Then last year she followed up with a mining concession to look for gold in Ivory Coast, which she has turned into "my base in west Africa".

Modelling for jewellery firms "roused my curiosity," Camara, the owner of TMG Tigui Mining Company, says. "I started to ask myself questions. What if African men or women took charge of business in the mining sector?"

"I'm the owner of a mining company that belongs to me 100 percent," says Tigui's founder, stressing that she is a continental rarity, "apart from South Africa, where there are other women bosses, but mostly in partnerships."

In Guingouine, inhabitants have started to dream of the big changes that could benefit the village if the site proves to be rich in gold and a mine is opened.

"Guingouine means happiness (in the local Yacouba language), but we lack everything," says village chief Alphonse Doh, clad in his traditional blue and white robe.

"The school of six classes is a shed without electricity. Women in labour have to be taken in wheelbarrows 10 kilometres (six miles) to the nearest health centre," Doh explains.

For the chief, opening a mine could transform the lives of thousands of people. Apart from the potential economic gains, he also hopes that Tiguidanke Camara may serve as a successful role model in a region where more than 80 percent of girls are illiterate.

In the meantime, the "mining lady" has encouraged the women of the village to form a cooperative, providing them with agricultural equipment and two solar panels.

"We are very pleased with this cooperation," says Elise Kpan, who runs the Women of Guingouine association. The cooperative has enabled villagers "to place their farming produce on the market easily and to make money".

'Future growth sector'

The mining sector, dominated by the production of manganese (two mines) and gold (five mines) has been growing for a decade in Ivory Coast.

Current activity accounts for five percent of the gross domestic product of the country, which also has diamonds, iron, nickel, bauxite and copper.

Women are poorly represented in Ivorian mining, where they account for just 112 of some 6,000 jobs directly involved in the sector and about 400 of the 30,000 connected secondary jobs

Women are poorly represented in Ivorian mining, where they account for just 112 of some 6,000 jobs directly involved in the sector and about 400 of the 30,000 connected secondary jobs.

Concerned women have bonded to improve this state of affairs. The newly launched Femici association pools the resources of women professionals as diverse as geologists, drivers of heavy industrial vehicles, lawyers and environmental specialists.

"Mining activity is a future growth sector that will attract many women," says Christine Logbo-Kossi, director of the Professional Group of Mines in Ivory Coast, the only employers' organisation in the industry, founded in 2008.

"If I flourish in the mining sector, it's because I have benefitted from the welcome that men gave me," Camara says.

Asked what quality most helps women succeed in business, she is quick to say: "Passion."
Private legal practitioner, Victor Adawudu, has dragged the Attorney-General and the Bank of Ghana to court over the controversial 2.25 billion dollar bond issue in April.

He is among other things praying the Supreme Court to direct the A-G, Gloria Akuffo and the Finance Ministry to furnish him with copies of documents in respect of the bond transaction.

Mr Adawudus action follows the failure by Gloria Akuffo to provide same in a petition by the lawyer in May this year to the A-G.

Gloria Akuffo had told Mr Adawudu that documents covering the bond issue are unavailable to her.

Victor Adawudu

I acknowledge receipt of your letter bearing reference number LL/17/26 and dated 4th May , 2017 on the above subject matter. Please be informed that the information being sought per your letter is not available to me and I am therefore unable to respond to the questions posed therein, she had responded.

The Finance Ministry in April this year auctioned a total of 2.25 billion dollars in four bonds. The first two bonds, totalling 1.13 billion dollars, was issued at 15 and 7 years period with the same coupon of 19.75%.

Related: Minority petitions US agency to probe $2.25bn bond issue

In addition, the Ministry of Finance raised the Cedi equivalent of 1.12 billion dollars in 5 and 10-year bonds via a tap-in arrangement.

The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over the bond issue and has called for a full-scale parliamentary probe into how some persons they referred to as very close friends of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, purchased 95% of Ghanas recent 2.25 billion dollar bond.

Related: Franklin Templeton not a person - Finance minister corrects NDC MPs

Mr Adawudu told Joy News on Tuesday that he believes the Court will enforce his fundamental human right and compel the A-G to find and produce the documents.

Related: NDC MPs want Parliamentary probe into govt's 15-year bond

She represents the government. It is her duty to get information from all the agencies to come and speak for government, he stressed.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | GN
Accra, July 4, GNA - The Rotaract Club of Accra Ring Road Central has inducted into office Mr Dean Senchim as its new President for the next Rotary Year, beginning from July 1, to June 30, 2018.

Mr Senchim took over from Mrs Paulina Buabeng-Duah, and heads a 12-member executive with Nana Quophy Appiah as Vice-President, Ms Hannah Wilson as Secretary and Mr Eric Zinbabora as Treasurer.

Other members of the board are Mr Gabriel Fienya as Club Administrator, Ms Abigail Kwarteng as Membership Director, Mr Faisal Dodoo as Service Projects Director and Ms Helen Habib as Public Relations/Fundraising Director.

Ms Phoebe Addison, Mr Kofi Nkrumah-Debrah and Mr Kwaku Kwakye Mamphey occupy the positions of Sergeant-At-Arms, Youth Service Director and Legal Committee Director respectively.

Mr Dean Senchim, the President Elect, in his inaugural speech emphasised that together with his board, he was determined to serve less privileged communities with a main focus on the environment, legal support and provision of clean, potable water.

'The success of the incoming board would depend on four main sustainable pillars of the Club; namely, team work, discipline, effective time management and selfless commitment to the herculean task ahead', he said.

Mrs Paulina Buabeng-Duah, the Immediate Past President, was ecstatic for the close of a good Rotaract year and thankful to the club members for their unflinching support during her tenure of office.

She admonished the membership to proffer the same support to the new President and his board.

The ceremony on the theme: 'Possible Together,' saw the offering of goodwill messages and donations to the club in support of a successful year ahead, as well as a signature wall which was signed by all present as a show of solidarity.

The Rotaract Club of Accra Ring Road Central, which was chartered by the Rotary Club of Accra Ring Road Central in 1995, remains one of Ghana's most vibrant Rotaract clubs and provides the platform for young professionals of diverse backgrounds to serve their communities through community service and volunteerism.

The club was recently awarded the prestigious award of 'Most Outstanding Rotaract Club in Ghana 2016/2017 Rotary Year'.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Accra, July 4, GNA - Ethiopian Aviation Academy, the largest aviation academy in Africa, a full ICAO Trainer Plus Member and IATA Authorized Global Training Centre, has graduated 337 Aviation Professionals.

The graduates included 81 aviation maintenance technicians, 186 cabin crew and catering professionals, 70 commercial and ground service professionals at a graduation ceremony held at Ethiopian Headquarters on June 30.

A statement issued in Accra by Mrs Hanna Atnafu, Manager Corporate Communications, Ethiopian Airlines said Ato Busera Awel, Chief Commercial Officer at Ethiopian, gave out diplomas to all the graduates, flight wings to cabin crew and achievement award to graduates with outstanding academic performance.

The Chief Commercial Officer said: 'Seven years of successful execution of our vision 2025 have made us the largest and the best airline in the continent of Africa.'

He said their sharp focus on the four Pillars of Vision 2025; Fleet, Human Resource Development (HRD), Infrastructure and Systems were one of the most important success factors.

He said the Academy was the foundation of their HRD and their business was all about people.

'We have inaugurated the largest and the most modern Cargo Terminal in Africa and today I am happy that we are celebrating the graduation of our brothers and sisters from this state of the art centre of excellence,' he added.

He congratulated the graduants on their success and encouraged them to carry on with Ethiopian transcendent corporate culture and work ethic, and sustain the legacy in their proud 70 plus years of history and success.

Operating successfully since its establishment in 1956, Ethiopian Aviation Academy has significantly contributed towards alleviating the critical shortage of skilled aviation professionals.

Currently, the academy trains 1,500 youths per annum and it envisages to enhance its intake capacity to 4, 000 by 2025.

Ethiopian Aviation Academy is a full ICAO TRAINAIR Plus Member and IATA's Authorized Global Training Center and Accredited Training School.

GNA
05.07.2017 LISTEN

By Robert Anane/Elizabeth Ofosu

Accra, July 4, GNA - China seeks to continue to help African countries with capacity building, especially for the youth, since the energies and capabilities of a nation's youth largely determines its strength.

Madam Sun Baohong, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, at the opening of a two-day conference on China-Africa Relations on Tuesday in Accra, said China would assist African countries to educate and train about 200 million adolescents.

The conference, which was opened by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was on the theme; 'Building Resilient Industries and Infrastructure for Economic Transformation in Africa: The Role of China.'

It seeks to come up with recommendations towards the improvement of China-Africa relations.

Madam Sun said China-Africa co-operation had intensified since the establishment of the Forum on China Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) in 2000, adding that the 2006 Beijing Summit of FOCAC witnessed the establishment of a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership.

The Chinese Ambassador said the new partnership featured political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchange.

Madam Sun said the Chinese Government also had 10 major areas outlined for China-Africa cooperation namely industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, infrastructure, finance, green development, trade and investment and poverty reduction.

She also mentioned public health, cultural and people to people exchanges, and peace and security with a total of 60 billion US dollars funding from China.

The Chinese Ambassador said the mutual political trust between China and Africa, coupled with pragmatic cooperation, had yielded fruitful results.

'China-Africa trade volume in the peak year of 2014 reached 220 billion dollars, which was 22 times as much as the year 2000, when FOCAC was established,' she said.

Madam Sun said in the first quarter of 2017 the growth rate of China-Africa trade reached 16.8 percent.

She said whilst China was currently the largest trade partner of Africa, Africa on the other hand was the third largest investment destination, and the second largest contract engineering market for China.

The Chinese Ambassador said China would continue to promote all-round cooperation with Africa, combining the needs of African countries and the advantages of each side.

'Currently, we would advance cooperation in key areas such as infrastructure connectivity, capacity production, agricultural modernisation, human resource, poverty reduction and public health in order to help Africa realise the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,' she said.

The conference was organised by the Institute of Democratic Governance with support from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China.

GNA
Accra, July 4, GNA - The Ghana Muslim Mission Women's Fellowship (GMMWF), has organised a health screening exercise for members as part of activities lined up for its 50th anniversary celebration.

The exercise geared towards the wellbeing of members was to create the awareness on cervical cancer and breast cancer and to screen members as well provide the necessary advice were required.

Mr Abdul Rahman Al-Hassan, the National GMSA President, leading the team of health personnel said breast cancer was a kind of disease that developed from breast cells, and usually starts off in the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply them with milk.

He said the first symptoms of breast cancer was usually an area of thickened tissue in the woman's breast, or a lump.

The majority of lumps are not cancerous; however, women should get them checked by a health care professional.

Some symptoms of breast cancer include a lump in a breast, pain in the armpits or breast that does not seem to be related to the woman's menstrual period, pitting or redness of the skin of the breast; like the skin of an orange, rash around (or on) one of the nipples.

Others are, swelling (lump) in one of the armpits, an area of thickened tissue in a breast, discharge from one of the nipples; sometimes containing blood, changes in nipple appearance; becoming sunken or inverted, changes in the size or shape of the breast and peeling, scaling or flaking of the nipple-skin or breast-skin.

On the other hand he said cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control.

Mr Al-Hassan, who is also a student at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Training School, said cervical cancer symptoms may include, bleeding from the vagina that is not normal, such as bleeding between menstrual periods, after sex, or after menopause, pain in the lower belly or pelvis, pain during sex and vaginal discharge that is not normal.

In both cases he noted that they can often be successfully treated when found early, therefore advised the women to seek early medical care when they notice such symptoms and changes.

The women were later taken through texts including hepatitis B, breast examination, High blood pressure and diabetes.

Mrs Mariama Obeng, National Co-ordinator of the GMMWF said this year the fellowship marks it's 50 since its formation, with the aim of mobilizing Muslim women across the country to instill the true teachings of Islam in them.

She said the activity which was in collaboration with Ghana Muslim Students Association, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was to offer members an opportunity to conduct various text and have an idea about illness pertaining to women.

She said the fellowship exists is seven regions across the country and as such all regions are simultaneously organising similar events to commemorate the anniversary celebration.

She appealed to members to take advantage of the opportunity to check their health status freely as well as benefit and adhere to the advice of the student doctors in order to live and maintain healthy lives.

Mrs Obeng noted that the theme for the year- long celebration which started in May is 'Ghana Muslim Mission Women's Fellowship; Interrogating the Past and Shaping the Future'.

She said the Fellowship, since its inception has been a very formidable force behind the Ghana Muslim Mission and has contributed enormously to the organic growth and development of the organisation.

Mrs Obeng said it was significant to note that the Fellowship had transformed many lives through its weekly 'Dawah' sessions in all the regions and districts through conferences, seminars and workshops to develop the skills of the women.

'These have enabled the women to contribute to the social, economic and spiritual development of their communities,' she added.

GNA

By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Accra, July 4, GNA - The Government is to hold a national stakeholders forum to find sustained solutions to the National Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Kwaku Agyemang- Manu Minister of Health has announced.

'It's our priority now to do what we can do best to see what solutions we can bring on,'' the Minister assured the House and the nation on Tuesday, as he wrapped up on the debate on the motion to approve the National Health Insurance Fund Allocation Formula for 2017.

The House approved the formula for the distribution for the year 2017.

The object of the National Health Insurance Authority under Act 852 is to attain universal health Insurance Coverage in relation to persons resident in Ghana, and non-residents visiting Ghana, and to provide access to health care services to the persons covered by the Scheme.

Section 39 of ACT 852 established the National Health Insurance Fund and the object of the Fund was to pay for the health care services for members of National Health Insurance Scheme. (NHIS).

One of the main challenges of the scheme is the funding gap receipts and expenditures, and it is expected that participants at the forum would make recommendations on how to rake in funds to sustain the scheme.

A dossier on the Formula made available in Parliament said the strategic intent of the Authority as captured in the Medium Term Strategic Plan 2015-2018 was to consolidate the position of the NHIS as preferred financing mechanism for reducing financial barriers to health care in Ghana through a social health insurance scheme.

Some key programmes and activities planned for 2017 are to adopt pragmatic strategies to increase active membership coverage of the scheme from 39 per cent in 2016 to 41 per cent of the projected population of 28.4 million. The active membership in 2017 is therefore projected at 11.6 million.

Having completed a pilot of a claims vetting and submission application called 'Claim It', full implementation of the application is expected it to take place in 2017.

'In 2017, we intend to extend the education and preparatory work for the roll out of the per capita payment module to six of the remaining regions, namely Brong Ahafo, Western, Eastern, Central, Greater Accra and Northern Region,' said the document, which also added that 'the Authority would intensify claims verifications and clinical audit of provider claims.

'In 2017, we plan to audit 15 per cent of the total facilities.'

The Authority has also planned to continue to collaborate with the MOH to review the system for pharmaceutical product supply.

Total receipts of GH1,237.24 were collected by the Ministry of Finance for the year ending December 31, 2016 and total payments for the year ending December 31 2016 was GH 1,221.23 million.

Last week, the Minority in Parliament called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposed 2017 National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) formula from the Floor of Parliament.

In the Minority's view, the proposed NHIA Fund formula in its present state is at variance with the National Health Insurance Act, 2012, Act 852, since there has been no Board approval to that effect.

Per Section 42 of Act 852, the formula is to be presented to the House after the Board of the NHIA had considered and approved it.

The proposed formula for the disbursement of the Fund was laid before Parliament on June 20, 2017, and referred to the Parliament's Health Committee.

The Minority also said it 'will not accept any referral from the National Health Insurance Authority and the Ministry of Health on same until a governing board had been properly and duly inaugurated.'

However, the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at the week-end inaugurated the newly constituted 17-member Board of Directors of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and charged them to resuscitate the scheme.

He said the scheme was at a critical stage and needed the full expertise of the Board to improve.

'There is so much we want to do within a limited budget. You will be responsible for leading the policy direction and advising government so that we can take the decisions that will fundamentally improve the NHIS. [It] is struggling and we got to prevent this steady creepy towards cash and carry and resuscitate the scheme. You got to put together your minds [and] efforts so that we work in partnership to rescue this scheme, to resuscitate it, to improve it and make it benefit the masses of our people.'

GNA

By Benjamin Mensah, GNA
Accra, July 4, GNA - The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticised the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) directive to the Ministry of Energy to stop investigations into the five million litres of contaminated fuel at BOST.

The Minority said the order by the BNI to the Ministry to discontinue its investigations is an attempt by government to cover-up the huge fraud at BOST.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, briefing the media in Parliament House, said the action by the BNI was bizarre and sensed a cover-up by government on an issue which borders on fraud, corruption and abuse of office.

The Ministry of Energy, last week, setup a Ministerial Committee to investigate the five million litres of contaminated fuel at BOST.

Mr Iddrisu said the action by the BNI could only be sowing seeds of corruption in the country than allowing sunshine on matters that was of public interest.

'We are aware that the Ministry of Energy has setup a committee to investigate the matter, we are now being told the BNI is asking for a dissolution of that committee, that can only be a gargantuan cover-up on a matter which is fraudulent,' he said.

Mr Iddrisu said the sale of contaminated fuel mattered to motorists and the admission by the regulator; National Petroleum Authority, to the extent that they were unaware and had not license a particular entity also raised major concern as to which entity the state should be dealing with.

He called on the BNI to come public and share with the people what they have investigated and what their findings are and not just a mere statement to the effect that the Minister should dissolve his committee.

Mr Iddrisu said the Minority was aware of an internal turf struggle between the Ministry and other players within government.

He said the Minority found the recent development unacceptable and urged President Akufo-Addo to show leadership in fighting corruption.

He said the President should not be seen supporting any cover-up and must allow the Ministerial Committee to proceed henceforth with the full investigation of the matter and report publicly 'or may as well say they are not interested in any other matter of public interest.'

GNA

By Christopher Arko, GNA
If nobody understands the desperation of the NDC and the constant verbal attack they heap on Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, at least I do. In fact, if nobody moves in sympathy with the NDC as they call press conferences on daily basis, I sincerely do and pity them. These bunch of nation wreckers were so bruised at the polls that they are dazed and can only console themselves with insults, press conferences and unnecessary destructive criticism of the new regime which is trying to fix what they destroyed for eight solid years.

The NDC apparatchiks have proved beyond reasonable doubt that they cannot bear the pain of defeat. It has been barely six months since Ghanaians booted out the party from power but sadly they still bear the pain. In this 21stcentury any Machiavellian agenda won't work because people are enlightened. Dr. Bawumia had cause to tell Ghanaians on so many occasions that the NDC people do not read. I am beginning to understand him. When they suffered the humiliating defeat, and the Kwesi Botchwey Committee was set up to look into the reason why the party lost, I was expecting them to wait for the report before they started apportioning blames but that was not to happen. Kofi Adams, the National Organizer of the party set the ball rolling from day one when he told the world that the NDC lost as a result of an IT failure. Whatever that means is best known to him. Today, they have a 455-page report to peruse and they are not reading the document. Lazy cocoons!

Like Dr. Hilla Limann, the man, Dr. Bawumia was relatively unknown in the political landscape of Ghana. As the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, he was not in the limelight but rather busy turning the fortunes of the economy round in his own small way. When the eagle eyes of then candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo fell on Dr. Bawumia and he chose him as his running mate, tongues started wagging. Who is Dr. Bawumia? Is he a member of the New Patriotic Party? What is he bringing on board? These and many more questions were asked but Nana Addo knew what he was doing. In no time, Dr. Bawumia worked so hard to earn the respect of even those who opposed his candidature.

Nobody can convince me that Dr. Bawumia was not a torn in the flesh of NDC supporters in the run-up to the 2016 general election. The guy was firing from all cylinders as he continued to deliver thought-provoking lectures, exposing the NDC trickery and propaganda. Instead of the NDC leadership seizing the opportunity to prepare an economist among them who could match Dr. Bawumia squarely, they chose the path of insults and left such a serious business in the hands of upstarts. When an economic whizz-kid like Dr. Bawumia is prancing away with professorial bombast, you don't push an ignoramus like Koku Anyidoho to the ring to slug it out with such a person. And yet this was exactly what the NDC did.

Today, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the Vice President of Ghana. Unlike the days of the electioneering campaign, the man is so busy trying to put things right that he has no time to debate anyone. He is acting like a moving volcano and he treats anyone who stands on his way as an obstacle. The man is junketing the globe and anytime he returns, his body is bathed with goodies. What Dr. Bawumia is doing is what my former literature teacher used to call a prescience, which is a word that defines vision, foresight and creative discernment. If you are focused, you don't allow for distraction. You do everything that you can to maintain your energy flow. This is what is happening in the life of Dr. Bawumia. The man knows how to deal with obstacles on his way to success.

Anytime he visits the three northern regions, he never hesitated to remind them that the one village, one dam promise will come to pass and that to me is a mark of a gentleman who will never break his promise. His recent visit to China and the unprecedented investment which will soon come to Ghana is a testimony to the fact that not all travelers come back home, all covered with debt like what used to happen when Mr. Mahama held the reins of power. What Dr. Bawumia is doing is like swimming with the current versus being dragged down and out by a riptide. The man continues to find his own current and he goes with it. Any attempt to distract him will not work because he is highly focused. My dear wife referred to Dr. Bawumia as a member of the lucky sperm club.

JACK WHERE ARE YOU?

All too soon, Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe who was brought down from the UK to insult Ghanaians who did not support the NDC in the run-up to the 2016 general election has ran into hiding with his tail stuck between his thighs. Who say man no dey? This alleged wee-smoking buffoon used to brag that he was untouchable, unbreakable, unstoppable among others but barely six months after the NDC's humiliating defeat, the alleged wee smoker and his other drug addicts and ex-convicts were nowhere to be found. When the Kwesi Botchwey committee started work, I expected them to focus their lenses on the Montie 3 because they were the main cause of the electoral defeat that the NDC suffered.

The Ghanaian culture frowns upon the untoward behavior exhibited by these drug addicts and the NDC leadership should have known better. A lot of the sympathy votes that the then candidate Akufo Addo had was as a result of the utterances of the Montie 3. Sadly, the NDC leadership thought the guys were doing good things for the NDC. In fact, some of them thought all Ghanaians were like them. If they had put their ears to the ground they would have heard Ghanaians asking: But why are these nitwits insulting a self-made man like Nana Akufo Addo? What has the man done to deserve such outright insults from boys who could be his grandchildren? So can't president Mahama call them to order? etc. What people did not know was that then President Mahama thought what these goons were doing would inure to his benefit. That was the biggest mistake he ever made. What broke the camel's back was when the president used his executive power to get them out of jail. Today, these three men who are ex-convicts, may be walking the streets of Accra and Mossi Zongo in Kumasi.

What has happened to Mugabe and the other guys should be a lesson to young men who want to enter politics and make the best out of it. And if people like the Montie ex-convicts want to be in the media, I am story they are not welcome. Those of us in the inky fraternity do not welcome drug addicts into our fold. Harry Zakour can keep them under his armpit and pay them until 2020 when they will be released to contribute to yet another defeat of the NDC and Professor Kwesi Botchwey will have another job to do!!!

By Eric Bawah
President Akufo-Addo has committed the nation to eight new international agreements.

They include the Constitution for the African Civil Aviation Commission, Protocol on the establishment of the African Monetary Fund, the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection treaties and the Road Safety Charter.

The rest are Protocol to the African Charter on Human Peoples' Rights on the Rights of older persons; Statute of the African Minerals Development Centre Statute of the Pan African Intellectual Property Organisation and the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation.

He signed the agreements on the sidelines of the just-ended African Union Summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

On behalf of the AU Commission, Amira ElFadil, the Commissioner for Social Affairs, thanked President Akufo-Addo for the importance accorded to the key policies instruments to advance the African Union agenda in the areas of roads, maritime, transport, as well as ICT and cyber security.

By personally signing these instruments, you are as always giving us great inspiration to accelerate the implementation and I thank you, she said.

On his part, President Akufo-Addo noted that these are all important building blocks for us all to facilitate the integration of our continent, especially to deal with issues of economic development.

The President urged other Heads of State to have an attitude that once the obligations are made on paper, we sign them and bring them into life.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Dear His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo, President of Republic of Ghana.

I write as the President of Men's Health Foundation Ghana to resubmit the above proposal which was presented in 2016 to the then Minister of Health Hon. Alex Segbefia. The Proposal was presented to the Minister based on a letter Dated 15th September 2015 from the Office of the President and signed by the then Secretary to the President, Kwesi Quartey copied the Chief of Staff. Our Proposal on the above subject was dated 27th May, 2015 to the former President John Dramani Mahama to consider declaring fathers' Day as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Day.

The subject was at the point of implementation and a copy of report was sent to us via mail by Mr. J.Y .Appiah, the then Head of Administration at the Ministry of Health. I therefore write back to your office to reconsider the said subject matter with urgency.

The charity wishes to thank the government for the special cancer policy in the Manifesto on Health issues and we believe this is the perfect manifesto fulfillment to tell the good people of Ghana your desire to fulfill this mission on special cancer policy. The Charity is ready to help the government achieve its special cancer policy as promised to the people of Ghana in the Manifesto.

The charity believes that to recognize cancers as a national challenge as promised in the New Patriotic Party's Manifesto, there is the need to have a national awareness Day and Month celebration. This is the best preventive medicine to save the lives of the people. It also shows the strong political willpower to fight against cancers in the country for the very first time.

The charity writes to you as September marks the global prostate cancer month celebrations as the best month to issue this presidential proclamation of these two subjects. As charity, we know that if Presidential Proclamation is made, Churches, Media, government institutions, corporate institutions and others will help raise awareness, organize free screening programs to help the government policy on special cancer policy and National Cancer Recognition.

Fathers' Day as National Prostate Health Awareness Day is similar to the country Declaration of ST. Valentine's Day as National Chocolate Day to help raise awareness.

We have attached a copy of the proposal submitted to the previous government on the said subject, letter directing the charity to present its proposal for consideration at the Health Ministry and the report received from the Ministry of Health By Mr. J.Y.Appiah on the said subject for immediate action.

The charity also writes to your office to consider establishing National Cancer Foundation under your Presidency to help strengthen the fight against cancers in general as part of your cancer policy. We also recommend that cancer patients should be enroll onto the National Livelihood Empowerment Project (LEAP) to ease financial burden on the patients. As charity, we know these kinds of policies are holistic ones which will go a long way to help the government. The charity also recommends that you appoint some key people to advise the government on cancers as part of the special cancer policy.

Men's Health Foundation Ghana is the National Peak body and Ghana's leading Men's charity working with people affected by Prostate Cancer, providing the necessary governmental policies to help strengthen the fight against Prostate Cancer and other Men's Health related issues. We have a simple mission: To stop Prostate Cancer before its strikes in the black community as the disease is more prone to the black race. The Men's Health Charity and our Parent body Cancer Voices Ghana which is a coalition of cancer groups in other areas is ready to help the government succeed in the cancer policy to fulfill the campaign promises on cancers.

His Excellency, There is blight upon this country especially on Men's Health. Our case for declaring Fathers' Day as National Prostate Health Awareness Day and September which marks the global Prostate Cancer Awareness Month also as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is simple: Ignoring Prostate Cancer in Ghana won't beat it But joining the fight will.

When we made the case, others in the Medical field did not get the concept right. This is only a form of preventive medicine and not curative medicine and we have to stop prostate cancer before its strikes. The truth is that prostate cancer is more prone to the black race and 1 in 4 Black Men are at risk of the disease according to the Prostate Cancer UK.

The case for the declaration of Father's Day as National Prostate Health Day in Ghana is anchored on the fact that the country appears to have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the whole world, with an estimated number of 921 new cases occurring every year, with 758 of them resulting in death.

Studies have also revealed that while incidence of the disease is 200 out of every 100,000 in Ghana, it is 127 to every 100,000 in Nigeria and 130 per 100,000 in Cameroun. The sub-region is generally recognized as having the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world with Ghana at the epicenter.

There is a concern amongst clinicians that treat prostate cancer and researchers that because it can be labeled as a disease of old men it is not as important. Firstly, younger men can develop prostate cancer, with devastating consequences. That comment still occurs and it is an ageist comment.

In this context it is important to remember that, for the purpose of medical statistics, 75 is considered a normal life span, that male life expectancy is now 78 years and that if a decision is even made to raise the retirement age to 67 has just been announced. Thus prostate cancer is, and will remain, a significant health issue for men of working age.

His Excellency, Size definitely isn't everything where the prostate is concerned. This little gland, hidden from sight just below the bladder, is only about the size of a walnut. But when it goes rogue, a man's life can be over.

Surely men and policy makers wouldn't ignore the prostate if they knew what it could do to them. So why do they? Is it because the gland is invisible and out of sight is out of mind? Or that men don't want to think about any problem below the belt? Or they don't believe prostate cancer is a real problem because it doesn't hit the headlines? Or perhaps the myth has taken hold that prostate cancer is a disease that men die with and not from.

But ask the families of some 800 men who die of it every year in the Ghana and they'll be quick to tell you another story; that prostate cancer doesn't go away if you stick your head in the sand; that it's a silent assassin which all too often takes men out in their prime; that it leaves their plans for retirement in tatters and their families grieving.

His Excellency, The problem came into sharp focus when the results of our two-yearly public survey just out revealed that a shocking 99% of men didn't know what the prostate did. That lack of awareness provides a clue as to why an aggressive cancer, which begins quietly in the secrecy of the prostate, often with no significant symptoms before its way beyond control, is all too easily missed. And the added danger is that it is so tempting for the decision makers in the health system to bypass prostate cancer because it is hard to spot and even harder to test or screen for. Much easier to park it in the too difficult box and focus on the quick wins.

But with well over 17,000 men currently living with it and prevalence increasing each year, ignoring prostate cancer isn't the answer. Because it is a big problem and getting bigger, prostate cancer should have more, not less, effort put into tackling it. After all, it's predicted to be the most common cancer of all by 2030, even though it affects only men. At that sort of scale, it should be rocketing towards the top of the priority list for the NHIS and Non Communicable Disease unit.

People expect that anything as serious as cancer will have obvious symptoms which will warn them to get a checkup. But early stage prostate cancer doesn't usually have any: no visible lumps to look out for, no funny pains to get checked out. You'd think, then, that screening would be the obvious solution. After all, the stats show that men's survival chances are dramatically better if their cancer is caught early. But, sadly, the current test is too unreliable for population-wide screening. We need something better which not only picks up signs of the disease early but can also differentiate between tumours  the tigers that can kill you v the pussycats which will never do you any harm.

So it's a no-brainer that fighting prostate cancer depends on finding a better test. It's the Holy Grail. Men's Health Foundation made it top priority for our research investment. But In the meantime, debate about the pros and cons of screening can't be allowed to distract from more intelligent use of the existing PSA test and other diagnostic tools to target men at high risk, like those over 40, black men, and those with family history of the disease.

His Excellency, During this years fathers' Day 'Do it 4 Dads' for Mens Health foundation at Akim -Asene in the eastern region- a crusade for awareness of the disease I got talking with lots of men who know prostate cancer up close and personal. I was struck by the profound impact the diagnosis had had on their view of life. Even if they didn't need significant ongoing treatment and now had a good long term prognosis, they said the experience had jolted things into perspective.

At the KENAMP Lodge, men shared their experiences with the disease. I heard men talk about making the most of precious time, having more fun, building memories with their families, and doing the things they had always wanted to do. They spoke about the satisfaction they felt from doing things, big and small, which made them and their families proud. They recognized how priceless good health is, and simply couldn't understand how men would let ignorance, apathy or fear of a simple test or of treatment, get in the way of looking after their health  even though several of them admitted they had done exactly that before they were diagnosed. The very clear message coming from them to other men was not to stick your head in the sand in a misguided attempt to ignore prostate cancer, but to get informed about it for yourself and to join the fight to beat it for everybody.

The men at Akim- Asene agreed straight on a Presidential Proclamation of fathers' Day as national Prostate Health awareness Day to bring the disease to the doorstep of men and government.

Thank you and hope to hear from you as September brings the disease to the global limelight.

Yours in Prostate Health

Signed

Raphael Nyarkotey Obu

0541234556





The Writer




Accra, July 5, The Container Demurrage is killing Shipper Community and urgent intervention is needed to save operators.

The Shipper Community has therefore decided to embark on screaming loudly to attract Government and Stakeholders intervention and described container demurrage charges as unacceptable and avoidable financial burden on industry players.

The Shipper Community outlined number of issues which they classified as critical contributing factor for shipper to hold a container inside the terminal for longer than agreed free days and called for immediate intervention.

Mr Fred Asiedu-Dartey, Chairman of the West Africa Branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) led the Shipper Community to sound the laud cry at the first ICS maritime stakeholders conference on Container Demurrage in Accra.

The ICS maritime stakeholders conference is on the general heme: Container Demurrage; Its administration and impact on Ghanas Maritime Industry.

Mr Asiedu-Dartey noted that over 80 per cent of liner cargo cannot be cleared from the ports within the allowable seven days free time, which leads to an estimated US$100 million being paid in a year as demurrage.

He also blamed aspects of administrative framework which to shipper community remains unclear.

He therefore called on government and stakeholders to fix the challenges and operational lapses within the cargo handling systems to ensure that goods are cleared faster through more efficient arrangement.

Mr Carlos Ahenkorah, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry shares the concern of the shipper community on container demurrage and attributed the problem to inefficiencies in the clearance procedures, which some shippers exploit to cash in on demurrage.

He affirmed ICSs revelation that huge sum of money goes into the demurrage business which could have also benefited the country and must be stopped.

Mr Ahenkorah recommended that agents should be allowed to put insurance policies against container detention so when containers are taken out and comes back with a cost and are not able to pay, the insurance companies would cover the cost for the benefit of the country.

He also emphasised on need capacity building and challenged ICS to ensure operators in the sector regularly update their professional skills in accordance with international best practices.

Dr. Kofi Mbiah, former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority noted that container demurrage is having dangerous impact on Ghanas maritime industry.

He noted that the shipper community is at pains to understand exactly the calculation of the seven days free time and finds it ambiguous even holidays and weekends are included in the calculations.

It is also unclear the commencement day whether its start as soon as vessel arrives and at what time it arrives. There is total lack of uniformity some ports begin to count immediately it arrives.

Dr Mbiah emphasised that 80 per cent of liner cargos are unable to clear within the given period because of delay from service providers and activities of unreliable clearing agents and inconsistencies in its operations, difficulties in locating containers and also delays in the receipts of cargo documentation.

He recommended that much education of shippers is needed and also full automation of the clearance procedure should be ensured.

He further said that there is the need to introduce a better system for tracking containers and increased the number of customs officials at the ports to reduce the hours spent on handling containers.

Mr. Karl Franz, ICS Chairman explained that container demurrage is a bane to the Maritime Industry...without shipping there will be no globalisation and therefore it helps to sustain economic growth in the country.

He stressed that container demurrage is a huge issue not only in Ghana but all over the world as such delays affects financial issues in a country.

Ms Julie Lithgow, ISC Director at the Institutes headquarters in London said the aim of the institute was to support and encourage the next generation through teaching and mentoring.

She said the importance of maritime trading to the economic development of the world cannot be under-estimated as countries that are able to trade fairly grow richer.

Ms Lithgow noted that sea transportation and trade used to be the cheapest business means but in recent times impact of container demurrage has gradually eroded.

The ICS is the professional body for all members of the commercial shipping industry including shipbrokers, ship managers and agents, and other maritime practitioners.
Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Koku Anyidoho is accusing the government of plotting to disrupt the 5th-anniversary events of the late former President John Evans Atta Mills.

The Supreme Court has directed embattled businessman and financier of the NDC, Alfred Agbesi Woyome to appear in court for oral examination by the Attorney-General.

The Court a couple of weeks ago granted a request by the A-G's Department to question the businessman to understand whether he owns properties, has the means of offsetting a 51.2 million cedis debt owed the state as well as how he spent the money wrongfully paid him by the state.

The oral examination was set for June 29 but Mr. Woyome's lawyers asked for an adjournment because they were challenging the ruling granting the request.

Mr. Woyome's motion challenging the earlier ruling was dismissed yesterday but the lawyers haggled with Deputy Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame over the new date for the oral examination. Eventually, they settled on July 24 which happens to be day President John Mills died, for the examination.

Strangely, Koku Anyidoho who is also the Founder and Chief Executive of Atta Mills Institute believes that, Asking Alfred Woyome to appear before the Supreme Court on 24th of July is a deliberate plot to disrupt the programme of activities by the NDC to hold a gathering in the memory of the former President.

Alfred Woyome

The 24th of July marks the 5th anniversary of the passing away of President Mills. As we celebrate the year-long anniversary of the NDC, it is more than obvious that the 5th anniversary of the passing of Prof. Mills will come as a solid rallying point as we are back in opposition. And the NPP realising the strength of that rallying point that Prof. Mills' anniversary will bring to the NDC, hence the attempt to divert attention.

It is very deliberate and orchestrated by Akufo-Addo and his agents at the Supreme Court to have fixed the hearing...to take the shine of the anniversary but it will not work," Anyidoho told Myjoyonline.com in an interview about preparations ahead of the anniversary.

The NDC plans to hold a wreath-laying service at the Asomdwee Park after which party faithful will gather at the former campaign office of Prof. Mills at Kuku Hill, Osu.

Koku Anyidoho said: The NDC will positively defy any attempt to prevent by Akufo-Addo administration from remembering the 5 yrs anniversary of Prof. Mills and we will do it in a grand style.

Theres no doubt that President Mills' character made us win the 2008 election and it is his strong legacy that made us win the 2012 elections as well, he said.

Prof. Mills illness and death

President Mills died on 24 July 2012 at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, three days after his 68th birthday. Though the cause of death was not made public, he had been suffering from throat cancer and had been to the US for medical treatment.

Announcing his death, his office noted that he died hours after being taken ill, but a presidential aide said that he had complained of pains the day prior to his death.

Prof. Mills' brother, Dr. Cadman Mills later disclosed during his funeral service that he had died from complications of a massive hemorrhagic stroke resulting from a brain aneurysm.

The President's vice, John Dramani Mahama was sworn in the same day as president. Mr. Mahama went on to win the 2012 election on the ticket of the NDC.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Information at the Ministry of Communications is that the United States of America (USA) has engaged a Ghanaian, who is believed to be a cyber fraud whiz kid. In the Ghanaian phraseology, cyber fraud is sakawa, and it is a crime for one to be involved in it.

Consequently, why would the USA engage a sakawa whiz kid, to the extent of providing the whiz with the latest information technology (IT) equipment to get the sakawa gem more apt in the fastest modern means of communication?

Well, if only one of the thousands of the sakawa gurus could have his bread buttered by the US, then, it is welcome news that the Ministry of Communication says it has plans of roping in sakawa gurus to a competition to tap their IT brilliance for national development.

Last week, at a stakeholders forum held by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the Deputy Minister for Communication, Vincent Sowah Odotei, announced that the government would engage a section of the youth, who are engaged in unethical hacking, for more productive cyber security ventures.

The MFWA forum was held under the theme: Ghanas cyber security environment: challenges and the way forward, and in the Deputy Ministers view, the capabilities of the sakawa youth, in using the internet for dubious benefits at the expense of their victims, could be tapped by the state, as Ghana seeks to go more hi-tech.

The objective for the move, Mr. Sowah Odotei explained, is to equip and empower the youth, and to clamp down on other cyber criminals, and, to a larger extent, create employment and alleviate poverty, just as the USA has shown Ghana the way to harness our potentials.

The current state of cyber crime in Ghana includes mobile device security threats, e-payment (mobile money) threats, data breaches, social media threats and fake news, according to information at the E-Crime Bureau, headed by Albert Antwi-Bosiako, who is now the E-Crime Security Advisor to the Ministry of National Security.

The reason The Chronicle is all for the governments laudable move to engage the sakawa gurus, is that Ghanas cyber readiness is below 50 percent. The country was positioned 19th globally, and 8th with an index of 29.4 percent in Africa, in 2016.

What makes these unethical hackers rich is phishing, which is the attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and, indirectly, money), often for malicious reasons, by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

The hackers, therefore, phish email messages, websites, and phone calls designed to steal money, and the cybercriminals do this by installing malicious software on other users computers.

In 2016, phishing attacks topped the number of reported cybercriminal cases in Ghana, with 618 cases. By this figure, it meant a lot of money went into wrong hands  sakawa gurus.

That was money for no work done; the money was phished or stolen electronically.

These hackers spend the phished money on ostentatious materials, including flashy cars and clothing.

They throw decency to the dogs, because they did not sweat to earn the colossal money that hit their dubious accounts. Again, these sakawa gurus hardly live in decent homes.

Therefore, if the government is going to engage these unethical hackers, who have abundant IT knowledge, in the form of job creation, not only is the country going to win the war on the high lunacy rate among the youth, but most of our youth would be seen behaving decently.

But, how soon the government is going to start the engagement, is what The Chronicle is not privy to.

While the government is thinking through on when to start the sakawa competition, The Chronicle would like to entreat it to consider sending the National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy (NCSPS) to Parliament for consideration, and to be passed into law.

The NCSPS was approved in 2016 by Cabinet, and one of its contents is Child online protection.
Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, 5 July 2017 - The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called for the empowerment of small and medium operators in the textiles, apparel and accessories sectors as a deliberate job creation strategy.

The AfDB made the call at the recently concluded Small Business Indaba held on 26 June 2017 in Gauteng, South Africa. The main objective of the Small Business Indaba was to provide small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) with the tools and network to grow their manufacturing operations to the next level of innovation and job creation.

Textile and clothing is the second largest sector in the developing world after agriculture. This sector is dominated by SMEs and holds the potential to create jobs for millions of women and youth across Africa, Emanuela Gregorio, Gender Specialist at AfDB, said at the conference.

The foundation of any long-lasting venture in Africa depends on the continuous empowerment of regional SMEs and young entrepreneurs. Governments, the private sector and international investors must consider Africas young people and SMEs central to the stability of their economies.

A large percentage of workers in the textile and clothing industry is made up of women.

Because it is labour-intensive, it has great scope to offer employment and to transform the lives of many women and youth across Africa.

In this context, we have developed a flagship initiative named Fashionomics to enable African women and youth operating in the textiles, apparel and accessories sector to develop and grow their businesses, she noted.

The AfDB launched Fashionomics (the economics of fashion) initiative to increase Africas participation in the global textile industry supply chain.

Fashionomics is an initiative to support the development of micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) operating in the textile, apparel and accessories industry in Africa, with a focus on women and youth empowerment.

SMEs have the great potential of fuelling growth and spur job creation. Today, these small and growing businesses create around 80% of the regions employment, establishing a new middle class and fuelling demand for new goods and services.

The Bank runs an SME programme designed to support micro, small and medium enterprises.

The Bank is closely tracking its role in the continents inclusive development through its High-5 agenda (Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa).
05.07.2017 LISTEN



Parliament, last Friday, ratified the Treaty on the Establishment of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor to integrate the participating countries' economies and ensure ease of movement and transportation across their borders.

The treaty was signed by, and among the presidents of the governments of the Republics of Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2014.

Having met on the day of the ratification, June 30, 2017, the Committee on Roads and Transport, to which the Speaker had made a referral of the treaty for consideration and report on Tuesday, June 27, 2014, noted that participating countries were to ratify the treaty by June 30, 2017.

The implementation of the treaty will improve the 1028 kilometres stretch of road from Abidjan to Lagos (Abidjan-Accra-Lome-Cotonou-Lagos), which also links some of the economically dynamic cities in Africa, and serves a catchment area of over 35 million people.



The committee recognised that informal border trade was the main bane of traffic that was predominant within the corridor stretch, and, at least, two thirds of the total traffic had and origin/destination route, to and from neighbouring countries, based on the movement of passengers and goods.

Further, the corridor provided a global gateway to coastal and landlocked countries in West Africa. All the landlocked countries used, at least, one port along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor.

According to the committee, a total of US$22.720 million had been secured for the feasibility study of the projects.

Also, Ghana has secured a loan of $1 million from the African Development Fund (AfDB) under this programme, but is, however, yet to execute the loan agreement with the ADF for the study.

The committee said the ratification of the treaty would advance the cause of securing the loan.

Furthermore, Ghana, after ratifying the treaty, stood to secure grants and more add-ons from the African Development Bank, and that current proposals for development of other sections of the N1 (Highway) are for a two-lane dual carriageway.

Subsequent to the signing of the treaty, all current and future developments of the remaining sections of the N1 would require right of way to accommodate the proposed three-lane dual carriageway.

Mr Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways and Chairman of the committee, reading the report, told the House that the treaty sets out to transform the corridor into a development corridor that will offer competitive transport and transit services that will secure regional trade, stimulate investment, encourage sustainable development, and guarantee security along the corridor.

Four presidents of the West Africa sub-region  Ghana, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Togo  and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Benin, at the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Governments, on February 28, 2013, in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire, agreed to the construction of a homogeneous highway from Lagos to Abidjan.

The corridor would facilitate more than 75 per cent of the trade volume in the sub-region, and several interventions had been undertaken over the year by the development partners and ECOWAS countries, through infrastructure movements, restructuring of border posts, and soft transport facilitation intervention, all aimed at improving and ensuring the free flow of goods, persons and transport.

On April 22, 2013, a meeting of the Ministers of Infrastructure, Works, Finance, Transport and Justice of the five concerned member states met in Abuja, and worked out the modalities for the construction of a three-lane dual carriageway (six lanes) highway on the corridor.

A follow-up consultative meeting was held, in which the presidents of the five concerned countries were presented with the outcome of the Abuja meeting, which they considered recommendations of the meeting, and directed the ECOWAS Commission to work out details of the design studies, works and Supervision Contracts Procurement Plan, Legal Framework, Instructional Arrangements, and Financing Options for the implementation of the Abidjan-Lagos Highway Development Projects.

The Roads and Transport Committee also reported that to support the ECOWAS Commission to undertake the activities envisaged under the Abidjan-Lagos Highway project, a Ministerial Committee was to be set up to bring the project to fruition.

On March 29, 2014, in Yamoussoukro, La Cote d'Ivoire, the heads of state and governments of the five concerned countries finally signed the treaty on the establishment on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, committing the five nations to the implementation of the project.

Source: GNA
The Minority in Parliament has demanded, government brings a $15bn deal with China to parliament for scrutiny and ratification.

Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu told the press Wednesday, the deal is an international agreement and therefore parliamentary approval is required as stipulated by Article 268 of the 1992 constitution.

The law, titled Parliamentary ratification of agreements relating to natural resources states;

268. (I)Any transaction, contract or undertaking involving the grant of a right or concession by or on behalf of any person including the Government of Ghana, to any other person or body of persons howsoever described, for the exploitation of any mineral, water or other natural resource of Ghana made or entered into after the coming into force of this Constitution shall be subject to ratification by Parliament.

The "joint venture" agreement gives China less than 5% of Ghana's 960m metric tonnes bauxite reserves worth $460 billion in exchange for $15billion.

Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia signalled last Tuesday "if we finalise any agreement, eventually, those agreements will have to go to parliament"

He said last Tuesday, government only has a memorandum of understanding with the Sino powerhouse.

But the Minority leader insists the MoU qualifies as an international treaty and is therefore sufficient for parliamentary scrutiny.

"the people of Ghana would want to know the full details and particulars of any Memorandum of Understanding," the Minority Leader said.

He referred to a recent Supreme Court judgment which faulted the Mahama government for entering into an agreement with the US to accept two former terror suspects without recourse to parliament.

The apex court said the deal was a violation of Article 75 of the 1992 constitution.

The Minority leader urged Dr. Bawumia as "a knowledgeable person" to respect his Oath of Office in which he vowed to uphold the constitution.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
Member of Parliament for Bongo constituency of the Upper East Region, Ewdard Bawa has denied claims by the Majority that Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) sold about 20million litres of contaminated fuel between 2014 and 2016.

According to Mr. Bawa, the last time fuel was contaminated at BOST, was December 2013 when Kwame Awuah Darko was Managing Director.

In that incident, BOST recorded only about 200,000 litres of contaminated fuel and even with that, treatment was done at APD, (BOST) for it to be corrected, the former Head of the Communications Unit of the Energy Ministry stated on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

The Minority in Parliament last week called for the interdiction of the BOST CEO Mr. Alfred Obeng Boateng, for supervising the sale of 5million litres of off-spec fuel to Movenpiina, a company not licensed by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA). The Minority had said the 5million litres of contaminated fuel should have been processed to restore it to good use instead of selling it off.

The Majority in a counter news conference, accused the former administration of selling about 20million litres off-spec products between 2014 and 2016, to companies that did not have any licenses from the NPA.

But Mr. Bawa has described the claim as false.

The slop tank capacity at BOST [Accra, Kumasi, Buipe and Bolga] put together, is 450,000 maximumWe are disputing the fact that quantities of hydrocarbons at BOST were sold to the tune of 20million. It is part of the attempt to create a cocktail of confusion in the minds of Ghanaians that something like that happened. That is a lie Mr. Bawa stated.

Duncan Amoah

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer at the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah is demanding proactive action from the NPA to check the lapses in the system and ensure the quality of fuel products sold to the public, is not compromised.

He said: There is a cartel out there that is visible in operationyet the NPA says it is not aware of them. So clearly there is some lapse that the NPA needs to look at.

How would NPA not know that 5million litres of contaminated fuel had left BOST?So it means that a lot goes on to the blind side of the NPA.

Andrew Mercer

Contributing to the discussion, Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Mercer, asked the public to have confidence in the new committee constituted by the Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko to review operations at BOST.

The committee that was constituted by the minister, as we speak now must be allowed to work and work properly. I dont think that people should be worried, Mr. Mercer assured.

Listen the audion attached for the full discussion:

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy
Nairobi (AFP) - Both Kenya's leading presidential contenders have pulled out of two planned televised debates ahead of the August 8 election, their parties said Wednesday.

President Uhuru Kenyatta withdrew first, followed by his main rival Raila Odinga.

The first of the debates organised by a consortium of Kenyan media was scheduled for Monday and the second on July 24.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta will not participate in the presidential debates," David Murathe, vice chairman of the ruling Jubilee Party said Wednesday, citing insufficient consultation and format issues.

Later, an advisor to the opposition candidate said in a statement that, "Odinga will not participate in the 2017 presidential debate under the current proposed format and stipulation," without providing further details.

Kenyatta and Odinga are the only two candidates with more than five percent in recent opinion polls and were meant to go head to head in the 90 minute televised debates. The other six candidates -- none of whom the polls consider to be serious contenders -- are due to participate in an earlier debate.

Kenya held its first ever televised presidential debate in 2013, including both Kenyatta and Odinga. Afterwards, Kenyatta complained that he had been unfairly targeted by moderators.

Kenyans go to the polls next month in national elections choosing from 14,500 candidates contesting in a series of races for president, governor, parliament and county assembly seats.

The vote comes a decade after the worst electoral clashes in Kenyan history when over 1,100 people were killed in politically motivated ethnic violence.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has joined main presidential rival Uhuru Kenyatta in skipping two televised debates ahead of the August 8 elections

The presidential race is predicted to be close with Odinga heading an unprecedented opposition alliance in the hope of winning in his fourth run for the top job.

The election could swing either way, with five million new voters among the 19 million registered compared to the 2013 presidential polls.

On Monday, the European Union warned against possible violence in the upcoming elections, while advocacy group Human Rights Watch said it had documented cases of intimidation and threats.
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Ghana and Ethiopia have pledged to work towards strengthening the ties of co-operation that exist between them, after the Presidents of the two countries expressed satisfaction with the current state of the relations between them.



This was the outcome of a courtesy call paid on the President of Ethiopia, His Excellency Mulatu Teshome, by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, on the side-lines of the 29th Africa Union Summit, currently on-going in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Welcoming President Akufo-Addo to the presidential palace, President Mulatu Teshome noted that the history of cordial relations between the two countries dates back several years, with the first two leaders of Ghana and Ethiopia, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Emperor Haile Selassie respectively, playing an instrumental role in the decolonisation of Africa and the strengthening of the Pan-African institutions.

This history, according to the Ethiopian President, encourages us to do more and also allows us to strengthen the bilateral relations between our two countries. We need to deepen the ties between Ghana and Ethiopia, in the areas of trade, investment and education, and we need to visit each other often.

President Mulatu Teshome noted that economic diplomacy is now the pillar of relations between countries, and was hopeful that under his and the Presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo, the bonds of friendship and the ties of co-operation that exist between the two countries will be strengthened even further.

It was of the utmost importance that the two countries, President Teshome added, learn from each other and adopt best practices from their two countries in order to create wealth and prosperity for their peoples.

On his part, President Akufo-Addo thanked his Ethiopian counterpart for the welcome accorded to him and his delegation.

He noted that Ghana's relations with Ethiopia predates the post-independence era, as many Ghanaians, who enlisted in the then Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force (British Colonial Force), fought side-by-side with Ethiopian resistance forces in World War II.

Whilst acknowledging the significant economic growth rates chalked by Ethiopia, President Akufo-Addo also commended President Teshome for the rapid infrastructural development taking place in that country, adding that this would spur on growth even further in Ethiopia.

The two countries, President Akufo-Addo said, would have to increase the volumes of trade between them, and also deepen co-operation in the area of agriculture and its modernisation.

Touching on the fight against terrorism, President Akufo-Addo assured President Teshome that in Ghana, the people of Ethiopia have a strong and steadfast friend.

He expressed the appreciation of the peoples of Africa for the sacrifices the Ethiopian people, who are in the frontline of the fight against terrorism, are making to guarantee the peace and security not just of their own country, but the continent as a whole.

In concluding, President Akufo-Addo thanked successive governments and the people of Ethiopia for hosting of the institutions of the African Union (formerly Organisation of African Unity) for the last 54 years.

He was confident that Africa would soon show concrete expression of its appreciation to Ethiopia for this gesture.
05.07.2017 LISTEN

The Coalition for Social Justice (CJS), a pressure group, says it will fight to ensure that Albert Obeng, the vindicated Managing Director of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST), faces the consequences for violating the laws of the state.

Addressing the media in Accra, Sammy Gyamfi, Convener, said, albeit the BOST MD being cleared by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for no wrongdoing, the bureau lacks the locus to probe into such issues.

Albert Obeng, about a week ago, came under intense fire for allegedly selling five million litres of contaminated fuel to Movenpiina Energy.

Not only did the accusers of the BOST MD claim that Movenpiina Energys letterhead bore his contact numbers, but that the company was not duly registered with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

After the cacophony of demands by the Minority in Parliament, and a section of Ghanaians, to the Minister for Energy to interdict the BOST MD, the Minister, Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko, set up an eight-member Ministerial Committee to investigate the matter.

But, before the committee could present its findings to the sector Minister, yesterday, the BNI submitted its report to the Energy Minister, saying Albert Obeng did not err in the raging contaminated fuel saga.

In view of the BNIs report, the Minister dissolved the eight-member Ministerial Committee he had tasked.

The BNIs report notwithstanding, the CJS still held that the BOST MD could not be detached from the sale of the contaminated fuel.

Explaining that the decision to sell the fuel was reckless, Sammy Gyamfi said it would be more prudent for the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to launch an inquiry into the matter.

Mr. Gyamfi maintained that there was a clear indication of conflict of interest in the transaction, as the address and telephone number of Movenpiina Energys letterhead could be traced to the personal residence and office of Albert Obeng, the BOST MD.

This gives the clearest indication that Alfred Obeng has [a] personal interest in the affairs of Movenpiina Energy, he stated.

He asked: In the first place, how did Movenpiina Energy know of the availability of the exact volumes of the contaminated fuel, when there was no public announcement to that effect by BOST?

Sammy Gyamfi claimed gathering some fresh evidence to the fact that Movenpiina Energy, on June 2, 2017, sold two million litres of the contaminated fuel to another unlicensed company, Macwest.

Based on the evidence the CJS had gathered, Sammy Gyamfi called on the public to disregard the BNI report, and entreated CHRAJ to launch a fresh inquiry into the contaminated fuel sale saga.

By Bernice Bessey.
05.07.2017 LISTEN

The Supreme Court has thrown out an application filed by an Accra-based businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, praying it to stop his oral examination by the Attorney General (AG) in relation to his GH51.2 million indebtedness to the state.

Mr. Woyome had prayed the Supreme Court to stay proceedings of its ruling, granting an application by the Attorney General to orally examine him over the refund of the GH51 million judgment debt paid him.

In the application, Mr. Woyome averred that he would suffer irreparable damage if the oral examination takes place before the review is heard. Responding to the application, a Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Dame, opposed the request for a stay of proceedings, describing the reasons as improper.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Benin, agreed with the Deputy Attorney General's submission and dismissed the application, which he described as unmeritorious and without basis. The court said there was no basis for the application to halt the oral examination.

The court, however, accepted medical advice from doctors at the 37 Military Hospital, asking the embattled businessman to rest for two weeks. The was after counsel for the defendant, Ken Anku, had told the court that his client was unwell, and had been given two weeks off duty to recuperate.

Counsel further told the court that he had in his possession documents from the 37 Military Hospital, which show that his client is unwell and should not be engaged in any activity for a fortnight.

The Deputy Attorney, however, opposed the request, arguing that it was part of a ploy being used by the businessman to delay execution of the courts order. He also contended that Mr Woyome obtained the medical report for the sick leave on June 30, 2017, a day after he had appeared before the same court, and that it could not be true that he is unwell.

To the Deputy Attorney General, regardless of whatever tactics Mr Woyome would bring, the day of reckoning would definitely catch up with him; he can't run any longer.

Justice Anthony A. Benin responded that the 37 Military Hospital was a reputable hospital whose advice must be respected, and adjourned the oral examination to July 24, 2017.

Meanwhile, Justice Anthony A. Benin has advised Mr Ken Anku not to get emotionally attached to cases he is doing, because it would affect him. He said, for the past two sittings, I had observed that counsel sometimes becomes emotional. Please don't get emotionally attached to the case/.

Judgement debt tale

Mr. Woyome was paid GH51 million after claiming he helped Ghana raise funds to construct stadia for the hosting of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

However, an Auditor General's report released in 2010 held that the amount was paid illegally to him. Subsequently, the Supreme Court, in 2014, ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the money, after a former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, single-handedly challenged the legality of the payments.

Following delays in retrieving the money, Supreme Court judges unanimously granted the Attorney-General clearance to execute the court's judgment, ordering Mr. Woyome to refund the cash to the state.

Mr. Amidu, himself, in 2016, filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to examine Alfred Woyome on how he was going to pay back the money, after the Attorney General's office, under the Mahama Administration, led by the former Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, discontinued a similar application.

In February 2017, however, Mr. Amidu withdrew his suit seeking an oral examination, explaining that the change of government, and the assurance by the new Attorney General to retrieve all judgement debts wrongfully paid to individuals, had given him renewed confidence in the system.

By Diana Kodie.
05.07.2017 LISTEN

The youth of Ahanta in the Western Region are lacing their boots and preparing to fly their placards in a demonstration against the areas police for their unabated brutality against the indigenes.

The youth, who have promised to paint the streets of Agona-Nkwanta red, are yet to serve the police a notice for permission to hit the streets.

The decision to demonstrate against the men in black at Agona-Nkwanta, the youth explained,

was borne out of the maltreatment the Agona Police continue to unleash on innocent residents of the area.

In separate interviews with The Chronice, some of the youth could not believe why the police personnel, who are tasked to ensure peace and order, could go to the extent of assaulting a minor.

This was in reference to The Chronicles Friday June 30, front page publication, with the headline: Traumatised school proprietress collapses at police stationafter watching police maltreat pupil.

The story narrated how Hannah Darko, the proprietress of a private school, collapsed at the Agona-Nkwanta Police Station, after witnessing the brutality by a Police Constable to her (proprietress) 14-year-old son, who had some misunderstanding with his Junior High School (JHS) female mate of Abura Estate D/A Basic School.

The said misunderstanding between the two students happened after school had closed, and the female students mother, who was dissatisfied with the punishment the school authorities meted out to the boy, again reported the 14-year-old boy to the police for engaging in a fight with a female student.

The minor was arrested on June 23rd and detaining behind the counter by the Police Constable, who allegedly spanked the boy until Madam Hannah could not muster the courage to watch the horror her son was going through.

Madam Hannah was later rushed to the Dixcove Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

On account of this tragedy and many other sorry incidents, the youth said they have made their mind to hit the streets to demonstrate against the police.

An angry youth ranted: We have been silent for a long time and I think this is the time for us to rise and speak against police brutalities.

Meanwhile, the Western Regional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has swiftly intervened in the brutality of the 14-year-old JHS student. As a result the case has been withdrawn from the Agona-Nkwanta Police, where the incident happened.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Olivia Adiku, who disclosed this to The Chronicle, added that the Command had taken the written statement of the Police Constable who allegedly beat the JHS student.

By the police Constables statement, she said the Command has opened investigation into the case.

She, however, denied that the said Police Constable has been interdicted.

From Alfred Adams, Takoradi.
05.07.2017 LISTEN

The Chief Executives of Ashaiman and Tema have announced that they would demolish structures that obstruct vehicular movement on their respective major streets.

Besides, traders whose activities have increasingly been inconveniencing motorists and pedestrians would not be spared by the exercise.

On the Kwasia Juaso Street at Community One for instance, vehicles and traders who have displayed their foodstuffs and other wares on the asphalted stretch compete for space.

Therefore, a journey that is supposed to take about two minutes is delayed for about 15 minutes or more.

The situation is worse between the Ashaiman Traffic Light and Lebene junction, and on one half of the dual-carriage lane between the Ashaiman Old Tulaku and the Ashaiman Main Transport Terminal, where human traffic, traders and vehicular traffic have taken over the lane.

Traders and commercial bikers, popularly called okada, have heavily congested the lane from the Traffic Light to Lebene junction, thereby turning the entire stretch to a one-way road.

In view of this, motorists spend more than half an hour travelling through the heavily congested stretch.

As a result, whiles celebrating senior citizens over the weekend to commemorate Ghana's republic day, Albert Boakye Okyere, the Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) told the gathering that his administration would take tough decisions to decongest the major streets.

He explained that arrangements are far advanced to relocate all the on-street traders, most of whom have abandoned their sheds at the various designated markets.

He said the on-street traders have up to the end of this month, July, to vacate their posts. Under my administration, I am going to ensure that traders who violate our assembly bye-laws are prosecuted. We will charge them for obstructing traffic, the Ashaiman MCE pointed out.

The Assembly, he further explained, would not condone any form of non-compliance from the on-street traders or street hawkers.

Also, at the forecourt of the Tema Assembly, where 300 senior citizens were honoured with a half piece of cloth each, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Felix Mensah Anang-La, announced that he would decongest the streets to destroy unauthourised structures that impede the free flow of vehicular and human traffic.

He said the vehicular traffic in Tema is too heavy, thus affecting productivity. He bemoaned the lack of attention the Tema main market has received over the years.

Mr. Annang-La said the Assembly would re-structure the market to enhance effective trading activities for more revenue mobilization.

On security, he promised to ensure that all malfunctioning streetlights are repaired to illuminate the principal streets in Tema.

Furthermore, he said the Assembly would provide hospitals solely for the aged in the Metropolis for their medical treatment, in addition to some small scale businesses for the aged, to make them independent.

Felix Mensah Annang-La entreated the elderly to keep teaching the youth the good deeds and manners of the traditional settings in Ghana. That way, he said, Ghana would not lack visionary leaders in the next generation.















From Inusa Musah, Ashaiman.
05.07.2017 LISTEN

The Principal of Jasikan College of Education, Mr. Hammond Wiafe, has expressed regret that the contractor working on the various GETfund projects on campus, including the auditorium and the administration block, which work was nearing completion, had abandoned the project.

According to him, the college needed the abandoned projects badly and, therefore, appealing to the government to, as a matter of urgency, ensure that the contractor returns to site to complete the projects.

He noted that a lot of investments had gone into the project and that it must be completed for the college to start using them.

Speaking at the 10th congregation of the College at Jasikan over the weekend, Mr. Wiafe pointed out that government always had laudable intentions to provide infrastructure for educational institutions like the Jasikan College of Education, but most often contractors working on the projects would either delay or abandon it.

Mr. Wiafe also announced that government had released funds for feeding students, which were in arrears.

He told the gathering that the release of the funds would enable students to focus on their studies and prepare sufficiently for their end of semester examination.

He thanked the government for the move, which he said, would definitely promote the academic work of students.

The Principal of the Jasikan College of Education continued that the College, in its efforts to improve upon the quality of products it churns out, has embarked upon two projects with funding from the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T- TEL) to equip management, tutors and other staff to prepare the College to attain full tertiary status.

The College, he said, had set aside Thursday mornings for professional development sessions to better equip the tutors to deliver effectively in the classroom.

According to him, research was crucial in the College's march towards the attainment of tertiary status and autonomy.

As a result, writing and publication workshops had been organized for tutors to better equip them to publish articles and academic papers in their areas of specialization to enhance quality delivery of education in the College.

Mr. Wiafe also revealed that Jasikan College of Education had partnered with Dambai College of Education in the Krachi-East District to execute a project, named  Empowering Teacher Trainees: Innovative Approaches to Practical Training.

The Jassikan College of Education, according to the Principal, had graduated two categories of students who pursued two different Diploma programmes.

They include 445 students who pursued the three year Diploma in Basic Education course and 660 Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education programme(UTDBE).

In all, three students had first class, 125 got 2nd Class Upper with 222 getting 2nd Class Lower. 70 had Third Class and 9 passed in the three year programme.

The Jasikan District Chief Executive, Mr. Lawrence Aziale said government had recognised that education was the key to economic emancipation of any group of people and would, therefore, introduce the free SHS in September 2017, as well as the reintroduction of teacher trainee allowance.

Mr. Aziale noted that the new Oti region that would be created out of the Volta Region was aimed at promoting rapid development as well as to create job opportunities for the people and urged the newly trained teachers to accept postings to areas where their services would mostly be needed.

From Samuel Agbewode, Jasikan.
A Philanthropist, Business Consultant and Youth Activist, Mr. Elom Ohene, in collaboration with the Peki Interest Group ((P.i.Group) on Republic Day organised a clean-up exercise.

Mr Elom Ohene, who is a native of Peki Avetile in the South Dayi District of the Volta region, also used the occasion to make donations to the Peki Government Hospital.

Making the presentation, Mr Elom Ohene, encouraged management of the hospital to put the items donated into good use, inculcating a good mentainance culture among their staff, punctuality, selflessness and dedication of service to take back its past glory.

This, according to him, would in line help to achieve the overall health delivery goals we are all yearning for.

Receiving the items, Dr Dela Ocloo, the medical superintendent of the facility thanked the group for their timely donation and support.

He further urged likeminded groups and kindhearted citizens of Peki and its catchment communities to emulate this shining example.

According to Dr. Ocloo, the mother and Baby Unit (MBU), Laboratory and Dispensary are just some of the departments that needs assistance urgently.

Dr Ocloo appealed to government, NGOs, philanthropist to help build an ultra modern accident and emergency centre, since its strategic location to enable them handle accidents and emergencies on the Eastern Corridor Roads.

The Coordinator of the group Mr Daniel Kaklaku -Doudo thanked management of the facility for thier warm reception.

He advised management to intensify education on healthy living and preventive health methods to safeguard the health of the citizenry!

Mr Wisdom Adzatoh, a pharmacist on his part assured the items would be put to good use for the common good of the entire community.

He also requested for more collaborative efforts to improve the health delivery fortunes of the people of the district.

The group paid courtesy calls on the Chief of Tsame Togbe Baduvie, Mr Kofi Nani a pan Africanist and Mr Simon Edem Asimah immediate past member of parliament of South Dayi Constituency.

Mr. Joy Kumfo also made donations on behalf of the group to the various opinion leaders.
Soweto (South Africa) (AFP) - South African President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday sought to calm an increasingly fractious battle to succeed him that is threatening to split the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

Zuma, who has been hit by corruption scandals and the country's poor economic performance, will step down as ANC party head in December and as national president ahead of the 2019 election.

The next ANC chief should be on track to win the general election and become South African president, but the party has recently suffered a sharp decline in popularity.

Zuma, giving his closing address at an ANC policy conference in Soweto outside Johannesburg, called for the party to drop its "winner takes all" attitude to the divisive leadership race.

"I believe we must get rid of factions. The factions have become so deep," he said.

"We have almost have a situation where it looks like two organisations exist in one. We can't have that.

"Do we want an ANC that is perpetually destabilised, fighting among itself?"

The two leading runners are Zuma's ex-wife, former African Union chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, a wealthy former businessman.

Zuma, who is seen as supporting Dlamini-Zuma's campaign, called for the ANC to have two party deputy presidents to broaden its top leadership team.

"There is consensus that our movement can no longer afford to totally reject leaders who were preferred by a significant number of members to lead," he said.

Critics accuse Zuma, 75, of fuelling factionalism and corruption since he came to power in 2009, and of being in the sway of the Gupta business family, allegedly granting them lucrative government contracts.

He will face a vote of no confidence in parliament on August 8, though he is likely to survive due to the large ANC majority in the house.

Opposition parties are pushing for the vote to be held in secret, hoping to encourage ANC lawmakers to vote him out of office.

Both Dlamini-Zuma and Ramaphosa were on stage for Zuma's speech, which was greeted with lukewarm applause from delegates.

The clash between the two camps could provoke further political instability in South Africa, which last month slipped into recession and also is suffering record unemployment.

The opposition Democratic Alliance party made gains in the 2016 local elections and hopes to benefit from the ANC's woes in the 2019 vote.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA) has signed two Memorandums of Understanding with the University of Ghana(UG) towards the fight against pests and other crop related diseases in the country.

The agreements cover both the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Division of the Ministry and the Quality Control Division of COCOBOD

The University is expected to provide services to the Ministry in relations to surveillance and control of insect pests, as part of initiative by MOFA to reduce the effects of insects and other diseases on food crops.

The programme will be executed by the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science(ARPIS) of the University of Ghana with support from the Dutch Embassy.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, signed on behalf of the Ministry whilst the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Owusu, signed on behalf on the nation's premier university.

The need for the collaboration between MoFA and the University of Ghana was further necessitated by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry to meet the safety and quality requirements of the European Markets.

Ghana is currently serving a ban on exports of five major crops to the EU markets after the country was blacklisted for major defects in exported food crops.

However, the country has another opportunity to present itself for a review in September and the MOFA-UG agreement is seen as one of the commitment on the part of Government to get the European Union to lift the ban.

DETAILS

Under the MOU, the University of Ghana, through ARPIS, will offer training and capacity building services to personnel of the PPRSD and the Quality Control Division of COCOBOD to upgrade their skills in the detection and fight against all forms of insects and pests that affect crops in the country.

The programme is also expected to augment the limited staff capacity at the Plant Protection and Regulatory Division of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture whose activities has been hindered by lack of qualified and adequate human resources.

Funding is being provided by the Dutch Government through a special partnership with MoFA.

BENEFITS

According to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a successful implementation of the agreement will help reduce incidents of poor food quality for both local and international markets, whilst paving way for Ghana to resume the exportation of food crops to the major foreign markets.

He lamented that the country is losing lots of revenue as a result of the ban which he partially attributed to the inability of the PPRSD to perform its role as the 'biological police' in the country.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana further observed that the MOU will aslo enhance the position of Ghana as the producer of the most quality cocoa seeds in the world.

Hon. Dr. Afriyie Akoto therefore expressed the commitment of MOFA to the partnership, stressing that the ministry will readily avail itself for the opportunity.

He further opined that the collaboration between the Ministry and the academia will go a long way to benefit the country.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, said the agreement was in fulfilment of the role of the university as the hub of knowledge and expertise.

He said the University was ready to offer full support to Government in all endeavours, adding that the institution has enough human resource capacity to put at the disposal of all other ministries that may need their services.

Prof. Oduro Owusu hailed the MOU as a significant milestone and commended the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, for his vision and the laudable initiative.

He further pledged the University's readiness to partner government in the implementation of the flagship Planting for Food and Jobs policy.
Abuja (AFP) - Nigerian lawmakers on Wednesday said former president Goodluck Jonathan should give evidence at an inquiry into an oil block deal that has become a shorthand for endemic graft.

The probe centres on the $1.3 billion sale of OPL 245, an oil block estimated to hold nine billion barrels of crude, to petroleum giants Eni and Shell in 2011.

Both firms are facing corruption charges in Nigeria and are being investigated in Italy over the deal, which allegedly saw high-ranking government officials pocket bribes.

"It (is) imperative that evidence should be taken from former President Goodluck Jonathan," the National Assembly committee investigating the deal said in a statement.

Jonathan should testify because he was president "at the material time the ministers brokered the deal" and since his name features in the Italian investigation, it added.

A British court judgment also found that Jonathan did not act "in the best interest of Nigeria in relation to the deal", the lawmakers said.

The attorney-general of Nigeria at the time, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has since said in court that all of his actions were "instructed by former President Goodluck Jonathan".

The deal saw Abuja act as intermediary between the oil majors and Malabu Oil and Gas, a Nigerian firm allegedly controlled by former petroleum minister Dan Etete.

Allegations of corruption and bribery have mounted in the years since the deal was signed.

Shell and Eni have repeatedly maintained they acquired the rights to the lucrative block in line with Nigerian law.

Jonathan has denied receiving kickbacks, saying in January that he has not been "accused, indicted or charged for corruptly collecting monies" linked to the deal.

He left office in 2015 after being defeated by Muhammadu Buhari, who campaigned on a platform to target rampant corruption and impunity.

Buhari said after taking office that "mind-boggling" sums had been stolen from the public purse over the years.

His government arrested a series of high-ranking officials from Jonathan's administration on corruption charges but few have been convicted.
05.07.2017 LISTEN

One quintessential pillar of democracy is the elected assembly called several names throughout the world. In Ghana, we call it the parliament. Ghana's parliament is made up of 275 members elected from carefully demarcated or gerrymandered constituencies. These group of people also called members of parliament (MP's) have been stationed in Accra to be our representatives.

Among their many powers is to make laws that affects our lives. They are also the guardians of our collective income as a nation and are therefore responsible for making sure that the monies that comes into our national coffers be it from cocoa, gold or loans are spent wisely.

Again, the parliament is responsible for making sure that people which are given positions of national interest are of the right disposition, level headed and are not corrupt. Oh, and they can also sack, fire or impeech the president!! In essence, the parliament is so powerful that somebody once remarked that the only thing that parliament cannot do is to change a man into a woman and vice versa..

However, Ghana's parliament ever since its creation under the only 1992 constitution has not made any meaningful impact in the running of the country. Honestly speaking, our parliament cannot boast of a single bill that has impacted the lives of Ghanaians.

Our parliament over the last decade has been soiled and engulfed with corrupt practices. Just recently it emerged that some members of parliament collected money from the national lottery authority(NLA) in order to facilitate te amendment of the national lottery act 2006 (Act 722). This issue brought a lot of confusion because people were not abreast with the reasons why the monies were paid.

Honourable James KLutse Avedzi, who was the then chairman for the parliamentary select committee on finance indicated on joyfm that the GHS 100,000 was to be used as per diem/sitting allowance. some of us are still wondering as to why a whole parliament will refuse to pay sitting allowances of its members of knowing perfectly that the it is the duty of parliament to pay all sitting allowances of committees in the parliament house.

There is no way someone will work at the Ghana highways authority and be paid by the Ghana Revenue AUthority at the end of the day. We are still in thethe broad day light but all indications shows that we've lost the route to our homes. This issue is still mindboggling because some sections of ghanaians still think the money was paid to the said committee in order to influence their work as MP's.

In the early days of this year, the member of parliament for Bawku central, hon. Mahama Ayariga also leveled an allegation against some members of of this same parliament house (those on the appointments committee ) that they each took a sum of GHS 3000.000 from hon. Boakye Agyarko (the then energy minister designate) before approving his nomination.

This issue brought a lot of hues and cries among ghanaians because why should a whole parliament of this sort receive bribe before approving a nominee. Even though the speaker of parliament instituted a committee to investigate the matter, most of the populace still thinks that the committee failed to undergo a thorough investigations into the matter. The investigative team should have undergone thorough review of the whole issue, this is because it was really baffling when the member of the house came out with such a statement.

To mostensibly Ghanaians, it might be true that there was a kinda truth in what the outspoken honourable said. For the truth of this matter, well, we'll still have to keep our fingers crossed. There have been several instances where Martin Amidu, a former attorney general leveled the same kind of allegation against the same honourable that they're engulfed in corrupt practices and he even went on further to state that he has enough evidence to back his claims.

It will also be recalled that Hon. Paul Collins Appiah Fori, a former member of the house also chastise the parliament house some time ago, he stated that the house took a sun of $5000 each before passing the Vodafone deal. this simply means that the parliamentarians did not really take their time to review the Vodafone deal.

Members of parliament who were voted for by Ghanaians to go and represent them at the highest level, go and pass proper bills that will help Ghanaians, go and fight in the interests of the people will only go there and be thinking about their selfish gains. You go to the parliament house and be receiving huge sums of money whiles the ordinary Ghanaian perish in thier homes.

These are not the only corrupt allegations being leveled against the honourable house. There are numerous allegations or cases of corruption being leveled against the house. My question is still simple "Are the parliamentarians there in our interest or they're there for their selfish gains?"....

Professor Mike Ocquaye and his house members should try and wear the cap of integrity because the shame is too much. Ghanaians have lost interest in the house and this is the right time for the whole of the Ghana's parliament house to act and regain their tarnished image.
Tripoli (AFP) - Stray fire from fighting between armed groups that control Libya's Mitiga airport killed five people at a nearby beach and forced the suspension of flights on Wednesday, authorities said.

The clashes broke out Tuesday between the groups at Mitiga, a former military airbase east of the capital Tripoli, and continued Wednesday morning, witnesses said.

A rocket from the clashes hit a beach across from the airport, killing a child and wounding 25 other people, the health ministry said late Tuesday, before raising the death toll to five.

It was unclear what triggered the fighting.

But an airport official said flights were suspended as the clashes resumed on Wednesday afternoon.

Mitiga is used for flights in and out of Tripoli as the country's international airport was heavily damaged during fierce fighting in mid-2014 between rival militias vying for control of the capital.

Tripoli is now controlled by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) but like the rest of the country, it is frequently the scene of fighting between rival armed groups.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival militias and administrations seeking to control the oil-rich country.

A rival authority based in the country's east refuses to recognise the GNA since it started working in Tripoli in March last year.

On June 1 forces loyal to the GNA took control of Tripoli International Airport, south of the capital.

The move came after forces loyal to another rival government began relinquishing positions in the south of Tripoli.
Addis Ababa (AFP) - The African Union's new chair Moussa Faki Mahamat on Wednesday questioned US commitment to fighting terrorism on the continent after it blocked efforts to get UN funding for an anti-jihadist force in the Sahel.

"This is a specific case of a certain number of African states taking the initiative to create a dedicated force to fight terrorism. So, we don't understand how the United States could hold back or not engage in the fight against terrorism," Faki said in an interview with AFP.

Faki's January election as chairperson of the AU commission came days after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who has proposed slashing US funding for aid projects and multilateral institutions like the UN.

The former Chadian foreign minister made peace and security his top priority and claimed an early victory when the UN Security Council last month welcomed the deployment of a five-nation African military force to fight jihadists in West Africa's Sahel region.

But the US stopped the Security Council from formally backing the force and opposes funding it.

Washington has argued that UN authorisation was not necessary because the troops will be operating in the territories of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, the countries that make up the force.

However the real issue is seen to be willingness to commit UN funds to the mission and the question of financing still hangs heavily over the so-called G5 force, which will be headquartered in Mali.

Faced with the possibility that the Trump administration's budget proposal under debate in the US congress could slash funding to African aid projects or institutions like the AU, Faki urged Washington not to abandon the continent.

"We hope that the new administration will be in step with the current challenges of the world," Faki said. "In any case, it does not seem opportune for the United States to disengage itself. These are fundamental questions which determine my faith for peace and stability in the world."

Last month the US pushed through a $600-million cut in the UN's budget for peacekeeping operations that will force the drawdown of a long-running peacekeeping mission in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

The US is one of the foreign donors that pay for the bulk of the AU's budget and is a key partner of the body's AMISOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

But the African bloc has already found itself at odds with the Trump administration, particularly on the issue of climate change.

The AU spoke out against Trump's June announcement that the US would pull out of the Paris climate deal, with deputy AU commission chairperson Thomas Kwesi Quartey calling on Washington to return.
Tripoli (AFP) - Libyan authorities on Wednesday signed a deal with a consortium of Italian companies to build two passenger terminals at Tripoli's international airport, which fighting forced the closure of in 2014.

The project would have an initial cost of 78 million euros ($88.5 million), Sami al-Aish of the transport ministry told AFP.

The consortium, whose members he did not identify, would build two terminals, for both international and domestic flights.

The international terminal was expected to be built within 10 months while the domestic one was likely to be in service in 18 months, said Aish.

The international airport in Tripoli was badly damaged during fierce fighting in mid-2014 between rival armed groups vying for control of the capital which eventually fell to a coalition of militias.

The fighting sparked an exodus of Westerners from Tripoli.

The embassy of Italy, a former colonial power, was one of the last western missions to close in February 2015 but it reopened in January.

Flights in and out of Tripoli have been operating through Mitiga airport, a former military base east of the capital that was the scene of deadly fighting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tripoli is now controlled by the UN-backed Government of National Accord but like the rest of the country, it is frequently the scene of fighting between rival armed groups.

On June 1 forces loyal to the GNA took control of Tripoli International Airport, which is located south of the capital.

The move came after forces loyal to a rival government began relinquishing positions in the south of Tripoli.

The presidential guard, which is under the control of the GNA, has been tasked with airport security.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival militias and administrations seeking to control the oil-rich country.
Executives of the New Patriotic Party in the Salaga North Constituency have expressed concern about the neglect of the Constituency by the New Patriotic Party government.

The executives said since the creation of the Salaga North constituency little has been done by governments to improve the development of the area.

Created in 2012 by the National Democratic Congress government, the Salaga district lacks basic amenities like water, schools, clinic electricity among others.

Addressing a press conference in Tamale, the Constituency Deputy Secretary Tahiru Fuseini said resources meant for the Salaga District have always been channelled to the Salaga South to the neglect of the Salaga North even though the two constituencies share the same district.

He cited key government positions like the District Chief Executive positions going to the Salaga South, 12 out of the 15 government appointees coming from the south, presiding officer also from the south and the Managing director of the Ghana Water Company coming from the south.

Mr Fuseini added that since the creation of the Salaga North District, nine DCEs have been appointed and out of the nine only one came from the Salaga North and that was even on the ticket of the NDC.

He said eventhough members of the Salaga North petitioned the president to, at least, for the first time, consider someone from the area, the reverse happened and the position was given to someone from the south again.

Mr. Fuseini said the chronology of events in the constituency has made party supporters in the area very dejected and dissatisfied. He said not only has government forgotten about the constituency, the NPP as a party has also done same. He said when vehicles and motor bikes were given to orphan constituencies prior to 2012 /2016 elections, Salaga North was neglected in both instances. He said the party has no party office, vehicle, motor bikes or even bicycles to run the day to day affairs of the party in the constituency.

Is it because the people of the Salaga North do not have a political godfather that is why they are being side-lined? he asked.

He appealed to the president Nana Akufo Addo and the national leadership to help address the challenges facing the area adding that they believe if these issues are addressed the NPP is capable of winning the seat in the next election.
The Finance Committee of Parliament has summoned the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta to an emergency meeting Thursday.

The meeting is to probe further details and explanation for the controversial 3% flat rate tax that has been introduced by the government.

The 3% VAT rate came into effect on July 1, 2017 following the passage of Act 948 to amend the Value Added Tax Act, 2013 (Act 870).

The amendment gives legal backing to a new VAT Flat Rate Scheme (VFRS) of 3% that will facilitate collection of VAT & National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) on the supply of goods by wholesalers and retailers; and classifies the supply of financial services, domestic air transportation and sale of immovable property by real estate developers as exempt supplies.

The implementation of the tax policy has triggered some deep seated controversy.

Some industries, manufacturers and importers claim the implementation of the new tax law will lead to the increase of prices of goods and services, a claim government and officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority have been quick to dispute.

Ahead of the Finance Ministers appearance before the Finance Committee of Parliament, Thursday, a former Deputy Finance Minister has been vehement in his criticism of the new tax regime.

Describing it as a 419 or a fraudulent taxation regime, Casiel Ato Forson said government must listen to the concerns of manufacturers and importers and withdraw the tax.

All of a sudden the VAT burden instead of it being reduced has become an increase. This is because the value added flat rate only relates to retailers. For some reason, the government decided to include wholesalers.

Globally the practice has been to give only retailers 3% because the input-output turns out to become approximately 2.9% which is equivalent to 3%.

If you are to extend to wholesalers it is an imposition of an additional tax," he said, adding, "what they are doing is a 419 way of imposing taxes on the ordinary Ghana. They tricked Ghanaians into introducing additional tax, he alleged.

But in a reaction, the Deputy Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the 3% flat rate is neither an additional tax nor a new tax.

He said it is only a new way of calculating the old value added tax.

Traditionally to arrive at the value Added Tax you needed to calculate 17.5 on the cost of input, 17.5% on your final sales price, you will net off the difference and you will pay the net VAT to government.

"The challenge is that a lot of people find it difficult to comply with the paper work and the computations and so you will find a lot of evasions in the VAT bracket. It is for that reason that, not just in Ghana but in many other countries the VAT regime is gradually being moved to a flat rate.

Under this new policy you will just have to pay 3% on your turnover without the cumbersome calculations, he explained.

The new policy only affects wholesalers and retailers but excludes services, he added.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah believed the 3% flat rate should not lead to an increase in prices of product if calculated properly.

He said if it is done properly, prices of commodity will rather come down.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
Even before the Securities and Exchanges Commission of the US concludes its investigations into a petition brought before it by some members of the Minority, an additional external petition has also been filed in Luxemburg.

According to the Minority, this latest move is to satisfy additional jurisdictional issues since their investigations have revealed that though Franklin Templeton was registered in the United States of America, it appears it used a subsidiary company registered in Luxembourg to purchase the $2.25 billion bond.

Based on this revelation, a group of Minority Parliamentarians comprising Dr Dominic Ayine, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Isaac Adongo have filed a whistleblower complaint with the regulator in Luxembourg known as the Commission de Surveillance de Secteur Financier (CSSF).

Addressing the press, Cassiel Ato Forson explained that the Minority is also considering the option of going to the Supreme Court to ask for determination under Article 181(5) of the Constitution.

We will also go to Supreme Court to require the Minister to provide us information under Article 12 (F) of the Constitution because the information we sought is in the public interest, he added.

He argued that information on tradable bonds are public information everywhere in the world, unlike Ghana where it is said to be sensitive information by the Majority.

Dr Ayeni, a former deputy AG and Minister of Justice

One of the three who filed the petition, Dr Ayeni, a former deputy AG and Minister of Justice said things would not have gotten to where it has had there "been a lot of transparency in the system and the Finance Minister has been candid and forthwith when he appeared before Parliament."

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has told Parliament that the recent $2.25 billion bond is above board and followed due process.

According to him, the accusations by the minority may be due to a genuine lack of understanding of the processes of bond issuance.

The Ministers statement is in response to a half-hour motion filed by Parliament to summon him to provide full disclosure on the bond issuance.

But Dr Ayeni said the Minority need material information that is useful for the resolution of the issues that are at stake.

"If you come to Parliament and deliver a wonderful speech about how this bond is going to help the economy and so on and so forth, yet material information about the basic fundamental document (prospectus) is not made available to Parliament, what have you?" he queried.

He said what the Minister brought was the 2016 prospectus which was used by the previous Finance Minister last year in some bond transactions.

Dr Ayine emphasised that the Finance Minister was summoned by the Minority Leader to provide the requisite documents which he failed to do.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim |[email protected]
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Dorbor (B/A), July 5, GNA - Farmers at Dorbor community and its environs in the Banda District of the Brong-Ahafo Region have appealed for the establishment of a micro-finance company in the area.

According to the farmers, they had to travel several kilometres to Banda-Ahenkro or Nsawkaw to deposit monies derived from their economic activities because there was no financial institution at Dorbor, the second largest community in the District.

This situation, the about 100 registered farmers who had form five separate farmer groups in the area said, was a huge problem which needed to be attended to.

Mr Joseph K Yeboah, spokesman for the farmers told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on the sideline of a farmer's forum at Dorbor, that most of the farmers were willing to do business with any credible micro-finance company.

Save Environment Foundation (SEF), an NGO organised the forum, which was attended by more than 150 famers, as part of an 18-month project it is implementing in the area.

Being funded by UNDP, Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Small Grant Programme (SGP), the project is aimed at promoting sustainable agro-forest through alley cropping and woodlot establishment on degraded lands in the area.

Mr Yeboah, who is the Assemblyman for the Dorbor Electoral Area explained that within six months the famer groups were able to generate more than GH10,000.00 but expressed the discomfort that the cash was kept by leaders of the groups because there was no micro-finance company in the community.

He said each of the farmer groups had collectors who went round to collect cash contributions from individual farmers, adding that the accumulated amount was shared among them within six months period depending on one's deposit.

Mr Yeboah said many of the farmers had been able to expand their economic activities since they formed the groups indicating that other farmers had also expressed their interest to join the groups.

He said the establishment of a micro-finance facility in the area would spur the farmers to contribute more and access credit to improve on their socio-economic wellbeing.

Mr Collins Osei, the Executive Director of SEF, explained that his outfit supported the farmers to go into groups and do the contributions in line with the project implementation.

He explained that under the project, communities would be assisted with resource development programmes aimed at re-foresting suitable harvested sites, reclaiming degraded woodland, and afforesting denuded lands.

Mr Osei added that women farmers would also be assisted to adopt and practise sustainable livelihoods by introducing and assisting them to rear farm animals.

He observed that with the formation of the famer groups, members could easily access credit facilities from financial institutions to expand their economic activities.

GNA

By Dennis Peprah, GNA
Kalvio (U/E), July 5, GNA - Tuma Kavi Development Association (TKDA), a Non-Governmental Organisation operating in Northern Ghana has built a three-unit classroom block for the Kalvio Community in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The project, which is valued at GH258,120.59, has teachers' office, a library, washroom, furniture and books, a desktop computer with school management software installation and a printer.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Executive Director of the NGO, Reverend Mrs Sanatu Nantogma, explained that the project was funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

She said in 2016, the NGO signed a memorandum of understanding with KOICA to implement Local Civil Society Partnership programme under the name 'Improving School Enrolment Partnership' in the Upper East Region.

She said the Kalvio Community was selected as one of the beneficiary areas because her outfit was touched by the plight of school children who studied under a 'boabab' tree.

She expressed optimism that the project would translate into better teaching and learning in the school and commended the contractor, the District Assembly and the Kalvio community leaders for playing significant roles in the implementation of the project.

Mr Seungmin Oh, the Deputy Country Director of KOICA, observed that Ghana had the potentials of becoming a developed country if it solved the various sector challenges.

He said in that direction, KOICA was therefore partnering with the TKDA, NGOs and some government agencies to help address challenges in the education and health sectors.

'The project did not only seek to increase the number of children learning under good conditions, improve classroom sitting space and arrangement, but also seek to improve the linkage between local authorities with school authorities and community leaders.

'It again seeks to improve school management system, which we anticipate will result in an improved performance of teachers and the children in the school,' the Deputy Country Director stressed.

The District Chief Executive for the area, Mr Clement Dandori, who lauded the effort of KOICA and the NGO for the project, pledged the Assembly's support to extend electricity to the school and to ensure the proper maintenance of the facility.

GNA

By Samuel Akapule, GNA
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Ho, July 05, GNA - The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called for the immediate disbandment of political party vigilante groups, and the enactment of laws to criminalise their formation and activities.

The Coalition noted that political party vigilante groups were illegal and acted as catalysts for insurgency and urged law enforcement agencies to "as a matter of national security", deal with them accordingly.

It observed that the activities of such groups had increased under the Fourth Republic and had leached through the democratic process from elections, through government transitions and into the governance process, of which the events leading up to, and following the 2016 general elections had not been without.

At a media briefing at the end of the second edition of Regional Roundtable Deliberations on political vigilantism in the country in Ho, Mr John Larvie, and Togbe Adom Drayi II, members of the CODEO advisory board called on political parties to help end the menace.

The Coalition noted that political parties themselves were now feeling the pinch, and charged the leadership of the New Patriotic Party, and the National Democratic Congress, being responsible for nurturing such groups, to work together with the police to quell them.

Though stakeholders at the Ho meeting confirmed the minimal party-affiliated vigilante activities in the region, they agreed that even the least engagements of the groups by political parties could not be justified.

It was also observed that political interference in the work of the security services as related to vigilante groups, clogged channels to addressing the issue and participants collectively called for the top hierarchy of the Police Service to be shielded from political interference.

They also asked that security officers as well as officers of the Electoral Commission showed professionalism, and non-partisanship in the discharge of their duties.

It was overwhelmingly agreed that the creation of employment avenues for the youth would go a long way to prevent them from joining such groups, and participants appealed to government to help make youths productive.

It was also observed that political parties needed to educate their members, particularly those of the lower rungs, on the principles of democracy and good governance, with a call on the media to take up the anti-vigilante campaign.

GNA

By Samuel Akumatey, GNA
Justina Paaga, GNA

Sekondi, July 5, GNA - Members of the Western Regional Branch of the Hook and Line Fishermen Association (HLFA) have called on government to intervene to curb pair trawling to enable them stay in business.

The member who made the call during a press conference at Sekondi said the use of pair trawling by Koreans in Ghanaian waters had depleted the fish stock including fingerlings.

Mr Eric Tetteh, spokesman for the members pointed out that apart from depleting fish stock at sea, the Korean pair trawling fishermen had also refused to fish within areas specified for them on the high Sea and rather sailed down coast to fish at where they HLFA members operated thereby making it difficult for them to make any catch.

Mr Tetteh alleged that despite the ban on pair trawling, Korean fishermen were practising it with impunity because they claimed to have been re-registered.

To help curb the situation, they appealed to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture to re-inforce the ban on the use of pair trawling for fishing in the country to protect the fish stock and improve fish production.

The spokesman suggested that the Korean fishermen should only be permitted to operate single trawlers with single netting and operate within the areas specified for them on the high Sea.

Touching on the sale of premix fuel, Mr Tetteh explained that sometime in 2015, government directed that 53 per cent of revenue realised from the sale of premix should be used by the landing beach committee to undertake development projects in their respective fishing communities.

He said part of the funds were used to establish school blocks, Teachers quarters. Places of convenience, bath houses, sheds and the registration of more than 500 people with the NHIA.

He however expressed concern that with the new government coming into office, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture without any explanation had transferred the 53 percent revenue from the Landing Beach Committee to an account at the Ministry.

Mr Tetteh therefore called on the Ministry to explain to them to know the account number the 53 per cent revenue was being paid into and for what purpose.

"This explanation would go a long way to ensure probity accountability and transparency' he added.

He also expressed worry about the replacement of members of the various Landing Beach Committees with new members who were not into fishing.

According to him the new committee members were made up of pupil teachers, Drivers, security guards, food vendors, lotto writers, drinking bar operators among others who had no knowledge about fishing.

"This action is an insult to fishermen and we wish to ask why the activities of fishermen should rather be managed by these people ".

He appealed to the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture to dissolve all the Landing Beach Committees within one month in order to ensure peace and tranquillity in the fishing industry and asked that the process of reconstituting the Landing Beach Committee Members should begin with consultation and active involvement of all stakeholders in the fishing industry.

Present at the press conference was Mr Joseph Adotey, western region chairman of Hook and Line fishermen Association and some fish mongers and fishermen

GNA
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Tarkwa (W/R), July 5, GNA - A mason from Rubber site in the Prestea Huni/Valley district has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by a circuit court in Tarkwa for robbery.

The convict, Seidu Fuseini, pleaded guilty and was convicted on his own plea.

Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Faustina Celestina Anaman told the court, presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew that the complainant Kwaku Adansi is a motor rider and a resident of Kutukrom near Prestea.

She said on June 21 at about 2100 hours, Fuseini hired the services of the complainant from Kutukrom to Ahomkakrom village around Prestea.

The Prosecution said when the convict reached his destination, he asked the complainant to wait and transport him back to Kutukrom.

On their way back, Inspector Anaman said Fuseini told the complainant he wanted to urinate and he stopped down and parked.

According to the Prosecutor, the convict attacked the complainant, smeared powered pepper on his face and snatched his motor bike from him.

She said some witnesses who were also traveling on the same road emerged with a motorbike and the complainant approached them and narrated what had happened to them.

She said the witnesses chased the convict and saw him riding the motorbike in Prestea township.

Inspector Anaman said the witnesses raised the alarm and alerted those nearby and with their help, Fuseini was arrested together with the Hoajin unregistered motorbike valued 3,000 Ghana cedis.

GNA

By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA
Accra, July 5, GNA - Job seekers have been advised to develop their ability to solve problems and contribute to organisational growth instead of relying on the certificates they had acquired.

Mr Alex Frimpong, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), who gave the advice, urged prospective employees to acquire the practical know-how, in relation to their particular fields of expertise, to make them productive in organisational building.

Mr Frimpong was speaking in Accra, at a day's seminar to sensitise employees on getting the requisite skills for their organisations.

The seminar was organised by the GEA, and was attended by a cross section of employers in the country.

He said in the current world, ICT skills, good communication skills, being a good team-worker and having good problem solving abilities, placed one in very good standing as a prospective employee.

Mr Frimpong said for organisations to get the results from their employees, there was the need to ensure, that they had the requisite skills to contribute towards the growth.

He said global development was mainly being fuelled by science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

He said it was highly important for institutions of learning in the country to pay close attention to 'these areas'.

Mr Frimpong observed that countries that failed to pay attention to science and technology risked lagging behind in global development.

Dr. William Baah-Boateng of the Department of Economics, University of Ghana-Legon, said the National Service Secretariat, should match up personnel to institutions that provided services in their area of study in order to prevent potential skill loss.

He also urged companies to design efficient internship policies, to give opportunities to students who studied in the fields required by firms in the labour market.

GNA

By Robert Anane/Julius K. Satsi, GNA
05.07.2017 LISTEN

Accra, July 5, GNA- President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday reiterated government's commitment for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE's).

He gave the assurance that the process for the amendment of the 1992 Constitution to facilitate the exercise would soon be underway.

He said the election of MMDCE's would lead to the deepening of the country's democracy and ensure better accountability.

'It is time to make it work,' he said.

President Akufo-Addo was addressing 199 new MMDCE's at an orientation session organised by the Ministry of Local and Rural Development at the Institute of Local Government Service, at Ogbojo, near Accra.

The President told the MMDCE's that 'I belong to the group that has always advocated the direct, popular election of Chief Executives. It is now a Manifesto commitment of the ruling party, the NPP (New Patriotic Party), so you must be aware that it is going to be fulfilled which will make you the last batch of Chief Executives to be appointed under the current system'.

He stated that they had nothing to fear in the direct election of Chief Executives under the new systems provided they gained the confidence of the electorate with their conduct and performance in office.

President Akufo-Addo said it was instructive that for the effective and efficient and transparent achievement of government's vision to transform the socio-economic fortunes of the country, it was important that Chief Executives eschewed conflicts and acrimonious situation with Members of Parliament (MP).

Such engagements, he said frustrated the work of government, explaining that in as much as he would not want to issue any edict on anyone's political ambition, they should remind themselves that resentments arising from such situations most often led to the misfortunes of political parties.

He said the new paradigm of effective governance demanded maximum co-operation between Chief Executive, MPs and the officials of the Development Authorities.

'The closer and more sincere will be the co-operation, the greater and more extensive will be the development.'

President Akufo-Addo told the MMDCE's that though the sector minister had the responsibility to oversee the local governance and decentralisation implementation process, they should also accord their regional minister respect because they were also required to monitor and evaluate their work.

'I expect you to accord Regional Ministers all their due respect, as they are the President's representatives in the Regions,' he added.

The President urged the Chief Executives to leverage on the reformative policies being undertaken by government to transform their local economies and preside over the creation of jobs for the people.

According to the President, the district was the target for all the programmes for aggressive industrialisation and value addition to agricultural produce, modernising agriculture, improving production and efficiency and achieving food security that government was introducing to grow the economy.

'The Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) will be implemented at the constituency level, where the allocation of the equivalent of one million dollars annually will be used to finance capital expenditure for infrastructure and other facilities in the localities' he said.

He said: 'The One Village One Dam policy initiative, like all the other innovative introductions to the economy, are all very much local initiatives. I am hoping that a genuine sense of fair competition will come into the operation of the districts.

'You have the opportunity to change your districts from places where people move from, to places where people move to. Let your factories thrive and you will soon discover that people will move to your districts, instead of the current position where all your young and strong people move away to Accra and Kumasi.'

President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance that the Common Fund allocations to the Chief Executives would be regular and on time, but asked them to work on their internally generated funds, as they would not make the progress they should if the development programmes of their localities were solely dependent on the relatively meagre sums they got from the Common Fund allocation.

'Please apply your DACF (District Assemblies Common Fund) judiciously towards the execution of planned and approved projects. It is not for recurrent expenditure,' he said.

'It is a good idea quickly to get your Assemblies to restructure your financial operational system and targets, to take advantage of the new initiatives introduced by government to promote accelerated economic growth.'

GNA

By Ken Sackey, GNA
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram jihadists believed to be from the IS-supported faction loyal to Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi have attacked three military bases in northeast Nigeria, destroying one and killing a soldier, according to the military and vigilantes.

The attacks cast doubt on the Nigerian government's claim that the jihadist group is on the back foot and may mark an end to a lull since April of Al-Barnawi's deadly attacks on military targets.

In the latest attack late Tuesday, Islamist fighters in pickup trucks raided and razed a military base in Kamuya village in Nigeria's ravaged Borno state.

Boko Haram "attacked the (military) base around 5:30 pm (1630 GMT) and the troops engaged them in battle," a military source from the town of Biu told AFP.

"The base was burnt from RPG (rocket propelled grenade) shelling and two soldiers were injured," said the military officer, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak on the incident.

The jihadists were later pushed back after military reinforcements arrived 30 kilometres (18 miles) away from Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state, said the military source.

The officer's account was corroborated by Mustapha Karimbe, a member of a local militia in Biu assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram.

"Boko Haram gunmen attacked Kamuya military barracks yesterday evening and burnt it down. They injured two soldiers," said Karimbe.

In January jihadists from Al-Barnawi's faction riding on camels killed at least three soldiers in a midnight raid on the same military base.

Residents told AFP at the time that Boko Haram fighters were hiding in the nearby Ajigin forest.

Power struggle

Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, has been gripped by a power struggle over the future of the insurgency.

A Nigerian army vehicle patrolling a street in the town of Banki, northeastern Nigeria

One faction is led by Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, the son of Boko Haram's founder Mohammed Yusuf, who was named leader by the IS high command last year.

Although IS declared Al-Barnawi leader of the breakaway faction he is believed to be heavily influenced by Mamman Nur, a close ally of the late Yusuf, while longtime Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau controls the other faction.

Earlier on Monday fighters said to be loyal to Al-Barnawi separately attacked two military bases in which at least three fighters and a soldier were killed, the Nigerian military said in a statement.

"Boko Haram terrorists of Mamman Nur extraction" attacked 81 Division Task Force Battalion in Gulumba Gana village of Bama district in the country's northeast, said the military.

Troops repelled the attack and recovered arms and explosives from the fleeing jihadists, it said.

Later that day another group from the "Mamman Nur faction" launched an attack on troops at a base in Logomani village in Dikwa district.

Three Boko Haram jihadists and a soldier were killed while a militant was "captured alive".

Nigeria's government maintains that Boko Haram is a spent force in disarray, despite the attacks and an increase in suicide bombings targeting security checkpoints, mosques and camps for the displaced.

At least 20,000 people have been killed since the insurgency began in 2009.
Watch out criminals! The Aussie government is coming for you. Your criminal cash economy is over, kaput, finite. The jig is up.

Just when you thought you could deal drugs, launder money, and do whatever else it is you do, think again. Its time to start looking for a new career.

And Im not going to blag on about how robots are taking over your criminal career. No, the Aussie government has figured out how to end you once and for all.

The government is set to end the circulation of $100 notes.

HA! Take that, criminals.

Thats right. By removing $100 notes from the economy, you can no longer hand over wads of the Green Soldier in your criminal dealings. Clearly, you will no longer be able to run a criminal enterprise.

Hang on a second. Whats that I hear? Oh, its the sound of every criminal in Australia falling off their (probably stolen) chair, laughing.

To be honest with you, Im in agreement with them. Does the government really think that by removing the $100 note, itll put the kibosh on criminal activity? I dont think so.

When all the $100, $50, $20, $10 and $5 notes disappear

Even the RBA says removing the $100 note will do little. In a research paper, it argues that the $50 note is the preferred note of the black market:

Liaison with AUSTRAC (Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre) and the Australian Crime Commission suggests that it is the $50 denomination  rather than the $100  that tends to be preferred by criminal elements because of its ubiquitous use in legitimate transactions.

The truth is that the possible elimination of the hundy has nothing to do with criminals. Its a tax grab. The government just wants to make sure it collects every cent of tax off everyone it can.

Sure, people should rightly pay tax on cash payments. As a taxpayer, cash jobs that go unreported do annoy me. But its not just criminals this could potentially impact. Its also every single tradesperson who works in Australia.

Hairdressers, carpenters, plumbers, builders, brickies Its a long list, but many of these workers also take cash payments. And many dont report them all.

I guess the government probably classifies these people as criminals too  tax criminals.

But theres one glaring problem with the governments idea of getting rid of the $100 note. Its just going to make the criminals move on to the next one.

If the $100 note is the note of choice, crims will move on to the $50 note.

And if the $50 note becomes the note of choice, you can bet on whats coming next

Low and behold, the government will outlaw the $50 note. Can figure out what comes next?

Thats right  the crims will move on to the $20 note. And the government will outlaw those. So theyll move on to the $10 note. And so on and so on.

This begs the question: What happens when there are no notes in circulation? When the last remaining $5 note is gone, what comes next? What on Earth will criminals and tradies use in their cash economy?

According to the government, theyll simply have to use digital payments like the rest of us. And most of them will. This will mean that every transaction can be verified, and the appropriate tax paid on it.

But then there will be the alternative financial system. A system that crooks and tradies can use. In fact, its a system anyone can use when they dont want government interference with their money.

The currency of choice Im talking about isnt gold. Its not silver. Its none of the precious metals. Its the cryptoconomy



Get paid in bitcoinone day

The cryptoconomy is a relatively new phenomenon. Its a digital economy made up of hundreds of different kinds of currency. These are all digital currencies, which means they all exist online. There is no physical note or coin that they are based on.

In fact, most of them dont have any physical backing. Their creation is digital, from scratch. Which, when you look at it that way, isnt so different from the normal money you use day to day. Some argue this makes them worthless  but theyre worth what society deems them to be worth. Just like paper money, just like gold.

These cryptoconomy currencies are technically rooted in mathematics. Theyre created by complex algorithms, which will often limit the number of coins that will ever be in circulation.

You might already know a few of these cryptoconomy coins by name. The most famous and popular is Bitcoin. This was effectively the first digital currency in existence. The benefits were that its free from central bank control, borderless, and carries a high degree of (although not complete) anonymity.

Another is Ethereum. Ethereum is a new kid on the block. Its become hugely popular in a short space of time because of the platform its based on. The Ethereum platform allows anyone to create their own digital payments system. That could be your own cryptocoin. Or even your own blockchain for contracts or trade.

Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two most valuable, highly traded cryptocoins there are. Bitcoins total market cap is the equivalent of US$12.5 billion. Ethereums market cap is US$680 million.

[Editors note: Today, Ethereums market cap is US$28.5 billion.]

Now, I say market cap because the common thing is to convert these cryptocoins back to a fiat currency. But in my view, these cryptocoins will be of far greater value than any fiat currency.

Buy a TV today, a car tomorrow

In my view, something like bitcoin should never covert back to a fiat currency. Once you get it, you should hold it or use it to buy goods and services. One day, youll possibly even get your pay in bitcoin. The future will be a world where bitcoin is as useable and exchangeable as a US or Australian dollar.

Its no pie-in-the-sky idea, either. In the US recently, a new hedge fund paid data scientists to build an artificial brain. The fund paid the scientists in bitcoin.

Open-source marketplace OpenBazaar just got $3 million in funding from venture capitalists. CoinDesk, a cryptocurrency-focused publisher, describers OpenBazaar as a decentralised eBay. Except the central premise of OpenBazaar is bitcoin, not fiat currency.

Of course, a future solely based on cryptocoins might be a way off. But I think bitcoin, in particular, will increase in value and potential in the short term. Again, the idea is that in a few years time, what you could buy with bitcoin is far more than what you could buy today.

Perhaps you could buy a TV with one bitcoin today. In the coming years, I think you might be able to buy a car. Seeing the government move to a cashless society reinforces my view of whats coming for Bitcoin.

When the government sticks its nose in and society turns on it, well move to alternative options. And by far the biggest opportunity outside the existing financial system is Bitcoin. To me, that spells opportunity.

Regards,

Sam Volkering,

For Markets & Money
In Greek mythology Icarus is a famous character who ignored his fathers warnings and flew too close to the sun.

The heat from the sun melted the wax holding his wings together, and Icarus tumbled out of the sky and into the sea.

The tale is told as a lesson against both complacency and hubris.

The Qantas share price is flying

Which brings me to Qantas [ASX:QAN].

Its share price has doubled in the past year. In fact, its approaching nominal all-time highs. And while some of this gain is no doubt justified, it could also be a case of flying too high, too soon

History has not been kind to airline owners. Airlines are famously bad investments. In the US there have been over 100 airline bankruptcies over the past century.

Its been a disaster for capital, Warren Buffet recently said of airlines on CNBC.

The reasons are pretty simple.

Its a very capital-intensive industry. And there is lots of competition.

Some of these competitors are well-funded, semi-government organisations like Singapore Airlines and Emirates.

They have a large cost base which has to be satisfied by near constant passenger numbers on each flight.

That leads to their infamous overbooking practices. The fallout of which we saw recently in the US, when a passenger was forcibly dragged off a flight.

The increasing dominance of the low-cost carriers has put pricing pressure on every carrier, even full service ones.

Good tailwinds for Qantas shares

But Qantas is navigating the industry turbulence well.

Its subsidiary JetStar is dominating the low-cost market. And Qantas has a bit of a monopoly over many routes for Australian travellers.

In fact, its earnings share is 86% of the Australian market.

Virgin Australia [ASX:VAH] figurehead, Richard Branson is not happy. In todays Australian Financial Review, he states,

Weve had Qantas throw everything they can at us and it has cost them more than it cost us.

Im not sure if this is actually true, as Qantas is currently one of the most profitable airlines in the world and Virgin is languishing at share price lows.

Moodys just increased Qantas credit rating, citing domestic dominance and some good hedging and financial controls.

The macro conditions for airlines in general have improved. Low oil prices, increased travel and a lower dollar are all contributing factors.

An increasingly affluent Asian middle class is also a big opportunity.

Already Chinese tourism is up 45.1% from the same time last year. Vietnam is up 102% and Malaysia up 31%.

At the same time Australians are going in the other direction in record numbers.

Commsec Chief Economist, Craig James said the rate of departures was growing at 13% per annum.

And in the last 12 months 452,740 Australians left for overseas for an extended period.

All good news for airlines.



Why even Buffet is backing airline stocks

Despite Buffets earlier quote, even he has turned the corner. This year he has invested US$10B in US airlines such as Delta, Southwest, American and United.

And his reasons for changing his mind in an industry he previous labelled a death-trap?

They just got a bad century out of the way.

In other words, he is betting that the lessons of the past have been learned.

Be mindful of Icarus

The key issues for Qantas investors is twofold.

Are we really in a new reality for airlines?

And can Qantas maintain its dominant domestic position?

The competition is certainly not standing still.

Virgin have just launched a new direct Hong Kong to Melbourne route, and has applied for 21 new take-off and landing slots in Hong Kong. They are looking to roll out further options for both Sydney and Melbourne as part of a broader Asian expansion.

The Qantas share price may have risen too fast, too soon. Investors at todays prices need to heed the lessons of Icarus, and make sure they dont come tumbling down.

Regards,

Ryan Dinse
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Sierra Nevada, which is in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 11 PM tonight.

Isolate to scattered dry thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon. The storms will provide little rainfall.

Winds will be gusty and erratic wherever thunderstorms do develop.

Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
Tuolumne County Library staff members show off Passport Basket View Photos

Sonora, CA  Now that July Fourth is past Tuolumne County Public Library staff and friends are clamoring for the public to take part in its 100th birthday festivities through months end.

Most people in the county know about the main library located in Sonora, comments Chrys Day, President of Friends of the Tuolumne County Library. Since many may be unaware of the Groveland, Twain Harte and Tuolumne City branches  or the services offered by the countys bookmobile  her group and the library staff have put in a lot of thought and time to mark the centennial by organizing a number of celebratory all-ages activities. These they they hope will encourage folks to visit the libraries and actively experience all they have to offer.

Day emphasizes that one of the activities being promoted, Passport to Festivities, provides fun incentives for people to visit not only the libraries, but also museums, state parks, and to shop, dine and be active along the way. Many local businesses are partnering with us to encourage people to get out and explore the county. These businesses have donated products and services for the raffle basket, or they are providing discounts to the passport participants for shopping, dining, and activities, she explains.

Anyone participating in the month-long passport challenge, which involves visiting the dozen required destinations will then become eligible to win a grand prize basket heaped high with a host of local products and gift certificates for local services. Passports can be picked up at any library branch and at the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau in downtown Sonora.

Seeds, Roots Of Tuolumnes Free County Library

It was back in 1911 when the California State Legislature passed a law that first authorized boards of supervisors to establish free county libraries. According to local history, while the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors was petitioned to do so, it did not seriously act upon it until after women received the right to vote in 1912, after which the Womens Christian Temperance Union and the Sonora Aronos Club became involved and began prodding. In tandem with the times, the state librarian dispatched Miss Harriet G. Eddy, who was tasked with aiding efforts to help establish a local library system. Historians credit her wily research, outreach and campaign skills in accomplishing the mission.

Subsequently, on July 3, 1917 the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to establish a County Free Library, initially housed within a 280-square foot courthouse basement space known as the old county archives room. It was Miss Edna Holroyd, a professional hired from the outside, who was chosen to serve as the first county librarian at a salary of $100 per month, which at the time was the maximum permitted by law. Two years later the supervisors passed an amendment to raise her salary by $25, indicating they were pleased by her progress in organizing the library and establishing branch locations. Her initial budget for book purchases was recorded as $400.

Several events and activities are planned throughout July involving all the branches, including Tuolumne Citys, which recently reopened after extensive repairs that became necessary in the wake of this past winters extreme wet weather. Among those calendared to begin mid-month is a birthday cake celebration and concert scheduled Tuesday, July 18, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Sonora Main Library, with BZ Smith and Peggy Reza performing songs and stories from their award-winning CD, Striking Up Gold Mountain. For more details on this and other activities planned, click here.
Dillon Ledesma, TCSO Booking Photo View Photos

Sonora, CA  Three men traveling through the Mother Lode July Fourth carrying drugs and more than $16,000 in cash found themselves in deputies custody following an early morning traffic stop.

According to Tuolumne County Sheriffs spokesperson Sgt. Andrea Benson, deputies detained a 2012 BMW at the Kwik Serve Fuel Station that was both missing a front license plate and lacking matching information between the vehicle VIN number and its rear Arizona state license plate.

Inside were three male subjects, all Montana residents, Benson states, adding that the driver, 30-year-old Jan Michael Vondrich, told deputies the vehicle belonged to his grandmother and they were traveling from Butte, Montana to Fresno.

Further investigation revealed that Vondrich had been driving with a revoked license and could not provide any documents regarding vehicle registration or insurance. A subsequent registration check using the VIN number confirmed a different license plate number with suspended registration belonged to the BMW, which did not turn up as reported stolen.

During the stop, K-9 Maverick alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the BMW. A search of the men and the vehicle turned up seven grams of methamphetamine, packaging materials, digital scales, heroin, prescription pills, hypodermic needles, and a methamphetamine pipe as well as the wad of cash.

Passengers Dillon Ledesma, 34, and David Steinebach, 47 were arrested and booked at the Tuolumne County Jail for possession of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Vonderich faces a charge of being under the influence of narcotics with findings sent to the DA for an additional charge of driving under the influence.
- The Nigerian Army has neutralised a number of mercenaries hired by Boko Haram

- The mercenaries met their Waterloo on Monday, July 3, when they attempted to attack 81 Division Task Force Battalions location at Gulumba Gana

The Nigerian Army said its troops in the North East have neutralized a number of mercenaries hired by the Mamman Nur faction of the Boko Haram terrorist group at Gulumba Gana in Bama local government area of Borno.

The mercenaries attempted to attack 81 Division Task Force Battalions location at Gulumba Gana. Photo credit: SK Usman

The army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman said in a statement on Tuesday, July 4, that the terrorists mercenaries met their Waterloo on Monday when they attempted to attack 81 Division Task Force Battalions location at Gulumba Gana.

The troops successfully dealt with the terrorists and pursued those that escaped and recovered two AK-47 Rifles and two magazines of nine round of ammunition, two AGL bombs, several empty cases of Shilka gun ammunition, AGL bomb and one damaged mobile phone handset.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Similarly troops of 3 Battalion located at Logomani, Dikwa LGA, Borno State, neutralized 3 Boko Haram, captured one alive and recovered three AK-47 rifles from Mamman Nur faction that dared to attack their location.

The troops also recovered two AK-47 Rifles and two magazines of nine round of ammunition. Photo credit: SK Usman

However, we lost a soldier during the pursuit, Usman said.

Legit.ng had earlier reported Chadian troops fighting Boko Haram have suffered huge setback after heavy winds destroyed aircrafts used in combating the insurgents.

Chadian army has been battling Boko Haram insurgents who have become a threat to some countries in the West African region.

Two AGL bombs, several empty cases of Shilka gun ammunition were also recovered. Photo credit: SK Usman

Chadian troops are part of a Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) which is also made up of soldiers from Niger Republic, Cameroon and Benin battling Boko Haram terrorists in North Eastern Nigeria and surrounding border communities.

In the video below, the Nigerian Air Force gives an update on operations against Boko Haram in 2017.

Source: Legit.ng
- Peoples Democratic Party has no nice farewell for Doyin Okupe

- The party attacked him for making 'careless statement' about the party

- The part described Okupe as "a lone voice, steeped in negativity and backwardness"

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun state chapter, has accused Doyin Okupe of seeking the downfall of the party and described his exit as a good thing.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Okupe, who was the former special adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, announced that he was leaving because of the internal crises in the party but would be back someday.

In a statement signed by the state publicity secretary of the party, Bolaji Adeniji, on Tuesday, the party said Okupe's exit from the party is a good riddance, according to a report by Daily Post.

READ ALSO: Late General Vatsas son announced dead after brief illness

The statement reads in part: Okupe in his statement noted that the future of the party may not be significantly affected whichever way the judgement of the Supreme Court goes.

We find this unfortunate because it shows that he is one of those who does not mean well for the party. It is shameful that at a time when relevant stakeholders such as governors, senators, BOT members and other loyal members, have resolved to forge ahead in unity irrespective of the Apex Court decision, an Okupe is a lone voice, steeped in negativity and backwardness.

The people are united and working hard towards electoral success in 2019. That some persons decided to form a social group to push the personal ambition of their sponsors, does not translate to factionalisation and we will not allow Okupe to legitimise the aberrant and rebellious activities of some of our members.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng early reported that former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani Kayode has reacted to the exit of Doyin Okupe.

The former minister in his tweet described Okupe as a big loss to the party, adding that, PDP would miss him surely.

Watch this Legit.ng video on the unity of Nigeria:

Source: Legit.ng
In an earlier report by Legit.ng, it was noted that the threat to impeach Acting President Yemi Osinbajo if he fails to remove Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has pitched the Senate against some Nigerians.

Following that incident, the Senate tried and failed to make Bukola Saraki the acting president in place of Osinbajo while the president is still away.

But, what does the Senate want from Osinbajo, and what is the real bone of contention? The Nigerian Senate posted some requirements via its official Twitter handle.

Below are some of them:

This is the full list of what they want:

1. The Senate should suspend all issues relating to the confirmation of nominees from the executive on issue of confirmation as contained in constitution until the laws of the federation is adhered to.

2. Acting President must respect the constitution and laws enacted by the National Assembly as relating to the confirmation of nominees.

3. The Acting President should respect the rejection of nominees by the Senate.

4. Senator Marafa Kabir added that the Acting President must withdraw his statement saying the Senate doesn't have the power to confirm nominees.

What do Nigerians think of this? Below are some comments from social media on the Senate's demands:

READ ALSO: Drama: Attempt to declare Saraki Acting President fails

READ ALSO: Thousands of sympathisers in attendance as Maitama Sule is buried in Kano

Meanwhile, the point of order raised, that the Senate president, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was raised by the senator representing Abia South, Eyinanya Abaribe.

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He raised a motion that the country had no president or acting president at the moment, adding that, President Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo were neither in the country, as at the time.

Watch this Legit.ng video on what Nigerians have to say about the unity of the country:

Source: Legit.ng
- Senator George Sekibo (PDP-Rivers) has raised alarm over attempts to frustrate his legal right

- Senator Sekibo was sacked some days ago by the Rivers state national and state assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja

- In his reaction to the happening, he said that he has the legal right to appeal the ruling

Senator George Sekibo (PDP-Rivers) has raised alarm over attempts to frustrate him from reclaiming his mandate.

The senator who was sacked by the Rivers state National and state Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on June 28 said his efforts to seek redress is being frustrated.

The senator said his lawyers were yet to receive a copy of the ruling so as to study and file his appeal a week after the ruling.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that he alleged that the Chairman of the Tribunal has been at large and every attempt to reach him or other members have proved abortive.

READ ALSO: Controversial pastor makes congregants eat flowers, says it taste like mint chocolate (photos)

Sekibo on Tuesday, July 4, pleaded in Abuja, that he should be allowed to have his day in the Appeal Court and nothing else

Legit.ng reported that the Rivers state National and state Assembly Election Petition Tribunal that sat in Abuja sacked Sekibo of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

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The three-man panel sitting at Apo Quarters in the Federal Capital Territory affirmed the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Andrew Uchendu and declared him the winner of the Dec10, 2016 rerun election.

The court directed the Independent National Electoral commission, (INEC), that Uchendu be issued a certificate of return.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Senator George Sekibo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Rivers East senatorial district, has been sacked by the Rivers state national and state assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The three-man panel sitting at Apo Quarters in the Federal Capital Territory affirmed the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Andrew Uchendu.

Watch this Legit.ng TV Video of INEC officials indicted for bribery and corruption during the river state rerun elections arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja:

Source: Legit.ng
- IGP Ibrahim Idris among other delegates, attend INTERPOL conference in Singapore

- The IGP pays a visit to the Nigerian high commission in Singapore

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has attended an INTERPOL conference in Singapore.

READ ALSO: Meet Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim, the wife of senator whose video with 2 women leaked online

The INTERPOL is an intergovernmental organization facilitating international police cooperation.

During his visit to Singapore, Idris, also paid a courtesy visit to the acting high commissioner of Nigeria to Singapore, Hajiya Zainab Zakari-Awami.

See photos of the IGP's visit to Singapore below:

Ibrahim Idris in the company of acting high commissioner of Nigeria to Singapore, Hajiya Zainab Zakari-Awami. Photo credit: Facebook - Nigeria Police Force

Ibrahim Idris among other delegates at the conference in Singapore. Photo credit: Facebook - Nigeria Police Force

Ibrahim Idris at the conference in Singapore. Photo credit: Facebook - Nigeria Police Force

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Ibrahim Idris conversing with a delegate at the conference in Singapore. Photo credit: Facebook - Nigeria Police Force

Ibrahim Idris at the Nigerian commission in Singapore. Photo credit: Facebook - Nigeria Police Force

Ibrahim Idris at the Nigerian commission in Singapore. Photo credit: Facebook - Nigeria Police Force

The Nigerian delegation at the conference in Singapore. Photo credit: Facebook - Nigeria Police Force

Lagos state commissioner of police Galadanshi Dasuki told newsmen that the police was not in a hurry to release Evans in spite of calls from different quarters to do so

But Moshood while speaking to Premium Times said not all news regarding Evans from the media should be believed and taken as truth by Nigerians.

He said the police are still investigating, including criminal cases involving the suspect in Ghana and other African countries.

While explaining that the police would do everything within its capacity to ensure proper investigation and prosecution of the suspect, Mr Moshood noted that the police have no power over the decision of the court on the case.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians what they think should be done to alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans.

Source: Legit.ng
- Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff (COAS), came out clean in the interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation

- Buratai also said the fact that Boko Haram insurgents are now confined to limited areas shows that the terrorist group has been defeated

The release of the second batch of the 82 Chibok girls recently was a political decision and not one taken by the Nigerian Army, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai has said.

Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) in Nigeria, said this in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

According to Buratai, the Nigerian Army has performed its own roles for the safe passage of the abducted Chibok girls.

Buratai insisted that Boko Haram has been defeated since they only operate in a limited area unlike in the past when they were present in some northern states.

READ ALSO: Troops neutralise invading mercenaries hired by Boko Haram

He said: The Boko Haram terrorists swap for the Chibok schoolgirls was a political decision, not a military decision.

It is in the best interest of the nation and based on the circumstances, the government felt it was the best course.

Personally, I think it has its own advantages; the message is to rescue the Chibok girls.

I do not think anyone has said the Boko Haram has been eliminated. Terrorism is something that is resilient.

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Before May 2015, the Boko Haram insurgents were even in Abuja, Kano and Kaduna. They were operating even to the south. We had to stop them.

For the past one and a half years, we have not had any attack in Jos, Abuja, Kano and many other places, not even as close as Gombe state.

They are only concentrated within certain areas in Borno and Yobe states.

Legit.ng had quoted Daily Trust as reporting that the federal government swapped five Boko Haram militants for the 82 Chibok schoolgirls recently released.

This is contrary to some media reports that just two Boko Haram commanders were released in the swap deal.

According to negtiator of the swap deal, the outcome should be seen as a favourable bargain, considering what obtained in other climes when it comes to prisoner swap of innocent citizens with suspected terrorists.

Watch this video and see how the Nigerian military engages Boko Haram insurgents:

Source: Legit.ng
- The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has declared the federal government's intention to commence the implementation of community policing

- Osinbajo said the plan may be implemented very soon so that activities of police can be more effective in the remote parts of the country

- The acting president was represented by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, special adviser to the president on political matters at a book launch in Abuja

After years of rejecting, Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has confirmed that the federal government is working to allow state police across Nigeria.

New Telegraph reports that Osinbajo in Abuja on Tuesday, July 4, said the aim of the community policing is to sanitize the remote part of the country.

READ ALSO: Late General Vatsas son announced dead after brief illness

Osinbajo spoke at the launch of a book, Law on Prevention and Detection of Crimes, written by the immediate past IGP, Dr. Solomon Arase.

Legit.ng gathered that the book launch, which took place at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, witnessed the presence of five retired IGPs namely: Messrs Aliyu Attah, Tafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, Mike Okiro, Ogbonnaya Onovo.

It was learnt that the Idris, did not attend event but he sent the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of Operations, Joshak Habila, to represent him.

Also, Osinbajo was said to be represented by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, the special adviser to the president on political matters.

Ojudu said: One topic that is very dear to the heart of the Acting President, is the issue of policing Nigeria. He is looking very carefully at the issue of community policing.

And for our brothers, who are retired as IGs, who are still very young and strong, you will have a role to play very soon.

For us to depart from this old way of policing in our country, we also see if it can work, or if it is not working. We have to look at all parts of the world, how they are doing it.

Osinbajo however, challenged the retired IGPs to be ready to offer their contribution upon commencement of the policy.

According to Arase, this book launch will be used to cater for the needs of children of the Polices rank and file.

Arase said: The logic is simple. You cannot give what you do not have. You cannot offer a professional law enforcement service without knowledge, no matter the level of supporting motivational packages.

Indeed, Your Excellency, modern law enforcement functions are no longer defined by numbers, but by knowledge.

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The aggregation of these will aid a law enforcement officer in dissecting, anticipating, and developing informed proactive or reactive strategies towards not just crime management, but towards performing their roles within the criminal justice delivery chain.

Among the dignitaries at the event were the Governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina; Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan among others.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the rate of kidnapping dropped following the arrest of Evans.

This was revealed by police spokesman Moshood Jimoh, who also added that the International Police (Interpol) was investigating Evans activities.

Watch this Legit.ng TV Video of what many parents said on their support to children to join the Nigeria Police Force for obvious reasons:

Source: Legit.ng
- Senator Danjuma Goje calls on Babatunde Fashola to behave like a minister and not a governor

- Goje says Fashola should do the honourable thing if he is overwhelmed by the volume of work in the ministry of works

- Senator Dino Melaye states that Ibrahim Magu is not qualified to be the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The Nigerian Senate has asked the minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to resign his appointment if he was burdened by the volume of work at his ministry.

READ ALSO: Late General Vatsas son announced dead after brief illness

The chairman Senate committee on appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, made the call on Wednesday, July 5, in reaction to statement credited to Fashola where he faulted the lawmakers for unilaterally altering allocations of the ministry of works in the 2017 budget.

Angered by Fasholas comments the Senate accused the minister of misleading the public and blackmailing lawmakers over the alterations made by in the budget.

Senator Danjuma Goje, speaking during plenary, raised a point of order where he said Fashola was a minister and no longer a governor and should reflect that in his speech, the Punch reports.

Initially, I wanted to come under a motion but, yesterday, the House of Representatives took up the matter. Since we are on the same page with the House, I feel I should not come under a motion. But I will like to seize this opportunity to advise the minister that he should remember that he is now a minister and should behave like a minister, Senator Goje said.

He reminded Fashola that he was dealing with the National Assembly, not the Lagos state house of assembly.

He said:" If the job is too much for him  the ministry is too big; it comprises three ministries, which are works, housing and power; if he cannot adjust, then, he should do the honourable thing. He should so the needful.

No amount of blackmail by him; no amount of propaganda by him or his surrogates will stop this National Assembly from discharging its duties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. We have sworn to uphold and protect this Constitution, and this we will do to the end of this Assembly.

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For now, I will cease fire and watch to see how the House will handle him. If he is well handled there, we will leave him with them. But if we are not satisfied and they pass him to us, then, we will take him over.

Meanwhile, Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West, has said that Ibrahim Magu does not qualify to be the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Melaye while contributing to a debate on the floor of the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, July 5, mocked Magu saying his mates were area commanders and divisional police officers (DPOs).

The embattled senator wondered why Magu after being rejected by the Senate is still parading himself as the chairman of the EFCC.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians which ministers they want to be sacked: Watch responses

Source: Legit.ng
- A coalition of Northern groups has warned against the recent audio calling for the killing of Igbos in the North

- The coalition said the audio is inciting and did not come from them

- They also said the audio is unfortunate and aimed at diverting attention from the federal government and various regional leaders

A coalition of Northern groups has denied authorizing an audio calling for violence against Igbos living in the Northern part of Nigeria.

The coalition said the audio in circulation is inciting and did not emanate from the group.

In a statement signed by Abdulazeez Suleiman, the coalition said: We find the audio quite unfortunate and an attempt to divert attention from the current commendable efforts made by the Acting President and other well-meaning regional leaders.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Senate asks Babatunde Fashola to resign

Suleiman said the coalition distances itself from the pronouncement, its maker and the content of the audio.

He said it is unfortunate that such pronouncements are coming at a time when meaningful strides are being made towards dousing ethnic tension in Nigeria.

Just last week, a leader of our Coalition Amb Yerima Shettima told the world that we would review the earlier position of the Coalition in appreciation of the recent position of the Southwest governors that denounced Biafra.

That of course, is the main borne of contention as we found it ridiculous for a people to be in one country and claim another independent nation at the same time without recourse to due process that regulate the right to self determination.

READ ALSO: Bukola Saraki swears in new PDP senator following Supreme Court's judgement

In fact we were in the process of making a positive pronouncement when the death of our respected father and northern elder occurred.

Whome restating our commitment to peace and obedience to the Nigerian state and its institutions, we call on the public to disregard any pronouncement purportedly made in our name unless it came from our spokesperson Abdul-Azeez Suleiman or Amb Yerima Shettima or N. A. Sheriff.

Meanwhile, we extend hands of friendship to all ethnicities of Nigeria as we expect to make a definite positive pronouncement soon.

We once again commend the effort of the Federal Government, regional leaders, other youth organizations across the country and the understanding of the public.

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Legit.ng earlier reported that the coalition issued an ultimatum to all Igbos living in the North.

The Northern coalition advised all the Igbos to vacate the North on or before October 1.

Also a few weeks after the ultimatum, the former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode in a tweet said he had obtained an audio calling for violence against all the Igbos living in the region.

Fani-Kayode said the audio advised all Northerners to killing every Igbo person in the region at the expiration of the October 1 deadline.

He also urged the federal government to act against the content of the tape saying that the failures of the government to stop the planned killings will r esult to a civil war.

You can watch this Legit.ng video of Nnamdi Kanu addressing his followers in Isiama Afara:

Source: Legit.ng
- Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state asks how a nation can move ahead when its president spends most time abroad for medicare

- Fayose recalls that he had raised the issue of Buharis age, health, and mental capacity in 2015

- The governor calls on Buhari to step aside just as the president called for the removal of YarAdua in 2010

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign in the interest of the country.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo calls for end to bloodshed, sacrifices in Nigeria

Fayose in a series of tweets on Wednesday, July 5, asked how a nation could move ahead when its president spends most time abroad for medical care.

The governor recalled that he had raised the issue of Buharis age, health and mental capacity in 2015 and warned against voting for him.

He said Buhari should step aside just as he called for the removal of YarAdua in 2010.

See the tweets from Fayose below:

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Meanwhile, Fayose has said that he does not want President Muhammadu Buhari to die but he only wants freedom of Nigeria from Aso Rock cabal.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerian have to say about President Buharis absence.

Source: Legit.ng
- The federal government agreed to publish names of Nigerian looters

- This is coming after a Federal Court gave an order

- The minister of justice said it will follow the order given by the court

The federal government has agreed to publish the names of looters of Nigerias treasury following a order issued by a Federal High court in Lagos.

Legit.ng had earlier reported that the court ordered the President Muhammadu Buharis government to list names of suspected looters.

READ ALSO: Senate asks Fashola to resign

The court enjoined the government to immediately release names of high-ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered.

The order was made on Wednesday, July 4, by Hon Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari after a freedom of information suit number: FHC/CS/964/2016 brought by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

Mr. Abubakar Malami who is the minister of justice and the attorney-general of the federation confirmed later in the day after the federal executive council meeting that the government agrees with the court decision.

He said the government would carry out the order as long as it does not violate any court rules.

Timothy Adewale, SERAP deputy director who argued the case on behalf of SERAP and was in court this morning when the judgment was delivered said This is a victory for justice, rule of law, transparency and accountability in this country.

''The judgment shows the way forward in the fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators.

''We will do everything within the law to ensure full compliance by President Mohammadu Buhari and Acting President Osinbajo with this landmark judgment.

''It would be recalled that the Ministry of Information last year published details of the recoveries, which showed that the Nigerian government successfully retrieved total cash amount N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, 3,508,355.46 and 11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.

''Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $9,090,243,920.15, 2,484,447.55 and 303,399.17.

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''Anticipated repatriation from foreign countries totalled: $321,316,726.1, 6,900,000 and 11,826.11.

''The ministry also announced that 239 non-cash recoveries were made during the one-year period.

''The non-cash recoveries are farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels.

''Subsequently, SERAP was issued an FOI request and gave the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed 14 days to disclose the names of all suspected looters."

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of a Nigerian accusing President Buhari of corruption

Source: Legit.ng
- Militants in Calabar attempted to kidnap a wealthy oil dealer

- They were intercepted by army on patrol

- The two groups engaged in a gun battle that scared resident

There was a deadly gun battle between Niger Delta militants and men of the Nigerian army over attempt to kidnap an oil dealer in the Anantigha axis of Calabar, Cross River state.

The Punch reports that the attack occurred on Wednesday, July 5 as the militants came out of the one of the creeks in an attempt to kidnap the oil magnate.

READ ALSO: Middle belt dissociates from north, sends message to government

According to a source who simply gave the name of the oil magnate as Daniel, he said he intervention of the army on patrol prevented the kidnap of the man.

It was reported that several gunshots were heard which scared the residents who were forced to flee to safety.

The number of militants involved in the attack could not be ascertained

Meanwhile, The release of the second batch of the 82 Chibok girls recently was a political decision and not one taken by the Nigerian Army, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai said.

Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) in Nigeria, said this in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

According to Buratai, the Nigerian Army has performed its own roles for the safe passage of the abducted Chibok girls.

Buratai insisted that Boko Haram has been defeated since they only operate in a limited area unlike in the past when they were present in some northern states.

He said: The Boko Haram terrorists swap for the Chibok schoolgirls was a political decision, not a military decision.

It is in the best interest of the nation and based on the circumstances, the government felt it was the best course.

Personally, I think it has its own advantages; the message is to rescue the Chibok girls.

I do not think anyone has said the Boko Haram has been eliminated. Terrorism is something that is resilient.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below about the idea of Biafra and how it affect Nigeria's unity.

Source: Legit.ng
The United States and Chinese ingredient markets have a long history of joint commerce. Although U.S. regulatory oversight has tightened through the yearsparticularly with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and increasingly strict requirements for foreign suppliersunique synergies are providing new opportunities to collaborate along the ingredient supply chain.

Founded in 2000, Chenguang Biotech Group Co. Ltd. (CCGB) is a technological corporation specializing in natural plant extracts. Now with 20 subsidiary companies, CCGB is looking for resources to develop a Made in America" line of botanical ingredients. The venture could signal a wave of Chinese-U.S. partnerships honing in on the latest industry trends.

CCGB sells its ingredients in the United States exclusively through IngredientsOnline.com, a B2B e-commerce platform for nutritional raw materials. When Lu Qingguo, CCGBs founder, chairman and general manager, traveled to Iowa to research the new venture, he invited Sherry Wangfounder and president of IngredientsOnline.comto join him.

They visited Iowa looking to find resources to enhance CCGBs existing line of herbal ingredients with a goal of planting herbal crops in Iowa for extraction here in a U.S. facility, making these products available to the U.S. supply chain all the way through the value chain to the U.S. consumer," explained Peggy Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing at IngredientsOnline.com. Having Sherry attend these meetings was imperative, as they all work together to build the strength and confidence of the China/America connection. Taking steps to ensure both quality control and regulatory compliance is their number one goal."

During the trip, Lu and Wang met with Rick Kimberly, president of Kimberly Farms in Maxwell, Iowa. The weather in Iowa is ideal for the CCGB line of herbals, so conversations around the farms ability to plant CCGB crops cost-effectively were a hot topic.

Kimberly already has a special connection with China, having hosted President Xi Jinping (then vice president) at the farm in February 2012. Kimberly has been to China numerous times talking with agricultural officials on the U.S. farm model, and he recently hosted a group of nearly 20 Chinese think-tank researchers from Beijing.

Lu and Wang also met with Iowas Governor Terry Branstad, who has since become U.S. ambassador to China. CCGB had an existing relationship with Branstad, which will further strengthen the China/America connection moving forward.

Also on the agenda was a visit with Kevin Keener, Ph.D., director of the Center for Crops Utilization Research and the BioCentury Research Farm at Iowa State University. According to Jackson, Keener presented information about advanced technologies and equipment that could be used to enhance CCGBs existing ingredients and production processes.

In addition, there were conversations about the research departments ability to discover more unique uses for CCGBs existing ingredients," she said.

The Iowa State University Center for Crops Utilization Research has been actively supporting companies in development of new processes and products for botanical extraction for many years," Keener shared. We have over 250 unique pieces of equipment for drying, grinding, separation, concentrating and extraction. We provide assistance in the process and product development on over 100 research projects per year. Within these 100+ projects, there are approximately 10 percent that relate to botanical extraction. This could be a microbial produced active compound, enzyme, natural color, natural flavor, essential oil, etc. We also provide a test bed location for companies to pilot test new equipment and processes."

Keener noted the organizations team of 10 technical staff has significant experience across the food and biomanufacturing industry, including botanical extraction. Past projects have involved the extraction of natural compounds for use in botanical products from sources such as soybeans, microalgae, mushrooms, marigolds, rosemary and egg yolks.

Our Centers focus is on the efficient collection, concentrating and activation of botanical compounds," Keener said. We work closely with each client to understand their desired outcome and apply our expertise to build a system solution that can provide accurate data for scale-up projections. Our pilot plant systems work best with volumes between 5-gallon (20 kg) and 500-gallon (2,000 kg) quantities."

When asked why his firm is interested in developing a U.S. supply base, Lu responded, We wish to make CCGB more localized in the United States than ever, for raw material cultivation and sourcing, manufacturing, research and development, and marketing."

He also acknowledged the large U.S. market potential and, as an emerging leader, his companys desire to maximize compliance with U.S. policies and regulations.

Lu views the U.S. collaboration as a win-win for both countries, noting the potential growth and benefits available through CCGBs expanding business strategy in the United States. Its a model of healthy cooperation he maintains is sustainable.

Jackson concluded: Its very important for both CCGB and IngredientsOnline.com to develop a strong commitment to a solid U.S. footprint and U.S. relationships. Supporting America at the corethe farmeris an ideal way to show that commitment, along with quality control at the supply-chain level."
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Hubei Xingfa (Xingfa), a Fortune China 500 company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and a manufacturer of specialty phosphates in China, announced that its portfolio of specialty compounds for high-quality food products with improved texture, yield and sensory appeal is now available in North America.</p> </div> </div> </div>
First look - Miracleman: The Silver Age #3 - the first new Miracleman chapter in decades

Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham are finally ready to show off brand new Miracleman chapters
NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is keenly interested in nanotechnology  an approach that can reduce the mass and improve the performance of aerospace systems. NASA computer modeling analysis has shown that composites using carbon nanotube reinforcements could lead to a 30 percent reduction in the total mass of a launch vehicle.

No single technology would have that much of an impact to reduce the mass of a launch vehicle by that much, explains Michael Meador, Program Element Manager for Lightweight Materials and Manufacturing at NASAs Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Tensile properties of a carbon nanotube fiber-based composite tank were tested in a May 16 test flight.

NASA collaborated with Nanocomp in Merrimack, New Hampshire to make nanotube yarns and sheets, with the space agency developing specialized processing methods to fabricate COPVs.

Nanocomps Miralon sheets can also be used to produce honeycomb core structures. When configured with carbon fiber face sheets, composite honeycomb cores produced with Miralon offer a 3-5x increase in stiffness over aluminum core along with outstanding near-zero coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) performance  all with reduced weight and improved mechanical damping.

CableWire is another opportunity for significant weight savings is cabling in payload. Data cables made with both Miralon yarn and tape offer a potential weight savings of up to 70% percent when compared to incumbent materials. The inclusion of Miralon also allows for solutions requiring tighter bend radii as well as providing near-infinite flex-life. As a result, Miralon-based components significantly contribute to mission assurance goals and require less maintenance than the incumbent solutions.

The net results are dramatically reduced system weight, along with more efficient systems, yielding lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions, lower operating costs and, ultimately, lower overall systems costs.
NASAs technology development branch has been funding a project called Kilopower for three years and testing is due to start in September, 2017 and end in January 2018.

NASA Game Changing Development program backed Kilopower, with the goal of building and testing a small fission reactor by Sept. 30, 2017, the end of the current fiscal year. The project is costing about $15 million.

The test reactor, which is about 6.5 feet tall (1.9 meters), is designed to produce up to 1 kilowatt of electric power, but to keep costs down, the test unit does not include a full array of Stirling engines to convert energy generated by the fission process into heat. Thermal simulators will be used for the balance of the engines to verify the reactors power output

NASA recently completed a feasibility study for small fission power systems (FPS). As NASA is seeking game changing technologies to transform the nations space mission capabilities, small FPS could reduce NASAs dependence on plutonium. A small kilowatt-class FPS could enable future flagship science missions and exploration precursor missions that may not otherwise be possible.

The objective of the proposed Nuclear Systems Kilopower Project is to advance the subsystem level readiness of small, 1-10 kWe fission power for space applications from TRL 2/3 to 5. Full success will consist primarily of demonstrating production of 150 We (90 We minimum) from 800 Wt heat supplied by a nuclear reactor through heat pipes to a Stirling engine pair, all in a relevant (thermal vacuum) environment.

Previous space reactor development programs (e.g. SP-100, Prometheus) have failed to complete the all-important system- level demonstration. The Nuclear Systems Project will demonstrate fission power subsystem technology readiness in a relevant environment for two classes of NASAs mission requirements: 10-100s kWe for exploration outposts and nuclear electric propulsion via the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU), and 1-10 kWe for robotic science and small exploration systems (Kilopower).

The Nuclear Systems Kilopower Project consists of three elements. The primary element is the Kilopower Prototype Test. This element consists of the development and testing of a  electrical power output and full thermal power ground technology demonstration of a small fission power system based on an 800 We reference space science power requirement. The second element, the Mars Kilopower System Concept, consists of the analysis and design of a scaled-up version of the 800 We reference concept to 3-10 kWe for Mars surface power requirements. The third element is the design and development of a Kilopower high temperature water heat pipe radiator experiment prototype in preparation for a FY19 or later flight experiment development and test opportunity on the International Space Station.

The core of the Nuclear Systems Kilopower Project is the development and testing of a  power electric, full thermal power ground technology demonstration of a small fission power system based on an 800 We space science power requirement. An 800 We Kilopower system will use four pairs of Stirling engines, with each pair generating 200 We. All technology objectives can be achieved with only one pair of full-scale Stirling engines. The components of the demonstration include the reactor core, heat pipes to transfer the heat from the core to the power conversion system, the power conversion system, and the radiators to reject power conversion waste heat. Los Alamos National Laboratory will lead the design of the reactor, and the Y-12 National Security Complex will fabricate it. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) will design, build, and demonstrate the balance of plant heat transfer, power conversion, and heat rejection portions of the Kilopower Prototype. NASA MSFC will develop an electrical reactor simulator for non-nuclear testing, and the shielding for nuclear testing. A non-nuclear electrically heated demonstration of sodium heat pipe heat transfer, Stirling engine power conversion, and heat rejection will be assembled and tested at NASA GRC. Once the balance of plant has been tested and the reactor core has been fabricated, the balance of plant system will be reconfigured for a nuclear ground test, and the prototype will be assembled and tested at the Device Assembly Facility at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site.

Kilopower Fuel Design Goals and Requirements

The Kilopower space reactor fuel is to produce the right level of power while keeping the core small and light.

 Work neutronically

 Maintain geometry

 Transfer heat to the heat pipes

The fuel will not need to hold in fission products. No cladding is needed. It will not be used until it is in deep space.

Los Alamos published an analysis of the materials.

Fuel Burn Up, Swelling and Radiation Damage

The fuel will have almost no burnup over a 15 year life. Less htan 0.1% will be used.
The US believes North Korea fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, two U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News  a significant step forward in Pyongyangs weapons program.

The ICBM, which is believed to be two-stage, officials said, would have a range of at least 3,500 miles, and thus be capable of reaching Alaska. Other sources indicate the missile range is 7,000 km (4200 miles). The 4200 mile range missile would cover the entire Asian continent and can reach any target from Hawaii to Australia, India and Scandinavia.

The North Korean regime earlier Tuesday claimed it successfully fired a long-range missile into the Sea of Japan, declaring itself a proud nuclear state.

The Hwasong-14 hit its target precisely after flying for 39 minutes, state television said.
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From Reader Supported News

Those of us who follow developments in the federal judiciary are used to reading about stupid decisions that our federal judges make. In the recent past, for example, federal judges have found guilty a woman who was accused of whistling at a whale ("interfering with the feeding of a wild animal," the court said); found guilty a fisherman who threw a fish back in the ocean when he realized it was too small to keep (he was supposed to keep it in the boat until federal fisheries authorities could measure it on shore); and denied relief to CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling, despite the fact that he was convicted solely through the use of metadata for allegedly passing classified information to a New York Times reporter.

But it's not just defendants who are routinely wronged in the courts. Plaintiffs, too, get the occasional screwing. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Chicago, recently upheld an award of $1 in a case where a jury found that a prison guard had used excessive force against a prisoner. Sammy Moore, a prisoner in an Illinois state prison, sued the state and prison guard Peter Liszewski after Liszewski struck him in the head twice with a walkie-talkie during a scuffle. The federal jury found that Liszewski had indeed used excessive force, that he had struck Moore twice, and that the assault was a violation of the law. The jury then awarded Moore $1 in damages.

The appellate judges made the requisite legal noises about the righteousness of finding for a defendant and then giving him only a buck. Here was the reasoning: "First, a lawsuit may be brought for determination of a right instead of monetary damages. Second, nominal damages may be awarded to ensure that attorney's fees and costs are paid to the prevailing party in the suit. And third, sometimes a court requires a plaintiff to be awarded 'actual damages' with nominal damages qualifying as actual, prior to allowing an award of punitive damages."

Speaking specifically about Moore, the judges wrote that, while the plaintiff believed that he was entitled to punitive damages for the beating he took, he could have just as easily, "fallen and hit his head on a table."

In the meantime, the judges awarded Moore's attorney the legal maximum for his work: $1.50, or 150 percent of Moore's total judgment. This was for five years -- five long years -- of legal work to take the case through the appeals process.

Of course, as always, there is a bigger issue here. The issue is that the court has determined that a prison guard can beat a prisoner with impunity. If you smash a prisoner in the head with a walkie-talkie, you may be found guilty, but you'll end up paying a dollar. That's a pretty great outcome if you're an abusive sadist overseeing people who aren't allowed to defend themselves against you.

I've written in the past about one of my own cellmates, James. James had severe mental illness and was denied his medication. Because the prison system treats mental illness as a behavioral problem, rather than a medical one, James was sent to solitary confinement when he lost his mind and could not care for himself. The guards in solitary beat him, of course. Then they stripped him naked and threw him in the winter cold for hours before he finally passed out. But even that was only after he begged and cried to be let back inside.

James was homeless before he got to prison. He couldn't afford an attorney, even one willing to work for $1.50 over the course of five years. But even if he had, thanks to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, he likely would not have received justice. And that's what this is all about. The court is simply denying justice.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
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It's nearly noon. I suddenly hear what sounds like car crashes from every direction all over town.

Stepping outside the office, I notice drivers going crazy. They ignore signal lights at-will, plow into other vehicles as if in panic. The whole city seems to have gone insane. Then I am informed it's not just here, but everywhere.

I turn on my TV. Terrorists have managed to detonate high explosives in the new World Trade Center. Although it was built to withstand "normal" explosives and airline crashes, it's unknown whether it can survive this carefully engineered demolition.

The whole world pays sharp attention as President Trump walks to the podium.

"On September 11, 2001, radical Islamic terrorists attacked the United States. But nothing was done about it, nothing was done to punish and eliminate them. Nothing! I inherited a mess... a mess! Liberal Democrats sought to justify radical Islamic terrorists by apologizing for the U.S. and to blame this country instead of Islamic terrorists for all these awful tragedies.

"The assertion that the U.S. is to blame is a lie... fake news! Accepting Muslims into our country was a mistake... a huge mistake! Democrats have made this country a disaster. These Muslim-sympathizers are to blame more than Muslims themselves.

"We now see the result of their failure. America is again under attack.

"At this time we do not know who blew up the new World Trade Center. Our incompetent, bureaucratic intelligence agencies haven't found out yet. But we all know it was radical Islamic terrorists, don't we? Believe me -- I can tell you right now -- Islamists blew up the building. No need to wait for officials to tell us.

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Putin and Trump are meeting in this July week of 2017. From his heavenly chair, a craggy American hero is beaming them to collaborate and build an alliance of troopers.

Both Putin and Trump know of Abe Lincoln. One of them has probably read a lot about Lincoln and probably knows that strategically-wise Lincoln often thought that with enemies, sometimes one must:

- stand on one's head to see their world view,

- run to rather than from enemies,

- raise a barn with them, and eat and drink afterwards to laugh and appreciate accents.

You may believe that Russia is our most dangerous national security threat. Putin is a thug intent on KGBizing the world, and that Trump is in cahoots with him; but should that stop Trump and Putin from flipping the world into better shape by thinking and acting upon Honest Abe's words?

"Do I not destroy my enemies, when I make them my friends?"

Look at the world's beautiful kids and grandkids. Think 30 - 40 years out. Would the world be safer and healthier if during those future decades tens of thousands of Americans and Russians served and roomed together as Joint Peace Corps Volunteers (JPCVs) in schools, health clinics, refugee camps, drought-stricken African states, bombed-out portions of Yemen, Palestine, Syria, etc.?



Putin & Trump back each other into peacefull world.

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Wouldn't it be beneficial to have another public policy option for Putin and Trump --like sending in the Joint U.S.-Russian Peace Corps?

Icons, from the Peace Corps' first director, Sargent Shriver, through John and Ted Kennedy, were fond of saying: "It's better to send in the Peace Corps, than the Marine Corps."

Both "Corps" can provide wonderful experiences, but aren't we over-taxing one while failing to build a sufficiently large Peace Corps and a robust National Service Corps? Do we have sufficiently sized corps to peacefully win hearts and minds, reduce terrorist recruitment, address climate change, help in elder homes and hospitals, deal with future pandemics, etc.?

Over time, don't inadequately addressed problems become bloody expensive national security issues?

Let's expand and build both the Peace Corps and People's Lobby's (PLI) proposed American World Service Corps National Service (AWSCNS) program by reintroducing and implementing Congresswoman Boxer's HR1807, the U.S.-Soviet Peace Corps Bill of 1989, in which PLI played a significant role.

Let's live Sarge Shriver's belief.

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From Americans for Middle East Understanding



Israel surrounding Unarmed Palestinians

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Perhaps it was fitting that the most significant act of organized mass resistance by Palestinians to the occupation in many years was launched from behind bars. In April of this year more than 1,500 political prisoners began an indefinite hunger strike against their increasingly degrading treatment by the Israeli authorities. Some called it a prison "intifada," the word Palestinians use for their serial efforts to "shake off" Israeli oppression.



Over the past five decades, Israel's incarceration industry is reported to have locked away some 800,000 Palestinians, amounting to 40 percent of the male population. At any moment, there are few families that do not have at least one close relative in jail.



More generally, Palestinians often characterize the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank as giant prisons. Checkpoints, permits, walls, fences, settlements, Jewish-only roads, closed military areas and blockades restrict movement so severely that most Palestinians are effectively confined to open-air cells of varying size. The Israeli historian Ilan Pappe's latest book, a history of the occupied territories due out this summer, is titled "The Biggest Prison on Earth" for that very reason. An act of mass defiance by Palestinian prisoners resonates far beyond the concrete walls of Israel's three dozen detention centers.







Marwan Barghouti

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At the time of writing it is too early to know what course the hunger strike will take. It could lead to the deaths of prisoners, even Barghouti himself, and the eruption of a new intifada. Or Israel could make enough concessions that the prisoners either relent or split sufficiently that the strike becomes ineffective. It has not helped that the prisoners have struggled to attract much visible concern from the international community. As Arundhati Roy, the award-winning Indian writer, has observed, all acts of non-violence, including hunger strikes, work only as spectacle, or theatre. It "needs an audience. What can you do when you have no audience?"



For this reason, it has been difficult for the Palestinians to find an auspicious moment to conduct mass protests. The world's attention has been elsewhere: on Cairo's failed Tahrir Square uprisings and the re-consolidation of military rule in Egypt; on the catastrophic fallout from the proxy wars across Israel's northern border, in Syria; on Washington's revival of a Cold War with Russia; and most lately, the drama of the US elections and the arrival of a wealthy reality TV star in the White House.



But there are reasons why Barghouti has invested his energies in promoting what Palestinians call "the battle of the empty stomachs."



Not least, political prisoners face increasingly degrading conditions -- a plight that resonates deeply with the Palestinian public. Among the demands are a halt to Israel's frequent use of detention without trial, and its routine use of torture and solitary confinement as punishment; an end to lengthy and difficult transport between prison and court hearings, when inmates spend hours in the back of sweltering vans without food or water, and are forced to urinate into plastic bottles; the installation of pay phones so that inmates can maintain contact with their families, who increasingly struggle to get permits into Israel for visits; the opportunity to pursue academic studies while in jail, as well as greater access to TV and other media, rights Israel has overturned in recent years; and treatment in hospital, rather than prison clinics, for those with serious medical conditions.



But beyond the justice of the prisoners' cause, the hunger strike offered a disillusioned, divided and weary Palestinian populace a model of how again to struggle against Israel's oppressive rule. It offered a kind of struggle that might ultimately unify them.



Journalism as "terror attack"



Barghouti explained the reasons for the hunger strike in an opinion piece smuggled out of his cell and published in the international, though not domestic, edition of The New York Times. It was a publishing coup that enraged Israel. One government minister, Michael Oren, likened it to a "journalistic terror attack."



The Times' article was a rare break in Barghouti's enforced silence. Since the Oslo process was initiated in the early 1990s, he is known to have continued as a supporter of the two-state solution, winning him allies on the Israeli left. But his ideas about how to achieve Palestinian statehood appear to have undergone a significant revision during his time in jail.



As one of the leaders of the armed uprising that began in late 2000, he was originally a fervent supporter of the right of Palestinians to use violence to liberate themselves from the occupation, though he stated that armed resistance should take place only in the occupied territories. Since then, watching events unfold from his prison cell, he has become a leading advocate for new strategies of non-violent resistance. His article in The New York Times offers insights into his changed thinking.





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Pakistan

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On the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "historic" visit to Israel, a senior official from the Israeli foreign ministry said that his country supports India on what he called "terrorism emanating from Pakistan."

Israel believes that there is no difference between Pakistan based "Lashkar-e-Taiba" and the Hamas group operating in Israel and Palestine, said Mark Sofer, deputy director general in charge of the Asia and Pacific division.

"Israel supports India on terrorism emanating out of Pakistan, hook, line and sinker. But we are not asking for a quid pro quo" the horrors coming from Pakistan"the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the rogue operations from Pakistan. We say that India has the right to defend itself, just like Israel has the right to defend itself. I don't see a difference between LeT and Hamas. A terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist," said Mark Sofer.

India is Israel's top destination for arms exports

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Israel Monday on a three day visit, is expected to sign an agreement to purchase more weapons systems during his visit to Israel, Indian media outlets have reported.

According to BBC, for years, Israel and India have been working closely together on defense issues and India has been a regular customer of arms from the Jewish state.

Working to modernize its military to counter China and Pakistan, India is now Israel's biggest arms market, thought to be worth about $1bn per year, according to Reuters news agency.

The co-operation ranges from a jointly built air defense system to India buying drones, radar, cyber security and communication systems.

The Times of India said Israel has always played a strategic role in aiding India during times of conflict -- be it Sino-Indian war, the two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, or the Kargil conflict.

India is the largest buyer of Israeli arms with 41% of Israeli arms exported to India.

One of the likely deals will include the purchase of 8,000 Spike anti-tank missiles, worth about $500 million, from Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Last year, the Indian government signed two large deals with the Israel Aerospace Industries, a government-owned company that develops and sells defense and weapons systems.

Indian media reported the signing of the deals in the past few months: One worth almost $2 billion includes the land-based version of the Barak 8 air defense system, as well as the naval version to be installed on the Indian navy's aircraft carrier.

The second deal, worth $630 million, was signed with the Indian state-owned company Bharat Electronic Limited for the installation of the Barak 8 systems on four navy ships. This aerial defense system was developed as a joint project between India and Israel, and the sales are a continuation of the policy of cooperation between the countries.

Complete turning point in India's policy towards Palestine

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North Korea's Independence Day Gift North Korean state media is lauding what the country's leader Kim Jong Un has called a .package of gifts. for .American bastards. on their July 4 Independence ...

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North Korean leader Kim Jong un after receiving news of successful ICBM test on July 4, 2107

Welcome to reality. North Korea test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile yesterday that according to them could reach Alaska and Hawaii.

The initial US response came shortly after the test was verified by General Vincent Brooks the top US general in South Korea. Brooks said, "Self -restraint is the only thing stopping war in Korea" [1] . He condemned the ICBM test by the North as a violation of UN resolutions.

Shortly thereafter the US and South Korea conducted a "joint missile exercise" off the South Korean coast as a warning to the North with the general saying, "It would be a grave mistake for anyone to believe anything to the contrary".

That would be laughable if it weren't so serious.

To any neutral observer it becomes apparent North Korea has developed its missile and nuclear arms capability as a deterrent against a US attack.

That's what nuclear arms capability is intended for. Especially against an aggressive US war machine that has repeatedly attacked non-nuclear regimes it knows can't retaliate against the US.

To prove the point of nuclear deterrence since the end of WWII no country with nuclear weapons has attacked another country with nuclear capability. It's true nuclear powers India and Pakistan have gone to war over Kashmir but neither seriously contemplated using nuclear weapons against the other. That would be pure insanity.

Now it's been said MAD, mutually assured destruction-the cold war reality accepted by the US and the Soviet Union that any nuclear strike against the other would bring an immediate retaliatory strike which essentially prevented a nuclear war-no longer applies. That the use of tactical nuclear missiles has made MAD obsolete. Also first strike capability has become so advanced the devastation to the other would be so great they wouldn't be able of send a retaliatory strike.

Well madness may have gripped US war planners considering the many provocations against Russia and China that has advanced the doomsday clock to two and a half minutes to midnight.

Luckily those US provocations haven't resulted in the unthinkable.

But let's gets back to North Korea.

Of course in the US North Korea is demonized, characterized as an aggressive enemy and Kim un Jong is its unstable leader who is provoking the situation. Yet its North Korea that has asked for a final peace treaty ending the Korean War that only ended in an armistice in 1953 and the US has refused.

So the reality is distorted. It's the US that continually conducts war games off the Korean peninsula, has threatened to send an "armada" against the North and even openly considered assassinating Kim.

What seems clear is North Korea won't be cajoled by US provocations. Sure the North has the capability of hitting Seoul a mere 40 miles away with conventional weapons that could destroy the city. The same for Tokyo with similar weaponry, particularly in retaliation against any US attack.

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From Alon Ben-Meir website

By Gilles Pargneaux, MEP, and Professor Alon Ben-Meir, New York University

Over the years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been characterized, and for good reasons, as the most intractable and irreconcilable conflict since the Second World War. The status quo erodes every day the prospect of a solution, but the changing geopolitical winds in the Middle East have created a new opportunity to resume peace negotiations. The newly elected French President, Emmanuel Macron, has a golden opportunity to take up the initiative on the basis left by his predecessor.

Obviously, President Macron could easily be discouraged if he were to look carefully at the environment of the Middle East. Prime Minister Netanyahu has made no concessions for peace and will never allow the creation of a Palestinian state under his watch. President Abbas is politically incapable of making concessions. President Trump is mired in an internal political crisis, which prevents him from developing a coherent strategy that could break the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate. Domestic conflicts, violent extremism and wars in the region have reduced the room for maneuvering in the Arab countries.

However, positive elements exist and can exploited, to turn an assured failure into a real opportunity.

A timely diplomatic refocus



Geopolitically, a crescent of mutual interest, starting from the Arabian Peninsula to Israel, exists. Iran's regional ambitions deeply worry Arab states while Israel feels threatened by Tehran. This reality has paved the way for full cooperation in intelligence and collaborative security measures. A diplomatic rapprochement on the Israeli-Palestinian issue is becoming increasingly a possibility in the current prevailing reality.

If a rapprochement between Israel and Sunni countries is happening, another rapprochement is evolving between Hamas and the neighboring Arab countries. In any event, Hamas, which must be part of the Israeli-Palestinian solution, has finally dropped its call for the destruction of Israel and rejoined the Arab fold. As a result, on 1st May Hamas amended its founding charter to call for the creation of a Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders and disassociate itself from the Muslim Brotherhood. It is a profound change that opens the door both to intra-Palestinian and regional rapprochement.

Taking the initiative



For the European Union, finding a solution to the conflict has assumed a new urgency, as this conflict fuels the radicalization of some largely young European Muslims. Unfortunately, the European governments overall were unable, despite calls from France, to provide a new impetus to their common strategic interests to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With the election of President Macron, France must now assume the leadership role and build on the two conferences of June 2016 and January 2017 to capitalize on the work done by the previous government. There is a window of opportunity that should not be missed. To this end, the French government should focus on two objectives:

First, President Macron should convince Europe to drop the Quartet, which does not include a single Arab state and makes several unacceptable demands on Hamas: to abandon violence, recognize Israel and ratify previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, which are tantamount to Hamas' surrender. Instead, France, with the support of Turkey and Qatar, which have a significant influence on Hamas, must spare no effort to persuade Hamas and Israel to adopt the diplomatic umbrella of the Arab Peace Initiative. It alone provides a common basis for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Let us be clear: the abandonment of the Quartet is a practical necessity.

Second, before the resumption of the peace negotiations, which would lead nowhere, France and the European Union must promote a process of reconciliation to mitigate three decisive obstacles to peace: the profound mistrust between both sides, their deep concerns about security, and the illusions of many right-wing Israelis and extremist Palestinians who believe they can have a state on the entire holy land while denying the other a state of their own.

For these reasons, future peace negotiations must be preceded by a process of reconciliation for at least two years to mitigate the three impediments that would include: ending hate speeches, halting, or at a minimum slowing the colonization of the West Bank, releasing political prisoners, and engaging in people-to people activities such as sports, academic interactions, tourism, joint economic development projects, etc., to nurture trust and create a climate of good neighborly relations. The essential thing is to restart the peace negotiations, not by coercing each side to make immediate and often unrealistic concessions, but by first building the necessary social and economic preconditions that would lend serious and credible intent to resume peace negotiations.

If President Macron wishes to assert himself on the international stage, as he has shown recently, he should convene, with the support of the European Union, an international conference in line with the spirit of the previous French initiative and focus on this new diplomatic approach. A majority of Israelis and Palestinians will support such an approach, on which basis they can urge their respective leaders to act to end this debilitating conflict. The stakes are enormous, France and Europe have an historic opportunity to rise to the occasion.
From Alon Ben-Meir Website

Tens of thousands have been killed over 40 years of bloodletting between Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and tragically there seems to be no end in sight. In May 2016, President Erdogan stated that military operations against the PKK will continue until "the very last rebel is killed." What is alarming about Erdogan's statement is that he still believes he can solve the conflict through brutal force. Erdogan does not understand that he cannot wish the Kurdish problem away -- a problem that will continue to haunt him and the country for countless more decades unless a solution is found that respects their cultural and fundamental human rights.

There are 15 million Kurds, representing nearly 18 percent of the Turkish population. Like their Turkish counterparts they are largely Sunnis, but their cultural distinction trumps their religious beliefs. They are fighting to preserve their ethnic identity, fearing that otherwise their culture and language would fade away and die.

The history of the conflict is long, complicated, and painful. In the 1970s Abdullah calan raised awareness about the Kurds' plight, which was followed by crackdowns by successive Turkish governments, leading to the formation of the PKK and further escalation of violence over the years.

Under intensifying domestic and EU pressure, Erdogan agreed to restart negotiations in late 2012, which collapsed by July 2015. In the wake of the failed military coup in July 2016, Erdogan moved to crush the PKK and Kurdish aspirations, even though to date there has been absolutely no proven connection between the Kurds and the coup plot. His rampage against the Kurds continued despite the US' and EU's call to stop his heavy-handed approach that grossly violated their basic human rights. Only recently, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir that around 14,000 Kurdish teachers will be suspended, falsely accusing them of having ties with the PKK.

What made matters worse was Erdogan's authorization to launch a fierce attack on PKK forces who were embedded in a civilian Kurdish-majority community in the southeast. A UN report documented human rights violations including killings, disappearances, torture, destruction of houses, and prevention of access to medical care, while leaving the area in ruins.

Between July 2015 and December 2016, more than 2,000 were killed, including 1,200 civilians and 800 members of Turkish security forces, and more than 500,000 were displaced. Hundreds of members of the Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) were put behind bars on charges of collaborating with the PKK. Erdogan continues to refuse to negotiate, insisting that the PKK is a terrorist organization and must be brought to heel by military force.

Certainly, what is wrong or right matters, but what we must face here is a reality that neither side can ignore and expect to find a solution that can exclusively meet the requirements of either side. After more than four decades of bloody conflict that has claimed the lives of so many, and the destruction from which hundreds of thousands of Kurds and Turks have suffered, when will Erdogan come to his senses that the solution lies only in peace negotiations?

What is worse is that the international community, especially the EU and the US, has been publicly silent about Erdogan's transgressions and ruthlessness. They often cite Turkey's role in fighting ISIS, its NATO membership, and its geostrategic importance as an energy hub as the reason behind their unwillingness to pressure him to change direction.

That said, and regardless of the challenges that Turkey faces -- including the fight against ISIS, a deteriorating economy, domestic upheaval aggravated by the failed coup, and the pressure of hosting three million refugees -- nothing justifies Erdogan's outrageous purges.

His utter disregard for human rights by jailing scores of Kurdish journalists, arresting a dozen Kurdish parliamentarians, employing collective punishment tactics against Kurdish towns and villages, and attacking Syrian Kurds whom he accuses of providing aid to the PKK, only further heightens tensions throughout the country, invites terrorism, and leads to increasing social and political polarization.

As a believer who preaches the gospel of Islamic values, he vilifies and violates these values and conveniently justifies the indiscriminate killing of innocent Kurdish men, women, and children, and still shamelessly claims self-piety.

Erdogan's demagoguery is second nature to him. As President Kennedy said in the 1960, "Voices preaching doctrines wholly unrelated to reality... [delude themselves that] strength is but a matter of slogans." Erdogan claims that Turkey is a full-fledged democracy, but he is dismantling the last vestiges of the country's democratic governance that he himself promoted during his first and second terms in power.

He claims that the Kurds have equal political and human rights like any other Turkish citizen, and points out the fact that there are 110 Kurdish parliamentarians. True, they are equal under the Turkish constitution, but in practice are systematically discriminated against in government appointments, business contracts, job opportunities, and education.

Erdogan simply does not grasp the fact that even if the Kurds were treated equally in every walk of life, what they want is in line with and even complementary to the framework of Turkish democracy. They are not seeking a state of their own, but simply to live freely as loyal Turkish citizens and enjoy their customs, folk music and dance, and way of life consistent with their long and rich cultural heritage.

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From To The Point Analyses



Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall

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Part I -- A Memorial Wall

Walls (here we mean monolithic structures that are not part of buildings) seem to hold a special fascination for many people. Some walls feed a tribal passion, a strong us-versus-them mentality. The apartheid wall produced by the Israeli government, as well as the wall envisioned by the Trump administration for the southern U.S. border, are of that type. However, there are other kinds of walls, such as those that memorialize the dead. For instance, in Washington, D.C., there is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall. This wall (actually two walls that meet at a 90-degree angle) is roughly 494 feet long and is inscribed with the names of 58,318 servicemen and women killed or missing in that war.

Just by way of comparison, one might ask how long would be a similar memorial to the approximately three million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed in the same war. It would have to be about 51 times larger, extending over 25,000 feet. That is about 4.7 miles long.

Of course, nations do not commemorate the dead of their adversaries, for to do so would call into question the value of their own citizens' sacrifices. And sacrifice -- indeed patriotic sacrifice -- is certainly how most Americans would describe the deaths of those whose names appear on this wall. As one veteran who visits the site often put it, "We lost all those wonderful kids. It's very moving to see all names at once, all the sacrifice, the enormity of it."

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall is immensely popular -- for the relatives and friends of the dead it memorializes are still well represented among the living. More than three million visitors a year (about the same number as Vietnamese dead!) visit the wall in Washington. To this we can add the fact that, for the last 13 years, there has been a portable replica of the wall traveling about the country.

The fact that this replica will soon show up in a town not far from where I live has led me to consider the various ways the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, be it stationary or mobile, can be contextualized.

Part II -- Patriotic Sacrifice?

The problem with the assertion that all of those 58,318 dead servicemen and women performed some sort of patriotic sacrifice is that it is, at least in good part, ahistorical. In other words, the claim doesn't fit the facts very well, though it does fit the prevailing official storyline.

(1) The official story is that the Vietnam War was all about containing the spread of communism in southeast Asia. Communist North Vietnam supposedly wanted to conquer "democratic" South Vietnam in order to spread its Communist ideology, and if successful, this conquest would trigger a "domino" effect that would result in most of Southeast Asia becoming Communist. To save millions of people from this fate, the United States sent all "those wonderful kids" to war.

(2) A contrasting account, one that has much more of a factual foundation, is that North Vietnam and South Vietnam were really one country and the latter existed only as an artificial creation of French imperialism (France controlled Vietnam from the 1880s through to 1954). The main motivation of the North Vietnamese in fighting the United States was to achieve national unification. That made their leader, Ho Chi Minh, first and foremost a Vietnamese patriot. His Communist ideology was a secondary factor in the eyes of most of his fellow Vietnamese (the small Catholic minority in the south being an exception). By the way, Ho had only become a Communist after World War I because the Soviet Union was the only powerful nation willing to help him in his struggle against French colonial occupation.

Finally, the OSS/CIA came up with a national intelligence estimate as early as 1945 that predicted the difficulties of fighting in Vietnam, and also remarked on the popularity of Ho Chi Minh as a founding father figure in all parts of the country. This estimate was rejected by the political leadership in Washington. Why so? After World War II the worldview in Washington was dominated by a strident anti-Communist outlook that blinded American leaders to all "Third World" nationalist impulses. Whether it was in Ho's Vietnam, Nasser's Egypt, or Castro's Cuba, among many others, the alleged drive of Communism for world domination was assumed to be lurking somewhere behind the scenes.

There are other motivations that came into play in Washington by the mid-1960s. The Democratic Party was in control of the White House, and there was fear that if Democrats did not take a stand in South Vietnam, the Republicans would relentlessly accuse them of weakness, and "losing Vietnam," as earlier Democrats had allegedly "lost China" to communism.

All of this led ultimately to the purposeful exaggeration of the August 1964 naval incident in the Gulf of Tonkin. During this episode a U.S. destroyer fired warning shots at nearby North Vietnamese gunboats. This incident was misleadingly described by President Lyndon Johnson to Congress as an attack by the gunboats on a U.S. ship, and it led to Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowing the president to deploy conventional forces in "defense" of South Vietnam.

We can now ask ourselves which of these two storylines supports the claim of patriotic sacrifice? Obviously it is the first one. If the Vietnam War was all about halting the spread of a totalitarian ideology and preventing the destruction of a democratic system of government held dear by the U.S., then friends and relatives of those inscribed on the Memorial wall, as well as those who survived the war, can feel a certain pride and carry on the belief that all the sacrifices were not in vain.

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From Our Future

When I'm not writing for OurFuture, I host a weekly news and opinion program on syndicated radio and cable TV called The Zero Hour. My team there recently faced a major challenge when we received a secret recording of Donald Trump's remarks to a closed-door, $35,000-a-head fundraiser.

We decided to release this audio at The Intercept, which also published my analysis of Trump's remarks. Here's why.

Trump's fundraiser was held June 28th at his own Washington, D.C. hotel, which is steps down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House in the historic Old Post Office Pavilion. The Trump Organization leases the building from the federal government, in open violation of long-standing regulations.

The building features a five-story atrium, a restaurant called BLT Prime, and "The Spa by Ivanka Trump." In this luxurious setting, Trump held forth for more than 40 minutes, mocking his enemies, humiliating his friends, and committing at least one major diplomatic gaffe.

We released this recording for several reasons. First, it offers important insights into the unusual -- some might say "aberrant" -- personality of the man who currently occupies the Oval Office. Secondly, as I laid out in my analysis for The Intercept, the president's remarks have significant political and diplomatic implications.

The third reason cuts to the heart of journalism's purpose in a democratic society. Too many mainstream journalists become close to the powerful people they cover. Whether they are attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner or chatting over hors d'oeuvres at an embassy cocktail party, they sometimes forget that as truth-tellers, their relationship with world leaders must be at times adversarial.

These journalists often defend their compliant behavior by claiming that they "can't take sides," and they fall back on "he said/she said" reporting.

But facts will almost always favor one side over the other. It is a journalist's job to present the facts, whatever the consequences; not to maintain the balance of power between two well-funded political parties.

The corporate media has an unfortunate tendency to confuse objectivity with neutrality. Journalists must always be objective, telling the truth no matter what the consequences. But they should not be "neutral" toward the rich and powerful. The journalist's role is to challenge the powerful few, who already have an extraordinary ability to shape public thinking, on behalf of the many.

In the case of the audio from Trump's fundraiser, the "powerful few" includes not only the president, but the wealthy individuals who came to his hotel to pay him both money and tribute. The assembled patrons laughed at his jokes, applauded his boasts, and opened their checkbooks for his reelection campaign. They showed their support, not only for Trump's extreme and erratic behavior, but for the brutal policies he and his party now represent.

Trump spoke almost contemptuously at the fundraiser about some of his fellow Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan. Since his election, Ryan has kowtowed to a man he once said "sickened" him, because of Trump's sexist comments. The old Ryan also once said Trump made "the textbook definition of a racist comment" when he attacked a federal judge because of his Mexican heritage.

The public deserves to hear Trump's relishing the opportunity, as he does at this event, to further humiliate Paul Ryan, because it reveals a great deal about both men.

Trump's remarks about the Middle East at the fundraiser were especially important. The heated dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar has implications for regional stability, global terrorism, and the world economy. At the very moment that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was reportedly attempting to mediate this dispute, Trump weighed in vehemently on Saudi Arabia's side.

An old political science adage says that the media "can't affect what we think, but it can affect what we think about." While journalists and politicians have fixated on Trump's relationship with Russia, they haven't drawn nearly as much attention to his deep web of financial relationships with the Saudis.

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The President of the Ashanti Regional Christian Council of Ghana Youth Ministry, Mr. Lawrence Senyo, has warned that if Christian youth do not wake up from their slumber, gays would be handling the day-to-day administration of the country in future.



According to him, God has given Christians dominion, authority and control, yet Christians are taking things for granted. Mr. Senyo stated that the laxity of Christians to be in mainstream politics will see those who belong to same sex marriage being voted into power to enact laws for Ghanaians to adhere to, which is abhorrent to Christendom.



He was of the view that if gays find their way to the reins of government in Ghana and hijack Christianity, they will decide who to worship for the rest of the populace.



The Youth Ministry President charged the youth: Let us rise and build the church and Ghana. It is our prayer, as a Council, that God Almighty directs the executives of the Methodist youth, or the executives to the right direction and right task ahead.



He warned: Time is coming that homosexuals and gays will be leaders of Ghana, because we (Christians) are shying away from dominion.



In a fraternal message at the 15 Biennial Conference of the Kumasi Methodist Youth Fellowship Conference, held at the Independent Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Mr. Senyo, who is not happy about the alacrity of Ghanaian Christian youth, said a time is coming when we will not find churches in Ghana, because signboards of churches are now competing with that of fetish priests.



He bemoaned: Instead of signposts of Methodist Church Ghana and the likes, animals such as goats and snakes are seen on these sign posts, vomiting monies from their followers.



The President of the Ashanti Regional Christian Council of Ghana Youth Ministry called on member churches of the youth of the Christian Council not to be influenced by money and warned against breaking away from the Methodist Church, but stay and use their God-given talents to grow the Methodist Church.



He urged the Christian Council to mobilise the youth for a common goal. We want to create a platform for the fellowship to build the capacity of the youth.



He continued that: If this is done, Christians will have leaders of vision; leaders who are ready to continue the good work of his or her predecessor if not.



Dr. Christopher Ekow Larbi, who chaired the function, explained that the Methodist youth is blessed with two things: Charisma and Character.



Unfortunately, there is a Methodist youth that say there is no charisma and character in the church. There is no place where you can find Charismatism than the Methodist Church.



Dr. Larbi told the conference that, I have come to believe that no matter how charismatic you are, if you do not have character, it ends nowhere. Using the biblical Samson as a case study, he said, because Samson did not have a character of controlling himself, he revealed all his secrets, stressing that one of his convictions in life is not to get too excited, because when one is happy, you make 'silly mistakes'.



Dr. Larbi urged the Kumasi Methodist Diocese Methodist Youth Fellowship to be guided by their motto: 'We work, witness and worship,' emphasising that the church does not need to pay and recognise the youth for working, which, he said, is the character and charisma of the youth.



In a message read on behalf of the Kumasi Methodist Diocesan Bishop, Right Rev Christopher Nyarko Andam, under the theme, Rekindling the Methodist Evangelical Heritage: The youth in perspective, he characterised the activities of the youth as being both positive and negative.



He outlined that youth are into political activism, community work and church work. The Prelate noted that lawlessness, drunkenness, greediness, alcoholism, occultism, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, drug addiction, internet fraud, examination malpractice, armed robbery, get rich quick attitude, among others, are on the other side of the coin.



He also reminded the Ghanaian youth that, those who love and cherish instructions, love knowledge, and that he that hated rebuke are

Source: The Chronicle









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Featured Video
Turns out there are a lot of things you have to give up if you want to become one of the highest ranking members in the Catholic Church.

The hope of one day getting married, for example? Goneskis. Being able to swear your mouth off and call people C-bombs with impunity? No can do amigo. Oh and also you should probably stop hosting wild gay orgies with a bunch of dudes in your apartment.

Well looks like SOMEBODY missed the memo on that last one and yes, Im talking to you, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio!

As first reported in Italian publication Il Fatto Quotidiano, (which funnily enough is exactly the nickname I give my penis at gay orgies), and then covered today by The Australian, Coccopalmerios apartment was raided by Vatican police last month where they allegedly discovered a bunch of dudes ~partaking in each others company~.

Coccopalmerio was reportedly not in attendance, with a close aide taking most of the heat and supposedly losing his chance at being promoted to Bishop in response to the gay-orgy-fiasco, which must suck cause once you get to be one of them, you can move diagonally.

Gay orgies amongst consenting adults are DOPE, I personally have witnessed several of them (via the internets video streaming capabilities) and reckon theyre just super, so its sad to see The Vatican, normally a beacon for progressive values, denigrating such a natural, human act.

If anyone does find a church thats pro-gay-orgy however, do let me know, Ive got some sins I could def repent for/indulge in.

Source: The Australian.

Picture: Alessandra Benedetti / Getty.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has partnered with AirAsia cos they can easily get you to Tokyo (via Kuala Lumpur) daily from the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney + twice daily from Perth. Keen to suss the home of karaoke? Explore Kobe by heading to Kansai International Airport from Melbourne, Sydney, Perth twice daily + 12x a week from the Gold Coast. Speaking of karaoke, have a look at punters committing crimes against this art form HERE.

At the heart of this otherworldly country is the mystifying metropolis of Tokyo. Its a city you shouldnt want to have on the ol bucket list, but rather need to have on the ol bucket list. So, given that youll end up there at some stage of your existence, youll need to get around the art that is karaoke  and here are just a few of the hundreds of joints available for you to work on your craft.

Go get your Whitney Houston on, fam.

1KARA  Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.

Photo: 1Kara / Facebook.

If youve found yourself in Japan with your karaoke virginity still intact, then you might want to head to 1Kara first. This establishment separates itself from competitors by offering private booths to its patrons, which can act as perfect nerve-destroying spaces for non-veterans. If youre seasoned in the art of karaoke then its also a great place to swing past. What could be more therapeutic than belting out your faves without others hassling you for the mic?

KARAOKE KAN  Several venues, Tokyo.

Photo: Karaoke Kan.

You had us at all-you-can-drink deals until dawn, Karaoke Kan. Yep, this go-to karaoke chain has branches all over Tokyo offering incredible specials and an outrageously decent banger list. Their rooms range from VIP, basic, and even 60-person-capacity situations (if youve managed to have won the lotto and are taking a jet full of mates on a holi) (or you could just catch a normal flight with our pals at AirAsia) (you do you, boo). Note: you have to buy at least one drink when youre there on top of the regular fare, which isnt the worst thing in our books.

AMOUR BAR & KARAOKE  Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Photo: Japan Luxury Guide.

As a wise person never said, Go where Gaga goes. Yes, Lady Gaga was a patron of the relatively chilled (especially when stacked against the citys other spots) and chic establishment that is Amour Bar & Karaoke  solidifying its status as a damn-fine place to sing the night away at. Make sure you book in advance as it only has four private rooms available.

KARAOKE47  Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo.

Photo: Keio Plaza Hotel.

Its time to get high, yall. Like, 47th-floor high. The Keio Plaza Hotels Karaoke47 has a bunch of rooms available for folks just like to sing your lil hearts out while taking in panoramic views of Tokyos skyline. WONT SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE GRAM CONTENT?! Like, itll more than cover the cost of your flight there?!

Tokyos karaoke scene looks pretty solid, dont it? Hmmmmm, if only there was a way for you to go there for free to experience the citys best bits + belt out the tunes

PLOT TWIST: there IS a way. Watch the below video for the 411.

Yes, you and a mate could be cruising around Tokyos best karaoke bars with the man / myth / legend, Mr Guy Sebastian, before you know it.

Okay, we appreciate that going up against such a talented vocalist might be a tiny bit intimidating. Then again, you might show him what-for (probs not, but yall can dream). What we know for sure, however, is that hes a top notch dude  theres no way you wont have an ace time, even if you accidentally / unintentionally butcher Angels Brought Me Here.

MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN BY ENTERING THE COMP BELOW.

WIN

The runner-up wont walk away empty handed either, winning two flights to Bali courtesy of our m8s AirAsia  an airline that flies to over 120 destinations across the globe, three of which are in Japan.

Photo: Japan Luxury Guide.
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
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Canadian Zeolite Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Canadian Zeolite Corp. (TSX Venture:CNZ). has issued a press release with the following headline:Canadian Zeolite Announces Strategic Appointment to its Board of AdvisorsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Canadian Zeolite Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Canadian Zeolite Corp.Source: Canadian Zeolite Corp. (TSX Venture: CNZ, ISIN: CA1368001097, WKN: A2AEE1, OTCQB: CNZCF, FWB: ZEON)Date: July 05, 2017Time: 6:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Canadian Zeolite Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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Eying on the New Opportunities in Asian Financial Services MarketHONG KONG, July 5, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - China First Capital Group Limited ("CFCG" or the "Group"; stock code: 1269) has announced that, CFCG Investment Partners International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. ("CFCG Singapore"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CFCG, has acquired 100% of shares of Stirling Coleman Capital Limited ("Stirling Coleman") for cash consideration.In recent years, CFCG has pursued a diversification direction, through the collaboration of its financial services business units, with the business focus on education and investment, to create a platform of operation, investment and financing in the education sector guided by its strategic "Education Investment plus Financial Services". Since the second half of 2016, the Group has more actively developed overseas markets. CFCG Singapore started operation on 1 August last year, marking an important step in the Group's international development. The acquisition of Stirling Coleman has represented a new chapter for the Group to commence financial business in Singapore.Founded in 2001, Stirling Coleman is an independent corporate finance advisory firm. Headquartered in Singapore, the firm has representative offices in Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan; and Bangkok, Thailand, aiming to offer a broad range of corporate financing services to small- and medium-sized companies ("SME"). Licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to conduct regulated financial activities in dealing in securities and advising on corporate finance in Singapore, Stirling Coleman's service range includes initial public offerings ("IPO") and follow-on offerings on the Singapore Stock Exchange, independent financial advisory for Singapore-listed companies and advice on M&A of both listed and private companies in and outside Singapore. Stirling Coleman is a member of Globalscope Partners, which has 46 members on every continent in 39 countries as of November 2015. As one of the leading advisers to SME in Singapore's equity capital market, Stirling Coleman has successfully completed IPO of 28 companies, including 22 companies from Greater China, on the Stock Exchange of Singapore since November 2003, and it has completed more than 100 transactions to date.Mr. Yan Haiting, President and Executive Director of the Group, said, "Since the concept of economic cooperation under the 'Belt And Road' national strategic directive and first introduced in September 2013, the development direction has become clearer and more sophisticated. With the full support and avocation of Chinese Government and many other countries in the world, business participation has been growing. In light of this, the Group has extended its financial services platform to Southeast Asia. We believe, Singapore, as a major international financial center, is the gateway to enter the strategic financial and capital market of Southeast Asia. The Group expects that the trading, financing and other activities of capital markets in China, Hong Kong and Singapore will become more frequent and create business opportunities for the market,thereby attract quality assets from Northern Asia to capital markets in Singapore and Southeast Asia and increasing cross-border mergers and acquisitions activities across Asia. Stirling Coleman has an excellent track record and has established a famous and respected brand in Singapore. Therefore, this acquisition provides a direct platform enabling the Group to rapidly and directly access the Singapore equity capital market and provide related financial services and offerings." About China First Capital Group (stock code: 1269)China First Capital Group focuses on education investment and a fully-licensed financial services business. Through the coordination of financial services businesses, the Group strives to establish an operation platform that is driven by "Education plus Financial Services," with the expectation of the education investment business to be the key driver of the Group's focus. Currently, the Group wholly owns First Capital Securities Limited (with a license for Type 1 SFC-regulated activities), First Capital Asset Management Limited (with licenses for Type 1, 4, and 9 SFC-regulated activities), First Capital International Finance Limited (with a license for Type 6 SFC-regulated activities), First Capital Finance Limited and First Capital International Holdings Limited. Thus the Group provides services such as dealing in securities, asset management, financial consultancy, merger and acquisition, credit financing and immigration financial services. First Capital Fund Management Company Limited, the subsidiary of the Group, focuses on exploring and investing in excellent educational projects in coordination of the financial services business, and is dedicated to advance the Company to become a well-known international education brand. For more information about CFCG, please visit the website: www.cfcg.com.hk July 5, 2017 09:35 HKT/SGTTopic: Press release summarySectors: Daily Finance, Daily NewsFrom the Asia Corporate News NetworkCopyright  2017 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for CIBT Education Group Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX:MBA). has issued a press release with the following headline:CIBT Provides Update on GEC Pearson Student Centric Serviced ApartmentsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on CIBT Education Group Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/CIBT Education Group Inc.Source: CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX: MBA, OTCQX: MBAIF, ISIN: CA17163Y1025)Date: July 05, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of CIBT Education Group Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lectra, ESTIA, the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation and JPS Conseil launch the 'Biarritz Active Lifestyle Integral' Chair

Dedicated to innovative and sustainable materials for the future, the Chair will help the textile and apparel industry create disruptions

Paris, July, 5, 2017 - Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, l'Ecole superieure des technologies industrielles avancees (ESTIA), the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation, and JPS Conseil announce the creation of the 'Biarritz Active Lifestyle Integral' Chair dedicated to tomorrow's innovative and sustainable materials.





Over three years, this new Chair aims to help the fashion industry's eco-system-from textile design to clothing sales-transform challenges coming from new ways of living and consuming into economic opportunities.





"How to find and develop sustainable materials which will open up new markets for companies in the sector? Which technologies to invent to make the most of these new materials? How to organize the factory of the future to meet new consumer expectations, such as customization? It's an entire economy that we aim to develop around emerging industries," explains Jean-Pierre Mocho, the founder of JPS Conseil and former President of the French federation for women's ready-to-wear. "There are many opportunities to seize, on condition that all the players, both old and new, work together."





To help textile and apparel companies to innovate, the Chair will combine knowledge sharing with open innovation. In particular, a technical training facility will adapt and pass on material-related savoir-faire.





"This Chair will help us to better understand the changes that are necessary in the sector, to anticipate innovations and to circulate knowledge worldwide," underlines Patxi Elissalde, director, ESTIA. "Based in Biarritz and founded with a long-term vision, this Chair will dive into user behaviors, materials and components, manufacturing technologies and services, the digitalization of processes, and the distribution of products, from clothes to accessories."





This approach will also foster interactions between different professions in order to stimulate creativity. Inspired by overarching principles in the collaborative and circular economy, the Chair also aims to capitalize on advances in research, from frugal or disruptive innovation.





"The environmental dimension is primordial," adds Pascal Denizart, managing director of the European Center for Innovative Textiles (CETI) and administrator of the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation. "Textiles and materials of the future must anticipate and accompany changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns. Added value from fashion will be tomorrow's sustainable materials."





Founders of the Chair favor open innovation initiatives. "The Chair's philosophy is founded on industrial partnerships across diverse sectors, notably in luxury and lifestyle, as well as partnerships with international academia. The best way to move forward is to always work together!" concludes Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.



About ESTIA

Located in the Basque country's technopole Bidart/Biarritz/Bayonne, the ESTIA campus-CI Bayonne / Pays Basque-is an eco-system for innovation where over 750 students and more than 100 teachers and engineers collaborate to develop Industry 4.0. The ESTIA campus groups together:

 an engineering school and specialized training;

 a research pole which brings together researchers and Phd researchers;

 cutting edge technological platforms for companies;

 an incubator which welcomes designers and 63 start-ups in January 2017.

ESTIA's engineering training corresponds perfectly to the needs of a time in sync with 'reindustrialization' and technological and digital transformations. Recognized at an international level, ESTIA is one of the leading French schools for the Smart factory and the factory of the future. Highly involved at a local level in the development of companies involved in snow and water sports, and outdoor activities, ESTIA is piloting an incubating activity dedicated to the sector where young, emerging companies design products and innovative solutions for this sector.

For more information, visit www.estia.fr







About the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation

Under the aegis of the France Foundation, the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation aims to use the skills acquired in the textile industry to co-build projects for general interest. The Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation's mission is to accelerate the research of textile solutions and to promote them.

The actions of the Foundation are based on four axes: to favor research and innovation in textiles, to support the development of the training offer in the textile sector, to help promote the textile sector and professions therein, and to develop textiles for humanitarian use and/or eco-designed.

About JPS Conseil

JPS Conseil is a business consulting company created in 2000 and directed by Jean-Pierre Mocho, previously the owner of a manufacturing and franchise company for leading French brands. Jean-Pierre Mocho was also president of the French trade association l'Union francaise des industries de l'habillement and the Federation francaise du pret-a-porter feminin.



About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions (software, automated cutting equipment, and associated services) specifically designed for industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials to manufacture their products. It serves major world markets: fashion and apparel, automotive, and furniture as well as a broad array of other industries. Lectra's solutions, specific to each market, enable customers to automate and optimize product design, development, and manufacturing. With more than 1,550 employees, Lectra has developed privileged relationships with prestigious customers in more than 100 countries, contributing to their operational excellence. Lectra registered revenues of $288 million in 2016 and is listed on Euronext.

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com

Contact - Lectra Headquarters / Press Dept.: Nathalie Fournier-Christol

E-mail: n.fournier-christol@lectra.com

Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 64 42 37 - Fax: +33 (0)1 53 64 43 40





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

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

Source: LECTRA via Globenewswire


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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Theralase Technologies Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture:TLT). has issued a press release with the following headline:Theralase Releases Annual and Special Meeting VideosTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Theralase Technologies Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Theralase Technologies Inc.Source: Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture: TLT, ISIN: CA88337V1004, WKN: A0DLB7, OTCQX: TLTFF)Date: July 05, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Theralase Technologies Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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.




NASA Mission-Based Program is being held in the country of Brazil

By: Brazil-Florida Chamber of Commerce

Students at FACENS Campus in Sorocaba, Brazil

End

-- OSIRIS-REx is zooming towards the asteroid Bennu. It's on a mission to collect a sample of asteroid "dirt" and send it back to Earth. Scientists hope to uncover the building blocks of life in the solar system. The spacecraft launched last summer, so what's it up to these days? International STEM Education Collaboration!This unique collaborative Initiative in Brazil is the result of a partnership between the Kennedy Space Center International Academy, The Michaelis Foundation for Global Education and the Brazil Florida Chamber of Commerce.Students ages 9 to 14 are attending classes with instructors trained in the United States on the key concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsFour selected educational institutions in Brazil are hosting this STEM hands on practical and theoretical robotics and programming course.For the first time in the country of Brazil, the course is based on NASA's OSIRIS-Rex mission, which sent a spacecraft into space to monitor and collect samples from the surface of the asteroid BENNU.The "Asteroid Mission" program will be taught in the cities of Americana, Limeira, Ribeirao Preto and Sorocaba.In addition to general asteroid science, students are learning about NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission. The University of Arizona leads the mission. In September 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched on its seven-year journey. This groundbreaking mission will grab a sample from a primitive carbonaceous asteroid and bring it back to Earth for analysis. That sample will be a scientific time capsule from 4.5 billion years ago!The program provides theoretical classes on introduction to robotics, science and technology. The Mission 1 is taught by Vinicius Fantuche, a mechanical engineer and mission specialist at "The Asteroid Mission", which will present the NASA mission in detail. The practical classes are being held this week at the FACENS University Lab, and in the following weeks at the other selected partner schools under the coordination of Mr. Jose Carlos Filho, Program's country manager in Brazil. "We will divide the students into teams and each will have a (rover) robot. The mission will be to schedule it according to the activities defined in the day. We also have a real replica of the surface of an asteroid".NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta is the mission's principal investigator at the University of Arizona. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver is building the spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program.The Brazil-Florida Chamber of Commerce, BFCC, is a not-for-profit organization. BFCC has emerged as one of the most dynamic bilateral business catalysts in the nation in recent years.Visit: http://www.BrazilFlorida.org for more detailsCibele SantiagoPress Secretary
Quepos Realty is one of the leading real estate agents in Costa Rica and they are now has now offering some of the best premium residential properties for sale in Quepos.

By: Quepos Realty

250 Logo copy

Contact

Quepos Realty

***@queposrealty.com Quepos Realty

End

-- Queposrealty.com is one of the leading real estate agents in Costa Rica and they are now has now offering some of the best premium residential properties for sale in Quepos. If you are looking for the premium real estate properties in the Costa Rica then Quepos is the right destination. The Quepos Real Estate sector is growing each and every day and there are coming some new premium properties at the best property rates.Quepos, which is among the prime property market of Costa Rica. It is also known as the gateway to the world famous Manuel Antonio National Park. Situated in the south west of the Costa Rica, Quepos is just 20 minutes drive from Manuel Antonio. Over the years, Manual Antonio has become quite popular among the tourists and as a result more people are visiting this place. Till few years back, tourists from Caribbean and America use to visit the Manuel Antonio, but nowadays you may also find people visiting this Manuel Antonio from Europe and Asia sub continent.Quepos Realty offers wide range of properties in the Quepos and Manuela Antonio both for rent and sale. You may visit their website and browse across the different commercial and residential properties and choose the best one for you. If you are confused with the number of properties listed, than you would also seek the assistance from the Quepos Reality team.Here are the different types of properties available Homes Condos Property Lots Villas Commercial Properties Fishing Charter Vacation Rentals"We at Quepos Realty are are proud to offer best premium properties for sale in Quepos. We are always committed to deliver best property options tothe real estate investors. We ensure that every property listed on our website is absolutely freehold and clean."For more information, visit http://www.queposrealty.com/ When you are looking to buy Costa Rica properties especially in Manuel Antonio or listings in Quepos we have a great team to assist you in making your dreams come true. Our Manuel Antonio realtor's are some of the best in the area with a wealth of local knowledge.
By: GSF Mortgage Corp.

Jaime Delvalle

Contact

Alyssa Schwabe

***@gogsf.com Alyssa Schwabe

End

-- GSF Mortgage Corp. is pleased to welcome Jaime Delvalle as a loan originator located in the Mandeville, Louisiana branch. Delvalle obtained her origination license in the past year and can originate mortgage loans for anyone in the state of Louisiana. She specializes in conventional, FHA, 203k rehab, USDA, VA, jumbo and reverse mortgages. She loves being able to benefit her community by enabling them to realize their dream of owning their very own home and helping families move into the next chapter of their lives.Delvalle chose to come to GSF Mortgage because she believes that the company demonstrates the ultimate in customer service. She also believes that the products, programs and rates that the company offers meet or exceed the standards of anyone in the industry. Delvalle says, "I wanted to be a part of GSF because they are a company that is willing to give advice, knowledge and educate the buyer - some companies don't.""We are excited to announce Jaime Delvalle has joined our team! She is compassionate about taking care of her clients and making sure the process is seamless for her borrowers. Welcome to the team, Jaime Delvalle!" says Branch Manager Scott Finklea.Delvalle can be reached at (504) 272-5035 or jdelvalle@gogsf.com.GSF Mortgage continues to expand and is currently looking to fill a number of positions throughout the United States including branch managers, mortgage underwriters and mortgage processors. If you are looking for a dynamic company with a great work culture, benefits and a remarkable reputation, please visit gogsf.com/careers.# # #GSF Mortgage is an established and experienced direct mortgage lender with more than 23 years of lending experience. We continue to serve the next generation of homeowners by designing and maintaining a solution based and efficient Mortgage process. We pride ourselves on consistency and integrity, which is why the average tenure of a GSF employee is more than 10 years. With over 40 locations nationwide, our team continues to grow and thrive. Interested in finding out more about us? Visit us at GoGSF.com and check out our available career opportunities.
End

-- azcentral.com and Republic Media (The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, La Voz) have announced that MC Companies has earned a spot on the list of 2017 azcentral.comTop Companies to Work for in Arizona.says Denise Gredler, Founder and CEO of BestCompaniesAZ and consulting partner for the program.This award program recognizes the best organizations across the state as voted by their employees which is part of the reason this award is so unique. All participating companies completed a two-part assessment process conducted by the independent workplace research firm, Best Companies Group (BCG).MC Companies strives to help their employees grow and reach their full potential. From having a comfortable work environment, to satisfying benefits, to curating relationships with supervisors, MC Companies is honored to receive an award that prioritizes the same focus areas and values that MC strives for every day.# # # #MC Companies http://www.mccompanies.com is a real estate investment, development, construction, and management company specializing in the multifamily properties and commercial markets. MC Companies has completed over $500 million in multi-family and commercial value-added transactions since 1985.Republic Media is a consultative media company that provides you with the means to deliver your message to the right audience in the most effective way. From online to print to direct mail, Republic Media encompasses an array of products including The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, and La Voz. Since 1890, The Arizona Republic continues to be Arizona's most trusted and most read newspaper. http://www.republicmedia.com/ about-us BestCompaniesAZ specializes in helping corporate clients develop, strengthen and market their unique employer brands through a variety of events, awards and communications programs. Recognition and promotion for award-winning clients is supported through a variety of marketing programs, including recruitment marketing, search engine optimization, public relations and social media outreach. For more information contact dgredler@bestcompaniesaz.com or call 480-545-5151.Best Companies Group is dedicated to establishing Best Places to Work programs to distinguish leaders in workplace excellence. As a research firm, BCG collects data about participating companies as well as employee feedback, analyzes that data, and produces a "Best" distinction that makes each recognized organization, the selected region (or industry) and the organizing partners proud. Best Companies Group identifies and recognizes places of employment that lead the way in defining the employee experience of the 21st century.
Contact

Andrea Oleszczak

***@ceflawyers.com Andrea Oleszczak

End

-- Collins Einhorn Farrell PC, a leading defense litigation firm, is pleased to announce that our partner David C. Anderson has been elected to the board of commissioners of the State Bar of Michigan. The State Bar Board of Commissioners provides oversight to the various operations of the State Bar, such as finance, public policy, professional standards, and member services and communications. Anderson will represent District I (Oakland County), serving for a three-year term expiring at the close of the 2020 Annual Meeting.A shareholder at Collins Einhorn Farrell, Anderson has practiced for nearly two decades, defending a wide variety of professional liability claims ranging from legal malpractice to claims against accountants, insurance agents, and real estate appraisers. He has also successfully defended numerous corporations against product liability claims, including claims involving wrongful death and serious personal injury.Anderson has made a notable impact through his diligent service to the bar, contributing his time to a number of legal associations and groups, including having previously served as an appointee on the State Bar's Character and Fitness Committee. He is also the immediate past president of the Oakland County Bar Association and has served on the OCBA Board of Directors for the better part of the last 11 years.Anderson is an AV-preeminent rated attorney, has been listed by Super Lawyerssince 2008, and in 2016 he was listed "Lawyer of the Year" in Metro Detroit for the defense of legal malpractice cases by Best Lawyers. Anderson was also recognized as a "Leader in the Law" byin 2016.Anderson earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan (with honors) and his law degree from Detroit Mercy School of Law.Founded in 1971, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC is a multi-specialty law firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. As one of the leading law firms in defense litigation, the firm provides expert legal representation in a wide variety of industries throughout the Midwest. The firm's practices areas include professional liability, asbestos/toxic tort, insurance coverage, appellate, fire and explosion, general and automobile liability, medical malpractice, grievance defense and employment and workers compensation.For more information, visit www.ceflawyers.com or call 248-355-4141.
Award-Winning DMC Accepting Booking Requests from U.S. Travel Agents at Elite Travel Trade Show

By: Katarina Line

Daniel Hauptfeld, Marketing Director, Katarina Line

Contact

Daniel Hauptfeld

daniel@katarina- line.hr

1-800-485-3121 Daniel Hauptfeld1-800-485-3121

End

-- Croatia's award-winning DMC and small ship cruise company, Katarina Line, announced that it will be attending the Global Travel Marketplace (GTM), July 9-11, at The Diplomatic Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The elite, appointment-only event connects the most influential travel advisors in North America with global travel suppliers through exclusive, one-on-one meetings and boardroom sessions. The show provides a unique, interactive platform that allows the best sellers in the travel business to expand their supplier portfolio and grow their global book of business.Katarina Line is now accepting private, one-on-one meeting requests at GMT to explore the company's extensive portfolio of in-land tours and small ship cruises throughout Croatia and neighboring countries, as well as the benefits of partnering with them. Meetings can be scheduled at any time before, during and after the trade event. Katarina representatives can also visit agents' office for a private presentation, as well as to meet and train their staff.To book a meeting, contact Katarina Line's Marketing Director Daniel Hauptfeld at daniel@katarina-line.hr or by phone at +385-912-601-966.Katarina Line is an award-winning DMC and premier small ship cruise company in Croatia with weekly guaranteed departures from the end of April to mid-October, operating out of the major tourist centers of Opatija, Split and Dubrovnik. With a growing fleet of more than 50 ships, the company serves more than 90,000 clients that include 26,000 cruise guests of all ages and budgets. Katarina Line itineraries give travelers the chance to explore the stunning natural environment and picturesque Mediterranean towns of Croatia while hopping from one island to another, offering guest the unique opportunity to experience the true Croatia.Katarina Line, voted "Best Croatian DMC" by leading travel professionals, enjoys an exceptional relationship with travel agents, which account for more than 95% of all its bookings worldwide. Katarina line is a member of many different travel associations, including USTOA, ASTA, NTA, ACTA, RDA, and ETOA. For more information, call toll-free 1-800-485-3121 or visit http://www.katarina- line.com
In Impatient Foodie (Scribner, June), author Elettra Wiedemann, who adapted the book from her blog of the same name, gives everyday home cooks shortcuts to the slow-food lifestyle.

Slow food began as a grassroots movement in Italy more than 30 years ago but has since evolved. How do you define the term?

I define it personally as locavorism, seasonal eating, organic when possible, basically farmers market shopping. But I found, as I was trying to live that lifestyle perfectly as a young woman when I was studying and working two different jobs, that it was really hard to participate in.

You previously worked as a fashion model and obtained a Masters degree from the London School of Economics. How have those experiences shaped your outlook on food?

I lived off pasta as a child; thats all I ever wanted to eat. When I got recruited to modeling, I couldnt really do that anymore because eating pasta isnt conducive to fitting into sample sizes. So, I had to re-teach myself how to cook. I wanted to eat things that were delicious and felt filling, but were also healthy and could help me achieve the body that I needed to work. Fast forward a few years later, I got my Masters degree at LSE and ended up studying public health, environmental politics, and cultural theory. At LSE, in order to graduate, you have to write a dissertation that encompasses all the classes youve taken. While I was brainstorming topics, I realized that food really connected [those three things]. The Impatient Foodie blog was born out of these two weird, seemingly disconnected realities of fashion and academia.

Whats a tactic a busy home cook can use to cultivate a slow-food lifestyle?

When I was going food shopping, I found that what really helped me was to shop as much as I could at farmers markets and then buy my extras at a local grocery store. A lot of the food in the book is centered around that.

How do you think your book adds to the conversation about slow food?

The slow food movement has taught us really important lessons about the impact our food has on the wider planetary and economic systems. At the same time, theres the reality that people want to participate in it but maybe dont have time to stand over a roast for eight hours [or have the money] to shop at farmers markets. My hope with Impatient Foodie is not only to get consumers more involved in the slow food movement, but to get the slow food movement to become more aware of ways it can meet consumers in the middle and make its lifestyle more convenient.
At a time when cookbook authors are pursuing increasingly novel ingredients and preparation methods, and when cookbooks are becoming increasingly expensive, Artisan Books is trying a different approach with a new line called Artisanal Kitchen. The titles, priced modestly for the publisher and for the category, at $12.95, are intended to appeal to new readersand new retailers.

The first three titles in the linePerfect Pizza at Home, Perfect Pasta, and Vegetables the Italian Waycame out in June. Aside from their low price point, the books are notable for their brevity: each is under 100 pages.

Written by Andrew Feinberg and Francine Stephens, the owners of Frannys restaurant in Brooklyn, and New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark, the books are adapted from Frannys: Simple Season Italian (Artisan, 2013). Artisan publisher and editorial director Lia Ronnen said shes hoping the titles will go some way toward reviving the publishers retail presence.

A $30 cookbook today has a very limited space in which it can be sold, she said. Bookstores and retail outlets such as gift stores and gourmet specialty food shops are devoting less and less space to higher-priced cookbooks because, according to Ronnen, they believe theyre showrooming for Amazon. The stores, Ronnen elaborated, think customers see the books in their store, then buy them for less online.

With this in mind, Artisan wanted to find a way to package the quality its known forauthors with specific and relatable points of view, paired with exceptional photography and exceptional production valuein a more affordable format.

Ronnen sees the books as impulse buys, but ones less generic and more sophisticated than other recipe guides you might find near the cash register. This is a specific chef applying a specific technique to his food, Ronnen said, of Feinberg. Theres something to be learned from these cookbooks.

Indeed, Artisan wanted the books to be not only affordable but also approachable. Over the past few years, Ronnen said, the cookbook market has become bloated with restaurant cookbooks that are not written with the home cook in mind. Pizza, pasta, and vegetables are what we go to, she said. Its how most of us are eating at home on a regular basis. Such classic subjects also lend themselves to merchandising opportunities. The fantasy is that an account one day calls and says, Oh, do you have any pizza books? Were selling pizza stones.

Artisan will publish three more Artisanal Kitchen line titlesHoliday Cookies by Alice Medrich, Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone, and Party Food by Susan Spungenin the fall, and hopes to continue the series after that.
Megacable has reported sustained pay-TV subscriber losses over the last two quarters, following the end of its commercial relationships with Televisa.





Although the company continues banking on video as a revenue generator, having recently announced a major expansion of its streaming TV everywhere service, pay-TV remains a declining business for Megacable.Q3 2016 was the last quarter of pay-TV growth for Megacable, which closed the period with 0.8% more subscribers. However, this figure indicated a slowdown when compared with previous growth rates of over 14%.In Q1 2017 the telecom operator was losing over 63,000 subscribers and 2% of the total subs compared to Q1 2016. In fact, 3.4% of pay-TV clients left the company during the quarter, a figure only compensated for by the additions.As for revenues, pay-TV still represents over a third of Megacables incomes despite invoicing 4% less than a year ago. The numbers compare badly to its broadband and phone businesses, which are on the up, having risen by 13% and 23%, respectively.According to the company, video revenues decreased due to falling subscriber numbers and growing convergent offerings, which, however, have boosted its broadband and phone businesses.Although the company has not named the Televisa break-up as a reason behind the falling pay-TV numbers, its hard not to see a direct link. Ending the commercial relationship with Televisa Networks, the most watched pay-TV channels, and replacing them for low audience channels, has greatly affected Megacable, said a report published by Mexicos El Economista
The Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT) is deploying ATEMEs Kyrion encoders and decoders to deliver nine 4K ultra HD contribution channels over IP.





The technology, based on the fifth generation STREAM compression engine, will enable TOT to deliver video at low latency of 130ms. Designed for contribution over satellite and IP networks, the ATEME Kyrion offers a software-upgradable HEVC encoding option to support ultra HD video streaming as well as legacy MPEG2 to H264 compressions.Video quality has always been a hallmark of ATEMEs strategy to provide customers with exceptional video quality for all broadcast standards and resolutions up to 4K, said Xiao Zhang, sales manager for APAC region, ATEME. By choosing our Kyrion pair, TOT acquires the best contribution solution that is fully upgradeable and future proof. The deployed system is able to embed new features on existing platforms which also increases the companys return on investment. ATEME has already been covering much of TOTs network, but this is the first time the company has used ATEMEs 4K-UHD contribution technology to add value to its primary distribution offer.Saroj Phitapong, chief engineer of TOT, said ATEMEs technology gives us the ability to switch from a regular HD feed to a high quality 4K feed according to our needs by simply activating a licence.Their unparalleled video quality at ultra-low latency, the ability to support HEVC via a simple software update and the reliability of their Kyrion line of products offers TOT flexibility and performance while improving operational orchestration, productivity and efficiency, he added.
Foreign ministers of the four countries boycotting Qatar are meeting in Cairo on 5 July to discuss what steps to take if Doha snubs their ultimatum, said to include the closure of Al Jazeera.





Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt had agreed to a request by mediator Kuwait to extend by 48 hours the original 2 July deadline for Qatar to comply with 13 demands.However, as the revised deadline approached, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatars Foreign Minister, dismissed the list of demands as impossible to meet.The list is unrealistic and is not actionable, he said. It's not about terrorism, its talking about shutting down the freedom of speech.The 13 demands reportedly include that Qatar closes its Al Jazeera TV network and affiliates, shuts down a Turkish military base and scales down links with Iran.The Saudi-led countries also demand that Qatar sever its alleged ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and ISIL, according to the Reuters and Associated Press news agencies.The bitter dispute has seen the four Middle East nations sever diplomatic ties and impose sanctions on Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the allegations.Although Qatars official response to the demands  delivered to Kuwait on Monday (3 July)  has not been disclosed, the countrys foreign minister called for a proper condition for a dialogue during a visit to in Rome on 1 July.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, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying.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.UAEs foreign secretary, Anwar Gargash has blamed Qatar for the leak of its 13 demands and called it either an attempt to undermine serious mediation or yet another sign of callous policy. It would be wiser that [Qatar] deal seriously with the demands and concerns of the neighbours or a divorce will take place, he warned.Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have already severed all air, land and sea links with Qatar and raised the possibility of imposing more sanctions if their demands were rejected.The four countries will discuss on Wednesday the future steps in dealing with Qatar as well as exchange of points of view and the evaluation of the existing international and regional contacts in this connection, said Egypts Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid.
The U.S. military says an Army soldier has been killed and two others injured in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province.



The Pentagon on July 5 identified the dead soldier as Private First Class Hansen B. Kirkpatrick, 19, of Wasilla, Alaska.



A statement said he was killed on July 3 from wounds received during an indirect fire attack. It said the incident was under investigation.



Kirkpatrick was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas.



U.S. military officials in Afghanistan said the two soldiers were wounded in the same attack that killed Kirkpatrick.



Their names were not immediately released, and officials said their injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.



Helmand Province is a Taliban stronghold and the extremist group controls about 80 percent of the territory.



The casualties come at a time when the U.S. military and some NATO allies are considering increasing their troop presence in Afghanistan to fight the resurgent Taliban and other radical Islamist extremists.



Since a peak of more than 130,000 NATO troops in 2011, current levels are about 13,500, more than half of which are from the United States.
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."

WATCH: Local residents welcomed Ukrainian soldiers into Snihurivka on November 10, as advance forces of the Ukrainian military recaptured the town in the southern Mykolayiv region. Other footage from the village of Blahodatne in the Kherson region shows a massive cache of abandoned weapons left by the Russian troops after their retreat.

"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
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating talks between Baku and Yerevan are urgently calling on all sides in the conflict over Azerbaijans breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region to cease military actions.



Ambassador Igor Popov of Russia, French Ambassador Stephane Visconti, and Ambassador Richard Hoagland of the United States issued the call in a July 5 statement following fresh fighting that Azerbaijan says has left two civilians dead.



Violence only begets further violence and accomplishes nothing, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs said. The only responsible and humane way to resolve this long-standing conflict is for the sides to return to the negotiation table in good faith.



Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for years.



Armenian-backed separatists seized the mainly Armenian-populated region from Azerbaijan during a war in the early 1990s that killed some 30,000 people.



Internationally mediated negotiations with the involvement of the OSCE's so-called Minsk Group have failed to result in a resolution.



Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said a 50-year-old woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter were killed late on July 4 by Armenian shelling of the village of Alkhanli, southeast of Karabakh.



Another local resident, also a woman, was seriously wounded, the ministry said, adding that the Azerbaijani side fired back at Armenian forces stationed across the nearby section of the front line.



However, separatists in Karabakh said that Azerbaijani forces fired five rockets toward one of their command points from a position located within Alkhanli.



They said their forces retaliated by targeting that position and accused the Azerbaijani military of using Alkhanli residents as a human shield.



Yerevan also blamed the Azerbaijani side for the deadly incident, while Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry accused the Armenian side of deliberately targeting civilians living near the front lines.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says it will release next week a report on the Ukrainian investigation into last years death of Pavel Sheremet, a Belarusian-born Russian journalist.



The New York-based group said it will release its report on July 12, nearly a year after Sheremet was killed by a car bomb in the Ukrainian capital.



No one has been arrested or prosecuted yet.



The CPJ report finds that Ukrainian authorities offer no clear evidence to back their primary line of investigation of Russian involvement in the killing, a statement said.



This, coupled with errors including security footage being destroyed and delays in identifying and interviewing potential witnesses, suggests the need for an independent probe, it added.



Sheremet was often critical of top political leaders and other government officials in his reporting.



In his last blog post before his assassination, Sheremet wrote that Ukrainian politicians who were former members of volunteer battalions that had fought separatists in Ukraines east could carry out a coup in Kyiv.



The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the bombing.
Germany is expecting Russia to try to influence its general election in September, with the goal of undermining faith in German democracy rather than promoting any particular candidate, officials said on July 4.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said at a news conference that Berlin is bracing for a two-pronged attack of embarrassing leaks and fake news allegedly orchestrated by Moscow.

"We saw a probable influence on the election in America, we saw a probable influence on the election in France," he said.

"There is every reason to believe that that came from Russia, and thus it cannot be ruled out that there will be similar attempts on the election in Germany."

De Maiziere said Germany's security services have already observed data from computers at the parliament being scooped up, which he said "could be published in the coming weeks."

He said Berlin expects "a classic disinformation campaign with lies and half truths intended to shape opinions" spread by "bots" -- algorithms with fake profiles on social media networks.

"The only thing that helps against that is staying calm, keeping a cool head, finding out the truth, and presenting the facts," de Maiziere said.

Russia has denied trying to influence foreign elections.

Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, said that while it is not known what Russia's goal might be for the German elections, he suspects that Russian President Vladimir Putin would prefer a different chancellor than Angela Merkel.

Merkel, who backs continued sanctions against Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, is seeking a fourth term in the September 24 vote.

Maassen said any campaign to influence the election could be more about unsettling German voters than promoting any particular candidate.

"It may not be aimed at strengthening one party or another, or ensuring that one or another person is elected to run the government, but that the trust in the functioning of our democracy is damaged," he said.

Maassen also said the German electoral system -- which is based on written rather than electronic votes -- was less vulnerable to electronic manipulation than other systems.

The warning about Russian hacking came days before Putin arrives in Germany for a meeting of Group of 20 leaders. It follows a spate of cyberattacks directed at the German parliament, individual lawmakers, political parties, and think tanks since the summer of 2015 -- all of which German intelligence agencies blame on APT 28, a Russian hacker group with links to Moscow.

Russia denies it has been involved in the cyberattacks.

With reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters


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
The Dutch Foreign Ministry says the suspects in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine will be prosecuted in a Dutch court.

The ministrys announcement on July 5 did not name the suspects in the July 17, 2014, tragedy, which killed 298 people from 17 different countries.

But an international criminal investigation determined in 2016 that the MH17 passenger jet was shot down by a Buk antiaircraft missile fired from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that conducted the international investigation also determined that the Buk missile system had been brought into Ukraine from Russia shortly before the MH17 was shot down and then smuggled back to Russia shortly afterward.

Russia has rejected the JIT's conclusions.

Were still seeing a great deal of disinformation and attempts to discredit the investigation by the JIT, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a July 5 statement.

Nevertheless, major results have been achieved, Koenders said, including the report of the investigation by the Dutch Safety Board and the JITs presentation of findings in September 2016.

Whats more," he said, the ongoing criminal investigation enjoys virtually unanimous support from the international community.

Koenders said the decision to conduct the trial in a Dutch court was made by the countries jointly investigating the crash -- Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine, and the Netherlands.

Koenders said those countries will continue to cooperate on the prosecution and that the trial will cover all of the victims.

"In this way, the JIT countries are jointly heeding the UN Security Councils call to hold those responsible for this incident to account," Koenders said. "We have every confidence that we can continue to count on broad international support. And I will continue to do my utmost to ensure that this remains the case."
Six civilians were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's western Farah Province, officials said on July 5.

The vehicle was in the Momin Abad area of Shiba Koh district traveling toward the capital of the province on July 4 when it hit the bomb, which also wounded six people, officials said, adding that children were among those killed.

The most recent incident brings the number of Afghan civilians killed by roadside mines to at least 17 within only one week.

On July 3, at least four civilians were killed and one other was wounded when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in southern Kandahar.

Five days ago, seven civilians were killed and five others were wounded by another roadside bomb in eastern Nangarhar.

Civilians are bearing the brunt of the continued war between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

Also on July 5, a woman and child were killed when a rocket struck their house in Kabul.

At least one more child was also injured in the blast, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said, adding that all victims were members of the same family.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and dpa


Russia will start supplying natural gas to China through a new pipeline by the end of 2019 as part of the two countries' $400 billion energy pact, state gas giant Gazprom said on July 4.

Gazprom Chief Executive Aleksei Miller told journalists in Moscow that delivery of gas would start on the so-called Power Of Siberia pipeline on December 20, 2019, and that Beijing and Moscow are now negotiating over a second Far Eastern gas pipeline.

Russia signed a 30-year deal in May 2014 to supply China, the world's largest energy market, with gas through a pipeline for the first time.

Construction began in September 2014 on the 4,000-kilometer pipeline connecting Yakutia's gas fields with the Sea of Japan and Chinese border.

Miller said that the project is now moving into a "key phase" and is being carried out "strictly on schedule," adding that he had "no doubts" the 2019 deadline would be met.

Gazprom's agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation came during a visit to Moscow by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Moscow and Beijing have ratcheted up trade and cooperation since 2014, when the Kremlin started looking east for markets after the West imposed sanctions over its aggression in Ukraine.

Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, TASS, and Interfax


DUSHANBE --Tajikistans authorities say four close relatives of a former police commander who joined the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in 2015 have been killed in a clash with security forces.



Tajik police told RFE/RL the clash occurred late on July 4 in the country's Vose District, about 25 kilometers from Tajikistans border with Afghanistan.



A local police officer told RFE/RL on July 5 that two brothers and two nephews of former Tajik police commander Gulmurod Halimov were killed.

That police officer said Halimovs 52-year-old brother, Sultanmurad Halimov, was among the dead.

There was no immediate confirmation on the identities of the other relatives killed in the clash.

Authorities said the four were thought to be traveling to Afghanistan together with three other men.

Colonel Anvar Huseynov, a high-ranking security officer who led an operation against Halimovs relatives, reportedly received several stab wounds during the July 4 altercation.

Authorities also told RFE/RL that the bodies of Gulmurod Halimovs four relatives were transferred to morgues in the Vose district.

Officials have not disclosed full details about the operation against Halimovs relatives.

The four had not been formally charged with being members of the IS militant group or suspected of any crime.

But security officials told RFE/L that Halimovs brothers had been under surveillance in Dushanbe for some time and were followed by police after they left Tajikistans capital earlier on July 4.

Authorities said the four were thought to be traveling to Afghanistan together with three other men.

Gulmurod Halimov, a former commander of Tajik Interior Ministry Special Forces, known as OMON, disappeared in April 2015.

In May 2015, a video of Halimov posted online showed him brandishing a sniper rifle and threatening to bring holy war to Russia and the United States.

Tajikistan has issued an international warrant for his arrest and the United States has offered $3 million for information on his whereabouts.

There have been several unconfirmed reports from both northern Iraq and Syria since 2015 that Halimov was killed while fighting for IS militants.

Tajik authorities have repeatedly rejected those reports, saying they think he is still alive.

In May, Tajik officials arrested Halimovs 18-year-old son, Behruz Halimov, on charges of trying to join his father in Syria.
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In a keynote address in Warsaw, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere" and specifically reaffirmed Washington's commitment to NATO's Article 5.

Trump spoke on July 6 before a cheering, flag-waving crowd of 10,000 people in historic Krasinski Square in central Warsaw, where former President Lech Walesa sat among guests in the VIP area.

During the nationally televised speech, Trump also said Moscow should end its "support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran.

He called on America's NATO allies to join the United States in a defense of the West against "radical Islamic terrorism" and "any form of ideological support" that terrorists receive.

Trump said the United States repeatedly "has demonstrated not only with words, but with its actions, that it stands behind Article 5" of the NATO treaty -- the provision stating that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all members of the alliance.

Many observers were closely watching Trump's comments about the treaty provision after he shocked NATO allies during a May meeting in Brussels by failing to mention it.

Returning to one of his oft-repeated demands, he said all NATO members must meet their financial commitments to the alliance, and he praised Poland for being one of the few NATO countries that has done so.



Trump described Poland as a long-time U.S. ally that is "an example for others who seek freedom and who wish to summon the courage and the will to defend our civilization."

Earlier on July 6, after meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump said the United States is "committed to maintaining peace and security in Central Europe" and again said that Washington is "working with Poland in response to Russia's actions and destabilizing behavior."

Any comments by Trump on Russia are closely watched in Poland.

The country's proximity to its rival has heightened its concerns about Moscows intentions in the region, especially after Russias illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimea region, its support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, and its alleged efforts to manipulate elections in the United States and some European Union countries.

The White House gave its blessing to a $7.6 billion deal to sell Patriot missile defense systems to Poland by the end of the year. U.S. missile defense systems in Eastern Europe have prompted repeated complaints from Russia in the past, and President Barack Obama had shelved such plans in 2009, as part of his administrations attempted reset of relations with Moscow.

A Kremlin spokesman said Moscow disagrees with Trumps description of Russias behavior as destabilizing and said the Kremlin regrets that there is a lack of understanding between Russia and the United States.

Trump told reporters after talks with Duda that he thinks Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but said he also thinks "other people and, or, countries" may have interfered in the election campaign.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

In Warsaw, Trump told a summit of Central and Eastern European leaders that "America will be your strongest ally and your steadfast partner" in their attempts to reduce the region's dependence on Russian energy supplies.

Trump encouraged leaders at the Three Seas Initiative summit to take advantage of newly available supplies of U.S. liquefied natural gas.

The Three Seas Initiative is a joint project of Poland and Croatia that was launched in 2016 with the aim of strengthening trade, infrastructure, and cooperation on energy and politics between countries that border the Adriatic Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea.

WATCH: Trump Affirms Commitment To NATO, Security In Europe

Other countries involved in the initiative include Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, and Austria.

After Warsaw, Trump traveled to Hamburg, Germany, for the Group of 20 summit, where he plans to meet on July 7 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel shortly after arriving. The two leaders shook hands and spoke briefly before leaving for closed-door talks.

Trump also will hold one-on-one talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Hamburg on July 7, May's office announced.

He is also expected to attend a Northeast Asia Security dinner with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.



North Korea's intercontinental ballistic-missile test earlier this week was expected to be high on that agenda.



A demonstration, which organizers have labeled G20: Welcome to Hell, was planned for the night of July 6.



WATCH: Trump To Promote U.S. Gas During Warsaw Visit

Some 20,000 police have been deployed in Hamburg to provide security during the G20 summit.

Hamburg police clashed with demonstrators on the night of July 5 ahead of the meetings, using water cannons to disperse some protesters.

Germany has said that among tens of thousands of protesters expected to converge on Hamburg during the summit, as many as 8,000 could potentially be involved in rioting and other violence.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, CNN, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal


Syria, Ukraine, North Korea, purported Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election, Russian efforts to divide Europe, sanctions and countersanctions, hacking and cyberattacks.

There are plenty of issues fighting for a place on the agenda as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin sit down for their first face-to-face encounter on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7. The two leaders have spoken by phone at least twice since Trump took office.



Yet U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster told journalists on June 29 that there was "no specific agenda" for the meeting, which would be about "whatever the president wants to talk about."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the same day that the agenda was to "seek normalization of dialogue."

A spokesman for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said the event is "planned as a fully-fledged, 'seated' meeting" to discuss bilateral issues, rather than a brief on-the-go encounter.

Although Trump campaigned on a willingness to seek closer relations with the Kremlin, the Hamburg meeting comes at a moment when bilateral ties are at a nadir. Russia denies interfering in the election that brought Trump to the White House, but the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Moscow did just that.



"The relationship is obviously worse than it has been even at the end of the Obama administration because of the election interference," says Angela Stent, a former U.S. national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia and director of Georgetown University's Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies. "So how do you reestablish a dialogue where you can get something done on issues where Russia really has the ability to spoil U.S. interests, be they in Syria or other places? How do you do that in an atmosphere where we obviously disagree on a vast number of issues?"



Analysts agree Trump is unlikely to press Putin on fulfilling Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine or to take the Russian president to task over Washington's allegations of election meddling.

The mere fact of a meeting, though, is significant for Putin, as presidential-level contacts were largely shut down in the last years of Barack Obama's presidency, Stent says.



"Unlike the Obama administration, [Trump] is willing to engage at the highest level," Stent tells RFE/RL. "That is already a plus for Putin."

The continuing controversies in the United States surrounding possible ties between Trump and his surrogates and agents of Russia could tie both presidents' hands, analysts say.

[The Russians] desperately want Trump to initiate a strategic dialogue with them to legitimize what they think they have achieved. And that is not going to happen ..."

Several congressional committees are looking into those ties. The FBI is also investigating, something that took on greater gravity after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. The Justice Department later appointed a special counsel to oversee the probe, and by all public accounts, it is continuing with all seriousness.



According to Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, the tense atmosphere could be determinative.



"In the Western world, there are lots of paranoid speculations about 'a new Yalta' and whatnot," she says, referring to the 1945 Yalta conference at which the Soviet Union, the United States, and Britain largely divided up Europe into spheres of influence and determined the post-World War II world order. "[Moscow] understands that nothing can be expected, and I don't think they will even attempt anything substantial. The thinking there is that the two presidents must establish personal contact and then they can take matters from there."



"That is why they don't even want to propose anything," Liik says.

The Russia scandals also restrict Trump, says Stephen Blank, a Russia specialist with the American Foreign Relations Council. Trumps first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired after he misled White House officials about the extent of his interactions with Russian officials, and Trumps attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is also under scrutiny for similar reasons.



"[The Russians] desperately want Trump to initiate a strategic dialogue with them to legitimize what they think they have achieved," Blank tells RFE/RL. "And that is not going to happen because even if Trump wanted to do it, there would be too much opposition here in Washington, both within the administration and in Congress."

I would watch the body language and anything that can tell about the quality of the personal contact [Trump and Putin] have established. To me, that will be most interesting."

Russian analysts also argue that the scandals in the United States have essentially frozen bilateral ties.

"Any step toward improving relations or even limited cooperation will give rise to a new volley of accusations against the Trump administration and aggravate its already fragile situation," Dmitry Suslov, director of the Valdai Club initiative on bilateral relations, wrote in Russia In Global Affairs, a respected Moscow journal.



"Russia cannot afford to make any steps with regard to the United States, as both constructive initiatives and confrontational actions will be harmful," Suslov wrote.



U.S. analyst Blank adds that Trump is also handicapped by the "strategic incoherence" that has emerged in the first months of a presidency that has been driven to a large extent by Trump's own personality.



When it comes to outsize personality and surprising gestures, Trump may have met his match in Putin.



Derek Chollet, a former Obama administration official who is now with the German Marshall Fund, told CNN he expects "an Olympian level of macho posturing between these two leaders, who both understand the importance of symbolism and the perception of being tough."



Analyst Liik agrees that in this case gestures could be more indicative than words.



"I would watch the body language and anything that can tell about the quality of the personal contact [Trump and Putin] have established," she says. "To me, that will be most interesting."



When briefing reporters at the announcement of the Hamburg meeting, McMaster improbably played down the landmark encounter.



"It won't be different from our discussions with any other country, really," he said.
Video released by the Ukrainian National Police shows officers raiding a company in Kyiv thought to be at the center of a global cyberattack. Police on July 4 seized servers belonging to Intellect Service, a developer for tax software firm M.E. Doc, which is linked to an international outbreak of malware last week. A police spokesman said that the preliminary investigation points to Russian influence. (Reuters)
Ukraine says Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman is to travel to Britain on July 5 to meet with British leaders and take part in a conference devoted to the country's reform process.



Hroysman is to attend a conference on reforms in Ukraine on July 6, the Ukrainian governments web portal said on July 4.



During his visit, which is ending on July 7, he is also due to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Suma Chakrabarti.



Meanwhile, Hroysman was quoted as saying that the next installment of a $17.5 billion international bailout will be delayed until later this year because parliament won't pass all of the required reforms before its summer recess.



The delay will hold up the $1.9 billion fifth tranche of the countrys International Monetary Fund rescue program, he told Bloomberg in a July 3 interview in Kyiv.



The latest disbursement had been planned for June or July, Bloomberg reported. Parliament breaks for summer next week and reconvenes in September.

With reporting by Bloomberg
Ukraines Interior Ministry says its cybercrime police department has prevented the second stage of a global cyberattack by seizing the servers of a small company.



Authorities on July 4 seized servers belonging to Intellect Service, the software developer of the Kyiv-based tax software firm M.E. Doc.



M.E. Doc was at the center of last weeks global outbreak of malicious software.



Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the servers of the M.E. Doc system in Kyiv had begun sending out and activating a computer virus at 1:40 p.m. local time on July 4.



Avakov said the attack was due to reach its peak at 4 p.m., but he said authorities stopped the attack before 3 p.m.



M.E. Doc was identified as "patient zero" of last weeks outbreak, which crippled computers at several multinational firms and knocked out cash machines, gas stations, and bank branches in Ukraine before spreading to other countries.



The company denies allegations that poor security helped seed the malware epidemic.



M.E. Doc is used by 80 percent of the companies in Ukraine to file taxes.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and Interfax-Ukraine
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators visiting Afghanistan on July 4 called for a new strategy from the Trump administration to turn the tide against an increasingly strong Taliban insurgency and end the longest U.S. war.

The delegation, led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, was in Kabul on a regional trip that included two days in neighboring Pakistan.

"None of us would say that we are on a course to success here in Afghanistan," McCain said at a press briefing at NATO's headquarters in Kabul.

"That needs to change, and quickly," he said. "The strongest nation on Earth should be able to win this conflict."

The Pentagon is currently reviewing strategy in Afghanistan, where U.S. troops have been backing the fight against the Taliban for 16 years. It reportedly is considering recommending an increase in troops of 3,000 to 5,000.

But McCain (Republican-Arizona) and other senators suggested that an incremental increase in troops would not be enough. McCain was accompanied by Senators Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina), Elizabeth Warren (Democrat-Massachusetts), Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island), and David Perdue (Republican-Georgia).

The Taliban is "not going to negotiate unless they think they are losing," McCain said. "So we need to win and have the advantage on the battlefield and then enter into a serious negotiation to resolve the conflict."

McCain made a mark in the last decade by urging a "surge" in U.S. troops to win the war in Iraq before negotiating a peace accord there -- a strategy adopted by former President George W. Bush that was credited with success at putting down the insurgency in Iraq at the time.

Senator Lindsey Graham said he would tell U.S. President Donald Trump that 8,600 American troops currently in Afghanistan "will not get the job done" and that more American troops along with more NATO troops should be deployed to "turn stalemate into success."

Since the exit of most foreign troops in 2014, Afghanistans U.S.-backed government has lost ground to the Taliban insurgency. A U.S. report found earlier this year that the Taliban controls or contests control of about 40 percent of the country.

Warren did not join with the others in pushing for more troops. She said she came to get "the view on the ground about what is happening" in Afghanistan.

"We need a strategy in the United States that defines our role in Afghanistan, defines our objective, and explains how we can get from here to there," Warren said.

Last month, Trump gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the authority to set American troop levels in Afghanistan, but as commander in chief Trump must sign off on an overall strategy for the war.

Mattis has said the strategy he will recommend, which will be presented to Trump by mid-July, will take a broader "regional" approach, with no set timetable.

U.S. security officials have privately said the most likely options will be to increase training and air support by 3,000 to 5,000 troops for still-inexperienced Afghan security forces, while also tracking down Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and other Islamist extremists based in Afghanistan.

The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has said "several thousand" more foreign troops -- mostly trainers -- are needed to break a military stalemate with the Taliban.

In 2001, a U.S.-backed military intervention in Afghanistan toppled the Taliban regime, whose ultra-hard-line interpretation of Islamic law banned most women from public life and executed people not seen as sufficiently pious, such as men who had beards not considered long enough.

With reporting by AP and Reuters


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A new video from the European Space Agency explains how changes in climate are causing sea levels to rise around the world.

There are three main causes for this change in global sea level, according to the video: thermal expansion of oceans, the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, and changes in land-water storage. The agency uses satellite data to measure how much each of these individual components attributes to the sea level increase.

Meltwater from glaciers accounts for about a 6.6 millimeter (0.26 inches) sea level rise every decade, the video says, which accounts for 20 percent of the total change between 2003 and 2013. Greenlands ice sheet accounts for 8.3 millimeters (0.33 inches), or about 25 percent of the total, while the Antarctic ice sheet contributes 3.6 millimeters (0.14 inches) or 11 percent of the decade total. Changes in land-water storage (such as lakes) contribute 3.3 millimeters (0.13 inches) or 10 percent, and ocean thermal expansion adds 9.9 millimeters (0.39 inches) or 30 percent.

Water expands when it freezes into ice, and contracts when it melts; but above a certain temperature water begins to expand as it warms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.So as the ocean accumulates "the excess heat caused by greenhouse gas emissions," its volume increases and the sea level rises.

Scientists can also measure sea level rise independently, using satellite altimeters to determine where on Earth the water is rising most, according to the video. Comparing these measurements with how much each individual component contributes to the sea level rise helps scientists better understand the sea level budget  the discrepancy between how much the water is actually rising and how much it should be rising according to models that take into account the various causes of sea level change.

Follow Kasandra Brabaw on Twitter @KassieBrabaw. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
A prototype Vector-R launch vehicle launched May 3 from the Mojave Desert. The company said it will accelerate its testing program after raising a $21 million Series A round.

WASHINGTON  Vector, one of a number of companies developing small launch vehicles in response to growing small satellite demand, announced June 29 that it closed a $21 million funding round.

The Tucson, Arizona-based company said Sequoia Capital, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, led the Series A funding round. Two other funds, Shasta Ventures and Lightspeed, also participated in the funding round.

Vector announced the round after closing a $4.5 million bridge round in April, intended to support company operations until it could close the Series A round. The company had, prior to the bridge round, raised $2.25 million, as well as winning Small Business Innovation Research awards from NASA and DARPA.

"Securing this round of funding is not only a testament to the industry's confidence in our team and launch vehicle technology, but is also a significant validation of the entire microsatellite launch industry," said Vector Chief Executive Jim Cantrell in a statement announcing the funding round.

Vector said it will use the funds to accelerate testing of its Vector-R small launch vehicle. A full-scale prototype of that vehicle flew a successful low-altitude test flight May 3 in California's Mojave Desert. That flight was planned to go to an altitude of less than 1,400 meters as part of an incremental testing strategy.

Vector plans to do a second test flight of Vector-R later this summer, from the future site of Spaceport Camden on Georgia's Atlantic coast. Cantrell said in an early May interview that the launch would take place in "about two months," or early July, but the company did not provide a more specific launch date in its statement.

Cantrell said in May that Vector planned "an incremental development approach that gradually adds more and more complexity and performance to the vehicle as we go along," with five or six test flights planned, culminating in an orbital launch.

Investors were swayed by the progress Vector had made since the company was formally established last year. "We've been impressed with Vector's achievements in just 14 months, and are thrilled to partner with such credible veterans of the space industry," said Bill Coughran, partner at Sequoia, in the statement.

"Vector is poised to strike on the increasing demand we see in the market," said Rob Coneybeer, managing director and co-founder of Shasta Ventures, in the same statement. "We see Vector as being far ahead of the competition."

However, one other company working on a small launch vehicle has flown higher than Vector. Rocket Lab, a U.S.-New Zealand company, launched its first Electron rocket May 25 from its New Zealand launch site. While the rocket failed to reach orbit, it did reach space on its suborbital flight, and the company said the rocket's first stage performed as planned.

Rocket Lab Chief Executive Peter Beck told Bloomberg Businessweek recently that the company believes it "has now solved the orbit issue" and plans to resume test launches in the next six weeks.

Virgin Orbit is also expected to start ramping up test activities for its LauncherOne small launch vehicle later this year. David Caponio, mission manager at Virgin Orbit, said in a June 14 panel discussion at the Small Payload Rideshare Symposium in Laurel, Maryland, that modifications to the company's Boeing 747 aircraft should be completed in about a month. The first "pathfinder" LauncherOne vehicle, which will be used for ground and flight tests, is also nearing completion, he said.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Chris Becke captured this video of the sounding-rocket launch from Williamsburg, Virginia. (Image credit: Chris Becke)

When NASA finally launched its long-awaited sounding-rocket mission from Wallops Island, Virginia, early-bird viewers along the U.S. East Coast were treated to a spectacular show of glowing, multicolor clouds drifting through the sky.

Photographers woke up early to see the colorful display on several occasions, only to learn that the launch had been repeatedly delayed due to weather conditions. But when the mission finally blasted off on Thursday (June 29) at 4:25 a.m. EDT (0825 GMT), some persistent photographers finally had their chance to capture some incredible photos of the artificial clouds.

Chris Bakley photographed the sounding rocket launch from Stone Harbor, New Jersey. (Image credit: Chris Bakley

In Stone Harbor, New Jersey, photographer Chris Bakley had been waiting for weeks to shoot the colorful vapor clouds after NASA's sounding-rocket launch. "To be honest I wasn't expecting much from the launch but to see a whole sky full of glow-in-the-dark clouds," Bakley told Space.com in an email. "I was really impressed, to say the least."

About 5 minutes after the rocket lifted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, it released barium, strontium and cupric oxide into the sky. When those chemicals interacted, they formed blue-green and red clouds that slowly faded to purple as they dissipated in the morning sky.

Harrison Jones captured the colorful vapor clouds all the way from Hanover, Pennsylvania. (Image credit: Harrison Jones

Harrison Jones was up "bright and early" to get some photos of the launch from Hanover, Pennsylvania, he told Space.com in an email. Jones managed to get some zoomed-in shots of the multicolored clouds from about 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of the launch site in Wallops Island.

And in Williamsburg, Virginia, photographer Chris Becke had an excellent view of the sounding rocket's colorful vapor clouds. "I had received some prior information on the launch angle and release height of the canisters as well as the range of possible drift. Using this information, I did some trigonometry calculations to predict the necessary field of view to capture the launch and subsequent vapor trails," Becke told Space.com in an email.

Colorful vapor clouds disperse in front of star trails in this image captured by Chris Becke in Williamsburg, Virginia. (Image credit: Chris Becke)

Becke went to "a reasonably dark site" called Little Creek Dam, located about 81.5 miles (131 km) from the launch site. There, he captured I captured 20-second exposures of the launch up until about 24 minutes after launch, "when the vapor trails had drifted out of the field of view," he said.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share with us and our news partners for a possible story or gallery, send images and comments to spacephotos@space.com.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 04 July 2017. (SPS) -The African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government has adopted today the decisions of the African Peace and Security Council on the situation of peace and security in Africa, welcoming the international efforts aimed at speeding up a solution to the Sahrawi issue.

The African Union (AU) has recently adopted a resolution proposed by the African Peace and Security Council on the issue of Western Sahara, which includes the re-establishment of the 10-member contact group on Western Sahara to find an urgent solution to the Sahrawi issue, in addition to setting a calendar of meetings on the issuet of Western Sahara to ensure continuous follow-up by the African Union.

The decision, adopted today in Addis Ababa by the Summit of Heads of State and Government, welcomes the return of calm to the Guergarat area of Western Sahara and the appointment of a new UN envoy to end the conflict in accordance with the decisions and regulations of the two organizations. SPS

125/090/TRA
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In June 2017, after two years of development, the Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov presented its new An-132 transport at a major international airshow. In many respects this is one very unique aircraft. The An-132 made its first flight only two months earlier and that was largely because Antonov had a new foreign partner; Saudi Arabia. Thus during 2016 Saudi Arabian technical, production and financial personnel were heavily involved in what is basically a joint venture between Antonov and Saudi Arabia. For Ukraine this makes Saudi Arabia a major partner and investor in the Ukrainian aviation industry. An earlier such partner (at least for engines) was (and apparently still is) China.

The Saudi Arabian connection is a potential life-saver for Antonov and other Ukrainian aviation firms. Thats because the early 2015 Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine did a lot of economic damage to Ukrainian firms far from the combat zone. Thats because many Ukrainian defense firms were founded during the Soviet period when Ukraine was an unwilling part of the Russian Empire.

One of the best examples is Antonov. One of the three major Russian aircraft manufacturing firms, Antonov was headquartered in Ukraine and many of the production facilities were there as well. Ilyushin was in Uzbekistan and only Tupolev was in what is now Russia. With some effort (cash and help with sales) Russia managed to persuade Ilyushin to move a lot of manufacturing back to Russia. Tupolev was merged with several military aircraft manufacturers, as part of the United Aircraft Corporation. Antonov was forced to reconnect with Mother Russia as well, given their inability to design and manufacture aircraft that can compete with AirBus and Boeing (not to mention many smaller Western firms). Ukraine was determined to keep Antonov going and make it profitable. That turned out to be quite difficult although foreign customers like China and East European nations have found the Ukrainian made equipment effective and priced to sell.

Saudis now accept that working like this with Ukraine is not just a worthwhile goal but an essential one. Saudi Arabia must diversify its economy but the proposed partnership with Ukraine was tentative at first. Back in 2015 the Saudis thought they had a chance of regaining their decades old control of world oil prices (as the largest individual producer and head of the OPEC cartel). The Saudi effort to cope with the impact of fracking and unexpected growth of American production failed and the Saudis who had long urged more energetic efforts to diversify the Saudi economy were now seen as the best hope and probably only one for the future. Recent changes in Saudi leadership put younger men in control with the goal of doing more deals like the one with Antonov and rapidly bring more manufacturing and non-oil jobs to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have also noted the UAE (United Arab Emirates) successfully doing this for years. The UAE industries have been able to produce vehicles and modern weapons that, while not the best in the world, are adequate and getting better as more are put to work by largely Moslem majority nations who want to be less dependent on the West for all this stuff.

Meanwhile in early 2016 Ukraine announced the completion of the fuselage for the first prototype of the new An-132 transport and confirmed that this was actually a joint venture with Saudi Arabia. All the components will come from Ukrainian or Western suppliers and some of the final assembly was to take place in Saudi Arabia. That arrangement has evolved and now an An-132 assembly facility will be built in Saudi Arabia and share production with a similar facility in Ukraine. To make this work the Saudis have basically guaranteed customers (military and civilian) for the first 300 An-132s. If the aircraft performs as advertised there are plenty of potential customers in the Middle East, the biggest one being Saudi Arabia itself.

The An-132 is a much upgraded version of the 1960s era An-24, which currently exists mainly as a much evolved (from the An-24) An-32. The An-132 is a 29 ton twin engine aircraft that can carry up to 9.2 tons of cargo, 75 passengers or 27 stretchers (casualties). Cruising speed is 550 kilometers an hour and endurance is about seven hours. Max altitude is 9,000 meters (30,000 feet). The An-132 will be optimized for hot and dusty environments.

In early 2016 Saudi Arabia has already agreed to buy at least six An-132s (four for search-and-rescue operations and two for electronic warfare). This order will be expanded once the first production models arrive in 2018 and perform as expected. Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have a tremendous incentive to succeed with this joint venture. One could say that failure is not an option for either partner. Unfortunately, for a host of reasons, failure is still a possibility so this project is one to keep an eye on to see how well both countries can do trying to escape their troubled pasts.

Antonov built the original An-24 series to be simple, rugged and easy to use and maintain. They succeeded. Half a century later it should not be surprising that over 500 An-24 series aircraft are still working. That's not the first time this has happened. After nearly 80 years, there are still over a hundred of the 16,000 American DC-3 transports built are working in odd (and often remote) parts of the world.

But with age comes problems. Engines, and other parts of these aging aircraft, are prone to fail at bad moments. A major problem with the An-24 is the shortage of spare parts. The network of factories producing the parts, fell apart when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The parts supply network has been slowly rebuilt, with many factories outside of Russia now producing needed components. Quality of these parts varies, which adds to the sense of adventure one has when flying in these aircraft. India manufactures many spare parts and Ukraine remains a major source of An-24 series aircraft and parts. This included updated models like the An-26 and An-32. Ukraine has made it clear that An-132 will be built with components (like engines) from American manufacturers as well as those in Europe and India. These suppliers have much better reputations when it comes to responsiveness and customer service.
In June 2017 the South Korean Navy received its second locally designed and built minelaying ship; the 4,200 ton Nampo. This is to be the first of a class of four or five minelayers. Normally no one builds that many minelayer ships but the Nampo is unique in that its design is based on the recently introduced South Korean FFX Frigate. The first of these entered service in in 2013. The FFXs are 3,200 ton ships armed with a 127mm gun, eight anti-ship or cruise missiles, three torpedo tubes, a RAM anti-missile launcher, and a Phalanx anti-missile gun system. There is space aft for two helicopters. The ships are highly automated, requiring a crew of only 140. Top speed is 61 kilometers an hour. Range is 8,000 kilometers. Most of the equipment (including electronics) and weapons are locally built. South Korea in building at least fifteen of these ships. South Korea subsequently introduced an upgraded FFX 2 frigate design. South Korea hopes to export the FFX to many navies who want a quality, low cost, warship. Meanwhile, South Korea has also built larger warships and is getting more into submarine production.

The Nampo lacks the anti-ship missiles but does carry the helicopter and anti-submarine torpedoes (and sonars) for finding and fighting submarines.

In the late 1990s South Korea planned to build two Wonsan class minelayers but only one was built and it entered service in 1998 as South Korea decided to try reducing the North Korean threat with lots of foreign aid. That failed spectacularly and in 2010 a North Korean sub torpedoed and sunk a South Korean warship (and denied it). Nampo joins the older Wonsan, a 3,300 ton ship that can carry 500 naval mines and deploy them quickly to protect South Korean ports and shipping lanes from North Korean warships and submarines. The Wonsan was also armed with a 76mm cannon, two 40mm autocannon and six 324mm (12.8 inch) torpedo tubes.

Only a few countries still build ships that specialize in minelaying and all of them are countries (South Korea, Poland, Sweden and Finland) with long coastlines with lots of shallow (60 meters or less depth) waters. Having a large threatening neighbor with a big fleet is another incentive. South Korea feels it needs the ability to put a lot of mines in the water quickly to foil a North Korean attack on key ports and naval bases. A minelayer that is actually armed like a modern warship seemed a good solution to this problem. For that reason South Korea will spend the rest of 2017 putting the Nampo through extensive sea trails and tests to see how well this new idea works with an actual ship. If it does not seem to work the Nampo design can be easily converted into a FFX type ship. Moreover in many navies coastal patrol ships like the FFX are often designed to lay some mines in wartime. The Nampo is different in that it can lay a lot of mines very quickly and deal with armed opposition if need be.

South Korea is secretive about its naval mine design and capabilities but it is believed the Nampo can carry and quickly lay (drop into coastal waters) at least 500 modern bottom (shallow water) mines. These are probably based on the American Quickstrike design with sensors and control electronics customized and manufactured by South Korean firms. It is important that South Korea keeps details of how these Koreanized Quickstrikes work in order to have a maximum impact on attackers.

U.S. forces, mainly the air force currently use the Mk-62 "Quickstrike" naval mine. This is basically a 227 kg (500 pound) bomb with a sensor package attached to the rear. There are three different sensor packages, each providing a different set of sensors to detonate the mine. The Mk-62 is a bottom mine which is dropped in shallow water and then detects a ship passing above using pressure (of the ship on the water), magnetism (of the metal in the ship's hull), or vibration (or a combination of those). The sensor also comes with a computer, to enable the mine to follow certain instructions (like only detonate for ships that meet a certain criteria). These mines also become useless over time because the most effective ones require battery power to operate their sensors. Data on how that works is obviously kept secret but it appears that South Korea has bottom mine designs that will reliably disarm after a certain period and have capabilities for South Korea to safely check that status.

The United States mainly uses aircraft to deliver Quickstrike mines. The B-52 and B-1B drop the mines at an altitude of about 300 meters (1,000 feet), while moving at 500-600 kilometers an hour. The mines are usually dropped in known shipping lanes, especially those that serve as approaches to a major port. During World War II air dropped mines proved devastating to Japanese shipping. Same thing when they were used against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

In another irony Korean waters were, over a century ago, modern naval mines were widely used for the first time during the Russo-Japanese war (1904- 1905). These were contact mines, floating in shallow water and kept in place with an anchor and chain. When the tide was right they would be just below the surface, ready to explode whenever struck by a ship. Some 2,000 of these mines were used to destroy sixteen ships during the Russo-Japanese war. That's one ship lost for every 125 mines used. Nearly fifty years later this type of mine was again used in Korean waters. In the late 1940s the Soviets provided North Korea with 3,000 naval mines, many of 1904 vintage. These were used to defend Wonson harbor in 1950. It took several weeks for UN forces to clear these, at a loss of a dozen ships hit. Half of these ships were destroyed.

North Korea is believed to have stockpiled more than 50,000 naval mines, most of them of the bottom mine variety although it is unclear how well maintained that mine arsenal is. That is a small arsenal compared to Russia (over 200,000) and China (over 100,000). Iran has a few thousand naval mines which is believed to be smaller than South Korean stockpile. It is generally agreed that all these mines are a serious danger. While often ignored, naval mines are a formidable weapon. But these passive weapons just don't get any respect. The historical record indicates otherwise.
Nothing much has changed so far in 2017. Nevertheless there have been some new developments. Peace efforts in the north are not making a lot of progress and the corrupt generals who surrendered power in 2011 are not only still in business but increasingly fighting back against their critics and winning. The violence against Rohingya Moslems by Buddhist nationalists continues but at a greatly diminished rate. China continues to try and buy as much of the country as it can, despite growing resistance. China tends to come up with offers people cant refuse.

Rohingya Requiem

While the rest of the world sees Burma as needlessly persecuting its Moslem minority most Burmese still fear the Rohingya Moslem minority will be a source of Islamic terrorists. While Moslem majority neighbor Bangladesh has arrested a few Pakistan trained Rohingya Islamic terrorists the Rohingya in Burma have largely avoided Islamic terrorism. Bangladesh borders Burmas Rakhine State which contains most of the Burmese Rohingya. Burma insists the Rohingya are Bangladeshis who are in Burma illegally. Bangladesh has never agreed with that.

Meanwhile over 500 Rohingya were arrested (and more than twice as many are being sought) since October 9th 2016 when three guard posts on the Bangladesh border were attacked by over 200 Rohingya men armed with a few firearms and, for most of them, swords, spears and clubs. This left nine border guards dead and four soldiers died during operations after the attacks. All the weapons (fifty firearms and 10,000 rounds of ammo) and equipment at guard posts were taken as the attackers fled. Army and police reinforcements were sent to Rakhine State and the border area where the attacks took place. Foreign journalists (and foreigners in general) were kept out of the area as the attackers were sought. This led 75,000 more Rohingya to flee the country (so far). This is largely because threats towards Rohingya, mainly by Buddhist vigilantes, have continued. Whoever the Rohingya terrorists are, they are not taking credit for the violence or identifying themselves. One of the few visible (at least on the Internet) Rohingya militant groups, the ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) denies any connection with the violence and there is no evidence to contradict that claim.

Meanwhile there are still Rohingya terrorists (the Islamic angle is not yet established) in action and they have so far (since last October) been responsible for than sixty Rohingya being murdered or kidnapped. These actions are apparently directed at Rohingya seen as collaborating with the government. That includes local Rohingya leaders and Rohingya who work for the government or foreign aid organizations. Since 2012, when the anti-Rohingya violence began, over a hundred Rohingya have been killed by Buddhist vigilantes. That sort of thing has diminished but not disappeared while the Rohingya vigilante violence against other Rohingya has become a larger problem.

The Rohingya, who trace their origin to Bangladesh, have suffered increased persecution in Burma since the 1980s, and especially since the 2011 elections that restored democracy and got lot of anti-Moslem Buddhist nationalists elected. Most Rohingyas are Bengalis, or people from Bengal (now Bangladesh) who began migrating to Burma during the 19th century. At that time the British colonial government ran Bangladesh and Burma, and allowed this movement, even though the Buddhist Burmese opposed it. Britain recognized the problem too late, and the Bengali Moslems were still in Burma when Britain gave up its South Asian colonies after World War II (1939-45). Any kind of peace deal with the Rohingya is unlikely as far as most Burmese are concerned. There is growing popular anger among Burmese towards Moslems in general and the Rohingya in particular. This is fed by the continuing reports of Islamic terrorism word-wide and especially in the region (Thailand, India, Bangladesh and China). Foreign criticism, especially from Moslem majority nations is largely ignored, in part because Burma depends on non-Moslem nations (like China, Thailand and India) for most of its trade and foreign investments.

The North Fights On

Tribal rebels accuse the army of adopting a new strategy of trying to keep foreign news media away from tribal areas, especially when tribal rebels are willing to let the foreign journalists move freely and see for themselves what is going on. The army has always been diligent about controlling media and since elected government returned in 2011 the military (with much of its political power intact) has managed to have its way in the north. This includes continuing to blame most of the violence up there on the rebels while only allowing reporters to see the army version of things. This new policy is apparently one of the aftereffects of a video that appeared on FaceBook on May 26th showing Burmese soldiers beating northern tribesmen in handcuffs. The army took a major political and media hit in the aftermath of that and the prospect of more video like that showing up led to orders that troops in the north do everything possible to avoid any further embarrassments.

Efforts to create a peace deal in the north that everyone can agree to is still a work in progress. Most of the visible progress is superficial. For example in late 2016 the government and various tribal groups agreed to continue with the twice a year Panglong Conferences in an effort to negotiate a long term peace deal. The last meeting was on May 24th and was well attended by representatives from nearly all tribal groups. But even though over 750 delegates showed up nothing was really resolved. This time everyone was invited, not just those who signed the NCA (nationwide ceasefire agreement) last year. The main dissidents are a seven member alliance led by the UWSA (United Wa State Army) plus the KIA, TNLA, AA, NDAA, SSA-N and MNDAA which did not agree to come until the last minute. The USWA was pressured by China (the Wa are ethnic Chinese living on both sides of the border) to attend and bring the rest of the alliance with them.

At the conference Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democracy movement that ousted the army in 2011 met separately with the leaders of each the seven alliance members. Several weeks after the conference the alliance said that in the future they would only meet with government leaders, especially military ones, as a group and not one-on-one. The UWSA led alliance is the most powerful group not only because they have good connections in China and Thailand but because they are active in the drug trade and have plenty of cash. That means they are well armed and form a military opponent the Burmese Army has never been able to subdue. With the help of China the Burmese Army could defeat the rebels but the Chinese want much in return, especially in terms of cooperation in keeping the tribes from interfering with Chinese economic projects in the north. At the moment those Chinese projects are one of the major problems the tribes have with the government.

The tribes continue to find it difficult to unite, even for something that is mutually beneficial to all the tribes. Most tribal organizations now support the idea of a peace deal but have been unable to achieve much progress on key issues. The causes of all this tribal strife go back a long way. Fighting between government forces and tribal rebels has, since 1948, left about 200,000 dead and crippled economic growth in the border areas being fought over. Officially known as the Union Peace Conference 21st Century Panglong conferences this is a long sought effort to update the original 1947 Panglong Conference held between the tribes and British colonial authorities just before Burma became independent. The 1947 conference got agreement for the tribal territories to be incorporated into Burma rather than remain a collection of tribal territories independent of any central government. World War II had just ended and the tribal territories of northern Burma and northeast India had been heavily involved because these areas had been a battleground for Japanese, British, Indian and tribal forces. The British convinced the tribes that being part of a larger neighbor (in this case former British colonies India and Burma) would be preferable to the pre-colonial chaos. The goal now is to create a mutually acceptable federal form of government in the tribal territories. The idea is to keep the Panglong Conferences going until there is a general agreement. India has been more successful with its tribes but still has trouble with some separatist tribal rebels.

In Burma there are also many disputes between various tribes. Many of the tribal coalitions are held together mainly by the need to unite for mutual defense from the army attacks and sometimes other tribes as well. Peace with the national government leads to more factionalism among the tribal coalitions. This is already happening in those areas that have been a peace for a year or so. As democracy returned to Burma in 2011 the army was forced to reduce their operations against the tribes. That process is continuing and with comes more opportunities for tribes to revive ancient feuds.

In addition to the new fighting between tribes there is the fact that some major tribal militias are not quite ready to negotiate. Most of these groups were allowed to observe the late 2016 Panglong Conference but not participate. These observer groups are the MNDAA (Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army), TNLA (Tang National Liberation Army) and AA (Arakan Army), which all have serious territorial and economic disputes with the army. In Shan state, for example, the army and tribes are fighting over lucrative coal mining operations. In Kachin state the army violence is connected with the illegal gold mining.

One reason for the new attitudes by the military is that more rebels are resisting. That, in part, is because the new government has also passed laws allowing northerners to legally start and operate their own radio stations and this has brought more people up there together in opposition to the various outlaw operations they must deal with daily. Most of those illegal operations are made possible by corrupt politicians and illegal foreign investments (mainly from China) and Burmese generals paid off to keep the angry tribal rebels from interfering.

July 4, 2017: In the northwest (Rakhine State) the violence continues as a Rohingya Moslem refugee was killed during a visit to the port city of Sittwe. The victim had come from a refugee camp on a truck (with a police guard) to take care of some business in Sittwe and was attacked by a group of Buddhist vigilantes and killed. .

June 27, 2017: In the northeast (Shan State) hundreds of villagers fled army shelling and advancing troops as the soldiers searched for a TNLA base they believed was in the area. Two civilians were killed by the shelling but it is unclear if any TNLA personnel were found or hurt.

June 20, 2017: In the northwest (Rakhine State) soldiers and police swept into a remote area to check out reports that Rohingya terrorists had established a base and training camp deep in the local forests. The troops found the camp but the dozens of terrorists (including recruits in training) had been able to flee taking more of their weapons with them. But much was left behind, including twenty dummy guns (for training or actual operations) and lots of food. Over two days of searching a few Rohingya terrorists were encountered but none surrendered and three were cornered and died fighting. Some smaller camps were found as well but the Rohingya terrorists had established good security and were prepared to quickly vacate camps when troops were detected approaching.

June 5, 2017: In the north (Kachin State) army helicopters dropped leaflets over known sites for illegal gold and amber mining warning that if illegal miners and their families did not leave the area by the 15th they would face a major army operation to clear the area and anyone found in the area would be considered KIO (Kachin Independence Organization) rebels and treated as hostiles (shot at). Over a thousand people (miners and their families) fled to nearby towns that were somewhat prepared to receive them. The army carried out their sweep of the area but did not report on casualties.
Started in 2006, Linux Mint is now the 4th most widely used home operating system behind Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS and Canonical's Ubuntu.

Some of the reasons for the success of Linux Mint are:

It works out of the box, with full multimedia support and is extremely easy to use.

It's both free of cost and open source.

It's community-driven. Users are encouraged to send feedback to the project so that their ideas can be used to improve Linux Mint.

Based on Debian and Ubuntu, it provides about 30,000 packages and one of the best software managers.

It's safe and reliable. Thanks to a conservative approach to software updates, a unique Update Manager and the robustness of its Linux architecture, Linux Mint requires very little maintenance (no regressions, no antivirus, no anti-spyware...etc).

If you are interested in giving Linux Mint a try on your current computer without running any risk, please check out our Guide: Running Linux From a USB Drive As a Virtual Machine or Bootable Disk.

Requirements

64-bit architecture

Although both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Linux Mint 19.3 are supported until April 2023, new releases of Linux Mint, including 20, are only available in 64-bit.

To upgrade to Linux Mint 20 you need to be running the 64-bit version of Linux Mint 19.3.

To check which version you're running type:

dpkg --print-architecture

If it says amd64 you can upgrade to Linux Mint 20.

If it says i386, it means you're using the 32-bit version. In this case you cannot upgrade and you need to stick with Linux Mint 19.3.

What's New

Linux Mint 21 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2027. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop experience more comfortable.

New features

This new version of Linux Mint contains many improvements.

Bluetooth

The Blueman manager and tray icon provide many features that weren't available in Blueberry and a lot more information which can be used to monitor your connection or troubleshoot Bluetooth issues.

Out of the box Blueman features better connectivity, especially when it comes to headsets and audio profiles. In preparation for Linux Mint 21 the Blueman user interface was improved and received support for symbolic icons. Upstream, Blueman and Bluez are actively developed and used in many environments.

Thumbnailers

The lack of thumbnails for some common file types was identified as a usability issue. To address it a new Xapp project called xapp-thumbnailers was started and is now featured in Linux Mint 21.

The project brings support for the following mimetypes:

AppImage

ePub

MP3 (album cover)

RAW pictures (most formats)

Webp

Sticky Notes

The Sticky Notes application now has the ability to duplicate notes. When Sticky Notes is told to pick different colors for newly created notes it no longer picks them randomly, but cycles through the color set to maximize the probability of each note having a different color.

The systray icon was restyled. New notes are positioned relative to their parent. Clicking the tray icon creates a new note if none are present.

Process Monitor

Automated tasks are great to keep your computer safe but they can sometimes affect the system's performance while you're working on it.

A little process monitor was added to Linux Mint to detect automated updates and automated system snapshots running in the background.

Whenever an automated task is running the monitor places an icon in your system tray. Your computer might still become slow momentarily during an update or a snapshot, but with a quick look on the tray you'll immediately know what's going on.

XApps improvements

Timeshift is now maintained as an XApp and its translations are done on Launchpad. In rsync mode, it now calculates the required space for the next snapshot and skips it if performing that snapshot leads to less than 1GB free space on the disk. Webp support was added to xviewer and thumbnailers.

Directory browsing was improved in Xviewer. Continuously pressing the arrow keys results in a smooth slideshow where enough time is given for each picture to be visible. When Warpinator fails to find other devices, among other solutions, it now provides links towards its Windows, Android and iOS counterparts. The Thingy bulk renamer application received UI improvements. The WebApp manager supports additional browsers and custom browser parameters.

Printing and Scanning improvements

Linux Mint 21 uses IPP, also known as Driverless Printing and Scanning (i.e. a standard protocol which communicates with printers/scanners without using drivers). For most printers and scanners no drivers are needed, and the device is detected automatically.

If your printer/scanner doesn't work properly disable driverless printing/scanning by removing the ipp-usb and airscan packages. Then install drivers from your manufacturer. For more information on printing and scanning: https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/printers.html.

Other improvements

In Software Sources, the repository list, PPA list and key list support multiple selection. This allows several items to be removed at a time.

Uninstalling an application from the main menu (right-click -> uninstall) now triggers an evaluation of the application's dependencies. To protect the system from the removal of key components, if another package depends on the application, an error message is shown and the operation is stopped.

Uninstalling an application from the main menu now also removes dependencies of that application that were automatically installed and are no longer needed.

When you switch graphics cards using the NVIDIA Prime applet, the switch is now visible and you can cancel it if you change your mind.

Main components

Linux Mint 21 features Xfce 4.16, a Linux kernel 5.15 and an Ubuntu 22.04 package base.

LTS strategy

Linux Mint 21 will receive security updates until 2027. Until 2024, future versions of Linux Mint will use the same package base as Linux Mint 21, making it trivial for people to upgrade. Until 2024, the development team won't start working on a new base and will be fully focused on this one.

Known issues

Boot error: out of memory

The following Grub bug affects Linux Mint 21: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1842320.

If you are facing this issue, prepare a live USB using Rufus.

For more information about this issue read https://askubuntu.com/questions/1404415/ubuntu-22-04-live-usb-fails-reports-out-of-memory-with-no-details-even-after.

Shutdown timeout

For your convenience, the shutdown timeout is reduced to 10s.

If you rely on lengthy operations to finish before shutdown, read /etc/systemd/system.conf.d/50_linuxmint.conf and override the timeout value in /etc/systemd/system.conf.d/60_custom.conf.

Grub2 theme in HiDPI

If the grub2 theme looks too small in your HiDPI monitor, install the "grub2-theme-mint-2k" package.

Snap Store

The Snap Store is disabled. For more information on this or to re-enable it read https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/snap.html.

Virtualbox

Black screen

If the screen is black when launching Linux Mint in Virtualbox, change the VirtualBox graphics controller to "VMSVGA". Do this by opening up the settings for your VM and select Display -> Graphics Controller.

Garbled screen

If the screen is garbled when launching Linux Mint in Virtualbox, switch to console with HOST+F1 (e.g. the RIGHT Ctrl key, no ALT) and back to tty7 with HOST+F7.

Another workaround is to disable "nested paging" (in the System -> Acceleration settings) and to increase the video memory to 128MB (in the Display settings).

Note: This issue only affects the live session. You don't need these workarounds post-installation.

Guest Additions

To add support for shared folders, drag and drop, proper acceleration and display resolution in Virtualbox, click on the "Devices" menu of Virtualbox and choose "Insert Guest Additions CD Image". Choose "download" when asked and follow the instructions.

For more info, read Installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Home directory encryption

Benchmarks have demonstrated that, in most cases, home directory encryption is slower than full disk encryption.

The move to systemd caused a regression in ecrypts which is responsible for mounting/unmounting encrypted home directories when you login and logout. Because of this issue, please be aware that in Mint 20 and newer releases, your encrypted home directory is no longer unmounted on logout: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-session/+bug/1734541.

Guest sessions

You can enable guest sessions in the "Login Window" utility, but this option is now disabled by default.

Touchpad drivers

The default touchpad driver in this edition is "libinput" (provided by the xserver-xorg-input-libinput package). If you experience problems with it, you can switch to another driver called "synaptics" (provided by the xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package).

To know which driver is used by your input devices, run the following command:

grep -i "Using input driver" /var/log/Xorg.0.log

When both drivers are installed, "synaptics" takes priority. To switch to the "synaptics" driver, install it with the command:

apt install xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

Then log out and log back in. To go back to using "libinput", simply remove the "synaptics" driver:

apt remove xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

Then log out and log back in.

Note: You can also try installing the "evdev" driver (provided by the xserver-xorg-input-evdev).

Wine

To install the complete version of WINE, open a terminal and type:

apt install wine-installer

Among other things, this will install wine-desktop-files, which adds menu entries for regedit, your C:\ drive and other items which are missing from upstream WINE.

Sound and microphone issues

If you're facing issues with your microphone or your sound output, please install "pavucontrol".

This will add "PulseAudio Volume Control" to your menu. This application has more configuration options than the default volume control.

DVD Playback with VLC

If VLC does not find your DVD player, click on Media->Open Disc, and specify '/dev/sr0' as the disc device.

Other issues

Linux Mint 21 is based on Ubuntu 22.04. Make sure to read the Ubuntu release notes.

Tips

Username and password in the live session

In the live session, the username is "mint" and the password is empty (i.e. just press Enter if asked for a password).

Moving windows which don't fit in the screen

If your screen resolution is too low, some windows might not fit in the screen.

While pressing the ALT key, you can grab any part of a window with the mouse and move it across the screen.

Installing multimedia codecs offline

To download the multimedia codecs into an installable archive: Boot from the Linux Mint ISO on a computer which is connected to the Internet

Open a terminal and type "apt download mint-meta-codecs" (without the quotes)

This creates a "mint-meta-codecs.tgz" archive

On computers which do not have an Internet access, you can decompress this archive and run ./install.sh (or alternatively "sudo dpkg -i *.deb") to install the multimedia codecs.

Solving freezes during the boot sequence

Some graphics cards don't work well with the open-source driver present in Linux Mint. If Linux Mint freezes during boot time, use the "Compatibility Mode" boot option. In this mode you should be able to boot Linux Mint and install it on your computer. After the installation, reboot the computer and wait for the boot menu to appear. Add the "nomodeset" option as illustrated below:

If your graphics card is from NVIDIA, once in Linux Mint, perform the following steps to install the NVIDIA drivers:

Run the Driver Manager

Choose the NVIDIA drivers and wait for them to be installed

Reboot the computer

With these drivers the system should now be stable and you no longer need to use "nomodeset".

Note: If you're using an Optimus card, you've nothing more to do. Upon reboot, a system tray icon should show up indicating which GPU is currently active. Click on it to switch GPUs.

Note: If you still cannot boot try one of the following solutions:

Try with "nouveau.noaccel=1" instead of "nomodeset".

Try with "noapic noacpi nosplash irqpoll" instead of "quiet splash".

After the installation, use "Advanced Options" -> "Recovery mode" from the boot menu and choose "resume".

Choosing the right version of Linux Mint
As more automakers embrace environmentally friendly cars, Volvo has announced it is going one step further. From 2019, every one of its new cars will be either fully electrical or a hybrid, bringing a "historic end" to its manufacturing of vehicles that possess only internal combustion engines.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car. Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it." said CEOHakan Samuelsson.

The Swedish carmaker, which is owned by Chinese multinational automotive giant Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said the policy reflects the wishes of its customers. It still hasn't built a completely electric vehicle but does sell five plug-in hybrids.

Volvo plans to launch five new, fully electric cars from 2019 to 2021. Three will be Volvo models, while two will come from Polestar, the company's performance car arm.

"These five cars will be supplemented by a range of petrol and diesel plug in hybrid and mild hybrid 48-volt options on all models," Volvo said. "This means that there will in future be no Volvo cars without an electric motor."

The world's population of electric cars passed the 2 million mark last year, with sales up 60 percent compared to 2015.

More European nations are looking to increase the adoption of zero-emission vehicles. The Netherlands is aiming to become the first country to ban the sale of all gas-powered cars, while Norway has been considering a proposal where "all new private cars, buses and light commercial vehicles" to be zero-emission from 2025.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company offers general purpose servers for multi-workload computing and workload-optimized servers; HPE ProLiant rack and tower servers; HPE BladeSystem and HPE Synergy; and solutions for secondary workloads and traditional tape, storage networking, and disk products, such as HPE Modular Storage Arrays and HPE XP. It also offers HPE Apollo and Cray products; and HPE Superdome Flex, HPE Nonstop, HPE Integrity, and HPE Edgeline products. In addition, the company provides HPE Aruba product portfolio that includes wired and wireless local area network hardware products, such as Wi-Fi access points, switches, routers, and sensors; HPE Aruba software and services comprising cloud-based management, network management, network access control, analytics and assurance, and location; and professional and support services, as well as as-a-service and consumption models for the intelligent edge portfolio of products. Further, it offers various leasing, financing, IT consumption, and utility programs and asset management services for customers to facilitate technology deployment models and the acquisition of complete IT solutions, including hardware, software, and services from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and others. Additionally, the company invests in communications and media solutions. It has a partnership with Striim, Inc. to offer high performance and mission-critical solutions with real-time analytics. It serves commercial and large enterprise groups, such as business and public sector enterprises; and through various partners comprising resellers, distribution partners, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors, systems integrators, and advisory firms. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
NextEra Energy, Inc. is the largest electric utility holding company in the US. It operates a network of power generation and distribution facilities that include fossil-fuel-generated and green energy. As of mid-2022, the company was capable of generating 58 GW of electricity with nearly 60% of the load produced by green sources including wind and solar. In their view, going green isnt an option, its the solution. NextEra Energy has been recognized multiple times as a leader in clean energy and ESG practices and was ranked the #1 electric and gas utility on the Forbes list of Most Admired Companies.

The company is the result of several mergers that begin with FPL Group. FPL Group is now a subsidiary of NextEra Energy and the third-largest provider of electricity in the US servicing nearly half of Florida. FPL and its affiliates are the single largest provider of renewable energy generated from wind and sun. The group changed its name in 2010 following a decision to shift focus onto renewable energy sources.

Today, NextEra Energy, Inc through its subsidiary FPL serves about 12 million people in eastern and southwestern Florida. The company employs nearly 14,900 people who service 5.8 million accounts. The company is in business to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to retail and wholesale clients. Electricity is generated through wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal-fired facilities.

The company is also engaged in the construction and operation of new facilities, specifically renewable power generation, storage, and delivery facilities, and can offer custom solutions tailored to any need. Offerings include tailored services to assist businesses with their transition to clean energy.

NextEra Energy also owns and operates 7 nuclear power stations in Florida, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin generating power for the wholesale market.

Unlike other companies that are targeting net-zero emissions, NextEra Energy has a plan to reach real zero and is investing heavily to reach that goal by 2045. The company had invested nearly $50 billion in green energy infrastructure and initiatives by mid-2022. The plan is to first work on reducing its own emissions and then take its knowledge and expertise to the world.
The following companies are subsidiares of Whirlpool: 1900 Holdings Corporation, ADC, Aeradriatica S.p.A., Airdun Limited, B. Blend Maquinas e Bebidas S.A., BUD Comercio de Eletrodomesticos Ltda., BWI Products Limited, Bauknecht AG, Bauknecht Hausgerate GmbH, Bauknecht Limited, Beijing Embraco Snowflake Compressor Company Limited, Bill Page Orchestra, Bill Page Orchestra Inc., Brasmotor S.A., Brunson Place Properties, Brunson Place Properties LLC, CNB Consultoria Ltda, Cannon Industries Ltd., Centro de Desarrollo Tecnologico e Innovacion WHM S. de R.L de C.V., Comercial Acros Whirlpool, Comercial Acros Whirlpool S. de R.L. de C.V., Consumer Appliances Service Limited, Ealing Compania de Gestiones y Participaciones S.A., Elera Delaware, Elera Delaware Inc., Elera Holdings Corporation, Embraco Europe S.r.l., Embraco Eurosales S.r.l., Embraco Industria de Compressores e Solucoes em Refrigeracao Ltda., Embraco Luxembourg S.a r.l., Embraco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Embraco Mexico Servicios, Embraco Mexico Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Embraco North America, Embraco North America Inc., Embraco RUS LLC, Embraco Slovakia S.r.o., Everest Campus, Everest Campus LLC., General Domestic Appliances Holdings Ltd, General Domestic Appliances International Ltd., Guangdong Whirlpool Electrical Appliances Co., Guangdong Whirlpool Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd., Haceb Whirlpool Industrias S.A.S., Hefei Rongshida Sanyo Electric, Hefei Whirlpool Enterprise Management Service Co. Ltd., Hoover Comercial Limitada, IRE Beteiligungs GmbH, Indesit Argentina S.A., Indesit Company, Indesit Company Beyaz Esya Pazarlama A.S., Indesit Company Beyaz Esya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Indesit Company Ceska S.r.o., Indesit Company Domestic Appliances Hellas Mepe, Indesit Company International Business S.A., Indesit Company Luxembourg S.A., Indesit Company Magyarorszag Kft, Indesit Company Nordics AB, Indesit Company Polska Sp. zo.o., Indesit Company Singapore Pte. Ltd., Indesit Company UK Holdings Ltd., Indesit IP S.r.l., Indesit International ZAO, Indesit Ireland Ltd., Indesit Middle East FZE, Indesit Ukraine LLC, Industrias Acros Whirlpool S. de R.L. de C.V., Industrias Acros Whirlpool S.A. de C.V, Jackson Appliances Ltd., Joint-Stock Company Indesit International, KitchenAid, KitchenAid Australia Pty Ltd, KitchenAid Australia Pty Ltd., KitchenAid Delaware Inc., KitchenAid Europa Inc., KitchenAid Global, KitchenAid Global Inc., KitchenAid Inc., KitchenAid Korea Limited, KitchenAid Promotions, KitchenAid Promotions LLC, KitchenAid Trading Co., KitchenAid Trading Co. Ltd., LAWSA S.A., MLOG Armazem Geral Ltda., Maytag Corporation, Maytag Limited, Maytag Properties, Maytag Properties LLC, Maytag Sales, Maytag Sales Inc., Maytag Worldwide N.V., Merloni Domestic Appliances Ltd., Nineteen Hundred Corporation, Polar S.A., Qingdao EECON Electronic Controls and Appliances Co., Qingdao EECON Electronic Controls and Appliances Co. Ltd., South American Sales Partnership, THC Assets Corporation, Up Points Servicos Empresariais S.A., Vitromatic S.A. de C.V., WCGP Nova Scotia Co., WHirlpool EMEA Finanace S.a r.l., Whirlpool (Australia) Pty. Limited, Whirlpool (B.V.I.) Limited, Whirlpool (China) Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (China) Investment Co., Whirlpool (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (Hefei) Trading Co., Whirlpool (Hefei) Trading Co. Ltd, Whirlpool (Hong Kong) Limited, Whirlpool (Japan) Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (Thailand) Limited, Whirlpool ASEAN Co., Whirlpool America Holdings Corp., Whirlpool Argentina S.r.l., Whirlpool Asia B.V., Whirlpool Asia Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Asia Inc., Whirlpool Asia LLP, Whirlpool Belux N.V./S.A., Whirlpool Bermuda Euro Ltd., Whirlpool Beyaz Esya Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S., Whirlpool Bulgaria Ltd., Whirlpool CIS Ltd., Whirlpool CR, Whirlpool CR spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool CSA Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Canada Co., Whirlpool Canada Co. (post 9/1/05 amalgamation company), Whirlpool Canada Holding Co, Whirlpool Canada Holding Co. (post 4/18/06 amalgamation company), Whirlpool Canada Investments S.a r.l., Whirlpool Canada LP, Whirlpool Canada Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Chile Limitada, Whirlpool Colombia S.A.S., Whirlpool Comercial Ltda., Whirlpool Company Polska Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Company Ukraine LLC, Whirlpool Croatia Ltd., Whirlpool EMEA S.p.A., Whirlpool Ecuador S.A., Whirlpool Eesti OU, Whirlpool El Salvador, Whirlpool El Salvador S.A. de C.V., Whirlpool Electrodomesticos S.A., Whirlpool Eletrodomesticos AM S.A., Whirlpool Enterprises, Whirlpool Enterprises LLC, Whirlpool Europe B.V., Whirlpool Europe Coordination Center, Whirlpool Europe Holdings Limited, Whirlpool Ev Aletleri Pazarlama Ve Ticaret A.S., Whirlpool Finance B.V., Whirlpool Finance Center Corp., Whirlpool Finance Luxembourg S.a r.l., Whirlpool Finance Overseas Ltd., Whirlpool Financial Corporation, Whirlpool Financial Corporation International, Whirlpool Floor Care Corp., Whirlpool France Holdings SAS, Whirlpool France SAS, Whirlpool Germany GmbH, Whirlpool Global B.V., Whirlpool Global Investments B.V., Whirlpool Greater China Inc., Whirlpool Guatemala, Whirlpool Guatemala S.A., Whirlpool Hellas S.A., Whirlpool Holdings Corporation, Whirlpool Home Appliances B.V., Whirlpool Home Appliances Limited Liability Company, Whirlpool Hungarian Trading Limited Liability Company, Whirlpool India Holdings Limited, Whirlpool Insurance Company, Whirlpool Insurance Company Ltd., Whirlpool Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Whirlpool International GmbH, Whirlpool International Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool International Manufacturing S.a r.l., Whirlpool Ireland Appliances Limited, Whirlpool Ireland Limited, Whirlpool Italia Holdings S.r.l., Whirlpool Italia S.r.l., Whirlpool Japan Co. Ltd., Whirlpool Japan Inc., Whirlpool Kazakhstan LLP, Whirlpool Latin America Corporation, Whirlpool Latvia S.I.A., Whirlpool Lietuva UAB, Whirlpool Ltd Belgrade, Whirlpool Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg Ventures S.a r.l., Whirlpool MEEA DMCC, Whirlpool Magyarorszag Kereskedelmi Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Whirlpool Management Services S.a.g.l., Whirlpool Maroc S. a r.l., Whirlpool Mauritius Limited, Whirlpool Mexico Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Whirlpool Mexico S.A. de C.V., Whirlpool Mexico Ventures LLC, Whirlpool Microwave Products Development Limited, Whirlpool NAAG Holdings Corporation, Whirlpool NAR Holdings, Whirlpool NAR Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Nederland B.V., Whirlpool Nordic, Whirlpool Nordic A/S, Whirlpool Nordic AB, Whirlpool Nordic AS, Whirlpool Nordic OY, Whirlpool Oceania Inc., Whirlpool Overseas Holdings, Whirlpool Overseas Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Overseas Hong Kong Limited, Whirlpool Overseas Manufacturing S.ar.l., Whirlpool Peru S.R.L., Whirlpool Polska Appliances Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Polska Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Portugal, Whirlpool Portugal S.A., Whirlpool Product Development (Shenzhen) Company Limited, Whirlpool Properties, Whirlpool Properties Inc., Whirlpool Puntana S.A., Whirlpool R&D S.r.l., Whirlpool RUS LLC, Whirlpool Realty Corporation, Whirlpool Romania S.r.l., Whirlpool S.A., Whirlpool SSC Limited, Whirlpool Slovakia Home Appliances spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool Slovakia spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Whirlpool Southeast Asia Pte, Whirlpool Sweden Aktiebolag, Whirlpool Taiwan Co. Ltd., Whirlpool Technologies LLC, Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited, Whirlpool UK Pension Scheme Trustee Limited, Whirlpool Ukraine LLC, Whirlpool WW Holdings B.V., Whirlpool do Brasil Investements B.V., Whirlpool do Brasil Ltda., Whirlpool of India Limited, Whirlpool Osterreich GmbH, Whirlpool Osterreich GmbH, Xpelair, Xpelair Ltd., Yummly, Yummly Canada Ltd., and Yummly Inc..

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Photo: Bob Charlton/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Image

Dear Polly,

I am 40, single, living in a city (Miami) where I have no friends or family. I moved here two years ago for what appeared to be a great job opportunity. But the reality hasnt been so hot.

Most of my co-workers are from Latin America, and prefer to speak Spanish among themselves  naturally! I do not blame them for this at all. But for me, it means there are all kinds of conversations going on that I cant understand, much less participate in. For instance, HR organized an event outside of work at which everyone spoke Spanish. I stood off by myself, clutching my drink, until it felt like Id been there long enough and could escape. This is one specific case, but the language barrier means I feel isolated and alienated at work on an almost daily basis.

Outside of work, the language problem continues. I have gone to, for example, Meetup things where, again, Spanish is the dominant language. How do you make friends in this situation? It is also somehow really alienating when you have no idea what people are talking about at the grocery store, or out on the street.

The obvious answer is to take Spanish classes, which I did for a year. Every Saturday was spent in class, learning. But I have a job to do at work, which I cannot do in Spanish. And the idea of breaking into someone elses casual conversation with my broken Spanish is not appealing (read: horrifying). So my Spanish has not improved. I am frustrated with myself about this since living in Miami is a great chance to learn a language spoken by hundreds of millions of people. Why cant I just buck up, put on my big-girl panties, and deal?

And the job has not turned into the opportunity I had hoped for. My budget was canceled shortly after I started. Late last year, a project I was working on went really, really badly. Ive been in this field for five years, and never had such a disaster happen. This is the first and only project Ive actually been given that has been a total flop. Why would anyone at this company promote me? And the career potential is why I left behind friends and a stable job for Miami.

On top of that, I make the same pay I had in a much cheaper city, while my rent doubled and car insurance tripled. Stupidly, I didnt research the cost of living until late in the hiring process. When I brought up the difference between Miami and the city I was in, the recruiter told me it was too late to negotiate the point. I decided to bet on the Miami job leading to bigger/better things.

So I am 40, single, friendless, effectively making much less money, and failing at the job I moved here for. Im struggling to keep a positive attitude  I am snarky and judgmental, and catch myself criticizing others in a harsh way for stupid things (like what they are wearing). This is all internal, of course, since I dont have anyone to talk to. I have to fight a general attitude of What the fuck is the point? about work. The frustration builds up so much some days that not even a good sweat session at the gym (surrounded by people talking in Spanish) releases it completely.

How do I release the frustration? How do I accept that I made a huge mistake moving to Miami, and just need to fix it now by moving and/or finding a new job? How do I force myself to study Spanish seriously? How do I just let go, accept the lessons gained from all of these mistakes, and move on to the next step?

Another Neurotic Middle-aged Woman

Dear Neurotic Middle-aged Woman,

Start by forgiving yourself. You took on a giant adventure at age 38, and had no idea how it would turn out. My guess is that even if you quit your job and move away youll still end up happier than you wouldve been if you never tried out something new. So its important to stop defining this chapter of your life as a failure simply because you werent christened a rising star and rewarded with a circle of adoring friends. There are dead ends along the way for everyone. The most important thing is that you integrate this dead end into your wider understanding of yourself and your life: You were brave enough to take a big risk and throw yourself into a new environment. You continued to work hard at your job. You threw yourself into learning Spanish. You kept exercising like crazy. You kept going to work events where it was incredibly difficult to talk to anyone. These are things that half of the people reading this right now could never, in a million years, have pulled off. We wouldve been crying into our hands at the end of the second week, and back on a plane home after three months.

So cut yourself some slack. Learning conversational Spanish overnight is not exactly a walk in the park, and immediately using it to make a bunch of friends sounds beyond difficult. Im not saying it cant be done, but Jesus, youre not 18 and this isnt a hostel in Barcelona inhabited by drunk young people anxious to interact with linguistically challenged strangers. Youve walked into an established scene as an outsider who cant communicate. I cannot fucking imagine. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about it. So what if you made mistakes or didnt have the energy to spend every last one of your lonely moments studying Spanish? Youve felt lonely and disappointed and overwhelmed. You cant possibly expect yourself to be firing on all pistons under those circumstances. Your first goal right now is to forgive yourself, every hour of every day, until youre no longer reflexively beating yourself up over this choice.

Whats crazy about overachievers who take big risks but who are also neurotic is that we expect ourselves to FIND A SOLUTION using our minds instead of allowing our feelings to tell us what should come next. Slowing down to feel your feelings doesnt mean not exercising, which you know manages to keep you afloat moodwise. It doesnt even mean giving up on learning Spanish. It just means not lambasting yourself every second for all of your so-called mistakes, and instead making some room for yourself to feel where you are without judging it badly.

How you feel right now isnt your fault. Its natural to feel the way you feel. Let yourself be where you are.

When you stop beating yourself up and you stop trying to decide a new path (which only leads you in tight little circles like an overexcited dog) and you just feel what you feel, youll find that its much easier to make good decisions. Youll get upset about something, but because youre feeling it completely instead of pushing it away and bellowing GET BACK TO WORK, YOU FAILURE, you will be able to follow your instincts for a change. Instead of saying to yourself, KEEP MOVING, STOP BEING SUCH A MESS! youll ask yourself what you need to go forward. And youll be able to ask other people for what you need, too.

I think you might have a problem with acknowledging your own needs and also asserting your needs with other people. When you say that you asked for more money once you realized how expensive it was in Miami, and the recruiter told you it was too late, that made me wonder if youre good at advocating for yourself. (Also, does a good recruiter send you off to a low-paying job in a place you will never be able to afford to live?) Sensitive women who work their asses off and dont feel their feelings enough tend to have a lot of trouble standing up for themselves in work situations. Were hyperalert to social cues, we want to succeed, and we want to make sure that were viewed as valuable. But because were ambitious weve often been told that were bossy and arrogant, simply because were women, and many, many humans are unaccustomed to confident successful, independent women.

So were always paranoid about being bitchy. We ignore our own feelings and we try to ignore other peoples feelings, too, to compensate. And yet, were also trying to please everyone. I dont need to tell you what a shitshow this is.

I dont think it takes a massive amount of dysfunction to land in this place as a woman, either. Just yesterday I realized that anytime someone asks me for something, the very first thing I think is, How can I move worlds to make this happen? It doesnt matter if its a friend, a professional associate, or a complete stranger. I dont ask myself, Does this make sense to do? Do I have time for this? Does this work for me? How do I feel about this? I just start moving things around on my to-do list to fit in this new thing. And yesterday I was being asked to basically take a day off from my one big vacation of the year to do something career-related. And even though I wasnt being pressured, even though Id already promised myself that I would not, under any circumstances, fuck with my vacation, I sprang into motion, looking into changing my flights. And then I took my frustration over not being capable of giving a hard no and holding my ground and honoring my own feelings over someone elses, and I poured it into one line in one email from this associate that stuck in my craw.

Sometimes when Im conflicted, I get fixated on small things. I cant let them go. Someone makes a false claim, and Im immediately copying lines from past emails and inserting them into new emails and Im writing things like, AS YOU CAN SEE I TOLD YOU THIS LITERALLY SECONDS AGO. As a young guest at the Paradise Hotel once put it, I got some lawyer in me. So my self-neglect becomes this absurd moment of If youll turn to page 35 of document 7A and read the line highlighted at the bottom, I think youll discover that YOU ARE FLAT-OUT WRONG, MOTHERFUCKER! But when I stop and ask myself, where did my fucking day go? Why does this matter so much? what I discover is that my anger lies in my inability to stand up for what I care about. I dont care if busy people skim their emails, not really. I just dont want to fuck up my vacation. I just need to learn to stand up for my own needs without needing to be furious or in crisis to do it.

I know this sounds like its a far cry from your situation, but its in the same ballpark with being paralyzed by regret and anger at yourself. Knowing how you feel and being able to stand up for how you feel instead of defining yourself as a fuck-up and a judgmental bitch is pretty much essential to every woman, and its particularly essential if you want to enter middle age without constantly hating yourself for not having arrived in some magical place by now.

This is part of why I tell people to accept that a lot of people will see them as a bitch no matter what they do. But its also why a lot of us are bitches when we dont really need to be. When you know that youre capable of clear boundaries, when you know whats important to you, when you know what you deserve, you can be clear and even be vulnerable with other people. Vulnerability no longer means either Ill agree to whatever you need or Ill rip you a new asshole for not magically giving me exactly what I havent said that I want. Vulnerability is just you being human and saying, This is what I need. You might not be able to give it to me, and I understand, but this is my hard limit.

I have never liked hard limits in any realm. I associate them with rigidity and stubbornness. I like to see myself as accommodating. But the truth is that Im way too accommodating, to my own detriment. I need to assert what I want without always apologizing for it. I need to know how I feel, so I can use that information to establish boundaries that work for me.

I really think youre punishing yourself at this point by staying in Miami. Instead of caring for yourself and honoring your feelings and allowing yourself to take a new path based on those feelings, youre still trying to LEARN SPANISH MORE QUICKLY. This is making you angry at other people and thats making it almost impossible to make new friends. No matter what you do next, you have to honor your feelings and give yourself more credit for working so hard to get to this point.

Youre so hard on yourself. Give yourself a break. Savor your time in Miami now. Slack off at work a little, if you have to. Take your time looking into new jobs and new places. Be truly, completely good to yourself, which includes consistently quieting the voice that says youre a loser and a failure, and replacing it with a new voice: You are so brave. Look at how much youre learning, every day.

I know thats the hardest thing to do. But thats where your happiness lies. Not in a place or in a job, but in that good feeling inside your heart that says, I am doing my best. I took a big risk and I floundered but Im still trying so hard, and thats a beautiful thing, maybe even more beautiful than sailing across some imaginary finish line. There is promise in this false start. Forgive yourself and be here. Forgive yourself and breathe this in. Youll never be right here, feeling this way, again. Forgive yourself and savor this.

Polly

Order the Ask Polly book, How to Be a Person in the World, here. Got a question for Polly? Email askpolly@nymag.com. Her advice column will appear here every Wednesday.

All letters to askpolly@nymag.com become the property of Ask Polly and New York Media LLC and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.
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Its early July and theres a flurry of posters and postcards hitting the streets: it must be time for the Toronto Fringe Festival.

This year, that means 160 shows, approximately 1,200 artists and 12 days of events across the city, from staple venues to site-specific locations to the all-new Fringe Club at Scadding Court.

We know: thats intimidating. So for this weeks Wednesday Matinee column, weve cherry-picked seven shows that shouldnt be missed this festival, starting Wednesday and running to July 16.

The Seat Next to the King

Steven Elliot Jacksons drama won the 2017 Fringe New Play Contest, earning it a spot in this years festival with some fine company  previous winners have included work by Kat Sandler and the theatrical juggernaut Kims Convenience by Ins Choi (receiving its New York City premiere this month). Jacksons play, directed by Tanisha Taitt, takes place in a public washroom in 1964 Washington, D.C., between two men: one white and one black, both looking for some intimacy at a time that was fraught with political, racial, sexual and gender tension. (Huh, sound familiar?)

From Minmar Gaslight Productions, Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, 16 Ryerson Ave.

Shakespeares Ghostbusters

We know, we know. Weve all heard too much about Ghostbusters remakes/updates/spinoffs lately. But this one is sure to be less controversial than the recent Hollywood blockbuster, with a creative team comprised of some serious comedic heavyweights. Kerry Griffin, Marcel St. Pierre and Ralph MacLeod are the founders of beloved improv company Bad Dog Theatre, and Rob Hawke and Gord Oxley are behind the sketch comedy team Fast n Dirty. Last years chainsaw slasher take on Romeo and Juliet was a fan favourite, so we imagine a Bard-inspired tale with 80s nostalgia is perfectly poised to be the show to book early.

From the Coincidence Men, Tarragon Theatre Mainspace, 30 Bridgman Ave.

Ten Creative Ways to Dispose of Your Cremains

Rose Napoli is a name to watch out for in indie theatre, whether shes on the cast list or behind the scenes as the playwright. In Ten Creative Ways to Dispose of Your Cremains, fortunately, shes both. Napoli penned this millennial love letter  a two-hander with one of indie theatres best leading men, Jakob Ehman, which was shortlisted for this years Fringe New Play Contest  following her last hit, Oregano. Directing is Carly Chamberlain, who gave a 2016 SummerWorks highlight, Plucked, a strong base in humour, quirk and intelligence. This is one of the Fringes most intriguing artistic trios.

From Rhea/Neoteny Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace, 16 Ryerson Ave.

Maddies Karaoke Birthday Party

With the buzz is still surrounding Come From Away, hopefully Torontonians will show up to support Fringe musicals like never before (usually the starting point for so many shows that go on to bigger and bigger stages). This one, about a group waiting for their friend to arrive at her own birthday party, has a lot of potential. It was created by Barbara Johnston and Suzy Wilde (of previous Fringe hits Summerland and The Fence), along with director Byron Laviolette (best known for directing Morro and Jasp productions), and features performances by some stunning voices like Erica Peck and Jeigh Madjus.

From Charcoal Sketch Productions, Monarch Tavern, 12 Clinton St.

Nasty

This five-letter word has so many connotations in 2017. And this multidisciplinary piece appeals to all kinds of them. Nasty portrays various wicked women from across history and myth (think anyone from Lilith to a former presidential candidate) as they tell their own stories, featuring a stacked cast of 13 women, trans and genderfluid artists like Heath V. Salazar (This Is the August in last years SummerWorks Festival), Kit Boulter, Denise Norman, Shai Tannyan, Uche Ama and Joelle Crichton. Grab your pink toques and march toward this show.

From Maelstrom Art Collective, Annex Theatre, 736 Bathurst St.

Universal Horrors

Victoria, B.C., is probably the most relaxing, idyllic island city in Canada, but dance company Broken Rhythms is revealing the horror beneath. In UniversalHorrors, this innovative group of performers brings to life classic horror monsters from the 1930s, 40s and 50s  all the favourites like Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman and more  with music and projections to bring these cherished villains to life. This ones for anyone who thinks the mood gets a little too cheerful in Toronto summers.

From Broken Rhythms Victoria Society, Randolph Theatre, 736 Bathurst St.

The Clergy Project

Having a trio of religious leaders in the same room can be taken as the set-up for an out-of-date joke or the start of a major feud. But since this is the Fringe, SOULO Theatres The Clergy Project, directed by Tracey Erin Smith, brings together Father Daniel Brereton, Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Reverend Shawn Newton to discuss faith, humanity and life in a judgment-free zone. More conversations like this, please.

From SOULO Theatre, Narayever Synagogue, 187 Brunswick Ave.

See fringetoronto.com for dates and times for all these and other Fringe shows.

Carly Maga is a Toronto Star theatre critic. She alternates the Wednesday Matinee column with critic Karen Fricker.

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HALIFAXCanadas top general has condemned the actions of a group of Armed Forces members who disrupted a spiritual event on Canada Day marking the suffering of Indigenous Peoples at a statue of Halifaxs controversial founder, Edward Cornwallis.

Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff, called the incident deplorable and said the men will be removed from training and duties while the incident is investigated.

On Saturday, the group of men were clad in black polo shirts with yellow piping  one of them carrying a Red Ensign Flag  as they approached singing God Save the Queen, one Mikmaq organizer said. The Canadian Red Ensign, which bears the Union Jack in the corner, was the national flag until it was replaced by the Maple Leaf design in 1965.

The men said they were members of the Proud Boys, a self-declared group of Western Chauvinists.

Cornwallis, as governor of Nova Scotia, founded Halifax in 1749, and soon after issued a bounty on Mikmaq scalps in response to an attack on colonists. His legacy has become controversial, with debate recently over the use of his name on buildings, street signs and parks.

In a statement Tuesday night, Vance was the latest official to offer an apology to the Indigenous community, adding that the actions of the men certainly do not represent the broader group of proud women and men who serve our country.

I detest any action by a Canadian Armed Forces member that is intended to show disrespect towards the very people and cultures we value in Canada, Vance said. We are the nations protectors, and any member of the Canadian Armed Forces who is not prepared to be the defender we need them to be will face severe consequences, including release from the Forces.

Earlier Tuesday, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said there will be consequences for military personnel who express intolerance while in  or out  of uniform.

Read more:

Torontos Indigenous activists raise awareness at Canada Day picnic

For Indigenous people in Manitoba, Canada Day has mixed reactions

Symbols will not meet Trudeaus goal of Indigenous reconciliation: Harper

Sajjan also apologized to Halifaxs Mikmaq community and Chief Grizzly Mamma, who took part in the ceremony, for the pain this incident has caused.

I know my words cannot undo the disrespect that was shown to you and your community. I know our government has much more work to do with respect to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, he said in a statement.

But I want to give you my personal assurance that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated within the ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence.

The commander of Canadas East Coast Navy confirmed that six members of the military, including members of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian army and a member of a cadet organization, were involved.

I told the young people they had crossed a line where their personal beliefs, their personal ideology  which they are allowed to have  got into the public domain, Rear Admiral John Newton, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, told reporters at a news conference in Halifax.

Their personal beliefs, whether religious, political or white supremacy, whatever the Proud Boys represent, its not a shared value of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Newton said he received complaints from Aboriginal friends, and there was a considerable outcry from serving members of the Forces.

I apologize for the actions of my young sailors, and ... I hope that those young people will find a moment to make their own apologies in due course.

A video of the incident at the Cornwallis statue shows five men interacting with spectators at the ceremony.

This is a British colony, one of the men says in the video. Youre recognizing the heritage and so are we.

In the video, one of the spectators appears to hold an upside-down Canadian flag, which someone implies has been marked with the word decolonize.

Asked if the group is associated with an organization, one of the men in the video says, The Proud Boys, Maritime chapter.

The Proud Boys Canadian Chapters Facebook page says they are a fraternal organization of Western Chauvinists who will no longer apologize for creating the modern world and do not discriminate on the basis of race or sexuality.

A witness to the interaction says the men kept their voices down as the ceremony continued and left after about 10 minutes.

A person close to one of the individuals involved in the incident, who agreed to speak to The Canadian Press on the condition that their identity not be revealed, said the men were on a pub crawl on Saturday.

One was carrying the old Red Ensign to celebrate Canadas 150th anniversary when they passed by the Cornwallis statue and noticed an upside-down Canadian flag with black markings, the person said.

The men did not intend to provoke people at the gathering, the person said, but were trying to peacefully defend the flag they fight for.

The person said the man they know doesnt hold hateful views and is no longer associated with The Proud Boys. The man was acting out of character due to a combination of youth and intoxication, they said, and he deeply regrets the incident, but believes the army is taking appropriate action.

Rebecca Moore, who participated in Saturdays ceremony, said in an interview Monday that the military shouldnt tolerate the mens behaviour, adding that it was far from an isolated incident.

Its military men coming and disturbing Indigenous women doing a ceremony, said Moore. That is like a story since the beginning of them landing here.

The military has to say, They dont represent us.

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The lawyer for the widow of an American soldier killed in Afghanistan said Tuesday they have filed an application so that any money paid by the Canadian government to a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner convicted of killing him will go toward the widow and another U.S. soldier injured.

Lawyer Don Winder made the comments as a decision by the Canadian government to apologize and give millions of dollars to Omar Khadr came under mounting criticism.

An official familiar with the deal said Tuesday that Khadr will receive $10 million. The official was not authorized to discuss the deal publicly before the announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. The government and Khadrs lawyers negotiated the deal last month.

Read more:

Khadr to get apology, compensation over $10M as lawsuit settled

In the U.K., terror-plotters get life not millions of dollars: DiManno

Odious or overdue: Reports of Omar Khadr settlement draw sharply different reactions

The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected Al Qaeda compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of an American special forces medic, U.S. army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer and injury of Sgt. Layne Morris, who lost an eye. Khadr, who was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer, was taken to Guantanamo and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.

He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentenced to eight years plus the time he had already spent in custody. He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress.

The widow of Speer and Morris filed a wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in 2014 fearing Khadr might get his hands on money from his $20 million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit. A U.S. judge granted $134.2 million in damages in 2015.

Winder, a Salt Lake City-based attorney for Speer and Morris, said they filed an application a few weeks ago in Canada to make that judgment enforceable in Canada. It has yet to be heard.

We will be proceeding with that application and trying to make sure that if he gets money it goes to the widow of Sgt. Speer and Layne Morris for the loss of an eye, Winder told The Associated Press.

Winder said they thought it was likely there might be some payment for his wrongful interment in Guantanamo.

Khadrs lawyers filed a $20 million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against the Canadian government, arguing the government violated international law by not protecting its own citizen and conspired with the U.S. in its abuse of Khadr. Khadr spent 10 years in Guantanamo Bay. His case received international attention after some dubbed him a child soldier.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2010 that Canadian intelligence officials obtained evidence from Khadr under oppressive circumstances, such as sleep deprivation, during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and then shared that evidence with U.S officials.

Khadr was the youngest and last Western detainee held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The news of the government giving millions to someone who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. soldier has not gone over well among conservatives in Canada.

Odious. Confessed terrorist who assembled & planted the same kind of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) that killed 97 Canadians to be given $10 million, former Conservative Minister Jason Kenney tweeted said. Kenney added that Khadr should be in prison paying of his crimes, not profiting from them as the expenses of Canadian taxpayers.

Conservative party Parliament member Tony Clement urged Khadr to give any settlement money to the widow and children of the American soldier he was accused of killing in Afghanistan. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation started an online petition aimed at Trudeau, deploring the deal.

But Former Liberal leader Bob Rae tweeted that compensation was long overdue.

Canadian Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to confirm the apology and money when asked about in Ireland on Tuesday but didnt deny it. There is a judicial process underway that has been underway for a number of years now and we are anticipating, like I think a number of people are, that that judicial process is coming to its conclusion, Trudeau said.

Scott Bardsley, a spokesperson for Canadas public safety minister, also confirmed there is an ongoing court process in the case.

Settlement processes are always strictly confidential by nature. Accordingly, the Government is not in a position to provide any comment one way or another, Bardsley said in an email.

Khadrs lawyers have long said he was pushed into war by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, whose family stayed with Osama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy. Khadrs Egyptian-born father was killed in 2003 when a Pakistani military helicopter shelled the house where he was staying with senior Al Qaeda operatives.

After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Omar Khadr apologized to the families of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in health care. He currently resides in an apartment in Edmonton, Alberta.

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HALIFAXAn organizer of the Indigenous ceremony in Halifax that was disrupted by members of the Armed Forces says she is glad the military has apologized but she also wants a public acknowledgment that much of the East Coast is unceded Mikmaq territory.

More than an apology, I need that education out there, Rebecca Moore, a member of Nova Scotias Pictou Landing First Nation, said Wednesday.

That needs to be well known. That needs to be broadcast loud and clear by the Canadian Armed Forces. They need to make sure that their employees are well aware of that to avoid future conflicts like this.

Read more:

Two Navy members involved in confrontation at Indigenous ceremony on Canada Day

Canadas top general apologizes for incident at Indigenous ceremony

Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of the defence staff, said late Tuesday that the Forces members involved will be removed from training and duties while the military conducts an investigation.

He added that the members future with the Forces is certainly in doubt.

On Saturday, five young Forces members dressed in black polo shirts, carrying the old Red Ensign flag, and singing God Save the Queen approached the ceremony, where a crowd had gathered to mourn the loss of life associated with European colonization. The ceremony was being held at the foot of a statue of British military man Edward Cornwallis, a former governor of Nova Scotia and the founder of Halifax in 1749.

A tense but non-violent confrontation lasted for about 10 minutes, as the men took issue with assertions from organizers that they were interrupting a sacred rite on Mikmaq territory.

This is Canada, one of the men said, his comments captured on a cellphone video posted on social media. It might have been Mikmaq territory.

The men said they were members of the Proud Boys, a self-declared group of Western Chauvinists who say they are tired of apologizing for creating the modern world.

Moore said the interruption was inexcusable.

We wouldnt go up and interrupt a Remembrance Day parade for people mourning their fallen soldiers, she said. Its the same thing. It was disgraceful.

In an interview with CBC News Wednesday, Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes said the five did not disrupt the Halifax ceremony, and only intended to check out what he described as an anti-Canada rally. He said he has posted a petition defending the five men, and hoped to fly to Halifax to present it to military brass.

As a Canadian Im embarrassed, said McInnes, the Canadian co-founder of Vice magazine. These guys are being pilloried for doing their jobs.

The federal government and the head of the Canadian Armed Forces had made it clear late Tuesday that the actions of the five men were unacceptable.

I detest any action by a Canadian Armed Forces member that is intended to show disrespect towards the very people and cultures we value in Canada, said Vance.

What happened in Halifax over the weekend is deplorable ... The members involved will be removed from training and duties while we conduct an investigation and review the circumstances. Their future in the military is certainly in doubt.

Vance also issued an apology to Indigenous people, as did Rear Admiral John Newton, the commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic.

The Department of National Defence issued a brief statement Wednesday, confirming that military police have started an investigation.

The bottom line is that Indigenous people are core members of the defence team and deserve to be celebrated as such, department spokesperson Daniel Le Bouthillier said in an emailed statement.

The defence team works hard to foster a diverse, inclusive organization and will continue these efforts to ensure a respectful, dignified environment for all Canadians.

Le Bouthillier said he could not comment on Moores suggestion that the department provide military members with more education about the Peace and Friendship Treaties, signed between the British and Mikmaq and Maliseet nations in the Maritimes between 1725 and 1761.

Under these historic agreements, the Mikmaq and the Maliseet agreed to certain trade and political alliances with the Crown, but the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed in 1999 that they did not surrender any rights to lands or resources. As a result, these First Nations maintain that they hold Indigenous rights and title throughout their traditional territory.

We did not surrender our territory, Moore said in an interview. We are not a conquered people. This is unceded Mikmaq territory to this day ... I would love for the defence minister of Canada to say that  to say that to his employees so they know that.

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A former senior director with Ontarios dentist watchdog has filed a $1-million wrongful dismissal suit against her former employer and its registrar alleging a systemic culture of harassment and workplace bullying that involves conflict of interest and sexual harassment toward staff.

Rene Brewer, a lawyer who oversaw the internal insurance arm of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario between 2011 and January 2017, alleges in a statement of claim that college registrar Irwin Fefergrad created a toxic culture including oppressive or problematic internal policies and ethical breaches by senior (college) staff.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Fefergrad declined interview requests. A written statement from college lawyer Thomas Gorsky, who also declined to be interviewed, said the college takes its obligations to its employees, members and the public extremely seriously.

We and our client are satisfied that the allegations in the claim are wholly without merit, and the college will be vigorously defending the claim, the statement said.

Last year, the college ruled on 415 formal complaints against dentists, according to its 2016 annual report. Of those, 10 were referred to the disciplinary committee for action. The overwhelming majority resulted in no action, advice and recommendations, a caution or continuing education training.

The college has two branches intended to serve different constituencies, according to Brewers claim. The insurance program, known as the Professional Liability Program (PLP), provides members with protection and support when facing malpractice and negligence claims. It was designed, in the 1970s, principally to serve and protect dentists. The rest of the college, Brewers claim states, performs a regulatory role to protect the public.

In her claim, Brewer alleges conflict of interest within the college because staff investigating patient complaints of misconduct by dentists routinely shared information with staff in the colleges professional insurance arm, which operates a $24.4-million reserve for defending dentists facing malpractice suits.

Typically, medical professionals have liability insurance through an organization that is separate from their regulatory bodys public interest investigations arm. Physicians in Canada, for example, are insured for malpractice through an independent organization called the Canadian Medical Protective Association.

The dentists college acknowledges on its website that some dentists are still skeptical that their communications with PLP (the Professional Liability Program) are not somehow transmitted to college staff who review public complaints and perform disciplinary action.

PLP staff have a legal, professional and ethical duty to keep information received from members in the strictest confidence, the colleges website reads.

Internal college documents, obtained by the Star, show the wall between the colleges investigative and insurance arms has been porous for more than a decade.

Meeting minutes from 2006 show that staff from the complaints, investigations and reports committee (which investigates allegations of misconduct) met weekly with PLP staff.

At a meeting on Jan. 2, 2006, Fefergrad told staff the meetings were to share case-specific problems or approach problems and to take advantage of the wealth of staff talent we had to mutually problem solve.

Individual cases are discussed in the minutes, including details of a patient who died four hours after a surgical extraction of several teeth.

In interviews with the Star, five current and former college staff members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, echoed the concerns raised in Brewers statement of claim.

One former college investigator confirmed what he called a clear conflict in the discussion of case files among both arms of the college.

We tell any dentists that call in that their information will be kept confidential. But there were definitely meetings when the big boss, Irwin (Fefergrad), sat around discussing case files.

Another former investigator said: The impression out there today among dentists is that there is a wall between the two organizations. But the PLP is closely supported by Irwin and Irwin is telling (the director) what to do every step of the way.

Toronto dentist Natalie Archer worked at the college for six years, including as vice-president of the board, before she resigned in 2012, saying a lack of transparency and openness prevented her from fulfilling her duties.

She said Fefergrad gave advice to both the colleges disciplinary and insurance arms.

Its terrible. Theres no Chinese wall in there. In my opinion, we need someone to get in there with an internal audit.

In her claim, Brewer states that she became aware of a confidentiality breach shortly after her arrival in 2011.

(Brewer) learned of serious ethical breaches at the (college) when a PLP staff member disclosed that Fefergrad had forced PLP staff to attend meetings with him in the past to discuss PLP files, it reads. In fact, Fefergrad required PLP staff to send unredacted expert reports from PLP cases to his office.

In her claim, Brewer says she stopped sharing expert reports and proposed a code of conduct that stated breaches of confidentiality within the college would be a firing offence  a proposal that, the claim says, was rejected by Fefergrad.

In February, Brewers lawyer, Tanya Pagliaroli, wrote to the college council informing them that it is common knowledge within the college that Fefergrad discusses PLP files with staff.

If members learned that the former director and especially the current interim manager of PLP attended meetings with the registrar to discuss files, there would likely be an immediate campaign to dismantle the program, reads the letter, obtained by the Star.

The presence of staff involved in regulatory processes at the meetings in violation of the (colleges) representations to members  could call into question  Fefergrads moral authority to govern the profession.

Ultimately, the letter concludes, the perceived conflict between the college and PLP is irresolvable.

In an interview, Pagliaroli said the case raises questions about the role of whistleblowers in the private sector.

Canadian courts have yet to expressly consider whether and how reprisals or threats of reprisals against a whistle-blowing employee in the private sector impacts on both the employers duty of good faith and honesty, the employees duty of loyalty to his or her employer and on the damages available to an employee who successfully proves he or she was terminated for whistle-blowing.

Brewer also alleges her tenure at the college, where she earned $215,000 a year plus benefits at the time she was fired, was doomed by a culture of cronyism.

Employees who were unquestionably loyal to Fefergrad were rewarded, whereas employees who disagreed with him or expressed dissent were publicly castigated, undermined and humiliated, the statement reads.

She claims she was informed of three separate allegations of harassment, including sexual harassment, by a part-time employee. Brewer reported the allegations to Fefergrad, who allowed the employee to retire after the third allegation, the statement claims.

The allegations were not formally investigated or dealt with transparently, the statement reads. Shockingly, despite a history of sexual harassment  no sexual harassment policy existed at the (college) until (Brewer), through persistent efforts, convinced Fefergrad to implement one in 2014.

In an August 2003 email to staff, obtained by the Star, a former senior director of the college advised colleagues they could wear shorts and T-shirts to help reduce air conditioning costs in the summer.

Unfortunately, bathing suits will have to be approved on a case by case basis following a private screening by the directors, the email reads. Please let me know if you wish to make such a request and note also that this option is not available to male staff.

In my opinion, there is inappropriate abuse of power. Its like something from the 70s. Its Mad Men, said Archer, the former vice-president. In my opinion, dentists and staff live and work in fear because of this kind of culture.

Brewer was fired on Jan. 23.

(Fefergrad) terminated (Brewer) to silence her and send a warning to other potential critics of him or the (college), the statement reads. His actions represent a wanton and outrageous disregard for (Brewers) rights.

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A Toronto councillor is withdrawing a motion asking the council to establish an Intersectional Awareness Week after it ran afoul of detractors from unexpected quarters.

I will be withdrawing the motion, said Kristyn Wong-Tam, who also released a statement Wednesday morning, barely five days after the motion was launched. I was hoping . . . that it was the beginning of a powerful movement to raise awareness that we are not single-issue people.

The city council had directed Torontos city manager to create an Intersectional Gender-Based Framework to Assess Budgetary Impacts in next years budget, her statement said.

A dynamic young, LGBTQ2S+ racialized woman working with my office proposed the creation of an Intersectionality Awareness Week. She diligently did her research and with the input of my office staff, drafted a motion which was wholeheartedly endorsed.

The opposition to her proposal came not from the usual suspects such as Councillors Giorgio Mammoliti or Jim Karygiannis, who tabled an openly hostile motion against Black Lives Matter couched as support for Toronto police, but from several high-profile Black scholars, activists and community workers.

Intersectionality is the term coined by the American scholar and civil rights advocate Kimberle Williams Crenshaw to describe the invisible overlapping or intersection of issues of class, race, gender, ethnicity and sexuality when it comes to discrimination. She first applied it in the context of Black feminism.

While she used the term in 1980s, it has entered the mainstream only in recent years, and though I have a distaste for what I call academese  jargon that serves to obfuscate rather than clarify  the word intersectionality has expanded into an exceptionally effective descriptor of marginalized people at the crossroads of multiple identities.

Wong-Tams proposal aiming to commence an educational campaign fell apart after her critics released an open letter asking for the motion to be withdrawn.

At issue were the following points:

1. The timing. The proposal came on the heels of the inquest that ruled the death of Andrew Loku  a mentally ill Black man killed by police  a homicide, a verdict with no criminal liability. The timing suggested it was, yet again, a token gesture of mollification by the city, a symbolism without substance.

2. The motion did not take into account the contribution of Crenshaw (an omission that was later amended) for the term intersectionality, and the work of other Black feminists, and it did not reference Blackness, suggesting it ignored Black struggles.

3. The exclusion of Black activists from the planning of the proposal that suggested a disregard for their experiences.

I was prepared to amend it after some of the comments I heard. I recognize there are individuals deeply attached to the discussion, Wong-Tam told me. She says Crenshaw, whom she reached out to after the initial motion, was supportive of her proposal and described it as incredibly exciting news. The hope was that city council could partner with local universities to bring Crenshaw to Toronto to launch the initiative, she said.

The proposal also had the support of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations.

Now that theres this open letter, Wong-Tam said. I also want to be respectful of what they say. I understand their skepticism especially in light of police shootings.

There was nothing behind the motion that was meant to harm anybody. It would allow us to create a forum to better understand the concept of intersectionality.

Her critics didnt see it that way. They saw the proposal as celebratory.

What exactly has the city done in order to warrant the celebration of Intersectionality Awareness Week? What awareness does the city have that it feels that it can lead such an initiative? asked OmiSoore Dryden, chair, department of womens, gender and sexuality studies at Thorneloe University (at Laurentian). I would really like councillors to focus on this job, instead of the time and energy they have put into the pretence of this awareness week. 

There are no bad people in this conflict  a rarity these days  only people on the same side disagreeing on the way forward.

As a racialized immigrant woman of colour in the LGBTQ community, Wong-Tam gets intersectionality.

As people experiencing daily oppression, Black people are opposed to yet another government awareness program with brochures and seminars.

Theres also a chicken-and-egg tension; Black activists want Wong-Tam to establish credibility and see action before words. We want a commitment from the City of Toronto to actually do some substantive work in helping Black people live our lives fully, the activists open letter says.

For Wong-Tam, spreading awareness would lead to action. I dont believe we can get to a place of full equity by not having these dialogues. This is how we build allyship.

There is a gap in the understanding of the term intersectionality in the broader population, and Wong-Tam has identified it as one that needs to be addressed.

It does.

With the shock waves of the Loku verdict still reverberating, the time to address that gap may not be right now. But in time I hope these two sides get together to hammer out concrete steps to make it happen.

Shree Paradkar tackles issues of race and gender. You can follow her @shreeparadkar

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A controversial University of Toronto psychology professor is making nearly $50,000 per month through crowdfunding, from a base of supporters that was ignited in large part by the professors anti-political correctness views.

Prof. Jordan Peterson, who made headlines last fall when he publicly refused to use gender neutral pronouns, has been using the fundraising platform Patreon since last March to subsidize costs associated with filming and uploading videos of his lectures to YouTube.

He is now harnessing his online clout with eyes on a new goal  to offer an online university degree in the humanities for which students pay only for examinations.

Im fighting this as a battle of ideas, Peterson told the Star. Hopefully I can bring high-quality education to millions of people  for nothing. Wouldnt that be cool.

Peterson said he views university establishments as the next best thing to a cult due to their focus on what he calls postmodern themes such as equity. He says his independent project will contrast the university model by providing straight humanities education.

For about his first seven months on Patreon, Peterson earned about $1,000 per month. That changed last October, when he saw a dramatic increase in support, which has not slowed. The professor surpassed a fundraising goal of $45,000 on June 10, and is now aiming for $100,000 per month. On Monday, Peterson was making $49,460 every month from 4,432 patrons.

He is currently the 32nd highest-earning Patreon creator, of more than 75,000 people who are using the site to fundraise.

Obviously people are pretty happy with the approach that Ive been taking to psychological matters and, I suppose, to some degree, political matters online, Peterson said.

Luis Dizon, a U of T graduate student, said he supports Peterson through Patreon because hes fostering important conversations.

I listened to many of his lectures and found that they resonated with my world view and social views, he said.

Peterson maintains, for instance, that the call for equity  levelling the playing field by prioritizing historically disadvantaged communities  is so dangerous that it borders on treasonous, and that the idea of socially determined gender is just flat out wrong.

Critics of Peterson have been adamant that these stances amount to transphobia and bigotry; student groups called for the professor to apologize in the fall, and the university issued him a letter urging him to adhere to anti-discrimination policies.

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Mollie Starr, a spokesperson for Patreon, which prohibits bullying and harassment as part of its community guidelines, said the company has very few records of him being reported.

Since October, Peterson has spoken publicly on his anti-political correctness views, testifying in opposition to Bill C-16, which would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code to include protection for gender identity or expression.

He says that his goal in speaking publicly and in setting up the hypothetical university is philosophical rather than political.

People just have to watch what Im doing like they are now and decide for themselves if its worth supporting, he said. They can quit supporting me at any time.

The professor said he has no intention of leaving his job at U of T, and that his relationship with the university is positive.

Althea Blackburn-Evans, a U of T spokesperson, said that the university does not have concerns about his current YouTube productions.

Regarding his proposed crowdfunded accreditation program, Blackburn-Evans said that she was not aware of a professor carrying out a similar project in the past.

As far as I know, Professor Peterson hasnt discussed this with the university, she said. So really, well have to wait and see how his plans materialize before we can comment on them specifically.

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Legislation that for two decades has prevented injured workers with mental health issues caused by long-term trauma on the job from receiving compensation should immediately be declared invalid, a new lawsuit argues.

The suit filed against the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Ministry of Labour by the prominent Toronto-based labour law firm Goldblatt Partners seeks to prevent the board from using the legislation to reject current chronic stress claims  and could open the door to claims rejected over the past 20 years being re-adjudicated.

The Star has previously highlighted what critics call systematic discrimination against workers who suffer from mental health concerns as a result of issues such as sustained harassment, who previously were ineligible for compensation.

In May, the provincial government took action to remove the ban on such claims, which the WSIBs independent tribunal has declared unconstitutional on three occasions since 2014.

But the legislative reforms will not take effect until 2018 and are not retroactive  so they wont impact injured workers who made claims before that time. The lawsuit seeks to reverse that and provide some relief for workers whose cases were denied or are already in the system.

Certainly, Im thrilled that theyre taking this giant leap forward finally, said Margery Wardle, a former heavy equipment operator who has been fighting the WSIB for some 13 years to have her mental stress claim recognized after what she calls prolonged sexual harassment on the job.

But what about those of us in the meantime? What about all of the older claims?

In response to the notice of application received Tuesday, a Ministry of Labour spokesperson said the document was being reviewed.

As this matter is before the court, it would not be appropriate to comment further, Janet Deline said.

In a statement to the Star, WSIB spokesperson Christine Arnott said the board has been holding public consultations on our proposed policy which will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

We look forward to supporting Ontarians dealing with work-related chronic mental stress and helping them return to a healthy and safe workplace, she said.

The WSIB is already required to compensate mental stress injuries resulting from a sudden and unexpected traumatic event at work. Ontarios Liberal government also introduced new laws that make it easier for first responders to claim compensation for post-traumatic stress disorders.

But workers in other professions who developed psychological conditions from long-term workplace issues had no right to compensation, even though the WSIBs independent tribunal ruled in three separate cases that the policy was unconstitutional.

Tribunal rulings are only binding in the specific cases before them  so the board continued to deny benefits for chronic mental stress. As first reported by the Star, the issue was the subject of a complaint to the provincial ombudsman last year.

The lawsuit claims that its application raises a serious issue relating to the appropriate constitutional remedy and says retroactive justice for those impacted by an unconstitutional policy raises matters of public interest and public confidence in the administration of justice in the workers compensation system.

We took this case on because this is an issue that injured worker advocates have been pressing for several years at all avenues without being afforded any kind of effective change until the very recent changes which was in itself insufficient, said Goldblatt lawyer Christine Davies, who is working on the case on behalf of Wardle, the Injured Workers Consultants legal clinic and the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups.

Unfortunately and despite the efforts of injured worker advocates, there simply hasnt been a satisfactory response.

As it stands, people who suffered chronic stress injuries that occur before 2018 will only be able to win compensation by appealing their cases all the way to the boards independent tribunal.

Due to significant backlogs, that process often takes years  and many claimants are financially or emotionally unable to see the appeals through, Davies said. There are currently about 173 appeals before the tribunal dealing with chronic stress cases, according to the lawsuit.

A person who is physically unable to do something will generally receive some recognition of that lack of ability. But for those of us with a mental disability trying to get that recognition of that lack of ability is extremely difficult, Wardle said.

In my experience, the stigma is alive and well, unfortunately.

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An amateur photographer was spared a criminal record after posting revealing photos of women he knows and contact information about them on the Internet without their consent.

Ren Bostelaar, a former photography store worker, agreed to a one-year peace bond on Wednesday in Old City hall court that limits his Internet privileges and blocks him from contacting complainants in his case without their consent.

Bostelaar didnt comment to the court or the press on Wednesday, leaving that to his lawyer, Sam Goldstein.

Goldstein said that his happily married client, who has young children, feels deep shame because of the case.

We underestimate shame as a very powerful force... in the criminal justice system, Goldstein said outside the courtroom.

Goldstein noted that Bostelaar, who ran the blog Bike Rack TO, was never criminally charged in the case.

This is clearly inappropriate behaviour but the larger lesson we should all be taking from this... is what you post on the Internet is not private, Goldstein said.

Two of Bostelaars female victims told the Star they werent impressed by the peace bond conditions or Goldsteins comments.

I think hes getting off very easy, said one of the women, who said she has moved from Toronto to avoid bumping into Bostelaar on the street.

Im very dissatisfied with the over-all outcome, said the woman in a telephone interview. She said Bostelaar should have had to pay to have their images removed from the Internet.

She said she was told it would cost $3,000 to have her images professionally removed, and there was no guarantee they wouldnt be reposted.

She said that Bostelaar should also have been compelled to give the names of all of the women he has victimized, so that they can try to clean their images from the Internet.

Another victim fought back tears outside the courtroom.

It should never be a womans fault... to send a picture to someone you trust, she said outside the court.

There are people who need to have the internet taken away from them, she said.

The consequences hes getting dont match up to what weve been through.

There is a court-imposed publication ban on publication of the victims identities, without their consent.

The two women who spoke with The Star chose not to be identified.

Assistant Crown attorney Lisa Henderson told court the publication ban on the womens names is necessary to prevent further harm to them.

It does have a significant impact on these women and their ability to go about their lives, Henderson said.

The victim who attended court said shes still getting counselling as a result of his actions.

Its been scary, she said. To know that it was someone I trusted has screwed up my ability to trust other men, she said.

She said she has had to take time off work because of Bostelaars actions.

She said it didnt really matter that Bostelaar didnt speak up and apologize to her in court.

He did earlier apologize to the women on Facebook, writing: It has come to light that Ive been engaging in a reprehensibly bad behaviour (sic) and I would like to make a public apology and take responsibility for my actions.

Bostelaar issued his apology on Facebook after he was confronted by at least one of the women involved.

It feels to me that hes sorry he got caught and hes not sorry for what he did, said the victim who attended his court appearance.

Conditions of his peace bond include an agreement to notify police of any changes in his occupation, employment or address.

Hes not allowed to communicate with any of the complainants in the case or come within 100 metres of them, without their consent.

Hes required to give police all of his online names and addresses. Hes required to delete any revealing images he has of complainants and he cant make any further revealing images without notifying them of the reasons for his peace bond.

Hes also barred from a number of websites, including Reddit and 4chan.

He must also continue counselling.

The peace bond is in effect for 12 months and includes a $1,000 surety.

Goldstein said that the case has cost his client his job at a photography store and a chance to write a book on Stats Canada, an online parody account.

The Star earlier spoke with seven women, who all said they know Bostelaar personally and said their photos and contact information were unknowingly shared without their consent.

One of those women told The Star on Wednesday after the court hearing that she has spent hours trying to pull her images from the Internet and still isnt satisfied they have been removed.

Our images are still out there, she said.

Bostelaars actions are whats known as doxing or doxxing  which is the collecting of otherwise private or hard-to-find information, like names, phone numbers, and addresses concerning an online target.

With files from Jennifer Pagliaro

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After a day of waiting in the deep woods of Algonquin, a cluster of worn-out teens stood at the shore of Smoke Lake  desperate for news of their 15-year-old classmate, who went missing the night before.

It was just after 5 p.m. Wednesday when the students were given the update theyd spent nearly 24 hours hoping not to hear.

The search was over. Jeremiah Perrys body had been found.

With tears in her eyes, Shari Schwartz-Maltz  a spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board  confirmed the boys death.

As many times as we talked about it today, was as many times as we were hoping that it wasnt true, she said, standing at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute in North York, where anxious parents of students on the camping trip had gathered all day.

Well do what we can to support the family and the kids.

Jeremiah had been swimming with his classmates in Big Trout Lake on Tuesday evening when he went underwater and did not resurface, said Killaloe OPP spokesperson Catherine Yarmel.

After a day of exhaustive searches, with friends and family holding out hope that hed be found, Jeremiahs body was located at 3:25 p.m. on Wednesday.

Though students were originally slated to return to Toronto on Friday, the boards first priority after Jeremiah disappeared was to get the remaining 32 kids home  enlisting all measures possible to lift them out.

Eleven kids were flown to the parks welcome centre by sea plane, which could transport two or three people at a time, but the aircraft was disabled after the first handfuls made it across, OPP said.

By Wednesday evening, some of the kids had been waiting for a full day at the camp site. Two helicopters and two planes have been flown out, but for approximately seven hours after the first plane broke, no students were moved.

Kids had been separated into two groups in the bush, with Jeremiahs group and his older brother Marion  who also went on the trip  taken out first.

After a day of waiting, around 7:40 p.m., a bright yellow floatplane carrying a few more landed on the water.

When the group stepped onto the dock, the students already there ran to greet them, wrapping up their friends in a tight embrace. A few adults did their best to comfort the grieving teens.

Another plane landed just before 8 p.m. A final flight, containing three students and a canoe, touched down around 8:20 as dusk settled in. Students whod arrived were wrapped in blankets, pacing by the waters edge and joining their friends in a small circle.

However, one group of kids was still in the woods as of 9:20 p.m. and it was unclear whether theyd be coming home Wednesday.

There was also no word from the OPP on when Jeremiahs body will be recovered. Just after 9 p.m., an ambulance had pulled up to the shore.

Its been a hard day. Really, really hard day. Ive been here for nine years, theres never been an incident like this before. I cant remember seeing people so upset, Schwartz-Maltz said.

Jeremiah was a student at C.W. Jefferys and joined some of his classmates and other students from Westview Centennial Secondary School on an annual excursion to Algonquin Park.

A child and youth counsellor is with the students and will travel back by bus with the students, once theyre able to get them all out.

We are fortunate she (the counsellor) was able to go because she knows the kids from the school . . . Its important theyre there to support each other, Schwartz-Maltz said.

She added that social workers were stationed at the school to talk to parents and students.

The excursion was part of a summer school outdoor education program that focused on leadership development, said TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird. Activities like canoeing and portage were part of the trip, and Bird said that swim tests would have been done prior to departure.

The swim test was described as quite strict by Schwartz-Maltz, and included water safety, laps, and a level of underwater endurance. Of the staff on the trip, two are teachers and the others are outdoor education specialists.

Karen Falconer, the superintendent for C.W. Jefferys summer school, came outside the school an hour after Jeremiahs death was confirmed to express her condolences to the family and gratitude to the OPP, principals, teachers, staff and community in the face of this huge tragedy.

Safety, she said, was at the top of mind for the TDSB for all their trips.

We will continue to learn from each and every trip that we take. There isnt a single tragic incident thats happened in the Toronto District School Board that we have not learned from and become better at, she said.

But we know every possible procedure and process was in place to ensure the safety of our students and staff . . . The sadness of this is even more profound in light of how seriously we take that safety.

Later in the evening, TDSB director John Malloy issued a statement on Jeremiahs death, saying that despite holding out hope, police have deemed the boy victim to an apparent drowning.

The summer outdoor education course has been operating for years, he added, with an excellent safety record. In the coming period, staff would be reviewing each and every aspect of Jeremiahs death.

We are continuing to offer all the supports that we can to the family, as well as students and staff. These supports will remain in place for as long as theyre needed.

With files from Vjosa Isai and Emily Fearon

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Maybe a giant tram rolling over pesky cars clogging the streets wasnt the answer to Chinas traffic congestion woes. A Chinese inventors plan to develop such a vehicle, called a traffic-straddling bus, has been effectively killed after 32 people from an investment company that backed the project were arrested.

The bus was designed to ride on tracks, but with its body elevated so that two lanes of traffic could pass underneath. Some 1,200 passengers would have ridden between specialized stops.

But critics raised many questions, including the expense of installing tracks and stations, whether tall trucks would get stuck underneath and about the risk to smaller vehicles and pedestrians.

Cars under the belly of the big vehicle would have no way to change direction, and even changing lanes would be dangerous, the Beijing News said last year.

After some delays and breathless news coverage, the TEB-1, or Transit Elevated Bus, was tested in August in the northern seaside town of Qinhuangdao.

In subsequent months, the Chinese media and investors raised pointed questions about the company behind the project, Huaying Kailai. The company promoted the reliability of investing in public-private partnerships such as the bus initiative and promised annual returns of up to 12 per cent. A New York Times reporter who visited Huaying Kailais office in September saw walls lined with photographs of the owner, Bai Zhiming, with celebrities, entrepreneurs and local officials. A half-dozen investors stopped by over an hour. Some left with gifts and grocery bags full of cash.

We are just a private tech company. We are not a briefcase company for illegal fundraising, Zhang Wei, director of development and planning for TEB Tech, the Huaying Kailai subsidiary that developed the bus, told the reporter. Everything we do is approved by related departments in the government, and if we are an illegal company with financial issues, why are the local governments still interested in us?

In the fall, as public scrutiny increased, the test track and the huge, 22-metre-long, 5-metre-high prototype fell into disuse. In June, workers began dismantling the 300-metre track, a sign the local government would not allow the project to continue.

Bai was among the 32 Huaying Kailai staff members arrested last week on suspicion of illegal fundraising, Beijing police announced on Sunday. Company officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Chinese news outlets were harshly critical, saying the exercise was little more than a fraud from the start.

The truth is the bus was a fake science investment scam, with no scientific innovation, a Beijing News op-ed said Monday. The test was nothing more than a trick to attract investors.

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For about 20 minutes Tuesday, NPR travelled back to 1776.

To echo its 29-year on-air tradition, the public radio networks main Twitter account tweeted out the Declaration of Independence, line by line.

There  in 113 consecutive posts, in 140-character increments  was the text of the treasured founding document of the United States, from its soaring opening to its searing indictments of King George IIIs absolute tyranny to its very last signature.

Who could have taken issue with such a patriotic exercise, done in honor of the nations birthday?

Quite a few people, it turned out.

Perhaps it was the Founding Fathers capitalization of random words or the sentence fragments into which some of the Declarations most recognizable lines were broken. But plenty of Twitter users reacted angrily to the thread, accusing NPR of spamming them  or, worse, trying to push an agenda.

Seriously, this is the dumbest idea I have ever seen on twitter, a Twitter user named Darren Mills said after NPR had only gotten as far as the Declarations dateline. Literally no one is going to read 5000 tweets about this trash.

One user wondered if NPRs social-media accounts had been hacked, and the network lost at least one follower who called the tweets spam.

The blowback increased when the tweets reached the portion of the Declaration that outlined, in unsparing detail, all the ways Britains King George III had wronged the then-colonies.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers, read one line of the document.

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, read another.

Some people  presumably still in the dark about NPRs July Fourth exercise  assumed those lines were references to President Trump and the current administration.

Propaganda is that all you know how? Try supporting a man who wants to do something about the Injustice in this country #drainingtheswamp, tweeted one user whose account has since been deleted but whose messages were captured by Winnipeg Free Press reporter Melissa Martin.

Upworthy writer Parker Molloy took images of several more indignant replies to NPR, including one who told the media organization to Please stop. This is not the right place.

By Wednesday morning, many of the replies above had been deleted. However, at least one Twitter user admitted he had screwed up and apologized to NPR.

The Declaration of Independence is, of course, one of the United States most important documents, adopted at the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The text and purpose of the Declaration would likely be recognizable to those who have applied for U.S. citizenship, since questions about the document appear on the naturalization test. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has an extensive list of study materials and other Declaration-related resources for prospective citizens.

NPRs Morning Edition has had a nearly three-decade-long tradition of broadcasting a reading of the Declaration of Independence on July Fourth each year. More than two dozen NPR journalists participated in this years reading, including Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep, All Things Considered hosts Audie Cornish and NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

It is a document from a deeply divided time, broadcaster Mary Louise Kelly noted in the reading. It was a time when Americans turned against each other.

The Twitter exercise this year was a way to include additional people in that tradition, NPR spokeswoman Isabel Lara said in an email statement.

This year we mirrored that tradition on Twitter as a way to extend to social media what we do on the air, Lara wrote. The tweets were shared by thousands of people and generated a lively conversation.

Here is the full text of the U.S. Declaration of Independence:

In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, 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 Happiness.--That 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 shewn, 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.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.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 Brittish 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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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATESEmirates 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 Daesh, also known as ISIS, 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.

Read more: U.S. expected to expand laptop ban on flights from Europe

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 worlds 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.

The U.S. government on March 21, citing unspecified threats, is barring passengers on nonstop, U.S.-bound flights from eight mostly Middle Eastern and North African countries from bringing laptops, tablets and electronic devices in their carry-on bags. (The Associated Pr0

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 Daesh 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 neighbours 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.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak welcomed the lifting of the ban at Istanbuls 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. Somalias 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 administrations travel ban on six predominantly Muslim countries, has hurt Middle Eastern airlines. Emirates, the regions biggest, said it slashed 20 per cent 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.

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WARSAW, POLANDU.S. President Donald Trump opens his two-nation European visit with what he expects to be a short but warm stop in Poland before he encounters what could be a frostier reception and thornier issues at an international summit in Germany. Trumps sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Koreas first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile threaten to put Trumps skills as a negotiator to the test.

Trump arrived in Warsaw late Wednesday for a 16-hour visit that includes a keynote address to the Poles from Krasinski Square, site of a monument commemorating the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. Scores of people who lined darkened roads waved American and Polish flags and recorded video of Trumps motorcade as it sped him and his wife, Melania, to their hotel.

Trump has scheduled talks with the leaders of Poland and Croatia and may hold a joint news conference  his first one abroad  with Polish President Andrzej Duda. He also was meeting with the heads of a dozen countries bordered by the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas. Collectively known as the Three Seas Initiative, the group aims to expand and modernize energy and trade with a goal of reducing the regions dependence on Russian energy.

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

Duda told Polish broadcaster TVN24 on Wednesday that he wants to tackle concrete issues like energy security in the meeting with Trump, not engage in some general talk about world security. Trump recently devoted a week to U.S. energy production.

At the same time, Trump will have to contend with escalating tensions with North Korea after it successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile this week. Asked, as he left the White House, what he would do about North Korea, Trump said only, Were going to do very well.

Trump, whos been seeking Chinas help in containing Pyongyangs missile and nuclear weapons programs, also tweeted his frustration with China for continuing to trade with North Korea.

So much for China working with us  but we had to give it a try! Trump wrote.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is among at least nine leaders Trump is scheduled to meet with later in the week in Germany during the Group of 20 summit of the worlds leading rich and developing countries.

Trump will meet one-on-one with German Chancellor Angela Merkel immediately after he arrives in Germany on Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson planned to join Trump later.

Trump will also walk a fine line when he meets Friday with Putin. The highly anticipated sit-down comes when relations between the two nations are at a low point, and with the president showing reluctance to adopt a harder line toward Russia amid conclusions by multiple U.S. intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the 2016 presidential election to benefit Trump, and continuing federal and congressional investigations into possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.

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Trumps aides dont know what hes going to say to Putin Friday  and theyre a little nervous about that

Whats the most likely outcome if Trump hits North Korea first? Carnage: Analysis

Trump expresses frustration with China over its support for North Korea

Trumps return to Europe follows a shaky inaugural visit in late May and signs of unhappiness around the globe with his presidency.

A recent Pew Research Center survey of attitudes toward Trump in more than three dozen countries found fewer than 3 in 10 respondents expressing confidence in his ability to do the right thing on international affairs.

Trumps earlier visit was marred by several awkward encounters, including a tough speech to NATO members urging them to spend more on their armed forces, an uncomfortable handshake with Frances new president and a caught-on-camera moment when Trump pushed past the prime minister of Montenegro to get to the front of a group photo opportunity.

Poland may offer him a chance to shine.

Polish media reports say the government promised the White House cheering crowds as part of its invitation. Ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists plan to bus in groups of people for Trumps speech. The White House didnt respond to a request for comment on the reports.

With Trumps sights already set on getting re-elected in 2020, the visit to Poland could also be seen as a power play for battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, home to hundreds of thousands of Polish-American voters.

Trump may also seek to use Poland as an exemplar of partnership. A U.S. ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, Poland is among the five NATO members that spend at least two per cent of their gross domestic product on the military. Thats something that Trump  and U.S. leaders before him  have demanded of NATO allies.

Poland also hosts a few thousand U.S. troops, in addition to supporting U.S. and NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its also a regular purchaser of U.S. military equipment.

The Polish government has emphasized that Russias aggression in Ukraine poses a threat to the whole of Europe, something that will inevitably be raised in discussions with Trump as Europeans aim to gauge his willingness to confront Putin when they meet face to face on Friday.

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WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump chastised China on Wednesday for doing too little to starve North Korea of funds and exert pressure over its nuclear pursuits, as his administration searched for new ways to confront Pyongyang after its unprecedented test of a missile capable of hitting the U.S.

North Koreas launch this week of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated a dangerous new reach for weapons it hopes to top with nuclear warheads one day. As the U.S. demands global action to counter the threat, the Trump administration is finding that some of the most obvious tools to increase pressure on the North have already been tried and failed.

Trump, since entering the White House, has placed a particular focus on pushing China  North Koreas biggest trading partner  to use its influence and ramp up economic pressure. Trump expressed optimism after his first meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping that the two would work together effectively on the issue, but in recent days Trump has increasingly conceded the strategy has not produced fast results.

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 per cent in the first quarter, Trump wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, moments before departing for a trip to Poland. So much for China working with us  but we had to give it a try!

Read the latest U.S. President Donald Trump

As he flew to Poland on Air Force One, Trump spoke by phone about the North Korean threat with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, emphasizing the need for countries to implement UN Security Council resolutions. The White House said Trump also discussed the need for nations to stop hosting North Korean guest workers  an issue Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also mentioned in his response a night earlier to the missile launch.

Restricting guest workers is one way the U.S. and other countries could try to reduce North Koreas access to foreign currently. There are some 50,000-60,000 North Korean workers abroad, mostly in Russia and China, South Koreas spy service has said, including at about 130 restaurants North Korea operates overseas. The workers mission involves earning money to bring into North Korea.

In his initial response to the launch on Monday evening, Trump urged China on Twitter to put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all! But he also said it was hard to believe that South Korea and Japan, the two U.S. treaty allies most at risk from North Korea, would put up with this much longer.

North Korea conducts about 90 per cent of its trade through China. In April, Chinese customs data said total two-way trade between China and North Korea increased 36.8 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year earlier.

Raw data from the first quarter of this year, however, showed that total two-way trade between the sides increased by only a 7.4 per cent in this first quarter. It was not immediately clear why the customs agency reported a higher growth rate.

China has long resisted intensifying economic pressure on neighbouring North Korea, in part out of fear of the instability that could mount on its doorstep, including the possibility of millions of North Koreans fleeing into China. China has also been concerned that a reunited, democratic Korea  dominated by South Korea  would put a U.S. ally, and possibly U.S. forces, on its border.

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Kim Jong Un vows to never put North Koreas nukes up for negotiations

U.S. says North Korea launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, urges global action

North Korea warns U.S. and the rest of the world it will keep building nuclear arsenal

North Korea claims it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. If true, it would put the country closer to being able to fire a nuclear missile at the U.S. mainland. The U.S. says it was a less powerful missile and not a threat to North America. (The Associated Press)

U.S. officials joined South Korea and Japan in requesting an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, scheduled Wednesday afternoon. And in a show of force directly responding to North Koreas provocation, U.S. and South Korean soldiers fired deep strike precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters on Tuesday, U.S. military officials in Seoul said.

Until this weeks launch, North Korea had demonstrated missiles of short and medium range  but not an intercontinental missile. The prime danger from the U.S. viewpoint is the prospect of North Korea managing to put a nuclear warhead atop an ICBM. The latest US intelligence assessment is that the North probably does not yet have that capability.

The launch was not wholly unexpected. Daniel Coats, director of national intelligence, testified to Congress in May that the U.S. anticipated an ICBM test before the end of this year.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in a statement late Tuesday released as most Americans were celebrating the Fourth of July holiday, vowed stronger measures to hold the North accountable, and said: Global action is required to stop a global threat. He said any country helping North Korea militarily or economically, taking in its guest workers or falling short on Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.

Notably, Tillersons statement did not mention China.

The Pentagon has spent tens of billions of dollars developing a missile defence system tailored to the North Korean ambition of attaining the eventual capability to attack the U.S. with a nuclear-armed missile. On May 30 the Pentagon successfully shot down a mock warhead designed to replicate the North Korean threat.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana W. White said the U.S.-South Korea missile exercise Tuesday was meant to show our precision fire capability.

We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea, she said in a statement. The United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Our commitment to the defence of our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has been briefed repeatedly. His advisers have alerted him to the web of potential risks, complex issues and diplomatic snags.

But even his top aides do not know precisely what Trump will decide to say or do when he meets President Vladimir Putin of Russia face-to-face this week on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit gathering in Hamburg, Germany. And that is what most worries his advisers and officials across his administration as he lands in Poland Wednesday on his second foreign trip, first to Warsaw and then to Hamburg.

The highly anticipated conversation with Putin on Friday is in many ways a necessity, given the critical disputes separating the United States and Russia. But it is also a diplomatic and political risk for Trump, who faces a web of investigations into his campaigns possible links to Russia, as well as questions about his willingness to take on Moscow for its military misdeeds and election meddling on his behalf. The air of uncertainty about the meeting is only heightened by the presidents tendency for unpredictable utterances and awkward optics.

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

If Trumps first foreign trip in May was a chance for him to escape turmoil at home  staff infighting, a stalled agenda and the Russia-related investigations  his second thrusts him into the maelstrom. And at the centre of it, Putin awaits.

Theres a fair amount of nervousness in the White House and at the State Department about this meeting and how they manage it because they see a lot of potential risks, said Steven Pifer, a former ambassador to Ukraine who has worked for the National Security Council and the State Department. There is this gray cloud for the president of the investigations about collusion, so any kind of a deal is going to get the micro-scrutiny of, Is this a giveaway to the Russians?

Trump himself is not troubled by the meeting. He has told aides he is more annoyed by the prospect of being scolded by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and other leaders for pulling out of the Paris climate accords and for his hard line on immigration.

Trumps team said he might bring up Russias documented meddling in the 2016 election, but he is unlikely to dwell on it: Doing so would emphasize doubts about the legitimacy of his election. Aides expect him to focus on Syria, including creating safe zones, fighting Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL, and confronting Putins unwillingness to stop the government of President Bashar Assad from using chemical weapons against civilians.

A day before Trump was to leave Washington, the White House announced that the meeting with Putin would be a formal bilateral discussion, rather than a quick pull-aside at the economic summit meeting that some had expected.

The format benefits both. Putin, a canny one-on-one operator who once brought a Labrador retriever to a meeting with Merkel because he knew she was afraid of dogs, will be able to take the measure of Trump.

Trumps aides are seeking structure and predictability. They hope that a formal meeting, with aides present and an agenda, will leave less room for improvisation and relegate Russias meddling in the campaign to a secondary topic, behind more pressing policy concerns that the president is eager to address.

Nobody has found the slightest evidence of collusion, any evidence the vote was tampered with, so now they have turned their obsession to Russian interference, said Kellyanne Conway, the presidents senior counselor and former campaign manager. I dont think thats what the American people are interested in.

Trumps meeting with Putin is one of several charged encounters he will face in Hamburg. After North Koreas announcement Tuesday that it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, his planned huddle with President Xi Jinping of China took on greater significance, as Trump bristles at Beijings refusal to do more to confront the nuclear threat from North Korea and weighs his limited options for acting alone. He is also planning private discussions with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea that are certain to centre on the Norths continued provocations.

But the political stakes could not be higher for Trump in his meeting with Putin, as U.S. lawmakers in both parties press him to stand tough. They signaled their wariness last month with a 98-2 vote in the Senate to codify sanctions against Russia and require that Congress review any move by the president to lift them, a step the White House is resisting.

Lets be clear: The Russians interfered in our election and helped elect Donald Trump president, said Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. There is a serious, ongoing criminal investigation into this matter. And President Trump must refrain from any unilateral concessions to Russia.

Cognizant of the perils, the White House has planned Trumps itinerary to counter the perception that he is too friendly with Moscow. In Warsaw on Thursday, he will deliver a major speech and meet with Central and Eastern European allies, activities calculated to demonstrate his commitment to NATO in the face of Russian aggression. But there, too, Trump will be under pressure to do what he refused to in Brussels during his first trip: explicitly endorse, on European soil, the Article 5 collective defense principle that undergirds NATO.

His advisers say that he is eager to meet with President Andrzej Duda of Poland, a center-right politician who shares Trumps skepticism about migration from Syria, and that he sees a chance to make lucrative energy deals with Dudas government  perhaps at the expense of Russia.

But the substance and body language of his encounter with Putin will draw the most scrutiny.

I expect an Olympian level of macho posturing between these two leaders, who both understand the power of symbolism, said Derek Chollet, a former assistant secretary of defense. Putin will be very prepared for this meeting. Hes someone who is a master at manipulation.

Putin has signaled that he will press Trump to lift sanctions imposed on Russia for its annexation of Crimea, its interference in Ukraine and its election meddling, and to hand over Russian diplomatic compounds on Long Island, New York, and in Maryland that the United States seized last year.

The potential pitfalls are more than theoretical. White House officials recall with dread the images that emerged from Trumps May meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak of Russia in the Oval Office, which showed the president grinning, laughing and clasping hands with the Russian officials.

The biggest concern, people who have spoken recently with members of his team said, is that Trump, in trying to forge a rapport, appears to be unwittingly siding with Putin. Like Trump, Putin has expressed disdain for the news media, and he asserted in a recent interview that secretive elements within the U.S. government were working against the presidents agenda. Two people close to Trump said they expected the men to bond over their disdain for fake news.

You dont want to come out of there saying, Were friends, and the enemy is the deep state and the media, said Michael A. McFaul, a former ambassador to Russia. If it were somebody else other than Trump, you could imagine a tough conversation about Ukraine and election meddling, but thats probably too optimistic. Politics does constrain, I think, the parameters of the possible for any kind of major breakthrough.

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KYIV, UKRAINEUkraine has dodged a second cyberattack, officials said Wednesday, suggesting that the digital campaign which paralyzed computers across the country and around the world is still ongoing.

Ukraine is still trying to find its feet after scores or even hundreds of businesses and government agencies were hit by an explosion of data-scrambling software on June 27. In a Facebook post, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said there was a second stage to that attack, timed to hit its peak at 4 p.m. in Ukraine on July 4.

Avakov said the second strike  like the first one  originated from servers at the Ukrainian tax software company M.E. Doc, which sheds a little more light on Tuesdays heavily armed raid on M.E. Docs office and the seizure of its servers. Video released Wednesday showed men in camouflage carrying assault-style weapons storming the companys modest offices in Kyiv as office workers calmly watched them. Police spokeswoman Yulia Kvitko said there were no arrests.

We prevented the initiation of the second wave of viruses, Yaroslav Trakalo, another police spokesperson, said in the video released Wednesday. He said investigators have already found evidence of Russian presence on these servers, although he did not elaborate.

Read more: Ukrainian police seize software companys servers after cyberattack

Massive new cyberattack hits Europe, U.S. with widespread ransom demands

Ukraine has blamed the Kremlin for the attacked that sowed chaos. Kremlin officials routinely deny claims of electronic interference in Ukraine and elsewhere.

The raid on M.E. Doc caps a week of increasingly implausible claims from the company that it was not at the heart of the outbreak. On Wednesday the firm reversed itself, acknowledging that it had been broken into and used by hackers to seed the malware epidemic.

Its not clear what the thrust or scope of the second cyberattack in Ukraine was, but M.E. Doc is widely used across Ukraine, making it a tempting springboard for hackers. An executive at the company was quoted by Interfax-Ukraine as saying the software was installed on 1 million machines across the country.

How many of those machines have been infected is an open question.

The June 27 attack initially seemed to be a particularly aggressive form of ransomware, but many analysts who picked it apart later said it appeared to be a thinly disguised attempt to destroy data and sow chaos. Some said the malware epidemic was likely state-backed, and Ukrainian officials have squarely put the blame on the Kremlin.

In the meantime, the online wallet carrying roughly $10,000 worth of digital currency extorted by the cyber attackers was emptied shortly around the time of the July 4 raid, according to Bitcoins public ledger. Information security experts say some of the money appears to have been used to purchase space on a darknet text storage site, where a statement demanding 100 bitcoin, or roughly $260,000, in exchange for unscrambling all the affected files materialized around the same time.

It was difficult to determine whether the offer was serious or just a distraction and The Associated Press was unable to immediately reach the hackers for comment.

Ukrainian officials have not offered a global estimate of the amount of damage inflicted by the June 27 attack. But in an interview Tuesday with the Associated Press, Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said the damage at his department alone ran into the millions of dollars.

This story has been corrected to show that the purported hackers have demanded 100 bitcoin, not 100,000 bitcoin.

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Which nation stages a massive birthday bash in front of its own parliament buildings where 30,000 partygoers are asked to sing another nations national anthem?

Which nation celebrates its anniversary by making people who are becoming new citizens that day swear or affirm allegiance to members of a royal family in another nation?

Which nation marks its anniversary by producing a series of commemorative coins that carry the image of another countrys Queen and not one coin that carries the image of any of its own historic figures?

The answers are easy: Canada on its 150th anniversary.

Whats not so easy is understanding why, after 150 years of being declared a separate nation, Canada still has a British monarch and a member of the Church of England as its head of state.

With images of Prince Charles and Camilla on Parliament Hill on Canada Day still fresh in our memories, we need to reflect on another question: When will we toss off the last relic of our colonial past and install a Canadian as head of state?

Prince Charles was in Canada in place of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who at 91 years of age is starting to cut back on her official duties and is handing them off to her son, the future King of England.

Queen Elizabeth has served with grace and dignity since ascending to the British throne some 65 years ago. But her reign is coming to an end and with Canada still in 150th anniversary year, now is the time to begin a dignified severing of formal ties to the British monarchy.

We wouldnt be the first to do so. Some 16 nations have dropped their formal ties with Britain since Queen Elizabeth took power, leaving her the head of state of just 16 other countries, including Canada.

If Canada moves smartly, we could complete the process once the Queens reign is over, and before Charles becomes King of Canada.

It would be a move many Canadians would favour. An Ipsos poll conducted in June for Global News indicated 61 per cent of Canadians, including 55 per cent of Ontario residents, believe the Queen and the other royals shouldnt have any formal role in Canadian society because they are simply celebrities and nothing more.

Half of those surveyed said Canada should end all formal ties with the British monarchy once the Queens reign is over.

Even Prince Harry raises questions about the monarchy, saying members of his family are reluctant to do the job. In an interview last month with Newsweek magazine, he asked Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I dont think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.

Tom Freda, director of Citizens for a Canadian Republic, says the princes comment begs the question of why Canada is persisting with the charade of having a foreigner as our head of state if the post is held by a reluctant British royal and the majority of Canadians prefer that position be held by a Canadian.

Ashok Charles, executive director of Republic Now, agrees and says we deserve a head of state who shares our citizenship, and who is chosen democratically, on the basis of merit.

Over the past month, Republic Now, a non-profit advocacy group, has placed banner ads on city buses in Toronto and with an image of Prince Charles beside the message: We dont need a king. Our next head of state should be Canadian.

True, Canada faces more pressing issues in areas such as health care and jobs than divesting itself of its ties to the monarchy. And yes, winning passage by all 10 provinces wont be easy.

But these should not be excuses for political inaction and indifference when it comes to taking the final step on the path to full independence. If such attitudes were allowed to prevail in the early 1960s, Canada would never have seen the introduction of universal health care and the Maple Leaf flag as the nation approached its 100th anniversary.

We can start the process by holding a national referendum with a simple yes-no question: Should Canada sever ties with the British monarchy?

If the answer is yes, a bipartisan federal-provincial commission can decide how to select a head of state, such as by direct election or appointment.

What are we waiting for? Lets abolish our ties to the monarchy.

It would be a perfect Canada 150 project  and one that lasts forever.

Bob Hepburns column appears Thursday. bhepburn@thestar.ca

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Omar Khadr is about to get a multimillion-dollar settlement from the Canadian government, and that will upset a fair number of people. The idea that someone convicted of killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan would receive a big cheque from taxpayers may be hard to swallow.

It shouldnt be. Anyone familiar with Khadrs story over the past 15 years should realize he was bound to win compensation eventually from Ottawa for its repeated failure to uphold his legal rights.

This is not a case of the Trudeau government casually handing over millions of dollars to a convicted terrorist, as some Conservatives are trying to argue. Jason Kenney, the former Harper minister who now leads Conservatives in Alberta, condemned the reported settlement on Tuesday as odious.

Kenney should know better. As he surely is aware, no less an authority than the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that federal officials violated Khadrs basic rights by taking part in the mistreatment he was subjected to while he was imprisoned and tried by U.S. authorities in Afghanistan and the notorious detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.

As the Supreme Court wrote bluntly in 2010, Canada actively participated in a process contrary to its international human rights obligations and contributed to (Khadrs) ongoing detention so as to deprive him of his right to liberty and security of the person.

Further, by questioning him while he was held without legal counsel and subjected to sleep deprivation and other types of abuse, Canadian intelligence agents took part in treatment that the top court said offends the most basic Canadian standards about the treatment of detained youth suspects.

Other Canadian courts have repeatedly condemned Khadrs treatment from the time U.S. soldiers detained him while he was fighting against them at the age of 15 in Afghanistan. The Alberta Court of Appeal, for one, found that the way he was treated violated both the Charter and international human rights law.

As has been exhaustively chronicled, U.S. authorities accused Khadr of throwing a grenade that killed an American medic, Sgt. Christopher Speer. Khadr eventually confessed to that act and pleaded guilty to a host of charges, including murder.

He later recanted his confession, which is irreparably tainted by the abuse he was subjected to while held at Guantanamo Bay and threatened with a lifetime of detention without trial unless he pleaded guilty. He was held for more than a decade in legal limbo, outside the scope of regular U.S. law in a place where enhanced interrogation techniques and outright torture were routine.

All this was on top of the fact that he qualified as a child soldier under UN conventions that Canada had pledged to uphold. The government should have done all it could to protect him, not cooperate in his legal persecution.

Khadr, now 30, has been seeking compensation for years. He was freed on bail in Edmonton in May of last year, and according to reports by the Stars Michelle Shepherd and others, his lawyers have negotiated a settlement with Ottawa that involves an apology and a package worth about $10 million.

The government is right to stop fighting Khadr in court and reach a deal with him. Given the abuse he suffered and the track record of support from the Supreme Court and other legal authorities he has accumulated, it seems inevitable that he would win eventually  and possibly end up with even more money.

The reported settlement is in line with other financial deals involving Canadians caught up in the global anti-terrorist fight. Back in 2007, for example, the Harper government paid $10.5 million in compensation to Maher Arar for Ottawas complicity in his torture.

Conservatives like Kenney should stop grandstanding on this issue. Its time for the government to acknowledge its mistakes and learn from them. In this case, the lesson is that rights apply to everyone  including Omar Khadr.

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Ontarios highest billing doctors have lost yet another battle in their fight to keep what they receive from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan secret.

In siding with the Star over representatives for OHIPs top 100 billing doctors, Ontarios Divisional Court rightly held that the publics right to know trumps physicians view that their billings should be private.

And thats a good thing for democracy.

The rationale is that the public is entitled to information in the possession of their governments so that the public may, among other things, hold their governments accountable, wrote Justice Ian Nordheimer.

That important decision reinforces one made this time last year by John Higgins, an adjudicator for the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. In response to a freedom of information request from the Stars Theresa Boyle, he ruled that the concept of transparency, and in particular, the closely related goal of accountability, requires the identification of parties who receive substantial payments from the public purse.

The Ontario Medical Association and two other groups of doctors who had applied to have Higgins ruling quashed could appeal the divisional court ruling. But they shouldnt.

Its high time taxpayers who fund this provinces health-care budget  including more than $11 billion in doctors billings  had more information about where their money goes. Taxpayers in New Brunswick, Manitoba and British Columbia already have that information.

Theres a lot at stake. The top 100 OHIP billers, alone, took in a combined $191 million in 2012-13.

While the Star does not yet know who claimed what, general information released by the health ministry showed the highest biller claimed more than $6 million that year, while the second- and third-highest billers each claimed more than $4 million.

Meanwhile, an audit conducted by the provincial health ministry for the years 2014-15 only added fuel to the argument in favour of transparency when it was released at the end of 2016.

It suggested that the provinces 12 top-billing doctors are overcharging OHIP. According to documents, six allegedly charged for services not rendered, five of them upcoded (or billed for procedures that cost more than they should), and three charged for services deemed to be medically unnecessary.

Ontario already discloses the names and salaries of doctors employed by public organizations, such as hospitals, in its annual Sunshine List of public servants earning more than $100,000.

The OHIP billings of all other doctors should be made public too, starting with the top 100.

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I wrote to Health Minister Eric Hoskins a year and a half ago to declare my outrage when a close friend was having great difficulty navigating our health-care system. The answer was to send this person to the U.S. (paying with our Canadian dollars) for treatment that should have been available, and less expensive, here at home.

Ultimately, at the last minute and after having gone through huge stress, he received treatment at Juravinski hospital in Hamilton, but this is far from his home in Toronto, just a hop, skip and a jump from Princess Margaret. Seems our health system wasnt there for him as it should have been.

Now our lack of effective and prompt treatment is affecting me directly.

In early May, I was diagnosed with probable ovarian cancer. It was immediately determined that I require surgery and I was put in the system for a date. I was given July 27, which is nine weeks from the date of my appointment at Sunnybrook. Outrageous!

I feel like a hostage of our health system. I cant explain how angry I am about the inadequacies of our system and how some of the most vulnerable of us are being treated. I am on a roller coaster of emotions as I wait for surgery, the outcome of which is in question as to what continuing treatment I may need.

As I wait, I am also physically affected, as I often feel unwell and am becoming physically restricted with the large mass that continues to grow inside me. My emotional well-being is being challenged, as the waiting becomes unbearable. The combination of the stress arising from my physical and mental health screams out for immediate treatment.

I am being told the lack of surgical space is due to Cancer Care Ontario, as it controls all operating room hours, and doctors feel helpless to do their work properly. As we delve more deeply into understanding our health care in Ontario, were learning from doctors that the negative realities about our system are way worse than is generally known.

Gisele Ackland, Toronto

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Asian stocks opened slightly lower Wednesday after America's U.N. ambassador joined with South Korea and Japan to demand an emergency U.N. Security Council session to deal with North Korea's test Monday of an intercontinental ballistic missile that Pyongyang claims can reach the United States.

Indexes were down across Asia in early trading Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 was off 0.1% and Australia's ASX slipped 0.2%. The South Korean KOSPI fell 1.39 points, or 0.06%, to 2,379 in the first 15 minutes of trading, but later rebounded to almost unchanged.

Among the largest South Korean companies, Hyundai Motor, the country's top automaker, fell 1.89% by late morning. Samsung Electronics and chipmaker SK Hynix also opened slightly lower, but were in positive territory by late morning. The South Korean won was trading at 1,148.35 against the U.S. dollar shortly before noon, up 1.95 won from the previous session's close.

European stocks also traded lower on Tuesday after the North Korean missile test rattled investors amid concerns over heightened political tensions in the region.

In a tweet Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley wrote:

The United States and South Korea also joined forces Tuesday to stage a massive combined ballistic-missile exercise with the goal of sending a warning to North Korea. Hyunmoo-2 and the ATACMS missiles were fired into the East Sea by American and South Korea forces, according to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. This action came in response to North Korea's claim that it has mastered the atmospheric re-entry technology for ICBMs. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency also said the country's ICBM is capable of carrying a large-size warhead.

In a statement, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said of the North Korean ICBM launch:

The United States strongly condemns DPRK's escalatory launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) today. We are monitoring and continuing to assess the situation in close coordination with our regional allies and partners. The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies. Together with the Republic of Korea, we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability. We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea. The United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Our commitment to the defense of our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad.

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., also denounced Pyongyang's test. "With each additional missile test by North Korea and weak response by the international community, we are moving further down the road of potential military conflict that would have catastrophic consequences," Gardner said in a statement. "We need to use every diplomatic and economic tool we have now to prevent nuclear war."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheStreet, but in a tweet Tuesday, the U.S. State Department wrote:

(This story has been updated with late-morning South Korean stock prices.)

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Premium denim is officially dead.

Private equity-backed True Religion Apparel Inc. announced Wednesday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with plans to restructure its debt.

True Religion said that the bulk of its lenders and its private equity sponsor, TowerBrook Capital Partners, had agreed to a restructuring that will cut the company's debt by $350 million.

"After a careful review, we are taking an important step to reduce our debt, reinvigorate True Religion's iconic brand and position the company for future growth and success," CEO John Ermatinger said in a statement. "By dramatically improving our capital structure 24 months in advance of our term loan maturity, we will continue business operations as usual and provide our employees and business partners the long-term stability they need, while providing the necessary flexibility to invest in growing our digital footprint, building connections with customers, and improving organizational competencies."

Trade creditors, including vendors, suppliers and landlords, will be paid in full, True Religion said, and business is expected to continue through the Chapter 11 process.

For the twelve-month period ending in May, True Religion's Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) rose 95% to $7.1 million, Ermatinger added. But, Moody's analyst Raya Sokolyanska estimated in a January report that Ebitda fell 62.5% during the year ending in October and was less than a third of its 2012 Ebitda.

TowerBrook took True Religion private for $835 million in 2013, when its Ebitda was $93 million.

The Los Angeles-based company is expected to obtain confirmation of its bankruptcy plan within 90 to 120 days.

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An explosion was reported at General Motors Co.'s (GM) - Get Free Report Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Michigan Wednesday. Firefighters were en route to the incident, according to reports.

The facility, which has a footprint in two municipalities, is GM's lone plant in Detroit, but it is the company's most complex manufacturing facility in North America.

The plant, which rolled its first vehicle off the line in 1985, produces four different vehicles on one production line. More than 4 million vehicles have been produced at the facility since it began operating.

GM shares were down 1.8% to $34.94 in morning trading Wednesday.

What's Hot On TheStreet

Volvo is no longer feeling gas engines: Ford's (F) - Get Free Report founder Henry Ford may be rolling over in his grave on this one. Volvo Cars said Wednesday that all of its cars will feature an electric engine from 2019, as it embraces of the new technology in the face of industry-wide adoption. The Swedish car maker will roll out a mix of all-electric, hybrid and mild hybrid cars from 2019 and will no longer offer vehicles that carry just a traditional internal combustion engine, TheStreet reports.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said CEO Hakan Samuelsson. "Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1 million electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it." Meanwhile, Nissan said Wednesday that its new all-electric Leaf will hit markets starting September 6.

About Tesla's (TSLA) - Get Free Report Model 3...

Microsoft on the clock: With speculation swirling of impending layoffs, TheStreet takes a look back at how Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has reshaped the tech giant. Since taking over in 2014 from the energetic Steve Ballmer, Nadella has completely reorganized Microsoft by driving better internal collaboration and via the purchase of LinkedIn. The stock market has rewarded Nadella accordingly: Microsoft shares hit an all-time high in January after better than expected earnings.

Summer paychecks for tech interns are no joke: It doesn't beat working as a summer intern for Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report . Apple pays an average of over $7,000 per-month in pay (plus paid overtime) for college interns, along with free housing near its San Francisco Bay-area headquarters, TheStreet reports.

Wait, we stand corrected. Being a college intern and logging into work for Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Free Report and Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report isn't too shabby, either: you can pull in the equivalent of $96,000 a year.

Costco has been crushed: Shares of the membership club retailer have plunged 13% to $158.82 inside of a month, as investors have grown worried about a world where Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report owns organic food pioneer Whole Foods (WFM) . Costco's market cap has fallen a shade more than $9 billion, TheStreet points out. The more one looks at the grocery store landscape, the stock market has good reason to be concerned about Costco's future.

Apple, Facebook and Alphabetareholdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio.Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL, FB and GOOGL? Learn more now.

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Intel Corp. (INTC) - Get Free Report has maintained a stranglehold over the global chip market for 26 years, but a shift in the chip market may mean that it won't hold that position much longer.

For the first time ever, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (SSNLF) is expected to overtake the Silicon Valley tech giant as the world's number one chipmaker by revenue, as it reaps the benefits of soaring memory chip prices and increased consumer demand for faster smartphones. Intel has been the biggest chip maker by revenue since 1991.

Samsung is expected to deliver record-setting chip sales in the fiscal second quarter that will likely unseat Intel's lead, Reuters reports. The South Korean chipmaker is estimated to have generated about $15 billion in total semiconductor sales during the second quarter, which would surpass Intel's estimated $14.4 billion in chip sales, according to semiconductor market research firm IC Insights. Samsung, which supplies its own smartphone units but also those of giants such as Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report , is scheduled to report second quarter results on July 28, but will likely release its earnings forecast on Friday, Reuters noted.

"Over the past 24 years, some companies have narrowed the sales gap between themselves and Intel, but never have they surpassed the MPU [microprocessing unit] giant," IC Insights wrote. "If memory prices don't tank in the second half of this year, it's quite possible that Samsung could displace Intel in full-year semiconductor sales results as well."

Intel and Samsung have been fierce competitors in the chip market for several years. When Intel officially announced its Cannon Lake PC chips in March, it loudly marketed them as being a "full generation ahead" of Samsung's 10-nanometer chips.

But Samsung has been doubling down on its efforts to eclipse Intel and other chip rivals. On Tuesday, Samsung announced it would invest $18.6 billion over the next four years in its memory chip and display plants in South Korea.

As part of the plans, Samsung will invest $12.5 billion into its new NAND factory in Pyeongtaek by 2021 to "strengthen the competitiveness of the NAND business," the company said in a statement. Approximately $5.2 billion will be invested in a new semiconductor production line in Hwaseong. A timeline wasn't given for the Hwaseong investment.

Nomura analyst CW Chung said Samsung is a key beneficiary of the booming DRAM chip market (the chips are used in PCs and servers) as well as increased demand for solid state drive technology.

"Going forward, we expect [Samsung] to avoid aggressive market share competition but rather to focus on increasing its profitability further by concentrating on the high-performance memory market," Chung wrote in a note to clients.

The average selling price of DRAM chips rose 25% year-over-year in the first half of 2017, Chung noted. He expects DRAM prices to keep surging in the third quarter, due to a continued supply shortage and strong demand.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.
Top executives from ExxonMobil (XOM) - Get Free Report , Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) undefined and Total SA (TOT) - Get Free Report met with Qatar's emir to discuss increasing gas production as the country continues in a bitter dispute with its Middle Eastern neighbors, Reuters reported.

Qatar set a goal to produce 100 million tons of liquefied natural gas yearly, totaling a third of current global supplies. Exxon, Shell and Total have now expressed interest in helping the embroiled country reach that goal.

The energy giants have remained neutral following Middle Eastern countries' recent decision to cut ties with Qatar. "You have to make your choices purely economically and be Qatari in Qatar, Emirati in the Emirates," an executive told Reuters.

Exxon, Shell and Total were all down over 1% in mid-afternoon trading.

What's Hot On TheStreet

Volvo is no longer feeling gas engines: Ford's (F) - Get Free Report founder Henry Ford may be rolling over in his grave on this one. Volvo Cars said Wednesday that all of its cars will feature an electric engine from 2019, as it embraces of the new technology in the face of industry-wide adoption. The Swedish car maker will roll out a mix of all-electric, hybrid and mild hybrid cars from 2019 and will no longer offer vehicles that carry just a traditional internal combustion engine, TheStreet reports.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said CEO Hakan Samuelsson. "Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1 million electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it." Meanwhile, Nissan said Wednesday that its new all-electric Leaf will hit markets starting September 6.

About Tesla's (TSLA) - Get Free Report Model 3...

Microsoft on the clock: With speculation swirling of impending layoffs, TheStreet takes a look back at how Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has reshaped the tech giant. Since taking over in 2014 from the energetic Steve Ballmer, Nadella has completely reorganized Microsoft by driving better internal collaboration and via the purchase of LinkedIn. The stock market has rewarded Nadella accordingly: Microsoft shares hit an all-time high in January after better than expected earnings.

Summer paychecks for tech interns are no joke: It doesn't beat working as a summer intern for Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report . Apple pays an average of over $7,000 per-month in pay (plus paid overtime) for college interns, along with free housing near its San Francisco Bay-area headquarters, TheStreet reports.

Wait, we stand corrected. Being a college intern and logging into work for Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Free Report and Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report isn't too shabby, either: you can pull in the equivalent of $96,000 a year.

Costco has been crushed: Shares of the membership club retailer have plunged 13% to $158.82 inside of a month, as investors have grown worried about a world where Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report owns organic food pioneer Whole Foods (WFM) . Costco's market cap has fallen a shade more than $9 billion, TheStreet points out. The more one looks at the grocery store landscape, the stock market has good reason to be concerned about Costco's future.

Apple, Facebook and Alphabetareholdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio.Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL, FB and GOOGL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
The prime minister of Uganda Dr Ruhakana Rugunda has asked the ministry of health to negotiate with donors funding supply of mosquito nets to Uganda to consider buying from Uganda.

This was pointed out by the minister for trade Amelia Kyambadde during a meeting on progress of improving Ugandas competitiveness claiming that this practice has persisted despite Uganda having local farms producing the same.

However the ministar Opendi said that most of these mosquito nets are 100% donor funded thus negotiating with them on that ground.

Now the meeting has resolved to consider negotiating with donors to buy from Uganda instead of sending imported nets
The following companies are subsidiares of Aramark: 1ST & Fresh LLC, AIL Servicos Alimenticios e Participacoes Ltda., AIM Services Co. Ltd., AMP Limited Partnership, ARA Catering and Vending Services Limited, ARA Coffee Club Limited, ARA Coffee System Limited, ARA Food Services Limited, ARA Marketing Services Limited, ARA Offshore Services Limited, ARAMONT Company Ltd., Active Industrial Unif, Alcatraz Hospitality, AmeriPride Services, American Snack & Beverage LLC, Aramark (BVI) Limited, Aramark Airport Services Limited, Aramark American Food Services LLC, Aramark Asia Management LLC, Aramark Aviation Services Limited Partnership, Aramark B.V., Aramark Beverages Limited, Aramark Business & Industry LLC, Aramark Business Center LLC, Aramark Business Dining Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Business Facilities LLC, Aramark CCT Trustees Limited, Aramark Campus LLC, Aramark Canada Ltd., Aramark Canadian Investments Inc., Aramark Capital Asset Services LLC, Aramark Catering Limited, Aramark China Dining Services (Shanghai) Limited, Aramark China Holdings Limited, Aramark Chugach Alaska Services LLC, Aramark Cleaning S.A., Aramark Cleanroom Services (Puerto Rico) Inc., Aramark Cleanroom Services LLC, Aramark Co. Ltd., Aramark Colombia SAS, Aramark Concessions Services Joint Venture, Aramark Confection LLC, Aramark Construction Services Inc., Aramark Construction and Energy Services LLC, Aramark Consumer Discount Company, Aramark Correctional Services LLC, Aramark Defence Services Limited, Aramark Denmark ApS, Aramark Distribution Services Inc., Aramark Educational Group LLC, Aramark Educational Services LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Vermont Inc., Aramark Entertainment LLC, Aramark Entertainment Services (Canada) Inc., Aramark Executive Management Services USA Inc., Aramark FHC Business Services LLC, Aramark FHC Campus Services LLC, Aramark FHC Correctional Services LLC, Aramark FHC Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Kansas Inc., Aramark FHC LLC, Aramark FHC Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark FHC School Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Services LLC, Aramark FHC Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark FSM LLC, Aramark Facility Services LLC, Aramark Food Service LLC, Aramark Food Service of Texas LLC, Aramark Food and Support Services Group Inc., Aramark Global Group S.a.r.l., Aramark Global Inc., Aramark GmbH, Aramark Gulf Limited, Aramark Gulf Limited Catering Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services of the Virgin Islands Inc., Aramark Healthcare Technologies LLC, Aramark Holding Deutschland GmbH, Aramark Holdings GmbH & Co. KG, Aramark Holdings Ltd., Aramark Industrial Services LLC, Aramark Intermediate HoldCo Corporation, Aramark International Finance S.a.r.l., Aramark International Holdings S.a.r.l., Aramark Inversiones Latinoamericanas Limitada, Aramark Investments Limited, Aramark Ireland Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan LLC, Aramark KSA LLC, Aramark Kazakhstan Ltd., Aramark Lakewood Associates, Aramark Limited, Aramark Management GmbH, Aramark Management LLC, Aramark Management Services Limited Partnership, Aramark Manning Services UK Limited, Aramark Mexico Group, Aramark Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Support S.A.de C.V., Aramark Norway SA, Aramark Organizational Services LLC, Aramark Partnership Limited, Aramark Personnel Services, Aramark Peru S.A.C., Aramark Peru Servicios de Intermediacion SRL, Aramark Processing LLC, Aramark Property Services Limited, Aramark Qualified Opportunity Fund, Aramark Quebec Inc., Aramark RBI Inc., Aramark Rail Services LLC, Aramark Receivables LLC, Aramark Refreshment Group, Aramark Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark Refreshment Services of Tampa LLC, Aramark Regional Treasury Europe DAC, Aramark Remote Workplace Services Ltd., Aramark Restaurations GmbH, Aramark S&E/QCF Joint Venture, Aramark S.A., Aramark S.A. de C.V., Aramark S.R.O., Aramark SARL, Aramark SCM Inc., Aramark SM Management Services Inc., Aramark SMMS LLC, Aramark SMMS Real Estate LLC, Aramark School Catering Facility Ltd., Aramark Schools Facilities LLC, Aramark Schools LLC, Aramark Senior Living Services LLC, Aramark Senior Notes Company LLC, Aramark Service Industries (China) Co. Ltd., Aramark Services Inc., Aramark Services SA, Aramark Services of Kansas Inc., Aramark Services of Puerto Rico Inc., Aramark Servicios Industriales S. de R.L. de C.V., Aramark Servicios Integrales S.A., Aramark Servicios Mineros y Remotos Limitada, Aramark Servicios SRL, Aramark Servicios de Catering S.L., Aramark Servicos Alimenticos e Participacoes Ltda., Aramark Sports Facilities LLC, Aramark Sports LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Group LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Sub Investments Limited, Aramark Technical Services North Carolina Inc., Aramark Togwotee LLC, Aramark Trademark Services, Aramark Trustees Limited, Aramark U.S. Offshore Services LLC, Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel Group Inc., Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel LLC, Aramark Uniform Holding de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Uniform Manufacturing Company, Aramark Uniform Services (Canada) Ltd., Aramark Uniform Services (Matchpoint) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Rochester) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Supply Chain), Aramark Uniform Services (Syracuse) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Texas) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (West Adams) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services Japan Corporation, Aramark Venue Services Inc., Aramark WTC LLC, Aramark Workplace Solutions (UK) Ltd., Aramark Workplace Solutions Yonetim Hizmetleri Limited Sirketi, Aramark Worldwide Investments Limited, Aramark-Clarksville Club, Aramark-FINCO of Texas LLC, Aramark-Gourmet DPS LLC, Aramark-KWAME of St. Louis LLC, Aramark-SFS Healthcare J.V. L.L.C., Aramark/Dasko Restaurant and Catering Services S.A., Aramark/GM Concessions Joint Venture, Aramark/Giacometti Joint Venture, Aramark/Globetrotters LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-1 LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-2 LLC, Aramark/HF Company, Aramark/HMS LLC, Aramark/Hart Lyman Entertainment LLC, Aramark/Martin's Stadium Concession Services OPACY Joint Venture, Aramark/QHC LLC, Aramark/SFS Joint Venture, Avendra, Avendra Canada Inc., Avendra Gaming, Avendra Replenishment, Avoca, Avoca Handweavers Designs Limited, Avoca Handweavers Limited, Avoca Handweavers NI Limited, Avoca Handweavers Shops Limited, Avoca Handweavers UK Limited, Beijing Golden Collar Dining Ltd., Boompjes Hotel BV, Brand Coffee Service Inc., BuyEfficient, CDR Mantenimiento Integral S.A., Campbell Catering (Belfast) Ltd., Campbell Catering (N.I.) Ltd., Campbell Catering Holdings Limited, Campbell Catering Limited, Campbell Catering Ltd., Campbell Catering Services, Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Co., Canyonlands Rafting Hospitality LLC, Catering Alliance Limited, Caterwise Food Services Limited, Central Multiservicios S.R.L., Central de Abastecimiento Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Multiservicios Limitada, Central de Restaurantes S.R.L., Centrapal S.R.L., Centro de Innovacion y Servicio S.A., Cliff House Hospitality, Comertel Educa SLU, Comertel Residencia SLU, Comertel SA, Complete Purchasing Services Inc., Corporate Coffee Systems LLC, Crater Lake Hospitality, D.G. Maren II Inc., Delicious on West Street LLC, Delsac VIII Inc., Distributor JV Limited, Dongguan Best Property Management Co., Doyon/Aramark Denali National Park Concessions Joint Venture, Effective Partnerships Limited, Filterfresh Coffee Service, Filterfresh Coffee Service LLC, Filterfresh Franchise Group LLC, Fine Host Holdings LLC, Food JV Limited, Freedom Ferry Services, GTB Gastro Team Bremen GmbH, Gestion de Alimentacion y Limpieza Colectivadades SLU, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Concessions LLC, Glen Canyon Rafting Hospitality, Glenrye Properties Services Limited, Golden Collar, Good Uncle Services, Gourmet Aramark Services LLC, Guaranty Energy Group 1981, HPSI Purchasing Services LLC, Harrison Conference Associates LLC, Harrison Conference Services of North Carolina LLC, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of New Jersey, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of Penn., Harry M. Stevens LLC, Hunters Catering Partnership Limited, Institutional Processing Services, Instituto ICS S.A., Inversiones Aramark Chile Limitada, Inversiones Centralcorp Limitada, Inversiones Palm Limitada, Inversiones en Aseo y Mantenimiento S.A, Irish Estates (Facilities Management) Limited, L&N Uniform Supply LLC, Lake Tahoe Cruises LLC, Landy Textile Rental Services LLC, Lifeworks Restaurant Group LLC, Lotus Facilities Management, MESA, Masterplan, Medical Equipment Solutions & Applications Sagl (MESA), Mill Mount Weavers Limited, Muir Woods Hospitality, MyAssistant Inc., New Aramark LLC, Nissho Linen, North Rim Hospitality, Old Time Coffee Co., Olympic Peninsula Hospitality LLC, Orange Support Services Limited, Overall Laundry Services Inc., Paradise Hornblower LLC, Pelican Procurement Services Limited, Philadelphia Ballpark Concessions Joint Venture, Prem Hospitality Limited, Premgroup Franchise Services Limited, Premier Management Company (Dublin) Limited, Premier Partnership (Catering) Limited, Quebec Linge Co., ReMedPar, Restaura Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospitality LLC, Rushmore Hospitality LLC, SeamlessWeb, Seguricorp Servicios S.A., South Rim Hospitality LLC, Spokesoft Technologies Limited, Stuart Cabeldu Catering Limited, Sun Office Service Inc., Tarrant County Concessions LLC, The Aramark Foundation, The Original Food Company Limited, Travel Systems LLC, Trinity Hospitality Services GmbH, Trinity Hospitality Services SARL, Trinity Purchasing N.V., Vector Environmental Services Limited, Vector Workplace and Facility Management Limited, Veris Plc, Veris Property Management Limited, Veris UK Limited, WearGuard, Wilderness River Adventures, and Yosemite Hospitality LLC.

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Global Partners LP engages in the purchasing, selling, gathering, blending, storing, and logistics of transporting gasoline and gasoline blendstocks, distillates, residual oil, renewable fuels, crude oil, and propane to wholesalers, retailers, and commercial customers in the New England states, Mid-Atlantic region, and New York. The company is also involved in the transportation of petroleum products and renewable fuels through rail from the mid-continent region of the United States and Canada. Its Wholesale segment sells home heating oil, branded and unbranded gasoline and gasoline blendstocks, diesel, kerosene, residual oil, and propane to home heating oil retailers and wholesale distributors. It also aggregates crude oil through truck or pipeline in the mid-continent region of the United States and Canada, as well as transports it through rail and ships it through barge to refiners. The company's Gasoline Distribution and Station Operations segment sells branded and unbranded gasoline to gasoline station operators and sub-jobbers; operates gasoline stations and convenience stores; and provides car wash, lottery, and ATM services, as well as leases gasoline stations. Its Commercial segment sells and delivers unbranded gasoline, home heating oil, diesel, kerosene, residual oil, and bunker fuel to customers in the public sector, as well as to commercial and industrial end-users; and sells custom blended fuels. As of December 31, 2021, the company had a portfolio of 1,595 owned, leased, and supplied gasoline stations, which included 295 directly operated convenience stores; and owned, leased, or maintained storage facilities at 26 bulk terminals with a collective storage capacity of 11.9 million barrels. Global GP LLC serves as the general partner of the company. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.
By Yazid Yolisigira Iganga

More than 50 sex workers operating in Iganga town have asked police for security to enable them carry out their business efficiently.

The group made the request on during a meeting with security officials led by Iganga District Police Commander Nasibu Ndita.

The police had convened a meeting after receiving several complaints from members of the public that sex workers operating in bars and corridors along Iganga Main Street where stealing money and property from their customers.

The meeting was the first of the kind

Majidhu Nantatya the LC1 chairman of Nkono ward where majority of sex workers operate said the activities of the sex workers were causing insecurity in the area.

The sex workers however denied the allegations and said those who steal from customers come from other areas.

Led by their leader only identified as Nalongo popularly known as Kawomera, the group instead asked police for security.

In Uganda, prostitution is a crime and both the seller and buyer are liable upon conviction to a penalty prescribed in the law.

Section 139 of the Penal Code Act states that any person who practice or engages in prostitution commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.
Swiss investment major Rivoli Group has appointed Mourad Malloul, a private equity strategist, as its new president. He will be supported by a 14-strong expert team on the administrative board.



Malloul has been active in the group as a senior partner since 2014. While responsible for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) operations, he built up a wide-reaching network on-site in the key markets for the Rivoli Group, said a statement from the company.



An international consulting and investment company based in Zurich, Switzerland, Rivoli focuses on innovative companies in the seed and early phase, and makes available its equity capital, know-how and networks to its portfolio companies.



The service portfolio of the Rivoli Group also includes project developments in emerging countries with above-average growth opportunities.



He had been instrumental in setting up innovation-oriented projects, especially in high-growth emerging and developing countries, and now his focus will be on venture capital, said the company statement.



In the future, he will also be personally responsible for the business presence  on a temporary basis at least  in the African markets, it added.



Malloul said his priority is to develop venture capital and private equity transactions in the 12 current locations. Also he aims to invest together with the investors in project development in emerging countries with high growth potential.



"Our aim is to develop the Rivoli Group into one of the leading venture capital investors in Europe, with more effective networking in selected developing markets," stated Malloul.



"Also we are keen to extend the competence of the Rivoli Group AG to support SMEs in European capital market transactions and in financing measures independent of the banks," he added.


- The police force has experienced a major reshuffle barely a month to the August 8 polls

- A number of police bosses have been moved to different areas in preparation for the polls

- Mombasa and Nairobi police bosses are among top cops who were affected by the transfers

There has been a major reshuffle in the Police force barely a month to the August 8 General Election.

In an impromptu shake-up in the police force,24 senior police officers have been moved to different jurisdictions, key among them being Central Police Chief Larry Kiyeng and Mombasa police boss Philip Tuimur.

Police Chief Larry Kiyeng is expected to take over as Mombasa Regional Commander while Tuimur moves to Embu as the Regional Commander.

Kenya Police officers Source: Citizen TV

READ ALSO: Vocal Jubilee politician Moses Kuria defends his party over arson accusations

Another top cop affected by the move is Eastern Police boss Gideon Amalla who has been transferred to Nyeri to serve as Central Region police chief.

Kitale County Commander Lilian Okambo has been moved to Nairobi police headquarters.

READ ALSO: Kenyan blogger behind bars over his social media post

Kenya Police officer Source: Citizen TV

READ ALSO: ODM accuses Jubilee Party of burning down its offices

Her position will be filled by Uasin Gishu County Commander Samson Ole Kine. Baringo County Commander Augustine Ndumbi has been moved to Uasin Gishu as the new police chief.

According to the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet, the reshuffles were necessary to prepare the force for the elections, especially after some areas were listed as violence-prone regions during the polls.

Have anything to add to this article or suggestions? Share with us on news@tuko.co.ke

Raila walks in Bondo without being noticed:

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.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico State Police confirmed the couple found shot dead in a pickup along I-40 last week died from a murder-suicide.

Jacob Kokotkiewicz, 31, and Ursula Tammy Kokotkiewicz, 32, were a married couple from Flower Mound, Texas. An officer directing traffic discovered their bodies Thursday after a hazmat incident on Interstate I-40 near mile marker 126.

Police said Jacob was found sitting in the driver seat with a .9mm handgun between his legs and Ursula Tammy was sitting in the front passenger seat.

For more click here
Favourable national policies on clean energy heating boosted valuable business prospects for exhibitors and visitors

Full spectrum of HVAC industry highlighted through fringe programme events

ISH China & CIHE  China International Trade Fair for Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, Sanitation & Home Comfort System concluded with record-breaking results. Held from 18  20 May, the show was organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and B & D Tiger Exhibition Co Ltd. This year the fair attracted 1,289 exhibitors (2016: 1,128) from 22 countries and regions. Maintaining its steady position as an influential and comprehensive HVAC event in Asia, the fair occupied all eight halls at the New China International Exhibition Center, in Beijing, China, across 106,800 sqm (2016: 97,000 sqm) of exhibition space.

Apart from the impressive exhibitor figure, visitors to the 2017 edition also reached a record high and totalled 61,612 (2016: 52,128)  a 18.2 percent increase from last years numbers  from 43 countries and regions. The top ten visiting overseas countries and regions were Korea, Italy, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Iran, the US, Russia, Hong Kong and the UK. During the three-day show, visitors were able to source items including boilers, wall-hung boilers, heat pumps, radiators and accessories, floor heating, pipes and fittings, valves, air-conditioning and ventilation systems, fresh air purification systems, water purification systems, central heating conversion systems and heat meters, heat exchangers, intelligent control, building technology, a variety of energy-saving products and more.

Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd noted: I am extremely satisfied with the performance of the shows 2017 edition. Our exhibitor and visitor figures reached new heights and for the first time we welcomed over 60,000 trade visitors. In addition to being a wide-ranging trading platform, ISH China offered over 100 conference and seminar sessions where industry experts and participants gathered to network, discuss future trends as well as share their latest findings within the HVAC market.

Mr Li Hongbo, General Manager, Beijing B & D Exhibition Co Ltd remarked: The promising results not only indicate that ISH China & CIHE remains as an important trading platform for the HVAC industry but also proves that the fair has evolved in close proximity with industry trends and national policies. The Coal-to-electricity and Coal-to-natural gas initiatives launched by the Chinese government accelerated the clean energy heating reforms, which lead to a sharp increase of air-source heat pump exhibitors participating in the 2017 edition. The show will continue to serve as a great tool that helps participants reach key industry contacts and grow their businesses.

Favourable national policies on clean energy heating boosted valuable business prospects for exhibitors and visitors

With the immediate effect of the Coal-to-electricity and Coal-to-natural gas policies, green heating solutions are imperative for the Chinese government on achieving their green goals. Keeping pace with market trends and increasing demands for green energy efficient heating, ISH China & CIHE continues to be a preferred meeting ground for enterprises to showcase their latest advancements and competitive advantages to fairgoers.

One returning participant at the Beijing show was Ariston Thermo (China) Co Ltd. Ms Sally Chen, Managing Director of the company commented: The fair is a world recognised event and is a great platform for our company to promote our new products. The latest green policies and initiatives introduced by the Chinese government not only send a positive message on environmental protection, but also serve as an opportunity for manufacturers like ourselves to capitalise on the domestic HVAC market. Currently, 85% of our products distributed worldwide are green, energy efficient and environment-friendly. Overall, the fair was a great success as we showcased our latest and most efficient condensing gas boilers that are invaluable to executing Chinas Coal-to-electricity and Coal-to-natural gas policies.

Another returning exhibitor from the German Pavilion, Mr Matthias Konze, Asia Pacific Director of Aquatherm praised their results at the fair. He expressed: ISH China & CIHE is an important trading platform for our company. It is one of the most efficient platforms for us to meet new clients and promote our brand in China. The fair is also a useful tool to network with both international and domestic suppliers as well as buyers, and gain invaluable market information in China.

Many buyers came from across the world to the fair with different requirements and demands, including Bosch Termoteknik (Turkey). Attending the fair for the first time was Ms Eda Durmaz, Purchasing Engineer from the company. She expressed: I am very impressed with the selection of exhibitors and was fortunate enough to connect with an Italian supplier that matched perfectly with what I needed. Attending the Beijing fair also offered me a chance to understand the Chinese HVAC market and the technology used in domestic products. Whats more was the inspiration by some of the products onsite, and I think these new ideas will be valuable to the products our company is currently developing.

Full spectrum of HVAC industry highlighted through fringe programme events

Parallel events play a significant role in the development of ISH China & CIHE, and cover topics that are of the utmost importance to Chinas HVAC and plumbing industry. More than 100 interactive conference and seminar sessions were conducted to enhance idea exchange and technical sharing.

One of the highlighted programmes at the 2017 fair was the China Clean Energy Heating Summit  Panel Discussion on Clean Energy Heating of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. With CleanDiversifiedEfficient being the theme, the Summit was organised by the China Economic Information Service, Xinhua News Agency, The China Energy Conservation Association and shows organisers. A strong line-up of industry associations and government body representatives gathered to share their thoughts on ways to promote and implement clean heating in northern parts of China.

Mr Andreas Lucke, General Director of the Federation of the German Heating Industry (BDH), was one of the speakers for the Summit. He shared how European countries utilised condensing boilers and electric heat pumps, two of the most energy efficient heating technologies to date, to tackle the environmental issues in this area. Confident that the same technologies will help improve pollution in China, he stated: European suppliers have years of experience developing low emission HVAC products including condensing boilers and electric heat pumps. In my opinion, they are the best solutions for implementing Chinas recent Coal-to-electricity and Coal-to-natural gas policies. In addition to clean energy, clean technology is equally important. Clean technology means energy efficient products, and every year the fair showcases revolutionary products and solutions with the best heating results.

The Third China International HVAC Congress (iHVAC) was once again one of the most anticipated concurrent events at ISH China & CIHE 2017. This year the Congress focused on a number of topics including renewable energy and heating, heat insulation pipelines, heat exchangers, air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps as well as smart heating technologies and home comfort systems. Other highlighted concurrent events also included 2017 China Hotel HVAC Engineering Management Forum which shed light on hot-button issues for enterprises and the public.

Professor Jiang Yi, Academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering was one of the speakers of the iHVAC  Sino Finland Energy Day forum. After his speech, he commented: ISH China & CIHE is an influential trading platform as it captures the pulse of Chinas HVAC market. The show themes are also in-line with major environmental concerns in China including the Blue Sky Initiative for reducing smog, Low Carbon Programme for regulating carbon dioxide emissions as well as promoting efficient urban heating to name a few. The constant interaction between speakers, experts and industry specialists at the iHVAC Congress is what sets this event apart. In my opinion, this is one of the most efficient platforms for brainstorming the latest HVAC solutions.

Mr Gunther Mertz, Managing Director of the Association of Air Conditioning and Ventilation in Buildings (FGK), a loyal supporter of ISH China & CIHE concurrent events and speaker at the iHVAC  Fresh Air System session, shared the same sentiments. He stated: In addition to promoting condensing boilers and electric heat pumps, heat recovery and fan technologies are also key components in developing efficient air-conditioning and ventilation products that coincide with Chinas Coal-to-electricity and Coal-to-natural gas policies.

ISH China & CIHE is headed by the biennial ISH event in Frankfurt, Germany, which is the worlds leading trade fair for the Bathroom Experience, Building, Energy, Air-Conditioning Technology and Renewable Energies. The mother event will take place from 12  16 March 2019. For more information, please visit www.ish.messefrankfurt.com.

The next ISH China & CIHE will be held from 22  24 May 2018. As for the next edition of ISH Shanghai & CIHE, it will be held from 5  7 September 2017 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. For more information, please visit

ishc-cihe.hk.messefrankfurt.com
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has stated that Ukraine and the United Kingdom plan to start consultations on free trade area between the countries.

Groysman said this to journalists upon the meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May in London, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Taking into account that the UK decided to leave the EU, we need now to discuss new principles of our economic cooperation. I have raised the issue and found support for the idea to start consultations on establishing the free trade area with the UK," Groysman said.

According to him, the potential for trade turnover between Ukraine and the UK may be about $3.5 billion.

ol
An issue of the armed conflict in Donbas will be on the agenda of the 26th session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which starts in Minsk on July 5.

The Parliamentary Assembly will meet in the Belarusian capital for the first time in the history of the OSCE; from 1996 to 2003 this organization did not recognize the National Assembly of Belarus as a legitimately elected parliament, Radio Liberty reported.

"The session will last five days, the debates are expected not only around the crisis in Ukraine, they will also concern the protracted conflicts in the South Caucasus, the fight against corruption, the rights of refugees, and so on," the report said.

The Ukrainian delegation at the session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk is headed by Artur Gerasimov, the head of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction in the Verkhovna Rada.

ish
A report accusing the Cambodian government of attacks on human rights defenders and dissidents has been dismissed by the authorities.

The report from the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (Licadho), titled Dangers of Dissent: Attacks on Human Rights Defenders, claimed Prime Minister Hun Sens government had harassed rights workers through the judicial system, committed acts of state-sponsored violence and had been intolerant of peaceful protest.

The report included an account of the murder of dissident political analyst Kem Ley, who was fatally shot at a gas station in the capital one year ago this week in a killing widely thought to be connected to the state.

Kim Sok, another prominent political commentator, is currently being held in a pre-trial detention on criminal defamation charges for allegedly accusing the government of involvement in the murder.

The report continued to detail the arrest restrictions on freedom of assembly, such as the detention of a group of youths who had arranged a private screening of an Al Jazeera investigative documentary which uncovered evidence linking officials from the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party and the military to Leys murder.

Sok Eysan, CPP spokesman, rejected the allegations, pointing to Cambodias relatively free press as evidence of the partys respect for human rights.

In some countries, they first check the meaning of radio, television and newspaper [content], he said, referring to censorship in other countries. Its completely different in Cambodia, where there is no need to check the meaning. In some cases, if there is a complaint or a mistake, the state just asks for a correction.

The Licadho report went on to detail what it said was the routine shutting down of peaceful protests and inflammatory rhetoric in the run up to local elections last month.

Eysan defended the arrests of activists and members of the opposition, saying Licadho had only looked at one side of the issue.

Human rights workers are not perfect. They must respect the law and internal regulations, he said.

Yoeung Sotheara, a legal observer with election monitor Comfrel, said it was this attitude of denial of responsibility by the government that led it to lose control of hundreds of local councils at the June 4 election.

Thats why the CPP result dropped dramatically in urban areas, especially in Phnom Penh, he said.

The Licadho report once again raised questions over the use of irregular security forces in crackdowns on dissent, specifically district security forces which have been used as a vanguard to violently dispersing peaceful protests.

Para-policesecurity guards regularly deployed along side policehave become a recurring feature of gatherings expressing any kind of anti-government narrative. Baton-wielding para-police are used to violently disperse protests, often specifically targeting union or grassroots group leaders, the report notes.

Despite systematic and recurring acts of violence by para-police against peaceful protesters, not one has never been prosecuted, and police routinely stand by as para-police commit violence with impunity.

General Khieu Sopheak, interior spokesman, however, said if Licadho was disappointed with anyone it should file a complaint to the authorities it is accusing of malpractice, because our country has law and norms.

If we just based what we do on what they say and it is hell, then we would all be living in hell, he added.
More than 30 ruling Cambodian Peoples Party lawmakers have requested further amendments to the Law on Political Parties following a call from Prime Minister Hun Sen to change the law in the aftermath of losses in local elections last month.

Chheang Vun, a senior CPP lawmaker, confirmed a group of CPP members of parliament had made the request.

Sok Eysan, CPP spokesman, said the request was sent to the legal and judicial affairs commission in parliament for review.

The changes are thought to be in response to the former president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, Sam Rainsy, who despite resigning from the party played a vocal role in gaining support for the CNRP during the campaign period.

He always causes trouble, so I think he has the genetics of betrayal from his father, Eysan said, referring to Rainsys father, Sam Sary, who participated in the so-called Bangkok Plot against then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk in 1959.

The political parties law was amended before the election to block people with criminal records from leading political parties. Rainsy resigned from the party to prevent its possible dissolution under the new rules, but it is not clear how further amendments could prevent Rainsy, who lives in exile in France, from participating in the democratic process.

If its not clear, we have to make it clear whether a convicted person can attach themselves to politics or not, Eysan said.

Rainsy was convicted in a defamation case in 2008 filed by the then-foreign minister, Hor Namhong.

Pol Ham, CNRP deputy president, and Yim Sovann, a party spokesman, could not be reached.

International observers labeled the amendments to the political parties law in early 2017 as a threat to democracy in Cambodia.
When three journalists were arrested last week after reporting in territory held by an outlawed rebel group in northeastern Myanmar, government officials were quick to blame the journalists.

A spokesman for the presidents office told The Associated Press that members of the media have to inform security forces before reporting in conflict zones, and that if they violate any law, he or she will have to face the charge.

The charge in this case is a section of the Unlawful Associations Act, a colonial-era statute that could mean jail sentences of up to three years each for The Irrawaddy reporter Lawi Weng and the Democratic Voice of Burmas Aye Naing and Pyae Bone Naing.

There has been rising concern about the deteriorating state of press freedom in Myanmar and the reluctance of Aung San Suu Kyis new government, which came to power last year, to challenge the army over rights abuses.

But as the journalists await their first hearing on July 11, media groups are busy poking holes in the legitimacy of the militarys case, arguing the three had been cleared to cross into the territory and the charge makes no sense in connection with coverage of newsworthy events.

Permission for visit



Aye Chan Naing, the Democratic Voice of Burmas chief editor, told VOA the journalists were in a convoy to visit the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State late last month when they stopped at a military checkpoint and turned over reporter ID cards and identity documents.

All three journalists who are now in prison, they asked for permission from ... a Burma army checkpoint at Namsahn gate, [the] military gate. And they got the permission from the colonel who was stationed there, Aye Chan Naing said. So they did ask.

The account could not be independently verified, but it could be a crucial point in the defenses case. Aye Chan Naing believes the journalists ran into a different army unit on the way back. So there could be a miscommunication between these two checkpoints, he said, adding the account comes from two separate sources.

Four civilians were also arrested, though information about them has been scant.

Rights groups say the charge, article 17/1 of the Unlawful Associations Act, is aimed at putting a wedge between the civilian populace and ethnic armed groups by criminalizing many forms of support for them, including attending meetings and in any way assisting their operations. The TNLA is one of several armed organizations fighting for more autonomy in Myanmar, and despite attending peace talks in the capital in May, it has not signed a cease fire agreement with the military.

Aye Chan Naing added it would be difficult to argue the journalists had assisted the cause of the group in any way.

We havent even managed to make a story yet after they returned, he said.

Rarely has the controversial legislation been applied to members of the media, who have been reporting openly and objectively in conflict areas for nearly five years, since Myanmar launched a series of reforms as part of a still-unfinished transition to democratic rule.

Myint Kyaw, a member of Myanmars Press Council, which handles complaints about media coverage, said the organization sent a letter to army leadership pointing out the discrepancies between the charge and the actual purpose of the visit.

We highlighted that the intention of the trip is not to be involved in the armed conflict, and then also not to be involved in any side of the armed conflict with the ethnic groups and the military, just only to get the news, to chase the news, he said. And then also, since 2012 until now, the local media is always trying to contact the ethnic armed groups, but until now there is no problem or [hardly] any problem at all.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the arrests and called for the journalists immediate release.

Since Aung San Suu Kyi formed a government in April 2016, freedom of expression has taken a hit in Myanmar, with most cases involving charges of online defamation for articles and Facebook posts that impugn the civilian government or the military.

With the arrests in Shan State, media monitors worry about further restrictions on the free flow of information and ideas.

No comment



The military public information office in the capital, Naypyitaw, declined comment about the case, referring calls to the Press Council.

But Myint Kyaw said the Press Council has been unable to reach the army. He said the legal aspects of the case did not matter so much, as the judiciary in Myanmar lacks independence.

Thats why we are worrying about this, he added.
Shaka Ssali discusses the African Diaspora with Adetola Kayode, Lagos TV Broadcast Journalist & Hubert Humphrey Fellow at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and with Charles Nana, a businessman from Cameroon who in 2016 ran for the U.S. Senate seat, in Alabama.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has congratulated Iraqi fighters on what he called "this big victory in Mosul," even though the fighting against Islamic State militants continues in Mosul's Old City. Abadi spoke Tuesday during a weekly news conference in Baghdad. He said efforts to secure stability and help the displaced people return to their homes will intensify in the coming days. VOA's Zlatica Hoke has more.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to conduct coordinated, complementary security operations against terrorist groups on their respective sides of the shared border, officials confirmed Wednesday.

A high-powered U.S. bipartisan congressional delegation led by Senator John McCain mediated the deal during its visit this week to Islamabad and Kabul.

The [U.S.] Senators said that the head of Pakistans armed forces, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, agreed to joint operations against terrorist groups in the Durand Line region, said an Afghan statement after Tuesdays talks between President Ashraf Ghani and the U.S. delegation.

They said that the U.S. would provide monitoring and verification of these operations, the statement quoted McCains delegation as saying, while sharing the Pakistani proposal with Ghani.

The nearly 2,600-kilometer, largely-porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is called the Durand Line. Both countries regularly accuse each other of not doing enough on their respective sides to stop terrorist infiltration. The allegations are blamed for deep mutual mistrust and strained bilateral ties.

The Afghan government has welcomed the [Pakistani] proposal and a mechanism to undertake these simultaneous joint operations will be developed by our defense and security forces, Afghan presidential spokesman Dawa Khan Meenapal told VOA on Wednesday.

Pakistan military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor, when contacted by VOA, confirmed the security deal with Afghan counterparts. However, he dismissed the reported impression that Afghan forces would be allowed to step on Pakistani soil.

There is no concept of joint operations [on Pakistani soil]. Pakistan does not and will not allow foreign boots on the ground, said General Ghafoor.

He went on to explain that under the proposed coordinated, complementary operations, when Pakistani forces plan counterterrorism actions on their side of the border, Afghan counterparts will be required to mobilize forces on the other side and the other way around to prevent terrorists from fleeing.

McCain and his fellow senators, including Lindsay Graham, Sheldon Whitehouse, Elizabeth Warren and David Perdue, held talks with Pakistani civilian and military leaders and visited a tribal region near the Afghan border on Monday before traveling to Kabul for talks with leaders there.

President Ghani has long blamed Pakistan for not upholding its commitments to prevent terrorists from using Pakistani soil against Afghanistan. He has lately linked complete normalization of relations to the involvement of a third country to oversee actions and commitments undertaken by Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Afghan government alleges that Taliban insurgents and their ally, the Haqqani network, are using sanctuaries inside Pakistan for sustaining the insurgency in Afghanistan, charges Islamabad strongly rejects.

The offer of coordinated operations to Afghanistan came as Pakistan's military is building a fence on the long border and undertaking other fortification measures to deter militant infiltration in either direction. Islamabad has long complained that a lack of coordination from the Afghan side has allowed militants to flee security operations in the volatile Pakistani tribal belt and take refuge in Afghan border areas to plot attacks against Pakistan.
Afghanistan says it will begin blocking all online activity and websites linked to terror groups or extremists later this week, under terms of a cybercrime bill the government signed into law last month.

The Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology said it is gathering a list of websites linked to terror groups or their supporters, based on information from the National Intelligence Directorate (NDS) and the Ministry of Information and Culture.

Najib Nangyal, a ministry spokesperson, said website-blocking will begin this Saturday, as authorized by the National Cyber Security Strategy of Afghanistan (NCSA) and the new Cyber Crimes Act.

Voice of concern

A dissenting voice has been raised by the nongovernmental organization Nai, Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan. The group opposes the new cybercrime law on the grounds that it limits freedom of expression and access to information.

Telecommunications ministry spokesperson Nangyal denied those charges in a statement to VOA's Ashna radio.

The new criminal law that President Ashraf Ghani signed last Friday contains 27 articles related to prohibited cyberactivities. It is the first comprehensive attempt to catalog cybercrimes and violations in 15 years, a period during which online activity in the country expanded greatly.

Internet services for 6 million

Although parts of Afghanistan are still ravaged by war, the country of 32 million people now has internet services capable of serving 6 million people. A lack of cyber regulations, meanwhile, has allowed terrorists and extremist groups to continue working online, the government said.

Media rights group Nai, established in 2005 with the support of the Internews network, is currently supported by funds from USAID, the U.S. international development agency. Mojib Khalwatgar, head of Nai, said his agency is concerned about vague and undefined terms used in much of the law, and in particular on its potential effect upon journalists.

Nai's statement of general beliefs about the new law says it appears to potentially criminalize any exchange of data or software from one computer to another, and that any normal activity by an organization's information technology staff could be construed to be a criminal act.

Mohammad Ahmadi contributed to this report
Police in Bangladesh have filed charges ranging from negligence to murder against more than a dozen people after a boiler explosion at a garment plant killed 13 people and injured dozens, officials said on Wednesday.

Monday's blast happened during maintenance work at a factory owned by Multifabs Ltd, whose top buyers include fashion chain Lindex, which is part of Finland's Stockmann, German supermarket chain Aldi, and Rexholm of Denmark.

Police have blamed the accident on three boiler operators killed in the explosion on the outskirts of Dhaka, the capital, and 10 unidentified people.

"They have been accused of negligence and murder as they continued to operate the boiler, ignoring safety concerns," said Aminul Islam, chief of the police station investigating the incident.

Survivors found guilty could face punishments ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty, authorities said.

Preliminary investigations showed the license for the boiler had expired on June 24, district administrator Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir told Reuters.

The company said it had applied to renew the license before the deadline, however.

"We applied to the authorities for renewal on June 15," company chairman Mahiuddin Faruqui told Reuters. "There was no negligence on our side."

The accident took place as the plant was being readied to resume operations on Tuesday, following a 10-day closure for the Eid al-Fitr holidays at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

A boiler warning light was flashing before the explosion, but the maintenance team ignored it, said one survivor, Harunur Rashid, a worker in the garment dyeing process.

"We heard strange sounds two or three times, but we were told it was nothing," Rashid, hurt in the head and legs by the blast, said from his hospital bed. "Shortly after, it exploded."

The blast happened when workers sought to restart the boiler after servicing, Faruqui said.

"We don't know whether it gave any warnings or not," he added.

Bangladesh's roughly $28-billion garment industry, the world's biggest after China, employs 4 million people and generates about 80 percent of export earnings.

It came under scrutiny after the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex that killed more than 1,100 people, and a 2012 fire at a garment factory that killed 112 workers.

The Rana Plaza disaster sparked demands for greater safety and put the responsibility to act on foreign companies sourcing clothing from Bangladesh.
Rifts are widening in Theresa Mays Cabinet over Brexit with two rival schools of thoughts emerging, one favoring a sharp break with the European Union and the other, led by the ruling Conservatives increasingly influential Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, wanting closer ties with the European bloc.

The mounting tensions are emerging as surveys suggest British voters are becoming more skittish over Brexit, possibly a reflection of increasingly bad news about the British economy, which is the worst performing major economy.

According to a YouGov poll, 60 percent of Britons believe trade with Europe should take priority in the departure negotiations with the bloc, rather than immigration issues, thought to be a key driver of the Brexit vote a year ago.

Rising public concern about post-Brexit economic prospects comes amid signs that Britain will need to improve the skills of its own workers rapidly or make better use of robots in manufacturing and assembly plants, as it could be faced with a crippling skills shortage.

The consultancy firm Deloitte found in a survey last week that 47 percent of highly skilled workers from other European countries are thinking of leaving. It warned that if they do, there will be a serious implications for employers.

Overseas workers, especially those from the EU, tell us they are more likely to leave the UK than before, said David Sproul of Deloitte.

The split within the upper echelons of the ruling Conservatives over Brexit has gotten sharper since last months inconclusive elections that left May weakened and her party remaining in government thanks to a voting deal she made with 10 Northern Ireland lawmakers to give her a slight working majority in the House of Commons.

Few analysts believe May will see out the year before she has to step down and is replaced. The battle is playing out in public with key ministers taking swipes at each other over how Britain should leave the European Union, adding to the sense of a government in disarray.

Hammond has warned that petty politics must not be allowed to interfere with economic logic, while the minister charged with overseeing Brexit negotiations with Brussels, David Davis, has remained firm that Britain should leave by March 2019 both the single market and customs union. It could remain in both, if London agreed to pay into the EU budget and accept the principle of free movement of labor.

The stark division within the party was illustrated Tuesday when a 2010 video surfaced of Conservative lawmaker Steve Baker speaking to a Libertarian Alliance gathering. Baker, a junior minister and a member of Daviss Brexit negotiating team, branded the European Union as an obstacle to world peace and incompatible with a free society. He argued it should be wholly torn down.

That is not the position of most Conservative lawmakers, but reflective of a hard-core minority who are propping up May, fearful that if she goes Hammond would probably be the most likely to replace her.

Moderate backbench Conservative lawmakers have been reaching out to opposite numbers in the Labour and Liberal Democrat ranks to try to plot a parliamentary way forward to block a so-called hard Brexit and to fashion one that would allow Britain to retain membership of the Single Market and Customs Union. They are not being helped by Labours hard-left leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is presiding over a party almost as divided as the Conservatives over Brexit.

Labours position isn't clear, it campaigned last month as a Brexit party that wants to withdraw Britain from the Single Market, doing so because it feared desertion by working-class voters angry over the large number of immigrants working in the country. Corbyn has talked since about wanting a jobs-focused Brexit, but has punished 49 Labour lawmakers who ignored him last week and supported a rebel amendment calling for Britain to stay in the single market and customs union.

European officials say with the incoherence underlining British politics they are becoming increasingly fearful that Brexit negotiations will collapse, leaving Britain exiting Europe with no trade deal.

They aren't the only ones worried. This week the director of the Leave campaign during last years referendum, expressed grave doubts about Brexit. In a Twitter exchange Dominic Cummings said he feared a debacle in the EU negotiations and admitted the referendum had been a dumb idea. Leaving the European Union could be an error, he said.
Bolstering flood defenses and moving families away from risky areas are high on the agenda for Argentina's Santa Fe as the river port city looks to grow its economy and improve its infrastructure under a new urban plan.

The inland city of around 400,000 in Argentina's Pampas region also aims to cut violent crime, boost social inclusion and kick-start projects including a new airport, as it tries to create jobs and become better connected, said Santa Fe's chief resilience officer, Andrea Valsagna.

Like many Latin American cities, as Santa Fe has expanded, new residents have settled in low-lying areas, she noted.

"The challenge is to organize the growth of the city in a way that reduces the risk of floods," said Valsagna by telephone from Santa Fe in northeast Argentina.

The new resilience strategy will help position the city to "deal with the problems climate change is generating in the region," she said, adding that heavy rains and flooding are likely to increase.

Santa Fe lies near the junction of two major waterways  the Parana and Salado rivers  and suffered serious floods in 2003 and 2007, which forced mass evacuations.

The city now has early warning systems in place, and relies on costly infrastructure made up of 40 miles (64 km) of defenses and pumps that help minimize flood risk from the rivers.

The new strategy  released under the 100 Resilient Cities initiative, a global network of cities working to tackle modern-day shocks and stresses  said Santa Fe had taken steps to reduce its vulnerability, but work was needed to bolster flood defenses, drainage systems and other critical infrastructure.

Santa Fe is one of Argentina's oldest cities, with over 70 percent of its territory made up of rivers, lakes and marshes.

An effort to relocate nearly 4,000 people living in 1,500 homes situated in flood-prone areas and curb informal settlement must consider how to integrate communities, and provide education and job opportunities, said Valsagna.

"The problem of families in low-lying or informal settlements is multi-dimensional, and you can't just think about the housing problem," she said of the city which suffers from a shortage of accommodation.

"It's very difficult to generate alternatives for many of these families  they have a history in these places ... they have their links with work, schools, health," she said.

Crime and waste

Major infrastructure projects, such as the proposed new airport for the regional capital and relocation of its river port, would broaden opportunities for economic growth and jobs, besides improving transport links, said Valsagna.

Santa Fe is expected to funnel 10 percent of its municipal budget into ways of making the city more resilient. City authorities are also talking to regional development banks, the private sector and the national government about funding the port and the airport, she said.

Reducing crime is another big challenge for Santa Fe, where homicides reached 22 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2014. Young men from poor, underserved neighborhoods are most at risk, while police corruption and a weak justice system compound the issue.

Valsagna said a new observatory would analyze crime in the city, which is seeking ways to bring more jobs and services to inhabitants of its poorest areas.

Other goals are to improve drainage and waste services in the city where more than 600 families, including children, make a living out of informal rubbish collection and are exposed to health risks and poor sanitation, said the report.

Santa Fe wants to halve their number within the next five years by offering alternative sources of income.

Santa Fe Mayor Jose Manuel Corral noted in the report that cities around the world are facing complex challenges.

"We believe that a resilience approach will allow us to tackle this complexity, putting the focus on the capacity of communities to face crises, prepare themselves for acute impacts but also to deal with and overcome chronic stresses," he wrote.
The Trump administration will soon begin a review that will question the veracity of the climate change science used by President Barack Obama's administration as the basis for environmental regulations.

The move by the Environmental Protection Agency to launch public debates between scientists on climate research, known as red-team, blue-team exercises, would be the first major effort by the Republican administration to challenge the long-standing scientific consensus on human-caused climate change.

Advocates who have petitioned the EPA to reverse the scientific finding underlying U.S. regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions see the proposal to scrutinize mainstream climate science as a first step in that direction.

"It's a way to survey the landscape before reopening the endangerment finding," said Myron Ebell, head of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, one of the groups that filed a petition with the agency to undo the 2009 scientific determination that formed the basis for the Democratic Obama administration's regulation of greenhouse gases.

In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA had authority under the federal Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases from cars if the agency determined they endangered human health.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has spoken several times about the merits of opening the climate change debate up to the public. The website Climatewire on Friday cited a senior administration official, who said Pruitt plans to launch the back-and-forth scientific critiques formally.

Francis Menton, a lawyer who filed an endangerment finding petition in January on behalf of the Concerned Household Electricity Consumers Council, said Pruitt told an event at the Manhattan Institute think tank in New York on Friday that he would launch the debates in the next few months.

Menton said he asked Pruitt whether he had made a decision on reopening the endangerment finding. Pruitt said the agency is weighing its options.

The review "can create a body of scientific work that can be trustworthy and dependable to make regulatory choices and decisions," said Rob Henneke, of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a third group that filed an endangerment finding petition.

Unlike the other two, it has challenged the legality of the endangerment findng, not the science.

Environmental groups are confident that Pruitt will not be successful if he tries to undo the endangerment finding because they expect the courts will side with the scientific consensus that human beings cause climate change.

Pruitt and the EPA would need to build up a new case that shows carbon dioxide is innocuous and counter the volumes of scientific research that support the finding.

"If he has any grasp of scientific and legal reality, he would realize that it's a fool's errand to reverse the endangerment determination," said David Doniger, climate director for the Natural Resources Defense Counsel.

"This could be a way for him to keep the right-wing fringe groups occupied and also accimplish the goal of further confusing the public debate," he said.

Ebell, who was also the transition leader of the Trump EPA, had previously been critical of Pruitt's hesitation to take on the endangerment finding because of the time and staffing it would require.

The Trump administration has not yet appointed second-tier assistant administrators to run different policy divisions of the agency.

"I think [the red-team, blue-team process] is a logical first step, but I don't think it commits the administrator to anything yet," Ebell said.


Colombian officials say a United Nations contractor was released by dissident FARC rebels Wednesday after he was taken captive two months ago.

"We are very grateful for the decision to release him unharmed. He is in good health," the director of the U.N. Information Center in Bogota, Helene Papper said.

"We are currently making all the logistical arrangements to transfer him to Bogota," Papper said of the former hostage, identified by the French news agency as Harley Lopez, a Colombian national.

Former members of the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, seized their hostage while he was working on a project to replace coca with legal crops such as coffee and fruit.

Nearly 300 dissidents, who rejected a peace deal between the rebel group and Colombian government last year, want to take over coca cultivation and cocaine trafficking that were abandoned when the FARC agreed to lay down its weapons.

The May kidnapping coincided with a U.N. Security Council meeting in the Andean country to discuss the peace accord which ended more than five decades of conflict.
In January, Donald Trump drew what appeared to be a red line for North Korea: testing a ballistic missile that could reach parts of the United States with a nuclear warhead.

It won't happen! insisted then President-elect Trump in a statement he posted on Twitter.

Except early Tuesday, it did happen, according to North Korean state television, which reported Kim Jong Un personally observed the test of the Hwaseong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile.

The North's claims were bolstered by the U.S. military, which tracked the missile for 37 minutes, and independent analysts, who estimated its range at 6,500 kilometers (4,000 miles)  far enough to reach Alaska, and an apparent violation of Trump's red line warning.

In international geopolitics, a red line signifies an unequivocal threat; it could also be described as a line in the sand. Breaking the limit set by the red line would incur the full fury of the state that issued the threat.

The successful test of an ICBM (generally defined as a rocket with a range of more than 5,500 kilometers, or 3,400 miles) would represent a major challenge for Trump, who has warned the U.S. is willing to act alone to stop the North Korean nuclear threat.

Ultimatum ignored

But in reality, Trump is seen as having few good options to contain the North, and there are concerns his credibility on the issue could be bruised if Pyongyang in fact blew past his Twitter ultimatum, as initial reports suggested.

His tweet was clearly a kind of red line, and it was a mistake to draw a red line that you don't have a good ability to enforce, said Mark Fitzpatrick, who focuses on nonproliferation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Analysts have long warned that any pre-emptive attack on North Korea would be problematic, endangering not only U.S. allies such as Japan and South Korea, but also U.S. military bases in the region.

The risk of escalation has only increased as the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programs advance, and Fitzpatrick said Tuesday's test hasn't changed that calculation.

Reaction could make things worse

It undermines credibility when red lines are not enforced, he said. But the bigger problem would be to take action that is terribly risky and could lead to a bad escalation.

Diplomats' condemnation of North Korea has been swift. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for global action Tuesday, saying: All nations should demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons.

In a statement that appeared to be at least partially aimed at China, the top U.S. diplomat said any country that hosts North Korean workers, or provides economic or military aid to Pyongyang, or fails to implement United Nations sanctions, is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.

At the United Nations, diplomats said the Security Council would meet late Wednesday to discuss the growing crisis.

All those factors added to the international concern about how the United States would react to North Korea's launch.

Trump's shifting positions

Trump has spoken out about his distaste for North Korea's policies on many occasions, but his own positions have shifted from time to time.

Before last November's U.S. election, Trump suggested in a campaign appearance that China could possibly assassinate Kim to reduce world tensions. He later walked back that threat, and has said as recently as May that he would be honored to meet the North Korean leader, under the right circumstances.

Given Trump's unique rhetorical style and apparent willingness to quickly change positions, many caution against reading too much into any one of the president's statements, especially those he publishes on Twitter.

I don't take President Trump's tweets as policy, says Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest. When it comes to policy issues, specifically North Korea, or anything else, you need to look at the actions, not the tweets.

If Trump's rhetoric is left out of the equation, his North Korea strategy does, indeed, appear more traditional. It includes long-standing U.S. tactics such as expanded sanctions and strong displays of U.S. military strength.

In particular, Trump has focused much of his efforts on convincing China, North Korea's most important ally and trading partner, to apply economic and diplomatic pressure on its neighbor. Trump subsequently tweeted that Beijing's efforts have not worked out, but he took an optimistic turn again on Tuesday, noting on Twitter that perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!

Swift U.S., South Korean action

In the field, the U.S. Army said that American military personnel and South Korean forces conducted a combined exercise Tuesday intended to show their ability to counter North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions.

The American and South Korean forces fired tactical missiles into Seoul's territorial waters, demonstrating a system [that] can be rapidly deployed and engaged [with] deep strike precision capability, according to a statement issued by an Army garrison in the South Korean capital.

Senior U.S. officials have been cautious in their comments about the latest North Korean test. A review of the missile launch is ongoing, military authorities said late Tuesday.

While it's questioned whether North Korea launched a multistage ballistic missile, evidence suggested that a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile was launched.

There are also questions about whether the North has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead that it could fit on such a missile, or if it has mastered the technology necessary for an ICBM to re-enter the atmosphere. Both of these are tasks are extremely difficult, even for a military that is capable of producing and firing rockets in rapid-fire fashion.

As the White House formulates its response to the North's latest provocation, some experts cautioned that Trump should not issue any ultimatums to the North that he is not prepared to back up, whether they take the form of tweets, official statements or red lines.

The world sees his tweets. North Korea reads his tweets, said Fitzpatrick of the IISS, who previously worked at the State Department for 25 years. The tweets are there. They're a reality.
The Golan Heights is a disputed Middle East plateau partly occupied by Israel, which captured some of the territory from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War.

Israel later annexed the part of the Golan Heights under its control, in a move not recognized internationally. Syria tried to reclaim the occupied area by attacking Israel in the 1973 Mideast War, but Israeli forces pushed back the Syrians and held on to it. Damascus has continued to demand a full Israeli withdrawal ever since.

Facts about the Golan Heights:

* Israeli governments held a series of public and secret negotiations with Syria to try to resolve the Golan Heights dispute from 1991 until 2011. Some Israeli negotiators offered at least a partial withdrawal from Israeli-occupied territory in return for peace with Syria, but no deals were reached.

* Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government has toughened its position on the Golan Heights, declaring that Israel will never withdraw from the region and will keep the area it controls under Israeli sovereignty. Many Israelis oppose the idea of handing any of the territory to Damascus, because the Syrian civil war has driven Syrian government forces away from the Syrian-controlled side of the Golan Heights, creating a vacuum filled by Islamist rebel groups such as al-Qaida.

* Israel marked 50 years of its control in the Golan Heights in June. Since 1967, it has built more than 30 settlements in the territory with a combined population of about 20,000 Israeli civilians who mostly are engaged in agriculture, wine-making, tourism and the preservation of nature and historic Jewish sites. The Israeli-controlled Golan Heights also is home to almost 20,000 indigenous ethnic Druze civilians, most of whom have remained loyal to Syria, and some of whom support President Bashar al-Assad.

* In recent years, fighting in the Syrian-controlled Golan Heights occasionally has spilled over the Israeli-Syrian cease-fire line, with gunfire and shells hitting Israeli-controlled territory and triggering Israeli return fire.

* The United Nations has hundreds of international observers stationed along the boundary between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights. The cease-fire boundary consists of two lines that run mostly parallel to each other  an Alpha or A line separating Israeli and Syrian-controlled territory, and a Bravo or B line to the east. The area in between the Alpha and Bravo lines is an Area of Separation in which Syrian military forces are prohibited from entering. But this area largely has been occupied by rebels in recent years.

* The U.N. also created a small demilitarized zone west of the Alpha line, to keep Israeli military forces away from the abandoned Syrian town of Quneitra in the Area of Separation. This trapezoid-shaped zone, which is marked by an Alpha 1 line, consists mainly of Israeli farmland.
Five people including at least one child were killed late on Tuesday when a shell landed on a beach near Mitiga airport in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, the health ministry said.

At least 32 people were injured, according to reports from Tripoli hospitals, on the beach that runs alongside a coastal road into central Tripoli from the airport. The beach is popular with families trying to escape the city heat on summer evenings.

Photos posted on social media showed plastic furniture strewn on the sand under strings of outdoor lights.

Fighting started again early on Wednesday, local media said.

"The casualties are the result of clashes on Tuesday between a security force and outlaws who fired a shell that fell on a beach in front of Mitiga airport," Abdulsalam Ashour, a deputy interior minister in Libya's U.N.-backed government, told Libya Al-Ahrar TV channel.

Flights restarted at Mitiga after being suspended for several hours.

Some reports said the shell was fired in a revenge attack against members of one of the capital's many armed factions.

Tripoli is home to a patchwork of armed groups, some of which share control of Mitiga and the surrounding area. They occasionally clash over the control of smuggling businesses and in other local disputes.
A French public prosecutor on Wednesday asked a court to sentence the son of Equatorial Guinea's president to three years in jail on charges of using money plundered from his country to buy Parisian luxury properties and exotic cars.

The public prosecutor also said Obiang should pay a 30 million euro fine and have all his assets in France confiscated.

Teodorin Obiang, eldest son of President Teodoro Obiang and a vice-president himself, denies charges of laundering embezzled public funds. He is being tried in absentia.

The court's ruling will come at a later date.

The case is the first of several to reach court in a broader judicial investigation into allegations of illicit acquisitions in France by long-time leaders and family relatives in several African countries including Gabon and Congo Republic.

Among the acquisitions at the center of the trial is a large property bought for 25 million euros ($28.31 million) in 2005 on Paris's upmarket Avenue Foch, with gymnasium, steam room, hair-dressing studio and a discotheque with cinema screen.

In addition to luxury clothing and jewels, prosecutors say Obiang, built up an exceptional collection of costly cars, which along with clothes, jewels and real estate took the value of all his assets to around 100 million euros.
Haiti plans to start recruiting for a small, newly reformed army, the defense minister said Tuesday, while critics questioned the need for such a force in a poor country with a history of military coups.

The government expects to recruit fewer than 500 soldiers, whose duties will include rebuilding after natural disasters and monitoring borders for smuggled contraband, Defense Minister Herve Denis told Reuters in an interview.

"I was planning to recruit 500 in the first recruitment but now, because of budget problems, we have to reduce the numbers," he said. "We are waiting on the vote on the budget to determine how many we will eventually recruit."

The vote is expected in the next few months.

Former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide disbanded Haiti's army in 1995 following a military coup.

Previous president Michel Martelly drafted a plan for a small military force in 2011. Calls from politicians for an expanded army have grown with the looming departure in October of a 13-year United Nations mission in Haiti intended to restore stability after a second coup against Aristide in 2004.

However, Haiti's budget is tight and critics say the government should focus its resources on the two decade-old national police force, which has roughly 15,000 officers.

"Haiti does not need an army," said Mario Joseph, a human rights attorney and one of Aristide's lawyers. "We must use what little money Haiti has rationally. ... Haiti cannot even take care of the police with the national budget."
A series of meetings between Hamas and senior officials in Cairo in recent weeks points to improving ties between Egypt and the Islamist Palestinian movement, with implications for Gaza, Palestinian politics and the wider region.

For much of the last decade, Egypt has joined Israel in enforcing a land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip, a move to punish Hamas and its armed wing, which seized the territory in 2007 and has controlled it since.

The situation has worsened in the past month as Israel, at the request of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), has cut electricity to Gaza, leaving it with barely four hours of power a day.

The sanctions are part of a yearslong effort by the PA, led by the rival Fatah party, to force Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza and join a unified government.

Power cuts have hit hospitals and water treatment plants, squeezing Gaza's two million people amid a draining heat wave.

Sensing the need to act, and worried about losing popular support, Hamas has sought to mend ties with Egypt, which controls their one border crossing and has, under President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, been highly wary of ties between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, which Sissi ousted from power after mass protests.

Hamas's newly appointed leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, whose background is with the group's militant wing, met Egyptian officials, including the intelligence chief, last month.

The meetings in Cairo were believed to have been facilitated by Mohammed Dahlan, 55, a former senior Fatah official who is originally from Gaza and is now a staunch opponent of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah's leader.

Potential challenge to Abbas

Dahlan, who spends much of his time in the United Arab Emirates and is close to Egypt, has emerged as a powerbroker in the region, determined to bridge differences between Hamas and Cairo and potentially challenge Abbas for leadership.

In that respect, closer ties between Hamas and Cairo are a serious threat to Abbas, regional analysts said.

Not only because they help to bolster Hamas's credibility in the region, but because they empower Dahlan and undermine the ability of the Palestinian Authority to cast itself as the dominant political body for Palestinians, they said.

Israel, which signed a 1979 peace treaty with Egypt and coordinates closely with it on security, is maintaining a wary eye on discussions between Egypt and Hamas. Like the United States and the European Union, it regards Hamas as a terrorist group and wants to keep its influence contained.

After the last round of meetings in Cairo, Hamas cleared land on its side of the border, creating a buffer zone with watchtowers, cameras and barbed-wire fences in a concession to security-conscious Egypt.

"These measures serve as a message of assurance to the Egyptian side," Tawfiq Abu Naeem, the Hamas-appointed head of security services in Gaza, told reporters.

Since then, Hamas officials have returned to Cairo for more talks. Sources say Hamas wants Egypt to open its Rafah crossing for longer and to increase energy supplies and imports.

Egypt wants information on "radical elements" entering and leaving Gaza and help with tracking Islamic State-affiliated militants attacking Egyptian forces in northern Sinai.

Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the discussions. An Israeli foreign ministry official declined to comment.

Dahlan's role

In a sign that the talks are rattling Palestinian politics, Abbas, 82, will visit Egyptian President Sissi this week.

And later Wednesday, Hamas's top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, will deliver one of his first public speeches since his election in May. Political observers expect him to address Hamas' improved ties with Egypt as well as the ever-present tensions with Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

"I believe relations between Egypt and Hamas have taken a big move," said Akram Attallah, an independent analyst in Gaza. "For the first time, we can say there is joint action between the two sides, a joint cooperation. That has never been official since the Hamas movement was founded 30 years ago."

Attallah sees Dahlan's mediation as critical. As Abbas has grown more frustrated with Hamas and tried to increase pressure on the group, it has strengthened Dahlan's role as a broker.

Abbas expelled Dahlan from Fatah in 2012 and Dahlan has been in self-imposed exile since. The last thing Abbas wants is for him to return to Gaza, with Egypt's approval, as a hero.

"Dahlan employed this moment to present himself as the most efficient party in the Palestinian arena and a savior for Hamas," said Attallah, suggesting each side had gained: Dahlan in terms of leverage and Hamas as a political partner.

Regional analysts are closely watching what closer ties with Egypt may mean for Hamas' relations with Qatar, which in recent years has spent more than $500 million improving infrastructure and building clinics in Gaza.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are now leading a Sunni-Arab drive against Qatar over its ties with Iran, accusing it of fomenting terrorism, a charge Doha denies. The analysts say if Egypt is forging better relations with Hamas, it may well insist on Hamas giving up its friendship with the emirate.
Israels defense minister says life in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights is proceeding normally after a week of above-average spillover incidents from the Syrian civil war next door.

Israeli media have reported that stray shells and gunfire hit the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan at least 16 times during the last week of June. They said the fire originated from battles involving Syrian government forces and rebels in the Quneitra region, on the Syrian-controlled side of the plateau.

Israels military struck back at the sources of the errant fire, which it said did not cause any damage or casualties in Israeli-held territory. Israel has retaliated for several similar incidents in recent years.

Speaking to members of his nationalist Yisrael Beytenu party on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he had just returned from a visit to the Golan and found that Israelis there are enjoying quiet and security. The Times of Israel quoted Lieberman as saying that Israeli farmers in the region were continuing to plow their fields, while tourists were braving the hot weather.

Israel captured part of the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Middle East War and later annexed it in a move not internationally recognized.

Rebel neighbors

Israeli farmer Erez Zukerman, who lives in the community of Merom Golan and works as a local tour guide, is accustomed to operating meters away from territory controlled by Syrian Islamist rebel groups.

These are our neighbors  we dont like to say good or bad neighbors, we like to say stable or unstable, said Zukerman, who gave VOAs Persian service a tour of the Israeli side of the Israeli-Syrian cease-fire line in the Golan, three weeks before the latest spillovers from the conflict.

From a hilltop overlooking Quneitra, the jeep tour, streamed live on Periscope, proceeded to a former Syrian military headquarters captured by Israeli forces in 1967. The derelict building, covered in Israeli graffiti, sits on the northern edge of a U.N.-established demilitarized zone within Israeli-controlled territory.

After exchanging greetings with a young Israeli soldier resting outside the building, the 25-year-old guide drove the jeep into the DMZ, a trapezoid-shaped area consisting mainly of Israeli farmland adjacent to Quneitra, a town abandoned by Syria after the 1967 war.

Look how closely we farm next to Syria, said Zukerman, as he pointed to vineyards and other cultivated fields leading up to a 3-meter-high fence about 200 meters away.

He also said Israeli soldiers largely have ignored the DMZ by patrolling the farmland in recent years, to protect against rebel groups who seized parts of Quneitra despite its location in a U.N.-designated Area of Separation or buffer zone under U.N. observation.

At the southern edge of the DMZ, the situation was calm enough to exit the jeep and walk to within 30 meters of the Quneitra crossing  the only concrete post along the cease-fire line. Just ahead of an Israeli checkpoint at the crossing, big yellow signs in Hebrew, Arabic and English warned of mortal danger to anyone who tries to pass the fence.

About a mile that way, youve got groups like al-Qaida, Zukerman said. They have AK-47's, artillery. But we have tanks, jet fighters and attack drones, so theyre not going to do anything.

Threat perception

Zukerman also said Israeli troops do not necessarily open fire when people approach the cease-fire fence from the Syrian-controlled side.

If somebody gets close, we might not shoot, because it could be a civilian seeking medical aid from Israel, he said. So we would send out a patrol unit with a medic, in case you have got to help them.

About 100 meters from the Quneitra crossing is Camp Ziouani, the main base of the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, in the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan.

Guarding an entrance to the camp was an officer from Fiji, the biggest contributor to the UNDOF mission. He told VOA Persian that the situation had been quiet for most of the 10 months that he had been deployed there.

So far, we have seen clashes between groups in Syria, and sometimes we see Israeli military exercises and deployments, but I have not come across face-to-face fighting, the Fijian officer said. I can say it is a bit safe now.

In a sign that many Israelis also consider the Golan to be relatively safe, dozens of adults and children gathered to swim at a centuries-old, Ottoman-era spring  the jeep tours final stop, around 800 meters from Camp Ziouani. The Ein Mokesh spring is surrounded by a minefield, but Israeli troops had cleared a dirt path to the site from a nearby road, enabling it to become a popular local attraction.

Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the Israeli-controlled Golan, which is home to guest houses, nature parks, archaeological sites, a winery and a ski resort.

In a bid to preserve that industry, Defense Minister Lieberman used his public remarks on Monday to urge Israelis to visit the Golan. He also warned armed groups in Syria that Israel would be very angry if they disturb the quiet on the Israeli side, while reiterating Israels position that it does not want to become involved in the Syrian conflict.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Persian service.
Japan's population, excluding resident foreigners, fell at the beginning of this year at its fastest pace since comparable figures were kept in 1968, highlighting the demographic challenge to economic growth.

As of Jan. 1, the number of Japanese people fell by a record 308,084 from a year earlier to 125,583,658, marking the eighth consecutive year of declines, government data showed Wednesday.

The number of births fell 2.9 percent from the previous year ago to 981,202, the lowest since comparable data became available in 1974.

People aged 65 or older accounted for 27.2 percent of the total population, the highest ratio on record, while the ratio of those aged 14 or younger fell to a record low of 12.7 percent, the data showed.

The number of registered foreign residents increased to 2,323,428, up 6.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the data.

Japan has long been reluctant to open up to immigration.

Many Japanese pride themselves on what they see as their cultural and ethnic homogeneity, even as the population ages and its workforce shrinks.

But recently, the government has been increasing its efforts to attract students and high-skilled workers from overseas.

The overall population, which combines both Japanese and resident foreigners, fell 0.1 percent from a year ago to 127,907,086, the data showed.
3 French President Emmanuel Macron stands in front of the flag-draped coffin of Simone Veil during a solemn funeral ceremony, in the courtyard of the Invalides in Paris. Holocaust survivors joined the president and European dignitaries at a special memorial ceremony for Simone Veil, who rose from the horrors of Nazi death camps to become president of the European Parliament and one of the country's most revered politicians.
Moscow hopes the first face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump later this week will establish an effective working dialogue between the two men, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

The meeting, due to be held on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg on Friday, will be closely watched at a time when ties between the two countries remain strained by U.S. allegations of Russian election hacking, Syria, Ukraine and a U.S. row over Trump associates' links to Moscow.

"This is the first meeting, the first time the two presidents will get acquainted - this is the main thing about it," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

"The expectation is that a working dialogue will be established, which is vitally important for the entire world when it comes to increasing the efficiency of resolving a critical mass of conflicts."

The meeting would explore whether there was a chance and a readiness for the two countries to fight international terrorism together in Syria, Peskov said, saying Putin would explain Moscow's stance on the conflicts in both Syria and Ukraine.

But Peskov said the meeting's brief format meant the Russian leader might not have enough time to give a full analysis of what Moscow regarded as the causes of the Ukraine crisis.

Three years after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and a pro-Russian separatist uprising broke out in eastern Ukraine, there is little sign of a peaceful solution in the east despite a ceasefire agreement signed in February 2015 in Minsk, Belarus.

Those accords were signed by France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv accuses Moscow of actively supporting the pro-Russian separatists. Russia denies the charge.

The meeting with Trump would "be a good chance to reiterate Russia's stance that the Minsk accords have no alternative, that the Minsk accords must be implemented, and that measures must be taken to stop provocations which unfortunately Ukraine's armed forces are still carrying out," Peskov said.
An institute the late U.S. Sen. John Glenn helped envision for promoting professionalism, bipartisanship and civility among elected officials was launched Wednesday in his native Ohio.

Its organizers said work began on the State of Ohio Leadership Institute before Glenn's death in December and that it was not a reaction to the tone of Donald Trump's presidency.

Compromise is not a bad thing. Bipartisanship is not a bad thing. Talking with civility is very important, said Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger. These conversations, believe it or not? Well before the presidential campaign even started in 2016.

Rosenberger, a Republican who chairs the National Speakers Conference, said the bipartisan group discussed the importance of giving people elected to office in small and large governments the skills necessary to govern effectively. That includes practical training in areas such as managing public money and guidance on striking political compromise.

Glenn spent 24 years in Senate

Ohio State President Michael Drake said the institute is entirely in line with the way the senator conducted his life. Glenn, a Democrat, spent 24 years in the Senate.

He's one of the few people who actually looked down on us literally, as well as figuratively, Drake said, referring to Glenn's history-making orbit of Earth in 1962. He really did see the world as a place, as a whole, that could work together to do a better job.

Ohio State University's Glenn College of Public Affairs will house the institute. Dean Trevor Brown said it will fill an important gap by concentrating on legislative rather than executive branch leaders.



It's an area that I have to admit that schools like ours have, to some degree, been neglectful of over the years, he said. Programs in public administration and public affairs have been very strong contributors to improving the capabilities of government, but primarily on the executive side.

Ohio State's program, dating back to 1969, has largely focused on training civil servants, Brown said.

Organizers visited the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as they looked to models for the new Ohio institute, which is still in the planning stages.

Disagreement over funding

Start-up funding of $5 million for the institute sparked disagreement in Ohio's Republican-led state Legislature.

The House under Rosenberger put the money into the state budget and the Senate removed it. The final version of the budget bill, signed Friday by Republican Gov. John Kasich, included the money.

Rosenberger rejected any suggestion that establishing the institute was an effort to provide ex-lawmakers with a place to land after they lose elections or depart office due to term limits.

That's about the goofiest damn question I've ever heard. No, it's not the intent for it, he said. He added he has no plans to work for the institute himself when he reaches term limits next year.

Rosenberger said commonalities discovered among speakers of both parties who were involved in the National Speakers Conference drove the early conversations that led to the institute's founding.
Human Rights Watch on Wednesday demanded an independent inquiry into the deaths of four Syrians who died while in Lebanese army custody and said anyone responsible for wrongdoing should be held to account.

The Lebanese army said on Tuesday that the four Syrian men arrested during a raid on a refugee camp on Friday had died while in detention from chronic illnesses that had been aggravated by the weather conditions.

In separate statements on the deaths, a Lebanese human rights group and a Syrian opposition alliance accused the Lebanese army of torture that led to the deaths.

A military source denied allegations of torture, saying they were baseless.

"In light of the army's own admission that the health conditions of the detainees deteriorated while in custody, a formal, transparent and independent investigation must be launched and in case of wrongdoing those responsible for the deaths should be held accountable," Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

The army detained several hundred people during its raid in the Arsal area on Friday in what it called a preemptive security operation against militants planning attacks in Lebanon. The army said five suicide attackers had blown themselves up while attacking soldiers during the raid, and one civilian was killed.

The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) said torture had led to the deaths of at least four detainees at refugee camps in the Arsal area and demanded a judicial inquiry.

The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said 10 people had died in custody, some of them by torture, while it said 19 others had died in the raid itself. It also demanded an investigation.

"We reject any attempt to justify these violations and crimes against Syrian refugees on the pretext of preserving security or allegations of confronting terror in Lebanon," the SNC said in its statement.

The U.N. refugee agency says Lebanon hosts more than 1 million registered Syrian refugees, equivalent to a quarter of its population, though the number is widely put at closer to 1.5 million.

They are scattered across Lebanon in informal tented settlements where many face the risk of arrest due to a lack of legal residency that they struggle to obtain.

The camps around Arsal town have long been a haven for militants coming from Syria who have clashed with Lebanese forces conducting security raids searching for suspects hiding among the refugees.
More than 7 million children in West and Central Africa are displaced every year, the United Nations children's agency said in a report released Wednesday.

Lack of economic opportunities, wars and climate change are forcing more than 12 million people in West and Central Africa to migrate annually, the report said.

"Children in West and Central Africa are moving in greater numbers than ever before, many in search of safety or a better life," UNICEF regional director Marie-Pierre Poirier said.

Climate change is already a harsh reality in many parts of Africa, where rising temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall have disrupted food production, fueled widespread hunger and forced farmers to abandon their land.

A half-million people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy over the past four years, mainly sub-Saharan Africans who pay smugglers to shepherd them across the desert to Libya, and onward to Europe in unseaworthy dinghies.

But unlike displaced adults, most of the children remain in sub-Saharan Africa, with less than 1-in-5 attempting the perilous journey to Europe.

"Unless the long-term planning of governments and civil society is equipped to anticipate these climate shocks and subsequent migration, the unmitigated impact of these forces will create detrimental outcomes for children across the region," the report said.

It urged all governments, in West and Central African and Europe to make unaccompanied minors a priority when drafting migrant policies; stop detention of migrant children; try to keep families together; and provide access to education and healthcare for the children.

Globally, 65.6 million people are uprooted and nearly half of them are children, the U.N.'s refugee agency UNHCR says.
The U.S. government has long warned that Russian organized crime posed a threat to democratic institutions, including "criminally linked oligarchs" who might collude with the Russian government to undermine business competition.

Those concerns, ever present if not necessarily always top priorities, are front and center once more.

A special counsel investigation is drawing attention to Russian efforts to meddle in democratic processes, the type of skulduggery that in the past has relied on hired hackers and outside criminals. It's not clear how much the probe by former FBI Director Robert Mueller will center on the criminal underbelly of Moscow, but he's already picked some lawyers with experience fighting organized crime. And as the team looks for any financial entanglements of Trump associates and relationships with Russian officials, its focus could land again on the intertwining of Russia's criminal operatives and its intelligence services.

Russian organized crime has manifested itself over the decades in more conventional forms of money laundering, credit card fraud and black market sales. Justice Department prosecutors have repeatedly racked up convictions for those offenses.

Espionage plus greed

In recent years, though, the bond between Russian intelligence agencies and criminal networks has been especially alarming to American law enforcement officials, blending motives of espionage with more old-fashioned greed. In March, for instance, two hired hackers were charged along with two officers of Russia's Federal Security Service in a cyberattack on Yahoo Inc. in 2013.

It's too early to know how Russian criminal networks might fit into the election meddling investigation, but central to the probe are devastating breaches of Democratic email accounts, including those of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. U.S. authorities have blamed those hacks on Russian intelligence services working to discredit Clinton and help Trump  but have said the overall effort involved third-party intermediaries and paid internet trolls.

Former law enforcement officials say Russian organized crime has been a concern for at least a couple of decades, though not necessarily the most pressing demand given finite resources and budget constraints. The threat is diffuse and complex, and Russia's historic lack of cooperation has complicated efforts to apprehend suspects. And the responsibility for combating the problem often falls across different divisions of the FBI and the Justice Department, depending on whether it's a criminal or national security offense  a sometimes blurry boundary.

'Very dangerous'

"It's not an easy thing to kind of grasp or understand, but it's very dangerous to our country because they have so many different aspects, unlike a traditional cartel," said Robert Anderson, a retired FBI executive assistant director who worked counterintelligence cases and oversaw the criminal and cyber branch.

"You have to know where to look, which makes it more complicated," he added. "And you have to understand what you're looking for."

Federal prosecutors continue to bring traditional organized crime cases, such as one last month in New York charging 33 members and associates of a Russian crime syndicate in a racketeering and extortion scheme that officials say involved cargo shipment thefts and efforts to defraud casinos. But there's a heightened awareness about more sophisticated cyberthreats that commingle the interests of the government and of criminals.

"An organized criminal group matures in what they do," said retired FBI Assistant Director Ron Hosko. "What they once did here through extortion, some of these groups are now doing through cyberattack vectors."

Within the Justice Department, it's been apparent since the collapse of the Soviet Union that crime from that territory could affect national security in Europe and the U.S.

A 2001 report from the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice, a research arm, called America "the land of opportunity for unloading criminal goods and laundering dirty money." It said crime groups in the region were establishing ties to drug trafficking networks, and that "criminally linked oligarchs" might work with the government to undermine competition in gas, oil and other strategic networks.

Three months later came the September 11 attacks, and the FBI, then under Mueller's leadership, and other agencies left no doubt that terrorism was the most important priority.

"I recall talking to the racketeering guys after that and them saying, 'Forget any focus now on organized crime,' " said James Finckenauer, an author of the report.

Besides cyberthreats, Justice Department officials in recent years have worried about the effect of unchecked international corruption, creating a kleptocracy initiative to recover money plundered by government leaders for their own purposes.

Yanukovych regime

In 2014, then-Attorney General Eric Holder pledged the Justice Department's commitment to recouping large sums believed to have been stolen during the regime of the Russia-backed government of Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian president chased from power that year.

That effort led to an FBI focus on Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman who did political consulting work on behalf of Yanukovych's political party and who remains under scrutiny now.

But those same foreign links have also made cases hard to prove in court.

In many instances, foreign criminal hackers or those sponsored by foreign governments  including China, Iran and Russia  have remained out of reach of American authorities. In some cases, judges have chastised U.S. authorities for prosecutorial overreach in going after international targets.

A San Francisco federal judge, for instance, in 2015 dismissed an indictment involving two Ukrainian nationals who'd been accused of trying to bribe an official at a U.N. agency responsible for creating standards for machine-readable international passports.

The judge said he couldn't understand how the government could apply a foreign bribery law to conduct that had no direct connection to the U.S.
Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who as spokesman for two popes was the world's second-most visible Catholic luminary for nearly a quarter of a century, died on Wednesday at the age of 80, friends said.

Navarro-Valls, a Spaniard who had degrees in medicine and psychiatry before becoming a journalist, had been suffering from cancer. He died in Rome.

In 1984 Pope John Paul named Navarro-Valls, a layman, to be Vatican spokesman and gave him direct access to his inner circle to a degree that no papal spokesman had before or has had since.

The photogenic Navarro-Valls became a celebrity in his own right, a global media personality often appearing on television to explain Catholic teachings in simple language.

"Joaquin Navarro-Valls embodied what Ernest Hemingway defined as courage: grace under pressure," said Greg Burke, the current Vatican spokesman.

Navarro-Valls hardly ever lost his composure during his nearly 22 years at the side of John Paul, including during the twice daily medical briefings as the pope lay dying in the Vatican Apostolic Palace and the world waited.

The one exception was when a reporter asked him to put aside the medical details and explain how he felt as a person. Navarro became choked up and held back tears before millions watching on television.

For more than two decades the Polish-born Pope John Paul, his priest-secretary Stanislaw Dziwisz, and Navarro became a de-facto triumvirate in the Vatican.

His privileged access to the pope irritated some cardinals in the Vatican administration, who had to wait in line.

He occasionally took action without clearing it with the Secretariat of State, the Vatican's key administrative department. But such was his friendship with the pope that he always emerged from controversy unscathed.

On one such occasion in the mid 1990s he decided that the Vatican could no longer keep quiet about the pope's evidently failing health and disclosed that the pontiff was suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Pope John Paul also occasionally used Navarro for sensitive missions, bypassing the Vatican's own diplomats.

In 1998 he went to Cuba to negotiate directly with Fidel Castro to iron out last-minute snags over Pope John Paul's historic visit.

During an all-night conversation punctuated by cigars and rum, Navarro-Valls convinced Castro to restore Christmas as a national holiday. It had been suppressed after the revolution.

After John Paul's death in 2005, Navarro-Valls stayed on as spokesman for Pope Benedict for more than a year to help his transition and then left Vatican service.

Until his health began failing he was a director of a Rome hospital and medical school run by the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, of which he was a member.
Pakistans military announced Wednesday that it has successfully undertaken a series of flight tests of its battlefield nuclear-capable NASR missile this week, enhancing the rockets flight maneuverability and extending its range to 70 kilometers from 60.

This weapon system will augment credible deterrence against prevailing threat spectrum more effectively, including anti-missile defenses. NASR is a high precision weapon system with the ability of quick deployments, the Pakistan armys media wing said when it released details of the flight testing process.

The development of Pakistani tactical nuclear weapons is a source of concern for the United States because their smaller size increases the risk of a nuclear conflict with rival India, non-proliferation experts say.

Pakistani officials say that smaller weapons would deter their bigger neighbor from imposing a sudden, limited and lightning assault with conventional forces under New Delhis Cold Start doctrine.

Pakistan army Chief General Qammmar Javed Bajwa, who has witnessed the Nasr flight tests, referred to the Indian doctrine.

"Nasr has put cold water on Cold Start. War must be avoided at all costs and our strategic capability is a guarantee of peace against a highly militarized and increasingly belligerent neighbor, the army statement quoted Bajwa as saying.

Our [nuclear] capability is only meant to ensure, no one thinks war remains an option, the general said.

Pakistans relations with India have deteriorated in recent years and military clashes along the disputed Kashmir border have lately become routine.

The disputed Himalayan region has triggered two of the three wars between India and Pakistan and it remains the primary source of regional tensions.
In his first major public speech in Europe, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the values of the West are under attack and questioned whether its people have the will to fight for it.



Speaking in Warsaw, Poland, the president said The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders?



While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind, he added to applause from the 5,000-strong crowd.

IN PICTURES: President Trump in Poland



Many Poles are supportive of President Trumps proposed ban on immigration from some Muslim countries, and are fiercely opposed to accepting quotas of refugees from Europe.



The president said he had called on Muslim nations to drive out the menace of terrorism.



We must stand united against these shared enemies to strip them of their territory and their funding, and their networks, and any form of ideological support that they may have.

Watch: President Trump's speech in Warsaw

Throughout his speech the passionate crowd  many of whom had reportedly been bussed in from across Poland - repeatedly chanted "Donald Trump" and "USA".



Small groups of protestors, many of whom demonstrated against President Trumps withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, were kept well away from the speech in Warsaws Krasninski Square.



Speaking in front of a monument to the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, Trump lavished praise on his Polish hosts and hailed their fight for freedom from Nazi and Communist rule.



Those heroes remind us that the West was saved with the blood of patriots; that each generation must rise up and play their part in its defense, he told the cheering crowd.



Trump praised Warsaw for meeting its NATO defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP  and said U..S pressure on NATO allies was yielding results.



As a result of this insistence, billions of dollars more have begun to pour into NATO the United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment, he said.



That confirmation comes as Poland and many other NATO countries are shaken by Russias actions in Ukraine.



Trump is due to hold his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg, which starts Friday.

The warm welcome in Poland was a boost for Trump ahead of that summit, says Marek Matraszek, Chairman of lobbyist firm CEC Government Relations.



It will show voters in the United States and it will show Brussels, that actually its probably not wise to think that one can garner up a coalition of resistance to Trump as some would like to see; that there are countries in central Europe that actually really dont want to see that and actually do want to see the United States working with Europe militarily and economically, Matraszek told VOA in an interview.

News conference



At a news conference earlier with his Polish counterpart, Trump said he believes Russia may have tried to interfere in the 2016 US election, but said others may have been involved.

He also pledged to end Polands dependence on Russian gas and to boost LNG shipments from the United States.



President Trump warned he would take unspecified action against North Korea after its recent missile test  which Pyongyang claims proves it has the technology to make intercontinental ballistic weapons.
Most American voters approve of President Donald Trump's travel ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries, according to a new poll conducted by POLITICO and Morning Consult.

The ban prohibits the issuance of new visas from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days and suspends the refugee resettlement program for 120 days.

The poll found 60-percent of voters support the ban while only 28-percent oppose it.

Most Republican voters, 84 percent, support the ban, while only nine-percent oppose it.

The ban is also popular among independent voters. Fifty-six percent support it, compared to 30-percent who don't.

Just over 40-percent of Democratic voters approve of the ban, while 46-percent are against it.

The poll does not mention the president or his executive orders on immigration. That differs from other polls, most of which have found more opposition to the ban.

An Associated Press-NORC Center poll conducted last month found nearly 60-percent of Americans supported multiple court decisions to block the travel ban.

The Associated Press-NORC Center poll was completed before the Supreme Court's decision last week to allow some aspects of the policy to be implemented while the high court waits to hear the case in the fall.

The Supreme Court ruling said the government must refrain from blocking people from traveling to the United States who had a "bona fide relationship" to a person or entity already in the country.
Shortly after President Donald Trumps inauguration, Chadian-native Djimet Dogo was dining with his three kids - ages 5, 8 and 12 - at a Taco Bell restaurant in Springfield, Oregon, a northwestern U.S. town of 60,000 two hours south of the city of Portland.

Unprompted, a man Dogo described as white and in his 70s walked up to him and his family.

[He] said, You know what I like about black people? When they smile, you see a white thing in their face, and just walked away.

A cashier, he says, came over in a hurry. Thats not fair. Sir, are you okay?

I said, Oh, Im fine. Im used to those kinds of things."



Dogo arrived in the U.S. 18 years ago as a guest of the U.S. Department of State to speak on African democracy. After being granted asylum, he settled in Portland where he knew a cousin.



He became part of Oregons 10 percent foreign-born population, some of whom he would later serve as Africa House Director at the Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO).



We, either as refugees or immigrants, come here because you are scared from certain kinds of hate, and then you come here and see a different kind of hate, Dogo explained. You dont know what to do.



Theres no home to go to, and at the same time you are trying to consider this as your home, and you are not welcome.

Liberal city, racist past

The northwestern U.S. city of more than 600 thousand has an unofficial slogan: Keep Portland Weird. The reference affectionately sums up the quirkiness the city is known for. Politically liberal, the city and its surrounding county firmly voted against Trump by a 73.9 percent to 17.1 percent margin in the 2016 election.



But underneath is a history of racism in a city that is nearly three-quarters non-Hispanic white - 8.5 percent above the national average of 63.7 percent.

In a state that adopted exclusion laws in the 1800s aimed at discouraging settlement by black Americans, Portland was home to 9,000 Ku Klux Klan members in the early 1920s, and became a neo-Nazi skinhead haven in the 1980s.



But today, overt acts of racial violence are relatively rare, which is why Portlanders have been on edge since late May, when a suspected white nationalist stabbed and killed two men, both white, for standing up to harassment against two teenage girls, one of whom was wearing a hijab, on a commuter train.



Walidah Imarisha, an expert in Oregon black history, explains that communities of color, meanwhile, were overwhelmingly not surprised by the tragedy.



Being able to be surprised is an incredibly huge privilege that people of color in Portland have never had the luxury of, Imarisha told VOA. The formation of Portlands institutions, including its housing, education, and criminal justice system, she said, have long catered to a white homeland.



Even when the [exclusionary] laws are removed, there are the customs, there are the practices, Imarisha said.



Once divided, always divided



A memory stings nearly 30 years later: a November 1988 night in east Portland when three neo-Nazis clubbed 27-year-old Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian immigrant and graduate student, to death.

Following the stabbings in May of this year, Dogo says fear among immigrant families has escalated once again.

I was talking to a family days ago, and they said, Well, if they can kill two white people, imagine what they are going to do to us.



Randy Blazak, a criminologist and chair of the Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crime, told VOA there has been a clear uptick in recent hate incidents. In the case of Portland, Blazak notes, the city has seen pushback as a result of slowly becoming less white - 85.3 percent in 1980 (non-Hispanic white) versus 72.2 percent in 2010.



There is a wound that has been there for a very long time and it heals a little bit, and then an incident like this comes along and sort of rips it off, and we are reminded of all this anger and pain that has always been there, Blazak said.



During last months vastly pro-Trump free speech rally and anti-hate counter-rally, a show of solidarity against discrimination and violence, that modern-day divide among Portlands political fringes was on full display in the city center: on one side, white men dressed in helmets and army fatigues or draped in American flags; on the other, also white antifa or anti-fascists, clad in black and hints of red, revealing just their eyes and an occasional expression across the brow.



The crowd of mostly peaceful protesters, separated by an avenue and thin line of armed police forces, shouted competing slogans outside City Hall: Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter.

On the "anti-hate" side, Fi Alagoz, a mixed-race Portlander shouted hoarsely at a sole African-American, standing on the frontlines of the "free speech" side, nearly the extent of diversity in a vast sea of white. Wheres your mama at? Are you that stubborn?

Quit selling yourself short! yelled another, before a wave off flash grenades stunned both sides.



Across the street

This is something I never felt was safe to do in Portland before, and now that there are others like me, I feel like I can come out and actually do this, said Portlander David Willis, a self-described libertarian and free-speecher.

Willis denounced the commuter train murders, but insisted on the mostly pro-Trump camps right to make themselves heard - no matter the timing.

Portland-native Debbie Sluder, whose nephew is a police officer, acknowledged the extent of division in her city, which makes her sad.

All of a sudden, it seems like the whole country is divided, and we want to see it get back together again where people are working together.

But her view on the Black Lives Matter movement is as sincere on one side as it is tone-deaf to the other: Nobody should be above anyone else. It all matters.

President Trump has started focusing more on the community, lets say where the blacks are living, or the gang violence, Sluder said. To me, that is where we start, not with blaming everybody.

They are trying to open the door, concedes Cambodian-native Sophorn Cheang, Director of the IRCO Asian Family Center, but she says police have the wrong approach.

They are trying to engage with our families, engage with the youth, they just dont know how, Cheang said, noting that in Cambodia, the public is taught to avoid any interaction with authorities.

The change starts with us

In true Portland fashion, some city residents are taking steps on their own to address racism by attending a weekly meet-up group, led by Teresa Floyd, a woman of color and founder of The Bridge Project PDX.

The New Jersey-native, who moved to Portland six years ago because she needed some fresh air, discovered a growing interest among white liberal women to learn how to be become better racial justice allies. The group quickly swelled to 581 women.

The change starts with us. It starts with families, Floyd said. It starts by calling your uncle who comes every Thanksgiving that you avoid because you dont want to get into that deep conversation.

At Africa House, Dogo says that while the struggle for equality remains, he has seen change among immigrants, whose needs have shifted over the years from just getting a job to playing a larger role in the economic development of the region.

And, in case the resulting message is not clear, he summarizes: Were going nowhere. We like this place.

WATCH: What does it mean to be a Portlander?
Qatar's foreign minister blamed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for leading the embargo against the Gulf state on Wednesday, the same day the group of nations that cut ties with Qatar issued a joint statement expressing disappointment over its "negative" response to their demands.

"We believe that this entire campaign is merely driven by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates," Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told an audience at London's Chatham House. "These are the countries that we need to engage to find out what are the real problems and what are the real grievances."

His comments came a month after four countries severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar over concerns the oil-rich Gulf state is supporting extremism. Qatar denies the allegations.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Soukry hosted representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain in central Cairo to mull their next move following Qatar's response to their demands.

"The response [we] got was overall negative and lacked any content," Soukry said, reading a joint statement. "We find it did not provide a basis for Qatar to retreat from its policies."

The group did not announce any new sanctions against Qatar, but vowed to continue economic pressure until Doha made concessions.

The Arab states had issued a 13-point list of demands on June 22, asking, among other things, for Qatar to abandon ties with Iran, shut down the Turkish military base it hosts, and shutter Al-Jazeera news bureaus.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed called the demands "unrealistic" on Tuesday.

In London, he warned the group of Arab states against "demanding that we must surrender our sovereignty as the price for ending the siege," and argued the sanctions are really part of a long-running gambit for regime change in Qatar.

"Beginning in April, Qatar was subjected to a carefully orchestrated and unprecedented smear campaign designed to misrepresent our policies and our positions," Sheikh Mohammed said. "Furthermore, officials from the blockading countries were not merely criticizing Qatar, Qatar's policy, something we have always welcomed, but they were calling for regime change in Qatar, a coup and inciting hate and violence."

He also added, "We welcome any serious efforts to resolve our differences with our neighbors."

U.S. President Donald Trump also stepped into the fray Wednesday, speaking over the phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi about the crisis. According to the White House, Trump called on Egypt and the other Arab states to negotiate with Qatar in good faith to bring the deepening crisis to a swift and peaceful conclusion.
Two London-based human rights groups are warning that a female activist detained in Bahrain is at serious risk of torture.

Amnesty International and the Bahrain Center for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) say Ebsitam al-Saegh was arrested at her home Monday night.

The officers, all masked, had body and head cameras and were armed. They demanded her mobile phone and her CPR [national ID] card, BIRD said in a statement, citing family members. Two masked, civilian-clothed female officers cuffed and detained al-Saegh.

Amnesty said al-Saegh had retweeted a post criticizing the local security forces' treatment of women. The post also criticized King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who has ruled Bahrain since 1999.

The group said al-Saegh had been beaten and sexually assaulted by members of the Bahraini National Security Agency during a previous arrest in May, and that the Bahraini authorities have failed to investigate those claims.

Bahraini authorities have not commented on al-Saegh's allegations but have previously denied mistreating detainees.

Samah Hadid, Amnesty's director of campaigns in the Middle East, said Tuesday that the group was demanding that authorities in Manama immediately and unconditionally release al-Saegh. The Amnesty statement said the Bahraini activist's only crime is speaking up against a government committed to crushing all forms of dissent.

The tiny Gulf kingdom, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, has been rocked by unrest since its Sunni minority rulers in 2011 crushed Shi'ite-led protests demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister.

Bahrain had been an emirate until Hamad bin Isa, formerly the emir of Bahrain, organized a new national charter that won wide approval in a referendum. He declared the territory a kingdom and became its first ruling monarch in 2002.
Russia, Turkey, and Iran failed to agree on de-escalation zones in Syria during peace talks conducted in Kazakhstan, diplomats said Wednesday.

Russia and Iran, which support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had agreed to work with Turkey, which backs the rebels, to establish four "de-escalation" zones in the war-torn country.

The three hope to reach a consensus by the end of August, when they will reconvene in Astana.

Wednesday's failure is a setback for Moscow, the organizer of the peace talks, as it seeks to take a leading role in global efforts to settle the six-year war in Syria.

"During these consultations the Turkish side said it needed more time in order ... to make an appropriate decision," said senior Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev.

Bashar al-Ja'afari, the lead negotiator from the Damascus government, was more direct in his comments on the Turkish position.

"The Turkish delegation objected to the adoption of any documents related to the implementation of mechanisms of the agreement on the de-escalation zones," he said.

Turkish delegates made no statement after the talks, but Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with France 24 later Monday that he would discuss the issue with Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg this week.

Previous rounds of talks in Kazakhstan, convened in parallel with U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva, have not made substantial progress. A cease-fire declared in May, built around so-called "de-escalation zones," has been repeatedly violated.

The Syrian civil war has killed more than 320,000 people, according to U.N. estimates, and the world body has established a commission of inquiry to document cases of torture, summary killings and other atrocities by all sides in the conflict.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is accusing diplomats of meddling in the country's internal affairs.

Kagame, who is seeking another term in August elections, said on Rwanda Television Tuesday that it's "unacceptable" for Western diplomats to summon presidential candidates.



According to a list approved by the electoral commission, Kagame is up against Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda. Three others still await approval.



One of the aspirants, Diane Rwigara, on Tuesday met the head of the European Union delegation, Michael Ryan, who in a Twitter post asked electoral officials to clarify Rwigara's situation.



Kagame said that "diplomatic missions should not replace the electoral commission."



Kagame, who has been Rwanda's de facto leader or president since the end of the 1994 genocide, is widely expected to win comfortably.
A council of Shiite religious leaders in Bamyan province in central Afghanistan banned a local musical festival, calling it Harram or against Islamic law, while many other religious leaders hailed it as art and a cultural event.

Local officials say that despite the disagreement with religious leaders, the organizers will go ahead with their schedule to perform the two-day Dombra Music Festival, and the statement of the religious council will not affect their cultural festival. The event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

The Dombra, a lute-like musical instrument, is distinctive in central regions of Afghanistan, although the instrument has different names in various provinces of Afghanistan among varied traditions.

The Shiite religious leaders council, in its statement said, Propagating music with dance and jubilance and playing Dombra is against Islamic values, and local administration must preclude such events that expand immoralities.

The local administration of information and culture in Bamyan rejected the allegation of the religious council, emphasizing that the musical festival in Bamyan is holding on to the request of residents and the Dombra musical festival is representing the culture and art of people in Bamyan.

Bamyan has experienced less violence and insecurity than some provinces over past 15 years. More than 10 art and cultural festivals have been held on different occasions in Bamyan in recent years. In addition, two years ago, a group of women initiated an effort to learn Dombra and established a local band.

Zafar Bamyani contributed to this report.
Thirteen al-Shabab militants were killed in an apparent joint attack by U.S. and Somali government forces near Kismayo, a Somali official said Wednesday.

The U.S. Africa Command released a statement Wednesday saying that "working from actionable intelligence," American forces conducted "a successful collective self-defense strike operation against an al-Shabab troop cooperation" early Wednesday, Somali time.

The statement said the units and assets involved would not be identified to ensure operational security.

However, a Somali military source said U.S. helicopters carried Somali special forces to the site of the attack, about 500 kilometers south of Mogadishu, and fired on the militants during the battle.

The deputy commander of Somalia's national security agency in the Lower Jubba region, Ahmed Abdullahi Issa, said Somali forces launched the attack after learning that the militants were planning to attack their base.

"They were about 100 militias who were gathering in a jungle area, and we targeted them," he told journalists. "We foiled their attack. We killed 13 and wounded 10 others."

Authorities displayed the bodies of the dead militants Wednesday in Kismayo.

Local security sources told VOA Somali that al-Shabab militants had attacked the Somali military base first but had been repelled. After driving back the militants, government forces called for reinforcements and attacked the militants hideout, sources said.

A contingent of U.S. advisers based in Somalia has been helping to train Somali army troops.

Meanwhile, at least two Kenyan police officers were killed and seven others were missing after an attack on a police outpost in Pandanguo, Lamu county, near Kenyas border with Somalia.

Al-Shabab militants claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had overrun the outpost.

Somali government forces and African Union troops are trying to diminish al-Shababs capabilities ahead of the AU missions withdrawal from Somalia, scheduled to begin next year.

Nevertheless, al-Shabab continues to stage frequent, deadly attacks in Somalia and neighboring Kenya.

Lack of resources

Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire defended his governments security strategy in an interview with VOA Somali on Tuesday.

We have mobilized our military, men and women in the uniform who are doing an outstanding job, and I think we have already made progress, he said from Addis Ababa, where he was attending an African Union summit.

Asked how the government was dealing with al-Shabab, Khaire said, We are going to do what we are doing. We are fighting them every day.  We are very serious.

Despite all the security challenges, Khaire said lack of resources was the main challenge facing his government.

Without security you cannot create jobs, you cannot grow the economy, you cannot build the morale of the people, you cannot develop a nation  but lack of resources is the biggest issue that Somalia faces, he said.

A governments legitimacy is to provide services to its people, and to provide services you need resources," he said. "Somalia doesn't have these resources as of today.

The amount of direct aid given to the Somali government is very small, according to a recent report. The report by a special committee comprising the Somali government and donor organizations, published in April, said that aid flows to Somalia totaled an estimated $5.4 billion over the past three years. But only $158 million of that amount, about 3 percent of the overall aid, went directly to the Somali government.

The report urged the government to increase its revenue from sources other than customs duties collected at Mogadishus main airport and seaport.
It was late 2015 when Endalk Chala began documenting deaths in his home country of Ethiopia, scouring Facebook, Twitter and blogs to piece together who had died and where.

Chala comes from Ginchi, a town 72 km (45 miles) from Addis Ababa where protests began in November 2015, initially over a government plan to allocate large swathes of farmland to the capital city for urban development.

The plan would have displaced thousands of Oromo farmers, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia.

"There were reports that people were killed in the protests and no one was reporting about it. No one cared who these people are," Chala told Reuters by phone. "The information was all over the internet, not well organized. I just wanted to give perspective."

While the land re-allocation project was officially scrapped by authorities, protests and conflict reignited over the continued arrest and jailing of opposition demonstrators with full-scale protests over everything from Facebook to economics.

Several hundred protesters were killed in the next 11 months. Then, in October 2016, the government declared a state of emergency and shut down communications, including the internet.

More than 50 people died at a single demonstration that month, after a stampede was triggered by police use of tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters at a religious festival.

Witnesses also reported security forces firing live rounds into crowds of protesters at multiple locations.

A government report presented to parliament in April acknowledged a death toll of 669 people  33 of them security personnel  although activists believe it could be much higher.

The government shutdown of the internet for periods of time all but ended online contact across Ethiopia, leaving it to the Ethiopian diasporas to pull together the facts.

Diaspora's database

Enter Chala, a Ph.D. student in Oregon, in the United States, who decided to log every death he could on an interactive map, inspired by a similar Palestinian project.

"I started to collect the information from the internet: Facebook, Twitter and blogs. And I started to contact the people who had put that information out," he said.

Once word spread that Chala was collating the deaths, Ethiopian friends and activists began to send details, including photographs of those injured and killed. They contacted Chala via social media and instant messaging applications like Viber.

Chala learned that Ethiopians in rural areas were driving miles to put evidence of the killings online, but he still feared there were information black holes.

In its report of 669 deaths presented to parliament, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission  which works for the government  blamed protesters for damaging land and property.

In the report, seen by Reuters, the Commission said the disturbances had damaged public services, private property and government institutions. It also cited harm to investment and development infrastructure.

However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, criticized the government for a lack of accountability and called for access to protest sites.

Neither the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission nor the Ethiopian government responded to requests for comment.

Facebook leads to jail

In a country where fear of reprisals is commonplace, it is easier for those living outside Ethiopia to speak out, said Felix Horne, Ethiopia researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"Any time victims of human rights abuses share information with outside groups, with journalists  either domestic or international  there's often repercussions, quite often from local security officials," he said.

Horne said Facebook was a key source of information in the early stages of the protests but this was quickly seized on by the government, and security officials checked students' phones.

Last month, an opposition politician was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison because of comments he wrote on Facebook.

Horne, whose organization also attempted to document the deaths, agreed that numbers are important for accountability, but said a focus on the death toll alone can be dehumanizing.

"We've talked to so many people who were shot by security forces. Many of them children. Many of them students. The numbers sort of dehumanizes these individuals."

Cost of free thinking

Benta, a 29-year-old veterinarian and former government employee who took part in the protests, saw nine people shot.

Speaking to Reuters by phone from Kenya, his new home, he recalled how a soldier fired directly on a car in Aje town, West Arsi, on February 15 last year. Five people were shot, two died and three were wounded, he said.

Six months later, on August 6, Benta was participating in another protest in Shashamane in the Oromia region, when he saw four people shot. He says he was detained and tortured for nearly two months and has now made a new life in Nairobi.

"If you're expressing your freedom, you'll be shot, and if you're asking for your rights, you'll be detained," he said.

Chala said bullet wounds were the most common injuries visible on the photos that flooded in to him from Ethiopia, and the brutality he witnessed has stayed with him.

"It really hit me very hard," he said. "People will forget. They'll bottleneck their emotions and grievances and the government will just extend and buy some time, and there will be another bubble sometime in the future. That's a vicious circle."
Suicide bombings continue to climb in northern Cameroon with deadly attacks in the communities of Fomeka, Mora and Kerawa near Cameroon's border with Nigeria reported since Saturday.

Cameroonian military officials and the governor of the Far North region tell VOA the attacks killed at least 20 people, including nine suicide bombers.

Mabuwah Isaac, who heads the self-defense group in the village of Kerawa, told VOA at least 100 residents have fled since the attack there on Saturday.

He said members of his group managed to overpower one attacker disguised as a pregnant woman as she struggled to detonate her explosives. But two other female bombers blew themselves up, killing four people.

The failed bomber, a 17-year old, was handed to the military.



Suicide attacks have resurged in northern Cameroon since late May. The resurgence coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which has ended; however, military officials also believe the incidents are linked to military operations across the border in northeast Nigeria.

Nigerian General Lucky Leo Irabor took command of the 7,000-strong multinational joint task force in May. Since then, he says they have organized ongoing raids on remaining Boko Haram strongholds as part of a plan to quickly eradicate terrorism.

"My priority is to build on the successes, ensuring that the partnership that has existed is increased to a higher level," Irabor said. "And of course, as the threat is dynamic, for us to find newer ways of addressing those dynamic challenges."

The commander of the Cameroonian troops fighting in the regional force, General Bouba Dobekreo, said suicide bombers have escaped the raids and entered Cameroon disguised as refugees or internally displaced persons.

He said authorities must do everything possible with Nigeria to stop the massive influx of refugees into Cameroon.

Dobekreo warned that while his forces have recovered equipment from the militants and destroyed ammunition and vehicles, the suicide attacks will continue. He added that officials are also concerned more female suicide bombers remain at large.

The Cameroon government says it has deployed more troops to the border area and given more communications equipment to local self-defense groups so they can report suspicious activity.



The Boko Haram conflict has displaced about 200,000 people in northern Cameroon and sent another 75,000 Nigerian refugees across the border into Cameroon. Nearly three-quarters of the displaced are women and children.
A tense standoff between India and China over a Chinese road-building project in the eastern Himalayas is ratcheting up tensions between the two Asian neighbors and is being described by analysts as their most serious border confrontation in recent decades.

Both sides are calling on each other to back down. China wants India to withdraw its troops from the plateau, which lies at the heart of the current dispute, while New Delhi has expressed deep concern that the road construction would significantly change the status quo with serious security implications for India.

The Doklam plateau on which the dispute erupted lies at a junction between the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, Bhutan and China. It is claimed by both Beijing and Bhutan  a close ally of India.

Although not part of India, the plateau is of huge strategic importance to New Delhi as control over it would give Chinese troops easy access to a narrow strip of Indian territory known as "Chickens Neck," which connects Indias far northeast to the rest of the country.

Reports of what exactly happened in the high, remote Himalayan mountains differ. China has accused Indian troops of obstructing a road building project in the area. An Indian foreign ministry statement has said that Indian personnel "approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo."

Bhutan has also asked China to stop the road building project, saying it violates agreements between the two sides. Bhutan, historically close to New Delhi, does not have diplomatic ties with Beijing.

With the face-off showing no signs of easing, India and China have reinforced troops in the region.

Warning that "there is no scope for a compromise," the Chinese envoy to New Delhi, Luo Zhaohui, has put the onus on India to resolve the situation. He told the Press Trust of India on Tuesday that Indian troops must pullback unconditionally. "The situation is grave and made me deeply worried."

Both sides have hardened their positions," says Jayadeva Ranade, a former China specialist on the Indian government's National Security Advisory Board.

"As far as China is concerned, they are actually indicating that they are going to dig in where they are. India is not going to back off from supporting Bhutan."

Rhetoric over the dispute has become sharper in recent days. Calling the roads construction an act of sovereignty in its own territory, the Chinese foreign ministry has said that it is "utterly unjustifiable" for the Indian side to interfere on territory over which it has no claim.

India said in a statement last week that the Chinese road building action was in violation of a 2012 agreement.

Skirmishes along the disputed border between India and China are not uncommon, but have been in the past been resolved diplomatically.

However this time, instead of visible efforts to defuse the situation, analysts say the tone of the rhetoric from the two sides is heating up.

After a Chinese military spokesman last week asked India to remember its defeat in a brief war the two countries fought in 1962, Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley said that the India of 2017 was not the India of 1962.

"The war of words is not stopping. It has its own momentum, it builds up. This kind of exchange has an in-built escalationary potential," says Alka Acharya, a professor of Chinese studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

The flare-up comes in the wake of steadily deteriorating ties between the two countries. Earlier this year, China raised strident objections to a visit by Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama to the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. India has also irked China by refusing to join the ambitious Chinese Road and Belt project saying that it ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The dispute has flared ahead of the G 20 summit in Germany later this week where both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present.
Thailands military government has been forced to set a six-month grace period for new migrant labor laws with harsh penalties, after protests and panic among workers and employers.

Migrant labor has a crucial place in the Thai economy, with up to 2.7 million workers from neighboring Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia working in fisheries, construction, agriculture, and processing.

But a June 23 government decree came with little prior public consultation with workers, trade unions or employers, leading to a rush by workers back to their home countries and crowded bus stations and border checkpoints.

The decree, part of Thai efforts to control unregulated labor in the country, set out harsh penalties, including prison terms and penalties on undocumented workers of up to $2,700. A minimum wage for a migrant worker is about $200 a month.

Employers were also targeted with fines of more than $23,000 for each illegal worker found on their premises.

Law causes panic

Sinapan Samydorai, convenor for Singapore based ASEAN Migrant Workers Task Force, said thousands of migrant workers had fled to their home countries. Thai labor rights groups say more than 100,000 migrant workers left Thailand since June 23.

"The whole attention is not about preventing, but punishing the workers who are employed undocumented or those who dont have [ID] cards and permits from the proper offices. That led to a scrambling of workers returning back to Cambodia, Myanmar  returning back in large numbers. And that was a panicking situation, Samydorai told VOA.

Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, on Tuesday announced a 180-day grace period though the use of a special executive decree to delay the introduction of the labor law.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, an advisor to Deputy Prime Minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, said positive elements of the decree included protecting migrant worker and employers rights, but there were very strict punishment for violations.

Panitan said implementation of the law was key and related government agencies were being called on to provide solutions during the six month transition period.

"The implementation of it [the decree] has to be coordinated between different ministries, between the Labor Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior and lastly in the interim period, there will be impacts on the implementation of the law, he told VOA.

Loss of workers

The business sector has been hard hit by the decree as employees fled or were sacked by companies over fears of prosecution.

In Cambodia, officials shut down more than 40 border crossings into Thailand, arguing it was to prevent Cambodians from entering Thailand and facing punishment. Thai farmers, who routinely pick up Cambodian day laborers on the border, were forced to leave empty handed after the gates were closed.

On the Thai-Myanmar border two police checkpoints were closed amid allegations Thai police were extorting bribes from migrant workers.

Boonthai Chailert, president of the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, said the laws created problems for small businesses, including tourism in the Northern provinces. His main concern is the workers will not return.

They go out; they go back to Myanmar, or to Cambodia or to Laos. They dont come back again because in Myanmar and Cambodia or Laos their country is developing. They have the [experience] in Thailand. They go back, and I think the policy of the Thai government is a very, very [big] mistake, said Boonthai.

But major Thai industrial employers of migrant workers said they supported the legislation with employees already covered and registered.

Consultation and coordination needed

Thailand has been working with the U.N. International Labor Organization to create formal registrations for migrant workers, with labor agreements with Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

But Nilim Baruah, a senior ILO research specialist, said while parts of the law were welcomed, a drawback was a lack of consultation.

The problem is that there was no consultation in the final draft law or with the employers, with trade unions, with NGOs [civil society] or even with the ILO. It would have been much better to have a consultation, a public hearing that they are planning to do now, said Baruah.

He called for a review of the high penalty rates and prison terms and an easing of restrictions on migrant labor mobility.

The Thai labor reforms covering migrant workers come as Thailand was recently informed it remained in tier 2 on the U.S Trafficking in Persons watch list.

Labor Minister, Sirichai Distakul, said the new laws penalties were in accordance with laws linked to human trafficking and child labor.

But labor rights activists say the concerns remain the law will open the way for official corruption by local officials.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is boasting over his country's first successful test of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Tuesday.

Kim told a group of scientists and technicians that the United States would be "displeased" to receive what he called "a package of gifts" as it celebrated its annual Independence Day holiday, according to the regime's Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea launched a missile dubbed the Hwasong-14 Tuesday from an airport near its border with China. The North's Academy of Defense Science says the Hwasong-14 traveled 933 kilometers and reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers. The missile splashed down in the Sea of Japan after a 39 minutes in flight.

Based on analysis of the steeply angled trajectory the rocket followed, U.S. experts said the missile appears to have a range that would enable it to reach Alaska.

KCNA says Kim Jong Un, wearing "a broad smile on his face," urged his scientists to "frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees."

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement confirming the North's missile test, which he says "represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, and the world."

Tillerson says global action is needed to stop the threat posed by Pyongyang. He said any nation that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides the North with economic or military benefits, or fails to carry out U.N. resolutions against Pyongyang "is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

Emergency session

Dana White, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, issued a statement saying Tuesday's missile test "continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies."

A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement condemning Pyongyang, saying its missile test is "yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

The U.N. Security Council has set an emergency, closed-door meeting on the North Korean crisis for late Wednesday, and Tillerson said there would be stronger measures against the North.

In South Korea, U.S. and South Korean forces said they carried out an offensive missile exercise hours after the North Korean launch, intended to counter "North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions."

"The U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK (Republic of Korea) in the face of threats is ironclad," a joint statement said.

The spot in the Sea of Japan where the Hwasong-14 splashed down lay in Japan's special economic zone, angering not only Tokyo, but also China, which appears to be failing to keep its ally in check.

China urges restraint

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing has made relentless efforts to resolve challenges on the Korean peninsula. He said Chinas role is indispensable, and called on all parties to exercise restraint to quickly ease tensions.

[China] urges North Korea to refrain from acts that violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and instead create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations, Geng said.

President Donald Trump will likely pressure China even harder to harness the North's nuclear ambitions. Trump has said while he greatly appreciated the efforts of China's President Xi Jinping to help rein in North Korea, It has not worked out. At least I know China tried!

Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all! Trump tweeted Tuesday.

Cheng Xiaohe, a political science professor at Beijing's Renmin University, said it is still too early to tell what steps China might be willing to take, or how the United Nations will respond, whether merely condemning the launch or enacting a new round of sanctions.

If new sanctions are enacted it should include new measures, such as a ban on North Korea-bound tourism, the export of labor and bans on North Korean petrochemical products, Cheng said. All of these are possible measures the Security Council could discuss.

China has expressed a reluctance to cut off such vital exports to the North, such as oil, since it is feared that could lead to the collapse of Kim's regime, with untold consequences, or that Kim, believing he has nothing lose, could take direct military action against Seoul.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make his first official visit to Ukraine next week after accompanying President Donald Trump at the G-20 summit, the State Department said in a statement Wednesday.

Tillerson will meet with Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and "young reformers" from both the government and civil society on July 9.

"The Secretary will reaffirm Americas commitment to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, while encouraging the government of Ukraine to continue implementing reforms that will strengthen Ukraines economic, political, and military resilience," the statement said.

President Trump hosted his Ukrainian counterpart at the White House last month, after which the U.S. Department of Treasury announced additional sanctions against Russia, pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, and individuals and companies associated with them.

The increased sanctions were in response to continued Russian support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Suspects in the downing of Malaysian airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014, in which all 298 people aboard were killed, will be tried in a Dutch court and under Dutch law, the Netherlands' Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The move to choose the Netherlands was agreed to by the five countries which have been conducting a preliminary criminal investigation.

Victims of the disaster, which occurred over territory held by pro-Russia separatists fighting Ukrainian government forces, came from 17 countries, and included 196 Dutch citizens.

The Dutch Safety Board, which investigated the cause of the crash, concluded in October 2015 that the plane was shot down by a Russian-made ground-to-air rocket.

Moscow, which denies any involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, also denies one of its rockets could have been used against MH17.

The decision follows attempts, blocked by Russia in 2015, to set up an international court over the incident.

The extent to which Russia will cooperate with a Dutch court if prosecutors name Russian suspects or request information is not clear.

Wim de Bruin, spokesman for the Netherlands' national prosecutor's office, said countries did cooperate on criminal investigations and had had communication over MH17.

The Dutch-led team of international investigators, which also included Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine, concluded in September that the rocket was fired from territory in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russia separatists.

No suspects have been named, though Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said last year his office has identified 100 "persons of interest" in the investigation, including those who organized the arrival of the rocket and oversaw its transport from Russia to Ukraine and back.

De Bruin said that list has since been further refined but prosecutors were not close to any indictment.

Dutch foreign Minister Bert Koenders said Wednesday cooperation among the five investigating countries would continue during the "prosecution phase."

"This cooperation is vital, given the complexity of this case," Koenders said in a statement.

"Flight MH17 was downed in a conflict zone which was the scene of heavy fighting and which is still difficult to access."

'Disinformation seen'

Koenders added: 'Were still seeing a great deal of disinformation and attempts to discredit the investigation.'

Russia has suggested alternative theories to explain the plane's downing, including that Ukraine is responsible.

The Dutch-led investigative team said in February it was impossible to establish the authenticity of radar images released by Russia in 2016 in a nonstandard format, two years after they had been requested.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a statement his government had "full confidence" in the Dutch legal system, and urged "other states" to cooperate, as required by U.N. Security Council resolution 2166. In all, 38 Australians died in the crash.

"While we cannot take away the grief of those who lost their loved ones because of this atrocious act, we are committed to holding the perpetrators to account and achieving justice for all the victims," he said.

It remains unclear what charges suspects would face if it were found that the plane was shot down in the mistaken belief it was a Ukrainian military plane.

On Wednesday De Volkskrant newspaper quoted Tjibbe Joustra, who led the Dutch Safety Board investigation, as saying "I don't see anybody going to jail quickly, but I think the truth will come out."

He told the paper he believed trials may have to be held in absentia.
President Donald Trump assailed China on Wednesday for boosting its trade with North Korea, the latest of several broadsides Washington has leveled at Beijing in recent days.

Trump offered his criticism just before heading to Poland and later to Germany for a G-20 summit of leaders of the world's leading economies that includes a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping. In a Twitter comment, Trump said, "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"

Trump, confronted by North Korea's nuclear weapons development program and its apparently successful intercontinental ballistics missile test on Tuesday, had sought earlier to enlist Xi in curbing North Korea's military ambitions. But the U.S. leader recently said that while he "greatly" appreciates Beijing's efforts, "it has not worked out. At least I know China tried!"

China, North Korea's chief economic benefactor, said in April that its first quarter trade with Pyongyang grew by 37.4 percent. China buys iron ore, zinc and other minerals from North Korea, as well as seafood and clothing, giving the reclusive communist nation much-needed currency.

Trump held out hope for better relations with China after he met with Xi in April at the U.S. president's oceanfront estate in Florida. But in the last few days, Washington has taken several actions that have peeved Beijing.

The U.S. State Department, in its annual report on human trafficking and forced labor, downgraded China to the worst ranking alongside long-time U.S. adversaries Iran, Syria, North Korea and Russia.

In addition, the U.S. blacklisted a small Chinese bank it accused of laundering cash to the North Korean regime, while agreeing to a new $1.42 billion arms deal with Taiwan, the self-governed island China claims as part of its territory even as the U.S. continues to arm it. Before taking office, Trump angered Beijing by taking a congratulatory call on his election victory from Taiwan's leader, the first high-level U.S. contact with Taipei in decades, even though Washington later confirmed its long-standing "one-China policy."

On Sunday, the U.S. Defense Department dispatched the USS Stetham, an American guided-missile destroyer, to within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, a small landmass in the Paracel Islands chain claimed and controlled by China. Beijing described the ship's path as a "serious political and military provocation."

Trump's complaint about China's growing trade with North Korea came as part of what he views as a broader problem of bad U.S. trade deals, although he did not single out any particular one. He has withdrawn the U.S. from the planned 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership and has frequently criticized the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

"The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history," Trump said Wednesday. "Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?"
U.S. President Donald Trump will get a chance to patch up trans-Atlantic ties this week when he meets with NATO allies still rattled by his failure on an earlier trip to embrace the principle that an attack against one member is an attack against all.

Trump arrived on Wednesday in Warsaw, Poland, where the White House said he would showcase his commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a speech and in meetings with a group of nations closest to Russia on his way to the G-20 summit in Germany on Friday and Saturday.

"He will lay out a vision not only for America's future relationship with Europe, but the future of our trans-Atlantic alliance, and what that means for American security and American prosperity," Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, told reporters last week.

Aside from shoring up the U.S. relationship with NATO allies, the speech is symbolically significant given Poland's proximity to Russia and regional fears about Moscow's ambitions following its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

It was only six weeks ago when Trump, meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, scolded them for failing to spend enough on defense during a speech in which the Republican president was expected to explicitly endorse NATO's Article 5, the collective defense provision of the treaty. He slammed Germany for its trade practices, and shortly after returning home, pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate deal, leaving his officials to try to smooth ruffled feelings.

"They have spent a lot of their time trying to undo or explain away some of the images and the mood that came out of the last trip to Europe," said Derek Chollet, a top defense official for former Democratic president Barack Obama.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the host of the Group of 20 meeting of leading economies, has signaled she will not back down on climate and trade.

Shortly before leaving for Europe on Wednesday, Trump dug in on trade, tweeting: "The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?"

Under pressure

That is not the only tough meeting for Trump during his trip. He will meet for the second time with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he has expressed some frustration for failing to use enough leverage to curb North Korea's nuclear program.

Pyongyang said on Tuesday it successfully test-launched a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts said could put all of the U.S. state of Alaska in range for the first time.

Trump is under pressure at home to take a tough line in his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on issues such as Moscow's support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war and allegations of Russian meddling in last year's U.S. election.

But first, there is Poland: a NATO member near Russia that meets its defense spending goals, hosts close to 1,000 U.S. troops and is eager to buy liquefied natural gas from U.S. companies to counterbalance Russian gas supplies in the region.

"The threat that Russia poses cannot be overstated," Poland's ambassador to the United States, Piotr Wilczek, told reporters last week.

"Now is the time for allied solidarity," Wilczek said.
The leader of Turkeys main opposition party has pledged to continue his campaign for justice in the face of government accusations of supporting terrorism.

The head of Turkeys main opposition Republican Peoples Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is leading thousands of people on a 450-kilometer justice march, from the capital, Ankara, to the countrys largest city, Istanbul.

The march is in response to a year-long crackdown following last Julys failed coup attempt. The crackdown has resulted in more than 100,000 people losing their jobs and more than 60,000 jailed.

Kilicdaroglu, who is leading a 25-day justice march from Ankara to Istanbul, told VOA the protest was triggered by the jailing of fellow parliamentary deputy and close ally Enis Berberoglu for 25 years on charges of releasing state secrets.

He says the introduction of the State of Emergency decree was a civil coup. All the negative outcomes of this civilian coup came one after the other, he said. Adding MPs (members of parliament) and journalist were arrested and academics were dismissed from their positions.

He says Berberoglu's arrest became the moment when the water over spilled the glass and his party made the decision to march.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government have repeatedly condemned the march, saying it supports terrorism and coup plotters.

Despite the criticism, the numbers joining the march continue to grow, with around 10,000 marching with Kilicdarolgu. He expects those numbers will grow by the time the march concludes Sunday in Istanbul. But Kilicdaroglu promised the march is only the beginning and civil protest will not end.

He says the struggle will continue with all possible effort and within democracy and using all the force the party has in parliament and outside parliament.

Amid rising political tensions over the march, a heavy police presence has been deployed to protect demonstrators, particularly Kilicdarolgu.

Police say they have detained six people linked to Islamic State who were planning to carry out an attack on the march. Kilicdaroglu said he and marchers have faced threats and provocations.

The march is due to end Sunday at the prison where Berberoglu is serving his prison sentence.
The intercontinental ballistic missile North Korea successfully tested this week is "not one we have seen before," the U.S. Defense Department said Wednesday, describing its immediate threat to the United States as "limited."

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said, "We have still not seen a number of things that would indicate a full-up-threat." He noted that in a successful test last month, a U.S.-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM.

Davis said the missile Pyongyang tested Tuesday was capable of flying more than 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles), a long-enough range to pose a threat to Alaska, the northwesternmost U.S. state, but not the 48 contiguous states further to the south or the Pacific island state of Hawaii.

The Defense Department assessment came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boasted about the missile launch. He told a group of scientists and technicians that the United States would be "displeased" to receive what he called "a package of gifts" as it celebrated its annual Independence Day holiday on Tuesday, according to the regime's Korean Central News Agency.

39-minute flight

North Korea launched the missile, dubbed the Hwasong-14, from an airport near its border with China. The North's Academy of Defense Science said the Hwasong-14 traveled 933 kilometers (580 miles) and reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,740 miles). The missile splashed down in the Sea of Japan after a 39-minute flight.

Based on analysis of the steeply angled trajectory the rocket followed, U.S. experts said the missile appeared to have a range that would enable it to reach Alaska.

KCNA said Kim, wearing "a broad smile on his face," urged his scientists to "frequently send big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees."

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement confirming the North's missile test, which he said "represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, and the world."

Tillerson said global action was needed to stop the threat posed by Pyongyang. He said any nation that hosted North Korean guest workers, provided the North with economic or military benefits, or failed to carry out U.N. resolutions against Pyongyang was "aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

Council session

Dana White, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, issued a statement saying Tuesday's missile test "continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies."

A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement condemning Pyongyang, saying its missile test was "yet another brazen violation of Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

The U.N. Security Council set an emergency, closed-door meeting on the North Korean matter for late Wednesday, and Tillerson said there would be stronger measures taken against the North.

In South Korea, U.S. and South Korean forces said they carried out an offensive missile exercise hours after the North Korean launch, intended to counter "North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions."

"The U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK [Republic of Korea] in the face of threats is ironclad," a joint statement said.

The spot in the Sea of Japan where the Hwasong-14 splashed down lay in Japan's special economic zone, angering not only Tokyo but also China, which appears to be failing to keep its ally in check.

VOA's Jeff Seldin, Joyce Huang and Saibal Dasgupta contributed to this report.
A new lawsuit brought by 114 Iraqi nationals, who are in detention and scheduled for imminent deportation from the United States, invokes the international treaty against torture - and could have far-reaching consequences for thousands of other foreign nationals.



The Iraqis, who have all been accused of or convicted of various crimes, are not appealing their deportation orders per se, but are asking for the right to contest those orders in court on the grounds that returning to Iraq would place them in mortal danger.

Most of the Iraqis are Chaldean Christians and some are Shi'ite Muslims; both groups face persecution in their native Iraq.



Last week, U.S. District Court of Michigan Judge Mark Goldsmith granted a temporary stay not only to the Iraqi immigrants who brought the suit in Detroit but to 1,400 Iraqis nationwide, who face deportation.



Goldsmith ruled that he needed two weeks to decide whether he has jurisdiction over the case or whether it belongs in immigration court.



If Goldsmith determines he does not have jurisdiction, the immigrants will be put on a plane to Iraq.



But if he rules that he does, it would mean moving forward with a lawsuit that tests the governments duty to protect people under the international Convention against Torture.

The case is really fascinating, Jayesh Rathod, an immigration law professor at American University's Washington College of Law, told VOA. You would have a federal judge looking at this international obligation and using that obligation to control the actions that ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) takes or doesn't take with respect to people who have deportation orders.



Repatriation



Up until very recently, Iraq would not accept citizens who were deported by the U.S. That changed after the administration of President Donald Trump issued its first order restricting travel in January. The order banned travel from seven countries, including Iraq.



Rather than be included in the travel order, Iraq negotiated a repatriation agreement with the U.S. government and when the revised order was issued, Iraq was no longer on the list.



Since then, immigration agents have been rounding up Iraqi foreign nationals, who have committed crimes and consequently are under deportation orders.



An ICE spokesperson said in an email to VOA, that the Iraqis who have been detained are part of an effort to process the backlog of these individuals, which is a decision which resulted from recent negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq that has agreed to accept a number of its nationals subject to orders of removal.



ICE said the people arrested have final removal orders and the overwhelming majority have criminal convictions for serious crimes.

ICE is cherry picking these convictions to scare the general public and to think these people are a threat to society because that's the only argument that they can hold on to, said Nora Youkhana, who operates CODE Legal Aid Clinic in Detroit and is co-counsel in the suit.



[The Iraqis] have been living in this country for 20 years, 30 years, after that with no problem. So they're really not a threat to society, Youkhana told VOA.



She said they came to the United States legally after being granted asylum or refugee status because of the country conditions in Iraq.



And now they're 40, 50 years old, married to westerners, you know. Their children are citizens. Their wives are citizens. Their husbands are citizens. They're not a threat to society at all.

Youkhana said her clients are only asking to have their day in immigration court to appeal their removal orders.

ICE has been detaining the Iraqis without court trials.



Representing the government, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Newby said in court that petitioners, many of whom have had deportation orders for years, could have sought relief before an immigration court at any time and in not doing so, had abandoned their right to remain in the U.S.



There are no limitations on the number that you can file and the timing so they certainly could have filed these petitions, Newby said.



They didnt know that Iraq would take them back, countered Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the Iraqi detainees. Its only at that moment where theyre going to be removed that it really matters, and so we do not see why the government would not allow them to actually have their process.



Torture treaty



Because of their beliefs, the Iraqis, who brought the suit, could face persecution, torture and even death if sent back Iraq. Their attorneys say that sending them back violates U.S. law in the form of the Convention against Torture.



The Convention is an international human rights treaty that prohibits torture and degrading treatment against all human beings. The United Nations General Assembly adopted it in 1984, and the U.S. ratified the treaty in October 1994.

Law professor Rathod said the Iraqis are making a relatively novel argument and one that hasnt been batted around U.S. courts much. This case is really about what are the obligations of the government, he added.



Right now the burden is on the immigrant, the person who is going to get deported, to say, 'Hold on a second. Don't deport me. I want to reopen my case. I want to assert my rights, Rathod said.



He added there is nothing that requires the government to hold off on deportations because people might have rights or they need to time to reopen their cases to assert those rights.



But if the case moves forward and is successful, the government could be forced to consider due process rights under the international treaty, ensuring no one is deported without a hearing.

Judge Goldsmith has said he will decide if he has jurisdiction in the case by July 10.
A 19-year-old American soldier has died in Afghanistan's Helmand Province from wounds received in an attack, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

Private First Class Hansen Kirkpatrick of Wasilla, Alaska, died on Monday in the incident, which was under investigation, a Pentagon statement said. Further details were not available.

Large stretches of the restive province in southern Afghanistan, source of much of the world's illegal opium supply, are in the hands of Taliban insurgents, who have steadily pushed back Afghan forces that now control less than 60 percent of the country.

The Trump administration is considering adding several thousand troops, largely in a training and support capacity, to the pared-down U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan has no plans to rejoin a post-Soviet security bloc led by Russia, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said on Wednesday, indicating the country's policy would remain the same despite a leadership change.

A former Soviet republic of 31 million, run by strongman president Islam Karimov from 1989 until his death last September, Uzbekistan has had a rocky relationship with Moscow, and by extension the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

It suspended its membership in the bloc between 1999 and 2006 and then quit it altogether in 2012.

Following Karimov's death from a stroke and pledges by his successor, former prime minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to develop a strategic partnership with Russia, some have wondered whether Tashkent would rejoin the military alliance.

But, answering a question about it in a televised interview on Wednesday, Kamilov said, "The question of renewing our CSTO membership is not on the agenda.... There are no plans to discuss or review this matter in the future."

Russia has used the CSTO, along with the Eurasian Economic Union, another regional bloc focused on trade, to project influence across most of the former Soviet Union. It regards Central Asia as an area of strategic interest.

But only three out of the region's five nations - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, whose combined populations are smaller than that of Uzbekistan - are CSTO members.
Zambian President Edgar Lungu said Wednesday that he would seek parliament's approval to impose a state of emergency after fire gutted the country's biggest market in what he said was politically motivated arson.

Political tensions in Zambia, seen as one of Africa's more stable and functional democracies, have been rising since the arrest on treason charges of main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, who narrowly lost to Lungu in a bruising election last year.

Hichilema and five others are accused of trying to overthrow the government after a column of opposition vehicles failed to make way for the president's motorcade.

Under Zambian state-of-emergency laws, police can prohibit public meetings, close roads, impose curfews and restrict movements.

The country's last state of emergency was declared in 1997 by then-President Frederick Chiluba after an attempted coup. It was lifted the following year.

Lungu said the fire, which destroyed the southern part of City Market in the capital, Lusaka, on Tuesday, "bordered on economic sabotage" and was aimed at making the country ungovernable.

Nobody was killed or injured in the blaze.

"I have issued a statutory instrument proclaiming that a situation exists in this country which, if allowed to continue, may lead to a state of public emergency. This proclamation will be tabled in the national assembly," Lungu said in a televised address.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the intention of these perpetrators is to make the country ungovernable, and as president of this country it is my responsibility to respond to forestall chaos."

Police have said some people were planning to vandalize vital installations, including bridges and power stations, after the blaze.

They also said one person was taken into custody for trying to torch a bus station, and they were seeking those who vandalized electricity transmission lines to a suburb near the capital last month.

Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development, was arrested in April when police raided his home and charged him with trying to overthrow the government.

An economist and businessman widely known by his initials "HH," Hichilema was defeated last August by Lungu in an election the opposition politician denounced as fraudulent. His attempts to mount a legal challenge have been unsuccessful.
North Korea said it has successfully carried out the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a crucial milestone in Pyongyangs efforts to develop its nuclear weapons capability, despite repeated international warnings to the contrary.



The missile, which was launched from an airport near Chinas northeastern border with North Korea, landed in Japans special economic zone, sending shockwaves through Tokyos political establishment and confirming Beijings inability to keep Pyongyang in check.



Two U.S. officials said the U.S. believes it was an intercontinental ballistic missile that North Korea tested Monday night.

The launch of the missile that North Korea claims can hit anywhere in the world will put additional pressure on Beijing to impose even tougher sanctions on Pyongyang. How it will ultimately respond is unclear.

The launch of the missile that North Korea claims can hit anywhere in the world will put additional pressure on Beijing to impose even tougher sanctions on Pyongyang. How it will ultimately respond is unclear.



At a regular news briefing Tuesday, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing has made relentless efforts to resolve challenges on the Korean peninsula. He also said Chinas role is indispensible and called on all parties to exercise restraint to quickly ease tensions.



[China] urges North Korea to refrain from acts that violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and instead create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations, Geng said.

Trump criticizes launch



Trump has been trying to get China to do more to put an end to North Koreas nuclear weapons ambitions, but late last month he said that while he greatly appreciated the efforts of President Xi Jinping and China to help, It has not worked out. At least I know China tried!





Even so, he renewed his call for more pressure from Beijing earlier on Tuesday in a Tweet shortly after the launch, but before North Korea said it was an ICBM. Trump said that perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!



Commenting on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un he also said, Does this guy have anything better to with his life? Hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer.

And the U.S. Pacific Command said it is working with its interagency partners to assess and monitor North Korea's actions.

On Tuesday, Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the latest missile test shows the North Korean threat has increased.



Later this week, the United States, South Korea and Japan will hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Nations summit in Hamburg, Germany.



I will also ask (Chinese) President Xi Jinping and (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin to respond in a more constructive way, he added.



What will China do?



Cheng Xiaohe, a political science professor at Beijing's Renmin University, said that while it is still too early to tell what steps China might be willing to take or whether the United Nations will respond by only condemning the launch or enact a new round of sanctions.



If new sanctions are enacted it should include new measures, such as a ban on North Korea-bound tourism, and bans on North Korean petrochemical products, Cheng said. All of these are possible measures the Security Council could discuss.



Cheng said that more research of the launch is needed, but that appears to be a missile with the capability of traveling up to 10,000 kilometers. During the test, the missile climbed 2,800 kilometers before plunging in the sea.

David Wright, a physicist and co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a blog online that if reports are correct, the same missile could have a maximum range of roughly 6,700 km on a standard trajectory.



"That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska," Wright said.





Joyce Huang contributed to this story in Washington
Fire gutted part of Zambia's biggest market in the nation's capital on Tuesday in what the government suspected was an act of arson as tensions rise following the arrest of an opposition leader.

United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema was arrested in April and charged with treason for impeding president Edgar Lungu's motorcade.

The arrest of the opposition leader has stoked political tensions in what is regarded as one of Africa's more stable and functional democracies following a bruising election last year.

The blaze started at dawn and destroyed property worth millions of kwacha and the entire southern part of Lusaka's City Market, one of the country's modern markets.

No-one was killed or injured in the fire.

"Their days are numbered because the police are on their heels and they will soon be arrested," vice president Inonge Wina said, referring to the suspected arsonists after touring the market.

Police chief Kakoma Kanganja said in a statement on Sunday that some people were planning to vandalize vital installations including bridges and power stations.

The police have since offered 300,000 Zambian kwacha ($32,894.74) for information leading to the arrest of people involved in such acts.

Police spokeswoman Esther Mwaata-Katongo said on Tuesday another fire gutted a charcoal market on Tuesday. "We have insituted investigation in both cases and at the moment we are not ruling out any possibilities," Mwaata-Katongo said.


Eldon T. Miller gathers eggs at his organic farm near Kalona, Iowa. (Rachel Mummey for The Washington Post)

 This small town has become a landmark in the organic-farm movement, and it has nothing to do with foodies or hippies.

Instead it has been Amish farmers who, in their suspenders and wide-brimmed hats, have helped develop one of the densest clusters of organic farms in the United States. More than 90 operations certified by the Agriculture Department have emerged within a 10-mile radius, producing, among other things, corn, soybeans, eggs and, perhaps most important, milk.

This is our living and our way of life, said Eldon T. Miller, 71, an Amish dairy farmer here. A little over 20 years ago, Miller began holding informational meetings in his basement about organics, and the idea slowly spread across the area.

The question for small organic dairy farmers is how long they can hold out against growing competition from very big dairies producing large volumes of organic milk that, in the view of many here, does not deserve the label.

A glut of organic milk has sunk prices across the United States, threatening livelihoods and rekindling long-standing suspicions that some of the large organic dairies that have emerged are swamping the market with milk that does not meet organic standards. Over the years, some of these very large dairies, most of them in the West, have been cited for violating organic rules by the USDA or inspection agencies. To the chagrin of many here, most have been allowed to continue operating.

[How millions of cartons of organic milk contain an oil brewed in industrial vats of algae]

Then, last month, The Washington Post reported that one of the nations largest dairy producers, Colorado-based Aurora Organic Dairy, a supplier to Walmart, Costco and Albertsons, appeared to fall short of organic grazing standards.

Nobodys real happy right now, said James Swantz, an Amish father of eight who milks about 70 cows here. Wed like to know what our milk check will be, and right now we cant tell.

Over the past year, the price of wholesale organic milk sold by Kalona farms has dropped by more than 33 percent. Some of their milk  as much as 15 percent of it  is being sold at the same price as regular milk or just dumped onto the ground, according to a local processor. Organic milk from other small farmers across the United States is also being dumped at similar rates, according to industry figures.

At first, when the prices started falling, the guys here were just really mad, said Phil Forbes, a liaison between the Amish farmers here and the company that buys their milk and sells it under a brand called Kalona SuperNatural, which can be found at Whole Foods and similar grocers. But its been going on so long, theyre telling me, I cant keep going much longer at these prices. What kills me is the customers of those big brands think its something like a small Amish farmer who is producing the milk. But the reality is quite different.

What makes milk USDA Organic?



Aaron Glick collects milk from an Amish farm in Kalona, Iowa. Glick said he has limited interactions with the Amish farmers he collects from. They usually just want to talk about the weather, he said. (Rachel Mummey for The Washington Post)

The central issue in the debates over whether the mega-dairies are producing legitimately organic milk revolve around the concept of grass-fed.

Organic cows are supposed to be grass-fed during grazing season, and many consumers prefer grass-fed milk in the belief that grazing is more natural, is better for the cows and produces higher-quality milk. It is one of the reasons that people pay roughly double for milk with the USDA Organic label.

Organic dairies, on the other hand, have an incentive to skimp on grazing: A grass-fed cow produces less milk; keeping a cow in a feed lot eating grain boosts production. Adding to the suspicions about the industry, there is statistical evidence of a curiously large increase in the amount of milk each organic cow is producing.

Between 2008 and 2015, the number of organic cows in the United States rose from 202,000 to 229,000, a jump of about 13 percent. The amount of organic milk products, however, rose from 1.8 billion pounds to 2.4 billion pounds, a 35 percent jump, according to USDA statistics.

Why did the amount of organic milk rise almost three times as fast as the number of organic cows? Some of the increase in production is attributable to better practices, said Edward Maltby, chief of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance. Some of it could be from the larger dairies reducing the amount of grazing to the very minimum required by the regulations.

[Why your organic milk may not be organic]

But the reason for such a large jump, Maltby said, also has to do with the increase in those mostly larger herds where the cows are fed in the barn instead of going out to pasture as the organic regulations require.

Questions about enforcement



A young Amish farmer tills a field on his steel-wheeled tractor in Kalona. (Rachel Mummey for The Washington Post)

Another reason for skepticism about whether the milk from these large dairies is truly organic arises from the perception that enforcement of USDA Organic standards has been lax.

To manage enforcement, the USDA relies on inspection agencies hired by the farmers. The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based watchdog group representing small farmers and consumers, has filed repeated complaints against some of the massive dairies out West. But even when violations are reported, punishments can be mild.

Ten years ago, for example, the USDA found willful violations of organic standards at Aurora because of, among other things, a lack of grazing. In 2008, an inspection agency found that the Rockview Farms operation in Nevada was violating the organic pasture requirement and suggested that related dairy records could have been falsified. In 2010, an inspection agency proposed suspension of a large Arizona dairy, known as Shamrock, for denying pasture to its herd.

In those three cases, however, the USDA did not fine the dairies for the violations of organic rules even though the agency has the power to do so.

These investigations all began with Cornucopia, not the USDA or the inspection agencies. The USDA has shown a remarkable lack of interest in whether these big organic dairies are really organic, said Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute. Most times, they dont even investigate. And when they find a problem, theres very little punishment, if any. Its a gross betrayal of the spirit of the organic law.

Many retailers, thus far, have continued to trust the USDA Organic seal on milk from the large mega-dairies. The Post reported last month that, based on visits to pastures and a chemical analysis of the milk, Aurora appears to be falling short of organic grazing requirements. In response, Aurora said it operates according to organic standards.

Reactions from the major retailers that use Aurora milk as their house-brand milk were varied. Walmart would not say whether it will continue to use Auroras organic milk.

Costco said it has investigated but will continue to use Aurora: Costco Wholesale has discussed with Aurora and otherwise investigated recent media statements concerning Aurora, John Sullivan, a company senior vice president and general counsel, wrote in an email. Costco has satisfied itself that its continued reliance on the [National Organic Program] certification of Auroras organic milk remains appropriate.

From Albertsons: Aurora is a minority supplier to Albertsons for our O Organic brand today and we will continue to ensure through our agreement with [inspection agency Quality Assurance International] that they are compliant with all Organic standards.

The USDA said it is reviewing the information provided in The Posts reporting, but others said the agency ought to be doing more enforcement. The USDA ought to have boots on the ground at Aurora, said Richard Mathews, former assistant deputy of the USDA office that oversees the organic program and other efforts. But they dont. They should be looking at farmers. They should be looking at certifiers. If theyre not doing that, theyre not doing it right.

Bigger herds need bigger pastures



Grass-fed dairy cattle roam a section of pasture on the farm belonging to Amish farmer James Swantz. (Rachel Mummey for The Washington Post)

While consumers might picture organic milk coming from a small family farm, the reality is often quite different.

Much of that milk is being produced by huge dairies with thousands of cows, including a few with herds of more than 10,000 animals. By contrast, the average herd at an organic dairy is about 100 cows, and in Kalona the herd sizes are even smaller. The large dairies are staffed by employees rather than family members.

The difference between the mega-dairies and the typical organic dairy is not just a matter of scale. Most of the large, new dairies have emerged in Western states  Colorado, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico  where the weather is drier and pasture is harder to grow, but where the land is cheaper.

But it is the vast scale of the mega-dairies out West that raises suspicions around Kalona.

The larger the herd, the more pasture is required to feed it. But at a certain point, the acreage needed to feed a herd grows so large that its impractical to expect a cow to walk all the way to the pastures outer edges to graze and then back to the barn, typically twice day, to get milked. Some farms do have multiple milking facilities.

[The surprising number of American adults who think chocolate milk comes from brown cows]

We know with that high concentration of cows that its impossible to meet the grazing rule, Swantz said. Theyre not organic. No way.

During a break driving a steel-wheeled tractor over his fields, Amish farmer Glen Mast asked, Fifteen thousand cows out there, and thats certified organic?

The cows would go hungry looking for grass, Miller said, asserting that the Iowa pasture is better than any out West. Those cows probably get as much cactus as grass.

The Kalona farmers say the organic movement dovetails with Amish ideals. The higher prices on organic products allow their small farms to turn a profit, allowing community members to stay on the farm and away from town. (Their tractors have steel wheels to lessen the temptation to head off the farm, too.) And some said they had harbored doubts about the health effects of the chemicals they had used on their fields before going organic.

The Amish are more inclined to doing things naturally, Mast said as his oldest son worked a tractor. Mast, 38, has seven children, ages 1 to 14. We have large families, and we have a close connection to the soil.

But critical to the future of organic dairy, several here said, is for the USDA and the inspection agencies to enforce the organic rules on the large players in the industry.

The little guy is getting hurt here, said Bill Evans, who shares ownership with a trust of Amish farmers of the processing company behind the Kalona SuperNatural brand. The USDA really needs to apply the rules. Otherwise, its not a fair game.


A bathroom designed by Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey for an Arlington bungalow. (Gridley & Graves Photography)

Whether your bathroom is your own personal spa or a tiny space shared with three roommates, it should be a place of order, freshness and calm.

Take a good, hard look around, says designer Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey of SCW Interiors in Alexandria. The perfect look and feel of a bathroom is one that meets the end users needs, she says. Its different for everyone, but I think that a space that is functional and flexible is key. And your bathroom should be the cleanest room in your home.

Cavin-Winfrey says she is amazed at how many things people leave scattered on bathroom vanities, shelves and floors. I think a bathroom should always be uncluttered. The average human makes so many choices and scans so much information in a given day  your daily rituals at home should be easy to maintain and not require any extra work to find things you need. She says always keeping the bathroom tidy has its benefits, including being ready for guests at all times. That can help make entertaining stress-free, she says.

Whether you have a dedicated powder room for guests or everyone must share the one bathroom in your home, these dos and donts might help you clean up your act.

[Six ways you are ruining your wood tables ]

Dont put a rug in your bathroom. A bathroom is not a place for wall-to-wall carpeting or area rugs. These cannot be properly cleaned in this environment. Think of the germs on a bathroom floor and how a damp rug or mat could be a magnet for mold. Cavin-Winfrey suggests providing a machine-washable bath mat (with or without rubber backing) for use right after a shower or bath. Then let this dry on the side of the tub or shower when not in use. She uses the no-slip CB2 lateral teak bath mat ($40, cb2.com).

Do stock both bar and liquid soap. In a powder room, Cavin-Winfrey prefers a pump bottle so there is no gooey soap bar left in a pool of water by a previous guest. She would choose ElizabethWs Vetiver hand wash ($22, elizabethw.com). If you have a guest staying the night, its a nice welcoming gesture to leave a fresh bar of soap atop a stack of clean towels on the bed. She likes Crabtree & Evelyn goat milk soap ($8, crabtree-evelyn.com).

Dont think of toilet paper as an accessory. Stacking a Costco-size tower of toilet paper rolls next to the toilet is not necessary or attractive. Why not reduce clutter and store your roll stockpile in a linen closet or in the garage? If you like to keep a roll or two nearby, use a small holder that fits nicely on the tank or discreetly on the floor. So many of her clients needed an attractive TP organizer, Cavin-Winfrey now sells this Matahari woven rattan two-roll model ($72.50, scwinteriors.com). Also, its thoughtful to have a box of tissues around so guests wont have to rip off a piece of toilet paper to blow their nose or adjust makeup. Extra points for a tissue box cover, such as the one in white lacquer from the Container Store ($13, containerstore.com)

Do minimize products. Your shower, bathtub ledges and countertops should not look like you are a tester for a shampoo or beauty company. Eliminate the excess and store items not used daily elsewhere. I myself am a product junkie but find unique ways to contain clutter with small trays around the tub or the vanity, Cavin-Winfrey says. If your shower doesnt have an integrated niche, consider wire baskets to mount on the tile. She prefers the WEBI 12 -inch rectangular stainless-steel wire caddy ($29, amazon.com), which should be fixed to the wall. As for prescription drugs, medications or personal-hygiene products, tuck them inside a cabinet or drawer.

Dont use plastic bags to line bathroom trash cans. Do you want to take your style tips from motels? Hopefully not, so dont use your Target bag as a trash liner, Cavin-Winfrey says, or buy rolls of mini trash-can liners. It seems wrong for the planet to be buying small plastic bags to corral trash in your teeny-tiny wastebasket, she says. Instead, buy good-looking metal or recycled plastic wastebaskets that can be easily and frequently wiped out and sanitized. This hammered-nickel wastebasket ($39, potterybarn.com) fits the bill.

Do use hooks for bath towels, not bars. How many people neatly fold their large towels when they hang them up over a bar? Do you really expect guests to do that? Hanging towels on an oversize hook makes them dry faster and looks less messy, Cavin-Winfrey says. She often uses the large Restoration Hardware Spritz hook ($39, restorationhardware.com) in her projects. Using a bar is fine for hand towels, though.
Members of an Afghan team that was denied entry into the United States work on their robots. (Mohammad Shoib/Reuters)

The United States has denied two teen robotics teams visas to attend an international robot-building competition this month in Washington.

A First Global team from the West African nation of Gambia announced Tuesday that its five members were denied entry to the United States for the event, which begins July 16.

The teens found the rejection very disheartening, said team leader Mucktarr M.Y. Darboe.

Darboe said the students were not given a reason for the denials, and he called the decision disappointing and unfair. The team has reapplied and has interviews this week, he said.

An all-female team from Afghanistan also was denied visas. The teams robot, however, was allowed entry.

No one knows about the future, but . . . we did our best and we hope that our robot could get a position along other robots from other countries, said team member Fatemah Qaderyan.

Gambia team member Fatoumata Ceesay, 17, said she hopes their second interview will get them to the United States, but she was not optimistic.

Its very disappointing knowing that we are the only two countries that arent going to take part in the competition, she said. It would be an experience to see and discover other robots and ask questions and exchange ideas with others. Its more than 160 countries, so wed have the chance to mingle.

First Global, an American nonprofit group, invited a team from each country to the event.
Correction: An earlier version of this story gave the incorrect cost for the mandatory student health insurance at George Washington University. The fee is $2,651 a year, not $4,103. The story has been updated.

If you have a kid in college, you may be double-paying for their health care coverage. Most four-year universities offer a student health Insurance Plan, and many automatically enroll students in the plan. When he was attorney general of New York, Andrew M. Cuomo warned 300 colleges that they needed to clearly and conspicuously disclose this mandatory coverage and itemize the cost. Student health insurance plan prices vary drastically, from $1,750 a year at American University, for example, to $2,651 a year at George Washington University.

Either way, thats a sizable chunk of money to pay if your child is already covered by your own plan. And more offspring than ever are, because of a provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows children to stay on their parents plan until their 26th birthday. (Proposed Republican bills to replace the ACA keep this provision intact.) In fact, parents may be paying a collective total of $1.2 billion in redundant health insurance costs, according to a study by Keybridge Research.

So you should definitely find out whether your childs college is one of those that automatically enrolls students in its health plan. But before you rush to opt out, keep in mind that there are pros and cons to both choices  college health plans and parent health plans. Here are the main things to consider in making the decision.

Questions to ask about student health insurance plans

Is the plan a self-insured plan or is it run by an insurance company?

College health plans administered by insurance companies have to meet minimum coverage standards set by the ACA. Self-insured plans, in which colleges pay claims directly, are not required to meet those standards, although some still do.

[Tech has taken the work out of couponing. Heres how to save big with little effort.]

Is the plan effective 12 months a year? Or just during the school year?

Many college health plans are effective 12 months a year. If the policy is only in effect nine months a year, you may need a short-term health plan or catastrophic coverage (which covers people in the event of a major accident or illness) to fill the gap.

Is the campus clinic a small, student-only facility or a large, university teaching hospital?

Some campus clinics are one- or two-room facilities with staff prepared only to treat common ailments, such as the flu or urinary tract infections. Others are world-class hospitals with every possible kind of medical practice attached to them.

Does the plan cover care only at the campus health clinic?

Some student plans do allow access to hospitals near the university. If not, the campus clinic may not be sufficient if the student has complicated existing health problems, gets in a major accident or contracts a serious illness .

Is there a distance limit ?

If the plan does allow students to visit off-campus doctors and hospitals, is there a mileage limit? Some plans only cover visits near the school, which is a problem for students who are attending college far from home and may need medical care while visiting their parents. Or it could make it difficult to find providers who are in-network while a student is at home.

Is the plan part of tuition?

If it is tied into the total cost of the students education, financial aid or student loans will probably cover it, which could be helpful if cash is tight.

Questions to ask about parents health plans

Is the parent plan a multistate plan? Or is it issued in the same state as the college?

Some HMOs and PPOs have networks of doctors and hospitals in only one state. Others are much broader and cover multiple states. Does the parents plan offer in-network care in the same state as the college?

Does the campus health clinic accept the parents insurance plan?

Most often they do not. This means students must pay for care out-of-pocket and then submit a claim to the parents insurance company. The paperwork can be a hassle and many claims are rejected.

If the campus clinic accepts my insurance, is it considered in-network?

If you are lucky enough that the campus clinic does take your insurance, find out if it is considered in-network or out-of-network. Often patients have to pay 10 to 20 percent of their medical bills for in-network coverage but 30 to 40 percent for out-of-network providers.

Is the students college in a location with lots of health-care options?

If the college is in a large urban area with lots of nearby doctors and hospitals, maybe skipping the campus health clinic will not be a burden. But if the college is in a small town or rural area, getting outside care could be challenging.

Will the student have to call their hometown doctor for referrals?

Many HMO-style plans and some PPO plans require a referral from your primary care doctor before you see a specialist. If there are no in-network doctors near the college, the student could have to coordinate with a hometown doctor, which can be a pain.

Does the parents plan charge the same amount for one or more children?

This is common and means that if there is more than one child in the family, each additional child is covered by the parents plan free. In this case, switching to the campus health plan is definitely an additional cost.
Its the trip of a lifetime  around the world in 26 days, with stops in nine countries. Just 50 people will travel on this guided tour next year via a private Boeing 757 to places like Marrakesh, Easter Island and Reykjavik, Iceland.

The price: $135,000 per person.

And thats not all. Those who make the journey will be accompanied on various legs by journalists from the New York Times. The newspaper is organizing and promoting the package, which it calls Around the World by Private Jet: Cultures in Transformation. Among those scheduled to join the traveling party are Washington bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller, op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and Publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.

The super-luxe journey and other Times-sponsored travel packages are a lucrative source of income for the paper at a time when news organizations are under increasing financial pressure. The round-the-world trip  which could gross as much as $6.7 million  is part of a range of products and services designed to monetize the Timess brand name, from $100 tote bags to event sponsorships. Other news organizations, including The Washington Post, which sells T-shirts and other merchandise, engage in the practice.

But the Timess trips raise a question among journalism ethics experts about ethics and access: Is the Times effectively selling its journalists to private interests? Could, for example, corporate lobbyists or political operatives sign on and seek to influence the Timess coverage?

Although the question is largely theoretical, the issue has come up before in a somewhat different context. In 2009, The Washington Post aborted an effort to produce salons, or small private dinners that would bring together the newspapers top editors and publisher with government officials and industry lobbyists. The off-the-record dinners were to be sponsored by individuals or corporations willing to pay anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000.

Media reports about The Posts plans triggered a public outcry. Critics said the paper was violating its own principles by peddling its journalists to vested interests and cutting its readers out of the dinner party. The acrimony prompted the paper to back away from the idea before it was ever implemented.

The Timess round-the-world excursion is by far the most elaborate and expensive package it markets using its journalists as a lure. But it also offers other packages under its Times Journeys brand for those with somewhat less disposable income.

For example, a 13-day cruise in October around Southeast Asia aboard a megayacht, as an online brochure describes it, starts at $10,790 per person, not including international airfare to the trips embarkation point. The cruise features lectures on Donald Trumps grand economic plan by Gretchen Morgenson, the Timess assistant business editor and a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist.

Prices for a 15-day cruise around Scandinavia featuring columnist Maureen Dowd and chief Washington correspondent Carl Hulse start at $5,129 for an interior cabin. The fare rises to $16,489 per person for a pinnacle suite on the tour, which the Times is marketing as Fjords, Falls and Foreign Affairs.

Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said the papers travel packages are educational travel experiences and that its journalists dont engage in any reporting or writing while abroad or afloat.

We see no comparison to The Washington Posts much-criticized concept to host private parties that were marketed as having the potential to alter political debates by interacting with elected officials, policymakers and others, she said.

On the other hand: The Times doesnt control who signs up. The passenger manifest isnt screened, she said.

That means the Times essentially gives unrestricted access to some of the papers best-known journalists and names, said Andrew Seaman, the chairman of the ethics committee for the Society of Professional Journalists and a reporter for Reuters.

Said Seaman: No matter what safeguards the paper puts in place, it looks like a bunch of journalists flying off to far corners of the world with incredibly wealthy people. Of course, it looks like that, because thats what it is.

Even without an actual conflict, the arrangement is bound to raise questions, he said. An already skeptical public is left wondering if the paper may give preferential treatment to the person who just gave a very large chunk of change to their news organization. I dont think thats the question the Times or any news organization wants floating around in the world.

But Indira Lakshmanan, an ethicist at the Poynter Institute, a journalism-education organization, points out that other news organizations have long sponsored private travel packages without ethical repercussions. For example, PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff is the featured attraction for a 10-night cruise to Alaska in August that costs between $7,300 and $20,000 per person. National Geographic and NPR have also used their journalists to attract travelers.

More than anything, it raises a sad commentary on the state of our business, that theres a need for newspapers and news organizations to raise money like this, Lakshmanan said. This is another high-end way to make money.

Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet declined to comment, as did several Times journalists who are participating in one of the papers Journeys. But others at the paper doubted that their involvement raised any ethical concerns.

Veteran reporter Adam Nagourney said his last trip  a 12-day cruise around the Greek islands and Turkey in 2015  involved about 60 to 70 people, most of whom were intensely interested in current events and the Times. Much of the shipboard conversation, he said, was about how the paper operates, how decisions are made and who makes them (Its like, You know Maureen Dowd!  he said).

Nagourney, who is featured on a Times cruise around the Gulf of Mexico in late November, added, I get [this enthusiasm] completely. I would be one of those people if I didnt work here. . . . But movers and shakers? Advertisers? People trying to get access to influence things? Honestly, I did not find that at all.

In her only comment, Dowd wrote via email, Im not involved in that pricey plane trip one. I did a normal boat one. You should ask one of those people.

Morgenson, who will participate in her first trip this year, said the Timess travel packages are quite different from The Posts aborted salons. The Posts concept was designed to connect people in power like lobbyists in intimate settings, she said. The Times Journeys seem focused on the reader.

Morgenson added that no one has to buy an expensive travel package to reach her. Im accessible to anyone who has a phone or an email address, she said.

Still, Seaman, the journalism-ethics maven, said it might be time for the Times to stay home.

My suggestion would be to skip Easter Island, Iceland and wherever else these trips may go, he said. The Times and other news organizations should send journalists to communities around the United States to teach them what responsible journalism is, how its made and why its important.

(Editors note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Indira Lakshmanans name.)
T.J. Smith has been the voice and face of Baltimore police during some of the citys most murderous years. As the departments chief spokesman, he routinely appears on television to talk to a crime-weary city about the bad guys and the cowards shooting up the streets.

He speaks plainly, his phrases interlaced with anger and exasperation as he assures residents that the police force shares in their sadness and outrage, even as the agency seems powerless to stop the killings.

Now, Smith, who grew up in Baltimore, has to talk about his own brothers violent death. Dionay Smith, 24, was fatally shot Sunday in his apartment on Argyle Avenue in West Baltimore, a street two miles northwest of the Inner Harbor, lined with new housing on one side and condemned, boarded rowhouses on the other. It was the citys 173rd homicide this year, pushing Baltimore to among the most violent nationwide in per capita homicides. Three others were killed over the next 48 hours.

Smith saw his brothers name in an internal text moments after the shooting, a moment he later described as surreal. He sped to his fathers house to break the news to his family before it hit social media. It was a task he had performed with strangers all too often over more than 18 years as a police officer, first in suburban Anne Arundel County.

[Baltimore police spokesman T.J. Smith addresses media after brother killed.]

(Baltimore Police Dept.)

But now, Smith wrote, it was personal. In a Facebook post, Smith didnt shy away from his trademark straightforward style: A coward with a gun entered my brothers apartment and shot and killed him.

On Wednesday, Smith said he wanted to make sure that nothing I say about my brothers murder is different than what I say about anybody elses. He said he shuns the guarded speech of government prose because people want to feel raw emotion. They dont want a sanitized version of events. . . . So a coward with a gun is what he is.

Smith said his brother had three children and two jobs and helped youths in a troubled neighborhood. Court records show a few arrests, some drug-related, but no convictions, and his brother said they are indicative of youthful challenges he had outgrown. Smith said he thinks his brother was targeted by someone he knew and had tried to help with his soft heart. On Facebook, Smith said he wants to channel the negative into positive and pray for the soul of the person responsible for this. He ruined his life for something small and petty, no doubt.

Smith joined the department four months after Freddie Gray died in police custody in April 2015 and riots ravaged parts of the city. Crime was increasing, federal authorities were finding that officers routinely abused peoples rights and a chasm widened between residents and protectors. He followed the newly hired police commissioner, Kevin Davis, whom he had grown close to in Anne Arundel, where Davis had been chief and Smith had served as spokesman. Baltimore had always been home  his wife and mother are both schoolteachers; his grandparents worked at the main post office. He graduated from a Baltimore high school.

[T.J. Smith uses plainspeak to describe killing in Baltimore]

I knew I had to get someone who could genuinely serve as the daily face of public safety in Baltimore, Davis said. I needed someone who was direct and genuine and straightforward and empathetic who can connect with victims, victims families, the community at large and cops. T.J. is that guy.

While the city continues to focus on repeat offenders and those who carry guns, Smiths work communicating with residents has been important to restore trust, Davis said. He doesnt sugarcoat things, and the community doesnt want things sugarcoated.

This undated photo shows Dionay Smith, the younger brother of Baltimore police spokesman T.J. Smith. Dionay Smith was found fatally shot in his Baltimore apartment July 2, 2017. (ERICKA ALSTON BUCK VIA AP)

In a profile last year in the Afro newspaper, Smith discussed the challenges of being black and talking so often about lost black lives. I want it to be conveyed when I speak that it hurts every time we get a report on another young, black male killed in the city, Smith told the newspaper. I get offended because this is my city.

[Baltimore police release video surveillance in killing of T.J. Smiths brother]

Whether behind a podium or at a breaking crime scene, Smith, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, has never shirked from saying what he feels. Of a man who twice robbed the same store clerk: It only helps the city of Baltimore to have someone like this occupying jail cells. About a man who shot a 90-year-old woman who scolded him for throwing chicken bones on the street: Another disgusting act of stupidity. And when a woman was fatally shot moments after calling police over a stolen bicycle seat, Smith personalized the victim as a mother of eight who was taken away from her children.

[Baltimore near top city in per-capita homicides]

The shooting of Smiths brother comes three months after the 22-year-old son of a police officer gunned down in 2007 was fatally shot in an alley and weeks after the stepson of a prominent defense attorney was fatally shot outside a gas station.

Brandon Scott, a Baltimore City Council member from Northwest who grew up during the 1990s, when homicides topped 300 a year for a decade, said Smith now joins far too many families in Baltimore whose lives have been turned upside down by the trauma of homicide.

Scott, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said the killings of members of the Brown and Smith families show the widespread impact of violence. You cant wait until its your brother to act, he said. You cant wait until its your son or your cousin. Far too many people do that. . . . If anyone is walking around Baltimore thinking, It cant happen to me, theyre living in a fantasy land.

Since Smith became chief spokesman for Baltimore police in August 2015, he has talked to the public or overseen the dissemination of information on more than 600 homicides. I am the bearer of bad news in Baltimore, he said in an interview.

He spoke publicly on Wednesday, saying it was his most difficult moment in front of the cameras. He shed his customary suit for a short-sleeve shirt, chose a conference room desk over the official police podium and broke his typical sober demeanor to allow for tears.

I want people to understand were all in this, Smith said later. Im not quitting. Im not giving up on my city.
William Morva listens as the possibility of the death penalty or possible life in prison is discussed by Judge Ray Grubbs and attorneys during the fist day of jury selection in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg, Va. (MATT GENTRY/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The daughter of a slain sheriffs deputy has urged Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to stop the execution of the man who killed her father and a hospital security guard in 2006.

The statement Wednesday from Rachel Sutphin in support of clemency for William Morva comes one day before he is scheduled to be executed. Sutphin adds a powerful, personal voice to a growing number of state lawmakers urging McAuliffe to commute Morvas death sentence.

Morva, 35, was convicted in 2008 for fatally shooting Cpl. Eric Sutphin and hospital guard Derrick McFarland after escaping from custody. His clemency campaign has attracted local and international supporters who say the jury that sentenced Morva to death was not informed of his severe mental illness.

The effort also comes as lawmakers in eight states have proposed eliminating capital punishment for people with severe mental illnesses.

[Hes a killer set to die. But his mental illness has set off a new death penalty debate.]

In her statement Wednesday, Rachel Sutphin wrote, I am against the death penalty for religious and moral reasons. I have fought and will continue to fight for clemency for all death row inmates until Virginia declares the death penalty unconstitutional. I have sent my own letter to the governor showing my support for clemency.

Sutphin, a 20-year-old student at Virginia Tech, is one of the sheriff deputys two daughters. She asked for privacy for her family and for the McFarlands, and said she was writing only for herself and not for the other relatives of the victims.

A spokesman for McAuliffe said the governor has received Sutphins letter.

He is reviewing all of the materials submitted and will make a statement when the review is complete, spokesman Brian Coy said.

More than a dozen Democratic members of the Virginia General Assembly have joined more than 30,000 other petitioners in the clemency effort.

[Democratic lawmakers ask McAuliffe to commute sentence of convicted killer]

Morvas lawyer Dawn Davison of the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center has said Morva was suffering from delusional disorder at the time of the shootings and did not fully understand his crimes. During sentencing, supporters say, jurors were told incorrectly that Morva was not delusional.

Mary K. Pettitt, the Montgomery County, Va., Commonwealth Attorney who helped prosecute Morva, has told McAuliffe that the jury had sufficient information about his mental health and rendered a fair verdict.

The fairness of his trial has been reviewed, and reviewed, and reviewed with all courts, both state and federal, finding no unfairness or basis to overturn the voice of that jury, Pettitt wrote in a letter to the governor.

Morva ran out of courtroom appeals when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up his case in February, leaving the governor as his last hope. Morvas execution is set for 9 p.m. Thursday.
For someone who has sold dirt bikes for 20 years, Mike Johnston thought he had his shop sufficiently fortified against break-ins: bars on windows, a video surveillance system and concrete barriers to deter a car crashing through the entrance.

But it turned out they were not enough in the spring, when thieves smashed into Ellicott City Motorsports in Maryland and made off with five dirt bikes  twice.

The problem just keeps getting worse and worse, said Johnston, whose store was struck two times in seven days. It really is an epidemic.

Johnstons shop is one of several recently burglarized motorbike dealers along the East Coast who say thefts at their locations have ramped up in recent years. This is happening as swarms of illegal dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles regularly flood public roads and pop wheelies in chaotic hordes, chasing social-media stardom.

In the D.C. region last week, nearly 100 dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles choked traffic in downtown Washington and the National Harbor. Video posted on Twitter shows joyriders weaving around cars, driving against traffic and ignoring police attempts to pull them over. Police say the vehicles used in such spectacles are often stolen, from private owners and shops.

(Ellicott City Motor Sports)

Dealership thefts are becoming so common, shop owners from Pennsylvania to Virginia have created an informal network to alert each other of break-ins and share lookouts for suspected thieves.

We immediately call and share what was going on with the break-ins, said Johnston, who talked to owners of five dealerships burglarized in 10 days in late June. Were all trying to avoid the same problem.

In May, thieves smashed the window of a Connecticut shop and stole $30,000 worth of bikes in about two minutes, the third break-in at the store in six months, according to local news reports.

[Dozens of illegal dirt bikes, ATVs choke the streets of National Harbor]

On June 25, a Pennsylvania shop lost $60,000 worth of bikes after someone crashed a van through the front door, entered the store with precision and stole seven motorcycles and scooters, according to police there.

And the week before, two men rammed a passenger van into the entrance of Powersports East in Delaware four times before busting through the entrance, said Pete Clarkin, the stores finance manager.

Watching it is extremely violent, Clarkin said of the heist, captured on surveillance cameras. When you walk through that door every day for work and then see someone drive a van through the door, its unsettling.

Ellicott City Motorsports was burglarized twice in seven days. The problem just keeps getting worse and worse, said store owner Mike Johnston. It really is an epidemic. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Through the rubble of shattered glass, and in under four minutes, the thieves carried out four dirt bikes and loaded them into the van, which had been stripped of its passenger seats, Clarkin said.

In six years, the Delaware store has lost 20 bikes in 10 burglaries, Clarkin said. The most recent break-in caused $300,000 in damage.

The vehicles are appealing because they are not connected to license plates that can be traced, said Lt. Craig Winegardner of Prince Georges police.

They dont require keys, and you can kick-start and ride away, Winegardner said. Theyre easy to pick up and put in a pickup truck.

Clarkin and others suspect that their stolen wares are making it to Baltimore, the Washington region and other bigger cities for sales and joyrides.

And as those dealers watch video of swarms of bikes rolling over curbs and around traffic, they cannot help but wonder if theyre looking at their own merchandise. You see it, and your mind goes crazy, Clarkin said.

Store owners say police do not always make arrests in such cases, and when they do, the recovered bikes are damaged and often cannot be resold.

But police have been cracking down.

In the District, police have arrested about 80 people and recovered more than 50 vehicles since launching a regional task force in 2016 to focus on groups of illegal ATVs and dirt bikes on public roads.

[In the shadow of the Capitol, outlawed dirt bikes take to the streets after dark]

In Baltimore  home of the infamous dirt bike pack the 12 OClock Boys, who became the subject of a documentary  the police department created a task force more than a year ago to deter mobs of riders who regularly buzz through the city and disturb residents. Of the 420 dirt bikes police have seized since the launch of the task force, 88 were stolen, said Baltimore Detective David Jones. Many of the stolen bikes have been ripped off from dealerships and private owners in the suburbs around Baltimore County and from as far away as Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Recently, when a Pennsylvania warehouse was burglarized and several dirt bikes were stolen, law enforcement in the area immediately contacted Baltimore police to see if the stolen bikes wound up in the city, Jones said.

You have a small group of guys who do the burglaries to ride or sell to turn a profit, said Jones, who added that those stealing the bikes are often connected with the hordes that disrupt city streets in packs.

Jones said the citys crackdown has whittled the groups of riders  from 50 to 100 on a given Sunday to a pack of maybe 20 at the most.

John Ross, owner of Ride On Moto in Winchester, Va., said his sons recently had two dirt bikes stolen from a locked trailer in South Carolina. And two weeks ago, someone pulled the front door from Rosss shop and made off with four bikes worth about $10,000 each.

Ross, who was out of town tending to his sick mother, watched the entire burglary unfold live on his phone when he got a remote alert about the early morning break-in.

Ross has added aluminum bars to his store and plans to install a fence around the building. He also parks huge trucks in front of the shop to deter thieves from plowing their own vehicles through the storefront.

Were just so used to it, said Ross, who has been in the business for about 25 years. You cant stop them. You just have to slow them down.

Ross said his insurance company has talked about increasing premiums for motorbike dealerships because of recent burglaries. And every theft costs him at least $2,000 to $3,000 out of pocket, in addition to the $30,000 he pays annually to insure the shop.

In the case of Ellicott City Motorsports, police tracked down the van that witnesses had spotted at the stores second burglary.

The van fled from police and, after a short pursuit, broke down. Four teens inside escaped but were quickly apprehended.

Three 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old, all of Baltimore, were charged with burglary, motor vehicle theft, destruction of property, and fleeing and eluding, according to Howard County police.

Two of the teens were released to the custody of their parents, then arrested a second time shortly after in connection with a burglary at a scooter shop, according to Johnston.

Johnston said he spent about $40,000 to repair damage from the recent break-ins and for security upgrades.

Now even more bars fortify his shop. But there is a trade-off in how his shop feels to legitimate customers.

Many customers dont expect to walk around a place that looks like a prison, Johnston said. Its not fair to the customers.

Peter Hermann contributed to this report.
Three men were found slain in Prince Georgese in less than 24 hours Tuesday and Wednesday. (iStock) (iStock/iStock)

A man died at a hospital Tuesday after arriving as a walk-in patient with a gunshot wound, Prince Georges County police said. A second man was reported fatally shot in Prince Georges early Wednesday.

The two incidents, and another incident which was reported early Tuesday, brought the number of killings discovered in the county to three in less than 24 hours.

Police said the man who died at the hospital was shot Tuesday afternoon in the 7300 block of Landover Road. That shooting apparently occurred not long before the victim arrived at the hospital.

The nearest hospital to the site of the Landover Road shooting appears to be about 2 miles away. Although the man was described as a walk-in patient, and may have entered the hospital on his own, no information was available about how he traveled to the hospital.

Most wounded gunshot victims are brought to hospitals in emergency vehicles by rescue personnel. But sometimes they arrive on their own, after driving themselves to the hospital, or being dropped off by others.

The Wednesday morning shooting was reported about 1:30 a.m. in the 2500 block of Darel Drive, in the Suitland area of Prince Georges

Police said the man had been hit in the upper body and died at the scene.

Few details were immediately available about either shooting.

In the first of the three homicides the victim was found about 7 a.m in the 800 block of Kayak Avenue in Capitol Heights. The man had a wound, but no information was available on its nature.
Two men allegedly behind a prolific malware site have been arrested and charged with conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and computer hacking. (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg)

Two men from Latvia ran a malware service that has been in operation for more than a decade and used in major attacks against U.S. businesses, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Alexandria, Va.

The men, along with an alleged co-conspirator in Virginia, designed a buffet of hacking software that they marketed on cybercrime websites, according to prosecutors.

The indictment does not detail which businesses allegedly were affected by the malware or what damage was done by the attacks. The defendants were identified as Ruslans Bondars and Jurijs Martisevs. Both were arrested overseas.

The hidden service the pair allegedly operated was accessible via the encrypted network Tor and has been operational since late 2006, prosecutors said. The tools that they are accused of selling include some of the most prolific malware known to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the indictment, and the software has been used in major computer intrusions committed against American businesses. One of the largest services of this kind, it had at least 30,000 users, according to prosecutors.

Among the offerings allegedly provided by the defendants: tool kits to create customized malicious files, software that hides those malicious files from anti-virus programs, Remote Access Trojans that let a hacker take control of a computer, and keyloggers that record anything typed on a computer.

The alleged co-conspirator, described in the indictment as Z.S., operated out of Great Falls, Va., and is accused of designing a keylogger used by 3,000 customers to infect 16,000 computers in 2012.

Martisevs, who appeared at a closed court hearing last week, also gave customer support to clients, according to the indictment. He is being held without bond, and his attorney declined to comment Wednesday.

In a brief court hearing for Bondars on Wednesday, defense attorney Joshua Jacob Horowitz said he expects 25 to 50 terabytes of evidence in the case.

Horowitz argued unsuccessfully for Bondarss release. My client came here voluntarily . . . to face these charges, the attorney said.

Horowitz said Bondarss employer in Latvia was willing to post a substantial bond and pay for the defendant to find a residence in Alexandria. He did not name the employer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen Dwyer noted that when Bondars was arrested he was carrying $30,000 in U.S. cash and said he has bank accounts in various countries.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis said he could not release a homeless defendant who faces arrest by immigration authorities if he is not in jail.

Bondars is a permanent resident of Latvia.

Although Martisevs is described as a Latvian citizen in the indictment, prosecutors said on Thursday they have since determined that he is a Russian citizen who was living in Latvia. The Russian government has protested his arrest, saying it violates a 1999 agreement between the U.S. and Russia dealing with criminal matters. A post on the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy in the United States yesterday describes the arrest as another case of kidnapping of a Russian citizen.

Diplomatic staff have spoken with Martisevs and asked permission to meet with him, according to the Facebook post.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia declined to comment on the Russian Embassys accusations.

Both men are both charged with conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and computer hacking.
George H.W. Bush, chairman of the Republican National Committee, talks about the Watergate case as Robert Strauss, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, listens during a joint appearance before the National Press Club in Washington. (AP)

It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when U.S. presidents liked journalists  or at least pretended to like them.

Washington obviously was a much smaller, less formal place then, said Gil Klein, who heads the History and Heritage Committee at the National Press Club.

A couple of weeks ago, Gil, an American University journalism professor and former national correspondent for Media General, delivered a lecture on the history of the press club, which was founded in 1908 as a place for journalists to drink and play cards.

No one plays cards anymore, and these days journalists drink at home, alone, their cocktails salted with their tears, but a century ago, newspapers were a booming business, and downtown D.C.s Newspaper Row was lousy with ink-stained wretches. The Western Union office was there, so correspondents could easily wire their dispatches to out-of-town journals.

The National Press Clubs founders rented two floors above a jewelry store at 1205 F St. NW, the first of several buildings the group occupied before settling down in 1928 in its current building at 14th and F streets NW.

William Howard Taft was the first sitting president who came by, said Gil. That was in 1910. He just walked up the stairs and said he was in the neighborhood and wanted to meet the neighbors.

Woodrow Wilson had been a member even before he moved into the White House. When he was president, Wilson would occasionally bring his entire Cabinet over.

I believe he said it was the one club he could go to unwind, Gil said. That seems hard to imagine. Can you imagine Trump coming over, saying I think Ill go over and unwind with the boys?

Franklin D. Roosevelt came often, Gil said. It was FDR who kicked off the regular series of gatherings featuring speeches by lofty figures, as well as those hoping to become lofty.

After Roosevelt, members said, We ought to just have a series of luncheons with newsmakers, said Gil, who was president of the club in 1994.

Those early events had the sort of cozy blind-eye-turning that arent supposed to occur anymore: What happened in the National Press Club stayed in the National Press Club.

Back then, these things were off the record, Gil said. Its frustrating. I would find an account of an event in The Washington Post and it would go on and on about the decorations and who was there, then say, The remarks were off the record. I want to know what he said.

As with most of official and fraternal Washington at the time, the press club was slow to open its ranks to minorities and women. The first African American member was Louis R. Lautier of the Atlanta Daily World and the National Negro Press Association, admitted in 1955.

Female journalists in Washington had formed their own club  the Womens National Press Club  in 1919, but they lobbied for the right to attend events at the males-only press club, arguing they should have access to the news that might be made there.

Talk about incremental progress: In 1955, the club said female journalists could cover the luncheons, but only from the ballroom balcony. In 1964, women were allowed onto the ballroom floor. They were finally admitted as full members in 1971.

Other firsts: The National Press Club has District liquor license No. 1, issued shortly after Prohibition was repealed. After FDR changed the bankruptcy laws in the 1930s, the press club was also the first entity to file for bankruptcy protection.

Gerald Ford was a regular at the club. Hed started visiting as a congressman and kept it up as veep and POTUS. (Hes the only one who really sincerely liked journalists, Gil said.) In 1982, Ronald Reagan stopped by to swear in the press clubs first female president, Vivian Vahlberg of the Daily Oklahoman.

Bill Clinton attended an event there in 1998. But since then, things havent been so presidential. Obama and the Bushes? They all came before they were president, Gil said. It just became so formal and so adversarial and so much security and so many other outlets, that the presidents dont come by like they used to.

Donald Trump stopped by in 2014, before he announced his candidacy.

Maybe Trump could take part in the National Press Clubs annual politicians-vs.-journalists spelling bee, a tradition that began in 1913 when Ohio Republican Frank B. Willis won by correctly spelling hydrocephalus.

A sitting chief executive competing in a spelling bee at the National Press Club? That would be unprecedented.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
(Claritza Jimenez,Victoria St. Martin/The Washington Post)

Laura Metro was returning from a run during a summer vacation at the Delaware shore when her daughter, Maison, made an announcement straight from a parents nightmare: Maison had been playing by the pool with her 3-year-old brother, Clay, as family friends supervised them, when he slipped under the water.

I think Clay died, the 6-year-old said.

Metro and her husband, Matt, sprinted to the side of the pool, where Clay had been placed after he was pulled from the pool. He was lifeless and blue.

A family friend began applying the familiar chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing that are hallmarks of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

As Clay recovered, his physicians told Metro that the bystander CPR probably saved her sons life. Remarkably, the man who performed CPR on Clay said he had never had training and was only mimicking what he had seen on television.

[This man had no CPR training. But he saved his co-workers life by pumping her chest to Stayin Alive.]

Since that day six years ago, Metro has made it a personal crusade to help parents, caregivers and others learn how to perform CPR. She hosts what she calls CPR parties (like Tupperware parties, she said) to underscore the ease and importance of learning how to save a life.



Attendees mingle at the start of a CPR party on May 18 in Bethesda, Md. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Jeremy Gruber, founder of Rescue One Training for Life, and instructor Gervais Crouch, right, teach a group during a recent CPR party. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Its just such an easy format  we replace the shopping with a certified instructor-trainer of CPR to do an hour, or an hour and a half, awareness course, and boom, youre done, said Metro, who lives in Potomac and created an organization she fittingly named CPR Party. People are loving it.

By her estimate, Metro, 42, a freelance marketing consultant who funds the effort out of her own pocket and with donations, has helped more than a thousand people in Maryland, Virginia and the District learn how to properly perform CPR. Through Metros partnership with Rescue One Training for Life, a local EMS and safety training organization, instructors teach people CPR, how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on children and adults, as well as how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED)  a computerized medical device that can check a persons heart rhythm and shock it if needed.

Her goal, she says, is free CPR lessons for all Americans (certification courses can cost about $100 per person), which she sees as crucial when it comes to saving the lives of young people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is second only to birth defects as the leading cause of the death for children age 4 and younger; overall, drowning is the nations fifth-leading cause of unintentional injury deaths.

This is just insanity  to see how many kids are passing away and the families are just destroyed. I mean, you cant imagine, she said. We need to do more.



Laura Metro, center, speaks at a recent CPR party in Bethesda, Md. Metro founded the organization CPR Party after her now 9-year-old son nearly drowned in a pool at the age of 3 and the only thing that saved him was CPR. Since then she has held more than 150 parties and trained more than 1,000 people. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Po)

Metro noted that Texas tallied 107 child-drowning deaths last year. And in the D.C. metro area, at least five children  including a 2-year-old boy who was pulled from a Montgomery County lake; a 23-month-old boy who was found in a pool at a Northeast Washington day-care; 2-year-old twin siblings who were discovered in a family pool in Loudoun County, Va.; and a 7-year-old girl who was pulled from a backyard pool in Prince Georges County, Md., during a family function  have drowned in the past several weeks.

Spurred by those stories, Metro presses on.

People dont want to talk about kids dying  people just blame the person thats there, she said.

Laura Metro, 42, of Potomac and her 9-year-old son Clay. (Family photo)

Metro said her sons near-drowning gave her a purpose.

This is my job now, she said, recalling the helplessness that she felt as her son was being revived. I was supposed to lend a voice to this and help elevate this cause, and be a part of this and help others to not experience what we did. Clay lived, and it was a living hell.

That level of emotional pain and fear and desperation  you wouldnt wish it on your worst enemy in the entire world. Its really easy to learn CPR and empower yourself with this lifesaving skill.

[A lesson learned in minutes may save lives: Hands-Only CPR]

Brian Frankel, assistant fire chief for Prince Georges County Fire/EMS Department, said Metros CPR parties spread the word about CPR and AEDs in the region, and the more people we can get involved in education and teaching, then the greater reach we have in the region and the more people we get trained.

[Pr. Georges County rolls out CPR app that could save lives]

American Heart Association statistics say that nearly 90 percent of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. But CPR performed in the first few minutes can double or triple a persons chance of survival.

Metro carries that message to her training parties.

At one recent gathering in Bethesda, Metro greeted a group of about 20 moms and told the story of Clays near-drowning. While the group did 100 to 120 chest compressions a minute on CPR dummies, or 30 compressions and two breaths, Metro took photos with her phone and streamed the scene on Facebook Live.

[My son is not breathing: Harrowing video shows hero cop saving toddler in distress]



Chais Ondeck, center of Potomac, practices CPR at a CPR party in May in Bethesda, Md. On the left is Nimet DuFour, of Bethesda, and Grace Lowe, of Kensington, is on the right. DuFour said she had hever tried CPR until this party. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Nimet DuFour, a 43-year-old Bethesda mom of three boys, said she has seen other people perform CPR before, but she had never tried it herself, until the party.

You always hope you can react and do something if needed, she said. The more you know, the more likely you are to help somebody.

Metro said her goal is to one day make the parties free. For now, she asks for a $15 donation per person for a party of 20 to help pay instructors.

And in some ways, life is so much different than it was six years ago. Clay, who was taking swim lessons at the time of the near-drowning, is now 9 and a member of a swim team.

The first time he swam in a meet, Metro said she and a few other moms were bawling on the side of the pool watching his full circle moment. One weekend this month, Clay captured third place at a meet.

He even knows how to do CPR, but that doesnt stop Metro from her evening ritual.

I go in his room every night no matter what, and I listen to him breathe, she said. I listen to him breathe because he wasnt breathing.

I just hear his lungs go up and down for just a minute.
MINNESOTA

Judge in Castile case writes letter to jurors

The judge who presided over the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer acquitted in the fatal shooting of black motorist Philando Castile took the unusual step of writing to the jurors to tell them that he supports them despite widespread public criticism of their verdict.

I write to reassure you that you faithfully fulfilled the difficult task you were asked to undertake, Ramsey County District Judge William Leary III said in his letter to the jury, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported Tuesday.

The judge told jurors he was not providing his own opinion of St. Anthony officer Jeronimo Yanezs actions during the fatal traffic stop last July in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, but wanted to convey that their verdict was fully supported by a fair interpretation of the evidence and the law you were obligated to apply.

The verdict on June 16 sparked a rally at the State Capitol, which gave way to a march through St. Paul that shut down light-rail service and ended with a confrontation with authorities on Interstate 94.

Leary sent his letter a few days after authorities released dramatic dashboard-camera video showing the Latino officer firing seven shots at the 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker in a matter of seconds, just after Castile informed Yanez he was armed. The shooting gained widespread attention after Castiles girlfriend, who was in the car with her then-4-year-old daughter, live-streamed its gruesome aftermath on Facebook.

During his trial, Yanez, 29, testified that Castile ignored his commands not to pull out his gun. The officer said he feared for his life.

 Associated Press

ALABAMA

Gunmen kill three in holdup at barbershop

Three people are dead and one wounded after an apparent after-hours holdup by two gunmen at a barbershop, Alabama police said.

People in the Hook-Up Barber and Style Shop in Prattville, about 13 miles northwest of Montgomery, identified one of the gunmen, but the other mans face was covered, Police Chief Mark Thompson told news outlets.

He said the pair knocked on the shops door late Monday, and people inside let them in because they knew Marty Morgan, 35, of Prattville. Police are now searching for Morgan.

Police said Morgan carried a handgun. He is wanted on three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and seven counts of robbery, Thompson said.

Authorities have not released the victims names. The fourth victims injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, Thompson said.

Public records show that Morgan pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in 2012, AL.com reported.

 Associated Press

Two men held for stealing endangered deer in Florida: Two Florida men were caught with three endangered Key deer tied up in their car, authorities said. Erik Acosta Damas, 18, and Tumani Anthony Younge, 23, were arrested early Sunday morning, the Miami Herald reported. Wildlife officials said a Monroe County deputy who pulled the mens car over on Little Torch Key for having a broken taillight found two does in the back seat and a buck in the trunk. The animals were untied and released. National Key Deer Refuge Manager Dan Clark said the deer, which grow to the size of a large dog, had been captured on Big Pine Key. The federally protected deer are found only in the Florida Keys, where their population is about 600 to 800 animals. Damas and Younge each face three felony and nine misdemeanor charges.

 Associated Press
The fireworks Bryant Moore hears exploding nearby are making him jittery. The pops that pierce through the apartment walls rattle Moore, forcing him to remember what happened days earlier: the flashes of the gun. The pow pow pow.

Moore, 22, dropped to the ground as more than 50 bullets sprayed across the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in downtown Little Rock early Saturday morning, according to police estimates. In total, 28 people were injured  25 by gunshots  in the nations largest mass shooting since the Pulse nightclub attack a year earlier in Orlando.

Like a damn movie, Moore says, describing the scene. He was shot three times, in his thigh and in both feet, which are now wrapped with black, bootlike contraptions.

I aint never been scared of no guns, he says. And now Im like, damn. . . . I guess it had to take me being shot to just come to a realization that this is not a damn game. Life is not a game.

[At least 25 shot at Little Rock nightclub; hunt for suspects continues, police say]

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, fourth from left, and others listen to speakers during a candlelight vigil on July 1 in Little Rock. (Mitchell Pe Masilun/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

Authorities have said all the injured people are expected to survive. Still, the lack of fatalities doesnt make the incident less shocking. It is the third mass shooting in Arkansas this year, as many mass shootings as the state experienced in all of 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Its gotten a lot of attention, and I think rightfully so, said Lt. Steven McClanahan, Little Rock Police Department spokesman. Because 25 people shot at one scene, I mean thats never happened in our city before.

The shooting touched off the flurry of speculation and questions: Had Little Rock become the latest victim of terrorism? Were the states gun laws to blame?

Instead, city leaders say the incident appears to be a more familiar story of violent crime, similar to what other big-city mayors and police chiefs have highlighted in recent years.

Little Rock has seen a bump in violent crime over the past few months, officials say. There have been 29 homicides this year, compared with 15 at this time last year, McClanahan said Monday. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, citing preliminary data, reported this week that violent crime in the city in 2017 had increased more than 20 percent when compared with the 2016 figures from the same time period.

Saturdays shooting unfolded about 2:30 a.m. during a performance by Finese 2Tymes, a rapper from Tennessee whose real name is Ricky Hampton. Hampton was arrested Sunday on outstanding charges of aggravated assault with a gun in an unrelated shooting in Forrest City, Ark., according to news reports.

Police say gang members were present at Saturdays shooting, and some in attendance have been on our radar screen, McClanahan said.

Ricky Hampton, also known as the rapper Finese2 Tymes, was performing at Power Ultra Lounge on the night of the shooting. He was arrested Sunday in an unrelated shooting. (Jefferson County Sheriff via AP)

No one has been charged in connection to the shooting.

[50 years of US mass shootings: The victims, sites and shooters]

Mayor Mark Stodola said violence in the city has been focused primarily with two small groups of people, describing a Hatfields-and-McCoys scenario, involving warring families. McClanahan described the situation as a bit more complex but said authorities think the citys jump in crime can be linked to gang activity.

We think a lot of these are second-generation gang members, that are now coming of age, and contributing to violence in our city, he said.

Stodola said an early morning phone call about the incident on Saturday left him with a sickening feeling in my stomach.

He expressed concerns about too many guns in the hands of the wrong people, saying officials need to more vigorously monitor how felons get possession of firearms.

A law allowing concealed handgun permit holders who have taken up to eight hours of active-shooter training to carry their weapon in certain bars will take effect in September, according to the Associated Press. In this case, though, Stodola doubted the law would have mattered.

The people who had weapons in that lounge, Im only surmising, but I would imagine that they had those guns regardless of what the law was that was passed, Stodola said.

He said Little Rocks surge in violent crime is not unlike whats happening in other cities around the country. He said he has spoken with other mayors who have relayed stories of what is happening in their communities.

[Twelve seconds of gunfire: School playground still haunts the first-graders who survived]

What drives it? Obviously, illegal activity, he said. Whether its an epidemic of illegal drugs and somebody cheating somebody out of some money, or obviously somebody disrespecting another individual.

On Monday, there were reminders of the chaos at Power nightclub. Blue medical gloves remained outside the club. Bits of glass were on the sidewalk, and a Notice to Vacate sign was posted on the door. Inside, a womans shoe could be seen on the ground.

Im in Power, and my best friend just got shot, a womans voice says on a 911 call from Saturdays shooting, released to The Washington Post on Monday.

Hello, they just shot up the club. Oh my God, another woman tells a dispatcher, on another call.

As Moore contemplates the experience nearly two days later, he resolves to start carrying a gun when he goes out.

I aint going to be in no predicament like that again, he says.
An Iraqi woman holding an infant walks by the destroyed Great Mosque of al-Nuri as she flees Mosuls Old City on Wednesday during Iraqi forces offensive to retake the city from the Islamic State. 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 the effort difficult. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

TRANSPORTATION

U.S. laptop ban is lifted for two more carriers

Emirates and Turkish airlines said Wednesday that they also have been exempted from a U.S. ban on laptops in airplane cabins, joining Etihad in satisfying U.S. security concerns that had cut into the long-haul carriers business.

It remains unclear how the airlines addressed fears that militants 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 United States.

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 spokesman for the department.

On Wednesday, Emirates said it had worked to implement heightened security measures

and protocols to satisfy U.S. requirements. It did not elaborate, following a precedent set by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, which U.S. officials cleared Sunday.

Turkish Airlines tweeted that passengers on its U.S.-bound flights should fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices.

The laptop ban, announced in March, now applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Jiddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; and Doha, Qatar.

 Associated Press

UKRAINE

Follow-on cyberattack was foiled, officials say

Ukraine has dodged a second cyberattack, officials said Wednesday, suggesting that the digital campaign that paralyzed computers across the country and around the world is ongoing.

Ukraine is still trying to find its feet after scores or even hundreds of businesses and government agencies were hit by an explosion of data-scrambling software June 27. In a Facebook post, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said there was a second stage to that attack, timed to hit its peak at 4 p.m. in Ukraine on July 4.

Avakov said the second strike  like the first one  originated from servers at the Ukrainian tax software company M.E.Doc, whose Kiev office was raided Tuesday and whose servers were seized.

Ukraine has blamed Russia for the attack.

The raid on M.E.Doc capped a week of increasingly implausible claims from the company that it was not at the heart of the outbreak. On Wednesday, the firm reversed itself, acknowledging that it had been broken into and used by hackers to seed the malware epidemic.

 Associated Press

MIDDLE EAST

800 new homes eyed for East Jerusalem

The Jerusalem municipality said Wednesday that it plans to approve 800 new homes in Jewish-populated areas of East Jerusalem in the coming month.

The housing would be the first approved in East Jerusalem since President Trump called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February to curb settlement construction.

The announcement could complicate Trumps attempts to restart peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Jerusalems city hall said in a planning committee meeting that it would approve the 800 units, along with 114 units in Arab neighborhoods.

Mayor Nir Barkat said construction in Jerusalem is essential, important and will continue full- force.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it, but the international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty. Palestinians hope to establish the capital of a future state in East Jerusalem.

 Associated Press

U.S. strikes al-Shabab: The U.S. military carried out a strike in Somalia against al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab over the Fourth of July holiday, the Pentagon said, the second attack on the group in the past few days. The strike occurred about 300 miles southwest of the capital, Mogadishu, the military said. Since being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011, al-Shabab has lost control of most of Somalias cities and towns. But it retains a strong presence in swaths of the south and center.

Monsoon floods kill 20 in India: Heavy rains since the start of Indias monsoon season have triggered floods and landslides in parts of the remote northeastern region, causing at least 20 deaths, authorities said. Nearly 400,000 people have left their flooded homes in Assam state, officials said. In neighboring Arunachal Pradesh state, roads to several districts were cut off by incessant rain and landslides.

 From news services
As the nation was preparing to celebrate its storied independence from the British crown, the president secured his place as historys greatest jester.

Or Americas first toddler president. Take your pick.

Trump did so by tweeting a doctored video clip of himself from several years ago in which he takes down wrestling magnate Vince McMahon and gives him a good pummeling. The new version superimposes the CNN logo on McMahons head. Get it? In the 28-second clip, Trump walks away from the fray unrumpled with nary a hair out of place.

Bizarre comes to mind. Absurd. Ridiculous. Funny, perhaps, to a certain sort. Embarrassing in the extreme to many Americans who would describe themselves as perpetually appalled. Whats next, Trump in his tighty whities atop Trump Tower punching an inflatable Vladimir Putin?

It is baffling to think that Trump is proud of himself and such high jinks, to put it charitably. We get that hes at war with the media, hardly an original concept at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. But no one has ever seen a U.S. president behave in such an idiotic manner. Most adults have a pause button in their brains that shields civilized society from impulsive, inappropriate behavior. For the president, every impulse is apparently irresistible.

For good reason, many in the journalism world have expressed deep concerns about the effect the video might have. CNNs response said in part: It is a sad day when the president of the United States encourages violence against reporters.

Weve already witnessed one such event this year when Montana congressional candidate Greg Gianforte, now a member of Congress, assaulted a reporter for the Guardian, breaking his glasses. In a comedy, the audience might applaud the tough guy punching the obnoxious reporter, but this isnt a comedy. Please, someone tell the president.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), whose recent book laments the absence of people behaving like grown-ups in America, reacted to the video-tweet in strong language, suggesting that Trump is trying to weaponize distrust toward the media. Its not as though the countrys media-haters need much encouragement to act out Trumps looney-tunes dreamscape. It only takes one.

All is not glum, however. There have been some truly humorous moments in the aftermath of the videos viral reception, principally from those defending Trumps cartoon presidency. The ever-earnest Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. Hows that? Isnt this the same Trump who offered to pay the legal fees of anyone who got in hot water for punching out a protester at one of his campaign rallies?

To Trump supporters who find the wrestling video unobjectionable or, I suspect, hilarious in some cases, I would ask that they try to imagine the same video showing Barack Obama superimposing Fox News on someones face, punching him repeatedly and then smugly strutting away.

Very likely these same folks would have stormed the Mall demanding the presidents impeachment.

As an opinion columnist who draws plenty of threatening hate mail, I fear less for my personal safety than for the integrity and security of our country. Ive covered politics off and on for 40 years, including writing a thrice-weekly column for the now-defunct Charleston Evening Post in 1980 leading up to the first Republican presidential primary in South Carolina.

1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  A look at President Trumps first year in office, so far View Photos Scenes from the Republicans first months in the White House. Caption Scenes from the Republicans beginning months in the White House. Jan. 25, 2017 Trump signs an executive order for border security and immigration enforcement improvements at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Pool photo via Bloomberg News Wait 1 second to continue.

Never during that time or since have I ever worried that a presidents behavior would embarrass the country on the world stage. Trumps most unpardonable offense isnt his implied threat to members of the fourth estate but his minimizing of the nations stature in the world. Our allies must shudder while our enemies devise new ways to celebrate. Trump may crack himself up, but he also shatters any pretense of our seriousness as a nation. So much for that shining city on the hill, not to mention the president as leader of the free world.

We look like fools because our president so convincingly plays one.

Trump, naturally, begs to differ. To his mind, hes acting perfectly presidential. His Twitter habit is simply a modern day presidential way of communicating. To this thought, homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert added that Trump is a genuine president expressing himself genuinely.

Well, theres that.

But the act of a president using modern technology doesnt necessarily convey presidential, as most define it.

And being genuine in Trumps case simply means hes a genuine fool.

Read more from Kathleen Parkers archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.
What does it mean to win in Washington, or anywhere else in the country? Ive long described progress as the ongoing, incremental expansion of liberty and literacy in stable regimes in or aligned with the West. By that definition, much of President Trumps administration is winning. Still, I worry that Trumps escalating battle with the media has gone from advancing to impeding efforts to achieve that goal.

About that winning: Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt have become the domestic policy stars of the Trump administration, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly and CIA Director Mike Pompeo as foreign policy counterparts off to successful starts. Each of the five brought to the task deep subject-matter expertise, strong communication skills and the discipline and passion to lead their agencies. (Full disclosure: My son works at the Environmental Protection Agency.)

The key, however, is that all five have sought and received buy-ins from the president and Vice President Pence on their policy directions and priorities  and, even more, that they pursue and defend their missions with little or no reference to the raging battle between the West Wing and the media elites. All five have mission sets that may require communicating through the mainstream media, but they are not competing to be loved by it. They recognize that love from the media elites may be for sale but never stays bought. Better never to seek it in the first place. Accomplishments bring their own accolades.

And therein is the secret sauce: The country isnt the Beltway and Manhattan, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. Self-reinforcing opinion elites get most of their cues from the collective consciousness of these vitally important but relatively small and isolated reserves of great power, wealth and fame.

Note that I believe almost everyone in those locations are patriots and for the most part moral and ethical. I think they are consistently wrong but rarely rotten.

(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

But they are often isolated, and Trumps sparring with them is deeply satisfying to the rest of the country  most of the time. But not after the attempted assassination of so many GOP legislators resulted in the severe wounding of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (La.) and others. The outrage directed at Kathy Griffin and other celebrities making jokes about violence wasnt feigned  and neither is the dismay with which most of us viewed the presidents tweet of a video in which he punches out CNN.

The rest of the country doesnt mind the jousting between the president and the media  again, most of the time. They understand exactly with whom Trump is battling, and it isnt them. The amplification and monetization of outrage via the Web, talk radio and cable news consume airtime but solve none of the countrys challenges. The five appointees mentioned are doing the latter, and here may be the genius of the presidents bare-knuckle match with the media: He provides the central attraction, an all-consuming show, while the hard work of fixes gets done without much organized opposition, as the left seems incapable of organizing anything except marches against the president.

This exhausting battle is a giant diversion. But it does create space for major regulatory and agency reform and redirection. There is a limit, however, to how much good the president does by dominating media. The president reached and exceeded that limit with his escalation of this war with his tweets about Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. The tweets were wrong because they were cruel. They dont energize the base, except at its far fringes. They shrink it.

This is the business weve chosen is a line Hyman Roth made famous in The Godfather : Part II . We in the journalism business must remind ourselves of that frequently when critics become so vulgar or profane that muting is the only option. But no one signed up for personal abuse from the Oval Office.

There is, or should be, a clear distinction between combativeness and cruelty. All five of the big Cabinet-level winners in the first almost-six months of the Trump years are combative; three of them were genuine warriors. All five are scrappy and not afraid to mix it up. Good. The center-right in this country is tired of getting rolled and eager to do battle on the policy differences that divide the parties. Trump secured the nomination in large part because of his authentic combativeness and willingness to break the glass and pull the alarm on so many subjects.

But every major stumble that plagued the Trump campaign came from failing to recognize when combativeness edged into cruelty. Conservatives generally, and especially faith-based conservatives, recoil from cruelty because rejection of cruelty is the essence of Scripture. The great norm of America is civilization built on civility.

We do love contact sports. We swoon for heated rhetoric. Talk-radio and cable-news slugfests get ratings that PBS will never achieve. But there is a line. The president ignores it at his political peril in 2018 and 2020, and in the decades of biographies ahead. If Trump can resolve to stay combative but back off cruel, it wont matter whether he tweets once or 100 times a day.

But Trumps repeated crossings of the line wont ever be erased or forgotten. No president is indifferent to history, and history will be a harsh judge if the president loses his momentum and his policy objectives because of his failure to distinguish between the imperative to be combative and the folly of being cruel.
An expert meeting was held at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Serbia to discuss the upcoming early presidential elections, as well as the progress and dynamics of systemic political reforms carried out by the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
When Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin this Friday in Hamburg, the two presidents should have in the back of their minds the insignia worn by the Syrian Democratic Forces militia, which is the United States main ally here. The patch shows a map of Syria bisected by the sharp blue line of the Euphrates River.

The Euphrates marks the informal deconfliction line between the Russian-backed Syrian regime west of the river, and the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led SDF to the east. In the past several weeks, the two powers negotiated a useful adjustment of the line  creating a roughly 80-mile arc that stretches south, from near this battlefront city on Lake Assad, to a town called Karama on the Euphrates.

U.S.-Russian agreement on this buffer zone is a promising sign. It allows, in effect, for the United States and its allies to clear the Islamic States capital, Raqqa, while Russia and the Syrian regime take the city of Deir al-Zour, to the southeast. The line keeps the combatants focused on the Islamic State, rather than sparring with each other.

What Trump and Putin should discuss at the Group of 20 summit is whether this recent agreement on the separation line is a model for wider U.S.-Russian cooperation in Syria. This broader effort would seek to defeat the Islamic State; stabilize a battered, fragmented Syria; and, eventually, discuss a political future. But is it practical?

Russian-American cooperation on Syria faces a huge obstacle right now. It would legitimize a Russian regime that invaded Ukraine and meddled in U.S. and European elections, in addition to its intervention in Syria. Putins very name is toxic in Congress and the U.S. media these days, and Trump is blasted for even considering compromise.

Against these negatives, theres only one positive argument: Working with Russia may be the only way to reduce the level of violence in Syria and to create a foundation for a calmer, more decentralized nation that can eventually recover from its tragic war.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis are said to favor exploring options with Russia. We see the potential for it, a senior State Department official said Tuesday. So far Russia is working in earnest with us on the effort.

But theres a contrary view among some hawkish National Security Council staffers and members of Congress. They argue that working with Russia would empower its allies, Iran and the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad, and give a green light for their future role in Syria.

An extreme version of this view argues that the United States should mount a military campaign to block Iran and its Shiite militia allies in Iraq and Syria from obtaining a corridor across southeast Syria that would link Iran to Lebanon. This militant stance ignores two practical points: Iran already has such a corridor, but it doesnt stop the United States or Israel from attacking dangerous arms shipments; and an assault on Shiite militias might draw the United States into a long, costly war that could spread across the Middle East.

Its worth examining the process that established the Euphrates arc of deconfliction, because it shows how different Russias public and private actions have been. A Russian official initially suggested the Euphrates boundary about 18 months ago, according to a U.S. official. But it wasnt formalized, so the two countries had been operating on an ad hoc basis.

This rough deconfliction system worked at three levels. There was daily phone consultation between colonels, supplemented by occasional contacts at the one-star level between the U.S. headquarters in Baghdad and Russian headquarters near Tartus, Syria. Big issues went to the U.S. commander, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, and his Russian counterpart, Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin.

A crisis arose last month when several Syrian tanks pushed north of what U.S. commanders believed was the informal line of separation. When this small Syrian force was backed by a Syrian Su-22 fighter jet, the United States shot down the plane. The Russians announced that they were suspending contacts, and for a few hours, it looked pretty hairy, recalls one U.S. official. But the Russians quietly resumed talking, and by late June, the two sides had agreed on the formal arc, with precisely delineated coordinates.

Similar U.S.-Russian cooperation has been calming tensions the past few weeks in southwest Syria. Those talks have been backed by Israel and Jordan, which border the zone. That, too, is a potential model for how de-escalation can work.

Cooperating with the Russians in Syria would be distasteful, given their past actions. But spurning them would keep this volatile country at the flash point and almost certainly make things worse rather than better for all sides.

Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
AS THE Friday start of the Group of 20 economic summit in Hamburg approaches, the Trump administration represents one of the chief sources of uncertainty in global trade. It has been just over two months since President Trump ordered a review of how steel imports affect American national security, which could usher in protectionist measures on a wide range of products from a wide range of countries. The results of the review are due any day now; the United States trading partners are right to fret about where it might lead, and despite the America first rhetoric surrounding Mr. Trumps move, Americans should be nervous, too.

Its not that all is well in the global market for steel. To the contrary, major governments, including President Barack Obamas administration, have long recognized that global overcapacity is creating unsustainable downward pressure on producers prices and that Chinas bloated state-run industry is the locus of that overcapacity. Hence, the Obama administration imposed trade barriers on Chinese steel, which is one reason Chinas share of the U.S. market has been declining of late  though Chinese exporters are suspected of diverting some through cutout firms in Vietnam.

The question is whether a unilateral American invocation of the presidents rarely used power to create national security exceptions to normal trade law is the right way to deal with this situation. Probably not. Given Chinas relatively small U.S. market share , and the fact that anti-dumping and countervailing measures already apply to China, it is not clear what could be accomplished through new barriers to imports  unless they were applied to other steel exporters. And applying trade barriers to those other countries makes no sense, in national security terms, because most of them are at worst not hostile to the United States and in many cases are close U.S. allies. In fact, of the top 10 foreign steel suppliers, of which Canada is the largest, six are tied to the United States through NATO, NAFTA or bilateral defense treaties; two others, Taiwan and Brazil, are old U.S. friends.

In addition to being intellectually dishonest, asserting that steel imports pose a threat to U.S. national security could be internationally destabilizing. Global institutions such as the World Trade Organization are premised on the concept that trade is in their members mutual interest and that they will therefore rarely, if ever, seek exceptions to the rules based on subjective individual claims such as national security  as opposed to measurable violations such as dumping goods below production cost.

If the United States departs from that, other countries will be tempted to follow suit, potentially setting off spiraling global protectionism. Many U.S. exporters  such as those in agribusiness  would be vulnerable if that happened; so, too, would industries, such as auto manufacturing, that depend on a global supply chain. That is why steel-consuming companies in the United States, and many of his own more prudent advisers, are urging Mr. Trump not to act as if the U.S. national interest were equivalent to the narrow interests of the protection-craving steel industry. When it comes to trade policy, its easy to shout America first, but hard to define exactly what you mean by America.
Adam Chilton is an assistant professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School where he teaches immigration law. Genevieve Lakier is an assistant professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School where she teaches constitutional law.

When the Supreme Court considers President Trumps travel ban in October, the justices will have plenty of ways to avoid ruling on whether it exceeded his constitutional authority. They could, for example, dismiss the case as moot because the administrations 90-day moratorium on issuing visas to people from the banned countries will have run its course.

But if the justices decide to rule on the constitutional questions posed by the case, they will have the opportunity to weigh in on the long-standing legal principle known as the plenary power doctrine, which gives the president and Congress extraordinary power to take action when it comes to immigration law. The court should seize this opportunity to once and for all rid our legal system of this outdated doctrine.

The plenary power doctrine dates to 1889, when the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law that barred Chinese laborers from returning to the United States after leaving the country. The case, Chae Chan Ping v. United States, has come to stand for the proposition that the political branches enjoy extremely broad discretion over whom to admit to the United States and that courts should not scrutinize their choices too closely.

For more than a century, courts have relied on the plenary power doctrine to uphold the constitutionality of distinctions in immigration cases that would not be permitted in other areas of law. For example, the Supreme Court used the doctrine to uphold the constitutionality of laws banning communists from entering the United States unless they were provided a waiver by the attorney general. It also used the doctrine to uphold the constitutionality of laws that made it more difficult for men than women to pass on U.S. citizenship to their children.

The Supreme Court has never overturned these precedents. Nevertheless, the lower courts that addressed the challenges to Trumps travel ban seemingly did not want to ignore evidence that the travel ban was motivated by religious animus, so they found creative ways to argue that the ban does not deserve the extraordinary deference provided by the plenary power doctrine.

Its easy to understand why: Lower courts do not have the authority to overturn Supreme Court opinions. But the Supreme Court can overturn its own precedents, and it should take this opportunity to squarely reject the plenary power doctrine as both outdated and unnecessary.

The doctrine is outdated because of its racist origins. The Chinese exclusion laws that the Supreme Court upheld in Chae Chan Ping were motivated by virulent stereotypes of Chinese people as inferior and dangerous. These kinds of racist and xenophobic sentiments are no longer considered a valid basis for formulating government policy. Why should they be permissible here?

The doctrine is also unnecessary. Applying ordinary constitutional principles to immigration laws would not deprive the government of any necessary policymaking authority. The government would still be able to distinguish among aliens to promote diplomatic, national security and other legitimate goals. It simply could not do so based on animus against their religion, gender or race.

In the case of the travel ban, if the plenary power doctrine did not apply, the government would only have to show that the ban was motivated by a rational rather than discriminatory purpose. This is a relatively easy burden for the government to satisfy in most cases  although it might prove challenging in this one. If the plenary power doctrine does apply, however, the travel ban would be upheld even if the government confessed that it was deliberately designed to target Muslims.

Likely because of the plenary powers odious history and obsoleteness, the Supreme Court has narrowed the scope of the doctrine considerably over the past few decades. Last month, it issued an opinion that concluded that the plenary power doctrine should not apply to laws on the conferral of citizenship. In other cases, it has simply ignored the plenary power precedents.

There are reasons, however, that both liberal and conservative justices should support finally getting rid of the doctrine. Liberal justices should support doing so because the doctrine, even in its narrowed form, provides cover for what would otherwise be unconstitutional discrimination. Conservative justices should support getting rid of the doctrine because there is no textual basis in the Constitution for excusing immigration law and policy from constitutional constraints.

If the Supreme Court continues to narrow or ignores the plenary power doctrine instead of explicitly rejecting it, it will leave the door open for the government and courts to rely on it in future cases. If the justices instead use the case of Trumps travel ban to eliminate this obsolete doctrine, they could at least get something positive out of this disgraceful episode.
David E. Kendall is an attorney at the Washington law firm Williams & Connolly LLP, where he represents former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump is used to pronouncing the words Youre fired. But if the president decides he wants to get rid of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, he will find that a much more complicated task than dispatching a contestant on The Apprentice. Justice Department regulations will make it difficult, legally as well as politically, to abruptly short-circuit the pending investigation.

With Attorney General Jeff Sessions having recused himself from the probe into the Trump campaign and possible collusion with Russia, the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, appointed Mueller on May 17 to conduct the investigation confirmed by then-FBI Director James B. Comey when Comey testified before the House Intelligence Committee on March 20. Justice Department regulations also give Mueller the authority to investigate and prosecute federal crimes committed in the course of, and with intent to interfere with, the Special Counsels investigation, such as perjury, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, and intimidation of witnesses.

This assignment was not a casual gig, but an appointment made by the acting attorney general pursuant to federal law, which provides specific protections to ensure the independence of the special counsel. Justice Department regulations provide that a special counsel may be removed from office only by the personal action of the attorney general (in this case, Rosenstein, who is acting in that capacity) and only for good cause. There must be written findings of misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest or other good cause, including violation of Departmental policies. On paper at least, those are pretty strong safeguards to protect Muellers freedom from unwarranted interference and obstruction.

Now, could President Trump order Rosenstein to fire Mueller? Could he unilaterally and summarily rescind the Justice Department regulations that protect Mueller from being fired? Does he have inherent constitutional authority as president, as some have claimed, simply to ignore or suspend the regulations and, as head of the executive branch, fire Mueller himself and order the investigation closed?

Any of those steps would almost certainly result in the resignation of Rosenstein, and likely other Justice Department officials, reminiscent of the Saturday Night Massacre, when President Richard Nixon ordered the firing of Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Attorney General Elliot Richardson resigned, having promised Congress not to dismiss Cox except for cause  much like the assurances Rosenstein has provided in his congressional testimony. Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus also refused the firing order and resigned, leaving the task to Solicitor General Robert Bork, who not only fired Cox but also retroactively rescinded the underlying Justice Department regulation creating the Office of the Watergate Special Prosecutor.

As with the Saturday Night Massacre, however, any move to fire Mueller would likely not be the end of the matter  or of the criminal investigation. In the uproar that ensued after Coxs firing, the remaining prosecutors in the office continued their work and a new special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, was selected. In this situation, even if the Trump Justice Department did not move to name a new special counsel, it would be remarkable, if not unprecedented, for the president to order that a pending criminal investigation touching on his conduct be made to disappear altogether.

Moreover, Coxs firing triggered a lawsuit by members of Congress who claimed it interfered with their ability to get to the bottom of the Watergate matter. Even though Cox had by then returned to teaching at Harvard University, U.S. District Judge Gerhard Gesell ruled that the firing of Archibald Cox in the absence of a finding of extraordinary impropriety was in clear violation of an existing Justice Department regulation having the force of law and was therefore illegal. In addition, Gesell found, abolishing the prosecutors office was itself illegal: An agencys power to revoke its regulations is not unlimited. Such action must be neither arbitrary nor unreasonable.

It boils down to this: When youre the target or subject of an investigation, even if youre the president of the United States, you dont get to call the balls and strikes as to whether there has been criminal conduct or the investigation is necessary. Its quite possible that a fair and thorough investigation will confirm the presidents oft-stated belief that neither he nor his campaign was guilty of any improper activity. But for the present its simply irrelevant that Trump feels guiltless and persecuted. The rule of law, not the whim of an elected official, no matter how lofty, defines both what the applicable legal standards are and who gets to make decisions about those standards. And that includes firing a special counsel.
DEPENDING ON whom you ask, the Supreme Court last week blew a hole in the wall between church and state  or issued a modest decision that calls for little more than reasonableness when the government interacts with religious groups. Whos right depends on what the court does from here and whether the justices can adopt principles that allow for some curbs on public money flowing into religious activities.

The court considered the case of the Trinity Lutheran Church Child Learning Center, a Missouri preschool that was denied state funds to upgrade its playground surface, replacing coarse pea gravel with recycled tire rubber. Though Trinity Lutheran was near the top of the list of potential nonprofit grant recipients, a provision in the Missouri Constitution appeared to bar public grant money from going to religious institutions.

Affirming that denying a generally available benefit solely on account of religious identity imposes a penalty on the free exercise of religion, the court repudiated the states grant distribution policy. It puts Trinity Lutheran to a choice: It may participate in an otherwise available benefit program or remain a religious institution, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority. Concurring, Justice Stephen G. Breyer compared the states decision to cutting off churches from basic public safety services such as police and fire protection.

The question, then, is whether the court has signaled that a wide variety of public funding programs, including school vouchers, are constitutionally required to include religious institutions. Its broad language condemning the withholding of generally available funds to church organs such as Trinity Lutheran suggests a wide new legal avenue has opened for religious groups to demand a share of taxpayer money.

In fact, the court sent no such clear signal. Though the justices have ruled that, in this case, public money must flow directly to a church, the threat to the separation of church and state will remain relatively contained so long as the justices live up to some limits embedded in their reasoning.

Noting a past decision in which the court dealt more skeptically with claims from the religious side, Mr. Roberts explained that the court ruled differently when the case concerned the trickier issue of public money funding an essentially religious endeavor, such as training to join the Christian ministry. Here, nothing of the sort can be said about a program to use recycled tires to resurface playgrounds, the chief justice noted. Picking up on this line of thinking, Mr. Breyer wrote, I find relevant, and would emphasize, the particular nature of the public benefit here at issue, stressing that he would leave the application of the Free Exercise Clause to other kinds of public benefits for another day.

Between Mr. Robertss and Mr. Breyers words, a reasonable principle is identifiable: The government cannot deny churches public funding merely because they are churches, but the government may deny them funding if they would use it for religious endeavors. This principle should guide courts in future cases.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, 64, a former KGB agent, served as prime minister from 1999-2000, then two presidential terms from 2000-2008, before shifting into the prime ministers seat again for four years because of term limits. He was reelected as president in 2012.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, 64, a former KGB agent, served as prime minister from 1999-2000, then two presidential terms from 2000-2008, before shifting into the prime ministers seat again for four years because of term limits. He was reelected as president in 2012.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, 64, a former KGB agent, served as prime minister from 1999-2000, then two presidential terms from 2000-2008, before shifting into the prime ministers seat again for four years because of term limits. He was reelected as president in 2012.

Relations between Russia and Georgia were strained in 2011 when Vice President Joe Bidens motorcade rolled past the Ferrari and Maserati dealerships to Vladimir Putins private dacha for their first meeting in a ritzy neighborhood outside Moscow.

Biden had laid the groundwork to ease tensions and made the case to Putin, then Russias prime minister, that Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili was not seeking to provoke the Kremlin.

I just spoke to him, Biden declared across a large conference table.

Putin was unmoved. We know exactly what youre saying to Saakashvili on the phone, he shot back. Biden laughed, but Putin did not, according to a former U.S. official who recounted the exchange, which has not been previously revealed publicly. The American delegation took Putin at his word that Russian intelligence agents were listening in on their calls.

As President Trump prepares for his first face-to-face meeting this week with Putin, in Hamburg, those who have negotiated with the Russian leader caution that Trump must be ready for a shrewd, well-prepared and implacable adversary.

(David Filipov,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

Putin  who reclaimed the presidency in 2012  has outlasted three U.S. presidents, shifting his persona but never his demands in countless phone calls and summit meetings, according to interviews with former aides with firsthand knowledge of the conversations. Bill Clinton shared a dinner of spicy wild boar with him at the presidential palace. George W. Bush looked in his eyes to get a sense of his soul. Barack Obama pursued a reset of a troubled relationship.

But all three failed to forge a personal bond with Putin as bilateral relations tumbled into an ever-worsening state of affairs.

[Months of controversy leaves Trump boxed in ahead of Putin meeting]

Enter Trump, who professed admiration for Putin during his campaign for the U.S. presidency, calling Putin a stronger leader than Obama. But their coming meeting has been tainted by an FBI investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives who allegedly meddled in the U.S. election to aid Trump.

White House officials have said there is no formal agenda for the meeting, and they were noncommittal about whether the president intends to raise the election issue with Putin.

The meeting will be watched closely for the tone Trump takes with his counterpart. Jon Finer, who served as an aide to Biden in the White House and as chief of staff to John F. Kerry when Kerry was secretary of state, said it is imperative for Trump to draw clear lines about American interests and then find common ground, if there is any. Part of why going in without an agenda is so dangerous  you could end up having the entire conversation on his topics and his terms.

With Putin, Finer said, theres a sense that personalities matter, but at the end of the day, hes someone who has a strong sense of what Russian interests should be, and hes not going to deviate from that.

President George W. Bush, left, listens to Russian President Vladimir Putin at their joint news conference after the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in 2001 in Shanghai. (Tim Sloan/AFP)

Those who have met Putin describe him as a direct and forceful negotiator who wields nearly total power in the Kremlin. Although he and Bush developed an initial rapport, their relations soured amid the Bush administrations war on terror and Russias conflict in neighboring Georgia.

After their first meeting in 2001, Bush proclaimed Putin very straightforward and trustworthy. That assessment has since been widely ridiculed, but Thomas E. Graham, who served as Russia director at the National Security Council under Bush, said critics leave out the rest of Bushs assessment that Putin was a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country.

That turned out to be true, Graham said. Putin knew what he wanted; he had messages he wanted to convey.

[What Russia hopes to gain from this weeks Putin-Trump meeting]

Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, recalled Obamas first meeting with Putin in 2009, also at Putins private residence. The Americans wanted the three-hour session, over tea, to be more than an icebreaker, viewing it as the opening bid in an ambitious play to reset relations.

Although Dmitry Medvedev was president and Obama met separately with him, U.S. officials thought at the time that Putin continued to wield significant influence  and later came to conclude that Putin remained in charge.

Putin was skeptical of the Americans. He told them he had tried to work with Bush, but then launched into a litany of complaints over how the United States had foiled efforts to cooperate on counterterrorism and on the folly of the Iraq invasion, McFaul recalled.

Putin, a former KGB officer, blamed the setbacks on U.S. intelligence agencies.

He blamed the deep state for thwarting efforts to cooperate, McFaul said. He went through a series of vignettes over eight years with Bush: We did this, got close on this, yet it was your side that screwed it all up. 

The Russian leader prefers smaller meetings, with fewer aides, which he thinks will result in fewer leaks, U.S. officials said. On one visit to Moscow by Kerry, there were so few officials permitted that the U.S. delegation asked ambassador John F. Tefft to serve as the official translator.

Thats not Putins only power play. While Trump is known to use forceful presidential handshakes to show dominance, Putins strategy is more subtle. He was 40 minutes late for a meeting with Obama at the G-20 Summit in Mexico in 2012 and kept Kerry waiting for three hours in Moscow in 2013.

Our staff was really upset, one former Obama aide recalled. The president was like, Who cares? Its only a dis and a power play if you allow it.

Yet for a macho leader who has been photographed riding a horse shirtless and drilling for oil, Putins demeanor in person is remarkably calm and composed, U.S. officials said.

[At G-20 summit, it looks more and more like Trump against the world]

Those who meet Putin are often surprised that his tone is mild-mannered and soft-spoken, Finer said. A famous photo of Obama and Putin looking uncomfortable during a 2013 meeting in Northern Ireland was interpreted as a sign of their mutual disdain.

But Finer said the Russian leaders body language tends to be slouched, looking down as if there are notes in front of him. He will then make eye contact for emphasis. I got the impression of someone who is supremely confident, relaxed, not super-animated. Thats not to say the content of his words is relaxed or soft in any way. He can deliver quite hard messages.

Putin has developed a long list of grievances over U.S. actions, which he often recites to start meetings, former Obama aides said. Many have to do with visa delays for Russian officials or the treatment of Russian diplomats who are not granted meetings  a grievance U.S. officials found disingenuous, given that American diplomats are routinely harassed and intimidated in Moscow.

Obama aides said they tried to funnel Putins complaints into a separate channel to be handled by lower-level aides while attempting to steer him back to geostrategic matters such as Ukraine, Syria and the Iran nuclear deal.

Those topics got him even more animated, however. Obamas relations with Putin took a downward turn in 2014 when the United States and European allies imposed economic sanctions over Russias annexation of Crimea. In meetings, Putin would refer to Ukrainian fascists, former Obama aides said.

The Russian leader is typically the only person on his side of the table who speaks, the former aides said. He seldom delegates authority, and he has a solid command of the issues, especially energy, where he recites facts and figures.

Although he only recently learned English, Putin has been known to correct a translator, the officials said. As he speaks, he scans for reactions, looking for signs of division, and he considers it a sign of weakness if another world leader is cut off, or corrected, by a lower-ranking aide.

[As Mueller builds his Russia special counsel team, every hire is under scrutiny]

Putin also has a penchant for trolling his rivals. During a meeting with Kerry in 2016, Putin mocked him for carrying his own luggage off the plane, suggesting that it was a cash bribe to work out disagreements over Syria. In 2007, Putin brought his black Labrador to a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is scared of dogs.

More recently, Putin said with a straight face on Russian television that he would offer asylum to former FBI director James B. Comey, who was fired by Trump and then gave damaging congressional testimony about Trump in the ongoing Russia probe.

Putins sarcastic asides can reveal his sharply different view of the world compared with the Americans. In 2015, after a three-hour negotiating session with Kerry over Syria and Ukraine, Putin invited the U.S. delegation to a cocktail reception.

The American side was made up largely of women, prompting one to joke that Kerry was not afraid of strong women. Putin then teased Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about why the Russians had no female aides, which led to an off-color conversation about gender and sexual orientation, according to former U.S. officials familiar with knowledge of the exchange.

Regarding that formal meeting with Putin, Wendy Sherman, former undersecretary of state who was in attendance, said the U.S. delegation came away thinking there might be some openings. But none of those really materialized.

She added: This was a leader who was sure about what he was about and didnt need to bluster or pretend or try to impress.

Another major frustration for the Americans was that Putin did not always have a high regard for facts. Antony Blinken, a former high-ranking aide to both Obama and Biden, recalled several Oval Office calls during which Obama tried to find common ground with Putin on Ukraine.

It got to the point where he would be claiming there were no Russians in Ukraine, Blinken recalled. And Obama would say to him, Vladimir, we can see things. We have eyes. We know its not true. He would just move on.

Trump, too, has developed a reputation for ignoring facts in favor of bluster and bullying.

You have two of the most powerful leaders with the most adversarial relationships with the truth, Blinken said. Trump does things in a theatrical way. Putin is the antithesis of that. But the objective is the same: Whatever advances the ends youre trying to achieve, its fine.
President Trump arrived here late Wednesday in a country where the ruling Law and Justice party has called for Poland to rise from its knees  a phrase that carries echoes of Trumps Make America Great Again slogan. The populist, nationalist government has also spurned calls for European nations to welcome in Muslim asylum seekers, just as Trump has sought to halt the flow of Syrian refugees to America.

Government leaders have even promised to bus in throngs of people from rural Poland  the heart of the ruling partys support  to cheer the American president as he delivers a speech Thursday in the less-supportive capital city of Warsaw.

Trumps decision to visit Poland ahead of a Group of 20 meeting in Hamburg this week is widely viewed as a pointed embrace of his ideological allies here  and a shot across the bow at Europes establishment forces, led by Germany and France.

For both governments, the visit is a chance to bolster their alliance at a time of heightened tensions with the rest of Europe. Trump has raised hackles with his friendly posture toward Russian President Vladimir Putin and his rejection of the Paris climate deal, while Polish President Andrzej Duda is in the midst of a roiling debate over controversial constitutional changes spearheaded by the Law and Justice party.

Trump needs some nice pictures from Europe and the Polish government promised him that there would be cheering crowds in Warsaw, said Piotr Buras, head of the Warsaw office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. The Polish government also needs nice pictures. . . . It needs certain high-level events which would show that Poland is not isolated in Europe and isolated in the world.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave from Air Force One upon their arrival in Warsaw on Wednesday. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP)

[What Russia hopes to gain from this weeks Putin-Trump meeting]

The leader of Law and Justice, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, played up the significance of Trumps visit ahead of the G-20 summit and bragged that it has made Poland the envy of other nations such as Britain, which has yet to play host to the U.S. president.

We have new success  Trumps visit, Kaczynski said over the weekend. Others envy it; the British are attacking us because of it.

Yet for some Poles, the prospect that Trump might use his visit to bolster the ruling party fills them with dread.

I dont want him to feel welcome here, said Paulina Skolasinska, 24, a student at the University of Warsaw, who criticized Trump and the Polish ruling party for their fearmongering. I feel like a lot of Poles support him because he is very similar to the Law and Justice party here. . . . He speaks to the base instincts. He wants people to fear other people  other nationalities, other ethnicities.

Especially among college students and other younger Warsaw residents, Trumps visit has left a bad taste, even while it is viewed as a potential positive for Polands security.

I dont like him, actually, said another student, Magda Stanczuk, 27. He is not as good a person as he could be. I dont like such people.

Polish President Andrzej Duda signs a condolence book in memory of Zbigniew Brzezinski in the Belweder Palace in Warsaw on June 9. (Jacek Turczyk/EPA)

Michal Pawtowski, 21, added: I think that it is good that hes coming because we cant change here in Poland that hes the president of the United States, but he is the president and we must keep good relations with the United States.

For decades, the United States and Poland have maintained close ties. The Polish people are widely viewed as being positively inclined toward Americans, and many Americans trace their ancestry to Poland.

But Trumps presidency has proved to be a polarizing issue here, mirroring the degree to which Polands domestic politics have exposed rifts in the society. Since Law and Justice took power in 2015, the party has been accused of pushing anti-democratic changes, engaging in press restrictions, moving to constrict womens reproductive rights and stifling the teaching of evolution and climate change in schools.

Trumps rhetoric against the media and refugees and his criticism of global institutions such as NATO and the European Union are similarly viewed negatively by Polish people, especially those in major cities like Warsaw. Although he is viewed far more positively among Poles than among other Europeans, just 23 percent of Polish people said they had confidence in Trump, a decline of nearly 40 percent compared with their view of Barack Obama at a similar point in his presidency, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll. And a survey ahead of Trumps visit by an independent Polish news organization found that most felt a sense of indifference, amusement and fear at the thought of Trumps presence here.

[Months of Russia controversy leaves Trump boxed in ahead of Putin meeting]

There is a lot of this what I would call ideological affinities between the Law and Justice party in Poland and Mr. Trump, not only in terms of ideology and political worldview but also some of the methods of doing politics are strikingly similar to my mind, said Jacek Kucharczyk, president of the Institute of Public Affairs, a Warsaw think tank. No wonder the Polish ruling party has embraced this visit and is doing all they can to welcome Mr. Trump with open arms and also to glow in his light.

For Trump, it will be an opportunity to be embraced by a pro-American crowd in his first public address overseas.

On Thursday, at a monument dedicated to Polands 1944 uprising against Nazi occupation, Trump will deliver what his aides have billed as a major speech in front of a crowd that will include many rural residents transported into the city free of charge by Law and Justice.

National security adviser H.R. McMaster said in a briefing ahead of the trip that Trump will lay out a vision, not only for Americas future relationship with Europe, but the future of our transatlantic alliance and what that means for American security and American prosperity.

For Polands governing party, Trumps visit is being characterized as an unequivocal victory in the international arena and a potential turning point for the countrys efforts to gain energy independence from Russia.

Poland also remains a strategically critical European nation that is particularly sensitive to the threat of rising Russian power. Despite Trumps efforts to pursue warmer relations with Putin, the Polish government expressed optimism that Trump remains committed to the security of Central and Eastern Europe.

[It looks more and more like Trump against the world at the G-20 summit]

Its important that the president will be there and he will hopefully confirm again the U.S. commitment to NATO and to our cooperation, said Piotr Wilczek, Polands ambassador to the United States. For us, his visit to Poland before meeting with President Putin sends a very strong message.

And despite widespread concerns about Trumps personality and politics, many Poles view Trumps visit as a reassuring sign that the United States will not pull back on its commitment to Polands security under his leadership.

Poles were really afraid that it would be President Trump having a very successful summit with President Putin and sitting at the table together with Putin and making divisions or [establishing] a new order for this part of the world  that was a real threat here, said Michal Kobosko, director of the Atlantic Councils Warsaw office. This has not materialized yet, so Poles are looking with some optimism toward Trump.

They believe the decision to have him present in Warsaw really means that even though its America First, its not to say its Central Europe second, he added.

But with this stop, Trump risks being accused of exacerbating rifts within Europe, which have only grown as populist political movements like Law and Justice have come to power.

Among some in Poland and elsewhere in Europe, the visit is being watched closely for signs that Trump will use it as an opportunity to undermine the European Union or castigate Americas NATO allies for failing to pay their fair share by spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on their own defense budgets.

The Polish government has a strained relationship with Germany, too, said Buras, of the European Council on Foreign Relations. The Germans will be listening carefully to what Trump says and what the Polish reaction is.

If he wants to humiliate Germany and deepen the divisions within the European Union, he could use this visit very much to this purpose, he added. The divisions are already there.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) visits a Fourth of July parade in Eastport, Maine, where her constituents wanted to talk about health care. There was only one issue, she said. (Murray Carpenter for The Washington Post)

For the 15th year, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) spent July 4 marching through this town of 1,331, a short boat ride away from Canada. She walked and waved, next to marching bands and Shriner-driven lobster boats. Her constituents cheered  and then asked whether she would vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act.

There was only one issue. Thats unusual. Its usually a wide range of issues, Collins said in an interview after the parade. I heard, over and over again, encouragement for my stand against the current version of the Senate and House health-care bills. People were thanking me, over and over again. Thank you, Susan! Stay strong, Susan! 

Collins, whose opposition to the Better Care Reconciliation Act helped derail last weeks plans for a quick vote, is being lobbied to smother it and make Congress start over. Republicans, who skipped the usual committee process in the hopes of passing a bill quickly, are spending the Fourth of July recess fending off protesters, low poll numbers and newspaper front pages that warn of shuttered hospitals and 22 million people being shunted off their insurance. It was a bill, Collins said, that she just couldnt vote for.

If you took a blank sheet of paper and said, How could we get a bill that would really hammer Maine, this would be it, said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who walked ahead of Collins in the parade.

Few Republicans have responded like Collins, who let voters know where to find her. Last month, when Congress broke for the long holiday, just four of the Senates 52 Republicans  Collins, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)  announced appearances at Fourth of July parades. Just three  Cruz, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)  said they would hold public town hall meetings. All have criticized the bill; three no votes would sink it.

View Graphic See where the Senate health-care bills subsidy cuts will affect Americans most

Still, the relative scarceness of the senators  more of them joined a delegation to Afghanistan this week than scheduled town halls  challenged the busy liberal resistance movement. Since the repeal debate began, protesters have made direct confrontations with elected officials a central part of their opposition to the Republican bill  copying what worked for tea party activists, who packed Democratic town halls during the lengthy 2009-2010 Affordable Care Act debate.

In the run-up to July 4, activists shared details of Republican appearances on sites created by the progressive group Indivisible (Red, White, and You) and the crowd-sourced Town Hall Project. Democratic senators who spoke at a June 28 rally outside the Capitol repeatedly urged activists to make noise wherever they saw Republicans. It was the protesters, they said, who had repeatedly spoiled Republicans plans to pass a bill and move on to tax restructuring. A president who had once floated a special session of Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act had become distracted by feuds with the media. The resistance, Democrats said, had not become distracted by anything.

Thinking back to February recess, it was all we could do to keep up with your energy and follow all the incredible actions you took, Indivisible organizers wrote in a weekend fundraising message to supporters. Over June, we were able to [move] methodically to target senators in specific states while also facilitating coordinated actions across the country. And as the delayed bill proves  THIS WORKS!

Over the weekend, and on July 4, activists had only a few chances to prove it. In Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) navigated around an estimated 85 protesters  many organized by Planned Parenthood  to tell Hardin County Republicans that he was still trying to solve the Rubiks Cube called the Better Care Reconciliation Act.

Obamacare is a disaster, said McConnell, according to video captured by the Louisville Courier-Journal. No action is not an option. But what to replace it with is very challenging.

McConnell did not explain how the Better Care Reconciliation Act might change, and some of the ideas floated to win votes have fallen flat with skeptical lawmakers. The idea of offering subsidies for cheaper plans that did not include the Affordable Care Acts essential health benefits, favored by Cruz as a compromise, did not satisfy Collins.

If you have a health savings account that is federally funded, that equals the deductible, that can work, but it has to be designed right, Collins said. I dont want to see insurance thats not really insurance.

(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Yet with protesters kept outside, McConnell faced no interruptions or skeptical questions. Cruz faced something else in McAllen, Tex., a city on the Mexican border that had voted heavily for Hillary Clinton last year. Early Tuesday morning, as Cruz grabbed a microphone, protesters behind a short fence waved signs reading No Transfer of Wealth 4 Our Health and No Repeal, No Medicaid Cuts. Supporters with Cruz gear tried, in vain, to drown them out.

Isnt freedom wonderful? Cruz asked. In much of the world, if protesters showed up, they would face violent government oppression. In America, weve got something different.

In a follow-up interview with the Texas Tribune, Cruz characterized the protesters as members of a small group of people on the left who right now are very angry. Other Republicans used similar language to explain why cutting back on open forums made sense. Some have pivoted to call-in events, where theres no threat of moments caught on video going viral. Some have cited the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) to argue that public forums would expose them and local police to unnecessary risks.

The last thing were going to do is give in to a lot of left-wing activists and media, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) told a radio interviewer last month. With these security situations, I dont know how any member of Congress can do a town hall.

The senators who did appear at Fourth of July events found ways to minimize the risks. Apart from Cruz, all appeared in fairly remote areas; Murkowski and Collins stopped by island towns far from the states population centers.

Heller, the only Republican up for reelection next year in a state President Trump lost, made a horseback appearance in Ely, Nev., the largest town in a rural county that gave Trump a 53.5-point landslide. Reporters who made the trek heard something that has become rare: Well-wishers asking a senator to vote for the Republican bill. (Heller opposed the first version but is being lobbied to vote for a revision.)

Glad I could help them get away from the east coast and to one of the most beautiful parts of NV, Heller tweeted at reporters after the Ely parade.

In Maine and Alaska, where Republican senators came out loud and early against the bill, residents applauded their lawmakers. Murkowski, who has criticized the Better Care Reconciliation Act for defunding Planned Parenthood and cutting Medicaid, was deluged by health-care questions as she walked a parade in the small town of Wrangell. Kirk Garbisch, 63, thanked her for being the voice of reason and slowing down the bill.

Shes looking at the issues and not just following party lines, he said. There have been so few Republicans who can get in some good reason, rather than blindly following.

Murkowski was hearing that particular sort of praise again and again. She moved comfortably through a crowd gathered to watch children street-race and lumberjacks saw logs.

Most people dont ask for or against,  she said. They just say, Make sure youre taking care of our interests. In fairness for those that do the for or against, everybody is pretty much [saying] they dont think this is good for us.

After the parades, there will be few chances for Better Care Reconciliation Act critics to face their senators during the recess. Cassidys town halls have passed and mostly focused on flood relief. Cruzs events in Texas, sponsored by the conservative group Concerned Veterans for America, require attendees to register first.

Activists are encouraging one another to get more ambitious  and creative. Protesters in Colorado got headlines for sitting down at one of Sen. Cory Gardners (R-Colo.) offices and refusing to leave. The progressive Action Network urged protesters to wage more sit-ins on Thursday.

In New York, two Long Island activist groups are planning health-care cook-outs close to the offices of Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), under the motto We cant let seniors, children and people with disabilities GET BURNED! Topher Spiro, the vice president of health policy at the Center for American Progress, urged activists on Twitter to keep organizing, whether or not Republicans would face them.

Protesting Trumpcare this week is the pinnacle of democracy and patriotism, he wrote.

Weigel reported from Washington. Carpenter reported from Eastport, Maine. OMalley reported from Wrangell, Alaska.

Read more at PowerPost
After nearly a quarter century of dedicated work, Semcac La Crescent Senior Dining Site Manager Shirley Schwake retired Monday, July 3.

Not one to make a fuss or draw attention, Schwake is happy to end her Semcac years with a slice of cake and some ice cream.

Ive done the job and that is all you can do, she said. My husband is excited.

Semcac is a community action agency that provides a senior dining program in La Crescent every Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m. in the La Crescent Community Center.

Originally from Rushford, the 78-year-old began her career as a licensed practical nurse at St. Francis Medical Center. From there she worked eight years as a nurse in a day care program. It was at that program that she first started working with seniors.

I was middle-aged and I saw and ad out for the position, she said. I wasnt working at the time so I applied ... It was a good way to keep busy. It was nice how close it was in La Crescent.

Although jumping from the field of nursing into an entirely different arena, Schwake has enjoyed the interaction with people most of all.

I like the social part of it, she said. I will miss the people and the job. I mean, I did it for 24 years.

Schwake moved to La Crescent after marrying her husband, Ron. They have two daughters; one lives in La Crescent and one lives in La Crosse.

Im retiring for health reasons. Im getting older, not younger. I want to spend more time with family, she said.

Schwake is also looking forward to being able to do more things in general.

I want to travel. I would love to go down to Arizona. Ive spent all my winters in Minnesota. I have travelled to Virginia several times and Mount Rushmore but now I will be free to do more things, she said.

Schwakes role included calling in food orders, organizing day-to-day volunteers and keeping the records in order. She worked about 16 hours per week.

Its important to get those who are home-bound out to socialize with other people. They get to have a healthy meal. Its a good program, she said. Id like to see the place keep going. Keep the doors open and keep going.

Not much has changed in Schwakes tenure besides a switch in food delivery.

I hate to see her go, said Gloria Freese, senior dining attendee. Ive helped her serve for years.

Another senior dining attendee, Frances Schuldt will also be sad to see Schwake go.

I love to come in here and I have for many years, she said. Its sad but she has worked for quite a while.

A replacement for Schwake has not yet been hired.


An exhibition on the work of Christian Dior at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs argues that the designer had an outsized impact on Pariss postwar recovery. (Caroline Blumberg/EPA)

It was known as the New Look, a new style for a new woman  but mostly for a new France.

On Feb. 12, 1947, less than two years after the bitter end of World War II, a largely unknown 42-year-old couturier debuted his first collection under his own name. In the past, Christian Dior had only ever known meager success, but on that day, in the perfumed salons of his studio on Pariss Avenue Montaigne, he would make history.

The designs he presented in that inaugural show were significant in and of themselves: after years of war and occupation  when, to say the least, utility had supplanted beauty as the metric that mattered  here, enfin, were whimsical designs that celebrated decadence and sensuality, harking back to the glory days of the Belle Epoque and the Russian ballet.

Regardless of the clothes, however, what happened then was a crucial moment in the reimagination and reconstruction of French culture after the utter devastation of World War II. Christian Dior was a fashion designer, but he was also among the principal architects of Frances postwar ascendancy, who guided its transition from misery to majesty.

This, in any case, is the argument presented in Dior: Couturier of Dreams, which opened this week at Pariss Musee des Arts Decoratifs, the largest-ever retrospective of the designer and the legendary couture house he founded in the late 1940s.



Dior reinvented national pride after a terrible moment says one of the curators of the new exhibition. (Caroline Blumberg/EPA)

On one level, the exhibition is a sprawling homage to Diors creations  those imagined by the designer himself in the 1940s and 1950s as well as by the various luminaries who took over the house after his death in 1957: first, his apprentice Yves Saint Laurent, followed in more recent decades by the likes of Gianfranco Ferre and Raf Simons.

[Surprised that Raf Simons is leaving Dior? Dont be. Fashion is a rat race like any job.]

But on another, the monumental show is not so much about fashion as it is the redefinition of a country and a culture through fashion.

[Christian Dior] wasnt a revolutionary, says Florence Muller, one of the shows curators and a prominent fashion historian. He was a reactionary, who reinvented national pride after a terrible moment.

France was still a grim place in February 1947: Much of the country that had been reduced to rubble had yet to be rebuilt, the national economy was still depressed, and many people would continue surviving on rations until 1949. The glamour and the intellectual activity that had characterized Parisian life in the heady prewar days of the 1920s and the early 1930s had all but vanished, with New York gradually becoming seen as the new cultural capital of the Western world.



At a time when fashion trends leaned toward the masculine and monochrome, Dior promoted a sense of beauty and fantasy for what he called flower-like women. (Caroline Blumberg/EPA)

Enter the New Look, the name given to Diors inaugural collection by Carmel Snow, then the editor of Harpers Bazaar.

In his autobiography, Dior would later describe his project this way: In December 1946, as a result of the war and uniforms, women still looked and dressed like Amazons, he wrote. But I designed clothes for flower-like women, with rounded shoulders, full feminine busts, and hand-spun waists above enormous spreading skirts.

The essential idea, fashion historians say, was to reclaim a sense of fantasy.

What he did was create a space of beauty, says Laurence Benaim, the author of several acclaimed books on Dior and his legacy. He reinvented the taste of seduction. For me, its Christian Dior first, with his magic wand. He created a world.

At the center of that world was the iconic Bar suit, named after the bar of the Hotel Plaza Athenee, a stones throw from Diors headquarters on the Avenue Montaigne. Then as now, it was among the citys more fashionable watering holes.

With a white jacket made of shantung  a natural silk that shows the occasional impurity  the suit also included a black skirt that fell below the knee, made of pleated wool.



Christian Dior himself, at age 49, photographed by Yousuf Karsh, in 1954, three years before his death. (Yousuf Karsh/National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa)

A model in 1947 wearing Diors signature long-skirted Bar suit. (AP)

The reason the Bar suit became such a powerful symbol, Muller says, is that, through its tight waists and stark contrasts, it was the exact opposite of the monochrome and masculine style in favor at the time.

Its very rare in the world of fashion for there to be a shock so profound and so lasting, Muller said.

Of course, not everyone loved this design  or the idealized image of femininity that came with it. When Dior came to Chicago to promote the New Look later in 1947, a number of American women were there to greet him with the following sign: Mr. Dior, we abhor dresses to the floor!

[From fencing jackets to tulle skirts, Dior sees many ways to dress a feminist]

The Bar suit has since evolved, and the most recent iteration  by Diors new creative director, Maria Grazia Chiruri  features a white T-shirt that reads: We Should All Be Feminists, a direct reference to the oft-quoted essay by the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie. It, too, is on display in the exhibition.

Benaim and Muller make the same argument: There would be no Paris today without Christian Dior.

He re-established Paris, says Muller, as a city that could arbitrate taste and elegance.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Over the past two years, a spate of stabbing, shooting and vehicular assaults carried out by individuals in lone wolf attacks against Israelis have left nearly 50 Israelis and more than 200 Palestinians dead. (Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images)

The state prosecutors office in Jerusalem has filed a precedent-setting lawsuit against the estate of a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem seven months after the man carried out a car-ramming attack that left four Israelis dead.

Fadi al-Qanbar, 28, drove his truck into a group of Israeli army cadets participating in an educational tour of Jerusalem last January. Four soldiers  three women and one man  were killed in the attack, and Qanbar was shot to death by a vigilant civilian.

Now, the Jerusalem District Prosecutors Office is seeking compensation from Qanbars wife and his four young children, heirs to his estate, for burial costs, such as headstones, loss of earnings and pension benefits it laid out for the victims. The total could be as high as $2.3 million.

The lawsuit is likely to be the first of several cases brought by the state against the families of Palestinian attackers.

Over the past two years, a spate of stabbing, shooting and vehicular assaults carried out by individuals in lone wolf attacks against Israelis have left nearly 50 Israelis and more than 200 Palestinians dead. Israel has said most of the Palestinians were killed while attempting to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians, soldiers or police officers.

But critics say the process could backfire, triggering a legal time bomb, whereby Palestinians, especially those with dual citizenship, opt to file similar lawsuits against Israel or individual Israelis in foreign courts.

It could also spark further anger among Palestinians, who see this and other measures taken by Israel against the families of Palestinian attackers as collective punishment.

This lawsuit is forcing hungry children to pay compensation for an act that was carried out by their father, said Mohammad al-Ayan, the attorney who is representing the family in the Qanbar case.

The person who carried out this act no longer exists, and the state has already punished the family by sealing up their house and confiscating their car. There is really nothing left for them to take, said Ayan, referring to the Israeli practice of demolishing the homes of Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis or sealing their former residences by pouring concrete into the structure.

Most of the attackers are young. They dont have any assets. At the most, the state will be able to collect a few thousand shekels, said Anat Gonen, head of the legal department for Hamoked, the Center for the Defense of the Individual, an Israeli nonprofit group that is also supporting the family.

Its just another way for Israel to harass Palestinians and has nothing to do with financial compensation, Gonen said. If they are really looking for money, then why does the state demolish their houses? In most cases, their home is the only thing that has financial value.

But the prosecutors office, which filed the lawsuit together with the Defense Ministry two weeks ago, said that it was up to the court to decide how much would be paid in compensation and to reimburse the country for the costs it has incurred in supporting victims of terror and their families.

A statement from the Jerusalem prosecutor said: This lawsuit, which stems from a terrorist incident in which soldiers were murdered, is designed to recover the expenses incurred in events of this kind to the states coffers, as well as sending a clear message that the state will also settle accounts on a civil level with the perpetrators of hostile acts.

In light of the fact that the [terrorist] caused the damage, his legal heirs are the ones who need to bear it and indemnify the state for it, the statement said.

The lawsuit was filed two weeks ago and another is set to be filed in the near future, suing a different family whose relative perpetrated an attack, the office said. It would not provide further details.

It is important not to look at this through a legal lens but through a human one. The question is, when a person does such a thing, should his family pay for his actions? said Yair Nehorai, legal director of Rabbis for Human Rights, an Israeli human rights organization. There is no question that the state does not need the money, but they believe it will prevent other people from doing the same thing. It comes from the same root as demolishing peoples homes.

Nehorai said the case is symptomatic of hopelessness within the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has led both sides to take such steps to obtain a sense of justice.

They are using the legal system to find a solution or resolution to the conflict, he said.

I think the situation could get out of control, creating a circle of litigation on each side, said Israeli human rights lawyer Eitay Mack.

State prosecutors see it as only one step. They dont look to the future, he said. In Israel, they can be a bully, they can control the courts and the law and limit the possibility of Palestinians being able to sue the state. But it will open a new front depending on political will in the U.S. and Europe and how much they want to open their jurisdiction.

Israel should be aware that a lot of Palestinians have dual citizenship, he said. This is a legal time bomb for Israel, and they triggered it with this lawsuit.

Sufian Taha contributed to this report.

Read more:

Four Israeli soldiers killed in truck attack in Jerusalem

After six months of violence, Palestinians wonder: What was gained?

Israelis are calling attacks a new kind of Palestinian terrorism

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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A four-member Arab bloc said Wednesday it will press ahead with efforts to isolate Qatar after the nation delivered a negative response to a list of demands that included cutting ties to Islamist groups and closing the Al Jazeera network.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain said they would maintain the month-old air, land and sea blockade of Qatar that is undermining the nations wealthy economy and fueling regional tensions.

The ministers did not announce any new measures aimed at forcing Qatar to comply, leaving room for the continuation of a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at containing the crisis.

There was also, however, no indication that they were preparing to relax their stance. It is no longer possible to forgive the sabotaging role of Qatar, they said.

Kuwait has been at the forefront of the outreach in the region. President Trump also called Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi to discuss the crisis ahead of the conclusion of the meeting in Cairo.

The Arab rift over Qatar has come at a time when Trump is seeking to rally Arab support against the Islamic State and Iran. Instead, Saudi Arabia and its regional allies have joined forces against small but powerful Qatar, which has long irked its neighbors by pursuing a foreign policy that contradicts their interests.

The list of 13 demands issued last month included an end to Qatari support for political Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood, and the severing of contacts with Iran.

Qatars response was delivered on Monday to Kuwait, which passed it on to the four nations. Though the contents of the response have not been disclosed, comments by Qatari officials ahead of the meeting made it clear that Qatar does not intend to meet the demands.

Speaking at the London-based Chatham House think tank earlier Wednesday, Qatars foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, accused the four Arab nations of clear aggression and insult. In Doha on Monday, he called them unrealistic and not actionable.

The joint statement by the four foreign ministers expressed regret for Qatars refusal, which it said shows a lack of seriousness in dealing with the roots of the problem. Qatar, the statement warned, has failed to understand the importance and danger of the situation.

Taking questions at a news conference, the ministers did not rule out that they would impose further sanctions. But they also emphasized that they intend to solve the crisis peacefully. Their next step, the statement said, would be to hold another meeting in Bahrain, but they did not say when that would be.

Sly reported from Beirut.

Read more:

Demands by Saudi-led Arab states for Qatar include shuttering Al Jazeera

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An all-American favoritebarbecue ribsmade a featured appearance at Quillins Grocery Store the week before the Fourth of July.

Quillins June 29 Rib Fest was the second of three Rib Fests this summer. Last year was Quillins first year celebrating Rib Fest. La Crescents only grocery store ties the ribs celebrations to charitable causes.

It was a company promotion that was started, Quillins Store Manager Mike Doering said. We try to have community groups work the Rib Fests. We donate part of the money back to their group.

Last Thursdays Rib Fest was in honor of the La Crescent Lions Club and their legacy fund.

Its a great opportunity because we get to show up and provide the volunteers, said La Crescent Lions Vice-President Chris Fortsch. We have three volunteers a shift. The Leos are helping out too.

The Leos are a part of the youth portion of the La Crescent Lions Club.

The first Rib Fest of the summer was in May and benefited the United Methodist Churchs mission trip. The third Rib Fest will be in August and will benefit the Applefest Queen Candidate Sponsorship Program.

For every $10 slab of pre-cooked pork back ribs, the Lions receive $1.50. Pre-sale tickets give back $2 per slab. Mays Rib Fest sold 250 ribs and brought in around $400 for its fundraiser.

The money raised will go to an electronic information billboard. It would replace the manual billboard next to Kwik Tip, 216 N. Fourth St., La Crescent.

A lot of the projects we do are a part of the legacy project, said Lions member Chad Ready. There are a lot of different projects that are a part of the legacy project like tree planting. We want to do all we can to help make La Crescent a better place.

Food is not a new fundraiser tool for the Lions. They are known for corn and potato roast during Applefest, a pancake breakfast during Applefest and a fish boil in March.

Rib Fest has crowds up to 300 people.

Im a big ribs fan, said La Crescent-Hokah High School Activities Director Jeff Copp. Everything that comes from pigs is delicious.

Copp was one of 12 Lions volunteers.

The ribs are very good. Ive had them before, said Rib Fest patron Mary Ann Kemper. I guess I might call myself lazy but its an easy way to get a meal together.

Like a lot of Rib Fest customers, Kemper bought more than one slab.

I support the Lions cause, she said. Its great that Quillins does this. They are a great grocery store.
Police officers guard a crime scene after authorities reported a gunbattle with armed men near the beach resort of Mazatlan, Mexico, on Saturday. (Mario Rivera Alvarado/AP)

A shootout in northern Mexico left at least 14 people dead Wednesday, according to government officials. It was the latest mass killing

amid a sharp resurgence of violence related to the countrys drug war.

The gunfight occurred between rival drug gangs in a rural part of Chihuahua state, which borders Texas and New Mexico, according to the state prosecutors office. Initial reports put the death toll at 26, but Felix Gonzalez, a spokesman for the state prosecutor, said that 14 deaths had been confirmed as of Wednesday afternoon.

The violence follows a deadly incident Friday in which 17 suspected drug traffickers were killed near the Pacific Coast city of Mazatlan in a confrontation with police that some relatives of the victims suspected might have involved extrajudicial killings. Three days later, nine people were killed in the state of Puebla, east of Mexico City, as part of a festering dispute among fuel thieves.

[Violence is soaring in parts of Mexico that supply heroin to the U.S.]

The recent violence has underscored the deteriorating security across Mexico. More than 11,000 people were killed in the first five months of this year, an increase of 30 percent over the same period last year, putting Mexico on pace for what could be the deadliest year in its post-revolution history.

After an initial decline during the first two years of Enrique Pena Nietos presidency, killings have roared back to levels that are comparable with those during the worst years of the countrys drug war.

Violence has been fueled by fractures within long-dominant drug cartels, the growing demand for heroin and other opiates across the border in the United States, and the widespread corruption within Mexican government and security forces, which allows lawlessness to flourish.

Chihuahua has a long history of drug-war violence, including in Ciudad Juarez, the border city that came to symbolize the savagery of the violence.

The governor of Chihuahua, Javier Corral, of the opposition National Action Party (PAN), has accused his predecessor, Cesar Duarte, from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), of ignoring criminal cases and brokering deals with drug cartels. Duarte fled last year to El Paso and is wanted on corruption charges.

Corral told the Wall Street Journal this week that drug traffickers were sent to the Sierra de Chihuahua, and they began to take control of the towns, the local police forces, and they became bosses of the whole territory.

The Wednesday clash occurred after 5 a.m. in a village called Las Varas, in the municipality of Madera, between a drug gang known as La Linea and another from the state of Sinaloa, Gonzalez said.

In recent years, La Linea was allied with the Juarez cartel, which battled Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans Sinaloa cartel for control over Ciudad Juarez. Since Guzmans extradition to the United States this year, security experts have noted significant clashes within and among cartels as they jostle for supremacy.

Las Varas, a farming and livestock community more than three hours from the state capital, has only one small clinic, which is not capable of treating the victims, said Elias Acosta, a spokesman for the municipality of Madera. He said that state police have been responsible for the security of the town since February and that municipal police have been disbanded.

We heard the shots and people shouting, a woman who works in a hat shop in Las Varas said by telephone. We didnt know whether to run outside or stay put.

The woman, who declined to give her name because she was afraid, said that some residents, including her brother, fled into the surrounding forest.

In recent days, about 250 Mexican soldiers and police have been taking part in an operation called Fortaleza in this part of Chihuahua, after suspected members of La Linea killed two state policemen last week. Some 60 members of the security forces responded to the scene of Wednesdays shootout and confronted 80 gunmen in the two drug gangs, said Oscar Aparicio Avendano, the state security commissioner. A two-hour gun battle ensued, he said.

Las Varas is a difficult place to access, sparsely populated, and there werent civilians around, thats why there wasnt collateral damage, Aparicio said. All the dead and detained had heavy weapons and tactical equipment such as bulletproof vests.

They are all members of criminal groups, he said.

A few hours after the first battle, he said, a second clash occurred in Las Varas when 20 more gunmen arrived as backup. Aparicio said that about 300 security forces are now in the area.

Gabriela Martinez contributed to this report.

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Mexican drug lords dreams of biopic aided in his capture

Mexican narcos drop bodies, and warnings, from the skies

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The Trump administration has called for global action on North Korea, but as concern about the July 4 missile test and its aftermath deepens, the world's biggest players, the United States and China, are at odds about what to do next.

Tuesday's launch was a display of the Norths longest-reaching weapon yet  an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range that experts say covers Alaska.

Before his inauguration, President Trump said North Koreas plan to develop an ICBM capable of hitting the United States wont happen and he has since repeatedly talked tough on the issue. His main strategy to stop it counted on help from Beijing, the Norths financial lifeline.

But with the risk of armed conflict on the rise and Kim Jong Un taunting him, Trump must now craft a new strategy amid deep divisions.

In the wake of Tuesdays test, China and Russia issued a joint statement condemning North Korea and calling for what they called a double suspension, a plan that would see the United States and South Korea suspend joint military exercises and North Korea suspend weapons testing.

But by early Wednesday morning, Asia time, U.S. and South Korean forces were firing missiles of their own, conducting joint military exercises that U.S. Pacific Command cast as a show of ironclad resolve  but seemed sure to rile Beijing.

Trump then took to twitter, appearing to blame China for failing to tighten the economic noose. Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us  but we had to give it a try, he tweeted without elaborating on the trade statitsic.

Chinese data released in April showed Chinas trade with the North grew 37.4 percent during the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2016. China said then that overall trade grew even as it complied with U.N. sanctions and stopped buying North Korean coal.



Trumps annoyance with China makes it even less likely he would consider the Beijing-Moscow plan, analysts said.

Daniel Pinkston, a lecturer in international relations at Troy University in Seoul, said he saw no chance the United States and South Korea would agree to halt joint exercises, especially after the Norths latest missile test. Its a non-starter, its just not going to happen, he said.

Deng Yuwen, a Beijing-based expert on North Korea, sees a growing divide between the positions of the United States, South Korea and Japan, on one hand, and China and Russia on the other.

Two opposing blocs have been formed, he said.

[Trumps naive approach to North Korea]

The missile the Kim regime launched Friday had been in the works for years. It flew higher and remained in the air longer than previous attempts, in what experts called a milestone for North Korea

South Korean authorities described the Norths test as a two-stage missile with a range of about 4,300 to 5,000 miles  enough to reach Alaska and other parts of North America.

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo said there is high probability that Pyongyang will stage another nuclear test. He also noted gains in its efforts to miniaturize a warhead  both steps toward developing nuclear-tipped weapons capable of hitting the mainland United States.

North Korean state media carried gleeful descriptions of the test. Official accounts had Kim feasting his eyes on the ICBM

With a broad smile on his face, he urged scientists to send more big and small gift packages to the Americans, in time for Independence Day, according to North Korea state press.

Kim was quoted as saying that the protracted showdown with the U.S. imperialists has reached its final phase.



On the other side of the fortified line separating the two Koreas since the 1950s, senior U.S. and South Korean military officials warned that North Koreas actions threatened peace.

Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war, Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, and Gen. Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement.

[North Korea looms large in planned Putin-Trump talks]

Trump hoped to head off all these problems. Since becoming president, he has focused his efforts  and his tweets  on getting Beijing to pressure Pyongyang.

The plan took shape during talks in April with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, where the leaders appeared to put aside differences in the name of cooperation on North Korea and trade.

In recent weeks, there have been signs that Trump is frustrated with Chinas progress. On June 21, he tweeted: It has not worked out.

On Tuesday, as news of the North Korean test broke, but before the missile was confirmed to be an ICBM, the president vented again. Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer, he wrote.

Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!

China, in turn, is frustrated by Trumps public scoldings and worried about his changing plans.

The international community has no solutions, said Song Xiaojun, who used to run a government-linked military magazine. The U.S. wants to transfer the burdens to China.

Li Bin, a senior fellow at Beijings Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, cautioned that any move by the United States or its allies is likely to renew Chinese fears that Washington is tackling North Korea to bolster its regional power and contain Chinas rise.

Both foreign and Chinese experts seemed perplexed that the United States still did not seem focused on talks with the Kim regime.

The first obvious step is talking to them. Thats just kind of Diplomacy 101, said John Delury, an associate professor at Seouls Yonsei University.

Obama didnt do enough about that, either, he added. There has been a severe drought of talking at a high level with North Koreans.



Dan Lamothe in Washington and Shirley Feng, Luna Lin and Yang Liu in Beijing contributed to this report.

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Nearly eight months after his parliament toasted the election victory of Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin will finally have his first face-to-face with his American counterpart Friday, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg.

But the optimism over President Trump that brought out the bubbly on the floor of the State Duma on Nov. 9 has long fizzled. The president-elect who was praised in Moscow for his seeming willingness to reconsider U.S. policies abhorrent to Russia turned out to be a president  embattled by an investigation into possible collusion with the Kremlin during the campaign  who has changed nothing.

From Moscows point of view, since Trump took office, the relationship has gone from abysmal to worse, amid growing tensions over the increasingly assertive role of the U.S. military in Syria.

[ U.S. risks further battles as it steps deeper into Syrian quagmire ]

Heading into Fridays meeting, Moscow has dismal hopes of any marked improvement.

For the foreseeable future, the most important item by far on the U.S.-Russia relations agenda will be avoiding direct collision, which might lead to war, was the dire assessment of Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center.

Putin will almost certainly press Trump to back a de-escalation plan for the Korean Peninsula announced in Moscow on Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping that would have North Korea halt its ballistic missile program and the United States and South Korea call off their large-scale missile drills.

Putin is also likely to demand that Washington return two Russian diplomatic compounds shuttered in retaliation for Moscows election meddling. Putin decided not to respond after President Barack Obama ordered the compounds seized and 35 diplomats expelled late last year, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that patience on the Russian side is running out.

No one in Moscow expects any progress soon on the recognition of Russias annexation of Crimea, the lifting of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. abandonment of regime change in Syria, the acknowledgment of Russias sphere of influence in Ukraine or a reduction of support for the NATO military alliance.

Even in the optimistic days after the election, the Kremlin expressed doubts that years of mistrust could be overcome right away, and Moscow has been genuinely discouraged by the tough talk on Syria and Ukraine from Trumps senior policy advisers.



Moscow observers believe that even if Trump wanted to make progress on these issues, his political situation at home would make it impossible.

The subject of Russia has become toxic for Trump, said Yuri Rogoulev, a specialist in U.S. history at Moscow State University. Whatever he does, whatever he says about Russia, good or bad, it will be used against him.

The Kremlin has played down expectations accordingly. Peskov said Wednesday that this is the first meeting between the two presidents. Thats the main thing in this meeting. The expectation is that a working dialogue will be established.

And that is where Russian policymakers hope for a breakthrough. They are counting on Fridays meeting to allow Putin, ever the operative, to create a personal relationship that can be built on in the future, when the U.S. president might have a freer hand to make deals.

[Trump and Putin: A relationship where mutual admiration is headed toward reality ]

They view this as the prerequisite for the necessary turnaround, and they see Trump as an easy target for manipulation, said Vladimir Frolov, an independent, Moscow-based foreign policy analyst. So this time around it will be Putin who will get a sense of Trumps soul.

A senior Russian diplomat said Tuesday that Putin expects to discuss the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, the fight against terrorism, nuclear disarmament, and other bilateral issues.

At least we presume that the American side will be prepared for such a dialogue, said the diplomat, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

But Moscow might be counting on Trump to come unprepared.

They understand Trump is not versed in details of policy and so far has set no discernible guidelines on Russia policy to his lieutenants, which is an opening for Putin to try to influence his thinking, Frolov said.

Russia has generally been alarmed by Trumps foreign policy, which Moscow sees as unilateralist, impulsive and dangerous. Russian military analysts were openly discussing the possibility of a hot war in its far east in April, when a U.S. carrier group was reported to be heading toward North Korea, and Russian officials have twice responded to U.S. military actions in Syria by threatening to pull out of an agreement to avoid conflicts in the countrys crowded airspace.

Candidate Trump once hinted that he might reduce U.S. support for NATO. Instead, the Western alliance has been reinforcing its eastern borders against what it considers Russias pressure on its neighbors, and Moscow has ramped up its own military capabilities in the region.



The United States has accused Russia of developing a missile that violates the landmark 1987 treaty that limits intermediate-range nuclear missiles. The Senate Armed Services Committees response is a version of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that includes a call to establish a new offensive ground-based missile program that, while it would not violate the treaty, could be the first step in withdrawing from the deal.

[ In spending bill, new muscular ways that the Pentagon could deter Russian military action ]

At this stage of the relationship, analysts said, it is hard to imagine Putin finding something to offer Friday that Trump could afford to accept.

Simon Saradzhyan, director of the Russia Matters Project at Harvards Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, said Putin could offer to expand existing U.S.-Russian agreements to avoid conflicts in the airspace over Syria and elsewhere  conflicts that could lead to accidental war.



Another possibility would be a deal on information sharing on international terrorist groups, or some other token counterterrorism or counter-proliferation declaration or statement that wont be heavy on substance.

Read more

Expectations of a new U.S.-Russia relationship were tanking even before missile strike

Russia condemns U.S. missile strike on Syria, suspends key air agreement

Yes We Did: Russias establishment basks in Trumps victory

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Welcome to The Independent Herald E-Edition! Check back each week on Tuesday to see our[Read More]
Wisconsin residents could purchase BadgerCare, the state's Medicaid plan, at full price as a "public option" for health insurance under proposed legislation released Wednesday by state Rep. Eric Genrich, D-Green Bay, and state Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee.

The move would help people who have a hard time getting private insurance on the Affordable Care Act's exchange, from which insurers are dropping out, said Citizen Action of Wisconsin, which supports the proposed bill.

Citizen Action and Democrats say President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are sabotaging the exchange. Republicans say the problems stem from former Democratic President Barack Obama's health law.

A BadgerCare buy-in would cost adults $7,224 per year, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
Harris told new US citizens to stand up for 'liberty and justice': AP

With nearly 15,000 people being sworn in as American citizens on Independence and in the days leading up to the holiday, critics have used the occasion to take jabs at Donald Trump.

Every year, thousands of people achieve their dream of becoming Americans in public spaces across the country. It is a long-cherished tradition in the US  a country that has traditionally prided itself on its willingness to bring in people from other countries looking for a better life.

But, with Mr Trump looking to impose limits on legal immigration into the country, some of his critics have used the naturalisation ceremonies to try and draw a contrast to the exclusionary rhetoric coming from the White House.

Whenever you feel that future is threatened, whenever those values of liberty and justice for all that drew us here seem under assault, you need to speak up and speak out, California Senator Kamala Harris said at one of the naturalisation events in Los Angeles in an apparent reference to Mr Trumps push back on immigration.

Ms Harris is a daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica. Shes Californias first black senator, and the first Indian American US senator in history.

Thats the whole point of the freedoms we cherish, she continued, according to prepared remarks obtained by the Huffington Post.

Immigrants hoping to become citizens dont simply show up and become Americans. The process can be long, and immigrants must be a permanent resident or green card-holder for at least five years before applying. They must be able to speak, read, and write in English. And, they must pass a citizenship test  which only about two-thirds of born and bred Americans are able to pass, according to a recent study.
Drifting on packed snow with the throttle nailed and the tail cocked full hooligan is questionable behavior in a $200,000-plus Bentley Continental GT Speedespecially when its a prototype only two-thirds of the way through its final development schedule. But such activity, plus three encounters with roving reindeer herds, is par for the course when youre embedded with Bentleys top engineers wrapping up their winter test routines near the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland.

Full disclosure: This report deviates from our first-drive review norms. While we did drive a camouflaged third-generation Continental GT, scheduled to appear in final form at this falls Frankfurt auto show, for every minute in the drivers seat we experienced an hour as a passenger. Compensation came in the form of unrestricted dialogue with three of Bentleys top engineers: head of quality Jurgen Kern, powertrain chief Paul Williams, and whole-vehicle engineering director Cameron Paterson.

Bentleys supercoupe is essentially an eleven-tenths-scale, five-times-as-expensive, 200-mph Britain-built Chevrolet Camaro SS. Other than clinically jaded journalists, no one really needs such a car, though there are scores of lucky souls who want them: captains of industry, stock-market manipulators, oil sheiks, and pro athletes, for instance.

This is some of the grandest touring that a very large heap of money will buy. While exceeding the GTs previous blend of speed, poise, and luxury sounds like a film entitled Mission: Unlikely, thats exactly what the third-generation 2018 model is engineered to do.

More Audi or More Porsche?

According to Paterson, this endeavor began more than four years ago when Bentley set about replacing the current GT, which uses underpinnings it shared with the late Volkswagen Phaeton. The VW Group store offered two platform candidatesone engineered by Porsche, the other by Audi. Several factors tilted the decision in the Porsche direction. Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer, who spent a fruitful decade at Porsche, aspires to purge the winged-B brands stodginess through participation in GT3 road racing and by appealing to a younger clientele with more agile products. To that end, Porsches MSB platform offered tantalizing credentials: more aluminum to trim hundreds of pounds of weight, significantly better weight distribution (achieved by shifting the front axle several inches forward to pass through, instead of behind, the engine), and ready hybridization.

Story continues

Shifting to the Porsche platform makes the Continental GT a kissing cousin to the new Panamera, but Paterson is quick to note that Bentleys core virtuessuperb performance combined with sublime comfort and luxurydistinguish this touring coupe from Porsches four-door flagship.

W-12 Driving All Four

The building blocks discussed with the Bentley boys are impressive. To supplement the 300-to-400-pound weight loss, aero drag has been reduced. The new 6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12 is a claimed 18 percent more fuel efficient, contributing to an overall mileage gain of some 20 percent. No final power or fuel-economy figures have been released, but Bentley promises the new Continental GTs W-12 will make more than 592 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque. The company projects a sub-4.0-second zero-to-60-mph time and a top speed in excess of 200 mph.

A new ZF eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sends torque to both axles through a variable clutch that energizes the front wheels on demand to minimize rear-tire meltdown during acceleration and front tire scrub during hard cornering. A key thing to know here is that the Bentleys new all-wheel-drive system (standard in this W-12 modelweve been told nothing about any equivalent to todays V-8 version) operates in 100 percent rear-drive mode by default and only shifts torque to the front wheels when it detects slip at the rear. Previously, an AWD Bentley was more Audi-like in distributing torque to all four wheels all the time (in a 40/60 front-to-rear proportion). While the outgoing Continental is already one of our favorites in the ultra-GT class, this new edition seems like the quarter horse that sent the old gray mare to pasture.

Given the combined 680 horsepower Porsche packs into the 2018 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, I asked powertrain engineer Williams why he favors pistons over electrons. Hes convinced theres another decade of life left in the twin-turbo W-12 that Bentley builds at its Crewe, England, factory, largely because its so steeped in advanced technology.

This 12-cylinder has a creamy sound perfectly in tune with the Bentley character, he said. The W configuration is substantially shorter than a V-12, so were able to mount the engine rearward without consuming cabin space. But its the wealth of special features weve engineered into this engine that will keep it viable for years to come.

That list includes both direct and port fuel injection, variable intake and exhaust valve timing, and dual-scroll Bosch-Mahle turbochargers. To improve cruising mileage, the passenger-side bank of six cylinders shuts down on cue. A blanket of acoustic foam surrounding the fuel pumps and injectors hushes noise radiating from this praiseworthy powerhouse.

Engineer Paterson is especially proud of the muffler valves that transition seamlessly between loud and soft modes without initiating boom or wail. We use no contrived or artificial sounds in the GT, he added, so what you hear during full-throttle acceleration are the natural baritone notes produced by our W-12. Our goal is to combine a soothing, serene environment for long cruises with a powerful and entertaining spirit when the driver chooses to celebrate the sporty side of his GTs character.

The exhaust tuning was far from complete in the two prototypes we rode in, and snow-packed, speed-limited roads offered no opportunity to exploit the 12 cylinders plus two turbos worth of power at our disposal. That said, we can vouch for the quiet part of the Conti GTs personality. During cruising, the only sound was the muted crunch of Pirelli winter tires scrabbling for grip. Even that noise will be diminished, according to Paterson, because of the foam inserts that will blanket the inside of each tire carcass once production begins.

Quality and Refinement

Three-chamber air springs with continuously variable damping and isolated front and rear subframes are part of Porsches platform plan. Seat height is approximately one inch higher than in the Panamera but an inch lower than in todays Continental GT. Expecting to find a cramped rear seat, we instead found ample knee, head, and leg room back there. This is the Mustang GT that went to heaven, as far as plus-two riders are concerned.

Paterson and Williams both took note of a few improprieties remaining in the new dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. Refinement is harder to achieve with no torque converter to soothe launches, and in spite of the 100 messages per second flowing between the engine and transmission on a dedicated communications link, an occasional lurch or clunk spoils the driveline bliss, typically during the first-to-second-gear upshift.

Since hes responsible for every aspect of quality, we asked Cameron how he defines that oft quoted word in the Bentley context. His answer made it clear that we werent the first to ask that question. We divide quality into three distinct categories. The first, geometric quality, is the perfect fit of adjoining components inside and out of the car. Next, and of equal importance, is functional quality; assuring that every feature in the vehiclefrom the twist of a control knob to the action of the transmission shifterworks exactly as youd expect it to. Emotional quality, the third and arguably most important category, is what separates any Bentley from every other automobile. This is the blend of agility, sporting performance, and class-leading refinement we discussed earlier. Bentleys are cars you dont necessarily need but want because of the distinctive feeling they impart during driving. The beauty of these thumbnail explanations of subtle concepts such as quality is that theyre handy for explaining the brands character traits, nurtured for decades, to outsiders and newcomers.

Cameron adds that perfecting function is why his team is living with these prototypes. Pointing out the receptacle notched into both sides of the center console, he explained that they were added as a convenient spot for cellphones. Unfortunately, the bottom of the pocket was sloped in such a way that, during hard acceleration, phones were launched into the back seat, he said. While we all agree that these receptacles are excellent features, their shape will change in the next generation of prototypes to hone their function.

Just Enough Technology

The Bentley Bentayga advanced the cause of electronic display technology with a digital center screen combined with classic analog driver instruments, but the Continental GT is all digital. While we admire how expeditiously the tachometer needle moves across the bright dial to the 6300-rpm redline, Cameron believes the motion is too twitchy for Bentley customers and said it will be slowed a touch. A second cabin highlight is a three-position center dash screen, affectionately known as the Toblerone because its cross section resembles that of the triangular Swiss chocolate bar. In the first position, the 10-inch-diagonal panel is lovely wood veneer matched perfectly to the surrounding interior surfaces. Stop two is a touchscreen configured primarily for navigation. The third choice is what Cameron calls supplementary performance gauges. Given the Continentals innate vitality, that last option should be entertaining. Unfortunately, the prototypes nav screen doesnt rotate, and the gaps between it and its surroundings are wide enough to swallow a pencil.

Heartening news: Bentley is in no hurry to pursue autonomous driving. Bentleys are drivers cars, Cameron reminded us. Well be competitive, but we have no intention to lead with that technology. We want the driver always in control, so automatic steering is of little interest to us except for possibly providing the driver a break during long cross-country journeys.

This philosophy relates to how the electric power steering, also shared with Porsche, is tuned for the desired Bentley feel. Cameron defined the goal as isolation from any bad news emanating from the road surface with a clear feel of what the front tires are doing during spirited driving.

Wheeling on Ice

Out in the middle of a frozen lake located a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, we finally have the opportunity to take the pulse of the new Continental GT from the drivers seat. A few laps with all safety systems active convince us that this edition is indeed far more agile and responsive than the car it replaces. Twisting what the Bentley boys call the charisma control (its a drive-mode knob) to the Sport setting allows more entertaining drift angles. Co-driver Cameron goads us to flatten the accelerator while dialing in the appropriate countersteer to hold an arc at the outer edge of the packed 1000-foot-diameter circle. The key is to minimize steering inputs so that the stability system understands exactly where you want to go. What surprises are the steerings speed, reasonable effort, and the tangible feedback it provides even on this slippery surface. Very Porsche-like, we tell our host, a compliment he accepts in stride.

With stability control clicked off, the drift task is more challenging but still at the drivers disposal. Unfortunately, before we make friends with this facet of the Conti GTs feisty personality, one of the 100 onboard electronic controllers calls a halt and terminates the fun. Engineering analysis reveals that the rear differential may be overheating, even though the ambient temperature is below freezing. Various fixes have been devised, but installing them will have to wait for the next generation of prototypes.

Exposure to a three-quarters-baked prototype is an experience we seldom enjoyfor obvious reasons. Makers always strive to showcase perfect products in ideal circumstances, and this trip to Lapland was anything but that. The best part was learning how serious Bentley is about building a GT coupe thats a quantum leap over not only the competition but also the companys past achievements. Now that weve had our share of turning left flat out on an ice rink, we cant wait to light off Bentleys bolide on dry pavement.
At least 44 states and the District of Columbia are declining to hand over private voter data to the White Houses election integrity commission.

The data requests were first issued last week by the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, a group formed by President Trump following his unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud in the 2016 election. The letters requested information on voters, including birthdays, party affiliation and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. By the end of the day Friday, more than 20 states had declined to participate, and that number ballooned over the long holiday weekend.

Many states  including those with Republican secretaries of state  said state law prevented them from turning over most of the data requested by the commission, but that they would provide information that was available to the public. That includes Indiana, the home state of the commissions chairman, Vice President Mike Pence, and Kansas, the home state of the vice chair, Kris Kobach.

While this request has understandably raised concerns with privacy advocates, voter registration information in Nevada is generally available for public inspection under state law, including name, address, date of birth, and whether the voter participated in a prior election, said Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, in a statement Friday. Election officials in Nevada do, however, collect certain information that is not considered a public record under state law and is therefore not available for public inspection. This information includes: Social Security number, drivers license number, DMV identification card number and email address.

Other Republicans were slightly less diplomatic in their refusals.

They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from, said Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann in a statement last week. Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our states right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes.

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Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, speaks before the Mississippi Economic Council in 2012. (Photo: Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, also a Republican, joined the chorus on Monday.

The Presidents Commission has quickly politicized its work by asking states for an incredible amount of voter data that I have, time and time again, refused to release, said Schedler in a statement. My response to the Commission is, youre not going to play politics with Louisianas voter data, and if you are, then you can purchase the limited public information available by law, to any candidate running for office. Thats it.

In a Saturday tweet, Trump questioned what the states refusing to comply were hiding: Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?

Kobach defended the commission in an interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper, somewhat contradicting Trumps tweet.

First of all, the commission is not to prove or disprove what the president speculated about in January, said Kobach. The purpose of the commission is to find facts and put them on the table. Importantly, its a bipartisan commission.

The commission very clearly is requesting publicly available data in accordance with each states laws in an effort to increase the integrity of our election system, Jarrod Agen, a spokesman for Pence, told the Washington Post in a statement. The commissions 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.

Multiple studies have found little evidence of fraud, with a major report in 2014 finding 31 instances of credible fraud out of 1 billion votes cast in general, primary, special and municipal elections since 2000. Kobach, who has announced his intentions to run for governor of Kansas, has been accused by a legal group of violating the Hatch Act, which prevents most executive branch employees from politicking while performing their official duties.

The commission has received some support from state officials, including those in Missouri and Colorado.

We are very glad they are asking for information before making decisions, said Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, a Republican. I wish more federal agencies would ask folks for their opinion and for information before they made decisions.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach talks about his states voter ID law that he pushed to combat what he believes to be rampant voter fraud in the U.S. (Photo: Reuters/Dave Kaup)

Democratic officials and the American Civil Liberties Union have been harsher in their language condemning the panel, which some see as a Republican attempt to suppress votes.

King of Voter Suppression Kris Kobach and the Trump administration are launching a nationwide assault on voting rights, said the ACLU in a statement last week.

That Kobach  who has been successfully sued many times for voter suppression  is now asking for details on every single voter in the U.S. is deeply alarming and raises significant privacy concerns, said Dale Ho, director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project. States are right to balk at turning over massive reams of personal information in what clearly is a campaign to suppress the vote.

As Ive said before, wrote Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in a statement Friday, I have serious doubts about the commissions credibility and trustworthiness. Its two co-chairs have publicly backed President Trumps false and irresponsible claim that millions of ineligible votes were cast in the last election. They, along with other recent appointees, appear to have a strong interest in steering the commission toward their pre-determined conclusions and outcomes. I fear that the commission risks becoming a partisan tool to shut out millions of eligible American voters.

I find this request repugnant, said Maryland Secretary of State Brian Frosh in a tweet Monday. [It] appears designed only 2 intimidate voters and 2 indulge the Presidents fantasy that he won the popular vote.

According to analysis from CNN, the six states yet to respond to the requests are Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nebraska and New Jersey.

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You're In the Army Now - Motorcycles at War

A Very Brief History of Motorcycles in the United States Military

It's the 4th of July! That's the day when here in the colonies we celebrate that time we told King George to get bent, threw a load of tea into Boston Harbor, fought a bunch of half-starved, largely unsupported Royal Army redcoats, and declared ourselves free from the tyranny of The Crown. What that means for you, dear readers, is a little Independence Day patriotism RideApart style. Today, before the wife and I drag the tsarinas around to various Detroit-area parades and festivals, I want to tell you a little about the glorious history of motorcycles in the United States Military.

Starting before World War I, the U.S. Army expressed interest in all the new-fangled motorcycles running around at the time. Army brass saw great possibility in their speed, size, and agility, and began procuring Harleys and Indians in small batches for testing. Up until the end of World War II, motorcycles filled a number of important military roles, including reconnaissance, courier duties, and even light combat. After the war, improvements in communications technology largely put an end to large-scale use of bikes in the military save for small scout/recon and special operations roles.

With that said, let's have a look at the various bikes that have served proudly in the U.S. military for the past century.

Harley-Davidson J and JD Series

In the lead-up to World War I, America got involved in the Mexican Revolution. Tired of Pancho Villa's shenanigans along the U.S./Mexico border, specifically the raid on Columbus, New Mexico, President Wilson sent General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing and a few U.S. Army cavalry units down to Mexico to capture Villa. This, uh, this didn't really go well for the Army and, after chasing ghosts for a few months, the Army lost Villa and withdrew from Mexican territory. That's a necessarily extremely abbreviated version of events, since discussing the whole operation is well outside the scope of this article, but you get the gist of it.

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Despite the general failure of the mission, the Army did learn an important lesson regarding the value of motorcycles in combat. Before the Mexico expedition, the Army was already experimenting with using motorcycles in various combat and support roles. For the Pershing mission, Army Brass ordered up a handful of new Harley J and JD models.

An extremely robust motorcycle, the J model featured Harley's 61 cubic inch, air-cooled, V-twin F-head mill mated to a three-speed transmission. For the expedition, the Army ordered the bikes in four general configurations - solo bikes for troop transport, sidecar rigs for command transport, gun carriers mounted with machineguns, and sidecar-equipped cargo bikes for carrying ammo and other materiel. Some were configured in the field to carry stretchers for the transport of wounded troopers.

These bikes did extremely well in the rough terrain along the border, and their success set the stage for a mass mobilization of motorcycle troops in future conflicts.

Indian Powerplus Big Twin

Not long after the Pancho Villa debacle, America got embroiled in World War I and once again America's motorcycle producers were called upon to serve their country. At the time, Indian was the leading motorcycle manufacturer, and with the country's entry into the Great War, they threw all their production power into military bikes. Their primary offering, and the most common bike on the battlefield during the war, was the Powerplus Big Twin.

Predecessor to the Indian Chief, the Powerplus was a fast, powerful bike powered by Indian's very first flathead engine - a 61-cubic inch, sixteen horsepower, air-cooled V-twin. The big flathead was mated to a three-speed trans with clutch and kick starter (cutting-edge tech for those days), and was faster than the competing Harley models. The Powerplus als featured an advanced sprung rear swingarm suspension that allowed it to traverse broken ground and weave around obstacles with remarkable ease.

As was common with military bikes at the time, the milspec Powerplus bikes were configured both as solo bikes and as sidecar rigs to carry machineguns, ammo and materiel, and wounded troopers across the battlefield. Indian produced somewhere between 50,000 and 80,000 bikes for the war effort - my sources stated both numbers - and put entire infantry and cavalry regiments on two wheels.

Unfortunately for Indian, their dedication to wartime production and their inability to ingratiate themselves with the military like Harley did set the stage for the brand's long, slow decline and it's ultimate mid-century demise.

Harley-Davidson Model 17F/J

During World War I, Harley motorcycles were definitely the underdog. They were, on the whole, slower, less powerful, less agile, and less advanced than their Indian competitors. This didn't stop the Army from buying tens of thousands of them though, and they soldiered along beside the bigger and better Indians throughout the war.

Harley's dedicated military model during the war was the Model 17F/J. Similar to the bikes that Black Jack Pershing's men rode into battle against Pancho Villa, the Model 17 featured Harley's tried and true 61 cubic inch, air-cooled, V-twin F-head engine mated, once again, to a three-speed gear box. As far as I can tell - for some reason source material on these bikes is hilariously vague - a majority of the 20,000 model 17s were equipped as sidecar rigs for carrying guns, ammo, and various materiel.

The Model 17 also allowed Harley to finally surpass Indian as America's most popular motorcycle. During the war, Harley trained army mechanics through the Motor Company's "Quartermaster School", a program that eventually evolved into Harley-Davidson University. Mechanics who trained to work on Harleys during the war came home to purchase their own Harleys, which created a powerful and loyal following for Milwaukee's Finest.

Harley-Davidson WLA

By the late 30s, Harley-Davidson had overtaken Indian as America's premier motorcycle manufacturer. As war loomed in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, America began a slow buildup of military vehicles and equipment, and Harley-Davidson was called on once again to serve the country. To answer that call of duty, Harley produced the WLA.

Introduced in 1940, the WLA was a militarized version of Harley's popular WL model. Like the base civilian model, the WLA was powered by Harley's bullet proof 45-cubic inch, air-cooled, flathead mill. It was a simple, durable, and versatile machine that was designed for ease of maintenance and battlefield reliability. Once the U.S. entered the war, WLA production skyrocketed. Eventually more than 90,000 WLAs were built, with many shipped off to our allies through the lend-lease program.

WLAs underwent a number of modifications to prepare them for military life. They were painted in olive drab with black accents, and most of the brightwork was either parkerized or blued to reduce visibility. Blackout lights were fitted fore and aft in addition to the bike's standard head and tail lights, the fender valences were removed to prevent mud clogging, the crankcase breather was modified to prevent water incursion during fording, and the bikes were equipped with an oil bath air cleaner to keep sand and grit out of the cylinders.

In addition, a host of modular accessories were provided to customize the bikes for different missions. Saddlebags, weapon scabbards, ammo boxes, and tool carriers were standard equipment along with skid plates and leg protectors. Heavy duty luggage racks were mounted to the rear fender to carry radio transmitting and mobile jamming equipment. Harley even produced a large, detachable windshield for the WLA, but they were rarely used in the field.

Unlike the bikes fielded during WWI, Allied motorcycles were never used in combat or for troop mobility. Instead, WLAs and other WWII bikes filled scout, courier, military police, and reconnaissance roles. They were also occasionally used as mobile radio outposts or for moving signal jamming equipment around the battlefield to interdict enemy communications.

After the war, the thousands of WLAs in the Army's inventory were declared surplus and sold for pennies at government auctions. Demobbed American servicemen who had ridden or worked on the bikes during the war snatched them up wholesale. Since they didn't need things like rifle scabbards, radio racks, and fancy oil bath air cleaners, the new owners chopped those pieces off, giving rise to both the post-war chopper scene and the rise of mid-century motorcycle culture.

Harley-Davidson XA and Indian 841

During World War II, the U.S. Army got their hands on some captured German BMW R71 motorcycles and were suitably impressed by these high-tech, ruthlessly efficient machines. Seeing the benefits in the Beemer's various systems, especially their shaft drive and telescopic forks which were largely unknown among American bike makers, Army brass went to both Harley and Indian, tossed them a bunch of money, and asked them to build an American version. The requirements were simple - build a limited run of 1,000 bikes with two cylinders, shaft drive, full suspension front and rear, and more efficient controls that were as rugged and easy to maintain as the R71s. The companies returned to their respective design houses, and soon started cranking out their Beemer clones.

Harley's answer to the Army's call was the XA. Essentially a bolt for bolt copy of the R71,the XA was powered by a 45-cubic inch, two-cylinder, air-cooled, flathead boxer engine that produced around 23 horsepower. Those horses were transported to the rear wheel via a four-speed transmission and shaft drive system. XAs had a rear plunger suspension, front telescopic forks - the first ever used by Harley - a radically modern foot shifter instead of a tank-mounted jockey shifter, and a handful of other modern amenities courtesy of BMW.

Unfortunately, even as the XAs were being produced it became clear that they were unnecessary. They were more expensive and complex than the current WLA bikes the Army already had, and the newly introduced Jeep was quickly becoming the Army's general purpose vehicle of choice. After the first run of 1,000 bikes, the Army didn't order any more XAs and the bikes slowly faded into obscurity.

Indian's response to the Army's challenge was to take one look at the R71 and say, "Eh, we can do better." To prove it, they rolled out the radicalfor the time841.

A largely clean sheet design, the 841 was more "inspired by" the R71s than a direct copy like the competing Harley XA. Instead of a Beemer clone boxer, the 841 featured a 45-cubic inch, air-cooled, flathead V-twin derived from the Sport Scout's mill. Unlike the more common V-twins used in Harleys and other Indian models, the XA's engine was mounted longitudinally in the frame like a modern day Moto Guzzi. To meet the Army's requirements, the 841 featured a shaft drive system, tubular frame, plunger rear suspension, four speed transmission, foot operated shifter, and a hand operated clutch. Instead of the telescopic forks on the R71 and XA, the 841 featured a girder fork damped with a shock absorber.

Unfortunately for Indian, the 841 ran into the same problems as the competing XA. By the time the bikes were well into their production life, the Army decided to go with the Jeep for its all-purpose runabout. In addition, the 841 suffered from severe problems with its gearbox during testing which prejudiced Army brass against it. It quickly became apparent that any role in which an 841 might be used could be better served by either a Jeep or an existing Harley WLA. Like the XA, the 841 program was canned and none of the bikes were accepted into military service.

With the cancellation of the program, Indian was left with nearly 1,000 unsold bikes on their hands. They were eventually sold as surplus out of the corporate warehouse in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Kawasaki KLR250-D8

A pair of USAFSOC Forward Air Controllers aboard KLR250-D8s/

Introduced in the early-90s, the KLR250-D8 was a a military-specific version of Kawasaki's old, reliable KLR250. Used primarily by the Marines, SOCOM, and the USAF, the -D8 did a lot of the same kinds of work that bikes used in the World Wars did, i.e. scout, courier, and forward observation. They were also used to get high-speed, low-drag operators to and from clandestine missions, and generally added a whole lot of flexibility and mobility where that was needed.

The KLR250-D8 was used in limited numbers throughout the 90s and early aughts, when it was replaced by the M103M1.

Kawasaki M103M1

Kawasaki's M103M1 is a far cry from the old Harley and Indian V-twins that once graced the battlefields of Europe and Northern Africa. Derived from the KLX650, the M103M1 is a long range, multi-fuel, nearly unstoppable dual sport designed to work in the harshest conditions. In service since the late-90s, the M103M1 has served in numerous theaters of combat around the globe in nearly every environment imaginable.

Used primarily by the U.S. Marine Corps and Army Special Forces, these bikes produced for the military by a company called Hayes Diversified Technologies out of Los Angeles, California. Using a handful of Kawasaki internals and a whole heap of new parts, Hayes produced a multi-fuel engine that can run on anything from diesel to kerosene to JP8 jet fuela requirement to fit into the military's logistics chain. The low-strung engines are incredibly efficient, as is expected from a diesel mill, and get almost 100 miles to the gallon.

Aside from the trick engine, the M103M1 is essentially just a KLX650 in olive drab. Underneath the milspec body work is the stock Kawasaki frame, swingarm, wheels, and transmission. The suspension and brakes are beefed up to handle the roughest terrain, and the bikes are equipped with a combination blackout and infrared lighting system.

There are about 500 of these bikes currently in service with the Marines and Army, with a few more scattered among out NATO allies. They've acquired a kind of cult status among dirt bike nerds, and finding a surplus M103M1 and converting it for civilian use is the dream of more than one American dirt head.

So, that does it for today's little military history lesson. Happy 4th of July to all our American readers, and I hope the rest of you have a great day and a safe ride.

Original article published July 4, 2017
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has refused to apologize for pictures of him on a beach that was closed to the public due to a government shutdown.

I dont apologize for it. I dont back away from it, Christie said Monday night after reaching a budget agreement with the state legislature, ending the shutdown. Lets be really clear. Thats our residence, and we have a right to be there whenever we want to be there.

State beaches were closed during a three-day government shutdown in New Jersey. All other beaches remained open.

The Star Ledger captured photos of Christie on one of the closed state beaches.

The house at Island Beach State Park is given to the governor in office. He said that the beach trip was planned a month ago by his son who was visiting from Milwaukee.

Christie also said recently he wasnt concerned about his disapproval ratings, which made him the most disliked governor of the past 20 years in any state.
I'm annoyed with my shoelaces.

They're too long.

Way, way too long.

So long that in order to succeed in making use of them to fasten my shoes to my feet, I need to tie them in a bow, them immediately tie a second bow knot on top of the first -- both bows being significantly longer than optimum, but the option of creating a three-story shoe knot is both ludicrous and impractical.

As it is, the double-bow ends up flippity-flopping across shoe tops, amid pant legs until it invariably begins to loosen, undoing itself, presenting the annoying options of pausing to retie wherever it is I might be or go about my business, shoestrings trailing in my wake, threatening a trip up at every step with a sudden trip to the ER hovering vaguely in my future.

Annoying and hazardous, in a first-world sort of way.

But actually, it's not my shoestrings I'm really annoyed with, it's the highly paid goombah or goombahs who signed off on selling shoes with a length of lace enough for the pair threaded into each unit.

Tell me, what was he/she/it thinking?

And why?

How can it possibly be too much trouble to provide each pair of shoes with laces of the appropriate length. Laces that allow for a single, snug knot that can be tied in the morning and persist until those selfsame shoes are undone and cast aside in the evening?

Like so many things, we put up with it, so it persists. It's no big deal; just the way things are; let it go. Can't expect things to be perfect.

OK, maybe not perfect, but can't we at least make it to good?

Good without excuses, without gimmicks?

Yeah, we can.

The proof is in the pilsner.

Now I'll argue with anybody who claims that a trip to Germany is just an excuse to drink beer. Not so at all. The desire to drink beer -- really good beer -- is a perfectly legitimate, defensible, and righteous reason to take a trip to Germany -- 1,500 breweries and 5,000 brands of beer in a country only three times the size of Wisconsin (which is home to only about 100 breweries -- at last count).

And Germans take their beer seriously -- the Reinheitsgebot, the Bavarian purity law, was issued more than 500 years ago and to this day, with a few exceptions allowed for local specialty brews -- German beer is made from water, yeast, hops and malted grain. Nothing more.

The result is consistently good, really good, beer. From Altbeer and Kolsch in north to Bavarian pilsner, helles and dunkels, it's good beer -- clean, tasty, gimmick-free. Good enough to make it hard to come home. Which is sad, because our beer could be that good.

If we insisted on it.

We don't, and Anheuser-Busch is the richer for it.

Good enough, we say, even when it isn't.

I'm not sure how it all plays out, but I really do sense a connection here -- put up with the small things long enough and putting up with bigger things becomes progressively easier.

If we're OK buying shoes laced with laces of an inappropriate length; if we're uncomplaining when served a brew best described as soda water with food coloring; are we better prepared to pay for health insurance that protects us only so long as we stay healthy? Willing to pay for a government that doesn't govern? A chief executive unsuited to execute the duties of his office?

If we can't expect keep our shoes tied, what can we expect?

We've put up with it too long. Way too long.
A woman who ate her placenta after giving birth wound up spreading a potentially deadly infection to her baby, according to a new report of the case. The mother had paid a company to make pills from her placenta after the birth of her baby, and she began taking these placenta pills three days after the baby was born.

The baby was born healthy in September 2016, but started showing signs of respiratory distress soon after birth, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The baby was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit and was found to be infected with a type of bacteria called group b Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS).

After being treated with an 11-day course of antibiotics, the baby was discharged from the hospital. However, just five days later, the child was brought back to the emergency room because he was fussy. New tests revealed he was positive for the same type of GBS that had previously infected him. The baby was treated with another round of antibiotics and then went home again. [5 Reasons Why Placentas Are Awesome]

Placenta infection

The placenta pills tested positive for the same strain of GBS that had infected the baby, the researchers said. Although the CDC scientists couldn't rule out the possibility that other family members had transmitted the bacteria to the baby, the child's infection probably came from the mother, the scientists said. She had high levels of the bacteria in her system, they found, which likely resulted from her taking the placenta pills.

The company that made the pills tests women for common communicable diseases, such as herpes, HIV/AIDS, Lyme disease and syphilis, before making placenta pills. But the company does not test the placental pills for bacteria, such as group b strep, that a woman can become infected with shortly before or after birth.

To make the pills, the company cleaned, sliced, dehydrated and heated the placenta, to between 115 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit(46 and 71 degrees Celsius), then put it into capsule form. It's possible that the placental tissue was not heated to a sufficiently high temperature for long enough to kill the bacteria, the CDC said in a statement about the case. For instance, to kill salmonella, samples must be treated to at least 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) for 121 minutes, the CDC reported.

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Though eating the placenta has become a popular trend and is a normal behavior in certain other mammals, there is very little evidence that placenta eating has any health benefits for humans, the CDC noted.

"The bottom line is that there are no human studies that show a benefit to eating the placenta," Cynthia Coyle, a clinical psychologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, previously told Live Science.

In addition, placentas have been found to contain toxic elements such as cadmium and selenium, as well as bacteria Coyle said.

Originally published on Live Science.

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North Korea announced on Tuesday that the country had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-14 ICBM, saying it would "fundamentally put an end to the U.S. nuclear war threat and blackmail."

The ballistic missile fired around 9:40 a.m. Tuesday recorded a flight path of about 578 miles, South Koreas joint chiefs of staff told Reuters. The missiles exact altitude could not immediately be confirmed but Japans Defense Ministry said it reached an altitude that greatly exceeded 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) during its airborne time of about 40 minutes.

Read: IRBM vs. ICBM: North Korea Claims To Have Launched Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

"North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea from the vicinity of Banghyon, North Pyongan Province, at around 9:40 a.m.," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. "It flew more than 930 kilometers."

The U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement it tracked the land-based, medium-range missile that landed in the Sea of Japan on July 4. Their data showing that the missile flew for 37 minutes.

Several military and ballistic experts from Washington, Japan and South Korea varied in their estimations of the Hwasong-14 ICBMs capability.

ICBM Range: Experts Say Missile Could Reach Alaska, But Can It Reach The US Mainland?

David Wright, co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists, writes on the groups website that Tuesdays missile has the trajectory potential to reach Alaska but not enough range to reach the lower 48 states or Hawaii. He notes that his calculations are based upon modifications from the Hwasong-12 missile North Korea launched on May 14. In order to hit the mainland United States or Hawaii, the ICBM would need a range of 8,000 km (4,800 miles) or more. It would also require a warhead small enough to be mounted on it and advanced enough guidance technology to ensure its stable re-entry into the atmosphere.

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Assuming a range of 950 km, then a flight time of 37 minutes would require it to reach a maximum altitude of more than 2,800 km (1700 miles), writes Wright. So if the reports are correct, that same missile could reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700 km (4,160 miles) on a standard trajectory.

ICBM's are primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery but conventional, chemical and biological weapons could also be delivered using a guided ballistic missile, write the Federation of American Scientists.

North Korea fired four surface-to-ship cruise missiles from its east coast on June 8 in the wake of a Scud-type ballistic missile launch the week earlier.

"We should be worried: Every test gets the North Koreans closer to mastering the technology for mounting a nuclear weapon on a ballistic missile powerful enough to strike the United States and its allies," Jean Lee, a global fellow at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank, said in a statement.

"Test-firing a ballistic missile just days after the Trump-Moon summit, where the two leaders discussed tightening sanctions against North Korea, is Pyongyang's way of sending a message of defiance to the US and South Korean leaders, Lee added.

Lee Chun-Keun, a researcher at the Science and Technology Policy Institute in Seoul said it will take time before North Korea has the capabilities to deploy multiple units of the missiles.

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North Korea has confounded every US president since Bill Clinton with its determination to become a nuclear power. And now President Trump may face the worst set of choices yeteither tolerate a nuclearized North Korea continually threatening the destruction of Los Angeles and Chicago, or risk a shooting war in Asia that could leave hundreds of thousands dead.

But theres another possibility that gets little public attention: A coup or assassination of North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un, pulled off by elites within North Korea itself.

This was the suggestion made recently by John Brennan, who was CIA director from 2013 until the beginning of the Trump administration. At the SALT financial-industry conference in Las Vegas on May 18, Brennan offered his assessment of the rising North Korean threat amid an overview of world hotspots. I would like to think at some point individuals within the North Korean political establishment say to themselves, Kim Jong Un is bringing our country into a slide that will lead us all to be destroyed, Brennan said. Maybe there are people around Kim Jong Un who are going to say, enough is enough.

Brennan didnt explicitly say US intelligence agencies think a coup or assassination is plausible. Instead, he caged the idea as informed speculation. Other experts think an internal takedown of Kim might happen in the future, but probably not today. Its wishful thinking, says Sue Mi Terry of the consulting firm Bower Group Asia, who was a former senior analyst on North Korea at the CIA. Thats what were hoping for, but right now, Kim Jong Un is doing a pretty good job getting rid of every single human being who could pose a threat. Thats exactly why he has gotten rid of every single person not directly loyal to him. Hes so paranoid only a few family members even know where he is at any given moment.

Pondering the future of the bellicose, hermetic nation is a perennial parlor game among foreign policy wonks. But the situation would have immediateand menacingimplications for financial markets if hostilities erupted. All of Japan, including Tokyo, is already within range of North Korean missiles. South Korea, the worlds 11th largest economy, would be devastated by a war. And mounting tensions with North Korea threaten US relations with China, with Trump hinting that he will reward or punish China based on how much it helps bring North Korea to heel.

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Prospects for an inside job

Most analysts dismiss the idea that the United States couldor shouldknock off the North Korean leader. North Korea is so closed it would be virtually impossible for any outside intelligence service to isolate Kim for a clandestine hit. A military strike targeting him would be an act of war that North Korea might answer with a devastating artillery attack on Seoul. Such actions would also ignite questions of legality and cause an instant riff with China, which shares a border with North Korea and considers it a sort of client state.

But speculation about an inside job has intensified amid Kims brinkmanship with the United States over the norths ascendant nuclear program. Last year, the International Journal of Korean Studies published an article assessing four possible ways Kims fellow North Koreans could assassinate him. Only one was judged plausiblea hit by somebody Kim considered a confidante, who would have private access to the dictator. Other than that, Kims bodyguards and ubiquitous security forces are likely to suss out any threat to the supreme ruler and squash it. This might explain frequent purges under Kim, with dozens of high-profile executions of government officials deemed a risk to the state.

The surreal murder of Kims half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, in Malaysia in February, may show just how nervous Kim is about a plot to replace him. While Kim Jong Nam was a global rover who had no power base inside North Korea, he did have the same hereditary claim to the countrys leadership as Kim Jong Un. That made him a viable replacement if there ever were an assassination. Some analysts even speculate that Kim Jong Nam was murdered not on the order of his half-brother, but on the order of a cabal within North Korea proving it can act without their leaders authorizationand Kim Jong Un himself might be next.

There have also been reports that the current CIA director, Mike Pompeo, has met with defectors from North Korea to discuss the possibility of an inside job that takes out Kim. Its the CIAs job, of course, to assess conditions inside nations hostile to the United States, so there would be nothing unusual about the CIA director meeting with helpful sources. And its worth pointing out that predictions of North Koreas collapse have swirled for yearsalways erroneously, so far.

Assuming Kim survives, he still faces intensifying constraints that suggest he has a weaker hand than his striving nuclear program and newly built intercontinental missile might suggest. If Trump manages to toughen worldwide sanctions against North Korea, that will erode support for Kim among elites he needs to stay in power. Those elites rely on Kim for patronage, and if he has less and less to offer, he loses leverage over the generals and financiers who carry out his orders. Kim is already far less popular than his father and grandfather, due to the culture of fear he propagates. His predecessors had a gentler touch and bona fide accomplishments to back them up, at least among their fellow North Koreans.

Over the long term, the picture does not look good for Kim Jong Un, says Terry of the Bower Group. Kim Jong Un has much less loyalty from the elites. If the elites feel like, Im not safe here, then of course theyll look for ways to defect or leave or find some other way out. Thats what John Brennan is getting at.

Still, its almost certain Kim will continue aggressively pursing nukes and the missiles that can deliver them halfway around the world. And Trump will most likely have to come to terms with that, putting North Korea in a class with Russia and China as nuclear powers the US must deter in lieu of foiling its plans. Unless theres a startling surprise north of the 38th parallel.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Encrypted communication available.

Read more:

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman
The mother of terminally ill British infant Charlie Gard responded Monday after President Donald Trump offered help to the toddler. Charlie's parents  currently in London  are struggling to get their 11-month-old son to the U.S. for an experimental treatment for the rare genetic disorder  mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. But a European court ruled June 27 that doctors should be allowed to stop the life support treatment for the baby.

"If he's still fighting, we're still fighting!!!" the baby's mother, Connie Yates, wrote an emotional post on her Facebook account. She shared Trump's tweet that read: "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so."

Charlie Gard

Photo: Getty Images/ Chris J Ratcliffe

Charlie's parents are hopeful Prime Minister Theresa May will intervene in the court's decision. "Chris and Connie are overwhelmed with emotion that President Trump and the Pope have spoken publicly of their support," a spokesman for Charlie's parents said, according to the Daily Mail. "Their kind words have given them so much comfort. They remain at Charlie's bedside and his condition remains stable."

Read: Who Is Charlie Gard?

Charlie was born Aug. 4, 2016 with a rare condition  mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome  that causes muscle and organ dysfunction and cerebral disorders. The condition caused a brain damage in the baby soon after the birth, and he was put on life support at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. The hospital refused the parents' request to release the baby for further treatment in the U.S. saying it might not be the best course of action.

After the hospital declined to release Charlie, Yates and her husband Chris Gard took the case to the European Court of Human Rights that ruled June 27 the boy could not be taken to the U.S.

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The domestic courts concluded that it would be lawful for the hospital to withdraw life-sustaining treatment, the court said in a press release announcing the decision. Because it was likely that Charlie would suffer significant harm if his present suffering was prolonged without any realistic prospect of improvement and the experimental therapy would be of no effective benefit.

The court also said Charlie was being exposed to continued pain, suffering and distress and that undergoing experimental treatment with no prospects of success would offer no benefit and continue to cause him significant harm.

Meanwhile, hours after Trump tweeted about Charlie, an unnamed U.S. hospital offered to treat the baby for free if his parents are able to bring him to the country, the Sun reported citing sources.

Charlie's parents are struggling to save their child's life, and in order to fulfill this endeavor, they have raised nearly $2 million through donations. As the case garnered attention in the Europe and the U.S., Pope Francis released a statement Sunday saying Charlies parents should be allowed to try whatever possible to help treat their son.

Read: Charlie Gards Parents Respond To Ruling Taking 10-Month-Old Off Life Support

The Holy Father follows with affection and commotion the situation of Charlie Gard and expresses his own closeness to his parents. He prays for them, wishing that their desire to accompany and care for their own child to the end will be respected, Greg Burke, the popes spokesman, said in a statement.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, released a statement agreeing with the court's ruling, expressing sympathy for Gards parents. However, he was strongly criticized. We must do what advances the health of the patient, but we must also accept the limits of medicine and, as stated in paragraph 65 of the Encyclical Evangelium Vitae, avoid aggressive medical procedures that are disproportionate to any expected results or excessively burdensome to the patient or the family, Paglia said in a statement June 30.

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Beijing (AFP) - China defended its "relentless efforts" to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue on Tuesday following a Twitter outburst from US President Donald Trump, as Pyongyang claimed to have tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The US president has piled pressure on China to use its diplomatic and economic clout over North Korea, its Communist ally, to persuade Pyongyang to stop its nuclear and missile activities.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a press briefing that its contribution was well recognised -- describing its role as "indispensable" -- after Trump called on China to take more action on North Korea.

"Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!" tweeted Trump, who will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Germany later this week.

"China has made relentless efforts for the settlement of the Korean peninsula nuclear issue. China's contribution in this regard is well recognised, and its role is indispensable," Geng said.

Geng said China was following developments closely after North Korean television announced that leader Kim Jong-Un had overseen the "landmark" test of a Hwasong-14 missile, which reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometres (1,741 miles) and flew 933 kilometres.

"China opposes the DPRK breaching UN Security Council resolutions to conduct launch activities," the spokesman said, using the initials of North Korea's official name.

"We hope all relevant parties can exercise restraint, avoid taking actions that may escalate tensions, and make efforts to bring the issue back to peaceful settlement through dialogue and consultation," Geng said.

On a trip to Moscow, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed on Monday to "jointly push for a proper settlement of the (Korean) peninsula issue via dialogue and negotiation", according to the official Xinhua news agency.

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- 'Negative factors' -

China's response to Trump's tweet comes as tensions between the superpowers have resurfaced in recent days, breaking from a friendlier atmosphere that emerged after Trump met Xi at the US leader's Florida resort in April.

Trump warned about "the growing threat" posed by North Korea during a phone call with Xi on Monday, while the Chinese leader said Sino-US relations were hit by "negative factors".

China announced in February the suspension of coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year, a crucial currency earner for Pyongyang.

The total value of all imports from North Korea fell to $721.5 million between January and May from $773.6 million over the same period last year, according to Chinese official figures.

But Trump has urged Beijing to do more and last week his administration took steps that infuriated the Asian superpower.

The US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on China's Bank of Dandong for allegedly laundering North Korean cash and it accused a Chinese shipping company of smuggling banned luxury goods into the country.

The Trump administration also authorised a $1.3 billion arms sales to Taiwan and placed China on a list of the world's worst human trafficking offenders.

China has pressed for the resumption of six-party negotiations with North Korea that have been dormant since 2009.

Beijing proposes a "dual-track approach" in which Pyongyang would suspend its nuclear and missile activities while the United States and South Korea would halt large-scale military exercises.
An Alabama couple was arrested after deputies said their 18-month-old foster child was found malnourished.

Read: Pastor of Faith Healing Church Charged in Connection With Granddaughter's Preventable Death: Prosecutor

Garren Dodd McDonald, 48, and Shelley Lanette McDonald, 43, of Etowah County were taken into custody and each charged with one count of felony child abuse last week.

"[The couple] did torture, willfully abuse, cruelly beat or otherwise willfully maltreat the child," arrest warrants obtained by AL.com said.

It went on: [They] neglected the child by failing to properly feed him and causing him to be malnourished.

The arrests came following a nearly two-month-long investigation by authorities after the Department of Human Resources contacted the sheriffs office about the alleged abuse.

Read: Cop Honored After Adopting Child Abuse Victim: 'I've Never Seen Nothing Like This'

The couple was booked into Etowah County Detention center last Wednesday and released two days later after posting $10,000 cash bond each.

They are reportedly forbidden from having children living in their home and prohibited from any unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 years old as a condition of their bond.

Watch: Mom Who Allegedly Abandoned Toddler Daughter At Grocery Store Arrested: Cops

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The regulations would limit the amount of methane from natural gas and oil production: Getty

Donald Trumps latest effort to block environmental regulations pushed forward by his predecessor has found a foe in the federal court systems.

A federal court has ruled that Mr Trumps effort to delay an EPA rule to limit methane pollution from oil and natural gas drilling, which was signed by former President Barack Obama. The US District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said that the argument laid forth by Scott Pruitt's EPA that the Obama administration had skipped over procedures for stakeholder comment didnt stand up to scrutiny.

The administrative record thus makes clear that industry groups had ample opportunity to comment on all four issues on which EPA granted reconsideration, and indeed, that in several instances the agency incorporated those comments directly into the final rule, the court ruled in a two-to-one decision.

Because it was thus not impracticable for industry groups to have raised such objections during the notice and comment period [the Clean Air Act] did not require reconsideration and did not authorise the stay, the decision read.

The ruling is an early loss for Mr Trumps aggressive approach to pulling back on environmental restrictions that Mr Obama remained focused on throughout his presidency. Mr Trump has tried to pull back on a range of rules and regulations put in place to curtail global warming and protect the environment.

Those efforts have included pulling the United States out of the international Paris climate change accord, which Mr Obama had strongly favoured as President. That deal, which Mr Trump said put an undue burden on the US, was a voluntary agreement between nations to try and keep greenhouse gas emissions down in order to curb the rise of global average temperatures. The US joins Syria and Nicaragua as the only three nations not to be involved with the deal.

The DC courts decision follows after groups like the Environmental Defence Fund sued the EPA for the proposed delay, and asked for a quick decision from the courts on the matter.

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This is a big win for public health and a wake-up call for this administration, Tim Ballo, an attorney with Earthjustice representing some of those involved, said in a statement.

An EPA spokeswoman told the Hill that the agency is reviewing the decision, and evaluating its options.
When Brad Lyons' oldest son was a junior in high school, he decided to contact Fred Amrein, a college funding expert.

Knowing that he was on the cusp of a whirlwind of college tours, applications, Free Application of Federal Student Aid forms and tuition bills -- and with three more kids to get through college -- Lyons wanted some advice on where to put his resources.

"He's done this enough times with other families that he can advise us on what we should and shouldn't do," says Lyons, who lives outside Philadelphia in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Given the complex college funding landscape, families can pay private financial aid consultants to help them through the process of navigating the FAFSA , figuring out which assets to put toward tuition, and weighing the pros and cons of different types of loans.

[Explore more college financial aid resources.]

"I like to tell people you don't need to hire anybody to assist you with your FAFSA, but you don't need to hire someone to mow your lawn either," says Karen McCarthy, senior policy analyst for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. "But for some people that's worth it."

Consultants and advisers offer a range of services, McCarthy says. Some may offer a holistic college planning service that includes college selection advice, while others may have a more limited focus on finding scholarship money and maximizing financial aid eligibility.

The services aren't free, and experts say no matter the price, make sure the adviser doesn't make unrealistic promises and that you know how he or she will be compensated.

"Don't pay people who guarantee a certain type of return in terms of the financial aid that you would receive or who charge a fee based on the percentage of financial aid that you would receive," McCarthy says.

If your family does decide to hire someone, be clear on what you're getting, she says. For instance, if a consultant offers to do a scholarship search, make sure it's not a simple internet search that you could do on your own.

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She adds that families should know that there are free resources, such as high school guidance counselors, local college financial aid offices or the Department of Education website. There are also free workshops, like those offered by the nonprofit Form Your Future, a national program that helps families fill out the FAFSA.

[Discover the seven questions that parents should ask financial aid officers.]

Amrein, the founding principal of Amrein Financial and College Affordability LLC in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, says that financial aid directors and loan servicers are often swamped and may not be able to give families the range of options for paying for college the way that a private consultant could.

As an example, Amrein says, a financial aid director wouldn't be able to help a family weigh whether taking out a home equity loan makes more sense than a p arent PLUS loan. Likewise, he or she wouldn't be able to help a family figure out how to disburse their assets based on whether their student is planning to attend graduate school or not.

"Everyone talks about free," Amrein says. "Free is what it's worth."

Lyons, whose son is now a rising senior, says he likes that Amrein's software program allows him to compare schools, both public and private, to figure out which ones are financially realistic for his son.

"Even more important was being able to show my child the liability, or amount of debt, he's going to come out of college with, depending on the choice of school," Lyons says, adding that he plans to continue working with Amrein through the entire financial aid process.

[Understand four college funding sources and how they affect financial aid.]

If you are thinking about hiring a financial aid consultant, consider the following:

-- Amrein says the two most important questions to ask are: Will you act as a "fiduciary," or in the client's best interest? How are you compensated? "It's OK if they are going to recommend a 529 plan or a strategy where they're going to earn a commission, but at least you know that's part of their recommendation," says Amrein, a fee-only adviser, which means he doesn't receive a commission for products he recommends.

-- Don't agree to a fee based on the percentage of aid that you receive.

-- Be wary of consultants who guarantee that you'll receive certain grants or scholarships.

-- Request references and check them.

-- Never give your FSA ID, which is used to sign the FAFSA, to anyone else. "It should be protected and not be shared with anybody, so red flags should go up if a consultant says, 'Give me your FSA ID and I will file your FAFSA for you,'" McCarthy says. "That is absolutely not OK."

-- If someone helps you fill out the FAFSA, he or she should sign it as "preparer."

Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.

Deborah Ziff is a Chicago area-based freelance education reporter for U.S. News, covering college savings and 529 plans. You can follow her on Twitter.
Emily Ratajkowski made a splash in Paris. (Photo: Getty Images)

Stars descended upon the Vogue Paris Foundation gala dinner Tuesday night during fashion week in the City of Light. And actress Emily Ratajkowski turned heads in a little black dress by French fashion designer Mugler.

The spaghetti-strap gown accentuated her model figure with a plunging neckline and thigh-high M-slits (which paid homage, noted Vogue, to Elizabeth Hurleys 1994 Versace safety-pin dress).

Photo: Getty Images

The 26-year-old styled her hair up and kept a minimal makeup look, but she accentuated her eyes with a winged eyeliner that pulled the modern ensemble together.

Made it to Paris A post shared by Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) on Jul 4, 2017 at 12:24pm PDT

The LBD left little to the imagination, but its nothing that the actress hasnt revealed in her Instagram before.

Vogue dinner A post shared by Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) on Jul 5, 2017 at 3:44am PDT

However, Ratajkowski said its her sex appeal that is preventing her from landing new acting roles.

She opened up to Harpers Bazaar Australia on how women and men criticize her confidence.

Theres this thing that happens to me: Oh, shes too sexy. Its like an anti-woman thing, that people dont want to work with me because my boobs are too big, she said in the magazines August issue.

Whats wrong with boobs? Theyre a beautiful feminine thing that needs to be celebrated. Like, who cares? They are great big, they are great small. Why should that be an issue?

Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




A business that cleans garments and fabrics hopes to tidy up a North La Crosse property by relocating.

CRDN of Western Wisconsin is planning to buy adjacent properties at 722 Rose St. and 613/615 Hagar St. to consolidate its La Crosse operations and expand.

The La Crosse Plan Commission and then the Judiciary and Administration Committee approved rezoning the parcels Monday from Commercial District to Local Business District to allow for combining the parcels.

CRDN stands for Certified Restoration Dry-cleaning Network. The company inventories and restores garments and fabric items affected by fire, smoke, water mold or other contaminants, according to a letter to the city petitioning for the zoning change.

The owner is James Wille.

The company has been operating for many years in La Crosse, but their operations are scattered between locations at 620 Cass St. and 60 Copeland Ave., attorney Phillip Addis wrote in the letter. They would like to bring everything together, all operations and the office functions, under one roof and also expand the size and capacity of their facility.

The properties are owned by the Kish family and contain two buildings. One is a former Kwik Trip, which Wille intends to remodel. The other building with a Hagar Street address will be removed to allow for a new, larger building.

Though currently there is outside storage on the site by the occupants from time to time, there is no intended outside storage for CRDN, Addis wrote.

City planning staff recommended approval despite some concerns about the design of the larger building and making certain Wille and any potential successors understand in that zoning the business cant grow beyond 12 employees at the site.

Addis said at the meeting that CRDN is willing to work with the city on any design issues.

On the zoning limit regarding employees, Addis said his client is well-aware of the restriction, but resisted seeing the restriction written into any covenant with the city.

(CRDN is) going to be at eight (employees), Addis told the Plan Commission. I guess the day you get to 12 would be great because that means business is huge. Its not a labor-intensive business, its a building- intensive business. You need a building that houses all of the equipment.

Despite all of these concerns, we find the zoning request to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, planning director of Jason Gilman read from a staff report at the Plan Commission.

According to preliminary plans for the new building, it will be a metal building with prefabricated concrete panels on three sides and anodized storefront windows. A loading dock large enough for a semi-trailer will be on the alley side.
The Lower Basins Zone is outlined by the white rim edge as seen from the Murphy Campsite on the White Rim Trail on in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Canyonlands  as the name suggests  is marked by the numerous canyons and other formations that have been cut into its colourful rock by the rivers that flow through it: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Google is taking time to celebrate the stunning and sublime beauty of America's national parks, on the country's birthday.

It was on this day 241 years ago that the US famously adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the United States of America was born. But less famously it's also the birthday of Stephen Mather, the conservationist who was the first director of the National Parks Service.

Google said that it was celebrating the two events together because the National Parks Service is hailed as "America's Best Idea", and that they were such a perfect place to celebrate the country's birthday.

There are 59 national parks, and they stretch right across America. Each of them contains unique wonders and their diversity is a perfect expression of the beauty of the country.

Here's a selection of some of the most stunning spots from some of 59 national parks.

Yellowstone was established as a national park in 1872, and became the country's first  and perhaps the first in the world. Since then, many more have joined, and the US government has given more important protections to the areas.
Fourth of July: America celebrates Independence Day Fireworks explode over the East River during the Macys Fourth of July fireworks celebration on Tuesday, July 4, 2017 in New York City. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)

From flashy firework displays for massive crowds to small-town parades, Americans celebrated the United States 241st birthday in both joyous and serious ways.

Crowds of people lined up along New York Citys East River for the annual Macys fireworks show. The display involves 60,000 shells launched from up to five barges and performances by Jennifer Lopez, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley and others. Police set up barriers and checkpoints, and heavily armed officers stood guard. (AP)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.
In the last few years, China has made big strides in many fields, becoming a force to reckon with in terms of economic, political and military might. And while many other countries still perceive it to be a place where there is no real technological innovation  even as it produces the bulk of the worlds technological gadgets  the nation has made significant advances in its indigenously developed and highly ambitious space program.

China wants to build its own orbiting laboratory along the lines of the International Space Station (ISS), become the first country to soft-land a probe on the far side of the moon, return lunar samples to Earth, send a crewed mission to the moon, and launch probes to study other planets in the solar system. At least some of these plans depend on a rocket called Long March-5, which was first launched successfully in November 2016. However, the second attempt Sunday was a failure.

Read: China Brings Electronic Propulsion To Satellite With Ion Thrusters

The rocket, which can carry 25 tons of payload to low-Earth orbit  only slightly less than the 28-ton capacity of Delta IV Heavy, currently the worlds most powerful rocket  took off Sunday evening from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in South Chinas Hainan Province but malfunctioned minutes later. The cause behind the anomaly was being investigated, according to Xinhua News Agency.

LongMarch5

Photo: Reuters

The launch was to carry the Shijian-18 communications satellite, which is the first that uses an experimental technology to provide more power and higher data throughput. It also houses a laser communications instrument, and uses the countrys newly developed ion thrusters that were first used successfully on Shijian-13 when it was launched in April.

Sundays failure of the Long March-5 casts a shadow over the rockets November launch, scheduled to put the Change-5 lunar probe on the moons surface. In what would be Chinas fourth lunar mission, Change-5 is meant to return lunar samples to Earth  a first for China, and the first such human endeavor since the former Soviet Unions Luna 24 in 1976.

Story continues

Read: Chinese Astronauts Spend Time In Fake Lunar Colony For Moon Mission Simulation

The heavy-lift rocket is also planned to be used for launching Chinas Mars rover, scheduled for some time in the mid-2020s. The rocket is also supposed to launch the components  in three separate payloads, each exceeding 20 tons  of the countrys Tiangong mission. Literally meaning heavenly palace, Tiangong is the countrys ambitious space station project. The Tianhe-1 module, which resembles the ISS Zvezda Service Module, is designed to be the main living quarters and control center for the stations crew, and is scheduled for lift-off in 2018.

Tiangong-2 is Chinas second space station module, and has been in orbit since September 2016. It was supposed to dock with the previously launched Tiangong-1 and other components, such as Tianhe-1, to make up Tiangong-3, the space lab that China had in mind. But Tiangong-1 malfunctioned and is expected to fall back into Earth later this year, with the exact time and place not yet known. The country also successfully docked Tianzhou-1, its first cargo spacecraft which also has refueling ability, with Tiangong-2 in April.

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Any way you look at it, we're about to witness the birth of one massive iceberg.

Researchers with the European Space Agency (ESA) have taken more detailed measurements of the massive iceberg set to cleave off the Larsen C Ice Shelf at any minute.

According to data from instruments aboard the CryoSat and Sentinel-1 satellites, the iceberg will be one of the largest on record since at least the early 1990s, when satellite-based monitoring began in this region.

SEE ALSO: Antarctic ice shelf crack is moving at record speeds, poised to cleave off massive iceberg any minute

The iceberg is expected to be about 6,600 square kilometers, or about 2,500 square miles, in area. Using a radar altimeter aboard the Cryosat satellite, scientists have measured the height of the ice surface, which they used to calculate the thickness of the ice and its volume.

Noel Gourmelen from the University of Edinburgh said the iceberg is likely to be about 190 meters, or about 620 feet, thick, and contain about 1,155 cubic kilometers, or about 277 cubic miles, of ice.

On average, the soon-to-be iceberg is 620 feet thick, but at its thickest point it has a keel 689 feet below the ocean surface, and it contains about 277 cubic miles of ice.

This would be enough ice to fill 462 million Olympic-size swimming pools.

We have also estimated that the depth below sea level could be as much as 210 meters," which works out to be about 689 feet, he said in a statement.

This particular iceberg is likely to make world news because of its sheer dimensions, and because it will break free of an ice shelf that has been retreating in part because of global warming.

"This is a single piece which is remarkable I guess because its of somewhat biblical proportions, Drinkwater said.

He said the size of this iceberg is remarkable, but the fact that an iceberg is calving from an ice shelf is not in itself unusual.

This is a typical event in the lifetime of an ice shelf, we expect icebergs to calve, he said. "Its pure dimensions are remarkable in some sense," he added, noting it's one of the largest tabular (broad and flat) icebergs on record.

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A comparably-sized berg drifted around the Brunt ice shelf in December 2015, the ESA said in the statement.

Iceberg tracks from 1999 to 2010.

Image: esa

As for where this upcoming iceberg will go once it breaks free from Larsen C, it's not entirely clear. Drinkwater says it's not as likely to break up into smaller pieces as past huge icebergs have done, in part because it's remained intact as one piece while withstanding pressures from growing rifts in the ice shelf for the past several years.

Whole or in pieces, ocean currents could drag it north, even as far as the Falkland Islands. If so it could pose a hazard for ships in Drake Passage," said Anna Hogg from the University of Leeds, in a statement.

Related:

Historical iceberg tracks suggest this iceberg will likely head northeast, potentially getting picked up by the circumpolar current and making it all the way to the South Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, it will alter natural cycles by adding cold, freshwater into the ocean and will be large enough, at least initially, to alter regional weather conditions.

The iceberg is set to break off an ice shelf located in the fastest-warming region of Antarctica, which is likely no accident. Other calving events presaged the breakup of nearby ice shelves during the past two decades, including the loss of Larsen B in 2004.

Scientists, including Drinkwater, say the broader context is that human-caused climate change is helping to eat away at floating ice shelves like Larsen C. A consequence of this is to allow ice streams on land to flow faster into the sea, thereby raising sea levels.
China warned Wednesday that the withdrawal of Indian troops from disputed territory was a precondition for peace as tensions rise in a border row between the two Asian powers that has drawn in tiny Bhutan.

Indian and Chinese troops are reportedly facing off on a section of land high in the Himalayas near what is known as the trijunction, where Tibet, India and Bhutan meet.

China has alleged that the Indian troops are on its soil, but both Bhutan and India say the area in question is Bhutanese territory.

India, which has a military presence in Bhutan, says its troops approached a Chinese army unit that entered the Doklam area of the Himalayan nation on June 16 and tried to build a road.

China's ambassador to New Delhi, Luo Zhaohui, said Indian troops should "unconditionally pull back to the Indian side".

"The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation, for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a pre-condition," he told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency late Tuesday.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing has "repeatedly made such requests".

"If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how is it supposed to win the trust of its neighbors?" Geng asked at a regular press briefing.

Bhutan, one of the world's smallest countries, has said the construction of a road on its territory is "a direct violation" of agreements with China.

"Bhutan hopes that the status quo in the Doklam area will be maintained as before 16 June 2017," its foreign ministry said in a statement last week.

Bhutan has no formal diplomatic relations with China and is closely allied with India.

The row comes as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to meet with China's President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Germany this week.

China and India have a number of border disputes, although the section of the frontier that runs along the northeastern state of Sikkim, near where the current stand-off is taking place, is generally regarded as stable.

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In 2014, hundreds of Indian and Chinese troops faced off on the de facto border known as the Line of Actual Control that runs along the northwest Indian region of Ladakh, overshadowing a visit by China's President Xi Jinping.

India and China have vied for influence in South Asia, with Beijing ploughing large sums into infrastructure projects in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

But the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has remained firmly within New Delhi's sphere of influence.
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut took home his 10th Mustard Belt after winning his second consecutive Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York's Coney Island, breaking his own record in the storied Independence Day competition.

Chestnut consumed more franks in 10 minutes than most Americans do in a year.

Read: The Truth About Bombs Bursting in Air: Fireworks Are Not as American as You Think

The average American eats 70 hot dogs per year, according to the Hot Dog and Sausage Council. The 33-year-old San Diego native consumed 72 hotdogs in 10 minutes.

With 72, Chestnut, whose nickname is Jaws, passed his own mark for most dogs eaten in the contest that he set last year with 70.

And he said he could have done better.

I slowed down quite a bit, I was sweating like a mad dog, Chestnut told the New York Post. I know I can do better. Next year if I come back, you can bet Ill be pushing harder.

Carmen The Mutiny Cincotti, of Mays Landing, N.J., finished in second place after wolfing down 62 dogs and Matt Megatoad Stonie, who won the contest in 2015, saw third as he noshed on 48 hot dogs.

Social media erupted with the news that Chestnut stayed the reigning champ.

10X Champion Joey Chestnut, TEN. You'll tell your grandchildren about this. TEN  Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) July 4, 2017

THIS is how a champion deserves to be introduced - on a mustard yellow chariot #NathansHotDogEatingContest #JoeyChestnut pic.twitter.com/2FmxcFZW1e  Jeff D (@JDubCLT) July 4, 2017

My faith in the ability of the American democratic experiment to survive is entirely based on whether Joey Chestnut wins the hot dog contest  Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) July 4, 2017

Joey Chestnut final tally:   CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 4, 2017

Joey Chestnut is hands down the greatest athlete of American history  Tito (@THirl12) July 3, 2017

Chestnut also has the most victories in the contest, taking home his first title in 2007 after beating former rival Takeru Kobayashi. Since 2007, he has only lost once, falling to Stonie in 2015.

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Miki Sudo won on the womens end of the competition. The Las Vegas resident chomped down on 41 hot dogs for her fourth straight victory.

While there was much jubilation for the winners Tuesday in Coney Island, animal rights activists dressed as Nathans supporters crashed the contest.

Protesters from Direct Action Everywhere, which is said to be a grassroots animal rights network, dressed in red shirts, black pants and white straw hats with the Nathans logo on it and crashed the event.

Some of the protesters managed to rush the stage and spray ketchup on several of the contestants. One of the protesters also snatched a hot dog from contestant Crazy Legs Conti as he had it in his hand.

The group claims they want to point out the cruel and unsafe practices of large beef and pig farms across the country.

Three protesters were detained by the NYPD.

Read: Drunken Brawls, Dead Birds and Dysentery: The Presidential Inauguration Stories You Might Not Know

According to historians, the Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest began in 1916 when groups of immigrants competed to see who could be more patriotic on Independence Day.

The tradition became a popular and official event in 1972 with the introduction of rules and qualifications.

Since then, tourists and locals alike flock to the original Nathan's Famous location on Coney Island to watch the competitive eaters.

In 2011, the womens side of the competition was introduced. Since then, only Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas and Miki Sudo have won.

In 2012, Thomas set the women's record after consuming 45 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Watch: From Burgers to Dogs, Here's How to Grill a Savory and Safe 4th of July Feast

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By Gilbert Reilhac STRASBOURG (Reuters) - EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker called European lawmakers "ridiculous" on Tuesday for failing to turn up to an address by Malta's prime minister, saying they should show more respect for smaller members of the bloc. Juncker, himself from the small Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, was visibly annoyed as he watched the proceedings in the near empty parliamentary chamber in Strasbourg. "You are ridiculous," the European Commission president told the gathering called to listen to a speech by Malta's Joseph Muscat, in a blunt public rebuke of another EU institution. "The fact that there's about 30 members of parliament present in this debate only really illustrates the fact that parliament is not serious," he said. "The European Parliament is ridiculous, very ridiculous." Juncker said Malta, the EU's smallest country, which has just completed a stint running the bloc's presidency, deserved better. "If Mr. Muscat was Mrs Merkel, difficult as that is to imagine, or Mr Macron ... we would have a full house," Juncker said, referring to the leaders of Germany and France. Parliament president Antonio Tajani did not address the low attendance, but told Juncker himself to take a more respectful tone. "You may criticize the parliament, yes, but the Commission does not control the parliament, it's the parliament that should be controlling the Commission," he said, to scattered applause. Juncker later apologized to Tajani, a parliamentary spokesman said. Juncker's Dutch deputy defended the outburst as the mark of a "passionate" politician: "Jean-Claude has a habit of letting his heart speak," Frans Timmermans told reporters. Institutional rivalries are a staple of EU political life. Juncker's Commission is a frequent target of national leaders and EU lawmakers for trying to impose the views of the Brussels-based administration on elected bodies. Juncker often accuses member states of reneging on commitments or undermining the EU and has used the parliament as an ally against national demands. But the Commission shares with the Council of member states a mistrust of Parliament's ambitions. Lawmakers' powers over EU legislation were enhanced by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty but national governments scoff at its claims to be the most democratically legitimate EU body because fewer than half the bloc's voters bother to take part in European elections. Its treaty obligation to divide its sittings between Brussels and Strasbourg is also a source of embarrassment -- and costs -- for the legislature, though there was little sign that traveling had kept the chamber empty for Muscat on Tuesday. Later on, it was packed for other parliamentary business. Slightly more than 400,000 people live on Malta, putting it just behind Luxembourg in the EU population league table. Muscat, who smiled during Juncker's remarks, gave parliament a briefing on his country's presidency, focused on the migration crisis and called Brexit a "disastrous creature which all of us should have seen coming but none of us acted to stop". (Writing by Elizabeth Miles in Brussels; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Catherine Evans)
(LONDON) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that his country and Ireland should seize the opportunity to be open and progressive as their big neighbors, the U.S. and Britain, turn inward.

Trudeau said there are tremendous opportunities for countries like Canada and Ireland at a time where perhaps our significant allies and trading partners  are turning inward or at least turning in a different direction.

He said the two nations should make the pitch that Canada and Ireland are places that are exciting and open to the world in a positive, progressive way.

Trudeau spoke after meeting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Dublin. Both leaders face tricky times with their neighbors  the U.S. under President Donald Trump and the U.K. as it leaves the European Union.

The two politicians are among a crop of young, centrist Western leaders seen by some as a counterweight to the populism that fueled Trumps election victory and Britains decision to leave the EU.

Varadkar said more and more people will want to come to Ireland because of Brexit. Dublin hopes to lure financial institutions from London after Britain quits the bloc.

Varadkar wore colorful maple leaf socks for Tuesdays meeting, in a salute to Trudeaus fondness for bold, statement ankle-wear.

Trudeau travels to Scotland Wednesday to meet Queen Elizabeth II, and is due to attend a summit of G-20 leaders in Hamburg, Germany on Friday and Saturday.
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
An Ohio man has been accused of viciously butchering a woman he wrote to while behind bars, as well as her boyfriend, a month after his release from prison, police said.

Thomas Knuff, 42, was charged with aggravated murder in the stabbing deaths of 65-year-old John Mann and 50-year-old Regina Capobianco, whose badly decomposed bodies were found in Manns home, Parma Heights Police Captain Steve Scharschmidt said.

Mann and Capobianco, who were in a romantic relationship, picked up Knuff from the Lorain Correctional Institution on April 11, marking the first time the three had come face to face, official said.

When they picked him up from prison, it was the first time they met, Scharschmidt told InsideEdition.com.

Capobianco met Knuff through a prison pen pal program that connected the pair while they separately served time in prison, police said.

Read: Six Weeks After Being Paroled, Convicted Rapist Arrested for Attack on 7-Year-Old Girl: Cops

Knuff had been serving more than 15 years for a myriad of charges, including aggravated robbery with a firearm, safecracking and breaking and entering, officials said. They went on to write each other for about 10 years.

Knuff went back with Capobianco and Mann to Manns home on Nelwood Road in Parma Heights, which Scharschmidt said was under foreclosure and had been the target of several drug and prostitution investigations that ultimately yielded no criminal charges.

By May 11, Mann and Capobianco were dead, officials said.

Both had been stabbed several times in the neck and shoulder, police said.

He put them in a bedroom together, and was still there for approximately a week, living there, Scharschmidt said.

Police discovered the bodies on June 21, nearly a month after Capobiancos sister reported her missing, officials said. It took police several trips to find the remains in the home, which was in such bad shape that it was believed to have been abandoned, Scharschmidt said.

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Read: Woman Allegedly Stabs Date, Planned to Eat His Heart in Mission to Become Serial Killer

Once we determined we should do a very thorough check... we had to move him to get to her, Scharschmidt said of the scenes condition.

A knife believed to have been used in the killings was found at the home, authorities said. Investigators were still working to determine a motive behind the grisly slayings.

Knuff was arrested on May 31 in connection to break-ins at a hair salon and nail salon, where registers were stolen after the businesss front doors were shattered, officials said.

Investigators connected Knuff to the murders on Friday.

He had been cooperative with police but did not provide a motive for the killings and has invoked his right to an attorney, Scharschmidt said.

He made statements to the effect of, shes not who he thought he was, Scharschmidt said. He talked to us about coming forward, [saying], Its self-defense. Nothing points to that.

Knuff pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Monday, where a judge set bond at $25 million for each murder charge, or $50 million.

No attorney information for Knuff was available on Wednesday.

Watch: 'They Threatened Them If They Told:' Inmates Nabbed After Holding Couple Hostage

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Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel Tuesday for what he called a "groundbreaking" first ever visit by an Indian premier, with growing ties between the two countries including billion of dollars in defence deals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials gave Modi a red carpet welcome at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv as he began his three-day visit.

The two leaders embraced heartily and gave brief speeches, pledging to work together on issues including security, agriculture and energy.

"It is my singular honour to be the first ever prime minister of India to undertake this groundbreaking visit to Israel," Modi said.

Netanyahu said "we've been waiting for you a long time. We've been waiting almost 70 years in fact, because yours is truly a historic visit".

Modi later visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and had dinner with Netanyahu at his official residence.

The Indian prime minister called for the two countries to work together to fight extremist violence in remarks after arriving for the dinner.

"We must resolutely oppose the evils of terrorism ... and violence that plague our times," Modi said.

The two leaders are to hold talks on Wednesday.

Israel, constantly searching for allies at the United Nations and for new business partners, has portrayed the visit as a major diplomatic victory.

Israeli analysts have noted that Modi is not scheduled to travel to Ramallah to meet Palestinian leaders during his three-day stay, as is common for visiting dignitaries.

Modi did however meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in New Delhi in May.

India is the world's biggest importer of defence equipment, and Israel has become one of its major suppliers.

Israeli media have reported that the two countries sign defence deals averaging more than $1 billion (880 million euros) a year.

In April, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said India would buy nearly $2 billion worth of weapons technology, making it the military exporting giant's largest ever defence contract.

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The deal will see IAI provide India with an advanced defence system of medium-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and communications technology.

- 'Make with India' -

Modi and Netanyahu also hope to build on cooperation in areas including water and agriculture technology, sectors where Israel has excelled.

India has traditionally voiced its support for Palestinian statehood, long shunning ties with Israel.

But the frost has thawed in recent years, with India seeking closer defence ties -- particularly as it moves away from relying on traditional ally Russia for its military hardware.

Modi's visit marks 25 years since India and Israel established diplomatic relations.

The Hindu nationalist makes the trip after his visit last week to Washington, where he and US President Donald Trump embraced each other as friends, vowing to work more closely on combatting terrorism, the war in Afghanistan and defence cooperation.

While ties with some US allies have been strained by Trump's complaints that Washington has been the loser in trade agreements, Modi appeared sensitive to his host's emphasis on transactional diplomacy.

Modi may find similar common ground with Netanyahu, Israel's longtime right-wing prime minister who hosted Trump in May.

India is currently the world's fastest growing major economy, a status that Modi is hoping to cement by drawing in more foreign investment.

He has sought to do that in part by encouraging manufacturers to do business in Asia's third-largest economy.

Israel's defence deals have included components that will be assembled in India.

"On this visit, your 'make in India' initiative meets my 'make with India' policy," Netanyahu said at the airport ceremony.
By Chris Kenning

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A total of 101 people were shot in Chicago over an unusually violent Fourth of July weekend, leaving at least 14 dead, according to police and local media, as the city continues to grapple with gun crime.

Police officials counted 71 shooting incidents and 14 murders between 6 p.m. CDT on Friday and early Wednesday, according to data provided by police spokesman Frank Giancamilli on Wednesday.

The Chicago Tribune newspaper tallied the total number of victims shot in those incidents at 101 between Friday afternoon and early Wednesday. Police could not immediately provide the number of victims shot.

Gangs were a major source of the violence, Chicago Police First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Chicago police deployed 1,300 additional officers to patrol during the Fourth of July weekend, and had arrested 58 people on drug and gun charges ahead of the holiday in hopes of tamping down violence.

The number of shootings, which police said surged during a six-hour period on Monday night, was higher than in 2013, the last time the Fourth of July weekend spanned four days, when 74 people were shot, according to the Tribune.

The weekend brought the total number of people shot in Chicago this year above 1,800, below the 2,035 recorded at this time last year when violence spiked sharply, the Tribune reported.

The violence came less than a week after President Donald Trump tweeted that gun crime in Chicago had reached "epidemic proportions" and that he would be "sending in Federal help."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions later clarified that federal assistance for the city of 2.7 million will come in the form of the Chicago Crime Gun Strike Force, a collaboration between the police and the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Chicago's ongoing struggles with violence come amid an effort to reform its police department after a federal investigation found officers routinely violated citizens' civil rights and used excessive force and racially discriminatory conduct.

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The Rev. Michael Pfleger, an activist who heads a large African-American Catholic church in Chicago, said in an interview on Wednesday that more needs to be done to address underlying causes of violence such as unemployment, foreclosures, poverty and neighborhood blight.

"And people ask why I am flying the American flag upside down," he wrote on Facebook. "We are safer in Iraq."

(Reporting by Chris Kenning; Editing by Patrick Enright and Lisa Shumaker)
On the day U.S.-backed forces made a major breakthrough in the battle for Islamic State group's (ISIS) operation capital Raqqa, reports said the terror groups poster girl Sally Jones, also known as Mrs. Terror, is desperate to return to the U.K.

This was revealed by the wife of a former ISIS militant who is now living in a refugee camp in Syria, in an interview to Sky News.

The woman, known as Aisha, said of Jones: She was crying and wants to get back to Britain. She told me she wish [sic] to go to her country. 

Aisha said Umma Hussain al Britani, the name adopted by Jones, was distraught and crying as her plea had been denied by ISIS leaders on the basis she considered a military wife.

READ: Who Is Sally Jones?

Jones is originally from from Chatham, Kent, became the leading female recruitment officer for ISIS after moving to Raqqa and marrying a now-dead jihadist in 2004. She is now the most wanted woman in the world after climbing to the top of the CIA assassination list, the Sun reported.

Jones, 47, has remained at large since her husband, ISIS recruit Junaid Hussain, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2015. The couple are thought to have been behind at least a dozen murderous attacks both in the Middle East and abroad.

On September 28, 2015, the United Nations sanctioned Jones as an agent operating on behalf of a terrorist organization, the Mirror reported.

Jones is believed to have enticed scores of would-be European jihadis to join the self-declared caliphate through her influential recruitment network called the "Raqqa 12, the Sun reported. Jones has been attributed with the recruitment and training of young girls in Syria.

The Express quoted a counter extremism website as saying Joness activity online was in line with her role as leader of the secret Anwar al-Awlaki battalion's female wing.

In this role, Jones is responsible for training all European female recruits, or muhajirat, in the use of weapons and tactics. These muhajirat are then trained and instructed to carry out suicide missions in the West, according to leaked ISIS documents, the report cited.

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It was reported her British-born son, 12, was used as a child fighter and encouraged to execute soldiers.

READ: British Boy Among 5 Child Executioners Who Allegedly Shot Dead Atheist Kurd Prisoners

A video released last year by the terror cell showed a British-born executioner named Abu Abdullah al-Britani - believed to be Jones' son Jojo - shooting Kurdish prisoners.

She is also believed to be using Jojo as a human shield, and never travels without him to ward assassination bids from the air, with the U.S. fearing a huge backlash if it killed her young boy, the Sun reported.

Now with the U.S.-backed forces, which launched an offensive to take Raqqa on June 6, almost at the gate of the ISIS bastion, Jones may be finding the walls closing around her, triggering the reported desperate desire to return home.

But a return to the UK wouldnt exactly be a rosy proposition for her, where a likely lifetime prison sentence awaits her, the Express reported.

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Twitter users criticized the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, after she thanked North Korea on Tuesday, in a sarcastic remark, for keeping her occupied with meetings on the Fourth of July holiday. Haleys remark in a tweet posted on her account came as a response to the reclusive nations claims of successfully testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier in the day.

Several Twitter users pointed out Haley was not the only one working on the Fourth of July, and many others were unable to enjoy the holiday with their families and friends.

Read: Russian MP Slams Nikki Haleys Comments On Removing Assad From Power In Syria

Haley also tweeted the U.S., Japan and South Korea called for an open emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council over the Norths ICBM launch. According to CNN, the meeting is likely to happen Wednesday.

North Koreas ICBM Hwasong-14 reportedly flew over 578 miles and reached an altitude of more than 1,741 miles before falling into the Sea of Japan. The U.S. and South Korea had initially said the projectile was an intermediate range ballistic missile. However, Pyongyang claimed otherwise, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed in a statement it was indeed an ICBM.

Haley tweeted Tillersons statement condemning North Koreas latest test. "Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world, Tillerson said in the statement.

"Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime," he said, calling for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He further stated the U.S. "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea."

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After Tuesdays launch, President Donald Trump also took to Twitter to criticize the North and its leader. North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!

North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday the countrys leader Kim Jong Un told "officials, scientists and technicians that the U.S. would be displeased to witness the DPRK's strategic option as it was given a package of gifts incurring its disfavor by the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] on its Independence Day." He called on them to frequently send big and small gift packages to the Yankees so that they would not feel weary.

Read: US Will Not Allow Palestinian Authority Official To Hold Top UN Post, Nikki Haley Says

He stressed that the DPRK would neither put its nukes and ballistic rockets on the table of negotiations in any case nor flinch even an inch from the road of bolstering the nuclear force chosen by itself unless the U.S. hostile policy and nuclear threat to the DPRK are definitely terminated, the KCNA report stated.

North Korea has previously warned the U.S. and South Korea it would launch its ICBM, which is capable of reaching the mainland U.S. However, experts at the time dismissed the threats.

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China and Russia have called on the US and one of its key allies to freeze large scale military exercises in an attempt to cool tensions, after North Korea test-fired a missile it claimed could hit America.

The two countries joined diplomatic forces to demand North Korea suspend its ballistic missile programme and for the US and South Korea to agree to put off military exercises, that have heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula.

After months of sabre-rattling from Donald Trumps administration and a series of defiant weapons tests by Pyongyang, North Korea claimed it had successfully fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time, which flew a trajectory some experts said that could eventually allow a weapon to hit the US state of Alaska. The test came days after Mr Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met in Washington to discuss further sanctions against its northern neighbour, and the US President said the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed.

US media said US officials believed the test was of an ICBM, while the US also requested an urgent UN Security Council session to discuss the launch.

Rodong statement in Korean pic.twitter.com/5QdsShaSnp  Dave Schmerler (@DaveSchmerler) July 4, 2017

North Korean state television said the test of the Hwasong-14, which took place early Tuesday morning local time, was overseen by leader Kim Jong-un. It said the projectile had reached an altitude of 1,731 miles and flew for 39 minutes before hitting a target in the sea.

It said North Korea was now a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most powerful inter-continental ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world.

Experts said the capabilities of the missile remained unclear - with some disgreement over the potential range of the missile - but said it marked a potential milestone in North Koreas efforts to project its nuclear capability.

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David Wright, of the Global Security Programme at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said if the reports were true, the missile would have a maximum range of around roughly 4,160 miles on a standard trajectory. That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska, he said in a blog post.

Karl Dewey, an analyst with Janes Information Group, said a successful development of an ICBM by North Korea, would give decision-makers in Washington reason to pause for thought before deciding to strike the communist regime.

Some have suggested the missile could even travel further, if launched in an easterly direction given the Earths rotation. This would technically enable North Korea to target not just all of Alaska, but a small part of northwestern Canada.

Jean Lee of Wilson Centre in Washington said the latest test was cause for people to be worried. Test-firing a ballistic missile just days after the Trump-Moon summit, where the two leaders discussed tightening sanctions against North Korea, is Pyongyangs way of sending a message of defiance to the US and South Korean leaders, she said.

Its also strategic: if the US and South Korea are going to step up sanctions, North Korea will certainly move faster in getting its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as far along as they can before any negotiations on a freeze or dismantlement.

Efforts by Russia and China to ease tensions was set out in a joint statement from the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries, issued shortly after President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in the Kremlin.

The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries, it said. Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way.

Mr Trump and South Korean Moon Jae-in discussed options for more sanctions on North Korea (AP)

The statement said Washington was using North Korea as a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the area.

On Tuesday, Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said the US was working with interagency partners on a detailed assessment of the launch.

On Monday night, Mr Trump had written on social media: North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea.

Mr Trump was warned by Barack Obama in one of their final conversations before he took office, that dealing with the threat of North Korea would be one of his most pressing challenges as president. Mr Trump has been seeking to push China, which has traditionally exercised influence over North Korea, to do more to get it to halt its missile tests.

In recent weeks, however, the President appears to have grown frustrated over Chinas lukewarm attitude. In a phone call on Sunday night, Mr Trump is said to have told Mr Xi, during what was described as a cordial conversation, that the US was prepared to act on its own if Beijing was unwilling.

He later wrote on Twitter: Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all.

Mr Trump is due to meet both Mr Xi and Mr Putin during the G20 in Germany this week.

Japan said on Monday it would have a trilateral summit with the United States and South Korea on North Korea at the G20. Its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called on Tuesday for calm and restraint, and reiterated China's opposition to North Korea's violation of U.N. resolutions on missile tests.

Responding to Trump's tweet, Mr Geng said China had been working hard to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

China's role is indispensable, he told a daily news briefing. We hope all sides can meet each other half way.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, two since the beginning of last year, as well as a number of rocket tests. The pace of missile tests has risen significantly, with the country's regime saying it needs to develop its weapons in the face of what it sees as US aggression, with tests often conducted to showing its defiance when it sees regional powers getting ready for talks or sanctions.
(SEOUL)  North Korea conducted what may be its most successful missile test yet on Tuesday, firing an intermediate-range weapon that could be powerful enough to reach Alaska. Its Pyongyangs latest step in a push for nuclear weapons capable of hitting any part of the United States.

While some details are still unclear, the launch seems designed to send a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, even as it allows North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program. It came on the eve of the U.S. Independence Day holiday, days after the first face-to-face meeting of the leaders of South Korea and the United States, and ahead of a global summit of the worlds richest economies.

Officials say the missile fired from North Phyongan province, in the Norths western region, flew for about 40 minutes, which would be longer than any other similar tests previously reported, and covered about 930 kilometers (580 miles). South Korean analysts say its likely that it was a retest of one of two intermediate-range missiles launched earlier this year.

Once U.S. missile scientist, David Wright, estimated that the missile, if the reported time and distance are correct, could have a possible maximum range of 6,700 kilometers (4,160 miles), which could put Alaska in its range if fired at a normal trajectory.

North Korea has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles, but is still trying to perfect its longer-range missiles. Some analysts believe North Korea has the technology to arm its short-range missiles with nuclear warheads, but its unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile. It has yet to test an ICBM, though it has previously conducted long-range satellite launches that critics say are covers meant to test missile technology.

President Donald Trump responded on Twitter: North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!

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This guy presumably refers to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. China is North Koreas economic lifeline and only major ally, and the Trump administration is pushing Beijing to do more to push the North toward disarmament.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga suggested the altitude of this missile might have been higher than earlier tests. He did not give further details, including the distance of the flight and where the missile landed.

Just last week South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump met for the first time and vowed to oppose North Koreas development of atomic weapons.

Japans government said the missile was believed to have landed in Japans exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, but no damage to ships or aircraft in the area was reported.

Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sharply criticized North Korea for the launch. The latest launch clearly showed that the threat is growing, Abe said.

Abe, who talked by phone with Trump on Monday, said the two leaders plan to seek cooperation from world leaders when they attend a G20 summit in Germany.

Lee Illwoo, a Seoul-based military commentator, said the missile traveled for a far longer period of time than if it would have been fired at a normal angle. A North Korean scud-type missile, with a range of 800-900 kilometers, would land in its target site within 10 minutes if fired at a standard angle of 45 degrees. Lee said its likely that North Korea fired either Hwasong-12 missile or a solid-fuel Pukguksong-2, both of which were tested in May.

On May 14, North Korea launched the Hwasong-12 missile, which its state media later said flew as high as 2,111 kilometers (1,310 miles) and landed in a targeted area in the ocean about 787 kilometers (490 miles) from the launch site. On May 21, North Korea also tested the Pukguksong-2, which traveled about 500 kilometers (310 miles).

Chinas U.N. ambassador, Liu Jieyi, warned Monday that further escalation of already high tensions with North Korea risks getting out of control, and the consequences would be disastrous.

The Korean Peninsula has been divided between the American-backed South and the authoritarian North since before the 1950-53 Korean War. Almost 30,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.

Tuesdays launch is the first by the North since a June 8 test of a new type of cruise missile that Pyongyang says is capable of striking U.S. and South Korean warships at will.

Since taking office on May 10, Moon has tried to improve strained ties with North Korea, but the North has continued its missile tests. Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons and powerful missiles to cope with what it calls rising U.S. military threats.

___

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday called North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch test a "clear and sharp military escalation" and said that US military action remained on the table.

She also warned China and other countries supporting North Korea that the US could halt trade with them if they do not stop aiding the Pyongyang regime.

"The US is prepared to use the full range of our capabilities to defend ourselves and our allies," Haley said. "One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

Haley said "the world is on notice" at a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea's first ICBM launch, calling for an "escalated diplomatic and economic response" and warning countries not to water down resolutions against Pyongyang.

"There are countries that are allowing, even encouraging, trade with North Korea in violation of UN Security Council resolutions," Haley said. "Such countries would also like to continue their trade arrangements with the United States. That's not going to happen."

Haley called out China specifically, noting that 90% of North Korea's trade is with China.

"Much of the burden of enforcing UN sanctions rests with China," she said. "We will work with China ... but we will not repeat the inadequate approaches of the past that have brought us to this dark day."

On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump tweeted, "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"

Wednesday's UN Security Council meeting came in response to North Korea's first ICBM test, which US officials assess was a new kind of missile that had a range of about 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles), capable of hitting Alaska.

Haley's warnings did not appear to convince Russia or China, however, who are pushing their own plan for North Korea to stop testing ballistic missiles while the US and South Korea stop joint training exercises, known as a "freeze for freeze" proposal to get North Korea back to the negotiating table.

Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Vladimir Safronkov also disputed whether the test was in fact an ICBM -- the range is right on the 5,500 kilometer line that's the minimum for an ICBM -- and said sanctions are not the solution.

"Sanctions cannot be a political cure-all," Safronkov said.

Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi, who is president of the Security Council, did not address the question of sanctions at the meeting. He criticized North Korea for launching an ICBM but also was critical of the US and South Korea for deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system, or THAAD, in South Korea.

Liu said the THAAD deployment "seriously undermines the strategic security interests" of China and was "not conducive" to de-nuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

Before the meeting, Liu was asked by reporters whether there should be additional sanctions imposed on North Korea, and he said it should be up to Council members, without taking a position himself.

CNN's Matt Abshire contributed to this report
By Elias Biryabarema GBARI, Uganda (Reuters) - Men wearing South Sudanese military uniforms have launched two raids on a hamlet over the border in Uganda in recent weeks, residents said, stealing cattle and raising fears that a near four-year-old conflict is spreading. The gunmen also tried to seize refugees from Gbari in the first reported attacks on Ugandan soil since the start of South Sudan's civil war, locals told Reuters. "I am afraid, they may come ... and burn all the houses," said Martin Koma, 44, from the village. South Sudan's army denied any involvement. But the reports will alarm regional and world powers, struggling to contain ethnically-charged killings and atrocities that the U.N. has warned could lead to genocide. South Sudanese gunmen have already killed and kidnapped hundreds in cross-border raids in Ethiopia. Koma said about 26 gunmen attacked Gbari on the morning of June 17, identifying themselves as South Sudanese military and taking 108 cattle. Three days later, a second group attacked and arrested two South Sudanese refugees living in the village. "One ran away, the second one because ... he looks like Dinka, they left him," Koma said. The military is dominated by the Dinka, the president's ethnic group. Koma said the gunmen were very hostile to the first man, from South Sudan's minority Kuku tribe, before he got away. Ugandan military spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire confirmed the raids on Gbari, without commenting on who carried them out. South Sudan's military denied involvement, saying is had received no complaint from Uganda and that the gunmen could have been anyone wearing South Sudanese uniforms. "This is untrue," military spokesman Colonel Santo Domic Chol told Reuters. "This is completely negative propaganda by somebody ... trying to tarnish the image of the (military)." ATROCITIES U.N. bodies and rights groups have accused both Sudan's army and the rebel groups it is fighting of atrocities in the conflict that erupted just two years after South Sudan declared independence from Sudan. Fighting started spreading in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, fired his vice president and long-term rival, Riek Machar, a Nuer. The explosion of ethnic violence that followed has uprooted nearly a quarter of the country's population of 12 million, creating the biggest refugee crisis since the genocide in Rwanda, another of Uganda's neighbors. Nearly a million South Sudanese have fled to neighboring Uganda, many from minority tribes. Ugandan authorities have tightened security at refugee camps in recent days, fearing armed groups could try and abduct refugees from rival ethnic groups, police said. "We have increased our intelligence and security alertness ... because of signs some bad elements could want to cause insecurity in the camps," said Musiho Abubakar, the police commander in Uganda's northwestern Yumbe district. Last month, Ugandan soldiers shot a South Sudanese man they suspected of plotting to harm refugees, a security source in Yumbe said. Yumbe hosts Bidi Bidi camp, a sprawling, semi-arid stretch of red, stony earth home to 270,000 South Sudanese refugees. The man entered Uganda via a border village near Gbari, said officials. Locals reported him to the military on June 22. Ugandan soldiers confronted him, but "instead of raising his hands, he wanted to pick a pistol from his pocket, then UPDF (Ugandan soldiers) shot him," the source said. A medical official said the man had been taken to a health center in Yumbe town with an injured arm. Police and soldiers were guarding him, the official said. Reuters could not reach him for comment. "He was planning to come ... and start killing government enemies one by one," the security source said, without going into further details. Karemire confirmed the incident, saying that the armed man had described himself as a South Sudanese brigadier general, though his own investigations indicated he was a lieutenant. South Sudanese military spokesman Chol denied any knowledge of the man. (Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Burberrys pop-up store in London Heathrow airport is a popular destination for travelers waiting for their flights. The installation runs until August 7. (Photo: Courtesy of Burberry)

The modern mall has seen better days, but you wouldnt know that looking at airport shopping centers.

Airports are a bright spot in what is otherwise frequently called the retail apocalypse, with luxury retailers cashing in on shoppers stuck in one location with hours to kill and cash to burn. Airport shopping isnt just about duty-free cosmetics and booze anymore. For wealthy travelers, its about casually adding a Chanel Gabrielle bag to your carry-on luggage, and Londons Heathrow Airport is a growing destination for this kind of cash throw down.

In addition to dozens of luxury stores at Heathrow, the transportation hub launched its Personal Shopper service in October, where more than one million VIP travelers have put one of 24 stylists to work pulling apparel and accessories for them while they wait in one of Heathrows VIP lounges. Celebrities and fashionistas like model Lily Aldridge have documented their travels through the VIP lounges on Instagram  and the popularity and prestige of these airport areas seems to be on the up and up.

Quick stop at Heathrow  Follow my travels on SnapChat #LilyMaud A post shared by Lily Aldridge (@lilyaldridge) on Jun 2, 2016 at 6:27am PDT

Airport damage  @cathaypacific #LifeWellTravelled A post shared by Rosie Fortescue (@rosiefortescue) on Mar 1, 2017 at 8:57am PST

A spokesperson for Heathrows VIP service said that on average, shoppers using the service spend more than $3,400, and the most expensive purchase made at once in the personal shopping lounge amounted to $59,839 for three Rolexes and three Tudor watches, purchased by a Chinese businessman.

At Heathrow, Arab and Chinese shoppers account for a lot of big purchases, most of which are from Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Cartier. But in the last year, Heathrow shoppers have flooded one store in particular: Gucci.

Blake Henke, a 30-year-old software manager from Florida, didnt spend quite as much as that Chinese businessman, but he did make a recent purchase of his own while waiting at Heathrow during a layover. Perusing the airports stores, Henke spent $200 at Heathrows Thomas Pink shop, and says if hed had more time, he could have easily shopped more.

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Flying through Heathrow more than six times in the last four years, Henke says its stores are definitely better than those in U.S. airports, adding that Romes Leonardo da VinciFiumicino airport also has great shopping. (Like Heathrow, Romes airport has a personal shopper service for travelers interested in buying from designer stores like Fendi and Max Mara.)

In the U.S., it seems to be primarily touristy knick knack stores or else youve got the 58 magazine/book stores, Henke says. Heathrow was different though, it felt like an actual mall so I ended up just wandering through a few stores and picking up a few items that caught my eye.

Luxury retailers like Burberry are taking note, the English brand known for its check print and iconic trench coats launching its own Heathrow pop-up, replete with a full-size hot air balloon, until August 7. While youre shopping at the pop-up, you can also create a personalized Burberry post card.

More travelers through Heathrow means a bigger incentives for brand names to literally set up shop. Analysts expect more than 76 million passengers to pass through Heathrow airport this year, a million more than previously estimated, and airport spending across the world totaled $38 billion in 2016, a number expected to grow 27 percent in the next few years.

Henke puts it best. Targeting airport shoppers is a brilliant idea. Theres a lot of disposable income walking past those store fronts.

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Alexandra Mondalek is a writer for Yahoo Style + Beauty. Follow her on Twitter @amondalek.






UFC fighter Ronda Rouseys engagement to fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne was nearly stopped by a burglary. Rousey visited Live With Kelly and Ryan and explained that her fiance planned to propose under a waterfall in New Zealand. After some heavy rainfall, Brownes planned words quickly turned into bullet points, Were in New Zealand. Were under a waterfall. Will you marry me?

However, the real problems started much earlier. Browne was going to ask Rouseys mother for permission to propose. Rousey explained, We were going to leave to the airport and he was going to sneak away and ask my mom for permission, and when we got to the house we realized we were robbed.

Sadly, many of their valuables were taken, but the engagement ring was safe. Luckily, their house had security cameras. So Rousey and Browne were able to find the people who crossed two UFC fighters and hand them over to the police.

Watch: I Was So Nervous, Josh Duhamel on His First Speaking Role with Elizabeth Banks

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and China joined diplomatic forces on Tuesday and called on North Korea, South Korea and the United States to sign up to a Chinese de-escalation plan designed to defuse tensions around Pyongyang's missile program. The plan would see North Korea suspend its ballistic missile program and the United States and South Korea simultaneously call a moratorium on large-scale missile exercises, both moves aimed at paving the way for multilateral talks. The initiative was set out in a joint statement from the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries issued shortly after President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held wide-ranging talks in the Kremlin. "The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries," the joint statement said. "Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way." North Korea said on Tuesday it had successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time, which flew a trajectory that experts said could allow a weapon to hit the U.S. state of Alaska. Russia and China both share a land border with North Korea and have been involved in past efforts to try to calm tensions between Pyongyang and the West. Moscow and Beijing used the same joint declaration to call on Washington to immediately halt deployment of its THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea, a move Washington says is necessitated by the North Korean missile threat. The statement said Washington was using North Korea as a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the area. "The deployment ... of THAAD will cause serious harm to the strategic security interests of regional states, including Russia and China," the statement said. "Russia and China oppose the deployment of such systems and call on the relevant countries to immediately halt and cancel the process of deployment." (Reporting by Denis Dyomkin/Vladimir Soldatkin/Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Moscow (AFP) - Russia and China on Tuesday called for a simultaneous freeze on North Korean nuclear and missile tests and military exercises by the United States as tensions ratcheted up on the peninsula.

"The two sides propose that the DPRK (North Korea) as a voluntary political decision declares a moratorium on testing nuclear explosive devices and ballistic rocket launches, and the US and South Korea refrain from carrying out large-scale joint exercises," their foreign ministries said in a joint statement.

"Parallel to this the opposing sides should start negotiations and affirm general principles of their relations including the non-use of force, rejection of aggression and peaceful coexistence," the statement said.

The joint statement issued after a meeting between leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Moscow followed an announcement by North Korea that it had test fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The claim could be a watershed moment in Pyongyang's push to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the mainland United States -- although Moscow and Washington cast doubt on the claim it was a long-range missile.

The test sparked a Twitter outburst from US President Donald Trump who urged North Korea's closest ally China to act to "end this nonsense once and for all".

In their joint statement Russia and China condemned the missile test announcement as "unacceptable" and urged against "any statements or actions that could lead to an increase in tensions".

China has previously called for a "dual track" approach of "suspension for suspension" that would see North Korea and the US ease up on tensions, and now Russia has added its weight to the plan.
The brother of Singapore's prime minister Tuesday accused him of lying in parliament about the final wishes of their father, revered founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, the latest instalment of an explosive family feud.

Lee Hsien Yang accused Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 65, of falsely telling parliament Monday that their late father had been open to reconsidering plans to demolish a century-old family bungalow.

The unprecedented row has shocked a tightly-controlled nation unused to divisions among the elite. During a second day of debates in the legislature, the premier said the dispute was "not a soap opera" and called on Singaporeans not to be distracted by it.

The house is at the centre of a political drama that has simmered since the 2015 death of the elder Lee, and which has played out in public, with the premier and his siblings exchanging barbs on social media.

The patriarch had wanted the bungalow destroyed after he passed away to prevent the creation of a personality cult.

But the prime minister's siblings say their brother is attempting to block the house's demolition to capitalise on their father's legacy for his own political agenda, including grooming his own son as a future leader.

"(Lee Hsien Loong) has made convoluted, but ultimately false, claims about Lee Kuan Yew's wishes," Hsien Yang, a former brigadier general in the armed forces who now heads the city-state's civil aviation authority, said in a Facebook post Tuesday, which was shared by his sister Wei Ling, 62, a top neurologist.

The dispute burst into the open last month when the PM's brother and sister launched attacks on Facebook, which quickly went viral.

In Monday's speech, the prime minister said that despite a "demolition clause" governing the house in his final will, his father was "prepared to consider alternatives", and had even approved renovation plans should the government decide against tearing down the building.

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However Hsien Yang, 60, said that his father had been misled by the prime minister into agreeing to the renovation, with the elder Lee made to believe the house had been listed as a national monument so could not be torn down -- a claim of which the founding leader's lawyer had found no evidence.

The premier told parliament, which is dominated by his ruling People's Action Party, that "I did not deceive my father" but he and his siblings disagreed on whether the elder Lee was ready to consider alternatives for the house.

Lee Kuan Yew, the countrys authoritarian first prime minister, ruled Singapore from 1959 to 1990. Many credit the family patriarch with turning Singapore from a poor former British colony into one of the worlds wealthiest and most stable societies.
There is now a chocolate you can snort. But should you do it? (Photo: Pixabay via Pexels)

Chocolate is basically a gift from the food heavens. AmIright?

Not only that, but weve used it to clear up coughs, slathered it on our skin, and have learned it could lower our chances of a fatal heart disorder.

But even though chocolate is basically life and you can literally never have too much, were a little concerned about the latest version  because now theres a chocolate you can snort.

Wait, what?

Coco Loko is a chocolate powder from a company called Legal Lean, and its made specifically for people to snort.

The unusual product contains cacao powder, as well as gingko biloba, taurine, and guarana, which are commonly found in energy drinks. Its supposed to boost your levels of serotonin and endorphins, increase euphoria, and help users to focus.

The company claims Coco Loko results in an endorphin rush which mimics a runners high, and that it can produce a euphoric energy similar to the feeling of Ecstasy.

The product is marketed to people looking to party and who want an extra shot of energy.

Makers claim Coco Loko gives a euphoric type feeling [Photo: Coco Loko/Legal Lean]

Makers claim Coco Loko gives a euphoric type feeling.(Photo: Coco Loko/Legal Lean)

Nick Anderson, the 29-year-old founder of Legal Lean, told The Washington Post that hed heard about a chocolate-snorting trend in Europe, so ordered a sample to give it a try.

At first, I was like, Is this a hoax? he recalled. And then I tried it and it was like, okay, this is the future right here.

But doctors are a bit unsure about the potential side effects of the chocolate powder, which hit U.S. shelves last month and is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

We dont know what it does to the nose, Dr. Toby Steele, and ENT-otolaryngologist with University of California, told ABC10.

He warned that in general, anything going up the nose other than nasal saline can damage mucus membranes, which help trap bacteria and other harmful particles entering the nostrils.

The nose could also become irritated or blocked, and Steele is also concerned there could be a risk of losing your sense of smell.

Yeah, we think well stick to our unicorn hot chocolate, thanks.

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Prom is a special occasion that teens long for throughout their entire high school careers. Gabi Dunn of Canada couldnt wait to share the fun night with her boyfriend. She picked out a gorgeous dress and did her hair and makeup, and then the traditional prom photos followed. However, just two days after the big day her boyfriend broke up with her.

My boyfriend and I broke up a few days after prom, so I decided to "edit" the photos a little @VancityReynolds pic.twitter.com/Ecvn5Wkgb4  Gabi Dunn (@gabidunn99) July 4, 2017

I didnt want to waste my prom photos, so I just Photoshopped Ryan Reynolds in, Dunn tells Yahoo Style.

After dating for just fourth months, Dunn and her boyfriend went their separate ways. But she wasnt about to let that ruin her stylish photos.

I kind of have a huge love for Ryan Reynolds, and I wasnt totally feeling myself on prom day, so I wanted to post my look, she says. Who could be a better prom date than him?

The teen plans on traveling to China soon and moving to Toronto from a city suburb next year.

It was a bad breakup, but Im totally enjoying this now, she says.

The best part? Reynolds responded  and included a hashtag that should serve Gabi in all her future endeavors.

We should photoshop me over his yearbook picture next. #DontMessWithGabi https://t.co/o0qFBXvSNi  Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) July 6, 2017

However, despite the actor warning #DontMessWithGabi, her ex-boyfriend couldnt help but join in on the conversation.

jokes on you now im not going to see deadpool 2, my 11$ is going to @KevinHart4real pic.twitter.com/CcMILHA32J  Jeff Bright (@JeffBright20) July 6, 2017

Dunn is not the only teen Photoshopping her ex out of her prom pic and replacing him with a celebrity crush.

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my ex found a pic from prom and i allowed her to photoshop me out this is what she does pic.twitter.com/yWk3sDvjca  Brandon Matos (@Bran_Da_Don_) May 2, 2017

When you and your prom date break up just after prom so you photoshop @LeoDiCaprio instead. #Throwback pic.twitter.com/jnfxin7jAk  jen  (@itsjenniferbell) November 22, 2015

Isabel did a better photoshop than I did with my prom picture, and this one is 10x better. pic.twitter.com/jsSWXAkXHl  clarita bobita (@claration_) December 19, 2014

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A word to the wise: If youre going to rob someones house, youre better off choosing one that doesnt belong to one of the greatest MMA champions to ever step into the Octagon.

Making a recent appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Ronda Rousey revealed the home she shares with her fiance and fellow UFC fighter, Travis Browne, had been robbed. The couple was preparing to fly out to New Zealand earlier in the year when they returned to their house and discovered it had been ransacked.

(The crooks) stole my Olympic rings, stole my guns, stole all my precious jewelry, every headphone in the house, credit cards, Rousey shared in the video below.

Rousey, as you no doubt would have guessed, was less than thrilled with the turn of events, but it was Browne who simply refused to let the police handle the investigation. As Rousey explained, their house in Venice, California, is right across the street from a famous skate park. After taking a look at the security cameras, Browne knew what had to be done.

We saw that they were a bunch of kids with skateboards, Rousey said. So my mans 6-7 like 260 (pounds). He like beelines it straight to the skateboard park, finds the guys right away. Hes smart enough not to (hit them), well get sued pretty hard, but he found the police right then and they caught them.

Discovering that your home had just been robbed is a tough pill to swallow, but as Rousey explains, the timing couldnt have been worse.

He (Browne) was going to sneak away and go ask my mom for permission (to get engaged), and then right when we got to the house we realized we were robbed, Rousey said. Someone had been squatting in my house for like three days, sleeping in my bed.

They knew it was my house. Theres no way you cant not know its my house. What little punks.
Amid the ongoing Indo-China border standoff, the Global Times, a government-run Chinese media outlet, published an opinion piece Wednesday reminding India of the 1962 war between the two countries. It also talked about teaching New Delhi a bitter lesson.

The editorial said India would suffer greater losses than it did in 1962, if it incited conflict. Referring to a comment by Indias Defense Minister Arun Jaitely, the report said, Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962  India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts.

READ: India Budget 2017: Defense Spending Up 10 Percent Amid Pakistan, China Disputes

The current border standoff between the two countries in a disputed region in Bhutan has continued for more than 20 days. The controversy began when India opposed Chinas plan to extend a border road through a disputed plateau which Bhutan recognizes as Doklam, while China claims it's a part of its Donglang region.

Last week, India issued a statement that the Chinese road building action was in violation of a 2012 agreement requiring trilateral consultation.

Commenting on the standoff, the editorial also stated, We firmly believe that the face-off in the Donglang area will end up with the Indian troops in retreat. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers. The two nations fought a brief but bitter war in 1962. Border disputes in several areas like Aksai Chin, Depsang Plains and some areas in the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, have remained unresolved following the war. The Depsang Plains are located on the border of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and the disputed zone of Aksai Chin.

READ: India, Vietnam In Talks Over Akash Missile System Amid South China Sea Tensions

India and Bhutan have historically maintained strong relations. The Indian Army is involved in training the Royal Bhutan Army, while Bhutan cooperates closely with India in determining its foreign policy.

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India has expressed concern that the road, if completed, would make it easier for China to access India's northeastern states. In the event of a conflict, India fears this would help China cut off its northeast from the rest of the country. The foreign ministry of India issued a statement June 30 saying the construction "would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India," BBC reported.

However, according to the Chinese officials, Indian border guards have obstructed "normal activities" on the Chinese side by opposing the road construction. Reports suggest both India and China rushed their troops to the region as the standoff began. China also retaliated by stopping 57 Indian pilgrims, who were on their way to the Manas Sarovar Lake  a Hindu pilgrim site in Tibet via the Nathu La pass in India's northeastern state of Sikkim. Both countries have signed a formal agreement to allow the pilgrims to visit the holy site.

In a formal statement issued June 29, Bhutan also accused China of constructing a road inside Bhutanese territory and called it a direct violation of its territorial treaty obligations. China, which does not have formal diplomatic ties with Bhutan, denied the allegations about violating any treaties. "Doklam has been a part of China since ancient times. It does not belong to Bhutan, still less India," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Wedneday.

"China's construction of road in Doklam is an act of sovereignty on its own territory. It is completely justified and lawful, and others have no right to interfere, the statement further read. The region also saw clashes between China and India in 1967. The fact that Tibet's spiritual leader Dalai Lama resides in India has also been a sticking point between the two countries.

India and China share a border that extends 2,174 miles.

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If the two sides keep expanding their common interests, that could be far more devastating to the United States long-term interests than Kim and his missile

Xi and Trump share the quixotic desire for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The similarities basically end there. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters

In a dramatic change, the most shocking response to North Koreas 3 July missile test  which some analysts think demonstrates Pyongyangs ability to strike Alaska or Hawaii with a ballistic missile  came not from Donald Trump, but from Beijing and Moscow.



Trumps Twitter response to the launch contained his typical combination of bluster, insult and prodding. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life, Trump said on 3 July, probably referring to the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding, perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!

By a happy coincidence for the two countries, the launch occurred during Xi Jinpings visit to Moscow. Hours before the launch, the Chinese Communist party secretary told Russian media that Sino-Russian strategic ties are at the best point in history, and the launch offered the two sides an occasion to demonstrate their closeness.



In a joint statement, China and Russias foreign ministries warned the situation on the Korean peninsula was so tense it could lead to an armed conflict. And it chastised the relevant parties  Trump, as well as Kim  to refrain from provocative actions and warlike remarks.



The striking thing about their statement is not only the language  mild when compared with Trumps tweets, but surprisingly strident from Chinas normally staid foreign ministry  but that Moscow and Beijing took the unusual step of issuing one together.

Since coming to power following the death of his father in December 2011, Kim has increased the frequency of his isolated nations missile tests, nuclear tests and provocations. Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has claimed the White House will discard Barack Obamas policy of strategic patience: inaction coupled with regional diplomacy and sanctions.



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And yet, as North Koreas military capabilities have grown over the last six months, Trump has neglected to announce a new, concrete strategy for dealing with North Korea. One thing he has done, however, may have more dangerous strategic consequences for the US: his bungling North Korea strategy has helped pushed Beijing closer to Moscow.

There are two main reasons why this has happened. The first is that Trumps public pressure on Beijing highlights how Chinas strategic goals for the Hermit Kingdom overlap with Russias  and how they differ from the United States. Xi and Trump share the quixotic desire for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and the equally unrealistic wish for Kim to act with more predictability and restraint.

The similarities basically end there. Washington wants the peninsula unified under Seoul. Moscow and Beijing both appreciate North Koreas existence as a buffer state between their countries and the democratic, western-leaning South Korea, which houses roughly 29,500 US troops. While North Koreas largest northern border is with China, it also shares an important border with Russia.

In pushing for sanctions, Washington wants to economically strangle North Korea. Beijing and Moscow prefer economic engagement. In late January, Russia and North Korea reportedly discussed expanding rail links between the two nations, and in March, Moscow expanded a guest worker program that brings North Korean laborers to Russia.



Chinas trade with North Korea in the first quarter of 2017 reportedly grew an astonishing 37.4% from the same period last year. Indeed, the natural overlap is so striking that in a May 2017 speech, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China and Russia share a highly consistence stance on the Korean peninsula.

These shared interests played into the two sides decision to issue a joint statement. In their statement, they called on Pyongyang to halt its missile and nuclear tests, and for the United States and South Korea to stop its large-scale military exercise  which Washington says is defensive, but Pyongyang sees as preparation for an invasion.

The second way Trumps North Korea policy pushes Beijing closer to Moscow concerns Trumps stance towards Chinas sovereignty. Each time Trump publicly asks, cajoles, or threatens Beijing about North Korea, he implies a lack of respect for Xis rule.



Moreover, Beijing has long seen North Korea as a client state: it will not allow the United States to dictate Beijings foreign policy strategy towards its neighbor. Each time Trump publicly broaches the issue, it raises the costs for Xi to gracefully yield.

There is less ambiguity between China and its northern neighbor: though Moscow sometimes resents it, Russia is clearly the junior partner in the relationship. Instead of finding common cause with Washington in the wake of Pyongyangs latest test, Beijing turned to Moscow.

The reasons for an improvement of Sino-Soviet ties extend beyond North Korea. Despite Russian President Vladmir Putins bizarrely warm relationship with Trump, both Moscow and Beijing find the American-led international framework problematic: they seek to expand their influence over or subvert current international institutions, while at the same time creating alternative ones. Both countries resent US meddling in Syria.



And theyve recently improved military relations  Beijing recently purchased Russian high-tech military equipment, and the two sides have expanded the geographic scope of Sino-Russian military exercises according to a March 2017 US government report. Yes, the report adds, policy differences and mutual distrust mean a near-term military alliance is unlikely.



In the 1950s, the last time Beijing and Moscow were this close, the Soviet Unions global reach threatened the United States  but China was shambolic, and desperately poor. Now, China is the worlds second-most influential country, while Russia maintains its status as regional power.



If the two sides keep expanding their common interests, that could be far more devastating to the United States long-term interests than Kim and his missiles.
(WASHINGTON)  President Donald Trump criticized North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after that countrys latest missile launch, asking, Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?

Trump wrote on Twitter late Monday that its Hard to believe that South Korea  and Japan will put up with this much longer.

And he urged North Koreas biggest ally, China, to put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!

South Korean officials said early Tuesday that North Korea had launched another ballistic missile toward Japan, part of a string of recent test-firings as the North works to build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the United States.

For its part, North Korea claimed to have tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile. But its declaration conflicted with South Korean and U.S. assessments earlier.

The U.S. Defense Department said U.S. Pacific Command detected and tracked the launch of a land-based, intermediate range ballistic missile from North Koreas Panghyon Airfield. The missile was tracked for 37 minutes and landed in the Sea of Japan.

A test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, if confirmed, would be a major step forward in developing a nuclear-armed missile that could reach the United States.

Shortly before Trumps tweets, the White House said he had been briefed on the South Korean report.

The missile launch comes as the Trump administration has displayed increasing frustration with Chinas reluctance to put more pressure on North Korea. Last week, the U.S. blacklisted a small Chinese bank over its business ties with North Korea.

The White House said Trump brought up the North Korean missile program during a phone call Sunday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that some negative factors are hurting U.S.-China relations.

The New York Times, citing anonymous administration officials, reported Monday that Trump told Xi the U.S. was ready to act on its own against North Korea.

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A senior U.S. official told foreign policy experts last week that the U.S. has made clear to China that Chinese banks and companies conducting business with Pyongyang will face sanctions if there is no movement on North Koreas nuclear activities, a participant in the meeting told The Associated Press. The individual wasnt authorized to speak publicly on the matter and asked that his name and that of the senior official be withheld.

___

Associated Press writer Bradley Klapper contributed to this report.
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said it was time for China to take decisive action against North Korea after Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile launch, urging Beijing to "end this nonsense once and for all".

"Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" Trump said late Monday, referring to his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-Un after South Korea's military reported that a ballistic missile had come down in the Sea of Japan. The US military also confirmed the launch.

"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," he wrote on Twitter.

"Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

The missile launch, which authorities in Seoul said was fired from a site near Panghyon in North Phyongan province, came only days after Trump hosted South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In at the White House.

Trump has been urging China -- North Korea's closest diplomatic ally -- to pressure the Pyongyang regime to put the brakes on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

But he recently declared that China's efforts had "not worked out," without spelling out what his administration planned to do so as a result.

Trump however told Chinese President Xi Jinping in an earlier phone call that the US military is prepared to take unilateral action against North Korea, the New York Times reported late Monday.

The Times, quoting unnamed senior administration officials, said the warning was delivered late Sunday in what the newspaper described as "a cordial but blunt" phone call.

Trump no longer believes that China will dramatically change its policy towards North Korea, officials told The Times.

A series of US moves and China's angry responses have marked a reversal from the friendly tone the two leaders struck when they met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in April.

Trump infuriated Beijing last week by approving 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.
Ankara (AFP) - The United States is set to lift a ban on carrying large electronic devices, such as laptops, in the cabin of US-bound flights from Turkey's main international airport, Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said on Tuesday.

Arslan was quoted by state-run news agency Anadolu as saying the ban would be lifted on July 5 following a visit by a US delegation.

Its removal would come after Turkey began using highly sophisticated tomography devices for X-ray and ultrasound at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, he said.

US officials are to inspect the machines on Wednesday.

"With this confirmation mission, the ban will be lifted from Ataturk airport and from Turkish Airlines," Arslan said.

"So it is an advantage for us that this hasn't gone on too long," he added. Ataturk is the only airport in Turkey with direct flights to the United States.

Late Monday, Turkish Airlines chief executive Bilal Eksi said on Twitter he expected the ban to be lifted on Wednesday.

Arslan was quoted by NTV television as saying Turkey had also been talking with Britain about removing its ban on the transport of laptops in cabin baggage from Istanbul.

Britain imposed the ban on laptops on direct flights originating from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey.

Flag-carrier Turkish Airlines, which has seen exponential international growth in recent years, had responded to the ban by offering laptops to business-class travellers in May.

The US on Sunday lifted a ban on passengers taking such devices on Etihad Airways flights from its base in the Emirati capita ofl Abu Dhabi, the first airliner to benefit from a removal of the ban.

The decision came after the airline implemented enhanced security measures, a spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security said.

The ban was put into place after intelligence officials learned of efforts by Islamic State jihadists to produce a bomb that could be secreted inside such devices.
The White House was illuminated with red, white and blue colors Tuesday to celebrate Independence Day. While President Donald Trump sent out his good wishes while posting a picture of that on Twitter, many users trolled him by likening the picture to an inverted French flag.

Replying to the presidents tweet, many users posted pictures of the French flag and compared the illuminated White House with it. Some posted upside-down pictures of the illuminated White House to show its resemblance to the French flag.

One user named Jules Suzdaltsev even wrote, Upside down FrenchFlag???? Come on Trump!

READ: Declaration Of Independence: Read Full Text On Fourth Of July 2017

Other tweets then moved the conversation along with tweets like The flag of surrender and I surrender while others started tweeting photo-shopped images of the White House with a different flag.

However, not all Twitter users were happy with the comparison and the mocking. Many criticized those comparing the color of America with the French flag.

The White house is illuminated with various colors to mark special occasions. In honor of the nations slain law enforcement officers, the building was lit blue May 15.

First Lady Melania Trump also tweeted a message thanking America's service members. "We are the land of the free because of the brave. Thank you to the heroes who serve!" she wrote.

First daughter and special adviser to the president, Ivanka Trump also spoke about her pride in Americans and her appreciation for her country. "I am proud on so many levels, and really traveling this country has made me even more of a proud American today than at any other point in my life," she said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.

On Independence Day itself, Trump welcomed military families to the White House for a picnic and fireworks show. There could be no greater privilege than serving as your commander-in-chief, he told service members on the South Lawn. I pledge my unwavering support for you, for your families and your missions.

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Talking about the military personnel on duty overseas, Trump said, We are thanking them, praying for them and saluting them for their selfless sacrifice.

The 71-year-old president also said the country is progressing on all fronts. Our country is doing really, really well, no matter where you look. The economy is blazing, and on every front were doing well. We do have challenges, but we will handle those challenges, believe me, reports said.

READ: Twitter Reacts After Joe Scarborough Accuses Trump Of Blackmailing Him

To mark the occasion of Independence Day, Trump also tweeted a video clip of a church choir singing. The song included the lyrics "Lift the torch of freedom all across the land, step into the future joining hand in hand and make America great again."

The song echoed Trumps presidential campaign rally cry of Make America Great Again which was reminiscent of the iconic conservative former President Ronald Reagans slogan of Lets Make America Great Again. Trump pinned his relationship with the phrase to the aftermath of Mitt Romneys unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2012 and former President Barack Obamas bid for a second term, reports said.

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U.S.-backed forced have breached a perimeter wall that surrounds the Old City of Raqqa, reportedly the last stronghold of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.

On Monday night, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement confirming that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)  supported by coalition fighters  had found a way through the historic Rafiqah Wall.

Coalition forces supported the SDF advance into the most heavily fortified portion of Raqqa by opening two small gaps in the Rafiqah Wall that surrounds the Old City, CENTCOM said in the statement. The portions targeted were 25-meter sections and will help preserve the remainder of the overall 2,500-meter wall, it added, without specifying where those portions were.

Citing local media, CNN reports that The Rafiqah Wall is approximately 3.1 miles long, more than 12 feet high and more than three feet thick. According to CENTCOM, ISIS fighters had taken positions there to defend the city and planted explosive devices at breaks in the wall.

Read more: ISIS in Iraq: Inside the Battle for Mosul

The U.S. envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, called breaching the wall a key milestone in the campaign to liberate the city on his twitter page. Earlier on Monday, McGurk tweeted that ISIS terrorists were down to less than one square kilometer in Mosul and totally surrounded in Raqqa.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out a strike in Somalia against the al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group on July 4, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, the second attack on the group in the last few days. The strike occurred about 300 miles (480 km) southwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu, the Pentagon said. It did not disclose additional information such as the number of fighters killed. On Monday, the U.S. military said it carried out an air strike against al Shabaab on July 2. "We will continue to assess the results of the operation and will provide additional information as appropriate," the U.S. military's Africa Command said in a statement. "Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released in order to ensure operational security." Since being pushed out of the capital Mogadishu in 2011, al Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia's cities and towns. But it retains a strong presence in swathes of the south and center and carries out major gun and bomb attacks. The group aims to topple Somalia's government, drive out African Union peacekeeping troops and impose its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by James Dalgleish and Grant McCool)
By Stephanie Nebehay and Christian Shepherd GENEVA/BEIJING (Reuters) - United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has met Chinese officials regarding Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, a spokeswomen said on Tuesday, as international concern grows over his condition. Liu, 61, was jailed for 11 years in 2009 for "inciting subversion of state power" after he helped write a petition known as "Charter 08" calling for sweeping political reforms. He was recently moved from jail to a hospital to be treated for late stage liver cancer. "High Commissioner (Zeid) sent a letter to the government of China requesting a meeting to discuss the situation of Liu Xiaobo and of his wife Lu Xia and her access to him," U.N. human rights spokeswoman Liz Throssell told a Geneva news briefing. "That meeting took place on Friday, the 30th of June, and we're hoping to continue this dialogue over the coming days and weeks," she said. Throssell declined to comment on whether the United Nations was seeking for Liu to be treated abroad. A growing number of Western politicians and international rights activists have expressed concern about the quality of Liu's treatment and have said he should be given the choice to leave China if that was the best option. The concern over Liu's fate, and that of his wife Liu Xia, who has been under effective house arrest since her husband won the peace prize in 2010, comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to arrive in Germany on Tuesday for a G20 summit. China is hoping to use the G20 to show global leadership on issues ranging from free trade to climate change, but pressure to allow Liu to leave for treatment could overshadow Xi's appearance. A family member of Liu's said on Saturday his "time is limited" due to a fluid build up around his stomach caused by liver scarring. Chinese authorities on Friday told diplomats from Germany, the United States and the European Union that Liu could not be moved abroad due to his condition. However, a source close to the family told Reuters on Monday that Liu was still well enough to travel. The source cited a recently taken photo of Liu being fed by his wife, as well as a video of doctors discussing Liu's condition with his family last Wednesday as evidence that he was not in a critical condition. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in GENEVA; Christian Shepherd and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Louise Ireland and Tony Munroe)
The US and South Korea fired a barrage of missiles after North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The two allies carried out the joint military exercises involving live firing off South Korea on Wednesday, July 5, a day after Pyongyang fired its missile.Though the North's projectile was earlier thought to be an intermediate-range missile, it has now emerged that the projectile was indeed an ICBM as claimed by the reclusive state. Both South Korean and American militaries have confirmed that it was an ICBM  the first such test undertaken by the reclusive regime.
MADISON, Wis.  With a half-dozen or so states reportedly in the running for a $10-billion Foxconn facility in the United States, Wisconsins chances of landing the plant are at least known: Its still a long shot, but possible.

Even if Wisconsin does not become a U.S. home for Foxconn, a Taiwanese company best known for assembling Apples iPhones, it has the right ingredients to attract similar firms. Thats important in an age when new-collar jobs offer a way up for workers with technology skills but little or no college education.

About two-thirds of American adults do not hold a college degree, which has left many in the cold as the number of traditional manufacturing jobs has declined  not only in the United States, but in Wisconsin, which has lost about 150,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000.

That doesnt mean those workers lack skills or the desire to rise and shine every business day. Many simply havent find the right fit in an economy that continues to transition, even as its grows.

A Foxconn plant in Wisconsin could potentially offer that kind of fit. If speculation is correct that Foxconn wants to build a display-making factory for electronic devices and television sets, the kinds of workers needed would be people accustomed to a manufacturing setting but armed with specific skills that dont always come with a college degree.

Wisconsins education system is getting better at producing those kinds of workers. Four-year degrees are still important for many people, but two-year degrees, certifications, apprenticeships and other skills-based training opportunities are opening doors for younger and older workers alike. It has begun to seep down into high schools and even middle schools, some of which are now home to fabrication laboratories  or Fab Labs  that offer students hands-on experience in technical areas sought by many businesses. In fact, Wisconsin has one of the largest concentration of Fab Labs outside Massachusetts, where the concept was born.

Researchers at LinkedIn, a business-oriented social media site, produce an annual ranking of hard skills most in demand. In 2016, the list was topped by cloud computing expertise, data mining and statistical analysis, smartphone app development, data storage engineering and management, user interface design and network security expertise.

By the way, the soft skills shopping list compiled by LinkedIn was headed by communication, curiosity, adaptability, teamwork, empathy, time management and open-mindedness. In other words, you might be a talented tech geek but you better come equipped with some social tools.

While many argue that Wisconsin has a looming worker shortage, many workers who are currently employed  meaning they may have the skills to move into skilled positions that dont necessarily require a college degree. Thats an attractive labor force, not only for Foxconn, but for other global companies that may expand in the United States.

Samsung has said it will open an appliance factory in South Carolina, LG will do the same in Tennessee, BMW is expanding a current plant in South Carolina and other companies such as Alibaba are also responding to changing market conditions as well as political pressure to invest in the United States.

Much of that political pressure is personified by President Trump, who was elected last fall on a wave of discontent tied to the loss of American jobs. Wisconsins vote was carried by Trump.

In addition to its workforce potential, Wisconsins advantages when seeking to attract a company along the lines of Foxconn include:

A manufacturing tradition that extends to electronic devices, equipment and components.

Existing global companies well-versed in the Internet of Things.

Strong academic research components tied to computer sciences and engineering. Of special interest to Foxconn chairman Terry Gou may be Wisconsins expertise in biotechnology and oncology, as he recently invested in a partnership to fight cancer. Wisconsin is home to one of the oldest and best-known National Cancer Institutes.

Logical plant sites are available and theres an infrastructure in place that would enable a company the size of Foxconn to deliver its products to market.

With a decision expected this summer, Wisconsin will know soon enough if it has wooed Foxconn. Either way, it will emerge ready for the next opportunity.
Passengers flying Emirates from Dubai to the US can now place laptops in their carry-on bags.

Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines are welcoming travelers, as the US lifts the electronics ban on US-bound flights operated by the airlines.

Effectively immediately, Emirates passengers will be able to take their laptops on board US-bound flights from Dubai International airport. Similarly, Turkish Airlines flights from Istanbul and Qatar Airways flights from Hamad International airport in Doha have also been exempt from the electronics ban.

After the original ban was issued in March, Emirates cut some of its flights to the US and saw profits drop 82%. According to its annual report, the US restrictions on visas and the introduction of the electronics ban contributed to major setbacks, all of which had a direct impact on consumer interest and demand for air travel into the U.S., one of our biggest growth potential markets, Emirates wrote in its report.

This news came after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) gave Etihad Airways the same permissions on Sunday. The airline received approval after enhancing screening practices at its base in Abu Dhabi International Airport.

In a statement to Reuters, a TSA spokesperson said the three airlines became exempt from the electronics ban because they were ready to comply with TSA security measures.

The electronics ban affects US-bound flights from 10 airports in eight countries, including Qatar, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It prevents passengers from placing electronics larger than a smartphone in their carry-on bags. The precaution was taken after intelligence officials learned that Islamic State militants had explosives that could be placed in laptops and large electronics.

The other travel ban

Parts of Trumps travel ban can now be enforced.

It can be a bit confusing, but this electronics ban is separate from the larger travel ban issued by the Trump administration on Jan. 27.

After getting blocked in January, Trump issued a revised travel ban on March 6 that affected six predominantly Muslim countries: Syria, Somalia, Libya, Iran, Sudan and Yemen. The order placed a temporary 90-day ban on travelers from those six countries. In addition to tourists, the ban stopped students and workers with non-immigrant visas, and prohibited any refugees from entering the country for 120 days.

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The measure was instantly halted by federal judges, but on June 29, portions of it went into effect after the Supreme Court agreed to lift some of the suspensions and hear the case in October.

Currently, the 90-day ban is in effect for the six predominantly Muslim countries (90 days starting from the June 29 Supreme Court decision). But the latest twist means people with a bona fide relationship with someone already in the US will be allowed to enter. These relationships include immediate family like parents, spouses, siblings, and children. Not included are grandparents, aunts, aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins.

During the 90-day ban, the administration says it will internally review screening procedures for visa applicants from those six countries.

Refugees are also banned for the next 120 days unless thy have a bona fide relationship in the US.

As for students and workers with non-immigrant visas, they will be able to enter the country because the administration already issues those visas based on bona fide relationships.

The DHS also enhanced screening practices

US Customs and Border Patrol processes travelers.

On top of all of the bans, the Department of Homeland Security announced on June 29 that screening procedures would be enhanced on all US-bound international flights.

The new measures will affect about 2,100 inbound flights on 180 airlines from 280 airports around the world. The DHS didnt go into specifics, but they did say that additional time would be needed to screen passengers and electronics. This means that international travelers could see longer border control lines at US airports.

Ultimately, airports around the world are being asked to step up their screening procedures as well, with the DHS calling for more international airports to create preclearance locations. These centers can be used to inspect travelers before they board a flight to the US.

If airlines and airports dont comply with the new DHS measures, they could face an electronics ban or suspension of flights to the US.

This story was updated on July 6 to reflect changes to the electronics ban.

Brittany is a reporter at Yahoo Finance.

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U.S. officials were in emergency meetings Tuesday after North Korea launched what is a probable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) according to CNN.

The success in the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-14 is a manifestation of the invincible might of (North Korea) and tremendous capability of its self-reliant national defense industry that has been rapidly strengthened, said Ri Un Chon, a North Korean offical in a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) statement. It is also a great historical victory in putting an end to the persistent nuclear war threat posed by the U.S. against the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea].

READ: What Is ICBM Capability, Range? North Korea Touts Successful Test

KCNA is the state media wing of North Korea.

The missile was in flight for 37 minutes and traveled 578 miles before crashing down west of Japan, according to the New York Times Tuesday. The missile reached a height of 1,700 miles before re-entering the atmosphere.

The missile launch comes just before the G20 summit and after President Donald Trump spoke to his Japanese, Chinese and South Korean counterparts about the growing threat of North Koreas missile and possible nuclear capabilities. The launch also happened on the eve of the Fourth of July, America's Independence Day.

David Wright, co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote in a blog post that judging from reports, a missile similar to the one tested could not reach the continental United States but could possibly reach Alaska. The fear is that North Korea will eventually develop a miniaturized nuclear warhead that they could deliver to the U.S. with a long-range missile.

Read: Can North Korea Missile Hit Washington?

U.S. officials were weighing their options on how to handle the situation. Once a final and definitive determination is made that the missile was an ICBM, the goal for top defense officials would be to have a measured response approved by Trump, CNN reported.

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Missile

Photo: KCNA/REUTERS

The launch received widespread condemnation from around the world. Trump last month said he will abandon his predecessors strategic patience strategy with North Korea, indicating that U.S. policy will become more aggressive with Pyongyang. Trump took to twitter for his reaction to the most recent missile launch.

North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all! Trump wrote over two tweets referring to North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also criticized the action.

READ: Can North Korea Missile Hit Washington? Pyongyang Touts Nuclear Capabilities On Anniversary Of Strategic Force

The latest launch clearly showed that the threat is growing, said Abe in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met Tuesday for planned talks and the two countries released joint a statement calling on North Korea, South Korea and the U.S. to enter into escalation talks.

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United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday after North Korea said it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, diplomats said.

The United States -- which confirmed it was an ICBM launch -- backed by Japan and South Korea, requested the urgent meeting that is scheduled for 3 pm (1900 GMT).

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and flew 933 kilometers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."

US Pacific Command confirmed the test and said it was a land-based, intermediate-range missile that flew for 37 minutes before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. It said the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later confirmed the missile launched was an ICBM.

The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China to act to "end this nonsense once and for all."

US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday spoke by phone with China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting, diplomats said.

Guterres stressed the importance of having united approach to addressing the North Korean crisis.

China, Pyongyang's main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear program.

The United States maintains the Pyongyang must first halt its missile launches and nuclear test.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from developing missile and nuclear technology.

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and last month added 14 North Korean officials and four entities to the sanctions blacklist.
Rex Tillerson sounded a warning after North Korea tested a new missile: EPA

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said "global action" is required to stop the "global threat" posed by North Korea as tensions rose following the rogue state's success test of its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Ratcheting up the pressure on Pyongyang, Mr Tillerson said the US would "enact stronger measures" against the North, adding Washington would never accept it was a nuclear power.

South Korea also warned the North's leadership would face "destruction" as it and the US carried out tests of missiles with "deep strike precision capability".

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that its ICBM test-firing completed the country's strategic weapons capability, adding that it would not negotiate with the United States to give up the long-range missiles until Washington abandoned its hostile policy against the North, the country's KCNA news agency said. Mr Kim described the missile as a "gift" for the "American bastards".

Mr Tillerson's statements were the first official confirmation that the US authorities believe the North's claim to be true. He said the US would discuss its proposals at the United Nations Security Council and a meeting was due to take place on Wednesday.

"Global action is required to stop a global threat," Mr Tillerson said.

"Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime."

The US "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea", he stressed.

The US Department of Defence backed up Mr Tillerson's remarks with bullish talk of its own.

"We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White.

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"Our commitment to the defence of our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad."

In a further sign of the increased tensions, the US and South Korea conducted an offensive ballistic missile drill early on Wednesday, defying a call for a freeze on such activity by Russia and China.

The American military said the exercise  which fired missiles into the sea off South Korea's coast  demonstrated "deep strike precision capability".

In a statement about the missile drill, the office of the South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, said: "President Moon said North Korea's serious provocation required us to react with more than just a statement and that we need to clearly show our missile defense readiness to North Korea."

South Korea's military also warned the North's leadership would face "destruction" if it threatened the security of the South or its allies, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The US President and his South Korean counterpart met in Washington this week to discuss further sanctions against the North with Donald Trump saying the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed.

Efforts by Russia and China to ease tensions were set out in a joint statement from the two countries' foreign ministries, issued shortly after President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in the Kremlin.

The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries, it said.

Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way.

The statement said Washington was using North Korea as a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the area.

North Korean state television said the test of the Hwasong-14, which took place early on Tuesday morning local time, was overseen by the country's leader. It said the projectile had reached an altitude of 1,731 miles and flew for 39 minutes before hitting a target in the sea.

It added North Korea was now a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most powerful intercontinental ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world.

The North's state-run KCNA news agency reported that after Mr Kim witnessed the tests "he said American bastards would be not very happy with this gift sent on the July 4 anniversary".

Experts said the capabilities of the missile remained unclear  with some disgreement over the potential range of the missile  but said it marked a potential milestone in North Koreas efforts to project its nuclear capability.

David Wright, of the Global Security Programme at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said if the reports were true, the missile would have a maximum range of around roughly 4,160 miles on a standard trajectory.

That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska, he said in a blog post.

Karl Dewey, an analyst with Janes Information Group, said a successful development of an ICBM by North Korea, would give decision-makers in Washington reason to pause for thought before deciding to strike the communist regime.

Some have suggested the missile could even travel further, if launched in an easterly direction given the Earths rotation. This would technically enable North Korea to target not just all of Alaska, but a small part of northwestern Canada.

Jean Lee of Wilson Centre in Washington said the latest test was cause for people to be worried. Test-firing a ballistic missile just days after the Trump-Moon summit, where the two leaders discussed tightening sanctions against North Korea, is Pyongyangs way of sending a message of defiance to the US and South Korean leaders, she said.

Its also strategic: if the US and South Korea are going to step up sanctions, North Korea will certainly move faster in getting its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as far along as they can before any negotiations on a freeze or dismantlement.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report
The questions surrounding Samsungs upcoming new Galaxy Note 8 continues to become less of a mystery with each passing day. Following a string of specs leaks, BGR exclusively leaked the Note 8s final design late last month. According to our sources, Samsungs upcoming new flagship phablet will feature a look similar to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, but with a few key refinements. The screen-to-body ratio will likely be even more impressive on the Galaxy Note 8 than the 83% figure Samsung achieved on the S8 duo, and there will be a new dual-lens camera setup on the back. Sadly, theres still a fingerprint scanner on the back as well, and its still peculiarly positioned next to the camera cluster.

Weve seen it before but as hot as Samsungs upcoming Galaxy Note 8 is shaping up to be, it cant hurt to take another look. Now, thanks to a pair of Note 8 case leaks, we can do just that.

Don't Miss: Worlds most accurate Apple insider has some bad news about the iPhone 8

We have two recent leaks to share that show renders of Samsungs unreleased Galaxy Note 8 in third-party cases. The first comes from a Weibo user whose name translates to I ice universe, and hes been known in the past to be the source of genuine leaks. This time around, he has a number of renders from a case maker called Senfeng that give us a pretty clear look at the front of the Note 8, as well as the camera and fingerprint sensor cluster on the back.

The same Weibo user also shared a series of actual photos of a third-party Galaxy Note 8 case, and it reinforces the design elements weve seen leak a number of times now.

And finally, he posted one last render of the bottom of the Note 8 in a third-party protective case.

If that last image turns out to be the real deal, it reaffirms the notion that Samsungs Galaxy Note 8 will retain the 3.5mm headphone jack. We all know its on borrowed time, of course, but at least it has a stay of execution for the time being.

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Samsung is expected to unveil the new Galaxy Note 8 in late August ahead of its release in early September.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Berlin (AFP) - The German domestic security watchdog warned Tuesday that the country's political system was likely to face cyberattacks from Russia in the run-up to September's general election.

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said in its annual report that after suspected manipulation of the US and French elections by Moscow, it was to be expected that Germany would be next.

The report said that German politicians and parties targeted by Russia to spy "on confidential e-mails or other sensitive data must assume that explosive or compromising facts could be made public".

Presenting the findings, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Berlin was girding for a two-pronged attack of embarrassing leaks and fake news allegedly orchestrated by Moscow.

"We saw a probable influence on the election in America, we saw a probable influence on the election in France," he told reporters.

"There is every reason to believe that that came from Russia and thus it cannot be ruled out that there will be similar attempts on the election in Germany."

BfV chief Hans-Georg Maassen said while he could imagine that Russian President Vladimir Putin "would be happier with another chancellor" than Angela Merkel, the true target of the cyberattacks was Germans' "faith in democracy".

Merkel, widely seen as the European Union's most powerful leader, is seeking a fourth term in the September 24 poll.

De Maiziere noted that Germany's security services had already observed data from computers at the parliament being scooped up, which he said "could be published in the coming weeks".

He said Berlin was bracing for "a classic disinformation campaign with lies and half truths intended to shape opinions" spread by "bots" -- algorithms with fake profiles on social media networks.

"The only thing that helps against that is staying calm, keeping a cool head, finding out the truth and presenting the facts," he said.

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Hillary Clinton has said that Russian hacking of her campaign's emails was partly to blame for her defeat in last year's US presidential election to Donald Trump.

And now French President Emmanuel Macron was the victim of a "massive and coordinated" hacking attack blamed on Moscow on the eve of the run-off election.

Russia has steadfastly denied all accusations of state-sponsored cyberattacks.
The High Court of Justice determined Tuesday the homes of the Jewish terrorists convicted of kidnapping and murdering Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir will not be demolished.

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The High Court rejected a petition by the Abu Khdeir family demanding convicted murderers Yosef Haim Ben-David and two minors receive the same punishment given to families of Muslim terrorists.

Retired judge Elyakim Rubinstein ruled "the petition should not be granted, first and foremost given the considerable delay between the abominable act of murder and the petition's submission."





Mohammed Abu Khdeir

Rubinstein noted, however, that regulation 119which allows ordering the demolition of a home where suspected terror activity occurred or a home of terrorists, their accomplices or supportersapplies both to Arab terrorists and to Jewish terrorists.

"All in accordance with the circumstances of time and place, which were set forth in a ruling on the use of the regulation," he wrote in his ruling. "Let sinners cease out of the earth, so we can soon stop using regulation 119 on any of our countrymen, both Jews and Arabs."

Judge Neal Hendel added that while "we can understand how the victim's family feels... we are dealing with a deterrent and not punitive measure. It should be remembered that the perpetrators were given lengthy prison sentence."

Regarding Jewish terrorists, whom Hendel defined as "a minority of a minority of a minority," the judge determined "the legal solution to this issue, whatever it may be, is not enough, and in any case is not the only solution... to prevent such cases from happening in the future."

'An Arab's home would've been demolished within days'

Hussein Abu Khdeir, the slain teenager's father, criticized the decision, asserting that "if this was an Arab who murdered a Jew, his home would've been demolished within days. If they don't want to demolish the Jewish terrorists' homes, then they shouldn't demolish any homes. This is discrimination and racism. Such a decision encourages (others) to continue hurting us, under the auspices of the state."

Hussein said the family intends to take legal measures against the decision, "we'll turn to an international court so we could get a decision that could punish the terrorists."

Hussein Abu Khdeir (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

In its response to the petition, the state said it does not see fit to demolish the homes of Jewish terrorists, but noted the measure would be considered if there were a sudden sharp increase in terror acts carried out by Jews.

Abu Khdeirs murder sparked a wave of terrorism in Jerusalem. Ben-David and two minors, who were both convicted for their role in the murder, abducted the 16-year-old teenager and killed him after the funeral of the three Jewish teens Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, who were kidnapped and murdered on June 12, 2014. A day earlier, the three defendants tried to kidnap seven-year-old Moussa Zaloum while he was walking down the street in Beit Hanina with his mother and two brothers.

According to the conviction, in the late evening hours of July 2, 2014, Ben-David and the two minors, after making preparations and equipping themselves in advance, headed out to commit the "revenge attack" in memory of the three yeshiva students.

They searched for a suitable victim for three hours in the neighborhoods of Wadi al-Joz and Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem until, around 4am, they saw Mohammed Abu Khdeir on his way to the mosque for morning prayers.

Convicted murderer Yosef Haim Ben-David (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

After snatching him, and while driving towards the Jerusalem forest, the two minors held onto Abu Khdeir, who struggled and tried to free himself, leading Ben-David to order one of them: "Finish him." The minor then strangled Abu Khdeir, until the latter lost consciousness.

When they reached the Jerusalem forest, one of the minors angrily told Ben-David that they "were doing all the work," following which Ben-David took a crowbar and started hitting Abu Khdeir with it, yelling "This is for the Fogel family, this is for Shalhevet Pass" (victims of terror attacks perpetrated by Palestinians) until the Palestinian teen started bleeding from his head. Ben-David also kicked Abu Khdeir several times while yelling "This is for Gil-Ad, Naftali, Eyal."

The three then set Abu Khdeir on fire while he was unconscious, and then fled the scene. They destroyed the evidence at Jerusalem's Sacher Park, and then went to Ben-David's home, where they played guitar and then went to sleep.

In May 2016, Yosef Ben-David was sentenced to life (25 years) and a cumulative punishment of an additional 20 years in prison. One of the minors was sentenced to "only" 21 years in prison after judges determined that he played a minor role in the murder, while his accomplice received a life sentence.
The terrorist who threw a Molotov Cocktail at a vehicle in an attack that inflicted severe burns on Ayala Shapira when she was just 11 years old in December 2014 was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Tuesday by a military court.

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Mohammed Badwan, who carried out the attack that left Ayala badly scarred on her body and face, was also ordered to pay compensation of NIS 50,000.

Ayala Shapira shares her experience (:  )

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Badwan was convicted of attempting to murder Ayala and her father by throwing the Molotov Cocktail at their vehicle while it was travelling. He was also convicted for another incident which occurred a month earlier in which he hurled a Molotov Cocktail at another vehicle being driven by an Israeli woman. Fortunately, the woman was not hurt in the attack.

Ayala Shapira (Photo: Benjamin Pataki)

Badwan was arrested on the same day as his attack. A 14-year-old who helped him commit the crime and at the time was considered a minor, was convicted last year and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Ayala before the attack

Four months ago, Some 15 members the European Parliament, along with 150 guests, attended the inaugural ceremony for the Friends of Judea and Samaria in the European Parliament intergroup in Brussels, wherethey listened Ayala tell her story.
Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay will be forced to go head to head in a second round of primaries for the Labor Party leadership contest after it was announced Tuesday night they had emerged victorious in pushing the incumbent leader Isaac Herzog aside after four years of heading the opposition.

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Some 52,000 registered party members headed to the polls to decide who they believe capable of leading them to victory in Israels next general election, scheduled to be held sometime before November 2019. The next round of primaries will take place on July 10.

Amir Peretz (R) and Avi Gabbay (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch and Abigail Uzi)

The tense race took place between MK Erel Margalit, former Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabbay, MK Omer Bar-Lev, MK Amir Peretz, Prof. Avner Ben Zaken and Hod Karovi as each hoped to snatch the reins from Herzog, who suffered a defeat at the hands of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the March 2015 elections.

Any remnants of hope that Herzog may have been able to salvage his tenuous grip on the partys top spot were dashed after he learned that he had only managed to bag a meager 16.7% (5,204) of the overall vote, precluding any chance of him duking it out in the second round.

Isaac Herzog (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

After learning the result, Herzog issued a statement accepting his defeat. Members of the Labor party have said (what they have saided). I respect their decision. I congratulate Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay for getting through to the second round and wish both of them luck, he said.

Peretz managed to score significantly higher than Herzog, comfortably riding past the finish line with 32.7% (10,141) while Gabbay managed to clinch 27% (8,395).

Margalit managed to rally 16.1% (4,697) of the voters behind him while Bar-Lev grabbed 6.9% (2,147) of the vote.

Ben Zakens political pride was delivered a blow after he managed to garner the faith of just 0.18% (56) of the voters while Hod Karovi suffered an ignominious defeat, taking just 0.03% (8) of the vote.

Amir Peretz (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

Peretz began what became an illustrious political career in 1983, occupying a myriad of prestigious posts, serving as minister of defense, minister of environmental protection and deputy prime minister in 2006 under Ehud Olmert. Indeed, if he beats Gabbay in the next round of voting, it will be Peretz's second time serving as the leader of the opposition.

After the results were announced, Peretz thanked his supporters. I am grateful for the trust that has been placed in me and for the huge support that I received the whole way that brought me to first place in the primaries, Peretz said before paying his respect to Herzog. I would like to thank my friend Isaac Herzog for the four years of service as chairman of the party and his massive achievement at the last Knesset elections.

With his sight firmly set on ultimately dethroning Netanyahu however, Peretz concluded his statement by saying that "I am convinced that I will win the second round, at the end of which I will begin the campaign to replace the Netanyahu government."

Avi Gabbay (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Gabbay is best known for establishing the Kulanu Party alongside Finance Minister and now party leader Moshe Kahlon. After forming the party, he was appointed to serve as the environmental protection minister.

During his tenure, he promoted the "Bags Law" requiring customers to purchase plastic bags at supermarkets, worked to remove the ammonia tank from the Haifa Bay and also to reduce the emission of pollutants from the Israel Electic Corporation's power plants.

Speaking at the Tel Aviv Convention Center, Gabbay told his supporters, "I want to thank my friends in the Labor party, who accepted me with the warmest embrace possible. Over the last six months, I've seen that many found my being new difficult, but you've proven that you can focus on what matters and know how to accept someone new. You've proven this is an open party.

"We're not a members' club and not the Tel Aviv party. (I'med) happy we provedmy team and Ithat a positive campaign can win. We successfully passed the first hurdle, but the hardest one is yet to come. We need you with us next week, as well, for without that we would have only done half the job."

Left to right: Erel Margalit, Avi Gabbay, Omer Bar-Lev, Isaac Herzog, Amir Peretz (Photos: Yoav Dudkevitch, Yariv Katz, Abigail Uzi, Dana Kopel)

Referring to Peretz, Gabbay said, "He's a worthy candidate. I congratulate him on the accomplishment and am sure we will conduct ourselves in a worthy, proper and democratic manner. Whoever wins, we will join forces and move forward."

Gabbay added that he had no intention of joining a coalition. "We don't want to be part of the coalition. We want to build a coalition in Israel. My passing to the second round and the many votes that Erel (Margalit) and Omer (Bar-Lev) received highlight in the clearest way possible that the members of our party want change," he said.

"The members of our party want hope. The members of our party want victory. I hope and believe that we will complete this in the second round. I believe that with the same energy, passion and belief, we will win the second round and build the party that will win the elections."
IDF officer Lt. David Golovenchich was killed Tuesday when a fellow soldier accidentally fired his rifle at the Gilbert Checkpoint in Hebron during a training exercise.

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Golovenchich was serving in the Golani Brigade's 12th battalion, which is in charge of the Hebron sector.

Golovenchich, who was promoted to the rank of lieutenant posthumously, will be laid to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl at 4pm Wednesday.

Lt. David Golovenchich

The incident occurred at around 8pm on Tuesday evening when Golovenchich's team was doing a routine drill at the checkpoint, which separates the Jewish settlement in Hebron and the Palestinian neighborhoods.

An initial investigation into the incident found the troops apparently did not disarm their IWI Tavor rifles. One of the soldiers accidentally cocked his weapon, shooting the young officer in the upper body at close range.

The officer, who was fatally injured, received emergency treatment at the scene and was rushed by helicopter to the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem's Ein Karem, where he succumbed to his injuries an hour later.

The soldier who accidentally shot Golovenchich ran to his commander to try and provide him with medical assistance, but was removed from the scene shortly thereafter because he was too upset. He was also relieved of his weapon.

The Golani Brigade commander arrived at the Golovenchich family home on Tuesday night and told them what had happened.

The scene of the accident (Photo: TPS)

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot ordered to halt training in the army following the accident and ordered commanders to reiterate safety instructions to their soldiers. The IDF chief will also hold a special General Staff meeting on the issue.

GOC Central Commander Maj. Gen. Roni Numa appointed a team led by to Col. Ronen Tamim to investigate the incident.

A special commander

Golovenchich, 22, grew up in Jerusalem, but moved to the settlement of Efrat in Gush Etzion with his family several years ago. He studied at the Bnei Zvi yeshiva in Beit El and later enlisted in the IDF and joined the Golani Brigade.

"It was clear to me from the start that I had a leader, a commander growing up in my class. It was obvious throughout his studies," said Rabbi Itamar Lieberman, who was Golovenchich's homeroom teacher.

"On the one hand, he was a mischievous child, and on the other hand he had good manners and wanted to contribute. The most noticeable thing about him is his smile... he always stood out in class for his desire to contribute."

Lt. David Golovenchich

Lieberman told a story that sheds light on Golovenchich's character. "Several years ago, an acquaintance told me he saw David wandering around Jerusalem at a very late hour. He suggested I kept an eye on him... I asked around and learned he and another guy went out every Thursday to buy food at the supermarket and then distributed it to the needy in the city. They'd finish distributing the food at a late hour. When they sat down to eat themselves, that acquaintance saw them. This is what David was like."

The head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Moshe Shmerling, said David was "a big, strong man. It was hard to ignore him. When he opened his mouth, that impression changed immediately. He was very pleasant and his smile just made you want to follow him. A special person."

His fellow soldiers were in shock following the tragic accident. "David was a special commander, always knew how to say a good word when needed, a strong and heroic man," one of them said.

A week and a half ago, a 19-year-old soldier on vacation was seriously injured in an apartment on Givat Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv. The initial investigation raises the suspicion the man's friend, also a 19-year-old soldier on vacation, unintentionally shot him.

In April, Amit Popovitch, 23, was killed in his home in the settlement of Kedumim in Samaria, when his friend accidentally fired his weapon, critically injuring him.
A series of meetings between Hamas and senior officials in Cairo in recent weeks points to improving ties between Egypt and the Islamist Palestinian movement, with implications for Gaza, Palestinian politics and the wider region.

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For much of the last decade, Egypt has joined Israel in enforcing a land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip, a move to punish Hamas and its armed wing, which seized the territory in 2007 and has controlled it since.

Hamas militants in Gaza

The situation has worsened in the past month as Israel, at the request of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), has cut electricity to Gaza, leaving it with barely four hours of power a day.

The sanctions are part of a years-long effort by the PA, led by the rival Fatah party, to force Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza and join a unified government.

Power cuts have hit hospitals and water treatment plants, squeezing Gaza's two million people amid a draining heat wave.

Photo: AFP

Sensing the need to act, and worried about losing popular support, Hamas has sought to mend ties with Egypt, which controls their one border crossing and has, under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, been highly wary of ties between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, which Sisi ousted from power after mass protests.

Hamas's newly appointed leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, whose background is with the group's militant wing, met Egyptian officials, including the intelligence chief, last month.

The meetings in Cairo were believed to have been facilitated by Mohammad Dahlan, 55, a former senior Fatah official who is originally from Gaza and is now a staunch opponent of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah's leader.

Potential challenge to Abbas

Dahlan, who spends much of his time in the United Arab Emirates and is close to Egypt, has emerged as a powerbroker in the region, determined to bridge differences between Hamas and Cairo and potentially challenge Abbas for leadership.

In that respect, closer ties between Hamas and Cairo are a serious threat to Abbas, regional analysts said.

Mohammed Dahlan (Photo: AFP)

Not only because they help to bolster Hamas's credibility in the region, but because they empower Dahlan and undermine the ability of the Palestinian Authority to cast itself as the dominant political body for Palestinians, they said.

Israel, which signed a 1979 peace treaty with Egypt and coordinates closely with it on security, is maintaining a wary eye on discussions between Egypt and Hamas. Like the United States and the European Union, it regards Hamas as a terrorist group and wants to keep its influence contained.

After the last round of meetings in Cairo, Hamas cleared land on its side of the border, creating a buffer zone with watchtowers, cameras and barbed-wire fences in a concession to security-conscious Egypt.

"These measures serve as a message of assurance to the Egyptian side," Tawfiq Abu Naeem, the Hamas-appointed head of security services in Gaza, told reporters.

Buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza

Since then, Hamas officials have returned to Cairo for more talks. Sources say Hamas wants Egypt to open its Rafah crossing for longer and to increase energy supplies and imports.

Egypt wants information on "radical elements" entering and leaving Gaza and help with tracking Islamic State-affiliated militants attacking Egyptian forces in northern Sinai.

Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the discussions. An Israeli foreign ministry official declined to comment.

Dahlan's role

In a sign that the talks are rattling Palestinian politics, Abbas, 82, will visit Egyptian President Sisi this week.

And later on Wednesday, Hamas's top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, will deliver one of his first public speeches since his election in May. Political observers expect him to address Hamas's improved ties with Egypt as well as the ever-present tensions with Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

"I believe relations between Egypt and Hamas have taken a big move," said Akram Attallah, an independent analyst in Gaza.

"For the first time we can say there is joint action between the two sides, a joint cooperation. That has never been official since the Hamas movement was founded 30 years ago."

Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AFP)

Attallah sees Dahlan's mediation as critical. As Abbas has grown more frustrated with Hamas and tried to increase pressure on the group, it has strengthened Dahlan's role as a broker.

Abbas expelled Dahlan from Fatah in 2012 and Dahlan has been in self-imposed exile since. The last thing Abbas wants is for him to return to Gaza, with Egypt's approval, as a hero.

"Dahlan employed this moment to present himself as the most efficient party in the Palestinian arena and a savior for Hamas," said Attallah, suggesting each side had gained: Dahlan in terms of leverage and Hamas as a political partner.

Regional analysts are closely watching what closer ties with Egypt may mean for Hamas's relations with Qatar, which in recent years has spent more than $500 million improving infrastructure and building clinics in Gaza.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are now leading a Sunni-Arab drive against Qatar over its ties with Iran, accusing it of fomenting terrorism, a charge Doha denies. The analysts say if Egypt is forging better relations with Hamas, it may well insist on Hamas giving up its friendship with the emirate.
Ghanaian actress, Jackie Appiah is in South Africa having fun as part of the advantages that come with her job. She is in the African country and she has the honor of touring all the fun sites and attractions in the country.

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Jackie Appiah on a zip line in South Africa

In a recent Instagram video, the actress is seen going on a zip line at Induna Adventures in Mpumalanga, South Africa. She looked terrified as she asked several questions pertaining to the safety of the experience she was about to embark on.

She was seen asking the zip line attendant if she was going to fall if she let go of the line even though she was firmly strapped in.

READ ALSO: Criss Waddle's ex-girlfriend alleges also having affairs with Shatta Wale and Yaa Pono

She appeared visibly shaken and it was not as if she was acting. Before the jump, she appears to be scared and asks the one recording the video to take her place instead. She then asks the attendant if she can do anything she wants to do after she jumped. The hilarious part about the whole thing is when she finally jumped.

READ ALSO: Zylofon Media breaks ground in movie production

The actress was heard screaming her head off and asking herself she even decide to go on the zip line in the first place. Oh God, Oh God, why did I even do this? she was heard scream as she went sliding down the line.

The actress is in South Africa with actor John Dumelo and the two are having the time of their life as they have been given the chance to explore the country and enjoy their stay there.

Watch video below:

YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident?

Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook Facebook page, or contact us via info@yen.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh
The Vernon County Sheriffs Office said Casey Thibodeaux was released in Genoa on Sunday.

Thibodeaux, 36, was imprisoned 20 years for sexual assault. The crimes occurred when he was 15 years old and a foster child. Thibodeaux was initially scheduled to stay at the Midway Motel in Viroqua but the owner cancelled the reservation prior to Thibodeauxs release.

Authorities said he is located at 708 Water St. in Genoa and is under GPS monitoring for the rest of his life. Thibodeaux told the Broadcaster that he hopes the community wont judge him for the crimes 20 years ago.

In a news release, the Sheriffs Office said, This notice is not intended to increase fear, rather it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public.

Citizen abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate or harass registered sex offenders will not be tolerated, according to the release.
An online petition calling for the dismissal of the La Farge police chief does not have any legal standing.

The petition at the website change.org, initiated about two weeks ago, had 42 signatures as of Monday afternoon. The petition was started by a La Farge resident and calls on Sen. Jennifer Shilling to fire Police Chief Benjamin Bakken. Commenters on the petitions website describe a laundry-list of harassment and bullying tactics used by the towns officer, including trespassing, racism and threats to kill a citizens dog.

Through a public information request, the Broadcaster obtained hundreds of pages of La Farge police and sheriff reports, along with body-cam footage.

We have nothing to hide, Bakken said.

La Farge resident Joshua Ruggles, 36, created the online petition.

He describes Bakken as repeatedly trespassing on his property to enforce La Farges garbage burning and junk ordinances among other allegations.

Number one, our civil rights are being broken, Ruggles said during an interview July 3. Other commenters say Bakken threatened to kill a familys dog, invents ordinances and harasses members of the community.

Where is the accountability? one commenter located in Roanoke, Virginia, asked.

Greg Lawton, village president, was present when the police reports and body camera footage were given to the Broadcaster June 30.

He said the online complaints are unsubstantiated and the village stands behind its police chief and any investigation into his conduct.

These people are griping about the citations theyve gotten, Lawton said. Its one of those things where a bunch of people jumped on the bandwagon.

Ill let the videos speak for themselves, Bakken said.

Ruggles online petition calls for the district senator, Shilling, to fire Bakken. Reached by email, Shilling said she doesnt have that authority and suggests filing an official complaint through La Farge.

Since the 2016 election, I have seen a groundswell of individuals looking to get more involved, more organized and more engaged in issues that affect their community, Shilling said. Local residents have expressed some concerns through this petition, but as a state legislator, I dont have the authority to remove a local official from their position.

Official complaint forms are available through the town and are filed at the village clerks office. The complaint is reviewed by Bakken and Lawton and a meeting is scheduled between the filing party and the police chief. If the conflict is not resolved, another meeting can be scheduled between the filing party, Bakken and Lawton.

Residents can also attend the La Farge Board of Supervisors meetings.

Bakken said June 29 that he does not intend to alter his policing methods.

I understand where, when a citizen gets a letter in the mail that says they have to mow their lawn or clean up their lawn or their vehicle is unregistered, that they feel harassed. I understand that. I work with people to make sure that these violations are cleared up versus people being cited for them.

Ruggles said July 3 that he intends to file officially through La Farge.

I have 35 people who want to make formal complaints, he said, referring to supporters of his online petition.

In an upcoming issue, the Broadcaster will report on the departments publicly obtained files, including written reports and body camera footage.
Numerous people addressed the Westby Area School Board of Education in June in regards to the ongoing issues and personality conflicts among administration that have had a choke hold over the district for months. The ongoing internal battles have resulted in a negative trickle down effect on staff and student morale, plus created a state of confusion and frustration among parents and the public.

On June 12, Westby Area High School Principal Karl Stoker broke his board meeting silence and addressed the Board of Education during public participation stating that the school district is at a crossroads and it is time to get back on track and begin moving forward.

Then during a special meeting on June 26, Stoker informed the school board that he intends to rescind his early retirement submission, which he turned in months ago, stating that he submitted his early retirement paperwork during a time of duress.

I was in defense mode at that time, now I am just anxious to start over and get curriculum moving forward. We have a lot of great things happening in Westby and I want to see through what I started when I became principal, Stoker said.

Stoker was scheduled to retire at the end of the 2017-2018 school year, but asked the board to consider getting him back on track with the rest of the administrative team whose contracts come up for renewal at the end of the 2018-2019 school year.

For months the school board, administration and staff in the high school has been working to sort through mounting sensitive issues involving students, including harassment complaints in the high school. Those complaints were escalated by staff vacancies and internal miscommunication shortfalls among administration.

The escalating issues were also on the radar of the public, as they looked for answers to what was really going on inside the school district and what the school board representatives were doing to remedy the situation.

Two separate internal investigations were conducted by outside sources, the first in January and the other in April, which ended with the second investigation almost completely refuting the conclusions of the first investigation. Tensions and unrest grew following the first investigation when District Administrator Chuck Norton placed Stoker on a 10-day administrative leave in March.

Stokers administrative leave left students, staff and the public bewildered and led to a sit-in by students, which generated national and worldwide attention on Facebook.

At the same time parents of students dealing with the harassment issues brought their concerns directly to the school board in April to show support for Stoker, who they felt was the only person trying to remedy the harassment situation in the high school. Due to the large number of people in attendance at board meetings since April the meetings have been moved to larger venues to accommodate the crowds.

Frustration over the entire situation at the May board meeting, held in Coon Valley, resulted in public outcry with taxpayers lashing out at Administrator Norton and Pupil Services Director Jason Windsor.

At one point the crowd even applauded a suggested recall of school board members along with some members of the administrative team.

On June 12, more than 100 people attended the board meeting, many of them wearing T-shirts showing their support for Stoker. Following a number of heartfelt comments by Stokers mother, wife, daughter, co-workers and parents, he took the podium himself.

Stoker told the board they had a lot of tough decisions to make and it was up to them to choose the path they wanted the district to head down. He said it was time to get back the pride that people felt as alumni, students, staff having graduated from, attended or worked in the Westby Area School District.

He spoke about the humiliation that he has undergone personally since being put on administrative leave, the expense his family has endured legally fighting a situation that treated him unjustly.

We are at a crosswords. I encourage the school board to choose a new leadership path. Lets move forward, Stoker said.

Stoker asked the school board, Who will stand and say enough?

Westby Area School Board of Education President Gerry Roethel, said prior to the start of the meeting that the board is well aware that everyone wants this situation settled yesterday, but that regardless the board is bound by rules and this situation will take time to fix but they are working toward a solution.

Administrator Norton and School Board Representative David Eggen were not present at the June 12 meeting. Norton was also unavailable at the June 26 meeting, due to scheduled vacation.

Jason Windsor also made a public apology to the school board, students, parents, staff and the community at the June 12 meeting. He said he got caught up in all the unrest at the school and in doing so it consumed his life. He apologized for not managing the required paperwork in regards to special needs students and for not being there to support the staff. He said he wants to work together to bridge the gap between special needs and regular students, but that laws bind his hands in so many ways.

Im not going to take all the blame, but I am not faultless. I know I need to earn respect back. I cant change what has already happened in the past, but I can offer a plan for moving forward, Windsor said.

The school board will meet at 7 p.m., Monday, July 10, at the Chaseburg Village Hall.
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(4) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (2) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (4) May 28 (4) May 27 (3) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (6) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (5) May 11 (4) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (8) Mar 11 (6) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (5) Mar 03 (7) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (7) Feb 03 (9) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (6) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (6) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (7) Jan 13 (7) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (8) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (6) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (7) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (5) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (6) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (4) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (7) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (5) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (6) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (8) Nov 09 (8) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (6) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (8) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (6) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (4) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (3) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (3) Sep 11 (3) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (5) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (5) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (3) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (5) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (5) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (5) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (5) May 26 (7) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (3) May 19 (5) May 18 (4) May 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27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (2) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 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On Nov. 1, Linn Benton Food Shares warehouse in Tangent received two truckloads of food and household supplies arranged by the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Starting yesterday, banks that operate automated teller machines (ATMs) without Know- Your-Customer (KYC) technology installed have been requested to suspend cash withdrawals services for mainland China UnionPay customers.

The new regulations, issued by the Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM), aim at protecting legal interests of financial institutions and mainland China UnionPay cardholders, according to a statement issued by the AMCM yesterday. They also serve as a stepped-up measure to curb money laundering.

The relevant services will be resumed as soon as the KYC function is installed, the statement assured.

Holders of mainland China UnionPay cards may still make cash withdrawals through ATMs with a KYC ATM logo, after identity verification. They are required to look into a camera for six seconds to allow its facial recognition software to take effect.

Macau residents and holders of cards issued by banks of other jurisdictions are not affected.

AMCM requested that banks implement KYC technology into their ATMs in stages to ensure the protection of mainland cardholders legal rights through the regions latest efforts in strengthening anti-money laundering measures. Last week, the government announced that as of June 26, there are a total of 670 ATMs with the ability to perform facial recognition scans. They have more recently announced that as of July 2, there were 834 ATMs in the MSAR with KYC technology installed.

The bureau requested that local banks speed up KYC implementation, and is collaborating with them to upgrade all ATMs in Macau, including those within casinos and in their surrounding areas, by the end of this year.

The bureau is starting with China UnionPay as it is the largest network in Macau and processes the largest amount of transactions.

Other payment providers, including Visa and Mastercard, will be required to support the technology in the future. LV
Lawmaker Chan Meng Kam, also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, received a reply from Chinas Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council informing that the office is currently meeting with various Chinese departments and local governments to develop policies which will allow Hong Kong and Macau residents to have equivalent treatment as mainland Chinese residents while they are in mainland China. In this years annual CPPCC meeting in Beijing, Chan submitted a proposal to mainland China for the enhancement of convenient policies for SAR residents who live in the mainland.

40 percent of medical facilities updates complete

The Health Bureau (SSM) has finished 40 percent of the updates for the citys medical systems facilities, according to a bureau representative who attended a TDM radio show yesterday. This encompasses a total of 18 medical projects targeted for development, including the medical complex that the government is currently building in Taipa. Currently, Macau has one public and one private nursing school. According to SSM, the two institutions will be able to meet Macaus future needs for medical services.

Ho suggests expanding electronic payment

Lawmaker Ho Ion Seng questioned the local government about how it is promoting methods of electronic payment in the city. In his written inquiry to the government, Ho said that local SMEs lack the initiative to begin providing electronic payments in their business transactions due to the high costs of installing electronic payment equipment. In this years session addressing government policy the local government announced that it would improve and expand various types of internet management services in Macau. Ho requested authorities to disclose the schedule for this expansion.
The U.S. traditionally takes point in the search for common approaches to the big global issues of the day at G-20 summits. Not this time.

When world leaders meet in Hamburg on Friday, China and Germany will move in to usurp the U.S.s role.

The two industrial powerhouses of Asia and Europe are being nudged into an informal alliance to pick up the leadership baton that the U.S. is accused of having dropped since President Donald Trumps inauguration earlier this year, according to diplomats and officials from several Group of 20 members.

The situation has crystallized ahead of this years annual G-20 meeting, which will be held in Germanys busiest commercial port. Thats in part because, for the first time since the groups founding, the U.S. will be represented by a president who embraces protectionism, abandoning decades of American cheer-leading for free trade.

The strategic character of Chinese-German relations is steadily gaining in importance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in an op-ed article published yesterday in German newspaper Die Welt. The two countries should intensify cooperation on implementing Chinas One Belt, One Road and jointly make contributions to the security, stability and prosperity of neighboring countries.

The U.S. was also isolated on climate change at a May summit of the smaller Group of Seven club in Italy, where the final communique split six-to-one on the issue. This time, Trump risks finding himself alone against a united front of European allies, neighbors such as Canada and Mexico, and Americas former Cold War foes on the two biggest summit items.

As the previous and current hosts, Xi and Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel would in any case have worked together on the G-20 agenda. Yet three visits to Germany by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to date, the latest just last month, suggest the two nations are aligned on stepping more broadly into a space that the U.S. has, at least temporarily, left vacant under Trumps presidency.

China and Germanys new closeness is something that happened because of the Trump episode, said Diego Ramiro Guelar, ambassador to Beijing for G-20 member Argentina. The two most important leaders in the world are President Xi and Chancellor Merkel at the moment.

Ties between China and Germany have been strengthening for years, driven by common economic interests and unobstructed by the kinds of geopolitical rivalries that were complicating relations between Beijing and Washington long before Trumps election. Germany needs markets for its high-end industrial machinery and motor vehicles, and China wants them  so much so it bought German robotics company Kuka AG.

Xi will make his second state visit to Germany just before the summit. Two giant pandas that China will loan to the Berlin Zoo arrived already, a gesture sometimes described as panda diplomacy. China gave two pandas to the U.S. in 1972, after President Richard Nixon made his historic first visit to Communist China.

Relations between China and Germany are at their historic best, said Michael Clauss, Germanys ambassador to Beijing, in a recent briefing with reporters. The economic and political dynamic from a German perspective is moving toward the east.

The U.S. has left somewhat of a vacuum in the region by abandoning the proposed 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement, Clauss said. The deal sought to build a U.S.-centered free-trade bloc among Pacific Rim countries from Chile to Vietnam, as an alternative to more China-dominated initiatives such as One Belt One Road. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the TPP plans within a day of taking office.

The Trump vacuum is still more evident when it comes to climate change, after he announced last month that he was pulling the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris Agreement to slow global warming. The accord was signed by more than 190 countries, including all of the G-20 members.

The U.S. and China, the two biggest polluters, had formed a de facto G-2 for climate change, during the administration of former President Barack Obama. Other partners were brought in only once the big two had settled on the framework they wanted for reducing harmful emissions; neither wanted the quota-based approach favored by the European Union.

That format for climate change negotiations disappeared with Trumps election. A new vanguard group comprising Canada, China and the EU met for the first time in May. A bilateral China-Germany working group on climate change met in Berlin last week, when each side jointly re-committed to take an ambitious approach to implementing Paris agreement goals, and to press that collective approach in Hamburg.

Theres a clear recognition of our leaders that German-Chinese leadership is now needed, said Karsten Sach, Merkels main climate-change sherpa for the G-20, speaking at a conference in Berlin on Friday. Both nations are very strong exporters and in terms of the technology aspects of fighting climate change I see very strong cooperation.

There are still significant limits to how far a Germany-China tandem can go, reflecting frustrations at what Merkel  like Trump  sees as lopsided terms of trade. Germany sold more than USD85 billion worth of goods to China last year and was Europes largest investor in the Middle Kingdom. But it thinks those figures could be much higher, if the Chinese didnt impose barriers that dont exist in Europe.

In 2016, Chinese direct investment across the EU rose by 77 percent over the previous year, building on years of annual 30 percent increases, according to a study by the Rhodium Group and the Mercator Institute for China Studies. Kuka and resource recovery firm EEW Energy from Waste GmbH were among the prime targets.

Yet European investment in China fell for the fourth year in succession, with hurdles in industries such as insurance, onerous joint venture requirements and concerns over a new cybersecurity law, which some foreign investors fear could be used to disadvantage them.

China meanwhile prefers to lean on Germany rather than the EU due to wider disputes with the bloc which continues to oppose the granting of market economy status to China at the World Trade Organization.

Some foreign policy baggage China carries could also hinder its ability to create international consensus around its goals, such as its unacknowledged role as protector for North Korea. On Tuesday, Pyongyang successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time, landing in Japanese waters.

Merkel is aware of the dangers of allowing China to peel Germany away from the EU, creating a decidedly unequal partnership between countries that have very different political systems and few shared values. Interviewed in this weeks edition of the German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche, Merkel backed French President Emmanuel Macrons call for EU governments to be able to do more to block foreign purchases of important companies.

If countries such as China want to simply buy up something thats been built up with a lot of subsidies, we have to react to that, she told the magazine, citing the kinds of technology companies that interest China most, such as microchips and artificial intelligence.

Seen from Beijing, Europe is more like an Asian peninsula, she said. Obviously, we see things differently. Marc Champion, Peter Martin and Brian Parkin, Bloomberg
The University of Macau (UM) and the Macau Convention and Exhibition jointly held a public forum this week titled Development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.

UM Rector, Wei Zhao, said at the forum that artificial intelligence and Greater Bay Area are among the most popular subjects being researched and are closely linked to teaching and research in information science.

The keynote speakers at the event included Zhou Zhihua, professor from Nanjing University and a Changjiang scholar appointed by the Ministry of Education, and Yang Qiang, chair professor and New Bright and Professor of engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Zhou gave a talk on machine learning, while Yang gave one titled From Deep Learning to Transfer Learning.

Both professors discussed advanced technologies in the area of artificial intelligence and how these technologies can help to develop the Guangdong- Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

Following the talks from Zhou and Yang, a panel discussion was held, featuring Professor Thomas Eiter, from the Vienna University of Technology, and Professor Bernhard Nebel from Freiburg University. Both scholars expressed the belief that the Greater Bay Area has a well-developed manufacturing base and thus holds an advantage in the manufacturing industry. They agreed that if the Greater Bay Area can take full advantage of its technologies in artificial intelligence it can greatly increase its competitiveness.

The event attracted experts and scholars, faculty members, students and members of the general public.
Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) director Raymond Tam said Macau disposes of 17 tons of plastic bottles per day.

This statement was part of Tams response to lawmaker Lei Cheng Is written inquiry to the DSPA regarding the date of plastic bottles which had been delivered to the incinerator for treatment.

Plastic bottle waste represents 1.24 percent of all of Macaus urban solid waste.

Macaus incinerator center charges MOP350 to dispose of one ton of waste.

Tam pointed out that the center had recycled 18 to 20 percent of the citys solid waste in recent years.

In Leis inquiry, she also questioned whether the government will encourage local residents to use their own water bottles more frequently instead of buying bottled water.

Tam responded that the DSPA has continuously encouraged local residents to use fewer plastic bottles. He did not comment on whether the government plans to install more free water facilities in town.
A photography exhibition titled Where the World Heritage Shines  Photography Exhibition of the Historic Center of Macau is currently being held in the city of Guimaraes, Portugal.

The exhibition features more than 90 photographs of the historic center of Macau taken by Chan Hin Io. The photographs show the charm of the small city through various angles, revealing the beauty and exuberant vitality of Macaus cultural heritage. Among the photographs is a large- scale image of the Ruins of St. Pauls, measuring 3 meters tall and 12 meters wide.

Chan is an experienced and well-known photographer in Macau. In recent years, he has been devoted to capturing Macaus customs as well as the citys landscapes, and has received several awards for his work.

The exhibition of his work commenced on June 23, and its opening ceremony was held at the Vila Flor Palace in Guimaraes, Portugal. The ceremony was officiated by representatives from Macau, including the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leung Hio Ming.

The ceremony was preceded by a talk about the historic center of Macau and Guimaraes in the Vila Flor Cultural Center, presented by Leung and the architect and chief of the Historic Center Division of Guimaraes, Miguel Frazao. The speakers discussed both historic centers and shared their experiences in the conservation and revitalization of historical buildings. Guimaraes and Macau were both added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 and 2005 respectively.

The exhibition and talk were part of a series of activities held in celebration of the Day of the City of Guimaraes, highlighting the importance the city of Guimaraes places on cultural exchange and dialogue with Macau.

The exhibition will be held at the Vila Flor Palace in Guimaraes until August 12, after which it will be exhibited in Porto, Portugal in March 2018.
Many members of Macaus society gathered to pay tribute to Rui Afonso during an event held on Monday at the Consulate of Portugal.

A prominent lawyer and lawmaker in Macau for over 30 years, Afonso passed away at age 70 in mid-March this year, in Lisbon after a prolonged battle with an illness. He was remembered by a large group, that included his friends and family when they came to the Auditorium Stanley Ho to share their fondest memories of him.

On the auditorium stage, representatives of several stages of Afonsos life joined the event host, the Consul-General of Portugal for Macau and Hong Kong, Vitor Sereno, who delivered a personal message as well as a testimony from Ombudsman Councilor Judge Leal Henriques, who was unable to attend.

Sereno highlighted several important roles held by Afonso in Macau, such as his seat on the Advisory Council where he contributed decisively to the development of the Macau Basic Law. Another speaker was Anabela Ritchie, a long term colleague of Afonso, who delivered an emotional speech on Afonsos contributions as a legislator and his richness in human qualities.

Ritchie spoke of Afonsos priceless role at the Legislative Assembly in the period between 1994 and 1997, when he allied his quality and technical accuracy to a great knowledge of Macau and found a way to uncover the right solutions that Macau needed in those troubled times of transition.

The president of the Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM), Lei Heong Iok, recalled Afonsos capacity for altruism and his willingness to help others.

Lei referred to Afonso as his Portuguese brother, who for more than 30 years helped him in many legal issues  initially during the years of preparing for the handover, as translator and interpreter, and later in IPMs debut years, where Afonso was always available to aid him in the challenges he often faced.

Lei added that Afonso always nurtured what he considers one of the most important human values  gratitude.

President of the Lawyers Association (AAM) Neto Valente recalled Afonsos technical competence and visionary leadership, citing the occasions where Afonso proved to be the right man on the job, and testifying to the many examples found in his works that the young generation can learn from.

Valente also noted Afonsos capacity to bridge the communities and his eloquence.

In an emotional address, lawyer and partner of office Sergio de Almeida Correia also highlighted Afonsos sense of duty and altruistic acts, one of which led him to severe physical injury when he aided a person trapped inside a car after an accident in Portugal.

Correia also noted the late lawyers key role in the reform of the public administration, reiterating his ability to link different communities in Macau, especially in his work creating bonds within the Chinese community.

Afonso started practicing in Macau in 1985. He was a legal adviser to the Secretary of Administration and Justice (1983-1984) and director of the Administration and Public Servants Service (1984-1985). Between 1984 and 1997, he was a lawmaker before returning to legal practice.
When I first arrived in Macau, roughly 10 years ago, one of the best things about practicing law here was a website that ensured a simple, reliable and immediate access to all laws, rules and regulations in force in the region. It was the Official Gazettes website of the Macau SAR, created and maintained by the Government Printing Bureau. It still exists, but was recently subject to changes.

A good friend of mine who was directly involved in the creation of such platform once told me that the website had been set up before the handover. This information made it seem even more remarkable, given that the internet was still in its early days at the turn of the century. In 2007, in Portugal, we still had to deal with torrents of legal diplomas, reciprocally revoking, amending or superseding each other, typically only available in pdf format (or paper), resulting in unbelievable legal jigsaw exercises or in the superfluous acquisition of printed consolidated materials. Some online services catered to such needs, but they were paid and not very expeditious.

On the contrary, the website of the Official Gazette of the Macau SAR was free, straightforward and super-efficient, enabling anyone who wanted to know the laws in force in each area  be it civil law, commercial law, procedural law, healthcare, external trade, etc.  to land in a page called All Categories, with immediate access to the relevant content. This was not only a tremendous tool for law professionals, but also a major contribution to implement the fundamental right of access to the law, to which all residents are entitled, in accordance with article 36 of the Macau Basic Law.

As mentioned, the website of the Official Gazette still exists, but was recently subject to changes, not only of aesthetic nature, but also in terms of how the access to the content is made. The content is there, the laws, rules and regulations are still displayed in lovely simple html pages, where keywords can easily be found with a swift Ctrl+f, but there is no All Categories page anymore. Small change, big impact.

Currently, to find legislation applicable to a certain area, users must know what legal instruments they are specifically looking for, either by reference to the respective type and number or to the entities directly or indirectly related with said instruments  unsurprisingly, despite Google, users may not have such information and that circumstance may well be one of the reasons for the visit to the website.

The new website architecture does not prevent users from accessing Macau laws, rules and regulations, but certainly makes such access much less practical and effective.

Hope it will change, again, for the better. *Senior Associate, MdME Lawyers
The Philippine Supreme Court upheld yesterday the presidents declaration of martial law in the south in a legal boost to a military offensive that the defense chief said may soon succeed in quelling an uprising by Islamic State group-linked militants.

Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said 11 of 15 justices voted to dismiss petitions against the declaration of martial law, which President Rodrigo Duterte imposed across the countrys southern third for 60 days after hundreds of gunmen waving IS- style black flags laid siege to southern Marawi city on May 23.

The petitioners argued the siege did not constitute a rebellion that could justify martial rule which might foster human rights abuses in a country that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a 1986 revolt for massive rights violations.

We were hoping the Supreme Court would be our last line of defense against a patently absurd decision built on a failure of intelligence and a rhetoric of violent machismo, said Machris Cabreros of Akbayan, a left-wing political party whose officers were among the petitioners. Instead they caved in and unwittingly opened the door to further creeping authoritarianism.

The governments top lawyer, Solicitor General Jose Calida, welcomed the decision, saying, as the conscience of our nation, the Supreme Court did not sit idly to watch our country get dismembered.

Calida has said evidence showed that an IS-linked alliance of four local extremist groups plotted to seize predominantly Muslim Marawi as part of a plot to create an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia. Dutertes move helped troops capture militants and block their movement, security officials said.

After 43 days of intense ground assaults and airstrikes, troops have recaptured most areas of Marawi including parts of its central business district, where the gunmen turned buildings into sniper posts that slowed the militarys advance for weeks. Troops regained control Monday of a key school compound where they recovered 15 assault weapons and found the remains of a foreign-looking fighter, probably a Singaporean, military officials said.

In a speech marking the air forces founding anniversary at Clark freeport north of Manila, Duterte said more than 40 Philippine aircraft were involved in the Marawi offensive.

As we wrap up in our campaign to liberate Marawi, I am confident that the Philippine air force will once again take an active role in the rebuilding of the city, Duterte said.

About 400,000 villagers have abandoned Marawi, a bastion of Islamic faith with hundreds of mosques, and outlying towns in Lanao del Sur province, about 800 kilometers southeast of Manila.

The unprecedented urban attack has alarmed Southeast Asian and Western governments, which fear that the Islamic State groups brutal rule in Syria and Iraq, now collapsing, may have galvanized Asian militants into attempting to create their own so-called Islamic caliphate in the region with funds from Middle East-based jihadis.

Despite Dutertes antagonism toward U.S. and Australian officials, who have criticized his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs, the Western allies have deployed surveillance planes to help Philippine troops track down the remaining militants in Marawi.

European officials, also often a target of Dutertes verbal attacks, announced yesterday they will provide 49 million pesos (USD980,000) in emergency aid for displaced civilians. MDT/AP
The failure of Chinas Long March 5 rocket deals a rare setback to Chinas highly successful space program that could delay plans to bring back moon samples and offer rival India a chance to move ahead in the space rankings.

Experts say the still unexplained mishap shows that for all its triumphs, Chinas space program is not immune to the tremendous difficulties and risks involved in working with such cutting-edge technology.

Chinas approach has been slow and prudent, trying to avoid this kind of failure, even though they knew it was going to occur sooner or later, Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert on Chinas space program at the US Naval War College, wrote in an email.

Authorities say the Long March 5 Y2 that took off Sunday in the second launch of a Long March 5 rocket, suffered an abnormality during the flight after what appeared to be a successful liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southern island province of Hainan. The incident is under investigation and the authorities have yet to comment on possible causes, or any knock-on effects on the program as a whole.

In a testimony to the high respect Chinas program now commands, the failure drew widespread commentary in the space community, including from SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk, who tweeted Sunday: Sorry to hear about Chinalaunch failure today. I know how painful that is to the people who designed & built it.

Nicknamed Chubby 5 for its massive, 5-meter girth, the Long March-5 is Chinas largest and most brawny launch vehicle, capable of carrying 25 tons of payload into low-earth orbit and 14 tons to the more distant geostationary transfer orbit in which a satellite orbits constantly above a fixed position on the earths surface

Thats more than double that of the Long March 7, the backbone of the Chinese launching fleet, making it the linchpin for launch duties requiring such massive heft such as interplanetary travel.

First among those is the mission slated for November by the Change 5 probe to land a rover on the moon before returning to Earth with samples  the first time that has been done since 1976. Chinas most technically demanding mission to date, it had been put off before because of funding and then technology, Johnson-Freese said. While the Long March 5 has suffered other setbacks, the lunar mission is certainly the most visible one, she said.

Other upcoming Chinese missions include the launch next year of the 20-ton core module for Chinas orbiting Tiangong 2 space station, along with specialized components for the 60-ton station that is due to come on-line in 2022 and other massive payloads in future. The Long March 5 was also due to be the launch vehicle for a Mars rover planned for the mid 2020s.

Problems with the Long March 5 may stem from its use of liquefied gases that are less stable than the solid propellants used in other rockets, said Morris Jones, an Australian space analyst and regular contributor to SpaceDaily.com. Unlike earlier rockets that used highly toxic fuels, the Long March 5 burns a more environmentally friendly and less expensive kerosene-liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen mix  which is more complex and harder to regulate.

Jones called such setbacks typical of the development phase of a new rocket and said additional launches may be required to work out the kinks. Sundays launch failure will delay the Change 5 mission at least until next year, while there may also be a small delay in launching the space station components, Jones said.

Finding a fix takes a lot of time and effort but there is no other way to produce a reliable rocket, Jones said.

Test launched for the first time last year in what had been a towering success, the 57-meter two-stage rocket is just slightly less powerful than the most powerful rocket in service, the U.S. United Launch Alliances Delta IV, although SpaceXs Falcon Heavy is designed to carry a payload into low-earth orbit of more than 50 tons.

Since the first launch in 1970, Chinas Long March series of rockets have been a remarkably solid bet, achieving a success rate of around 95 percent. Thats helped facilitate a program that conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, making China only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to do so, put a pair of space stations into orbit, and landed its Yutu, or Jade Rabbit rover on the moon. Administrators suggest a manned landing on the moon may also be in the programs future.

Not all has been smooth sailing, however. A Long March 3B rocket launched June 18 launch placed its communications satellite in a lower-than planned for orbit. Though the satellite is climbing into its proper altitude on its own, the effort will reduce its useful lifespan in space. A least two similar incidents reportedly occurred last year.

With two mishaps coming so close together, Chinese space officials may decide to take a pause to re-evaluate manufacturing quality or other aspects of the program, said Stephen Clark of Spaceflight Now. That may include launching another Long March 5 test flight before attempting the Change 5 mission, Clark said.

Both Clark and Johnson-Freese said they hope the failure doesnt deter Chinese officials in their pursuit of greater transparency and international participation in the countrys space program.

Yet, rivals, primarily India, may see the setback as an opportunity to steal a march on China, whose geostrategic influence has benefited significantly from its role as a technology leader in space, said Johnson-Freese.

Indias Mars Orbiter Mission, called Mangalyaan, is already orbiting the red planet, years before China is ready to launch such a mission, and it won acclaim and a place in the record books earlier this year by placing 104 nano satellites in orbit from a single rocket.

The failure of the Long March 5 may provide a window of opportunity for India, said Johnson-Freese. Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, AP
Last month, around 11,000 people applied for a mere 160 government vacancies through the public sector recruitment examination process, making these jobs some of the most sought-after in the territory.

Local sociologist Larry So puts the appeal of government jobs down to high entry-level salaries, a considerable number of annual leave days and several other benefits.

The proportion of Macaus 405,000-strong labor force employed in the public sector last year was 7.1 percent, down from 7.9 percent in 2011, but considerably higher than most other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

In datasets provided by the World Bank, the size of the public sector is normally expressed as a proportion of the total population rather than of the total labor force. Using this measurement, the approximately 28,750 civil servants in Macau represent around 4.4 percent of people in the MSAR, significantly higher than the 2.7 percent average for the Asia Pacific region between 2000 and 2013.

Macaus 4.4 percent is considerably higher than the 3.45 percent in Japan and the 2.5 percent in Singapore. It also far outstrips estimates for Indonesia (less than 2 percent), the Philippines (1.3 percent) and East-Timor (1.8 percent), though is smaller than Thailand (about 5 percent), Vietnam (4.8 percent) and China (estimates vary, thought sometimes considered to be 6 percent).

Moreover, Macaus population includes the 180,000 migrant workers in the territory, accounting for around 27 percent of its people. It is not clear whether non-resident workers were included in the relevant World Bank data sets of the other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

We have a high [proportion] of civil servants in Macau  especially compared to Hong Kong  and the question is, do we need that many? said Larry So, speaking to the Times yesterday.

There is an expectation that, due to the fixed costs of government, countries with fewer people will have a higher proportion of their population working in the public sector. While a trend exists, not all small countries with small populations have such high proportions.

Luxembourg (570,000) and the Bahamas (400,000) are on one end of the scale with extensive public sector employment, but Bahrain (1.37 million) and Barbados (285,000) are on the other.

So told the Times yesterday that although public sector employment in Macau represents a high proportion of the citys population, it would be even higher were the government to nationalize certain monopoly service providers.

He commended the fact that some services in the city are privatized in Macau under concessionaire agreements. In other jurisdictions, these services are publicly owned or funded. Specifically, he mentioned the telecommunications and utilities sector, but also stressed that the casino industry might be included. According to DSEC, more than 81,000 people were employed by the gaming sector last year.

The number of civil servants is diminished by the number of outsourced contracts, said So. There are private companies that are required to do what the government tells them [to], without [their workers] being classified as civil servants.

He suggested that privatization would help to streamline governmental organizations, which around the world are considered bureaucratic and inefficient.

The government could [privatize and] subsidize some services, for example in social welfare, culture and sport, proposed the scholar. We need to ask ourselves whether the government needs [to be the one] to provide, when the alternative is to outsource many of these services to NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and this would be much cheaper than paying the salaries of all of these civil servants.

It would also create more diversity in the services offered and make the organizations [involved in the delivery of services] more creative through competition, he added.

According to the International Labor Organization, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Denmark and Norway are among the countries with the highest proportions of employees in the public sector. DB
Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe on Monday handed over a check of $1 million to the African Union, part of efforts to help push the regional block toward financial independence.

About 60 percent of the continental bodys spending has been financed by donors, including the European Union, the World Bank and other international donors and lenders.

Handing over the check, Mugabe said the modest donation demonstrates what is possible when we apply our mind to the most urgent task before us, of funding our union and in particular Agenda 2063.

AUs budget grew from $278.2m in 2013 to $393.4m in 2015, with external financing also rising from 56% to 61.7% in those years.

The AU hopes to be able to meet all its operational funding needs by the year 2022.

Unless and until we can fund our own programs, the African Union will not be our own, Mugabe said.

It is never going to be easy to wean ourselves from the donor-dependency syndrome, but we need to forge ahead for our sake and that of our future generations, he said.

The donation comes amid a severe cash and food crisis in Zimbabwe.

During his tenure as AU chairperson in June 2015, Mugabe had pledged 300 cattle from his personal herd towards the capacitation of the then newly formed African Union Foundation, mandated with promoting domestic resource mobilization for African development.

Mugabe honored his pledge Monday by donating the $1 million check.

As a farmer and an African, donating cattle, which is a sign of wealth, comes naturally, Mugabe said during the donation.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Monday submitted to the African Union a paper laying out a common African vision on migration and the related stakes and challenges facing the continent, at a time thousands of Africans die in the Mediterranean while undertaking the perilous voyage to Europe.

The Monarch had been entrusted with the migration issue at the 28th AU Summit, held in Kigali, in Rwanda in January this year.

The paper, dubbed Vision for an African Agenda for Migration was given to Guinean President Alpha Conde and chair of the African Union (AU) Monday at the opening of the 29th AU summit.

The document was handed by Prince Moulay Rachid, who is representing the Monarch at the AU Summit, marking Moroccos return to its African institutional family.

The preliminary note of the paper lists the steps that should be taken to tackle migration, notably through the adoption of national strategies, improvement of sub-regional coordination, and pooling of continental and international efforts.

The document urges African countries to combat trafficking and to create conditions propitious for the integration of migrants and for the preservation of their rights. It likewise calls for collective efforts at the sub-regional and continental levels to ensure an adequate management of migration, ensuring smooth migration across the borders of the continent and beyond its boundaries.

With regard to international partnership, the paper stresses the need for African countries and the African Union to assess and respond to the challenges and opportunities of migration. As a global issue, migration must be the subject of partnerships in which Africa will have to fully play its role, the paper notes, pointing out that migration, despite the challenges it poses to host countries, could yield benefits if well managed.

In the speech he addressed to his African peers Monday, King Mohammed VI said when dealing with the question of migration, What we need to do, above all, is to change our perception of migration and see it not as a constraint or threat, but as a positive element. Since time immemorial, has migration not been a factor of rapprochement between peoples and civilizations?

Addressing the challenge of migration requires an innovative approach that allows us to assess its causes and impacts and to consider possible solutions, above all by creating synergies between development plans and migration policies, he said.

The King urged African leaders to pool efforts to develop, he said, an African Agenda on this question that includes a common vision of the ways and means of dealing with the question of migration, both within our continent and in international forums.
At least 14 people were missing and feared dead after an illegal gold mine in western Ghana collapsed on Tuesday, local media reported.

Some 14 out of the 19 small-scale miners were trapped and are yet to be rescued from the over 80 feet deep pit.

Five of the illegal miners that were trapped managed to escape by their own efforts.

District Police commander for the region, Superintendent Atsu Dzineku, indicated that rescue efforts are still ongoing.

There were about 19 people that went into the pit and only five came out alive. Its past hours now and the presumption is that the 14 are dead, Atsu Dzineku said.

Traditionally, small-scale gold mining in Ghana has been carried out by locals on their own land using hand-operated tools. These methods have slowly modernized and expanded, but the recent influx of foreign  predominantly Chinese  miners has accelerated this development.

The government of Ghana has embarked in a war on illegal mining across the country since April this year.

A number of arrests have been made and excavators owned by the illegal miners have been seized by the government taskforce set up to fight illegal mining in the West African nation.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in northeastern Nigerian state of Borno have recorded 3,000 births in the last 6 months, the states Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) disclosed on Tuesday.

We recorded 3,000 births among IDPs in the last six months. The mothers were supported with drugs and reproductive kits, SEMA Chairman, Satomi Ahmad said.

The agency and health ministry support the mothers and babies with drugs, food and other services.

About 13,000 births have been recorded in IDP camps in the region since 2013.

The region is witnessing a humanitarian crisis as people continue to flee the attacks by the insurgent group, Boko Haram.

In its short, seven-year insurgency, Boko Haram has emerged as one of the most ruthless and deadly radical militant groups on the planet.

However, the 20,000 people killed in the recent clashes in northeastern Nigeria could be dwarfed by the number of children facing death because of malnutrition in areas affected by the fighting, the UN has warned.

The UN Childrens Fund estimates as many as 75,000 children will die in the coming year if donors do not act quickly to address the famine-like conditions in the area.
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